20/08/2014 BBC News at One

Islamic State militants release a video online believed to show

James Foley was kidnapped in Syria two years ago - the militant in the

All the hallmarks point to it being genuine, an appalling example of the

brutality of this organisation. The Prime Minister has described it as

shocking and depraved. We'll be getting

the latest live from Downing Street The wife and child of a Hamas

militant leader have been killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza -

it's not known if he survived. Partners mustn't get away with it -

plans to make domestic abuse A split in the Bank of England -

for the first time in three years Staff shortages

and poor quality emergency care, the health watchdog criticises

North West London Hospitals. And remembering those who died

in the Marchioness disaster Good afternoon

and welcome to the BBC News at One. Militants from Islamic State have

posted a video online which appears to show the beheading of an American

journalist, in retaliation, it says, for US airstrikes

against its forces in Iraq. He's identified in the recording

as James Foley, a 40-year-old photojournalist who was abducted

in Syria two years ago. The masked militant in the video

appears to have a British accent. The Prime Minister is returning to

Downing Street from his holiday to hold emergency

meetings on the situation. In a moment we will be joining

our correspondents in Downing Street and in Washington, but first, whilst

we are not showing the full video - you may find some images from it -

in this report from our security correspondent Frank Gardner -

distressing. A brave, independent and impartial

journalist. The tributes to James Foley have been pouring in from

those who knew his work and his generosity of spirit, before he was

kidnapped in Syria nearly two years ago. Last night, militants posted a

video online, appearing to show him being beheaded by an Islamic State

fighter. The video is too graphic for us to show but his apparent

murderer speaks with a British accent. As a government, you have

been at the forefront of aggression... The video is addressed

to President Obama, threatening to kill a second captive is strikes

continue. US air power is clearly hurting the Islamic State. Air

strikes by jets and unmanned drones have slowed their advance and helped

Kurdish and Iraqi forces recaptured the strategic moves all down. But

James Foley, seen here earlier reporting from Aleppo, was at

hapless victim of the violence sweeping across the region. He was

well aware of the dangers, having worked in Libya. There does seem to

be a strong sense they will not give up their fight. In November 2012, he

was seized by gunmen in Syria. Now his friends' hopes for his eventual

release have been all but dashed. James was a true professional. He

was really dedicated to journalism. He believed in what he was doing. He

would not let anything stop. His mother paid her own tribute to him

on Facebook. She said she was proud of her son and he gave his life

trying to expose to the world the suffering of the Syrian people.

David Cameron is returning to Whitehall today, cutting short his

holiday to deal with the fact that a British citizen appears to have

murdered an American in the worst possible way. We are absolutely

aware that there are significant numbers of British nationals

involved in terrible crimes, probably in the commission of

atrocities, making jihad with IS and other extremist organisations. This

is something we have been tracking and dealing with for many, many

months. James Foley's killer will almost certainly be identified. But

the chances of bringing him to justice amid all the fighting are

very slim. Frank is with me now. This video

will be going under intense scrutiny? Yes, it will. I think

there is a lot of political pressure to identify this man and try and

bring him to justice. President Obama's administration will want

some explanation. But in the murky world of counterterrorism and

intelligence, this is a case of this is part of an ongoing effort which

they have been doing for months to try and identify some of the 500

estimated Britons who have won out to Syria. Most of them have gone out

to extremist groups. How do they identify them? They have adopted

names, Abu this, Abu that. A lot of them post on Facebook.

names, Abu this, Abu that. A lot of them post on They identify

themselves on Twitter and other social media. When they come back to

this country, many of them will stay out there and get killed. There will

be an intense effort to try and identify who this man is and to try

and bring him to justice. In northern Iraq and northern Syria, it

will be very difficult to find him. Thank you.

In a moment, we will speak to our correspondent in Washington. First,

Carole Walker is in Downing Street. The possible involvement of a

British citizen has brought the Prime Minister out of holiday and

back to Downing Street. Yes, he is due back here shortly, clearly aware

of the impact this video will have had and the concerns it will have

raised among many people and the need to refocus the government

response to this crisis. Until now it has all been about the

humanitarian problems, what can be done to protect the refugees in the

area and to get relief supplies through to those who have been

forced to flee their homes. Now the real priority will be to try and

establish more about the identity of who may have been involved in this

video, which the Prime Minister has described as shocking and depraved.

It underlines what the Prime Minister and others have been

saying, about the dangers of British fighters involved in this. Clearly

this is not something so ministers have been telling us, that can be

ignored. If people are involved in these kind of appalling acts out in

Iraq and Syria, then clearly there is the potential that that threat

could be brought back onto the streets of Britain. The Prime

Minister will be talking not just to the Foreign Secretary, home

officials -- Home Office officials and other intelligence, there will

be clearly a song with the United States as he seeks to take personal

charge of the government's response here and try and offer what

reassurance he can to the British public, but the government is doing

all it can to counter the security threat. Thank you. We can go to

Washington now. The sense of shock and revulsion and

also a dignified response from James Foley's family. Yes, that is right.

