01/07/2011 BBC News at Ten

Serious doubts emerge in the sexual assault case against the former IMF

boss Dominique Strauss-Khan. Thank you, your honour.

A New York judge frees him from house arrest, after a successful

challenge from his lawyers. He still faces charges of attempted

rape, but the credibility of his alleged victim is in the spotlight.

We have maintained from the beginning that Mr Strauss-Kahn is

innocent of these charges, and these recent disclosures reinforce

our conviction that he will be exonerated. The medical evidence

supports the victim's account. The forensic evidence supports her

account. We'll be assessing where the case

goes from here. Also tonight:

A minister's plea to put British jobseekers first, but businesses

say they want the freedom to choose the best.

Andy Murray's Wimbledon dream is over again. It's Rafael Nadal who

goes through to the final. It is tough. But, you know, I am giving

it my best shot each time, I am trying my hardest. And that is all

you can do. A new way of planning for old age -

proposals aimed at taking the fear out of funding care.

And a big turnout for William and And later in sport, England on the

verge of the quarter-finals at the Women's World Cup, but they had to

come from behind to secure a 2-1 Good evening.

The former head of the International Monetary Fund

Dominque Strauss-Kahn has been freed from house arrest after

serious doubts emerged about the case against him. Mr Strauss-Kahn's

bail money has been returned to him but he still faces charges of

attempting to rape a chambermaid at a hotel in New York. The

credibility of his alleged victim was questioned in court today by

his lawyers and the prosecution. Our New York correspondent, Laura

Trevelyan sent this report which contains flash photography.

A relaxed and confident Dominique Strauss-Kahn arrived at the court,

flanked by his loyal wife, as the US media reported that the case

against him was on the brink of collapse. In court, the former IMF

chief heard the prosecution itself raised doubts about the woman who

claims he tried to rape her. Although it is clear that the

strength of the case has been affected by the substantial

credibility issues, we are not moving to dismiss the case at this

time. Since the case is now weaker, the judge released Mr Strauss-Kahn

from his strict bail conditions. Thank you. He will get back $6

million posted in bail and insurance. His lawyers believe it

will not be long until the charges are dropped. We have maintained

from the beginning that Mr Strauss- Kahn is innocent of these charges,

and these recent disclosures reinforced our conviction that he

will be exonerated. It all started at his Manhattan hotel on May 14th

when a made from Guinea claimed Mr Strauss-Kahn attempted to rape and

sexually assault her when she cleaned his suite of rooms. But now

prosecutors say that she lied to the grand jury, claiming she hid in

the hallway, and she now admits to cleaning and other room before

reporting the alleged attack. Prosecutors say that she lied on

her asylum application, and lied to investigators about being raped in

Guinea. Outside court, her lawyer gave a graphic account of the

injuries he claimed she sustained during the attempted rape.

medical evidence supports the victim's account. The forensic

evidence supports her account. She was taken from the hotel to the

hospital in an ambulance. A grand jury has already found her account

credible. Dominique Strauss-Kahn was forced to resign as head of the

IMF as Greece's economy was in crisis. If this case unravels, his

ambition to be a French presidential contender could revive.

His supporters hope he will enter the race to be the Socialist

candidate before the deadline expires in two weeks. It would be

welcome in France. I think the people here will have for him

greater admiration than before, because he has shown, during this

period, great qualities of courage, dignity. It has been a turbulent

six weeks for Dominique Strauss- Kahn. From top finance official to

criminal defendant. But he left court looking assured and

encouraged by the cracks in the case against him. Laura Trevelyan

joins us from outside the court. On the one hand the prosecution have

doubts about the case, on the other they want to continue investigating

Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Where does this leave him? There is no doubt

that tonight the case is looking very shaky indeed. Mr Strauss-

Kahn's smile as he left the courtroom said it all. If

prosecutors - remember, they are the ones bringing the case - if

they say there is a problem with the credibility of the maid who is

making these accusations of attempted rape against Mr Strauss-

Kahn, then potentially the charges could be dropped. And the new

problem here is that the made lied to the grand jury about what

happened just after the alleged attack. There is no doubt that

whatever really happened in the hotel room, by changing her story

she has weakened her case. Businesses have been urged to give

young British people a chance by employing them, rather than relying

on workers from abroad. That was the plea from the Work and Pensions

Secretary, Iain Duncan-Smith, today, in an echo of Gordon Brown's call

for British jobs for British workers. Business leaders responded

by saying they wanted the freedom to choose the best.

