this is bbc news, the headlines... israel says the agreement to pause fighting in gaza in exchange for the release of hostages will now not happen before friday. hundreds of thousands of new arrivals to the uk a blow in the prime minister's promise to slash immigration.

celebrations forthe anti—immigrant politician, geert wilders. his far right freedom party is the biggest winner in the netherlands elections. and in what's been described as a win for conservation, endangered blue whales return to the waters where they were once wiped out by hunting. dutch political leaders are preparing for negotiations to form a coalition government, after the far right pvv — or freedom party — pulled off a surprise election victory. no party won a majority, but the pvv�*s controversial leader, geerd wilders, may now lead negotiations. he stood on a platform of ending immigration and banning the quran. the pvv is likely to win about 37 of the 150 seats. several other parties have said they won't enter a coalition with mr wilders, but he's said he'll make compromises to find willing partners. he says the people want him to be prime minister. translation:

the voters have spoken, the voters are determined that the pvv will become the largest party by far. it would be very undemocratic and so i assume that it will not happen that voters will be sidelined. voters would not accept that either, they would not accept that either, they would find it terrible. i think we need to find where the common ground is and then we need to do business with each other because we have to help the netherlands moved forward. the hope of so many people is that things must change in the netherlands. that the influx of asylum seekers will be limited but ordinary dutch people will have more money in their pockets again, that holmes will go back to the dutch. the dutch will be put in first place again. our correspondent in the netherlands, anna holligan, gave us this analysis of the early results. no doubt the tremors will be felt in brussels this morning. this result is a headache, if he actually manages to go ahead and become prime minister, to convince enough parties to work with him in coalition, it will be an absolute nightmare for the european union.

this is the prime minister's officejust behind me here in the dutch parliament. the big question is, who will be occupying it in a few months�* time? that is how long it could take in order to negotiate a new government. you heard geert wilders there talk about some of the issues that have really dominated this campaign. for example, migration, but talked about in pragmatic rather than inflammatory terms. the cost—of—living crisis. a new term, bestaanszekerheid — the security of existence, the shortage of affordable homes, and actually, during the last few days, his party surged in the polls. and if you are not familiar with geert wilders, he is a radical politician, he has been in parliament for around 25 years. he is anti—islam, anti—immigration, but we have already had a kind of indication that he may be prepared to compromise in order to convince enough parties to go into coalition with him.

migration is an issue of course for many countries. the uk's office for national statistics this morning published its latest figures on net migration. let's take a look at these numbers. they show uk net migration was 672,000 in the year tojune 2023. this number is slightly higher compared to the year tojune 2022. however, it is down on updated estimates from the office of national statistics. net migration is the number of people arriving in the uk, minus those who left. jay lindop, from the office for national statistics, joined us to discuss what the numbers mean. we don't necessarily look to the future but what we do do is we look at the 12 month definition of the migrants. so when we produced our most recent figures you have to make assumptions based on past behaviour and that is why we have been looking back to see how behaviour is changing so we can see the people

are staying longer, students that are staying longer, students that are coming we are seeing more transitions onto work visa possibly as a consequence of the new graduate route and we are seeing workers stay for longer as well. so what we are seeing is a slowing in immigration and an increase in emigration. we do know from past experience that when you have high levels of immigration, critically from students who often then see emigration begin to rise. with these changing behaviours it is rid but to brick wall happen in the future. 0ur political correspondent damian grammaticus describes the political pressure the government is under to bring down the migration figures. well, they didn'tjust commit to get the figures down, they committed to get them down from the point where they were five years ago and at that point they were roughly a quarter of a million people arriving every year. the manifesto promise from the conservatives in 2019 to see that quarter of a million reducing, it is almost tripled, more than doubled

that we are seeing now. and of course has gone up from 2022 to 2023. rishi sunak had been accused of weakening that promise because, made in 2019, because he wanted to see them coming down but implied by that from the point at which he took over, at which point they were already a quarter of a million coming in. interestingly what we have heard today from the cabinet, james cleverly who is now home secretary of course, he is saying this is in line with their own immigration statistics. the government he says remains completely committed to reducing levels of immigration. but that is only sort of addressing that rishi sunak pledge. it is not going back to the original one at the beginning of parliament. so not wanting to go further than that. and thenjames

