donald trump is celebrating the strongest us economic growth in four years, despite warnings it might not last. the increase of 4% was driven by strong consumer spending and a surge in exports, as firms rushed to beat new trade tariffs imposed on the us. millions of people are gazing skywards to catch the longest lunar eclipse this century as the moon passes through earth's shadow. the phenomenon known as a "blood moon" occures when the earth's natural satellite appears as shades of red as light from the sun is filtered through our atmosphere. the directors of cbs, one of the big us television networks, say they will investigate claims of sexual misconduct against the chairman and chief executive, leslie moonves. shares in cbs fell more than 6% on news of the claim. the extreme weather has caused major disruption for travellers with

problems on the roads and railways. many on the eurotunnel enjoyed hours of delays in kent after a commissioning problems in carriages. lightning strikes forced cancellations across yorkshire and now the met office has issued warnings of thunderstorms in the east of england. the police are urging people to take care while serving in rivers and lakes try to cool off. two have died and a boy is missing. the summer holiday getaway, stopped abruptly in a car park. those hoping to go via eurotunnel told they can't because of the heat. and there's caution for those planning long drives. we're expecting a breakdown to happen every four seconds. so before you get in your car, check your water coolant levels, your oil levels, your tyre pressure, make sure you have lots of water in the car, and when you are travelling at slower speeds,

if you can handle it, turn your air conditioning off, bring your windows down and let the air circulate in the car. meanwhile in york, thousands of rail visitors suffered severe disruptions due to a lightning strike which damaged signalling equipment. we have given little information, it's stifling hot in here. the buffet‘s closed, here's no way to get water, i've got a small child who's five, we've been on the train forfour hours. some are taking full advantage of britain's beaches, like this one in margate, and getting fully involved in a staycation. the kids are off school, it's a lovely day, day off work, just want to be in the sunshine at the beach. there's a pool which i really like, and the weather is very hot. there are warnings up and down the country about people cooling off in open water. in warwickshire, police are searching for a 17—year—old boy who got into trouble in a quarry lake in bishop itchington say they've found a body.

we were called at 6:30pm last night after concerns were raised for a 17—year—old boy who was reported to have entered the water. formal identification has yet to take place, but next of kin have been informed. essex police are still looking for a boy last seen in the water near clacton pier. days of high temperatures have also put pressure on fire brigades. local people have been delivering food and drink to emergency crews who've been tackling several fires on a mountainside for a week. but for those hoping for rain, their wish may come true. in the east of england, hailstones, thunderstorms, and heavy rain are predicted elsewhere. now on bbc news — witness. hello, welcome to witness. i am here

at the british library to guide you through five more extraordinary moments from recent history. we will meet a woman who was caught up in the violent struggle for a jewish state in reddish controlled palestine. we will hear how the iconic sydney opera house was ill. we will meet the man behind a death revolution in the us and a nurse who witnessed the creation of britain's treasured national health service in 1948. but we begin with an event which still wants iranian, us relations. in 1988, a us warship shutdown and uranium passengerjet

over the persian gulf, killing all 290 people on board. first—hand accou nts 290 people on board. first—hand a ccou nts of 290 people on board. first—hand accounts of the incident are rare, but the witness spoke to a us navy combat cameraman who happened to be cooling that they. —— that day. combat cameraman who happened to be cooling that they. —— that daym was a tragedy. we did shoot down an airliner. one of those things, i am still in disbelief that it could have happened. the mood in the gulf was intense. us navy was taking the oil tankers that came out of kuwait to make sure the flow of oil kept coming to the end of the iranians we re coming to the end of the iranians were harassing those ships. the speedboats that the iranians were using, they would round robin bishops while they are trying to catch it on fire. so ourjob was kind of like a police force, if you

will. the team i was with was combat camera group. video taken the whole time. and i caught a ride with the cruiser, it is a billion—dollar boat, a state—of—the—art at the time. as we were sailing back to bahrain, we got into battle with iranians speedboats. all men man in the battle stations. during a gunboat battle, we thought they are going to come at us with whatever they have now and that will be the air force. they have now and that will be the airforce. the year they have now and that will be the air force. the year before, they have now and that will be the airforce. the year before, in 1987, we got hit by a missile that was launched by iraq. we will always reminded, remembers the stark. about five minutes went by and they said there was a target that had left

