09/07/2013 BBC News at Ten

a landmark case at the European Court of Human Rights. The men

claimed it was inhuman not to have any chance of parole. Ministers

disagree. I think the British people will be deeply frustrated. It's

certainly not what they want or what they believe is right. It reaffirms

to me my own determination to see real changes to our human rights

laws. One of the men is Jeremy Bamber, who killed five members of

his family. A cousin rejects today's ruling. I would be very concerned

should he ever be let out, because he would be a threat to the public.

We'll ask how this could affect the UK's relationship with the court.

Also, Ed Miliband sets out plans to change the relationship between

Labour and the unions, after the recent controversy over union

influence. This is the most humble day of my life. Rupert Murdoch is

invited back to a committee investigating the phone hacking

scandal. The captain of the Costa Concordia, which ran aground off

Italy last year, has gone on trial. And, on the eve of the Ashes, we ask

if England's cricketers will continue the summer of British

sporting success. Coming up in Sportsday, Britain's Mark Cavendish

finishes third in the tour defans after being involved in a crash. --

Tour de France, after being involved murderers, who were sentenced to

spend the rest of her lives in prison, have won their case in

Europe. The judges ruled that never having the possibility of parole was

inhuman, or degrading. The Prime Minister said he profoundly

disagreed with that decision, as we now report. Multiple murderers,

Jeremy Bamber, Douglas Vinter and Peter Moore. Three members of a

group of 49 people, serving the whole of their lives behind bars in

England and Wales. They are the worst and most notorious murderers.

They include rose west and the killer of five-year-old April Jones,

Mark Bridger. There has been a violation. Today, the European Court

of Human Rights ruled that with a whole life sentence there needed to

be both a possibility of release and review and that therefore there had

been a violation of human rights in the case of all three men. I think

it's very important, all the evidence shows that where people

serving sentences have some hope, have some possibility of review,

there is a much greater incentive to engage with the system, to work on

behaviour. Do the very worst murderers deserve that hope? On 7th

July August 1985, Jeremy Bamber shot his adopted parents and sister and

her two young sons. Following his conviction, the trial judge

recommended that he serve 25 years. But under the system that operated

at the time the then Home Secretary imposed a whole-of-life sentence.

His cousin gave his reaction. have had 27 years and I've lost five

members of my family and I would be very concerned should he ever be let

out. He's killed five people. He should stay where he is. Already

angered by rulings from the court on issues such as prisoner voting,

today's judgment infuriated the Conservatives. I think the British

people will be deeply frustrated by this. It's certainly not what they

want. It's not what they believe is right. It re-affirms to me my own

determination to see real changes to our laws. Changing human rights laws

currently applied by British judges would be extraordinarily difficult.

The Lib Dems are opposed and many argue it could damage the UK's

reputation around the world. The Government now has six months to

bring in a system to review whole-of-life sentences. If that

happens, then today's judgment makes it very likely that in the case of

my individual prisoner they would have to serve 25 years behind bars

before their sentence could be reviewed. The court's ruling doesn't

raise the prospect of imminent release, but it gives a glimmer of

hope to some of the most reviled murderers of modern times.

Live to Westminster and our deputy political editor, James Landale. How

do you this ruling affects the debate about the legislation?

won't be much difference. Nothing changes quickly when it comes to

Europe and the Government is in no mood to rush, but it could have an

impact. Ministers have been out and about saying how disappointed and

frustrated they are, but behind the scenes they are not untieRle

unhappy. That's because they think the court has overreached itself

here. They thought this cost -- court fought this court over Abu

Qatada and prisoner voting and they think they have an even greater

reason to push for reform and a reason they think the public will

ready. The Home Secretary says that nothing is off the table, not even

potentially with drawing from the jurisdiction of the court and even

the Convention, but all of that will have to be for a manifesto. The Lib

Dems are opposed to pulling out of the court. That said, I have spoken

to a lot of Conservative and Labour MPs have made the point that Britain

gave up the death penalty, capital punishment in 1965, because the

public had been promised that in return there would be a proper life

sentence that meant a life sentence. Those MPs said that they will be

prepared to vote to protect that. James, thank you.

