03/08/2012 BBC News at Ten

I am so proud and pleased to get a Bronze Medal. It's nothing to be

embarrassed about. I hate it when people say silver or bronze is

losing, because you have not done my sport. Also tonight: A 17-year-

old murdered, because her parents thought her western values shamed

them. Her mother and father sentenced to life. Pre-tax losses

of �1.5 billion for RBS. The boss insists the bank is stronger than

before. There'll be a medal for Murray. Andy Murray makes it

through to his first Olympic final. It will be a re-run of his

Wimbledon final against Roger Federer.

On BBC London: How hundreds of Olympic tickets are in the hands of

unauthorised sellers. And the Mayor defends his decision to entertain

Good evening. Team GB has added to its haul of gold medals, with

strong performances in the rowing and cycling. At the Velodrome in

the Olympic Park Victoria Pendleton managed to put yesterday's

disappointment behind her to triumph of in the women's keirin

sprint. The men's team set a new world record. Our sports

correspondent reports. After a mistake had cost Victoria

Pendleton a medal last night, today was all about looking forward.

While another of the stars of British cycling was enjoying the

limelight Pendleton's job was to stay focused. After a pre-race chat

with the psychologist she was ready. Her rivalry with Anna Meares has

been one of the sport's sub-plots for years. She demonstrated the raw

speed that went unrewarded yesterday as she made a point to

the Australian favourite. COMMENTATOR: Pendleton takes it on

the line from Meares. As she prepared for the final, GB's men

were busy defending their pursuit final. Last night Ed Clancy,

Geraint Thomas had broken the world record. The volume in the Velodrome

deafening, as runners up, Australia, were simply swept aside.

THE COMMENTATOR: It is a new world record. Great Britain have won the

gold medal. We spent so many years thinking about this moment and when

it happens it is a mad explosion of emotion. It is out of the world.

Yes. Just half an hour later it was time

for Pendleton. With a lap of the keirin final to go, this time there

would be no takeover infringements to rescue the opposition.

THE COMMENTATOR: Victoria Pendleton takes gold. This was redemption and

Pendleton's second Olympic gold. The margin of victory was minute,

the sense of relief, overwhelming. Just like "Focus Vic, focus. You

still have to race." It was so hard. I can't believe it. Britain's track

cyclists have delivered. Victoria Pendleton securing Team GB's third

Olympic gold here in the Velodrome in the last three days and

underlining this as the country's most successful Olympic sport N the

past, Pendleton's has admitted to struggling to cope with the

pressure she puts herself under. As she prepares for retirement, the

female face of the sport can allow herself to enjoy all she has

achieved. Britain's third gold medal came in

the rowing with Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkins winning the

Women's Double Sculls. For Grainger it was fourth time lucky. She had

won three silver medals and was thinking of retiring after the

Beijing Olympics. Carrying a nation's hopes on her

shoulders, Katherine Grainger, so long the nearly woman of Olympic

rowing. After three silvers, the fans sense this was her golden

moment. Grainger and her partner, Anna Watkins, began as the hottest

of favourites. In their two years together they have never been

beaten. They powered into the lead. The Australians tried to cling on,

but swept along on a tide of emotion, this time silver simply

was not an option. THE COMMENTATOR: The momentum

expected. Great Britain deliver Olympic champions.

So, at last, she's got it. Katherine Grainger, Olympic

champion and just listen to these fans - they know they have seen

something very special - a dream finally fulfilled.

In just seven minutes, years of frustration had been wiped away.

For Grainger, it was the moment of a lifetime.

This medal is the people's medal. I feel so many people have been

behind me and supported me and wanted this for me as much as I

have, most of the way. I kind of feel it's off the back of everyone

I have worked with, everyone I have rode with. My family were there at

the beginning, to my family, my university. Everybody has been a

part of this. It makes the medal feel more special. Her perseverance

won the reward - Grainger and Watkins, an incredible moment for

an incredible partnership. moment we got into the boat

together, three years ago, we knew it was special. We had to put all

that belief on the line. It's... You know, I don't really have words.

It is wonderful. Then the sweetest of family reunions. Three times Liz

Grainger watched her daughter come so close, but her belief before

wavered. I was so sure, this was her moment, she was going to do it

and she did. But the tears did come and during the national anthem as

well. Relief more than anything else. Release, relief, pride,

everything. And so for fans, family, but above

all two remarkable rowers a quite unforgettable day. One of sport's

longest hard luck stories finally There was disappointment in the

swimming pool this evening with Rebecca Adlington taking bronze in

the 800 metres freestyle. A 15- year-old American swimmer, Katie

Ledecky, took gold. It completed a successful night in the Aquatics

Centre for the Americans. Ever since she struck double gold

in Beijing, Rebecca Adlington has been one of the country's most

cherished Olympians. Still only 23, she was bidding here to break new

ground, by becoming the first British swimmer to defend an

Olympic title. Having won bronze in the 400 metres freestyle on Sunday,

she was favourite for gold in the 800 metres.

