11/02/2013 BBC News at Six

The first resignation by a Pope for 600 years. Pope Benedict announces

he'll step down as head of the Catholic Church.

He says he no longer has the strength of mind and body to fulfil

his duties and will leave at the end of the month. He feels that he

has less strength, physically and also mentally to cope with the

challenges in the world of today. Religious leaders across the world

say they are surprised, but the pontiff has made the right decision.

I think he'll be remembered as probably the most intell gent, ello

want Pope we've had in years, because his ceremonies are

beautiful. We are live at the Vatican, asking what this means for

the Catholic Church and how quickly a successor can be found. Also

tonight - paying for social care in England - the Government confirms

nursing costs will be capped at �75,000. More evidence tonight of

horsemeat in our beef products. The Romanians defend their industry and

say they are angry at being blamed. And the man accused of murdering

two police women hear evidence from a mother of another of his alleged

Hello. Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six. Religious

leaders have expressed their shock and sadness at the resignation of

Pope Benedict XVI who has announced he is stepping down because of his

age and ill health. The pontiff is the first to resign in more than

600 years. He said he is well aware of the seriousness of his act, but

he no longer had the strength to fulfil his duties. The Vatican said

the decision was a surprise. A search for a successor will now

begin. Nothing like this has happened

since the Middle Ages. For 600 years, every Pope has died in

office. They don't resign. Suddenly, this one says he can't go on.

TRANSLATION: In order to govern and proclaim the gospel both strengths

of mind and body are necessary. Strength, which in the last few

months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to

recognise my Inca pass pi to fulfil the ministry entrusted to me.

late as yesterday it was business as usual. No outward sign of any

worsening of his health. We know now that he was struggling.

Weakened by age, his extraordinary job had just become too much.

Vatican officials were astonished by the resignation. They said they

understood. He feels that he has less strength physically and also

mentally to cope with the challenges in the world of today.

Among the pilgrims on St Peter's Square, there was disbelief. Good

leader of the Church. Maybe conservative in his views, but

seemed to be doing a good job. very disappointed and in shock

about what happened this morning - really, as a Catholic. It is a

great act of courage to do something which has not been done

in 600 years. The Prime Minister paid this tribbuelt. His visit --

tribute. His visit in 2010 is rbed with great affection. Working for

the common good speak to our whole country. The Pope has moved the

Church into completely neuter rain. No plan would have been made for a

resignation, but all the same, we can expect things to move forward

rapidly now. In a few weeks Pope Benedict will walk away from all

that he has in this place, the man regarded as the successor to St

Peter is about to become a pensioner. And the Vatican must

replace him as quickly as possible. The election of Cardinal Joseph

Ratzinger in 2005 saw a return to a more conservative Catholic

tradition. We look at what he achieved in his

eight years as Pope. He became the Church's leader already a frail man.

He knew the burden would be heavy and the path steep. He was seen as

a caretaker. Nothing prepared Catholics for his decision to stand

down. This has taken the world by surprise. Catholics attending

services at Westminster Cathedral today were shocked by the news.

You're joking! The Pope? Oh, my God!

Oh, I'm so shocked !. He has been such a short time with us. Joseph

Ratzinger was born into a Catholic family in southern family just as

the nationalist socialists were in power. As a young priest he was a

theologian. He became more conservative. It was a

traditionalist he became the watchdog for Pope John Paul II.

He took office with the reputation of a stern discipline far Ryan.

People who met him privately said he was calming. I think he will be

remembered as probably the most intelligent Pope we've had in years,

because his services, his writings - they really are and I think he

will be remembered as a pastural. He visited Britain two years ago.

His priority of Pope was resisting the tide of secular isation.

He has suffered serious setbacks: He offended Muslims by quoting

And he has faced criticism over the handling of the sexual abuse crisis.

Pope Benedict struggled to place Christian values at the heart of

Christian morals. Believes his The next thing is how to include

faith in public life. He hoped to build a bigger church. Let's speak

to our correspondent, who is in the Vatican for us this evening. This

has taken everyone by surprise, even where you are in the Vatican.

You are quite right. One Cardinal said it came like a bolt out of the

blue. Others say they were stunned. Among some close aides, including

the Pope's brother there was speculation act this for months,

particularly since his visit to Cuba and Mexico. On his return, his

doctor questioned whether he could carry out further transatlantic

trips T Vatican said there was no particular health issue that forced

this resignation, a resignation which has not taken place since the

Middle Ages. The Pope was quite clear that he didn't have the

mental and physical stamina to lead the world's one billion Catholics,.

