Cyprus Bank Deposits 'To Lose 60% Of Value'

Savers with more than 100,000 euros in the Bank of Cyprus could lose up to 60% of their deposits, two senior officials have warned.

The Central Bank official and the Finance Ministry technocrat said sums held at the country's largest lender will  lose 37.5% of their value after being converted into bank shares.

And the pair said the deposits could lose up to 22.5% more in value, depending on an assessment by officials who will determine the exact figure aimed at restoring the troubled bank back to health.

Both figures were speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to publicly discuss the issue.

Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades

It comes after Cyprus agreed on Monday to make depositors contribute to a financial rescue in order to secure 10 billion euros (£8.5 billion) in loans from the eurozone and the IMF.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades defended the bailout deal, saying it had contained the risk of national bankruptcy.

"We have no intention of leaving the euro," the conservative leader told a conference of civil servants on Friday in the capital, Nicosia.

"In no way will we experiment with the future of our country," he said.

Cypriots have expressed anger at the price attached to the rescue - the winding down of the island's second-largest bank, Cyprus Popular Bank, also known as Laiki, and an unprecedented raid on deposits over 100,000 euros.

Under the terms of the deal, the assets of Laiki bank will be transferred to Bank of Cyprus.

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North Korea Says 'We Are At War With South'

North Korea says it has entered a "state of war" with South Korea in the latest threat aimed at Seoul and Washington.

Amid escalating tensions, Pyongyang also threatened to shut down a factory complex that is the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation.

South Korea said the North's threats "are never acceptable" but noted there was no visible movement of troops at the border.

Russia urged restraint, while Britain said the threat risks further isolating North Korea, one of the world's most reclusive states.

"We have made clear to North Korea that its long term interests will only be served by constructive engagement with the international community. These threatening statements will only seek to isolate it further," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Travel advice for British nationals was "under constant review and we will update it as necessary".

The announcement by Pyongyang was broadcast by the official Korean Central News Agency.

"As of now, inter-Korea relations enter a state of war and all matters between the two Koreas will be handled according to wartime protocol," it said.

"The long-standing situation of the Korean peninsula being neither at peace nor at war is finally over."

The statement also warned that any military provocation near the North-South land or sea border would result "in a full-scale conflict and a nuclear war".

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-Un

Hours later, a spokesman for the North Korean office controlling the Kaesong industrial complex threatened to close the factory park, saying the South was undermining its dignity.

He was referring to media reports saying the factory - just across the border in North Korea - had remained open because it is a source of hard currency for the North.

The two Koreas have always technically remained at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Earlier this month, the North said it was ripping up the armistice and other bilateral peace pacts signed with the South in protest against South Korea-US joint military exercises.

Russian foreign ministry official Grigory Logvinov said: "We expect all sides to show maximum responsibility and restraint, and that no-one will cross the line after which there will be no return."

"Naturally, we cannot remain indifferent when an escalation of tensions is taking place at our eastern frontiers," the diplomat told the Interfax news agency. "We cannot but worry."

South Korea's defence ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said: "North Korea's continuing threats against South Korea such as saying it is 'entering a state of war' are never acceptable since it is harming peace and stability on the Korean peninsula."

The US has used B-2 bombers as a 'deterrence' measure in the region

He said recent military exercises with the US "were defensive in nature against North Korea's possible provocations".

The ministry also said "no particular troop movement" had been observed along the border.

Former South Korean foreign minister Han Sung Joo told Sky News that the announcement amounted to "certainly more than rhetoric, even by North Korean standards".

The US said it was taking the new threat "seriously" but said it was following a familiar pattern.

"We've seen reports of a new and unconstructive statement from North Korea. We take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our South Korean allies," said Caitlin Hayden, spokeswoman for the National Security Council.

Most analysts still believe this will remain a rhetorical rather than a physical battle, but the situation has now become so volatile that any slight miscalculation carries the potential for rapid escalation.

