this is bbc news, and these are the top stories developing at 11am. a slight fall in the gcse pass—rate as half a million students receive their results this morning. new, tougher exams were set for the first time in a number of subjects — by pupils in england, wales and northern ireland. net migration is at its lowest level for three years, after a surge in eu nationals leaving uk since last june's brexit vote. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. the husband of a woman who was knocked down and killed by a cyclist calls for new laws to tackle "irresponsible and reckless" actions. i'm just asking that the law catches up — as it has done with technology, with social media and all of these things, i'm just asking that the law catches up. also, middle aged people are being

urged to walk faster. officials at public health england say high levels of inactivity may be harming their health. good morning. it's thursday the 24th of august — welcome to bbc newsroom live. there's been a fall in the number of pupils in england, wales and northern ireland passing their gcses. overall, the percentage of passes fell to 66.3 — a decline ofjust over half a percentage point from the previous year. the fall follows big changes in the testing and grading of gcses, especially in england — where, to replace the traditional system, maths and english papers are being given a numerical mark on a scale from nine to one. the highest grade is nine, and will be awarded to fewer pupils than the a star is currently.

the bottom of the old grade c, the lowest pass at the old o—level, is equivalent to the bottom of the new grade four. changes have also been made to make the exams more challenging. not only are the questions set out in a different way, but the way the qualifications are taken, with exams at the end, rather than tested in stages along the way at different parts of the year, is also seen as more demanding. in wales, exams in english, welsh and maths have also been toughened, but the course is till taken in modules. also been toughened, but the course is still taken in modules. in northern ireland, pupils are generally sitting old—style gcses in all subjects this year, but changes are ahead. scottish students already study completely different qualifications. 16—year—olds across england, wales

and northern ireland are collecting their gcse results today. there are new pressures this year in england and wales. maths, english and welsh have all been restructured in order to stretch candidates. the new system has more grades... and in england there is a new numerical grading system for the english and maths papers. with nine being the highest score. identifying the very best students in the country. under the new system, grade four is broadly being compared to the old —style broadly being compared to the old—style grade c and considered a standard pass. however, the government says the new grade five should be considered what they call a strong pass. the alphabetic system is still in place for other gcse subjects until next year. headteachers are accusing the government of trying to push through reforms to quickly and creating a model. the consequences teachers are

that they have had to start teaching new courses partly post—i6, partly at gcse, what other things are changing in schools as well, and that will lead to a sense of frustration that there hasn't been sufficient time to plan for those, not enough practice papers for the youngsters to work on. the changes have been a big challenge for england's schools but employers are going to have to get their heads around them to. i think i will be slightly confused, but i think after time we will work it out. a standard pass, i think that would be our borderline. four. definitely. the westminster government was determined to make gcses harder, to end what some see as dumbing down. this year's results, the first of the reaffirmed exams will put ministers and missions to the test. let's get reaction from our reporters around the country now — chi chi izundu is at outwood academy in sheffield, tomos morgan is in neath and chris page is in belfast.

is in neath and chris buckler is in belfast. let's go first to sheffield. stu d e nts let's go first to sheffield. students in england bearing the brunt of the changes to the gcse exams. however a feeling about the results they‘ re exams. however a feeling about the results they're getting? here in sheffield the students have actually done much better than they expected, there has been a range of nine grade, the top grade you can now get in the subject of maths, english literature and english language, five students have managed to achieve a great nine in maths and five in both the english subject as well. as we know, the exam boards are actually saying that girls have fared to get the top grade of 9, and

two thirds of girls have managed to do that, and we will speak to some girls now who have managed to get some great scores. what you actually get? and eight in maths, nine in english language and eight an english language and eight an english lit. which surprised you most? in this language. it was quite difficult. why? i had a bit of trouble remembering to put subject terminology in inbox. and you are happy with your grades. what will happen next? i will do a—levels. happy with your grades. what will happen next? i will do a-levels. you have just opened your results, what you get? i past 11 gcses. i am so happy. you were crying earlier. i thought i wouldn't pass maths, the la st thought i wouldn't pass maths, the last test i did i got a zero and i wa nt last test i did i got a zero and i want to be hard to get the five i got. and you've done exceptionally well. all i've been working on is getting a nine in maths and it

actually happened and i felt like crying when it did. what will you do next? i'm going to sixth form to do a—levels, maths and further maths. how hard did you find the new style exams? it was strange doing three because we are used to doing too. but once you get used to it it is just the same as normal. well, congratulations. and congratulations to you too. how did you do? i got a nine in maths. i've been in tears all morning. and then i got a 's and all morning. and then i got a 's and a stars in all my subjects. are you exceptionally happy? i couldn't be happier. thank you. congratulations to everyone here. as we said, a lot of the students actually managed to get the top grades which is a seven and above is an a. nine is the top top grade which is actually earmarking the best of the rest. thank you very much and

congratulations to the students there. tomos morgan is at cefn saeson comprehensive school in neath. working in wales to the old alphabetic system of grading, but changes to six gcse exams? that is right. changes to welsh language, welsh literature, english language and literature and to maths exams as well, maths and maths we receive. i was speaking to some of the students this morning and i was asking them how they found the new exams. many said they were fair exams but they found a little tough because they didn't have many things to go back on, past papers, etc. as you mentioned, the grading system stays so we mentioned, the grading system stays so we still have a start down to a g oi’ so we still have a start down to a g orare so we still have a start down to a g or are you at the bottom. and in terms of the pass rate, in terms of the new system there has been a drop

in the number of systems that have reached between a star and c grade in wales and between a star and a. the exam regulator has put that down toa number of the exam regulator has put that down to a number of students taking english and maths at the earliest stage and of course is being a new system. so pupils may be getting less because of the new system and taking the exams earlier. i was speaking to the education secretary, ki rsty speaking to the education secretary, kirsty williams, earlier. she was saying that these changes have been put in place to improve standards here in wales and she made no regrets for making these new changes here. next year there will be changes to some other exams in wales, science, french and drama. but as i say, the pass rate dipping in wales due to changes to some core subjects, welsh, english and maths. thank you. a slightly different

process again in northern ireland. chris buckler is at ashfield girls school in belfast. i understand a small number of stu d e nts i understand a small number of students are receiving the results in the numerical greats but the vast majority are working to the old system. the old grading system still stands here. reforms are coming down the line but not for a couple of yea rs the line but not for a couple of years yet. those differences in wales and england, it makes it quite difficult to compare exactly what is happening there with here. however, they are saying today there is a strong overall performance in northern ireland and they are pleased with the results. they say they stack up quite well against the results they are seeing in england and wales. beyond that, they are looking at girls outperforming boys here and actually if anything that has widened a little. let's speak to alison mcgowan, the principle here. first of all, i'm sure you're pleased to see girls performing well but that will be a concern to some

teachers. yes, we would like to see the results, we got 75% a start and see which is increasing but there are still children struggling a little. we'd like to see them leave and go on to local colleges and we feel we have prepared them well. that is important too. we are still seeing parents and pupils going in, getting those envelopes and seeing how they have done. we have heard from some people who have done very well already. you have to think about those who have not done particularly well or not as well as they hoped. there are options out there for them. there are lots of options. sometimes we offer places to repeat this year, we might have two or three children who have four gcses but are happy to come into this year. then again we have girls who have four gcses but are going to use that go on to regional college or straight into something like hair and beauty academy. there are lots of options out there for those children. and pushing the subjects

that are being extended, there seems to have been a move towards stem subjects, is that something you are seeing here? we have noticed a difference. i taught in both co—ed and sigel sex schools and i see a massive difference in the results when it is single sex. in this school for example, 93% of girls passing double award science gcse, 9796 passing double award science gcse, 97% at single award getting the results in technology and design and ict and massive improvements this year. it is great to see. congratulations on all the results. thank you joining us. as i mentioned, science, technology, those science that has ever seen a push towards them. when you look into the figures, some of reduction ina into the figures, some of reduction in a couple of the sciences is pushed by a big move towards computing, about a fifth up on last year the number of students taking it. a lot of very happy people here and others now thinking about what

to do next. thank you very much, chris. let's find out now what employers think about the new grading system. we can cross to quit westminster studio. good morning. what you think right now in the uk, if we look at the four nations, students are being graded and tested in slightly different ways. that can't be particularly helpful to would—be employers? i think firstly i should say congratulations to everyone who got their results this morning. this question of differentiation across the three nations that use gcse is not new. for the last few years we have had to deal with a welsh gcse meaning something different to english gcse. in some ways the move of england was numeric raises just

making an obvious difference that was already there. these are different exams. for us, the most important thing in what we have been working with the english exam regulator and their equivalent bodies in ink wales and northern ireland is making sure businesses understand what these grades mean. that is most important thing for companies because as the employer earlier and said it is understanding what is a sea is now a fog in england will help businesses make a judgment about where young people are if they are coming into the labour market at 16. most people still getting their head around this due thing? we did some survey data earlier in the year and we think just over a third of british businesses are not yet clear about what the new grades mean in england. i think that is a big challenge, it is something we have been working

