Written By Unknown on Selasa, 31 Maret 2015 | 19.12
The power cut led to queues at some petrol stations in Istanbul
A massive power cut has hit dozens of provinces across Turkey, with officials saying a break in connections with mainland Europe could be to blame.
The cuts affected power stations and public transport, including Istanbul's tram and metro systems.
A crisis centre has been set up at the energy ministry.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said all possible causes are being examined, including terrorism. The cut hit at 10:36 (07:36 GMT) on Tuesday morning.
By early afternoon the Turkish Electricity Transmission company said only 15% of Istanbul and Ankara had power. Istanbul's transport company said all of its lines were back up and running.
Turkish TV reported that power had been re-established in the cities of Edirne, Tekirdag, Erzurum and Trabzon.
"Our main target right now is to restore the network. This is not an incident that we see frequently," Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Turkish media.
Turkey suffers from sporadic electricity cuts but locals say they cannot remember such a nationwide cut for a generation, reports the BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul.
One of the few cities unaffected by the power cut was Van in the east of the country, where electricity is supplied from Iran.
Are you in Istanbul? Have you been affected by the power cuts? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are available to talk to a BBC journalist please include a telephone number.
The representatives of world powers have been meeting for many months to secure a deal
Russia's foreign minister has said prospects of a preliminary agreement on Iran's nuclear programme are "very good" on the final day of negotiations.
Sergei Lavrov said he was rejoining the talks in Switzerland on Tuesday, suggesting they were close to a deal.
Marathon negotiations between Iran and foreign ministers from six world powers are nearing a self-imposed deadline.
Ministers want to restrict Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for relief from crippling sanctions.
Correspondents say difficulties remain, despite statements from officials saying definite progress had been made.
Mr Lavrov announcement that he was rejoining negotiations followed a statement, as he left the talks on Monday, that he would only return if there was a realistic chance of securing an agreement.
"I believe that the prospects are very good and promising," he told a news conference on Tuesday.
Mr Lavrov said on Monday that he would only return to the talks if a deal was likely
US Secretary of State John Kerry said talks on Monday had produced "a little more light".
But he said: "There are still some tricky issues. Everyone knows the meaning of tomorrow."
Iran insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, but world powers are worried about the country developing nuclear weapons.
They want to keep Iran at least one year away from being able to produce enough fuel for a single weapon.
The final hours of negotiation in Lausanne are taking place between foreign ministers from the so-called P5+1 - comprising the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is also present.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said he was "cautiously optimistic" about reaching a deal
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that the "marathon-like" negotiations had entered the final stage and that he was "cautiously optimistic".
The differences between the parties were narrowing, he said.
At the scene: Barbara Plett, BBC News, Lausanne
Negotiators worked late into the night and are continuing talks this morning in an all-out effort to meet the deadline.
The six global powers are closer than they have ever been to resolving the longstanding tensions over Iran's nuclear programme. Progress has been made on steps to curb and monitor Iran's production of enriched uranium, which can be used to make the core of a nuclear warhead.
But substantive differences remain. These include the pace of sanctions relief and the nature of restrictions on Iran's nuclear research and development.
If a broad framework agreement is reached by the end of the day, it would be used as the basis of a final accord. No-one here has given a clear answer as to what would happen if it is not.
Ministers are aiming to agree on a political framework agreement by Tuesday night that would lead to a final and comprehensive accord by 30 June.
Senior Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi told Iranian TV that he was "hopeful" about a deal, but that ministers were not in a position to say whether they were close to resolving all the issues.
Iranian and Western officials have said that a deal is possible, but after almost 18 months of negotiations several sticking points remain.
Three of the major outstanding issues are:
Length of restrictions - Iran's nuclear activities would be strictly limited for at least 10 years. After that, Iran wants all limits to be lifted. The P5+1 says they should be removed progressively over the following five years
Sanctions relief - Iran wants the UN sanctions suspended soon after an agreement. The P5+1 says they should be eased in a phased manner, with restrictions on imports of nuclear-related technology remaining for years
Non-compliance - The US and its European allies want a mechanism that would allow suspended UN sanctions to be put back into effect rapidly if Iran reneges on a deal. Russia reportedly accepts this, but wants to ensure its Security Council veto rights are protected
Another point of contention is Iran's desire to be able to develop advanced centrifuges, which could enrich uranium faster and in greater quantities. While enriched uranium is used as fuel for nuclear reactors, it can also be used to make nuclear bombs.
Adding to the list of issues to be resolved, Iran's lead negotiator has ruled out sending its existing stockpile of nuclear fuel abroad, one of the steps demanded by the P5+1.
