French Villa Holiday News.

French News Mon 27 April 2009

A young woman from the Var, who gave birth on board a helicopter taking her to hospital, died with her baby when it crashed on Corsica. The pilot, co-pilot and a doctor were also killed when the chopper ploughed into a mountain range Saturday night. Officials say the helicopter took off from Ponte-Leccia to take 21-year-old Justine Gressler, who was in labour, to a hospital in Bastia. The baby was born during the flight. Some 20 minutes after take-off, the craft disappeared from air traffic controllers' screens and a search was begun. The wreckage was found early on Sunday on a mountain range southwest of Bastia. Officials said the helicopter had been ripped in half.

Youth jobless jumps

Youth unemployment in the Alpes-Maritimes has increased by 27% over the past 12 months. The jobless rate for those under 25 is rising by more than 3% a month. The number of jobless is almost 8-thousand. The national youth unemployment rate is 31.6%.

Double weather warning

The Prefecture has issued a double weather alert. Officials say strong rain storms are forecast across the Department throughout today, tonight and tomorrow. Meanwhile, in the mountains, the risk of avalanche remains severe with more snow falling above 18-hundred metres. Up to 50 centimetres of snow has fallen in some parts of the Mercantour National Park.

Swine-flu tests

French health authorities last night said the results of tests on three suspected swine flu victims in the north of the country were negative. However, a 52-year-old woman, recently returned from Mexico, remains in a Paris hospital. The disease is being blamed for more than 100 deaths in Mexico, and French health authorities are asking anyone who has recently visited the country to get in touch.

Balloon tourists hurt

Eight French people were on board a hot air balloon that crashed over the weekend in Egypt. Three Egyptian operators and 13 foreign tourists were hurt when the balloon came down during a tour of the ancient city of Luxor. Several people were taken to hospital with minor injuries after the balloon apparently hit a mobile phone mast.

SPORT

Formula One - Jenson Button has increased his lead at the top of the Drivers Championship with victory in Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix.The Brawn GP driver had the perfect race strategy in the desert heat taking the chequered flag with ease ahead of Sebastien Vettel in the Red Bull and Jarno Trulli in the Toyota. Lewis Hamilton drove a tidy race to finish fourth and Ferarri finally got some points with Kimi Raikkonen taking 6th place. Button leads the drivers championship with 31 points from Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello who’s got 19. Brawn are also way ahead in the constructors championship with 50 points from 4 races ahead of Red Bull on 27 and a half points. Next stop Barcelona in two weeks.

Football - The Chelsea Captain John Terry has criticised sections of the West Ham support following Saturday’s match between the two clubs at Upton Park. Terry and teammate Frank Lampard were taunted by sections of the crowd and objects were thrown in their direction. Both players especially Lampard had ties with West Ham before developing their careers across London.

The final of the Scottish Cup will be between Rangers and Falkirk.Falkirk booked their place in the final with a 2 nil win over Dunfermline on Sunday while Rangers beat St Mirren 3 nil on Saturday.

There’s 1 game in the Championship in England tonight. Norwich City need a win to lift them out of the relegation zone. The Canaries are at home to promotion chasing Reading.

Cricket - Alistair Cook has declared himself fit for the first test between England and West Indies next week after hitting 74 for Essex against the tourists. Cook suffered a fractured left finger three weeks ago and says that while it’s still sore it’s definitely a lot better.

Athletics - Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya has won the London Marathon in a new course record of 2 hours, 5 minutes and 9 seconds. The women’s race was won by last year’s champion Irina Mikitenko of Germany.

Tennis - There’s no stopping Rafa Nadal on clay. The World number one has clinched his 5th successive Barcelona Open title with victory over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer. Nadal won in straight sets 6-2 7-5

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And finally, hikers will no longer be able to stroll naked through the idyllic Alpine countryside of Appenzell Innerrhoden after the conservative Swiss canton banned nude walking there. Appenzell Innerrhoden has become hugely popular for naked ramblers due to its tranquil, picture-perfect meadows and valleys. But the hordes offended Appenzellers' sensitivities and they voted Sunday to order them to cover up. "It's ridiculous that Appenzell is getting an international reputation for such a despicable habit," said Peter Schmid, who turned up bearing the canton's traditional long sword to vote against nude hiking at the annual open-air Landsgemeinde. The Landsgemeide is a popular assembly that takes place in Appenzell town on the last Sunday of April. Participants vote by raising hands to decide on local issues, a privilege reserved to men only until women were admitted in 1990. Between 3,000 and 4,000 voters, many wearing traditional robes, turned up at this year's Landsgemeinde. Appenzell canton will now impose a 200 Swiss franc fine.