Nelson Mandela Treated For Lung Infection

Nelson Mandela is responding to medical treatment after suffering a recurrence of a lung infection, the South African government has said.

The 94-year-old former president is spending his fourth day in hospital in Pretoria after being flown there from his home village in a remote part of the Eastern Cape province.

Referring to Mr Mandela by his clan name, the government said in a statement: "Doctors have concluded the tests, and these have revealed a recurrence of a previous lung infection, for which Madiba is receiving appropriate treatment and he is responding to the treatment."

The former president was admitted to hospital on Saturday and is said to have suffered breathing difficulties since 2011.

In an interview late on Monday, Mr Mandela's wife Graca Machel said it was painful to see him growing more frail.

"I mean, this spirit and this sparkle, you see that somehow it's fading," she told eNews Channel Africa

"To see him ageing, it's something also which pains you. You understand and you know it has to happen."

South African President Jacob Zuma has said Mr Mandela is "in good hands" and has thanked the public for their support.

The country's government has asked its citizens to respect the beloved politician's privacy.

Mr Mandela is a national icon of racial reconciliation after he spent 27 years in prison fighting apartheid and became South Africa's first black president in 1994.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner made his last public appearance at the 2010 football World Cup hosted by South Africa.

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Royal Nurse: Radio Gives £320K To Family Fund

A memorial fund for the family of the dead nurse who was the victim of the royal hoax call has been set up by the radio station responsible for the prank.

Southern Cross Austereo, the parent company of radio station 2Day FM, said the remainder of the profits for 2012 should go to a memorial fund to benefit Jacintha Saldhana's family.

The sum is expected to amount to AUS$500,000 (£326,000).

It has also cancelled its Christmas party, saying it would be "inappropriate" to go ahead with the celebrations, and would instead donate the money it would have spent to charity.

Rhys Holleran, SCA's chief executive, said: "We are very sorry for what has happened. It is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts continue to be with the family.

"We hope that by contributing to a memorial fund we can help to provide the Saldanha family with the support they need at this very difficult time."

A post-mortem examination on Ms Saldanha, who initially answered the prank call made to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge, is being held today.

Ms Saldanha's family have been left "devastated" by their loss

Ms Saldanha was found dead on Friday days after she was tricked by Australian radio hosts Mel Greig and Michael Christian, who called the King Edward VII Hospital in central London.

She transferred the presenters, believing they were the Queen and the Prince of Wales, to a colleague who divulged details about Kate's treatment for severe morning sickness.

Ms Saldanha, 46, from Bristol, was found dead in a block of nurses' flats close to the hospital, where she stayed while working in London.

MP Keith Vaz met her family on Monday and said they had been "devastated" by the loss of a "loving mother and a loving wife".

Flanked by Ms Saldanha's husband Benedict Barboza and her two teenage children, Mr Vaz said: "They miss her every moment of every day, but they are really grateful to the support of the British public and to the public overseas for the messages of support and kindness."

Mr Vaz has called for the hospital to provide the family with more support and to hold an inquiry.

His criticism came after the DJs broke their silence about the nurse's death.

Interviewed on Australian TV networks, the 2Day FM presenters said there had been a "tragic turn of events no-one could have predicted or expected".

Mr Christian and Ms Greig have spoken emotionally about the tragedy

Police in London have contacted their Australian counterparts with a view to interviewing the pair ahead of an inquest into Ms Saldanha's death.

In response to Mr Vaz's criticism the hospital said its chief executive John Lofthouse had spoken to the nurse's husband on Friday by phone and offered to meet him whenever he wanted.

Under Australian regulations, the permission of anyone on the receiving end of a radio prank must be sought before the call can be broadcast.

The hospital has denied that anyone within its senior management or media unit was contacted.

The radio station insists appropriate checks were conducted before the pre-recorded item was broadcast.

Ms Saldanha was originally from Mangalore in southwest India, according to reports which have named her children as daughter Lisha, 14, and son Junal, 16.

Scotland Yard said the post-mortem would be held at Westminster Mortuary and it was likely an inquest would be opened and adjourned at Westminster Coroner's Court later this week

The Duchess of Cambridge has cancelled an appearance at the UK premiere of The Hobbit tomorrow because of her pregnancy sickness but The Duke of Cambridge will attend.

