this is bbc news, i'm geeta guru—murthy, with the headlines for viewers in the uk and around the globe. plunging temperatures are gripping much of the united states and canada, with more than 250 million people facing life—threating conditions. we have had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures and everything that mother nature could one part of this weekend. life here at paddington railway station where strike action means people are being told to only travel if absolutely necessary. clashes on the streets of paris after a gunman killed three people at a kurdish cultural centre.

tens of thousands of visitors are expected to gather in bethlehem for the annual christmas procession ahead of midnight mass at the nativity church. and in his first christmas message as monarch, king charles is to pay tribute to his mother, the late queen elizabeth the second. hello and welcome to bbc news. more than a million homes and businesses in the united states are without power, as an intense winter storm sweeps across the country. temperatures in some areas are predicted to drop to as low as minus 45 celsius. hundreds of thousands of people across the border in canada have also been affected. the rapidly plunging temperatures, heavy snow and fierce winds have

complicated the plans of many people travelling home for the christmas holiday. tom brada reports. once in a generation weather at the worst possible time. ice, wind, rain and extreme cold are wreaking havoc in the build—up to christmas. trees have been ripped from the ground and power lines have been knocked out across the country. from maine to texas, more than one million people are without electricity. it's very frustrating because we pay our bills to encore. all day it has been going in and out. i am really glad i have a fireplace because otherwise i would be freezing right now. this is montana, where it is so cold that boiling water thrown into the air freezes instantly. forecasters warn in some places temperatures could drop to below —50 celsius. most of the attention is on the snow and ice. but america's east coast is facing another threat, flooding.

in new york, rain and strong winds have pushed sea water to shore, leaving cars and homes underwater. we have had ice, flooding, snow, freezing temperatures and everything that mother nature could wallop at us this weekend. travel conditions are treacherous. there have been several fatal road crashes already. and airports are struggling during one of the busiest times of the year. thousands of flights have been cancelled. i am delayed here because of the crazy storm. where i am going, ijust heard it has been flooded. so, it is not the right time for me to get in now. it is not an easy visit. but i am praying. trains are struggling too. american passenger rail company amtrak has suspended more than 20 routes. experts say the winter weather

could develop into a bomb cyclone, a powerful storm which formed so quickly it resembles a bomb going off. millions of americans will now be hoping that the extreme cold won't disrupt their christmas plans. tom brada, bbc news. our weather presenter nick miller is here now. what is the latest? as we heard there, it is a historic storm at the worst possible time. the overall weather setup isn't that unusual but the severity is something that is really grabbing everybody�*s attention. let me talk about what is going on, this bomb cyclone. this area of low pressure, you can see it circulating with snow and blizzards sitting around it, snow piling up around the great lakes. this part of

canada and the usa closer to that area of deep low pressure is the one being most impacted by the heavy snow, strongest winds and most severe wind chill and just the worst trouble conditions. to the west, that temperature in denver, it is going up and that is a sign of things to come. running this forward over the next few days but notice how those temperatures will be heading upwards to warmer colours, a change of air mass. if you take the top location on the screen, that is a place that is just recorded an all—time record low of —42 fahrenheit, minus 41 centigrade. look at where that temperature is heading, above average for the time of year and many locations seeing the coldest weather having the biggest impact with power outages as well and they will also see that big turnaround is to shoot up again towards the end of the year. there

are potentially _ towards the end of the year. there are potentially problems _ towards the end of the year. there are potentially problems with - towards the end of the year. there are potentially problems with that quick change, even though it is going back towards normal temperatures. {iii going back towards normal temperatures.— going back towards normal temperatures. going back towards normal temeratures. , , ., temperatures. of course, it is hard for --eole temperatures. of course, it is hard for peeple to _ temperatures. of course, it is hard for people to catch _ temperatures. of course, it is hard for people to catch a _ temperatures. of course, it is hard for people to catch a break- temperatures. of course, it is hard| for people to catch a break because he had been hit by this sudden change to severe winter weather and the arctic air and then it disappears just like that in temperatures head up and that is going to have an impact. thawing so quickly, infrastructure, for what is in some places and historic chill. a lot of snow has fallen and that will melt so there could be flooding as a result. so make no mistake, in the cold now and coming out of it there are huge problems still to come over the next few days.— the next few days. even in the uk with much — the next few days. even in the uk with much smaller— the next few days. even in the uk with much smaller temperature i with much smaller temperature changes we have had burst pipes. this is taken into a massive different level and there are people fighting with the consequences for a few more days to come.

