26/07/2012 BBC News at One

After the South Korean flag was mistakenly shown at their women's

football match last night - the Prime minister calls it an

unfortunate but honest mistake. Passing some London's most famous

landmarks as the Olympic flame enters the final stretch of its 70-

day relay around the UK. Ministers bid to win billions of

pounds. A cool start to the summer warms up

owners of Centrica, the owner of British Gas, as they rise by 23%.

Later, the latest on the Olympic Good afternoon, and welcome to the

BBC news at 1.00pm from London's Olympic Park where the Prime

Minister has just promised that Britain will deliver a world-class

Games. On the eve of the official opening, David Cameron called it a

momentous day. And he insisted that the top priority was to keep people

safe in what will be the biggest security operation in peacetime

history. Meanwhile, Olympic organisers have apologised to North

Korea after a mix-up last night when the South Korean flag was

wrongly shown on a big screen before the North Korean women's

football match. The Prime Minister called it an honest mistake that

shouldn't happen again. Our Olympics correspondent James Pearce

is inside the Park now. At times I have to say it's hard to believe

for those of us who have followed this journey all the way through

from Singapore seven years ago when the envelope was opened and said

the Games of 2012 have been awarded to the City of London that here we

are now so close to the start of the Games. In just 36 hours, the

Opening Ceremony will have finished, and the Games will have been

officially opened. Consecutive governments have spent

around �9 billion on these Olympics. This morning the Prime Minister

came to the Park to see what we've all got for our money.

Tomorrow's Opening Ceremony will be the most watched events of the

whole Olympics and is likely to set the tone for the 16 days of

competition that follow. Good morning, everybody, and it gives me

great pride to welcome you to London on this truly momentous day

for our country. I hope what people will see is obviously all the thing

that is love about Britain's past, all the things they like about our

history, our institutions, our culture, our contribution to world

development, but I also hope they'll see a very open country and

one that's got an enormous amount to offer for the future.

there's already been one very embarrassing mistake - North

Korea's footballers walked off the pitch at Hampden Park when the flag

of South Korea shown alongside the players in the women's match

against Colombia. North and South Korea where still at war, so if

there was to be a flag mixup, it could hardly have been worse than

this one. LOCOG have said that this was something they were very sorry

about and that an error was made and that apology has been offered.

Clearly, it was an embarrassment. From our point of view had that

happened, we would have recognised whenever we were in the world that

the organising committee had done their best to get it right. An

error had been made and we've accepted that apology. It's a safe

prediction there won't be any confusion over the flag to be used

to lead out Team GB in the opening ceremony. It was carried by Mark

Fost. Tomorrow it will be the turn of Chris Hoy, but fewer members

behind Team Sky will be walking in behind him. The majority are

training or have decided to stay away because they're competing

alinging at the weekend, so from a team of 541, only 260 are expected

to attend. With or without them, it should still be a show to remember.

It's easy to understand why so many of those members of Team GB will

stay away. If you're competing over the weekend, it simply doesn't make

sense to be awake at 2.00am in the morning. The big question as far as

who is going to light the caldron at the opening ceremony, still no

clue but we know a decision has been taken, unanimous - one of the

stake holders in the British Olympic Association. Today the

chairman of the BOA said he hoped Sir Steve Redgrave would play an

important role during that ceremony. We'll have to wait and see. Thank

you very much. The Olympic flame has only a few

more miles to go now until it reaches the stadium here tomorrow

night. It's travelled almost 8,000 miles since it arrived in Cornwall

in May and at least 12 and a half million people have come out on to

the streets to see it over the past 69 days. Today thousands more are

lining the route in London to see the flame being carried past some

of the capital's most famous landmarks. Our correspondent Robert

Hall is at Buckingham Palace. Sophie, earlier on in the relay we

talked about Super Tuesday. It was a day packed with events and photo

opportunities. This is certainly Super Thursday. Between now and

7.00pm tonight, the torch will visit some of the capital's most

famous locations, and it will encounter some of the UK's most

famous faces from showbiz through sport to politics, and all of that

on what is actually the torch convoy's last full day of operation.

