welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore. i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: if at first you don't succeed... the hunt goes on for a new speaker of the us house of representatives. the abandoned city — we have a special report from bakhmut in eastern ukraine here fierce fighting has forced people to flee. pretty much every second year the sound of artillery fire. you can tell every minute that this is a city that is being intensely fought over. the european union is now recommending travel controls on visitors from china where covid infections have exploded. and feeling the impact of climate change — why countries in east asia and the pacific region

are among the worst affected. live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's 9:00 in the morning in singapore, and 8:00 in the evening in washington where the us house of representatives is about to reconvene to try again to resolve the state of deadlock after failing for a second day to elect a new speaker. republican kevin mccarthy has again come up short of the required number of votes after around twenty members on the right of his party refused to support him.

let's speak to our north america correspondent peter bowes now. no—one knows how long this process going to take, do we? we don't know, it could go on for a very long time, several days at least. what's been happening in the last few hours is after meeting all day and having three further votes during which kevin mccarthy failed to win the number necessary to become speaker, there was an adjournment of the house and during the past three orfour house and during the past three or four hours, house and during the past three orfour hours, the republicans and especially that group of about 20 republicans who are opposing kevin mccarthy have been meeting with him in private, so behind closed doors. theyjust emerged from that meeting and kevin mccarthy, speaking to reporters outside the room said that it was his view that there should not be any further votes tonight in the next few hours. indicated they were making progress but that no deal had been struck yet. of course the big question has been is there anything he can say to placate

those critics in his party who are opposing him as far as becoming speaker is concerned? indicated some progress was being made but it isn't a done deal yet. that's where we are right now, the house is reconvening, even though he says he doesn't want there to be a vote tonight, it remains to be seen what happens. find be a vote tonight, it remains to be seen what happens. and we should find _ to be seen what happens. and we should find out _ to be seen what happens. and we should find out pretty _ to be seen what happens. and we should find out pretty soon - to be seen what happens. and we should find out pretty soon but i should find out pretty soon but at what point does kevin mccarthy's position become indefensible, do you think, and he is forced to bow out of this race? i he is forced to bow out of this race? ~ , he is forced to bow out of this race? ~' , ., race? i think when there is a head of steam in _ race? i think when there is a head of steam in terms - race? i think when there is a head of steam in terms of. head of steam in terms of political pressure, perhaps pressure coming from both sides, that enough is enough, that kevin mccarthy, if he isn't making any progress, and he indicates he is making some progress with a group of twenty, but it isn't making any progress in the writing seems to be really on the wall, indications are that he would

have to step aside, he hasn't said by any means that he would do that yet, is in this fight it seems for the long—term but there are bigger concerns, the house isn't carrying out normal business now. those members of the house of representatives in fact are not members yet, they are members elect. they haven't even been sworn in so they can't do theirjobs, the committees can't be allocated and they can't then get on with the job of passing bills and making decisions... the job of passing bills and making decisions. . .- the job of passing bills and making decisions... peter, i had to cut — making decisions... peter, i had to cut you _ making decisions... peter, i had to cut you off _ making decisions... peter, i had to cut you off that - making decisions... peter, i had to cut you off that we i making decisions... peter, i. had to cut you off that we can cross live now to capitol hill and have a quick listen to what is going on there, the scene in washington. for what purpose does the gentleman from oklahoma city? adjourn until noon tomorrow. the _ adjourn until noon tomorrow. the question now occurs on the motion of the gentleman from oklahoma. those in favour say

