12/01/2012 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at Ten: MI6 face as police investigation into allegations of

complicit and torture. Two Libyan men say they were abducted and

flown to Tripoli, where they were tortured in Colonel Gaddafi's

prisons. We have a smoking missile in this

case. You can't avoid the fact that the British were deeply involved.

In a separate case of Binyam Mohamed and another terror suspect

tortured abroad, there will be no charges of against MI5 or MI6.

Also: Britain's biggest retailers admits mistakes in the run-up to

Christmas and reports disappointing sales.

There were a lot of promotions, the message did not cut through.

A video of US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban fighters

draws worldwide condemnation. At the Leveson Inquiry, the owner

of the Daily Express reveals his approach to running newspapers.

I don't know what the word means, but perhaps I should explain it,

ethical. And Mervyn Westfield is the first

English player convicted of corruption in cricket.

Coming up in Sportsday on the BBC News Channel. Carlos Tevez is

struggling to find a new home as AC Milan pull out of talk with

Manchester City. Although a deal could still happen.

The police have opened a criminal investigation into claims that

British spys were complicit in the Mistreatment of min yam Mohammed.

Today the Crown Prosecution Service said there was insufficient

evidence to charge anyone. On his return to Britain he claimed that

MI5 officers had questioned him between bouts of mistreatment by

Today's decision not to press charges will be met with relief

here at the Domestic Security Service, MI5, but down the river,

the news is not so good for MI6. One case against them has been

closed, but today the police opened two now high-profile investigations.

Both of those cases centre on Libya, one on this man, Abdel Hakim

Belhadj. The BBC was first to report that

intelligence files found after the fall of Tripoli last year revealed

that MI6 played a role in the transfer of Abdel Hakim Belhadj and

his pregnant wife from Asia to Libya. One note, apparently from

MI6 officer, Mark Aln congrats a counterpart on the safe arrival of

Abdel Hakim Belhadj reminding him that the intelligence behind the

transfer was British. Abdel Hakim Belhadj says he was hung from the

wrists and beat no-one Libya. What happened to me a shreel. It

deserves apology, especially to those who claim to work with human

rights. The Crown Prosecution Service said

that the allegations in this and the other Libyan case were so

serious, that it was in the public interest for them to be

investigated by the police. That is rather than part of an

upcoming inquiry. Both of the lib can cases are

important. The facts, both men were rended kidnapped with their wives

in one case there were four children involved and taken to

Colonel Gaddafi so he could torture these guys for seven years. We

don't just have the smoking gun but the smoking missile. You can't

avoid the fact that the British were deeply involved. Speaking over

a year ago, the chief of MI6 said that torture was not part of his

organisation's business. Torture is illegal and abhorrent

under any circumstances we have nothing whatsoever to do with it.

If we know or believe action by us will lead to torture taking place

we are required by UK and international law to avoid that

action. But Britain's involvement in what

occurred in these Libyan prisons is now under police investigation that

could delay a planned government inquiry, no-one knows where the

trail will lead. Gordon is with me now. The point

that you made at the end of the report, where could it lead? Well,

Abdel Hakim Belhadj who we saw in the report said to the BBC in a

statement, that he hoped that the case would not just go to rank and

file intelligence officers, but to the ministers who signed off the

operations. In the past it has been said that what happened with Libya

had ministerial approval, the Foreign Secretary at the time, Jack

Straw, said he did not sign off a process of rendition. So you can

see how complicated and controversial this could be if it

goes up higher. There was meant to be an official

investigation into the area of this, does that investigation now fall

away? Well, the Prime Minister a year ago -and-a-half ago said he

wanted to set up the inquiry to draw a line under the issue. When

the police cases closed, the inquiry would start. But the cases

closed and two new ones opened. So that leaves the Government with a

dilemma, to wait for the new police investigations to close, that could

take years, or press ahead without including Libya in the inquiry,

that could undermine its credibility. It looks hard for the

Government to draw a line under the issue.

