California Suffers Worst Drought Since 1970s

By Greg Milam, US Correspondent

While most of the United States has been gripped by the polar vortex, one part of the country is suffering a very different weather extreme.

California, the most populous state in America, is experiencing its worst drought since the 1970s.

Last year was one of the driest on record and farmers across the state are warning of devastation and rising food prices unless rain arrives soon.

Water levels in reservoirs are down to around 20% of normal levels and officials say it is only conservation efforts that have prevented a state-wide catastrophe so far.

Water levels in California reservoirs are down to 20% of normal levels

The level has dropped so low at Folsom Lake reservoir in Northern California that a Gold Rush-era village, which was deliberately flooded in the 1950s, has re-emerged.

Tourists have flocked to see the foundations of Red Bank, close to an area called Mormon Island, and pick through remnants and debris scattered the now-exposed lake bed.

But the drought could have serious costs with farmers warning of rising food prices if it goes on.

The drought in California is the worst since the 1970s

Paul Van Leer, who farms land adjoining the Pacific Ocean near Santa Barbara, says the irony is not lost on farmers that the rest of the country has had more than their share of wet weather.

"It is a shame we just can't pipe it down here," he told Sky News.

"I have never seen it this bad. Everyone is feeling it. We're looking out of the window wondering when it is going to come.

"We're in the heart of a rainy season right now and if we don't get it in the 30 to 45 day window, we're pretty much done."

The drought may take a major toll on farmers and food prices

A third of the water for Californians comes from the snow pack in the Sierra Nevada mountains - measurements this winter have shown it to be at just 20% of the required level.

Even the state's famous vineyards have been affected. Growers have been forced to begin irrigating vines much earlier than normal, or face seeing them dying off.

Brad Goehring, who grows wine grapes in the San Joaquin Valley, said: "It is the same as real rain but it the best we can do."

Weather forecasters have little good news - there is no significant rain forecast for the weeks ahead, increasing the prospect of the drought worsening.

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Ex-Miss Venezuela: Funeral For Murdered Model

The funerals are taking place of a former Miss Venezuela beauty queen and her British ex-husband who were murdered as they returned from holiday.

Monica Spear and Thomas Henry Berry are being laid to rest a day after their families held a private wake in Caracas before allowing fans of the model-turned-actress to view her body.

The pair were killed in a robbery on an isolated stretch of highway while they were returning to the Venezuelan capital with their five-year-old daughter.

Mourners line up to pay tribute to the Venezuelan star

Although the weapon used in the robbery has not been found, it has emerged that a digital camera stolen during the attack led police to a criminal group which allegedly preyed on motorists on the stretch of road between Puerto Cabello and Valencia.

The camera was found at the home of one of seven people arrested over the killing and helped officers trace other suspects in the case.

According to Jose Gregorio Sierralta, chief of Venezuela's criminal police, at least 11 people were involved in the crime - four of whom remain on the run.

The pair had been returning to Caracas from holiday with their daughter

The commissioner claimed the 32-year-old alleged ringleader of the group, known as Fat Danilo, supplied younger men in the gang with guns and drugs.

The deaths of Ms Spear and her ex-husband provoked a national uproar over Venezuela's rampant violent crime.

Hundreds of mourners waited in long lines outside the Caracas chapel to pay their respects to the 29-year-old, who had a starring role in a popular TV soap series.

The former Miss Venezuela had become and actress

District mayor Ramon Muchacho said: "It is a crime that shakes the foundation of the country. And that puts in front of our eyes the awful reality we live in.

"Sometimes Venezuelans live in escapism, looking one way or the other, trying to forget what happens every day. But this crime reminds us that there are more than 20,000 families, who are left in mourning every year in Venezuela (due to violence)."

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Ukraine Protests: Ex-Minister Among 10 Injured

Ten people have been injured in early morning clashes between riot police and protesters outside a courthouse in Ukraine's capital, witnesses said.

Police used tear gas and batons to control the crowd of several hundred people who were protesting in Kiev against the sentencing of three activists.

Among those injured is former interior minister Yuri Lutsenko, who served under jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

Police said they have no information about injuries in the protests

Despite witness accounts, police said in a statement they have no information about injuries during the protest.

Meanwhile, 10km away in central Kiev, several thousand people have set up camp to protest against President Viktor Yanukovich's decision to spurn a European Union trade deal and strengthen Ukraine's economic ties with Russia.

The demonstrations began when Ukraine suspended talks with the EU on November 21 and have grown in size and intensity after unsuccessful attempts by police to clear the protest camp.

Demonstrations began in November last year and have since escalated

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on December 15 in a huge rally dubbed the 'day of dignity', where they demanded the resignation of the government and called for European human rights.

Ukraine remains deeply divided, between the European-leaning west, and Russian-speaking east.

