Hillary Clinton Officially Running For President

Election Challengers Set For Live TV Debate

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 16 April 2015 | 10.04

The five party leaders who are the challengers in next month's General Election will go head-to-head later - with the absent David Cameron and Nick Clegg hitting the campaign trail instead.

Ed Miliband, Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru), Natalie Bennett (Green Party), Nicola Sturgeon (SNP) and Nigel Farage (UKIP) will square up for another televised debate.

They drew lots to decide where they will be standing on the night and the order they will be speaking.

Mr Miliband will be positioned to the far left next to Ms Wood and Mr Farage to the far right next to Ms Sturgeon with Ms Bennett in the middle of the group.

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The 90-minute programme will be shown on BBC1 from 8pm.

The leaders will be allowed to make short opening statements at the beginning of the programme, starting with Leanne Wood.

Then David Dimbleby will invite five questions from the audience of 200 voters.

Each leader will have one minute to get across their party's stance on each subject before 10 minutes of free debate.

Finally there will be closing statements with the last word going to Nigel Farage.

10.04 | 0 komentar | Read More

Karen Buckley Search: Police Find Remains

Human remains have been found on a farm north of Glasgow by officers searching for missing student Karen Buckley.

Formal identification has yet to take place but police believe they may be those of the missing 24-year-old.

Her relatives have been informed of the discovery on the outskirts of Milngavie.

Ms Buckley was last seen in the early hours of Sunday morning after a night out in Glasgow.

A 21-year-old man, believed to be Alexander Pacteau, was earlier detained and police said they were "following a definite line of enquiry".

The student, from Cork in Ireland, vanished in the early hours of Sunday after spending the night with friends at Glasgow's Sanctuary nightclub.

She told them at around 1am she was going to the toilet but failed to return and left her jacket behind.

CCTV spotted her leaving the club with Mr Pacteau, who then drove her to his flat two miles away in Dorchester Avenue.

Detective Superintendent Jim Kerr said she did not appear to be under any duress when she left, with "no signs of a struggle or reluctance on her part".

Mr Pacteau told officers Ms Buckley left his property at 4am after they had had consensual sex.

The student began an occupational therapy degree at Glasgow Caledonian University in February and was previously a nurse at the Princess Alexandria hospital in Harlow, Essex.

Her parents flew from Cork to help with the search and told a news conference they were "desperate" for help.

"We just want Karen home safely, we are desperate. She is our only daughter, we love her dearly," said her mother Marian.

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Gallery: Police Search For Missing Student Karen Buckley

The search for the missing student shifted to the area around High Craigton Farm, to the north of the city, on Wednesday

The road to the farm was closed off

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10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Education Protected In Lib Dem Manifesto

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 15 April 2015 | 10.03

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

Nick Clegg has pledged to protect spending on education from ages two to 19 as a central part of the Liberal Democrat manifesto.

The Lib Dem leader says his party, unlike Labour or the Conservatives, will maintain funding for nurseries, schools and further education institutions in real terms and per pupil.

The pledge is nevertheless dependent on an economic plan that - like that of their coalition partners the Conservatives - depends on balancing the country's books by 2017-18.

Beyond that point, the party says it will allow public spending to rise in line with growth which, on current projections, would allow substantial investment in education and health.

On the NHS, the Lib Dems have pledged to meet what is described as a potential funding shortfall of £8bn per year by the end of the next parliament.

The Lib Dems are focussing on tried and tested policy ideas for their manifesto.

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:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

Alongside investment in public services is a continued focus on increasing the personal tax allowance, a policy that was on the front of the party's 2010 manifesto and found such great favour with the Conservatives that it is now one of their own most-trumpeted accomplishments.

The 2010 manifesto, which in several key areas laid the foundations for five years of coalition government, was nevertheless scarred by a commitment to scrapping tuition fees which, when subsequently abandoned, destroyed the party's currency with a substantial number of supporters.

As a result, one can expect journalists and Lib Dem activists alike to be scouring the fine print to ensure there are no unwelcome surprises in their latest offering.

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UKIP Manifesto Promises Voters 'Real Change'

By Robert Nisbet, Sky News Correspondent

Nigel Farage will launch UKIP's election manifesto today with a direct appeal to struggling working families around the country.

He is trying to draw traditional Labour voters in the north of England, as well as disaffected Conservative voters in the south.

Mr Farage has set a number of pledges to try to entice support, including creating 6,000 police, prison and Border Agency jobs for armed service veterans.

He is also promising to cut rates for small businesses, increase defence spending to 2% of GDP in line with NATO obligations, and introduce an Australian-style points system to manage the number and skills of people coming into the UK.

Mr Farage will argue: "For the first time in 100 years, there is real change on the horizon. All you have to do is vote for it."

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

The problem for UKIP is that it has relatively inexperienced and understaffed local networks to ensure supporters get to the polls on 7 May.

Although it consistently polls at between 12 and 15%, it does not have the party machinery of either the Conservatives or Labour.

