17/06/2011 BBC News at Six

The Government and public sector unions on a collision course over

pay and pensions. Unions warn of mass walkouts over proposals to

raise the retirement age to 66. This idea that a simple way of

doing it is just to impose change, including imposing a change in the

pension age, that is not acceptable. But the government says it is the

best option that will be available for years to come.

Also on tonight's programme: Two- thirds of people who applied for

Olympic tickets failed to get a single one. I cannot think, given

the complexity, the huge demand, the numbers involved, that we could

have produced a system that would have been fairer.

As the fighting in Libya intensifies, we follow the student

from a British university, now on the frontline.

Cleared of harassment - the man who tweeted and blogged about his

wife's affair all over the net. And the pioneering research into

Parkinson's disease - turning skin into pieces of brain.

The in Sportsday at 6:30pm on the News Channel, Villa get their man.

Alex McLeish is their new manager, but rivals Birmingham City say they

Good evening. Welcome to the BBC News at Six. A major shake-up to

the pensions of millions of public sector workers has been confirmed

by the government. Many will have to pay more into their pensions,

but work for longer - not retiring until 66. The Government claims

it's the best offer that will be available for years to come. But

the unions, who are in the middle of talks, say it could spark a mass

walkout. When you have worked for years, it

is only right that you should look forward to your retirement. But now

the government has confirmed that millions of people in the public

sector will have to work for longer. It is unjustifiable that others

should work longer and pay more tax so that public sector workers can

retire earlier and get paid more. It is employees who are benefiting

from longer life and generous pensions, but the taxpayer who

picks up the tab. The Government wants teachers to pay more towards

their retirement and work for longer. But Jo expected a final-

salary pension. It makes you think about your career prospects. For me

as a young teacher, it is making me think about whether I want to stay

in teaching or try something different. Men in workers will face

an average 3% rise in their contributions, but there will be

hail Up -- help for the lower-paid. Those earning �15,000 a year will

not pay anything extra. For those earning up to �18,000, extra

contributions will be capped at 1.5%. Above that, the increases

will be phased in over three years. 12 million people if they rely upon

or pay into a public service pension, hence the importance of

the current talks ongoing between the government and trade unions on

pension reform. But today, there has been surprise and anger in

union circles that the government has gone public with what appeared

to be firm proposals when everything was still meant to be up

for discussion. This is an inflammatory and unhelpful

intervention. We are engaged in serious negotiations. If ministers

make pronouncements while talks are still going on, that is deeply

unhelpful and shakes my confidence in the government. Today one of the

main unions threatened to walk away from the talks. The business groups

say the government should not back down. The Government should hold

its nerve and face down the unions. They are offering a good deal to

the unions, and they should get back round the table and keep

talking to get a good deal for their members. Strikes should be a

last resort. 750,000 teachers and civil servants are due to strike at

the end of the month. But could this intervention by the Government

have brought the prospect of more unrest closer?

Our Political Correspondent Iain Watson joins us now from the

Treasury. With both sides at loggerheads, how can this be

resolved? Danny Alexander, the Chief Secretary at the Treasury,

has met trade unions behind closed doors over the past few months.

Despite the weather, what brought it out into the open was a belief

that the Government's position was being misrepresented. That was why

we heard this potentially risky appeal over the heads of trade

union leaders directly to the members not to sacrifice their

pensions on a political platform. The union reaction and the Labour

reaction have been interesting. Ed Miliband accused the Chief

Secretary today effectively of megaphone diplomacy, of indulging

in dangerous tactics. But he did not attack the specific proposals

from the Government, because the harsh reality is that across the

political spectrum, there is a realisation that the majority of us

will have to work longer and pay more for decent pensions in the

future. If you applied for Olympic tickets

and didn't get any, you're not alone. The organisers of London

2012 have revealed that two-thirds of people who applied for tickets

failed to get any, and many high- profile events were heavily

oversubscribed. But if you missed out, you can have another go next

week - tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Our Sports Editor David Bond is at the Olympic stadium in East London.

This is how many people will have found out today that they missed

out on Olympic tickets. I was one of the 1.2 million people who were

e-mailed to their BlackBerry a few hours ago, telling them they did

not get anything they applied for. It brings the end to a process

which has left many people feeling mystified and angry. But at least

for London 2012, they finally opened up and told us today exactly

what happened. This was how most people

experienced the Olympic opening ceremony the last time around, on

the television. And tutor the unprecedented demand for tickets,

this is how the vast majority of the British public will watch

London's big moment. The ceremony was 50 times oversubscribed. It is

not much better than the men's 100 metres final. There were 1.3

million applications for tickets to see if Usain Bolt could repeat his

world record-breaking feats. Just 21,000 have been successful. In

total, London 2012 received 21 million applications in this first

round of sales, from 1.9 million people. But only 700,000

applications were successful. The OU now say sorry to those who

missed out? I will say I absolutely understand your disappointment.

