12/09/2012 BBC News at Six

The Prime Minister apologises on behalf of the nation for the

failures that caused the Hillsborough disaster and the

police cover-up that followed. 96 Liverpool fans died 23 years ago

after police failed to prevent a crush at a match in Sheffield - and

then blamed the fans. On behalf of the Government, and indeed our

country, I am profoundly sorry that this double injustice has been left

uncorrected for so long. Liverpool, people have gathered to

remember the dead as their families are told many of them might have

been saved. If today says one thing to the world, we are vindicated in

our search for the truth. Also tonight: The US ambassador to Libya

is killed in a protest over an American-made film deemed insulting

to the prophet Mohammed. Another fall in unemployment - to

just over 2.5 million as the number of people finding work rises

sharply. And thinking of the future? On a

Royal visit, Prince William lets slip how many children he would

like to have. Coming up in sport: Will Kevin Pietersen be be shregd

for England's Test tour of India? The ECB delayed naming the squad

Good evening, welcome to the BBC News at Six. The Prime Minister has

apologised on behalf of the nation for the injustice suffered by the

families of the 96 people who died in the Hillsborough disaster 23

years ago. Newly published documents have revealed a cover-up

in which police tried to deflect the blame on to the fans. Among the

findings of today's report: The safety of the crowd admitted to

the terrace was compromised at every level.

There were operational failings with flaws in responding to the

emerging crisis. And the police deflected the blame by altering

more than 100 police statements after the event. It also emerged

that 41 fans might have been saved if the emergency services had

responded differently. Our correspondent Judith Moritz is in

Liverpool. Yes, and this evening thousands of

people are gathering here in the city centre to remember those who

died at Hillsborough. They gave a rapturous round of applause when

the relatives of the dead arrived here and then a few minutes ago

they began to chant justice for the 96, it used to be a plea. Tonight

it feels like a call for something which has virtually been achieved.

Liverpool has been a city in mourning for 23 years. When

Hillsborough happened, its grief was there for all to see, but over

the decades since that loss has become caught up with anger. People

here feel that it was their relatives who bore the brunt of the

blame. They've campaigned for justice, the truth, and an apology

from the top. Today, they got just that. The new evidence that we are

presented with today makes clear in my view that these families have

suffered a double injustice. The injustice of the appalling events,

the failure of the state to protect their loved ones, and the

indefencible wait to get to the truth and the injustice of the

denigration of the deceased that they were somehow at fault for

their own deaths. On behalf of the Government and our country I am

profoundly sorry this double injustice has been left uncorrected

for so long. To the families we say we are deeply sorry for your loss.

We are deeply sorry for the pain you have suffered. We sincerely

hope that today marks a day of truth.

96 Liverpool fans were fatally crushed at Sheffield Wednesday's

Hillsborough ground on sath - 15th April 19 -- 1989.

The families have spent years fighting the suggestion that the

fans were drunk and ticketless. It's a battle they fought

tirelessly. We were the eyes, we were the ears, but by God, we were

the voices and we used our voices to get to this stage and I am so

proud of all our families for that because without them and the

support we have had we wouldn't have got this today. For two years

the Hillsborough Independent Panel has shifted through more than

400,000 pages of documents. For the first time it's been able to reveal

as well as the police problems the ambulance service failed

extensively, too. It's emerged that 41 of the 96 victims had the

potential to have survived. And after the families have spent years

suspecting a coverup, the panel have found that 116 witness

statements by police officers were amended or changed.

The families say that for 23 years they've never had the truth.

Do you now feel that that's changed for them and this is the truth?

the process of the panel's work on more than one occasion the families

have said to me that this is the first time that they feel they've

ever been taken seriously and that anybody has ever really listened to

them. The football match at Hillsborough was abandoned at six

minutes past three. Today, Liverpool fell silent at that time,

a reminder that at the heart of the campaigning, the revelations and

the apologies, the memory of 96 people is what this city holds on

Tonight as the crowds here in the city centre grows larger by the

minute, people leave leaving work to come here and join in singing

Abide With Me, taking time to remember those who died, the

families here I understand are going to be lighting candles,

flames in memory of their loved ones. And just taking time to

remember them, but the question they'll be asking beyond tonight is

what happens next? Because this report is something that these

families never dared hope to see. They said to me that they had had

their hopes raised and dashed so many times before, they didn't dare

hope. Now it's here, they're going to consider various options,

including legal steps to take things forward.

