09/05/2014 BBC News at Six

One of Britain's most famous entertainers, Rolf Harris, goes on

trial for sexual offences against young girls. The 84-year-old is

charged with indecent assault against girls over almost two

decades, including one of his daughter's friends. The jury's told

that the popular music and children's entertainer had a "Jekyll

and Hyde" personality. We'll have the latest from court. Also tonight:

Up to 20 people are killed in eastern Ukraine as pro-Russian

activists try to storm a police headquarters.

A rapturous reception for Russia's President Putin on his first visit

to Crimea since it was annexed from Ukraine.

Pictures emerge that appear to show British troops posing with the

bodies of Afghan insurgents. Protests over Nigeria's missing

schoolgirls, amid claims that the authorities had been warned about

the raid by Islamist extremists. And why the ageing population means

traffic lights may stay red for longer.

On BBC London: The 70% increase in working Londoners claiming housing

benefits. And police want to question this man

in connection with a fatal house fire in Camden.

Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six. Britain's most famous

music and children's entertainer, Rolf Harris, has been described as a

"Jekyll and Hyde" character who took advantage of his fame to abuse young

children, including a friend of his daughter. The 84-year-old has gone

on trial at Southwark Crown Court and is facing 12 charges of indecent

assault against four girls between 1968 and 1986. The youngest alleged

victim was seven or eight at the time. The oldest was 19. Rolf Harris

denies all the charges. Our correspondent David Silitto is at

Southwark Crown Court for us now. What we have heard today is not just

about the charges being brought here in Britain, but about women in other

parts of the world who have also made complaints about Rolf Harris.

This case suggests that there is a pattern of behaviour, a series of

indecent assaults against young girls that has been going on for

decades. Rolf Harris was described in court

today as charming and amicable, a performer of immense talent, but

also a man with a wide, an entertainer who used his fame to

abuse children. One of his alleged victims is a friend of the woman

here on the left, his daughter. The central allegations go back to his

heyday as a children's entertainer on television. He and his wife lived

at the time incident in south London. It is claimed he in decently

assaulted the girl, his daughter's friend, when she was 13, abuse, she

says, that went on for years. In court, Rolf Harris, wearing a

hearing loop, listened as we heard from the prosecuting barrister about

a letter sent many years later to the girl's father. He admitted they

have had a relationship, but said it had begun and he was 18. But he

acknowledged her happiness, saying: -- her unhappiness.

Other allegations go back to the 1960s. He is accused of assaulting

an eight-year-old autograph hunter and an 11-year-old girl. He is only

on trial for event is have to confess in Britain, but there are

other allegations relating to events in Malta, New Zealand, Australia. It

women have come forward, suggesting a pattern of behaviour over 20

years. In court, Sasha Walsh, QC, said:

he left court today not having had the chance yet to say anything in

his defence. He denies all the charges. The trial continues. One

question is why it has taken so long for these charges to be brought. The

prosecution said there has been a change in culture following the

Jimmy Savile case. There is no connection with that, but it has

emboldened women to come forward and challenge a man that they said was

in the past two famous, too powerful and essentially untouchable. David,

thank you. More than 20 people have been killed

in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The government says its

troops responded when activists tried to take over the police

headquarters. Most of the dead are thought to be pro-Russian activists.

Our correspondent Richard Galpin spent some of the day in Mariupol.

His report contains images you may find distressing.

Video the BBC believes to be showing Victory Day in Mariupol turning into

a bloodbath. Ukrainian troops fighting a pitched battle with

pro-Russian separatists in the city centre. The military brings in

reinforcement is as the battle intensifies. But pro-Russian

activists rush out onto the streets, trying to stop the reinforcements

going through. This man makes a fatal error, walking out into the

middle of the street. He is shot in the chest. When we arrived on the

scene, we discovered that the battle had been over this building, the

police headquarters. According to officials, it had been occupied by

pro-Russian rebels who refused to leave. The fighting at the police

station seems to be the most serious incident so far in this city. There

are still bodies on the streets, waiting to be taken away. In the

aftermath of the intense fighting, waiting to be taken away. In the

people gathered outside in a waiting to be taken away. In the

of shock. They were pro-Russian, and said the killing here was

indiscriminate. This woman tells said the killing here was

now protect them. Why hasn't President Putin come here so far,

she says. The Ukrainian military seems to be stepping up its

operation to push the pro-Russian rebels out of this city. But it will

not be easy, and there are many other towns and

not be easy, and there are many yet to be cleared. Richard Galpin,

BBC News, in Mariupol. The Russian president, Vladimir

Putin, has visited Crimea for the first time since it was annexed from

Ukraine by Moscow. He told cheering crowds in Sevastopol that 2014 would

go down in history as the year when Crimeans decided to be together with

Russia. His visit came on the anniversary of Russia's victory over

Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Daniel Sandford is in

Sevastopol. President Vladimir Putin, the first

Russian leader in almost 70 years to expand his territory, arriving today

in Crimea. As Russian air force jets roared overhead in triumph, it was

the first time he had come here since the annex to the peninsular

less than two months ago -- since he annexed the peninsular. TRANSLATION:

I am sure that 2014 will be written into the history of this city, and

our whole country, as the year when the people who live here made a firm

decision to be together with Russia. Then he stepped out into the crowd

of thousands of delighted patriotic Sevastopol residence. With its long

history as the home of the Black Sea Fleet, this is Crimea's most Russian

city. It was a display of defiance by President Putin I'm coming to

Sevastopol in the face of international opposition to his

annexation of Crimea, knowing full well that the people here supported

what he did. Today was Victory Day in Crimea and across the old Soviet

Union, the day people celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Union, the day people celebrate the Crimea gone and parts of his country

in flames, the Ukrainian prime minister said that today, history

was repeating itself, with his people facing a different form of

ashes. Daniel Sandford, BBC News, Sevastopol -- a different form of

fascism. The UK economy has almost returned

to levels not seen since its peak just before the recession in 2008,

according to the latest figures. Manufacturing output grew at its

fastest pace in nearly 15 years during the first few months of this

year, and export figures were also strong. Our chief economics

correspondent Hugh Pym reports now from the London Gateway docks.

Britain's economy is on the move . It as an overseas trade and

manufacturing are up-to-date, underlying that, and it is about to

reach a crucial milestone, making up all the ground lost during the

financial crisis and recession. During the boom years, UK economic

output accelerated. By early 2008, it had reached a peak. Then came a

plunge and deep recession. It has slowly been recovering since then

and is now within a whisker of getting back to the prerecession

level. We are probably just about there now. Our figures show that in

April, we were within about .1% of where we were in January 2008, so we

are very nearly there. For a balance recovery to take hold, selling more

British goods and services in foreign markets is required, and

there are signs that that is beginning to happen . The latest

monthly figures show that the volume of exported groups leaving British

ports like this was growing faster than the amount coming in in

imports, so the overall trade deficit was lower. They are keeping

busy at this major new port complex on the River Thames in Essex. We

have got services now at London Gateway servicing India and Brazil

in South America, and is emerging economies are definitely the

exciting trade lanes now. But it has not been a painless recovery. Before

the recession, real wages, after taking account of inflation, shown

by the blue line, kept pace with economic output or GDP, the white

line. But then they fell back, and even when the economy started

growing, real wages carried on falling. Lower inflation and higher

wages have eased the pressure on households, but there is some way to

go before real incomes are back where they were, and while the UK

may be about to move ahead of the prerecession peak, the US, Germany

and France have already moved past that point. The economic downturn

still casts a long shadow. Hugh Pym, BBC News.

The BBC has seen photographs appearing to show British servicemen

in Afghanistan posing with the dead bodies of Afghan insurgents. It's

believed the pictures were taken at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province

nearly two years ago after a Taliban attack which destroyed a number of

aircraft. Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale is here with more

details. How did these photographs emerge? They were clearly taken in

2012 when that attack happened, but did not come to public attention or

even the MoD's attention until last month. We understand that two

members of the RAF Regiment were involved and have been withdrawn

from front-line duties. They happened to be back in Afghanistan

at the time. It is clearly very embarrassing for the MoD. Not on a

scale with those abuse photos at Abu Ghraib by American soldiers that

everybody will remember Iraq. That said, the RAF has issued a statement

saying it has a zero tolerance policy of this kind of treatment of

deceased personnel. That said, people will say, member the

circumstances. This was a fierce firefight involving the RAF

Regiment. In number of their comrades were wounded. But at the

end of the day, they broke their own rules. I should not have had a

camera or even a telephone. It is possible that they may have opened

the Geneva conventions as well. A British team has arrived in

Nigeria to help with the search for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped

by Islamist extremists a month ago. It comes amid claims that

authorities in Nigeria had warned that the girls' school was being

targeted, but had failed to act. Here's our security correspondent,

Gordon Corera. Passions ran high at a protest

outside the Nigerian High Commissioner in London today. Anger

at both Boko Haram for kidnapping the schoolgirls, and the Nigerian

government for its slow response. What have they done? It is a total

disgrace. It was three weeks ago. They could have done something.

Today, more reasons for anger. Amnesty International claims that

the Nigerian authorities received four hours' warning about the raid

on the school, but still failed to act. And the father of one of the

girls claimed in an interview with the ABC that some of the teachers

had made sure their daughters at the school were safe. The staff who were

working there, they have daughters who are at school and none of their

daughters were kidnapped, because they had the information earlier and

they sent their daughters home and left the rest of the daughters

there. Then Boko Haram came in kidnapped them. Four weeks on, anger

over the abduction of the girls is growing here and around the world

and with it, demands for action. Britain and other countries have

sent small teams to help, but it is not clear how much they will be able

to do. Part of the role of those British and American teams is to

help in the search for the girls taken from this area. It will

involve high-tech intelligence involving satellite and aerial

reconnaissance, maybe also drones. But it has been a month. The search

area is huge and includes difficult terrain, especially the forest where

Boko Haram have their hideouts. Foreign teams will also be

Boko Haram have their hideouts. improve security to prevent more

abductions, and trying to persuade the Nigerians to adopt a more subtle

counterinsurgency strategy, but their poor human rights record means

there are limits on how far Britain and America can operate with them.

So despite the arrival of foreign help, the Nigerians are still in

charge, and it is not clear what they want to or are able to do.

Gordon Corera, BBC News. Our top story this evening. Rolf Harris goes

on trial charged with indecent assault against young girls over

almost two decades, including one of his daughter's friends.

Coming up, Belfast roads are turned into racetracks for the Giro

D'Italia. It is cycling's second most prestigious race and it's taken

a detour from Italy to Northern Ireland.

On BBC London: Threatening to bring chaos to the capital - the London

cabbies angry at the way a private hire firm operates. And Olympic

Champion Laura Trott vows to race through her home town tomorrow,

after crashing out in the Women's Tour of Britain today.

She disappeared seven years ago, and despite a massive international

search there's been no trace of Madeleine McCann. Now Portuguese

police sources have told the BBC that permission has been granted for

an area of the town where she vanished to be searched. A team of

British detectives have spent the last two days in the Algarve meeting

their Portuguese colleagues. But, as Richard Bilton reports from Praia da

Luz, some locals aren't happy about the renewed interest in the case.

It could start within days. know the exact location, but

Portuguese police say a field operation will begin on a piece of

private land. The search for Madeleine McCann is coming back to

Luz. In the heart of the town, Nancy Thompson runs The Bull pub. She's

nervous about what's ahead. Why now? Why didn't they do it at the time?

Why are they going to do it when tourists are... Oh, it'll be like a

circus town. I just can't believe they're going to do that. The Mayor

hopes a new search will help, but says in the town the matter closed.

TRANSLATION: We are here every day. If we had the slightest doubt, we

would have done something, we would have told the police. Of course,

this new work is based on three years of investigation by UK

detectives. But there are virtually no details, and some here are

frustrated. This is Ricardo Fernandes. He's from Luz, and four

weeks ago he disappeared. He worked on Praia de Luz beach. Those who

know him say not enough is being done to find him. Talk of more

Madeline investigation has not been received well. In that case, they

are doing so many things and with this guy, he was born here, he lived

here, he made many things for the village. And it looks like no one

cares about him. I heard the same complaints many times this week. But

when we tracked down Ricardo's family, they took a different view.

There is no comparison, his stepfather says. One was a child,

one a man who suffered from depression and the police are

working hard. But Ricardo's case shows the

sensitivities here. The Madeleine McCann investigation is coming back

and many here are uncomfortable. A 55-year-old man has appeared in

court in Surrey, charged with carrying out a robbery after he had

absconded from an open prison. Michael Wheatley, who's nicknamed

Skull Cracker, was arrested in East London on Wednesday. He was also

accused of possessing an imitation weapon and being on the run

illegally. He was remanded in custody.

Some news just in, Sainsbury's is recalling some jars of olives after

a small number were found to contain glass. It affects the supermarket's

350 grams jars of pitted green olives with a best before date of

January the 13th, 2017. Sainsbury's says that only a small number of

jars work contaminated and nobody has been injured.

There's a dramatic weekend of football ahead with Manchester City

and Liverpool both vying to be crowned Premier League champions. If

Liverpool triumph, it'll be the first time they've won the Premier

League title. But they've quite a battle on their hands. Manchester

City are the strong favourites, and realistically only have to draw

against West Ham to lift the trophy. Our Chief Sports Correspondent Dan

Roan reports. They know it is theirs to lose. Here

at Manchester City's training ground this morning, the title seemed close

enough to touch. Players and fans work confident ahead of what would

be a second Championship in two years. This was the first. Sergio

Aguero! The astonishing triumph in 2012 was the ultimate finale. This

weekend there could be more last day drama. We are thinking just to win

the match. The best way to do it is to play in the way that we have

been. This success comes at a cost, with Manchester City set to be fined

by UEFA for breaching rules that limit financial losses. The fans are

not happy. United have been spending money for decades to win, now we get

it and we are getting punished. My personal opinion is that it is

horrendous. When they walk out here on Sunday, they will know that

because of their superior goal difference, they need just a draw

against Manchester United to secure another Premier League title. But

here at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool will know that if they can beat

Newcastle and Manchester City lose, they will be crowned champions for

the first time since 1990. Until recently, Liverpool seemed a stint

for the title, but they stumbled when it mattered most, with one

point in their last two matches. Come Sunday, we will fight until the

very end. If we win the game and end up not winning the title, I think to

finish second to the richest team in the history of sport, it really

shows the measure and the progress we have made here. Here in the Match

Of The Day Studios, rehearsals are under way ahead of Sunday's coverage

of the climax to the most open title race in living memory. It is great,

the fact that there were four still in with a chance. Week to week, it

fluctuated, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal were top

for 120 days or something. I think it's been absolutely great. It may

have cost them ?1 billion, but a second title in three seasons will

confirm City as the dominant force in the English game. Their fans, no

doubt, will feel it is worth every penny. One of the world's greatest

cycle races has just got underway in Belfast. The first three stages of

the Giro D'Italia are taking place in Northern Ireland. And it's a race

which is always associated with the colour pink. So, to get in the

spirit of the event, Belfast's mayor has dyed his hair pink, pylons have

been painted pink and farmers have even turned some of their livestock

pink. The competitors set off a short time ago and our correspondent

Chris Buckler is in the crowd. Yes, the Giro D'Italia is known as

the race for pink, because the leader wears a pink jersey, like the

yellow jersey in the Tour De France. It's coming to Yorkshire

this year, and it has come to the UK for the first time. It has arrived

in Northern Ireland. A few hours ago, the first teams took off in the

trials around the roads Belfast. The roads have been closed off it was

Team Columbia that started the event off. People have lined the route,

despite the fact that there is not always sunshine. There is a bit of

rain as well. With me are some of those that have come to enjoy this.