Take your mark... She had a strong start, vying for

the lead with the 15-year-old American, Katie Ledecky, and

Denmark's Lotte Friis. But Ledecky, who had never raced

for her country before soon established a commanding lead,

swimming above the world record pace.

It was a lead she never surrended, Ledecky simply destroyed the field.

Although Adlington is famed for her late surge, this was too much.

There were high hopes in the pool for Team GB at these Games, but

Britain's swimmers could fall short of their medal target. That will

raise questions as to whether star performers like Rebecca Adlington

were under too much pressure. think the pressure and everything

just, the expectation, everything going into this week has been a bit

of a battle. I am so pleased, I would have liked the time to be

quicker, I am not going to lie. It has been that time all year. I

don't know what happened. Obviously everything kind of kaugts up with

me. I gave it my -- caught up with me. I gave it my absolute all. I am

so pleased to get a Bronze Medal. It is nothing to be embarrassed

about. I hate it when people say silver or bronze is losing, because

you have not done my sport. If the pressure is getting to the

Americans they are not showing it. Michael Phelps claimed his 21st

Olympic medal. Missy Franklin won her third gold of these Games. She

stormed to victory in the 200 metres backstroke.

Adlington so wanted to win Olympic gold in front of a home crowd. It

was not to be. But whatever she does next, there's no doubt she

remains the darling of British And this evening's other news now:

A couple who killed their teenage daughter because they believed she

brought shame on the family for being too westernised have been

jailed for life. Iftikhar and his wife Farzana have denied they were

involved in the death of their daughter. They suffocated Shafilea

with a plastic bag in front of their other four children. Shafilea

Ahmed, a 17-year-old schoolgirl, murdered by her own parents. Why?

Because they thought she was becoming too westernised and were

ashamed of her. Farzana and Iftikhar Ahmed decided the only

thing to do was to kill their There is always a trigger. In the

case of Shafilea to make her to conform to their interpretation of

Pakistani culture. The couple pretended to be

mystified about what happened to their daughter.

The little girl they had nurtured, rebelled against her strict

upbringing. The teenager's main worry was reflected on this housing

form months before she was murdered. She wanted to runaway because she

was terrified of an arranged marriage in Pakistan, but when her

body was found, the Ahmeds acted like victims themselves.

I just wish somebody could tell us what happened to her. We appeal to

the public if anybody knows anything, to come forward.

But the Ahmeds lie held for seven years until another of their

daughters came forward with the truth. Giving evidence from behind

a screen, the 23-year-old said she saw both her parents suffocate her

sister with their bare hands. It was that account which finally saw

the couple convicted of murder. If there is one thing that we pray

will come from this, it is that her beautiful face and tragic story

will inspire others to seek help that make them realise that this

kind of vile treatment no matter what culture or background they are

from is not acceptable and there is a way out.

At one stage of this long inquiry, the police even bugged the family

home because of strong suspicions about the couple. Recording Mrs

Ahmed better rating her husband, telling him everything was his

she who wore the trousers in their relationship after he split with

his first wife. His ex-wife believes he may have been

pressurised into killing his daughter.

I believe he was pressurised. In the same way, I feel, believe,

think, that could he could be pressurised to make this honour

killing as well. All 17-year-old Shafilea Ahmed

wanted was to not be forced into an arranged marriage, but the two

people who should have loved her the most most objected to her

wishes so strongly they murdered Danny Savage is outside Chester

Crown Court. After the verdict, there was an appeal for other

victims of this clash of cultures to come forward? Yes, the Crown

Prosecution Service today said that Shafilea Ahmed was the victim of

honour-based violence. They say she wanted to choose how she lived her

life and who she married and choices that are fundamental

freedoms for any citizen in the UK. They went on to say that sadly

today there will be other victims in this country suffering abuse as

Shafilea Ahmed and their advice was simple - contact the police. The

judge sentencing here at Chester, touched on the cultural issues

today. He told Mr and Mrs Ahmed, your social and cultural attitudes

were those of rural Pakistan and it was those which you imposed on your

children. Your concern about being shamed in your community was

greater than the love of your child and he sentenced them to a minimum

life sentence of 25 years each. The boss of Royal Bank of Scotland,

which is largely owned by the taxpayer, has insisted it has

undergone "huge change for the better" on the day it announced

the first six months of the year. Stephen Hester, who has waived his

bonus this year, said more money was being put aside to deal with

the recent IT problems and compensate customers who were mis-

sold financial products as our correspondent, Simon Gompertz,

RBS Group is counting the cost of the disastrous computer failure in

June which resulted in millions of customers being cut off from their

money. It added �125 million so far to the group's losses.

