Athens Floods: Woman Saved Amid Traffic Chaos

Hours of relentless rainfall have flooded roads and homes in Athens, causing gridlock across the Greek capital and forcing authorities to close a central metro station.

A woman was rescued after getting stuck with her car north of Athens

The Greek fire brigade has been inundated with more than 600 calls to pump out water in the greater Athens region.

No injuries have been reported, but a woman whose car was caught in the flooding in Chalandri suburb, north of the city, had to be pulled to safety. 

With muddy waters racing by, a man comes to her rescue

In some areas, ankle-high water filled the streets and parked vehicles were swept away by racing waters.

Police closed underpasses and motorways in low-lying parts of the city after they were submerged in floodwaters.

"There are cars immobilised on several Athens highways and we have dispatched tow trucks to clear the roads," Dimitris Papanagiotou, a senior traffic police officer, told state television NET.

A parliament employee narrowly avoided injury when a glass roof on the building's ceiling gave way as she tried to clear away rainwater from it.

The damage was quickly repaired, a parliament press officer said.

The city's tram system had to be shut down, while urban rail schedules were disrupted after a tree fell on the tracks.

"We have around 60 fire crews operating, we believe the rain will abate before midday," deputy fire chief Vassilis Papageorgiou told NET.

Lightning strikes during the thunderstorm

Meanwhile in Catania on the Italian island of Sicily, torrential rainfall caused flooding and disruption, turning streets into rivers, and dragging along parked cars, motorcycles, chairs and tables.

A flooded road in Athens following a severe thunderstorm

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Oscar Pistorius Gets Bail Over Reeva Killing

Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail by a court in South Africa after spending a week in custody charged with murdering his girlfriend, model Reeva Steenkamp.

Magistrate Desmond Nair's decision drew cheers from the Pistorius' family and supporters, while the athlete burst into tears.

The magistrate set bail at one million rand (£73,000) and postponed the case until June 4.

Pistorius will also be required to live at an undisclosed address, hand in his two South African passports and report twice a week to a police station in Pretoria.

The double amputee is also banned from drinking alcohol, must hand over his guns and stay away from the estate where he lived.

Pistorius leaving the court with his sister Aimee

Prosecutors had warned that the star has the "money, means and motive" to flee South Africa if he was given bail, but his lawyers successfully argued the Blade Runner was too famous to flee justice.

In his two-hour statement to Pretoria Magistrates Court, the judge said he did not believe Pistorius to be a "flight risk" or "pose a danger to society".

But the magistrate said Pistorius still has lots questions to answer.

"I have difficulty in appreciating the accused did not ascertain the whereabouts of his girlfriend when he got off the the bed," Mr Nair said.

"I have difficulty with the accused not seeking to verify who was in the toilet when he could have asked.

"I have difficulty understanding why the deceased didn't scream back from the toilet."

Pistorius' supporters prayed after the decision was announced

Sky's Alex Crawford said Pistorius burst into tears when the decision was read out.

"He had been crying quietly anyway, and it just seemed to prompt even more sobbing from him," Crawford said.

"His family are hugely relieved, some of them are crying, they're gathered together in a little huddle ... hugging each other, some are sobbing, they are holding hands, and some at least appear to be praying."

The star is charged with premeditated murder over the shooting death of Miss Steenkamp, 29, in the early hours of February 14.

Despite the bail decision, prosecution spokesman Medupe Simasiku said:  "We're still confident in our case."

The magistrate said Pistorius still has a lot of questions to answer

About an hour after the decision was read out, Pistorius was driven away from the court in a silver Land Rover.

Outside the court, a friend and former flatmate of Miss Steenkamp, Kim Myers, said it has been a very sad time and people must remember the trial has not started.

"The bail application is not a trial and we hope and trust that justice will prevail," she said.

"We need to remember that someone still lost their life. Our hearts and thoughts and prayers just go out to the Steenkamp family."

Nicholas Van Eden, a spokesman for the Steenkamp family, later said: "We're not sure what to feel in the case. We just want to know the truth, and whatever happens it's not going to bring Reeva back.

"We just want justice and the truth."

