the palestinian president calls for a full ceasefire in gaza. translation: everything has been wi ed out - translation: everything has been wiped out - houses, _ translation: everything has been wiped out - houses, mosques, - wiped out — houses, mosques, institutions, everything. you can't recognise cause any more. —— recognise cause any more. —— recognise gaza. iraq condemns us air strikes on iranian—backed targets in its territory — the us says it was retaliating after an attack on american bases. and, in a real—life home alone moment, a young boy travelling alone in the us is flown to the wrong destination by a low—cost airline. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky has said he is "grateful"

to his air force for a missile attack that badly damaged a russian the novocherkassk was hit during an attack on the port of feodosiya in russian—occupied crimea. local officials say at least one person was killed, and ukraine said the ship was destroyed. president zelensky wrote on telegram, "the occupiers will not "have a single peaceful place in ukraine." james waterhouse reports from central ukraine. for ukraine, this was a high—value target. explosion the novocherkassk landing ship struck by a guided missile. the blast was colossal. moscow claims it was only damaged. kyiv says destroyed. it's going to need more than a lick of paint, regardless.

crimea has been in russia's grasp since 2014. but sights like this have become more common with ukraine striking deeper into the peninsula. the novocherkassk would have almost certainly been loaded with either soldiers, hardware, or both. its loss will hamper russia's ability to supply troops further north, as well as further weaken its naval dominance in the black sea. what attacks like these have yet to do is apply enough pressure on moscow for it to surrender ukrainian territory it has taken. but for ukraine, for president zelensky, it is a welcome announcement against a backdrop of waning western support. it's already affecting ukraine's frontline operations. and that's helping russia, with the capture of mariinka in the east. moscow calls the devouring of this town liberation. translation: the main focus was to disrupt the ukrainian i counteroffensive which was announced

by ukraine and its nato allies. this task has been successfully completed. ukraine has only been able to liberate a few kilometres of its territory, and the head of its armed forces gave a sobering forecast for next year. translation: we're doing everything we can. - unfortunately, the enemy is not far behind us. you can see what is happening, especially recently. we're having powerful confrontations using various technologies. in feodosia, fragments of the ship were scattered for hundreds of metres. strikes like this have chipped away at russia's control. but their impact isn't always realised immediately. the problem for ukraine is time is not its friend. james waterhouse, bbc news, kyiv. i'm joined now by michael o'hanlon, director of research in foreign policy at the brookings institution. thank you so much forjoining us on newsday today. firstly, how

significant is this strike on the russian ship? i significant is this strike on the russian ship?— significant is this strike on the russian ship? i think it is a fairly siunificant russian ship? i think it is a fairly significant operation, _ russian ship? i think it is a fairly significant operation, and - russian ship? i think it is a fairly significant operation, and your. significant operation, and your correspondent very accurately said time may not be on ukraine's side to him but i'm not sure it is on russia's side either, and this kind of attack shows why. russia's position in crimea is not an immediate risk in a broad sense. it is not as if you can can really mount and often severely take that jurist peninsula. however, russian positions in crimea are not safe. there have been russian ships docked in these black seaports in crimea that had to relocate further east, there been a couple that have been sunkin there been a couple that have been sunk in very high—profile attacks. a fleet was destroyed and perhaps deep commander killed a couple month ago, and so i think ukraine has decided to do exactly prison zelenskyjust had not let the russian feel safe anywhere they are other occupied territories! prison zelensky. i am not sure what that amounts to a war winning strategy for ukraine, in the sense of foretelling any ability to mount and fabius assault or a cross

