08/05/2013 BBC News at One

and 38 trophies, Sir Alex Ferguson is to step down as manager of

Manchester United. Having just won the Premier League

title, his retirement will bring to a close the most successful

managerial career in British would ball.

Sir Alex says he will become a director and ambassador for the

club. The Queen sets out the government

agenda for the next year at the State Opening of Parliament,

announcing 15 bills, including measures to control immigration and

for a single state pension. My government will bring forward a

bill that further reforms Britain's immigration. The bill will ensure

that this country attracts people who will contribute and deters those

who will not. I'm here at Westminster with full

analysis of this, the penultimate Queen's Speech before the next

election. Police in Cleveland prepared to

charge three brothers with the kidnap and imprisonment of three

women missing for a decade. The jury in the April Jones trial

has heard a 999 call made by her mother hours after she disappeared.

And 70 years on, remembering the merchant seamen who braved German

U-boats to maintain Britain's vital supply lines during the Battle of

the Atlantic. On BBC London, new figures show

closing fire stations will slow response times in more than 40

areas, and plans to build a university campus in East London

fall through, what will it mean to Good afternoon. Welcome to the BBC

News that one. Sir Alex Ferguson, the most successful manager in the

history of British football, is to retire at the end of the season. 71

the Roald Sir Alex has been the boss at Manchester United since 1986 and

has won 38 trophies, including this season's Premier League total --

title. In a statement he said it was a decision he had thought a great

deal about and decided it was the right time. Allah chief sports

correspondent is at Old Trafford. It is a day that redefines the very

landscape of British football, such as being the success that Sir Alex

Ferguson has enjoyed at Old Trafford for more than a quarter of a

century. It is very hard to imagine life without him here but today,

finally, he decided to call time on an illustrious career, a momentous

day for the club and the sport at large.

On the face of it, this was yet another celebration, but perhaps

British football's greatest ever manager was also saying farewell. As

Sir Alex Ferguson enjoyed more success at Old Trafford last month,

there was little sign that an era was about to end, but we know that

this will be his 13th and final Premier League triumph. The 71 new

Roald arrived at the training ground this morning having decided to

retire, first telling his players, then the world. In a statement, he

and I didn't want to believe them, I wanted him to still be at the club

next season. He is a fantastic manager. It is unbelievable, he is

the best manager the world has ever seen. Ferguson has always said he

would only quit on health grounds, and he is due to undergo hip surgery

this summer. But rumours of his shock departure only emerged

yesterday after bookmakers suddenly slashed odds on David Moyes of

Everton, becoming the next United manager. Jose Mourinho is another in

the frame to take over, with United preparing to name a successor before

the weekend. It is a lot for the fans to take on. We would love to

see another Ferguson, but I don't think you will ever get that again.

It is almost like someone has died, you want to give him a good send-off

but you feel so so Judah. With two more matches in the dugout, Ferguson

will become a club director and ambassador. After more than a

quarter-century in charge, Ferguson has become part of the fabric of Old

Trafford. He retired 12 years ago, only to change his mind. This time

the decision is final and football will never be the same again.

Temperamental, competitive and ruthless, Sir Alex Ferguson's

treatment of match officials, certain members of the media,

ex-players and the FA at times crossed the line, and not everyone

will mourn his departure, but it is as a trophy winning manager at Old

Trafford that his career will be remembered and celebrated. He

oversaw an era of dominance at Manchester United, his grip on the

Premier League was vice like, he turned to this club into a global

commercial brand and a phenomenon, as Andy Swiss reports.

For more than a quarter of a century he has ruled English would pull, Sir

Alex Ferguson, the man who turned Manchester United into a trophy

machine and the club into a global powerhouse. How times change. In

1986, a freshfaced Sir Alex arrived, with United in the doldrums. I'm

excited. It was tough going at first, he didn't win a trophy for

four years. His job under pressure, but in 1993, in unforgettable

fashion, he clinched his first league title, ushering in an era of

was always plain to see. His outbursts became known as the

hairdryer treatment and he even once accidentally kicked a boot into

David Beckham's face. No player was too big, Ferguson's success was

through constantly reinventing his team, and earlier this year he

suggested he was not finished yet. The issue is how I feel within

myself, as you get older you are not guaranteed your health, no one is. I

touch wood that my health remains for a long time yet. At the moment,

everything is hunky-dory. But you never know. You are vulnerable to

age. That is the question. suddenly, stunningly, it is over. 26

years at one club in the fickle world of football, a miracle of

staying power and success of the man who made winning a way of life.

