19/08/2011 BBC News at Six

A suicide bomb attack on the British Council offices in

Afghanistan. 12 people are killed. Gunmen stormed the building during

an eight-hour assault, as some staff took refuge in a panic from.

It believed that at least six suicide attackers made it inside

the compound after detonating a car bomb which took out one of the

walls. It will not stop the British Council and, indeed, our whole

effort in Afghanistan to bring greater stability and peace to the

country. Also tonight: The prison population

in England and Wales hit a record high as more rioters are jailed.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit the emergency services and

local people affected by the violence in Birmingham. Two women

from Northern Ireland are murdered at a holiday resort in Turkey.

Their bodies are discovered in a forest, a 17-year-old is arrested.

Police hunt for a gunman after a shooting in a hairdresser's in

Newport. Three women were injured. You don't expect something like

this to happen on a busy main road, on a Friday afternoon. It's quite

scary, actually. And a vintage performance from

Kevin Pietersen as England notch up the runs against India at The Oval.

Coming up later in Sportsday, Arsene Wenger is in trouble with

UEFA again. He faces further sanctions for apparently flouting a

Good evening. Welcome to the BBC News at Six o'clock. Gunmen have

stormed the British Council offices in the Afghan capital Kabul,

killing 12 people. The back -- attack began with two suicide

bombings outside the compound. Taliban gunmen forced their way

inside. The dead include a number of Afghan policemen and dance and a

soldier from New Zealand. No British nationals were injured.

Four staff took shelter in a panic room while the assault was under

way. David Cameron condemned the attack as a vicious and cowardly.

Moments after morning prayers, the attack began with a huge explosion

that rattled windows across Kabul. The Taliban blew a massive hole in

the fortified wall around the British Council. At least half a

dozen suicide attackers, armed to the teeth, piled inside.

TRANSLATION: A huge bang woke me up. I walked outside the house and I

saw the smashed windows. I saw the The fighting continued throughout

the warning. As the injured were led away, three Afghan guards and a

number of police were killed. heard a number of explosions,

strongly believing that two of them were suicide bombers. They had

blown themselves up. One of them is still hiding in the building.

can hear gunfire and heavy explosions from the British Council

compound. Behind me you can see the British Quick reaction Force. They

were on the scene. It is believed there have least six suicide

attackers made it inside the compound, after detonating a car

bomb which took out one of the walls at the British Council behind

me. The siege of the British Council lasted eight hours. As soon

as the attack began in the west of Kabul, Staffin side, including two

female teachers, headed to an underground stay from. There, they

stayed, terrified as the gun battle raged around them. Afghan commandos

came to their rescue. The British Council staff that we aim to

compound, who were in the safe room for most of the day, we were in

contact with them. There have been extracted safely, they are now in

the embassy. They are all fiercely shaken, but they are well and then

injured. As the clear-up began, it emerged that the attackers

disguised themselves in burkas. It allowed them to avoid police

checkpoints. All of them were killed. It's a vicious and cowardly

attack, but it has not succeeded. Today, Afghanistan celebrated the

anniversary of freedom from British rule. That is why the Taliban said

they targeted the British. The council, which promotes education,

was seen as an easy target. British and American troops, who have stood

shoulder to shoulder with Afghan forces, are preparing to leave. As

they go, these soldiers will largely be facing the Taliban alone.

Let's talk to Quentin Sommerville. What does this attack tell us about

the current state of security in the Afghan capital? They have never

been more foreign troops in Afghanistan in this ten-year war.

The Afghan security forces have never received more funding. And

still the Taliban are able to strike in what should be one of the

safest places in the country, right in the heart of Kabul. There is a

further challenge. As I said in my report, the foreign troops that

have been side-by-side with the Afghan security forces for all

these years, they will soon start to go home. British and American

troops will start to go home. When they go, or of the air support and

assistance that we saw them give the Afghan security forces today,

The prison population in England and Wales has reached record highs

following last week's riots. Tonight there are fewer than 1200

places left. The Prison Service says it is drawing up contingency

plans to deal with what it calls an After the madness, the justice

system continues to deal with the consequences. Today it considered

one of the most disturbing incidents. A student allegedly

robbed after being injured in the disturbances. The 21-year-old

accused of doing it was brought to court this morning. Reece Donovan

from east London is charged with stealing a games machine and a

phone. He was remanded in custody. Another case added to the 100 a day

which has been filling up the courts. Normally, Justice winds

down for the summer. Instead, according to the latest figures

released this afternoon, 1375 have appeared in court in connection

with the riots. 62% have been kept in custody, pending further

hearings. The bulk of those facing justice were in London, where more

than 1000 have been charged. The result of all this? Well, the

prison population in England and Wales has now reached a record high

of over 86,000. There are fewer than 1200 free spaces left. We need

a certain margin of spaces just to enable the prison service to work.

