04/06/2013 BBC News at Six

decades as monarch in a special service at Westminster Abbey. It

commemorated that momentous day back in 1953 when the Queen was just 27.

And it celebrated her achievements and service in the years since.

Today we celebrate 60 years since that moment, 60 years of commitment.

And the service also looked to the future, as accompanying the Queen

were two kings in waiting - Charles and William.

Also tonight: The growing pressure on A&E. Waiting times in England are

the longest for nearly a decade. Oscar Pistorius, Olympic and

Paralympic sprinter, back in court charged with the murder of his

girlfriend. And a new campaign to get more women

into work, and to encourage them to her quarter-final cursed to reach

the last four at the French Open for Good evening and welcome to the BBC

News at Six. It was 60 years ago that the Queen was crowned amid pomp

and pageantry at Westminster Abbey. This morning she attended a special

service to commemorate that day and mark her six decades as sovereign.

The service contained echoes of the past but was also a celebration of

her achievements since. The Queen was surrounded by members of her

Our royal correspondent Nicholas So much has changed and yet here she

was, the same monarch with the same consort at her side, and as the

Queen entered Westminster Abbey they played the same music, the music

which had greeted her 60 years ago when she came to be crowned. On the

high alter was Saint Edward 's crown, the Coronation Crown not seen

at Westminster Abbey since that day in June 1953 when the Queen, who was

then 27, was acclaimed by a nation For the first time since the

Coronation, scholars from Westminster School proclaimed the

vivax, long live the Queen! Today's generation of royals watched

and listened as a day of great spiritual significance to the Queen

was recalled. 60 years ago in this holy place Queen Elizabeth II was

anointed with holy oil. Coronation was not a moment that she

became queen, that happened the moment her father died 16 months

before, but it was the moment when she was consecrated and set apart to

a life of service. And in recognition of that, in 11 people

from different parts of the United Kingdom brought a flask of holy oil,

used for anointing the moniker at the Coronation. They ranged in age

from six to nearly 90, among them schoolchildren, in nurse, a

teacher, a lollipop lady and a judge. The flask was placed on the

altar, alongside the Crown. The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin

Welby recalled how, on Coronation day before her crowning, the young

Queen had knelt in prayer. Majesty knelt at the beginning of a

path of demanding devotion and after self-sacrifice, a path she did not

choose yet to which she was called by God. Today we celebrate 60 years

since that moment, 60 years of commitment to serve shows no sign of

diminishing, even if the pace at which it is accomplished is having

to slow. The Queen left the place of her Coronation followed by her

eldest son, who was followed by his eldest son William, and his wife,

who in a matter of weeks will give birth to the next line of

succession. 60 years after Elizabeth II's crowning, this abbey can expect

to witness many more coronations. Today was a celebration of the

Queen's role as mono but also there was a look to the future as well --

as a monarch. Yes, there were two particularly

striking things about the service. It was a powerful reminder of what

the Coronation of the British monarchy is all about. It is a

religious service and more important than the crowning of the moniker if

the consecration of that person to a life of service -- of the monarch.

That is the reason why she will never abdicate. The other striking

image was the proximity, first ball between the and Prince Charles. --

first of all. They walked in together. They came out with William

and Harry and Catherine, the succeeding generations, a confident

statement about the family and about continuity and stability.

Waiting times for accident and emergency at hospitals in England

are the longest for nearly a decade according to research from the

medical think tank, the Kings Fund. It says that in the first three

months of the year, over 300,000 patients had to wait four hours or

more, breaking one of the government's key targets. Our health

correspondent joins us from the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Thanks, yes, at the Royal Bolton Hospital they do have one of the

busiest accident and emergency department in greater Manchester.

They see 300 patients every day. It is often said that A&E is a

barometer for what is going on in the rest of the health service and

if that is true, the data seems to indicate the NHS and its patients

have seemed to have put up with a pretty stormy winter.

Another busy day in the emergency department at Royal Bolton Hospital.

The government says 95% of patients should be treated within four hours

but the latest figures show more people are having to wait longer.

Late last year, Angela went to A&E with her diabetic mother and spent

nine clocks -- nine hour was waiting to be seen. It is very undignified

being in a cubicle when you are so ill and it was so difficult for my

mum, who gets upset if she makes a mess, or if she needed something and

it was not there on time, and the dignity was not there for my mum.

