Marine Le Pen to run for French presidency and appeal conviction in top court

French hard-right leader Marine Le Pen has said she will run for the presidency in 2027, and appeal to the country's highest court against an embezzlement conviction that requires her to wear an electronic tag for a year. "The campaign begins tonight," she told French TV in a combative primetime interview. The National Rally (RN) leader said she would "pursue all legal avenues" to defend her innocence and appeal to France's top civil court, the Court of Cassation. The appeal means the order to wear the tag is suspended until the Court of Cassation delivers its verdict on the case - likely early in 2027. Hours before Le Pen's TV appearance, a Paris appeal court found her guilty of misusing €2.8m (£2.4m) in EU funds in a fake jobs scheme, but ruled she could stand for the presidency while wearing a tag. The decision is a remarkable political gamble - and it puts an end to months of speculation that Le Pen would hand the candidacy to the 30-year-old president of her party, Jordan Bardella. Bardella did not immediately react to Le Pen's announcement, but the pair are due to appear together at a market in the Sarthe region of north-west France on Wednesday. Public prosecutors have also