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Lottery Winner Murder: Dorice Moore Found Guilty

A woman has been convicted of murdering a lottery winner and then burying his body underneath a concrete slab at her home in central Florida.

Dorice "Dee Dee" Moore showed no emotion as the verdict was read out and the judge sent her to jail for life for shooting dead Abraham Shakespeare, who had won $17m (£10.5m) in 2006. 

Prosecutors said Moore befriended him in late 2008, claiming she was writing a book about how people were taking advantage of him.

They claimed Moore later became Mr Shakespeare's financial adviser but eventually controlled every asset he had left, including an expensive home, the debt owed to him and a $1.5 million (£933k) annuity.

"She got every bit of his money," Assistant State Attorney Jay Pruner said in closing arguments. "He found out about it and threatened to kill her. She killed him first."

The court was told Moore tried to cover up the 43-year-old's death for almost a year, including sending letters and text messages to his family to make it appear he was still alive.

She also allegedly paid a friend to pretend to be Mr Shakespeare, and then call the dead man's mother to say he was okay, but wanted to be left alone.

Dorice Moore showed little emotion in court. Pic: ABC ActionNews

Moore claimed she had been trying to help protect the Lakeland lottery winner's assets from a pending child support case when he was killed by drug dealers.

Her lawyer Byron Hileman argued that there were other potential suspects whom prosecutors refused to consider.

"There were a lot of people who owed Mr Shakespeare a lot of money. One guy owed him a million dollars," he said during his closing arguments.

"The police focused on Dee Dee Moore and they didn't even consider other people."

Moore was briefly banned from the courtroom in Tampa on Monday over concerns that she may have threatened jurors.

She was back a short time later for closing arguments but said she did not want to testify in order to protect her family.

Describing her as  "cold, calculating and cruel, Judge Emmett Battles told Moore that she was probably the most manipulative person the court had ever seen.

"Abraham Shakespeare was your prey and your victim. Money was the root of the evil you brought to Abraham," he said.

Moore has 30 days to appeal against the sentence.

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Strauss-Kahn Agrees Deal Over Sex Assault Case

Former International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit brought by a hotel maid who accused him of sexually assaulting her.

Details of the financial agreement between Nafissatou Diallo and Mr Strauss-Kahn will remain confidential, according to the judge in the case.

"About 10 minutes ago we reached a settlement in this case which was put on record," Douglas McKeon told the court at the start of a hearing in New York.

A French newspaper reported last month that the settlement would be in the region of $10m (£6.2m).

Ms Diallo accused Mr Strauss-Kahn of attacking her in a $3,000-a-night hotel suite at the Sofitel Hotel in Manhattan on May 14, 2011.

She alleged he forced her to perform oral sex on him after emerging naked from the bathroom, but the 63-year-old Frenchman said it was consensual.

Nafissatou Diallo outside the court in New York

The ensuing scandal forced Mr Strauss-Kahn from his role at the IMF and put an end to his ambitions to run for the French presidency.

However, criminal charges were dropped after prosecutors developed concerns about the Guinean immigrant's credibility.

These included what they said were inconsistencies in her account of what happened immediately following the incident. Ms Diallo insists she has always told the truth about the encounter.

Outside the court, the maid's lawyer, Ken Thompson, said: "Ms Diallo is a strong and courageous woman who never lost faith in our system of justice. With this resolution she can now move on with her life."

Ms Diallo herself made a short statement thanking her supporters.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, who has quietly resumed his career in recent months with speeches at private conferences and the establishment of a consulting firm, was not at the hearing in New York.

He is still awaiting a decision by a French court on whether he will face trial on pimping charges.

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HSBC To Pay £1.2bn In Money Laundering Case

Record Fine: HSBC's Statement

Updated: 8:39am UK, Tuesday 11 December 2012

HSBC released the following statement after confirming it will pay $1.9bn (£1.2bn) to the US Department of Justice over money-laundering.

HSBC has reached agreement with United States authorities in relation to investigations regarding inadequate compliance with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.

This includes a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the US Department of Justice. HSBC has also reached agreement to achieve a global resolution with all other US government agencies that have investigated HSBC's past conduct related to these issues and anticipates finalising an undertaking with the United Kingdom Financial Services Authority shortly.

Under these agreements, HSBC will make payments totaling $1.921bn, continue to cooperate fully with regulatory and law enforcement authorities, and take further action to strengthen its compliance policies and procedures.