cleverly pivots to talk about illegal immigration, the policy to stop the boats and that is why that is important. but of course there we know that that policy is bogged down because the supreme court ruled it illegal and the government is trying to revive it. �* , illegal and the government is trying to revive it— to revive it. let's return now to talk about _ to revive it. let's return now to talk about partly _ to revive it. let's return now to talk about partly what - to revive it. let's return now to talk about partly what is - to revive it. let's return now to - talk about partly what is happening in the netherlands where we have geert wilders leading negotiations for a new coalition government and as wejust heard for a new coalition government and as we just heard he very much stood on this platform of ending immigration to the netherlands. but there has been a rise in so—called populist politics right across europe, the rise of the right in many countries. let's talk to paul moss who with our europe editor. what we're seeing in the netherlands does feel like trend now. fine what we're seeing in the netherlands does feel like trend now.— does feel like trend now. one of the first peeple — does feel like trend now. one of the first peeple to _ does feel like trend now. one of the first people to congratulate - does feel like trend now. one of the first people to congratulate him - does feel like trend now. one of the first people to congratulate him was the prime minister of hungary, he has been re—elected recently for i

think his fourth term in office, also standing on a platform opposed to immigration and islam. he said the winds of change i here in europe. another person who congratulated him was marine le pen, the long—time presidential candidate in france. she said that his victory showed hopes of changing in europe were still alive. she thinks her stance on immigration could take out of the closet to limit presidency in the next election. geert wilders stood on a platform of being opposed to any further immigration and said he would ban the koran. those are his two main policies. they are similar to party his two main policies. they are similarto party in his two main policies. they are similar to party in germany and germany is interesting because for many years people said the far right will never do well in germany because of its experience of the nazi era. well, they're doing well now and in fact in some parts of

germany the afd are the leading party. in another country with another experience of fascism and thatis another experience of fascism and that is italy. the brothers of italy party is a direct descendant of the fascist party led by mussolini. i5 fascist party led by mussolini. is another trend, fascist party led by mussolini. is anothertrend, paul, that fascist party led by mussolini. is another trend, paul, that it is difficult for so many people across europe right now. people are looking for some simple solutions at a complicated time on some of these leaders are offering that. i complicated time on some of these leaders are offering that.— leaders are offering that. i think ou're leaders are offering that. i think you're right. _ leaders are offering that. i think you're right, lucy. _ leaders are offering that. i think you're right, lucy. people - leaders are offering that. i think you're right, lucy. people focus| leaders are offering that. i think. you're right, lucy. people focus on immigration but look at the world at the moment, conflicts everywhere, fear of climate change, fear of another pandemic. i think throughout history those kinds of circumstances have encouraged leaders, strong personalities, geert wilders whatever you think of him is a strong personality. but, yes, offering clear, simple solutions. these are not people whose manifestos will show you we are going to consolidate fiscally in the second quarterly. no, no, no. they

will say if we crackdown on immigration or in geert wilders's case, ban the koran, your life will get better. one could debate whether thatis get better. one could debate whether that is a serious programme for government but i think there is no question about the fact it is a very appealing message at the moment. find appealing message at the moment. and if this message continues to resonate in other european countries and we see populist politics growing in this way, what you think the consequences will be? i in this way, what you think the consequences will be?- in this way, what you think the consequences will be? i think there are three things. _ consequences will be? i think there are three things. obviously - consequences will be? i think there are three things. obviously what i consequences will be? i think there | are three things. obviously what we are three things. 0bviously what we have said there will be a more hostile environment for migrant and asylum seekers and indeed those already there. another thing is this has caused a deep fracture among european countries, we have seen italy getting angry with france and germany. this in turn has led to scepticism about whether the european union is up to thejob. and a lot of these parties are very eurosceptic. he has promised a referendum on european union. but there is one final thing i think it a very important, a lot of these populist, right—wing parties do not

support giving military aid to ukraine. geert wilders said it should stop immediately. another man i haven't mentioned, who hasjust been elected president in slovakia also said let's stop our assistance to ukraine. i think president are in ukraine must be very worried about a donald trump victory, who is also sceptical about giving any assistance. but now this new development in the netherlands has given him an extra headache and one that has come rather more immediately.— that has come rather more immediately. that has come rather more immediatel . ., ., , immediately. you mentioned geert wilders talking _ immediately. you mentioned geert wilders talking about _ immediately. you mentioned geert wilders talking about membership | immediately. you mentioned geert i wilders talking about membership to the european union. ijust had to say the european commissionerjust responded to him and said they don't of course comment on parliamentary elections but this in no doubt puts in doubt —— might in no way puts in doubtany country is in doubt —— might in no way puts in doubt any country is a member of the european union. we continue to count on the netherlands strong participation in the european union. around the world and across the uk this is bbc news.

