US unveils sharp curbs on coal power plants

Aleem Maqbool reports from "coal country" in West Virginia

The Obama administration has proposed strong new rules targeting coal-burning power plants in an effort to curb global warming.

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan seeks to cut carbon emissions by 30% by 2030.

The 645-page rule is a centrepiece of President Barack Obama's plans to leverage similar commitments from polluting nations like China and India.

States must submit initial compliance plans by June 2016.

"We are here to protect public health and the environment," EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said on Monday, arguing climate change was "supercharging" risks to health, communities and the economy.

"This was the preferred path forward," she added. "Climate inaction is costing us more money in more places, more often."

The rules seek to reduce carbon emissions by 30% below 2005 levels, which the EPA says is equal to the emissions from powering more than half the homes in the US for one year.

Particle pollution, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides may also be reduced by more than 25% as a co-benefit, the EPA wrote.

Critics have argued the new US rules will cause power plants to close and electricity prices to rise.

"Miners are losing their jobs, families are struggling to make ends meet and there is no relief in sight from the heavy hand of Obama's EPA," Republican Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito wrote in a statement.

But the EPA estimates the new rules will shrink electricity bills by 8% by increasing energy efficiency and reducing demand on the electricity system.

"They're wrong," Ms McCarthy said. "We have never, nor will we ever, have to choose between a healthy economy and a healthy environment."

Administration officials have described the new rules as a step toward achieving a pledge Mr Obama made in his first year in office to make sizeable cuts in US carbon emissions by 2020.

The Democratic president has been unable to persuade Republicans in Congress to act on climate change legislation.

A 2010 Democratic effort to pass a bill limiting carbon-dioxide emissions and allowing companies to buy and sell permits to pollute was blocked by Senate Republicans.

Now, the Obama administration is relying on a 2007 US Supreme Court ruling that gave the EPA, part of the executive branch of the US government under Mr Obama's control, the authority to regulate carbon dioxide under the Clean Air Act.

The new rules are expected to be finalised in June 2015 after a period of public comment.

States are then required to submit initial plans for compliance to the EPA by June 2016. They can petition for additional time - up to June 2018 - should it be required.

Strategies for state compliance may include increasing nuclear or solar power, switching to natural gas, or moving towards an emissions-trading plan known as cap-and-trade.

Read More

King Juan Carlos of Spain abdicates

King Juan Carlos said his son Prince Felipe would "open a new era of hope"

King Juan Carlos of Spain has announced his intention to abdicate, after nearly 40 years on the throne.

"A new generation must be at the forefront... younger people with new energies," the 76-year-old king said in a televised address.

His son, Crown Prince Felipe, 45, will take over the throne.

For much of his reign, Juan Carlos was seen as one of the world's most popular monarchs, but recently many Spaniards have lost confidence in him.

His reputation has been tarnished by a long-running corruption investigation into the business dealings of his daughter and her husband.

King Juan Carlos, 76, has had health problems in recent years

Support for the king fell further when it was discovered he had been on a lavish elephant hunting trip to Botswana in April 2012, in the middle of Spain's financial crisis.

The first announcement about the abdication came from Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who told reporters: "His Majesty King Juan Carlos has just informed me of his desire to renounce the throne and begin the process of succession."

Later, the king himself said in a televised address that it was time for a "new era" in which a new generation could take on the transformations and reforms required.

He said his son, Prince Felipe, had the maturity and preparation to be king.

Analysis: Tom Burridge, BBC Madrid correspondent

Prince Felipe will take over from his father

King Juan Carlos' abdication will be a surprise to most people in Spain, but not a shock.

At the beginning of this year, before his youngest daughter appeared in court in a major corruption investigation, the Spanish media was awash with speculation about the king's future.

But in a briefing I attended shortly before then, the king's chief of staff insisted that the "abdication option" was not on the cards.

Royal officials said the king's popularity was improving after a clear decline in the polls - and they insisted that his mobility was also getting better, after several operations to his hips.

The Royal Household has always been keen for any decision over abdication to not come in the wake of intense media pressure. That is because Republicanism is a relatively potent force in Spain.

Royal officials are describing this as a "personal" decision, which the king has been considering ever since his 76th birthday in January.

Spain does not have a precise law regulating abdication and royal succession, and Mr Rajoy said ministers would hold a special meeting to discuss the process by which the prince would take over as Felipe VI.

The prime minister said Juan Carlos had been a "tireless defender of our interests".

"I'm convinced this is the best moment for change," he added.

