18/09/2012 BBC News at Ten

Tonight at Ten - two police women have been shot dead in Manchester.

They were both responding to an emergency call, which turned out to

be a trap. Clearly, this is one of the darkest days of Greater

Manchester police, if not the Police Service overall. They were

attacked with a gun and a hand grenade at a house in Mottram.

heard lots of gunshots, like bang, bang, bang. A man handed himself in,

already a suspect in two murders. Also tonight - fewer joint patrols

in Afghanistan, says NATO, after the latest attacks on coalition

forces. William and Kate on their foreign tour are pleased with a

French ban on those topless photos. Seven weeks to polling day,- as

Mitt Romney tries to explain controversial remarks in a secret

recording. And, Ronaldo has the final word against Manchester City

in a dramatic night in the Champions League. Coming up - Kevin

Pietersen's England future hangs in the balance after he's left out of

the squad to India, dispute an apology. - despite an apology. Good

evening. In one of the worst incidents in the history of British

policing two female officers have been shot and killed in Greater

Manchester. PC Nicola Hughes and PC Fiona Bone were responding to what

turned out to be a bogus emergency call. Shortly after, a man handed

himself into police. Dale Cregan was already wanted in conncetion

with two murders. Our home editor, Mark Easton, is in Manchester

tonight. Well, mercifully murders of police officers in the line of

duty are actually rare occurrences, but here in Manchester tonight,

colleagues of the two dead officers are talking about the long, dark

shadow which has fallen across the whole of the Police Service. It was

a routine call on I sunny morning, but it became one of the blackest

days in the history of British policing. The tents and sheets of

investigators now around the lawn of an unaassuming terrace house,

where two pim police constables were shot and killed -- women

police constables were shot and killed. Nicola Hughes and Fiona

Bone answered a call to what they were told was a burglary. They were

not to know they were being led to a man regarded as one of the most

dangerous in a country, a fugitive with a �50,000 reward on his head.

29-year-old Dale Cregan was being hunted in connection with two

murders. The blue light were still flashing on the car and the two

were targeted by gunfire. Witnesses said there was a crackle of

numerous bullets and then an explosion. The two officers fell to

the ground. I heard ten shots quite close together, bang, bang, bang,

like that. Really loud shots close by. Then I heard a big bang, like a

big explosion about ten seconds after the shots. The police

officers were coming up the road crying. About four or five police

officers crying. Today, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester

police suggested that the two women were deliberately lured to their

deaths. We believe either he has made the call or got somebody else

to make the call and it would appear, yes, for the purposes of

drawing the two officerss to that particular scene. And then he shaz

come out and shot and -- he has come out and shot and killed them

both. Absolutely, it would appear to be deliberate. It's an act of

absolutely cold-blooded murder. around lunchtime, he walked into a

police station in the Hyde area of Manchester, where he was arrested

and later driven away. Tributes have been paid to the two women

officers - flowers already laid close to where they died. Nicola

Hughes was 23 and described today as a great bobby, always smiling.

32-year-old Fiona Bone had been planning to get married. Colleagues

said he was a calm, gentle woman. It's a shocking reminder of what

the police do on our behalf. There are more armed police officers and

there are more armed response units, but this was supposed to be the

response to a domestic burglary and that wouldn't normally require

armed officers. He had been the target of a major police hunt.

Armed officers sent on to the streets of Manchester to pursue a

man linked to two shocking murders. In May a 32-year-old had been shot

dead in the Cotton Tree pub, a killing that bore the whole marks

of a gangland execution. Three months later, the dead man's father

was gunned down in his own home. Pictures revealed what appeared to

be a grenade detonated as part of the attack. It's a trail of

violence that Chris crosses the outskirts of Manchester. The pub

killing of Mark Short took place here in Droylsden, after his father

David had condemned that shooting, he too was killed in nearby Clayton.

Now two police officers murdered outside an empty house in Mottram.

