22/08/2014 BBC News at Six

No talks with the Syrian regime, says the Government,

as debate continues about how to tackle Islamic State

As Iraqi forces push back IS fighters, a former head

of the British army says discussions with Damascus must be considered.

Some kind of dialogue, whether it's above the counter or

below the counter, has to take place with the Assad regime.

British and American investigations continue into who murdered the US

We'll ask whether enough is being done to combat radicalisation.

Doing the work of junior doctors, but with less training.

The Government wants more physician associates, but

Bernie Ecclestone gives his first major interview after paying ?60

I just had to pay, to get rid of the case.

Not so much a programme, more a way of life - Match Of The Day turns 50.

A 14-year-old boy is arrested on suspicion of raping a woman

And the father of two who paid a drug addict ?1000 to kill his wife.

The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, has rejected

the idea of holding talks with President Assad of Syria.

He told the BBC there will be no cooperation with the Syrian

government, which he He told the BBC there will be no cooperation with

the Syrian government, which he called a "ghastly" regime.

President Assad, despite the atrocities committed

by his regime, Forces Lord Dannatt suggested talks should be held with

Tonight, IS forces remain present in large parts of Iraq and Syria.

The Syrian government is reported to have killed 70 Islamic State

jihadist fighters in the last 48 hours of fighting, near Raqqa.

It is going to be a long, hard battle. Kurdish fighters have

steadied themselves and are pushing back against Islamic State. Here,

they are trying to take back a town from the jihadists. None of the

enemies of IS are underestimating the job that lies ahead against

highly motivated and well organised Islamic State fighters. American air

strikes, launched from carriers, can have a decisive effect, but to hurt

IS badly, they would also have to target their power base in northern

Syria. That is why some influential voices say it is time to make a deal

with President Assad of Syria. On practical grounds, we have to

possibly consider taking a deep breath, holding our nose and saying

that it would seem to us now that the extremely vicious and evil

nature of Islamic State and its objectives are actually worse than

what Assad has been doing. It may be one of those situations in history

when my enemy's enemy becomes my friend. But the West's mane so far

failed strategy for ending the Syrian war includes the departure of

President Assad. Britain says it won't change its mind about him.

I've said very often that one of the first things you learn in the Middle

East is that my enemy's enemy is not necessarily my friend. We may very

well find that we are aligned against a common enemy, but that

does not make us friends with someone, not able to trust them, not

able to work with them. IS currently controls part of Iraq, from below

Baghdad in the south to Mosul and Tal Afar in the North. And in

Syria, at Abu Kemal in the south and east and up to Aleppo. Their power

base is in Raqqa. The US has said whatever it takes, but what are the

options in the fight against ISIS? More air strikes is one. But doing

that in Syria without the regime's consent would be difficult and

dangerous. Another, work with neighbouring states, including Iran.

But building a coalition against ISIS involving regional powers means

getting tangled in difficult and often bloody local politics. And

that is why there is talk about working with President Assad. His

Armed Forces have good intelligence and they are well supplied, but his

prize would be the end of pressure on him to go. -- his price. A year

ago, Syrian slip to camps in Iraq in the face of IS advances. Now, they

want as much help as they can to keep them politically safe. But with

the Syrian war merging with Iraq's sectarian violence, the challenge

facing anyone wanting peace becomes twice as big. Syria's war has been

impossible to stop. No one yet has much of a strategy to stop the war

in Iraq either. Jeremy Bowen, BBC News.

David Cameron is facing more calls from across the political spectrum

to do more to combat radicalisation among British Muslims.

Critics have argued that neither the Government nor the Muslim

community are doing enough to stem the tide of young Britons going out

It comes as investigations continue into the death of American

Journalist James Foley, apparently at the hands of a British extremist.

Just some of the young British Muslims who have travelled to Iraq

or Syria to support Islamist extremists, many of them aiming to

join the fighters of Islamic State. Some are as young as 16, often

travelling against the wishes of their parents, or without their

prior knowledge. One British convert to Islam says he can understand why

they go. He is careful to stay within the law in what he says but

the sentiment is unmistakable, if shocking to many who have seen the

violence meted out by Islamic State. It is government that implements

Sharia law, so by nature it will appeal to all Muslims worldwide.

There is not a country implementing Islamic knits totality, so now we

have this caliphate, I think you will see many Muslims wanting to

flock there and leave the insecurity they face in Muslim countries, as

well as in the West, and migrate there and live there peacefully

under Sharia law. At Friday prayers in Birmingham today, the imam is one

of many making clear that worshippers should not take part in

violence. He believes that mosques and evict -- and individual imams,

as well as the government here, sharers bonds ability to ensure that

British youngsters are not radicalised by groups such as

Islamic State. -- share responsibility. This is a version of

Islam we have never seen before. It is worse than Al-Qaeda, you could

say, to some extent. And of course, whether it is Al-Qaeda or ISIS or

the Taliban, they are all actually organisations which are based on

isolated ideology. The UK is home to just under 3 million Muslims, and

this is one of its biggest mosques in east London, hosting up to 8000

worshippers every Friday. Here, too, the message was one of peace.

