Syria Chemical Weapons: US Accuses Regime

The Syrian regime has carried out two chemical weapons attacks, US Secretary of State John Kerry has said.

Mr Kerry made the claim as he left a Congressional hearing, but did not give further details.

The White House said forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad probably used sarin gas against rebel fighters on a "small scale", but emphasised more assessments were needed.

Washington has said any use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line", triggering possible military action.

A White House official said if it was determined that line had been crossed, the US would consult with its allies on the next step - and "all options are on the table".

The official said the Assad regime is believed to have chemical weapons, and any use of them in the country would probably have been carried out by government forces.

Miguel E Rodriguez, assistant to the president and director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, revealed the claims in a letter to senators John McCain and Carl Levin.

"Our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin," he said.

The US says the Assad regime is likely to be behind any chemical weapon use

A senior defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press the letter was not an "automatic trigger" for policy decisions on the use of military force.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel first announced the assessment during a visit to Abu Dhabi, saying the "decision to reach this conclusion was made within the past 24 hours".

Britain's Foreign Office later said the information on chemical weapons use in Syria was convincing.

A spokesman said: "We have limited, but persuasive information from various sources showing chemical weapon use in Syria, including sarin.

"This is extremely concerning. Use of chemical weapons is a war crime. We have briefed our allies, partners and the UN on this information and we are working actively to get more and better information.

"Assad must cooperate with the international community and prove that his regime has not committed this horrific crime, allowing unrestricted access for the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to investigate on the ground in Syria."

It was reported earlier this month that British military scientists had studied a soil sample brought back from an area close to Damascus and found it tested positive for chemical weapons, although the Government has not confirmed that.

Senator McCain told Sky News: "The problem is that the president has consistently said that's a red line, so the question is, will the president act in a way that I have advocated for a long time?

"(This involves) providing a safe zone for the Syrian resistance, provide proper weapons and have operational capability to secure these chemical weapon caches.

"All intelligence indicates that we're in a stalemate, and for at least the coming six months the stalemate continues, the massacre continues."

Sarin is a colourless and odourless liquid, and is an extremely potent nerve agent.

It is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN, and the production and stockpiling of sarin was outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993.

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Russia: Psychiatric Hospital Fire Kills 38

At least 38 people have been killed in a fire at a psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of Moscow, according to emergency officials.

The blaze broke out in the one-storey hospital in the town of Ramenye in the early hours of this morning.

It is said to have destroyed the entire building.

Officials said two medical workers are among the dead victims.

Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted police as saying the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.

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London Bus Stabbing: Boy, 16, Dies

A murder investigation has been launched following the death of a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed on a bus in London.

Police were called just after 3pm on Tuesday after the boy was stabbed on the route 393 bus.

The bus was stopped at Highbury New Park, and the youngster was treated at the scene by the ambulance service.

He was taken by air ambulance to an east London hospital, where he died late on Wednesday.

His next of kin has been informed.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course.

A 15-year-old boy is currently being held at a north London police station on suspicion of attempted murder.

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Boston Marathon Bombings 'Triggered By Remote'

The Boston Marathon explosions that killed three people and wounded more than 260 were triggered by a remote-controlled detonator.

The bombs were not very sophisticated and were set off within several streets away because the detonator was a "close-controlled" device, according to two US officials who spoke to AP news agency on condition of anonymity.

It was not immediately clear what the detonation device was.

A criminal complaint outlining the charges against surviving 19-year-old bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev described him as holding a mobile phone minutes before the first explosion.

Bombing suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev (L) and Dzokhar Tsarnaev (R)

The two sources, one reportedly briefed by the FBI and the other close to the investigation, also told AP that Dzhokhar had told interrogators that he and his brother were angry about US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They also said a 9mm pistol, believed to have been used by suspects in a gun battle with police last Friday had been recovered. Its serial number had been scratched off.

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis has said more than 250 shots were fired in the first shootout in Watertown during which explosives were thrown at police and 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev died.

His youngster brother, who escaped, was captured some time later hiding in a boat in the same residential suburb of Boston after a gun battle with police.

