26/02/2013 BBC News at Six

Three British tourists killed in Egypt after their sunrise balloon

flight turns to tragedy. They were among 19 holidaymakers killed in

the accident. Eyewitnesses said a fire forced people to jump to the

ground. These pictures were taken from a nearby balloon. The

photographer described the final moments of the flight. We heard a

loud explosion. Then a lot of smoke right behind us. We will look at

safety standards in Egypt. Also tonight: Lord Rennard says he

"refutes" claims of sexual harassment. Senior Lib Dem figures

talk to the Met about the allegations. The police officers

who encouraged rape victims to drop their allegations. A highly

critical report from the watchdog Honouring the tens of thousands who

kept the Arctic convoys going. The new medal finally made to mark

their bravery and sacrifice. On Sportsday: Rocket Ronnie is back.

Ronnie O'Sullivan will defend his World Snooker title after cutting

Good evening. Welcome to the BBC News at Six. Three British tourists

have been killed in Egypt after the hot air balloon in which they were

taking a sunrise flight plunged to the ground. They were among 19

passengers killed in the accident. Eyewitnesses say they there was an

explosion and a fire as the balloon flew over the ancient sites of

Luxor. Our correspondent, Aleem Maqbool, is at a local hospital in

the city. Out of more than 20 people on board that hot air

balloon, only two survived. They were the Egypt operator of the

balloon and a British tourist. He is said to be in a stable condition.

They were brought to this hospital that I'm at now. So too were the

bodies of 19 others who were killed. This is a tragedy that unfolded

just outside the outskirts of this city. In an Egyptian sugar cane

field the broken wreckage of the hot air balloon. Witnesses said

there was an explosion and the balloon crashed to the ground.

Ambulances were on the scene within minutes, but 19 people were killed,

including three tourists from the UK. Another is in hospital.

TRANSLATION: As the balloon crashed, the gas canister exploded. The

pilot was the first one to jump out of the basket. He was followed by a

tourist. The rest of the passengers tried to jump out, but their bodies

were on fire. This is how it all looked in the early morning as the

balloons took off. The pictures were captured by a tourist in

another balloon, who was close by when the accident happened.

heard a loud explosion and a lot of smoke right behind us. Our first

feeling was, it couldn't be a balloon. It turned out to be.

was operated by the company Sky Cruise and was carrying 120 people.

It was due to take in some of Egypt's most famous sites. The

company says a gas cylinder exploded when it was 1,000 feet in

the air causing it to crash into the field. The British passengers

were on holiday with Thomas Cook who today issued a statement. What

happened in Luxor this morning was a terrible tragedy and the thoughts

of everyone in Thomas Cook are west our guests, their family and

friends around we are providing our full support to the family and

friends of the deseized at this difficult time. -- deceased. There

have been concerns about safety on these rides in the past. They were

suspended for a time in 2009, following a string of accidents.

Recent passengers have also expressed concerns. Alex Gibbons

was on a ride in 2011 when his balloon just missed the top of a

high-rise hotel and crashed into the Nile. We were lucky not to have

been killed. It was a miracle we weren't killed. It really was that

close. Attention is now turning to the one tourist who survived, in

hospital after the crash. All hot air balloon trips around Luxor have

been suspended while investigators attempt to find out how this

tragedy happened. We have spoken to the British authorities in Egypt,

they are waiting for the results of that investigation, so too of

course will the families of those who died, including two people we

believe to have been from Scotland and another British tourist. There

will be many who want assurances that those hot air balloon trips

don't start again unless there are real changes in the safety

procedures here. Thank you very much. The police watchdog has

produced a highly critical report accusing officers at a specialist

rape unit in south London of encouraging victims to drop their

claims so detection rates would look better. In one case, four

years ago, a woman was persuaded to withdraw allegations against a man

who later went on to kill his son and daughter. June Kelly reports.

