Mountain race deaths

An investigation is underway after three people died in a cross country footrace across the Mercantour mountains. Two men, aged 54 and 51, and a 50-year-old woman were competing in the annual “Grand Raid du Mercantour.” Their bodies were found around 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon at an altitude of 2-thousand-300 metres. The trio had set off at 4 am Saturday morning with 460 other competitors to run or walk 106 kilometres across the mountains. The leading theory is they died after a fall; weather conditions in the area at the time were very difficult with strong winds, hail and snow.

Caravan blockade

The village of Valmasque was yesterday cut-off by more than 120 caravans belonging to travellers. There was a tense stand-off between local authorities, who blocked access to the area, and the group. The caravans were moved off the road late yesterday in the interests of public safety as negotiations continue.

Monaco union action

Unions in Monaco today begin a week of industrial action. The campaign is urging workplace reform including protection for retirement schemes and end abuse of short term employment contracts. There will be a rally this afternoon outside the Principality’s Social Security offices. Other businesses throughout Monaco will be targeted until Friday.

Sarkozy's presidential plans

President Nicolas Sarkozy is due to address a special sitting of both houses of the French parliament today, for the first time, to lay out the course for the second half of his presidency. He is also expected to proceed with a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle. The glittering Palace of Versailles will provide a grand ceremonial setting for the speech, which will focus on local government and pensions and mark a return to the reform agenda.

AF 447 bodies identified

Officials in Brazil have identified the first 11 of 50 bodies recovered from the Air France disaster in which 228 people died three weeks ago. The bodies are those of 10 Brazilians and one male foreigner. The Airbus A330 plunged in the Atlantic on 1 June. The data recorders have not been found, and the cause of the crash remains a mystery.

SPORT

Golf - The U.S Open will be completed later today after heavy rain at the Bethpage course on Long Island forced organisers to extend the schedule. On Sunday most of the players got their final rounds underway with the little known Americans Ricky Barnes and Lucas Glover leading the field on 7 under par. A cluster of players including Phil Mickelson, David Duval and England’s Ross Fisher are 5 shots behind on 2 under while Tiger Woods has it all to do 7 shots behind the leaders. Play is due to resume at 3 pm French time this afternoon. 

Formula 1 - It was a Red Bull one two at Sunday’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Sebastien Vettel won his second race of the season with ease from team mate Mark Webber. Rubens Barrichello in the Brawn GP finished in third while championship leader Jenson Button could only manage 6th.

Button leads the drivers’ championship with 64 points, 23 clear of Rubens Barrichello who’s got 41 points. Sebastien Vettel’s now on 39 points with Mark Webber on 35 and a half. In the constructors’ championship Brawn GP lead with 105 points with Red Bull on 74 and a half points. 

Meanwhile the president of the F.I.A Max Mosley says that he thinks a resolution is close to being reached to stop legal action against the Formula 1 teams threatening a breakaway series.Mr Mosley says that talks are ongoing all the time and everything will return to normal-it’s just a question of when. 

Cricket - Pakistan have won the ICC World Twenty20 after beating Sri Lanka in Sunday’s final at Lords. Pakistan won by 8 wickets after Sri Lanka won the toss and made 138 for 6 from their 20 overs. Once again Shahid Afridi was Pakistan’s hero as he hit 54 not out from 40 deliveries to steer his side to 139 for 2 from 18 point 4 overs. 

England won the women’s Twenty20 after beating New Zealand by 6 wickets at Lords. Katherine Brunt was the star for England taking 3 for 6 as New Zealand were skittled out for just 85, England reached their target for the loss of 4 wickets in 17 overs. 

Tennis - It’s strawberries and cream time with no doubt a large dollop of rain at times as Wimbledon 2009 gets underway later today. Roger Federer is now favourite to win the men’s title in the absence of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray could be on course to meet the world number 2 in the final if the seedings hold true.

In the Women’s competition Dinara Safina is seeded one but she’s likely to face a stiff challenge from both Williams sisters who always seem to produce their best on the Wimbledon grass. Federer plays his opening match against Yen Hsun Lu at 2pm. 

Rugby Union - The Lions could make changes for the second test against South Africa following defeat in the first test last Saturday. The Lions struggled in the scrum and the lineout for most of the first half in their 26 points to 21defeat but looked much better after changes had been made to the pack in the second half. Scrum coach Graham Rowntree says that changes could be made in all three rows. Tight head prop Alan Jones looks set to replace Phil Vickery who struggled on Saturday and was responsible for giving away a number of costly penalties.

And finally, a French village is on the alert after several sightings of a crocodile were reported in a local pond and police and local anglers have joined the hunt for the elusive creature dubbed the "Loch Ness monster of the Vosges." Xertigny, a village of some 3,000 inhabitants in the Vosges region in eastern France, has been transfixed by the unexplained sightings and sightseers have regularly gathered by the water's edge to follow the hunt. A chicken has been left by the waterside to attract the animal but so far, it has escaped capture and local authorities are considering draining the pool. "We have been around the pond several times and you can't really say if anything is there," said Bruno Aime, vice president of a local anglers' association, told France Info radio after using a special sonar device to investigate. "I think it's carp but it could also be a caiman of about 1.50 metres. The equipment doesn't let you see the difference between a pike of a metre long and a caiman of 1.50 metres".