06/09/2011 BBC News at Six

Tonight, renewed claims that News International chief James Murdoch

knew phone hacking went beyond a single reporter.

A lawyer for the company says he told Mr Murdoch about a key e-mail

which showed others were involved. It was the reason that we had to

settle the case, in order to settle the case we had to explain the case

to Mr Murdoch and get his authority to settle.

Also tonight: Known criminals were at the heart of the English riots,

nearly three out of four adults charged so far have previous

convictions. The latest on the Lockerbie bomber,

we report from the home of Abdel Basset al-Megrahi.

The hunt for the Gaddafi clan, reports that a massive convoy

carrying his aides, cash and gold has left the country.

Edinburgh, the most expensive university in the UK, students from

England will pay �36,000 to complete a degree.

A big night of football for the home nations as England prepare to

take on Wales in the first clash at Wembley since the 80s.

I will be here with Sportsday later on the news channel on a busy night

of European football, including the team news from Wembley as England

Good evening, welcome to the BBC News at Six. A former lawyer at

News International has insisted its chairman, James Murdoch, WAS told

that phone hacking at the News of the World was more widespread than

the company previously acknowledged. Tom Crone said he told Mr Murdoch

about a highly sensitive e-mail which showed that hacking went

beyond a single rogue reporter, contradicting previous evidence

given by Mr Murdoch to MPs. And, in the last hour, the Prime Minister,

David Cameron, has said he did get too close to the Murdochs. Tom

Symonds reports. The former top brass of the News of

the World called in from the rain this morning for yet another

grilling by MPs. Colin Myler was the last editor, Tom Crone was an

influential lawyer. The inquisition was wide-ranging but it boiled down

to two big questions: Was there a coverup within News International

of the possibility phone hacking was widespread? And what did the

company's European boss James Murdoch know? The committee focused

on one meeting he had with the two executives about a troubling e-mail

that had come to light. conversation lasted quite a short

period, probably less than 15 minutes or about 15 minutes. It was

discussed. The e-mail from a News of the World reporter contained

transcripts of messages hacked from the voicemail of a leading figure

in football, Gordon Taylor. But it also contained these words words:

Transcript for Neville which appeared to show that other staff,

Neville Thurlbeck was the chief reporter, were involved. What the

evidence meant was that Mulcaire's illegal activity in accessing

Gordon Taylor's voicemail messages, that evidence of that had passed

through our office. That others knew about it? News of the World

was implicated, certainly at least acknowledge that Glenn Mulcaire

done that. Now rewind to the July appearance of James Murdoch in

front of the MPs. He said he didn't see the e-mail and wasn't briefed

on its important -- importance. I knew then what we know now we

would have taken more action around that. Today's evidence, he did know.

I will take it that he understood. He gave the authority to settle the

case. He realised the News of the World was involved and that

involvement involved people beyond Clive Goodman. James Murdoch's

Today's hearing made clear News International felt it had to settle

with Gordon Taylor, at a cost of �425,000, plus legal fees. And the

deal included a confidentialality clause to prevent four more hacking

victims from knowing they might have a case themselves. The MPs

were also told the editor at the time, Andy Coulson, was prepared to

give the disgraced News of the World reporter Clive Goodman

another job at the paper once he had served his sentence for phone

hacking. In the last hour, the Prime Minister, who gave Mr Coulson

himself a second chance, has been facing the questions. Do you feel

that you personally became too close to leading executives of News

International? Yes, I think - look, I think that in terms of spending a

lot of time trying to win over - as I say not just News International,

I have met with editors of the Guardian, the BBC, you know, as

leader of the opposition and as Prime Minister you do want to get

your message across. But he said the relationship between the media

and politicians needed resetting. Let's talk to our political editor

Nick Robinson at Westminster. It's difficult to keep track of all

these developments, how significant do you think today's claims are?

