11/12/2012 BBC World News

The banking giant, HSBC, is to pay a record $1.9 billion to the US

authorities to settle allegations Nelson Mandela's doctors say he has

suffered a recurrence of a lung infection and is responding to

treatment. Supporters and opponents of the Egyptian president are

planning big demonstrations in Cairo, as the Army is given powers

US prosecutors allege the bank has helped Iran and other drugs cartels

to launder money. HSBC says it is It is one of the world's banking

giants. Based in London with a major focus on Asia. One of the

main targets of a crackdown by the US authorities on banking

irregularities. The result, a Earlier this year, a US Senate

investigation accused the Bank of being a conduit for deals with Iran

and other countries and the US sanctions and what senators scribed

as drug kingpins. The bank's operations in Mexico is said to

have sent millions of dollars in cash to the United States. The sums

involved supposedly indicating illegal drugs proceeds. For

analysts, this supplement is a serious signal to the banking

system as a whole. It is not about taking big risks. It is about

operational issues of running an international trading bank. Cannae

trust these people to manage money through the system properly? -- can

you trust? The markets will be absorbing the implications for HSBC

and the other banks that have been in the sides of the financial

regulators. Our correspondent in Hong Kong told me more about the

settlement. HSBC is one of the biggest banks in the world. It is

the biggest in Hong Kong. When the markets closed today, the stock was

up by about 0.3%. It does not seem to have any immediate effect at

this point in time but we will see going into tomorrow. HSBC has said

the bank you are looking at now is completely different from the one

before. Since the US Senate investigation, they have made all

sorts of changes in top management especially so that the bank we are

looking at now is not the same. Let's have a look at some of the

settlement. Right now they are looking at no criminal prosecution

in the interim period. At the same time they have struck a global

resolution with other US government agencies. It means other

investigations into the HSBC by the US Treasury, the US Federal Reserve,

all of those investigations should also be settled, along with the

settlement. It is a huge cash payout. HSBC seems -- sees this as

a good compromise. It is not going to be a huge problem to pay their

spine for them. While there are no criminal prosecutions? -- this fine.

They have not ruled them out. At this point in time they said they

had deferred them. More details are expected to be coming out. At the

same time, this is a major financial institution. The

investigation was a major victory for the US government to share

their active in pursuing big financial institutions, that they

are not too big to fail. They are seen to be going after the bank and

making a point. It is not clear whether criminal investigations

will further their case at all. What sort of settlement they will

land on. At this point in time, they have deferred this possibility.

We are talking Japan. The nuclear industry obviously huge problems.

Another worrying piece of news today. The nuclear industry

diminished but still hugely important in Japan. Today we are

learning that shares in several power companies have fallen sharply.

That is after geologists have warned they may be active seismic

fault lines underneath a major nuclear power plant. Earlier I

spoke to our business correspondent in Singapore. He explained further

about the concerns. It is worrying many power companies in Japan.

These nuclear facilities will be decommissioned. Experts say it is

Anthony -- underneath a nuclear facility in western Japan. It is

sitting over an active fault line, the meeting place of two or more

plates. It will be decommissioned. The nuclear regulation austerity

will decide the fate of the plant. -- authority. All but two of the

nuclear reactors in Japan remain Offline after they were shut down

for regular safety checks in the aftermath of the disaster. They are

also investigating whether another facility - the only working atomic

plant - is on an active fault-line. The new survey is piling pressure

on the stop crisis. They are slumping about 6%. Anti-nuclear

sentiment is running high in Japan. It used to rely on the technology

for around a third of its electricity needs. Egypt braces

itself for clashes between supporters and opponents of the

The move of WPP to Ireland in 2008 was in protest at UK tax rules on

profits generated overseas. The advertising giant was one of

several companies, including BBM, and the pharmaceuticals giant, who

have moved their headquarters to Ireland at the time. Since then,

the tax regime has been reversed by the UK coalition government. U B M

voted almost unanimously in favour of the move. It was approved by

99.9% of investors. WPP stressed earlier this year there would be no

tax cost to the group by returning its headquarters to the UK from

Ireland as a result of the changes. The UK is undoubtedly more

competitive than it was with its corporate tax system. Its basic

headline rate has dropped dramatically in recent years. It

will never get down to Irish levels of 12.5%. With 21% on the horizon,

it is a low and competitive rate, a tempting lots of companies to look

at us, in much the same way as people will look at supermarkets

when they see a good deal on offer. The decision about taxation laws

will cost the Treasury �2.8 billion in lost revenue over five years.

