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Hunt For Gunman In College Campus Shooting

Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 23.38

By Sky News US Team

One person has been killed and police are hunting for a gunman following a shooting at a community college in North Carolina.

Wayne Community College in Goldsboro remained on lockdown on Monday following the campus shooting.

Officers responded to an active shooter call at about 8am local time.

Kim Best, spokeswoman for the city of Goldsboro, said one victim was found on campus. She provided no other details.

Authorities are searching the area for a white male with a goatee and a tattoo above his eye, Wayne County assistant operations manager Daniel Wiggins said.

It was not immediately clear if the suspected shooter was still on campus.

A message posted on the school's website warned students of the potential danger.

"This is not a drill," it said. "The entire campus is under lockdown."

A nearby private school attended by children aged five through 18 was also placed on lockdown as a precaution.

More follows...


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Rail Firm Urges Legal Action Against Cyclists

Rail Firm Urges Legal Action Against Cyclists

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French state railway company SNCF has called for legal action against cyclist in the famous Paris-Roubaix race who cheated death when they ignored barriers to cross tracks.

A number of riders in the peloton rode through the level crossing - which clipped several riders as it came down - seconds before a high-speed train passed.

Some even ignored a police motorcyclist who ordered a large group of competitors to stop as the TGV train approached.

SNCF has filed an official complaint with police.

"Several riders deliberately crossed a level crossing, which is against all safety regulations," the company said in a statement.

"Millions of TV viewers were able to watch this unauthorised crossing which was extremely serious and irresponsible, that could have ended in tragedy.

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  1. Gallery: Bradley Wiggins' Tour In Pictures

    Wiggins rounds the arc d'triomphe in Paris.

In the overall leader's yellow jersey, he heads up the Champs-Elysees.

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Chris Froome, Wiggins, Richie Porte and Edvald Boasson Hagen ride together in the final stage of the Tour.

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Wiggins congratulated by teammate Michael Rogers after winning.

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Team Sky help to celebrate the win.

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Rail Firm Urges Legal Action Against Cyclists

We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

French state railway company SNCF has called for legal action against cyclist in the famous Paris-Roubaix race who cheated death when they ignored barriers to cross tracks.

A number of riders in the peloton rode through the level crossing - which clipped several riders as it came down - seconds before a high-speed train passed.

Some even ignored a police motorcyclist who ordered a large group of competitors to stop as the TGV train approached.

SNCF has filed an official complaint with police.

"Several riders deliberately crossed a level crossing, which is against all safety regulations," the company said in a statement.

"Millions of TV viewers were able to watch this unauthorised crossing which was extremely serious and irresponsible, that could have ended in tragedy.

1/17

  1. Gallery: Bradley Wiggins' Tour In Pictures

    Wiggins rounds the arc d'triomphe in Paris.

In the overall leader's yellow jersey, he heads up the Champs-Elysees.

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Chris Froome, Wiggins, Richie Porte and Edvald Boasson Hagen ride together in the final stage of the Tour.

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Wiggins congratulated by teammate Michael Rogers after winning.

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Team Sky help to celebrate the win.

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Bus Stop Rapist Stalked Three Other Women

A man who left an 18-year-old woman for dead after a brutal sex attack at a bus stop had already stalked three women that night before choosing his victim.

Detectives hunting the rapist have found CCTV film of him following the three potential victims in Beeston, Leeds.

One terrified woman turned around to find herself only inches from the attacker.

Another had a near escape by fleeing on a bus, and the third remains unaware of how close she was to danger.

He spotted his fourth target - a petite teenager - waiting at a bus stop in Beeston Road.

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  1. Gallery: Police Hunt Bus Stop Rapist

    An e-fit of the suspect. Pics: West Yorkshire Police

The rock used in the attack

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The man, thought to be in his early 20s, dragged her into a garden and battered her 20 times with a rock, fracturing her skull.

The 10-minute attack was caught on CCTV at 10.45pm on 6 March.

After his image was released, two women contacted West Yorkshire Police saying they believe he had followed them too.

Officers then found footage of him stalking three potential targets in the city from 9pm.

Detective Superintendent Nick Wallen, leading the hunt, said: "He had been in Leeds city centre looking for victims - but didn't get what he wanted and moved on.

"His first target was a woman in her 20s who had parked her car. He is seen walking behind her, six inches from her back pocket.

"She was so concerned she got on a bus that took her miles from where she was going."

The man, wearing a zip-up bomber jacket over a green Puma hoodie, was then filmed stalking an unidentified woman before going out of sight of CCTV cameras.

His third target, who is in her 40s, told police the stalker had followed her for some distance out of the city centre.

"She was so concerned she headed for a shop. On reaching it she is seen on film stopping and turning to see where he is," Det Supt Wallen said.

"As she does, she is face-to-face with him. He is only about an inch away."

The terrified woman ran into the store and eventually left when she thought he had gone.

But CCTV shows him skulking around the corner waiting for her to leave the shop.

Det Supt Wallen added: "She was terrified for her safety. She crossed the road, walked back towards Leeds and finally got a taxi home."

Both women said the man is about 5ft 9in tall and of Asian appearance.

Mr Wallen said the woman he left for dead is "traumatised" by her ordeal and scared to leave the house.

She escaped more serious injury because she wore a hijab and had her anorak hood up, giving some protection from the blows.

"The violence level was horrific," he said. "You can see him hitting her with a great deal of power.

"It leads you to think he has done this before. We also feel he has not been in Britain for long."

Police have the rapist's DNA but it does not match any found on the UK database.

They have issued an e-fit of the suspect and footage of him walking past a Tesco Express store in Burley Road, at the junction of Westfield Terrace, at about 9.45pm on the night of the attack.

:: Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 01924 334710, or via 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.


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UKIP's Carswell Not Being Drawn Into HIV Row

By Darren McCaffrey, Sky Politics Reporter, in Clacton

UKIP's Douglas Carswell has again refused to be drawn into the row over Nigel Farage's controversial comments about HIV treatment.

When asked repeatedly by Sky News while out campaigning with the UKIP leader in Clacton if he backed the policy, Mr Carswell refused to answer the question directly or use the term HIV.

He said: "I think it's perfectly reasonable to say that our National Health Service should be a national health service and not an international one."

Asked why he would not mention HIV, he added: "I think I've made myself absolutely crystal clear.

"If you come to this country, and you haven't contributed to this country, I think it's perfectly reasonable for us to say that our health care system should be a national health care system and not an international one."

