welcome to bbc news. i'm monika plaha. our top stories: the us is in for the coldest christmas in four decades, as a major winter storm sweeps the country. as president zelensky returns to ukraine, we get the latest update from the front line. for all the sophisticated weaponry and all the other nation, this is what it comes down to in the end. the nation, this is what it comes down to in the end. the man, my and an enemy — down to in the end. the man, my and an enemy that _ down to in the end. the man, my and an enemy that is _ down to in the end. the man, my and an enemy that is within - and an enemy that is within rifle range. israel vote in the most right—wing government in the country's history, and hints at controversial plans for the future. and the mystery of the missing christmas beetle.

australian scientists launch a campaign to find it. forecasters in the us say a major winter storm 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 many areas. more than 90 million people in 37 states are set to experience sub—zero temperatures, including places as far south as texas. tom brada reports. a fierce winter storm is sweeping across the united states. more than 100 million people are under winter weather alerts, with warnings of ice, snow and freezing winds. at a white house briefing, president biden called for caution.

this is really a very serious weather alert here, and it goes from oklahoma all the way to wyoming and maine. it's not like a snow day when you're a kid, this is serious stuff. meteorologists say the winter storm could become a bomb cyclone — an unofficial term for a certain type of powerful storm, which rapidly builds in strength. heavy snowfall and strong winds are expected to cause damage and power outages in the midwest and canada, and travel chaos is expected, as people head home for christmas, with thousands of flights already cancelled. it's been a little crazy. i got here early, to make sure i got my flight. i was doing frontier, and the app never notified me that the flight got cancelled, so i was sitting there an extra hour, and then security told me it got cancelled. so, then i came here, then my otherflight from frontier got cancelled. the national weather service has warned temperatures could dip below —45 celsius by the end of the week in some parts of the country.

with christmas fast approaching, millions of americans will hope the ferocious cold won't ruin their festive plans. tom brada, bbc news. patricia jaggernauth is a weather expert based in toronto. patricia, thank you so much for doing me and i'm loving the christmas backdrop. tell us about the dramatic weather and what is the situation like where you are? happy holidays. i want to make sure i was festive because it is the season. we all beg for a white christmas every year. here in toronto, canada, it's not the case yet. we're dealing with rainfall, extreme rain because temperatures are still quite comfortable, i don't want to seem mild but comfortable especially for this time of year. the transition when the winter storm in the mornings will become more factual and

injury story for ontarians, those in central canada, will be overnight tonight into the morning hours. the toronto district school board and the greater toronto area, some students will get an early start of the christmas season, school day is a snow day tomorrow.— school day is a snow day tomorrow. yes, it's like a christmas _ tomorrow. yes, it's like a christmas movie! - tomorrow. yes, it's like a christmas movie! i'll- tomorrow. yes, it's like a christmas movie! i'll be l tomorrow. yes, it's like a l christmas movie! i'll be the worst impacted areas?- worst impacted areas? how serious can _ worst impacted areas? how serious can this _ worst impacted areas? how serious can this gap? - worst impacted areas? how serious can this gap? this l worst impacted areas? firm" serious can this gap? this can be a big one. this can be, as some are saying, i won generation type of storm. it's going to be quite the conversation starter as weather always is, but it's going to be out about location. tonight with the rain and warm temperatures, as do bridges moving, the cold start with a cold front will start to see what could be a flash freeze where temperatures take a nosedive. windchill values, temperatures are one thing we can handle, winter warriors in the north, but the windchill

values will bite and come out of nowhere. we are seeing an arctic air mass spell and from the prairies region from western canada up towards the yukon and northwest territories. that's building into central canada, india neighbouring province of quebec and pushing the atlantic provinces and the cold there were impact as a change of the conversation from rain to freezing temperatures and surfaces, slippery, icy dicey trends and snowfall, a significant system where we could see five, 15 nanometres of snowfall, but then the wicked, potentially wreck house wins in some areas will pick up, picking up all the freshly blown and fallen snow, throwing it all around, decreasing this ability, creating hazardous travel and that's what we are loading all our neighbours, friends, family, because everybody is out and about. now is the christmas we want to get together and enjoy people are driving to and from grandma and