Over the years, the British government has tried many strategies

to stop young British Muslim men going to fight abroad, but

increasingly people here are saying that the Muslim community itself may

also have to do more to help prevent that process of radicalisation. Omar

is a postgraduate student. He believes it is up to all British

Muslims to act and to educate, and not keep quiet if they know of

youngsters being radicalised. I am also disappointed in our community

because there are some who would rather sweep it under the carpet.

Many Muslims would love to practice their religion peacefully, quietly,

with their own peaceful interpretation. And with that

silence, it only begets the evil that exists out there. The

government's prevent strategy aims to counter extremism online as well

as in real life am but it may need to look again at how best to engage

British Muslims against an enemy skill that reaching out to the young

and disaffected. Our security correspondent

Frank Gardner is with me. Are you getting any sense of a

breakthrough in finding out who murdered James Foley? There is an

intensive operation going on on both sides of the Atlantic to identify

him. The F B is leading the operation, the Federal bureau of

investigation, because it was an American citizen who appears to have

died at the hands of a British jihadist. They are sending an

additional team to Britain to join those investigating this. They are

sharing files. It is being done on several levels. There is a lot of

electronic intercept being looked at at the NSA, GCHQ are involved. They

will be looking at how the video was uploaded onto the internet. They

will be looking at people who have come back from there who might

possibly know the killer. They will be studying Facebook, social media,

etc, but they are keeping it very close to their chest. I do not get

the sense that they have had a breakthrough so far. Thank you.

NHS patients could soon be treated by a growing number

The Government wants the health service

in England to employ more of this grade of medic, who perform many of

the same roles as a junior doctor, but with fewer years of training.

Some patients' groups have expressed concern that physician associates

would be employed to cut costs at the expense of care.

Thanks for coming down. Meet Kate, examining a patient with an ear

infection. She does a range of medical work in a leading hospital.

She is not a doctor, but a physician associate, a job title which has

developed over the last decade. I wanted to work in a medical field,

to see patients, to treat patients and work with them on a daily basis.

And I liked the challenge of a new career within that area. So what

does her patient feel about his treatment? Well, if they are doing

the job that Kate has been doing, OK. I would say carry on doing it.

The government wants to expand the number of associates in England,

doubling the number of training places. So what does the role

involve? While a doctor has seven years training, a physician

associate needs a science or medical degree and two years training. A

doctor has overall responsible at Eva a patient. An associate can

carry out a simple examination, always under a doctor's supervision.

The theory is that associates can carry out tasks which gives senior

doctors more time to devote to more challenging responsibilities. The

consultants are freed up from more routine care, to really be able to

focus on those patients who need them the most, who have the most

complicated cases. But questions are being asked about how far the

process is going to go, and to what extent, if at all, standards of

patient care may be compromised and corners cut. Patient groups say that

physician associates are not currently regulated in the same way

as doctors, and they do have concerns. One of our fears is that

because money is tight, the powers that be are trying to find ways

around spending proper money on proper care. That is definitely one

of our worries. The government denies that boosting the number of

associates who work in GPs surgeries as well as hospitals will guide you

to standards, helping sustain care in the face of increasing demands on

doctor 's time is the aim. Hamas militants have killed 18

people accused of helping Israel locate targets for air strikes

in Gaza. Seven of the men were killed

by masked gunmen outside a mosque. It comes a day after an Israeli

airstrike left three senior Hamas The strikes have continued today,

with Israel saying more rockets had Malaysia has held a national day

of mourning, as the bodies of 20 people who were on board flight

MH17, which was shot down in Ukraine The victims were given full state

honours, and a moment of silence was held on their arrival

in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, It had been a long journey home.

Five weeks after flight MH17 was shot down, the first of the 43

Malaysian victims arrived at Kuala Lumpur Airport. That is how

difficult recovering and identifying the bodies has been. This has turned

into a national event. The procession, watched by hearses and

-- watched by politicians and diplomats, and broadcast across the

country. There have now been two major air disasters involving

Malaysia Airlines just four months apart. That is a lock for any

country to bear. This family have been bracing themselves to receive

the body. The 37-year-old mother of two was a flight attendant on the

plane. They are still adjusting to the fact that she has gone. She is

just my companion. We do everything together. So, yes, when she has gone

it is a total loss for me. Because she is the person I turn to when I

have problems. But there was some comfort in a community coming

together to say goodbye. A young son and her father have

together to say goodbye. A young son and waited to bury her but at least

now they can. We have witnessed a loss at a very personal level, as at

this funeral, but also on a much larger scale. This has been a

horribly unlucky year for Malaysia, one from which its national airline

at least will struggle to recover. Even as they mourn the dead,

Malaysians are asking questions. Why a civilian airliner on a routine

flight was shot out of the sky, and what on earth happened to that other

Malaysian airliner, which simply vanished? Jonathan head, BBC News,

Kuala Lumpur. Our top story:

The government rules out dialogue with Syria's President Assad in the

debate about tackling the extremists of Islamic State.

