Donald Trump has fired FBI boss James Comey, with a White House statement saying he had been "terminated and removed from office".
He was dismissed on the recommendation of US attorney general Jeff Sessions and the deputy attorney general, the statement added.
Sky News US Correspondent Greg Milam said the news had "taken all of Washington by surprise". Indeed, Mr Comey reportedly thought it was a prank.
In a letter to Mr Comey, the president told him he was "not able to effectively lead" the FBI.
"While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgement of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the Bureau.
"It is essential that we find new leadership for the FBI that restores public trust and confidence in its vital law enforcement mission," Mr Trump wrote.
The decision to sack Mr Comey will raise questions about Mr Trump's motives, in light of the fact that Mr Comey had been leading the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign's Russia links.
Milam added that some members of the committees investigating the Russian links "believe this is an abuse of power and that's why the controversy about this isn't going to go away, even though James Comey has left office".
The search for Mr Comey's successor will start immediately.
Mr Comey, 56, was nominated by Mr Trump's predecessor Barack Obama in 2013 for a 10-year term, having served three decades in law enforcement.
The father of five was known for his tenacity, his towering height (he is 6'8 tall) and being a highly skilled political operator.
Many were surprised by Mr Trump's decision to keep Mr Comey and some saw it as a reward for his role in damaging the presidential campaign of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by reopening an investigation into her email practices as secretary of state.
But in March, Mr Comey took aim at Mr Trump during a hearing on Russia's alleged meddling in the election.
He confirmed the FBI was investigating the allegations and Russia's possible connections with Mr Trump's campaign.
He also denied Mr Trump's claim that he had been wiretapped by Mr Obama.
Democratic Senator Ron Wyden described the decision as "outrageous", fellow Democrat Mark Warner said it was "shocking and deeply troubling", while other Democrats called for an independent prosecutor to continue the investigation into Russian links with the presidential campaign.
Milam said the timing was "making a lot of people here, Democrats mainly, very uneasy", adding that some were describing the situation as "a constitutional crisis".
He added: "Here you have the head of an organisation that is investigating the White House and the White House taking the decision to remove the head of that organisation."
It emerged that Mr Trump had called at least two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee before the White House announced the firing of Mr Comey - Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein.
Mr Graham is heading the panel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and Ms Feinstein is the committee's top Democrat.
Mr Graham said that "given the recent controversies surrounding the director, I believe a fresh start will serve the FBI and the nation well", while Ms Feinstein said Mr Trump told her the FBI needed a change, and that the next director "must be strong and independent."
Reuters reported, however, that US intelligence agencies were not told of Mr Trump's move in advance.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Trump to send arms to Kurdish YPG in Syria
The United States on Tuesday announced it would supply weapons and military equipment to Kurdish fighters battling ISIL in Syria, despite intense opposition from NATO ally Turkey.
Dana W. White, the Pentagon's chief spokeswoman, said in a written statement that US President Donald Trump had authorised the arms shipments on Monday.
She said Trump's approval gave the Pentagon the go-ahead to "equip Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces [SDF] as necessary to ensure a clear victory" over ISIL in Raqqa, the armed group's self-declared capital in Syria.
Turkey threatens further strikes on US-allied Syrian Kurds
The Kurdish elements of the SDF are from the Kurdish Peoples' Protection Units (YPG) and they have been the main faction fighting ISIL, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and is also known as ISIS, on the ground in Syria.
The Pentagon statement said they are "the only force on the ground that can successfully seize Raqqa in the near future".
But Turkey says YPG fighters are linked to Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) separatists inside Turkey, who have waged an armed campaign since 1984 that has killed over 40,000 people.
There was no immediate reaction from Turkish officials, but the move is expected to anger Ankara which considers the Kurdish forces to be "terrorists".
"The Turks are going to be unhappy with this because, in no way, they want to see any kind of bolstering of strength of Kurdish forces in that area," Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford, reporting from Gaziantep on the Turkish side of the Syria-Turkey border, said.
