:00:00. > :00:07.One of Britain's most famous entertainers, Rolf Harris, goes on
:00:08. > :00:13.trial for sexual offences against young girls. The 84-year-old is
:00:14. > :00:16.charged with indecent assault against girls over almost two
:00:17. > :00:20.decades, including one of his daughter's friends. The jury's told
:00:21. > :00:24.that the popular music and children's entertainer had a "Jekyll
:00:25. > :00:31.and Hyde" personality. We'll have the latest from court. Also tonight:
:00:32. > :00:33.Up to 20 people are killed in eastern Ukraine as pro-Russian
:00:34. > :00:40.activists try to storm a police headquarters.
:00:41. > :00:43.A rapturous reception for Russia's President Putin on his first visit
:00:44. > :00:48.to Crimea since it was annexed from Ukraine.
:00:49. > :00:54.Pictures emerge that appear to show British troops posing with the
:00:55. > :00:56.bodies of Afghan insurgents. Protests over Nigeria's missing
:00:57. > :01:02.schoolgirls, amid claims that the authorities had been warned about
:01:03. > :01:05.the raid by Islamist extremists. And why the ageing population means
:01:06. > :01:10.traffic lights may stay red for longer.
:01:11. > :01:15.On BBC London: The 70% increase in working Londoners claiming housing
:01:16. > :01:18.benefits. And police want to question this man
:01:19. > :01:39.in connection with a fatal house fire in Camden.
:01:40. > :01:43.Good evening and welcome to the BBC News at Six. Britain's most famous
:01:44. > :01:46.music and children's entertainer, Rolf Harris, has been described as a
:01:47. > :01:49."Jekyll and Hyde" character who took advantage of his fame to abuse young
:01:50. > :01:56.children, including a friend of his daughter. The 84-year-old has gone
:01:57. > :01:58.on trial at Southwark Crown Court and is facing 12 charges of indecent
:01:59. > :02:05.assault against four girls between 1968 and 1986. The youngest alleged
:02:06. > :02:11.victim was seven or eight at the time. The oldest was 19. Rolf Harris
:02:12. > :02:20.denies all the charges. Our correspondent David Silitto is at
:02:21. > :02:24.Southwark Crown Court for us now. What we have heard today is not just
:02:25. > :02:27.about the charges being brought here in Britain, but about women in other
:02:28. > :02:31.parts of the world who have also made complaints about Rolf Harris.
:02:32. > :02:36.This case suggests that there is a pattern of behaviour, a series of
:02:37. > :02:40.indecent assaults against young girls that has been going on for
:02:41. > :02:45.decades. Rolf Harris was described in court
:02:46. > :02:51.today as charming and amicable, a performer of immense talent, but
:02:52. > :02:54.also a man with a wide, an entertainer who used his fame to
:02:55. > :02:59.abuse children. One of his alleged victims is a friend of the woman
:03:00. > :03:03.here on the left, his daughter. The central allegations go back to his
:03:04. > :03:10.heyday as a children's entertainer on television. He and his wife lived
:03:11. > :03:15.at the time incident in south London. It is claimed he in decently
:03:16. > :03:21.assaulted the girl, his daughter's friend, when she was 13, abuse, she
:03:22. > :03:25.says, that went on for years. In court, Rolf Harris, wearing a
:03:26. > :03:27.hearing loop, listened as we heard from the prosecuting barrister about
:03:28. > :03:31.a letter sent many years later to the girl's father. He admitted they
:03:32. > :03:37.have had a relationship, but said it had begun and he was 18. But he
:03:38. > :03:43.acknowledged her happiness, saying: -- her unhappiness.
:03:44. > :03:52.Other allegations go back to the 1960s. He is accused of assaulting
:03:53. > :03:57.an eight-year-old autograph hunter and an 11-year-old girl. He is only
:03:58. > :03:59.on trial for event is have to confess in Britain, but there are
:04:00. > :04:06.other allegations relating to events in Malta, New Zealand, Australia. It
:04:07. > :04:11.women have come forward, suggesting a pattern of behaviour over 20
:04:12. > :04:18.years. In court, Sasha Walsh, QC, said:
:04:19. > :04:26.he left court today not having had the chance yet to say anything in
:04:27. > :04:32.his defence. He denies all the charges. The trial continues. One
:04:33. > :04:38.question is why it has taken so long for these charges to be brought. The
:04:39. > :04:41.prosecution said there has been a change in culture following the
:04:42. > :04:45.Jimmy Savile case. There is no connection with that, but it has
:04:46. > :04:52.emboldened women to come forward and challenge a man that they said was
:04:53. > :04:55.in the past two famous, too powerful and essentially untouchable. David,
:04:56. > :04:58.thank you. More than 20 people have been killed
:04:59. > :05:00.in the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The government says its
:05:01. > :05:04.troops responded when activists tried to take over the police
:05:05. > :05:06.headquarters. Most of the dead are thought to be pro-Russian activists.
