24/06/2014 BBC News at One

World, Andy Coulson, is found guilty of phone hacking. Coulson, who later

became David Cameron's director of communications, is convicted of

conspireing to intercept voicemails between 2,000 and 2006. The former

News of the World executive Rebekah Brooks is cleared of all charges by

the jury at the Old Bailey. We will have the latest from the court and

from Westminster. US Secretary of State, John Kerry,

arrives in northern Iraq for talks with Kurdish leaders.

One in five hospital Trusts may be covering up mistakes on patient

safety. Journalists gather around the world

to protest against the seven-year jail terms given to three Al-Jazerra

journalists in Egypt. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh

visit a prison in Belfast alongside Northern Ireland's two most senior

politicians, both of whom served time there during the Troubles.

On BBC London: Growing up at risk, the Londoners failed by families and

social services. And getting on your bike.

Good afternoon and welcome to the BBC News at One. The former Downing

Street director of communications, Andy Coulson, has been found guilty

of conspireing to hack phones while he was editor of the News of the

World. Rebekah Brooks has been cleared by the yir at the Old

Bailey. Phone hacking trial heard 130 days of evidence about

allegations relating to hacking dating back 15 years. Our home

affairs correspondent Tom Symonds is outside the court for us.

This has been an eight-month high stakes trial. At stake, the

reputation and liberty of two of Britain's most prominent people, and

some of those around them. This morning Rebekah Brooks stood in the

dock and heard not guilty four times, not guilty to phone hacking,

to agreeing illegal payments and being involved in an alleged

cover-up. Andy Coulson was found guilty of phone hacking. A verdict

which shows that at the News of the World in his time the hacking

conspiracy went right to the top, to the editor's desk, to him.

This used to be a powerhouse of tabloid journalism. But this place,

once the News of the World's newsroom, was where the seeds of a

scandal were sown. It ended the newspaper careers of the industry's

golden couple, this trial revealed they were a couple. It led to dawn

raids, the arrests of journalists, the editors questioned in

parliament. If a rogue reporter decides to behave in that fashion, I

am not sure there's a lot more I could have done. Even the boss was

caught up in it. I would just like to say one sentence, this is the

most humble day of my life. Now a jury's decided investigators,

most humble day of my life. Now a jury's decided reporters, and

ineditor who went on to advise a Prime Minister, all broke the law in

the phone hacking conspiracy. The scandal ignited when it was

revealed missing schoolgirl Millie Dowler's phone was hacked and those

of her family. When a News of the World photographer captured her

parents privately tracing their daughter's last steps along this

road, they asked themselves a question familiar to many hacking

victims - how did the paper know? How on earth did they know? We were

doing that walk on that day, it just felt like such an intrusion into a

really, really private grief moment. However, Milly Dowler wasn't the

only murder victim targeted by the hackers. Phone hacking started in

the 1990s and had nothing to do with hacking computers.

Journalists realised very few people changed the pin codes for their

voicemail. Please enter your pin followed by the hash key... They

guessed codes and listened in. To personal secrets of the Royals, the

famous, the powerful and many who were none of these. In 2006 police

raided this office in south London and inside they found a massive haul

of evidence, indicating phone hacking on an industrial scale

because this is the former office of Glenn Mulcaire. He was very

organised. He set out his strategy on white boards. At the height of

the conspiracy hundreds of hacking calls a month were being made from

this office or News of the World phones. Sometimes Mulcaire taught

reporters how to do it. editor became a turning point in

this trial. In 2004 David Blunkett was one of the targets. He was

having an affair. A chief reporter was pushed for the News of the World

to run the story after all he had proof, the politician's voicemails.

Andy Coulson confronted MrBlunkett who recorded the meeting.

