27/10/2011 BBC News at Six

Relief as European leaders strike a last-minute deal to tackle the debt

crisis. Back from the brink as Eurozone

heads agree to double the region's rescue fund and write off half of

Greece's debts owed to private banks.

It brings fresh confidence to investors around the world as

financial markets surge. It's very important to keep up the momentum

of this work, to keep people's confidence. That is the critical

thing. So yes, this is something the British Government has worked

hard to encourage, and we certainly hope it works.

Also on tonight's programme: Serial killer Robert Black's found

guilty of the murder of a nine- year-old girl 30 years ago. Her

family say they're relieved it's finally over. All of a sudden we're

confronted with the awfulness of the last few hours and what she

would have had to suffer. That has been truly awful for each and every

one of us. The Canon Chancellor of St Paul's

resigns in a row over treatment of the anti-capitalist protestors.

And saving people's sight - the gene therapy that could sop people

going blind. Coming up on the BBC News channel,

the Chelsea pitch has refused to sell back the freehold.

Good evening. Welcome to the BBC News at 6.00pm.

The marathon talks lasted well into the early hours of this morning.

But finally - just before 4.00am - the leaders of the 17 countries

that use the euro reached a deal they hope will solve the Eurozone

debt crisis. Banks are being asked to write off half what they lent to

Greece, and the bailout fund is being increased substantially.

There are still plenty of details that need to be worked out but the

financial markets reacted favourably with big increases in

share prices. Europe woke to the news that

against expectations, its leaders had agreed on a plan to fix the

eurozone crisis. It might not have been quite the big bazooka some had

been calling for, but politicians were claiming that during a long

Brussels night the euro had been saved. I think it's much better

than before. We'll have to wait until a couple of days just to be

sure. Stock markets around the world enjoyed a bounce. The euro

crisis had been seen as increasing the risk of a global recession.

Europe's leaders had been under enormous pressure to reach

agreement. At 4.00am with people slumped at their desks, Europe's

two most powerful leaders stepped into the spotlight. I am very well

aware, as we all are, that the world was watching us closely

tonight, and I think we Europeans proved that we came to the right

conclusion. TRANSLATION: I think the result

will be welcomed by the entire world which was expecting strong

decisions from the eurozone. I think these decisions have been

taken. Away from the summit, others were more cautious, spying progress,

but seeing the outcome as just a first step. We're in a much better

position today than we were yesterday, and it's very important

to keep up the momentum of this work, to keep people's confidence.

That is the critical thing, so yes, this is something the British

Government has worked hard to encourage, and we certainly hope it

works. So what was in the big deal? Banks that have invested in Greece

will take losses of up to 50%, so reducing Greek debt. This will mean

that Europe's banks will need to raise more capital of around 108

billion euros, and the EU's main bail-out fund will be boosted to

around 1 trillion euros to protect countries like Italy. It is wise to

be cautious, however. A lot of the crucial detail is missing from this

plan and won't be known for weeks, but what the markets like about it

is that it signals that Europe's leaders finally are trying to take

control of a debt crisis that began in Greece. In Greece today, the

government said the country's debts were now manageable, but here too

there was caution. International banks have to volunteer to accept

losses, and key details on the bail-out fund won't even be

negotiated until November. They have stopped the euro from

collapsing today or even perhaps tomorrow, but they definitely

haven't saved the euro. We're still in the thick of trouble. We're not

out of the woods. Last night's most tricky decisions were taken here by

just the eurozone leaders. The UK, not being in the euro, was not

represented, and it raises questions of whether there will now

be a two-tier Europe - insiders and outsiders.

