The US is flying nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea, in what it says is a response to escalating North Korean rhetoric.
US officials said the B-52 flights demonstrated “extended deterrence capabilities” amid rising tension on the peninsula.
B-52, which can also carry conventional weapons, flew on March 8, with another mission set for Tuesday.
Regional tension remains high following North’s third nuclear test last month.
This is not the first time that B-52 bombers have been used as part of regular military drills between the US and South Korea.
“We’re drawing attention to the fact that we have extended deterrence capabilities that we believe are important to demonstrate in the wake of recent North Korean rhetoric,” Pentagon press secretary George Little said.
“As North Korea threatened to attack South Korea with nuclear weapons, the exercise involving B-52s is meaningful, as it shows US commitment to provide its nuclear umbrella on the Korean peninsula,” said Kim Min-seok, spokesman for South Korea’s Defence Ministry.
US Deputy Defence Secretary Ashton Carter affirmed this commitment on Monday during a visit to Seoul.
The US last week also announced plans to boost its own missile defences in the face of a growing threat from North Korea, a move over which both China and Russia have expressed concern.
The US is flying nuclear-capable B-52 bombers over South Korea, in what it says is a response to escalating North Korean rhetoric
A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said it would “intensify antagonism”, rather than improving regional stability.The UN imposed fresh sanctions against North Korea following its nuclear test on February 12.
Pyongyang has responded with strong rhetoric to this and the US-South Korea joint military drills, which it bitterly opposes.
It says it has scrapped the Korean War armistice and ended non-aggression pacts with Seoul. It has also cut off a hotline that connects the two countries.
The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, not a treaty.
South Korea says North Korea cannot unilaterally dissolve the armistice and has called on Pyongyang to tone down its language.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye on Tuesday called for North Korea to take a different approach.
“North Korea is wasting resources for nuclear development while its people are living very difficult lives,” she said.
HSBC, which was hit with a $1.9 billion US fine for money laundering last year, is facing fresh accusations of illegal activity in Argentina.
Argentina has alleged that HSBC used “fake receipts” to facilitate money laundering and tax evasion, and launder 392 million pesos ($77 million).
The country’s tax authority said it had filed criminal charges against HSBC.
HSBC said that it would cooperate with the investigation, adding that the allegations were “of great concern”.
“We are committed to working cooperatively with authorities to ensure a thorough review and appropriate resolution of the matter,” said Lyssette Bravo, a spokeswoman for HSBC.
Last year, HSBC agreed to pay US authorities $1.9 billion in a settlement over money laundering, the largest paid in such a case.
Argentina laid out its case against HSBC late on Monday.
“On the basis of what’s been investigated so far, in six months we’ve recorded 392 million pesos in fraudulent transactions, generated by evasion and money laundering,” said Ricardo Echegaray, head of Argentina’s tax agency.
Ricardo Echegaray added that HSBC also helped clients evade taxes on an additional 224 million pesos.
“We hope to recover what is due and see the courts apply an appropriate penalty,” he said.
HSBC is facing fresh accusations of illegal activity in Argentina
Money laundering is the process of disguising the proceeds of crime so that the money cannot be linked to the wrongdoing.HSBC, which has previously admitted to having poor money laundering controls, has been taking steps to tighten its operations.
Last year, the banking giant said that it had spent $290 million on improving its systems to prevent money laundering.
At the same time, HSBC also appointed a former US official, Bob Werner, to work as its head of financial crime compliance, a new position the bank has created.
The bank said that he will be responsible for beefing up its anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance systems.
Bob Werner was previously the head of the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency responsible for enforcing the US sanctions on countries, including Iran.
Texas prosecutors say they will not charge Alan and Laura Shatto whose adopted Russian son’s death was ruled an accident.
Max Shatto, adopted from a Russian orphanage, died in January age three, soon after Russia banned US adoptions.
A grand jury had found insufficient evidence to charge Alan and Laura Shatto, a prosecutor said.
The case sparked outrage in Russia, where authorities have launched their own investigation and demanded the Shattos face charges.
Texas doctors who examined the boy ruled his death had been an accident and that bruises on his body were self-inflicted.
According to preliminary results of a post-mortem examination released this month, Max Shatto died accidentally from a torn artery in his abdomen and had bruises consistent with injuring himself.
No drugs or medicines had been found in his body and the coroner said he had had a mental disorder that caused him to hurt himself.
Max Shatto, adopted from a Russian orphanage, died in January age three, soon after Russia banned US adoptions
Earlier this month, more than 10,000 people marched in Moscow to demand a halt to all foreign adoptions of Russian children.Max Shatto, born Maksim Kuzmin, and his younger brother Kristopher were adopted from an orphanage in north-west Russia last year by the Shattos, who live in Gardendale, Texas.
Laura Shatto said she had found him unconscious outside the family’s home and he died later in hospital.
When Max Shatto died, Russia’s children’s commissioner Pavel Astakhov alleged he had been murdered by his adoptive mother.
But the Shattos’ lawyer said the toddler had suffered from behavioral issues and occasionally butted his head on objects or other people.
Kristopher still lives with the Shattos.
In December, the Russian government banned adoptions of Russian orphans by Americans. Correspondents say Russia did so in retaliation for the US passing a law allowing Russian officials suspected of human rights abuses to be banned from the US.
Syrian opposition National Coalition has chosen Ghassan Hitto as the prime minister to head a government for rebel-held regions.
Ghassan Hitto is a Damascus-born IT expert who spent decades in the US. He was elected at a meeting of coalition leaders in Istanbul in Turkey.
His first task will be to form a government to oversee services in areas captured from government forces.
Meanwhile, the US and France denounced a Syrian airstrike on the Lebanese border as a “violation of sovereignty”.
Reports from Lebanon say Syrian aircraft fired four rockets at the border between the two countries, near the Lebanese town of Arsal on Monday.
There were no casualties from the raid. Lebanese officials had earlier said it was not clear whether the rockets had landed inside Lebanese territory.
The US described the attack as a “significant escalation” of the conflict. France said the raid constituted “a new and serious violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty”.
In Monday’s vote in Istanbul, Ghassan Hitto won with 35 out of 48 votes, in what coalition leaders described as a “transparent, democratic” election.
