20/10/2012 BBC Weekend News

Ten suffer thousands of people marched in protest at the

government's austerity measures. Unions say the coalition's policies

have failed and want an end to the spending cuts and tax rises. Also

in tonight's programme. The moment a hit-and-run driver went on the

rampage in Cardiff, killing one person and injuring 13. Marking the

70th anniversary of El Alamein, a turning point mecca of the Second

World War. COMMENTATOR: 14 out of 14. He makes his biggest challenge

looked easy. And victory at Ascot for the �100 million course, and

Hello, good evening. Tens of thousands of people have been

marching in London, Glasgow and Belfast in protest at the

government's austerity measures. The demonstrations were organised

by the Trades Union Congress. In a speech in London, the Labour leader

Ed Miliband called the Prime Minister clueless. But he was booed,

when he said Labour would have to make what he called a hard choices.

John Moylan reports. At noon today, central London was

at a standstill. 150,000 people, including health workers and

teachers, the young and the old, were on the streets. An estimated

5,000 also marched in Glasgow. There was a major demonstration in

Belfast as well. The Richards and Nash family are from Surrey. They

travelled to London to protest over cuts to social services. We are

seeing on the front line the effects that these cuts are making.

They are leaving, from our perspective, leaving children more

at risk. We have not seem an increase in our cost-of-living

allowance for three years now. demonstration comes at a key time.

Labour's poll ratings are up and there is growing concern about

where exactly the economy is now going. So many will see this as an

opportunity to step up pressure on the government, which has suffered

a series of mid-term setbacks. At a rally in Hyde Park, speakers lined

up to criticise cuts to public spending. The government is trying

to divide this country between the rich and the rest. They are hurting

our children and our families and they are wrecking our economy.

Miliband, who owes his job to the unions, said that a Labour

government would make fairer choices, but he was booed by some

when he confirmed there would be cuts as well. I have said whoever

wore was in government now, there would be some cuts, but this

government has has shown they a good thing too far and too fast.

Self-defeating austerity is not the answer. But his presence at the

event was seized upon by the government. By turning up today at

a rally that opposes every single spending but that is necessary to

deal with our debts, Ed Miliband has shown that he is still in

favour of more spending, more borrowing and even greater debt.

That is what got us into this mess in the first place. There was some

trouble today. There were scuffles in Oxford Street between police and

anti-tax avoidance groups. And there could be trouble ahead as

well. Some unions now say marches and rallies are not enough and

called today for a general strike. Our political correspondent Ben

Wright is at Westminster this evening. What does the Labour

leader, what was he really trying to achieve by making it appearance

that today? A number of things, I think. He was certainly trying to

capitalise on what has been a pretty wretched week for the

government. He got a big cheer from the crowd to many called David

Cameron clueless and said the resignation of Andrew Mitchell at

the George Osborne train tickets are goal showed what he called at

culture of two nations run through the government. He had attended

this rally to stand together with people from all sorts of

backgrounds who do not think the government has the right plan for

dealing with the deficit. The Conservatives are delighted that Ed

Miliband accepted the TUC's invitation, because they hope that

the voters will see the pictures of him addressing a crowd full of

placards, saying no cuts and conclude this is a man in the

pocket of the unions who is in complete denial about what is

needed to repair the economy. Which is why I think Ed Miliband will not

have minded that when he told the crowd but if Labour was in power it

too would have to make cuts. He got a book from a section of the crowd.

-- he was booed. It will show his critics that he was not pandering

to the unions, even though there is a huge question of the detail of

what sort of the radical alternative cuts Labour would be

making. It is a tricky balancing act for Ed Miliband. He is trying

to say that the government's plan is wrong. On the other hand, prove

that Labour can be credible on the economy again.

A two people are still in intensive care in hospital after a series of

hit-and-run incidents in Cardiff yesterday. A woman was killed and

13 people were injured, including seven children. Witnesses say Amman

deliberately drove into pedestrians before eventually getting out of

his bat and attacking people. -- getting out of his Shittu.

Detectives are questioning a 31- year-old man.

A speeding van caught on CCTV as its driver unleashed a wave of

violence on the streets of Cardiff. The 31-year-old man has been

questioned on suspicion of murder. Police believe he also attacked

pedestrians with a weapon. There is witness evidence to suggest that

the person we have in custody has physically assaulted people outside

the vehicle. There was a weapon, which we are looking to recover and

identify. Through the day flowers have been laid for a mother cut

down when she walked with her children. 32-year-old Karina

Menzies was hit by the full force of the vehicle as it neared the

pits and. Paramedics were unable -- as it mounted the pavement.

Paramedics were unable to revive her. The police investigation spans

the length and breadth of Cardiff, with five different crime scenes

from crossways roads, to the city centre and left with retail park

where two women were hit. Police say the attack took place in around

30 minutes. In that short time the driver hit 14 people, seemingly

chosen at random. Most of them were women and young children making

their way home at the end of the school day. They include two met --

two-year-old Amelia, thrown from her pushchair as the van hit her

mother. I have not slept, I thought they were both dead. I was really

shocked. This evening, police have been calling it people's homes and

asking for their help in trying to uncover what may have triggered

such violence. Two people are being questioned on

suspicion of murder after a woman and two young children died in a

fire in north Wales. 20-year-old Lee-Anna Shiers, her four year-old

nephew Bailey Allen and his two- year-old sister Skye were killed at

the blaze in a first-floor flat in Prestatyn.

The fire here was ferocious. Two floors Chard and black and

underneath tributes left to three people who lost their lives.

Brother and sister Bailey Allen and Skye Allen were aged four and two.

