14/06/2013 BBC News at Ten

following America's lead and says he's not yet ready to arm the rebels

in Syria. But he backs the US claim that there is credible evidence of

chemical weapons being used by the Syrian government on its own people.

I welcome the candid assessment from the Americans. It is consistent with

what we have already said. There is credible evidence of multiple

attacks using chemical weapons in Syria.

We'll be looking at the difficulties of arming the rebels in Syria and

the dangers of introducing more weapons into the war there.

Also tonight: The Government says it wants to name and

shame surgeons if they don't allow their results to be published in new

league tables. The future of long haul air travel.

Flying the flag for the new leaner, greener Airbus.

And can Manchester City get back to winning ways with their new man in

Coyle becomes the second big managerial signing of the day as he

The Prime Minister says he shares America's view that chemical weapons

have been used by the Syrian government, but has stopped short of

echoing America's pledge to send military aid to rebel groups. The

Syrian government insists it hasn't used chemical weapons. Russia, which

supplies arms to the Syrian government, says it remains

unconvinced by America's evidence. Our first report is from Washington

chemical attack? Activist and eyewitnesses claim he

was. That many people have been injured or killed in similar

incidents across the country. We investigated one of these cases last

month. And establishing proof beyond doubt is extremely difficult. But

now, America claims that evidence from sites like this proves the

Syrian Government has used chemical weapons on a small-scale and many

times. I welcome the candid assessment from the Americans. It is

consistent with what we've already said. There is credible evidence of

multiple attacks using chem weapons in Syria including the use of the

agents sarin. Washington says President Obama's red line has been

crossed and now he has decided to send military aid to the rebels.

There is those are decisions he made over the course of the last several

weeks particularly as our assessment of chemical weapons use firmed up

and as we saw a deteriorating situation in general.

Now America must decide what military options it wants to pursue.

Many expect that light arms and ammunition will be sent to the

rebels. There could be sophisticated antitank weapons. Less likely, but

still possible, are shoulder launched antiaircraft missiles.

Finally, some want a no-fly zone, shooting down Syrian jets, but for

now, Washington seems to think that would be too difficult and

dangerous. President Obama has been criticised

for failing to act sooner, not least by the man who led the call for

America to arm the rebels. Right now, the conflict is spread

spreading. Hezbollah is all in and the Russians are send sending

sophisticated equipment. It is an unfair fight.

More than 90,000 people have been killed in Syria. Many more injured.

And millions of families have been made homeless. The Russians have

dismissed America's claim that chemical weapons have been used

here. Others fear that sending more weapons won't stop the fighting or

the bloodshed, it will make it worse. Providing arms to either side

would not address this current situation. There is no such military

solution. Only political solution can address this issue sustainably.

Tonight, President Obama has been speaking to David Cameron as well as

the leaders of the Germany, France and Italy and we're told that Syria

was at the top of their agenda. Next week, they will all gather in

Northern Ireland for the G8 summit as they attempt to put some form of

diplomatic cover over what's called military support for the armed

opposition in Syria. Yet in all those countries there will be

reservations about what looks like an open-ended commitment in a war

that doesn't seem to have an end. to act. Syrian troops have been

making gains against the opposition, cap turl a -- capturing a key rebel

stronghold. Jeremy Bowen reports. It was not just the fall of what had

been the rebel stronghold that brought a new urgency, to the West's

approach to the Syrian war, it was the way it fell. To an assault spear

headed by these fighters, from the Lebanese militia, Hezbollah. The

Syrian regime denies the allegations about the use of chemical weapons,

but the success of its offensive is clear. In Beirut, Hezbollah

supporters watch the latest TV address by their leader. A key ally

of Shia Muslim Iran, self declared enemy of the US, Israel and Sunni

Muslim extremists and now a major force in the Syrian war.

He said Hezbollah would keep fighting in Syria.

The strategic ramifications are big and huge, you know. It gave the

regime this momentum and it gave the regime the psychological, you know,

push. That's why the Americans want to

change the game to end the era of home-made weapons for the rebels

they judge it safe to support. Swales what they have made

themselves, this factory is in a suburb of Damascus, the rebels had

weapons from Saudi Arabia and Qatar and they are desperate for more fire

power to break the regime's momentum.