Meanwhile, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition to a deal, saying it would send the message "that Iran stands to gain by its aggression".
Aidan Brunger, left, and Neil Dalton were in the last few days of a six-week medical placement
A Malaysian court has found a local man guilty of murdering two British medical students in Borneo.
Newcastle University students Aidan Brunger and Neil Dalton, both 22, were stabbed in a bar in Kuching, Sarawak, in August 2014.
Fishmonger Zulkipli Abdullah, 23, had denied their murder but admitted being involved in a street fight with them along with two other men.
The penalty for murder in Malaysia is a mandatory sentence of death by hanging.
In a joint statement, the parents of Mr Dalton, from Ambergate, Derbyshire, and Mr Brunger, from Hempstead, Kent, paid tribute to their sons.
Phil and Jan Dalton and Paul Brunger and Sue Hidson spoke of the devastation their deaths had caused.
"They were two exceptional young men with such promise - kind, funny and full of life. Their deaths have left their families and many good friends utterly devastated," it read.
"Our sons would soon have qualified as doctors. Their unprovoked and senseless murders as they were walking home after a night out with other medical students mean that Aidan and Neil will never have the chance to spend their lives caring for and helping others.
"They would have given so much to the world. We are so very proud of both of them and in what they achieved in their all too short lives.
"Although we are pleased that the man responsible for their murders has been held accountable, the guilty verdict does not bring our sons back."
Paul Brunger was in court and said the loss of his son was "devastating"
Jennifer Pak, BBC News, Kuching
The case itself has been very shocking to people here. Many have told us that this is a peaceful place, a tourist town where foreigners are welcome.
People said such violent incidents are rare, and they hope it will not tarnish their image and prevent tourists from coming here in the future.
We spoke to officials at the Sarawak General Hospital and they did not say any students were scared of attending the programme since these murders. They did, however, say they have warned the students to be careful about staying out too late in the bar district.
They have not added any extra security protection for them. They see this as a one-off incident, that it is not common.
Mr Dalton and Mr Brunger had almost completed a work placement at a hospital in Kuching.
They were found sprawled in the road by cafe workers in the Jalan Padungan area of the city, in the early hours of 6 August, last year.
The trial heard Zulkipli Abdullah admitting being involved in a fight with the two students and punched one of them.
But he denied stabbing them or carrying a knife.
He is expected to appeal against the judgement.
Zulkipli Abdullah admitted he had been in a fight with the students
Newcastle University has awarded the two students honorary medical degrees.
Medical School Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Jane Calvert, said the student community was "shattered and shocked" by their deaths.
"They were very bright boys who had a great career ahead of them and this was just such a tragedy," she said.
Dean of Undergraduate Studies Jane Calvert said the student community had been "shattered" by the deaths
"What we have to recognise is that this was the sort of incident that is very difficult to guard against and it's the sort of thing that could happen anywhere."
Students going on placements abroad were briefed by the university on health and safety and every student completed a risk assessment form, Professor Calvert said.
The UK's economy grew at a faster pace than initially estimated last year, revised official figures show.
The economy grew by 0.6% in the final three months of 2014, up from the previous estimate of 0.5%, the Office for National Statistics said.
The unexpected increase meant growth for the year was 2.8%, higher than the earlier estimate of 2.6%.
The revised rate marks the highest pace of annual growth since 2006, when the economy grew by 3%.
An expansion in both production and services as well as household spending helped to drive the increase, the official data suggested.
But the biggest contribution to the revised figure was a strong performance of exports, the ONS said.
'Vulnerable'
The revised figure was revealed alongside data showing that the UK's current account deficit - the gap between the income paid to, and received from, the rest of the world - narrowed in the final quarter of last year.
The deficit in the three months to December was £25.3bn, down from the record-high of £27.7bn recorded in the previous quarter.
But for the year as a whole, the deficit widened to 5.5% of GDP, marking the largest annual deficit since records began in 1948.
UBS economist David Tinsley said the large deficit largely reflected weakness in UK overseas earnings "which may turn around if the eurozone recovery heats up".
"Still, regardless of the cause, funding a deficit of this size makes the UK vulnerable in a year when political uncertainty is relatively high," he added.
'Touch pessimistic'
Separately, UK consumer confidence rose to its highest level in more than 12 years in March, a survey from researchers GfK showed.
Overall, economists suggested the figures boded well for the UK economy this year.
Analysis by Robert Peston, BBC Economics editor:
The UK's economic performance, in the round and as it touches people, is definitely improving - and looks good compared with competitor nations, especially those across the Channel.