Ed Miliband has set out plans to change the relationship between

Labour and the trade unions. The plans include the pledge to end the

automatic affiliation fee, which is paid by millions of union members to

the party. He said he was seizing the moment, after the controversy

surrounding the choice of a candidate in Falkirk. Our political

editor has more details. It's a relationship as old as the

party itself. The unions founded Labour. But today, the party's

leader declared he wanted to change that relationship to suit this

century and not the last. Ed, not David Miliband, got this job, thanks

in no small part to the unions. He's always felt under pressure to prove

that he's not their creature. Working people should be right at

the hard of our party. That's why our relationship with individual

union members has got to change. proposals were revealed in what was

the home of Fleet Street's once mighty print unions. The details of

-- are yet to be agreed. Much of the page is still blank. But here's the

headline, which really matters - in the 21st century it doesn't make

sense for anyone to be affiliated to a political party unless they've

chosen to do so. In theory, this this will end automatic membership

and give individuals the choice whether to join or not. It was a

speech which a former leader said he wished he had made. I think this is

a defining moment and I think it's bold and strong. It's real

leadership, this. What is more than a little puzzling is that the speech

was also hailed by the leader of Britain's largest trade union, who

most assumed was the target of the sort of reforms Tony Blair favours.

If Tony Blair's in favour and Len is in favour, they can't be talking

about the same thing? Well, Ed's achieved what might have seemed an

impossible position. My understanding is that Tony Blair and

I don't always agree with him, but I don't always disagree, but on this

occasion he says that this was a leadership speech and somebody

giving lead and I agree, it was. Will it mean that there will be many

fewer Unite members who are affiliated? There's no doubt about

that. Will there be much less money? I suspect there might be, yes.

Another big union, the GMB, said the plan was completely without the

necessary substance required to see if it's workable. The relationship

between the unions and Labour has a long history. Why only now is Ed

Miliband asking questions about it in his third year as party leader?

The answer is obvious of course, he's been caught up in a row over

whether the unions are trying to rig the selection of Parliamentary

candidates. That's the allegation made here in Falkirk. Labour called

in the police to investigate claims, which Unite, the union deny, that

people were signed up to the party without even knowing it. That was to

help choose to candidate likely to be the town's next MP. What we saw

in Falkirk is part of the death throws of the old politics, one that

was hated and rightly so. His remedy is a new Code of Conduct for those

wanting to become Labour candidates, spending limits for their campaigns,

and examining the use of American-style primaries, in which

party supporters, not only members, can vote. The Tories are unimpressed

and claim the plan could give the unions more power not less. He comes

out today and makes an emergency speech and it transspires that the

leaders love it and not surprising, because they'll get more power in

the Labour Party. Ed Miliband spent four days drawing up plans to change

the way his party's been organised for decades. He says he's seizing

the moment. Maybe, but no-one seems sure what his plan will add up to in

practice. Rupert Murdoch, the head of News

Corp, says he welcomes an invitation to re-appear before the Culture,

Media and Sport Select Committee. Last week a secret recording emerged

in which he seemed to be telling journalists that he regretted the

co-operation that the company had given to the police into phone

hacking and illegal payments. When Rupert Murdoch last met MPs he told

them he was shocked, appalled and ashamed of what some of his

journalists had done. He was going to do everything to root out

wrongdoing and uncover the truth. Who could forget this opening

statement. This is the most humble day of my life. Two years on, a

secret recording broadcast last week by Channel 4 revealed a rather more

He was addressing a group of around 30 journalists from the Sun, most of

whom are under investigation, suspected of making illegal payments

to officials. Inside that meeting, journalists weren't told of

co-operation, instead it was criticism the police were receiving.

Documents were no longer being handed over, they were asking for

court orders. Those journalists were told they would have his support

even if they were convicted and the whole issue was described as next to

nothing. I'm referring to the statement... Today, appearing from

the Home Affairs Committee, the Metropolitan Police had this to say.

The relationship hauls been a challenging one. Since May of this

year voluntary co-operation has been significantly reduced. And the

police want to study the recording as part of investigations that have

led to 126 arrests, 42 charges, six convictions. Rupert Murdoch

meanwhile was said tonight to be welcoming a chance to return to face

MPs in order to clear up any misconceptions.

In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood has rejected plans for new elections to

be held next year. The group said that the preels put forward by the

caretaker President were unlawful and during the day there were more

protests on the streets of Cairo and have huge symbolic meaning. They

carried 50 shrouds to commemorate the men that were killed in

yesterday's on the attack. They said this was not a pro-Islamic rally at

a protest for democracy, and against army control. I got my vote in the

election, I wrote it and they took my vote and they wrote it again.