Nearly 22 million people used A&E services in England in the last

year. The latest data from January to March showed that over 300

thousand people waited longer than the four our target. That is an

increase of nearly 40% from the year before. A complex mix of short-term

and long-term issues are hitting emergency departments, an ageing

population, changes to GP care, confusion over the NHS helpline and

pressures on community services. This is a typically busy department

at at the Royal Bolton Hospital, they did manage to hit the

government target that 95% of patients should be seen and treated

within four hours, but what happens at A&E has repercussions across the

hospital. The financial watchdog Monitor is warning some hospitals

are cancelling planned surgery in order to free up beds to patient

admitted to A&E. They end up looking after those patients and the A&E

Department ends up having more pressure. So the whole thing is

linked up was much absolutely. The pressures on A&E has eased but with

only a limited budget, a long-term fix will require the solution across

the whole of the health system. There is more evidence of the brutal

reality of the conflict in Syria today. A United Nations report

describes the country as being in a state of free fall with atrocities

being committed on both sides. It draws attention to the use of

children as soldiers by some rebel forces and says it is a war crime.

Our diplomatic correspondent is here with the details.

This latest report is blunt. The conflict in Syria has reached new

levels of barbarism. Both sides have committed war crimes, although

President Assad's regime is accused of the majority, on a scale that

amounts to crimes against humanity. The picture painted in this report

is based on evidence from the fighting and 430 interviews from

January to May. Some of the most shocking findings are about the

plight of children, children starved in besieged towns, victims of

government bombing, but also children exploited I both sides. The

report said the government side have forced children to watch the torture

all killing of their parents. In one case they threaten to shoot two

little girls who started crying during their father's interrogation.

One of the most horrific accusations is based on footage showing the

beheading of two the teams, one of them apparently beheaded by a child,

and the rebel side is accused of recruiting child soldiers to fight.

Up to 86 of them may have died. Using child soldiers is a war crime

that causes unspeakable harm to children and destroys families and

communities. The report says there are reasonable grounds to believe

chemical agents have been used as weapons in this conflict. It stopped

short of seeing who did it although one of the authors is clear,

elements on both sides bear some responsibility. We say there are

reasonable grounds to believe that chemical agents have been used in

the civilian conflict by both sides, we have evidence of four cases on

the government side and one case on the opposition side. The UN says

this conflict can only be ended by a political settlement between all

sides. The Americans and Russians are about to begin talks about

talks. The Russians say they can get a team from President Assad's

government to the table. But so far the Americans can't persuade the

rebels to join in. No end to the suffering in Syria is in sight.

Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic and Paralympic sprinter, has appeared in

court in South Africa. He is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva

Steenkamp. The magistrate postponed proceedings and Pistorius, who

denies murder, remains free on bail. Andrew Harding was in court.

No special treatment for Oscar Pistorius today. The murder suspect

forced to battle his way through the crowds waiting for him outside

court. The athletes seemed focused as he faced the cameras once again,

no tears this time. South African prosecutors are still investigating

the death of Reeva Steenkamp, convinced it was premeditated

murder. The state intends to prove that Oscar Pistorius followed his

girlfriend in his artificial legs into the bathroom, stood close to

the closed door and shot her through it. The angle that the bullet

entered could be critical in determining whether Oscar Pistorius

was further away, as he maintains, firing at what he believed was an

intruder. You can use a laser, stood at the door, and you basically put

it through the door and you can see the path of the bullet. And that is

crucial to this trial? I believe so, yes.

But this case is also being tried in the South African media. The

victim's mother is alleging the couple had been arguing. She found

me, we chatted about this and that, little girl things, she said that we

have been fighting a lot. She did not elaborate at she said, we are

fighting a lot. In court today, the magistrate criticised the media and

those who had been leaking information about the case but the

main business was a delay. The prosecution granted three more

months to present its case. So in under 20 minutes, Pistorius was on

his way back to his uncle's house, where he has built his own gym to

training, a virtual recluse now. In court three months ago, Oscar

Pistorius was an emotional wreck. Today, he was the opposite, a model

of self control as he stood impassively in the docks. He will be

back here in August at there will be more delays. -- but there will be

more delays. The singer and former X Factor judge

Tulisa Contostavlos has been arrested on suspicion of supplying

class A drugs. She has been questioned at a police station in

central London and our entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba is there

for us now. This comes after a newspaper said she had been the

go-between in a drug deal that resulted in a man supplying hundreds

of pounds worth of cocaine to the newspaper's undercover journalist.