with the government on. but clearly, as these new grades come through, as they expand to more subjects, we will expect to see that understanding growing. there is ambiguity in the system, obviously employers will look for all sorts of qualities and criteria in a would—be member of staff, but if they are looking purely at academic achievement you do not know, for example, someone achievement you do not know, for example, someone who has an a star in wales and someone who has a great nine in england, whether those two people pull our equally as bright, although clearly very bright. people pull our equally as bright, although clearly very brightlj think this is where it is up to us in the business community to just challenge some of the assumptions we make in education. if you talk to businesses around the country, what they will say is we want young people who are absolutely bright, literate, numerate, they have their gcses in english and maths, but beyond that we are looking for

people who are willing to pitch in, who are resilient, who know how to learn, who are looking to develop. those are not things the gcse system necessary tests. it is important on exa m necessary tests. it is important on exam results day, especially for those young people who maybe did not get what they wanted this morning, to emphasise that the businesses it is not just about the to emphasise that the businesses it is notjust about the academics, however important they are. thank you very much. the headlines on bbc newsroom live: a slight fall in the gcse pass—rate as 500,000 students receive their results. net migration is at its lowest level for three years, after a surge in eu nationals leaving the uk since last june's brexit vote. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. and in sport:

it's the fight that's making headlines around the world. conor mcgregor and floyd mayweather came face to face ahead of their fight this weekend. the american is chasing a 50th win, while mcgregor, who isn't a professional boxer, says he wants to take up the sport — in his words — once he wins the fight. the efl third round cup draw took place in china overnight and produced four all premier league ties as well as holders manchester united hosting burton albion. and he's back — geraint thomas returns from injury for tour of britain which starts in two weeks. the welshman broke his collarbone in a fall at last month's tour de france. i'll be back with more on those stories. net migration has fallen to its lowest level for three years, largely down to a surge in the number of eu nationals leaving the uk since the brexit vote. net migration — the difference between those entering and leaving the uk — fell to 246,000 in the year to march 2017. that's a drop of 81,000

on the previous year. much of that figure is down to the net migration of eu citizens falling by 51,000. despite today's falling figures, the government remains well short of its target of bringing net migration below 100,000. we can speak now to madeleine sumption, who's the director of the migration observatory at oxford university. good morning. looking at these figures, can you give us a little more analysis of how and why net migration is falling. as you said, the trade and we are seeing is among eu citizens and that is particularly driven by higher emigration from eastern european and particularly the onesjoining the eu in 2004, the largest country being poland. we

don't know from the data exactly why people are leaving, many are going home to live. but the suspicion is the referendum properly has honestly with it. it could be an effect of the changing exchange rate, the fact that the pounds earned in the uk are no longer as valuable as they used to be. it could also be not so much of the hard economic ‘s but maybe a feeling that they are not welcome all they have had enough time in the uk and it is time to go home. picking at different reasons as was difficult. the office for national statistics is cautioning they do not have an updated to say whether this isa have an updated to say whether this is a long—term trend. but there does seem is a long—term trend. but there does seem to be a brexit effect. we can't say how long that will last, but it seems to be a factor. it does seem likely to be a factor. that is obviously the biggest change in the uk's economy from a migration point of view. of course, when you think

about the facts of brexit, what happens next is potentially more important because these changes that have happened with no change in policy. the next few years we will get more information on the likelihood in respect of policies in the uk and we could respect as a result of much more significant fall in net migration now we have seen today. and employers in particular are going to be studying the statistics and looking at this trend if it is a trend very carefully. yes. there are a lot of employers over the last ten or 15 years have become quite reliant on european workers, particularly employers of people in low skilled jobs. many of them are already reporting they are seeing fewer applicants for their jobs, they are also keeping a closer eye on policy changes after brexit because what is happening now may just be a taste of more significant reductions in the numbers of eastern

europeans available for those jobs of the next few years. thank you very much for your time. dutch police have made a second arrest this morning after a possible terror threat at forced the cancellation of cancer in wreck rotterdam last night. late yesterday, acting on a tip—off from spain, they arrested the driver of a van found to be carrying gas canisters although he is not now believed to be connected to the terror threat. this report from tim orman. once again, armed police on the streets of a european city. a local music venue cordoned off, people being told to go home. a concert that was cancelled after a warning of a potential terror attack. translation: the information we received from spanish police suggested there was an attack planned on a concert by an american band. the information was so serious that the police consulted with the owners. two options were considered. let the event go ahead with increased security or possibly cancelling it.

they thought it was justified to cancel the concert. the band who were supposed to perform are called allah—las. they come from california and have had some controversy over their name and the use of the arabic word for god. they were escorted away by police while concert goers were turned away. "we are from around here so it's not a big problem," said this man. "it's a bummer for those who came from afar. "they basically came here for nothing. "i'm curious to hear the reason for cancellation." "i'd like to know exactly what is going on," said this man, "what information this decision was based on." not far away, a van was found with spanish number plates containing gas canisters. the driver was detained by police but it's now being reported he had in principle no connection to jihadist terrorism and the gas canisters were for domestic use. this may have been a tragedy averted.

this may have all been a false alarm. but either way nerves are on edge. the threat is still there. our correspondent anna holligan has the latest on the arrests from rotterdam. this was a 22—year—old man, he was picked up by police in the early hours of this morning, his house was searched and now he is being questioned in connection with a possible threat against this music venue here in rotterdam. the band who were supposed to be on stage last night say they regularly receive messages from muslims who are concerned about their use of the word alaa, the arabic word for god in their name. police say the spanish van driver who was picked up near this venue last night is a

mechanic by profession and aside from the gas canisters there was nothing else of any suspicion found in his vehicle. the spanish authorities have said the tip—off they passed on to dutch police was asa they passed on to dutch police was as a result of a long—running investigation and had nothing to do with the attacks in spain last week. a hospital in portsmouth has been given a formal warning notice by the health watchdog for putting vulnerable patients at risk of ‘very poor care.‘ inspectors said that hospital staff at the queen alexandra hospital fed medication to patients by hiding them in their meals. inspectors also had to intervene to help a choking patient when two staff members failed to act. the hospital said it was confident it would be able to improve. clear up is continuing in northern ireland after nearly two thirds of the average august rain fell fell and under nine hours. more than 100 people had to be rescued after being

trapped by the water. at one point the fire service received an emergency call every 45 seconds. the north was worst affected, particularly londonderry as well as other parts of the and county tyrone. a holiday—maker from west sussex who was arrested in turkey is facing up to three years in prison for reportedly trying to take home ancient coins he found while on a family holiday. he was believed to have said his children found the coins was looming. he is being detained in prison under suspicion of smuggling historical artefacts. the husband of a woman who was knocked down and killed by a cyclist has called for new laws to tackle "irresponsible and reckless" actions. charlie alston was riding a bike with no front brake when he hit kim briggs while she was crossing the road. he was cleared of manslaughter, but convicted of causing bodily harm. kim's husband matthew has been speaking to our correspondent dan johnson. i have an i have an enormous

i have an enormous respect for the justice system and that respect has actually grown. huge respect for the police and the cps, and i was in their hands. and i think they have done the right thing. but it has shown the law is inadequate. people keep saying you are calling for new yours, iam keep saying you are calling for new yours, i am not calling for a new york. i am calling for a change to the law to incorporate cycling. we have dangerous driving and regulars driving, causing death by. i am calling for a site linked to be incorporated into that, for the law to catch up. i have not yet met anybody who said that does not make sense or cannot be done. from where iam sat, sense or cannot be done. from where i am sat, it seems to be very straightforward. let's get this done so that when it happens again, the next person who is sat here has not had to go through this. more and more people are cycling which is fantastic, it is ready good thing.

so the law is outdated, it refers back to 1861. i am asking that the law catches up as it is doing with technology, social media, all of these things, i am just asking that these things, i am just asking that the law catches up. so that cyclists are treated the same as car drivers, motorcycle lists... so that cycling is brought into the road traffic act, it catches up with huge increase in number of cyclists and enables the police and cps to have a coherent charging framework which there just isn't the moment. my challenge is to get that britain into law. i have a young family i need to look after and will always ta ke need to look after and will always take priority for me. but i will work diligently, probably in the background once all of this media stuff has gone on, and do what i can. asi

stuff has gone on, and do what i can. as i say, i have had no one come forward to me and say that is difficult or it can't be done. i'm quite a determined person, i can be quite... ican quite a determined person, i can be quite... i can be quite determined when i need to be. i welcome all the support we can get. let's take a look at the weather now. we can look forward to a lot of dry weather today and over the coming days, but there are a few showers lurking around. as we take a look at the satellite from earlier you can see the breast of the drier and brighter weather, and a few more showers reading across northern ireland into western parts of scotland. as we had further south we can see the best of the sunshine. temperatures getting up to about 22

celsius. through tonight the winds pick up, suddenly across northern ireland and scotland, some showers along the spells of rain pushing eastwards through the night, but further south hanging onto lighter winds, is clearer skies, temperatures 11 to 14 celsius and suddenly feeling fresher than the past few nights. tomorrow we do it allagain, if past few nights. tomorrow we do it all again, if anything feeling slightly warmer tomorrow across the south—east. further north and west we have a bit more cloud and a few showers coming in. a little blustery around those showers as well. temperatures tomorrow up to around 25 celsius. this is bbc newsroom live. the headlines at 11.30am. gcses passes have dropped slightly across the range of subjects as half a million students receive their results this morning. new, tougher exams were sat for the first time in a number of subjects by pupils in england, wales and northern ireland.

