05/09/2012 BBC News at Six

UK fuel prices in the spotlight - the trading watchdog starts a

review. It will look at whether motorists

are being ripped off at the pumps - the results will be published in

January. There's been a national feeling of anger building up that

when oil prices go up, pump prices rocket almost instantaneously, but

when oil prices fall, people look at the pumps and think, that

doesn't seem to have come down too well.

Also on tonight's programme: David Cameron's new-look Cabinet

has its first meeting. The Prime Minister says everyone round the

table will be going for growth. want the Communities Department

building houses. I want the culture department rolling out broadband. I

want the agriculture Department back British food. This is a

Government that means business, and we've got the team to deliver it.

It's the same old faces, the same old policies and no change

reshuffle. Mr Speaker, if he really wants to cut through the dither,

there's no place like home. The row over a new runway at

Heathrow rages on. Mr Cameron appoints a new commission to look

at airport capacity. Sarah Storey makes it a hat-trick.

She celebrates her time trial gold medal with her husband.

The ten-year study that's revealed the secrets of the human genome -

and the promise of new medical treatments.

Tonight on BBC London: Big problems on the North Circular

Good evening, welcome to the BBC news at 6.00pm. The spiralling cost

of petrol is to come under fresh scrutiny with the Office of Fair

Trading launching a review into whether motorists are getting a

fair deal at the pumps. The watchdog says it will examine

whether falling costs of crude oil are reflected in the prices paid by

motorists. Our business correspondent Emma Simpson is at a

petrol station in West London, Emma. Well, after a bit of a respite,

George, fuel prices are creeping upwards again - as if we didn't

know it. What's happening at the pumps, of course, is a growing

political issue. Now the OFT is going to try to clarify once and

for all whether this market is working as it should. We can't live

without fuel, and the growing cost of it is a real worry for hard-

pressed consumers. I use the car last because I can't afford to keep

the car running. Things seem to go down a bit and everyone gets

excited, and it goes up more than before. If you want to drive from A

too B, you have to pay the price. Remember April when petrol hit an

all-time high of just over �142p for an average price of unleaded.

Crude Oil was dropping. Prices have come down a little since then. The

question is, was it fast enough? There has been a national feeling

of anger that when oil prices go up, prices go up almost instantly, but

when they fall, people look at the pumps and think, that hasn't seem

to have come down too well. The other things we need to look at,

which the OFT say they are going to look at, is why petrol and diesel

can be 8p different on the same High Street.

The OFT is looking at whether supermarkets and others are making

it more difficult for small retailers to compete and if there

is a lack of competition supplying rural communities. This independent

retailer is feeling the squeeze. From a �30 spend, about �18 of that

goes in tax and VAT. About �12 to the oil company. We get about a

pound, and that's the pay all of our staff, heats, lights, et cetera.

Selling fuel is a multi-billion- pound business. The likely

counterargument from the supermarkets will be that the price

at the pump is not just made up of their own contribution. A large

part of it is for Government taxes and, indeed, the oil companies have

been saying for a number of years now that they run the forecourts at

marginal profit or even, depending on the price, at a loss. This is

just a short fact-finding review, but it could ultimately lead to a

formal investigation and fines if the industry is found to be

breaking competition laws. Now, all this may not ultimately

lead to cheaper prices down the line, but it could help the push

for more transparency, and that's the key to this whole debate. It's

certainly been happening in several other European countries. We'll

find out the outcome here at the start of 2013. George?

