today at one, health leaders warn disruption from yesterday's ambulance strikes could mean tough days ahead for the nhs. a return to "very high" levels of demand is expected for hospital and ambulance services in england and wales. we know that the pressure is going to mount over the next couple of days, because there is very likely to be some knock—on impact, including those people who didn't come forward for treatment. also on the programme... ukraine's president zelensky gives a defiant address to the us congress. he says american support against russian aggression is an investment in democracy and global security. railfares in england will rise by nearly 6% in march,

the department for transport says. ceremonial military roles for the princess of wales and queen consort, as part of plans for the king's first trooping the colour. and seeing the world through a painter�*s eyes. we talk to david hockney about his new immersive exhibition. and coming up on the bbc news channel — we'll have news of england's one—day squad to tour south africa next year, with a return for pace bowlerjofra archer. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc�*s news at one. health leaders have warned that disruption from yesterday's ambulance strike in england and wales could make the next few days very challenging for hospitals.

there were fewer emergency calls than usual in some areas, but nhs providers, which represents hospitals and ambulance services in england, says it expects a return to "very high" levels of demand. to underline the difficulties facing the nhs, latest figures for last week show that thousands of ambulances, that's one in four, waited for an hour or more outside hospitals to drop off their patients, the worst figures in a decade. our correspondent, robin brant, has the latest. the day after the strike, it's back to normal outside this a&e. i knew the strikes weren't on, but i was in walking distance, so i didn't need an ambulance today. i managed to hobble here. but normal is increasingly bad, according to these new figures. 24%, that's more than 16,000 emergency ambulances, waited for an hour or more before they unloaded passengers last week. fair pay. when do we want it? now. yesterday's walk—out

was the first in three decades. people were urged to only dial 999 if it was life—threatening. it seems they listened. it's been very busy in the last week or so, up about 20% here in wales on this time last year, but yesterday was quieter. demand was certainly kinder to us and it's possible of course that communities across wales have listened to the advice that was given and sought healthcare advice in other places. has she had a heart attack, or has she got angina? the concern now and heading to the weekend is of a delayed surge. we know that the pressure is going to mount over the next couple of days, because there's very likely to be some knock—on impacts including those people who didn't come forward for treatment over the past couple of days and also rescheduling operations and outpatient appointments that couldn't take place during the strike days.

hopes for a resolution, though, are nowhere to be found. some ambulance workers are due out again next week. tomorrow, the rcn is expected to announce further strike dates by nurses. all that as these new nhs figures suggest a system buckling, turning to uniforms not usually seen on hospital forecourts. it's a shortage of beds and increased demand that seems to be behind thejump in ambulance delays. the hour—long wait figures are the highest of any recent winter. robin brant, bbc news. our health correspondent, jim reed is here. let's pick up on that point at the end. a quarter of ambulances waiting for at least an hour to drop off patients. those are appalling figures. patients. those are appalling fi . ures. ,, patients. those are appalling fiaures. ,, , , ,, figures. the nhs is under pressure from pretty — figures. the nhs is under pressure from pretty much _ figures. the nhs is under pressure from pretty much every _ figures. the nhs is under pressure from pretty much every direction i figures. the nhs is under pressure| from pretty much every direction at the moment. we have had these two strikes in the last two days. we will have to wait to see the true impact of those strikes. but the

wider context is record demand. in england, 95% of beds in hospitals are currently full. as robin was saying, one in six of those beds is taken up by someone who is medically fit enough to go home but can't, and generally that is because there are problems getting that person some sort of social or community care support. the government says extra funding is going in to help deal with that. but at the same time, we have a lot more flu going around. new figures out this morning. 2000 people in england are now in hospital with flu, up two thirds in just a week. so the message is, if you are eligible for a free flu vaccine, that is anyone over 50 and other vulnerable groups, now is the time get it. jim other vulnerable groups, now is the time aet it. ., other vulnerable groups, now is the time get it— damian grammaticas is at westrminster. damian, these figures are terrible for the nhs, with ambulances having to wait at least an hour before dropping off patients. what is the

government's prescription for improving things generally with the nhs? the improving things generally with the nhs? ., ,., , , improving things generally with the nhs? ., , nhs? the government says it has been -auttin nhs? the government says it has been putting sums — nhs? the government says it has been putting sums into _ nhs? the government says it has been putting sums into the _ nhs? the government says it has been putting sums into the nhs _ nhs? the government says it has been putting sums into the nhs and - nhs? the government says it has been putting sums into the nhs and also - putting sums into the nhs and also sums are earmarked with dealing with the after—effects of covid. but at the after—effects of covid. but at the moment, the unions are saying there desperately has to be investment in staff in order to clear some of these problems. that is where we see this industrial action at the minute. and i have to say at the minute that there is no sign at all of that being resolved any time soon. in fact, the opposite. today we have been hearing people close to the health secretary steve barclay saying that he once next year's pay review process to be focused on with no delays, but that wouldn't deliver until august. so what you are hearing from the unions is that one of the unions are saying it is a discredited process. it doesn't deliver for them. other unions say they will only decide in january whether they will take part.