"The SDF now are saying that after Raqqa they want to push further south to take Deir Az Zor ... [and the] Trump administration's reaffirmed support is no doubt going to upset the Turks very much."
READ MORE: Kurdish YPG fighters dominate Turkey-US talks
The Pentagon's announcement comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Trump in Washington next week.
Speaking to Al Jazeera last month, Erdogan criticised Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, over an agreement between the two to fight what he described as "terrorist groups" operating in Turkey.
"With President Obama, we had a mutual agreement about the PKK - but Obama deceived us. I don't believe the Trump administration will do the same," Erdogan said.
"The YPG is an arm of the PKK. We must put an end to this," he added.
"We can't destroy one terrorist group with another one. We are strategic partners with the US."
While the Pentagon's statement did not mention the kinds of arms to be provided to the Kurds, other officials had indicated in recent days that 120mm mortars, machines guns, ammunition and light armored vehicles were possibilities. They said the US would not provide artillery or surface-to-air missiles.
As many as 1,000 US troops are working alongside the SDF inside Syria.
Senior US officials including General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have met repeatedly with Turkish officials to try to work out an arrangement for the Raqqa assault that would be acceptable to Ankara.
Ankara has insisted that the Syrian Kurds be excluded from that operation, but US officials said there was no real alternative.
In her statement, White, of the Pentagon, said the US prioritises its support for the Arab elements of the SDF.
"We are keenly aware of the security concerns of our coalition partner Turkey," she said.
"We want to reassure the people and government of Turkey that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally."
Other officials said Trump's authorisation includes safeguards intended to reassure Ankara that the additional US weaponry and equipment will not be used by the Kurds in Turkey.
OPINION: The US must heed Turkish concerns in Syria
The intent is to restrict the distribution and use of the weaponry by permitting its use for specific battlefield missions and then requiring the Kurds to return it to US control.
The decision to arm the Kurds was announced just hours after US Defence Minister James Mattis met with a Turkish official in Denmark at an anti-ISIL coalition summit.
Mattis sounded upbeat on the relationship with Turkey, but it was not clear if the arming of the Kurds had come up in the discussion.
Is Washington undermining its alliance with Ankara?
The Pentagon chief said he had useful discussions with Turkey and described the two countries as working out differences over the US' alliance with Syrian Kurds.
"That's not to say we all walk into the room with exactly the same appreciation of the problem or the path forward," Mattis told reporters after meeting with officials from more than a dozen nations also fighting ISIL.
"We're going to sort it out," Mattis said. "We'll figure out how we're going to do it."
Tensions escalated last month when Turkey launched air raids on Kurdish bases in Syria and Iraq. The Turkish military said it killed at least 90 fighters and wounded scores.
The Kurdish group in Syria said 20 of its fighters and media activists were killed in the strike, which was followed by cross-border clashes.
The instability has concerned Washington, which fears it will slow the effort to retake Raqqa.
"We've been conducting military and diplomatic dialogue with the Turks and it was a very, very useful discussion today," Mattis told reporters.
Eurovision: Could the UK's Lucie Jones be in with a chance?
It's that bizarre time of the year again, when Europe eccentrically sings and dances while the rest of the world stares in awe.
It's Eurovision, and contestants are gearing up for the first round of the semi-finals.
But with one foot out of Europe, will the UK be affected by Brexit's bad blood?
For Lucie Jones, the 26-year-old hopeful representing the UK in the contest, the thought hasn't crossed her mind.
"I am really not thinking about Brexit," she said.
"There is this political vote every year that people talk about and yes, this year is slightly different with the sort of political climate going on, but it is something that I am not concentrating on.
"It's out of my hands so there is no point in worrying or thinking about it, I am just letting it pass me by."
The former X Factor contestant will perform the song Never Give Up On You in Tuesday's first round, hoping to claim victory for the UK for the first time in 20 years.
With accusations of tactical voting every year, this year's competition - the first since the EU referendum in June 2016 and the triggering of Article 50 in March - could mean we are facing a bigger challenge than ever before.