You need that slack in the system to make things work. If we start

eating into that, it becomes more and more difficult for governments

to manage the situation. The Prison Service has options. It could

reopen mothballed wings like this one, damaged in a riot in Doncaster.

A new young offenders facility at Belmarsh prison in London has space.

This isn't a crisis, but the pressure is on. Be and, though

nobody is excusing behaviour like this, some continue to question the

harshness of the sentencing. Today, one woman was freed from jail. A

court decided that her sentence for receiving a pair of shorts stolen

in the riots was not justified. She had been asleep during the trouble.

The court system is already struggling under the weight of

cases. In a rush to get out hasty and perhaps overly punitive

sentences, we see the case is rebounding into the system on

appeal. Then we are really going to see a major logjam. Police are

still looking for those involved in this incident and others. According

to one incident -- estimate, the Met has 2000 suspects it still

needs to deal with. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

have been visiting the area of Birmingham where three men were

Renaud Van killed during the riots. Prince William and Kate met

emergency workers and local residents at a community centre in

Winston Green. Prince William said Meeting, gritting and thanking

those that had been on the front line during Birmingham's nights of

rioting. The Duke and Duchess had begun by meeting privately with the

families of the three men who died when they were hit by a car near by.

They were happy to pose for family snapshots with some of those

affected and told many of the guests how strongly they had felt

about coming here. Deep in conversation, the royal couple ran

half an hour late. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came here to

listen, to hear the stories of the bereaved families and to learn more

about the wider impact of Birmingham's local communities.

Some of those they left behind say there is much more to the dentist -

- to stop further trouble. We, as people on the ground, we have to

harass central government and the local authority to make sure they

deliver on its. This footage is a reminder of how bad it got. The

owner of this shop dubbed it a tsunami of looting. This afternoon,

Ajay Bhatia got the chance to tell his tale directly to William and

Kate. After having six sleepless nights, there is something to cheer

about. It's a silver lining to you in a difficult time? It's a silver

lining and I feel proud of it. crowd outside were feeling proud as

well. The fact they take time out to come here and show that they do

give a damn, it should be appreciated. It's putting

Birmingham a little bit more on the map. Ajay Bhatia was among those

waving an enthusiastic goodbye. The brief royal tour was seen by most

here as a welcome mark of respect. Two women from County Down in

Northern Ireland have been murdered in Turkey. The bodies of Marion

Graham and Cathy Dinsmore were found in a forest just outside the

port city of Ismir on the west coast. A 17-year-old Turkish man

has been arrested. Turkish police are now searching

the patch of woodland where the two friends, described as bubbly girls

from County Down, were brutally murdered. Marion Elizabeth Graham

and Cathy Dinsmore, both in their 50s, were much loved in their home

town of Newry. Friends have begun paying tribute. Cathy was an

employee of the town, so we have been asking the council if there is

any weight they can help the families, at least bring them home

and give them a decent Christian burial, if that is what the family

wants. They were holidaying in the popular resort of Kusadasi, where

Mrs Graham owned a property and had been spending long period of time

with her family. Local sources say the 17-year-old boyfriend of her

daughter, Shannon, has confessed to murder following a row over whether

they could marry. One report said that it was Shannon who alerted

police after her mother could not be contacted. Shannon's boyfriend

will appear in court tonight. His Relatives of the victims shot dead

by a lone gunman last month on the Norwegian island of Utoeya had been

visiting the scene for the first time. 69 people died on the island.

Family members were accompanied by psychologists, priests and

investigators. A court in Oslo has ruled that the man who admitted

carrying out the killings will remain in solitary confinement for

another month. The oil company Shell says it has

stopped the leak which had been spilling oil into the North Sea off

Aberdeen. More than 200 tons have escaped since Wednesday. They say

that there Vibert -- divers have now closed the leak in the pipeline

beneath the Gannet Alpha or platform.

Three women have been injured at a shooting at a hairdresser's in

Newport. A man armed with a gun burst into the salon and opened

fire. Colette Hume is at the scene. What more do we know? Well, tonight

there is a huge police search ongoing, looking for the man behind

this attack. He burst into the hairdresser's, Caroline's at just

after 2:20pm. One woman was shot in her leg, two women received

injuries to their arms and neck. The conditions are not life-

threatening, but police out with them at the hospital. Detectives

have told us that a gun was found at the shop and that is being

examined by forensic officers tonight. The focus now is to find

the man behind this attack. Local people have told me on many

occasions that they believe the gunman has some kind of link to one

of the women at the centre of the attack. That, again, has not been

confirmed by police. As you can see, one of the main roads into Newport

city centre is completely cordoned off. As I say, a massive hunt is

going on across the area defined Our top story: At least 12 people

have been killed in a suicide attack on the British Council

offices in Afghanistan. Coming up: More turmoil on the financial

markets. We ask, what does it mean for pensions?