The manifesto launch will also throw red meat to core supporters in what the party calls "serious, fully-costed policies that reflect what UKIP is all about: believing in our country".

The party says it will reduce the burden on the low-paid and unskilled, including a promise to help young people get onto the housing ladder by removing stamp duty on the first £250,000 for new homes built on brownfield sites.

It is also pledging to build a dedicated military hospital and abolish hospital parking charges, stopping what it calls the "the tax on illness".

UKIP is also vowing to invest an extra £12bn in the NHS, with another £5.2bn put into social care.

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Green Manifesto To Pledge 'Peaceful Revolution'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 14 April 2015 | 10.03

By Joey Jones, Deputy Political Editor

The Green Party will launch its manifesto vowing to combat austerity which it says has "failed" and should be ended by a "peaceful political revolution".

The party has been more prominent than ever before in this election campaign, though its chances of building on its current tally of a single seat (Brighton Pavilion) remain limited.

The party leader, Natalie Bennett, is expected to argue its proposals represent a "genuine alternative to our tired, business-as-usual politics".

While ecological policies remain central to the Green brand, the party is making inroads into Labour and Liberal Democrat territory.

The party calls for what it describes as a fairer society, with the wealthiest paying substantially more in taxation and a desire to create many more jobs paying the living wage.

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

In national polling, the Greens have at times leaped ahead of the Liberal Democrats at around 7 or 8%.

However, under a first-past-the-post voting system they are likely to struggle to translate their success into larger parliamentary representation.

Nevertheless, what party leaders describe as the "Green surge" is making Labour and Lib Dem rivals anxious and is shifting the dynamic in some marginal seats.

The Greens' cause has not been helped by some halting performances by Natalie Bennett, most notably an interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari where she struggled to recall elements of party policy.

In recent weeks there are signs the leader has steadied the ship. She acquitted herself professionally in ITV's recent debate - but the knives will be out if there are any signs of frailty at this high-profile event.

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Tories Put Right To Buy At Heart Of Manifesto

By Anushka Asthana, Political Correspondent

David Cameron will say he leads the "party of working people" as he unveils a Conservative policy to extend the Right-to-Buy scheme to a further 1.3 million families.

The promise will be one of two big housing announcements in the Tory manifesto as the Prime Minister launches his detailed election pledges in Wiltshire.

As well as extending the ability to purchase your home at a discount to housing association tenants, the party will promise a £1bn fund for building 400,000 new properties on brownfield sites.

Mr Cameron will say: "At the heart of this manifesto is a simple proposition. We are the party of working people, offering you security at every stage of your life."

He will talk about young people looking for training, people trying to find a decent job, to buy their own home, needing help with childcare or relying on the NHS.

Other Tory policy pledges will include:

:: Raising the personal allowance for tax to £12,500

:: Increasing the starting salary for the 40p rate to £50,000

:: Raising the inheritance tax threshold for family homes to £1m

:: An annual £8bn boost for NHS funding

Mr Cameron's claim that the Conservatives are the party for workers comes after Labour said it wanted to be seen as the fiscally responsible option for government.

Mr Miliband has sought to highlight a number of policies put forward by the Conservatives that are unfunded - saying every Labour manifesto pledge will be fully paid for.

A senior Conservative source told Sky News that his party was not worried by the Labour promise because it meant the opposition was choosing to talk about an area in which it was "weakest" in the eyes of the public.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

He claimed the Conservatives had a "track record" that meant its promises would be believed.

The Right-to-Buy allows people to buy their home at a discount but has so far been available only to those in council homes, with some housing association tenants accessing the weaker "right to acquire" and some having no rights.

Under the new plans they will all be able to apply for the main scheme which can lead to a discount of up to 70% depending on the length of the tenancy. The homes will have to be replaced.

A Tory Government would fund the Brownfield Regeneration Fund, and replacement of properties sold under the extended Right-to-Buy, by requiring local authorities to manage their housing assets more efficiently.

They would also have to sell off their most expensive properties and replace them in the same area with normal affordable housing as they fall vacant.

Ministers say this will lead to the sale and replacement of about 15,000 homes a year, or around four in every thousand social properties.

Mr Cameron will add: "Conservatives have dreamed of building a property-owning democracy for generations, and today I can tell you what this generation of Conservatives is going to do.

"The next Conservative Government will extend the Right-to-Buy to all housing association tenants in this country; 1.3 million extra families; a new generation given the security of a home of their own.

"So this generation of Conservatives can proudly say it: the dream of a property-owning democracy is alive - and we will fulfil it."

He will call on voters "not to waste the past five years".

Ruth Davison, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the National Housing Federation said: "While extending Right to Buy will see some people being able to buy their own home with help from the taxpayer, these are people already living in good secure homes on some of the country's cheapest rents.

"It won't help the millions of people in private rented homes who are desperate to buy but have no hope of doing so, nor the three million adult children living with their parents because they can't afford to rent or buy."

