28/07/2013 BBC Weekend News

on migration are dismissed as little more than guesswork. An influential

group of MPs says the current system is "not fit for purpose". The Home

Office defends it as "robust." In Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood supporters

defy the government's call to abandon the tense standoff at a

Cairo mosque. The driver of the Spanish train that

derailed at high speed is questioned in court. The death toll now stands

at 79. And Lewis Hamilton is victorious in Hungary, his first win

A committee of MPs has dismissed official statistics on migration as

"little more than a guess", saying they are based on too small a sample

to be reliable. The Public Administration Select Committee said

the figures were primarily based on "random interviews" and not fit for

purpose. But the Home Office has defended its methods, and says the

Government is cutting net migration. Ross Hawkins reports.

How many people across the border to live in Britain or to move abroad?

Despite the technology and the bureaucracy, politicians cannot be

certain. Today, MPs say the figures are not accurate enough. They are

asking questions about net migration, that is the difference

between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those moving

out, including people from inside and outside the EU and even

returning British expats. Net migration was down by a third to

163,000 in the 12 months to June last year. But because that figure

comes from a survey and not by counting travellers, there is a

margin of error. The true figure could be higher or lower by as many

as 35,000 people. MPs say it is not good enough. The Conservative

ministered disagrees. The Office for National Statistics which is

independent of the government says they are fit for purpose and they

produce estimates we can rely on of migration to and from the United

Kingdom. Tories like him want to get the net migration figure down to

below 100,000, a goal that is opposed by the Liberal Democrats.

This idea that you are pursuing a net immigration figure is

misleading. The largest number of people counted as immigrants are

overseas students. They are not immigrants, they are students.

Labour admits they should have done more on this when they were in

office but they also oppose the Tory migration target. When the

government is boasting they have cut net migration by a third when it may

be not falling at all, it feels a bit wrong. As for dealing with

illegal immigration, Labour and the Lib Dems were also united today

criticising these temporary mobile adverts, designed to encourage

illegal immigrants to leave the country. Vince cable said they were

stupid and offensive. However they approach this issue, all sides know

voters cared deeply about the topic and expect politicians to deliver

results. Ross is with me now in the studio.

What did you make of the way the Business Secretary intervened?

you ask voters what they care about, immigration is consistently in the

top two or three topics. Politicians have to prove they are competent.

Core voters will look at this round they will be perfectly happy about

seeing these two sides disagreeing with each other. Vince Cable was

also talking about another policy area, housing and a scheme unveiled

by the Chancellor. Is there a divergences of opinion? There is to

appoint. There is a new scheme which will be launched January where there

will be mortgages to help people buy houses. Vince Cable said if it was

not designed properly it could inflate the market and make ours is

more expensive. The Treasury reject that. They are finalising deals at

the moment. The Business Secretary will make sure he has the same

plans. Thank you. Egypt is braced for a new phase in

the standoff between the army and supporters of the ousted president

Mohammed Morsi with the military being granted new powers to arrest

civilians. The interim government is pledging to deal decisively with

unrest, a day after clashes at a Cairo mosque killed over 78 people.

The Muslim Brotherhood is refusing to abandon its sit-in there, as our

correspondent Quentin Sommerville reports.

They have been chanting his name for nearly a month, since President

Morsi was ousted. Their vigil goes on but they have no power that the

president and the Muslim Brotherhood once had. A few streets away

yesterday they battled against the security forces of the new Egypt.

More than 70 people died. Human rights organisations say these

deaths were likely to be targeted killings. The United States and

others have called on Egypt to stop the killings. Today, the country's

Foreign Minister responded. We need to have a strong presence of the

security forces. The security forces have to manage the situation without

tragedies. To do that, you have to defuse the violence. If you will

have people shooting at each other on both sides, they will have

casualties. So they lost control yesterday? It is difficult to

control a crowd using weapons if you do not have weapons. How will the

Egyptian government deal with the battle on its streets? It seems the

security forces were not trying to clear out the protesters, they were

trying to contain them but now they say they will do just that. We have

stalemate with the world looking on, telling Egypt not to use

violence. The millions who gathered in Tahrir Square won their

revolution completed but rights groups say it must happen

peacefully. We are worried they will interpret this as a blank cheque.

There are rules about how much force can be used. We are calling on the

authorities to abide by the rules no matter how many people go to Tahrir

Square and egg them on. A new Egypt is being built but the question is

whether it carries millions of Islamist with it. That will be

settled by force or reason on the streets in the coming weeks.

The driver of a Spanish train that derailed at high speed on Wednesday,

killing 79 people, has arrived in court to be questioned by a judge.

Francisco Jose Garzon is accused of reckless homicide. Robert Hall has

the latest from Santiago de Compostela.

