Fillon races to the front in French rightwing primary

The surprise winner of the first round of France's rightwing presidential primary, conservative ex-premier Francois Fillon, was the runaway favourite Monday to win the contest expected to decide France's next leader. Fillon, an admirer of Margaret Thatcher who has pledged deep economic reforms, pulled off a stunning upset Sunday, surging from behind to knock his former boss Nicolas Sarkozy out of the race and beat the longtime favourite, Alain Juppe, into distant second. Fillon and Juppe, also a