this is bbc world news, the headlines. russia has launched a major missile attack on ukrainian cities. the authorities say dozens of missiles were fired from the air and the sea during a five—hour onslaught. kharkiv, odesa, lviv and kyiv were among the cities targeted. the most hardline government in israel's history has been sworn in. the coalition, led by benjamin natanyahu for a record sixth time as prime minister, includes ultra orthodoxjewish and nationalist parties. tension between serbia and kosovo appear to have eased

following a decision to remove barricades blocking tension between serbia and kosovo appear to have eased following a decision to remove barricades blocking the main border crossing. after protesters held late night talks with serbia's president. more on liverpool's latest signing... but which of cody gakpo�*s new team mates persuaded him to make the move? djokovic returns to australia a year on from his deportation — but admits he'll never forget. and legendary sports promoter barry hearne reveals the favourite moment of his career.

good evening welcome to tonight's programme. well the club described him as a late christmas present for llverpool fans but it seems it's virgil van bike they have to thank for the club's latest signing. yesterday it was confirmed that cody gakpo, who scored three goals at the world cup, willjoin from psv eindhoven for a reported initialfee of around 45 million dollars. it's been reported that manchester united were also chasing the player before liverpool sealed the deal. gakpo told the club's website that fellow dutchman van dijk said the club is like a �*realfamily�* and thatjoining liverpool would be "the right move". managerjurgen klopp insists he didn't need to be convinced.

when you are the manager of liverpool you think you have to convince a and then when you realise of the door is wide open so it is more or less a home run. and it was cool. so we did need virgil to convince him. did not. but he likes to be involved with these kinds of things and at the moment it is all good. tonight, eight championship games to enjoy... with qpr v luton already under way.. qpr have lost three on the bounce at home headed into tonight's game and will be hoping to bring that run to an end in their final game of 2022. gluten with the lead 30 minutes in to the first half their pay more to come. sheffield united visit blackpool at 8:15. bottom side huddersfield host rotherham at 7:45. follow all the latest from the championship on the bbc sport website... meanwhile, novak djokovic has said

he'll never forget being deported from australia earlier this year. the serb insists his willingness to return for next month's grand slam at melbourne park shows the depth of feeling he has for the country. djokovic was deported on the eve of the 2022 australian open injanuary for not being vaccinated against covid—19. he received a three—year travel ban from the country. the former world number one's visa ban was waived last month. which means he can now target a tenth australian open you can't forget those events, you know. it is one of those things that sticks with you, it stays with you, i guess for the rest of your life. as i said, something i have never experienced before and hopefully never again. but it is a valuable life experience for me and something that, as i said, it will stay there, but i have to move on. and coming back to australia speaks how i feel about this country, how i feel about playing here.

0n the court, great britain have made an excellent start at the inaugural united cup — taking a 2—0 lead againt hosts australia in their first match in sydney. cameron norrie beat alex de minaur before katie swan got past zoe hives to put gb in control of the tie — michael redford was watching. a new season, a new tournament, a new united cup for great britain. the toughest of starts as hosts australia awaited. not that cameron norrie showed any signs of being scared in sydney. the british number one found his form quickly against alex de minaur. some quality tennis. less than a0 minutes had gone when norrie wrapped up the first set. much to his captain's delight. and it was much of the same.

in the second two, norrie controlled and composed d minaur disillusioned. norrie securing the set six three and securing a winning start for great britain. so could katie swan follow suit? or to do so, she needed to beat zoe hives in a match that would be much closer. the pair battled it out from the baseline, a question of who would blink first. yes. penman happy as swann held her nerve. first set six four, but roared on by a raucous home crowd. hives fought back, racing into a three love lead in the second. herjoy, though short lived swan producing a fightback of her own, winning six games in a row and winning the match. the perfect way to start a new season. so great britain in control of the tie. the two teams will meet again tomorrow. michael radford, bbc news. it's emerged there are more former british and irish lions among those suing rugby authorities for their brain injuries. solicitors say legal proceedings had been issued for about 160 players, with proceedings for about 70 more expected next year. rugby�*s governing bodies are accused

of failing to "protect players. we can speak now to former rugby international lenny woodard who has been diagnosd with early onset dementia. good evening. great to have you on the programme. we heard from you earlier in the year when you spoke about your condition and use it at the time that you felt it was caused by playing rugby. since going public with your diagnosis you have heard from other players, what exactly has happened? from other players, what exactly has ha ened? , ., , , from other players, what exactly has hauened? , ., , , ., from other players, what exactly has ha ened? , ., , , ., ., happened? obviously we have gained ublici in happened? obviously we have gained publicity in the _ happened? obviously we have gained publicity in the summer— happened? obviously we have gained publicity in the summer and - publicity in the summer and knowledge of what is happened certainly to myself and people contacted me referring to testing as it has happened with a lot of other players across the uk. unfortunately those tests have come back with people being diagnosed with the same conditions as me. which is early onset dementia. and probable ct