They said how proud they were of their son trying to expose the

suffering of the Syrian people to the world. And also appealing for

the release of the other journalist who was pictured in the video. As

America wakes up to the enormity of this tragedy, a lot of attention is

now turning to the safety of the other journalists who are being

helped by this group. At least three other unknown to be captives, not

necessarily of Islamic State but have been missing for some years and

there is some concern about what America's response should be. The

morning network shows were talking about whether this beheading should

have any impact on American foreign policy in Iraq and Syria and what

the response should be. We are still waiting for it to be authenticated

and until that happens, there will be no statement from President

Obama. Once the official word is given, then we can expect some kind

of formal response. Thank you both very much.

The Israeli military has carried out sixty air strikes in Gaza

after accusing the Palestinians of firing more than 80 rockets

into Israel since the temporary ceasefire collapsed yesterday.

Officials in Gaza say at least ten Palestinians, including the wife and

baby daughter of a senior military commander of Hamas, have been killed

Our Middle East correspondent Yolande Knell reports from Gaza.

Gaza city darkened by a power cut. But then the flash of an Israeli air

strike. This morning, the clean-up and the grim search for bodies.

Palestinians hoped they had seen the last of scenes like this. Bulldozers

are directed as armed Hamas policeman keep watch. This is a

sensitive site. We now know that this big pile of rubble behind me

was a house that belonged to relatives of the top military

commander hammered macro. His wife and baby child are said to be among

those killed here. -- Mohammed Deif. There was a response from Hamas

militants. Overnight, rockets were fired towards Jerusalem. Residents

comforted each other. All of this has thrown Egypt's efforts to broker

the longer term cease-fire into jeopardy. TRANSLATION: We consider

the negotiations to be over. When the Egyptian moderators see the time

is right to resume negotiations, after receiving a response to our

proposal, we are ready to return. For now, Israel is recalling 2000

reserve soldiers who had been sent home. Hardliners in the cabinet want

a wider operation against Hamas. We have to fight it and it takes

patience. The Second World War went on for six years. We have to

persevere and beat this group of evil terrorists. Back in Das there

is concern that there could be a further escalation of violence --

back in Gaza. Just at a time when many had been looking to rebuild

their lives. Two members of the Bank of England's

Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise interest rates in August,

the first time in three years that It means the nine-member MPC voted 7

to 2 to hold interest rates Our Business Editor Kamal

Ahmed is with me now. Very few people could name all

members of the MPC. How significant is this? Not since 2011 has anybody

on the Monetary Policy Committee voted for an interest rate rise.

Interest rates have been at historic lows, 0.5%, for many, many years.

This is a signal. I have actually brought along the minutes of the

meeting to say why is it that these two people on the Monetary Policy

Committee voted for a rise at this stage. They say the fall in

unemployment has been rapid. That wage growth could pick up and if we

move now, it means we will not need more rapid rises in the future. The

key question is, will anyone else join them? It is still seven to two

against so interest rates are not rising in the immediate future. I

think if we look at the figures we saw yesterday about inflation

falling, that suggests that interest rates will not rise fray quickly.

The other issue is, as we all know, real incomes are still going down. I

think until we get to that stage, the governor of England wants to see

escape full city in the economy. I do not believe he feels that he has

got to that. Economists are saying no interest rate rise until spring

of next year. Thank you. A new crime of domestic abuse could

be created in England and Wales. The Home Secretary, Theresa May,

has launched a consultation to look at whether a new law is needed to

protect people whose partners cause them emotional and psychological

harm - but there are questions Here's our legal affairs

correspondent, Clive Coleman. Can't you do anything right? You are

useless! Terrifying abuse reflected here in a police video. Every 30

seconds, police in England and Wales receive a call on domestic violence.

But domestic abuse can also take the form of cruel psychological harm.

Carroll, not her real name, lived with a man who for years

psychologically abused her. Her words are read by a voice of a BBC

producer. Everything was monitored. If I needed to go to the supermarket

he would check the mileage on the car to check how far I went, even

standing outside the house to see which way I had driven when I left.