GDP or national income per capita is 4.8% above where it was at the election - although it is still 1.2% below its peak at the start of 2008, before the Great Recession and financial crisis.
And if we measure our well-being by how much we spend, then things are definitely better - since household consumption per head is 3% higher than it was in the middle of 2010.
That said, many would argue that our recovery remains unbalanced and far too dependent on consumer spending: that we are experiencing "same-as-it-ever-was" growth, of the boom-and-bust variety.
"Given the outlook for consumer spending, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility's forecast of 2.5% for 2015 looks a touch pessimistic, and could come under some upward pressure in the coming months," said Ben Brettell, senior economist at Hargreaves Lansdown.
Martin Beck, senior economic advisor to the Ernst & Young economic forecaster ITEM Club, said he remained confident about its prediction that GDP would expand by close to 3% in 2015.
David Cameron said the Conservatives were running on a "record of economic success"
The Conservatives and Lib Dems have heralded pre-election figures showing rising household incomes as proof that their economic strategy is working.
Disposable incomes per head were up 1.9% at the end of 2014 against a year earlier and 0.2% higher than when the government came to power in May 2010.
Chancellor George Osborne said it was part of a "hat-trick" of good economic news, allied to stronger GDP growth.
But Labour said working families were "struggling" as incomes were squeezed.
The latest bulletin on the state of the UK economy from the Office for National Statistics is the last to be published before the general election on 7 May, in which economic management and living standards will be crucial issues.
In the other main developments on day two of the official election campaign:
Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood called for £1.2bn in extra annual funding to "unleash the economic potential of Wales" as it published its manifesto
The Lib Dems promised to spend an extra £3.5bn on mental health while Labour said it would cut corporation tax for small business in its first Budget
David Cameron defended plans to cut a further £12bn from the welfare bill and refused to rule out taxing disability benefits after Chancellor George Osborne said there would no further details before the election
The Conservative leader also defended the number of personal attacks on Ed Miliband, saying he "makes no apology for putting Labour on the table"
UKIP leader Nigel Farage accused David Cameron of making a "sham promise" on immigration at the last election
Official figures published on Tuesday showed British households were slightly better off in the fourth quarter of 2014 than they were when the coalition came to power.
The government's preferred measure - real household disposable incomes per head - was 0.2% higher in the final quarter of 2014 than in the second quarter of 2010.
It came as figures for economic growth in 2014 were revised upwards to 2.8% and separate indicators suggested economic confidence was at a 12-year high.
In response. Mr Osborne tweeted: "Hat trick of good news just out from ONS: GDP revised up, consumer confidence up, living standards up."
'Hard-earned'
And Lib Dem Treasury Minister Danny Alexander said it was a vindication of the party's influence on their Conservative coalition partners.
"Handing back control of our economy to either Labour or the Tories in government on their own in this election will put all this hard earned progress at risk," he said.
But shadow chancellor Ed Balls, speaking at a campaign event in Swindon, said Conservatives were "telling people you have never had it so good" despite it being the "slowest recovery for 100 years".
"This is a government which has presided over five years when wages have not kept pace with rising prices and family bills," he said.
Labour's Ed Balls said it had been the slowest recovery for 100 years Plaid want to use their influence in a hung Parliament to get more funding for Wales
"George Osborne and David Cameron want to spend the next six weeks going round the country saying you are better off.
"I say 'bring it on' because working people are really struggling in our country and we can do better than this."
This issue includes the wider economy and deficit reduction but also employment and the role of business.
The second day of official campaigning has seen a flurry of pledges on jobs, tax and health, with the Lib Dems saying their manifesto would commit them to increasing total spend on mental healthcare to £3.5bn over the next six years.
This would include £250m over five years for new services for mothers suffering from depression and to help reduce waiting times.
Equality for people with mental health issues is a "liberal mission", leader Nick Clegg said, adding the party would "make sure mental health is treated with the same urgency as physical health, with money to back that up, and challenge the stigma every day".
Pollwatch
David Cowling, editor, BBC Political Research
Following the flurry caused by YouGov's 4% Labour lead this Sunday, we had three polls on Monday telling a different story. Populus had Conservative and Labour tied on 34%; Ashcroft had a 2% Conservative lead (36% versus 34%) and ComRes had a 4% Conservative lead (36% versus 32%).
Among all four polls, the average Lib Dem rating was 8%, UKIP's was 13% and the Greens at around 6%. We've barely started our long road to 7 May but perhaps this campaign will develop into a battle of methodologies - telephone versus internet polls.