Emma, thank you. David Cameron has apointed the former head of the

financial watchdog Howard Davis to lead a commission to look at

airport capacity in the UK but the move has failed to dampen the row

about what to do about Heathrow. In the last hour Boris Johnson has

described the commission as a fudge. The continuing row over Heathrow

comes as the new-look Cabinet met for the first time. Our political

editor reports from Westminster. Didn't you used to be Transport

Secretary? There was plenty for the Cabinet's new team to talk about at

their first meeting, since more than half of them changed their

jobs. Every department around this table - everyone around this table

is actually involved in the effort to deal with getting the deficit

down and the economy moving. Every department is an economic

department. Every Minister has been told that the time for dithering is

at an end. It's time now for delivery. With that we should get

down to business. Sometimes getting down to business is easier said

than done, and nothing proves that more than the brewing row about

where to build new airport capacity. That's one reason there is a new

Transport Secretary. Because, unlike the old one,

Patrick McLoughlin is not committed to opposing the expansion of

Heathrow - unlike, that is, a rather more famous Tory. Politician

of the year, Boris Johnson. Last night, hours after condemning the

reshuffle, the Mayor of London was picking up a gong and lapping up

the applause, but on the morning after the night before, he was

uncharacteristically tongue tied. Downing Street is very cross

because they say I'm, you know, criticising - I'm not criticising

David, who I like and admire hugely. At the moment, a lot of people

think that there's going to be a U- turn and that they're sort of

gearing up to ditch the commitment against the third runway.

business is telling the Government that the skies over Britain should

be filled with more planes, which allow them to do more business

abroad, and yet guess what - David Cameron, who unveiled the

Ministerial team that wouldn't dither has now decided to set up an

independent commission on whether to build a new airport or a new

runway at Heathrow. The man who will chair it is Howard

Davis, former head of the business lobby group the CBI. He'll produce

his thoughts next year, but a final report after the election. There's

a good reason for that. This row isn't just about planes and the

economy. It's about political promises. This is what David

Cameron said before we voted: "No third runway at Heathrow. No

if's, no, but's." Order. Broken promises was exactly

what the Labour leader asked the Prime Minister about at his first

opportunity since the summer. the last two-and-a-half years,

we've seen announcements on infrastructure failed,

announcements on housing failed, announcements on planning failed.

Now, what's the reason for this economic failure? The reason is

that his fundamental economic approach is wrong. What has he done

over the summer? Where are the policies on welfare? Nothing. Where

are the policies on education? Nothing. Where is the great plan

for our economy? His only answer to a debt crisis is to spend more,

borrow more and put up the debt. The new Cabinet may be able to

unite around an independent review of where to build a new airport or

runway, but tonight Boris Johnson warned the new Transport Secretary

and Number Ten - it was a fudge which will cost British business

dear. Northern Ireland's First Minister

has made his first public comments on three nights of violence in

Belfast. Peter Robinson he'd been working behind the scenes stop the

rioting. Three police officers were injured last night. Our Northern

Ireland correspondent reports. Day three of the North Belfast

violence - it wasn't as bad as the first two night, but try telling

that to these police officers - 65 have been injured this week, most

of them by loyalists. There is a long history of trouble here.

Police have been trying to keep rival Loyalists and republicans

apart. Tensions were raised in July when a loyalist band was accused of

playing a sectarian tune outside a Catholic Church. Politicians have

tried, but failed, to stop this week's trouble, and questions have

been asked about Northern Ireland's First Minister, but today, he hit

back. It is inaccurate to suggest that I'd done nothing when I spent

the last few days in discussions with people from North Belfast - is

clearly inaccurate, and I'm content to leave it there, and I think we

should move on. More talks took place today to try to defuse the

situation. The main issue discussed was parades. There are hundreds of

marches every year - most of them pass off peacefully. An independent

body, The Parades Commission, deals with any disputes, and it has the

power to stop or reroute marches. Loyalists claim the commission is

biased against them, and they want it scrapped. Loyalist community

worker Winston Irvine says the fact that the parades issue is now at

least being discussed is progress and could help to stop the violence.

Well, I think there is what can only be described as an uneasy calm.

There is still a lot of resentment, and there are issues that still

need to be resolved, but I think we can bring about a peaceful

situation, and hopefully, we can move the situation forward.

next major parade in North Belfast is in three weeks' time, and the

march is due to pass the flash point area. It has the potential to

make a bad situation here even worse, and it means that

politicians are not just trying to stop this week's violence, but make

sure more trouble doesn't break out later this month. Tonight, all is

quiet at the trouble spot. It's even attracting tourists, but the

police are not far away - just in case.