Stuart Gulliver, Group Chief Executive, said: "We accept responsibility for our past mistakes. We have said we are profoundly sorry for them, and we do so again. The HSBC of today is a fundamentally different organisation from the one that made those mistakes. Over the last two years, under new senior leadership, we have been taking concrete steps to put right what went wrong and to participate actively with government authorities in bringing to light and addressing these matters.

"While we welcome the clarity that these agreements bring, ensuring the highest standards wherever we do business is an ongoing process. We are committed to protecting the integrity of the global financial system. To this end we will continue to work closely with governments and regulators around the world."

In the past several years, the Board of HSBC Holdings plc has taken decisive action to direct management to fix past shortcomings as they have come to light. Since 2011, with new senior leadership teams in place at both HSBC Group and HSBC North America, HSBC has taken extensive and concerted steps to put in place the highest standards for the future.

The Department of Justice has recognised these efforts in the DPA: "Management has made significant strides in improving 'tone from the top' and ensuring that a culture of compliance permeates the institution. The efforts of management have dramatically improved HSBC Bank USA's and HSBC Group's Bank Secrecy Act / Anti-Money Laundering and Office of Foreign Assets Control compliance programmes."

As noted in the DPA, HSBC Bank USA already has, over the past several years, undertaken the following voluntary remedial measures:

• increased its spending on anti-money laundering (AML) approximately nine-fold between 2009 and 2011;
• increased its AML staffing nearly ten-fold between 2010 and 2012;
• revamped its Know Your Customer programme, including treating non-US HSBC Group Affiliates as third parties subject to the same due diligence as all other customers;
• exited 109 correspondent relationships for risk reasons;
• clawed back bonuses for a number of senior officers, and
• spent over $290m on remedial measures.

HSBC Group has also undertaken a comprehensive overhaul of its structure, controls, and procedures. A number of these improvements is included in the DPA. Among other measures, HSBC Group has:

• simplified its control structure, allowing the Group to manage risks worldwide more effectively;
• elevated the role of Group Compliance and given it direct oversight over every compliance officer globally, so that both accountability and escalation now flow directly to and from HSBC Group Compliance;
• created the new role of Head of Group Financial Crime Compliance and Group Money Laundering Reporting Officer, who will help to establish a Global Financial Intelligence Unit;
• made other new senior hires with extensive experience handling relevant international legal and regulatory issues, including a new Chief Legal Officer and a new Global General Counsel for Litigation and Regulatory Affairs;
• adopted a set of guidelines limiting business in those countries that pose a high financial crime risk;
• issued a new global sanctions policy using a more extensive and consistent set of lists to screen all cross-border payments;
• commenced a review of all Know Your Customer files across the entire Group - the first phase of this remediation will cost an estimated $700m over five years, and
• undertaken to implement single global standards shaped by the highest or most effective anti-money laundering standards available in any location where the HSBC Group operates.

Over the five-year term of the agreement with the Department of Justice, an independent monitor will evaluate HSBC's progress in fully implementing these and other measures it recommends, and will produce regular assessments of the effectiveness of HSBC's compliance function.

The agreement notes that HSBC Bank USA and HSBC Group have "provided valuable assistance to law enforcement." HSBC conducted multiple extensive internal investigations, voluntarily made employees available for interviews, and collected, analysed and organised voluminous evidence and information.

HSBC is firmly committed to putting in place robust standards that will help promote the integrity of the global financial system. 

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Egypt: Masked Gunmen Fire On Cairo Protesters

Masked gunmen have opened fire on opposition protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, peppering them with birdshot and injuring nine of them.

Police cars surrounded the scene of the attack but officials said it was unclear who was responsible, as the unrest in the country heads into its third week.

It happened at the start of another day of protest against President Mohamed Morsi and his proposed new constitution.

According to witnesses, the gunmen also threw petrol bombs which started a small fire.

Tanks have been deployed to protect the presidential palace

John Gerges, a Christian Egyptian, said:  "The masked men came suddenly and attacked the protesters in Tahrir. The attack was meant to deter us and prevent us from protesting today.

"We oppose these terror tactics and will stage the biggest protest possible today."

Further violent clashes are anticipated after Mr Morsi announced on Sunday that he will hold a referendum on the new constitution.

Opponents announced a day of protest saying the move was an empty gesture and that the new charter fails to guarantee basic rights with its emphasis on Islam and Sharia law.

