25/07/2014 BBC News at One

Six years on from the financial crash,

new figures show the UK economy is bigger than it was in 2008.

It grew by 0.8%, meaning Britain's longest depression

since record-keeping began is now officially over. Today we look at

the figures and ask if they reflect how people feel about the economy.

This is a major milestone. We have made real improvement.

Shelling and air strikes continue in Gaza,

as fighting spreads to the West Bank. The Israeli cabinet prepares

The killing of 3-year-old Mikaeel Kular, his mother admits

beating him at the family home and hiding his body in woodland.

A pioneering breast cancer treatment that replaces weeks

of radiotherapy with a single, targeted shot during surgery.

a major setback as the athlete Rhys Williams is suspended

Success for the home nation in the medals and fantastic conditions

giving Glasgow a real festival atmosphere.

Radical shake-up in cancer and heart care, to specialist centres get the

go-ahead. -- two. And celebration for the capital 's medal winners at

the Commonwealth Games. Good afternoon

and welcome to the BBC News at One. It's now official, the UK economy

is bigger than it was before It grew by 0.8% in the

second quarter of 2014 The Chancellor, George Osborne,

said a major milestone had been reached in the government's long

term economic plan. Here's our business correspondent,

Simon Jack. There has been meltdown on the world

financial markets... In 2008, the financial crisis marked the

beginning of the longest and deepest recession since the war. Six years

later on, the economy has finally regained the ground lost. The

economy grew 0.8% from April to June, it is now a fraction bigger

than before the crash. The economy was growing Frost until the crisis

hit. -- fast. Progress has been slower here than in US and in

Germany, but we are finally back to where we started. On a visit to

virgin money in Newcastle formerly known as northern rock, the

Chancellor was not in the mood to count his chickens just yet. Today

we reach a major milestone in the long-term economic plan but there is

still a long way to go because the great recession was one of the

cheapest in the world, it cost Britain six years. -- deepest. The

UK is now growing faster than any other developed country and that is

boosting confidence at companies like this one, they make floor tiles

in Coventry. 12 months ago people were worried it was a flash in the

pan but people are now displaying more confidence and manufacturers

are beginning to invest in new capacity. The economy as a whole has

recovered the lost ground, but do we as individuals feel we have turned a

corner? Look at the cost of living, wages are not rising with where the

pound is, people are still struggling. Pay is the same,

mortgage is getting higher, rents getting higher, bus fare getting

five. Slowly but surely, work is coming in, but it is one of those

things, time will always tell. Wages are still below precrisis levels,

GDP per person is lower than in 2008, that is why some feel it is no

time for some abrasion. We have finally got back to where we were in

2007, three years after America. The fact is that the families here

across the country as well, times are hard, living standards are going

down. For most people there is no recovery to speak of. The most

spectacular bust, RBS, but even that is looking healthier, posting

surprisingly strong profits today, sending shares soaring, but like the

UK it still bears the scars of the crisis.

