the iranian army said two of its soldiers were killed in the attacks. growing calls for de—escalation are pouring in from around the world. egypt, qatar and the uk are among the countries calling on iran to show restraint and break the cycle of violence. the united states has urged iran not to retaliate. iran should not respond. we will continue to work with allies to de—escalate the situation across the region. more than 29,000 people have arrived in the uk in small boats so far this year, according to the latest home office data. the government says it's working to disrupt people—smuggling gangs. i'm martine croxall. the chancellor is set to increase the national insurance rate for employers in wednesday's budget. rachel reeves is also expected to bring down the threshold

at which businesses start having to pay it. the two measures are expected to raise about £20 billion for public services, including the nhs. here's our business correspondent marc ashdown. cuffed—in coffee employs ten people on the island of anglesey in north wales. like many small businesses, they're weighing up the potential impact if their national insurance contributions go up. if rates go up, we face higher operational costs, which will lead to tough decisions such as reducing staff hours, holding off on hiring new staff and cutting back on expansion plans. national insurance helps fund the state pension and some benefits. employers pay it on a worker's earnings above £175 a week, at a rate of 13.8%. now, it's thought at the budget that could be put up to more than 15%, and the chancellor may also lower the threshold at which the treasury starts collecting it. now, employees earning more

than £242 a week also contribute 8% themselves. it's thought that won't change. labour believes that fulfils a manifesto promise not to raise taxes for working people. but some sectors have faced years of rising costs, like hospitality, which employs more than 3 million people, and leaders say this is another devastating blow. this is a tax on jobs. however it comes through, whoever�*s bank account it comes out of, the net effect is that this limits job opportunities, it limitsjob creation, it limits investment in people and skills. it is felt by working people. the bbc understands the chancellor is not now likely to bring in a levy on employer pensions contributions as well. but these two changes to employer national insurance contributions could be the single largest revenue raiser at next week's budget. the conservatives have accused labour of reinventing what counts as a working person, but a government source said the money raised would help fund the nhs,

and that asking businesses to help out was part of the tough choices the government would have to make. marc ashdown, bbc news. the climate change watchdog has set out what it calls an ambitious target for the uk to cut emissions over the next decade. the government is thought to be preparing a new "international pledge on emissions reductions" at the un climate conference next month. 0ur climate editorjustin rowlatt has the latest. reaching this new target will mean big changes in all our lives, the climate change committee says. it says urgent action is needed to get us to switch to electric cars, to replace our gas boilers with heat pumps and as a nation, to plant more trees and lots of them. but the goal is achievable, the committee believes. mainly what's changed is that all the core technologies have got cheaper and they keep getting cheaper, and that's what gives us more and more confidence that we'll be able to achieve this very ambitious level of emissions reductions. ecole de paris at acceptee.

when virtually all the countries of the world signed up to the paris climate agreement back in 2015, they agreed to set targets every five years, outlining how they plan to cut carbon emissions over the next decade. the latest nationally determined contribution, or ndc, as these pledges are known, is not due until next year. the uk government is planning to announce its goal early for two reasons. firstly, to signal a renewed leadership on the climate issue globally and second, as a way of trying to call forth bold action from other countries. the idea is that these ndcs are stepping stones on a pathway to net zero. that is when the country will be adding no additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. the uk has made a legally binding commitment to reach net zero by 2050. the 81% emissions cuts on 1990 levels would represent a significant toughening of the existing pledge, which requires emissions cuts

of 68% by 2030. the steelworks at port talbot is switching from coal to electricity, an example of the kind of changes the uk needs to make. the proposed 2035 target sounds very ambitious, but is actually broadly in line with the uk's current carbon cutting strategy. the problem is we're already off track, which is why the climate change committee is saying urgent action is needed. justin rowlatt, bbc news. with the polls in the us election still close, there are concerns that if donald trump loses, he will refuse to accept the result, as he did in 2020. our analysis editor ros atkins has been looking at why these concerns have emerged, and what might happen this time. the polls in this election

