20/02/2014 BBC News at Six

protests - more than 20 are killed as a fragile truce breaks down.

Fighting continued between protestors and riot police in Kiev,

scores of police are reported to be held hostage. The police opened fire

with automatic rifles. Now we are seeing many protesters badly

injured. Western powers express outrage at images of Ukraine's

security forces shooting at its own people. We'll be looking at

diplomatic efforts to end the violence, as EU Foreign Ministers

meet. Also tonight... The former editor of the News of the World,

Rebekah Brooks, gives evidence for the first time at the phone-hacking

trial. The bosses of British Gas say the lights could go out if

politicians interfere in the energy market. Confirmation that the UK has

experienced the wettest winter ever. They've got to keep working this,

there's no chance to celebrate yet but the stones go to get there.

Celebrations in Sochi as the women's curling team wins bronze. On BBC

London, claims the men missed out on millions of sponsorship after

extending his cycle hire scheme. And the Mafia man fighting extradition

after living in London for 20 years. Good evening and welcome to the BBC

News at Six. More than 20 people have been killed during one of the

bloodiest days in the crisis gripping the Ukrainian capital Kiev.

Gun battles broke out between security forces and anti-government

protesters, shattering a fragile truce that had been agreed

overnight. The two sides have blamed each other for starting the

violence. The clashes erupted as protesters tried to take back

Independence Square, where they've been camped out for months. Nearby

buildings, including the City Hall, the central post office and the

Ukraina Hotel, have been used to treat the injured and to store

bodies. Our correspondent, Daniel Sandford, was staying at the hotel.

He's in Kiev for us now. It's been another frighteningly

bloody day in Kiev and the most dangerous yet, because police

officers opened fire on protesters for more than two hours. Much of the

fighting took place around this hotel. For much of the morning, this

hotel's reception was a temporary morgue. As we go on air tonight, the

bodies of those who died being paraded around Independence Square.

My report contains some distressing images of violence. The first sign

of Kiev's descent into insanity this morning was police officers being

loaded into ambulances. It's not clear what had injured them,

possibly gunshots. But very soon afterwards you could see armed

police retreating from their front line in the main square. Then...

Carnage. Police shooting as protesters ran up the hill towards

them. Having abandoned their positions, they seem to be firing at

will. We watched as protesters are advanced straight into the line of

fire. A few had weapons but most were armed only with makeshift

shield. They were gunned down mercilessly. When the protesters

charged up the hill, the police opened fire with automatic rifles.

Now we are seeing many protesters coming back badly injured. The death

toll is still being counted but in our hotel, which became a makeshift

hospital run by volunteer doctors, 13 bodies were brought into

reception. Killed by snipers with a metal bullet. They were killed by

very high professionals, because they didn't give a chance for

doctors to help people. The bullets come directly to the heart, the

neck, the lungs. Almost all people who were brought here words... We

were doing emergency but we have no chance to save their life. The

shooting continued for about two hours and then the police were

gone, leaving only a few snipers in place. Near Parliament, officers

were in retreat, too. Slowly the protest is regained all the

territory they lost earlier this week. It is midday and the

protesters have taken so much ground in their costly morning advance that

they now control the street right up to the front doors of Parliament.

The line of police is only blocking them get to Parliament itself. The

demonstrators even took several dozen police officers as prisoners.

The crowd in Independence Square is now much angrier and much more

militant than it was only a few weeks ago.

TRANSLATION: We don't have guns but if we had guns we would use them.

There are snipers firing. If we get weapons we will shoot, we will

eliminate these enemies. Peaceful protesters have slowly turned into

nationalist revolutionaries. Now so much blood has been spilt, the

divisions in Ukraine are becoming unbridgeable. In the last hour,

European fun # European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels have

imposed sanctions on Ukraine. Our diplomatic correspondent, Bridget

Kendall, reports. This crisis is no longer just about Kiev. This was the

city of loads in western Ukraine yesterday. Heavily armed protesters

have just broken into the Governor's office. Now he is being

dragged out and handcuffed to a poll on a makeshift stage. And this isn't

just a handful of radicals taking over. Look at the size of the crowd

will stop many of them calling for Ukraine's president to resign. And

here in Lviv, protesters set fire to the local headquarters of interior

troops. This was the moment when protesters stormed their way into

the Security Service building. It's a pattern repeated across western

Ukraine. A country facing in two directions. Ukraine's trouble is

spreading fast. Western Ukraine has always been more rebellious, and not

just in Lutzka and Lviv. Across the region protesters have taken over.