Some good news on the economy, like the RBS story, but not everyone is

feeling the benefit. That is correct but nonetheless I think that we

should take some pleasure from the fact that the British economy is

going fairly robust Lee again. The UK growth rate is faster than

America's right now, faster than Germany and Japan and faster than

any of the major rich competitors. Having said that, it has taken an

awfully long time for the momentum of recovery to pick up. Yes, of

course, it is having some beneficial impact, we have this huge stake in

World Bank of Scotland. It announced today some better news, as a result

of the economy, so maybe, as and when that bank is privatised, losses

for taxpayers will be a bit smaller than many had feared. But, and this

is the thing that many people watching today will be shouting at

the television, yes, the economy is in the round as big as it was

before, but living standards are, yes, they are not yet back to where

they were. The population of the UK has grown faster than the economy

has expanded over the past few years, so that means that GDP,

output per head, is Lalas still. In that sense, we are not back to where

we started. And everybody knows that in general, wages have risen slower,

I am afraid, then the cost of living and prices. -- is lower still. Thank

you very much. Officials in Gaza say 19

people have been killed this morning taking the number of Palestinian

deaths in the conflict to more than Thirty-six Israelis, most

of them soldiers, have been killed. Overnight, the fighting spread

to the West Bank, with Efforts to broker a ceasefire are

still continuing, with the Israeli Security Cabinet preparing

to discuss new American proposals. It is day 18 of the Israeli

offensive, more early-morning explosions and more destruction in

this narrow strip of land. More than 800 Palestinians have now been

killed here, the UN says that most of them were civilians. Hamas is

still firing rockets from Gaza. Protests against Israeli military

action have now spread to the West Bank as well. Palestinians here

clashing with the Israeli military. One protester was killed and dozens

were injured. There is plenty of talk of a cease-fire, but the

Israeli bombardment of Gaza continues. This house behind me was

hit by an air strike this morning. Nobody here was killed. Unlike

yesterday when 13 people died in a place that was supposed to be safe,

sheltering inside a United Nations school.

Those who survived the attack have now fled further south. Some of them

are at this United Nations school. It is a temporary home now to 2700

people. This man was waiting to be evacuated

with his family, when the shells struck. He showed us the dried blood

on his trousers. When the shelling said, the injured

were next to the walls, beds were out in the open. We left the bodies

where they were and we tried to save those that we could. Almost as soon

as the wounded arrived at local hospitals, recriminations had begun.

Israel insists it offered a pause in the fighting with Hamas, during

which people could leave, but on the ground, the United Nations

disagrees. We were never informed nor confirmed that there was a

window during which we could withdraw staff and during which

those that had been displaced could leave this facility. All that they

want is to get back to their homes. As international diplomacy to seal

at least a temporary truce intensifies, it is once again

Palestinian civilians caught in a conflict over which they have no

control. World affairs correspondent John

Donaldson is in Jerusalem. There is huge international pressure for a

cease-fire now. US Secretary of State John Kerry is in talks in

Cairo, and what we understand they are trying to negotiate is for a ten

day, around ten days humanitarian truce to coincide with the Muslim

festival of Leeds Festival. -- Eid. That comes at the end of Ramadan. --

Our World Affairs Correspondent Jon Donnison is in Jerusalem. The key

thing to remember, any truce, any cease-fire, is only really going to

be a short-term fix, because the long-term issues that have been

fuelling this conflict now for decades are not going to go away

with any sort of truce negotiated in the next couple of days.

You can get more background on the BBC website. Tonight you can watch

and is elusive interview with the hammer 's leader. -- you can watch

an exclusive interview with the leader of Hamas.

More victims of the Malaysia Airlines disaster in Ukraine are

being flown to the Netherlands this afternoon.The Dutch government has

announced it is sending forty unarmed military police to the crash

site to try to identify the remaining bodies. Around a third of

the 298 victims were Dutch. Tom Burridge reports. In a city on the

edge of a war zone, thoughts for those passengers, he pull on a

flight that flew over here. They are now mourned in the east of Ukraine.

This morning, at the airport, get another solemn ceremony on a runway.

More coughing is containing the unidentified remains of the

passengers and crew on board Flight MH17 are unloaded onto planes.

Getting the remains of the victims out of a war zone to government

controlled Ukraine and then on flights to Holland, more than one

week after the Malaysian airline was apparently shot out of the sky,

continues to be a complex international effort. Countries like

Britain, Holland and Australia now want assurances that the crash site

has been secured and that there are people can access it safely. It is a

priority for those watching today. The Foreign Minister of Australia

told me it was the wish of the international community that the

crash site be secured. We are doing what the Security Council tasked us

to do, and that is establishing a proper crash site investigation. We

assume that our people will be able to do that, without fear of harm.

But we will have support their, security there, just in case. So it

is hoped an armed Dutch and Australian police will come near,

where parts of the aeroplane and probably still bodies are scattered.

