welcome to bbc news, i'm monika plaha. our top stories: north america's deep freeze — severe winter weather claims 35 lives across the united states and canada. dozens of people are treated for suspected chemical poisoning in serbia after a freight train carrying ammonia derails. rescuers continue to search for two missing people after an avalanche on the austrian slopes. and king charles pays tribute to his late mother, queen elizabeth, in his first christmas message. christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. we feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season.

millions of people in the us and canada are spending christmas in the grip of a severe winter storm. it's brought extreme frost, heavy snow and strong winds. at least 35 people have died in weather related incidents and around 175,000 homes are without power. 0ur north america correspondent, nomia iqbal, reports. a very white christmas has turned more into a deep freeze. the city of buffalo in new york state is used to tough weather conditions, but this storm has left it paralysed. many don't even have any power to cook their christmas lunch. i'm really glad that i have

a fireplace because otherwise i'd be freezing right now. 43 inches of snow fell here as of christmas morning. driving is banned as the blizzard conditions leave roads impassable, power substations frozen and at least seven people dead. we are in a war. this is a war with mother nature and she has been hitting us with everything she has since the late hours of thursday and into friday, saturday and now on christmas morning. and this will go down in history as the most devastating storm in buffalo's long—storied history of having battled many battles, many major storms. in the midwest, four people were killed earlier in the week in a pile—up in ohio. four others died in crashes in missouri and kansas. the nation's capital has avoided much of the worst weather but the bomb cyclone has left its mark. hundreds of water pipes are frozen, temperatures continue to drop and many of the city's homeless people have been given

emergency shelter. the storm is continuing to barrel up along the east coast here and across much of the us, and the advice remains to avoid travelling unless it's essential. and it's notjust the snow and ice causing mayhem. high winds have brought high tides and flooding on the eastern seaboard. forecasters say the storm will ease off in the next few days but freezing temperatures are likely to linger for some time. nomia iqbal, bbc news, washington. this woman travelled to texas with her daughter in the hope of christmas and somewhere warm. an hour ago we had to reinstall electricity and we lost heat. we had no heat. so it has been a challenge on our interesting journey that we embarked on. we interesting journey that we embarked on.— interesting journey that we embarked on. we were also a little bit warm _

embarked on. we were also a little bit warm because - embarked on. we were also a little bit warm because we - embarked on. we were also a | little bit warm because we got, we opened our christmas presents and we got warmed by our heart — presents and we got warmed by our heart. my presents and we got warmed by our heart. y ., presents and we got warmed by our heart-— our heart. my dream was to send our heart. my dream was to spend one _ our heart. my dream was to spend one christmas - our heart. my dream was to spend one christmas at - our heart. my dream was to l spend one christmas at least our heart. my dream was to - spend one christmas at least by a warm beach. 0n spend one christmas at least by a warm beach. on sunday we did have 21 degrees, gorgeous weather out, and in 12 hours it dropped 37 degrees to minus 1a. living in canada you are used to call, you are used to the snow and you get over it, but being down here, so we are definitely not spending our christmas by the beach. i think we tried to take some christmas pictures with our hats and in less than 45 seconds, you know, it was so cold we had to run back inside. it is a very different christmas. now to some breaking news — and explosions have been heard at russia's engels air base — hundreds of miles from front

lines in ukraine. that's according to ukrainian and russian media outlets. the air base—near the city of saratov is believed to house long—range strategic bombers. it was hit on december 5 in what russia said was ukrainian drone attacks on two russian air bases that day. it was hit along with another military base earlier this month by what russian officials described as ukrainian drone attacks. ukraine has not publicly admitted its forces carried out those attacks. will bring you more on that story we get it. now to a developing story out of serbia, and dozens of people have been admitted to hospital after a train carrying ammonia derailed near the south—eastern city of pirot. people have been warned not to leave their homes. naomi choy smith has more. what we know so far is that this freight train which was travelling from neighbouring bulgaria and carrying ammonia, which is widely used

forfertiliser, actually came off the tracks. and it's still unclear what caused the train to derail but 20 carriages spilled off the tracks — one of them falling into a nearby river which prompted a toxic chemical reaction and released these toxic, noxious fumes into the atmosphere. now, 50 people have been sickened and poisoned by that released ammonia and they've been sent to hospital, and a state of emergency has been declared at this stage. schools will be closed on monday as a precaution to keep children safe and people are being urged at the moment in pirot, which is a town of about 6,000 people, they've been told to stay inside their homes because these gases can be very, very dangerous. and what more do we know about the chemicals as well? the ammonia that the train was carrying? so, ammonia is widely used as a fertiliser both on an industrial scale and even in some people's back gardens. and it is usually safe if it transported and stored correctly and safely. however, in this case, obviously that went off the rails and this is something that many

people are concerned about, especially with patients reporting all sorts of respiratory distress since this incident, it can cause burning in your airwaves, and inflammation. it can also be flammable so that's a big concern as the story develops. naomi choy smith there. rescue teams are searching for survivors of an avalanche in western austria. it's thought two people remain unaccounted for after a number of skiers were buried by snow in an off piste area around the lech zurs resort. helena wilkinson reports. a huge rescue operation is continuing tonight for two people who are understood to be still missing. helicopters are being used in the search over lech—zurs, two popular ski resorts next to each other in western austria.