the gmb won't. and they want stephen barclay to sit down for pay talks about this year's pay. they say that is the issue, but that is the issue here is not sitting down to talk with them about.— here is not sitting down to talk with them about. . , ., ., a, , with them about. damian grammaticas at westminster. _ and there's more strike action taking place in the coming days. highway workers, represented in red, are walking out, while driving examiners are still on strike, here in the yellow. then from tomorrow, there are strikes affecting regional rail services, the border force, and royal mail. then on christmas eve there's a nationwide rail strike, and bus workers are taking action too. for more details on what's happening, just go to the bbc news website. regulated railfares in england, where prices are capped by the government, will rise by up to 5.9% from march. season tickets on most commuter journeys and some off—peak return tickets on long distance routes will be affected. let's talk to our business correspondent, theo leggett.

theo, less than half the rate of inflation in terms of these rises? yes, and there is a reason for that. although inflation is very high, the cost of living is a problem for people. the government has stepped in and it has pegged to the increase of ticket prices not to the retail prices index, which is the measure of inflation normally used, but to average growth in wages, on the principle that people can keep up with that. to give you an indication of the magnitude of what would have happened, the retail price index in july, which is when the measure would normally be taken, was 12.3%. that would have seen the increase in ticket prices kept on average at 12.3%. that was considered to be too much for people and would probably have caused a fair amount of public angen have caused a fair amount of public anger, given the amount of disruption we have had on the railways with strikes and so on of

late. so instead, we have this figure of 5.9% but remember, that is just in england. wales may follow suit. scotland may follow suit as well, but it is only regulated fares, meaning season tickets, any time day tickets are major hubs and some other tickets, but by no means everything. tickets for other times and other routes may go up by more than that. ., ,., than that. theo leggett, reporting from fine come _ than that. theo leggett, reporting from fine come in _ than that. theo leggett, reporting from fine come in surrey. - the uk economy shrank by more than originally thought between july and september. revised figures from the office for national statistics show our economic output is actually lower than we thought. meanwhile, the british chamber of commerce is warning that brexit isn't helping businesses expand or boost sales. 0ur economics correspondent dharshini david is here. so the economy is not as good as we hoped? mil so the economy is not as good as we ho-ed? �* w, so the economy is not as good as we ho ed? �* .,, , so the economy is not as good as we ho ed? �* , , ., hoped? all those tills are ringing on the high _ hoped? all those tills are ringing on the high street _ hoped? all those tills are ringing on the high street for— hoped? all those tills are ringing on the high street for there - hoped? all those tills are ringing on the high street for there is . on the high street for there is panic buying ahead of christmas, but don't be full because behind the scenes, alarm bells are ringing. the

office for national statistics, the ones who do our official numbers for us, originally thought the economy contracted by 0.2% over the course of the summer. that gdp figure has more information now from businesses across the country. they now think that figure is more like 0.3%. that is how much we have gone into reverse. we are worse off than we thought. and they have looked even further back and it now thinks our economy is still 0.8% smaller than it was prior to the pandemic. so we have a lot of catching up to do and you can see why this pain is so bad. the higher prices are crippling our ability to spend and frankly, it is notjust ability to spend and frankly, it is not just that because ability to spend and frankly, it is notjust that because as you say, the british chambers of commerce are warning that almost two years after the new rules around trading with the new rules around trading with the eu were introduced, some firms are still struggling with the extra formalities, which means higher costs for them. they are urging the government to do more. the cavern says it is helping exporters. the

