[000:00:00;00] ah ah ah ah, this is the w news. live for bird ukraine's president condemns a russian attack on christmas eve as tara question strikes hit, a central hess on a city that had been recently liberated. at least 10 people killed and dozens more

injured. attack marks 10 months since the beginning of moscow's invasion. also coming up. the tell about order or non governmental organizations to stop employing women in afghanistan. the decision comes just days after a ban on women attending universe. ah, i'm anthony howard. welcome to the program and merry christmas. we begin in g crying today where this year's festive season is being defined by a war of russian strike in the southern city of hair, san killed at least 10 people, and wound and dozens of others on saturday. the city has been the target of constant russian shilling since ukrainian troops regained control of it last month . and just a word of caution. you might find the images in our next report,

disturbing hassan's city center on christmas eve. normally at this time of year, this square would be bustling with activity. this year, a russian missile has left the streets, strewn with bodies and blood, and distraught, loved ones left behind. lulu here or where will you or no answer. 0, one of the people killed was selling me to the market. worried? well, he just went out on the stairs to have a smoke. was blood there. we were preferred, but we just dragged him here. he was dead. you article fall from north lou. president zalinski says there are no military facilities in the area.

he accused moscow of simply killing for pleasure. russia denies targeting civilians but it does admit to targeting ukraine's energy infrastructure for months that the power grid has been battered by attacks that have exposed millions of civilians to bitterly cold temperatures. it's a gloomy christmas eve in ukraine this year. russia says it has no plans for a cease fire during the holidays. as people across the world get ready to celebrate ukrainians are still fighting for their survival. so let's crossteck even speak to the 2nd petticoat faced the former ukrainian deputy minister of justice and is now a law electra at the national university of keybo. welcome to you, sir. what could be the strategic reason for russia? the launch strikes on the southern ukrainian city of hassan at this time. well, russia is,

it's our estate and breathes worthy of the snake. there's no big strategy behind that except for to rise in the population. they cannot win this war and a conventional sense. and they are lacking a me sales long range me sales that they are using sparingly to target the electric greet of ukraine. but they have an awful, the conventional artillery that they're using along the form line wherever they can . she not only twice with this war, but unfortunately to target the civilian population. before when they was stationed in her song, they were shooting all over michel life and on the big city that is less than 60 kilometers away. now that they've been pushed on the other side of ne pro, they are shooting her song repeatedly almost every day. so this is just a terrorist tactics. trying to scare the training population into submission. the

kremlin claimed on friday that significant progress had been made toward the goal of dean millet horizon. ukraine. is this solid evidence for this? just like any other policy, all the kremlin that they've been announcing when starting the sward, these of course failed. i mean, it's quite contrary because the ukraine has got the, you know, the best western ah, and weapons that we needed at the beginning of this war. and i constantly replacing the old soviet weapons would be more ah, newer native centers weapons. so in reality, in response to this russian aggression, the ukrainian military has gotten stronger, ah, more, ah, more, better equipped, and a more up to date with the, with the requirements of today's wars. so russia failed in that just like in any other policy that they've been the fairy president zalinski mac 10 months since the start of the war with

a fiery and defiant speech. how do you judge the collective determination of the crimean people did? i? did they share the president's will to keep defying russia? absolutely. i mean, yeah, people are just more and more getting angry with russia. and the, you know, as a result of those bob indiscriminate attacks on the power agreed. people stay a church this christmas without lights in many places without heating, sometimes without water. and these did not stop us for him, but he's wanting to win this war. this only made us more determined average and the more supportive of our armed forces to get picked up in chief. thank you so much. thank you. the taliban have ordered all foreign and domestic humanitarian organizations in afghanistan to stop employing women. they said they made the decision after complaints that some female employees were not observing.

conservative islamic dress, the ban is the latest blow to women's rights in the country. coming just days after the taliban bod women from attending universities. the taliban, i trying to release them from public life. but at diamond i fighting back. not letting the taliban crash a dream in this alley, them in protesting for the right to university education were dispersed with water cannon. you know, you need not gaining any weapons that taliban forced us to come to the street, and then they use war to cannons on us. we all got drenched, and many got fell down dest scared of her voice. if and don't have any other weapons, we want our rights. i read on it the taliban,