Thank you. Good evening, welcome to the BBC

News at Six. The Prime Minister has apologised on behalf of the nation

for the injustice suffered by the families of the 96 people who died

in the Hillsborough disaster 23 years ago. The truth and the lies,

among hundreds of thousands of pages, the shocking betrayal of the

victims of Hillsborough is revealed. The fans who made their way across

the Pennines that sunny spring Saturday had been betrayed before

they even got to the ground. The stadium was a death trap and

the authorities knew it. But this was an era when managing

football crowds saw public order put before public safety. Fans

herded into pens, treated like animals. So even when it became

horribly obvious that lives were being lost, the documents record

how a fleet of ambulances was kept outside the stadium, unable to help

the injured and dying. Fans rushed through a broken turnstile crushing

supporters against the front of the stand... It was lies, the gate had

not been charged by fans, but opened by police themselves as the

Chief Constable knew only too well. South Yorkshire Police set about

altering the written evidence from the day, amending scores of

statements to shift blame away from senior officers, and on to the fans.

Even now, 23 years after the event, I would wish to profoundly

apologise, not only to the family of the 96, but also Liverpool fans

in general. The panel discovered documents which reveal how the

police spread their untruths, local Conservative MP Irvine Patnick was

asked that Liverpool fans had aou reupbated on police and stolen from

the dead. So it was the Sun newspaper reported police lies as

the truth, a vile slander for which 23 years too late its author, the

editor, Kelvin McKenzie, today finally apologised.

It's now clear that the original inquiry held shortly after the

tragedy was not aware just how many key statements had been tampered

with or destroyed. The Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was

briefed by her private Secretary that the behaviour of the police

was close to deceitful. The terrible terrible events that

happened here on a warm sunny spring Saturday carved deep wounds

that are still raw, a generation later. The prayer today is that the

documents release will leave no dark corners where distrust and

grievance can breed, and allow the healing process finally to begin.

A monumental coverup, and a sickening campaign of

sreulification against victims, grieving families, traumatised

survivors and a city in shock. Today, is a rare and famous victory

for the the individual against the establish am, the indomitable

spirit of mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters who waged a

long and lonely battle for justice. Walk on with hope in your hearts,

it's a fitting anthem for Liverpool, a city where people believe they

never walk alone. Let's talk to our political editor

Nick Robinson in Downing Street. Emotional scenes in Liverpool

tonight, also emotional scenes in the Commons at lunchtime when the

Prime Minister apologised on behalf of the nation. It was a Commons

quite unlike that we get used to, gone was the noise, gone was the

name-calling. Gone, if you like, was the politics. This was hundreds

of MPs packed on to the benches of the House of Commons with very

different views, and yet packed there to speak as one, of their

outrage and their shame. Of course, nothing can match the emotion that

we are seeing in Liverpool tonight, the scenes as people gather to

express their hurt, their thankfulness as well about this

verdict today, but in the Commons what was extraordinary was the

silence with which the Prime Minister was heard when he read out

a verdict he had only been given himself about an hour earlier. The

only noise one heard were the odd gasp and the odd cry of shame as

MPs learned of the multiple instances in which the police had

altered the evidence in order to coverup what had gone wrong. We

heard from MPs who had been at the match, we heard from one who could

barely control her emotion. Speaking 23 years on, but fighting

to avoid crying in front of her colleagues. It was one of those

days when it was not right for most to ask the question, why for so

long did so many in power leave unchallenged the distortion that is

we now know were peddled by some in the police, and some in the press?

The truth has now been made public. What happens now? Well, it is clear

now that the country's top lawyer, the attorney General, is

considering whether he can quash the original verdict at the inquest

into those who died. The inquest, of course, reported that they were

accidental deaths and call a new inquest instead, which it would be

hoped by those families of the victims would produce new verdicts.

The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire, the force that was

involved is saying that he would be prepared to pursue criminal

convictions if there's evidence. It is, of course, quite a big if. We

would now be talking almost a quarter of a century on, getting

secure evidence that would stand up in a court of law to prosecute

individuals, could prove very difficult. But many will have been

struck by the words of two people today, first of all, the MP who

represents the area of Liverpool FC, who said today made history, now we

must change history. But also the words of the Prime Minister himself,

who said after truth has to come justice.

Thank you. There is more detail on the newly

released doms on the BBC -- documents on the BBC website with

key points and analysis. President Obama has condemned the

killing of the American ambassador to Libya. Christopher Stevens died

alongside three American colleagues in violence sparked by protests

over a US-made film which is considered offensive to Islam.

Here's our diplomatic correspondent James Robbins.

The ruins of the United States consulate in Benghazi, Libya's

second city. Last night, armed attackers overwhelmed those

guarding it, Libyans outside, marines inside. Throwing grenades

and with powerful weapons they set fire to large parts of the compound

and killed American officials, including the ambassador.

My name is Chris Stevens... Christopher Stevens was promoted to

ambassador months ago. The stau states con-- United States

condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack.

