02/05/2013 BBC News at Ten

broadcaster, Stuart Hall, admits sexually assaulting 13 girls. One of

his victims was just nine years old. Today the former BBC presenter said

his behaviour had been "completely wrong". The offences were committed

over nearly two decades, including the time he presented It's A

Knockout. Hall would first approach under friendly from tenses and bide

his time until the victim was ice laced. He can only be described as

an opportunistic predator. He'll be sentenced next month.

Also tonight: The European Central Bank cuts its main interest rate to

a record low of 0.5%. A million borrowers facing a

mortgage "time bomb" - a warning about interest-only deals.

And Chelsea on target in the Europa Good evening. The veteran BBC

broadcaster, Stuart Hall, was described as an opportunistic

predator today after admitting indecently assaulting 13 girls. One

of them was nine years old. The offences occurred over a period of

nearly two decades, during which Hall presented the programme It's A

Knockout. He's admitted that his behaviour was "completely wrong".

Judith Moritz is in Preston for us tonight. Judith. Courtroom number 10

was absolutely packed this morning as Stuart Hall's barrister said the

broadcaster is not a man easily moved to self pitiful but he is now

all too aware that his disgrace is complete. Stuart Hall was led into

court by his solicitor today. His reputation now lies in tatters, but

he was once the darling of teatime television. Even the Palace joined

in with his brand of clownish fun as he fronted a royal version of the

popular game show It's A Knockout. But on the same day that this

regular episode was filmed in Ely, he indecently assaulted a teenage

girl. And he did it time and again to lots of children. Hall has

admitted a catalogue of offences, abusing 13 different girls over a

period of two decades. The youngest of the victims was just nine, the

eldest 17. His first indecent assault was in 1968. He cared on his

abuse through the '70s up until 1986 when he was in his 50s. Stuart Hall

was arrested at his home in Cheshire but he dismissed the allegations as

spurious. But for their love I might have been constrained to take my own

life, but they've encouraged me to fight on, to fight the charges,

regain my reputation, my good name, and whatever I have represented to

this country down the years. Hall pleaded guilty at a later

hearing had. Today at Preston Crown Court the 83-year-old sat next to

his barrister, who told the court that his client was sorry and wished

to apologise to advertise victims have. One woman whom was abused by

Hall when she was a young girl that it stole my innocence and my

confidence. I can't even look at his face or hear his voice. I was

frightened of him at the time but not any more. The prosecution said

it was not in the public interest to pursue a charge of rate. His victim

did not know each other and almost two decades separated the first or

last assaults. Whether in public or private Hall would first approach

under friendly pretence and bide his time until the victim was isolated.

He can only be described as an opportunistic predator. Stuart Hall

worked in regional news for the BBC and presented programmes for ITV.

One former producer employed by the BBC spoke today. I thought Stuart

had an amazing set-up in the building of the BBC in Manchester in

Piccadilly in that he had what used to be the old medical room, and he

had lady friends who came and went happily on to the BBC premises and

kept him occupied during the afternoon. Within months of the

Jimmy Savile scandal the BBC has been embarrassed by a veteran star.

The corporation said it was appalled by his actions and wouldn't feature

him again. His actions will be examined by the investigation.

Stuart Hall left court pursued by the media. For once he had little to

say. He was once honoured by an OBE. Now the star has fallen he could

face jail. Stuart Hall will return to court to be sentenced on June

17th. Today the judge Anthony Russell QC told the 83-year-old all

sentencing options will be open to him then, including immediate

custody. Judith, thank you.

With record unemployment, low growth and a bleak outlook, there was

another attempt to revive the struggling eurozone economy today.

