oh, to share the meal, you can share your no with children, with just $0.50 and a tap on your smartphone. together we can end global hunger please dumb of the ah ah, you're watching the w news live from berlin. an exodus from the liberated ukrainian city of her song as it faces a blistering onslaught of russian shelling. some people are deciding not to risk becoming the wars next casualties shall the death toll from north america swarm of the century, rises as people in heart hit buffalo, new york,

and dig their way out. some of the dead are found frozen in vehicles and snow banks . and concerns grows over the help of former pope benedict. the 16th the vatican says he's very unwell. the german born benedict was the 1st pontiff to retire in 600 years when he stood down in 2013. ah, hello, i'm clear richardson of our warm welcome to the show when ukrainian troops pushed russian occupiers out of her san this november there were scenes of celebration ot, in recent weeks, the southern ukrainian city has become the target of intensifying russian attacks. ukraine's military says russia fired $33.00 rockets at civilian target in the 24 hours going into wednesday. many civilians are fleeing as russian forces pound populated areas with mortars artillery yes, own. as

a city slowly, being reduced to rubble. key says moscow is deploying more tanks and armored vehicles to the area and further stepping up its arrow bombardment of the city. people here if all ready seem more that their fair share of this brutal war. yes. that in recent days and nights things have become even worse. you know, a deal with you. yes. this woman says she lost her son and an overnight rate for the children. the room and i must have felt that something would go wrong in the morning because i urged him to wake up and leave the house. but he didn't. that was a lives a ruined race. both rushes written into shelling is destroying hassan's critical infrastructure and taking a massive toll on civilian life. a motor attack on christmas eve killed 11 people

and injured dozens more among the dead. a social worker, a butcher, and a woman selling mobile sim cards. every day civilians at the cities central market . some who have held out here. now say they can't take it any longer. they getting out while they still can, this is really done. we stayed this whole time and thought it would pass. but when the home nix dwells and my father's home with it, it was too scary. just last month there was celebrates, received, and as soon as keith retook the regional centre. now it appears moscow was trying to retake it either that or simply raise it to the ground. but why is her son such a focus for the russian military right now with that question to marina my run, a postdoctoral researcher at the department of war studies, kings college london. obviously, her song was a slap into put in faith when the russian troops left her son and had to

switch to defensive positions along with near river. so obviously what russia's trying to do right now is on the one hand, they want to show that the ukranian forces cannot hold it and cannot protect the citizens living there. so they are basically trying to terrorize the population so that the people lose credibility and the power of the ukrainian forces on the one hand. on the other hand, it doesn't, it shouldn't be interpreted as russia is attempt to retain her phone. that would be strategically unwise. because they have quite solid defensive position along the river. and they just don't have the manpower right now. but what they're trying to do is to pin down ukrainian forces in person because they're real fighting is going on somewhere else around pock marked and the wrong sort. of in criminal, and that's basically the major forwards for the russians. and can you tell us more

about that heavy fighting that is continuing elsewhere in eastern ukraine? yes, absolutely. so there is a very important road connecting thought to and criminal, and the forces the ukrainian force has happened trying to make advances in that region after they have retaken mon. however, if they haven't been successful yet, and the russians are trying to defend their positions, because at the, the reason for that is a key region to go back to listen. johnson and several of the net which roger russians have taken. so that, that, that is the key part may be in an off itself. those 2 cities are not significant. but the basically provides the korean forces was a possibility to move and we take more territory. and another place is obviously more worthy of pmc. wagner is trying to take the city. so that's another kind of

symbolic city for russia. because when russia was true, its troops from is soon the only grouping that remained in that direction was walking and grouping in box. and what was the idea of taking back more to be able to advance, to work towards low balance, can chrome a course? so that has another kind of a not just strategic but also a political meaning. and what about the potential for diplomacy? how likely do you think i negotiated peace is at this stage, given the chrome one has now rejected a piece plan proposed by ukrainian present voters? lensky? i think right now it's quite difficult because we have seen the resolve of president lansky. he is not going to agree to russia's terms, and russia is keeping its terms as being pretty firm and saying basically we're are not going to withdraw forces. we're going to place a long game. and so to reach an agreement right now,

