25/07/2013 BBC News at One

Spain's worst train crash in a generation - at least 78 people are

killed, more than 100 are injured. The train derailed as it approached

Santiago de Compostela - reports suggest it was going faster than it

should. TRANSLATION: It felt like a

thunderstorm, like an earthquake with rocks falling. We ran here

after we called for help. We open the back of the wagon and we helped

people to get out. The Chancellor says the economy is

on the mend as growth accelerates in the second three months of the

year. The former SAS soldier gets a two

year suspended sentence for possessing a pistol and ammunition.

The Archbishop of Canterbury says he will force Wonga out of business

by competing against it. Usain Bolt says he is a clean

athlete and fans can trust him after two of his rivals failed

recent drugs test. Later on BBC London:

A victim of mistaken identity - now police offer a �20,000 reward to

solve this teenager's murder. And hundreds of fish are dying in

Good afternoon. The authorities in Spain say they

have stopped looking for further survivors of the country's worst

train crossed in four decades which killed at least 78 people. More

than 130 winded, including a passenger from Britain, when the

train came off the rails approaching the station at Santiago

de Compostela. Initial reports suggested it was travelling too

fast. Our Correspondent is at the scene now.

It is still based scene of chaos and destruction below me, where the

accident happened late last night. Carriages strewn around the track.

Still no official word from Spain's national rail company on to claim

the train was travelling too fast as it came round the bend

travelling into the city of Santiago de Compostela, the region

of Galicia in the north of Spain. The warning, some people might find

some of the images in my report, disturbing.

Destruction and chaos at the sight of Spain's worst train disaster in

four decades. In the aftermath of the disaster, blanket covered

bodies lie strewn around the track. During the morning, pictures were

shown on line and by Spanish media that appeared to show the moment

the train came off the track. The distressing video you are about to

see, comes from a trackside camera, apparently belonging to Spain's

national rail company. After the carriages derailed, some overturned,

part of their sides were ripped off. Inside, where passengers sat, it

hardly resembles a train. Those on board said the train was travelling

fast as it approached the outskirts of Galicia's regional capital.

TRANSLATION: It happened so quickly. It derailed on a curve and rolled

over many, many times. The train was going very fast and it derailed

as it was going round the corner. It is a disaster. I was very lucky

to survive. I don't know how many dead and there are, but there are

many. Relatives arrive, anxious for news.

Mothers are weighted in hope at centres set up near by. -- others.

The death toll rose throughout the night as the emergency services

work to get people and bodies out of the wreckage. As daylight broke,

the scale of the tragedy was becoming clear. This neighbour, who

lives near the track described the moment the train derailed.

TRANSLATION: In the beginning it was like an Athen -- earthquake. As

if it were two cars crashing into each other. It was a terrible blow,

like a volcano. Travelling from the Spanish capital,

Madrid, the train came out of that tunnel in the distance and the

railed as it came round this tight bend. The speed limit on the bend

is 80 kilometres an hour, but unconfirmed reports in the media

suggest the train was travelling much faster. At local hospitals,

they queued, after an appeal from the regional Government for people

to give blood. Earlier, Spain's Prime Minister, who was born in

this region came to see the damage for himself. Later he visited

survivors in hospital. The fear is, an already high death toll could

rise further. Some of those injured are in a serious or critical

condition. As cranes lifted the badly damaged Carrick -- carriages

of the track, it is clear it has switched to a recovery inquiry.

Spain has invested huge amount of money in its high-speed rail and

medium speed rail, which was this train that crashed last night.

There will be big questions about how this accident happened, about

how so many people died. A judge has been appointed to

investigate the causes of the crash, following the reports the train

could have been travelling much faster than the speed limit.

Richard Lescott reports on what may be behind the D moment.

This investigation is likely to focus on speed. As the report

suggests, was the Spanish train going has twice as fast as it

should have been around a curve in the track? Modern, fast trains are

fitted with a variety of safety systems and some of them put brakes

on automatically if you go too quickly. Others simply warn the

driver to act. One of the questions being investigated, did the system

work? Did it tell the driver what the speed limit was? Did the driver

somehow ignore it, or did the system fail and give no indication

or an incorrect indication? This is what we are waiting to find out.

This was a high-speed train, but was travelling on a normal stretch

of track, which tend to include tighter curves. That is not unusual,

but the Spanish journalists said when people travelled on the line

when it opened, said people were worried. There were concerns about

this bend, people said they felt it was dangerous, that the train had

to go from 200 kilometres an hour to 80: it is in just a matter of

seconds. It was a difficult manoeuvre to execute for the driver.

