Girl Dies As 'Buggy Blown Into Road' In Croydon

A three-year-old girl has died after her buggy was blown into the path of a van, according to reports.

The child, named in reports as Olivia Uffindell, died in hospital shortly after the collision in Wellesley Road, Croydon, south London.

Witnesses said the child's mother, named as Louise Uffindell, 29, left the pushchair on the pavement outside her home to fetch something from inside when it was blown into the road and struck by a Mercedes Sprinter van.

Olivia's grandmother Debbie McClatchie described her as "such a lovely girl".

"She had a great character. She was my only grandchild, very chatty, very friendly, very funny, very clever," she said. 

"I don't know how we are going to live without her."

Police were called by the London Ambulance Service shortly before 9am on Monday.

The girl was taken to St George's Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 10.03am.

The 36-year-old driver of the van, who stopped at the scene, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and bailed until May.

A post-mortem examination will be carried out, Scotland Yard said.

Police are appealing for witnesses and officers from the Road Death Investigation Unit are investigating.

A single floral tribute lay outside the family home on Tuesday as neighbours expressed their shock at the death.

Glenford Evans said the community was "devastated".

"She was a beautiful little girl. Very quiet, very friendly. It's just absolutely awful," she added.

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North Korea Rocket Strike Threat Targets US

By Mark Stone, Asia Correspondent

North Korea has ordered its military to be ready to strike US bases in Guam, Hawaii and mainland America, according to state TV.

North Korea threatens a missile attack on Guam, Hawaii and the US mainland

"The Korea People's Army top command declares that all artillery troops including strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units are to be placed under class-A combat readiness," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

The announcement came as images were released showing a new round of military exercises by the isolated state.

North Korea has previously threatened a nuclear attack on US military bases

The still photographs show what appears to be a sea-borne assault using hovercraft and an artillery drill using multiple rocket launchers - none of which would have the capacity to reach more than a dozen or so miles.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is pictured visiting troops and watching the exercise from a vantage point above the unidentified beach on the country's east coast.

It's not thought to have the technology to hit the US with an atomic weapon

The photographs, released by KCNA, are accompanied by language which matches weeks of rhetoric.

According to the news agency, Mr Kim "stressed the need to destroy and wipe away any enemy who lands on their coast through strong firepower and ordered the soldiers of the heroic Korean People's Army to display their mettle in the great war against the enemies".

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is photographed visiting troops

"Crazy like wild wolves threatened with fire, send all of them to the bottom of the sea," he is quoted as saying.

The exercise and the photographs of it are a clear response to a series of month-long exercises taking place across the border in South Korea involving American and South Korean troops and naval forces.

Defence analysts have been studying the latest photographs with interest.

Rockets and long-range artillery have been ordered to be combat ready

James Hardy, the Asia-Pacific Editor of Jane's Defence Weekly, told Sky News he had not seen hovercraft like those in the photographs before.

However, he added: "I can categorically state that multiple rocket launchers and 'long-range artillery' are not going to threaten the US mainland, Guam or Hawaii, unless they are put on a ship and sailed to within firing distance (which I doubt the North Koreans are about to do)."

Order was issued in a statement from the North's military "supreme command"

It has been an uneasy few months on the Korean peninsula with rhetoric and threatening language at a level not seen for several years.

The increased tension comes as Seoul marks the third anniversary of the sinking of a South Korean warship.

On March 26, 2010, the Cheonan was torpedoed by the North Korean military with the loss of 46 sailors.

The fresh threat marks the latest fiery rhetoric from Pyongyang

In December, North Korea launched a satellite into orbit in the tip of a rocket.

Their claim then was that this was all part of Pyongyang's legitimate right to pursue a space programme.

Few countries bought that claim, believing instead that it represented the latest move in North Korea's development of a ballistic missile programme.

The warning follows joint military drills by the US and South Korean forces

The rocket launch was followed in February by an underground nuclear test and a sharp escalation in tension.

Faced with unprecedented UN sanctions, backed by his historical ally China, Mr Kim admitted the rocket launch and nuclear test were indeed all part of his ideological desire to destroy America and its allies.

