LONDON: The head of the BBC denied yesterday helping to cover up a sex scandal involving one of its former stars but accepted the British broadcaster had been damaged by a crisis that has shaken public trust in a national institution.
George Entwistle, who only took charge at the 90-year-old media organization in August, told hostile lawmakers that failures at the BBC had allowed Jimmy Savile, once one of Britain’s top TV presenters, to prey on young girls for years.
He added he could not rule out suggestions that a paedophile ring might have existed at the state-funded BBC during the height of Savile’s fame in the 1970s and 80s.
But Entwistle rejected claims that BBC bosses had tried to hide allegations against Savile, who died last year, or suppressed an inquiry by one of their own news programs.
“This is a gravely serious matter and one cannot look back at it with anything other than horror,” Entwistle told parliament’s Culture and Media Committee.
“There is no question that ... the culture and practices of the BBC seemed to allow Jimmy Savile to do what he did, (which) will raise questions of trust for us and reputation for us.” Police are investigating allegations the eccentric, cigar-chomping Savile, who hosted prime time children’s shows on the BBC, abused women, including girls as young as 12, over six decades with some of the attacks taking place on BBC premises.
Detectives announced a criminal inquiry into the claims on Friday, saying more than 200 potential victims had come forward.
The furor over Savile is the biggest controversy to hit the BBC since its director general and chairman resigned in 2004 after a judge-led inquiry ruled it had wrongly reported that former Prime Minister Tony Blair had “sexed up” intelligence to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
It comes as British newspapers await the recommendations of a separate inquiry into journalistic ethics following a phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch’s now closed News of the World tabloid, which could have serious implications for the media.
The BBC, which holds a special place in Britons’ affection and is paid for by a tax on viewers, has been under growing pressure since rival channel ITV exposed Savile’s alleged crimes three weeks ago.
The most damaging aspect for Entwistle and senior managers was the accusation that a similar probe by the BBC’s flagship “Newsnight” show was pulled a couple of months after Savile’s death in October 2011 because it would clash with planned Christmas programs celebrating his life and charity work.
Entwistle’s predecessor as the BBC’s Director General, Mark Thompson, who is the New York Times Co’s incoming chief executive, has also said he did not know about the content of the Newsnight investigation until it was disclosed this month.
Prime Minister David Cameron said on Monday the BBC appeared to be changing its reasons for dropping the story and that it had serious questions to answer.
Newnight’s editor, Peter Rippon, has since stepped aside after the BBC said his explanation for shelving the story had been “inaccurate or incomplete,” and Entwistle said Rippon had been wrong not to broadcast the report.
But he added: “I’ve been able to find no evidence whatsoever in the conversations I’ve had, and in the documents we’ve now pulled together, that any kind of managerial pressure to drop the investigation was applied.” At the time of the Newsnight probe, Entwistle was in charge of BBC television’s commissioning and programming, and admitted the Head of News had briefly told him about it in December and that he might have to change the Christmas schedules, which included Savile tributes.
His failure to ask more questions about the Newsnight inquiry was ridiculed by some of the lawmakers, with one saying he showed a lamentable lack of knowledge.
Another likened his answers to those given by Murdoch’s son James during questioning over phone hacking when he appeared not to know what was going on within his media organization.
“You sound like James Murdoch now,” Damian Collins said.
Entwistle admitted the BBC had taken longer to address the growing crisis than it should have but had been at pains to avoid causing any damage to the police investigation.
“We have done much of what we should have done,” he said, explaining he had ordered two independent reviews.
Asked if it was likely that sexual abuse of children and young women had been widespread at the BBC, he said: “I don’t yet have enough of a picture to know whether it was endemic.” He revealed the corporation is now investigating up to 10 “serious allegations” involving past and present employees over the “Savile period” and described the “Jim’ll Fix It” star as a “skilful and successful sexual predator who covered his tracks.”
Former colleagues have come forward to say there had been rumors for years involving young girls and Savile, famous for his garish outfits and long blonde hair, and later knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his extensive charity work.
Other BBC employees have talked of a culture at the corporation where women were groped and have hinted that Savile was not the only household name to have been involved.
