former owner of harrods — mohamed al fayed — in committing sexual offences. the australian senate is expected to pass legislation banning social media for under—16s, a world—first. and final preparations for the thanksgiving macy's parade in new york city, as the long weekend begins for millions of americans. hello. net migration to the uk is down by 20%, according to the latest figures from the office for national statistics. the estimated net migration was 728,000 people in the 12 months tojune this year — that's the number of people arriving, minus the number of people leaving — so represents an increase to the population. this figure is also subject to

change. this is the number of people arriving versus the number of people leaving so it represents a decrease. the figures came out at 9.30 — and i wasjoined then by the director of population statistics, from the office of national statistics — mary gregory. in the year to the end ofjune 2024, we had net migration of 728,000, but that's a 20% drop on our updated figure for the year to the end ofjune 2023, which was 906,000. historically, we've seen pre—2020, more people would be coming from the eu than outside the eu. in the latest year, we've got 86 out of every 100 people immigrating to the uk are coming from outside the eu. so that's quite a change in historic patterns. and the countries that are having the highest levels of immigration into the uk are india, nigeria and pakistan. work and student or study related immigration

are both the highest, remain the highest. and we've seen a slight drop in the student dependants coming in, but students have stayed relatively stable compared with the previous year, and work related entry has also stayed relatively similar to a year earlier. i think it's important to remember we've seen policy changes in early 2024, but of course our data only goes up tojune 2024, so we don't expect to see the full impact of those policies until the next set of data. these figures include asylum and around 8% of the immigration figure that i'vejust quoted of 728,000 is asylum. so that includes people coming in on small boats, for example. but it also includes people who've come through other routes and claimed asylum. it think you to her for giving us the numbers in real time as they were released. yesterday the conservative leader kemi badenoch acknowledged that previous conservative

governments had made mistakes on immigration, and said the uk should never become a hotel for migrants. the shadow home secretary, chris philp, gave this reaction to this morning's immigration figures. well, i'm glad that they've come down by 20% compared to the previous year. that's thanks to some changes made by the previous conservative government. but being truthful, these numbers are still far, far too high. and that is why kemi badenoch and i gave those speeches yesterday, acknowledging the mistakes of successive governments over decades in allowing net migration to get this high. that is why we need a new approach. we need a hard cap on numbers. we need to move away from mass low—skill, low—wage migration towards a much, much lower limited number of high—skill, high—wage migrants. so so in summary, i'm glad these numbers are down by 20% thanks to measures taken by the last government, but these numbers are still far, far too high.

the secretary of migration says she is bringing _ the secretary of migration says she is bringing in _ the secretary of migration 3:3 she is bringing in stricter measures. we absolutely believe that net migration _ we absolutely believe that net migration has _ we absolutely believe that net migration has to _ we absolutely believe that net migration has to come - we absolutely believe that net migration has to come down . we absolutely believe that net i migration has to come down but in order— migration has to come down but in order to — migration has to come down but in order to do _ migration has to come down but in order to do that _ migration has to come down but in order to do that we _ migration has to come down but in order to do that we have - migration has to come down but in order to do that we have to i in order to do that we have to id in order to do that we have to go further _ in order to do that we have to go further. that _ in order to do that we have to go further. that is _ in order to do that we have to go further. that is why- in order to do that we have to go further. that is why we - go further. that is why we believe _ go further. that is why we believe we _ go further. that is why we believe we have _ go further. that is why we believe we have to - go further. that is why we believe we have to tacklei go further. that is why we i believe we have to tackle the causes — believe we have to tackle the causes of _ believe we have to tackle the causes of net _ believe we have to tackle the causes of net migration - causes of net migration including _ causes of net migration including linking - causes of net migration including linking skills. causes of net migration i including linking skills and visa — including linking skills and visa policies. _ including linking skills and visa policies. you - including linking skills and visa policies. you are - visa policies. you are addressing _ visa policies. you are addressing the - visa policies. you are addressing the skillsl visa policies. you are - addressing the skills and reducing _ addressing the skills and reducing the _ addressing the skills and reducing the reliance - addressing the skills and reducing the reliance on| reducing the reliance on overseas _ reducing the reliance on overseas recruitment. l reducing the reliance on i overseas recruitment. that reducing the reliance on - overseas recruitment. that is also — overseas recruitment. that is aiso why— overseas recruitment. that is also why todav _ overseas recruitment. that is also why today i _ overseas recruitment. that is also why today i set - overseas recruitment. that is also why today i set out - overseas recruitment. that is also why today i set out newl also why today i set out new tough — also why today i set out new tough measures _ also why today i set out new tough measures to - also why today i set out new tough measures to tackle i tough measures to tackle employers _ tough measures to tackle employers who _ tough measures to tackle employers who abuse - tough measures to tacklej employers who abuse our tough measures to tackle - employers who abuse our visa svslem — employers who abuse our visa system and _ employers who abuse our visa system and flout _ employers who abuse our visa system and flout the - employers who abuse our visa system and flout the rules. i with me is our home affairs editor mark easton. i think what we discovered is just how unreliable a lot of the data we have on immigration actually is. we have got this new vigour today of the net migration to the uk for the