Asked about the accuracy and range of rockets like that fired in December, Mr Hardy said he believed North Korea was still some way off possessing an operational missile of this type.

US military bases in the Pacific are in range of its medium-range missiles

"It's a mish mash of fuel types and requires quite a bit of time to assemble on a purpose-built launch pad," he continued.

"The US, or anyone else, would have plenty of time to scope it out before it got airborne so its operational value is quite low even before you start talking about the challenges of placing a warhead on it," he added.

The South says it has seen no signs of an imminent military action

The annulment of the armistice agreement with South Korea and repeated threats to attack the South over the past three weeks have, so far, been exposed as nothing more than bluff and bluster.

However, with unattributed cyber attacks in Seoul, repositioned missile defence systems on America's west coast and the presence of US B-52 bombers in the skies above the Korean peninsula, there's no doubt minds across the region and beyond are very focused on a fragile peace and an unpredictable regime.

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Amanda Knox Faces Retrial Over Kercher Death

Italy's highest criminal court has overturned the acquittal of Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher, and ordered a retrial.

Knox and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, who were originally sentenced to 26 and 25 years in prison for killing and sexually assaulting Miss Kercher in 2007, were acquitted on appeal in 2011 after four years in prison.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's decision, Miss Knox said it was "painful" to have the acquittal overturned "when the prosecution's theory of my involvement in Meredith's murder has been repeatedly revealed to be completely unfounded and unfair".

Ms Kercher, 21, was found half-naked with her throat slashed in a pool of blood in her bedroom in the house that she shared with Knox in Perugia in November 2007.

The sister of the murdered Briton, Stephanie Kercher, told Sky News her family welcomed the ruling by the Italian court.

Raffaele Sollecito also faces retrial over Ms Kercher's death

Speaking from Coulsdon in Surrey, the elder sibling said there were "still questions that are unanswered and we are all looking to find out the truth".

"Rudy Guede was convicted along with others so we need to to find out who those other people are but as a family we know there is still a long way to go.

"We welcome the decision that a retrial has been ordered and are pleased it is a step forward to finding an answer to some of those questions," she added.

Knox, 25, returned home to Seattle immediately after her release. It is likely that she will be tried in absentia in the new trial, which will take place in Florence, because the United States does not normally extradite its citizens to face legal action.

A date for the retrial has not yet been set. It is understood that all the DNA evidence will be reviewed.

Rudy Guede is currently in prison over the murder

A third person, Ivory Coast-born drifter Rudy Guede, who like the other two has always denied the murder, is the only person still in jail for the crime.

After choosing to undergo a separate, fast-track trial in 2008, he was found guilty of sexual assault and murder and sentenced to 30 years in prison. This was reduced to 16 years on appeal.

The Kercher family insists that 47 knife wounds on Meredith and the apparent use of two different knives in the attack meant that more than one killer was involved, leaving the second murderer still at large.

Initial handling of the long-running case has been sharply criticised by independent forensic experts.

In her statement following the Supreme Court's decision, Knox said: "I believe that any questions as to my innocence must be examined by an objective investigation and a capable prosecution.

"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family. Our hearts go out to them.

Meredith Kercher's family have welcomed the latest court ruling

"No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity."

Knox had been scheduled to speak about the trial for the first time on American television in April, when her book about the case, called Waiting To Be Heard, is due to be released.

Sollecito, who turned 29 on Tuesday, is now living with his family near Bari in southern Italy.

Before the decision was known, Guilia Buongiorno, the lawyer representing Sollecito said she was convinced the court would not over-rule the acquittal.

"We are hopeful. We know Raffaele Sollecito is absolutely innocent and we expect that it ends here. Even if it doesn't end here we just need to follow the precis, but I am convinced this case will end here," she said before entering the court.

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White Easter Looms As Cold Snap Continues

Power has been restored to all 1,700 homes in Cumbria - but several thousands are still without electricity elsewhere and many roads still impassable as the freezing cold weather and snow continues to cause disruption.

The severe weather and bitterly cold temperatures are set to continue across most parts of the country right up until the weekend, forecasters have said.

This could mean the first white Easter in five years, as the nation enters British summertime.