Good morning, convoy. Day 69 of the relai, last day for convoy. Thanks

for your support over the last 69 days, and let's rock London. Steve

Doren, convoy commander - a 15-year vet of torch relays preparing to

lead the charge into central London. The engagement with communities has

been fantastic, and the reception has been unbelievable, and I think

this stands out - the crowds have been much bigger than what I

expected by far. At the start point in Camden, Clive

Woodward, runner number one, ready for the off. Around him, the

vehicles, support staff and police escort that have accompanied the

torch on every step of this marathon. After nearly ten weeks,

the travellers have become firm friends, and today they began to

say their goodbies. People have come from all walks of live for

this, and it will be quite emotional to say goodbye to a few

people, you know? One memory will be the Forest of Arms held aloft,

thousands capturing the moment they'll share through social media.

For 69 days the cameras on this vehicle have spread an unfolding

story around the world. The story began three years ago when the

planners didn't really know whether they could move nearly 300 people

into the every corner of the UK, nor whether they could engage with

the communities along the route. As things turned out, they needn't

have worried. At times, the crowds were so dense that the torch

bearers had to be forced through. Alison McDonald, a charity

fundraiser, running with her dog, Sage.

David Walliams, the first celebrity on a day that has a distinctly

glitzy feel. I felt really humbled to be part of it because this torch,

this flame is bigger than anybody out there, and it's something about

the spirit, you know, and I really got a sense of that running along

seeing how excited people were to see the flame. It was amazing.

into the heart of the city where thousands swirled armed the steps

of St Pauls breaking away from their daily routine to glimpse that

moment to shine which had so inspired the relay planners. This

is exactly how we dreamed it would be, and yet it has surprised us,

yes, and we have been thrilled and delighted by how much the public

has taken it to their hearts. the Millennium Bridge, wheelchair

basketball champion - another image among so many with the finish line

in sight. They are all such amazing pictures, aren't they? This

afternoon the torch heads to the West End, Oxford square, goes to

Downing Street, then comes here to Buckingham Palace before making its

way up to the last big caldron ceremony in Hyde Park, and after

all that, all of those people - some of them - a few of them you

saw in that report, they disband. They go their separate way, but I

know they'll have stories they'll be telling for a very long time.

Thank you very much. Funny you should say that because with me now

is the swimmer Adrian Moorhouse who won gold at the 1988 Olympics. What

was running with the torch like? Different from swimming. I got to

two my 300 metres. It was great. My family got to watch me. It was

miles away from home, Felixstowe, but a wonderful experience. Let's

talk about swimming. British swimmers did particularly well, the

biggest haul for swimmers in years. Can they repeat that? 2000 was our

worst point in swimming history. We got no medals, then we know about

Bill Sweet, who got the sport by the scruff of its neck, then turned

it around. It couldn't last because he did all that but then the new

guys come in and built on all of that. I think we can. The system is

set up. We have great swimmers. The women are going to do a little bit

better than the men because their performances in the World

Championships last year were outstanding in Shanghai 2011, two

world champions. You talk about Rebecca Adlington - what pressure

there must be on her shoulders because people are expecting her to

dive into the pool and come out with two more gold medals. You're

right. It's not just about the swimming itself. The Olympic games,

I did three myself - it is about coping with the stuff that goes

around it, and when you're in away game, it's bit easier. It's still

pressure - the Olympics and the whole deal but when it comes to

home games I can't imagine what it will be like. As long as she deeps

her routine, she'll be OK. She's practised enough and her perform

enhance come up since braidgeing, not great in 2009. She's built up

since 2008, then the gold in the World Championships last year.

has it tough? Yeah, the 408. The Italian who is the World

Championship last year and a French - European challengers on the 400

metres, both have gone faster than Becky. The 800, I don't want to say

it's hers but that's the one she is the world champion - a Danish girl

could be in there. We'll have to wait and see. Thank you very much.

Pleasure. One more day to go until the

Opening Ceremony, but the sporting action which began yesterday

continues with the opening games in the men's football competition.

