India: British Woman Murdered In Kashmir

A Dutch man has been detained after a 24-year-old British woman was found murdered on a houseboat in Indian-administered Kashmir, police have confirmed.

The woman had apparently been stabbed and police said she was found in a pool of blood on the vessel at Srinagar's Dal Lake, a popular tourist destination.

Senior police officer Abdul Ghani Mir said the man was picked up as he tried to flee the valley with only his passport.

A police officer at Dal Lake, a popular tourist destination

He said: "A 24-year-old British national was found murdered in a local houseboat this morning. A Dutch national, De Wit Richard, has been detained for investigations.

"While preliminary investigation has confirmed that the woman was murdered, we are investigating other angles. Forensic evidence is being collected.

"The Dutch national had fled from the houseboat in the night, leaving behind his belongings. He was trying to flee from the valley, carrying only his passport. We flashed an alert for his arrest."

Forensics officers are looking for clues at the scene

Another officer, superintendent Tahir Sajjad told AFP: "We walked into a pool of blood in her room. We found a sharp-edged knife close to her body. The young lady had multiple stab wounds."

The attacker smashed the latch on the cabin door, according to AFP.

The man was held at Qazigund, in south Kashmir's Anantag district, around 100km (62 miles) from the lake where the woman's body was found.

Onlookers gathered near the scene of the murder

He had allegedly fled in a small boat which capsized as he was trying to reach the shore, forcing him to swim.

Speaking near the murder scene, Deputy Inspector General of Police for central Kashmir Syed Afadul Mujtiba said: "There is one houseboat over here in which there were two tourists living.

"One tourist was there for about one month. She has been living here, an English tourist, and a Dutch tourist arrived two days ago, and now today in the morning the dead body of the female tourist has been found with incision wounds, sharp-edged weapon wounds, and the Dutch tourist has tried to escape.

"It appears that he has murdered this female tourist."

Sky's India correspondent Alex Rossi said: "Police say preliminary investigations have confirmed that this woman was murdered, but they are investigating other angles.

"Forensic evidence is being collected and the Dutch national is being questioned."

The weeping owner of the Kashmir houseboat, named Hafeeza, said she was shocked by the tourist's murder.

She said: "She was very dear to me, she was just like my daughter."

The Foreign Office says it is in touch with local authorities and the victim's family have been informed.

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North Korea: US Deploys Spy Plane To Japan

Tensions remain high on the Korean Peninsula amid reports the US has deployed an unmanned spy plane to Japan to boost its surveillance after North Korea readied missile launchers on its east coast.

The Global Hawk will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan, in the first ever deployment of the aircraft in the country, the Sankei Shimbun reported, quoting government sources.

The US military informed Japan last month about plans to deploy the plane between June and September but has brought the date forward.

It comes after North Korea warned foreign diplomats they may not be safe in the country if war breaks out.

The spy plane will be stationed at the US airbase in Misawa, northern Japan

Pyongyang asked foreign embassies whether they were considering evacuating staff, saying the government could not guarantee their safety in the event of conflict from April 10.

The British Foreign Office dismissed the warning as "rhetoric".

However, an urgent international effort to defuse the situation is under way.

The heads of EU missions are to meet to hammer out a common position on the crisis, while the US works its diplomatic channels to resolve the stand-off with Pyongyang.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has been holding talks with officials in South Korea, as well as China - historically North Korea's ally - to see if the Chinese can put any more pressure on North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to back down.

Kim Jong-Un holding up a pistol as he supervises firing drills

Reporting from the South Korean capital Seoul, Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone, said: "In the skies above the Korean Peninsula there are spy planes operating.

"There will be drones - American drones - operating before long from a base in Japan.

"They are trying to get as much of a sense as possible of what it is that Kim Jong-Un is doing on the ground with his weaponry.

"We know he has some pretty sophisticated weaponry.

"There are artillery rounds just over the border. They could in theory hit Seoul. That's a big concern for South Korea.

"That's why they are trying to put these intelligence reports together, as well as the diplomacy behind the scenes, to try and work out what Kim Jong-Un might be up to."

A South Korean soldier looks to the north at a border observation post

He continued: "The diplomats were warned by Pyongyang to leave by April 10 - no one quite knows why that date should be significant.

"It seems pretty clear, certainly speaking to western diplomats based in Pyongyang, their belief is this is just the latest round of rhetoric from North Korea.

"You would assume that if North Korea was planning some sort of war, it would actually want the diplomats from foreign countries to remain there so that they could be used as some sort of a bargaining chip - not kicked out of North Korea.

"I think it is alarming, but I think it's also probably just more rhetoric," he added.

Most governments have made it clear they have no immediate plans to withdraw personnel from the area.

A rally in support of Kim Jong-Un's order to put missiles on standby

Western tourists returning from organised tours in Pyongyang - which have continued despite the crisis - said the situation on the ground appeared calm, with life going on as normal.

"We're glad to be back but we didn't feel frightened when we were there," said Tina Krabbe, from Denmark, arriving in Beijing after five days in North Korea.

The embassy warning on Friday coincided with reports that North Korea had loaded two mid-range Musudan missiles on mobile launchers and hidden them in underground facilities on its eastern coast.

The Musudan have never been tested but are believed to have a range of around 3,000km (1,860 miles), which could theoretically be pushed to 4,000km (2,485 miles).

That would cover any target in South Korea and Japan, and possibly even reach US military bases located on the Pacific island of Guam - which Pyongyang has threatened to strike.

Tensions have soared on the Korean peninsula since December, when the North test-launched a long-range rocket. In February, it conducted its third nuclear test and drew fresh UN sanctions.

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Man Dies Making Documentary About Homeless

Police are investigating the death of a young documentary maker who was sleeping rough in freezing temperatures to highlight the plight of the homeless.

Lee Halpin, 26, had planned to spend a week living on the streets in his home city of Newcastle.

He began the project on Sunday but was found dead three days later in a derelict building in the West End of the city.

How he died has not yet been confirmed but it is believed he may have died from hypothermia.

Speaking on a YouTube video the night before his week of sleeping rough began, Mr Halpin said the project was part of an application for a Channel 4 investigative journalism scheme, to give an example of fearless reporting.

He said he had spoken to a homeless charity about the rise in the number of people on the streets and the effect of changes to Britain's welfare system this month.

"I'm about to go and spend a week being homeless in the West End of Newcastle. I will sleep rough for a week, scrounge for my food, access the services that other homeless individuals use," he said.

"I will interact with as many homeless people as possible and immerse myself in that lifestyle as deeply as I can."

