22/12/2011 BBC News at Six

Multiple explosions ripped through Baghdad, the worst violence Iraq

has seen for months. 14 attacks leave more than 60 dead, fears the

country is sliding into a new round of sectarian mayhem. The violence

comes just days after the last American troops pulled out amidst

hopes of a new, more peaceful era. Also tonight: Thousands of children

desperate for a family, now ministers promise to speed up at

auctions in England. We were let down every step of the way because

of the system being too complicated, too convoluted, inefficient. This

three-year-old girl is allegedly attacked by another child at a pre-

school nursery. An investigation is launched. I just cannot believe

that child could have done such a thing. It did not look like a child

had attacked her. It looked like she had been mauled by a dog.

the cost of Christmas dinner, will it be a happy new year when the

bills arrive? Coming up in sport, we will be live

at white Hart Lane where John Terry is set to line up for Chelsea in

what will be a highly charged Good evening and welcome to the

BBC's news at six. A wave of co- ordinated bombings has killed at

least 63 people and injured 200 in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. It

happened just days after American troops finally withdrew from Iraq

and raises the prospect the country could descend into the chaos and

confusion that followed the toppling of Saddam Hussein. The

blast hit both Sunni and Shia neighbourhoods following --

prompting fears of sectarian violence.

It was a reminder of the horrors of the past. At the height of the

morning rush-hour 14 blasts across Baghdad. The targets were commuters,

the country's anti-corruption agency, even a kindergarten. It

would be hard to imagine attacks more calculated to heighten

sectarian fear. TRANSLATION: My baby was sleeping in her bed and

shards of glass have fallen on her. Other countries are stable, why do

we have security? Baghdad is a city whose sectarian boundaries hardened

following the American-led invasion of 2003. Militias representing the

Shia minority and the Sunni majority terrorised civilians. The

bombings were not confined to Shia districts. They happened in areas

where both communities still live close to each other. Iraq's

stability is based on preserving a power-sharing agreement, but

tension has been growing in recent days with the demand by the Shia

Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, by the arrest of the vice-president,

Tariq al-Hashemi, a charge of running hit squads. He in turn

accuses them of wanting to monopolise power. Today there was

this warning for the Government from a former prime minister.

Terrorism will continue to be in Iraq unless the political landscape

is corrected and the political process is corrected and it becomes

inclusive. The attacks come just four days after the last American

combat troops left Iraq. There was an assertion from their President

that even then sounded like a hostage to fortune. All of it has

led to this moment of success. Iraq is not a perfect place. It has many

challenges ahead. But we are leaving behind a sovereign, stable

and self-reliant Iraq. There is now a very real sense of foreboding.

American officials are pressing the Iraqis to negotiate, but that would

take a will for compromise that has so far been absent.

A big shake-up of the adoption system in England is under way with

thousands of children looking for a home it is aimed at speeding up the

time it takes to adopt a child by changing the way social workers

check families. Some experts are warning that making the procedure

Chika could mean the wrong decisions being made.

Our children languishing in care because the adoption system is too

slow? The Government thinks they are, but the numbers in care have

got up and figures adopted have gone down, with just over 3000

going to a permanent home last year. Francesca is the proud mother of a

one year-old and another child of three, both adopted from Mexico.

Francesca and her partner had originally wanted to adopt British

children, but were turned down because they were white and the

local council had reached their cap of white couples adopting ethnic-

minority children. The fact we were turned down based on skin colour

before even being given the chance to go through a face-to-face

interview was devastating and quite infuriating. The Government wants

more people to come forward to adopt, but also thinks too many

potential people who want to adopt are rejected because they are not

the right ethnic match or are overweight. It is appointed a panel

to change the system to make it quicker and less bureaucratic.

irony of the current system is although it has long, it is not

analytical. I am sure the panel we have got together are an impressive

group of people and I am sure they will come up with something which

is shorter, but which is as rigorous as we need. It takes on

average two years and seven months for a child to be adopted, but the

delays are not in assessing possible parents, but in the court

system as well. One in five adoptions it breaks down and it

leaves some wary of the Government's plans. There should

not be any short cuts with the process of assessment, because if

you do not get that right, you serve children very badly and you

produce further adoption breakdowns in the future and that is a

disaster which we should try to avoid. Ministers are making

adoption a political priority. Today's plans only deal with one

part of a complex system, but it is hoped they will make it friendlier

to anyone serious about adopting. Reeta Chakrabarti is here. Are

these checks the only reason why this is taking so long? They are

part of the reason. In some cases perspective people are subjected to

health checks, but also to see if they have a fire drill at home, or

there are three pages of assessment on their pets. But there are

problems, namely the court system, because both parents will fight to

stop having their children taken from them. In some cases, ministers

feel they hack to make chances. But ministers want to educate people

about the sort of children there are in care who need adoption,

children who have experienced profound neglect or abuse, and they

want people to think about harder to place children, for example

brothers and sisters or disabled children or older children. The

announcement today is the start of a long process of reform.

figures show the economy performed slightly better in the third

quarter than it was originally thought. It is estimated that GDP,

the total value of everything the country produces, grew by 0.6%.

