this is bbc news — i'm vishala sri—pathma with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. despite promises of an orthodox christmas ceasefire, russian missiles continue to strike eastern ukraine. there is still a heavy shelling coming down from the russian side. ukraine is holding onto the city, and it's not going to want to let go anytime soon. iran faces international condemnation after executing two more anti—government protesters. that was easy, huh? at the 15th attempt, kevin mccarthy is elected us house speaker — after making concessions to the

for the first time in three years — china lifts quarantine rules for people arriving from abroad. and is this the sound of hidden treasure? hopeful hunters follow a map marking the spot where german soldiers are believed to have buried valuables worth millions. hello and welcome to the programme. clashes have continued in eastern ukraine throughout the day — despite the russian ceasefire to mark the orthodox christmas. ukraine dismissed the pause in hostilities as a tactic to allow russian troops to regroup. russian forces are on the edge of bakhmut — they've been rying to take it since the summer, in an attempt to push

further west, but the city hasn't fallen. our correspondent, james waterhouse — along with producer siobhan leahy and cameraman paul francis — sent this report from bahkmut, on the front line. you leave civilisation behind on the journey to bakhmut. we are heading to one of the most hostile parts of the front line. and coming into view is a city in the middle of it. the russians are just a mile away. ukraine is fiercely defending here. invading forces have thrown everything at the city, leaving it almost deserted. braving it above ground is a ukrainian soldier. translation: the situation is tense. l

there are explosions and strikes coming from the enemy's side. they promised a ceasefire but we don't see it. we don't feel or see it. they said one thing but in reality it is different. few expected the ceasefire to hold anyway. it was announced by russia in the first place and ukraine was never going to engage but there is still heavy shelling coming down from the russian side. ukraine is holding onto this city and it's not going to want to let go any time soon. in bakhmut, those who flinch are in the minority. sergei tries to patch up what he can. translation: you would not wish this on your worst enemy. - we tried to celebrate christmas regardless. we put up a tree and decorations, but it was in the basement.

we didn't forget about this holiday. we can't hang around for too long. but this is about as far as you can get from a normal christmas. eastern ukraine has gone through nine years of russian aggression. there have been several attempts at ceasefires. few here expected this latest one to bring any respite. james waterhouse, bbc news, bakhmut. let's get some of the day's other news. two metro trains have crashed in mexico city, killing at least one person and injuring more than 50 others. the trains collided between two stations on line 3, which is one of the oldest in the city's metro system. federal prosecutors have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash. thousands of israelis have taken part in protests against the new right—wing government. many accused the administration of endangering democracy through proposed judicial reforms. the plans would allow

parliament to override decisions made by the supreme court. prime minister benjamin netanyahu has sought to calm concerns about the fate of civil rights. ivory coast has welcomed home dozens of soldiers who'd been detained for six months in mali, causing a diplomatic row. the 46 servicemen were pardoned by mali's military leader on friday, a week after being given long jail terms for allegedly undermining state security. the ivorian government said the troops had been sent to mali to assist the un mission there. prince harry has revealed that he felt guilty for being unable to show any emotion in public after the death of his mother, princess diana. in an interview for itv — due to be aired in the uk — the duke of sussex says he only cried once — and describes meeting mourners whose hands were wet with tears. the united states has called for iran to stop executing anti—government protesters. the state department said two men who were hanged on saturday were convicted in sham trials.

britain and the european union have have also condemned iran's use of the death penalty. shelley phelps reports. nationwide protests have swept iran since the death of mahsa amini in september. the young woman had been detained by the country's morality police. now two men have been hanged for killing a member of the security forces during the demonstrations. mohammad mahdi karami and seyed mohammad hosseini had appealed against their sentences, saying they'd been tortured into making false confessions. on saturday, iranian state tv broadcast footage of the two men testifying during a court hearing that has been condemned as a sham trial by human rights groups. in every single execution, we see that the primary and the most significant evidence or self incriminating confessions are obtained under torture. indeed we know that one

of the people who was hanged today was tortured heavily ahead of his execution to obtain his confession. so i don't really call them a judicial process but lynching committees. their deaths bring the total number of protesters known to have been executed in the aftermath of the unrest to four. but death sentences are not a new tactic used by iran's regime to oppress opposition. the islamic republic has been handing out death sentences to political prisoners for four decades. in 1980s, thousands of protesters were executed summarily. the human rights group amnesty international says it fears at least 26 more people are at great risk of execution in connection with the protests, while politicians from around the world have widely condemned iran's actions as abhorrent. shelley phelps, bbc news.

