26/06/2012 BBC News at Six

The Chancellor cancels the fuel duty rise due this August. Labour

says it's another U turn. The decision will save motorists 3p on

the cost of a litre. Help in hard times, says the Chancellor. We are

on the side of working families and businesses and this will fuel hour

recovery at this very difficult economic time for the world.

have had you turns on past these, churches, charities, caravans,

skips and today fuel, which we welcome. The decision comes amid

more grim news on the economy. Also tonight - Devastation. A suspected

gas explosion in Oldham leaves a child dead. Eye-witnesses say it's

like a war zone. It felt like my house was falling down. The ceiling

came through and everything. Mounting debts leave several NHS

hospitals in a critical condition. One trust is losing �1 million a

week. The Queen's Diamond Jubilee tour

takes her to Enniskillen, the scene of an IRA bombing 25 years ago.

And coming up on the BBC News Channel, Andy Murray's Wimbledon is

almost over. He's about to take to Hello and welcome to the BBC News

at Six. The Chancellor George Osborne has cancelled the planned

3p rise in fuel duty. Mr Osborne said the decision showed that the

government was on the side of hard working families. But Labour's Ed

Balls, who called for the cancellation this morning,

described it as the fastest U turn in history. As our chief economics

correspondent Hugh Pym reports, scrapping the fuel duty rise comes

on the day the Governor of the Bank of England issued a new warning on

the state of the economy. Filling up has caused real

headaches for motorists for much of this year with prices touching

record levels. The prospect of a three pence a litre duty increase

in August had caused mounting concern. That increase was today

postponed by the Chancellor until January. I can tell people we will

stop any rise in fuel duty this August and freeze it for the rest

of the year. This means that a fuel duty will be 10 pence a litre lower

than planned by the last Labour government. But Labour accused him

of another about turn on policy. We've had U-turns on pasty is,

churches, charities, caravans, skips, and today, fuel, which we

welcome. There was a welcome, too, from drivers like these in Bristol.

We need a lot more things to happen. But, you know, everything help

thwart the save a bit of money. all helps. We use the car on a

daily basis, so we definitely will. Fuel prices are on the way down

because of falling oil prices. Environmentalists will question the

Chancellor's move. The Treasury said the revenue lost from the duty

postponement will be found from savings elsewhere but today it was

announced government borrowing had gone up by more than expected. What

tends to happen in a recession tax revenues fall because of low

economic activity, and worrying you for the Treasury, that is all too

clear in these latest government borrowing figures. In May,

borrowing hit �18 billion compared to just over �15 billion in the

same month a year earlier. Income tax receipts were more than 7%

lower. And with the eurozone crisis still a dampener on confidence,

growth and higher tax revenues may be hard to come by for a while. The

Governor of the Bank of England gave this warning today. I am

pessimistic and concerned because I think for two years we have seen a

situation in the row get worse being pushed down the road.

postponed fuel duty increase may provide temporary joy at

Westminster but does not solve the UK's more fundamental economic

problems. Nick Robinson is in Westminster for

us now. We've just heard about the Government finances. You would have

bought the Chancellor would want every penny he could lay his hands

on? Yes, you don't expect him to give away half a billion pound in

tax revenues on a day when borrowing is going up, not down,

when he's got no Budget statement. So why has he done it? Labour says

it quite clear, because today they joined forces with Tory

backbenchers and the Sun newspaper to say this is exactly what should

happen and why Ed Balls calls it the fastest U-turn in history. Of

course, beer is politics about winning the to read that Tory press

and boaters also there is also economic reasons as well -- Tory

press and the voters. Economy is not growing. There is a real

squeeze on people's income. At that time, it's the last time economies

take even more money out of the pockets of its people. That's what

the Government came to the decision finally but they only finally came

to the decision today. Nick, thank you.

