this is bbc news with the headlines. at least 20 people have died in extreme winter storms in the us and canada. more than one million people are without power. three aid organisations have suspended their activities in afghanistan in response to a ban on women working for humanitarian agencies. as ten civilians are killed by russian shelling in the ukrainian city of kherson, president zelensky says airstrikes will not diminish the spirit of ukrainians.

tens of millions of americans are hunkered down in one of the bleakest christmas days in living memory. the arctic storm that's swept through most of the country has so far claimed 20 lives. family travel plans for much of the us have been thrown into chaos or abandoned. a million people are already without power. emily unia reports. strong winds and sub—zero temperatures. america may have been dreaming of a white christmas but not like this. countless roads are closed or impassable, even the gritter got stuck. around 250 million people across the united states and canada are facing festive weather chaos. anything can happen in any moment and you've got to be on your toes. thousands of flights have been cancelled, delayed trains have left passengers stranded for hours, conditions are so bad new york state has banned driving. it is life—threatening what is going on as we speak in buffalo.

getting calls through the night from frightened neighbours where the temperature has been off for many hours, for a day, a day and a half. and we still have state—wide 73,000 homes without power. families hoping to celebrate together for the first time since coronavirus will be cruelly disappointed, many without the electricity to cook a christmas dinner at all. i'm really glad that i have a fireplace because otherwise i would be freezing right now. oh, my god! 0n the east coast there were high winds, huge waves and flooding. i think i'll shut our window. what time is high tide? even at the border with mexico temperatures dropped below freezing, making the challenging journey to enter the united states more difficult. but warmer weather is on the way. temperatures are expected to rise again on boxing day. emily unia, bbc news. three foreign aid organisations are suspending all their work in afghanistan after the taliban banned women from working

for humanitarian agencies. the move by care, the norwegian refugee council and save the children came as the un and other agencies held a meeting in the capital, kabul, to discuss the situation. shabnam safa is chair of the national refugee—led advisory and advocacy group and member of the "action for afghanistan" campaign in australia. she told us the international reaction has not gone far enough. this is a calculated, systematic strategy towards complete erasure of women in afghanistan. we know that this is so much bigger than just banning education or banning now as of today, employment in most areas for women. this is a sickening approach towards stripping women of their agency and power in society and going back to the horrors of the last century, when the taliban were in power for the first time.

an air raid alert was issued for the whole of ukraine earlier today. unconfirmed reports suggest it happened after russian jets took to the skies in belarus. president putin later said he's100% sure that russia will destroy us patriot missiles in ukraine and that the west is seeking to — in his words — "tear russia apart". it comes as officials in ukraine say three emergency workers have been killed on saturday in the southern region of kherson. the authorities said they'd been in an area liberated from russian forces. an explosive device, which they had been working to make safe, detonated, killing them all. also on saturday, russian shelling killed at least ten civilians in the city, among the deadliest attacks since russian forces were driven out of kherson last month. in a defiant video message on christmas eve, president zelensky, said russian airstrikes would not harm what he called the steel spirit of ukrainians. translation: someone will see it on the highway, on the road - from the ukrainian—polish border to kherson or zaporizhzhia.

some will see it through the holes of the bullet—riddled roof of their own homes. someone will celebrate the holiday in other people's homes, but not with strangers. and someone will spend this christmas in captivity, but please remember that we are coming for our people. we will return freedom to all ukrainians. wherever we are, we will be together today. and together, we will look into the evening sky. for an end to what he described as the "senseless war" in ukraine. the 86—year—old head of the catholic church addressed the faithful from the central balcony of st peter's basilica in the vatican. he condemned the use of food as "a weapon of war" and called for solidarity to assist all those suffering. translation: let our eyes be filled

