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."

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

France In 1984 Bomb Plot To Test UK Security

Libya Warned UK Ahead Of WPC Fletcher Murder

Updated: 8:33am UK, Friday 03 January 2014

Warnings the Libyan People's Bureau in London had a stockpile of weapons and "assassins" were downplayed ahead of the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher, it has emerged.

Even on the eve of the policewoman's murder in April 1984, Libya warned twice that there would be repercussions if Britain allowed an anti-Gaddafi protest to go ahead outside the St James's Square bureau.

The warnings were disregarded - with the British ambassador in Tripoli so convinced nothing would happen he even put a bet on it.

The threats from Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's regime and the intelligence reports on the threat from the People's Bureau are disclosed in 1984 documents released by the National Archives, in Kew, southwest London.

WPC Fletcher was shot on April 17, 1984, when a gunman inside the bureau opened fire with a submachine gun on the protesters and police. She died shortly afterwards in hospital.

Although there had already been a number of blasts in London and Manchester aimed at opponents of the Libyan regime, nothing in the documents suggests the warnings were passed to the officers outside the bureau.

The murder led the UK to sever diplomatic relations with Libya.

No one has ever been convicted of her killing, although Col Gaddafi did admit responsibility for her death in 1999 and agreed to pay her family compensation.

According to the newly released documents, Oliver Miles, the British ambassador in Tripoli, was summoned to the Libyan foreign ministry the night before WPC Fletcher was shot.

According to Mr Miles' telegram to the Foreign Office (FCO), he was told: "The Libyan government would not be responsible for the consequences if the demonstration took place and they might include violence."

However, he said he responded by saying that "threats of violence did not impress the British Government".

Mr Miles reported how the Libyan desk officer who showed him out "seemed as little impressed by this performance as I was".

He signed off nonchalantly, writing: "I made a bet with him that no such demonstration will take place. Grateful to know the outcome."

According to a briefing note prepared for Home Secretary Leon Brittan, Libyan officials turned up outside the Foreign Office itself with a message for the duty officer similar to that given to Mr Miles in Tripoli.

The note said: "They said that if the demonstration went ahead they would not be answerable for the consequences."

It was dismissed by the duty officer according to the note, which said: "This last is a standard Libyan line: we did not regard it as particularly significant at the time, though the act of calling at the FCO in the middle of the night was unusual."

The duty officer did contact Scotland Yard and the Home Office to let them know what had happened.

The records also showed that Mr Brittan was angry with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's quick acceptance nothing could be done to arrest those inside the People's Bureau because of diplomatic rules.

He told Mrs Thatcher that she had "already accepted that we would allow a murderer to go free".

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya: Grenade Attack At Tourist Resort Bar

Ten people have been wounded after attackers hurled a grenade into a bar-restaurant in a popular coastal tourist resort town in Kenya.

The explosive was thrown by one of two men on the back of a motorbike at customers at a crowded bar called Tandoori in the Indian Ocean town of Diani, south of Mombasa.

The attackers fled before police arrived at the scene of the blast which took place in the early hours of Thursday.

At least one of the victims was seriously injured and underwent surgery at a nearby hospital.

"We had an explosion at the bar and about 10 people were injured," said Jack Ekakuro, the local police chief.

"It cannot be anything else but a terrorist attack. A grenade is a not a maize cob that any village boy can handle and throw around at will."

It was not yet clear who was responsible for the attack, but the government has in the past put the blame on Somalia's al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents.

They have been demanding the withdrawal of Kenyan troops who have joined African peacekeepers fighting the group in Somalia.

Kenya's coast is dependent on tourism and has been plagued by attacks blamed on Islamist militants and their sympathisers.

In September, al Shabaab gunmen attacked a attacked a Nairobi shopping mall, killing at least 67 civilians in the country's worst incident since the 1998 bombing of the US embassy that killed more than 200 people.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

Antarctica: Shokalskiy Rescue Bid Launched

The latest attempt to rescue the passengers on a research ship trapped by Antarctic ice since Christmas Eve has resumed after being delayed by ice.