Paid for by a yearly levy of 145.50 pounds ($230) on all British households with a color TV, critics have queried whether this licence fee funding arrangement should continue when some private media companies are struggling.
Charlie Beckett, founding director of the Polis media think-tank at the London School of Economics, said managers at the BBC had tried to deflect blame and that was unacceptable.
“If we blame James Murdoch for what happened when he was in charge then George, in terms of the Newsnight debacle and the general lack of grip, has been found wanting,” he said.
BBC chief denies scandal cover-up over scandal
BBC chief denies scandal cover-up over scandal

Japan PM says won’t ‘easily compromise’ to Trump on tariffs
“We will not easily compromise. That’s why it is taking time and why it is tough,” Ishiba told a television talk show.
His comments came as Japan rushes to negotiate with the Trump administration before the Wednesday deadline for trade deals.
While Trump imposed a sweeping 10 percent tariff on imports from most trading partners in April, he unveiled — then paused — higher rates on dozens of economies including Japan to allow room for negotiations.
This pause will expire July 9, meaning the elevated rates are due to kick in if countries fail to reach agreements with Washington to avert them.
Trump has said he was going to write a letter to Japan, asking it to “pay a 30 percent, 35 percent or whatever the number is that we determine,” and called the bilateral trade relation “unfair.”
He has particularly pressed Japan to accept more US automobiles and rice.
Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo’s trade envoy, held telephone calls with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and Saturday.
In the Sunday television show, Ishiba reiterated that Japan, as the biggest investor nation in the US economy, should be treated differently from other countries.
“What is unfair? How is it unfair? We need to examine each one” of the US claims, he said.
“We are allies, but we have to say what we have to say. We are the world’s largest investor nation and the largest job creator (in the US). We are different,” he said.
On another Sunday television show, Ishiba said Japan was “preparing to deal with all kinds of situations,” when asked about how he plans to deal with Trump’s letter.
Colombia arrests man suspected of organizing hit on politician

- Arteaga Hernandez, who has a long criminal record and a file with Interpol, coordinated the attack, hired the shooter and provided him with a gun, police said
BOGOTA: Colombian police probing the attempted assassination of a prominent right-wing presidential candidate arrested on Saturday a man they believe hired the teenager accused of pulling the trigger.
Elder Jose Arteaga Hernandez was described by police as a key planner of the June 7 attack on conservative senator Miguel Uribe, who remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Arteaga Hernandez organized “the before of the attack, the during, and the after,” said police chief Carlos Fernando Triana Beltran.
Uribe, 39, was shot three times, including twice in the head, during a campaign rally in a park in Bogota.
Police have now arrested five suspects, including the 15-year-old alleged hitman.
Arteaga Hernandez, who has a long criminal record and a file with Interpol, coordinated the attack, hired the shooter and provided him with a gun, police said.
The shooter is believed to belong to a network of contract killers.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said that Arteaga Hernandez “had allegedly negotiated the execution of the crime” for the equivalent of about $250,000.
“He planned the cover, the movements, and even ordered one of his accomplices to be silenced after the incident,” Sanchez posted on X.
Uribe’s attorney, Victor Mosquera, has said the probe had revealed a “structured organization” with a “history of attacks on right-wing leaders.”
Uribe, a member of the Democratic Center party, announced his intention last October to run in the May 2026 presidential election.
Sanctions? No big deal, say Russian middle class couple

- Western countries first levied economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine
- Despite warnings of a looming recession and high inflation, many Russians feel their economy has adapted successfully to Western sanctions, even if it means parting with some Western brands for good
MYTISHCHI: For Sergei Duzhikov and Maria Tyabut, a middle-class couple living in a town just outside Moscow, Western sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine have been manageable.
The pair drive a Chinese car, vacation in Venezuela and buy “Camembert” cheese made in Russia.
Their modest two-bedroom apartment in Mytishchi, home to 300,000 people northeast of the capital, has been recently renovated and their Chinese-made fridge is stocked with Russian goods.
Despite warnings of a looming recession and high inflation, they and many other Russians feel their economy has adapted successfully to Western sanctions, even if it means parting with some well-known Western brands for good.
