indian ocean tsunami. the white house slams russia's christmas day attack on ukraine. we're on the ground live in kyiv. dozens of people survive a plane crash in kazakhstan — authorities say 38 people were killed. and player a56 is going back into the game. we'll be discussing the cultural significance of squid game ahead of the second season. a warm welcome.

december 26 marks the 20—year anniversary of the boxing day tsunami that struck the indian ocean in 200a. it killed more than 200,000 people in m different countries — making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. people in the countries worst affected are remembering those with memorial services. indonesia was the worst hit country. more than 167,000 people were killed with waves reaching more than 50 metres. these pictures are from commemorations today in banda aceh in indonesia, where residents have been taking part in a vigil to remember those who lost their lives. a minute's silence was observed and a siren, replicating the warning siren of 20 years ago, was played. i'm joined now by our southeast asia correspondentjonathan head. he reported extensively from the region in the wake of the tsunami.

good to have the on the programme this morning. you reported on the story. what does 20 years meant to you and for those people you talk to over the years? i for those people you talk to over the years?— for those people you talk to over the years? i think it is, the thing — over the years? i think it is, the thing about _ over the years? i think it is, the thing about a _ over the years? i think it is, the thing about a natural. the thing about a natural disaster compared to so many other stories we cover where there is a huge amount of outrage and analysis, there is not a whole lot you can say about a disaster of that scale. it was so much bigger than anything else we covered. i started by reporting here in thailand in phuket commodore was my first exposure to it, arms and legs sticking out in the concrete, i never experienced anything like that. then i got to entry the worst part of indonesia, around

120,000 people died. you could not believe it. to deal with the level of human suffering, what hit me at was notjust the immense amount of grief and shock but the sense of total loss. people had seen their entire villages wiped out. sometimes even the land their villages had stood on banished as the seed took whole coastlines away. they were wandering around in a daze. it had taken quite a while for a sufficient operation to get up to speed and there is only one small airport. to speed and there is only one smallairport. people to speed and there is only one small airport. people looked absolutely does lead. what really stands out is when you go back, those memories are seared into people, very easy to bring tears as they remember, and yet people have rebuilt was a people out of and resilient and i think people understand when there is a natural disaster the only thing you can do is come together for some we definitely have better

preparedness now. just the awareness of tsunamis today is so much better even though there are some questions about how effective these various warning systems are they have god. everybody now knows if there is a massive earthquake or they see the sea started to go out, which is what happened, in thailand were all these people holiday on the beach, saw the sea disappear and go back out, they ran out onto the beach, they did not know an enormous wave was coming to crush them. today they know and they know if you can get the higher ground quickly you will be ok. almost everybody killed was killed within one kilometre of the coast. there were lessons learned. many good lessons. it is that spirit of human endurance that stands out. in fact you don't have to blame anybody financial disaster, you just have to be prepared and there is a strong sense today 20 years on that people need to remember it is a

long time ago now and a lot of people do not experience said but they must be ready in case something like that happens again. something like that happens aaain. �* , something like that happens aaain. , ~ ., ., again. absolutely. and around the world. _ again. absolutely. and around the world, the _ again. absolutely. and around the world, the morning - again. absolutely. and around the world, the morning after l the world, the morning after christmas day, seeing those images, it was quite something. you report from the region extensively. 20 years on what are people telling you now? have they managed to rebuild fully? will these commemorations be enough to remember those and the livelihoods they lost? i think they will- — livelihoods they lost? i think they will. they _ livelihoods they lost? i think they will. they are _ livelihoods they lost? i think they will. they are not - livelihoods they lost? i think| they will. they are not having massive events, i think people have that sense that they have to get on with our lives, people will attend, in thailand the government is organising a formal memorial, it is a government event, not particularly colourful but people will, because it shattered in their communities. many people while almost their

entire families and it took them a long time to build. they have rebuilt but of course they have rebuilt but of course they have not forgotten. i think there is concern as the years go on, it won't be foremost in their minds and they won't be as prepared. there were some good lessons learned, one of the things i remember, when the airport was completely clogged up, there was one point where a cow was hits on the runway and are blocked all add coming in for quite a long time. the united states showed up with aircraft carriers and realised they could use their big heavy military helicopters to go to aid the pose, pick up aid and deliver to remote areas and go back to the aircraft carrier, basically operating offshore airport. lots of new ideas on how you deal that we have those disasters were learned during the immediate aftermath and with reconstruction, there are always lessons learned about what is the most effective way, how do you deliver aid on that

