14/07/2011 BBC News at Ten

Some on the by Parliament. News international bosses face a

grilling from MPs next Tuesday. A dramatic U-turn, all day, James and

Rupert Murdoch said they would stay away, then a change of heart. They

will join Rebekah Brooks and all three warned that they may have to

stay silent on some questions. The fear is that we will see the

hear no evil, speak no evil, say no evil, they will say that they knew

nothing was going on. Neil Wallis, a former employee is

arrested. M America, the FBI launch its own investigation.

Tonight, Rupert Murdoch gives his first major interview. We have the

late egs. On the programme: The price of

protest in Syria. The brutal crackdown is unveiled. We get

across the border. We are told that the Syrian

military and the feared secret police have moved into the area. It

is too unsafe to stay out in the open for too long.

Dark days for Italy: Votes for massive spending cuts in Parliament.

Is it enough to avoid a European bail out? And the Jane Austen

manuscript that has fetched nearly �1 million, she did not even finish

the novel. Coming up: On the BBC News channel.

Tom Lewis deals the headlines after Leing the field from the round one

Good evening. The three most powerful figures in

the Murdoch media impyre in Britain are to face questions from MPs on

Tuesday next, about who knew what and when in the hacking scandal.

The appearance of Rupert Murdoch and his son, James, had been in

doubt after they turned down the request, but in a daiment U-turn

both said this that they would join Rebekah Brooks.

Tonight, Rupert Murdoch has defended his company's handling of

the crisis, saying it only made minor mistakes.

This report contains flash photography.

Parliament has already cost them the News of the World and BSkyB,

but now it wants to hold Rebekah Brooks and James and Rupert Murdoch

to account, to answer the questions that the MPs and the public want

asked about why so many people's phones were hacked in the name of

news. It was a summons, in the end, that they could not ignore.

My message to, you know to Rebekah Brooks, to the Murdochs, is to do

the decent thing. You can't hide away from this level of public

anguish. At first, they were reluctant

witnesses. In a letter this morning. Rupert Murdoch told the Committee,

that he could not attend the session, but could give evidence to

the public inquiry. James Murdoch said he could not come. Rebekah

Brooks, the Chief Executive of News International said she was

available to appear before the Committee on the date and welcomed

the opportunity to do so, but said she would not be able to discuss

anything that relaets to the ongoing police investigation.

Here in Westminster, the talk was of a formal summons for the

Murdochs, a fine, even imprisonment in the bowls of Parliament. Within

hours, it appeared that the threat had worked. The Murdochs change

their minds In a second letter, Rupert Murdoch said he was writing

to confirm their attendance and said they were concerned that this

they are being asked to ask further questions on top of a different

forum. But whatever the forum, the

questions keep coming. Why did the News of the World mislead

Parliament over phone hacking? Why were some victims paid to keep

quiet? Why did the management fail to find out what was going on and

stop it? As for Rebekah Brooks, she will be asked about what she told

the MPs the last time. We have paid the police for

information in the past. I hope that the Committee will want

to hear the truth. We want to get to the facts. This is not about a

lynch mob or an opportunity to throw abuse.

But the lawyer representing the family of Milly Dowler had 4 doubts.

We are pleased that they are to attend, but I think that they will

be sceptical that will say anything. I think there will be the three

monkeys, hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil. They will say

that nobody was speaking about phone hacking.

Tonight, Rupert Murdoch insisted that his company had handled the

crisis well, denied selling his newspapers and said he would use

next week's appearance to establish their integrity in the eyes of the

public. So the scene is set for an extraordinary confrontation between

the Parliament and the press. A chance for the Murdochs to defend

their newspapers, a chance for the MPs to press home their attack. It

will be historic, it will be theatre and utterly unmissable.

Tonight, questions are raised about relations between Metropolitan

Police and the News of the World. It emerged that the latest figure

to be arrested, a former deputy editor of the paper, went on to

work for the police. Neil Wallis went on to give advice to senior

officers and Sir Paul Stephenson. We have this report now on the

press and the police. Another newspaper executive

emerging from another London police station.

This afternoon, O'Neill, a veteran of the tabloid press became the man

that the press scrum wanted to speak to. He said not a word.

Neil Wallis was arrested at 6.340 30am not far from here at his home.

He spent ten hours in the police station being questioned. While

that was happening outside questions were raised about his

links to the same force investigating him.