net migration has fallen to the lowest level for three years after a surge in the number of eu nationals leaving the uk countries has fallen and emigration has also risen. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. the 22—year—old man was detained in the early hours of this morning. the husband of a woman who was knocked down and killed by a cyclist calls for a change to the law to tackle irresponsible and reckless actions. matthew briggs has urged reckless riders to learn from his wife's death. officials at a public health injured are urging those between the age of 40 and 60 to do some brisk walks amid concern that high levels of

inactivity may be harming their health. let's get the sport now. it's the fight that keeps making headlines around the world. conor mcgregor, the mixed—martial artist and floyd mayweather the undefeated champ, are in las vegas in the build up to their clash this weekend. this was their last press conference before the fight which will take place in the early hours of sunday morning. some are calling it a pantomime, others love it. it's set to be one of the most lucrative boxing matches in history with both fighters set to earn millions of pounds, including a diamond encrusted belt. and unusually there wasn't the typical exchange of insults between the pair. that's what it's really about. the best fighting the best. he's the best fighting the best. he's the best at what he do, i'm the best at what i do, but when it's all said and done, conor mcgregor is like myself. in an octagon, he's undefeated standing up. he can do a

lot of this, i can do a lot of this, but it comes down to the skills. but it comes down to us fighting and competing and giving you guys what you want to see. when you face a man you're about to fight, it's very ha rd you're about to fight, it's very hard to keep everything in check, you make the stakes and errors and you make the stakes and errors and you slip up, i'm only human. i think the whole lot of it, there's many ups and downs, it's nice to come full circle but i think the overall experience of it has been great for boxing, mixed martialarts experience of it has been great for boxing, mixed martial arts and combat sport at the end of the world. we are to athletes who are just risking our belts and we should be respected for that. liverpool have made the group stages of the champion league after beating german side hoffenheim 4—2 at anfield to win their qualifying play—off 6—3 over all. there are six british sides in the draw which will be made later today in monaco. but what aboutjurgen klopp, it's always good to hear from him. he's upbeat about his sides european adventure. it's so exciting now to be part of

it, for me personally it's, i don't two or three years ago, —— i don't know exactly, two or three years ago. i loved it always. the players and the crowd loved it, we will have and the crowd loved it, we will have a few fantastic european nights in anfield so all good at the moment. whilst most people were sleeping, the draw for the third round of the efl took place in china. leicester city will play liverpool in the pick of the ties. there are four all—premier league ties in total, with crystal palace hosting huddersfield and brighton travelling to bournemouth. holders manchester united will host burton albion whilst arsenal face league one side doncaster. two premier league sides were knocked out of the cup last night but west ham managed to see off cheltenham last night. diafra sakho helped the hammers take control of the match from the first half. newcastle united were knocked out by championship side nottingham forest. while last year's finalists southampton also lost 2—0 to wolves. and burnley scored twice to ease them into the third round with victory over blackburn at ewood park.

jack cork heading the clarets in front. it finished 2—0 there. england full—back danielle waterman has been ruled out of the women's rugby world cup final with concussion. defending champions england face new zealand in belfast on saturday. the 2014 world cup winner left the field in the first half of england's 20 to three semifinal victory over france. team sky's geraint thomas will return to cycling for the tour of britain next month, with team—mate and compatriot owain doull also set to compete. the welshman was second overall when he broke his collarbone in a fall at last month's tour de france. the tour of britain starts in edinburgh in september and will finish in the welsh riders' home city of cardiff. milos raonic is the latest high—profile player to pull out of the us open, which starts on monday. the world number 11 has withdrawn because of a persistent wrist injury but said that he planned to return to action before the end of the year.

defending champion stan wawrinka, novak djokovic, kei nishikori and victoria azarenka will also be missing at flushing meadows. that's all the sport for now. more now on the gcse results which have come out today. our reporter tim muffett visited the ark academy to get more on this i'm joined from our westminster studio by the minister for school standards nick gibb. i know you will want to congratulate stu d e nts i know you will want to congratulate students receiving their results this morning, and now we have a better understanding, in england and there was a slight fall in the past rate, and rails, slightly bigger, and in northern ireland, a rise in the pass rate. —— there was a slight fall in the past rate in england and wales. education is a devolved

matter so i'm responsible for england's schools. we should congratulate all the students throughout the united kingdom and throughout the united kingdom and throughout england and wales, northern ireland, in collecting gcse results today, to achieve a standard pass or better in those gcses is a huge achievement and thanks to all the teachers in preparing our youngsters for these more demanding gcse is that we're seeing this year. let's talk about the new numerical grades for those three subjects, in england, that will be introduced across all of the subject in the next few years. we had from the confederation of british industry short while ago that in players are trying to get their heads around —— that employers are tried to get their heads around what this means. there is ambiguity with this new grading structure. we had to introduce a new grading structure because the new reformed gcses are significantly more demanding, there's more content in the curriculum, they are up at the

better preparation for the a—levels. to draw a distinction between the new and old, we wanted to introduce a new grading system and the numerical system helps us make that distinction. it's straightforward, 1-9, distinction. it's straightforward, 1—9, nine is the top grade. we had extensive communications over the last few years with schools, employers and parents to ensure that they understand the new system and our surveys show that 70% of businesses understand it, 80% of secondary school parents understand it, and 97% of secondary headteachers understand the system. i know you deal with english schools, speaking of ambiguity, how would an employer in england with a prospective candidate from wales and england, one who got a a* in wales and one who got a grade nine in england on the given subject, how would they know whether the a*

student from wales have achieved as highly as the english student, they wouldn't, would they? to have achieved and a* in the gcse means you need to work hard and achieve, so employers can be confident that both of the students have done very well and are able pupils. what we've been doing over the last seven years is reforming the whole education system in england to see a significant rise, not just system in england to see a significant rise, notjust in gcse standards but also primary school, to improve the way that primary school teachers have been taught to read, so that they are better prepared for that and in mathematics. we are seeing the reformed gcses and last week we saw reformed gcses and last week we saw reformed a—levels, because we are determined that the english education system will keep pace with those high performing countries around the world whose education systems a re around the world whose education systems are continually improving. we wa nt systems are continually improving. we want our youngsters to be able to

compete with those youngsters from those countries in what is an increasingly competitive globaljobs market and global economy. how are you going to measure and demonstrate that this new style of exam, that the new grading systems, are delivering that? you don'tjust look at the grading system, because we wa nt at the grading system, because we want part —— consistency in the yea rs. want part —— consistency in the years. what matters is, what they know, how could their mathematics is, how sophisticated their reading is, how sophisticated their reading is, and to get a good grade in these english and maths gcses, you mean to have read widely and need to have a sophisticated level of mathematics. that is what you would judge our reforms on. have this year's stu d e nts reforms on. have this year's students had a raw deal, then? some critics says they were underprepared going into these exams and did not have a fair chance to get ready for this new way of being examined. i've

been very impressed by the way schools have responded to this more demanding gcse. but also the system is designed to ensure that whenever there's a new gcse, the students taking their gcse for the first time would be disadvantaged. that's what this thing called comparative outcomes is about. you will see broadly the same proportions achieving those a grades, given the prior attainment of the students taking the exam, so no student will be disadvantaged because we've introduced a new gcse. thank you very much. let's get some reaction to another of our top stories, the latest immigration figures, and net migration is at its lowest level for three years after a big fall in the number of eu citizens living here. joining me now from our westminster studio is lord green, the founding chairman of migration watch uk. good morning. what's your

interpretation of these figures? are you looking at the brexit effect? yes, most of the drop is a drop of 50,000 per yearfrom largely eastern europe, and that looks as though people are slightly less willing to come here and slightly more willing to leave. but don't forget that there are still 50,000 extra east europeans coming last year, compared to 100,000 the previous year. the numbers are still very large. the other thing we must not lose sight of is the overall total which is still 250,000, a quarter of a million. that's having a massive effect on our population as we keep saying. it adds half a million a year to our population in the medium term and it means we have to build a city the size of birmingham every two years. city the size of birmingham every two yea rs. we city the size of birmingham every two years. we have to hold onto that and realise that much more action is needed if we are to get immigration down to a sensible and acceptable level. if people are not coming from

those eastern european countries, or from eastern european countries and deciding to go back home, isn't that going to cause a problem for certain sectors of industry here, because they won't be able to get the staff to fill positions? well, the best way to deal with a staff shortage is either to raise wages to bring people into your sector or better still to raise productivity. there's no sense in having more and more people coming into this country. we have three million—plus from europe, 8 million altogether migrant ‘s in britain and they make a valuable contribution, most of them. but i think people are fed up with endless inflows putting pressure on housing, on the health service, and so on. we've got to find a way to run our economy which doesn't mean hundreds of thousands of people arriving and staying every year. the ons say they

don't know whether these figures are evidence of a long—term trend, what's your sense? i think they are right to be cautious, there's been a lot of nonsense talked about the difficulties that europeans will face in britain after brexit. they're virtually certain to be guaranteed at least the same rights as british citizens. so frankly, i think they can relax. but people who had thought of leaving anyway might be slightly more inclined to go. thank you very much for your time. there is to be a major investigation into the impact that international stu d e nts into the impact that international students have on the uk's economy. the government commissioned study will examine the effect on the labour market and education sector. british universities are the second most popular destination to study in the world after those in the united states. we can speak now to sir steve smith, the vice—chancellor of exeter university. thank you forjoining us. do you

