In Mexico, more than 130 inmates have escaped through a tunnel from a prison on the border with Texas in one of the worst jailbreaks the country's beleaguered penal system has suffered in recent years. 

The Attorney general of the northern state of Coahuila, Homero Ramos said 132 inmates of the prison in the city of Piedras Negras had got out through the tunnel in an old carpentry workshop before cutting the wire surrounding the complex. 

Chief of public security in Coahuila Jorge Luis Moran said corrupt prison guards may have helped the inmates escape. He said US authorities had been alerted to help capture the fugitives if they try to cross the border. There have been numerous breakouts in the past few years from Mexico's struggling penal system, where guards are frequently accused of complicity with drug cartels.

A US Senate investigation has found that poor controls at the global bank HSBC allowed Mexican drug traffickers and other criminals to launder billions of dollars into the United States. A report released before a Senate hearing on the matter today said the London-based bank also did business with firms linked to terrorism and bypassed US financial sanctions against states such as Iran. It said HSBC executives and U.S. regulators routinely ignored warning signs and failed to stop illegal behavior between 2002 and 2010, effectively giving criminals and terrorists a portal into the U.S. financial system. HSBC, Europe's largest bank, has released a statement saying its executives will apologize at the Washington hearing, during which lawmakers will question bank officials and U.S. regulators.

In Mexico, ten people have been killed and five wounded in a shootout between rival drug gangs in the towns of Zacazonapan and Otzoloapan.
President Felipe Calderon launched a military crack down on the drug cartels when he took over in 2006. More than 50,000 people have been killed and 5000 have been missing since then.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will leave New Delhi tommorrow on a week long visit to Mexico and Brazil. Dr Singh will be participating in the crucial G-20 Summit in the Pacific resort of Los Cabos and will also attend the Rio + 20 conference on Sustainable development.

Briefing newsmen in New Delhi today, the External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Mr Syed Akbarudin said the Prime Minister will have bilateral meetings with the President of Mexico Felipe Caledron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Dr Singh will also hold talks with the French President Francois Hollande on the sidelines of the G-20 summit.

He said the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs Mr R.Gopalan , chief interlocutors of the Prime Minister are already in Mexico negotiating with member countries.

The summit begin held in the back drop of the Euro Zone crisis will deliberate on need to strengthen the financial system and foster financial inclusion to promote economic growth. Mr Akbarudin said the host country has listed 5 areas on which the G-20 countries will deliberate.

Mr Akbarudin said on the sidelines of the RIO Summit the Prime Minister will also have talks with his Nepalese counter part Baburam Bhattarai, Srilankan President Mahinda Rajapaksha besides meeting the former President of Brazil Lula da Silva.


Padma Vibhusan India's second highest civilian award.