He remains in hospital and is being questioned about the marathon attacks. He has been charged with using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Thousands gathered to pay their respects to Sean Collier

It has also emerged the Russian government was in touch with the CIA with concerns about Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Until now, only contact with the FBI had been acknowledged by US officials.

Details of the ongoing investigation into the bombings emerged as a memorial service was held for Sean Collier - a university police officer who authorities say was killed by the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

Up to 10,000 Massachusetts Institute of Technology students, faculty and staff as well as law enforcement officials from across the US gathered at Briggs Field to pay solemn tribute to the campus officer.

Vice President Joe Biden, as well as members of Mr Collier's family, also attended the event which was not open to the public.

Mr Biden, who grew up in the same neighbourhood as the Collier family, said the tragedy had brought him to "tears" after relatives painted "a vivid picture" of their loved one.

The casket of the slain polcie officer is carried by colleagues

He told the congregation: "Of all the things I've read, not knowing Sean, what struck home the most to me was that a student was quoted as saying, 'he loved us and we loved him'. What a remarkable son, what a remarkable brother."

Mr Biden described the Tsarnaev brothers, the only suspects in the Boston attack, as "two twisted, perverted, cowardly, knock-off jihadis".

In an emotional and passionate speech, he added: "What makes me so proud to be an American is that we have not yielded to our fears.

"The irony is, we read about these events, we experience them, but the truth is, on every frontier, terrorism as a weapon is losing. It is not gaining adherents, and what galls them the most is America does remain that shining city on the hill."

Mr Collier had only been in the job for a year when he was fatally shot in his squad car at the beginning of the dramatic manhunt for the suspects, four days after the twin blasts at the Marathon.

Jill Biden visits a memorial in Boylston Street - the scene of the bombings

The 26-year-old was well-respected by his colleagues and was popular with students, and often went on hikes with the MIT student outing club.

MIT police chief John DiFava said: "What made Sean good? There are many reasons. But I believe the most important is the fact that he was the same person in uniform that he was when he wasn't wearing the uniform.

"His care and compassion was genuine ... and because of his depth of character he was able to achieve a level of trust with people of all backgrounds that was truly remarkable. I am sure his love of life and that mischievous grin added to his ability to connect with students."

He added: "Sean, we love you and we'll never forget you."

Wednesday's gathering followed a private funeral mass for Mr Collier on Tuesday.

Parents Anzor Tsarnaev and Zubeidat Tsarnaeva

Meanwhile, US diplomats have travelled to Russia's Dagestan region, a largely Muslim area on the Caspian Sea, to interview the parents of the bombing suspects.

Their father Anzor Tsarnaev and mother Zubeidat Tsarnaeva have reportedly said they will be travelling to the US on Thursday to visit their surviving son and bring his dead elder brother's body back to Russia.

They have refuted the allegation that their sons carried out the last Monday's bombings and have said their sons were framed.

Some relatives have claimed Tamerlan fell under the influence of a mystery Muslim convert - a red-bearded man known to the family only as Misha - and was steered towards an extreme form of Islam.

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Weather: Britain Set For Year's Hottest Day

Spring sunshine could see parts of the UK enjoy the country's hottest weather of the year so far - before plummeting temperatures and a sudden cold snap take hold.

Large swathes of east Wales and southern and eastern England have been basking in clear skies and bright sunshine, with 20.5C (68.9F) recorded at Frittenden in Kent on Tuesday.

And while temperatures will plunge by Friday, Wednesday is expected to be the warmest day yet of 2013.

Sky News Weather Producer Joanna Robinson said: "Southeast England looks to keep the warmth over the next few days, but there will be more in the way of cloud around than on Tuesday.

"Temperatures could reach 21C (69.8F) or 22C (71.6F) in the best of the sunny spells there, which would equal the highest temperature we've seen so far in 2013, in Manston and Gravesend on April 14."

But she added that the mercury could drop below double figures in many parts of the country later in the week.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the warmth will last into the weekend," she said.

"Rain will spread across south-east England on Thursday night, allowing the cooler air further north to set in.

"Friday and Saturday look to be fairly cold nationwide, with temperatures reaching a high of just 10C (50F) or 11C (51F) in the South East.

