Building work is beginning on London's £496m Olympic stadium, three months ahead of schedule.

The 80,000-seat stadium in Stratford, east London, will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2012 games, as well as athletics events.

Once the Olympics are over it will become a 25,000-seat community venue.

The construction work coincides with the end of a three-day visit by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) monitoring team.

The building operation was due to start in August but work to clear the site in Lea Valley progressed more quickly than expected.

Contaminated soil

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) said 800,000 tonnes of contaminated soil had been removed since clearing began in July 2007.

The first phase of

Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen edged out Lewis Hamilton to set the pace in first practice for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

Raikkonen clocked a fastest lap of one minute 15.948 seconds through the twisting street circuit of Monte Carlo - just 0.268 seconds ahead of Hamilton.

The Briton's McLaren team-mate Heikki Kovalainen was third fastest with Ferrari's Felipe Massa just behind.

But Scot David Coulthard stopped his Red Bull after only three laps.

The practice session was red-flagged for 16 minutes because of a suspected loose drain cover on the track.

Both Raikkonen and Massa had predicted that Ferrari would match McLaren, who are traditionally strong in Monaco, this weekend and Raikkonen laid down his intent in opening practice.

Newcastle United chairman Chris Mort is expected to step down from his role, reports BBC Radio Newcastle.

Lawyer Mort, 42, advised owner Mike Ashley during his takeover of the club in the summer of 2007, and became club chairman in July of that year.

Mort, alongside Ashley, was responsible for bringing manager Kevin Keegan back to the club to replace Sam Allardyce.

It is believed Mort will return to his role as co-head of law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's leisure arm.

Midfielder Frank Lampard says he will hold talks over a new deal with Chelsea when he returns from England duty.

England play the United States on 28 May and Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June.

"I have got to talk to the club," said 29-year-old Lampard, who has been linked with a move to Inter Milan and whose current deal expires next summer.

"My contract has obviously been the last thing on my mind in the last six weeks but I will sit down and talk with them after the England games."

Lampard had to build up to Wednesday's Champions League final against Manchester United, which the Blues lost on penalties, while grieving for his mother, who died in April.

Nathan Robertson has been included in Britain's six-strong Olympic squad, despite concerns with an ankle injury.

The 30-year-old's preparations have been on hold after recent surgery, but he should still be fit for Beijing.

Robertson, linking up with Gail Emms again, said: "Competing in the Olympics for Great Britain is the proudest moment you can have in your sport."

Donna Kellogg and Anthony Clark compete in the mixed doubles, and Tracey Hallam and Andrew Smith play in the singles.

Smash masterclass with Robertson and Emms

After Robertson and Emms, ranked sixth in the world, won the mixed doubles world title in 2006, they have struggled for form, losing in the semi-finals at the All England Champions