river invasion of crimea, but it should make russia uncomfortable and realise that as long as this fight goes on, russia's own assets are at risk and russia stands to lose. i hope together this sets up the context for a successful negotiation, where ukraine gets as many of its goals as possible, because i'm not really sure either side has time on its side in the long term on the battlefield. according to uk defence minister, any percent of russian black sea fleet has been destroyed in the last four months, so in your view, what are russian capabilities in the black sea now?— are russian capabilities in the black sea now? , , . , , black sea now? russian capabilities in the eastern _ black sea now? russian capabilities in the eastern part _ black sea now? russian capabilities in the eastern part of— black sea now? russian capabilities in the eastern part of the _ black sea now? russian capabilities in the eastern part of the black - black sea now? russian capabilities in the eastern part of the black sea | in the eastern part of the black sea are still pretty good, and that's where russia has relocated apparently most of its laxity fleet, and i think effective this ship was in crimea may indicate an effort to resupply its troops in crimea or to test the ability of ukraine to really hit as far away as ukraine just has struck, but in broader

terms, russia is ok on the eastern side of the black sea, but it is not doing well around crimea, it is not doing well around crimea, it is not doing well around crimea, it is not doing well in the centre of the region, and ukraine is now able to find some alternative ways of shipping grain and other goods out through the western part of the black sea and essentially hugging nato territory with romania, bulgaria. it is sort of a disputed maritime area, it is not really a place where people are actively fighting day by day, but russia is doing 0k in the east, not so well in the centre or the west. doing ok in the east, not so well in the centre or the west.— the centre or the west. michael o'hanlon. _ the centre or the west. michael o'hanlon, thank— the centre or the west. michael o'hanlon, thank you _ the centre or the west. michael o'hanlon, thank you so - the centre or the west. michael o'hanlon, thank you so much . the centre or the west. michaell o'hanlon, thank you so much for joining us on newsday and happy holidays. joining us on newsday and happy holida s. ~ , ., ~ joining us on newsday and happy holida s. ~' , ., ~ , ., israel's military chief has warned that the war in gaza will last "many more months". the hamas—run health ministry says almost 21,000 people have been killed in gaza since the conflict began. there are again fears that the conflict could spread across the region.

the us says it's carried out what it calls "necessary and proportionate" air strikes against pro—iranian militias based in iraq, which they say were in response to attacks on american bases in the region. but the government in iraq condemned the strikes as an "unacceptable attack on iraqi sovereignty". 0ur correspondent shaimaa khalil is injerusalem. "0ur things are gone, mum," she says, standing in what used to be her home. israel's bombing of rafah in southern gaza has continued, leaving those who fled there at a loss of where to go. translation: israel claimed j that there are safe residential areas oi’ secure zones. but this attack shows that that is a lie. israel's military operation has intensified in khan younis, also in the south.

little amal was home with her family. the bomb hit them and killed her uncle. "we were sleeping, then i heard a big bang," she said. "rocks fell on us. "all our windows were shattered." amal�*s baby sister is three days old. baby mariam is hearing the brunt of the conflict she was born into. "the war in gaza will last for months," said the head of the israeli military, herzi halevi, vowing to reach the hamas leadership. translation: there are no magic solutions. - there are no short cuts in dismantling a terrorist organisation, only determined and persistent fighting. and we are very, very determined. but this stance has only deepened the frustration among the hostage families. in tel aviv, many have gathered once again saying they want their relatives out of gaza, alive. 0fir wienberg's cousin is still in captivity.

this fight could take too long, and they need to look at other options, other leverages. it could go on and on. and the military pressure will continue. but we see they don't have any results. the fallout from the war has already been felt outside its borders. hezbollah operatives were targeted by the us in iraq. the pentagon said that the us forces carried out strikes against what it called iran sponsored militias in response to an attack on the erbil airbase. as the military operation deepens, other fronts grow more tense, in already volatile areas of the region. shaimaa khalil, bbc news, tel aviv. meanehile, palestinian president mahmoud abbas has called for a full ceasefire and the opening of a humanitarian corridor.

he's given his first interview since the beginning of the war in gaza to an egyptian tv channel. he's accused israel of trying to push palestinians into egypt's sinai. israel hasn't responded to his interview yet. translation: what's happening in the palestinian territories - is far beyond than a disaster and far more than a genocide. the palestinians have never seen anything like this. even during the nakba catastrophe in i948, what's happening today is far worse. a huge crime is being committed against the palestinians over the past 79 days, notjust in gaza but also in the west bank and jerusalem. unfortunately, whenever the international community, the un security council and general assembly try to stop the war, the us disrupts these attempts by using its veto and refusing to bring fighting to a halt.

