When French far-right leader Marine Le Pen accused the judiciary of deploying a "nuclear bomb" to blow up her presidential hopes, she added France to the countries where accusations of "lawfare" - political meddling by judges - are gaining currency.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been sentenced to a five-year ban on running for public office for embezzling EU funds in a major political earthquake

US President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind another embattled far-right European leader, backing Marine Le Pen after French presidential hopeful was convicted of embezzlement and barred from political office.