The Dutch Prime Minister told the BBC that those responsible will face

justice. You can be assured that I'm extremely motivated to find him, her

or them, and the shore for you, that they will not escape justice.

Meanwhile, the consequences of a war, people fleeing to Russia.

Violence surrounds their homes in eastern Ukraine.

Thousands of women with early stage breast cancer may be offered an

innovative type of radiotherapy - that can be carried out during

surgery. It would mean patients wouldn't have to face at least

another 15 trips to hospital - as they do with current treatments.

Sophie Hutchinson reports. Marcel Balkestein, 71, a writer, says that

she has never been busier or fitter, but two years ago, she underwent

surgery for breast cancer, and at the same time was given a new

pioneering version of radiotherapy. She says that it was brilliant

because it was over so quickly. I had no idea that I had had it done,

after the surgery I felt as anybody would, I felt tired for a few weeks

after the surgery, as anybody would, absolute classic, but I did not know

it had happened, if they had not told me I would never have known.

There were no side effects. Every year around 35,000 people are

diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, many undergo surgery to

remove tumours followed by several weeks of radiotherapy. The new

treatment the NHS looks set to offer involves a one of those of

radiotherapy carried out during an operation in the minutes after any

tumours have been removed. -- one-off dose. A mobile machine is

used, it lasts 20 minutes. It has the benefit of targeting the

affected area without having to go through the skin. At the moment

patients who require radiotherapy are travelling to and from hospital

every day, five days a week for three weeks, that is hugely

inconvenient and disruptive to families lives and their own lives.

This means patients can have radiotherapy in one dose during

surgery. And new treatment has proven to be just as effective at

combating breast cancer as conventional radiotherapy for

particular groups of patients. -- the new treatment. It is hoped it

will be offered for the first time on the NHS by the end of the year.

Six years on from the financial crash new figures

show the UK economy is bigger than it was in 2008.

. We will be live in Liverpool, today, the land of the Giants.

A glimpse of a Royal childhood - we go behind

the scenes to see what it's like to grow up at Buckingham Palace.

And fifty years of broadcasting Tony Blackburn invites you to celebrate

Its Day 2 of the Commonwealth Games and 22 medals are up

But after yesterdays success stories for the Home Nations, a blow

for Team Wales this lunchtime with news one of its top athletes, Rhys

With more on that and all the rest of the day's sporting action, let's

Hello and welcome to the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow .

Yes - a terrible shock for Team Wales.

Rhys Williams in a statement said he was devastated but denied knowingly

Our Commonwealth Games Reporter Chris McLoughlin has more.

It is the spectre that haunts all major competitions. Doping, and it

is already an issue in Glasgow, Rhys Williams is on his way home. The

suspension for the son of the Welsh would be legend JJ Williams follows

tests carried out at the Glasgow Diamond league event two weeks ago.

After the announcement he said he was utterly devastated. He carried

on: I feel really sad and disappointed.

Just for Rhys Williams and Gareth Warburton. It is the tough side of

sport. If you are not unbelievably careful with everything, this is the

consequence stop quite organisers were determined these games would be

the cleanest so far. For that reason they carried out most of the testing

before the event. While Williams goes home, the action continues on

day two. The early morning calm in Carnoustie was broken by the

shooting, the England teenager Amber Hill was in action, the young BBC

Sport Centre is now at the the year will go for the gold later this

evening. Back in Glasgow and in the velodrome, the heats for the men

sprinting, Jason Kenny, a firm favourite for this evening 's

finals, also his girlfriend, Laura Trott, going in the individual

pursuit. After the Scottish aerobics of the Renicks sisters in the judo

yesterday, Sally Conway today in the early heats, providing some home

hopes of yet another gold medal. But the Welsh woes continue. This

morning the men's hockey team back in the games for the first time in

12 years, defeated by India. Let's cross to the Tollcross Centre

now and our sports correspondent Stunning performances last night.