think a study of this sort is needed? i think very much is so, we absolutely welcome a study into the incredible fact that international stu d e nts incredible fact that international students bring to the uk. throughout the uk in all cities, international stu d e nts the uk in all cities, international students at enormously both to the culture, but also as we see, massively to the economic development of regions. so we'd like to have a student policy that's based upon data, based upon a clear indication of what the international student body brings. and we think this is very much to be welcomed. indeed, we have called for this for a number of years. so how could that sort of data influence your policy at the university? well, the first point to make is that we have been told that international students overstay their welcome, we now know from the data released this morning from the data released this morning from the data released this morning from the home office study that the

number of students not going back after they have studied at university is approximately 3%. we have been told before that it was half the students who didn't go back to their own country. so we feel this allows us to take more international students, get more international students, get more international students, get more international students coming to the uk. they add £13 billion per year into the export and into the country so we think this gives government a firm basis, especially post—brexit, to make sure the uk is open to international students and welcoming to them. eventually you'd be spending more time and money recruiting overseas students, then? yes, every university has a balance between uk—based students and international students. what we found in the uk is that the number of stu d e nts found in the uk is that the number of students coming to the uk has fallen in the last few years, with still the second largest country to

receive international students, but nonetheless, it's been more difficult because the tone of the discussions has been that many of them stay after they studied and thus have felt unwelcome. so we therefore now feel that this enquiry therefore now feel that this enquiry the government is going to undertake will give us clear evidence on which to inform government policy and thus make it more rational. they keep talking to us. —— thank you for talking to us. —— thank you for talking to us. —— thank you for talking to us. in a moment a summary of the business news this hour but first, the headlines on bbc newsroom live: a slight fall in the gcse pass—rate as half a million students receive their results in england, wales and northern ireland. net migration is at its lowest level for three years, after a surge in eu nationals leaving the uk since last june's brexit vote. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. the owner of carphone warehouse and dixons has warned that more

expensive mobile phone handsets and lower eu roaming charges will hurt its profits. shares fell 20% after it said pre—tax profits this year would be £360m to £440m, down from £501m last year. the uk economy grew at 0.3% between april and june, according to the office for national statistics, which is unchanged from an initial reading of data for the second quarter. the number of cars built in the uk last month rose by nearly 8% compared with the same time last year. that's accorording to the society of motor manufacturers and traders. but the number of cars made in the uk in the first seven months of the year fell 1.6% to about one million. the owner of carphone warehouse and dixons has warned that more expensive mobile phone handsets and lower eu roaming charges will hurt its profits.

at one point, its shares were down more than 30% after it said profits this year would come in much lower than last year's £500 million. dixons carphone said customers were not upgrading their phones as frequently because handsets had risen in price. it also predicted it would take a hit from the eu scrapping roaming charges for people using mobile phones abroad. let's talk to catherine shuttleworth, a retail analyst. explain this for us, i get the first one, i get that expensive phones means we do not buy as many of them, but how does eu roaming charges hit profits at carphone? part of what they do is take a slice of the revenue from contracts that they sell, that will be missing because we will not be spending as much

money abroad as we were before. what's surprising is this is no great surprise for carphone, they knew about it, it's been coming for some time. the bigger issue is that smartphone penetration is 90%, most of us have a smartphone and short of cooking our dinner, they can do anything for us and we don't need to replace them because we're not picking them up as quickly as before. this is also a problem for people who make the phones like samsung and apple, a big lunch for some song yesterday —— from samsung yesterday, apple have an new one on the way. it's about persuading people that you need the latest model. yes, and i think a lot of people are pinning their hopes on a big christmas, the new iphone notches on september 12. but shoppersjust aren't notches on september 12. but shoppers just aren't going to be buying them. things get tougher, retail sales are slowing, these

ticket items are not the things we will spend our money on. retail sales have gone up in food but everywhere us is flat and i think that's a concern as we move into the last quarter of the year. that was the picture that played out in the retail sales figures, we are still buying food but just retail sales figures, we are still buying food butjust not the other stuff. does that tell us more about the wider economy, the fact that we've not got as much disposable income and we're going to concentrate on the things we need, like food? absolutely right. i think we are cooling on our spending. even if we got the money, where saving it up if we got the money, where saving it upjust in if we got the money, where saving it up just in case because were not sure what's round the corner. that uncertainty with everything that's going on in the economy at the moment means that we're focusing on what we need and food is that something that we need to buy whatever happens. thank you, some insight into those figures there. here's a look at some other stories we're following today. the food industry has warned that a post—brexit labour shortage could leave a third of its businesses unviable. the food and drink federation says the sector faces a rapidly

approaching workforce shortage and skills gap. almost half of all businesses it surveyed said eu nationals working in the uk were considering leaving. taxi app uber says it took bookings worth $8.7 billion in three months to the end ofjune, up 17% on the same period last year. the total number of bookings was up 150%. it's still losing money though, but that figure is falling each quarter. the results come after an unprecedented series of scandals that have engulfed the company in 2017. and people searching for depression on google will soon be prompted to take a questionnaire to assess if they may be suffering from the illness. the search giant has partnered with the us national alliance on mental illness, to roll out the project which is currently only for us users. some much—needed help there if

you're searching for it. quick look at the markets, that's the confirmation of the dixons carphone number down 20%, nearly 30% at some went today, because the investors we re went today, because the investors were spooked. the chief executive ‘s morning said that he says that cheap shares are going so people will buy them. provident financial are up, we talked about the huge fall in its share price earlier in the week because of the way it collect money changing. there's more business news later. public health england wants middle—aged people middle aged people to walk middle—aged people faster and more often. it's found that 40 % of 40 to 60—year—olds take a brisk 10—minute walk less than once a month. our health correspondent dominic hughes reports. in denton, in manchester, the first steps towards a healthier lifestyle. this walking group is starting slowly, but already some members are feeling the benefits of a regular stroll. i've lost about four stone.

have you? four stone, wow. gone from 25 to 21. that is impressive. so, it does help. it's got me out. getting some exercise, and it's company as well, because i live my own, so that helps a lot. it's week two for me, i'm a newbie. and i decided when i retired that i wanted to do lots of different things, and i've done lots of things to keep the mind going, but not a lot to keep the body going. the beauty of walking is, of course, it is free. you don't need any special training, or indeed, any special kit. but health experts say doing at least ten minutes of brisk walking every day, well, that can have a really positive impact on your health. and it's brisk walking, around three mph, that is the key. gp dr zoe williams practices what she preaches to her patients, but millions of adults are missing out. four out of ten adults between the ages of 40 and 60 are not managing to achieve ten minutes of brisk walking per month, which sounds unbelievable, and lots of those people will be walking, but they are not

walking at a brisk pace. walking can help with weight loss, back pain, diabetes, and even reducing the risk of cancer. now, we are all being urged to get up and get moving. vicky balch has been using the new app and she joins vicky balch has been using the new app and shejoins us vicky balch has been using the new app and she joins us from where she trained in bexleyheath. welcome to the bbc news channel. were you one of the people who are hardly ever took a brisk walk? i regularly run, but i never used to monitor my walking. i would but i never used to monitor my walking. iwould be but i never used to monitor my walking. i would be the one who would be driving to school in the morning, but once we downloaded the out and started to use it, we walking to school but at a brisk pace and enjoying the benefits. we can show a picture of you before you

started running this, so how much weight have you lost in total?|j have lost six stone in total. and was there a particular trigger that made you decide, i want to start moving more? yes, i started to move more some years ago, my dad died of hereditary lung disease and emphysema, so i decided to ditch the cigarettes, lose the weight and get moving more and get off the couch more and it started off very slowly, and here i am, regularly walking and running today. so the walking led to the running, and did you find it initially in the early days, did you find it quite easy to incorporate a short period of brisk walking into your everyday life? yes, when i very first started walking, it'd be with

the baby in the pram and it will be short bursts, and as my fitness and confidence improved, i wanted to go more and more, and it's now a family affair, we like to walk and run. how do you feel compared to before you lost the weight and before you were doing that level of exercise?” lost the weight and before you were doing that level of exercise? i feel $1 million, ifeel like i'm the man that i was wanted to be. i don't have the risk of emphysema hanging over my head. —— ifeel like have the risk of emphysema hanging over my head. —— i feel like the mother that i all wanted to be. i'm not using my asthma pumps as much as idid,i not using my asthma pumps as much as idid, ijust not using my asthma pumps as much as i did, ijust can't wait to get my trainers on and get out and run. you area trainers on and get out and run. you are a fantastic advert for this, well done and thank you for talking to us. let's check out the weather now. the sun is shining, whether it's raining, i don't know, let's find out. perfect conditions to head out and

about, we have a lot of dry weather in the forecast over the coming days but there are a few showers lurking around. if we look at the satellite, much of them are across western parts, south and east get the best of the drier and brighter conditions. that theme will continue over the few days. this was the scene over the few days. this was the scene this morning in norfolk. this afternoon we have low pressure across the north west, from the south, high pressure is building. then we have better whether further south. north and west, showers fishing into northern ireland and western parts of scotland, a little bit breezy around the showers. further south and east staying largely dry with good sunny spells and feeling pretty warm in the sunshine. as the head on into the afternoon, for the rest of the afternoon, for the rest of the afternoon, a quiet affair across southern part of the british isles. we might see a few showers across