year untiljune until this year untiljune 2024 and that is 720,000. when i saw that number first i thought that is a lot more than i expected —— 728,000. it appears to be a rise but when you dig into the data it seems that the previous estimate was revived for how many people were coming until june 2023. they revised that upwards up to 906,000. now that is a rise in 166,000. before it was 740000 and it was actually 906,000. so you have a very significant —— before it was 7400 and it was actually 9600. it was larger than it actually was not. so it is actually 20% fall compared to the revised figure that they have now

produced. but i think we are all scratching our heads because that figure from today may be the subject of revision but we just don't know quite what is going on. bringing you some breaking news now. a former soldier has been found guilty of spying for the government of iran but acquitted of a bomb threat. daniel khalife has been found guilty of for iran but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax. you may remember the case of daniel khalife. he escaped from prison on the 6th of september last year. he was being held at

the time awaiting this trial on terrorism charges relating to two incidents. he was accused of, at that point, collecting secret information and passing it to agents in iran. he is alleged to have covertly gathered the names of serving soldiers including those in special forces, separately, accused of planting a fake bomb at his barracks. that was the case heading into the trial and we have just received from the news wires this, that the former soldier, news wires this, that the formersoldier, daniel news wires this, that the former soldier, daniel khalife, has been found guilty at woolwich crown court of spying for iran but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax. going back to one worth prison when his case garnered national attention because he was

working in the canteen kitchen area of the prison and managed to escape from wandsworth prison by attaching himself to the underside of a lorry, a food delivery lorry. he managed to attach himself with prison kitchen trousers trapping himself underneath. he got out of the prison underneath the lorry and drove up the road. then he climbed out from under the lorry and there was a huge search aberration then carried out by police —— a huge search operation. richmond park was searched and these were some of the cctv images of his activity after escaping from wandsworth prison. he was eventually caught, of course, and stood trial for the caught, of course, and stood trialfor the original trial for the original offences. trialfor the original offences. he was only run for three days total and eventually captured in london. 0ne

three days total and eventually captured in london. one point, a park in london was closed completely while they tried to find him using infrared cameras. there was a £20,000 reward on offerfor cameras. there was a £20,000 reward on offer for his arrest as he was on the run. he was eventually arrested by a plainclothed police officer. but that case was effectively leading up to this case now, which is the terrorism charge in the case. that is but the jury in the case. that is but the jury has made their decision about and we have heard it in the last few minutes that the former soldier, the last few minutes that the formersoldier, daniel the last few minutes that the former soldier, daniel khalife, is guilty of spying for iran but cleared of carrying out a bomb hoax. some of the detail on some of the the case and