There are eight matches altogether, including Stuart Pearce's Great

Britain team, who'll play Senegal. That's tonight at 8.00pm. Our

sports correspondent Dan Roan is at Old Trafford for us. Sophie, this

is the first time that Britain has been represented in the men's

football competition in the Olympics for more than half a

century, and yet, one suspects, that the challenge facing Stuart

Pearce's Team GB squad is to somehow win over the hearts and

minds of a somewhat sceptical British public. Many feel uneasy

about the millionaires taking part in the Olympic preparation. The

build-up at part has been difficult at times to the lack of enthusiasm

by the FA of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - the controversy

surrounding Pearce's decision to not select David Beckham, and now

Gareth bail, the Wales' start ruling him out through injury only

to go on pre-season games with Spurs and scoring a goal. They're

trying to play it down. It's the only space this squad ocpies in the

Games. Nonetheless, on a positive note Old Trafford will be full. It

is a sell-out unlike Cardiff yesterday. Many will be here to see

the legend Ryan Giggs. The 38-year- old is the captain of his side. If

he can lead his side to victory, perhaps he can recapture the

imagination. Thank you very much.

The rest of the news now, and David Cameron says the Government is

determined to "finish the job" of dealing with the deficit despite

the latest figures showing the UK has slid further into recession.

Speaking in London at a conference of business leaders who've

travelled here for the Olympics, the Prime Minister appealed for

international investment in Britain. Here's our chief economics

correspondent, Hugh Pym. Polishing up the UK's image is a

place to do business - that's what this investment conference is all

about - taking advantage of the Olympics to bring together world

financial leaders, but David Cameron had to use a fair chunk of

his speech to defend policy after yesterday's figures showed the UK

sliding deeper into recession. in no doubt we'll go on and finish

the job. We'll deal with the deficit. We'll keep UK interest

rates low, and we'll continue to take the tough decisions that are

necessary for business leaders and investors to have confidence in the

long-term future of the British economy. And the Prime Minister

said the Government had launched business-friendly initiatives and

cut corporate taxes. With the Labour leader meeting

presidential hopeful Mitt Romney on a visit to London - said there had

to be a change of course in Downing Street.

Plan A is not working. Austerity is not work. They promised change.

They promised things would get better, not worse. It's the

opposite that's happened, and it's families and businesses that are

paying the price.S What the bigger picture for the economy? The

official figures showed output falling 0.7% between April and June,

but some business leaders say things aren't really that bad.

early part of the year British economy wasn't growing. Where is it

today? I talked to small and large businesses across the country. I

don't feel it's as negative as minus .7. There is an Olympic boost

to the economy. This firm in Coventry has been making components

for the torches. As a result it's been able to envest and hire new

permanent staff. It's actually enabled to us grow in a period

where lots of other people have been struggling. It has enabled to

us employ 40 extra people and invest heavily in the new laser

machines. The Olympic effect will come and go but still hanging over

the economy is the eurozone crisis Our top story:

On the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony, David Cameron says that

after seven years of planning and dreaming, Britain can deliver a

safe, world-class Games to lift the country.

Coming up: I'm speaking to the head of the United Nations environment

programme, he is here to find out how you run a green and sustainable

Games. Later in the hour: We meet the man

who spent two years travelling by rickshaw from the other side of the

world to be at the Games. Centrica, the own erb of British

Gas says a cool start to the summer helped to boost profits. British

Gas residential made �345 million in the six months to June, an

increase of 23%. Consumer groups complained that energy companies

are quick to pass on rising wholesale costs to consumers, but

slow to cut them when they fall. Here is Simon gompgomp.

It's been baking in parts of the country, so no heating required now,

but the wet and cold weather in the early summer helped to boost

British Gas's profits as some turned the heating on. That

combined with last year's 18% hike in the price of gas. Including gas

production and business overseas, Centrica made nearly �1.5 billion,

a rise of 15% in the first half of the year. British Gas made 345

million, up 23% for supplying gas and electricity.

At the least, British Gas should commit not to put the prices up

again this year. Prices may go up in the long-term, but they should

give consumers a break for this year at least. 15 million people

have British Gas accounts, many are having to scrimp and.save because

of British Gas bills. Like this woman, looking in this

Hertfordshire market for bargains to try to make the ends meet.

Seeing as I'm a pensioner, my electric, and there is only me in

the house, it is over �100 a month. You work the sums out, they don't

work out, do they? How do you live? How do you eat? And Kim with a

child to look after, and a low income.