Neil Wallis was deputy editor of the News of the World under Andy

Coulson. He worked for the paper, between 2003 and 2009. He left to

set ip a public relations company and ended up working for the

Metropolitan Police. He was a consultant.

Between October 2009 and September 2010, he was advising the Force on

its communication strategy. Only months before the Met had

decided not to reopen its investigation into the News of the

World phone hacker, Glenn Mulcaire, the Health Secretary, Theresa May

has now rin to the Met's Commissioner, Sir Paul Stephenson,

to get the full picture of their relationship with the police. The

Met said he was fairly appointed to the job, but that was not all, the

Metropolitan Police Authority has questioned the comegser about why

in 2006 he dined with Neil Wallis too, Sir Paul Stephenson's response

I do not believe on any occasion I have acted inappropriately. I am

satisfied with my integrity, but I accept in matters such as this, we

have to move on, take this point in time to acknowledge that

perceptions can be different than the reality.

Almost daily there are accusations that London's police were too close

to News International. Providing much material for the forthcoming

inquiry. Well, Rupert Murdoch's empire is

coming under greater scrutiny around the world. In the United

States, the FBI announced it is to investigate claims that the News of

the World journalist tried to access the phone records of the

victims of the 9/11 attacks. Our correspondent is in New York.

So, Laura, he is fighting fires on both sides of the Atlantic? That's

right, George. Tonight this phone hacking scandal has most definitely

crossed the pond. US law makers have been calling for the

investigation. Anything to do with 9/11 is sacred territory here. It

is very emotive, especially in the run-up to the tenth anniversary,

but just as there is an FBI investigation, does not mean that

anyone has done anything wrong, the allegations of attempted phone

hacking of 9/11 victims' phones may be untrue, but shares in News

Corporation did drop on the news because the $42 billion media

company is being investigated on both sides of the Atlantic.

In the last half an hour we have heard that Rupert Murdoch is giving

an interview to the Wall Street, one of his own papers there? That's

right. Rupert Murdoch has said his company has handled the crisis well

in every way possible. Making minor mistakes. Saying that News

Corporation will establish an independent Committee to

investigate charges of improper conduct. Rejecting criticism that

his son, James, acted slowly in addressing the scandal. He calls

reports that he will sell off his newspapers pure and total rubbish,

George. Thank you. A group of Syrian

soldiers trying to flee their country have told the BBC that they

were ordered to fire on protesters but refused. Foreign journalists

cannot report freely from Syria, but our team managed to get in

fromkm turkey. Reports suggest that about 3 50 security personnel and

about 1,000 civilians have died. Our correspondent crossed the

border near the Turkish village of Guvecci.

There are reports that the security is intensifying.

This is the only way to report freely in President Bashar al-

Assad's Syria. Taking the smuggler's route through

the mountains. Everyone treads carefully to avoid

the border guards. The patrol passes and we are told

to run. Since this conflict began, the

Syrian regime has tried to control what the world sees and hears.

We have come to find out what it is like, what it is hiding.

Well, we are now travelling on the Syrian side of the border. We are

having to keep a low professional. We are in the back of a pharmacy

truck. We are told that the Syrian military and the secret police have

moved into the area, that it is too unsafe to stay in the open for too

long. The security forces have tried to crush anti-government

protests here. Forcing more people to leave their towns and villages.

We are taken to a camp in the woods. It is not much, but it is home.

Thousands of families have been forced into hiding.

They treat strangers with caution. Some have been here for months.

They ail have a story to tell. It is remarkable how similar they are.

Terrorised by government attacks, living in fear from the late-night

viflts from the thugs who do the regime's dirty work.

What has life been like here for his wife and children?

TRANSLATION: The Syrian army and the secret police move in the trees

and check on the people. They want to catch people, to plant weapons

on them, to accuse them of being criminals. They went into our

houses in the villages and damaged them. This is why no-one returns

back to their homes. The Syrian army keeps a watchful

eye from the hills. Unlike Egypt and Tunisia, they have taken sides

with the regime. Now, a rare item of what that means. Samir is a

soldier from Damascus, he says he was ordered to shoot at protesters

who gathered after Friday prayers. When you say you were ordered to

fire upon the people, was that with live ammunition? And were you told

to shoot at the people or into the air? He said that they were given

live ammo and told to fire at the legs of defenceless protesters.

Just look at this rare demonstration at a mosque in

Damascus. The BBC has been given footage of

the time here. We cannot verify this, but it appears to show

government thugs threatening and beating protesters.