"Scotland and Northern Ireland will see temperatures around 8C (46.4F). It will feel even colder in the northerly wind and we'll also see the return of overnight frosts too.

"Spring is a changeable season so it's not unusual to see spells of warmth along with cold snaps."

Meanwhile, hay fever sufferers have received some good news as experts predicted a shorter hay fever season this summer.

Cold weather over recent months is thought to have delayed the release of silver birch and grass pollen.

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Doping Scandal: Bookmakers To Refund Bets

Ladbrokes and William Hill have announced they are to refund thousands of pounds' worth of bets placed on horses which tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

The news comes as British racing faces its biggest-ever doping scandal after 11 horses at one of the country's top racing stables tested positive for anabolic steroids.

Ladbrokes has said it will return £200,000 worth of bets placed on horses tested positive for steroids. William Hill said it would refund all ante-post bets on four horses from the Godolphin stables - Certify, Desert Bloom, Artigiano and Restraint Of Trade.

Coral has confirmed it is also refunding bets placed on the same four horses.

William Hill spokesperson Kate Miller said: ''This is an unprecedented eventuality, and no-one betting could have predicted these events.

"We believe the fairest result for our customers is to refund their bets placed on the Godolphin runners.''

Paddy Power is to refund all bets on Certify for the 1000 Guineas while it checks its position on other affected horses.

Trainer Mahmood al Zarooni will have to attend a disciplinary hearing and faces a lengthy ban from the sport after admitting administering the drugs at the Godolphin stables in Newmarket.

Sheikh Mohammed congratulating his jockey after winning the Dubai World Cup

The positive tests at the stables owned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum were revealed after spot tests on 45 horses by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).

The animals that failed included Certify, the ante-post favourite for next month's 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket, and 2012 Royal Ascot Gold Cup runner-up Opinion Poll.

Mr al Zarooni admitted that he had administered two steroids, but claimed he did not know it was an offence to use the drugs when the horses were not racing.

In a statement, he said: "I deeply regret what has happened. I have made a catastrophic error.

"Because the horses involved were not racing at the time, I did not realise that what I was doing was in breach of the rules of racing.

"I can only apologise for the damage this will cause to Godolphin and to racing generally."

The episode is deeply embarrassing for Godolphin's patron Sheikh Mohammed, who has invested hundreds of millions of pounds in British racing over the last 20 years.

His racing manager Simon Crisford said the findings marked a "dark day" for the stables.

"His Highness Sheikh Mohammed was absolutely appalled when he was told and this is completely unacceptable to him.

"We will await the outcome of the BHA inquiry before taking any further internal action.

"Sheikh Mohammed has instructed me to begin an urgent review of all of our procedures and controls. That is already under way and we will take advice from the BHA in completing it," he said.

It is highly unusual for performance-enhancing drugs to be revealed by doping tests in racing.

Most of the 25 to 30 positive tests revealed in an average year are for medication used in breach of the rules.

The samples were taken from the Godolphin stables in Moulton Paddocks, Newmarket, on April 9.

Seven horses were found to have ethylestranol in their system, and four the drug stanozolol, the steroid used by disgraced Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics.

Adam Brickell, director of integrity, legal and risk for the BHA, said: "Ethylestranol and stanozolol are anabolic steroids and therefore prohibited substances under British Rules of Racing, at any time - either in training or racing.

"The horses which have produced positive tests will also not be permitted to race with immediate effect and for an extended period of time.

"As part of the ongoing process a decision will be made as to what period this suspension will be imposed for."

National Trainers Federation chief executive Rupert Arnold said he had been "shocked" by the test results.

"The Godolphin management, for whom Mr al Zarooni trains, is a byword for the highest levels of professionalism, integrity and sportsmanship," he said.

"News reports so far suggest this case is an aberration and is not indicative of wider use of anabolic steroids in British horseracing.

"We fully endorse the British Horseracing Authority's testing in training regime and all efforts to prevent the use of any prohibited substance to gain an unfair advantage.

"Without wanting to diminish the seriousness of this case, in some ways it is a positive message that the presence of these substances was detected so the sport is kept clean."

The Godolphin stable was founded in 1992 and has won more than 2,000 races worldwide, with winners in 14 countries.