“From the perspective of my everyday life — home, family, work, leisure, friends, hobbies, and interests, I honestly don’t feel the impact of sanctions,” said Maria, who works at a cosmetics company.
“There aren’t any brands that have left such a void that I can’t live without them,” the 43-year-old added.
Supermarkets have found a range of domestic and foreign alternatives to Western products, including Camembert cheese, one of Maria’s creature comforts.
“It’s delicious. I haven’t tried real French Camembert, so I can’t compare,” she admitted.
“Overall, my life hasn’t changed much,” she told AFP.
Western countries first levied economic sanctions against Russia in 2014, after Moscow annexed Crimea from Ukraine.
Those sanctions became significantly tighter following Moscow’s full-scale assault on its neighbor.
Moscow responded by ramping up production of domestic goods, shifting its trade away from the West to what it calls “friendly” nations like China and importing other items through third countries.
For ordinary Russians, the most noticeable effect of this was an exodus of Western brands from supermarket shelves and from the high street.
Among the most well-known brands to leave was fast-food chain McDonald’s, famously replaced by Russian-owned “Vkusno i tochka” (which translates to ‘Delicious, Full Stop’) in 2022.
Maria’s husband Sergei, a funeral director, said he had “no complaints” about the quality of the food.
“The kids love it,” he said of the restaurant chain.
When shopping, Maria buys a new brand of yoghurt that replaced one belonging to French company Danone.
Danone left the Russian market in 2022 and eventually sold its operations to a businessman linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Some Russian companies have also been able to import popular Western goods via third countries, albeit at a higher cost.
As for vacations, Maria and Sergei have opted for trips across Russia and Latin America.
Most European countries cut off direct flights to Russia shortly after the offensive began, while some tightened entry requirements for Russian citizens.
The couple said they had been to Venezuela, a country under US sanctions, which they described as a nation of “friendly people who love Russians.”
The couple admitted there were a few teething issues.
Two years ago, after a car accident, Sergei said he waited “three months” for spare parts to repair his Korean-made Kia because of sanctions.
“That’s when I realized that it probably made sense to sell my beloved Korean car and replace it with a similar Chinese one,” he told AFP.
Maria also said she noticed it was harder to find products in “certain” categories of goods.
But overall, she said, “I don’t feel deprived in any way. Certainly not when it comes to food. There’s a wide and rich selection.”
The Russian economy has been marked by volatility since Moscow launched its Ukraine offensive in 2022, a military assault that has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
The country reported strong economic expansion in 2023 and 2024, largely due to massive state defense spending on the conflict, but is now slowing down after a period of what officials called “overheating.”
Inflation has also been running high, clocking in at more than double the central bank’s target for over a year.
Maria and her husband’s combined income is around 300,000 rubles (around $3,800), higher than the average wage for one person of around 100,000.
While Maria acknowledged prices were going up, she said her family was not “crying” about it.
“It’s not like we used to buy a kilogramme (35 ounces) of buckwheat three years ago, and now we can only afford 600 grams,” she said.
“They are rising little by little.”
Alleged arsonist charged over fire at Australian synagogue

- Angelo Loras appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and was charged with arson, endangering life and property damage
MELBOURNE: A man was charged Sunday over an arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue in an apparent escalation of antisemitic violence in Australia’s second-most populous city.
Angelo Loras, 34, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court Sunday charged with arson, endangering life and property damage. He was also charged with possessing a “controlled weapon” on Saturday when he was arrested. The charge sheet does not say what that weapon was.
The Sydney resident did not enter a plea or apply to be released on bail. Magistrate John Lesser remanded Loras in custody to appear in court next on July 22.
Flammable liquid was ignited at the door of the East Melbourne Synagogue, also known as the East Melbourne Hebrew Congregation, on Friday night as 20 worshippers shared a Shabbat meal inside.
The congregation escaped without harm via a rear door and firefighters contained the blaze to the entrance area of the 148-year-old building.
It was the first of three apparent displays of antisemitic violence across the city on Friday and early Saturday morning.
