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Police: Woods not wearing seat belt

WINDERMERE, Fla., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. golfer Tiger Woods wasn't wearing a seat belt when he crashed his vehicle into a fire hydrant and a tree last week, documents released Wednesday indicate.

The Florida Highway Patrol released a six-page investigative report and about 100 photographs detailing the Friday morning crash in Windermere, Fla., and among the few new revelations in them was that Woods was not wearing a seat belt when the accident happened, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported.

The report also indicated that Woods' Cadillac Escalade SUV crossed over a curb, drove onto a grass median and collided with a row of hedges before impacting the hydrant and a neighbor's tree, the newspaper said, adding that the report did not include any statements from Woods or his wife, Elin.

The FHP has charged Woods with careless driving, for which he faces a $164 fine.

Earlier Wednesday, the golf legend issued an apology, saying, "I have let my family down."

A statement on his Web site said: "I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves."

The statement came as media speculation mounted about Woods' private life in the aftermath of the car crash, in which authorities found him lying on the ground semi-conscious and bleeding from the lips with his distraught wife standing over him.

"I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect," Woods' statement continued. "I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone."

Woods complained that he and his family have been "hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious."

FIFA investigating Henry's handball

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- French soccer player Thierry Henry is being investigated by FIFA for his handball that led to France advancing to the 2010 World Cup over Ireland.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Wednesday that an investigation by the federation's disciplinary committee could lead to a one-match suspension, possibly forcing Henry to miss France's World Cup opener in June.

"I have not said that Thierry Henry will be punished, I have said that Thierry Henry will be examined by the disciplinary committee of FIFA," Blatter said Wednesday at a news conference ahead of the formal draw for groups for the World Cup.

After the match, Henry admitted he hit the ball with his hand, a redirection that set up a goal by Williams Gallas' in extra time. That allowed France to tie Ireland 1-1 in the match and advance to the World Cup on a 2-1 aggregate score of two games with Ireland. However, the game official didn't call the infraction and the score was allowed to stand.

Ireland's requests that the match be replayed or that the team be given a place in an expanded World Cup field were denied.

No timetable was announced for FIFA's disciplinary committee to meet regarding Henry.

England given seed for 2010 World Cup

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- England, which recently dropped from the top tier of the world soccer rankings, was given a seeded position Wednesday for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The top seven seeds and the host country were given seeds ahead of Friday's formal draw for the eight groups of the World Cup as the FIFA Organizing Committee approved the final draw procedure.

Being seeded allows a team to miss other top-rated teams during round-robin play.

The host country is automatically given one of the eight seeds, placing South Africa, which is ranked 86th in the world, at the top of Group A.

With FIFA using rankings from October rather its Nov. 20 list, England was made a seeded team. England was ranked No. 7 in October but, with a surge by Portugal from 10th to fifth and a jump by France from ninth to seventh, is currently ranked No. 9. Neither Portugal nor France was given a seeded position.

World No. 1 Spain along with Brazil, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Argentina join England and South Africa at the top of the eight World Cup groups.

The committee set the draw "pots" for the rest of the draw. Pot 2 includes Australia, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, North Korea, South Korea and the United States. Pot 3 has Algeria, Chile, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Paraguay and Uruguay. Pot 4 includes Denmark, France, Greece, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Switzerland. One team will be pulled from each pot to complete the four-team groups for round-robin play.

The 2010 World Cup will be contested June 11-July 11.

Report: Artest: "I drank at halftime"

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest has told the Sporting News he drank alcohol during games when he played for Chicago from 1999-2002.

"I used to drink Hennessy … at halftime," Artest, 30, said in a wide-ranging SN interview for its Dec. 7 issue. "I'd just walk to the liquor store (near the stadium) and get it. … (I kept it) in my locker. I was a 'head case' when I (was a first-round draft pick by Chicago in 1999). I was wild … a lot of marijuana and alcohol … even before that."

Artest was a central figure in the huge brawl that erupted in Nov. 2004 at Auburn Hills, Mich., when one of his former teams, the Indiana Pacers, played the Pistons.

He was suspended 73 games, losing $7 million in salary.

He added he plans to be a professional boxer.

"In four years, I'm going to try to have my first fight."