US Weather: 16 Dead As Snow Batters Eastern US

At least 16 people have died due to blizzard-like conditions battering the eastern half of the US, leaving nearly two feet of snow.

Around 1,900 flights have been cancelled across the country as howling wind and sub-zero temperatures wreaked chaos.

Governors in New York and New Jersey declared states of emergency and urged residents to stay at home, while hundreds of schools were shut down in Boston and New York.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "This is nothing to be trifled with. People should seriously consider staying in their homes."

The deaths include those caused by difficult traffic conditions in Michigan, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.

A composite Nasa satellite image shows snow blanketing the Eastern seaboard

A massive pile of salt fell on a worker at a Philadelphia storage facility, killing him. And authorities say a woman with Alzheimer's disease froze to death after she wandered away from her rural New York home.

Forecasters say temperatures were plummeting to well below freezing, and wind chill readings could hit minus 10F (-23C).

Another wave of cold air was already blasting through the Midwest after moving down from Canada.

Outreach teams were searching streets in New York City and Boston for homeless people at risk of freezing to death.

Meanwhile, some major highways in New York state were shut down overnight, and some commuter trains around New York City were operating on a reduced schedule.

Amtrak planned to run trains on all of its Northeast lines on Friday but operate on a modified schedule, spokeswoman Christina Leeds said.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered non-essential state workers to stay at home, with state offices and courthouses closed.

While many flights were cancelled, planes were taking off from Washington

The heavy weather began on Thursday, just a day after New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was sworn in to lead the nation's largest city and a few days before Boston Mayor Thomas Menino ends 20 years in office.

Mr De Blasio, who in 2010 criticised predecessor Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his handling of a post-Christmas storm, said 1,700 snowplows and 450 salt spreaders were hitting the streets in New York City.

"We have to get it right, no question about it," he said.

"We are focused like a laser on protecting this city."

The snowstorm worked its way east from the Midwest, where it dropped up to 17 inches of snow in parts of Chicago and prompted the cancellation of hundreds of flights at both of the city's airports.

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World War Two Bomb Kills Bulldozer Driver

A bulldozer driver has been killed and eight other people injured after a Second World War bomb exploded at a rubble storage site in Germany.

Police in the town of Euskirchen, near Bonn, said the blast shattered the windows of nearby offices and houses within 400 metres.

The blast shattered windows in nearby homes and offices

Norbert Hardt, from the Euskirchen Police Department said the blast caused "considerable damage" in the immediate vicinity as well as in nearby streets and "even in the city centre area".

Although unexploded World War II-era bombs are frequently discovered in Germany, it is rare for them to explode and result in death and injury.

In 2012 some 2,500 residents were evacuated from their homes in Munich after a similar bomb was detonated in a controlled explosion which set fire to nearby buildings.

The force of the blast shook the city and sent a giant fireball rising into the sky.

Allied airplanes dropped millions of tons of ordnance on Germany during World War II in an effort to cripple the Nazi war machine.

Tens of thousands of unexploded bombs are believed to be still lying in the ground across the country.

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Schumacher Remains 'Critical But Stable'

Former Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher remains "critical but stable" in hospital after skiing accident, his family says.

More follows...

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Obesity Rates Triple In Developing World

The number of overweight and obese people has reached almost one billion in the developing world - overtaking rates in industrialised countries, a report has found.

The report by the UK's Overseas Development Institute said the number of obese people has more than tripled in the developing world since 1980.

In 2008, more than 900 million people in poor countries were classed as overweight compared with around 550 million in high-income countries - almost twice as many.

Steve Wiggins, the report's author, said: "The statistics are quite sensational, it is a tripling of the number of people who are considered overweight and obese in the developing world since 1980.

"That takes the number to more than 900 million and that is more than the number of overweight and obese people that we have in the high-income countries, which is probably around 570 million, something like that.

"It is a very rapidly emerging problem and it is now of a very large size."

Obesity rates in China have almost doubled since 1980

Rates of obesity are still rising in richer countries, but not at the same rate as in the developing world.

Two countries with particularly high obesity rates are China and Mexico, where the numbers of overweight people have almost doubled since 1980.

In South Africa, obesity has risen by a third and now has a higher rate than the UK.

North Africa, the Middle East and Latin America all have similar overweight and obesity rates to Europe.

Explaining the developing world's obesity epidemic, Mr Wiggins said: "It is associated with incomes and urbanisation and a more sedentary lifestyle, so it is those emerging countries which have done the best at raising their incomes.

