The Grand Slams are in the distant past. The glory days when France played with verve and panache, words of French origin, are long gone. France last cut through all five rivals in the tournament in 2010. They were the runners-up a year later before what looks to be a terminal decline set in. France have finished no better than fourth since, and were bottom of the pile in 2013.
The last time the French played a Six Nations game, they were thrashed 55-35 by England. They signed off at the World Cup with a record defeat to the All Blacks and if a new coach had not been called for, the outlook would look very bleak.
In Guy Noves the French Rugby Union have appointed one of their greatest coaches. Noves built one of the great rugby empires in the city of Toulouse, amassing a record four European Cups and ten titles. The fall of Toulouse in France’s Top 14, however, mirrors the problems faced by the national team and Noves will have to be at his most refreshing if his side are to get out of the malaise that affects them.
Noves has appointed Guilhem Guirado as his captain and rallying focal point, and the Toulon hooker looks to be made of the right stuff. Both men have a huge amount of work to get through if France are to prevail.
PLAYER TO WATCH — JONATHAN DANTY
Gael Fickou and Wesley Fofana are still in the France squad and operate at a high level in the centres, but Jonathan Danty might just be one of the ingredients that kick-start the French revival if he is given the chance. Danty is just 23, which is probably one of the primary reasons why he missed out on the World Cup under Philippe Saint-Andre. Noves has picked the Stade Francais player, who was one of the best in his league last season, and he should repay that faith over the five rounds.
POINT TO PROVE — GUY NOVES
Toulouse have not won the French title since 2012 and have not been a significant fixture in Europe since the high water mark of 2010. It is the only real blemish on Noves’ record as a coach. He clearly has the CV for the position as France coach, but needs to prove that he still has what it takes.
STAR IN THE MAKING — RABAH SLIMANI
The Stade Francais prop is quite a character. After his side won the French Top 14, the former No 8 stripped down to his pants and slid along a soaped down floor of the changing rooms straight in to the Bouclier de Brennus, the French championship trophy. On the field he is a destructive tighthead who can also operate on the other side of the scrum. The 26-year-old has a monstrous work ethic.
PREDICTION — 5th
France have Italy first in Paris and then host Ireland with the benefit of an extra day of rest in Round 2. As far as a confidence-building exercise is concerned, things do not get any easier for the French. The path becomes trickier with away matches in Cardiff and Edinburgh before the return to Stade De France to face England. France are the most difficult team to get a handle on, no change there then, but it is more likely to go wrong than right.
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Company Profile
Name: HyveGeo
Started: 2023
Founders: Abdulaziz bin Redha, Dr Samsurin Welch, Eva Morales and Dr Harjit Singh
Based: Cambridge and Dubai
Number of employees: 8
Industry: Sustainability & Environment
Funding: $200,000 plus undisclosed grant
Investors: Venture capital and government
A QUIET PLACE
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: 4/5
Can NRIs vote in the election?
Indians residing overseas cannot cast their ballot abroad
Non-resident Indians or NRIs can vote only by going to a polling booth in their home constituency
There are about 3.1 million NRIs living overseas
Indians have urged political parties to extend the right to vote to citizens residing overseas
A committee of the Election Commission of India approved of proxy voting for non-resident Indians
Proxy voting means that a person can authorise someone residing in the same polling booth area to cast a vote on his behalf.
This option is currently available for the armed forces, police and government officials posted outside India
A bill was passed in the lower house of India’s parliament or the Lok Sabha to extend proxy voting to non-resident Indians
However, this did not come before the upper house or Rajya Sabha and has lapsed
The issue of NRI voting draws a huge amount of interest in India and overseas
Over the past few months, Indians have received messages on mobile phones and on social media claiming that NRIs can cast their votes online
The Election Commission of India then clarified that NRIs could not vote online
The Election Commission lodged a complaint with the Delhi Police asking it to clamp down on the people spreading misinformation
SUZUME
Director: Makoto Shinkai
Stars: Nanoka Hara, Hokuto Matsumura, Eri Fukatsu
Rating: 4/5
2017 RESULTS: FRENCH VOTERS IN UK
First round
Emmanuel Macron: 51.1%
Francois Fillon: 24.2%
Jean-Luc Melenchon: 11.8%
Benoit Hamon: 7.0%
Marine Le Pen: 2.9%
Second round
Emmanuel Macron: 95.1%
Marine Le Pen: 4.9%
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne reforms stamp duty land tax (SDLT), replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 – 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; More than £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak extends the SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget until the end of June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
June 2021: SDLT holiday on transactions up to £500,000 expires on June 30.
July 2021: Tax break on transactions between £125,000 to £250,000 starts on July 1 and runs until September 30.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: OneOrder
Started: March 2022
Founders: Tamer Amer and Karim Maurice
Based: Cairo
Number of staff: 82
Investment stage: Series A
SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90+5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Profile Box
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Mohammed Toraif
Based: Manama, Bahrain
Sector: Sales, Technology, Conservation
Size: (employees/revenue) 4/ 5,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($100,000)
Investors: Two first-round investors including, 500 Startups, Fawaz Al Gosaibi Holding (Saudi Arabia)
