11/03/2012 BBC Weekend News

An American soldier goes on the rampage in Afghanistan, killing 16

civilians. Mourners gather at the scene as the country's President

confirm nine children are among the dead.

A year on from the tsunami, Japan remembers its 20,000 dead and

missing. The Catholic Church steps up its

opposition to Government proposals to legalise same-sex marriage.

England's young lions beat France in a thrilling match in the Six

Good evening. Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has

condemned the killing of 16 villagers by an American soldier as

unforgivable. Nine of the victims of the attack near an army base

were children. Tonight, President Obama said he was deeply saddened

by today's events. This report contains some distressing images.

In a remote corner of Kandahar, crowds gather outside an American

base in silent protest at a slaughter in their village. An

American soldier from inside these walls, they say, committed a

massacre. There's grief and disbelief, that their neighbours

were shot dead in their homes. Gul Bishar's two-year-old was one of

nine children killed by the gunman. TRANSLATION: They killed a child.

Was this a child a Taliban? I haven't seen a two-year-old Taliban.

There is no Taliban here. America is always threatening us with dogs

and helicopters during night raids. The serving officer left the base

at 3.00am. Villagers said the soldier attacked three houses,

killing 16 people and injuring nine others. In one house, he woke a

family, then killed all 11. He then set the bodies on fire. This was

murder, careful and precise, most were killed with a single shot to

the head including the children. At the American Embassy in Kabul, a

full investigation was promised. deplore any attack by a member of

the US Armed Forces against innocent civilians and denounce all

violence against civilians. We assure the people of Afghanistan

that the individual, or individuals, responsible for this terrible act

will be identified and brought to justice. Tonight, Kabul is peaceful,

but tomorrow trouble is expected here and across the country. In the

past few months, American Marines were caught urinating on the

corpses of Afghan insurgents, American soldiers were found to

have burnt copies of the Koran and now this, an atrocity committed by

an ally. Together, these events are losing the international mission

the confidence of its most important supporter - the Afghan

people. Our North America Editor joins us

now from Washington. Mark, President Obama's reaction? Well,

he's phoned President Karzai to express his deep condolences and

profound regret and stress that if an individual is found responsible

they will face the full rigours of the law. He spoke of how it was a

tragic and shocking incident, but he went on to say it does not

represent the exceptional character of the US military and their

respect for the Afghan people. There is clearly a grave worry that

there will be a huge backlash in Afghanistan and that a relationship

that has really gone badly wrong this year is going to get much

worse. What is it likely to do to the perception of this among the

American public, the Afghanistan campaign? An opinion poll taken

before this incident showed a growing number, 60% of people, felt

the war was not worth fighting. I think that this event will add to

that mood, add to the feeling that withdrawal has to happen soon and

will quietening the voices of those who feel they should stay and

finish the job. It is a year since a massive

earthquake and tsunami struck the north-east coast of Japan.

Ceremonies have been held today to remember the 20,000 people who were

killed. A minute's silence was observed at the moment the quake

was hit - 2.46pm local time in the afternoon.

In a monastery on Japan's north- east coast, a bell marked the

precise moment the earthquake hit one year ago. The country came to a

stand-still remembering the missing and the dead.

TRANSLATION: I couldn't say goodbye to my brother and it still hurts

deeply. TRANSLATION: I wanted to save

people but I couldn't, I couldn't even help my father.

Across devastated towns, the tsunami warning siren sounded again

today and the bereaved stood with their heads bowed. The emperor led

a memorial ceremony in Tokyo. The entire nation has been traumatised

by the worst natural disaster in living memory.

TRANSLATION: We are all gathered together in deep mourning to offer

condolences to the deceased. No-one who lived through that day

can forget the panic and the fear. Entire neighbourhoods smashed, the

rush to escape, children, parents, grandparents swept away to their

death. Today, the towns were so many lost their lives look like

wastelands. Over the last year, a huge clear-up operation has been

carried out along the coast. This place was full of wreckage. But now

pretty much all of it has been removed. All you can see are the

foundations of the buildings and the layout of the streets where

people homes and shops once stood. But even if the survivors want to

return here, rebuilding hasn't even begun. In Fukushima, it is the

radiation from the crippled nuclear plant that's preventing people from

going home. Wearing protective suits, one group was allowed into

the exclusion zone today and within a mile of the melted-down reactors.

Others found themselves drawn to the beach, to throw flowers on the

sea that stole the lives of so many. Calm today, a year after bringing

such misery. Here, a memorial service has been

held for the six British soldiers killed in Afghanistan last week.

The soldiers including five from 3 Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment

died when a bomb exploded under their vehicle in Helmand Province.

A candle was lit for each of them during the Service of Remembrance

in Halifax Minster. Liberal Democrat activists have

refused to endorse the coalition's changes to the National Health

Service in England. The Party's Spring Conference voted to reject

the call to the Government's Health Bill.

REPORTER: Is it time to listen to the Lib Dems on health?

It's been a bruisele battle over health. -- bruising battle over

health. You should never turn supporting a bad Bill into a

political testosterone and virility test. When faced with a high-speed

train crash, it is best to slam on the brakes. We are screwed if we

pass it and screwed if we don't. Shirley Williams did her best to

convince colleagues that enough safeguards had been put in the Bill.