George Osborne is keen to promote Britain as a competitive place to

do business. Under the previous regime, companies were taxed twice

on foreign profits. Once in the UK and once in the countries where

overseas divisions are based. The US government is selling its

remaining stake in the insurance firm, American International Group.

The Treasury owns more than 230 million shares worth $7.8 billion.

That was the closing share price on Monday. It was rescued by the

Government in 2008. Since then, the Government has more than recovered

the $182 billion it has spent on the bail out. The biggest deal-

maker in Germany has posted a loss of more than $6 billion. The

massive loss was largely due to the reduced value of its steel mills in

the United States and Brazil. It is trying to sell those operations.

Offers were much lower than the company's original valuation.

Policy makers at the US Federal Reserve begin a two-day meeting

today. They are expected to discuss ways of boosting the US economy.

The Central Bank might decide to pump billions will dollars into the

economy with another man round of bond buying. -- more dollars. Delta

Airlines is nearing an agreement to buy a 49% stake in Virgin Airlines.

If the deal goes ahead, they are expected to co-operate on

transatlantic flights. Richard Branson says whatever happens he

will retain control of the airline he founded. Let's have a quick look

The South African government says the former President, Nelson

Mandela, has suffered a recurrence of a lung infection, and is

responding to treatment. He is 94 and has been in Pretoria since

Saturday. Our correspondent gave me These are there live shots of the

hospital in Pretoria. It is day four of his hospitalisation. In the

past few minutes we have had confirmation from the presidency

that he is being treated for a recurrence of a lung problem and is

responding to the treatment. He was admitted on Saturday for what we

were told were routine tests, consistent with a man of his age.

It is the first time we have had any kind of detail on what the

problem is this time around. Back in January, 2011, President Mandela

was admitted to hospital and he was treated for lung problems. I think

there will be relieved to a certain extent that there is a bit more

information about what the treatment entails. We're hoping

that later today there would get more information about his

condition. That interview from his wife - those were from have - they

sound incredibly moving, don't they? Yes. They are incredibly

close. She has tried to make clear in every interview she has done

that Nelson Mandela is a frail man. She is their protective of him. She

is always talking about the fact that they must not have too many

expectations of someone of his advanced years. She has talked

about him having lost his sparkle. There is a sense of sadness in her

voice when she says that. There is also a sense of reality. He is a

huge figure in South Africa. For many people, it seems

incomprehensible that the colossus that people very much remember from

the fight against apartheid and his tenure as South Africa's first

black president, that man is frail and elderly. He is receiving very

careful attention and care at a hospital in Pretoria. Relief that

we are getting used now of his condition. Sorry about the delay in

that report. Supporters and opponents of the proposed new

constitution in Egypt have called for major demonstrations in Cairo.

The reason crisis began last month when President Morsi announced a

presidential decree giving himself sweeping new powers. It triggered

nationwide protests. Last month, the Assembly published a draft

constitution. Demonstrations for and against President Morsi

continued. There are classes outside the presidential palace. He

offered a concession to opponents by annulling the decree which

usually expanded his powers. The controversial referendum on the

draft constitution plan for 15th December will still go ahead on

The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil is in Cairo told us more. I began by

asking her whether crowds had started gathering. It is fairly

quiet but numbers are building up. This is what the whole conflict is

about, a draft constitution. Over 200 articles, this is what

Egyptians are basically expected to read, to have digested, and to vote

on on 15th December. This is what these demonstrations are all about

today. We are expecting a demonstration on both sides of the

camp, one side likely to gather in the areas very close to the

presidential palace, close to the other faction. This proximity is

very worrying. Last time this happened, seven people died and 700

people were injured. What is the sense about why a Mohamed Morsi has

made these changes? There is a sense this was premeditated. Or is

this a recent move strategically? think there were a couple of

changes made quite quickly. One was him giving up the sweeping powers

he gave himself towards the end of last month. It was always

controversial, people have always been critical, even though he has

said the intention was to get the constitution up and running. He

gave that up because he wanted to appease the opposition, but also

Ineke move to get the judiciary on his side, of which sounded like it

worked, because many judges have announced they will oversee the

constitution. The second announcement which took people

aback was the right to the Army -- the powers given to the Army to a

rest. -- arrest. You're watching BBC World News.

Still to come: As NATO prepares to withdraw, female Afghan soldiers

are playing an increasingly important role in the country's

elite forces. Hugo Chavez has arrived in Cuba for

his fourth cancer operation. He spoke openly for the first time

about handing over to a possible successor. The Venezuelan president

said that the country would be in safe hands under his vice-president,

Nicolas Maduro. Will Grant reports from Havana.

