Crash Victim's Father: Pilot Motive Irrelevant

Sturgeon Denies Secretly Backing Cameron For PM

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 04 April 2015 | 10.03

Nicola Sturgeon has "categorically" denied telling a foreign ambassador she would rather see David Cameron than Ed Miliband as PM after the election.

The SNP leader faced calls to explain a diplomatic memo, which recorded her saying privately that the Labour leader was not "prime minister material".

The claims appeared on the front page of the Daily Telegraph, and were followed swiftly by an angry denial from Ms Sturgeon.

In a direct tweet to the journalists who wrote the story she said: "Your story is categorically, 100%, untrue ... which I'd have told you if you'd asked me at any point today."

A spokeswoman for the First Minister added: "It must be a belated April Fool.

"As Nicola has said on numerous occasions, she wants to see the back of a Tory government which is decisively rejected by the people of Scotland and unlike Labour, the SNP is the only party that has promised to lock David Cameron out of Downing Street."

However the Telegraph published a leaked UK Government memorandum apparently written after Scotland's First Minister met French ambassador Sylvie Bermann.

The memo of the meeting in February detailed her apparent preference for Mr Cameron remaining in Downing Street.

The note was written by a British civil servant after a conversation with the French consul-general.

It said: "Discussion appears to have focused mainly on the political situation, with the FM stating that she wouldn't want a formal coalition with Labour; that the SNP would almost certainly have a large number of seats ... that she'd rather see David Cameron remain as PM."

Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy said it was a "devastating revelation" that exposes the uncomfortable truth behind the SNP's General Election campaign.

"For months Nicola Sturgeon has been telling Scots she wants rid of David Cameron yet behind closed doors with foreign governments she admits she wants a Tory government.

"If Scotland votes SNP in May then Nicola Sturgeon will get her wish - the Tories will be the largest party across the UK and David Cameron will return to Downing Street.

"Only a vote for Labour will deliver a Labour government."

Ms Sturgeon's performance in the televised debate has focused attention on her party's potentially pivotal role in forming the next UK government.

Tories described the prospect of a Labour government propped up by the votes of the Scottish nationalists as a "lethal cocktail".

The party said such an alliance would destabilise the country and undermine the economic recovery.

She was branded "the most dangerous woman in Britain" by the Daily Mail. Polls suggest the anti-austerity SNP could snatch dozens of Labour seats north of the border.

Meanwhile, campaigning continues into Easter with Labour unveiling a plan to build 125,000 homes by creating a £5bn housebuilding fund.

The Tories, meanwhile, are unveiling a pledge to force pornography websites to use effective age-verification tools to keep out under-18s.

Ms Sturgeon is due to join the annual Scrap Trident group march in Glasgow, only a short distance from the Faslane home of nuclear-armed submarines.

"Never before have the establishment Westminster parties been so unpopular - and never has there been a greater opportunity to build a progressive alliance across these islands to chart a different course," she is due tell the rally.

The latest Survation/Mirror poll puts Mr Miliband ahead of Mr Cameron, with 33% and 31% of the vote respectively.

UKIP polled at 18%, the Liberal Democrats 9%, the SNP 5% and Greens 3%.

These results are markedly different from a YouGov/The Sun poll which was published on Thursday night.

It suggested that the Conservative Party had hit a three-year high - with 37% of those questioned stating they would vote Tory if the General Election was tomorrow.

Labour was on 35%, the Lib Dems on 7%, UKIP on 12% and the Greens on 5%.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kenya University Massacre: Five Arrested

Five people have been arrested in connection with the massacre of 148 people at Kenya's Garissa University, according to sources.

The arrests were reported by CNN, citing Kenyan Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery.

They come after a reward of £148,370 was offered for the capture of alleged mastermind, former teacher Mohammed Mohamud.

Yesterday survivors told how Islamist gunmen taunted students before shooting them.

At least 148 people were killed and 79 hurt as Somalia's al Shabaab extremists targeted Christians, some praying at a lecture hall.

The hall was one of the first sites the gunmen targeted.