"It's the middle-income countries, it is the Chinas, it is the Mexicos, which are the countries which are seeing the highest rates of overweight and obesity at the moment."

The report predicts that if current rates continue there will be a huge increase in people suffering certain types of cancer, diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.

It also warns that governments are not doing enough to tackle the crisis, partly due to politicians' reluctance to interfere at the dinner table, the powerful farming and food lobbies and "a large gap" in public awareness as to what constitutes a healthy diet.

Countries singled out for praise in tackling obesity are Denmark and South Korea.

In Denmark, laws against trans-fatty acids have made Danish McDonalds among the healthiest in the world, while in South Korea the government launched a large-scale public education campaign 20 years ago which has turned around obesity rates.

Mr Wiggins said: "A few decades ago the government of Korea said we must encourage our traditional foods, which are low in fats and oils, high in vegetables, high in sea food and so on.

"And there was a lot of public education, a lot of training and a sense that Korean food is good for you."

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North Korea Ski Resort May Breach UN Sanctions

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Beijing

A new ski resort in North Korea has been supplied with equipment which may breach United Nations sanctions against the country.

Photographs of the new resort, the country's first, at Masik show newly manufactured North American and European ski equipment.

One photograph shows three modern snow ploughs. Two of them are manufactured by the Italian firm Prinoth.

Another photo shows some skiers riding on a Ski-Doo snowmobile, which is made by the Canadian firm Bombardier.

A third photograph shows state-of-the-art snow cannons, which are used to artificially create snow.

The cannons, which can be seen dotted all the way up the mountain, are made by Areco of Sweden. They cost upwards of £14,000 each.

North Korea is subject to United Nations sanctions which ban the import of a wide range of products.

The three snow ploughs, two of them made by the Italian firm Prinoth

The latest resolution, adopted in March 2013, reaffirmed earlier resolutions.

Each one bans member states from exporting weapons and associated goods, equipment which could aid the country's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes and "luxury goods" to North Korea.

However, the UN fails to itemise the specific items which would fall within its "luxury goods" bracket, thus providing North Korea and its suppliers with potential loopholes.

The European Union has issued its own list of "luxury goods" banned from export to North Korea. It states clearly that European companies are banned from exporting "articles and equipment for skiing, golf, diving and water sports" to North Korea.

It is almost certain that the equipment came through China. The two countries share a border across which almost all of North Korea's goods flow.

North Koreans ride a snowmobile at the resort, built by conscripts

China has its own ski resorts and it is possible that the European and North American firms thought their products were destined for China.

Speaking to NK News, a website which focuses on North Korea, the CEO of Areco Johan Erling said he had "no idea" how at least seven Areco snow cannons had turned up in North Korea.

Mr Erling told NK News that his company sells about 40 snow ploughs to its Chinese reseller every year.

Last week, the North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un was photographed at the opening of the new resort, the building of which is believed to have been his personal ambition. Mr Kim was educated in Switzerland, though it is not clear whether he can actually ski.

He was pictured taking a ride, without skis, on one of the resort's chair-lifts which appeared not to be new. The two-seater lift looked conspicuously dated.

Mr Kim was not seen skiing at the resort

Last year, it emerged that North Korea had tried to purchase ski-lifts from Switzerland but was blocked from doing so by the Swiss government.

A Swiss journalist who was permitted to visit the resort when it was being built claimed that the failure to secure Swiss ski-lifts prompted the North Korean authorities to relocate an old chair-lift from elsewhere in the country.

It was only long enough to stretch half way up the mountain.

The resort was built largely by hand and by conscripted soldiers to a tight deadline set by Mr Kim.

North Korea is one of the world's poorest countries. Its people remain largely cut off from the outside world.

United Nations sanctions were first imposed on the country following nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. The latest resolution, adopted in 2013, followed the test-launch of a long range Unha-3 rocket from the country's west coast.

Sky News has contacted both Bombardier Recreational Products and Prinoth. Neither has yet responded to our emails.

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Cambodia: Deadly Crackdown On Garment Workers

Three people have been killed in Cambodia as police opened fire to try to quell a protest by garment factory workers.

Workers armed with sticks, rocks and Molotov cocktails clashed with armed police in the capital Phnom Penh.

Deputy police commissioner Chuon Narin confirmed three people died and two others were injured.

The workers are part of a nationwide strike demanding a doubling of the minimum wage to £97 a month.

