France

After a hugely succesful 2022 campaign France return to Six Nations action to defend the crown they won 12 months ago. The French stole the show last year, winning all five games to clinch their first Six Nations title in 12 years. Their title defence will resume this weekend when they make the trip to Rome to take on underdogs Italy at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. The start is no doubt a tough one for the Italians, who have come bottom of the table in eight of the last nine years. France meanwhile will be hoping to get their campaign off to the perfect start and extend their unbeaten run in the competition in 2023. Fabien Galthié's team is one full of superstars, all of whom will be keen to impress with this year's World Cup - in which the French will host - right around the corner. One man who Mirror Sport's Tom Sunderland thinks is well worth keeping an eye on is Nolann Le Garrec. He wrote: "Le Garrec boasts a considerable edge in terms of Top 14 experience, while … [Read more...] about What channel is Italy vs France on? Six Nations 2023 kick-off time and live stream info

A World Cup final for the ages delivered a crowning glory for soccer icon Lionel Messi on Sunday as Argentina beat reigning men's champion France on penalty kicks. One of the most dramatic major sporting events in history had the teams tied 3-3 after extra time, with the French ultimately missing twice in the shootout before Gonzalo Montiel converted to seal an exhausting and emotional victory. Argentina had dominated the bulk of the match, leading 2-0 with just about 10 minutes to go, but France burst into life with star forward Kylian Mbappé scoring twice in as many minutes. Both sides traded missed chances and then late goals again in the 30 minutes of extra time before the tension of penalty kicks. The game capped a month of sporting drama and geopolitical controversy in Qatar. The tournament featured surprise results and fairy-tale runs , but the final had two giants of the game compete for the title — headlined by a pair of stars. The speedy and skillful Mbappé … [Read more...] about Argentina wins World Cup on penalty kicks over France

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Ireland centre Garry Ringrose has dismissed suggestions next weekend’s mouthwatering Guinness Six Nations showdown with France will be a Grand Slam decider. Andy Farrell’s men ultimately had to settle for second spot in the 2022 championship as a round-two defeat by the all-conquering French in Paris proved pivotal. The two nations meet at the same stage in this year’s competition, with the Irish having underlined their status as the world’s top-ranked side by impressively blowing away Wales on the opening weekend before Fabien Galthie’s defending champions scraped past Italy. Talk of the title is likely to dominate the build-up to the Dublin fixture but Ringrose does not believe the victors are guaranteed to go on and complete a tournament clean sweep. “I don’t think so, no,” said the … [Read more...] about Garry Ringrose keen to avoid deja vu in Dublin as Ireland tackle France test

Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Israel towards the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, says the West “blocked” a ceasefire he was helping to broker early in the war. Bennett, who was prime minister and then alternate prime minister in Israel during a confusing period of coalition politics prior to the return of Benjamin Netanyahu as head of government in December, said that “there was a good chance of reaching a ceasefire” before the Western powers “curbed” negotiations in a wide-ranging interview uploaded to YouTube. Israel is one of a number of states traditionally seen as being aligned with the West, along with the likes of India and Turkey , which have played little or no part in efforts to support Ukraine militarily or engage in the sanctions war with Russia, with Bennett explaining that while “the Americans expect… that we all rally for Ukraine” this would not necessarily have been in Israel’s interests. By way of example, Bennett … [Read more...] about Western Powers ‘Blocked’ Ceasefire Early in Ukraine War: Israeli Ex-PM

Sign up to our free sport newsletter for all the latest news on everything from cycling to boxing Sign up to our free sport email for all the latest news Hugo Keenan believes a fearless approach paved the way for Ireland to emphatically launch their Guinness Six Nations title charge with a devastating win which wrecked Warren Gatland’s return as Wales boss. Full-back Keenan played a starring role on Saturday as the world’s top-ranked team subdued the Cardiff crowd by brushing aside the stunned hosts during a blistering start. Tries from Caelan Doris, James Ryan and James Lowe helped build a commanding 27-3 half-time lead before Josh Van Der Flier crossed late on to crush Welsh resistance and secure a bonus point. Ireland had previously not won a championship match at the Principality Stadium for a decade but stylishly snapped the losing streak as opposition optimism for the start of the second Gatland era was swiftly snuffed out. “We’re … [Read more...] about Hugo Keenan feels fearless approach set platform for Ireland’s winning start

