22/06/2013 BBC Weekend News

intelligence analyst, Edward Snowden, has been charged with

espionage and theft by prosecutors in the United States. He fled to

Hong Kong last month and leaked details of secret surveillance

programmes. The latest documents published today by the Guardian

newspaper suggest the British intelligence agency, GCHQ, is

collecting data on hundreds of millions of e-mails and phone calls

every day. Gordon Corera has the details.

America this morning woke to news that one of its former spies had

been charged with spying. Here are a few of the stories we'll be looking

at... Edward Snowden who leaked documents

is a fugitive... The former US intelligence contractor fled to Hong

Kong and he still is thought to be in hiding there. The US is moving to

extradite him on charges under its espionage act of stealing Government

secrets and communicating them with an unauthorised person.

The latest allegations based on Snowden's documents come in today's

Guardian newspaper. It's claimed that Britain's intelligence agency,

GCHQ, is mounting a huge surveillance operation, tapping 200

of the fiber-optic cables that carry global communications.

The paper claims GCHQ every day can gather details of millions of phone

calls, e-mails and web visits, it can then hold it for 30 days to sift

through it looking for anything related to national security. The

Government insists this is lawful, as a warrant is still required to

actually read the stored communications of any British

citizen. They'll use the most modern

technology in order to do that. The crucial question is not how much

data could they theoretically collect, but what can they get

access to? Is it an intrusion of the provety to have person? An official

said the information gathered played a part in recent terrorist arrests,

including some linked to the 2012 London Olympics, as well as breaking

up Child Exploitation networks. But that's not prevented questions being

raised. It's been suggested to me that if they collect so much of our

private information, that they don't look at it, we shouldn't feel

intruded on. That is the equivalent of going into everybody's home at

night, scooping up all their private papers into bin liners and

stockpiling them for 30 days and saying, "don't worry, I didn't read

the stuff". GCHQ says the work is lawful. The documents leaked raise

questions about the work, costs and benefits and what the public should

know. Western and Arab countries opposed

to President Bashar Assad, have issued a statement agreeing to give

urgent support to rebels fighting his regime in Syria. Ministers from

11 countries, including the UK and US, were meeting in Qatar and

pledged to provide equipment to opposition forces, although no

details were given of any new commitments. The move comes after a

number of military setbacks for the rebels with reports of more fighting

around the capital, Damascus, as government forces attack their

positions. Joining us now from Doha is our

correspondent, Aleem Maqbool. There's going to be so-called urgent

support coming from some Western countries from the rebels. How

significant a move is this? Well, on the face of it, Clive, it

does sound like a very strong statement and the Secretary of

State, John Kerry, said there was an imbalance on the ground in Syria. He

said that certainly, Bashar Assad's forces had the upper hand and he

said everyone around the table today was going to do whatever they were

comfortable with in supporting the opposition. But what does that m? In

In terms of America, President Obama said he'll provide arms to the

rebels, to the opposition, but he said he'll take time in providing

what arms there 'll be and in terms of Britain, we bumped into William

Hague there, at the meeting, and after being so bullish in the past,

he still says there's no change in policy, there Beale no arms as yet

provided to the rebels but they'll provide more humanitarian

assistance. There were others around the table who have been providing

arms for a very long time to the rebels, including Qatar where we are

standing now. They've been accused of making this a holy war by

supplying arms to Jihad militants but they are the ones shaping this

conflict. But all the time, Sir yaps who've seen over 90,000 people die,

they don't have faith now in the international community in bringing

about peace and they'll have been disappointed if they were expecting

decisive action today. Aleem Maqbool, many thanks.

Nearly 600 people are known to have died in flash floods in northern

India. Rescuers are trying to reach tens of thousands more cut off by

the rising waters in what the Government has described as a

national crisis. The early monsoon rains in India this year are

believed to be the heaviest in six decades.

The Labour Leader, Ed Miliband, has warned his party can't promise to

reverse the coalition's public spending cuts if it wins the next

general election. He said the hard reality of the nation's economic

situation had to be faced. Ian Watson has more.

We are campaigning for a new economy that delivers decent jobs and

greener growth... The Trade Unionists and left-wing activists at

the anti-cuts conference in Central London today had an uncompromising

message for the coalition Government. That's why we are here

to say enough is enough. We are going to fight back.

But some of the fine rhetoric could also be aimed at the opposition.

Because, at a meeting of senior Labour figures in Birmingham today,

Ed Milibanded saided he'd accept some of the Government's spending

cut if he came to power. A starting point in 2015-16 will be that we

won't be able to reverse the cuts in current day-to-day spending unless

we find the money from savings elsewhere or from extra revenue.

Labour will still borrow or raise taxes to invest in longer term

projects, such as housing. Ed Miliband says his Government would

take a different direction to the Conservatives, but he might need

that hard hat when he next meets some of his traditional supporters.

He's just putting another edge to Cameron's austerity measures and

saying he's going to do the same thing. If he carries on with these

policies, many people in the union branch might not be wanting to vote

for him. He'll undermine his own vote. Ed Miliband knows he won't

please many people here at an anti-cuts conference, but he says

the Next Labour Government must exercise financial discipline to

bring the deficit down. But he knows his party isn't trusted enough with

the economy, so he has to convince undecided voters that he can take

tough decisions. Our party leader, Nick Clegg.

Lib Dem leader was telling his activists to expect a strict limit

to spending pledges at the next election. The desire to offer big

spending commitments will be as strong as it ever has been. But we

will resist the temptation to talk big and end up delivering small.

The Chancellor said he'd lift the burden of debt for the next

generation by balancing the books by 2015. That now won't happen. The

Conservatives say Labour will be too weak to rein in spending but all the

mainstream parties know the choice of the next election is not whether

to make cuts but how. A ferry carrying 400 people struck a

dock in Essex. It happened as the Sirena Seaways vessel was berthing

at Harwich. Essex Fire and Rescue Service says no-one was trapped or

injured, but the vessel has been holed below the water level.

The British and Irish Lions have beaten Australia in dramatic fashion

to take a 1-0 lead in the three test series. The Wallabies could have won

the game in the last minute but missed a penalty. Dan Roan reports

from Brisbane. Even for one of sport's most

cherished traditions, this felt special. It's 16 years since they

last seen their team win a series. Now, as Brisbane's responsibility

fell to the pride of Lions, amid a raucous atmosphere, this was about

to live up to the hype. Australia hadn't played a match all year, but

they seized the initiative. A try that will go down in legend,

North's blistering surge to the line underlining his status as the most

potent attacking weapon. Australia have their own world-class winger.

The hosts were back in the game thanks to the second try from the

same person on the night. When Cuthbert powered over, the

Lions looked on course for victory. Despite the disruption of losing

four to injury, Australia clawed their way back to within two points.

And then with this pulsating contest on a knife edge, Beale had the

chance to win it. He slipped and the last kick of the game was a scuffed

one. The Lions clung on and now lead the series. It was incredibly tense

and the Lions rode their luck but they have the chance to claim their