jonathan beale, bbc news, pokrovsk. in ukraine will vernon has the latest on the conflict. things aren't going very well at all for ukraine. russia is advancing in the east of the country. in the last few days, they've seized a number of villages. they're getting closer to that strategic city of pokrovsk, as you heard in jonathan's report there. and russia is advancing pretty fast. last month, they seized an area roughly the size of london. at a huge cost, it must be said, but nonetheless, they are advancing. as well as that, night after night, ukrainian cities are being barraged by missiles, drones, guided bombs. russia has been targeting ukraine's energy infrastructure. it is bitterly cold here, and most of the power grid is damaged or destroyed. yesterday, there were emergency blackouts in kyiv, in dnipro, other ukrainian regions too, so that the ukrainians could try and repair some of that damaged infrastructure. look, the mood here is gloomy, right? ukrainians feel abandoned by the west, frankly. a few days ago, we

jonathan beale, bbc news, pokrovsk.live now to kyiv, where christmas mass is being celebrated at the cathedral of st nicholas. it's the second—oldest roman catholic church in the city, and was recently damaged following a nearby blast. you can see the candles and people standing at the church's interior. that happened during a widespread series of russian drone and missile strikes across ukraine. to give you a bit of context, catholics make up around ten percent of the population of ukraine — with most being members of the ukrainian greek catholic church. it is about seven minutes past five local time. a russian cargo ship has sunk in the mediterranean sea. this video, posted on social media, shows the ursa major listing off the coast of spain. the russian foreign ministry says the vessel sank after an explosion in its engine room. two of the 16 crew members are missing. the 14 survivors rescued have now arrived at the spanish port of cartagena on board a spanish coastguard vessel. the russian ship is reported to have b

pokrovsk, she says, will probably fall. are nowjust a few miles from where i'm standing. and it's notjust the physical destruction of the city that you can see all around me. explosion in background. ukraine also accuses russia of trying to erase its cultural identity too. music: carol of the bells. this familiar tune, known as the carol of the bells, or shchedryk in ukraine, was composed by mykola leontovych. this is where he worked as a music teacher in pokrovsk. a plaque now the only reminder. the hasych family fled pokrovsk this summer. they are now shocked at the scale of devastation. mum yulia says it makes her want to cry. but she isn't letting her daughters forget home or the signature song of their city. piano plays carol of the bells. translation: when i played it at home, it seemed happy. - it reminded me of winter and christmas. now it's more of a sad song to me because it reminds me of home and i really want to go back. but for one ukrainian military band, it's also become a song to inspire resistance. they are

jonathan beale, bbc news, pokrovsk.rowing columns of lava into the air. these live pictures are coming to us from kilauea on hawaii's big island. officials say there is no immediate danger to residents but warned that volcanic smog could reach inhabited areas downwind. this is the second time the volcano has erupted this year. the north american aerospace command says they have repositioned its radars and satellites to track santa claus as he continues his worldwide mission to deliver presents to children around the globe. while he has already delivered joy and presents here in singapore and across most of the world, he still has a few stops to go. right now, santa is heading for delware, so if you are watching, you better to get to bed quick. that's all for now. stay with bbc news. hello. well, it's so mild, i don't think we're going to even see a flake of snow falling on the highest peaks of the highlands. it's just such a warm atmosphere over us right now, streaming in from the southern climes. christmas day will be

jonathan beale, bbc news, pokrovsk.political landscape remains charged with tension, heavily shaped by the legal battles surrounding interim leader and nobel laureate dr muhammad yunus. there have been intense opposition protests, government crackdowns and widespread calls for faster electoral reforms. now, just days before the end of the year, bangladesh has formally asked india to send back the former prime minister, sheikh hasina, to face charges of her own. ms hasina fled to india after massive anti—government protests in august. i've been speaking to farwa aamer, director of south asia initiatives at the asia society policy institute. it is a very important relationship for bangladesh, do you see it improving? as you pointed out the relationship has been an extremely important one and especially during years of sheikh hasina the relationship was flourishing but ever since august 05, there has been a strain and it is quite evident through the kind of concerns that have erupted throughout the last few months and its

