This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Jeanette Jalil and in the early hours of Monday the 6th of January, these are our main stories.

A fierce storm is causing disruption to large swathes of the United States.

The Kremlin says its troops are battling a renewed offensive by Ukrainian forces in the Russian region of Kursk.

The president of Austria has said he'll meet the far-right leader of the Freedom Party

after coalition talks between more moderate politicians collapsed.

Also in this podcast...

To see something beautiful come out of an area that has had such misery

is something that I think is is a testimony to the human spirit how prisoners in an

American high security jail are trying to find redemption through singing.

As we record this podcast, much of the US is on high alert as a huge winter storm that could bring the heaviest snowfall and coldest temperatures in over a decade is affecting tens

of millions of people. Thousands of flights have been delayed or cancelled,

with driving conditions described in some places as dangerous or impossible.

Weather alerts have been issued across 30 states,

with a state of emergency being declared in Kentucky, Virginia, Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri.

The weather has been dominating national and local TV and radio news.

Here's what CBS, the BBC's partner station, was broadcasting.

Tonight, a massive winter storm is expected to bring heavy snow, ice and bitter cold to

large parts of this country. 50 million people

are in the storm's path. Our correspondent in Washington is Rowan Bridge. You are talking about

potentially some of the worst weather parts of the United States have seen in a decade. I think the fact

that you've got five states that have declared a state of emergency,

...