0klahoma. those in favour say aye. those opposed, say no. (shouting). (snourme). chaos (shouting). chaos and confusion there, it certainly _ (shouting). chaos and confusion there, it certainly seems - (shouting). chaos and confusion there, it certainly seems to - (shouting). chaos and confusion there, it certainly seems to be - there, it certainly seems to be in washington. we can cross back now to peter. just watching what's been taking place now, what is your sense of the kind of mood? i place now, what is your sense of the kind of mood?- of the kind of mood? i think there is a — of the kind of mood? i think there is a frustrated - of the kind of mood? i think there is a frustrated mood l of the kind of mood? i think. there is a frustrated mood and at all. you could tell by that moved out to adjourn the proceedings until noon us eastern time tomorrow. clearly a large proportion in the house

were against that while many others were in favour and it wasn't clear to me and made they are still trying to figure it out, which way that boat actually goes, whether they are planning to adjourn now or indeed carry on throughout the evening. indeed carry on throughout the evenina. �* ., , indeed carry on throughout the evenina. 1, , ., ~ ,. evening. peter bowes, thank you fort in: evening. peter bowes, thank you for trying to make _ evening. peter bowes, thank you for trying to make sense - evening. peter bowes, thank you for trying to make sense of- evening. peter bowes, thank you for trying to make sense of all. for trying to make sense of all of this for us. we'll and certainly go back to those events in the us if they continue to take place on those developments there throughout the course of the day for you here on the bbc but for now, let's turn to ukraine. a ukrainian battlefield commander in the eastern town of bakhmut has told the bbc that the fighting there is ferocious. a us official has said russian forces have made incremental advances around the town, with mercenaries from the russian paramilitary wagner group heavily involved in the assault. the battle has been described as a �*meat grinder�* with high numbers of casualties on both sides. almost all of the city's 70 thousand occupants have fled.russia is working hard to capture bakhmut — in the hope it could lead to the fall of slovyansk and kramatorsk as well — the two most important cities in the donbas still under

ukrainian control. but ukrainian forces are holding firm. the bbc�*s yogita limaye reports from the city. munitons explode. this is what the merciless bombardment of a city looks like. munitions explode. and how it sounds. explosions echo. once a quiet place known for sparkling wine, bakhmut is now a byword for war, and ukraine's resistance. russia is using all its might to try and take this city. we drove past abandoned buildings. 90% of the people have fled. wolf this is what you can see everywhere in bakhmut , destruction.

0n the other side of the road you, can see apartment blocks that are completely destroyed. we're walking all over shards of glass, pretty much every second you hear the sound of artillery fire. you can tell every minute that this is a city that is being intensely fought over. and over the past few months of fierce battle, even though it's at an important road intersection, it is the symbolic importance of this fight that has become greater then its strategic location. bakhmut is the home anatoly has known all his life. we see him barely react when a shell lands a few hundred metres away. shell explodes. he's come to an aid centre, a lifeline for those still here. "why don't you leave?" we asked him.

translation: i have nowhere to go, i am alone. who would want to take an 86—year—old? here at least sometimes, when the soldiers throw away food orsoup, ifind it and eat it. and i get free bread. in my whole life, i've never seen anything like this. tetiana used to be a midwife before the war. now she's a volunteer. translation: | stay - because i'm needed here. of course i'm scared. i've been caught in shelling three times. i suffered a concussion. but what use would i be hiding in a basement? people stay for different reasons. munitions explode. the explosions don't stop, but no—one flinches. it's as if they've become numb. running from bombs every day, repeated trauma, without an end. this person told us she and her daughter live like mice, running out quickly

to get bread. walking to this centre for a bit of food is a risk they take to survive. 0utside, we met 0leksiy reva, the mayor of bakhmut. we can't show his location. "it is myjob, my life, my fate, to stay here. "i won't leave the people, and i trust that ukraine's "military won't allow my city to fall," he said. we went to see ukrainian defence, taken to a location we can't disclose. underground, to one of their command centres in the city. the heart of the military operation. fewjournalists have been here. this is a live feed from drones beyond the eastern edge of bakhmut, where russian forces are stationed.

the men here are trying to locate the target for an assault team that's just gone out. this commander told us this is the toughest battle he's ever fought. translation: we haven't seen enemy troops like this before. their soldiers openly advance under fire, even if they're littering the ground with their bodies, even if only 20 are left of their 60 men. it is very difficult to hold against such an invasion. a few weeks ago, we had to withdraw from the eastern approaches to the city to save our soldiers. they showed us this video, the east of the city on new year's morning under russian attack.