let's now speak to pouya alimagham, a historian focused on iran and revolutionary movements at the massachusetts institute of technology. he joins us live from south carolina. thank you very much forjoining us. do you think this will put off protests in iran?- off protests in iran? first, i'm from _ off protests in iran? first, i'm from southern - off protests in iran? first, l i'm from southern california but yes, i do think the intention behind the expedited trials, you could call them sham trials, the whole point is to do them very quickly and to televise these. confessions and to execute them in a public manner. really to instill fear in the population and really get into the immobiliser state. there is a lot of historical precedent to it in relation to uprisings in the past. the

government has hastened the so—called trials to demobilise protesters, essentially to instil protesters, essentially to i nstil fear protesters, essentially to instil fear in the public and historically it has work to a certain extent. we will have to wait and see if it works right now. we see protests continuing but often times they seem to be a little bit. but often times they seem to be a little bit-— a little bit. there has been international— a little bit. there has been i international condemnation. because of social media we have seen videos of what has been going on in iran around the world. what you think it will take to effect change in government policy and attitude towards people that don't agree with the policy in iran? it’s with the policy in iran? it's hard to say _ with the policy in iran? it's hard to say if— with the policy in iran? it's hard to say if there - with the policy in iran? it�*s hard to say if there was an answer to that. i think for the past a0 years, a2 years now, people have been trying to figure out solutions but we really see the government is moving in the opposite direction. instead of allowing political freedoms, direction. instead of allowing politicalfreedoms, instead of allowing political dissent it

is increasingly becoming more and more repressive and authoritarian. it is going in the opposite direction to the expectation and demise of protesters, so we have been at an impasse for many years now. do you think this sort of contraction as you describe, it will put off all different types of people? we heard early on about how a lot of poor working class people have been targeted, who have less resources. do you think the demographic is quite key here? is interesting because every uprising and they are becoming very cyclical, from 2009, from 2017, 2018, 2019, every different uprising has activated different segments of society to the point where because of the repression of these uprisings, many segments of society have grown wary of the state. again it's hard to

see how to break through the impasse, it's also hard to see how the state is able to then garner support where it has alienated so many different aspects of society and so many differentjunctions in iran's different junctions in iran's political differentjunctions in iran's political history. we differentjunctions in iran's political history.— differentjunctions in iran's political history. we will have to leave it — political history. we will have to leave it there. _ political history. we will have to leave it there. thank - political history. we will have to leave it there. thank you | to leave it there. thank you very much forjoining us. the newly elected speaker of the us house of representatives, kevin mccarthy, has said former president trump helped him finally secure his position after 15 rounds of voting and, at times, acrimonious exchanges with fellow republicans. he said, "i don't think anybody should doubt mr tump's influence." president biden congratulated mr mccarthy on his win and said he looked forward to co—operating with his party. our washington correspondent, gary o'donoghue, reports. it took them four days and 15 separate ballots before they finally got there. the honourable kevin mccarthy of the state of california, having received a majority of the votes cast, is duly elected speaker of the house of representatives.