I wouldn't be standing here and I wouldn't have stuck with the Bill

if I believed for one moment that it undermined the NHS. On the

contrary, I think that there are many ways in which it will

strengthen the NHS. That wasn't enough and activists voted not to

back the Bill. It won't change Government policy, but it was an

uncomfortable moment for Nick Clegg. The Health Service is an

institution that voters care passionately about and no political

party can afford to lose the voters' trust on such a crucial

issue. That is why there's been an intense debate about this Health

Bill. Nick Clegg admits the Government didn't do enough to make

the case for change. He didn't dwell on the issue when he

addressed the party faithful but Mr Clegg tried to reassure. This is a

Bill for patients, not profits. It isn't a Liberal Democrat Health

Bill, but it is a better Bill because of the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Clegg was keen to move on and set out his priorities for the

Budget. Fewer people paying income tax but the wealthy contributing

more. The sight of the wealthiest scheming to keep their tax bill

down to the bare minimum is frankly disgraceful. APPLAUSE So we will

call time on the tycoon tax dodgers and make sure everyone pays a fair

level of tax. They can all agree on that, but Nick Clegg will be

disappointing that after telling his party to move on from the

arguments on health, he has been defiantly ignored.

A member of a commission set up by David Cameron to try to establish

if Britain needs a Bill of Rights to restore some parliamentary

control over the Human Rights Act has resigned. Dr Michael Pinto-

Duschinsky claimed on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme that the

Commission wasn't doing the work it was supposed to do. I'm afraid it

leaves me with no alternative but to resign because I think the cause

is so important to look in a mature way at human rights and to make it

consistent with parliamentary sovereignty that I do need to

pursue it but not on the Commission. The Catholic Church in England and

Wales is stepping up its campaign against the Government's proposal

to legalise same-sex marriage. A letter from two of the Church's

most senior archbishops has been read out in 2,500 churches urging

congregations to fight the plan. These are the foot-soldiers the

Catholic Church is recruiting to fight plans for gay marriage. The

Archbishop's letter said marriage was based on a natural instinct for

men and women to form partnerships to bring up children. They claim

the Government's proposal would undermine traditional marriage.

Change in the law would reduce it, just as a commitment of the two

people involved. Priests also got a covering letter asking them to

mobilise congregations, but few here need any persuasion. Marriage

should stay between a man and a woman, not between two same-sex

people. I think that civil partnership aren't enough for gays

or lesbians. For the Catholic hierarchy there could barely be

more at stake. They regard it... That is why they are telling the

faithful to act and to act now. One of the archbishops who wrote

today's letter says no Government has the authority to redefine

marriage. It is the common understanding and recognition for

centuries, thousands of years, that marriage is between a man and a

woman. That will never change. It is partly - it is hard-wired into

our human nature. Campaigners say the Church has no right to

intervene. The Government proposals are simply about civil marriages in

register offices, not about religious marriages at all. The

Church has no legitimate justification for demanding it has

a veto over gay marriage. latest poll by ICM for the Sunday

Telegraph suggests that 45% of people support gay marriage to 36%

against. A large majority said changing the law was not a priority.

Prince Harry has been speaking at the end of his first official

overseas tour describing it as an emotional trip. The Prince said he

had no idea of the Queen's influence on the countries he had

visited. After ten days of arresting images,

this was a more familiar one, a royal in a carriage. Polo is one of

the Prince's passions. On the field, a warm encounter with an Argentine

opponent, the divisive issue of the Falklands a world away. This game

was to raise money for Harry's African charity in memory of his

mother, Diana. Not all of it went the Prince's way. Harry spoke

afterwards about his visit which he described as emotional. The warmth

of reception we have received from every single country we have been

to, including Brazil, has been amazing. I personally had no idea

how much influence the Queen has on all these countries which is very

humbling and I was quite choked up at times. You can't stiff up -- you

can't sit there and not get involved. I have never taken myself

too seriously. So I hope that everyone back home has seen it as

it is. As I said, I have had an amazing time. Prince Harry will

disappear from view and focus on his Army career. But this high-

profile four-country tour won't be a one-off. Harry's blend of

informality and star quality is something the monarchy will want to

explore again. Now for the sport.

Rugby union: England have beaten France by 24-22. Wales are still

strong favourites for the title and a probable Grand Slam. After

today's result, England could still catch them.

Pride, it is something English rugby seems to have rediscovered

this year and today it found a performance to match. The last time

England played France it spelt the end of a horrible World Cup, this

time it spelt spirit and adventure, first through Manu Tuilagi, even

better was to follow. One bulldozing run from Ben Morgan

followed by another from Ben Foden. England 14-3 up. The Queen was

happy, the President rather less so. After the break, France booted

their way back, the gap down to two points. But just when England

needed it, a flash of individual magic. Brilliant! Tom Croft seemed

thought he had sealed it but back came the French. In the final

seconds, they could have won it. And so England clung on. For their

temporary coach, a pretty decent job application.

Football. This could go down as a pivotal weekend in the Premier

League title race. Match Of The Day 2 is on BBC Two right now with

highlights of all the games as Manchester City were knocked off

the top of the table. They were at Swansea and lost 1-0. Luke Moore

with the late goal. City are a point behind Manchester United with

ten games to play. Wayne Rooney scored both United's

goals in their 2-0 win at home to West Brom. They go top. Wigan's

draw at Norwich was not enough to lift them off the bottom of the

table. Celtic are through to the Scottish Cup semifinals after

beating Dundee United 4-0 at Tannadice. Georgios Samaras got

number two. They will play Hearts or St Mirren, Aberdeen will play

Hibs in the other semifinal. It was a wonderful final day for Great

Britain at the World Indoor Athletics Championships. Five more

medals in Istanbul taking their tally to nine. That is their best

ever return at the World Indoors. The women's 4 x 400 metres relay

team with Perri Shakes-Drayton running the anchor leg pipped the

USA on the line for gold. What a day for Bradley Wiggins who has put

down the perfect marker for the Tour de France by winning the Paris

to Nice race. He is only the second Briton to win this classic. His