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Survivor Found Two Days After Kenya Massacre

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 04 April 2015 | 18.25

Survivor Found Two Days After Kenya Massacre

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A survivor of the Kenya university massacre which saw 148 people killed has been found two days after the attack.

Kenyan medical staff are reported to have found Cynthia Cheroitich during the grim task of dealing with the bodies of those killed by members of Somalia-based terror group al Shabaab.

The 19-year-old said from her hospital bed that she hid in a large cupboard, covering herself with clothes, refusing to emerge when some of her classmates came out of hiding at the demands of the gunmen from the al Shabaab group.

She said she drank lotion to stave off thirst and hunger.

She said she didn't believe that rescuers urging her to come out of her hiding place were there to help, suspecting at first that they were militants.

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  1. Gallery: Graphic Images From Kenya Massacre

    This man was captured at the scene by Kenyan authorities

Mohamed Mohamud has been named as the mastermind behind the attack

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Some users may find the next picture distressing

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It was only when Kenyan security forces had one of her teachers appeal to her that she did she come out, she said.

Cheroitich, a Christian, said: "I was just praying to my God."

Meanwhile, more details have emerged of those arrested or sought over the attack.

Police named militant Islamist Mohamed Mohamud, a quietly-spoken former teacher, as the alleged mastermind of the massacre in Garissa.

The alleged al Shabaab member, a Kenyan of Somali origin, is also wanted in connection with a string of recent cross-border killings and massacres in Kenya's northeastern border region.

While Mohamud, thought to be in his late-50s, did not take part physically in the Garissa attack, survivors described the attackers as men like him: speaking Kenya's Swahili language well, with some suggesting they may have been Kenyan too.

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  1. Gallery: A Look At The History Of Somali Terrorist Group Al Shabaab

    Al Shabaab ("the Youth") emerged from a group called the Union of Islamic Courts which controlled Mogadishu before being forced out by Ethiopian troops in 2006

The group has been banned by both the US and UK but has 7000-9000 fighters, many of them foreign, and it is thought to have close ties with al Qaeda

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Survivor Found Two Days After Kenya Massacre

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

A survivor of the Kenya university massacre which saw 148 people killed has been found two days after the attack.

Kenyan medical staff are reported to have found Cynthia Cheroitich during the grim task of dealing with the bodies of those killed by members of Somalia-based terror group al Shabaab.

The 19-year-old said from her hospital bed that she hid in a large cupboard, covering herself with clothes, refusing to emerge when some of her classmates came out of hiding at the demands of the gunmen from the al Shabaab group.

She said she drank lotion to stave off thirst and hunger.

She said she didn't believe that rescuers urging her to come out of her hiding place were there to help, suspecting at first that they were militants.

1/4

  1. Gallery: Graphic Images From Kenya Massacre

    This man was captured at the scene by Kenyan authorities

Mohamed Mohamud has been named as the mastermind behind the attack

]]>

Some users may find the next picture distressing

]]>

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It was only when Kenyan security forces had one of her teachers appeal to her that she did she come out, she said.

Cheroitich, a Christian, said: "I was just praying to my God."

Meanwhile, more details have emerged of those arrested or sought over the attack.

Police named militant Islamist Mohamed Mohamud, a quietly-spoken former teacher, as the alleged mastermind of the massacre in Garissa.

The alleged al Shabaab member, a Kenyan of Somali origin, is also wanted in connection with a string of recent cross-border killings and massacres in Kenya's northeastern border region.

While Mohamud, thought to be in his late-50s, did not take part physically in the Garissa attack, survivors described the attackers as men like him: speaking Kenya's Swahili language well, with some suggesting they may have been Kenyan too.

1/10

  1. Gallery: A Look At The History Of Somali Terrorist Group Al Shabaab

    Al Shabaab ("the Youth") emerged from a group called the Union of Islamic Courts which controlled Mogadishu before being forced out by Ethiopian troops in 2006

The group has been banned by both the US and UK but has 7000-9000 fighters, many of them foreign, and it is thought to have close ties with al Qaeda

]]>

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Six Questions About Nicola Sturgeon Memo

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has denied telling a French diplomat she would rather see David Cameron as Prime Minister than Ed Miliband.

