03/12/2012 BBC News at Ten

A Royal baby - the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their

first child. The news was confirmed after the Duchess was taken to

hospital with acute morning sickness. Prince William - who has

spent the day by her side - left tonight. The couple have received

messages of support and congratulation. It's absolutely

wonderful news. I am delighted for them. I am sure they'll make

absolutely brilliant parents and I am sure everyone around the country

will be celebrating with them tonight.

We will have the latest from the hospital and looking at the rules

on Royal succession. The big brands accused of being immoral by paying

too little tax - the Chancellor announces a crackdown. It's a clear

message today, most people pay their taxes. Few don't. Those few

we are coming after them. Israel under mounting diplomatic

pressure over its plans to build thousands more homes for settlers.

The hospitals in England which are too full - a report says patient

care is being put at risk. And, how a fatal fire in a

Woolworths store inspired the Coming up on the news channel:

England and Wales are drawn in the same group for the 2015 World Cup.

Scotland face South Africa and Good evening. The Duke and Duchess

of Cambridge are expecting their first child. The news was confirmed

by St James's Palace this afternoon after Kate - who is in the early

stages of pregnancy - was admitted to hospital with acute morning

sickness. She is expected to remain there for the next few days. The

Royal baby will be third in line to the throne, after the Prince of

Wales and Prince William. Our Royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell's

report does contain some flash photography. Departing from

hospital this evening, the father to be. William had spent several

hours with his wife, they had tkreufen to London together today

from Kate's parents' home in Berkshire. It was there over the

weekend the sickness had started. There had been no sign of anything

last Friday when Kate had been playing hockey in high heels at her

old prep school in Berkshire. Nor had there been any hint of what was

to come a couple of days earlier when William and Kate had been in

Cambridge. William was presented with a babygro. No wonder he took

such an interest. I love that! That's fantastic. I understand the

Duchess is roughly two months pregnant. Doctors say severe

sickness at such an early stage should not be a cause for serious

concern. These days hyperemesis gravidarum is usually very

treatable. Both the Duchess of Cambridge and her baby shouldn't

come to any harm as a result of this. But it's a difficult time for

them to be going through. Stkpwhrp. William and Kate have

wanted to start a family has been apparent since their engagement.

think we will take it one step at a time. We will get over the marriage

first and maybe look at the kids. Obviously, we want a family. So, we

will have to start thinking about that.

Scarcely had the wedding taken place and the couple appeared on

the balcony, than the speculation about a baby began. Every time Kate

had a close encounter with a small bundle in a blanket... People

wondered when she might have good news of her own. There was a flurry

of speculation when she declined to eat something which some experts

had said was bad for expectant mothers. More speculation when on

their tour of Asia and the Pacific in September she drank water,

rather than wine during a toast. For Prince Charles, visiting flood

victims in Wales today, this will be a first grandchild. He and other

close family members, including the Queen, are said to be delighted by

the news. Congratulations, too, from the Prime Minister. It's

absolutely wonderful news. I am delighted for them. I am sure

they'll make absolutely brilliant parents and I am sure everyone

around the country will be celebrating with them tonight.

Significantly the child will be third in line to the throne

irrespective of whether it's a boy or a girl. The Government announced

a year ago that a first born daughter will no longer be

overtaken in the line of succession by a younger brother. We will be

watching this baby from the moment it's born and if we all live long

enough until the moment it becomes King or Queen. That's the great

advantage, I think, of hereeditary monarchy. Today's news will put

pressure on William, will he remain an RAF search and rescue pilot,

transfer to another military role or leave the military to

concentrate on his Royal and now family roles? 30 years ago, it was

William's birth which prompted the celebrations which accompanied the

arrival of a child in such closeness to the throne.

Today, in the final month of 2012, William and Catherine have provided

the Queen, in this her dime tkoeupl dime year -- Diamond Jubilee's year

which will give new celebration that is a future King or or Queen

is on the way. Let's join Nicholas Witchall at the

hospital now. Any update on the Duchess's condition? There's

concern clearly. She's at a fairly early stage of this pregnancy.

About two months into the pregnancy, as I understand it. Now the couple

had been hoping to keep this news private for some weeks yet. William

hadn't told members of his family. But their hands were forced by the

need to bring Kate into hospital. The Queen was only told today, the

news made public. As I understand it so long as she rests and takes

things easy, there's no reason to think that everything won't be fine.

