Madeleine McCann Cops Hunt Resort Workers

British police investigating Madeleine McCann's disappearance have asked their Portuguese counterparts to search the homes and bank accounts of three suspects.

A Scotland Yard team led by Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood made the request during meetings about new leads in the case with senior members of Portugal's Policia Judiciaria earlier this week.

Investigators believe the trio were workers at the Ocean Club complex in Praia da Luz, where the McCann family were staying in 2007 and were behind a string of burglaries in the weeks before Madeleine, then three, went missing.

Former Ocean Club worker Nelson Rodrigues, told Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt that employees at the complex would have had the perfect opportunity to snatch a child.

Nelson Rodrigues speaks to Sky's Martin Brunt

He said: "Yes, you could suspect (them). The workers there know the shifts and the hours when people are at home or not at home.

"It's waiters, barmen, people from maintenance, reception, the cleaners - it's a lot of staff."

In May 2007, when the McCanns were holidaying in the Algarve, there were some 160 people working at the family resort.

One expat apartment owner told Sky News that he had property stolen about a month before Madeleine disappeared and that others had been targeted.

There were around 160 workers at the Ocean Club when Madeleine vanished

He said there was no sign of forced entry at his property and he suspected that the thieves might have had access to a key.

The man spoke to British police 18 months ago - suggesting that their renewed probe has been focused on Ocean Club employees almost since it began.

Paul Luckman, editor of the expat Portugal News, has been following the latest developments in  the case.

British Police visited Faro, near Praia da Luz where the McCanns stayed

He told Sky News: "It's alleged that they could be employees of Ocean Club, which puts a whole new light on it and that they're not, as we've supposed until now, a little group of opportunist burglars going round stealing passports and wallets whenever there was a window open.

"There are suggestions that this is slightly different."

Earlier this month, Sky News reported that police were hunting the three men whose phones were "red hot" after Madeleine vanished.

Kate and Gerry McCann have been 'buoyed' by progress in the investigation

Mobile phone records show that the men made numerous calls to each other in the hours after Kate and Gerry McCann discovered their daughter had disappeared from her room.

Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry are said to be "buoyed" by signs of progress in the effort to find out what happened to their daughter.

But it is unclear whether Portuguese authorities will respond positively to the latest request for help from the British investigation team.

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Amanda Knox Guilty Again Over Kercher Murder

Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito have again been found guilty of murdering British student Meredith Kercher after an Italian court ruled the pair should not have been cleared.

Knox, who was in her hometown of Seattle when she learned her conviction had been reinstated, has been sentenced to 28 years and six months.

The 26-year-old said she was "frightened and saddened" by the ruling.

Sollecito, 29, who was not in court but had attended lengthy hearings, was sentenced to 25 years.

Their lawyers have said they intend to appeal to Italy's highest court and a long legal battle for Knox's extradition is now expected.

Miss Kercher's sister Stephanie and brother Lyle were both at the Nuovo Palazzo di Giustizia courthouse in Florence to hear the outcome of the third trial in the case.

Members of Ms Kercher's family were in court

Speaking outside the court, Mr Kercher told Sky News he could never forgive those responsible for his sister's death.

"I think you'd have to be a very strong-willed - arguably religious - person to find that forgiveness," he said.

"I think it is so easily forgotten what happened to Meredith.

"When I read reports even now, I find myself skimming past the paragraphs that refer to what actually happened to her because it is so horrific."

Knox and Sollecito were charged in 2007 after Miss Kercher's semi-naked body was found with her throat cut in the bedroom of the house she shared with Knox in the central Italian city of Perugia.

Exchange student Miss Kercher lived with Knox

The 21-year-old Leeds University student from Coulsdon, Surrey, had been sexually assaulted.

Two years after the pair were found guilty at their original trial in 2009 - and handed jail terms totalling more than 50 years - the verdicts were overturned and both walked free from court, with Knox returning to the US and going on to sign a book deal.