TRANSLATION: The credibility of the US is at stake for two-and-a-half

years, all we got from the West and the US was words. So if this is just

the same, it won't change anything. The Syrian people will continue the

revolution even if they have to fight with their bare hands, but if

the Americans do as they say, I believe it will change the balance

of power in the region. The Americans believe they can keep

their weapons away from these rebels, allies of Al-Qaeda and the

most effective rebel fighters in Syria. Instead, the US wants to

build up the West's allies in the free Syria army.

Here in Beirut, and across the border in Syria, supporters of the

rebel fear the West is still not ready to help them overthrow the

Assad regime. It looks peaceful enough here, but the war in Syria is

spreading danger right across the region.

And there seems to be incost cystancies in the West's political

strategy. Britain says the threat of ashling the rebels could have enough

to persuade the Assad regime to negotiate a transition of power, but

it is hard to see how that would be enough to persuade the president to

sack ra heifies himself and his regime at a time when his forces

right now are doing well on the battlefield. Backed by Iran, Russia

Our political correspondent, Vicki Young, is in Downing Street. David

Cameron spoke to President Obama and other international leaders this

evening about Syria, but the Prime Minister also needs to win over his

backbenchers? President Obama maybe getting closer to David Cameron's

way of thinking. The conference involved the leaders of Italy and

Germany and Downing Street said they agreed to work together on a

political transition to end the conflict. They clearly all want to

put as much diplomatic pressure as they can on President Assad to come

to the negotiating table. In the House of Commons as well, with

Labour, some of the Liberal Democrats, and dozens of

Conservative MPs uneasy about the idea of further involvement for

Britain in Syria. One Tory backbencher saying today it could be

a mistake of historic proportions. David Cameron is under a lot of

pressure to give MPs a vote before Britain makes any decision about

arming the Syrian rebels and that's not a vote that he is guaranteed to

win, but he is clear, he says, if the international community walks

away from the situation in Syria, it will only make things worse there.

Thank you. Pm Surgeons who refuse to allow the

results of their operations to be published online will be named and

shamed, the Government is warning. The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt,

wants new league tables that will compare the performance of

consultants. But under data protection laws, surgeons will be

able to opt out as our health correspondent, Dominic Hughes,

carried out by individual consultants is meant to raise

standards and give patients more information and choice before an

operation. But it can be complicated. Those carrying out

complex procedures on the very sick will have different results to

surgeons performing more straightforward operations. At this

hospital they are making results public, but they acknowledge the

process is not without its problems. It is about us focussing on the

importance of this. So it is not an easy thing to do. It has not been

done before, but we think now is the time to do it.

The result of individual cardiac surgeons have been made public since

2008 and the feeling is that led to an improvement in standards. But the

Royal College of Surgeons points out it took time for that system to work

properly, for the data to be accurate and they say that rack rasy

is vital -- and arc rasy is vital. The data will be available online

and translated on to graphs. The figures are adjusted so the risk of

every operation istain into account. The further below the red dotted

line, the lower the mortality rate for individual surgeons. The graphs

can be used to see how each doctor is performing in comparison to

others, but data protection law means surgeons must give their

consent before figures are published and some are delaying until they

know the data is roe gust. Ust. want a situation where surgeons can

have confidence that the data is valid and reliable and confident in

the way it is presented give a good picture too patients.

The Health Secretary says he is prepared to name surgeons who

worthwhile hold consent. Jeremy Hunt said as long as the data properly

reflects what the doctors are doing, there should be no valid reason why

it can not be published. For patients facing surgery, the

scheme could offer more choice, but that's not as simple as it seems.

depends how ill you are and what's wrong with you really? Whether you

have the time to look into it and not everybody is capable of looking

into those things. You take precautions and if

something came up and it was showing bad, you would be considering I'm

not going in there. How does that effect you? How are

you feeling. NHS England says only 4% of surgeons

opted out of publishing their results, the Royal College of

Surgeons says it supports publication, but warns complicated

data needs careful handling. a woman on the BBC yesterday

Yesterday, the BBC broadcast material showing numerous failings

in the care of an 83-year-old women in Blackpool by Mosaic Community

Care. . The company says it is working to

remedy the situation. Millions of voters across Iran are

casting their ballots in the country's presidential elections.