But some senior coalition leaders are reported to have withdrawn from the vote in protest over Ghassan Hitto’s lack of military experience.
Last November, the 50-year-old moved from Texas to Turkey to help co-ordinate aid to rebel-held areas.
Syrian opposition National Coalition has chosen Ghassan Hitto as the prime minister to head a government for rebel-held regions
Earlier, the commander of the rebel Free Syrian Army said his group would work “under the umbrella” of any new government.“Any institutions not following this government would be considered to be acting illegitimately and would be prosecuted,” Gen Selim Idriss Idriss told AFP news agency.
Large swathes of northern Syria have been seized by rebels in recent months.
They are currently administered by a patchwork of local councils and armed groups who have been running some institutions, such as courts and prisons.
But reports say basic supplies such as electricity and water are limited.
Also on Monday, the US said it would not stand in the way of other countries arming Syrian rebels.
Last week saw the second anniversary of the Syrian uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, which initially began as a wave of peaceful protests but which is now often described as a civil war.
An estimated 70,000 people have been killed and more than one million people have fled Syria since the uprising began.
Lil Wayne is still in intensive care six days after being admitted to hospital suffering from uncontrollable seizures.
Lil Wayne, 30, is being kept under close watch by doctors attempting to stabilize him following his admittance to the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
According to TMZ, the mood remains “very serious” at the hospital, with doctors concerned that “Wayne’s condition has not improved enough to be moved out of the ICU”.
The weekend saw stars including Nicki Minaj, Drake, Chris Paul and Birdman visit Lil Wayne’s bedside.
On Friday Lil Wayne took to Twitter to reassure his fans after reports that he was dying and being read his last rites.
“I’m good everybody. Thx for the prayers and love,” the rapper tweeted.
Lil Wayne is still in intensive care six days after being admitted to hospital suffering from uncontrollable seizures
Beth Ditto has been arrested and charged with disorderly conduct in Oregan.
Beth Ditto – real name Mary Beth Patterson – was taken into custody in the early hours of Saturday morning after a disturbance outside the Bungalo Bar in Portland.
The Gossip was detained by officers for being drunk after she left the establishment and allegedly threw her shoes in the middle of the road.
Beth Ditto then reportedly started shouting out the name of President Barack Obama as her friends tried to put her in a car.
A source at the bar told the Willamette Week newspaper: “She walked out in the middle of the street, threw off her shoes and purse and screamed Obama, Obama!”
Beth Ditto, 32, has been accused by a fellow reveler of being “blackout” drunk and trying to start fights in the bar, after initially being refused entry for being so intoxicated.
She has also been accused of kicking a bar tender in the groin during her raucous night out.
Beth Ditto was taken into custody in the early hours of Saturday morning after a disturbance outside the Bungalo Bar in Portland
Beth Ditto was later released from custody and is now awaiting a court date.If she is convicted of second degree disorderly conduct the singer could be sentenced to up to six months in jail and may receive a fine of up to $2,500.
Beth Ditto has kept herself out of the public eye as much over recent times but has started to concentrate on hew new music releases.
The star released a new Gossip music video for track Get A Job last month.
Rihanna took to the stage 70 minutes late for her Diamonds world tour in Montreal on Sunday night.
Luckily for her patient fans Rihanna proved worth waiting for, showing her figure in a pair of thigh high white boots.
The singer teamed the boots with a transparent T-shirt dress baring the legend “sea of desire” and black underwear.
The outfit proved just one of six equally outrageous outfits.
They included a pop art inspired two-piece, in clinging red and yellow PVC, and studded black leather underwear, which she wore with another pair of over-the-knee boots.
Rihanna took to the stage 70 minutes late for her Diamonds world tour in Montreal on Sunday night
Rihanna, 25, wore her hair curled, flowing and long, with half her head shaved.Earlier her fans had been left waiting as she took her time coming on stage.
The delayed start to the gig came after Rihanna was forced to cancel two shows of her Diamonds world tour on doctor’s orders after suffering a bout of laryngitis.
The singer seemed fully recovered as she belted out her set in Canada.
One of the more tender moments came as Rihanna dedicated the song Diamonds to her late grandmother Dolly, whose birthday it was.
Beyoncé has opened up about her struggle to lose weight after pregnancy.
The singer has revealed she gained 57 lbs while carrying her daughter Blue Ivy, who was born in January 2012.
Beyoncé, 31, also said she regrets putting herself under pressure to get back in shape so quickly after the birth.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to lose the weight because I scheduled a show three months after I gave birth, which I would never do again!” Beyoncé tells Shapemagazine.
In a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the interview, Beyoncé adds: “I’m not a person that is naturally very thin. I am a person that has to work at keeping my body in shape.”
But the singer insists women should embrace their differences and focus on health rather than the scales
“Not everyone is supposed to be the same. Be healthy and take care of yourself, but be happy with the beautiful things that make you, you,” she says.
Beyoncé was able to shed the excess weight doing a lot of cardio dance workouts, which got her moving and sweating.
Beyonce appears on the latest issue of Shape magazine
She revealed to Shape magazine that 80% of her post-baby weight loss was due to cutting back on food including her favorite, pasta.“I ate a very low-calorie diet. I stayed away from red meat and ate a lot of fish, replaced pasta and rice with quinoa,” Beyoncé said.
“I always have breakfast, say, scrambled egg whites, a vegetable smoothie, or whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk. For lunch and dinner, I eat a lot of fish and vegetables. And throughout the day, I try to stay hydrated.
“I always treat myself to one meal on Sundays when I can have whatever I want. Usually it’s pizza, which is my favorite indulgence.”
Beyoncé poses in a color-block Karla Colletto bikini for the cover, and wears a bright yellow short-cropped top and floral shorts in one of the inside pictures.
Justin Bieber continues to prove that the European leg of his world tour, Believe, hasn’t got off to the best of starts.
And on Monday things seemed to take a turn for the worse after Justin Bieber was reportedly kicked out of the most prestigious hotel in Paris because of bad behavior.
Justin Bieber, 19, checked into the fabled Hotel Le Meurice on Sunday but just a day later his “attitude” and “blatant encouragement of fans waiting outside led to him being evicted”.
However, Justin Bieber’s spokesperson has rubbished the reports as “nonsense” and said it was in fact the star’s decision to leave the hotel for “safety reasons”.