And the news of an impending Royal birth has added an urgency to the

debate over Royal succession? has. Now, the Prime Minister,

Deputy Prime Minister and the kaepbt us office -- Cabinet Office

have said in effect the rules have already been changed by the

declaration at the Commonwealth conference in Australia last year.

But for those changes to be definitive for any first born

daughter's claim to be tone to be absolute thrrb thrrb throne there

will need to be changes. Of course, it's not just in the United Kingdom

that the changes have to be made, it's in the 15 other countries of

which the British monarch is also head of state. But if there is one

thing surely that will spur the parliamentary draftsman on, it's

today's news. Thank you.

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has announced a crackdown on tax

avoidance by multi-national companies operating in the UK. He's

pledging over �70 million and 100 extra investigators to help

identify those who should be paying more. A committee of MPs has

described the low level of taxes paid by brands including Amazon,

Google and Starbucks as an insult. Starbucks has now said it's looking

at its approach. Our business editor, Robert Peston, has the

details. Giant multinational companies, part

of the British landscape, Google, Starbucks and Amazon. They have a

huge impact on our lives, benefit from our education system,

transport and health service, but pay next to no corporation tax. The

Chancellor and Treasury Chief Secretary say they're losing

patience with multinationals not seen to be paying their way. It's

very clear message today. Most people pay their taxes. A few don't.

Those few, we are coming after them. These are the huge multinational

companies singled out by MPs as paying surprisingly little tax.

Amazon, with �3.4 billion of revenues in the UK on which it pays

�1.8 million of corporation tax. Google, reported revenue of �386

million, on which it pays tax of just �6 million. And Starbucks,

�398 million of revenue. And �0 tax. Starbucks is more or less

everywhere, unavoidable in the high streets and shops of the UK with a

share of the coffee shop market of almost a third. With all that size

and success, MPs are bemused that in 14 of the past 15 years it

hasn't declared a profit in Britain and, therefore, hasn't been liable

for corporation tax. Starbucks, chasted by criticism is

changing its accounting and has signalled it will start to pay

corporation tax. As for the Chancellor, he's increased

resources for the taxman to put pressure on other companies to

follow suit. It's plain immoral and wrong that these global companies

are not paying their fair share of corporation tax here in the UK. So,

while I welcome George Osborne's injection of yet more resources

into HMRC, I think what we really need is an absolute change of

mindset among the tax inspectors. You may well like Amazon's low

prices or Google's internet services, so what's the right

amount of tax for them to pay for the privilege of generating

valuable sales in Britain? In many ways the reason that we want these

companies here is for them to generate employment, income tax,

PAYE, national insurance, pay rates, generate VAT, lots of other taxes.

Not for a moment I am suggesting they should be let off corporation

tax, it needs policing. All this isn't just about the fair rate to

be paid by these businesses, with a Government running a huge deficit

between what it spends on public services and what it raises from

taxes, the Chancellor in his autumn statement on Wednesday will remind

us he needs every single penny he can lay his hands on.

There's mounting diplomatic pressure on Israel tonight over its

plans to build 3,000 new homes for settlers in occupied Palestinian

territory. The Israeli Ambassador to London was summoned to the

Foreign Office today to be told of the depth of UK concerns. This

evening, the White House urged Israel to reconsider and said the

plan would make it harder to achieve a two-state solution. Our

Middle East correspondent, Wyre Davies, reports.

Israel's Prime Minister doesn't shirk controversy and isn't afraid

of upsetting his friends. But Binyamin Netanyahu might suddenly

be feeling rather isolated. Britain among a number of European

countries who gave a dressing down today to their respective Israeli

ambassadors over the thorny issue of settlements. For years, Israel's

been warned by its allies that the continued expansion of Jewish

settlements on occupied Palestinian land is detrimental to a two-state

solution. Israel and Palestine, existing side by side. It was when

Israel signalled its intention to develop this strategically

important area that the row intensified. If this big piece of

desert was to become a new Jewish settlement, and that's still a big

if, its detractors say it will be the final nail in the coffin of the

two-state solution. With dozens of Jewish settlements already in the

area, it's argued that developing E1 and the separation barrier

around it, would cut off East Jerusalem and other parts of

Palestinian territory from each other. Denying the possibility of

an unbroken future Palestinian state. That elicited an unusually

strong response from Israel's biggest ally. We urge Israeli

leaders to reconsider these unilateral decisions and exercise

restraint as these actions are counterproductive. Israel blames

this for the tension. The Palestinians acquisition of

enhanced status at the UN last week. A move opposed by Israel, and which

it said would not go unpunished. live in the Middle East. Maybe we

speak in a different language than European or the Americans but in

the Middle East you cannot allow the other side to slap in your face

and to ignore it. If you want to put facts on the ground

unilaterally we will do the same. Thanks to the UN, the Palestinians

may have greater self-confidence, but more Israeli settlements hurt

their ambitions for full statehood and they want Europe to act.

