just story and that freebie row just won't go away, will it.7 the prime minister fresh reports. actually, sir keir starmer has received a further £16,000 worth of clothes, which he incorrectly registered as donations. >> is the whole fiasco seriously damaging for the pm or much ado about nothing .7 about nothing? >> and tributes continue to pour in for dame maggie smith, who has passed away at the age of 89. she has been described as a formidable talent and a true legend of her generation. >> i'll be speaking to one of her downtown abbey co—stars at very shortly , and stooping to very shortly, and stooping to new lows. >> see what we did there? i didn't write that, by the way. just saying just stop oil supporters have thrown soup over to vincent van gogh paintings just hours after two activists were given jail sentence for targeting one of the same works of art, the protesters say they are on the right side of history cracking show coming up for you

read i want to be moving. i'm dawn neesom and the weekend starts right here and now . starts right here and now. but this show is nothing without you and your views. and no matter that my panel who are brilliant, by the way, are already fiddling and getting very frisky on the sidelines here, it's all about your thoughts on the stories. we're discussing today or anything you want to chat about. it's the weekend after all. it's very simple to get involved. all you do is go to gbnews.com/yoursay and join the conversation. now keeping me company this hour, she says with a sigh. is journalist and commentator benjamin butterworth looking gorgeous in orange and broadcaster mike parry, who's always fiddling around with his chair. but before. good morning. thank you very much. good afternoon. thank you very much . afternoon. thank you very much. you've got the you've got the sinking chair, thank you for joining me, gentlemen. but before we get stuck into today's stories, i'm going to have fun

with this one. here's the news with this one. here's the news with lewis mckenzie . with lewis mckenzie. >> yes. thank you very much, dawn. always a pleasure. good afternoon. it's 12:00. dawn. always a pleasure. good afternoon. it's12:00. i'm lewis mckenzie here in the gb newsroom. starting off with that breaking story, the israeli military say they have killed the commander of hezbollah in strikes in southern lebanon last night. in a tweet, strikes in southern lebanon last night. in a tweet , the idf night. in a tweet, the idf claimed that hassan nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world, saying he he was killed in the strikes. the lebanese health ministry is reporting that at least six people have been killed and 91 wounded in an attack in central beirut. on your screens now are live pictures of where that missile attack happened last night. soldiers and aid workers are currently taking part in the rescue operations, looking for survivors and victims in the rubble. and reuters news agency

are now reporting that iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah, has been transferred to a secure location inside of his country . location inside of his country. with heightened security measures in place . barristers measures in place. barristers representing alleged victims of mohamed al fayed say they are now 60 survivors, and they have credible evidence of abuse at fulham football club. the former harrods and fulham fc owner is accused of multiple sexual assaults after a bbc investigation was published last week. one of the alleged victims spoke exclusively to patrick christys on gb news last night. >> he had this look in his eyes and i'll never forget it. it was like a monstrous i'm going to get what i want from you, you know, i don't care how you feel. and i do think because it was in a public place. so to speak, he he would have gone further had he would have gone further had he could. i think he was worried

somebody might come in or i might have started screaming or something like that. so he made his exit pretty quickly, and i think he would have definitely raped me if he'd had half the chance. 100%. >> at least 43 people have been killed as hurricane helena makes its way across the southeast part of the united states, leaving millions without power. emergency crews are racing to the rescue of people trapped in flooded homes . after the flooded homes. after the category four hurricane struck the coast of florida last night . the coast of florida last night. the king has led tributes for national treasure dame maggie smith after she passed away yesterday at the age of 89. in a statement, the king praised her warmth and wit, whilst the prime minister remarked she was beloved by so many for her great talent . colleagues and fans from talent. colleagues and fans from across the world have taken to social media to share their tributes . just stop oil have

tributes. just stop oil have targeted van gogh's sunflowers paintings again. three climate activists targeted the artwork just an hour after two other activists were jailed for a similar protest back in 2022. the national gallery says the two paintings targeted yesterday were removed and examined , and were removed and examined, and were removed and examined, and were found to have no damage whatsoever . and it's also been whatsoever. and it's also been revealed that boris johnson considered raiding a dutch warehouse over a vaccination row with the eu. at the time, the astrazeneca vaccine was at the heart of the cross—channel row, with the former prime minister claiming the eu were slowing down the pace of the rollout in the uk. according to an extract from his memoir, mrjohnson convened a meeting of senior military officials back in march of 2021 to discuss the plans , of 2021 to discuss the plans, which even he admitted were, quote , nuts. well, those are

quote, nuts. well, those are your latest gb news headlines. i'm lewis mackenzie. more from me in half an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code , alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com. >> forward slash alerts . >> forward slash alerts. >> forward slash alerts. >> thank you very much. it's rather good, isn't he first? right? okay, now you lot are off already, aren't you? i mean paul already, aren't you? i mean paul. hi, paul. yeah, it's good afternoon. good afternoon. paul dawn and butterworth, misandry and wokeness. paul, you need to be specific. which one of us is which? all right. we're a bit confused here. i love men, honestly. i'm married to one. i just couldn't quite eat a whole one, you know? any case, let's get on to today. keep those comments coming in. by the way, i love your comments. it's the best thing about the show. gbnews.com/yoursay. join paul andinqu gbnews.com/yoursay. join paul and insult whichever member of the panel you like or say something nice . up to you. now something nice. up to you. now the big story of the day. the one that broke overnight,

hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah was killed in airstrikes on beirut last night. according to israeli defence forces, who said he is now no longer able to terrorise the world, israel launched targeted attacks on the lebanese capital beirut yesterday , killing six beirut yesterday, killing six and wounding 91. this is a major provocation to hezbollah's backers. iran, with fears now growing of indeed intense escalation as israel continues to mobilise soldiers ahead of a potential ground invasion. not what you want to hear on a saturday morning, is it? is this the start of an all out war in the start of an all out war in the middle east, though, to get more on this story and explain the background and what happens from here, we are joined by defence analyst chris newton. chris, thank you very much for joining me. this morning. chris, it's one of those stories where on a saturday morning, everyone goes, oh god, please just make this stop. can you just explain briefly what has happened, what this development means ?

this development means? >> good afternoon. so what has happenedis >> good afternoon. so what has happened is that the israelis in in an airstrike has or it's claiming that it has killed the leader of hezbollah, hassan nasrallah. and ultimately, what this does is, is to render the leadership of hezbollah in disarray. israel has for the last couple of weeks have been targeting the communications command and control of hezbollah. they've, you know, they've launched the attacks on they've launched the attacks on the pages and the walkie talkies, and they've been also mounting airstrikes during that time as well. but but this is a real significant blow to hezbollah. and although it doesn't destroy hezbollah, completely, it does render it the military militarily and in terms of its communications and leadership and severely affected. >> now you can see live pictures on your screen at the moment

coming in from beirut. i mean, as far as i can work out, this only leaves one commander of hezbollah left , left alive, as hezbollah left, left alive, as far as we are aware. obviously, information coming out of this part of the world is not that clear always, but it's israel have been targeted in lebanon in a bid to wipe out hezbollah's senior leadership. they have seemed to have achieved their aim. so does this mean that they will step back now? and what are we expecting? hezbollah's response to be? >> yeah . i mean, firstly, it's >> yeah. i mean, firstly, it's worth commenting that, you know, the sheer effectiveness of israeli intelligence in order to get sort of real time intelligence on the leaders whereabouts and then to, to as , whereabouts and then to, to as, as the israelis claim to successfully wipe him out. and indeed, the senior leadership as well, what happens from here? it's it depends on the responses of, you know, various actors .

of, you know, various actors. iran, to they now mounts their direct assault on israel. what they've been promising for a few months now, it also relies on the response of other members of the response of other members of the axis of resistance. so the houthis, and the militias in iraq and syria, they've been, launching attacks , the rocket launching attacks, the rocket and missile attacks on against israel for the last few days now, so, so it depends on what what they do, will israel step back?it what they do, will israel step back? it depends on whether this attack , will successfully coerce attack, will successfully coerce hezbollah into some kind of agreements with israel, which enables hezbollah to withdraw north of the litani river , if north of the litani river, if they're if that happens , which i they're if that happens, which i think is potentially unlikely, but possibly then israel might step back . but but israel has step back. but but israel has already indicated that these

actions, these airstrikes and what we saw last week are the preparations for a ground operation into southern lebanon. so, so, so that could potentially happen as well. it remains to be seen. it's very hard to predict. but, but all opfions hard to predict. but, but all options are on the table at the moment and we are in real kind of uncharted territory in relation to this crisis. but with israel managing to, to, to to take take out reportedly the, the head of hezbollah. >> do you think this, this escalation that we have seen overnight takes us to a point now where a full blown ground war is possible in this area? >> potentially, potentially, as i said, there's, you know, there's two kind of options here, or there's two scenarios here. either this , you know, here. either this, you know, hezbollah has been severely affected to the degree that it

decides into some kind of peace arrangements or israel will continue its preparations and then go in on in terms of a ground offensive. now, hezbollah is very weak, you know, weak at the moment. it's very weakened, it's still you know, it's still obviously remains military effective, but but its whole command, control and communications are in chaos at the moment. so this would be an opportunity, an ideal opportunity, an ideal opportunity to launch a ground operation. but, as i said earlier , it depends on the earlier, it depends on the responses of hezbollah and ultimately its sponsor, iran, which who indicates that, you know, it's not backing down any time soon. >> and chris, just very finally , >> and chris, just very finally, one final question. obviously, lots of civilians have been been killed, and obviously it's just horrific. the number of dead dying in the whole region, but what does it actually mean to the uk , the uk, >> i mean, it ultimately means, you know, a lot to the uk . and

you know, a lot to the uk. and in terms of, you know, this ally israel is a key ally. it's fighting , terrorist fighting, terrorist organisations. it's fighting the, you know, it's that it's fighting proxies of iran, which is a key destabilising force in, in, in the middle east and the wider world. iran, for example, is sending drones to, to russia to use in ukraine. and also we have a particular interest in the region because of the houthis and other , proxy of houthis and other, proxy of iran. attacking, shipping and oil tankers and, and that that affects us directly. so, so all of these things are interlinked. and as a maritime island nation, you know, what happens in the world ultimately affects us. so we do have interests in, in that region. and what goes on in the world as chris newton thank you very much for joining world as chris newton thank you very much forjoining us world as chris newton thank you very much for joining us this afternoon. >> chris newton, defence

analysis there. okay. well it's well none the clearer are we wait and see what happens . let's wait and see what happens. let's see what my panel maker, this journalist and commentator benjamin butterworth and broadcaster mike parry. i'm going to come to you first, benjamin, because you have travelled in this area, haven't you? unlike many, many people, you? unlike many, many people, you have been to these areas. so you have been to these areas. so you have been to these areas. so you have some experience of what it's actually like there amongst the ordinary people. >> yeah, i was in lebanon in july , but i've also interviewed july, but i've also interviewed the taliban leadership , july, but i've also interviewed the taliban leadership, and i did an investigation into the iranian revolutionary guard last yeah >> and your last question you asked there was, what does this mean for britain? >> well, the investigation i did, i spoke to six british people who had had assassination attempts on british soil by agents of the iranian revolutionary guard. >> and so what this war really is, is a proxy war for iran against the west and its interests. you know , hezbollah, interests. you know, hezbollah, its constitution was written by the iranians. it is an outpost of iran as increasingly, is

iraq, certainly as is gaza . and iraq, certainly as is gaza. and so the threat to us is not only instability in the region, but it would be a power vacuum for a country which is controlled by a terrorist group. in the iranian revolutionary guard that has the stated aim of destroying israel, but also of spreading terrorism across the world. you know, saudi arabia, which has had a big change in recent years, is now the, you know, the enemy of iran because it is trying to stop that spread of extreme islam. and that is something that we know that the head of mi5 that we know that the head of m15 has said he knows of 15 assassination attempts on british soil. i spoke to six of them that they want to bring that to british soil and so this should be of concern. >> are you personally worried about what this means? >> well, i mean, i've visited this year. i've been to yemen, to iraq, to saudi arabia, to lebanon, to jordan. and, you know, i was safe, although i was questioned heavily in lebanon. i think that we should be concerned because iran is powerful. but the question about whether this will lead to all

out war, well, you know, the truth is, and it was kind of what the expert hinted at, you know, hezbollah is depleted. lebanon is a very poor country. you know, when i was there, the people that i met were really very poor. they were still living fabulous lives, which is a distinctly lebanese trait. they call it beirut. the paris of the middle east. and it still has that vibe . but, you know, has that vibe. but, you know, i was texting someone this morning who was in beirut and he was saying how scared he is and how much they've lost, and the fact that the country's on its knees and it can't take any more. and so, you know, this isn't a political comment, but for the people involved, you know, they are sick of this. i remember i met a guy that had fled syria to lebanon after that war, and now he's landed in the middle, probably of another one. >> it's frightening. what do you make of it, mike? >> well, you know, benjamin has a lot of experience of it. i've covered wars in israel and the middle east and up into lebanon. the war of the sea of galilee. and just to emphasise a point, benjamin was made . the lebanese benjamin was made. the lebanese people are wonderful people . people are wonderful people. even when you went through tyre and sidon, the coastal towns,

you're pushing up all smashed to bits. you're invited into their homes to have coffee and some diced mutton wrapped in olive leaves and all that. so they're the people i feel sorry for. the people of lebanon now david lammy is our foreign secretary. ihave lammy is our foreign secretary. i have absolutely no confidence in him whatsoever, but that doesn't matter. what matters is that mr netanyahu, the leader of israel, has absolutely no confidence in him because david lammy does things for the audience. you know, just to look big on the world stage. i'm withdrawing export licences to israel in case they contravene human rights. idiotic netanyahu has dismissed him completely. so when david lammy or foreign secretary of the uk says, i want, you know, a ceasefire on all sides, it illustrates two things. one, the israelis never listened to david lammy because he's shown not to support them. ultimately as i think the uk should. but secondly, he doesn't understand what's going on in the middle east calling for a ceasefire on all sides is ludicrous because one side

doesn't want a ceasefire, and the way you could stop the war in the middle east. benji is just to stop terrorists attacking israel. if terrorists stopped attacking israel from the north and the south—east and west, there wouldn't be a war in the middle east. it's quite as simple as that. israel have every right to defend themselves. there are 100,000 missiles in the lebanon which could pour into israel, you know, time and time again, 120 missiles a day and 70,000 israeli people have had to flee their homes in the north of israel their own. you know, state, country because of the amount of firepower, firepower that hezbollah are pouring over the border every day. how on earth anybody can say there's justification in any of that? i don't know, benjamin. >> you've also travelled to israel, haven't you? you've been to israel. >> i didn't say that when i was in lebanon. >> no, i bet you didn't. i had to tear a passport. >> i had to tear. excuse me, dawn, i had to tear a us visa out of my passport when i went