Sky's Asia Correspondent Mark Stone said: "It is more rhetoric by North Korea until they actually do something. Wars tend to begin with bangs not announcements on state news agencies, so this is Mr Kim pushing the rhetoric up another level.

"The problem is, he hasn't got any more levels to go to after this other than actual war - that is the big worry and the big unknown. Does his belligerence have a limit or not?"

South Korean soldiers at a check point during a drill near the border

Sources in Pyongyang say life is continuing as normal in the city.

There are signs of civil construction with thousands of workers. Many of them are conscripts, and if war was imminent, then Kim would have called them up and they would not be busy building apartment blocks and hotels.

Earlier this week, the North's leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered missile units to prepare to strike US mainland and military bases, vowing to "settle accounts" after US stealth bombers flew over the South.

US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel stressed that Washington would not be cowed by Pyongyang's threats and stood ready to respond to "any eventuality".

The standoff has its roots in the North's successful long-range rocket launch in December and the third nuclear test it carried out in February.

Both events drew UN sanctions that incensed Pyongyang, which then switched the focus of its anger to the annual joint South Korea-US military drills.

As tensions escalated, Washington has maintained a notably assertive stance, publicising its use of nuclear-capable B-52s and B-2 stealth bombers.

The long-distance deployment of both sets of aircraft was intended as a clear signal of US commitment to defending the South against any act of aggression.

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Justin Bieber's Pet Monkey Seized At Airport

A monkey has been seized from pop star Justin Bieber after he flew it into Munich from the US on a private plane.

The pet, a capuchin called Mally, is thought to have been given to the singer for his 19th birthday on March 1 by music producer Jamal Rashid.

Earlier this week Rashid, also known as Mally Mall, uploaded a picture of Bieber and Mally to his Instagram feed with the caption: "OG MALLY FIRST PIC WITH HIS POPS @JUSTINBIEBER."

Bieber took Mally on a Cessna Citation X he rents for £13,000-a-time from LA to Munich's Franz Josef Strauss Airport on Thursday, The Sun reported, ahead of his gig at the city's Olympiahalle.

The Canadian star was detained "for some time" while customs officials took Mally into quarantine at the airport.

The singer faces a fine of more than £10,000 and will have to pay for the animal's care.

A customs spokesman confirmed to Sky News that Justin Beiber tried to bring his monkey into Germany without the correct papers on Thursday.

The monkey is currently being held in quarantine until the singer produces the correct paperwork.

On Monday, Bieber, who has been touring for months, had flown from Poland to Los Angeles and caused a stir at Lodz airport by stripping off his shirt as he walked through security.

Earlier in the month Bieber and his entourage were asked to leave the Hotel Le Meurice in Paris apparently because of the "nuisance caused by the presence of his fans around the buildings".

Bieber stripped off his shirt to walk through security at Lodz airport

And before that Bieber, who has 36 million Twitter followers, was forced to apologise to fans in London after arriving late on stage.

Many young fans left the capital's O2 Arena without seeing their idol, sparking anger among both the devotees and their parents.

He also collapsed on-stage at another UK concert and received oxygen before staying overnight in hospital.

He later cancelled a concert in Portugal, saying he had had a "rough week" in London.

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Barnsley Bans Under-16s From Town At Night

Young people have been banned from Barnsley town centre at night - in a move branded "just plain wrong" by a leading civil rights group.

The 9pm-6am curfew affects children aged under 16 and was introduced on Friday night by South Yorkshire Police and Barnsley Metropolitan Council to try to curb bad behaviour.

Under-16s not with an adult will be breaching the order and removed from the town centre by police regardless of whether they have done anything wrong.

But Emma Norton, a lawyer at campaign group Liberty, said the policy may be unlawful and urged families who want to fight it on human rights and discrimination grounds to contact them.

"A blanket ban on 15-year-olds walking around on summer nights is discriminatory, counter-productive and just plain wrong," she said.

"The police should target offenders of whatever age, not show disrespect and distrust of a whole generation.

"This policy is challengeable in the courts and we urge any family affected by it to contact Liberty after Easter."