:: Full coverage of General Election 2015

At the leaders' debate, Mr Farage claimed 7,000 people are diagnosed as HIV positive in the UK every year - and 60% of them are foreign nationals.

He said: "You can come into Britain, from anywhere in the world, get diagnosed with HIV and get the retro-viral drugs which cost up to £25,000 per year, per patient."

Mr Carswell, who defected from the Conservatives last August and was re-elected in Clacton standing for UKIP, is the son of a prominent HIV researcher.

His father Dr Wilson Carswell was the first person to diagnose Aids in Ugandan patients and carried out influential work on the illness.

Mr Farage's controversial comments prompted an angry backlash, including from Leanne Wood, the leader of Plaid Cymru, who attacked Mr Farage for "dangerous scaremongering".

Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted he "should be ashamed".

Mr Farage told Sky News there was no disagreement between the two, and added: "We've got people in their 80s being told they can't have drugs for breast cancer and prostate cancer because we can't afford it.

"One of the reasons we can't afford it is health tourism, which is costing up to £2bn every single year. And nobody else wants to acknowledge it.

"What was really interesting was the attitude of the political class, and much of the media class, to what I said. The outrage and the horror. Out in the country, it's got big majority support."

Latest figures by Public Health England show 6,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in the UK in 2013, and 54% of them were foreign nationals - although the country of origin was not known for about a sixth of patients.


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Fatal Lamborghini Crash At Disney World

A man has been killed at a supercar racing attraction in Florida's Disney World after the driver of a Lamborghini lost control and crashed into a guardrail.

The 36-year-old victim had been the passenger in the vehicle at the Florida holiday resort.

The driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Customers at the the Walt Disney World attraction can pay up to nearly $400 (£274) to drive five or six laps around the track in luxury cars such as Lamborghinis, Porsches or Ferraris, accompanied by a professional driving instructor.

It is not clear if the driver was a track employee or a customer. The names of those involved have not been released.

The Lamborghini crashed when the driver lost control on the course at the Exotic Driving Experience, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

A Disney spokeswoman declined to comment.

The track is run by Petty Holdings, which also operates Exotic Driving Experience courses at speedways in Atlanta, Daytona Beach, New Jersey, Kansas, New Hampshire and Texas.

In a statement, Petty Holdings said: "On behalf of everyone in the organisation, it is with a very heavy heart that we extend our deepest sympathies to those involved in today's tragic accident in Orlando."

The Exotic Driving Experience, along with its sister track, the Richard Petty Driving Experience, is due to close this summer at Disney World for unrelated reasons.


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Polish 'Prince' Challenges Nigel Farage To Duel

A man claiming to be a Polish prince has challenged Nigel Farage to a duel with swords in "defence of my people in this country".

Brandishing a large sword, Yanek Zylinski said he had enough of "discrimination against Polish people" and called on the UKIP leader to meet him in Hyde Park.

In a video posted on YouTube Mr Zylinski called on the UKIP leader to meet him to resolve the issue in "a way that an 18th century Polish aristocrat and an English gentleman would traditionally do".

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London-based Mr Zylinski, who said his father had led a cavalry charge against the Germans in 1939, called Mr Farage's comments about immigrants causing traffic jams on the M40 "idiotic".

He said: "I've realised that now what I have to do is to stand up in defence of my people in this country in the UK.

"I've had enough of discrimination against Polish people in this country.

"The most idiotic example I have heard of has been Mr Nigel Farage blaming migrants for traffic jams on the M40.

"Enough is enough, Mr Farage.

"So what I'd like to do, Mr Farage, is to challenge you to a duel.

"I'm offering a duel, if you agree."

:: Nigel Farage Profile

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During a visit to Clacton, Essex, Mr Farage said: "I would have thought that a Polish prince with a long Polish lineage would rather agree with me that it's a complete tragedy for Poland that it's lost so many of its brightest and best young people."

He added: "It is an impressive sword. I don't have one but I'm sure we could find one if we had to. But I'm not intending to accept the offer."

Mr Zylinski did offer an alternative to the full swords in Hyde Park event.

He said: "Alternatively, if you don't agree, or if your sword is a little bit rusting, Mr Farage, we can meet for a different kind of duel - a duel of words in a TV studio in the run-up to the election."


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Stepping Hill Nurse Chua 'Had Devil Inside'

By Mike McCarthy, North of England Correspondent

A nurse accused of murdering and poisoning patients wrote that he was an angel who had turned into "an evil person" with the devil inside him.

Jurors at Victorino Chua's trial have been told that police found the note inside a kitchen drawer at his home following his arrest in January 2012.

Manchester Crown Court was told the nurse had been advised to express his frustration and anger in writing after seeing an employees' counsellor at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport where he was working.

The meeting took place in 2010, a year before patients at the hospital were poisoned with contaminated saline drips. 

Three patients allegedly died as a result, one suffered brain injury and several others recovered.

In the note, Filipino Mr Chua wrote: "Inside of me I can feel the anger that at any time it will explode just still hanging on can still control it but if I will be pushed they gonna be sorry.

The letter goes on: "They thought I'm a nice person but there a devil in me.

"People see me as if I got no problem because I don't show them my true colour.

Explaining in imperfect English that he had been taking anti-depressants, sleeping pills and painkillers for a bad back and knee, the nurse added: "At home I can control not to take my painkiller but in hospital because of the staff I can't help take more than the limit or else I won't care or carry on with my job.

"I am telling them I'm fine and alright just to shut their mouth."

He said he wanted to explain to his family "how an angel turn to evil person. The bitter nurse confession. Got lots to tell but I just take it to my grave".

Mr Chua is accused of murdering three patients and poisoning 18 more by contaminating saline drips with insulin at Stepping Hill Hospital. He denies the charges.


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'Accidental PM' Warning As SNP Enjoys Poll Boost

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Labour has been rocked by a new opinion poll in Scotland suggesting the SNP has almost doubled its lead in the past month.

More than half of voters certain to take part (52%), said they would vote SNP, against 24% backing Labour. A month ago the figures were 46% and 30%.

The poll is a severe blow for Labour's Scottish leader Jim Murphy, who has been energetic in his efforts to clawback support for Labour from the SNP.

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Mr Murphy told Sky News the poll showed the nationalists were "David Cameron's little helpers" and could make him an "accidental Prime Minister".

According to the new poll, by TNS, support for the Conservatives is 13% (down one percentage point), the Liberal Democrats 6% (up three points) and the Greens 3% (down one point).