We believe she left the station without speaking about an hour ago

but these are serious and shocking allegations about one of our

best-known singer and TV presenters. She was one of the best-known faces

on Saturday night television, watched by millions as one of the

judges on TV's the X Factor. She's spoken out about issues in the past

including her difficult upbringing, calling herself an inspiration for

broken Britain. There's been no response from her representatives

and she's been released on bail while the police's inquiries

continue. Thank you. Our top story: The Queen has marked

60 years since her Coronation with a service at Westminster Abbey. Still

to come: The home movie that reveals how one

street celebrated in 1953. On the news channel: Japan have become the

first country to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil next year,

thanks to an injury-time penalty that secured an all-important point

Ignoring women's potential in the workplace is holding back the UK

economy, according to a new campaign. There are currently 2.4

million women in Britain who aren't working but who want to. It's

claimed many could find jobs if flexible working practices were

adopted and that economic output could increase by 10% by 2030 - if

men and women participated equally in the workplace. Currently, few

women get to the top in business. Just over two years ago there were

only five women running companies in the top 100 listed firms. Today

there are only three. Our correspondent Reeta Chakrabarti has

more details. How long until the UK's boardrooms

have equal numbers of men and women? If the pace of change doesn't

increase it could be another 70 years. Why does it matter? Research

suggests that companies with more women on their boards actually

outperform their rifles. -- rivals. The author of the report runs a

company. What difference does she make? It's difficult to know what

difference it makes for me being a female in business. I have a

different range of experiences to some of my colleagues which means

particularly around family, working hours, around flexible work working

I am understanding because I have seen some of those challenges

myself. But it's not just the glass ceiling of corporate culture that's

under scrutiny. If women set up and ran new businesses at the same rate

as men, there would be a million more women entrepreneurs.

Women like Michelle who left school at 15 but went on to set up a

multimillion pound company. Entrepreneurs she says are

risk-takers regardless of gender but men and women's careers will always

be different. Men and women, we are never going to be the same. Men have

their strengths and women have their strengths. We tend to have children

and that tends to take nine months minimum out of our calendar. That's

just the way it goes. You can't expect to always be at the same

level if you were both to start at the same time. Women traditionally

wept into nurturing roles like nursing or child care. Now it's the

lack of affordable child care that puts some off the workplace. With

only one in five women studying technology or maths and computer

science at university, the lucrative jobs in hi-tech industries are more

likely to be taken by men. It's the women of the future like these

14-year-olds who need to have broader ambitions, says the report.

When asked who wanted a good career all of them put their hands up. But

they're realistic about prospects. If I have a big business and they

say a woman owns that, I don't want that business, I don't want someone

to think I can't do as much as a man could. I have an older brother and

he is more confident to do what he wants. Myself, I want to be an

actress but it's harder to do that because you are worried about how

you look all the time. Government wants economic growth, women want

fulfilling lives. How to marry the two is the million dollar question.

A former private in the British army has been fined �1,000 and a serving

Lance Corporal demoted after admitting abusing civilians in

Afghanistan. The former private admitted indecent conduct towards a

child while the other admitted racially abusing an Afghan man.

Neither men was named during the court martial in Germany to ensure

their safety, the judge said. Peers are set to vote shortly on the

Government's plans to introduce same-sex marriage. It follows two

days of impassioned debate. If the motion is passed, gay marriage will

become law in some form, though the detail of the legislation has yet to

be worked out. Here's our deputy political editor James Landale.

For two days outside parliament they've sung, demonstrated and

waited. Those in favour and those against. Inside peers have debated

for more than ten hours. Now the moment of decision has come. Should

couples of the same sex be able to get married? In the chamber not all

peers sang to the same tune. Some said gay marriage went against their

faith, tradition, and conviction. The process by which this bill has

been handled is inappropriate and has left the country divided,

bewildered and puzzled by something which has come out of a blue sky. I

don't think that is a proper way in which to make such a major social

reform. All this is bound to have a destabilising and confusing effect

on children. I fear for the future of family life if this bill is

passed. I shall certainly vote for the amendment Many others said the

bill would strengthen marriage and ensure fairness for gay couples

men and women have waited for far too long to have the same rights as

straight married couples. I would be proud, my Lords, to share my married

status with same-sex couples with a similar commitment to stable and

long-term unions. If gay couples want that option, that unequivocal

equality with heterosexual partnerships they should have it.