Some of those who were in having an early start today? That's right, the

Scottish fans this morning have already had a glimpse of one of

their new sporting heroes. Ross Murdoch, surprise gold medallist

last night in the pool, he's been back in action in the heats of the

100 metres breaststroke. Alongside him the man he beat, fellow Scot,

Michael Jamieson. A very impressive performance from Ross Murdoch

winning the heat, Jamieson also through to the Knights semifinal. We

have had the heats of the 200 metres freestyle -- ten nights.

Robbie Rennick, through to the final tonight. Plenty of other big names

in action this evening, Liam Hancock of England, going in the final of

the 100 metres backstroke, hoping to win the title for the third games

running. Thank you for joining us. Our Scotland Correspondent Lorna

Gordon has been soaking up Golden games for Glasgow sunshine,

spectators, and plenty of support for those competing. We're watching

Wales against England. We are supporting Scotland. Just the boxes.

CHEERING Scotland's first gold medal of the

games when two Kimberley Renicks, her sister, Louise also got one,

both with the Triumph in judo. This morning they were sharing their

medals with the fans, but not quite letting them go. If it was not

wrapped around my neck, I would be like... Because we do fighting as

well, the reactions would be quicker before they could get away with it.

Quite Hannah Miley taking the gold in the pool. -- Hannah Miley taking

the gold in the pool, there was an emotional reaction from her father.

Since the Olympics, so many things happened, last year, in the same

pool, she broke her hand, finishing the race at the Tollcross Centre. I

was hoping she wouldn't do it last night. This has been a glorious

start to the games, the volunteers helping to guide spectators to the

venue and of course it has all been helped by the weather. It is quite

hot really. It took me about an hour and a half to put this on. I am

melting. Did you expect summer sunshine? Not all eyes may be on the

sport but the city, it's visitors are making these games so special. I

promised more about swimming. Let's talk to David Wilkie, the Olympic,

Commonwealth Games gold medallist. How come Britain seems to be doing

so well at the breast wrote at the moment? We had a tradition going

back about 30 years. -- breaststroke. We've got a lot of

great swimmers, we now have Ross Murdoch. A lot of swimmers will come

through, Michael Jamieson, let's not forget. There is a fantastic

tradition in breaststroke and long may it continue. As we have been

reflecting, a lot of those men have to get back in the pool today. What

does that do to an athlete, mentally? Looking at Murdoch, he

will be on a high. He will be tired from yesterday but he swam very well

in the heats of defying second-fastest, looking at Michael

Jamieson, he looked shell-shocked. -- he was second-fastest. His bottle

has gone, he is not there, he interviewed afterwards, he looked

really down. Looking at Ross Murdoch, he's looking forward the

next race. There is an English guy in that, it will be a good English

and Scottish battle. A quick thought about Glasgow, the city, what do you

make of the games and the atmosphere. We've had some fantastic

Scotland results, to Gold Weddle medals, the atmosphere is superb,

looking at the weather, who would have thought Glasgow would be

basking in 26 degrees quest Mark fantastic.

Much more from a very hot and sunny Glasgow to come. Thank you for

joining us. A mother who sparked a massive

search for her missing son has admitted culpable homicide in the

killing of the three-year-old boy. Hundreds of volunteers joined police

in the search for Mikaeel Kular but the boy's body had already been put

in a suitcase and hidden at woodland behind a house in Fife. Laura Trant

reports. Mikaeel Kular was described by those

who knew him as a happy and smiley boy. He was just three years old

when he was killed by his own mother. Today she was brought to the

High Court in Edinburgh, to face up to her crimes. It appears Rosdeep

Adekoya lost her temper with her sudden several times leaving he was

eating too much. She beat him at the family home, causing more than 40

injuries. Instead of seeking help she kept him off nursery and watched

as his condition worsened over three days until he died in his bed.