hope that France and Britain can begin to show Israel that it cannot

continue... Israel, settlement activities cannot continue being

business as usual. If these settlements continue to

grow, Britain and France have hinted at sterner action although

they're unlikely to ever go as far as as withdrawing their ambassadors

and tonight Israel has said it A report into patient numbers at

hospitals in England has suggested that care is being compromised

because they are too full. Health analysts have suggested that when

hospitals are to fall, systems breakdown and mistakes are more

likely. -- to fall. A growing number of elderly people

living beyond the age of 75 but with many health problems. Problems

that too often get sorted out in hospital. Leading health care

analyst Dr Foster says that is creating unsustainable pressure.

Over the last five years, the increase of admissions to hospital

in this group is equivalent to having to build two new hospitals.

This is an urgent problem and it is not getting any better. Because of

that, hospitals have become busier. To deliver the best care, a

hospital should have no more than 85% of its beds full at any one

time. This research shows the level is more like 90% in most hospitals

in England. But in Torbay, they have managed to bring the level

down to 79%. For Gloria Berryman, in after a nasty fall, she was

pleased to know she would be home within days. You know exactly where

everything is and I just prefer to be at home and I am sure everybody

else does as well. In Torbay, the hospital works very closely with

family doctors and with the local care services, all of them trying

to avoid elderly people getting stuck in hospital. We start off by

saying that if patients can stay at home, then they should. If a

patient needs to come into hospital, they should come in for the minimum

amount of time. Then we get them back home with a care package where

possible. The Government says the NHS is not overcrowded and there

are always beds in hospitals for emergencies. Today's report shows

other warning signs of pressures with 12 trusts with higher-than-

expected death rates. In Torbay they have eased the pressure on

hospital. Ministers agree this has to happen elsewhere. The way to do

that is to focus the budgets and the money on preventative care,

which is exactly what Dr Foster was outlining today, and make sure we

look after elderly people better in their own homes and communities.

That could mean changes not just in the NHS but also finding a way to

pay for care closer to home. Coming up on tonight's programme:

Rebecca Adlington speaks out as a review of Team GB's pour Olympic

performance in the pool finds that using foreign coaches contributed

to the failings. I do think it would be better, being British

people that live in this country, knowing how British people work,

know the system and the athletes. It is nearly 25 years since Saddam

Hussein unleashed chemical weapons on the Kurdish town of Halabja in

Iraq. Thousands of people were killed instantly and many others

have suffered serious manacle conditions ever since. -- medical

conditions. They are now campaigning for the attack to be

recognised as dignified and calling for British help to identify the

victims. Part of Halabja are still affected by noxious gases. John

Simpson reported that the time and has returned for this report. I

would not have recognised the place. Halabja is nowadays busy and

expanding fast. But however bustling it may be, nobody here

forgets the gas attacks of March, 1988. For 45 minutes, Saddam

Hussein's aeroplanes bombarded Halabja with some of the most toxic

agents known to science. Nerve gases, and old fashioned mustard

gas. When I arrived there were still dead people everywhere. I

went round counting. There were about 5000. The bodies that litter

the town of those of people that run out of their houses to try to

escape the gas and were then killed out in the open.

Since that moment, Nasrin Abdul Qadir has been alone in the world.

She was only a teenager then and she lost 17 relatives including her

mother, two brothers, and a sister. She keeps their pictures with her

all the time. TRANSLATION: Everybody wants to live but what

kind of life? For us in Halabja every day is the day of the attack

for us. We are wounded. There are scars on our bodies. The pain is

still in our hearts, deep down. Nobody has ever cleaned out the

cellar where her family was gassed. Even 25 years later, the stench of

mustard gas is still strong, strong enough to kill small creatures. It

makes our eyes water and our heads cake. No doubt about it, things

that come down here like the cat, the Rat and so on, it seemed to die

as a result. Maybe a good idea not to spend too much time down here. A

top British expert on chemical warfare is looking into the

lingering danger from gas. He has found low levels of mustard gas in

another cellar nearby. We have a problem around here when they are

building new buildings. They dig the foundations and they come

across these pockets of mustard gas. In contact with the air, they

evaporate and people have died recently doing that. For now the

Halabja victims still lie buried in a few mass graves. The British team

says it could identify each of the bodies through its the M8 so they

could be re- buried in the individual graves which now awaits

them, each clearly named. -- through its DNA. The Kurdish state

wants to acknowledge that it was genocide. It was an attempt in part

to get rid of an ethnic group and that is the definition of genocide.