The graphic images show the dangers for those calling for change now

facing. This is now a fight for their

future and in a country that is a fragile mix of race and religion,

it is also a battle for the shape of the region.

This Arab revolution is going to be In Egypt protesters are preparing

for what they say will be another big demonstration in Cairo's Tahrir

Square tomorrow. They returned their last Friday, because of fears

that their revolution had stalled, despite the overthrow of Hosni

Mubarak. To end our week of special reports on the Arab uprising, our

Middle East editor, Jeremy Bowen, reports from Cairo on why Egypt

remains centre stage on the dramatic stages taking place across

the region. Six months ago, Egypt had a

President who was more like a pharaoh. He left no golden

memorials, just a deeply troubled country. But the way his regime

ended inspired other Arabs to turn on their own authoritarian,

stagnant regimes. In Cairo's poorer quarters, you can see why people

want a new Middle East. Official corruption made the poverty worse.

The regime's real legacy. Too many live in places like these cramped

back alies. It's hard to feel free, if every day is a struggle. To get

an idea where the pressure for change is coming from you need to

go down any street in the Middle East. Around 60% of Arabs are under

the age of 30. A lot of them are just fed up with regimes that

haven't even been trying to give them better lives. The difference

this year is that they feel they can do something about it. Change

isn't coming easily or quickly, but there's no going back to the way it

was. But they have gone back to Tahrir

Square because they believe the revolution is not complete. Unlike

those who are still trying in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya and Syria, Egyptians

overthrew the man at the top. Now they're deifying the generals, who

they believe are trying to preserve as much of the old system as they

can. Sally Moore, an organiser since the first Andy Mubarak

marches in January, believe they're still leading the way for the rest

of the Arab world. They were looking at Egypt as a model. We

thought by toppling the regime things would be OK, all of a sudden.

But that's not how things go. We believe we left the square early.

We believe that we should have stayed here until all our demands

are met. We want a proper transition to democracy, so they

don't say, see the chaos that happened after you toppled someone

like Mubarak. While Arabs debate, Westerners

speck Tate, even the Libyan intervention leader, ceasefire and

negotiation should be the goal in Libya, a new beginning for a new

ear ya. We are on the path of a change, a serious change in the

Arab world. There is no democracy, no real economic development, no

real progress for the future, that is why the vast majority, it is a

unanimous position that we should be change. Taking on the deep state

that lay beneath the regime might be the hardest job yet for the

protesters. The Arab Spring has turned into summer, making a new

Middle East will take more than a season. It will reveal itself

slowly, there'll be votes for political Islam as well as for

secular democracy. And it's changing the world.

Coming up tonight: A Russ ti looking Rory McIlroy has a

frustrating first round at The Open Championship.

There's been a significant rise in bug laergz -- burglaries koiing to

the latest figures from the British Crime Survey. Overall the survey

showed crime levels remain static after a number of years improving

figures. Mark easten has been looking at the numbers.

It's often said a combination of recession an cuts will inevitably

mean rising crime and disorder after years of falls. So today's

official figures, revealing a 14% increase in burglaries have been

ceased upon as evidence that the tide has, indeed, turned.

These figures may show, for the first time, that crime may be on

the rise in future. They certainly show after many years crime figures

generally are not falling any more. Some crimes like burglary are on

the rise. 14% rise last year in burglary. That could be a sign of

things to come. That 14% increase, though, comes with a health warning,

if one looks back over 30 years of burglary rates, according to the

British Crime Survey, one can see how it rose it a peak in the mid-

90s and then fell and apart from a very low figure last year, now

appears pretty much flat. Both official statisticians and

Government say it's too early to say a recession-fuelled crime wave.

There is no simple link and whilst some indicators are providing a

showing of an increase in certain crime types, some are shown as

falling. Therefore I think what these figures underline is that it

is complex, but we can't draw on any long-term trends from one

single group of figures. We'll keep on calling you offer the next few

weeks, to see what you're up to, who you're hanging round with.

called intelligent policing is credited by some as the reason

fears haven't become reality. When the economy collapsed after the

banking crisis, one Labour minister thought it blindingly obvious that

crime would rise as a consequence. The last few years have seen crime

rates in England and Wales continue to fall. Historically crime rose

fastest in the late 50s and early 60s, just as the economy was

starting to flourish. During the 70s and 80s it kept going up and up,

boom or bust, crime continued to rise regardless. Now this is the

story of overall crime in England and Wales, over the last three

decades, rising once more until 1995, then falling, and beginning

to flatten out, as we saw with burglary. It's been a similar story

across the UK and in pretty much every Western nation, regardless of

criminal justice policies over the same period. There are plenty of

theories as to why, but that remains perhaps the biggest crime

mystery of them all. Faced with a growing debt crisis

and mounting international pressure, the Italian Senate today passed a

tough austerity budget, including cuts of �42 billion over the next

three years. Will it be enough for Italy to avoid following Greece,

Portugal and Ireland in asking for a bail out? Gavin Hewitt reports.