Family and friends cheered and cried as the decision was read out

The Olympian's uncle Arnold Pistorius said: "Although we are obviously relieved that Oscar has been granted bail, this is still a very sad time for the family of Reeva and for us.

"We are grateful that the magistrate recognised the validity and strength of our application.

"As the family, we are convinced that Oscar's version of what happened on that terrible night will prove to be true."

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Syria: More Than 50 Killed In Bomb Blast

At least 53 people have been killed in a car bombing near the headquarters of the ruling Baath party in Syria's capital, state media said.

Around 200 others were hurt, it claimed, adding the atrocity was a suicide attack by "terrorists" battling President Bashar al Assad in a two-year uprising.

The attack was "carried out by armed terrorist groups linked to al Qaeda that receive financial and logistic help from abroad," the ministry said in a statement, using government terminology for rebels battling the Syrian regime.

Most of the victims in the Mazraa district of Damascus were reportedly civilians, including children, possibly from a school behind the Baath building, and it was the deadliest attack inside the capital in nine months.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence via a network of sources inside Syria, said at least 42 people were killed.

The organisation reported the device was detonated at a checkpoint close to the Baath party building, about 200 metres from the Russian embassy, and members of the Syrian security forces also died.

Syrian television broadcast footage of several bodies along a main street and firefighters dousing dozens of burning vehicles.

President Assad's forces are battling Syrian rebels

Debris was spread over a wide area and black smoke billowed into the sky.

The windows of the Russian embassy were blown out by the blast but none of its staff were hurt, Russian news agencies reported.

One local resident said: "It was huge, everything in the shop turned upside down."

Damascus has so far mostly avoided the large-scale violence that has destroyed other Syrian cities.

But rebels who control districts to the south and east of the capital have been attacking Mr Assad's power base for nearly a month, and have carried out devastating bombings several times in the last year.

The United Nations has said around 70,000 people have died in the uprising since it began in March 2011.

The attack came as the opposition umbrella group, the National Coalition, was meeting in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss proposals to hold conditional talks with Mr Assad's regime.

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Three Dead In Las Vegas Strip Shooting Crash

By Sky News US Team, in New York

Gunshots fired from a black Range Rover on the Las Vegas Strip has caused a Maserati to crash into a taxi, creating a fireball and killing three people.

Police believe the deadly car-to-car shooting and crash in the heart of the Strip at Las Vegas Boulevard and Flamingo Road started with an argument in the valet area of the Aria resort, Sheriff Doug Gillespie said.

The crossroads is the site of several major hotel-casinos, including Bellagio, Caesars Palace and Bally's.

"This doesn't happen where we come from, not on this scale," said Mark Thompson, who was visiting from Manchester, England, with his wife. "We get stabbings, and gang violence, but this is like something out of a movie. Like Die Hard or something."

Police at the scene of the shooting incident in Las Vegas

Police are looking for the distinctive black Range Rover with dark tinted windows and black rims that left the scene after the early morning crash.

Las Vegas Police Sergeant John Sheahan said the Range Rover was last seen near the Venetian resort as it headed north from the shooting scene on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Witnesses also told police the sport utility vehicle and Maserati had come from the nearby CityCenter area, just south of the site of the shooting.

"We have numerous witnesses to this," Sgt Sheahan said. "But what is the genesis of this? We don't know yet."

The shooting and accident took place near the desert town's popular casinos

Police also have video from traffic cameras at the intersection and were checking hotel surveillance systems. The video will not be made public, Sgt Sheahan said.

In all, five vehicles were involved. The Maserati driver, the taxi driver and a passenger in the cab were killed.

The Range Rover has paper dealer plates, although it is not clear what state they are from, police said.

Authorities are checking with law enforcement agencies in California, Arizona and Utah in their search for clues.

The taxi was affiliated with the Desert Cab company, according to general manager Sandy Shaver. He declined to comment further.

Several people were taken to hospital, including a passenger from the Maserati. Four were taken to University Medical Centre where spokeswoman Danita Cohen said three people were treated and released.

One person remained in hospital whose condition was not released.

Sky's Jeff Randall, who was on the Las Vegas Strip, said it was one of the most surreal things he had ever seen in America.