Rosdeep Adekoya wiped away the tears in court room number three this

morning, as the court heard a quiet and calm and extremely distressing

account of how she caused the death of her little boy. In contrast to

the brutality and the deceit, this was the public response when Mikaeel

Kular was reported missing, hundreds came out to help a mother to search

for her son hoping to help find him. In fact there was no hope, she had

already bundled her child into a suitcase and buried him in these

woods in Fife. For those that searched, today's hearing was hard

to take. To be told he was not missing, he had been murdered,

They stand at more than 20 feet tall and cut an imposing figure, yes,

More than 1.5 million people are expected in the city over

the next few days to take part in a special event commemorating

Our correspondent Judith Moritz is there for us now.

Yes, let's be honest you are not interested in me, I am five feet

tall, you want to see this old lady. She's not like a little old lady

because she's standing at 25 feet high. She is part of a three-day

extravaganza. They say the whole world is a stage, well today,

certainly Liverpool is a theatre. Music

once upon a time a little girl woke up, not in a fairy tale but in

Liverpool which this weekend becomes the land of the Giants. She's not

alone, her pet dog has come, too, to tell the story of this city 's

contribution to the First World War effort, to the crowds who have

turned out to see them. It is amazing. I love the dog. The kids

loved it. Down the road another marionette stirs, the girl 's

grandmother, weighing five tonnes, and 25 feet tall, this is not a

little old lady. It takes 26 people to operate her. And she speaks, of

memories of Liverpool in August, 1914. She is the creation of the

French theatre company putting on the show. She smokes a pipe. She

liked to drink whiskey in the morning. Sometimes she spits. Moving

at a speed of around 1.5 mph, the marionettes are making stately

progress through the city streets. More than 1 million people are

expected to watch them over the weekend as tales of a century ago

are told in a spectacular way. You know really this is an amazing

experience, and Liverpool has been so keen to welcome these

marionettes, they've done everything they can to accommodate them. You

can see the grandmother needs a really big height clearance to move

along. They have moved telephone wires and bus stops and lamp posts

across the city so she can get around. If you want to come here and

catch her, her granddaughter and the dog, there is still time acres they

will be walking around the city until Sunday. -- there is still time

because they will be walking around. Hot sunshine across most of the UK

recently, looking for a change, the weekend will bring that.

Temperatures getting down to near to the seasonal average. Sunshine

around but we will have to cater for outbreaks of rain. We see big

showers breaking out recently, thunderstorms over Essex, over

London. The heat is beginning to break down to some extent. Those

showers continuing to trundle further south and west through the

afternoon. Away from the south-east corner, really hot sunshine from

most places. We have some misty low cloud drifting around the coast of

eastern Scotland and northern England. Looking to the late

afternoon PM, the showers not getting to south-west England. If

you movies there is the potential for some heavy downpours, possibly

flash flooding and tricky conditions on the roads. Look at the

temperatures, again, mid, the high 20s. Another glorious day across

Northern Ireland. And for most of Scotland, warmer than recent days,

on the east coast. I think the weather systems could be coming in

this evening, Mr Ness over eastern England. Cloud moving in here and

there. -- misty conditions. From the west you can see the rain moving

into Northern Ireland which is the sign of things to come going into

the weekend. Ahead of that it will be another warm night across the

board with temperatures around the mid to high teens. What about the

weekend. Northern Ireland will feel the change, what a change from

recent days, cloudy skies and outbreaks of rain, temperatures

dropping. The rain will get into western Scotland. But for Eastern,

southern Scotland and all of England and Wales it's another day of warm

sunshine. Another day at least. The temperatures starting to come down

across other parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. Down on recent

days. We have this weather front and low pressure coming in from the

Atlantic, cold air coming through. On Sunday, we could have the focus

of some rain, and cooler weather spreading behind. Still up to the

mid 20s in the south-east. High teens and low 20s, what we would

expect at this time of year, that is how it is likely to stay into next

week as well. Thank you for joining us.

Now a reminder of our top story this lunchtime.

Six years on from the financial crash -

new figures show the UK economy is bigger than it was in 2008.