you're live with bbc news. we have just received some confirmation from the idf in israel that the director, we have been reporting this today, of a hospital in gaza, you will know it as the largest hospital in the gaza strip, they have confirmed that he has been apprehended and transferred for questioning following evidence showing, they say, that the shiva hospital, acted as a control and command centre. this isjust been confirmed by an idf spokesman. we can see a picture of him here, he has now been apprehended we understand and transferred for questioning. —— al—shifa hospital. we have been reporting on that or morning. confirmation there from the

idf. let's return to one of our other top stories that we have been talking about here on bbc news and that is net migration. the figures were released this morning by the organisation for national statistics and net migration to the uk for 2022 has been revised upwards to 745,000. lots of reaction to this let's take you over to conservative mp danny kruger whojoins us you over to conservative mp danny kruger who joins us now from westminster. danny, your thoughts on these new net migration figures. well, it is very, very bad news. it is bad enough that last year's figures turned out to be out by around about 100,000 people who they had forgotten about or missed and those figures are now gone up. this year's figures are also an exceptionally high. we were accepted as —— elected as conservative mps in 2019 on a promise to reduce net migration. we have seen in fact that number trouble in the years since. there is some justification for it, we have taken a lot of refugees from

ukraine and hong kong, which we should be proud of. but overall the numbers are unsustainably high and it is bad for british workers because it depresses wages, it puts pressure on public services and housing and it strains our community cohesion. i think people are going to be legitimately furious to see this and we as the conservative government absolutely need to grip it in the time that we have got left in this parliament. irate it in the time that we have got left in this parliament.— in this parliament. we have had a reaction from _ in this parliament. we have had a reaction from the _ in this parliament. we have had a reaction from the home - in this parliament. we have had a j reaction from the home secretary james cleverly he was only said today that the biggest drivers of immigration to the uk are students and health care workers, he points out. and that they have built an immigration system which prioritises the skills. these are people at the uk needs. ~ , , uk needs. well, it is interesting about health _ uk needs. well, it is interesting about health and _ uk needs. well, it is interesting about health and social- uk needs. well, it is interesting about health and social care - uk needs. well, it is interesting about health and social care it i uk needs. well, it is interestingj about health and social care it is true a lot of people have come in on visas to work in their sectors but we haven't actually seen the rate of vacancies reducing significantly because what happens is migrant put downward pressure on wages and then other people leave those workforces. so we still have a great vacancy and social care. migration is not

plugging the gap that we need in their sectors. what we need to do is improve wages and working conditions for people in health and social care. migration is not the answer to our workforce. care. migration is not the answer to ourworkforce. it care. migration is not the answer to our workforce. it is investing in people, investing in skills and productivity, improving our technology that supports these kind of jobs. technology that supports these kind ofjobs. so we have got a much bigger problem than a lack of migration and as i say migration has all sorts of negative consequences for our country. you all sorts of negative consequences for our country-— all sorts of negative consequences for our country. you will agree with james cleverly _ for our country. you will agree with james cleverly though _ for our country. you will agree with james cleverly though that - for our country. you will agree with james cleverly though that the - james cleverly though that the government has taken steps to clamp down on the flexibility that james cleverly says is in the immigration system. he is particularly referring to people like students who come to this country and bring dependence with them. he says that something had managed to clamp down on. we still had managed to clamp down on. - still have a large number of people coming over on the dependence of students. we are going to number the limit reduced the number of people on dependent visas. i would like to stop giving people the right to