“He chose to switch hotels because once he had engaged with some of the fans in front of the hotel, an overwhelming crowd congregated outside.
“The original hotel did not have a separate exit, which created a potential safety issue for everyone.”
A spokesman for the Meurice, also denied he had been kicked out as while they confirmed that the star had left suddenly, they insisted that the hotel’s management had not asked him to go.
“Justin Bieber had indeed left the establishment to go elsewhere, but we do not know
where,” he said.
“But this is a decision made by him or his team. We do not turn people away.”
Justin Bieber was reportedly kicked out of the most prestigious hotel in Paris because of bad behavior
Justin Bieber had originally booked seven suites on two floors for him and his vast entourage, at a cost of well into six figures at the historic institution in the Paris which is used by royalty and film stars.But within a few hours hundreds of young fans had begun massing outside and even inside the lobby.
Jean-Marc Morandini, a TV and radio showbiz presenter in Paris, said on his blog on Monday: “Justin Bieber has just been kicked out of the Meurice Hotel in Paris.
“It was a decision taken by the management of the luxury hotel because of his attitude in the establishment, and because of the nuisance caused by the presence of his fans around the buildings.”
Insiders at the hotel, a favorite of numerous big names including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as well as members of the British Royal Family, said that the noise had become “intolerable”.
“There were kids everywhere screaming and shouting, and the other guests just didn’t like it,” said the source.
“Justin was clearly encouraging his fans – that’s something he has to do.”
Justin Bieber, who is due to perform at the Palais Omnisports in Paris-Bercy on Tuesday night, was later seen checking into the equally luxurious Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Paris.
Clearly not too concerned about the turn of events, Justin Bieber tweeted: “Loving Paris.”
Justin Bieber was forced to apologize to fans in London earlier this month after arriving 2 hours late on stage.
Actress Lindsay Lohan has accepted a plea deal in a misdemeanor car crash case that includes 90 days in a rehabilitation facility.
The star pleaded no contest Monday to reckless driving, lying to police and obstructing officers who were investigating the accident involving her in June last year.
A judge says Lindsay Lohan will be sentenced to 90 days in rehab, 30 days of community labor and 18 months of psychological therapy.
She was on probation when her sports car crashed on Pacific Coast Highway while on her way to a film shoot.
The deal followed over two hours of talks behind closed doors in the judge’s chambers between her legal team and prosecutors.A mandatory sentence of five days in jail will be included in her rehab stay, which she will be able to complete in her native New York.
Lindsay Lohan was also found in violation of her probation in a 2011 necklace theft and sentenced to 180 days in jail.
However, she will be able to avoid jail time if she complies with the conditions of her plea deal.
Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods have finally confirmed the rumors they are in a romance.
Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn announced their relationship status in statements simultaneously published on the golfer’s official website and Vonn’s Facebook page on Monday along with a photo of themselves together.
“I guess it wasn’t a well-kept secret but yes, I am dating Tiger Woods” Lindsey Vonn, 28, wrote.
“Our relationship evolved from a friendship into something more over these past few months and it has made me very happy.
“I don’t plan on addressing this further as I would like to keep that part of my life between us, my family and close friends.”
Tiger Woods, 37, wrote: “Something nice that’s happened off the course was meeting Lindsey Vonn. Lindsey and I have been friends for some time, but over the last few months we have become very close and are now dating.
“We thank you for your support and for respecting our privacy. We want to continue our relationship, privately, as an ordinary couple and continue to compete as athletes.”
Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn have been the subject of romance rumors for some time and last month he sent his private jet to fly her home to Vail, Colorado after a crash at the Alpine World Championships in Austria left her with torn ligaments in her right knee and a fractured shin.
They have also been spotted together in Vail and aboard Tiger Woods’ yacht in Florida.
Tiger Woods and Lindsey Vonn have finally confirmed the rumors they are in a romance
Lindsey Vonn announced her split from husband of four years, Thomas Vonn, in November 2011.Tiger Woods meanwhile had a spectacular fall from grace in 2009 when his extra-marital affairs exploded in headlines.
The scandal erupted after a bizarre November 27 car crash outside his mansion in Windermere, Orlando, the day after The National Enquirer, linked him to New York party hostess Rachel Uchitel.
Tiger Woods had admitted to a string of affairs with as many as 14 women coming forward to claim they had slept with him.
Among those who came forward to say they were his mistress were two adult film stars, a cocktail waitress and a waitress from his local pancake restaurant.
Elin Nordegren quickly ditched her wedding ring – and later filed for divorce from Tiger Woods.
Tiger Woods’ ex-wife took an estimated $100 million settlement and custody of their two young children Sam and Charlie.
Israel’s new coalition government, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, has been sworn in after nearly two months of negotiations between political parties.
Benjamin Netanyahu will return as prime minister, heading a coalition that includes parties that support Jewish settlements on Palestinian land.
Settlement supporters have secured the defence and housing ministries.
But ultra-Orthodox Jewish factions have been excluded from government for the first time in a decade.
The swearing in began after Israel’s parliament voted to approve the new government, after national elections in January gave no party a clear majority.
Speaking to parliament Benjamin Netanyahu repeated a pledge to make “a historic compromise” in order to make people with the Palestinians.
“With a Palestinian partner who is willing to conduct negotiations in good faith, Israel will be prepared for a historic compromise that will end the conflict with the Palestinians forever,” he said.
The coalition includes Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitnu bloc, the centrist Yesh Atid party and the right-wing Jewish Home party.
The new line-up includes a strong showing of pro-settlement ministers.
Both the defence and housing ministries, which must approve construction in the occupied territories, have gone to pro-settlement activists.
Benjamin Netanyahu will return as Israel’s prime minister, heading a coalition that includes parties that support Jewish settlements on Palestinian land
The new defence minister, Moshe Yaalon, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, opposes any curbs on settlement-building.The new housing minister, Uri Ariel, is a Jewish settler and member of Jewish Home.
He said on Sunday the new cabinet would continue to expand settlements “more or less as it has done previously”.
This could hamper any efforts to revive peace talks with the Palestinians, which have failed to progress through Benjamin Netanyahu’s last four-year term.
The Palestinians are demanding a cessation of settlement construction as a precondition to return to negotiations.