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10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Launches 'Responsibility Lock' Manifesto

Written By Unknown on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 10.03

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Economic responsibility will be front and centre of Labour's Manifesto, being launched in Manchester later.

The party will use the first page of the election document to make a "Budget Responsibility Lock" pledge, claiming every policy is paid for.

The manifesto states: "Not one commitment requires additional borrowing. We are the first party to make that pledge and with this manifesto it is delivered."

Ed Miliband will promise that all of his party's commitments will be fully-funded, refuting Conservative claims that Labour's plans would lead to economic chaos.

He will say: "The very start of our manifesto is different to previous elections.

"It does not do what most manifestos do. It isn't a shopping list of spending policies.

"It does something different: its very first page sets out a vow to protect our nation's finances; a clear commitment that every policy in this manifesto is paid for without a single penny of extra borrowing."

The party says it will cut the deficit every year, placing the promise on "the first line of Labour's first budget".

Labour also says it will legislate to require all major parties to have their manifesto audited by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

:: Election 2015: Party Pledges At A Glance

Mr Miliband will also attack Tory economic plans saying: "In recent days you have seen the Conservatives throwing spending promises around with no idea of where the money is coming from, promises which are unfunded, unfair and unbelievable.

"That approach is bad for the nation's books. And nothing is more dangerous to our NHS than saying you will protect it without being able to say where the money is coming from. You can't help the NHS with an IOU."

This is a direct attack on the Tories' extra £8bn pledge on the NHS announced on Friday and it is striking that Labour now thinks it stands as the party of economic credibility.

But speaking ahead of Labour's manifesto launch, Chancellor George Osborne said: "It's clear Labour's manifesto will be a dangerous cocktail of higher taxes and more debt that will cost jobs and cut incomes.

"Labour must now answer two questions: Which taxes are they planning to increase to pay for it? And what is Ed Miliband willing to trade in the event he needs to be propped up by the SNP?"

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10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hillary Clinton Officially Running For President

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Hillary Clinton has told donors she is to run for US president and seek the Democratic nomination.

A top adviser to the former First Lady and Secretary of State made her 2016 plans official with an email message sent to veterans of her first presidential campaign.

Minutes later, Mrs Clinton announced the details on her campaign website.

She said in a video, uploaded to her new campaign website, that "everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion".

She said: "I'm getting ready to do something too, I'm running for President.

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Gallery: Former First Lady Makes Announcement In Emails And Online

Hillary Clinton used Twitter to post a message about her decision to run for president

Her daughter Chelsea was quick to express her pride

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The news broke in an email from a senior member of her team, John Podesta

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The wannabe president released a video on her new campaign website

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The Hillary For America logo

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"Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times but the deck is still stacked in favour of those at the top.

"Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion, so you can do more than just get by, you can get ahead, and stay ahead, because when families are strong, America is strong.

"So I'm hitting the road to earn your vote, because it's your time, and I hope you'll join me on this journey."

Her daughter Chelsea tweeted: "Very proud of you Mom! @HillaryClinton."

Mrs Clinton is aiming to be the first female president.

She enters the Democratic primaries in a strong position to succeed her rival from the 2008 campaign, President Barack Obama.

Following Sunday's announcement, she's expected to travel soon to early voting states, including Iowa and New Hampshire.

Mrs Clinton has signalled that she intends to run on strengthening economic security for the middle class and expanding opportunities for working families.

Republicans are already trying to link Mrs Clinton to President Obama. They say electing her would be no different from giving Mr Obama a third term.

Republican presidential contender Randy Paul said Mrs Clinton was a poor choice.

He said: "Hillary Clinton represents the worst of the Washington machine – the arrogance of power, corruption and cover-up, conflicts of interest and failed leadership with tragic consequences."

Sky's US correspondent Greg Milam, who is in Iowa ahead of an expected speech from Mrs Clinton, said: "She has kept us waiting for it and it didn't come out as expected with an announcement on social media from Hillary Clinton.

"It came in an email from John Podesta, a veteran of the Obama White House and now part of Hillary Clinton's team.

"It's interesting that it was him reaching out to donors, the people who will raise the expected $1bn for her campaign, getting them on side."

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Written By Unknown on Minggu, 12 April 2015 | 10.03

In an election clash on health policy, one of the biggest Westminster parties is accusing the other of fiscal irresponsibility.

Sounds like a Tory attack on Labour, doesn't it?

But in 2015, this accusation is flying in the opposite direction.

Labour is hitting out at the Conservatives for making a big promise to boost annual NHS spending by £8bn a year that they say is "unfunded" and "unbelievable".

And it isn't the first major pledge from the Tories that is not accompanied with a detailed breakdown of how it will be afforded.

David Cameron's party is offering tax cuts and a rail fare freeze, too, as well as a commitment to eliminating the deficit and pushing Britain into surplus before the end of the next Parliament.

But we are not clear on exactly where the axe will fall.

Some £12bn from the welfare bill doesn't tell us who will be hit and when.