Their acquittals in 2011 came after a damning 100 page report outlined a catalogue of errors and breaches of procedure that had been made in collecting evidence.

The third trial began last September in Florence.

The verdicts are delivered

After nearly 12 hours of deliberations on Thursday, the court upheld the 2009 convictions.

Knox, who claimed she could not attend the retrial because she could not afford to travel to Italy, said after the latest ruling: "I am frightened and saddened by this unjust verdict.

"Having been found innocent before, I expected better from the Italian justice system.

Sollecito is in Italy but was not in court for the verdict

"The evidence and accusatory theory do not justify a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Rather, nothing has changed. There has always been a marked lack of evidence. My family and I have suffered greatly from this wrongful persecution."

She said in a pre-recorded interview for BBC's Newsnight that she would only be extradited "kicking and screaming".

Though Knox has remained in the US, she emailed the court to protest her innocence in a statement read out by her lawyer in which she insisted she ''was not a monster".

Speaking outside the court, Knox's lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, said she will launch an appeal against the decision.

He added: "For those that, like me, are convinced that Amanda is innocent, it is a very difficult time.

"We have to respect the verdict but we will challenge them. We're very sad at the moment."

Sollecito's lawyer Luca Maori said: "There isn't a shred of proof."

Drug dealer Rudy Guede was sentenced to 16 years over Miss Kercher's murder. Investigators said he did not act alone.

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Weather: MoD May Join Flood Relief Efforts

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson says the Ministry of Defence may deploy "specialist vehicles" to help people affected by major flood damage.

In a statement released after the latest meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee, Mr Paterson also confirmed that dredging "will begin" as soon as it is safe.

"MoD considering deploying specialist vehicles and extra help including sandbags and dredging will begin as soon as safe," the statement said.

"Things are going to get worse with rising tides and people need to be prepared."

The MoD also says a "handful" of military planners have been deployed to Somerset to help the county council plan what military support may be needed.

The measures come after David Cameron told MPs he will "rule nothing out" in tackling flooding in the Somerset Levels.

The Prime Minister said dredging would begin once water levels had receded to safe levels. The hugely expensive process involves using diggers or pumps to remove build-ups of silt from river beds.

"I can confirm that dredging will start as soon as it's practical, as soon as the waters have started to come down," he told MPs.

"The Environment Agency (EA) are pumping as much as possible given the capacity of the rivers, but I've ordered that further high volume pumps ... will be made available to increase the volume of the pumping operation.

"We're urgently exploring what further help the government can give to locals to move around and I rule nothing out for the days ahead to get this problem sorted."

A man walks beside the flooded River Tone in Somerset

The EA has issued some 24 flood warnings and 151 flood alerts, mostly for areas in the South East and the South West.

Many of those in flood-hit areas are calling for immediate action to alleviate what some residents have described as "Third World" conditions.

Parts of the Levels have been under water since Christmas. There are fears that it may be months before the water is entirely pumped away.

Further showers fell across England and Wales on Wednesday. Rain is expected to spread across Northern Ireland on Thursday, and there will be more patchy rain for parts of England.

Meanwhile, insurance claims from the floods and storms over Christmas and the New Year could reach £426m.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says that between December 23, 2013 and January 8, 2014, insurers dealt with some 174,000 claims for damage to homes, businesses and cars.

Flooded fields seen from Windmill Hill in Somerset

Aidan Kerr, ABI spokesperson said: "Insurers are playing a crucial role in helping customers affected by the storms and floods recover.

"Together with loss adjusters, insurers reacted quickly to help flood victims get through Christmas. Insurers will continue to work closely with customers to ensure the repair process is completed as soon as possible.

"This was a traumatic event for those affected, and shows the importance of having adequate property insurance. The insurance industry is fully prepared to deal with the damage caused by bad weather like this."

The Environment Agency has advised claimants to request insurance pay for repairs that will better protect properties from flooding in future.

Claimants should also mark the height of flood water on the wall with a permanent marker in all flooded rooms and take pictures of property damage.

