Prince Harry has told Sky News he considered running this year's London Marathon but wanted the focus to be on the runners raising awareness of mental health.
Heads Together, the campaign launched by Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, is the main charity partner for this year's London Marathon.
The three of them will be cheering on the thousands pounding the pavements through the capital as they hope to make this the "mental health marathon".
Asked if any of them had considered taking on the 26.2 mile challenge, Prince Harry said: "Yes I think all three of us were tempted, but it was probably safer and easier for us not to and to try and do our best to lead the campaign and let the focus be on the Heads Together runners which was 200 and is now 700."
This week the three royals have ramped up the awareness campaign, sharing their own personal experiences, in an attempt to break down the stigma around mental illness and encourage people to talk with the hashtag #oktosay.
While many of the 39,000 runners are doing the marathon for other causes and charities they've all been given Heads Together branded headbands to wear.
Paul Scates and his father Norman will be running for Heads Together and the charity Young Minds. When Paul was 16, while experiencing psychosis and paranoia, he attempted to take his own life and broke his back.
Talking about how he will feel taking part in the marathon, Paul said: "For me, the fact that I broke my back when I was 16, and that running has saved my life basically - the exhilaration, with a bit of anxiety, the exhilaration I'm going to feel is massive."
It's anticipated the marathon will raise millions for mental health charities.
Figures seen by Sky News show that many of the eight charity partners for Heads Together, have already seen a huge increase in demand for their services.
Sarah Brennan, chief executive of Young Minds, said it has also boosted their lobbying power as charities push for more government funding.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Manchester United fans electrocuted watching match on TV in Nigeria
Seven Manchester United fans have been killed while watching their team play on television.
The group in Nigeria were electrocuted while viewing Jose Mourinho's side play Anderlecht on Thursday night.
A transformer had exploded, sending a high-powered electricity line onto the building where they were gathered.
Another 11 people were injured in the incident, which happened in the Nigerian coastal city of Calabar, according to Cross River state police spokeswoman Irene Ugbo.
Witnesses have said 80 people were inside the building at the time and so it is feared the number of dead may increase.
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company did not comment but has previously said it is illegal to build structures under high-tension cables.
State governor Ben Ayade said: "It was heart-wrenching that the lives of the young men were lost through electrocution."
Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari sent his condolences to families of the victims.
Manchester United used its official Twitter account to write: "Our thoughts go out to the United fans, their friends and families affected by the tragedy in Calabar, Nigeria."
FIFA tweeted that it was "deeply saddened by the deaths of several football fans in Calabar and offer our deepest condolences to family & friends of the victims".
The group in Nigeria were electrocuted while viewing Jose Mourinho's side play Anderlecht on Thursday night.
A transformer had exploded, sending a high-powered electricity line onto the building where they were gathered.
Another 11 people were injured in the incident, which happened in the Nigerian coastal city of Calabar, according to Cross River state police spokeswoman Irene Ugbo.
Witnesses have said 80 people were inside the building at the time and so it is feared the number of dead may increase.
The Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company did not comment but has previously said it is illegal to build structures under high-tension cables.
State governor Ben Ayade said: "It was heart-wrenching that the lives of the young men were lost through electrocution."
Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari sent his condolences to families of the victims.
Manchester United used its official Twitter account to write: "Our thoughts go out to the United fans, their friends and families affected by the tragedy in Calabar, Nigeria."
FIFA tweeted that it was "deeply saddened by the deaths of several football fans in Calabar and offer our deepest condolences to family & friends of the victims".
Scientists march against threat they face in post-fact age
Scientists have taken to the streets to protest over fears that long-standing principles underpinning centuries of progress could be at risk.
Several celebrities joined the March for Science in London as it passed a series of the capital's most celebrated research institutions.
It follows the mushrooming of fake news stories and others that purport to be based on fact but are proved otherwise by the scientific community.
It also comes after the Trump administration faced accusations of attacking efforts to restrict climate change and the science on which it is based by slashing the US's Environmental Protection Agency budget.
The march in London was one of hundreds of similar events taking place around the globe, from Australia to the US, in a mass celebration of scientific endeavour.
Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi and comedian Robin Ince were among those seen mingling with physicists, astronomers and biologists.
Concerns that the comments of politicians could threaten to override academic research flared up last summer after former Cabinet minister Michael Gove claimed the public "have had enough of experts".
Organisers of the march said it was crucial to highlight "the vital role that science plays in each of our lives and the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world".
In the capital, supporters gathered outside the Science Museum before marching to Parliament Square past the headquarters of organisations like the Royal Society - the oldest society for the promotion of science still in existence.