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Indian Diplomat's Family Slam 'Inhuman' US

The family of an Indian envoy whose arrest in the US has sparked a diplomatic crisis have slammed her "inhuman" treatment.

Uttam Khobragade, father of Devyani Khobragade, hit out after his daughter was strip-searched when arrested over allegations that she lied about how much she paid her maid.

He told a news conference in Delhi: "As a family, we would not like to touch the soil of the country which treats human beings in such an inhuman way, in an utter violation of human rights, an utter violation of the Geneva Convention."

Mr Khobragade said he expected his daughter to arrive in India with her husband and children "very soon" after she was ordered to leave the US, where she could not be prosecuted because of her diplomatic immunity status.

Ms Khobragade, India's deputy consul general in New York, was held in December on charges of visa fraud and underpaying a maid.

Delhi said it was "shocked and appalled" and demanded an apology after she was handcuffed and strip-searched at the time of her arrest.

Uttam Khobragade attacked the handling of his daughter's case as 'inhuman'

She left New York on a flight from JFK airport on Thursday night hours after she was indicted on criminal charges and India refused to waive her immunity.

Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said: "At the time of her departure to India, Counsellor Khobragade reiterated her innocence of charges filed against her.

"She affirmed her gratitude to the government of India, in particular to the external affairs minister, and the people of India, as also the media, for their strong and sustained support during this period."

Ms Khobragade could be arrested and forced to answer the charges if she returned to the US without diplomatic immunity.

The row began when Ms Khobragade was arrested following a complaint by her maid Sangeeta Richard.

Ms Khobragade's arrest sparked street protests in India

She in turn accused her employee of theft and attempted blackmail.

The circumstances of her arrest prompted protests on the streets of India and diplomatic reprisals from Delhi.

Senior Indian politicians and officials snubbed a US delegation on a recent visit and security barricades around the American embassy in Delhi were removed.

On Wednesday, the US embassy was ordered to stop "commercial activities on its premises" and a club with a pool restaurant and tennis court was reportedly told to shut down.

The Indian government also said drivers of US diplomatic cars could be charged with traffic offences.

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French Comic's Tour In Doubt After Court Ban

Riot police had to be brought in to contain furious fans of a controversial French comedian after he was banned from performing by a court just hours before he was due on stage.

The 47-year-old comic Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala, who has been condemned as an anti-Semitic "pedlar of hate", was scheduled to perform his controversial show when France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, ruled he could not take to the stage.

The ban on Dieudonne's Nantes show was greeted with boos and jeers by hundreds of the comedian's fans at the Zenith theatre, where the performance was due to take place.

Many of the comic's supporters performed the "quenelle" gesture as riot police blocked access to the theatre.

Youths make the "quenelle" gesture outside the Zenith theatre

Described by critics as a disguised Nazi salute, it involves holding the right arm straight while pointing to the ground, then touching the right bicep with the left hand.

The court ruling banning the show overturned a decision made only hours earlier by Nantes Judge Jean-Francois Molla, who had determined it could go ahead.

But Judge Bernard Stirn of the Council of State said in his decision that there was an "established" risk of "trouble to public order" should the show proceed.

The decision leaves the rest of Dieudonne's national tour dates in doubt.

The comedian is scheduled to perform a series of shows through to June, including performances in Belgium and Switzerland.

Striker Anelka seen performing the gesture at Upton Park

At least eight other French cities have already sought bans to prevent Dieudonne from performing.

The comedian is at the centre of an increasingly bitter row about race and freedom of speech in France.

The French government has condemned him as a "pedlar of hate", and the comic has repeatedly been convicted under anti-racism legislation.

Supporters of the comedian have been photographed performing the "quenelle" gesture outside Jewish synagogues in France and abroad, and even outside the site of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.

French police gathered outside the theatre

Last month the West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka faced criticism after he performed the gesture while celebrating a goal at Upton Park.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who has led a campaign to ban the comedian, hailed the Nantes ban as a victory.

"We cannot tolerate hatred of others, racism, anti-Semitism or holocaust denial," he said.

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Costa Concordia Cruise Ship To Be Towed In June

The team leading the Costa Concordia salvage operation has revealed they will begin removing the stricken cruise liner from near the Italian island of Giglio in June - before it is demolished later this year.

The country's environment minister Andrea Orlando and experts disclosed the details of the next phase of the mammoth salvage operation at a news conference in Rome.

The 114,000-ton ship was hauled upright from its partially submerged position in September last year in a complicated 19-hour salvage operation.

More than 1,000 concrete stacks and six underwater platforms are being used to keep the vessel stable.

A technique known as parbuckling was used to right the ship

It is expected to be towed away from the Mediterranean holiday island by the summer and eventually broken up for scrap.

Franco Porcellacchia, in charge of removing the wreck, said: "We will start fitting in the systems and equipment that are needed to enable us to remove the ship from mid-April. It is a very complicated operation.