odd shower but plenty of drier weather and some sunny spells coming through as well. still some sunny spells coming through, northern ireland has a lot more cloud this afternoon. the night we had onto a similar theme, showers continuing to packin similar theme, showers continuing to pack in from the north—west. further south and east, staying largely dry with clear skies, perfect conditions to head out and ghosts —— and go start gazing. tomorrow we do it all again, showers merging into longer spells of rain across northern ireland and western scotland, blustery around the showers, but south and east it is largely dry and sunny, if anything feeling warmer than today with temperatures up to 25 degrees. we will continue with that team as we head into the weekend. high pressure sitting

co mforta bly weekend. high pressure sitting comfortably across the british isles, low pressure to the north—west, feeding in a few showers. that theme will continue into the weekend, the further south and east to our, staying dry and bright, north and west, a bit more cloud, on and off showers. by the time we head into bank holiday monday, a bit of uncertainty about the forecast but as it stands you will see rain in the north—west, fanny in the south—east and it will be windy where we have the rain. —— sunny in the south—east. this is bbc news and these are the top stories developing at midday:

a slight fall in the gcse pass—rate as half a million students receive their results this morning. new, tougher exams were sat for the first time in a number of subjects by pupils in england, wales and northern ireland. the schools minister said pupils we re the schools minister said pupils were not disadvantaged. the system is designed to ensure when there is a new gcse, the students won't be disadvantaged. net migration is at its lowest level for three years, after a surge in eu nationals leaving the uk since last june's brexit vote. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. the husband of a woman who was knocked down and killed by a cyclist calls for a change to the law to tackle ‘irresponsible and reckless' actions. i'm just asking that the law catches up — as it has done with technology, with social media and all of these things, i'm just asking that the law catches up.

also this hour — middle—aged people are being urged to walk faster. officials at public health england says high levels of inactivity may be harming their health. good afternoon. welcome to bbc newsroom live. there's been a slight fall in the number of pupils in england, wales and northern ireland passing their gcses. overall, the percentage of passes fell to 66.3 — a decline ofjust over half a percentage point from the previous year. the fall follows big changes in the testing and grading of gcses, especially in england — where maths and english papers

are now being given a numnerical mark on a scale from 9 to 1. the highest grade is nine, and will be awarded to fewer pupils than the a star is currently. the bottom of the old grade c, the lowest pass at the old o—level, is equivalent to the bottom of the new grade four. changes have also been made to make the exams more challenging. not only are the questions set out in a different way, but the way the qualifications are taken, with exams at the end, rather than tested in stages along the way at different parts of the year, is also seen as more demanding in wales, exams in english, welsh and maths have also been toughened, but the course is till taken in modules. in northern ireland, pupils are generally sitting old—style gcses in all subjects this year, but changes are ahead. scottish students already study completely different qualifications. sophie long reports.

16—year—olds across england, wales and northern ireland are collecting their gcse results today. there are new pressures this year in england and wales. maths, english and welsh have all been restructured in order to stretch candidates. and in england there is a new numerical grading system for the english and maths papers, with nine being the highest score, identifying the very best students in the country. under the new system, grade four is broadly being compared to the old—style grade c and considered a standard pass. however, the government says the new grade five should be considered what they call a "strong pass". the alphabetic system is still in place for other gcse subjects until next year. headteachers are accusing the government of trying to push through reforms too quickly and creating a muddle. the consequences for teachers are

that they have had to start teaching new courses partly post—16, partly at gcse, when other things are changing in schools as well, and that will lead to a sense of frustration that there hasn't been sufficient time to plan for those, not enough practice papers for the youngsters to work on. the changes have been a big challenge for england's schools, but employers are going to have to get their heads around them to. i think i will be slightly confused, but i think after time we will work it out. a standard pass, i think that would be our borderline — four, definitely. the westminster government was determined to make gcses harder, to end what some see as dumbing—down. this year's results — the first of the reformed exams — will put ministers' ambitions to the test. earlier the ministerfor

earlier the minister for school standards told the bbc the new system has not disadvantaged pupils using it for the first time. i have been impressed by the way schools have responded to this more demanding gcse. but also the system is designed to ensure that when ever there is a new gcse, the students taking that gcse for the first time won't be disadvantaged. that is what this is about. you will see broadly the same proportions achieving the a grades, given the prior attainment of the students taking the exam. so no student will be disadvantaged compared to, because we have introduced a new gcse. let's get reaction from our reporters around the country now — chi chi izundu is at outwood academy in sheffield, tomos morgan is at is at and chris page is in ashfield girls school in belfast.

what have teachers been saying to you, students have had to deal with changes. yes in england, across the range of subjects the pass mark has gone down slightly. here even though it has gone quiet now, the gcse hall was packed and students were incredibly happy with the grades that they got. as you said, the big change has been to three particular subjects — english literature, english language and maths. the exams became more difficult and also the grading system changed. so no longer do you get an a to g. you get a nine to one. it turns out that the exa m a nine to one. it turns out that the exam boards say that girls fared better in the getting the nine grade. we will talk to liz, well done, you have opened your results,

how did you do? i got an 8 in maths and a nine in english. that was better than expected. the papers we re better than expected. the papers were difficult and i didn't think i had studied hard enough. what is your plan for the future? had studied hard enough. what is your plan for the future ?|j had studied hard enough. what is your plan for the future? i hope to bea your plan for the future? i hope to be a lawyer. congratulations. and you are eck statically happy, there we re you are eck statically happy, there were tears from you. yes, i didn't think i would pass maths, because the last mock i took i got a grade zero. but i pushed and pushed. did you find the exam structure difficult? yes it is so hard. last year when it was different it was so hard, this year it was so hard. so what did you get? agot a grade 5 and i got what did you get? agot a grade 5 and igot ana in what did you get? agot a grade 5 and i got an a in chemistry, that was my weak one out of the three. well done. out ward abgd mey is part of a

academy trust and they have 17 schools. martin oliver, you're ceoo trust. how have you schools done. very good. i'm so proud of the students and the staff, a new challenge, harder and we have excelled. almost record results across every academy. a number of your students have achieved that nine grade? yes across the trust i have got 63 students have got a grade nine in maths, 90 in english and 18 in both english and maths. so again we couldn't be prouder of them or ourof our again we couldn't be prouder of them or our of our children. how did you guide them through this? or our of our children. how did you guide them through thi57m or our of our children. how did you guide them through this? it is supporting the children to be resilient and working with our teachers and as a trust i have a bunch of teachers that are working

across my schools and they have been fantastic in grabbing the new changes and working through them. well done. we wanted to go back to becca who got her results today, you have decided on your career path already. what will that be?” have decided on your career path already. what will that be? i want to bea already. what will that be? i want to be a policewoman. 0h already. what will that be? i want to be a policewoman. oh dear, what a shame. just as we were going to hear what becca was going to do! maybe we will find out later. i think a police officer actually is what i'm being told. good luck to her. now let's cross to belfast and chris buckler is at a girls' school there. in northern ireland, gcse passes we re in northern ireland, gcse passes were actually up. congratulations to stu d e nts were actually up. congratulations to students there. but a mix of ways in which the exams were being grade i understand? yes, it is any of the

pupils who sat english will in some cases get the one to nine grade, but most are getting a to g grade. the northern ireland performance is difficult, because of the changes to directly compare the results with what is happening in england. however they have done well and that is the message from the exam boards and just under four out of five pupils got an a star to c. that is a pass grade. it is up half a percentage point. so a few celebrations here. it is also worth remembering that not all pupils do well. paula, you have been discussing this with some pupils. the support sometimes they need at this stage? yes we are delighted. we have had some of the best results in the school's history and it is down to the work of pupils and staff. but some are disappointed. a lot of

times it has been about exams. we work hard preparing pupils to consider all the path ways. we do that through work experience and providing careers guidance, on days where pupils are anxious and making sure they have the right guidance to make the right choices and make the next step in education and so they have a successful future whether in school or other ways. the school is for girls school or other ways. the school is forgirls and school or other ways. the school is for girls and when you look at the performance here, girls are widening the gap in northern ireland. we saw ina the gap in northern ireland. we saw in a levels boys overtaking girl, why do you think at gcse girls are still doing better than boy?|j why do you think at gcse girls are still doing better than boy? i have beena still doing better than boy? i have been a teacher here for a number of years, here we are investing time and money and energy in notjust helping the girls to study... if

they have healthy competition within they have healthy competition within the classroom... they ask questions iif the classroom... they ask questions i if you can create the environment. huge apologies, we are having problems there in belfast as well. we are trying to tell you about the gcses. i think we have managed in part. but apologies for those technical difficulties. let's hope there won't be any problems with the line to the next guest. i'm joined by suzanne teras a former teach who works now for a company called maths no problem. you feel strongly that the students in england taking the gcse in english, english language and literature and maths have essentially been used as guinea pigs? i think that, essentially been used as guinea pigs? ithink that, i essentially been used as guinea pigs? i think that, i don't think anyone's against bringing rigour