There are also concerns that Brexit will result in an exodus of talent and funding from UK research establishments.
The Commons Science and Technology Committee this month said it was important to ensure scientists and experts can still work in the UK following Brexit.
In March, Nobel Prize winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse said: "I don't think there's anything in Brexit that helps universities, either in teaching or research, but we are where we are...we have to make the best of it."
Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester and Norwich were also due to host marches at the same time.
Several celebrities joined the March for Science in London as it passed a series of the capital's most celebrated research institutions.
It follows the mushrooming of fake news stories and others that purport to be based on fact but are proved otherwise by the scientific community.
It also comes after the Trump administration faced accusations of attacking efforts to restrict climate change and the science on which it is based by slashing the US's Environmental Protection Agency budget.
The march in London was one of hundreds of similar events taking place around the globe, from Australia to the US, in a mass celebration of scientific endeavour.
Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi and comedian Robin Ince were among those seen mingling with physicists, astronomers and biologists.
Concerns that the comments of politicians could threaten to override academic research flared up last summer after former Cabinet minister Michael Gove claimed the public "have had enough of experts".
Organisers of the march said it was crucial to highlight "the vital role that science plays in each of our lives and the need to respect and encourage research that gives us insight into the world".
In the capital, supporters gathered outside the Science Museum before marching to Parliament Square past the headquarters of organisations like the Royal Society - the oldest society for the promotion of science still in existence.
There are also concerns that Brexit will result in an exodus of talent and funding from UK research establishments.
The Commons Science and Technology Committee this month said it was important to ensure scientists and experts can still work in the UK following Brexit.
In March, Nobel Prize winning scientist Sir Paul Nurse said: "I don't think there's anything in Brexit that helps universities, either in teaching or research, but we are where we are...we have to make the best of it."
Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester and Norwich were also due to host marches at the same time.
Theresa May won't rule out tax rises after election
Theresa May has refused to confirm whether the Conservatives would increase taxes after the General Election.
It follows suggestions her party will abandon a manifesto pledge, made in 2015, not to increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT.
Taking questions from journalists after a campaign speech in Dudley, Mrs May urged voters to look at the Tories' record on taxation over the past seven years in government.
The Prime Minister told Sky's Frazer Maude that the Conservatives "always has been, is, and will continue to be" a party that believes in lower taxes for working people.
Mrs May said four million people no longer paid income tax at all through the Government's policies, while 31 million had seen their tax bills reduce.
She was also asked whether the Tory manifesto would include guarantees to preserve the "triple lock" on state pensions that ensures an increase of at least 2.5% every year.
Mrs May again refused to make such a guarantee, but claimed pensioners had become £1,250 better off under the Conservatives, while Labour governments of the past had offered much smaller yearly increases to pensions - with a rise of just 75p one year.
Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to keep the triple lock if a Labour government is elected.
When asked by Sky's Gerard Tubb whether he would promise not to raise VAT or income tax, the Labour leader said: "The Tories are handing £70bn back in tax to big business and corporations.
"We won't do that. We will instead reverse those tax cuts for the corporations and big business in order to fund the social changes we want to bring in this country.
"Our tax burdens will not fall on those with low incomes. They will fall on those with the broadest shoulders who can bear the greatest burden."
The speculation about the Conservatives' tax policies came after Chancellor Philip Hammond said the vows made in the party's last manifesto had "constrained" the Government's ability to manage the economy effectively.
Party officials have insisted they are still deciding whether the pledge not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT will return in their 2017 manifesto.
It follows suggestions her party will abandon a manifesto pledge, made in 2015, not to increase income tax, National Insurance or VAT.
Taking questions from journalists after a campaign speech in Dudley, Mrs May urged voters to look at the Tories' record on taxation over the past seven years in government.
The Prime Minister told Sky's Frazer Maude that the Conservatives "always has been, is, and will continue to be" a party that believes in lower taxes for working people.
Mrs May said four million people no longer paid income tax at all through the Government's policies, while 31 million had seen their tax bills reduce.
She was also asked whether the Tory manifesto would include guarantees to preserve the "triple lock" on state pensions that ensures an increase of at least 2.5% every year.
Mrs May again refused to make such a guarantee, but claimed pensioners had become £1,250 better off under the Conservatives, while Labour governments of the past had offered much smaller yearly increases to pensions - with a rise of just 75p one year.
Jeremy Corbyn has pledged to keep the triple lock if a Labour government is elected.