That suggested the masked attackers, who were strapped with bombs and armed with AK-47s, planned their operation extensively, said students.

They claimed many victims were forced to phone their parents and urge them to call for Kenyan troops to leave Somalia - before shooting them.

Others appeared to have been killed by knives in the attack in eastern Kenya, near the Somali border.

But some students were freed, apparently because they were Muslim.

It was the worst terror attack since al Qaeda bombed the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998, killing more than 200 people.

Video has emerged of the university massacre, showing students running for their lives and hiding behind bushes as bullets whistled by.

The 12-hour siege ended with four gunmen killed and one suspect reportedly arrested.

The militant group has struck Kenya several times in recent years including at the Westgate Mall in Nairobi in 2013 where 67 people were killed.

Al Shabaab said the attack was in retaliation for Kenya sending troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the militants and stabilise the Mogadishu government.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

No Winner: Debate Polls Point To Coalition

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 03 April 2015 | 10.03

After two hours of debating on the NHS, immigration and the economy, no clear winner emerged from the televised showdown between seven of Britain's party leaders.

The first poll for YouGov gave the win to the SNP's Nicola Sturgeon, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage second.

A ComRes poll for ITV had Ed Miliband, David Cameron and Mr Farage level-pegging on 21% and an ICM/Guardian poll had the Labour leader in top spot with a 1% lead over Mr Cameron. Survation put both leaders on 25%.

The high-stakes debate was the only chance for the two men who could become prime minister on 7 May to challenge each other face to face before the election.

But the inconclusive result and the strong performance by the outsiders pointed to another coalition for Britain.

There were a number of significant clashes, not least between Mr Clegg and Mr Cameron who exchanged angry words on coalition differences over the past five years, with Mr Clegg savaging the Prime Minister on education cuts.

The Tory leader accused his Lib Dem counterpart of taking a "pick and mix" attitude to the coalition and told him: "We sat in the Cabinet Room together, we took decisions together."

But, ultimately, both of them appealed to voters in their closing arguments to let them "finish the job".

Another heated encounter saw Mr Clegg demanding an apology from Mr Miliband for "crashing the economy" after the Labour leader criticised his U-turn on tuition fees.

Mr Clegg said: "This is the man who was part of the government who said no boom and bust in the economy and crashed our economy, jeopardising the future generations and life chances of millions of people.

"I have prioritised, taken responsibility for the mistakes I made. Why doesn't Ed Miliband apologise for crashing the economy? You got it wrong on banking regulation."

Mr Farage emerged as the "Marmite figure" of the contest with the highest number of people thinking he performed both best and worst.

His remark that 60% of the 7,000 people diagnosed with HIV were "not British nationals" and that they were taking a toll on the NHS drew the most comments on Twitter.

They also drew angry responses from Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood and Ms Sturgeon.

Ms Wood told the UKIP leader: "This kind of scaremongering rhetoric is dangerous. It divides communities and it creates stigma to people who are ill. I think you should be ashamed of yourself."

And Ms Sturgeon added: "When someone is diagnosed with a dreadful illness, my instinct is to view them as a human being - not consider what country they come from."

Ms Sturgeon's success is likely to be claimed as a body blow for Mr Miliband in Scotland where Labour is predicted to be virtually wiped out by her nationalist party.

She challenged Mr Miliband on a number of points, taking him to task for signing up to the £30bn of austerity cuts proposed by the coalition.

Ms Wood stuck the knife in by telling Mr Miliband that the biggest threat the NHS faced in Wales was cuts and Labour.

However, Ms Sturgeon said she supported Mr Miliband's plan to increase the top rate of tax - although she would not agree on continued investment in Britain's nuclear deterrent.

The SNP leader teamed up with Ms Wood on a number of occasions. Both demanded if there was a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union it should be held separately in each of the four countries.

There was little deviation from the script from any party, the only unexpected intervention was a heckler who asked how many homeless people on the streets were once in the Armed Forces. She was eventually removed from the audience.