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here

The claims come from a leaked memo, published in the Daily Telegraph, of Ms Sturgeon's meeting with the French Ambassador in February.

The memo was written by a British civil servant after a conversation with France's consul general in Edinburgh, Pierre-Alain Coffinier, who was present.

But speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Mr Coffinier said no preference for PM was discussed at the meeting.

So what do we know about this supposed memo - and who will the story damage most?

:: What does the supposed memo say?

"The Ambassador … had a truncated meeting with the FM [Nicola Sturgeon] (FM running late after a busy Thursday …)

"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 (and didn't see Ed Miliband as PM material)".

:: How did it come to light?

The Daily Telegraph claims the allegations are contained in a leaked UK government memorandum.

It was drafted by a Whitehall official after speaking to France's consul general in Edinburgh, Pierre-Alain Coffinier.

He called the Foreign Office, following protocol, to pass on a confidential account of several of the ambassador's meetings in Edinburgh.

Those meetings also included talks with the Scottish Secretary, Alistair Carmichael. The letter appears to have been leaked to the newspaper.

:: What has the reaction been?

Ms Sturgeon was quick to react, angrily denying the claims by tweeting the Daily Telegraph's Scottish Political Editor: "Your story is categorically, 100% untrue … which I'd have told you if you'd asked me at any point today."

Labour Leader Ed Miliband said: "I think these are damning revelations ... in public the SNP are saying they don't want to see a Conservative government, in private they are actually saying they do want a Conservative government.

"It shows at this General Election that if you want the Conservatives out is to vote Labour for a Labour government."

Mr Coffinier has also denied the story, telling Sky News: "It is normal to talk about the political situation in broad terms, but I do not know where this comes from, because it is certainly not in my report that anyone gave any preference."

:: Who do these allegations affect most?

For Mr Miliband it is not great, that one of your potential political partners would view you as "not PM material".

But ultimately it is Ms Sturgeon who could be most damaged. Critics have long believed that the SNP's long-term aim of an independent Scotland is best served by stoking anti-Conservative rhetoric.

With the Tories pledging greater spending cuts and offering what could be a toxic EU referendum - those unpopular measures north of the border, administered by Westminster, could strengthen Scottish nationalism.

But if the strategy was exposed it could turn voters off.

:: Could Labour gain?

If Labour can convince former Scottish Labour voters that by voting for the SNP, Mr Cameron is more likely to be Prime Minister, that could boost Jim Murphy's beleaguered party.

And inversely, increased support in Scotland for Labour, would increase the chance of Mr Miliband walking into Number 10. 

:: And who do we believe?

The denials from both Mr Sturgeon and Mr Coffinier are strong. That begs the question of why a civil servant based in Whitehall would record something that wasn't true.

SNP supporters may well believe Ms Sturgeon, while her opponents might seize on it. But the only people who know for certain exactly what was said were the ones present in February's meeting.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sturgeon Calls For Inquiry Into Govt Memo Leak

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon wants an inquiry into how a controversial memo about a meeting with the French ambassador was leaked.

A Daily Telegraph report claims a leaked UK government memorandum - likely from the Foreign Office - sets out an account of a meeting between Ms Sturgeon and the French ambassador to the UK Sylvie Bermann.

It claims she told the ambassador she would rather see David Cameron than Ed Miliband as PM after the election, a claim she denies.

She has now asked for Cabinet Secretary Jeremy Heywood to investigate how the memo was released.

She said: "The bigger question and one I am raising with the head of the civil service is who wrote this memo since the foreign office seem to be denying all knowledge of it.

"How did it come to contain such an inaccuracy and how did it get into the hands of the Tory-supporting Daily Telegraph?"

The memo was written by a British civil servant after a conversation with France's consul general in Edinburgh, Pierre-Alain Coffinier, who was present.

But speaking to Sky News on Saturday, Mr Coffinier said that no preference for Prime Minister was discussed at the meeting in February.

"At no stage did anyone comment on their preference regarding the elections."