But Andy Coulson couldn't reveal his illegal source of information, this

dark art had to remain in the shadows. This is not about

vindictiveness or vengeance, it's not about hype about the media. This

is about criminality, it's about breach of privacy and it's about

obtaining justice and I hope now that that's been obtained. So who at

the News of the World knew about the hacking conspiracy? Well, some

reporters have told us they didn't. Bethany Usher was on the road as the

paper's north of England reporter before the pressure got to her and

she became a journalism lecturer. She says senior staff would demand

the personal phone numbers of those she had interviewed. I wasn't in a

position to question what they were asking. I would never have said, why

do you want this number? I would just give them the number they had

asked me for. Do you suspect it might have been to use it for phone

hacking? I wonder that and that makes me angry because there were

people who I interviewed who didn't interview with me because they

trusted in me and the idea that they would have hacked their phone

disgusts me. The trial was always about who knew what and now we know

how deep the roots of illegal journalism went at the News of the

World. The hackers, including investigator Glenn Mulcaire here,

weren't working in secret. They weren't rogue reporters. The paper's

middle managers, the desk editors knew it was going on. As did Andy

Coulson. Even while editor of the paper. But the jury's concluded the

conspiracy was hidden from Rebekah Brooks, who was on holiday at the

time when Milly Dowler's phone was hacked.

Their former headquarters is currently being knocked down

following a move in 2011. News International's changed its name but

even after this trial News UK as it's now known still faces a

corporate investigation into what went on behind these walls.

News UK has released a brief statement saying that we have made

changes in the way we do business, as for Rebekah Brooks, she left

court a while ago. The judge had told her not to say anything to the

large group of reporters here. He said, you will have enough to

celebrate as it is. But, the jury is still here, still considering

verdicts in two different sets of charges relating to alleged illegal

payments to public officials for the supply of Royal phone books,

confidential information from the Palace. Their considerations go on

and we will wait here at court to bring you that when the verdicts

come. Thank you very much.

We can be joined now by Nick Robinson at Westminster. The Prime

Minister's former director of communications found guilty by a

jury at the Old Bailey, where does this leave David Cameron? It leaves

him facing questions about his judgment. It leaves him facing

demands for an apology. It leaves him having to ensure that he meets

up to his own words, the words that he issued in the House of Commons

three years ago, in which he promised an apology. This is what

David Cameron said back in the summer of 2011, I have an

old-fashioned view, he said, about innocent until proven guilty. But if

it turns out I have been lied to, that would be the moment for a

profound apology, in that event I can tell you I will not fall short.

He was speaking then after Andy Coulson was forced out of Downing

Street as director of communications, but when he was

still insisting that he had not known about phone hacking at the

News of the World. I expect that David Cameron will make that

apology, he will make it soon. What will be interesting to see is

exactly what form of words he uses to explain why, against advice, from

colleagues, from his coalition partners, from newspapers that were

investigating what happened at the News of the World, he went on and

appointed Andy Coulson, not just as advisor in opposition, but also to a

publicly funded job at the heart of Downing Street where he had access

to secret and confidential information. Thank you very much.

The Sunni militant group ISIS say they have finally taken control

of Iraq's biggest oil refinery at Baiji, north of Baghdad.

It's been under siege for ten days, and the militants were repulsed

However, the Iraqi government have denied their claims.

This morning US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in northern Iraq

His visit comes as the UN said 1,000 people have died in Iraq in the last

The Iraqi Government still claims to have control of the oil refinery.

Even these videos taken and released by the Government confirm that it's

been the site of heavy fighting. They've been targeting ISIS

fighters. Satellite imagery from the air taken over the past few days and

pictures from the ground appear to confirm there are - the refiner's

been under siege. Others report the refinery is now in

the hands of ISIS. The US Secretary of State describes

the crisis facing Iraq as a moment of great urgency. Today, John Kerry

was in Irbil for talks with the President. A man already hinted the

fighting might spur his region's independence. What America wants is

for the country to unite to meet the threat posed by ISIS. We believe, I

believe, President Obama believes very deeply, that a united Iraq is a

stronger Iraq, and it is very, very important for that unity to be shown

now to deal with the internal political crisis as well as the

security crisis. But it's the security threat more

than the politics that's a focus of Iraq's leaders. The Kurdish militia

are taking the fight to ISIS. On his earlier visit here to Baghdad John

Kerry did say the US would continue to supply weapons to the Iraqi army.