Prime Minister Hun Sen faces a growing challenge to his almost three-decade rule from protesting textile workers and opposition supporters demanding that he step down and call a new election because of alleged vote fraud.

Opposition leader Sam Rainsy denounced the crackdown.

"It's an unacceptable attempt to break not only a worker strike but the whole worker movement as well as the democratic movement which is developing in Cambodia following the July elections," he said.

Human rights activist Chan Soveth, of local rights group Adhoc, who was at the scene of the clashes, said as many as 10 striking workers were badly injured.

Security forces "used rifles and other things to crack down on the strikers," he said. "They beat them on their heads."

Military police spokesman Kheng Tito said the crackdown came after nine policemen were injured by missiles.

"We were afraid about the security so we had to crack down on them," he said. "If we allow them to continue the strike it will become anarchy."

Disputes over wages and safety conditions are common in Cambodia's clothing industry which supplies brands like Gap, Nike and H&M.

The sector employs about 650,000 people and is a key source of foreign income for the impoverished country.

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Ariel Sharon: Ex-Israeli PM 'Deteriorating'

Former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon's health is "deteriorating" with his "vital organs" failing, hospital officials have said.

The 85-year-old has been in a coma for almost eight years after suffering an incapacitating stroke from which he has never recovered.

Doctors at the Tel Hashomer hospital said his health has declined to a "critical" condition and his "life is in danger".

Zeev Rotstein, director at the facility, said: "In the last few days, we have seen a gradual decline in the functioning of Ariel Sharon's vital organs, which are essential for his survival."

"His state is classed as critical, meaning his life is in danger.

"The medical staff and Sharon's family are expecting a turn for the worse."

Mr Sharon's family were by his bedside, he added.

In an MRI scan in January last year, Mr Sharon showed "significant brain activity" and was found to be responding to family photographs.

His condition reportedly started to worsen on Wednesday when he suffered serious kidney problems after an operation.

The long-time leader and architect of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territory was first elected prime minister in February 2001.

In a surprise move, he left the right-wing Likud four years later to set up a new party, Kadima, frustrated by hardliners opposed to his withdrawal of troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, and to any further concessions in the occupied West Bank.

The iconic and controversial figure suffered a massive stroke on January 4, 2006, slipping into a coma at the height of his political power.

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Pakistan: Musharraf Suffers 'Heart Problem'

Pakistan's former president, Pervez Musharraf, has been taken to hospital after reportedly suffering a heart problem on his way to court.

The country's ex-military ruler felt unwell while he was heading to a hearing in his treason case under heavy security, police said.

The 70-year-old man had been summoned to the special tribunal in Islamabad after failing to show up for two previous sessions due to security threats against him.

Police officers stand guard at the gate of the Special Court in Islamabad

Jan Mohammad, a senior police official, told the court: "He has been shifted to Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (in the nearby city of Rawalpindi) after he got heart problem."

An aide to Mr Musharraf, who is facing a series of criminal cases dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, said the retired general was in "bad shape".

Meanwhile, his lawyers walked out of court, complaining they were being threatened and harassed by the government.

Anwar Mansoor Khan, one of the lawyers, told the court he had been unable to sleep the previous night due to someone banging on his door.

Musharraf is accused over the death of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto

"I was under total threat," he told the court. "From 1am to five in the morning. Someone was banging on my door and ringing my bell."

When asked who was threatening him, Mr Khan answered: "This very government."

"This never happened in my 40 years of practice. I will walk out," Mr Khan said; which he did.

He had earlier told the court he had been attacked in his car while travelling to the eastern city of Lahore following a hearing.

Mr Musharraf's lawyers have previously claimed the treason case is an attempt by the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whom Mr Musharraf ousted in a coup in 1999, to settle old scores through the courts.

The treason allegations follow a series of criminal cases faced by Mr Musharraf since he returned to Pakistan in a failed bid to run in last May's general election.

The charges include murder, over the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

Mr Musharraf appeared briefly in court in August 2013 were he denied the charges.

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Antarctica: Shokalskiy Rescue Bid Launched

Scientists and tourists on a research ship trapped by Antarctic ice since Christmas Eve have been airlifted to safety.

They were flown by helicopter from the MV Akademik Shokalskiy to an ice floe next to Australian icebreaker the Aurora Australis, and then taken by a small boat to the vessel.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, which is overseeing the rescue, confirmed that 48 passengers had made it on to the Aurora.