Pivotal role

Juan Carlos took the throne on the death of General Francisco Franco, the right-wing dictator who ruled for 36 years after his victory over Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War.

The king became Spain's first crowned head of state for 44 years.

But he soon ignored Franco's supporters, who wanted an extension to autocratic rule, and ushered in a new system of parliamentary monarchy.

As the years went on the king involved himself less in day-to-day politics, and became more of a figurehead.

The king said in his announcement that he looked back on his reign with "pride and gratitude"

Juan Carlos (l) became king two days after the death of General Franco (r)

A legal investigation into Princess Cristina and her husband has tarnished the king's image

But Prince Felipe and his wife have seen their popularity rise in recent years

He has been credited as a stabilising force for independence-minded areas such as Catalonia and the Basque region, and he also helped defuse an attempted coup in 1981.

Until a few years ago his popularity was high, but the hunting trip and corruption allegations involving his youngest daughter, Cristina, and her husband Inaki Urdangarin, led to calls for him to step aside.

The king's son and successor, Felipe, appears to have been untarnished by the scandal.

Felipe and his wife - former television presenter Princess Letizia - have recently taken on more important roles in ceremonial events.

Recent European Abdications

June 2014: King Juan Carlos of Spain steps down, saying he is passing the role to a younger, energised generation.

July 2013: Belgian King Albert II abdicates in favour of his son, Philippe, for health reasons.

April 2013: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands hands the throne to her son Prince Willem-Alexander, saying he is ready to reign and it is time for the throne to be held by "a new generation".

But the BBC's Ignacio del los Reyes, in Spain, says there is still concern over whether the couple will be able to save a damaged institution.

On social networks, people are already asking whether it is time for Spain to become a republic, and some parties are calling for constitutional reform and a popular vote to pave the way for this change.

But the two main parties in parliament remain loyal to the monarchy, our correspondent says.

Read More

Ukraine crisis: Ghost train from Moscow to Donetsk

Steve Rosenberg: A usually busy train is remarkably empty

By Steve RosenbergBBC News, Donetsk

At Moscow's Kursky Railway Station I get on board Train 77. Minutes later we're moving: 12 carriages creaking, clanking. It's as if they're in pain as they push away from the platform.

My destination is Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. Normally I'd fly, but fighting has closed Donetsk airport.

On Train 77, I expect the journey to take at least 19 hours. That leaves plenty of time for conversation.

I get chatting to one of my fellow passengers, an accountant called Yuri. He's not travelling all the way to Ukraine.

But he has strong opinions about what's happening there.

"It's a civil war. In eastern Ukraine people are fighting for their freedom," Yuri tells me.

"If they ask to become part of Russia, Russia should say yes, because we're one big family."

Three hours later, it's the first stop, Tula. I jump down on to the platform to buy some sweet-smelling local gingerbread filled with jam. This will be my dinner: Train 77 doesn't have a restaurant car.

There is plenty of time to put your feet up

Back on board, something has changed.

As the intercity rumbles through the Russian countryside, curiously I'm now the only passenger in the whole carriage.

I investigate the next carriage: it is completely empty. Suddenly 77 feels like a ghost train.

"It's sad, isn't it?" says the guard in my carriage.

She tells me that at this time of year her train is normally packed with Russian holidaymakers heading to the eastern Ukrainian resort of Mariupol.

"Now, people are too scared to go. Who wants to get shot going to the seaside?"

Off route

But there are some passengers who remain on the train. In another carriage I meet Nastya and her three-year old daughter Taisiya.

They are travelling to Mariupol, because that is where they live. They have been away visiting relatives.

The tranquil landscape conceals the fact that there is shelling and shooting in nearby flashpoints

"Back home people are upset and scared," Nastya says. "We must get back to our family. We're hoping for the best but fearing the worst."

The nearer we get to Ukraine, the more surreal the journey becomes.

When the train stops in Belgorod at three o'clock in the morning, a man walks into my compartment and tries to sell me a toy: a fluffy hamster that repeats everything you say to it.

When I politely decline, he whips out a doll and a radio in the shape of a car.

Then the border guards come knocking.

First the Russians. They quiz me about where I'm heading and why, and scan all my documents.

Further down the line, the Ukrainian border guards board the train. They ask me to open my cases and show them proof of a Donetsk hotel booking.

We push on through eastern Ukraine.

Out of the window there is no sign of shelling or shooting.

It is a picture of tranquillity: cows grazing in the fields, people on bicycles, old ladies tending to their allotments.