charges he was facing, let's get some more detail on that from a colleague. if you are connected and can hear me, i am here in london in the studio and just wondering if we have managed to establish communications yet? it does not look like we have but we will come back... we have. there is the thumbs up. we are alive. just talk us through what you can tell us there in court —— we are alive. can tell us there in court -- we are alive.— can tell us there in court -- we are alive. , . . ,, we are alive. yes. we went back into quite _ we are alive. yes. we went back into quite a _ we are alive. yes. we went back into quite a 10am _ we are alive. yes. we went back into quite a 10am in _ we are alive. yes. we went back into quite a 10am in the - into quite a 10am in the morning at woolwich and the jury morning at woolwich and the jury have returned the verdict on three counts. they found the former royal signals soldier, 23 daniel khalife born in britain, guilty on two of those counts. that is that he had

committed an act prejudicial to the safety or interest at the state, in other words, found guilty of spying for an enemy state, ran in this case. he had denied this saying that he wanted to be regarded as a double agent and had approached mi6 with a view to becoming a double agent and they hadn't taken him seriously and he went on to be arrested later. the second count is under the terrorism act in the first was under the official secrets act. this is regarding eliciting information about numbers of the armed forces country to the terrorism act. the prosecution brought evidence in court that daniel khalife had gathered the names of serving soldiers, particularly those in the sas, the special air services and the special air services and the special air services and the special boat services, taking photographs of 15 personal names and handing them over to the iranians. he claimed that they were useless documents and he had made most of them up. regarding the third

count, this was perpetrating a bomb hoax. he has then found not guilty of this third count. this is under the criminal law act. he had left a fake device on a desk in his barracks in staffordshire to try to slow down the hunt for him when he had absconded from those barracks in 2023. he said it was such a rudimentary device that no one would believe it was serious but it was treated a serious and a bomb disposal quad was brought in. but the jury quad was brought in. but the jury has found him not guilty on that count. you may recall that during his evidence last week, he pleaded guilty and changed his plea to escaping from wandsworth prison on the 6th of september last year and thatis 6th of september last year and that is how daniel khalife came to public attention. he was front—page news because he mounted this escape from wandsworth prison. there were

81 failures in the security from wandsworth prison that were discovered because of the ensuing investigation. he was on the run for three days and he had, the court heard, created a swing from trousers that were worn in the prison kitchen. a few days before he had escaped on the 6th of september, he had slung it against the rear axles of a food delivery truck and took his chance on the 6th of september and positioned himself underneath the van, and the van was allowed to leave even though the alarm was raised by was missing. out on the road in south—west london when the van came to a stop, he rolled out from underneath the van and he was seen by an eyewitness driving a car behind. he did a pencil roll, the court heard, and then shook his hair very casually and ran away. he was on the run for three days, 75 hours in total.

in the end, he was found 11 miles away from the prison. that is the only distance he had managed to travel and he was arrested in a towpath in north london by a plainclothed police officer. he was a background report on the rest of the case. background report on the rest of the case-— of the case. this was daniel khalife on _ of the case. this was daniel khalife on the _ of the case. this was daniel khalife on the morning - of the case. this was daniel khalife on the morning of. of the case. this was daniell khalife on the morning of his escape working in the kitchen at wandsworth prison. 50 minutes later, he was driven out of the jail clinging to the bottom of the struct —— 15 minutes later. he is the sling made of kitchen trousers. the driver was unaware and he made his way through london has an early morning traffic. the lorry with daniel khalife clinging on underneath. at these lights and a motorist following behind saw him drop to the ground, roll out, stand up, flick his fringe and casually walk. it was the beginning of a massive