He concluded the video by saying he hoped it showed his willingness to get to the heart of a story.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: "We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of this aspiring young journalist. Our thoughts are with his family."

Mr Halpin's friend of 10 years, Daniel Lake, said: "I was just talking to Lee on Saturday, having some banter talking about football and how excited he was about going out filming.

"Lee was a great guy, a character and was well known. His big things were creative writing and poetry ... He made the ultimate sacrifice trying to raise awareness about what was happening to other people."

Friends and supporters have left tributes on the Save Newcastle Libraries website, to which he was a contributor.

One said: "He was a credit to the North East and all he did was give."

Northumbria Police have arrested two men in connection with the death.

The men, aged 26 and 30, were arrested on suspicion of supplying a controlled drug and have since been bailed pending further inquiries.

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North Korea Moves Two Missiles To East

By Mark Stone, on the South Korea border

North Korea has moved two missiles to its east coast and loaded them on mobile launchers, South Korea's Yonhap news agency has said.

The move fuels fears of an imminent firing, which would further ramp up tensions in the peninsula.

"It has been confirmed that North Korea, early this week, transported two Musudan mid-range missiles by train to the east coast and loaded them on vehicles equipped with launch pads," Yonhap quoted a top government official as saying, according to AFP.

The official said the mobile launchers had since been hidden in special underground facilities, according to the report.

South Korea said earlier it had been seeking urgent information on one Korean missile that had been moved.

Intelligence officials from the US, Japan and South Korea are monitoring the movement of the weapons.

The Musudan missile is a mid-range weapon, meaning it is capable of reaching South Korea and Japan and perhaps also the US territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

"The range is between 3,000 to 4,000km (1,864 to 2,485 miles). There are major US military forces in Guam and a fixed number of troops to deal with the Korean peninsula, so I think these facts can reduce the possible danger there," said Kim Min-seok, South Korea's Defence Ministry spokesman.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon said daily reports from Pyongyang were "really alarming and troubling" and urged North Korea to ease tensions.

North Korea's young leader Kim Jong-Un has escalated his rhetoric

"Nuclear threat is not a game, it is very serious," he said, adding that any misjudgement or miscalculation could have "very serious implications".

Speaking to Sky News, a security adviser to the South Korean government said there is no doubt that North Korea's capability is concerning.

"The technological level of North Korean weapons has become much improved and better - especially their missile capability and their long-range artilleries," Kim Byungki said.

"It is more uncertain, it is less predictable, there are more ways for them to destabilise us and there are more ways for us to respond ... so it is more complex."

North Korea which, incensed at fresh UN sanctions and South Korea-US military drills, has issued a series of apocalyptic threats of nuclear war in recent weeks.

US soldiers give a demonstration of their chemical equipment in South Korea

America says it is taking "all necessary precautions" to respond to the daily threats from the North Korean leadership.

President Barack Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, said the barrage of rhetoric fitted a "regrettable but familiar" pattern of North Korean behaviour.

The Musudan, which is manoeuvrable on the back of a specially designed mobile launch pad, is untested and its accuracy is unknown. Most experts believe the North Koreans lack the technological ability to mount a nuclear warhead into its tip.

However, it can carry a significant load of conventional explosives which could cause considerable damage.

It is not clear whether military commanders in North Korea have been given orders to fire the weapon in anger or as a test.

The South Korean military during an exercise near the border

There has been speculation that Pyongyang might schedule a firing to coincide with the birthday of the country's late founder Kim Il-Sung in mid-April.

Given the recent level of rhetoric delivered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and the number of US and South Korean military assets that are now in the region, the missile would be shot down within minutes of any launch.

The concern is that this could then lead to an uncontrollable escalation in military action by both sides.

Sky News' Asia correspondent Mark Stone says South Korean people are "remarkably unconcerned about the threats that are coming from the North. Why? Because they're used to it. They've heard it for so many decades now.

The US is preparing to move an advanced missile defence system to Guam

"They don't believe he'll press the button."

He added that governments are, however, concerned because Mr Kim, North Korea's new young leader, "is very unpredictable".

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HMV Rescue Saves 141 Stores And 2,500 Jobs

By Mark Kleinman, City Editor

HMV's future as a high street retailer has been salvaged in a £50m deal that secures 2,500 jobs on Britain's beleaguered high streets.

Hilco, a restructuring firm, confirmed on Friday morning that it had struck an agreement with Deloitte, the administrator to HMV, to rescue the retailer.

The deal, which was revealed exclusively by Sky News on Thursday night, will keep 141 shops open, including 25 which had already been earmarked for closure by Deloitte. All nine of the Fopp-branded shops are included in the transaction.

While that represents little more than half of HMV's UK stores that were open before it called in administrators in January, it represents a more optimistic outcome for the chain than many analysts had predicted.

Hilco acquired HMV's Canadian operations two years ago, since when the performance of the business has surpassed expectations.

Paul McGowan, Hilco chief executive, said the deal had the backing of key HMV suppliers and landlords.

He said: "We hope to replicate some of the success we have had in the Canadian market with the HMV Canada business which we acquired almost two years ago and which is now trading strongly.

"The structural differences in the markets and the higher level of competition in the UK will prove additional challenges for the UK business but we believe it has a successful future ahead of it."

Mr McGowan will become chairman of HMV, with two other Hilco executives taking key roles with the retailer.

HMV had been weighed down by a mountain of debt, allied to a combination of waning consumer confidence and intense pressure from supermarkets encroaching on its entertainment retailing turf, as well as the rapid rise of low-cost digital rivals.

Hilco said it would abandon a recently-introduced practice of selling tablets and other digital devices, using the space instead for an expanded music and visual entertainment range.

Ian Topping, one of the Hilco executives who will be involved in running HMV, said: "The reaction of the British public to the administration of HMV shows a strong desire for the business to continue to trade and we hope to play a constructive part in delivering that."

Hilco also confirmed that it would seek to re-establish a presence for HMV in Ireland.

Nick Edwards, joint administrator at Deloitte, said the deal "provides a solid financial footing on which the business can be taken forward".

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Leeds Children's Heart Surgery Unit To Reopen

Children's heart surgery is to resume at Leeds General Infirmary.

Operations were suspended because of claims that the unit had a death rate double the average.

After the closure, Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, said: "The trust has taken a highly responsible precautionary step.

Sir Bruce Keogh said the priority must be the safety of children

"It is absolutely right not to take any risks while these matters are being looked into. The priority must be the safety of children."

However, medical bodies and doctors questioned the accuracy of the data, which they say was unverified and not fit to base such a decision on.