Despite the smiles for the cameras, these are very serious times for

Hugo Chavez. Routed from the plane in Havana by the Cuban President,

both men know the leader is facing his biggest challenge yet. Over the

weekend, Hugo Chavez said on national TV that, despite having

twice said he was free of cancer, the disease had returned and he

needed an urgent operation. Perhaps most significantly, he named his

vice-president, Nicolas Maduro, as his successor, should he be unable

to continue as leader. Before leaving for Cuba, Hugo Chavez

gathered together his military leaders to say he had entrusted

them with the safety of the Fatherland and urged them to

protect Venezuela from what he called conspiracies at home and

abroad. Many of the Socialist leaders staunch supporters are

distraught. TRANSLATION: Hugo Chavez has the people. He will

always have ask. From victory, to victory, with our loyalty, and

beyond this life, we will be faithful to Hugo Chavez. On leaving

for his treatment, Hugo Chavez was typically optimistic. He is -- has

experienced many highs and lows in office, not least in 2002 when he

was briefly removed from power. It seems now even his strongest

supporters are facing up to the idea that ill-health might prevent

him from serving out his full term. Four more people have been arrested,

in connection with the death of a Dutch amateur football linesman.

Richard Nieuwenhuizen died on December 3rd, after being kicked

Teenage football players from Amsterdam club, Nieuw Sloten. This

is BBC World News. The headlines.

HSBC agrees to pay a record fine of almost $2 billion, to settle

allegations of money laundering. Nelson Mandela's doctors say he's

suffered a recurrence of a lung infection, and is responding to

The Prime Minister of Mali has resigned, hours after being

arrested by soldiers who led a coup earlier this year. Cheikh Modibo

Diarra announced his resignation on state television, but gave no

reason. Mali, once a stable democracy, has been in crisis since

the military coup in March. Earlier, I spoke Alex Jakana from the BBC's

Africa Service, for an update on what's happened in the last few

hours. We fear Prime Minster has resigned.

He was shortly detained and arrested. A lot of people are

asking, where did this come from? There are those who say, the

military never really went away. They were always in the background.

The general analysis coming out right now, in the recent past, the

Prime Minister has been at odds with Captain Amadou Sanogo, the

leader of the coup. Take us back a step, the north is deeply troubled.

The whole crew started with the problems in the north. -- coup.

Then military felt it was not getting enough support. The

rebellion had been quashed in 2008. Then, the Troubles after the Arab

spring, for example, in Libya, many had gone to fight there. On their

way back, they came back with guns, more recruits.

A group of female soldiers has been trained to join the Afghan

military's elite special forces. NATO's preparing to hand over its

security role before foreign combat troops leave in 2014.

Marzieh Mashkoori reports. In combat. These Afghan soldiers

are training side by side. NATO is gradually handing security over to

Afghan forces, ahead of the departure of most of its combat

troops in 2014. The and the women who joined their countries' special

forces are playing an increasingly important role. During night raids

in search of Taleban insurgents, they are the ones responsible for

questioning women, and children. Translation macro the family

members objected, so I volunteered. I was interested in joining the

forces. I volunteered. The start is one of the 12 elite

female soldiers are specially trained in the last year to make

Afghan forces appear more culturally sensitive -- Sara.

TRANSLATION: I am very proud of them. They have sold a big problem

for us, a big cultural problem. -- solved. Integrating women into the

Special Forces is not an easy task. TRANSLATION: There is no difference

between a man and woman. We need female doctors and university

lecturers, in the same way, police women and soldiers. So my family

encouraged me to join. With this uniform on, I should not be fearful

of anything, this is my duty. I am not scared. I am now an officer.

the 2014 withdrawal looms, the challenge now is to get even more

women to sign up. The Arab Uprising, which began in

Tunisia two years ago, continues to be felt across the entire Middle

East. In the latest in our series of postcards, we look at how the

movement has affected ordinary people in Egypt, Yemen and Lebanon.

My name is Lily, I'm from Egypt. The Arab Uprising has affected

people my age. They are no longer a bunch of guys and girls who want to

have fun, with no targets or goals. They have hope now. They are trying

for their dream, and I think we are getting there. It is going to take

a bit of time. And it's not going to be a beautiful scene at all.

There will be a lot of sacrifices. But we will get there. My name is

Mohammed Basim, I am from Yemen. We don't regret all the positive

changes but there are some people who want to take the country back,

and want to Fuller to -- followed the politics of the past. But this

will not be accepted. We will not allow all the types of corruption,

in a new form. -- old types. A baby has been born in a

coastguard helicopter thousands of feet up in the air. Off the coast

of Scotland. The baby couldn't quite wait to get to hospital and

was born 10 minutes before the aircraft touched down.

We leave you with these pictures. An aquarium in the South Korean