And the true cost of The boss of Formula One, Bernie

Eccleston, has given the BBC his first major interview since the end

of his bribery trial in Germany. He says he always believed he would

walk free and he wants to run the sport for as long as possible.

Bernie Eccleston went on trial in April, accused of bribing a German

banker to ensure F1 would be sold to a private equity company that would

keep him in charge. He walked free after paying tens of millions of

pounds to the German court to bring proceedings to a close. He has been

speaking to our chief sports correspondent, in Spa, in Belgium,

in advance of this weekend's Grand Prix. It may have cost him ?60

million, today Bernie Eccleston was back holding court in the Formula

One paddock, clear of the cloud which had hung over his leadership

of the sport. Two weeks ago, the 83-year-old tycoon pulled off his

biggest deal to date, paying a settlement for a German bribery case

against him to be dropped. For months, he faced the threat of jail.

Today in the luxury motor home, from where he rules F1, he told me he was

as defiant as ever I am not scared of anything. Not even a ten-year

jail sentence? I was never bothered about that, I was sure it wouldn't

happen. Why did you feel the need to pay up to settle? Because there's a

system in Germany that allows you to do it. It allows you to settle

things If I had won, they would have appealed and it would have gone on

forever. He was accused of bribing a German banker over the sale of F1.

Eccleston insisted he was the victim of blackmail. In January he won a

High Court damages case. The judge ruled he paid a bribe and said he

was an unreliable witness. Then came the criminal trial in mu nij. He

paid the biggest settlement in German legal history. Although it is

impossible to imagine Formula One without Bernie Eccleston, his

remarkable reign had been in jeopardy. Ahead of this weekend's

Belgium Grand Prix here at Spa, the sport's most powerful man is back

firmly in the driving seat. He is one of the greatest survivors. This

man has been through everything really. Not just the case in

Germany. Other situations before. He has a remarkable survival sense. For

35 years eke has run the right -- Eccleston has run the rights.

Becoming a billionaire in the process and turning the sport into a

gleaming phenomenon. I want to do what I do for as long as I can. How

long do you think that could be? I've no idea. I haven't got a clue.

After a summer break, it was back to business as usual for F1 here. Mer

say di's British driver, Hamilton setting the pace. Behind the scenes,

only one man leads the way. South Yorkshire Police has accused

the BBC covering up its role of a raid on Sir Cliff Richard's home, by

officers investing an alleged historical sex offence, which the

star denies. BBC News had cameras at the scene. The BBC's

Director-General, Tony Hall, said BBC journalists acted appropriately.

Let's find out more from our correspondent who has been following

this. What can you tell us. This comes in a letter from the Chief

Constable of Yorkshire Police to Mr Vaz. Lord Hall has been called to

give evidence to that Select Committee. In it, it is said South

Yorkshire Police are unhappy about an analysis piece, where a BBC

journalist wrote the way this was handled appears to be a deliberate

attempt by police to ensure maximum coverage. That was not an

unreasonable inference to make. But, South Yorkshire Police say

using that phrase was heavily critical of them. They say it was an

attempt by the BBC to distance itself from what had taken place and

this key phrase, to cover up the fact that it had initiated contact

with the force about the story itself. The BBC made the first

approach. I asked South Yorkshire Police if they can explain how this

constitutes a cover-up, what was being withheld here. They have made

no further comment. They say we have to wait until 2nd September in that

Select Committee hearing. Thank you. Campaigners say the tradition of

giving a wedding dowry is causing domestic violence among families in

Britain. It is a of common practise among Sikhs, Hindus, Muslims,

Christians and bud hiss and in India is blamed ford the death of

thousands of women every year. Now a leading British lawyer says the

custom of dowry should be banned here. Shaimaa Khalil has this

special report. It may be a glamorous start to

married life, but there is the hefty financial burden for many British

Asian families with girls. The dowry.

A tradition that started as a parental wedding gift to the

daughter has become a transaction between two families.

The becomes a pawn, a victim in a destructive struggle, fuelled by

greed. This transaction can turn sour.

Especially if the husband's family come under financial strain and put

pressure on the wife for more money. The dowry may then lead to violence.

After being abused and mistreated for months by her in-laws this woman

managed to escape. She lives in fear of reprisals from them and does not

want to be identified. For the first time, she has agreed to tell us her

story. I think it was all about dowry, honestly. I got to know their

intentions. They don't want me. They want me for money. I was put in a

situation where I had nowhere else to go and my husband went violent.