Maggie Boyle, chief executive of the trust, said: "I am extremely confident that this service is safe and effective and should recommence at the earliest opportunity.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he supported the decision to restart children's heart surgery at the infirmary, though he added it should be "safe and sustainable".

Parents had criticised the timing of the unit's suspension, which came 24 hours after a High Court judge ruled that a decision to close it as part of a reorganisation of services was "legally flawed".

But they also expressed relief that the unit was to reopen.

Jon Arnold's daughter Zoe had life-saving surgery at the unit when she was three weeks old.

He said: "There's been massive support from the parents and families for the unit, and this decision confirms what we thought about the quality of care all along.

"My daughter had fantastic care at the unit.

"It was difficult to understand as a parent how they could have shut the ward so swiftly on the basis of unverified data. It left parents feeling very confused about what to believe and what was best for their child."

But Anne Keatley-Clarke, chief executive of the Children's Heart Federation, said it was right to suspend surgery until doubts about safety could be addressed.

"There are a lot of families that are very worried there about what is going to happen with their children," she said.

She added that people were frightened about raising concerns about hospitals in the area while their children were still receiving care as they feared repercussions from the Trust and on social media.

"Once the unit is reopened then a lot of the families will have a lot of questions that need to be answered about the manner in which it closed," she said.

"The main thing is that babies and families that need urgent treatment can now get it on the unit without having to be shipped across the country to any available bed space."

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Nuclear Threat Too Great To Axe Trident - PM

David Cameron has warned against any move to abandon the Trident deterrent in the face of the growing nuclear threat from North Korea and Iran.

The Prime Minister said it would be "foolish" to leave the country defenceless at a time when the "highly unpredictable and aggressive" regime in North Korea was developing ballistic missiles which could eventually threaten Europe.

His comments came as the US said that it was moving an advanced missile system to the Pacific island of Guam as Pyongyang continued to ratchet up the rhetoric against South Korea and its American ally.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron said such "evolving threats" underlined the need for the UK to maintain the ultimate deterrent.

"We need our nuclear deterrent as much today as we did when a previous British Government embarked on it over six decades ago," he said.

"Of course, the world has changed dramatically. The Soviet Union no longer exists. But the nuclear threat has not gone away. In terms of uncertainty and potential risk it has, if anything, increased."

Mr Cameron said Iran was continuing to defy the will of the international community over its nuclear programme while North Korea may already be building a nuclear arsenal.

"The highly unpredictable and aggressive regime in North Korea recently conducted its third nuclear test and could already have enough fissile material to produce more than a dozen nuclear weapons," he said.

"Last year North Korea unveiled a long-range ballistic missile which it claims can reach the whole of the United States. If this became a reality it would also affect the whole of Europe, including the UK."

He continued: "Does anyone seriously argue that it would be wise for Britain, faced with this evolving threat today, to surrender our deterrent?

"Only the retention of our independent deterrent makes clear to any adversary that the devastating cost of an attack on the UK or its allies will always be far greater than anything it might hope to gain."

His comments underline the Conservatives' commitment to a like-for-like replacement for the ageing Trident submarine fleet but their Lib Dem coalition partners are seeking a cheaper alternative.

Lib Dem MP Sir Malcolm Bruce warned that replacing Trident could divert funding away from conventional military equipment.

He told Sky News: "We are saying we shouldn't replace Trident on a like-for-like basis but we are looking at alternative nuclear deterrents once Trident has passed its sell-by date."

The future of Trident is also likely to feature in next year's looming Scottish independence referendum campaign, with the SNP insisting that it would not allow nuclear missiles to be based in an independent Scotland.

For Labour, shadow defence minister Kevan Jones said it was "absolutely right and necessary" for the UK to retain an independent nuclear deterrent, but it must take into account the costs involved.

"World events demonstrate that in an unpredictable era our country needs the ultimate security guarantee," he said. "The precise nature of the deterrent must be judged on meeting military capability requirements and cost."

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North Korea Army: 'War Could Break Out Today'

By Mark Stone, in Seoul, South Korea

The North Korean military says it has ratified a "merciless" attack against the United States, potentially involving a "cutting-edge" nuclear strike.

"The moment of explosion is approaching fast," the army said in a statement on state news agency KCNA.

War could break out "today or tomorrow", the statement said, quoting a spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army.

"The merciless operation of (our) revolutionary armed forces in this regard has been finally examined and ratified.

"The US had better ponder over the prevailing grave situation."

The North's rhetoric has been met by a display of US military strength

The North's Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea was later quoted by KCNA as threatening to withdraw its 53,000 workers from the joint industrial zone it shares with the South.

Pyongyang informed Seoul on Wednesday that it was stopping the daily movement of South Koreans to the Kaesong complex, the last real surviving point of contact between the two countries.

And the committee said: "If the South Korean puppets and conservative news media keep badmouthing (us), we will order all our workers to pull out from Kaesong."

North Korea's latest pronouncements came as Washington scrambled to reinforce its Pacific defences, preparing to move an advanced missile defence system to the island of Guam.

Mr Hagel said North Korea posed a "real and clear danger"

The land-based weapon, which is primed to shoot down short and medium-range missiles, will be sent to the US territory to defend its bases there.

The Pentagon has already sent bombers, stealth aircraft and ships.

South Korea's Yonhap news agency said the North had moved a mid-range Musudan missile to its east coast.

The missile is believed to have a range of 1,875 miles (3,000km) or more, which would put all of South Korea and Japan in range and possibly also the US territory of Guam in the Pacific Ocean.

North Korea is not believed to have tested these missiles, according to most independent experts.

Tensions have been soaring on the Korean peninsula since the North launched a long-range rocket in December and conducted its third nuclear test in February.

A military checkpoint linked to the Kaesong joint industrial complex

North Korea has threatened missile and nuclear strikes against the US and South Korea in response to UN sanctions and joint military drills.

European diplomatic sources speaking to Sky News from the North Korean capital have said there is nothing there to suggest war is imminent: no sign of conscripts being signed up or unusual troop movements.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Wednesday that North Korea's "bellicose, dangerous rhetoric" posed a "real and clear danger" to America and its allies South Korea and Japan.

"They have nuclear capacity now, they have missile delivery capacity now," he said.

"We take those threats seriously, we have to take those threats seriously.

"We are doing everything we can, working with the Chinese and others to defuse that situation on the peninsula.

"I hope the North will ratchet its very dangerous rhetoric down."

The UK Government said it was not warning of an immediate risk to British citizens travelling to or living in South Korea.

In a statement to Sky News, the UK Embassy in Seoul said: "We have noted North Korea's most recent statement, we are monitoring the situation and are in close contact with allies.