A banner in Tahrir Square reads: 'No to constitution'

President Morsi has ordered the Army to cooperate with police to tackle the protesters and protect presidential institutions until after the vote on Saturday.

Tanks and armed troops have surrounded the presidential palace in Cairo since Thursday after running street battles between Mr Morsi's supporters and his opponents, which left seven dead and 700 injured.

Despite their presence they have not confronted the thousands of protesters who have gathered there.

The army took control of the country following the downfall of Hosni Mubarak's regime but has since sought to remain a neutral force.

Anti-Morsi protesters outside the presidential palace

Mahmoud Ghozlan, the spokesman for Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood party, said the opposition could stage protests but should keep the peace.

"They are free to boycott, participate or say no; they can do what they want. The important thing is that it remains in a peaceful context to preserve the country's safety and security," he said.

The latest outbreak of violence in Egypt has sparked concern among Western leaders. They have criticised Mr Morsi's attempt to adopt sweeping powers, which triggered the protests more than two weeks ago.

He reversed the decision at the weekend but his determination to push through a new and hastily drawn-up constitution has sparked fresh unrest.

If the new charter is rejected in Saturday's vote, Mr Morsi has promised to have a new one produced by 100 officials chosen directly by the public rather than appointed by the Islamist-dominated parliament.

However, analysts say it is unlikely that the new constitution will not win support in a referendum.

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Italy: PM Monti Urged To Challenge Berlusconi

Italian technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti has been urged to stay in politics to keep his country's economy on track after his shock decision to resign early.

Mr Monti, who has been credited with restoring confidence in Italy's economy, announced at the weekend that he would stand down by the end of the year.

But pressure is now mounting on him to remain in politics to prevent a return of the crisis which brought him to power a year ago, when he was charged with rescuing the eurozone's third biggest economy from the threat of a Greek-style collapse.

According to the Financial Times, Mr Monti is being courted by centrist parties in Italy to stand in February's elections. Other leaders in Europe and the Catholic Church would also like him to stay on in order to safeguard his reforms.

Mr Monti, who is understood to be undecided about whether or not to run for office, announced he would resign early as former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged to return to frontline politics.

The technocrat said he found it impossible to lead after Mr Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party, parliament's largest, withdrew its support for his government.

Silvio Berlusconi stepped into politics in the mid-1990s

The news rattled financial markets on Monday. Italy's borrowing costs rose and bond yields soared as investors feared that efforts to get the 17-country eurozone's third largest economy back in shape would be slowed.

Mr Berlusconi's decision to run for office also prompted negative comments from foreign politicians and media, worried by the prospect of a return to an old-style Italian political crisis and, like the markets, that a leadership change in Italy could derail Europe's efforts to tackle its financial crisis.

The centre-right leader in turn reacted angrily to the backlash, calling it an offensive interference in domestic affairs.

The 76-year-old media mogul also hit out at Mr Monti's reform agenda, saying it had dragged Italy into recession and forced him reluctantly to run for a fifth term.

Mr Berlusconi accused the technocrat government of pursuing economic policies dictated by Germany, which had taken advantage of the financial crisis to lower its own borrowing costs at the expense of other states.

He said Mr Monti's government had been compliant in following a harmful austerity policies set by other European countries.

"The Monti government has followed the Germano-centric policies which Europe has tried to impose on other states and it has created a crisis situation which is much worse than where we were when we were in government," Mr Berlusconi told his own Canale 5 television.

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Handcuffed Burglary Suspect Escapes In Cop Car

A handcuffed burglary suspect has escaped from police in Texas - by driving off in their squad car.

Officers from White Settlement near Fort Worth had arrested 41-year-old Darren Porter last Friday on suspicion of breaking into an antiques shop.

But when they left him alone for a few minutes in the back of their car, he managed to roll down a window, reach out and open the door.

Video from a dashboard camera in another squad car shows him then climbing into the driver's seat and taking off.

The second police car then shot off in pursuit, but to no avail.

The antique shop owner, Kenny Boone, said it was a comical scene.

"It kind of reminded me of the Keystone cops," he joked. "They were all running for their police car to chase this guy. I shouldn't say it was funny but it was kind of comical."

The police car was found abandoned in Fort Worth soon afterwards, but Porter was still at large on Tuesday morning.