So probably in a month's time there'll be a conclave of Cardinals

here in the Vatican behind me. They will face an immense challenge.

Over the next two to four weeks, there'll be an immense debate

within the Catholic Church as to the direction they want to go and

the man they want to lead them. Thank you. The Government says it

is making it easier for the elderly to pay for their care in England.

It has been outlining plans to cap the amount anyone has to pay for

their care in residential homes to �75,000. That does not include

accommodation and food costs. Ministers say the package is fully

funded and will be paid for, in part, by a freeze in the

inheritance tax threshold. None of us can predict how much

help we will need in our old age. For some, the cost of that care can

be huge. The Government believes the plans it has set out today will

create a fairer system for the future. Hello, mum. Certainly

Ingrid Canwell and her mother, Helga, feel let down by the system.

Her mother has dementia and lives in a residential home. To pay the

more than �30,000 in fees each year, they have to sell the house where

two generations of the family had lived. The Government claims in

future, people will not be forced to do that. None of the family had

come from rich circumstances. It was a join effort to live together

to save this house, to have this nice house and which was their only

asset. I think it is unfair. After a weekend of leaks, this afternoon

the Government confirmed plans. There'll be a cap or limit of

�75,000 on the amount of money anyone is expected to pay for help

at home or in residential care. This will not include the cost of

food and accommodation in care homes. Anyone with assets of less

than �123,000 will be able to get help. That is an increase of nearly

�100,000 on the current threshold. This will be introduced in 2017 and

care costs will not be backdated. There are many disappointed by the

level of the cap. For the first time, the system could give people

clarity about how much they might be expected to pay for care. And

the Government believes that will encourage people to plan for the

future. One in ten of us will spend more than �100,000 on our social

care costs. By putting a cap on the limit on how much anyone has to pay

will make it possible for people to plan much earlier in their life -

whether through insurance products, whether it is through a change in

their pensions policy to plan for that amount of money. The care

minister and Health Secretary, who were visiting residents at a home

today, ety mate by 2025 an extra 100 -- estimate by 2025 an extra

100,000 people will get help each year. Labour says it does not

address current problems. I am very concerned. It is not going to be

fair for people with modest homes. Also that it's not going to do

anything for the thousands of families that are really struggling

in the current care system. Campaigners also fear the cap is

being set so high it will not help enough people. The independent

commission which devised the funding system preferred a �35,000

limit. Even so the man who wrote the report sees this as a start.

There's a broad consensus across the stakeholders. Politically, of

course there are some who would like it to go further, some who

don't want it to go this far. To have change is something to note

and be pleased about. The �1 billion cost of social care reform

in England will be partly paid for by freezing the level at which

people have to pay inheritance tax. There are slightly different

systems elsewhere in the UK, including Scotland, where personal

care is free. And for more details on this story

you can visit the BBC News website. There's an explanation of the

current system of social care and how the plans will affect people in

England. You can also find out about the system in other parts of

Romania has denied it is the source of the mislabelling of horsemeat

which has turned up in processed meat products in Britain and

elsewhere in Europe. The Romanians say that the horsemeat has not been

minced and is labelled as "horse." Tonight hes co-revealed some --

Tesco revealed that some packaged food contained significant amounts

of horsemeat. The rural poverty of Romania, where the horses still do

most of the hauling. Austerity is deeper than the cold here.

More horses are being sold for slaughter. Compared with record

prices for beef, horse has become a cheap alternative. Not that they

eat it. Most of these cuts will be sent for export. This is one of the

two Romanian abattoirs being I am very angry. Once again, he

said, the more powerful are shifting the blame to the usual

suspects of Eastern Europe. It is not that simple. The meat from

Romania went through two agents and several countries before it arrived

at a meat factory in south-western France. They supplied a French

plant in Luxembourg, who turn it into ready meals. One was Findus,

who discovered their lasagnes contained 60-100% horsemeat. It may

not pose any risk to humans. The meat industry is taking a battering.