bcc says even more needs to be done and the clock is ticking. as we are sitting here right now, economists say it is likely we have already gone into recession. things are likely to get worse before they get better. getting back on our feet may take some time and some work too. dharshini david there. more than one million households with pre—payment meters did not redeem their monthly energy support vouchers during the cold weather snap in december. most households in britain got the £400 financial support via direct debit, but for those on prepayment meters, the help was given via a voucher scheme. it's thought the postal strikes make have delayed delivery of the vouchers. the ukrainian president, volodymyr zelensky, has given a defiant address to the us congress. he said continued american support for his country was the key to victory over russian aggression. he made the speech during his first foreign trip since the war began in february, insisting ukraine would never surrender. the kremlin has heavily criticised the us visit, describing the trip as evidence that america is fighting an "indirect

war" against russia. from washington, nada tawfik has sent us this report. ukraine's president, volodymyr zelensky, was embraced by us lawmakers with a long standing ovation, as he entered the house chamber. wearing his trademark military fatigues, he came here on this, his first trip abroad since the start of russia's invasion with a clear mission — to secure america's continued support for the ongoing war in his country. as ukrainians brace for a potential new russian winter offensive, president zelensky told lawmakers the decisions of congress could save ukraine. financial assistance is also critically important, and i would like to thank you. thank you very much. thank you for both financial packages you have already provided us with and the ones you may be willing to decide on. your money is not charity. it's an investment in

the global security. before he left, he gifted congress a ukrainian flag from soldiers fighting on the front lines. the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, presented him with the american flag that flew over the capitol on wednesday. president zelensky�*s address comes just as us lawmakers prepare for another era of divided government. in less than two weeks, republicans will take control of the house of representatives, and some have already expressed opposition to what they call blank—cheque funding for ukraine. president zelensky no doubt had them in mind during his speech, hoping they wouldn't block the future flow of aid. for now, the aid is still flowing. during his meeting with president biden, 1.85 billion in additional funding was announced... 300 days, hard to believe, 300 days. ..along with plans to send ukraine the most advanced air defence weapon in the us's arsenal,

the patriot missile system. and us lawmakers are preparing to pass an additional m5 billion in emergency assistance — the largest amount yet. this year has brought so much needless suffering and loss to the ukrainian people. but i want you to know, president zelensky, i want you to know, and all the people of ukraine to know as well, the american people have been with you every step of the way and we will stay with you. we will stay with you. president zelensky is only the second wartime leader to address congress since winston churchill in i9ai. he will return directly back to ukraine after this significant, if short, visit to prepare for the next phase of the war. nada tawfik, bbc news, washington. let's go live now to ukraine and our correspondent, hugo bachega, in the capital kyiv. hugo, russian's response to the

visit by president zelensky is to point up the suggestion that it is washington that is fighting a proxy war with russia. that is a familiar argument, isn't it, that we are getting from the kremlin? it really is. nothin: getting from the kremlin? it really is. nothing new— getting from the kremlin? it really is. nothing new coming _ getting from the kremlin? it really is. nothing new coming from - getting from the kremlin? it really is. nothing new coming from the l is. nothing new coming from the kremlin spokesperson. he said the us was fighting a proxy war against russia. he said that the help that has been provided by the us to the ukrainians would prolong the suffering of the ukrainian people. but he also said that this would not prevent russia from achieving the goals of its invasion. familiar words, nothing new coming from moscow. here in kyiv, president zelensky�*s visit was seen as historic and significant, the president in washington talked about the importance of the american help that has been vital for the ukrainians in this war. but he also talked about the difficulties that his country faces. winter will be tough for millions of ukrainians who have been left without heating and

electricity as russia continued to attack this country's electricity infrastructure. fighting has also been intense and difficult in the battlefield. the president said your money is not charity, and repeated the message that the ukrainians need even more help. the message that the ukrainians need even more help-— even more help. hugo bachega, live in k iv. a final vote in the scottish parliament, on legislation making it easier for people to legally change their gender, is expected today. msps have for the past two days been considering numerous amendments to the proposed law. critics argue the proposals could be abused by predatory men, but supporters say there's little evidence of that. let's go live now to our scotland correspondent, james shaw, who's outside the scottish parliament at holyrood. james, 150 amendments. it seems as if they've got through most of them. a vote is definitely going to come today, is it? a vote is definitely going to come today. is it?— a vote is definitely going to come toda , is it? , ., ., ., today, is it? they have got through all the amendments, _ today, is it? they have got through all the amendments, clive. - today, is it? they have got through all the amendments, clive. in - today, is it? they have got through all the amendments, clive. in fact, the final debate on this legislation