nationwide manhunt. by five o'clock pm, daniel khalife was six miles away in richmond wearing shorts. checking the cctv cameras in mountain warehouse before stealing a baseball cap to hide his face. by baseball cap to hide his face. by the next morning he got some cash from an unknown contact which used to buy more clothes in marks & spencer before reading about his escape in the newspapers. the huge publicity meant that people started to notice him and call the police. among them was frank who saw him in a cemetery. i among them was frank who saw him in a cemetery.— him in a cemetery. i saw him and felt a — him in a cemetery. i saw him and felt a bit _ him in a cemetery. i saw him and felt a bit sorry _ him in a cemetery. i saw him and felt a bit sorry for- him in a cemetery. i saw him and felt a bit sorry for him. l and felt a bit sorry for him. for someone who is most wanted you don't look sorry most wanted. you don't look sorry most wanted-— you don't look sorry most wanted. ., , ., wanted. eventually after three da s on wanted. eventually after three days on the — wanted. eventually after three days on the run, _ wanted. eventually after three days on the run, daniel- wanted. eventually after three | days on the run, daniel khalife was spotted riding a stolen bike on this canal towpath and was arrested by a plainclothed detective who he promptly congratulated. the son of a

british iranians and, though, daniel khalifejoined british iranians and, though, daniel khalife joined the army at age 16 —— son of a british iranians mother. he at age 16 -- son of a british iranians mother.— at age 16 -- son of a british iranians mother. he was cocky and arrogant _ iranians mother. he was cocky and arrogant and _ iranians mother. he was cocky and arrogant and came - iranians mother. he was cocky and arrogant and came across| iranians mother. he was cocky i and arrogant and came across as wanting the spotlight. he always wanted to seem like he was the attention point and no one else can take it. everyone aware of him as a person knew his name. aware of him as a person knew his name-— his name. less than a year afterjoining _ his name. less than a year afterjoining the _ his name. less than a year afterjoining the army - his name. less than a year afterjoining the army who | his name. less than a year - afterjoining the army who was in a north london park collecting one of the half—dozen towns in a dog to bag from agents. two years afterjoining he was in a smart hotel in istanbul and told his handler he wanted to be trained in iran. i handler he wanted to be trained in iran. ., ., ., ,., in iran. i wanted to have some trainin: in iran. i wanted to have some training from _ in iran. i wanted to have some training from you _ in iran. i wanted to have some training from you guys - in iran. i wanted to have some training from you guys and - in iran. i wanted to have some training from you guys and i i training from you guys and i think— training from you guys and i think the _ training from you guys and i think the best training for me is in — think the best training for me is in iran~ _ think the best training for me is in iran~ i_ think the best training for me is in iran. i am betterthan everybody here and have won an

award _ everybody here and have won an award i— everybody here and have won an award i am _ everybody here and have won an award. lam more intelligent than — award. lam more intelligent than everybody here. and award. i am more intelligent than everybody here.- than everybody here. and a message — than everybody here. and a message she _ than everybody here. and a message she said - than everybody here. and a message she said that - than everybody here. and a message she said that he l than everybody here. and a - message she said that he would work for them for 25 plus years. he sent the iranians pictures of communication equipment and official strategy documents that he upgraded to secret but misspelt the world. he contacted m15 anonymously saying he wanted to be a double agent but instead, they had him arrested. . , agent but instead, they had him arrested. ., , ., ., ., arrested. iran is one of a number _ arrested. iran is one of a number of _ arrested. iran is one of a number of countries - arrested. iran is one of a number of countries that presents a real national risk to our country so daniel khalife providing information to them absolutely compromises our national security. particularly that he was a soldier. , ., ., , , soldier. yes and had sensitive material- _ soldier. yes and had sensitive material- a — soldier. yes and had sensitive material. a year _ soldier. yes and had sensitive material. a year after - soldier. yes and had sensitive material. a year after he - soldier. yes and had sensitive material. a year after he was | material. a year after he was arrested he _ material. a year after he was arrested he left _ material. a year after he was arrested he left a _ material. a year after he was arrested he left a fake - material. a year after he was arrested he left a fake bomb| material. a year after he was i arrested he left a fake bomb on the desk at his barracks and ran off to live in a van where police found £18,000. when we capture, he was charged under the terrorism act in the official secrets act which is why he was being held in wandsworth prison when he