There was tough talk on immigration from all three main parties, with Mr Miliband promising no immigrants would get benefits before two years, and Mr Cameron promising four. Mr Farage said as long as Britain was a member of the EU immigration could not be controlled.

The UKIP leader attempted to set himself apart from the other leaders consistently describing them as "all the same" and in his closing speech told voters they didn't understand "ordinary people" and his party was the only one to offer "plain spoken patriotism".

However, as the debates closed it was the smaller parties that promised to offer an alternative - and the coalition parties offered to "finish the job".

In the end Mr Cameron and Mr Miliband finished the debate much as they started: 'it's a choice between the two of us'.

And the polls simply proved that, come 7 May, it will indeed be the closest of close contests.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Debate: Seven Leaders, Seven Key Moments

After seven party leaders vied for attention from undecided voters in the studio audience and at home, Sky News looks at seven key clashes between the politicians.

Nigel Farage vs Leanne Wood: Health Tourism

Many leaders spoke out against the privatisation of the NHS during their opening statements. But Nigel Farage decided to grasp another nettle: health tourism.

In the free-flowing debate, he claimed that 7,000 people are diagnosed as HIV positive every year - but 60% of them are not British nationals.

"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. We need to put the National Health Service there for British people and families," the UKIP leader said.

Leanne Wood, from Plaid Cymru, was the first to reply to Mr Farage's point – and battled through his interruptions to secure the first round of applause of the evening.

"This kind of scaremongering rhetoric is dangerous. It divides communities and creates a stigma to people who are ill. I think you should be ashamed of yourself," she replied.

Nick Clegg vs Ed Miliband: The Economic Crash

Another barbed exchange was between Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, after the Labour leader took the Deputy Prime Minister to task over his U-turn on tuition fees back in 2010.

"It was a broken promise, you betrayed the young people of our country," he said.

Mr Clegg described his rival's stance as "pious", shooting back: "This is the man who was part of a government that said 'no boom and bust in the economy' and crashed our economy - jeopardising the future generations and life chances of millions of people.

"I've apologised, I've taken responsibility for the mistakes I've made. Why don't you, in the front of the British people, say 'I'm sorry for crashing the British economy?'"

Mr Miliband ducked the question - but brought David Cameron into the row, replying: "The banks were under-regulated, but there was a global financial crisis. David, as leader of the opposition, you were saying banks were over-regulated, so I'm not going to take any lectures from you on the global financial crisis."

Both received applause.

Leanne Wood: "I Agree With Nicola"

One of the biggest buzz-phrases which emerged during the last general election in 2010 was "I agree with Nick", as Gordon Brown extended a friendly hand towards the Liberal Democrats - kingmakers during the first hung parliament in decades.

Five years on, and Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru had slightly adapted the phrase to "I agree with Nicola", as she aligned her party with the SNP on several major issues.

Nicola Sturgeon vs Cameron, Miliband and Clegg: The EU

The SNP leader certainly made things interesting when she launched a challenge to three parties at once - asking them to make a pledge to the four countries that comprise the United Kingdom ahead of any in-out referendum on the EU.

She said: "Nigel Farage wants to take the UK out of Europe - and David Cameron is taking us dangerously close to the exit door.

"They spent a lot of time talking about the UK family of nations during the Scottish referendum, but will they give a commitment that if there is an in-out referendum, no one part of that family of nations will be taken out of Europe against its will?

"Will the vote be counted separately in each of the four nations so none of us can be dragged out?"

David Cameron vs The Heckler: Homeless Veterans

The Prime Minister was praising the "brave and professional" armed services around the world when he was interrupted by a heckler from the audience.

Victoria Prosser made an intervention and shouted about how many homeless veterans were on the streets after completing their service.

Mr Cameron replied: "The lady makes an important point. There are people coming out of the armed services who have difficulties, and we should put money into armed forces charities helping homeless people."

After the debates, Ms Prosser explained: "He is using their name to garner votes because it might be a vote winner."

Nick Clegg vs Nigel Farage: Foreigners

During the segment on immigration, UKIP's leader claimed that, at 300,000, net migration now is 10 times higher than it was during World War II.

