India Murder-Rape Suspects Could Face Death

By Alex Rossi, India Correspondent

Five men have been formally charged with the murder, kidnap and gang rape of a medical student in Delhi in India.

The 23-year-old - who has not been named - died at the weekend in a hospital in Singapore where she was being treated for major internal injuries.

If the five men are convicted of murder they could face the death penalty.

A sixth suspect is believed to be under the age of 18.

Indian women hold placards during the Women Dignity march in Delhi

Investigators have ordered bone tests to establish his exact age, as juveniles cannot face murder charges.

The men, who are in custody at Delhi's Tihar prison, did not attend the hearing.

According to the police the charge sheet is more than 1,000 pages long and it is expected when the trial gets under way that more than 30 witnesses will be called.

The document also contains a statement given by the victim to two different judges while she was being treated in hospital.

Investigators allege that members of the gang were drunk and joyriding in a bus when they picked up the woman and her male companion, who were on their way back from the cinema in South Delhi.

They then beat up the couple with an iron bar before gang-raping the woman.

It is claimed they then threw the pair from the moving bus and tried to run over the victim.

Delhi's Bar Association has stated none of its members will act for the men on "moral grounds", and the accused have no legal representation.

The rape has caused national outrage in India since it happened three weeks ago.

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets on a daily basis to demand tougher penalties for rapists and fast track courts.

Rape and violence against women is all too common crime in India with the latest figures suggesting that the problem is worst in Delhi.

Last year there were 635 reported cases of rape in the capital but there was only one conviction.

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Falklands Row Reopened By President's Letter

The president of Argentina has written an open letter to David Cameron calling once again for him to relinquish British control of the Falkland Islands.

The letter by Cristina Kirchner has appeared as an advertisement in The Guardian newspaper and says Argentina was forcibly stripped of the islands her country calls Las Malvinas in a "blatant exercise of 19th-century colonialism".

The 59-year-old president urged the Prime Minister to abide by United Nations resolutions she says back the Argentinian cause.

Ms Kirchner first made calls for the return of the islands during last year's 30th anniversary of the two countries going to war.

"One hundred and eighty years ago on the same date, January 3, in a blatant exercise of 19th-century colonialism, Argentina was forcibly stripped of the Malvinas Islands, which are situated 14,000km (8700 miles) away from London," she said in the letter, copied to United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon.

"The Argentines on the Islands were expelled by the Royal Navy and the United Kingdom subsequently began a population implantation process similar to that applied to other territories under colonial rule.

"Since then, Britain, the colonial power, has refused to return the territories to the Argentine Republic, thus preventing it from restoring its territorial integrity.

"The Question of the Malvinas Islands is also a cause embraced by Latin America and by a vast majority of peoples and governments around the world that reject colonialism."

Mr Cameron and Ms Kirchner clashed over the Falklands when the pair came face-to-face at the G20 summit in Mexico last June.

Mr Cameron and Ms Kirchner clashed at the G20 summit

He rejected her demand for negotiations over the sovereignty of the islands and told her that she should respect the result of a referendum due to be held in March, when the Falklanders will vote on whether they wish to retain their ties with Britain.

The Argentine president had earlier taken her demands to the United Nations, appearing at the annual meeting of the little-known UN Decolonisation Committee on the 30th anniversary of Britain's ousting of an Argentinian invasion force from the Falklands.

She used the occasion to reiterate Argentina's opposition to any more wars and to criticise the Prime Minister's decision to mark the day by flying the Falklands flag over Number 10.

In December Argentina protested at Britain's decision to name a vast swathe of Antarctica Queen Elizabeth Land. Its foreign ministry handed a formal protest note to British ambassador John Freeman in Buenos Aires.

The area, which makes up around a third of the British Antarctic Territory, is also claimed by the South American country.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the Falkland Islanders "are British and have chosen to be so".

"They remain free to choose their own futures, both politically and economically, and have a right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN Charter," she added.