A young child has been killed and another person seriously injured

after a huge explosion ripped through terraced houses in Oldham

this morning. The fire service says the blast, in the Shaw area of the

city, may have been caused by a gas leak. Ed Thomas is near the street

now. Yes, George, this is as close as we

can get to this explosion. Some here say they thought a bomb had

gone off and others talked about Windows and chimneys shaking and

when you look at the pictures from above, it's easy to see why.

From the air, you can see the devastation this blast caused.

Three houses were flattened. Many others were wrecked. From the

ground, this is a closer look at Berkeley Street, before for the

explosion swept bobble across the road and people here tell you what

they felt. The the House seemed to lift and my ears popped up and we

heard the bang. There was a 100 ft dust cloud. Everything flying.

did it sound like? The patio windows were rattling. Everything.

We dropped what we did and we just for a plume of smoke. It felt like

my house was coming on top of me. For a second I felt like I was,.

Minutes after the explosion, a man was taken in an air ambulance to be

treated for serious burns and fire rescue teams used sniffer dogs and

listening equipment to try to find out if anyone else was trapped

inside a. The operation, and day was doing the search and rescue in

Haiti. We had the best equipment. If there someone missing, we will

do our best to find out where they are. We don't know what caused the

blast but the National Grid received a call at 10:40am this

morning reporting a strong smell of gas and the explosion happened 30

minutes later. I hope he's OK. family rents one of the homes

reduced to rubble. The new boiler had been put in. Not long ago.

Maybe six weeks, if that. It was all done. Fully registered? Yes, a

properly registered manner. For the investigation goes on. Tonight many

who live here have been told to stay away from their homes but many

also know what happened could have been a lot worse.

In the last few minutes, we've heard from the fire and rescue

teams who say that every one they were looking for have now been

accounted for but they are carrying on the search through this rubble

as a precaution. Thank you very much. The financial viability of

several NHS hospitals in England has been called into question

tonight. It follows the near bankruptcy of the South London

Healthcare Trust which has run up a debt of �69 million. It's likely to

be the first NHS hospital to be placed under a special

administrator. Health service managers say it's not the only one

in trouble. Here's our political correspondent, Vicki Young.

Ministers say they have protected spending on the NHS but more and

more trusts are slipping into the red and the Government says it's

time to sort them out. The south London trust run three hospitals in

Orpington, wallet and Sidcup and its losing a million pounds a week

and could be the first ever to be declared insolvent. The health

secretary is about to call in a special administrator to try to

turn its finance the round. He is prepared to face the problems

directly and if the tough decisions have to be taken, he will not shirk

from them at it and the best interests of patient care, safety

and raising standards. Hospital managers here are reassuring

patients that services will continue as normal. The every three

months we measure the quality of care and if it becomes better and

at the same time thought the money out, then intervention would have

been a good thing. Ministers blame expensive contracts drawn up under

the Private Finance Initiative during the last Labour government.

Cash on the commercial sector was used to build new hospitals but at

a price and many are now saddled with huge interest payments lasting

for decades. It's a bit too convenient for the Government to

blame us. Experts said today it's responsible for a third of the

problems was up there but to answer why they brought board of 3 billion

pound back office reorganisation when the NHS is facing its toughest

ever financial challenge. private finance initiative brought

in the money to build an impressive new hospital here but has left the

trust struggling to make ends meet. The Health Secretary's talking to

up saying they will be forced to balance the books but leads from

the political headache because he will personally have to approve the

cuts which could make that happen. In Sidcup, maternity and A&E

departments are already closed and patience are concerned about what

lies ahead. I hope they sorted out because I'd hate to see anything

happen to the hospital. I would see quite sad about it because they

have shut a lot of things down here. There's one thing balancing the

books but it provides a service for lot of people. By stepping in to

sort other financial woes of what would -- one particular trust, the

Government have to do more to get the budgets back on track.