The two telephone polls (Ashcroft and ComRes) had the highest Conservative ratings - 36% each; and the two internet polls (YouGov and Populus) had the lowest - 34% and 32%. YouGov represented a 5.5% swing from Conservative to Labour, enough to give Labour a majority: ComRes suggested a 1.5% swing to Labour, barely a ripple on the election pond.
Conservative leader David Cameron said the party was focusing on their "positive vision" for the country amid criticism about the frequency of his attacks on the Labour leader Ed Miliband in recent days.
He said the UK could create two million more jobs by 2020 - similar to the 1.9 million created in the last Parliament under the coalition - exceeding independent forecasts.
"We have kept tax low for business, we have encouraged people to invest in our country, we have invested in skills, we have trained two million apprentices in this Parliament," he told BBC Breakfast.
However, Mr Cameron said he would not stop making Labour's tax and spending plans an issue, saying the opposition had "not even reached base camp" in terms of setting out their deficit reduction plans.
Labour has been highlighting its existing plan to cut business rates for small business properties and then freeze them by promising to take action in his first Budget.
The party says the measure would save businesses an average of £400 and would be funded by cancelling a planned cut in corporation tax for large companies planned by the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition.
"This is the right priority when money is tight," Mr Balls said. "And it will mean that the tax burden on small businesses will be lower with Labour than under the Tories."
Written By Unknown on Senin, 30 Maret 2015 | 19.12
Two Britons have been found dead near Alicante in Spain, the Foreign Office has said.
A spokesman added that the Foreign Office was "ready to provide consular assistance".
Alicante is on Spain's south-eastern coast and is part of the Costa Blanca, a popular tourist destination.
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A route to enable all-terrain vehicles to reach the scene may open by the end of Monday
A top Lufthansa official has warned that the missing flight data recorder may have been too badly damaged when Germanwings flight 4U 9525 crashed in the French Alps.
Lufthansa Board Chairman Kay Kratky said it might not be sending signals.
So far only the cockpit voice recorder has been found at the crash scene, where 150 people lost their lives.
Bad weather has halted helicopter flights to the site, forcing investigators to get there on foot.
An access road to the remote site is being dug by a bulldozer to provide all-terrain vehicles with access to the area and could be completed by Monday evening.
An improved route will help investigators bring heavier recovery equipment to the scene.
French prosecutor Brice Robin has made recovery of the victims a priority. DNA of 80 of the victims has so far been found.
A support centre for victims' families has been opened at a hotel in Marseille, from where Germanwings plans to provide counselling and visits to the crash site.
Access to the crash site is very difficult for the recovery teams
Analysis of the voice recorder has suggested co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, 27, crashed the plane deliberately, after locking the pilot out of the cockpit.
A transcript leaked to German media on Sunday revealed how the pilot Patrick Sondenheimer banged on the door, screaming, "Open the damn door!"
While the voice recorder details the pilots' conversations as well as other sounds from the cockpit, the data recorder includes the plane's altitude, speed and direction, including the position of the plane's rudder and flaps.
Appearing on a talk show on German TV on Sunday night, Kay Kratky suggested that a full picture of the accident might never be known as the plane had flown at a speed of 800km/h (500mph) into a vertical rock face and had been pulverised. Mr Kratky's company Lufthansa fully owns Germanwings.
"It's possible that the impact was too great for the flight recorder and it doesn't send signals. However it would still be very helpful to fill out the picture of what happened," he told the Guenther Jauch show.
There has been criticism of the French prosecutor for releasing details from the voice recorder before a full investigation is complete.
The European Cockpit Association said the release of voice recorder data was a "serious breach" of globally accepted rules. It said many questions remained unanswered.
Andreas Lubitz was a keen runner who kept himself very fit Investigator searched the house of Mr Lubitz's parents as well as his flat in Duesseldorf
Revelations have emerged in recent days surrounding the co-pilot's physical and mental health.
Investigators found anti-depressants at Andreas Lubitz's house along with evidence of treatment by various doctors, including a torn-up sick note for the day he flew the plane.
There have also been reports that he had problems with his eyesight - possibly a detached retina.
German media reported on Monday that recent medical records had been handed over to investigators by the University hospital in Duesseldorf, relating to three visits made by the co-pilot in February and March. However, details of the visits have not been made public.
Doubs about his fitness to fly have prompted a leading politician from the ruling CDU party, Dirk Fischer, to call for a relaxation of data protection rules governing sensitive jobs such as pilots.
There has also been widespread speculation about Lubitz's romantic life.