The memo reportedly said: "Discussion appears to have focused mainly on the political situation, with the (First Minister) 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."

It added that Ms Sturgeon said the Labour leader was not "prime minister material".

More follows...


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Video Of Massacre At Kenya University Campus

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 03 April 2015 | 18.25

Video Of Massacre At Kenya University Campus

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

Video has emerged of the massacre at a university campus in north-eastern Kenya in which 147 people were killed by Islamist extremists.

It shows students running for their lives and hiding behind bushes as bullets whistle through the air.

Four masked al Shabaab gunmen rampaged through Garissa University College at dawn on Thursday in the group's deadliest attack in the country.

They were eventually killed by security forces 13 hours later after a lengthy gun battle.

The attackers, who were strapped with bombs and armed with AK-47s, singled out non-Muslim students and gunned them down without mercy, survivors said.

They took dozens of hostages in a dormitory as they battled troops and police before they were hit by gunfire and exploded, according to Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery.

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  1. Gallery: Terror Attack At Kenyan University

    A siege by militants at a university in eastern Kenya has ended after four gunmen were killed. At least 147 people have been killed, with 79 confirmed as wounded

Somalia's al Shabaab terror group has claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn attack, which began when many students were sleeping

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The militants, who have links to al Qaeda, have in the past vowed retribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia

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The militants shot dead dozens before setting Muslims free and holding Christians and others hostage at Garissa University

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Survivors said the masked attackers singled out non-Muslim students and gunned them down

]]>
Video Of Massacre At Kenya University Campus

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

Video has emerged of the massacre at a university campus in north-eastern Kenya in which 147 people were killed by Islamist extremists.

It shows students running for their lives and hiding behind bushes as bullets whistle through the air.

Four masked al Shabaab gunmen rampaged through Garissa University College at dawn on Thursday in the group's deadliest attack in the country.

They were eventually killed by security forces 13 hours later after a lengthy gun battle.

The attackers, who were strapped with bombs and armed with AK-47s, singled out non-Muslim students and gunned them down without mercy, survivors said.

They took dozens of hostages in a dormitory as they battled troops and police before they were hit by gunfire and exploded, according to Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery.

1/9

  1. Gallery: Terror Attack At Kenyan University

    A siege by militants at a university in eastern Kenya has ended after four gunmen were killed. At least 147 people have been killed, with 79 confirmed as wounded

Somalia's al Shabaab terror group has claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn attack, which began when many students were sleeping

]]>

The militants, who have links to al Qaeda, have in the past vowed retribution against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia

]]>

The militants shot dead dozens before setting Muslims free and holding Christians and others hostage at Garissa University

]]>

Survivors said the masked attackers singled out non-Muslim students and gunned them down

]]>

18.25 | 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."


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Black Box Data Confirms Alps Crash Deliberate

Data from the second black box recovered from the Germanwings plane wreckage has confirmed the co-pilot crashed the jet deliberately.

"A first reading shows that the pilot in the cockpit used the automatic pilot to descend the plane towards an altitude of 100 feet (30 metres)," said the French BEA crash investigation office in a statement.

"Then, several times during the descent, the pilot changed the automatic pilot settings to increase the aircraft's speed."

The latest information appears to confirm the theory that co-pilot Andreas Lubitz intentionally flew into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board.

Authorities found the second black box, which contains technical flight data, on Thursday after a nine-day search in difficult mountain terrain.

Data from the first black box, which records conversations in the cockpit, suggested Lubitz, 27, locked the captain out and then set the Airbus A320 on a collision course.

It smashed into the mountains at 700km per hour (430 mph), instantly killing everyone on board. Half were German and more than 50 from Spain.

It emerged on Thursday that Lubitz had searched online for information about suicide and cockpit doors.

German prosecutors have said he was diagnosed as suicidal "several years ago" before he gained his pilot's licence.

Lufthansa, the parent company of Germanwings, has come under huge pressure after it was revealed Lubitz had told bosses he had suffered from severe depression.

The German flag carrier said he had informed the airline about his illness in 2009 after interrupting his flight training.