We can speak now to Gavin in Brussels. Let's pick up on that

point. Where does this now all leave Britain? Make no mistake -

the eurozone crisis is changing the European Union. Officials in this

town are determined the crisis will never happen again, and that is why

they think the solution lies in closer integration, closer economic

union. As part of that, the countries in the eurozone - they

will have greater surveillance over their budgets. They'll have their

own summits with the President presiding, but the big fear is that

the countries outside the eurozone will be in an outer core and

what'll develop will be essentially a two-tier Europe, with those on

the inside in the eurozone and those like the UK which are not in

the eurozone on the outside. Of course, the big fear there is a

loss of influence in areas of key national interests like over

financial regulation or the single market - a divided Europe. It's a

fear that might result from this crisis, Sophie. Thank you. Across

Europe, there are still some doubts as to whether the agreement signed

by the eurozone countries will work in the long term. Our chief

economics correspondent Hugh Pym is here to look at the details and the

implications for the UK. Yes, Sophie. There is agreement on

tackling the eurozone crisis after weeks of debate and speculation,

but there are still many unanswered questions. First of all, what's the

detail? We have been told that 50% of the Greek debt owed to private

investors like banks will be written off. That still needs

individual bank approval, though the signs are that shouldn't be too

big a problem. Most, if not all, the banks have

agreed as to the 50% write-down on the Greek holding. Actually, that's

one part of the announcement this morning that from our perspective

and certainly from the market's perspective was quite clear. There

is a lot more detail still to come on another key bit of the package -

that's the 1 trillion euro bail-out fund. The idea is to take agreed

existing funding and encourage other investors to come onboard,

but it's unclear who exactly will pay for it. An approach will be

made to the Chinese Government to seek involvement in the new bail-

out fund. This could act like an insurer covering a portion of

future losses by investors. With that guarantee, those investors

might be tempted to buy more eurozone Government bonds. Of

course, there is another key question for all of us - what might

the cost be to the UK? The Government has already given

guarantees to an EU-wide bail-out fund, though there won't be one in

the latest package. There is a contribution too to the

International Monetary Fund which has made loans to some countries.

It could make more in the future, as the Chancellor conceded today.

There may well be a ways for increasing the resources of the IMF,

and Britain as a founding and permanent member of its governing

board stands ready to consider the case for further resources and

contribute with other countries, if necessary. Let us remember that

support for the IMF does not add to our debt or deficit and that no-one

who has ever provided money to the IMF has ever lost that money.

Perhaps the biggest question of all is, will it work? Well, we don't

know if the size of the bail-out fund is enough and whether it

really will provide enough firepower to calm investors, and we

don't know if it will really help economic growth, which is key for

the future stability of the eurozone. We're only going to get

out of the debt problem if these economies are still growing, and

for that only time can tell. There is nothing they can deliver to us

overnight in a summit that could make us say absolutely these

economies are on a sustainable path. We need to see whether politically

this austerity can be delivered and how the economies react in the face

of it. Well, right now the financial markets have taken an

optimistic view of the agreement. Bank shares were up sharply. But as

we have seen all too often moods can shift shift quickly on eurozone

bail-out deals. Thought for more analysis and

explanation of the eurozone crisis, you can go to this special section

of our website. The child killer Robert Black, who

is already serving life in prison for the murders of three young

girls in the 1980s, has been found guilty of killing a fourth victim.

Nine-year-old Jennifer Cardy went missing in County Antrim in

Northern Ireland. Her body was found six days later.

He's one of the most notorious killers in British criminal history,

and today Robert Black was convicted of another murder of a

young girl. Nine-year-old Jennifer Cardy disappeared 30 years ago as

she rode her bicycle to a friend's house. As the years went on, hopes

faded of finding the schoolgirl's killer, but the case was recently

reopened, and the evidence all pointed to one man, Robert Black.

Today he was found guilty of murdering Jennifer Cardy. Her

parents were in court for every day of the five-week trial. And all of

a sudden we're confronted with the awfulness of the last few hours and

what she would have had to suffer, and that has been truly awful for

each and every one of us. I don't think - I'm being realistically

honest - I don't think we will ever have closure because our daughter

has gone. Robert Black was convicted in 1994 of three other

murders. The Scottish van driver's victims were all young girls. 11-

year-old Susan Maxwell from the Scottish borders, five-year-old

Caroline Hogg from Edinburgh and 10-year-old Sarah Jane Harper from

Leeds. The killing in Northern Ireland came first in the summer of

1981. Jennifer Cardy was found dead ten miles from her home. Robert

Black brought the schoolgirl's body here in the back of his van.

Because he was a long-distance driver, he was constantly on the

move right across the UK. It's one of the reasons why it took the

police so long to catch him. He was eventually arrested while attacking

another schoolgirl. According to one detective, who interviewed him,

he's arguably Britain's most dangerous criminal. He's a unique

individual. He's a preferential child molester on one level, but

he's an aggressive predatory paedophile on another and I think

unique in the history of serious offending against children in the

United Kingdom. Robert Black is now serving life for four murders. He's

never admitted any of his killings, and the suspicion remains that the

full horror of his past has yet to be uncovered.

The UN has officially lifted the no-fly zone over Libya and ended

action to protect the country's citizens from Colonel Gaddafi's

regime. It's expected that NATO will meet

tomorrow to formally end the seven- month conflict. NATO air raids on

his military sites and strongholds helped opposition forces in their

efforts to liberate the country. In Turkey a man has been pulled alive

from the rubble one hundred hours after the earthquake which struck

on Sunday. Hope is running out of finding many more survivors. 185

people have so far been rescued but the death toll has now risen to

five hundred and 34. In Thailand, thousands of residents are fleeing

the capital Bangkok which is being threatened by severe flooding over

the weekend. So far, more than 360 people have died in Thailand's

worst floods in decades. Nine million people live in Bangkok, but

thousands have already left their homes in the northern suburbs.