Thank you very much. Now, tefblgow has admitted getting

its promotional strategy wrong in the run-up to Christmas. It

reported a drop in sales and billions of pounds were wiped off

the value of its shares it expects minimal growth in profits in the

coming year. Our Business Editor, Robert Peston, has been speaking to

the man in charge of On the High Street, the most famous brand,

probably the most feared and admired it is Tesco, but stagnating

profits have caused the share price to plummet, 16%, wiping up to �5

billion off the company's value. Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer,

seemed almost immune to whats with going on in the wider economy,

since the recession the sales kept growing and profits kept growing.

But not any longer. Philip Clarke, who became the chief

executive in March, says part of what went wrong is that the group

failed to get in shoppers with generous money off vouchers in

December, when many rivals were doing so, but it warned for the

time that Tesco invested too little in its British supermarkets.

You took over in March, are the problems in the stores worse than

you expected? As we have gotten under the covers we realised what

we have to do to get back to be leading. That is what the customers

expect from Tesco. For decades we have done it. Every business niece

to reinvent, this is the start of that pro sest.

Here is the measure of the situation. Sainsbury's sales rose 2

.1%. Whereas Tesco fell 1.3%. Although four a slightly different

peter period. Over the last ten years Tesco has

raised everybody's game. Everybody has had to improve their offers,

the way that they run things to compete with Tesco. Now they are on

a roll, as it were and Tesco is faltering.

British shoppers are induring a squeeze on living standards worse

than anything that they have suffered since statistics became

available in the 19'50s, sales also dropped at Argos, Mothercare and

Thorntons, but it's not the first time that Tesco has had to mend

itself in difficult economic circumstances, Philip Clarke says.

As we look back to the big steps that we took, it was when things

were getting tough for the economy, when it was getting tough for the

customers we invested, when the economy improved we came out

stronger. Tesco's boss says it is vital that the British supermarkets

become the yengin of the global company's growth. It is a big

moment for a 90-year-old business, a test to see if it can re-make

itself to avoid long-term decline. The American and Afghan authorities

have condemned in the strongest terms a video that appears to show

US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban fighters. Hillary

Clinton, the Secretary of State, said that the images were

deplorable. The US military saying that there is nothing to suggest

that the material is not genuine. We have the story. It's an

appalling violation, too distasteful to show, but in this

video, a small group of US Marines gather around the bodies of three

dead Afghans and urinate on them. A who-second video clip that harms

the attempt of America to rebuild its image in the Islamic world. All

indications are that this is authentic.

And a military official has told the BBC that at Lee two of the

Marines have been identified. Here in North Carolina. The

condemnation it has provoked has been universal.

It is absolutely inconsistent with American values with the standards

of behaviour that we expect from our military personnel and, you

know, the vast, vast majority of our military personnel, especially

the Marines that they hold themselves to.

This is not the first time that the US troops have been accused of

breaching the rules of the war, but containing the damage to its

reputation is harder. This man said that US troops have

been committed a crime and should leave the country.

Their President has demanded an investigation.

The biggest fear is that this will damage the prospect of peace talks

within the insurgents, but the table says that the political

process is separate and still stands.

Tens of thousands of American troops have served in Afghanistan

and Iraq over the last ten years. As in every conflict, there have

been times of excess and moments of abuse. We asked a military veteran

to look at the video, at how unusual this really is.

These sort of things happen in combat zones. They are not supposed

to happen, but you are in a position in war where you have to

kill people that is onsight and quickly have to make a decision.

The way that people cope with that, tends to be to dehumanise the enemy.

Whatever the facts of the case it will harm America's reputation

overseas, but it is unlikely to have the impact that past scandals

now have. US troops have pulled out of Iraq.

There is removal from Afghanistan under way. Don't expect a change in

policy. British Gas has announced an

immediate reduction of 5% in its standard electricity prices. The

company is not reducing its gas prices. Yesterday EDF said it would

cut the cost of gas by 5% next month and Scottish & Southern

Energy has promised similar price cuts for household gas from March.

Richard Desmond, the owner of the Daily Express group of newspapers

says he does not understand the word ethics, he was giving evidence

to the Leveson Inquiry for press Strarpbdz.

