28/01/2012 BBC Weekend News

The chairman of Royal Bank of Scotland gives up his �1.4 million

bonus. Sir Philip Hampton's decision puts new pressure on the

company's Chief Executive to follow suit.

Four Sun journalists and a serving police officer are arrested over

allegations of illegal payments to police.

There's new evidence that supporters of Libya's former leader

are being subjected to torture. In sport: A shock for Manchester

United as Liverpool knock them out Good evening. The chairman of Royal

Bank of Scotland has given up a bonus amounting to �1.4 million in

shares which he was due to receive this year. The BBC has been told

that he decided it would not be appropriate to receive the award

and took the decision before the controversy over the bonus of more

than �900,000 awarded to the company's Chief Executive, Stephen

Hester. At Royal Bank of Scotland it has

been 24 hours of different messages about rewards for bankers. First,

Stephen Hester, RBS's Chief Executive, was awarded a bonus

worth just over �960,000, sparking a massive political row. And then

today, the BBC has learned that Mr Hester's boss, chairman of Royal

Bank of Scotland, has asked the remuneration committee not to award

him RBS shares worth �1.4 million to which he is entitled. What does

the biggest shareholder in RBS, the Government, make of this contrast?

Does the Prime Minister think Mr Hester should follow Sir Philip's

example and refuse his bonus or give it away? That is his decision.

My decision is to make sure the team at RBS get on with the job of

turning the bank round. We have made our views very clear about the

bonus. Sir Philip's decision not to take the extra �1.4 million is

consistent with his views that bankers in general are overpaid

which he told me about last year. In what sense do you think bankers'

pay is out of kilter from commonsense? This explosive growth

in financial services meant that thousands of people are

extraordinarily highly paid. The most peculiar thing about it, if

you look at the last ten years of massive increase in pay, is that

the performance for shareholders has been disastrous. The Chancellor

today said he wouldn't block Mr Hester's bonus at the bank's annual

meeting. Now we know that the chairman of RBS thinks it is

inappropriate to get a �1 million bonus. The only people who seem to

think it is appropriate are the Chancellor and the Prime Minister.

They have another chance to listen to the public. They can block this

bonus at the shareholder meeting in April and that is what they should

do. Ministers would dearly love it if Mr Hester was on the same pay as

them. That wasn't the basis on which he took the job of rescuing

RBS three years ago and, as the Prime Minister said today,

replacing him now could be much more expensive than paying his �1

million bonus. Detectives investigating suspected

payments to police for information have arrested five people, four of

them are believed to be journalists or former journalists at The Sun

newspaper. A serving police officer was also arrested.

Senior tabloid journalists are arrested in the investigation into

alleged corruption between police and the media. Chris Pharo is the

current head of news, Mike Sullivan is its crime editor, also arrested

Graham Dudman, a former managing editor, and the former Sun Deputy

Editor, Fergus Shanahan. The final man arrested has not been

identified but he is a serving officer at the Metropolitan Police

Territorial Policing Command. This is a significant development and it

began here at News International. The company has itself been

investigating what it called today "unacceptable news gathering

practices". It gave the police the information that led to the arrests.

The police have searched two addresses in Essex and one here in

North London. All those arrested have been questioned in connection

with allegations of corruption and misconduct in public office. The

focus of this investigation that journalists paid police officers

for information. In 2003, the then editor of The Sun, Rebekah Brooks,

was asked by MPs if that had ever happened. We have paid the police

for nrgs in the past. She was arrested last year, but so far

there have been no charges. The journalists are being questioned.

Despite that, it is a big step forward for the Met's Operation

Elveden which is running alongside operation wheating, the

investigation into phone hacking. Why is it significant? A, the

people arrested are significant, B, they are from the Sun, C, they have

been around for a long time. This afternoon, News International e-

mailed its staff admitting to them that the arrests were "very

difficult news" but that the company is confronting its past

mistakes and making fundamental changes about how we operate. News

International regards that as essential for its future business

as the uncertainty of this saga continues.

The Arab League has announced that it is suspending its observer

mission in Syria blaming an escalation of violence against

civilians. Opponents of President Bashar al-Assad say more than 60

people have been killed today by government forces. New efforts are

under way at the United Nations to draw up a resolution to end the

crisis. Jon Leyne has been following the

developments. What is behind the timing of this announcement? Well,

the immediate reason obviously is that dramatic spike in violence.

More than 200 people killed in Syria over the last four days, the

Syrian government attacking opposition strongholds, but also

the opposition Free Syria Army are becoming more active. You have to

see this within a wider political context. Obviously, this new

violence brings into question the whole purpose of this monitoring

mission. It doesn't seem to be succeeding. We are seeing those

efforts at the United Nations to now draw the UN in, to pass a UN

Security Council Resolution condemning Syria and calling on

President Assad to hand power on to a deputy. This is bound to increase

the pressure on the members of the Security Council as the delegation

goes from the Arab League tomorrow to New York. It is bound to

increase the pressure on the Security Council to step in,

particularly increasing the pressure on Russia, the one big

hold-out country. So this is going to be a big escalation in the

political dynamics of this. We could see a very important week

ahead at the United Nations in New York.

