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The initial figure released in July was boosted by a sharp rise in oil and gas production. As expected, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Friday made no change to the reading for the three months to June. It was higher than the 0.4% growth recorded for the first quarter of the year. Net trade boosted GDP by one percentage point in the second quarter - the biggest contribution from trade in four years - as exports jumped. Economists have said the boost to trade might be temporary, because the persistent strength of sterling is making British goods more expensive abroad, while turmoil in Chinese financial markets has increased uncertainty about the global outlook. Business investment rose 2.9% compared with the first three months of 2015 - the highest figure in a year. Samuel Tombs, senior UK economist at Capital Economics, said the figure "put paid to the idea that uncertainty about the general election would weigh on capital expenditure". Household spending increased by 0.7%, but was lower than the 0.9% rise in the first quarter. Weak inflation, low interest rates and a strong pound have helped to keep consumer sentiment buoyant. The UK economy expanded by 3% last year in its best result since 2006. The Bank of England expects the same momentum to be maintained this year, forecasting 2.8% growth. "With growth in households' real incomes set to remain supported by low inflation, building wage growth and strong job creation, we continue to think that the economic recovery will sustain its current pace in the second half of 2015," Mr Tombs said. On Thursday, US GDP for the second quarter was revised sharply higher at an annualised rate of 3.7%, up from the first estimate of 2.3%. Growth of 0.6% in the first three months of the year was not revised.

UK economic growth for the second quarter of the year was unrevised at 0.7%, official figures have shown.

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MEPs, including European Parliament chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt say the proposal is a "damp squib". It offers Europeans in the UK fewer rights than Britons in the EU, they say in a joint letter to newspapers. Cabinet Office minister Damian Green said the "basic rights" of EU citizens living in the UK would be "preserved". He urged Mr Verhofstadt to "read our proposal", which the UK government insists would allow about three million EU citizens to stay on the same basis as now. EU migrants who had lived in the UK for five years would be granted access to health, education and other benefits. But the prime minister's proposals would be dependent on EU states guaranteeing Britons the same rights. The leaders of the four political groups who have signed the joint letter account for two-thirds of the votes in the European Parliament. Their letter points out that that they have the power to reject any Brexit deal before it can go ahead because the parliament must approve the withdrawal agreement. The leaders said they would not endorse anything that removed rights already acquired by citizens. They said the UK proposal "falls short" because it would take away rights citizens currently have, and create new red tape and uncertainty for millions of people. The letter said this contradicted promises made by the Leave campaign that EU citizens would be treated no less favourably after Brexit. By contrast, the letter said the EU's offer - already on the table - was simple, clear and fair because it promised that all citizens, including UK nationals living in Europe, would be treated equally and lose no current rights. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Verhofstadt said EU citizens in the UK - and Britons living on the continent - should keep their current rights, rather than the government "inventing a new status". What the UK is offering EU citizens? In full: Safeguarding the position of EU citizens What is the EU offering UK citizens? In full: EU's essential principles on citizens' rights "It creates a type of second class citizenship for European Citizens in the UK," he added. "We don't see why their rights should be diminished and that would be the case in the proposal. "In the end, it is the European Parliament that will say yes or no, and I can tell you it not will be a yes if the rights of European citizens - and also the rights of UK citizens living on the continent - will be diminished [and] cut off, like it is at the moment." The letter stated: "The European Parliament will reserve its right to reject any agreement that treats EU citizens, regardless of their nationality, less favourably than they are at present. "This is a question of the basic fundamental rights and values that are at the heart of the European project." It added: "In early 2019, MEPs will have a final say on the Brexit deal. We will work closely with the EU negotiator and the 27 member states to help steer negotiations." A spokesperson for the UK government said the letter contained a "number of inaccuracies" which could cause unnecessary and needless concern to UK and EU citizens. Mr Green, who as first secretary of state is a close ally of Theresa May's, told BBC Radio 4's Today that it was clear that EU citizens would have to comply with "basic" immigration rules after the UK leaves the EU to establish their identity and nationality. But he insisted: "That is not an insuperable barrier. We all fill in forms when we go on holiday and have to get visas and all that." He suggested the UK was doing "precisely" what the EU was calling for. "Somebody who is here now will keep the rights they already have and we hope that British citizens living in other EU countries will keep the rights they already have...the basic rights will be preserved so that should not be an obstacle to a final deal." Get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morning

Theresa May's offer to give EU citizens in the UK "settled status" after Brexit has been described as being "far short of what citizens are entitled to".