When this couple ran down their garden to the track-side at quarter

to eight last Wednesday evening, they were confronted with scenes

which remained seared in their memories. A photographer captured

this image as neighbours helped a casualty to a clearing area.

TRANSLATION: The driver was saying he wanted to die. He would rather be

dead than see the damage he caused. He said that he was going too fast.

He tried to slow down but it was too late. Francisco Jose Garzon has been

moved from Santiago de Compostela's Central police station. He has

appeared before an investigating judge who has two consider whether

the driver should remain in custody pending any charges. Watching

recovery work at the crash scene, this woman told me she is struggling

to cope with what she witnessed. TRANSLATION: I want to forget it but

I cannot. I could not do anything. It was horrible, horrible.

physical evidence will soon be gone but the events of last week may have

left permanent scars on those touched by the tragedy.

Police investigating the death of a woman in Greater Manchester have

charged her former boyfriend with murder, rape and assault.

25-year-old mother of two Linzi Ashton was found dead at her home

nearly a month ago. 28-year-old Michael Cope will appear in court

tomorrow. British soldiers have been involved

in a week-long operation to clear insurgents from Sangin in southern

Afghanistan. The latest mission, which was kept secret until after it

was completed earlier this week, was undertaken after Afghan military

commanders requested assistance. Jon Brain reports from Kabul.

It was the scene of some of the fiercest battles between UK forces

and the Taliban. Why the time British troops left Sangin in

September 2010, more than 100 had been killed. Now it has emerged that

three years later they returned to help the Afghan National Army clear

the area of insurgents. The Ministry of Defence insists that the role of

British troops was limited to providing back-up to an Afghan led

operation. But the fact their help was needed will raise further

questions about the ability of the Afghan army to maintain security

here once NATO combat troops leave at the end of next year. Coalition

forces are training their Afghan counterparts in readiness for that

moment. A top general believes they are ready. The Taliban began this

year with certain stated objectives to break the confidence of the

Afghan security forces. They did not accomplish any of that. But not

everyone is so confident. Most Afghan MPs believe the security

situation is getting worse. If the United States and British

politicians say to Afghanistan we were torn, it will be a disaster in

Afghanistan. The MOD can firmly Sangin operation is over, stating it

is now for the Afghan forces to deal with the residual insurgency. Just

how capable of those forces are meant to matter of intense debate.

Over 3 million people have packed onto tobacco ban the beach in Brazil

for the final mass of Pope Francis' visit -- Copacabana Beach.

Millions of pounds worth of diamonds have been stolen in an armed robbery

in Cannes in the South of France. Police said the jewels worth an

estimated �34 million were stolen by a man from a jewellery exhibition at

the Carlton hotel. Now time for the sports news.

Lewis Hamilton said it was probably the most important win of his

Formula one career. He took the chequered flag at the Hungarian

Grand Prix today. His first as a Mercedes driver.

Lewis Hamilton said he needed a miracle to win the Hungarian Grand

Prix. Although he was starting from pole position for the fourth time

this season, he was yet to win a race. Beating Sebastien battled to

the first corner was vital. Hamilton surrendered his need when he stopped

for a new tyres. He slipped to seven behind the significantly slower

McLaren of Jenson Button, who did his former team-mate bather by

holding up Sebastien Vettel. With Mark Webber out of the way, there

was nothing to stop Hamilton cruised into the chequered flag. Brilliant

job, Lewis, fantastic ride. Hamilton says it is one of the most important

wins of his career, and he says anything is now possible but he will

need another win to catch Vettel in the championship.

Tom Daley came sixth in the diving Championships in Barcelona. He was

in third but his penultimate dive saw him drop down the leaderboard.

He has been struggling with a tricep injury.

The Anniversary Games came to a close today with an International

Paralympic meeting as some of the stars from last summer made their

return to London's Olympic Stadium. Our sports correspondent was there

for us. For the fans, one final trip down

memory lane as the Olympic Stadium welcome to back its Paralympic

heroes, among them, the poster boy Jonnie Peacock. Could he once again

sprinted to 100 metres glory. But what followed was perhaps the most

staggering race the sport has ever seen. Peacock could only watch as

Alan Oliveira charged to a victory. He knocked two seconds of the world

record. Peacock's lifetime best was only good enough for third. I think

the crowd here are amazing. The support they give you. It is

unbelievable. Words cannot describe. This was a day when once again

Britain's passion for Paralympic sport was plain to see. Dublin

amputee Richard Whitehead with another stunning surge to take the

200 metres -- double amputee. Hannah Cockroft was unbeaten over 100

metres. It was rounded off by David Weir, his crushing victory, the

perfect ending to an unforgettable three days. And so the end of the

Anniversary Games and for this stadium, the end of the nearer. It

will be closed for redevelopment until 2015. It is for 2012 that it

will always be remembered. Germany's women are European

champions once again after they beat Norway 1-0. The winning goal came in