remain incredibly tight. trump could win, harris could win, but what could happen if trump loses? we can expect legal challenges, concern about violence and we know what happened last time. we were caettin happened last time. we were getting ready _ happened last time. we were getting ready to win - happened last time. we were getting ready to win this - getting ready to win this election. frankly we did when the selection.— the selection. trump would repeatedly _ the selection. trump would repeatedly and _ the selection. trump would repeatedly and falsely - the selection. trump would | repeatedly and falsely claim the election has been stolen, his allies launched multiple legal challenges, trump pressured his vice president not to certify the result and on january not to certify the result and onjanuary six, some of his supporters stormed the capitol. none of this work, the result of a certified bit trump never accept it as the defeat which brings us to this election. if for some reason i lose, i think this country will go into a tailspin the likes of which it has never seen before. the likes of 1929, but if i do and it is free and fair, absolutely

i will accept the results. that the last election _ i will accept the results. that the last election was - i will accept the results. that the last election was free - i will accept the results. that the last election was free and fair and we know what followed. to avoid a repeat, lawmakers passed a new law to make it harder for congress to challenge the results. that is here in washington. then there are the states themselves, as politico reports since 2020... critics of trump see disruption i had. 50 critics of trump see disruption ihad, ., critics of trump see disruption i had. i. ., , ., i had. so you are seeing a growing — i had. so you are seeing a growing movement - i had. so you are seeing a growing movement of- i had. so you are seeing a. growing movement of legal fights about whether election results can be certified because of conspiracy theories about voter fraud.— about voter fraud. senior republicans _ about voter fraud. senior republicans deny - about voter fraud. senior republicans deny trump| about voter fraud. senior - republicans deny trump and his supporters want to undermine the electoral process.- supporters want to undermine the electoral process. here's a ureat the electoral process. here's a great concern _ the electoral process. here's a great concern is _ the electoral process. here's a great concern is election - great concern is election security— great concern is election security and it is mine as well, _ security and it is mine as well, it_ security and it is mine as well, it is_ security and it is mine as well, it is all of ours. we are seriously— well, it is all of ours. we are seriously concerned about this and we — seriously concerned about this and we have to do everything we

canto _ and we have to do everything we can to ensure it.— can to ensure it. whatever the vote is, can to ensure it. whatever the vote is. legal— can to ensure it. whatever the vote is, legal clashes - can to ensure it. whatever the vote is, legal clashes are - vote is, legal clashes are already beginning. in georgia, crucial swing state, the election abroad with a pro trump majority ordered a hand counting of ballots in theory to ensure accuracy, but a judge blocked this saying it... bets legal challenges are now a feature of us politics and in this battle for the white house, both republicans and democrats are ready for court battles if they feel there is one doing. the washington post reports the harris team has... if trump loses, it seems certain this will end up in court, but what about the possibility of political violence. to assess that, it is helpful to consider the circumstances in which it can happen. it circumstances in which it can ha en. , , circumstances in which it can hauen. , , . happen. it is countries which have presidential— happen. it is countries which have presidential systems i happen. it is countries which l have presidential systems with a winner take all elections, countries where the political parties are deeply divided and

distrustful of each other. america takes those two boxes, division and distrust are woven into us politics and there is more. it into us politics and there is more. ., ,., into us politics and there is more. ., ., ,, , more. it also happens in countries _ more. it also happens in countries where - more. it also happens in countries where the - more. it also happens in| countries where the party more. it also happens in - countries where the party that loses believes that the election was stolen and it is particularly likely if the losing party has lost a second consecutive election and if you think about those four factors, it perfectly describes the united states if trump loses. that does not mean that violence is inevitable, but it is possible. 0ne survey found 68% of americans are concerned that extremists will commit acts of violence after the election if they are unhappy with the election outcome and as election day approaches, trump continues to attack america's electoral system. we did ureat america's electoral system. we did great in _ america's electoral system. - did great in 2016, we did much better in 2020, we won. we did win, it was a rigged election.

