Polar Vortex Eases Grip On Frozen US States

An arctic blast that has sent temperatures plummeting to record-breaking levels across much of the United States has begun to ease.

The polar vortex that started in the Midwest and spread to the East and South, affecting more than half the US population, is shifting northwards.

States will start to thaw as it surges across the Atlantic, leaving behind warmer temperatures and calmer winds.

Temperatures fell to -24C in Chicago, Illinois. Pic: Hank Cain

However, a so-called "hard freeze warning" for cold temperatures that are dangerous to both people and pets remains in place for parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

The crippling cold left at least 21 people dead, including seven in Illinois and six in Indiana.

Several victims were homeless people who either refused shelter or were unable to find temporary accommodation quickly enough.

New Yorkers wrapped up as temperatures fell to -14C (6.8F)

In Embarrass, Minnesota, temperatures dropped to as low as -37C (-35F), while in Chicago, Illinois, the mercury fell to -24C (-11.2F).

Fountains froze over in Atlanta, Georgia, and residents of New York City shivered in lows of -14C (6.8F).

One street cleaner in New York said: "It's brutal out here. Your fingers freeze off after three minutes, your cheeks feel as if you're going to get windburn and you work as quick as you can."

A woman takes a photograph on the frozen shore of Lake Michigan, Wisconsin

The bitter weather also wreaked havoc on transport services across the country.

More than 500 Amtrak passengers were stranded overnight on three Chicago-bound trains that were stopped by blowing and drifting snow in Illinois.

More than 11,000 flights were cancelled as airlines struggled to load baggage onto planes and refuel aircraft.

Meanwhile, many schools and day care centres across the eastern half of the US were forced to close.

More than 60 million people in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and South were asked to conserve electricity, although there were no reports of widespread power outages.

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England's Matt Prior Rescues Suicide Bid Man

Cricketer Stuart Broad has said he is proud of friend and England colleague Matt Prior after he pulled a suicidal man to safety from a bridge near their hotel in Sydney.

Prior reportedly pulled the man away from the edge of the bridge in Darling Harbour, before both players spoke to the him for nearly an hour ahead of police officers' arrival.

Broad tweeted: "@MattPrior is a best friend of mine and I'm very proud of him.

Stuart Broad paid tribute to his colleague on Twitter

"It was a tough situation but so glad he was there."

The pair's actions earned praise from Twitter followers, including comedian Al Murray, who hailed them as "courageous".

"Nicely done chaps," the Pub Landlord performer wrote.

England and Sussex cricketer Luke Wright tweeted: "Top work lads! Great effort!"

Prior told the Daily Telegraph: "We just did what anybody would do in that situation.

"We were trying to help a bloke who was struggling and in a bad way. I look back and I'm just glad we left the bar when we did and we were there for him."

Comedian Al Murray was among those to praise the duo's actions

Prior and Broad had been returning from a charity event with England fans organised to raise money for motor neurone charity the Broad Appeal, when they spotted the man, believed to be British, standing on the bridge railings.

Team security officer Terry Minish helped Prior in stopping the man jumping.

Mr Minish told the Telegraph: "He was saying he just wanted to drown. Matt helped to pull him down off the edge of the bridge and sat with him until the police arrived.

"It all happened very quickly and we acted on impulse. It is what you do in these situations."

Both players took part in England's failed attempt to win the Ashes test series against Australia, who secured their 5-0 victory by winning the final match last weekend.

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Muslim Woman Convicted For Wearing Veil

A French Muslim woman has been fined €150 (£124) for wearing a full-face veil.

Cassandra Belin was also given a one-month suspended sentence for insulting police officers who arrested her in the Paris suburb of Trappes last year.

The confrontation between Ms Belin, her husband and police when she was stopped and given a ticket for breaking the ban on wearing the face covering, triggered riots in the area.

The lower Paris also rejected a request from Belin's lawyer for the ban, which has been in place since 2011, be referred to the Constitutional Court.

Philippe Bataille had argued that the law impinges religious freedoms and unfairly targets Muslims.