:05:07. > :05:10.Our correspondent Richard Galpin spent some of the day in Mariupol.
:05:11. > :05:19.His report contains images you may find distressing.
:05:20. > :05:26.Video the BBC believes to be showing Victory Day in Mariupol turning into
:05:27. > :05:28.a bloodbath. Ukrainian troops fighting a pitched battle with
:05:29. > :05:34.pro-Russian separatists in the city centre. The military brings in
:05:35. > :05:39.reinforcement is as the battle intensifies. But pro-Russian
:05:40. > :05:45.activists rush out onto the streets, trying to stop the reinforcements
:05:46. > :05:50.going through. This man makes a fatal error, walking out into the
:05:51. > :05:57.middle of the street. He is shot in the chest. When we arrived on the
:05:58. > :06:01.scene, we discovered that the battle had been over this building, the
:06:02. > :06:04.police headquarters. According to officials, it had been occupied by
:06:05. > :06:11.pro-Russian rebels who refused to leave. The fighting at the police
:06:12. > :06:16.station seems to be the most serious incident so far in this city. There
:06:17. > :06:20.are still bodies on the streets, waiting to be taken away. In the
:06:21. > :06:21.aftermath of the intense fighting, waiting to be taken away. In the
:06:22. > :06:28.people gathered outside in a waiting to be taken away. In the
:06:29. > :06:29.of shock. They were pro-Russian, and said the killing here was
:06:30. > :06:41.indiscriminate. This woman tells said the killing here was
:06:42. > :06:42.now protect them. Why hasn't President Putin come here so far,
:06:43. > :06:48.she says. The Ukrainian military seems to be stepping up its
:06:49. > :06:54.operation to push the pro-Russian rebels out of this city. But it will
:06:55. > :06:55.not be easy, and there are many other towns and
:06:56. > :07:01.not be easy, and there are many yet to be cleared. Richard Galpin,
:07:02. > :07:04.BBC News, in Mariupol. The Russian president, Vladimir
:07:05. > :07:07.Putin, has visited Crimea for the first time since it was annexed from
:07:08. > :07:10.Ukraine by Moscow. He told cheering crowds in Sevastopol that 2014 would
:07:11. > :07:16.go down in history as the year when Crimeans decided to be together with
:07:17. > :07:18.Russia. His visit came on the anniversary of Russia's victory over
:07:19. > :07:25.Nazi Germany in the Second World War. Daniel Sandford is in
:07:26. > :07:30.Sevastopol. President Vladimir Putin, the first
:07:31. > :07:38.Russian leader in almost 70 years to expand his territory, arriving today
:07:39. > :07:43.in Crimea. As Russian air force jets roared overhead in triumph, it was
:07:44. > :07:50.the first time he had come here since the annex to the peninsular
:07:51. > :07:53.less than two months ago -- since he annexed the peninsular. TRANSLATION:
:07:54. > :07:59.I am sure that 2014 will be written into the history of this city, and
:08:00. > :08:06.our whole country, as the year when the people who live here made a firm
:08:07. > :08:12.decision to be together with Russia. Then he stepped out into the crowd
:08:13. > :08:17.of thousands of delighted patriotic Sevastopol residence. With its long
:08:18. > :08:22.history as the home of the Black Sea Fleet, this is Crimea's most Russian
:08:23. > :08:27.city. It was a display of defiance by President Putin I'm coming to
:08:28. > :08:32.Sevastopol in the face of international opposition to his
:08:33. > :08:38.annexation of Crimea, knowing full well that the people here supported
:08:39. > :08:43.what he did. Today was Victory Day in Crimea and across the old Soviet
:08:44. > :08:47.Union, the day people celebrate the defeat of Nazi Germany.
