His Majesty King Juan Carlos

LIVE: Spanish king to abdicate http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27662351

The king had been considering ceding the throne to his son, Crown Prince Felipe, for some time, Spanish newspaper El Pais reports.

This photo released by the Spanish royal household shows the king shaking hands with Mr Rajoy after the two men met on Monday morning
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The king has had health problems in recent years, and is stepping down for personal reasons, Mr Rajoy said.

Juan Carlos popularity has fallen in recent years following a number of gaffes and corruption scandals
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"I'm convinced this is the best moment for change," Mr Rajoy added.

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Mr Rajoy praised Juan Carlos as a "tireless defender" of Spain's interests, describing him as "the best spokesman for the monarchy".

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"His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession," Mr Rajoy said in his address.

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Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made the announcement in a televised address. He said a new constitutional amendment would be proposed to allow for the abdication to happen.

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Hello and welcome to the BBC's coverage of Spanish King Juan Carlos I's decision to abdicate.

BBC © 2014

BBC new curve in describing the Egyptian political view

Egypt pushes for high voter turnout http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-27570653
Egypt pushes for high voter turnout
May 27, 2014 3:05 PM

The BBC's Orla Guerin in Cairo: "This election feels like a formality, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi looks guaranteed an easy win"
Polling in Egypt's presidential election has been extended, in an effort to effort to encourage a high turnout on the final day of voting.

A public holiday has been declared, and voters have been warned they will be fined if they do not cast a ballot.

The scale of turnout is seen as key to legitimising the winner. Former military chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is the clear frontrunner.

He is standing against only one other candidate, left-winger Hamdeen Sabahi.

Unofficial results are expected hours after polls close at 22:00 (19:00 GMT).

It is the second presidential election since the 2011 revolution which toppled Hosni Mubarak.

The previous elected President, Islamist Mohammed Morsi, was deposed by Mr Sisi in July 2012 following massive opposition protests.

After polls closed on Monday, authorities announced that voting would be extended for an hour on Tuesday, which was declared a public holiday, to try to boost turnout.

Election officials said they would enforce a fine of over 500 Egyptian pounds ($72) for non-voting.

There has been no announcement from the Higher Election Commission on Monday's turnout, although Reuters news agency said the number of people casting their vote appeared lower than in previous elections.

Polling resumed on Tuesday, with a public holiday declared and voting hours extended

The level of turnout will be decisive in giving legitimacy to the winner

The election is being held amid heavy security because of the threat of attacks by militants

Former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi is expected to win by a wide margin

Mr Sisi cast his vote shortly after polls opened on Monday

His sole challenger is left-wing Hamdeen Sabahi, who came third in the election in 2012
In 2012, just under 52% of the electorate voted, handing a slim victory to Mohammed Morsi.

The Associated Press news agency reported election monitoring groups as saying turnout was moderate, apart from in Islamist-dominated areas where it was low to non-existent.

"Sisi killed youths and now he is grabbing power. This is the biggest evidence that [the ousting of Mohammed Morsi] was a coup," Mohamed Gamal told AFP news agency in the pro-Morsi town of Kerdasa.

Polling stations visited by AFP in Cairo were deserted on Tuesday morning, the agency reported.

The election is being held amid tight security, with more than 250,000 troops and police deployed across the country, according to the interior ministry, amid fear of attacks by militants seeking to disrupt the polls.

Voting on Monday passed off without an major incidents.

Shortly after polls opened on the first day, Mr Sisi cast his vote at a polling station in Heliopolis, Cairo, amid a throng of reporters and spectators.

"The Egyptians are coming out to write their history and chart their future," said the 59-year-old, dressed in a dark suit and tie.

Mr Sisi appeals to Egyptians who crave stability after years of political upheaval, and anything other than an easy win for him would be a source of astonishment, says the BBC's Kevin Connolly in Cairo.

Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, banned as a "terrorist group", called for a boycott of the polls. More than 1,400 people have been killed and 16,000 detained since authorities cracked down on the movement in July.

Mr Morsi and other Brotherhood leaders are on trial on a raft of charges, including murder.

Some secular activists, including the 6 April youth movement which was prominent in the 2011 revolution, have also shunned the polls in protest at the curtailing of civil rights.

BBC © 2014

Too big to fail banks

IMF warns banking reform is too slow http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27588394

IMF warns banking reform is too slow
May 27, 2014 11:50 AM

Christine Lagarde said financial firms still prize profit over prudence
Banking reforms aimed at preventing another financial crisis have failed to make enough progress, the boss of the International Monetary Fund has warned.