But the unrest in eastern Ukraine is affecting the route. Train 77 used to make stops in Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Horlivka - towns that have become flashpoints for conflict. A detour is required.

At one point the train makes an unscheduled stop at a village station. The guard tells me she doesn't know which route the train will take from here to Donetsk. It depends on the latest security situation.

Eventually, twenty one hours after leaving Moscow, we pull into Donetsk station and I leave my empty carriage.

As long as the conflict in eastern Ukraine continues, the trains out of here will have far more passengers than the trains coming in.

"We're hoping for the best but fearing the worst”

NastyaMariupol resident

Read More

Bowe Bergdahl release: US parties clash on Afghan deal

Beth McLeod reports on Afghan government anger over the release

The main US political parties have clashed over the deal to swap five Guantanamo Bay detainees for a Taliban-held soldier, with Republicans warning it could put American lives at risk.

Senator John McCain said the detainees, who were transferred to Qatar, were some of the "highest high-risk people".

Afghanistan also attacked the deal, saying handing prisoners to a third country was against international law.

Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, 28, was handed to US forces in Afghanistan on Saturday.

In an emotional address on Sunday, his father, Robert Bergdahl, said he was proud how far his son was willing to go to help the Afghan people, but warned that his recovery would take a long time.

He said he and his wife had not yet spoken to the soldier, who is in a good condition and currently undergoing medical care at a US military hospital in Germany.

The home town of Hailey, Idaho, is celebrating Bowe Bergdahl's release

Legality

Several Republicans have spoken out against the deal, warning that it set a worrying precedent and amounted to negotiating with terrorists.

Mr McCain said the Taliban released were "possibly responsible for the deaths of thousands" and may have "the ability to re-enter the fight", in comments to CBS TV.

Republican chairman of the House intelligence committee, Mike Rogers, told CNN that Washington had "now set a price" for al-Qaeda ransom threats.

Chuck Hagel: "No shots were fired - it went as well as it could have"

Republican representative Adam Kinzinger said he would celebrate Sgt Bergdahl's return but called the release of the Taliban men "shocking".

Questions were raised over the legality of the deal, after the Obama administration did not give Congress sufficient notice about the transfer of the Taliban detainees.

But US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel, who is currently in Afghanistan, was quick to dismiss allegations of wrongdoing, saying the military had to act quickly "to essentially save his life".

"We didn't negotiate with terrorists... As I said and explained before, Sergeant Bergdahl was a prisoner of war. That's a normal process in getting your prisoners back," he told NBC TV.

US National Security Adviser Susan Rice said that Sgt Bergdahl's failing health had created an "acute urgency" to act and therefore made it "necessary and appropriate" not to adhere to the 30-day notification requirement.

     A video grab image from 2010 showed Sgt Bergdahl in captivity

The Afghan government, which was not informed of the deal until after the exchange had taken place, condemned it as a "breach of international law" and urged the US and Qatar to "let the men go free".

The five detainees are thought to be the most senior Afghans held at the US detention facility in Cuba, having been captured during America's military campaign in 2001.

In a rare public statement on Sunday, Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar described the exchange as a "big victory".

But President Barack Obama said that he had received security guarantees from Qatar - which mediated the deal - "that it will put in place measures to protect our national security".

They have been banned from leaving Qatar for at least a year.

Who are the Guantanamo detainees?

The five released Afghan inmates had all been held at Guantanamo since 2002

Mohammad Fazl served as the Taliban's deputy defence minister during America's military campaign in 2001. Accused of possible war crimes, including the murder of thousands of Shia Muslims.

Khirullah Khairkhwa was a senior Taliban official serving as interior minister and governor of Herat, Afghanistan's third largest city. Alleged to have had direct links to Osama Bin Laden.

Abdul Haq Wasiq was the Taliban's deputy minister of intelligence. Said to have been central in forming alliances with other Islamist groups to fight against US and coalition forces.

Mullah Norullah Noori was a senior Taliban military commander and a governor. Also accused of being involved in the mass killings of Shia Muslims.

Mohammad Nabi Omari held multiple Taliban leadership roles, including chief of security. Alleged to have been involved in attacks against US and coalition forces.

Sgt Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, was the only US soldier being held by the Taliban in Afghanistan. He was serving with an infantry regiment in Paktika province, near the Pakistani border, when he went missing on 30 June 2009.

"Bowe's been gone for so long that it's going to be difficult to come back," his father told journalists on Sunday.