The disappointing poll came as Ed Miliband outlined the party's manifesto - which focuses heavily on fiscal responsibility - in Manchester. 

The only consolation for Labour is that the poll was conducted between 18 March and 8 April, mostly before the two Scottish TV debates last week in which Mr Murphy performed strongly.

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Asked about a hung parliament, 44% of Scottish voters told TNS they would prefer a Labour-led government compared with 15% who backed a Tory-led administration.

The most popular single option was a Labour-SNP coalition, with 25% support, though this has been ruled out by Ed Miliband and Nicola Sturgeon.

Asked about the dire poll results during a campaign visit to Glenrothes, Mr Murphy told Sky News: "This is another difficult poll for the Scottish Labour Party.

"If this poll was repeated on election day the SNP would win a lot of seats.

"If Labour loses a lot of seats in Scotland David Cameron would be absolutely delighted.

"David Cameron cannot win seats here in Scotland.

"He has to get someone else to beat the Labour Party for him and at this election, based on these opinion polls, the SNP are David Cameron's little helpers.

"If the SNP takes seats off Labour and reduces the size of the Labour Party, it's increasing the chance of David Cameron clinging on to power and Scotland would make David Cameron the accidental Prime Minister."

Mr Murphy denied that Labour's manifesto pledge to cut the deficit was unpopular with Scottish voters, but Nicola Sturgeon, campaigning in Glasgow, said Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls was contradicting Mr Murphy's message to Scottish voters.

The SNP First Minister also said the deficit should be tackled by spending on housebuilding, not austerity measures.


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Conservatives Surge Ahead In New Election Poll

The Conservatives have surged ahead in a new election poll that puts the party on 39%, six points ahead of Labour on 33%.

The ICM poll, published by The Guardian, has the Liberal Democrats unchanged on 8%, UKIP down two points on 7% and the Greens up three points on 7%.

The Conservatives were up 3% in the poll and Labour down 2%.

:: For full coverage of the General Election click here

It is the best result for the Conservatives in an ICM poll since March 2012, before the so-called "omnishambles" budget.

Another poll by Populus, published earlier on Monday, showed the Conservatives and Labour neck-and-neck.

Martin Boon, of ICM Unlimited, said: "There is inevitably random variation between different polls, which generally falls within a 'margin of error' of plus or minus three points.

:: Track how the major parties are faring in the latest opinion polls with the Sky News poll of polls, which averages all the latest polls to get the overall picture

"The movement we've recorded since the March survey is within that normal bound, albeit only just."

ICM Unlimited interviewed a random sample of 1042 adults aged 18+ by telephone on 10-12 April 2015.

:: Play the Sky News interactive feature Shaker Maker and have a go at forming your own government


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Miliband: 'I Am Ready' To Lead Better Britain

Ed Miliband has attempted to convince voters he can be trusted with the economy, pledging to cut the deficit year on year and saying: "I am ready" to lead the country.

The Labour leader promised to get the Budget back into surplus "as soon as possible" and said that everything listed in the party's manifesto could be paid for.

He made promises on childcare, tuition fees and the NHS and said they were fully funded.

But the Conservatives said "nobody will be fooled" by ideas that would take the country back to economic chaos.

Also, a top NHS charity has questioned Mr Miliband's funding - as experts warn Labour still has unanswered questions about how and where cuts and tax rises would come.

The manifesto, launched by the Labour leader on the set of Coronation Street and titled Britain Can Be Better, promised to "secure the family finances of the working people of Britain".

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

:: Labour Retreats On Threat To Break Up Banks

Mr Miliband said the manifesto was not a "shopping list of proposals"  as he sought to persuade a sceptical public he could be trusted with the nation's finances by introducing a "triple lock" of responsibility.

He said a Labour Government would: cut the deficit every year, that every measure contained in the manifesto was fully funded and Labour would meet fiscal rules with the national debt falling.

Mr Miliband attempted to capitalise on the Conservatives' refusal to spell out how they would find the extra £8bn of funding for the NHS and said David Cameron's party had proposed £20bn of unfunded commitments.

He said: "Nothing is more dangerous to our NHS than pretending you'll be able to protect it without being able to say where the money's coming from. You can't fund the NHS with an IOU and the Conservative Party need to learn that."

But Mr Miliband made some eye-catching pledges in the 84-page Labour Party Manifesto 2015 including:

:: Wrap around childcare - primary schools to provide care from 8am-6pm

:: Raising the minimum wage to £8 an hour

:: Abolishing non-dom rules, abolishing zero-hour contracts

:: £2.5bn Time to Care fund for NHS off back of mansion tax and tobacco firm levy

::  Increase income tax for those earning more than £150,000

:: No increase in income tax, VAT, National Insurance for those on basic and higher rate income tax

:: Scrap winter fuel allowance for pensioners with an income of more than £42,000 a year

:: Freeze energy prices

:: Tighten tax avoidance rules to yield £7.5bn a year

:: Cut tuition fees to £6,000

:: More powers for the Welsh and Scottish Parliament

:: Extend the vote to 16-year-olds

With 24 days to go until the General Election, Mr Miliband said: "The reason we can make these commitments is because we will make sure those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden.

"So we'll reverse David Cameron's tax cut for millionaires to help pay down the deficit.

"We'll crack down on hedge funds who avoid paying their fair share. We'll stop HMRC operating double standards.

"And we'll do something that no government has done for over 200 years - we'll say enough is enough to the people who live here, work here, send their kids to school here but don't want to pay taxes here and we will abolish the non-dom rule."

:: Faisal Islam's Take On Ed Miliband's Manifesto Launch

:: Live Blog: General Election 2015

Polls show that voters trust Labour less with the economy than the Conservatives and Mr Miliband has struggled to play down forgetting to mention the deficit in his conference speech.

Labour says it will have the current Budget in surplus by the end of the next parliament, however, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have said they will do so by 2017/18.

In an answer to recent criticism that Labour is against big business and wealth-creators, Mr Miliband said Labour was "pro business but not pro business as usual".

He said Labour would champion small and medium-sized businesses with a cut in business rates to help them create the jobs, wealth and profits of the future.

Mr Miliband also said he would champion the little man against the giant energy firms and painted himself as the man who would stand up for the little people against the powerful interests.

He said: "With me as Prime Minister, no powerful interest, will outweigh the interests of working people."

The Labour leader said the last four-and-a-half years had tested whether he was ready to become leader.