But according to analysts, our chances this year are unlikely to be affected by Brexit.
Two of the five UK winners in the contest's 61-year history took the crown before we joined the EU.
And in recent years, being a member has hardly done the UK any favours, with Spain continuously awarding 'nul points' and France giving its nod of approval just three times since 1999.
But while Brexit may not have an impact, that is not to say politics won't come into it.
This year, Russia pulled out of the contest after Ukraine authorities banned its entrant, Julia Samoylova, because she had previously toured in Crimea after its annexation.
So what's the secret to Eurovision success?
"You need that dream team, the support from the public and, obviously, a good song," Jones said.
"It's a different feel outside the UK this year, and also within the UK about Eurovision in general - but haters are going to hate and it's not for everyone.
"There is a really great team of people working for the UK in Eurovision now and the British public are behind us this year, which feels great."
It's Eurovision, and contestants are gearing up for the first round of the semi-finals.
But with one foot out of Europe, will the UK be affected by Brexit's bad blood?
For Lucie Jones, the 26-year-old hopeful representing the UK in the contest, the thought hasn't crossed her mind.
"I am really not thinking about Brexit," she said.
"There is this political vote every year that people talk about and yes, this year is slightly different with the sort of political climate going on, but it is something that I am not concentrating on.
"It's out of my hands so there is no point in worrying or thinking about it, I am just letting it pass me by."
The former X Factor contestant will perform the song Never Give Up On You in Tuesday's first round, hoping to claim victory for the UK for the first time in 20 years.
With accusations of tactical voting every year, this year's competition - the first since the EU referendum in June 2016 and the triggering of Article 50 in March - could mean we are facing a bigger challenge than ever before.
But according to analysts, our chances this year are unlikely to be affected by Brexit.
Two of the five UK winners in the contest's 61-year history took the crown before we joined the EU.
And in recent years, being a member has hardly done the UK any favours, with Spain continuously awarding 'nul points' and France giving its nod of approval just three times since 1999.
But while Brexit may not have an impact, that is not to say politics won't come into it.
This year, Russia pulled out of the contest after Ukraine authorities banned its entrant, Julia Samoylova, because she had previously toured in Crimea after its annexation.
So what's the secret to Eurovision success?
"You need that dream team, the support from the public and, obviously, a good song," Jones said.
"It's a different feel outside the UK this year, and also within the UK about Eurovision in general - but haters are going to hate and it's not for everyone.
"There is a really great team of people working for the UK in Eurovision now and the British public are behind us this year, which feels great."
Some abducted Chibok schoolgirls refuse to be 'freed', says negotiator
ABUJA, May 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Some of the Chibok schoolgirls abducted three years ago by Islamist Boko Haram militants refused to be part of a group of 82 girls freed at the weekend, a mediator involved in the release said on Monday.
The militants on Saturday released 82 schoolgirls out of the more than 200 they kidnapped in April 2014 from northeast Nigeria in exchange for prisoners.
Yet mediator and lawyer Zannah Mustapha said some of the abducted girls had refused to go home, fuelling fears that they have been radicalised by the jihadists, and may feel afraid, ashamed or even too powerful to return to their old lives.
"Some girls refused to return ... I have never talked to one of the girls about their reasons," said 57-year-old Mustapha, who acted as an intermediary in the latest negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram.
"As a mediator, it is not part of my mandate to force them (to return home)," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the capital Abuja.
The return of the 82 girls on Saturday marked the second group release of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram - with both deals brokered by Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross - after 21 young women were released in October.
A few others have escaped or been rescued, and 113 of the girls are believed to be still held in captivity by Boko Haram.
The latest release may give a boost to President Muhammadu Buhari, who made crushing the militants' insurgency a pillar of his election campaign in 2015, and said in April that the state was in talks to secure the release of the remaining captives.
