12/07/2011 World News Today

This is BBC World News Today with me, Tim Willcox.

Shocked and close to tears - the former British prime minister

Gordon Brown accuses News International of breaking the law

to gain access to his son's medical records. There is absolute proof

that News International is involved in hiring people to get this

information. I do know also that the people they work with are

criminals. Known criminals. Senior police officers accuse News

International of trying to block the original phone hacking

investigation. Rupert Murdoch, his son James, and Rebekah Brooks are

called to answer questions before Parliament next Tuesday.

Europe's financial nightmare scenario? The euro falls and shares

are under pressure amid fears the debt crisis could spread to Spain

and Italy. Mining for future technology - how

the computerised world is reviving an ailing industry in the United

States. She writes about life on the mean

streets of Zimbabwe. We speak to the winner of Africa's leading

Hello and welcome. Shocked and at times close to tears,

the former British prime minister Gordon Brown has accused News

International of being connected to the criminal underworld. It follows

allegations that the Sunday Times, along with the Sun, both owned by

News International, tried to obtain his family's private financial and

medical details. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, Gordon

Brown revealed he broke down when he read the revelations in the Sun

five years ago, telling the world that his son Fraser has cystic

fibrosis. Both the Sun and the Sunday Times maintain that the

information was obtained legally. James Landale looks now at the

allegations. This report contains flash photography.

Here are Gordon and Rupert at a conference. Here is Gordon again

with Rupert's daughter Elizabeth on his left and the top editor,

Rebekah Brooks, the editor on his Far left. For years, team Brown

stayed close to team Murdoch. But no more. Today, the smiles faded

away as Gordon Brown accused the Sunday Times of employing criminals.

I had my bank accounts broken into. I had my lawyers' files blagged as

they call it. My tax returns went missing at one point. Medical

records have been broken into. I don't know how all this happened,

but I do know one thing, that in two of these instances, there is

absolute proof that News International was involved in

hiring people to get this information. I do know also that

the people they work with, because this is what really concerns me

most, are criminals. Gordon Brown claimed they were looking for

information about a flat in this London Street that he bought in the

early 90s. He said he paid the market rate. The Sunday Times

claimed he got a knock-down price. This is the editor of the Sunday

Times. Mr Brown alleged his newspaper had been out to bring him

down as a government minister. Mr Brown also turned his fire on

another News International Paper, the Sun. He attacked the way it

reported that his youngest son Fraser was suffering from cystic

fibrosis. Mr Brown did not allege that his son's medical records were

stolen but he said the allegations have left him... In tears. Your son

is going to be broadcast across the media. Sarah and died are

incredibly upset about it. We are thinking about his long-term future.

We are thinking about our family but there is nothing you can do

about it, you are in public life. Other parents in public life with

children who had medical conditions were sympathetic. My heart goes out

to Gordon and Sarah Brown. To have your children's privacy invaded is

completely unacceptable and heartbreaking for the family

concerned. Tonight, the Sun said it had not accessed medical records

but had been given the story by a member of the public with

experience of cystic fibrosis and is said the article had been

written sensitively and appropriately. Above all, Gordon

Brown accused News International of having an agenda against him. He

said Rupert Murdoch wanted the BBC and the media regulator Ofcom

reformed. He, Gordon Brown, did not. When my record as time of Prime

Minister is look at, and all the records are there to see, it will

show that we stood up to News International. We refused to

support their commercial ambitions when we thought there against the

public interest. Four days, the Murdoch empire has faced

allegations about phone hacking by one newspaper, the News of the

World. But Mr Brown's interview has now widened the attack to other

newspapers in the group. Labour's current leader that the family of

Milly Dowler, whose phone was also allegedly hacked. Today, he will

table a motion calling for Mr Murdoch to withdraw his bid for

BSkyB. To I think what the public want us to do as a House of Commons,

is to stand up and say it is not conceivable that Mr Murdoch could

expand its reach in British media, while the issues that happened at

News International, while the issues of criminality are still

being investigated and wife - a while so much is coming out day-by-

day. Tomorrow, in an historic vote, Parliament has the chance to turn

its back on Murdoch. Rupert Murdoch, his son James and

the former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks have all been called

to appear next week before MPs to answer questions over the hacking

scandal at the paper. Today, four senior police officers in charge of

past and present investigations into phone hacking told a

parliamentary committee that their work had been limited, because the

paper's owners had not been co- operative. The officer now leading

the investigation said they are looking into whether the phones of

4000 people were hacked. Tom Symonds looks now the police

investigation. A parade of past and serving police

top brass. Arriving by car and on for it to the Commons for a

grilling by MPs, still reeling after a week of relentless

revelations. Lord Blair was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner

when it first emerged royal aides were having their phones hacked.

