Harlem Gas Blast: More Bodies Found In Rubble

Rescuers working amid billowing smoke have pulled four more bodies from the rubble of a gas explosion in New York, bringing the death toll to seven.

The rescue crews worked through the night in cold temperatures in search of survivors.

So far, they have found more victims of the devastating blast. About 60 people were hurt and a few more remain unaccounted for, police said.

The blast, on Park Avenue at 116th Street, not far from the edge of Central Park, reduced two five-storey buildings to rubble, sparked a fire and shattered windows one block away.

Rescuers worked through the night at the scene of the explosion

It also sent debris flying onto elevated commuter railroad tracks close by, cast a plume of smoke over the skyline and caused people to run into the streets.

Firefighters spent most of the day dousing the flames.

Hours after the blast, rescue teams were searching amid the broken bricks, splintered wood and mangled metal.

Heavy equipment, including back hoes and a bulldozer, arrived to clear the mountain of debris where the East Harlem buildings once stood.

Carmen Tanco (L) and Griselde Comacho died in the blast

Flood lights were installed and thermal-imaging cameras were brought in to identify heat spots, either from bodies or pockets of fire.

The weather, with temperatures dropping below freezing with rain, might complicate the search.

Parts of the debris pile were inaccessible because of a sinkhole caused by a subsurface water main break.

Some residents in the neighbourhood reported having smelled gas for days, and the explosion occurred around 15 minutes after a neighbour reported smelling gas, authorities said. 

The blast reduced two five-storey buildings to rubble

The Con Edison utility said it immediately sent workers to check out the report, but they did not arrive until after the explosion.

New York's Hunter College identified one of the victims as Griselde Camacho, a security officer who had worked for the college since 2008.

Carmen Tanco, 67, a dental hygienist, was also killed in the blast.

Residents near the site of the explosion were displaced

Police identified a third victim as Rosaura Hernandez-Barrios, 21.

The identities of the other victims have not been confirmed.

At least three of the injured were children, with one, a 15-year-old boy, reportedly in critical condition with burns, broken bones and internal injuries.

Most of the other victims' injuries were minor and included cuts and scrapes.

The cause of the gas leak, which forced residents in nearby buildings to leave their homes, remained unclear.

Hours after the collapse, residents protect their faces from the smoke

Waldemar Infante, a porter who was working in a basement nearby, said: "It felt like an earthquake had rattled my whole building.

"There were glass shards everywhere on the ground and all the stores had their windows blown out."

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Bayern Munich Boss Jailed For Tax Evasion

Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness has been jailed for three-and-a-half years after being found guilty of tax evasion.

Hoeness admitted evading €27.2m (£22.6m) in taxes on income earned in secret Swiss bank accounts.

The 62-year-old was hoping for leniency in one of the most closely-watched tax dodging cases in German history.

Prosecutors said Hoeness' voluntary disclosure that he had failed to pay taxes did not meet the requirement needed for amnesty under German tax laws designed to encourage tax cheats to come forward.

Hoeness photographed during his trial at Munich's Higher Regional Court

The trial at the Higher Regional Court in Munich hinged on whether Hoeness fully co-operated with his voluntary disclosure.

His arrest shocked Germany and prompted thousands of tax dodgers to turn themselves in.

Hoeness, who helped West Germany win the 1974 World Cup, helped turn Bayern Munich into one of the world's most successful football teams.

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Gasps In Court As Photo Of Reeva's Body Shown

There have been gasps in court as images of Reeva Steenkamp's body were shown during Oscar Pistorius' murder trial.

Various photographs were being scrolled through on screens by the defence team when several distressing images were briefly shown to the court.

Crawford, who was in court, said: "As defence lawyer Barry Roux was flicking through various photographs of the scene ... you saw very close-up pictures of Reeva Steenkamp. Close-ups of her skull, body and her various injuries.

"This caused quite a stir in court. It led to gasps from a number of people inside."

Pistorius began retching and coughing, and was handed a green bucket in which to be sick.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead by Oscar Pistorius

Schoombie van Rensburg - a now-retired police officer who went to the scene after the shooting - was using photographs to outline his route through Pistorius' home when he arrived, and what he saw.