Yet many women and girls abducted by Boko Haram identify with their captors, may not want to give up their new lives with their militant husbands, or feel forced to stay due to fear or shame, according to Nigerian psychologist Fatima Akilu.
"They develop Stockholm syndrome, identify with captors and want to remain," said Akilu, who has run deradicalisation programmes for Boko Haram militants and women abducted by them.
"Some are afraid of what to expect, the unknown. We don't know how much influence their husbands have in coercing them not to go back," added Akilu, head of the Neem Foundation, a non-profit group aimed at countering extremism in Nigeria.
NEGOTIATING FOR PEACE
Future talks between Nigeria and Boko Haram militants will extend beyond the release of the remaining Chibok girls in captivity and focus on negotiating peace in the conflict-hit northeast, according to Mustapha.
His role as a mediator dates back to 2007, when he founded the Future Prowess primary school in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state. When conflict broke out in 2009, the school remained open and even enrolled those children born to Boko Haram fighters.
The Islamists have killed 15,000 people and displaced more than two million during a seven-year insurgency aimed at carving out an Islamic caliphate in mainly Muslim northeastern Nigeria.
"We are not just talking ... we are still actively working towards peace," Mustapha said.
"Even though we have got (some of) the girls back, I don't feel we have made much progress. After the (release of) the 21 girls, how many hundreds have been killed by suicide bombings?"
Although the army has retaken much of the territory initially lost to Boko Haram, large parts of the northeast, particularly in Borno, remain under threat from the militants, who have ramped up bombings and attacks in recent months.
The release of the 82 Chibok girls could be a sign that the militants are weakening further, raising hopes that the remaining captives will be freed one day, said security analyst Ryan Cummings, head of risk management consultancy Signal Risk.
"While Boko Haram may indeed hold out in releasing all of the hostages to maintain some form of leverage, the reality is that the girls have limited value to the sect outside of public relations capital and are likely placing a strain on resources."
(Reporting By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Additional Reporting and Writing By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith and Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
The militants on Saturday released 82 schoolgirls out of the more than 200 they kidnapped in April 2014 from northeast Nigeria in exchange for prisoners.
Yet mediator and lawyer Zannah Mustapha said some of the abducted girls had refused to go home, fuelling fears that they have been radicalised by the jihadists, and may feel afraid, ashamed or even too powerful to return to their old lives.
"Some girls refused to return ... I have never talked to one of the girls about their reasons," said 57-year-old Mustapha, who acted as an intermediary in the latest negotiations between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram.
"As a mediator, it is not part of my mandate to force them (to return home)," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in the capital Abuja.
The return of the 82 girls on Saturday marked the second group release of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram - with both deals brokered by Switzerland and the International Committee of the Red Cross - after 21 young women were released in October.
A few others have escaped or been rescued, and 113 of the girls are believed to be still held in captivity by Boko Haram.
The latest release may give a boost to President Muhammadu Buhari, who made crushing the militants' insurgency a pillar of his election campaign in 2015, and said in April that the state was in talks to secure the release of the remaining captives.
Yet many women and girls abducted by Boko Haram identify with their captors, may not want to give up their new lives with their militant husbands, or feel forced to stay due to fear or shame, according to Nigerian psychologist Fatima Akilu.
"They develop Stockholm syndrome, identify with captors and want to remain," said Akilu, who has run deradicalisation programmes for Boko Haram militants and women abducted by them.
"Some are afraid of what to expect, the unknown. We don't know how much influence their husbands have in coercing them not to go back," added Akilu, head of the Neem Foundation, a non-profit group aimed at countering extremism in Nigeria.
NEGOTIATING FOR PEACE
Future talks between Nigeria and Boko Haram militants will extend beyond the release of the remaining Chibok girls in captivity and focus on negotiating peace in the conflict-hit northeast, according to Mustapha.
His role as a mediator dates back to 2007, when he founded the Future Prowess primary school in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state. When conflict broke out in 2009, the school remained open and even enrolled those children born to Boko Haram fighters.