Mr Clegg decided to take Mr Farage to task, saying: "I'm married to a foreigner, you're married to a foreigner. Let's be open-hearted and generous-spirited."

Earlier, Nicola Sturgeon had said: "There isn't anything Nigel Farage won't blame on foreigners."

David Cameron vs Ed Miliband: Jobs

Towards the end of the debate, Ed Miliband returned to one of his pet subjects: zero-hours contracts, and claimed the Conservatives' "trickle down" economic experiment had failed.

Mr Cameron simply said: "Never mind zero-hours; with Ed there'd be zero jobs."

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour: Tory Govt Threat To Sure Start Centres

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 02 April 2015 | 10.03

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

More than 1,000 Sure Start centres could close if the Conservatives return to power after the General Election, the Labour party has claimed.

In their latest attack on Tory spending plans, Labour says that childcare costs have gone up six times faster than wages.

The number of available childcare places has fallen by 40,000, Labour says.

:: For full coverage of Election 2015 click here

Labour's shadow education secretary Tristram Hunt said: "The Tories pose a real threat to Sure Start - a service relied on by thousands of working families.

"Before the last election, David Cameron said he would protect Sure Start, but since then there are hundreds fewer centres.

"If they get in again they'll do the same again. Their extreme plans mean over 1,000 of the remaining centres face the axe."

Labour says there should be a new statutory obligation on the centres to provide access to childcare.

They also want to give them new powers to open their doors to charities and local providers so the whole community can use them.

One spokesman at the Labour party told Sky News: "It's about turning the lights back on in buildings that have been effectively mothballed."

But the Conservatives claim there are 100,000 more places for parents to choose from and services have been merged rather than closed.

Responding to Labour's claims, a Conservative spokesman said: "Record numbers of families are using children's centres - this is desperate stuff from Labour.

"They are simply scare-mongering to try and get Ed Miliband's shambolic election campaign off the ground - it was Tristram Hunt who said he wouldn't open more Sure Start centres.

"Labour's lack of an economic plan would put these services under threat and would put our children's future at risk.

"Only the Conservatives can deliver the strong economy that allows us to invest in services like this and secure a better future for families."

:: Watch the seven-way leaders' debate live and in full from 8pm on Thursday on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132, Freesat channel 202, and on the Sky News website.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Seven Party Leaders Set For Debate Showdown

The leaders of Britain's seven main political parties will do battle in a high-stakes TV showdown tonight, marking the only time David Cameron and Ed Miliband will debate each other in the General Election campaign.

The two-hour event sees the Prime Minister, the Labour leader and Nick Clegg joined by the leaders of UKIP, the Greens, the SNP and Plaid Cymru for a live debate before a 200-strong studio audience in Salford.

The event is the first and only debate featuring all the leaders to be held before voters go to the polls on 7 May and has the potential to shape the course of the remaining five weeks of campaigning.

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

During the debate - which is hosted by ITV - the leaders will give an uninterrupted one-minute answer to each question posed by the audience.

There will then be up to 18 minutes of debate for each question. ITV said "four substantial election questions" will be addressed in all.

Leaders will not be given advance notice of the questions, which have been selected by an "experienced editorial panel".

Sky News will broadcast the debate live from 8pm until 10pm, with coverage also available online and via Sky News apps.

Greens leader Natalie Bennett will make the first opening statement, while Mr Cameron is scheduled to speak last.

Campaigning is expected to be largely placed on hold today as the party leaders make their final preparations for the event.

Key issues in the first three days of the campaign have included the battle between the Conservatives and Labour over economic policies and support for business.

Labour has been campaigning heavily on the use of zero-hours contracts, saying it will outlaw "exploitative" contracts if it wins power.

The Liberal Democrats have sought to highlight mental illness as a major issue.

Speaking at Bishopbriggs in East Dunbartonshire on Wednesday, Mr Clegg insisted he would not be losing any sleep ahead of tonight's event.