Crawford said: "Van Rensburg described following a trail of blood and we've been shown a series of photographs starting from the exterior of the Oscar Pistorius' house, going inside showing splatters on the floor at the base of the stairs, blood on his cream sofas that are on the ground floor, blood leading up the stairs, and more along the wall.

"We know the athlete says he carried Ms Steenkamp's body down the stairs, he says to get medical help."

Photographs of the blood-soaked bathroom where Ms Steenkamp was shot were shown to the court.

Crawford said they showed blood-stained towels, and heavy blood pools on the floor.

Pistorius arrives at court on Thursday morning

Earlier, the court heard how a box of watches belonging to Pistorius went missing during the crime scene examination.

The millionaire Paralympic athlete had a "little box" containing the watches, which has disappeared and never been found.

The issue was raised by Mr Roux, who is trying to undermine the credibility of the police investigation.

He spent the morning repeatedly challenging police forensic expert Johannes Vermeulen.

On Wednesday, Mr Vermeulen told the court Pistorius was on his stumps when he smashed down a locked toilet door to reach his shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Barry Roux (R) has been questioning a police forensic officer

That contradicted Pistorius' previous claims he put on his prostheses before smashing down the door.

Thursday's evidence started with Mr Roux asking for Mr Vermeulen's phone records from overnight, suggesting he may have consulted people ahead of giving his testimony.

He was then asked about missing splinters from Pistorius' bathroom door, through which he shot Ms Steenkamp.

He said he asked a colleague about the missing splinters, but repeatedly said he "couldn't remember" who he spoke to.

Mr Vermeulen also admitted he did not examine the door for evidence Pistorius had kicked it with his prosthetic leg. A footprint would show he was wearing his legs at some point.

Mr Vermeulen took part in a reconstruction on Wednesday

Crawford said: "This was such a drubbing of Vermeulen, it was like watching a blood sport."

On top of the premeditated murder allegation, Pistorius faces a charge of illegally possessing ammunition and two further counts related to shooting a gun in public in two separate incidents before the killing.

The home of Oscar Pistorius where the killing took place

He denies all the charges against him and maintains he shot Ms Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.

The athlete could face 25 years in jail if he is found guilty by Judge Thokozile Masipa. South Africa does not have trials by jury.

The trial continues.

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SXSW: Two Dead As Car Crashes Into Crowd

Two people have been killed in Texas after a suspected drunk driver drove through barriers set up for a festival and slammed into a crowd of pedestrians.

Police in Austin, where the annual South By Southwest (SXSW) conference is taking place, said the victims were confirmed dead at the scene.

Another 23 people were taken to hospital with five initially listed in critical condition.

Two remained critical on Thursday morning with life-threatening head injuries, said Dr Christopher Ziebell, the emergency department director at the University Medical Center-Brackenridge.

"The most critical patients I have a great deal of concern for," he said.

"We are going to do our best for them, but these are some of the worst injuries that we see and not everybody with these kinds of injuries is going to survive."

The crash happened around 12.30am in a downtown area where festival-goes were queuing outside a nightclub.

The crash happened in downtown Austin

Witnesses said the car was travelling at around 70mph and was being chased by police before the incident.

One woman said she saw "people flying".

Scott Jakota, a musician from Indiana, told the Austin American Statesman newspaper he was one of the first people hit outside The Mohawk nightclub.

He said the driver "gunned" the car and he "was thrown up into the sky".

Ally Hulton, from Los Angeles, was on the balcony of her friend's apartment overlooking the street when she saw the car driving "at full speed" before slamming into the crowd.

"About 10 bodies went flying," she told the newspaper.

The driver, who has not been identified, was fleeing police when he ploughed through the barricades, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said.

The man eventually crashed and tried to make a getaway on foot.

A police officer shocked him with a stun gun and took him into custody, the chief said.

The driver faces two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggravated assault with a vehicle.

SXSW is an interactive film and music festival which attracts many performers and stars.

On Wednesday night, Kanye West and Jay-Z performed a two-hour show.

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Daniel Morcombe: Man Guilty Of Boy's Murder

A man with a history of preying on children has been found guilty of murder in one of Australia's biggest-ever missing person cases.

Father-of-three Brett Peter Cowan was convicted of killing 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who was last seen waiting for a bus in northern Queensland in 2003.