Give the Brits the chance - that is the Minister's demand. He is

promising we will get the workless off benefits but British businesses

need to help to get them out of the jobs queue by actively looking for

UK employees. What Iain Duncan Smith wants is this. An immigration

system that gives the unemployed, particularly the young unemployed,

a level playing field so that they have the chance to take the work

when it is available. If we do not get this right, then I think in our

country and I suspect here as well, we risk leaving our citizens,

particularly young people, out of work. Mr Duncan Smith made the

speech in Spain. 1000 miles away in York, he reached a supportive

audience. They should not be able to come into our country and get a

job when there are people like me and others in York who need jobs

and money desperately. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them

coming here. But I think it should go to us first. Foreign workers

have always been a mainstay of manual tasks, such as picking

lettuces. But when businesses need more skilled employees, this is

their damning verdict on British Jobseeker's. The education system

has failed to many of them. After 11 years of formal education,

employers say they get kids coming to them who cannot read, cannot

write, cannot communicate and have no work ethic. So who gets the

extra jobs created in the UK? Last year an extra 416,000 people were

employed in Britain. Of those, 77,000 were born in the UK. But

334,000 were born overseas. Over half of those were from the EU,

partly the result of the decision to allow the new eastern European

members of the Union the automatic right to work here. The Polish

supermarkets and cafes appearing on high streets demonstrate how

successful foreign workers have been in our economy. But one of the

reasons employment overall has grown is their willingness to work

for less, do jobs the Brits will not, fill vacant positions. Having

lunch at a Polish cafe in London, this accountant. Her clients are

mainly small, Polish run businesses. Far from taking jobs, she says...

They create jobs. English people demand a lot because they feel they

can and I understand. But the Polish people come over and have a

job, they are happy they have got the job. The Government has

introduced a new limit on skilled workers coming here, but only from

outside the EU, so the Polish builder is firmly established.

Employment lawyers warned today that discriminating against foreign

workers might even be illegal, but ministers continued to insist

businesses should think carefully before turning away British

Jobseeker's. At least 14 people are reported to

have died in the latest wave of protests in Syria. Activist say

hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets after Friday

prayers in some of the biggest protests yet against President

Bashar Al-Assad's regime. Opposition groups say more than

1000 people have been killed in Syria since demonstrations began

three months ago. The Libyan leader, Colonel Gaddafi,

has threatened to carry out attacks in Europe unless NATO stops air

strikes on his country. In a telephone address to thousands of

supporters in Tripoli's Green Square, he warned that Libyans

would, as he put it, moving to Europe like locusts. A series of

explosions have been heard in the capital tonight.

British hopes were dashed again at Wimbledon this evening after Andy

Murray lost against the defending champion, Rafael Nadal. The event -

- the British number one battled hard but lost in four sets. Nadal

will meet Novak Djokovic and Sunday's final after he beat Jo-

Wilfried Tsonga in the other semi- final.

A wave, at least a ripple of anticipation washed through the

gates of the All England Tennis Club this morning. Nice and steady.

Around the grounds, they asked the questions, what if, surely not,

could he? I think he deserves it. He has been trying for a while.

have to be optimistic. It was not overweening confidence from the

home support, but as the first set went with serve, belief began to

Then, a first, the first time Murray had taken a set from Nadal

at Wimbledon. It was as good as it would get. Tough as it is to play

Nadal, Murray started making it tougher for himself. Nadal broke

and was on a run of seven games. The defending champion is known as

a baseline brute, but he also displayed a mesmerising touch,

controlling a volley, even as the ball hurtled behind him. With one

set each, who would set the tone for the third? The answer came on

the first point. The Spaniard was looking more of a bulldog and a

matador. At 2-1, he began to stampede. The air was seeping out

of the British challenge. In three hours, it was over. For the third

year in a row, Andy Murray had reached the semi-finals and no

further. But that is the thing, once again he has reached the semi-

finals of the world's greatest tennis tournament against some of

the world's best players. The next British man is almost 200 places

further down the rankings. Perhaps disappointment should be assuaged

It is tough. It is tough. But, you know, I'm giving you my best shot

each time. I am trying my hardest and that is all you can do.