Cassandra Belin's husband Michael Khiri and lawyer Philippe Bataille

He pledged to continue his fight to have the ban overturned, saying: "I am not throwing the towel in."

The riots in Trappes reflected tensions between police upholding France's strict policies of secularism and those who accuse authorities of discriminating against Islam, the country's second-most followed religion.

French authorities say the ban is needed for security reasons and to uphold the country's secular traditions.

But critics point out that although the ban covers all face coverings, only women in veils have been arrested.

The European Court of Human Rights is expected to rule later this year on a legal challenge brought by a French Muslim who argues that the ban violates her rights to freedom of religion, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

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Former Miss Venezuela And Ex Killed In Robbery

Armed robbers have shot dead a former Miss Venezuela and her British ex-husband in front of their five-year-old daughter.

Monica Spear, 29, and Thomas Henry Berry, 39, were on holiday in Venezuela when the attack happened between Puerto Cabello and Valencia.

Their daughter Maya was shot in the leg during the attempted robbery. She survived and is recovering in hospital.

Authorities said police had arrested five suspects, some under the age of 18.

Monica Spear was crowned Miss Venezuela in Caracas in 2004

President Nicolas Maduro said the victims' car burst a tyre after running over something on the road, apparently placed by robbers to stop traffic.

He said a recovery truck arrived to help the family but its crew were chased away after they were ambushed by armed robbers.

"They were inside the car and were riddled (with bullets)," the president said on state TV.

"I ask those who assassinated this young person: what explanation do you have?"

It is understood the couple separated last year

Friends have left messages on Twitter. Venezuelan salsa singer Oscar D'Leon wrote: "I'm so sad for my Venezuela. My condolences for Monica Spear's family.

"Rage and impotence are what I feel right now."

The 2004 Miss Venezuela winner lived in the US but was on holiday at the time of the shooting.

Venezuela has one of the world's highest murder rates, with 79 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2013, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence.

Mr Maduro says beating violent crime is his top priority but opponents say the government's plans do not tackle root causes, such as impunity for criminals, corrupt courts and complicity by some poorly-paid police.

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said he and Mr Maduro should leave their political differences to one side.

"We should unite to win the war against violence and insecurity. We're in an emergency ... this situation calls for all of us to take a look at ourselves as a country."

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Schumacher Ski Accident Off 'Well-Marked' Slope

Prosecutors investigating Michael Schumacher's ski accident said examination of his helmet camera showed he had left a properly marked out trail at the time of his fall.

Albertville prosecutor Patrick Quincy said the two-minute film from the helmet camera was very clear and showed the former  Formula 1 driver lost his balance in the French resort of Meribel and struck his head on a rock.

The fall left him in a critical condition and he has been in a medically induced coma since December 29.

Investigators said they had established the signage on the slopes was in accordance with regulations, but the area where Schumacher was hurt was "virgin territory" so was not marked and could be dangerous.

"There are French standards setting rules on safety, signalling, demarcation ... The checks we have made show these standards had been respected," Mr Quincy said.

However, he said the investigation would take time to establish whether the area where he was skiing could be classed as an "official piste" in French law.

Investigators have visited the scene of the accident in Meribel

The video will now be examined by a police expert in mountaineering.

Problems with the rented skis Schumacher was wearing have also been ruled out.

Mr Quincy said Schumacher was "obviously a very good skier" but had not been able to slow himself down in the rocky area of the slope where he fell.

Describing the sequence of events after the former F1 driver went off-piste, he said: "At one point his skis touch a rock, he loses balance and falls forward and his head hits a rock which is 3.5 metres below.

"The rock he hit is eight metres from the edge of the piste and Mr Schumacher on the ground, inanimate, is nine metres from the edge of the piste. That's the information we have with regard to the inquiry."

Early viewings of the helmet camera footage appear to confirm this sequence of events.

Prosecutors said Mr Schumacher's wife Corinna had been 'very co-operative'

The inquiry has not yet been able to confirm reports that Schumacher - who was on a family holiday - was going to the aid of a relative when he fell or the speed at which he was travelling, Mr Quincy said. 