The Islamists have killed 15,000 people and displaced more than two million during a seven-year insurgency aimed at carving out an Islamic caliphate in mainly Muslim northeastern Nigeria.
"We are not just talking ... we are still actively working towards peace," Mustapha said.
"Even though we have got (some of) the girls back, I don't feel we have made much progress. After the (release of) the 21 girls, how many hundreds have been killed by suicide bombings?"
Although the army has retaken much of the territory initially lost to Boko Haram, large parts of the northeast, particularly in Borno, remain under threat from the militants, who have ramped up bombings and attacks in recent months.
The release of the 82 Chibok girls could be a sign that the militants are weakening further, raising hopes that the remaining captives will be freed one day, said security analyst Ryan Cummings, head of risk management consultancy Signal Risk.
"While Boko Haram may indeed hold out in releasing all of the hostages to maintain some form of leverage, the reality is that the girls have limited value to the sect outside of public relations capital and are likely placing a strain on resources."
(Reporting By Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani, Additional Reporting and Writing By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Belinda Goldsmith and Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
North Korea 'not afraid' as it plans new nuclear test, says ambassador in UK
North Korea's ambassador to the UK has told Sky News his country will go ahead with its sixth nuclear test at the time and place of its leader's choosing.
In his first interview in the role, ambassador Choe Il said his country would continue its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes in spite of intentional warnings against them, and dismissed UN sanctions as having no legal grounds, and no effect.
"In regards to the sixth nuclear test, I do not know the scheduled time for it, as I am here in the UK, not in my home country," Mr Choe said.
"However, I can say that the nuclear test will be conducted at the place and time as decided by our supreme leader, Kim Jong-Un."
Sky News asked the ambassador whether he was concerned about the prospect of US military action, which President Donald Trump's administration has said is one of the options now being considered.
"If we were afraid of it, we probably would not have started conducting nuclear tests or launching ballistic missiles," the ambassador said.
He added: "We are developing our nuclear strength to respond to that kind of attack by the US.
"If the US attack us, our military and people are fully ready to respond to any kind of attack."
He said a pre-emptive strike on his country would not be possible because they would turn US assets in the region "to ashes" at the first sign of movement towards an attack.
"The US cannot attack us first," the ambassador said, adding: "If the US moves an inch, then we are ready to turn to ashes any available strategic assets of the US."
Mr Trump has sent what he calls a "powerful armada" led by the USS Carl Vinson to the waters off the Korean Peninsula, where it has been carrying out exercises with South Korea's navy.
The United States is thought to be readying new sanctions in the event of another nuclear test.
But the ambassador said his country had been living under sanctions for the last six decades, and more sanctions would make no difference to their nuclear ambitions.
He denied his government's pursuit of nuclear weapons was making the lives of his people harder.
"I do not think our nuclear development has made our people's lives difficult. Our nuclear power is a result of the US hostile policy against us," the ambassador said.
"Our nuclear power is our sovereign right. It is the only way to protect the peace of the Korean Peninsula and the region."
He claimed UN Security Council sanctions were evidence of a double standard and had no basis in international law.
"The UN Security Council has been sanctioning against us whenever we launch missiles or satellites and carry out nuclear tests," he said.
"As the sanctions do not have any legal grounds, we do not care about them, nor accept them."
Sky News asked the ambassador whether his country would be prepared to stop anywhere short of a deliverable nuclear warhead - whether a formal peace treaty or the protection of China's nuclear deterrent would convince them to suspend their programme and return to negotiations.
"The only way to protect our country is that we strengthen our power enough to suppress any enemy countries," Mr Choe said.
"This is the only way to protect our peace and security. This is a lesson we felt in our bones."
He said his country had learned the lesson of US military interventions elsewhere.
"As you have read on newspapers, the US has been attacking only the weak countries, including Afghanistan and Libya," he said.
"They cannot actually attack the strong countries, although they talk about it.
"We have to have nuclear power. We have shown our strong military power and nuclear power this April. Because of our strong military power, the US could not attack us first."