Later this hour in Sportsday, England are dominant at the Oval.

Bell and Peterson both notched up centuries as India's some of

Police in Northern Ireland are investigating the kidnapping of a

woman and a teenage boy from Belfast. They were abducted by an

armed gang on Wednesday night and released only after the boy's

father paid a ransom, thought to be about �200,000. The police say that

Deep in the Irish countryside, this location was the scene of a

terrifying ordeal. For a 16 year- old boy and his father's partner.

They were held by an aunt gang for almost 24 hours. The teenager's

father was more than 50 miles away, across the Irish border in West

Belfast. He is a security van driver who transports large amounts

of cash around Northern Ireland. He was the main target. His family

home is on the Lagmore estate in west Belfast, again broken just

after 6pm on Wednesday night and kidnapped his parka and teenage son.

They were bundled into a white van and brought across the border to an

old farmhouse near Castleblaney in the Republic. In Belfast, the

father was forced to go to work the next morning and later hand over

�200,000 from the back of the van. It was not until Thursday night at

8pm that his partner and son were found. The police said the family

was left deeply traumatised. It is an attack not only on the victims,

it is on the financial institutions and the community as a whole.

have been three similar kidnappings in Northern Ireland so far this

year and the criminal gangs involved are with us. The women and

teenage boys were given food during the kidnap but for much of the time

they were kept with pillowcases over their heads. When eventually

released, they had no idea where they were. The van used in the

attack has been found. But the police still have not caught the

armed gang responsible. In spite of the search on both sides of the

Irish border. A Scotland Yard detective working under

investigation into phone-hacking that the News of the World has been

arrested. Police say the 51 year old detective constable was

arrested on suspicion of unauthorised disclosure of

information. Our correspondent, Jon Brain, is at Scotland Yard. Another

twist in this extraordinary tale. What more can you tell us? And more

embarrassment for the police. It has not been disclosed exactly what

this detective did but it follows the story in the Guardian about the

rest of the News of the World reporter James Des Browne and the

Guardian had that story several hours before it was officially

confirmed, leading to questions about the source of the information.

All the detectives had to sign a confidentiality agreement and the

head of that operation has described this as hugely

disappointing. What makes it embarrassing is that as well as the

operation into the investigation into phone-hacking, there is a

separate inquiry into inappropriate relationships between some officers

and some sections of the media and here we have a detective accused of

exactly that. There has also been a second arrest today, Dan Evans, a

former feature writer on the News of the World, the 14th person to be

arrested in connection with phone- hacking. The investigation itself

is still making progress. Thank you. Opposition activists in Syria say

the security forces have continued killing anti-government protesters,

despite President Assad's assertion that he had stopped military

operations against civilians. Latest reports suggest that 14

people have been shot dead today, most of them in the southern

province of Deraa. There was yet more turmoil on the markets today.

The FTSE plunged this morning, only to bounce back again this afternoon.

It comes at the end of a turbulent week which has left many pensioners

and other investors asking, what impact will it all have on them?

Hugh Pym has this assessment. It has been another nerve-racking day

on the world markets with prices plunging first thing and its fears

of another recession and recovering lost ground. But with the nerves

frayed, the mood is downbeat. All the frantic activity in the

financial markets in recent weeks, the ups and downs and prices, might

seem remote from people's everyday lives but what goes on and dealing

rooms like this has major implications for millions of savers

and their money. The most you can put in a shares based individual

savings account is nearly �10,700 each year. But that amount invested

at the start of the tax year in April would now be worth under

�9,800. Experts say that savers should take the long view.

Investors in the stock market understand that they have to stay

in for the longer term and we have seen huge volatility in the last

week but there should in due course be some recovery. For many about to

retire, there could be problems. The annual income they were

promised by pension providers is closely linked to market interest

rates. And they have been falling. Someone retiring in April with a

�100,000 pension pot would have been offered around �6,400 each

year but if retiring now, it would be �200 lower. It is difficult for

retiring investors because annuity rates are historically low and we

do not know which way their vocal, they could rise but they could fall

further. One tangible thing investors can do to boost their

retirement income is to shop around for the best rate and that is a

golden rule of retiring. Speaking of Golden Rose, here is something

going up. The price of gold has set a record high as people look for

somewhere safe to put money. But it's not just wealthy investors.