"The strip is completely blocked off in a rather macabre way; it has now become a tourist scene because people are arriving here to take pictures," he said.

"People here are utterly bewildered because this is a city that has tried to portray itself as family friendly and the last thing in the world the leisure barons want here is a rolling gun battle and what police are describing as a massive crime scene."

The intersection is expected to be closed for hours as officers investigate.

A tourist who witnessed the aftermath of the crash told KLAS-TV the burning taxi looked like a fireball.

The shooting and crash is the latest in a series of violent actions on the tourist corridor since the beginning of the year.

Two people were critically wounded in a shooting at a parking garage on February 6, and a tourist was stabbed in an elevator at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay on February 16.

A spokesman for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Jeremy Handel, said his organisation did not immediately have a comment on the incident and deferred to the police unit that patrols the tourism district.

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Armstrong Refuses To Talk To Doping Officials

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong says he will not cooperate with American anti-doping investigators, despite having said he would help clean up cycling.

The former athlete had until Wednesday to respond to a request from US officials, who had wanted him to tell them everything he knows about drug use in the sport.

But his lawyer announced Armstrong - who last month admitted using drugs to Oprah Winfrey - would not take part in any interviews.

The US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) had told him he must take part if he wanted to reduce the lifetime ban on taking part in sports he had previously received.

His lawyer Tim Herman said Armstrong would not participate in the process as it was designed "only to demonise selected individuals".

USADA had been negotiating with Armstrong's representatives for more than two months before the announcement.

Armstrong had previously said he was willing to participate in an international effort to clean up cycling.

The former cyclist was at the top of his sport for years, winning the Tour de France seven times during a career that also saw him take other titles.

His success made him rich as sponsors queued up to be associated with his name

In January, he admitted to taking performance enhancing drugs in order to win the seven Tour de France titles. He has now been stripped of the titles.

His confession to taking part in doping has caused the former road cycling star a number of problems.

He is being sued by a Dallas-based promotions company which is seeking to recoup £7.6m in bonuses they paid him for winning the Tour de France.

The US Anti Doping Agency has been locked in a war of words with Armstrong for some time and last month - after his confession - accused him of lying when he claimed he was clean when he made his comeback in 2009.

Armstrong claimed on the Oprah interview he should be given the opportunity to compete again, saying that his life ban felt like a "death penalty".

He told the chat show host: "I can't lie to you. I'd love the opportunity to be able to compete, but that isn't the reason that I'm doing this.

"Frankly, this might not be the most popular answer, but I think I deserve it."

An estimated 3.2 million Americans tuned in to watch Winfrey's interview with him. 

It has since been announced Paramount Pictures and producer JJ Abram are planning a film of the cyclist's life.

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Masked Thugs Attack Spurs Fans In Lyon Bar

Three Tottenham fans are reported to have been taken to hospital after a group of up to 50 masked thugs attacked a bar on the eve of their team's game in Lyon.

Eyewitnesses said the group of attackers smashed doors and threw cast iron chairs, wooden objects, and a flare in to the Smoking Dog pub in Lyon.

Up to 150 Spurs fans were drinking in the bar, popular among ex-pats in the French city, ahead of tonight's Europa League match.

It is the second time that Tottenham fans have been targeted by an apparent anti-Semitic attack in the last three months.

In November, fans of the club, which has a traditionally strong Jewish following, were ambushed inside a pub in Rome on the eve of their game against Lazio.

Eyewitnesses inside the Smoking Dog said the thugs attacked the bar at 10.18pm on Wednesday night and then returned shortly after to launch another assault on the pub, which was damaged extensively as a result.

The pub's landlord, Dave Eales from Retford, said: "At 10.18 the pub was rammed with Tottenham fans watching the Champions League on the television.

"The front of the pub, which is made up of reinforced glass, was attacked by 20-25 people.

Scene of the attack on Spurs fans in Rome in November

"They threw projectiles through the windows. There was a stand off. They didn't get in to the bar. Then it calmed down. Then they came back a second time and it all started again.

"There were three injured Tottenham fans taken away by ambulance. One of them had a head injury. I'm not sure how bad it was."