to mark its third christmas since russia's invasion, russian forces are closing in on the city of pokrovska strategic military hub. a record—smashing "kiss of the sun", as nasa's solar probe makes history, with the closest ever approach to the star. now on bbc news, the sweet divide. i'm a little bit paranoid about what my children eat, and i started looking at labels and was shocked to discover how much sugar there was. this is not nutrition. i did feed her cerelac first because, um, it's convenient. it suits our budget. they provide same nutrients as the original fruits and vegetables. starting these babies so young on this level of sugar, it's mind—boggling. i will say that categorically, this is one of the healthiest food, complementary foods, you can introduce to your baby. people in southeast asia are getting richer. the region is home to a young and dynamic population... ..who are working hard to make ends meet. as a result, lifestyles are transforming and parents are increasingly choosing convenience to feed their babies. big business has been quick to jump on trends, selling ready

they're closing in on the strategic city of pokrovsk.dibly difficult, indeed. it's interesting that city of pokrovsk, president zelensky mentioned it in his christmas message last night, because there was a famous ukrainian composer from there that composed a christmas song that many of us know very well, carol of the bells. and president zelensky said that when people listen to that song this year, they should remember ukraine. now, to a developing story from kazakhstan, where many people are feared dead after a passenger plane with nearly 70 people on board crashed in the south—west of the country. at least 32 survivors have been taken to hospital. this dramatic footage shows the plane falling towards the ground, followed by a large explosion as it hits the ground. footage shows some of the survivors being led away from the wreckage. we've had more video coming through in the past hour. the plane, operated by azerbaijan airlines, went down near the city of aktau. the flight was travelling from the azeri capital baku to grozny in russia

this is where he worked as a music teacher in pokrovsk. this family fled pokrovsk this summer.w shocked at the scale of devastation. she says it makes her want to cry. but she is not letting her daughters forget home, or the signature song of their city. ♪ >> when i played it at home, it seemed happy, reminded me of winter and christmas. now, it is more of a sad song to me, because it reminds me of home, and i really want to go back. >> but for one ukrainian military band, it has also become a song to inspire the citizens. they are even taking it to the trenches. with weapons as improvised instruments. i will visit any brigade and perform ukrainian songs with any weapon. it lifts the spirits, cheers of the guys, inspires them to fight. shchedryk shows that ukraine is a civilized civilization now at war, fighting for its identity. >> four ukraine, there is a special significance to this tune this christmas. russia may be able to destroy its towns and cities, but it cannot erase ukraine's separate identity or its past. >> chris around the world and as the u.k., this is bbc news.

they're closing in on the strategic city of pokrovsk.or ukrainian forces is incredibly difficult, indeed. it's interesting that that city of pokrovsk president zelensky mentioned it in his christmas message last night, because there was a famous ukrainian composer from there that composed a christmas song that many of us know very well, carol of the bells. and president zelensky said that when people listen to that song this year, they should remember ukraine. here in the uk, king charles is expected to refer to his own cancer treatment during his traditional christmas message later today. in the past few minutes we saw this footage of king charles and camilla at sandringham. the royal family are expected to attend church at sandringham this morning , but prince andrew will not bejoining them. this is the scene live, so many people waiting, as they do every christmas morning, to see them attend. prince andrew, a notable absence, though. our correspondent charlotte gallagher at sandringham has more. hundreds of people are here now to see

they're closing in on the strategic city of pokrovsk.sky mentioned it in his christmas message last night, because there was a famous ukrainian composer from there that composed a christmas song that many of us know very well, carol of the bells. and president zelensky said that when people listen to that song this year, they should remember ukraine. will verne in kyiv. —— will vernon. usually, at christmas there would be no rooms available in bethlehem, which christians believe to be the birthplace ofjesus christ. but for the second year running, the streets are nearly empty as tourists are mostly staying away and public festivities have been cancelled because of the gaza war. here's our middle east correspondent, yolande knell. the little town of bethlehem. this is the nativity church, built on the spot where it's believed jesus was born, and christmas began. but this christmas, for local palestinian christians, festivities are muted. public celebrations have been cancelled because of the gaza war. usually, the saint nicholas feast wou