Sapphire is the name of Scotland Yard's specialist rape teams. Now,

it has emerged that officers in one Sapphire unit were putting pressure

on women to drop their complaints. Fewer rapes recorded meant police

detection rates looked better. In one case a man accused of rape, but

not properly investigated, went on to commit a double murder. Jean Say

killed his eight-year-old daughter, Regina and ten-year-old son Rolls

if the rape had been investigated he might be in jail and his

children might still be alived. Something acknowledged by those

involved in today's report. There was a shocking and disturbing

allegation that should have been taken seriously at the time, and it

wasn't. Scotland Yard said the bad practice highlighted in today's

report is in the past. Since 2009 rape units have been better managed.

Fiona feel nos attempt was made to bring her alleged attacker to

justice. I was absolutely devastated because not only was I

not going to get any justice, I also knew that the person who did

this to me was free to walk the streets and do it to the next woman

ta he met. That absolutely terrified me. He has a green light

to carry on attacking women. When it comes to the wider picture, the

latest figures for England and Wales, show that just over 4,000

offences initially recorded as sex offences were later put in the "no

crime" category. For rape the rate was: That compares with: today, the

focus is back on the country's biggest force where there was this

message from a senior officer. have changed. We have improved. We

continue to improve and learn. That is why we need to work with victims

and victims' groups to make sure the service we provide is even

better. This is not the first time that Sapphire officers have been

found guilty of serious shortcomings. The police watchdog

said today's report was a, "sorry chapter in Sapphire's history."

Senior Liberal Democrat officials have been at Scotland Yard this

afternoon to discuss the allegations of sexual harassment

against the party's former chief executive, Lord Rennard. Detectives

say they are working with the party to find out whether any criminal

activity has taken place. Lord Rennard strongly denies the

allegations. It comes ahead of Thursday's Eastleigh by-election.

Did it happen, did it not happen is being investigated. This is not

the easest time to be a Liberal Democrat, not least here in

Eastleigh, there is a by-election in two-days' time. Did your leader

know, yes or no? One minute he did, the next minute he didn't? It's

being investigated. This former police officer was unimpressed with

the party line. Back in London, at Scotland Yard, Metropolitan Police

officers met with Lib Dem party officials to discuss whether or not

there is evidence of any crime having been committed. Lord Rennard,

the man who used to mastermind Lib Dem by-election victories,

continues to insist that he's done nothing wrong. One of his accusers,

who wanted to become an MP, is now ready to talk to the police. For a

start, it's going beyond the pat on a knee who decides whoo is an

acceptable and not an acceptable advance. The power dynamics in

these situations are scary. Another woman complains of unwanted sex --

sexual advances. Susan spoke to BBC Radio on condition of anonymity.

This is a man with an almighty amount of power, at the time he

held the purse strings for any winnable seat. So, this was a man

who could control your future and if he said, "I'm not too sure about

this candidate", people listened to him. People still listen to him.

The party's big beasts have been sent to Eastleigh, not just to

defend a seat the party is desperate to hold, but to defend

its reputation. Did I hear anything about Chris Rennard? Not a thing.

Not a thing. There are serious allegations. There are serious

questions to be answered. They will be answered by the inquiry. You

will ask me, so will everybody else, lots and lots of questions, I'm not

able to answer them. The right people to answer them are the three

inquiries. This story leaves people pretty unmoved. I haven't got an

interest. I'm not concerned. not very happy about the scandals

and the competitions amongst them all. It's almost as if they are

looking for scandals. Which leaves their opponents even the loony ones

unable to quite believe what is going on. Here is a full list of

all the candidates contesting the BBC by-election, it is on the BBC

website at bbc.co.uk/news. It's emerged at the re--trial of Vicky

Pryce, who is accused of taking speeding points for her former

husband, Chris Huhne, that a part- time judge is being questioned.

Police accuse Constance Briscoe of lying about her role in leaking the

story of the speeding offence to the press. Ms Pryce admits taking

the former Lib Dem Cabinet Minister's points a decade ago. She

says he forced her to do it. What more can you tell us about this?