into the system. that is crucial if we wa nt into the system. that is crucial if we want to be commensurate with other countries who are achieving well in international tables. however, i think there has been a lack ofjoined up thinking. i think there are some excellent initiatives at primary level, where the maths mastery system has been introduced at key stage one and two and it showing already results in students who are more flexible in their thinking, who have a better depth of understanding and who are being able to access a range of problems that are actually much more rigorous and they have been previously exposed. but instead of allowing that to build and the momentum from that to build, and taking it through key stage 3 and 4 with more rigorous exams at that stage, we have implemented for this year's cohort more difficult exams, particularly

in maths, where there were elements that had previously only been seen on the a—level syllabus, without giving them time to build the strategies and the skills they needed to be access those more difficult problems. how would you have done it differently, because if you introduce changes to exams, there will always be a cohort, a year, where students are the first pupils to face the exams. how would you do it differently? there is a lwa ys you do it differently? there is always isn't there a cohort that has to be the first to take the exam. but if you look at a country like singapore who had terrible results in tests in all kind of international comparison tables in the 1980s and who decided they were going to implement change, not over a period of government, but over a generation. and they have very

successfully turned around the fortu nes successfully turned around the fortunes of their students and they're now fortunes of their students and they‘ re now right fortunes of their students and they're now right at the top of the international comparison tables and i think we need to take a long view. we mustn't, there will always of course be a first year of new examinations. but we need to stop look for an instant solution. examinations. but we need to stop look for an instant solutionlj examinations. but we need to stop look for an instant solution. i put it to the schools minister, were stu d e nts it to the schools minister, were students this year in england taking gcses disadvantaged compared to other students, he said the system is designed to not disadvantage stu d e nts is designed to not disadvantage students and to broadly give the grades and the similar proportions as other years. what do you say to that? i have two questions about that, i think in a sense it is absolutely right to do that. but on the other hand, were saying aren't we that these new exams are more rigorous and they're more demanding and we are saying, but we are going

to maintain the statistics, so we are going to broadly speaking have the same number of people passing at each grade level. there seems to be to me an inconsistency, wouldn't bit better the build students who had the skills to excel at the level that they were expected to perform, rather than maintaining an artificial pass grade? 0k, thank you. thank you. and at half past two we'll be putting your questions tojulie swan from the exam regulator quual. we'll have all the information about how the new gcses work but do send us in your questions. you can text us on 61124 or tweet using the hashtag bbcaskthis that's at half past two here on bbc news. the headlines on bbc newsroom live:

a slight fall overall in the gcse pass—rate as 500,000 students receive their results in england, wales and northern ireland. net migration is at its lowest level or three years after a surge of eu nationals leaving the country. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. time for some more sports news. thank you. it's the fight that keeps making headlines around the world. conor mcgregor — the mixed—martial artist — and flloyd mayweather — the undefeated champ — are in las vegas in the build up to their clash this weekend. this was their last press conference before the fight which will take place in the early hours of sunday morning. it's set to be one of the most lucrative boxing matches in history with both fighters set to earn millions of pounds, including a diamond encrusted belt.

and unusually there wasn't the typical exchange of insults between the pair. that's what it's really about. the best fighting the best. he's the best at what he do, i'm the best at what i do, but when it's all said and done, conor mcgregor is like myself. in an octagon, he's undefeated standing up. he can do a lot of this, i can do a lot of this, but it comes down to the skills. it comes down to us fighting and competing and giving you guys what you want to see. it is hard to keep things in check, you make mistakes and you slip up. we are only human. i think the whole spebgtd kal it —— spectacle, i think the over all experience has been great for the sport. we are two athletes that are coming and risk it

it all. so we should be respect fodder that. —— respected it all. so we should be respect fodderthat. —— respected forthat. whilst most people were sleeping, the draw for the third round of the efl took place in china. leicester city will play liverpool in the pick of the ties. there are four all—premier league ties in total, with crystal palace hosting huddersfield and brighton travelling to bournemouth. holders manchester united will host burton albion whilst arsenal face league one side doncaster. team sky's geraint thomas will return to cycling for the tour of britain next month, with team—mate and compatriot owain doull also set to compete. the welshman was second overall when he broke his collarbone in a fall at last month's tour de france. the tour of britain starts in edinburgh in september and will finish in the welsh riders' home city of cardiff. milos raonic is the latest high—profile player to pull out of the us open, which starts on monday. the world number 11 has withdrawn because of a persistent wrist injury but said that he planned to return to action before the end of the year. defending champion stan wawrinka, novak djokovic, kei nishikori and victoria azarenka will also be missing at flushing meadows. that is all for now. more in the

next hour. thank you. net migration has fallen to its lowest level for three years, largely down to a surge in the number of eu nationals leaving the uk since the brexit vote. net migration — the difference between those entering and leaving the uk — fell to 246,000 in the year to march 2017. that's a drop of 81,000 on the previous year. much of that figure is down to the net migration of eu citizens falling by 51,000. despite today's falling figures, the government remains well short of its target of bringing net migration below 100,000. we have had a statement from the shadow home secretary, diane abbot commenting on the statistics, saying

tory migration policy is a shambles. against all advice, theresa may continues to insist on maintaining an arbitrary target which has never once been met. we can speak now to immigration minister brandon lewis. good afternoon. what is your response to diane abbot? i'm not going to respond directly what she said. she has her view. the reality is we are seeing a third quarter running of a reduction in migration and it highlights why we cannot be complacent about seeing net migration fall to sustainable levels. that will take time. because while we are in the eu we don't have full control of our borders and we do with the non—eu and we have seen a20 do with the non—eu and we have seen a 20 fall in these figures. the fall with eu citizens, do you attribute

that to the brexit effect?” with eu citizens, do you attribute that to the brexit effect? i think it is good news for everyone in europe that countries around europe are seeing their economies grow. but we are continuing to be members of the eu until we leave in march 2019. so we have that free movement that people can benefit from and companies can recruit through. but it is good to see local companies recruiting as much as they can here in britain. but the pound has fallen, whether people are choosing to leave because the pound they once earned in the uk does not go so far, or because of the tone of the debate and they feel less welcome, do you think this is a trend that is going to continue, the ons said it is too early to say, what is your feeling on that? we have been clear, we have made a on that? we have been clear, we have madeafairand on that? we have been clear, we have made a fair and serious offer to eu citizens around having settled status when we leave and a clear message in that that we want to be

clear that we welcome people from around the world and people from all over europe, three million are in in country, contributing to our society and playing an important part in your economy and we need to ensure continuing to welcome people. but if we leave the eu we will have more control of our borders and we have been able to see a 20% in non—eu migration, because we have a compliant environment and that benefits the education sector and we have a more compliant environment and that is good news for the economy and students. is the full in net eu my migration continues, how will that influence the brexit negotiations? the negotiations at the moment are at the stage where we are negotiating on the offer for eu people and we will have a white paperfor when we people and we will have a white paper for when we leave the eu and

we have commissioned a committee to look at the impact and benefits of european labour on the british labour market to inform the work we do on that and they will report next year. today, we are announcing that we have asked the immigration advisory committee to do work on non—eu and eu students and the impact they have. we have seen concerns from employers perhaps in the less skilled sectors about where their employees are going to come from. what are you doing to address those concerns? we are members of eu and they can recruit in the same way they have done and that will continue until we leave. we are working my department and i have been meeting with representatives from the sector. the migration advisory committee can feed into so so we advisory committee can feed into so so we have a system that not only gives control that we want to see, but also is able to support and

continue to see a thriving economy for the uk. thank you. dutch police have made a second arrest this morning — after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. late yesterday, acting on a tip off from spain, they arrested the driver of a van found to be carrying gas canisters, although he's now not believed to be connected to the terror thereat. tim allman reports. once again, armed police on the streets of a european city. a local music venue cordoned off, people being told to go home. a concert that was cancelled after a warning of a potential terror attack. translation: the information we received from spanish police suggested there was an attack planned on a concert by an american band. the information was so serious that the police consulted with the owners. two options were considered. let the event go ahead with increased security or possibly cancelling it.

they thought it was justified to cancel the concert. the band who were supposed to perform are called allah—las. they come from california and have had some controversy over their name and the use of the arabic word for god. they were escorted away by police while concert goers were turned away. "we are from around here so it's not a big problem," said this man. "it's a bummer for those who came from afar. "they basically came here for nothing. "i'm curious to hear the reason for cancellation." "i'd like to know exactly what is going on," said this man, "what information this decision was based on." not far away, a van was found with spanish number plates containing gas canisters. the driver was detained by police but it's now being reported he had in principle no connection to jihadist terrorism and the gas canisters were for domestic use. this may have been a tragedy averted. this may have all been a false alarm.