He said: "I am ready. Ready to put an end to the tired old idea that as long as we look after the rich and powerful we will all be OK. Ready to put into practice the truth that it is only when working people succeed, that Britain succeeds."

Chancellor George Osborne said the manifesto had provided "no new ideas for Britain" and said the Conservative manifesto, which will be launched tomorrow, would provide a better future for the country.

He said Labour's plans would see "higher taxes, more debt and a return to the economic chaos of the past".

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg caused controversy by comparing Labour's pledge on borrowing to a bottle-a-day alcoholic "saying they have no plans to drink more vodka". He added the manifesto was "not worth the paper it's written on".

David Cameron said: "Ed Miliband still won't apologise for the fact that the last Labour government spent too much, borrowed too much, taxed too much, and crashed our economy in a most appallingly dramatic fashion.

"Frankly if you cannot learn the lessons of the past you cannot possibly provide the leadership for the future."

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said that Labour's plans would leave the deficit at £30bn - it currently stands at £90bn - by 2020.

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Speaking after Mr Miliband's speech, IFS director Paul Johnson told The Daily Politics Labour's manifesto had provided "no additional clarity" on how quickly it wanted to reduce the deficit.

He said: "The Labour party have repeated what they have said over the last several months, which is that they want to get to get to current budget balanced as soon as they can in the next parliament.

"Now, it really, really matters how soon that is. If they want to get there within three years, which is sort of what they might be thought to have signed up to in the fiscal responsibility charter earlier this year, that's a really significant amount of spending cuts or tax rises over the next three years.

"If they are happy to wait til the end of the parliament, which is also sort of consistent with what they signed up to, then actually we don't need any spending cuts over the next five years."


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Warm Easter Weather To Continue All Week

Written By Unknown on Senin, 06 April 2015 | 23.38

The warm Easter weather looks set to continue into the week.

Temperatures could reach 21C (70F) in some places, when the average UK temperature for April is 11.4C (52F) and for England is 12.4C, according to the Met Office.

Despite many holidaymakers expected to return from the Easter break on Monday the continued high pressure will ensure conditions in most areas will remain settled for the rest of the week.

The South and South West of England will see the best of the warm weather while in northeast Scotland it will be sunniest while northwest Scotland could see some cloud developing.

Most of Northern Ireland, particularly the east coast, will also enjoy spells of sunshine.

Sky's weather presenter Nazaneen Ghaffar said: "Most places will continue with the dry and sunny conditions - however, eastern coastal regions and Irish sea coasts may be affected by sea fog.

"It will feel warm in the sunshine today, with top temperatures of 12-18C (54-64F)."


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Refugee Crisis As Islamic State Nears Damascus

The situation in a Palestinian refugee district of Damascus seized by Islamic State has been described as "beyond inhumane" by civil rights activists.

Yarmouk has seen increased shelling and sporadic street fighting after the militant group stormed the southern area of the city on Wednesday, marking the group's deepest foray into the capital.

Chris Gunness, a spokesman for UNRWSA, a UN support agency for Palestinian refugees, said activists had not been able to get aid into the area since the current round of fighting began.

"That means that there is no food, there is no water and there is very little medicine. People are holed up in their houses, there are reports of aerial bombardment, and there is fighting going on in the streets.

"This has to stop and civilians must be evacuated. Some 18,000 people, including 3,500 children, are at risk of death or serious injury. The situation is beyond inhumane."

Yarmouk has been under siege for two years and is home to the largest Palestinian refugee community in the country.

Some civilians who were trapped in the district have managed to flee to safer areas amid continuing clashes between Palestinian armed factions and IS, and intense airstrikes by the Syrian government.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syria's government air force has dropped several barrel bombs on the camp since Sunday.

Palestinian officials and Syrian activists said they were working with rivals from the al Qaeda affiliate in Syria, the Nusra Front. 

The two groups have fought bloody battles against each other in other parts of Syria, but appear to be cooperating in the attack on Yarmouk.

Palestine Liberation Organisation officials said around 2,000 civilians were able to leave the camp at the weekend via secure roads to the Zahira district, which is under army control.

Sky's Middle East Correspondent Sherine Tadros said: "Yarmouk is about 10km from the centre of Damascus and IS militants are reportedly in control of most of the camp.

"It's a dire situation and desperate for those people waiting for UN aid but it simply can't get in there because of the fighting.

"We've been told that more than 20 people have been killed since this latest fighting began and several instances where women have been kidnapped by IS militants."

Mr Gunness has called for a "political framework" to solve the crisis and allow aid to be delivered on the ground.

"We need a political framework which will give some kind of meaning and substance to this humanitarian work. So, we need political action and we need it urgently."


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'Radical' Pension Changes Come Into Force

By Poppy Trowbridge, Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Major changes to pension rules come into effect today which will allow savers to have more control over their money when they retire.

People aged over 55 are now able to cash in their pensions and spend them as they wish.

The changes were announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement and were expanded in last month's Budget.

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Retirees are no longer required to use their pension pot to buy an annuity when they retire.

They can now take their pot in one go, or use it like a bank account to withdraw money in slices.

The changes will apply to the 320,000 people who retire each year with a defined contribution (DC) pension.

Around 540,000 people will be able to take control of their savings from today, according to estimates from the Government.

And from next year, as many as six million pensioners who already have an annuity will be allowed to sell them for cash.

Critics of the new system say savers will be tempted to go on a spending spree, leaving the state to pick up the tab later on.

But Pensions Minister Steve Webb told Sky News: "We're not going to have two million people making decisions this week or this month.

"We certainly think there will be many thousands of people who have planned very carefully and put the capacity in place.

"But I think lots of people, although they in theory could use these new freedoms, in fact if you're in your late 50s and still working, you may go on saving into a pension for many years to come."

Government advisor and pension expert Ros Altmann said: "This is a radical departure from the past. I would trust people with their own money.

"Now it's up to the industry to offer better products and more choice."

The freedoms come at a price: those who choose to tap their defined contribution pension pots for cash should be aware of income tax thresholds.

Some 25% of a person's savings can be taken tax free. Any extra that is withdrawn is liable for income tax at 40% if the total exceeds £42,386 when added to annual income.

The revenues from this could raise an extra £1bn for the Treasury, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

The Government's free, impartial, Pension Wise service has been established to offer guidance to everyone eligible for the freedoms.

