20/12/2011 BBC News at Six

A review of the summer riots suggests police could hrus live

bullets in future. It also recommends the use of plastic

bullets and water cannons. The proposals have met with some strong

criticism. I think it's absolutely crazy. History will show you that

violence against violence doesn't work. Also tonight: Former

newspaper editor Piers Morgan says he had no knowledge of phone

hacking at his paper. My evidence is that I have no reason or

knowledge to believe it was going Rail fares are set to rise by

nearly 6%, some will go up even more.

MPs accuse the Inland Revenue of letting big companies off up to �25

billion worth of tax. And not quite 101 Dalmations but 15

puppies makes for a surprise early Christmas present.

Coming later in sport: We preview a crucial game this evening at the

bottom of the table. Blackburn Good evening and welcome to the BBC

News at Six. Police could use live ammunition when dealing with riots

in the future, though only in very limited circumstances. That's the

suggestion of a police review of tactics during this summer's riots

in England. It also recommends that plastic bullets and water cannons

could be deployed though police would need to be better trained to

use them. But the suggestions have been criticised by local community

groups and even by the head of the Chief Police Officers' Association.

Here's our home affairs correspondent, June Kelly.

The burning buildings were among the most powerful and poignant

images of the summer's disorder. The arsonists destroyed homes,

shops and livelihoods and terrorised communities. Today's

report says that in the future if arsonists are putting lives at

stake, then the police could consider opening fire. If that

involves the use of firearms against a member of the public or

themselves, or other lethal force then they can consider using, may

consider using, lethal force in those circumstances. But that would

put the emphasis on may be considered. Tottenham in north

London, where the trouble began. A carpet shop gutted by fire. People

in the flats above were trapped. Four months on, the site is still

boarded up. This is a neighbourhood with reminders everywhere of what

was lost. But this community leader believes that while the police have

lessons to learn, lethal force should not be part of the solution.

No, I mean, it's crazy. It's crazy to even suggest it. History will

show you that around the world, in America, in the 60s, in Egypt now,

in Northern Ireland, that that has not worked, it hasn't solved the

problem. In Tottenham post-riots there's been a focus on police

community community relations. The rules state for the police to open

fire they have to believe there is an emment threat to life --

imminent threat to life. It was a police shooting which sparked the

disturbances here, of course. Mark Duggan, the man shot dead, his

death is being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints

Commission. When it comes to future disorder,

today's report also calls for water cannon and plastic bullets to be

considered. Up to now they've been used only during riots in Northern

Ireland. The latest plastic bullets are designed to reduce the risk of

injury. But one police chief who used to be in charge in Northern

Ireland is sceptical about these possible changes. A baton round

buys you distance t keeps crowds apart. What you saw in London were

fast-moving crowds running around, which means they would have been

totally useless as a tactic and when we use these things the public

have very long memories. This is the latest in a series of reports

into the riots and is set to be among the most controversial.

We can talk to June in Tottenham now. As you say, this idea of using

live ammunition is attracting a lot of attention, bound to be

controversial. Is it likely to happen? June Kelly, - sorry about

that, we couldn't make contact with June there. We will try to go back

to her later. The former editor of the News of

the World and Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan, has been giving evidence at

the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics. Despite being pressed

repeatedly, he said he didn't believe that he'd ever listened to

illegally obtained voice messages. He also said no phone hacking had

taken place at the Daily Mirror, to the best of his recollection. Nick

Witchell reports. He is the former showbiz reporter

who has become a celebrity himself. The career of Piers Morgan has had

some notable ups and downs since his days as a tabloid journalist.

In 1994 he became at 28 the youngest ever editor of the News of

the World. In 2004 he was sacked as editor of the Mirror, amid

allegations of faked photographs. By 2006 he had established a new

career as a television talent show judge. Then earlier this year he

was appointed host of a high profile US TV chat show. Piers

Morgan makes no secret of the fact that he relishes his celebrity

status as interrogater of the stars. Today, by satellite from the west

coast of America, he was placed under oath. Nothing but the truth.