Far-right thugs were blamed for the knife attack on Tottenham's supporters in Rome and two eye-witnesses claimed the attack could have had an anti-Semitic motive.

One, who did not want to be named, said: "There were 50 who attacked in the first wave and 25 in the second.

"It's a pretty scary thing when you're confronted by people doing Nazi salutes."

Spurs fan Christian Radnege, who was in the bar at the time of the attack, said: "They came in making Nazi salutes. It was frightening."

Mr Eales, 42, said he had anticipated trouble may occur, and that he had told the Lyon police as much earlier this week.

He added: "The most disappointing thing is that I spoke to the police a couple of days ago about the potential for trouble because of what people associate Tottenham being."

A spokesman for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We are aware of reports of an attack on British nationals in France and are offering consular assistance."

Tottenham said they were aware of reports of the attack.

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Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali Resigns

Tunisia's prime minister has resigned after his offer of a non-political government was turned down by his own party.

Hamadi Jebali's decision to step down follows days of protests in the country, which were sparked by the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid earlier this month.

His offer of a new government was welcomed by the opposition but his own party, Ennahda, rejected the idea, saying the country should continue to be led by politicians.

Chokri Belaid, a member of the Popular Front party, was shot dead

Mr Jebali announced his resignation after a meeting with President Moncef Marzouki.

"Today there is a great disappointment among the people and we must regain their trust and this resignation is a first step," he said.

Mr Jebali became prime minister in December 2011, 11 months after Tunisians overthrew President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, triggering the Arab Spring.

However, the coalition government has struggled to deliver the improved living standards many had hoped for.

The country is facing an economic crisis, with unemployment at 18% and a 10% inflation rate that has sent prices soaring.

International ratings agency Standard & Poor's had downgraded Tunisia's rating to BB-, saying arguments over the shape of the government had affected economic recovery and knocked investor confidence.

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At Least 14 Injured In Kansas City Gas Blast

Fourteen people have been injured after a huge gas explosion in a shopping district in Kansas City.

Images show dozens of firefighters battling the blaze that spread through a number of buildings including shops, restaurants, flats and offices.

The manager of JJ's restaurant, which was destroyed in the blaze, has been unable to account for three people but it was unclear whether they were caught in the blaze or had left earlier.

Kansas City Manager Troy Schulte revealed there had been a gas leak shortly before the explosion.

Earlier police spokeswoman Rhonda Flores said a car appeared to have crashed into the gas main near the restaurant at around 6pm local time.

An initial call for three ambulances was then increased to 10 as the blaze took hold.

Kerry O'Connor, a spokeswoman for St Luke's Hospital, said several patients were sent to the hospital. She added they "appear to be critical at this time".

The University of Kansas Hospital was treating five people injured in the blast, according to spokesman Bob Hallinan.

He said one was in critical condition, two in serious condition and two others were expected to be released. They had all suffered traumatic injuries, including broken bones, rather than effects of the fire.

The area, a shopping district, includes retail shops, restaurants, apartments and offices.

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South Africa: Shooting At Anglo American Mine

At least 13 workers have been wounded by machetes and rubber bullets in the latest wave of violence to hit a South African mine.

Police said the attacks at the Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) site in Rustenburg were provoked by a dispute between two rival unions.

The news agency Reuters said around 1,000 members of the Association for Mineworkers and Construction Union gathered at the mine, about 70 miles northwest of Johannesburg, after four people believed to belong to the National Union of Mineworkers tried to occupy an office.

Security guards at the mine used rubber bullets to disperse the rival groups.

Machetes were seen during separate disputes in the country in 2012

A police spokesman said the 13 injured workers were admitted to hospital.

Anglo American, which owns the mine and is listed on the London Stock Exchange, saw a 2.75% fall in its share price on the FTSE 100 when news of the trouble emerged.

The violence follows a two-month illegal strike at the same site last autumn, when police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades to separate groups of workers.

The continuing dispute is related to anger over Amplats' plans to lay off an additional 14,000 workers amid poor company results which showed a loss of $225m (£143m) for 2012.

It is among several mining companies in South Africa grappling with higher expenses amid the worst industrial action the country has seen for decades.