The president has virtually lost control. In the east there is also

an rest, the ruling party's office was ransacked. In Kharkiv,

protesters clashed with government troops. From Donetsk and Crimea, and

we demand that the government crackdown. But you can't really

divide Ukraine in two along the river, one side looking east and one

side looking west. It's far more complex, with the younger Ukrainians

especially keen to become more European, and the Crimea warning it

might join Russia if the unrest worsens. I think the danger is real

and present, because the longer this crisis continues in the capital, the

more there is provinces of the Ukraine with their own ethnicities,

traditions and histories, they will start to talk about separation,

federalism, pursuing their own agendas. This is an extremely

dangerous thing for young country like Ukraine. It's a crisis the

world is floundering to deal with. This afternoon, three EU foreign

ministers sat down with the Ukrainian president, Viktor

Yanukovych, trying to mediate, but to no avail. What is also dangerous

about this crisis is the way it's deepening the split on the outside

world. The United States has sided with the opposition, swiftly

punishing Ukrainian government with a VISA ban. The Europeans hoped to

mediate but they, too, had taken sides and this afternoon announced

their own sanctions against the government. But in Russia, President

Putin sees the unrest of an attempted coup encouraged

behind-the-scenes, he says, by Western powers. But what the outside

world thinks may prove irrelevant. If you thence continue to spiral

beyond control. Bridget Kendall, BBC News. Let's return to Daniel

Sandford in Kiev. Such a grim day, Daniel, how do you assess the mood

and sense there tonight? There is a danger that a line has been crossed

now. There are people out there on the square who don't feel this is

about protesting anymore. We've just had gunfire again near the hotel,

which is why I put my protective gear on again. People see this as a

resolution. As the bodies are paraded around the square down

there, there is a growing sense of anger. I'm not quite sure how people

are going to build a resolution which all sides can agree to. People

on the square want President Yanukovych gone, and I don't think

he's prepared to stand down at the moment. It's a very risky situation

and it's not quite clear how anyone is going to bring the country back

from the brink. You can find much more analysis on Ukraine on the BBC

website. Now the rest of the day's news. Rebekah Brooks, the former

chief executive of News International, has denied knowledge

of phone hacking while she was editor of the News of the World. She

has been giving evidence on the opening day of her defence. Earlier,

Mrs Brooks was formally cleared of one count of conspiracy to commit

misconduct in public office. She denies the four other charges she

faces. Tom Symonds reports. She started out sweeping the floor at a

local paper but ended up rubbing shoulders with Royals and Prime

Ministers. The most powerful woman in the British newspaper business.

The rise and rise of Rebekah Brooks was set out for the court today.

This trial has lasted 62 days so far, and she has spent most of them

sat in the dock. The jury hadn't heard a single word from her until

today. About the allegations of phone hacking, illegal payments to

public officials and what the prosecution has called the cover-up.

Rebekah Brooks settled herself into a seat in the witness box. She is

expected to occupy at four days. The questions began. For now, from her

barrister, Jonathan Laidlaw QC. She often answered simply yes or no,

going into more detail when explaining the workings of the

newspapers. She was asked a series of questions about the period 2000

to 2003, when she was editing the News of the World and when this man,

private detective Glenn Mulcaire, has admitted hacking phones for that

newspaper. Had she during that time known about Glenn Mulcaire or his

activities? Her answer each time was no. Had she known about private

detective is being used by newspapers? She said that was common

practice on Fleet Street. And then this specific question from her

barrister. As for phone hacking, accessing voice mail messages, was

any involvement he had in that practice ever drawn to your

retention? She said, no, not at all. She said and investigations

unit she set up had done great work in the public interest and had not

been there to hack phones. And later added, it's impossible for an editor

to know every source of every story because of the sheer volume of

material coming into the paper. Rebekah Brooks had been accused of

authorising a journalist to pay for a picture of Prince William in a

bikini at a party, while studying at stand Hirst. After legal arguments,

the judge said this morning there wasn't enough evidence of that and

the jury was ordered to a quitter. But she is still accused of one

charge of conspiring to intercept phone messages, phone hacking, one

charge of making illegal payments. Is and two of perverting the course

of justice. She denies them all. Bosses at Centrica, which owns

British Gas, have warned that political intervention in the energy

market risks the danger of the lights going out. The Government has

called on regulators to investigate profit margins, while Labour has

promised to freeze prices if it wins next year's general election.

British Gas announced annual profits of ?571 million today, slightly down

on last year. Our business correspondent, John Moylan, reports.