To answer questions. He started jauntily but then when they came to

phone hacking the the answers became noticeably shorter. Come on,

Mr Morgan, your newspaper was near the top of the list, wasn't it?

of the list of what? Of the perpetrators, those carrying out

this sort of practice? You well know that. Well, you also well know

that not a single person has made any formal or legal complaint

against the Daily Mirror for phone hacking, not one. He was asked how

it was he heard a private message which was left. You listened to a

tape of a message, is that correct? I listened to a tape of a message,

yes. It was a voicemail message, wasn't it? I believed it was, yes.

But Mr Morgan said he had to protect his source, so he couldn't

say any more about it. Lord Justice Leveson was becoming exas

exaserated. I am perfectly happy to call lady McCartney give evidence

as to whether she authorised to you listen to her voicemails. Mr Morgan

remained coy, so Lord Justice Leveson said he might call Lady

McCartney. On to another celebrity's voicemails. Did you

listen to Ulrika Jonsson's Joycemail messages -- voicemail

messages in relation to Sven-Goran Eriksson? No, I did not. Mr Morgan

was categoric, he did not know any phone hacking was taking place.

you see this sort of thing going on, Mr Morgan? No. Are you sure about

that? 100%. At the end of an hour and a half of evidence Mr Morgan

said he felt like a badly treated rock star whose low points were

constantly replayed, but whose successes were ignored.

News International has paid out what it describes as appropriate

sums to seven prominent figures in the wake of the phone hacking

scandal at the now closed News of the World. The company confirmed in

a statement that it had settled claims brought by Princess Diana's

former lover James Hewitt, TV presenter Ukrika Jonsson, and five

others. Rail fares are to go up by an

average of nearly 6% in the New Year, though some will rise by more.

Train operators have defended the above-inflation rise as good value

for travellers and for taxpayers, but passenger groups have

criticised the increase. Our correspondent Jon Kay is at Bristol

Templemeads station. These rises will hit a lot of people pretty

hard. Certainly, we heard from people coming through here today

beginning their Christmas holiday journeys who told us they're

outraged that prices are going up so much at this difficult economic

time. However, we have also spoken to people here today who say

they're prepared to pay extra if it means they're more likely to get a

seat on a train and the trains run on time.

Heading home for Christmas. But coming back may cost you more.

Fares will go up in the new year by an average of 5.9%. And at Bristol

Temple Meads today some passengers found that hard to accept. Think

it's really awful. I don't think you get a good enough service.

will probably make me not go on the train. It's to be expected, they do

it every year. The new fares come into effect on 2nd January across

England, Wales and Scotland. And 5.9% is just the average increase.

Some tickets will go up by less, but others by more. Take a peak day

return from Bristol Temple Meads to Manchester Piccadilly. At the

moment that costs �138. But from next month it will go up to �149,

that's an increase of 8%. The train operating companies

insist they need that money to invest in the railways.

recognises the tough times for people financially, but the money

raised from fares will go towards new trains, faster services, better

stations. At the end of the day, the decision to increase fares

results from Government policy. number of people using the railways

has increased again this year, up by 5%. Commuter groups say

overcrowding must be tackled, especially if passengers are

expected to pay more. Labour has attacked the Government

today for allowing these price rises to go ahead. Ministers on the

other hand, say it would have been much bigger increase if the

Chancellor hadn't capped fares in the Autumn Statement last month.