We are working with the Government of Libya to secure our diplomats, I

have also directed my administration to increase our

security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake, we

will work with the Libyan Government to bring to justice the

killers who attacked our people. Outside the burning consulate last

night, a local resident said what happened was in response to an

anti-Islam video posted on the internet from the United States

which insults the prophet Mohammed. After extracts of the video were

shown on TV in Egypt, thousands of people protested outside the

American Embassy in Cairo. They tore down the stars and Stipes,

replacing it with an Islamist banner. Whatever the precise

motives of the heavily armed men who killed the American ambassador

in Libya, it seems that first sight baffling. America's Secretary of

State, Hillary Clinton, said it herself, how could this happen in a

country we helped liberate, in a city we helped save from

destruction? But views of freedom are different, of course. Americans

value freedom of religion, but also the constitutional right to say

whatever they want, however offensive. But in much of the

Muslim world, where some countries are now winning greater political

freedoms in the Arab spring, the concept of freedom certainly does

not extend to insulting the prophet. Libya's Government has condemned

the attacks in Benghazi, but says the anti-Islam film is merely a

pretext. Instead, they blame pro- Colonel Gaddafi elements reacting

to the arrest of his formish spy chief, who was brought back to

Unemployment has fallen again. There has been a small drop in the

number of people out of work. Unemployment fell by 7000 in the

three months to July. It now stands at two point 59 million. Not only

is the jobless total down, but the number of people finding work has

also risen at the fastest rate for two years.

It is too early to talk about a new dawn, but in the Medway area in

Kent, as in many parts of the country, the jobs market is looking

brighter. Kim Heath can vouch for that. She has found an opening as a

casual worker. She was on a training scheme run partly by the

Medway Youth Trust. It got her work experience in their hotel, which

went so well that she got a job. The hours each week very, but she

is pleased to have the opportunity. I work the hours I am given, and if

they asked me to stay longer, I do. I never turn down a shift, because

I need the experience. But Caitlin page has not been so lucky. She is

a graduate job seeker. After a first class honours degree this

year, she has now had to sign on. She has put in 100 job applications,

but still no luck. After taking out loans and working hard for her

degree, she feels let down. I feel like to, almost. From when I was at

school, I was told that if you do a degree, you will walk straight into

a middle-management job and get paid loads of money and everything

will be brilliant. And you come out of university and find you have to

apply for jobs at the bottom, with rubbish pay. But for many, it is a

positive picture. The number of people in work increased to its

highest level in almost four years. Looking at the overall economic

landscape, one thing is puzzling for policymakers. Even though the

economy is in recession, with output contracting, jobs have been

created, with total employment numbers rising. And there does not

appear to be a simple explanation. Stacey is an employer who is hiring

staff. She thinks things are better than the official output figures

suggest. Her family's electronics components business has seen orders

growing. We have taken on two members of staff in the factory. We

are recruiting for an apprentice to join us in the office, so we are

growing as a business. And hopefully, we will grow again over

the next year, when we hope to employ two more members of staff.

closer look at the figures shows that although UK wide unemployment

has fallen, it was up in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK's largest manufacturer, BAE Systems, has announced that it is

in talks to merge with the parent company of Airbus, EADS. It would

create a huge European aerospace, defence and security firm worth

nearly �30 billion. Let's get more on this with Richard Westcott.

would be one of the world's biggest deals. On one side, you have one of

the UK's biggest companies, BAE Systems. They make submarines and

the high-tech fighter jet. On the other side, you have one of

Europe's biggest companies, EADS, best known for Airbus, but they

also helped make the Euro fighter. If they merge, EADS would be the

bigger partner in the deal. But the key here is jobs. These companies

combined employ 48,000 people in the UK. The fear is that if they

get together, what happens to those jobs? They have until October the

tenth to tell us what they will do. Our top story tonight: the Prime

Minister apologises on behalf of the nation to the families of those

who died in the Hillsborough disaster. Coming up:

It's a family affair - Prince William on how many children he is

hoping for with Kate. Her later in business on the BBC News Channel,

unemployment is down, even though we are in a recession, so what is

going on? And it has been yet another big day

Finding a cure for some types of deafness appears to be a step

closer after scientists in Sheffield used human embryonic stem

cells to reverse hearing loss in gerbils. Although patient trials

are still some years away, the researchers say this successful

animal research marks an important step forward.

These nerve cells under the microscope are what researchers

hope may one day reverse deafness. They were created from human

embryonic stem cells, which have the ability to turn into any tissue.