other finalist will be Novak Djokovic, who overcame the talent

and theatrics of the Frenchman Jo- Wilfried Tsonga. Djokovic made it

through in four sets. It is a feeling Britain has not shared

since 1938, and counting. The former Conservative peer Lord

Hanningfield has been sentenced to nine months in prison after being

found guilty of fraudulent be claiming nearly �14,000 in

parliamentary expenses. He claimed for overnight stays in London when

The costs of caring for the elderly in England should be capped, the

proposal could stop thousands having to sell their home or lose

all of their savings. The full details will come when the

commission on the funding of care and support publishes its report

next week. Today its chairman gave a sneak preview to our political

editor. Hands on heads and shoulders and

knees. The good news is we're living

longer and staying healthier. The bad news is the bills for caring

for us when we're old are set to soar. One, two, three, hit...

Three-quarters of people aged over 65 will need to pay for care,

whether in their home or in their own. A quarter could expect a bill

of over �50,000. Joan comes to this day centre for

exercise and company. She knows that one day she may need to pay

for expensive care. If I live another five years, an awful lot of

my money's going to go. Paying for care? Yes. If someone said, I am

sorry your house will have to go to pay for it, how would you feel?

Very sad. And your children? don't think my children are really

waiting for the money. I would love to think my grandchildren would

have it. This is the economist who has been set the tafg of finding a

way to -- the task of finding a way to stop people losing their house

and their savings. His report comes out next week. This is a big risk

that all of us face. Any of us might end up with high care needs

as we grow older. One other big risk, like our house burning down

or having a car crash are covered by insurance. My sense is you feel

quite passionately about this. It is not just a numbers issue for

you? This is not just about economics and numbers. This is

about all of our lives. It is great we are living longer. We should be

celebrating it. People are frightened about growing older

because they don't know what will happen to them if they need care.

This report into paying for care focuses on England, but the rules

are similar in Wales and Northern Ireland. If you own a house or have

savings over �23,000 you get no help. It is means-tested below that

figure. In future, a cap on the cost of care could limit bills to

say �35,000. The Government would pay the rest. Although there would

still be means testing. If a cap were put in place we could takeaway

the fear that people would lose everything they have built up.

People are anxious they might lose the value of their house. They

would have to pay something, but less than at the moment. The idea

of a cap is meant to reassure people like this, who cares full

time for her elderly parents. can't tell you what a drain it is

to look after them emotionally, fizzally, look after the finance

and be worried about future finances. Labour paid a heavy price

for suggesting we could pay for care from the value of our houses

after we die. Politics could kill this idea too.

Capping the cost of care could reassure millions, but it will come

at a cost, between �2 billion-�3 billion a year. Which is why

ministers, I am told, will welcome the idea, but ask people to suggest

how it could be paid for. That might involve means testing other

benefits or even asking the elderly to pay national insurance.

And coming up on tonight's programme: Festival fever, how

councils are investing in arts events to try and turn a profit.

There was a sea of red flags and banners in China today as the

ruling Communist Party celebrated its 90th anniversary. It has 90

million members and controls the world's second largest economy. As

our correspondent reports, this anniversary comes alongside growing

evidence of social unrest across the country who said communism is

dead? The party once led by Chairman Mao is 90 today. As other

Communist regimes have collapsed, China's has gone from strength to

strength. So, the men in suits may look like a relic of the past, but

today's Communist leaders were congratulating themselves.

TRANSLATION: Looking at China's progress over the past 90 years, we

have naturally come to this basic conclusion, success in China hinges

on the party. There was no mention of Mao's

disasters, tens of millions who died from famine or persecution,

but plenty of talk object how the party is restoring China to

greatness. Chairman Mao is at the centre of everything, looking down

on Tiananmen Square, his body still lies in state here. The secret of

the success is dumping -- it threatens anything that threatens

the party's right to rule. So the chuenist party is presiding over an

economic transformation, unlike any the world has seen. Hundreds of

millions have been lifted out of poverty. Open just yesterday, the

world's longest sea bridge, spanning 26 miles and a bullet

train line, 800 miles long. Presents for the party's birthday.