Police will also be able to use the powers to disperse groups of two or more people from anti-social behaviour blackspots and target rowdy night-time revellers or football fans.

Inspector Julie Mitchell, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "Many interventions have been put in place by the police and partners and, although some measures have had some success, nuisance behaviour still persists on an almost daily basis.

"The common theme that appears to cause the most concern is rowdy, inconsiderate and abusive behaviour.

"This behaviour is often from people in large groups and has led to members of the public and business community reporting the feeling of being harassed and intimidated.

"The order is not intended to be applied without discretion; we want to encourage residents and visitors to come into the town centre for retail and leisure."

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US Film-maker Who Saved Orphans Shot Dead

The shooting followed an apparent dispute with a neighbour over the trimming of shrubbery outside John Upton Jr's home in Southern California.

The 56-year-old was found dead on Thursday on a path in the garden of his Encinitas property.

San Diego County Sheriff's Department said detectives arrested Michael Vilkin, 61, on suspicion of murder. He was being held without bail, and is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

Vilkin, in an interview conducted in jail, told KGTV in San Diego he fired gunshots in self-defence after Mr Upton allegedly threatened him with a gun during a dispute over foliage.

Actress Jessica Lange helped John Upton save Romanian orphans

A statement from the police department said a dispute between the two men led to the shooting, which was under investigation.

Mr Upton's brother, Michael Upton, told U-T San Diego that his brother and Vilkin had previously argued about trees.

John Upton's work in Romania gained the attention of influential activists, inspiring billionaire philanthropist Richard Branson and actress Jessica Lange to help rescue youngsters from its orphanages.

He went on to create an online network of films about charitable causes called Media4aCause.

Mr Upton was instrumental in bringing an estimated two dozen orphans to the US for medical care and adoption.

The film-maker's Emmy Award came in 1990 for an after-school special on teenage promiscuity.

The same year, after he watched a film about Romanian orphans on ABC's 20/20 programme, Mr Upton decided to help publicise the brutal conditions of the orphans and bring as many as possible to America.

"There just wasn't any doubt in my mind that I could do something, that I could make a difference with these kids," he told The Los Angeles Times in 1990.

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Travellers Camp: Meriden Protesters To Stay On

By Adele Robinson, in Meriden, near Solihull

Campaigners camped out in a protest against an illegal travellers' site say they will stay in place until the community moves on.

Residents in Meriden, near Solihull, West Midlands,have been keeping vigil opposite the caravan site for more than 1,060 days.

They set up camp a week after the travellers moved on to greenbelt land over a May bank holiday weekend in 2010.

They say they now hope their three-year legal battle is at an end after the travellers' last-minute appeal against the eviction were thrown out by a judge this week.

The Romany Gypsies now have until April 21 to vacate the site and a further month afterwards to restore it to its original greenbelt state.

However, Doug Bacon, vice chair of action group RAID, is worried that they could see another Dale Farm situation:

Protesters have been on the site for more than 1,060 days

"We're anxious that they'll be allowed to stay. Dale Farm lasted 10 years, this has lasted three years nearly already, we are anxious that the process will continue to be strung out and we are determined to ensure that that doesn't happen.

"We won't be leaving until they do."

The travellers on the site believe they have been treated unfairly but told Sky News that they were planning to leave because they will be arrested if they do not.

However, they also say they have not been offered anywhere that they consider suitable to go.

Anne Brereton, of Solihull Council, said that the council does not legally have to find another site for the travellers but that they were trying to work with the community:

"The judge agreed that a 12-month period was a reasonable amount of time for them to make alternative arrangements.

"So that gave plenty of notice, thinking about the schools, the children in schools, so the obligation is very definitely with the families rather than the council."

Campaigners, like David McGrath, of Meriden RAID, have welcomed new rules which will give councils greater powers to take more immediate action against those trying to flout planning laws.

"Temporary stop notices will hopefully avoid the Dale Farm and Meriden spectres whereby illegal developments happen in short order over a bank holiday but take many years and hundreds of thousands of pounds to sort out," Mr McGrath said.