"I have been in politics long enough now to know that you shouldn't over-think these things or over-rehearse them," he said.

"I will try and answer the questions as best as I can and make sure that the Liberal Democrat voice is heard loud and clear in the cacophony of other political voices that will be represented on that stage."

The three-way debates in 2010 saw a boost in the polls for Mr Clegg, although this year's debate is more likely to present an opportunity for one of the smaller party leaders such as Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP or Plaid Cymru's Leanne Wood.

While campaigning at a factory in Huddersfield on Wednesday, Mr Miliband said the debate was a good opportunity to speak directly to Britons.

"The way I'm going to prepare for this debate is by coming to talk to good people here and keep campaigning," he said.

"The thing I value about the debate is the chance to talk directly to the British people, as I am doing today, about the things that matter to me and how I want to change the country," he added.

UKIP's campaign chief Patrick O'Flynn said Nigel Farage is preparing "rigorously" for the event.

"Obviously this will be the only chance he gets to be on the same stage as David Cameron and that's David Cameron's doing, not Nigel Farage's, so that again means that there will be key arguments to put there," Mr O'Flynn said.

:: Watch the seven-way leaders' debate live and in full from 8pm on Sky News, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 132, Freesat channel 202, and on the Sky News website.

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Video Captures Final Moments Of Alps Crash

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 01 April 2015 | 10.03

Mobile phone footage taken from inside the Germanwings flight during its final moments has reportedly been recovered from the crash site in the French Alps.

European newspapers Paris Match and Bild have reported that the video, which Sky News has not seen, was discovered on a mobile phone found among the wreckage of flight 4U 9525.

Paris Match, which has not published the video, reported: "The scene was so chaotic that it was hard to identify people, but the sounds of the screaming passengers made it perfectly clear that they were aware of what was about to happen to them.

"One can hear cries of 'My God' in several languages."

The newspaper added that metallic banging can be heard in the footage, before the screaming gets louder and the video ends.

It comes after Lufthansa revealed that the co-pilot accused of deliberately crashing the Germanwings plane told officials at a training school that he had gone through an "episode of severe depression".

Andreas Lubitz, 27, informed instructors in 2009 that he had to break off from his pilot training for several months because of his illness.

After he had resumed training six years ago, he provided the school with medical documents which showed he had gone through a "previous episode of severe depression," Lufthansa said.

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Gallery: Tributes Laid Near Crash Site

A memorial, carved in French, German, Spanish and English, in memory of the victims of the Germanwings Airbus A320 crash, in the small village of Le Vernet, French Alps

The chapel prepared for the families of the victims and the medico-legal tents for investigators at Seyne les Alpes near the crash site

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Hopes For Draft Deal As Iran Talks Extended

Iran's foreign minister says he is hopeful Tehran and six world powers can begin drafting a preliminary nuclear deal later today after negotiations were extended in Switzerland.

Talks are scheduled to resume this morning in the Swiss town of Lausanne where the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China have been working to break the negotiations deadlock.

A midnight deadline passed without any definitive agreement being reached over Tehran's nuclear programme, however negotiators agreed to a one-day extension.

Iran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif described the late night talks as "very good", adding: "We hope to start drafting the text on Wednesday".

President Barack Obama spoke with key national security advisors late on Tuesday amid suggestions negotiators were close to striking a deal.

Mr Obama was briefed by Secretary of State John Kerry and the Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.

Marie Harf, a spokeswoman for the US State Department, earlier confirmed an extension of the deadline.

"We've made enough progress in the last days to merit staying until Wednesday," she said.

"There are several difficult issues still remaining."

Western powers aim to stop Iran from having the capacity to develop a nuclear bomb, in exchange for easing international sanctions that are crippling its economy.

Stumbling blocks related to Iran's enrichment research and the speed of lifting the sanctions are threatening to scupper an agreement.

The aim is to reach an understanding that could serve as the basis for a final accord to be reached by the end of June.

The talks, which have lasted nearly two years, have already been extended twice since an interim agreement was reached in November 2013.

