Spain's ham radio king to abdicate

King Juan Carlos of Spain, who holds the amateur radio callsign EA0JC, 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.

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.

Read the full BBC News story at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27662301