grandpa posner cows. it’s driving to and from grandma and grandpa posner cows.— grandpa posner cows. it's an excuse to — grandpa posner cows. it's an excuse to stay _ grandpa posner cows. it's an excuse to stay home. - grandpa posner cows. it's an excuse to stay home. how. grandpa posner cows. it's an i excuse to stay home. how long is the bad weather expected to last? �* , , ._ last? i'll put it this way, it's not _ last? i'll put it this way, it's not going _ last? i'll put it this way, it's not going to - last? i'll put it this way, it's not going to totally. last? i'll put it this way, - it's not going to totally weigh out christmas here. it will be quite dramatic especially starting with rainfall already happening now and at times pretty heavy rain. it'll taper and position to snow once snow heads, consistent from friday as the snow day. 5—15 is at once we open our eyes friday morning it could be falling. today we see light flag like flurries in central canada and neighbouring provinces of quebec and pushing east, up the eastern seaboard, we are then dealing with blowing snow, 70, 80, 90 kilometre at our wenzel gust publicity picking up the snow and blowing around so we have to add the date by that i wanted to next week it is warm! thank you so much for your analysis. it's lovely to speak to you on bbc news and have a

lovely christmas.— lovely christmas. stay safe. you as well. _ lovely christmas. stay safe. you as well. the _ lovely christmas. stay safe. you as well. the merry - you as well. the merry christmas. thank you so much. thank you. russia has responded to president zelensky�*s visit to washington, accusing the us of fighting an "indirect war" against it. in a speech, president putin said a new patriot missile defence system "would simply prolong the war," and that russia would find an antidote. the ukrainian leader is now back in ukraine. well, ten months on since the start of the conflict, ukrainian forces have regained some areas taken by russia. the bbc has been following one soldier, lieutenant yevgen gromadsky, as he fights to defend his country at great personal cost. our correspondent, quentin sommerville, and camera journalist darren conway joined him near kupiansk, 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 tight. meals are eaten standing up. not that senior lieutenant yevgen gromadsky gets to spend much time here. he's had only two hours' sleep, but again needs to head out to the front. there's a russian counter—attack 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 yevgen, at the start of a conflict that would transform him and his country. he'd just recently graduated. he and ukraine were ill prepared. today, yevgen and his country bear the scars of lessons learned. there've been a lot of casualties in this war. you've lost a lot of people. do you fear death? translation: the person who is not afraid is already dead. i 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 yevgen�*s back... ..who stand at the ready, in this winter wasteland, exposed to russian firepower and the elements. shouting

they're trying to halt 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. explosion translation: 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. yevgen�*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. translation: we need to work on that village over there. - gunfire

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 effort. they've lost men on this route... ..and the bitterest months still lie ahead here. movement is spotted. gunfire translation: a little bit| to the right, on the corner overthere, right behind the hangar. gunfire these are the daily battles the men face. gunfire today, some ground is won,

but tomorrow, it may be lost, and so it repeats, as the casualties mount on both sides. translation: to be honest, 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. air-raid siren 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 — herfirst, 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? translation: he was 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 yevgen�*s mother, the young lieutenant fighting at the front, seen here with oleg, his father, who died in battle. she has given everything for ukraine. nine months into this war, do you have a message for other ukrainian mothers? translation: i want to wish them to always believe that l

everything will be ok with our children, and to always wait for them. mothers' love is a big power. we need to believe that everything will be fine. surely. quentin somerville, bbc news, kharkiv. stay with us on bbc news. still to come: the disppearance of australia's christmas beetle. scientists launch a campaign to find the festive fixture. the world of music has been paying tribute to george michael, who's died from suspected heart failure at the age of 53. he sold well over 100 million albums in a career spanning more than three decades.

the united states' troops have been trying to overthrow the dictatorship of general manuel noriega. the pentagon says it's failed in its principle objective — to capture noriega and take him to the united states to face drugs charges. the hammer and sickle| was hastily taken away. in its place, the russian flag - was hoisted over what is now no longer the soviet union, but the commonwealth i of independent states. day broke slowly over lockerbie, over the cockpit of pan am's maid of the seas, nose down in the soft earth. you could see what happens when a plane eight storeys high, a football pitch wide, falls from 30,000 feet. christmas has returned to albania after a communist ban lasting more than 20 years. thousands went to midnight mass in the town of shkoder, where there were anti—communist riots ten days ago. this is bbc news, the latest headlines: the us is in for the coldest