IMF managing director Christine Lagarde blamed a combination of the complexity involved, industry lobbying and "fatigue" for the delay.

"The industry still prizes short-term profit over long-term prudence," Ms Lagarde said at a conference on the future of capitalism.

She called for tougher global rules.

Ms Lagarde said some of the biggest problems were with the so-called "too-big-to-fail firms", banks whose collapse would cause such a big knock-on effect on the wider economy that governments were still expected to rescue them.

She said a recent IMF study indicated that such banks were still "major sources of systemic risk" and called for "tougher regulation and tighter supervision" to tackle the issue.

"Their implicit subsidy is still going strongly - amounting to about $70bn (£41.5bn) in the US, and up to $300bn (£178bn) in the euro area," she said.

Ms Lagarde called for regulators worldwide to agree a framework to wind down big banks in trouble, as well as mutual recognition on rules for financial markets.

"This is a gaping hole in the financial architecture right now, and it calls for countries to put the global good of financial stability ahead of their parochial concerns," she said.

For such changes to be effective, however, Ms Lagarde said there also needed to be a change in the culture of financial firms, saying changes so far were "not deep or broad enough".

"Incentives must be aligned with expected behaviour and be made transparent," she said.

Ms Lagarde said the changes required both investors and the leaders of financial firms to "take values as seriously as valuations" and "culture as seriously as capital".

"Ultimately, we need to ingrain a greater social consciousness - one that will seep into the financial world and forever change the way it does business," she said.

BBC © 2014

Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin face copyright fight http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27497950

A legal dispute faces the band Led Zeppelin over the song Stairway to Heaven, widely seen as one of the greatest rock compositions of all time.

The copyright infringement action is being taken on behalf of late guitarist Randy California, who played on the same bill as Led Zeppelin in the 1960s.

His lawyers say that he should be given a writing credit on the 1971 track.

Pleaded guilty BY Bank (Swiss Bank)

Credit Suisse helped 'tax cheats'
May 20, 2014 2:17 AM

Credit Suisse pleads guilty - a rarity in big bank settlements in the US
The Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse has pleaded guilty to helping some US clients avoid paying taxes to the US government and agreed to pay a $2.6bn (£1.5bn) fine.

It is the biggest bank to plead guilty to criminal charges in the US in more than 20 years.

US attorney general Eric Holder said the bank helped US "tax cheats dodge US taxes".

Credit Suisse said in a statement it deeply regretted the past misconduct.

The bank said the settlement would reduce its second-quarter net profit by 1.6bn Swiss Francs ($1.8bn; £1bn).

However, as part of the agreement with US regulators, the bank will not lose its banking license in the US.

The bank's chief executive, Brady Dougan, said: "Having this matter fully resolved is an important step forward for us. We have seen no material impact on our business resulting from the heightened public attention on this issue in the past several weeks."

'Elaborate lengths'

Mr Holder told a press conference: "The bank went to elaborate lengths to shield itself, its employees, and the tax cheats it served, from accountability for their criminal actions."

"They subverted disclosure requirements, destroyed bank records, and concealed transactions involving undeclared accounts by limiting withdrawal amounts and using offshore credit and debit cards to repatriate funds."

He added that the tax evasion schemes went back decades, saying that in one case, the practice of using sham entities began more than 100 years ago.

However, according to US media reports, neither Credit Suisse chairman Urs Rohner nor chief executive Brady Dougan are expected to lose their jobs as a result of the agreement.

US authorities have already indicted eight Credit Suisse employees who helped clients evade taxes.

Credit Suisse is not alone. US prosecutors are chasing more than a dozen other Swiss banks for allegedly helping wealthy Americans dodge US taxes, and at the press conference, they hinted that there would be more settlements to come.

In 2009, another Swiss bank, UBS, settled similar charges with US regulators for $780m as well as an agreement in which the bank would give US authorities the names of its so-called "secret" account holders.

BBC © 2014

massive, massive task

Signals in remote seas thought to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are "rapidly fading" massive, massive task
Trying to locate anything 4,500 metres (15,000 feet) beneath the surface of the ocean, about a 1,000km (620 miles) from land is a massive, massive task
Abbott: 'Plane signal' rapidly fading http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27000576

Protesters in the eastern city of Donetsk, 130km demanding a referendum on becoming part of Russia.

Gunmen seize Ukraine police station http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27000700

The Paycheck Fairness Act

US Republicans block 'fair pay' bill
April 9, 2014 9:14 PM
By the bbc edited by me to make it shorter.

Senate Republicans argue the legislation would increase risk of lawsuits against companies
Republicans in the US Senate have blocked a Democratic bill aimed at closing the gap between what men and women are paid.

