05/03/2016 BBC Weekend News

The Government drops plans to cut tax relief on pension contributions.

It follows warnings that the Chancellor's proposals

Violence in Turkey after a crackdown on the press.

The authorities take over the country's biggest newspaper.

And met the newlyweds - Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall

The Chancellor, George Osborne, has dropped plans to cut tax relief

He had been expected to announce the move in the Budget in less

than two weeks' time, but he was warned the changes

Some campaigners say he's missed a huge opportunity to tackle pension

inequality and to help the lower paid.

Our political correspondent, Ross Hawkins, has more.

It would have been a radical Budget Day change to the way

At the moment, you're not taxed on the money you pay

Instead, you pay your tax when the pension pays out.

One idea was that this could be reversed, so the Government

would tax money on the way in and not on the way out,

which would have raised extra cash for the Treasury in the short term.

The Chancellor seemed to like the idea.

Pensions could be treated like Isas, you pay in from taxed income

and it is tax free when you take it out.

Treasury sources say that won't happen at the coming Budget,

a move welcomed by a former Lib Dem Pensions Minister.

It's very good news the Chancellor has dropped his pension's Isa idea,

where you tax people's money as they go into a pension,

because I simply don't think people would have trusted politicians

of future generations not to tax them for a second time.

Very bad news, though, to those who think an existing

pension system that gives the biggest tax breaks to some

It's a missed opportunity to try and make the pension system work

better for people like the self-employed and people on zero

hours contracts and others facing economic uncertainty.

Well, Conservatives want to clear the decks

And some of his MPs weren't keen on the pension idea.

I think that had there been significant changes in the pensions

schemes that would have disadvantaged some people,

it's inevitable as MPs across the whole House we would have

There is the important point that what we don't want to do is having

two very large, complicated arguments at the same time

when we have this very important referendum coming up in June.

Which means with just a week-and-a-half to go before

he does this again, he will need a different big idea to take

The Director-General of the British Chamber of Commerce has been

suspended. The organisation which represents thousands of businesses

had said it would not campaign for either side.

Ross Hawkins joins us live now. There's breaking news on this

tonight. What's the latest. Within the last few minutes, the Mayor of

London has said this news is scandalous. He suggested that John

Longworth had to stand aside because he was crushed by the agents in the

mayor's word of project fear. Earlier in the deer, Bernard --

earlier in the day, Bernard Genkin asked if Downing Street had any role

to play in this. Downing Street absolutely rejects any suggestion

that they put pressure on him to resign or step aside, as I

understand, they'll be saying they were surprised as anyone that this

has happened. But this matters not, because this man is fantastically

well known. He's in no sense a household name. He's not even a

politician. But it matters because it plays into one of the central

claims of the leave campaign, which is, in effect, they are fighting the

establishment. That any dissent will be squeezed out by more powerful

forces and for that reason, I think you'll hear a lot more about this

man and his position in the coming 24 hours.

