Girl, Four, Dies After Level Crossing Crash

A four-year-old girl who was injured when the car she was travelling in collided with a train at a level crossing has died in hospital.

Emma Lifsey had been airlifted to Sheffield Children's Hospital after the incident in Nottinghamshire on Tuesday.

A British Transport Police spokesman said "she was sadly pronounced dead in the early hours Wednesday".

The other person injured in the crash, a 67-year-old woman who was driving the car, remains in hospital and is in stable condition.

The girl's parents, Mark and Zoe Lifsey, said in a statement: "Emma meant the world to us. She was our much-loved daughter and a baby sister to her 11-year-old brother Jack.

"We are still trying to come to terms with the terrible incident on Tuesday afternoon and there are no words that can properly express how utterly distraught we are."

The Beech Hill crossing after the crash

The couple said they were thankful for the support received in the aftermath of the incident, but sought privacy at a time of grief.

They added: "This tragic incident has left us shocked and devastated and we would ask that we can be left to grieve in private at this acutely difficult and sad time for us."

The woman travelling in the car, a black Volvo, sustained serious neck injuries and bruising.

Police were investigating the accident, and said they would talk to any witnesses while experts examine evidence from the scene and the car.

Girl's death has left her parents 'shocked and devastated'

The train, a Lincoln to Doncaster service, was damaged but remained upright and on the tracks. No injuries have been reported among passengers or staff onboard.

Speaking at the scene on Tuesday, Inspector Andy Selby of the British Transport Police declined to comment on whether the barriers and lights at the unmanned crossing were working correctly.

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Weather: Flights Delayed After Snow In London

The first snow of winter has fallen across London and the Home Counties, causing delays to flights and rail services.

A thin blanket of snow fell in the early hours, causing the temporary closure of Stansted Airport from 6am. It re-opened just over two hours later but departures are delayed.

Meanwhile Network Rail reported delays across southern England, while London Underground and Overground services were affected.

Delays of up to 90 minutes were reported between Reading and London Waterloo, due to fewer trains running.

No trains were able to run between Watford Junction in Hertfordshire and Harrow and Wealdstone in North West London, while snow caused disruption between London and Reading in Berkshire.

Trains were unable to run between Barnes and Hounslow via Brentford in West London, while there were delays between London and Ashford International in Kent.

In London, there were delays on the London Overground, and the Metropolitan, Central and Bakerloo Tube lines, while a faulty train led to delays on the Victoria line.

Most of the snow did not settle and had melted away by mid-morning.

Sky News weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "This is the first real snowfall across London this winter, and it's happening right in the middle of the morning rush hour.

"However it won't be around for long, and will melt quickly in the sunshine."

Wales, the Midlands, northern England and the rest of South West England will have a cold day with the risk of ice.

One of Manchester Airport's two runways was closed due to icy conditions, but later re-opened.

Aberdeen airport said there was snow overnight and there could be delays to flights.

Ireland and Scotland are also experiencing a cold start with ice first thing and some snow showers across northern and eastern Scotland.

On Thursday the snow risk is likely to extend south into the Lake District and Pennine areas bringing the risk of disruption across higher routes during the morning before it turns back to rain and continues to spread southeast across the rest of England and Wales.

This weekend – two of the biggest shopping days of the year – will be crisp and dry.

• Click here for the latest Sky News weather information

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Autumn Statement: The Key Points At A Glance

The main measures and forecasts from the Chancellor George Osborne as they are announced in his Autumn Statement:

:: Most working age benefits, including Jobseeker's Allowance, will rise by 1% in each of the next three years. Changes to welfare "save £3.7bn by 2015/16". Child benefit to rise by 1% for two years from April 2014.

:: ISA limit raised to £11,520 and basic state pension to rise 2.5% from April. Public sector workers to see average 1% rise in earnings.

:: National pay arrangement in NHS and prison service to continue, and no changes to civil service arrangements, but greater freedom for schools to set pay in line with performance.

:: Will collect £7bn more in tax than the last Government to tackle "evasion" and loopholes. More resources (£77m) to ensure multinational firms "pay their fair share" and avoidance is reduced.