Our health correspondent Branwen Jeffreys is here. The south London

health care trust is not the only one in trouble, is it? That's right,

a small number of possible organisations had said publicly not

just that they broke but also conned balance their books in the

long term. In some areas, services are under review. In one case, a

private company is running a hospital. But the financial

pressures are much more widespread in the NHS as the public finances

Titan, so we are likely to see a debate about the future of hospital

services. Experts say it is long overdue. We have too many hospitals

doing too many things. But we know, as well, local communities feel

very passionately about their hospitals, and are anxious about

change and campaign vocally against it. Thanks very much. The former

tycoon Asil Nadir has begun giving evidence at his trial in which he's

accused of stealing �34 million from his business, Polly Peck

International. Mr Nadir told the Old Bailey he was a broken man when

he left Britain in 1993 and thought he had no hope of a fair trial. He

denies all the charges. The head of MI5 has warned of the dangers to

business from cyber attacks and will continue the threat of

terrorism especially in the run-up to the Olympics. Jonathan Evans

also said increasing numbers of British people were travelling to

Arab countries to train as the terrorists.

I'm a Jonathan Evans, MI5, and it's my job to keep his country safe

from terrorism, espionage and other national security threats. Rarely

seen in public, last night the MI5 chief gave his assessment of these

threats we face. They are dealt with by his office is here in the

operations room so what are they worried about? Top of the agenda is

the Olympics. It begins in only a month but MI5 has been planning for

years. There's an unprecedented security operation, some of it

highly visible, much hidden behind the scenes and there's no room for

The Olympics are certainly the main concern in the short term at MI5

but Jonathan Evans last night made clear he also sees other threats on

the horizon. One of the most important is threats two computer

systems, cyber attack. Although not a hostile act, the recent problems

the NatWest Bank and one bank of Scotland showed the risk. One

company lost �800 million of revenue because of an attack by

another state. The extent of what The deployment of cyber weaponry is

enormously attractive to nation states because it is cheaper and if

properly focused, people don't die. We will see a lot more of that in

the future. One other concern for the MI5 chief is the Arab Spring.

The instability in and at least has created what he called a more

permissive environment for Al-Qaeda with signs of some people from

That is the main issue in the UK. Once they've got that militant

experience, the ideological indoctrination, they come back more

committed and more experienced. is the job of the head of MI5 to

worry and last night, Jonathan Evans gave us a glimpse of the

threats he is worrying about and trying to deal with.

Our top story tonight: The Chancellor cancels the 3p fuel

duty rise due this August - Labour says it's another U-turn.

Coming up: Andy Murray is on Centre Court for

Ind Business, government borrowing is on the rise thanks to falling

tax receipts and a weak economy. In the run-up to another EU summit,

could essential finance ministries The Queen is in Northern Ireland

for a two-day visit to mark her Diamond Jubilee. She's attended a

church service in the town of Enniskillen, where an IRA bomb went

off in 1987, killing 12 people. Tomorrow, she's due to meet Sinn

Fein's Martin McGuinness, who's the Deputy First Minister and a former

IRA leader. From Enniskillen, here's our Royal correspondent,

No place she will visit in this Jubilee year will offer quite such

a cause for hope as the Northern Ireland of 2012. To underline that

point, the Queen's first destination was emblematic of the

province's transformation. This was the town of Enniskillen on

Remembrance Sunday in 1987. The IRA had exploded a bomb, 12 lives were

lost. It was one of the most A quarter of a century on from the

Remembrance Day bomb, the Queen came to Enniskillen to a Service of

Thanksgiving for the 60 years of her reign, but also in a sense of

thanksgiving for Northern Ireland's deliverance from its past. In a

Church of Ireland cathedral, a Roman Catholic cardinal --

Cardonald led the prayers for peace. May we build a home that welcomes

all. Seeks your justice and lives in peace. After the service, the

Queen left the Church of Ireland cathedral and walked across the

road to make what is said to be her first visit to a Roman Catholic

Church in Northern Ireland. Inside, she met youth groups and members of

the community, a small gesture but one that was appreciated in the

town which has known such pain in the past. One of those who died in

the Remembrance Day bomb was Stephen Gold's father. Having the

Queen here brought a lot of people together even more. Going to the

Church of Ireland and then across the Street to sing Michael's Church.