Egypt's interim government has proposed that the constitution be

written and put to a referendum in four months, followed by

Parliamentary elections in 2014. Only then will there be presidential

elections. There is no appetite for the new plan among the supporters of

Mohamed Morsi. They say they cannot affect it because it comes with Adly

Mansour, who they view as a military student should. They think the

military should not be having any part in Egyptian politics. The

Muslim Brotherhood will not speak to Adly Mansour or his ministers.

has literally no cottages know basis, he is an illegitimate

president. -- he has no legitimate basis. After days of political

wrangling, Adly Mansour has picked a prime minister. Despite the unrest,

he is pressing on with his government. Tonight the political

parties that opposed Mohamed Morsi sent a message to the Muslim

Brotherhood. Let's go to early elections in which you will take

part and that offer is still on the table. Except reconciliation, except

that we are at the verge of civil war, the country is in a state of

chaos. Another funeral procession in Alexandria for two policeman killed

yesterday. These events make it all the more difficult for protesters

and politicians to reach the compromise that Egypt is so

desperately needs. The captain of the Costa Concordia,

the cruise liner that ran aground off the Italian coast last year, has

appeared in court charged with multiple counts of manslaughter.

More than 4,000 passengers were onboard when the liner hit a reef

off the island of Giglio. 32 passengers died in the accident.

Francesco Schettino has been accused of cowardice by parts of the Italian

media, as our correspondent Christian Fraser reports.

The Italian captain, Francesco Schettino, striding into court this

morning with that same confident swagger he displayed a board his

ship. He had sailed the Costa Concordia within 100 metres of a

coastline and on its ill-fated approach to the island of Giglio,

prosecutors say he was talking on his mobile phone.

TRANSLATION: Not only did he fail in his management of the emergency, he

put his own life above the lives of his passengers. Today, the shipwreck

is surrounded by cranes, the biggest salvage operation ever. In evidence

they will play the Black box recordings which include the

captain's conflicted orders and the chaos that followed. The ship left

its planned route. The captain did spot the rock but it was too late.

He's turned ripped a hole in the stern. The power failed. Only by

like did the ship drift back to the reef, where it tipped violently to

starboard. It took Francesco Schettino 45 minutes to issue the

emergency. Those stranded were now on their own. There are three issues

which this trial will tackle. Why did captain Francesco Schettino

leave the safety of the deep channels? Did his delay in calling

the order to abandon ship cost more lives? And why was he online -- on

land when hundreds of his passengers were still on the ship? Francesco

Schettino still maintains he slipped and fell onto one of the life boats.

One of the coastguards never really believed him. Newlyweds, Ian and

Janice, were among the last to escape. They were celebrating their

honeymoon. They climbed through a porthole but at this point Francesco

Schettino had checked into a hotel. He was a sponsored in his bed while

I was clambering off a ship down a rope ladder. I could not believe

anybody would be so selfish. passengers did not escape. The only

solace for their families is that Captain Coward, as he is called by

the Italian media, is facing 20 years in jail. Not that justice will

be quick. The trial has been postponed for a week because of a

lawyer strike. An inquest jury has decided that an

Angolan man who died while being deported from the UK was unlawfully

killed. The inquest heard that Jimmy Mubenga was restrained on a plane by

three G4S guards at Heathrow and made repeated appeals for help

before losing consciousness. The Crown Prosecution Service had

decided not to bring charges in relation to Mr Mubenga's death but

that may change, as our home affairs correspondent Matt Prodger reports.

46-year-old Jimmy Mubenga lived legally in Britain for 16 years but

in 2010 he was being reported to Angola -- deported to Angola. He

died before his plane left the ground. His widow welcomed the

verdict that he had been unlawfully killed. I feel like Jimmy is resting

in peace now because everything was behind the door and now it has come

out. I feel happy. Jimmy Mubenga did not want to leave the UK but it

wasn't until he boarded the British Airways flight to Angola that he

showed signs of violence. After a struggle between Mr Mubenga and the

guards, fellow passengers said they heard him screaming repeatedly, I

can't breathe, you are killing me. He was handcuffed from behind and

his head was forced down to his knees. It was unreasonable force,

said the jury, and a significant cause of his death. And earlier

decision not to prosecute the G4S guards would be reconsidered. The

company said it acted appropriately. Campaigners say it was a tragedy

waiting to happen. We need to have an urgent review of the way in which

private companies are involved in deportations because there has been

a long documented history of evidence of allegations of excessive

force well before Jimmy Mubenga died. The Home Office is currently

reviewing restraint techniques. With regard to the case of Jimmy

Mubenga, it says it expects the highest standards from its

contractors. Investigators in Canada are still

trying to work out what caused a train carrying oil to crash and

explode in a village in Quebec, killing at least 13 people. -- 15

people. Today the firm in charge and fire-fighters called to an earlier

blaze onboard were both blaming each other for the disaster. Around 40

people are still missing. -- 50 people.

