Lord Carey Attacks David Cameron On Religion

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister David Cameron.

In an article for the Daily Mail, Lord Carey says many Christians doubt the PM's "sincerity" when he pledges to protect their religious freedoms and accuses ministers of "aiding and abetting" discrimination against believers.

He points to Government plans to legalise gay marriage as evidence of an "aggressive secularist and relativist approach" and argues that Mr Cameron has fed Christian "anxieties" more than "any other recent political leader".

Lord Carey also says a new poll suggesting that more than two-thirds of Christians feel they are now part of a "persecuted minority" shows the Government must do more to demonstrate its commitment to stand up for faith.

The ComRes poll commissioned by the Coalition for Marriage also found more than half of Christians who backed the Conservatives in 2010 say they will "definitely not" vote for the party in 2015.

Lord Carey expresses alarm about Labour MP Chris Bryant's campaign to turn the 700-year-old Parliamentary chapel of St Mary Undercroft into a multi-faith prayer room so that gay couples can get married there.

Lord Carey slammed Chris Bryant's campaign for gay marriages in Parliament

But he also directly calls into question the Prime Minister's actions, saying: "I like David Cameron and believe he is genuinely sincere in his desire to make Britain a generous nation where we care for one another and where people of faith may exercise their beliefs fully.

"But it was a bit rich to hear that the Prime Minister has told religious leaders that they should 'stand up and oppose aggressive secularisation' when it seems that his Government is aiding and abetting this aggression every step of the way.

"At his pre-Easter Downing Street reception for faith leaders, he said that he supported Christians' right to practise their faith. Yet many Christians doubt his sincerity.

"According to a new ComRes poll more than two thirds of Christians feel that they are part of a 'persecuted minority'. Their fears may be exaggerated because few in the UK are actually persecuted, but the Prime Minister has done more than any other recent political leader to feed these anxieties.

"He seems to have forgotten in spite of his oft-repeated support for the right of Christians to wear the cross, that lawyers acting for the coalition argued only months ago in the Strasbourg court that those sacked for wearing a cross against their employer's wishes should simply get another job."

The new poll suggests continuing resentment over legalising same-sex unions, even though there is special protection for the Church of England in the law, and Lord Carey's successor Justin Welby has softened the Church's stance on the issue.

Two thirds of those polled said they believed allowing same sex unions was an attempt to make the Conservative Party look trendy.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has vowed to protect religion

The poll comes after a series of controversial cases between Christians and employers over their rights to express their faith in the workplace.

Recent cases include Adrian Smith, a Trafford housing manager who says he was demoted and had his pay docked 40% after questioning the Government's plans for same sex marriage and Reverend Brian Ross who was sacked as the Chaplain of Strathclyde Police, apparently because his support for traditional marriage did not fit with the force's equality and diversity policies.

In another case, graphic designer Jamie Haxby is suing a hotel after claiming he was turned down for a job because he is a Christian.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles insists that unlike New Labour 'we do do God' and has agreed freedom of religion has been undermined.

He has vowed to change the law if necessary to stop people being taken to task for wearing a cross or a rosary, and says council should not try to ban prayers before meetings.

But the march of secularism means Britain will no longer be a Christian country within just 20 years, according to official research by the House of Commons library.

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NHS Drug Plea For Child With Blood Disorder

By Frazer Maude, Sky News Correspondent

The parents of a two-year-old girl with a rare blood disorder fear she faces a "lifetime of hospital visits and dialysis" unless the NHS funds an expensive new drug.

One day in every fortnight, Indie Smith is treated at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital for atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome (aHUS), a condition shared by only 140 others in the UK.

It causes abnormalities in the immune system that can lead to the development of blood clots in the filters of the kidney. It is incurable and can lead to fatal kidney failure.

She is treated with a drug called eculizumab, which has been given the brand name Soliris by its developers, US based Alexion Pharmaceuticals, and this allows her to live a relatively normal life.

Indie currently has her treatment provided by Alexion as part of a trial that ends in October.

Her problem is that the NHS will not continue to fund her treatment, at a cost of £250,000 a year, despite a Government advisory body recommending the drug be commissioned nationally.