This was a rare and frank interview, and the bottom line is clear - North Korea intends to continue pursuing nuclear weapons - regardless of the consequences.
In his first interview in the role, ambassador Choe Il said his country would continue its ballistic missile and nuclear programmes in spite of intentional warnings against them, and dismissed UN sanctions as having no legal grounds, and no effect.
"In regards to the sixth nuclear test, I do not know the scheduled time for it, as I am here in the UK, not in my home country," Mr Choe said.
"However, I can say that the nuclear test will be conducted at the place and time as decided by our supreme leader, Kim Jong-Un."
Sky News asked the ambassador whether he was concerned about the prospect of US military action, which President Donald Trump's administration has said is one of the options now being considered.
"If we were afraid of it, we probably would not have started conducting nuclear tests or launching ballistic missiles," the ambassador said.
He added: "We are developing our nuclear strength to respond to that kind of attack by the US.
"If the US attack us, our military and people are fully ready to respond to any kind of attack."
He said a pre-emptive strike on his country would not be possible because they would turn US assets in the region "to ashes" at the first sign of movement towards an attack.
"The US cannot attack us first," the ambassador said, adding: "If the US moves an inch, then we are ready to turn to ashes any available strategic assets of the US."
Mr Trump has sent what he calls a "powerful armada" led by the USS Carl Vinson to the waters off the Korean Peninsula, where it has been carrying out exercises with South Korea's navy.
The United States is thought to be readying new sanctions in the event of another nuclear test.
But the ambassador said his country had been living under sanctions for the last six decades, and more sanctions would make no difference to their nuclear ambitions.
He denied his government's pursuit of nuclear weapons was making the lives of his people harder.
"I do not think our nuclear development has made our people's lives difficult. Our nuclear power is a result of the US hostile policy against us," the ambassador said.
"Our nuclear power is our sovereign right. It is the only way to protect the peace of the Korean Peninsula and the region."
He claimed UN Security Council sanctions were evidence of a double standard and had no basis in international law.
"The UN Security Council has been sanctioning against us whenever we launch missiles or satellites and carry out nuclear tests," he said.
"As the sanctions do not have any legal grounds, we do not care about them, nor accept them."
Sky News asked the ambassador whether his country would be prepared to stop anywhere short of a deliverable nuclear warhead - whether a formal peace treaty or the protection of China's nuclear deterrent would convince them to suspend their programme and return to negotiations.
"The only way to protect our country is that we strengthen our power enough to suppress any enemy countries," Mr Choe said.
"This is the only way to protect our peace and security. This is a lesson we felt in our bones."
He said his country had learned the lesson of US military interventions elsewhere.
"As you have read on newspapers, the US has been attacking only the weak countries, including Afghanistan and Libya," he said.
"They cannot actually attack the strong countries, although they talk about it.
"We have to have nuclear power. We have shown our strong military power and nuclear power this April. Because of our strong military power, the US could not attack us first."
This was a rare and frank interview, and the bottom line is clear - North Korea intends to continue pursuing nuclear weapons - regardless of the consequences.
May vows to cap energy bill increases if Tories win election
Theresa May says she is "fed up with rip-off energy prices" and will cap bill increases if the Conservatives win the next election.
Writing in The Sun newspaper, the Prime Minister confirms plans unveiled last month to protect gas and electricity customers on standard variable tariffs from "sudden and unjustified" increases.
"It is clear to me that the energy market is not working for ordinary working families. Too many people simply aren't getting a fair deal," she says.
"So I am making this promise: if I am re-elected on June 8, I will take action to end this injustice by introducing a cap on unfair energy price rises".
Mrs May quotes a government backed report last year which found "households are already paying £1.4bn a year more than they need to".
But political rivals have accused the Conservatives of hypocrisy.
:: British Gas owner in election plea on bills
In 2015 Labour made capping utility bills a central policy in its manifesto which David Cameron cited as proof the leader wanted to live in a "Marxist universe".