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Pistorius: 'Murder Would Be Out Of Character'

Oscar Pistorius is preparing to return to court to learn whether he will be granted bail following the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

The Paralympian is charged with the premeditated murder of the 29-year-old model in the early hours of last Thursday.

Police said she was shot four times with a pistol owned by Pistorius at his home in South Africa, where she died from her injuries.

Sky News will have live coverage of Oscar Pistorius' bail hearing

The bail hearing comes after Pistorius' former headteacher said he was "shocked" by allegations the 26-year-old had deliberately killed Miss Steenkamp, a law graduate who he had been dating for three months.

"From my knowledge of Oscar, it would have been completely out of character, and that's why I find it so hard to accept or to understand," Bill Schroder told Sky News.

"The scary thing for all of us is that they seem to want to charge him with premeditated murder.

Oscar Pistorius broke down in tears during his last court appearance

"That's horrendous; it's the ultimate crime and carries the ultimate penalty, and I truly don't want to believe that he's capable of that."

Pistorius, who won two gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, has been held in a police cell in Pretoria since he was arrested and charged with Miss Steenkamp's murder.

His family has vowed to fight the charge in the "strongest terms" and insisted that evidence will refute "any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all".

Reeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius had been dating since November

Miss Steenkamp's family and friends are expected to attend an hour-long memorial service later before a private cremation in her home town of Port Elizabeth.

Her mother, June Steenkamp, told the Times of South Africa: "She had so much of herself to give and now all that is gone - just like that, she is gone.

"In the blink of an eye and a single breath, the most beautiful person who ever lived is no longer here.

"All we have is this horrendous death to deal with ... to get to grips with.

"All we want are answers ... answers as to why this had to happen, why our beautiful daughter had to die like this."

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British Worker Feared Kidnapped In Nigeria

Gunmen in northern Nigeria have kidnapped a group of foreign workers including one Briton, according to local authorities there.

The group attacked a construction company camp, killing a guard and then abducting seven foreigners, police said.

"From the report we have received, the hostages are seven in all. They include four Lebanese, an Italian, a Briton and a Greek," Bauchi state police spokesman Hassan Auyo said.

This would make it the biggest kidnapping yet in a region that is under attack from Islamic extremists.

Greece, Lebanon and Italy have all said their citizens are involved. However, Britain's Foreign Office has not confirmed if a Briton is among them.

The kidnapping on Saturday night happened in Jama'are, a town in a rural portion of Bauchi state.

The gunmen attacked a local prison first, burning two police trucks, another Bauchi state police spokesman, Hassan Muhammed told the Associated Press.

Then they targeted a workers' camp for a construction company called Setraco, which is in the area building a road, Mr Muhammed said.

The gunmen shot dead a guard at the camp before kidnapping the foreign workers, he added.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office in Britain said: "We are aware of the reports and are making inquiries with local authorities."

Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north has been under attack by the radical Islamic sect known as Boko Haram in the last year and a half.

The country's weak central government has been unable to stop the group's bloody guerrilla campaign of shootings and bombings.

The sect is blamed for killing at least 729 people in 2012 alone, according to an AP count.

Foreigners have been frequently abducted by militant groups and criminal gangs for ransom in Nigeria's oil-rich southern delta and have become increasingly targeted in Nigeria's north as the violence has grown.

Sky News Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said: "Nigeria, particularly the north of Nigeria, has got a big problem. It's the scourge of the country and has been for many years now.

"Local Islamist groups called Boko Haram have been largely responsible for carrying out the kidnappings.

"This is one of the militant groups who have operating inside Mali. They are one of five extremist groups who are believed to have been running operations inside Mali and around the Sahel."

Gunmen who authorities say have links to Boko Haram also kidnapped an Italian and a British man last year in northern Kebbi State.

They were later killed during a rescue operation by Nigerian soldiers backed up by British special forces. The sect later denied taking part in that abduction.

Chinese construction workers have also been killed by gunmen around Maiduguri, the northeastern city in Nigeria where Boko Haram first began.

Setraco Nigeria, a construction and civil engineering company, is a subsidiary of Setraco International Holding group.

The Nigerian company, which was established in 1977, is currently working on expanding a major road in the north of the country.

