9am Briefing: Toddler killed after TV fell on her

A two-year-old girl died after a television set toppled on to her at her Edinburgh home, it was revealed today.

Karli Ann Watt is thought to have been alone in a room and touched the TV, which toppled over and crushed her.

The toddler's parents heard the noise and rushed into the room to find her lying injured.

She was taken from her home in Howdenhall to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh following the incident on Saturday, and died a short time later.

Cash injection for affordable housing

THERE is to be a cash injection for affordable housing in Edinburgh, the Scottish Government has announced.

The amount invested across the city annually is to rise from 36 million to a record 41.5m. The new funding will allow work to begin on around 630 new homes for rent or low-cost ownership.

Tram works 'not putting shoppers off'

THE closure of Princes Street for tramworks has not put off shoppers, with footfall in the street during the first week of the closure higher than the average for the first six weeks of 2009, it is reported today.

With traffic diverted, George Street stores, bars and restaurants have been doing particularly well, with footfall at the Dome bar reported to be up 86.3 per cent on the average for the first six weeks of the year, and the Rohan clothing store seeing an increase of 99.2 per cent.

Fringe breakaway to continue

BREAKAWAY Festival Fringe venues are to market themselves for a second year running under the controversial Edinburgh Comedy Festival banner.

The Assembly, Gilded Balloon, Pleasance and Underbelly are to repeat last year's experiment in promoting themselves separately from the rest of the Fringe. The move has attracted criticism from those who feel it is "divisive" and goes against the spirit of the Fringe.

Book boost for Obama publisher

PUBLISHER Canongate has seen two of its books nominated at the Galaxy British Book Awards - both written by US President Barack Obama.

The Edinburgh-based company bought the UK and Commonwealth rights to President Obama's books early in 2007, long before his election to office. They have since sold more than one million copies between them.

The Audacity of Hope has won a nomination at the awards for author of the year, with Dreams from My Father up for biography of the year.