His disappearance sparked a huge nationwide search, which was followed by years of false leads and dead ends avidly followed by public and press alike.

The case came to trial after an inquest in 2011 delivered a breakthrough which saw Cowan charged with Daniel's abduction and murder.

The 44-year-old was caught confessing to the killing in an undercover sting.

Flowers left by well-wishers at the spot where Daniel was last seen

Police then began searching the Beerburrum State Forest for the teenager's remains, which were eventually found in 2013.

Cowan, who was also convicted of interfering with a corpse, faces a life sentence for the murder with a minimum of 15 years without parole.

He is expected to be sentenced next week.

In a statement read out in court, Daniel's mother, Denise, revealed she still had nightmares and was haunted by images of her son lying in "dark eerie bushland being destroyed by wild animals".

"This day hasn't brought closure, but the streets are safer without you walking them and looking for your next target to destroy," she said of Cowan.

Police carrying out their search for the boy's remains in 2011

Daniel's father, Bruce, added: "I often wonder about the other victims you have left in your wake. Sitting in the same room as you revolts me."

Documents painted a disturbing picture of a serial sex offender who had been abusing children since he himself was a child of nine or 10.

He was first convicted in 1987 at the age of 18 for molesting a seven-year-old boy in a public toilet.

The court heard he was a "pathological liar" and drug user with a long criminal record for everything from stealing to gross indecency.

Cowan, who pleaded not guilty, married when released on parole in 1998 but continued his offending, which ended with the abduction and murder of Daniel.

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Malaysia 'Nothing To Hide' Over Plane Search

Missing Plane: 13 Things You Need To Know

Updated: 7:33am UK, Thursday 13 March 2014

As the search for Flight MH370 continues, we answer 13 questions about the disappearance and what could have happened.

When did the plane disappear?

Flight MH370 vanished from radars early on Saturday local time, an hour into a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. When it last made contact, the jet was cruising at 35,000 feet over the South China Sea.

There are reports that the plane tried to turn around, but this would give rise to the question why didn't the pilot communicate this decision to air traffic control? Meanwhile, at an undisclosed time a relative reportedly managed to call one of the passengers. Investigators have repeatedly tried to call the same number without success.

Who was on board?

The plane's manifest contained 12 crew members from Malaysia and 227 passengers from 14 different countries.

There were 153 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, seven Indonesians, six Australians, five Indians, four French, three Americans, two each from Iran (both travelling on fake passports), New Zealand, Ukraine and Canada, and one each from Russia, Taiwan and The Netherlands.

Among the passengers was a 19-strong group of prominent artists returning from an exhibition in Malaysia. Five children - aged two to four - were on board. The oldest person on the plane was 79.

What are the main theories?

Mechanical error remains the most likely explanation. Poor conditions and strong turbulence always have to be considered, but weather conditions were good in this instance. Four areas of investigation are focused on the possibility of human involvement: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems or personal problems with passengers or crew.

Could there have been a mechanical error?

Inquiries into Air France Flight 447 that dived into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009 en route from Brazil to Paris, killing 228 people, blamed both technical and human error.

However, in the event of engine failure, a plane such as the Boeing 777-200 could glide for 80-90 miles (128-145km), giving the pilot time to issue a distress signal. The descent would also have been traced by radars. The lack of any Mayday call makes an explosion a possibility.

Could the plane have broken up in the air?

The apparent lack of wreckage from MH370 does point to a high-altitude disaster. In such an event the debris would be spread far and wide, making it difficult to find.

A smaller debris field would indicate the plane probably fell intact, breaking up on impact with the water. In the event of a sudden loss of pressure due to a window blowing out the crew would dive the plane in order to lose altitude - but this would not cause the plane to disintegrate.

How about the plane's safety record?

Sudden, accidental, structural failures are considered extremely unlikely in today's passenger aircraft. This is especially so with the Boeing 777-200, which has one of the best safety records of any jet.

One of the missing plane's wingtips was clipped in an incident while taxiing in 2012, but it was repaired and certified as safe.

Could it have been a terrorist attack or hijacking?

In the event of a hijacker trying to enter the cockpit, a pilot can send a secret distress code - something that wasn't done on Flight MH370.

