this is bbc news. i'm lucy grey. our top stories: the severe winter deep freeze continues in the united states and canada — at least 50 people have died. and moscow says at least three of its personnel are killed in a ukrainian drone attack on a russian airforce base. two people arrested after a woman is shot dead at a pub in merseyside in northern england on christmas eve. lost at sea. 180 rohingya refugees feared dead on a boat adrift in the indian ocean. and stepping up security ahead of the inauguration of brazil's president—elect lula de silva after a foiled bomb attack.

welcome to our viewers on pbs in america and around the globe. at least 50 people across north america are now known to have died in the severe arctic freeze that continues to affect the us and canada. president biden has approved an emergency declaration allowing federal support for new york state, where the city of buffalo has borne the brunt of the arctic conditions. many shops stayed shut on monday, as blizzards blocked roads and cut power lines. the new york governor called the storm an "epic, once—in—a—lifetime event". emily unia reports. the arctic storm pummelling the us and canada caused christmas chaos for millions. thousands of flights were cancelled, and roads and railways were closed or impassible, preventing people from reaching friends and family.

emergency services battled treacherous conditions to carry out rescues. fatalities have been confirmed across the us. one of the worst—hit areas was new york state, especially in buffalo and hamburg in erie county. snow blanketed streets, and driving was banned. more than two dozen people are now known to have died in the greater buffalo region. anyone who declares victory and says it is over. it is way too early to say this at its completion, maybe this severity is down right now it is not as bad as it has been the last couple days but it is still a dangerous situation to be out. rolling blackouts left more than 1.5 million people without power on christmas day. connections are now steadily being restored. in south florida, iguanas froze and fell from trees. they won't get moving again until temperatures rise and they can thaw out.

much further north, stunning ice formations appeared on lake michigan. to ease, freezing conditions are still expected for some time to come. emily unia, bbc news. for more, i've been speaking to buffalo local reporter kristen mirand — she's been covering the storm for 7 news wkbw. this is now day four of this storm. and you can kind of see behind me the mounds of snow that are left over from just the past several days. where i am standing right now, a few days ago it was as tall as i am, just the snow pile, so the fact that i am standing here right now is really quite incredible, and even standing outside for that fact. i want to let you know i am actually right now in the heart of downtown buffalo. i am right near the lake where we get a lot of lake—effect snow, and honestly we are dealing with winds down here too. we have whiteout conditions for two days straight. it was just awful being a part of it.

i want to let you know, too, i am a hometown girl here. this is my city i grew up in, and to experience something like this is truly like never before. now, the governor was saying this is a once—in—a—generation storm, something that really all of us are trying to grasp and move through as we navigate through this powerful storm. as you are talking to us we are looking at some of the pictures you have been posting on social media and the like — images of firetrucks getting stuck. the issue is lots of abandoned vehicles, isn't it? and even the snowploughs have been getting stuck in the snow, haven't they? oh, yes, my goodness. the fact that monster snow trucks and firetrucks are getting stuck in this snow speaks volumes. i was actually able to venture out of the news station today for the first time in four days and i was able to explore a little bit more of what this storm kind of did to our entire area and it is car after car stranded in the streets. four—way lane streets have turned into one—lane or two—lane streets

because of the cars that are just left there. it is just really incredible the fact that those big trucks are just stuck, and they can't get them out. i mean, a lot of people are trying to dig up their cars today on day four, but it is really near impossible, and the big thing that i know was mentioned in your reports in your storyjust previous to us is that there is a driving ban here, and that is to make sure that emergency crews can get to everyone who is having an emergency and it is very difficult for them to get to those people who are having emergencies with those cars stranded so that is why the bans are in place — to make sure they can get where they need to go, but it is also quite remarkable that the governor said that the rescuers need rescuing themselves, so it is definitely a once—in—a—generation storm, that is for sure. so many people have lost their lives. they were saying people had heart attacks while shovelling the snow outside their houses. other people died in their cars. it is not over yet, is it?