remain after studying unless they get very well paid job. we need to raise the salary threshold for working visa. at the moment you can come here on a salary that is well below the average. what we need to do is raise the level of the salary threshold for a working visa, so that you are earning around £38,000, which means you are a net contributor to the british economy. that means that we would not be undercutting british workers in the labour market. we would be investing only in or supporting people who are coming to make a positive contribution economically. and that would drive businesses to improve their own investment and skills and in technology. at the moment we are undercutting our own workers and thatis undercutting our own workers and that is aptly wrong. we need to raise the salary threshold and in my view have less students coming in as well. , ., ,, i. view have less students coming in as well. , ., ~ ., well. danny kruger thank you for “oininr well. danny kruger thank you for joining us- _ well. danny kruger thank you for joining us. let's _ well. danny kruger thank you for joining us. let's return _ well. danny kruger thank you for joining us. let's return to - well. danny kruger thank you for joining us. let's return to the - joining us. let's return to the middle east and a reminder of what's happening right now. there's been a delay of at least a day in the agreement struck between israel and hamas, which would have seen a four—day

pause in the fighting. under the agreement, hamas would exchange 50 israeli hostages — taken during the 7th of october attack — for 150 palestinian women and children held in israeli jails. israel says it still expects that to happen — but not before friday — and there will be a similar delay to the planned temporary halt in hostilities. prime minister netanyahu said the fighting will resume after the pause. live now to paul adams, wold affairs correspondent. paul, strong fears for civilians. can you talk to us please about israel's plans for this humanitarian zone that they would like to be set “p zone that they would like to be set up inside gaza? we have a map that we can show our viewers and just feasible this plan is. that we can show our viewers and 'ust feasible this plan isi feasible this plan is. that is a lace at feasible this plan is. that is a place at the _ feasible this plan is. that is a place at the israelis - feasible this plan is. that is a place at the israelis have - place at the israelis have been talking about for some time now. in

fact some weeks. it is the only place that they regard as a properly safe humanitarian zone, a place where they say the israeli air force and ground forces will not attack at any point. however, we are going to see at some point whenever the hostage release is over and when israel's military campaign in the north of the gaza strip is over and all of that is going to take a little bit of time still. we are going to see the israeli army turning its attention to the south, to articulate the areas around second and the big cities in the south. essentially what they're saying is everyone in the gaza strip —— the areas around khan younis. it says everyone who wants to be safe has to get a tiny little strip. the aid agencies, the un and others who

are involved in trying to provide relief to civilians in the gaza strip say this is just a completely ludicrous suggestion. there is no infrastructure there, there are no hospitals. there are precious few houses and so the idea that this is going to be a viable place for palestinian civilians, perhaps as many as 2 million to survive during the winter months while a war rages nearby, they say is completely impossible. when israeli officials were talking about this yesterday they said, yes, it will be dire, it will be miserable but people will survive. �* , ., ., , survive. and you have 'ust returned from the region _ survive. and you have 'ust returned from the region of— survive. and you have just returned from the region of course, - survive. and you have just returned from the region of course, so - survive. and you have just returned from the region of course, so you l from the region of course, so you are very across everything that is happening in terms of the military developments too. and if we do see this humanitarian pause take place, the hostages were released, the prisoners released as well, can you explain to us what you think will actually be happening inside gaza,

militarily? 50 actually be happening inside gaza, militaril ? ., ., militarily? so for four days, startin: militarily? so for four days, starting perhaps _ militarily? so for four days, starting perhaps tomorrow, j militarily? so for four days, - starting perhaps tomorrow, there will be a complete halt to military operations. that halt may continue day by day if there are further releases of hostages. up to about nine days. now during that period it is safe to assume that both sides, both hamas and the israeli defence forces will be taking stock of the military situation and getting ready for what happens next. some people are suggesting thatjust maybe after are suggesting thatjust maybe after a week of a pause, of a ceasefire, the truce, that there will be some kind of appetite on both sides to stop the war. i think that is absolutely out of the question. israel's prime minister benjamin netanyahu has made absolutely clear that he intends to finish the business and the israelis are pointing out that large parts of hamas's fighting force and its