:: Watch Sky News on Thursday for special coverage from Somerset, live on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.

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North Korea: Kim Jong-Un Official Speaks

By Alistair Bunkall, Defence Correspondent

A senior North Korean diplomat has told Sky News that the United States is to blame for the tense situation on the Korean peninsula but relations between the two countries could be "normalised" if Washington gave up its "hostile policy".

In an unprecedented interview, North Korea's ambassador to the UK Hyun Hak-bong also urged South Korea to cancel an upcoming joint military exercise with the US.

"It is high time for South Korea to cancel or to stop the military exercises. And it is advisable for the international community to try hard to prevent such a kind of dangerous military exercises," Ambassador Hyun said.

But he was not willing to predict how North Korea might respond if the exercise did go ahead.

He said: "It is not helpful for the United States to remain in South Korea.

"The US makes the situation tense all the time by bringing in military equipment and disrupts peace on the peninsula by pursuing hostile policies and threatening the DPR Korea with nuclear weapons.

"So I don't think the US is helpful unless it abandons its hostile policy towards DPR Korea."

The interview follows an open letter sent by Pyongyang to Seoul. The letter calls for "realistic measures to prevent impending nuclear disasters with concerted efforts of the Korean nation".

The ambassador gave an insight into the thinking of Kim Jong-Un's regime

The United States has insisted that North Korea stop all production of nuclear weapons before peace talks can begin again.

But the ambassador suggested that was not a step that his country was willing to take in the current climate.

He said: "DPR Korea has no option but to have the nuclear deterrent in order to defend the sovereignty of the country and in order to save the security and peace on the Korean peninsula as well as the lives of the people."

The Ambassador also explained in more detail than previously heard, the process behind the execution of Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong Un's uncle.

He said: "Well Jang Song Thaek did lots of crimes. He made anti-party, anti-government crimes, and as well he abused his power in hindering the national economy and hindering the efforts of the national economy and for improving people's living standards.

"He spent 4.6 million euro in 2009 alone. He made tremendous crimes against the government, against the people, against the country."

The interview is a rare glimpse behind North Korea's pomp and propaganda

"Actually our party pardoned him on several occasions when he made wrong-doings in the past, but this time his crimes is beyond the level, is beyond the red line.

"So they enlarged a meeting of the party and handed (him) over to the legal system. So the special Military Court of the Ministry of State Security put him on trial, he confessed to what he did wrong and according to article 60 of the Criminal Code of DPR Korea he was executed."

"According to the laws by the criminal court he was sentenced to death. Well he was shot to death."

I challenged Ambassador Hyun to confirm the fate of the uncle's family after recent reports suggested they too might have been executed, along with anyone else loyal to the former General.

"This is the political propaganda by our enemies," he replied.

"I think that this fabricated report does not deserve my comment. I know he was punished but if his family were punished or not, I don't know."

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State Of Union: Obama Vows To Bypass Gridlock

President Barack Obama has vowed to bypass a divided Congress and take action to boost the US economy after a troubled year in office.

Facing strong Republican opposition and low approval ratings after the worst year of his presidency, Mr Obama unveiled actions that do not need congressional approval to bypass partisan gridlock that has held back his presidency.

They include raising the hourly minimum wage for new federal contracts to $10.10, helping the long-term unemployed find work and expanding job training programmes.

He said: "Inequality has deepened. Upward mobility has stalled.

"The cold, hard fact is that even in the midst of recovery, too many Americans are working more than ever just to get by - let alone get ahead.

Michelle Obama stands with Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg

"And too many still aren't working at all."

He was greeted with warm applause as he arrived to give the address to a joint session of Congress.

Speaking on partisan politics that have stalled action, including his flagship Affordable Care Act, he said: "We are not doing right by the American people.

"After five years of grit and determined effort, the US is better positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth.

"Let's make this a year of action. That's what most Americans want - for all of us in this chamber to focus on their lives, their hopes, their aspirations."

Mr Obama also singled out the gender pay gap and said bridging the difference between women's and men's salaries would help the US succeed.