with the faces of our ukrainian - brothers and sisters who are living this christmas in the dark and cold, farfrom their homes, due to the devastation and destruction caused by ten months of war. may the lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering, and may he enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war. tragically, we prefer to heed other counsels dictated by worldly ways of thinking, yet who is listening to the voice of the child? at least four passengers have died and four are still missing after a passenger bus plunged into a river off a bridge in galicia, north—west spain. two survivors — the vehicle's

driver and a passenger — were rescued from the river lerez, but strong currents due to heavy rains have been hampering the rescue operation. the coach was travelling between the cities of lugo and vigo. britain has welcomed more than 115,000 ukrainian refugees since the start of the russian invasion. many of them have found warmth and company this christmas with the help of community and faith groups. churches, pubs, community halls and other places of worship are also trying to help people cope with the cost of living. figures for the bbc suggest more than half will open as usual over the christmas period to help people struggling to pay heating bills. 0ur religion editor aleem maqbool reports. one, two, three... santa claus! they're calling out for santa claus in a church in west london. it is a joyful gathering, but the children here, receiving their gifts from santa, have had an unsettling

and traumatic year. they're all ukrainian refugees, spending their first christmas away from the country they fled. around 200,000 ukrainians have been given permission to come to the uk since the war started, many of them having suffered the loss of friends and relatives, but all making agonising decisions about leaving behind families and everything they own. in many cases, it is faith organisations and churches here that have tried to provide support and comfort. that's how it's been for marianna, who came here with her two daughters. i very missed my family, because part of my family is in ukraine, but i have a new family here, and i am very happy that i can share this christmas time with family here in this church, and to be happy and to bejoy.

and i'm very happy that my children are smiling now. oh, sorry. and i can cry! it's very good. when i came, i couldn't cry. another city, another place of worship, another community in need. this church in salford in manchester is one of around 3,000 places in the country that have opened up as a warm space for those who can't afford to heat their homes this christmas. basically, we're going back about 150 years, is what the church did. you went to a town, you went to a city. the church was open. you would just go into the building and you would sit and you would probably pray, and the vicar might come and chat to you. so we're only doing what the church has done historically over the years just by opening up our building. some here talked of the way in which their difficulties have been heightened around christmas time, like annie, who's 81. especially when you've got grandchildren, and they're

wanting christmas things. so you're cutting things back, what you'd normally put on the heating, and even food, and down here you get looked after. you know, it's wonderful. is that the position you're in, with grandkids? with grandchildren. i can give them a little bit more than what i could have. coming down here, it helps. but this warm space operates two nights a week. there are many around the country who don't have access to a hub like it at all. thank you very much. merry christmas. and when it comes to food or energy poverty, or to refugees in the uk, the needs since last christmas have soared. aleem maqbool, bbc news in manchester. king charles has used his first christmas broadcast to sympathise with families struggling with the cost of living crisis and praise individuals, charities and faith groups supporting those in need. let's talk to our royal correspondent nicholas witchell.

take us through it. there is, i think, a strong _ take us through it. there is, i think, a strong sense - take us through it. there is, i think, a strong sense of - take us through it. there is, i| think, a strong sense of social awareness in this christmas broadcast. to put it in context, a long history of a broadcast at christmas time by the monarch, going to the 1930s when king george v started on radio, and queen elizabeth took it up on television in the 1950s. this broadcast, the first by king charles, was recorded in st george's chapel at windsor, close to the spot where queen elizabeth was laid to rest. he refers to his late mother and her faith in people and their ability to touch the lives of others. and there is a really strong emphasis on humanity, the humanity of the individual. he talks about the selfless dedication of our armed forces and emergency services, of health and social care professionals. and so is it is particularly important at a time of conflict and economic difficulty.

at this time of great anxiety and hardship, be it for those around the world facing conflict, famine or natural disaster, or for those at home, finding ways to pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm. we see it in the humanity of people throughout our nations and the commonwealth, who so readily respond to the plight of others. this theme of social awareness continues. we saw pictures there of food banks. and he says he particularly wants to thank those who have set up or who donate to food banks and help those in greatest need. there is a role played by people of all faiths and organisations of all faiths in this support. 0ur churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year.