Massive demand, unprecedented. will you apologise? They feel, they

do not feel that they competed in a fair process. I think they competed

in an entirely fair process. I am here to talk you through how to

apply. For the 1.2 million who missed out,

there was some good news. They will get the first opportunity to buy

the next batch of tickets when they go on sale in a week. 2.3 million

tickets will be sold on a first- come first-served basis. But of

those, 1.7 million are for football, meaning just 600,000 are available

across 20 other Olympic sports. Although a further 1.3 million

tickets will go on sale for all events from December this year,

some disappointed fans are wondering whether they should

bother applying again. If I were going to try for tickets again, I

would probably roll their sleeves up, do some analysis, see what I

could afford and go for it. But I am not terribly optimistic. They do

not seem to be many tickets available. My confidence but I

could get some is pretty low. such high demand for tickets,

London 2012 can at least be confident that they have avoided

the nightmare of anti venues next summer. The challenge now is to

keep those who missed out interested in the Games. This is

the first time that Seb Coe and his organisers have had to deal with a

public tide of disappointment. In many ways, they are a victim of

their own success. They created huge demand for tickets and nearly

raised all of the revenue they set out to achieve. That is good news

even for those who missed out, because it means we will not be

picking up the bill. Two British soldiers have been

killed in southern Afghanistan. Both died in separate incidents in

Helmand Province yesterday. One of the soldiers, from the Royal

Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, was killed in an explosion in the

Nahr-e-Saraj district. The other was from the Parachute Regiment.

Both families have been informed. The Scottish businessman Nat Fraser,

who was jailed for life in 2003 for murdering his wife, will face a

retrial, despite having his conviction quashed. The Court of

Appeal in Edinburgh made their ruling today. It comes after the UK

Supreme Court in London expressed doubts about the original

conviction. Rebels in the Libyan city of

Misrata say at least ten people have been killed and dozens more

injured in a rocket attack by Colonel Gadaffi's forces. It came

as NATO jets carried out fresh daytime attacks on targets in the

Libyan capital, Tripoli. It's now four months since rebels began

their revolution against Gadaffi's 40-year rule, yet many are still

heading to the rebel stronghold of Misrata. Andrew Harding followed

the journey of one Libyan student who has left behind his studies in

Britain to fight on the frontline. In high spirits. A ferry full of

rebels had been for the besieged city of Misrata. And the front

lines that surround it. Among today's reinforcements, a young

maths student from Lancaster University, Siddique. In England, I

could not do much for this revolution. So I decided to go and

hold a gun for the first time in my life. For Siddique, this is

personal. His father has come to greet him, but Gaddafi's forces

have taken 16 members of their family. Within hours, a shy,

earnest student seems transformed. It is a short journey to the front

lines. It is so deep ready for this? -- but is Siddique ready for

this? Those were uncomfortably close. Gaddafi's superior firepower

is a constant threat to these part- time soldiers. Siddique has come

right to the front lines here. Very active front lines. Can a Gaddafi's

forces are just a mile or so down the road. We can hear the missiles

whistling overhead, NATO planes patrolling the skies as well. The

men here are bracing themselves for what they believe could be an

imminent Gaddafi offensive. In a quieter moment, Siddique's training

begins. These are the rockets. hopes his maths skills will help

with targeting. I do not want to kill anybody, actually. My friends

also do not want to kill them. But we have to fight. Where is the

enemy now? Siddique's lack of experienced is nothing new. The

rebels need training and weapons, and too many are dying. So after a

mere hour or so of training, Siddique joins the ranks. Either we

live in peace or freedom, or we die. A Conservative MP has triggered

outrage by suggesting that people with disabilities should be able to

work for below the minimum wage. Philip Davies said people with

disabilities were disadvantaged because they could not offer to

accept lower wages than the able- bodied. The mental health charity

Mind described his comments as "preposterous". Our political

correspondent Ben Wright is at Westminster. Pretty controversial,

to say the least? Yes, Philip Davies has detonated a fierce

argument. The law is clear. Employers cannot discriminate

against people with disabilities, and the national minimum wage has

to be paid to everyone at the same rate, depending on their age. But

in the House of Commons, Philip Davies said that the vulnerable

jobseekers, including those with learning disabilities, should be

allowed to earn less if they want him. For some people, the national

minimum wage may be more of a hindrance than a help. If those

considerate to be a hindrance, and in my view that is some of the most

vulnerable people in society, if they feel that for a short period,

taking a lower rate of pay to help them get on the first rung of the

jobs ladder, if they think it is a good thing, I do not see why we

should stand in their way. There has been an angry reaction from

charities and his own party. His views are not those of the

Conservatives. The Government and the law will not change. But as the

charity Mind said, there is discrimination against people with

learning disabilities, and they do struggle to get jobs. But in their

view, paying people less is not the answer. Prejudice is the problem.

