Stuart Lancaster is convinced England can win the World Cup despite presiding over a fourth successive runners-up finish in the RBS 6 Nations.

Italy 0 France 29

EastEnders star Danny Dyer is set to marry his long-term girlfriend after she proposed to him on Valentine’s Day.

AUTUMN INTERNATIONAL:

About 1.6 million people in Spain’s north-eastern region of Catalonia say they want to break away from the country and carve out a new Mediterranean nation.

More than a million voters participated yesterday in an informal vote on whether Catalonia should secede from the rest of Spain, officials said.

Catalonia is open to offers from the central government that would allow it to remain in Spain with greater autonomy and control over its taxes, regional finance chief Andreu Mas-Colell said.

The Spanish government has filed appeals at the country’s top court to try and halt the powerful north-eastern region of Catalonia from staging an independence referendum.

The Spanish government has filed appeals at the country’s top court to try and halt the powerful north-eastern region of Catalonia from staging an independence referendum.

If the Irish mortgage market is to regain credibility then it should copy the Canadian model which has remained stable since the 1950s, according to Angel Mas, president and chief executive of Mortgage Insurance Europe at Genworth.

Eight in 10 potential first-time buyers have to continue renting — as restricted access to mortgage credit prevents them from getting onto the property ladder, a new report claims.

Catalonia’s president Artur Mas says Catalans want the same chance as Scots who were given the right to vote for independence.

The leader of Spain’s Catalonia region has told the Spanish prime minister he intends pushing ahead with a secession referendum in November despite the central government’s refusal to allow it.

Three key issues Ireland must address.

Scotland 17 France 19

Reigning champions Wales put their RBS 6 Nations title bid back on track with a Millennium Stadium mauling of France that ended Les Bleus’ Grand Slam hopes.

France 30 Italy 10

France 26 England 24

The president of Spain’s regional government of Catalonia says he wants to hold an independence referendum on November 9, 2014, setting the stage for more confrontation with the national government which refuses to allow a vote on independence.

The founder of a French firm whose faulty breast implants sparked a global health scare was sentenced to four years in jail after being convicted of fraud.

The Frenchman who sold tens of thousands of faulty silicone breast implants around the world has been jailed for fraud.

Spain’s prime minister has rejected a request by the leader of Catalonia to approve a referendum that would allow the north-eastern region to decide whether to secede from the rest of the country.

A rueful smile, but no regrets. A trial for an U14 Mayo academy team in Crossmolina. He wasn’t picked. Not even considered. Character maker, character shaper?

Hundreds of women given faulty breast implants have gathered at a French court for the trial of five executives accused of using cheap industrial silicone in their manufacturing.

The 43-year-old actress Nina Wadia has quit 'EastEnders' and will film exit scenes as Zainab Masood - who she has played since 2007 - in the coming weeks, but her character is not expected to be killed off.

Voters in the economically powerful region of Catalonia have punished the leader who made a referendum over breaking away from Spain a central plank of his campaign, seeing his party’s majority reduced by a dozen seats.

Four separatist parties in Spain’s Catalonia last night looked set to win a majority in regional elections yesterday, partial results showed, but the main one was on course to lose some seats, possibly undermining its bid to call an independence referendum.

Voters in the industrious and economically important north-eastern region of Catalonia began casting their ballots as polling stations opened on Sunday in elections that could determine the future shape of Spain.

The Catalan nationalist party CiU will win regional parliamentary elections in Spain on Nov 25, but will not gain an absolute majority, newspaper polls showed, weakening any bid for independence.

Catalonia has voted for a referendum on self-determination but the Spanish government warned it will have it stopped by the country’s top court.

Violent protests in Madrid and growing talk of secession in wealthy Catalonia are piling pressure on Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as he moves closer to asking Europe for rescue money.

Sam Warburton is ready to lead Wales’ final push for the RBS 6 Nations title and Grand Slam glory tomorrow, declaring: “It will be the biggest game of my career.”

Health authorities are trying to trace hundreds more Irish women who may have received the potentially dangerous PIP breast implants as far back as 1997.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has made five changes and one positional switch for Saturday’s RBS 6 Nations clash against Wales in Cardiff.

The founder of the French breast implant firm linked to a global health scare has been jailed.

Scotland wing Rory Lamont suffered a suspected broken leg in the 23-17 RBS 6 Nations loss to France at Murrayfield yesterday.

Full-back Stuart Hogg will make his first Test start today as Scotland look to revive their RBS 6 Nations campaign against Rugby World Cup finalists France.

Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France was tonight given the go-ahead after the Stade de France passed a pitch inspection by referee Dave Pearson.

A French judge has charged the founder of the breast implant company at the heart of a global health scare with causing “involuntary injuries“, prosecutors said.

French authorities have filed preliminary charges against the former head of a now-defunct company embroiled in a scandal over possibly faulty breast implants affecting thousands of women.

The former head of a French company at the centre of a breast implant scandal affecting tens of thousands of women worldwide, was arrested along with his former deputy yesterday.

France has agreed to pay for 30,000 women to have potentially faulty breast implants removed, as authorities called for those behind their manufacture to be held responsible.

The chief executive of a French company whose questionable breast implants are under international scrutiny is on the Interpol police agency’s most-wanted list.

Nicolas Mas has put France on full alert for a fearsome challenge from the New Zealand pack in tomorrow’s World Cup final at Eden Park.