Italian pensioner dies hoisting flag for final

ROME, July 9 (Reuters) A 77-year-old Italian pensioner fell off a ladder and died as he tried to attach Italy's flag to a pole ahead of today's World Cup final against France.

The man, Rodolfo Profili, was raising the flag on a patch of land he owned near the central Italian city of Viterbo when he apparently lost his balance and fell eight metres into a precipice, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

ANSA quoted local police as saying the man died instantly, still clutching the tricolore.

REUTERS AY PM1830