to arab countries after being in israel and i had to tear out the israel and i had to tear out the israel visa. otherwise i'd have been arrested. why do you think? >> i mean, mike does raise a very valid point. why do you think it's always israel that have to do this? israel that have to do this? israel that have to do that, israel that have to do that, israel that have to do that, israel that have to hold the ceasefire when, as mike pointed out, iran, hezbollah and hamas are all vowed to wipe israel off the face of the earth. so why is it to down israel to stop this? >> well, i think ultimately there are anti—semitic tropes that live on these ugly claims that, you know, israel and the jews control the world. well, if they did, they wouldn't be fighting for their life, for 76 years just to have a space to call their own in the world. and i think, you know, a lot of the framing of this, we've heard a lot about the rockets that have gonein lot about the rockets that have gone in the last week or so from israel to lebanon, but there have been 8000 rockets fired at israel since the 8th of october, the day after they were invaded. and somehow that isn't seen in the same way. and the reason is because israel has spent an enormous amount of money supported by countries like britain and america, to protect

itself with the iron dome. and i've visited the iron dome as well, and it's operated by 18 and 19 year olds that are incredibly capable and brave. and so the thing is that what i think a lot of people don't understand when they see the force, which of course, isn't nice that israel uses, is that given the chance, hezbollah or the houthis or hamas would use ten times, 100 times that force if they could destroy tel aviv in a split second, they would do it. but they can't do it. israel has to defend itself. and what you're seeing right now is a situation where they've got hezbollah on the ropes. you know, you mentioned there's only one leader left, from what we understand. >> yes. >> yes. >> yeah , exactly. and also, you >> yeah, exactly. and also, you mentioned in the lewis mckenzie mentioned in the lewis mckenzie mentioned in the headlines that ayatollah khamenei has seemingly gone into hiding. i mean, that shows that israel is putting its force down and if it didn't, they would wipe it off the map in no time. >> i agree. and by the way, it didn't just rub out the leader of hezbollah . they rubbed out of hezbollah. they rubbed out the two commanders, were in charge of the rockets that are fired into israel. they've gone so hopefully there'll be a

respite in that. but as dawn just said, if people would stop attacking israel, there wouldn't be a war in the middle east. simple as that . simple as that. >> and in fact, i think a third of, people in israel are originally from iraq. you know, lots of them used to live in lebanon, used to live in yemen. they all had big jewish communities. at one point, there was just a handful of jewish people left in iran. you know, they have been forced out of the rest of the middle east over hundreds of years, and this is the one place they have left . the one place they have left. >> it's a conflict that goes back thousands of years, isn't it? if we if we go. but we haven't we haven't got time to do that much on it, unfortunately. but what do you think? are you frightened by what's happened overnight? are you are you relieved that, that, hassan nasrallah has been taken out by the israelis? gbnews.com/yoursay it's all about what you think. and for all the best analysis and more on that story and many more, please do go to our website, which is @gbnews .com . okay. which is @gbnews .com. okay. right. we move on. i'm dawn

neesom and this is indeed gb news the weekend. and there is loads more coming up on today's show, so don't move a muscle. freebee gay. yes, they just won't go away will it? sir keir starmer is now reported to have received a further £16,000 from lord alli. how many clothes does one man need? can't buy his own. in any case, the latest political stories to come after this. don't go too soon. we'll see you,

sir. welcome back to the weekend news . welcome back to the weekend news. i'm dawn neesom hope you're having a wonderful weekend out there. i've just got to read this one out straight away. they happen so rarely. dickie. afternoon, dickie says dawn. who is this man and what has he done with the real benjamin butterworth? i totally agree with everything he's saying. and inever with everything he's saying. and i never thought i'd say that. lots more like that coming in. you can join in. gbnews.com/yoursay my favourite part of the show , talking to part of the show, talking to you. in any case, the government has today confirmed that tuition

fees will rise in line with inflation to bolster the finances of struggling universities. this comes after the labour conference earlier this week, mired by winter fuel frustration and the freebie scandal that never ends. the prime minister last night admitted taking another £16,000 worth of clothes donation from lord alli. it's the tories turn this weekend, though, and their party conference kicks off in birmingham tomorrow as the leadership race intensifies. but, whisper it quietly does anyone really care anymore? so the labour party last week, sir keir, let's see what my panel make of this one. journalist and commentator benjamin butterworth and broadcaster mike parry. well, we're just mopping up all the other political stories of the other political stories of the week here, gentlemen. and the week here, gentlemen. and the big one that won't go away, mike, is freebie gate. yeah. >> no. >> no. >> what do we make of this one? go away. another £16,000 overnight. >> i'm amazed , to be honest, >> i'm amazed, to be honest, that the government hasn't fallen so far on the amount of evidence we've now got. can i just show you this page in the

times this morning? just. just hold it up for everybody. that's right . every red dot there is right. every red dot there is a cabinet minister. and alongside the amount of money that cabinet minister has received, rather in a donation, most of it from lord alli , but just from the top alli, but just from the top down. keir starmer £133,000. david lammy 110,000. angela rayneh david lammy 110,000. angela rayner, 53,000. wes streeting 53,000. and it goes on and on. i just don't know how the credibility of the government can hold together when so much influence is being put upon them by free gifts, clothes , by free gifts, clothes, spectacles, accommodation, boxes of football matches. and they expect us to believe that they're not giving anything back in return to the people providing all this largesse. i think it's outrageous. >> as i keep saying, mike and benjamin, it is only what the tories have done before them. >> i don't believe it's been to this extent . we've never seen this extent. we've never seen any evidence it's been to this extent. >> boris johnson had a good go at it. yeah. >> i mean, i mean the sort of

gifts for his redecoration of downing street were double, but other people get to use that, don't they. >> other people get to use downing street. you don't get to use keir starmer's suit after he's accepted it from lord alli and then put it back on the clothes peg. >> well, no, because it was stripped out because it was so hideous. as soon as boris johnson left downing street. so nobody got used to it because they didn't want that hideous wallpaper, if you remember rightly. but look, i think that's just total codswallop. you know, the fact is that these numbers a lot of people that are seeing it are thinking it's something very different from what it is. most of these things are not things you can buy. so the director's box at arsenal, which is much of keir starmer's cost, it's not something you can buy a ticket for right ? it's buy a ticket for right? it's clearly invite only. he pays for a season ticket to arsenal. >> no, but it's not that box. benji, just to put you right, the director's box i agree, is invitation only. but there are huge executive boxes at these grounds like spurs and arsenal, which cost up to £16,000 a game. >> and let's get right. >> and let's get right. >> i mean, every politician exists like this and so does every journalist. and what i think is the hypocrisy, what i think is the hypocrisy, what i think is the hypocrisy, what i think is the hypocrisy of this is that there are people i've

seen on television attacking and criticising labour politicians who i've been in these boxes with, and it's really strange that they're not confessing to any of that. i don't think that when i've been to a concert or a football match, and i have actually been to a football match in one of these, it's had no effect on my journalism. it's about relationship building. that's why we do it. and to suggest that there's some type of reward, well, no one has found any evidence. >> we don't run the country. benji, if you go there, it's, you know, it's a bit of a it's a bit of a favour from a friend or something like i've been in lots of boxes, right. and enjoyed great hospitality. but i always make a point of sending a check to the club charity afterwards, because i think you should give something back. i haven't seen keir starmer sending any cheques to the charities that the football teams run and the football teams run and the football clubs run, and i think he should well, i mean, i don't know what he does for charity. >> i think charity isn't something you need to declare, but i'd point out this argument of saying, oh, somehow it's absurd that keir starmer got a donation for clothing. now the way that you have to, the kind of the number of outfits, the expectation of how you look is a big part of how people look at

senior politicians. >> what a load of rubbish. >> what a load of rubbish. >> no, no, it's not rubbish because that's why. >> that's why you buy his own suits. he gets £200,000 a year in suits. >> but look, that's why the office of prime minister has for a very long time come with a office of prime minister has for a very long time come with a budget. currently £20,000 for budget. currently £20,000 for the work outfits that you need the work outfits that you need to go to all these conferences to go to all these conferences and represent britain on the and represent britain on the world stage. so why is it world stage. so why is it different that the prime different that the prime minister gets 20 grand from the minister gets 20 grand from the state, that the leader of the state, that the leader of the opposition got £20,000 from a opposition got £20,000 from a donor? are you saying because donor? are you saying because it's the only logical conclusion it's the only logical conclusion that if you don't like that that if you don't like that private funders, supporters or private funders, supporters or businesses donate this money, businesses donate this money, that taxpayers should pay for it? that taxpayers should pay for it? >> yeah, but the leader of the >> yeah, but the leader of the opposition is not on the world opposition is not on the world stage. so if your argument holds stage. so if your argument holds fast that we've got to look fast that we've got to look immaculate on the world stage, immaculate on the world stage, the leader of the opposition, the leader of the opposition, when he was taking money for his when he was taking money for his clothing and his spectacles, is clothing and his spectacles, is not on the world stage, is it? not on the world stage, is it? >> david cameron, the last >> david cameron, the last leader of the opposition from leader of the opposition from the tories, did exactly the same the tories, did exactly the same thing. i think he got something thing. i think he got something like 13 or £16,000. i read the like 13 or £16,000. i read the other day for clothing when he other day for clothing when he was leader of the opposition. so was leader of the opposition. so there is nothing unusual about there is nothing unusual about this whatsoever is to me it's this whatsoever is to me it's

very unusual. >> can i very unusual. >> can i just say is there an element of hypocrisy here? because it was keir starmer and angela rayner that were very, very vociferous in. oh, absolutely. at the

>> yeah. >> yeah. >> sorry. you mean an £18 very vociferous in. oh, absoluteleou the very vociferous in. oh, absoluteleou mean an £18 >> sorry. you mean an £18 million penthouse? >> but what does it matter? what million penthouse? >> but what does it matter? what doesit >> but what does it matter? what doesit >> but what does it matter? what does it matter? the value of the does it matter? the value of the house. >> we've all got friends, house. >> we've all got friends, haven't we? with £18 million haven't we? with £18 million penthouses. >> just hang on. no, that's not penthouses. >> just hang on. no, that's not a good enough argument. because a good enough argument. because his kid and anyone can his kid and anyone can understand this, right? if understand this, right? if you've got what it would have you've got what it would have been, the world's press by that been, the world's press by that point during a general election, point during a general election, if you've got them outside your if you've got them outside your front door during your kid's front door during your kid's exams, you'd want them to be exams, you'd want them to be somewhere quiet. he did what any somewhere quiet. he did what any decent parent would do, and the decent parent would do, and the fact that it was the nice fact that it was the nice apartment is irrelevant. so 20 apartment is irrelevant. so 20 grand never exchanged. grand never exchanged. >> why did it go on for a month >> why did it go on for a month after his son had finished his after his son had finished his gcse , exams? well, why did it go gcse , exams? well, why did it go gcse, exams? well, why did it go on for a month after that? gcse, exams? well, why did it go on for a month after that? >> the election finished on the >> the election finished on the fifth or sixth, depending how fifth or sixth, depending how you look at it. of july. and you look at it. of july. and they left on the 13th of july. i they left on the 13th of july. i think if you had, if you had all think if you had, if you had all those journalists outside your dooh those journalists outside your door, you'd want your why did he those journalists outside your dooh those journalists outside your door, you'd want your why did he try and dress up his friend's try and dress up his friend's apartment as his own home? apartment as his own home? >> why did he do that? >> why did he do that? >> why did he do that? >> why did he do that? >> i could talk about this one all day. i'll listen to yous >> i could talk about this one all day. i'll listen to yous rather talking about it all day, rather talking about it all day, but unfortunately, i have to but unfortunately, i have to move on. i'm dawn neesom and move on. i'm dawn neesom and this is julian ulez. there's this is julian ulez. there's loads more coming up on today's loads more coming up on today's

show. tributes are pouring in show. tributes are pouring in for national treasure dame maggie smith, who passed away yesterday at age 89. more on that after the news with the very lovely lewis mackenzie .

that after the news with the very lovely lewis i\iran's|zie . now reporting that iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah, has been transferred to a safe location inside his country with heightened security measures in place . the king and queen are place. the king and queen are visiting holyrood to mark the 25th anniversary of the scottish parliament being reconvened. the celebration showcased scottish music and culture and was attended by local heroes who have been nominated thanks to their contribution to local communities. his majesty spoke of the success of the devolved parliament from that day until this, through its work over a quarter of a century, this place has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between the parliament, the crown and the people of scotland . crown and the people of scotland. at least 43 people have been killed as hurricane helena makes its way across the southeastern

part of the united states, leaving millions without power. emergency crews are racing to the rescue of trapped people flooded in homes after the category four hurricane struck the coast of florida last night . the coast of florida last night. just stop oil have targeted van gogh's sunflower paintings again. three climate activists targeted the artwork just an hour after two other activists were jailed for a similar protest back in 2022. the national gallery says the two paintings targeted yesterday were removed and examined, and were removed and examined, and were found to not have any damage . and finally, it's been damage. and finally, it's been revealed that boris johnson considered raiding a dutch warehouse over a vaccination row with the eu. at the time, the astrazeneca vaccine was at the heart of the cross—channel row, with the former prime minister claiming the eu were slowing down the pace of the rollout. in

the uk. according to an extract from his memoir , mrjohnson from his memoir, mrjohnson convened a meeting of senior military officials back in march of 2021 to discuss the plans, which even now, he admits were, quote, nuts . well, those are quote, nuts. well, those are your latest gb news headlines. i'm lewis mckenzie. more from me in half an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code , alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com forward alerts