A man's been arrested on suspicion of a terrorism offence after

arriving at Birmingham Airport on a flight from Dubai. Police said the

22-yearold man, who is studying in the UK, was suspected of having a

document which could be of use to someone planning an act of

terrorism. The prosecution in the trial of two

men accused of murdering the black teenager Stephen Lawrence 18 years

ago has been summing up at the Old Bailey. It claims Gary Dobson and

David Norris were part of a gang of young white men which shared a

racial animosity towards black people. The court was told that

forensic evidence linked them to the murder. Both men deny the

charges. David Cameron has been visiting

Afghanistan to meet British troops and NATO Generals. The Prime

Minister had intended to visit Camp Bastion in Helmand province, but

bad weather meant his flight was diverted to Kandahar airfield. Our

political correspondent Carole Walker has travelled with him.

The Prime Minister met some of the RAF tornado crews at the NATO base

in Kandahar, 100 miles from the main British base Camp Bastion. A

dust storm swirling over southern Afghanistan made it impossible for

his RAF C-17 to land there, his schedule was hastily rearranged.

David Cameron said this was the sort of thing the troops have to

deal with all the time. This trip may not have gone according to plan,

but the Prime Minister is still keen to set out his personal

commitment to improving the welfare of British troops, but that's not

an easy message to put across when the armed forces are facing job

cuts, redundancies, and a cap on their pay. A report on the military

covenant out today said pay and conditions was still a cause for

concern amongst the armed forces. David Cameron has set up a new

cabinet committee to look at ways of providing better healthcare,

education, and support for those who serve their country. Isn't

there a wider problem here when so many troops are facing job cuts and

changes to their pensions and a cap on their pay? We have had to make

difficult decisions right across public spending, in terms of the

defence budget actually it's the same in cash terms at the end of

this parliament as it was at the beginning. I think we are trying to

do much more more for our armed services and their families.

The key question for many of these troops is when the British mission

here will be completed. The Prime Minister has repeated his

commitment that their combat role will be over by the end of 2014. He

told us he did not want to see a cliffedge withdrawal in that final

year but said there would be further discussions with NATO

allies before any further decisions on when to bring more British

troops home. Tax officials have been accused of

failing to collect more than �25 billion from big business in

Britain and then hiding the details from MPs. A report by the Public

accounts Committee criticises Revenue and Customs for having an

unduly cosy relationship with major companies and treating them more

leniently than individuals and small firms. Here's our chief

economics correspondent, Hugh Pym. The nation's tax collectors, HM

Revenue and Customs are accused of not doing enough to bring in tax

from business. There's �25 billion worth of unresolved tax bills,

according to today's report. Vodafone is one major company which

has been targeted by protesters, alleging that business isn't paying

its fair share, though Vodafone denies claims it owes �6 billion.

Top Shop is another which has been the focus of these campaigners. Now

a Commons committee is strongly critical of the tax short HMRC,

suggesting it's been cosying up to big business. If everything was

more transparent, we could then be certain that there would be

fairness in the way big corporations are treated, that

they're treated equally before the law, in the same way as corner

shops or lone parent families on tax credit are treated. One case

involves the investment bank Goldman Sachs. HMRC admits it made

an �8 billion mistake. A whistleblower claimed the bill was

more like �20 million. The tax authority denies that figure. Some

small business owners, like Julie, are worried they may be getting

tougher treatment from the tax collectors than the big

corporations. If they're going to treat larger businesses with kid

gloves in some respects, then I would like to see them treating

small businesses and freelancers the same way. Working out the UK

tax liabilities of multinational companies, including those based

hereby in the City of London s far from straightforward. Tax law is

highly complex, and businesses acting on behalf of shareholders

will want to do whatever they can to reduce their tax bills.

With all the reliefs and exemptions for legitimate reasons it's

difficult sometimes to determine what the right amount of tax is.

That can either be done because you test it through the courts and that

is a long, expensive process, or the encouragement is on a

collaborative basis. Downing Street has defended the tax authorities

and denied there is an unduly cosy relationship with business. All

taxpayers, said a spokesman, are Our top story tonight: A review of

the summer riots suggests police could in the future use live

bullets in certain circumstances. Coming up: America's new homeless -

a record number of families are falling into poverty. I don't think

we deserve this. At the same time, that's life.