Over the last 20 years, Spain has led the word in building high-speed

rail lines and their network has a very good safety record. In 2003,

19 people were killed in a head on collision to the east of the

country. Three years later, six people died when an InterCity train

derailed further north. We still do not know what caused this crash, it

could be a problem with the rails or something left on the line. The

train company says the train itself had just been inspected and did not

have any technical problems. This accident is shocking, but trains

remain one of the safest ways you can travel.

We will have more on that story later. In the meantime, there is

Here, the economy has grown in a second three months of the year,

according to initial figures from the Office for National Statistics,

it grew by 0.6%, double that of the previous quarter. The Chancellor

said the figures were better than forecast. The shadow chancellor, Ed

Balls, most ordinary families wouldn't feel the benefit.

It is the latest picture of the economy, GDP, the value of all the

goods and services we produce. Today there was good news, output

grew by 0.6%. The Chancellor had a busy night, meeting workers in the

West Midlands, keen to take a slice of the credit. Business Age, things

are on the right track. The numbers today are better than forecast.

Britain is holding its nerve. It is sticking with its economic plan.

The economy is on the men's but we still have a long way to go as we

move from rescue to recovery. deal works in Newport, South Wales

was badly hit by the recession. UK manufacturing has been weak, but

today's figures showed some growth. Every sector of the economy grew in

the last three months. Here at the UK's largest car dealership, they

have been selling a lot more shiny, new cars. Sales have increased by

20%, so there is more optimism, consumers are feeling more

comfortable. Unemployment is looking positive. That is what

people think about the most when it comes to making a big purchase

decision. Our consumer spending money they don't have? Almost every

sale in this show room has been financed by cheap credit deals.

Living standards are falling for most people in the country, even

with this growth. Prices are rising faster than wages. The question

that the Government is, are they going to act, to not only sustain a

stronger recovery, but make sure it delivers for families in the

country? This Economist says, although we have had six months of

growth, there is still a lot of catching up to do. Five years ago

we fell off a cliff, economic police begin. We are 3.3% below

than we were in 2008. Even with this GDP number, we are at the

beginning of a very long road to recovery. But the picture of the

economy is more positive than most people thought it would be. The

question now, come the growth and GDP be dis -- sustained?

Let's talk to our economics editor. The picture is looking more

positive, growth is there, but of people feeling it in their pockets?

That will be the question in the next few months. We have to be

encouraged by these figures. It shows the economy has grown by 1.4%

in the past year. If those figures, preliminary figures are right, the

fastest annual rate of growth since 2011, and all parts of the economy

are moving in the same direction. Drive think why we have a question

as to whether people are feeling this, living standards are still

below where they were at the start of the downturn. At this stage in

the process, five years on from the start of the first recession,

living standards, it real income per head would be seven or 8%

higher than it was at the start of the crisis. But we are still about

four or 5% below than we were at the beginning of 2008. If we carry

on getting these numbers, maybe people will start to feel better,

but a long way to go. A former SAS sniper, Danny

Nightingale has been given a suspended sentence after being

convicted for his second time for possessing a pistol and ammunition.

He was jailed last year for the offences but had his sentence cut

and then quashed by the Court of Appeal after public pressure. Today

he was given two year's military does -- military detention,

suspended. Walking to court with his family, a

Danny Nightingale came ready to hear his sentence. His wife, Sally,

voicing their anxieties. Anxious today. Hope for the right outcome.

In court, Danny Nightingale listened as his service record was

read out. Nicky has decorations from Northern Ireland, Afghanistan

and Iraq. The military jury, known as a board, had found him guilty of

possessing a gun and ammunition, but unlike a civilian court, it was

their duty to pass sentence. This month, they found him guilty of

having this block mass road -- Glock pistol. He was convicted of

having his array of ammunition. He was given two years in custody,

suspended for 12 months. Afterwards, his wife gave their reaction.

would like to say thank you to everybody who has supported him. We

are obviously very disappointed with the sentencing. But we are

pleased Danny will be coming home with us tonight. Despite those

comments, passing sentence, the judge advocate said, much of this

anguish had been brought on by Danny Nightingale himself. He said

claims that he had been a scapegoat in all of this were absolute

nonsense. Danny Nightingale later left with his family, who have had

the support of thousands of members of the public. He now has to decide

whether to appeal against the Spain's worst train crash in a

generation - at least 78 people killed. More than 100 are injured.

The train derailed as it approached Santiago de Compostela.

Later on BBC London, the hidden history beneath our feet -8 games of

Judah life at crossrail's community dig.

And a big blue Cock Crow comes to route on Trafalgar Square's fourth

plinth. -- a blue cockerel. Payday loan companies like Wonga

have been criticised by politicians for their high rates of interest.