Pensions minister Steve Webb said: "It is right that people should have the power to make their own decisions about how they spend their own money after decades of careful saving - ending the effective obligation to buy an annuity will give people back control of their financial affairs."

It came as SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon launched her party's plan for pensioners, listing "the kind of policies" they will pursue if they secure a significant number of seats in the General Election.

"We will maintain the 'triple lock' on pensions, we'll set the single-tier pension at £160 a week, we'll resist any further increases in the state retirement age in Scotland until we have tackled and closed the life-expectancy gap (and) we will absolutely oppose any attempt to take away the winter fuel allowance."


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Two Pilots Suspended Over Cockpit Fracas

Two pilots have been removed from duty following an alleged fight in the cockpit.

The Air India workers have been grounded after the co-pilot reportedly struck the captain, The Times of India says.

However, the airline insists the altercation was a verbal argument rather than physical violence.

A spokesman for the airline said: "Both the pilots have been derostered. An inquiry has been ordered into this."

The Times quoted a senior commander source as saying the captain was assaulted after asking his colleague to record data - including passenger numbers on board - before take-off.

The flight from Delhi to Jaipur took place despite the row, and after landing staff were informed of the incident.


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Death-Row Australians Lose Clemency Appeal

Two Australians facing a firing squad for drug smuggling have had their appeal for clemency rejected by an Indonesian court.

Andrew Chan, 31, was found guilty in 2006 along with Myuran Sukumaran, 33, of being the ringleaders of a gang which plotted to smuggle heroin out of the country. 

The pair had challenged the court's decision not to hear an appeal against an earlier decision by Indonesia's President Joko Widodo's to refuse them clemency.

The attorney general's office said that the ruling handed down by a court in Jakarta left him with no further legal avenues to avoid the death penalty.

Australia has been pursuing a campaign to save the men from a firing squad, stressing they have been rehabilitated while in prison.

The pair are among 10 drug convicts due to be executed at the prison island of Nusakambangan. Others in the group include citizens of France, Brazil, the Philippines, Ghana, Nigeria and Indonesia.

The case has heightened diplomatic tensions between Australia and Indonesia with Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott saying he was "revolted" by the planned executions.

But President Widodo has previously warned foreign governments seeking clemency against interfering in his country's affairs.

The pair lost an appeal in February, though Indonesia's attorney general is awaiting the outcome of appeals by three remaining death-row inmates before setting a date for the executions.

A spokesman has previously said the executions will be carried out together, but they could be conducted in batches.

Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap.


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Church Roof Collapses During Easter Service

By Sky News US Team

About 15 people were injured when the roof of a New Jersey church collapsed during an Easter Sunday service.

Worshippers reported hearing a cracking sound from above moments before the debris began falling down on them inside the Korean Union United Methodist Church in Rahway.

Between 75 and 100 people were thought to be inside. Most shielded themselves by going under the benches before they were able to flee the church.

One person, a woman, was seriously hurt, though her injuries are not considered life-threatening.

About 14 other people suffered minor injuries, including a woman who got struck as she tried to protect her grandson, CBS News reported.

After reviewing the damage, Rahway Mayor Samson Steinman told CBS: "It's a miracle that nobody was killed."

It is not yet known what caused the collapse on Sunday afternoon.


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Thousands 'Might Die' In Superbug Outbreak

Up to 80,000 people may die if there is an outbreak of a major drug-resistant infection, according to a Government forecast.

A report produced for the Cabinet Office warns that if a new superbug develops, as many as 200,000 people might be infected by a bacterial blood infection.

The National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies report, which aims to assess the threat level from emergencies, is produced annually to help the Government decide on policy.

The report says that over the next two decades the number of infections complicated by superbugs is expected to rise significantly.

It warns that routine medical treatments could become "high-risk" because of the growing resistance to antibiotics.

The report states: "An increasingly serious issue is the development and spread of AMR (antimicrobial resistance), which occurs when drugs are no longer effective in treating infections caused by micro-organisms.

"Without effective antibiotics, even minor surgery and routine operations could become high-risk procedures, leading to increased duration of illness and ultimately premature mortality.

"Much of modern medicine (for example, organ transplantation, bowel surgery and some cancer treatments) may become unsafe due to the risk of infection.

"In addition, influenza pandemics would become more serious without effective treatments."

The assessment adds: "The numbers of infections complicated by AMR are expected to increase markedly over the next 20 years.

"If a widespread outbreak were to occur, we could expect around 200,000 people to be affected by a bacterial blood infection that could not be treated effectively with existing drugs, and around 80,000 of these people might die.

"High numbers of deaths could also be expected from other forms of antimicrobial resistant infection."

Politicians and scientists have previously warned of the need to find a cure for infections that have become resistant to drugs.

Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that it is a "very real and worrying threat" which could result in medicine being sent "back into the dark ages".

Professor Dame Sally Davies, chief medical officer for England, said last year: "The world simply cannot afford not to take action to tackle the alarming rise in resistance to antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs we are witnessing at the moment."

In 2013, the Government produced a five-year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy, which aims to tackle the threat from AMR.


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Alleged Rapist Who Fled UK Caught In India

By Neville Lazarus, India Reporter

A man who allegedly fled Britain after two attacks on women has been caught while trying to buy a fake passport in India, police say.

Raminder Singh, 28, is accused of sexual assault, rape and attempted murder in July 2012 when he was in the UK.

One woman, aged 23, was found unconscious in Pilvig Park in Edinburgh in a pool of blood, with a broken jaw and cheekbone, and a missing tooth. The attacker had attempted to rape her.

A few days later a 27-year-old woman told police she had been subjected to a serious sexual attack and rape.

Police believe Singh was involved in both incidents and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

However, he managed to leave the country the next day and fly to India.

An extradition request was sent to the country from the UK, but Singh is thought to have changed his identity multiple times.

It is believed that in the meantime he worked at a call centre and even opened a restaurant.

A police source told Sky News that because some of his relatives worked in the Punjab police, there was not much interest in the case.

While on the run he is believed to have lived for some time with his relative Gurwinder Singh, a police inspector at Punjab Police Academy.

Local crime commissioner Ravindra Yadav told Sky News: "The Delhi Police was requested by the British High Commission to help nab the fugitive.

"The British police gave some inputs to us which we developed. We were roped in as they had confidence in us."

Singh was tracked for several months as a result.

An officer told Sky News that Singh was trapped when he was on his way to meet someone to buy a forged passport, and was held on Sunday night at the Singhu northern border of Delhi.

