25/05/2012 BBC News at Ten

Six weeks since the Syrian government declared a ceasefire,

the violence continues. We'll be reporting from inside a town under

siege from government tanks and troops. Children are caught in the

crossfire. They had a big battle lasting three days this week. They

now believe they have pushed back government forces. We will be

looking at how the violence in Syria is now spilling over into

Lebanon. Also tonight: No regrets. David Cameron stands by his

embattled Culture Secretary and insists he was the right man for

the job. The graduate daughter of a

millionaire is jailed for two years for her part in last summer's riots.

A showbiz launch for the first day of the yes campaign for Scottish

independence forced off great job. And space - the private frontier.

The first commercial rocket docks at the international space station.

Coming up in Sportsday: England's bright start is deemed by the West

Good evening. The UN has delivered a bleak assessment of the ceasefire

in Syria tonight, saying the army is still using heavy weapons,

humanitarian conditions are deteriorating and only small

progress has been made. It comes after reports of more deaths in the

country today. The town of Rastan, held by rebels, has witnessed days

of heavy fighting, with dozens of people, including civilians,

reported to have been killed. Our correspondent Paul Wood and

cameraman Fred Scott have been to the town and sent this report.

Rastan has been fought over many times and bears the scars. The town

is now defiantly in rebel hands. But they are bracing themselves for

the next assault. This is the daily routine in Rastan. GUNFIRE.

EXPLOSION. Just around the corner, a family. The father is too afraid

of arrest to show his face, as he tells me about living on the

frontline with children. What is the effect on them?

TRANSLATION: It is very difficult. There is shelling day and night. We

have no where else to go, so we submit ourselves to God. The Free

Syrian Army did the last government post just over a week ago, killing

dozens of soldiers. GUNFIRE. They had to fight for every inch of

ground. All this is happening during a UN sponsored truce. The

government says Free Army attacks never stopped. The rebels say they

are under constant pressure from the regime. In Rastan, they are

surrounded. We are in the middle of what is supposed to be a ceasefire

but these men have been skirmishing with a tank all morning. They had a

big battle lasting three days this week. GUNFIRE. They now believe

they have pushed back government forces 100 metres. The rebels

insist they back the UN peace plan, although it calls a halt to their

insurgency. TRANSLATION: The soldiers still

serving in the Free -- Syrian army are brothers, sons, relatives. We

hope the regime six because then it will fall without any more

bloodshed. In Rastan, you are always waiting for the next shell.

This is the press centre. EXPLOSION. They fall every few minutes. And

they are getting closer. The rebels cannot match the army's heavy

weapons. Towns like this are hanging on, just, in the face of

massive you superior firepower. So the blood continues to slow and

most victims are civilians. -- continues to flow. The UN is

sending a ceasefire monitors to Syria. But it does not so much has

to monitor a truce as create one. And you from here, the odds for

that are not good. -- and viewed from here.

The violence in Syria has now spilled over the border into

neighbouring Lebanon, increasing fears of a return to the violence

of the past. Clashes between supporters of President Assad's

government and those supporting the Syrian opposition have resulted in

the deaths of two people in running gun battles on the streets of the

capital, Beirut, this week. 11 people were killed in similar

fighting in the northern city of Tripoli last week. Jeremy Bowen

reports on the fears in Lebanon of a return to the dark days of the

civil war. The route sparkles on an early

summer evening. -- they route. Billions has been spent

reconstructing the city since the civil war 20 years ago, but in

small and violent incidents this week, Lebanon's fragile political

instruments are once again being shaken. Power in Lebanon be split

between religious sects and some Lebanese are reaching for their

guns again because of the shockwaves coming from Syria's

descent into sectarian civil war across the border. The gunfire on

the street in the capital was between Lebanese Sunni Muslims.

When the smoke cleared, it emerged that one faction was for the

President Assad regime in Syria, the others supported the Sunni

rebels. Different Lebanese factions all have different foreign backers.