Police today talked of a gangland feud. There will be questions as to

how this could have happened. How two unarmed constables were sent to

an estate in a district where senior officers suspected a highly

dangerous man was, being protected by a criminal conspiracy to harbour

him. Those questions are not for now. The police are now

investigating the cold-blooded murders of two colleagues, while

praising the courage and sense of duty the two women took with them

each day on beat and above all mourning their loss. Mark, you list

some of the inevitable questions there and of course, the inevitable

debate now about the way that police can protect themselves.

course. There is real concern here tonight about what we need to learn

from the tragic events of today in terms of how to protect officers,

who put their lives on the line, when they patrol the beat. There's

also concern, I think, that we don't move on from this tragedy and

damage something equally important - the relationship between

neighbourhood officers and the communities that they serve. The

Chief Constable of granch told me only a few weeks -- Greater

Manchester told me only a few weeks ago, that the police carrying

Tasers can appear like the military. He Paz put on the wall of the

headquarters of the police the principles of Robert Peel and one

of which being, the police are the public and the public are the

police. I think that for him and for many senior officers and even

those on the beat here in Manchester, there's a concern that

we don't take from this the feeling that every police officer has got

to be armed, because there's a danger that we then look as though

police is enforced rather than having policing by consent. There

is this balance to be struck, but tonight our thoughts are really not

so much about the tactics and the analysing of the situation, and

more about the enormous loss felt here in Manchester and across the

Police Service at the deaths of two splendid, young constables. Mark,

thank you. NATO has announced restrictions for the time being on

joint missions with Afghan security forces. More than 50 NATO troops

have been killed by Afghan soldiers and police this year, including two

British soldiers at the weekend. But the Defence Secretary, Philip

Hammond, has told MPs that there is no change in strategy for British

forces. Our defence correspondent, Caroline Wyatt, has more details.

Working side by side with Afghan forces is at the heart of NATO's

exit strategy in Afghanistan, but now it seems a little more distance

has been put between them. It's emerged that on Sunday NATO told

its forces to seek clearance from the general before going on lower

level operations with Afghan troops. That's made it look as though the

Taliban's insider attacks were having an effect, not least at a

time of raised tensions over the anti-Islamic film made in America.

Sergeant Gareth Thursby and 18- year-old Private Thomas Wroe were

shot dead on Saturday: the latest in a growing number of killings by

Afghan forces. Increasing the pressure on NATO to do more to

limit casualties. These measures are prudent and temporary in

response to the current situation. We have said all along that we will

take every step necessary to minimise the risks to our troops

and that's what we are doing. confusion over the orders for

British troops, the Defence Secretary was summoned to

Parliament to explain. This is not a strategic initiative that's been

taken here. It's a tactical one by commanders in theatre, operating

within their delegated responsibility. We would not seek

to interfere with the military judgment of commanders on the

ground. He insisted British troops would continue to patrol alongside

Afghans. But with emotions running high, a Labour MP was suspended

from the chamber after refusing to withdraw this remark. Isn't this

very similar to the end of the First World War, when it was said

that politicians lied and soldiers died and the reality was, as it is

now, that our brave soldier lions are being led by ministerial

donkeys? Some MPs questioned what was being achieved in Afghanistan,

whether the UK still -- where the UK still has 9,500 troops. That

will come down to 9,000 with the combat operations ending this year.

In Kabul a mini bus was blown up by a young, female suicide bomber.

Apparently in retaliation for the controversial anti-Islam video.

British and Afghan troops helped in the aftermath. But all this adds to

the impression of a campaign in which trust between the forces and

public support back at home is ebbing away as NATO heads towards

the exit. Live now to Kabul and our world

affairs editor, John Simpson. John, they're stressing these temporary

measures. How do you see the likely impact on the hand over? To start

off with, I think there was an element of panic on the part of

Washington over this. They lost four soldiers over the weekend, a

weekend where Britain lost two soldiers and less than two months

before an election I think the US administration just felt it had to

be seen to be doing something and something quickly, so quickly they

didn't actually tell the British beforehand. The British had to find

out about this after, as did the Afghans. The thing is that this is

of course the most essential issue at the moment, this whole question

of insider killings. Last week, for instance, Philip Hammond, the

Defence Secretary, came here and I heard him saying to his Afghan

counterpart that this insider killing business was dangerous for

the whole strategy of leaving the - of both countries leaving

Afghanistan, both the British and Americans. That's a serious kind of

expression to use. The fact is that this sort of mentoring, this sort

of walking around and patrolling and so forge has been actually very

successful -- forth, has been actually very successful, but it

doesn't look successful at a time when NATO feels it's doing pretty

well against the Taliban, but you wouldn't be able to understand that

from the outside. John, thank you. Three generations of the same

family have died in a suspected arson attack in South Wales.