>> hello! welcome back to the weekend with me. dawn neesom hope you're having a lovely weekend out there. now we can just confirm for you that hezbollah have indeed confirmed that hassan nasrallah, the leader, has been killed and have vowed to continue the battle

against israel. we'll be joined by the former chairman of the defence select committee, tobias ellwood. very shortly, to find out what his views are on this . out what his views are on this. but we do move on. the king has led tributes for national treasure dame maggie smith after she passed away yesterday at the age of 89. in a statement, the king praised her warmth and wit, while the prime minister remarked she was beloved by so many for her great talent. colleagues and fans from across the world have taken to social media to share their own tributes . media to share their own tributes. i'm media to share their own tributes . i'm pleased to say tributes. i'm pleased to say that joining me now to discuss maggie and what he knew is the actor who played hugh mcclure, mark, marquess of flintshire in downton abbey, peter egan. peter, thank you very much for joining us this afternoon . joining us this afternoon. obviously, very sad news, thoughts with dame maggie's family . what are your memories family. what are your memories of her? what does she mean to you? >> well, i first saw her when i just before i became a student

at rada in 1963 at the national theatre. in the recruiting officer, she played opposite her then to be husband, robert stevens, it was a remarkable production and performance and she, i think, was then just transitioning from being rather a brittle comedienne who had worked with kenneth williams a lot. and she had been kind of typecast in a way, as a very, very kind of high class comedienne and quite sharp . and comedienne and quite sharp. and she suddenly then moved to the national and became accepted in a more classical role. if you like. and i think that's where she really burst through the glass ceiling and became admired on many, many levels, both as a tragic actress and also as a comedienne. i thought she was remarkable. when i first saw her, i couldn't believe that a woman could be so , exciting and woman could be so, exciting and charming and funny. all the things it sounds like a funny things it sounds like a funny thing to say, you know, i was, i was, i was very young at the

time. i just thought she was remarkable . i thought her work remarkable. i thought her work was fantastic. she was so funny and so sharp and so incisive. and then i've sort of followed her throughout my life and have only worked with her during my penod only worked with her during my period in downton abbey, but i had met her socially. prior to that, because she was a great friend of someone who i admired enormously, called john osborne. and we met socially with osborne and his, his wife, many, many years ago, and i just found her to be the most wonderfully human. but also frighteningly, witty and, and sharp, actress. >> she was she was literally one of the only people that kenneth williams who you mentioned when you started talking there, actually liked. he was infamously, very, very difficult to make friends with, no one seems to have a bad word to say about her, which in your in your profession, peter, is incredibly rare, isn't it? >> if we're honest, i think it

is incredibly rare. but then she was one of those unique people. i think one can fairly say of her, we shall never see her like again, because she did embody so many elements of our business that were just remarkable . and i that were just remarkable. and i think people were kind of wary of her and quite frightened of her, because her presence on the set, whenever you were there, it did feel a bit like an extra light had gone on. when she came on the set, and she did command a huge, a huge amount of respect from everyone , surrounding her. from everyone, surrounding her. she never demanded that, i don't think, but she just embodied it, and i can't think of any reason why anyone would have a bad word to say about her, because i don't think i've ever heard her say a bad word about anyone, ehheh >> she. she often gets her character in downtown, which the only thing i have in common with this formidable grand dame is the fact that, she she never watched downton abbey when she was asked about it. she goes, well, i've got the box set with one of those looks she wasn't,

enamoured with the fame of her trade, was she? she loved acting, but she didn't like the fame and the celebrity that went with it. >> i think she just really eschewed all of that. she avoided it all and just got on with it. basically. she didn't. i don't think she expected adoration and i don't think she wanted to kind of, excuse me, someone's knocking on my door. but this was just a moment. i won't be a moment. sorry about that. i'm at home, and so things are going on here. so. yeah, she she just was. i mean, although she just was. i mean, although she looked and acted in the most extraordinary manner , heightened extraordinary manner, heightened manner. she was, i think, just a bit of a mensch , a human being, bit of a mensch, a human being, which made it more remarkable because she didn't celebrate or indulge in the exotic qualities that she had, which made her stand out in the most remarkable

way. >> hugh, if you could . hugh. >> hugh, if you could. hugh. sorry. it's your character, peter. if you could just think of one, one word to describe her. what word would you choose ? her. what word would you choose? >> scintillating. >> scintillating. >> fantastic . and finally, very >> fantastic. and finally, very finally. have you ever watched downton abbey . downton abbey. >> you know, i don't tend to watch myself in things i haven't for a long time , so. so for a long time, so. so i haven't watched. i think downton abbey is remarkable, and i have lots of many friends in it. and i think it's i think what downton abbey did, which was exceptional, was at a time when engush exceptional, was at a time when english television was literally going down the toilet. it revived british television and made it internationally something to watch again. >> brilliant. thank you very much for joining >> brilliant. thank you very much forjoining us. peter egan, much for joining us. peter egan, who was the marquess of flintshire in downton abbey . and flintshire in downton abbey. and you can go and answer your door now. okay. i'm dawn neesom and this is jemmy gb news, and there's lots more coming up on today's show , all the latest in today's show, all the latest in the world of sport and that big ding dong between arsenal and man city. aye. i'll be speaking

to the one and only aidan magee. all of that and much more to come. this is gb

soon. welcome back. it's the weekend with me. dawn neesom . and indeed with me. dawn neesom. and indeed there's a bit of sport going on this weekend, and to talk about it is the wonderful aidan magee aidan looking. i have to say, beautiful in blue. obviously blue is a good thing today. >> but for you, dawn. >> but for you, dawn. >> yeah, thank you very much. because you normally wear that greyish colour. >> i have to i have to keep it clean all week. it's difficult. right. >> okay. right. okay. what are we talking about? i mean, i'm fascinated by the arsenal man city ding dong. >> yeah. i mean, i don't normally like to look backwards when i'm talking about sport, because, you know, it's about anyone who's worked in newspapers will tell you it's all about moving forward and moving forward. >> yeah, but it's not going backwards. it's still going on. well, this is a building row in my view. >> it is. >> it is. >> so this is not going to be a heated debate. this is aidan talking. >> sure. >> sure. >> it can be a debate. it's fine, it's fine. but look, it's

this this thing that's going on between pep guardiola and mikel arteta. it's sorcerer's apprentice stuff, isn't it? because they knew each other in the barcelona b team back in the 90s, arteta was the assistant manager at manchester city for four years and he was a bit annoyed last week arteta because he got a great point at the etihad for a two two draw. so close with amazing, amazing a win. i'm not sure anyone's won there with ten men. probably not for as long as i can remember. actually. they almost pulled it off and then at the end of the game they're kind of accused of being engaged in the dark arts, you know, going a little bit underhand to get a result. the dark arts. >> it was very i know it's shady tactics and all that kind of phrase of the week isn't it . phrase of the week isn't it. >> and, mikel arteta said they had to play that way. in fact, his quote was he said, where is it? it's not about flip flops. yeah. he says, he says, any other way of playing would have been like that. like wearing flip flops on the beach or in the rain. and he said, and he said, you might feel brave, but tomorrow you're going to be sick. so guardiola comes back at him and says, you know , these, him and says, you know, these, these are the dark arts. this is not the way i expect arsenal to play. and arteta retorts by saying, well, i was at man city

for, for four years, never mind the dark arts . for, for four years, never mind the dark arts. i for, for four years, never mind the dark arts . i know what went the dark arts. i know what went on there and it was quite a cryptic way of saying of saying that was a ridiculous statement. >> what he's basically saying was he's trying to warn the world, i know where the bodies are buried. that's that's basically what he's saying, which is good. >> tell us this is in the context of the 115 charges, and city didn't avoid it. >> he came back and said, well, look, if you've got something to say, come out and tell us what you what you think. >> i jul pep guardiola is clearly rattled about these 115 charges because at the game we're talking about arsenal last week when arsenal, got an equaliser , he literally smashed equaliser, he literally smashed the furniture up. he went running into the seats and started booting them and kicking them. so he's clearly getting enraged about what's going on at the club. and yet i agree with aiden. he was surprisingly laid back when arteta said, i know where the bodies are buried, pal, so don't do that to me. >> and he said he didn't say that specifically. >> that's exactly what he meant. that's what he meant . and then that's what he meant. and then guardiola said, oh, all right, we'll come forward and help the enquiry. you know what i mean? it was amazing. >> this is why it's a good

story, because people like mike get very engaged and it's going back and forth, back and forth. >> and, you know, the game was was nearly a week ago now. and they were great friends. and then and then finally arteta's given the chance to respond again yesterday at the press conference. oh don't worry about it. you know we've just we've all got opinions. it's not it's nothing to worry about. yeah. to settle down now. but this is the this is becoming the eminent rivalry of this era in the premier league. i don't think it's ever going to be like fergie versus wenger or wenger or mourinho or mourinho against whoever or against conte or something like that. but it's nice to see a bit of needle, isn't it? >> that's what i was just going to say. all this nice shaking hands. >> ben, what do you think? i mean, you know, we like to say in every no, in all walks of life, we like it's personalities that get us going, isn't it? i mean, we want to see a bit of you know, as long as it's natural, we don't mind seeing people coming to you know, coming up, being at loggerheads. >> well, i certainly think for a fan sport, they kind of want to have somebody that rallies the troops, you know, maybe a boris johnson of football, the kind of character that gets you going makes it more exciting. everyone's very clinical these days. >> exactly.

>> exactly. >> that's what i mean. >> that's what i mean. >> frightened of upsetting people. >> you know, you're not. whenever it's between. between bands, you know, oasis and blur. i always felt that was a little bit manufactured back in the 90s. it started off being real, but they realised actually we both want out of this. we both earn money. so let's keep it going. this is this is authentic andifs going. this is this is authentic and it's organic, and i hope it goes to the end of the season. and notwithstanding any problems that happen on the pitch, i'm hoping it turns into. >> but you're right, it's not like ferguson and wenger, is it? because actually, in those days, united and arsenal were as good as each other. so that was real rivalry, whereas city now just so much better than everybody else. you know what i mean? >> arsenal. >> arsenal. >> arsenal are coming up i agree they're coming up. but they haven't got there yet have they. >> 11 men on the pitch last week i think they had one. >> i agree with you. but wenger suddenly came to this country and started winning doubles, which only manchester united had done before them. and that was the difference. >> we are running out of time. is there any other sport taking place this weekend or. >> yeah, well, i didn't mention it this morning because i was saving it for you. >> i was keeping my powder dry, you know, for, for dawn, as well as just keeping my, my, my, my jacket so clean. but england, australia, the od! series, england were two nil down in this. they pulled it back to two two. there's a deciding sinner.

>> i'm sorry. you're premature. we've got to cut you off. i'm sorry. oh my god. oh thanks. england tomorrow. thank you. aidan, mike and benjamin. i'm dawn neesom gb news loads more coming up on today's show, so don't go too far, but let's find out what the weather's doing for you. shall we? >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar, sponsors of weather on gb news. >> hello, welcome to your gb news weather update from the met office. we've got showers still persisting in the northwest today. persisting in the northwest today . sunny spells elsewhere today. sunny spells elsewhere before turning more unsettled from the west on sunday. so taking a look at the bigger picture then we've got a ridge of high pressure extending across the east, and that's just going to bring a focus for some showers through the rest of the afternoon. so cloudy conditions across scotland with outbreaks of rain pushing through , of rain pushing through, especially across orkney. elsewhere, we'll see a few showers across northwestern parts of england, but on the whole a largely dry night to

come with some clear spells as well. it's not going to be as chilly as last night, but we could still see a touch of frost, especially in the countryside. but as we start a sunday morning, we've still got cloud and rain persisting across orkney through the early start of the day, but further across central parts. a chilly start across scotland, perhaps with a touch of frost , but some touch of frost, but some sunshine as well. across northern ireland we're already seeing the start of that low pressure system bringing increasing amounts of cloud here, but further across eastern parts of england, that's where we'll hold on to some bright weather to start the day, but it will turn increasingly cloudy as the day progresses, and that's all to do with an area of low pressure moving in from the west. so we have got a met office wind warning in force, giving some strong winds , giving some strong winds, especially across southwestern parts of england and into wales , parts of england and into wales, 50 possibly up to 60mph. and that's also going to bring in some increasing amounts of cloud and rain further towards the

east, though, holding on to a dner east, though, holding on to a drier day with some bright or hazy sunshine. but as the evening progresses, that low pressure system will continue to push its way across much of england and wales, bringing increasing amounts of cloud and rain. and we've got a wind warning and a rain warning in force as well. so unsettled on monday, but turning a little bit dner monday, but turning a little bit drier on tuesday and wednesday. >> by by looks like things are heating up . boxt boilers heating up. boxt boilers sponsors of weather on

gb news. >> good afternoon. it is 1:00 on saturday the 28th of september. i know i have no idea where it's gone either. this is the weekend on gb news now. the breaking story of the day in the last half hour. hezbollah have now confirmed their leader , hassan confirmed their leader, hassan nasrallah, was killed in yesterday's strikes on beirut. the move is described as a

serious escalation in the region and a dangerous moment for the world. i'm speaking to former chair of the defence select committee, tobias ellwood, about his thoughts on that story and that freebie rail just won't go away, will it? for the prime minister as fresh reports suggest, keir starmer received a further £16,000 worth of clothes, which he incorrectly registered as donations. it's this whole fiasco seriously damaging for the pm or much ado about nothing and dame maggie smith has passed away at the age of 89. she's been described as a formidable talent and a true legend of her generation. sir paul mccartney has said she was a great person with a wicked sense of humour. we'll have the latest as tributes continue to pourin latest as tributes continue to pour in on that one, and stooping to new lows. i didn't write that headline. just keep saying just stop oil supporters have thrown soup over two vincent van gogh paintings. just two hours after two other activists were given jail sentences for targeting one of

the same works of art, the protesters say they are on the right side of history. can't wait to hear your thoughts on that one. i'm dawn neesom and this is the weekend . this is the weekend. but my absolute favourite bit of this show, and i'm not even lying because i don't is useless. and what you think about what we're talking about. so let me know your views. it's really simple. a gbnews.com/yoursay on the stories we're talking about or as it's the weekend, anything you want to chat about? that's what we're here for. i said, it's gbnews.com/yoursay and i'll read as many out as i possibly can do. keep them coming in. right. okay. a brilliant panel for you this hour after the last one. this is political commentator joe phillips one. this is political commentatorjoe phillips and commentator joe phillips and broadcaster claire muldoon. thank you very much for joining me , ladies. really appreciate a me, ladies. really appreciate a bit of girl power for this. now,

but oh, here's not a girl, is he? let's get the news headlines with lewis mckenzie . with lewis mckenzie. >> keen observation. there dawn. thank you. good afternoon. it's 1:00. i'm lewis mckenzie here in the gb newsroom . terrorist group the gb newsroom. terrorist group hezbollah has confirmed their leader, hassan nasrallah, has been killed in strikes in southern lebanon last night, in a tweet, the idf claimed that hassan nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world, saying he was killed in those strikes. the lebanese health ministry is reporting that at least six people have been killed and 91 wounded in an attack in central beirut. on your screens now, there are live pictures of where that missile attack happened . soldiers and attack happened. soldiers and aid workers are currently taking part in rescue operations, looking for survivors and victims in the rubble, and the reuters news agency are now reporting that iran's supreme

leader, the ayatollah, has been transferred to a secure location inside his country with heightened security measures in place . the king and queen are place. the king and queen are visiting holyrood to mark the 25th anniversary of the scottish parliament, being reconvened. the celebrations showcased scottish music and culture and was attended by local heroes who have been nominated thanks to their contribution to local communities . their contribution to local communities. his their contribution to local communities . his majesty spoke communities. his majesty spoke of the success of the devolved parliament from that day until this. >> through its work, over a quarter of a century, this place has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between the parliament, the crown and the people of scotland . crown and the people of scotland. >> at least 43 people have been killed as hurricane helena makes its way across the southeast part of the united states, leaving millions without power.

emergency crews are racing to the rescue of people trapped in flooded homes after the category four hurricane struck the coast of florida last night, barristers representing alleged victims of mohamed al fayed say there are now 60 survivors and they have credible evidence of abuse at fulham football club . abuse at fulham football club. the former harrods and fulham fc owner is accused of multiple sexual assaults after a bbc investigation was published last week . one of the alleged victims week. one of the alleged victims spoke exclusively to patrick christys on gb news last night. >> he had this look in his eyes and i'll never forget it. it was like a monstrous i'm going to get what i want from you, you know? i don't care how you feel. and i do think because it was in a public place, so to speak , he a public place, so to speak, he he would have gone further had he would have gone further had he could. i think he was worried somebody might come in or i might have started screaming or

something like that. so he made his exit pretty quickly, and i think he would have definitely raped me if he'd had half the chance. 100%. >> the king has been leading tributes for national treasure dame maggie smith after she passed away yesterday at the age of 89. in a statement, the king praised her warmth and wit, whilst the prime minister remarked she was beloved by so many of her great talents, colleagues and fans from across the world have taken to social media to share their own tributes . it's been revealed tributes. it's been revealed that boris johnson considered raiding a dutch warehouse over a vaccine row with the eu. at the time, the astrazeneca vaccine was at the heart of the cross—channel row , with the cross—channel row, with the former prime minister claiming the eu was slowing down the pace at which the rollout could happen. in the uk. according to an extract from his memoir , mr an extract from his memoir, mr johnson convened a meeting of

senior military officials back in march of 2021 to discuss the plans, which even he now admits were, quote , nuts . and finishing were, quote, nuts. and finishing off six rare sea turtles have been rescued and returned to their natural habitats thanks to their natural habitats thanks to the royal navy. the mission was a part of a link up with two marine wildlife organisations to deliver half a dozen loggerhead turtles seen on your screen. now to warmer waters after the creatures were washed up on the uk shores and nurtured back to health. how sweet those are your latest gb news headlines. more from me in half an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code , alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com. >> forward slash alerts .