Hala Sahli fears stronger countries might want to use them to fight

proxy wars here again. For the sake of Iran, Saudi Arabia, lots of

things. We didn't learn the lessons from the Civil War. 20 years, we

are still the same, nothing at all. That is why Lebanon's leaders are

working hard to calm their supporters.

From the big screen, the country's most powerful man, leader of

Hizbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, went out of his wake to praise the

leaders of the Sunni Muslims to avoid the sectarian crisis. The

kidnap of 11 Shias apparently by Sunnis. As the missing men's

supporters waited at the airport, they cheered their own Shia leaders

and their ally, the Syrian President. The other half of

Lebanon's sides with the Syrian rebels. Beirut was peaceful today,

as this week's crises were subsiding. Trouble in Syria would

always mean trouble in Lebanon at some point Matt Le because the two

are so close. Lebanon is fragile. It can't take too many more of the

nasty surprises coming from Syria. David Cameron defended his Culture

Secretary today saying he had no regrets about giving Jeremy Hunt

the power to decide on News Corporation's bid for full control

of the satellite broadcaster, BSkyB. The Prime Minister's comments came

after it emerged that Mr Hunt had sent him a memo supporting the

takeover. Today, the Leveson Inquiry released dozens more texts

and e-mails between News Corp and government advisers, as Norman

Smith reports. The contacts and ties between News

Corp and the government have already entangled the Culture

Secretary over his links to James Murdoch, but now the Prime Minister

is facing questions. Challenged today, he defended his appointment

of Jeremy Hunt to the key role overseeing News Corp's bid 2 by

BSkyB. I do not regret giving the job to Jeremy Hunt. It was the

right thing to do it in the circumstances and the crucial point

is, de Jeremy Hunt carry out his will probably -- did Jeremy Hunt?

The top civil servant in his department insisted Jeremy Hunt

followed proper procedures. understood him implicitly in

meetings, and particularly with the regulators, to say that it was

important that they took as much time as was needed to properly

consider the issue and that he wanted for them most was clear and

unambiguous advice, regardless of what that advice was. And yet

although Jeremy Hunt believes such words of support have significantly

bolstered his position, a welter of new e-mails and text messages

released tonight underline just how close key government figures,

including Mr Hunt, had become to the Murdoch camp. On the day MPs

debated the hacking of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler's telephone,

Mr Cameron said this. It is absolutely disgusting. Everyone at

News International has got to ask themselves some searching questions.

However, documents released tonight show that same day, his press

secretary text did News Corp lobbyist, Fred Michel, another hard

core day, with a kiss. Fred Michel replied, yes, we need to get

through this. The same day, Mr Cameron's head of communications

had dinner with Fred Michel and text did him: Are we still on so

dinner? Mr Oliver replied, looking forward to it. Other text messages

showed Jeremy Hunt calling Fred Michel "my friend" in French. Today,

Jeremy Hunt's former adviser backed Jeremy Hunt but conceded that

relations with News Corp had appeared to close. Do you accept it

could lead to the perception that you were on site with Fred Michel?

I can see how that perception would have been created. Next Thursday,

Jeremy Hunt himself will appear before the inquiry. The key

question, did he and other government figures allow their

closeness to the Murdochs to influence their handling of the

The daughter of a millionaire who drove looters around during the

riots has been sentenced to prison. The judge said that she had shown a

weaker side to her character and taken advantage of an escalating

situation. The court heard that Laura Johnson

led a privileged life and a caring family. She was brought up near

Orpington. She worked hard and was at university. That life changed

last August as rioters went on the rampage in Woolwich. She drove a

group of looters around areas nearby. She was arrested at this

Comet store in Greenwich and convicted last month of burglary

and handling stolen goods. She claimed she had been forced to

drive them by one of those involved. CCTV at a petrol station shows a

moment when the prosecution said she could have called for help. But

she did not. Laura Johnson's barrister described her as a bright,

intelligent, articulate young woman and said what she had done was

completely out of character. The judge said she had gone out

willingly eat that night, knowing what she was going to get involved

in. Another involved was 17-year- old Christopher Edwards. He was

sentenced to 12 months at a young offenders' attrition. --

With the time she has already spent on curfew, she could be released in

The problems in the Spanish economy have intensified with the country's

fourth-biggest bank saying it needs 19 billion euros from the

Government to stay afloat. Bankia has suffered big losses because of

the Spanish property slump. To add to the pressure, one of the richest

regions in the country has also asked for financial help.