leadership are of course in the south and that is why they have been warning people in places like khan younis to move. 50 warning people in places like khan younis to move.— warning people in places like khan younis to move. so what do you think the idea's younis to move. so what do you think the ideas plans _ younis to move. so what do you think the idea's plans are _ younis to move. so what do you think the idea's plans are for— younis to move. so what do you think the idea's plans are for the _ younis to move. so what do you think the idea's plans are for the south? . the idea's plans are for the south? and invasionjust like we have the idea's plans are for the south? and invasion just like we have seen in the north. possibly slightly different in the way it pans out in terms of whether it is raids conducted from outside or perhaps more likely a large—scale ground incursion into the south, into that very part of the gaza strip that now contains almost the entire civilian population. i think the aid agencies, the un in particular, regard this with deep, deep trepidation. they think it has all the makings of a disaster. paul, aood to the makings of a disaster. paul, good to have — the makings of a disaster. paul, good to have your— the makings of a disaster. paul, good to have your thoughts - good to have your thoughts and analysis. thanks very much. new research shows the largest animals on earth, blue whales, are making their home in a part of the indian ocean where they were wiped out decades ago. victoria gill has more.

the biggest animals on earth. blue whales have returned to inhabit tropical waters, where just a few decades ago they were wiped out. on two recent expeditions, researchers and documentary film—makers came to the seychelles in search of the giant marine mammals. this is really cool. i've never seen so many different species, so many of so many different species. we've got hundreds of animals here. it's... ..it�*s pretty remarkable. this is now an ecological paradise teeming with life. but back in the 1960s, soviet whaling vessels captured and killed hundreds of blue whales in these waters. all right, here you go. ok. to find out if the animals had returned, scientists listened. underwater microphones are able to pick up the very low frequency sounds that blue whales use

to communicate over distances of hundreds of miles through the ocean. but the researchers weren't actually able to hear the blue whales calling directly. it took a year of recording from the sea bed, and painstaking analysis of all those months of sound, to identify the telltale, very low frequency, deep calls, the signature of these marine giants. stay with us here on bbc news. hello. pretty what an windy day today. here is the first signs of change. just on the murray coast temperatures reach 15 incredibly mouth at this stage in november. temperatures actually dropping through the day and tomorrow there will be an added wind chill with it. this colder air, arctic air pushing southwards to all of us as we go through tonight and tomorrow. also affecting good parts of europe as well. it is really confined to the

northern half of the uk for today, just to the north of this bank of rain affecting northern ireland, parts of northern england through this afternoon. sunshine and a scattering of showers to the north of that but temperatures dropping through the day, wins 50, 60 miles an hour to the north, turning wintry of a high ground. broken cloud. patchy rain and drizzle during the first half of the night, gradually becoming confined to cornwall, the isles of scilly and the channel islands. still recently mild here but elsewhere are much colder night tonight, temperatures barely above freezing in parts of england and northern ireland. showers and offer scotland, snow even to lower levels for a time and the strong winds continue. elsewhere was a lot more sunshine compared to today although a bit more cloud in northern ireland, parts of wales, running down to the west midlands. the light rain shower but most places will be dry with sunny spells, colder we have been used to though. single figure temperatures and wind chill

making it feel closer to freezing a particularly across parts of north—east scotland. as we go through into friday night and saturday morning still strong winds down eastern coasts dropping must stop on the temperatures from dropping much here but come further west, a widespread frost to start saturday. a frosty start on saturday, a dry, sunny and crisp one. lighterwinds saturday, a dry, sunny and crisp one. lighter winds for many. windy down the east coast and a few rain showers, most will be dry though, temperatures widely into single figures. notice the chill compared to late the limit of late but the upside is they will be more sunshine. frost and fog patches through saturday night and into sunday morning but sunday a cold day but cloudier. 0utbreaks sunday morning but sunday a cold day but cloudier. outbreaks of rain pushing in from the western half of the country, it maybe making across southern counties too and temperatures struggling to rise. take care.

today at 1pm, record figures for net migration to the united kingdom last year. almost three—quarters of a million more people came to live in the uk than left according to revised figures, although the number is now slowing. migration has been a big issue in the dutch general election where the far—right leader geert wilders has won a dramatic victory. also in the programme this lunchtime... energy bills for a typical household are to rise by 5% from january

as the regulator 0fgem raises its price cap. a mother and son reunited, amid allegations of ukrainaian amid allegations of ukrainian children being unlawfully deported to russian—controlled territory. one day i shall come back. doctor who theme plays. and the many faces of doctor who — time travelling for 60 years and as popular as ever. and coming up on bbc news, wales will face finland in their euro 2024 play—off semifinal in march. if they win they'll have to beat either poland or estonia for a place at the euros.

good afternoon.