"We have been clear to North Korea that its long-term interests will not be served by threatening the international community and increasing regional tensions.

"We have updated our Travel Advice, advising British nationals in Korea and those travelling here to follow the advice of local authorities and subscribe to our travel advice, Twitter feed and Facebook page. We currently assess there is no immediate risk to British nationals in or travelling to Korea."

The tensions surrounding Kaesong - established in 2004 and a crucial source of hard currency for North Korea - carry enormous significance.

Neither of the Koreas has allowed previous crises to significantly affect the complex, which is the only surviving example of inter-Korean cooperation and seen as a bellwether for stability on the Korean peninsula.

China, the North's sole major ally, appealed for "calm" from all sides, repeating Beijing's oft-declared position.

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Fire Deaths: Philpotts And Friend Jailed

Mick Philpott has been described in court as "the driving force" behind a fire that killed six of his children, as he was sentenced to life in prison.

He was told by the trial judge at Nottingham Crown Court that he must serve a minimum of 15 years behind bars for the deaths.

Mrs Justice Kate Thirlwall also said he was a "disturbingly dangerous man" with "no moral compass", adding: "Your guiding principle is what Mick Philpott wants, Mick Philpott gets."

The 56-year-old defendant looked down at the floor, wiping tears from his eyes, as the judge handed down the term.

His wife Mairead, 32, and their friend Paul Mosley, 46, were each sentenced to 17 years in prison and were told they would serve half of that.

Mairead Philpott wept as she was jailed, while Mosley showed no reaction.

After sentencing, family members in the public gallery applauded. One shouted: "Die, Mick, die", while another said: "See you, Mairead. Hope you enjoy life on your own". A third person called out: "Your own babies".

Back (L-R) Duwayne and John, Front (L-R) Jack, Jessie, Jade and Jayden

In response, Mick Philpott smiled and made an obscene hand gesture as he was led from the dock.

The trio were found guilty of six counts of manslaughter - one for each of the victims - on Tuesday.

Mrs Justice Thirlwall told them they were all responsible for the deaths and she had "not the slightest doubt" that Mick Philpott was "the driving force" behind the plot.

He shook his head as the judge outlined his previous violent relationships - including when he stabbed a former girlfriend 13 times.

She said he used that attempted murder conviction as a way of controlling other women.

Philpott treated women as his "chattels", the judge told him, adding: "You barked orders and they would obey. You were the kingpin, No-one else mattered."

Dawn Bestwick, Philpott's sister, told reporters waiting outside court that justice had been done for the children. She said: "Victory to them. They've gone down. That's it."

The trio were found guilty of killing Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, Jack, eight, Jesse, six, Jayden, five, and Duwayne, 13, in the Derby blaze last May.

The blackened bathroom of the Philpott's house after the fire. (Pic: CPS)

Philpott and Mairead started the fire at their home in the early hours of May 11, pouring petrol in the hallway of the property.

Together with Mosley, they planned that Philpott should break in by the back door and rescue the children.

But the plot went wrong and fire ripped through the three-bedroom council house in Victoria Road with temperatures reaching 500C.

The judge described the plot as "a wicked and dangerous plan" that was "outside the comprehension of any right-thinking person".

The three defendants had devised the plan to frame Lisa Willis, Philpott's former girlfriend.

Philpott was fighting a custody battle with Miss Willis, 29, who had lived with the couple and slept with Philpott on alternate nights while living at the house.

Both women were said to have lived happily with one another for a decade but Miss Willis left Philpott three months before the deadly fire taking her five children, four of whom were fathered by him.

Philpott had become "obsessed" with Ms Willis and, after she left, did everything to get her back, said Mrs Justice Thirlwall.

She told him: "You could not stand the fact that she had crossed you. You were determined to make sure she came back and you began to put together your plan."

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Kate Meynell from Derbyshire Police said: "Six innocent children died as a result of the actions of their parents, the very people who should have protected them against danger. 

The Philpotts gave a news conference following the blaze

"The Philpotts and Paul Mosley showed no regard for the safety of the children and since the fire have shown no remorse for their actions.

"They have lied throughout the investigation and court case.  There were plenty of opportunities to admit their guilt but they never did and persisted with their denials.

"This has been an incredibly tragic case to investigate and today's sentences bring this difficult inquiry to a close."

The judge was expected to sentence the trio on Wednesday but wanted more time to reflect after mitigation on behalf of the defendants. There were extra police officers on duty outside court.

The aftermath of the house fire

On Wednesday, Mick Philpott made obscene hand gestures from the dock as he was heckled by members of his wife Mairead's family following his defence team's plea for leniency.

The taunting came after lawyers argued he was a "very good father" who had been "unable to grieve".

His barrister, Mr Anthony Orchard QC, urged the judge to pass the minimum sentence on Philpott, saying the father of 17 children by five different women would "have to live with the hatred and hostility of the press and the public for the rest of his life".

He added that Philpott "faces hostility from other prisoners on a daily basis".

The defence teams of Mairead Philpott and Mosley also appealed for leniency as part of the mitigation process in the case.

Philpott's criminal record was laid bare in court. It emerged the unemployed man was on bail for a violent road rage incident at the time of the children's deaths.

A week before the fire he had appeared in court and admitted common assault but denied dangerous driving after punching another driver who he thought had pulled out in front of him at a roundabout.

The court was told that a previous girlfriend he stabbed 13 times was so badly hurt that she still has to take medication.

Mrs Justice Thirlwall heard how Philpott attacked Kim Hill in 1978 leaving her severely injured with a broken arm and finger.

He had also been given a police caution for slapping his wife and dragging her from their home by her hair.

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South Korea Warns Military Action An 'Option'

South Korea's defence minister, Kim Kwan-jin, has said that military action is an "option" to protect its citizens in its stand off with North Korea.

The news comes as the United States has said it will "not accept" North Korea as a nuclear state, after Pyongyang raised tensions by refusing the South entry to a joint industrial complex.

The North says it will restart all nuclear facilities including its mothballed Yongbyon reactor, which is able to produce bomb-grade plutonium.

Standing firm: Kerry stated he will not accept N Korea as a nuclear state

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un insisted it was only seeking a deterrent and did not repeat recent threats to attack South Korea and the US.

But the North delayed the daily opening of its Kaesong industrial zone with South Korea on Wednesday morning, in a move that could represent a sharp escalation of tensions between the two countries.

The North had previously threatened to close the joint complex as part of a stand-off with Washington and Seoul.

"We are waiting for access from the North Korean authorities," a Unification Ministry official said.

More than an hour after the time the daily entry clearance is normally granted, the ministry said 861 South Korean workers were in the industrial complex while 179 workers awaited access.