While one unconfirmed report has suggested his long-term girlfriend was pregnant, an ex-girlfriend has revealed that he vowed last year to do something memorable.
"One day I'm going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember," she quoted him as saying.
An official memorial service for those onboard flight 4U 9525 from Barcelona to Duesseldorf will be held on 17 April in Germany's most famous church - Cologne Cathedral - in the presence of President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The team, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the UCL Institute of Child Health, gave questionnaires to nearly 3,000 families asking if their child was obese, overweight, underweight or a healthy weight.
The results showed that nearly a third, 31%, of parents underestimated the weight of their child.
An accurate diagnosis kicked in only at the very high end of the scales.
Prof Russell Viner, from the Institute of Child Health, told the BBC News website: "Modern parents don't recognise children as obese.
"If parents don't recognise a child is obese then they're very unlikely to do anything to help their child move to a more healthy weight.
"Then it's a potential major public health crisis being stored up."
The main explanation for parents not identifying their child's weight problem is that society as a whole has become so fat we have collectively lost our sense of a healthy weight.
The chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies, raised this issue of overweight becoming the new norm in her annual report last year.
"We need to find some tool to educate parents, when their child is born, what they should expect a child's size to be and not to be afraid of talking to parents over fears they, or the child, will react badly," Prof Viner said.
'Role models'
Commenting on the findings, the chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health, Shirley Cramer, said: "School education from a young age should focus on the importance of active lifestyles and healthy diets to ensure our society is one that understands the relationship between diet and good health.
"Parents are key role models for their children and it is imperative they are aware of all the factors that can influence health.
"However, it is not just the role of the parents, society as a whole needs to help enforce messages about eating well."
She said restricting junk food advertising would help as would better calorie labelling on food.
Tam Fry, from the Child Growth Foundation, told the BBC: "To the obesity specialist it is incomprehensible that parents cannot tell if their children are overweight.
"You sometimes have to wonder if they are in total denial, but when you realise that even health professionals may often have difficulty in recognising obesity in their patients, the enormity of our obesity epidemic sinks in.
"The knock-on risk of extreme overweight to the individual's and country's health cannot be emphasised enough."
An investigation has been launched into claims the details of millions of people's pensions are being sold to fraudsters and cold-calling firms.
Firms are selling data about people's salaries, investment values and pension size for as little as 5p without their knowledge, the Daily Mail said.
It is feared it will be used to scam pensioners who can access their full pension pots under new rules in April.
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said he was investigating.
He told the BBC that the claims were "very serious" and said he was in touch with the Pensions Regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority and the police.
"There are lots of people out there who are trying to take advantage of leads that they get to sell you stuff," he said.
However, at least one of the firms accused of selling data has denied doing anything illegal.
Pension changes 2015
People aged 55 and over can withdraw any amount from a Defined Contribution (DC) scheme, subject to income tax
Many people with Defined Benefits (DB) schemes will be allowed to transfer to DC plans
All retirees will have access to free guidance from the government's Pension Wise service
Existing annuity holders unaffected for the time being
Savings details
The Daily Mail said its undercover reporters were able to buy pension details by claiming they were from a cold-calling company.
However, one of the companies that offered information to the reporters - B2C Data - denied selling "highly sensitive details of salaries, investments and pensions".
Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, said firms could face fines of up to £500,000
It said its data business was "entirely legitimate and legally compliant".
"Importantly, it does not receive or process information other than in respect of those customers of its members who have opted in," said a B2C spokesperson.
Previously B2C told the paper that it gathered some details from mortgage application forms.
Mortgage applicants have to give details of their savings, and may not always tick a box to stop their data being passed on.
Another suggestion being made is that people give away information unwittingly when filling in forms for savings products such as Individual Savings Accounts (Isas).
Analysis: Brian Milligan, personal finance reporter
About 300,000 people are expected to be able to take immediate advantage of changes in pension rules on 6 April, and the industry has repeatedly warned about the dangers of scams.
The Association of British Insurers, which represents many of the big pension companies, is among those who have already called for a tightening of the rules.
But the real question is: How are these data firms obtaining personal details of salaries and pensions in the first place? Pension companies themselves naturally deny selling information.
However, it is not necessarily illegal to sell data lists, when people have given away information freely.
Steve Webb - pensions minister in the coalition government - has already admitted there will be a lot of crooks wanting to take advantage of the pension reforms, and has advised people to take professional advice.
A second company - Targeted Response Direct (TRD) - denied the Mail's accusations of selling unregulated high-risk investments to pensioners.
"For the record, we don't sell pension details," said David Billington of TRD.