The Liberal Democrats' Ed Davey said: "It is never a good idea to copy the economic strategy of Ed Miliband.
Writing in The Sun newspaper, the Prime Minister confirms plans unveiled last month to protect gas and electricity customers on standard variable tariffs from "sudden and unjustified" increases.
"It is clear to me that the energy market is not working for ordinary working families. Too many people simply aren't getting a fair deal," she says.
"So I am making this promise: if I am re-elected on June 8, I will take action to end this injustice by introducing a cap on unfair energy price rises".
Mrs May quotes a government backed report last year which found "households are already paying £1.4bn a year more than they need to".
But political rivals have accused the Conservatives of hypocrisy.
:: British Gas owner in election plea on bills
In 2015 Labour made capping utility bills a central policy in its manifesto which David Cameron cited as proof the leader wanted to live in a "Marxist universe".
The Liberal Democrats' Ed Davey said: "It is never a good idea to copy the economic strategy of Ed Miliband.
Corbyn launches Labour bus with promise of 'reckoning' for the greedy
Jeremy Corbyn says he hopes the General Election will be a "day of reckoning" for those he says have been "asset stripping our industry, crashing our economy through their greed".
Today the Labour Leader will launch his battle bus saying the Conservative Party is to blame for "tax cheats" and "greedy bankers" - and he wants to "ruin their party".
He will say: "When Labour wins there will be a reckoning for those who thought they could get away with asset stripping our industry, crashing our economy through their greed and ripping off workers and consumers."
He will add: "Don't wake on up on 9 June to see celebrations from the tax cheats, the press barons, the greedy bankers, Philip Green, the Southern Rail directors and crooked financiers that take our wealth, who have got away with it because the party they own, the Conservative Party, has won.
"We have four weeks to ruin their party. We have four weeks to take our wealth back."
While being clear that the super-rich will be his target for greater scrutiny and taxation, Mr Corbyn will claim that a Labour win would be a victory for nurses, teachers, builders and office workers.
On the EU negotiations he will talk about negotiating a "jobs-first Brexit".
On Monday, Theresa May made clear one of her Brexit red lines was controlling immigration and hitting the long-failed tens of thousands target. The Labour camp believe this is a real contrast in their priorities.
However, in an interview for the New Statesman, Labour's London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said there was "an issue on the doorstep, which is people are unclear about the Labour position (on Brexit) nationally".
He added "Everyone's clear about my position in London, you know where you stand with the Tories - extreme hard Brexit - you know where you stand with the Lib Dems: they wish the referendum had never happened and want a second one. People are less clear about Labour's position nationally."
Today the Labour Leader will launch his battle bus saying the Conservative Party is to blame for "tax cheats" and "greedy bankers" - and he wants to "ruin their party".
He will say: "When Labour wins there will be a reckoning for those who thought they could get away with asset stripping our industry, crashing our economy through their greed and ripping off workers and consumers."
He will add: "Don't wake on up on 9 June to see celebrations from the tax cheats, the press barons, the greedy bankers, Philip Green, the Southern Rail directors and crooked financiers that take our wealth, who have got away with it because the party they own, the Conservative Party, has won.
"We have four weeks to ruin their party. We have four weeks to take our wealth back."
While being clear that the super-rich will be his target for greater scrutiny and taxation, Mr Corbyn will claim that a Labour win would be a victory for nurses, teachers, builders and office workers.
On the EU negotiations he will talk about negotiating a "jobs-first Brexit".
On Monday, Theresa May made clear one of her Brexit red lines was controlling immigration and hitting the long-failed tens of thousands target. The Labour camp believe this is a real contrast in their priorities.
However, in an interview for the New Statesman, Labour's London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, said there was "an issue on the doorstep, which is people are unclear about the Labour position (on Brexit) nationally".
He added "Everyone's clear about my position in London, you know where you stand with the Tories - extreme hard Brexit - you know where you stand with the Lib Dems: they wish the referendum had never happened and want a second one. People are less clear about Labour's position nationally."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)