cheering. not since the american civil war more than 160 years ago has it taken this long to elect a speaker. that was easy, huh? i never thought we'd get up here. after multiple concessions, days of arm—twisting, and some tempers almost boiling over, kevin mccarthy finally persuaded enough on the right of his party to back him. though it did take phone calls direct to the house floor from the former president donald trump to persuade some recalcitrant republicans. i do want to especially thank president trump. i don't think anybody should doubt his influence. he was with me from the beginning. somebody wrote the doubt of whether he was there. he was all in. but kevin mccarthy has paid a price for his victory. he's had to agree to a whole raft of measures that will weaken his position, including the reinstatement

of a rule that will allow just one member of the house to trigger a vote of no—confidence in the speaker. he is going to be the weakest speaker in the modern history of the country and he'll be held hostage to these 2021 radical republicans. it's been two years since rioters, supporters of donald trump, stormed the capitol, trying to block joe biden�*s election and to hunt down the then democratic speaker of the house in her own office. and while kevin mccarthy has finally got the main job, there are some in his own party who will be hounding his every move for the next two years. gary o'donoghue, bbc news, washington. i've been speaking to democrat strategist, robin swanson, about her take on kevin mccarthy's win. he has a gavel but it is unclear that he has a much power to go with it. taking ia

votes over a0s and not getting it until the 15th vote and caving to the extremists in freedom party shows if it is this hard for him to become speaker, can you imagine what concessions he will make to pass a budget for the united states of america. he alluded, uuite states of america. he alluded, quite directly _ states of america. he alluded, quite directly said _ states of america. he alluded, quite directly said that - states of america. he alluded, quite directly said that donald | quite directly said that donald trump was quite helpful, was influential and so perhaps he might have to lean on him a few times when he is looking to pass those votes. how do democrats feel about those comments he made? it’s comments he made? it's terrifying _ comments he made? it's terrifying if— comments he made? it's terrifying if donald - comments he made? it�*s terrifying if donald trump is the property for kevin mccarthy. i remembera the property for kevin mccarthy. i remember a day kevin mccarthy worked in the california legislator and we had governor arnold schwarzenegger and he built himself as a moderate republican in line with arnold schwarzenegger and so, i really see him as someone who is whichever way the wind blows

and at the moment he sees trump as a power base for him but i don't think he is where the voters are. don't think he is where the voters are-— voters are. on those concessions - voters are. on those concessions and - voters are. on those l concessions and there voters are. on those - concessions and there are voters are. on those _ concessions and there are quite a few of them, one of those concessions was to make it easy to unseat him. is that something that people you speak to feel is something that might be used in the near future? to feel is something that might be used in the nearfuture? fix, be used in the near future? speaker has to have power and to have, to be a leader people have to follow you. it is clear that from the jump, he doesn't have people willing to follow him. i also say the second thing i would be concerned about if i were speaker, is the committee assignments. that is the most powerful thing the speaker can do is to assign committee chairs. and basically, that power has been removed from him as well, so i don't know what power is left for him to wield. it seems he is speaker in name only. the president — is speaker in name only. the president joe _ is speaker in name only. the presidentjoe biden will is speaker in name only. the president joe biden will have

presidentjoe biden will have to work fairly closely with him. how do you think that relationship will pan out? i actually think the bigger concern is his relationship with mitch mcconnell on the other side in the united states senate. ultimately, the president is going to have to work with both parties, we have a divided congress, but mitch mcconnell has a very different leadership style than kevin mccarthy does and i think it will show how splintered the republican party is if the two of them cannot work together. you are watching bbc news, the headlines: russia has continued to shell eastern ukraine despite calling for a 36—hour ceasefire for orthodox christmas celebrations. and iran has been widely condemned after executing two more anti—government protesters china is scrapping its quarantine rules for travel from sunday, in what's being called the great reopening. the relexation makes moving into and around china a viable option for the first time

in three years. it's happening just as the country prepares to celebrate its annual lunar new year, raising concerns about tens of millions of covid infections. joe inwood has more. in the world's most populous nation, at the world's biggest ice fair, they're making final preparations for the world's biggest migration. this is the annual harbin snow festival, the centrepiece of the regional tourism sector. it is an industry that has been on ice. but with the government abandoning its zero—covid policy in time for the lunar new year, that is all changing. china is opening for business. translation: compared to the last two years, - we are seeing far more tourists. after they lifted the covid restrictions, there was a significant increase in visitors. i'm confident harbin's tourism will recover.