How serious was it then? This was a tiny fragmentary event in the

events which were taking place across London at that time. Events

such as this. The met ran a swift phone hacking inquiry and moved on.

My apologies to you for keeping you waiting. Today, the senior officers

were having to explain why it was not widened out. Peter Clarke is a

former assistant deputy commissioner who led the first

investigation. His reasons: First, that the investigation would be

compromised. Second, that a much wider range of people who we were

learning were becoming victims of this activity, would continue to be

victimised while the investigation took its course. There was another

factor, resistance from News International. This is a global

organisation with access to the best legal advice and in my view,

are deliberately trying to thwart a criminal investigation. A common

theme. Also in the hot seat, John Yates, assistant commissioner. The

man who decided not to reopen the hacking inquiry into 1009. It is a

matter of great concern that for whatever reason, the News of the

World appears to have failed to co- operate in the way that we now know

they should have, with the relevant police inquiries up to January this

year. A lack of evidence left Mr Yates making this announcement in

2009. Our inquiries show that in the vast majority of cases there

was insufficient evidence to show that tapping had actually been

achieved. But many believe the case was dropped because senior officers

became too close to executives at News International. Enter Andy

Hayman, former assistant commissioner. He oversaw the first

phone hacking inquiry. To the continued astonishment for MPs,

left the police, to write a column for the Times, owned by News

International. Have you any idea how that looks to the public?

cannot think of anything in the background where the line has been

crossed or I have done anything wrong, as a result of being

employed by the Times. It is part of News International, it is a big

outfit but it was not the News of the World. The inquiry is not just

about Glenn Mulcaire the phone hacker, but about computer hacking

and even police corruption. Sue Akers, the deputy assistant

commissioner is leading it. She revealed there were 3,800 plus

targets for the hackers. Only 170 have been contacted so far.

confident we have got an excellent team who while working tirelessly

to get this right and I hope that I do not have to come here again in

five years' time to explain why we failed. For Rupert Murdoch and

Rebekah Brooks, pursued by the media for days, have now been asked

to give evidence themselves to another Commons committee. No

announcement yet but News International says it will co-

operate. Now a look at some of the other

news. A half-brother of the Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, has been

shot dead at his home in the city of Kandahar. Ahmad Wali Karzai was

regarded as one of the most powerful politicians in southern

Afghanistan. He was killed by his long-serving head of security, who

was then killed by other bodyguards. After a night of violent protests

in Northern Ireland, tens of thousands of Protestants are taking

part in traditional marches, amid heightened sectarian tensions. Last

night, police and youths clashed in the capital Belfast. Police have

more than 20 officers were injured. The founder of the whistleblower

and website, WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, has begun an appeal

against his extradition from Britain to Sweden, where he is

accused of sexual offences. His lawyers told the High Court in

London that the description of the charges in the Swedish arrest

warrant was misleading and unfair. Mr Assange denies any wrongdoing

and says the case against him is politically motivated, after his

website published tens of thousands of leaked American diplomatic

cables last year. Russia is observing a day of

mourning for the victims of Sunday's pleasure boat disaster on

the River Volga. It is feared that more than 120 people drowned, and

divers are still recovering bodies. It has been a bad day on the

European markets as fears of further contagion from Euros in

debt crisis continued to build. Both Italy and Spain's borrowing

costs soared to record highs earlier as investors fretted about

their finances. The worry is that the rest of the bloc would struggle

to bail out their economies which are much larger than Greece,

Portugal and Ireland's combined. Meanwhile, after a second day of

talks, euro-zone finance ministers have still yet to come to an

agreement on Greece's second bail- out, as Matthew Price reports from

Brussels. Europe's debt crisis spread

dangerously far today to Italy. There, the interest rates have been

rising sharply. Let's hope we do not end up like grease, this man

said. Spain also faced similar pressure, two huge economies being

rattled by the Greek debt crisis. In Brussels, Europe's finance

ministers gathered, not officially to discuss Italy but it did

overshadow the meeting. They used to be an assumption that if a

country uses the euro, lending money to that country is basically

say. The Greek debt crisis has changed all that. Many

international investors are worried they may not get back all the money

they lent to Greece, so by extension, they are rethinking the

terms on which they lend money to other euro countries which are

heavily in debt. That is why the interest payments for Italy and

others are going up. Sorting out Greece is crucial.