His sisters, one by one, they started hitting me. That was the

worst experience of my life. And something I would never imagine

would happen to me. Despite being banned in countries

like India, the tradition of dowry is very much engrained in Asian

society, whether here, in the UK or the subcontinent. For the bribe's

company it is about honour and saving face in the community. For

the groom's family it is about acquiring wealth and social status.

So far, there's been little focus on the issue of dowry violence. But

campaigners who work with vulnerable women say it is a growing problem

here in the UK. It is a hidden practise. People

don't speak out about it. The impact it has on women are they are usually

subject to severe violence and emotional abuse. They are left

financially destitute and have no access to support. They are often

isolated and don't know where to go to get help. These women find it

nearly impossible to acts of justice. Leading lawyers are of the

view that the legal system is failing them. Some are calling for

the tradition of dowry to be banned all together. The clearest message

is prohibition, making it unlawful, just as we have made unlawful, quite

rightly so, forced marriages. Dowries and the monetary aspect of

dowries is utterly wrong. Women equals. Despite the damage dowry

violence has done to her mentally and physically, this woman is trying

to piece her life back together. Deep down inside I am angry. I find

it very hard to cry as well. Things are OK now. Campaigners say the

abuse of dowry turns women into cheap bribes. Their hopes for a

happy married life, shattered by an ancient tradition.

Now, it has probably the most famous theme tune of any television

programme. Its presenters, David Coleman, Jimmy Hill, Des Lynam

become household names. The voices of the commentators a feature of

Saturday evening at home. Today, Match Of The Day turns 50. Natalie

Pirks looks back at half a century of a programme which became an

institution. The tune and the titles have been

tweaked over the years. But the chills remain. For football

lovers this melody has been a staple of Saturday nights. It was one of

the things that I was always allowed to actually do by my parents. They

always let me watch Match Of The Day. The format has been simple -

the day's top matches, cut down into highlights, with chat between. If it

ain't broke... You can watch all the live football in the world, but to

get that fix in an hour-and-a-half of everything that pretty much

happens on that day, it really does work.

Welcome to Match Of The Day - the first of a weekly series coming to

you every Saturday on BBC Two. Match Of The Day began life as a

pre-recorded show in 1964. The fishss t goal broadcast was

Liverpool against Arsenal. -- first.

Good evening... Then raft of famous presenters have brought their own

charm to the. Sorry about the noise! And then there are the commentators.

That is absolutely phenomenal! One of the most famous voices

returns for a one-off commentary tomorrow, ten years after his

retirement. In this digital age, fans can now watch goals almost

instantly, anywhere, any how. But Barry Davis says the show remains an

appointment to view television. It is the comfort that people feel.

They know they have got the package. It is true, they try not to know the

result of other matches. They go home and watch. There are other

places they can watch. They know they can get all the scores while in

the ground, let alone when they leave the ground.

50 years may have passed, but it seems the same arguments rage. If

anyone is still trying to tell you that football was far better 10-40

years ago, just very politely say to them, "Nonsense! " As long the goals

give us goose bumps, Match Of The Day will remain a broadcasting

institution. See you next Saturday. Good night!

Well, that was Natalie Pirks reporting. There's more. You can see

a special programme tonight - Match Of The Day at 50. That is at 10.

30pm here on BBC One this evening. If you are in Northern Ireland, that

is at 10. 10.50pm. Right now though, it is time for a

look at the weather prospects. We have made it to the weekend and

for many with an extended bank holiday on Monday. Still an autumnal

feel. Monday could be a different story w the potential for wet and

windy weather to move across the British Isles. Here we are this

evening w a quiet evening ahead. Still some showers over England.

Most are fading out during the small hours. Another cluster running into

the Liverpool bay area, across to the north Midlands. Elsewhere,

typically clear skies and temperatures sliding away to give us

a chilly feel to get Saturday under way. A lot of sunshine from the

outset. Saturday, all in all, not a bad day. The best of the sunshine

likely to be to the west of the British Isles. For eastern areas,

showers, potentially the odd thundery one.

Still some decent sunshine between those showers. The showers clear

quite quickly through Saturday evening. Watch the winds, there is

barely an arrow. Saturday night into Sunday could be

pretty exceptional for August - pretty in terms of the temperatures

tumbling away into single figures. We could even see a touch of frost.

Sunday we will get off to a chilly start, but a bright one, thanks to

clear skies. A chance to the west of more cloud later on in the day. That

could cap the temperatures a little. We will see the cloud replaced by

rain into Monday. Weather systems which will push their way across the

British Isles on Monday. Still some question marks as to exactly where

the wettest weather will be. At the moment it looks like Scotland will

be brightest and driest. Thank you. And that is it. Now we

join the