"If there are no unexpected events the whole operation will be completed by the end of June, probably by the middle of June.

"Then we will have to make the wreck float again, and this will take about seven to 10 days, so our reasonable goal is to refloat the wreck by the end of June".

Exactly where the wreck will be towed to and destroyed has not yet been decided.

The job of dismantling and recycling the vessel has been put out to tender which is being overseen by London Offshore Consultants.

Costa Concordia raised from the depths

It is hoped the salvage team will have made a final decision on a port for the ship to be towed to by early March.

Michael Thamm, Chief Executive Officer of Costa Cruises, said: "We are very confident that we can remove this ship within the month of June. This is not very far away - and then a great job will be done."

He said the company would "maintain our ownership until the very last moment", until the wreck is demolished later this year.

The full cost of the completed salavage operation is expected to reach around 600 million euros (£497m), he added.

Cabin owners of the safes recovered from the wreck are to be contacted soon and their contents returned to them.

The seven-day Mediterranean cruise turned to tragedy just hours after the vessel, packed with more than 4,000 passengers and crew had left the port of Civitavecchia in January 2012.

The Concordia's captain, Francesco Schettino, is on trial for alleged manslaughter, causing the shipwreck and abandoning ship during a confused and delayed evacuation.

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Suicide Vest Afghan Girl, 10, Asks For New Home

Afghan Army 'Will Lose Helmand'

Updated: 11:52am UK, Tuesday 07 January 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

The story of 10-year-old Spozhmai helps us to understand why the Taliban will take Helmand province when Nato troops leave Afghanistan at the end of the year.

The details are sketchy, nothing is proven, but the story still holds as a way of explaining why, after 10 years of training by Nato forces, the Afghan army will not be strong enough to hold on to the province.

It is claimed Spozhmai's brother, a Taliban commander, forced her to wear a suicide vest and ordered her to detonate it at a police checkpoint. Her story is that she became cold and frightened crossing a river and refused to carry out the mission.

Mao Tse Tung said that "the people are the stream in which revolutionaries swim". In this instance the girl appears to have been a very unwilling revolutionary, but she came from the people, and the people, her own family, are said to have ordered her to her death.

The majority of the population in southern Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically Pashtun. However, most of the Afghan troops deployed to the south are from elsewhere and do not even speak Pashtun.

Afghanistan is not a nation state in the way most Western people understand the concept. Loyalty to country comes a long way down a list which includes family, tribe, and religion.

An Afghan soldier who is ethnically Tajik, or Uzbek, or a Persian speaking Hazara, may not be motivated in defending Pashtun Helmand from the predominantly Pashtun Taliban.

On the other hand the Taliban are operating on home territory, and crucially, are so fanatical they are willing to send children, even relatives, to their deaths as suicide bombers.

Faced with this degree of commitment, the Afghan army is unlikely to hold firm down south without the technical and physical back up of the Nato forces.

Helmand, and Kandahar, may not fall immediately, but within a couple of years it is quite possible the Afghan army will have retreated to defend Kabul and the north.

Nato commanders are fond of issuing statistics about how many tens of thousands of Afghan troops they have trained up to a decent standard and how increasingly "as we step back they will step forward". 

A statistic they are less likely to draw attention to is the one which suggests that each year about 25% of Afghan soldiers desert.

President Hamid Karzai is still threatening to ensure that every single American soldier goes home by December 31.

However, he will not be president after this spring's elections, and anyway, his mind may be concentrated by the fate of the president in charge when the Taliban last rode into Kabul in 1996.

His predecessor was dragged out of the Presidential Palace and hanged from a lamp post.

A few thousand Americans near the capital might come in useful in 2015/16.

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Ex-SS Soldier, 88, Charged Over Nazi Massacre

An 88-year-old former member of Hitler's SS has been charged with taking part in a massacre of hundreds of French villagers.

It is nearly 70 years since one of the most infamous Nazi atrocities, in which Waffen-SS men took the small French village of Oradour-sur-Glane by surprise and killed nearly all of its inhabitants.

The death toll from the methodical slaughter in 1944 was 642 men, women and children.

The men were herded into barns and shot dead, while the women and children were burned alive in the village church.

Achim Hengstenberg, court spokesman for Cologne, said: "The prosecution charges an 88-year-old pensioner from Cologne with (joining in) the destruction of Oradour-sur-Glane in France.

French president Francois Hollande at the site with a survivor (C) in 2013

"He and another shooter are said to have killed 25 men in a barn with his machine gun. He is also said to have aided the burning down of the village church."

The accused denies the charges, saying he did not fire a single shot in Oradour, according to his lawyer Rainer Pohlen.

He said he even tried to save the lives of some of the victims.

Mr Pohlen said: "He could have fired. He says, however, 'I had the great luck of being deployed for something else'.