Italy, ever aware of battles past, has been told it is now on the

frontline in the current battle over the eurozone crisis. And the

Today the Italian Senate debated an emergency austerity package,

huredly brought forward to calm markets worried about Italian debt.

The Italian Finance Minister told the senators that the country was

watching. He warned that public debt could devour our future and

the future of our children. Passions ran high, after all,

public sector wages will now be frozen. But the Senate approved the

measures and the Italian Parliament looks set to pass this budget in

just five days. We are dealing right now with a defence of the

European currency, the speculative attack that's been going on on the

Italian market is not against Italy, it is against euro currency. Here

is Italy's problem: It is looking to make �42 billion in savings over

three years. It is under pressure because its debt is 120% of GDP.

Its total debt is �1.6 trillion. If Italy really gets into trouble, it

is simply too big to be rescued. Italy does have impressive

designers and world famous brands. What this masks, however, is low

productivity and low growth. Some of those who oppose today's

austerity package fear without growth, Italy can't escape its

problems. Yes, we need to put the debt under control. But this

package is not enough. You cannot put that under control if you don't

promote growth, meaning, that in Autumn we will be back to square

one. Financial markets also remain wary, most of the savings won't

take effect until 2013 and Italy's borrowing costs are not just high,

but close to being unsustainable. The austerity package comes here to

Italy's lower house tomorrow and is expected to be passed. Although

Italy is causing concern, the real focus remains away from here in

Greece and there are still deep divisions over how to organise a

second bail out for that country. He's dominated the build up to the

British Open, but today Rory McIlroy had his fans groaning at

his performance. The 22-year-old, who won the US Open last month,

admitted he missed some opportunities on the greens.

They're a pretty straight laced bunch who come to the golf, aren't

they? These Americans aside, those with longer experience of the

British summer were playing it sensible. The US Open champion,

Rory McIlroy, had a gust of goodwill at his back. It wasn't

helping him get the ball in the hole. He ended the day one over.

That left space for two remarkable stories to unfold. Thomas Bjorn

compiled a poacher's pile of birdies on his way to five under.

This, after his game had fallen to pieces following the death of his

Erm... He would have been very proud of what I did today. That's

all I really got to say. joining Bjorn at the top of the

leaderboard was an amateur English golfer by the name of Tom Lewis.

Here's the twist, 20-year-old Tom Lewis has been playing with 61-

year-old Tom Watson, the golfer after whom he's named. Nice to know,

even in a club as crusty and old fashioned at royal St George's,

there's a place for soggy sentiment. The earliest surviving draft of a

book by Jane Austen has been sold at auction for just short of �1

million, that's more than three times the estimate. The 68 pages

are from a work called The Watsons. It's been brought by a British

buyer and as our arts editor now reveals, will be available for the

public to view. Emma Watson was not more of the

middle height with an air of healthy vigour...

An excerpt from The Watsons, describing the heroin, the daughter

of a yergeyman, whose father she was going to kill off. Then Jane

Austen's actual father died. That's believed to be the reason she

abandoned the story. Today the hand written fragment was

sold at auction. Bidding was feerpbs with interest from around

the world. -- fierce. The manuscript has sold for a bit under

�1 million. It's three times its estimated Val ue. It is a lot of

money for something you can buy in book form for �6.99 an you can see

the manuscript free online. Why pay that amount of money for the

object? Very rarely would you have an opportunity to buy something

like this on the open market. Of course, seeing Jane Austen's

handwriting, this object that she actually touched is quite different

from reading the printed book. There was a good chance that the

manuscript would go abroad. But I discover today was bought by a

British institution. Aided by a substantial grant from the national

heritage fund. It's worth every single penny. This was the last

fictional manuscript in private ownership. We felt we needed to

step in, bring it into public ownership for the enjoyment of

scholars, but also the nation. Virginia Wolf once said Jane Austen

was the most difficult author to catch in the act of greatness, but