But he did not promise American air strikes. And without that air

support it's difficult to see how the Iraqi military will halt the

ISIS advance. A million more working people should

be paid the living wage by 2020, The Archbishop of York, John

Sentamu, who chaired the Living Wage Commission, said it was a national

scandal that people should be He said the Government should lead

the way by increasing But his report stopped short

of saying it should be made law. Our business editor Kamal Ahmed

reports. A man of the cloth entered the

debate on pay today, the Archbishop of York said millions of people in

Britain are not paid enough to live on.

of York said millions of people in Britain are not paid enough to He

told me it was a fact that should cause the Government and businesses

to wake up and act. The cost of living is rising, the minimum wage

can't quite meet that cost of prices. Why should 5. 2 million of

us fellow citizens work hard and still live in poverty? To the

present it's 6. 31 an hour, it will rise to ?6. 50 in October. The

living wage, based on the cost of living, is 7. ?7.65 an hour.

In London, it is almost ?9. Many small businesses, like this

brewery in east London, say they're happy to be a living wage employer.

We have taken a calculated gamble that we feel it would be worth us in

the end, there's no doubt about it that obviously it does increase your

staff costs, but we hope that in the long-term some of those increased

costs will be offset by savings elsewhere.

Lower staff turnover and higher productivity could also help firms.

The Archbishop has sparked a debate today, saying that low pay for

millions of people was a national scandal. Some businesses may be

concerned that with consumer confidence low, now is not the time

to be increasing wages rapidly that could lead to an increase in prices.

The living ways that McQuade was imposed, that would cause a severe

problem for a lot of members. Retail hospitality and care home, because

they are at the lower end having to pay national minimum wage. It could

also lead to job losses, a point the Living Wage Commission says it

understands. Kamal joins me now. There is pressure on the

Government. The archbishop told me this morning he has written to the

three big political leaders, asking them to respond to his report, which

says that in the public sector at least, no one should be paid beneath

the living wage and many more businesses should voluntarily sign

up. The government is trying to use the minimum wage and saying that

should increase above the rate of inflation. Ed Miliband has said that

his party is looking at naming and shaming businesses, and the same

those who do not pay the living wage should be put on a former register.

We will await the response to these letters that will come back to

Archbishop sentiment and see what the parties will do.

One in five hospital trusts in England may be covering up mistakes

which threaten patient safety, according to government figures.

Ministers want to improve transparency about hospital care,

and are today launching a website where patients can view

the performance of individual hospitals on issues such as staffing

levels and infection rates. Here's Sophie Hutchinson.

Just how safe is hospital care? That is a difficult question to answer,

according to the Government. Today it published figures as part of new

measures to tackle safety, which suggests some NHS trusts may be

covering up mistakes. 29 did not report the expected number of

medical errors. The review said it may be a sign of a poor safety

culture. Today, the Health Secretary was summoned to the Commons to

explain the latest initiatives. These measures announced today will

shine a light on pork aerosol lessons can be learned, action can

be taken and harm to patients prevented. We will support front

line staff to help the best health care system in the world lays a

trail on issues of safety, transparency and compassionate care.

He talks about his new target to save 6000 lives in three years. Can

he explain how that will be achieved when people are now waiting longer

to start treatment for cancer? When NHS waiting lists have hit a

six-year high? And when ambulance response times are getting longer?

The figures are published on a new website accessed through NHS

Choices. Patients will also be able to see data on infection control and

cleanliness. It is nowhere near as consistent as it should be. We

warmly welcome this new initiative to be open and transparent. At least

if we know trusts are not complying, something can be done. We need the

money, the staff and encouragement to back-up the transparency.

Successive governments are published data on hospital safety. Today's new

safety website is the latest bid by ministers to prove they will not

tolerate dangerous medical mistakes. Our health editor is in central

London. You have just been to a briefing with ministers. What more

did you learn? That website that Sophie was referring to in her

piece, part of NHS Choices, is going live just about now. We did not get

the chance to test it. We have been told what it has. Basically all

patients in England will be able to take a look at their local hospital

and see how they rate on issues like being open and honest, infection

rates, cleanliness etc. On staffing levels, we will not get that for

another six months. Another interesting point which came out was

that Sir Robert Francis, who led two enquiries into the mid Staffordshire

scandal, is going to carry yet another review into the issue of

whistle-blowing. How open is the NHS in England? He says he has been

hearing that there is a culture of fear in the NHS in England, so he

still feels he has got work to do. Here's Sophie Hutchinson.

