24/06/2013 BBC News at One

concerned over claims that police tried to smear the family of Stephen

Lawrence. The teenager was murdered 20 years ago. A former undercover

officer says he was asked to discredit the campaigns to find his

killer. Extraordinarily, to target the family, in case they could find

any dirt on the family, that is quite disgusting. We are looking

ahead to a statement on the claims in the Commons this afternoon. Also,

the shooting of a British family in the French Alps last year. A man has

been arrested in connection with the murders. He is thought to be the

brother of one of the victims. Nelson Mandela is still in a

critical condition in hospital. The South African president says doctors

are doing all they can to make him comfortable. The CIA whistleblower

Edward Snowden, still no confirmation as to his whereabouts

as a Russian plane bound for Cuba leads without him. The high wire act

which is not for the faint-hearted. A tightrope walker makes it across a

gold without a safety harness. Australia sacks its team coach just

a fortnight before the start of the Ashes series. And after heartbreak

in the final last year, can Andy Murray go one better? I'm live at

Wimbledon and a mouthwatering opening day. Later on BBC London.

Safety concerns over the capital's pollution as the mayor reveals

dangerously high emission levels. And the new training centre for

athletes and amateurs alike that aims to provide a lasting Olympic

he is deeply concerned about claims that the police wanted to smear the

family of the murdered black teenager, Stephen Lawrence. The Home

Secretary will make an urgent statement in the House of Commons

this afternoon, following allegations by a former undercover

police officer, Peter prances, saying he spied on the family for

laying a wreath in the road where the teenager was stabbed in a racist

murder. 20 years later, his mother has described the claim that a

police officer was trying to smear the family as a disclosure that tops

anything that has happened since. Sir Paul Condon was the Metropolitan

Police commissioner at the time. Today, he denied any knowledge of a

covert operation against the Lawrences. I can say categorically

that at no time during my time as commissioner did I authorise or was

aware of the sort of operation that has been described in the Guardian.

I don't know if it is true or not, but I can certainly say that from a

senior level, as far as I'm concerned, there was no such

operation. Peter Francis was an undercover officer, and some in the

group he infiltrated remember him. But questions remain. Who authorised

it, if it is true, who knew about it, did senior figures know about

this going on, why was it going on and how far did it go? In other

words, he was placed under surveillance, why, what was being

done and what were they trying to achieve? We need an immediate

investigation into these allegations. It may need to be an

investigation of a high order, more forensic than the investigation that

operation Ahern is carrying out. Since the covert activities of this

former officer, Mark Kennedy, came to light, and operation overseen by

Derbyshire's chief constable has been investigating the role of

undercover policing. The claim that covert operations with used during

the period following the Lawrence murder has raised pressure on

politicians to act. It has also dredged up old memories of Peter

Francis from former activists. was trying to get us to do things

that we didn't want to do. We were a peaceful protest group. We were able

to sideline some of the things that he was suggesting an hour meetings.

We dealt with him through our democratic structures. It's another

controversy on top of so many before it that have resulted from the death

of this young man. As we were hearing, a statement by the Home

Secretary, Theresa May, to MPs this afternoon. My expectation is that

the Home Secretary will tell MPs that because these allegations are

so serious, because they strike at the very integrity of the police,

they cannot be left hanging in the air and there needs to be a fresh

enquiry, and one that command the confidence not just of the public

but also of the Lawrence family. To that end, I understand this enquiry

will not be left up to the police themselves to conduct. The police

will not be investigating the police. Even though there is a

convenient ongoing police enquiry which could have been used, that is

investigating the work of undercover officers. This will be handed to

accuse sake -- QC by the name of Mark Allison. What is significant

about him is he is the QC who led the prosecution that secured the

conviction of two of the original five suspects. Therefore, his

involvement would command the confidence of the Lawrence family.

And his remit will be not to simply establish whether there was a smear

campaign, who ordered it, how high up it went the police chain of

command, why the MacPherson enquiry team were kept in the dark, why do

politicians, it seems, were kept in the dark, but also to answer the

question the public want answered, namely, what is alleged to have

happened 20 years ago, could it still happen in the police today?