The profiles of all 239 passengers are being checked against databases worldwide, but the terrorism theory was weakened on Tuesday when Malaysian police confirmed it had identified the two passengers who were travelling on fake passports. Both were said to be seeking asylum in Europe.

In the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, claims of responsibility came soon after the disaster - but no one has come forward to claim the Malaysia incident as their attack.

Human error?

The 53-year-old pilot was experienced, having amassed more than 18,000 flying hours since being employed by the airline in 1981.

However, in Indonesia in 2007, Adam Air Flight 574 disappeared with 102 passengers during a domestic flight, where the authorities found the pilots lost control after becoming preoccupied with malfunctioning navigational equipment.

Former naval pilot Dr Simon Mitchell told Sky News: "We've expended billions of dollars on developing very sophisticated aids to make the life of the pilot safer and more straightforward, but there are still opportunities whereby mistakes can be made."

Why was there no distress signal?

One explanation is that the plane fell into a communications black spot. Former Boeing 777 instructor and United Airlines captain Ross Aimer explained: "These are very sophisticated (items of) equipment that should have been working under any conditions - in the water, in the jungle, after a fire, after an explosion - and none of them have talked to the outside world yet.

"There are spots in the world, however, that are called blind spots, where you cannot communicate for some reason. Unfortunately, that area near Vietnam, over the Gulf of Thailand, those are some of the black spots."

Where is the search taking place?

A number of aircraft and ships have been taking part in the search in the seas off Vietnam and Malaysia. Search teams from Australia, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand and the US are assisting.

Officials said on Tuesday that the search was being conducted on both sides of Vietnam's Ca Mau peninsula. The search area has been expanded from 50 nautical miles from where the plane disappeared - over waters between Malaysia and Vietnam - to 100 nautical miles (115 miles; 185km).

This expansion was a result of a new report from the Malaysian military, which said it tracked the plane in the Strait of Malacca - a long distance from where it last made contact - in the hours following its disappearance.

Why has no wreckage been found?

Whatever caused the apparent crash, there would be some debris - but it could take a while to find. It took two years to find the main wreckage of Air France Flight 447 in 2009.

In 2007, in the case of the Adam Air flight, it was a week before an Indonesian naval vessel detected metal on the ocean floor. It was a further two weeks before the US Navy picked up signals from the flight data and cockpit recorders and seven months for the recorder to be recovered.

If the plane had crashed on land, chances are the wreckage would have been found by now. At sea, much of the plane would have sunk, but some debris should remain on the surface. But the longer the search takes the harder it becomes as the wind and tide spread any debris further from the initial crash zone.

Could the flight data recorder provide answers?

As well as wreckage, search teams are looking for the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) - though these do not always work if a plane hits water. However, attached to the plane's "black box" is a device known as a pinger. This can emit radio signals deep underwater for up to 30 days - or 40 days in warm water.

Has a plane ever simply vanished?

Since the start of the jet age in the 1950s, nearly every major aircraft that disappeared was found - eventually - and the rare exceptions did not involve passengers.

In September 1990, a Boeing 727 plunged into the North Atlantic after running out of fuel. The accident was attributed to poor pilot planning and the wreck was never recovered.

Another Boeing 727 transporting diesel to diamond mines in Africa took off without clearance and with its transponder turned off. It is believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean.

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Missing Malaysia Jet 'One Of Great Mysteries'

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent in Kuala Lumpur

The oceanographer who helped search for the Titanic and co-led the successful recovery of a doomed Air France plane has told Sky News the case of the missing Malaysian plane is "absolutely perplexing".

David Gallo, one of the world's most accomplished scientists in his field helped locate the black box data recorders of Air France flight 447 in the South Atlantic in 2011, two years after the plane crashed.

On the disappearance of the Malaysian Airlines passenger jet, he said: "This has rapidly become one of the great mysteries of all time in terms of loss of an aeroplane or ship at sea."

Responding to criticism of the Malaysian authorities, Mr Gallo said he believed they were doing all they could in the face of "an unprecedented task".

Mr Gallo told Sky News: "From the outset it's easy to criticise the people in charge.

"I feel strongly that we need to lend some confidence to the Minister of Transportation in Malaysia because that position is a horrible place to be right now.