He said: "A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job.

"A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship - and you know what, a father does, too.

"It's time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a 'Mad Men' episode. Because I firmly believe when women succeed, America succeeds."

He promised to improve US education, by connecting 15,000 schools and 20 million students with high-speed broadband in the next two years.

The initiative will be supported by charitable partnerships with companies including Apple, Microsoft, Sprint and Verizon.

Mr Obama proposed new incentives for vehicles which run on natural gas and alternative fuels, as well as expansion of the earned-income tax credit, which helps boost the wages of low-income families through tax refunds.

He also called on Republicans to stop attempts to stall his health reform.

And he warned Congress he would veto new economic sanctions against Iran as negotiations to limit its nuclear programme continue. An estimated $7bn in international sanctions have been lifted against Iran in exchange for it slowing the programme.

A poll this month found 45% of those surveyed approved of Mr Obama, compared to 53% against.

Republicans have blocked many of Mr Obama's initiatives, including on gun control and climate change, and this year's mid-term elections make it unlikely the will rally behind his proposals.

In the autumn, federal government in the US shut down for 16 days and brought the country to the brink of default as Republicans refused to sign through budget proposals.

In a televised response, Republican Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers criticised Mr Obama's healthcare and called for lesser government involvement.

She said: "I'd like to share a more hopeful, Republican vision.

"It's one that champions free markets and trusts people to make their own decisions, not a government that decides for you."

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Madeleine McCann: UK Police Fly To Portugal

British police have travelled to Portugal to liaise with local officers investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

A Scotland Yard team flew to the Algarve days after a letter was sent to Portuguese police requesting help with tracking down and interviewing three burglars who were in the area when Madeleine vanished.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who is leading the investigation for the Metropolitan Police, was pictured arriving in Faro with three colleagues.

They held meetings with senior members of Portugal's Policia Judiciaria and are believed to have discussed leads recently identified by the Operation Grange investigation team in the UK.

UK police are in Faro, not far from Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished

Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said the letter requesting help from the Portuguese authorities is understood to have arrived in Portugal "in the last 24 hours or so".

He said: "Four detectives from Scotland Yard arrived yesterday to meet their Portuguese colleagues - there's a small team of Portuguese police working in the Algarve on behalf of Scotland Yard.

"We know that among those detectives from London is Chief Inspector Andy Redwood, who's the officer in charge of the British end of the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance.

Det Chief Insp Andy Redwood is leading the Met Police team in the Algarve

"It's certainly not the first time Scotland Yard detectives have visited Portugal - more than a dozen times in the last two years since Scotland Yard have been reviewing and then investigating Madeleine's disappearance has such a team gone to liaise.

"But it could be of some big significance because we know that earlier this month the UK authorities sent what's known as an international letter of request to the Portuguese authorities seeking, we think, help in interviewing three potential suspects."

Earlier this month, Sky News reported that Det Chief Insp Redwood's team were hunting three men whose phones were "red hot" after Madeleine went missing from her family's Praia da Luz apartment in May 2007.

Kate and Gerry have campaigned to keep the investigation going

Mobile phone records show that the men made numerous calls to each other in the hours after Kate and Gerry McCann discovered their daughter - three years old at the time - had disappeared from her room.

No arrests have been made since the Met set up Operation Grange in 2011 to review the case.

Portuguese police reopened their investigation last year, more than three years after it had been shelved.

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'Mini Tornado' Sweeps Through Parts Of Britain

A "mini tornado" has swept through parts of the Midlands and southern Britain, bringing down trees, knocking out power causing damage to outbuildings.

The funnel-shaped formation was spotted above several towns in Surrey including Chobham, Epsom and Knaphill, as well as in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, and in Harlow, Essex.

Ferocious thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain and hail were reported in Birmingham, Nottingham and Milton Keynes, as well as parts of Kent and Essex.

Twitter and Facebook were flooded by messages and pictures from people caught up in the severe weather.