The Paralympic cyclist Sarah Storey has won her third gold medal at the

London games with a resounding victory in her women's time-trial

at Brands Hatch. As our sports correspondent Andy Swiss reports,

she's now just one medal away from equalling Baroness Tanni Grey

Thompson's 11 Paralympic titles. A glorious day in Brands Hatch, but

would it be another glorious one for British cycling? After the

success in the Velodrome, the fans now flocked to the road racing and

another chance to cheer one of the biggest stars these Games have seen.

Sarah Storey was defending champion in the time trial - 16 kilometres

against the clock, and again storey Storey was unstoppable. She

chargeds around the course some 94 seconds faster than her rival, a

huge margin of victory. It is just the latest highlight of an

extraordinary career. She started off as a swimmer. She was just 14

when she made her Paralympic debut, and she went on to win five gold

medals in the pool, but an ear infection forced her to switch to

cycling with equally impressive results - five more golds, ten now

in total, just one off the British record. Her brother Simon told me

it's the result of years of dedication. She's an incredibly

driven person even when she started swimming 20 years ago, you could

tell she had a passion for it. She trained every day. She always

wanted to train harder and longer than anybody else. This is one of

the few Paralympic events you can watch without a ticket. The course

extends from Brands Hatch out here on to the surrounding roads, and

lots of fans have come here hoping to see more British success. They

got it too. Just three years ago Mark Colbourne broke his back in a

paragliding accident. Today he raced to a silver but perhaps the

most poignant man went to this man. Once a Formula One driver, he lost

both legs in an accident. Today he returned to Brands Hatch, a motor

racing circuit, and won his hand cycling event. It capped a day of

golden moments - Storey with another race tomorrow, will be

hoping it's not her last. And at the Olympic Park there was

no rest for double gold medallist David Weir. He was back in the

stadium after winning last night's 1500m race to compete in the 800m

heat. Spectators got their first glimpse of wheelchair rugby,

nicknamed "murderball." and Ollie Hynd has just won a goal in the

pool. James Pearce has been keeping up with the action.

Representing Great Britain, David Weir. David Weir is having the week

of his life. This morning he received his gold medal for last

night's 1500m in front of a full stadium and under gloriously sunny

skies. Right now, everything is going right for him. Qualifying for

tomorrow evening's 800m final was a breeze. Nobody could get close to

him. He's currently on course for four gold medals - two already

secured, and he still has this event and a marathon. And that was

just so, so impressive. Here's one sport that's not for the faint

hearted - the London 2012 debut of wheelchair rugby - no need to

explain why it's nicknamed murderball.

Wheelchair rugby is a sport that not many people in the UK have ever

seen before, but look at the interest it's already generated.

Here in front of the big screen in the park, it's absolutely packed -

people as far as you can see. Paralympics G had a tough start to

the competition up against a defending champions the USA. The

home team worked hard, but still went down to a 56-44 defeat.

Ollie Hynd has a degenerative condition which severely weakens

his leg, but at the age of 17, he's already established himself as one

of the world's best Paralympic swimmers.

Ollie Hynd digs in. Tonight he has become a gold medallist for the

first time winning the 200m in the Now let's have at look at the medal

table. China still leads by a long way with 54 golds. Paralympics GB

are second with 25 golds and 86 medals in total. Russia are just

behind on 24 golds. And there's more on the Paralympics on our

website. The schedule of events, Britain's prospects and the

Our top story tonight: UK fuel prices in the spotlight.

The trading watchdog will look at whether motorists are paying too

Can Michelle Obama convince women voters to back her husband for a

The financial watchdog calls for a clampdown on the commission paid

for selling financial products and make-or-break time for Nokia as

they pin their hopes on a new phone Scientists have published the most

detailed study yet of the human genome, the blueprint that makes us

who we are. It's the work of 400 researchers in 32 laboratories in

five countries including Britain. Our medical correspondent Fergus

Walsh visited the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Cambridge, the home of

British genetics, and sent this It is 12 years since the first

draft of the Human Genome was published and made a global fanfare.