:: Fuel duty escalator "scrapped". Planned 3p a litre rise due in January is cancelled.

:: Income tax threshold increased by £235 in 2013. Means no tax paid on earnings under £9,440.

:: "Need to ask more of the better off": No new homes tax. From 2014/15 the pension lifetime pot relief will fall from £1.5m to £1.25m; annual allowance down from £50,000 to £40,000. This affects top 2% of pension pots.

:: Threshold for 40% rate of income tax to rise by 1% in 2014 and 2015 from £41,450 to £41,865 and then £42,285.

:: Corporation Tax rate cut by further 1% from April 2014.

:: The Bank Levy Rate will be increased to 0.130% next year.

:: Capital Gains Tax annual exempt amount to increase by 1% over the same period, reaching £11,100 and Inheritance Tax nil-band rate to rise from £325,000 now to £329,000 in 2015/16.

:: £1bn more for road improvements - upgrading A1, A30, and M25. Funding guarantee for extension to Northern Line tube.

:: £600m more on scientific research infrastructure.

:: £1bn to expand good schools and build more.

:: The deficit has fallen by a quarter in "just two years". Forecast to fall this year to 6.9% of GDP. Borrowing forecast for 2012/13 is therefore £108bn. It will take one extra year to reach his debt target.

:: Office for Budget Responsibility now forecasts GDP growth -0.1% in 2012, blaming Eurozone crisis. Sees growth of 1.2% in 2013, 2% in 2014 and 2.3% in 2015. OBR expects jobless rate to peak at 8.3% (currently 7.9%).

:: Has delivered £12bn in Whitehall spending cuts. More on the way. Government department resource budgets reduced by 1% next year with schools and hospitals protected.

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Autumn Statement: Fuel Duty Hike Is Scrapped

Fuel duty is to be frozen, benefits squeezed and Whitehall spending slashed in a bid to revive Britain's flagging economy, George Osborne has announced.

The Chancellor, in his mini-Budget, revealed that he is scrapping the planned 3p hike in fuel duty set for January and will also postpone April's rise.

The move is aimed at releasing some pressure on struggling workers and families, but it was a rare piece of good news in an otherwise bleak Autumn Statement.

Mr Osborne warned there are no "miracle cures" for the economy as he admitted austerity will now have to last up to 2018, well into the next parliament.

He was also forced to concede that the Government is set to miss its target of reducing debt by 2015 and that slashing the deficit will take longer.

And he revealed that the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) is now predicting the economy will shrink by 0.1% this year compared to a previous forecast for 0.8% growth.

George Osborne insisted the economy is starting to heal

To raise extra cash, benefits and tax thresholds will only rise by 1% - a below-inflation increase - although pensions and disability allowances will be exempt.

As anticipated, the pension pots of top earners are also targeted, with their relief falling from £50,000-a-year to £40,000 and from £1.5m to £1.25m over a lifetime.

Meanwhile, HM Revenue & Customs will receive a £77m boost to help crack down on people and businesses dodging tax.

Despite the dire state of the economy, Mr Osborne - who has now been Chancellor for two-and-a-half years - is refusing to change course.

He insisted that turning back from his programme of drastic cuts would be a "disaster" for the country.

Taking on his critics, he declared that he was "confronting the country's problems, instead of ducking them" as he sought to show "we're all in this together".

"It's a hard road, but we are getting there. Britain is on the right track and turning back now would be a disaster," he said.

"People know there are no quick fixes... but they want to know that we are making progress. It's taking time, but the British economy is healing."

Union protesters in George Osborne masks

Sticking to his theme, he later added: "We cannot relax our efforts. Britain is heading in the right direction. The road is hard but we are making progress."

Mr Osborne told MPs that the Government was still on course to eliminate the structural deficit, according to estimates by the OBR.

But the watchdog does expect that the coalition will miss the second key target of having public sector debt falling as a proportion of gross domestic product by 2015-16.

The Chancellor's hands are largely tied because of weaker than expected economic growth and high borrowing.

He has been battling to regain the upper hand since his much-criticised Budget in March but the state of the economy has left him with very little room for manoeuvre.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls claimed that the coalition's economy strategy had been "completely derailed" and that they have failed their own key test.