"He said 'I heard shots, I saw people shouting, I saw the village burning. It was terrible. It was absolutely awful. But I was not myself involved in any of the action'."

A memorial at Oradour-sur-Glane

Mr Hengstenberg said the charge lay with the young offenders chamber of the Cologne court because the suspect was only 19 years old at the time of the crime.

He was not named in the statement. The young offenders chamber will decide whether or not to open proceedings against the accused.

The SS massacre was meant to be an example to French Resistance guerrillas after a vehicle carrying an SS doctor was ambushed on a road leading to the village and its occupants abducted.

Among those killed were 207 children, the youngest eight weeks old. Only five men and a woman survived the massacre.

Robert Hebras, one of the survivors, said: "It's important that we find someone even if it's 70 years afterwards."

More than 600 people died in the massacre

Oradour is an example of a post-war failure to punish the perpetrators.

Heinz Lammerding, the Waffen-SS general in command of the unit that committed the massacre, was captured by Allied forces, but never extradited to France and was sentenced to death in absentia by a Bordeaux military court in 1951. He died in his bed in Bavaria in 1971.

Mr Hengstenberg said the new charge resulted from a fresh look at a previous investigation into the events.

In 1953, 12 Alsatian soldiers who took part in the massacre while serving in the SS unit were sentenced to life in prison and one to death, but France's parliament immediately pardoned them in the name of "national reconciliation".

Their province of Alsace had been annexed by Germany in 1940 and Alsatians were deemed to have been forced to join the German forces, even though some clearly enlisted voluntarily.

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Sex Trafficking Case: Alleged Gangsters Charged

Alleged gang members who are accused of branding prostitutes with barcodes and tattoos, and trading them "as if they were property", have been charged following an investigation into sex trafficking.

The group of 24 men and women are said to be part of a criminal enterprise that spanned 46 cities in 23 states.

They allegedly used Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram to lure girls and women, posting rap videos and making promises of glamorous lifestyles.

Victims are said to have been branded with tattoos and barcodes and sold or gifted among gang members.

US attorney Laura Duffy said: "The kind of sex trafficking described in this indictment is nothing less than modern-day slavery.

"Unfortunately, more gangs are expanding from traditional pursuits like drug dealing into this lucrative business.

"These gangsters are preying upon our youth and we are using every law enforcement resource to keep our children and our communities safe from these predators."

The defendants, who are accused of being part of the BMS group based in San Diego's North Park district, have been charged with racketeering including sex trafficking, murder, kidnapping, robbery and drug-related crimes.

Of the 24 indicted, 14 could be jailed for life if convicted because the charges against them include sex trafficking of a minor, sex trafficking by force or transportation of minors for prostitution.

The US Justice Department said 49 women and 11 girls were offered help to start a new life.

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Polar Vortex: 187 Million Hit By Big Freeze

More than half the US population is under a wind chill warning as a blast of freezing Arctic air sweeps south and east across the country, bringing the coldest temperatures for decades.

The whirlpool of dense air known as the "polar vortex" has caused a number of deaths, closed schools and businesses, cancelled thousands of flights and left highly-populated cities facing colder temperatures than Siberia.

Around 187 million people could eventually feel the effects of the freezing temperatures - and Americans have been warned their skin could freeze within minutes if they go outside.

The US East Coast is preparing for the cold front moving in from the Midwest on Tuesday and areas as far south as Brownsville, Texas and central Florida are facing record low temperatures.

Temperatures were 11 to 22C (20 to 40F) below average in parts of Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Nebraska and broke records in Chicago, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the National Weather Service.

A satellite image shows the polar vortex sweeping across the US. Pic: Nasa

The US saw colder temperatures than Almaty, Kazakhstan, where it was -22C (8F), Mongolia at -23C (-8F) and Irkutsk, in Siberia, at -33C (-27F).

The National Weather Service has issued life-threatening wind chill warnings for temperatures as low as -51C (-60F) in western and central Dakota and officials in Indiana - hit by high winds and more than a foot (30cm) of snow - urged residents to stay indoors.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard asked schools and businesses to stay closed for another day and said: "The cold is the real killer here.

A tractor is used to clear snow from Woodward Avenue in central Detroit

"You could be dead in 10 minutes without the proper clothes."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency, announcing that parts of the New York State Thruway in Western New York would be closed due to extreme winter weather conditions.

The weather has caused chaos for US business and industry, threatening to disrupt oil drilling and fracking and hit livestock and grain shipments across the farm belt, even in the Deep South.

Some 4,392 flights were cancelled and 3,577 delayed on Monday, according to FlightAware.com, which tracks airline activity.

Many airlines could not allow their ground crews to remain outdoors for more than 15 minutes at a time.

Birds gather on the partially frozen River Charles in Boston

There were hundreds of cancellations by airlines including United, Southwest and American at airports across the Midwest and Northeast as supplies of fuel and de-icer froze.