Finance ministers from the eurozone say they have now agreed to work

quickly on a second bail-out for Greece. They also said they would

increase the size of the rescue mechanism currently in place, and

adjust the terms of EU loans to countries currently indebted like

grease to make it cheaper for them to pay off their debt. We have made

significant process yesterday -- progress yesterday and I'm certain

we will be able to have concrete proposals so the ministers can take

the concrete decisions on this basis.

That, though, is an admission of how much work still needs to be

done. There are serious disagreements within Europe about

how to help Greece and all the while, other countries are getting

dragged into the crisis. We can go to Washington, we hope to

go to Rome in a moment as well. A can speak to the Co director of the

Centre for economic and Policy Research. Europe says it has got

this in hand, cheaper loans, more flexible Refuge funds, it should do

the trick, shouldn't it? Not really. The problem for quite some time is

the European authorities have been pushing countries like Greece

especially further into recession with these austerity powers. They

are basically doing the opposite of what countries in the world did

during the 2009 world recession, forcing them to cut spending, raise

taxes and in spite of depression levels of unemployment in places

like Greece and Spain. Greece is that the heart of all of this,

isn't it? If they could sort Greece at quickly, wouldn't it arrest

threat of contagion elsewhere? Certainly, but they cannot even

agree on the obvious which is that some of Greece's debt has to be

written off. Instead... I AM sorry to interrupt but there is talk now

that may be some sort of structured default might be acceptable?

and that would be a step forward. But as long as they continued to

squeeze the economy and try and squeeze as much debt payment, that

is what they're doing, they are putting it through another year of

recession and 16 % unemployment, laying off another 20 % of the

federal labour force and all to get as much as they can out of them

before they write off some of this debt. So they are making a mess and

they have been making a mess from If they could not afford to bail-

out Italy and Spain, despite the size of their economy, what is the

way forward? The way forward needs to be a default for Greece, one

that allows the economy to grow, and I do not know if Europe will

agree to that, given the last track record. The same is true for the

other weaker euro-zone economies. Portugal signed on to win agreement

a few weeks ago, giving and two more years of recession. They

cannot continue to prevent these economies recovery and expect this

crisis to recover itself. This isn't an economic solution at the

moment, it is a political solution in Brussels, and you don't think

the euro is worth saving because of the financial straitjackets it

imposes on countries that have problems at the moment. I think

that this crisis shows that the European Monetary Union, not the

European Union as a whole, the monetary union and those that run

it are implementing a right-wing project with a right-wing political

agenda. You look at privatisation in Greece, the labour market

reforms in Spain, the regressive nature of the tax increases that

they impose, all of these cases, and bailing out the banks, not

wanting the creditors to absorb any losses while putting this enormous

burden and social cost on the people of the indebted countries.

This is an agenda at that the sacrifice for these countries with

no end in sight, no light at the end of the tunnel, this is too

great to have a common currency. Thank you.

We hope to speak to Italy in a few moments as well.

Raw-materials like oil have been strategic assets fought over for

many years, but a vital ingredient is found in few parts of the world.

Scandium, Neodymium or Dysprosium may not be that familiar, but they

are earth elements and Darren everything from iPads to wind

turbines. Their cost has gone up, they are produced in China, and it

has gone up 1,000 % and this is worrying America, which has revived

some ailing industries. In a dusty old mine, high up in

California's Mojave Desert, they are digging to securing its

security. Been cut deeper Underground is a substance found in

very few places. In these rocks, there are rare earth elements,

essential hi-tech building blocks, and there is a shortage. We have

done enough expiration to know which will last at least 30 years.

This closed 10 years ago, but with prices jumping 10 fold in the year,

it is viable again, and the market is supplied by just one gigantic

play. China at the moment is producing 97 % of what the world

needs, but they are starting to consume more of their own elements

and their exporting less of them. We're looking at shortages of this

now, so this is why we are trying to get these minds up and running

as fast as possible. There is an urgent demand for these elements

that the world is fast becoming addicted to. There are digging for

this grey powder which is aware at Parliament, and each of these bags

is worth well over �100,000. -- a rare earth elements. The television

sets need these elements for a full-colour picture. They are

essential for the technology today. Wind turbines work more efficiently

with magnets made from these elements, and they also used in new

cars in a battery and in the fuels. The future technology including

solar power depends on these elements. Fighter jets and missiles

need them as well, so that affects American security. We get worried

when any country monopolises a raw material. They are using the

political leverage in China about to rise the corner of the market

that they have. -- that drives the corner. Natural resources will

become more important and the competition for them could reshape

local politics. -- global politics. We go back to the European markets,

and fears of contagion with the doubts concerning Italy and Spain.

