03/03/2013 BBC Weekend News

Carter will Keith O'Brien, who last week resigned as Britain's most

senior Catholic cleric, has admitted sexual misconduct. He had

denied inappropriate behaviour, but now he apologises and asks for

forgiveness. The Queen is in hospital with

gastroenteritis, as a precautionary measure.

More British assistance for rebels in Syria, the Foreign Secretary

will not rule out providing arms in the future.

Health workers' leaders urge that new NHS rules be rewritten because

of fears that too many activities will be private -- privatised.

And, but also of Great Britain in the final day of competition at the

European Indoor Athletics Good evening.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien, until a week ago, the most senior Roman

Catholic cleric in Britain, admitted his sexual conduct had

fallen below the standards expected of him. Three priests and a former

priest have claimed he was guilty of inappropriate behaviour. He has

apologised and asked for forgiveness.

After a week in which their cotton or resigned and then remained under

siege behind closed doors, Scottish Catholics received the news with

sadness rather than shock. Cardinal O'Brien had in his own words

contested rather than flatly denied the allegations of improper

behaviour against him made by priests and seminarians in his care.

In his statement, he said it had been the anonymous and non-specific

nature of the allegations that led Devoid of detail, the state may

grazes almost as many questions as it answers, but it seems to imply,

whatever wrong to ring he is admitting it, it may have extended

beyond the 1980s. Whatever else it tells us, his statement sits

uneasily with his years of outspoken denunciation of

homosexual relationships. I have to point out that he has been such a

vociferous critic of homosexuals, of gay adoption, he has been very

outspoken against same-sex marriage, and one of the priests involved

said to me tonight, after he had resigned, he felt sad for the

cardinal, but he also felt sad for the people over the years that he

had harmed. We have become more aware... But some Catholics insist

his failings are a rarity, among the church's thousands of priests.

We have high standards in the church. Priest take a promise of

celibacy. Sometimes, they break it, and that is not very good. We

understand we are all week. congregation in Edinburgh heard the

car that will's statement read out this evening at, and some remained

fiercely loyal. Nobody can believe it is true. He is going to talk for

himself eventually, and we will find out it is not true. He will

now face an inquiry, without any allegations of illegal behaviour,

it is expected to be an internal investigation. It will be carried

out by the Vatican and a new Pope, rather than the Church of Scotland,

and any punishment would be imposed from Rome. He said today she did

spend the rest of his life in retirement. Circumstances of that

retirement will be up to the This comes at a very bad time for

the Catholic Church. The timing could not be worse, because in 10

hours, the cardinals will gather to start the conversation about who

should succeed at Pope Benedict. We now know that, had these

allegations not been made public, had they stayed secret, and they

were known to the church before Pope Benedict resigned, he would be

here among them, taking part in the process to elect the next Pope. I

have had conversations about Cardinal O'Brien with several

priests and clerics, and you sense an unwillingness to believe these

allegations against a mad who of many admire and like. -- man. One

person said, could this be a Liberal vendetta against a man who

has stirred up for the teach-ins against homosexuality? That defence

is no longer available, these allegations are coming from inside

his own diocese. This is a home- baked cake. The cardinals gather

tomorrow, knowing that if this had stayed closed within the Church,

Cardinal O'Brien would be here with them, and that is what will be hard

to defend. The Queen has been admitted to

hospital in London as a precautionary measure, to be

assessed for gastroenteritis. She is expected to remain there under

observation for two days. All of her engagements for this week,

including a trip to Rome, will either be cancelled or postponed.

She was admitted to the King Edward VII hospital because the

gastroenteritis has not cleared up after two days. Her admission is

described as a precautionary measure to allow doctors to make a

more detailed assessment. The Queen is in good spirits, according to a

spokeswoman. She presented a long- service medal to a member of staff

at Windsor this morning before being driven to the hospital. She

is expected to remain in hospital for perhaps two days. It means all

of her engagements for the coming week, including a visit to Rome,

are being cancelled. Doctors say gastroenteritis can be debilitating

and patients need time to recover. The big danger is getting

dehydrated, you are much more likely to be dehydrated if you are

under six months, possibly under a year, and if you get to be much

older, and she may be in remarkable health, but she is 86. It is 10

years since she was last admitted to hospital. Then, she had keyhole

surgery to her knees. Generally, her health continues to be

extremely good. A programme during the Diamond Jubilee celebrations

was piggy -- busy, and it was fulfilled without any problems.

Although her husband was hospitalised with a bladder

infection. But for the Queen, neither age nor ill health have

ever been a major concern, and there is nothing to suggest that

this is anything more than an unpleasant stomach bug from which

she will make a full recovery. There will not be regular bulletins,

the hospital never issues them, the Palace is unlikely to. The Queen

will hate this kind of fuss being made. The important thing to stress

is that there is no sense of alarm about the turn of events.

Rebels in Syria will get more assistance from the UK, the Foreign

Secretary has told us. He said details would be announced to

Parliament this week. He said Britain could not full-out

providing arms to the rebels in the future. Bashar Al-Assad has accused

the UK of bullying and naivety over its policy towards his country

first. The shelling and shooting continues,

tearing apart a country in which the United Nations believes 70,000

people have died since the uprising began almost two years ago. But the

President has accused the British Government of trying to militarised

the conflict in these remarks to the Sunday Times today. This

Government is acting in a naive, confused and unrealistic manner.

