midday >> good afternoon. it's midday on saturday the 11th of january. i now halfway through the month already knowing what's happening. this is the weekend on gb news. we've got a cracking show coming up for you. farage forced in onto the back foot over his comments about shamima begum. he claims he's thoughtful when asked about bringing her home, which has prompted a backlash from the tories. but has nigel put his foot in it or have his comments been misconstrued? >> the reality is what nigel said was national security matters. we would rather such people were in maximum security prisons in the uk, rather than sitting in prisons in syria, potentially in the hands of islamists who might have different views. >> then health secretary wes streeting issues his concerns about a mosque massacre in britain, as he warns language over grooming gangs risks vilifying entire communities . vilifying entire communities. and facebook founder mark zuckerberg says the biden administration pressured meta

into taking down vaccine sceptic content. what do you think of that? is that fair? i'm dawn neesom and the weekend starts right here and now. so thank you for joining me on this very cold and frosty saturday. i hope you are having an easy time keeping warm. i know a lot of you aren't and we are talking about that subject today. it's very important, but if you've got nowhere to go, you might as well pull up your chair, sit in front of the telly and keep yourself warm with a nice cup of tea because we've got a packed show. we have non—stop. you don't want to move a muscle apart from maybe put the kettle on, because this show is nothing without you and your views. so let me know your thoughts on all the stories we're discussing today by visiting gbnews.com/yoursay and join our conversation. what we're talking about, what you want to talk about. anything

goes. it's a saturday afternoon. keeping me company this hour is political commentator matthew stadlen and parliamentary sketchwriter at the telegraph. madeline grant. thank you both very much for joining madeline grant. thank you both very much forjoining me madeline grant. thank you both very much for joining me today. but before we get stuck into today's stories, let's get to the news headlines with tatiana sanchez. >> donna, thank you very much. the top stories chancellor rachel reeves has defended her decision to travel to china to improve economic ties at a time when soaring government borrowing costs threaten to squeeze uk public finances. she says she wants a long term relationship with china that's squarely in our national interest, and today said agreements reached in beijing would be worth £600 million to the uk over the next five years. >> overall, this government's re—engagement with china already sets us on course to deliver up to £1 billion of value for the uk economy. this includes,

across our financial services, in which the uk is a global leader. financial services are the engine which power prosperity and growth through deep and liquid capital markets. our two countries share great pre—existing links in this area as the highlight of our bilateral economic relationship. >> rachel reeves flew out yesterday after ignoring calls from opposition parties to cancel the trip because of market turmoil at home. the past week has seen a drop in the pound and an increase in government borrowing costs, which has fuelled speculation of more spending cuts or tax rises. the tories have accused the chancellor of having fled to china. rather than explain how she will fix the uk's economy. the british government's independent terrorism legislation reviewer says politicians need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture when it comes to stateless persons and the

balance of national security. his comments come after reform uk leader nigel farage said he'd been thoughtful when asked if the uk should consider bringing shamima begum back to the uk. this is what he said. i've never wanted to. i've instinctively never wanted to, but i'm now thoughtful, i'm thoughtful. i don't classify her as an isis, an all out isis killer. so she's sort of less she's a lesser part of the equation. this comes after us president elect donald trump's incoming counter—terror chief said that isis members in syria should be allowed home. reform chairman zaher yousef responded to the report with our political editor, christopher hope. >> if anyone actually cares about truth, then they should actually look at what nigel actually look at what nigel actually said, which was that what's happened in syria is that there's been regime change. and let's be clear about what's happened as a result of that. you have jihadists in senior government positions. if you are a british citizen and you are

concerned that there are people in syrian prisons that are security threats to the united kingdom, where would you rather they were sitting inside a prison in a now potentially jihadist controlled syria, or inside a maximum security prison inside a maximum security prison inside the united kingdom? and that's not the point nigel was making. >> nigel was forced to hit back at the reports, writing on social media, i've never wanted to allow shamima begum back into britain, as i literally say in this interview. in other news, the health secretary has warned the health secretary has warned the use of inflammatory language over grooming gangs risks vilifying entire communities. he also says he fears rhetoric could lead to atrocities such as the christchurch mosque shootings in new zealand, which killed more than 50 people. speaking to the guardian, wes streeting said there are people in my community who have either pakistani heritage or look different, who are now more fearful today than they were before. los angeles authorities

have declared a local health emergency for the whole county due to poor air quality, as fire and smoke has blanketed the area, they've killed at least 11 people and destroyed over 10,000 homes and businesses. over 150,000 people are now under an evacuation order. california's governor has called for an independent investigation into how critical fire hydrants ran out of water and were impaired. hundreds of animals are being cared for by humane groups in southern california. sport, and david moyes has been appointed everton manager for the second time following the departure of sean dyche. moyes spent 11 years at goodison park before leaving to replace sir alex ferguson at man united in 2013, and has been out of work since departing west ham in the summer. the 61 year old returns with the toffees hovering just a single point above the relegation zone. the first game of his second spell is on wednesday. and

temperatures dropped to —18.7 degrees in the uk's coldest january night in 15 years. the met office says. in the most northern region of the highlands, —18.7 degrees was recorded. it's the coldest january overnight temperature since 2010, when temperatures dropped below —15 several times at several locations across the uk. much of the uk endured below freezing temperatures overnight, dropping to —11 in shap in cumbria, with heathrow recording minus five. those are the latest gb news headlines. for now, it's back to dawn. >> thank you very much, tatiana. okay. and thank you for your company this afternoon. you don't want to move a muscle because we have got a packed show coming up for you for the next three hours covering everything that you want to talk about. and lots of you are already getting in touch. so remember, it's your show. do get in touch. gbnews.com/yoursay.

right. let's get straight into today's story, shall we? the pressure has piled onto reform leader nigel farage after he waded into the row over shamima begum, reportedly saying in an interview that the government should consider letting the isis bride back into the uk. he says inever bride back into the uk. he says i never wanted to. i've instinctively never wanted to, but i'm now thoughtful. i'm thoughtful. i don't classify classify her as an isis, all our isis killer. she's sort of less she is a lesser part of the equation. that, of course, comes after donald trump's incoming counter—terror chief said that isis members in syria should be allowed home. reform chairman zia yousef responded to the report with our political edhon report with our political editor, christopher hope, yesterday evening. here's what he had to say. >> if anyone actually cares about truth, then they should actually look at what nigel actually look at what nigel actually said, which was that what's happened in syria is that there's been a regime change.

and let's be clear about what's happened as a result of that. you have jihadists in senior government positions. if you are a british citizen and you are concerned that there are people in syrian prisons that are security threats to the united kingdom, where would you rather they were sitting inside a prison in a now potentially jihadist controlled syria, or inside a maximum security prison inside a maximum security prison inside the united kingdom? and that's what the point nigel was making interesting. >> is it now, nigel farage himself was forced to hit back at the reports, writing on social media i have never at the reports, writing on soci