Mr al Zarooni has trained a series of big-race winners since joining Sheikh Mohammed's operation three years ago.

They include the richest race in the world - the Dubai World Cup - with Monterosso last March, and then the St Leger at Doncaster with Encke in September.

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Boston Bomb Suspect Charged In Hospital Bed

The surviving Boston marathon bomb suspect has been charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction - as he and his brother are accused of bragging about the attacks to a car-jacking victim.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his dead brother Tamerlan said to the motorist they abducted while on the run: "Did you hear about the Boston explosion" and "I did that", court papers revealed.

The allegations emerged after Dzhokhar, 19, was charged over the deadly attacks while in his hospital bed.

He remains in a serious condition after being detained on Friday.

He will also face a charge of malicious destruction of property resulting in death, the Justice Department said. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Dzhokhar leaves the boat he was hiding in

Court papers also revealed Dzhokhar had apparent gunshot wounds to his head, neck, legs and hand when he was arrested at the end of a major manhunt, hours after escaping police in a shoot-out that left his 26-year-old brother dead.

Dzhokhar is being treated at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where some of those wounded in the blasts are also being treated.

Earlier reports said he was unable to speak because of an injury to his throat, but that he was able to respond to questions from investigators by writing down the answers.

Three people died and more than 180 others were injured in the twin blasts at the marathon, the worst bombing to take place in the US since 9/11.

Family photos have emerged showing Tamerlan here with his parents and uncle Tamerlan is seen here with little brother Dzhokhar and their sisters

After Tamerlan was killed early on Friday, Dzhokhar escaped, triggering an hours-long manhunt that shut down Boston.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked in a back yard late on Friday night.

It has also emerged police chiefs believe the Tsarnaev brothers were planning further attacks.

Commissioner Ed Davis said officers found a large stockpile of weapons and more than 250 rounds of ammunition at the scene of the earlier gun battle.

"They had IEDs," he said, referring to improvised explosives devices. "They had homemade hand grenades that they were throwing at the officers.

A forensics team examines the boat on Monday

"The scene was loaded with unexploded improvised explosive devices that actually we had to point out to the arriving officers and clear the area."

He said one IED was found in the car-jacked Mercedes the brothers had abandoned. Court papers also revealed a "large pyrotechnic" and white cap matching surveillance footage near the scene of the attacks were found in Dzhokhar's dormitory room.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, has said US authorities have also asked to speak with his client.

Amato DeLuca said Mrs Russell Tsarnaev did not suspect her husband of anything, and nothing seemed amiss after the explosions.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunfight - his wife apparently knew nothing

The Tsarnaevs were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the US for a decade.

Dzhokhar became a US citizen in 2012, while his older brother's application was reportedly held up.

Tamerlan began posting militant videos on social media sites in recent years, and travelled to Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, in 2012. Both Russian regions host separatist rebel groups.

The brothers' social media pages appeared to express sympathy with the struggle in Chechnya, which has been ravaged by two wars since 1994 between Russia and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels.

Three people were killed in the twin bombings

The White House has said that as a naturalised US citizen, Tsarnaev will not be treated as an "enemy combatant", which would have involved a military tribunal. Instead he will be prosecuted through the criminal court system and is expected to appear in court on May 30.

Many in Boston have observed a moment of silence exactly a week after the first of two bombs went off near the marathon finish line.

A private funeral has been held for Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant worker who was among the dead, on Monday.

Later in the day, a memorial service was held at Boston University for another victim, Lu Lingzi, 23, a graduate student from China.

The youngest person to die was eight-year-old Martin Richard, while police officer Sean Collier was killed during a confrontation with the suspects in the early hours of Friday.

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'Al Qaeda Terror Plot' To Attack Train Foiled

Canadian police say they have foiled an al Qaeda-backed "major terrorist plot" to attack a passenger train on a railway line between New York and Toronto.

Two people have been arrested and charged with conspiring to carry out the attack and murder people in association with a terrorist group, police revealed at a news conference in Toronto.

The suspects - Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35 - had been under surveillance since August 2012 after authorities were tipped off about one of the men.

