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george: actually, you don't need vision to do most things in life. it's exciting to be part of a team driving the technology forward. i think that's the most rewarding thing. people who know, know bdo. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news". >> live from london,c news. russia launches one of its biggest attacks on ukraine since the war began. at least 30 people have been killed. as more detail emerges, president biden urges congress to step up military aid to ukraine. israel expands its ground offensive into refugee camp in

central gaza, forcing thousands to flee. the family of a good samaritan who died helping a stranger has paid tribute. his family said he devoted his life to helping others. ♪ >> hello. president biden says russia's biggest aerial attack on ukraine since the start of the war means vladimir putin remains determined to obliterate the country. at least 30 people have been killed and more than 160 people injured in a wave of deadly explosions. kyiv, lviv, odesa and dnipropetrovsk kharkiv in eastern ukraine. a maternity hospital and maternity -- and shopping mall were among those destroyed.

a polish general says the object, which is likely to have been a russian missile, spent less than three minutes over polish territory. from kyiv, are ukraine corresponded james waterhouse reports. james: it is and always has been the whole of ukraine that is under attack. kyiv is still moscow's biggest prize. air defenses have improved but this attack proved too much. >> i was woken up by a horrible sound. it was so frightening. everything was buzzing. james: you are left in no doubt that this was a direct missile strike. the scale of the damage, the size of the blast zone, you are more used to seeing damage caused by debris from missiles

intercepted. this seems like is being replicated right across ukraine. a lucky escape in the northeast. this city is familiar with missile strikes. 20 in a single morning. a shopping center in the east and a maternity hospital were hit. it did not stop there. this is the port city of odesa in the south, where a residential block was struck. dnipropetrovsk was not spared either. at least eight were killed. even lviv in the west, which sometimes seems far from the invasion, was not safe this time. >> all military targets were hit, as far as russia's defense ministry was concerned. ukraine's air force said it had never seen so many missiles in one attack. in a war or moscow routinely

strikes cities at cannot occupy, that is saying something. >> we mentioned the statement from president biden on ukraine. he said after nearly two years of this devastating war, putin's objective remains unchanged. he seeks to obliterate ukraine and subjugate its people. he must be stopped. mr. biden warned unless congress takes urgent action in the new year we cannot continue sending the weapons. congress must step up and act without any further delay. a retired colonel with the u.s. marine corps gave me his assessment of president biden's comments. >> the president is justifiably frustrated with congress. they went on their christmas break without passing legislation that zelenskyy had made a trip to washington, d.c. to try to obtain. he is frustrated and wants to send a message of support and that it is unwavering support for ukraine.

he is hopeful that when congress gets back from its recess that this will be the number 1 priority. >> how likely is it congress will listen and then take action after these words and these actions by russia? >> that is hard to predict. there is more support in congress for ukraine than is being discussed right now. what the republicans and some democrats quietly are doing is they are trying to force the president's hand by linking the funding legislation by what is going on at the southern border, which is an absolute disaster for the united states with this completely unhindered flow of immigrants across the border. it is politics at its worse. what i think will happen issue will see congress go ahead and eventually pass legislation and give ukraine most, if not all,

of what it wants. >> is this a personal mission by president biden or is it purely political? >> i think what politicians -- i am not sure you can go ahead and separate those things. i think number 1, it is purely political. he is going into an election year. his polls in the united states is awful. democrats and republicans acknowledge his performance as awful. ukraine is one thing he has been consistent on. we will have to wait and see how this all develops. the republicans sense blood in the water over the southern border issue. they will continue to punch biden in the nose, so to speak, over these efforts he is reportedly going ahead and promoting. >> a huge wave of attacks

overnight on several cities across ukraine. how, in your view, do you think the war is going for president putin and ukrainians? >> i think this clearly was a response by putin to show he is still a powerful man, he is still a player. the russians were embarrassed by the successful ukrainian assault on that ship a few days ago. you can almost always predict when the russians strike back hard. it is because they have been hit hard. the ukrainians, as usual, did a superb job. with no fleet themselves, they have managed to sink 20% of the russian black sea fleet. this is a continuation of the russian way of war, putin as a bully attacking primarily civilian targets, residential areas, city hospitals and schools were also attacked.

