>> good evening. how are you? it is 9:00 on television on radio and online in the united kingdom and online in the united kingdom and across the whole world. this is mark dolan tonight in the big opinion. despite what is happening in syria, the era of mass immigration into this country must end. whilst sensible immigration is of huge value, this dangerous and failing open borders experiment is now proving a mortal threat to the greatest nation on earth. time is running out , but britain time is running out, but britain can be saved. and i'll explain how in just a moment. in the big story, the bbc's john simpson issues a cringeworthy and embarrassing statement which many people feel praises the murderous dictator president assad. another own goal for our national state broadcaster. i'll bnng

national state broadcaster. i'll bring reaction and security guards at last say enough is enough with shoplifters in this case, a group who are thought to be part of a sophisticated migrant gang. i'll be joined by a man who's been investigating the sheer scale of criminality that these gangs are responsible for. and in an hour's time, in my take, at ten. this weekend's encounter between prince william and donald trump is proof if you needed it, of the extraordinary, soft, diplomatic power of our monarchy. so could the prince of wales single handedly save the special relationship? i'll have the answer in a special take at ten. you won't want to miss it. so, two hours of big opinion, big debate and big entertainment. tonight's top

pundits. we have the head of the communications at popular conservatism , annunziata conservatism, annunziata rees—mogg. we've got peer of the realm and former adviser to bofis realm and former adviser to boris johnson, lord kulveer, ranger and former top labour special adviser paul richards. lots to get through . my solution lots to get through. my solution to immigration. straight after the news headlines and sophia wenzler . wenzler. >> mark thank you. good evening. it's just gone 9:00. these are your headlines from the gb newsroom. syrian president bashar al assad is in moscow with his family and has been granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. that's according to russian state media. it comes as it a moment of historic opportunity for according to grounds. that's according to russian state media. it comes as people are emptying the streets people are emptying the streets as rebel forces impose a curfew as rebel forces impose a curfew in damascus after taking control in damascus after taking control of the capital, marking a of the capital, marking a dramatic fall in assad's regime dramatic fall in assad's regime and forcing him to flee. us and forcing him to flee. us president joe biden has called president joe biden has called it a moment of historic it a moment of historic

opportunity for the long opportunity for the long suffering people of syria to build a better future. here in the uk, around 100 syrians have arrived at piccadilly circus in london to celebrate the fall of the assad regime. meanwhile, the foreign office has been evacuating british nationals ahead of the offensive. the exact numbers remain unclear and the prime minister says the uk welcomes the fall of assad's barbaric regime. >> i welcome the fact that assad has gone. the civilians, the syrian people had to put up with his brutal regime for far, far

men dead and thousands without power. a yellow weather warning is in place with gusts of up to 70 miles an hour threatening more blackouts and travel chaos. tens of thousands of people are facing a second night without power after the widespread disruption caused by the storm flooding. fears are rising, too, with over 200 alerts issued across england, wales and scotland. now, police in new york have released new images in the hunt for the gunman, who shot dead unitedhealthcare chief executive brian thompson in what's believed to have been a targeted assassination. the suspect, seen wearing a hood and a face mask, fled on a bike after the killing, leaving behind a backpack containing a monopoly board and a designer jacket. investigators are also examining bullet casings marked with words deny, defend and depose , potentially linking the depose, potentially linking the attack to critics of private health insurance. the fbi has put up a $50,000 reward, as the killer is thought to have escape

the state possibly boarding a bus to atlanta. new york mayor eric adams insists the net is tightening, with cutting edge facial recognition tech leading the chase . and back in the uk, the chase. and back in the uk, the chase. and back in the uk, the prince of wales has been helping serve christmas lunch at a homeless shelter run by the charity that he was introduced to by his mother. william wore one of the passage charity's aprons as he joined the long line of volunteers serving food while chatting with attendees. he first visited the london based homelessness charity more than 30 years ago with his late mother, diana. the princess of wales . those are the latest gb wales. those are the latest gb news headlines. now it's back to mark for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone . direct to your smartphone. >> sign up news alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gb news . .com scanning the qr code, or go to gb news. .com forward scanning the qr code, or go to gb news . .com forward slash gb news. .com forward slash alerts .

alerts. >> thank you sophia. why the meltdown in syria matters to you and me. plus, why and how prince william is going to save the special relationship. that is a special relationship. that is a special take at ten. lots to come. a busy two hours. but we start with a very important big opinion . good evening. as opinion. good evening. as president assad's regime falls and chaos ensues in this war torn country, there is once again talk of the mass migration of syrians, which has proved devastating for europe over the last decade. it cannot be repeated following the eye—watering figure of 1.7 million people having entered britain over the last two years alone. with global pressure for us to accept many more in this increasingly turbulent world, many people are saying enough is enough. so why does immigration

matter? and why are current numbers such a problem? is it borne out of suspicion or hatred of those who come to these islands? is it borne out of prejudice? is it a xenophobic, public, brainwashed by so—called right wing media and so—called populist politicians? no. it is common sense. millions of people around the country are struggling to get gp appointments, school places for their kids and a roof over their heads. unlike the liberal leftist elites who champion open borders , it's ordinary people borders, it's ordinary people who are paying the price for this wild population experiment that no one voted for. but it's more than just the practicalities. housing, the welfare bill integration. it is a growing feeling among the people that the country they love no longer belongs to them. as the makeup of our towns and cities changes at unprecedented

speed, and with it, imported competition for resources . when competition for resources. when did the idea of having rigorous borders become so controversial? because, of course, the control of borders is an idea as ancient and as noble as the nation state itself. political geography is defined by territorial boundanes defined by territorial boundaries and the integrity of those boundaries is the founding principle of a coherent and successful society. what's the point in having borders at all? if you don't police them? now britain has always been a diverse set of islands. we've been invaded by all and sundry from the romans to the vikings to the normans and beyond. we've always been an outward looking country . britain has always had country. britain has always had a global mindset , most notably a global mindset, most notably dunng a global mindset, most notably during the british empire, when we controlled a quarter of the globe and, by the way, where we

did far more good than bad. let me tell you which the legacy of the commonwealth abundantly proves . meanwhile, our economy proves. meanwhile, our economy has always benefited from talented and skilled people coming into the uk to start businesses , to create art, to businesses, to create art, to work in the nhs, to fight in our armed forces, to teach in our schools, to police our streets, to care for our elderly. i myself am the son of irish immigrants and proudly so. what about the sunak family who came from east africa to the uk in the 1960s, and their son rishi wound up running the country for 18 months? personally, i think he did a brilliant job and i'd have him back in a flash. but hey , it's all about opinions, hey, it's all about opinions, isn't it? our society benefits from an array of talents and a nafion from an array of talents and a nation made up of every conceivable religion, race, creed, colour, you name it. britain is a global beacon of

integration. show me a nation less racist and a nation more open , tolerant and welcoming open, tolerant and welcoming than the uk . open, tolerant and welcoming than the uk. but open, tolerant and welcoming than the uk . but that goodwill than the uk. but that goodwill is being tested and this glorious british project faces mortal peril as politicians like open borders fanboy boris johnson asleep at the wheel, have allowed the delicate alchemy of incomings and outgoings to be thrown gravely outgoings to be thrown gravely out of kilter. too much immigration is devastating. it creates a low trust society and ghettoised communities living parallel lives. you've got british citizens parallel lives. you've got british cit