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Breastfeeding Could Save 95 Babies Every Hour

The lives of 95 babies could be saved every hour if mothers started breastfeeding their newborns in the hour after their birth, a charity has said.

Receiving a mother's first milk within an hour will kickstart the child's immune system, making a newborn three times more likely to survive, according to a report by Save the Children.

If the mother continues feeding for the next six months, then a child growing up in the developing world is up to 15 times less likely to die from killer diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea, the report said.

According to the charity, there has been enormous progress in reducing child mortality, but more could be done if mothers were encouraged to breastfeed.

"Despite the benefits of breastfeeding being widely known in the developed world, and it being a free, natural way to protect a newborn baby, too little attention is being paid to help mums breastfeed in poorer countries," said Justin Forsyth, Save the Children's chief executive.

"If every baby was fed during the first hour of life – what we call the 'power hour' - we estimate that up to 830,000 newborn deaths could be prevented every year - that's 95 babies every hour."

Breastfeeding rates are declining across East Asia and in some of Africa's most populous countries such as Ethiopia and Nigeria, according to the report, called Superfood For Babies.

Australian actress Isla Fisher is an ambassador for Save the Children

The charity cites as factors a lack of empowerment and education for women, severe shortages of midwives and health workers in the developing world, and lack of adequate maternity legislation.

It also cites "inappropriate" marketing techniques by some baby milk substitute companies leading mothers to believe formula is the best way to feed their babies.

Save the Children's new ambassador, actress Isla Fisher, recently visited Brazil as part of the organisation's campaign.

The charity is calling on the UK Government to use its G8 presidency to fund nutrition work with breastfeeding and on other donor countries to step up their funding.

"This year's G8 - with the UK in the driving seat - is a once in a lifetime opportunity to focus effort on a final push to end hunger," said Mr Forsyth.

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Meteor: Rescue Teams Rally To Recovery Effort

A major recovery effort is under way to replace thousands of windows shattered by the shockwave from a meteor that exploded over Russia, as some 24,000 workers began arriving in the Chelyabinsk region to help relief efforts.

The shockwave blew out glass in more than 4,000 buildings in the region and injured about 1,200 people, largely with cuts from the flying debris.

Forty of those injured remained in hospital on Saturday, two of them in a serious condition, the state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

Regional governor Mikhail Yurevich said the damage from the high-altitude explosion - which was estimated to have been as powerful as 20 Hiroshima bombs - is estimated at 1bn rubles (£21m).

A man repairs the window of a damaged sports hall in Chelyabinsk

He promised to have the 200,000 square metres of broken windows replaced within a week.

Rescuers are also scouring the bottom of a lake for the remains of the meteor, which plunged to Earth in a fireball on Friday.

Part of the space rock, which was the size of a bus and blazed across western Siberia, is believed to have landed in the frozen Lake Chebarkul.

Curious onlookers gathered nearby were prevented from venturing out on to the lake by police as the search continued.

More than 24,000 rescuers and recovery workers have already been dispatched to the region around Chelyabinsk to help residents.

Workers in Chelyabinsk examine the damage to a large building

The workers will gather warm clothes and food, cover windows, and make other relief efforts. Crews from glass companies in adjacent regions have also begun to arrive.

Experts are also examining major buildings in case they have been structurally damaged by the blast.

Residents who had poured into the streets to watch the light show after spotting the initial flash were wounded by glass shattered by the subsequent sonic boom.

Experts said the meteor strike was the largest recorded in more than a century.

The meteor burned brightly in the sky as it plunged to Earth

As the recovery mission begins in earnest, the emergencies ministry said six divers would be inspecting the lake for any pieces of meteorite.

Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov added: "We have a special team working ... that is now assessing the seismic stability of buildings. We will be especially careful about switching the gas back on."

Scientists will be desperate to examine the rock for any clues about the cosmos but Mr Puchkov said no fragments had yet been discovered.

The explosion appears to have been one of the most stunning cosmic events over Russia since 1908, when an asteroid was blamed for a massive blast in Siberia.

Nasa estimated that the amount of energy released when the meteor crashed into the Earth's atmosphere was about 20 times more than the force of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.                 