Detectives investigating the shooting of a British family on

holiday in the French Alps last September have arrested a man in. He

was found dead in his car along with his wife and her mother, the

couple's two children survived. The man arrested is understood to be the

victim 's brother. Brutal, ruthless and battling. The Al hilly family

car strewn with bullet holes, its rear tyre burst. A sign of the

savagery of this murder in a picturesque part of the French Alps

last September. The victim was shot dead alongside his wife,

mother-in-law and a cyclist it is believed to was passing by. His

eldest daughter, who was then seven, was seriously injured. A younger

sister just boar, was found eight hours after the shooting inside the

car, hiding under her mother 's body. Searching for a motive for the

death, detectives had been investigating rumours of a family

feud over an inheritance. It's understood the police arrested the

victim's brother at his home in Chessington in Surrey this morning,

on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a murder. He has always denied that

there was any family row over money. Much of the initial police enquiry

focused on the family home in Surrey, as his work, his family and

links to his native Iraq were examined. The police also set up a

joint investigation team, working with French detectives to try and

solve the mystery of these murders. Surrey police say today's arrest as

part of the ongoing investigation into the killings. The chief

prosecutor in France has always said he believed there would be no quick

solution in this case. The President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, says

doctors are doing all they can to make Nelson Mandela more

comfortable. The former leader remains in a critical condition in

hospital in Pretoria, where he has spent almost three weeks being

treated for a recurring lung infection. This report is from

Johannesburg. Nelson Mandela's family arriving at the hospital this

morning. The 94-year-old has already spent more than a fortnight in

intensive care, battling a lung infection. There had been

suggestions that the 94-year-old was improving slightly. He has recovered

from pneumonia before. But over this weekend his condition suddenly hit a

new low, moving from serious but stable too critical. The South

African authorities, still keen to protect his privacy, offered this

assessment. From President Mandela remains in a critical condition in

hospital. The doctors are doing everything possible to ensure his

well-being and comfort. We don't know the precise details of Nelson

Mandela's condition, but the South African authorities have never used

such alarming language before. It does seem clear that the former

president is now fighting for his life. The reaction he has been swift

and emotional. Nelson Mandela is like my father, my grandfather. I am

praying for God that he can recover quickly. I'm hoping he gets well,

he's in our prayers. I'm still wishing him a speedy recovery. We're

just keeping our hope that he's going to be OK. Messages of support

outside Mr Mandela's hospital. One of his close friends told the BBC

there is a need to be sombre, we should not hold onto false hopes.

Karen Allen is outside the hospital in Pretoria. We saw some reaction to

this latest statement. What about the rest of South Africa, how are

they interpreting the change? think sombre is the word to use.

There is a sombre mood. People are using this time for quiet

reflection. But there's also a sense of the enormous pride. You can see

people from so many generations that all feel this enormous closeness

towards Nelson Mandela and huge amounts of interest in his

well-being. We've had the statement today from President Jacob Zuma,

that doctors were doing all they could to ensure his comfort and

well-being. No talk of recovery any more. I think we are beginning to

get a sense of the gravity of the situation that Nelson Mandela faces.

When you speak to people here, there are still people who are praying for

the best, but some are dreading the worst. A real sense of mixed

emotions. And extra visits today from members of the ministries and

some former allies that worked with Nelson Mandela during the struggle

years. There is confusion over the whereabouts of the US intelligence

contractor Edward Snowden. A representative of the Russian

Aeroflot airline said Edward Snowden, who leaked information

about a massive American internet -- to net surveillance programme, had

not boarded a flight he'd been expected to take from Moscow to

Cuba. The flight from Moscow the fugitive former US intelligence

contractor was expected to be on. Heading ultimately for Ecuador. But

as it departed, of him, it seems, there was no sign. A global game of

diplomatic cat and mouse appears to have got more complicated. On a

visit to Vietnam Ecuador's Foreign Minister confirmed it had received a

request for asylum from Edward Snowden.