Expedition leader Professor Chris Turney tweeted: "We've made it to the Aurora australis safe & sound. A huge thanks to the Chinese & @AusAntarctic for all their hard work!"

Expedition leader Chris Turney said the rescue operation was underway

A helicopter carried the passengers a dozen at a time in an operation that lasted  for around five hours.

The Aurora will take them to Tasmania, arriving around mid-January.

A helicopter had been expected to airlift passengers to a Chinese icebreaker, the Snow Dragon, on New Year's Day with a barge then ferrying them to the Aurora.

A Chinese helicopter tested a makeshift helipad before taking passengers

However, before the operation could begin, sea ice had blocked the path of the barge that needed to make it to the Snow Dragon.

And because the Aurora is not built to handle a helicopter landing, the rescue was postponed.

The rescue operation for the scientists, tourists and crew on the Russian ship has been plagued by a number of problems.

Three icebreakers were initially dispatched to try to crack their way through the thick ice surrounding the ship, but all failed.

The boat has been trapped since Christmas Eve

The Aurora came within 12 miles (20km) of the ship on Monday, but fierce winds and snow forced it to retreat to open water.

The Akademik Shokalskiy is not in danger of sinking, and there are supplies for those on board, but the vessel cannot move.

The 22 Russian crew members are expected to stay on board for as long as it takes to free the ship from the pack ice surrounding it.

It became stuck after a blizzard pushed the sea ice around it, freezing it in place about 1,700 miles (2,700km) south of Hobart, Tasmania.

The scientific team on board had been recreating Australian explorer Douglas Mawson's 1911 to 1913 voyage to Antarctica.

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Kim Jong-Un: Uncle's Killing Removed 'Filth'

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has hailed the elimination of "factional filth" after the execution of his uncle last month.

In his New Year message, broadcast on state television, Mr Kim said: "Our party took resolute action to remove ... scum elements within the party last year."

He accused General Jang Song-Thaek, who was once considered the second most powerful individual in the North, of trying to build his own power base within the ruling party.

Jang (L) was seen as North Korea's second-most powerful man

"Our party's timely, accurate decision to purge the anti-party, anti-revolutionary elements helped greatly cement solidarity within our party," Mr Kim said.

General Jang's death was announced by state news agency KCNA on December 13.

Branding him a "traitor" it said General Jang had been executed after a special military trial for committing such a "hideous crime as attempting to overthrow the state by all sorts of intrigues and despicable methods with a wild ambition to grab the supreme power of our party and state".

South Korean media said they believed he was killed by machine gun, a relatively common form of execution in the North.

Kim Jong-Un was pictured at a newly-built ski resort this week

General Jang, who was seen as vital in helping Mr Kim secure power after the death of his father, had earlier been removed from regime posts because of allegations of corruption, drug use, gambling, womanising, and generally leading a "dissolute and depraved life".

He was shown being dragged from his seat at a meeting and arrested on state TV shortly before his execution was announced.

Mr Kim also used his New Year message to warn that another war on the peninsula would prompt a "massive nuclear disaster" and the US would not be safe.

"We are faced with a dangerous situation in which a small, accidental military clash can lead to an all-out war," he said.

Jang was shown on state television being arrested

South Korea worries instability in the North Korean regime could lead to attacks on the South. The two countries are still technically at war after the Korean War ended in a 1953 armistice.

Last week, Pyongyang sent Seoul a fax warning of a "merciless" strike after effigies of the North Korean leader and his father were set on fire by crowds in the South.

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Volgograd Bombings: Putin Meets Survivors

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been to the city of Volgograd, where two suicide bombings in two days killed dozens of people.

He placed flowers at a makeshift shrine to the victims and visited some of the wounded still being treated in hospital.

No group has yet said it carried out the bombings at the main railway station on Sunday and on a city tram on Monday, killing 34 people and wounding more than 100.

President Putin lays flowers at the shrine to the bomb victims

Opening a meeting of federal security chiefs in the city Mr Putin said: "Whatever motivated the criminals' actions, there's no justification for committing crimes against civilians, especially against women and children."

Mr Putin with senior federal security officials in Volgograd

The attacks come after the leader of an Islamic insurgency in Russia's south called for attacks in the run-up to February's Winter Olympics in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

On Monday, Mr Putin said the games would be "safe and secure", but the attacks in Volgograd, which is 430 miles northeast of Sochi, have demonstrated the reach of the insurgents and the vulnerability of the public transport system.

