French motorcyclist Pascal Terry died of a lung edema which caused a respiratory and cardiac arrest according to an autopsy.

FRENCH motorcyclist Pascal Terry has been found dead while competing in the Dakar Rally.

SPAIN’S domination of the first half of the Dakar Rally continued apace yesterday as both former world rally champion Carlos Sainz and Marc Coma won the fourth stage of the car and motorbike disciplines, respectively.

Frenchman Stephane Peterhansel believes rival Carlos Sainz starts favourite for the Dakar Rally which makes its first appearance in South America tomorrow.

The death toll from a powerful typhoon that cut across the northern Philippines today rose to at least 48 with dozens of people missing in floods and landslides as residents mounted a massive cleanup.

John Mark Karr, who was briefly a suspect in the JonBenet Ramsey killing, has arrived in California to face child pornography charges, US authorities said.

Northern California residents were braced for a second storm to hit the region tonight, a day after the first sent rivers flooding into cities and mud sliding into homes and on highways.

Heavy rain drenched parts of Florida early today and heavy surf pounded beaches as Tropical Storm Arlene plodded toward the south-eastern US, chasing a few weather-weary residents into shelters.

Ricky Hatton will make the 13th defence of his WBU world light-welterweight title against Argentinian Carlos Wilfredo Vilches next month.