A man who blogged and tweeted the details of his wife's affair on the

internet has been cleared of harassing her lover. Ian Puddick

posted videos and pictures all over the net in fury at his wife's ten-

year affair. After the verdict, Mr Puddick said his was a victory for

the small man. The internet has revolutionised the

way we communicate. Information, true or false, can be spread around

the world in a keystroke. But at what point does free-speech become

harassment? Ian Puddick forgave his wife for betraying him, but he

could never forgive the man with whom she had the affair. So he went

online to discredit her former boss, Timothy Haynes, setting up fake

websites to reveal his behaviour. The businessman had to leave his

job as a result. But in court, lawyers for person said he was

Laughter the judge dismissed the case against him, must -- Mr

Puddick expressed his delight. years of my life I have just got it

back. I have had two years of my life thanks to Mike QC. Just a

major, major relief. No one suggested Ian Puddick put anything

on line which was not true, but there was no acknowledgement of the

parrying of social networking sites and the modern age. The courts were

told it is difficult to quietly SEN these days. On the internet news

travels faster and further than ever. If you have told the truth

throughout and you're not seeking to cause someone distress, you

should be all right. He was responding to somebody else's

behaviour, this was not a gratuitous attack. Stay long-term

adulterer had to suffer. They have now rebuilt their relationship. Mr

Puddick says his days of internet campaigning are over.

Our top story tonight: The government and public sector

unions on a collision course over pay and pensions.

Coming up - the Birmingham battle over Alex McLeish as Aston Villa

He coming up in the sport, Rory McIlroy has stormed into an

impressive lead after his opening Now, some politicians are fond of

talking about the "squeezed middle" - those in work but nonetheless

facing tough times as Britain struggles out of recession. Many

will be affected by today's news on public sector pensions, but what

other changes are on the way and how are people coping? All this

week our special correspondent Richard Bilton has been gauging the

mood and today he sent this report Welcomed to middle-England,

Melbourne sits in the hills of south Derbyshire, but agriculture

does not pay the bills here any more. The parents of these kids in

the village school are much more likely to be commuters than work

the land. Would you like ketchup? Sarah the dinner lady says you can

feel the village titania next spells. Our school number of

dinners have gone down by about 20 in this last half-term. Roast

potatoes? That has affected us because that has cut our hours.

have got a green ant. Mrs Howell teaches the reception class, she

came here after being made redundant at her last school.

you finished your drawing? She is happy here, but the staffroom has

concerns and a national dispute over pensions looms. I will not be

striking because I'm here to do my job. But I would 100% back anyone

else who chooses to strike. school sits in a village full of

small businesses. People are worried about the cuts to the

public sector, but perhaps here they are just as worried about the

state of the economy and what might The school's chair of governors is

also one of the village's main employers. -- he ships spring water

from Melbourne Hall over the country. How does he find life in

tougher economic times? Cuts have to come because our balance of

payments, we have overspent. I agree with it, but I think the man

in the street has less money in his pocket and generally the concerns

are about jobs. All of this means little in the playground. But there

are not many families here that Taj not touched. Job worries and budget

cutbacks alive in middle-England. Researchers in Oxford are quite

literally turning pieces of skin into pieces of brain. The

extraordinary new technique is part of a large scale study to try to

find cures for Parkinson's disease, and includes the creation of a

"bank" of artificially grown brain cells. Our science correspondent

Pallab Ghosh has this exclusive An X-ray of the human brain, the

body's most complex organ. He is one with Parkinson's disease. The

black areas are where cells have been ravaged. No one knows why and

no one knows how to stop it. The disease kills brain cells needed

for movement. Derek is helping scientists combat the disease. He

is one of 120,000 people in Britain with Parkinson's. I started getting

twitches in the face, spasms. Started getting a tremor in my left

hand. And sometimes I didn't even notice it, people brought it to my

attention. He is involved in a pioneering study in which

researchers will grow Frings cells from tiny bits of his skin.

Researchers topic up into pieces and add chemicals. -- chop it up.

The skin cells will be turned into brain cells. By studying these

artificially created brain cells, researchers will be able to see in

great detail how Parkinson's disease develops. Chemicals are

added to genetically reprogrammed the cells. Then they are put into

an incubator. Here, scene for the first time, is what happens. First

Derek's skin cells break down. The small bits clump together to form

thousands of stem cells. These turn into nerve cells, they grow long

strands, connections which send signals to other parts of the brain.

After 16 weeks, brain cells. The cells are shown in green are the

ones that will become diseased and die. We have never been able to

study them in detail because they are inside. Now we can grow them in

a dish and study them, we can culture sells for weeks on end to

study how they live and die and why they are different. The researchers

are growing brain cells for many more patients. This Brain Bank,

they hope, will enable them to develop new treatments.