-- standards. He apologised for coverage on the McCann family but

insisted that his paper was not the only paper to blame. He owns the

Daily Express and the Daily Star, Channel 5, OK! Magazine and a

couple of TV porn Channels, today he came to the Leveson Inquiry to

answer questions about the newspaper regulation and his

paper's coverage of Kate and Gerry McCann. His sometimes rambling

evidence started badly. Did he get involved in ethical questions

himself, he was asked or leave that to editors.

Ethical, I don't know what the word means. Perhaps you should explain

what it means, ethical. The McCanns were paid more than

half a million in damages by the Daily Express and the Daily Star.

Today, Richard Desmond apologised but then added this.

They were happy, as I understand in articles being run about their poor

daughter because it kept it on the front page. I think it was own when

new lawyers came along that we were working on a contingency, that is a

fact. I'm sorry. Richard Desmond, I will interup the,

that is a grotesque characterisation. Your paper was

accusing the McCanns on occasion of having killed their daughter. Are

you saying that they were sitting there quite happy, rather than

entirely anguished by your paper's behaviour? I'm sorry. Please, think

about the question before you answer.

His answer, a repeat of what he had said, adding that every paper had

been doing the same thing. On regulation he explained why the

Daily Express no longer belongs to the voluntary press complaints kigs.

-- commission. I felt it a useless organisation

run by people who wanted tea and biscuits and phone hackers. It was

run by the people that hated our guts.

He showed just how much he hates the rival Daily Mail, which he

called negative and disgusting. Awkward, then when this happened.

Looking further on in your statement, Mr D egar... I'm Desmond.

You have me wrong. He is the fat butcher.

He told one journalist after the inquiry it had been terrifying.

This gave a rare insight into the thinking of a normally publicity

shy media mowing ul. Coming at the end of two days after executives

faced tough questioning about exaggerated head lines intrusions

into privacy the use of private investigators, questioning so tough,

that the former editor of the Daily Express said it was like being put

Cashing in on bad play. The first English cricketer to admit spot-

fixing during a game. 12 months ago the people of Tunisia

forced their President to resign, as they demanded democratic rights

and freedom of speech. The first uprising of the Arab Spring began

when a young market trader set fire to himself to draw the world's

attention to his country's problems. A year later, despite democratic

elections hundreds of Tunisians are using the same drastic form of

protest. Our correspondent Wyre Davies travelled to Tunis. His

report does contain some distressing images. In the last 12

months, at least 130 people have set themselves on fire in Tunisia.

Last January, Hosni poured petrol over himself and lit a match. He

survived and is being treated here at this burns unit in the capital.

Hosni told me he deliberately copied the actions of Mohamed

Bouazizi, the market trader whose self-immolation began the

revolution a year ago. Unlike Bouazizi Hosni hasn't become a folk

hero and bitterly regrets what he's done. "I was jobless and desperate.

The whole country seemed to be on fire, soy set myself alight too.

But I've destroyed myself psychologically and physically.

I've also destroyed my family. " Despite a stable political

situation, the state of the economy means more Tunisians are setting

fire to themselves. An employed father of three is engulfed by

flames. He died from his injuries two days ago.

They are mostly young men from poor, rural areas with basic education.

Most importantly, they are desperate, out of work and have

little prospect of employment. Another young man fights for his

life in the burns unit. The BBC has been shown previously unpublished

figures, which show that in the year since last January's

revolution, there's been a staggering five fold increase in

the number of self-immolations. lot of people think that they may

solve problems doing the same things than Bouazizi, but it's not

true at all. There is dramatic conconstituency -- consequence of

this act so please stop doing this. They may be afford the honour of

being buried in a martyr's grave. But these men's families are no

better off. This desperate act is in danger of overshadowing the

revolutions many other successes. The businessman Asif Nadir has

appeared at the Old Bailey where he's pleaded not guilty to 13

counts of theft from Polly Peck International, the British based

company he built into a conglomerate in the 80s. It's

alleged he stole �33 million. The 70-year-old, who spent 17 years in

Cyprus returned to Britain in August last year saying he now

wantsed to clear his name. Thames valley Police have launched

a murder inquiry after an Oxford University tutor was found dead.

The body of Professor Steven Rawlings, who taught at St Peter's

college was discovered at a property in Southmoor late last

night. A 49-year-old man, arrested at the scene, is in police custody.