you can't be followed all the details about e-mails and names and

who said what, all the details, it still boils down to a very simple

story. The men who used to run the most powerful, the biggest selling

newspaper in this country, News of the World, are now fighting amongst

themselves about who is telling the truth. You may say why should I

care because the the paper has closed, the reason is clear because

James Murdoch remains one of the most powerful media figures in this

country. He is arguably the most powerful, some would say the BBC is

influential as well, and parliament has a decision to make, that

committee must decide whether they drag James Murdoch back in front of

them. He will no doubt insist once again that he is telling the truth,

and the men we heard from today are not. Or whether they leave it to

the police to go through all this. One little footnote, the Prime

Minister must have been nervous about facing questions himself

today on his relationship with the Murdoches and Andy Coulson, once

the man man who was his spin doctor, he looked very comfortable today,

though. And must be rather relieved. Thank you.

The Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, has revealed for the first time

that nearly three out of four adults charged after the English

riots already had criminal convictions. He says the figures

show how dreadful the the penal system is at preventing people from

re-offending. Mr Clarke is calling for widespread changes to the way

criminals are treated, including making criminals work much harder

when they are behind bars. Our home editor Mark Easton has been to

Manchester. The hard core behind last month's

riots, according to the just Secretary, was a feral underclass

cut off from mainstream society. Among the adults involved close to

three quarters already had a criminal record it's emerged,

evidence Mr Clarke suggests, of a broken penal system incapable of

preventing re-offending. When you see all these people had been

punished before, three quarters, it's no good just punishing them.

We are failing to make sure that those are the capable of being

reformed aren't reformed and aren't actually sorted out their drugs,

their drink, given a more sensible approach to the values of society.

The criminal past of riotors has been seized upon by the Justice

Secretary to press his case that the system should focus on what he

calls intelligent sentencing. Mr Clarke also suggests Government

should consider the appalling social deficit highlighted by the

riots. Evidence of a link between the riots and poverty emerges from

analysis of the offenders who have appeared here at Manchester City

Magistrates court. The BBC has obtained the postcodes of the vast

majority of those charged and a clear picture emerges when you plot

those home addresses against neighbourhoods deprivation.

Manchester's riots have seen around 200 people charged, if one looks at

the most deprived neighbourhoods in the region marked here in red, and

then picks out the places the riotors came from the corrolation

is clear, they came from all areas but the poorer the community the

more likely local people were involved.

Cheat Ham Hill is revealed as a Manchester district with a high

concentration of people charged in connection. The local vicar

explained how his parish also has high levels of joblessness and

welfare dependency, the riots, he believes, were an expression of

people's sense of powerlessness. There was a feeling that the normal

laws had been suspended just for one evening and people would take

advantage and get whatever they could. Because people don't feel

normally they do have power, is that right? Absolutely. This is an

area that's got very few facilities. It's a difficult area in which to

live and work. The Manchester data also reveal that the average age of

those prosecuted for riot offences is 24, with 10% under 16. Figures

that question the idea the lawlessness was down to juvenile

gangs. It's not the age composition of gangs, it's not the location in

which gang offending usually occurs, it's not the type of offence gangs

are usually usually associated with. A month on from the riots and the

dust has settled enough for people to start analysing what happened.

But it's also an opportunity for politicians and others to look for

evidence that can be used to support their favoured policies.

A heavily armed convoy of vehicles carrying cash and gold has crossed

into Niger. It's thought key figures close to Colonel Gaddafi

may be trying to flee the desert. Here is our diplomatic

correspondent. As long as Colonel Gaddafi is at

large he and those close to him are a real threat to Libya's future

stability and he still seems able to inspire loyalists to fight on.

So rumours he might have escaped into the desert of Niger with some

of his family are being watched very closely.

