20/07/2012 BBC News at One

14 people are dead after a gunman opens fire at a cinema in America.

As many as 50 others are hurt, some critically injured with gunshot

wounds. Terrified eyewitnesses speak of a helmeted man walking

into the theatre and opening fire at random A man in his 20s is under

arrest. When she turned around, or she saw was the guy is slowly

making his way up the stairs and just firing. Just picking random

people. A man in his 20s is under arrest. Police are searching his

home for more weapons. The suspect, who is in custody, made statements

about possible explosives in possession in his residence. We'll

have all the latest on America's latest gun tragedy. Today's other

news. The head of the Syrian rebel army says he believes President

Assad will be gone within 30 days. Dairy farmers blockade depots

across England to protest at the price they're paid for their milk.

Olympic security. Ministers say there's been no compromise over

security. Good evening, the Prime Minister weighed in... And Sir

Alistair Burnett, the face of ITV's News at Ten for two decades, has

died at the age of 84. On BBC London. As a grab for the Olympic

torch is made, Londoners are warned about breaching the relay security.

And Scotland Yard says it'll be writing to Ian Tomlinson's family

Good afternoon. At least 14 people have been shot dead in Denver,

Colorado, after a gunman opened fire at a midnight premiere of the

latest Batman film. The number of injured could be as high as 50. Eye

witnesses have spoken of a man wearing a mask, slowly making his

way up the stairs and then firing, picking at random people. Police

have arrested the suspected gunman, he was found in the car park nearby.

It was at 1230 that people began frantically calling the emergency

services. Witnesses reported seeing a gunman wearing a gas mask, a

helmet and body armour. One witness said he was firing as he made his

way up the stairs of the Cinema, picking people at random to shoot

at. Police say he then either made his way through an exit into the

theatre all appeared behind the screen that were showing the Batman

film. He then fired into the crowd. We were right there in the 5th of

role. People were scrambling left and right, my children got out

first near my wife. We got down on our hands and knees. The people in

the stadium's seats, they were sitting ducks. We have to get out

of there as quickly as possible. Somebody behind us, may be a

straggler, was hit. My wife had fallen to the ground, partially

trampled. I've got her up and out of there and we took off. This is

unverified mobile phone video, apparently taken inside the lobby

of the cinema shortly after the shooting began. Witnesses say they

heard explosions and a hissing sound, and a canister of gas was

released. We've seen three different patients in our

department with complaints of burning of their eyes and skin,

mouth and nose. Each of those patients were decontaminated and

released. Police have not named the suspect but American media are

reporting that he is 24 years old. Police caught up with him in the

car-park. They say he didn't resist arrest. They found a rival, handgun

and a third weapon inside the cinema. He told the police he had

explosives at his apartment, which was then searched by officers.

Police are also checking cars for explosives. At this time there is a

residence in North Aurora, it is an apartment building that we have the

evacuated. We are dealing with the potential that their explosives

inside. We are concerned about explosives in the parking lot,

hence the parking lot is sealed off. The numbers reported victim was

just six years old. Her condition is not known. President Obama has

released a statement saying that he and the first lady, Michelle Obama,

are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting. The

people of Aurora, he said, are in their thoughts and prayers. You

heard the voice in that report of someone who was in the cinema when

the attack happened. You were there with your family, the children

included. Yes, I was. Talk us through, when did you first realise

that this wasn't some sort of a stand and that something terrible

was actually happening? Once the smoke grenade went off, that's when

I began to wonder. Then a shadowy figure emerged from the corner of

the theatre with his night vision and armour and everything. He had

just broken fire. I've never seen anything like it in my life. It was

very sad. With his military weapon, his military stuff. Very bad. I'm

up right now. It happened at 1215. I'm on 5:30am our time in Colorado.

I can imagine that you probably are still in shock. How are your

children dealing with what has been a terrifying ordeal for them?

children just went to sleep about 30 minutes ago. They've been

watching the news report. They don't want to go back to the movies.

My wife does not want to go back to the movies. She is shaken. She's

been crying off and on. To be separated from your children in

something like that is very devastating. And then to be

reunited with the children... We are all left with questions of why?