scale without a lot being lost due to inefficiency? and with a lot of the horrors of this in army, a lot of lessons were learned. another thing to remember about that tsunami, its location was at the worst possible. 0ne its location was at the worst possible. one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded, more than nine on the richter scale but also its location meant this in army went out to many heavily populated areas, it hit the coast of east africa thousands of kilometres away. sri lanka is a long way from the epicentre and yet 35,000 people there died. in thailand of course very packed with tourists at christmas, 45 different nationalities died. it was uniquely destructive event and really quite shuddering at the time. we have had nothing on that scale since then. ~ ., ., ., then. we will have to leave it there but _ then. we will have to leave it there but thank _ then. we will have to leave it there but thank you - then. we will have to leave it there but thank you so - then. we will have to leave it there but thank you so much | then. we will have to leave it i there but thank you so much for giving us a sense of the significance of the scale of that tsunami 20 years ago.

i'm joined now by ridwan gustiana a humanitarian worker and doctor who was one of the first on the ground in indonesia in 2004. thank you so much becoming on the programme. as we mentioned, you were first on the ground. can you paint a picture of what you found when you got to where you found when you got to where you landed?— you landed? during the tsunami, i flew one day — you landed? during the tsunami, i flew one day after _ you landed? during the tsunami, i flew one day after and - i flew one day after and arrived a couple days after. i think the image, i still remember vividly. the destruction was so bad. again, i don't really focus on the

destruction, i come to help. when i was there i basically established emergency clinic to help people with a lot of wounds. some wounds were very difficult to treat. a lot of people were taken to hospital to be treated for amputation and also treating for a lot of people that were heavily wounded. we also see many people were traumatised by the event. that was 20 years ago and i still remember that. today, i'm commemorating be 20 years of the tsunami by riding bicycles, a four dayjourney riding bicycles to see how different 20 years back along

the coast hit by the tsunami. yesterday was the hardest part i had to cycle 240 kilometres from the place where i worked for almost two years. and cycle would along the coasts. i can see the difference after 20 years. i met a lot of people, very fortunate to meet one father who was basically the beneficiary of my clinics during that time. i beneficiary of my clinics during that time.- beneficiary of my clinics during that time. i am so glad ou during that time. i am so glad you mentioned _ during that time. i am so glad you mentioned exactly - during that time. i am so glad you mentioned exactly how. during that time. i am so glad. you mentioned exactly how you are marking the anniversary. you must be quite exhausted from that. it must have been the best way possible to see how the region has been able to repair. the people you met and people you talked to, how prepared you these places are for other weather events like

this? ., for other weather events like this? . , , this? that is interesting because _ this? that is interesting because one _ this? that is interesting because one of - this? that is interesting because one of the - this? that is interesting - because one of the objectives of my cycle was fundraising for school education and disaster. i think the awareness is still there. many people were experienced. this awareness needs to be sustained, a more sustainable effort including putting disaster education in schools. 0ne putting disaster education in schools. one of the fundraising is we are trying to do to the local organisation �*s conduct school education about disasters. people commemorate every year but this should be emphasised on how the lessons learned from the tsunami, to increase preparedness of the people. i think school is the

best way to deliver those education. we are trying to do that with the local society here. . ., ., that with the local society here. ., , ., ., here. education is one of the lonuest here. education is one of the longest term _ here. education is one of the longest term impacts - here. education is one of the longest term impacts of - here. education is one of the l longest term impacts of these types of evidence. i am afraid we will have to leave it there. humanitarian worker pressed on the ground in indonesia in 2004, many thanks for your time. ., ~' ,, 2004, many thanks for your time. . ~ . ., time. thank you so much for havin: time. thank you so much for having me- _ we also have plenty of coverage on our website including this piece from my colleague geeta pandey, who was in the region when the tsunami hit, she recounts her story and the stories of those she met in the weeks following the devastating tsunami. ukraine's president volodymyr zelenskyy says a christmas day attack on his country's energy system was "inhumane." moscow launched more than 170 rockets and drones in the early hours, hitting power plants and electricity infrastructure.