Palestinians say that the settlements, illegal under international law, will deny them a viable state.
The settlement issue is expected to be high on the agenda when President Barack Obama visits Israel in two days’ time, along with Israeli concerns at Iran’s continued nuclear programme.
Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful while Israel and the West accuse it of trying to make nuclear weapons.
Players who buy and register the latest version of SimCity before March 26 can choose a free game from a selection offered by Electronic Arts (EA).
The free games, available as digital downloads, include recent releases Mass Effect 3, Plants vs. Zombies and Bejeweled 3.
The move follows connection problems and glitches caused by EA’s decision to make SimCity an online-only game.
Earlier EA admitted that the game was originally going to be single player.
However, those proposals were shelved early in the development of the latest version.
The admission came as players are finding ways to get round the game’s need to be constantly connected.
Lucy Bradshaw, head of SimCity creator Maxis, said an offline, single-player mode did not fit with its “vision” for the urban-planning game.
She said many players preferred the multiplayer version of the game.
Players who buy and register the latest version of SimCity before March 26 can choose a free game from a selection offered by Electronic Arts
In a blogpost, Lucy Bradshaw said Maxis could have built a “subset offline mode” for the game that did away with the need to be constantly connected.Since SimCity was launched on March 5, many players have blamed the “always online” requirement for causing bugs, in-game glitches and long waits to play the game.
To get around the always-on requirement, some players have tinkered with the game’s computer code to trick it into thinking it is connected when it is being played offline. Others have called on Maxis to produce a stand-alone version of the game.
But Lucy Bradshaw said the always-on requirement was “fundamental” to what the company wanted to do with SimCity and it was “designed” with multiplayer in mind.
The decision to do this had not come from “corporate and it isn’t a clandestine strategy to control players”, wrote Lucy Bradshaw.
Maxis had gone down the multiplayer road to make the simulation more realistic by letting cities in the same virtual landscapes share elements such as pollution, crime and resources such as coal, she said.
The multiplayer element was also essential for other aspects of the game, including the building of historic buildings and landmarks and to help players cope with world events and challenges.
There were undoubtedly some players that wanted to build a “single city in isolation” as in older games but just as many were “loving the always-connected functionality”, she said.
Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announces she has asked for Pope Francis’ intervention in the Falklands dispute between her country and the UK.
Visiting the Vatican, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said she had asked Pope Francis to promote dialogue between the two sides.
Argentine Pope Francis was elected last week and will be formally installed as pontiff at a Mass on Tuesday.
In the past Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has said the Falkland Islands, a UK overseas territory, belong to Argentina.
Before being elected as the new pontiff, the 76-year-old was Archbishop of Buenos Aires. Relations between him, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and her late husband and predecessor as president, Nestor Kirchner, were tense.
“I asked for his intervention to avoid problems that could emerge from the militarization of Great Britain in the south Atlantic,” Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner told reporters after a 15-20 minute meeting and lunch with the Pope.
“We want a dialogue and that’s why we asked the pope to intervene so that the dialogue is successful.”
There has been no word yet as to how the Pope responded to the appeal.
In a referendum held a week ago, people in the Falkland Islands voted overwhelmingly in favor of remaining a UK overseas territory.
At a Mass last year, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio told Argentine veterans of the Falklands War: “We come to pray for all who have fallen, sons of the Homeland who went out to defend their mother, the Homeland, and to reclaim what is theirs.”
Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announces she has asked for Pope Francis’ intervention in the Falklands dispute between her country and the UK
British Prime Minister David Cameron said last week that he “respectfully” disagreed with the view expressed in the past by Pope Francis that the Falkland Islands had been “usurped” by the UK.Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is the first head of state Pope Francis has met. She presented him with a mate gourd and straw for drinking traditional Argentine tea.
The two also kissed, and the president remarked afterwards: “Never in my life has a pope kissed me!”
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gave a muted welcome to the Pope’s election. The two have clashed in the past, especially over social reforms promoted by her and her late husband in the face of Church opposition.
When the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio argued that gay adoptions discriminated against children, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner said his tone harked back to “medieval times and the Inquisition”.
Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner once referred to Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the “head of the opposition”.
Last year, the cardinal said Argentina was being harmed by demagoguery, totalitarianism, corruption and efforts to secure unlimited power, the Associated Press reports.
Cyprus’ central bank has announced that the nation’s banks will stay closed until Thursday, March 21, as fears mount of a bank run.
Cyprus’ banks were closed for a scheduled Bank Holiday on Monday, something that allowed the country to try to implement a levy on savers’ deposits.
That move triggered unease among depositors in Cyprus, where cash machines soon ran out of funds.
It had earlier unnerved investors, sending shares and the euro lower.
The EU and IMF want all bank customers to pay a levy in return for a bailout worth 10 billion euros ($13 billion).
Spanish and Italian markets were down 2%, with bank shares the hardest hit.
The euro lost 1% against both the pound and the dollar, leaving it at 85.6p and $1.295 respectively.
Cyprus’ central bank has announced that the nation’s banks will stay closed until Thursday, March 21, as fears mount of a bank run
Earlier, Japan’s Nikkei 225 index fell 2.7%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Australia’s ASX 200 dipped 2%.Many major banks in Italy, France and Spain, some of the eurozone’s most indebted countries, were down between 4% and 5%.
In France, Credit Agricole and Societe Generale were the worst affected, losing about 4.5%, while Spain’s BBVA lost a similar amount.
In Germany, Deutsche Bank was down 3%, while Commerzbank was 1.3% lower.
Some investors think the Cyprus plan could prompt depositors elsewhere, particularly in Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain, to withdraw their funds
However, the European Central Bank board member, Joerg Asmussen, said he did not think Cyprus’ problems would spread to other eurozone countries: “I do believe that the situation of Cyprus and the Cypriot banking sector is indeed unique.”
On the Blue Book Online heart surgery patients can find information about heart surgery in the UK and check their surgeon’s and hospital’s performances before an operation.
Patients gain access to their surgeon’s success rate online, such as how many times they have performed the operation and how well each procedure went.
The Society of Cardiothoracic surgeons (SCTS) announced the development of the new website at their annual meeting in Brighton, UK, today (Monday, March 18th).