"This is an affront to all hard working gypsies who want to be good neighbours."

Among the proposals being brought in by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles are fines of up to £20,000 if orders are ignored.

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Colville Schoolboys 'Plotted Rape And Murder'

A US judge has ruled that two boys, aged 10 and 11, will stand trial on charges of planning to rape and murder a classmate.

The schoolboys had a handwritten plan listing seven steps leading up to the killing of a female classmate, according to Stevens County Prosecutor Tim Rasmussen.

That list was submitted as evidence at their mental capacity hearing on Friday.

The judge decided that the pair understood the nature and consequences of their actions and would stand trial in juvenile court.

Under Washington state law, children aged eight to 12 are typically presumed not to have the mental capacity to form an intention to commit a crime. Juvenile court is usually reserved for defendants between ages 12 and 18.

According to court documents, one of the boys wanted the girl dead because "she's rude and always made fun of me and my friends," the documents said.

The boys are said to have boarded a school bus on February 7 with a knife, a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition in a backpack on their way to Fort Colville Elementary School.

The younger boy is believed to have taken the gun, originally belonging to his grandfather, from his older brother's room.

They were arrested after another child saw one of the boys playing with the knife on the bus and told a school employee.

One of the suspects later said he would kill the student who told school officials about the weapons, prosecutors said.

The boys are also alleged to have targeted other children in Colville, a town about 215 miles (345 km) east of Seattle in Washington state.

They have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, witness tampering and juvenile possession of a firearm.

Mr Rasmussen said: "There are very few prosecutions of a crime of this magnitude with boys of this age."

Both a defence psychiatrist and a state psychologist have said they present a danger to the community.

The boys have been expelled from the school district indefinitely. A status hearing is set for April 8.

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Leeds Heart Unit Closure: Doctor Questions Data

A cardiologist at Leeds General Infirmary has said data used to justify stopping children's heart surgery at the hospital was "incorrect, inaccurate and shouldn't have been used."

The hospital, which is involved in a long-running row over the future of its children's heart services, is carrying out an internal review after figures suggested a death rate twice the national average.

But Dr John Thomson told Sky News the data was far from complete.

"I have grave doubts that these figures are accurate and I certainly don't think that they were in a form that was anywhere close to being usable in this environment," he said.

"I think that's the key issue here, is that the information is probably incorrect, inaccurate and in a form that almost certainly shouldn't have been used.

It is claimed only 180 operations out of more than 300 in the unit were considered in the figures.

Dr Thomson's comments came as campaigners, led by the Archbishop of York, gathered at the hospital's children's cardiology unit.

Archbishop of York Dr John Sentamu said he had returned after a previous visit two months ago.

"Everybody was on task, everybody was committed (to) the wellbeing of children," he told Sky News.

"Then you get this big bombshell. No further operations, because there is a report which alleges a number of things.

"Then you hear that the three so-called whistle-blowers were the ones who were involved in the original decision to close this unit.

"What's going on? I just wanted to find out for myself."

Sir Bruce Keogh, the medical director of NHS England, has insisted the data was among a "constellation of reasons" to suspend operations.

He said he also received "disturbing" calls from two whistle-blowers and that there had been "rumblings" among the cardiac surgical community for some time that "all was not well" in Leeds.

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Glencoe Avalanche: Search For Missing Skier

Glencoe: Mountain Rescue Frontline

Updated: 5:31pm UK, Saturday 30 March 2013

By James Matthews, Scotland Correspondent

Sky News was recently given special access to the work of one of Scotland's busiest mountain rescue teams.

With a Sky News camera, the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team filmed emergency call-outs to rescue one fallen climber and to recover the body of another.

Since New Year, 12 people have died on Scotland's mountains. The Glencoe team were involved in the incident that saw an avalanche claim the lives of five people on the Bidean Nam Bian mountain.

The successful rescue which they filmed took place on February 20, 2,500ft up the slopes of Coire Ba in Kinlochleven. A Royal Marines special forces unit had been training in the area and one member of the party had fallen 300ft.