>> forward slash alerts. >> forward slash alerts. >> thank you very much. lewis. right, let's get straight into today's story, shall we, hezbollah have confirmed their leader, hassan nasrallah, was killed by the israeli defence forces in airstrikes on beirut last night. israel launched targeted attacks on the lebanese capital throughout yesterday, killing six and wounding 91. this is a major provocation to hezbollah's backers. iran. as israel continues to mobilise soldiers ahead of a potential ground invasion . is this soldiers ahead of a potential ground invasion. is this a soldiers ahead of a potential ground invasion . is this a start ground invasion. is this a start of all out war in the middle east? that's the question we're asking. so let's get the expert analysis of tobias ellwood, former chairman of the defence select committee . tobias, thank select committee. tobias, thank you very much for joining us. this afternoon, pretty horrible news for everybody to wake up to on a saturday. it's scary , you on a saturday. it's scary, you know, at the very least. what do you make of what's happened today? >> yes. this is very dangerous moment indeed. >> we are on the brink of war in

the middle east. you know, i listen very carefully to the us secretary of state's response, anthony blinken, commentary to israel bombing beirut and southern lebanon, which has taken out the hezbollah leader. he rightly questions prime minister netanyahu's strategy on where this current utility of military might takes this conflict in the middle east. you know, he said, the question is not does israel have the right to defend itself from terrorism and hostile attacks from abroad ? and hostile attacks from abroad? of course it does. the question is whether this is the best way to achieve that objective. and netanyahu said at the united nations, i think you're showing here pictures of him now we are winning. i pose this question what are you winning? has the threat disappeared? no, indeed. what does victory look like? what does victory look like? what are you actually fighting for? where does this go ? for? where does this go? hezbollah is a militia within a state. it won't announce

unconditional surrender in that normal sense of the word. tens of thousands of extremists have signed up to fight , knowing that signed up to fight, knowing that they may have to martyr themselves as part of that cause. that's who they are. and hassan nasrallah may well be dead, but he will be quickly replaced and his death will prompt a serious response, not just from hezbollah , they not just from hezbollah, they not only just have thousands of missiles that they want to deploy as well, but also from iran , who will feel to oblige, iran, who will feel to oblige, to respond as well. so this is a really dangerous turn of events. no one is in control of where this goes. and israel is no longer informing washington of its plans. so the middle east does look like it's about to enter an even darker chapter as war spreads. >> what does it i mean, it sounds sort of like very narrow minded to us. what does it mean for the uk ? for the uk? >> oh, huge consequences. i mean, not just because we have our own economic interests there. there are britons, expats that live across the middle east. that's why the prime

minister has said if you're living in lebanon now, there's up to six, 10,000 people there based there. get out now. but if iran, as i suggest, gets involved as well . iran controls involved as well. iran controls the straits of hormuz, a third of the world's oil comes out of that strait. now that has a knock on impact on global economy , including here in economy, including here in britain as well. but then, of course, where does it spread from there? because if iran is involved, guess what? it sits behind iran is russia. and then of course, russia's got its own interests in what's going on in ukraine. so all these points are testing the west's ability to put fires out across the world. it isn't just the middle east thatis it isn't just the middle east that is giving concern in capital cities across the west, but it's also all these activities that are taking place testing our ability to put fires out. >> tobias, do you think we really, seriously could be on the brink of a major to world war with this? >> the short answer to that is yes, but it needs to be

caveated. we're already in a cold war, but not like the last. we're heading towards a world at war. so another world war. but a series of wars around the world involving proxy influences . but involving proxy influences. but much of that fighting actually taking place in the grey zone. we had a cyber attack that took out a number of train stations the other day. the information packages, cyber attacks on our nhs. we've had, we've had the russians take out assassinations on britain's, on britain's land. there are activities taking place in below the threshold of full scale war. ask anybody you know yourselves. are we do we feel safer? will we feel safer in five years time compared with today? most people will say, no, we're not. so what do we do to prepare for that? our resilience, our readiness needs to be improved. we need to be investing far more in defence. but we're not even talking about raising that to 2.5% gdp. that's those discussions aren't even

happening here. so in a sense, we're in denial about where our world is going. >> tobias, you pre—empted what i was going to ask you next. i mean, we haven't heard from the prime minister or indeed the foreign secretary today about the developments overnight , how the developments overnight, how confident are you that labour will be or the new government will be or the new government will be or the new government will be able to handle this crisis going forward ? crisis going forward? >> well, what sits behind in britain, what sits behind any government, is a formidable civil service and our ministry of defence, the military leaders as well , they will be providing as well, they will be providing advice. they'll also be communicating with our allies across the world. so washington dc will be speaking to london, speaking to paris as well, and berlin to work out what can be done to influence israel behind all this, of course, is what the start of all this latest drama that's taking place in the last year are those barbaric attacks, the that took place on the 7th of october. and then israel felt obliged, understandably, to then move to in gaza. it's that ceasefire which has then

triggered hezbollah to open up the second front, and then hezbollah is now dominating, has been dominating the southern lebanon against the un resolution that goes back many, many years. so there is actually an opportunity, a glimmer of light that if we can persuade israel to agree to that 21 day ceasefire that's been caused by this pause in fighting, we could prevent this escalation taking place. but as i say, if israel is doing things without speaking to its closest security ally, the united states, then that prospect of that right now is quite grim . quite grim. >> tobias ellwood, former chairman of the defence select committee , thank you very much committee, thank you very much for joining us this afternoon. not exactly encouraging, is it? in the last few minutes, hezbollah have released the following statement. the master of resistance has passed away to be with his lord. the leadership of hezbollah pledges to continue its jihad in confronting the enemy, supporting gaza and palestine, and defending lebanon and its steadfast and honourable

people. okay, well, let's see what my panel make of this. political commentator joe phillips and broadcaster claire muldoon, coming to you first, joe. i mean, it's not the news. we want to be waking up to, it's. i mean, tobias hasn't exactly reassured me that it's going to go away any. >> well, it's not, and it's and it's been on the cards for an awfully long time. i think, you know, the point that he makes that it's a world at war is really , really important because really, really important because that in some ways makes it a much harder thing for countries to deal with because you've got many, many fires, but they're big fires . big fires. >> they're battles. >> they're battles. >> i mean, i think what we've seen over the last 24 hours is that benjamin netanyahu does not give a. he will not even entertain any thoughts of a ceasefire . his speech to the ceasefire. his speech to the united nations was unbelievable. i mean, even by his terms of rhetoric and bombast and, you know , talking to his right wing know, talking to his right wing supporters back in israel, it

was appalling. this is a slap in the to face america. it's a slap in the face to biden . it's in the face to biden. it's probably a slap in the face to trump or harris. whoever wins the next election. >> and i think as as tobias just said, i mean, the real concern and i think what will be happening now is that everybody will be watching for two things. >> one is to see what iran does, but who will succeed? nasrallah, as the leader, de facto leader of hezbollah? i mean, i think it's important to mention dawn that because hezbollah in lebanon also has a political role, in the same way that hamas doesin role, in the same way that hamas does in palestine. so, you know, whilst it's a proscribed organisation, a terrorist organisation, a terrorist organisation around many parts of the world, including this country, it is still a political player in the lebanon, in the lebanon, but, you know, because it's a proscribed organisation, you will not have them sitting down having negotiations. so i think, you know, this is a

diplomatic rubik's cube. if you like, and it will require calm heads , sensible thoughts. and heads, sensible thoughts. and the ability to forge relationships with neighbours . relationships with neighbours. and actually, you know, for us that means europe. it means nato, it means america , with or nato, it means america, with or without biden, trump or harris, but i think, you know, in the background , as tobias just said, background, as tobias just said, you've got russia waiting and iran. >> claire, do you think we have enough calm heads around the world to actually use diplomacy to sort this issue out? one would hope that we have, but i think this strike by netanyahu and the israelis is has actually destabilised more than it has anything. and i think his abject and absolute abject hate of everyone around him in terms of countries has, you know, this has been proven. let's not forget the two day targeted attack on the lebanon on the

18th and 19th of september with the pagers. and then we're almost coming up now to the one year anniversary of the strikes of hamas. and i just i would just want to point out, though, jess, you mentioned that hamas being a political organisation, i think they lost all legitimacy of being a political organisation when they went in for that attack. >> oh for sure. >> oh for sure. >> and i would call them terrorists more than a political arm of and i think that it is indeed an absolute slap in the face from netanyahu, whom i don't think has any regard at all for jews don't think has any regard at all forjews in don't think has any regard at all for jews in the don't think has any regard at all forjews in the state of all for jews in the state of israel or anywhere else in the whole world. >> he really doesn't. >> he really doesn't. >> in my view. i think the loss of nasrallah at this crucial time, i think it couldn't have come at a more crucial time in all honesty. >> so people, i think diplomacy is absolutely key. but we have russia. >> we've got china, we've got taiwan as well. let's not take

our eye off taiwan. and of course, the sham that is ukraine. yeah. >> what on earth is going on? >> what on earth is going on? >> jo white horrible. tobias didn't sound that confident that he he had faith in david lammy and keir starmer to perform on the world stage , and didn't get the world stage, and didn't get that at all. >> well, i know i think he made the point that people will defence spending for a start. >> well, defence spending is a different matter altogether because actually what he did say is that people will be listening and taking advice. >> and frankly, it's a nice thing if people are taking advice before they come out and say something which is what we had from the previous government, you know, if we'd still got that lot in, we'd have had liz truss in a tank driving through southern lebanon, probably. >> right. so actually calm heads and sensible getting advice from people who know far more than the prime minister and the new foreign secretary, i think is valid. defence spending is important, but i think it's also important, but i think it's also important to remember that, you know, five years ago nobody would have expected that there would have expected that there would be a ground war in europe because we were looking at cyber

attacks, we were looking at other things. >> and i think because everything is changing so quickly and because the players, whether they're china, as claire said, or russia or iran, they are slightly ahead of us, actually, in what they can do and how they can destabilise. and i think, you know, you've got the destabilisation of cyber attacks, whether it's on banks or railway stations or nhs. that means you take your eyes off the ball. and as clare rightly says, you know, we're talking about this now, so we're not looking at ukraine. while we've been looking at ukraine, we haven't been looking at what's going on in the balkans, and everybody has forgotten what's happening in sudan and across africa. i think there is something like 50 wars raging at the moment, and we probably only know about 2 or 3, or we're only talking about 2 or 3. >> yeah, that's the key. yes. and ultimately there are there is always, always fallout. always fallout of innocence. innocent children, innocent , innocent children, innocent, innocent men and women. and to

think we have we should have evolved as a world through to diplomacy and articulation. and yet we quite clearly have not. >> well, unfortunately, when you get people like netanyahu and people from other countries and other organisations, it becomes a contest that is usually carried out in gentlemen's lavatories. yeah. and we are all reaping the benefits or the disbenefits of that defence spending. >> it was something that was never actually mentioned or mooted during the general election hustings, until i think about one week or two weeks towards the end of it, and indeed the general election itself in in july. indeed the general election itself in in july . and you itself in in july. and you think, well, why not? i mean, we really should have increased our gdp, but that was it was always domestic. we always spoke about it domestically. our defence. >> and i would question whether or not we have a robust civil service when working with foreign allies, foreign countries and indeed our defence. >> i hope they are as robust as

they need to be, but i just want to read one comment out from keep your views coming in. by the way, this is from gerald. it sounds as if your guests expect israel to just sit back and allow these people to keep attacking them. what else are israel supposed to do? hamas and hezbollah have vowed to wipe the state of israel . and how can state of israel. and how can israel negotiate with terrorists? what would you say to that? >> well, i would say that, yes, of course, israel has its right to defend itself against an appalling terrorist attack a year ago. but israel does not have the right to bomb innocent women. and children where they have herded those people from their homes into places of safety . nor does it have the safety. nor does it have the right to actually attack aid convoys and pick off one by one aid workers , foreign aid aid workers, foreign aid workers. i mean, the people in palestine have been treated appallingly and the response of israel has been utterly disproportionate. >> unfortunately, we have to we have to move on. i have run out

of time on that one. but for the all the best analysis and opinion on that story and much more , and please do keep your more, and please do keep your views coming in as well. go to our website gbnews.com. and for your views it's gbnews.com/yoursay i'm dawn neesom. this is gb news and there's lots more coming up on today's show. scientists have recreated richard ii's voice using his skull shape. me nehheh using his skull shape. me neither. and knowledge of medieval speech patterns. i'm joined by the woman behind the magic. after this

right. hello. you're back. welcome to the weekend with me. dawn neesom on gb news now my kingdom for a voice. scientists have.i kingdom for a voice. scientists have. i can't believe this story. scientists have incredibly recreated the voice of richard the third, using both his skull shape and a knowledge of medieval speech patterns. me

neither . the result is that the neither. the result is that the king, who was famously killed at the battle of bosworth in 1485, would have spoken in english close to that of a man from modern day yorkshire or somerset. let's take a listen . somerset. let's take a listen. >> the sun shines with no less light and splendour, nor does it suffer any diminution of its strength. rather it is pleased to be seen to shine as a king in the midst of his nobles , and to the midst of his nobles, and to adorn the greater and lesser stars in the whole court of heaven. >> how ? let's discuss this >> how? let's discuss this further with yvonne. molly chisholm, the voice coach behind the project, who spent ten years researching how the monarch would have sounded. yvonne, you can probably see from my face i have no idea how this works. can

