Paris - A tornado in northern France has killed three people and injured at least nine, France Info television channel reported Monday.

Abuja - Niger Delta militants have been abducted two French sailors at Onne, a seaport settlement some 20 kilometres from Port Harcourt, an army spokesman said Sunday.

Paris/Amsterdam - European aerospace giant EADS on Wednesday reported that its profits in the first half of 2008 had risen more than five-fold, to 403 million euros (635 million dollars), compared to the same period in 2007.

Turnover for the period stood at 19.74 billion euros, up by 7.5 per cent over the first half of last year, EADS said in a press statement.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and exceptionals (EBITDA) rose by 70 per cent, to 1.94 billion euros.

Paris - The two heads of the troubled French-American telecommunications equipment supplier Alcatel-Lucent, Pat Russo and Serge Tchuruk, have decided to resign, the company announced on Tuesday.

Russo, the company's chief executive officer, is to leave her post by the end of the year but, at the request of the Board of Directors, will run the company until a replacement has been found.

"I am very pleased with the progress we are making especially in light of a difficult market environment," said Pat Russo. "That said, I believe it is the right time for me to step down.

Cerilly, France - As the 20th, and decisive, stage of the 2008 Tour de France got under way Saturday in the city of Cerilly, Australian Cadel Evans was certainly hoping that he could avoid a replay of last year's 20th stage.

As in 2007, the next-to-last stage of the Tour is an individual time trial, and again Evans trails a Spanish rider by less than 2 minutes in the standings.

And, as last year, the Australian is given an excellent chance of making up the deficit, because the winding, hilly 53-km course from Cerilly to Saint-Amand-Montrond suits his style.

Athens - Italy, France and Cyprus said on Friday they were sending firefighting aircraft to help battle a massive forest fire raging out of control for the fourth day on the Dodecannese island of Rhodes.

Officials said Italy was sending two firefighting aircraft and France two more to help battle the blaze. Cyprus said it was sending one helicopter which was expected to arrive on the island later in the day.

Hundreds of firefighters and soldiers, with the assistance of Greek aircraft, were fighting the flames which was approaching several mountain villages.

Authorities declared a disaster on the island, where dozens of homes have been burned and at least 2,500 acres of forest destroyed.