"This is a fundamental human right for all peoples.

"There are three parties to this debate, not just two as Argentina likes to pretend.

"The islanders can't just be written out of history.

"As such, there can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the islanders so wish."

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Gunman Shoots Three Dead In Switzerland

A gunman has killed three people and injured two others after opening fire in a village in southern Switzerland.

The 33-year-old started shooting in Daillon near the city of Sion on Wednesday night, using a historic Swiss military rifle and a hunting rifle.

He fired around 20 shots, instantly killing three women aged 32, 54 and 79 and injuring two men aged 33 and 63, according to officials.

Terrified residents drinking in nearby bars when the shots rang out hid in the dark to avoid being caught up in the attack.

Police rushed to the scene shortly after 9pm when witnesses reported several people were lying on the ground.

The man, who has not been named, was wounded in an exchange of gunfire with officers and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police "immediately intervened and neutralised the suspect," a statement said. No officers were injured.

Officials said the man had spent time in a psychiatric hospital in 2005, at which point his weapons had been confiscated.

He was unemployed and also known to police as a drug user. Further reports said he was living under surveillance.

Daillon is around 145 miles from the Swiss capital Bern

The reason for the shooting is not yet known.

Prosecutor Catherine Seppey said the gunman knew several of the victims, but "he was not known for making threats".

Swiss media quoted local residents as saying he had been drinking heavily before the attack.

Resident Marie-Paule Udry told news website 20Minutes.ch the man had been in a local restaurant and "had drunk a lot".

His two youngest victims, the woman aged 32 and man aged 33, are reported to be a couple with young children.

Forensic investigators are now at work in the picturesque village which has just 200 inhabitants and is perched at an altitude of 1,000m (3,280ft) surrounded by vineyards.

Cantonal police spokesman Jean-Marie Bornet insisted that police had only returned fire after coming under threat.

"There was an exchange of gunfire because he was threatening police officers. He was hit and wounded," he said.

"There is bewilderment and shock in Valais. This is a man who lived in Daillon and opened fire on his neighbours."

Gun ownership is widespread in Switzerland, where the law allows any citizen aged over 18 to possess arms under certain conditions.               

The defence ministry says there are some two million weapons in private hands among the country's estimated eight million inhabitants.

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Oil Rig Ship Grounded In Alaska 'Not Leaking'

An oil drilling ship that ran aground in a severe Alaska storm is showing no sign of leaking fuel.

Crews aboard two aircraft which flew over the vessel on Tuesday also reported the Kulluk's hull had not been breached.

"There is no sign of a release of any product," said federal on-scene response coordinator Captain Paul Mehler.

The ship is carrying about 143,000 gallons of diesel and about 12,000 gallons of lube oil and hydraulic fluid, he added.

The Royal Dutch Shell drilling rig ran aground on Monday off the small, uninhabited island of Sitkalidak, near the larger Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska.

It had become separated last Thursday from a towing vessel and a tugboat, as it was being taken to Seattle for maintenance.

The Kulluk was battered by 70mph winds and waves of up to 50ft but conditions have since eased.

This should allow marine experts to get onboard and come up with a more complete salvage plan, which could include refloating the stricken ship.

Captain Mehler said there was a team of about 500 people working on a response to the situation, "with many more coming".

A Shell official said the drilling rig was built with a double-sided hull of 3in reinforced steel.

It recently underwent a $292m (£179m) improvement programme before being put into service for a short time last summer in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast.

US Representative Ed Markey - who is the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee - has expressed deep concern about the Kulluk situation.

"Oil companies keep saying they can conquer the Arctic, but the Arctic keeps disagreeing with the oil companies," Mr Markey said.

"Drilling expansion could prove disastrous for this sensitive environment."

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US Fiscal Cliff Averted As Bill Approved

A "fiscal cliff" of massive tax hikes and drastic spending cuts in the US has been avoided at the 11th hour.