White Settlement Police Department said the window switches in the back of their squad cars are supposed to be disabled.

But apparently not in this case.

Officers are now checking their other vehicles to make sure the back windows do not open.

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Over Half A Million People Flee Syria Conflict

The number of Syrian refugees registered by the United Nations in the Middle East and North Africa has passed half a million, the UN refugee body has said.

But many more have not come forward to seek help, making the number of people fleeing the 20-month-old Syrian conflict even higher, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

"According to UNHCR's latest figures for Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and North Africa, 509,559 Syrians are either already registered or in the process of being registered," the agency said in a statement issued in Geneva.

In November, the numbers were rising by 3,200 per day, and close to 1,000 Syrians crossed into Jordan in the past two nights alone, it said.

"They arrived in very bad weather, their clothing soaked, shoes covered in mud," UNHCR spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told reporters, adding they were "fearful, freezing and without proper winter clothing".

Some 3,200 refugees have been crossing into neighbouring countries each day

As fighting rages, an activist group said rebels had taken full control of a sprawling military base near the northern city of Aleppo.

The rebels killed 35 troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad in the offensive, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported.

More 40,000 people have been killed since the violence started in March 2011.

Diplomatic efforts to end Mr Assad's embattled regime are intensifying.

Rebels have claimed the Sheikh Suleiman base northwest of Aleppo

The United States has designated a militant rebel group with links to al Qaeda - Jabhat al-Nusra, or "the Support Front" in Arabic - a foreign terrorist organisation.

The move, which freezes any assets its members may have in US jurisdictions and bars Americans from providing the group with material support, is largely symbolic.

But US officials hope the penalties will prompt others to take similar action and discourage Syrians from joining.

Washington is also preparing to recognise the newly-formed Syrian Opposition Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The decision is expected to be announced at an international conference on the crisis in Morocco on Wednesday, and is likely to be accompanied by pledges of additional humanitarian and non-lethal logistical support for the opposition.

Britain, France and several Arab countries have already recognised the group.

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Virgin Atlantic Takes On BA With Delta Deal

Singapore Airlines has sold its 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic to rival Delta, in a move that will bolster Virgin's reach in the United States and intensify its rivalry with British Airways.

The deal was announced just 24 hours after a verbal spat between the chief executive of BA's parent firm and Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson over Virgin's future.

In their statement, Delta and Virgin said their joint venture would enhance competition between the UK and North America, offering greater benefits for customers travelling on those routes.

As part of the agreement Delta, which is the largest carrier in North America, will invest $360m (£224m) in Virgin Atlantic.

Virgin Group and Sir Richard Branson will retain a majority 51% stake and Virgin Atlantic Airways will retain its brand and operating certificate.

Between them, they will jointly operate up to 31 round-trip flights between the US and UK each day.

Delta is taking a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic

Steve Ridgway, Virgin Atlantic Chief Executive, said: "Consumers will reap the rewards of this partnership between two great airline brands on services from the U.K. to the USA, Canada and Mexico through a shared ethos in the highest standards of customer service.

"This unique joint venture will deliver much more effective competition at Heathrow.

"Both airlines are confident that the Department of Transportation will be as convinced as we are of the extensive consumer benefits arising from this joint venture, with expedited approval being granted by the end of 2013.

"The trans-Atlantic market is Virgin Atlantic's heartland - it's where we started. By aligning with Delta we can continue to grow our North American network and offer greatly enhanced connectivity across the USA."

Sir Richard Branson and Willie Walsh are at each other's throats

Sir Richard, who is Virgin Atlantic's President, commented: "This is an exciting day in Virgin Atlantic history. It signals the start of a new era of expansion, financial growth and many opportunities for our customers and our business.

"I truly look forward to the possibilities our partnership with Delta will offer. We have always been known for our innovation and service and have punched above our weight for 28 years. That is why our customers love us so much. We will retain that independent spirit but move forward in a strengthened partnership with Delta."

News of the deal followed the latest spat between BA and Virgin. Sir Richard offerefd to pay staff at BA £1m if the Virgin brand disappeared within five years as the boss of BA's parent firm, Willie Walsh, had suggested would be the case if Delta sided with Virgin.

Mr Walsh is reported to have responded that he did not have £1m as he was not a billionaire banker (referring to Virgin Money) but would settle for a 'knee in the groin' instead.

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