A promise to cut back on government departments doesn't explain which ones and by how much.

So why would a Prime Minister who prides his reputation for economic competence take the risk of these fiscally loose promises?

If you listen to the message from the Tories, it is what they call an issue of "trust".

They think that stressing their "track record" over the past five years - which includes making heavy cuts, reducing the deficit but also boosting spending on the NHS in real terms - will make voters believe them.

They think that because of a polling lead on the issue of economic competence they have built up a reputation for fiscal responsibility.

And now, with an election in sight, they are spending that capital with glee with a series of pre-election giveaways.

They know Labour has no such luxury. Its challenge is to counter public perceptions in the opposite direction; to convince voters that they can indeed be trusted with the economy.

But there is a risk to this Conservative strategy. After all, Ed Miliband's party thinks it sniffs a weakness. It will now go out of its way to highlight any funding gaps in Tory plans.

Take the health plans.

Labour's response has been to lay out its own policies for the NHS, that it says are fully funded by a mansion tax, a

tobacco levy and crackdown on avoidance.

The party's advisers are also highlighting Mr Cameron's own words in January that the "real risk to the NHS is the risk of unfunded spending commitments bringing chaos to our economy".

The Tories say that Labour's attitude is to pay for everything with a "tax rise" instead of focusing on a strong economy.

But they will have to beware these Labour attacks.

Their reputation on the economy may be solid - but these things are never unbreakable.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tories Promise To Slash Inheritance Tax

The Conservatives have said they will take family homes out of inheritance tax by introducing a new allowance which effectively increases the threshold for tax to £1m.

David Cameron said that if his party wins the 7 May election, parents will be offered a new £175,000 allowance to enable them to pass property on to children tax-free after they die.

For properties worth more than £2m, the allowance will be gradually tapered away so that those worth more than £2.35m do not benefit.

Inheritance tax is currently payable at a rate of 40% on the value of an estate above the £325,000 threshold - or £650,000 if a couple takes advantage of the existing allowance.

It is thought around 22,000 families will benefit from the move by 2020 and Mr Cameron said the costs would be paid for by a £1bn raid on pension tax relief for people earning more than £150,000.

Mr Cameron will say today: "We will take the family home out of inheritance tax.

"That home that you have worked and saved for belongs to you and your family.

"You should be able to pass it on to your children. And with the Conservatives, the taxman will not get his hands on it."

Conservatives promised a £1m inheritance tax threshold in the 2010 election, but were blocked by Liberal Democrats from implementing it when in coalition.

Labour Treasury spokesman Chris Leslie said the move was a "panicky promise from the Tories".

He added: "The Tories made a promise on inheritance tax before the last election and they broke it.

"At a time when our NHS is in crisis and most working people are paying more under the Tories, it cannot be a priority to spend £1bn on a policy which the Treasury says would not apply to 90% of estates.

"The Tories would choose to give a £140,000 tax cut for a house worth £2m while they have increased VAT on families and pensioners."

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Meanwhile, Labour has revealed its plans to crackdown on tax-dodgers if it wins the election, hoping to cut avoidance and evasion by at least £7.5bn a year by the middle of the next Parliament.

Shadow chancellor Ed Balls said it would take a Labour government to "call time" on the Tories' "lax approach", adding that Labour would set targets for HMRC to reduce tax avoidance by at least £7.5bn a year.

He said: "We will close the loopholes the Tories won't act on, increase transparency, toughen up penalties and abolish the non-dom rules.

"And our first Budget will make sure that, following an immediate review of HMRC, it has all the powers and resources it needs to come down hard on tax avoidance and evasion."

Conservative Treasury minister David Gauke said: "Ed Miliband and Ed Balls turned a blind eye to aggressive tax avoiding and evading for 13 years when they were in charge - they were the tax avoiders' friends."

The Lib Dems have also set out tax plans, promising "light at the end of the tunnel" with moves to eliminate Britain's deficit by 2017/18.

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Nick Clegg said his plan has "a heart as well as a brain", trying to drive home his claim that his party will cut less than the Conservatives and borrow less than Labour.

Spelling out plans for a consolidation totaling £27bn by 2017/18, made up of £12bn in additional tax, £12bn in public spending reductions and £3bn in welfare cuts, Mr Clegg will challenge the other parties to spell out in similar detail how they would balance the nation's books.

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Jewel Heist: Victims' Anger As Alarm Ignored

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 11 April 2015 | 10.03

The Metropolitan Police has come under fire after it emerged officers initially failed to go to the scene of the Hatton Garden jewel heist despite a burglar alarm going off.

A security firm had contacted the force about an intruder alert at the safe deposit company shortly after midnight on Good Friday.

But the call was graded in a way that meant officers did not consider it worthy of a response.

And it was not until Tuesday morning, following the four-day bank holiday Easter weekend, that the raid - one of Britain's biggest - was discovered.

The Met is now investigating why the force did not respond to the alarm activated as the heist was thought to be getting under way.

