good evening. the pressure on emergency care in england is highlighted today, with figures showing around a quarter of ambulance patients last week waited more than an hour to be handed over to a&e teams in hospitals. that's a new high. there are now fears of a spike in demand following yesterday's strike action by ambulance workers. let's look at those figures in more detail. more than 16,000 ambulances — that's nearly a quarter — were delayed for over an hour outside a&es in england last week, the highest level for a decade. four in ten which arrived at a&e waited at least 30 minutes

before unloading patients, despite the official target being 15 minutes. it all adds up to around 16,000 working hours being lost due to handover delays. in the last hour, unison, the union representing ambulance workers, have escalated their action, announcing two 24—hour ambulance strikes injanuary. 0ur health editor hugh pym reports. flu is adding to the rest of the pressure on the front line of the nhs. ~ a, pressure on the front line of the nhs. k ~ nhs. within the royal berkshire we have 90 inpatients _ nhs. within the royal berkshire we have 90 inpatients with _ nhs. within the royal berkshire we have 90 inpatients with flu - nhs. within the royal berkshire we have 90 inpatients with flu which i nhs. within the royal berkshire we have 90 inpatients with flu which is| have 90 inpatients with flu which is a sharp increase. i’m have 90 inpatients with flu which is a sharp increase.— a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we have clearly _ a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we have clearly got _ a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we have clearly got a _ a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we have clearly got a bit _ a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we have clearly got a bit an _ a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we have clearly got a bit an issue - a sharp increase. i'm so sorry, we| have clearly got a bit an issue with there. let's move on. railfares are to go up again next year, with an increase capped significantly below inflation, which is the rate at which prices are rising. regulated fares in england, where the government controls price rises, will go up by 5.9%. the increase will apply to nearly half of all tickets,

including season tickets on most commuterjourneys and some off—peak returns. but the changes won't come into affect until early march 2023. the government says it's to give people more time to buy tickets at existing prices. lets speak to coletta smith, who's at manchester's piccadilly station this evening. coletta. it's a 5.9% increase, which isn't as much as inflation but let's have a look at what that means on some of those regulated fares. for annual season ticket holders, if you are travelling between liverpool and manchester, you will see your ticket go manchester, you will see your ticket 9° up manchester, you will see your ticket 9° up by manchester, you will see your ticket go up by £169 a year to more than £3000 in total. if you are travelling from brighton to london, that ticket annually will go up to £5,614, so the mood music is it could have been worse had it been

pegged to that inflation rate, but of course it is still a really, really big rise. the second highest on record. that will be really difficult for a lot of people to swallow. most household budgets are already stretched, lots of people the bbc has been following one soldier — lt eugene gro—madskyi — as he fights to defend his country at great personal cost. our correspondent quentin sommerville, and camera—journalist darren conway joined him at an undisclosed location, near kupyiansk in the country's east, where fighting continues amid appalling winter conditions. when the enemy is on your doorstep, sacrifices must be made. this is home for a platoon from ukraine's 92nd brigade. they have a few small rooms in an abandoned house. they're crammed in. meals are eaten standing up. not that senior lieutenant, eugene grabowski, gets to spend much time here. he's had only 2 hours sleep, but again needs to head out to the front. there's a russian counterattack under way. this war has shaken

the world and ukraine, but the 22—year—old lieutenant hasn't wavered. he's been fighting since the war�*s very beginning, when his army veteran father was killed on the first day of the invasion. he didn't falter. this was nine months ago, when i first met eugene at the start of a conflict that would transform him and his country. he just recently graduated. he and ukraine were ill prepared. today, eugene and his country bear the scars of lessons learned. there have been a lot of casualties in this war. you've lost a lot of people. do you fear death? the person who is not afraid is already dead. if you meet death with open arms, it will avoid you because death loves the brave. that's why i don't think about death. i only think about life.

the lives of my comrades and the lives of those in my unit. these are the men who have eugene's back. we stand at the ready in this winter wasteland exposed to russian firepower and the elements. they're trying to hold a russian breakthrough. there's hardly any cover here. so they move as fast as the cold allows, knowing that russian guns will soon find them. the enemy's positions are being hit by fire. they're trying to advance. but our artillery is helping our infantry with a counteroffensive. and we will keep fighting until the end. it's our land. it's our blood.

time is up. the russians are targeting them. let's go. their aim for now is off, but it's closing in. artillery strikes a nearby tree line. eugene's comrades hit the trenches. there's fierce fighting up ahead. the ukrainians have taken a lot of ground here. but for all the sophisticated weaponry and all the ammunition. this is what it comes down to in the end. men, mud and an enemy which is within rifle range. ukraine is still advancing here, but winter is coming and the next few months are going to be a slow, hard grind. but in these conditions, it's tough maintaining momentum when ukrainian soil turns into soup.

regaining every step of territory is a slog. we need to work on that village over there. it's one of only a couple of dozen villages still in russian control in kharkiv region. it's one of only a couple of dozen villages still in russian control in kharkiv region. every day is a battle for the upper hand. the road they must travel is dangerous, pitted with russian hits and misses. in the freezing cold everything is an orphan. they've lost men in this route. and the bitterest months

still lie ahead here. movement is spotted. a little bit to the right, on the corner over there, right behind the hanger. these are the daily battles the men face. today, some ground is won, but tomorrow it may be lost. and so it repeats as the casualties mount on both sides. there were many comrades who died, who i knew personally. they were ideological people who kept moving forward, who never stopped. but it's a war, so there is no time to be sad. some 13,000 soldiers have already died defending ukraine. and away from the front, millions more will spend a freezing winter in darkness because of

russian missile attacks. and this christmas it will be candles for the fallen that light the homes of ukrainians. natalia had two heroes in her life. her first, her husband. he was killed on the first day of the war as he defended the city. can you describe your husband to us? what kind of a man was he? a patriot. a real patriot of our country. he was a ukrainian. and natalia's trials are far from over. her other hero is her only child. she's eugene's mother,

the young lieutenant fighting at the front, seen here with 0leg, his father, who died in battle. she has given everything for ukraine. 18 months into this war, do you have a message for other ukrainian mothers? i want to wish them to always believe that everything will be okay with our children and to always wait for them. mother's love is a big power. we need to believe that everything will be fine. surely. quentin somerville, bbc news, kharkiv.