Pam Steadman said parts of an equestrian centre next to her house in Epsom were lifted over trees at the bottom of her garden, while Heather Riley reported "lots of damage to houses and cars" in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Flashes of lightning lit up the sky in Birmingham. Pic: B1Bobs/Twitter

Darran Jaques, who described the weather as "wild", said scaffolding had been ripped down and shop fronts damaged in northeast Surrey, while Jean Ramgoolam tweeted: "Looks like a mini tornado just went past!"

It is thought the intense weather may have been caused by a squall line - a band of thunderstorms that precedes a cold front.

Satellite pictures showed a clear line of heavy storms moving slowly across the country from the North West to the South East.

As well as damage to property, the severe weather caused widespread power cuts across the country.

UK Power Networks, which maintains electricity cables and lines across London, the South East and the East, said it received a "high number of calls" from customers as the storm swept through.

The weather brought snow to other places, including the Northern Pennines

In the area around Tonbridge, Kent, more than 8,000 people were left without power, although supplies have since been restored for most.

The storms come as communities in the South and South West prepare for possible flooding, with further heavy rain forecast to fall on already saturated ground.

Sedgemoor District Council has declared a "major incident" on the Somerset Levels, where pumps are being used to keep floodwater away from homes.

Other parts of the country, including the Northern Pennines and parts of western Scotland, saw a sprinkling of snow.

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UK Set To Freeze Amid Fears Of More Floods

Motorists and flood-hit communities have been warned of ice, sleet and snow as well as further downpours, as temperatures are expected to plummet.

A Met Office severe weather warning for icy conditions is in place across most of the UK, while some parts of the country have been told to brace for snow.

The Met Office's weather warning for UK

The chief forecaster said on its website: "A colder, westerly, air stream will follow Sunday's frontal band bringing heavy wintry showers and wet surfaces to many areas during Sunday evening and night.

"Clear skies between showers are expected to allow temperatures to fall to or just below freezing at times resulting in a risk of icy stretches forming on untreated surfaces.

"Some areas of the United Kingdom will also see a covering of snow. Snow amounts will generally be small, mostly accumulating on vegetation, however more persistent and heavy show is expected over the higher ground of western and central Highland and the southern Grampians."

The warning was issued for Sunday evening up until 10am today.

Fourteen serious flood warnings are in place for parts of the South East and South West, with the Environment Agency telling people in affected areas to take immediate action.

The Environment Agency's flood alerts

The Somerset Levels, which run south from the Mendip Hills to the Blackdown Hills, are particularly vulnerable, as further heavy rain falls on already saturated ground.

There is also potential for further river flooding across the South West and southern counties including parts of Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, West Berkshire and Surrey into next week.

The Environment Agency is running more than 60 pumps around the clock to drain an estimated 65 million cubic metres of floodwater from the Levels.

Police pass a submerged car, as a local resident uses the temporary pontoon

A temporary pontoon has been erected near the village of Langport to allow residents to get to their homes and a boat service is ferrying people to and from work and school.

Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is expected to visit Somerset today to speak to the communities affected.

As well as the flood alerts, parts of Scotland have been told to brace for strong winds gusting up to 80mph.

Snow fell over the Northern Pennines

On Sunday, light snow flurries affected parts of northern England, including in Cumbria, where snow ploughs were used to clear sections of the A66.

A "mini tornado" was reported in parts of the Midlands and southern Britain, where trees were brought down, power supplies knocked out and outbuildings damaged.

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Weather: Heavy Rain Could Add To Flood Misery

Communities across southern England have been told to prepare for possible flooding as further heavy rain is forecast for today through to Tuesday.

The Environment Agency (EA) has eight flood warnings in place for the south west, which mean flooding is expected and immediate action is required.

It highlighted the Somerset Levels, which run south from the Mendip Hills to the Blackdown Hills, as an area which should be prepared for further flooding.

An EA spokeswoman said: "With the ground already saturated, rivers and groundwater levels remain very responsive to rainfall, particularly on the Somerset Levels.