The Paycheck Fairness Act fell seven votes short of the 60 required to advance.

But Democrats cite Census Bureau data indicating women earn 77 cents for every dollar men earn.

'Good politics'

The bill would have barred employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information and limited the factors businesses can cite for paying women less than men.

But Republicans have argued that would increase frivolous lawsuits against companies.

"It's time for Washington Democrats to stop protecting trial lawyers and start focusing on actually helping the people we were sent here to represent," Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said.

Conservatives have rejected similar legislation in the upper chamber of Congress in 2010 and 2012.

In 2012, women backed Mr Obama 55% to 44% for Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

BBC © 2014

referendum in Crimea this weekend

Russia 'refuses to talk to Ukraine'
March 12, 2014 9:42 AM

Steve Rosenberg reports from Lugansk in eastern Ukraine: ''After the Crimea, there is concern that this region could be the next flashpoint''
Russia's leaders are refusing all negotiations with their Ukrainian counterparts, Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has said.

He told AFP news agency that Ukraine would not intervene militarily in Crimea, even though a secession referendum there was a "sham".

Meanwhile interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is travelling to the US to meet President Barack Obama.

On Thursday he is due to address the UN Security Council in New York.

'A provocation'

"We cannot launch a military operation in Crimea, as we would expose the eastern border [close to Russia] and Ukraine would not be protected," Mr Turchynov told AFP.

President Turchynov said that the referendum in Crimea this weekend would be falsified by Russia

The president said that a national guard was necessary because only about 6,000 Ukrainian troops were combat-ready

Mr Yatsenyuk travels to Washington as Russia appears to be increasingly strengthening its position in Crimea

Supporters of Russia in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk took to the streets in support of Moscow on Tuesday
He said that Sunday's referendum in Crimea - in which people on the peninsula will decide whether or not to become part of Russia - was "a provocation" that would be boycotted by most people.

"The Russian forces don't intend to hold a referendum, they're just going to falsify the results," he said.

The president said that at the same time the Russian government was refusing to enter into any dialogue with Ukraine.

"Unfortunately, for now Russia is rejecting a diplomatic solution to the conflict," he told AFP.

Mr Turchynov earlier on Tuesday called for the creation of a national guard and provide support to troops.

He said that the force would include volunteers with military experience who would be on guard against external and internal aggression.

Teetering economy

The president was speaking as Moscow announced more military exercises involving 4,000 paratroopers - apparently the biggest such exercise in 20 years.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk flies to the US on Wednesday and is scheduled to meet President Obama on the same day in the White House.

Correspondents say that Mr Yatsenyuk's meeting with President Obama should add credibility to his recently-formed and untested team
Correspondents say that Mr Yatsenyuk is likely to discuss the details of a $35bn (£21bn) aid package he says that Ukraine's teetering economy needs to stay afloat over the next two years.

The BBC's Mark Mardell in Washington says President Obama is likely to use the meeting to again call on the Russians to return their troops to base, support elections in May and enter into direct negotiations with Ukraine's government.

In other developments:

• An adviser to Ukrainian presidential hopeful Vitali Klitschko has warned that if Crimea is annexed by Russia, European security will "go up in flames"

• The European Commission on Tuesday offered Ukraine trade incentives worth nearly 500m euros ($694m; £417m) to stabilise the country's crisis-hit economy

• Ukrainian troops remain blockaded in their bases by armed men across Crimea

• Intense diplomatic efforts to settle the crisis diplomatically are continuing, with US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov speaking by telephone on Tuesday

• At a news conference in Russia on Tuesday, ousted President Yanukovych described the new Ukrainian authorities as a "gang of fascists" and says presidential elections set for 25 May are "illegal"

• A number of flights from Crimea's main airport in Simferopol have been cancelled amid reports that pro-Moscow militia have taken over air traffic control

BBC © 2014

Tax aviation

Swiss bank boss 'regrets' tax ploy
February 26, 2014 8:07 PM
The boss of Swiss bank Credit Suisse has said he "deeply regrets" that some of its bankers violated US tax laws.

But Chief Executive Brady Dougan said in a statement to a US Senate committee that there was only "scattered evidence" of improper conduct.

A US Senate report alleged the bank had helped US clients hide billions of dollars from the US taxman.

Mr Dougan admitted some private bankers had helped Americans hide income and assets to illegally avoid US tax.

Deep regret

He said: "We deeply regret that - despite the industry-leading compliance measures we have put in place - before 2009, some Credit Suisse private bankers appear to have violated US law."