the avalanche happened at around 3:00 in the afternoon local time. around 100 people were brought in to help with the search. initially it was feared that at least 10 people had been buried under the snow. it's now reported that six of them escaped uninjured. two others had to be treated in hospital. rescuers say they'll continue searching through the night in the hope they find the two people who are still missing. chopper whirrs helena wilkinson, bbc news. austrian emergency services say they will continue the search into the night. translation: emergency services are prepared to keep searching all night. we assume people have been buried here. it is possible we will search for the people. search will go on the whole night. six passengers have died after a passenger bus plunged into a river off a bridge

in galicia, in the northwest of spain. the river's strong current and high flow due to heavy rains hampered efforts to retrieve the bodies throughout the weekend. there were two survivors — the vehicle's driver and a passenger. sergi forcada reports. the accident took place on christmas ease on a small town in galicia on the border near portugal. someone raised the alarm after noticing a safety rail on the bridge had been damaged. then a call from a survivor of emergency services are fined the wreckage. but strong currents, due to heavy rains, hampered the rescue operation. the mayor of the village where the accident happened described the incident as big misfortune. translation: it was eight _ as big misfortune. translation: it was eight line _ as big misfortune. translation: it was eight line bus. _ as big misfortune. translation: it was eight line bus. what - as big misfortune. translation: it was eight line bus. what we - it was eight line bus. what we see is what we see. the river full, 20 high media bridge was up

full, 20 high media bridge was up it is a tragedy.— up it is a tragedy. emergency services recovered _ up it is a tragedy. emergency services recovered two - up it is a tragedy. emergency| services recovered two bodies near the asic —— accident site while four others were found in the river later on sunday. according to local media, people who had visited loved ones in one of galicia's prisons were among the victims. the rescue operation around the bridge has now finished and engineers are now looking for a way to safely recover the bus from the river. because of the accident is not yet known but local authorities believe that poor weather could have played a role. sergi forcada, bbc news. king charles has used his first christmas message as monarch to reflect on the cost of living crisis. he spoke of the "great anxiety and hardship" — for those struggling to "pay their bills and keep their families fed and warm". the king also paid tribute to his mother, queen elizabeth, who is buried in saint george's chapel from where the king delivered his speech. 0ur royal correspondent nicholas witchell has more.

christmas at sandringham for the first time since the start of the pandemic. familiar routines were resumed — though, without that most familiar of figures, queen elizabeth. king charles and the queen consort led the royal family from church. just behind them, the prince and princess of wales, with all three of their children, george, charlotte and 11—year—old louis. also there with the family group, the duke of york. the wales's spent time with spectators receiving their bunches of flowers, and then back to the main house for christmas lunch and the king's first christmas broadcast. # god save our gracious king #. the king's message was recorded in st george's chapel, windsor, close to the spot where the late queen was laid to rest.

christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. we feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season and remember them in each cherished tradition. the king spoke about his mother's faith in the everlasting light of god. my mother's belief in the power of that light was an essential part of herfaith in god, but also herfaith in people. and it is one which i share with my whole heart. the king said this ability to touch the lives of others was evident in the selfless dedication of so many, including the emergency services and health and social care professionals. and it was particularly needed at the moment. 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 theirfamilies 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. the king said he wanted to pay particular tribute to those who ran foodbanks, helping those in greatest need. 0ur churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and gurdwaras have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year. working members of the royal family were shown, however, there was no mention of the duke and duchess of sussex. the king's message ended on a note of hope. so whatever faith you have or whether you have none, it is in this life—giving light and with the true humility that lies in our service to others that i believe we can find hope for the future.

a first christmas message from king charles and one with a strong sense of social awareness for families who are struggling to feed themselves or keep warm. officials say it would be strange if the head of state did not recognise and feel an empathy for people facing such difficult times. nicholas witchell, bbc news at buckingham palace. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: atime forgiving. how the world's less fortunate are catered for over the festive period. the most ambitious financial and political change ever attempted has got under way with the introduction of the euro. tomorrow in holland we're gonna use money we picked up in belgium today and then we'll be in france and again it'll be the same money. it's just got to be the way to go. crowd yelling george harrison, the former beatle, _ is recovering in hospital.