Constance Briscoe is a barrister and also a part-time judge. We knew

she had been arrested and suspended. Today, what we can reveal for the

first time, that is in relation to this case. The court heard that

Miss Briscoe helped Vicky Pryce talk to journalists at the Mail on

Sunday about the fact she had taken speeding points for her former

husband, Chris Huhne, the court heard, in a statement from police,

that Miss Briscoe is being investigated for lying to police

about this. Police said she told them she had not had contact with

the media. As a result she would not appear here as a witness

because she could not be trusted as a witness of truth. Thank you very

much. Kevin Hutchinson-Foster hutch, the man who supplied a gun to Mark

Duggan, minutes before he was shot by police, has been sentenced to 11

years in prison at the Old Bailey. The shooting sparked the 2011 riots

in London which quickly spread to a number of English towns and cities.

Three teenage boyes who kicked and punched a homeless man to death

have been convicted of murder at Liverpool Crown Court. Kevin

Bennett, who was 53, was attacked for a dare as he slept rough

outside a supermarket last August. The teenagers, two aged 14 and 17,

cannot be named for legal reasons. The results of Italy's weekend

election are in and they signal another bout of political

instability and uncertainty for the eurozone. A populist anti-

establishment movement, led by a former comedian, got more votes

than any other single party, but so far it refuses to pack in

negotiations to form a coalition government. That leaves parties on

the left and right trying to reach an agreement. Meetings were held at

the Italian's Prime Minister's officer today after the election

ended in deadlock. The markets took fright as the prospect of political

instability. It became apparent that neither the centre left or

centre-right could form a stable government. It was 24-hours after

the polls closed that the leader of the centre left, Pier Luigi Bersani,

announced Italy faced a dramatic situation.

TRANSLATION: The problem was the remedy we came up with for the

financial crisis. It was based just on austerity and rigour and had a

deep impact on public opinion. for Silvio Berlusconi, he said

Italy cannot be ungoverned and we have to reflect. All these tin inn

tensions were complicated by the extraordinary success of Beppe

Grillo, the comedian who wants to tear up Italy's political system.

Today, he was dismissive of the main parties., "we are in a period

of epic change, cultural, political and economic. It's not about making

alliances, that's over." Not surprisingly, some papers declared

Italy ungovernable. There is a big void. The system has fallen.

Another one must be built up from the very bottom. Now, we have this

void to be filled by somebody. the streets, the mood is anxious.

Here is a financial consultant. TRANSLATION: Surprised. I didn't

expect we would be in a situation where we would be ungovable. Here

is a nurse. I'm convinced we will go back to the polls in a few

months. Here is a psychologist. TRANSLATION: We were already badly

off. Now, what lies ahead for the young and the families?

indication of the level of concern in Europe about what is happening

here was the fact that today ministers from three European

countries, Spain, Germany and France, all called for stable

government here as soon as possible. There is another problem, these

election results were a rejection of the very austerity measures

Championed by Brussels. The midst of a recession Italy faces

political instability. The tremors Our top story: Three British

tourists have been killed in Egypt after their hot air balloon plunged

to the ground. And the Broadway musical that

Mormons that is already selling out. Later on the news channel: UK

supermarkets suffer a tough start to the year. Shares in Sports

Direct take a tumble as the founder Veterans of the Arctic Convoys of

the Second World War will finally receive medals recognising their

bravery. Described by Winston Churchill as the worst journey in

the world, merchant seamen who kept open the crucial supply route

between Allied countries and the Soviet Union will be honoured along

with veterans of Bomber Command. Robert Hall reports.