you enlighten me as to what what all this is about? >> yes, thank you very much indeed. dawn. so, yes, i had a mad idea ten years ago, i normally work with actors where we have a recording of a historical person, and we do something called vocal profiling to train the actor who's going to train the actor who's going to be performing on stage or screen, to move their tongue, tip their jaw, their lips, everything. and get behind the personality of who they're playing. we obviously have quite a lot of that missing from richard. we don't have a recording of him, but i wondered how far we could go. and a key player in this has been and is professor caroline wilkinson , professor caroline wilkinson, who over a decade ago created his face, first of all from his skull . now, on the day we, as skull. now, on the day we, as shakespeare would say, shuffle off our mortal coil, every little dent and dimple in the bones says how fit and strong the muscles were. so i thought, okay, we know what his face could do. we know what his face

was like in resting position. for a start, we're talking about pronunciation at one level, but we're also talking about personality at another. you and i could say good afternoon to each other with a with a frown or a smile and we'll we'll sound different. so in my journey to piece together lots of different parts of a jigsaw puzzle, i've had to go to the forensic psychologists who've looked at the personality of the real king. interestingly, they are convinced he was not a murderous psychopath , that's a whole psychopath, that's a whole nother side of it. but dentists, physiotherapists, the body double. there's a man out there with a scoliosis, a sideways bent, not a he was not a hunchback. that's wrong, and of course , the legend that is course, the legend that is professor david crystal, our leading linguist, who you heard in that clip, that's not the actor we've chosen that you heard. that was david giving what he'd call a flat, rehearsal version for our actor. we've

been working with an actor with a face shape, like the reconstructed face of king richard. and making an avatar face lab in john moores university in liverpool. their professor, caroline wilkinson, and her team making an avatar of richard's face. that the actor's face then has to drive. he lifts an eyebrow. richard's face will lift an eyebrow sort of thing, but also then the pronunciation. which is not actually modern. it's. i'm afraid that's a slight error. it's medieval yorkshire and not really somerset , but i and not really somerset, but i get that the r might sound a bit like somerset. basically, it's been called the new science of historical human reconstruction. and we get to learn more about an individual from this. and after richard, we'll be doing other people . he happens to be other people. he happens to be the first. >> yvonne, why is it important what he sounded like? because we all think that all our kings and queens of the past sounded

terribly, terribly posh and terribly, terribly posh and terribly upper class, but they clearly didn't. but why is it important? >> yeah . so, you know the old >> yeah. so, you know the old adage, it's not just what you say, it's how you say it goes a long way . what's interesting is long way. what's interesting is that what you've modelled magnificently is what we call heightened, received pronunciation, which is really the victorians we have to thank for that. in the 1800s, richard never heard that accent. shakespeare never heard that accent. who came later, and we know more about the person in the way that they speak. the way they move their face, like the choices that they make when they're in government and the relationships that they have. and i've had to put all these pieces together to coach the actor into the role . actor into the role. >> absolutely fascinating. absolutely fascinating . yvonne, absolutely fascinating. yvonne, thank you so much. i have learned so much. i'm now very, very paranoid about what i say, especially seeing as i mispronounce downton abbey earlier on. now i have to concentrate. i've never watched

it. in my defence. yvonne morley chisholm, voice coach, thank you so much forjoining us and explaining that. thank you. really appreciate your time . i really appreciate your time. i literally still can't get my head around what i've just heard. claire i heard mark rylance, i don't know about any of you, but i was thinking hilary mantel, it was just like wolf hall or something magnificent. but those yorkshire flat vowels and my goodness me, it's really incredible. >> but the extent to which they've researched it, you know, a physiotherapist, someone, you know, obviously the research that's so highly that they got someone with scoliosis to get the intonation and the tone through the nasal cavity, the size of the skull, the indentations. yes. yeah. amazing >> well, just quickly running out of time. why is it so important? why is accent so important? why is accent so important to us, joe? >> because i think we've all grown up with richard the third. darling. larry, darling , you darling. larry, darling, you know, and we assume that that's how people speak. and actually what we forget. if you certainly

go back to things like, you know, chaucer's, pilgrim's tales and things, they would have been ordinary people. and, you know, we've only relatively recently moved away. i mean, people were not necessarily walking around in those clothes. >> do you know, what do you know what i'm really concerned about, though? if you look back at the way chaucer was written, right, you can hardly speak it now. yeah. and then you listen to the people now on the tube. these young people, they are, we would say they hardly speak. so what's going to happen now? it's just going to happen now? it's just going to happen now? it's just going to be an issue of grunts with each other. >> well, i'm sure that lady will find some absolutely neanderthal man, neanderthal man, or cro—magnon . yes, absolutely. cro—magnon. yes, absolutely. >> anyway, we're running out of time , ladies. thank you terribly time, ladies. thank you terribly much for that. superb night. just stop oil protesters have thrown more food over vincent van gogh paintings. but before that, let's get the news headunes that, let's get the news headlines with someone who does speak terribly well. indeed. it's louis mackenzie for you .

it's louis mackenzie for you. >> you're far too kind , dawn. >> you're far too kind, dawn. good afternoon. it's just 1:30. i'm louis mackenzie, here in the newsroom terrorist group hezbollah has confirmed their leader has been killed in strikes on southern lebanon. last night, in a tweet this morning, the idf said that hassan nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world, saying he was killed in said strikes . the lebanese health strikes. the lebanese health ministry is reporting that six people have been killed and 91 wounded in in the attack in central beirut. on your screens now is live pictures of where that missile attack happened. soldiers and aid workers are currently taking part in the rescue operation, looking for survivors and victims in the rubble . reuters news agency are rubble. reuters news agency are reporting that iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah, has been transferred to a secure location inside his country with heightened security measures in place . the king and queen are

place. the king and queen are visiting holyrood to mark the 25th anniversary of the scottish parliament's being reconvened. the celebrations showcased scottish music and culture and was attended by local heroes who have been nominated thanks to their contribution to the local communities. his majesty spoke of the success of the devolved parliament from that day until this . this. >> through its work over a quarter of a century , this place quarter of a century, this place has not just thrived , but in has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between the parliament, the crown and the people of scotland . crown and the people of scotland. >> the king has also been leading tributes to national treasure dame maggie smith, after she passed away yesterday at the age of 89. in a statement, the king praised her warmth and wit whilst the prime minister remarked she was beloved by so many of her great talents. colleagues and fans from across the world have been

taking to social media to share their own tributes . and finally, their own tributes. and finally, six rare sea turtles have been rescued and returned to their natural habitat thanks to the royal navy. the mission was a part of a link up with two marine wildlife organisations to deliver half a dozen loggerhead turtles seen on your screen there to warmer waters after the creatures were washed up on the uk shores, and they were nurtured back to health. well, those are your latest gb news headlines. i'm lewis mackenzie. more from me in half an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com forward

>> oh, hello there you are. welcome back to the weekend with

me, dawn neesom. i've got a nice cuppain me, dawn neesom. i've got a nice cuppa in front of you because we have a good old chit chat. if you want to get involved, gbnews.com/yoursay and i will read as many out as i can because it's my favourite part of the show . now this because it's my favourite part of the show. now this is because it's my favourite part of the show . now this is the because it's my favourite part of the show. now this is the bit that we've been looking forward to, isn't it? just stop oil have targeted a van gogh's sunflower paintings again. three climate activists targeted the artworks just an hour after two other activists were jailed for a similar protest back in 2022. the national gallery say the two paintings, targeted on friday had been removed for examination and were found to be undamaged. okay, let's see what my panel make of this one. they just don't give up. today, our political commentator joe phillips and broadcaster claire martin. joe, i'm going to come for you on this one first, what are they achieving by chucking soup over paintings? oh, good. >> i mean, it's very interesting that dale vince, the founder of ecotricity, you know, who was a great supporter and funder of stop oil and his counterpart in

america, both of those very wealthy men stopped funding the just stop oil protests a year or maybe a little bit longer ago because they said that these things have become performative protests, they're not about policy. they're not going to change anybody's mind. they're just going to annoy people, and they got it so spectacularly wrong. if you remember a while ago, there was that ridiculous thing where they did a big protest at canning town holding up, you know, security guards , up, you know, security guards, cleaners, nurses, teachers, people going to school. it doesn't get your message across. it just makes it look like vandalism, and i don't really see i mean, i'm perfectly supportive of people having the right to protest. it's not violent. it didn't do any damage. but what is that going to. we're not talking about. stop oil. no, no, we're talking about they tend to be quite middle class. white people going

to do something for a performance. and i'm not sure that that is helping when actually i care more about people being able to go and see van gogh paintings in this amazing exhibition . would you amazing exhibition. would you then think, oh, i won't take my primary school class, or my kids, or my granny and i think that's a bit more damaging. >> i mean, it comes off middle class. phoebe plummer and anna holland were jailed on friday for two years and 20 months, respectively. now two years. i mean, we saw pictures earlier on for chucking paint over paint. it's rather a lot when we are letting convicted sex attackers go free. yes. yeah, because the difference is of course, in in the judicial system in this country , if you throw something country, if you throw something at a piece of art, you get tried in a, in a, in a court , a crown in a, in a, in a court, a crown court, not a magistrates court >> unlike huw edwards and all the other that are tried in this country. two years for anna and phoebe, with one getting an extra three months because they

under a section seven because they held something up before they held something up before they went in. i think it's just ridiculous when those two boys who murdered in a frenzied attack, young sean sinwar in wolverhampton, got ten years where that's a fifth of the sentence. >> yeah, but they were those kids were 12 when that offence was carried out. >> i'm not saying that their that their sentence isn't representative . i'm saying that representative. i'm saying that these girls, in fact, in my view, i would just stop their trust funds. never mind. just stop oil i think need to get a grip. and i want to bring you to the attention of the statement from the national gallery just after 2:30 pm. this afternoon, three people entered room six of the national gallery's van gogh poets and lovers exhibition. police were called and three people have been arrested. the paintings were removed from display and examined by a conservator , and the paintings conservator, and the paintings are unharmed. we are aiming to reopen the exhibition. they say they don't disrupt, they do

disrupt and all they're doing , disrupt and all they're doing, like you said, is just completely, undeniably annoy people. that's what they're doing, jo. they're annoying people. >> no, i mean, ijust sort of think, you know, what are you trying. i know what they're trying. i know what they're trying to achieve, and i don't necessarily disagree with their aims, but i think going about it like this, it just looks like i wouldn't be surprised if ed balls has put something. >> sorry. ed miliband has put something on tiktok with it. >> ed miliband could be ed balls, who knows? but i mean , balls, who knows? but i mean, and frankly, if you're going to attack a painting in an art gallery with soup, at least be a little bit witty and use campbell's because did you not encourage them? >> do not encourage them. no, no . >> do not encourage them. no, no. >> do not encourage them. no, no. >> but i mean, really, you know, it's like they threw orange paint or orange powder. >> stonehenge, stonehenge, all footage of that just now. >> wimbledon. the snooker that chelsea. no. hampton court flower show. i mean, these are all things that are not actually

dependent on oil or fossil fuels. >> interesting. yeah. i mean, i didn't understand what the sunflower link was, but they were just saying it was it was making the point. but the judge in the, in the, the phoebe plummer and anna holland said when plummer compared herself to a political prisoner. >> i know i'll be in the right side of history. she said. >> she's not a suffragette. >> she's not a suffragette. >> no. and the judge fighting for anybody else? >> the judge literally said, stop being so ludicrous and self—indulgent. >> yes, well, that's the problem. and that's why they come across and they do not therefore attract the support of therefore attract the support of the people that they need to go on this journey with them. i mean, i expect if you looked at any of the festivals, including glastonbury, you would see a lot of young people. and i'm not by all means saying all of them who would probably support these aims. and then they will walk away, leaving behind tents, bottles, barbecues. >> well , exactly. >> well, exactly. >> well, exactly. >> and rubbish. >> and rubbish. >> it's almost as if the labour government at the moment. and

the hypocrisy, isn't it? >> if you wanted to do something about stop oil, then actually campaign for something sensible. campaign for more solar power, more wind power. do something sensible. >> what do you think we should do to stop them doing this? then? sentencing doesn't appear to work. i mean, you know, on the very same day, literally, sentencing doesn't work. >> and, you know, i, you know , >> and, you know, i, you know, arguably i think claire's right. you know, the sentence is probably disproportionate , probably disproportionate, except it is a reminder to people who happen to be called phoebe that actually they don't get out of it. they will still , get out of it. they will still, it doesn't stop them because they literally did it within hours. yes, i know, but you know, she'll have a criminal record. it will have an effect on, you know, jobs. >> it's an ideology. it's become a religion for some people, but it's really quite worrying. >> but, you know, actually, aren't there some things that you could actually be doing to help people instead of. it is indulgent. i'm afraid. >> i think, well, self indulgent or a point well proved. what do you make ? gbnews.com/yoursay let

you make? gbnews.com/yoursay let us know your views on that one. dawn neesom this is gb news. there's loads more coming up on today's show. the latest from the royal household . as boris the royal household. as boris johnson has revealed, he was asked to persuade prince to harry stay in the uk. all of that and much more to come. this is gb news,

soon. oh, hello. welcome back. this is the weekend with me. dawn neesom. hope you're having a wonderful saturday afternoon over there now. boris johnson claims he was asked by buckingham palace to persuade prince harry to stay in the uk in the former pm's upcoming memoir, he says he spoke to the duke of sussex for 20 minutes in a kind of manly pep talk, but the prince still decided to move his family to north america pretty much the next day, if i remember rightly. joining me now is royal expert and biographer ingnd is royal expert and biographer ingrid seward . ingrid, thank you ingrid seward. ingrid, thank you very much for joining ingrid seward. ingrid, thank you very much forjoining us. boris johnson i try to persuade harry

to stay. it failed miserably. what do you make of this story? >> well, i think i don't know how boris managed to spend 20 minutes talking to harry and to fail miserably. i think, well, obviously it's true. he's not going to lie about it, but harry's mind was absolutely made up, and he'd already given a sort of farewell speech to, i think , some charity that he was think, some charity that he was talking to that evening. and also he had meghan, you know , i, also he had meghan, you know, i, you know, holding his hand over this one and saying, you know, we've got to do it. and i think that it's something that harry had at the back of his mind for a long time. so there's no way that boris was going to persuade him otherwise. >> and the palace have said no. we never asked at any point to for boris johnson to get involved in persuading harry to do anything. and they wouldn't, would they ? would they? >> well, it did seem very unusual, but i mean, i don't.

