30/12/2013 BBC News

Doctors treating Michael Schumacher say he's fighting for his life

following his skiing accident in France. The most successful driver

in Formula One history is in a medically induced coma after brain

surgery. Doctors say they're taking an hour-by-hour approach.

TRANSLATION: He is in a critical condition in terms of brain restores

a date. For now, we cannot predict the future.

Also in tonight's programme: A second suicide bombing in Russia in

as many days - 31 people have now lost their lives.

And talks on the political future of Northern Ireland go down to the wire

- Good evening. Michael Schumacher,

the most successful driver in Formula One history, remains

critically ill tonight after suffering severe brain injuries

after falling and hitting his head on rocks while skiing in the French

Alps. Doctors said he's had an emergency operation to relieve

pressure on the brain and is now in a medically induced coma. His family

are at his hospital bedside. Our sports editor David Bond reports.

During more than 20 years at the summit of Formula One, Michael

Schumacher and a reputation as a fearless fighter. Tonight, following

a skiing accident in France, he is battling for his life. This is close

to where he was injured, the three valleys ski resort in the French

Alps. He was skiing off piste with his son when he fell and hit the

right side of his head on a rock. Medics treating the seven times

world champion at Grenoble University hospitals said they were

taking things out by hour, but initial reports have left many

fearing the worst. TRANSLATION: He is in a critical

condition, and we can say that he is fighting for his life. We can't tell

you what the outcome will be. We are working continuously hour by hour,

but it is too early to say what is going to happen.

The accident happened in Meribel, just after 11am local time. He was

taken by helicopter to a local hospital before being moved to the

larger University of in Grenoble, where he underwent immediate surgery

to relieve Russia on his brain. With fears growing, leading figures from

Formula One United in sending Michael Schumacher messages of

support. Jenson Button tweeted: For the best part of a decade,

Michael Schumacher utterly dominated Formula One. He won more world title

and races than any other Formula One driver. Today, the man who

commentated on so many of his triumphs said his fans shouldn't

give up hope. He is tremendously determined. He has fought his way to

the top of his profession from very humble beginnings, and encouragingly

from the situation he is in now, he is a fighter.

Michael Schumacher's achievements in Formula One Marko Maric is one of

modern sport's greatest figures. Tonight, all his family and friends

can do is wait and hope that he can come through the biggest fight he

has ever faced. Well, as Michael Schumacher remains

in a coma tonight, his medical team say he would not be alive now if he

had failed to wear a helmet. They added that the driver's relative

youth and the fact that he was operated on without delay do count

in his favour. But added all they can do now is wait. Our science

editor David Shukman assesses the type of injury he sustained.

Packed inside the skull, the brain is delicate and vulnerable, and

injuries can be not just forgot to diagnose but hard to treat. It is a

huge challenge just trying to understand which areas have been

damaged and how badly. The surgeons in France admit there

is a lot they don't know about Michael Schumacher's condition, so

they are keeping him in a coma. The signs were not promising when he was

first brought in. This is an important point. He was overwhelmed,

agitated, not responding to questions. He showed spontaneous

movements of his limbs, but he was not in a normal state. Injuries to

the brain are among the most worrying, because they are so

unpredictable. The brain itself is like a soft jelly, held inside the

hard box of the skull, so any sudden movement can be dangerous. Michael

Schumacher was hit on the right side of his head, and this caused

internal bleeding within the brain, which is called haematoma. There is

also bruising, called contusions. So the first step is an operation to

relieve the pressure caused by the contusions. Beyond that, no one can

know what will happen. Patients who have sustained severe head injuries

can take weeks to months sometimes years of rehabilitation to try to

regain function and to re-gain some normal life. It is almost impossible

to say. Nearly five years ago at this ski

resort in Canada, the actress Natasha Richardson hit her head and

initially said she was fine. After an hour she felt unwell, and three

days later she died. The damage to her brain was worse than thought.

With the ski season now at its height, this latest accident will

reinforce the campaign for skiers to wear safety helmets. Michael

Schumacher was wearing a helmet, and surgeons say that without it, he

would be dead already. Let's go live now to the hospital in

France and our correspondent there, Imogen Foulkes. Imogen, when do you

expect to get an update on Michael Schumacher's condition?