That is what happened not just in Halabja but throughout Kurdistan.

To this day, it is part of everyone's life here. Pupils and

their teacher. It is not just history. Like Saddam Hussein, Syria

has chemical weapons now and it is not that far away. For people here,

gas warfare seems a very real danger.

Tonight the White House has said the USA is increasingly concerned

that Syria might be considering using chemical weapons against

opponents of Bashar al-Assad's opponents. -- opponents of Bashar

al-Assad. The world is watching. The use of chemical weapons is and

would be totally unacceptable. If you make the tragic mistake of

using these weapons, there will be consequences and he will be held

accountable. Two police officers have been taken

to hospital following violent clashes in Belfast this evening.

1000 loyalists protested against the Council's decision to limit the

number of days the union flag flies over City Hall. It will now only be

flown on designated days such as the Queen's birthday.

An absolute mess is how Rebecca Adlington described the state of

British swimming today after a report into the disappointing medal

haul at London 2012. Swimming is one of the best funded British

sport but missed its muggle target in the Olympic pool this summer.

The -- medal target. Rebecca Adlington also said the coach

should be British. Becky Adlington receives a bronze

medal. It was a tough Olympics for British swimmers. Other sports were

enjoying a gold rush but swimming was left behind. Rebecca Adlington

was one of the success stories, delivering two bronze medals. But

overall, Britain came up short, leading to a review into what went

wrong. Today, 24 hours after the report was made public, Rebecca

Adlington told me she was concerned about the sport's leadership.

not know who we are going to at the minute. Who do we speak to? We do

not have any idea at the minute. You feel it is in chaos? It is an

absolute mess, to be honest. It is awful what had been going on.

did the review conclude? Holding the team trials in early March

meant that the British swimmers were undercooked. Hosting a home

Olympic brought added pressure and commercial distractions. Most

significantly, the appointment of two foreign coach is to lead the

sport caused weaknesses. They have both now resigned. Rebecca

Adlington thinks they should be British. I think it would be better

if they were British people that live in this country, know the

system, the coaches, the athletes. At the Aquatics Centre they are

already making big progress as they transform this into a community

facility for generations to come. For British swimming, the inquest

into what went wrong in the Olympic pool during the Games is still

going on. More than �25 million of public money failed to produce the

results that British swimming predicted. The chief executive

admits that mistakes were made. There is no question it should have

been better and I am not hiding from that and there is nobody more

disappointed than me. I think there are some huge questions to be

answered and that is what the review has done, I believe. With

London's big moment gone, the focus is now one Rio. With so much public

money at stake, swimming knows it cannot afford another Olympic let

down. This year's Turner Prize for

contemporary art has been awarded to the video artist Elizabeth Price.

The Bradford born artist won the �25,000 prize for work including a

film inspired by a fatal fire at a Woolworths. Our arts editor was at

the ceremony at Tate Britain. The contenders for this year's

Turner Prize. Elizabeth Price, with a film about a fatal fire in 1979.

Paul Noble with is the tediously depicted mental metropolis. -- his

meticulously depicted mental metropolis. And Luke Fowler, who

presents a documentary about a psychiatrist, R D Laing.

The 2012 winner of the Turner Prize, Elizabeth Price. How do you feel?

bit surprised really but I feel good, yes. It is amazing. Life-

changing? Well, it will certainly help. The money? The money and the

support. I have not had that many big shows so I did not expect to be

nominated and it will make a big difference to my career. Rhythmic

finger clicks and ritualistic hand- clapping. Though the price's

winning work. The film installation is made from a mixture of

architectural diagrams, news footage and pop videos. The piece

is called The Woolworths Choir of 1979, a reference to the fire at

Woolworths that killed 10 people. And a reference to the unifying

idea, more double play on the word choir. It is rather moving. It is

about the fragility of all of our lives and art cannot get more

serious about anything than that. This justifies the Turner Prize.

Elizabeth Price's video marked the change of tone of the Turner Prize.

Once seen as a publicity-seeking problem of the art world, it is now