yeah. dare i say it? is boris going to lie? well, i think maybe he's. i don't think i'd better say that, i feel that maybe he's exaggerated the story or. or maybe it wasn't somebody at the palace. maybe it was just one of, you know, the prince of wales's private secretaries or something. or it could have just been a sort of friendly tap on the shoulder. why don't you see what you can, you know, do do to him, you know, see if you can persuade him. it might have been very casual. >> ingrid, do you think there was anything i mean, you've worked with the royal family, you know, the royal family and you're an expert on them. do you think there's anything anyone could have done to have persuaded harry and meghan to stay ? stay? >> well, they did, if casting your mind back, they did want to. they wanted to be half in and half out. well, that was actually the royal family's words. you can't be. and especially that's one of prince philip's. you can't be half in and you and half out of this family are either in it or you're out, and i think that

what he wanted was sort of what we would say is have your cake and eat it. he wanted to be able to do his own thing with meghan and reap the benefits of being a royal prince who's who's father was about to become. well no, not who's father would become king. i think he wanted it every which way. which is fair enough. you know, if you can get it, it would have been great because the queen had these big hopes for harry and meghan that they were going to be the sort of the face of the commonwealth, you know, because of their youth and because of meghan, you know, because of meghan, you know, because of meghan, you know, because of her racial background. it was all perfect. and she lent a modern edge to the royal family and the queen was, you know, had high hopes for this. so i think it was it was with great sadness that certainly the queen, agreed to letting them go when she couldn't keep them. but she

agreed to what they wanted or half of what they wanted. >> ingrid, just finally, i mean, harry and meghan are supposedly separating their business interests in america, with harry certainly doing more solo appearances. do you think this is a sign that he will eventually come back to the uk? >> i don't think he will come back to the uk. i think he'd like to. i mean, what he wants is he wants to be able to come back and have all the security and all the things that he feels are necessary for, for him to bnng are necessary for, for him to bring his wife and children here, but of course, i think of course he of course he wants to come back to visit, but i'm pretty certain he doesn't want to come back to live. i mean, why wouldn't you? he's 40. he's. he's got a life in california . he's got a life in california. it's a he lives in the most beautiful place. why would he want to be here when he could be there? i think i'd quite like to be there, too, at the moment. >> ingrid , thank you very much. >> ingrid, thank you very much. we're glad you're not. we're glad you're here talking to us. thank you very much. ingrid seward for joining thank you very much. ingrid seward forjoining us thank you very much. ingrid seward for joining us today, we've run out of time . i just we've run out of time. i just now to thank joe phillips and

claire muldoon. thank you very much, ladies, forjoining me this afternoon. but don't go too far because there's plenty more coming up after the break, including breaking news from hezbollah. but let's have a look at what the weather is doing in this country. first with catherine chalke . catherine chalke. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar sponsors of weather on gb. >> news . >> news. >> news. >> hello, welcome to your gb news, weather update from the met office. we've got showers still persisting in the northwest today. sunny spells elsewhere before turning more unsettled from the west on sunday. so taking a look at the bigger picture then we've got a ridge of high pressure extending across the uk. we do have this frontal system that's just going to bring a focus for some showers through the rest of the afternoon. so cloudy conditions across scotland with outbreaks of rain pushing through, especially across orkney. elsewhere, we'll see a few showers across northwestern parts of england, but on the whole, a largely dry night to

come with some clear spells as well. it's not going to be as chilly as last night, but we could still see a touch of frost, especially in the countryside. but as we start a sunday morning, we've still got cloud and rain persisting across orkney through the early start of the day, but further across central parts. a chilly start across scotland, perhaps with a touch of frost , but some touch of frost, but some sunshine as well. across northern ireland are already seeing the start of that low pressure system , bringing pressure system, bringing increasing amounts of cloud here. but further across eastern parts of england, that's where we'll hold on to some bright weather to start the day. but it will turn increasingly cloudy as the day progresses, and that's all to do with an area of low pressure moving in from the west. so we have got a met office wind warning in force, giving some strong winds , giving some strong winds, especially across southwestern parts of england and into wales, 50 possibly up to 60mph. and that's also going to bring in some increasing amounts of cloud and rain further towards the

east, though, holding on to a dner east, though, holding on to a drier day with some bright or hazy sunshine. but as the evening progresses, that low pressure system will continue to push its way across much of england and wales, bringing increasing amounts of cloud and rain. and we've got a wind warning and a rain warning in force as well. so unsettled on monday, but turning a little bit dner monday, but turning a little bit drier on tuesday and wednesday by by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers sponsors of weather on gb news

>> well . >> well. >> well. >> good afternoon. it's 2:00 on saturday the 28th of september. no, i have no idea either. but it's nearly christmas and you're not ready, are you? this is the weekend on gb news now, the breaking story that we have been covering all morning. hezbollah have now confirmed their leader , have now confirmed their leader, hassan nasrallah, was killed in

yesterday's strikes on beirut. the move is described as a serious escalation in the region and a dangerous moment for the world. we'll have the latest on that live breaking story, and dame maggie smith has passed away at the age of 89. she has been described as a formidable talent and a true legend of her generation . sir paul mccartney generation. sir paul mccartney has said she was a great person with a wicked sense of humour. we'll have the latest as tributes pour in on that story and from a pep talk with prince harry to a planned invasion of the netherlands, we're taking a look at some of the biggest lines from boris johnson's upcoming book. i'm dawn neesom and this is the weekend . and this is the weekend. but this show is nothing without you and your views. it's my favourite bit of the entire show. it's talking to you and i'm sorry i haven't had much

time. it'sjust i'm sorry i haven't had much time. it's just flying i'm sorry i haven't had much time. it'sjust flying past. time. it's just flying past. read them out, but get them coming in. gbnews.com/yoursay what we're talking about. what you want to talk about anything. have a gossip about the weather. don't care. just get in touch and let me know your views and i promise i'll read as many out as i possibly can, and. yeah. and we'll have a chat, shall we? now, keeping me company this houris now, keeping me company this hour is a political commentator, matthew stadlen and writer and journalist emma woolf. thank you both very much for joining me. but but before we get stuck into today's stories, let's get some of those news headlines with lewis mckenzie . lewis mckenzie. >> thank you very much, dawn. good afternoon. it's 2:00. i'm lewis mckenzie here in the gb newsroom terrorist group hezbollah has confirmed that their leader has been killed in airstrikes on southern lebanon. last night in a tweet, airstrikes on southern lebanon. last night in a tweet , the idf last night in a tweet, the idf claimed that hassan nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world. the lebanese health ministry is reporting that at least six people have been killed and 91

wounded in an attack in central beirut. on your screens now are live pictures of where that missile attack happened last night. soldiers and aid workers are taking part in rescue operations, looking for survivors and victims in the rubble. the reuters news agency are reporting that iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah, has been transferred to a secure location inside his country with heightened security measures in place . the king and queen are place. the king and queen are visiting holyrood to mark the 25th anniversary of the scottish parliament being reconvened. the celebration showcased scottish music and culture and was attended by local heroes who have been nominated thanks to their contribution to local communities . their contribution to local communities. his their contribution to local communities . his majesty spoke communities. his majesty spoke of the success of the devolved parliament from that day until this, through its work over a quarter of a century, this place has not just thrived, but in

doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between the parliament, the crown and the people of scotland . crown and the people of scotland. well, the king has also been leading tributes for national treasure dame maggie smith after she passed away yesterday at the age of 89. in a statement, the king praised her warmth and wit, while the prime minister remarked she was beloved by so many . she leaves two sons and many. she leaves two sons and five loving grandchildren who were devastated by the loss of their extraordinary mother and grandmother. at least 43 people have been killed in hurricane helena as it makes its way across the southeast of the united states, leaving millions without power. emergency crews are racing to the rescue of people trapped in flooded homes after the category four hurricane struck the coast of florida last night. hurricane struck the coast of florida last night . barristers florida last night. barristers representing the alleged victims

of mohamed al fayed say that there are now 60 survivors, and they have credible evidence of abuse at fulham football club. the former harrods and fulham fc owner is accused of multiple sexual assaults after a bbc investigation was published last week. one of the alleged victims has spoken exclusively to patrick christys on gb news last night he had this look in his eyes and i'll never forget it. >> it was like a monstrous i'm going to get what i want from you , you know? i don't care how you, you know? i don't care how you, you know? i don't care how you feel . and i do think because you feel. and i do think because it was in a public place, so to speak , he he would have gone speak, he he would have gone further had he could, i think he was worried somebody might come in or i might have started screaming or something like that . screaming or something like that. so he made his exit pretty quickly , and i think he would quickly, and i think he would have definitely raped me if he'd had half the chance, 100% just stop oil have targeted van

gogh's sunflower paintings again . gogh's sunflower paintings again. >> three climate activists targeted the artwork just hours after two other activists were jailed for a similar protest. back in 2022, the national gallery says the two paintings targeted yesterday were removed for examination, but were found not to have any damage . it's not to have any damage. it's been revealed that boris johnson considered raiding a dutch warehouse over a vaccination row, with the eu. at the time, the astrazeneca vaccine was at the astrazeneca vaccine was at the heart of the cross—channel row, with the former prime minister claiming the eu were slowing down the pace of the rollout of the vaccine in the uk. according to an extract from his memoir, mrjohnson convened a meeting of senior military officials back in march of 2021 to discuss the plans, which even now, he admits are nuts . and a

now, he admits are nuts. and a nice one to end on. six rare sea turtles have been rescued and returned to their natural habitat thanks to the royal navy. the mission was a part of a link up with two marine wildlife organisations to deliver half a dozen loggerhead turtles to warmer waters after the creatures were washed up on the creatures were washed up on the uk shores and nurtured back to health. how sweet those are your latest gb news headlines i'm lewis mackenzie. more from me in half an hour for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com forward slash alerts . slash alerts. >> thank you very much. lewis mackenzie, half hour's time. we don't want to go too far. don't want to miss that, do you? right okay. let's get straight into today's story, shall we? hezbollah have confirmed their

leader, hassan nasrallah, was killed by the israeli defence forces in airstrikes on beirut last night. israel launched targeted attacks on the lebanese capital throughout yesterday, killing six and wounding 91. this is a major provocation to hezbollah's backers, iran, who have pledged to support resistance against israel's wicked regime, but is this the start of all out war in the middle east? let's get the expert analysis from nato historian and author doctor peter caddick—adams. peter, thank you very much for joining us this afternoon, really to good have your company, because this is on the surface . if you this is on the surface. if you were reading our newspapers this morning, we're catching up on the news online. it sounds terrifying. you know, it's like, is this the start of a global war? >> definitely not. this is israel sailing very close to the wind , admittedly, wind, admittedly, >> but it's nothing like that at all, i mean, this is this is something that's been long in the planning, if you produce a

production line of explosives laced, pages and walkie talkies . laced, pages and walkie talkies. and in the meantime, you plot the movements of your opponents, hezbollah, in and around beirut, then you start targeting them with missiles, by their mobile phones. they then revert to pagers and walkie talkies, then you trigger those and you force them to meet in person, and then you target the known addresses where they've been, where they were last meeting, perhaps even years ago, this is something that's been planned for about ten years, so this is something that israel has all the time been trying to do. it's a it's a calculated risk that iran won't involve, won't, won't get much further involved. and i don't think it will. >> so when you say it's been planned for many years, i mean, you're obviously, you know, israel constantly say, well, this was triggered by what happened on october 7 last year. you believe that? that's not

necessarily the case. >> we've got two separate conflicts here. hamas and gaza. they were unprepared for, and they spent a long time responding to that. and we know all about that. but the hezbollah have been active in syria for, well over ten years, and they've always been trading shots, missiles, alerts with hezbollah, who are who have a political presence in lebanon as well, and occasionally the israeli defence forces make ground forays into southern lebanon , sometimes with not lebanon, sometimes with not a great deal of success. so this is something they have been this is something they have been this is a fight they've been spoiling for, for quite a long time. and it's completely separate from what's going on in gaza, because that's often confused as well. >> because of what happened to us on october the 7th. this is why we are doing everything we're doing in lebanon and indeedin we're doing in lebanon and indeed in gaza. >> yeah. now iran is closer to hezbollah and has always been one of its major backers, both

in syria and in lebanon itself. but it's the israelis here who've, you know , created this who've, you know, created this touch of genius, really, in terms of i mean, you know, the world has never seen the like of, you know, mobile pages and walkie talkies being set off like this. so they've, they've they've retained the initiative , they've retained the initiative, iran's trying to work out what to do, but, i mean , there's no to do, but, i mean, there's no question of releasing huge tranches of missiles or world war iii and all the other major players in the world, don't want to get involved. i mean, you know, india, russia , china. this know, india, russia, china. this is this is not their fault. russia, a quarter of israel's population are of russian origin, and they have 10,000 citizens in, in beirut. so they've got everything to lose by, by, you know, ramping it up. >> so do i just jump in very quickly, dawn, if i may, because just to you say it's completely separate, these two conflicts, gaza and lebanon. they're not completely separate because

hezbollah uses as an excuse to attack northern israel, where tens of thousands of israelis have been displaced. what is going on in gaza? so they are very, very strongly allied to hamas. and of course, as you say, backed by iran, you say iran. iran will not get much further involved. we should remember it was not very long ago , just a few months ago, that ago, just a few months ago, that iran did indeed send a very significant barrage of missiles directly at israel. >> they're they're interlinked. absolutely. grant you, but iran could have responded far more strongly. and what it did do was give israel plenty of warning, then sent a batch of missiles. most of which it knew would be destroyed in the air by israel's iron dome system, which is exactly what happened. and it didn't follow it up in any, any way at all. so they're interlinked in. iran is backing both , and iran has, you know, both, and iran has, you know, deep fundamental problems with israel's very existence, but i can't see it spreading. i mean,

iran would have already started making those kind of moves. there's no conscription, there's no call up of reserves in iran, for example, they're not heading towards war themselves. they don't want that because they're on a back foot. and they know that militarily, they're far inferior to the israeli defence forces. >> so what do you think will happen now? >> so there will be another kind of response. and it may well be a tranche of missiles being fired over from iran, but israel has certainly got the upper hand , has certainly got the upper hand, and, that may be enough for israel to pull back and pause. i mean, what they've done is they've taken out the entire senior tranche of hezbollah, hezbollah leadership, the top 17 people, have all been killed over the last few months. >> does that make a difference? because if you take the leaders away, are there not now. more people willing to step up and martyr themselves for the cause? >> well, i was pondering that as

i was, i was sort of coming to the studio. so, they will be replaced by a more militant, new breed who aren't as politically savvy , aren't as politically savvy, aren't as politically aware, haven't been trained for leadership positions yet, and they will either go back to being very low tech and using runners, or they may be more militant, but we don't know. and this is why, you know, israel's gain is a very short term win, because what it doesn't do, which is what, benjamin netanyahu wants , is to remove netanyahu wants, is to remove the threat once and for all. if he he's downgraded, he's degraded this threat from hezbollah for a year or two. >> well, one question we keep getting asked by our viewers is, is what are israel meant to do, hezbollah, hamas , iran have hezbollah, hamas, iran have vowed to wipe israel off the face of the earth. and the hamas originally were in particular were saying all jewish people,