The study by the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services (AGNSS), took two years, and concluded that: "Eculizumab would help save lives and improve the quality of life for children and adults with aHUS."

But the Department of Health has now referred consideration of the use of eculizumab to the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Indie would need plasma therapy without the drug

Those with the condition, and their families, now fear another long wait for NICE to complete their research, with no guarantee that they will agree with AGNSS about the drugs benefits.

Without the drug, Indie, who has three older brothers, would need plasma therapy for four or five hours a day, five or six days a week.

"It's not right," said Indie's father Gavin. "It shouldn't be about the money. This Government can find money. It can't be about the money, you've got to give her a future."

Indie's mother Clare said: "It's horrible. We shouldn't have to be doing this. We shouldn't be worrying that my daughter is going to be confined to a hospital bed because we can't afford to give her the drug that allows her to be a normal little girl.

"Without it, it'll mean a lifetime of hospital visits and dialysis."

The Department of Health told Sky News: "We understand this news will be disappointing for patients who suffer from atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome, but we need to make sure NHS resources are being used wisely.

"We have asked NICE to further explore eculizumab's suitability for national commissioning and provide guidance to the NHS."

The Smiths are already planning for the worst - and end of the trial treatment, with no NHS funding to continue it - by fundraising and campaigning.

They have a website and have already visited Downing Street to ask for the Prime Minister to intervene and overturn the Department of Health's decision.

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North Korea Says 'We Are At War With South'

North Korea says it has entered a "state of war" with South Korea and will deal with "all matters" accordingly.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," the North said in a statement broadcast by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over."

The statement also warned that any military provocation near the North-South land or sea border would result "in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war".

The two Koreas have always technically remained at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Earlier this month, the North said it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with the South in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.

The South Korean Defence Ministry spokesman, Kim Min-seok, said: "North Korea's continuing threats against South Korea such as saying it is 'entering a state of war' are never acceptable since it is harming peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.

"Our recent military exercises such as 'Key Resolve and Foal Eagle' and the U.S. strategic bombers' deployment on the peninsula were defensive in nature against North Korea's possible provocations."

The ministry also said "no particular troop movement" had been observed along the border.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un

The US said it was taking the new threat "seriously" but said it was following a familiar pattern.

"We've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea. We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

Most analysts still believe this will remain a rhetorical rather than a physical battle, but the situation has now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carries the potential for rapid escalation.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "It is more rhetoric by North Korea until they actually do something. Wars tend to begin with bangs not announcements on state news agencies, so this is Mr Kim pushing the rhetoric up another level.

"The problem is, he hasn't got any more levels to go to after this other than actual war - that is the big worry and the big unknown. Does his belligerence have a limit or not?

"The assumption, and hope, is that he will stop at the eleventh hour but what if he doesn't? That is why the Americans, the South Koreans, the Japanese and, more quietly, the Chinese too are all taking it very seriously."

Sources in Pyongyang say life continues as normal in the city.

There are signs of civil construction with thousands of workers. Many of them are conscripts, and if war was imminent, then Kim would have called them up and they would not be busy building apartment blocks and hotels.

The US has used B-2 bombers as a 'deterrence' measure in the region

Yesterday, both China and Russia asked for all sides to co-operate to prevent the situation worsening, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voicing particular concern.

"We can simply see the situation getting out of control, it would spiral down into a vicious circle," Mr Lavrov told journalists.

His warning came after the North's leader Kim Jong-Un ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, vowing to "settle accounts" after US stealth bombers flew over the South.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed that Washington would not be cowed by Pyongyang's threats and stood ready to respond to "any eventuality".

The standoff has its roots in the North's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February.

Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers.

The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft were intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending the South against any act of aggression.

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North Korea Rockets 'Ready To Hit US Bases'

North Korea's leader has told rocket units to be on standby for an attack on US bases, according to state media.

The country's KCNA news agency said Kim Jong-Un had signed off on the order to train sights on American bases in South Korea and the Pacific after a midnight meeting with top generals.