Our top story this lunchtime: The former editor of the News of the

World, Andy Coulson, is found guilty of phone hacking. Rebekah Brooks is

cleared of all charges. I am like that Wimbledon where Heather Watson

and another British Murray are in action later.

Our top story this lunchtime: Later on BBC London,

the faulty electrics endangering people?s lives in the capital.

And the Serpentine?s latest temporary pavilion is revealed.

The Queen has been visiting a notorious Belfast prison,

accompanied by Northern Ireland's First Minister

and Deputy Minister, who were both held there during the Troubles.

The Crumlin Road Gaol - which was built in the mid-19th century -

is now a tourist attraction. The Queen also visited the set

of one of television's most popular fantasy shows, Game of Thrones.

Nicholas Witchell is in Belfast. And much more relaxed this royal

visit has been compared to many previous royal visits. The Queen is

really getting a chance to see at pretty close quarters just how much

has changed here. She has been shown a city breaking free from the dark

moments of its past. Her convoy came up the Crumlin Road to a place which

was once synonymous with Northern Ireland's troubles. This was once

Her Majesty's prison Crumlin Road. Today we -- the atmosphere was one

of welcome. Not so many years ago this was a forbidding place were

rival prisoners would riot, and were leading figures from the

paramilitary groups were incarcerated. The prison is now a

museum. Showing the Queen around were two former inmates, on the

left, Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, held at

the prison for a month in 1976 on a charge of IRA membership, later

dropped. On the right, unionist First Minister Peter Robinson,

detained at the prison several times in the 1980s for protest against the

Anglo-Irish peace agreement. Last night Martin McGuinness had an

unprecedented 15 minute private audience with the Queen. I think for

me, meeting Queen Elizabeth, it is an opportunity to show respect to

the unionist community who live here. And to see these engagements

as important acts of reconciliation. But Northern Ireland has not just

seen political reconciliation. It has witnessed economic regeneration.

Here is an example of it. The American drama, Game Of Thrones, is

said to be the biggest TV production in Europe and it is made in Northern

Ireland. The Queen was shown some of the sets in what was once part of

the huge Belfast shipyard Harland and Wolff. Then the something which

could not have been done a few years ago. A stroll through one of the

indoor markets in the city centre, close to what was once a strongly

Republican area. Many sensitivities remain. But somehow those labels do

not seem as important and in more. The Queen is now here at Belfast

City Hall where she will make a short speech. I would imagine the

theme of reconciliation will feature.

Nicholas Witchell is in Belfast. The parents of Peter Greste, one of

three Al Jazeera journalists jailed for seven years in Egypt, say

they're devastated by the verdict. Yesterday, he and two colleagues -

Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed - were found guilty of supporting

the banned Muslim Brotherhood, a charge they all deny.

Protests against their sentencing have been held, with staff from the

BBC and other news organisations observing a one-minute silence.

Emily Buchanan has more. Expressing outrage in silence.

Outside New Broadcasting House, journalists from the BBC and other

news organisations united in protest. There is a big issue of

principle here and that is the reason why the BBC, which has a

stake in the freedom of expression and the freedom of journalists to do

their job, must stand up when something like this happens. People

are being intimidated and preventing from reporting. That's my prevented.

Many of the journalists identify closely with the jailed men. Some

know them personally. Others feel they could be in the same

predicament, imprisoned just for trying to cover both sides of

Egypt's bitter political background. -- battle ground. The team comprised

Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste. His family are still reeling from the

verdict. I know Peter is being very, very strong. Sorry... I am... This

will be a hard time for him but I know that he will get through it.

This man, our son Peter, is an award-winning journalist. He is not

a criminal. He is not a criminal. Even after the international

outcry, the Egyptian president is refusing to intervene.