it's notjust marytrs and people wounded in gaza, everything has been wiped out — houses, mosques, institutions, schools, everything. you can't recognise gaza any more. 0ur middle east correspondent sally nabil is in washington and has more on what mr abbas has been saying. he actually blamed the us for a lot of what's happening because he clearly said that if the us wants to bring the assault — the israeli assault on gaza — to a halt, it can. it's the only country that can pressure israel. he also referred to the veto the us has used lately to disrupt a un resolution calling for a ceasefire. and as you've heard, he said that what happened is far beyond a genocide or a disaster, it's far worse, and that gaza at the moment is unrecognisable. he also spoke about the ability

of the palestinian authorities to run gaza after the war. but that's a very controversial issue given the huge lack of trust, or at least the huge differences, between hamas and the palestinian authorities. will the people in gaza accept the palestinian authority to take control? that's highly unlikely. so that's a big issue at the moment. he also talked about israeli efforts to push the palestinians into the egyptian sinai peninsula, and that has been one of the main concerns of the egyptian officials. and they said if that is to happen, that would undermine the palestinian cause and they are not going to allow it. and for that, mr abbas has thanked them. he is being criticised by the israelis for supporting terrorism like hamas. and he said that he cannot but condemn the targeting of civilians in gaza, and he cannotjustify that, and he says that the argument of israel's right to defend itself is even illogical to him.

and he said that the international community has been trying to bring the hostilities to a halt, but it is the us that have been impeding these efforts to bear fruit at the very end. russian opposition figure alexei navalny has confirmed he's been transferred to an arctic prison. on his account on x, formerly twitter, the posts say he's in good spirits. considered vladimir putin's most vocal opponent, navalny has been imprisoned since 2021. the russian dissident has told supporters not to worry about him, insisting he's relieved to have reached the siberian penal colony. but his chief of staff, leonid volkov, told the bbc concern for mr navalny remained high. we are worried. we don't forget for a second

that he is in the custody of the very people who tried to kill him 3.5 years ago and that he is putin's very personal political prisoner. and this journey, this forced journey, is yet another proof. so, of course, we are worried. and the only protection, if any, that still exists for alexei navalny is the spotlight of publicity. putin has to be reminded that the world cares about navalny and that he can'tjust hide him or kill him or whatever. this is very important for us. around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news. vitamin d deficiency, depression and diabetes are among a number of health issues that increase the risk of young—onset dementia — that's according to a major new study. the condition, which affects around

70,000 people in the uk, is when symptoms of dementia develop before the age of 65. the study challenges the notion that genetics are the sole cause. thames water has apologised after several homes in surrey were left without water today. areas near guildford and godalming were the worst affected. the company said most properties have now had their water supply retored. the chancellor and local mp, jeremy hunt, said he was "beside himself with frustration". a man has been arrested after a car crashed into a house in grays in essex yesterday, causing extensive damage. police confirmed that the man was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and driving without a licence. no—one inside the house was hurt. you're live with bbc news. post—christmas sales may be getting into full swing today, but research suggests shoppers will spend less than they did last year.

major retailers such as m&s remained closed. so, with pre—christmas events such as black friday — and the availability of early discounts online — are the boxing day sales the major event they once were? theo leggett went to kingston upon thames to find out. christmas may be over, but now it's time for the sales. everything is reduced up to 50%. here in kingston upon thames, the mood today was cheerful as curious shoppers sought out the best bargains. and across the country, it was a similar story. it's the first time in a long time that we've come out on boxing day shopping. we normally do it online. we were holding out for boxing day sales because we always come without the kids and it's time for us. i just like the atmosphere because it brings a lot of people out and it's the atmosphere and the busyness of being in the city i love. that's what i like, the experience of that. we're hoping to buy a few things in the sales. the shops are so busy