The move was followed by reports of increased activity at North Korea's mid to long-range missile sites, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

It comes after two American stealth bombers flew over South Korea in a show of force to Pyongyang, following an escalation of rhetoric from the North's young leader.

The US uses B-2 bombers as a 'deterrence' measure in the region

The two nuclear-capable B-2 planes flew a 13,000-mile round trip from an air base in Missouri, dropping a dummy bomb on a target range in the South.

The planes were taking part in a joint South Korea-US military exercise that has inflamed tensions with Pyongyang, which earlier this month threatened to unleash an "all-out war" backed by nuclear weapons.

"This .... demonstrates the United States' ability to conduct long range, precision strikes quickly and at will," the US military said in a statement.

"The B-2 bomber is an important element of America's enduring and robust extended deterrence capability in the Asia-Pacific region."

KCNA reported that Mr Kim had "judged the time has come to settle accounts with the US imperialists in view of the prevailing situation".

The agency said: "He finally signed the plan on technical preparations of strategic rockets of the KPA, ordering them to be on standby for fire so that they may strike any time the US mainland, its military bases in the operational theatres in the Pacific, including Hawaii and Guam, and those in South Korea."

Following their leader's call to arms, thousands of North Koreans turned out for a mass rally in the main square in the capital.

Chanting "Death to the US imperialists" and "Sweep away the US aggressors," soldiers and students marched through Kim Il-Sung Square during the 90-minute rally.

The US has denied its military exercise was provocative but said it was "committed to a pathway to peace" and "prepared to deal with any eventuality" in the region.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel and General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the B-2 bombers were a message intended more for allies than Pyongyang.

"The North Koreans have to understand that what they're doing is very dangerous," Mr Hagel said.

"I don't think we're doing anything extraordinary or provocative or out of the ... orbit of what nations do to protect their own interests."

The US, he added, must make it clear to South Korea, Japan and other allies in the region that "these provocations by the North are taken by us very seriously, and we'll respond to that".

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Two Dead In Car Crash After Police Pursuit

Two men have died in a car crash during a police pursuit in Haringey, London.

The men died early this morning after the Audi car they were in collided with a bridge on Seven Sisters Road near to the junction with St Ann's Road.

The 30-year-old driver of the Audi tried to make off from the scene on foot, police said.

But he was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified.

He has been taken to hospital, but his injuries are not believed to be serious.

Police say that officers on routine patrol at around 2am became suspicious of a car that appeared to make off at speed when passed in the opposite direction.

After several minutes searching for the Audi, the officers sighted it several hundred metres away and they sought to catch up, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said.

"The Audi was driven through a red light and a short time later it clipped a white van and subsequently collided with a bridge," the spokesman said.

Two male passengers in the Audi, both believed to be aged in their late 20s or early 30s, were seriously injured.

Officers gave CPR prior to the arrival of ambulances, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Enquiries continue to establish the identity of the two men.

Traffic officers are investigating. Officers from the Directorate of Professional Standards have been informed.

Local road closures are in place

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Girl Found Abandoned In Pram In Carlisle

Police are appealing for help in tracing the parents of a young child who was found abandoned in a pram in Carlisle.

The little girl was discovered after police were called to a disturbance in Warwick Road at around 11pm on Thursday.

They were contacted by the inhabitants of a house who told them their doorbell had been rung repeatedly.

When officers arrived they found the pram with the girl, believed to around three years old, inside.

There was no trace of her parents, who are being urged to contact detectives immediately.

The child, who has been taken into temporary care, is said to be well.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Cumbria Police on 101.

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Nelson Mandela: Zuma Asks World To Pray

The former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, has been taken back to hospital suffering from a lung infection.

President Jacob Zuma confirmed that the 94-year-old was readmitted just before midnight on Wednesday and said: "We appeal to the people of South Africa and the world to pray for our beloved Madiba and his family and to keep them in their thoughts.

"We have full confidence in the medical team and know that they will do everything possible to ensure recovery."

Mr Mandela's spokesman Mac Maharaj told Sky News that the former president was "conscious".

He said: "At the moment doctors are saying it is a recurrence of an old lung infection. It is a matter of concern ... He was admitted around midnight last night.