bandar abbas, the iranians airfield. the military and civilian airport, to my knowledge, is the same place. the aircraft, when it took off, was identified as the iranians and force, tomcat, but the plane in reality was flat 655, and airbus. five times a week, there is a scheduled service across the strait to do by. but here the crew is, waiting for another target to come out. and i believe one of the lieutenant, and asked them what we are doing, he

said you are going to see some missile action. i went to the operation specialist who was watching the scope and he is watching the scope and he is watching the scope and he is watching the missiles because he can track it on the radar and he sees it hit the target. but they found out, like 15, 20 minutes later that it was an airliner. and iranians and rush is assumed that crashed, please look for all survivors. and so that was when it was like, what? airliner missing? within shoot anyone, we shot a tomcat, i thought. there was a lot of soul—searching, disbelief, thatis a lot of soul—searching, disbelief, that is not supposed to happen, that is not what we are here to do. 290 civilians passed away, 66 of those we re civilians passed away, 66 of those were children. ifelt

civilians passed away, 66 of those were children. i felt so that for the families that lost their loved ones and sometimes you are part of history and you love it and sometimes you are part of history and you hate it and this is one of those things where ijust and you hate it and this is one of those things where i just wish and you hate it and this is one of those things where ijust wish it didn't happen, but i was there. the terrible story of flight 655. now we had to australia and the story behind one of the most iconic holdings in the world. in the 1950s, the city of sydney decided it wanted a opera house. the engineer was structural designer on the project. the competition has been won byjorn utzon, other think it is wonderful, other things it is dreadful. he dreamt up these wonderful shapes for his competition entry and they were free shapes. it is almost a stake in

the harbour, the whole town looks at it. i like to be on the edge of possibilities. great fun to work with, particularly in his early years, we had some very good times together. i think he won one or two minor competitions for housing, but as faras building minor competitions for housing, but as far as building anything on any scale, he hadn't really done very much. this was clear from the start, the structures engineers appointed would face a monumental task. jorn utzon decide to appoint a british firm. that was 11 years that really dominated my life. the first thing they did when they were asked to

collaborate, they took these free shapes and developed a series of mathematical models, as near as possible matching the competition design. none of these shapes appeared doable. the roof itself went through so many design changes that rumours spread about that it could never be built. personally, i wasn't sure the two were working on it at the time. we got an earful of all the money that was being wasted. they have put hundreds of thousands of calculations into but the roof wouldn't stay up. then, he had an idea, if he started with a spear, he could take all the shapes needed for its surface. he came back a week later and that i have solved it. and

he made the scheme out of a sphere. in so doing, he had changed the cost of so gradually, the whole situation was going downhill, jorn utzon didn't produce the documents that his client desired. terrible. i am not sure that he saw himself able to com plete not sure that he saw himself able to complete thejob. not sure that he saw himself able to complete the job. it took the firm seven years, 350,000 man hours and at different times 200 engineers to do all the work before the final structure emerged. the building was constructed around the capacity of the largest 12 cranes which could be found. seven years afterjorn utzon

designed after endless discussions, arguments and changes in plans, and an extension of £14 million. the architectural extravaganza of the century, has emerged. you can't modify the extent of spirits that we re modify the extent of spirits that were lifted by the sydney opera house. the remarkable sydney opera house. the remarkable sydney opera house. exley are off to the united states. in 1988, students sent the world ‘s only campus for the deaf, protesting at the board ‘s decision to promote a hearing person as president. we spoke to hiking jordan, who began the first ever deaf president of the university. jordan, who began the first ever deaf president of the universitylj am deaf president of the university.” am totally deaf, i can't hear it a jet engine, i can't hear anything.