he continues with faith right to the end of the broadcast, because at the end of the broadcast, because at the end he says, so whatever faith you have, or whether you have none, it is this service to others in which we can find hope for the future. [30 we can find hope for the future. do ou we can find hope for the future. do you get pointers from the speech in terms of what his focus is going to be in the coming year? i terms of what his focus is going to be in the coming year?— be in the coming year? i think inevitably _ be in the coming year? i think inevitably he _ be in the coming year? i think inevitably he has _ be in the coming year? i think inevitably he has accepted - be in the coming year? i think| inevitably he has accepted that be in the coming year? i think- inevitably he has accepted that he has now got to be very careful, cautious, he cannot perform in the same way that he did as prince of wales. he has to be really careful what he says and not cross that line into anything that could be construed as politics. but certainly his officials, and this is as i say a socially aware christmas broadcast, but his officials say that it would be very odd if britain's head of state did not recognise and feel an empathy for

people going through difficult times and express that. and that i think is what he has attempted to do in this christmas broadcast. nicholas witchell, thank _ this christmas broadcast. nicholas witchell, thank you. _ a shooting at a packed pub on merseyside late last night has left a woman dead, and three men in hospital with gunshot wounds. it happened at the lighthouse inn in wallasey village. merseyside police called for more information from the community to catch the gunman. the police have been speaking in the past few minutes. ican i can today confirm that a 26—year—old woman has died following a shooting at the lighthouse inn in wallasey village on christmas eve. as you can imagine, her devastated family are inconsolable and heartbroken. the woman was enjoying a night out with family and friends when the callous and cold—blooded shooting took place at the pub. the people of liverpool and merseyside are known for their compassion and

pulling together in times of crisis. and we have already had an overwhelming response from the public following the murder, particularly from people who were in the pub last night. but we do need more information so that we can find those responsible for this callous murder and the wounding of four others, one of whom is in a critical condition. so that we can find justice for the victim and her family. this is not the time for anyone who knows who is responsible for this shooting to stay quiet. the person responsible for this incident and those who assisted him last night need to be caught, and now is the time for our communities to come together with us to show that the use of guns on our streets will not be tolerated. the use of guns on our streets will not be tolerated-— use of guns on our streets will not be tolerated. the police speaking in the last few — be tolerated. the police speaking in the last few minutes. _ soft toys left in memory of nine—year—old lilia valutyte, who was stabbed to death in a street

in boston in the east midlands of england, will be sent to children in lithuania. her family said if the toys go to young people who love them "some good might come from their terrible year" asjessica lane now reports. amongst the messages and flowers, toys and teddies were brought in tribute after nine—year—old lilia valutyte was killed injuly. her family now face their first christmas without her, and a friend suggested to lilia's mum she could send them to children in lithuania who might not otherwise have had any gifts. we just thought that she would like to share, and she and herfamily would like to share all those presents. because i think they really have a good spirit inside them, because they were donated with loads of love. all the toys which we got from the community, fluffy toys, probably, they will enjoy them more. boxes and boxes of toys have now been sent back to their home country. i think it's a0 or something with lithuanian families,

and 12 or 13 from ukraine, because there's refugees that are coming to live in lithuania because they can't live there any more. lilia's family are planning other tributes for the little girl, including a memorial outside her mum's shop where lilia was stabbed. it's going to be me doing it, and another friend of mine who is more an artist than me. so, yeah, i don't know. we want to start with the flowers and then it's going to be metal wings and then the shape of a child, and butterflies, yeah. they say they hope that as these toys go to children who will love them, some good might come from their terrible year. jessica lane, bbc news. while christmas is a joyous time for many, it can highlight feelings of loneliness and isolation in others. one man trying to ease that burden is damon alexander—cole, who will be