Throughout the weekend the ministry has checked the documents for

export dating back to the beginning of 2012. There were unofficial spot

checks at these about stories and every shipment of horse was

labelled to quantity, which is what there should be - an official paper

That she was materials possible are bought because of Economics. -- the

cheapest materials. Fraud investigators are descending on the

two French companies involved. Somebody in this chain of supply

has made an unsavoury profit. But there was that, in which country

was a done, and how long has it been going on?

In the UK, the Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson has just

given an update in the Commons. Ross Hawkins is at Westminster.

What is the latest? He was criticised for not being at his

desk in Westminster at the end of last week. But he has hit back at

the opposition and tried to put pressure on the food industry, who

he says should be doing more tests and coming up with meaningful

results. Even as he was on his feet, we had the news from Tesco but they

had discovered in three batches of the spaghetti lasagne levels of

horse DNA of over 60%. The Government is trying to reassure

people, pointing to a statement by the Chief Medical Officer saying

that the levels of drugs, if they were found in meat used on horses,

there would be a low risk to health. But none of this will go away

quickly. The food standards agency's tests will not be

completed until April. I'm told the results released on Friday will

represent it quarter of the Cold War results. -- a quarter of the

total results. We are nowhere near a conclusion. A further nine NHS

hospital trusts in England are to be investigated following concerns

over higher-than-expected death rates. Last week, five trusts were

recognised as having high mortality rates in the wake of a damning

report into failures at Staffordshire Hospital. Branwen

Jeffreys is here. What does this tell us? We have known for a few

years now that in some hospitals the number of patients dying

appears to be higher than the number you would expect if you took

into account their age, background, how healthy they were going into

hospital. It has been described by experts as a smoke alarm. It does

not necessarily tell you something is wrong with the hospitals but it

is a warning sign that should be investigated. Nine more hospital

trusts have been added to the list of those that are going to be

looked at by the Medical Director. That is north Cumbria, United

Lincolnshire, George Eliot, Buckinghamshire, North Lincolnshire,

the Dudley Group, show would Forest, Medway and Burton Hospitals. --

Sherwood Forest. If anyone is going into those hospitals, if there were

concerns about services, they would be closed down. It is not about

that, it is about finding out what is happening in making these

hospitals better. Our top story tonight, Pope Benedict has shocked

his advisers and Roman Catholics around the world by announcing his

resignation. Coming up, the battle for Chris

Huhne's seat hots up. A special report from the campaign trail in

Eastleigh. Later on the news channel, the

heads of tax payer and Royal Bank of Scotland give evidence to

politicians and confidence among UK businesses hits its lowest level in

A jury has heard how a mother witnessed her son being shot dead

in a pub last year, allegedly by Dale Cregan who, it is then claimed,

went on to kill two police officers in Manchester. The prosecution

alleges that Michelle Kelly's partner and son were killed by Dale

Cregan, who denies responsibility for a total of four murders.

Through the rush-hour traffic, the convoy carrying Dale Cregan and his

defendants -- co-defendants is led into court. Inside, the jury was

told about a feud between two families that led to the death of a

father-and-son. David and Mark Short were killed in separate

shootings in Greater Manchester. Today, Michelle Kelly, Mark's

mother and David's Park at, told the court about an argument between

the matriarch of the Atkinson family and this man, Raymond young.

She said that Theresa Atkinson were 12 days later, on 25th May, Mark

Short was shot inside the Cotton Tree pub. The jury has been shown

this CCTV footage. The prosecution says the Dale Cregan is in the

parked car. He is acting on behalf of the Atkinsons. He gets out,

walks inside and carries out the shooting before running out and

driving away. Michelle Kelly told the court what happened to her the

night her son was killed. She said that she heard it banging and then

it was over. She was asked if she saw the gunman and she said, yes,

Mark tried to grab him. Three months later, David Short was

killed in his home on the same day a grenade was used in a separate

attack near by. In September, PC Fiona Bone and PC Nicola Hughes

were shot dead, and again a grenade was used. The prosecution says that

Dale Cregan carried out the murders. Today in court he listens to the

evidence against him along with nine co-defendants. They deny all

charges and the case is expected to last for 12 weeks.

The Westminster government has published legal advice which

suggests an independent Scotland will be treated as an entirely new

state by international lock and might have to reapply to rejoin the

European Union or United unions. -- united union. Clearly, polarise

views on this. Polarised views on most things when

it comes to the arguments over independence. Today was a day of

legal opinion, leading to a political arguments. The UK

Government's legal experts argued that if the Scots were to vote yes

in a referendum on independence in autumn, Scotland would have to

start from scratch when it comes to international treaties, and it

would have to renegotiate entry into international organisations

like the EU and the UN. The SNP disagrees with that and they say

that the UK government is displaying breathtaking arrogance.