He has since appeared in court and the UK government will now move to have him extradited.


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Woman To Serve Divorce Papers Via Facebook

By Sky News US Team

A judge has given a New York City woman permission to file for divorce from her elusive husband via a Facebook message.

The ruling was made by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Matthew Cooper.

The woman has been identified as a Brooklyn nurse named Ellanora Baidoo. Her husband Victor Sena Blood-Dzraku will be served with the divorce summons via a private Facebook message.

It will be repeated once a week for three consecutive weeks or until "acknowledged" by the man.

According to the Daily News, which reported the story, the couple married in 2009 in a civil ceremony.

The relationship began to unravel when the defendant reneged on his promise to a traditional Ghanaian wedding ceremony, said Ms Baidoo's lawyer, Andrew Spinnell.

Both spouses are from Ghana.

The ruling says Mr Blood-Dzraku has only been in touch with his wife via phone and Facebook.

The "last address plaintiff has for defendant is an apartment that he vacated in 2011," Judge Cooper said, according to the Daily News.

Ms Baidoo "has spoken with defendant by telephone on occasion and he has told her that he has no fixed address and no place of employment.

"He has also refused to make himself available to be served with divorce papers."


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Tories 'Plan Secret Tax Cut For Millionaires'

Labour has accused the Conservatives of plotting a secret tax cut for millionaires after the General Election, as political parties launched a battle over economic statistics.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls predicted a Conservative government would hike VAT - something David Cameron has ruled out - and slash the top rate of income tax for earnings over £150,000 from 45p to 40p.

The allegation was among a series of claims and counter claims as Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems all claimed their rival parties would make people worse off.

Mr Balls said: "We know that is their secret plan - another big tax cut for millionaires.

"How can it be fair when families here in Leeds and across the country are struggling and £1,100 a year worse-off?

"How can it be fair to have a tax cut for the very richest  when our NHS is in crisis and going backwards?

"How can this be fair when we need to get the deficit down and the Tories are now planning deeper cuts in the next three years than the last five?"

Speaking in southwest London, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg told Sky News the Conservatives had sought further tax cuts for millionaires in government but were only stopped by his party.

"I was very amused yesterday to hear George Osborne and David Cameron saying with earnest sincerity that they had no plan of giving further tax cuts to people at the top because, I tell you, they had exactly that plan in government and it was something that we said we would not go along with."

While Chancellor George Osborne has said there are "no plans" for a cut to the 45p rate of tax, he refused to rule it out definitively four times on Sky News.

But Tory Treasury minister David Gauke hit back by claiming Labour has a secret plan to boost revenues by dragging more workers into the 40p higher rate of income tax and increasing national insurance contributions.

"Ed Balls and Ed Miliband must set out the details of their secret plan for £3,028 of tax rises on every working family - the British people have a right to know what these tax hikes are.

"The choice at this election is clear. Lower taxes under David Cameron. Or higher taxes under Ed Miliband and the SNP."

Prime Minister David Cameron will later claim 94% of working families are better off after tax and welfare changes this financial year.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

According to the leader of the Conservatives, Treasury statistics show working households will on average benefit by £200 a year, and pensioner households by £180.

Mr Cameron is expected to say: "Today is a big day for our country. It's 'money-back Monday' - a day when, quite simply, hardworking taxpayers get to keep more of their own cash.

"A whole host of changes to our tax, benefits, pensions and savings systems come into effect today.

"And, as a result - a result of action we Conservatives have taken - our country becomes a better and fairer place to live.

"(A place) where those who put in, get out; where hard work is rewarded; and people are trusted."

While the Conservatives are highlighting figures that indicate people are better off, Labour claim the opposite.

Meanwhile, Lib Dem Chief Secretary Danny Alexander, has shared embarrassing details of a meeting from 2012.

Speaking to The Independent, Mr Alexander said: "The Tories' priority at the time was the top rate of tax.

"I remember one meeting with a group of senior Conservatives and one of them - I'm not going to say who - said: 'Listen, you take care of the workers and we'll take care of the bosses'."

Easter Monday also marks an overhaul of the pensions system, when for the first time pensioners will be able to cash in their savings rather than buy an annuity.

Liberal Democrat Pensions Minister Steve Webb said: "As a Liberal I believe people should have the freedom to do what they want with the money they have saved up throughout their working lives.

"Our pension reforms will mean millions more people will have a better retirement."


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Man Dies Trying To Save Brother After Tube Fall

Written By Unknown on Senin, 30 Maret 2015 | 23.38

A man has died on the London Underground after being hit by a train as he tried to save his brother.

The 35-year-old from London was trying to pull his 32-year-old brother to safety at Old Street station when they were both struck.

The older sibling was taken to the Royal London Hospital with serious injuries but died a short time later.

The 32-year-old, from Manchester, who initially fell on to the Northern line, remains in a stable but critical condition.

Both men were struck by an approaching train at 12.22am on Sunday morning.

British Transport Police said they were not currently treating the incident as suspicious but were "working to put together a fuller picture of what happened".

Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Adrian Naylor said: "I am keen to speak to anyone who was at the station or on the platform when the incident happened to help us understand how the two men came to be struck by a train."

Transport for London confirmed it was working with the BTP to conduct a "thorough investigation" into what happened.


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Alps Co-Pilot Treated For Suicidal Tendencies

The co-pilot in the French Alps plane disaster was treated for suicidal tendencies in the past, German prosecutors have said.

But prosecutors' spokesman, Christoph Kumpa, told a news conference in Dusseldorf that Andreas Lubitz, 27, had not been treated recently.

He said: "There still is no evidence that the co-pilot told before that he'll do what we have to assume was done and we haven't found a letter or anything like that that contains a confession.

"Added to this, we have not found anything in the surrounding be it personal, or his family, or his professional surrounding, that is giving us any hints that enable us to say anything about his motivation.

"We have found medical documentation that show no organic medical illness.

"The co-pilot has been, before he got his pilot's licence, in psychotherapy. He had at that time been in treatment of a psychotherapist because of what is documented as being suicidal at that time.

"In the following time, up to now, right until he took the plane, there have been several visits at medical doctors and we have found as we have already communicated evidence that his doctors documented him to be unable to work and to fly.

"But these documents don't show any hint of being suicidal or being aggressive against other people."

Mr Kumpa added that there was no evidence Lubitz was suffering any problems with his sight.

The Germanwings co-pilot is believed to have deliberately crashed Flight 4U 9525 last week, killing all those on board.