we can hardly get in, to be honest with you. i thought it was going to be more sales, more stuff, but it's less. so i'm kind of a bit disappointed. it'sjust tradition, isn't it? yeah. ever since i was a kid, my dad would bring me out, going around the shops. boxing day itself used to be a huge sales event, but discount extravaganzas such as black friday have robbed it of some of its impact. marks and spencer, next and john lewis all chose to remain closed today. yet boxing day is just the start. there's still plenty of time for people to think about going shopping before new year. retailers need shoppers to come out in force this week. it's a vital time of year for them. but the big question is, with the cost of living still high and bills to pay, do consumers still have enough money to spend? early indications suggest that while shoppers did splash out more in the run up to christmas than they did last year, trading was far from spectacular. there'll definitely be a temptation for people to buy post—christmas, but unfortunately we've just got a lot less money to spend. the cost of living crisis had a big

impact on how much we spent over the christmas period and could well do for the sales as well. research from voucher codes suggests will spend more than £14 billion in the shops and online between christmas and the new year, but that's still well down on 2022. for retailers, the next few days will be crucial. boxing day itself may not be what it once was, but the sales as a whole still really matter. what happens this week could lead retailers into a difficult winter, or set them on track for a prosperous new year. theo leggett, bbc news. a major us airline has apologised after mistakenly putting a six—year—old boy travelling alone for the first time on the wrong flight. jon donnison has the story. for six—year—old casper, this christmas wasn't so much home alone as flown alone. he was meant to be travelling unaccompanied from philadelphia to fort myers to meet up with his grandma. but a mix—up at check—in meant he somehow ended up

on a plane to orlando. they told me, "no, he's not on this flight. "he missed his flight." isaid, "no, he could not miss his flight because "i have the check—in tag." i ran inside the plane to the flight attendant and i asked, "where's my grandson? "he was handed over to you at philadelphia." she said, "no, i have no kids with me." in a statement, spirit airlines apologised and said... how did that happen? did he get him out of the plane? did the flight attendant, after mom handed him the paperwork, did she let him go by himself and he jumped on the wrong plane by himself? for now, though, after a worrying few hours, casper has been reunited with his grandma. jon donnison, bbc news.

at least a happy ending there. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. chinese president xijinping has said taiwan will "surely be reunited" with mainland china as he paid tribute to chairman mao zedong, whose birth 130 years ago was celebrated in the country. china views democratically—governed taiwan as its own territory, despite the objections of the government in taipei. voters in taiwan will elect its new leader injust over two weeks. us military forces shot down more than a dozen drones and several missiles fired by yemen—based houthi rebels at shipping in the red sea, according to the pentagon. there have been a flurry of attacks by the iranian—backed rebel group, who've declared their backing for hamas in its war with israel. they say they're targeting vessels linked to israel. several of the world's top shipping firms have stopped transiting through the red sea. argentina's new president, javier milei, has signed a decree

cancelling the contracts of 7,000 public sector workers. mr milei has also indicated that 115,000 other government workers on long—term contracts may be dismissed. the measures are part of mr milei's efforts to bring down inflation, which is rampant in argentina. his programme is centred on cutting government spending, pegging the local currency to the us dollar and deregulating the economy. the amazon rainforest is experiencing its worst drought since records began. one of its main rivers is recording the lowest levels in 121 years. the drought is the result of the effects of el nino, coupled with a warmer atlantic ocean and a heatwave in south american. but scientists worry that this drought means the amazon is moving faster towards its tipping point — where plant and animal life can no longer recover. stephanie hegarty reports.