people are still looking forward to coming here. they're expecting nearly 2.1 billionjourneys to be made over the lunar new year. that's twice as many as in 2022, although still below the 3 billion made before the pandemic. while most of those will be made by people who live in china, with international travel restrictions easing this weekend, there is also expected to be a rising number coming from abroad. people like hiu man chan. she runs an organisation promoting links between the british and chinese film industries, and hasn't seen herfamily in more than three years. it's taking the soul out of me, not being able to travel and connect with people on a personal level. that's the core role for myjob and for family gathering as well, so not being able to be there in person, um, yeah, is... it's very damaging, i think.

i can't wait to see them, to really hug them. i mean, i've seen them, videos on the news, people hugging at airports and being united, reunited but i haven't had a chance yet, so i cannot wait to give my mother a kiss and to hug my brother. the change in policy was as swift as it was dramatic. since the start of the pandemic, entire cities have been locked down to stop outbreaks — the so—called zero—covid strategy. crowd shouts. but after three years of draconian restrictions, people had seemingly had enough. an unprecedented wave of protests swept across many towns and cities in china. under huge pressure, the government scrapped a policy it had spent three years saying was vital for public health. what is really the legitimacy of the chinese government? it is still largely resting on providing a reasonable level of income, providing

a reasonable level of living standard for its ordinary population. so economically, the economy still prioritised over, in this case, pandemic control, so i think the message has been quite clear from the government in december, for the central economic work conference, it's mostly about saving the economy in 2023. and the impact of that decision is already being seen in china's hospitals. the lifting of restrictions has led to a huge surge in covid cases, with the world health organization accusing the government of vastly under—reporting the death toll. there are fears the virus is out of control and that the coming holidays will make that even worse. joe inwood, bbc news. an italian man has admitted stealing more than a thousand unpublished manuscripts, many written by high—profile authors. filippo bernardini impersonated

figures from the publishing industry to trick people into handing over their works. authors who were targeted include margaret atwood, ian mcewan and sally rooney. bernardini, pleaded guilty in new york to wire fraud, but his motive has never been clear. earlier i wasjoined by new york based reporter, ginger adams otis who explained more about this unique case. it's actually brings to mind one of my favourite authors from south america and it is how it is played out, it is a mystery, enigma and it went through multiple phases of people in the publishing industry noticing something was going on. what we know now is since roughly august 2016, it may have been earlier, but at least since then, mr bernardino was passing himself, he was

working within the publishing industry and that's a key element to this. he was in the industry, he knew the lingo, he knew the players and he would create fake domain names and fake e—mails and he would make the domain names are very similar to existing big—name publishers and publishing companies or agencies or different elements of the publishing industry. and he would e—mail people who had access to different manuscripts, different authors, different levels of fame, and he would come up with some plausible reason that he should get some of the manuscript or the entire manuscript before publication date. because he knew how to phrase things and he knew where things were within sort of the process of getting a book published, he was pretty successful. it looks like he got over a thousand manuscripts. eventually, at some point, people within the industry started to cotton on to something was going on.

there was a spy within their midst but nobody knew who it was. it actually changed from a whodunnit to who is doing it and still he was able to carry this on for many years until finally people figured it out and he was arrested. he got cau~ht and he was arrested. he got caught finally. _ and he was arrested. he got caught finally. his _ and he was arrested. he got caught finally. his motive i caught finally. his motive isn't entirely clear. did he actually make any money from this? ., ., , ., actually make any money from this? ., ., ~ ., actually make any money from this? ., ., ,, ., ., this? no, as far as we know, no but as part _ this? no, as far as we know, no but as part of — this? no, as far as we know, no but as part of his _ this? no, as far as we know, no but as part of his deal— this? no, as far as we know, no but as part of his deal he - this? no, as far as we know, no but as part of his deal he has i but as part of his deal he has to pay some restitution. not quite clear what, may be wages he earned while acting in a manner that was injurious to various companies. unclear on that but he does have to pay about $80,000, but there is no evidence he ever tried to sell the manuscript he got, that he tried to make black—market deals, that he profited in any person away from this. treasure hunters in the netherlands are hoping to find valuables worth millions, hidden by nazi soldiers during world war ii.