you are still expecting a bit more snow, aren't you? that's right, yeah. definitely some more snow. i know tomorrow we are expected to get hit again, and itjust seems like this won't let up, but as you mentioned, too, we had some fatalities, and i really hate to say this but i think we expect more as the week goes on. i think right now we are almost at 30, and the 50 deaths across north america, 30 of that is here in our area, and a lot of that is from people being stranded out in the snow. they are being found in snow mounds and in their car. it is just awful. we had a blizzard here in 1977. there were more than two dozen deaths in that storm. we are surpassing that. it is awful and it is really hitting the community hard, but we are also a really resilient community. we have had some remarkable stories come out of neighbours helping neighbours and helping each other out in this difficult time when thousands

have been without power as well, so you can definitely consider yourself lucky here if you had a roof over your head and power over these last few days dealing with the storm. let's get some of the day's other news. china has announced that it's dropping its requirement for travellers arriving in the country to go into quarantine. the measure has been in place since the start of the pandemic but will end early next month. it's the latest in a series of restrictions to be lifted as china abandons its zero—covid policy. police say a tenth person has died as a result of a huge explosion at a block of flats injersey early this month. kathleen mcguinness, who was 73, lived in st helier next to the building which was destroyed in the blast. emergency services in spain have confirmed a seventh death after a bus plunged from a bridge into a river on christmas eve. rescuers retrieved the body of a woman from the lerez river in the north—western galicia region on monday.

two people, including the driver, survived after the bus fell from a height of about 30 meters into the fast—flowing river. officials say bad weather may have caused the crash. a russian air base hundreds of kilometres from ukraine has come under attack for the second time in less than a month. the russian defence ministry says the engels base in the southern saratov region was targetted by ukrainian drones. russia says it shot down the drones, but 3 of its servicemen were killed by falling debris. the base contains russian long range bombers of the type which launched numerous missiles strikes on ukraine. from moscow, our russia editor steve rosenberg, reports. caught on cctv... ..an explosion at a russian airbase. russia says it shot down a ukrainian drone, but that three russian soldiers were killed.

engels airbase is deep inside russian territory, hundreds of miles from the ukrainian border. the base hosts long—range bombers which are believed to have launched missile attacks against ukraine. state tv reacted to the news with a familiar warning to kyiv. russia, she says, would exact revenge by carrying out more strikes on ukrainian infrastructure. russia can rattle those sabres and flex its muscles, but it doesn't change the fact that what happened at engels airbase is embarrassing for the kremlin. for the second time in less than a month, what is an important military installation has come under attack. quite a contrast to the image of military might that president putin's been portraying in recent days. the kremlin leader has promised his generals all the resources they need for the war in ukraine. he's determined to secure something he can present

as a russian victory. putin is not going to back off, and nobody else is going to give him a reason to back off. and therefore he's going to take steps necessary to him to win, whatever that victory may meanfor him. but ten months after russia invaded ukraine, there is no sign of that victory. instead, the war the kremlin started is moving closer to home. steve rosenberg, bbc news, moscow. the united nations refugee agency says it fears 180 rohingya refugees may have died aboard a boat that was adrift for weeks in the indian ocean. two other boats carrying hundreds of rohingya have reached the shores of indonesia in the past two days as naomi choy smith reports. and a warning, some of the images in this report may be distressing.

after four weeks adrift in the andaman sea and a fishing boat that lost power these rohingya refugees finally made it ashore, any week and in poor health from battling extreme hunger and thirst on the open ocean. on monday indonesia allowed them to disembark in the western province providing emergency medical help and shelter. the un says another rohingya boat is lost at sea, or 180 aboard feared dead. in indonesia the boats keep coming, four have landed in aceh since november, setting off from anger — where rohingya are crowded into refugee camps. tens of thousands left me and marked a deadly military crackdown in 2017. now they are boarding wooden boats in hopes of a better life in malaysia or indonesia.