:08:48. > :08:49.Union, the day people celebrate the Crimea gone and parts of his country
:08:50. > :08:54.in flames, the Ukrainian prime minister said that today, history
:08:55. > :09:00.was repeating itself, with his people facing a different form of
:09:01. > :09:02.ashes. Daniel Sandford, BBC News, Sevastopol -- a different form of
:09:03. > :09:06.fascism. The UK economy has almost returned
:09:07. > :09:08.to levels not seen since its peak just before the recession in 2008,
:09:09. > :09:11.according to the latest figures. Manufacturing output grew at its
:09:12. > :09:14.fastest pace in nearly 15 years during the first few months of this
:09:15. > :09:17.year, and export figures were also strong. Our chief economics
:09:18. > :09:27.correspondent Hugh Pym reports now from the London Gateway docks.
:09:28. > :09:30.Britain's economy is on the move . It as an overseas trade and
:09:31. > :09:34.manufacturing are up-to-date, underlying that, and it is about to
:09:35. > :09:37.reach a crucial milestone, making up all the ground lost during the
:09:38. > :09:43.financial crisis and recession. During the boom years, UK economic
:09:44. > :09:47.output accelerated. By early 2008, it had reached a peak. Then came a
:09:48. > :09:50.plunge and deep recession. It has slowly been recovering since then
:09:51. > :09:55.and is now within a whisker of getting back to the prerecession
:09:56. > :10:02.level. We are probably just about there now. Our figures show that in
:10:03. > :10:06.April, we were within about .1% of where we were in January 2008, so we
:10:07. > :10:12.are very nearly there. For a balance recovery to take hold, selling more
:10:13. > :10:14.British goods and services in foreign markets is required, and
:10:15. > :10:19.there are signs that that is beginning to happen . The latest
:10:20. > :10:21.monthly figures show that the volume of exported groups leaving British
:10:22. > :10:25.ports like this was growing faster than the amount coming in in
:10:26. > :10:30.imports, so the overall trade deficit was lower. They are keeping
:10:31. > :10:41.busy at this major new port complex on the River Thames in Essex. We
:10:42. > :10:45.have got services now at London Gateway servicing India and Brazil
:10:46. > :10:49.in South America, and is emerging economies are definitely the
:10:50. > :10:53.exciting trade lanes now. But it has not been a painless recovery. Before
:10:54. > :10:56.the recession, real wages, after taking account of inflation, shown
:10:57. > :11:01.by the blue line, kept pace with economic output or GDP, the white
:11:02. > :11:04.line. But then they fell back, and even when the economy started
:11:05. > :11:11.growing, real wages carried on falling. Lower inflation and higher
:11:12. > :11:14.wages have eased the pressure on households, but there is some way to
:11:15. > :11:18.go before real incomes are back where they were, and while the UK
:11:19. > :11:21.may be about to move ahead of the prerecession peak, the US, Germany
:11:22. > :11:26.and France have already moved past that point. The economic downturn
:11:27. > :11:29.still casts a long shadow. Hugh Pym, BBC News.
:11:30. > :11:32.The BBC has seen photographs appearing to show British servicemen
:11:33. > :11:34.in Afghanistan posing with the dead bodies of Afghan insurgents. It's
:11:35. > :11:38.believed the pictures were taken at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province
:11:39. > :11:42.nearly two years ago after a Taliban attack which destroyed a number of
:11:43. > :11:48.aircraft. Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale is here with more
:11:49. > :11:54.details. How did these photographs emerge? They were clearly taken in
:11:55. > :11:58.2012 when that attack happened, but did not come to public attention or
:11:59. > :12:02.even the MoD's attention until last month. We understand that two
:12:03. > :12:07.members of the RAF Regiment were involved and have been withdrawn
:12:08. > :12:10.from front-line duties. They happened to be back in Afghanistan
:12:11. > :12:16.at the time. It is clearly very embarrassing for the MoD. Not on a
:12:17. > :12:19.scale with those abuse photos at Abu Ghraib by American soldiers that
:12:20. > :12:25.everybody will remember Iraq. That said, the RAF has issued a statement
:12:26. > :12:31.saying it has a zero tolerance policy of this kind of treatment of
:12:32. > :12:36.deceased personnel. That said, people will say, member the
:12:37. > :12:40.circumstances. This was a fierce firefight involving the RAF
:12:41. > :12:42.Regiment. In number of their comrades were wounded. But at the
:12:43. > :12:46.end of the day, they broke their own rules. I should not have had a
:12:47. > :12:50.camera or even a telephone. It is possible that they may have opened
:12:51. > :12:54.the Geneva conventions as well. A British team has arrived in
:12:55. > :12:56.Nigeria to help with the search for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped
:12:57. > :12:59.by Islamist extremists a month ago. It comes amid claims that
:13:00. > :13:03.authorities in Nigeria had warned that the girls' school was being
:13:04. > :13:12.targeted, but had failed to act. Here's our security correspondent,
:13:13. > :13:15.Gordon Corera. Passions ran high at a protest
:13:16. > :13:22.outside the Nigerian High Commissioner in London today. Anger
:13:23. > :13:26.at both Boko Haram for kidnapping the schoolgirls, and the Nigerian
:13:27. > :13:38.government for its slow response. What have they done? It is a total
:13:39. > :13:42.disgrace. It was three weeks ago. They could have done something.