Jani and Bob Bergdahl spoke of their love and pride for their son, Sgt Bowe Bergdahl, and said he would need time to ''decompress''

"It's like a diver going deep on a dive and [having] to stage back up through decompression to get the nitrogen bubbles out of his system. If he comes up too fast, it could kill him."

The circumstances of Sgt Bergdahl's capture remain unclear, with speculation he may have walked away from his base out of disillusionment with the US campaign.

US officials say any decision over possible desertion charges will be made by the army, but there is a feeling the soldier has suffered enough.

Read More

Pele son Edinho sentenced to 33 years in Brazil for money laundering

Edinho is a retired footballer who played goalkeeper for Pele's old club, Santos

The son of the Brazilian football legend Pele has been sentenced to 33 years in jail for laundering money raised from drug trafficking.

Edinho is a retired footballer who played goalkeeper for Pele's old club, Santos, in the 1990s.

He was first arrested in 2005 and has served a sentence for drug trafficking offences and links with a notorious drug dealer in the city of Santos.

He admits he had a drug problem but denies the trafficking charges.

The ruling was issued by a judge in the nearby coastal city of Praia Grande, in Sao Paulo state.

Brazilian media have not been able to contact Edinho, whose real name is Edson Cholbi do Nascimento, but they say he is expected to appeal.

Edinho, 43, works as a goalkeeping coach at Santos.

US childhood

Pele, or Edson Arantes do Nascimento, played all his professional career in Brazil for Santos.

Playing for Brazil, he won the World Cup in 1958, 1962 and 1970 and was acclaimed as the greatest footballer of his generation.

Pele won the World Cup three times with Brazil and scored more than 1,200 goals in his career

He retired in 1974, but made a comeback a year later for New York Cosmos.

Edinho is Pele's third son from his first marriage. He was five when the family moved to New York to play for Cosmos.

When he returned to Brazil he decided to pursue a career in professional football - as a goalkeeper, much to his father's surprise.

He was Santos' goalkeeper in 1995 when the team reached the Brazilian league final, losing the title to Botafogo.

His detention and alleged involvement with drug gangs took most people in Brazil by surprise.

Pele, now 73, went to visit his son several times in jail.

"God willing, justice will be done. There is not a shred of evidence against my son," he said in 2006.

Edinho said that his father was his idol.

Four other people have also been convicted for many laundering, including a man accused of controlling much of the drug trafficking in the region - Ronaldo Duarte Barsotti, known as Naldinho.

Read More

Police remove bodies from Jim Clark Rally crash site

Police Scotland were continuing to investigate the crash on Sunday morning

Police officers have started to remove the bodies of three people killed at a motor rally in the Scottish Borders.

They were left at the scene of the incident near Coldstream as light faded on Saturday evening.

Police Scotland said those killed when a car taking part in the Jim Clark Rally left the road at about 16:00 BST were from the Greater Glasgow area.

They were a 63-year-old woman, and two men, one aged 64 and the other aged 71. Their names have not been released.

Two men remain in a critical condition after being injured in the Coldstream crash and another at nearby Eccles two hours earlier.

Both are being treated at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Rally organisers immediately halted the event after the fatal crash.

The section of road where that incident took place, at Little Swinton, remains sealed off while specialist officers carry out an investigation.

Sunday prayers

Andrew Kerr, BBC Scotland reporter

The Flodden Bell rang at the Swinton Kirk this morning to gather the faithful.

The minister, the Reverend Alan Cartwright, led worshipers.

Psalm 122 was to be the first hymn sung: "I joy'd when to the House of God".

It was replaced by the more sombre "O God our help in ages past".

Mr Cartwright spoke about the accident and remembered the victims in his prayers.

The stewards and spectators were also prayed for - "God was with them in their joy and in their pain," the minister said.

After the service, in the quiet kirkyard, the church members spoke of their shock that such a tragic incident took place in their community.

Removing bodies

Supt Phil O'Kane of Police Scotland said officers were working to "forensically and sympathetically remove the deceased" from the scene.

He added: "We secured the scene last night, it was fading light, and the practicalities meant body removal was not an option, so they will be recovered over the course of today and police are working on that.

"We will also ensure we contact the next of kin and we will put in place all necessary family support for them."

The rally car remains at the scene of the accident with two white tents also erected on the road.

A forensic officer was also seen filming at a junction close to where the crash took place.

The car involved in the second crash came to rest in a field close to a narrow bridge on the road

Police closed the road to allow investigation and recovery work to be carried out

The event was cancelled immediately after a fatal collision at Little Swinton, near Coldstream on Saturday

One eyewitness of the second incident, Tony Cowan, told the BBC how the car "lost control".