spending his christmas day encouraging people outdoors to help boost their mental health. sarah rogers has been to meet him. good morning. welcome, welcome, welcome. so today we're going to be doing a ten—mile across froggatt edge and curbar edge. it's mostly flat with a bit of an incline at the start. awesome. let's go. it's very early and barely light, but this crowd of hikers are already off across the derbyshire dales. every month, damon alexander—cole leads out a group on a hike. but what's extra special is he even gives up his christmas mornings to spend with complete strangers. ten and a half miles. how many people have you managed to get with us today? i think today is close to 90. last time i counted was about 86, 87. today, we walk the winding paths of the hope valley. but not too long ago, damon was on a different path.

i broke up with my partner, which was really bad timing. her boss owned the house and i wasn't on the tenancy, so i ended up getting evicted. i got redundant. i got made redundant from work. i had to rehome my dogs. the way everything was going was like, the only option i've got is to move into my car. how long did you have to live in your carfor? three, nearly four months. my mental health just completely dropped. i wasjust... i got to the point of suicide. i was planning how i was going to kill myself. something just came over me. it was like, you're not doing it. how does this compare from sleeping in your car to, i mean, it's a grey day, but wow, what a view. it's absolutely amazing. the mountains and the hills kept me alive during that time. so to me, it's like i come here, coming here andjust, like, resetting and refreshing. it's amazing. despite living in his car, damon managed to apply forjobs on his phone and has transformed his life and found a place to live. now back on his feet, he's reaching out to others at christmas and throughout the year, supporting those who might be lonely or struggling with their mental health. 0n today's walk is natasha, a nurse who found herself feeling

low in the wake of the pandemic. that put like a lot of mental strain on a lot of people, and especially me, because we were frontline. so it was getting to the point where i didn't want to really be around people. so i thought, right, let'sjump on one of these hikes. i think hiking and getting out is one of the best things you can do for your mental health. just gives me that hope for the future. it's also an excuse to take in the air, have a bit of exercise and even feel the call of nature. basically, sharon was walking past me and she said, - is there any toilets in the car park? i and we've just been chatting since. is this going to be a lifetime friendship that's been formed today? i think so. - yeah, i think so. especially because she's taken a lot of photos of me on her camera, - so she has no choice| but to keep in touch. it's very much just a excuse to be able to break down those walls of starting a conversation.

so not everything straight away is deep and meaningful. we've had the opportunity to speak to somebody who understands the joy of walking, the joy of having space, the joy of being able to breathe, but be with somebody else that likes everything that you do. it's nice. it connects you. nice walking shoes. they was quite good walking shoes. there's a big following already, but there's always room for one more. some people are a bit nervous about coming out and i completely get it. and if you are, no problem. but to start, if you are nervous and you struggle with social anxiety and you push yourself to come and join these hikes, you are starting 2023, if you come in on christmas, particularly, on such a high, you've pushed yourself to do something you weren't comfortable with. you'll have a positive experience and you go into the new year with a new you. just come and make yourself do it. you'll have a great time.

maybe you're already planning on getting out today, or perhaps it's more of a pjs at home, but from the derbyshire dales to wherever you are and whatever you're up to. merry christmas! maxi jazz, the lead singer of british dance band faithless, has died at the age of 65. wendy urquhart reports. # i can't get no sleep. faithless were pioneers — # i can't get no sleep. faithless were pioneers of _ # i can't get no sleep. faithless were pioneers of stadium - # i can't get no sleep. faithless were pioneers of stadium dance| # i can't get no sleep. faithless - were pioneers of stadium dance music and their club classic insomnia was one of many hits that made the band famous all over the world. born in brixton in south london, maxwell fraser helped found the group in the mid—90s alongside rollo and sister bliss, who broke the news of maxi jazz's death on social media on saturday. we are heartbroken to say maxi jazz died peacefully in his sleep last night, she said. he was a