In football, it's become the scourge of Scottish football -

sectarian hatred and what to do about it. This season has seen

suspected parcel bombs and a physical assault on the Celtic

manager Neil Lennon. Now the Scottish government has published

its proposals for a new law, including tough new prison

sentences. Our Scotland correspondent James Cook has the

details. They used to say Glasgow was

Belfast without the bullets, not any more. This football season was

marred by attempted murder with parcel bombs sent to three Roman

Catholics linked to Celtic Football Club. It shames us in the eyes of

the world and we have begun to see that and understand that and it is

time we began to tackle it. This is what they are tackling, Celtic fans

chanting for the IRA. For Rangers supporters singing about killing

Catholics. Now this could lead to five years in jail. So could using

new technology to air old prejudices. I think it is pretty

excessive. Five years is great, maybe not long enough. The problem

dates back centuries after the Protestant Reformation, the

struggle for Scotland's soul. Glasgow cathedral survived the

Reformation, but Catholicism was swept aside and bigotry began. It

would flare up again years later in the City's teeming tenements, with

Irish Catholics and Scottish Protestants fighting for the same

jobs. It doesn't matter if you support a different team. But is

that the reality today? Projects like this are bringing together at

children from both communities. can support Celtic and support

Rangers and still be best friends. A doesn't matter if you are

Catholic or Protestant, you are the same. Telling that to some fans

will be tough. The Staying with football and

Birmingham City have vowed to "vigorously pursue" legal action

over the resignation of their manager Alex McLeish. Today he was

confirmed as the boss at arch rivals Aston Villa amid a bitter

row between the two clubs. Our sports correspondent Dan Roan is at

Villa Park with the story. There seems little doubt that

tonight Alex McLeish must be among the least popular men in a poll of

Birmingham. The fans of the club he has left behind feel betrayed,

those at the club he has joined, Vela, feels simply ignored. It must

be among the most bitter if managerial defections in Premier

League history. A takes a lot to unite the fans of

Birmingham's two great clubs, but by crossing the divide, Alex

McLeish has alienated both. This was the furious reaction of Aston

Villa's up what has this week when it emerged that their club was in

talks with the former manager of their arch-rivals. But today the

protesters were defied. As soon as he loses one game, it will be held.

He has no honeymoon period. He has been with the Blues for three years.

McLeish is even less popular with burning and cities where he

resigned on Sunday. Had they want millions in compensation now he has

made the short journey to Villa Us as a player Sol Campbell made a

highly controversial move from Spurs to Arsenal and he believes

McLeish could find life hard. will need time from the chairman

and the fans. It will be difficult, it will be a balancing act, but it

is all about results. McLeish has vowed to prove the critics wrong,

but the challenge of winning over the fans who don't want in here is

daunting. After a period of managerial

instability and a long search for a replacement for Gerard Houllier,

perhaps an element of desperation explains Aston Villa's gamble over

McLeish. He will be unveiled formally on Monday, but this is an

appointment that once again reminds us that fan power a loyalty has its

limits in the modern game. In golf, Rory McIlroy has fired a

66 to lead the US Open by eight shots after the second round. The

22-year-old holder succession of difficult putts to pull away from

the field and put himself in a strong position to win his first

major trophy. major trophy.

Let's take a look at the weekend weather.

It doesn't seem to stop raining! It is pretty grim. Some slow

improvements over the weekend, but not before time we have got more

cloud and more rain. It is pushing north overnight tonight and some of

the rain this evening will be heavy, particularly across the south-east

of England. That heavy rain pours away and we will find the main area

of rain pushing off, allowing showers to come back to the south-

west. At least with the cloud and rain, temperatures will be up at

around nine to 11 degrees. As we head through Saturday, this belt of

rain becomes slow moving across a good part of Scotland. To the south,

we will get sunny intervals, but there will be some showers. For

Northern Ireland, a mixture of sunshine and showers. 15 degrees at

best. Similar across Wales. Some of these showers will be heavy, with

the risk of hail and thunder. Across southern counties of England,

it will be windy tomorrow. These showers will push through quickly.

Showers, sunshine, showers, sunshine. It will be a problem for

the cricketers at the Rose Bowl. It could be met at Royal Ascot as well.

Showers in South East England and East Anglia. The winds not as

strong in the Midlands. To the north of Leeds and Manchester it

stays wet all day. Sunday looks a little bit better. Are we will see

some rain across south-west Scotland and northern England, but

it is lighter. Elsewhere some bright or sunny spells and few

showers than Saturday. Saturday is the wetter day, heavy showers and

longer spells of rain. On Sunday, it should be drier and brighter. A

bit more sunshine and hopefully it will feel warmer. If you have plans

will feel warmer. If you have plans for Wimbledon next week, it is

going to rain. A reminder of tonight's main news: