29/08/2012 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at Ten: The Paralympics opening ceremony is

The show, called "Enlightenment," begins with a bang and a cast of

thousands. This is the scene as the eyes of the world are, once again,

on London's Olympic Park. It is the games have a possible, what is

possible to achieve. The flame to light the Paralympic

cauldron nears the end of a 24-hour journey past London's landmarks,

attracting thousands along its route.

Also tonight: The Chancellor warns against calls

from the Liberal Democrat leader for the rich to pay more tax to

help Britain's economic recovery. As the conflict rages in Syria,

President Assad speaks out and says his forces need more time to win

the battle. And "I've run my race" - Andrew

Strauss, one of England's most high-profile cricket captains, says

In sport, action off the pitch as the transfer window starts to close.

Bonnet, Celtic's chance to confirm their place back in the Champions

Good evening from the Olympic Park, where the Paralympics Opening

Ceremony is under way in the stadium behind me. The show is

called "Enlightenment" and opened with a starring role for the

scientist Stephen Hawking. Watched by the Queen, a cast of thousands,

including local school children and injured soldiers, put on a show

designed to change perceptions of disabled people. It signals the

start of 11 days of sporting competition. Our sports editor,

David Bond, has been watching the Two weeks after the Olympics ended,

London's Olympic Park was back at the centre of the sporting world

tonight. As with Danny Boyle's Olympic opening extravaganza, of

the Paralympics started with their own aerial tribute, a unique fly

past by aerobility, a charity which trains disabled people to become

Watched by 80,000 people, there was a star role for the eminent

physicist Professor Stephen Hawking, chosen as the guide for a ceremony

designed to celebrate science and the Enlightenment. Ever since the

dawn of civilisation, people have created an understanding of the

underlying order of the world. Because while these games are

ultimately about world-class sport, they are also end invaluable

opportunity to challenge the way Look up! Stretch your wings and fly.

It wasn't Kenneth Branagh tonight, but another British acting legend,

Sir Ian McKellen assuming the role of Prospero from The Tempest,

continuing the Shakespearian theme which has run through the London

A more traditional entrance for the Queen this time, accompanied not by

James Bond, but Sir Philip Craven, President of the International

Paralympic Committee. Other members of the Royal Family were also hit,

but not the Duke of Edinburgh who could not attend due to his recent

Fenner was over to the athletes, more than 4,000 from 165 countries

who will make this the biggest sports event in the world after the

Olympics. For London 2012, however, this is part of the same story. And

the challenge for these athletes will be to follow on from when

their Olympic counterparts left off. Well, with more than 2.4 million

tickets sold and teams from 166 countries competing across 20

sports, hopes are high that this will turn out to be the most

successful Paralympics ever. Our sports correspondent James Pearce

has been talking to athletes, organisers and some of the children

at the centre of tonight's events. A Games which promise to be

inclusive. Trinity school in Dagenham for pupils with learning

difficulties is evidence of that. No wonder they were excited after

weeks of practice. This afternoon they were heading to the Opening

Ceremony to take centre-stage and perform. But what? Sworn to secrecy.

I'm doing the Robin Hood story with the books. Most of it was a secret

anyway! You are not supposed to tell us. At the Olympic Park, the

red, white and blue was back. British spectators made their mark

on the Olympics, already doing the same at the Paralympics. 60,000 in

the stadium tonight, 2.5 million tickets sold for the whole games.

There's never been this kind of interest in a Paralympics before.

London 2012 continues to set new standards. This could be very

special. 1 Paralympians always bores the crowd and Oscar Pistorius

is always -- already singing the praises of these games. It's been

amazing. Many Paralympians in the last year have become household

names and I'm sure there will be kids around the world shouting

their names and rooting for them. That makes me extremely proud.

who else should we look Balfour over the next 11 days? Lee Pearson

will become Britain's most successful Paralympians if he wins

three more gold medals in dressage. Ellie Simmons was only 13 when she

made her name in Beijing. She is back for more in London. And you'll

see sports you might know less about, like wheelchair rugby. The

signs point to the best Paralympics ever. The man in charge is

confident. In Beijing, the world awakened to the Paralympic Games

and the Paralympic movement, but we are now moving into sustained

growth. A premium sports competition with incredible

athletes, not just from their performance, but from the type of

people they are. If tomorrow the sport begins. Britain is on top of

a podium and it is likely to be a common sight. 42 gold medals in

Beijing, more to come in London. In the next hour, the Paralympic

torch will light the cauldron and symbolise the official opening of

the Games. It's spent the last 24 hours being carried from the

birthplace of the Paralympics at Stoke Mandeville to the stadium

here in east London. Thousands of people braved the rain to welcome

the torch bearers, but as Robert Hall now reports, lengthy delays

between handovers meant it wasn't an entirely smooth journey. In the

heart of London's West End, life paused for a moment to witness the

passing of a flame which will draw so many to Stratford once again. A

flame which during just 24 hours has created more iconic moments. A

swirl of music and bright colours as they climbed high above the

Street at the magnificent Hindu temple in Neasden. Unlike its

Olympic predecessor, this flame had arrived in London after a night-

time journey through the towns and villages of Buckinghamshire and

Hertfordshire. Supporters for staking sleep to cheer on torch

bearers who had conquered his ability and those who had helped

them achieve their goal. This really is a sprint rather than a

marathon, but it has thrown up its own problems. Firstly the weather

has thinned out the crowds, but most of all the need to travel at a

gentler pace, which has caused problems with timekeeping. Over the

92 miles, teams of five have pass the flame between themselves and

organisers had to modify the process to make up time. With the

schedule slipping further, they created a second flame had to act

as a back-up for the Opening Ceremony. But none of this

distracted from the personal stories at the core of this relay.

Accounts of courage and determination which set the scene

for what will follow. Boxer Michael Watson, bearing the flame proudly

across Trafalgar Square. In life, there's always hope. Nothing is

impossible if you believe. A in Whitehall, torch bearers injured

whilst serving with the armed forces, nominated by Prince Harry

to show the world physical challenges can be faced and

overcome. So many stories with one common theme. And every story

leading us closer to the athletes gathered to welcome the flame.

hope that what people get from the Paralympic torch relay is for the

Paralympics to be the games of the possible. It is about what you can

do rather than what you can't. symbol created in the birthplace of

the Paralympics, heading downstream and lighting the way to another

sporting spectacular which will move us all. What is the

overarching theme in the ceremony? Faces at the other big opportunity

for London and Britain to show case itself to the world. With Danny

Boyle's Opening Ceremony, the Isles of Wonder, that was for the

Olympics, the focus was on British history through the industrial

revolution. This time, the focus is very much on the role that science

has played at the age of Enlightenment. Linking that

directly to the Paralympic movement. We've already seen a number of

people with disabilities in the show and I think the point it is it

links to that general FINA about the Games, which is challenging

people's perceptions about people with disability. They've never had

a captive audience like this. 80,000 people in that stadium, 2.5

million tickets sold, millions watching the ceremony around the

world. Thank you. I'll be back later in the programme

with more. You can follow the opening ceremony on BBC Radio 5

Live and BBC online, and you can watch the ceremony live on Channel

4, but for now let's get the rest of the day's news with Kate.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has appeared to dismiss a suggestion by

the Liberal Democrats that the richest in society should pay more

tax for a limited time to help Britain's economic recovery. The

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, said those with "very considerable

wealth" should make an extra contribution, but the Chancellor

warned against driving away the wealth creators and businesses.

Here's our deputy political editor, James Landale. Should the rich pay

more tax as the rest of us face more cuts? As the years of

austerity stretch ahead, Nick Clegg says yes. He told a newspaper today

that people of very considerable personal wealth have to make a bit

of an extra contribution. In other words, a short-term tax to squeeze

the rich. The Deputy Prime Minister chose not to explain his policy on

camera today, he was busy at the Paralympic reception, but he sent

his party President to spread the word if not the detail.

proposal is that we have for some years, a limited time, other taxes

that apply to people's wealth and not their income as a way of making

sure people who can afford to pay to help us out of the economic mess

make a fair contribution. The Lib Dems have long argued for a mansion

tax and it was seriously considered at the last Budget, but Mr Clegg

wants to go further and tax wealth in other ways, an idea he hopes

could help turn his party's fortunes around. Have a policy

paper for the Lib Dem autumn conference sets out some options.

They could be a new inheritance tax. A new tax on the value of people's

land, not just their houses. And a so-called tycoon tax that caps how

much money rich people can shelter from the taxman. The government has

already admitted it is likely to have to cut welfare by another �10

billion after the next election and with cuts like that, the Lib Dems

reckon it would only be fair for people who drive cars like this to

pay a bit more tax at the same time. But the man who decides tax policy

is sceptical. Yes, the rich pay their share, but... For I not going

to write my Budget before it is delivered. We mustn't drive away

wealth creators and businesses. This country needs to compete in

the world and then its weight in the world and that is the way we

will create jobs for everyone. Labour says Mr Clegg's motives are

as plain as a pikestaff. He is floating an idea, they say, simply

to please the crowds at his party conference. He is chasing headlines,

trying to placate some very angry Lib Dem supporters and former

voters at a time when they are absolutely exasperated with the

fact he is doing in government totally the opposite of what he is

now saying. So a new debate over tax has begun. A call from Nick

Clegg that the poor should not face more austerity alone, but there's

no detail and no deal over how much more cash he wants Britain's

The Syrian President has given a rare interview in which he said he

needs more time to defeat the rebels who've been trying to

overthrow him for the last 18 months. Speaking to a pro-

government television channel, Bashar Al-Assad also dismissed

calls for safe havens to be created for Syrians forced from their homes

The fighting in Syria rages on. There is no end in sight to civil

war between the regime and the rebels. The daily death toll is

regularly over 100. So now, on a pro-government TV

station an embattled President Assad is trying to seize back the

initiative. In a rare interview, three months since his last, the

President makes a point of stressing he is indoms a kus. He

calls the civil war a contest of wills. -- he is in Damascus.

He insists his forces will win but they need more time. TRANSLATION:

can cut short all the explanations with one sentence. We are moving

forward. The situation is better. President Assad needs to convince

those still loyal that they are winning, not losing Syria's civil

war. The situation son the ground is better now, he says, but is it?

What started as peaceful protest in a single city 18 months ago was met

with overwhelming force and has become an increasingly bloody

contest across the country. Another big challenge to the regime is from

defectors. President Assad dismiss that is as self-cleansing of the

Government. But when the Prime Minister fled three weeks ago, did

add to a sense of a regime in trouble. Particularly so soon after

Assad's brother-in-law, and others key to fighting the rebels, were

killed by a massive bomb. Syria's current Prime Minister flew

to Iran today, a nation which is President Assad's critically

important ally. But the UN used this summit meeting to urge Iran to

help make peace in Syria, not war. Iran has a very important role, a

crucially important role to play in the region, particularly when it

comes to the Syrian situation. these are some of Syria's most

vulnerable, refugees standed in no- man's-land as Turkey struggles to

build yet more refugee camps. Amid deep international division, and no

end to the fighting, President Assad hopes time may still be on

his side. Coming up on tonight's programme:

torrential rain and galeforce winds, the full force of Isaac hits New

He was one of England's most high- profile captains but in an

announcement that surprised many, Andrew Strauss today said he's to

retire from professional cricket. He said he'd run his race and that

poor form was the main reason, rather than a fall-out with the

England batsman, Kevin Pietersen. A word of warning - there is flash

photography in his report. If there is a glow to Andrew Strauss's

recollections there, should be. He held the Ashes urn, he grabbed

every opportunity. Leading from the front was how he

often described his role. It is what he often Zsadly, he spent much

of this year going backwards. Strauss's form was poor. England

lost to South Africa and slipped off top spot in the world rankings.

In truth I have not batted well enough for a long period of time

now. You know, I think for a captain to perform his role

properly, it's important that firstly you are not a passenger in

the side but also that people aren't speculating as to whether

you should be in the side or not. Despite his recent problems, Andrew

Strauss's career as a batsman was excellent. Spanning 100 Test

matches he scored over 7,000 runs and made 21 centuries. Just one

short of the all-time English record. But his value as a captain

was even greater. 24 wins in his 50 matches in charge. Under Strauss,

England beat Australia at home and away, to retain the Ashes ashes and

they became officially the number one Test team. It is now up to

Alistair Cook to try to return engthroond that position of

dominance. He is the new Test cap ton. The big challenge is a

familiar, thorny one - what to do with Kevin Pietersen? Andrew

Strauss's relationship with Pietersen soured dramatically after

Pietersen sent text messages to the South African team, seemingly

criticising Strauss and others. Strauss insisted that wasn't why he

stepped down, but there were still open wounds. Now there is a new man

as captain, perhaps they can get heads around the table. Alistair

Cook and Andrew Strauss has said nothing has changed. I still think

it is a very close decision as to whether or not Pietersen goes on to

India this winter. After Strauss, well after his final media

conference, he was applauded by journalists. That doesn't happen

often. The very least he deserves is a dignified exit.