man who changed our lives in so many ways. he gave proper meaning and a message to our music. he was a lovely human being with time for everyone and wisdom that was both profound and accessible. despite their meteoric rise to fame, the band said maxijazz despite their meteoric rise to fame, the band said maxi jazz kept his feet firmly planted on the ground, adding that it was an honour and a true pleasure to work with him. she said he was a brilliant lyricist, dj, buddhist, a magnificent stage presence, car lover, endless talker, beautiful person, moral compass and genius. rest in peace, dearest max. he was also a huge fan of crystal palace football club and became an associate director in 2012. a spokesperson for crystal palace said

the team will walk out to faithless on boxing day as a tribute to maxi jazz. maxwell fraser, more widely known as maxi jazz, who's died at the age of 65. and now, a christmas treat. the world—renowned tenor andrea bocelli has recorded his first family christmas album with his son matteo and daughter virginia. and they've given the bbc a special preview. # feliz navidad # prospero ano y felicidad

# feliz navidad # i want to wish you a merry christmas # i want to wish you a merry christmas # i want to wish you a merry christmas # from the bottom of my heart # feliz navidad # prospero ano y felicidad # i want to wish you a merry christmas # i want to wish you a merry christmas # i want to wish you a merry christmas # from the bottom of my heart # i want to wish you a merry christmas

# from the bottom of my heart.# hello there. merry christmas, one and all. if you haven't stepped outside yet, you're not missing much. it's a rather grey story for christmas day. it's mild for most of us, but there are some nuisance showers around as well. some clearing the far southeast. but this weather front here, well, that's going to enhance the showers into the far northwest, and gradually, as the day continues, drag in some cold air tucking in behind, but most of us staying under the yellow hues, that means it's mild for the time of year. this is the latest radar. the rain easing from the southeast. plenty of sharp showers pushing in along west—facing coasts and yes, even some wintriness to the tops of higher ground in scotland. that means that this christmas day is probably likely to be classed as a white christmas. we just need one snowflake falling on christmas day, and we'll see further snow showers

as we go into the evening and overnight to close out christmas day. we will start to see some accumulations developing in scotland, maybe as much as 5 to 10 centimetres to higher ground. so that's certainly worth bearing in mind. elsewhere some showers, which will mean some icy stretches into northern ireland, but largely fine and quiet, and a little bit milder to start boxing day across england and wales. so first thing on boxing day, some ice to watch out for through northern ireland and into scotland. further snow showers, further accumulations into the far northwest are likely here. but elsewhere we should see some sunshine coming through on boxing day. there will be further showers, particularly on exposed west—facing coasts. the best of any shelter, the best of the drier weather. we should see double figures, 10 degrees quite widely across eastern england. now, as we move out of monday into the start of tuesday, we're likely to see this weather front introducing milder air once again, but unfortunately, more of an unsettled feel. so tuesday, we'll see,

on the leading edge, some snow for a time, but it should turn quickly back to rain for most at lower levels in scotland. some heavy rain along west—facing coasts, driven by some gusty winds, a0 to 50 miles an hour on exposed coasts, 30 miles an hour inland. so tuesday will be a wet and windy day for many. we're looking at temperatures 4 to 7 degrees in scotland, maybe as high as 11 celsius down in the southeast. and that showery, windy theme is set to continue for the remainder of the week, but largely mild for all. take care.

this is bbc world news, the headlines people across much of north america, are waking up to the bleakest winter weather conditions on christmas day for decades. the arctic storm has killed at least 20 people in the us — a million residents there are without power. three aid organisations have suspended their activities in afghanistan in response to a taliban ban on women working for humanitarian agencies. care, the norwegian refugee council and save the children said, they could not effectively reach afghans in need. ten civilians have been killed by russian shelling in the ukrainian city of kherson and three emergency workers lost their lives in de—mining operations in the area. president zelensky says airstrikes will not dampen