The writing has been on the wall for some weeks at Bankia. Formed

from the merger row of troubled regional savings banks, it was

supposed to mark a new beginning for Spain's troubled financial

sector. Earlier this month, the Government had to bail it out.

Tonight what is, in effect, full nationalisation is about to be

pushed through. TRANSLATION: We want to tell everybody to trust

this bank. It is strong, it had a future and can always count on the

support of the Spanish government. But customers are happy to make

their own judgment on how safe their money is in Spain's banks.

have a bank account, but I try to keep just the money that I need to

pay the rent there. I'm not worried. I sleep, still. With the region of

Catalonia saying it is struggling to pay interest rates demanded by

lenders, more questions are being asked about the help of Spain's

finances. How will this affect the UK? Any ripple effect across the

financial markets will hit the City of London. British banks could get

caught in the fall-out if the crisis gets worse because of money

they have lent two companies, banks and governments in the eurozone's

struggling economies. So, what is British banking

exposure to public and private debt in those countries? In Greece it is

about �2.4 billion after the recent debt write-down. In Portugal it is

just under �13.5 billion. Italian loans total about 38.5 billion. In

Spain it is bigger, nearly �60 billion. Spain has been a mature

economy in the eurozone so it has attracted a lot of investment from

around the world, including the UK. But there is also direct exposure

because some UK banks actually owned banks in Spain. So, British

investors and others will watch anxiously to see how the Spanish

government tackles its financial problems, including what could be

an escalating bill for bank bail- outs.

Still to come: The England manager on the fears of racist abuse at the

European Championships. The official "yes" campaign for

Scottish independence got under way today. The Scottish National party

was joined by smaller parties at the launch. Organisers have vowed

to stage the biggest community- based campaign in Scotland's

history. No date has been set for the referendum, but it is likely to

be in the autumn of 2014. This report contains flash photography.

So, what is on at the movies? Now in production, independence.

Produced and directed by Yes Scotland. Starring the Scottish

National Party, with supporting cast. Opening? Autumn 2014. That is

the movie production these fans of independence have come to witness,

queuing up for the campaign launched at an Edinburgh cinema.

There is music and merriment. But not too much. Certainly no

Braveheart bombast. Instead, Scotland's First Minister project's

independence with a message designed to reach beyond the SNP.

We unite behind a declaration of self-evident truth. That the people

that live in Scotland are best placed to make the decisions that

affect Scotland. The first signature on an independence

declaration which Alex Salmond hopes will attract 1 million names.

To bolster the appeal, celebrity backing from TV and movie stars.

believe independence can only add to our potential and to release a

whole new wave of creativity, ambition, confidence and pride.

people in Scotland, self- determination is a potent message.

Scotland's future, in Scotland's hands. The SNP, one power at

Holyrood, a year ago had a similar appeal. Supporters of the union do

not in any way dispute that it is Scotland's choice. But the former

Labour Chancellor that will head the pro-union campaign says Scots

need a pragmatic UK mind set on the economy. The razzmatazz and the

music, that is all very well. But people know that what actually

matters to job prospects, our future, is what is happening in the

economy. That is why I think most people believe that Scotland will

be better off in the strength of the UK. By the Union Canal we found

Scots with financial concerns over independence. I don't think it

would be good for the economy. I don't think it would be good... For

Scotland. I don't think we are strong enough. Others believe

Scotland would thrive. I think it's a good idea for Scotland to at

least attempt to do something. It is distinct, it is different from

England. It needs to exist more influence over its own affairs.

alongside those tough cash copulations, there is emotion as

With most votes counted after the first round of the presidential

elections, Egypt looks set for a run-off between the Muslim

Brotherhood candidate and the last Prime Minister under Hosni Mubarak.