The most recent picture of Mr Mandela taken on February 2.

"They are doing everything they can to keep him comfortable and happy."

He said that last time he had seen Mr Mandela he had been frail but in a "good frame of mind".

Mr Mandela spent 18 days in hospital in December, where he was treated for a lung infection and gallstones.

He was discharged on December 27, however, doctors warned he was "not yet fully recovered" and he continued to receive medical treatment at his Johannesburg home, including being given extra oxygen.

Mr Mandela at his Johannesburg home seen on his granddaughters' TV show

Mr Mandela has had recurring lung problems since contracting tuberculosis in 1988, during his 27 years in prison under the apartheid regime.

The Nobel Peace Laureate spent a night in hospital on March 9 for what was described as a scheduled medical check-up.

However, Sky News' Special Correspondent Alex Crawford said that it was now understood that the visit was required for further treatment of the lung infection and that on that occasion he is believed to have had his lungs drained.

She said that there were now significant concerns over his health and added: "The time of his hospitalisation certainly suggests they were alarmed at his deterioration."

Mr Mandela contracted tuberculosis during his time in prison

In February, Mr Mandela's granddaughters showed the first picture of him to be seen in more than seven months as they promoted a reality television series in which they star.

He was seen with his great grandson, Zen, sitting on his lap at his Johannesburg home.

Earlier this month, George Bizos, the human rights lawyer who represented Mr Mandela at his treason trial, said that he was suffering memory lapses and sometimes forgot his fellow anti-apartheid activists were dead.

In an interview he told Eyewitness News: "Unfortunately he sometimes forgets that one or two of them had passed on and has a blank face when you tell him that Walter Sisulu and some others are no longer with us."

Mr Mandela stepped down after one term as president after taking power in 1994. He had not appeared in public since South Africa's World Cup final in 2010, six years after retiring.

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House Explodes Leaving Two In Hospital

Two pensioners have been taken to hospital after a gas blast flattened their home and prompted the evacuation of neighbouring homes.

Police said the home had been "totally demolished" by the blast and a 74-year-old woman and 77-year-old man had been taken to hospital.

Nine houses around the scene of the explosion in Murdiston Avenue, Callander, in central Scotland, had to be evacuated and the council has set up a rest centre in the town for those who have been asked to leave their homes.

Chief Inspector Russell Penman, of Central Scotland Police, said: "The house has been totally demolished as a result of the explosion.

"We are treating this as a suspected gas leak and inquiries are at a very early stage to establish the cause. Scotland Gas Networks are in attendance and working with us."

Emergency services were called at around 6am.

The couple were taken to Forth Valley Royal Infirmary. Their conditions are not known.

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North Korea: US Stealth Bombers Fly Over South

The US military has flown two B-2 stealth bombers over South Korea in what it called a "deterrence" mission following threats from the North.

The two nuclear-capable planes flew a 13,000-mile round trip from an air base in Missouri, dropping a dummy bomb on a target range in the South.

It comes after state television in North Korea said the country's military had been ordered to be ready to strike US bases in Guam, Hawaii and mainland America.

One of the B-2 bombers is seen flying alongside another plane

The planes were taking part in a joint South Korea-US military exercise that has inflamed tensions with Pyongyang, which has threatened to unleash an "all-out war" backed by nuclear weapons.

"This .... demonstrates the United States' ability to conduct long range, precision strikes quickly and at will," the US military said in a statement.

"The B-2 bomber is an important element of America's enduring and robust extended deterrence capability in the Asia-Pacific region."

Kim Jong-un has put the military on readiness alert to strike US targets

In a telephone call with his South Korean counterpart, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel said that Seoul could rely on US military protection, including "the nuclear umbrella, conventional strike means and missile defence".

The US mission follows a decision by North Korea to cut another military hotline with the South, as state media said the country's leadership would meet in the coming days to discuss taking a "drastic turn".

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Dog Attack: Tributes To Jade Lomas-Anderson

Tributes have been paid to a 14-year-old girl who is thought to have been killed by a pack of "aggressive and out-of-control" dogs.