Police chief Stephane Bozon said Schumacher's speed increased when he entered the steeper off-piste section and he had tried to slow down but had difficulty because of the nature of the slope.

Mr Quincy said investigators have also spoken to emergency services and doctors and visited the scene of the accident.

The Albertville prosecutor's office carries out around 50 investigations into serious skiing and climbing accidents every year, he added.

On Monday, a source said he had made a "slight improvement" but remained in a stable but critical condition.

There was initially speculation that Schumacher was travelling up to 100kph (60mph) when he crashed, after it was revealed his helmet had split on impact.

But subsequent reports suggested he was travelling at a "leisurely pace" of up to 20kph (12mph).

Schumacher, known affectionately as 'Schumi' by fans, is the most successful F1 driver in history, racking up a record 91 race wins.

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Qatar World Cup 'Will Not Be Held In Summer'

By Paul Kelso, Sport Correspondent

The 2022 World Cup will not be played in Qatar during June and July, Fifa Secretary General Jerome Valcke has said.

Speaking to French radio, Valcke ruled out holding the controversial tournament in the heat of the Gulf state's summer, when temperatures can reach 50C, saying a date between November and January 2023 would be more appropriate.

"The dates for the World Cup will not be June to July," Valcke, the second most powerful man in international football's governing body, told Radio France.

"To be honest, I think it will be held between November 15 and January 15 at the latest.

The Lusail Stadium will host the tournament's opening match and final

"If you play between November 15 and the end of December that's the time when the weather conditions are best, when you can play in temperatures equivalent to a warm spring season in Europe, averaging 25 degrees.

"That would be perfect for playing football."

Valcke's comments appear to pre-judge a consultation he is leading on the instruction of the Fifa executive committee.

Last October, Fifa President Sepp Blatter said he would consult all those affected by a dramatic change to football's traditional calendar before making a definitive decision.

Fans in Doha, Qatar, celebrate winning the right to host the World Cup

Valcke has been speaking to football authorities around the world including the Premier League in order to find a solution to a problem of Fifa's own making.

The Premier League would prefer the tournament not to be moved but will find a November tournament easier to accommodate than one played in January, when the domestic calendar is busier.

Fifa's top inspector, Harold Mayne-Nicholls, said in October that a summer tournament in Qatar would be "impossible" - even with the cooling technology proposed by organisers.

Qatar surprised many when it secured the tournament in a 2010 Fifa vote

FA chairman Greg Dyke also told Sky News that the temperatures "would be impossible for the fans".

Fifa shocked many in the football world when it awarded the World Cup to the Arab state following a vote in December 2010, where it beat the likes of the US and South Korea.

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Footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger Says He Is Gay

Former Aston Villa, West Ham and Germany footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger has announced that he is gay.

The 31-year-old, who also played for Everton and VfB Stuttgart, is the most prominent player to say he is homosexual and the first to have appeared in the English Premier League.

He said he was speaking out in a bid to break the taboo of homosexuality in sport.

The midfielder, who ended his playing career in September due to persistent injuries, told Germany's Die Zeit newspaper that now was "a good time" for him to reveal his true sexuality.

"I'm coming out about my homosexuality because I want to move the discussion about homosexuality among professional sportspeople forwards," he said.

The midfielder played more than 50 times for his country

Hitzlsperger said he had only realised "in the past few years" that he would "prefer to live together with another man", saying the issue is otherwise taboo inside the dressing room.

"I've never been ashamed of the way I am," he said.

He conceded it had not always been easy to live with some of the comments dished out on the subject.

"Just picture 20 men sat around a table together drinking - you've just got to let the majority be, just as long as the jokes are halfway funny and the talk about homosexuality doesn't get too insulting," he said.

"In England, Germany or Italy, homosexuality is not taken seriously as an issue, at least not in the dressing room."

The German government and  the country's football association (DFB) both praised Hitzlsberger's decision to come out.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said: "It's good that he talks about something that is of importance for him and that might as well also free him.

"We live in a country in which nobody should be afraid to commit to his sexuality out of intolerant reasons."

DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach said: :"It shows that he is a bright and clever young man. I have always had great respect for him and his message from the interview makes this respect even greater."

Former Leeds and United States winger Robbie Rogers announced he was gay last year.

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Rodman Sings Happy Birthday To Kim Jong-Un

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Beijing

Former US basketball star Dennis Rodman has led a team of retired American players in a game to celebrate the birthday of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

The match in North Korean capital Pyongyang is described by organisers as a "birthday present" for Mr Kim, who attended along with his wife and other senior members of the regime.

The colourful sportsman sang Happy Birthday to the leader, but his side were defeated by the North Korean players chosen to play them.

Speaking before the match, Mr Rodman said: "This is for his birthday, this is his gift.

"This is his gift, from me, from me, from the world.

"I love the guy, the guy is my friend, forever and ever and ever."

The event, along with Mr Rodman's favourable comments for Mr Kim, have attracted significant criticism.

It is almost universally accepted that North Korea has the worst human rights record in the world.

Rodman was pictured, shoeless, riding Mr Kim's white horse

As many as 200,000 political prisoners are locked up in labour camps around the country. Escapees have said that torture is routine.

But Mr Rodman, 52, and other members of his team have repeatedly defended the trip, insisting they are not politicians and are there to provide a sporting exchange.

As he prepared for the game, Mr Rodman said: "We are ready, dude, come on, all you've got to do is one thing, baby. Just give us a ball, man. Guess what, you know, it ain't inventing the wheel. Guess what, we know what we need to do.

"Just go out there and have a good time and let the people of North Korea know.

"Matter of fact, I keep saying this over and over, this is for the world, for the world."

Kim Jong-Un, who executed his uncle last month for treason, is known to be a basketball fan.

Mr Rodman claims the leader has become "friend for life" since the two first met last February.

Photographs and video footage of the two together on three trips last year show them enjoying matches, meals and drinks together.

Earlier this week, Sky News obtained an image showing Mr Rodman riding one of Mr Kim's horses on a ranch outside the North Korean capital.

The North Korean government has made no comment about the basketball players' trip, nor has it even confirmed the official date of Mr Kim's birthday or his age.

Aside from the basketball match, there were no other public events in Pyongyang.

Speaking about the leader, Mr Rodman said he "loves the guy"

In Washington, the White House said it would not have approved his visit if it had been given any say in the matter.

Other US politicians have also criticised Rodman's decision to fraternise with Mr Kim.

Speaking to Sky News on Monday, Rodman said it was not his job to bring up politics.

However, for the first time he did admit he would use his access to Mr Kim to discuss certain issues "when the time is right".

"I hope that if this opens doors and we can actually talk about certain things, then we can do certain things but I am not going to sit there and go in and say: 'Hey guy, you're doing the wrong thing'. That's not the right thing to do." he said.

In a satellite interview on Tuesday with CNN in the United States, Mr Rodman appeared more confused about his motivation.

Asked whether he thought the trip was appropriate, he reacted with anger.

"You know, you've got 10 guys here, 10 guys here, they've left their families, they've left their damn families, to help this country, in a sports venture," he told the CNN presenter.

"I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you think. I'm saying to you, look at these guys here, look at them... they dared to do one thing, they came here."

One of the other former NBA players, Charles D Smith, then interrupted Rodman to give clarification.

"We just hope the results are positive, and we think that they'll be positive," he said.

"We're doing what we do, we play basketball and that's what we love to do … We did not know that it was going to take this type of a negative spin on what we were doing because we're not politicians, we're not ambassadors. We're here to do what we've been doing most of our lives."

Mr Smith insisted the event was a "cultural exchange" designed to build bridges between the closed country and the rest of the world.

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Ralph Lauren's Niece Fined Over Air Rage

The niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren has been fined €2,000 (£1,650) for being drunk and abusive on a transatlantic flight.

Jennifer Lauren pushed an air hostess and swore at staff causing the Delta Air Lines plane to diverted to Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland on Monday afternoon.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to breaching the peace and being drunk on board the US-bound flight, when she appeared before Ennis District Court in Co Clare.