This is the moment that veterans of sea and air have awaited for most

of their adult lives. Production of the Arctic Star and clasp finally

under way at the Royal Mint in South Wales. The Royal Mint has a

long tradition of making Ministry of Defence medals, back to the days

of the Battle of Waterloo. It's a great honour that the Royal Mint

has been asked to produce the first batch of the Arctic Stars and

Bomber Command clasps. RAF heavy bombers aries... Two campaigns

fought at a high price. The pilots and air crew who flew bombers

across Europe and into Germany rarely survived their tour of 30

missions, more than 55,000 failed to return. The largest convoy ever

taeupb to -- taken to Russia... men who made the worst journey in

the world to northern Russia, lost over 3,000 of their shipmates.

Year after year, a dwindling number of veterans stood on a hill-side,

the Assembly point for the convoys, here to remember friends and to

express their anger at the lack of formal recognition. Some of the

veterans are still a Bitsevskier about it -- are a bit bitter about

it and many of us have died, particularly recently and one

friend, in fact, one good good shipmate died a week ago, which is

really very, very sad. We could have done with this medal a long

time ago but we have got it and we are all all happy. The MP who has

championed their cause says the quick decision will bring comfort

to many families. First and foremost medals will be given to

surviving veterans and their widows and next of kin will be able to

apply for medals for family members no longer with us. In the years to

come these memorials will remind visitors of events and losses long

ago but the old men who still remember dark times will, at last,

share their pride with today's generation.

A senior official for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland says

the resignation of Cardinal Keith O'Brien - coming just days before

the Pope resigns - has taken the church into uncharted territory.

Cardinal O'Brien stepped down after allegations that he behaved

inappropriately towards priests under his care during the 1980s -

allegations he denies. Our religious affairs correspondent

Robert Pigott reports. With Cardinal O'Brien gone and a

care caretaker yet to be named the Church remains in turmoil. The

Cardinal stayed out of sight again today, said by one senior Catholic

to be very upset and like a vulnerable adult.

Meanwhile, others have been assessing what's been described as

the worst crisis to strike the Church since the reformation.

been a tremendous catastrophe for the Church in Scotland. In terms of

a public event, probably the most significant serious development

since the reformation, never before has a person of this rank been

accused in this way. A senior Church official acknowledged that

might well turn out to be true. But he insisted ordinary Catholics

looked more to God than their Bishops. I would distinguish

between the faith which will be in tact and people will be calling on

that faith, and their sense of external confusion, which is

probably inevitable at this time. Sources inside the Church said

today that Cardinal O'Brien remains unaware of who his accusers are and

exactly what they claim he did. But another senior Catholic

acknowledged that even as they stand the allegations are deeply

damaging. Cardinal O'Brien, who is a very honest man, will also -

whoever goes in, will look at the allegations that have been made and

he himself, as I have said, has contested them, so I think we have

to leave it like that. Potentially the greatest lasting effect of the

crisis could be changes in the way the Church is run. Some senior

Catholics want fundamental reform. A leaner, more business-like

structure, fewer Bishops and less hire arcal approach. This confusing

time for Catholics could turn out to be their big opportunity.

For the Roman Catholic Church's one billion members, the upset in

Edinburgh may turn out to be just a ripple but for this small, intimate

branch of the Church it's a devastating episode.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are unwittingly laundering

money for criminals, according to fraud experts. They're being

recruited as so-called money mules - allowing their bank accounts to

be used to disguise the proceeds of crime, all for a cut of the cash.

Our personal finance correspondent Simon Gompertz explains.

They're innocent sounding admin jobs but they're a front for

something sinister. The pay's tempting, suspiciously though, they

need access to your bank account. In fact, it's fraudsters wanting to

use your account to launder cash from crime, making you their money

mule. It was saying it was an entry level job, I didn't need much

experience. They're targeting students like Leanne at Bournemouth

University because a 5th of students who get the offers usually

by e-mail agree to become money mules. Leanne was fooled into

thinking it was a proper job but her mother warned her off. They

were offering just over �1,000 per month. It was so tempting because

as a student you are not earning money, and if you are, you are

probably only doing bar work which doesn't give much income and

everyone wants extra cash. Dirty money from credit card fraud and

other rip-offs is paid into the account to disguise its criminal

origins, the mule takes a cut and transfers the cash to an overseas

bank. It's classic money laundering and it's illegal. It's a risk, in

fact, you are taking almost all the risks on behalf of the criminals,

that's why they tried so hard to get people to do this for them,

they're most likely to be caught. Criminals hone in on the unemployed,

as well, like Kayleigh. They found her after she sent her CV to a jobs

website. She even signed a contract, and then, luckily, pulled out.