Police insisted it was too early to say if the handling of the call about the alert would have had an impact on the outcome.

But the revelations have led to anger from potential victims who spoke of their shock that the police "just weren't there".

Millions of pounds worth of gems were thought to have been stolen in the raid in London's jewellery district.

Michael Miller, from Knightsbridge, who may have lost £50,000 in uninsured jewellery, said: "I am just so shocked and disappointed to hear the police didn't answer that alarm.

"I mean before, we thought maybe the police didn't even know about that but now we know that they knew something was wrong.

"This completely changes things, the knowledge that something could have been done.

"The police pride themselves on being somewhere in a couple of minutes, but on this occasion they just weren't there."

A store owner near the scene, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's just shocking that someone didn't answer that call that come in when the alarm went off.

"You think what on earth isn't a high priority call if it's isn't a safe deposit alarm going off in there.

"I know they're investigating but really what is the good of that when the damage is done. There are people who will have lost their livelihoods because of this."

Scotland Yard said: "The call was recorded and transferred to the police's CAD (computer aided despatch) system. A grade was applied to the call that meant that no police response was deemed to be required.

"We are now investigating why this grade was applied to the call. This investigation is being carried out locally."

Those behind the raid disabled a communal lift shaft and climbed down to the basement before using power tools to drill through a two-metre wall into the vault.

Once inside, they ransacked a total of 72 safety deposit boxes, although five were empty at the time.

A further 11 were due to be "drilled out" due to non-payment of fees, meaning detectives are attempting to contact a total of 56 box holders.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama And Castro In Historic Meeting

US President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro have greeted each other at a summit in Panama - a symbolically-charged gesture, as the pair seek to restore ties between their countries.

For Barack Obama this will surely be amongst the highlights of his presidential legacy.

He's in Panama for a gathering of leaders from across the Americas - but it's a meeting that has taken place on the sidelines of the summit which will attract the headlines.

That meeting has taken place with Raul Castro.

Touching down in Panama City, even getting invited is a first for the Cuban President - after half a century in exile for his communist country.

The two men had spoken by phone - hours before they were due to meet.

It was only the second conversation between the leaders of the US and Cuba in 50 years.

Four months ago Mr Castro and Mr Obama simultaneously announced an ending of hostilities.

President Obama said starkly: "Fifty years of isolation hasn't worked."

It was quite a statement. But words come easy to the eloquent president. Now it's time to show Cuba has come in from the cold.

The handshake between the two leaders is symbolic proof of that.

It isn't technically the first time they have shaken hands.

There is a grainy image of them fleetingly meeting at the Memorial Service for Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 2013.

But this time the handshake is supposed to mean more because it comes after the leaders' December declaration of a new beginning.

Speaking in Panama, President Obama said: "As we move towards the process of normalisation, we'll have our differences government to government with Cuba on many issues, just as we differ at times with other nations within the Americas, just like we differ with our closest allies, there is nothing wrong with that.

"But I am here to say when we do speak out we're going to do so, because the United States of America does believe, and will always stand for, a certain set of universal values."

And that means probably taking Cuba off America's designated list of state sponsors of terrorism. Something which infuriates Cuba.

The rapprochement will also open the door towards loans and aid for Cuba after decades of a crippling trade embargo. And that is a move worth its weight in gold.

Fidel Castrol came to power in 1959 after overthrowing the US-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista.

For half a century, the leader of the first communist country in the western hemisphere was a thorn in America's side.

In 2006 after abdominal surgery he started the transfer of power to his brother Raul who took the landmark step in 2014 of appearing with the US President.

Removing Cuba from the terror list will be a major step if ties really are to be rebuilt between the US and Cuba.

An historic moment after 50 years which has seen America try to isolate Cuba and finally acknowledge it as a neighbour.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Walter Scott Killing: Cop's Dashcam Released

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 10 April 2015 | 10.03

By Sky News US Team

Dashcam video has emerged showing a black South Carolina man running from his car after a traffic stop by a white officer, who gave chase before shooting him dead.

The footage, released by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, does not show Officer Michael Slager shooting Walter Scott but does reveal more about the minutes before the killing in North Charleston last Saturday.

Slager, who has been charged with murder and dismissed from the police, is seen approaching a car and asking the driver for his licence and proof of insurance.

The patrolman tells Mr Scott he has been pulled over because of a broken brake light. After a brief exchange, the officer returns to his patrol car.

The 50-year-old gets out of the vehicle, and Slager tells him to stay in the car. Several second later he leaves the black Mercedes-Benz again and runs away.

After Slager gives chase, someone can be heard shouting: "Taser, taser."

The 33-year-old patrolman said in a call to a dispatcher that he fired his weapon because Mr Scott took his stun gun and he feared for his life.

But he was charged over the killing after a separate video, filmed on a mobile phone by an onlooker, showed the officer firing eight shots at Mr Scott's back as he flees.