They were allegedly planning to target and derail a Via Rail passenger train in the Toronto area, and are alleged to have received "direction and guidance" from al Qaeda "elements" in Iran.

Police said there was "no indication that these attacks were state-sponsored" and declined to say where the suspects were from.

They confirmed they were not Canadian citizens. but had been in the country "a significant amount of time".

"This is the first known al Qaeda planned attack that we've experienced in Canada," Superintendent Doug Best said.

Canadian police hold a news conference to reveal details of the arrests

Canadian authorities, the FBI and US Homeland Security police and agents have been involved in a year-long cross-border operation that led to the arrests in Toronto and Montreal.

Assistant Commissioner James Maliza, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said: "Had this plot been carried out it would have resulted in innocent people being killed, or seriously injured."

Colleague Chief Superintendent Jennifer Strachan added: "We are alleging that these two individuals took steps and conducted activities to initiate a terrorist attack.

"They watched trains and railways in the Greater Toronto area."

She added: "It was definitely in the planning stage but not imminent."

The suspects will attend a bail hearing in Toronto tomorrow.

Sky's US correspondent Amanda Walker said: "They are really hailing this as a successful operation - something particularly in the current climate - that they have managed to prevent.

"It does seem they have treated this as a very serious and major threat which was certainly well-on in the planning, it seems.

"But not far enough for the public or railway staff to be in any immediate danger.

"So obviously they had a difficult act here to actually balance the timing of when they made these arrests - getting enough intelligence, enough information, but not taking that up to the point when the public would have been in real danger."

The news comes one week after twin bombings at the Boston Marathon killed three people and wounded 180 - and as Canada's parliament debates a proposal to beef up anti-terror measures.

A US Justice Department official in Washington said there was no connection between the thwarted terrorist plot and last Monday's attacks in Boston.

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London Marathon: Tributes To Boston Victims

Thousands of runners at the London Marathon, including Olympic champion Mo Farah, observed 30 seconds of silence at the start of the race, which took place less than a week after the Boston attacks.

The poignant tribute was followed by applause as the runners gathered at the start line for the elite men's and mass race with large crowds lining the streets of the UK capital under heavy security.

Many of the 36,000 fun runners, athletes and fundraisers wore a black ribbon as a mark of respect to those affected by the attack.

Some had the name of the US city emblazoned on their vests, while some spectators held up banners saying "For Boston".

Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia won the men's race in , while Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya won the women's event.

The marathon has drawn thousands of people

Huge crowds turned out to watch the races on a glorious spring day in London despite concerns raised by the bomb attacks on the Boston Marathon.

"It was incredible, the amount of support, people coming out from everywhere, just cheering the whole way. Unbelievable," said a breathless Farah.

Prime Minister David Cameron wrote on Twitter : "Congratulations to the inspiring runners in the #LondonMarathon - a fantastic showcase for the city."

Prince Harry, who waited at the finish line on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace to hand out medals to the winners, said the large turnout was "fantastic" and "typically British".

He also paid tribute to Boston, saying: "The way that Boston has dealt with it has been absolutely remarkable.

"It's never going to get anyone down here, the great thing about the marathon is no matter what colour you are, or religion, no matter what nationality you are, everyone comes together to run a certain distance to raise money for amazing causes.

"I think that you can never that take away from people," he told the BBC.

Virgin London Marathon has pledged to donate £2 for every finisher to The One Fund Boston, which was set up to raise money for the victims of the explosions.

Three people were killed in Boston, including an eight-year-old boy, and over 170 injured, some seriously.

Priscah Jeptoo posing for photographers after winning the women's race

Following the attacks, hundreds of extra police were deployed in London - a 40% increase in the usual number of officers.

Authorities stressed the increased security was aimed at reassuring the public and was not a response to a specific threat.

Despite the sombre tributes and the increased police presence, the mood was a festive one, with spectators cheering the runners on and some competitors showing up in fancy dress.

"It means that runners are stronger than bombers," said Valerie Bloomfield, a 40-year-old participant from France.

Among the runners was Stuart Singer, who ran the Boston Marathon on Monday but crossed the finish line ahead of the blasts. He said there was never any doubt he would run.