:13:43. > :13:47.Today, more reasons for anger. Amnesty International claims that
:13:48. > :13:51.the Nigerian authorities received four hours' warning about the raid
:13:52. > :13:55.on the school, but still failed to act. And the father of one of the
:13:56. > :13:59.girls claimed in an interview with the ABC that some of the teachers
:14:00. > :14:06.had made sure their daughters at the school were safe. The staff who were
:14:07. > :14:09.working there, they have daughters who are at school and none of their
:14:10. > :14:14.daughters were kidnapped, because they had the information earlier and
:14:15. > :14:18.they sent their daughters home and left the rest of the daughters
:14:19. > :14:27.there. Then Boko Haram came in kidnapped them. Four weeks on, anger
:14:28. > :14:31.over the abduction of the girls is growing here and around the world
:14:32. > :14:35.and with it, demands for action. Britain and other countries have
:14:36. > :14:40.sent small teams to help, but it is not clear how much they will be able
:14:41. > :14:45.to do. Part of the role of those British and American teams is to
:14:46. > :14:48.help in the search for the girls taken from this area. It will
:14:49. > :14:51.involve high-tech intelligence involving satellite and aerial
:14:52. > :14:56.reconnaissance, maybe also drones. But it has been a month. The search
:14:57. > :15:01.area is huge and includes difficult terrain, especially the forest where
:15:02. > :15:04.Boko Haram have their hideouts. Foreign teams will also be
:15:05. > :15:06.Boko Haram have their hideouts. improve security to prevent more
:15:07. > :15:11.abductions, and trying to persuade the Nigerians to adopt a more subtle
:15:12. > :15:15.counterinsurgency strategy, but their poor human rights record means
:15:16. > :15:18.there are limits on how far Britain and America can operate with them.
:15:19. > :15:24.So despite the arrival of foreign help, the Nigerians are still in
:15:25. > :15:31.charge, and it is not clear what they want to or are able to do.
:15:32. > :15:34.Gordon Corera, BBC News. Our top story this evening. Rolf Harris goes
:15:35. > :15:37.on trial charged with indecent assault against young girls over
:15:38. > :15:43.almost two decades, including one of his daughter's friends.
:15:44. > :15:49.Coming up, Belfast roads are turned into racetracks for the Giro
:15:50. > :15:56.D'Italia. It is cycling's second most prestigious race and it's taken
:15:57. > :16:01.a detour from Italy to Northern Ireland.
:16:02. > :16:05.On BBC London: Threatening to bring chaos to the capital - the London
:16:06. > :16:07.cabbies angry at the way a private hire firm operates. And Olympic
:16:08. > :16:10.Champion Laura Trott vows to race through her home town tomorrow,
:16:11. > :16:13.after crashing out in the Women's Tour of Britain today.
:16:14. > :16:17.She disappeared seven years ago, and despite a massive international
:16:18. > :16:21.search there's been no trace of Madeleine McCann. Now Portuguese
:16:22. > :16:24.police sources have told the BBC that permission has been granted for
:16:25. > :16:28.an area of the town where she vanished to be searched. A team of
:16:29. > :16:32.British detectives have spent the last two days in the Algarve meeting
:16:33. > :16:35.their Portuguese colleagues. But, as Richard Bilton reports from Praia da
:16:36. > :16:41.Luz, some locals aren't happy about the renewed interest in the case.