much more about this story on our website, including details of what a bomb cyclone is, how it forms and how long it might last. just head to the bbc news website or go via the bbc news app. at least 20 people have died in a fire at a russian care home for the elderly in the siberian city of kemerovo. emergency services say another six people were injured. initial reports say it may have been caused by a faulty heating boiler. officials were quoted by tass news agency saying the private home for the elderly was operating illegally, and a criminal inquiry has been launched. here in the uk, rail passengers have been warned not to travel today unless "absolutely necessary" as continued strike action is set to cause disruption. trains services will finish at around 3pm before workers walk out at 6pm. elsewhere, there are ongoing strikes over pay, working

conditions and job security, including airport staff at passport control and postal workers. simon browning reports. lets go straight to london paddington rail station. how is it looking, and most people finish with the journey ahead of today are still a of travellers? it has been getting busier and busier through the morning here. a lot of people uses station head west of the uk, families on their way to devon and swansea as well as american tourists hoping for an idyllic break in the cotswolds and they said they arrived relatively early to try and avoid being caught out by the strike action. the advice today was to only travel if absolutely necessary, try and avoid it if you can is what the

official advice is because this strike action is due to start at six o'clock this evening so we are expecting services to wind down, a lot of final services leaving around 3p and this afternoon on the strike action is all part of a long—running dispute over pay between railway workers and rail companies and the government. the railway workers feel their wages, that pay offer is being proposed to them and keeping up with the rising cost of living. the government says what is being offered is fair and this is against a backdrop of strikes, as you mentioned, in various sectors as the cost of living rises. so we are seeing people striking in the health sector recently, also border force officials striking and postal workers, just to name some other sectors where we have seen these

recent strikes. there is expected to be pressure on the roads as a result of this strike today, the railway strike. if the only option left is to drive home for christmas, their journey could be longer than usual. lighting paddington for us. with the rail strikes in the uk causing huge disruption to travel over the christmas period, let's look at the knock on impact this is having on the retail industry. i'm joined now by chris barnes, who is a shopping centre manager in north london. are you finding fewer customers are coming because of the traffic problems on the rail problems? ida. problems on the rail problems? no, from the problems on the rail problems? iifr, from the shopping centre i'd manage it we are furniture in it —— fortunate, we have parking so people have driven in but it has impacted how we have been able to get to and from from work. find how we have been able to get to and from from work.— from from work. and what about the rail strike? —

from from work. and what about the rail strike? has _ from from work. and what about the rail strike? has not _ from from work. and what about the rail strike? has not had _ from from work. and what about the rail strike? has not had an _ from from work. and what about the rail strike? has not had an impact? l rail strike? has not had an impact? yes, from a personal point of view it has been an hour each way more on myjourney, very busy roads and from the customers and staff point of view, they have had to find alternative ways to get to work. do ou alternative ways to get to work. do you support the railway workers in the strike action or do you think they should end what they are doing? personally i don't. i think they should end what they are doing. i think the demands are unrealistic. i am not an economist but inflation is often a0 year high and therefore my personal view is these are unrealistic. working in the retail industry, i haven't had a pay rise over the last few years at all so it is notjust him who is suffering from the cost of living, and my personal view is the offer is

reasonable.— personal view is the offer is reasonable. ~ ., , , ~ , reasonable. we have seen strikes in the ostal reasonable. we have seen strikes in the postal sector, _ reasonable. we have seen strikes in the postal sector, health _ reasonable. we have seen strikes in the postal sector, health care, - the postal sector, health care, nurses, ambulance. is all of that sense of vulnerability about the way that uk is working that it is not working, does that affect people's confidence when they are out spending money?— confidence when they are out spending money? confidence when they are out sendin: mone ? .,, spending money? over the last few da s it has spending money? over the last few days it has been _ spending money? over the last few days it has been very _ spending money? over the last few days it has been very positive - spending money? over the last few days it has been very positive and l days it has been very positive and people have waited until the last minute more so than normal and 2023 may bring some caution as we enter the new year. may bring some caution as we enter the new year-— may bring some caution as we enter the new year. some people have said the new year. some people have said the think the new year. some people have said they think peeple _ the new year. some people have said they think people will— the new year. some people have said they think people will still— the new year. some people have said they think people will still spend - they think people will still spend for christmas because he had been saving up but is there a worry amongst retailers that people will pull back more than normal in the new year? i pull back more than normal in the new year?— pull back more than normal in the new year? ~ ., ., , ., new year? i think more retailers are t in: to new year? i think more retailers are trying to work— new year? i think more retailers are trying to work out — new year? i think more retailers are trying to work out how _ new year? i think more retailers are trying to work out how to _ new year? i think more retailers are trying to work out how to make - new year? i think more retailers are trying to work out how to make it. trying to work out how to make it more of an experience and more of an adventure and more fun when people do come out shopping rather than just coming into get something you can get on line and make it much more interactive when you do come