He had been given a sick note on the day of the crash, but the note was never submitted to Germanwings.

Police found medicines for the treatment of psychological conditions during searches of Lubitz's home in Dusseldorf.

A summary of the transcript of recordings from the voice recorder on board, published by German newspaper Bild, revealed Lubitz began the descent after the captain left the cockpit.

The voice recorder also picked up the captain shouting "open the damn door" as he desperately attempted to get back into the cockpit as the plane went down.

Investigators have so far been unable to find the aircraft's second black box, which would provide technical flight data of its final moments.

It comes after French prosecutors said the DNA of 78 of the 150 people on board have been identified.

Recovery teams have described the difficulty of the search for victims as "unprecedented" because of the mountainous terrain and the violence of the impact.

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  1. Gallery: The Victims Of The Germanwings Crash

    American Emily Selke, a recent graduate, was on the plane with her mother Yvonne. Raymond Selke has described his wife and daughter as 'amazing people'. Pic: Facebook

Iranian sports journalist Hussein Javadi was on his way to Austria to cover a football match. A friend said he was 'a kind, loving, caring man'. Pic: Maysam Bizær/Hossein Javadi

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Nurse Guilty Of Rape And Sexual Assaults In A&E

A staff nurse at an Oxford hospital has pleaded guilty to a series of sex offences committed in A&E - with victims as young as 10.

Andrew Hutchinson has been convicted of crimes against 11 women, many of which were conducted in the emergency department of the John Radcliffe Hospital.

The counts against the 29-year-old included rape, voyeurism, outraging public decency, and sexual assault.

His campaign of abuse also extended to other locations across Oxfordshire, including the White Horse Leisure Centre in Abingdon, and the medical tent of a festival.

Thames Valley Police believes Hutchinson's many attacks took place between October 2011 and November 2013.

Further offences levelled against the nurse include making indecent images of children, the theft of medical equipment, and the possession of the class B drug, ketamine.

Images of sex offences were found by police on his mobile phone and camera. When the victims featured in the photographs were approached by detectives, many did not know they had been recorded or filmed.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Johns said Hutchinson's guilty plea has spared victims the distress of having to endure a trial.

He added: "I have no doubt that Hutchinson would have continued to offend had he not been arrested.

"This has been a complicated and unusual case as the victims of his sex offences were not aware that offences took place because they were not conscious.

"Thames Valley Police sent specially trained officers to personally speak to all of the victims, who showed great courage when informed with such distressing news."

Mark Power, director of workforce for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: "I can confirm that in November 2013 the Trust was informed by Thames Valley Police of the arrest of a male nurse, who at the time was employed at our John Radcliffe Hospital. 

"Subsequently, Thames Valley Police have been conducting an extensive investigation and we have done everything possible to support this process. Since his arrest, the individual has not worked in any part of the Trust and is no longer an employee of ours.

"Our thoughts today are with the victims, whose trust was so betrayed in our hospital and elsewhere.

"We have been shocked and horrified by the behaviour of the individual, who so badly let down both the patients he was entrusted to care for and his fellow colleagues, and who totally failed in his professional duties and responsibilities as a nurse.

"I would wish to reassure members of the public that the welfare and safety of our patients is always our first priority."

Hutchinson has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on 27 April.


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Raffaele Sollecito: Acquittal 'Was A Rebirth'

Raffaele Sollecito has given a news conference in Rome after he was acquitted of the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

The 31-year-old began the conference by thanking his family for supporting him, but said he had been accused of "being an assassin without an element of proof".

He said: "I feel today as though I'm a prisoner who after seven years and five months am free again.

"For me it was a rebirth.

"Seven years and five months is an incredibly long time when you're suffering, when you're living an unbearable tragedy. I felt desperate.

"I can't tell you that I no longer have any pain. I still feel the pain.

"I don't expect from now on ... to be called an assassin and I'll be ready to defend my dignity."

Mr Sollecito and his former girlfriend Amanda Knox were acquitted of murder on Friday by Italy's Supreme Court.

The judges, after 10 hours of deliberation, concluded that a conviction could not be supported by the evidence. Their reasoning will be released within 90 days.

Ms Kercher, who was 21 and from Coulsdon, Surrey, was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death in Perugia in 2007.

Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito spent four years in jail for her murder, but were freed on appeal in 2011.

The American returned to the US before an appeal court threw out the acquittal and reinstated the guilty verdicts last year.

Speaking from Seattle on Saturday, she said: "The knowledge of my innocence has given me strength in the darkest times of this ordeal."

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  1. Gallery: Meredith Kercher Murder: Key Events

    2 November 2007: The body of Meredith Kercher, 21, is found in her Perugia apartment. Investigators say she was killed the night before

Ms Kercher's flatmate, Amanda Knox, is pictured kissing her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito in the days after the murder

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British Couple Shot Dead In Benidorm Villa

A murder investigation has been launched after a British couple were found shot dead in their villa near Benidorm.

Sky News Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt said the couple, aged 77 and named by Spanish police as Peter and Jean Tarsey, were found dead in the villa in Xalo at around 4pm on Sunday.

He said: "Yesterday they were expecting dinner guests. Last night the guests got into the villa and found them, it's been described to me locked in each other's arms on the sofa.

"Both of them had been shot dead by a small calibre gun. Police say that various gunshots had been fired."

The Guardia Civil said post-mortem examinations have not yet been completed, but they are believed to have been killed in the last few days.

The couple, known to have been residents in Spain for 18 years, had no known criminal history and "had not been doing anything strange", according to police. Reports in Spanish media said they had been living in the area for 22 years.

Officers said there was no sign of forced entry and the case is being treated as homicide. A TV was found to be missing in the property and a computer had been thrown into the swimming pool.

A spokeswoman for the Guardia Civil said: "At around 4.15pm yesterday, some friends of the couple went to their villa because they had not been seen for a few days.

"They found the door was open and there were no signs of a break-in.

"The couple, who had been living in Spain for 18 years, were found dead with gunshot wounds on the sofa.

"The Guardia Civil is now awaiting the results of post-mortem examinations and investigations continue."

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We can confirm the death of two British nationals in Alicante, Spain.

"We stand ready to provide consular assistance."

Xalo mayor Joan Miquel Garces told Spanish media that the friends who raised the alarm "used to go round for lunch every Sunday".

Mr Tarsey is a former Olympic diver who competed for Great Britain at the 1956 games in Melbourne, Australia.