When you think of some of the great players that Ferguson has managed at

Old Trafford over the years, the likes of Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes,

Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Rinaldo, the list goes on and on, you get the

idea of the unique longevity of this remarkable man manager. He is set

for an emotional and rem rebel occasion this weekend, when Man

United play their last home game of the season against Swansea adult

travelled on Sunday. It would already be a special day, they are

being given a trophy, but now the fans have the chance to say farewell

to the man, the like of which, we will never see again, I imagine.

We are joined by our sports editor David Bond. What kind of impact is

this likely to have? Not just the team, but the club as a whole, and

the brand of Premier League English football. Ferguson has been a real

driving force and the club has had huge commercial success over the

last two decades. A remarkable phenomenon. Although the Glazers,

the current owners, would have been planning for years for this moment,

this did not reduce the sense of shock that finally they were having

to deal with it. Interestingly, their executive based chairman Ed

Woodward said last October that they had a plan in place -- their

executive vice-chairman. The club is keen to have a successor announced

before the weekend. They want somebody who understands the

heritage and tradition of Manchester United, someone committed to playing

attractive attacking football and committed to developing youth

talent. At the moment that would seem to point towards David Moyes of

Everton, but we can't be sure about that. Whoever comes in, clearly,

will be overshadowed by the amazing achievements of Sir Alec over 27

years. Even though United are wanting him to step back, he will be

on the football club board, but they don't want him necessarily to

interfere. It will be like Margaret Thatcher and conservative leaders

down the years, whenever something comes up they will always deferred

to Sir Alex. The Queen has set out the government

agenda for the next year at the State Opening of Parliament. The

bills, plans for tougher immigration rules to make it easier to deport

foreign criminals and those entering the UK illegally. The post bills

will cap social care costs in England and introduce a single state

pension of �144 a week. David Cameron and the deputy PM Nick Clegg

said the speech showed that their resolve to turn the country around

had never been stronger, but Labour Leader Ed Miliband said the

government was not up to the scale of the task.

Matthew Amroliwala is at Westminster. Good afternoon. We have

heard the last but one Queen's Speech before the next election.

Politicians here are digestive the agenda laid out. 15 bills in total

to help with the economy, changes to pensions, social care and

immigration are all key planks. Interesting, too, what is not in

this Queen's Speech. We will discuss that in a moment, but first, Carole

Walker reports. It is an occasion when the Palace of

Westminster revels in ceremony, and sets in train the key political

battles of the coming year. It is the 59th Queen's Speech to be

delivered by Queen Elizabeth. For the first time, she was accompanied

by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, a small change to the

ancient ceremony. The door to the Commons is slammed in the face of

Black Rod to signify the independence of the House of

Commons. Before he summons MPs to attend the Lords. The occasion would

not be complete without the intervention of the veteran Labour

MP Dennis Skinner. Royal Mail for sale, Queens head privatised... --

the Queen's head privatised. Prime Minister and the Leader of the

Opposition were required to find Smalltalk before facing each other

across the despatch box. My lords and members of the House of Commons,

my government's legislative programme will continue to focus on

building a stronger economy so that the night is Kingdom can compete and

succeed in the world. Her speech was written before last week's local

elections, when UKIP made big gains. The government wants to show

it is addressing the concerns of voters on issues like immigration.

My government will bring forward a bill that further reforms Britain's

immigration system. The bill will ensure that this country attracts

people who will contribute and deters those who will not.