sitting in front of me, next to the camera, so sitting in front of me, next to the camera, so instead of hearing your questions i am seeing your size. right away the board recognised that the president should be adept individuals. they then had three finalists. two of us were deaf and one was hearing. i have a lot to bring the university and i have a lot to learn from it and that must start straightaway. the board of pokies decided to name elizabeth spencer the seventh president of galllaudet. . had a lot of

experience but she didn't know anything about being deaf and i guess that is when you could say the protests started. someone had the bright idea to bring buses to block the gate. the rallying cry was, we wa nt the gate. the rallying cry was, we want a deaf residents now. —— president. one of the posters out front said, honk if you support a deaf prez. and of course everybody who drove past saw that sign and honk. —— honked. then the press started to come. and for a week it was the front page of the washington post. it was a big, big story. are

the students prepared to continue blocking the entrance as long as the board blocking the entrance as long as the boa rd refuses to blocking the entrance as long as the board refuses to meet their demands? we would give up our souls in order to get a deaf president. the chair of the board was jane bassett—spillman. she came to campus and called a meeting. she wanted to talk, and explain her decision. are you going to resign? she used the word "children". she said, children, you are making too much noise, i can't communicate if you makes a much noise. using the word children to college—age students, that was not good. when doctor zinser realised the intensity of the feelings and these scents on the campus, she decided to step down. —— the sense. the board discussed and

decided to name their president. there is one person i want to single out for very special thanks. my wife, linda. right now i'm getting emotional. so i have to stop. people who are deaf must have unlimited educational and professional opportunities. a pioneer, doctor i king jordan. remember, you can watch witness every month on the bbc news channel 01’ every month on the bbc news channel or catch up with all our films and more than a thousand radio programmes in our online archive. just go to the bbc website. now we

had tojerusalem just go to the bbc website. now we had to jerusalem in 1946, just go to the bbc website. now we had tojerusalem in 1946, when british forces controlled what was then palestine. at the time, the british—based and insurgency by armed jewish groups fighting for the creation of a jewish homeland, israel. one of the most devastating attacks was the bombing of the king david hotel injury solemn, which was the location of british headquarters. —— injerusalem. we hear from headquarters. —— injerusalem. we hearfrom ajewish headquarters. —— injerusalem. we hear from a jewish secretary working in the building. after a bomb explosion caused by terrorists on the british headquarters injarrah slum, one entire corner of the king david hotel, a building of seven stories, was razed to the ground. suddenly everything was black. what happens? i couldn't understand. —— happened. you only think, how do i

get out? while arab and jew have a cause to battle for comedy british soldier is there only because it is hisjob to soldier is there only because it is his job to keep the peace. soldier is there only because it is hisjob to keep the peace. in soldier is there only because it is his job to keep the peace. in a quarrel which is not his making he doesjust that, quarrel which is not his making he does just that, and quarrel which is not his making he doesjust that, and precious quarrel which is not his making he does just that, and precious few thanks it gets for it. my family was ajewish thanks it gets for it. my family was a jewish family from germany, came to palestine because we were in danger in germany. i was 21 years old when i worked for the british in the king david hotel. typing. it wasn't a happy time. it was always tense. because they didn't know how to stop all these attacks. always, troops on the street. british police, soldiers. we worked for

them, we had to have a salary. there wasn't so much work. there was a warning. a telephone call, that bombs were laid in the cellar of the king david hotel, that the people, the workers, should all go out immediately. i was just getting up from my place and suddenly i heard an explosion. and, black. i don't see anything. after some time, i heard somebody was coughing. i said, there is another one living. men of the army

and the police were working with cranes, bulldozers, drills and shovels, to reach the unfortunate that still buried in the wreckage. — — unfortunate that still buried in the wreckage. —— unfortunate victims. that still buried in the wreckage. -- unfortunate victims. i knew they would be many, many, many dead. victims, terrible, terrible. i started to cry. the latest casualty lists included 65 killed, 47 injured and 58 missing. my boss, he was a very nice man and he was killed in the attack. of course, i was angry at who did it. i didn't know, until they told me it was etzel. the etzel was one of the jewish they told me it was etzel. the etzel was one of thejewish groups who we re was one of thejewish groups who were against the british. they want to be british to go out, but that wasn't the right way to do it. —— wa nted wasn't the right way to do it. —— wanted the british. no, i can't

agree. i worked for the british till they left. three months they gave me salary. i got compensation and that was all. so i had to say thank you. shoshana levi kampos. now we move to britain two years later in 1948 and the creation after the second world war of one of written's most cherished institutions, the national health service. for the first time, all would be able to access free universal healthcare. all would be able to access free universal healthca re. witness all would be able to access free universal healthcare. witness has been speaking to all of bellfield, who was a nurse when it began. —— olive bellfield. i had always, it was a great thing that i wanted, was to bea was a great thing that i wanted, was to be a nurse. anyone asked me, you know, what you want to do when you grow up? i always said, i want to be