Why did this happen? What is so bad in this world? I know the world has

a bad economy globally, but to take this many lives at a movie theatre

- who does that? I don't know what to say. I'm sure that a lot of

people will be echoing those thoughts right now. Thank you for

joining us. We will lead to get back to your family and hopefully

get some support in the coming days. I have some breaking news now. The

police are releasing the name of the gunmen. They have named him as

We can join our correspondent now. Reaction from the President to

these events, and that news coming in now, confirmation of his name.

Is there any more information you have been receiving? President

Obama was woken up at Dawn in Washington by one of his national

security advisers, John Brennan, who informed him about the shooting.

About three or four hours after it had happened, we heard in this

report from our colleague that President Obama has called for

unity at this time of tragedy. He has expressed his shock at what had

happened. But it's always good to know that this call for unity in

the United States, for the United States and all American people to

stand together as a family, at a time when the country is divided in

the midst of a very acrimonious political campaign ahead of the

presidential election. We also heard from Mitt Romney, President

Obama's Republican rival, who is also calling for everyone to come

together, calling for the gunman to be brought to justice as soon as

possible. Details are still emerging. They've released the name

of the gunmen. They also say that they believe he acted alone, but

they are still investigating. Crucially, they say they believe

this is not connected to militant terrorism, as we have sometimes

seen in the past. These shootings happened in the US. This is

possibly the worst one of sins the Virginia Tech shooting on the

university campus in 2007, when 32 people were killed. In today's

other news, fierce fighting between government forces and the rebels is

continuing in Damascus. Ahead of the Syrian rebel army says he

believes President Assad will be gone within 30 days. Thousands of

refugees are now trying to flee their country. Our correspondent is

on the turkey Syria border and will be joining us shortly. Now, his

report. In recent days the various rebel units that make up the Free

Syrian Army have become much more confident and daring. Launching

more attacks in several parts of Damascus and other major cities.

But it is not all going their way. Syrian state television has been

showing what it says is the clean- up of Midan, the streets of this

Damascus suburb now free of rebel fighters, or terrorists, as the

pro-asset TV channel caused them. Despite such setbacks and the still

overwhelming strength of government troops, increasingly vocal and

visible rebel leaders insist this is the endgame, and that the Assad

regime's days are numbered. TRANSLATION: In the name of God,

the compassionate and merciful, all the officers and members of the

Free Syrian Army congratulate the Syrian people on the onset of the

Blessed month of Ramadan. In the hope that this month will Asher in

certain victory, God winning. -- willing. The Free Syrian Army has

claimed to have captured several border crossings. In the self with

Iraq, and here in the north with Turkey, where rebels defaced a huge

poster of Bashar Al-Assad. Beyond this Turkish frontier is three

kilometres of No Man's Land and then the Syrian border itself. But

who is in control their changes day-to-day. What we know is that

the Syrian government is withdrawing its troops from the

periphery to deal with the crisis in Damascus. And in some cases,

that is allowing the rebels to take control. President Assad rarely

appears or speaks in public these days. A made speculation about his

future, reports from France said the Russian ambassador there had

said Assad was now prepared to quit in a civilised way. Reports that

were dispersed by the Information Ministry in Damascus. The regime

could still crumble from within, with the many new free Syrian army

units forming in Damascus could take or district. Either way, has

the battle for Syria now entered a critical phase? What is the

situation there at the moment? There is still heavy fighting going

on on the other side of the frontier. Perhaps less in daylight,

because now is the Muslim holy run -- month of fasting, Ramadan. But

the border is changing hands rapidly. This is also a

humanitarian crisis. The UN refugee Council body has said today that

more than 30,000 Syrian refugees crossed into Lebanon in the last

couple of days. There are 100,000 refugees here in Syria, with a

similar number in Jordan. All of the fighting going on, there seems

to be no end of it in Syria, no side seems to have the upper hand

yet, and still all these refugees fleeing the fighting. Lets pick-up

of our correspondent who has been watching events from neighbouring

Lebanon. There is that prediction that the President will be gone in

30 days. What is your assessment? Well, I wouldn't like to guess.

Certainly the impression is that things have leapt forward into a

new phase, a different level. For months and months there was a basic

deadlock between what seemed to be an irresistible force, certainly a

revolution that wouldn't go away, and an immovable object, a regime

that simply refused to budge. That seems to have changed. The

revolution or the uprising has taken on a new momentum. I'm

hearing that those clashes in the heart of the Masters, near the

central, just beside the police station in the centre of town,

explosions and shooting being heard from there. This is not going away.

