20/08/2014 The Papers

Sherwood is still in the frame. More goals for Great Britain at the

athletics championships in Swansea. We will have all the details in 15

minutes after the Papers. Hello and welcome to our look ahead

to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. With me are the

journalist Lucy Cavendish and Reuters correspondent Tom Bergin.

Thanks both for joining us this evening. Tomorrow's front pages

first. The majority of the papers lead with the murder of US

journalist James Foley by Islamic State militants.

The Independent says Britain and America can no longer ignore the

rise of a caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

America can no longer ignore The Express says the masked man who

appears in the Islamic State video is now the world's most wanted man.

The Telegraph says David Cameron has asked for patience in tackling

British jihadists British Muslims are helping police and security

services to track down extremists in the UK, according to the Metro.

The Guardian says experts are racing to identify the militant in the

video who spoke with a British accent.

The Mail claims the jihadist in the video has been identified as a

Londoner known as John. The times says he's now a top target

for MI5, MI6 and the SAS. Meanwhile, the Financial Times leads

with the split within the Bank of England over whether there should be

an interest rate rise. Let's begin. As we have been saving,

newspapers dominated by the story about James Foley. `` saying. The

Times has the angle that the hunt is on for the man featured in the video

who it looks like might well be British. This is the next phase in

the story from the point of view of the newspapers, certainly, we have

had the news very well covered today by the news channels and internet

websites. The focus today is on this individual. Obviously, the fact that

he is British is shocking. There are questions as to who he is. They use

voice recognition software. Looking at the accent he has and where he is

from. Apparently, east London is the area they are focusing on. The

authorities will have snippets of the recording they could compare

with other intercepted phone calls. The hope is they might be able to

identify the individual. It will be a tough task. In the video, he has a

small amount of face showing. It will be a very tough task. I would

like to comment on the picture on the front of the times, because it

is extremely moving. `` the Times. They look absolutely devastated. It

rings the story home in a human way. Going back to the manhunt `` brings.

There is some sense that he has form, that he has been out there for

quite sometime and has risen to some sort of rank. It seems relatively

unbelievable that no one knows who he is or has any sense of who he is.

As the Guardian says, they have said he has been involved in hostage

negotiations. He has come from some work, he hasn't appeared from

nowhere. You mentioned the Guardian. Looking at the headline, similar but

different, manhunt for a British murderer with hostages' fate in his

hands. That refers to the fact that there are other journalists still

held hostage. There might be 20. The photograph and video images released

show one of the other individuals currently being held with threats

made against his life. The threats are that if there are further

airstrikes, airstrikes. The policy is that there

wouldn't be any quid pro quo. These people are very much at risk. Syria

has become one of the most dangerous areas for reporters at the moment.

The statistics are horrific. Both in terms of deaths and kidnappings.

This puts a shiver down people's spines. The news from Reuters and

elsewhere, this was a focus of discussion as well as being the

story people were working on. Lucy, the way that it was reported to have

been done in this video, and as the parents say, they feel haunted. It

makes me feel so, so upset, the thought that you could actually see

that happening to your own child is absolutely appalling. As I said

before, the Islamic State have been committing all sorts of atrocities,

they have been beheading people and children have been holding up

pictures of head as if it is true the hunting and crucifixions and

women and children being buried alive. Something has got to happen.

The world is absolutely shocked by what is going on. It's not just this

story. There are journalists out there covering this story, trying to

interest people in what is happening and they are losing their lives. A

quick look at the Telegraph. Again, same story, different headline, and

different news of the picture involved, another life in British

jihadist's hands. Another journalist parading in front of the cameras. No

doubt, pressure on politicians in America and the UK. Something must

be done. But, what? Of course, the independent very much focuses on

that as well. There is a Catch`22 `` the Independent. It isn't an easy

situation become involved in. We know that from previous involvement

in Iraq. There are also, occasions because Western governments are keen

to pressure Baghdad to come up with a conclusive government than was

previously there under Nouri al`Maliki. The feeling is that if

the US intervenes too readily, it removes the pressure on the

government in Iraq and in Baghdad to be more inclusive and again, that

might recreate the conditions that help foster Islamic State. Might

inclusive of who? The Sunnis Mac. `` Sunnis. He referred to the front

page of the Independent. There is a map on the front, which the red

areas where it says, ISIS residents. `` presence. A lot of the headlines

are quite, this is happening, that is happening, though where it are

quite, this is happening, that is happening, though where do we go

from here? I would be interested to know what is said on it. No wonder

it `` no one does have the answer. Hopefully, the Independent can give

us some pointers stalwart no doubt, despite the terrible tragedy, this

is a situation that would be days or weeks, we suspect it won't he ``

might be months or weeks. There won't be rapid military involvement.