led by the scottish government minister shona robison hasjust started within the last half hour and i say finally, perhaps in a sense with some significance, because it has taken a huge amount of time to get to this point. she herself pointed out that the legislative process began six years ago and there have been two marathon debates just this week full of incident. 0ne msp fainted. there were protests from the public galleries. they carried on debating so late that the automatic lighting cut out. why has it taken so much time? i think because this legislation is so controversial. as you suggested, some people think it needs to be passed to enhance the rights of transgender people. 0thers rights of transgender people. others do have concerns about the safety of single sex spaces.— do have concerns about the safety of single sex spaces. james shaw, thank ou, at single sex spaces. james shaw, thank you. at holyrood- _ single sex spaces. james shaw, thank you, at holyrood. it's _ single sex spaces. james shaw, thank you, at holyrood. it's 1:17pm. - our top story this lunchtime... health leaders warn disruption from yesterday's ambulance strikes

could mean tough days ahead for the nhs in england and wales. and coming up — after natural gas is eventually phased out in our boilers, is hydrogen the answer to our home energy needs? and coming up in the sport on bbc news, we'll look ahead to the league cup clash between manchester city and liverpool at the etihad stadium — both sides' first match since before the world cup in qatar. the princess of wales and queen consort have been given ceremonial military roles as part of plans for the king's first trooping the colour. the parade marks the monarch's official birthday, and will be on 17th ofjune next year. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell has more details. the birthday parade — otherwise known as trooping the colour — a spectacle of military pomp and precision which takes place every year on horse guards parade when the five regiments

of footguards and the two cavalry regiments of the household division marked the sovereign's official birthday. next year's birthday parade will take place on the 17th ofjune and for the first time it will mark the birthday of a new sovereign, charles iii. for him, it will be an early celebration of his 75th birthday, which falls next november. and next year's parade will mark a reallocation of the honorary colonels of three of the foot guard regiments. the queen consort will add to her military patronages and take over as colonel of the grenadier guards. this is a role which had briefly been filled by the duke of york until he stepped back from all his official duties amid the epstein scandal. prince william, now of course prince of wales, moves from the colonelship of the irish guards to the welsh guards, in succession to his father, who as monarch is now colonel in chief of all the regiments in the household division. and finally the princess of wales

takes over from her husband as colonel of the irish guards. neither the queen consort nor the princess of wales will wear uniform or ride on horseback. as in previous years they'll travel to horse guards in carriages for a ceremony which will show the king and the principal members of his family on parade and performing their royal duties. nicholas witchell, bbc news. israel has a new government, believed to be the most right—wing in the country's history. the prime minister—elect, benjamin netanyahu, will head a coalition including far—right parties, one whose leader has been convicted of anti—arab racism, and supporting a terror group. palestinians fear the new government will strengthen israel's hold on occupied territory, including hebron in the west bank, from where our middle east correspondent tom bateman now reports. this family say they feel under siege from israeli settlers. here we meet children far too

familiar with fear and violence. as we found out. in front? can we go out? young israelis storm into the garden, followed by the soldiers. "get out of here, leave," they tell the palestinian family. he is kicked. an activist tries to help the family. and the soldiers, they do nothing to protect the palestinians. if a palestinian do that, you will take them to the jail or shoot him. in this city like no other, it's the ones who stormed in that seemed protected and let go with a handshake. allahu akbar! in late november, their home faced an even worse attack. it was barely a month after an election, which has empowered the settler movement and the ultra nationalist far right. gunshots.

days later, an israeli peace activist was beaten, while another soldier hailed the far right and the incoming police minister. "itamar ben—gvir is going to sort this place out," he says, telling the left wing, "you're done for." he was laterjailed for several days. for the far right, hebron is a heartland. settlers here voted overwhelmingly for ben—gvir�*s alliance. he leads a party espousing racist, anti—arab policies. he was the person who put a framed picture of a mass murderer on his wall at home, described him as a hero. doesn't that worry you? he's apologised for that and he said he's matured through that. but bottom line is people want anti—jihadism, pro—family and pro—god. your silence will bring you checkpoints all over. your silence will bring you division. a well—known palestinian activist speaks to a gathering of the israeli left.

