01/04/2012 BBC Weekend News

New powers to access emails, texts and phone calls - under legislation

being drawn up by ministers. But the plans to help track terror

suspects are labelled a "snooper's charter" by critics.

Wild celebrations in Burma after the Nobel peace prize winner Aung

San Suu Kyi wins a seat in the country's parliament.

More tax on your plane ticket - airlines complain about sky high

passenger duty. And is King Kenny's crown slipping,

as Dalglish's Liverpool lose yet Good evening. The monitoring of

phone calls, texts and e-mails of everyone in the UK will be extended

under legislation being drawn up by the Government. Ministers say they

need the new powers to catch up with technological advances and

tackle terrorism and crime. Some accuse the Government of extending

its ability to snoop on ordinary people and say the move is entirely

unnecessary. Our Political Correspondent Iain

Watson reports. When the coalition Government came to power, they said

they'd cut Big Brother down to size and introduce a Freedom Bill to

reverse what they saw as Labour's attacks on civil liberties. But

they're now planning legislation which even some of their own

supporters say amounts to mass surveillance. They don't need this

law to protect us. This is an unnecessary extension of the

ability of the state to snoop on ordinary, innocent people, in vast

numbers. Frankly, they shouldn't have that power. The Government

plans to give the intelligence services access to e-mail exchanges

and records of telephone calls and texts on demand. Currently

communications companies must keep records of phone calls and e-mails

for up to a year. The Government plans to extend this to cover

social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Some experts say it

would be costly and complicated. It's a difficult job to keep track

of so many different forms of data, each time we communicate with a

company we use different protocols, different means of sending that.

That's constantly changing and must be kept up with. In a statement,

be kept up with. In a statement, This is the headquarters of MI5,

but the Government are at pains to say they're not trying to introduce

a new snooper's charter for the nation's Spooks, though it would be

possible to find out who is telephoning or e. Mailing whom, the

content of those communications in most circumstances would remain

private. Even this isn't enough to satisfy some of the Government's

sceptics. The Lib Dems say they can support the plans in principle, but

want further reashurpbss. We need to be certain that when unpacking

information that all they're capturing is the person who is

making the call or the electronic communication, that they're not

capturing the content. We can do that. I think that can be

guaranteed, but it may require some fundamental software changes to

ensure that it happens. Despite doubts amongst some of their own

supporters, the Government say they'll ge ahead with their plans

at the earliest opportunity. And Iain is with me now. It's quite

a surprising move from parties that railed against the surveillance

state so much when they were in opposition. They say they're just

updating old laws dating to the year 2000. I'm told their plans

will be in the Queen's speech in May when the Government sets out

the legislation for the year ahead. They're saying they're not doing

what the last Labour Government proposed, to have a central

communications database. Simply the authorities go to individual

companies, IT companies and phone companies and access records for

very serious investigations. I'm also told that the Government is

considering compensating those companies for the cost of holding

that accessing that level of information. So there are concerns

amongst coalition backbenchers about the overall cost of this and

also, as we heard from David Davis, there are much more fundamental

objections. Even amongst Conservative MPs the Government

will have a challenge to get this through unscathed. Thank you.

Burma's pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has won a

Parliamentary seat in historic by- elections. The polls are seen as a

crucial test of the Burmese military's government's commitment

to political reform, which could convince Western governments to end

sanctions against the country. From Rangoon, our Special Correspondent

Fergal Keane sent this report. A typical morning of the late dry

season, but one when freedom edged forward in Burma. This 85-year-old

was born under British rule. She's seen world war, dictatorship and

now democracy. One of thousands who've made their way to the polls

across the country today. "I voted for Aung San Suu Kyi. She's for

democracy. That's why I love her." The pro-democracy leader was south

of Rangoon in her constituency. Queues had been forming since dawn.

By the day's end Aung San Suu Kyi's seat would be won, despite her

misgivings about electoral fraud elsewhere. At this Rangoon polling

station, the civil servant in charge displayed an empty ballot

box, nothing suspicious here, he said. For some voters it's hard to

trust the state. You don't believe the government? I never believe.

Why? They are not freedom. We are always suffering from their control.

But all day they kept coming, seeking their names on the voters'

lists. For many the crack downs and jailings that defined political

life in this country seem part of history now. Even for ex-political

prisoners. You spent ten years in prison to get to this day. That's

right. How you happy with how things are going so far? Coming out

of the prison is, I'm happy. Then this is a moment, practising

democracy, because election, so I'm more happy. Last election, you know

the political parties are many restriction. The people are

intimidated. They are afraid of. But not now, this time. At the pro-

democracy headquarters this evening, unofficial results were announced.

Many constituencies showed their candidates winning. There was joy,

though Parliament will, for now, still be controlled by the military.

In all of this, it's vital to remember the gulf between the

ambitions of the Democrats and the government which sees the by-

elections as a way of ending international isolation. Aung San

Suu Kyi wants this to be a stepping stone to a national poll that will

bring her party to power. Higher taxes on air passengers have

come into force today. Airlines, including British Airways and

virgin, say it will damage bills and could stop tourists travelling

to the UK. For long-haul flights of more tan 4,000 miles, it's up to

�92 per person. Our Business Correspondent Joe Lynam has more

details. Planning a big trip abroad this year? Well pack a few extra

quid as well as the tooth brush, because the tax that the Government

charges on every passenger leaving Britain is going up again from

today. The airlines are so cross that they've set aside their normal

bickering to unify against the Air Passenger Duty increase. It's got

to a stage now where the sums are so great, such a great percentage

of the ticket that it really is deterring people from coming in the

UK. Tax is all very well when it's not actually costing the country

money. I think it's getting to a stage where it's going to cost the

country money. From today, if you're flying short haul to Europe

you must now pay �13 per person per flight f. You're flying to the US

or Australia, it will be �65 and �92 respectively. A family of four

will be paying �260 for a holiday to Florida in duty alone.

definitely makes a difference when you're looking for flights. You

look for the cheaper option any way. To find the cheap option and have

�90 on top of that is, yeah, it would discourage me from going.