Unnerved by the democratic revolutions, its in the middle of

the biggest crackdown since Tiananmen Square, 20 years ago.

Most battles are over land. Local officials and developers force

people to make way for lucrative new flats, offices and shopping

malls. It means there are many who believe the party is increasingly

corrupt, unaccountable, driven by power and greed.

TRANSLATION: We've had no compensation, nothing. In January

they attacked us. Enough is enough. TRANSLATION: We were lied to.

Cheated. Our land was stolen and sold. They sent thugs to beat us.

Nobody cared. I will go on fighting until my last breath.

Despite this, new recruits keep swelling the Communist Party's

ranks. It has 80 million members and rising. That's no surprise

really. The party is seen as a route to

success in China today. It has eliminated all of its rivals.

Labour have been celebrating their win in the Inverclyde by-election,

albeit with a reduced majority. The winning candidate, Iain Mackenzie,

took just over 15,000 votes, nearly 6,000 ahead of the SNP. The

Conservatives came third, while the Liberal Democrats and the UK

Independence Party lost their deposits. The Queen has formally

opened the new session of the Scottish Parliament. In her first

visit to Scotland since the SNP won an overall majority in Parliament,

the Queen said the institution had truly come of age and that Holyrood

was an integral part of Scottish life. Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

celebrated Canada's birthday with its people today on the latest

stage of their tour. They were guests of honour at the Canada Day

ceremony in Ottawa. Hundreds of thousands gathered for their 141th

anniversary. They are young and glamorous, which

undoubtedly helps. To be a successful royal requires more,

things like a sense of service and the ability to connect with people.

That lifts them beyond mere celebrity. William and Kate arrived

at the annual Canada Day celebration in a horse-drawn

carriage. The crowds were large. The welcome, once again,

enthusiastic. As the Queen's representative in Canada, the

governor general mounted the podium. The crowd shouted for Will yam and

Kate. They made their way -- William and Kate. They made their

way to the stage, given the crowd a chance to see that Kate was wearing

the country's countries. The Prime Minister congratulated them on

their marriage. The crowd cheered. The dignitaries clapped and the

happy couple looked, well, happy. As the cheering went on and on, a

little bewilder. She pated his leg. When the cheering stopped it was

time for William to try out his French again.

They were thrilled, he said, at the prospect of eight more days in

Canada. Canada may be less than that at the prospect of too many

more speeches in French. Canadians would be too polite to say so. This

is a pro-monarchist crowd. That is how much of Canada is. They seem to

like the look of the Royal Family's newest couple. Today would have

been the 50th anniversary of his mother. He may be reassured he and

his wife are once again showing how royalty can reach out to people.

Now, if you thought Glastonbury was the be all and end of all festivals

this year, you would be wrong. Hundreds are taking place this

summer. Councils are sensing a opportunity and starting to fund

their own arts festivals. Is that a good use of public money. There are

over 700 music festivals in Britain. Go for a country walk nowadays and

you risk stubbing your toe on a loud Speaker or bumping into a rock

God. Entrepreneurial music promoters are

behind the boom, realising the iPod generation will buy music if

there's a chance of sex and drugs and a bacon roll.

Festival Britain is not limited to the commercial sector. There are

those to be found in local Government. Manchester City council

spent �2 million on their arts festival. The idea is to invite

artists such as -- to try something which is a bit different. I think

this festival is maturing into something where people like myself

are from a multitude of disciplines. It freely creates something new.

That is very attractive to any artist. There is a broad range of

commissions here, from avant-garde performance artists to better known

names like Bjorg. Here is her set, where she's had these specially

made instruments. This one has solar power. The whole thing is a

bit quirky. It's a bit out there. It sums up the spirit of this

festival, which is new and different. It is a risky strategy.

It does seem to be working. last festival had an economic

impact of over �36 million. Directly that has worked for

Manchester people and an indirect benefit. This takes Manchester to

the world and brings the world to Manchester. Victoria Wood has

written a new play called That Day We Sang for the festival. A lot of

it is very avant-garde. They are not cutting people any slack. They

say, we are going to do these things. That is the best way to go.

I don't think pandaing to people is a good -- pandering to people is a

good idea. We are not just animals. We have to acknowledge that need in

our lives F you don't have culture in your country then you are just a

barbarian. One reason festivals are so popular is in this age of siber