These are nomadic tribesmen in the vastness of Niger. In return for

past favours from Colonel Gaddafi, some ever believed to have fought

with him against the Libyan uprising. And now reliable reports

from one town in northern Niger describe a convoy of pick-up trucks

carrying both men and Gaddafi fighters. It was apparently heading

south deeper into the country. Very little about this apparent

escape from Libya is clear, but the mysterious convoy seems to have

crossed the southern border, and then reached a town of Agedez. It

seems to have headed towards the capital, some 6 600 miles further

on. It's not clear if it will be welcome there, or if the intended

destination is still further, further. In Niger the President won

elections in March. He is trying to stablise the country sheltering

Colonel Gaddafi or close allies has few obvious attractions. It's true

Colonel Gaddafi was close to the previous leader, but that era is

supposed to be over. It's unlikely Niger will want to

take on the Colonel given he is clearly on the losing side. There

may have been links in the past, but there's been no real warmth in

terms of personal relationships and that now is clearly history.

If nothing else, the intense interest provoked by the mystery

convoy shows how critical the hunt for Colonel Gaddafi remains. The

governments in London and Paris also want him found as quickly as

possible to remove one very real threat to Libya's chances of a

peaceful transition towards democracy.. Staying with Libya, the

family of the Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basset al-Megrahi has

insisted he is a dying man. He was released two years ago after

doctors said he had months to live. A BBC crew was allowed to see Abdel

Basset al-Megrahi and Jeremy Bowen has been speaking to his family and

we can talk to him now. Why do you think the family allowed a BBC crew

in to see al-Megrahi? Well, they said they're praying for him to

live for a long time but I think they believe he has little time

left and I was down at the house talking to them but they let my

cameraman in and he took these pictures and it shows al-Megrahi

looking very sick indeed. His mother is the lady very upset

sitting next to him at his bedside. He is monitored there

electronically and he has attendants as well from nurses but

what the family are saying is that he is in a very bad condition

indeed and they're also insisting on his innocence. But I did speak

afterwards to his son and I asked him why exactly they wanted BBC

cameras there. Because I want everybody, especially in UK and

specific in Scotland to see my dad, he is so sick because I seen news

some people say he is not sick and some people say he is not at home

and some people say he's run away but I want you to come to see my

dad and he can't remove from his room and in his room between his

mother and me and my brother and my sister.

That seems pretty clear that Mr Al- Megrahi, despite his family's

prayers, has not a great deal of time left. His death, when it comes,

will I think perhaps end the Lockerbie story for those people

who believe that he did it, that he is guilty. But for people who

believe that he is innocent, that he was convicted on very thin

evidence indeed, there are still going to be big questions about who

exactly downed Pan Am flight 103. Television cameras could soon be

allowed into criminal courts in England and Wales for the first

time. The Justice Secretary, Ken Clarke, announced that the ban on

televising proceedings will be lifted. Broadcasters will be

allowed to televise the sentencing, but not the trials themselves. The

The first so-called "supergrass" trial for 25 years has begun in

Belfast amid high security both inside and outside the court. 14

defendants face a total of 97 charges in connection with the

murder of a loyalist leader, Tommy English, in 2000. Mark Simpson is

It is the largest paramilitary murder trial in Belfast since the

1980s. Before proceedings began, there was a search for bombs

outside the court. And also inside the courtroom itself. Nine of the

14 men on trial are accused of killing this man, Tommy English. He

was shot dead during her feud between two rival loyalist

paramilitary gangs in 2000. Most of the evidence against those accused

of killing him comes from two brothers. They took part in the

murder, but admitted their involvement and have now agreed to

give evidence against others. It is similar to the so called supergrass

trials held during Northern Ireland's troubles in the old

Crumlin Road Courthouse. It is now in ruins but in the 1980s, hundreds

of loyalists and Republicans were convicted here on the evidence of

their fellow paramilitaries. But many of the convictions were later

quashed on appeal and the system stopped being used. New legislation

six years ago, which also applies in England and Wales, allows those

involved in criminal gangs to be given reduced sentences in exchange

for giving evidence against others. The case centres on one of Northern

Ireland's most notorious murder gangs, the Mount Vernon UVA in

north Belfast. One of their groups were signing up for peace, but they

were still involved in hijacking, gun-running and killing. Among

those on trial is the alleged leader of the UVF gang, 42-year-old

Mark havoc. He is a one-time police informer, but he is now facing a

murder charge. He was separated from the rest of the accused during

today's proceedings. They all this and as a self-confessed member of

the UVF gang, Robert Stewart, gave evidence against them. In return

for his evidence, he was given 19 years off a 22 year sentence. He

told the court mark had it had ordered the murder of Tommy English

and he got others to carry it out. They shook their heads as he spoke.