after being stabbed at his oxfordshire home. a 33—year—old man from - liverpool is being interviewed by police on suspicionj of attempted murder. i think it was good. just good? no, fantastic. big ben tolls. this is bbc news. the latest headlines: the severe arctic freeze claims 35 lives across the united states and canada. rescuers continue to search for two people missing

after an avalanche on the austrian slopes. police investigating the shooting of a 26—year—old woman at a pub near liverpool last night have appealed for the public to come forward with any information relating to the incident. merseyside police said it did not believe the victim, who was out with her sister and friends, at the lighthouse inn in wallasey was targeted by the gunman. four other people were also injured in the attack — one is in a critical condition. 0ur north of england correspondentjudith moritz reports. late on christmas eve, the lighthouse pub was full of people counting down the minutes towards midnight. it was a lively scene, butjust before 12:00am the pub's neighbours heard a particularly loud noise. i was in bed and i was on my phone and i heard "bang, bang, bang, bang" — four times. i waited, because i thought it was going to be a firework

and i thought i'd hear the "ssh". but then i didn't hear the shush. a gunman opened fire directly towards the front door of the pub, his shots hitting a 26—year—old woman in the head. despite efforts to save her, she died of her injuries. herfamily are said to be inconsolable. he also shot another four people, one of whom is in a critical condition. the fact that this has happened on christmas eve makes the tragedy even more unpalatable and shows those responsible have no regard for members of the public who just want to be able to live their lives without fear. at the time the offender fired the gun, there were a large number of people enjoying a night out at the lighthouse inn, and the actions of the gunman were totally and utterly reckless. there's been a lot of focus recently on gun crime on merseyside, especially following the shooting of a 9—year—old girl in liverpool in august. the police tell me that

it's too soon to know whether this shooting is connected to any others, but also say that despite what's been happening, the rate of guns being fired in their force area is lower than it has been in the past. this church is almost next door to the pub, and within hours of the shooting its minister found himself giving the christmas sermon in the shadow of a crime scene. god in christ is with us, he's the prince of peace, so it made it rather poignant this morning, preaching that message in the backdrop of what had happened a few hours earlier, when someone had lost their life, and the tragedy and the violence that ensued there. the pub's owners have given cctv material to the police, who say they're looking for a dark mercedes a—class car. they're appealing for anyone with information or camera footage to come forward. judith moritz, bbc news, wallasey, on merseyside.

four major aid organisations are suspending all their work in afghanistan following the order by taliban authorities banning the employment of women at humanitarian agencies. the international rescue committee, irc, has become the latest agency to halt its activity in the country. earlier, care, the norwegian refugee council and save the children said they "could not effectively reach afghans in desperate need" without their female staff. seven people, including dual nationals with claimed links to the uk, have been arrested in connection with the current wave of anti—government protests in iran. a statement from the revolutionary guards in the south—eastern province of kerman described them as members of a uk linked organisation involved in guiding and directing such plots. it said they were detained as they were trying to leave the country.

in singapore, the recent repeal of a colonial—era law which criminalised sex between men has been welcomed by many in the lgbtq community. but at the same time, the government has legally defined marriage as only between a man and a woman— a move it says reflects the conservative social values of the city state. two generations of gay men tell our reporter derek cai about their mixed feelings and how they plan to continue to push for marriage equality. at night when we were here, the policejust emerged out of nowhere... this is russell heng. he was nearly arrested more than a0 years ago in this park, which was once a secluded meeting place for gay men in singapore. they said, "come here, all of you, come here!" "don't think i don't know what you're all "doing here. "you ought to be ashamed of yourself." and we alljust disappeared into the night. very glad and relieved that we were not detained or arrested. but bullying can come from anywhere.

that's what azimin saini found out when he was just a teenager. did you feel like you had to hide your real self when you are growing up? i had to separate social circles, one of whom were exclusively gay and lesbian friends, and the other, from school and the army, were comletely straight. i entered the army in a time of debates in 2007, the first time we tried to repeal 377a. we had mps who said things like, "gay sex was something like drinking a straw through your nose," or something along those lines. to have someone on a national level say that was extremely damaging. when you are looking for a career or a job and that kind of thing worries you. would your employer know about your situation, if they're not dating, then what? what conclusions would they draw about you? do you think society has evolved since then? i'm glad the law has been repealed.