At 5.30am local time the MV Akademik Shokalskiy's expedition leader Professor Chris Turney confirmed on Twitter that the operation was expected to begin shortly.

The passengers are being flown by helicopter to an ice floe next to an Australian icebreaker, and then taken by a small boat to the ship.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's Rescue Coordination Centre, which is overseeing the rescue, confirmed the first group had arrived on Thursday evening.

Expedition leader Chris Turney said the rescue operation was underway

Professor Turney said: "I think everyone is relieved and excited to be going on to the Australian icebreaker and then home."

A helicopter will carry the passengers a dozen at a time in an operation expected to take five hours.

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

A Chinese helicopter tested a makeshift helipad before taking passengers

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

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

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

The rescue operation for 52 scientists, tourists and crew on the Russian ship has been plagued by a number of problems.

The boat has been trapped since Christmas Eve

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

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.16 | 0 komentar | Read More

WikiLeaks: Assange Dad Assad Visit 'Unapproved'

Wikileaks has said it was unaware of and did not approve a delegation to Syria which met with President Bashar al Assad, and reportedly included Julian Assange's father.

It came after Australia's Wikileaks Party announced it was to to take part in the "solidarity delegation", which it said aimed to show opposition to violence and Western military intervention.

John Shipton, the father of the WikiLeaks founder and chief executive of Australia's WikiLeaks Party, was said to be among those who travelled to the conflict-torn country.

The group met with Mr Assad on December 23, according to a post on the Syrian president's Twitter feed.

The visit has sparked an angry backlash in Australia, with the centre-left Labour opposition branding it "extraordinary" and "irresponsible".

Australia's WikiLeaks Party was founded by Julian Assange

Labour frontbencher Chris Bowen said: "The Assad regime has been widely criticised and correctly criticised around the world.

"For an Australian political party to think it's sensible to go and have discussions and try and provide some legitimacy, is something I think which they have to explain."

The WikiLeaks Party was founded by Mr Assange as part of his failed campaign for election to Australia's parliament this year, but is separate to the controversial leaks website.

WikiLeaks has distanced itself from the delegation. On its official Twitter feed, the group said: "Peace brokering a good idea, but obvious meeting would be spun without care. Did not know or approve."

According to The Australian newspaper, the delegation included Mr Shipton and WikiLeaks national council member Gail Malone, as well as Sydney university academic Tim Anderson and refugee activist Jamal Daoud.

Mr Shipton announced plans to set up a WikiLeaks Party office in Damascus in a show of solidarity with ordinary Syrians, reported The Australian.

It came as it was reported that Scandinavian escort vessels preparing to remove Syria's chemical weapons had been returned to port, after it became apparent an end-of-year deadline would not be met.

The US-Russia deal for Syria to surrender more than 1,000 tons of chemical agents avoided American-led military strikes after a chemical weapons attack on August 21 near Damascus, which the US says killed 1,400 people.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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 operation 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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

Michael Schumacher: Hospital Press Conference As It Happened

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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 today (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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michael Schumacher's Family In Hospital Vigil

Michael Schumacher's family are keeping a bedside vigil at the hospital where he is fighting for his life, as footage emerged of him being airlifted from the scene of the accident.

The Formula One world champion is in an induced coma and medics have warned it is touch-and-go after he fell while skiing in the French Alps.

Schumacher, 44, has undergone brain surgery at a hospital in the southeastern city of Grenoble.

He had been skiing with his 14-year-old son on Sunday morning in the resort of Meribel when he hit the right side of his head on a rock.

The German racing legend was wearing a helmet when he fell

The helmet he was wearing saved his life, but it was not enough to prevent serious head injuries.

At a news conference on Monday morning, doctors said he had suffered many lesions to his brain and that the situation was "extremely serious".

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

"He's in a critical situation," Chief Anaesthetist Jean-Francois Payen told journalists.

The chalet reportedly owned by Schumacher in Meribel

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

Fans of the German motor racing legend have also been gathering outside. One told reporters: "I came straight away. I had to come."

Doctors are expected to give a further news conference at the hospital at midday.

The 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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Chaparrastique Volcano Spills Smoke And Ash

Authorities in El Salvador have evacuated an area near the Chaparrastique volcano after the mountain fired hot ash and gas three miles into the air.