Tonight the Queen arrived at Hillsborough Castle at the end of

day one of a visit, the theme of which is reconciliation. Tomorrow

we will see perhaps the most remarkable demonstration of just

how far Northern Ireland has come. The meeting between Britain's head

of state and the man whom that state, for many years, regarded as

a terrorist. Martin McGuinness was once one of Northern Ireland's most

wanted Republicans, an IRA commander who was active in the

Republican movement at the time the IRA murdered Lord Mountbatten in

1979. He is now northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister. He will meet

the Queen tomorrow. The Queen herself lost someone who was a

member of her family. I think it is important that we all recognise we

are in a different place. meeting will be brief. What the

Queen thinks of it we will never know. Yet it will be another

significant moment on Northern Ireland's journey away from its

past. Syria has been condemned by NATO

over an incident last Friday in which a Turkish fighter jet was

shot down by Syrian forces. It said the action was a further example of

Syria's "disregard for human life". As the international community

continues to discuss what to do about Syria, violence in the

country is getting worse. There were reports today of heavy clashes

in the capital, Damascus, between government and opposition fighters.

Our correspondent Ian Pannell spent the last two weeks with rebel

fighters in the northern province of Idlib and reports on the growing

violence there. His report contains Night time. Just over the border

from Turkey. And the army rains shells. On to towns and villages.

And under the searing heat of the blood-red sky, the forces of war

advance. Russian-made helicopters take to the skies, firing at rebel

fighters. As the violence seems to have spiralled out of control. This

is where some of the artillery landed. It is difficult to see what

the value of the attack was. As far as we know, no fighters were

staying here, just six boys sleeping in his bedroom when the

shell hit. -- but this bedroom. And so another father mourns. As the

innocent suffer the most. One of his sons is now dead, the others

are injured. We were taken to see the boys, wounded and in high

indeed. The family say they can't take them to the hospital for

treatment, afraid they will be arrested if they do. The rebels say

this is why they fight. But in a deadly cycle, so the bloodshed only

grows. Eight year-old Rhian The Syrian army did this to me, he

says. The rebels vow revenge as they plan to attack an army

checkpoint and bass. This is by far the largest group we have ever seen.

Hundreds of fighters from the Idlib Martyrs Brigade. -- Idlib Martyrs

Brigade. And now getting help from across the border in Turkey. Each

unit is given its orders. The fighters are tents as they go

through their final checks. They hope the world will help. But armed

with guns and bullets, grenades and home-made pipe bombs, they are no

longer waiting for anyone else. And the ceasefire, the UN's 6 point

plan have been pushed aside. TRANSLATION: there have been many

massacres here, old men, women and children. Is this the ceasefire

you're talking about? There's no ceasefire. There hasn't been one

ever since Kofi Annan's plan was drawn up. The operation is on.

Driven by anger and adrenalin, the fighters advance. The group ahead

has opened fire too early, alerting the army. The fighters through all

of their firepower at the military base. Both sides now locked into

this conflict. Neither giving way. No turning back. Once again it

looks like the rebel plan has failed because shooting broke out

very early, the base was hit by heavy weapons. The rebels at the

moment have been cornered in the back alleys with others fighting at

the front. This is a rare insight into what is happening across the

North. As both sides slugged out for control of northern Syria. --

slug it out. At the Leveson Inquiry, Lib Dem MP

Norman Lamb has claimed a lobbyist employed news coverage of the Lib

Dems might turn nasty if Vince Cable did not run in its favour on

the BSkyB bid. Norman Lamb told the inquiry he had two meetings with

Fred Michel at which the BSkyB bid was discussed.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Doncaster this morning

as the most seriously wounded soldier to survive the war in

Afghanistan carried the Olympic torch. 27-year-old Lance Bombardier

Ben Parkinson lost both legs and suffered brain and back injuries in

a bomb attack six years ago. He refused to use crutches and carried

the flame 300 metres. At the end, he said, "It was nothing - just

another walk". And Team Murray has just begun his

Wimbledon campaign, taking on Nikolay Davydenko. -- Andy Murray.