escaped. daniel khalife appeared in court today wearing appeared in court today wearing a blue shirt with a button—down collar and khaki trousers. he didn't react other than to adjust his glasses when he sat down again. when he first heard the verdict, and just to recap he was found guilty and count one which was a charge against the official secrets act and the official secrets act and the second act was against the terrorism act. but he has been found not guilty of perpetrating a bomb hoax but in the middle of his evidence last week he changed his plea to escaping prison to guilty. prosecutors said he played a cynical game is claiming that he had wanted a career working as a double agent to help british security services when he had actually gathered, according to the prosecution, a large body of restricted and

classified material including the names of people in the special forces. the names of people in the specialforces. the the names of people in the special forces. the defence barrister had tried to argue that his double agent plot was hapless, as he described, sometimes bordering on slapstick like scooby doo. but the jury here at woolwich crown court were convinced of the danger that he posed and in fact the jury danger that he posed and in fact thejury had danger that he posed and in fact the jury had heard danger that he posed and in fact thejury had heard in evidence that daniel khalife could have endangered the life of someone by sending fake intelligence documents to iran accused of sending them and entitling them with this person's name which were clearly fake. they said the british government was unwilling to negotiate over her release after she was detained in iran for six years. the background so that is that in

2016, revolutionary guards arrested her when she had been visiting her parents and she was detained over the allegations which she denied. all the time she was freed in 2022 after ministers agreed to settle a historic debt of £400 million to the iranian government. now we have the verdict and we are expecting sentencing to take place probably into the new year. the judge sitting here has said that plainly he will be facing a long custodial sentence. she went on to think the jury for their service you have plainly given the case careful attention as this judge often does, she says if a family proceedings to be interesting she has encouraged them to be come magistrate. so daniel khalife found guilty on those

two counts under different acts because of spying for the state of iran and not guilty for the third count of perpetrating a bomb hoax. count four was whether he had escaped from prison and he had changed his plea last week during evidence and admitted that he had on september the 6th last year escaped from wandsworth prison. thank you so much for that. i want to bring you our other main story this hour. latest figures estimate that uk net migration stood net migration has reached

700... thank you very much for being here. what is your response to these numbers? we have seen _ response to these numbers? - have seen a substantial revision from the ons numbers. very much makes it difficult for policymakers and actors to understand what is going on with migration. there been a big revision but general picture looks similar to before. the revision say that the big drivers remain people coming to the uk to work on people coming to the uk to study. but these figures go into the year ending injune of 2024. so what we in june of 2024. so what we should expect as time goes on some of the policy changes the previous government introduced and came into force early this year. the only impact was the end of that year injune of

2024 so we saw the beginning of the year in 2023 and how it endedin the year in 2023 and how it ended in 2024. in the year in 2023 and how it ended in 2024.— the year in 2023 and how it ended in 2024. , ., , ended in 2024. in broader words --eole ended in 2024. in broader words people remember _ ended in 2024. in broader words people remember the _ ended in 2024. in broader words i people remember the government trying to get it on to tens of thousands and will remember when the figure was a couple of hundred thousand. had we go from there to 900,000? what has happened? from there to 900,000? what has ha--ened? from there to 900,000? what has ha ened? ., , ., happened? there have been a number of— happened? there have been a number of factors _ happened? there have been a number of factors which - happened? there have been a number of factors which have | number of factors which have combined at the same time to lead to these quite high levels. so there have been ukrainians, for example, coming into the uk in 2022 and 2023 which was not happening in the 20105. which was not happening in the 2010s. as well as people coming to the uk to work which has been a big driver and primarily those people that have come to work in the health and care sector and particularly as migrant care workers. the other big driver as well as people