New legislation will make it easier to deport foreign criminals,

landlords will have to check the immigration status of tenant and

there will be regulations to try to cut NHS tourism. People who pay

taxes and work hard are very happy for the NHS to be there for people

entitled to it, but they don't like the prospect of people who are not

entitled to free NHS care flying to this country and using the NHS and

not being charged for it. Other measures announced include a cap on

social care costs and more help for carers, pension changes including a

single flat rate pension and help for small businesses, cutting

regulations and national insurance contributions. I want to see a

Queen's Speech responding to the deep problems the country faces,

young people who can't find work, small businesses that can't get a

bank loan and the cost of living crisis that so many families face. I

feel on the evidence so far, this Queen's Speech is not up to the

scale of the task. The speech was notable for what is left out - no

mention of a minimum price for alcohol or plain packaging for

cigarettes, no new powers for police to monitor Internet communications,

something opposed by the Lib Dems, and no bill to establish a wreck the

rent on Europe, which some Conservative MPs would like. -- no

bill to establish a referendum on Europe. 15 bills were announced

today, but no real surprises. Is the coalition running out of steam?

Certainly not, it is a five-year plan. It has been said in the past

that the government legislates to much. I hope we get the balance

right. If jobs increase and unemployment goes down, I hope

people will say it was politically worth having. With the ceremony

over, political arguments resume. The government says its programme is

about strengthening Britain's economic competitiveness, but

details have yet to be agreed and it will be judged on how they work in

practice. With me here is our political

correspondent, Norman Smith. What is your analysis of the contact and --

content and impact of this Queen's Speech? The government wants the

Queen's Speech to be seen really as a Parliamentary drumroll, setting

out their agenda, ambitions and aims. The agenda the government

wants us to take is that they are committed to helping Britain in the

global race and helping families who want to get on. So we have reforms

to long-term care and pension and measures to crack down on migrant

taking the Mickey out of the benefit system. Notwithstanding that, it

seems that this is less of a big drumroll and more a vigorous shaking

off a Parliamentary tambourine. I say that not because it is

comparatively light, but because the really big events shaping politics

today are happening elsewhere. They are obviously the economy, the

deficit and the eurozone, the comprehensive spending review next

month and the emerging issue of Europe, of which there was nothing.

They seem to be the real political drumroll moments. Those omissions

that Carroll referred to, how significant were they? They say that

this Queen's Speech was also a peacemaker's Queen's Speech,

designed to restore order, tranquillity and calm on the

coalition backbenchers. Tory backbenchers want measures like

alcohol minimum pricing and cigarette packaging, the Liberal

Democrats are spared the so-called Snoopers' Charter. It seems that

Miss Cameron is trying to draw a line to the fractious nature by

giving concessions to both sides. Thank you. We will have more on the

Queen's Speech later. There is more commentary and analysis on the

website. Thank you. After yesterday's dramatic rescue

from a house in Cleveland, police are preparing to charge three

brothers with the kidnapping and imprisonment of three women. The

three women were freed, having been held captive for the past decade.

The police are now also facing questions as to how the crime

remained undetected for so long. Preparing for a joyous home-coming

for Gina DeJesus one of the women at the centre of this extraordinary,

unfolding drama and for Amanda Berry. It was she who was first able

to escape and raise the alarm. Her grandmother overwhelmed to hear her

voice after so long. I'm so happy. I told her I loved her and I missed

her and prayed for her. Oh, my God, I'm so happy. Finally, an image of

the third woman, Michele Knight, who had been missing the longest of all.

