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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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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Boris Wants Water Cannon For London's Streets

Boris Johnson has requested the Metropolitan Police to be able to use water cannon on the capital's streets by this summer.

The London Mayor said the weapons would be used only in "the most extreme circumstances", but there are fears the cannon could be deployed to break up small-scale legitimate protests.

He said the water cannon were necessary in case there was a repeat of the summer riots of 2011.

The violent outbreaks and looting in cities across the country led David Cameron to warn that the machines could be used on the British mainland for the first time ever.

Mr Johnson wrote a letter to the Home Secretary, Theresa May, who would make the final decision on whether to licence the water cannon.

Water cannon are used in Northern Ireland to control crowds

Plans have been laid out to buy three water cannon, at a cost of £30,000 each, from a German manufacturer, but Mrs May has turned down a request that the Government pay for such a weapon for the Metropolitan Police as a national asset.

Scotland Yard mulled using water cannon during the student riots in London in 2010, however, Mrs May then said in the House of Commons: "I don't think anyone wants to see water cannon being used on the streets of Britain."

In the summer 4,000 Metropolitan Police officers were trained in Hampshire in how to use the water cannon so they could support their Northern Ireland counterparts ahead of the G8.

In 2010, Mrs May said: "No one wants water cannon on Britain's streets"

Northern Ireland has used the weapons for crowd control for some time but they have never been used on the British mainland.

In his letter the mayor told Mrs May he was consulting the public and key figures on the use of the water cannon and was "broadly convinced" by the idea.

He said: "Should the engagement plan reveal serious, as yet unidentified, concerns I will, of course, take these into consideration and share them with you before you make any decision to licence this non-lethal tool."

There have been some instances reported of water cannon causing serious injuries to people including to a German protester who was blinded in 2010.

Mrs May told delegates at the Police Federation last year that she was considering requests from a number of UK forces to use the machines.

London Assembly member Jenny Jones said: "Would the Mayor have supported the deployment of water cannon against students protesting against their fees going up?

"What happens if the Commissioner wants to deploy water cannon but the Mayor doesn't? Londoners need to know when and in what circumstances the Mayor would agree with the Met using this weapon.

"Allowing water cannon on the streets of London is a step in the wrong direction towards arming our police like a military force, and it goes against our great tradition of an unarmed police service.

Calls for the use of water cannon were fuelled by the London riots in 2011

"People have a democratic right to protest and my fear is that once the Mayor allows these weapons onto our streets we will see them being used against people exercising their legal right to protest."

A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) said: "Since the riots in August 2011 the police and the independent Inspectorate of Constabulary have argued that water cannon should be available as one of a range of tools to respond to serious public disorder.

"This is supported by the vast majority of the public. MOPAC will now be undertaking a period of public engagement to get the views of Londoners, prior to any final decision to purchase water cannon."

A final decision is expected to be made in February.

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Polar Vortex Fallout To Sweep Into UK

More heavy rain and wind is on on the way at the end of the week as the fallout from the the blast of freezing polar air battering the US hits the UK.

A weather system forming part of the record-breaking polar vortex that has affected half of America is heading across the Atlantic, warming as it comes.

The Met Office had already extended its severe weather alert until Thursday morning, warning of more floods as saturated ground and swollen rivers in the south of England and Wales may not cope with more rain.

But further heavy falls will be swept in when the US weather system reaches the UK on Friday.

People with a canoe near flood barriers in Oxford

Sky's US Correspondent Dominic Waghorn said the worst of the big freeze in America should now be over, with temperatures set to rise.

"That's good news for Americans but not necessarily for the rest of us," he said.

"Meteorologists warn that when a polar vortex breaks up it scatters its forces literally to the four winds, meaning that the extreme weather experienced here this week could be flung as far afield as Europe."

The Met Office has its lowest warning in place, forecasting "periods of heavy rain" in the south west of England and Wales on Wednesday into Thursday.

Environment Agency workers check river defence barriers

Between 30-40mm of rain is expected to fall in the wettest spots.

A Met Office spokesman said: "The public should be aware of the potential for further flooding, especially in the areas which have been affected recently.

"Given current sensitive hydrological conditions, there is a risk of further surface water flooding in Wales, and both river and surface water flooding in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset."

There are no longer any severe flood warnings in force from the Environment Agency, but there are 114 flood warnings in place across the country.

An Environment Agency map showing the alerts and warnings

A further 195 low-level flood alerts are also in force.

Paul Mustow, flood risk manager at the EA, said: "The risk of flooding continues this week, with communities in the South West and South East urged to stay safe and sign up to free flood warnings."