The House of Representatives voted to approve a bill which averts tax increases for the middle classes - and the possibility of sending the country into recession.

The bill - which also stops massive spending cuts - was approved by 257 votes to 167 after being supported earlier by the Senate.

President Barack Obama welcomed the deal and said it was just one step in a broader effort to strengthen the economy.

He said: "Thanks to the votes of Republicans and Democrats in Congress I will sign a law that raises taxes on the wealthiest 2% of Americans while preventing tax hikes that could have sent the economy back into recession."

The vote came just hours before financial markets reopen following the New Year holiday. In early trading on Wednesday Asian  markets were up over 2%.

Some House Republicans had wanted to amend the bill to incorporate more spending cuts, but they dropped the idea.

In the end, 172 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted in favour of the bill.

The lights of the Capitol burned late into the night

It marks a political triumph for President Obama, less than two months after he secured re-election while campaigning for higher taxes on the wealthy.

The legislation cleared the Senate hours after Vice President Joe Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, veteran negotiators, sealed a deal.

The spending cuts and drastic tax increases which made up the so-called "fiscal cliff" were due to come into effect at midnight on Monday when George Bush-era tax cuts expired.

The deadline would have triggered tax increases of $536bn (£328bn) and spending cuts of $109bn (£67bn) from domestic and military programmes.

The compromise Senate deal extends the tax cuts for Americans earning under $400,000 (£246,000) - up from the $250,000 (£153,000) level that Democrats had originally sought.

However, the overall Federal tax liability for millions of middle and lower income families will still go up, despite the deal.

A two percentage point temporary cut in the Social Security payroll tax expired with the end of 2012, with neither President Obama nor the Republicans making a significant effort to extend it.

Barack Obama waves as he boards Air Force One

Within minutes of speaking at the White House, President Obama headed back to Hawaii to rejoin his family on holiday.

But his break from the political manoeuvring will be brief.

Another standoff is likely to arrive as early as February, when the new Congress will be asked to agree to raise the $16.4trn federal borrowing limit, so the government can keep paying its bills.

House Republicans are unlikely to agree to raise the debt limit without pushing spending cuts that Democrats and Mr Obama are sure to resist.

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South Korea Rejects North's 'Bland' Message

South Korea has dismissed as "bland" a New Year message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in which he urged a lessening of tensions between the two countries.

In the first televised New Year's Day message by a North Korean leader in 19 years, Kim stressed the importance of improving his impoverished country's economy and improving relations between the two Koreas, which are technically still at war.

"An important issue in putting an end to the division of the country and achieving its reunification is to remove confrontation between the North and the South," he said.

"The past records of inter-Korean relations show that confrontation between fellow countrymen leads to nothing but war," he added.

As far as the North Korean economy was concerned, the country's leader said the people should look to the way they had handled their efforts in space to tackle their economic problems.

"The industrial revolution in the new century is, in essence, a scientific and technological revolution, and breaking through the cutting edge is a shortcut to the building of an economic giant," he said.

South Korea's unification minister Yu Woo-ik remains sceptical

"Let us bring about a radical turn in the building of an economic giant with the same spirit and mettle as were displayed in conquering space," he said.

But the South Koreans were not impressed. "The message was bland and there were no ground-breaking proposals," unification minister Yu Woo-ik told reporters.

Mr Yu said Kim's remarks may have been aimed at new or transitional leaderships in China, Japan and South Korea, and Seoul had good historical reasons for treating peace overtures warily.

Efforts to engage Pyongyang with "good intentions" in the past had made little progress, he said.

South Korean president-elect Park Geun-hye, who will take office in February, has signalled a desire for greater engagement with the North.

Commentators say Kim is trying to follow the path of his grandfather, Kim il-sung, who routinely addressed his people on New Year's Day and left them with fond memories

By contrast his father, Kim Jong-il, did not give a single TV address during his 17-year rule.

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Ivory Coast Stadium Stampede Kills Sixty

Around 60 people have died and 200 been injured in a New Year's Eve stampede at a stadium in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

It happened as crowds gathered to watch a fireworks display.