The Ministry of Defence have tonight named a soldier killed in

Afghanistan yesterday. Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung of 1st

Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment was shot while on foot patrol in

the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province.

The Prime Minister has signed a long-term partnership agreement

with Hamid Karzai. The agreement focuses on continuing co-operation

after the withdrawal of NATO-led troops from Afghanistan and

includes a commitment by Britain to continue providing aid and build a

new Military Academy for Afghan officers.

H there is new evidence that supporters of Libya's former leader,

Colonel Gaddafi, are being tortured while in detention. Prisoners have

told the BBC that they have been subjected to whippings, beatings

and electrocution. Earlier this week, Medecins Sans Frontiers

suspended the work at one prison in the city of Misrata because "of an

alarming rise in the use of torture".

Behind the facade of a new flag lurks the violent legacy of the old

regime. These men asked us not to reveal their identities. They told

of prolonged beatings and whippings, some were subjected to electric

shocks. TRANSLATION: I was taken for

questioning at a site used by the National Army. My leg was in a

state when they took me away. As they interrogated me, they kept on

beating me on my leg and so it got more swollen. None of the alleged

abuse occurred at the prison itself, we were told, but the people

running the detention centre said they were aware that some prisoners

were being taken away to be tortured and were powerless to stop

it. Medecins Sans Frontiers say that some of the patients that they

treated here for injuries sustained under torture were subsequently

taken away only to be tortured again. Now, some of the prisoners

we have spoken to here say that they believe that torture was

taking place at the National Army headquarters in Misrata. The

response from the head of Misrata's Military Council was one of

complete denial. He said his accusers had their own hidden

agenda. TRANSLATION: I think that the

people working under the guise of human rights organisations are

Gaddafi's fifth column. There may have been a few cases of former

rebels taking revenge, but that doesn't mean orders have come from

my office to torture prisoners. United Nations estimates that 8,500

men are being held in detention centres across the country accused

of being Gaddafi supporters. Many are controlled by local militias,

groups of former rebel fighters accountable to no-one but

themselves. Libya's fledgling government is struggling to assert

its authority, but as one of the prisoners observed, he who has the

gun has the power. Now, with news of all of today's

sport, here is Sally. Liverpool have knocked Manchester

United out of the FA Cup beating them 2-1 at Anfield. The match was

the first between the two since Luis Suarez was banned for racial

abuse aimed at United defender Patrice Evra. Chelsea beat QPR 1-0

as John Terry made his first return to Loftus Road since being charged

with racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

He wasn't playing, but he was impossible to ignore. Scarves,

shirts, you could buy a Luis Suarez mask - a reminder of what happened

last time. Luis Suarez is still suspended but looked on as the

opponent he was found to have racially abused back in October,

Patrice Evra, returned to Anfield and a hostile reception. The two

managers had pleaded for passion rather than poison, but Patrice

Evra's every touch was booed. The match was fiery. Daniel Agger

heading Liverpool in front. United responded in style. Park's incisive

finish - 1-1 at the break. A replayed seemed to beckon, but Dirk

Kuyt struck with three minutes left and Liverpool were through. Police

praised the behaviour of most fans, but detectives who deal with

racism-related offences have released an image of a man they

wish to speak to in connection with an alleged incident. This fixture

has been a headache for the authorities and it wasn't the only

one on a day when the conduct of both fans and players came under

scrutiny. At Queens Park Rangers there were tightened security as

Chelsea returned for the first time since John Terry was charged with

racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. Both played and the FA agreed to

scrap the pre-match handshakes. The game seemed overshadowed, a penalty

for Chelsea and that was it. Both during and after the match, Terry

was booed by QPR fans. An uncomfortable end to an

uncomfortable day for football. Brighton have produced one of the

shocks of the fourth round so far, knocking Newcastle United out of

the competition. An own goal from Mike Williamson was enough to

secure them a 1-0 win. There is a replay for Blackpool and

Sheffield Wednesday. In the other In Scotland, it is League Cup

semifinal weekend and Kilmarnock are the first side through to the

England's cricketers have suffered their first Test series defeat

since becoming the world's number one team last summer. Pakistan beat

them by 72 runs in Abu Dhabi. In truth, there was little mystery

to this victory. Pakistan knew how to embarrass England - spin. Hafeez

got rid of Cook. Ian Bell seemed bemused by the Pakistan attack.

Pietersen's contribution - he lasted eight balls, lbw to Rehman's

left arm spin. There was true panic now. Morgan powerless. A second

ball duck. England 37-4. Their victory target of 145 may well as

been 1,000. Anderson was last out. Pakistan have just humbled the

world's best team - again. Tentative, fearful, all the things

England weren't in 2011 so far they have been in 2012. Coming to the

UAE was new territory for English cricket. Right now, this feels like