Later: We will have more on how it is going to be cheaper to get your

trouble money in 2012. And good news from the eurozone, as

the German business survey shows A day after the announcement of his

death, the body of the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il is lying in

state in the country's capital, Pyongyang. Among those who have

paid their respects is his son, Kim Jong Un. Nominated as the country's

new leader, he is the man other countries will need to negotiate

with on issues such as North Korea's nuclear programme. Lucy

Williamson reports from the country's border with South Korea.

Kim Jong Il, a faces familiar to the outside world, revealed,

reviled, even caricatured. Now he is mourned. And this is the new

guardian of North Korea's nuclear weapons: His son, Kim Jong-Un. Not

yet 30 and every bit as enigmatic as his famous father. With just

over one year's experience of his country's top councils, he is the

man China and America will be negotiating with. And these are the

people he will be ruling. Many of them, poorer and hungrier than when

his father to power, more self- reliant, and according to some,

more critical of those who lead them. There are tears appeared just

as real but those who were there the last time North Korea mourned

its leader sake don't believe everything you see.

TRANSLATION: You could not not cry in public so people used to pinch

themselves to make themselves cry. Others were just laughing. When I

look at what is happening, I think it is even more fake. But the great

fear is not insincerity on the streets of Pyongyang but

instability. TRANSLATION: How well the funeral

is managed will be a test of Kim Jong-Un's ability to manage the

country and people will be watching for signs of inexperience. From

outside the country, governments are straining to get a clear

picture of how this transition is unfolding and the tensions it might

produce. This is now a regime facing pressures from both above

and below. North Korean leaders have never been toppled by hardship.

Not political repression, nor even famine. But the slow creep of

capitalism into their country may be an even bigger threat. This

communist state has already had to loosen its strict controls on the

economy. Will the new leader choose more reform or more repression to

hold it together? In the last hour, three local

government unions, the GMB, Unison and Unite, have suspended an

agreement with the government over changes to public sector pensions

announced earlier today after the Government appeared to change what

was on offer. Let's speak to our political correspondent at

Westminster. What is going on? Just a few hours ago, we had a

government minister welcoming a broad outline of a deal they had

done with most of the unions, saying most of the main issues have

been resolved, but no. Eric Pickles, the Cabinet minister in charge of

local government, wrote a letter to the local government unions and in

it he included a cap on employers' contributions. Crucially, something

that was not included in the deal they had. This prompted one union

leader to say that Eric Pickles had undermined the process completely

and that they would be withdrawing their support while they waited for

clarification. Even though the government said it was a mistake,

one union leader said, this is all about trust, and they are now

demanding an urgent meeting to get this resolved.

What are the chances of a speedy resolution?

I think it is pretty certain they will be able to sort this one out,

but I think it shows just how sensitive the process has been.

These negotiations have been going on for 10 months and particularly

for unions, who still have to convince many of them members they

have a good deal, and the government are pretty pleased that

the immediate threat of co- ordinated strike action has been

withdrawn, even though the biggest civil service union, the PCS, have

walked away from the negotiations. In the United States, the economic

downturn has meant that record numbers of Americans, nearly one in

two, have either fallen into poverty or are struggling on low

incomes. The state of the economy is likely to be the dominant issue

in next year's Presidential election. In the first of two

special reports, our North America correspondent has been to Denver in

Colorado where there has been a steep rise in the numbers of

families being made homeless. Winter in America. And the children

and economic crisis that began three years ago has set in. -- the

chill. Denver is a brash, can-do place, that grew rich on energy and

mining, but when night falls, the other America emerges from the

shadows. Grim streets where drug dealers and prostitutes tout for

business around strip joints and seedy motels. And this is also

where you will find America's new homeless. Entire families who have

lost everything. Hunting for a room for the night. Like Angela and his

family. Moving into a motel run by a charity. He is the single father

with three children who has lost his job and earlier today, he was

kicked out of his house, too. rough, it is unforgiving. Nobody is

given to help you except yourself. -- nobody is going to help you.