Doctors had recently found no sign he intended to hurt himself or others, although he had been signed off sick a number of times, including on the day of the crash.

Police found torn-up sick notes during a search of his apartment after the disaster.

The first black box suggested people were only aware of what was happening seconds before the plane, which was heading from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, crashed.

However, French and German media claim to have seen a video showing the final moments aboard the airliner, which they said was shot on a mobile phone found in the debris.

The video reportedly shows a chaotic scene with people screaming "my God" in several different languages. 

On Thursday investigators said they had found mobile phones amongst the debris of the jet, although they had not yet produced any clues as to what happened.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Seven Party Leaders Set For Debate Showdown

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 02 April 2015 | 18.25

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."

Mr Cameron is also apparently relaxed about the debate, according to his wife Samantha who spoke as she made a solo appearance on the campaign trail in the Rochester and Strood constituency.

Asked how her husband was feeling, Mrs Cameron said: "He doesn't seem too nervous, but I have to say I'm very glad it's him and not me."

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.

Ms Sturgeon described the debate as "historic" and added: "Tonight's debate will hear a real progressive alternative to Westminster cuts.

"The SNP will be a positive and constructive voice, willing and ready to join forces with others in a progressive alliance to end austerity and to protect vital public services like the NHS."

In a video posted on Twitter by the Green Party, Ms Bennett said she was "really looking forward to the debate".

She added: "Finally, the debate about the debates has finished and we can now start talking about the issues."

Ms Wood, who believes her party could hold the balance of power after the election, wrote a message on her Facebook page this morning which said: "Big day for Plaid Cymru today. A big thanks to all for your kind messages."

:: 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.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

What's At Stake For The Seven Party Leaders?

By Jon Craig, Chief Political Correspondent

Tonight's TV debate is the big one, in terms of the number of party leaders taking part.

Seven leaders, including an initially-reluctant David Cameron, will clash for two hours in a debate chaired by ITV's Julie Etchingham, formerly of Sky News.

After Mr Cameron and Ed Miliband endured bruising interrogations by Jeremy Paxman in the Sky News/Channel 4 showdown, this time it's different: a real debate between the seven.

Still to come is a debate involving the leaders of the five smaller parties and then a Question Time-style event with Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Nick Clegg.

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

But tonight is the only opportunity for the PM, Leader of the Opposition and DPM to challenge each other in debate, and perhaps also to be embarrassed by the leaders of the smaller parties.

So what do the seven stand to gain or lose?

:: David Cameron (Conservative)

Gain: The PM surely can't be as ill-prepared and exposed as he was by Jeremy Paxman's blistering opening questions on food banks and zero-hours contracts.

He is likely to be better-briefed on the sort of questions that could leave him open to the charge that he's out of touch with ordinary voters.

Lose: After notoriously shouting "Calm down, dear!" across the despatch box at Labour's Angela Eagle in PMQs, he needs to be careful how he deals with his three female opponents, particularly the formidable Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP.

Any "Bullingdon Club" or "Flashman" temper would be disastrous on TV.

:: Ed Miliband (Labour)

Gain: He needs to build on his "Hell yes!" toughness that began to emerge towards the end of his Paxman clash.

At the same time, if he can appear more statesmanlike and more measured than the leaders of the smaller parties he may convince the many doubters among voters that he could be PM material after all.

Lose: If he's poor on the economy he'll be in big trouble.

He will be attacked as a spendthrift socialist by Cameron and Clegg, but denounced for backing Tory cuts by Sturgeon and the Greens' Natalie Bennett.

A member of the audience is bound to ask about his brother again. He was wobbly on that, too, first time.

:: Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrats)

Gain: This is his big chance, after being shut out of the Paxman interviews.

He has a chance to claim the credit for coalition successes like raising income tax thresholds.

He can also sound moderate on the economy by attacking Tory cuts and Labour spending.

He will have allies in the debate, too, for his pro-EU stance.

Lose: The same pro-EU stance will leave him vulnerable to attacks from UKIP's Nigel Farage, who roughed him up in last year's Euro-election debates.

He also risks looking like an also-ran by being lumped together with the leaders of the minor parties.