Half way into this parliament, the country could now see "the true scale of this Government's economic failure", he said.

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Kate Pregnant: William At Wife's Bedside

The Duke of Cambridge has returned to his pregnant wife's bedside as she continues her hospital treatment for severe morning sickness.

Kate was admitted to King Edward VII Hospital in central London on Monday where she is likely to remain for the next few days.

Prince William headed in ignoring the massed ranks of the world's media on the pavement outside.

Presenters and crews from TV networks in America and elsewhere have set up camp since the couple's news was announced on Monday.

It is understood the rest of the royal family were told about the pregnancy only a few hours before the rest of the world.

Prince William arrives at the hospital on Tuesday

The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry - and Kate's family - are said to be "delighted".

The child will be third in line to the throne, whether it is a boy or girl, after Prince Charles and Prince William.

The Prime Minister was among the first to congratulate the royal couple on Twitter. "I'm delighted ... They will make wonderful parents," David Cameron said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg tweeted: "... a perfect way to round off the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year."

Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted: "A royal baby is something the whole nation will celebrate."

Julia Gillard, prime minister of Australia, called it "delightful news" and Jay Carney, press secretary to US president Barack Obama, said: "On behalf of everyone here in the White House, beginning with the President and the First Lady, we extend our congratulations ..."

Only last week Kate took to the hockey field while visiting her old school

Thomas Misrachi, a journalist with BFM TV in France, is among the media throng outside the hospital. On Monday he immediately booked the Eurostar from Paris.

He told Sky News: "Their wedding was huge news in France and news of a baby is just the same.

"Your royal family still has a certain magic - it is unusual for us because we don't have a royal family."

St James's Palace would not say when the royal couple became aware of the pregnancy - only that it was "recently".

It is understood that the pregnancy has not passed the 12-week point and the announcement was prompted by the Duchess's medical condition.

It was reported that the Queen's former gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, who delivered the Countess of Wessex's two children, is treating her.

Kate is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a rare condition which causes severe vomiting during pregnancy and can cause dehydration, weight loss and a build-up of toxins in the blood or urine called ketosis.

News that Kate's condition may indicate she is carrying twins has prompted bookmaker William Hill to cut the price of the royal couple having two babies from 33/1 to 25/1 following a number of bets overnight.

The Duchess' engagements this week have all been cancelled, said St James' Palace.

Kate and William were married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.

:: Bookmaker William Hill said favourite names are Frances and John, both at 9/1, while Charles, Victoria and George are 10/1.

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Cancer Patient Taken From Hospital By Mother

Fears are mounting for an 11-year-old girl with leukaemia and a heart catheter who was removed from a Phoenix hospital by her parents.

The child, Emily, had been receiving chemotherapy up until last week after an infection forced doctors to amputate her right arm and insert a catheter in her heart.

The device was due to be taken out when her mother unexpectedly changed her clothes and walked her out of the hospital last Wednesday night.

Police have said if the catheter is left in too long, it could lead to serious complications.

"If she contracts an infection, it really could just be a matter of days that could result in the young girl's death," Sgt Steve Martos said. "It's pretty serious."

The authorities had been held back initially by US health privacy laws that kept them from releasing the parents' names.

But police said on Monday that the US Border Patrol stopped the girl's father, Luis Bracamontes, 46, as he crossed into Arizona from Mexico over the weekend.

But he provided no clues to the girl's whereabouts and denied having any involvement in removing her from the hospital.

Police also released his wife's name, Norma Bracamontes, 35.

Neither parent is charged with a crime yet, but authorities want the child brought back to the hospital before it is too late.

The girl's father is a Mexican citizen with US residency. Emily and her mother are US citizens.

Authorities speculated they might have been concerned about paying the hospital bill.

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Autumn Statement: £5bn Investment Boost

Deeper cuts in some Whitehall budgets are to be used to fund an extra £5bn investment in schools and other capital projects.

Government departments will be expected to cut day-to-day spending by 1% (£950m) in 2013/14 and 2% (£2.5bn) in 2014/15.

But health, schools, international aid, HM Revenue and Customs and nuclear decommissioning will all be protected.

