Medium

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 0955 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 0953 "I'm convinced this is the best moment for change," Mr Rajoy added. 0952 Mr Rajoy praised Juan Carlos as a "tireless defender" of Spain's interests, describing him as "the best spokesman for the monarchy". 0951 "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. 0951 Sp...

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 b...

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 sti...

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.

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 pu...

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

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

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 Mit...

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 ...

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 account...

'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. ...

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 pri...

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 in...

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

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