out. ., ., , ., more interactive when you do come out. ., ., i. ., more interactive when you do come out. ., ., ., ., more interactive when you do come out. ., ., ., ., all out. how do you do that exactly? all sorts of services, _ out. how do you do that exactly? all sorts of services, made _ out. how do you do that exactly? all sorts of services, made to _ out. how do you do that exactly? all sorts of services, made to measure l sorts of services, made to measure tailoring, beauty makeovers, there are a lot of things you can offer that you can get online. beauty salons, you can't get your done on a pc, not at the moment anyway! so it is about making those experiences and interactive fun sessions when people are out shopping.- and interactive fun sessions when people are out shopping. people are still out making _ people are out shopping. people are still out making last-minute - still out making last—minute purchases so let's hope they have a fun day. merry christmas. a french serial killer convicted of two murders and linked to 20 others has returned to france after serving almost two decades behind bars in nepal. charles sobhraj preyed on western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of south asia in the 1970s and 80s. nepal's supreme court ordered the 78—year—old's release earlier this week on the grounds of health. sobhraj�*s crimes were dramatised

in the tv series the serpent. his lawyer in france claims he is innocent. translation: he has been wrongfully convicted based on a fabricated case file and completely false evidence provided by the nepalese police. the united nations human rights committee condemned nepal in 2010 for rigging the trial and violating all the due process rules and we still had to wait 12 years for him to be released. it is outrageous. there have been clashes between protestors and police on the streets of paris in the hours after a fatal shooting. three people were killed and others wounded when a gunman opened fire at a kurdish cultural centre. a 69—year—old man has been arrested with a possible racist motive being investigated. let's bring you some live pictures now from paris, where a protest is unfolding from the capital's centre. quite a number of people they're out on the street at the moment. hugh

schofield has been watching. what is happening there today? this schofield has been watching. what is happening there today?— happening there today? this is a rotest, happening there today? this is a protest, demonstration - happening there today? this is a protest, demonstration called i happening there today? this is a | protest, demonstration called by happening there today? this is a - protest, demonstration called by the kurdish community, paris, france who feel they buy the targets of this attack yesterday. they may or may not be right. from their point of view they are a community and because of their links with the kurdish opposition and have been targeted in the past by turkish secret services, they need to be protected and for them it feeds into their sense of victimhood and feeling that they have been targeted deliberately by this man because they are kurds. i think the authorities are much more circumspect. they are saying it was a racist attack and it was terrible and on the face of it it seems he was motivated by antiforeigner sentiment but there is nothing to say he specifically had anything against turkish kurds, hejust

say he specifically had anything against turkish kurds, he just chose against turkish kurds, he just chose a foreign community in the centre of paris may be that he knew well because he didn't live far away and there is a concentration of them there is a concentration of them there at rue d'enghien. so that his attention, a man who seems to have had anti—migrant, an act of violence killing three people and this turkish kurdish community very politicised, linked to the opposition movement, linked to the idea that they were being attacked themselves by the turkish secret services who have a feeling there is more than this to meet the eye and thatis more than this to meet the eye and that is why they are protesting and they are also demanding greater protection from the french government.— protection from the french government. protection from the french covernment. ., , ., , government. there are huge questions about this man — government. there are huge questions about this man who _ government. there are huge questions about this man who has _ government. there are huge questions about this man who has been - about this man who has been arrested, given his past. yes, there are. arrested, given his past. yes, there are- again. — arrested, given his past. yes, there are- again. you _ arrested, given his past. yes, there are. again, you have _ arrested, given his past. yes, there are. again, you have to _ arrested, given his past. yes, there are. again, you have to separate i are. again, you have to separate that from that turkish kurdish issue. they are motivated by a sense