But now the judge of England is getting involved and threatening to

drive them out of business -- the Church of England. The Archbishop of

Canterbury, Justin Welby, says the church will compete with Wonga by

providing premises and expertise to non-profit-making credit unions.

Wonga said it welcomed any competition.

If you ran out of money before next payday, would you come here for

help? That is what the head of the Church of England has in mind. He

wants to use churches to promote credit unions and take on Wonga head

on. At can they compete with this? With a cash loan from Wonga, you can

control how much money you want and for how long. The money can be in

your account in 15 minutes. archbishop told total politics that

he had had a blunt conversation with There is the credit union sector. It

interest rates are capped. It can't demand the kind of APR that Wonga

and other firms demand. But it can serve local community is very well.

It needs to expand. There are certain things blocking its

expansion. What has the Church of England got that we can throw into

that mix? On Wonga's website, you see how much people are willing to

pay for a quick boost of cash. If I want �200 to tide me over and I only

needed for a month, here is what it will cost, nearly �70 in fees and

interest. Wonga says customers are happy to pay because it is instant

cash at any time of day on the terms they want. The competition

commission has been asked to look at all payday lenders to see if

customers get a poor deal. So could credit unions match Wonga's so this?

The government is investing money which will allow us to automate more

of our systems and make quick decisions. So credit unions will be

able to meet the demand to spread the loan over a longer period so it

is more affordable. Wonga says it welcomes competition from any

quarter that gives the consumer greater choice. Whether the church

can match this worldly marketing is another matter. You are off your

trolley! Are religious affairs correspondent

is outside Lambeth Palace. Some might ask whether the church should

be involved in commerce at all. What is the archbishop saying about that?

This is a dramatic intervention by the Archbishop into a controversial

part of the financial market. It is not without risk, but it could bring

the church and the Archbishop huge benefits. It is worth remembering

that Islam has a problem with lending money at interest.

Christianity doesn't. Christianity complains about the charging of

excessive interest rates, still seen as usury. The Archbishop thinks

these payday loan companies charge usurious rates of interest. The

Bible is littered with stories of people abusing their financial

power. The story is of people who went to the temple and had to change

their money into Temple currency to buy animals and were in modern

parlance ripped off. The other part of this initiative by the Archbishop

is in line with the church's efforts to integrate itself into the lives

of people, to make itself relevant, even if they don't go to church. It

has 16,000 premises. It is trying to make the most of the fact that it is

in every corner of England, and make those premises available for what it

sees as a social good. Saving is, in its view, a social good, and that is

how it sees the credit union is behaving. It has the advantage of

being knitted into the fabric of the nation is the same as -- same time

as correcting what it sees as a social ill.

The Ukrainian man has appeared via video link at the Old Bailey,

accused of murdering a Muslim pensioner in Birmingham. The

25-year-old is also charged with three other offences related to

explosions in mosques in the West Midlands.

Allegations of vote rigging in the Parliamentary constituency of

Falkirk will not be criminally investigated, according to the

police in Scotland. Labour's biggest donor, the Unite union, were accused

of trying to rig the party's candidate selection in Falkirk. The

decision not to investigate was made due to a lack of evidence.

One of China's best-known politicians, Bo Xilai, has been

charged with bribery, abuse of power and eruption, paving the way for him

to be put on trial within weeks. Mr Bo was once considered a rising star

in the party and one of the country's most influential men. His

wife has already been convicted of murdering a British businessman in a

dispute over money. New laws come into effect today

which marked a major overhaul of the coroner system in England and Wales.

In future, 96 coroner 's will have two comply with the new code of

standards and completing quests within six months of becoming aware

of a death. The changes have been introduced after some families said

they had waited years for an inquest.

When this man's father died, in spite of the Muslim obligation to

have the dead buried as soon as possible, he says delays at the

coroner's court meant a weight of nearly a week before post-mortems

were completed. I spent five days walking around, going to the mosque,

knowing that my father was sitting in a cold room somewhere. That was

very difficult for us. Our belief says they can feel, they can hear

and see everything around them. Under our 800-year-old coroner

system, in quests are held into violent, and macro or unexplained

deaths or deaths in custody. The measures that come into force today

seek to address criticism by creating a more professional system,

with national standards which put the bereaved first. They include

requiring coroners to complete inquest within six months of the

families at the heart of the coroner investigation and inquest process.

That means giving them notification of what is happening earlier and

more efficiently, giving them access to more documents so that they can

prepare. Coroners will also be subject to new training

requirements, and be allowed to release bodies to next of kin

earlier. It is a very welcome step forward, building the books for a

better system that will put brief families at the heart of the inquest

system. But there are problems. There is no right to appeal and

there is no inspection process of the work of the coroner's court.

Today marks a major shake-up for the coroner system, where

professionalism, speed and sensitivity are of the essence.