Could the row over energy prices risk the lights going out in

Britain? That's what the chairman of Centrica warned today, as consumer

groups lined up to criticise profits of British Gas of more than ?570

million. There is still this suspicion that the very big

suppliers like Centrica, British Gas, are selling themselves gas and

electricity at a high price that is hitting consumers very hard. That

this isn't a competitive market that works in the interest of consumers.

British Gas announced back in October it would increase prices by

more than 9%. But that subsequently became a 6% rise after the

Government agreed to cut back the green levies on our bills. But that

hasn't stopped the company from shedding customers. It has lost more

than 350,000 of them over the past year. Neil Denison, a married father

of three from Yorkshire, was one of them. It British Gas customer for 15

years, he came to the conclusion that his loyalty wasn't valued.

Gradually it became more and more like they were taking advantage over

existing customers. The prices were going up at higher rates than other

companies. I decided I had to stop being a mug and look into switching

and see whether there was a way to bring the bills down. Ed Miliband's

promised to freeze energy prices sparked a huge political storm. The

Energy Secretary, Ed Davey, launched the competition review. He has

recently questioned British Gas' dominance. The company says the row

could threaten our future energy supplies. Uncertainty is the enemy

of investment. The issue we've got at the moment is if there is

political interference, then clearly that is something that is going to

concern investors and slow down building new power stations, which

we desperately need. You think it was inappropriate for the secretary

of state to intervene in this time? Greene we are in the middle of a

political cycle, we all understand that. Centrica's shares have fallen

by more than 20% in recent months. Depending on the outcome of the

competition review, there could be worse to come. More than 20 killed

in Ukraine as battles break out between government forces and

protestors. Later on BBC London, more complaints

of neglect and poor standards at a North London hospital where an

elderly patient was left in unsanitary conditions. And anger at

the negative portrayal of their estate on TV - the residents taking

on Channel four. A major study is underway to see

whether injecting heart attack patients with their own cells can

help them to recover. There are more than 100,000 heart attacks every

year in the UK, and heart disease is the biggest single killer. The study

is the largest of its kind, involving 3000 patients from 11

European countries. Fergus Walsh has this report. Heart

attacks are a medical emergency. Every minute counts. And more people

than ever are surviving them thanks to prompt treatment. Like Neal

Grainger. But patients can be left with a permanently weakened heart,

making everyday tasks difficult. So now, a week after cardiologists at

the London chest Hospital saved his life, they are trying to repair his

heart, with these, stem cells taken from his bone marrow, which they

inject direct into his heart. Aedes come from yourself to mend yourself.

-- it has come from yourself. Could those cells meant his heart? A heart

attack happens when the blood supply suddenly gets blocked, usually by a

fatty deposit of cholesterol. Heart muscle starts to die because of the

lack of oxygen. Urgent treatment is needed. The artery is clear and a

metal mesh left inside to keep it open. The damage caused can continue

for some days. The injection of the patient's own stem cells is an

attempt to hold that damage. Maybe even reverse it. The cells release

chemical messages which hopefully kick-start a hard's natural repair

mechanisms. That could mean patients are left healthier and less at risk

of long-term heart problems. Neal Grainger will be monitored for five

years to see if his heart improves. He is taking much better care of

himself now, especially his diet. Salt was the big problem with me.

Extra salt on everything. I have done it ever since I was a child. I

did not think my body shape fitted a heart attack sort of person. I was

surprised. There have been several small trials using stem cells for

heart repair. This study will show for certain if the treatment is

effective. If it is positive, the benefits of patients will be that we

have something to deal with. For the overall field of medicine, we have a

whole new branch opening up. This trial is not being funded by a drug

company. You can have patented a patient's own cells. There is no

profit for them. It is being backed by the European Commission, they

hope being two to create a treatment using these cells, which saves the

NHS money and saves lives. Formula one boss Bernie Ecclestone

has won a multi-million pound compensation case, even though a

High Court judge says a share daily was Bolton, was corrupt. The judge

said bribes were paid in 2005. But the German company that brought the

case was not entitled to compensation as they suffered no

financial loss. Dan Roan was in court. Bernie Ecclestone's rise from

second-hand car salesman to the commercial rights holder of the

world's most glamorous sport is unique. Today, more controversy. The

billionaire successfully avoiding paying damages when he won a High

Court lawsuit but still suffering damage to his reputation when a

judge called into question his integrity. When I spoke to him this

evening, he denied any wrongdoing. Let's assume I am a liar and I am

unreliable. I have run the sport for the last 30 odd years. And nothing

has changed. So if I was unreliable and whatever, I have been lucky to

be as successful as we have been. Konstantin median had claimed

Ecclestone bribed a banker, Gerhard Gribkowsky. Ecclestone claimed he

was the victim of blackmail. When delivering his verdict today,

however, the judge said of Ecclestone:

However, the judge said there was no attempt to deliberately undervalue

Formula one -- Formula One. It is his damning comments about

Ecclestone that have raised serious questions about his leadership of

the sport. Once the cases analysed further, it does not look good

outside -- once the case is analysed. That is why the owners of

Formula One will have to consider carefully what to do next.