That is up on the previous estimate of 0.5%. However the estimate for

the previous quarter was revised down to zero by the Office of

National Statistics. An investigation is under way over

allegations that a three-year-old girl at a pre-school nursery in

Leicestershire was attacked by another child. Katie Ann Guttridge

was injured when it is claimed she was assaulted by a toddler. Claire

Marshall has the story. This is Katie to date. This was

heard just over a week ago. She was attacked by one of her classmates

while she was at nursery. She had to be taken to hospital. I just

cannot believe a child could have done such a thing. It looked like

she had been in a cage, mauled by a dog. It is devastating and it has

traumatised her. She is scared of other children. It is not the first

time. This report by her carers at the nursery show that in October

another child put to bricks together and pinched her hand.

Another child grabbed her hair and face and sucked her cheek. The

police could not do anything because her attacker was a toddler.

The case was referred to Ofsted which is now carrying out an

investigation. Outside the nursery today it was all the parents could

talk about. There were very different opinions. I have had no

problems, I cannot fault the school. They should be in a safe

environment. I always thought that is what it was. You could drop your

kicks off, knowing they are said, but it does not pan out that way.

Tonight the nursery say they followed safety procedures

rigorously, that last month they were inspected by Ofsted and got a

good report and they say they are very grateful for the support the

parents have shown them in recent days. Katie will not be going back

to the nursery. Her mother is considering taking legal action.

A Royal Marine has been killed in Afghanistan. The Ministry of

Defence said he was fatally wounded south of Kabul after the vehicle he

was travelling in was caught in an explosion. His family has been

informed. The jury in the Stephen Lawrence

murder trial has been told it must not be swayed by the huge public

significance of the case. At barrister representing one of the

two men accused of murdering the black teenager in south London in

1993 has urged the jury to remain objective. Both men deny the

charges. Feller but Thomas is at the Old Bailey. On the last day of

summing up, they have been reminded to concentrate on what has gone on

in court and nothing else. A lawyer for David Norris has said did the

jury I want you to focus on the evidence. He said it could be hard

because the whole of the public is listening to the trial and that is

part of the problem. He said the elephant in the room is the way

that Gary Dobson and David Norris have been regarded ever since

Stephen was killed in 1993. They have been seen as suspects. He said,

do you have a sense that unless there is a conviction, that somehow

racism we have one? He urged them not to think that way and said

racism had already lost its respectability even in football. He

wanted them to resist pressure from the outside. As for the evidence

against David Norris, two heirs and seven fibres from Stephen

Lawrence's clothing, he could not exclude the possibility of

contamination so he urged jurors to acquit. Now it is up to the judge

and the jury and the court resumes next Wednesday. Firefighters say it

could be a least two or three days before a major blaze at the

Lancashire Enterprise Business Park in Leyland is fully extinguished.

Five buildings were destroyed after a fire spread from bad buildings

storing toilet paper. Judith Moritz sent this report from the scene.

With flames shooting and pressurised beer kegs exploding the

fire raged for seven hours last night. It swept through this

industrial estate, having started in a building used to store toilet

paper. It took 100 firefighters to tackle the flames and the smoke

billowed out across this die -- skive. Homes were evacuated. Staff

in the building next door took this footage of the fire in full force

on a mobile telephone. Today the man who fund it described the scene

that had confronted him last night. When we saw it coming through the

roof, the floors, the walls separating and when it collapsed,

your heart sinks and there is panic stations all round. By daybreak the

fire was under control but not extinguished. That could take

several days. There is significant damage to the building. The

building collapsed and we have got a significant fire inside. We have

extinguished the majority of the fire and we have got a core fire

burning in the central of the building which is causing problems

to get too. Five buildings were completely destroyed and and eight

-- those nearby say it was amazing nobody was hurt. The reason the

fire spread so quickly is that along with a building full of paper

these are warehouses with wide open spaces and wind tunnels which

allowed it to circulate. The council has promised businesses

that it will help them get back on Our top story: More than 60 people

have been killed in Iraq, just days after the US completed the

withdrawal of its troops. Coming up: The fan who had too much

to drink and the goalkeeper who snapped.