He will be accused of betrayal over his tuition fees U-turn too.

:: Nigel Farage (United Kingdom Independence Party)

Gain: A great opportunity to display his man-of-the-people common touch and kick lumps out of the established parties and portray them as "the Westminster elite".

His humour and flamboyant style should come over well in a TV debate and if he's on form he could make his opponents look wooden and aloof from voters.

Lose: At the same time, his style alienates some voters, who regard him as "the pub bore" who's anti-everything and wants Britain to return to life as it was in the 1950s.

He's vulnerable, too, on accusations against some Kippers of expense-fiddling, racism and homophobia.

Needs to be careful debating against women opponents.

:: Nicola Sturgeon (Scottish National Party)

Gain: Scotland's new First Minister has the potential to be the star of the show and inflict more misery on Labour.

She's more serious and business-like than the flamboyant Alex Salmond.

She will attack the two big parties on austerity and Trident and David Cameron would be foolish to under-estimate her.

Lose: If the SNP has a weakness, it's that it can be guilty of complacency, though that was a fault of Salmond rather than Sturgeon.

Mr Miliband will want to use the debate to fight back against the SNP.

Critics also claim that on the economy, oil prices and the future of sterling the SNP's sums don't add up.

:: Natalie Bennett (Green Party)

Gain: For the Greens, this is the sort of publicity the party could only have dreamed of, Mr Cameron - in his determination to damage Mr Miliband and Labour - insisted on them being invited to the party.

It's a great chance to spell out the Green Party's policies and pinch votes off the Lib Dems as well.

Lose: Ms Bennett will need to be better briefed than when she self-destructed in a radio interview with LBC's Nick Ferrari, blaming a cold.

She will be attacked by her opponents over the Greens' record in local government, particularly in Brighton.

And many viewers may wonder why she's leader and not Caroline Lucas.

:: Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru)

Gain: Just being included is already a gain for Plaid. Both they and the SNP currently have fewer MPs than the Democratic Unionist Party, who weren't invited.

It's great publicity for a party that doesn't get much media attention UK-wide and has had nothing like the success of the SNP in Scotland.

Lose: Short of a Bennett-style disaster, Plaid really has nothing to lose.

They're there at the table with the big boys and girls, sharing a platform with a PM, a DPM and a Leader of the Opposition and a First Minister whose poll ratings and popularity are to die for.

:: 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.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Britons Held On Syria Border To Be Deported

Nine Britons arrested for trying to cross illegally from Turkey into Syria are expected to be deported today.

The Britons - including two women and four children - were held by Turkish officers at a military outpost at Ogulpinar in the south of the country.

Footage released this morning shows the Britons arriving at a police station in the Southern Hatay province.

Two children - a boy and a girl - could be seen inside the military vehicle. The Britons were then escorted inside the police station.

Turkish MP Mehmet Ali Ediboglu said late on Wednesday: "They are being held at a paramilitary outpost. Probably, they will be deported to their country tomorrow (Thursday)."

It was not clear why the nine Britons were trying to cross the border.

Thousands of foreigners have joined the ranks of Islamic State and other radical groups in Syria and Iraq, many of them crossing through Turkey.

UK security services alone estimate 600 Britons have gone to Syria or Iraq to join militant groups.

Turkey has faced criticism for not doing enough to control its southeastern borders.

The country has in turn accused European nations of failing to prevent would-be jihadists from travelling in the first place.

The planned deportation comes as a new UN report says more than 25,000 foreign fighters have travelled to join al Qaeda, IS and other splinter groups.

The fighters, from more than 100 countries, have travelled to areas including Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and the Philippines.

The report said its analysis indicates that the number of foreign terrorist fighters worldwide increased by 71% between mid-2014 and March 2015.

It added that the increased flow of foreign fighters "is higher than it has ever been historically".

Fighters "pose an immediate and long-term threat" and are "an urgent global security problem" that needs to be tackled on many fronts, the UN insisted.

Among Britons who have previously travelled to Syria are thought to be three teenage girls from east London.

Bethnal Green Academy pupils Shamima Begum, Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana are now thought to be in the Syrian city of Raqqa, an IS stronghold.