TRANSLATION: We are analysing it with a lot of responsibility and

taking good care of him. It has to do with the freedom of expression

and security of citizens around the world. It was just over a month ago

when Edward Snowden left his home in Hawaii and headed for Hong Kong. It

was while he was there that the Guardian and Washington Post began

publishing the allegations and leaks heat provided. Yesterday came news

that he'd left for Moscow, as the US authorities sought to have him

detained in Hong Kong. It had been expected he would fly on to Cuba,

then Venezuela and, or, Ecuador, both countries that have delighted

in causing Washington diplomatic irritation of late. Mr Snowden has

already left some serious diplomatic fallout in Hong Kong, with the

Chinese authorities deflecting charges that they orchestrated his

departure. A message was given to Edward Snowden through his carer in

Hong Kong that he should leave Hong Kong, and that he could leave Hong

Kong safely, without being stopped at the airport. I tend to believe

that that message was given on to the authorities of Beijing. It's the

scale of what Edward Snowden is accused of doing that has so angered

Washington. He leaked documents revealing that American intelligence

was collecting data about US phone calls, that Britain's GCHQ listening

centre was tapping cables glow -- in global communications, and that the

United States had been hacking into Chinese computers. Wherever he is

now, the United States has underlined its irritation of

difficulties it is having in getting his hands on him. A former health

official at the centre of allegations on the Care Quality

Commission has denied ordering a critical report into the deaths of

babies at a hospital in Cumbria to be deleted. Jill Finney, who was

deputy chief executive, said she and her colleagues decided the report

needed much further work before being published. Our health

correspondent is in Edinburgh at the British Medical Association's annual

conference. Doctors gathered from across the UK are sharing their

concerns about the demands facing the NHS and the constraint on its

budget. But those from England are also all too aware about the debate

around the need for greater openness, and the row which

continues to envelop the health care watchdog for England. A maternity

unit where failings led to the deaths of some babies will stop

allegations of a cover-up at the regulator, the CQC. A review of its

investigation of Furness General Hospital not published. But today,

one senior official involved in a key meeting said there was no

cover-up, no instruction to delete the report, but concern it didn't go

far enough. We felt it came to the wrong conclusion. Whilst it

challenged what we had done, it said that therefore the CQC had done all

that was sufficient. That was not correct. CQC could and should have

done more. So where does that leave hospitals in England? The NHS

overall has had its budget protected compared to other public services.

But the claim that health spending is protected rings hollow when we

raise... Doctors say it feels more like cuts at the front line. And the

leader said with all the pressures, now was not the time for another

shake-up of the regulator. I think it's absolutely not the right time

to try to say we need to reorganise or from top to bottom again. We

should remember that sometimes you shouldn't react in a knee jerk way,

which would allow changes under way to bed in. After calls for a more

open culture to prevent future scandals, maintain public confidence

in the NHS, do doctors gathered here feel they can raise concerns?

are prepared to stand up, you can stand up and you are not going to

get pushed down and clouded out. You can make your comment is known very

easily. There's no doubt we understand the ethos and we want to,

but there are still too many stories in the press about people who, after

they've done that, suddenly they find their jobs not needed any more.

You'll a-macro there are times when people see that things are going

wrong, they want to make a difference and say something but

they can't. Health ministers in England say doctors are working

extremely hard, helping the NHS manager increasing demands with the

budget relatively sheltered from heard, are the ambivalent views that

the doctors have about whether or not they feel free to raise

concerns. That is crucial in the restoring of public confidence that

there is indeed openness and transparency in our health service.

Thank you. Now our top story: David Cameron

says he is deeply concerned over claims that the police tried to

smear the family of the murdered teenager, Stephen Lawrence. A former

undercover officer said he was asked to discredit the campaign to find

his killer. And the latest on the floods in

India. Where the do death toll has passed 1,000. On BBC London: After

decades missing, the calls for the First World War mraks to be

reinstated in a Dulwich chufrn and Lenny Henry, how the comedian turned

stage actor is gearing up for his It is the first day of Wimbledon.

The start of two weeks of debate over rain affecting play, the price

of strawberries and whether or not this year will be Andy Murrays. The

British number one starts his bid for the title on Centre Court,

saying he will give everything he has starting with round one.

Standing in Andy Murray's way is Novak Djokovic. The Serbian is

hoping to win Wimbledon for the second time.

Defending champion, Serena Williams, wants a sixth Wimbledon singles

title. The question in the ladies draw is whether anyone can stop her.

Let's join Katherine Downes who joins us from Wimbledon.