Mr Singer, whose wife had been standing on the spot the second bomb was detonated 15 minutes before the explosion, said: "I just didn't feel there was any risk on the streets at all."

Mo Farah says he overslept ahead of the race.

Barbara Stephenson, charge d'affaires at the US Embassy in London, told Sky News the show of respect by London Marathon runners for the Boston victims underlined the "special relationship" between the two countries.

"We've had responses from Her Majesty the Queen, all through Twitter from the British people, and now we have got tens of thousands of London Marathon runners wearing a black ribbon in solidarity with the people of Boston."

She went on to say that "it's moments like this when you know what the special relationship's really all about."

The winding route from Blackheath to Buckingham Palace took the runners past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.

Farah, the Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion, ran about half the race, stepping off the course at  the 13.1 mile mark near Tower Bridge.

He revealed before the event that he had overslept. "I'm late! I woke up late! I'm going to miss the bus!" he joked.

Paralympic star David Weir said he was disappointed with his fifth place in the men's wheelchair race.

The winners with Prince Harry and Richard Branson

Speaking near the finish line, the six-time London Marathon champion said: "It was a tough race, but I knew it was going to be tough after four months out.

"I just had to do my best, and that's what I did today."

Celebrities running this year included the drummer from the pop group McFly, Harry Judd, the shadow chancellor, Ed Balls, and the singer Katherine Jenkins. Speaking on the finish line, Mr Balls said that the Chancellor, George Osborne, had sponsored him.

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Boston: 'Pair May Have Planned More Attacks'

The brothers suspected of carrying out the deadly Boston Marathon explosions may have been planning more attacks, police say.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is in a serious condition in hospital after separate gun battles with police.

But Boston police commissioner Ed Davis said officers cannot be certain there were not more explosives in the city.

"It's possible, but we have already searched the locations that are directly connected with the two bombers. They clearly had other explosives," Commissioner Davis said on Fox News Sunday.

"We feel they had plans to use those explosives," he added.

Meanwhile, the city's mayor Tom Menino has said authorities do not know if they will ever be able to question the surviving suspect.

Incendiary devices were detonated on the boat by police

Dzhokhar, 19, was captured late on Friday after a gunfight with officers that ended the city-wide search.

He was shot in the throat and could not speak because of injuries to his tongue, said a source close to the investigation, preventing police from questioning him.

The suspect is under armed guard in hospital, as investigators try to find a motive for the attack.

A video has been released by officers showing the operation to seize him after being tipped off by a man who noticed blood under a tarpaulin covering his boat in his garden.

Thermal imaging footage from a helicopter depicts a glowing white mass - Tsarnaev - hiding in the boat before he was detained by officers.

Bombing suspects Tamerlan Tsarnaev (L) and his brother Dzhokhar

One section of the video was of a police vehicle using an extended robotic arm to remove a tarpaulin covering the vessel while others showed officers detonating incendiary devices on the boat.

His brother Tamerlan, 26, died earlier on Friday after a shootout with the police. Officers are working to determine whether the two ethnic Chechen brothers accused of the attack acted alone.

A law enforcement source said Tamerlan travelled to Moscow in January 2012 and spent six months in the region.

But it remains unclear what he did while he was there, or whether he had contact with militant Islamist groups in southern Russia's restive Caucasus region.

A website used by North Caucasus rebels has reportedly denied any link to the marathon bombings.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leaves the boat he was hiding in

"The command of the Vilayat Dagestan mujahedeen... declares that the Caucasus fighters are not waging any military activities against the United States of America," the website said.

"We are only fighting Russia, which is not only responsible for the occupation of the Caucasus, but also for monstrous crimes against Muslims," the rebel site said.

Sky's Moscow correspondent Katie Stallard said the development was "very significant" because authorities will be looking for the ideology behind the attacks.

She said: "Until they are able to speak to Dzhokhar to get information from him, they will be working backwards through these men's history in terms of travel, where they have been physically, websites they have visited, material they have looked at online."

Police look around the corner as Dzhokhar was hiding in a boat nearby

Stallard added: "There are allegedly videos that the older brother Tamerlan had been looking at which identified him with the cause of the Caucases emirate.

"It's a separatist moment down in the south of Russia, started as a Chechen nationalist movement that has become a movement towards an independent Islamic state in that region."

The FBI, which interviewed Tamerlan in 2011 after he was flagged by Russian authorities, believes the older brother was the leader of the pair.

Investigators are checking on people who had contact with both brothers to see if anyone else was involved.

Dzhokhar had been hiding in the boat that was parked in the garden of a house in the suburb of Watertown. He was captured after the owner spotted blood on the vessel and called the police.

Massachusetts State Police used infra-red to spot Dzhokhar

Residents in Watertown have held a vigil to remember the three people killed and 176 others injured in the marathon attacks. 

As night fell, those gathered at the Watertown High School lit candles as a mark of respect for the victims.

Investigators are trying to establish whether the brothers had assistance leading up to the detonation of bombs made in pressure cookers and packed with ball bearings and nails.

Dzhokhar is being treated at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston.

It was unclear when he would be able to talk or when he would be charged.

"It's serious ... he's not yet able to speak," Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick told reporters. "We have a million questions - and those questions need to be answered."

During their getaway attempt, the brothers apparently killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology policeman Sean Collier and severely wounded another officer.

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Boston Bombings: Second Suspect In Custody

A family has spoken about the terrifying moment they found Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev bloodied and hiding in their back yard.

David Hennebury tipped off the authorities after he noticed blood under a tarpaulin covering his boat at his home in suburban Watertown.

His stepson Robert Duffy said: "As soon as the ban on going out was lifted they went outside and walked around. The wind had picked up and the tarp on the boat had kind of lifted, which he found strange.

"He went over to the boat for a closer look and found a strap that had been cut - not torn or worn through. He was stranged out by it.

Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leaves the boat he was hiding in

"He noticed a small amount of blood in this area and when he went under the tarp he saw a small pool of blood immediately there.

"He looked forward and because the tarp obscured a lot of sunlight, he saw what he believed to be a crumpled body bloodied in the front of the boat.

"He immediately panicked, dropped off the ladder and called 911, and with all of the SWAT and physical police presence right there in that neighbourhood and street, they descended on them and immediately evacuated them.

"So they are safe, that's the most important thing and the suspect has been apprehended."

Police look around the corner as Dzhokhar was hiding in a boat nearby

As officers surrounded the property, a police helicopter used infra-red equipment to confirm there was a human inside the boat.

Dzhokhar, who was already wounded from an earlier shootout, exchanged gunfire with police for an hour while holed up in the vessel.

The dramatic stand-off ended with the 19-year-old being given first aid on the lawn next to the boat before he was taken away in an ambulance at around 8.45pm local time.

Dzhokhar remains in "serious condition" at Beth Israel Deaconess hospital and a specialist interrogation team is waiting to question him.

He had been on the run since his 26-year-old brother and fellow suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev - known as suspect number one - was killed in a shoot-out with police in the early hours of Friday.

This image appears to show the capture of Dzhokhar

The pair hurled a pressure cooker bomb like those used in the marathon blasts at police and Dzhokhar drove over his dying brother to escape the gun battle, Watertown's police chief Edward Devau has revealed.

Devau said two off-duty police were helping four officers who confronted the brothers in the overnight shootout.

"We estimate that over 200 shots were fired over a five-to-10 minute period," Devau said, adding that the brothers also hurled a pressure cooker bomb and other homemade explosives.

"We found a pressure cooker embedded in a car down the street" after it caused "a major explosion during this gunfight," Devau said.

Massachusetts State Police used infra-red to spot Tsarnaev (pic: MSP)

Two homemade grenades exploded and two others failed to go off. Another device was found in an abandoned car, he said.

Devau told how Tamerlan Tsarnaev suddenly emerged "and just starts walking down the street shooting at our police officers."

When the suspected bomber ran out of ammunition, two or three police overpowered him and were trying to handcuff him when the other brother drove the carjacked black Mercedes at them, said the police chief.

"One of them yells 'look out'," said Devau. "They dive out of the way and he runs over his brother and drags him a short distance down the street."

Doctors officially pronounced Tamerlan dead at the hospital where his brother is now being treated.