Authorities have yet to establish a link between incidents at the synagogue and two businesses.
Antisemitism blamed for attacks on businesses
Also in downtown Melbourne on Friday night, around 20 masked protesters harassed diners in an Israeli-owned restaurant.
A restaurant window was cracked, tables were flipped and chairs thrown as protesters chanted “Death to the IDF,” referring to the Israel Defense Forces. A 28-year-old woman was arrested at the scene and charged with hindering police.
Police are also investigating the spray-painting of a business in Melbourne’s northern suburbs and an arson attack on three vehicles attached to the business before dawn on Saturday. The vehicles had also been graffitied.
Police said there were antisemitic “inferences” at the scene. The business had also been the target of pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the past year.
Political leaders condemn antisemitism
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke met with Jewish leaders at the damaged synagogue on Sunday.
Burke told reporters that investigators were searching for potential links between the three incidents.
“At this stage, our authorities have not drawn links between them. But obviously there’s a link in antisemitism. There’s a link in bigotry. There’s a link in a willingness to either call for violence, to chant violence or to take out violent actions. They are very much linked in that way,” Burke said.
“There were three attacks that night and none of them belonged in Australia. Arson attacks, the chanting calls for death, other attacks and graffiti — none of it belonged in Australia and they were attacks on Australia,” Burke added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Australian government to “take all action to deal with the rioters to the fullest extent of the law and prevent similar attacks in the future.”
“I view with utmost gravity the antisemitic attacks that occurred last night in Melbourne, which included attempted arson of a synagogue in the city and a violent assault against an Israeli restaurant by pro-Palestinian rioters,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Saturday.
“The reprehensible antisemitic attacks, with calls of ‘death to the IDF’ and an attempt to attack a place of worship, are severe hate crimes that must be uprooted,” he added.
Musk announces forming of ‘America Party’ in further break from Trump

- ‘Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom’
- Despite Musk’s deep pockets, breaking the Republican-Democratic duopoly will be a tall order
WASHINGTON: The dispute between Republican President Donald Trump and his main campaign financier Elon Musk took another fractious turn on Saturday when the space and automotive billionaire announced the formation of a new political party, saying Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax bill would bankrupt America.
A day after asking his followers on his X platform whether a new US political party should be created, Musk declared in a post on Saturday that “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.” “By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!” he wrote. The announcement from Musk comes after Trump signed his self-styled “big, beautiful” tax-cut and spending bill into law on Friday, which Musk fiercely opposed.
Musk, who became the world’s richest man thanks to his Tesla car company and his SpaceX satellite firm, spent hundreds of millions on Trump’s re-election and led the Department of Government Efficiency from the start of the president’s second term aimed at slashing government spending.
The first sign of investor dissatisfaction with Musk’s announcement followed later in the day. Investment firm Azoria Partners will postpone the listing of a Tesla exchange-traded fund, Azoria CEO James Fishback said in a post on X.
Fishback is asking Tesla’s board to clarify Musk’s political ambitions and said the new party undermines the confidence shareholders had that he would be focusing more on the company after leaving government service in May.
Musk said previously that he would start a new political party and spend money to unseat lawmakers who supported the bill. Trump earlier this week threatened to cut off the billions of dollars in subsidies that Musk’s companies receive from the federal government. Republicans have expressed concern that Musk’s on-again, off-again feud with Trump could hurt their chances to protect their majority in the 2026 midterm congressional elections.
Asked on X what was the one thing that made him go from loving Trump to attacking him, Musk said: “Increasing the deficit from an already insane $2T under Biden to $2.5T. This will bankrupt the country.”
There was no immediate comment from Trump or the White House on Musk’s announcement. The feud with Trump, often described as one between the world’s richest man and the world’s most powerful, has led to several precipitous falls in Tesla’s share price. The stock soared after Trump’s November reelection and hit a high of more than $488 in December, before losing more than half of its value in April and closing last week out at $315.35. Despite Musk’s deep pockets, breaking the Republican-Democratic duopoly will be a tall order, given that it has dominated American political life for more than 160 years, while Trump’s approval ratings in polls in his second term have generally held firm above 40 percent, despite often divisive policies.