From the point of view of the regime, it does seem to be entering

into a fatal struggle. If you watched Syrian TV, it has endless

pictures of the army leaping through burning hoops and that kind

of thing, posing as the champion of the protectors of the nation.

Whether it is against external enemies who they are claiming are

behind this campaign against them, or against domestic, what they

called terrorism, they are calling them mercenaries, but they have

been a -- they have been unable to root them out of their own capital.

Hundreds of dairy farmers have blockaded milk depots across

England overnight in protest at the prices they are paid. They are

outside several sites, including Leeds, Ashby-de-la-Zouch in

Leicestershire and Bridgwater in Somerset. There is a further

protest Dunnell plant. Farmers say they are receiving up to 5p a litre

less formal than it costs to produce. More than 200 farmers

blockaded a processing plant with tractors and trailers in Bridgwater

last night, in a protest about the price they receive for milk.

Farmers in other parts of the country, including here in Leeds,

also took to the streets, as they say being paid less will force many

out of business. One of those protesting was James Batman. His

family have farmed here on the outskirts of Wales for three

generations. Heavy rainfall means he is already having to pay more to

feed his herd indoors. He claims cuts to milk prices now means he

stands to lose up to �50,000 a year. I've got children, they are very

keen, they want to be involved in it. It would break my heart to see

that they didn't have a chance to be in this industry. We pay around

52p for a litre of milk at a supermarket. It costs farmers

around 30p to produce. Some dairies will soon only pay 25p. Processing

plants say paying less for milk is a last resort, and that they will

do anything they can to support farmers, including cutting their

own costs. The supermarkets claim the processors are to blame. But

the National Farmers' Union says some supermarkets, including

Morrisons, ASDA and the Co-op, are squeezing farmer's margins.

processes are left losing money. The only place they can turn, they

think, is to farmers. I'm saying, no, you've got to look to the

retailers to step up to the plate and find more money. You can't

squeeze blood out of a stone, and that is what they are trying to do

with the industry. Dairy farmers are determined to keep up the

pressure. They say that this campaign is far from over. It is

expected there will be more Our top story this lunchtime: Of 14

people have been shot dead after a gunman opened fire at a cinema in

Denver, Colorado. As many as 50 others are injured. Coming up,

bidding to become the first Briton to win the Tour de France, Bradley

Wiggins has the end in sight. Later on BBC London, police

continue their search for a missing man after a boat capsized in Surrey.

And the Surrey pensioner who carried the Olympic flame in 1948

gets to do it all again for 2012. We will also have the weather

Hundreds of the most serious sex offenders in England and Wales will

have to take a lie-detector tests in future as part of a programme to

monitor their behaviour. Ministers say they are extending a pilot

scheme carried out in the Midlands which has helped probation staff

reduce the risk posed by sex offenders in the community. Matt

Prodger reports. Have you gone anywhere to access

any person under the age of 16? convicted paedophile undergoes a

polygraph, or lie-detector test. This was a pilot study, but it will

soon be mandatory for 750 of the most serious offenders once they

have served their prison sentences. When sex offenders are released

from prison, they continue to be assessed for risk, and getting

honest answers from then is crucial to working out whether they are in

fact need to be back behind bars. Many of these inmates at a

dedicated sex offender prisoner will be released under certain

conditions, to stay away from children, for example. Failing a

polygraph test alone will not be enough to put them back inside, but

the man who pioneered the tests says offenders are more likely to

tell the truth. Two aspects, it encourages them to disclose more

information and to work more closely with the probation officers,

but also whether the passing or failing the test gives important

information about how well they are sticking to their conditions.

the pilot study, nearly a third of offenders failed the polygraph

tests. Half of them did not, and the rest of the tests were

If parliament approves, then the tests will be introduced next year

for the most serious offenders to be released from prison in England

and Wales. London 2012 chairman Lord Coe has

promised a safe and secure games, despite the security guards fiasco.

An extra 3,500 troops were drafted in last week after G4S admitted a

shortage of staff, and a further 1,200 troops are now on standby.