The complex is a rare lucrative source of income for the impoverished North since it was established as a form of joint-Korean cooperation in 2002.

Sky News Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said the site was the only place where relations between the two countries existed.

"As with everything, it's hard to know whether this is more game playing or whether they plan to keep it closed for a while," he said.

Face off: South Korea's Kim Kwan-jin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un

"But a number of analysts who have studied the Korean problem for some time said last week that while the park remained open, the situation was not overly worrying. Now it appears to be shut."

Both Washington and Seoul stressed their countries' military readiness and said de-nuclearisation was the only way forward for North Korea.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said: "What Kim Jong-Un has been choosing to do is provocative, it is dangerous, reckless and the United States will not accept (North Korea) as a nuclear state."

America's deployment of advanced aircraft and warships to South Korea was a signal that "the United States will defend our allies and that we will not be subject to irrational or reckless provocation," he said.

Vehicles wait to cross the border to the Kaesong complex

The parading of US air and naval power with nuclear capability within view of the Korean peninsula, is as much about psychological war as real war.

The US is keen to discourage North Korea's unpredictable leader from starting a fight that could get out of control.

Mr Kerry, who will visit South Korea next week, reminded the North Koreans that "they have an option, and that option is to enter into negotiations for de-nuclearisation ... and to begin to focus on the needs of their people".

Meanwhile, China has expressed "serious concern" over the escalating situation on the Korean peninsula.

South Korean trucks return after they were refused entry to the facility

An official from China's Foreign Ministry met ambassadors from the US, North Korea and South Korea, following the closing of Kaesong.

China hopes the differences can be resolved through talks and diplomacy, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon appealed for dialogue and negotiation to resolve the crisis.

South Korean soldiers after a military drill near the demilitarised zone

"Nuclear threats are not a game," he said. "Aggressive rhetoric and military posturing only result in counter-actions, and fuel fear and instability."

Meanwhile, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Igor Morgulov, has expressed concern that even a simple human error could cause the crisis to escalate.

The country shares a short border with North Korea south of Vladivostok. In the current crisis, Moscow has steered clear of openly criticising North Korea.

"Russia has to be worried as we are talking about an explosive situation in the immediate vicinity of our Far East borders," he said.

US and South Korea Navy ships in formation west of the Korean peninsula

"In the current tense atmosphere, it would only need an elementary human error or technical problem for the situation to go out of control and plunge into a critical dive.

"We urge all sides to refrain from any comments or actions which could further complicate the situation," said Morgulov.

A speech by the North's young leader, Kim Jong-Un, given on Sunday but published in full by the Korean Central News Agency on Tuesday, appeared to dampen any prospect of a direct confrontation with the US by emphasising that nuclear weapons would ensure the country's safety as a deterrent.

"Our nuclear strength is a reliable war deterrent and a guarantee to protect our sovereignty," Mr Kim said.

"It is on the basis of a strong nuclear strength that peace and prosperity can exist and so can the happiness of people's lives."

The crisis flared after Pyongyang was hit with US sanctions for conducting a third nuclear test in February, before America and South Korea staged military drills that North Korea viewed as "hostile".

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Derby Fire: Philpotts Face Jail Over Deaths

Mick Philpott, who killed his six children by starting a house fire, stabbed a previous girlfriend 13 times, a court has heard.

Nottingham Crown Court was told that Philpott was jailed in 1978 for stabbing Kim Hill in an attack which left her with a broken arm and finger and such severe injuries she still needs to take medication today.

As the judge prepared to sentence the 56-year-old and his partner Mairead, 32,  for starting the blaze at their Derby home in the early hours of May 11 last year, the court heard of his previous crimes.

Philpott had also been cautioned for slapping Mairead and dragging her by her hair from the house.

The judge, Mrs Justice Kate Thirlwall, said that she was troubled by Philpott's attitude to women.

She heard that Mairead had devoted her life to bringing up the children and that they were "happy children" despite their unusual living arrangements.

In mitigation, Philpott's lawyer said that he was "a very good father" and "loved those children".

Anthony Orchard QC said: "He will have to live with the hatred and hostility of the press and the public for the rest of his life."

Back (L-R) Duwayne and John, Front (L-R) Jack, Jessie, Jade and Jayden

He said that already Philpott "faces hostility from other prisoners on a daily basis".

The couple, along with friend Paul Mosley, devised the plan to burn down the family home but rescue the children in a bid to frame Lisa Willis, Philpott's former girlfriend.

Philpott was fighting a custody battle with Miss Willis, who had lived with the couple and slept with Philpott on alternate nights while living at the house.

Both women were said to have lived happily with one another for a decade but Miss Willis left Philpott three months before the deadly fire taking her five children, four of whom were fathered by him.

Jade Philpott, 10, and her brothers John, nine, Jack, aged eight, Jesse, six, Jayden, five, and 13-year-old Duwayne, all died as a result of the petrol-fuelled blaze that tore through their three-bed council house in Victory Road.

Mick Philpott tried to frame his former partner over the blaze

Mr Orchard said that the plan to set the fire had gone "disastrously wrong".

However, the judge countered that even if the children had been saved by Philpott, as intended, the experience would still have been terrifying.

She said: "If the plan had been successful the effect on the children would have been this, would it not - they would have been awoken in their beds with their house on fire and their father coming in to rescue them,"

Jurors at Nottingham Crown Court returned guilty verdicts on manslaughter charges for the pair and co-defendant Mosley, 46, on Tuesday after an eight-week trial.

The trio had planned to get all six children into one bedroom at the back of the house so Philpott could play the hero and rescue them with a ladder stationed in preparation.

Brothers Jamie and Darren Butler, who live on the same road as the Philpotts, described how the Philpotts did nothing to help rescue their children and stood like "a couple of statues".

Mick Philpott, who was known locally as Shameless Mick for his lifestyle, tried to frame his former partner over the blaze

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill's disbelief captured on camera

He had previously told police that Miss Willis was harassing him and had threatened the family.

The fire was far bigger than the trio expected and unemployed Philpott - father of 17 children from five women - climbed up a ladder at the back of the house to discover he was unable to smash a large enough hole in the bedroom window.

Firefighters found the youngsters' lifeless bodies in each of the three upstairs bedrooms.

Yesterday Sky News revealed that Assistant Chief Constable Steve Cotterill of Derbyshire Police suspected Philpott as he watched his reactions during a news conference.

He said that officers had been surprised when Philpott wanted to speak to the media five days after fire.

Mr Cotterill said his misgivings were betrayed in a single photograph, taken as he sat alongside Mick, and his wife Mairead.