Devau said police lost Dzhokhar after he drove off amid more gunfire, then dumped the car and ran off into the darkness two or three streets on. 

The brothers were believed to be behind Monday's twin explosions at the Boston Marathon which left three people dead and around 180 wounded.

But their Mother Zubeidat said she did not believe they were responsible.

"I am like 100% sure that this is a setup," she said. "My two sons are really innocent and I know that neither of them have never talked about whatever they're saying about now.

"My youngest one was raised from eight years in America and my oldest son he was really properly raised in my house. No-one talked about terrorism."

During their getaway attempt, they killed Massachusetts Institute of Technology policeman Sean Collier and severely wounded another officer, authorities said.

A crowd of residents cheered as Dzhokhar - known as suspect number two - was taken into custody, and the celebrations continued into the night in the city's streets.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been taken to hospital with serious injuries

Mayor Tom Menino said on Twitter: "We got him".

Boston Police tweeted: "CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over. The search is done. The terror is over. And justice has won. Suspect in custody."

The family of eight-year-old Martin Richard, who died in the bombings, released a statement praising police.  

"Tonight, our family applauds the entire law enforcement community for a job well done, and trust that our justice system will now do its job," the family said.

As Dzhokhar was being captured, three people in New Bedford, Massachusetts, were also taken into custody for questioning over the blasts.

Residents cheered after the suspect was caught

Lieutenant Robert Richard said two men and a woman were being questioned by the FBI "on the assumption there is an affiliation with suspect number two".

It has also been revealed that Tamerlan attracted the attention of US authorities two years ago - apparently after contact from the Russian authorities.

The FBI said its agents interviewed him in 2011 at the request of a foreign government, but that the investigation found "no derogatory information", according to an official.

The brothers' uncle Ruslan Tsarni has claimed Tamerlan was radicalized by an Armenian convert to Islam.

Maret Tsarnaev, the men's aunt, said Tamerlan had recently become a devout Muslim who prayed five times a day.

Speaking to reporters at her home in Toronto, Canada, she also said the older brother was married and had a daughter in the US.

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London Marathon: Show Of Solidarity For Boston

By Jason Farrell, Sky News Correspondent

A 30-second silence will be held before the start of today's London Marathon as a mark of respect to victims of the Boston bombings.

Organisers say most of the 36,000 runners are also expected to wear black ribbons "to show solidarity" with the people of Boston.

Virgin London Marathon has pledged to donate £2 for every finisher to The One Fund Boston set up to raise money for victims of the explosions.

Richard Inchley who has been registering runners for the marathon says events in Massachusetts have not deterred competitors from taking part in the 26.2 mile challenge.

"People are more determined ever to take part, and I can't think of a single person who wasn't eager to wear the ribbon. One German runner was in tears as he showed me video footage of him crossing the line in Boston as the bomb went off behind him. But I think running in London will be a kind of therapy for him."

Every participant is being given a black ribbon to wear during the race

British runner Jack Cummings who ran in the Boston Marathon said he will also run again today.

"My wife and daughter were across the street from the second blast. It was very unnerving as people at the finish line didn't know what was happening."

He added: "I was very apprehensive about running today. I felt so empty after what happened in Boston, but I didn't want to disappoint the charity, and today I'm running for all those in Boston that got hurt or died."

Despite the death and capture of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, security has been stepped up to reassure the runners and spectators.

The Met is in close contact with the FBI and Boston Police and there is nothing to suggest any link with the bomb attacks.

The police prescence during the London race is being stepped up by 40%

Malcolm Baker, a former Police Counter-Terrorism Officer, told Sky News: "The main objective of the police is to provide reassurance and public safety for both the runners and spectators and secondly it will be to deter any copycat attacks."

Despite the 40% increase in police presence, the marathon will maintain its carnival atmosphere.

Hundreds of runners will turn out in fancy dress for the winding route from Black Heath to Buckingham Palace past some of the capital's most famous landmarks.

Half a million people usually turn up to watch the spectacle.

One volunteer race official, Lesley Inchley, said: "I think there will be even more people than usual coming to watch. Spectators will want to lend their support to the runners and send a really clear message that we won't be frightened by bombers."

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