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Employers are being urged to take additional measures to ensure new and expectant mothers are safe at work. According to the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Maternity Action , which have suggested new measures employers should take to increase safety , many employers “do not know what they should be doing” - or are ignoring their legal responsibilities. The new suggestions include such measures as changing workload and hours, varying hours and increasing breaks for new or expectant mothers. TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “ Pregnancy can be a stressful enough time for any woman without them having to worry about dangers at work as well. “Bosses need to do far more to ensure expectant or new mums are safe at work. Too many are ignoring their legal … [Read more...] about Employers are not doing enough to keep new and expectant mothers safe at work

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Expectant parents may want to consider moving to Scandinavia, as a new report has revealed Denmark, Sweden and Norway top the list of best countries in the world for raising a child. The findings are according to the annual Best Countries Report, conducted by US News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which point to the Scandinavian countries’ “generous paternal and maternal leave” and free preschool. “These countries tend to have generous paternal leave and maternal leave, offer free preschool, and have good overall public education systems,” Deidre McPhillips, senior data editor at US News & World report, told CNN . Rounding out the top five countries on this year's list are Canada and the Netherlands, in fourth … [Read more...] about The best countries in the world to raise a child, ranked

With Pennsylvania's primary race between Republican Senate hopefuls Dr. Mehmet Oz and David McCormick headed for a probable automatic recount, former President Donald Trump is ranting against election fraud on Truth Social, calling the voting system "a complete disaster." Oz, the Trump-endorsed celebrity surgeon, leads former hedge fund manager McCormick by around 1,100 votes as of Saturday, with nearly 99 percent of votes counted, according to CBS Philly. Oz was leading with 418,535 as of late afternoon, compared to 417,465 votes for McCormick. In Pennsylvania, an automatic recount is required "when the margin for a statewide office or ballot measure is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total vote," according to Ballotpedia. The former president took to his social media platform Saturday, as he has for days, to air his grievances on the election process and seek the termination of mail-in ballots. "Why does it take sooo long, like in Pennsylvania, to conclude - 5 … [Read more...] about Primary Race Between Oz, McCormick Looks Headed for Recount as Trump Fumes

More from our inbox: Lead in Baby Food ChatGPT, the Politician Send Legal Migrants to All the States How to Invest (Not in Crypto) To the Editor: Re “ Can Anything Be Done to Assuage Rural Rage? ,” by Paul Krugman (column, Jan. 27): Mr. Krugman’s piece on rural resentment illustrates, in its inadvertent condescension, the very reasons rural people resent big-city elites. Mr. Krugman details the reasons rural complaints about big government are wrong, noting, for example, that much more federal assistance and more investment funds go to many rural areas than come in through taxes. This misses the deeper issue: Human beings need to be needed, to feel that the work they do matters to the larger community. For decades now the jobs that help men to feel they are contributing something essential, such as coal mining, manufacturing and farming, have been disappearing. We’ve created an economy that cuts off access to meaningful work, and then told … [Read more...] about What’s Really Behind Rural Resentment?

Around the world, nations make a call for their brave to uphold the freedom of mankind. Many of them fight for freedoms they can't use themselves. From the UK to the U.S. to France to Australia to Canada, countries honor the sacrifice of soldiers through observed holidays. As important as those holidays are in reaching veterans, how brands reach them when the world is not watching is often more important for the civically engaged consumer. I've learned this through my past work helping brands launch products and have collected my insight into how brands can reach this segment of consumers. Different Voices Acknowledging the different voices of veterans in a unifying message is key. Veterans like the rest of the world are dynamic in culture and sexual orientation. In essence, keeping LGBTQ, women and diverse groups in mind, while serving them and marketing to them, is of high importance. In the U.S. alone, the number of female veterans is projected to increase from around 2 … [Read more...] about The Global Veteran Consumer: Cause Meets Luxury