and a consultation on new limits to stakes for the digital version of slot machines. our culture editor katie razzall reports. the beautiful game and gambling are intertwined. 0nline betting is embedded in our sporting culture, a transformation since the last major changes to gambling laws and a subject that divides opinion. if i want to spend a tenner on a football game, that is down to me it s my preference, i know how much i earn and how much i got left so it should be up to me, not the government. all the things on the big screens inside grounds advertising gambling are making people poorer and companies richer. i don t think it s an issue, - gambling, unless you re an addict. smartphones can be a casino in your pocket and the law to catch up under the government planned a statutory levy or charge and gambling firms to pay for nhs education, treatment and research, and they will consult on two types of checks. the plans for the younger people but there are no plans to tig
russia says it is suspending its participation in an internationally brokered deal to allow grain exports from ukraine. the announcement was in response to what the russian army called a massive ukrainian drone attack on russian ships in occupied crimea. ukraine has called that a false pretext for blocking the grain corridor. earlier, the un secretary general urged all parties to renew the deal on ukrainian grain exports, which was due to expire next month. before the deal was in place, blockages led to food supply issues globally. joining us from dnipro in central ukraine is our correspondent james waterhouse. james, what have the russians been saying? james, what have the russians been sa inc? ~ , james, what have the russians been sa in: ? ~ , ., ., james, what have the russians been sa in? ~ ,., ., ., saying? well, there is a lot going on here, saying? well, there is a lot going on here. but saying? well, there is a lot going on here, but they saying? well, there is
are among four people to die in a helicopter crash on australia s gold coast three others are critically injured. brazil s new presidentjoins thousands of mourners paying their respects to football legend pele at the santos stadium. and coming up, we ve been talking to a guide dogs charity that s recruiting for more volunteers to tackle a shortage of trainers. that afternoon and welcome to the bbc news channel. good afternoon and welcome to the bbc news channel. downing street has admitted that the nhs is facing an unprecedented challenge but insists the government is doing everything possible to ease pressure. senior doctors have spoken of the unsustainable pressure facing the nhs with some a&es described as being in a complete state of crisis . labour criticised the government s management of the health service, while the liberal democrats called for parliament to be recalled early. here s our health correspondent katharine da costa. receiving. this isn t the first
mass from st peter s. hello and welcome to bbc news. an icy blast is affecting nearly 250 million people in the us and canada, as one of the most severe winter storms in living memory takes hold with snow blizzards, strong winds and freezing temperatures. at least 19 people have died. more than 1.5 million american households and businesses are without electricity, and thousands of flights have been cancelled. the us state of montana registered a record breaking low of minus 45 celsius. nomia iqbal reports. for much of america, this is the coldest christmas eve. millions of them had plans to get away for the holidays. but the powerful bomb cyclone has thrown everything into chaos, causing car accidents, destroying power lines, leaving millions without electricity. the warning is, don t travel unless you need to. don t travel under these conditions unless you have to. because anything can happen at any moment, and you ve got to be on your toes. some places like new york have