27/10/2012 BBC Weekend News

Jimmy Savile's family speak out about their turmoil over the

allegations of sexual abuse surrounding him. They offer

sympathy and understanding to his victims and say the revelations

have taken a shattering toll on the family.

Quit smoking by 30 - how women can avoid the risks of dying young from

smoking-related diseases. And, there's been fighting across

Syria as the government and rebels accuse each other of violating the

Good afternoon. Jimmy Savile's nephew has spoken of

his family's turmoil over allegations of sexual abuse

surrounding the late TV presenter and DJ. Roger Foster - who at first

defended his uncle - said the claims had now overwhelmed the

family and made it difficult for them to reconcile their image of a

man who did so much for charity with one who committed, what he

called, indecent criminal acts. This report from Ed Thomas in Goole.

He was the nation's entertainer, now police say he is one of the

country's most prolific sex offenders. I wake up in the morning

and wonder what's going to happen next. After weeks of allegations,

Jimmy Savile's nephew says his family's been left in despair.

Totally devastating, I cannot understand for the life of me how a

guy who did so much good in his life with the work that he did, his

charity work, his Trusts, the people that he helped, could have

such a dark side to him that nobody knew about. Did you ever suspect

your uncle, any doubts, any any sp -- suspicions? None whatsoever. I

still have a part of me proud of him, not proud of the way things

have turned out, but proud of the things that he did, in trying to

help other people. And I am so absolutely devastated and

disappointed that this dark side is the side that he will be remembered

for. I am also devastated and disappointed and very sympathetic

towards the people who have kept this dark secret all of their lives.

Today, there was another sign of the past catching up with Jimmy

Savile. The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and

Wales is trying to have his Papal knighthood removed. Police have

over 300 potential victims. It's a lot to take in for the family left

behind. We enjoyed life. We did so many good things. Brought so much

happiness to many people and now all of that's gone. Jimmy Savile's

nephew said he felt like he had to speak out on behalf of his family.

He said the repercussions of this scandal were enormous. He also

asked one question - where will it all end?

Women who quit smoking by the age of 30 will almost completely avoid

the risks of dying early from tobacco-related diseases. That's

according to a study in the medical journal the Lancet which studied

more than a million women in the UK. And, as our health correspondent

Branwen Jeffreys reports, it also found that long-term smokers lost

around ten years from their lifespan.

Angela took up smoking at the age of 11, so giving up when she was 28

was tough. Angela got advice and nicotine substitutes from her local

NHS, but it also took a lot of willpower. Today's research shows

by giving up while she's still young, Angela should live as long

as a non-smoker and she's already feeling healthier. It's amazing. I

can feel it already, actually. It's great just being able to breathe

again. If I have a night out I wake up in the morning before wheezing,

but I I don't have that any more. I have my sense of smell back which

is like a new experience for me, I didn't realise that for all these

years I couldn't really smell anything.

It was in the 1950s and 60s that British women took up smoking in

large numbers. I just wanted to be sophisticated. That was the big

thing when you were about 19 and you have older friends who smoke

heavily. I saw a woman on a bus with long red fingernails, she was

smoking. I said, I was 15, and I wanted to look like her. Now by

following that generation researchers have been able to

measure the impact. Using information from more than a

million women the study in the Lancet compares smokers and non-

smokers. On average, female smokers died ten years earlier than non-

smokers. Stopping smoking by the age of 40

meant they died just one year before non-smokers.

And stopping by 30 meant almost all of the extra risk was avoided.

More than half of all women who smoke and keep on smoking will get

killed by tobacco but we have also found that if you stop early enough

you will avoid most of that risk. This study shows if you give up

young, you will live longer. But smoking is so damaging there are

other reasons to quit sooner, not later. It prematurely ages skin,

and makes it harder for women to get pregnant.

The Environment Secretary has confirmed that a ban on the import

of ash trees will come into force on Monday. The move comes after the

deadly Chalara fraxinea fungus was found at two sites in East Anglia.

It has already killed 90% of the species in Denmark in just seven

years and tree imports have been blamed for it spreading here to the

There have been scattered wintery showers across eastern Britain.

Snow fell in Newcastle overnight and parts of county Durham had

around an inch of snow by the morning, creating difficult driving

conditions. More than a million tonnes of salt have been set aside

by councils in England and Wales to cope with icy roads this winter.

Hurricane Sandy - which killed more than 40 people in the Caribbean -

has strengthened as it heads towards the east coast of the

United States. The threat of the storm has already led to political

rallies being cancelled there and people stocking up on supplies. A

number of states, including New York and Pennsylvania, have

declared a state of emergency. There's been more fighting across

Syria on what was supposed to be the second day of a four-day

ceasefire negotiated by the international envoy Lakhdar Brahimi.

Opposition activists have accused the government of resuming aerial

bombardments. Syrian state television has blamed what they

call terrorists for the continued violence. Our Middle East

correspondent, Jim Muir, reports from Beirut.

Clearly not what Lakhdar Brahimi had in mind when he called for the

holiday truce. Activists video which we can't independently verify,

appeared to show massive explosions as Government jets pounded the

suburb on the edge of of Damascus. Hostilities have continued in many

parts of the country, including here right up near the Turkish

border in the far north-west. Rebel fighters had no hesitation in

blaming the Government for the violations. TRANSLATION:

We woke up assuming there was a truce. But at 5.00am the army

started shelling us heavily, for them there is no ceasefire. Much of

Syria's third big egs -- biggest city, hoplts, -- Homs, has been

reduced to rubble. What's left has taken another pounding during the

ceasefire according to activists. This is Bashar al-Assad's holiday

greeting to Homs, the cameraman says, just look at all this, this

is Lakhdar Brahimi's so-called truce.

But it wasn't all one way. This activist video said it showed rebel

gunmen attacking a police hospital. And Syrian state television

squarely blamed rebels. It calls them terrorists for all the

violations, saying the army is simply responding. The rebels lack

the heavy weapons the Government is using so freely, like here in

Aleppo. But they're convinced they can win and the regime still

believes it can beat them. With neither side ready to talk,

it's not surprising that Lakhdar Brahimi's truce is going up in

smoke. Sebastian Vettel's hopes of winning

a third consecutive Formula One World Championship have been

boosted after he secured pole position for tomorrow's Indian

Grand Prix. After a shaky start, the German driver clocked the

fastest time ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber. The McLarens

of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will line up together on the second

row. Five games so far in the Premier

League today. Aston Villa and Norwich City drew 1-1 at Villa Park.

Michael Turner's glancing header secured a point for the visitors

after Christian Benteke had put Villa a goal up. There were also

wins for Arsenal and Wigan. Reading drew with Fulham, and Stoke were