They all deny the charges against them. Their friends and families

held a small protest outside the court. The trial is expected to

last for 12 weeks. Our top story tonight:

Renewed claims that News International chief James Murdoch

knew phone hacking went beyond a single reporter.

Coming up - 40 years on, NASA releases new images of the Apollo

Later on the BBC News Channel, American markets open down sharply

as fears persist about a global recovery. And why air passengers

are paying more than a quarter of a million pounds a day to use their

The University of Edinburgh has announced plans that would make it

the most expensive place in the UK to get a first degree. It wants to

charge students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland �36,000 in

tuition fees to do its standard four-year course. Student groups

have condemned the plans as "staggering and ridiculous" but

Edinburgh says it will offer generous bursaries for students

from low income households. Here's our Scotland correspondent Lorna

It is one of Scotland's ancient universities, rated among the

world's top 20 academic institutions for top but from next

year, the cost of learning at Edinburgh will for some, at a much

Edinburgh will for some, at a much higher price. The university plans

to charge the maximum fee of �9,000 a year over its standard four-year

a year over its standard four-year degree. That adds up to �36,000.

Top English universities like Oxford and Cambridge will also

charge �9,000, but their mainstream degrees take only three years. The

other Scottish universities have announced what they will be

charging and will offer one-year charging and will offer one-year

charging and will offer one-year charging and will offer one-year

fee -- free. It makes Edinburgh the most expensive. We are competing

with a number of universities across the UK who have set high

level fees and will have significant income to benefit the

quality of the education they can provide. Scottish universities must

be able to compete with that quality. We have never met. They

University of Edinburgh have been getting a wider profile recently

thanks to the best-selling novel and film one day. The main

characters meet here in the late 80s at a time when studying for a

degree was free. It is much more complicated now. If you are from

Scotland you won't have to pay to study here. If you are from Wales,

you can get a subsidy from the Welsh government. Only Northern

Ireland has yet to decide what it will do and if you are from England,

you may have to pay the full amount. I went to school in England. I

don't think people from England will want to pay �36,000. Way too

expensive. No undergraduate, irrespective of where they study,

will pay tuition fees up front. Critics believe that is irrelevant.

You still have to pay the debt off eventually. For somebody who comes

from a more deprived background, paying �36,000 for a degree that

they could get for less somewhere else, people will make decisions

based on how it will cost. To this university believes that won't be

the case. It is offering bursaries to those from less well-off

families in the hope they won't be priced out. At

The BBC has learned that the NATO- led mission in Afghanistan has

suspended the transfer of detainees to certain Afghan jails. They're

concerned about allegations of widespread torture and mistreatment

of prisoners. The accusations come in a UN report that has yet to be

published. The National Directorate of Security in Afghanistan deny the

allegations. Dozens of wildfires sweeping across

parts of rain-starved Texas in the United States have now destroyed

more than 1,000 homes. Firefighters have been struggling in high winds

to control many of the blazes, the largest of which is 16 miles wide.

Football now and there's a big night ahead in the Euro 2012

qualifiers. England take on Wales at Wembley, the first time the two

sides have met at the stadium for 34 years. Scotland and Northern

Ireland are also in action. Our sports correspondent Dan Roan is at

Wembley. A in this, their penultimate

qualifier of the campaign, and after an impressive away victory in

Bulgaria on Friday, England with victory tonight could take another

important step towards those European Championship finals in

Pownall -- Poland and Ukraine. They are expected to win, but they

underestimate Wales at their peril. Leighton James with a chance to put

the Russian front. It was the day when the Welsh won at Wembley and

made history. His 7th goal for his country. And 1977 and the only time

England have been beaten here by their neighbours. A result the

visiting fans would never forget. A 34 years on, supporters are

beginning to arrive for the latest instalment in this ancient rivalry,

but after the country's national anthems were booed when the teams

met in March, they do so having been urged to show respect.