In the second video, Mr Scott does not appear to be armed.

A post-mortem examination has found Mr Scott had multiple gunshot wounds on the back of his body.

His father has said his son, a father of four, may have run away because he owed child support money and did not want to go to jail.

The dashcam video emerged as a man who was hit with a stun gun by Slager in a 2013 incident said he would sue.

Mario Givens, 34, told a news conference Slager came to his house, pushed in the door and fired the stun gun at his stomach.

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Gallery: Walter Scott's Death Sparks Protest

Demonstrators rallied on Wednesday against what they described as a culture of police brutality

The protest came after a white officer, Michael Slager, was caught on video killing 50-year-old Walter Scott, an unarmed black man who was apparently running away

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'Voice Of Cricket' Richie Benaud Dies

Legendary Australian cricketer and commentator Richie Benaud has died in a Sydney hospice, aged 84.

Benaud, widely regarded as one of the most influential people in the game's history, had been receiving radiation treatment for skin cancer since November.

Channel Nine, the Australian network where he took the lead commentator's position in 1977, said he had died in his sleep on Thursday night local time.

Nine's head of sport, Steve Crawley said: "You didn't have to know Richie to love him - everything about him.

"Best in the business bar none.

"We will miss him the way you miss loved ones. And at the same time we will thank our lucky stars he came our way at all."

Nine Entertainment Co's chief executive David Gyngell said Benaud's death had "robbed" the world of "not only a national treasure but a lovely man".

Australia's prime minister Tony Abbott, who has offered Benaud's family a state funeral, tweeted: "A sad day for Australia. We have lost a cricketing champion and Australian icon. What an innings. RIP Richie Benaud."

Hollywood actor Russell Crowe tweeted: "RIP Richie Benaud. My deep gratitude for all you gave to the sport of cricket as a player and as a broadcaster. Sad, sad day."

And Piers Morgan wrote: "RIP Richie Benaud. The greatest cricket commentator of them all & a wonderful man. Mourning Everyone."

Benaud played 64 test matches as an all-rounder between 1952 and 1964, taking 945 wickets in 259 first-class matches and making 11,719 first-class runs, scoring 23 centuries at an average of 36.50.

He was the first man to achieve 2,000 runs and 200 wickets at test level.

Benaud will be remembered by millions for his measured, laconic brand of commentary and he was as popular in England, where he worked on television from 1963 to 2005, as he was in his homeland.

Speaking about his commentary work, he once said: "My mantra is: put your brain into gear and if you can add to what's on the screen then do it, otherwise shut up.

"What I want most from being a television commentator is to be able to feel that, when I say something, I am talking to friends."

The news arm of Cricket Australia, www.cricket.com.au, described him as "an Australian test great who nurtured a generation's love for the game with his commentary".

They added: "After Don Bradman, there has been no Australian player more famous than Richie Benaud."

He became one of the greatest commentators in world cricket before a car crash outside his Coogee home in 2013 left him with two fractured vertebrae.

The injuries and cancer combined to keep him away from the job he loved in his final years, but he made occasional pre-recorded appearances on Channel Nine and he rallied to record a moving tribute to Phillip Hughes when the Australia batsman died last year after being struck by a bouncer.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tories Attack 'Weak' Miliband With Subs Pledge

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 09 April 2015 | 10.03

The Conservatives have attacked Labour's "weakness" on defence and accused Ed Miliband of seeking to trade away Britain's nuclear deterrent to secure power in the General Election.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon will today promise to maintain a continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent by building a fleet of four Successor Ballistic Missile Submarines if the Tories win power on 7 May.

In a speech in London he will warn that the Labour leader is prepared to "barter away" Britain's Trident programme in a bid to gain the support of SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

Labour denies the claim and has accused the Tories of resorting to the "language of smear".

Mr Fallon is expected to say: "(Ms Sturgeon) has told Ed Miliband that scrapping Trident - our country's vital nuclear deterrent - is a red line she will not cross.

"If he wants the keys to Number 10, he must abandon any plans to renew our current Vanguard ballistic missile submarines."

With the polls suggesting the SNP could be the third largest party in another hung parliament, Ms Sturgeon has made clear that the price of their support after the election would include scrapping Trident.

Speaking in her second televised debate in 24 hours last night, Ms Surgeon said the SNP would never vote in the Commons to renew Trident nuclear weapons.

Mr Fallon is expected to hit out at Ms Sturgeon's party in his speech, saying the SNP's "childlike world-view" would "sacrifice the long-term security of the UK and play into the hands of our enemies".

Writing in The Times ahead of his address, Mr Fallon said: "Ed Miliband stabbed his own brother in the back to become Labour leader.

"Now he is willing to stab the United Kingdom in the back to become prime minister."

He added: "From hour one, day one, this unwritten, unseemly, unholy alliance would bankrupt Britain and begin to break up Britain.

"It would sow chaos, instability, division. And all because of a weak Ed Miliband's lust for power and his willingness to enter Downing Street in Nicola Sturgeon's pocket."