:16:42. > :16:46.It could start within days. know the exact location, but
:16:47. > :16:51.Portuguese police say a field operation will begin on a piece of
:16:52. > :16:58.private land. The search for Madeleine McCann is coming back to
:16:59. > :17:05.Luz. In the heart of the town, Nancy Thompson runs The Bull pub. She's
:17:06. > :17:12.nervous about what's ahead. Why now? Why didn't they do it at the time?
:17:13. > :17:17.Why are they going to do it when tourists are... Oh, it'll be like a
:17:18. > :17:23.circus town. I just can't believe they're going to do that. The Mayor
:17:24. > :17:32.hopes a new search will help, but says in the town the matter closed.
:17:33. > :17:38.TRANSLATION: We are here every day. If we had the slightest doubt, we
:17:39. > :17:44.would have done something, we would have told the police. Of course,
:17:45. > :17:49.this new work is based on three years of investigation by UK
:17:50. > :17:55.detectives. But there are virtually no details, and some here are
:17:56. > :18:02.frustrated. This is Ricardo Fernandes. He's from Luz, and four
:18:03. > :18:06.weeks ago he disappeared. He worked on Praia de Luz beach. Those who
:18:07. > :18:09.know him say not enough is being done to find him. Talk of more
:18:10. > :18:19.Madeline investigation has not been received well. In that case, they
:18:20. > :18:22.are doing so many things and with this guy, he was born here, he lived
:18:23. > :18:30.here, he made many things for the village. And it looks like no one
:18:31. > :18:33.cares about him. I heard the same complaints many times this week. But
:18:34. > :18:39.when we tracked down Ricardo's family, they took a different view.
:18:40. > :18:43.There is no comparison, his stepfather says. One was a child,
:18:44. > :18:44.one a man who suffered from depression and the police are
:18:45. > :18:53.working hard. But Ricardo's case shows the
:18:54. > :18:54.sensitivities here. The Madeleine McCann investigation is coming back
:18:55. > :19:04.and many here are uncomfortable. A 55-year-old man has appeared in
:19:05. > :19:09.court in Surrey, charged with carrying out a robbery after he had
:19:10. > :19:11.absconded from an open prison. Michael Wheatley, who's nicknamed
:19:12. > :19:16.Skull Cracker, was arrested in East London on Wednesday. He was also
:19:17. > :19:19.accused of possessing an imitation weapon and being on the run
:19:20. > :19:26.illegally. He was remanded in custody.
:19:27. > :19:31.Some news just in, Sainsbury's is recalling some jars of olives after
:19:32. > :19:36.a small number were found to contain glass. It affects the supermarket's
:19:37. > :19:42.350 grams jars of pitted green olives with a best before date of
:19:43. > :19:45.January the 13th, 2017. Sainsbury's says that only a small number of
:19:46. > :19:47.jars work contaminated and nobody has been injured.