We can cross to Rome and speak to Senator Lucio Malan, a member of

the Italian Freedom of People Party. It is pretty gloomy, this scenario,

the nightmare scenario potentially, for Italy, how do you get out of

this? I think we're getting out of it. There is a lot of hysteria at,

a lot of media generated panic. We are going to approve, in three days,

a budget programme to get a balanced budget by 2014 or even

2013. You could end up not being able to pay the interest on these

loans if it snowballs? Of chorus, the interest rates that we have

today, they are very high. They are too high for the market. Those that

voted for them today, they didn't do a good deal. Sorry to interrupt,

is that not the problem, the market senses blood. You're now the focus

of the international markets, and as a result of that, you have to

pay higher market interest. Today, because today, the bonds that we

place today, they have higher interest rates. That was a bad deal.

We're putting on the market, but once every few weeks, they will

have a much lower interest rates, that would be easier for us. You

cannot measure. The whole public debt on the basis of one day, you

cannot measure this. What about the social cost, the social

implications for the Italian people? High unemployment, low

growth, the debt load is very high, how do people enjoy work all of the

austerity measures that are necessary to get through this? --

headed people tolerate all the austerity measures? We need to find

ways to promote development, and not just balance the budget. The

budget doesn't just give to Parliament to a nation, in fact, we

have to work, we're improving urgent measures, but out of the

very emergency, in the next weeks or months, we have to promote

something to promote the growth. We cannot focus only on a balanced

budget. Thank you. We are glad to get hold of you or from Italy.

Something very different, she is described as a writer with moral

power and weight, and she takes delight in language. Now, NoViolet

Bulawayo has won the Caine Prize for literature, for her short story,

Hitting Budapest. It is set in her home country Zimbabwe, the tale of

a starving gang of shantytown children trying to survive. Let's

speak to NoViolet Bulawayo, congratulations. The awards were

last night at Oxford University. We heard the plaudits from the judges.

What made you write this book? short story, it was inspired by a

desire to engage with the world. Especially, in terms of issues that

I care about. I look good violence, humanity, a lack of it, in society.

And children, in a world of very poor opportunities. And shocking,

one young girl that was impregnated by her grandfather, some of the

judges thought there were similarities in terms of the gang

with some of the characters from Clockwork Orange. How do you answer

the critics that say, what you representing is quite a cliche,

this kind of view of shantytown children, the dispossessed, poor,

starving, a familiar face of Africa and particulars Zimbabwe. It is a

very familiar face, but at the same time, I have the right to write

what I want to write. As an artist, I write what news me and what

speaks to me. -- moves me. Some of this is taken from my own story.

I'm not saying that Hitting Budapest is autobiographical, but I

was around issues like those, and it gives me the right to tell my

story the way that I want to tell it. It's about a group of children,

had hunting guavas, and they go to different areas of town. There is

the body of a dead woman in a treat, I wondered if you sort

paradoxically, the political climate in Zimbabwe was something

that was actually a catalyst for writing, and terms of people

suffering so much that this was almost like a creative artist

expire? -- spire? These children are poverty-stricken because

something is wrong politically. But at the same time, I do not want it

to be considered as a Zimbabwe and story. It can take place anywhere

in the world. Did you think a prize for African literature is sometimes

counter-productive, it should be a prize for literature, not just

African literature, because all literature is literature. Yes, it

is all literature, regardless of third comes from, but the stages on

equal. I have to stop you there. Congratulations. Glad to see you.

In the next few days, the weather is staying and saddled with more

showers to talk about. This evening and overnight, the showers fade

away to return throughout the day tomorrow. If you look at the

forecast, low-pressure clearing away from the south-east corner. A

weak area of high pressure slowly becoming established on Wednesday.

We will still see the cloud bubbling up. Showers in the West.

Overcast, the south-east corner, with light, scattered showers. You

can see on the coast of eastern England, just here, looking at the

showers. Further inland, dry and cloudy with temperatures struggling

at around 15 or 16 degrees. Some bright spells at the West. One or

two showers breaking out here in the afternoon. A light wind across

parts of the south-west and for Wales. Drier and brighter spells in

between the showers. In Northern Ireland, some showers through the

day, a bit more cloud developing as well for the afternoon. In Scotland,

showers across western areas, eastern Scotland being drier, but

cloudy skies. A top temperature in Inverness and Glasgow at 60 degrees.