Ecclestone may have won the civil case, but in April he faces a trial

in Germany. He is not in the clear yet.

Members of a gang who raped and sexually abused girls as young as

13, have been jailed at the Old Bailey. The men and youths were

sentenced to a total of 54 years in prison and in young offender

institutions. The victims, from the Peterborough area, were forced to

have sex with the men for money, which was then used to buy drugs and

alcohol. We have all long suspected it, today it was officially

confirmed. This has been the wettest winter since records began. Let's

find out more from David Shukman. No surprise, but the statistics prove

it now? Yes, they do prove it. We have weather data back to 1910. We

have never had a wet winter. Let's look at the rainfall total. 486.8

millimetres. That is 19 inches. It beats the last record. Bear in mind

that February is not over yet. The number could still go higher. To get

a sense of the real story, you need to see a map of where the rain fell

across the United Kingdom. White areas where there has been average

rainfall. Dark blue is where there has been more than twice the

average. In addition to there being a national record, there are a host

of other records as well, for Wales, south-west England, South

East England. We know what this means. The ground is saturated.

There is not much evaporation until summer comes. The flooding goes on.

Thank you. David Shukman. In Sochi, Team GB is destined to equal its

best ever Winter Olympics after the women's curling team beat

Switzerland to take the bronze. They are guaranteed a fourth medal

tomorrow when the men's curlers compete.

The gold may have gone but a medal still lay tantalisingly close.

Fergie Eve Muirhead's team, the challenge is was to bring home the

bronze. In Switzerland, they were up against a team who beat them earlier

in the competition. Britain were soon trailing once again as the

Swiss took an early lead. The captain steadied the ship. Eve

Muirhead's pinpoint precision ensuring that by the halfway point

it was level. The teams were locked at 5-5 going into the final end but

Eve Muirhead had the final stone. This fern Olympic medal. An

agonising, nerve shredding weight. But it was worth it. Britain have

won the bronze! After yesterday's heartache, this time the Jews were

of joy. It has been a difficult tournament for the British team.

Words cannot describe it right now. It is fantastic. It was a great

game. It could have gone either way. We were chasing a little bit the

first half but when we stepped it up we knew we had two and the girls

were fantastic. What a game this is turning out to be for the Britain --

British curlers. It is a sport that once again has captured the

imagination of the country. Absolutely delighted. They tried so

hard and they worked so hard for the whole year. It could be better.

Fantastic. It also means this is now Britain's best Winter Olympics for

90 years. A day of history and high emotion.

Tremors were felt in part of south-west England and Wales today

after an earthquake was recorded on the Bristol Channel. -- under. It

happened three miles on the VC. Some people reported their homes and the

ground shaking for a few seconds. Now the weather.

We have heard quite enough about rain. Maybe you have some more.

Winter is defined as December, January and February. We have

another week of rainfall to go. It will remain the wettest on record.

As far as the here and now is concerned, not that much rainfall on

the way. A few showers scattered around. Tonight is 90 be colder than

it was last night. This is the satellite picture. -- tonight is

going to be. We have showers, Briscoe winds. In eastern areas,

temperatures will dip away to near freezing. We could get a frost

tonight. Tomorrow, it is a similar day to today. Similar to the

afternoon. Sunshine and showers. Coming and going. If you are

unlucky, you will get a downpour with hail and rain. Most frequent

showers across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Here, it could be a pretty

wet day. If you are out Friday night, more of the same. Let's break

down the weekend. It will still be pretty unsettled. A bright start.

That is emphasising Saturday. Windy all through the weekend. The second

half of the week and it looks as though there would be more rain

heading our way. This is what Saturday looks like. Bright, dry but

windy day. 50 mph winds. On Sunday, the winds increasing further. I

would not say it is quieting down. It will still be pretty rough. Thank

you. The main story here tonight. There

has been more bloodshed on the streets of the Ukrainian capital,

Kiev. More than 20 people have been killed in clashes between government

forces and protestors. That is all from BBC News. It is goodbye from

me. Time now to get