not just the state of israel. what are israel meant to do in response to this situation? >> well, i mean, there's a body of opinion, a large body of opinion within israel. and a lot of a lot of, israeli politicians , of a lot of, israeli politicians, who want negotiations in some kind of two state settlement, and there's, there's quite a radical sort of right wing element who are in power at the moment and a coalition of different parties , who don't different parties, who don't want anything to do with that and want the elimination of palestine, just as the palestinians want the elimination of israel. okay. >> i'm just going to bring my panelin >> i'm just going to bring my panel in on this. matthew stadler, who you heard earlier and emma woolf are both with me, for this for this hour. emma, what do you make of what's happened and what you've heard? peter say so far? >> well, it's appalling to see the sort of scenes in beirut overnight and the children sleeping on pavements and houses being absolutely destroyed, but obviously my concern, actually, is the kind of lack of international effort, the lack

of international will or guidance or some sense that this really matters. >> sorry, emma. we have a problem with your mic, unfortunately. >> so, matthew, one of the things i find extraordinary about what is going on is that israel seems to be acting in defiance of what its western allies want it to do, and that seems to me, and i'm not an expert . i'm fascinated by the expert. i'm fascinated by the middle east. i've been to israel, i've been to lebanon, i've been to syria. and, you know, every death of every innocent on all sides, i find quite appalling. but i find it really interesting that western efforts to prevent netanyahu from upscaling this are seeming to fall on deaf ears. and i guess one of the questions is, is this partly, i mean , you say is this partly, i mean, you say this has been in the planning for ten years. is this partly, though, about netanyahu's survival, as you say, he doesn't want the to war end any time soon. and i'd be curious to know from you as an expert on the region, whether you think the devastation in gaza makes a two state solution more or less likely, because there are surely

two schools of thought. one is if you wipe out hamas and i personally don't think you can, then you can create a gaza manufacturer, gaza, that israel could live to . next but on the could live to. next but on the other hand, the devastation in gaza surely makes a two state solution almost impossible. >> yeah, i don't think you can wipe out hamas or hezbollah for a start , netanyahu is in office a start, netanyahu is in office because if he's out of office, he's mired with a corruption scandal , and he's mired with a corruption scandal, and he will almost certainly be indicted and probably jailed. >> so he the that's the reason why he's staying in office and he's allying himself with people who are even more right wing than he is. i mean, he's driven because his younger brother was the commando leader who led the commando raid at entebbe to free all sorts of israeli hostages years and years ago. and he has neveh years and years ago. and he has never, ever forgiven the sort of palestinian militants for his, his, his brother's death. so that's his motivation. and that's, that's what's sort of

been his guiding light all the way through politics, >> do you think that explains why he's not just bring it up? >> we've got your mic back working now. let's bring bring you back into the conversation. >> no, i was just talking about the international response and the international response and the fact that, you know, do we do we feel confident in joe biden and in keir starmer and david lammy? >> of course. but hopefully keir starmer leading the way to mount a concerted response to this or to give some, some guidance. >> well, okay. so i mean, what's really interesting is i think the agenda has now moved on and it's no longer washington dc . it's no longer washington dc. who are the powerbrokers? i mean, that's traditionally where the middle east leaders used to meet and solve their problems with, with uk help because we were the powers in the region. but now now it's, it's places like delhi, doha, ankara, who are the mediators? and i think, you know, this has now passed out of our hands. i don't think we have the same influence that we have the same influence that we used to at all. >> do you have i mean, do you think we need to invest more in

defence of this country because of the situation? oh, absolutely. >> goodness me. i mean , you >> goodness me. i mean, you know, if this isn't the writing on the walls, i mean , this is on the walls, i mean, this is not about sending people out there. i mean, we've got 700 troops going out there to extract british citizens. that's the purpose of, of the uk involvement there at the moment. but in a wider sense of defence is about protecting british interests abroad, abroad, and that's citizens. but also all our business and commercial interests. and you have to be able to have a presence in terms of warships. but also boots on the ground to protect them wherever they are. and we simply don't have that ability to power project quickly with enough to sustain if that goes on for any length of time, which conflict are the two conflicts we keep talking about? >> obviously, the situation in the middle east and the situation in ukraine, which of those two conflicts do you think are the most concerning, or should be the most concerning for us? >> well, ukraine has the enormous concern that if the if the russians do in one way win or another, then we've got a

real problem because, you know, putin's track record is he will pause, re—equip, look around to see who he can absorb next because ukraine will have been submitted, because the west will have lost faith in backing them. russia cannot win if the west keeps backing ukraine, but if it doesn't, then ukraine is in a very difficult situation. so i'm really puzzled why the prime minister hasn't really put his foot down and said 2% of defence spending by the end of this year or next year. and he's just, you know, he or the chancellor have just said at some future stage, which is echoing the last government, the real truth of the matter is we need 5% and 5% will just take us back to where we were, or where we should be now in terms of equipment and also manpower and resources , but also manpower and resources, but this is also sending a very weak message to foreign leaderships, never mind sort of china and never mind sort of china and never mind sort of china and never mind russia. that if we're

not prepared to, to, to, you know , fund defence properly and know, fund defence properly and this is not properly funded at the moment, then they can walk all over us in, in other theatres. >> the problem with that, of course, is it fits into the conversations we're probably about to have dawn about all the other areas where we might want to upscale spending, and we don't live in an ideal world. i'm sure that's what starmer and reeves would say. i fascinating, by the way, that you think this is out of our hands now, and i wonder whether, you know, if there's when there is a change of president, whether that will have a big impact on what's happening in the middle east and whether if trump wins or indeed if harris wins, she's obviously currently vice president. whether netanyahu will start, start listening . because is start listening. because is there a vacuum in america at the moment with biden, or is this a more entrenched issue of the loss of american influence? >> yeah, it's a longer term thing that really started with the invasion of iraq. really, that american power and influence and respect has sort

of gone right down in the middle east, and that's gathered momentum. and that's the same for some of the other european countries, like britain and france as well. and it's, it's other countries perhaps, where there's more fellow muslims. that have more, influence because they're seen as more sort of impartial, and that the west has been, you know, running the middle east in one way or another for the last sort of 70 or 80 years, and, you know , our or 80 years, and, you know, our time has, has, has come and gone. so we don't have nearly so much sort of power and influence as we used to do. >> who do you think would be the safest bet as the next president of the united states for, for global peace? >> for global? well, the trouble is donald trump looks at global peace in purely in transactional terms as far as america is concerned, so the worry of course, is that if, disputes cook off around the world, but they don't expose americans, he won't be moved to involve at

all, and therefore , you know, my all, and therefore, you know, my view would be that, kamala harris is probably a better bet because she's probably more inclined to play the traditional american card of a moral involvement rather than purely a sort of financial commercial , sort of financial commercial, transactional view of the rest of the world. >> peter, just very finally, if you could if you were sitting here talking to keir starmer, now, what's the one thing you would say to him about this situation, >> well, you need to commit to defence spending because that's the best message you can give other world leaders about britain's determination to play a role. and not only protect its citizens, but but i mean, also, you know, distribution of aid that doesn't happen without the security of people on the ground, and united nations, united , united nations united, united nations peacekeeping missions, you know , peacekeeping missions, you know, that comes from a pool of peacekeepers who are military folk from different countries

around the world. we don't have enough people to sort of really supply those. >> peter, it's been absolutely fascinating talking to you today. i really appreciate your time. that's our doctor, peter caddick—adams. thank you very much for all the best analysis and opinion on that story and many more . please do go to our many more. please do go to our website gbnews.com. and to have your comment on this story and anything else we'll talk about. it's gbnews.com/yoursay. i'm dawn neesom. this is gb news. and there's lots more coming up on today's show, including, yes, we go back to freebie gate and not ending it as starmer as a tory party conference. actually starts tomorrow as well. lots of politics and don't go too far. you don't want to miss any this. see you

soon. welcome back to the weekend with me dawn neesom. fascinating debate just now, and we could have listened to that chat for hours on the situation and hopefully not too scary either,

because it is a worrying situation , right? okay, now we situation, right? okay, now we move on to domestic politics. the government has today confirmed that tuition fees will rise in line with inflation to bolster the finances of struggling universities. this comes days after the labour conference marred by a winter fuel frustration and the freebie scandal that never ends, does it? as the prime minister admitted accepting another £16,000 worth of by your own suits mate. and it's a story stone this weekend because their conference starts tomorrow in birmingham. blimey. keep up, and the leadership race do you care intensifies. but does anyone, as i said, really care about that one? okay, let's see what my panel make of the domestic politics situation. i have matthew stadlen and emma woolf still with me, let's start with emma, because your your microphone was a bit, not working as well as it should. done. so i'll start with you this time at freebie gate. it is not going away every day. there is another story. >> it's not going away, dawn, because a people feel really angry about it. b it's quite to

easy understand. it's quite straightforward what's been going on and see they have not shut it down. they have not got control of this story. it just yesterday i thought we were the night before. i thought we were sort of at the end of all of that, we got to the covent garden flat, hadn't we? and then it turns out the next morning wes streeting had also been there having a jolly, and there was thousands of pounds worth of food and drink from lord alli, and it just seems to be swirling around and around. there are more and more leaks coming out. number 10 have not got control of this situation . they haven't of this situation. they haven't got control of their communications. there are obviously a lot of there's a lot of anger amongst some of the insiders there . i think probably insiders there. i think probably because of sue grey's decisions over various things. and there are power struggles. keir starmer doesn't seem to be in control. he doesn't seem he seems to veer from being quite frightened about it to not really taking it that seriously, making jokes while he was out in new york, it completely overshadowed the conference, didn't it? i mean, really, these policies, there are some interesting policies that were sort of announced. >> he's quite busy as well. >> he's quite busy as well. >> he's quite busy as well. >> he's quite busy and he hasn't got control of the situation . got control of the situation. >> but matthew, anyone that says in my world i'm in control, i

have full control is so far from in control, they're the opposite. so what do you make of this? i mean, they've been every day. >> there have been some suggestions and criticisms that the comms team in number 10 should have been quicker to kill this story, get out in front of it or be open about it. >> i, i don't think we know everything. i don't think starmer has actually said this is the picture . you defend him. is the picture. you defend him. >> go on. i'm trying, i'm trying. look, i've said from the beginning of this, i don't think the optics are good. and i think that's not helped by the fact that's not helped by the fact that a flagship policy of this new government has been to means test the winter fuel allowance. and so when you're in opposition, i think you've got to forecast that you might become prime minister and you might have to take inevitably, we'll have to take very difficult decisions. i think the winter fuel decision was the wrong decision. both politically and in terms of the damage it will do to people's lives this winter . but the politics of winter. but the politics of this, of this sort of donor gate

thing strike me as partly that of naivety that he and his team did not in advance think, well, we've got to prepare for government. and what does that involve? it means not accepting the sorts of gifts, some of the sorts of gifts, at least, that he has accepted. has he done anything wrong, though? that's a different question. and prime ministers, i think we'll all agree, do need to look smart as you hope do. leaders of the opposition. i'm not. i'm not sure anyone thinks that jeremy corbyn got many suits bought for him, but we do need our politicians to have a wardrobe and keir starmer is relatively wealthy. of course he is. he's not the wealthiest politician. you just look at rishi sunak for example. so does that mean if we want our pm on the world stage representing us, that out of our pubuc representing us, that out of our public purse, everyone watching this afternoon that we should be giving him some sort of clothing allowance, because you could quite easily have a prime minister who comes from no means at all. >> matthew, i really appreciate

you being honest and saying you're struggling as a leftie. you're struggling to defend this prime minister. i think that honesty is creditable. so many labour friends have been saying to me, i can't defend this stuff. so i appreciate that, but i really think you have to. you can't defend a really kind of cruel and vindictive policy, taking that money away . that's taking that money away. that's unfair. it is not kind. it is not where there is money available. there is money for foreign aid. we've gone through this argument so many times, and there isn't money for our pensioners. and we all know people. my mum, dawn and i have talked about this on air as well, people just over that threshold who are actually going to be cold and be worrying as old people do, worrying about their fuel bills. that's on one side of it. but, you know, and i know that starmer doesn't need to be cruel. well that's the result. yeah. he doesn't need a £3,000 pair of glasses. he doesn't. or glasses like that that that kind of cost. he's not in any way struggling. he has got millions of pounds. we know that he was a we know that he was dpp. >> he's got millions of pounds. he's a parliamentarian.

>> he's been a frontbencher, he's been a barrister for many years. we all know barrister. >> yes he was, he's we know he's got millions . we don't know he's got millions. we don't know he's got. >> we do know that his net worth minister to be smart though. of course he didn't look smart in the clothes that he was bought. should he be. and he can pay for it himself. >> that's your. >> that's your. >> he can pay for it himself. >> he can pay for it himself. >> just as every minister who can't afford to pay for it himself. should we out of the pubuc himself. should we out of the public purse, be giving them a clothing allowance because they have to represent us? >> a prime minister is, on what, one 166,000? they all had careers as either as politicians or as barristers or as lawyers or as barristers or as lawyers or whatever, as professionals , or whatever, as professionals, they can all afford to buy a couple of suits, a couple you can afford to do it. >> i'm starting to think i'm going to have to get a donor myself. >> i need a donor wearing the same suit after every appearance , same suit after every appearance, a donor, just to keep my mass exactly right. >> okay, i don't have a sugar daddy either. by the way, i brought this suit. and what do you think of it? yes, i do look like david bowie. but any case, let's go and get the news headunes let's go and get the news headlines with lewis mckenzie,

shall . we? shall. we? >> always very fiery debate on this weekend with dawn. good afternoon. it's 2:30. i'm lewis mckenzie here in the gb newsroom . mckenzie here in the gb newsroom. terrorist group hezbollah has confirmed their leader has been killed in airstrikes in southern lebanon . in a tweet this lebanon. in a tweet this morning, the idf says hassan nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorise the world. the lebanese health ministry is reporting that at least six people have been killed and 91 wounded in an attack in central beirut. on your screens now are the live pictures of where that missile attack happened. soldiers and aid workers have been taking part in rescue operations, looking for survivors and victims in the rubble . then the reuters news rubble. then the reuters news agency are currently reporting that iran's supreme leader, the ayatollah , has been transferred ayatollah, has been transferred to a secure location inside his country with heightened security measures in place . at least 43

measures in place. at least 43 people have been killed as hurricane helena makes its way across southeastern parts of the united states, leaving millions without power. emergency crews are racing to rescue people trapped in flooded homes after the category four hurricane struck the coast of florida last night . and it's been revealed night. and it's been revealed that boris johnson considered rating a dutch warehouse over a vaccination row with the eu. at the time, the astrazeneca vaccine was at the heart of the cross—channel row, with the former prime minister claiming the eu were slowing down the pace of the rollout. in the uk. according to an extract from his memoir, mrjohnson according to an extract from his memoir, mr johnson convened memoir, mrjohnson convened a military meeting back in march of 2021 to discuss the plans, which even he has now admitted were, quote, nuts . the king and were, quote, nuts. the king and queen are visiting holyrood to

mark the 25th anniversary of the scottish parliament being reconvened. the celebrations showcased scottish music and culture and was attended by local heroes who have been nominated thanks to their contribution to local communities. his majesty spoke of the success of the devolved parliament from that day until this. >> through its work, over a quarter of a century, this place has not just thrived, but in doing so has borne witness to the enduring relationship between the parliament, the crown and the people of scotland , crown and the people of scotland, and a nice one to end on six rare sea turtles have been rescued and returned to their natural habitat thanks to the royal navy. >> the mission was a part of a link up with two maritime life organisations to deliver half a dozen loggerhead turtles seen on your screen. now back to warmer waters after the creatures were washed up on uk shores and

nurtured back to health. very sweet. those are your latest gb news headlines. well, that's it from me today , but sophia from me today, but sophia wenzler will join you in half an hours wenzler will join you in half an hour's time for the very latest gb news direct to your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the qr code , alerts by scanning the qr code, or go to gbnews.com. >> slash alerts

