France

Kaino says au revoir to All Blacks

The 34-year-old, a two-time World Cup winner, made his debut in 2004 and played 81 tests.

He is the third most capped Blues player in history with 127 games to date, behind fellow All Blacks Keven Mealamu (164) and Tony Woodcock (137).

One of the highlights of his All Blacks career was playing all but one minute of the All Blacks' successful 2011 World Cup campaign.

He had a two-year stint overseas playing in Japan before returning to New Zealand and playing his way back into the All Blacks.

Kaino scored 12 test tries.

France to investigate Nutella promotion that led to 'riots'

France has strict rules about the size of discounts that retailers can put on products outside of official sales periods.

Last week, shoppers at Intermarché shops jostled to buy heavily discounted chocolate and hazelnut spread.

It had been discounted by 70% - from €4.50 (£3.90) to €1.40.

Police were called when people began fighting and pushing one another.

"They are like animals. A woman had her hair pulled, an elderly lady took a box on her head, another had a bloody hand," one customer told French media.

Children killed as school bus and train collide

Another 24 people were reported to be seriously injured, in the accident on a railway crossing between Millas and Saint-Féliu-d'Amont.

The students on the bus are reported to be between the ages of 13 and 17.

Pictures from the scene showed the school bus sheared in two by the force of the crash.

Around 70 emergency workers and four helicopters were deployed as part of the rescue effort.

The crash happened on a section of line between Perpignan and Villefranche-de-Conflent, the local news website l'Indépendant reports.

Johnny Hallyday: France's 'Elvis Presley' dies at 74

The singer sold about 100 million records and starred in a number of films in a career that began in 1960.

He was made a Chevalier of the Legion D'Honneur by President Jacques Chirac in 1997.

The French simply called him "Our Johnny". However, outside the Francophone zone, Hallyday was virtually unknown.

In a statement, his wife Laeticia said: "Johnny Hallyday has left us. I write these words without believing them. But yet, it's true. My man is no longer with us.

"He left us tonight as he lived his whole life, with courage and dignity."

Japan almost beat France

France have won just three of their 11 tests in 2017 and were fortunate not to suffer their most humbling reverse yet as flyhalf Tamura lined up a 74th minute conversion with the scores level.

The kick was just to the left of the posts, one that Tamura would expect to make comfortably, but the miss allowed the home side to escape with a draw as they managed to survive more pressure from the visitors in the remaining minutes.

The result, though, was set to still intensify the unwelcome spotlight on coach Guy Noves two years out from the Rugby World Cup.

Springboks edge out France in Paris

Having gained the recommendation of the Rugby World Cup board following an independent evaluation report, South Africa were left disgusted when the World Rugby Council awarded France hosting rights for the 2023 tournament on Wednesday.

If that provided additional motivation for Saturday's match in Paris, the Springboks were also fuelled by a desire to bounce back from last weekend's stunning 38-3 defeat to Ireland.

And a much-changed side managed to do just that as tries from Dillyn Leyds and Jesse Kriel proved enough to edge out a France team that struggled for fluency.

France look ahead to next World Cup

England scored four tries inside 20 minutes which killed off any chance of the French of making the World Cup quarter-finals. 

"We started very badly," Cologni said. 

"Our game today - our completion was too poor. The effort was there after 15 or 20 minutes but it's too late. 

"We finished very well and showed some good spirit. I appreciate that and the team spirit. But I'm frustrated with our ball control today. We cannot play against England and drop so many balls on the first and second tackle."

England outclass France in Perth

Les Chanticleers needed to beat their traditional rivals to have a chance of playing in the quarter-finals, yet England snuffed out any chance of that happening with four tries inside the first 20 minutes.

Gareth Widdop opened England's scoring in the second minute after ghosting through on the right side, and Stefan Ratchford crossed two minutes later on the same edge.

James Graham made it three tries in 10 minutes, before Mark Percival scored in the 18th minute after some quick passing.

All Blacks overcome French

From the sublime to the ridiculous, the All Blacks produced a two-paced opening effort to open the test component of their northern tour with a victory over France that was a lot less comfortable than it need have been.

In the end the All Blacks rather held on to prevail 38-18, five tries to two, after they had produced an irrepressible first 40 minutes to lead 31-5 at the halftime break.  Remarkably the French somehow flipped a switch in the second half to play the world champions off the park, and starve them of the possession they had used to efficiently through the first 40.

France stops its Green Fund

The decision will affect dozens of projects in France's overseas territories.

The overseas minister Annick Giradin has told the National Assembly that the next budget has no provision to feed the fund which was meant to mitigate against climate change.

Ms Girardin said her ministry cannot be the only one taking care of the effects of climate change, suggesting that other ministries and agencies share the responsibility.

The cut affects dozens of projects, including some in French Polynesia worth almost $US30 million.