it is a shame, it is a tragedy, but there is nothing -- not a single thing -- that is a surprise other than the magnitude of the attack. these vessels are hard to replace. russia really stepped up its game for this particular set of attacks. >> retired colonel speaking to me earlier. united nations sent an estimated 150,000 palestinians are being forced to flee central gaza as israeli forces advance on refugee camps. an israeli airstrike reportedly killed 20 displaced people in rhafa. talks to stop the fighting are reported to have restarted in egypt although there is no indication of progress. our middle east correspondent sent this report which just insane -- which does contain distressing images. >> the scene of another israeli strike. this is rafah, crowded with

displaced gazans. last night the scenes here were frantic with 20 people killed, including children. others somehow making it out alive. amid the suffering, ordinary palestinians ask when the world will stop. >> the situation has gone beyond all limits. we are asking the world to protect us and stop the aggression. we are helpless. >> ongoing fighting means little aid has been reaching gaza city. new pictures show the desperate looting when the convoy finally arrived. the vast majority of gazans have been forced from their homes. people here have been setting up new makeshift camps as they fled from advancing israeli troops. new diplomatic efforts are taking shape, even as the war rages on. a hamas delegation is in cairo after egypt proposed a new

cease-fire deal. in israel, there is pressure to find a way to bring home the 100-plus hostages still in gaza. those released during a truce last month said they endured harsh conditions while being held captive by hamas fighters. she accuses all gazans with being complicit, something many would deny. >> it is families under hamas control. in retrospect, i realized i was staying with the family. i was asking myself, why am i at a family's house? why are there women and children here? >> israel said its aim is to dismantle hamas' military and governing capabilities. for now, palestinian civilians are paying a huge price, forced to flee from their homes with no safe place to go. bbc news, jerusalem. >> israel says it has struck

hezbollah militants in response to missiles fired over the border. these pictures released by the israel defense forces show them striking with they describe as hezbollah infrastructure in lebanon. israel says they hit a number of targets, including launch sites and a military compound. earlier i spoke to -- she is a team leader for the u.n. office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs. she told me about the latest situation. >> the humanitarian situation in rafah is a human catastrophe. we see the continued arrivals of people who have already fled 3, 4, 5 times. we estimate nearly 10,000 people a day have been arriving just into the united nations shelters and many more are arriving to places outside, setting up makeshift shelters on the beach, any spot of land that is still vacant.

even now, literally on the roads , they were previously on roundabouts and footpaths. those have been congested with all the shelters of everyone who has sought refuge, we have people literally setting up shelters on the road. the situation in rafah is nothing other than catastrophic, with well over one million people here in desperate, desperate need. people in fear for their lives. >> we know that the israel defense forces have asked people in central gaza to go south. where is safe for them to go? is there anywhere safe for them to go? >> i do not believe that anyone on this planet could say at this moment in time that there is any safe place in gaza. earlier you reported on the airstrike here in rafah last night. they continue to be airstrikes in places that are supposed to be safe. just the other day i was in a hospital in the day after i

visited, there was an airstrike outfront that killed many, many people. all of these airstrikes, all of these attacks in areas not under evacuation orders that are supposed to be safe indicate to anyone there is currently no safe place in gaza. >> there are airstrikes and there are also ground operations and fighting between israeli forces and palestinian armed groups. what is the situation for humanitarian groups in terms of helping people? >> our endeavor is so hugely complex and complicated. it is difficult to describe to anyone outside of gaza. the ground operations that have commenced in the middle area make it even more so. just yesterday, our colleagues returning from a delivery to the north were shot at by israeli forces on their way back to the south. that indicates the level of

intensity of this conflict. even more important than what we are facing is what people here are facing. just this afternoon i was in a hospital and while i was there we had people being brought in. two boys, 14 and 16, were just hit on the street while trying to get to their families. as i said every day since i arrived in gaza on december 4, this is why the war must and because the civilian toll is unconscionable. >> the u.n. convoy being targeted, we have not had a response from israel itself. have you heard from israel? has this been addressed by the u.n. to israel? >> it certainly has been addressed by the u.n. to israel because it is critical we are able to move everywhere in gaza to deliver assistance. there are still tens of thousands in need, hundreds of thousands of people in need of assistance. we must continue to strive to

reach those people. we must be able to move safely. we have indeed addressed this. we understand they are looking into it but it is imperative we are given the assurances that we can be able to move through these areas and deliver assistance to people who, at this point, are not only desperate but starving and in dire need of assistance in order to survive. >> large crowds have gathered in yemen's capital at a rally to show support for palestinians. thousands of people packed into the area chanting and waving placards. the iranian backed houthi militants have stepped up attacks on vessels in the red sea to show their backing for hamas. in the u.k., tributes have been paid to a man who died after a car hit a group of people in sheffield. the men had stopped to help an unconscious woman after an

argument between two groups of people. his family pay tribute, saying the circumstances of his death show the sort of man he was, going to help rather than turning away. >> chris spent his life helping others. at a food bank, and volunteering to make life better for those less fortunate than himself. the father of two young boys had a strong christian faith. when he saw an unconscious woman while on a walk with his family, he rushed to help her and give first aid. while trying to save her life, he lost his own. his boss said the i.t. manager would always help others. >> he would help others. he would see anybody and be prepared to help. i think he had a heart for people. >> this is where chris was hit and killed. a wedding party had been taking