The new investment will target transport, skills, science and education, with an extra £1bn for new schools.

The cuts apply directly to England only but there will be knock-on effects for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland under the complicated formula which determines UK funding.

The Treasury said the investment would help Britain prepare for the future and compete globally.

Local authorities will be exempt from cuts in the first year because they are already having to cut back to deliver a council tax freeze but they will have to meet the later target.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence will have more flexibility to roll over its underspend to help ease pressure on their budget.

George Osborne has very little wriggle room

The move was unveiled ahead of Wednesday's Autumn Statement and as Chancellor George Osborne is under intense pressure over his economic plans.

It has already emerged that the heavily criticised Private Finance Initiative is to be overhauled in a bid to boost the economy.

Mr Osborne will include plans for a "faster and more transparent" system of private funding for public infrastructure projects in his mini-budget.

It is understood that safeguards will be built into the system to make sure the costs and risks to the taxpayer are minimised.

These will include limits on the type of services, such as maintenance, that can be incorporated into contracts and more flexible terms allowing the state to opt out.

Existing PFI schemes have been attacked for their generosity to private contractors, with one hospital reported to have been charged £333 by a firm to change a lightbulb.

The taxpayer will also take a minority shareholding in the delivery companies to ensure a share in any profits and allow closer oversight.

Some previous projects have taken up to five years but a new, strict 18-month limit will be imposed on the procurement process and cash reallocated if the deadline is missed.

Efforts will also be made to make the scheme more attractive to long-term investors like pension funds in a bid to reduce the amount of debt involved in the financing.

The reforms will promise more transparency over future liabilities facing the taxpayer, placing a cap on the total charges controversially going "off balance sheet".

The new system is expected to be named Private Finance 2 (PF2).

Safeguards will be built into the new scheme to protect taxpayers

Mr Osborne ordered a review of what he said was the "discredited" PFI system last year and will claim up to £2.5bn savings have been identified in existing contracts.

Set up under John Major's government in 1992, PFI was expanded dramatically under Labour and has been continued under the present coalition administration.

It allows private firms to build, operate and maintain public facilities like hospitals, schools and courthouses under contracts lasting as long as 35 years.

But it has faced harsh criticism over escalating costs, inefficiency and "perverse incentives" to use it over more cost-effective funding methods.

More than £267bn is due to private firms in repayments over the coming years and MPs recently called for the liabilities to be recorded in the national accounts.

Among the first projects to be put out to firms under the new process is expected to be the recently announced £1.75bn school repair programme.

A review of 100 existing contracts to run schools and other government buildings has found £1.5bn in savings over the past 18 months with another £1bn identified in future savings, Mr Osborne is expected to tell MPs.

The bulk - £630m - came from bringing services in-house or ending them and £615m from renting out buildings, increasing occupancy and using more energy-efficient equipment.

Another £140m was shaved off by ending the "gold plating" of services - such as firms charging for washing windows more often than required.

This week's mini-budget is expected to deliver bleak news for welfare claimants as well as the wealthy in the form of a possible benefit freeze and big cuts to pension tax relief.

Economists also expect Mr Osborne to make an embarrassing climbdown over one of his key goals - to have debt falling as a share of national income by 2015/16.

He conceded at the weekend that it was "clearly taking longer to deal with Britain's debts, it's clearly taking longer to recover from the financial crisis than one would have hoped".

On the eve of the statement, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) became the latest respected body to slash growth forecasts.

It now expects the economy to grow 1.2% in 2013 and 1.8% in 2014, compared with previous estimates of 1.2% and 2.2% respectively.

The organisation demanded a "laser-like focus" from the Chancellor on growth-boosting measures such as delivering key infrastructure projects and creating a business bank.

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Dutch Linesman Death: Teens To Be Charged

Dutch prosecutors say they will charge three teenagers with manslaughter for allegedly taking part in an attack on a linesman over a youth football match.

The volunteer linesman, Richard Nieuwenhuizen, died in hospital on Monday, a day after he was beaten and kicked by players from Amsterdam team Nieuw Sloten.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's own son had been playing in the game, which was held in the town of Almere.