Cardiff I did not like the Boeing and the shouts against the other

country. They need to respect the other country. Or on the pitch,

England have traditionally had the better of his international Derby,

with 65 Dick -- victories. England are currently 113 places above

their opponents in the world rankings. But in Gareth Bale, the

Welsh possess a potent attacking weapon that could just help them

defy the odds. They will cause us problems, but we are confident and

we believe in the way we play, we believe in what we have to do. You

never know for a bigger tests lie ahead for Capello and his team, but

in what could be his last competitive home match in charge of

England, a win would at least reinforce the sense that the

manager is making progress. England and Wales are not the only

home nations in action tonight. Scotland take on Lithuania at

Hampden Park. Northern Ireland play Estonia. Both must win in order to

keep already faint qualification hopes alive.

NASA has released new images of the Apollo landing sites on the moon.

The images, which have been taken from an orbiting spacecraft, show

scientific equipment, the lunar rovers and a trail of footprints

left on the lunar surface by astronauts 40 years ago. Our

science correspondent Pallah Ghosh This was the best view we had of a

lunar landing site until now. This new image is from the spacecraft in

low orbit. Look closely and you can see the footprints of astronauts as

they bounced along the lunar they bounced along the lunar

surface. And here, a trail left by their moon buggy. In the vacuum of

space, the hardware has remained in space, the hardware has remained in

pristine condition. What is wonderful about these pictures is

their clarity. We can now see the individual experiments left on the

moon, but the footprints, particularly from Apollo 17, the

last footprints on the moon, have hardly changed in 40 years.

small step for man. It was more than 40 years ago that Neil

Armstrong set foot on the moon. It was the first of just six lunar

landings. The astronauts had fun, but having achieved its goal of

beating the Russians to the moon, Nasa cancelled the Apollo programme.

And in 1974, the Americans left the moon and haven't been back since.

The equipment on the lunar surface is all that is left of the moon

missions. The Rovers, the Landers, the flagpoles will be reserved for

millions of years as a testament to a heroic era of human space travel.

Nasa has scrapped its shuttle programme, but it says it wants to

go back to the moon in a new spacecraft. But many doubt whether

the US has the money or desire to do so. The new pictures should lay

to rest the skimped -- the conspiracy theories that the moon

landings were shot in a Hollywood Time for the weather now.

It has been a wild day today. Strong winds and a lot of heavy

rain. The rain will ease this evening, but it will still be quite

a blustery night. Wet across the far south-east of England right now.

Both areas of rain gradually peter out over the next few hours. We

keep some showers around western coasts, but most places end up dry,

but still windy. That will keep the temperatures up. On Wednesday, not

quite so lively. Still a noticeable winter and that will chase the

showers in across many of north- western areas. Across the south and

east, it might stay dry and we might see spells of sunshine.

Across parts of South Wales, not as many showers as today. Across North

Wales, a lot of cloud and strong winds and a lot of showers. Showers

continued to get fed in in Northern Ireland. Blustery across western

Scotland, a lost them -- a lot of showers peppering the Highlands.

Across the north-east, not so many showers. Across northern England,

and East West split with most of the showers to the west of the

Pennines and sunny spells to the east. Still quite windy. A strong

wind across East Anglia and the south-east, but not as windy as

today, and not as wet. We may see some spells of sunshine. Mostly

cloudy across south-west England, but for some it will stay dry.

Thursday sees England and Wales looking cloudy with outbreaks of

rain. Largely dry across Scotland, with some sunshine. It is all

change on Friday. Winds pick up again and coming up from the south,

we may see temperatures rise up to we may see temperatures rise up to

22 in London. But there will be some rain further north.

A reminder of tonight's main news. There have been renewed claims that