The BBC has learned that the European wine producing nations are

trying to block Scotland's plans to introduce a minimum price for

alcohol. The idea has already been shelved in England and Wales because

of concerns that it would not work. Our correspondent has been to

Portugal, one of the countries opposed to the policy.

This is the front line in the battle over blues. Supporters of minimum

pricing is a strife is being sown in these sleepy vineyards. They say

dearer alcohol would save lives in Scotland. That worries this

Portuguese winemaker. He thinks any profit from higher prices would go

to the retailer, but any drop in sales would be his problem. It is

very bad for us, because we are starting to sell better and better

in the Scottish market. This will be terrible for us. That view is widely

held here, but Scotland needs the approval of the European commission

to introduce a minimum price, and the Portuguese want the commission

to say no. It is not just the Portuguese government which objects

to minimum pricing. The French government says it could mean

serious losses for its wine exporters, and the Bulgarians say it

would create obstacles to trade. Together with other countries in the

EU, they are trying to block the policy. But Scotland's health

minister says the law is on his side. I will look at the court

decision made by the court in Scotland. It is the only time this

issue has been to any European Court. The court ruled in our

favour. That judgement is being appealed, but input YouGov's

distilleries, there is already talk of hitting back with higher prices

for Scotch whiskey. We have been swamped with Scottish products. It

is now our turn to try to export some of our products to Scotland,

and I am sure the national spirits industry of Scotland would not be

appreciative of trade barriers being imposed by the Portuguese

government. It is a softly spoken threat from a tranquil valley.

Minimum pricing could prompt a trade war.

Usain Bolt says the sport of athletics has taken a hit following

the recent positive doping tests of Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell. The

world's fastest man and six time Olympic champion insists he is

clean, and the only thing he has ever taken our legal vitamins. He

will run tomorrow in the London Anniversary Games, and says his

record speaks for itself. This report contains flash photography.

If you were following me since 2002, you will know that I have been doing

phenomenal things since I was 15. I was the youngest person to win the

world juniors at 15. I won the world junior record in 1993 at 18. I have

broken every record there is to break, in every event I have ever

done. So I have proven myself since I was 15. Right now I am just living

out my dream. As my agent would say, I am underperforming right now!

So I need to step it up. I have shown throughout the years that I

was always going to be great. That is all I have to say.

Let's return to our main story, the train crash in Spain, which has

claimed the lives of at least 78 people. The express train derailed

on a bend Santiago de Compostela. Let's rejoin our correspondent at

the scene. What is the latest you are hearing? One of the huge cranes

behind me has just lifted up one of the most badly damaged carriages.

You can see how one side of the carriage has been completely ripped

off. Inside, it is almost gutted. It does not look like a train would

normally look inside. It shows you the scale of the damage and

devastation. Many people were injured in this. The death toll now

stands in the high 70s, but a lot more were injured. They are being

treated in hospital. Some are in a serious condition, so the death toll

could soon rise further. The driver is being investigated, but the

investigation into how this happened is now underway. We believe much of

the focus of that investigation is the speed at which the train was

travelling when it derailed from the track.

More from him on that story on the Now the weather. One for many this

afternoon across the British Isles. Showery for some. -- warm for many.

Overnight, it was very wet across a good part of Northern Ireland. Some

40 millimetres of rain fell in Kate south of that and very, we have a

number of sharp showers. I would not be surprised if we saw more

thunderstorms. We have seen some this morning across Northern

Ireland. As we drift towards the south, you sense that there are

fewer showers to go around, and they will be less intense. The London

area is essentially dry. Away from the coast, it is still oppressively

close. Still the odd rogue shower across some of the southern

counties. Across the spine of Wales, we may see some sharp

showers. In Northern Ireland and the northern half of Britain, you have a

chance of seeing some heavy downpours. Then there is something

of a lull, and to either side of Scotland, we have a chance at the

tail end of the night of seeing sharp showers and thunderstorms

again. In the far south-east, we may see something sparking away in the

channel, gradually pushing into the North Sea. Then we are off and

running again on Friday. Similar sort of fair. Less sparky whether

further south. Temperatures are pushing comfortably into -- into the

heart of the 20s. Into the first part of Saturday, we have real

concerns about some heavy and thundery rain. A little bit

uncertain at the moment, but if you have plans for Saturday across the

southeastern quarter, play attention to the forecast. There could be very

disruptive weather indeed. On Saturday night into Sunday, it

progresses towards the north, with the potential for really heavy

downpours. On Sunday, it is that mix of humid conditions, with a bit of

sunshine, but some pretty sharp reminder of our main story: Spain's

worst train crash in a generation - at least 78 people are killed. More

than 100 or injured. The train derailed as it approached Santiago