Later: BA's parent company buys BMI but Virgin Atlantic says it will

oppose the deal and last minute Christmas shopping helps boost

The BBC's Sports Personality of the Year will be named in just a few

hours. It is one of the most hotly- contested line-ups in a number of

years with ten nominees in total from a range of sports.

Controversially, all of them are men. Our Sports Correspondent is at

the venue in Salford for us now. Yes, George, the fans are here in

force for what is always one of the most glittering nights in the

sporting calendar. Some of the world's biggest stars have been

strolling down the red car tet. The question on everyone's lips --

carpet. The question on everyone's lips? Who will be this year's

sports personality of the year? Sports biggest names have jostled

for one of its biggest awards for more than 50 years. So tonight

which of these ten familiar faces will be crowned the latest Sports

Personality of the Year? Well, the the shortlist includes three

golfers, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Luke Donald. There are

two England cricketers - Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook. There

are two World Champion athletes - Mo Farah and Dai Greene who took

gold in the 400 metres hurdles. From cycling, there is Mark

Cavendish, there is Andy Murray who reached the semis of all four

tennis Grand Slams and boxer, Amir Khan. Not a single woman on the the

shortlist, despite the likes of Rebecca Adlington and Keri-ann

Payne winning world titles. Unfortunately, in non-Olympic years

you don't hear it, you see very little of it so it is very hard for

female athletes to make an impact on sports editors' minds when they

are not getting any profile at all. Here we go! There will be other

awards tonight. Five-times Olympic Champion Sir Steve Redgrave will

receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. But all eyes here will be on

the main prize, a night of tension and emotion is guaranteed.

Yes, remember the winner tonight will be decided by a phone vote so

you have a chance to decide who will take away that big prize.

Details of how to vote will be announced at the start of tonight's

programme. It is all live on BBC One from 8.00pm.

Hee's Britain's top civil servant and David Cameron's -- he's

Britain's top civil servant and David Cameron's mandarin-in-chief.

Now, Sir Gus O'Donnell is stepping down. As he departs, he has given a

stark warning. With the SNP promising a referendum on Scottish

independence, he thinks the question of whether the UK breaks

up will be one of the big issues of the coming years. Lorna Gordon, how

significant is this, coming from a man who is at the heart of

political power in the UK? I think this is significant. It is no

surprise to anyone in Scotland where this debate is well under way.

I think Sir Gus O'Donnell is saying in the wider context of problems

with the relationship with Europe and problems with the economy, this

issue of whether to keep the Kingdom united must not be ignored.

Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, has welcomed the comments

today. He has said he believes the UK party still have their heads

firmly in the sand over this. That is Alex Salmond's interpretation of

those comments. Sir Gus O'Donnell was tipping his hat to the fact

that the SNP are the largest party here and they will hold a

referendum on independence. He is saying there must be a debate about

the pros and cons of staying in the Union. Thank you.

The company which owns British Airways has agreed to buy the

airline BMI. If the deal goes ahead, it will mean IAG, which owns Iberia,

will gain much sought-after landing and take-off slots at Heathrow.

That is why Virgin is determined to fight the sale.

BMI is one of Britain's best-known brands, but not perhaps for much

longer. Its sale to the owner of British Airways means a makeover is

maybe on the way. This will give us the opportunity to expand our long-

haul international network from Heathrow and I think it will

reinforce the position of Heathrow as one of the world's leading if

not the leading international hub airport. At first glance, the deal

looks like a risky one for IAG which has spent more than �172

million on a company which lost more than �150 million last year

alone. The jewel in the crown is its 56 landing slots at Heathrow.

Getting those gives IAG control of more than half of all the landing

slots at the airport. That makes Virgin Atlantic see red. It had

also bid for BMI and says the new deal will tighten what it calls the

British Airways' stranglehold on IAG accused Sir Richard of being a

sore loser. It said key BMI domestic routes will be maintained

and there will be a greater choice of long-haul destinations. IAG

admits there will be job losses. don't have the detail. All we have

had is the headline announcement and it is one of the reasons we are

pressing for an early meeting to find out what the plans are.

will keep its colours for now, but IAG hopes the sale will go through

in the next three months and then expect to see some changes.

