here in the uk, 2022 saw the highest number of excess deaths outside the covid pandemic in half a century. and france tries again to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. it s an unpopular reform that didn t go well last time it tried. we ll be live in paris. we start in ukraine. president volodymyr zelensky has said ukraine s army is facing an extremely difficult situation as fighting continues in the eastern donbas region. the focus is the salt mining town of soledar. the uk defence ministry says it s likely that russian forces including wagner group mercenaries now control most of the town. we ll be taking a look at why it s become central to this conflict. but first, here s president zelensky. translation: and what did russia want to win there? i everything is completely destroyed. there was almost no life left. thousands of their people are gone, the whole land in soledar is covered with the corpses of the invaders and scarred from the strikes. this is what madness loo
russian domestic audience as a major setback for russian domestic audience as a major setback for ukraine at a major victory setback for ukraine at a major victory for setback for ukraine at a major victory for russia if russia does manage victory for russia if russia does manage to make this advance. presumably this is a story that state tv would rather tell rather than the new year s they attack where russia admits than well over 80 people died. where russia admits than well over 80 people died- 80 people died. that s exactly riaht. 80 people died. that s exactly right. russian 80 people died. that s exactly right. russian state 80 people died. that s exactly right. russian state tv - 80 people died. that s exactly right. russian state tv does i 80 people died. that s exactly i right. russian state tv does not like talking about russia s own setbacks like talking about russia s own setbacks unless it has to. it always makes setbacks unless it has to. it always makes a