which is chronic allopathy which viewers might be familiar with from the film concussion with will smith, a condition very similar that comes from contact sports. that is where we are with it. a lot of big names, unfortunately testing positive for this as well. it is quite worrying for them and for their families as well. at for them and for their families as well. �* ., ., , , , ., well. a lot of these players have not wanted _ well. a lot of these players have not wanted to _ well. a lot of these players have not wanted to reveal _ well. a lot of these players have not wanted to reveal their - not wanted to reveal their identities. even now i do that that is? i identities. even now i do that that is? u, identities. even now i do that that is? ,, ., , ., identities. even now i do that that is? i can speak only for people i have spoken — is? i can speak only for people i have spoken to _ is? i can speak only for people i have spoken to but _ is? i can speak only for people i have spoken to but there - is? i can speak only for people i have spoken to but there are i is? i can speak only for people i i have spoken to but there are some worried about theirjobs. people do not want their employees to know that they are struggling people who work hard to get to where they have gotten in there rugby careers. people may be involved in the media. if then the media commentators on his for which potentially they are taking their relative governing

volleys to court over the do not want to jeopardise that —— bodies. some people accepted the fame that goes along side playing professional sport but they are not professional sports people any more so they want to protect the privacy of their wives and children. so i suspect those would be the main reasons for not wanting to come forward at the stage. not wanting to come forward at the sta . e. ., , not wanting to come forward at the state. . , ., , stage. in regards to this case rfu world rugby _ stage. in regards to this case rfu world rugby have _ stage. in regards to this case rfu world rugby have all— stage. in regards to this case rfu world rugby have all said - stage. in regards to this case rfu world rugby have all said that. stage. in regards to this case rfu | world rugby have all said that they have had strategies for preventing head injuries what do you think could have been done to prevent it? be this way for me to answer that is to look at what has happened 2012 where we did have had and gu protocols, not before that before. but the governing bodies knew about the dangers of concussions before so they realise that was a problem. in

1995 i turned professional in 1997, in those days you were encouraged and yourself you wanted to a certain extent to stay on the field as long as possible to die for the team, the badge, those points of views and need to change and if someone has had in obvious had knocked and they need to be removed from the field of play. even in the recent autumn internationals there was a player clearly concussed and not being encouraged to leave the field of play. 0r being made to leave the field of play. things like that need to change. field of play. things like that need to chance. ., ~ field of play. things like that need to chance. . ~ i. field of play. things like that need to chance. ., ~' ,, ., field of play. things like that need to chance. ., ~ ,, ., ., to change. thank you for coming on to change. thank you for coming on to sorts to change. thank you for coming on to sports day- _ in a joint statement, world rugby, the wru and the rfu said they were unable to comment on the specifics of the legal action while awaiting the full details of the claims. and that they "care deeply" about every member and are "saddened by the brave personal accounts" of those struggling.

in cricket, australia secured a first home series victory over south africa since 2006 with a comfortable win at mcg. the aussies won by an innings and 182 runs with steven smith taking the final wicket to assure victory on the fourth day of the second test. the third test gets under way on the 3rd of january. kane williamson's fifth double century put new zealand past 600 on theirfirst innings, declaring on 612 for 9. pakistan ended day four two wickets down and 97 runs behind. the black caps will need to rattle through the remaining eight wickets as quickly and efficiently as possible on the final day to avoid a draw. it's been a long and successful career for legendary sports promoter barry hearn. but his favourite moment is one from the archives. he told told shabnam younus—jewell

on the bbc framed podcast it's when he managed six—time world champion snooker player steve davis to his first world championship title in 1981.. we were to working class kids. he both had a dream, he wanted to be the best player in the world. i wanted to be wealthy, successful, have a business. i wanted to improve my life, if you would like. that was the moment when both of our lives changed forever. as much as you can rehearse it, as we did, we would sit there over a glass of wine or beer in my house and we would discuss the winter speech at the world championships. and we would have tears rolling down our eyes. that is an intensity that most people cannot understand. but we knew that if the

stream could happen, our lives would never be the same. so that moment where he was clearing up the colours and i'm saying to myself, don't do anything stupid. and then of course i did something very stupid ran down and body checked him and hugged him just to say well done. when you look back on it even when i'm talking to him there i swell up. i am guessing that i have done around 50,000 events in my life. i work with 200,000 top sports men and women in my life. in that moment, absolutely comfortably exceeds it.— comfortably exceeds it. magical moment. how _ comfortably exceeds it. magical moment. how much _ comfortably exceeds it. magical moment. how much do - comfortably exceeds it. magical moment. how much do you - comfortably exceeds it. magical. moment. how much do you steve comfortably exceeds it. magical- moment. how much do you steve now? he's a god father he is into his music. we used to talk every day we probably talk once a fortnight or more, now because his life is different to mine. but we get

together and we don't actually sit in the corner and reminisce like two old birds in a pub but it does come up old birds in a pub but it does come up from time to time. oh do you remember section such. this is what memories are made of and if he has a problem he knows where i am and vice versa and is the best friend you could have. versa and is the best friend you could have-— versa and is the best friend you could have. the full interview on the bbc frames _ could have. the full interview on the bbc frames podcast. - could have. the full interview on the bbc frames podcast. that i could have. the full interview on i the bbc frames podcast. that does offer sports they enjoy the rest of your evening good night. hello and welcome to this very special edition of the show, coming to you from the spectacular valley of the kings here in luxor in egypt. if you were watching last week, you'd have seen me unearthing well, it's such a breathtaking location that we thought we'd stick

around for a while to bring you this — our best bits of 2022. well, from the baking sun of here in egypt, let's switch to the snow of switzerland where, back in march, carmen got to experience a horse race like no other — where the jockeys don't need saddles. they use skis. this is st moritz in the swiss alps. it's the place, so they say, where the concept of the winter holiday was born. it also occupies a unique place in sporting history. it's where the bobsleigh was created, but skijoring is an even stranger sporting event than that.