mark the third christmas since russia's invasion, we bring you a special report from the city of pokrovskcity that you can see all around me, ukraine also accuses russia of trying to erase its cultural identity. live pictures of bethlehem, where muted christmas celebrations take place this year, as the war in the region rages on. a nasa spacecraft hurtling towards the sun is poised to make history, with the closest approach ever to the star. hello.

they are closing in on the key strategic town of pokrovsk. so, the mood here is not good. with donald trump due to enter the white house in just a few weeks, next year is proving to be a pretty difficult and challenging year for ukraine, potentially. ukraine is home to nearly 50,000 jews and kyiv is home to europe's largest menorah, which was lit to mark the first day of hannukah. volodymyr zelensky, who is the country's first ever jewish president, welcomed a delegation of rabbis to the presidential palace on wednesday, who presented him with a menorah of his own. this is ukraine's third holiday season since vladimir putin's full—scale invasion, and arguably its bleakest. this year saw russia capture or retake nearly 2500 square kilometres of territory, that's 900 square miles, in eastern ukraine and in russia's western kursk region. and the destruction of the country's energy infrastructure means many have been spending winter in the dark. the celebrated war photographer tom lewendon has been travelling ukraine from west to east this december, documenting this deeply unc

mark its third christmas since russia's invasion, we bring you a special report from the city of pokrovskictures of bethlehem, where muted christmas celebrations take place this year, as the war in the middle east rages on. and a record—smashing kiss of the sun, as nasa's solar probe makes history with the closest ever approach to the star. and ahead of her carol service at westminster abbey, which airs tonight, catherine also encouraged the world to turn to love, not fear.

mark the third christmas since russia's invasion, we bring you a special report from the city of pokrovskcity that you can see all around me, ukraine also accuses russia of trying to erase its cultural identity. live pictures of bethlehem where muted christmas celebrations take place this year, as the war in the region rages on. nasa spacecraft hurtling towards the sun is poised to make history, with the closest approach ever to the star. hello. welcome. ukrainians are marking their third christmas since the russian invasion, with putin's forces

mark the third christmas since russia's invasion, we bring you a special report from the city of pokrovskt the physical destruction of the city that you can see all around me, ukraine also accuses russia of trying to erase its cultural identity. muted christmas celebrations in bethlehem this year, as the war in the region rages on. a nasa spacecraft hurtling towards the sun is poised to make history, with the closest approach ever to the star. these are the pictures live over hawaii's big island as kilauea volcano erupts. but there are no immediate threats to infrastructure.

to mark its third christmas since russia's invasion, russian forces are closing in on the city of pokrovska strategic military hub. and a record—smashing "kiss of the sun", as nasa's solar probe makes history, with the closest ever approach to the star. it's been a five—year wait, but the very last episode of the hit bbc comedy gavin and stacey will finally air tomorrow evening here in the uk. the cast filmed the final scenes in wales over the last few months, and our entertainment correspondent colin paterson was given special access. it really sort of can't carry on after this. it just can't. it's full of love and fun, and i hope it will be a really nice christmas present for people. and action! the beard is applied hair by hair. tell us where we are, ruth. we are in the glorious makeup truck, which is a little haven. so how many tattoos do you have to get done a day? normally, just two. so i have this one, the dragon one. a new one for the last christmas special was the neil the baby tattoo. it's got his date of birth on there, which is oh—8, oh—8, oh—8. playback! 0h, james corden. how

mark the third christmas since russia's invasion, we bring you a special report from the city of pokrovskcultural identity. live pictures of bethlehem, where muted christmas celebrations take place this year, as the war in the region rages on. and a nasa spacecraft hurtling towards the sun is poised to make history, with the closest approach ever to the star.