The Met Office has said there is a 90% chance the unseasonal cold snap will continue to keep large parts of Britain frozen for the rest of the week.

A motorist drives past snow covered trees near Dundrod in County Antrim

Bitterly cold easterly winds will persist in the days to come, bringing snow showers to northeast England and light snow flurries across other parts.

An amber weather alert - which means severe weather is on its way - has been issued for the North of England, Yorkshire, the Midlands, and the East of England.

A yellow warning - meaning be prepared for bad weather - is in place for London and the Southwest.

But it is the ice that is causing the biggest concern, with large parts of the country being warned about the danger of black ice as commuters wrestle with journeys on foot, by car or public transport to work and back.

An abandoned car on the side of the road in the Briercliffe area of Burnley

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," a Met Office spokesman said.

"Snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will also affect some roads, especially over high ground."

The Department for Transport has warned motorists to take precautions and only set off from home if they have checked the latest travel conditions.

A spokesman said: "The unseasonal weather is affecting transport networks. Our staff and other transport operators are working tirelessly around the clock to keep roads open, and keep other services running."

People clearing the road to access their homes in the village of Cargan

Nearly 20,000 homes across the UK are still without power since Friday and numerous roads remain closed because of snow.

Huge snowdrifts are preventing energy companies from reaching some areas.

Engineers have been working to restore supplies to around 7,000 homes in Northern Ireland and 10,000 in Scotland, as well as 500 properties on the Isle of Man.

Emergency oxygen supplies had to be airlifted to an elderly man trapped by heavy snow in Northern Ireland.

Those living in remote areas there have been warned it could be days before they have electricity again, but water supply has now been restored to most of the 1,000 homes affected.

A snow covered narrow boat sits in a frozen canal in Birmingham

Sky's Mike McCarthy, in Buxton, Derbyshire, said: "What is happening is these bitterly cold easterly winds are making the snow drift over the roads, even when it has been cleared by the snow ploughs and gritters.

"We've seen a number of people struggling with the weather, some abandoned cars still, and in other parts of the country, Cumbria for example, they are saying 'don't return to your abandoned car just yet - contact the police first', because the conditions are still very severe.

A man found dead in deep snow after he started walking home in severe weather has been named by police.

The body of Gary Windle, 25, was found by a farmer in Brierfield, near Burnley, in Lancashire, at around 1.30pm on Saturday.

Gary Windle (left) was found dead in deep snow near Burnley

Police said his death was not being treated as suspicious and there were indications it was a "very tragic incident" after he started walking home from a night out with friends.

On Friday, a woman, named locally as Susan Norman, died when her house in Looe, Cornwall, collapsed during a landslip following torrential rain.

A 57-year-old hill walker, named by police as James Jack, died in the Scottish Highlands, although police said it was not clear whether his death was linked to the poor weather.

Sky News Weather Presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said the heavy snow had subsided but added: "As we head towards this Easter weekend, it's going to remain unsettled, In fact, on Good Friday, there's the risk of more widespread snow."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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Cyprus Bailout Deal Wins Eurozone Approval

Deposits above 100,000 euros (£85,000) in the Bank of Cyprus will be hit with a levy of "around 30%" under the EU bailout deal, a government official has confirmed.

Spokesman Christos Stylianides told state radio that the charge would be paid as the second largest Greek Cypriot lender is destined to be wound up.

The deal has allowed Cyprus to secure a last-minute 10bn euro (£8.5bn) EU and International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved bailout by eurozone ministers, saving the country from a banking system collapse, bankruptcy and eurozone departure.

Markets across Europe reacted positively in mid-morning trading.

Christine Lagarde and the German finance minister at the Eurogroup

The second-largest bank, Popular Bank of Cyprus - known as Laiki - will effectively be shut down and split into a "good bank" and a "bad bank".

Deposits below 100,000 euros in Laiki will be safeguarded and transferred to the Bank of Cyprus, the so-called "good bank".

Deposits above 100,000 euros, which under EU law are not insured, will be frozen and hit with the levy of around 30% to resolve the debt crisis.