Ross, thanks very much indeed. In Turkey, the government

has seized control of There've been protests

against the move, and police have fired plastic bullets, tear gas

and water cannon at demonstrators. Editors of Zaman newspaper say

the government's move to take it over is a dark day for Turkish

democracy. From Turkey, our correspondent

Mark Lowen reports. This is what happens in Turkey, if

you want a newspaper to stay open. The full force of the state sent in

to crush protests. They had tried to stop Zaman, Turkey's biggest

newspaper, from being taken over, but in vain. Rubber bullets were

fired. The tear gas overwhelming. They tried last night to resist

police, forcing their way into the building. That too was futile. There

was no room for debate. As Zaman editors arrived, defiant, supporters

rallied. But shortly after, a government team came by, fired the

management, cut the internet signal and deleted the archive. Our last

three, four years, that anyone who is speaking against the government

policies is facing either court cases or prison or such control by

the government. I think this is a dark period for our country, for our

democracy. Zaman was targeted because of links to an ally turned

arch foe of President Erdogan accused of leaking phone calls which

apparently implicated Mr Erdogan in corruption. The government called it

a coup and laboured his followers terrorists. Zaman is the latest and

largest opposition media to be muzzled. Turkey's sliding ever

further into censorship. Statements of concern about press freedom from

the EU. Critics say it's turning a blind eye because it needs Turkey's

help with the refugee crisis. So free screpgs is further --

expression is further eroded. The final front page of Zaman simply

read - constitution suspended. A week after hostilities

were suspended across parts of Syria, fighting has continued,

but at the lowest level for years, The Syrian Observatory for Human

rights believes that 135 people have died in areas where

the truce was observed. Peace talks are due to take place

this week in Geneva aimed at ending In Iraq, British military advisers

are training the Iraqi Army for a battle against so-called

Islamic State in the city of Mosul. In recent days, Iraq's security

forces say they've taken more ground from IS, but the group

still controls key Iraqi towns Our defence correspondent,

Jonathan Beale, reports from Iraq. Just training, this time,

the new Iraqi Army to deal with the biggest threat they'll face

- the improvised explosive device. If you start getting

aggressive, you'll explode. These, the men being prepared

for the next big battle, the long-awaited offensive on Mosul,

so-called Islamic State's IS or Daesh murdered his father,

a policeman there. TRANSLATION: I want to

fight Daesh right now. I don't worry about my own life

because they murdered my father, and they are still killing

the Iraqi people. Coalition support seems to have

given the Iraqi Army new confidence that it won't flee, as happened

when IS first attacked. They believe they're now

ready for the fight, as does the most senior British

officer in the country. Mosul, I agree, is

where we want to go. It's the capital, self-proclaimed

capital of the caliphate. Are you confident that Mosul will be

taken in 2016, this year? I'm confident that we will support

the Iraqi security forces getting Getting there is

different from winning. We visited one of the many

frontlines, a few hours from A steady stream of civilians

fleeing the fighting. This, a defensive minefield,

now littered with the carcasses Further on, the mangled remains

of a suicide truck bomb hit The Iraqi Army say they took this

ground from Islamic State just over You can see, they're setting up

in defensive positions. The challenge for the Iraqi Army

is clearing and then holding As you can see, vast

swathes of desert. As for Islamic State,

they may have lost ground, but there are still pockets

of resistance just over there. The Iraqi Army's taking back ground,

but far from disappearing, IS is reinforcing in urban areas,

and recapturing towns and cities, like Mosul, will be

a much harder fight. The media mogul Rupert Murdoch

and his new wife, model Jerry Hall, have had their marriage

blessed in central London. The couple wed in a civil ceremony

yesterday, and today, celebrities joined the couple's ten

children from previous relationships at the service at St Bride's

Church in Fleet Street. His report contains

flash photography. A year ago, Rupert Murdoch

hadn't even met his bride. Today, flanked by his two sons,

there was perhaps just a trace of nerves, as he prepared

for the service. So too did former

Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman. Dame Edna Everage's alter ego said

the newlyweds were a good match. I got them David Beckham

and a pair of jump leads. All ten children from the couple's

previous relationships Jerry Hall, in a pale blue

Vivienne Westwood dress, had slipped quietly

through a side door. They know, of course,

how to manage the media. From October's surprise

revelation of their courtship, to the announcement

of their engagement in The Times. He's 84, and, he said on Twitter,

"the happiest man alive". The service is now under way

in St Bride's Church, and if you listen very carefully,

you can almost hear the sound Publishing and power,

fusing with celebrity and glamour. Then Mr and Mrs Murdoch faced

the cameras and declined the pleas The media mogul perhaps trying

to ensure he doesn't Richard Lister, BBC News,

St Bride's Church, Fleet Street. With all the sport, here's

Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes at the BBC It's been a potentially pivotal day

in the Premier League. Match of the Day follows the news,

unless you're in Scotland, So if you don't want to know

what happened in any of those games, Leicester's dreams of winning

the title are still very much alive They are now five points clear

at the top of the table. That's because the much-hyped

North London derby - Arsenal showing spirit to come

from behind despite having Elsewhere, it's also been

an influential day at the bottom of the table with notable

defeats for Aston Villa, Newcastle and Norwich, who all

remain in the relegation zone. In the Scottish Cup,

Rangers showed they're more than ready for promotion to the top

flight, after thrashing the Premiership's Dundee 4-0 to go

through to the semi-finals. Their opeing goal went

in after 13 seconds! The Cup meant there were only two

games in the Scottish Premiership Now, could we soon be seeing

referees doing this in the Premier Well, the International

Football Association Board, who control the rules of the game,

have approved trials of video review technology similar to sports

like rugby and cricket. It would only be for game-changing

decisions, including They haven't said when or where

the trials will take place, but it'll be no later

than two season's time. Britain's Jason Kenny has

won his second world sprint title, coming from behind to take Gold

at the World Track Championships in But there was disappointment

for Mark Cavendish in the omnium, who fell well-short of the result

needed for Olympic selection. For all the miles in his wheels and

victories to his name, Mark cab dish knows you don't win a ride at the

Olympics on reputation. To reach Rio in the Omnium, he needed to impress

in the last race, picking up points from a series of sprints. This

complicated world rewards strategy as much as speed. You have to pick

your moment. Others picked them more often. The podium was out of reach

by the final dash. Cavedish is a showman. A speedy finish, but sixth

place. He must wait on his plane ticket. Jason Kenny's task is

simpler, cycle three laps faster than the other man. He lost the

first race but won the second to set up this finale.

COMMENTATOR: Jason Kenny is the champion of the world! We knew we'd

found a bit of form in qualifying. We tweaked the bike and found a few

tenths. We're always looking for the little bits. We tweaked something. I

knew I could qualify. Kenny's engaged to another Olympic champion

Laura Trott and the other half of British cycling's power couple goes

for her second gold tomorrow. Great Britain are just one win away

from victory in their first Davis Cup tie since winning

the title last year. They're 2-1 up against Japan

after Andy and Jamie Murray comfortably won the doubles

in Birmingham in straight sets. with Andy Murray against

the World Number Six, You can see more on all of today's

stories on the BBC News Channel. Good evening. There's been a fairly

wintry feel to the weather