They say that if the UK Government wants to argue this, would the

successor state not just take on the benefits of the international

organisations and that the liabilities?

Nick Clegg has told the BBC that he is very confident that the Lib Dems

will hold on to the constituency of Eastleigh in Hampshire in the

forthcoming by-election. The contest was forced by the

resignation of Chris Huhne last week. James Landale has been on the

campaign trail. The battle for Eastleigh has begun.

An old railway town on the south coast of England where the

resignation of Chris Huhne is pitching Lib Dem against Tory for

the first time in the coalition. For this man, the outcome could not

matter. Nick Clegg came here knowing that his party may control

the council, and may be the incumbent with the majority, but...

You have to show that you can hold on to seats like this, and if you

cannot your prospects for the election is poor. I'm confident we

will hold onto the seat but not because I say so but because the

people of Eastleigh are telling us that they liked the fact that it is

Liberal Democrats locally that have been cutting the council tax. They

like the fact that Lib Dems have created hundreds of jobs. Even

though their MP lied to them? To be like that? When most people have to

do -- when most people make a decision, the key question they ask

is who will protect the green spaces in the local area and put

money in my pocket? 20 years ago, this was a Tory seat but now it is

one of many that the party will have to win if it wants a majority

in 2015. I think we have got a chance. Just a chance? It is early

days. I have seen a few by- elections in my time and nothing

entirely settles until the candidates are there. We know from

the opinion polls but we are ahead or slightly behind, so there is a

lot of fight for. For the Lib Dems and Tories, the stakes could not be

higher. The result will have a huge impact on morale will parties and

the future of their leader. For both sides, there is only one

outcome that matters. But how well other parts -- other parties do

will shape the outcome. Labour talk more of protest than victory.

think Labour is here to set out our One nation alternative, and to give

people a way of sending a protest to the Government and saying, look,

you are out of touch and we do not like what you're doing. The change

you promise is not happening. for UKIP, their leader may not be

standing but they could pick up support for larger parties.

hard part for us is that the parties that see themselves as

contenders will throw the kitchen sink at it and we are not as big as

them. There is this issue of Romanian and Bulgarian entry in

unlimited numbers into this constituency. Jobs and housing are

real issues and if that catches on, we could do well. Ultimately, the

by-election will be a test of which party can get more voters out on

the day. The outcome will have huge consequences for the coalition.

And there is more detail about the Returning to our main story, the

resignation of Pope Benedict. Returning to Gavin Hewitt at the

Vatican. This comes at a critical time for the Catholic Church.

Absolutely. There is already speculation about the kind of

person who will succeed Pope Benedict. There are those saying

that it should be a cardinal from Africa or South America, where the

Church is growing. Others say that what the Church needs is a strong

communicator, particularly as it continues to struggle with the

abuse scandal. Others argued that the crisis is here in Europe. It is

an increasingly secular society where the Church has difficulty

getting its message across. These are the kinds of issues that will

be debated in the weeks ahead. be debated in the weeks ahead.

Thank you very much. Let us take a look at the weather. It is grim

outside. Not the best start for Monday

morning. We had a wintry flavour to our weather. In fact, 12, 13

centimetres of snow in parts of a teenager. -- parts of

Buckinghamshire. Britain's satellite pictures showed just how

much cloud we have had today. The best of the breaks in the north and

west. The cloud will act as a friend through the night.

Temperatures not fallen too low. -- falling. Were we have lying snow,

in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, perhaps, it will

be cold and icy to start. Grey and wintry. Perhaps some sleet in Wales

and the south-west. For Robben Island, a quieter start. Fingers

crossed we will have little brightness in the afternoon. The

bulk of Scotland will be cold and frosty. The breeze could blow in

some wintry showers from the North Sea facing coast. There may be

sleet and snow from time to time through thicker cloud. Generally

speaking, quieter. And the reason for the mild feel, a frontal system

pushing in from the Atlantic. Rain wet and windy weather. Before that,

we have transient high pressure. Lighter wind, clear skies. Tuesday

and Wednesday could be cold. As that front bumps into the cold air

in Scotland, we could see some still fall for a time before it