The weather has been blamed for a number of deaths across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

They included a 48-year-old Chicago man who had a heart attack while shovelling snow on Sunday and an elderly woman who was found outside her Indianapolis home early Monday.

Some states are beginning to turn their focus to recovery, with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and Indiana Governor Mike Pence issuing disaster declarations, paving the way to request federal aid.

There were, however, some signs of things returning to normal in the affected areas.

A commuter wraps up warm in Chicago

JetBlue Airways, which stopped all scheduled flights to and from New York and Boston on Monday, plans to resume some flights on Tuesday morning.

Southwest Airlines operations in Chicago resumed on Monday night, even if it was, as a spokesman for the Texas-based airline called it, "a trickle".

The Minnesota Zoo announced it would reopen to the public on Tuesday and state lawmakers in Indiana plan to open their 2014 legislative session after a day's postponement.

Warmer temperatures - at least near or above freezing - are in store for the Midwest later in the week.

Indianapolis should reach -3C (27F) on Wednesday, and other parts of the central US could climb above freezing later in the week.

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Iraq Gets US Military Boost Amid Rising Unrest

Iraq Violence Was 'Waiting Powder Keg'

Updated: 1:10pm UK, Monday 06 January 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

The fighting in the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Ramadi threatens to hasten the disintegration of a country in chaos.

The upsurge of violence has simply highlighted a pattern of sectarian strife which emerged in early 2013 and shows no signs of ending.

Unlike during the violence of 2006/07, the Americans are no longer around to stand between the sectarian factions.

Fallujah and Ramadi are in Anbar province in the west of Iraq, which is overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim and is the stronghold of al Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). 

Under Saddam Hussein, the Sunnis dominated the country but that came to an end after the US led invasion of 2003.

The regional, ethnic, and sectarian tensions in Iraq were always present since its inception as a state in 1920, but the lid was taken off this simmering pot by the American invasion.

The subsequent botched attempts at nation building widened the sectarian divide.

The Americans fought the Shia and Sunni militia, the Sunni and Shia fought one another, and the Kurds in the north warned everyone to keep their distance.

The US forces struggled and only achieved a degree of relative stability during the 'Sunni Awakening'.

The Sunni tribes, realising they were losing control of Anbar province to al Qaeda, allied with the Americans. 

Al Qaeda may have been Sunni, but they were mostly foreign fighters and they had designs on the territory of Anbar. The temporary alliance worked and the violence receded.

In 2011 Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's government refused to allow the Americans even 'basing rights' for a skeleton force and so the US military pulled out completely.

There was now no one left to stand between the factions, or broker deals, if they began to fight again.

The Shia are the majority among the Arabs in Iraq, and under Maliki they have taken control of the main levers of power in the country; the military, the judiciary, the interior ministry, and the cabinet.

Sunnis felt increasingly disenfranchised and the victims of repression.

A year ago they began demonstrations in Ramadi and Fallujah calling for the freeing of tens of thousands of prisoners held without charge by Maliki's forces. The protests spread to other Sunni areas in the country. 

The Prime Minister said the demonstrations and protests camps were a front for al Qaeda and secessionists and ordered the security forces to break them up. Hundreds of people were killed in the ensuing violence and a campaign of terrorism across the country killed thousands.

Subsequent attempts at compromise were undermined by hardliners on both sides in parliament.

Anbar province was a powder keg waiting to explode.

Late last month, Maliki ordered a military raid on an ISIS camp in western Anbar, the arrest of a senior Sunni politician in Ramadi, and the clearing of a protest camp.

The backlash came almost immediately. The Sunni tribes rose up and quickly reformed their militias. They took on the government forces pushing them out of Ramadi and Fallujah.

Some, fearing that Al Qaeda would take revenge for the 'awakening', also targeted ISIS fighters.

Now the Iraqi army is poised on the outskirts of the two cities waiting to take them back. 

As the Americans found, the fighting will be hard, with no guarantee of success. The longer it goes on, the greater the chance that it will spread and the more it will undermine the national elections set for April 30.

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Spain: King Juan Carlos' Daughter In Court

The youngest daughter of Spain's King Juan Carlos has been ordered to appear in court for questioning as part of an investigation into alleged tax fraud and money laundering.

Palma de Mallorca court judge Jose Castro ordered 48-year-old Infanta Cristina to appear for questioning about her links to the business affairs of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, the Duke of Palma.

The former Olympic handball player is under investigation for alleged embezzlement of public funds.

A court on the island of Majorca is looking into claims Mr Urdangarin and his former business partner, Diego Torres, embezzled six million euros (£5m) in public funds via the Noos Institute, a charitable foundation he created to organise sports events.

The princess was a member of the board of the foundation and jointly owned another company called Aizoon with her husband, which investigators suspect served as a front for laundering the money.