“We were approached by The Society for Cardiothoracic surgeons who had collected all this data which was available to the general public in hardback books as they were looking for ways to make it more accessible and keep it up to date,” said Sarah Thew, User Research Lead at North West E-Health.
Heart surgery patients will be able to research the type of operation they are going to have, to learn details about their surgery, including expected outcomes, risk factors and long-term outcomes.
They can find out how many similar operations are carried out each year and understand the potential risks associated with their operation. Patients will also be able to see the success and failure rates of operations at their NHS hospital.
“We had the specialist skills to use the data and have developed a website which makes use of all this information so that patients can have a look at hospitals in their area and the risks associated with different operations and how this has changed over time from 2001.
“Patients can also look at their age and other factors which might have an impact. This website speeds the whole process up. We will be updating the information every three months to ensure it is up-to-date,” said Sarah Thew.
The website has been developed in partnership with National Institute for Cardiovascular Outcomes Research, NorthWest E-Health, a partnership between The University of Manchester, Salford Royal Foundation Trust and Salford NHS, and the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre.
“Information is integral to quality healthcare and we have seen an exponential increase in the amount of patients using the internet to find out more accurate and trusted detail about their care. In a modernised NHS this is the ideal way for us to publish and keep up-to-date data of surgeons’ and hospitals’ clinical outcomes,” said Ben Bridgewater, lead author of the report and Consultant Cardiac Surgeon at the University Hospital of South Manchester Said.
Between 1984 and 1995 thirty-five babies died at the Bristol Royal Infirmary and others were left permanently damaged by failures in cardiac surgery. An inquiry showed that some babies could have survived if the operation had been performed elsewhere by a more skilled surgeon.
The SCTS points to recommendations in the recent Francis Report into the failings at Mid Staffordshire hospital which state: “It should be considered the duty of all specialty professional bodies, ideally together with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, to develop measures of outcome in relation to their work and to assist in the development of measures of standards compliance.”
“It seems likely that the only effective way of preventing further gross failures of clinical governance is to have more widespread and transparent use of clinical outcomes data. We have previously published our data in a series of comprehensive audits, but now see clear, accurate and comparative web-based information as the most suitable platform for surgeons and patients. There needs to be a focus on the whole service we provide and not just clinical outcomes. The Bluebook online and other associated IT tools will empower patients and lead to better decision making by professionals and a more positive patient experience,” said Mr James Roxburgh, President of the SCTS.
Aside from the Blue Book Online, during the SCTS meeting, digital products aimed at raising standards and improving results in heart surgery are unveiled.
This includes: a demonstration of their e-lab, a professional governance tool kit that allows surgeons to analyze their outcomes and compare them with their peers. The e-lab has been developed without the need for costly and complex IT projects and crucially the methods are transferable to other areas of medicine.
They will also reveal well advanced plans for developing an App for mobile devices. This will allow surgeons on-the-go access to outcomes data and will assist them in making rapid accurate and effective decisions about a patient’s care.
The SCTS are urging other surgical specialties to replicate their investment in outcomes digital technology and transparency, highlighting that effective reporting of outcome data will be a huge step towards preventing failures in clinical governance.
SCTS Annual Meeting and Cardiothoracic Forum 2013 take place from March 17th to March 19th in Brighton, UK.
Actor Frank Thornton, best known for his role as Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served?, has died at the age of 92.
Frank Thornton died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Barnes, London, on Saturday, his agent David Daly announced.
Also known for his role as Truly in Last of the Summer Wine, Frank Thornton also starred in comedies such as Hancock’s Half Hour and The Goodies.
Frank Thornton is survived by Beryl, his wife of 67 years, their daughter Jane and three grandchildren.
Are You Being Served? co-creator Jeremy Lloyd said he was “very sad to hear this news”.
“He was a great friend and consummate performer who was the glue who really held Are You Being Served? together,” he said.
“He will continue to give people enjoyment,” Jeremy Lloyd added.
Frank Thornton appeared in several episodes of Steptoe and Son, which made him the most recurring actor in the series other than the main stars Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H. Corbett.
In later years, he had a role in ITV soap Emmerdale as Bert Dingle.
Frank Thornton’s film credits included Carry On Screaming!,Some Will, Some Won’t alongside Thora Hird, Wilfrid Brambell and Ronnie Corbett, No Sex Please, We’re British and Gosford Park.
Frank Thornton, best known for his role as Captain Peacock in Are You Being Served?, has died at the age of 92
But it was his role as Captain Stephen Peacock in the long-running Are You Being Served? that he was best known for.With its innuendo-laden comedy and slapstick humor, the sitcom was a huge hit.
Set in a department store, the show also starred John Inman, Molly Sugden and Wendy Richard.
Frank Thornton played the pompous store walker, who bragged about his military exploits during the war and looked down on junior staff.
Are You Being Served? ran from 1972 to 1985 and often attracted audiences of more than 20 million.
Frank Thornton reprised the role of Captain Peacock for the spin-off show, Grace and Favour, in 1992.
His theatre credits included the West End musical Me & My Girl in 1984, for which he was nominated for an Olivier award for his role as Sir John Tremayne.
Of the original main cast of Are You Being Served?, Nicholas Smith – who played Mr. Rumbold – is now the only surviving cast member.
Frank Thornton’s role in Last of the Summer Wine was another long-running character for the actor.
Arriving in the 1997 Christmas special, Frank Thornton was brought in to play Truly of The Yard, a retired Metropolitan Police Officer, replacing original actor Brian Wilde when was struck down by shingles.
Cyprus’ parliament vote on bailout deal that has sparked huge public anger has been delayed until Tuesday.
President Nicos Anastasiades has been meeting MPs in Nicosia and has indicated he wants the terms amended.
The 10 billion-euro ($13 billion) bailout agreed with the EU and IMF had demanded that all bank customers pay a one-off levy and led to heavy cash withdrawals.
Nicos Anastasiades’ party has 20 seats in the 56-member assembly and needs other parties’ support to ratify the deal.
Asian and European stock markets fell amid uncertainty in Monday’s trading.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday called the proposed levy “unfair, unprofessional and dangerous”, his spokesman said.
Russian banks and businesses have significant deposits in Cyprus.
The debate and vote in Cyprus’ parliament has now been postponed until 18:00 local time on Tuesday. It was initially to have been held on Sunday.