The European Central Bank cut its main interest rate from 0.75% to a

record low of 0.5%. Our chief economics correspondent, Hugh Pym,

explains. There was an added edge to this week's traditional May Day

marches around Europe. Rising unemployment and faltering growth

have added to the sense of dwloom. - gloom. The question, when is the

recovery coming. A cut in interest rates today with the aim of fuelling

growth in the weeks ahead. Week economic sentiment has extended into

spring of this year. The cut in interest rates should contribute to

support prospects for a recovery later in the year. But the question

is, will the new official rate of 0. 5% be reflected in actual borrowing

costs? In Germany the average lending rate for businesses and

consumers was 2. 4% before the latest cut. But in Portugal the

equivalent rate was 4. 5%, with the banking system still scarred by the

cries ice. In Ireland it was 3. 3%, once again reflecting historic

banking problems. This Irish company, one of the country's oldest

sweet makers, illustrates the problem. It says lack of bank

lending and Government austerity measures will continue to make life

difficult, never mind the latest sweetener from the European Central

Bank. Every time the ECB gives something we seem to be able to

develop very quickly a new tax to take that money back, whether it be

the Government or the banks. While it might be a reprieve for a month

or two something will appear to take it back from the people. This is the

problem. What happens in the eurozone makes a difference to what

we earn in the UK economy. That's because many British exporters need

European markets to sell their goods and services. So if there is a

couldn'ted slowdown over there, that will affect how much money those

businesses will make. Take this transport company based in Rugby. It

delivers engineering components made in the UK to customers in the

eurozone. It has had to cope with a highly un unpredictable market.

Confidence is fragile in the eurozone at the moment. The way that

manifests the itself is our business should be a smooth flow of goods

every day of the week and every week of the month, but we are seeing a

very variable flow. Add to the uncertainty there are tensions

between Germany's leaders, who would prefer an interest rate, and

struggling eurozone members who can only hope the latest rate cut

breathe new rife into their commas. -- new life into their economies.

Interest-only mortgages were all the rage before the financial crisis,

but today there's a warning that more than a million borrowers will

struggle to pay off their debts. The FCA, the new financial watchdog,

says the shortfalls could run to tens of thousands of pounds. Our

personal finance correspondent, Simon Gompertz, reports on what's

been called a mortgage "time bomb." are Che, but that's created a

ticking time bomb. 1. 3 million people don't have enough money to

pay off the original loan. And could be in danger of losing their homes.

This is the house. The mortgage is about �188,000. Can hardly meet the

�900 of interest he had to pay each month on his interest-only mortgage

let alone think about saving to pay off the loan. To hang on to his home

he will have to come up with the �188,000 or beg the mortgage lender

for more time. It is a pressure on you and I've reed myself to the fate

but it preys on my mind and it can be upsetting when you look at your

finances and think, I've got this huge debt hanging over me all the

time. I've got �6 saved. Rob is one of which 250,000 people in the worst

position, with no savings and no strategy for repaying. Something the

financial regulator wants to change. You need to know that it is what it

says on the tin, it is an interest-only mortgage. It means

when it comes to the tend you have to repay the capital. People need to

understand that. If you haven't got any savings or a system in place to

repay the capital, you have to start working on how you will do that now.

Annual tally of people who will have to pay back their whole

interest-only mortgage is rising rapidly. In 2017 it will reach

85,000. Stretch it another ten years and it is 106,000. These are more up

against it. They haven't saved money. Out in 2032 it reaches

163,000 a year, the ones who borrowed the most because they

bought in the house price boom that came before the credit crunch. The

average shortfall for the period will be �71,000 for the people who

can't afford to pay their mortgages back. Some will be able to trade

down to a smaller home, and it is possible to extend a mortgage, but

not if the lenders decides you can't afford to carry on borrowing.

Lenders are writing to commerce inviting them to talk about their

interest-only mortgages in the hope that the ticking time bomb can be

defused. The Coronation Street actor Bill

Roache has strenuously denied allegations that he riped a

15-year-old girl in 1967. The 81-year-old, who plays Ken Barlow in

the ITV soap, was charged with two counts of rape yesterday. In a

statement, he says he's "astounded and deeply horrified" by what he

called "the extraordinary events" of the past 24 hours.

A report into behaviour at the BBC commissioned after the Jimmy Savile

scandal has concluded that sexual harassment is not common, but there

is more evidence of bullying. The review found that some people at the

BBC were seen as being "untouchable". The Corporation says

it will remove gagging clauses from contracts to make it easier for

staff to speak out. The son of the former Libyan

dictator Muammar Gaddafi has appeared in court in the town where

he was captured in 2011. Saif al-Islam is facing charges that

include endangering national security. He's also wanted by the

International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, charges he

denies. Our world affairs editor, John Simpson, reports from court in

Zintan. When revolution came two years ago to Tripoli it made a

warlord out of the playboy with the suspect doctorate from the London

School of Economics. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi didn't achieve much but his