I'm a lone parent, you know, ideally, I would like to work, but

I can't due to circumstances, I've been ill with cancer. When I came

out of hospital, I had a bill of �600. I was not even at the

property. It has affected me. I'm still paying it off. British Gas

caused a price scare in May, when it said that the cost of gotting

hold of gas had gone up it said that the profit it is clocked up

are less than normal. That without the price hike it is would have

lost money, but that is no comfort. People are switching off the gas

when they can, in order to keep down the bills. In the light of

British Gas's profits, what they would like to see is a substantial

reduction in gas and electricity prices in time for the wint.

They have trimmed the lektriftd price once this year and admit that

the cost of buying gas on the wholesale market has fallen.

Cheaper gas for consumers is not yet in the pipeline, but there is

less of a threat of bills rising again before it gets cold.

The wife of the disgraced Chinese politician, Bo Xilai has been

formerly charged with intentional homicide. They have been

investigated in connection with the murder of the British businessman,

Neil Heywood. It led to bobo about being sacked as the regional

Communist Party boss. The man who is to challenge

President Obama in this year's American presidential election is

in London for tomorrow's Olympic opening ceremony. Today, Mitt

Romney is holding talks with the Prime Minister, Nick Clegg and Ed

Miliband. We have followed him over and Mark

Mardell is in Downing Street now. What is on the agenda, Mark? One of

the reasons he is here to because of the Olympics, to remind viewers

here about the 2002 winter Olympics when they stepped in when it was

looking disastrous and saved them in this message, saying he could do

the same for the American economy, but he said he was not sure how the

British Games would turn out, and it was disconcert, the business of

the security arrangements appearing to go wrong, but he soften.ed that

this morning. Saying there would be mistakes, even if there were errors,

that the whole thing would be overshadowed by the courage of the

athletes and it would be an event that would change hartsz. Beyond

that, he is here to see the politicians, he has gone into

Number Ten to see William Hague, the Prime Minister and before him,

Tony Blair. The message is to American viewers and voters that he

is somebody to be reckoned with. Who understands foreign affairs,

and who is well-connected. Later in the trip he is to go to Israel, to

Poland, and to deliver a harsher message about the way he thinks

that President Obama is mismanaging the situation in the world.

Syria, a preparation to launch offensive in Aleppo. Extra troops

are being drafted in to the city. Our Middle East correspondent sent

this report from Syria's border with Turkey.

Despite the aerial and art ill artillery bombardment of alepa,

there are sheerl some parts of the city still under the control of

rebel fighters. There are Smail victories, the overrunning of a

police station, or the destruction of a few government tanks. With the

assault rifles, these men are no match, however, for the Bashar al-

Assad regime's and their overwhelming firepower. These

celebrations are shuerl premature, given what is to come. Syria's

neighbours fear the worst. Thousands of Syrians have refuge

across the border. Fridges and televisions donated by charities

were unloaded here. It is requiring an air of permanence in this camp,

something that the Turkish authorities are anxious to avoid.

Many more Roy Hodgsons will surely cross in the coming days. When a

family lost their child here they had to leave the body there and

tried to escape, this woman had said. They don't know what will

happen to the people left behind in Aleppo. Some towns in the rural

areas of northern Syria, have been captured by the rebels after heavy

fighting, but the focus is on nearby Aleppo. A huge prize which

the Bashar al-Assad regime, with all of its resources is determined

to bring under its control at any cost.

Looking in from the outside, the situation in Aleppo seems desperate.

Thousands of Roy Hodgsons have fled to safety over the mountains.

But as many as three quarters of the city's population remains,

anticipating a huge government onslaught, while the world watches,

immune or incapable of stopping the violence.

Now more on the top story: The preparations for tomorrow's

evening's London 2012 opening ceremony here in the Olympic Park.

Jon Sopel is there with the latest. Over the coming weeks I guess

millions of people will be passing through the Olympic Park. Where we

are standing now, I guess it is probably a 45-minute walk from

Stratford station where most people will arrive. The park is huge.

It is the size of 357 football pitches laid together or the size

much Hyde Park. So, Clive Myrie has been out to offer a survivor's

guide to the Olympic Park. You have braved the crowds and negotiated

the public transport. The bag has been searched, welcome to the

London 2012 Olympic Park. It's vast! The size of 350 football

pitches. Much of it built on land that was once derelict, now a

sporting complex, the envy of the world.