The move will yield some 4.2bn euros (£3.6bn) overall - the bulk of the 5.8bn euros (£4.9bn) Cyprus needed to raise as part of the bailout conditions.

Banks have been closed this past week

It followed fraught negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the troika of creditors - the IMF, European Commission and European Central Bank.

"We've put an end to the uncertainty that has affected Cyprus and the euro area over the past week," Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs the meetings of the 17-nation eurozone's finance ministers, said.

"We believe that this will form a lasting, durable and fully financed solution," IMF chief Christine Lagarde added.

After the eurozone's finance ministers' approval, several national parliaments, such as Germany's, must also approve the bailout deal, which might take another few weeks. EU officials said they expect the whole programme to be approved by mid-April.

Cyprus' finance minister Michalis Sarris said: "It's not that we won a battle, but we really have avoided a disastrous exit from the eurozone. A long period of uncertainty and insecurity surrounding the Cyprus economy has ended."

Cyprus' outsized banking sector was crippled by exposure to crisis-hit Greece and has been used as a haven for foreign funds - much of which comes from Russia.

In a vote on Tuesday, the country's 56-seat parliament dismissed a levy on depositors as "bank robbery".

The country's finance minister Michael Sarris then spent three fruitless days in Moscow trying to win help from Russia. The two countries share historic religious ties.

Cypriots were outraged by the original proposal and have been queuing at cash machines ever since the government ordered banks to close last weekend.

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Prince Harry Heading Back To US In May

Prince Harry will be returning to the US in May to represent a number of charities and the Government, St James's Palace says.

The central theme of the trip will be supporting injured servicemen and women from both Britain and the US, it said in a statement.

Among his engagements will be a visit to Arlington National Ceremony, where more than 400,000 fallen American troops, veterans and their families are buried.

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Immigration: PM Talks Tough On Social Housing

Immigrant families will be kept off council house waiting lists for up to five years under a crackdown being unveiled by Prime Minister David Cameron.

He is to set out a tougher approach on housing and benefits in a keynote speech today - promising to tackle the culture of "something for nothing".

Councils currently have powers to impose local residency tests for social housing but ministers are frustrated that only around half do so.

Arguing that Britain became a "soft touch" for immigrants under Labour, Mr Cameron will announce that statutory guidance is being issued.

Local authorities will have to introduce minimum residency times of between two and five years for joining waiting lists - or justify why they are not.

The Prime Minister is likely to cite figures in his speech showing that nearly one in 10 new social lettings go to foreign nationals. The proportion has risen from 6.5% in 2007-08 to 9% in 2011-12.

The harder line will please the Tory right, who have blamed the lack of action in such core areas for the party's dismal third place behind UKIP in the Eastleigh by-election.

Concerns have been rising of an influx from Bulgaria and Romania when movement restrictions are loosened at the end of this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg performed a U-turn last week by abandoning the Liberal Democrats' controversial "earned citizenship" policy, which would allow illegal immigrants to stay once they have been in the country for more than 10 years.

He said such an amnesty now risked "undermining public confidence".

Under the new rules, ministers will take steps to ensure British nationals are protected when they move for "genuine reasons" - such as work or family breakdown - by ensuring local authorities retain the ability to set exceptions.

Such protection is already legally in force for members of the Armed Forces.

Mr Cameron is also expected to use his speech to reiterate his commitment to reduce net immigration to below 100,000.

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Snow And Ice: Man Dies Trying To Get Home

The freezing weather is thought to have led to the death of a 27-year-old man who was trying to get home after a night out with friends.

The man's body was discovered in deep snow by a farmer on Saturday afternoon, but the emergency services struggled to get to the area because of the poor weather conditions.

Lancashire Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious.

Chief Inspector Derry Crorken said: "Early indications suggest that it appears to be a very tragic incident where a young man has been out with friends and has become caught up in the weather last night on his journey home.

"The snow and ice has been severe in the area with many roads not passable. I would urge people to take precautions and only go out if it is necessary.

"If you do go out, then make sure friends and family know where you are and that you have suitable clothing on and your phone with you."

The man's death comes as police said the body of a hill walker had been found in the Scottish Highlands following a mountain rescue search.