TRANSLATION: I called the justice minister and told him in one

sentence that I would not interfere in judicial matters because the

judicial -- the judiciary is independent and solid. So hopes for

a presidential pardon dashed. The journalists now face at least seven

years in prison by their legal teams scramble to launch an appeal.

-- while their legal teams. Emily Buchanan has more.

British hopes turn to Heather Watson on day two at Wimbledon.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer and world number one Rafael Nadal

are also in action. But before play started on

Centre Court, former British number One Elena Baltacha was remembered.

Katherine Downes is at Wimbledon for us.

If yesterday was all about Andy Murray and seeing him over that

first hurdle at Wimbledon, today is about another Murray, Samantha

Berman no relation. She is playing Maria Sharapova on Court number one.

An ideal couple of days for British fans. First, a defending champion,

now an underdog. One step closer, now with a day to relax. Andy Murray

looking laid-back at practice today after yesterday's win. Other Brits

fell at the first hurdle, apart from one, Naomi Brodie, who won. With no

funding from the LTA, it is a welcome paycheque. Some weeks have

been absolutely ridiculous. You are check, prize money each week,

catching things here and there. It has all been completely worth it.

Today Heather Watson will try and join her in the second round. Six

days since the biggest win of her career at Eastbourne against Flavia

Pennetta. Her heroics there will need to be matched, then doubled

here by Sam Murray, as the game -- there is the game of a lifetime in

store for her against Maria Sharapova, who looks back to her

dangerous breast. For Miss Murray, there is only one thing for it. For

this young girl, what would I tell her? Swing from your hips, baby, and

pray they going. You will not get any easy balls. Maria Sharapova does

not give you a minute. Before the action, a moment of reflection as

Wimbledon remembered Elena Baltacha. The former British number one died

of liver cancer earlier this year at the age of 30. A renowned fighter on

the court, an inspiration to those who go out to do battle today. Elena

Baltacha only retired last year. It is only fitting that the stars of

Centre Court today are two of the biggest names in the women's game,

including Serena Williams. Now the weather. There is some sunshine out

there. Beautiful scenes like this for many. There are some showers.

Some of them heavy and possibly thundery. The best of the weather

today reserved for the south-west and for Wales. The weakening weather

front introducing more cloud and, over the last couple of hours, sharp

and thundery downpours. Particularly across eastern England. Some of

these showers really quite hefty. They will continue to drift further

south. Some improvement late in the afternoon. If you dodge the showers,

it will feel quite one. Some decent spells of sunshine. Any showers on

the Cornish coast will be light and isolated. We will pick up a little

more sunshine across parts of Wales. A pleasant afternoon in store.

Feeling quite warm. For Northern Ireland, a little bit fresher.

Isolated showers, a little more cloud. The best of the sunshine in

Scotland, to the north-east, head of that weather front. A legacy of

cloud and some showers. I'm sure the organisers of Wimbledon would be

happy with this forecast in the next few days. A good deal of dry

weather. Plenty of play. There is the risk through the latter started

-- stages of the day-to-day of a few showers cropping up at Wimbledon.

They may interrupt play for a short period. That is the story through

the night. A quiet night. Some clear skies into the far north-east. For

the far north-east, we could see temperatures into low single

figures. A chilly start to Wednesday. Some decent sunny spells.

Showery outbreaks of rain gathering to Northern Ireland. It will feel

just that little bit fresher than in recent days, certainly into the far

North. The low pressure is making its presence felt towards the end of

the week. It is taking its time but it is likely to bring some showery

outbreaks of rain into England and Wales by the end of the week. Just

in time for Glastonbury. Slightly drier but again still looking

fresher. for us.

Now a reminder of our top story this lunchtime:

Andy Coulson has been found guilty of phone hacking. The Prime Minister

has apologised for appointing him to be his communications director. I

take full responsibility for employing Andy Coulson. I did so on

the basis of undertakings I was given by him about phone hacking,

and that turned out not to be the case. I always said if they turned

out to be wrong I would make a full and frank apology, and I do that

today. I am extremely sorry I employed him. It was the wrong

decision and I am very clear on that. You can hear more on that

statement on the BBC News Channel. of our top story this lunchtime:

That's all from