makes you feel sick. I feel I have to go to these sites and take my CV

off, I don't want to be caught in it again. These students are being

told that mules risk having their bank accounts frozen, or even a

prison sentence. There's such concern about the danger of

becoming money mules that Crimestoppers is warning students

up and down the country not to be duped into becoming involved. The

internet's made it easier for criminals to recruit. Fraud experts

say there are already hundreds of thousands of money mules and the

numbers are growing. The story of two missionaries sent

to a remote village in Uganda to spread the word may not be

traditional territory for a West End musical, but The Book of Mormon

- a satire written by the creators of South Park - comes to London

after an award-winning spell on Broadway. Our arts editor Will

Gompertz has been finding out what the secret of its success is.

Already the hottest ticket on Broadway, The Book of phorpl has

open -- Mormon has opened in London. If the near �8 million already

spent on advanced ticket sales is a sign, to its future success, then

you can expect this mission from America to be around for a long

time. The show is the creation of Matt

Stone and Trey Parker, the team behind South Park. Why the Mormons?

They make for great musical characters, because the

stereotypical Mormon has a a happy- go-lucky, about to bounce into song.

They're nice and easy target, there's something not as brave

about that, as going after another subject. There is an offensive

implication that question even makes about Islam, Muslims,

Catholics, anybody else, but also it's not just what we wanted to do.

Mormons in the UK appear to be taking a positive approach to the

musical. They've placed three full page advertisements in the show's

programme. Our only hope is that people will not base their

understanding and perception of our Church and our people and our

practices on a piece of entertainment, but that if they

want to learn more they'll come and they'll speak to missionaries.

Book of Mormons reputation is based around its crude humour, of which

there is plenty. Having seen the show I suspect at least part of the

success is down to its rather conservative nature. Strip away all

the vulgarities and what you are left with is a feel-good musical

with plenty of catchy show tunes. # I believe that the Lord God

created the universe #... Not all shows survive an

Atlantic crossing but judging from the audience's reaction The Book of

phorpl has arrived -- Mormon has arrived in rude health.

You can see the full story on The Mormons Are Here, a Culture Show

special tomorrow night at 10.00pm. A day of huge differences today.

Spring has sprung in Scotland. 13C in the Highlands, could be close to

a record that but temperatures are falling sharply now and could get

as low as minus 7 tonight. A frost developing in Northern Ireland, and

possibly the far north of England, as well. Temperatures will change

very little across the bulk of England and Wales because we have

this blanket of cloud again. That cloud will be spilling up into

Northern Ireland towards the end of the night. A frosty start in

Scotland. Freezing fog will take a while to clear. A cold start across

Cumbria, but across the rest of England and Wales temperatures will

be nearer two or three, because of all the cloud. Low cloud, so could

be misty over the hills and a few spots of light drizzle here and

there and winds will be light, as well. Two main themes to the

weather tomorrow. The first is that for England and Wales it will be

much drier than today. The brighter, sunnier weather in the north will

start to push south. A sunny start in Scotland, frosty start, as well.

We see the sunshine developing across parts of northern England.

Then brightening up in North Wales through the Midlands and East

Anglia. Southern Counties of England likely to stay cloudy and

across Northern Ireland cloudier than today, probably feeling cold,

too. In Scotland, it won't be as coal

tomorrow night but it will be colder for England and Wales with

much thinner cloud and mist and fog, too. That will lift on Thursday. A

bright day for England and Wales with sunshine, as well. But

probably more cloud for Northern Ireland and certainly much more