really shocking thing about this story is how common it is. It is

thought as many as 3.5 million Americans need shelter like this at

some point in the year and increasingly, it is families who

are being made homeless. It doesn't get much harder than this. Robert

and Victoria and their six children have been living in this motel for

weeks. Robert lost his job this autumn and there is not enough cash

to pay the rent. We had a home, we had a yard for the kids to play in,

we had dogs. I used to make dinner every night. And now I can't even

cook for my family. That his heart. I just miss our life, you know.

that's hard. I don't think we deserved this. But at the same time,

it is like, that's life. You know? What marks these families out is

that they have never been homeless before. There may be signs that the

economy is improving but the story on the ground is so very different.

My kids know we are not going to have much of the Christmas this

year and they are OK with that. As long as we have each other and this

one told me, she said, even if we do get presence, can we just wrap

them and give them to the other kids that need them? -- presents.

The family are victims of the slowdown that nobody seems able to

control, and for growing numbers of people, this is where their

American dream ends. A famous sculpture by Barbara

Hepworth has been stolen by suspected scrap metal thieves from

a park in south London. The large bronze sculpture, called Two Forms

Divided Circle, had been on public display in Dulwich Park for more

than 40 years. Staff discovered this morning that it had been cut

from its plinth overnight. A reward is being offered for the thieves'

arrest and conviction. There may not be 101 of them, but a

family in Wales have their hands full caring for 15 dalmatian

puppies. The extra big litter born to their mum Pebbles was an early

and unexpectedly large Christmas present. Colette Hume has been to

see them. It is not quite 101 but for a

little girl in west Wales, 15 Dalmatian poppies is the dream come

true. And she has already got a favourite. Patch! Carys wants to

keep the entire litter. The Sullivan family say they thought

Pebbles might give birth to seven or 8 dogs, but they just kept on

coming. In the early days, that meant bottle-feeding some of them

to help their exhausted mum. Looking after them has become a

full-time job for Pebbles and her own a. Once they are all awake,

there is no stopping them. By the time we have fed the last one, the

first one is ready to be fed again, so we were having an hour's sleep

and then starting all over again. Two of them have already been sold.

One of them is given to a new owner in Italy. The family say they have

had lots of inquiries about this gigantic letters. They think all of

the dogs could have new homes by every January but they have decided

not to sell Patch. Instead, they are going to give him to Paris for

Christmas. How cute are they! Let's take a

Temperatures will start to rise over the next few days. For some,

tonight temperatures will actually get higher through the night, but

it will also turn pretty wet. We have rain across Wales and Northern

Ireland and that rain will spread across most of England and much of

Scotland overnight. There is the risk of things turning I see it

later in the night across northern Scotland. -- turning icy later in

the night. Most of us will notice a milder feel to tomorrow but it will

start pretty wet and chilly across eastern England. The rain will take

most of the day to clear a way but generally, it will turn brighter.

You will notice the fact that it feels more mild. The risk of

further outbreaks of rain across western Scotland. To the east of

Northern Ireland, we could see a little bit of sunshine, and also to

the east of the Pennines, but most of England and Wales will be quite

cloudy. Even without the sunshine, we could reach 12 or 13 degrees.

Thursday is a similar story. Rain in eastern Scotland but elsewhere

will be quite dry. A bit of a change on Friday because of this

band of rain sweeping south and east. It. To turn a little bit cold

-- it will start to turn a little bit colder. At the moment, most of

us look to be dry and bright for Christmas weekend, so no

significant hazards for travelling at the weekend, but not a lot of

A review of the summer riots suggest police could use live

bullets in the future in certain circumstances.

Coming up on the 10 o'clock News: Astronomers celebrate the discovery