they're a dwindling force, these days. and while they tour, undercover police watch them from the shadows. hebron is a city of checkpoints and a flashpoint of the conflict and occupation. so, you see the barrier from this side, a military tower. watchtower here. see the fences. and this isjust a regular street in hebron. been closed off like this for many, many years. separates out palestinians who live and work on this side, checked every time they want to try and get through. that is my house. back with issa amro, the palestinian activist, i'm shown what life is like for him here. and you're not allowed to go there? i'm not allowed to walk from here. he talks of having been arrested multiple times and then he's pulled away from us. the undercover policeman is back. they tell him he's been "obstructing justice". the activists call it police intimidation

to stop the settler movement here being challenged. issa, what's happening to you now? i'm arrested. why? they fear a slide into much more of this, and worse, as israeli politics sees the far right takes centre stage. tom bateman, bbc news, hebron. doctors treating the former brazilian football star, pele, say he will have to remain in hospital during christmas because his cancer has advanced. the three—time world cup winner had a tumour removed from his colon in september 2021 and has since had regular treatment. pillai is 82. a pilot project could see 2,000 households in cheshire swap their existing gas appliances for hydrogen—powered models. the uk is looking to phase out the use of natural gas from 2035. however, the proposals are causing concern for some residents, who are worried about safety and costs. 0ur climate and environment correspondent, jonah fisher, has that story.

"you have been asked to be part of a pioneering proposal to switch from natural gas supply to hydrogen." have you been asked? no. not at all. we've not been asked. you are it! whitby could become the first part of the uk to turn off natural gas completely and become what's being called a hydrogen village. all our methane gas boilers are due to be phased out from 2035, and this pilot project is the government exploring options for what happens next. hydrogen's big advantage is that it doesn't release the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide when it burns, but you do need energy to make it, and currently, less than 1% is made using renewable energy, with the rest coming from — you guessed it — fossil fuels. the people who live here are being

told that by swapping to hydrogen, they'll be doing their bit to cut carbon emissions and fight climate change. but critics, and there are plenty of them, say using hydrogen for heating is a bad idea and that this is a desperate last ploy by gas companies and the fossil fuel industry to try to hold onto their business. hydrogen is both more leaky and combustible than natural gas. but the gas companies supporting the trial say with some adjustments, it can be made safe. they don't know. we could all blow up. not everyone is convinced. some residents say they feel they are being forced to take part in a dangerous experiment. i wake up in the night thinking about it, and it is very worrying. it's horrendous, the stress. that is all that's getting talked about in my house. in our hydrogen experience centre...

if the proposal goes ahead, residents will be given either free hydrogen appliances like these, or their electric equivalents. we are all going to need to make this choice on a certain day to move to a different type of heating technology. this project is bringing that decision to life right now for whitby, but it's coming for all of us in the near future. if we're to hit our climate targets, all of our old gas boilers will soon have to be turned off. how we heat our homes in the future and who profits is being decided right now. jonah fisher, bbc news, in whitby. he's one of the most popular and influential artists of our time, and now david hockney, yorkshire born and well into his 805, is pushing the boundaries once again, of what's possible in art. he's created a new immersive experience of his work, so visitors can see the world through his eyes.

our culture editor katie razzall has been to meet him. david hockney gets a first glimpse of his new show. colour is a joyful thing. i want my art to be joyful. we're on an immersive journey, as the final tweaks are under way, with one of britain's best—loved artists. water is a surface that is elusive, in a way. all the patterns that you see are just on the surface. the show�*s called bigger & closer, not smaller & further away — 60 years of his life and art. have you just always been better at looking than the rest of us? i do look closely at things. i can look at a puddle and get pleasure out of them.

most people think it's just raining, don't they? hockney has been painting on his ipad in recent years, most famously the arrival of spring in his home in normandy. this year we discovered he was back painting on canvas when this self—portrait was revealed, and there's much more work still unseen. i have been doing paintings. how many? well, about a0. i painted my cook, the man who comes to do my feet, because he's a bit of a dandy. have you painted harry styles, is that right? yes. in person? yes. he came to see you? oh, yeah, all the paintings are done from life. he wanted me to paint him. he had a few little outfits, and i chose this yellow sweater. yellow is a hockney favourite. how many pairs of crocs have you got?

i've only got one, actually. these are the only shoes he wears now, he says, deemed "beautifully chosen" by prince charles when they met, a rare outing for hockney. i'm usually drawing or painting, yeah. i mean, it's all i want to do now. i mean, i'm 85. how much longer do i have? i'm a smoker. i might have five years, i don't know. yeah, i've had a very, very good life. i would say i live in the now. it's the now that's eternal, isn't it? eternal too, hockney�*s joyful art. katie razzall, bbc news. celebrations have been taking place at stonehenge today, to mark the winter solstice. thousands of people watched the sunrise at the ancient neolithic

monument following the longest night of the year in the