The scientists are trying to tackle a form of deafness that affect

about one in 10 people with profound hearing loss. In the

condition, nerve cells in the copier, in the inner ear, are

damaged, preventing sound from travelling down the auditory nerve

to the brain, like it in a telephone wire. In the lab,

researchers grew stem cells derived from donated embryos smaller than a

pinhead and grew them in to help the replacement nerve cells. They

injected these into 18 death gerbils, considered a good animal

model for human hearing. Tests showed that on average, 45% of

their hearing was restored. We have proof of the concept that stem

cells can be used to repair the damaged ear. But this is only the

beginning. More work is needed, but as proof of a concept, it is a good

step forward. This woman could hear perfectly as a child until she

contracted typhoid. Her treatment left her profoundly deaf. She works

for the charity which helped fund the research, and says she would

volunteer for any patient trials. would definitely seize the

opportunity to hear again, to know that in future when I have kids, I

will be able to hear them and not have to rely on my partner or my

family to tell them -- tell me what my daughter or son is saying.

questions remain, such as, does the hearing improvement last? The

gerbils were followed up the just ten weeks. And is it safe? The

research in the journal Nature is encouraging, but these

uncertainties mean a patient trials using these cells are still several

years away. 290 people are thought to have died

in a fire which swept through a factory in Pakistan. It is one of

the worst industrial accidents in the country's history, and many of

the victims were unable to escape because the building had no fire

exits, alarms or sprinklers. The blaze happened in the city of

Karachi. Hour after hour, or searching in

the wreckage and more victims recovered, many charred beyond

recognition. For relatives, the agonising wait for a body to bury.

Mohammed Mortarzer was still looking for his son. He is my

youngest, he said. Where is his body? Dozens survived by jumping

from the roof and the upper stories, like this person. A crane made a

hole in the war, he said, and I jumped from the third floor, but

five of my relatives were trapped inside. I beg rescue workers to

help them, but no one paid attention. Then I passed out. This

is the inferno from which he escaped. It engulfed the garment

factory in minutes. At first, some were brought out alive, but soon it

was body after body. The factory windows were barred. Most had no

way out. No safety measures were taken in the design of the building.

There were no safety exits. The people got trapped. The search for

the dead continues now. Employees claim that the factory owners cared

more for their garments than the lives of their workers. Tonight,

rescue workers are still dousing burning embers inside the factory.

Employees say it was a death trap, but as is often the case in

Pakistan, the authorities allowed it to remain open. Relatives of

those who perished here are asking if anyone will be held to account.

Prince William has revealed for the first time that he wants to have

two children. The comments came on the second day of a visit by the

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Singapore, which has been organised

to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The day began with a walk in the gardens. No ordinary walk, mind you,

this was a long and aerial pathway in a huge glass dome, complete with

a waterfall. And no ordinary gardens. These are Singapore's

Gardens by the bay, a spectacular garden project conceived and

designed by British engineers. The crowds had gathered, their first

real chance to see William and Kate. And as they always do, the couple

took their time. Crouching down to talk to children who had been

waiting in the heat, and reaching out to shake as many hands as

possible. Disappointing a few, For Room the handshake never

materialised, but delighting and overwhelmingly British crowd.

are a fantastic influence on the country. They are such a special

couple. They are young and fresh for the Royal Family. Across the

city, they saw something of local culture. There were Chinese lion

dancers, doing tie and -- Chinese lion dances. And demonstrations of

melee martial arts. At a children's centre, Kate joined in with an art

class. And at a Rolls-Royce factory, she completed work on a new jet

engine. Will this kind of thing be the story in tomorrow's papers?

Possibly not. Running alongside the focus on community events like this

and promoting British business is the focus on the couple themselves,

and particularly on Kate. Kate per se family, to be more precise. The

couple met a lot of children today, and to one of them, Williams said

he hopes he and Kate will have two Now the weather.

It will become windy over the next couple of days, but tonight, the

main feature is the temperatures, dropping off sharply under largely

clear skies. There will be a fresh feel To tomorrow morning. Tonight,

we have some wet weather to get rid of for in the east of England and.

Clear spells will allow the temperatures to drop. It will feel

particularly chilly first thing tomorrow morning. There will be

plenty of sunshine across the southern half of the UK. Further

north, outbreaks of rain persist in northern Scotland. The cloud will

increase across Wales and south- west England. More cloud in the

afternoon, but it generally stays dry and bright here. Sunny spells

in the east after a chilly start. More cloud spills in across north-

west England. Maybe a few light showers here. We should hang on to

brightness across the east of Northern Ireland. But eastern

Scotland will see outbreaks of rain, particularly wet in the far north-

west. Those winds will be very lively tomorrow evening. It stays

blustery into Friday across the UK. Some showery rain at first in the

south. Scattered showers in the far north-west, but for many, it will

be dry and bright. But it will feel cooler because of those winds. The