just last week the sri lankan navy rescue more than 100 rohingya adrift in rough seas. now the international organisation for migration is urging more action. we have called on _ urging more action. we have called on governments - urging more action. we have called on governments in - urging more action. we have| called on governments in the region to co—ordinate efforts for safe demarcation and make sure all these people are given safe passage, and get the support that they need. we are very thankful to the authorities in indonesia, who have welcomed some of these boats, we hope there is more effort from the other countries in the region. figs effort from the other countries in the region-— in the region. as for the rohingya _ in the region. as for the rohingya refugees - in the region. as for the rohingya refugees who | in the region. as for the - rohingya refugees who have found land, theirfuture still looks uncertain. two people have been arrested in connection with the death of a woman who was shot dead at a pub in merseyside, in northern england, on christmas eve. the victim has been named as 26—year—old ellie edwards. she died after a gunman opened

fire at the front of the pub. a 30—year—old man is being questioned on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, and a 19—year—old woman has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. fiona trott reports. a young woman shot and killed whilst celebrating christmas with family and friends. ellie edwards was at the lighthouse pub, in wallasey village, when a man opened fire at the entrance. merseyside police say they do not believe she was a target. around 30 relatives arrived at the scene to lay flowers. the police say what they're going through is incomprehensible. one of the cards reads, "to my beautiful elle, you are the light of my life, "you will never be gone, mum and dad." the killing took place at a family pub at the heart of the community. local residents have described their shock. things like this don't really

happen on the wirral, so i think everyone's shocked. you don't expect it on your own doorstep, you know? this pub, it's a nice pub. you know, you never hear of any trouble. i've got a 21—year—old son, and, you know, it's devastating to be honest. forensic teams have been searching the area throughout the day. and then tonight, police activity across the city. this was two addresses in the tranmere area. it was around this time two nights ago that ellie edwards was killed. four men were also injured in the shooting. one of them is in a critical condition in hospital. people here tell us none of this seems real but there is one family on merseyside tonight who is struggling to comprehend this even more and that is the family of ellie edwards, a beautician whose life and career was stopped by what police are describing as a cold—blooded shooting. fiona trott, bbc news.

stay with us on bbc news, still to come: it's one of the high street's biggest days of the year in the uk, but did the bargain hunters stay away from the boxing day sales? 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, i 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 suspicion of attempted murder. -

i think it was good. just good? no, fantastic. big ben bongs this is bbc world news. the latest headlines: at least 50 people have died due to the severe arctic freeze that continues to affect the us and canada. a russian air base hundreds of kilometres from ukraine has come under attack for the second time in less than a month. moscow says it shot down ukrainian drones, but three of its servicemen were killed by falling debris. the united nations has warned that they could stop delivering aid to afghanistan if the taliban stands by its decision to ban afghan women from working for humanitarian agencies.

several major aid organisations are suspending their work in afghanistan, saying they could not effectively reach afghans in desperate need without their female staff. the bbc�*s tom brada reports. for women in afghanistan, the world seems to get smaller by the day. more rights and freedoms are gradually being removed with the latest taliban degree targeting women in work. women have been banned specifically from working for aid agencies, accused by the taliban of breaking dress codes, something the organisations deny. we have done everything important to the book and still they come with this out of nowhere, and it is devastating. it is paralysing. all work, all organisations, will in the end follow us in suspending work. several aid organisations have already suspended operations. around 20 million people in afghanistan, half of the entire population, rely on humanitarian assistance.