"We do not target pensioners for any investment product or service," he said.
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) advised people to be on their guard against unsolicited approaches from financial companies.
The ICO has the power to issue fines of up to £500,000 for the most serious breaches and can pursue criminal prosecutions around unlawfully obtaining or accessing personal data.
David Cameron says he has begun the task of "turning the country around" and wants to "see it through", as the election campaign gets under way.
Speaking outside Downing Street, the prime minister urged voters to keep him in power to safeguard the recovery and provide the "strong leadership" needed.
He attacked Labour leader Ed Miliband saying he risked "economic chaos".
Earlier, Mr Miliband said the Conservatives' policy on the EU posed a clear "danger" to UK business.
Mr Cameron was speaking after he held a 10-minute audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, the last time he will meet the sovereign for the final time before polling day on 7 May.
Following months of unofficial campaigning, the five-and-a-half week race for No 10 - which commentators say could be most unpredictable election in a generation - has begun in earnest after Parliament was dissolved.
The Green Party of England and Wales said it was offering a "message of hope" while The Green Party of Scotland launched its manifesto, including a pledge of a £10 minimum wage
Issues likely to dominate the campaign include the economy and spending cuts, Britain's EU membership, the future of the NHS and immigration.
Analysis by political editor Nick Robinson
It's all about you. Not them. You. That's worth remembering if/when you tire of all those politicians, soundbites and photo opportunities that will fill the airwaves - and your inbox - from the formal start of the campaign today, until polling day.
About you because a general election is one of those rare times when your voice counts as much as anyone else's.
About you because you have the chance to help choose who represents you and your community in Parliament.
About you because you can influence who will run the country for the next five years and, therefore, help shape what sort of country you live in.
Rarely has there been a choice so wide or one with an impact which could be so dramatic.
Speaking outside No 10, Mr Cameron promised to campaign in "all four corners of all four nations of the UK" during the next 38 days.
The election, he said, was "about moving forward after five years of effort and sacrifice" and suggested voters faced a "stark choice" between the Conservatives and Labour.
What are the top issues for each political party at the 2015 general election?
The UK was on the "right track", he insisted and outlining his campaign themes, said a Conservative government was needed to guarantee rising employment, lower taxes, greater home ownership, better schools and dignity in retirement.
"Together we are turning our country round, for your sake, for your family's sake, for the sake of your children and their future, we must see this through together."
He added: "This election also takes place when the world is dangerous and uncertain.
"So we need strong leadership to safeguard our national security as well as our economic security."
Parliament has been officially dissolved under the terms of the Fixed Term Parliaments Act
Labour has said the economic recovery under the coalition has been the slowest in more than 100 years and resulted in a cost-of-living crisis.
It has pledged to raise living standards of "everyday working people by ensuring those with the broadest shoulders bear the greatest burden" while cutting the deficit and securing the future of the NHS.
Speaking on Monday in the City of London, Mr Miliband said the Tories represented a "clear and present danger" to jobs and prosperity by risking an exit from Europe.
Setting out Labour's commitment to UK membership of the EU, he also promised to "return Britain to a leadership role" in Brussels.
But Labour's economic credentials have been questioned by one of its leading donors, Dr Assem Allam, who told the Daily Telegraph that its plans for a "mansion tax" and a rise in the top rate of tax were "alienating" wealth-creators.
Ed Miliband has outlined Labour's policies for business Nick Clegg said his party backed an EU referendum but only at the right time UKIP expects to win a "good number of seats", its leader Nigel Farage said
Mr Clegg had a separate audience with the Queen in his capacity as Lord President of the Council. In that role, he chairs the Privy Council - the historic body which advises the monarch.
Mr Clegg, who will later visit a hospital in the Midlands, told BBC Radio 4's Today his party would cut £50bn less than the Conservatives and borrow £70bn less than Labour.
"There is a real danger that British politics is being pulled to the right and the left," he said. "You see Labour haring off to the left, sticking its head in the sand and not dealing with the deficit.
"You see the Conservatives chasing after UKIP on the right and indulging in plans for ideological cuts to public services."
Government ministers remain in charge of their departments until a new administration is formed, but MPs cease to be members of Parliament and writs will be issued for elections in all 650 constituencies.
Both David Cameron and Ed Miliband have conceded the election is on a "knife edge" with opinion polls suggesting there is little to split the Conservatives and Labour.
A ComRes survey for ITV News and The Daily Mail on Monday suggested the Conservatives were leading Labour by 36% to 32% but a YouGov poll for the Sunday Times suggested the reverse, putting Labour on 36% and the Tories on 32% nationally.