Labour responded to the claims by accusing the Tories of running an "increasingly desperate" campaign, adding that Mr Miliband supports the renewal of Trident.

"As Ed Miliband has already made crystal clear national security is not a matter for negotiation. We support renewal of Trident along with a renewed focus on multilateral disarmament," said Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker.

"Labour is committed to maintaining a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent, delivered through a continuous at-sea deterrent. This is not up for negotiation with any party."

"The Tories are resorting to the language of smear. They are increasingly desperate as their campaign lurches on in confusion and chaos."

Mr Fallon said that Britain has kept a ballistic missile submarine at sea to deter a nuclear attack for 46 years.

He added that, with as many as 17,000 nuclear weapons around the world and concerning moves from Russia and North Korea, renewing Trident is "the only responsible choice".

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sex Offenders Could Be 'Influenced' By Genes

By Thomas Moore, Health And Science Correspondent

Genes passed down within families could significantly increase the risk of men committing sexual offences, according to groundbreaking research.

The first study of its kind has shown that men are four times more likely to carry out a sex crime if their father has been convicted for a similar offence.

The risk jumps to five times if men have a brother who has been convicted, the study of more than 21,000 sexual offenders shows.

Genetic factors account for 40-50% of the risk, with the remainder coming from the environment that men grow up in and other medical or social influences, according to results in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The researchers stress the overall risk is small - just 2.5% of brothers of sex offenders are likely to commit similar crimes themselves.

There is no genetic inevitability that relatives of sex offenders will commit crimes themselves.

Lead scientist Professor Niklas Langstrom, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said: "It is important to remember that it's nothing mystic.

"People get worried about the fact that there's a strong genetic component in problematic human behaviour.

"Of course, you don't inherit in some kind of robotic way so that you will grow up to be a sexual offender."

Co-author Professor Seena Fazel, of Oxford University, said: "We are definitely not saying we have found a gene for sexual offending or anything of that kind.

"What we have found is high-quality evidence that genetic factors have a substantial influence on an increased risk of being convicted of sexual offences."

Professor Fazel said social workers already working with families could use the finding to target education and preventative psychological therapies "where they could do most good".

"The things that we think might be underlying the risk are impulsivity, boundary setting, relationship skills and problem solving.

These are behaviours that can be amenable to psychological treatments."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Would Abolish 'Non-Dom' Tax Status

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 08 April 2015 | 10.03

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Labour leader Ed Miliband is to say he will abolish "non-domiciled" status if he wins the General Election.

"Non-dom" residency allows around 116,000 individuals to exempt their offshore income from UK tax for an annual charge.

In a speech in Warwickshire, Mr Miliband will say that the rich should not be allowed to "operate under different rules".

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

"The next Labour government will abolish the non-dom rule. And we will replace it with a clear principle - anyone permanently resident in the UK will pay tax in the same way," he is expected to tell his audience.

The party expects the move to raise "hundreds of millions of pounds" which will be used to reduce the deficit.

There are an estimated 116,000 non-doms living in the UK who only have to pay UK taxes on money they bring into the country.

Their income from overseas investments does not have to be declared.

The 200-year-old rule has been criticised for being open to exploitation by a jet-set elite looking to minimise their tax liabilities.

However, it is argued that the tax law encourages skilled workers and large investors from abroad to locate here and contribute to the UK economy.

Mr Miliband will say: "The problem is it isn't true. It is a recipe that doesn't work for most working people, doesn't work for business and doesn't work for Britain.

"It works against every business and working person in this country who has to pay more as a result, everybody who relies on public services like the NHS, everybody who believes in Britain and a fair and modern country.

"The United States doesn't do it. No other major country in the developed world does it. No one would propose doing it now if didn't already exist. One rule for some and another for others? It is unjust, it does not work, it holds Britain back and we will stop it."

In 2008, Labour announced plans to charge non-doms £30,000 a year if they had been resident in the UK for seven of the previous 10 years.

George Osborne increased this to £90,000 for those who have lived here for 17 out of the past 20 years.

But a spokesman for Ed Miliband said: "UK citizens should pay tax on all gains, anywhere in the world."

He added: "There should be no different rules between rich and poor."

Famous "non-doms" include some of Britain's richest individuals, such as Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cop Charged After Fleeing Black Man Shot Dead

A South Carolina police officer has been charged with murder after he shot dead a black man who appeared to be fleeing from him.

North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said investigators charged 33-year-old policeman Michael Slager after video emerged of the shooting in South Carolina.

The footage appears to show Slager firing eight shots at 50-year-old Walter Lamer Scott, who was running away at the time.

The altercation took place on Saturday and began when Mr Scott was pulled over for a traffic stop.

The video shows the two men engaged in a brief scuffle before Mr Scott appears to run away.

The officer is seen with his weapon raised before firing at the fleeing man. Scott falls face-first to the ground.

Authorities say the officer opened fire after earlier striking Mr Scott with a stun gun.