The three deny wrongdoing.

In a written ruling, the judge said he had decided to hear Cristina's testimony on March 8. Formal charges could follow. 

It is the first time a direct relative of the monarch has been ordered to appear in court accused of wrongdoing. 

The reputation of King Juan Carlos has been damaged by the affair

In November, a luxury villa and other properties belonging to Urdangarin were seized to cover the 6m euro bond for his liability in the case.

The investigations have damaged the reputation of 76-year-old Juan Carlos, who has been on the throne for almost 40 years and helped in the country's transition to democracy after the death of dictator General Francisco Franco.

A recent poll published in the daily newspaper El Mundo found that more than half of Spaniards wanted him to abdicate and let his son Prince Felipe take the throne.

Speaking at the weekend, the head of the royal household, Rafael Spottorno, said the investigation had become a "martyrdom" for the royal family and urged the judge to wrap up the investigation quickly.

He told public television channel TVE: "We have to trust in the justice system. We have always respected the judge's duties. But the only thing we ask is that he finish it soon."

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Bangladesh Election 'Won' By Ruling Party

Bangladesh's ruling party has been declared the winner of parliamentary elections that have been marred by killings, an opposition boycott, and low turnout.

At least 18 people died in political violence on polling day alone, in a vote which saw fewer than half of the 300 seats being contested.

It meant the result was a foregone conclusion and the ruling Awami League took 232 seats - far more than the 151 needed to form a government.

But the chaos surrounding Sunday's election has plunged Bangladesh deeper into turmoil and fuelled fears of economic stagnation, amid the threat of further violence.

Police kick a protester after a polling booth was set on fire

International observers refused to attend the election, which was branded flawed.

Along with a low voter-turnout, it is set to put pressure on the Bangladesh government to hold talks with the opposition.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opposition leader Khaleda Zia, who leads the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), are bitter rivals.

The country has been ruled by either of these women - both from powerful political families - for more than two decades.

The boycott was sparked after Ms Hasina refused to agree to opposition demands to step down and appoint a neutral caretaker government to oversee the election.

The poverty-stricken nation of 160 million people has been hit by political violence in recent months as opposition activists staged attacks, strikes and transport blockades.

This has caused disruption to the country's $22bn (£13bn) clothing industry, which accounts for 80% of exports.

More than 100 people were killed in the run-up to the ballot, mostly in rural areas, and fears of violence kept many voters away.

Soldiers line a street blocked by a tree that was cut down by activists

Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury, a BNP vice chairman, said: "The turnout is a clear indication that the common people rejected this election and it is almost an election without voters."

Law Minister Mohammad Quamrul Islam said the election was necessary for the democratic process, and repeated that another poll could be held anytime in agreement with the BNP.

"But they must stop violence before dialogue for the next elections could start," he said.

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Polar Vortex: NFL Fans Brave -26C Wind Chill

Diehard fans have braved freezing temperatures and a wind chill of -26C (-14F) to watch an NFL playoff match in Wisconsin.

The Green Bay Packers took on the San Francisco 49ers at their home field on Sunday night, in one of the coldest American football matches ever played.

A phenomenon described as a polar vortex has plunged states in the north and northwest US into a deep freeze, causing transport chaos and school closures.

Some Packers fans - affectionately known as cheeseheads - wore costumes

Fans at the Packers' Lambeau Field swaddled themselves in multiple layers of thick clothing and covered themselves with blankets for the tie, which lasted around three hours.

The 49ers' stars - who are more used to balmy California temperatures - wrapped up on the touchline in signature red blankets.

Despite not being accustomed to the inclement weather, they won 23-20, putting them one step closer to February's Super Bowl.

Thick layers were necessary for the three-hour game

The weather phenomenon has seen super-chilled air from the Arctic sucked into North and South Dakota, the Great Lakes states and New England, sending temperatures plunging.

Washington DC has already seen its coldest temperatures for 20 years and several states in the Midwest have recorded their lowest mercury readings for more than a decade.

Icy weather is feared to have been a factor that led to a Delta Airways flight skidding off the runway at JFK Airport on Sunday.

None of the flight's 35 passengers was injured and the aircraft was safely towed to a gate.

Snow at JFK Airport in New York

The busy New York airport suspended operations for about two hours due to slick runways.

In Chicago, about 1,200 flights were cancelled at the city's O'Hare and Midway international airports after more than 11 inches of snow fell.

Weather Bell meteorologist Ryan Maue described the current weather conditions as a once-in-a-generation event.

"If you're under 40 (years old), you've not seen this stuff before," he said.

Scituate, Massachusetts, is among the places to have seen blizzards

With much of the northeast of the country already under thick snow and well below zero, a newly emerging weather system is threatening to cause further misery.