christmas in four decades as a major winter storm sweeps the country. well, to talk more about this, i'm joined now by adriana perez, a reporter with the chicago tribune. thank you forjoining me here on bbc news. you are based at the moment in chicago, talk us through what the weather is like where you are.- through what the weather is like where you are. thank you for having _ like where you are. thank you for having me. _ like where you are. thank you for having me. the _ like where you are. thank you for having me. the weather. like where you are. thank you for having me. the weather isj for having me. the weather is quite windy and cold outside and i haven't left my house all day because apparently you cannot be out there showing skin, you will get frostbite in a few minutes. it has been snowing since morning so the streets and sidewalks are covered in snow. earlier in the morning people were getting christmas shopping in before the cold set in, before the temperature drops around 20— 15

degrees in a matter of hours. so people were preparing and grocery stores were full and other stores as well. there were lines and long waits for buying necessities and whatnot. and it is all happening in the run—up to christmas where people are travelling from a to b to spend time with loved ones. talk us through how badly has travel been affected? i know there were over 500 flights counselled from o'hare and over 200 from midway. and i think they were expecting around 3 million travellers over the next few days and those airports so many people are trying to move around and get help and visit families for holidays and their plans are being changed.— holidays and their plans are being changed. and what are eo - le being changed. and what are

peeple being _ being changed. and what are people being advised - being changed. and what are people being advised to - being changed. and what are people being advised to do i being changed. and what are| people being advised to do in order to stay safe? eta? people being advised to do in order to stay safe? stay inside as much as — order to stay safe? stay inside as much as possible. - order to stay safe? stay inside | as much as possible. obviously do not use stoves or any gas stoves to keep warm because there is a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and bundle up monoxide poisoning and bundle up as much as possible if you need to go out but try to stay inside as much as possible. haifa inside as much as possible. how much pressure _ inside as much as possible. how much pressure or— inside as much as possible. how much pressure or emergency services under right now with this dramatic change in weather conditions? it this dramatic change in weather conditions?— conditions? it is always the first snow _ conditions? it is always the first snow that _ conditions? it is always the first snow that has - conditions? it is always the | first snow that has everyone scrambling to figure out how to fix things and how to keep things running smoothly. overall the city is doing what it can. chicago is doing what it can. chicago is doing what it can. chicago is doing what it can to stay safe and warm and you see there is no point

talking about are, whatever needs to happening is happening. needs to happening is happening-— needs to happening is haueninu. . . happening. thank you so much forjoining _ happening. thank you so much forjoining us— happening. thank you so much forjoining us on _ happening. thank you so much forjoining us on bbc— happening. thank you so much forjoining us on bbc news. . forjoining us on bbc news. stay safe and stay warm. ijust want i just want to bring you ijust want to bring you a bit of breaking news house select committee investigating the january 6 attack on the us capital released its full report on thursday and the report runs to almost 850 pages and is in the culmination of the committee's investigation of more than 1.5 years including more than 1000 interviews. it was looking into donald trump �*s actions on the day the house was stormed. we will bring you more on that a little later. israel's longest serving prime minister, benyamin netanyahu, has formed a new coalition government — the most right wing in the country's history — with controversial plans to expand jewish settlements.

israel occupied the west bank after the 1967 war with its arab neighbours. since the election, violence around settlements in the west bank city of hebron has increased. from where our middle east correspondent tom bateman reports. the markhiya family say they feel under siege from israeli settlers. here, we meet children far too familiar with fear and violence — as we found out. the settlers are attacking in front of the house. in front? can we go out? is it safe? young israelis storm into the garden, followed by the soldiers. "get out of here! "leave," they tell the palestinian family, and mr markhiya 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 seem protected and are soon gone, with a handshake.

man: allahu akbar! in late november, the street faced an even worse attack. it was barely a month after an election which has empowered the settler movement and the ultranationalist far—right. gunshots. days later, an israeli peace activist was beaten while another soldier was filmed as he hailed the extreme right. he was laterjailed for several days. asked about the incidents of settler violence, the army said it acts to stop it and police carry out investigations, but human rights groups routinely dismiss those as a whitewash. after the election, the coalition deal puts mr netanyahu back in power — but only by bringing in the ultranationalists. he says he'll be in control. however, many fear the extremism in a year already racked with violence.

the national security minister will be itamar ben—gvir, a far—right agitator whose party espouses racist anti—arab policies. and, for the far right, hebron is a heartland. settlers here voted overwhelmingly for mr ben—gvir�*s alliance. 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.