Most of the parties had indicated they did not want another extension, although they also said the interim agreement would remain in place until 1 July.

The six powers want more than a 10-year suspension of Iran's most sensitive nuclear work.

Tehran, which denies it is trying to develop nuclear weapons, is demanding a swift end to sanctions in exchange for temporary limits on its atomic activities.

Iran says it wants nuclear enrichment only for energy, science, industry and medicine.

But many countries fear Iran could use the technology to make weapons-grade uranium.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposes the negotiations, said the agreement being put together in Lausanne sends the message "that Iran stands to gain by its aggression".

10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Labour Business Launch Overshadowed By Row

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 10.03

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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PM Pledges To Create Two Million Extra Jobs

By Niall Paterson, Sky News Correspondent

David Cameron is pledging to create two million extra jobs over the course of the next parliament if the Conservatives are returned to power on 7 May.

The Tories believe they can match the job creation of the past five years, during which the Coalition created an average of 1,000 new jobs every day.

As the second day of campaigning gets under way, the Prime Minister said: "When we came into government in 2010, unemployment had rocketed.

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

"Five years on, by working through our long-term plan, look at what we have achieved together.

"(There are) 1.9 million more jobs, more people in work in our country than ever before, more jobs created here than the rest of Europe combined, (and) more people with the security of a regular pay-packet, providing for themselves and their families.

"All this is at risk in just over a month's time. The choice is simple: we go back to square one, and the days of big unemployment.

"Or vote conservative and finish what we have begun: with two million more jobs in the next five years.

"We are the jobs party - and over the next month, we will be fighting for every man and woman who wants to work and earn a wage."

The pledge comes exactly a year after Chancellor George Osborne set a goal of full employment for Britain.

Mr Cameron argues an additional two million jobs is a feasible target thanks to government assistance for business, competitive tax rates, a parliament-long campaign against red tape, plus investment in infrastructure.

The Prime Minister's first outing of the election campaign proper was to address a rally of supporters at a school in Chippenham - a marginal constituency they need to take if they are to stand any chance of winning a majority.

Speaking at the event, Mr Cameron admitted he is not the "perfect" Prime Minister - but insisted he has a record to be "proud" of.

"I don't claim that I have got every call right or that I am the perfect Prime Minister," he said.

"But I know this. I had a job to do in 2010 and it was about sorting out our economy, getting the deficit down and getting people back to work."

On the first day of Labour's campaign, Ed Miliband tried to win over business with the launch of the party's first "mini manifesto".

The Labour leader warned of a "clear and present danger" to Britain if the country left the European Union.

Meanwhile, Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats will today seek to distinguish themselves from the Conservatives, and other parties, by focusing on mental health with a pledge of extra funding.

The party will promise an additional £3.5bn over the next parliament, with the aim of "revolutionising" adult and child mental health care.

In announcing the pledge, Mr Clegg is expected to say: "Equality for people with mental health issues is a liberal mission.

"In government again, we will continue to put mental health front and centre of the political debate.

"That's why I am so immensely proud that we are the first party to put equality for people with mental health problems on the front page of our full General Election manifesto.

"Only the Liberal Democrats can keep Britain on track and provide both a stronger economy and a fairer society with strong public services."

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Not Just Theatre: Queen To Dissolve Parliament

Written By Unknown on Senin, 30 Maret 2015 | 10.03

The Queen will today dissolve Parliament for a twelfth prime minister under her reign.

Winston Churchill was in power when Elizabeth II took to the throne at the age of 25 in February 1952.

Tradition has it that the prime minister asks the Monarch to dissolve Parliament but David Cameron's royal visit is more a formality and a piece of theatre than a constitutional necessity.

Under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act 2011, today's date has already been set for the dissolution of Parliament and the date of the next General Election is set as Thursday, 7 May.

However there is a bit more substance to it than a PR stunt for the PM.

The Fixed-Term Parliaments Act was introduced to ensure the survival of the coalition, however it mirrors the constitutional settlement that existed before.