Now the government is consulting on whether to make domestic abuse a

separate criminal offence, focusing on psychological as well as physical

abuse. We do not think at the moment that police are taking seriously the

issue of coercive control and repeated nonphysical abuse which is

why I think it is right to consult on this to make sure the public at

large is in no doubt that firstly the government takes this matter

seriously, and secondly nonphysical abuse can be just as debilitating as

physical abuse. The government argues that those found guilty of

coercive behaviour can be prosecuted in the courts for offences of

stalking and harassment. But that does not apply specifically to the

partner so this new criminal offence would end the ambiguity. Some people

are not convinced. If the government are concerned about domestic abuse,

they should really put resources into training police or training

prosecutors. If they really do think that victims' voices are not heard,

that would be a far better use of their resources. The eight-week

consultation will now consider whether the current law on domestic

abuse is fit for purpose. Islamic State militants release

a video online believed to show Coming up: The new rules which mean

aircraft like this start flying again.

Sermons with jokes - the London comedian bringing humour

And, music on the Meridian - four nights of world class concerts

Police in the US state of Missouri say they arrested 47 demonstrators

They were part of a largely peaceful protest

following the shooting dead by police of an unarmed black teenager

Another young black man - said to be posing a threat -

was shot dead by police yesterday, but officers say last night's

Our correspondent Rajini Vaidyanathan is in Ferguson.

For the 10th night running, hundreds of people gathered to

Demonstrators filed along the street, chanting.

Armed officers were on every corner, initially at a distance.

If you are in the middle of the street,

Police say troublemakers who had come from as far as Texas

As you can see, we have been told to move by police.

They said "Media, get out of the way".

I am not sure where they are taking us, but what began as a peaceful

Protest crowds were a bit smaller, and they were out earlier.

We had to respond to fewer incidents than the night before.

There were no Molotov cocktails tonight.

It was the death of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, who was

shot by a white police officer, which sparked protests in this town.

Only yesterday, a few miles from Ferguson, another young black

They say he threatened them wielding a knife, and that shots

But many say these latest events highlight the excessive use

Rhiannon Simmonds is here from California.

She says her son was killed several years ago by

There is no justice being done about these police officers killing

Justice is what officials are promising to deliver.

As well as a local investigation into Michael Brown's death, a second

Rajini Vaidyanathan, BBC News, Ferguson.

At least 36 people have died after landslides hit the

Japanese city of Hiroshima.

Dozens of houses were buried when hillsides saturated by weeks of

rain gave way during a storm which hit in the middle of the night.

Our Tokyo correspondent Rupert Wingfield Hayes reports.

Yesterday, this was a neat and tidy neighbourhood of northern Hiroshima.

Today, it is a mangled heap of smashed houses and overturned cars.

The torrential rain that caused all this began shortly after midnight.

Within three hours, nearly 25 centimetres of rain had

It all happened so fast, the first residents here knew

about it was when the mud started coming into their homes.

All we could do was get the family together and get out, says this

woman, as the flow of mud coming into the house was quite strong.

When I realised what was happening, says this man,

there was mud flowing around and cars were being washed away.

Then everything started sliding away.

Japan is a very mountainous country, and landslides here are not

uncommon. A very similar event killed 32

people on an island south of Tokyo last August.

But these events are becoming more common and more deadly.

In the 1990s, there were an average of 770 landslides a year in Japan.

In the last decade, that number has nearly doubled to 1200 year.

Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC News, in Tokyo.

The Liberian government has imposed a curfew across the entire country

as it struggles to contain an outbreak of ebola. Emergency

food deliveries to the quarantined areas are being

World Food Programme, to avoid a famine

as farmers struggle to produce as much in the face of roadblocks

The Liberal Democrats have dropped disciplinary proceedings

against their former chief executive, Lord Rennard.

He was being investigated after failing to fully apologise

His suspension from the party has also been lifted.

Our political correspondent Arif Ansari is in Westminster.

Executive is this the end of it? Probably. But these claims came from

four women last year. They said Lord Rennard was responsible for sexual

harassment, something they wanted sorted out. So a barrister was

appointed. That barrister came to the conclusion that the women were

broadly credible, but that they could not be proved young reasonable

doubt. So what happened then was a disciplinary enquiry, largely

because Lord Rennard failed to apologise. I think ultimately, the

party has simply come to the conclusion that they are not going

to be able to resolve this matter to the satisfaction of most people. So

what they have ultimately done is tried to draw a line under it. It is

not really going to work. Of the four women themselves, three have

left the party. One described this as simply being fudge have to fudge.

But ultimately, I think the leadership realises that they were

not going to be able to get any kind of consensual end to this saga. They

have drawn a line under it, but it is not a line that is going to

satisfy anybody. Patients are given more information

about NHS services than ever before, but they are not given

the same information about private hospitals, many of which carry out

services for the NHS. Now a new report is calling

for private hospitals to release the same amounts

of information affecting patient Our Health Correspondent Jane

Dreaper reports. I look quite yellow, don't I?