Philpott was keen to play out his 'grief' in front of the media

He said: "In one particular photograph, what I saw there was a guy who was sat there pretending to cry and I've described it as a bit of a sham of a performance and I didn't believe that he was genuinely overcome by grief.

"I thought he was playing to the cameras."

Mr Cotterill said prior to the news conference Philpott seemed "overly excited by the prospect of going to face the media given what had taken place and given that he had lost six of his children in that fire".

He said that following the conference Philpott had "inappropriately" asked a family liaison officer to marry him and faked a faint.

It was a comment echoed by the mortuary manager at a Derby Royal Hospital, who said that Philpott had pretended to faint when he saw his children's bodies for the first time.

Marie Smith, said that Philpott also asked for alcohol and engaged in horseplay with a police liaison officer days after the tragedy while bemused staff looked on.

She said that Philpott had apparently fainted and did not respond to her attempts to bring him round until she threatened to call for medical assistance.

She said: "He still didn't respond so I instructed a member of staff to call a doctor for assistance and as soon as I said, he woke up, he recovered very, very quickly ..."

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Man City's Tevez Fined For Driving Offences

Footballer Carlos Tevez has been fined and ordered to do 250 hours of community service after pleading guilty to driving while disqualified and without insurance.

The Manchester City striker admitted the offences in his native Spanish with the aid of an interpreter as he stood in the dock at Macclesfield Magistrates' Court.

Tevez, who reportedly earns £200,000 a week, received the community order for driving while disqualified, was banned for six months, and fined £60.

He was also fined £1,000 for driving without insurance.

The maximum penalty for driving while disqualified is six months in prison.

Tevez pictured celebrating a goal last November

Reporting from Macclesfield Magistrates' Court., Sky's Becky Johnson said: "He (Tevez) carried out an interview today with a probation officer in which he said he was sorry and said he wanted to give something back to the community.

"His lawyer made it clear his client did recognise how serious the offences are and was unlikely to ever do anything like that again."

Johnson added: "Magistrates told Tevez 'You're a role model for thousands if not millions of fans. No one is above the law and you should not have been driving'."

The Argentinian player has not yet got a UK driving licence, partly because he has struggled to pass the theory test which is conducted in English, the court heard.

His guilty plea followed his arrest near his home in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, last month.

Tevez, 29, was stopped as he left a golf club in a Porsche Cayenne on March 7 after an anonymous tip-off to police.

In January, he was banned from driving for six months after admitting two counts of failing to provide information relating to incidents in which his Hummer vehicle was clocked speeding.

Tevez did not attend that hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court.

He was represented by his solicitor who told the court the footballer failed to respond to documents because he did not recognise the word "constabulary".

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Iain Duncan Smith: Petition Piles On Pressure

Pressure is mounting on Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith to uphold a claim he made that he could live on just £53 a week in benefits.

In an interview about changes to the welfare system, Mr Duncan Smith suggested he could get by on £53 a week, as one benefit recipient argued they were having to.

"If I had to I would," Mr Duncan Smith told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The MP is the architect behind controversial reforms that started coming into force this week. He currently has an after-tax income of £1,600 a week.

In the wake of the comment, more than 138,000 people have so far signed a petition on the change.org website, calling for the minister to live up to his claim for a year.

Dom Aversano, who set up the petition, told Sky News that people felt there was "a gigantic gulf" between the lifestyle and wealth of Mr Duncan Smith and other Cabinet members and most of the electorate.

He called on Mr Duncan Smith "to follow his party's mantra of 'we're all in this together'".

He said: "Look at where he is living, the conditions under which he is living.

"He did a brilliant PR exercise before to depict himself as a compassionate Conservative. He's nothing of the sort, he's viciously attacking the most vulnerable and poorest members of society."

Mr Aversano added that the Work and Pensions Secretary had "put himself in this position". "He made the claim and set himself up for this. It's for him to respond," he said.

But Financial Secretary to the Treasury Greg Clarke defended his Tory colleague. He told Sky News: "All of Iain's reforms and all of the work he does as a constituency MP is to help people, to help people get back on the ladder and to improve their prospects."

According to the petition, reducing Mr Duncan Smith's income to £53 a week would be a 97% drop in his current budget. The Cabinet minister, who lives in a £2m mansion that he inherited from his father-in-law, would need to get by on just £7.57 a day.

Angry comments have been left by some of those who signed the petition. One woman wrote: "Multimillionaires telling the very poor how easy it is to survive on such a limited income need to put their oodles of money where their mouth is."

The Government insists its benefits shake-up, which includes a so called "bedroom tax" on social housing tenants with spare rooms, cuts to council tax benefit funding and a weekly cap on household benefits, is all about "fairness".

It says the current system is "broken", with people who work hard being penalised, and that Britain could no longer afford to reward people who "do the wrong thing".

If Mr Duncan Smith went ahead with the challenge, he would not be the first Conservative MP to attempt to live off benefits.

Former Tory politician turned journalist Matthew Parris took part in a documentary in the 1980s requiring him to survive on social security payments of £26.80 a week. He repeated the experiment 20 years later in a TV programme called For the Benefit of Mr Parris Revisited.

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Teen Dies After 'Shots Fired' In London

A 19-year-old man has died after he was found collapsed in the street in north London with gunshot wounds.

The teenager was pronounced dead after emergency services were called to Bounces Road, Edmonton at around 9.45pm on Monday.

Witness Alexandra Koohi said she heard shouting and then around an hour later shots were fired.

She said: "I heard lots of shouting outside the kebab shop, then an hour later I was in my bedroom and I heard two shots.

"I looked out of my window and the guy was lying on the floor and there was blood everywhere."

She said he had been shot twice in the chest and that she and a neighbour ran to try to help him.

The 21-year-old, who is Hungarian, said: "It's a shocking incident, it's scary to think this kind of thing can happen in your neighbourhood."

She saw three men running away after the shooting.

The victim's family has been told.

Scotland Yard said formal identification and a post-mortem will take place in the coming days.

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Windermere: Dead Mother And Daughter Named

Police have named a mother and daughter who died from suspected gas poisoning on a boat trip on Windermere.

Kelly Webster, 36, and her daughter Lauren Thornton, 10,  from Leyland in Lancashire, fell asleep after eating their lunch on board the boat during an Easter holiday trip.

They were regular visitors to the area along with Mrs Webster's partner, Matthew Eteson, who owned the boat, and had arrived at the lake on Easter Sunday.

The boat was moored at Bowness when the family suffered breathing problems

On Monday, the three took the boat out and moored at Bowness before going to get some lunch then returning to eat it and falling asleep.