Mr Summey told a news conference: "He (Slager) will be charged with murder.

"That's not something that we like to hear, or like to say. But it goes to say how we work as a community.

"When you're wrong, you're wrong. If you make a bad decision, I don't care if you're behind the shield of just a citizen on the street, you have to live by that decision."

He added: "We as a city want the (victim's) family to know that our hearts and our thoughts are with them."

North Charleston Police say Slager was arrested by officers of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also launched an investigation into the shooting, which comes after a series police killings of unarmed black men.

The deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island have both led to nationwide protests.

North Charleston Police Chief Eddie Driggers confirmed that Mr Scott was shot as he was running away from the officer.

"I have been around this police department a long time and all the officers on this force, the men and women, are like my children," he said.

"So you tell me how a father would react seeing his child do something? I'll let you answer that yourself."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tories 'Plan Secret Tax Cut For Millionaires'

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 07 April 2015 | 10.03

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."

Speaking in Bristol, Chancellor George Osborne echoed Mr Gauke's remarks, adding: "Income taxes are being cut today. We have taken 4 million of the low paid out of tax, and cut tax for 30 million working people. The personal allowance has risen from £10,000 to £10,600 in the last few hours.

"When I became Chancellor, the personal allowance was just £6,475. I have increased this every single year, in every single budget – and made sure it's paid for with savings in the cost of government, not money borrowed from the next generation.

"Today the higher rate threshold has also gone up, and in the next parliament, we will take the threshold up again so people can earn £50,000 before paying the higher rate of tax.

"These tax cuts this April are a stark contrast to the tax rises you'd get next April if Ed Miliband is in Downing Street. He would suck many more middle-income people into the higher rate of tax.

"Overall, their plans will hit those hard-working families with £3,000 more to pay in taxes – and whereas Ed Miliband wants to put up your taxes, we will carry on cutting them."

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

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."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tony Blair Lends Support To Miliband Campaign

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Tony Blair will today call on the country to support Ed Miliband, in a sign the leading lights of New Labour are prepared to throw their weight behind his campaign.

In an attempt to silence rumours of a rift between the two men, the former Prime Minister will say: "I want Labour, under Ed's leadership, to be the Government of our country on May 8th. I believe we can and will do it."

Mr Blair will claim that David Cameron's pledge to offer a referendum on Britain's EU membership would put jobs, businesses and the UK's world standing at risk.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

He is expected to say: "I believe passionately that leaving Europe would leave Britain diminished in the world, do significant damage to our economy and, less obviously but just as important to our future, would go against the very qualities and ambitions that mark us out still as a great global nation."

Mr Blair is a controversial figure within the Labour party, despite winning three elections.

In 2011 delegates at the Labour conference booed when Mr Miliband mentioned his name in a speech.

There has also been speculation about a rift between the former Prime Minister and the current Labour leader.

He was an ally of David Miliband, who lost to his brother in the 2010 leadership battle.

In a speech in his old constituency of Sedgefield, Mr Blair will praise the Labour leader's refusal to offer a referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

He will say: "It is greatly to Ed Miliband's credit that he resolutely refused to make that trade.

"He faced down calls to follow the Tory concession from the media and many inside our Party. In doing so, he showed real leadership.

"He showed that he would put the interests of the country first.

"He showed that on this, as on other issues, he is his own man, with his own convictions and determined to follow them even when they go against the tide. I respect that."

Mr Blair will deliver his speech alongside his wife Cherie Blair and Phil Wilson, his successor as Labour MP for Sedgefield.

He will also criticise UKIP, who are threatening to take votes off Labour in some northern constituencies.

Mr Blair is expected to say: "Are they the standard bearers of an open-minded culturally tolerant Britain?

"Are creativity, innovation and curiosity about what we can learn from the world their hallmarks? We know what this movement to wrench us out of Europe is based on.

"UKIP talks about a new politics. But their politics is the oldest politics in history."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Radical' Pension Changes Come Into Force

Written By Unknown on Senin, 06 April 2015 | 10.03

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 years of age 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.

As many as six million pensioners who have already got an annuity will now be allowed to sell them for cash.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

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

They can now take their pension 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.

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

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."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Parties Ready For Fight Over Living Standards

By Sophy Ridge, Political Correspondent

Politicians are preparing for a battle over economic statistics with Labour, the Conservatives and the Lib Dems all claiming their rival parties will make people worse off.

As the second week of election campaigning begins, a row over living standards is set to dominate Easter Monday.

Prime Minister David Cameron will 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 will claim the opposite.

Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls will argue families are worse off by £1,100 a year because of tax and benefit changes.

In a speech he is expected to say: "David Cameron and George Osborne are going round the country telling people they've never had it so good.

"How out of touch can they get? The truth is millions are worse off because of this Government's choices."

Mr Balls will also claim that a Conservative government would raise VAT while introducing a top rate tax cut.

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

The man he shared the Treasury with for five years, 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."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

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