Civil Defence Director Jorge Melendez said a yellow alert had been issued and investigators had been sent to the area to look for signs of fresh lava.

The Chaparrastique volcano rises some 7,025 feet into the sky

"We have implemented emergency measures to evacuate villages located within three kilometres of the volcano," he said.

Shelters have been set up for the evacuees but some locals have refused to leave their homes.

Assistant Health Minister Eduardo Espinoza said two people had been treated at hospitals for respiratory problems apparently linked to the eruption

There were no reports of serious injuries caused by the eruption

But he said there were no serious cases.

"We are providing assistance to people evacuating, and we are asking them to protect themselves against the gases, which can affect the respiratory tract," he said.

A spokesman for El Salvador's Red Cross, Carlos Lopez Mendoza, described the eruption as a "quite strong explosion".

The volcano, which rises some 7,025 feet into the air, last erupted in 1976. It is about 90 miles east of San Salvador.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Michael Schumacher 'In Critical Condition'

Former motor racing world champion Michael Schumacher is in a coma following a skiing accident in France.

The 44-year-old German suffered a "serious brain trauma with coma on his arrival, which required an immediate neurosurgical operation," according to the hospital treating Schumacher in the French city of Grenoble.

French media is reporting that he underwent a second operation overnight.

Schumacher was wearing a helmet when he reportedly hit his head on a rock while skiing in the French Alps.

He was airlifted off the mountain following the accident in the resort of Meribel, in the popular Three Valleys area.

The sports star was skiing with his 14-year-old son and some friends when the accident occurred.

The German Formula One legend skiing in Italy in 2006

Schumacher's agent, Sabine Kehm, said: ''Michael fell on his head during a private ski trip in the French Alps.

"He was hospitalised and is receiving medical care. We ask for your understanding that we cannot give a running commentary on his state of health.

"He was wearing a helmet and was not alone.''

Journalist Carole Bouchard, from the French newspaper L'Equipe, told Sky News that the racing driver's condition had deteriorated during the hours following his hospitalisation.

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

The accident occurred in the resort of Meribel in France

Speaking to Sky News, Chris Chandler, a consultant neurosurgeon at King's College Hospital, said the immediate neurosurgical treatment given to Schumacher shows his injuries are severe.

"He could have suffered a diffuse injury to his brain which can then result in brain swelling," he said.

"He could have sustained some sort of brain haemorrhage and if there was a blood clot within his brain or on the surface of his brain underneath his skull, that might need to be removed.

"Sometimes there is nothing actually to remove but you put in an intra-cranial pressure monitor, which basically is an operation that requires drilling a hole in the skull and putting a fine probe inside."

Schumacher made a comeback to Formula One for Mercedes in 2010

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

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Volgograd: At Least 14 Dead In Bus Bombing

At least 14 people have been killed in an explosion on an electric bus in the Russian city of Volgograd, according to reports.

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

Russian investigators have 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.

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 (650km) northeast of Sochi, where the Games are to be held.

Security has been stepped up after the station blast

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 Russian President Vladimir 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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

Canada Ice Storm: Thousands Without Power

Thousands of households have been left without power in Toronto after a severe ice storm blanketed much of Canada.

Power companies have been working around the clock to restore electricity, moving from house to house and clearing broken branches and wires.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne said crews from outside Toronto had been called in to help clean up after the storm.

"This has been a very unusual situation," she said.

"I understand there are 250 of the Toronto Hydro and other hydro service bucket trucks out right now working with back-up crews, and as you all know there are crews from other jurisdictions.

Workers restore power to homes in suburban Toronto

"I've met people from Kingston who have come here, people from Manitoba who have come in order to help with the clean-up."

Local media has reported that some 30,000 households in Ontario and New Brunswick remain without electricity, including 18,000 homes in Toronto alone.

There are concerns that warmer temperatures and gusty winds could cause fresh power outages as melting ice and falling branches threaten to snap power lines.

:: Watch Sky News to see weather forecasts on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More

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.

:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

16.15 | 0 komentar | Read More