With long queues outside polling stations, the interior ministry

extended voting four times during the day. Although all six candidates

are seen as conservatives, one of them, cleric Hassan Rouhani, has

been reaching out to the reformists in recent days. Outgoing leader

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad already cast his vote today. His eight years in power

have been characterised by economic turmoil and Western sanctions

against Iran over its controversial nuclear programme.

Next week, Afghan government forces will, for the first time, take the

lead in combat operations across the country. It is a significant

milestone. The Defence Secretary Philip Hammond is in Afghanistan as

British troops repaired to leave the HQ in Helmand they have occupied

since 2006. Our world affairs correspondent David Loyn has been

travelling with them. A familiar sight in Helmand but not

for much longer. The arrival of a British defence secretary to Lashkar

Gar. The military headquarters set-up to run the war here seven

years ago is close down. It is age mentally significant moment and

significant for the Afghans as well. They are a very proud people

and this is the moment where they formally take responsibility for

their own security throughout the country and here in Helmand a

significant further step with the brigade headquarters drawing down

into Camp Bastion. Some helicopters are already being packed up to go

home, not needed as there are fewer troops to fly around. By the end of

this year, there will be only four British bases in Helmand, down from

130 at the peak. Afghanistan is hoping that as foreign armies pack

up and go home, the fighting will reduce, since so much of the

insurgency was directed against a foreign invasion. It may turn out to

be a forlorn hope. There will be more ceremony next week, as Afghan

forces take a combat lead across the country, shouldering the burden for

themselves. This war may be winding down for the British Army, but

Afghan losses are rising fast, now rising at ten times the

international casualty rate. This is the new face of the Afghan war.

Afghan soldiers leading the fight and bearing the cost. The wounded

pack hospital is. Nazir Ahmad lost both his legs when he stepped on a

mine in Kandahar. He is engaged. He says his fiancee still wants to get

married, proud of his sacrifice for his country. Shah Isul has had ten

operations to save his leg, after being shot by the Taliban in

Helmand. He said 30 of his Afghan comrades died on his tour, and two

British soldiers, the new balance of casualties. A sad, steady stream of

coffins carried away by the families of the dead. Some leave draped only

in funeral black, for fear of the Taliban. Connection with the

military could be fatal for the families of the fallen. And the dead

leaves behind young lives altered forever in Afghanistan's war without

end. David Cameron has promised not to

make further cuts to the number of military personnel beyond those

already announced. Today, six government departments agreed to

reductions in their budget ahead of this month's Comprehensive Spending

Review. The Ministry of Defence still has to agree its next round of

savings with the Treasury. With me is our defence correspondent

Caroline Wyatt. There has been a debate about cuts with the chief of

the General staff? That is right. It is the latest in a long-running

battle between the MoD and the Treasury. It began with unusually

public concerns being expressed by the man in charge of the Army. He

said more cuts could be quite dangerous quite quickly that the

army which is already reducing numbers. He said it could affect

UK's chance of success in future wars. Then the prime minister said

there would be no cut in the number of military personnel. Danny

Alexander said the department like the MOD which still had more horses

than tanks could make efficiency savings. The MOD agrees. It knows it

can take its share of the pain but it cannot cut much more, nothing

like the 8% cuts that some other departments are seeing. While the

battle is going on in public, in private they know they have to agree

that budget. The MOD hopes that will come soon. Thank you.

We hear a lot about the power of the grey pound. Research out today shows

pensioners have seen their incomes rise faster than any other age group

in the last 30 years. Spending power, how far your money will go

once inflation is taken into account for the over 60s has increased at

double the rate of working people since the 1970s. A charity has

warned that millions of pensioners are still living in poverty.