But as investigators tried to piece together the missing decade and

more, there is bewilderment that they could be hidden for so long and

unanswered questions. The police are fending off reports that they missed

chances in the past to check out the goings-on at the house. The old

people who live in that building up there, they reported there were

three guys in the back yard, with you butt-naked girls. And doing

bodily harm to them. They come buy and look, you know -- they come by

and look, you know what I'm saying. It's expected the three brothers,

currently in custody, as suspects, will be formally charged later in

the day. One of them, who lived at the house, this brush with the law

five years ago was caught on video. He was warned for minor traffic

infringements. For the women, after the welcome home, there will be the

challenge of adjustment. Going forward, with the proper therapy and

the proper support, they will live their lives, but probably always be

looking around their back to see who is following them. And still, for

the outside world, there's a fascination to find out more about

what extraordinary events have taken place inside this otherwise

apparently ordinary house. Our main story - Sir Alex Ferguson,

the most successful manager in British football, announces his

retirement after 26 years at Manchester United. And still to come

- it was the lostest continuous military campaign in the Second

World War. We look back at the Battle of the Atlantic. Later in

London, rebuilding Tottenham, after the riots. The Mayor looks as how

the money is being spent. And, one of London's most famous churches

needs to raise millions to restore it and save it for future

murdering five-year-old April Jones has heard the 999 call made by her

mother on night she disappeared. Mark Bridger denies abducting and

murdering last October. Hour reporter is in the North Wales town

of Mold with more. It's been a difficult morning in court. At one

stage, her mother began to weep and had to leave the public gallery as

she listened to a recording of her own strained pleas for her

daughter's return and we heard from the first police officer at the

scene, the person who began what became the largest search for a

missing child in UK force history. The parents arrived at court knowing

that they were about to relive the painful first moments when they

realised their daughter had disappeared. The five-year-old had

been playing with a friend, when her mother sent for April to come home.

Only to be told that she had been taken by a stranger. Coral Jones

'999 call was played to the jury. remained impassive. He denies

abducting April and committing murder, saying he ran her over in an

accident. Before the 999 call had finished, the police arrived at the

Bryn-y-Gog estate, where April had been playing. The first officer at

the scene described to the court how she had been told to look out for a

large, grey vehicle. She said April's mother was panicked. The

officer spoke to the seven-year-old who had been playing whap, who told

her she had gone in a van, a gran van. This afternoon, the jury will

hear from the headteacher at April's school, the place where her parents

and Mark Bridger attended a parents' evening, hours before April was

missing. It has been a day of disruption at court. Mid-way through

the morning, a fire alarm sounded, which meant the whole building was

evacuated. They were able to resume just ahead of the lunch break. The

jury will continue to hear evidence this afternoon.

A woman has been sentence today a minimum of 30 years for the murders

of five members of the same family, including three children in a house

fire in pret statin. The court was told that Melanie Smith, who lived

in the flat below the victims, set fire to a pushchair in a dispute

about a shared hallway last October. Lianne shears and her partner and

three children died after becoming trapped by the blaze. The

grandmother of the schoolgirl, Tia Sharp, told police that she would

have murdered her partner if she had thought he was responsible for her

granddaughter's death. The Old Bailey has heard that Christine

Bicknell described Stuart Hazell as a drinker, but a man who was found

of her grandchildren and never hurt them. He denies murdering Tia in New

Addington last August and of hiding her body in the loft of a house that

he shared with her grandmother. Another stressful day in comfort --

court for the family of Tia Sharp. The jury was read a police statement

from Christine Bicknell, Tia's grandmother, and former partner of

the man who denies Murder. She described him as a drinker and drug

user, but main who never lost his temper and doted on her

night that Tia Sharp was killed, her grandmother had been out working.

She called Stuart Hazell at home and could hear Tia Sharp laughing in the

background. But when she returned from work next morning, there was no

sign of Tia. Stuart Hazell told her that she had gone shopping in crow

done. -- crow done. Christine then said of Tia that she knew nothing

about her death. " If I did, I would be inside, I would have killed him."

Court was shown images of her final journey. She is seen apparently

happy and care-free travelling on a bus with Stuart Hazell. They also

bought sweets at a local shop. By the following morning, she was dead.

The trial continues. Now, it was the longest continuous military campaign

in the Second World War and today marks the start of the

commemorations for the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of the

Atlantic. Three Royal Navy ships are on the Thames. There will be a

special service at St Paul's Cathedral. More than 60,000 sailors

and airmen lost their lives in the fighting. Robert Hall has been

speaking to some of those who survived. No light, a foggy night,

as we sail up. So far all right. All in line, convoy-bound... On a warm,

spring evening, Jack's poetry speaks of the dark days at sea, which

changed him forever. What you see is an dramatic incident. It was

Churchill who first referred to this, the longest naval battle in

history haunted him for five years. Britain needed one million tonnes of

imported food, fuel, equipment and arms every week to survive and fight

and Hitler's U boats had one mission - to sink allied ships and maintain

the block aid. I remember one that was quite close and as I looked at

her I saw the water going up and the bang and she started to break in the

middle. Operating in wolf packs, the U boats dodged the naval escorts to

pick their targets in the slow-moving columns. Ships and crews

were lost on every crossing, but there were acts of swivelary. Flank

was aboard a liner that was torpedoed that was helping people.