And scientists here decoded more of it than anywhere else. But it was

just the start. A human genome is one person's complete set of DNA.

Arranged in pairs, along a spiral shape, the famous double helix, it

is a chemical coat of just four letters. Act G. It amounts to an

instruction manual for how our bodies work. A decade ago there was

a breakthrough. Scientists map the entire genetic code for the first

time. But it was mostly in a language we had yet to learn. Now

there has been a giant leap in our understanding of what it all means.

It has been a huge challenge. Inside each cell are 3 billion

pairs of coat. Most of the focus today has been on small sections of

DNA cord jeans, which contain the instructions for which chemicals,

proteins, each cell should produce but those genes make up just 2% of

the genome, much of the rest was a mystery and sometimes even called

junk DNA, because no one was sure what it did. Now scientists writing

in the journal Nature have around 80% of our genome has a specific

function. Different sections of DNA are active in our organs and

specialist sales, and they have begun to understand how that works.

They had discovered hour genome is like a giant control panel, packed

with switches in the honour off position. The scientists identified

a staggering 4 million of them and they're often in order places for

example a DNA switch and the heart muscle gene it regulates may be a

long distance apart on the genome. Many of those that is are linked to

changes of risk in disease will for all sorts of diseases, heart

disease, diabetes, mental illness also all the researchers, studying

those different diseases, have a completely new world to explore and

those will lead to avenues of research and maybe new treatments

in the future. Aside from the Human genome will take many more decades

but the better it is understood, the more scientists will know why

our bodies malfunction and how to keep us healthy.

The Crown Prosecution Service has announced a couple who shot

intruders will not face charges. Andy and Tracey Ferrie were

arrested at the farm, in Welby, after telling police they had fired

a legally-held shotgun at the group of burglars. No one was seriously

injured. One man has pleaded guilty to the burglary.

The insurance group, Direct Line, which is part of RBS, has announced

plans to cut almost 900 jobs. The proposals include closing an office

in Stockton-on-Tees, where 500 staff are based. In total, Direct

Line employs 15,000 people across the UK.

The inquest into the death of Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, who was

killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2009, has heard

from other British soldiers. They have been describing the moment

they came under heavy fire from US Apache helicopters. Our

correspondent Ed Thomas reports from Sunderland. Christopher Roney

was devoted to his newborn son before he was killed on his first

Tour of Afghanistan. The 23-year- old was stationed here, the most

dangerous part of the country. In December 2009, his patrol base was

attacked by insurgents. The coroner heard how two heavily armed

American Apache helicopters were sent to assist the platoon. The

idea of what the pilots could see below was sent back to HQ but

watching in a control room observers decided this patrol based

was a Taliban compound and ordered the Apache pilots to attack. 200

rounds were fired before they realised their mistake. 11 soldiers

were wounded. Lance-corporal Christopher Roney died a day later.

Alexander swim home was in the patrol base when the patches opened

The coroner said there were sites inside the base which would have

worn the pilots not to open fire. In these pictures taken after the

attack, you can see a washing line with British Army uniforms on. The

American Apache cruise were not given and didn't ask for the exact

location of the patrol base. And there had been bad communication.

The coroner also heard from rifleman Denver Freddie, here

walking at the back. He said they were not given any notice the

Apaches were about to fire and he thought he was going to die. Lance

corporal Christopher Roney's inquest will finish on Friday.