When asked by Sky's Gerard Tubb whether he would promise not to raise VAT or income tax, the Labour leader said: "The Tories are handing £70bn back in tax to big business and corporations.
"We won't do that. We will instead reverse those tax cuts for the corporations and big business in order to fund the social changes we want to bring in this country.
"Our tax burdens will not fall on those with low incomes. They will fall on those with the broadest shoulders who can bear the greatest burden."
The speculation about the Conservatives' tax policies came after Chancellor Philip Hammond said the vows made in the party's last manifesto had "constrained" the Government's ability to manage the economy effectively.
Party officials have insisted they are still deciding whether the pledge not to raise income tax, National Insurance or VAT will return in their 2017 manifesto.
Police hurt in clashes outside far-right AfD convention in Cologne
Two police officers have been injured in protests outside the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) party convention in Cologne.
Protests against the populist right-wing party were expected to attract at least 50,000 demonstrators - including 1,000 hard-left activists - who oppose the party's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Over 4,000 police officers were drafted in to keep the peace at the event, some wearing riot gear, and armoured trucks were also deployed.
Police cars were set ablaze during the protest and a police spokesman described as "very dynamic" and "fairly aggressive" in some areas.
Germany's n-tv showed a group of around 50 people clashing with police on horses and reported that police used pepper spray against some of the demonstrators.
Around 600 AFD delegates were meeting at a convention in Cologne's old town to discuss policy for September's national elections.
Protests against the populist right-wing party were expected to attract at least 50,000 demonstrators - including 1,000 hard-left activists - who oppose the party's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Over 4,000 police officers were drafted in to keep the peace at the event, some wearing riot gear, and armoured trucks were also deployed.
Police cars were set ablaze during the protest and a police spokesman described as "very dynamic" and "fairly aggressive" in some areas.
Germany's n-tv showed a group of around 50 people clashing with police on horses and reported that police used pepper spray against some of the demonstrators.
Around 600 AFD delegates were meeting at a convention in Cologne's old town to discuss policy for September's national elections.
Friday, April 21, 2017
Corbyn: Speculation about my future as Labour leader is 'absurd'
Jeremy Corbyn has said speculation about his future as Labour leader is "absurd" so early in the General Election campaign.
Mr Corbyn made the remark after being asked whether he would step down if Labour lost on 8 June.
It follows a YouGov opinion poll which suggested 24% of Britons intended to vote for his party, compared with 48% for the Conservatives.
Mr Corbyn told Sky's Rebecca Williams in Bristol: "Listen - we've just started the election campaign. We're 72 hours into it and I'm loving every moment of it.
"We're gaining support and we're gaining a huge amount of ground. Watch this space.
"We're putting a message out there: this country does not have to be so divided, there does not have to be such appalling levels of poverty and unachieved ambition because of people growing up in poverty. The Labour Party is totally united in putting that message out."
Mr Corbyn used the second day of his election campaign to claim the Conservatives' education policy had left children crammed "like sardines" into "super-sized school classes".
The Labour leader cited Government figures which show that more than 40,000 primary school children in England were taught in classes of 36 or more last year - up from 38,500 in 2015.
During a stump speech at a community centre in Swindon, he told supporters: "We will fund our schools properly. We won't put the priority into grammar schools and selectivity - we will put the priority into all children in all of our schools.
"Class sizes are rising all over the country. It's pretty obvious to me that if you're in a class of 36, you're not going to get a great deal of attention from the teacher compared to if you're in a smaller class of 30 or under."
The Tories replied by saying Mr Corbyn had made a "massive own goal" because class sizes have also been rising in Wales, where Labour is in government.
Labour is also planning to add VAT on private school tuition fees in order to fund free school meals for all primary school children in England.
Sky's Adam Boulton asked shadow schools minister Mike Kane whether such a move would put further pressure on the state school system and worsen class sizes, given the tax hike could price some families out of private education altogether.
After being pushed for a straight answer, Mr Kane insisted that a "fully-costed manifesto" would be brought forward by the Opposition in due course.
Other pledges made by Mr Corbyn on the campaign trail include ending zero-hours contracts, introducing a living wage of £10 an hour, and bringing in legislation to protect and encourage small business.
He also said a Labour government would guarantee the "triple lock" on the state pension, which ensures that they rise by at least 2.5% each year.
Last year, a report by the Commons Work and Pensions Committee warned that the safeguard should be scrapped because it is "inherently unsustainable" and will worsen an economy which is already heavily "skewed" towards baby boomers and against millennials.
Mr Corbyn made the remark after being asked whether he would step down if Labour lost on 8 June.