Street by street, the water is winning the control for control of

Bangkok's northern suburbs, creeping further every day -

torrents of it. A middle-class neighbourhood is rapidly being

submerged. This woman has just washed her street disappear under

the deluge. Water is inside deeper than my chest. Most take with them

only what they can carry - valuable possessions and treasured pets.

There is no panic here, but a very definite sense of urgency tinged

with disbelief. The Government had originally said Bangkok would be

protected. There are no such assurances anymore.

This is just the latest district of Bangkok that's been told to

evacuate. With each passing day, more areas of the capital city are

put on alert. Now the Government says there is no part of Bangkok

that it can guarantee will be safe. "We're trying our best," an

emotional Prime Minister tells reporters. Just two months into the

job, she finds herself struggling to manage a national crisis.

In the centre of the city, things much as normal, apart from the

sandbag flood defences and new warnings from foreign governments,

including Britain - avoid Bangkok if you can. Our assessment is not

alarmist. It is practical and realistic, and if things improve,

we'll adjust our assessment accordingly, but if things get

worse, obviously, we would also take that into account. The signs

are not encouraging. Market traders in the old quarter of Bangkok kept

going as long as they could, but few customers are prepared to wade

to their stalls - little point in hanging on to watch the water's

relentless rise. Those who can are getting out of town. Confidence has

ebbed away, complacency, drowned in Our top story tonight: Eurozone

leaders agree a deal to try to solve the debt crisis, bringing

fresh confidence to the financial markets.

And coming up, the first medals for London 2012 take shape at the Royal

Mint. Later on the BBC News Channel, we

will hear from Gavin Henson as he moves back to Wales in the latest

It could save the eyesight of tens of thousands of people. Researchers

in Oxford are developing a genetic therapy that they hope. People

going blind. They have treated a man in his 60s on the verge of

losing his eyesight. If it works, the gene therapy could transform

the lives of many people in the future.

Jonathan Wyatt is going blind. He can just about see enough to work

from home. But 10 years ago he was a successful courtroom barrister.

He had to abandon his job because he began making mistakes. The worst

occasion, I think, was when I was reading out a statement to the

court and then made a mistake. The judge turned to me and snapped,

can't you read? I then decided it was time to put my Wick down and

leave advocacy. Have you got any specific questions about what we

are going to do? Jonathan is losing his eyesight

because of a faulty gene. He is the first patient in the world to take

part in an experimental operation which aims to replace the faulty

gene in his eye with another one. By putting the gene back into the

cells, we hope to stop further degeneration. In Donovan's case,

because of a faulty gene, it sells at the back of the eye have been

dying, -- the cells. They hope to keep the remaining cells alive.

This operation is just about to begin. There is some tension in the

air because it is an incredibly precise and delicate procedure. One

small slip and his retina could tear and the attempt to save his

eyesight will have failed. The procedure has never been

carried out before. Now the riskiest part. The needle is

inserted, by a foot operated control. Has the operation been

successful? It went very well indeed. Absolutely no problems. So

far so good. Jonathan Wyatt claims that he can already see better but

it is far too soon to be sure if there is a lasting improvement. If

it does work, gene therapy could be used to treat a wide variety of

eyesight disorders. The Canon Chancellor of St Paul's

cathedral has resigned following an argument over the way the anti-

capitalist protesters camped downside of being treated. Giles

Fraser has been sympathetic to the demonstrators since they arrived

two weeks ago. Our religious affairs correspondent is there for

us now. Giles Fraser has developed a

reputation as a radical, left of centre thinker on the church's side.

He used to deal in economics, and now his two world have collided and

he has lost his job. After a stand- off of almost two weeks, protesters

and the judge have been asking themselves fundamental questions

about how to serve the poor and the marginalised. -- the church. When

the police moved in, Giles Fraser asked them to back off. We are

happy for people to exercise their right to protest peacefully. That

is what they are doing. The police try to protect the cathedral and

they are doing a good job. I asked them if the police would come down

from the cathedral, and they did and there was no damage. Giles

Fraser joined colleagues and asking the campaign is to leave, but he

believes the spectacle of the campaign is being forcibly removed

would undermine the church commitment to the poor and

marginalised. I think the church should stand for the oppressed and

the poor but my red light on this issue was do not believe the church

should sanction any cause of action that would lead to violence towards

the protesters. The resignation has been welcomed by the protesters.

may have lost an ally within the institution but we hope to have

gained an ally within the movement. I think he has got principles. It

is a shame that it has had to come to that for him. But he does not

want to see violence in the name of the church. The Bishop of London

said it would be a tragedy if Giles Fraser's voice was lost to the

church, but he said the camp undermined the efforts of the

church to improve social justice and should be moved. I do think

that the continued existence of the campsite will make it very

difficult we involve some of the major City players in the kind of

dialogue and debate which I see as being able to move the thing

forward. This has become a distraction and it is a distraction

from something that is legitimate and serious. But the campaigners at

St Paul's know that they have the nation's attention and will not

easily give up their prime position. Events will use of force is very

much a possibility. -- the eventual use of force. Some parts are being

cleared and the cathedral is due to reopen tomorrow with a special

service but they have been bruised following the siege going on

outside. The resignation of Giles Fraser will focus unwanted

attention on exactly how the campaigners are treated from now on.