William Hague described that as one of the most additional interviews

given by any national leader in the modern times. This is a man

presiding over a slaughter. The message to him is, we in Britain

are the people sending food and shelter and blankets to help people

driven from their homes and families in his name. We are the

people sending medical supplies to try to look after people injured

and abused by the soldiers working for this man. At a conference in

Rome on Thursday, the Foreign Secretary spent time talking

tactics on Syria with his American counterpart, John Kerry. T United

States announced an extra $60 million of funding for the

opposition. William Hague said that, faced with the extreme humanitarian

distress of the Syrian civilians, Britain could not sit it out, and

although Almond the rebels is not yet policy, he made it clear he

would not rule it out in future. The group that represents more than

200,000 health workers in the UK has written to the government to

express concern about privatisation in the NHS in England. The Academy

of Medical Royal Colleges is demanding that the new rules on

which NHS activities in England should face competition from

private firms and charities be rewritten.

Once again, the government's changes to the NHS in England are

at the centre of a row. This time, over the competition for NHS

services from the private sector and charities. Private companies

such as Virgin are already providing care to NHS patients.

Services like this GP clinic in Birmingham. And, and the last

couple of years, other community- based care has been put out to

tender, things like hearing tests and physio services. Now,

regulations on how the NHS will have to work from April have

preferred it doctors, they say the government is looking to increase

competition, despite assurances given when the Bill was passed.

They point out that new groups are being told they can only give work

to the NHS without competition if Doctors would be obliged to attend

a complex services to the private sector that would then possibly

disrupt those services. We want joined-up services, they need a

kind of service, and we are keen that should not be like producing a

mobile phone. The Prime Minister had to intervene to get the changes

through Parliament. But in his authority behind the help build and

promising there would be no competition and less it meant

patients would be benefited. Ministers said that has not changed.

Commissioners, doctors and nurses who plan and purchase services,

will not be forced to put services out to tender if they think that

that is not in the interests of their patients. It is entirely up

to them to use competition when they think that that is appropriate.

And not to use it when it is not. Nobody is going to force them.

Labour has said it will try to force a parliamentary debate and

vote on the regulations. The government does not have to allow

either, but with weeks to go until the new system comes into force

legally, it faces another row over what it will make for patients.

At least 45 people have been killed in a car-bomb attack in Pakistan's

biggest city Karachi. More than 100 others were wounded when two bombs

exploded in a Shia Muslim area of the city.

The veteran adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes says there is no reason for

him to stop going on further expeditions. That is after being

forced to abandon his latest of polar trip because of frostbite. At

68, he had been training to walk across Antarctica in winter,

How do you feel? Not happy. Ranulph Fiennes announcing that

frostbite was forcing him to abandon his latest expedition

across Antarctica in the dead of winter. He left his five colleagues

behind and flew to Cape Town, where he told the of the moment it all

went wrong. His left hand suddenly going number. It is like what could

-- it is like wood, I knew it would be trouble. You knew it would be

over? I knew from the past that the situation had unexpectedly and

frustratingly reached a situation where the hand was not going to be

any good at -40, let alone -80. What do you do? Do you accept the

fact? The accident happened when he was on a ski track like this. He

suspects the possible onset of diabetes might explain why a hand

already damaged years ago by frostbite was injured again so

quickly. It is a huge blow. But he says he still has a key charity

fund-raising role. I will not be on the sidelines, I will be in the

middle of the spider's web, making sure that everything goes as well

as it can. Do you worry that your body or your sponsors or a

combination of going to say, that is it, that is your last

expedition? I cannot see this being my last as. There is no reason why

it should be. Future expeditions will have to be in an area where my

left hand does not get in the way. Packing for London, not knowing if

his damaged hand will ever work again. An extraordinary, gruelling

And now the sports news. There was a lot riding on the North London

derby. Match Of The Day has highlights of

the only match in the Premier League today straight after the

news. But I have the result coming up. Tottenham beat Arsenal 2-1 at

White Hart Lane to move back up to third in the table. Gareth Bale and

Aaron Lennon scored Spurs' goals in the first half. Per Mertesacker

headed in for Arsenal but their defeat leaves them seven points

adrift of Spurs. Scottish Cup highlights are coming up on

Sportscene for viewers in Scotland. Dundee United and Hibernian have

joined Celtic and Falkirk in the semi-finals. Gary Mackay-Steven

scored Dundee United's winner against Dundee. Leigh Griffiths

scored a hat-trick for Hibernian as they beat Kilmarnock. The semi-

final draw is tomorrow. Great Britain have finished third in the

medal table at the European Indoor Athletics Championships. Perri

Shakes-Drayton won took gold medals. She was one of the poster girls at

the London Olympics, growing up close to the Olympic Park. She

might look back to this as the springboard for her career. Two

gold medals, anchoring the relay team after earlier claiming her

first individual title also in the 400 metres. Perri Shakes-Drayton

wins in a super time. I cannot be complacent. I wanted to stay out of

trouble and be at the front and maintain it. I am now champion!

There was a battling bronze medal de Mukhtar Mohammed. Nigel Irvine

had to get past the Russian on the final bend of his 400 metres. He

took the silver but the Russian protested, only to be disqualified

himself. He also took part in the final event, the win looked clear

cut as Richard Strachan brought the baton home. Only to find out they

had been disqualified. Did Richard Buck step off the track? Was he

pushed? The appeal was successful. They signed off with their fourth

gold medal. Saracens are at the top of the