Former French PM announces bid for president in 2017

Former French prime minister Francois Fillon on Thursday threw his hat into the ring for president in 2017, saying he would be a candidate to succeed Francois Hollande, dpa reported. Fillon, who was prime minister under Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2012, made the announcement during a visit to Japan, French media reported. "I'll be a candidate no matter what," he was quoted as telling reporters after receiving the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Japan's highest distinction, from Emperor Akihito. Fillon's unusually early declaration was taken to mean that he would seek the nomination of the centre-right Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) even if fellow party member Sarkozy attempted a comeback.