Jade Lomas-Anderson's body was discovered with wounds consistent with a dog attack at a house shortly after 2pm on Tuesday, following reports she was unconscious.

It is thought the teenager was visiting the property in Chaucer Grove, Atherton, near Wigan, and was alone with the four dogs - two bull mastiffs and two Staffordshire bull terriers.

Jade was described as "shy" by friends (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

The animals were later shot by police marksmen and a fifth was contained.

A post-mortem examination was due to take place on Tuesday night. The dogs' remains will also be examined as part of the investigation, police said.

A Greater Manchester Police (GMP) spokesman said: "Officers attended and found the body of a 14-year-old girl.

Two of the dogs were Staffordshire bull terriers similar to this one

"They were confronted by a number of dogs that were aggressive and out-of-control."

Superintendent Mark Kenny said: "First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family of the girl who has tragically lost her life. Specialist officers are offering them every support.

"While our inquiries to find out what happened are ongoing, this girl's injuries are consistent with her having been attacked by dogs.

"I understand this is an extremely distressing incident for all concerned, including the community, and we will work hard to establish the full circumstances that led to this tragedy."

Friends paid tribute to the "quiet" and "timid" teenager, who is thought to have returned to the property from the shops with a meat pie when she was attacked.

A policeman stands guard outside the house in Atherton, near Wigan

Flowers were laid at the backyard where Jade was attacked. A sign on the gate read: "Beware of the Dog."

Norman Bradbury, an local councillor told Sky News the whole community was in shock.

"We need to establish what occurred with this horrible incident and how it an be avoided in future but we have to wait for the police to investigate what happened, how Jade died and the circumstances."

Locals said Jade was visiting the property to see a friend, Kimberley Concannon, 16, who lives there with her twin Catrina and mother Beverley Concannon.

It is believed Jade was attacked by four dogs (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

Youngsters who knew Jade said they had spoken to Kimberley's twin sister, Catrina, who was not at the property when the dog attack happened.

One 15-year-old said of Jade: "She goes to my school in the year below.

"She's shy, quite timid, if you didn't know her you wouldn't recognise her around and about. It's horrible what's happened.

"She picks her little sister up Sienna from school, every day and walks past my house.

"She had a pie in her hand and has gone to bite it, she moved the pie and the dog's gone for her throat and then they have all gone for her."

Another friend said the dogs at the house were large and aggressive animals.

Jade had reportedly gone to visit a friend (Pic: Facebook tribute page)

"Every time you walk past the house they would be barking and barking and going mad," she said. "You would jump out of your skin."

Jade was a pupil at Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley, which closed for the Easter break last Friday.

A message on the school's Twitter feed said: "This afternoon we sadly lost one of our students, Jade Anderson. Our thoughts are with her parents and family."

More than 4,500 people joined a Facebook group created to pay tribute to Jade, including the aunt of a four-year-old boy who was killed by a banned breed of dog.

John-Paul Massey died at his grandmother's house in Liverpool after suffering "massive injuries" inflicted by a pitbull.

Tricia Massey wrote on Jade's page: "Such a tragic thing to happen. I know what your poor family must be going through and how they are feeling, I lost my four-year-old nephew three years ago.

"He was killed by a dangerous dog in Liverpool. Something needs to be done about these aggressive animals.

"Sleep tight Jade, I'm sure my John-Paul will look after you."

Natasha Hunt posted: "RIP my beautiful baby girl! Don't know what I'm going do without you!

"Love you loads, you will never be forgotten, you will always be in my heart."

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Energy Bill Rises 'Cut By Efficiency Schemes'

A new report claims government policies that promote home insulation and the installation of more efficient boilers are reducing increases in gas and electricity bills.

Savings generated from energy efficiency policies are already having an impact and will increase over the next decade, the report from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has said.

Household dual fuel bills are estimated to be on average 5%, or £64, lower now than they would be without these policies, it adds.

By 2020, average household energy bills will have risen by 6% in real terms but will be 11% or £166 lower than without the policies.

Nearly half of the average household dual fuel energy bill, £598, is made up of fossil fuel prices, with the second largest cost attributed to networks costs or transport or distribution of energy.