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Lincoln Red Imps will bring a 1-0 lead to Glasgow next week. "We're a bit surprised," defender Sviatchenko told BBC Scotland following Brendan Rodgers' first competitive match as manager. "We will do our job when we come to Celtic Park, we know that we're the better team." The Scottish champions were humbled by semi-professional opponents, with many completing a day's work just in time for kick-off. Comparisons will be drawn with Gordon Strachan's competitive debut as Celtic manager, a 5-0 loss in Bratislava 11 years ago, when sifting through the wreckage of this humiliating outcome. Rodgers insisted in the immediate aftermath of the defeat that there was no embarrassment in losing to a club with five full-time players that has only been playing European ties for three years and competes in an amateur league. Celtic, who warmed up with four friendly matches in Austria and Slovenia, dominated possession but were hindered by a low quality artificial surface and were knocked off their stride by well-organised and energetic hosts. "It's obvious that people are disappointed, we wanted to create a much better result and we did everything we could preparation-wise, added Sviatchenko. "It's not about not being ready, it's about small details. "We are 100% together with everything. You do everything in your power to win games and sometimes it doesn't go your way. "But that doesn't conclude that it is embarrassing, it's about going through and being professional about everything. "We knew it would be a tough game, we never go into it thinking it is going to be easy. "The second leg is at Celtic Park, it is our ground, it is our grass and we'll do our job and go through." Sviatchenko captained FC Midtjylland as they swept past Lincoln 3-0 on aggregate a year ago at the same stage of the same competition and says he knew of the potential pitfalls. "They play here every day and know how to play these games, we also know that and were unlucky today," the Danish international added. "(Last year) It was the same (kind of game). We won 1-0 at home and 2-0 away, so it was still a close game. "We know that Lincoln are a team that can play football and would give everything. We knew it would be a tough game but I'm 100% sure we will go through." Lee Casciaro stunned the visitors with the only goal, the 34-year-old Ministry of Defence policeman having scored Gibraltar's first competitive goal against Scotland at Hampden last year. "This is something people dream about," he told BBC Radio Five Live. "This result is a remarkable thing for football." Asked if Celtic should be embarrassed by the defeat, he replied: "No not really. They have only been training for the past two or three weeks, pre-season, we've been training close to two months already. We train every day. "The weather benefited us and the pitch benefited us because they are not used to playing on an artificial pitch. "We have got another 90 minutes to go and we will see if we can inflict more wounds on Celtic. We have just got to enjoy ourselves and we will see what happens. "I have been lucky enough to score at Hampden Park so if I could score at Celtic it would be unimaginable."

Erik Sviatchenko is adamant that Celtic will progress to the next round of Champions League qualifying despite a shock defeat in Gibraltar.

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Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson expands on his TV analysis of how the Reds' improvement at the back is behind their rise up the Premier League table after they beat Southampton on Sunday to continue their push for a top-four place. The 3-4-2-1 formation that manager Brendan Rodgers has adopted since the end of last year suits their fast attacking players but has given them solidity at the back too. Liverpool have not become a defensive-minded team but that has given them a different way of winning games, compared to last season when their tactic was 'attack or bust' and they would concede goals but just look to outscore the opposition. They showed it against Southampton on Sunday in a game where they were not free-flowing going forward - they only had one shot at goal in the first 70 minutes - and came under a lot of pressure. They rode their luck a bit at St Mary's, especially with some of the decisions that went in their favour because Saints could have had at least one penalty. But their 2-0 win was their sixth clean sheet in a 10-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, and it is clear Rodgers can rely on his defence to win him points now too. Sometimes in football you stumble on to something that is successful. After paying £20m for centre-back Dejan Lovren in the summer, Liverpool clearly wanted and expected him to come in and be a ready-made rock. That did not happen. Rodgers was looking to play four at the back when he signed Lovren but it did not work - he would not have tried a three-man defence if it had. He probably did not plan to play Emre Can at the back either, although he had played in that position before. But he has been brilliant as part of that back three, and is able to play either side of Martin Skrtel - he has been on the right in the last few matches but operated on the left against Southampton. The thing about Can is that he can use the ball and his passing ability from that position has made a big difference to the team. Something else that has helped goalkeeper Simon Mignolet in particular is having a settled line-up at the back too. It was the same during my career - when you play alongside people regularly in defence you start to appreciate what each of them can do. Lovren came back in for Mamadou Sakho against Saints but that was their first change at the back for seven matches. They were a bit shaky at the back at first, but got better and better as the game went on. The real bonus has been the emergence of Jordon Ibe - not just in terms of what he offers going forward but defensively too. He really understands what the wing-back role is all about and he has got such fantastic pace that, even if he does make a mistake, he has got a chance of recovering. Slowly but surely, Rodgers is finding players he can rely on in every position and even better he has got competition for places too. At left wing-back he has alternated between a winger Lazar Markovic and a left-back Alberto Moreno, who is so attacking that it really suits his game. Rodgers has shoehorned his attack-minded and quick players into his team to try to recreate the pace he had going forward last season. It has taken him a while but he has managed it and found a system that allows them all to fit. Even without playing well on Sunday, Liverpool have beaten one of their major rivals for a top-four finish. It was a huge win anyway, but with Manchester United losing and Tottenham also dropping points it was a very good week for the Reds. Who will make it into the Champions League spots? Well I don't think Southampton can and I don't think Tottenham will. With Chelsea and Manchester City contesting the title, that leaves two places between three sides - Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. Three months ago, when they lost to Crystal Palace and dropped to 12th in the table it did not look like Liverpool would be in the mix but all of a sudden they have taken off. Mark Lawrenson was speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan.

People have spent a large part of this season waiting for Liverpool's new-look attack to click but it is their defence that has played a big part in the Reds' return to form.

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The incident occurred at the headquarters of the Siam Commercial Bank in Bangkok on Sunday night. Contract workers were upgrading the fire extinguisher system when a chemical retardant was released, apparently suffocating them. Police are investigating how the system was set off. The executives, Adisorn Pokha and Napong Suksanguan, are from a firm called Mega Planet, which had contracted out the work. They face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of negligence. Police Lt Gen Sanit Mahathaworn said they had expressed regret and were willing to pay compensation for damages, according to the Bangkok Post. The bank had said that an aerosol system called pyrogen was "inadvertently activated and exhausted all the oxygen in the area" as contractors were working on it. Pyrogen involves a mixture of gases including potassium carbonates, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and ammonia. The system works by removing all oxygen from the air to stifle a fire. Seven of those killed were contractors and one person was a bank security guard. Seven others were injured.

Police in Thailand have charged two executives from a fire safety firm with negligence after a chemical accident killed eight people.