Police in South Yorkshire have released CCTV footage of a woman

who was apparently drunk when she fell down the narrow gap between a

train and the platform at Barnsley station. She was helped by

passengers and escaped with only cuts and bruises. The police say

they have released the footage to remind people how important it is

to drink responsibly especially at Christmas.

Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider have found their first new

sub-atomic particle since starting work in 2009. It's believed to

interact with another particle called a gluon which holds together

the inner core of atoms. Scientists believe it will help them

understand the forces that hold matter together.

It might be a Merry Christmas, but will it be a Happy New Year when we

are all counting the cost? New figures published today show the

price of some turkey, vegetables and sausages are up sharply and if

you are planning to drown your sorrows, the advice is shop around

first. Christmas seems to take a bigger

slice out of family budgets every year. You know what you say about

Christmas? It is an overpriced rip- off? That's the one! Whatever the

sitcoms might suggest it is no laughing matter for households

struggling with price increases. Here is what a Christmas dinner

will cost compared to last year. Turkey steaks are up 3.8%. The

price of carrots is down. Frozen peas are 4.6% higher. A bottle of

red wine is more than 14% up. Cheese is up less than 2%. If you

want the crackers to go with it, they are 50% more expensive. I have

to budget quite carefully. I have to not do with some things. Turkey

probably �5 difference. I have not bought any food. I do it the cheap

way - go to someone else! What is behind the increases? One big

factor is global commodity cost pressures which have pushed up

prices paid by consumers here. main one is fuel. Everywhere in the

food chain requires fool, fertiliser, refrigeration,

manufacturing processing. There is also commodity price hikes which

vary depending on the food we are eating. If you take the Christmas

turkey, well, you have the grains that are going up. If you take

mince pies, the wheat is going up. If there is one consolation for

hard-pressed families, economists expect price inflation to ease off

next year but that won't make the cost of this Christmas any easier

to swallow. Now, British football has had its

fair share of pitch invasions but nothing like one in Holland last

night when a 19-year-old fan ran on to the turf. He got rather more

than he bargained for. What happened next led to all 22 players

heading for the exit. Goalkeepers are trained to deal

with unexpected attacks by AZ Alkmaar's Esteban Alvarado wouldn't

have covered this in practice. No time for flapping and there was

nothing uncertain about the response. For the referee, he

turned defence into attack rather too readily. Esteban Alvarado was

dismissed. Clearly too much for Alkmaar and their coach, still in

the first half he ordered his players off. The club defended

their walk-out saying they didn't feel safe any more but the referee

stood by his red card. TRANSLATION: I understand the

goalkeeper defends himself but when the supporter is lying on the pitch,

he can walk away. He kicked the supporter and that is why he

received a red card. The 19-year- old man who felt the full force of

Esteban Alvarado's boot was taken into custody and the Dutch FA have

rescinded the red card. Whether the goalkeeper was kicking back or

kicking off is up for debate. Now, before we go, spare a thought

for a polar bear cub named Siku. Siku which means "ice" in Greenland

was born last month. When his mother failed to produce enough

milk the staff at the park took over and they have got their work

cut out. There are three people providing round-the-clock care for

the first year. Looks like he is enjoying himself.

Looks like he is enjoying himself. Let's look at the weather now.

Milder weather across the United Kingdom. We are going to see some

changes. The wind will pick up and across parts of Scotland and

Northern Ireland it will turn wet. That will eventually work into

westernmost parts of England and Wales. For many, it will stay dry.

Behind this rain band, we will start to see things turning colder

during Friday. That rain band will continue to sink its way southwards.

A wet morning for Northern England and Wales. Further north, well a

brighter day. There will be plenty of sunshine across eastern Scotland.

There will be some showers in western Scotland, though. A few

scattered showers in northern ire lapbld. Look at these temperatures

-- in Northern Ireland. Look at these temperatures. The wet weather

will work across the South East, perhaps clearing from parts of

Wales and South West England by the afternoon. After a mild start, it

will turn cooler as that wet weather moves through. That rain

will finally scoot away from the South East during Friday evening

leaving us all with the cold air. Christmas Eve may start with a hint

of frost. After that, it will turn milder. A bright day across many

eastern areas on Saturday, which is Christmas Eve. Clouding over in the

west. The breeze picks up again on Christmas Eve. The strongest winds

are probably on Christmas Day. Wet weather again across western

Scotland, rain too for parts of Northern Ireland, North West

England. In the east, it will stay dry. A chilly start to the

Christmas weekend with a hint of frost. It will then turn milder. No