Has the age of pensioner poverty being knocked sideways with the real

risk that it is the young who need financial help. At this retirement

village in the Midlands, this looks like eight Golden generation,

healthier, living longer and better. I would say I am comfortably off,

yes. I have got grandchildren and 32 downwards to 17 and I do know that

they are struggling. I suppose we were better off than my father and

mother's generation. I suppose, like everybody, I would like a little bit

more but we keep our head above water. For Valerie, who is 72, the

state pension goes up every year. But for those in their 20s like

Natalie have suffered most from the squeeze on wages, the cut in

benefits and the lack of jobs. work here and some are else because

I do not then just working here would cover all the bills. I have

two working two places to men try can make ends meet at the end of the

month. The austerity years have been tough but campaigners insist it has

been right to protect pensioners. 1.6 million older people are still

living in poverty, that shows there is no room for complacency. Most

pensioners are living on modest incomes. 40 years ago, in the 1970s,

the picture was much worse. Two out of every five pensioners living in

poverty. It is nothing like that now. The pattern of poverty has now

changed. If the government wants to focus on reducing poverty, they may

have to focus resources on younger people who offer higher priority

than those over the state pension age. There are still many pensioners

on low incomes, but nowadays they are no more likely than anyone else

to be in poverty. That will increase calls the trends to benefits, such

as winter fuel payments which Labour says it will axe for wealthier

pensioners. It raises the question as to whether generous guaranteed

increases in the state pension should continue. So should the young

be squeezed and not the old? The Prime Minister has promised not to

cut the winter fuel payment for pensioners, but the message today is

that it is those in their 20s, even in work, who are against it.

The Airbus 350, the newest aircraft from the European train

manufacturer, has taken off on its maiden flight. It will compete with

the Boeing 787's Dreamliner. The A350 has cost �10 billion to develop

and is designed to be more fuel-efficient. 100,000 British jobs

are said to be dependent on Airbus. A critical moment in a battle for

the skies. This is your's aid to dominate the next generation of

European aircraft. A brand-new design and its very first test.

Delight and relief in Toulouse. And also at Filton near Bristol.

Thousands of jobs depend on this project. A lot of work, arduous

hours, but it is worthwhile when you see something like this today take

days. Fantastic. So surreal. A lot of people have put time and energy

into this aircraft so to finally see it flies something really special.

The key selling point is fuel consumption. The distinctively

curved wingtips reduce friction as the plane pushes through the air.

The engines, made by Rolls-Royce, are built of the world's most

efficient. Designed and built in Derby. Like every new engine, this

one is all about squeezing as much power out of every last opera fuel.

These are the largest ever fan blades made from titanium. They are

incredibly light. The clearance between the edge of the blade and

the casing has never been so narrow. It is all about maximising

efficiency. Inside the engine itself, the temperature reaches half

that of the surface of the sun. Hot enough to melt many components which

have to be kept cool by a specially designed flow of air. This is all

about increasing the power and reducing the amount of fuel used.

The engines will run at greater pressure than ever before, so to

handle this, the turbine blades are made from a special alloy and each

one is created from a single crystal. We pull around 18,000

individual components together to make one jet engine. And then that

jet engine is capable, it takes in 1.3 tonnes of air every three

seconds. It would empty a squash court in a second. A test for heavy

rain. Each generation of engines is slightly more efficient than the

last. But there may be physical limits to what current designs can

deliver. You can do the one or 2% per year average which is what

Rolls-Royce is getting silly -- over a number of years you get 20%. But

it is a real challenge. Some radical ideas are on the cards to make

aviation generally greener but they are decades away. Today, with its

distinctive wings, the Airbus was back from its test flight. New

designs are always challenging. Boeing learned that to its cost.

Airbus has a lot of work ahead. Prince Charles has said the Duke of

Edinburgh is much better after visiting his father at a private

London clinic where he had abdominal surgery. He spoke after he left the

hospital with the Duchess of Cornwall. 92-year-old Prince Philip

had an exploratory operation last Friday. Prince William and Prince

Harry were also among the visitors. It has taken a while, but Manchester

City have finally confirmed Manuel Pellegrini are their new boss. City

had been chasing the former Malaga manager for months.

He is nicknamed the engineer. Can he fix Manchester City? This season

Manuel Mallard -- Manuel Pellegrini took Malaga to the top. After

Roberto Mancini paid the price for domestic and European

disappointment, his successor knows there will be no hiding place.

think, I am sure we have got the best squad of the Premier League. We

have wonderful players and we can reach important titles in the next

three or four seasons here in Manchester. City say they were

impressed by Manuel Pellegrini's philosophy and attitude. He has a

reputation for stylish football and calm man management. All that will

count for little if he does not win trophies. It is only a year since

Manchester City won the Premier League, but won silverware free

season later and Roberto Mancini was out. The club's billionaire owners

want sustained success. Some fans may need more convincing. We are

still a bit sore about Mancini because of the great job he has done

but onwards and upwards. We are not strangers to controversy so we will

give the man a chance. Why get rid of a decent manager to bring in

someone got knows? At 59, and after briefly managing Real Madrid,