intervention certainly embittered the whole struggle. When I spoke to

him at the time he was very full of himself. It is our country.But when

he was eventually captured and flown to the town of Zintan, whose forces

had caught him, he was plainly terrified that he would be

slaughtered like his father. In court in Zintan today, the old

childreniness was back. Saif al-Islam isn't being tried here for

waging war on his own people. That will come later. This is all about

Libya's determination that he should be tried here rather than at the

International Criminal Court in the Haig. He is charged with trying to

escape. Saif al-Islam has been in solitary confinement but le had no

complaints to make. As he was sitting in his cage here I called

out a question to him, asked him how he was. He flashed he a smile and

gave me a thumbs up sign and said he was OK. But it was noticeable he had

lost part of his front teeth and his right forefinger had been chopped

off apparently. People say that's because he made so many people angry

by always pointing his finger at them when he talked to them. All

these things happened long before he got here to Zintan. Court was

lightly guarded and Zintan itself is pretty relaxed nowadays. Unlike

Tripoli, where protect ors have been taking over Government ministries,

demanding that officials from the Gaddafi era should be sacked.

clear that a number of the people who were there at the time of the

fall of Gaddafi have remained in position just to ensure a smooth

transition. The real challenge now is how do you replace those people

with new faces and people from the rebel side of the argument, those

who unseated Gaddafi as you go forward. 's court appearance shows

the determination to re-establish the rule of law in Libya. Colonel

Gaddafi was murdered by a lynch mob. His son is getting a proper, if

The polls have just closed in the local elections in England and

Wales with the counting of ballot papers now getting underway. More

than 2,300, mostly on county councils, are being contested. The

Conservatives currently hold most of the seats, 1,458. The Liberal

Democrats hold 469. Labour are defending 273. With the

in-depth analysis, here's Jeremy Vine. If we have a look at the map

on the floor here, we can see how badly Labour did last time. It was

that lonely splodge of Labour red which is Durham, but in the main,

it is Conservative blue. Where it is grey, it means the council is

under no overall control. Labour are trying to take back Lancashire

and Staffordshire which no one could believe they lost last time

and the question of what happens to the blue in the south and the

Midlands with the Conservatives in a difficult position. If we look at

the numbers of councillors the parties had over the years, it

tells an interesting story. We go back to the heyday of Tony Blair

and we see Labour, nearly 11,000 councillors and the Conservatives

were in third place. As Labour win general elections, governing is

always difficult. They start to get wiped away in Local Government. It

is an interesting pattern. Gradually the Conservatives come

back until they are at the point back until they are at the point

there where Labour were over there. Gordon Brown goes and Labour have a

recovery unEd Miliband. So -- under Ed Miliband. So they are closer to

the Conservatives than they were and the question is whether these

council election will see that recovery continue? If we look at

the share of the vote we can see what the parties got in previous

local elections. In 2005, the day the general election was held, as

you would expect, Labour was ahead of the Conservatives, but the

crucial year really is 2009. Look how low Labour went, 20% and that's

significant because the year these council seats were last fought. All

Labour have to do is improve on that and they will make gains.

They have got more votes since then in subs quen local elections --

subsequent local elections. What are Labour doing in term of their

lead over the Conservatives then? We can see the trajectory. The

Conservatives were in the lead, but it seems to have been that

troublesome Budget last year that put them behind Labour and then

gradually look at this, Labour sustained their lead relatively

consistent polling figures until we get to 39% and 31%. So will Labour

repeat that performance when the votes are counted? The Lib Dems,

poor for them. They tend to outperform their national poll

ratings. The question is what happens with UKIP? Will UKIP's vote

eat away at the Conservatives and increase the Labour lead even

Jeremy Vine there. Our Political Editor, Nick Robinson, is at

Westminster for us tonight. Nick the polls have closed. What do you

think the politicians will be looking for? Well, they are looking

out for not what it means for who runs important councils up and down

the country, largely England, of course in these elections, but what

it means for the route to Number Ten. There is news from an

important Parliamentary by-election, created by the resignation of David

Miliband in South Shields. Labour will hold on to that seat, but the

interesting thus is that Labour are telling us that they believe UKIP

are on course for their record ever election performance. They might

even reach 30% of the vote. They are pressurising Labour and they

are squeezing the Tories and squashing the Liberal Democrats out

of sight. How much is that pattern replicated in the local election?

UKIP may win few seats. They will not control any councils, but they

may pile up many votes. Remember in the end, politics is a team sport,

it is about morale. If David Cameron's team do badly, they may

lose confidence in him. If Ed Miliband's team does well, but not

quite well enough to see him heading towards Number Ten, he too

may come under pressure and never forget Nigel Farage, he will have

questions to answer. Yes, Mr Farrage you are a a key man of the

protest vote, but if he does well, people will say, "We know what you

are against. What are you for?" The BBC News website will have live

text and video coverage of the results as they come in and

tomorrow the Vote 2013 programme will be broadcast throughout the

day on the BBC News Channel. That's from 8.30am.