place in a house in this cul-de-sac. it distended into violence and disorder and that spilled out into the street. chris was just an innocent passerby. >> a good samaritan. he lost his life. this is a big loss for the family. >> in a statement, chris' family said chris was a wonderful husband, dad, brother, uncle and friend to many. the circumstances of his death although tragic and unfathomable to us show the sort of man he was to us, to help rather than turn away. one man, 23, remains in police custody. a 55-year-old man has beenprele. a real good samaritan, chris died while trying to save a woman's life. she is in hospital in a life-threatening state. >> in the u.s., maine has become

the second stage of rule donald trump cannot run for president next year because of his action leading up to the u.s. capitol riot. it follows a similar ruling in colorado. both decisions are on hold, however, as legal challenges make their way through the courts. our north american correspondent has been following events and gave her -- gave me her assessment. >> the significance is this decision is the first ever taken by a state official to ban a presidential candidate from appearing on a primary ballot. the official who made this decision, the secretary of state, who is a democrat, ruled that according to a provision in the constitution, anyone who has been found to have engaged or supported a rebellion against the state is not eligible to stand on the primary ballot.

this came as a result of a public hearing after several registered voters applied to the office, challenging donald trump's eligibility to stand. >> how have donald trump and his team reacted? >> donald trump himself has not said anything but he has over the course of the day been posting on his social media platform, truth social, showing the polls in which he has surged. he is the front runner in the republican party. in several swing states, he is also ahead of president biden. there is a wider argument made by his supporters that this is a ploy by the democratic party to prevent him from standing in these elections in november 2024. it is a very divisive issue and we have heard both arguments -- we have heard arguments from both sides of the aisle. some democrats say they believe

this is not a decision that a state official should make. they say this is a decision that should be made by congress. also, that donald trump, even though he is accused of engaging in an insurrection, has not been formally charged or convicted. he faces a separate case where he is accused of trying to overthrow the 2020 election. he has pleaded not guilty. what will happen is this case is likely to be appealed at the supreme court, which will likely decide who really has the power to make these decisions. there are several other states in which former president trump has been allowed to run but dozens others -- >> here in the u.k., many of us make a reservation for the new year, usually to do with self-improvement. we could all do worse than following ruth and tackling

litter. ruth, armed with their free bus pass, from her home north, stopping in many cities en route, including darby, sheffield and newcastle, before reaching her destination and returning home. i am pleased to say we can go live to ruth major, the founder of beautify britain. also the person responsible by picking up a lot of litter across the country. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having me on the program. i am very excited about this. thank you very much. >> so are we. why did you decide to travel around the country and pick up litter? >> i started traveling because i was doing my family history research. my great-grandmother and her sisters -- in the 1880's, i managed to trace where the older.

sister traveled to ida started i would go along to all these places, following in her footsteps and cds places where she performed. around about the same time i started to pick up a piece of rubbish a day which is a campaign that was started. i thought i could do that. it became a combination, traveling around to do my family history research and pick up rubbish. i said let's all do this, let's pick up one piece of rubbish, we can beautify this beautiful country of ours and that is basically how it started. >> i expect you have picked up more than one piece of rubbish a day because you have managed to pick up 100,000 pieces of litter. >> i have been doing it for a long time so it has accumulated over the years. i started off smalltime, local. i have not counted them to be honest but the main idea is to

try to pick up at least one a day. sometimes i pick up a lot more. >> your story has been reported in the u.k. in various newspapers as an inspiration. do you think when you are traveling around britain picking up letter that she would inspire people to do the same thing? >> i hope so. i encourage people to follow me on social media. i have facebook, twitter, instagram, all kinds of things. important people have said they are following me. i do not know if they are just following me to look at photographs or doing the actual act of picking up rubbish. i just hope i can make a difference. if i make a difference with one person. >> having traveled the country and picked up litter, do you feel depressed about the state

of the country or positive about the action people like you are taking? >> that is a bit of an interesting question. there are times when there are a lot of other people doing similar things. maybe groups picking up litter every week. i see all these people posting on their social media. there is so much they have thanked up over the years. i still wonder where it comes from. people are still throwing it. some of it has probably been hiding in bushes and trees. there is still a lot of people throwing it away. sometimes it can get a little bit sad. we can all make a difference. we need to show respect. i traveled throughout the whole of this country. i have not been to every town or village but i have been to every area. it is a beautiful country. we have a very beautiful

country. >> we do, indeed. briefly, i have to ask you, you have traveled the country, where is the grubbiest place? >> i'm not going to answer that one. [laughter] i do not think it was fair. one town was really a mess but i discovered later they were on strike. >> that makes sense. thank you so much for giving us your time and inspiring us all as we enter 2024. narrator: funding for this presentation of this program is provided by... narrator: financial services firm, raymond james. man: bdo. accountants and advisors. narrator: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪

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♪ geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna nawaz is away. on "the newshour" tonight... maine becomes the second state to ban former president trump from the primary ballot for insurrection, raising more questions about the 2024 campaign. then, we examine the surprising resilience of the u.s. economy in 2023 and how it upended expectations of a recession. and, recent viral videos of retail theft prompt widespread claims of rampant crime -- but data tells a different, more