This is a divisive bill. It divides peers in here and parties and the

country. But David Cameron appears determined to press on in the hope

that the first gay marriages are held next summer and he is doing so

against the wishes of many in his party and for that he is paying a

price. Today, grass root Tory leaders met a former chairman who

said the party was haemorrhaging members. People who have been

lifelong Conservatives and who have been the people who actually went

out and did the work on a voluntary basis for the party are simply

tearing up their membership cards. This evening as the vigil continues

peers are preparing to vote to scrap or save this bill. Even if they do

let it through, battle will continue over the detail in the coming weeks

as some peers try to protect teachers and churches opposed to gay

marriage. This isn't over yet. Hundreds of protestors have gathered

to mark the start of the largest ever public inquiry into wind farms

in Britain. The inquiry will look at whether wind farms at five sites in

Mid Wales with a total of 160 turbines will be given the green

light. The inquiry - in Welshpool - is expected to last around a year.

Our Wales Correspondent Hywel Griffith is at one of the possible

sites in Powys for us now. Yes, this is where the largest of

the five wind farms would be built, in the hills above the village of

Llanbadarn Fynydd. If you look to the horizon there are dozens there

already. Now according to the campaigners who gathered this

morning this area is under siege from the developers. They say the

landscape is being industrialised. They're concerned for the wildlife

and also for their way of life. However, there are plenty here who

support the developing green economy. Something which brings

money not only to landowners but potentially could create up to 2,000

jobs. All these arguments will be put to the inquiry in sessions

leading up to May of next year. Eventually the recommendations will

help to decide not only the future of these five wind farms, but

potentially could shape the future of energy policy across the UK.

More now on our main story, events marking the 60th anniversary of the

Queen's Coronation. The Queen, members of the Royal family and

2,000 guests attended a special service at Westminster Abbey as

communities up and down the country have also been remembering the day

she was crowned back in 1953. Jon Kay joins us from Bristol. Jon, what

was happening there 60 years ago? Well, this street like the rest of

Britain was red, white and blue, every single family here came out to

celebrate. A lot has changed. But thanks to an old reel of film that

was shot here by the residents we can see exactly what it was like on

Coronation Day. They spent weeks preparing on

Mansfield Street, making their own bunting, paper flowers, and a huge

Crown. It was 30 foot off the ground... Colin was 16 at the time

and remembers the street party like it was yesterday. They were trying

to win a local competition, so all the neighbours got involved. There's

Colin in the crowd. This is the house that I was born in and we had

flags out the centre window going across attaching to the house across

the road and there was a Union Jack to the right and out the window to

the left. Back then hardly anyone on Mansfield Street had a television.

So they made their own entertainment. All that hard work

paid off. They were named Best Decorated Street, first prize # �5.

-- �75 They hired a train and took the street to way mouth actually for

a day out. Among the judges was the newly crowned Miss Bristol. This is

the actual dress I wore which is the most beautiful material. She's also

kept some cake icing and her Coronation cigarettes. It was such a

joyous time. We had not long been recovering from the horrors of the

war and the rationing. But then suddenly we had this lovely young

Queen and it looked as though we were going forward to another new

era. Mansfield Street, like the rest of Britain, is a very different

place today. Six decades later, these are the only crowns on show.

Colin has found an old friend. That's me. We knew everybody then.

Now you only know about 30% of the people. 60 years, the same Queen

still on the throne, but Mansfield Street has never come together in

quite the same way again. Time for a look at the weather now.

Around Westminster 60 years ago it Barcelona today. It's going to stick

around for many of us this week. Temperatures are going to be rising

towards the end of the week possibly into the mid-20s. A pleasant day out

there. Still the risk of one or two showers and they could linger

through the Highlands. The main change is low cloud spoiling the

evening in the coasts of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. As temperatures

drop we allow that cloud to invade from the North Sea and pushing

across the Pennines. Those are the temperatures for towns and cities.

It won't be as chilly as last night. A grey start for central and eastern

areas. The cloud will tend to thin and lift and break, retreating back

to coastal areas. There will be some patchy cloud developing. Probably

not quite as sunny across across -- England and Wales as today. The

winds won't be as strong in the south-east as they were today.

Temperatures no higher than 19 or 20 for England and Wales. Cooler where

we have the cloud on the North Sea coasts. Pleasant in the sunshine for

Northern Ireland and Scotland. Some showers, probably more than today,

most in the mountains but could be on the sharp side, still cool and

cloudy there across the north-east of Scotland. If we look to Thursday,

it's the north-east that may stick with the cloud and the threat of one

or two showers. Away from here we will see sunshine developing again.

Temperatures starting to rise. The wind beginning to strengthen later

in the day across southern counties. By the end of the week most places