The meteor hit in the Urals on Friday morning

"We would expect an event of this magnitude to occur once every 100 years on average," said Paul Chodas of Nasa's Near-Earth Object Programme Office.

The drama happened just hours before an asteroid whizzed safely past the Earth at an unprecedented distance of 17,200 miles.

This is closer than some distant satellites and set alarm bells ringing in some Russian circles about the need for joint global action to protect Earth from space.

The Russian parliament's foreign affairs committee chief Alexei Pushkov wrote on Twitter: "Instead of fighting on Earth, people should be creating a joint system of asteroid defence."

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Pistorius: Girlfriend's TV Show Goes Ahead

A reality show featuring the dead girlfriend of Oscar Pistorius has aired, as his family says the paralympian is numb with grief over her death.

Tropika Island of Treasure, showing Reeva Steenkamp on location in Jamaica last year, was broadcast on Saturday night despite her shocking death on St Valentine's Day.

Miss Steenkamp, who had been going out with Pistorius since November, was shot four times at his house in a heavily guarded complex in Pretoria on Thursday.

Local media have reported that she was shot through a bathroom door. A 9mm pistol was found at the scene.

Pistorius broke down in court at the mention of premeditated murder

The decision to air the show emerged as Pistorius' uncle said the athlete was "numb with shock, as well as grief" as he remained in custody facing charges of premeditated murder.

In the family's first public comments since the shooting, Arnold Pistorius said they were "in total shock" by what he called an "unimaginable human tragedy".

Tropika Island of Treasure producers said Miss Steenkamp's family wanted her appearance on the reality show for South Africa's national broadcaster to be aired as a tribute.

Before the programme aired a poignant pre-recorded interview with Miss Steenkamp was released in which the 29-year-old talked about the importance of leaving a positive mark in life.

Pistorius (right) after his arrest on Thursday

"I think the way that you go out, not just your journey in life, but the way that you go out and the way you make your exit is so important," Miss Steenkamp said in the video.

"You either made an impact in a positive or a negative way, but just maintain integrity and maintain class and just remain true to yourself.

"I'm going to miss you all so much and I love you very, very much."

Tropika Island of Treasure sees celebrities paired with contestants and put through a series of challenges as they compete for a cash prize.

Executive producer Samantha Moon said: "This is how they want to remember her. This is what she would have wanted. She was happy, healthy, beautiful and vibrant and that's the way she should be remembered."

Spokesman for broadcaster SABA, Kaizer Kganyago, said: "The mother agreed that we should go ahead and we are free to go ahead. We are working on how to pay tribute to her."

Miss Steenkamp's cousin, Sharon Steenkamp, said she "was proud of being in the show".

"Her last words to us personally was that she wants us to watch it," she said.

Reeva Steenkamp, 29, with Pistorius last November

Production company Stimulii said it was "devastated" by the model's death and described her as a "wonderful human being" with a "zest for life".

Pistorius, who made history by competing in both the Olympics and Paralympics last year, sobbed through his first court appearance on Friday.

He is being held in a police cell ahead of a new hearing on February 19, when prosecutors are set to oppose any request for bail.

The chief magistrate delayed the bail hearing until next week at the request of the defence, who asked for more time.

A statement issued by Pistorius' family and management following the initial hearing said: "The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms."

And in Saturday's statement, Arnold Pistorius insisted there was "no substance" to the allegation of premeditated murder "or indeed any murder at all" as he spoke of his nephew's happiness with the model and rising star.

"They had plans together and Oscar was happier in his private life than he had been for a long time," he told the Associated Press.

"Words cannot adequately describe our feelings. The lives of our entire family have been turned upside down forever by this unimaginable human tragedy and Reeva's family have suffered a terrible loss.

"As a family we are trying to be strong and supportive to Oscar as any close family would be in these dreadful circumstances.

"We deeply regret the allegation of premeditated murder. We have no doubt there is no substance to the allegation and that the State's own case, including its own forensic evidence, strongly refutes any possibility of a premeditated murder or indeed any murder at all."

Premeditated murder carries a mandatory life sentence in South Africa. If found guilty, Pistorius would not be eligible for parole for 25 years.

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