Seven people have died and more than 1,700 homes and businesses have been flooded in England since the beginning of the Christmas period, with around 550 properties flooded since the new year.

Some 140 properties have been flooded in Wales.

Flood defences protected 220,000 properties over the Christmas period and another 800,000 were protected during the coastal flooding in early December.

High winds over Christmas also left 250,000 homes without power, with some families waiting days for electricity to be restored.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson said on Tuesday the Government was working closely with local councils, the insurance industry and others to ensure that people could quickly get the help they need.

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Super Junior Star's Family In 'Murder-Suicide'

The father and grandparents of the lead member of a South Korean boy band have died in a suspected murder-suicide, according to reports in the country.

The Chosun Ilbo newspaper said Park Jeong-su's grandparents were found in bed at their home in the capital Seoul on Monday, while his father was discovered there hanging from a rope around his neck.

Mr Jeong-su, who is better known by his stage name Leeteuk, is part of Super Junior, one of the country's most famous boy bands.

The newspaper quoted an unidentified police officer, who said the 30-year-old's father left a suicide note suggesting he strangled his parents and then took his own life.

Super Junior at the funeral for Park Jeong-su's father and grandparents

Mr Jeong-su's father was quoted as saying in the note: "I will go to the heaven with my parents."

The article added he had been suffering from depression and experiencing financial difficulties while living with his parents, both of whom had dementia. He had divorced his wife in 1998.

Police could not confirm the reports, according to the Associated Press news agency.

Mr Jeong-su, who has been serving mandatory military service since October 2012, was given leave to attend his relatives' funerals, which took place on Wednesday.

Television footage showed Mr Jeong-su, who was wearing a black suit and tie, crying when other members of Super Junior moved one coffin to a black limousine at a Seoul hospital before leaving for a crematorium.

Super Junior formed in 2005 and shot to prominence in 2010 when a spoof YouTube video clip showing a group of dancing Thai policemen singing one of their songs became a hit.

Their boyish looks and synchronised dance moves have earned the 12 members heart-throb status across Asia.

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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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US Helicopter Crash Bodies 'Can Be Removed'

Work is getting underway to recover the bodies of four crew killed in a US military helicopter crash, police have said.

Norfolk Police Chief Superintendent Bob Scully said the coroner had given clearance for the bodies to be removed after carrying out a daylight assessment of the area.

He said the operation could last until Thursday as investigators would have to take care not to disturb evidence that may form part of their probe.

Aerial images of Norfolk's Cley Marshes Nature Reserve show a scene of utter devastation, with debris from the crash spread across scarred marshland where the Pave Hawk helicopter came down.

Mr Scully said some roads around Cley Next the Sea would remain closed until next Monday while police work alongside British and American military specialists to establish what happened.

The helicopter was based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk

He said: "I'm asking the public to have sympathy with the families of the victims and understand the need for a thorough investigation."

Earlier, Mr Scully warned that the crash site poses a risk to the public because of ammunition scattered across a wide area.

He said the wreckage is spread across an area of difficult terrain "the size of a football pitch".

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He said a cordon will remain in place for most of the day while investigators carry out a full examination and work to preserve evidence.

Police have cordoned off the scene of the crash

He said: "The crashed aircraft did contain ammunition. This is not of any great significance - it is bullets, if you will - but it is scattered across the area.

"The site is a hazard to members of the public and people who would normally visit for birdwatching and other nature activities."

The Pave Hawk - based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk - was taking part in a low-flying exercise when it came down at around 7pm on Tuesday.

The investigation will soon be passed over to the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and its counterparts in the US, Mr Scully said.

Emergency services worked at the scene throughout the night with the help of military personnel and volunteers.

A second helicopter from RAF Lakenheath was also in the area at the time of the crash and set down on the marshes to try to assist.

Mr Scully refused to speculate on whether the second helicopter had any involvement in the incident but said that, as it was nearby at the time, it made sense that it went to help.

Residents told of hearing a "heavy and very unusual" sound overhead as the helicopter - which specialises in recovering troops from war zones - plummeted into marshland at the Norfolk Wildlife Trust Cley Marshes Nature Reserve.

The Pave Hawk - a derivative of the more famous Black Hawk - gets its name from the PAVE acronym standing for Precision Avionics Vectoring Equipment.

The helicopter is used for combat search and rescue, mainly to recover downed aircrew or other isolated personnel.

It usually has a four-man crew and can carry up to 12 troops.

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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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PC David Rathband Took His Own Life - Coroner

The policeman shot and blinded by gunman Raoul Moat took his own life, a coroner has ruled.