but either way nerves are on edge. the threat is still there. anna holligan is in rotterdam outside the venue where the concert was due to be held. this was a 22—year—old man, he was picked up by police in the early hours of this morning, his house was searched and now he is being questioned in connection with a possible threat against this music venue, here in rotterdam. the band who were supposed to be on stage last night, the allah—las, say they regularly receive messages from muslims who are concerned about their use of the word allah — the arabic word for god — in their name. police say the spanish van driver who was picked up near this venue last night is a mechanic by profession, and aside from the gas canisters there was nothing else of any suspicion found in his vehicle. the spanish authorities have said the tip—off

they passed on to dutch police was as a result of a long—running investigation, and had nothing to do with the attacks in spain last week. now let's get the weather forecast. good afternoon. it is a mixture of sunshine and showers. the best of the brightness the further south and east you are. further north—west more cloud and showers. that is the how we will be for the rest of the day. northern ireland, western scotla nd day. northern ireland, western scotland seeing the majority of the showers. and some creeping into the north west. we could see the odd heavy shower in eastern scotland. for much of england and wales dry and bright and for much of england and wales dry and brightand highs for much of england and wales dry and bright and highs of 22 celsius. tonight it will be largely dry for much of england and wales and eastern scotland, but for northern

ireland and western scotland spill some rain. lows between 11 and 134 celsius. tomorrow we start with the same pattern with rain that could be persistent moving into northern ireland and western scotland and north—west england. for much of england and wales dry and bright with sunshine. with the sunshine around, the temperatures up to 25 celsius in the south—east. this is bbc newsroom live. the headlines at 12.30pm. gcses passes overall have dropped slightly across the range of subjects as half a million students receive their results today. new, tougher exams were sat for the first time in a number of subjects by pupils in england, wales and northern ireland. net migration has fallen to the lowest level for three years after a surge in the number of eu nationals leaving the uk since lastjune's brexit vote. the ons figures show that immigration from all countries has fallen and emigration has also risen. dutch police make a second arrest

after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. the 22—year—old man was detained in the early hours of this morning. the husband of a woman who was knocked down and killed by a cyclist calls for a change to the law to tackle irresponsible and reckless actions. matthew briggs has urged reckless riders to learn from his wife's death. officials at public health england are urging those between the ages of 40 and 60 to start doing regular brisk walks amid concern high levels of inactivity may be harming their health. more now on the gcse results which have come out today. our reporter tim muffett visited the ark academy in north london to talk to some of the students there. around 150 students here at ark academy in north london are receiving their results today. and 600,000 16—year—olds in total,

it's such a big day for them. and we're to be chatting to some of the students here in a moment, to see how they get on. but we also thought it would be interesting to catch up with three students around the country to hear about the sort of pressures they've been under, how they felt they faired with their exams, and what it's like to be 16. i'm excited to see what i've done. i know what i've tried my hardest whatever results i get. i am quite nervous, but i'm actually quite excited because it's a new stage. # i've been thinking about tomorrow # instead of drowning in the past.# shanice dreams of becoming an engineer. her college is right next to silverstone racetrack. if she passes all her gcses, a highly coveted apprenticeship awaits. it's for aston martin, doing product development, which would be within manufacturing,

working on their cars. i thought at first that i wouldn't get through because there are so many people my age that are more talented than me and have more experience. how much pressure do you feel under at the moment? well, obviously, there is a lot of pressure because it is a big, like, change in life. you arejust coming into the adult world. if i fail anything i would have to retake them. fingers crossed. # tell them i'm no fool... laurie's big love is cricket. i've been involved since a young age and i havejust always just loved playing. what do you hope to do when you get the results? i quite like the idea of doing a sports coaching apprenticeship, so i can do something i really like doing. but do a—levels give you a better prospect for the future? i am not really sure. # as i wake up this bright morning...

i'm excited, nervous, but i just want to get the results so i can get into my sixth form and i can possibly pursue a career in music. yash was born partially sighted. this trip to an indoor ski slope has been arranged by the royal society for blind children. growing up with partial sight, it can be hard to come to terms with your condition. now i use it as a strength, but not a weakness. if i do get the grades, i'm hoping for five grades that are above b, i will get my sixth form place and all my needs are catered for. what is the kind of best thing about being 16? you really get to learn a lot about the world. being 16, there's so many options you can have. mum and dad pay for things like food and tv and things like that. what's the worst thing about being 16? um... nothing. # tell them i'm no fool.# delighted to say we've heard

from shanice and she has got the results she needed to get on that apprenticeship, and laurie, too, has received an excellent set of results so a lot of options open for him. yash, you saw in the report, he's here today. how did you get on? i did well, i got bs for most of my grades and i got the grades needed to get into my sixth form and i'm thankful that my teachers didn't give up on me and just, thank you to everyone who ever believed in me. many congratulations, and thank you for sharing your story with us. well done to you. let's have a quick chat to some of the students here, how did you get on? i did well. what did you get? i got a five a*s, fouras, a cand a b. excellent set of results, how about you, sir? i'm very happy with my results. i got two as, and five bs. very good, you got this new marking system this year as well, how did you get on? i think i did quite well. good stuff, congratulations. let's have a quick chat to the headteacher, delia. what's it been like with this

new marking system in three subjects, english literature, english language and maths, graded now 9—1? clearly, it's been a lot of hard work for all maths and english teachers across the country. particularly as the requirements of the exam has increased in rigour. and also we've got no previous exams to look at, so everybody has been working in the dark. i think, i know that we've risen to the challenge, and i also know that standards do appear to be going up so i'm very pleased. congratulations, you certainly have an excellent set of results amongst many students we've spoken to. so more than half a million people, 16—year—olds getting their results today, it's a huge day, unlikely to be one they'll ever forget. great stories there from those students. meanwhile, let's have a look in wales. our correspondent tomas morgan sent this update from a school in north wales.

well, the pupils coming into this school here today are very happy today, the majority of them have got exactly in what they wanted and the majority of the ones that i've spoken to are happy with the new reforms in wales. and what are they? essentially the changes are to some of the core subjects, english language, english literature, welsh language, welsh literature, maths and maths numeracy. the biggest change in wales for decades. and to explain what changes have been made, i've got the education secretary for wales here, kirsty williams. there has been a drop in grades for those core subjects this year, just explain to us why you think that drop has been. there are a number of factors, not least the big change to the qualifications, new specifications, new ways in which their skills are being examined. but clearly we've seen an unprecedented number of entries into the examination system, so that's year ten pupils entering into exams after one year of study. and the independent regulator has said that this has had an impact on the overall pass rate. if you look at pass rates for just 16 years old who have done the exams after two years,

the pass rate jumps. and this year, in a way, are guinea pigs and test trials for this new form, are at a slight disadvantage to the following years that are going to take this exam in the future. it is certainly the case that you can't compared this year's results with last year's results. because the courses are very, very different, and the method of examination is very different. although the examination boards and qualification regulators have tried hard to make sure people aren't disadvantaged, but clearly when you have such a big change, and a completely new gcse, maths numeracy, that's a real challenge for the school system and when you consider the size of that challenge overall, the school system has coped very well. and one of the biggest changes is in maths, there is a maths numeracy test which is far more real—life. a few of the pupils i spoke to here today did find it challenging. how do you think the pupils got on? there has been a drop in maths. well, i make no apologies for having high expectations of our students in the welsh education system.

and i want employers and colleges and universities to know that welsh students have been tested very rigorously with regards to their mathematics skills. indeed, our maths numeracy reflects the call from many employers over many years to say that they want children to have notjust theoretical mathematical skills but the ability to apply those maths skills in real life. so they are challenging exams. it's a new qualification so undoubtedly that's going to have an impact. as a welsh government, we're investing millions in our new methods for testing maths so we're better supporting our teachers to ensure that we can see improvement as results of these as results of these examinations bed in. kirsty williams, education secretary, thank you very much. the other big change in wales, not a change in some respects, is that we're staying with the numerical grading system, a* down to g, down to a u, whereas in england they have changed to a numerical system. from all the children as seen here, pupils as seen here, smiles all round and they've

all got their mindsets to september. i'm joined from our westminster studio by mark dawe from the association of employment and learning providers, whose members deliver the majority of apprenticeships and traineeships in the workplace. he also used to run an exam board. good afternoon to you. what will the members of your association be doing as they look at these results, and the grading, as we have been explaining, varying depending on where in the uk you are? and what wonderful all where in the uk you are? and what all set of results again, and a lot of people are considering apprenticeships, whether young person is going into work and learning when they work. i think maths and english other big

new a re are fantastic result for england, are fantastic result for those taking then first time, 35% in the maths, another body blow when they could be doing functional skills which is what into lawyers want. you would like schools and colleges in england to be perhaps offering an additional maths exam that concentrate on more practical maths, if i can put it that way? absolutely, at the moment there is a government policy which requires colleges and independent training providers to deliver gcse maths if the young person hasn't got a grade

cor the young person hasn't got a grade c or what is now at grade four. those independent training providers and colleges know that a functional skills route which is more contextualised, if a plumber does functional skills, they learn about the weight of pipe and length of copper, so learning what they are doing to plumbing is relevant to general maths. that's the practical approach, and banging on with theoretical gcse maths has led to a failure rate. we think there should bea failure rate. we think there should be a different approach post extreme and this leads to change otherwise we will get failure after failure, which is very sad for a young person who's already suffered in the school. apart from the whole range of skill sets that prospective employer or someone offering and a project might be looking for, if they are purely looking at academic results, is it more difficult this year to decide between one would—be

employee and another, depending on where they'd come from? in england you got the subject being by numerical grades, whereas someone coming from wales is still working with the old alphabetical grades. the change always needs explaining that i think we've heard through the morning that this change is partly curriculum driven, so the maths is a lot more robust, a lot more is being asked of the students, and english asked of the students, and english as well. alongside that, the grading has changed. the big change is at the top ten. so instead of a* and eh, we have now got seven, eight and nine. soak it's now much harder to get and nine than and a*. and the equivalent of c or above is now four

or above, 4—9. so there is actual equivalents. it will take some time for people to understand but it's simple. to be honest, it's how we teach and treat the students which is more important and we should be teaching them maths and english all the way through to 18, it's just what maths and english and how that is assessed, whether it's functional skills, which needs properfunding as well, all with the sissies. we're saying it should be a combination of both, depending on what the student is doing in their college or independent training provider. good to hear your point of view, thank you very much. and at 2.30 we'll be putting your questions tojulie swan from the exam regulator quual. we'll have all the information about how the new gcses work but do send us in your questions. you can text us on 61124 or tweet using the hashtag #bbcaskthis. that's at 2.30pm here on bbc news.