As you say, bittersweet memories for Andy Murray and his supporters of

this place last year. Because of that and the success that Andy

Murray has joyed since the Olympic Gold Medal, there is anticipation

and ex-peck tradition on him that are higher than ever. There is a

mouth-watering open day in prospect. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and

Maria Sharapova in action, but if you speak to some of the guys on

that hill, they will tell you that they are here for just one man.

Please, open the gates... It is Andy Murray Monday. For those at the

front of the queue, there is one place to be and one reason to be

there. We are here to support Scotland and

for Andy Murray! Those without tickets have hours to wait. Andy

Murray with a Grand Slam title under his belt is a bigger draw thatten --

than ever. I know from the queue there are more

people here than at the same time last year. Certainly with Andy

Murray doing so well last year, proving he can play so well on

grass, getting into the Olympics, winning there. Winning the Grand

Slam, there is a big impact. Andy Murray has been playing down

his chances this year. Today, the crowds jostled to watch Rafael

Nadal's warm-up. He is to meet Roger Federer in the quarter-finals and

Andy Murray could face whoever wins. We are guessing at the moment. I

believe, one of the top four flairs will win the title. Andy Murray is

one of those. If Andy Murray wins today, he will

beat the Fred Perry record to become the most successful British man in

Grand Slam history. After the heartbreak of last year's final, how

far will the success stretch this year. It is the perennial question,

is it Andy Murray's year? Here to give the best shot of answering it

is Mike Dixon. Thank you very much for coming here.

What do you think, is it his turn? Well , it has never been hard tore

win a Grand Slam at tennis, but he has come here in good form. This is

his best chance. His draw is reasonable. Better than some say.

There is no time like the present. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have

to deal with each other before Andy Murray takes on either? I think he

has more of a chance, we are talking theories, if he comes through that

match, he comes more chance of beating Roger Federer than

inadequatally. -- Nadal. But you have to play well to win these

tournaments. Do you think that the pressure is

off? He has won the Olympic Gold Medal, beating Roger Federer, does

it increase the pressure or is it off? It is relaxing he has won the

US Open and the Olympic gold. He has that monkey off his back if you

like. He feels an authentic member of the big four, but there is

massive pressure. He is 26 now. Not as young as he was. He will not get

that many more chances. And finally, Roger Federer, he is

out on Centre Court at the moment, the raining champion. Do we think

that his star is on the wane or is he still a threat? One to watch?

think he is a threat. Of the four, he is the least likely to win. There

are signs of slippage there. You may see this as his last istic to win

Wimbledon. So he will be going out. I would not write him off. Only a

fool would do that, but of the four, he is probably the outsider.

Thank you very much. Coverage on the BBC for the next two

weeks. Andy Murray getting his Wimbledon campaign this afternoon,

Centre Court, he is third up. Rescuers in northern India are

trying to rescue thousands of people after rain washed away homes and

roads and triggered landslides nearly a week ago. Bad weather has

hampered the evacuation efforts in an area where at least 1,000 people

are thought to have died in the monsoon floods. We report from the

affected area. It is one of India's bigst ever

rescue operations, easily the most challenging. Soldiers building make

shift bridges to reach areas cut off after the worst floods here in 80

years. Roads have been swept away and

thousands of people are still stranded in the mountains.

With food supplies running low, there is a sense of urgency to try

to get to them. Bad weather has forced the Air Force

to suspend the rescue flights. Also on standby, these elite Special

Forces... They have been deployed to try to rescue those survivors stuck

on the slopes in the remote areas. All of the helicopters in this air

base are grounded. The pilots are waiting for a break in the weather

before they can resume flying. Until then, everyone here is simply having

to wait. Rescue workers with supplies of food and medicines,

supplies that must be taken urgently to people that need them and with

every passing hour, it is getting more and more desperate. 80,000

people have been rescued. Many have not even in days, they were

desperate to get out. But it could be weeks now before the

extent of the devastation becomes clear.

Now, this needs a head for heights. A tight rope walk, 1,500 feet above

the ground. Hirer than the Empire State

Building. Nik Wallenda crossed the River Gorge over the Grand Canyon

with no safety harness in under 25 minutes.

A five-centimetre steel cable was all that stood between Nik Wallenda

and the bottom of the Little Colorado River Gorge. Nearly half a

kilometre high, with no safety harness, he relied on his training,

self-belief and the power of prayer... Crazy, Jesus. Lord.