A rescue official said: "There are around 60 dead and about 200 injured, this is a provisional estimate."

More follows...

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Delhi Gang Rape Suspect To Undergo Bone Tests

One of six suspects held over the gang rape and murder of a student in India is to undergo bone tests to determine whether he is old enough to answer for the crime.

Murder convictions carry the death penalty in India. However, only those aged 18 or over can be put on trial.

If the suspect is found to be under age, it is unclear whether he could still be tried for rape, which carries a life sentence.

Protesters light candles around a mannequin representing the rape victim

The six men are jointly accused of raping and killing an unnamed 23-year-old woman on a bus in Delhi on December 16.

The victim was airlifted to Singapore for emergency treatment, but died on Saturday.

She was cremated in New Delhi the next day. Her ashes were set to be submerged in the holy river Ganges near her home town in the northern Uttar Pradesh state, in accordance with Hindu customs.

Police have clashed with protesters since the December 16 attack

Indians have been demanding the death penalty for those responsible, holding demonstrations almost every day since the attack.

Protesters and politicians from across the spectrum called for a special session of Parliament to pass new laws to increase punishments for rapists - including possible chemical castration - and to set up fast-track courts to deal with rape cases within 90 days.

Thousands of people have lit candles, held prayer meetings and marched through various cities and towns to express their grief, and to demand stronger protection for women and the death penalty for rape.

Activists are calling for politicians to pass tough new laws

The protests continued on Tuesday, ahead of the first court appearance for the six suspects on Thursday.

Details of the charges run to more than 1,000 pages, according to reports, and some 30 witnesses are named in the prosecution's documents.

On Monday, the Indian army and navy cancelled their New Year's celebrations, as did Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party.

Several hotels and clubs across the capital also decided not to hold their usual parties.

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Seven Die In Gun Ambush In Pakistan

Gunmen have ambushed a van carrying teachers in Pakistan, killing six female teachers and one man in the vehicle.

More follows...

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Chavez Suffers New Setback After Cancer Op

Hugo Chavez has suffered "new complications" following his cancer surgery in Cuba and his condition is "delicate", Venezuela's Vice President Nicolas Maduro has said.

In a televised address from Havana, Mr Maduro said: "We have been informed of new complications that arose as a consequence of the respiratory infection we already knew about.

"President Chavez's condition is still delicate," Mr Maduro added, warning that the unspecified complications "are being treated in a process that is not without its risks".

Mr Maduro, who said he had spoken with Mr Chavez, added that the 58-year-old president was facing a "tough situation".

The vice president said he would stay in Havana in the coming hours "with El Comandante and his family, closely following his condition and its evolution".

"We trust that the global outpouring of love for Chavez will help him heal", said Mr Maduro, with Rosa Virgina Chavez, one of the president's daughters, Science and Technology Minister Jorge Arreaza, and top prosecutor Cilia Flores.

The vice president gave his address alongside Mr Chavez's eldest daughter, Rosa, and son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, as well as Attorney General Cilia Flores.

A supporter of Mr Chavez writes a message for him in Caracas

The Venezuelan leader, who has been the face of the Latin American left for more than a decade, has not been seen or heard from since undergoing his fourth cancer-related surgery on December 11.

Mr Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, won another six-year term in October's presidential election.

He is scheduled to be sworn in on January 10, but his health has raised concerns over the future of his leftist movement and whether he will even be well enough to attend the inauguration.

On Monday, the Venezuelan government said there had been a "slight improvement" in his condition as he recovers from the post-operative respiratory infection.

Officials have never disclosed the type or severity of Mr Chavez's cancer, first diagnosed in June 2011, and he only designated a political successor - Mr Maduro - earlier this month.

The Venezuelan leader had, in fact, asserted before embarking on his arduous re-election campaign earlier this year that he was cancer-free - but he was later forced to admit he had suffered a relapse.

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