there is more on our website. ukrainian president volodymyr zelensky — has now returned to ukraine. during his trip back from the us, he met his polish counterpart, andrzej duda. in a post on his official telegram channel mr zelensky called the polish president a friend of ukraine. the leaders held talks about the war and discussed strategic plans for the future. the pressure on emergency care in england is highlighted with figures showing around a quarter of ambulance patients last week waited more than an hour to be handed over to a&e teams in hospitals — that's a new high. there are now fears of a spike in demand following wednesday's strike action by ambulance workers. in the last hour — unison, the union representing ambulance workers escalated their action — announcing two 24 hour ambulance strikes injanuary. our health editor hugh pym reports.

flu is adding to all the rest of the pressure on the front line of the nhs. i have been a condition for a good long time. with a pandemic, particularly with children, they have not been exposed to flu as before so for many this is the first exposure to it so we are starting to see increased numbers.— exposure to it so we are starting to see increased numbers. more cyclists are more patients _ see increased numbers. more cyclists are more patients mean _ see increased numbers. more cyclists are more patients mean hospitals - see increased numbers. more cyclists are more patients mean hospitals arei are more patients mean hospitals are nearly full. emergency units are created which means ambulances wait longer to hand over patients. the delays highlight the immense strain on the system. there were fears the strikes yesterday could have created yet more problems for the nhs but one service chief says call volumes were down and therefore more

manageable. the were down and therefore more manageable-— were down and therefore more manageable. were down and therefore more manaueable. , ., ' ' ' , manageable. the number of 999 calls esterda manageable. the number of 999 calls yesterday were _ manageable. the number of 999 calls yesterday were certainly _ manageable. the number of 999 calls yesterday were certainly down - manageable. the number of 999 calls yesterday were certainly down in - yesterday were certainly down in recent _ yesterday were certainly down in recent days. we have been very busy in the _ recent days. we have been very busy in the last— recent days. we have been very busy in the last week or so, up about 20% here but— in the last week or so, up about 20% here but yesterday was quieter, demand — here but yesterday was quieter, demand was kinder to us and it is possible — demand was kinder to us and it is possible of— demand was kinder to us and it is possible of course that communities had listened to the advice that was giveh _ had listened to the advice that was riven. had listened to the advice that was .iven. .., had listened to the advice that was .iven. had listened to the advice that was riven. , , ., given. david called 999 because of chest pains- _ given. david called 999 because of chest pains- a _ given. david called 999 because of chest pains. a vehicle _ given. david called 999 because of chest pains. a vehicle arrived - given. david called 999 because of chest pains. a vehicle arrived with| chest pains. a vehicle arrived with a military driver who could not taken to hospital.— a military driver who could not taken to hospital. that yesterday, when that young _ taken to hospital. that yesterday, when that young lad _ taken to hospital. that yesterday, when that young lad came, - taken to hospital. that yesterday, when that young lad came, the i when that young lad came, the paramedic told me he could not drive the ambulance with a blue light sol thought— the ambulance with a blue light sol thought why did you do it? it is as though— thought why did you do it? it is as though they are anticipating you're not going — though they are anticipating you're not going to be needed to be taken to hospital with a blue light. there are more strikes _

to hospital with a blue light. there are more strikes to _ to hospital with a blue light. there are more strikes to come. - to hospital with a blue light. there are more strikes to come. unison | are more strikes to come. unison announced two dates for action in january. tomorrow the royal college of nursing will unveil its plans for further strikes. all this in the months which is usually the toughest and busiest for the nhs. and the gmb has already announced members of ambulance services will stage a one—day strike next wednesday in most areas of england and wales. back at the hospital the immediate concern is rising sickness in the community. we concern is rising sickness in the community-— concern is rising sickness in the community. concern is rising sickness in the communi .~ , , . ., community. we need the public to hel and community. we need the public to help and get _ community. we need the public to help and get vaccinated _ community. we need the public to help and get vaccinated so - community. we need the public to help and get vaccinated so we - community. we need the public to | help and get vaccinated so we don't have them — help and get vaccinated so we don't have them getting really sick with flu have them getting really sick with flu are _ have them getting really sick with flu are covid.— flu are covid. with covid, flu and other viruses, _ flu are covid. with covid, flu and other viruses, doctors _ flu are covid. with covid, flu and other viruses, doctors are - flu are covid. with covid, flu and| other viruses, doctors are worried it will be a very difficult few months ahead. forecasters say a major winter storm — which is sweeping the us this week may bring the coldest christmas in four decades

to parts of the country. there has already been major snowfall in parts of the country. more than 90 million people in 37 states are set to experience sub—zero temperatures, including places as far south as texas — prompting warnings from officials. and the cold snap could become what's known as a �*bomb cyclone' by tomorrow. let's get more from our weather presenter matt taylor. so the coldest weather in decades is set to sweep across the us and canada over the next few days, linked to something which has been termed a weather bomb, bomb cyclone. what is that about? the jet stream is full of fast flowing area above canada, pushing into the us and on this car of subtle changes in wind speed because it is here to rise rapidly and that develops an area of low pressure very quickly. the centre of that, the pressure control is more than —— and dropped more than 20 millibars an hour which is

when it gets the