President Nicos Anastasiades is at present holding talks with ministers and lawmakers at the parliament building in Nicosia, which has been cordoned off to prevent protests.
There are suggestions Mr Anastasiades is looking at lowering the cost to those with smaller savings.
Under the currently agreed terms, depositors with less than 100,000 euros in Cyprus accounts would have to pay a one-time tax of 6.75%. Those with sums over that threshold would pay 9.9%.
The president may want to lower the former rate to 3%, while raising the levy on the larger depositors to 12.5%.
An EU source told Agence France-Presse there could be a three-way split on the level of levy, grouped into accounts holding less than 100,000 euros, between 100,000 and 500,000 and more than 500,000.
Joerg Asmussen, a member of the European Central Bank’s governing council, said there could be a change to the deal.
He said: “It’s the Cyprus government’s adjustment programme. If Cyprus’ president wants to change something regarding the levy on bank deposits, that’s in his hands. He must just make sure that the financing is intact.”
German government spokesman Steffen Seibert echoed his comments, saying: “How the country makes its contribution, how it makes the payments, is up to the Cyprus government.”
Nicos Anastasiades insists that without the bailout Cyprus could face bankruptcy and a possible exit from the eurozone.
The banks are closed on Monday for a national holiday and could remain shut on Tuesday to avoid mass withdrawals.
Cyprus’ parliament vote on bailout deal that has sparked huge public anger has been delayed until Tuesday
Opposition leader George Lillikas, an independent, said the president had “betrayed the people’s vote”.Under the bailout’s current terms, depositors will be compensated with the equivalent amount in shares in their banks, and Nicos Anastasiades promised that those who kept deposits in Cypriot banks for the next two years would be given bonds linked to revenues from natural gas.
Cyprus announced the discovery of a field containing between 5 and 8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under the Mediterranean Sea in 2011 but Turkey disputes its drilling rights.
Reports have suggested that eurozone leaders, particularly in Germany, insisted on the levy because of the large amount of Russian capital kept in Cypriot banks, amid fears of money-laundering.
However, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said he and the International Monetary Fund had been in favor of “respecting the deposit guarantee for accounts up to 100,000” euros.
He said it was the Cypriot government, the European Commission and the European Central Bank that had decided on the levy terms and that “they now must explain this to the Cypriot people”.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday: “Assessing the possible decision of imposing additional tax by Cyprus on deposits, [President] Putin said that this decision, if taken, would be unfair, unprofessional and dangerous.”
PM Dmitry Medvedev said: “It looks simply like the confiscation of other people’s money.”
The Moody’s ratings agency estimates that, at the end of 2012, Russian banks had placed $12 billion in Cypriot banks, with corporate deposits at $19 billion. So Russian corporate and individual investors could lose up to $2 billion.
The Russian government also gave Cyprus a 2.5 billion euro loan in 2011. Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told the Interfax news agency on Monday that Moscow would consider extending the loan period and restructuring the repayments.
The proposed savings levy has drawn criticism from economic analysts. Michael Hewson, of CMC Markets, told the Press Association: “If European policymakers were looking for a way to undermine the public trust that underpins the foundation of any banking system they could not have done a better job.”
It is clear that negotiators of the bailout in Brussels drastically underestimated the reaction in Cyprus, says our correspondent, Mark Lowen.
A tiny eurozone economy feels it is being blackmailed by the most powerful, and the growing resentment will do nothing to foster European solidarity.
If the levy goes ahead, it will affect many non-Cypriots with bank accounts.
However, depositors in the overseas arms of Cypriot banks will not be hit.
The annual Denver Auto show, one of the oldest car exhibitions in the United States, has started on Sunday, March 17, with a static Green Car Parade in Denver, Colorado.
“This year’s show is shaping up to be one of the best in the show’s 111-year history and it reflects the positive improvements in the industry,” said Tim Jackson, president of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association and presenter of the Denver Auto Show. “Visitors will be able to see, touch and sit in most of the vehicles represented by 37 car lines all under one roof. In addition to seeing 2013, 2014 and concept cars, visitors can ride with a professional driver to experience off-roading at “Camp Jeep”; test drive new cars in downtown Denver; and see the latest in luxury cars, popular “green cars”, custom styling and accessories; and enjoy entertainment for the whole family.”
Denver Auto Show 2013 runs from March 20 to March 24 at Colorado Convention Center and it promises to unveil more than five hundred new vehicles.
The newest cars, trucks, hybrids, vans, crossovers and sport utilities on the market will be on display.
Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, FIAT, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Lamborghini, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Lotus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Nissan, Ram, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volvo, Volkswagen are the exhibiting manufacturers represented at this year’s show.
The “Ride & Drive” program at the Denver Auto Show allows attendees to test drive the new 2013 models from Buick, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, FIAT, GMC, Jeep, Kia, Mazda, Ram and Scion.
The 2014 models include: Aston Martin Vanquish, efficient clean diesel Chevrolet Cruze, elegant Chevrolet Impala, sporty Ford Fiesta ST 5-door, powerful GMC Sierra 1500, Jaguar F-Type S, stylish Kia Forte, Kia Green Lantern Soul, sporty Mazda6, Mercedes-Benz CLA Concept Style Coupe, Subaru Forester, Toyota Tundra prototype, and Toyota SEMA Avalon hybrid.
On March 19, the Charity Preview Party opens on the showroom floor at the Colorado Convetion Center, providing exclusive access to the five hundred new cars and trucks on display. The charity event supports National Jewish Health, the Clear the Air Foundation and The Denver Post Community Foundation.
At the party will be announced the most outstanding car, truck and SUV of the year, as selected by the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Audi A5, Lexus GS350 F Sport and Scion FR-S are the contenders as car of the year, while GMC Sierra 2500HD, Nissan Frontier and Ram 1500 are competing as truck of the year, and the Audi allroad, Ford Escape and Kia Sportage as SUV of the year.
Also, there will be special appearances at Denver Auto Show 2013:
Denver Broncos team members DeMaryius Thomas (Friday) and Joel Dreessen (Saturday) at the GMC booth.
Miss Colorado – Hannah Porter – at the Cadillac booth on Saturday and Sunday.