he faced heavy criticism for failing to stop recent russian advances on the key city of pokrovsk.a has seen some of the most intense fighting on the eastern front for months, as russian forces inch closer to the city cyclone chido turned deadly as it whipped through the french territory of mayotte in the indian ocean. officials say it's killed several people and is causing the worst storm devastation in the islands since 1934. france's new prime minister, francois bayrou, said public facilities have been severely damaged or destroyed, including the hospital and the airport. footage from social media shows winds in excess of 200km/h ravaging through houses with heavy rain forcing residents to stay in solid shelters. officials say emergency services have been mobilized, ready to launch rescue missions once the worst of the storm passes staying on weather for the first time ever, a tornado warning was issued for downtown san francisco on saturday. the national weather service confirms a tornado did not actually hit the area, but the damage left behind is consistent with an 80 mile pe

he faced heavy criticism for failing to stop recent russian advances on the key city of pokrovsk. area has seen some of the most intense fighting on the eastern front for months, as russian forces inch closer to the city. russian president vladimir putin has sent kim jong un a collection of exotic zoo animals. apparently, it's a thank you for providing thousands of north korean troops to bolster moscow's war on ukraine. as our will, ripley reports. kim has been handing out the presents to. >> from the belly of a hulking russian cargo plane crate after crate of exotic animals from the moscow zoo, a gift from russian president vladimir putin to north korean leader kim jong un. arriving in his capital pyongyang. the flight from moscow, nearly nine hours, russian state media says the animals include an african lion, two brown bears, two domestic yaks, five white cockatoos, 25 assorted pheasants and 40 mandarin ducks. their new home, pyongyang's central zoo. do you think he wants to be petted? i took this video at the zoo in 2016 when putin gave kim a pair of siberian tigers. they've b

in ukraine, officials say russian forces are moving closer to the eastern city of pokrovsk. top military commander says fighting there is extremely intense, and that the russians are just a few miles from the key rail and road hub for ukraine's army. in brussels, nato chief mark rutte said european nations need to shift to a wartime mindset and boost defense spending to address the threat from russia. >> the security tuation does not look good. it's undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime, and i suspect in yours too. what is happening in ukraine could happen here, too. and regardless of the outcome of this war, we will not be safe in the future unless we are prepared to deal with danger. stephanie: later in the day, the biden administration announced a 500 million dollar weapons package for ukraine that includes high mobility artillery rocket systems. in south korea, president yoon suk yeol is doubling down on his martial law degree that prompted hundreds of protesters to clash with police outside yoon's residence. they're calling for him to step down a sentiment echoed by , me

advances in the region in recent weeks, russian forces have come within two miles of the city of pokrovsk, which is an important transportation hub for ukraine. losing the city would mark one of the largest setbacks for ukrainian forces in months and new. this afternoon, israel approving a plan to expand settlements in the occupied golan heights. israel began moving further into the long standing buffer zone with syria, as the assad regime fell and troops left the area. saudi arabia and qatar are among the countries condemning the move. qatar calling it a, quote, now blatant violation of international law. and it has been a week since assad was forced out of syria, and many people are now beginning their search for loved ones who went missing during his brutal regime. cnn's clarissa ward visited a morgue in the capital of damascus, where the bodies left behind reveal signs of cruelty inflicted by the assad regime. and we should warn our viewers that you may find the following report disturbing. >> a woman wails on the floor of the mujtahid hospital my mother, she's been missing for 14 yea