the 2020 election was not rigged, he did not win, but one poll found over 60% of republicans think the election was stolen. trump lost the presidency, but he succeeded in normalising the rejection of election results for some americans. if he loses again, we shouldn't be surprised if he rejects defeat again. with all the risks that entails. the number of migrants who've crossed the english channel in small boats so far this year has now passed the total for the whole of last year. the uk home office says since january, 29,578 people have made the crossing between france and england. that's about 140 more than for all of 2023. let's speak to our correspondent simonjones. why is the figure so high? i think what we have seen recently are the smugglers who are organising these crossings and putting more and more people onto these dangerously

overloaded boats, so for example yesterday more than 400 people made the crossing in calm weather and that has taken the total as you say it for this year beyond that for the whole of last year. with two more months remaining. the government here will see this as an unwelcome milestone but there has been a shift in policy since the government changed because the previous conservative administration spoke all the time about stopping the boats, that was their mantra. labour are now talking instead about smashing the criminal gangs organising the criminal gangs organising the crossings, but they have always said this won't be a quick thing to do, it won't be an easy thing to do because it involves international cooperation and also it is such a lucrative business, there is trade in human misery as it is being described, smugglers

packing people into these boats. if you take one going out often and another springs up, it is a bit like a game of whacka up, it is a bit like a game of whack a mole, so there are plenty who want to get involved in this trade and that is why it is difficult for the government because there is this long—term goal but the pressure at the moment is very short—term in that people see these figures rising on the numbers from last year and are saying what are you doing about it? ,, ., ., ., it? simon, for the moment, thank you — it? simon, for the moment, thank you very _ it? simon, for the moment, thank you very much. - a rally of supporters of prominent far—right activist tommy robinson is under way. mr robinson himself isn't attending because he's been detained by police since friday — charged with terrorism offences. at least three thousand people are outside downing street

after mr robinson announced on his x page that he was �*coming home to unite the kingdom once again'. a counter protest is also taking place at piccadilly with people against the far right and welcoming refugee communities. tell us about the background. there is a heavy police presence because there are three different process going on. just down the road a little bit further down whitehall there is this event that was called by the far right activist tommy robinson, there is a pretty significant ten out there, many thousands of people chanting tommy robinson's name and we want tommy out and that is because, as you mentioned he was arrested yesterday under section seven of the terrorist acts for not giving on his mobile phone and he is due to appear in court on monday on an unrelated contempt of court charge. his supporters have put up charge. his supporters have put up a stagejust charge. his supporters have put up a stage just not far from vital, near downing street where there are several

speakers from the far right and anti—immigration movements and they are calling for his release. what you can hear behind me is the counterprotest to that, that is organised by the group stand up to racism, also other antiracism organisations taking part. quite a good turnout here as well and the third event is organised by friends and family and supporters of the young man who was shot and killed by police two years ago and a police two years ago and a police officer who was charged with his murder was acquitted this week. officers drafted in from other forces, this week. officers drafted in from otherforces, sent her to make sure there are enough bodies to make sure all these protests pass off peacefully which they largely have. police

say they have to disperse by six o'clock today and there have only been a handful of arrests so far.— new figures show that the amount of illegal meat seized at uk borders has doubled in a year — raising concerns about a spread in disease. the home office data suggest more meat is entering the country in fewer vehicles, which experts say indicates a rise in organised crime. the former head of the american clothing chain abercrombie & fitch, mikejeffries, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and prostitution charges. our correspondent rianna croxford investigated the story for the bbc and that led to the fbi's inital investigation. she reports now from the court in new york state. mrjeffries, do- you have any regrets? mikejeffries, the former ceo of abercrombie and fitch in new york, leaving federal court. what do you say to the men. who say you exploited them? he ran the retailerfor 22

years, building $1 billion