:19:48. > :19:50.There's a dramatic weekend of football ahead with Manchester City
:19:51. > :19:53.and Liverpool both vying to be crowned Premier League champions. If
:19:54. > :19:57.Liverpool triumph, it'll be the first time they've won the Premier
:19:58. > :20:01.League title. But they've quite a battle on their hands. Manchester
:20:02. > :20:04.City are the strong favourites, and realistically only have to draw
:20:05. > :20:10.against West Ham to lift the trophy. Our Chief Sports Correspondent Dan
:20:11. > :20:15.Roan reports. They know it is theirs to lose. Here
:20:16. > :20:18.at Manchester City's training ground this morning, the title seemed close
:20:19. > :20:24.enough to touch. Players and fans work confident ahead of what would
:20:25. > :20:32.be a second Championship in two years. This was the first. Sergio
:20:33. > :20:36.Aguero! The astonishing triumph in 2012 was the ultimate finale. This
:20:37. > :20:42.weekend there could be more last day drama. We are thinking just to win
:20:43. > :20:49.the match. The best way to do it is to play in the way that we have
:20:50. > :20:53.been. This success comes at a cost, with Manchester City set to be fined
:20:54. > :20:58.by UEFA for breaching rules that limit financial losses. The fans are
:20:59. > :21:03.not happy. United have been spending money for decades to win, now we get
:21:04. > :21:07.it and we are getting punished. My personal opinion is that it is
:21:08. > :21:09.horrendous. When they walk out here on Sunday, they will know that
:21:10. > :21:14.because of their superior goal difference, they need just a draw
:21:15. > :21:18.against Manchester United to secure another Premier League title. But
:21:19. > :21:22.here at Anfield on Sunday, Liverpool will know that if they can beat
:21:23. > :21:26.Newcastle and Manchester City lose, they will be crowned champions for
:21:27. > :21:30.the first time since 1990. Until recently, Liverpool seemed a stint
:21:31. > :21:34.for the title, but they stumbled when it mattered most, with one
:21:35. > :21:39.point in their last two matches. Come Sunday, we will fight until the
:21:40. > :21:43.very end. If we win the game and end up not winning the title, I think to
:21:44. > :21:46.finish second to the richest team in the history of sport, it really
:21:47. > :21:53.shows the measure and the progress we have made here. Here in the Match
:21:54. > :21:57.Of The Day Studios, rehearsals are under way ahead of Sunday's coverage
:21:58. > :22:01.of the climax to the most open title race in living memory. It is great,
:22:02. > :22:07.the fact that there were four still in with a chance. Week to week, it
:22:08. > :22:11.fluctuated, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal were top
:22:12. > :22:17.for 120 days or something. I think it's been absolutely great. It may
:22:18. > :22:21.have cost them ?1 billion, but a second title in three seasons will
:22:22. > :22:25.confirm City as the dominant force in the English game. Their fans, no
:22:26. > :22:32.doubt, will feel it is worth every penny. One of the world's greatest
:22:33. > :22:35.cycle races has just got underway in Belfast. The first three stages of
:22:36. > :22:38.the Giro D'Italia are taking place in Northern Ireland. And it's a race
:22:39. > :22:42.which is always associated with the colour pink. So, to get in the
:22:43. > :22:45.spirit of the event, Belfast's mayor has dyed his hair pink, pylons have
:22:46. > :22:48.been painted pink and farmers have even turned some of their livestock
:22:49. > :22:55.pink. The competitors set off a short time ago and our correspondent
:22:56. > :23:02.Chris Buckler is in the crowd. Yes, the Giro D'Italia is known as
:23:03. > :23:06.the race for pink, because the leader wears a pink jersey, like the
:23:07. > :23:10.yellow jersey in the Tour De France. It's coming to Yorkshire
:23:11. > :23:15.this year, and it has come to the UK for the first time. It has arrived
:23:16. > :23:19.in Northern Ireland. A few hours ago, the first teams took off in the
:23:20. > :23:24.trials around the roads Belfast. The roads have been closed off it was
:23:25. > :23:28.Team Columbia that started the event off. People have lined the route,
:23:29. > :23:32.despite the fact that there is not always sunshine. There is a bit of
:23:33. > :23:37.rain as well. With me are some of those that have come to enjoy this.
:23:38. > :23:42.I got, bringing the Giro D'Italia to Belfast, how important is it?
:23:43. > :23:46.Massively important, much better phone than the European elections!
:23:47. > :23:50.We have had 30 years of infinity, now this is the second-biggest
:23:51. > :23:56.cycling event on the planet, to here, fabulously organised by the
:23:57. > :24:01.Northern Ireland Sports Council, and they have done a super job. You have
:24:02. > :24:08.arrived to see the place covered in pink, from Manchester? I'm covered
:24:09. > :24:12.in pink, which I never wear! It's fantastic, it's great to hear the
:24:13. > :24:18.Italian language coming out of the speakers, wonderful here in Belfast.
:24:19. > :24:23.And you have arrived from Italy, to support his brother, who is racing.