by acting in unison, aid agencies may hope to persuade the taliban that this time they have gone too far. to have access to women and children you need to have female health staff, and so if you do not have female health staff, you won't have access to those people. so, essentially, it isjust not possible for us to do ourjob if our female colleagues are not able to get out there. the united nations has added its voice to a chorus of international condemnation. a spokesperson called the move: and said they could stop delivering aid in the country unless the decision is reversed. the uk foreign secretary accused the taliban of trying to raise women from society. but the taliban do not typically respond well to criticism. just last week they banned women from attending university, adding to the ban which already stops girls

from going to secondary school. responding to international outcry, the taliban's higher education minister said they will not change their mind on girls' education even if they drop an atomic bomb on us, adding: there have been protests, but be taliban are resolute. when the taliban seized control of afghanistan last year they insisted the regime would be softer than that rule in the 1990s, but the gradual erosion of women's rights suggests they are not afraid to go back on their promises. tom brada, bbc news. brazil's incoming justice minister says security will be stepped up ahead of the inauguration of president—elect lula de silva after a foiled bomb attack. a man was arrested for allegedly planting explosives in a lorry in the capital brasilia. police say he was a supporter

of outgoing president jair bolsonaro. tim allman has more. the alleged suspect, named as george washington de oliveira sousa, was arrested on christmas eve. a police spokesman said he'd confessed the bomb was part of a plan by supporters of jair bolsonaro to prevent the establishment of communism in brazil. these were the guns and ammunition found during the raid. officers say an explosive device was activated but failed to detonate. so, with the inauguration only days away, everyone is a little on edge. translation: we must anticipate certain acts i because there can be a power vacuum. this will not happen. in the early hours of january the first, we are going to take measures so this instability does not occur. following the defeat of president bolsonaro in october's election, his supporters took to the streets to demonstrate.

they blocked roads and highways and called for the military to intervene. although mr bolsonaro has never officially conceded, he did say the demonstrations must end and he ordered his government to co—operate in the transition. he may soon be leaving office but the most extreme of his supporters appear to be going nowhere. translation: we see there being broad popular participation. - we are facing terrorists, terrorists who must receive the treatment that the law requires. president—elect lula de silva has been finalising his government, preparing to take office. he says he may have defeated jair bolsonaro but he and his supporters will have to defeat bolsonaroism on the streets of the country. tim allman, bbc news. the european union has called for maximum restraint in kosovo as tensions between the government and serbia continue to intensify. the eu has urged all sides to contribute to a political solution.

on monday, the commander of serbia's armed forces said troops were at their highest level of combat readiness. kosovo declared independence from serbia in 2008. members of the kurdish community in paris gathered in the city to pay tribute to the three people shot dead at a kurdish cultural centre on friday. hundreds of people took part in a march in the 10th district, which appeared to pass off peacefully. a 69—year—old french man has been charged with murder, and remanded in custody. a spokesperson for the kurdish democratic council in france said the community feels unsafe in the city. translation: at this stage, the future of the kurds - in france is a very sensitive issue. doubt hangs over the future of the kurds in france. the feeling of insecurity remains. this is why we have appealed to the french authorities to be listened to, to be heard, to be reassured, to be protected. we expect the french authorities to implement concrete actions. since the assassinations, there was a permanent surveillance. there is a 24—hour police

presence here, in front of our premises. obviously, at this stage, we can say that there is a reinforced protection. we can observe it. but can have this reinforced protection prevent further assassinations? an iranian footballer has claimed his family has been been prevented from leaving iran because he voiced support for the protests in the country. ali daei says his wife and daughter were trying tojoin him on holiday in dubai last week when their flight was rerouted to an iranian island in the gulf, and they were taken off the plane. earlier this month, iranian authorities shut down a jewellery shop and a restaurant owned by daei. here in britain, most shops have been open again today after being closed on christmas day. the boxing day sales are usually popular

although there are deals on the high street people are now being squeezed with cost of living as katie austin reports. oxford street in central london filled up as the day went on, as shoppers hunted for bargains. have you come out for the sales? yeah, i always come out, it's my birthday today, so — and i don't think it's as busy as it used to be. it used to be a lot busier before. people had a lot more bags before. what this is an optimistic picture that numbers are up but footfall has not recovered to what it was before the pandemic. it what it was before the pandemic.— what it was before the andemic. , ;;:: , ., ., pandemic. it is 30% lower than boxina pandemic. it is 30% lower than boxing day _ pandemic. it is 3096 lower than boxing day so _ pandemic. it is 3096 lower than boxing day so it _ pandemic. it is 3096 lower than boxing day so it is _ boxing day so it is significantly lower and that is obviously attached to the cost of living prices. these days, not all retailers open on boxing day. some started their sales well before christmas, and more and more customers choose to buy online.