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Michael Schumacher: F1 Star Remains 'Stable'

Schumacher's Injuries 'Dangerous'

Updated: 12:14pm UK, Monday 30 December 2013

A leading neurosurgery specialist has described Michael Schumacher's condition as "very dangerous", warning that his injuries may take several days to "reach their peak".

Christopher Chandler, of the London Neurosurgery Partnership, said the haematoma and bruising the F1 champion suffered could cause "ferocious swelling".

"An intra-cranial haematoma is a blood clot, which causes swelling and pressure on the brain," he said. "The scenario may be that he had a blood clot in his brain that required immediate removal, which would explain the surgery.

"By bilateral lesions, I suspect they mean contusions or bruising to the brain. That bruising of the brain, which you can see on a scan, causes ferocious swelling and that is really serious.

"(Cerebral) contusions are often the most significant injury. Once you remove the clot, the swelling carries on and bruising precipitates and propagates that swelling.

"If you have a brain injury with sufficient severity to cause a coma, that indicates a very serious situation. The longer a patient is in a coma, the less likely they are to make a full recovery.

"You can't say that they won't recover, and you can't say they won't be brain- damaged, but an injury such as bilateral bruising, which means on both sides of the brain, is very serious, and can be very dangerous."

The consultant continued: "Brain swelling takes a number of days to reach its peak. The brain has a rigid unyielding box around it - the skull - which allows no room for growth, making swelling very, very dangerous.

"And once that injury occurs it's a vicious circle where a little bit of swelling causes more pressure, which causes more swelling, more pressure, and it starts to accelerate and affect vital parts of the brain.

"When that happens, you are in really deep trouble, but this man received probably the best possible care that you could imagine in the circumstances.

"He had the brain injury and within minutes a team of medics were there and they airlifted him to hospital. Within half an hour he was assessed and being flown to the neurological unit in Grenoble."

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Right-To-Life Family Wins Jahi Court Order

A family in California have won an 11th-hour court order to keep a brain-dead girl on life support until at least January 7.

A judge ordered that 13-year-old Jahi McMath should be kept alive beyond a prior court-appointed deadline, which was set for 5pm local time Monday (1am UK time).

Jahi's family want to move her to a New York facility (Pic: KPIX/CBS)

The new order was issued by Judge Evelio Grillo in the Alameda County Superior Court.

Jahi suffered complications after she underwent a tonsillectomy at the Children's Hospital of Oakland on December 9.

She began to bleed heavily when she awoke from the operation, and eventually went into cardiac arrest.

Both the hospital and an independent paediatric neurologist from Stanford University have concluded the girl is brain dead.

But Jahi's family are hoping to keep her alive and move her to a facility in New York.

Speaking after the latest court order, Jahi's mother Latasha Nailah Winkfield said: "I need some more time to get her out of here, so I'm really, really happy about this. 

"I believe my daughter is alive. I don't care what they say."

After two California care homes withdrew offers to accept her, Jahi's family view the New York option as their "last, last hope", according to the family's lawyer, Chris Dolan.

The hospital says it would need to confirm there is "lawful transportation" included in any plan to transfer Jahi, and written permission from the coroner.

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Video Of North Dakota Train Crash Fireball

A huge explosion sparked by an oil train crash in North Dakota has been caught on camera, as hundreds of residents were urged to leave the area.

No injuries have been reported

There were fears of smoke overwhelming the town of Casselton after a number of carriages derailed, starting a series of blazes and sending an enormous fireball high into the sky.

Several explosions were reported and people said the blasts rattled the windows of properties in the area, including the town's City Hall.

Cass County sheriff's office said it was advising people in the town - which has 2,400 residents - to evacuate because of concerns about smoke being blown over their homes.

A shelter was set up in Fargo, about 25 miles (40km) away.

Investigators say they are still trying to work out what caused several of the carriages from the mile-long train to leave the tracks on Monday afternoon.

They said it appears to be the result of the train colliding with a grain carriage.

There were no reports of injuries as firefighters brought the scene under control on Monday evening.

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Schumacher Showing 'Slight Improvement'

Michael Schumacher has shown "slight improvement" after a surgical procedure but is not out of danger, doctors treating him have said.

The  intervention to remove the largest of a series of blood clots in the racing driver's brain took around two hours, and the coming hours are 'critical' according to medical staff in Grenoble, France.

Schumacher continues to be kept in an artificial coma after he suffered a severe head injury while skiing off-piste in the resort of Meribel on Sunday.