a hospital in portsmouth has been given a formal warning notice by the health watchdog for putting vulnerable patients at risk of very poor care. inspectors said that hospital staff at the queen alexandra hospital fed medication to patients by hiding them in their meals. inspectors also had to intervene to help a choking patient when two staff members failed to act. the hospital said it was confident it would be able to improve. the husband of a woman who was knocked down and killed by a cyclist has called for new laws to tackle "irresponsible and reckless" actions. charlie alston was riding a bike with no front brake when he hit kim briggs while she was crossing the road. he was cleared of manslaughter, but convicted of causing bodily harm. kim's husband matthew has been speaking to our correspondent dan johnson. i have an enormous respect for the justice system and that respect has actually grown. huge respect for the police and the cps, and i was in their hands.

and i think they have done the right thing. but it has shown the law is inadequate. people keep saying you are calling for new laws. i am not calling for a new law, i am calling for a change to the law to incorporate cycling. we have dangerous driving and reckless driving, causing death by driving. i am calling for cycling to be incorporated into that, for the law to catch up. i have not yet met anybody who said that does not make sense or cannot be done. from where i am sat, it seems to be very straightforward. let's get this done so that when it happens again, the next person who is sat here has not had to go through this. more and more people are cycling, which is fantastic, it is a really good thing. so the law is outdated, it refers back to 1861. i am just asking that the law

catches up, as it is doing with technology, social media, all of these things. i am just asking that the law catches up. so that cyclists are treated the same as car drivers, motorcyclists? so that cycling is brought into the road traffic act, it catches up with the huge increase in number of cyclists and enables the police and cps to have a coherent charging framework, which there just isn't the moment. my challenge is to get that written into law. i have a young family i need to look after and will always take priority for me. but i will work diligently, probably in the background, once all of this media stuff has gone on, i will work diligently and do what i can. as i say, i have had no one in a position of authority come forward to me and say that it is difficult or it can't be done. i'm quite a determined

person, i can be quite... i can be quite determined when i need to be. and i welcome all the support we can get. matt briggs, husband of kim briggs, talking to our correspondent. a slight fall in the gcse pass—rate as half a million students receive their results in england, wales and northern ireland. net migration is at its lowest level for three years, after a surge in eu nationals leaving the uk since last june's brexit vote. dutch police make a second arrest after a possible terror threat forced the cancellation of a concert in rotterdam last night. the importance of data protection and exchange post brexit has been highlighted by the government in a new paper. it says data flows are vital for the economies of both the uk and the eu. joining me to tell us

more is our technology correspondent, rory cellan—jones. good afternoon. the paper says that in reaching a deal, the uk starts from an unprecedented point of alignment with the eu, to quote it. it sounds as though the uk doesn't wa nt very it sounds as though the uk doesn't want very much to change. absolutely, in fact couple of weeks ago, the government published details of a new data detection act it will bring in which will effectively ta ke it will bring in which will effectively take europe's sweeping new data protection regulation which comes in next may and put that lock, stock and barrel into uk law. great effort has been gone too to give businesses certainties because they're already grappling with the indications of this new european wide law. britain is saying, we're putting the law into practice, everything should be fine, it should be easy enough to reach an agreement during these brexit talks about data protection. when we talk about data

protection. when we talk about data protection and exchange, what sort of things were talking about? protection and exchange, what sort of things were talking abounm protection and exchange, what sort of things were talking about? it is the lifeblood of the modern digital economy, every bit of information that you put on facebook, shopping companies have on you, that they need to exchange across european boundaries. europe has gone to great efforts, there's been a long process of coming up with this new regulation. along with the importance of this data, there's been growing concerns about privacy and our personal rights, giving us rights. that will be the question from europe's point of view. when we leave, we will be technically becoming what is called a third country, and usually there's quite a competitive process with making sure that third country is in line with europe's quite high data regulations. so potentially not as straightforward as the uk would like it to be in terms of keeping things at the status quo. i noticed that the government is saying it wants to

do explore this boat eu uk model for exchanging of protecting personal data. —— bespoke model. we've had a lot of this, about rising new unique models, so what are the chances of the government here actually achieving that? one might think that this is one area where there would be less friction than on some issues, but there still will be concerns in europe, for instance, there are great concerns in countries like germany about privacy and data collection. there will be some questions about four example the exchange of government data, perhaps they test the —— data that is acquired by massive surveillance. there are points of friction. the paper makes it clear that the data economy is very important for both sides, so the eu, for its part, should be eager to seek a deal. but

these have been very compact negotiations in the past. thank you very much. —— these have been very complex negotiations in the past. a brain damaged violinist has performed in concert with her best friend, 29 years after a devastating accident left her unable to to play. in a ground—breaking project, rosemaryjohnson was wired up to a computer using specialist software, allowing her to compose and play music again. this month, for the first time, she was able to perform with fellow musician alison balfour, a friend from her days with the welsh national opera orchestra. let's have a look at the project in action. i have this thought. imagine, just imagine, if it would be possible to read information from your brain to compose music. that somebody can no longer move their body, can no longer play a musical instrument. imagine if you could design

something to reconnect this person with music. when i met rosie, there was something that clicked. i knew that she was a musician. i knew that she would understand. the system is reading rosie's brainwaves. she makes a selection and the violin player plays those phrases. that moment was magical. the idea of playing with rosie again after so many years was something i

never imagined would be possible. earlier alison balfour, a friend and fellow musician, told the victoria derbyshire programme about her experience playing alongside rosie again. it was a privilege. i felt honoured to be playing with rosie after all this time. it was extraordinary to see her reaction to see what was possible, notjust for rosie but for possibly many other people. tell us more about her before the accident and your friendship? well, we were not best friends. she was a bit younger than me. but we are all together in an orchestra, and we are all violinists together. and when she had this accident, we all felt utterly broken. and it took a long

time to get over that. people will know, of course, that listening to music can be transformational for your feelings. how much do you think it has meant to her to do this? well, i hope it has meant quite a lot to her. her reaction when we were doing the recordings was wonderful to see. she looked so happy, she was smiling and she had a look of total exhilaration, i have to say. and what do you take away from it? the wonder of what can happen with technology, it's extraordinary. are you hoping that you will be able to do more with her, going forward? i would like to, who knows? the headlines are coming up on the bbc news channel.

in a moment we say goodbye to viewers on bbc two. first, we leave you with for a look at the weather. hello there. a fairly settled spell of weather as we move through the next few days, the best of the brightness in the south—east, always the greater chance of seeing since hours or longer spells of rain in the northwest thanks to this area of low pressure which will park itself there in the next few days. high pressure further south so we will see the best of the brightness there. good spells of sunshine and blue skies popping through. more in the way of cloud in the north, fairly low and grey, with showers here and there. showers in wales and the sort southwest, they will peter out but the majority of showers are

in northern ireland. some showers across northern ireland, particularly further west you are. more cloud further west in scotland, spells of brightness in the east but one or two potentially heavy showers. northern england, one or two showers but brightening up and becoming drier in the south. the odd isolated shower in the west. in the south—east, temperatures reaching a maximum of 22 degrees, mostly dry with sunny spells. this evening and overnight, showery and briggs of rain across northern ireland, western scotland and north west england, which could be more persistent. drier in other areas. tomorrow, we start off with a fairly similar set tomorrow, we start off with a fairly similarset up, tomorrow, we start off with a fairly similar set up, low—pressure park towards the north—west, high—pressure further south so more prolonged spells of rain across northern ireland and into western

scotland. for england and wales, dry and bright day, good stars of sunshine developing, temperatures are little bit up on today, a maximum of 25 celsius. into the weekend, starting off on a similar note. low—pressure sitting in the north—west, showery outbreaks of rain which could be heavy across scotla nd rain which could be heavy across scotland on saturday but for england and wales, dry and bright weather and wales, dry and bright weather and warmest in the south—east. as we move into sunday, the chance of a few showers spreading into the midlands but into monday, becoming increasingly unsettled and breezy with the rain in the north but dry in the south. net migration to the uk falls by a quarter — it's at its lowest level for three years. new figures suggest migrants from eastern and central european countries have been returning home. we'll look at whether the shift is a consequence of brexit. also this lunchtime: the number of students getting top gcse grades in maths and english has fallen slightly — after the introduction of new tougher exams.

the husband of the woman knocked down and killed by a speeding cyclist in london calls for a change in the law, to tackle irresponsible and reckless behaviour. i'm asking that the law catches up, as it is doing with technology, with social media, with all of these things. i'm just asking that the law catches up. the mobile phone group dixons carphone issues a profits warning — it says increasingly expensive handsets has led to a slump in people buying.