I got, bringing the Giro D'Italia to Belfast, how important is it?

Massively important, much better phone than the European elections!

We have had 30 years of infinity, now this is the second-biggest

cycling event on the planet, to here, fabulously organised by the

Northern Ireland Sports Council, and they have done a super job. You have

arrived to see the place covered in pink, from Manchester? I'm covered

in pink, which I never wear! It's fantastic, it's great to hear the

Italian language coming out of the speakers, wonderful here in Belfast.

And you have arrived from Italy, to support his brother, who is racing.

What has the weather be like? Hi, guys! I am from Italy, and the

brother of Eduardo. It's a very good place, the people are so friendly. I

love Belfast. He loves Belfast and the race has begun. A gruelling

three days, but the competition actually lasts three weeks. It is

off to Italy after the events here. More and more traffic lights may

stay red for longer to help people cross the road safely. Pelican

crossings have been a familiar sight on Britain's busy roads since the

1970s. But now there are moves to replace them with puffin crossings,

which can tell whether people are still crossing the road and give

them extra time if needed. A busy pelican crossing in Leeds

where, regardless of how many people are waiting, the green man appears

for just seven seconds. Not long enough, apparently, for many people

- especially the elderly. One of the area's most famous octogenarians is

used to telling people to walk, but says those of his generation need

more time to do so. Really, they are not doing enough for the elderly

people. And they need time to cross the road. Especially

people. And they need time to cross lights. I think you need at least 30

seconds. It's estimated there are 7.5 million older people in Britain

who can't move quickly enough to get over these crossing safely. So the

plan is to have sensors, so if they need more time, they'll get it. But

what do drivers think of having to wait longer at the lights? If it

means that old-age pensioners can get across the road and I have to

stay another four or five seconds, I don't think it really matters. I

think it's going to cause problems with pollution, etc. Cars stood

there, engines going. I think you're going to get irate drivers, you

know? A few crossings like this one in central London give a countdown

of the safe perio. The consultation about the new high-tech crossings

runs until October, but it might be 20 years before they are everywhere.

Time for a look at the weather. Here's John Hammond. I don't think

it's looking too good? A beautiful evening at the moment,

if only we could bottle it. Things are going to turn a bit ropey. This

weekend there will be blustery showers, feeling cool in the wind.

Most of us will cease in sunshine as well, so not a write-off by any

means. It's beginning to rain across Land's End and rain will sweep

northwards and eastwards across most of the country overnight tonight.

One good thing, most of it will fall through the early hours and it will

not make it to the north of Scotland before morning. For most of us, a

mild end to the night, but a wet and windy start a Saturday morning. The

rain will trudge further northwards and get stuck across parts of

northern Scotland. A rather bleak day here. For most of the rest of

us, things will brighten up. Some sunshine, then showers will get

going. Heavy, squally, blustery showers. The wind will get the

history, particularly showers. The wind will get the

southwestern coasts. Warnings have been issued, gusts of up to 60 mph.

Even inland, been issued, gusts of up to 60 mph.

cause problems. There will be some sunshine between the showers, but

cause problems. There will be some those showers could be heavy and

thundery. Quite slow moving across more northern parts of the UK.

Across the North of Scotland, a lot of cloud, particularly the East

Coast. Nine or 10 degrees is the wind off the sea. Sunday, another

showery day. No two days exactly the same. The distribution of the

showers will be different. The best of the sunshine across south-west

England. Bands of showers, perhaps Crewe northern areas, no more than

ten or 12 degrees. The best of the sunshine and the temperature is the

further south you go across the UK. A reminder of our main story: Rolf

Harris goes on trial charged with indecent assault against young girls

over almost two decades, including one of his daughter's friends.

That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me