The 34-year-old comes from an eminent line of high-wire artist,

stretching back seven generations. As the winds whipped around him,

causing the cable to sway, he paused and simply crouched down. Despite

the risks, Nik Wallenda said he dreamt of doing this since he was a

teenager. It took him 22 nail-biting minutes to make the crossing.

Towards the end he felt confident enough to feel, blow a kiss... And

even run. APPLAUSE.

It was way more windy. The movement of the cabe, the side walls, as I

was walking were getting in the way, confusing me. So I tried to react.

When I reacted I kicked the rhythm into the cable. It took every bit to

stay focussed. Nik Wallenda has no intention of

remaining on terra firma. He told reporters that he hopes that the

next stunt is a tight rope walk between the Empire State Building

and the Chrysler Building in New York.

Two weeks before the start of the Ashes, the Australian cricket coach,

Mickey Arthur has been sacked. The team's form has been poor. They

failed to win a match in the champions trophy one-day tournament.

To warn you this report does contain flash photography. The first

dismissal of the Ashes summer may be the most surprising.

Mickey Arthur had been had been the man to steer Australia through the

current chaos. Now he is a part of it. Today being replaced by a former

player, Darren Layman. Paying the price for off and on the field

problems. I gave the job 100% in the last

couple of years. I thought we were nearly there to cracking it, but I

take the responsibility for it. Arthur was brought in to restore the

prestige to Australian cricket and not afraid to take on the players.

Dropping four, including the vice captain for failing to complete a

pre-match presentation. The problems did not go away. In this bar, the

batsman Warner punched Joe Root he was banned. They have been without

Michael Clarke, injured, now cricket Australia wants a change of

direction. Behaviour, accountability for

performance. They are things that we would like to see in a team that is

improving performance and continuing to build. We have recognised issues

and concerns about that in the months gone by. In recent times we

have not seen the improvement we would like.

Any Ashes predictions must be made cautiously. England lost a final

they should have won yesterday, but they are a settled team. Australia

may be galvanised by the arrival of a new coach but this is a big risk

where the timing is key. where the timing is key.

Now the weather with Nina Ridge. Hello. The showers at Edgbaston made

it difficult for the cricketers. At Wimbledon, however, it has been dry

although there is some thick cloud. There are better breaks in the cloud

towards the west. We are looking at a small chance of a shower at

Wimbledon. Overall expecting it to be dry if cloudy. We have the cloud

coverage at the moment. As the day goes on, we are hoping that the

cloud lifts a little. The temperatures about 17 Celsius. Lots

of coverage across the BBC. A few breaks coming and going this

afternoon. Cloud to the east of London through area, around the wash

and towards Lincolnshire. Here a chance of seeing one or two showers

this afternoon. North-east England and eastern Scotland a few showers

here on and off. There will be brighter spells over western

Scotland and temperatures climbing to about 15 Celsius. For Northern

Ireland it is a mixture of spells, perhaps a few showers. More sunshine

over Wales as we go through the day. For south-west England it should be

fine, dry and bright for the rest of the day.

This evening and tonight showers start to clear and the cloud

dissipating as well. Underneath the starry skies, turning cold

especially in the countryside. The towns and cities about 9

Celsius. Although it is a cold start, tomorrow morning it will be a

dry one generally with lots of sunshine. That sets us up tomorrow

for a brighter day. More sunny spells with lighter winds. Feeling

warmer than it has done today. Cloud in the north-west corner, a

weak front approaching here. We cannot rule out the odd shower over

the northern and eastern areas. For most it will be dry. Increasing

cloud coming in the afternoon. With the sunshine, the temperatures

lifted widely to 19 Celsius. We could get to about 21 Celsius in the

south-east. By Thursday, a little more cloud in the east, keeping the

risk of a few showers here. The best of the dry weather looks

like being in the west. A lot of places throughout the week should

stay dry with temperatures not too far off the average. High pressure

is coming in off the Atlantic but at times there are weak weather fronts

around, thickening up the cloud, bringing it with patchy rain. The

detail for the end of the week is tricky but overall dry weather with

sunny spells. Get a local forecast by looking at our website.

That is all from me. That is all from me.

Thank you very much. The main story: David Cameron says