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 at all? i'm not allowed to walk from here — usually, this is closed. he's been arrested multiple times and then, he's pulled away from us, detained again. the police accuse him of obstructing justice. the activists call it harassment. issa, what's happening to you now? i'm arrested. why? they fear a slide into more of this, and much worse, as israeli politics sees the far—right take centre—stage. tom bateman, bbc news, hebron. now to australia where the disappearance of a missing festive bug has scientists scratching their heads. the brightly coloured insect once appeared on a regular basis at this time of the year. and in such numbers that it earned the nickname the christmas beetle. but sightings have been in

sharp decline in recent years. in a bid to track the population and find out why scientists are asking for the public�*s help. dr tanya latty is a professor of entomology at the university of sydney and is the lead researcher on the project. christmas beetles, as you said, used to be super common throughout australia and just a really unique part of the christmas experience here, where every christmas, millions of these beautiful iridescent beetles would descend upon all of the major cities here — kind of like little winged christmas baubles everywhere. but that hasn't happened in quite a long time and unfortunately, although lots of people remember seeing lots of christmas beetles during their childhoods, we don't have the data to back it up and since there are 35 different types of christmas beetle, we can't say whether they're all in decline, whether some have gone into decline and others haven't, or whether there's particular regions they're in decline. and so, that's a huge problem for us from a conservation perspective because without data, our hands are really tied. there's nothing we can do to start the recovery. so, the project's goal is to

start getting that information. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @monikaplaha. hello there. for most of us, temperatures for the run—up to christmas and, indeed, into the christmas period will be above the seasonal norm, so it's staying mild, ithink, for most of us with quite a lot of rain at times that'll be followed by sunny spells, scattered showers for christmas eve and christmas day. however, there will be some snow around friday and certainly into the start of the christmas period across the north of the uk as cold air tries to push southwards and, eventually, it will win out for a time as we move through boxing day, but it will be short—lived with milder air returning into the run—up to new year. now, today, it's a very wet start across southern and western areas. this band of heavy and persistent rain slowly pushes its way northwards, some thundery bursts of rain perhaps on its southern flank as we head into the afternoon, but it brightens up in the south — quite windy,

though, strong south—westerly winds. to the north of this rain band, it's sunny spells, scattered showers. these will be over wintry elements, over the hills, and it will be chillier in the north, ranging from around 4 to maybe 13 degrees in the south. that milder air will push northwards behind the rain band but as this rain band pushes into the cold down the north, likely to see some transient snow in the north pennines. the southern uplands will see some significant snowfall, i think, across parts of the highlands and the grampians. it will be quite a wet start to christmas eve here. but further south, generally dry and relatively mild. so, for christmas eve itself, it's going to be pretty wet, quite windy across scotland. further snow in the hills. but as the mild air in the south pushes northwards, it'll revert back to rain and we'll see sunny spells, scattered showers — most of the showers southern and western areas. the winds will be strongest around some irish sea coasts. up to 12 or 13 degrees in the south, seven or eight degrees in the north. as we move out of christmas eve into christmas day, similar story — we're in a run of south—westerly winds, sunshine and showers. could see some rain,

but that weather front scrapes the south—east through the day. and then, this weather front spreading south—eastwards into boxing day will introduce a line of showers but also, more crucially, a spell of colder air which will move south across the country, and that'll bring a mixture of sunny spells and wintry showers, particularly in the north—west corner of the country. but you'll see that the cold spell is short—lived as we move out of boxing day and beyond. it's likely those temperatures will be rising above the seasonal norm. don't forget, you can see detailed weather forecasts for where you are, where you're going by checking out the bbc weather app.

this is bbc news. the headlines: at least 1,500 flights have been cancelled in the us and canada thanks to a fierce winter storm. forecasters say america could face the coldest christmas in decades with lows of —45 degrees celsius in some places. president biden is urging people to pay attention to local warnings. the war in ukraine has been raging for 10 months and ukrainian troops continue to gain ground, taking back territory once grabbed by the russians. many ukrainians are facing their first christmas without relatives who perished in the conflict and thousands more are living without power. israel has formed the most right—wing coalition government in the country's history,

and has hinted at controversial plans