One shopping centre has installed a gold vending machine, but in �100

and you will get this, one unexpected development in these

troubled times of investors. It's exactly 20 years since Communist

hardliners in Moscow held the fate of the mighty Soviet Union in their

hands. Their coup against the government of Mikhail Gorbachev

failed and soon after, the USSR collapsed. Many of those caught up

in those momentous events hoped for freedom and democracy and, two

decades on, some have been speaking to our Moscow correspondent, Daniel

Sandford. On a warm August evening by the Moscow river, the Russian

capital today seems wealthy, sophisticated, hedonistic and free

of fear. Life has been transformed since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Surrounded by luxury cars, it's easy to forget that just 20 years

ago, the impoverished city was in turmoil with tanks rolling down the

same streets. Soviet hardliners attempted a coup against the drift

to democracy. Boris Yeltsin, who famously climbed onto one of the

tanks to address the crowd, led the Democrats who successfully held out

at the Russian Parliament. With him on the tank was Mikhail origin of,

a scientist who had become a parliamentary and in the heady days

of reform. Today, he is still proud to have been part of those

momentous events. But he has let politics, disillusioned with the

modern Russia of billionaires and corruption. Unfortunately, what it

ended up with that is what you are fighting against at the time. A

population that has separated into the extremely poor and the

extremely rich. One critical moment during the failed coup was when

this squadron of tanks was persuaded to switch sides and

defend the Parliament instead of attacking. Their commander made a

brave decision that morning as he drove into Moscow. I am from Moscow

myself and I decided that whatever order was given that day, I would

not shoot at or drive over anyone. What I was hoping for in 1991 did

not quite materialise but life is much better now than in the Soviet

Union. It's not quite what we expected but it is better. It was

Vladimir Putin who ultimately undermined the high hopes of that

day. Now the dominant figure on Russia's political stage, he

brought much needed stability but it came at a price. An erosion of

human rights and over-powerful security services. The stand up

here at the Russian Parliament 20 years ago was a key moment in

Russian history. It was the end for the Communist hardliners. Bolstered

by Bunny from oil, gas and minerals, if Russia is a much freer and

wealthier place. But it isn't a conventional democracy. Sport NI...

It seems the only thing that can stop England's batsmen scoring runs

at the moment is the weather. After yesterday's washout, it was back to

business as usual against India on day two of the fourth test at the

Oval, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen both scoring centuries. A short

while ago, England were 409 for two in their first innings. Sunshine

over the Oval and the cafeteria reopened. A day for English batsmen

to feast. But what's this? The 5th ball of the day snared Cook, gone

for 34. But the series lost, where India coming to life? Strauss was

out for 40, at last, read the body language of the border, and then

lunch, India were in the game but IT, it was back to the ground.

Kevin Pietersen makes batting look more like bullying. And he was

enjoying himself. Ian Bell is more classical in technique, a

conventional nudged towards the boundary. Straightforward? Nothing

ever is any more for India. The great man with the humble full ball,

no one wants to see this. But everyone wants to enjoy England's

vintage summer, a reshuffle in the stands for the Prime Minister, who

hoped no one would begrudge him an afternoon at the cricket. He

arrived in time for the 5th century of the year from Ian Bell, the fans

have really had it so good. Kevin Pietersen weighed in after teatime

and if he makes cricket look easy, India are currently expert at

making it look impossible. On the next ball, Peters and should have

gone. This image neatly sums up in the a's series. Although not quite

as well as this one... England will hope for good weather over the

weekend. Let's see if they will get They should be plenty of play, not

quite as spectacular as Today and the weekend forecast is more

complicated. Some cloud and outbreaks of rain drifting in but

with more cloud around it will be anything but as chilly. The light

rain dribbling across northern England and Wales and into South

West but nothing like as chilly as last night. It felt like autumn

this morning and it will feel more like almost tomorrow but not as

Sunday, a lot of cloud earlier on and southern counties. Some light

rain here and there. A good part of Scotland and Northern Ireland will

have sunshine. By the afternoon, these outbreaks of rain will

threaten to push up across Lincolnshire, parts of Lancashire.

The far north should stay dry and bright along the southern and

eastern Scotland, it's a fine summer's day with showers affecting

the Highlands and the Western Isles. Maybe some showers in Northern

Ireland but it's looking dry and bright overall with the threat of

rain into the far south east by evening town. Pretty cloudy

throughout the evening in Wales but perhaps some bright is developing

in the east. Further west, outbreaks of rain and after the

dull, Dan start for the south-west, it might turn try but overall quite

gloomy. It might brighten up across parts of the south-east and if we

do get sunshine, temperatures easily exceeding 23 degrees. The

wet weather continues north, affecting eastern Scotland for some

time overnight. And then into Sunday, it's a mixture of sunshine

and showers, much brighter for the Midlands and Wales and the south-

west. The showers will be rather more scattered across Scotland and

Northern Ireland. Temperatures into the low 20s. If it is complicated

but most of us will see at least one day with some spells of

sunshine. More details online... Thank you. And tonight's main news

again... At least 12 people have been killed in a suicide attack on

the British Council offices in Afghanistan. And the prison