Grandmother, Kim Buckley, her daughter Kayleigh died along with

her six-month old daughter Kimberley, after the fire broke out

in the early hours of this morning in Cwmbran. A 27-year-old man has

been arrested on suspicion of arson The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

have welcomed a decision by a French court to ban distribution of

images of the Duchess sunbathing topless. Judge has ordered the

publishers to hand over the photos within 24 hours. Prosecutors are

considering pressing criminal charges against the photographer,

as Christian Fraser reports. The paradise of Tuvalu, a very

different kind of airport transfers. On this tour, the Duke and Duchess

have risen above the controversy in France. How could they not in the

face of such a welcome? Together, they took part in a colourful

highland dancing competition, an occasion where every move is

studied closely, but this was the kind of occasion when the royal

couple are happy to be on show. It is the private moments that are out

of bounds. Thousands of miles away in the Paris suburb of Nanterre,

the media were massed around the court clerk, where a representative

from the Royal lawyer's office was handed the injunction. Are you

happy for your client? Yes, it is a good result, she said. In the

judgment, the magistrates banned the future publication and resale

of the offending photographs. There will be a 10,000 euros fine, �8,000,

for every breach of the order. All the photos are to be handed over to

the Duke and Duchess within 24 hours, with another 10,000 euros

fine for each day of delay. This lawyer said it was the best

possible outcome. The damage has been done, and what the royal

couple can hope for is that future damage will be limited if not

eliminated by this decision. the Duke and Duchess welcomed the

wording, it was, said the man shakes, a prickly exposure on the

front page. -- said the magistrates. There is no mention of the

photographer in his judgment, although the newspapers speculate

he or she may be British. How the photographer was employed by Closer

magazine will determine who owns the intellectual property rights.

It means that in spite of this judgment, the photographer could

still be free to sell the image is abroad. What is more, the ruling

only refers to images published, and the editor of Closer magazine

has already suggested there are more intimate pictures. These

outstanding questions will be covered by the criminal case which

the prosecutor opened today. As part of that inquiry, he must

determine who is the accused and from which position the photographs

were taken. There is a road that runs past the chateau in Provence,

with the lawyer acting for the royals say he would need a long

telephoto lens to view the balcony. Today's ruling will at least put

down a marker. From William in particular, there is a keen sense

of wanting to protect his wife. There are obvious parallels here

with the treatment suffered by his late mother, and he has made it

clear he will resort to the courts again if and when it is necessary.

Coming up on tonight's programme: Gervinho! A rather good night for

Arsenal in France in their Champions League clash.

With just seven weeks to go to the US presidential election,

Republican candidate Mitt Romney is having to explain more of the

Commons secretly recorded at an event in May. He is heard telling

party donors that the Palestinians have no interest whatsoever in

establishing peace and are committed to Israel's destruction.

He says millions of Americans see themselves as victims, dependent on

the state. Mark Mardell considers the potential effect of this on the

Romney campaign. Mitt Romney does not need headlines

like this just 49 days before America votes. His latest problem

is the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones publishing a secret video of

a dinner with rich financial supporters. The candidates suggests

almost half of all Americans are scroungers who would be bound to

He also said peace in the Middle East is unthinkable to accomplish

because Palestinians have no interest in it and want to destroy

Israel. Within hours of the video becoming public, he called a hasty

late-night news conference. It is not elegantly stated, let me put it

that way, I am speaking of the Cup. The Obama campaign raced out a new

advert, the remarks playing to their portrayal of Romney as rich

and remote. It shows that he is out of touch if he thinks half of the

country feels like victims. Victims? I would not say so.

real problem for Mr Romney is that this is not a one-off. He has spent

the last seven days explaining away controversial remarks, rather than

punching home his message and arguing his case to the American

people. And his campaign seems to have descended into semi-public

bickering, panicked by the polls. In the race for the White House,

Barack Obama and Mitt Romney were neck-and-neck through the summer,

but after the party conventions the President pulled ahead. That has

narrowed today, but the surge had already spooked the Romney campaign.

The campaign has been a little ragged around the edges, it needs

to be sharper, the candidate needs to be more focused. That said, by

any measure, Romney is in pretty good shape, no worse than four

points behind an incumbent President, no worse than even with

money. He is pretty strong but he has got to get better. Mitt Romney

and the President agreed there is a gulf between their visions of

America, but the Republican candidate is learning the hard way

that scornfully dismissing voters on the other side of the divide is

not particularly good politics. More than 2000 students in Wales

have had their GCSE English results upgraded. Of those, 1,200 had their

grades changed from a D to a C. The Welsh government intervened after

students were awarded lower grades than expected in August. In England,

ministers have refused to intervene. The rate of inflation fell slightly

in August. Measured by the Consumer Prices Index, the increase in the

cost of living was 2.5%, down from 2.6% in July. Hugh Pym has been

looking at the figures. It is one guide to how well the

economic machine is working, the speed at which prices are

increasing, and at the County Show in Berkshire at the weekend

families enjoying the sunshine all had views on that. The latest news

is that inflation, the cost-of- living increases, has been shipped

back. Measured by the Consumer Prices Index, the annual rate was

5.2% last September, but it had fallen to 2.5% by August this year.