a thought on women's rights shows no sign of stopping. women humana didn't book of i desperately needed in poverty stricken afghanistan. now they're being told to stay home. the u. n. s one against him hitting the minstrel in the humanitarian victory. effective measuring assistance relies on this meaningful participation of learning, as they stated. and we cannot overstate the importance of their capacities, insight, and ability to reach women and girls across the country. despite wild bite condemnation, that taliban are not going down to the pressure and a closing dose to any meaningful engagement. okay, tom, now that like look at some of the other stories making headlines around the world. the cell, the chinese national health commission says it will no longer publish daily cove 19 case figures from sunday. it comes as many reports claim some 248000000 people were

infected with the corona vars. during the 1st weeks of december. bloomberg and the financial times cited figures from a leaked government document members of the kurdish community have again clashed with police in paris. they, after 3 curds, was shot and killed a gun and opened fire at a kurdish cultural center and a nearby hefa friday. and what police say was a racist attack. a massive winter storm has triggered blizzards, freezing, rain, and flooding. in many areas of the united states and canada. the extreme weather has led to power outages for nearly 2000000 homes and businesses disrupting travel plans of millions of people. authority say at least 17 people have died as a result of the storm. ah, it's a white christmas match of north america. in fact, it's the complete white house, blizzards like these

a hammering many areas of the united states and canada. a boiler person snow has been piling up from coast to coast with freezing wind, sending temperatures plunging. a massive storm coming at one of the busiest travel times of the year leading to the cancellation or delay of thousands of flights. no, it's not. is it i'm delayed here because of the grades is thought. well boy i, i just saw that has been flooded. so it's not the right time for me to get to know we've not been on the visit, i thought, but the thing that i'm bringing over it will come down for those who did make it to the destination. it wasn't always a smooth, right? so this is what i woke up to you know, i live in addition to the snow in ice flooding his head some regions. the storm is being caused by a so called bomb sigh,

cloned with atmospheric pressure dropping very quickly. the very low temperature is affecting much of the country a forecast to remain in the coming days with much of the us staying well below freezing and they have been fatalities due to exposure. i see car crashes and other effects of the storm. again, the flesh freeze in the ice roads are not going anywhere soon. this is going to be an event. it's going to continue through the weekend. and windshields are going to be absolutely bone chilling. that's why this is a life threatening event. the big chill is it to stick around for a freezing feast of season across much of north america before a return to calmer and more season a wither next week. else christmas day to day and sat has been busy preparing to bring festive joy to the children of lebanon. they

w spoke with johnny, how want known as the good center of beirut, johnny, how one takes christmas very seriously. every year for march onwards, he lets his glossy black beard crow and then he widens it in december. he loves to be santa, for the local children. to me, this is the most wonderful time of the year. her giving me her happiness and joy, dinos, and return, i would like to give her. the ceiling does happiness to the children and the people whose amid johnny has devoted his free time to making people's mind for more than a decade. his barber descent us little helper interest, warming the i t worker into a convincing father christmas. this is the 1st of the team. i have to reach my via my eyes and my head. i have to do it between 5 to 7 time to reach the

perfect life. so i can be the center each time john, he has to cover his head with aluminum foil and brief throat. oh, oh. don't me in the life in the devastating explosion 2 years ago at the port of fatal. despite the tragedy, he remains full of hope. but things in lebanon have got a lot worse since them. just like johnny, the vast majority of the when you are living in extremely hard conditions, the country is facing the worst economy crisis more than 3 decades. and recording the 2nd highest inflation in the world with the absence of basic public services like water and electricity. but christmas has always been

a big occasion in lebanon with christians and muslims live together. this is how she cannot use our christmas is all about giant happiness. it is full of color and life and much needed in these hard times. how should adam? hi, this little bill bernard meadow for at long christmas makes people happy, i say gather and celebrate together with bellagio at home on a sub is emma. this is michael at united people from all religions. it's joyful, just like they moved without bombay to it. you know, the situation in lebanon is not that her disabled, but we're here to give her to the people and to tell them that we're saying 11 on we're not leaving. this is johnny 1st event of the year. at santa his aim is to help me roots children to forget the troubles and have fun shooting the festive season. oh, the po francis has led the traditional christmas eve mass at the vatican in rome.

he said that the level of greed and hunger for power at the expense of the vulnerable was such that some wanted to quote, consume even the neighbors. general frances delivered his message to around 7000 followers, including tourists near and over him soiling at some. it is priscilla county for soaking service was centered on re discovering the meaning of christmas and to remember those suffering from war and poverty. and that's all for now up. next reporter looks of the challenges of parenting while blind. that story coming up. after a short break, i'm anthony out of the back of the top of the hour with another but