The Serious Fraud Office has begun an investigation into deals between

Barclays and Qatari investors in 2008. The probe follows an

announcement last month that the Financial Services Authority was

looking at whether there had been sufficient disclosure of fees paid.

A controversial first-hand account of the death of Osama Bin Laden has

apparently contradicted the official version of how the Al-

Qaeda leader was killed. The details come in a book by a former

member of the Navy SEALs unit which mounted the raid on Bin Laden's

Pakistani hideout. Let's go live now and speak to our correspondent

Paul Adams who's in Washington. To what extent does this account

differ to what was said at the time? I think it is worth reminding

people, Kate, that actually at the time the White House's version of

events was frankly all over the place and seemed it change by the

day. But what we have now -- seemed to change by the day. But what we

have now is the first eye witness account, not by someone meerbl

there, but by one of the people actually involved in killing Osama

Bin Laden. When Mark Bissonnette entered the room at the top of the

house in Abbottabad, he and his colleagues found a gravely injured

person on the ground. They then proceeded to fire several more

shots at that person at point-blank range and only then, do they

determine that this was indeed the Al-Qaeda leader. Now some people

may raise eyebrows at that last grisly detail and the notion that

on the helicopter ride back to base one of the Navy SEALs sat on Osama

Bin Laden's body. But I don't think anyone here in the United States is

going to worry too much about the details of this. The White House is

not being drawn into a discussion about it. Merely thank the Navy

SEALs once again for professionalism and patriotism. The

Pentagon is looking at the book, because it is interested to know

whether any kind of secret operational details have been

divulged in the writing of the book, which has in the been owe ferblly

sanctioned. But at the end of the day, -- officially.

But at the end of the day, this puts some light on this killing of

Osama Bin Laden, which was a bloody affair.

Hurricane Isaac, which has been lashing New Orleans, has now been

downgraded to a Tropical Storm. A dusk-to-dawn curfew remains in

place in the city and thousands of people have left. Hundreds of

thousands of homes in Louisiana are without power. Seven years to the

day since Hurricane Katrina struck. Isaac was bringing back some

painful memories. We lost our home, our business,

everything. Stkw Rescuers had to battle

hurricane-forced winds to reach those trapped in Braithwaite, a

neighbourhood just outside of new or lean's new flood defence system.

Water flowed over Leaveys. It is not known how many people are

trapped. We were trying to drive in the car. You couldn't see in front

of your face. The suburbs of New Orleans took a direct hit from the

storm gusting at 100 miles per hour. 500,000 people lost power. The

city's new flood defence system, which cost billions of dollars,

appears to have held back the storm's surge which burst the

levies seven years ago but there was still major flding here.

Hurricane Isaac hasn't been as strong as Katrina but has moved

slowly and dumped a lot of water on this city and the surrounding Gulf

Coast. We know areas of New Orleans have been flooded, but until the

wind drops and the storm moves on, it's hard to know how disstructive

hurricane Isaac has been. Well that's all from me in the

newsroom. Let's return to the Olympic Park and George.

Thank you very much. Well here at the Olympic Park the Paralympics

opening ceremony is continuing behind me, watched by the Queen,

and teams from 166 countries are parading through the stadium. Our

Sports Editor, David Intelond still with me. Returning to the sports,

many of us will see disciplines we will not see before And many of the

2.5 million people who have tickets will be seeing Paralympic sport and

disability sport for the first time. They may at first be mystified by

the number of classifications which are there to rank the different

levels of impairment athletes have. They might be slightly perplexed by

the fact that there are 29 different 100m finals in athletics.

The fact that there are 148 gold medals on offer in swimming,

compare that with 34 in the Olympic Games but what is at the

Paralympics heart and what is essential and the same of the

Olympics, if you like, is the core thing of world class sport. I think,

if over nects 11dys, we see the same world class sport. They'll

probably be as unforgettable as the Olympics.

Well the Paralympics opening ceremony will continue for some

time yet. Still to come: the symbolic lighting of the cauldron.