The report showed 85% of the rise in household bills between 2010 and 2012 was from wholesale energy costs and network costs.

Household energy consumption has been on a downward trend since 2005 partly because of the energy efficiency measures.

The freezing weather has raised concerns about gas supplies

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "Global gas price hikes are squeezing households. They are beyond any Government's control and, by all serious predictions, are likely to continue rising.

"We are doing all we can to offset these global energy price rises, and while we have more to do, this new study shows our policies are putting a cushion between global prices and the bills we all pay."

Steve Radley, policy director at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, said: "This is a  wake-up call. Policies are already adding 30% to business electricity prices, and this will rise to 50% by 2020 and 70% by 2030.

"Measures to shield the most energy-intensive industries from a portion of the costs will make a difference but, unless we get a grip on spiralling policy costs, steeply rising electricity prices for the rest of the sector risk making the UK an increasingly unattractive location for industrial investment and undermining efforts to rebalance the economy."

Caroline Flint, shadow energy and climate change secretary, said: "The Government's underhand attempt to mask the real impact of its policies on families' energy bills is shameful. At a time when hard-pressed families and pensioners are seeing their incomes squeezed, only this out-of-touch Government could expect people to fork out thousands of pounds on new TVs, fridge freezers and washing machines.

"Instead of cooking the books to trick people into thinking their energy bills will be lower, ministers should get behind Labour's plans to overhaul the energy market and deliver fair prices for the public."

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Amanda Knox Told To Stay Away From Retrial

By Greg Milam, in Seattle

An American judge who campaigned for the release of Amanda Knox has told Sky News she "may" return to Italy to face renewed proceedings - but that he would recommend she stay away.

Michael Heavey, a Superior Court judge in Knox's home state of Washington, says he is disappointed but not surprised that the Italian Supreme Court has ordered a retrial for her and former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito.

The couple were released by an appeals court 18 months ago after it found fault with their convictions for murdering the British exchange student Meredith Kercher at the home she and Knox shared in Perugia in 2007.

Judge Heavey, who attracted criticism for writing to the Italian authorities about the case while still serving in his role in the US, says he remains convinced the couple are innocent and that the prosecution case is flawed.

Meredith Kercher was killed in 2007

When asked if Knox might return to Italy for any part of the new proceedings, he said: "She may. The intelligentsia of Italy knows she is absolutely innocent.

"But a good proportion of the population, because of what's called confirmation bias, what they've been told so many times, they can't tell you why, but they think she's guilty and that is not a healthy climate for her to be in."

He said he would not criticise the Italian judicial system - and that the US has its own examples of such mistakes being made - but added that he believed the case was set to drag on for years.

He said: "It is terribly disappointing. You just feel like you have been kicked in the stomach. My heart goes out to Amanda and Raffaele and their families for what they're going to have to go through. The nightmare continues."

No-one in the Knox camp has commented on whether she plans to return to Italy for the retrial. If she were to be convicted and that conviction upheld, Italy could seek her extradition from the United States.

A 'Free Amanda Knox' sticker on a car outside her Seattle home

One Knox lawyer in Italy has said he does not believe she will attend the trial, which is her right under Italian law.

Since the Supreme Court announcement, Amanda Knox has been keeping a low profile in her home city of Seattle. Members of her family politely told reporters outside their home in the Arbor Heights suburb they would not be commenting on the developments.

The 25-year-old has returned to complete her studies at the University of Washington and it is reported she plans to go ahead with a television interview next month to promote a book about the case.

Five thousand miles away from Seattle, a woman claiming to be the new girlfriend of Sollecito told reporters at his apartment that the couple planned to move to Switzerland. She confirmed that he and Knox had spoken to each other about the Supreme Court decision.

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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.

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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 said.

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

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

The still photographs show what appears to be a sea-borne assault using hovercraft and an artillery drill using multiple rocket launchers.

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

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.

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

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is photographed visiting troops

According to the news agency, Kim Jong Un "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".

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

The fresh threat marks the latest fiery rhetoric from Pyongyang

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

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

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

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

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.

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

However, with unattributed cyberattacks 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.