Cumbria Police said that "all signs" indicated that carbon monoxide poisoning was responsible for the deaths and said they were looking at a potential fault with the boat's engine.

Paramedics tried to save the pair and they were air lifted to Royal Lancaster Infirmary, but died in the hospital.

Emergency services at the scene (Pic: Josh Kynaston)

Mrs Webster's partner, Matthew Eteson, 39, who is the director of Preston Energi, a heating and plumbing company, was taken to hospital where he is continuing to receive treatment.

Becky Johnson, Sky's North of England Correspondent, said: "They are looking at a generator that had been added to the engine of the boat. That's what's being inspected at the moment.

"They are getting specialists in boat design to have a look because this is something that has been added recently to the craft. It could potentially be that that had a fault."

Tributes to the family have been paid on Facebook.

The family were airlifted to hospital (Pic: Josh Kynaston)

David Hampson posted: "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Matt, Kelly and Lauren, what a tragedy, they had such happy plans for their future together.

"To think a £20.00 CO monitor would have saved their lives. I WILL buy one today."

Ross Bullough wrote: "God bless Kelly and Lauren, rest in peace such a shame. And Matt we are all hoping you get better soon."

The scene of the tragedy

Josh Kynaston, who witnessed the incident, said emergency crews had spent some time trying to locate the boat on the jetty.

He said: "They were trying to find the problem boat. Once they had found it, all the medics were out, all the fire brigade, all the police and they were trying to get to them as soon as possible because they knew straight away what what up, that they knew there was a problem with some gas leakage.

"Straight away they were dragging them out to the jetty because they couldn't operate on them on the boat and then they were trying to sort them out as quickly as possible.

"The helicopter had to keep doing consecutive trips and they were immediately sending them off as quickly as possible because they knew it was fatal."

Other eyewitnesses said they saw firefighters entering the boat wearing breathing masks.

The incident was witnessed by businessman and star of the television programme The Dragon's Den, Duncan Bannatyne, who posted a photograph of the scene on Twitter, saying: "Tragic accident over there I am afraid."

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Weather: Jet Stream Blamed For UK Cold Snap

As Britain leaves behind what looks to have been the coldest March for more than 50 years, forecasters are warning it will stay cold for another week at least.

Meteorologists are blaming the bad weather on the position of the jet stream, a narrow band of very strong winds which tends to move from west to east across the Atlantic, bringing our weather systems with it.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "The jet stream is currently displaced well to the south of its usual position across the north Atlantic and Europe, located across the Azores, Spain and the Mediterranean.

"So the UK will remain stuck in the cold air to the north and it's set to stay cold for at least another week.

"Daytime highs during this first week of April will remain well below average (9C to 11C for early April) and as the easterly wind strengthens again it will feel bitterly cold. Some snow is still likely, too."

The jet stream is a band of strong winds at around 30,000 feet

However, she said that next week temperatures will start to pick up by several degrees.

"It is still a way off yet in terms of detail but the trend is there for something a little warmer with highs around the average, or even a little above. This is no April fool..."

The position of a jet stream varies within the natural fluctuations of the environment. They are caused by the temperature difference between tropical air masses around the equator and and polar air masses.

Experts argue about why the jet stream is out of position, but it could be caused by a combination of the reduction in Arctic sea ice over the last few decades, climate change, solar activity and natural variability within the climate.

The Met Office says the average temperatures between March 1 and 26 were just 2.5C (36.5F), three degrees below the long-term average.

This would make it the coldest March since 1962 and also the fourth coldest in the UK since records began in 1910.

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David Miliband Quits Sunderland Over Di Canio

Sunderland's Hero Or Fascist Zero?

Updated: 11:21am UK, Monday 01 April 2013

By Matt Teale, Sky News Sports Presenter

So, Paolo Di Canio, not Martin O'Neill, is the man to steer Sunderland to safety, according to the club's owner Ellis Short.

The timing of O'Neill's departure has baffled many, with his experienced head discarded in place of a manager whose biggest achievement to date is guiding Swindon Town to the League Two title last season.

To be fair to Mr Short, the recent stats under O'Neill don't look good: eight games without a win, one point above the relegation zone and only seven games to turn things around. Things, clearly, weren't working and time is something managers just aren't given any more - the cost of relegation is too high.

But the controversy over Di Canio's appointment goes far beyond his relative inexperience as a manager.

The club's vice-chairman, David Miliband MP, resigned his post almost as soon as the news came out in protest at the new manager's "past political statements".

Di Canio has self-confessed fascist sympathies, having been fined and banned for a game in 2005 by the Italian football authorities after making raised-arm salutes while playing for Lazio.

There was more controversy after describing fascist Italian leader Benito Mussolini as "basically misunderstood" in his autobiography.

But what, if anything, will all that matter to fans?

Not a lot, if former Sunderland player Darren Williams is to be believed.

He told Sky News Sunrise that if Di Canio can save Sunderland, the fans will see him as a hero, regardless of any views he holds.

His leadership style has been described by his former chief-executive at Swindon as "management by hand grenade".

Sunderland will certainly need to find some fire power if their Premier League status is to be maintained.

For Mr Short, who's been marshalling recent events from a beach, the appointment of Di Canio could either turn out to be a stroke of genius or one of the worst examples of preemptive panic button pressing in recent memory.

If it's the former, Di Canio's fascist sympathies, which, presumably, were present while he was at Swindon, may well be forgotten again. If it's the latter, Mr Short might consider staying on holiday in Hawaii.

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Guildford Station Murder Probe: Tributes Paid

Tributes have been paid to a 22-year-old man who died when he was hit by a train after a confrontation at a railway station.

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of murder after the victim, named locally as Ryan Harrison, suffered fatal injuries at Guildford Station, in Surrey, on Saturday night.

A short time earlier Mr Harrison, from Woking, Surrey, was with a friend when he became involved in an altercation with a number of other men.

Paramedics were called but Mr Harrison was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death is being treated as suspicious, British Transport Police said.

Friend Jake Lund wrote on Facebook: "Cant believe this has happened to such a nice person, rip Ryan".

Sarah Tuffs wrote on Twitter: "R.i.p Ryan harrison, you will be missed by so many, life is too short."

Amir Ahmed also wrote on Twitter: "RIP Ryan Harrison. Still in shock. Gone, but never forgotten."

Two 19-year-old men, from Guildford, were arrested at the scene while a third man, from Cranleigh, Surrey, handed himself into a Guildford police station later.

They all remain in custody.

Detective Chief Inspector Iain Miller, the senior investigating officer, said: "Our thoughts are very much with the man's family at this acutely difficult time for them.