Denver Nugget Danilo Gallinari and “Rocky” the Nuggets’ mascot with the Nuggets Dancers at Kia booth on Friday.
Also on Friday, Telemundo sponsors Hispanic Day with live entertainment on stage.
The sixth annual Denver’s Green Car Parade took place at the State Capitol on Sunday, March 17.
On the emerald green St. Patrick’s Day, “green cars”, some of the most innovative alternative powered and high mileage cars available were parked along the west side of the State Capitol’s Circular Drive.
Electrics and fuel-efficient gasoline-engined vehicles, gas/electric hybrids, clean diesels were displayed by members of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.
Mitsubishi MiEV was on display at the Denver’s Green Car Parade on March 17. This event precedes Denver Auto Show 2013 which runs from March 20 to March 24.
The oldest and newest alternative power trains in the form of the Honda Civic GX and the Mitsubishi MiEV were showed at the parade.
The Honda Civic GX was first introduced in Japan during 1998 and is now available in 35 states. It is the oldest commercially produced vehicle to utilize compressed natural gas as a combustion fuel.
The MiEV has an EPA rating of 116 mpge. It can be charged overnight with 110V current and faster with 220V or 240V.
Also there were Chevrolet Tahoe converted to use both CNG and gasoline, Scion iQ, Nissan Leaf with an EPA rating of 116 mpge, Ford F-150 converted to CNG, the Dodge Dart SE, scoring 7 of 10 for greenhouse emissions and 6 or 10 for particulates.
Other green cars were: Ram 3500 Heavy Duty turbo diesel pickup from Chrysler, Silverado Z71 4X4 King Cab from Chevrolet, configured for dual fuel, gasoline or CNG. The Fisker Karma, a hybrid vehicle, as well as Prius V and C-Max Energi, Ford’s plug-in hybrid contender for Toyota’s title as the king of hybrid vehicles were on displayed along with Fusion Energi, another plug-in hybrid from Ford, and the all-new BMW Active Hybrid 3.
This year marks Denver Auto Show’s 111th anniversary, it has started in 1902, six years before the first Ford Model T autos left the factory.
Steubenville rape victim’s mother has reportedly forgiven Ma’lik Richmond, one of the boys who violated and degraded her daughter.
The extraordinary act of grace came as Ma’lik Richmond, 16, broke down and wept for his crime as the verdict was delivered to a highly charged courtroom.
Approaching the victim’s mother Ma’lik Richmond said: “I’m so very sorry.”
The mother responded: “I know you are and I forgive you.”
Her words are made more remarkable by the fact that her daughter does not share her feelings and cannot yet forgive Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays, 17, for what they did to her.
The victim was not in court to hear the verdict delivered.
Steubenville rape victim’s mother has forgiven Ma’lik Richmond
Bering Sea Gold latest episode, which was aired this weekend on Discovery channel, showed the loss of John Patrick Bunce.
At the start of the episode, fans got to see John Bunce dive down deep to look for gold. He did find some gold, but he also ran into an eel that worried him a bit. He was living his life on the edge and still trying to get the gold around it. He had found the best gold of the season.
John Bunce was out there getting gold for eight hours. This was a long day for him on the water and he decided it was not worth staying out there anymore. They decided it was time to pull out, but Zeke Tenhoff did not agree and they stayed out.
The end of the show was what shocked fans. Zeke Tenhoff went over to John Bunce’s house. They then showed a 911 call to the Nome police department. It is saying that they just witnessed someone committing suicide by shooting themselves in the head. He didn’t want to describe what happened and he was sure they were dead. He then said it was John Bunce.
Bering Sea Gold latest episode showed the loss of John Patrick Bunce
On March 16, Bering Sea Gold went to their Facebook to post their condolences and fans responded.Fans are posting on the status and they have a lot of mixed feelings. Most fans are posting sending prayers and saying they are sad for the loss of John Bunce. A lot of people are shocked that he did this because it did not seem like his character.
Many people are upset that they waited six months to air this episode, but they just simply didn’t change up the order of what happened. They waited to play it when it went actually happened.
John Patrick Bunce died of a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found at his home on September 1, 2012.
Some are claiming it was accidental.
Bering Sea Gold will air a new episode on Friday, March 22, at 9 p.m. CST.
Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary script is under lock and key, programme’s boss Steven Moffat has said.
“One length I’ve gone to which is a really good security measure – I make sure I don’t get a script, because I will lose it,” said Steven Moffat, the show’s lead writer.
“I forbid people to hand me one. It’s on my computer under lock and key.”
Actor Matt Smith promised fans they “will not be disappointed” by the story.
“I read it and I clapped at the end. I think it’s hilarious, it’s epic and it’s vast,” he said at a Doctor Who series launch last week.
“It manages to pay homage to everything – and look forward.”
The first story of Doctor Who’s 2013 run, The Bells of Saint John, will be screened on Easter Saturday, March 30.
Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary script is under lock and key
Described by Steven Moffat as a “proper London thriller”, it sees the Doctor and new companion Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) battling an evil entity in the world’s Wi-Fi networks.Future episodes see the return of the Cybermen and old enemy the Ice Warriors, who last appeared during the Jon Pertwee era in 1974.
“It’s going to be the biggest and best and most inventive and most exciting year for the show,” Matt Smith said.
The 50th anniversary special, due to begin filming in April, will be broadcast in 3D around the show’s birthday in November.
The first ever episode of Doctor Who, An Unearthly Child, with William Hartnell as the Doctor, was broadcast on 23 November 1963.
Jazz band leader Terry Lightfoot has died at the age of 77, after a battle with prostate cancer.
Terry Lightfoot, who was born in Potters Bar but settled in Olney, Buckinghamshire, UK, had been touring for most of the time from the 1950s up until 2012.
He had played alongside greats such as Louis Armstrong and Lonnie Donegan.
Terry Lightfoot’s death comes less than two weeks after that of trumpeter Kenny Ball, who started his career playing in the Terry Lightfoot’s Jazzmen band.
The musician taught himself to play the clarinet so he could join his school’s jazz band in Enfield.
During the 1960s, Terry Lightfoot made frequent television appearances on the Morecambe and Wise Show and his was the resident band on Des O’Connor’s first TV series.