0liveira is taking us to his village, and this is the only way to get there. it's a five—hour journey, at least normally. his community of a0 families is in the middle of the amazon. it's dry, and it's hot. brazil is in the midst of a heatwave. i think that's the end of the line. we've been travelling for nearly five hours now, and 0liveira says we're not even halfway. so it looks like we're going to have to turn back.

hundreds of thousands of people have been cut off by this drought, but scientists worry that an ecological disaster is unfolding, too. and there are signs. in two major lakes, dolphins are turning up dead. and here, in quarai — a city within the rainforest — the air is thick with smoke. man—made fires burning out of control in a dry forest. so, we have rain. yes, finally. but perhaps not for long. not enough? well, climatologists are saying this drought will continue. flavia costa researches the health of plants and trees in the forest. some colleagues that are flying drones, they say they can see also canopies that are completely defoliated.

the fear is that the amazon is racing towards a theoretical tipping point. in the vast forest, water evaporates from the trees to form rain clouds, so it feeds itself the water it needs to sustain life. and if swathes of it die, that mechanism could be broken. the forest would keep dying, and faster, in a catastrophic feedback loop. in the last big drought here in 2015, some estimates say 2.5 billion plants and trees died. and we mostly expect the same now, which is sad. some regions will probably become savannahs, but there are pockets of forest that probably will remain. the amazon stores around 150 billion metric tonnes of carbon. we rely on it to help keep the planet cool, but the question is how long it can continue to do that. stephanie hegarty, bbc news,

in the amazon rainforest. that is it for this edition of newsday, but don't forget, a lot more on our website on all the stories that we brought you today. i'll be back next hour, sojoin me if you can, but for now thank you so much for watching newsday. hello. for most of us, boxing day turned into a pretty decent day. we had some spells of sunshine. certainly, it was a fine day to get out and about. the same does not apply to the day ahead. wednesday's weather dominated by storm gerrit, bringing a combination of rain, snow and gales with a very real risk of disruption. this is our storm system, this vast shield of cloud on the earlier satellite picture just enveloping the uk.

outbreaks of very heavy rain driving northwards and eastwards, some really strong winds. notice all the isobars on this chart. and with the wet weather running into cold air, briefly a bit of snow mixing in over higher ground in northern england, southern scotland, but in the highlands, we could well see 15 centimetres of snow or more accumulating over the highest ground — blizzard conditions when we combine that snow with the very, very strong winds. in fact, it is going to be a windy day for just about all of us. some very heavy rain affecting parts of england and wales — 90 millimetres possible for hills of wales, north—west england. lots of hefty downpours, too, in northern ireland. a windy day for all of us, gales in places. we could see gusts of 70 to possibly 80 miles per hour developing in the north—east of scotland. temperatures north to south, 5 to 13 degrees. and then through wednesday night, well, actually, if anything, the winds will strengthen further around parts of wales, south—west england. also extremely windy weather across the northern isles. we'll see snow and blizzard conditions for some in shetland. lots of showers elsewhere, blowing

through on those very strong winds. as a result of the strength of the wind, it's not going to be a particularly cold night. and then into thursday, it stays blustery, the winds only slowly easing. i think we'll continue to see gales in places, particularly around some western coasts. lots of showers, some of which could be heavy, possibly thundery. wintry showers over high ground in the northern half of scotland especially. and those temperatures, 6 degrees there in aberdeen, perhaps 13 as the high in london. and then as we head towards the end of the week, we will see further weather systems working from west to east, further outbreaks of rain. this one at the start of the weekend could be particularly potent. and with cold air being pulled down from the north, expect something wintry to mix in from time to time, so it's a really unsettled outlook as we head through the rest of 2023.

this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour. 2023 was a remarkable year for sport. up here, an historic treble.

down under, a women's world cup. england and australia couldn't be separated in the ashes, whilst cricket, rugby union and netball all had world cups of their own. golf came togetherfor the solheim and ryder cups. but the start of this sporting year was, for some, less a beginning and more a resumption. football had onlyjust returned after its unprecedented winter world cup break. also resuming, returning, the australian open once more welcomed novak djokovic, a year on from his deportation over his covid vaccination status. still no vax for novak but here he was, back and unbeatable. his was a 22nd grand slam title. for irina sabalenka, a first. saudi arabia's bid to become a major player in global sport was laid bare. cristiano ronaldo becoming a figurehead for the fledgling football league. before the end of the year,

they had all but been