"He's got the whole world watching, he's got governmental agencies on his back, he's got the families.

The disappearance of the aircraft is "absolutely perplexing" said Mr Gallo

"It's a horrible thing what the families, loved-ones and and friends are going through right now day after day.

"When he says he's going to make every effort to get this solved and leave no stone unturned I believe him."

The Air France flight came down in mid-Atlantic in 2009, without sending out a distress signal and killing all 228 people aboard, after a combination of aircraft technical failure and pilot error.

It took five days to find any wreckage but two years to find the black box recorders.

Mr Gallo said: "In the case of Air France 477 we had a very dedicated team.

"I am hoping the same is true in this case, so that once we can begin an undersea search in earnest that that search happens fairly quick."

But of the Malaysian case he said: "Around every corner you find some fact, then three mysteries appear."

Mr Gallo believed the best hope still came from the area beneath the set flight path of the plane to the east of the Malay peninsula.

History showed most lost planes are eventually found close to where they should have been.

And if it is found east of the peninsula in the South China Sea, the chances of discovering what brought it down are far greater, he said.

The waters are not very deep and in places are shallower than the plane is long, making the recovery of the black box data more likely.

Mr Gallo helped recover the flight recorder from the Air France flight 447

The Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca to the west of the peninsula are extremely deep.

Mr Gallo said: "I like to use the idea we are looking for the bits of needle in a pile of hay. Ideally that pile of hay would be very small.

"So you begin by having to know the place on the ocean where the plane, if it did, impact. Where the X marks the spot.

"The way to get to that is by having the last known position, but then by finding bits of floating wreckage that are on the sea being moved around by currents, waves, and winds, and then you can backtrack those using very sophisticated models to find out where they came from, best guess, and then around there you design your search pattern.

"It's all detective work. All step-by-step very methodical, and very slow, but very precise."

He added: "You have to have several ingredients to guarantee success. You have got to have the right people on the job, the right team.

"You need to have the best instruments available - robots, sonar submarines, ships. You need to have a game plan.

"It's almost like a symphony orchestra. You need to have not just the musicians and musical instruments, but you also need to have the conductor with his music.

"When that baton comes down that team needs to play as one.

"This is tortuous for the families. The only way to know what happened, there are no witnesses, is to find those two black boxes, and hopefully the information will be there."

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Pope Anniversary: Iconic Images From First Year

Pope Francis has marked the first anniversary of his election to the papacy, capping a year that saw him gain "superstar" status.

The Pontiff has spent the day tucked away on retreat south of Rome and nothing special is planned, the Vatican said.

In a tweet marking the occasion, he said to the 3.7 million Twitter followers of his @Pontifex account: "Please pray for me."

Here are 10 iconic images of his first year as the head of the Roman Catholic Church's 1.2 billion followers. 

:: Election

Habemus Papam: the new Pope appears at the balcony of St Peter's

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected on March 13, 2013.

He took the name of Francis and was inaugurated six days later.

His election came after the shock resignation of his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

:: Feet Washing

The Pope at Casal del Marmo youth prison in Rome

Shortly after his election, Francis travelled to a Rome prison for the traditional feet-washing ceremony.

Women and a Muslim were among 12 people whose feet Pope Francis washed and kissed.

:: Breaking With Tradition

The Pope's shoes during an early audience

Francis soon broke with tradition, opting to live in a modest guest house at the Vatican rather than the sumptuous papal apartment.

Even his simple, worn-out shoes gained attention and signalled a sharp change of style from his predecessor, who favoured red shoes, at one point said to be Prada.

:: Symbolic Gestures

Climbing up the stairs of an Alitalia flight in July

The Pontiff appears well aware of the power of symbols.

In keeping with his humble style, he was seen moving in Vatican buses with other prelates and carrying his own briefcase up the stairs of a papal plane.

:: Hugely Popular

Huge crowds at the Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro

In July, Francis marked World Youth Day in Brazil, drawing huge crowds.

He remains immensely popular, with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flocking to St Peter's Square on his Wednesday general audiences and Sunday Angelus prayers.

:: Who Am I To Judge?