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

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Knox To Face Retrial Over Kercher Death

Italy's top court orders Amanda Knox and her ex-boyfriend, acquitted over the murder of Meredith Kercher, to stand trial again.

More follows...

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Cyprus Bailout Deal Wins Eurozone Approval

Cyprus has secured a 10bn euro (£8.5bn) bailout, saving the country from a banking system collapse and bankruptcy.

In return for the rescue funds, Cyprus must restructure its banking sector under an EU-IMF plan approved by eurozone ministers earlier today.

Markets across Europe rose in early trading on Monday morning in response to the last-minute deal.

The country's 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".

Christine Lagarde and the German finance minister at the Eurogroup

Deposits below 100,000 euros (£85,509) 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 will be used to resolve debt. It is not yet clear how severe the losses will be for these depositors.

The move will yield 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.

The deal emerged hours before a deadline to avert a collapse of the banking system, which could have forced Cyprus to exit the euro.

Banks have been closed this past week

It followed fraught negotiations between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the troika of creditors - the International Monetary Fund, 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," said Jeroen Dijsselbloem, who chairs the meetings of the 17-nation eurozone's finance ministers.

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

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.

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, whose citizens have billions of euros at stake.

Cypriots were outraged by the original proposal and have been queuing at cash machines ever since bank doors were closed last weekend on the orders of the government.

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Immigration: Cameron Says No Job, No Benefits

Tough new measures to curb immigrants' access to housing and benefits will be unveiled later by David Cameron.

The Prime Minister will use a keynote speech to warn those coming to Britain that it will no longer be a "soft touch".

Mr Cameron is the latest party leader after Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg to address immigration, which is a top concern for voters.

In moves to tackle the "something-for-nothing" welfare culture, arrivals from the European Union face being stripped of jobseekers' benefits.

They will lose the allowance after six months unless they can prove they have been actively looking for a job and stand a "genuine chance" of finding one.

Immigrant families will also be kept off council house waiting lists for up to five years.

Immigrants will be kept off council housing waiting lists for five years

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 speech comes as the UK Border Agency faced renewed criticism for its failure to tackle the backlog of asylum cases.

MPs on the Home Affairs select committee condemned the lack of progress as it warned the backlog would take 24 years to clear.

Mr Cameron is likely to cite figures 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 Government is also pledging to beef up the "range and depth" of questions in the habitual residence test, which checks that people meet residence requirements for housing and income-related benefits.

Immigrants must prove they have a 'genuine chance' of getting a job

Mr Cameron will also target illegal immigration - doubling the maximum fine for companies that employ illegal workers to £20,000.

And he will signal action against so-called "health tourism" that could mean non-EU nationals have to prove they hold insurance before getting care.

"While I have always believed in the benefits of immigration, I have also always believed that immigration has to be properly controlled," the Prime Minister will say.

"As I have long argued, under the last government this simply wasn't the case. Immigration was far too high and badly out of control. Net migration needs to come down radically from hundreds of thousands a year to just tens of thousands.

"And as we bring net migration down so we must also make sure that Britain continues to benefit from it.

Immigrants to the UK take part in a Citizenship Ceremony

"That means ensuring that those who do come here are the brightest and the best the people we really need with the skills and entrepreneurial talent to create the British jobs and growth that will help us to win in the global race."

In his spring conference address over the weekend, UKIP leader Nigel Farage claimed his willingness to talk about immigration was one of the main reasons for the party's surge in popularity.

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

The increasing political focus on the issue was emphasised last week when Mr Clegg ditched the Lib Dem policy of offering an amnesty to illegal immigrants who have been in the country for more than 10 years.

He admitted the move would risk "undermining public confidence".

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White Easter Looms As Cold Snap Continues

Thousands of homes are still without power 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.

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.

Cutting through snow at Saddleworth Moor (Pic: Oldham Mountain Rescue Team)

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.

"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."

The scene in Largs, Ayrshire (Pic: Neil Fraser)

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

Engineers are 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 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 Isobel Lang said the heavy snow had subsided 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.