of their own persecution. there is no real evidence for that as far as i can see. what there is evidence for it at this man having a racist past, a violent past, a man who was convinced he needed to hit back against the foreigners living in france and therefore, as we know now, a year ago he went to a migrant camp and attacked african migrants at a migrant camp, was put injail but had to be released because the whole thing was taking far too long, typical french court. so exactly a year after that arrest he was released because the law said you can't stay longer than a year where waiting trial, they let him out and then now he attacks a far worse out with a gun. so there are questions about why he was allowed out on the

answer is, why didn't he come to trial sooner? why was it allowed to happen? released from detention to kill straightaway.— kill straightaway. thank you for that undate- — there's mounting evidence of an explosion in covid infections in china, despite officialfigures that show the opposite. social media posts, and even reports in china's censored news outlets, suggest a surge in cases. unconfirmed news reports claim tens of millions of chinese people could have caught the disease since restrictions were relaxed two weeks ago. how have businesses been hit by this covid surge? we can now talk to eric zheng, the president of the american chamber of commerce in shanghai. how big is that the search there in shanghai and how our business is being affected?— shanghai and how our business is being affected? shanghai and how our business is bein: affected? ., ~ , being affected? good morning. as you mentioned, china _ being affected? good morning. as you mentioned, china just _ being affected? good morning. as you mentioned, china just relaxed - being affected? good morning. as you mentioned, china just relaxed its -

mentioned, china just relaxed its controlled so it was quite an abrupt change from zero covid to practically no control measures as far as preventing the virus. so there is a spread for sure, starting from the north and moving down to the south. i am based in shanghai so it is spreading, there is a surge. we don't have official, accurate numbers but we seek more and more people around us who are getting sick, so the good news is most people, 0micron, most people have no symptoms are very slight symptoms and the worry is older people, the vaccination rate for the elderly is rather low so that is a concerning path, but most people are trying to

figure out how to survive in the next few weeks. i think, given the holidays coming up, and particularly the chinese new year in late january, so you will see more cases coming up. january, so you will see more cases coming lip-— coming up. the ft saying one estimate _ coming up. the ft saying one estimate of _ coming up. the ft saying one estimate of 250 _ coming up. the ft saying one estimate of 250 million - coming up. the ft saying onel estimate of 250 million people getting covid. the difference in china's approximations have not been rolled out as widely as in the west so they are more vulnerable. exactly ri . ht and so they are more vulnerable. exactly right and china _ so they are more vulnerable. exactly right and china for _ so they are more vulnerable. exactly right and china for three _ so they are more vulnerable. exactly right and china for three years - so they are more vulnerable. exactly right and china for three years have l right and china for three years have stuck to this zero covid policy. i think they should have done more in terms of encouraging people, particularly the elderly, to take vaccine shot and particularly this year when they continued to impose these pretty strict measures as far

as covid, they could have done more to get ready for this change and the scent is that people are not quite ready in terms of getting all the health kit ready, the medicines, so i think for businesses they are trying to get ready for a surge certainly, even for a shortage of labour and supplies in the coming weeks and months.— labour and supplies in the coming weeks and months. thank you very much indeed- _ king charles will deliver his first christmas address as monarch tomorrow, in a speech which is expected to pay tribute to the legacy of his mother, queen elizabeth. a picture has been released showing the king as he recorded this year's message in the chapel where a committal service was held during the queen's funeral in september. the princess of wales will also reflect on the legacy of the late queen in a special christmas eve broadcast tonight.

recorded as part of the annual royal foundation carol service at westminster abbey, princess catherine said the queen had held christmas close to her heart, as a time that reminded her of the importance of faith, friendship and family. this year we've invited hundreds of inspiring individuals to the service, those who showcase the power of connectedness and community values, allowing us to continue her majesty's tradition of recognising and thanking those who have gone above and beyond to support others. her majesty leaves with us an incredible legacy, and one that has deeply inspired many of us. after a pause in festivities during the coronavirus pandemic, bethlehem, revered as the birthplace ofjesus, the central figure in christianity, is once again preparing for the 25th of december, when the city will celebrate the nativity story in manger square and at the fourth century church of the nativity. 0ur middle east correspondent, yolande knell is in manger square in bethlehem.