Coming back from Brazil, the Pontiff answered the journalists' questions

On the flight back to Brazil, the pope said homosexuals should be treated with dignity and not marginalised, uttering the sentence: "Who am I to judge?"

It marked a radical shift in tone within the Roman Catholic Church, opening the debate on whether the church could endorse civil unions. Traditionalists were not pleased.

:: Two Popes

Benedict (R) was the first pope in 600 years to step down.

Francis has spoken lovingly of his predecessor, saying having Benedict at the Vatican "is like having a grandfather, a wise grandfather, living at home".

He has encouraged the Pope Emeritus to participate more in public functions at the Vatican and receive guests, though he dismissed suggestions Benedict was exerting any influence on his papacy.

:: 'SuperPope'

Graffiti depicting the Pope on a wall in Rome, Italy

The pope said in an interview to mark the anniversary that he is "no superman" and "no star".

He is offended by the "mythology" surrounding him, he said.

:: Chocolate Pope

The chocolate statue was presented as a present to Francis

Francis has appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and has been named Time Magazine's Man Of The Year.

Among the most bizarre tributes was this chocolate statue made to look like him.

:: Lasting Effect?

One year into his pontificate, Pope Francis remains hugely popular

Despite his popularity, it remains to be seen whether the Pope can have a lasting effect on the church's dwindling numbers.

Attendance has been declining in the US and Europe for years and a sex abuse scandal has badly hurt the church's image.

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Eric Cantona Arrested On Suspicion Of Assault

Former Manchester United star Eric Cantona has been arrested in London following reports of an assault.

The Metropolitan Police said a man was arrested at an address close to Chalk Farm Tube station in north London on Wednesday.

A statement said: "Police were called to Regents Park Road, NW1, at 12.55pm on Wednesday March 12, following reports of an assault.

"Officers from Camden Borough attended and a man in his mid-40s was arrested on suspicion of common assault.

"He was taken into custody and subsequently cautioned for common assault.

"The victim, a man, did not require medical assistance at the scene."

Cantona made 143 appearances for United between 1992 and 1997, scoring 64 goals.

The former French international was banned from football for nine months and ordered to do 120 hours of community service after launching a kung-fu kick at a Crystal Palace fan after being sent off in a Premiership match in January 1995.

After retiring from football he took up a career in film, with roles in Elizabeth, French Film, and Looking For Eric.

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US Warns Russia Over Crimea Involvement

US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Russia that there are "contingencies" in place in case Russia moves further east into Ukraine.

Washington and Europe were preparing a tough response to a Sunday's referendum on whether or not Crimea should stay within Ukraine or become part of Russia, Mr Kerry told US politicians.

"If there is no sign of any capacity to be able to move forward and resolve this issue, there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday in Europe and here with respect to the options that are available to us," he warned.

"Our choice is not to be put in the position of having to do that. Our choice is to have a respect for the sovereignty and independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the diplomat told the US Senate appropriations committee.

"I don't think there's much doubt given the circumstances what the vote is going to be.

A Russian officer takes part in military exercises near the Crimean border

"This is not a question mark. The question mark is: is Russia prepared to find a way to negotiate with Ukraine, with the contact group, with the countries involved, in order to resolve this in a way which respects their legitimate interests ... in a way which doesn't violate international law?"

Mr Kerry said the US estimated there were currently about 20,000 Russian troops on the Crimea peninsula, below the 25,000 allowed under an agreement with Moscow on stationing its bases there.

And he stressed that for the time being Russia did not "have the assets ... necessary to be able to march in and take over Ukraine," although he accepted that could change.

He was speaking ahead of a trip to London for talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov - the two men have clashed in recent weeks on how to end the crisis over Ukraine, with Mr Lavrov so far rejecting a series of US proposals.

The US Secretary of State's warning to Russia came after President Vladimir Putin said his country was not to blame for the crisis over Ukraine's Crimea region.

The exercises will take place until the end of March

The Russian president made his comments at a meeting with Paralympic delegations in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

"I would like to express gratitude to you for keeping the Paralympics out of politics. And the uneasy circumstances which you well know about did not affect it. And I would like to stress that Russia was not the initiator of the circumstances that have taken shape," he said.

PM David Cameron will meeting Mr Kerry on Friday to to discuss the situation.

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