Britain remained firmly in the grip of a big chill yesterday with freezing conditions expected across the country for the rest of the week. When 25 elected heads of state assemble tomorrow in the Justus Lipsius building, which houses the Council of Ministers, eleven of them have been chosen to address the US President on an international matter of importance, they will be allocated a minimal amount of time ­ the betting is five minutes each.Tony Blair will give a commentary on the future of the Middle East. There have also been question-marks in the past over his attention span and dislike of protracted debate, but, even by the standards of the Bush White House, the assembled heads of Europe will be given short shrift tomorrow when they gather to address the President of the United States. President Bush arrived in Brussels last night for his week-long tour of Europe. As the leader of the free world George Bush is known to be a busy man. I'm not a member of the IRA army council, and I was a member of the IRA many years ago."The McDowell allegation coincides with the assessment of security sources north of the border, who have said the army council includes the three Sinn Fein figures as well as four other IRA personnel.Paul Murphy, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, is to make a statement in the Commons tomorrow on sanctions against Sinn Fein in the wake of official assessments that the IRA carried out the Belfast bank robbery.. Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams, Martin McGuinness and Martin Ferris are members of the IRA's controlling Army Council, the Irish government declared yesterday.

Newcastle and Chelsea footballers were forced to play their FA Cup tie at St James' Park with snow falling throughout the game.. That could cause problems for rush-hour traffic."The late winter cold snap has taken many by surprise in the light of the recent mild weather. Last month was recorded as the warmest January in 15 years.The freeze was because of high pressures over Scandinavia and northern Europe combined with lower pressures to the west of the UK causing temperatures to plummet.Drivers and footballers were among those affected by the bitterly cold weather conditions yesterday. "There will be a bright start tomorrow in central and western areas but showers will move westwards as the day goes on."The main problem will be a drop in temperature in eastern areas overnight bringing ice and frost.

While widespread frost was expected across the country, snowfall was predicted in southern England as well as the East and West Midlands.Meanwhile, snow was expected to accumulate in particular in the North York Moors, the Yorkshire Wolds and the hills in Scotland.The bitter temperatures, a sharp contrast to the comparatively clement weather of the past month, were poised to continue until the weekend, making it the longest cold spell this year."It will feel cold with a bitter north-easterly wind," said Joanne Grimshaw, from the PA WeatherCentre. But I did think to myself - this is alright, innit? I can do this." His first paid gig came soon after at a club called Mirth Control in Plymouth; he was paid enough to cover his petrol - almost. If you run the Grand National, you're going to clip a few hurdles on the way round."Williams started performing four years ago at the age of 25, when he turned up in London and "a mate asked me to do five minutes at a pub gig I did a few gigs for nothing Actually, quite a lot of gigs for nothing I was just having a laugh, you know, doing it for the love I never thought about a career or anything. "He'll be headlining here before too long."Williams has done what he calls "his fair share of rough gigs", but insists this is all part of the stand-up experience "I don't think anyone just sails through.