The Government wants automatic life sentences for the most serious

criminals convicted of a second serious sexual or violent crime. It

is part of a number of changes to sentence think being set out by Ken

Clarke, the Justice Secretary, in England and Wales. He also wants

mandatory jail sentences for 16 and 17 euros that commit knife crime.

The prison population in England and Wales is at a record level.

18,000 behind bars, and growing. -- 87,000. A key change today,

focusing on imprisonment for public protection. Somebody like Colin

Blanchard, convicted of running a child-abuse ring, can be held

indefinitely until the Parole Board thinks he is safe for release. Ken

Clarke thinks that a fixed term sentence would be better. They are

playing cat-and-mouse. Trying to prove you are not a risk is rather

difficult when you are sitting in prison. So the sentences are being

scrapped and a review of parole criteria may help some of win their

release. A prisoner contacted our office. He was serving a 71 day

sentence. And five years later nearly he was asking if there were

offending behaviour programmes that he could attend so we could

convince the Parole Board he was no longer a risk to the public. That

is not acceptable. The Government believes that scrapping indefinite

sentences will cut the prison population by about 2500 in the

long term. Ken Clarke wants to be sure that he is not accused of

being soft on crime. The proposals today include a get-tough policy,

more mandatory life sentences. Each of these men is a double rapist.

They reoffended after leaving prison. The new sentences would

mean that anybody committing two crimes were at least 10 years in

prison would get life. 20 cases every year are expected. Another

new mandatory sentence. Four months for 16 or 17 year-old juveniles

that threaten someone with a knife. Ken Clarke told MPs that judges try

to get around compulsory sentences just two days ago. I want to

consider all of these things before we come to a final decision.

now he says his mind is made up because backbenchers threatened to

rebel that he was too soft on juvenile knife crime. The changes

today are aimed at steering a course through tricky political

territory. With nine months to go before the

start of the London 2012 Olympics, the Royal Mint in South Wales has

begun making the medals for the Olympians and the Paralympians.

They are made with painstaking care and each one takes 10 hours to

complete. We have been watching how it is done. This is the medals at

Olympic dreams are made of. One of the first of the press. 4700 gold,

silver and bronze medals will be made here. Artists from across the

world were invited to submit their designs. Two winners were picked

and they have been working closely with the design team at the Royal

Mint. These are some of the prototypes. Gordon Summers is the

chief engraver. He worked with the winning artists. This is the

Olympic gold medal. It has the depiction of Nike on the reverse

with the ancient stadium that was rebuilt for the first modern

Olympic Games. The Paralympic one is different. On this we have got

braille, for the people that are visually impaired. We have the

depiction of the wings of Nike, which is about transcendence see.

And this is taken from the original sculpture of Nike, just above her

heart, so it is about the heart of the Paralympic Games. Thank you

very much. This is one of the first actual Olympic medals top of the

printing press. From here it will go to a secure room deep inside the

Royal Mint. Its location is known to just a handful of members of

staff and it will stay in that secure room and 10 it goes to

London for the Olympics next year. -- until it goes to London. The

Beijing Games saw British athletes returning with a record haul of

medals. There are hopes that the London Games will see the highest

Now the weather. It is a season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and

tonight it could be very misty. Mist and fog forming overnight.

England and Wales have been damp today. With long nights, that is a

recipe for mist and fog to form. The rain will clear, and it will

turn for the across the heart of England. There will be some heavy

showers in the far North West of Scotland. Elsewhere dry and quite

cold, down to five degrees. A possible touch of frost in some

areas. The Avon valley could be badly affected by mist and fog in

the morning. Some nasty patches if you are driving to work. And if it

starts off foggy, it could last throughout the day. Beware of that.

It will be cloudy across parts of the South East and it will

gradually cloud over across the far North West of Scotland as well. In

between it is looking good. The snapshot mid-afternoon, South to

North, that cloud lingers in South East England and it will be

disappointing and quite cold. Most other places will have lots of

sunshine, and a better day for the South West of England when the fog

has cleared. Sunshine for central England and Northern Ireland as

well. Western Scotland will cloud over as the breeze picks up and a

weather front approaches. On Saturday there will be outbreaks of

rain in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Most of England

and Wales will be dry. If you are lucky there will be something in

the way of sunshine. Another approaching weather front brings

dampness to western parts of Scotland on Sunday. Further East it

is dry and brighter, up to 18 degrees potentially.

Thank you. The reminder of the main news