"The evidence showed that some Swiss-based private bankers went to great lengths to disguise their bad conduct from Credit Suisse executive management."

The report said that in 2006, Credit Suisse held 22,000 accounts from US customers worth 12bn Swiss francs ($13.5bn; £8.1bn).

Mr Dougan disputed some of the findings of the report, saying the subcommittee wrongly assumed every US client account held in Switzerland was hidden from the US government.

He said the bank was fighting lawsuits in Switzerland from clients trying to prevent it from giving information to the US authorities.

"These are not the actions of an institution flouting US law enforcement or hiding behind Swiss law," he said.

Stalled effort

Currently, the US Justice Department (DOJ) is investigating 14 Swiss banks over tax evasion - five years after UBS admitted to helping US clients hide money.

"It's five years later, and the sad truth is that the era of bank secrecy is not over," said Senator Carl Levin, a democrat from Michigan and chairman of the Senate committee that published the report.

"We have great concern that the battle to collect those unpaid taxes on hidden offshore assets seems stalled."

During the Senate hearing, US politicians lashed out at Credit Suisse executives both over the bank's behaviour and over the Swiss government's perceived obstructions into helping US authorities identify Americans who are evading tax.

"The whole idea that the Swiss government is cooperating with us is a joke," said Mr Levin.

He also scolded the DOJ for having only identified 238 client names from Credit Suisse out of 20,000 accounts.

"To collect those unpaid taxes and hold U.S. tax evaders accountable, the critical first step is to get their names," he said.

According to the report, after Credit Suisse started phasing out its tax evasion practices, the number of Swiss accounts held by US clients at Credit Suisse fell by 85%.

BBC © 2014

Ethnic cleansing' of CAR Muslims

'Ethnic cleansing' of CAR Muslims
Updated 17 minutes ago

Militias have been attacking Muslim civilians
International peacekeepers have failed to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Muslims in the Central African Republic, a human rights group says.

Militia attacks have led to a "Muslim exodus of historic proportions", according to a report by Amnesty International.

Aid groups have warned of a food crisis, as many of the shops and wholesalers were run by Muslims.

The UN's World Food Programme is due to start airlifting aid on Wednesday.

The roads are too dangerous to transport food without a military escort, WFP spokesman Alexis Masciarelli told the BBC.

This means it is being forced to take the more expensive option of flying food in from neighbouring Cameroon.

He said 82 tonnes of rice would arrive on Wednesday, with a further 1,800 tonnes of cereal to follow over the next month.

This is enough to feed 150,000 people but he said 1.25 million need food aid.

With traders and herders fleeing the country, aid organisations fear the food crisis in CAR will only get worse

French peacekeepers have been unable to halt the violence
According to the UN, 90% of the population are eating one meal a day.

France has sent 1,600 troops and African countries 5,500 to CAR to help combat a crisis which has lasted more than a year.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is in Bangui to see the situation for himself.

On Tuesday, UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned that the country risked being divided into Muslim and Christian areas.

"Both Muslims and Christians have been murdered and forced to flee their homes," he said.

"The sectarian brutality is changing the country's demography. The de facto partition of the CAR is a distinct risk."

Muslims are being attacked after a mainly Muslim rebel force seized power last year and was accused of killing Christian civilians.

Its leader stepped down in January but instead of defusing the situation, Christian vigilante groups have been taking revenge on Muslims, forcing them to flee Bangui and other towns.

BBC © 2014

Tunisia assembly passes constitution http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25908340
Tunisia assembly passes constitution
January 27, 2014 3:17 AM

Assembly members waved the Tunisian flag in celebration after the constitution was passed
Tunisia's parliament has adopted a new constitution - the first since the ousting of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali three years ago.

The National Constituent Assembly passed the text by 200 votes from 216.

Analysts say politicians hope it will send out a message of stability after months of deadlock between Islamist and secular forces.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Mehdi Jomaa says he has formed a new caretaker government.

The cabinet consists mainly of independents and technocrats, and is expected to run the country until new elections. No date has been set for the polls.

'Consensus'

After the vote on Sunday, the Tunisian flag was unfurled and parliamentarians embraced each other inside the chamber.

Mehdi Joma became prime minister earlier this month after Ennahda's Ali Larayedh stepped down
"This constitution, without being perfect, is one of consensus," AP quoted assembly speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar as saying.

Parliament agreed the text on Friday after the governing Ennahda party granted a number of concessions, including dropping references to Islamic law.

It guarantees freedom of worship but says Islam is the state religion.

Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party, won the first democratic elections after long-time ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced from power in 2011.