Written By Unknown on Minggu, 29 Maret 2015 | 19.12
No decisions have been made on where to make further benefit cuts, should the Conservatives win the general election - Iain Duncan Smith has told the BBC.
The Tories aim to cut £12bn from the welfare budget by 2017-18.
Documents leaked to the BBC suggested taxing disability benefits was among the options - but the work and pensions secretary said none were party policy.
He said about a quarter of cuts had been announced and it was "not the case" others were being kept secret.
Last week's leaked documents from Mr Duncan Smith's department outlined some options for cutting benefits further, prepared by civil servants at the request of Conservative Party officials.
They included restricting Carer's Allowance, taxing disability benefits, limiting child benefit to the first two children and regional variations in benefit caps.
'Cheese-paring cuts'
Mr Duncan Smith told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show "none of the stuff" that had been reported had been discussed with the chancellor, and it was standard for government departments to put figures together - but that did not mean they were policy.
He said a benefit freeze and pledge to reduce the annual benefits cap from £26,000 to £23,000 would account for about a quarter of savings and were "a good indication that we know where we're going to go to make those savings".
He said he had raised Carers' Allowance and had protected the most disabled throughout all previous benefit changes.
"I didn't come into this job after years looking at this to just make cheese-paring cuts," he said.
"What we've come in to do is to reform the welfare system, so that we don't waste money on organisations and groups and things that don't actually help life change.
"No decisions have been made. As and when decisions are made of course we will be very open to the public."
He added: "I know that it is feasible to save £12bn, it is less than 10% of the overall budget... There will be loads and loads of things that people are looking at, because that's what departments do."
'Stale' prime ministers
Mr Duncan Smith said changes made so far had improved people's lives - contrary to predictions that they would result in much homelessness and people having to move hundreds of miles away.
Asked about Prime Minister David Cameron's announcement last week that he would not seek a third term if he won a second term in May's election, Mr Duncan Smith said he was "sure" there would have to be a leadership contest before the next election to allow the Conservatives to choose a new leader.
Mr Cameron would "serve what essentially is a full term" - but "of course there will be a competition at some point".
He said Mr Cameron was doing something no prime minister had done before - which was to say "there is an amount of time a prime minister should serve before they get stale".
Asked whether there could be a leadership election as early as 2018, to introduce a new leader to the electorate, he said the likely contenders would have been "up in the public sphere for some time" - so would not be unknown to voters.
The government has cut around £20bn from projected welfare spending over the course of the past five years, through a range of measures from freezing payment rates to cutting housing benefit.
The Conservatives have said they would freeze the rate at which benefits are paid to people of working age and lower the benefits cap - the amount a household can claim in a year - to £23,000, if they win the general election.
The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests those measures would save no more than about £2bn a year by 2017-18.
Tunisian authorities say they have killed one of the militants linked to the attack on a museum earlier this month in which 21 tourists died.
Lokman Abu Sakhra was one of nine armed militants killed in a raid on Saturday, the government says.
A spokesman described him as one of Tunisia's "most dangerous terrorists".
Thousands have joined a solidarity march in the capital Tunis. French President Francois Hollande and foreign dignitaries are expected to attend.
At least 21 foreigners were among those killed when gunmen stormed the museum in Tunis on 18 March. British, Japanese, French, Italian and Colombian tourists were among the dead.
On Sunday President Hollande announced that Huguette Dupeu, a French woman injured in the attack, had died from her wounds.
A spokesman for the Tunisian prime minister told the BBC that Sakhra, an Algerian citizen, was killed by security forces in the western region of Gafsa.
Security officials allege that the militants were members of the Okba Ibn Nafaa Brigade, a jihadist group that has previously claimed deadly attacks against security forces in the country.
In the past week, authorities claim to have arrested dozens of people they suspected of links to the museum attack.
Alleged death threats made against BBC director general Tony Hall are being investigated by the Met Police.
Lord Hall is reported to have received a threatening email after dropping presenter Jeremy Clarkson from Top Gear because he had punched a producer.
The Mail on Sunday also reported Lord Hall and his wife were under 24-hour protection from security guards at their Oxfordshire home.
The Met said the email appeared to have been sent from outside the UK.
"Police in Westminster are investigating an allegation of threats to kill," a Met spokesman said.
"The allegation was reported to police on Wednesday, 25 March. The threat was made by email."
He said inquiries were continuing to establish from where the email was sent.
No arrests have been made.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "We wouldn't comment on security matters."