a nurse. istarted nursing grow up? i always said, i want to be a nurse. i started nursing when i was 18 in 1945. you were then accepted for 12 weeks. he lived within the nurses‘ home. —— you lived. and of course it was so exciting. it sounds a bit ludicrous now, but do you know, when you think, you put on your uniform, which was pink, if we passed, that was it. we could then carry on and become our ambition of nursing. and, you know, joy upon joy, become our ambition of nursing. and, you know, joy uponjoy, it become our ambition of nursing. and, you know, joy upon joy, it happened. in britain's doctors, hospitals and health centres come under state control in the £152 million a year national health service bill, soon to come on the statute books. from july five, the new national health service starts. hospital and special

services, medicines, drugs and appliances, care of the teeth and eyes. paternity services. nevertheless, the task that lays ahead of us is far greater than what we have already accomplished. mr bevan, his main ambition in life was to get the nhs, from his early political career. hejust to get the nhs, from his early political career. he just wanted that. and of course so did everybody else. people who were helped initially would be the poor people. my initially would be the poor people. my first award was a male medical ward. one of the worst instances was a young man, and this young man died. i‘d never seen anyone die.

a young man, and this young man died. i‘d neverseen anyone die. i stood and cried. and of course i think i had most of the patients crying. but i can still remember to this day that the ward sister immediately got me out of the ward. and she said, the parents had come. make the parents a cup of tea. and of course they could see i‘ve been crying. the mother started. and there was light, crying, and she got hold of me and she said, you‘ve made me feel better than anyone else. she realised that we were human. olive bellfield on the birth of the nhs. that‘s all from witnessed this month

here at the british library. we will be back next month with more first—hand accounts of extraordinary moments in history. but for now, from me and the rest of the witnessed team, divide. —— witness team, goodbye. hello there. violent thunderstorms broke out across southern and central parts of the country late on friday. this marks the end of the current heatwave. the thunderstorms continued to clear northwards and eastwards and then things turn cooler, with showers following on behind. that is the culprit for the change to our weather, the big area of low pressure that has been moving in off the atlantic. you see the thunderstorms, a line of them across east anglia and into england and eastern scotland. as we head into the early hours of saturday, most of the thunderstorms will clear off into the north sea. they could, however, mingle on a bit longer

into the north—east of scotland. behind those, further pulses of rain pushing in to start saturday morning. it is going to be slightly cooler and fresher here but for england and wales, again, another warm and humid night. saturday, we start off with showery rain, maybe some of the country. quite a wet start for north—east scotland. some of these producing longer spells of rain in northern ireland. could be even heavier thunder across england and into the west of wales. this is something we have not seen for a while, blustery winds. i have got the wind areas on here because it is going to be quite gusty, 20 to 40 miles an hour in some places. it is going to be a lot cooler and fresher to what we have been used to. 10 degrees cooler now than what we saw thursday and friday. the low pressure is still with us

as we head into part two of the weekend. in fact, this feature running up in the south—western parts of england could bring a spell of storms. windier and cooler pretty much across the board. some of this rain will be pretty heavy and prolonged, good news for gardeners and growers, as it continues to push its way northwards into much of scotland. behind that, we could see a few sunny breaks, but it is going to be another windy day, particularly across england and wales, and even fresher on saturday, temperatures at best 21 or 22 across southern areas. closer to the high teens celsius further north. yes, it is going to be a cool, fresh week, with some strong outbreaks of rain. the signs are as we head into the new working week,

high—pressure continues to push in and these temperatures are going to be on the rise again. welcome to bbc news. i‘m alpa patel. our top stories: donald trump celebrates the strongest us economic growth in four years, despite warnings it might not last. the president takes credit for putting america first. we are the economic envy of the entire world. when i meet the leaders of countries, the first thing they say invariably is "mr president, so nice to meet you, congratulations on your economy". a spectacular night sky show for millions, as a "blood moon" rises in the longest lunar eclipse this century. the cbs television network investigates an allegation of sexual misconduct against its chaiman and chief executive.