Anthony Luker had a start to the year, an operation to move his gall

bladder should have been straightforward. He had surgery at a

private hospital under medical insurance, but complications made

him weak and he needed follow-up surgery. I lost two and a half stone

in weight during that time, because I was not able to eat. Or sleep. I

have been able to do some cycling and some walking. For a few months,

I couldn't do anything like that. Today's report says patients need

better information about safety in private hospitals. They treat more

than a million patients a year, including 400,000 who are funded by

the NHS in England. But it is not yet possible to compare data for

death rates or complications between different NHS and independent

hospices. The basic necessity is to make all hospitals report the same

data so that they can be compared with each other and so that the data

can be analysed and where it shows where problems are, the problems can

be fixed. Patients' charity said people need the fullest information

about the hospital, wherever they are being treated. The private

sector says it is putting better systems in place. We already have

more information than was previously available, and in the next two

years, patients will start to see on our website information that is

directly, treble with the NHS, comprehensive in terms of quality

and price for both hospitals and consultants. Anthony Luker is on the

mend now. Cases like his are very rare, and private hospitals say they

are proud of their safety record. Jane Treiber, BBC News.

They are a part of history, the planes such as these Lancaster

bombers which played such a crucial role in the First and Second World

Wars. Many of them are now only in the sky because their owners spend

huge sums of money, often going into debt to fund the flying. Now this

could be about to change. Our transport correspondent Richard

Wescott is at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in spills

beat find out how. This is beautifully restored Lancaster

bomber. The new rules could mean that planes like this could start

flying again. It may not be

the prettiest aircraft, or But this one,

top speed around 70 miles an hour, One was used to pluck Mussolini

from the top of a mountain in One was landed in the streets of

Berlin under fierce Russian Field Marshal Montgomery had one

and used it extensively It was a helicopter before

anyone really had helicopters. It could land on a sixpence

on those long, gangly legs, This is the only one flying

in Britain, with help But it is not just the wings keeping

it in the sky, it is Peter's wallet. Aviation rules mean he can only

charge passengers around ?30 Now, the safety regulator

the CAA is looking at new rules so that owners can charge more, as long

as they are clear about the risks. This really is a piece of living,

working history. The problem is, aircraft

like this rely on individuals investing hundreds of thousands

of pounds of their own money. So without help,

many could be lost to the skies. A lot of vintage aeroplanes

are operated by people who It is a labour of love,

and they really go without to keep I think it would make a lot

of difference. It would make all

the difference to people like that. The regulator is hoping to make

changes by the end of the year. It should help ensure these

little chapters in our history stay This hombre would have held ten

tonnes worth of arms. It cost ?3 million to get this aircraft back

into the skies. For now, they just do taxi rides. There is another one

due in a few minutes' time, and look at the crowd that has turned up to

watch. Will they want to take to the skies

in this kind of weather? Or in bed's Halo is slipping. We had some

sunshine today in Lincolnshire, but we have the showers in Lancaster

today. The weather today is rose to what we had yesterday. A scattering

of showers, not as many as yesterday. This lovely picture was

taken near Castleton. The rainbow is because we had shower clouds across

this part of the country. From the word go today my across parts of

Wales as well. We still have the cool air across us

and we are seeing a few We still have the cool air across us

and showers around. We still have some showers in Wales. But more

places will be becoming dry, with more sunshine arriving. A similar

story across the north-west of England as well. A little sunshine

later in the day, but increasing amounts of cloud coming from the

north-west and turning wetter in the north-west of Scotland. A poor day

in Inverness. Some brighter skies further south, and showers over the

east of the Pennines, possibly arriving in Lincolnshire later this

afternoon. Some heavy showers across eastern areas of England this

evening. Those will pull away with. We will have clearer skies further

south. Much more cloud pushing into Scotland and Northern Ireland. Here,

it will not be as cold as last night. A bright start in the East

tomorrow. There will be a loss of cloud further north. It is going to

be driest, brightest and warmest in the south-east of England. But here

on Friday, we could start with quite a few heavy downpours. Those will

pull through and then the direction changes. We are back into that

Chile, north-westerly breeze that will bring us this mixture of

sunshine and a scattering of showers. That is probably how we

will start the weekend on Saturday. The wind may kill off the showers.

Could be really cold on Saturday night, but as we head into Sunday,

many of us will enjoy sunshine for some of the day, but then this

weather front brings rain into the north-west. That will change the

wind direction, lifting temperatures of the weekend goes on, but by

Monday, there will be rain around as well.

A reminder of our top story: Islamic State militants release a video

online believe to show the beheading of a US journalist why a man with a

British accent. All the hallmarks point to it being genuine, an

appalling example of the brutality of this organisation. In the past

few minutes, the Prime Minister has arrived back in Downing Street from

his holiday to hold emergency meetings on the situation. That is

all from us.