They bandaged my hands up. I got cigarettes. Although he was an

enemy, I felt as though I was among friends with the Germans. This

U-boat, recovered from the seabed and now on show to the public at

Birkenhead is one of only four left in the world. During the battle,

many were sunk and thousands of lives were claimed, over 30,000. The

battle was won, but at a terrible cost. A further 36,000 sailors and

airmen died protecting the convoys. Those journeys through seas and

constant risk of attack can never be wiped from the memories of the old

men who survived. I got my life and I'm a lucky man. I thank God I've

got my family around me, you know. love my country. I'll do anything to

stop people taking it over. Now, we have time just to get a little more

on the Queen's Speech. I'm joined from Westminster by Nick Robinson.

Your analysis of what we have heard today. There are some speeches that

historians look back on and say, that's the moment a law was

announced that changed Britain. Frankly, I don't think today was one

of those days. On the economy, the Government has and is promising to

introduce Myres that it says will make a difference -- measures that

it says will make a difference and in the long term, like the creation

of high-speed rail lines across Britain, but they don't believe in

this Government and new laws can get the economy to grow. There are

important measures on immigration, which will be tested by events in

the next few months, as to whether they do restrict the flow of people

coming to the United Kingdom from the EU. But, it seems to me the

thing most likely to matter to people watching and yet might not

get the most attention from politicians are the social changes.

Changes to pensions, so people work longer and there is a new single

top-up pension, changes to social care, so people may not always have

to lose their house, if they have those enormous social care bills and

changes to childcare as well, attempting to make it cheaper and

more affordable for people. It won't be one of the speeches that

dominates the next election, but it will matter to a lot of people.

Nick, thank you very much. It's time now to look at the weather

It's time now to look at the weather with Alex. That was yesterday, Kate.

Today is the transition day. We are swapping over. Yesterday was

glorious and temperatures in the mid-20s. It is still warm out there

if you have a bit of sun, but by tomorrow we'll be struggling to

reach 11 or 12 C across large parts of the United Kingdom. Yes, 24

yesterday. A thing of the past. Here's the change taking place. You

can see the picture and how the band has worked it's way -- its way

across the country bringing rain. The rain will continue to march

north. It won't reach Scotland. Still sun here and temperatures in

the high teens. In the south, it's not all doom and gloom. There are

some brighter spells to be had, but we'll see fairly heavy showers.

Already got a lot of cloud and showers across the far south-west.

It mai -- may brighten a touch, but the showers will drift across South

Wales and into eastern England and here they could well turn into

downpours. Perhaps a touch dryer to end the day in Northern Ireland.

Misty on the east coast. The rain not reaching the extreme north of

Scotland until overnight, but it will arrive here. The showers will

affect the east of England. A few in the south-west and South Wales, but

it does turn into a dry night, with clear spells and fresher than last

night. Temperatures down to seven or eight. More wet weather arrives and

that's going to be accompanied by the winds. They'll whip up tonight

through the Irish Sea coasts and further south. Gusts of 60mph, maybe

65mph in exposed areas. It could cause a few problems. Accompanied by

wet weather too. We might reach 13 or 14, but for most, ten, 11, 12 and

feeling a lot cooler because of the rain and because of those lively

winds. All caused by a deep area of low pressure. That doesn't hang

around too long. That does scoot away by Friday, but another tangle

of weather fronts approach, which promise further bands of cloud and

showery rain across the country. There will be brighter spells, with

temperatures getting to 15 or 16. Most places much cooler than we were

at the start of the week and that's how we look as we head into the

weekend. It looks as if we'll have heavy showers and some bright

heavy showers and some bright spells, but a cool wind. Thank you.

Time to leave you with our main story - after more than 26 years in