an old map believed to mark the spot where the german soldiers hid diamonds, rubies, gold and silver, was made public by the dutch national archive as claudia redmond reports. these treasure hunters are hoping x really does mark the spot as they follow a map believed to show where german soldiers who had a haul of stolen goods during world war ii. the map was made public alongside other papers from the time by the national archives of the netherlands, after a 75 year confidentiality period expired. translation: according to the documents, it - contains bracelets, watches, brooches, necklaces, silver coins, gold coins, precious stones, rubies, diamonds. armed with shovels and metal detectors, groups wander through the fields in the hope of finding the buried loot. translation: like so many, i'm quite tickled of _

the news of this treasure. i'm a serious searcher, i've been searching in this area for 30 years and i've found nice objects, especially roman ones, but now, suddenly, we are told something we haven't known for all these years but there is probably not see treasure buried here. my daughter and i projected them up from 19aa onto the current map and our conclusion is that the cross is here. there is a road crossing in the shape of a fork here and the little cross indicating the treasure here is here which is where we are standing at the moment. but these hopeful treasure hunters shouldn't get their hopes up too high as the released papers show the dutch state try to find the looted treasure after the war, apparently without much luck. claudia redmond, bbc news. you will find lots more on treasure and all the stories we're covering — just head to bbc.com/news — or download the bbc news app. that's it from us for now. you can

reach me on socials — i'm @bbcvishalasp. and from all of us, thanks for watching. hello there. the start of this weekend has been unsettled thanks to low pressure. wet, windy, blustery showers and sunny spells. part two of the week and also unsettled. it will stay pretty windy of plenty of showers rattling in from the south—west. deep lows sitting to the north of scotland. elsewhere plenty of isobars, another blustery day. loss of showers around forming bands moving from west to east, some heavy with hale, thunder mixed in. there are windy across the north and west of

scotland, costas of 60, 70 mph. a blustery day where ever you are. probably best of the brighter moments towards eastern scotland, eastern england temperatures of six — 9 degrees. sunday night, little change, estates blustery, further bands of showers moving west to east, a wintry element to them over the hills of scotland. it will turn colder across the north and the west. as that area of low pressure pulls away on monday, allows this brief ridge of high pressure to nose in. that will kill off the shelves across southern and western areas but they will continue to rattle into parts of scotland, may be north west england. increasing chance of drier and brighter weather in the south on monday thanks to that eye pressure and we could be up to ten or ii we could be up to ten or 11 degrees, still chilly further north. that brief ridge will not last long, it will clear

away during monday night. into tuesday back to square one, wet and windy conditions with this next area of low pressure moving in. some of that rain will be heavy as it splashes its way northwards and eastwards, so in its leading edge but it will revert back to rain as milderair edge but it will revert back to rain as milder air pumps up from the south. highs of 13 or 1a degrees from southern britain and it will be initially called across the north but the mother air will spread northwards. it stays unsettled for the second half of the new week as well with further spells of wet and windy weather followed further spells of wet and windy weatherfollowed by further spells of wet and windy weather followed by quieter moments too.

this is bbc news, the headlines: russia has continued to shell various regions in ukraine despite calling for a 36—hour ceasefire for orthodox christmas celebrations. president volodymyr zelensky said vladimir putin's offer of a truce, now ended, was deceitful. he said peace in ukraine would only be restored when russian forces were expelled. iran has been widely condemned after executing two more anti—government protesters. mohammad mahdi karami and seyed mohammad hosseini had appealed against their sentences for killing a member of the security forces during nationwide protests against the government last year. they said they'd been tortured into making false confessions. kevin mccarthy has been sworn

in as speaker of the us house of representatives, after 15 rounds of voting. a small group of republican rebels had derailed