in ukraine, officials say russian forces are moving closer to the eastern city of pokrovsk. military commander says fighting there is extremely intense, and that the russians are just a few miles from the key rail and road hub for ukraine's army. meantime in brussels, nato chief mark rutte said european nations need to shift to a wartime mindset, and boost their defense spending, to address the threat from russia. >> the security situation does not look good. it's undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime, and i suspect in yours, too. what is happening in ukraine could happen here, too. and regardless of the outcome of this war, we will not be safe in the future unless we are prepared to deal with danger. geoff: his comments come amid broader uncertainty over how incoming president donald trump will approach the alliance, and its commitment to ukraine's war effort. in south korea, president yoon suk yeol is doubling down on his martial law decree. in a televised address today, he called his actions an act of governance against criminal groups and vowed to fight to the end. his co

the fears are specifically on the eastern front for the town of pokrovsk, once again under a great deal of pressure as russian advances appear to be pressing home their advantage france has a new prime minister. >> outgoing pm michel barnier introduced his replacement, francois bayrou. he was just named as the nation's fourth pm this year by president emmanuel macron. bayrou's predecessor lost a vote of non-confidence after proposing a budget that would have increased taxes. parties on the left and right united to force him to resign. bayrou will try to rein in a deficit that is expected to mushroom to 6% of gdp by the close of the year. up next, the woman who shocked the u.s. nearly 20 years ago by accusing three duke university lacrosse players of raping her, shocked the country again by recanting. >> barbara starr luther. never too much new year's day at eight on cnn. >> i don't know about y'all, but when it comes to working from home, i got to have every part of my house clean. that means tidying up, then spraying my febreeze air mist to leave every room smelling fresh and clean. wi

be a very difficult time for the ukrainians because right, in this particular area, the town of pokrovskright at the basically the junction of the eastern and southern fronts for the ukrainians, the russians are making some progress. so this is putting pressure on the eastern front and basically the southern front. so areas that potentially are threatened are the city of zaporizhzhia. there's always a threat to kharkiv, which is the second largest city for the ukrainians. and of course, with kyiv being attacked. and this is the aftermath of the latest attack where one person was killed. that is something that becomes a critical factor, because when you look at the broader map, you see that there are going to be a lot of possibilities where the russians are going to try to keep this territory, and they're going to try to get the ukrainians out of this area right here. and when we go into more detailed map, this shows where the ukrainians have russian territory. they're going to use that as leverage to try to get some of their territory back. on the larger map right here. and if they can g

it seems every day they're getting very close to the strategic city of pokrovsk, which is a crossroads for logistics. so time is not on ukrainian side. and at the same time, they know that donald trump's coming into office in 4 or 5 weeks. and it's unclear what's going to happen then. >> you talked about drones in ukraine and moscow. can i talk about drones in the united states? obviously, you've been following what's happening here. john kirby came on last night and said that they've really gone through this, and they believe the administration does that. most of these drones are really lawfully flown drones, airplanes. there might be 100 or so cases they're trying to track down. they're still not sure what they are. you were secretary of defense. there's been a lot of speculation that some of the things people are seeing in the sky might be u.s. drones, some kind of military drone, some kind of top secret operation, or maybe not even top secret. are you aware of any any, you know, system in place that would have military drones flying in such large numbers? >> well, if it was top sec

of the country, they are closing in on the keys are closing in on the keys or she chick town of pokrovskh donald trump due to enter the white house injust a few trump due to enter the white house in just a few weeks, next year is proving to be a pretty difficult and challenging year for ukraine, potentially. challenging year for ukraine, potentially-— challenging year for ukraine, otentiall . ~ ., potentially. 0k, will vernon there in k iv, potentially. ok, will vernon there in kyiv. thank— potentially. 0k, will vernon there in kyiv, thank you _ potentially. 0k, will vernon there in kyiv, thank you so _ potentially. 0k, will vernon there in kyiv, thank you so much. - ukraine is home to nearly 50,000 jews, and kyiv is home to europe's largest menorah, which was lit to mark the first day of hannukah. volodymyr zelensky, who is the country's first everjewish president, welcomed a delegation of rabbis to the presidential palace on wednesday, who presented him with a menorah of his own. this is ukraine's third holiday season since vladimir putin's full—scale invasion, and arguably its bleakes