The computer meltdown was a bad period and I I did then and I again

apologise to customers who were affected. Those apologies are not

much for this family from Hertfordshire. They have switched

their accounts to other banks. was stuck, you know, I was on the

last 50 pence of electric. It was a nightmare. It was a nightmare. And

the kids were all upset, one night we ended up having a Pot Noodle to

eat and everything, but the kids didn't know where the next penny

was coming from. Will others dump the bank bank? The

Chief Executive says not many yet. I would say hundreds at the moment.

REPORTER: Hundreds of customers only you have lost? But I don't, I

don't think of that as an only. To me, our job is not to let customers

down. We did on this occasion. The fact they have given us another

chance I'm grateful for. Not only did RBS along with NatWest

and Ulster Bank brands leave its customers in the lurch, but it had

to admit to more mis-selling to individuals and to businesses and

it is under investigation along with other banks for trying to rig

the key interest rate called LIBOR. The cost of the scandals at RBS

mounted. Its compensation bill for mis-sold payment protection

insurance jumped to �1.3 billion to date. Small businesses who lost out

in a different mis-selling affair are being paid �50 million and

that's rising. The possible fine for fixing LIBOR, the rate at which

banks lend to each other, is unknown, but Barclays had to pay

nearly �300 million. We will not be proud of our role in

LIBOR. We are not proud of the other mistakes we made, but we are

using those issues, that negativity to spur us on, to make things right.

RBS says without one off factors it is making profits. But it admits

the year so far has been grim and a Coming up on tonight's programme:

This is a tremendous run by Jessica Ennis. Oh my goodness!

Off to a flying start, Jessica Ennis sets a new British record in

the heptathlon hurdles and is in The United Nations General Assembly

has condemned its own Security Council for failing to act

decisively to stop the fighting in Syria. With little sign of a

diplomatic breakthrough, some countries have been helping Syria's

rebels directly and there are reports of secret training camps in

Turkey. Here the Government says Britain will increase its support

to anti-government fighters in Syria short of sending them arms.

Our correspondent, Richard Galpin, The city of Adana near the Syrian

border. A show of force by the Turkish military on the border with

Syria today. Tensions are rising between the two countries with

speculation Turkey may intervene in the Syrian conflict.

Just south of the border, in the Syrian city of Aleppo, rebels are

holding their ground against Government forces. Better training

is paying off. The rebel fighter speaking in Aleppo in this amateur

video is a woman who joined the Free Syrian Army in June. I met her

over the border in Turkey. She told me about the covert military

training here which many rebels have now received.

The training is really professional. You can sleep like you have to

sleep only for four hours a day. You have to climb mountains. You

have to really, it is very hard and then they train you on weapons.

And it is here in the city in southern Turkey that the most

important covert training and co- ordination centre for the Syrian

rebels is reported to be based. There has been no confirmation from

the Turkish Government. No one here has been willing or able to tell us

where the centre is. But I have been told that the Turkish military

is running it and it is reported that Saudi Arabia are also involved.

It is possible the centre is in this huge American air base in the

city. The United States is another country thought to be helping the

Syrian rebels as is Britain, which is providing communications

equipment. Kit and hardware to assist

communications, that is what we provided in Libya and that's been

provided in Syria to help people be in contact with each other to

assist each other in being a cohesive opposition.

With the rebels showing greater co- ordination, they are asking foreign

governments to give them more sophisticated weapons to inflict a

Scotland Yard detectives have confirmed that a body found in a

garage in South West London is that of the missing oil executive Carole

Waugh. Miss Waugh, who was 50- years-old, had not been seen since

April. Suspicions had been raised about her disappearance after

unusual financial transactions were made using her identity and after a

man posing as her brother had tried showed she had been dead for some

time. There's strong speculation that the

Prime Minister could announce next week that current plans to reform

the House of Lords are to be shelved. The legislation to

introduce elected peers on a fixed term has been opposed by 91

Conservative MPs. A political aide for the Liberal Democrat Leader,

Nick Clegg, has warned they're not prepared to compromise over reform

of the House of Lords and insisted they won't be "bought off" by their

coalition partners. Back to the Olympics now. The main

stadium here opened for business today with tens of thousands

watching as the track and field events got underway. One of

Britain's biggest hopes for a medal, Jessica Ennis, got off to a flying

start. She won her heat in the first event of the heptathlon, the

100 metres hurdles, setting a new British record in the process as

James Pearce reports. COMMENTATOR: The biggest cheer of

all will be reserved for this lady. What a reception for one of the

biggest stars of Team GB, the wait for Jessica Ennis was over.