how many people are out there today? here in manger square i can see there are thousands around us but actually the whole of bethlehem as large crowds because people turn out, line the streets to greet church leaders arriving from jerusalem. they have now passed, coming through the israeli military could point separate it from jerusalem next door and then they come through the city alongside stark street which is a traditional route that is believed that mary and joseph passed along here before mary gave birth tojesus according to the nativity story, and they will be met ijy nativity story, and they will be met by local dignitaries. some of them have already met in the square and lot of local people, palestinian christians, palestinian muslims out here and also the palestinian scout

but you can hear very loudly. daily dispossession, playing the drums and bagpipes. and this year what has made it extra special for is that for the first time after two years when pilgrims, because a town relies on them for the economy, they couldn't come here because of the covid of dance and now are back and forth. i people who work to link their trip because of the pandemic, from parts of europe, north america and parts of africa, alljust delighted to be here and that is very good news for the souvenir sellers, for the falafel shop i went to and also for the hotels which say that just as to and also for the hotels which say thatjust as in the nativity story, there is not a room to be had in the city this evening. i there is not a room to be had in the city this evening.— city this evening. i have been workin: city this evening. i have been working on — city this evening. i have been working on christmas - city this evening. i have been working on christmas eve - city this evening. i have been working on christmas eve for| city this evening. i have been - working on christmas eve for years and have watched these festivities for years from here. does it feel like the numbers are out, is ever

sense of relief that it could be held again or have some people left, because we have seen so many people that covid is past people to change work, business, all those people that relied on their terrace, have they managed to hang on over the last couple of years? this they managed to hang on over the last couple of years?— they managed to hang on over the last couple of years? this has been a very difficult _ last couple of years? this has been a very difficult couple _ last couple of years? this has been a very difficult couple of— last couple of years? this has been a very difficult couple of years. - a very difficult couple of years. this is not a place where people relying on the palestinian authority for support, there is no fellow scheme that you saw in the uk are anything like that. people have had to rely on their families to get by and it has been a very tough few years, having covered those during the pandemic. now what made it extra difficult early set just before the pandemic. now what made it extra difficult early setjust before 2019 there was a boom year for tourism to lots of people had invested here in tourism growth which then didn't happen. numbers are not quite back at those record levels yet but we understand that the israeli

authorities control the occupied west bank, the israelis i think they expected 120,000 christians to be coming during the christmas week. i have to leave it there. thank you very much. hello. it's going to be a very mild christmas for many of us. we have some sunny spells, a few showers thrown in, too. having said that, later in the day, tomorrow on christmas day in the highlands, we could have some snow. so it could well be a white christmas for some of us. here's the satellite picture and you can see the weather systems streaming in from the southwest. that's a very mild direction. the air is coming in almost from the subtropics. so subtropical maritime air over us right now. yesterday, it was around 1a degrees in the southeast and another very mild day to come today. so the forecast for the afternoon for christmas eve, a lot of fine

weather across the bulk of england, wales, eastern scotland, too. but come the afternoon where we are expecting showers to spread in off the atlantic, some of them could be quite heavy. temperatures between around six in lerwick and 12 in london. so here's the forecast for this evening. and overnight, with low pressure close by and weather fronts circling the uk. it will be quite hit and miss on the weather front. so heavy showers, clear spells here and there and a very mild end to the night and start to christmas day. nine degrees on the south coast of england, six degrees in stornoway. now, here's that area of low pressure with the weather fronts close by. so very hit and miss weather to come on sunday. certainly some sunshine in the forecast, but be prepared for a few showers, too. there could be some persistent rain for a time in the morning and into the afternoon. roughly from the isle of wight through london into east anglia here. so possibly wet at times, but elsewhere it's that mixed bag of sunny spells and showers on christmas day and very mild 11 degrees in the south.

so on those showers in scotland, come the evening, the wind will switch direction and christmas day evening will see some of that snow settling across the highlands and the temperatures into boxing day, you can see are close to freezing. so we will see some snow lying on the ground, but that's mostly in the hills. a very blustery, cold day on boxing day, at least temporarily. in scotland, temperatures four orfive degrees, a little bit milder there in central england, around six and south on the south coast. and then after that, after that brief colder spell, it's going to turn milder once again. and you can see the run—up to the new year is looking pretty unsettled with gale force winds and rain at times. bye— bye.

this is bbc news. the headlines... plunging temperatures are gripping much of the united states and canada, with more than 250 million people facing challenging conditions. uk rail passengers are being warned to avoid travelling unless "absolutely necessary", as further walk—outs are set to cause disruption later today. there have been clashes on the streets of paris after a gunman killed three people at a kurdish cultural centre. today, protests are ongoing at the scene of the crime. tens of thousands of visitors are expected to gather in bethlehem for the annual christmas procession ahead of midnight mass at the nativity church.