The "polar vortex" is an anti-clockwise rotating pool of cold, dense air that forms close to the North Pole, but typically hangs over Canada.

Meteorologists say that unusually, this year, it is heading south and moving towards the north and eastern United States.

Fargo in North Dakota is expected to dip to -31C (-25F), International Falls, Minnesota, is forecast to fall to -35C (-31F) and Indianapolis, Indiana, and Chicago, Illinois, to -26C (-15F).

The forecast prompted Minnesota public school officials to announce a statewide closure for Monday, marking the first such mass closing in 17 years.

The Wisconsin cities of Milwaukee and Madison have also announced school closures to start the week.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard upgraded the city's travel emergency level to "red", making it illegal for anyone to drive except for emergencies or seeking shelter.

The last time the city issued such a travel warning was in 1978.

Temperatures are expected to dip close to freezing in parts of Florida on Tuesday.

In Canada, people have reported hearing loud booms which are thought to be "frost quakes" as temperatures dip to -20C.

The phenomenon, known as a cryoseism, is caused when water in the ground expands in extreme cold, causing it to crack and make the booming noise.

At least 16 deaths have been blamed on a snow storm that swept across the eastern half of the US at the end of last week.

Only a few thousand people have been left without power in the US despite heavy snowfalls, but in Canada, which has seen unusually heavy snow in a country used to cold winters, nearly 90,000 are without power in Newfoundland.

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Angela Merkel Injured In Skiing Accident

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been injured during a cross-country skiing accident in Switzerland.

Mrs Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said the Chancellor suffered a fractured pelvis and must rest as much as possible over the next three weeks.

Mrs Merkel has been forced to cancel a number of official appointments, but will continue to lead the government and hold Cabinet meetings.

She will work from home during this period, Mr Seibert said.

He added that Mrs Merkel's injury occurred "at low speeds", but was unable to say if another person was involved.

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Iraqi Troops Remain Until Militants 'Eliminated'

Al Qaeda-linked fighters have reportedly taken control of Fallujah, as the Iraqi army shells the city to try and seize it back.

At least eight people have been killed and 30 others hurt in the latest violence, according to officials and medical sources.

It comes as Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki insisted government troops would remain in the Anbar region until al Qaeda-linked militants are "eliminated".

He said: "There will be no retreat until we eliminate this gang and rid the people of Anbar of their evil acts.

"The people of Anbar asked the government for help, they called us to come to rescue them from terrorists."

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been tightening its grip in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province, near the Syrian border, as it tries to create an Islamic state across the Iraqi-Syrian borders.

Parts of Fallujah and Ramadi, the other main city in Anbar, have been held by Sunni Muslim militants for days.

Armed men pictured in Ramadi

The areas were both strongholds of Sunni insurgents during the US-led conflict that topped Saddam Hussein in 2003.

In Ramadi, tribesmen and the army have worked together to counter al Qaeda militants seeking to take control.

But in Fallujah, ISIL received a boost after being joined by tribesmen against the government.

The fighting began in Ramadi on Monday, when security forces broke up an anti-government camp demonstrating against what Sunnis see as the marginalisation of their community.

The violence then spread to Fallujah, and when security forces left both cities after fighting the militants, it cleared the way for ISIL to move in.

"Fallujah is under the control of ISIL," a senior security official in Anbar province told the AFP news agency, adding the outskirts were in the hands of local police.

Iraqi ground forces commander Staff General Ali Ghaidan Majeed said police and tribesmen were hunting for militants in Ramadi, with army support.

And he said authorities were working on "fixing the situation in Fallujah".

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Ashes: Australia Thrash England In 5-0 Sweep

England's cricket captain has apologised after Australia crushed England by 281 runs to claim a 5-0 Ashes series whitewash on the third day of the final Test in Sydney.

Mitchell Johnson (L) takes the wicket of England's Gary Ballance

Alistair Cook said sorry to England fans who had travelled to Australia only to see the team "hit rock bottom".

"It's tough knowing you've played in five games and been beaten badly in five games," he told the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

England's Ben Stokes walks off the field after his dismissal by Australia

"We weren't good enough to turn it around.  When you hit rock bottom the only way is up. We have to look at ourselves, look at where we want to go.

"We have a huge amount of talent in England. We haven't shown it in these five games."

Australia's George Bailey catches out England's Kevin Pietersen

Addressing the England fans, he added: "I'm sorry we've let you down, we haven't played very well but we really do appreciate your support."

The 5-0 series sweep was only the third in the history of Ashes encounters after Australia's 1920-21 and 2006-07 triumphs.

Australia celebrate after taking the wicket of England's Scott Borthwick

The humiliating defeat for England is expected to have major ramifications for English cricket after they beat Australia 3-0 just months ago.

Sky's Australia correspondent Jonathan Samuels, in Sydney, said: "When England arrived here they were over-confident and they under-estimated how angry and determined Australia was going to be.