Police Constable David Rathband was found hanged at his home in Blyth, Northumberland, in February 2012. 

The 44-year-old was out on patrol when Moat, 37, shot his former partner Samantha Stobbart and killed her new boyfriend Chris Brown in July 2010. After a tense stand-off he was shot dead.

The inquest into Mr Rathband's death heard that his encounter with Moat was the "first step" in a series of events which led to the father-of-two's suicide. 

Raoul Moat was killed after a six-hour stand-off with armed police

He became a national hero after the incident and used his profile to establish the Blue Lamp Foundation to support 999 staff injured on duty. But Mr Rathband became desperate after the breakdown of his marriage and struggled to cope with his disability. 

Coroner Eric Armstrong said none of those involved in what happened should blame themselves.

In a statement read out by her lawyer after the hearing, his widow Kath said: "It has been an immensely difficult few years for us all. Now that the inquest has been concluded I would like to ask for privacy for Ashley, Mia and myself so we can look to rebuild our lives while remembering David and all that he meant to us."

During the hearing in Newcastle it was revealed Mr Rathband, who lived alone, had made threats to kill himself and told his lover - 7/7 survivor Lisa French - that he had attempted to hang himself but could not do it.

Ms French saw him on the day he died. Although his family were concerned for his welfare they did not consider him to be at immediate risk of suicide.

Kath Rathband (centre) at her estranged husband's funeral

The three-day inquest was told Mr Rathband's wife had put up with his previous infidelity, but his affair with Ms French effectively ended their marriage. He moved out of the home they shared in August 2011.

Mrs Rathband told her husband their marriage was finished before he flew to Australia for a holiday with his identical twin brother Darren. While he was there Mr Rathband desperately tried to contact her, often calling up to 50 times a day.

The last time Mrs Rathband saw her husband alive was on the night he died - February 29. She said he looked "awful" and needed help. However, she thought she was not the right person to do that and contacted his sister Debbie Essery and his welfare officer Inspector John Heckles.

Mrs Essery contacted DC Brown via Facebook to raise her concerns. Later that evening, officers broke into Mr Rathband's home and found him hanging in the dark with music playing on his mobile.

Some of his friends and family believe the police could have done more before he died. Superintendent Jim Napier said that, because Mr Rathband had made suicide threats on previous occasions and his family had only raised their concerns via Facebook, he did not think there was an immediate threat to his life.

Speaking after the inquest, Mrs Essery said they would continue with Mr Rathband's legal action against Northumbria Police.

:: Samaritans is available 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90 in the UK or in the Republic of Ireland on 01850 60 90 90.

Emergency service workers carry the coffin of PC David Rathband

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Mark Duggan Lawfully Killed, Jury Finds

Mark Duggan was unarmed when he was shot dead by police but was lawfully killed, an inquest jury has found.

The jury said they believed he had the gun with him in the taxi when police stopped the vehicle, but had thrown it over railings by the time the second, fatal shot was fired.

Shouts of "rubbish" and "he was murdered" could be heard inside the Royal Courts of Justice as the verdict was delivered.

Mr Duggan was shot dead by armed police in Tottenham in August 2011, sparking rioting in London that eventually spread to other cities.

Police intelligence suggested Mr Duggan was a gang member involved in gun and drugs crimes and officers believed he had just collected a gun in east London.

A firearms officer shot him twice as he emerged from a minicab that police had forced to stop.

One bullet went through his arm, the other hit his chest and killed him.

At the centre of the inquest was the issue of a handgun, found, said police, 10 to 20 feet from Mr Duggan's body and on the other side of park railings.

The inquest was shown a dummy pinpointing where the shots hit Mr Duggan

In heated exchanges with the Duggan family lawyer, police denied suggestions they had planted the gun.

The weapon was wrapped in a sock.

Neither had any trace of Mr Duggan's DNA or fingerprints, but his prints were found on a shoebox police said had been used to carry the gun inside the minicab.The jury

One witness, Witness B, told jurors Mr Duggan was "definitely" holding a phone in his hand when he was killed.

But the police marksman who fired the shots, granted anonymity, told the inquest he had "an honestly held belief" that the suspect had a gun and was about to shoot him.

The handgun was a major point of contention in the inquest

Mr Duggan's death prompted rioting in Tottenham, north London, which eventually spread to other areas of the capital and beyond.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission is still investigating the incident.

In an interim statement in August, it said it had so far found no evidence of criminality by police officers.

But Mr Duggan's family has said it has not been kept fully informed of the investigation's progress and condemned the IPCC for suggesting early on that Mr Duggan, a father-four, had died in "a shoot-out with police".

More follows...

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