Pictures show the team from muster point to rescue. 

A number of factors work in their favour. The fact the casualty is military meant that his colleagues, with their knowledge and equipment, were easily able to provide an exact location using GPS. 

The team's quad bike transports the heavier rescue gear part of the way up the mountain along with medical equipment. The medical kit they carry with them would do justice to a small ambulance.

John Grieve, leader of Glencoe Mountain Rescue, told Sky News: "A lot of the stuff we're taking up the hill you would find in an ambulance ... heart-start machines, oxygen, painkiller drugs.

"Also, we take a vacuum mat to act as a whole-body splint."

The team has 30 members, all of whom get a radio call, instigated by the police, when an emergency is signalled.

The call-outs vary in urgency from a Code 1 to a Code 3. A Code 1 signifies imminent danger to life, or an incident involving children, and requires all members to attend. 

The rescue of the Marine was classed as a Code 2 and around a dozen team members turned out.

Between them, the Glencoe Mountain Rescue Team has several hundred years of experience climbing around the world. They know the vast Argyllshire wilderness around their Glencoe Village base like the back of their hand.

Mr Grieve says: "Collectively, we have such experience that when we're out on a climb, a team member will be talking about individual pieces of rock that they know or where the casualty might have fallen from."

The fact this rescue was at night was an advantage as the rescuers were guided towards the shining torches of the casualty's group.

Mr Grieve says: "It's a great advantage because we can get a really good location for the casualty, with them shining a torch. It helps the helicopter locate him as well."

When the rescuers reached the casualty, they loaded him onto the stretcher in readiness for the RAF Helicopter that had been summoned. 

On a steep slope 2,500ft up, the stretcher is bound to the rocky landscape with ropes to prevent it sliding down the mountain.

A member of the team lights a flare to guide in the RAF Sea King helicopter. In the event, the pilot asks that the casualty be taken down the slope to a surface that's more 'winch-friendly', so the stretcher is slid down across the heather.

When the helicopter descends, members of the rescue team cling onto the mountainside as they are buffeted by the downdraught.

As dramatic as it looked, it was a textbook rescue for the Glencoe team and the military casualty was successfully winched aboard the helicopter and flown to hospital.

An altogether more sombre routine was played out a week later on a different peak, Bidean Nam Bian, which had claimed the lives of the avalanche victims in January.

This time a 39-year-old climber had fallen to his death and the Glencoe rescuers had to retrieve his body. 

Their pictures show two members of the team climbing 1,00ft down a near-vertical drop to shift the body into an accessible area where a Royal Navy helicopter can winch it aboard.

Even in tragedy there is, invariably, gratitude for the rescuers from the people they volunteer to help. 

Mr Grieve says: "Most people are grateful, families are grateful. 

"I've got people of people who have been killed in Glencoe who still phone me up occasionally, 15 years later, just because they want to talk ... you've got to know them through tragic circumstances."

Debate regarding access to the mountains has re-ignited in the wake of this year's dozen deaths. The leader of the Glencoe team emphatically rejects any suggestion that it should be restricted.

"From my own personal view, as someone who has gone into the hills for years and years, it's one of our last great wildernesses. 

"It's a wonderful part of Scotland and everyone should be allowed to wander it at their own level."

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Northern Ireland 'Explosion' Investigated

Police in Northern Ireland are investigating reports of an explosion in Lurgan, County Armagh.

The blast is thought to have occurred in a rubbish bin in the area of Nevin Road and the North Circular road. No-one is thought to have been injured.

It is understood police officers were already in the area responding to reports of an unauthorised parade there.

Northern Ireland correspondent Vicki Hawthorne said: "Reading between the lines, it does look like this has been some kind of targeted attack on police officers.

"Dissident Republican terrorists are extremely active in Northern Ireland and have been especially so in the last few weeks.

"There have been a number of attempts to attack officers in this way, to lure them to an area with reports of some other type of incident and with the plan to then attack them."

More follows...

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