Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Friday 24 Apr 2015

1. TORIES TO PROMISE ENGLAND-ONLY TAX

The Conservatives are to publish a manifesto for England and outline plans for an England-only income tax. The Guardian sees it as David Cameron’s attempt to pull the rug from under Ukip’s feet and win a majority government, noting the manifesto is being launched in one of the stronger areas of Ukip support.

David Cameron unveils 'English votes for English laws' plan

2. EU TRIPLES FUNDING FOR MIGRANT RESCUES

EU leaders have agreed at an emergency summit in Brussels to triple the money spent on patrolling the Mediterranean to control illegal migrancy. The UK will send warship HMS Bulwark but David Cameron insisted yesterday the migrants it picks up will not be offered asylum in the UK but will be put ashore in Italy.

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3. MILIBAND: UK HAS FAILED ON LIBYA

Ed Miliband has claimed that David Cameron contributed to the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean by failing to “stand by” Libya after carrying out air strikes there in 2011, and failed to anticipate the current problems. Miliband, who backed military action, also said the PM had cost the UK “global influence”. Tories say his remarks are “shameful”.

Tory fury as Miliband blames Cameron over migrant deaths

4. ARMENIA MARKS 100 YEARS SINCE ‘GENOCIDE’

Armenia is commemorating the 100th anniversary today of the start of killings of Armenians by Ottoman Turks which it says were genocide – a characterisation hotly denied by Turkey. On this day in 1915, the authorities in Constantinople arrested several hundred Armenian intellectuals. Most were later killed.

Armenian genocide: why the debate rages, a century on

5. CHARLES AND HARRY REMEMBER GALLIPOLI

Prince Charles and Prince Harry are among dignitaries visiting Turkey today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign, one of the bloodiest of the First World War. Also in attendance are the leaders of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. Around 141,000 soldiers died in the campaign.

Anzac Day: what happened at Gallipoli?

6. HSBC CONSIDERS LEAVING THE UK

HSBC bank says it is considering moving its headquarters out of London as it undertakes a "strategic review" of its global operations. The management will "look at where the best place is for HSBC to be headquartered" said chairman Douglas Flint. The decision will take into account "regulatory and structural reforms" since the financial crisis.

7. TERROR CELL 'PLOTTED VATICAN ATTACK'

Islamic extremists in Italy with links to al-Qaeda were planning an suicide attack on the Vatican in 2010 but abandoned the plan, according to prosecutors who believe they have smashed a terror-cell that included bodyguards to Osama bin Laden. Police launched raids across Italy and Sardinia today after a six year surveillance operation.

8. GOOGLE MAP HACK: ANDROID VS APPLE

An image of an Android mascot urinating on an Apple logo has mysteriously appeared on Google Maps, near Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Tech giants Google and Apple are fierce rivals but the image is thought to have been placed there by a hacker using the Map Maker tool. Another message, possibly from the same hacker, left nearby reads: "Google review policy is crap."

9. HUBBLE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS IN SPACE

Nasa has marked the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope with a picture of a spectacular cluster of 3,000 stars called Westerlund 2. Launched on this day in 1990, the telescope proved to be defective: a wrongly-ground mirror produced blurred images. It was fixed by spacewalking astronauts in 1993.

10. BRIEFING: PICKING HOLES IN THE MANIFESTOS

The electorate has been given an "incomplete picture" of what they can expect from the four main political parties after the general election, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said. All four parties' plans imply further austerity over the next parliament, says the IFS – even the SNP, which has promised to demand an "end to austerity" in its manifesto.

Election 2015: how the IFS rates each party's policies

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