Her solicitor claimed Lauren was upset and embarrassed by her actions which she said were out of character and caused by a reaction to alcohol mixed with medication.

More than 200 passengers and crew were on board the flight from Barcelona to New York when the air rage incident took place.

The diversion cost Delta $43,158 (£26,277).

The defendant admitted being intoxicated to such an extent as would give rise to a reasonable apprehension that she might endanger herself or other persons on board the aircraft and to breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

A third charge, of engaging in behaviour likely to cause serious offence or annoyance to any person on board the aircraft, after being asked by a crew member to stop, was withdrawn by the prosecution.

Lauren, dressed in a black jumper, burgundy velvet skirt and boots, bit her lip and looked to the ground in the dock while Garda Inspector Tom Kennedy told the packed courtroom she had been loud-mouthed, abusive and threatening on the aircraft.

He said the flight had been in the air for two hours when an air hostess noticed the defendant crying in her seat, which would not go back properly.

He said Lauren told stewardess Constance Topping to "get the **** out of my face" as she tried to help, and when told to calm down she became more abusive.

Lauren went on to push the air hostess hard, causing her to hit her back against the wall of the aircraft, the court heard.

She also swore at the hostess supervisor and a pilot on a rest break, who had intervened.

The abuse continued for more than an hour until touchdown when Lauren was arrested by gardai.

In sentencing Judge Patrick Durcan accepted Lauren's early guilty plea, but described the "very personal insults" directed at the two air hostesses and pilot "as nothing short of reprehensible".

Lauren refused to comment as she left the courthouse through a rear entrance with two friends.

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Former New York City Cops Held Over 9/11 Fraud

Former New York police officers and firefighters, who falsely claimed they were disabled as a result of the September 11 attacks, have been arrested in a sweeping fraud investigation.

They are among more than 100 people charged over the "massive" social security fraud worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The accused allegedly collected tens of thousands of dollars a year in social security disability benefits by claiming they were completely incapacitated by serious psychiatric disorders and other ailments.

More than 2,700 people were killed in the attacks in New York

But, according to court documents, they were in fact living normal lives; one of the accused flew a helicopter while another played blackjack in Las Vegas.

One of the accused taught and performed mixed martial arts but was still claiming benefits of typically between $30,000 (£18,000) and $50,000 (£30,400) a year. In some instances, the total amount fraudulently obtained was nearly $500,000 (£305,000) per applicant.

Of the 106 charged in the decades-long scam, 80 were retired New York police officers or firefighters.

The fraud made the front page of many New York newspapers

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said: "Many participants cynically manufactured claims of mental illness as a result of September 11, dishonouring the first responders who did serve their city at the expense of their own health and safety."

As far back as 1988, the four main defendants - Raymond Lavallee, 83, Thomas Hale, 89, Joseph Esposito, 64, and John Minerva, 61 - conspired to help or make hundreds of applicants falsely claim disabilities in order to collect benefit payments in addition to their public pensions, court documents say.

Prosecutors said the applicants claimed they suffered from a psychiatric condition that prevented them from working, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety or depression.

Mr Vance said: "This alleged scam further depleted the already limited resources available for battling the real and complex conditions of PTSD and depression."

New York City Police Department commissioner William Bratton said: "The retired members of the NYPD indicted in this case have disgraced all first responders who perished during the search and rescue efforts on September 11, 2001, and those who subsequently died from 9/11 related illness, by exploiting their involvements that tragic day for personal gain."

William Bratton called the alleged crimes were "disgraceful"

Hale and Esposito, the latter a retired member of the NYPD, allegedly coached benefit applicants to falsely describe symptoms of depression and anxiety to doctors they had recruited.

They instructed applicants on how to fail memory tests with plausibility, how to dress, and on their demeanour.

For example, almost every claim included phrases such as "I nap on and off during the day" and "I have the TV on to keep me company".

More than 2,700 people were killed in New York on September 11, 2001, when two passenger planes, hijacked by Islamist militants, slammed into the World Trade Center.

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