Seb and Elizabeth were at the show with a young family. They say they

can cope with the current rate of price increases. We are in a lucky

position, I have just got a new job and we are sorted financially. We

have noticed bills going up, but really we are all right. Even with

lower inflation, prices are still rising, and the family needs to

watch what happens to the hard- earned cash. When you do the weekly

shop, it does seem very expensive. We try to come up with seven meals

of an evening, and by the time you get to the till, you think you have

done well and then you see the price come up. Yeah, it is very

expensive. Michael Bowden was one of the show's organisers. He farms

in the area near Newbury. Back in his day job, preparing to sow the

seed for the next crop, he has been watching global grain prices rising,

partly because of drought and the USA. He believes this will

eventually affect consumers here. It is not just �5 or �10 per tonne

for a ton of wheat. The prices have gone up �40 per tonne. That will

have a big knock-on effect. price of grain, and other

agricultural products, is always important for shoppers and a range

of businesses, but just where it goes from here is particularly

significant for policy makers as they try to work out where

inflation is heading. What happens in the farmyard and on world

agricultural markets could have an impact on prices paid by shoppers,

although there is no certainty in that. It is simply a warning that

while inflation is falling, it may come down further, but there could

yet be a change of direction. In China, the trial of a police

chief accused of covering up the murder of the British businessmen

Neil Heywood has come to an end in the city of Chengdu. Officials said

that Wang Lijun had not contested the charges and might receive a

lenient punishment. The wife of a senior politician has already been

convicted of murdering Mr Heywood. Damian Grammaticas has the latest.

He was once a hero in China, the crime-fighting cop now a villain on

trial in after he spilled this country's dirty secrets. He exposed

murder, cover-up and corruption by some of China's most powerful. The

court was ringed by police, the trial supposedly open, but off-

limits to journalists. China's Communist leaders, embarrassed,

wants to close the scandal. It began in the giant city of

Chongqing, where Wang Lijun was a police chief doing the dirty work

for his Communist Party boss. In February, he made a dramatic flight

to the nearest US consulate, where he sought refuge and dropped his

bombshell. He told diplomats that Neil Heywood, a British businessman

who died in China last year, had been murdered by this woman, Gu

Kailai, the wife of Bo Xilai, one of China's most powerful

politicians. Last month, she was convicted of the Britain's killing.

Wang Lijun had initially help to cover up the crime, but now he is

co-operating in the hope that he will escape a death sentence. The

parts of the trial that have happened in secret are the most

sensitive ones. His attempt to defect, charges that he secretly

recorded conversations, and what Wang Lijun has done is open a

window into the usually closed word and embroiled the Communist Party

in scandal that it wants to resolve, so it can press ahead with its

leadership change due in just a few weeks' time. Outside the court

today, a lone protester quickly dealt with. The Communist Party

seems far less sure what to do about Bo Xilai, once a contender

for a leadership post, now suspended. His fall has left its

divided and tarnished at a critical juncture.

Some football news, a busy night in the Champions League with both

Manchester City and Arsenal in action. Patrick Geary has been

watching the action. The champions of England and Spain

divided by a fence, but much more separates them in football terms.

Real Madrid have been crowned kings of the Continent nine times, and

they set about asserting their status. To stay in it, Joe Hart

have to be at his acrobatic best. City had no option but to remain

patient until they found a hole in the white blanket. Edin Dzeko, a

substitute, shook everything up. Real Madrid rallied, the full-back

Marcelo was invited into ruin the fund. His deflection finely

outfoxed Joe Hart. The game lost its moorings. City took the lead,

shabiha Alonso searching into his own net, and a famous victory was

back on. And then in a stroke of the boot, it was gone again, Real

Madrid level and now hungry. In the last minute of the 90, the ball

fell to Cristiano Ronaldo, once of Manchester United, the Master of

the theatrical. Arsenal's campaign began with a jolt, provided by

Thomas Vermaelen, handing Montpellier the chance to take the

lead. Despite all that, the Gunners are confident cross-Channel

campaigners, and their record in France is impressive, as was their

equaliser, scored by Lukas Podolski. Before long, they had the advantage,

Gervinho left blissfully alone to make it 2-1. It would not stay that

simple, Montpellier pushed hard for an equaliser, but Arsenal will be