Lord Hall announced his decision not to renew Clarkson's contract on Wednesday - after an internal inquiry found the presenter had subjected producer Oisin Tymon to an "unprovoked physical and verbal attack" at a North Yorkshire hotel.
Mr Tymon, who suffered a split lip, did not file a formal complaint and it is understood Clarkson reported himself to BBC bosses following the incident, and was suspended.
The row - which took place on 4 March - was said to have occurred because no hot food was provided following a day's filming.
Lord Hall said he had not taken his decision lightly, but insisted "a line has been crossed".
More than a million people signed an online petition to reinstate Clarkson.
The BBC's director general said Clarkson had "crossed a line"
The Mail claimed the death threats were made to Lord Hall via email the same day as his announcement.
It also published photographs of security guards outside his home.
Mr Tymon, who previously described Clarkson as a "unique talent", has himself come under sustained abuse on social media for his involvement in the dispute.
Speaking outside his home on Thursday, Clarkson asked fans to show restraint.
Australia overwhelmed New Zealand to win the World Cup for a fifth time at an ecstatic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
New Zealand lost influential captain Brendon McCullum to the fifth ball of the match and were bowled out for 183.
Grant Elliott resisted with 83, while Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and James Faulkner shared eight wickets.
Australia rarely looked troubled, sealing a seven-wicket win in 33.1 overs, with captain Michael Clarke scoring 74 and Steve Smith 56 not out.
Clarke, in his final one-day international, was given a standing ovation by the record 93,000 crowd and welcomed by his team-mates on the boundary when he was bowled by Matt Henry with eight required.
He was part of the Australia team that last lifted the trophy in 2007, with this success extending their record for most World Cups won. No other team has more than two.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan
"It was a brilliant performance. Australia were the best team in the tournament, fantastically led by Michael Clarke. Today they were just too powerful and strong for New Zealand, who have been great throughout the tournament. They've had everything you'd need in a one-day side, with the left-arm pace of Johnson and Starc. They've got everything covered."
Australia's win was the second in as many tournaments by a host nation after India's triumph four years ago.
In their first final, after six previous semi-final defeats, New Zealand were blown away.
Their path to Melbourne came with eight successive wins, all on home soil, and most of the pre-match speculation was of how McCullum's men would deal with the change in conditions.
They won what was thought to be a crucial toss, but the life was sucked from their innings almost as soon as it began.
The talismanic McCullum, so often a slayer of new-ball attacks throughout the tournament, aimed two wild swings at Starc, missed with both, then was bowled by a brilliant yorker.
Far from the batting paradise predicted, the pitch was slightly two-paced and offered both turn and some uneven bounce.
But that is to take nothing away from the Australia pace attack, Starc in particular, who bowled with hostility and found movement both in the air and off the seam.
Cricket World Cup roll of honour
World Cup wins
Team
Years
5
Australia
1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015
2
West Indies
1975, 1979
2
India
1983, 2011
1
Pakistan
1992
1
Sri Lanka
1996
New Zealand clung on without progressing, but when Glenn Maxwell's off-spin got through a lazy Martin Guptill stroke and Kane Williamson patted back to Johnson, they seemed in disarray.
However, from 39-3, they painstakingly rebuilt through semi-final hero Elliott and Ross Taylor.
Elliott, who successfully overturned a Maxwell lbw decision on 15, scored almost exclusively through the off-side to become only the fifth man to register a half-century in the semi-final and final of the same World Cup.
Taylor made 40 in a stand of 111 provided a platform for the batting powerplay.
Yet it was the powerplay that began New Zealand's slide, as Faulkner returned to have Taylor athletically caught behind by Brad Haddin and bowl Corey Anderson two balls later.
When Luke Ronchi played an awful waft to be caught at slip off Starc, three wickets had been lost for one run in eight balls.
There was no support for Elliott, who was caught behind attempting to heave Faulkner and, when Maxwell superbly ran out non-striker Tim Southee with a direct hit for the final wicket, it was the perfect demonstration of Australia's dominance. In all, New Zealand lost seven wickets for 33 runs.
Though Aaron Finch inside-edged on to his pad to be caught and bowled by Trent Boult, David Warner's brisk 45 gave Australia's chase early momentum.
After he was caught hooking Henry, there began a period of pressure that Clarke and Smith battled to absorb, the latter needing the fortune of seeing the bails stay unmoved as a Henry delivery trickled on to the base of the stumps.
It would be New Zealand's last chance, as Clarke's cuts and drives down the ground accelerated Australia towards victory.
He could not see the job through, but Smith became the first man to score five successive World Cup half-centuries then pulled Henry for the winning runs.
