>> good afternoon. happy saturday afternoon. it's 12:00. it's a saturday and it is just before christmas. >> and i'm not ready. i bet you're not ready either. this is the weekend on gb news now we have got a cracking show lined up for you , but we are starting up for you, but we are starting with the big story of the day. the nightmare before christmas. red weather warnings have been issued as storm ciara batters parts of the uk with winds of up to 90 miles an hour , and january to 90 miles an hour, and january discontent. oh yes, the conservatives warned small businesses will be ravaged by labour tax rises after christmas, with some businesses reportedly set to pay £32,000 more in tax per year. and after it was nearly destroyed in a devastating fire five years ago,

notre dame finally reopens today after a miraculous rebuilding project. that's a lovely story, isn't it.7 and we are there live covering it for you. i'm dawn neesom and this is the weekend, and it starts right here and now . and it starts right here and now. i'm thinking that needs a bit of tinsel , doesn't it.7 everything tinsel, doesn't it.7 everything else is really festive and i've got festive jingles. we've got christmas trees. i've even got santa hats for my panellists . santa hats for my panellists. but my that, that weekend thing, it's just like it's quite summery isn't it.7 any case, this show is all about you. it's not about me or my panellists. it's all about you and your opinions. so let me know what you think of all the stories we're talking about today and indeed anything you want to have a chat about, it's december, it's christmas. we're much more chilled vibe, aren't we.7 so we're much more chilled vibe, aren't we? so have a chat. it's very easy to join in. it's

gbnews.com/yoursay and come and have a chat with us. join us now. keeping me company. this our cracking panel for you is labour party activist chris warrell and journalist and broadcaster mike perry . now, despite being perry. now, despite being political opposites, they have one thing in common. don't you boys certainly do go on everton fans, we're going to talk about the weather probably sometime in the weather probably sometime in the show. >> and the biggest injury factor from the weather so far is that the everton liverpool derby has been called off amazingly because the weather up there. but dawn, we can't thank you for wearing everton's colours. >> oh yeah, no game could have gone ahead. this was the thing, right? okay, i want it. i wanted a bit of sympathy on this saturday afternoon. so thank you for joining me. joining me boys forjoining me. joining me boys appreciate it. but before we get stuck into all of today's stories, let's get those news headunes stories, let's get those news headlines with sam francis . headlines with sam francis. >> dawn thank you. and very good afternoon to you. fast

approaching 12:03. well, millions of people are still being urged to stay indoors as storm daragh continues to wreak havoc across the uk, a rare risk to life red warning for wind was issued this morning with gusts of up to 90 miles an hour already recorded. battering parts of wales and south—west england. that red warning, though , has now expired, but the though, has now expired, but the damage continues as yellow and amber warnings now for wind and rain remain in effect. travel is being severely disrupted, with roads blocked and trains suspended after trees were torn down by the high winds and over 30,000 homes are without power and crews are now working to restore supplies. though there's no word yet on when power will be back up and running. well, no word yet on when power will be back up and running. well, our reporter sophie reaper is our reporter sophie reaper is out in the north—west of the out in the north—west of the country for us today, and she country for us today, and she says there are big concerns for says there are big concerns for those amber rain alerts which those amber rain alerts which places yet on when power will continue to spread well here in continue to spread well here in the north west. the north west. >> what storm daragh means for >> what storm daragh means for us is that we've been forecast us is that we've been forecast heavy rain and wind gusts of heavy rain and wind gusts of around 70 to 80mph in certain around 70 to 80mph in certain

places , and as a result, the met places, and as a result, the met office has issued that amber weather alert for wind that came into place around 1:00 this morning and will remain in place now until around 9:00 tonight. so the advice today is to avoid travel where you can stay indoors where possible and ultimately just stay safe . ultimately just stay safe. >> sophie reaper there for us in the north west . well, the centre the north west. well, the centre of the storm is now clearing into the north sea, but that doesn't mean that conditions are set to improve any time soon. passengers at some of the uk's busiest airports have described terrifying descents this morning, and harrowing

terrifying descents this morning, and harrowi have been country, but only two have been escalated to flood alerts and thatis escalated to flood alerts and that is in tayside, as well as south ayrshire. that amber warning that stretches across the north—west of england will that also leaks into dumfries and galloway, with residents there told to stay inside until there told to stay inside until the bad weather dies off? >> well, at turning from that weather news here at home to some breaking lines coming to us from the hague, where an explosion has reportedly destroyed a block of flats with emergency services now scrambling to the scene, there , scrambling to the scene, there, reportedly injuring multiple people in that unexplained explosion, residents in the hague said they heard reportedly a huge bang and screams just before dawn, with one woman telling local media she thought there had been an earthquake. part of one of the apartment complex has collapsed. a fire broke out earlier as well . broke out earlier as well. emergency services still on the scene. if you're watching, you

can see pictures there of the rubble and destruction left in the wake of that unexplained explosion taking place just after 6:00 this morning, local time. we're hearing four people have been rescued so far from the rubble and taken to hospital. others believed still to be trapped . there's also to be trapped. there's also a line coming to us from local media saying that there are reports of hearing a child calling for help as the building burned this morning, images of the scene circulating on social media as well from a higher building showing the view of one area encompassing five apartments reduced to ash and rubble . as i say so far, four rubble. as i say so far, four people rescued and continuing searches for any survivors. dutch police say they're now investigating the cause of the unexplained explosion and are appealing for witnesses after heanng appealing for witnesses after hearing reports that a car was seen speeding away from the scene of that explosion. we will keep across any details coming to us from the hague and bring you any latest lines as we get

them. for now, though, that explosion taking place just after 6:00 local time, four people rescued so far . turning people rescued so far. turning to paris, where prince william is set to meet donald trump ahead of the notre dame cathedral's grand reopening ceremony later today, the prince of wales will discuss the uk us special relationship with the president elect and meet the outgoing first lady, jill biden . outgoing first lady, jill biden. the ceremony, being hosted by french president emmanuel macron, features the opening of the cathedral's huge doors and the cathedral's huge doors and the reawakening of its organ, and the first mass there since its restoration. it's also prince william's first visit to paris . since 2017, mps in south paris. since 2017, mps in south korea have been voting today on whether to impeach president yoon sukh jul. but it's set to fail. 194 mps have been in the chamber , but 106 from the people chamber, but 106 from the people power's party walked out in protest, leaving opposition members chanting traitors and get back to in vote. the

impeachment requires 200 people to vote and most of the ruling party mps are boycotting that session. it follows, of course, mr yoon's apology for declaring martial law, a move that critics have called an attempted coup here more than a million children are being pushed into poverty because of high housing costs, according to a new report. the resolution foundation says 27% of children in poverty would not be below the poverty line if housing were more affordable. those in private rents are hit. the hardest. the charity is calling on the government to make tackling housing costs a key focus of its child poverty strategy. the report also highlights the urgent need for action as families struggle to make ends meet . those are the make ends meet. those are the latest headlines for now. plenty more on that. breaking news from the hague . as we get it now, the hague. as we get it now, though, it's over to dawn for the very latest gb news to direct your smartphone, sign up to news alerts by scanning the

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