Once a sleepy lakeside town of short distance from the American border,

Lac-Megantic has now been reduced to rubble. A runaway train containing

pressurised containers of crude oil came barrelling down the hillside

and once it reached here, jumped the rails and exploded. The first photos

of the town centre released today show a scene of absolute

devastation. This man and his wife were among those whose home was

destroyed by the explosion. We have five neighbours for sure that are

dead. Five neighbours. With fire is still burning, there are parts of

the town that investigators are still unable to get to. The key

question of course is what went wrong. Particularly puzzling is the

fact that a small fire broke out on the train as it was parked up in a

nearby village prior to a shift change. Firefighters dealt with that

but a short while later, the train was barrelling down hill, destined

for this small town. One suggestion is that by shutting off the

locomotive in order to deal with the fire, the firefighters could have

unwittingly shut off its brakes as well. Thus causing the carriages to

roll down. Officials meanwhile struggling to identify the bodies

and there is a feeling that many of the dead will never be traced.

don't have any more bodies that have been found. How did they manage to

derail? That is part of the investigation. Officials are asking

if families of those missing to provide raises or anything with

samples of their DNA. This one sleepy town is bracing itself for

more bad news in the days ahead. Dozens of people were injured today

in a car bombing in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The blast happened

in a suburb loyal to the Shia militant group, Hezbollah, whose

fighters have been supporting President Assad's forces in

neighbouring Syria. No group has said it carried out the attack.

The International Monetary Fund has increased its economic growth

forecast for the UK this year from 0.7% to 0.9%. It's the first time

since April 2012 that the IMF has raised its UK forecast. Our

economics editor Stephanie Flanders is with me. Should people be

celebrating? It is clearly good news and it is

bit of a novelty. I have been telling you in the last few years

that the IMF have cut our growth forecast again. Today they raised it

slightly on a day where they were cutting the forecast for quite a

large part of the world, particularly in that you market

economies like China, Russia and Brazil. So you could see the IMF is

catching up with some of the good news we have heard about the economy

in the last few months in the UK. The UK think tank said today that

the economy grew by 0.6% in the last three months. But let's be clear,

this is still a very modest recovery by historical standards. Even the

IMF forecast is a bit lower than they were hoping for at the start of

the year and they are still expecting only fairly modest growth

next year as well. You can see why we might still need to worry. The

Eurozone is still deep in recession and a massive question over the

emerging market economies. Can they cope with the possible end of the US

policy of pumping cheap money into the global economy? All of that

could contain our growth. Thank you, Stephanie.

The Ashes series between England and Australia begins at Trent Bridge

tomorrow. The Australian captain, Michael Clarke, admitted the hosts

were favourites to make it three in a row. Joe Wilson reports.

England versus Australia, the cricket series which sells itself

and sells out grounds but that does not mean you can't add some hype.

Alistair Cooke is a near captain, realising that when it is the Ashes,

everyone suddenly cares. I want to wish the best of luck. The red

arrows are right behind the England cricket team. Best of luck to

Alistair Cooke and the boys. Pressure? One of the big differences

in the series against Australia is the general interest in the series.

Over the last couple of weeks, a lot of people have come up in the street

and said good luck. On the other side of the world, these cricketers

in Sydney know the Ashes are happening in England and may choose

to sleep through it. The ponds are favourite and they deserve to be.

would be closer than we are led to believe but I still think it will go

England's way. Australia lost their last test series in India but since

they have been in England they have gone from disarray to transition.

Comparing the two, England has solidity. Andy Flowers won the Ashes

twice and Darren Lehman only took over Australia recently. Australia

depend on Michael Clarke, great record but suspect back. James

Anderson seems to be in his prime. James Pattinson is quick and

talented but inexperienced. England are expected to win. The Australian

team have nothing to lose, I guess, so hopefully they will give it

everything. The Ashes breathes life into test cricket. Mass media