The US Defence Secretary, Chuck Hagel, has said tonight that

Washington is rethinking its opposition to arming Syria's rebels.

It's the first time a senior American official has openly

acknowledged that the administration is considering

giving weapons although he stressed no decision had been made. The

conflict, which has now lasted for more than two years, has divided

communities and even some families, with different generations taking

different sides. Our Special Correspondent, Fergal Keane,

reports from Istanbul where he has been speaking to some of those who

Istanbul is a refuge for all kinds of exiles. They gather here to make

plans and to remember the world and families they have lost. 21-year-

old is a member of Syria's Alawite minority, the same as President

Assad, but because she joined the rebels she has been denounced by

her own father. He is a powerful man. He is afraid he will lose what

the Government gave him. Is it your belief your father wants

you dead? Yes. Why are you convinced of that?

Because he believes that I ruined his reputation. She photographs the

war for the rebels. Having started out smuggling supplies to them, but

this work comes at a high price. Last year, her mother, who was

separated from her father, was kidnapped and killed. She says her

father ordered the abduction to strike at her. Now, she feels

guilty. Why did you feel guilty? Because she paid for what I

believed in. She paid the price. I didn't pay the price, she paid it.

Many times I dreamt that she is still alive and she is coming and

she calls me. That's not going to happen.

Syria's divide isn't simply sectarian. Part of the crisis is

generational. And even at the heart of the Assad regime, there is

evidence of the gulf between parent and child. This man is a Sunni

Muslim member of the Cabinet. His son was killed fighting for the

opposition last year. TRANSLATION: This was a big shock. He came from

me. He was my son. The wound in me is deep. It is an emotional wound,

but the greater wound is that my son had such different views and

went down such a different path to mine.

Syria's civil war has never been a simple matter of Sunni Muslims

against Alawites, there is more complex aleagueances than that, the

well of bitterness being created isn't just in communities, but in

families too and for some there is no thought of reconciliation. Do

you still love your father? How can I love my enemy? I don't feel that

is my father anymore, no. In a message to the BBC, her father

denied her allegations against him and he told us, "I no longer have a

The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering April Jones in

a sexually motivated attack has visited his home in mid-Wales. Mark

Bridger denies the charges which include abducting April in October

last year. Hywel Griffith sent this report.

The search for April Jones led to this living room. In Mark Bridger's

fireplace, police found fragments of a human skull and in the

bathroom fragments of April's DNA and evidence that Mark Bridger

tried to clean away every trace of a murder. The 47-year-old denies

the charge saying he killed April Jones in an accident, but doesn't

remember what happened to her body. Today, the jury saw for themselves

his home and the locations which will be key to the weeks of

evidence ahead. They went to April's school and the Bryn-y-Gog

estate where she lived. The five- year-old had been playing on her

bike with a friend when she was seen for the last time. Having been

shown April's home and the place where she was last seen, the jury

are taking one last visit to the Bryn-y-Gog estate before they move

into the town of of Machynlleth, to the places where Mark Bridger was

spotted on CCTV. In a lengthy trial, these landmarks will become very

familiar. The clock tower in the High Street, places where Mark

Bridger was seen driving on the day April disappeared. At every turn,

the jury will have seen the pink ribbons still clinging on after a

seven month search for April. They will have left knowing how much

Football and Chelsea are through to the EuropaLeague final after an

emphatic win over FC Basel. Our Sport Correspondent, Joe Wilson,

was watching the match at Stamford Bridge. Yeah, 3-1. 5-2 overall.

This maybe the second class tournament. Chelsea remain

preoccupied with who is going to be in charge for the next one.

On the streets outside Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's next chapter has

been written. Jose Mourhino is coming home,

people. Jose Mourhino is coming home.

Rafael Benitez is the Chelsea manager for a few weeks longer.

Frank Lampard's contract expires soon too. He began the game to

become Chelsea's record scorer. Just before half-time it was 2-2.

Now we had a match! Suddenly presented with a challenge, Chelsea

rose to meet it. Frank Lampard kept looking goal wards. His shot left

to Torres. Now Basel were being overrun. 2-1 on the night and 4-2

in the tie. David Luiz played like an attacker so Chelsea put him in

mid-field. Still a long way from the goal!

It is the familiar story, managers come and go, Chelsea's players get