The Brotherhood represent a popular brand of political Islam that was

excluded for many years. They say they have started talks with other

parties about a future coalition government.

The new England manager added his voice to fears among some players

about potential racist abuse at the European Championships. Roy Hodgson

said he was sad that the families of some players had chosen not to

travel to the Ukraine because of concerns about racism. He was

speaking in Oslo on the eve of Come on, England! They travelled to

Oslo to see the start of a new era for England. When it comes to the

European Championships, many fans are staying away ever made concerns

over safety. The families of two England players, Theo Walcott and

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, have said they will not go to the Ukraine

over fear of racist attacks. They have said that these matters are

totally out of our control. We can only have faith and trust in the

UEFA that they are aware of these problems which exist, particularly

in the Ukraine. Some English players have suffered racist abuse

abroad in recent years. Fans heading to the Euros are being

warned. The Foreign Office advice for British citizens travelling to

the Ukraine at the best of times, never mind during a football

tournament, is that British citizens of African heritage should

exercise caution. Allegations of racism have been a recurring theme

this season. Some fear that the England squad could be divided as a

result. John Terry lost the England captaincy after the FA learned he

would stand trial for racially abusing the brother of Rio

Ferdinand, who has controversially been left out of the squad. The man

he replaced Terry as captain insists that team spirit is intact.

We are united, we are together. We are all after the same thing, that

is a win. There is no divide. We will make sure there is no divide

because it is something we don't need. Roy Hodgson's journey is

about to begin against opponents that England have not beaten for 32

years. For his players and those that follow them, it is Ukraine and

not Norway that is causing most concern.

Cricket, and the West Indies batsmen enjoyed themselves in the

afternoon sunshine against England at Trent Bridge on the first day of

the second Test. After a shaky start, which saw England take three

wickets for 42 runs, Captain Darren Sammy and Marlon Samuels

established a partnership of more than 150. Samuel's got his century

minutes before the close of play. The day ended with the West Indies

on 304 for six. Plans for the largest radio

telescope in the world have been announced. It will be made up of

3000 detectors which will survey a billion galaxies. Based mainly in

South Africa, it will be capable of detecting signs of extra-

terrestrial life 10 times further into the universe than any other

telescope. Now, it is being hailed as a

milestone in space flight. A privately operated craft, docked

with the International Space Station for the first time this

afternoon. The Dragon capsule, built and operated by an American

firm, is being used to fly cargo to the station after NASA phased out

space shuttles. It opens up a new frontier for commercial companies

in space. This is mission control. High in

orbit, the Dragon capsule, the first in a new generation of

spacecraft. It is approaching the International Space Station, at the

bottom of the screen. Six astronauts on board were waiting

anxiously. Dragon continues to inch closer towards the International

Space Station. You can see the 58 foot long arm. For the first time,

a privately-owned craft was preparing to dock, something only

governments have managed until now. Initiating the caption of the

Dragon. Standing by... It looks like we got a Dragon by the tail.

Mission accomplished. Jubilation on At the factory that made the

spacecraft in California, the workforce celebrates. Commercial

space flight is a young industry. The average age here is 30. The

boss, an Internet billionaire, is delighted. This really is going to

be recognised as a significantly historical step forward in space

travel. Hopefully the first of many to come. I think this is a

fantastic thing, but there are going to be even better things in

the future. The docking, achieved in space, really matters because it

is a key step to proving that private companies can operate in a

serious way in space. It could pave the way for ferrying astronauts up

to orbit, providing a taxi service at a lower price than now. A

concept for hotels in space, reached by the rocket used today,

starts to look a little more feasible. The plan for asteroids to

be mined for precious metals no longer seems quite so outlandish.

Today will go down as a milestone in space travel. This was a small

step towards a broader idea of private sector operating in space.

Just like airlines or hotels, motels on the moon or in orbit.

This is an important first step. Last year I met the man behind

today's achievement. His real ambition, he told me, is to go to

Mars. The docking today is a start. A new space race with companies,

I called David Shukman our space editor. I am sure he would like to