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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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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Berezovsky Death: Chemical Experts Called In

Boris Berezovsky: A Profile

Updated: 10:23pm UK, Saturday 23 March 2013

Boris Berezovsky was once one of Russia's most powerful kingmakers, a member of the influential group of Russian tycoons referred to as the "oligarchs".

Born in Moscow in 1946, the son of a civil engineer, he gained a doctorate in applied mathematics, before becoming one of a number of Russian businessmen who took advantage of Perestroika.

He made his money founding the car company LogoVAZ in 1989, selling local Russian cars and importing Mercedes.

As his wealth grew so too did his sphere of influence and in 1993 he entered the Kremlin's inner circle, eventually earning the nickname Rasputin, after the mystic adviser to the Romanovs.

By the mid-1990s Mr Berezovsky owned a stake in the oil company Sibneft and had a majority share in Russia's main television channel, ORT.

In 1997 Forbes estimated his wealth was $3bn.

At Davos in 1996 he joined forces with other businessmen who had flourished in the ruins of the Soviet Union and they formed a pact, known as the "Davos Pact" in which they agreed to bank roll Boris Yeltsin for his second presidential run.

Together with members of Mr Yeltsin's family, like his daughter Tatyana Yumasheva, and like-minded politicians, like Anatoly Chubais, Yegor Gaidar and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov, they effectively ran Russia during Mr Yetsin's second term as his health faltered.

When it was clear a successor was needed, it is said that it was Mr Berezovsky who hand-picked the ex-KGB head, Vladimir Putin.

He may have made him king but Mr Putin soon made it clear that he was not to be anyone's puppet and shortly after he became President the two men fell out.

Mr Berezovsky resigned from the Duma and set himself up in opposition then left the country on business. He never returned.

In November 2000, while travelling, he was summoned for economic crimes but he did not respond and set up home in London. He was granted asylum in the UK in 2003.

Mr Berezovsky vowed that he would bring Mr Putin down, but after a series of assassination attempts, he also lived in fear for his life.

According to Alexander Litvinenko, the former Russian FSB agent who was assassinated in London in 2006, a Russian agent was preparing a hit on Mr Berezovsky in September 2003.

Mr Litvinenko had also claimed in 1998 when he was an FSB agent that he himself had been ordered to kill Mr Berezovsky.

In 2007, Scotland Yard said it had foiled a plot to assassinate Mr Berezovsky in the UK. The alleged hitman, a Chechen national, was arrested in London and deported to Russia.

Mr Berezovsky also survived an assassination attempt in Russia in 1994 when a car bomb exploded, wounding him and decapitating his driver.

And as Mr Berezovsky's power faded in his self-imposed exile, so did his wealth.

According to the Sunday Times Rich List by 2011, his net worth was only about $900m (£591m).

Mr Berezovsky's stake in Sibneft eventually led to a court battle with Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich, which is estimated to have cost him £100m, and speculation about his financial well-being.

In 2012, he lost the High Court case in which he accused his fellow oligarch of breach of trust, breach of contract and claimed Mr Abramovich "intimidated" him into selling shares in Sibneft for a "mere $1.3bn" (£800m) - "a fraction of their true worth".

In July 2011 his ex-wife Galina Beshanrova, 53, won the biggest divorce settlement in history, said to be worth hundreds of millions of pounds.

Mr Berezovsky ran up further legal bills of more than £250,000 later in 2012 fighting a case against his former lover, Elena Gorbunova.

Ms Gorbunova, who had two children with Mr Berezovsky, complained that she had not been given millions promised by him.

On Wednesday, Mr Berezovsky sold Red Lenin, an Andy Warhol screen print, for £133,875 at Christie's auction house, prompting more speculation about his financial situation.

Demoralised by the Abramovich case, the Kremlin claims that Mr Berezovsky, the kingmaker, was a broken man in the days before he died.

He had written, Mr Putin's spokesman claimed, to beg forgiveness and to finally return to Russia.

He never did.

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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 yesterday 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.

The 57-year-old man was found yesterday 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.

Snow and ice are causing treacherous driving conditions in many places

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 said 29,000 homes were still waiting to be reconnected - and it could be days before they all have power. About 1,000 homes in Northern Ireland were also without water last night.

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.

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."

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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