the and states are both states and visit envisage are so fundamentally different that there can be no agreement. the best scenario we can possibly hold for in order to stop the whole violence is to freeze the conflict then that would mean intervention that from turkey intervention from other anita members and from the united states to freeze the conflict and to reach some, some kind of sees fire, however, a peace agreement is not likely to happen anytime soon. when i thank you so much for taking the time to share that with us. that is dr. marina myron post doctoral researcher at the department of war studies college. lyndon thank you. well, clean up operations are underway in parts of the united states and canada, in the aftermath of what's being called the blizzard of the century. the winter storm has claimed over 50 lives across the us. with some people found frozen to death in vehicles or snow banks. buffalo in upstate new york bore the brunt of the

blizzard snow. plows have been working to clear the drifts and emergency workers have been going door to door to check on, residents were left without power. mm. a lighthouse encased in ice in across the continent. winter storm elliot has left striking scenes of beauty in its wake and frightening scenes of devastation, radio. my current state and military police have been called into the hard hit city of buffalo to ensure drivers keep off the roads. a driving ban had been issued earlier, but some was still found dead in their cars. so i won't be boiler standard log. roads that are completely blocked right now that have no access whatsoever. and people are trying to drive into on these roads or trying to get to these neighborhoods and they can't please,

please your the mayor bag. i'm begging stay whole. the storm has also cause chaos for travelers during the holiday season. popular budget carriers, southwest airlines cancelled more than 10000 scheduled flight, leaving passengers surrounded and scrambling to find love's luggage to for your porch to her wine. 3 days late as residence. try and dig their homes out from the snow or store. it is a warning that more bad weather may be on its way rain and a wretched rising temperature or in the forecasts which could cause flooding. it's been called the blizzard of the century and will certainly be remembered here for a long time. we can bring you up to speed now with some other world news headlines

. iranian chess players, ira had m, has taken part in an international tournament in kazakhstan without wearing a had job. the move contra, these were countries strict dress code for women laws enforcing mandatory head coverings have become a flash point during a recent wave of anti regime protests in iran. italy has imposed mandatory cove at 19 tests for travelers arriving from china, joins a growing number of countries worried about a surgeon infections after beijing east corona virus restrictions, including for tourism abroad, goofy and ethiopian airlines has resumed flights of the rebel held region of to grey allowing some families to reunite after almost 18 mommy's. if all is a visit by an ethiopian government delegation to the area on tuesday. it was the 1st such trip since a piece deal was signed last month. aimed at ending a brutal 2 year conflict. what was happening while the vatican has confirmed that the health of former pope benedict is deteriorating ho francis has visited his

predecessor and described him as very sick. he spokespersons said benedict, his receiving a round, the clock medical attention. the 95 year old former pontiff has been almost entirely out of the public eye. in recent years, benedict was born in germany as joseph or that singer. he sat down as pontiff in 2013 due to declining health and was succeeded by francis curricular cookie. boy, you know that i'd like to ask all of you for a special peru hoping for a meritus poke benedict, who in silence is sustaining the church. i remind you that he's very sick, he's in the seo, let's ask the load to comfort him and support him in his testimony of love to the church to the very end. let's get across to rome now and speak to the author and journalist philip whalen. philip, can you tell us more about the former pope's current condition

when it appears that he's suffering from respiratory problems and sources of told the main italian news agency, the decline in his condition began even before christmas. so there's a very great concern about his condition because he's 95 years old and was in very frail health. even before these new problems arrived, people gathering in saint peter's square this evening to pray for him and catholics are concerned by what's happening. now we've mentioned our former hope and it when he stepped down as pontiff and 2013 became the 1st pope to resign in 600 years. do you think that that has set any kind of precedent

when his successor francis has alluded to. ready precedent or numerous occasions bracing the po for his courage in deciding to step down the cause of his frail, declining health. ready already 10 years ago and frances himself said that he wouldn't rule out resigning as well. and if his own health declined, he's already deposited a letter of resignation in the vatican. ready so he's praised benedict for being a trailblazer in this matter. francis has visited his predecessor, the 2 of them though, differ on many issues. could you explain a bit how that affects the relationship between the 2?

when francis is often praised his predecessor, who is a very highly regarded. ready as a low june, francis has spoken of him as a saint and in nearly days he also said that it was good to have the merits around in the vicinity because it was like having a weiss grant that he could turn to. ready vice but over the years the relationship between the 2 man cool a little bit because benedict came to be seen as a beacon. ready for conservative church and people posed to francis is liberalizing reforms. so there was an impression that you had to rival courts next to one another in the vatican. clearly that has caused tension at

times, but francis has visited it on a regular basis and not so much recently while his health is being declining and the to obviously a friendly ended my one. thank you so much for that. that is author and journalist in rome, and that is your news update at this hour. thank you so much for watching and don't forget to continue with a life the universe.