A group of asylum seekers whose boat got into difficulty off the Indonesian coast are on their way to Christmas Island. One hundred and sixty-two people were on board boat who sent out the distress signal early yesterday. They have been transferred to two Australian naval ships. They're being taken to Christmas Island for health, security and identity checks. It's believed three asylum seekers require medical treatment.

The former head of Britain's Barclays Bank has apologized for the rate rigging scandal that cost him his job. Bob Diamond has been questioned by British MPs for three hours. He described the behavior of those responsible as reprehensible. Mr Diamond says he only learned the full extent of the scandal this month and felt physically ill when he read emails from traders accused of rate fixing.

The widow of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has agreed to have his body exhumed to find out if he was poisoned. The Palestinian authority had been considering the move but only if his family agreed. It's been revealed Swiss scientists have found evidence of the radioactive material polonium on his clothes he was wearing when he died in 2004.