"It went sideways one way and then to the other side of the road and ploughed into four people.

"It was terrible, absolutely terrible. I ran to help but there was little I could do. The air ambulance arrived after about three quarters of an hour. There were police cars and ambulances. It was chaos, just chaos," he said.

Race marshal Anne Reay said it was the "worst outcome you could have asked for".

Laura Bicker, BBC Scotland correspondent, said several witnesses had since contacted the BBC to say they were concerned about spectators standing in dangerous areas along the rally route.

"Clearly that is something the organisers will be looking at and something the police will be investigating as part of their inquiries," she said.

A statement on the Jim Clark Rally website extended organisers' "heartfelt condolences and sympathy" to all those affected by the "tragic events".

A statement added: "Berwick and District Motor Club, Border Ecosse Car Club and the governing body, the Motor Sports Association (MSA), are co-operating fully with the police investigation.

"As with any serious incident on a motor sport event, the MSA will conduct its own thorough inquiry once the police investigation is concluded."

'Black day'

Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond called the tragedy "desperately sad and difficult news".

He added: "The Jim Clark Rally is a long-standing event of over 40 years. It is much loved in the Borders and by the rally driving community who I know will share in our sadness at what is a black day for the Borders and for Scotland."

MSP John Lamont: "There was a real sense of disbelief and shock"

Local MSP John Lamont said his "thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families".

"I know the rally organisers place considerable emphasis on the safety of the spectators and drivers but, with any event of this nature, there will always be an element of risk," he said.

Mr Lamont said it was "appropriate that questions are asked and investigations are carried out to ensure that in the future nothing like this happens again".

The annual rally takes place over three days on closed roads in the Duns and Kelso areas of the Borders, attracting thousands of people from across the UK.

It is held in honour of Scottish former Formula 1 champion Jim Clark, who died in a 1968 motor racing accident in Germany.

Read More

Australia flights resume as volcanic ash disperses

As Elaine Jung reports, the cloud of ash prompted flight cancellations but is now dispersing

Australian airlines are resuming flights in and out of the northern city of Darwin after a volcanic ash cloud that forced cancellations dispersed.

Operations at Darwin International Airport were returning to normal on Sunday afternoon.

However, ash is still emerging from Indonesia's Mount Sangeang Api volcano and further flight disruption is not ruled out.

Friday's eruption also affected some services to Bali.

'Rather significant'

Hundreds of passengers were caught out by the cancellations.

However, Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia have all now either resumed flights to Darwin or are about to.

Hundreds of passengers were caught out by the cancellations

Volcanic ash can be extremely dangerous to aircraft as the fine particles can damage engines.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss had warned it could take days for Australian services to return to normal.

Emile Jansons, manager of the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, told Reuters on Sunday: "With the volcano continuing to erupt, we can still see a significant amount of ash around the volcano at the moment.

"Our biggest concern is that the boundary of the ash cloud is not very far away from Bali and if there is another larger eruption then the ash could move and affect that airspace."

The island of Sangeang Api has no permanent residents after they vacated following an eruption in 1988. Farmers nearby have reportedly been told to leave the area.

Indonesia lies across a series of geological fault-lines and is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

There are about 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Tens of thousands of people fled their homes and several people were killed after a volcano erupted in east Java in February.

Read More

Hope fades for climbers missing on US Mount Rainier

Mount Rainier stands at 14,410ft and attracts thousands of climbers each year

Hopes are fading for six climbers who have gone missing on Mount Rainier in the north-western US state of Washington.

A Mount Rainier National Park spokeswoman said camping gear had been found and distress signals heard from the group's avalanche beacons.

She said there was little chance for survival.

The group, from Seattle's Alpine Ascents International, was last heard from on Wednesday.

There were two guides and four clients in the party, which began a five-day expedition last Monday.

'Extreme conditions'

The park spokeswoman, Fawn Bauer, told Reuters the camping gear was found more than 3,000ft (900m) below the group's last known position and the group may have been caught in an avalanche.

"We don't believe there was a viable chance for survival," she said.

The search effort has been suspended.

Ms Bauer said: "It would expose our rangers to pretty extreme conditions, so we are not able to do any kind of ground searching of that area. And, in all honesty, we may never be able to get on the ground there."

The last contact was via satellite phone on Wednesday at an elevation of 12,800ft.

At that time a rain system was sweeping through.

When the party failed to return on Friday a helicopter was despatched.

Mount Rainier stands at 14,410ft and attracts thousands of climbers each year.

Read More