this is bbc news. our top stories: in the us, heavy snowfall dampens wildfires in colorado as residents criticise evacuation plans and get a first look at devastation. families immobilised without any warning and we all got safely out of town, and that is a christmas miracle. i know families that have lost everything. as the world welcomes a new year, london puts on a surprise in the skies. lasers and fireworks mark the start of 2022, celebrations kept secret to deter the crowds.