Military personnel have started to be deployed on site, as final

preparations for the games get under way. The latest now from

Daniel Boettcher. A first look inside the

accommodation being set up for extra military personnel brought in

because private firm G4S has been unable to provide enough security

guards for the Olympics. Tobacco Dock is an exhibition and

conference venue. Inside, row upon row of beds are being prepared. And

outside, under canvas, catering facilities are being set up. The

Defence Secretary, Philip Hammond, was shown around the facility as

the man in charge of co-ordinating the armed forces' involvement in

the Olympics said that those brought in would get back any leave

they have had to cancel. What we will do is make sure that they

could leave as soon as they have finished. It will not be the lead

they wanted in the summer with their children and families, but

they will get leave, and they will get recognition by being looked

after properly and being told what a fantastic job they have done.

More soldiers will be arriving today. The centre will house 2,500

military personnel of the 3,500 been brought in. A further 1,200

are now on standby. The London 2012 chairman, Lord Coe, says people

involved in the games are overwhelmingly positive about what

they are doing. This morning, he visited the Olympic Park security

centre with Theresa May, the Home Secretary insisting security had

not been compromised. Obviously, we are constantly monitoring,

constantly looking at how we are ensuring that safety and security,

but people will be ever to come to these Olympic Games, enjoy them for

the great sporting event that they are, at be able to feel safe and

secured. As final preparations for the games continue, a new concern,

thousands of Home Office staff belonging to the PCS Union are due

to go on strike the day before the Games open, including staff from

the UK Border Agency. Anyone with a connection, this way, please!

is Heathrow Airport during a strike last November it has contingency

plans. The union says it will meet ministers any time in the next week

to avert the strike. Today at Heathrow, more athletes arrived, is

the team from South Africa. There is now just one week to go before

the Games begin. OK, let's hear now from Jane Hill,

who was at the Tower of London, lots of things going to be

happening there later this afternoon, talk us through it.

Yes, in just a few hours' time, Kate, the Olympic flame will arrive

here at the Tower of London, and so many milestones in his Olympic

journey, but this is another one, because it marks its arrival in the

host city. Later this evening, a Royal Navy helicopter will fly up

the Thames, over Tower Bridge, over the Olympic rings, and then it will

be brought down from the helicopter by a marine who has been chosen for

that task because he was injured on active service in Afghanistan. The

formal ceremony, all the dignitaries here tonight, Lord Coe,

as you would expect, the chairman of LOCOG, Boris Johnson, the flame

will be handed over to them, and then it is taking him to the Jewel

House, where it could not be any safer, could it? Home to the Crown

Jewels, Kev saved there for so many hundreds of he is, the flame will

remain here tonight in the Tower of London, in this ancient fortress,

before early tomorrow morning it begins its journey through London,

through all 33 London boroughs. It all starts here at the Tower of

London this evening, a little bit before 8 o'clock, and we will have

full coverage of that dramatic arrival and the ceremony all

evening on BBC News. Yes, the BBC News Channel and the

main national bulletins, banks, Jane. Veteran journalist and

broadcaster Sir Alastair Burnet has died at the age of 84. He was best

known as the presenter of ITV's News at Ten. He switched to

television full-time after he had a career in print journalism. Rebecca

He was a trusted face on television for years. Sir Alastair Burnet

helped launch ITV's News at Ten in 1967, the country's first half hour

television news programme. And he presented ITV's coverage of

historic live events, including the Apollo 11 moon landing. There it is,

the Old Moon, the one that the cow jumped over. He also worked at the

BBC, anchoring two general election programmes in 1974. Former

colleagues have been remembering Sir Alastair Burnet today. He gave

me a job, and he was my inspiration and my mental. I think he was the

greatest news broadcaster this country has ever produced, and he

set the standard. He has never been equalled, he spoke in beautifully

modulated tones. What he had, uniquely, was a grasp of every

conceivable detail you might want in the world of politics and

economics, but a total passion for things that plain folk, as he

called them, cared about, football. Sir Alastair Burnet became such a

familiar face that even featured on ITV's own satirical puppet show,

Spitting Image. And finally, news to shake the Kremlin... He will be

remembered best as one of the great figures of British broadcasting.