Perhaps, a step up for military support for the Kurds. It seems that

France and Germany are moving closer to that. There isn't evidence that

this is something that will be... I don't think it can just be up to the

Kurds, you know, to get rid of this. It is a difficult situation.

Other stories making the headlines. Let's look at the Financial Times

because there has been... This got swept away early in the news agenda

about interest rates. The headline that the Bank of England split

signals end to era of low rates because two members suggested rates

should rise. We are at an historic low of 0.5 of 1% and it looks as

though the pressure is growing and it is likely to come. The pound

strengthened because of that. This was unexpected. It probably would

have been the news story of the day is it wasn't for other advents. We

have had record low interest rates for a long period of time because

the economy has been in the doldrums. Now, it looks like things

have been turning. People weren't expecting murders of that bank to be

voting for hikes. We aren't out of the doldrums yet. Recently, it has

been weak. I am not sure how many viewers feel comfortable, especially

with wage disinflation, whether they feel ready for interest`rate right,

rise. This is really the question. `` interest`rate rise. Those with

mortgage debt, this is a big story. This is a very bad idea for those

with debt. Most people don't think the standard of living has gone up

and most people's wages haven't gone up. I think it will be crippling for

the average person. The timing could be interesting. If they are looking

at spring next year it will be close to the general election. I would sit

on it if I was them. They are independent, I think. They will be

happy about it. Might be some interesting conversations between

the Exchequer and... There might be hopes with certain people in the

Exchequer that that move would be taken. It is on a knife edge and

there is a political gain here as well, a backdrop, but of course,

there is the Monetary Policy Committee which are independent. So,

yes, they shouldn't be taking account of these things. Lastly, we

return to the Guardian, which this time has a story about GCSE. In

about ten hours, there will be the opening of envelopes, protecting,

e`mails, results coming through. You have a look about a mum who has been

there, done that. I have been there and I have done that. This

particular story suggests that because of the way that the recent

changes to exams have been made, which is that they are awaited at

the end, the results I weighed at the end, rather than taking stages,

that the seeds and `` is advantages of some schools `` weighed. Yes, and

I am fed up with this changing idea of what is right and what isn't

right. On the other hand, we have this thing where people were tested

over a period of time. Now, suddenly, it is at the end, so that

people I know who have taken their GCSEs at this year take the entire

summer sitting the exam. That is very difficult. They need to sort

out what they are doing. Exam grades are fluctuating massively. There are

students tomorrow who will wake up expecting to get As and they will

suddenly get Cs. It is very disappointing and concerning on a

personal. What it seems that too many must have accrued without hard

exams at the end, which is what Michael Gove was doing. It is not

just the ability to perform. But what about those who say that life

isn't like that? In one sense, if you are coming at it from the point

of view of employers, you want employees to deliver well all the

time, not just to be occasionally great. You can make the argument

both ways. This is a technical issue and it is shifting the balance from

60`40 back to 40`60. People of the future depend upon it. It is

difficult to know exactly what the facts of this case are and I suppose

this is why it ends up being, on the one hand, a risk, but the education

regulator says there is no risk, no one will be disadvantaged. Lucy, is

said that girls tend to perform worse than boys in this system,

anyway. Girls perform better in coursework because, you know, we are

well`behaved and put our energy and effort into it, whereas the boys

wait and then cram massively and do a big flurry at the end. I think it

is sexist, actually. Guilty as charged. It will affect many, many

people. Thank you very much indeed. That is it for the papers this

evening. Thanks to our guests. Stay with us here at on BBC News because

at midnight we have more on the international outrage after the

murder of James Foley I an Islamist militant. Coming up next, it's time

for Sportsday.