Government has to raise additional revenue because there's a strain on

resources in relation to health and education and welfare, which I

believe have to be priorities. the Government said that airlines

don't pay any VAT on fuel or domestic flights and they benefit

from the recent cut in corporation tax. The reality is that today's

news means that most passengers pay only a pound more on their flights

because of the rise. The fact is also that we have made aviation tax

fairer by bringing private business jets in for the first time by this

move. All in all, we were able to take action to freeze APD last year

and we have been able to be clear about what would happen to it this

year. By making flights to far flung destinations more expensive,

some pay may decide to take their vacations at home. Local hotels and

the Treasury will be very glad of it indeed.

Up to 3,000 jobs could be saved at the struggling computer games

retailer Game after a deal to buy more than half the company's stores

was reached. It's expected around 300 branches in the UK and Ireland

can be saved after the deal with the investment group Opcapita.

Saudi Arabia, another kun -- and other countries in the gulf are

setting up a fund to help opposition forces in seer ya. The

money will pay salaries to members of the Free Syrian Army and to

soldiers who defect from the regime. The announcement was made in

Istanbul at a major conference on the future of the opposition

movement. From there, Jonathan Head sent this report. Months of

feverish diplomacy on Syria and what's changed? In a week when the

Assad government once again promised to comply with a peace

plan, opposition strong holds were pounded as fiercely as ever. The

countries supporting political change there represent almost half

of the United Nationss. They wanted this conference to demonstrate how

isolated President Assad is and how little they trust him. Rather than

allowing access for humanitarian aid, they have tightened their

siege and rather than beginning a political transition, the regime

has crushed dozens of peaceful protests. We can only conclude that

Assad has decided to add to his long list of broken promises.

Strong words, though, could not disguise the lack of new action. No

internationally policed safe zones, no weapons supplies to the

insurgents. But there was a promise to fund more non-lethal aid for the

Free Syrian Army. That was our request. We stated to pay all the

defected members of the Army. We asked several countries for

supporting such a fund financially. The opposition hopes that more

money will turn the rag tag rebldz and defectors into a more united

and more effective fighting force. No breakthroughs at the conference,

but then none was expected. The decision to fund the insurgents of

the Free Syrian Army is significant, recognition of the central role the

armed wing of the opposition is now playing in the campaign to oust

President Assad and it's a warning to those countries still backing

the Syrian President of how far this conflict could still escalate.

A rescue operation is under way in the Pacific Ocean after three

British sailors and an Australianatesman were injured

while competing in the Round the World Yacht Race. It's believed a

large wave washed over the yacht, seen here at the start of the race,

some time yesterday, sweeping away equipment. A US Coast Guard boat

and helicopter are expected to reach them in the next few hours.

Rescuers in Russia have saved over 600 people who were stranded on an

ice floe. The alarm was raised this morning after the ice broke off

from the mainland in Russia's Far East. Boats and helicopters were

scrambled to bring the group, including fishermen and their

families, safely ashore. Now let's get the sports news from

Olly Foster at the BBC Sports Centre. Hello. Tottenham Hotspur

have their first win in six Premier League matches. They beat Swansea

3-1. They're level on points in the table with third placed Arsenal.

Earlier Newcastle kept themselves in contention for a place in Europe,

after winning 2-0 against Liverpool, who finished with ten men.

From Tyneside hero to pantomime villain, Andy Carol back at

Newcastle for the first time since joining Liverpool, he was booed and

promptly booked for diving. The replays didn't look great.

Liverpool stumbled from bad to worse. Yes they might have had a

penalty, when Danny Simpson seemed to use his arm, but Newcastle

showed why they're challenging the top four. Papiss Cisse scoring once

before the break and once after it. Liverpool lost for the sixth time

in seven league games. O'Carroll was substituted to the fondest of

farewells. And Reina got a red card for violent conduct. A grim day for

Kenny Dalglish. It's not been an easy time for

Harry Redknapp either. His Tottenham side have stuttered

recently. Not that he'd have guess today though as Rafael Van der

Vaart put them into the lead. Swansea have claimed a few scalps

this season. After the break they showed why.

A deserved equaliser. Spurs kept on pressing and their

persistence paid off. Adebayor proved his prowess. In valuable

victory for Spurs, back to winning ways in the nick of time.

Just one more point will do it for Celtic, that's all they need to win

the Scottish Premier League title. They beat St Johnstone 2-0 today.

Georgos Samaras with the first. Because Rangers won yesterday, the

title party is on hold for another week. Celtic will win the title if

they get at least a draw at Kilmarnock next weekend. No matter

what Rangers do. Elsewhere Hibs beat Inverness 3-2.

Andy Murray's on court at the Miami Masters where he's facing Novak

Djokovic in the final. He got a walk over in the semi-final because

of an injury to Rafael Nadal. They're into the first set,

Djokavic already a break up leading 3-1.

Gavin henson has apologised for behaving inappropriately on board a

flight at 7am yesterday. He was part of the side that lost at

Glasgow warriors and he admitted going out drinking following the

match and carrying on on the plane, taking the team back to Cardiff. He

says he's truly embarrassed by the incident. He's been suspended by