Well, in fact the doctors here have told us they will not be commenting

further on Michael Schumacher's condition unless and until that

condition changes, so here is what we know at this moment. We know that

Michael Schumacher remains in that induced coma intended to stabilise

his condition. We also know that the head injury he sustained yesterday

has turned out to be very serious indeed. Outside the hospital, the

world's media have gathered, waiting for news. Also interestingly a

number of fans and local people who want to pay tribute to a man who is

regarded as a giant in his sport, but also held in a grey deal of

affection in this part of the world, he is a regular visitor here. Inside

the hospital, he is receiving round-the-clock treatment. Michael

Schumacher is due to turn 45 next week, and the next few hours,

possibly days, will be crucial to his recovery, and his family now,

his wife and children, are said to be at his bedside.

Imagine, thank you. 14 people have been killed after an

explosion on a bus during this morning's rush hour in the southern

Russian city of Volgograd. It's the second suicide bomb attack there in

two days, and takes the number of dead to 31. A state of emergency's

been declared in the city, and concern's been raised that attacks

might be planned to disrupt the imminent Winter Olympic Games in

Sochi. The United States has tonight offered Russia its full cooperation

in security preparations for the Games. Our Moscow correspondent

Daniel Sandford reports. The burned, twisted, bomb shattered

remained of a rush-hour bus in Volgograd. Many passengers died

instantly when a suicide bomber blew himself up as the people around him

headed to work. A state of emergency has been declared in the city after

the second bomb in two days. TRANSLATION: Today for all of us in

Volgograd and all the oceans, it is a serious test, the second terrorism

act in 24 hours. We have dead people and injured people, and if

necessary, the seriously injured will be flown to hospital in Moscow.

Yesterday, the city's main railway station was attacked by at least one

other suicide bomber. The explosions are most likely linked to the Muslim

is an -- insurgency against Russian rule in the nearby Caucasus. Two

suicide bombs in two days mean that the Kremlin now have a problem.

Vladimir Putin will have to move fast to reassure the Russian public

that he can keep them safe and to reassure the international community

that he can secure the Sochi Winter Olympics which begin in less than

six weeks. President Putin has insisted that

the Winter Olympics will be safe, and today the International Olympic

Committee said they have no doubt that the Russian authorities will be

up to the task. But doubt is creeping in. For the Islamists in

nearby Chechnya and Dagestan, there were probably responsible for these

bombs, the Olympics were perfect platform to use violence to

undermine the Russian government. Homes have been evacuated and roads

closed after heavy rain caused flooding across parts of Scotland.

In Dumfries and Galloway, around 40 homes were evacuated in the village

of Kirkconnel. Several people were rescued by helicopter. East Ayrshire

was also badly affected, with 14 people rescued from properties in

New Cumnock. The heavy rain also led to some disruption on the rail

network. More than 30 flood warnings are currently in place across

Scotland. Politicians in Northern Ireland are

negotiating into the night to try to reach agreement on issues left

outstanding from the peace process. A final deadline's been set by the

former US diplomat, Richard Haass, who's chairing the talks and is due

to return home tomorrow. He has been trying since July to broker a deal.

The main issues of contention have been the flying of flags, agreeing a

code of conduct for parades for communities on both sides, and

deciding on a formal way to deal with the legacy of the Troubles.

From Belfast, Andy Martin reports. Richard Haass is preparing to

deliver good news, but after months of negotiation, the deal he had

hoped to deliver by noon is still not sealed. As politicians arrived

this morning, there were prayers for a breakthrough. Let's get the job

finished, and let's get jobs here and tourism here, and let's lift

Northern Ireland up to the world. October Richard Haass is adamant

that he will return to America tomorrow, whether or not a deal is

struck. His task has been tall, to develop mechanisms to prevent scenes

like this. Riots often caused by disagreement between loyalist and

republican is over what flags can fly where and when. What parades can

take place in what areas. And how to deal with thousands of unsolved

murders from 30 years of conflict. This will not go away, so now is the

time to deal with it. Let's hope we can do it today. I am fairly

confident that we should be able to do that. Unionists, too, are

surprisingly upbeat. Are you optimistic? Yes. I don't see why

not. Among the proposals that have been discussed is the creation of

two new commissions, the first of which would re-examine murders from

the Troubles, and the second to establish the truth of what

happened, and crucially, anyone giving information to it would

receive immunity from having the information data used against them.

If the deal is struck tonight, it will be a tough job to sell it to

those who take their grievances onto the streets. It is too early for the

team to celebrate, but for the first time, the glass appears to be half

full. Finally, the Duke of Cambridge is to

become a student again, this time at Cambridge University. Prince William

will start a ten-week course in agricultural management in January

that's been tailor-made for him personally. He'll learn about the

issues facing the UK's rural communities and the farming

industry. That's it from us. The new years

Honours will be announced at 10.30. You can see that on the BBC