"Environment Agency teams continue to operate up to 62 pumps 24 hours a day to drain an estimated 65 million cubic metres of floodwater off an area of the Levels spanning 65 square kilometres."

There is also potential for further river flooding across the southwest and southern counties including parts of Wiltshire, Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, West Berkshire and Surrey into next week.

Somerset flood warnings (red) and alerts (orange). Pic: Environment Agency

The Met Office has issued an amber warning of severe weather for the South West from 6am to 2pm today.

It said rain across the UK would be accompanied by strong winds, and up to 20mm of rainfall is expected.

Many communities are still coming to terms with the flooding that hit Somerset at the beginning of January.

Somerset County Council has declared a "major incident" for all areas affected by flooding in the county.

The leader of the council, John Osman, told Sky News: "There's no let up in the rain coming down. The water levels on the moorlands are rising. We are getting towards breaking point."

A vital boat service operated by Somerset County Council, which is ferrying people to work and school, as well as taking in supplies, is continuing as the access roads are still flooded.

The Somerset village of Muchelney has been cut-off by floodwaters

Sedgemoor District Council has also declared a "major incident" on the Somerset Levels.

Strong winds on Saturday blew bricks and tiles off the roofs of houses and forced residents to be evacuated in a street in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.

Several people dialled 999 as the storm swept through the town but nobody was hurt, Warwickshire Police said.

Elsewhere in the county the emergency services and the highways agency have been working with local councils to deal with a number of other storm related incidents including trees which had been brought down by the strong winds, and flooded roads as a result of the heavy rain.

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Ukraine Unrest: Opposition Offered Top Jobs

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has offered to share power with opposition leaders in an attempt to resolve the country's deepening political crisis.

The move comes as violence and protests continue in Ukraine with demonstrators trying to seize government buildings across the country.

Anti-government protesters attempt to enter the 'Ukrainian house'

Mr Yanukovych offered opposition chiefs Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Vitali Klitschko the posts of prime minister and deputy prime minister in a new government.

But the fig leaf was rejected by world boxing champion Mr Klitschko.

Demonstrators have tried to seize government buildings across the country

"Our demand is the holding of presidential elections this year... We will not yield but talks will continue," he told tens of thousands of protesters in Independence Square in Kiev.

Mr Yatsenyuk, head of the Fatherland party, gave no clear response to the proposal in his speech.

He said the opposition was prepared to take on responsibility, but added: "The people will determine the power in Ukraine. We will not step down from our position."

Anti-government protesters gather at a barricade at the site of clashes

In recent talks between Mr Yanukovych and the opposition, both sides agreed the protests and police presence in Kiev would be scaled down, raising hopes of a resolution to the crisis.

Mr Yanukovych also said he was willing to consider changes to the constitution that would reduce the presidency's huge powers.

He also promised to consider changes to anti-protest laws passed by parliament on January 16 which sparked the latest crisis.

Until the past week, protests had centred mainly in Kiev, with only smaller rallies elsewhere.

But following the latest clashes, a series of government buildings have been seized in the west of the country, where support for Mr Yanukovych is weak.

Opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko (L) at a rally in Independence square

Protesters clashed with riot police as they forced their way into a regional administration office in the town of Vinnytsia, around 120 miles from Kiev.

And about 100 anti-government activists rushed the country's energy ministry in Kiev, where clashes with police have continued.

Energy Minister Eduard Stavytsky said their actions had threatened the country's entire power supply.

Protesters also continue to occupy Kiev city hall, which they have turned into a makeshift headquarters.

Ukraine's President Viktor Yanukovich (2nd L) meets with opposition leaders

The rallies began in November last year after Mr Yanukovych scrapped a treaty with the European Union in favour of a bail-out loan from Russia, following lobbying by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt suggested Mr Yanukovych was losing control over his country. He posted a map of Ukraine on Twitter showing which regions had been hit by protests.

"If Kiev regime tries a military solution to this situation, it will be very bloody and it will fail," he tweeted.

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