Most of you will enter the park in the Stratford Gate. The first thing

you see is the Aquatics Centre, swimming and driving. Here is the

Orbit Tower. You can look at the surrounding tower, �15 for adults

and �7 for children. Here, the jewel in the crown, the Olympic

stadium. Now, wear sturdy shoes, you will

need them. If you are prone to blisters bring plasters. There is a

lot of ground to cover. I reckon that took 50 minutes from

the southern end 69 park to the north.

U -- to the park to the north. But well worth it.

Before heading for the park, imagine you are going through

airport security, no large bottles of liquids, if you want to bring in

sandwiches that is fine, hampers of food are a no-no, but there are

many restaurants. A bacon sandwich costs �3.50. Fish and chips is

�8.50. A lot of companies back the Olympics. Wear the labels you want

to, but don't look as if someone is paying you for it.

The park is about sport as much as money. An American landscape artist

has created Vistas of wild flowers and herb gardens. Be prepared to be

amazed and dazzled, and I'm not talking about the sport.

Now, first of all, Mr Steiner, what are your impressions of the park?

think it is exciting. On a day like this to stand here, to imagine that

was an urban wasteland, to see the restoration, the revival of the

river, the re-planting. Above all, there is a legacy for the people of

London, a legacy for the environment, for the quality of our

cities. That is the idea here. People talk about sustainability,

is this it made flesh if you like? Absolutely. Eem pleased that the

head of the United Nations Environment Programme is here to

give his sale of approval, to achieving that ambition of making

the Games the greenest ever. I want to pay tribute to all of those

British businesses that have innovated and helped to reduce the

amount of water for example, that by 40% and that we recycled 98% of

all waste. That helps to make the Games the greenest ever.

Is this something you would like to see in other big sporting events in

the future, that there is the focus on green and sustainability?

Absolutely it explains the long- standing relationship between the

United Nations and the countries. The Olympic movement in 94

introduced environmental responsibility as one of the third

principles of the Olympianism. That has worked with many host

cities and with each we are learning more. What we see in

London is a systematic approach. That is where the skill is

developed. And the original aim is that it

would carbon neutral it will quite be that? No, about it will measure

a carbon footprint and we can hand that on to the Brazilians who take

on over from us and they can build on our achievement.

Thank you very much. And a reminder, on the last full

day of the Olympic torch relairbgs you can watch it unfold on a BBC

News special at 5pm with Jane Hill and on the BBC One and on the BBC

News Channel. Now, the weather.

Now, the weather. Is the weather going to hold? Well

it will last for a couple of days, but turning un setled for the

weekend. The temperatures today up to 30

Celsius, but certainly it will feel warm. Not everywhere to stay dry.

Here are the charts. A warm front across the north of England. To the

south, there is muggy, warm air. To the north, fresh and bright

conditions, but where you are stuck under the weather front, a few

spots of rain is likely in the course of the afternoon. At 4.00pm,

there is beautiful sunshine in the south-east. Cooler in the eastern

coasts. West of London, towards Bristol, the temperatures topping

the high 20 Celsius. The sunshine continuing into the

south-west. A little bit of fair weather cloud building in the after.

Bright in the far south of Wales. In the central and the north,

perhaps a rumble of thunder. A fine afternoon for Northern Ireland with

decent spells of sunshine. Temperatures in the high teens. A

decent afternoon in the north of Scotland. For central and southern

Scotland, more cloud and outbreaks of rain. The showers continuing

into the parts of northern England with a chance of seeing the odd

rumble of thunder in the north-west of England. For the football action,

most of the games staying fine and dry. There is a chance that we

could see one or two showers at Old Trafford later on this evening.

The showers across the north wets into the south of Scotland, tend to

ease later on in the evening. More rain heading into the west of

Scotland overnight. We will see heavy showers across the south

coast, anywhere from say Dorset to Kent. Seeing the heavy showers from

the word go tomorrow. Again tomorrow, humid and muggy. In the

north it is a little fresher. The heavy showers are building, and

pushing across the London region into East Anglia. During the

laterer part of the afternoon, fading away. The temperatures a

little cooler, but still a fine day with some showers in the north. In

terms of the opening ceremony. It looks like things will be largely

dry, but a small chance of catching one or two sharp showers. The

showery theme to the weather showery theme to the weather

continues into the weekend too. Thank you very much.

The top story: On the eve of the Olympics opening ceremony, David

Cameron says that our seven years of planning, Britain can deliver a