The girls were last seen on CCTV at a bus station in Istanbul on 17 February.

It is understood they were following another 15-year-old girl who travelled there in December.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Miliband: Epidemic Of Zero-Hours Contracts

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 01 April 2015 | 18.25

By Jason Farrell, Senior Political Correspondent

Workers on zero-hours contracts will be able to demand a regular contract after 12 weeks under proposals announced by Ed Miliband.

The Labour leader promised to outlaw the "exploitative" contracts in a commitment to be included in Labour's election manifesto saying: "We have got to end the epidemic of zero-hours contracts.

Speaking at an event in Huddersfield, Mr Miliband said: "You shouldn't be left at the beck and call of an employer who can ask the world of you but give you no security in return. It's not fair, it's not good for businesses and we will put a stop to it."

The proposal strengthens Labour's previous policy on the contracts, which sought to give workers the right to a regular contract after 12 months.

:: For full coverage of General Election 2015 click here

The announcement comes after Prime Minister David Cameron admitted that he could not live on a zero-hours contract during questioning from Jeremy Paxman on Sky News' Battle For Number 10 programme.

Mr Miliband said zero-hours contracts have become a symbol of a low-wage, low-skill economy.

In reference to Mr Paxman's interview with the Prime Minister, the Labour leader said: "If Cameron can't live on it, nor should you - Labour will give workers a legal right to a regular contract, not a zero-hours contract.

"Today I can announce that in our first year of government after the election, Labour will legislate for a new principle: If you are working regularly, you have a legal right to a regular contract."

Mr Miliband first set out the 12-week proposal in 2013 at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) conference, but later backtracked.

A spokesman for the party leader said the change back to 12 weeks would incorporate 92% of people on the controversial employment terms.

The proposal is expected to include exemptions for employees such as so-called bank nurses, who request a zero-hours contract so they can work at another hospital as well as their usual job.

Mr Miliband was asked by a worker at the Huddersfield factory where he was speaking what was to stop employers only providing work for 11 weeks to dodge the provision. He replied a "legal mechanism" would be put in place to prevent it.

The Coalition Government sought to prohibit exclusivity clauses in zero-hours contracts, but the Labour Party argues this does not go far enough.

But a Conservative spokesperson accused Labour of "presiding over zero-hours contracts" for 13 years.

"Zero-hours contracts account for just one in 50 jobs in our economy," the spokesperson said.

"This Government has already banned the abusive ones - and all the while Labour presided over zero-hours contracts with no safeguards for three terms and 13 years while they were in power.

"Tony Blair even promised to ban them entirely as far as back as 1995 and then did nothing.

"The fact is that three quarters of the new jobs since this Government came to office are full-time - these are families across the country getting into work with the security of a regular pay packet."

:: 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.


18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More

Video Captures Final Moments Of Alps Crash

Video Captures Final Moments Of Alps Crash

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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.

A lead investigator into the crash later called on anyone with footage of the disaster to hand it over to authorities.

Prosecutor Brice Robin said videos were not yet an official part of the probe, but that anyone with footage "must hand it over immediately to investigators".

It comes after Lufthansa revealed the co-pilot accused of deliberately crashing the Germanwings plane told officials at a training school 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.

1/9

  1. 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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Investigators gathered near the scene

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Emergency crews stand aside as relatives pay their respects at the memorial for the victims

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Members of the French Red Cross pay their respects. Continue through for more images

]]>
Video Captures Final Moments Of Alps Crash

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

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.

A lead investigator into the crash later called on anyone with footage of the disaster to hand it over to authorities.

Prosecutor Brice Robin said videos were not yet an official part of the probe, but that anyone with footage "must hand it over immediately to investigators".

It comes after Lufthansa revealed the co-pilot accused of deliberately crashing the Germanwings plane told officials at a training school 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.

1/9

  1. 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

]]>

Investigators gathered near the scene

]]>

Emergency crews stand aside as relatives pay their respects at the memorial for the victims

]]>

Members of the French Red Cross pay their respects. Continue through for more images

]]>

18.25 | 0 komentar | Read More
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