She could begin her quest for Olympic gold.

Comment Jess got away to a good start.

The 100 meters hurdles, the first of seven events spread out over two

days. COMMENTATOR: This is a tremendous

run by Jessica Ennis. Oh my goodness! The time was so fast that

it equalled the gold medal winning time in the individual event at

Beijing. COMMENTATOR: The rest of her

competitors must be in despair. She couldn't have started any

better and that good form continued as she began the high jump.

There is no issue of unused seats here. It is packed. Traditionally

on the first morning of an international athletics competition,

rows and rows are empty, but listen to the roar as Jessica Ennis clears

the high jump. There were more celebrations to

come as her rivals faltered, Ennis went over again. A very positive

start to her competition. COMMENTATOR: Sits and hits it.

The evening session didn't begin so well. Her shot pot was down from

her best and the crowd didn't know their feet for the final event of

the day, the 200 meters. Jessica Ennis looked to be heading for

second place, but was gaining with every stride. She was on her way to

another personal best and the overnight lead in the competition.

I'm going to have a really strong day tomorrow and make sure that

everything is really solid performances and where it needs to

be. I'm glad to have got today out of the way and I have got a good

score under my belt, but there is a lot more work to be done tomorrow.

For captain of the Team GB athletics team has been in action,

world champion Dai Greene, looked comfortable. An evening all being

well, will end with this woman still smiling.

Earlier this evening Andy Murray reached his first Olympic final.

It'll be a re-run of his Wimbledon final as he'll play Switzerland's

Roger Federer. Joe Wilson reports on that match and the best of the

rest of today's action involving Team GB. The big question after

Wimbledon was, what did Andy Murray have left for the Olympics? With

this, he he broke Novak Djokovic's serve. Of course, Centre Court is

familiar for Murray, but he found something new this week, aggressive,

bold, better than ever. He took the second set 7-5 to reach an Olympic

final. Amazing. I wanted to try and win a

medal. Obviously for the team, for the country and lastly for myself.

I'm so happy UI would love to get gold now.

And what a prospect, he will face Roger Federer. Federer came through

the small matter of the longest tennis match in Olympic history.

Four hours and 26 minutes and 19-17 in the third set. His opponent

deflated, but for these players the Olympics really matter. In women's

football, Britain excelled to reach the quarter-finals, but it added in

Coventry. They had beaten Brazil, but against Canada they lost 2-0.

In the rowing, George Gnash and will iach and William Sash took

bronze. Alan Campbell finished third in the

single skulls. After the race, he was too too tired to stand, and

could barely speak, but thanked the the crowd.

Knowing that 100% the the shouts were for me. I have got to hold on

to and secure that medal. British judo feared for its future

before the Games. Suddenly, there are medallists. 14 years in

international judo and today, her Well, after this evening's medal

successes for Team GB they lie fourth in the medals table. The

golds out of a total of 43 medals. The Chinese remain second, then

South Korea. Great Britain now has eight golds and a total haul of 22

medals. Our Sports Editor, David Bond is in the Olympic Park tonight.

Is Team GB on track? It has been a fantastic week for Team GB. They

had that nervy start waiting for the first gold medal, but since

then they have come along frequently. Three more today and

good news for Victoria Pendleton and Katherine Grainger. Team GB,

they are fourth place in the medal table. They are on track to deliver

on that target. This is a key weekend for them though.

Traditionally Britain's athletes are strong across the middle

weekend of the Olympics. They will be hoping that can continue. And of

course, we heard an interesting insight I heard from Rebecca

Adlington about the pressures of competing at a home Games. She said

perhaps it is just a bit too much. One of the things which has struck

me from this first week of the Olympics has been the incredible

level of public engagement with these Games. We saw it this morning

at 9am with 80,000 people in the main stadium. We have seen it at

venue after venue just that level of enthusiasm and that's quite a

contrast from four years ago in Beijing which felt sterile and

soleless, no matter what happens now, that level of engagement, that