at least one person was killed. in a statement, us president biden said the purpose of this outrageous attack was to cut off the ukrainian people's access to heat and electricity during winter and to jeopardize the safety of its grid. five people have also died in russia after strikes from ukraine. 38 people were killed in the azerbaijan airlines plane crash near the city of aktau, khazakstan. officials say the aircraft had been trying to make an emergency landing when flames erupted at the front. almost half the 67 passengers and crew survived. the plane was en route to the city of grozny in russia's chechnya region before being diverted due to fog. duncan kennedy has the very latest.

this was the plane in its final moments. descending at high speed, its landing gear down. the pilot appears to be struggling to control the jet. it banks just before impact. much of the aircraft was crushed into a burning trail of wreckage. emergency workers converged on the scene, some crawling inside the plane looking for survivors. incredibly, dozens of passengers made it out. this man, just one of those staggering from the carnage. they were saved by this tail section, the only part of the aircraft left intact. the local hospital was filled with those wounded, but alive. this man says, "when the plane crashed, my wife was sitting next to me. "i haven't seen my wife since the crash."

the plane had been diverted by bad weather en route to grozny, in southern russia. the president of azerbaijan says experts will now look at all possible causes. translation: the reasons for the crash are not yet - known to us. there are various theories, but i believe it is premature to discuss them. a criminal case has been launched by the prosecutor general�*s office. president putin is sending in this plane, with specialist teams, to help. some of the passengers on the crashed aircraft were russian. it was made by the brazilian firm embraer, which has a robust safety record. it will now help with the investigation of a crash that both took, but also spared many lives. duncan kennedy, bbc news. around the world and across the uk. this is bbc news. let's look at some other stories making news in the uk.

the royal family have attended their traditional christmas service in sandringham. well—wishers queued for hours to catch a glimpse of them, with many telling the bbc they wanted to show support for the king and princess of wales after their cancer diagnoses. prince andrew did not attend the service following reports of his links with an alleged chinese spy. a belfast parkrun broke its course participation record on christmas day, as almost 800 festive runners crossed the finish line. hundreds descended on the stormont estate in east belfast. with plenty of santa hats and elf ears, for an event that has become a seasonal favourite in the local running calendar. and tonight, after a five year wait, fans of the bbc�*s gavin and stacey finally got the chance to see whether smithy accepted nessa's proposal in the finale to the show. the sitcom centred on the title characters' love story and their families.

you're live with bbc news. now let's turn to gaza, where reports say at least five journalists have been killed following an israeli air strike on a vehicle outside the al—awda hospital in the nuseirat refugee camp. videos that have not yet been verified by the bbc show a bus engulfed in flames — with the word �*press' written on the doors. we'll continue to monitor these developments and provide updates once more information becomes available. meanwhile, israeland hamas are blaming each other for the failure to reach a deal to end the war in gaza, and secure the release of hostages. hamas said israel was seeking new conditions while israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu accused the group of going back on previous agreements. on wednesday israeli defence minister israel katz paid a visit to the philadelphi corridor on the gaza—egypt border. while there — he insisted israel would not cede security control of the strategic corridor, a key sticking point

in the negotiations. shaimaa khalil is in jerusalem with more. the ceasefire agreement between hamas and israel looked like it was gaining momentum a few days ago. it is a very different picture now. both sides are exchanging accusations. hamas says that israel has set new conditions when it comes to the ceasefire, when it comes to the prisoner exchange, when it comes to the return of those displaced in gaza. these are very difficult and thorny but also technical issues that negotiators would have been working on for months and months. but hamas now says that because of that, the deal is delayed. we have also heard from the israeli prime minister, benjamin netanyahu, who accused hamas of lying, of hampering negotiations, of reneging on issues that they've agreed upon. this is a very different tone to what we have heard a few days ago. only yesterday, we heard from the prime minister's office saying that their

negotiators have come back from qatar after significant negotiations. the hamas side has told the bbc a few days ago that the talks were 90% complete, bar a few issues. one sticking point is the israeli presence in the philadelphi corridor. this is a crucial strip of land between the gaza boundary area and egypt. the israeli presence there is a thorny issue. today the israeli defence minister, israel katz, said that the security in gaza is going to be up to the israeli forces, there will be no hamas administration or presence. 1535 00:19:47,