coming into the uk to study at universities. this has followed a period when universities have had funding challenges and have actively recruited international students. on the policy side, when it comes to students in 2021 uk introduced something called the graduate visa which is a post uni work visa which is a post uni work visa which is a post uni work visa which allows people to stay in the uk to work two or three years after studies which made the uk more attractive to international students. band made the uk more attractive to international students.- international students. and if the desire — international students. and if the desire is _ international students. and if the desire is to _ international students. and if the desire is to go _ international students. and if the desire is to go back- international students. and if the desire is to go back to . the desire is to go back to levels closer to historical norms, back down to the low hundreds of thousands, what in your estimation with the current government have to do? takayo nembhard that is something of a challenge for policy makers —— something of a challenge for policy makers "— something of a challenge for policy makers -- well, that is something — policy makers -- well, that is something of _ policy makers -- well, that is something of a _ policy makers -- well, that is something of a challenge - policy makers -- well, that is

something of a challenge for| something of a challenge for policymakers. some things that impact that migration which are not related to migration policy at all like care workers. the reason i have in such high levels of migrant care workers coming to the uk is because of poor paying and working conditions in the sector which have led to high vacancies because people who are already in the uk don't want to work in the sector. as we had a moment ago, with universities and theirfunding challenges. these their funding challenges. these are theirfunding challenges. these are underlying drivers which lead to demand... are underlying drivers which lead to demand. . ._ are underlying drivers which lead to demand... thank you very much — lead to demand... thank you very much but _ lead to demand... thank you very much but we _ lead to demand... thank you very much but we are - lead to demand... thank you very much but we are out. lead to demand... thank you very much but we are out of| very much but we are out of seconds. we have four seconds. thank you for coming in the programme. this is bbc news. hello again. it is then according foggy morning for us.

that pressure is beginning to sneak off to the east. through the afternoon there are still some low cloud around parts of east anglia but a lot of dry weather and sunny spells in the west where we have the approaching weather front. the win will strengthen but we see heavier rain coming in western scotland and northern ireland. temperatures from nine to 11 but i chilly day and prospect for the rest of us can degrees in edinburgh. in the night we will have strong winds outwards the west. a lot of dry conditions with some mist and fog patches for some and actually popular frost here or there in the eastern areas. that is how we start the day tomorrow. the mist and fog will lift as the breeze picks up. a lot of dry weather around and western fringes will bring some figure cloud. rain coming in across the north and west accompanied by the strong winds. not as cold of a day

tomorrow with temperatures up tomorrow with temperatures up to 30 degrees. from friday into the weekend that weather front in the west pressure steadily eastwards across us. you can see from the isomer is that it will be breezy or windy at times and then we have the next france coming in. for saturday, a fairly cloudy day for most. patchy light rain or drizzle. the best breaks will be for the east of high grounds and temperatures from 11 to 15 degrees so mild an above average for this time of year. into sunday, the first day of the meteorological winter, it is looking unsettled and we had this rain pushing across us followed by showers behind and a bit of cloud in places. temperatures still in the mild side, 11 to 14 degrees. into the new working week, there is a bit of a change because temperatures in the north start to slide on monday and then as we go through tuesday and wednesday that process will continue. it will remain

unsettled at times with showers or rain.

is the royal mail close to a sale? we'll get the latest news there may be a potential deal within weeks from our business editor. plus, how large can uniqlo grow? the billionaire boss talks about recreating the company sustainably in their quest to become the world's

biggest clothing retailer. and something to be thankfulfor! thanksgiving food prices ease on last year, with americans also wondering if inflation will prove to be the gift that keeps on giving. welcome to business today. we start here in the uk. the sale of one of the crown jewels of daily life here, the royal mail, looks close to completion. czech billionaire daniel kretinsky�*s ep group could snap it up in the next two weeks, according to sources close to the deal. mr kretinsky has agreed to make extra concessions in order to clinch the takeover. that's being reported by the bbc�*s business editor simonjack, whojoins

me now live. what have you learnt, simon, about how close