Previously, had a prime minister served a full term, a Monarch was authorised to end Parliament without the prime minister's permission. But even with the new act the prime minister is still required to seek the Queen's permission.

Royal commentator Alistair Bruce said: "She is the one who can give permission to dissolve Parliament - only her - and the prime minister is asking her to exercise that authority.

"The prime minister is aware that in order for the constitution to be a reassurance for the British public we have to see this process of the prime minister going to the Monarch and asking for the dissolution.

"It reminds us after all that the Monarch's authority protects us from any form of dictatorship."

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Gallery: Then And Now: How They've Changed

How do the strains of leading your party, and working out how to spend the public finances begin to show? It would seem some wear those stresses well - and others less so. So how have the politicians fared? Ed Miliband in 2010 and then 2015.

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Cameron To Kick Off General Election Battle

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

David Cameron will make a short trip from Downing Street to Buckingham Palace today to ask the Queen to dissolve Parliament.

The final act of pomp and ceremony of his coalition Government will be followed by a statement from the Prime Minister on the steps of Number 10 in which he will say the country faces "a stark choice" between the Conservatives and Labour.

Mr Cameron will say: "You can choose an economy that grows, that creates jobs, that generates the money to ensure a properly funded and improving NHS... and a Government that will cut taxes for thirty million hardworking people…

"Or you can choose the economic chaos of Ed Miliband's Britain - over £3,000 in higher taxes for every working family to pay for more welfare and out-of-control spending. Debt will rise and jobs will be lost as a result."

Labour leader Ed Miliband is joining shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna and shadow chancellor Ed Balls for the launch of Labour's business manifesto at Bloomberg.

The Labour Party is expected to release a "dossier" on the EU setting out how Mr Cameron has, in their view, caved in to the Euro-sceptics within his party.

Labour will also take out an advert in the Financial Times focusing on their campaign to stay in Europe.

Mr Miliband is expected to say: "There could be nothing worse for our country or for our great exporting businesses than playing political games with our membership in Europe.

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Gallery: Miliband And Cameron Live Showdown

Leader of the Labour party Ed Miliband answers questions from the audience

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10.03 | 0 komentar | Read More

Crash Victim's Father: Pilot Motive Irrelevant

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 29 Maret 2015 | 10.03

Crash Victim's Father: Pilot Motive Irrelevant

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The father of a British man who died on Germanwings flight 4U9525 has said the co-pilot's motive for crashing the plane is "not relevant".

Philip Bramley, whose 27-year-old son Paul was among 150 people who died in the French Alps tragedy, said his focus was on seeing that "this never happens again".

Mr Bramley said: "What happened on the morning of 24 March was the act of a person who at the very least was ill.

"If there was a motive or reason we don't want to hear it, it's not relevant.

"What is relevant is this should never happen again. My son and everyone on that plane should not be forgotten ever."

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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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Argentinian Sebastian Greco was on board with his girlfriend. Pic: Facebook

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Argentinian Gabriela Maumus, 28, was the daughter of a firefighter. Pic: Facebook

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Spanish victim Carles Milla Masanas, 37. The businessman was on his way to a food industry fayre. Pic: Facebook

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He added: "I believe the airlines should be more transparent and our finest pilots looked after properly. We put our lives and our children's lives in their hands."

Paul Bramley, who had been studying hospitality and hotel management in Switzerland, was flying back to Britain via Germany after a holiday with friends.

He was one of three Britons, 75 Germans and at least 50 Spaniards on board the fateful flight.

German media has reported that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz received treatment for a "serious depressive episode" six years ago during his training. He also allegedly received treatment for an eye condition, according to the New York Times.

French investigators have said his mental health is a "serious lead" in the inquiry - but not the only one.

Meanwhile, an ex-lover of Lubitz revealed to German newspaper Bild that he told her last year: "One day I will do something that will change the whole system, and then all will know my name and remember it."

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service on Saturday morning at Digne-les-Bains, near where searchers are still looking for bodies and evidence.

The tragedy, which occurred after the pilot was locked out of the cockpit, has prompted a review of safety procedures by airlines.

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