That is the News tonight, good Sir Alastair Burnet, who has died

aged 84. Now, England's batsmen have

struggled on the second morning of the first Test begins at Africa at

the Oval. At lunch, they were up 326-seven. Patrick T-Ray has the

details. Alastair Cook knows a good

centurion does not leave his post unless forced, so it would take

something special to end his innings. Dale Steyn produced it. He

added just one to his overnight score of 114, Ravi Bopara by

contrast offering something of a surrender. Bewildered by the pace,

in less than half an hour, the game had changed and so had England's

mood. Runs were scarce, and they ought to have lost another wicket

trying to make one. Pietersen went direct, but he could have taken his

time. Jacques Kallis would be more accurate with ball in hand. In his

first over, he bowled Ian Bell. England were being toppled

precisely. Tension was running through the England line-up. Matt

Prior's response to nerves is to try to blast them out of his system,

but in good bowling conditions he would need luck to survive. This

drop gave England some much-needed assistance, but they were not

helping themselves. After a dominant first day, this has been a

morning to remind England how competitive this series will be.

Now, day two of the 141st Open Championship got under way today at

Royal Lytham with some of the sport's biggest names in contention.

Rory McIlroy Bolland at his hitting of if and I very nearly hitting a

fellow competitor after slicing an approach shot. -- followed up.

Bradley Wiggins is closing in on victory in a Tour de France after

retaining victory in the yellow jersey on stage 17. He has kept his

lead over team-mate Chris Froome, so Wiggins, with just three stages

to go, is almost there. Joe Wilson The punishing slopes of the

Pyrenees are now just misty memories. Bradley Wiggins, wrapped

in the comfort of his team-mates, flattened the last mountain stage

yesterday, hunting down this man, Vincenzo Nibali, the one remaining

For France, this race stretches far beyond mere sport. It has its own

culture and history, and a British team dominating is unprecedented.

They have perfected the tactics. The man in blue, Chris Froome, is

Wiggins' Shepherd, cajoling and encouraging, easing his progress, a

faithful To pity that some observers think is desperate to

slip the leash. -- deputy. He is second overall. The team will tell

him to keep it that way until Wiggins believes the race is

already is. Once we went over the summit, I knew Vincenzo Nibali was

in trouble, and a few of the guys had a chat with Chris Froome on the

descent, it was game over. Wiggins is the leader because he is

outstandingly consistent. The terrain to come is mainly flat, the

morale of his opponents even flatter.

All right, we will keep an eye on that, obviously, and we will keep

an eye on the weather with Peter Some decent weather around this

weekend at long last, but not for all of us all the time, I hasten to

add. Southern areas to invest with warm sunshine throughout the

weekend, but head further north, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and

during Sunday you will see some wind and rain spreading in for the

second half of the weekend. Rain today has been heavy across

Nottinghamshire over recent hours, nearly an inch of rain falling in a

short space of time, but those showers will extend further

southwards and eastwards as we go through this afternoon, some

torrential downpours on the cards. Head further north and west, though,

you are into drier, brighter weather, much of the south-west

enjoying a dry afternoon, just a few showers here and there. Even

with the sunshine, struggling with those temperatures, the high teens

at best. Much of Wales enjoying the sunshine, 0 will say little

cloudier. Lovely day so far in Northern Ireland, a similar story

across Scotland. Some Sunny spells coming through, one or two light

showers, but temperatures still on the low side, particularly down the

east coast. North-east England sharing in some of the drier,

brighter weather, but heading down to the Midlands into the London

area, these really heavy showers are going to get going through the

afternoon, passing down through Cambridgeshire into Essex as well.

They could be enough to create some problems on the roads in the

evening rush-hour. It is well into the night before those showers

finally begin to move away. Elsewhere, clear spells developing.

Where it stays clear for long spells, we could get down to seven

degrees, so a cool start to Saturday. But Saturday looks like

the better day of the weekend for pretty much the whole of the UK,

certainly northern areas. Patchy cloud hiding the sunshine now and

again, dry virtually everywhere, like winds, so when you get the

sunshine, it is down to start feel more like July, even if the

temperature is just getting up to the July average in places. The

winds will be like for the Open, but more testing conditions on

Sunday, the final day, the wind really starting to pick up.

Stronger still across Scotland and Northern Ireland, bringing in some

rain through the start of the day on Sunday, heavy rain for North

West Scotland, which is badly needed, but it is not going to feel

pleasant. For much of England and Wales, a dry day, the best of the

sunshine across southern areas, getting up to 24 degrees. Yes, some

good news, but still a little bit Let's remind you of our top story

today. This is the scene live now in Denver, with police searching