>> hey, welcome back to the weekend with me. dawn neesom. now there's plenty more coming up on today's show. but but, but but before i tell you all about that , let's see what the that, let's see what the gorgeous nana has got coming up on her show, which starts at 3:00 straight up. and she does always look gorgeous. nana to good see you. what have you got coming up for us? well, we've got a busy show. >> we'll of course, focus on the death of the hezbollah leader

and what's going on in israel. we will cross live to tel aviv and have a chat with uri geller. he's going to give us an update on the ground and find out what the people of israel are feeling and what's going on from his perspective. plus, for my difficult conversations, i've got a survivor from domestic abuse. she was actually a former miss world in 2021, but she was in an abusive, coercive, controlling relationship. she's going to give us her story, and also she's an advocate now for domestic violence. and then we will go live to what's happening in this country. it's a racism row, a racism protest that's happening in london. our reporter jack carson is live. we have so much coming up. jonathan and lizzie cundy will be with me. it will be a very, very busy show. >> brilliant. it sounds amazing. don't go anywhere. that's nana coming up at 3:00 straight after this show. now let's talk domestic politics, shall we? from a princely pep talk to an invasion of a nato ally , the invasion of a nato ally, the upcoming memoir from former pm bofis upcoming memoir from former pm boris johnson is set to be juicy. okay, let's find out what

my panel think of. we've had a few lines sneaked out , haven't few lines sneaked out, haven't we, in the daily mail today? they're serialising the book . i they're serialising the book. i think the front page headline today is about invading the netherlands or something along those lines. i still have matthew stadler and emma woolf with me today. i'm going to come to you first on this one, emma. bofis to you first on this one, emma. boris johnson, his book is finally out. one of his many books. he writes a lot, makes a lot of money for it. what do you make of him invading the netherlands? persuading prince harry to stay? >> look, i think this is overblown . i worked in overblown. i worked in publishing for ten years. i know what it's like when you're serialising something as big as this. and finally, boris has written this. i mean, he's, you know, infamously late with delivering books. i think he's still under contract to write his shakespeare biography or something like that. anyway, so he's finally delivered unleashed, which is set to pubushin unleashed, which is set to publish in october. so obviously they're teasing. they're trying to tease the best lines. the first one was prince harry. he tried to persuade to harry stay. i don't want to rain on his parade. i'm sure it's a great book, but they are getting the most juicy bits that they can tease us with. so the prince

harry thing, harry was pretty much on his way to the airport. he left the following day. yeah, so it was very unlikely. i think meghan and the kids had already flown out to california or to canada.i flown out to california or to canada. i can't remember where, it was very unlikely that harry was going to stay. this wasn't a kind of a real summit. this was a chat at a conference the day before harry left. he was on his way to the airport . as for the, way to the airport. as for the, the dutch invasion, it's the kind of bonkers thing that boris would say in a meeting. he would say , like, i know we'll just say, like, i know we'll just storm in there and grab the stuff that we need. and i remember it being slightly, let's get the vaccine. yeah, let's get the vaccine. yeah, let's go and get the vaccine from them. and it was slightly trailed. it was slightly discussed at the time because i remember covering it in one of the papers, one time. it was in 2021 or 22 and they were saying, oh, we had this idea that we would just storm into the factory and we would get the vaccines that we needed. so it's bofis vaccines that we needed. so it's boris kind of you know, typically, typically rambunctious. i find it incredible, emma, that having just put the boot into keir starmer for accepting freebies for accepting glasses from a labour peer who's been a labour

peer for some time, you now are on first name terms with a former prime minister, boris johnson, who left office in disgrace and whom a parliamentary committee found deliberately misled. >> in other words , lied. >> in other words, lied. >> in other words, lied. >> so i don't understand your point. >> i don't know, boris . you're >> i don't know, boris. you're calling him boris. everybody know it's completely wrong. i don't call him boris. everybody calls you to call him because he wants. >> let me just answer. everybody calls boris johnson . calls boris johnson. >> boris, i don't and i don't call him boris. because first of all, i'm not on first name terms with him. i'm not. i'm not a fan of his. and thirdly, because he left office in disgrace and i was trying to confine him to the distant recesses of my memory. but of course, he's on the front page of the mail today. for what, on the face of it, is a truly disgraceful story. i imagine it's nonsense and it's designed to sell books because otherwise presumably it would breach the official secrets act. but if it if there is any substance to the idea that he was seriously considering and consulting the defence staff on whether he should be invading a

nato ally, then i mean , if nato ally, then i mean, if confirmation were needed that he was wholly unsuited to being prime minister, that would be it. >> well, you said he left in disgrace. he actually resigned, he himself resign. he himself mp after mp after mp from his own party wanted him out . he himself party wanted him out. he himself said the idea was nuts. i'm explaining that it was a typical kind of boris barnstorming kind of idea. i know we'll just we'll just run in their first names. yes, a lot. everybody refers. >> that's what he wants. that was part of his shtick. that's how he managed, i don't know, country up the river. >> of course i don't know him, so i can't say that's. >> or you're a fan of him or you excuse him because he's sort of cuddly. boris. no, he was the prime minister of our country dunng prime minister of our country during a pandemic when many, many people matthew , it's polite many people matthew, it's polite to let their lives speak as well . to let their lives speak as well. >> please. thank you. every time iopen >> please. thank you. every time i open my mouth, you interrupt. okay boris, it's. it's me. >> you're losing the argument. >> you're losing the argument. >> well, there we go. >> well, there we go.

>> you just. you did just. i just you did just interrupt her again. sorry. >> so everybody knows that boris is one of those politicians that everybody just refers to as boris. okay, i don't know the man. i'm not defending him. i'm referring to the stories. i'm talking about the process of publishing. when you're bringing out a memoir, which is what you do, you find the juicy bits and you throw them out there. so i'm saying there's not a lot of substance to these stories. they're mostly puff. and it's the way boris johnson, his surname, i used his surname there . i don't know the man and there. i don't know the man and ihave there. i don't know the man and i have no interest in calling him. but you know, everybody refers to him as boris. that's how famous boris johnson is. >> the calling him boris was precisely the sort of culture that allowed and enabled him to get to the highest office in alan bates. so you're about to interrupt me? go on. >> sorry, i'm opening my mouth. is that okay? matthew you really, really need to just learn that a debate is two way. can i just explain to you there are much worse names going around right now about keir starmer, and i'm not going to

refer to them because i don't want to be banged up in jail by this labour government i'm trying to make is if keir starmer is our prime minister, he should be held to account. >> and as i've already said in our earlier conversation, it's difficult to defend the optics of what we have seen with starmer. i've also tried to explain that he's been given these things clothes, glasses by a labour donor, someone who's beenin a labour donor, someone who's been in the house of lords for a substantial amount of time, as i understand, been given these things . things. >> he has made the decision someone who broadly. >> so you're interrupting again. you want me not to interrupt you and then you interrupt me? so let me quickly finish. >> i'm so sorry, both of you. >> i'm so sorry, both of you. >> i don't want double standards, is what i'm asking for, to interrupt both of you. >> and i'm doing it in a nice, polite, kind. you're the presenter. >> that's fine. >> that's fine. >> thank you so much. you've been brilliant. thank you both very much . and matthew lord very much. and matthew lord dannatt emma woolf. thank you so much. i've run out of time, but you've been brilliant. thank you very much. okay. i'm dawn neesom, this is gb news, and there's lots more coming up on today's show. tributes are pounng today's show. tributes are pouring in for national treasure dame maggie smith, who passed away yesterday aged 89. i'll be speaking to showbiz journalist stephanie takyi on the latest on

that story. all that and much to come. don't go too far. you've got time to

soon. hello. welcome back. have you got a nice cuppa in front of you? because we've got some showbiz for you. the king has led tributes to a national treasure. dame maggie smith after she sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 89. in a statement, he praised her wit, her warmth and wit, while prime minister keir starmer remarked she was beloved by so many for her great talent. i've got the lovely steph takyi with me on this one, bringing me up to date so many . lovely. i haven't heard so many. lovely. i haven't heard anyone say even a hint of a bad thing about her because she was one of a kind. >> when you think to yourself like a career which has spanned eight decades. the stats are just amazing. dawn, like 63 films, 78 stage productions and then also 88 television

appearances. why does she have all of that? because she truly was a one of a kind star. she's one of those people. when viewers watch her, you're really engaged. with what? dame maggie smith would have to say. or sometimes she wouldn't have to say anything at all. and people would still be engaged. just her whole presence on screen. she was a total star, and everybody is just so glowing about her. >> and i'm just thinking, we were just saying before we came back, it's like, you know, for a woman, when she started out in her career, wasn't easy to be a young woman in that profession. she didn't suffer any fools, did she? >> no, she didn't. and it's one of those things for women. i love interviewing people such as dame maggie smith before, because when you hear the struggles they've had to get to actually be taken seriously in the acting industry and to remain and have that longevity for their career, we're not really seeing that anymore with stars of today. so with these stars of today. so with these stars where literally she was still filming, starring in the film last year at 88, amazing starred in a fashion campaign. so it goes to show, actually, i like women like that because it

goes to show there's no age when it comes to doing your craft and i think that's what's going to be missed. her talent and what she brought to on screen and off screen as well. >> absolutely. and people remember her for sort of like the harry potter films and downton abbey secret garden sister acts. >> like what is amazing about dame maggie smith is that different generations , she different generations, she appealed to different people. whether you knew her from the 50s or whether you knew her from downton or sister act , there's downton or sister act, there's so many different movies she starred in that different generations of people will be able to connect a great appeal, and someone i'm not quite sure that will have such a great appeal. >> phillip schofield yes, the channel five castaway is on monday night. >> it's monday night. she he's basically been away on tv exile over the past 16 months. there have been a lot of talks . what have been a lot of talks. what will phillip schofield do next. he's clearly made it clear today in the newspapers that he never thought about going back to itv. but over the next three nights from monday, viewers will be

able to see him talking about what happened with the scandal, how his life has been next and he's going to have to fend for himself off this island off the coast of madagascar, to be honest on what i'm seeing is a lot of viewers are not too happy about this because you know what he didn't have? he didn't do anything illegal. we're not talking about a hugh edward style of scandal at all, but i think people at home are feeling feeling like bad behaviour is being rewarded with your own tv show. and i think a lot of people are going to to love hate to watch the show. >> what? we're running out of time. oh, god , all i think. but time. oh, god, all i think. but i mean, he didn't actually mention holly willoughby in this at all, has he? he thanked ant and dec and he thanked her, >> joanna lumley, dawn, he made a bit of a dig at holly. i know we haven't got enough time, but we haven't got enough time, but we need to catch up on that probably next week. >> yeah. no. well, we'll be interesting to see how the viewing figures go. steph takyi as always, thank you. wonderful. thank you very much. okay, we'll run out of time. things i've said all the way through the show. it's been brilliant. thank you for your company. but don't go too far. nana is up next. and then at 6:00, it's the saturday

five. but i think it's time to get the weather for you all here with catherine chalke. thank you for watching back tomorrow lunchtime. see you soon. have a lovely night . lovely night. >> a brighter outlook with boxt solar, sponsors of weather on gb news. >> hello ! welcome to your gb >> hello! welcome to your gb news weather update from the met office. we've got showers still persisting in the northwest today. sunny spells elsewhere before turning more unsettled from the west on sunday. so taking a look at the bigger picture then we've got a ridge of high pressure extending across the uk. we do have this frontal system that's just going to bring a focus for some showers through the rest of the afternoon. so cloudy conditions across scotland with outbreaks of rain pushing through , of rain pushing through, especially across orkney. elsewhere we'll see a few showers across northwestern parts of england, but on the whole a largely dry night to

come with some clear spells as well. it's not going to be as chilly as last night, but we could still see a touch of frost, especially in the countryside. but as we start sunday morning, we've still got cloud and rain persisting across orkney through the early start of the day, but further across central parts. a chilly start across scotland, perhaps with a touch of frost but some sunshine as well. across northern ireland we're already seeing the start of that low pressure system bringing increasing amounts of cloud here, but further across eastern parts of england . that's where parts of england. that's where we'll hold on to some bright weather to start the day, but it will turn increasingly cloudy as the day progresses, and that's all to do with an area of low pressure moving in from the west. so we have got a met office wind warning in force, giving some strong winds , giving some strong winds, especially across southwestern parts of england and into wales , parts of england and into wales, 50 possibly up to 60mph. and that's also going to bring in

some increasing amounts of cloud and rain further towards the east, though, holding on to a dner east, though, holding on to a drier day with some bright or hazy sunshine . but as the hazy sunshine. but as the evening progresses, that low pressure system will continue to push its way across much of england and wales , bringing england and wales, bringing increasing amounts of cloud and rain. and we've got a wind warning and a rain warning in force as well. so unsettled on monday, but turning a little bit dner monday, but turning a little bit drier on tuesday and wednesday. but by that warm feeling inside from boxt boilers, sponsors of weather

gb news. >> good afternoon. hello and welcome to gb news. we're live on tv, online and on digital radio. i'm nana akua and for the next few hours , me and my panel next few hours, me and my panel will be taking on some of the big topics hitting the headlines. right now, this show is all about opinion. it's mine,

it's theirs. and of course it's yours. we'll be debating, discussing and at times we will disagree. but no one will be cancelled. so joining me for the next few hours is jonathan lewis. he also broadcast on columnist lizzie cundy. coming up after the confirmation that hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah has been killed after beirut airstrikes, i'll be asking, do you back israel? they've got to pull up on x throughout the show, asking you that very question. uri geller will be live from tel aviv with his thoughts and give us an update and giving us an update from his perspective. then in my niggle as this gaffe haunts sir keir starmer, i call again for an immediate ceasefire in gaza. >> the return of the sausages, the hostages . the hostages. >> and we discover yet more discrepancies. >> a working from home, if we can really will help prevent infections. >> i'm asking, are infections. >> i'm asking , are labour >> i'm asking, are labour turning out to be as bad as the

tories then in difficult