cost—of—living pressures are expected to put a dampener on spending, but the manager of this store is optimistic. i think people are now looking into what they're buying a lot more than what they used to be, but we are still trading quite well. there's a lot of retailers when you look around, you actually see a large amount of people around spending money as well. after a tricky year, retailers hope that the big discounts can draw in much—needed customers. katy austin, bbc news. and let's show you some pictures from prague now, where hundreds of winter swimmers have braved the chilly waters of the vltava river for the annual boxing day swimming races. the water temperature this year was around 5 degrees celsius. that's 41 degrees fahrenheit. this boxing day winter swim is held in honour of albert nikodem — a prague goldsmith who popularised winter swimming in what was then czechoslovakia in the 1920s. there is plenty more of all the

stories we are covering on our website. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @lucyegrey thanks for watching. hello. boxing day delivered a colder interlude, in fact, it was cold enough for wintry showers in places, but through the day on tuesday, mild air returns with outbreaks of rain spreading east. there will be some snow in northern parts, as that wet weather bumps into some relatively cold air. this speckled cloud on the satellite picture brought the showers of rain, sleet and snow during boxing day. this shield of cloud behind me, bringing wet weather into northern ireland first thing. ahead of that, some icy conditions likely in parts of northern england and scotland. could be rather slippery on untreated roads and pavements and, as this wet weather slides into the cold air over the highest ground of northern england and southern scotland, we could see some snow for a time. that is likely

to turn back to rain, though, as the milder air works in. this snow developing across the grampians and the highlands, well, is likely to stick around for a little bit longer because something a bit colder will cling on in the northern half of scotland. but elsewhere, northern england, wales, the southwest turning very, very wet indeed. east anglia and the southeast staying mainly dry for a good part of the day, brightening up in northern ireland through the afternoon. but it is going to be windy, especially in the southern half of the uk — temperatures ranging from 4 degrees there in aberdeen to 11 in plymouth. now, as we go through tuesday night, we'll see these outbreaks of heavy rain continuing to journey southwards and eastwards, lingering across the south of england, and then the rain returning into the southwest and the southern half of wales by the end of the night. some rain will also linger for a time in the northern isles. but for the majority, it is going to stay frost—free, a milder night in prospect. and then for wednesday, well, we bring this next batch of heavy rain northwards and eastwards across the uk, accompanied by strong winds, particularly windy for some southern and western coasts. northern scotland will stay

drier and little colder, but northern ireland seeing highs of 9—10 degrees, england and wales, 11—13, so it is going to feel mild, particularly in the south. thursday, a day of sunny spells and showers. for friday, here's another area of low pressure bringing heavy rain and potentially some really strong winds. we'll be keeping an eye on that weather system. and then, as we head into the weekend and the end of the year, it will stay relatively mild, there'll be rain at times and it will often be windy.

this is bbc news. the headlines: at least 50 people are now known to have died due to the severe arctic freeze, that continues to affect the us and canada. one of the worst—hit areas is buffalo, in new york state, where the governor called the storm an "epic, once in a lifetime event." two people are being questioned in connection with the shooting dead of a woman, at a pub on merseyside, in northern england, on christmas eve. the victim has been named as 26—year—old ellie edwards. a 30—year—old man and a 19—year—old woman have been arrested. russia says at least three technical staff have been killed by falling debris following a ukrainian drone attack on an air force base. the russian defence ministry says the engels base, in the southern saratov region, was targetted by ukrainian drones during the night.