Royal Bank of Scotland is cutting 3,500 jobs, that's reduces the size

of its investment arm. The bank, which is almost entirely owned by

the taxpayer, is also shedding a thousand jobs at a subsidiary,

Ulster bank. RBS was warned today by the Government not to pay

excessive bonuses. Our chief economics correspondent, Hugh Pym,

has the details. The Royal Bank of Scotland's saga has had many twists

and turns over the last few years. The end of an era for British

banking, some of the biggest names go cap in hand to the government...

Sir Fred, who's 50, will receive more than �650,000 per year for

life... On the brink of collapse under the boss Sir Fred Gdwin the

bank was rescued with taxpayers money. Three years on, it's

adjusting to a new reality with more cut backs. RBS has not

specified exactly where the job losses will be, but it seems likely

the vast majority will be here in the heart of the City at RBS's

investment banking operations. The main reason is that RBS will pull

out of some of its riskier financial trading. It wants to

focus more on traditional High Street and business banking. Nearly

a thousand jobs will go at its Ulster bank subsidiary, some in

Northern Ireland, some in the republic. The union is not happy.

When the announcement was made, the bank did not give great detail.

There's huge uncertainty, but also aerning. Staff feel they've made a

contribution to this bank. They feel let down. More than 4,500 job

cuts have been announced today across the RBS group. That means a

total reduction of 34,000 since the bail out in 2008. So it's an

awkward time to be deciding on bonuses. Last year, RBS bonuses

totalled �950 million. There's strong political pressure for a

much smaller figure this time. Given the fact that we all bailed

out RBS and own RBS, it would be outrageous if RBS awarded itself

lavish bonuses. It would be incomprehensible to everybody in

the country. RBS has already indicated bonuses will be quite a

lot lower than last year, in common with most other banks. Some

analysts point out that the payouts which are made will be on merit.

They have relatively low basic salaries and they get commission.

It's not just a sum of money that's handed over simply for nothing at

all F you've done the work, made the money for your company, then

you get a share of it. To keep the bank turning over and generating

ridesing profits, RBS is down sizing and trying to get back to

banking basics. The process won't be easy.

The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, has been charged by a court in

Turkey of invading the privacy of five children after secretly

filming orphanages there. She was charged in her absence and faces a

potential jail term of 22 years, if convicted. The Duchess made an

undercover trip to Turkey in 2008 for an ITV programme.

Mervyn Westfield has become the first English cricket player to be

conviblgted -- convicted of corruption in the game. Westfield

admitted accepting a cash payment in return for bowling badly during

a match against Durham, back in 2009. The England and Wales Cricket

Board have offered an amnesty to players who reveal offers of

bribery in the past. Our sports news correspondent, Andy Swiss, has

more details. He was a largely unknown cricketer, until this.

Mervyn Westfield's opening over in a county game for Essex. He bowled

poorly, but only now do we know why. He'd received �6,000 for agreing to

bowl so badly he'd concede 12 runs in the over. Information invaluable

to an unscrupulous gambler who can put money on it, a practice known

as spot-fixing. Westfield didn't keep his promise, conceding only

ten runs. He arrived at the Old Bailey today charged with ruption

and in a brief and dramatic appearance he pleaded guilty. The

first such case and a wake up call for English cricket. We must be

ever vigilant to. Use a metaphor, we need to make sure as a sport

that our windows are closed, the doors are locked and the alarm is

on, so that if somebody is tempted to find a way of manipulating a

betting market they look somewhere else. Spot-fixing is casting a

shadow over the sport. Only last year, three Pakistan players were

jailed in an international scandal. Once again cricketing corruption

has been exposed here in a Criminal Court. What this case shows is that

it's a problem at every level of the game. County cricket is

traditionally low key, but the match under scrutiny was televised

in Asia, the largest betting market. One former cricketer told me other

koufpbty players could be tempted. The top players, international

players, the players that have Indian Premier League contracts are

on half a million plus. Some of the county players, not regular players

in countsy teams are on it's 30,000, �40,000 and may be tempted to take

an easy pay day with these kinds of things. Mervyn Westfield was warned

he could face jail when sentenced next month, as English cricket

faces a threat to its integrity. Newsnight's starting on BBC Two in