:24:24. > :24:35.What has the weather be like? Hi, guys! I am from Italy, and the
:24:36. > :24:40.brother of Eduardo. It's a very good place, the people are so friendly. I
:24:41. > :24:44.love Belfast. He loves Belfast and the race has begun. A gruelling
:24:45. > :24:55.three days, but the competition actually lasts three weeks. It is
:24:56. > :24:59.off to Italy after the events here. More and more traffic lights may
:25:00. > :25:02.stay red for longer to help people cross the road safely. Pelican
:25:03. > :25:05.crossings have been a familiar sight on Britain's busy roads since the
:25:06. > :25:07.1970s. But now there are moves to replace them with puffin crossings,
:25:08. > :25:10.which can tell whether people are still crossing the road and give
:25:11. > :25:13.them extra time if needed. A busy pelican crossing in Leeds
:25:14. > :25:17.where, regardless of how many people are waiting, the green man appears
:25:18. > :25:22.for just seven seconds. Not long enough, apparently, for many people
:25:23. > :25:25.- especially the elderly. One of the area's most famous octogenarians is
:25:26. > :25:32.used to telling people to walk, but says those of his generation need
:25:33. > :25:35.more time to do so. Really, they are not doing enough for the elderly
:25:36. > :25:39.people. And they need time to cross the road. Especially
:25:40. > :25:42.people. And they need time to cross lights. I think you need at least 30
:25:43. > :25:46.seconds. It's estimated there are 7.5 million older people in Britain
:25:47. > :25:51.who can't move quickly enough to get over these crossing safely. So the
:25:52. > :25:56.plan is to have sensors, so if they need more time, they'll get it. But
:25:57. > :26:02.what do drivers think of having to wait longer at the lights? If it
:26:03. > :26:05.means that old-age pensioners can get across the road and I have to
:26:06. > :26:14.stay another four or five seconds, I don't think it really matters. I
:26:15. > :26:15.think it's going to cause problems with pollution, etc. Cars stood
:26:16. > :26:20.there, engines going. I think you're going to get irate drivers, you
:26:21. > :26:24.know? A few crossings like this one in central London give a countdown
:26:25. > :26:27.of the safe perio. The consultation about the new high-tech crossings
:26:28. > :26:34.runs until October, but it might be 20 years before they are everywhere.
:26:35. > :26:39.Time for a look at the weather. Here's John Hammond. I don't think
:26:40. > :26:47.it's looking too good? A beautiful evening at the moment,
:26:48. > :26:54.if only we could bottle it. Things are going to turn a bit ropey. This
:26:55. > :26:57.weekend there will be blustery showers, feeling cool in the wind.
:26:58. > :27:02.Most of us will cease in sunshine as well, so not a write-off by any
:27:03. > :27:05.means. It's beginning to rain across Land's End and rain will sweep
:27:06. > :27:09.northwards and eastwards across most of the country overnight tonight.
:27:10. > :27:12.One good thing, most of it will fall through the early hours and it will
:27:13. > :27:17.not make it to the north of Scotland before morning. For most of us, a
:27:18. > :27:21.mild end to the night, but a wet and windy start a Saturday morning. The
:27:22. > :27:24.rain will trudge further northwards and get stuck across parts of
:27:25. > :27:28.northern Scotland. A rather bleak day here. For most of the rest of
:27:29. > :27:32.us, things will brighten up. Some sunshine, then showers will get
:27:33. > :27:34.going. Heavy, squally, blustery showers. The wind will get the
:27:35. > :27:39.history, particularly showers. The wind will get the
:27:40. > :27:42.southwestern coasts. Warnings have been issued, gusts of up to 60 mph.
:27:43. > :27:49.Even inland, been issued, gusts of up to 60 mph.
:27:50. > :27:51.cause problems. There will be some sunshine between the showers, but
:27:52. > :27:55.cause problems. There will be some those showers could be heavy and
:27:56. > :27:59.thundery. Quite slow moving across more northern parts of the UK.
:28:00. > :28:03.Across the North of Scotland, a lot of cloud, particularly the East
:28:04. > :28:08.Coast. Nine or 10 degrees is the wind off the sea. Sunday, another
:28:09. > :28:12.showery day. No two days exactly the same. The distribution of the
:28:13. > :28:20.showers will be different. The best of the sunshine across south-west
:28:21. > :28:23.England. Bands of showers, perhaps Crewe northern areas, no more than
:28:24. > :28:25.ten or 12 degrees. The best of the sunshine and the temperature is the
:28:26. > :28:32.further south you go across the UK. A reminder of our main story: Rolf
:28:33. > :28:35.Harris goes on trial charged with indecent assault against young girls
:28:36. > :28:39.over almost two decades, including one of his daughter's friends.
:28:40. > :28:40.That's all from the BBC News at Six, so it's goodbye from me