There and, Lee-Anna Shiers, was 20. The community here is in shock.

came out and realised where it was. We knew there were kids in there.

This man came running down the street, saying, get my kids out,

they are in there. Neighbours said the whole street was filled with

smoke. They saw people stuck behind the windows and there was nothing

they could do to help get them out. Firefighters rescued 23-year-old

Liam Timbrell and his 15 month-old son. They are in critical condition

in hospital. Police have arrested a man and woman in her forties and

tonight it has emerged they live in the ground floor flat of the

building. The leader of the SNP's Alex

Salmond says it it is game on for Scotland as the country prepares

for an independence boating two years' time. He told the SNP

conference in Perth that the Scottish people are fed up being

ruled by a Westminster elite and are ready for change. Here is Colin

Blane. There is a sense of growing

confidence within the SNP. Party membership has never been higher.

There have been internal differences but the prospect of an

independence referendum in 2014 is concentrating minds. Alex Salmond

believes the S&P has a once in a generation opportunity. -- the SNP.

The two years but like ahead of us now are the most important in our

party's history and our country's recent history to secured a better

future at by our families, communities and nations, a future

which starts with a yes vote. Delegates, it is game on for

Scotland. Mr Salmond said the Independent's argument was there to

be one. We know there are many of our fellow citizens who remain to

be convinced about the merits of independence. But we also know that

there is a majority for change in this country. Most of those who

heard the speech seemed to share their leader's optimism. It is

going to be a walkover from now on. It is on the way. It can't be

stopped. It has been handed to us on a plate, honestly. Delegates

have repositioned their defence policy. The SNP are no longer anti-

Nato. But Alex Salmond knows he has a long way to go to win over the

wider Scottish public to independence. He will be hoping

that process may be a little easier Ceremonies have been held to mark

the 70th anniversary of the Battle of El Alamein. The fighting between

the Allies and the Germans and Italians was one of the turning

points of the Second World War. Veterans from around the world

70 years on, a tribute to the fallen. They are gathered at a war

cemetery in our Alamein. That is on the edge of one of the great

battlefields of World War II. Peter Watson is the last British veteran

able to join the commemoration. you are well trained and

disciplined, you would do anything. They are none mates. It is a family.

The fighting raged for 12 days and 12 nights. By the end, Germany and

its allies had suffered one of their big defeats of the war.

General Montgomery had forced Rommel and his men into a prolonged

retreat. This is the cockpit of the Battle of Alamein, where some of

the most fierce fighting took place. A were shown the expanse of barren

desert where almost 300,000 men were engaged in mortal combat. -- I

was shown. The British people, for them, it marked the turning of the

tide. Now, possibly, there might be a chance of victory. Only a handful

of survivors remain from this battle. What happened 70 years ago

deeply affects the shape of the world today. Sport now. Good

evening. The world's best racehorse, Frankel, officially retired today

after his 14th straight victory. The unbeaten colt wowed a sell-out

crowd at Ascot, winning his final race - the Champion Stakes - on

difficult, soft ground. For the real horses, this was the richest

day in British racing. For the fans, one last chance to catch a glimpse

of the best possession. The greatest horse for a generation and

perhaps the greatest ever. fans' favourite and the bookies'

favourite. He is odds on to end his career with a 14th straight victory.

This is thought to be the toughest test yet. They are off and running.

Stage fright possibly with a slow start but then he lived up to his

billing, beating his French rival. He is pulling away. 14 out of 14.

He makes his biggest challenge looked easy. For those who are part

of the journey, it was the ferry tell ending. The best I ever had -

the best I have ever seen. He has now won almost �3 million of prize-

money. Far greater riches lie ahead. He could earn owners around �100

million. His fortune has been for the few but his fame will endure

for the many. Detectives are still trying to trace a man who attacked

the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper, Chris Kirkland, during a football

match against Leeds last night. Kirkland required treatment after

being knocked to the ground by the man, who then ran off. It followed

violent scenes involving both sets of fans. The Football Association

has launched an investigation. There were eight matches in the

Premier League today and you can catch the highlights in Match of

the Day following this programme so, this is your chance to leave the

room. At Old Trafford, Manchester United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson,

said he was embarrassed after Rio Ferdinand refused to take part in

an anti-racism day. The defender chose not to wear a T-shirt backing

the kick it out campaign during the warm-up before their game against

Stoke. United went on to win 4-2. Chelsea have announced that John

Terry will keep the club captaincy despite beginning a four-match ban

for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand. Chelsea's goal keeper

Petr Cech wore the armband today as they went on to beat Tottenham 4-2

at White Hart Lane. Elsewhere, Liverpool had their first home win

in the league this season beating Norwich, who were second from

bottom at the start of the day, beat Arsenal at home. Champions

Manchester City had to come from a goal down to beat West Bromwich

Albion. In the Scottish Premier League, Celtic maintained their

three point lead at the top after beating St Mirren 5-0 away. Four of

those goals came in the first half. Victor Wanyama scoring two of them.

Elsewhere, there were also wins for Ross County and St Johnstone.

Scotland's women are just a win away from securing a place at next

year's European Championships. They drew the first leg of their

qualifying play-off against Spain 1-1 at Hampden. Kim Little with a

penalty in the first half. England have already qualified for the

tournament. They threw away a 2-0 lead to draw their friendly against

France 2-2 in Paris. Lance Armstrong has admitted he has had a

difficult couple of weeks since a United States Anti-Doping Agency

report said he'd been involved in the most sophisticated and

successful drugs programme cycling has ever seen. Speaking at the 15th

anniversary of his cancer charity, Armstrong received a standing