Work to restore powere supplies in Northern Ireland

The 57-year-old man was discovered in the Streap area, near Fort William, in the West Highlands, which is still under heavy wintry conditions.

Police said it was not yet possible to say whether the walker's death was related to the poor weather.

On Friday, police in Looe, Cornwall, found a body in a block of flats that had been flattened by a landslide thought to have been triggered by torrential rain.

Northern Ireland Electricity says 13,000 homes are still waiting to be reconnected - and it could be days before they all have power. About 500 homes in Northern Ireland are also without water.

In Scotland, about 5,000 homes in Kintyre are without power, with a further 1,500 homes in the north and west of Arran also without supply.

Snow and ice are causing treacherous driving conditions in many places

Meanwhile, the Met Office warned of a risk of ice, despite lifting its yellow "be aware" weather alert.

"Lying snow in many areas will melt on roads and pavements by day, refreezing by night to give icy patches," it said.

"Also, snow blowing off fields in strong to gale force winds will affect some roads, especially over high ground."

The weather has wreaked havoc across the transport network over the last two days, with delays on roads, railways and at airports including Leeds Bradford and Doncaster's Robin Hood Airport.

Sky News weather forecaster Isobel Lang said the snow would become "less of a concern after today" but added: "The risk of more unsettled conditions with rain and further snow increases towards the Easter weekend."

Bookmaker Ladbrokes has cut the odds of snow at Easter to 4/5 after taking a flurry of bets in the past 48 hours. If it does snow, it would be the first white Easter in five years.

Forecasters have predicted it could be the coldest March in 50 years. In 1962, average temperatures for the month were 2.8C (37F).

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Berezovsky Death: Police Give Home 'All Clear'

Chemical and radiation experts from the police searching the home of dead Russian exile Boris Berezovsky have given the scene the all clear.

The CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) trained officers found "nothing of concern" in the property in Ascot, Berkshire.

And scenes of crimes officers from Thames Valley Police are now carrying out a "full and thorough investigation" at the house to find out the circumstances surrounding his death.

Most of the cordon which had been put in place around the perimeter of the property has been lifted.

Police thanked local residents for their patience and apologised for any inconvenience caused by the cordon.

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Miliband Offers Answer To 'Decade Of Decline'

Ed Miliband is to accuse David Cameron of condemning the UK to a "decade of decline" by sticking to austerity plans.

In a speech this afternoon, the Labour leader will insist public anger with the coalition is growing in the wake of a no-change Budget - but he will also concede that his party still has work to do to convince voters there is a real alternative.

Mr Miliband will present a list of policies that he claims would kick-start growth and make the economy fairer, including bank reform, infrastructure investment and a 10p tax rate.

He will contrast the platform he is fleshing out with George Osborne's financial package this week.

"We are five years on from the financial crisis of 2008," he will tell a 'people's policy forum' in Birmingham, which is billed as representing political opinion from across the West Midlands.

"We are in the slowest recovery for 100 years. And it is you who are suffering. Wages are frozen. Prices are rising. Living standards falling.

"Yet the Chancellor offered no change in the Budget. He offered more of the same. Can you imagine another five years of this?

"Low growth. Living standards squeezed further. You paying the price. A lost decade Britain cannot afford. A decade of national decline."

Mr Miliband will accuse the Government of "shrugging their shoulders", saying ministers have "run out of ideas", and he will urge voters to give him a chance to change the way the country is run.

"Over the last two and a half years since I became Labour leader, I have sought to understand why people left Labour," Mr Miliband will say.

"From banking regulation to immigration to Iraq, I have been clear about what we got wrong. But as I listen to people around Britain I also know they are increasingly disappointed with this Government.

"People all over Britain have lost confidence in David Cameron's ability to turn Britain around. But let me clear with you. I know that however discredited, divided and damaging this Government is, I will not assume that their unpopularity will mean people turn to Labour.

"Indeed, many people will believe that the failure of this Government means they should give up on politics altogether."

Mr Miliband will say he cannot offer "overnight answers" or that things will be easy, but he will pledge to seek an economic recovery "made by the many, not just a few at the top".

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