The man who was Colonel Gaddafi's intelligence chief has been handed

over to the Libyan authorities. Abdullah al-Senussi fled Libya

after last year's uprising that toppled Colonel Gaddafi. He was

sent to Tripoli from Mauritania where he was arrested six months

ago. He'll face trial for crimes allegedly committed during his time

as Gaddafi's right-hand man. Scotland's First Minister, Alex

Salmond, has carried out his biggest reshuffle since taking

office five years ago. Mr Salmond's deputy Nicola Sturgeon is leaving

her role as Health Secretary to take up a new post which will

include responsibility for the independence referendum planned for

autumn 2014. Our Scotland Correspondent, Lorna Gordon, is at

Holyrood for us now. So Lorna, what can we read into all of this?

think this is a significant reshuffle. It is the positioning

key people in that push ahead of that referendum on independence,

which looks likely to take place in a little over two years' time. Alex

Salmond is moving his most trusted lieutenant, Nicola Sturgeon, from

health into the new role of Cabinet Secretary for infrastructure,

Investment. She will have two key roles. Spear heading the Scottish

government's programme for economic recovery and a second role,

Minister for independence. She really is seen as an extremely

capable politician and also a highly respected politician, not

just by her own party but also from opposition politicians here in

Edinburgh. One other key move is Alex Neil, will take over her role.

Lorna, thank you very much. With just two months to go until the US

presidential election, the First Lady, Michelle Obama, has offered a

spirited defence of her husband's record. Addressing the Democratic

Party convention, she acknowledged that bringing about change was hard

and slow. But she insisted Barack Obama understood the struggles of

the American people. The speech was especially targeted at women voters.

Our correspondent Steve Kingstone A show of sister had from Democrats.

There unmistakable message, we are the party of women whose votes in

his election will outnumber those of men. Pitching for the boats, the

woman who calls herself Americas mum In Chief. I can honestly say,

when it comes to his character and convictions and his heart, Barack

Obama is still the same man I fell in love with all those years ago

because, for him, success is not about how much money you make. It's

about the difference you making people's lives. Back at the White

House, he was watching with the couple's daughters. Democrats are

presenting and packaging Michelle Obama as a thoroughly modern

American woman. Someone who has at Career Success, and raised a family.

Someone who understands the struggles of the middle class,

because that's where she comes from. The same cannot be said of the

family of Mitt Romney. He's worth $200 million and once joked his

wife and a couple of cataracts. love women. But she brings to Rome

* powerful that a survivor of breast cancer, she energised the

Republican convention with a more traditional appeal to women. We are

the mothers, we are the wides, we are the Grand mothers, we are the

big sisters, we are the Little Sisters and we are the daughters.

So on the North Carolina you go mad, how do the mothers, daughters and

wives of America feel about the way both parties are courting them?

think it's important, as women, we let our voices be heard. The woman

is all was behind the man and what they do represents what is going to

happen in the future if elected President. Back in the hall, the

reception spoke volumes. She is the most popular woman in America and

this desperately close race is now a team effort.

It is looking good out there. Let's take a look at the weather

now with Jon Hammond. It would appear summer is back for a second

term at least. Plenty of sunshine Across the bulk of the UK it will

stay dry and find it but the far north of Scotland will turn cloudy

and wet and windy. Further south, though, clear and cold couples will

in urban spots, down to 10 degrees but in rural areas, down to four.

Fog patches, too. For most of us tomorrow, another stunner. By stark

contrast for Scotland, some pretty wet weather around, particularly in

the north and west of Scotland. Wet and windy. Met Office warnings are

in. A bright start formal Ireland. Patchy, I cloud for them but for

most of England and Wales, a sunny day. It will stay that way. There

will be a bit of all around. Most likely in river valleys where there

are most year. In the Severn Valley, we could see some fog but it will

lift. Lots of sunshine to come. For Northern Ireland, it will cloud

over but the thick cloud and rain will spread across most of Scotland.

Strong winds. Things should brighten up at the end, as well. 22

degrees inevitably. The weather front response was edging further

south so some dampness for northern England and Northern Ireland, but

it should go northwards again. The sunshine will win through. Most

parts of UK can look through to sunshine for the weekend. Further

north and west, though, increasingly cloudy with some

A reminder of tonight's main news. UK fuel prices in the spotlight.