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Parliament Dissolved: Election Race Begins

David Cameron said in five years he had put Britain "back on her feet again" as he formally fired the starting gun on the election race after a meeting with the Queen.

Speaking on the steps of Number 10 after returning from Buckingham Palace where he asked the Queen to dissolve Parliament, Mr Cameron said voters face a "stark choice" between him and Ed Miliband.

With 38 days to go until the election, the Conservatives would offer strong leadership and a country that was safe and secure but Mr Miliband would offer a country mired in "economic chaos".

He said: "Britain is on the right track. This election is about moving forward, and that is what, as Prime Minister here at Downing Street, I will deliver."

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here. 

And he warned that if voters put Mr Miliband in Number 10 working families would face a £3,000 tax hike.

In a YouTube video released by the Conservatives before Mr Cameron's journey to Buckingham Palace, the leader said 7 May was "the most important General Election in a generation".

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg also made the trip to Buckingham Palace for a meeting with the Queen in his role as President of the Privy Council.

Speaking ahead of the meeting Mr Clegg predicted another coalition government come 7 May and said: "It is my view that the era of single-party government is now over in British politics."

"About the very last thing the country now needs is a lurch to the left or the right and yet that is exactly what the Conservative and Labour parties are now threatening."

He added: "I think what the vast majority of people in this country want is that we keep this country and our government anchored in the centre ground, which is where the Liberal Democrats have anchored the government over the last five years."

The final act of pomp and ceremony of the coalition government fires the starting gun on the General Election campaign.

As the formalities played out at Buckingham Palace, Ed Miliband was attempting to win over business with the launch of its first "mini manifestos" in which the Labour leader warned of the "clear and present danger" of leaving the EU.

He said: "There could be nothing worse for our country or for our great exporting businesses than playing political games with our membership of the EU. David Cameron used to understand that. But in the past five years our place in the European Union has become less and less secure."

UKIP leader Nigel Farage was due to launch his party's five election pledges this afternoon along with a new poster.

The pledges are: "1. Say No to EU 2. Control our borders 3. Extra £3bn for the NHS 4. Cut foreign aid spending 5. No tax on the minimum wage."

With Parliament dissolved, MPs immediately lose their title and are asked to remove references to it, or place disclaimers on any email or social media account which names them as an MP.

It has already prompted a Twitter squabble with the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Worsley and Eccles South posting: "I'm sure it's an oversight that my Labour opponent's Twitter name now breaches Parliamentary rules after dissolution."

Some, including Conservative MP Maria Miller, were refusing to remove the MP on their accounts. Ms Miller argued the Twitter account was set up before dissolution.

MPs elected in 2010 will also find their parliamentary pass for Westminster Palace ceases to work. 

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  1. Gallery: The Queen And Her 12 Prime Ministers

    Winston Churchill was the first prime minister to serve under Queen Elizabeth. His second term under Queen Elizabeth lasted from 1951-55

Anthony Eden served from 1955-57. Eden strongly believed in keeping the Queen informed of state affairs and was the first prime minister to show her secret government papers

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Labour Business Launch Overshadowed By Row

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Ed Miliband's business manifesto launch has been overshadowed by a row over Labour's use of business leaders' quotes in an advert for the party's stance on the EU.

The Labour leader faced a backlash over the advertisement in the Financial Times, published on the morning Mr Miliband warned voters that leaving the European Union was a "clear and present danger" to British business.

In a full-page advert under the Labour message: "The biggest risk to British business is the threat of an EU exit. Labour will put the national interest first. We will deliver reform not exit" were a number of quotes from the business leaders about Europe.

Company spokesmen were swift to issue statements making clear that they were not linked to Labour.

A spokesman said: "Siemens has profound concerns about a possible UK exit from the EU. We are also on record of expressing our concern about the uncertainty that a referendum would create - particularly as it is not clear what options would be presented.

"We are however very clear that a referendum might be called, and if it is, we will support efforts to get a better deal and stay in the EU. We do not, however, endorse any political party."

A statement from Kellogg's said the quote used by Labour in the advert was made over a year ago by its UK managing director.

It added: "What he was expressing was a concern about the insecurity which comes from the uncertainty about Britain's position in the EU – nothing more. Kellogg's is strictly non-partisan and does not endorse any political party."  

However, SCM Direct founding partner Gina Miller said she was happy for her comments to be used and added: "I'm clearly aware of it because they told me it was happening last week."

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here.

Mr Miliband said all the comments on the advert were made in public and the party was entitled to use them.

He said: "We've simply quoted public statements by these businesses about the place of Britain in the European Union.

"And I think lots of businesses all around this country are not necessarily going to be supporting Labour or the Conservatives but they do have a very strong view about our place in the EU."

With 38 days to go until the General Election, Mr Miliband was in the City of London setting out his pitch to business leaders with the launch of the first of the party's "mini manifestos".

He said: "There could be nothing worse for our country or for our great exporting businesses than playing political games with our membership of the EU. David Cameron used to understand that. But in the past five years our place in the European Union has become less and less secure.

"He used to say he would campaign to keep Britain in Europe. But now he won't rule out campaigning to leave."

David Cameron has promised a referendum by 2017 if he wins the election - something that Mr Miliband described as "a recipe for two years of uncertainty".

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg joined in with the criticism of Mr Cameron's stance by saying he would never "play footsie" with Britain's membership of the EU.

Labour's 22-page A Better Plan For Business is an attempt to fight back against concerns that Mr Miliband would put the economic recovery at risk.

Business insiders have told Sky News they are faced with a difficult choice between a Conservative Party who would put Britain's EU membership at risk and a Labour Party perceived as anti-business. 

Mr Miliband was sharply criticised by the Boots boss Stefano Pessina earlier this year, who warned a Labour government would be a "catastrophe" for Britain.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on Monday, Dr Assem Allam - who has donated £400,000 to the Labour Party - described the Conservatives as "the best party in Europe" to manage the economy.

He criticised Mr Miliband for wanting to "penalise" wealth creators with a mansion tax and a rise in the top rate of tax.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, UKIP's Nigel Farage said Mr Cameron had been "forced into" promising a 2017 referendum on Britain's membership of the UK and that his party's job was to "hold his feet to the fire to make sure that the referendum is not a stitch-up".

He added: "I don't want this to be kicked into the long grass until the end of 2017. I think it should be before the end of this year."

It comes as Mr Cameron has visited the Queen to ask for Parliament to be dissolved.


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