He was reportedly travelling at speeds of up to 60mph when the accident happened, and is thought to have been saved by his skiing helmet, which split on impact.

Rescuers were on hand within minutes and he was initially conscious after the fall before deteriorating into a critical condition.

Doctors have refused to give a prognosis for the 44-year-old Formula One champion.

Schumacher's family are being kept fully informed about his treatment.

Following the surgery, a new scan on Tuesday morning showed "a slight improvement" said the hospital's director general Jacqueline Hubert.

But Professor Emmanuel Gay, one of the specialists treating Schumacher, told a news conference: "The dangers are still there. We cannot say that we have won because there are still some highs and some lows, but it's better than yesterday.

"He is still in a very critical condition, this has not changed. And we still cannot tell how he will be, which state he will be in when he does wake up.

"We cannot speculate on the future because once again it would be too early to do so."

The seven-times F1 champion was admitted to hospital suffering from intracranial haematoma - blood clots - bruising and swelling of the brain.

Professor Gay warned: "There are still many haematomas in the brain, with little bits everywhere.

"That is what makes the situation critical and it needs to be looked at hour by hour, day by day.

"The situation can still evolve, but we won't be able to evacuate the other haematomas at the moment because they are not accessible. They are not as big as the one we removed yesterday."

Schumacher has received an outpouring of support from the racing world, with former and current stars urging him to pull through.

German chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "extremely shocked along with millions of Germans" to learn of the accident.

Schumacher retired from F1 for the final time in 2012 after a three-season comeback with Mercedes.

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Michael Schumacher: Hospital Press Conference As It Happened

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Volgograd: At Least 14 Dead In Bus Bombing

At least 14 people have reportedly died in an explosion on an electric bus in the Russian city of Volgograd in the second deadly attack in the city in as many days.

Investigators have described the blast, during the morning rush-hour on a trolleybus, as "an act of terror".

Russian investigators said the bus explosion was caused by a male suicide bomber.

A statement from the Federal Investigative Committee said: "It is now possible to preliminarily say that the explosive device was set off by a suicide bomber - a man whose body fragments have been collected and sent for genetic testing."

The death toll could rise further

It comes just a day after a female suicide bomber was blamed for killing 17 people and leaving dozens more injured at the city's main railway station.

Police identified that bomber as a Dagestan national called Oksana Aslanova - who had been married to two Islamists killed by Russian forces.

She apparently detonated a bomb in front of a metal detector inside the main entrance of the station. Russian television is suggesting there may have been two attackers.

That attack was the deadliest in Russia since January 2011, when a male suicide bomber from the North Caucasus killed 37 people in the arrivals hall of a busy Moscow airport.

Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's main investigative agency, said the latest explosion involved a bomb similar to the one used to target Volgograd railway station. The bomb contained 4kg of TNT equivalent explosive.

He said: "That confirms the investigators' version that the two terror attacks were linked. They could have been prepared in one place."

Security has been stepped up after the station blast

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia's counter-terrorism agency to step up security in Volgograd and nationwide in the wake of the two attacks, the Kremlin announced.

The explosions have put the city on edge and highlighted the terrorist threat that Russia is facing as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in February.

Volgograd is about 400 miles northeast of Sochi, where the Games are to be held.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for either of the attacks.

In July, Doku Umarov, leader of an ongoing insurgency in the nearby North Caucasus region, urged militants to use "maximum force" to disrupt the Winter Olympics, a project close to Mr Putin's heart.

Russian authorities have pledged to make the event the "safest ever".

Sky's Foreign Affairs Editor Tim Marshall said: "It's 39 or 40 days until the Winter Olympics open, this is the opportunity for the Islamic separatists in the Caucasus region to really put themselves on the world map.

"The more this sort of thing happens, if it is indeed them, the more that cause is going to get on the front pages around the world, spoil Putin's Olympics and, more seriously, the more lives it will take."

Known in Soviet times as Stalingrad, and previously as Tsaritsyn, Volgograd is a major industrial centre with a population of more than a million people.

The North Caucasus is the region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, bordered by Georgia and Azerbaijan to the south.

It includes the predominantly Muslim Krasnodar Kai, Stavropol Krai, Adygea, Karachay-Cherkessia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Chechnya and Dagestan.

Insurgents have carried out attacks on Russian military and civilians following two wars against Chechnya in 1994-1996 and from 1999 to 2009.

The violence has spread into neighbouring republics and even Moscow as insurgents attempt to establish an Islamic state in the region.