But it has faced fierce opposition from secular groups, who have accused it being too close to militant groups - charges it strongly denies.

It has also been unable to end an economic crisis, another factor in widespread street protests.

The constitution required two-thirds of assembly members to vote in favour. A signing ceremony is expected to follow.

The killing of two secular politicians last year sparked a political crisis in Tunisia.

Earlier this month, Ennahda Prime Minister Ali Larayedh stepped down and was replaced by Mehdi Jomaa, who will head a non-partisan, caretaker government, which is expected to be named in the coming days.

BBC © 2014

Egypt anniversary clashes kill 29 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25888916
Egypt anniversary clashes kill 29
January 25, 2014 11:06 PM

Military helicopters are hovering above Tahrir Square, as Sally Nabil reports
At least 29 people have been killed in clashes in Egypt as the country marks the anniversary of the 2011 uprising which overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, the health ministry says.

Rival demonstrations of supporters and opponents of the military-backed government took place in Cairo.

But police broke up anti-government protests, and arrests were reported in Cairo and Alexandria.

Hundreds have died since July when the army deposed President Mohammed Morsi.

Extra security measures were in place for Saturday.

Flags and banners

Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim had urged Egyptians not to be afraid to go to events marking the anniversary of the uprising.

Thousands of supporters of the military and the government gathered in high-profile locations including Tahrir Square - the focal point of the 18-day 2011 popular revolt.

Participants waved Egyptian flags and banners showing army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whom many urged to run for president.

But police dealt harshly with anti-government protesters in Cairo, with 29 killed and 147 injured in street clashes, health ministry official Ahmed Kamal confirmed to the BBC.

The majority died in Cairo, with two dead in the southern city of Minya and another - a woman - killed in Egypt's second city of Alexandria.

Meanwhile on Saturday, an army helicopter crashed in the restive Sinai peninsula, with an unconfirmed report that its crew of five soldiers was dead.

A large car bomb exploded near a police building in Suez, at the southern entrance of the Suez canal, with reports that nine people were injured.

At least 18 people died in violence on Friday.

Huge crowds turned out in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the focal point of the 2011 uprising - urged on by members of Egypt's military-backed government

Many held posters - such as this one - urging military chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to "complete his good deed" and run for president
Arrests

The BBC's Yolande Knell, in Cairo, says that three years on from an uprising that raised hopes of political reform in the Arab world's most populated country, rival demonstrations are showing the deep divisions.

There is an extreme anti-Islamist emphasis at pro-government rallies, with chants for "the execution of the Brotherhood" and fury at anyone believed to be critical of the post-coup leadership, reports said.

At anti-government protests, police chase protesters into side streets, firing live rounds as well as tear gas and birdshot.

One of those killed was a member of the April 6 movement, which led protests against Mubarak before and during the 2011 uprising and also opposed Mr Morsi, the group said.

Scores of arrests have been reported in Cairo and Egypt's second city, Alexandria - not just of Islamist supporters of deposed President Morsi, but secular opponents of the military government who have also been protesting.

"The only thing allowed is Sisi revolutionaries," one of the activists, blogger Wael Khalil, told the Associated Press news agency.

"This was supposed to be a day to mark the revolution... I don't get it. Do they think that there will be a working democracy this way?"

Opponents of the military regime - both Islamist and secular - attempted to gather but were dispersed by security services using live rounds, tear gas and birdshot

Here, a plain-clothes security officer - holding a gun - detains a a supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the Cairo neighbourhood of Nasr City
Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste - detained by Egyptian authorities for nearly a month - has written a letter from solitary confinement, describing Egypt's prisons as "overflowing with anyone who opposes or challenges the government".

The Anti-Coup Alliance, led by Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, called in a statement for 18 days of protests beginning on Saturday, mirroring the 18 days of protests that three years ago led to Mr Mubarak stepping down.

The Brotherhood has regularly held protests since the overthrow of Mr Morsi. Hundreds of its supporters have been killed, and thousands detained.

It has been declared a "terrorist organisation" and accused by the interim government of being behind a string of violent attacks in recent months, which the Brotherhood denies.

In a defiant statement on Saturday, the Brotherhood vowed not to leave the streets "until it fully regains its rights and breaks the coup and puts the killers on trial", reported AP.

BBC © 2014

New barricades as Kiev talks stall http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25876807

Deadly blasts hit Egypt's capital http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25874370

Syria crises 12014

Since last Thursday, large-scale attacks by an alliance of rebel groups have been taking place across northern and north-eastern Syria on ISIS strongholds and strategic positions. Scores are said to have died, including civilians.
yria rebels urge attacks on rivals http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25647057