England's Michael Carberry goes for an unsuccessful catch off Ryan Harris

"England were riding high on the back of three Ashes wins, but their batsmen haven't performed; even Graham Gooch, who has been coaching the batsmen has been questioning the techniques he's been passing onto them.

"It wasn't the most exceptional side Australia put out, but their bowlers have been quite remarkable."

England's Michael Carberry broke his bat in the final throes of the game

England coach Andy Flower conceded his team "underperformed badly" throughout the Ashes series, but he paid tribute to the Australian team.

"We've underperformed in the first innings for quite a long period of time. We haven't scored many runs, haven't scored any first innings above 400 for a long time, and people lost confidence early on in this tour.

But he took a catch to dismiss Australia's Ryan Harris

"The pace rocked the batting order in the first Test and we never quite recovered.

"I would like to pay tribute to the Australia camp. Their bowling attack has been outstanding.

Australia's Mitchell Johnson after taking the wicket of Alastair Cook

"We've seen a sustained style of bowling, exceptional pressure and (Mitchell) Johnson's pace has been a huge difference between the two sides."

During the game England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow was caught by George Bailey off a ball from spinner Nathan Lyon for a three-ball duck and Scott Borthwick was magnificently caught by skipper Michael Clarke off another Lyon ball for just four runs.

Shane Watson of Australia is applauded as he leaves the field

England skipper Alastair Cook, Ian Bell,and Kevin Pietersen all fell in the middle session as England limped to tea on just 87-3.

Cook, who has endured a miserable series with the bat, was caught behind off Johnson for seven and was followed by Bell, who was snapped up the gully off Ryan Harris.

Australia's Brad Haddin is congratulated during a lap of honour

Things got worse after the interval as Australia took four wickets in just two overs, England despairing against inspired Australian bowling and fielding. 

Stuart Broad managed to hit four sixes and three fours to take 42 runs off 36 balls before he was bowled by Harris, and Boyd Rankin was the last man out, caught overhead by Clarke at second slip to complete the victory.

5-0: The Australian team salute their win

The tourists capitulated against the home side's attack by losing seven wickets in under an hour and were beaten for 166 in 31.4 overs; which was not even close to the 448 target they needed for a win.

It is the second time in three away Ashes series that  England has lost all five test matches. The last time was in 2006 to 2007 when Australia were considered a much stronger side.

Today's result also means Australia have overtaken England in the International Cricket Council rankings as the England team dropped to fourth place.

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Polar Vortex To Plunge US Temperatures to -60C

Windchills of nearly -60C (-70F) are threatening to turn states in the north and northwest US into an icy deep freeze.

A phenomena described as a polar vortex is set to suck super-chilled air from the Arctic into North and South Dakota, the Great Lakes states and New England, sending temperatures plunging.

Washington DC has already seen its coldest temperatures for 20 years and several Mid Western states have recorded their lowest mercury readings for more than a decade.

Weather Bell meteorologist Ryan Maue described current weather conditions as a once in a generation event.

"If you're under 40 (years old), you've not seen this stuff before," he said.

But with much of the north east of the country already under thick snow and well below zero, a newly emerging weather system is threatening to cause further misery.

Scituate, Massachusetts, is among the places to have seen blizzards

The 'polar vortex' is an anti-clockwise rotating pool of cold, dense air that forms close to the North Pole, but typically hangs over Canada.

Meteorologists say that unusually, this year, it is heading south and moving towards the north and eastern United States.

Fargo in North Dakota is expected to dip to -31C (-25F), International Falls, Minnesota will fall to -35C (-31F) and Indianapolis, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois, will reach -26C (-15F).

Forecasters say that at those temperatures exposed skin can get frostbitten in minutes and hypothermia can quickly set in as wind chills may reach 50, 60 or even 70 below zero F (45.5,  51 or even 56.7 below zero C).

Parts of northeastern New England have already dropped into the negatives with some places hitting -35C (-30F) in Vermont and -38C (-36F) in Maine.

TV pictures from some of the worst affected areas have been reminiscent of images from an Antarctic or Arctic winter.

People enjoy Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro during a heatwave in Brazil

At least 16 deaths have been blamed on a snow storm that swept across the eastern half of the US at the end of last week.

Only a few thousand people have been left without power in the US despite heavy snowfalls, but in Canada, which has seen unusually heavy snow in a country used to cold winters, nearly 90,000 are without power in Newfoundland.

Temperatures were also expected to plummet to -35C in northwestern Ontario and Environment Canada issued a special weather statement on Saturday night for much of southern Ontario, warning of heavy snowfalls.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, soaring temperatures in Rio de Janeiro set off fire sprinklers in shopping malls as the thermometer topped 40C (102F).

Thousands headed to the beach as temperatures rose to more than 50C in the sunshine.

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