it should have happened earlier. but as far as i'm concerned, bullying of the gay community continues on a national scale. to add on to what russell said, the media regulator's rules against depictions of lesbianism and homosexuality is currently listed in the same breadth as necrophilia and beastiality. that's not right. a lot of people say the repeal of 377a is symbolic because it's not been in force for a long time, so is that a fair characterisation? the impact of a law on people's lives goes beyond just being arrested by police. ijust had an instance of somebody who works for an international company here, and that company has got a gay—affirmative policy, so what she gets as an employee's rights, her partner would get, but lo and behold, the employer, a global company, says, "sorry, you're not getting it because your

government does not recognise gay marriage. " what steps does the community have to take in order for more change to happen? public education is very important. you want the public behind you. singapore is not that conservative or progressive either but we are as practical. people need to realise welcoming gay couples or gay citizens has benefits, and we need to see the benefits in concrete, sometimes monetary terms. speaking of marriage, you are moving to paris to marry your partner. this country has failed me. the fact that i need to be somewhere else to live my life, to have my relationship recognised, is a failure of the state. when you think about what a relationship is and what a marriage is, it's a contract between two people, and the state gives the resources to live your life together such as housing, housing grants, it's notjust about love, it's more than that, it's an entire social system that supports your relationship and holds it together.

that's what's missing. all around the world, millions of people have been or are still celebrating christmas. it's usually a time for family, friends and maybe a little excess. but for some, this is proving to be a difficult festive period as the bbc�*s tim allman explains. singing. here in kyiv, not for the first time, the sound of song rings out in the middle of an air raid. singing. in one of the city's underground railway stations, a carol service is under way. a celebration of the season but also a moment of defiance. translation: it was really hard at first because it seemed - strange to celebrate tise holiday, but if you perceive it as a carol for victory, as a carol of wishes to warriors, then it is normal. everything falls into place.

no threat of war in rome but there are still plenty who are desperate and in need. this christmas dinner held annually at the church of santa maria is put on for the poor of the parish. help can take many forms and in the capital of kossovo it looks a bit like this. hundreds and hundreds of father christmases running in the city to raise money for charity. christmas is a time for giving and plenty of dressing up. tim allman, bbc news. those that are still celebrating merry christmas and i hope you are having a wonderful time celebrating. you are watching bbc news, and you can reach me on twitter.

i'm @monikaplaha. hello again. i thought i'd start off with confirmation of what you already know, and that is that the vast majority of the uk didn't have a white christmas — not with temperatures like these through christmas afternoon, 13 in chertsey, 12 for london. most parts of the uk had double figure temperatures. and even the far north of scotland, lerwick and shetland had temperatures around seven degrees. it was pretty mild, then, for most, but over recent hours and heading into boxing day, we do have a shot of colder air that's working its way in. starting to see some of these showers in highland start to turn wintry. and over the next few hours, yes, you probably will see some snow working into scotland, with the risk of some icy roads as temperatures dip below freezing here. some pockets of frost as well for northern ireland and northern england. mild weather further south.

it's going to be a much colder day, then, for boxing day, with some accumulations of snow building in to scotland, where we could see 1—3 centimetres at low elevations. but up over the high ground, 5—10 centimetres of snow possible, where, along with the strong winds, we're talking about drifting and some blizzard conditions, so could well be some disruption locally in scotland. away from that, plenty of showers for northern ireland, the north—west of both england and wales. one or two wintry showers mixed in, temperatures a lot lower than they were on christmas day, ranging from around 4—10 degrees in london. ten is still actually on the mild side. now, heading into tuesday, we could see a few more issues as well as this area of low pressure piles into the cold air in scotland. now, it could well be that we see a bit of snow on the leading edge of this system, with the snow then turning back to rain. but to the north of the central belt, over the high ground, well, the snow could last a bit longer. and i tentatively suggest we could see something like 5—10 centimetres. no warnings outjust yet, but it's worth keeping in touch with the weather forecast across northern

scotland for tuesday. further southwards, it's a mild day, quite a windy day, with a band of rain moving its way across england and wales. those temperatures widely still up into double figures, but that colder air refusing to budge, really, across the very far north of scotland. heading into wednesday and thursday, the weather pattern stays unsettled, with low pressures continuing to spin off the atlantic, bringing further zones of rain. and wednesday, we could see some fairly strong winds around as well, so that's something to bear in mind. running up closer to new year's eve, new year's day, it stays unsettled. generally, temperatures are a bit above average, but do expect more rain at times. bye— bye.

this is bbc news. the headlines: millions of people in the us and canada are spending christmas in the grip of a severe winter storm. at least 35 people are known to have died and around 175,000 homes are without power. officials in buffalo, in new york state, have called in the national guard. rescue teams are searching for survivors of an avalanche in western austria. it's thought two people remain unaccounted for after a number of skiers were buried by snow in an off piste area of the lech—zurs resort. initially ten people were thought to have been trapped under the snow. dozens of people have received hospital treatment for suspected toxic poisoning in serbia

after a train carrying ammonia derailed near the south—eastern