He formed Terry Lightfoot’s Jazzmen in 1955 after finishing National Service with the RAF. The band released their first album in 1957, with a line-up that included drummer Ginger Baker, who went on to be a member of rock band Cream.
The band’s first major concert appearance was at London’s Royal Festival Hall in 1956. The same year he met Louis Armstrong for the first time and was presented to him as the youngest professional band leader in the UK.
Kenny Ball was on trumpet with the Lightfoot band until he left to form his own band in 1958.
After dropping out of music in the mid-60s, Terry Lightfoot quickly returned to play with the Kenny Ball Band, touring the US, New Zealand and Fiji.
Jazz band leader Terry Lightfoot has died at the age of 77, after a battle with prostate cancer
In 1968 he reformed his own band, featuring the late Ian Hunter-Randall on trumpet, an association which lasted almost 25 years.Taking another sabbatical from touring, Terry Lightfoot became pub landlord of the Three Horseshoes in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, in 1978, where he promoted jazz and presented musicians including Humphrey Lyttelton, Chris Barber, and George Melly.
After five years at the pub, Terry Lightfoot left to return to music full-time and developed the Rockin’ in Rhythm show, which charted the history of jazz and played at theatres throughout Europe.
He celebrated 30 years as a bandleader in 1987 with the release of the album As Time Goes By.
Terry Lightfoot took part in a UK tour as a member of the Kenny Baker/Don Lusher All Stars, which also included the bands of Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball.
He later fronted the Acker Bilk Paramount Jazz Band while Acker Bilk was recovering from throat cancer.
Terry Lightfoot continued to perform with his own band, which became something of a family affair when his daughter Melinda joined as singer, later being accompanied by his grandsons, guitarist “Joe Miles” Needham and drummer “Ollie James” Needham.
A new study suggests that Mariana Trench – the deepest place in the ocean – is teeming with microscopic life.
An international team of scientists found that the very bottom of the Mariana Trench, which lies almost 7 miles down in the Pacific Ocean, had high levels of microbial activity.
The research is published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
Mariana Trench was once thought to be too hostile an environment for life to exist.
But this study adds to a growing body of evidence that a range of creatures can cope with the near-freezing temperatures, immense pressures and complete darkness.
Dr. Robert Turnewitsch, one of the authors of the paper from the Scottish Association for Marine Science, said: “The deepest parts of the deep sea are certainly not dead zones.”
In 2010, the scientists sent an unmanned submersible down into the vast underwater canyon, where it collected samples of the murky sediment that cakes the sea floor.
An analysis of the levels of oxygen in the sample revealed the presence of a large number of microbes.
Dr. Robert Turnewitsch explained: “These microbes, they respire as we do. And this oxygen consumption is an indirect measurement of the activity of the community.”
Surprisingly, these primitive, single-celled organisms were twice as active at the bottom of the trench as they were at a nearby 4 mile-deep site.
They were feasting on a plentiful supply of dead plants and creatures that had drifted down from the sea surface, the decomposing matter becoming trapped within the steep walls of the trench.
“The amount of food down there and also the relative freshness of the material is surprisingly high – it seems to be surprisingly nutritious,” said Dr. Robert Turnewitsch.
Mariana Trench was once thought to be too hostile an environment for life to exist
The level of material found at the bottom of the trench was so high that it suggests the Mariana Trench – which is in an area of the ocean known as the Hadal zone – could play a key part in the carbon cycle and therefore in regulating the planet’s climate.Dr. Richard Turnewitsch said: “The fact that large amounts of organic matter that contain the carbon accumulate and are focused in these trenches also means they play an important role in the removal of carbon from the ocean and the overlying atmosphere.
“The Hadal trenches may play a more important role in the global marine carbon cycle than was previously thought.”
Further insight into the Mariana Trench has recently been provided by Hollywood director James Cameron.
In 2012, James Cameron made the dive to the bottom in a one-man-submarine, becoming the first person to have visited this deep spot for 50 years.
He recently released some of the first scientific results of his dive at the 2012 American Geophysical Union Fall meeting.
Working with scientists from the Scripps Institute, the team found giant amoeba and shrimp-like creatures called amphipods.
Footage of his dive will be released as 3D National Geographic documentary.
Indian police in Madhya Pradesh state say they have arrested six people in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss tourist.
The accused will be presented before a magistrate on Monday, a senior police official told Reuters news agency.
The woman was attacked as she camped with her husband in woodland near a village in Datia district on Friday.
The arrests come as cross-party talks on harsher punishments and tougher laws for rape begin in the capital, Delhi.
The latest attack comes three months after the gang rape of a 23-year-old female student on a bus in Delhi.
The rape and the student’s later death in hospital triggered widespread protests against the treatment of women in India and sparked demands for tougher laws.
In Friday’s incident, a group of men overpowered the Swiss woman’s husband before gang-raping her. The couple were also robbed of their valuables, including a laptop, which police say have been recovered.
Police spokesman Dilip Arya said the six men were aged 20-25 and belonged to a local tribe.
Twenty more people were being questioned in connection with the case, said local police official SM Afzal.
Madhya Pradesh police have arrested six people in connection with the gang rape of a Swiss tourist
The woman and her husband have left Madhya Pradesh and have reached the Swiss embassy in Delhi, reports say.“A decision regarding the next steps… in the interest of the two concerned Swiss citizens will be made with them in due course,” a spokesman for the Swiss ministry for foreign affairs said in a statement quoted by Reuters news agency.
On Sunday, a senior police official denied media reports that the suspects had confessed to their involvement in the crime.
The victim, who is reported to be 39 years old, and her husband had been cycling from Orchha to Agra, to see the Taj Mahal, a distance of about 155 miles, when they decided to camp for the night in a forested area.
One report cited the victim’s husband as saying that the group of men had approached them at about 21:30. They then began beating him with wooden sticks before tying him up and assaulting his wife in front of him, he is reported to have said.
The assailants stole the couple’s valuables, including 10,000 rupees ($185) and a laptop computer, before fleeing into the woods.
India’s political parties are also taking part in previously scheduled meetings to discuss harsher punishment for rapists, including the death penalty. They will also consider lowering the age of consent for sex to 16.
Last month, the government introduced new rape laws in an ordinance.
A bill or bills with these laws must be tabled during the current session of parliament. If the bill is not passed, the ordinance will lapse.