Prosecutors said the three males, two 15 and one 16, would be arraigned on Thursday on charges of manslaughter, assault and public violence. Their identities were not released.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen's team, Buitenboys, has not announced the exact cause of death, but Dutch TV station RTL said he had brain damage.

Mr Nieuwenhuizen left after Sunday's match and was not aware anything was wrong. He returned to his club later that night and collapsed.

"You can't believe this could happen. That kids of 15 or 16 are playing football, you come to watch and see something like that," said Buitenboys chairman Marcel Oost.

"He did it every week. He enjoyed doing it. He was a real football man - he was always here."

FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in a statement he was "deeply shocked" by Mr Nieuwenhuizen's death.

Dutch sports minister Edith Schippers said: "It is absolutely terrible that something like this can happen on a Dutch sports field."      

Parents and other volunteers regularly referee and officiate at sports matches involving their children in the Netherlands, where youth football and hockey is popular and well-organised.

Anton Binnenmars, of the Royal Netherlands Football Association, said: "It is too crazy for words that somebody involved in a sporting hobby becomes a victim of this kind of aggression."

Police said they would not rule out arresting more suspects.

Nieuw Sloten said in a statement on its website it has banned the players involved and pulled their team out of the league. Such incidents "do not belong on a football field", the statement added.

The Dutch FA said all Nieuw Sloten's matches next weekend had been cancelled at the club's request.

The attack in Almere was even discussed at a news conference in Spain on the eve of Ajax's Champions League match against Real Madrid.

"You can't imagine it happening," said Ajax coach Frank de Boer. "That boys of 15, 16 years short circuit like that. You wonder about the parenting ... this is too ridiculous for words."

The death is almost exactly a year since a Dutch amateur footballer fatally kicked a 77-year-old supporter following a match.

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Dolphin Bites Girl At SeaWorld Theme Park

An eight-year-old girl has had a lucky escape after a dolphin she was feeding bit her at a US theme park.

Jillian Thomas was holding out fish to feed to dolphins at Orlando's SeaWorld when she got an unexpected surprise.

While she was feeding the usually friendly mammals, a dolphin lunges at her and nips her hand. 

The girl, whose parents posted the video on YouTube to make other people aware of the dangers, suffered three small puncture wounds.

Jillian's father, Jamie Thomas, told local media the family were angry at the theme park for not warning them of the dangers of dolphin feeding.

"We felt powerless," he said.

"We thought, look, we've got this video, let's make it public, and let's try to put some pressure on SeaWorld to make some changes."

A SeaWorld statement said: "Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our guests employees and animals.

"Educators and animal care staff are always on-site at this area monitoring all interactions and are committed to guest safety."

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Winter Weather As Snow Hits Northern UK

Snow is continuing to fall across the north of the UK, with up to 10cm settling across the high mountains overnight.

Glasgow and Edinburgh have seen up to 5cm fall overnight, with up to 4cm settling in Teesside and County Durham.

The mountains in Cumbria, Northumbria and parts of Scotland have been decorated with a blanket of 10cm of snow.

Sky's weather presenter Isobel Lang said: "Winter started on December 1 and the weather has become more seasonal.

"In fact it looks set to stay that way with a continued threat of frost, ice and snow.

"Even looking ahead towards Christmas the rather cold and wintry story continues."

And the rest of this week is bound to be frosty, said Lang.

"On Tuesday colder north winds will bring in more widespread snow showers across northern and eastern Scotland, with these spreading across hillier parts of eastern England on Wednesday," she said.

"During Thursday another Atlantic frontal system is set to sweep east bringing in more persistent rain, preceded again by a period of snow."

Frozen flood water at York Racecourse, North Yorkshire, on Sunday

Further south, including Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, escaped the snowfall but were greeted with rain and very cold temperatures instead.

Eastern England shivered in temperatures dipping to -4C and it dropped to -7C in western Scotland.

But hasn't been cold all over Britain - areas of Cornwall and west Wales enjoyed far warmer highs of 11C.

The extreme weather in parts of the UK caused signal failures on transport, meaning delays for passengers on Sunday.

The big chill comes just days after severe flooding hit Britain, from which many areas are still recovering.

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