I was hoping that by this time we might have a fairly comprehensive

Match report on Andy Murray, but we have spent time with our eyes

swivelling between the tennis and the heavens. The second day of the

tournament and the first rain. The covers may be off, the tennis

off, but there's still room for Essex bird analysis. I don't think

it is raining. Form -- for the tournament referee, the annual

calculation, windows Midsummer drizzle warrant a delay? Answer

today, enough to cause a backlog. But there would be a delay, at

least talk -- not too much, or so we expected, to Rafael Nadal's

progress. But Thomaz Bellucci began with a distinct lack of deference.

That was 4-0 to Bellucci. Shortly thereafter, normal service resumed.

And then normal for hand resumed. First set to Nadal. He would win in

straight sets. So far this Wimbledon, and most of the British

competitors are still only holding the door open for each other on the

way out, but they had to wait awhile for 18-year-old Laura Robson.

She took the first set on Francesca's Schiavone and had break

points in the second. Before the Italian found her appetite and

tucked in. And so have the greatest hopes reside, as ever, in Andy

Murray. He looked to be relaxed enough after his early afternoon

warm-up. The contrast indeed with the agony at last month's French

Open. He had to endure painful injections in his back. Add to that,

some needle from his opponent today, Nikolay Davydenko. Murray is always

looking so hangdog, he said, maybe it is because he is Scottish.

does that come into it? Andy is a passionate chat and a fine chap. I

don't think nationality has to play a part in that. I think he likes to

keep himself to himself. He's maybe not always wanting to be in the

limelight. I don't think it has got anything to do with being Scottish.

And the Scot has had his own on- court repast, breaking Davydenko in

the first set. And Andy Murray has just taken the first set, 6-1. You

can watch that game in its entirety on BBC Two, but rest assured Andy

Murray has never lost the first round at Wimbledon.

The bestselling pop group the Spice Girls have reunited for the launch

of a new musical based on their songs. It's four years since the

five members last appeared in public together. The new musical,

Viva Forever, tells the story of a Let's take a look at the weather.

I can't promise anything spicy tonight, but I can promise you a

warm and humid night, something we have not had much of this summer.

It will be a difficult night for sleeping. There will be further

rain, particularly across Scotland. England, Wales and Northern Ireland

will have showers coming and going. Long dry spells and it will turn

misty. The thing we will notice other temperatures, quite high. A

little bit more comfortable across northern Scotland. Here, there will

be further rain during Wednesday and another pulse of rain tracking

across Northern Ireland and southern Scotland during the

morning. Heavy rain mixed in with that. Further south, dry spells and

there will be some brightness and sunshine which will trigger some

heavy showers. Around some coasts, in west Wales and south-west

England, it may stay misty and murky with a few showers. Heading

inland, we could get some sunshine, temperatures up to 23 or 24. Warm

and humid at Wimbledon. Further north we are expecting one or two

showers during the afternoon. Much of northern England, Northern

Ireland and southern Scotland will be crowded with rain. -- cloudy

with rain. Always cooler around the coasts. More rain to come on

Thursday, which has a cause of -- for concern over southern Scotland

and Northern Ireland. Elsewhere, the chance of one or two heavy

afternoon showers and another warm and humid feel with eyes of 24-25.

Thursday is the last of the humid days, we then revert to type this

June. Cooler with strong breezes through the weekend. Strong