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Schumacher Fighting For His Life, Say Doctors

Former motor racing world champion Michael Schumacher is in a coma following a skiing accident in France - and doctors say they "cannot predict his future".

The 44-year-old German is fighting for his life at a hospital in Grenoble and surgeons are working "hour by hour" to save him.

Michael Schumacher was skiing with his son at the time of the accident

At a press conference this morning, in Grenoble, doctors said he had suffered many lesions to his brain and his prognosis was unclear.

Surgeons operated to remove a blood clot in his brain and are now trying to reduce "dangerous swelling", meaning his condition could go either way. 

The hospital revealed that Schumacher was being kept in a state of hyperthermia by controlling his temperature to keep it at 34C-35C (93.2F-95F).

He is under general anaesthetic in an induced coma.

"He's in a critical situation - this is considered to be extremely serious," Chief Anaesthetist Jean-Francois Payen told journalists.

The doctor said that Schumacher's family were at his bedside and friends had flown in to the hospital to lend their support.

"We are working day and night at his bedside," Dr Payen said. "It is too early to say anything as far as prognosis is concerned," he added.

The F1 racer was taken to hospital by helicopter

Neurosurgeon Stephan Chabardes said an emergency brain scan had revealed internal bleeding, and injuries including contusions and lesions.

"On his arrival we examined him clinically and we realised he was in a serious condition, in a coma, with in fact cranial pressure," Dr Chabardes said.

"The brain scan showed a number of pieces of information, some intercranial haematoma but also some cerebral contusions and oedema.

"We operated urgently to try to eliminate the haematoma. After the operation we saw that we had been able to eliminate these haematoma but also sadly the appearance of various bilateral lesions.

Doctors could not give a prognosis at a press conference in Grenoble

"So therefore he was taken to intensive care to try to help.

"I am very worried just like his family, we are very worried about his condition. The doctors won't tell you more because they can't tell you more, they are working hour by hour." 

Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps resort of Meribel with his 14-year-old son.

"Someone who had suffered this accident without a helmet would not have made it this far," Dr Payen said

The motor-racing champion was conscious when first responders arrived on the scene, although agitated and in shock, according to a resort spokesman.

He was first airlifted to a local hospital and then later brought to Grenoble for more intensive treatment, when his condition deteriorated.

The German Formula One legend skiing in Italy in 2006

The French Mountain Gendarmerie had earlier said Schumacher's life was not in danger.

A leading neurosurgery specialist in London has described Michael Schumacher's condition as "very dangerous".

Christopher Chandler, of the London Neurosurgery Partnership, warned that his injuries may take several days to "reach their peak".

He said the haematoma and bruising could cause "ferocious swelling".

The accident occurred in the resort of Meribel in France

"An intra-cranial haematoma is a blood clot, which causes swelling and pressure on the brain," he said.

"The scenario may be that he had a blood clot in his brain that required immediate removal, which would explain the surgery."

Former Ferrari team boss Jean Todt and Professor Gerard Saillant, a brain and spine injury expert, are at the Grenoble University Hospital Centre.

Schumacher made a comeback to Formula One for Mercedes in 2010

Professor Saillant co-ordinated Schumacher's medical care after the driver broke his leg in the 1999 British Grand Prix.

Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, first retired from Formula One in 2006.

He has been hurt seriously once before, in a motorcycling accident in February 2009 when he suffered neck and spine injuries.

Schumacher recovered sufficiently from those injuries to make a comeback to Formula One in 2010.

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Forty Killed As Army Storms DRC Buildings

Government troops from the Democratic Republic of the Congo regain the state TV building and international airport from gunmen.

The buildings, along with the army headquarters, in the capital Kinshasha were attacked in an apparent attempt to seize power by supporters of religious leader Paul Joseph Mukungubila.

Government spokesman Lambert Mende said 40 of the gunmen had been killed by security forces, adding: "We have total control of the situation."

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YouTube Videos Add To Missing Doctor Mystery

YouTube videos of a doctor who disappeared three weeks ago talking to an unidentified love interest are being examined by investigators searching for her.

Teleka Patrick, who was serving her residency in Michigan, was last seen on December 5.

After completing a shift, the 30-year-old tried unsuccessfully to rent a hotel room in Kalamazoo before being dropped off by the hotel shuttle driver in the car park of the medical centre where she worked, according to the FBI.

