by Associated Press
Telegraph.co.uk
France’s top court has ruled that Christine Lagarde, the managing director of the International Monetary Fund, must stand trial in France for her handling of a dispute during her time as French finance minister.
Ms Lagarde, 60, is accused of failing to block an arbitration process in 2008, which paved the way for a massive government payout to politically-connected tycoon Bernard Tapie.
She is accused of negligence in the case. She has denied any wrongdoing. The ruling threatens to cloud her second term as head of the IMF.
The unusually generous arbitration deal, paid from public funds, prompted years of legal disputes that remain unresolved.