It follows a YouGov opinion poll which suggested 24% of Britons intended to vote for his party, compared with 48% for the Conservatives.
Mr Corbyn told Sky's Rebecca Williams in Bristol: "Listen - we've just started the election campaign. We're 72 hours into it and I'm loving every moment of it.
"We're gaining support and we're gaining a huge amount of ground. Watch this space.
"We're putting a message out there: this country does not have to be so divided, there does not have to be such appalling levels of poverty and unachieved ambition because of people growing up in poverty. The Labour Party is totally united in putting that message out."
Mr Corbyn used the second day of his election campaign to claim the Conservatives' education policy had left children crammed "like sardines" into "super-sized school classes".
The Labour leader cited Government figures which show that more than 40,000 primary school children in England were taught in classes of 36 or more last year - up from 38,500 in 2015.
During a stump speech at a community centre in Swindon, he told supporters: "We will fund our schools properly. We won't put the priority into grammar schools and selectivity - we will put the priority into all children in all of our schools.
"Class sizes are rising all over the country. It's pretty obvious to me that if you're in a class of 36, you're not going to get a great deal of attention from the teacher compared to if you're in a smaller class of 30 or under."
The Tories replied by saying Mr Corbyn had made a "massive own goal" because class sizes have also been rising in Wales, where Labour is in government.
Labour is also planning to add VAT on private school tuition fees in order to fund free school meals for all primary school children in England.
Sky's Adam Boulton asked shadow schools minister Mike Kane whether such a move would put further pressure on the state school system and worsen class sizes, given the tax hike could price some families out of private education altogether.
After being pushed for a straight answer, Mr Kane insisted that a "fully-costed manifesto" would be brought forward by the Opposition in due course.
Other pledges made by Mr Corbyn on the campaign trail include ending zero-hours contracts, introducing a living wage of £10 an hour, and bringing in legislation to protect and encourage small business.
He also said a Labour government would guarantee the "triple lock" on the state pension, which ensures that they rise by at least 2.5% each year.
Last year, a report by the Commons Work and Pensions Committee warned that the safeguard should be scrapped because it is "inherently unsustainable" and will worsen an economy which is already heavily "skewed" towards baby boomers and against millennials.
Dozens killed in Taliban attack on Afghanistan military base
Dozens of people have been killed in a Taliban attack on a military base in north Afghanistan, said a US military spokesman.
"We're talking probably more than 50 casualties" said US spokesman Colonel John Thomas, describing it as a "significant" strike.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack on Camp Shaheen near Mazar-i-Sharif in the Balkh province.
"Our fighters have inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghan army stationed there," said a spokesman for the group.
The attack occurred near a mosque and dining facility on the base as soldiers were leaving Friday prayers.
The Afghan army said six attackers in two military vehicles told guards at the base they were carrying wounded soldiers and urgently needed to get in.
They then killed several soldiers at the base using rocket-propelled grenades and gun before the Afghan military responded, killing or arresting all six of the attackers.
Afghan civilians were also probably working at the base.
The base is the headquarters for the Afghan army's 209th Corps and a number of foreign soldiers are also based there as part of a NATO-led mission to train Afghan security forces.
The US and German military have both said no international troops were involved in the attack but it is unclear how close soldiers were to the fighting.
The Afghanistan government is locked in an ongoing battle with Taliban insurgents and other militant groups within the country.
The NATO command in Kabul called the attack "murderous and reprehensible".
"We're talking probably more than 50 casualties" said US spokesman Colonel John Thomas, describing it as a "significant" strike.
The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack on Camp Shaheen near Mazar-i-Sharif in the Balkh province.
"Our fighters have inflicted heavy casualties on the Afghan army stationed there," said a spokesman for the group.
The attack occurred near a mosque and dining facility on the base as soldiers were leaving Friday prayers.
The Afghan army said six attackers in two military vehicles told guards at the base they were carrying wounded soldiers and urgently needed to get in.
They then killed several soldiers at the base using rocket-propelled grenades and gun before the Afghan military responded, killing or arresting all six of the attackers.
Afghan civilians were also probably working at the base.
The base is the headquarters for the Afghan army's 209th Corps and a number of foreign soldiers are also based there as part of a NATO-led mission to train Afghan security forces.
The US and German military have both said no international troops were involved in the attack but it is unclear how close soldiers were to the fighting.
The Afghanistan government is locked in an ongoing battle with Taliban insurgents and other militant groups within the country.
The NATO command in Kabul called the attack "murderous and reprehensible".
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