"The shuttle driver said she seemed nervous, even ducking down between vehicles, as if she was afraid of being seen by someone," Carl Clatterbuck, a private investigator hired by the family, said.

"I would say she was agitated, but if she was worried about something or someone, she never told anyone about it."

Later that night, Dr Patrick's car was found about 100 miles away, abandoned in a ditch in Indiana with a possible flat tyre, the FBI said.

Her belongings were in the car, including clothing, a wallet that contained her driver's licence, credit cards, and a small amount of cash.

The YouTube videos, which show Dr Patrick singing and speaking to the unidentified love interest, were uploaded in early November.

In one of them she addresses someone as "baby" and "love" while in the other she shows two plates of breakfast.

But her parents said their emergence created more confusion about the situation. 

"We are aware of the YouTube videos that have surfaced today. However, their relevance to her disappearance remains a mystery," they said.

"These videos have led to more questions than answers. To our knowledge, Teleka was not in a romantic relationship and it is unclear to whom she is making reference in the videos."

Dr Patrick has bought an airline ticket to Florida to visit her parents for Christmas and was supposed to join them on December 23.

Her disappearance is being investigated by police in two states as well as the FBI.

A Facebook page has been created in an attempt to help track her down.

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Israel Fires Shells In Response To Rockets

Israel has fired 20 artillery shells into Lebanon in response to two rockets that were launched in the opposite direction.

The Lebanese rockets landed in a field near the town of Kiryat Shmona, the Israeli military said in a statement, causing no injuries or damage.

Israel responded with artillery fire, with witnesses in southern Lebanon reporting more than 20 shells hitting two towns.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

An Israeli military spokesman said: "The Israeli artillery responded to rocket attacks from Lebanon against Israel that left no victims, targeting the area where these projectiles were fired from."

The border between the two countries has been relatively quiet since a war between Israel and Lebanon's Hizbollah militant group in 2006.

A Lebanese soldier examines the remains of an Israeli artillery shell

However, tensions rose this month when an Israeli soldier was shot dead by Lebanese troops while driving near the border on December 16.

Last week, Hizbollah blamed Israel for the assassination of one of its commanders in Beirut, an accusation Israel has denied.

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Female Suicide Bomber Blamed For Russia Blast

A female suicide bomber has been blamed for an explosion at a railway station in Russia which is thought to have left at least 13 people dead.

The blast, at a station in the southern city of Volgograd, is thought to have left another 40 people wounded.

A National Anti-Terror Committee official was quoted as saying that a female suicide bomber was responsible.

She apparently detonated a bomb in front of a metal detector inside the main entrance of the station.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered law enforcement agencies to take "all necessary measures".

Federal police spokesman Vladimir Kolesnikov said security would be stepped up at train stations and airports.

Regional interior ministry spokeswoman Svetlana Smolyaninova told the ITAR-TASS news agency that the explosion took place inside the train station at around 12.45pm local time (8.45am UK time).

Firefighters at the scene

One witness, who gave his name as Vladimir, told a Russian TV station: "I heard the blast and ran toward it.

"I saw melted, twisted bits of metal, broken glass and bodies lying on the street."

Train station store attendant Valentina Petrichenko said: "It was a very powerful blast.

"Some people started running and others were thrown back by the wave of the blast. It was very scary."

The attack comes just weeks before the start of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a town 430 miles southwest of Volgograd.

Sky News Moscow producer Yulia Bragina said: "It's very concerning with two months to go to the Sochi Olympics.

Police have promised extra security

"The Russian security services are working 24/7 to make the Games safe for the sportsmen and people who want to visit the Olympics in Russia.

"There will be a big investigation into what has happened."

A female suicide bomber killed seven people in Volgograd in October, one of the deadliest such attacks outside the troubled North Caucasus region in more than two years.

Known as Stalingrad in Soviet times and previously as Tsaritsyn, Volgograd is an important industrial centre with a population of over a million.

On Friday, a car bomb killed three people in the southern city of Pyatigorsk, 170 miles east of Sochi.

In July, Doku Umarov, one of the leaders of an ongoing insurgency in the North Caucasus, an area close to Sochi, urged militants to use "maximum force" to disrupt the Winter Olympics, a project close to Mr Putin's heart.

Organisers have pledged to make Sochi the "safest Olympics in history".

Female suicide bombers in Russia are often known as "black widows" who aim to avenge the deaths of their militant husbands.

So-called "black widows" were responsible for explosions at two Moscow metro stations in March 2010 which left more than 35 people dead.

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