"They're trying to come to terms with what has happened and at this stage, quite understandably, they have asked to be left alone to grieve."

The station was sealed off until the early hours of Sunday while forensics officers examined the scene.

Officers are hoping to recover footage of the incident from CCTV cameras, but they also want to hear from any witnesses at the station.

Anyone with information can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Benefits Shake-Up 'To Cost Families Hundreds'

By Tadhg Enright, Sky Reporter

Changes to the welfare system will cost the average family £891 over the next year, according to research by Labour and the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The Conservatives have responded by saying the biggest shake-up of the welfare state in history has already had an effect with a third of those claiming incapacity benefit giving it up to avoid a medical to prove their entitlement.

From Monday, millions of low income families will see an increase in their council tax bills.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls says millions of families will lose out

The so-called bedroom 'tax' will see housing benefit cut for council house tenants with more bedrooms than they need. Those with one spare room will be deducted 14% and those with more lose a quarter. 

And from next Saturday, the annual increase in tax credits and other working-age benefits will be cut to just 1%, well below the rate of inflation.

The personal income tax allowance for those aged under 65 will rise to £9,440 but the higher rate threshold will fall to £41,450.

The top rate of income tax will also fall from 50p to 45p which Labour claims will shave £100,000 off the annual tax bills of 13,000 people who earn more than £1m a year.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: "These shocking figures show the huge hit millions of families are facing at the very same time as David Cameron and George Osborne are giving millionaires an average £100,000 tax cut.

"And while Ministers trumpet the small rise in the income tax personal allowance, they should admit that it is hugely outweighed by things like cuts to tax credits and child benefit, higher VAT, the bedroom tax and the granny tax.

"They are giving with one hand, but taking away much more with the other."

Mum-of-two Emma Kingsbury is one of 660,000 council house tenants who will have to pay the so-called bedroom tax because she needs only two of the three bedrooms in her home,

She told Sky News: "I've only ever needed two bedrooms and now, after placing us in this three bedroom when I didn't need or ask for it, they want us to pay for this room that we rarely use."

The bedroom tax will cost Emma and her boys £15 a week.

The 'bedroom tax' has prompted a number of protests

"The boys will have to stop some of their extra curricular activities, outings for Easter," she said.

"They haven't given anybody any time to try and downsize. I've had a month."

The Government insists it is vital to break the cycle of dependency on benefits and has claimed that welfare reforms have already succeeded in reducing spurious claims.

Out of 1.44 million medical assessments carried out on claimants of incapacity benefit, 837,000 were found to be fit enough to return to work.

A further 878,300 chose to give up their benefit instead of facing a medical to prove their entitlement.

Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps said: "I think it's really important that we do have a system where people are supported in work and where when somebody works they know they are always going to be better off than on benefits.

"I think incapacity benefit and some of these other benefits were used by previous governments to ensure that people didn't sign on to the dole queue. In fact it was a very dishonest way of going about things.

"The great thing now is that people know they don't have to study the Jobcentre computer for an hour and a half, they know they when they go out to work they will always be better off working than on benefits. That's a good thing for them, it's a good thing for society."

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Bird Flu: New Strain Kills Two In China

Two men have died in China after contracting a strain of avian influenza that has never been passed to humans before, the Chinese official news agency has reported.

The men, aged 87 and 27, became sick late last month and died in Shanghai in early March, according to the Xinhua news agency.

The strain of the bird flu virus was identified as H7N9, which had not been transmitted to humans before, Xinhua said, quoting the national health and family planning commission.

There are no known vaccines against the H7N9 virus.

However, the strain does not seem highly contagious because no health abnormalities were detected among 88 of the victims' close contacts, the commission said.

Another woman in nearby Anhui province also contracted the virus in early March and is in a critical condition.

All three cases showed symptoms of fever and coughs that later developed into pneumonia.

It is unclear how the three were infected.

China is considered one of the nations most at risk from bird flu because  it has the world's biggest poultry population and many chickens in rural areas are kept close to humans.

The World Health Organisation says more than 360 confirmed human deaths from the H5N1 strain of avian influenza have been reported globally from 2003 until March 12 this year.

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Pope Francis Calls For End To 'War' In Korea

Pope Francis prayed for a "political solution" in Syria and for "reconciliation" on the Korean peninsula in his first Easter Sunday message.

Thousands of people packed into St Peter's Square to see the pontiff celebrate his first Easter mass and to hear his message to the faithful.

Latin America's first pontiff also issued an appeal for hostages held by militants in Nigeria and condemned human trafficking as "the most extensive form of slavery in this 21st century".

The pope delivered his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing to Rome and the world from the same balcony of St Peter's Basilica where he made his first appearance after his momentous election to the papacy this month.

Speaking in front of some 250,000 people from around the world, Francis prayed for "dear Syria, for its people torn by conflict and for the many refugees who await help and comfort."

He asked: "How much blood has been shed? And how much suffering must there still be before a political solution to the crisis will be found?"

"On the Korean peninsula, may disagreements be overcome and a renewed spirit of reconciliation grow," he said, a day after North Korea declared it was in a "state of war" with South Korea.

Francis also prayed for Nigeria "where great numbers of people, including children, are held hostage by terrorist groups" -- an apparent reference to a French family kidnapped in Cameroon and believed held by the Nigerian group Boko Haram.

The pope also toured St Peter's Square in his open-top "popemobile" -- kissing babies and waving to cheering crowds who held up flags from around the world including his native Argentina.

Pope Francis arrives for the mass in St Peter's Square

Easter is the holiest day in the Christian calendar and celebrates the belief in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. It is the culmination of weeks of intense prayer for Christians.

At an Easter Vigil in St Peter's Basilica on Saturday, the first pontiff from outside Europe in nearly 1,300 years of Church history reached out to non-believers and lapsed Catholics, urging them to "step forward" to God.

The Catholic Church has been struggling in the face of rising secularism, particularly in Europe where attendances at masses are falling sharply.

During his message, Francis prayed God would reach "every house and every family, especially where the suffering is greatest, in hospitals, in prisons."

On Holy Thursday, Francis celebrated an unprecedented Mass in a youth prison in Rome in which he washed the feet of 12 inmates including two girls and two Muslims -- a ritual seen as a gesture of humility towards the 12 apostles attributed to Jesus.

Previous popes only ever performed the ritual with priests or Catholic laymen.

Francis took over the papacy after the resignation of Benedict XVI who stunned the world by announcing he wanted to become the first pope to leave office voluntarily in more than 700 years.

The 85-year-old admitted he no longer had the physical or mental strength to carry out his papal duties.

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