in the fields outside bakhmut, we see the daily grind to keep a hold on it. the winter makes it harder to camouflage guns and men. we watch them fire soviet—era weapons. soldiers tell us they work well and do the job, but modern equipment would help push through the deadlock on the ground. 0n the other end isn'tjust the russian military, there are also thousands of mercenaries from the private wagner group. they expect incoming fire, so we retreat to a bunker. why does it feel like it's deadlocked on the ground? "it's stuck for many reasons. "the winter makes it harder to use equipment. "we also have a shortage of weapons and ammunition," 21—year—old 0leksandr replies. back to positions they go. each side trying to wear the other down

in this battle of endurance. yogita limaye, bbc news, bakhmut. the european union is now recommending travel controls on visitors from china, where covid infections have exploded. the guidance includes passengers having a negative covid—i9 test before they depart from china, random tests on arrival, and wearing face masks on flights. they also want aircraft wastewater tested for the virus. it comes as the world health organisation accused officials there of understating the true impact the recent surge in covid i9 infections is having on the country's health system. professor yanzhong huang, a senior fellow for global health at the council on foreign relations told me how effective he thinks these travel restrictions will be. they may be —— they may be able

to delay the spread of the virus to europe but certainly ends not going to contain the spread. ends not going to contain the sread. ~ ~' ., . , spread. we know china when they were implementing _ spread. we know china when they were implementing zero - spread. we know china when they were implementing zero covid - were implementing zero covid measures, they forced the most draconian and strict policy for imported cases and it still didn't work and we imposed a ban on passages from south africa when 0micron was first reported, that didn't work. in this measure is also not necessary because we know the search in china expect the surge china because there is such a high, large number of immunologically naive population. we know that europe, despite the virus, it already preexisted on the continent so people have been learning to coexist with the

virus, and it's not going to cause a surge in the cases in my opinion. cause a surge in the cases in my opinion-— cause a surge in the cases in my opinion. professor, on the cases that. — my opinion. professor, on the cases that, we _ my opinion. professor, on the cases that, we heard - my opinion. professor, on the cases that, we heard from - my opinion. professor, on thej cases that, we heard from the who that it's come up with this morning, about the lack of transparency with debts and cases there. we were surprised by that? cases there. we were surprised b that? �* ., ,, by that? i'm not so surprised certainly. — by that? i'm not so surprised certainly, during _ by that? i'm not so surprised certainly, during zero - by that? i'm not so surprised certainly, during zero covid. | certainly, during zero covid. it's extremely low level of infections. , showcasing the superiority of the political system and now with the virus, unbridled in china, and the significant increase of the number so it would be difficult to justify the superiority of its political system but that

certainly what the reasoning is with the driving like this, this reporting, underreporting of the cases, especially the mortality number. i think capacity is also i think capacity is also another reason because they have dismantled the zero covid regime, they no longer have this mass pcr testing system to get the idea of how many people are infected, how many people die, but they don't have this, they have not popularised the antigen test to actually know the covid status of their people. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: a warning from the world bank. east asia and the pacific region could be especially vulnerable to climate change.

the japanese people are in mourning following the death of emperor hirohito. thousands converged on the imperial palace to pay their respects when it was announced he was dead. "good grief" — after half a century of delighting fans around the world, charlie brown and the rest of the gang are calling it quits. the singer, paul simon, starts his tour of south africa tomorrow _ in spite of protests and violence - from some _ black activist groups. they say international artists should continue to boycott south africa _ until majority rule is established. . around the world people have been paying tribute to the iconic rock star, david bowie, who sold 140 million albums in a career that spanned half a century. his family announced overnight that he died of cancer at the age of 69. the world tallest skyscraper opens later today. the burj dubai has easily

overtaken its nearest rivals. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines: this is the scene live at the us congress who is voting with to adjourn as they struggle to choose a new speaker stopping you can see the votes being tallied up here on the screen against and tallied up here on the screen againstand in tallied up here on the screen against and in favour of the adjournment. a battlefield commander in the eastern ukrainian town of bakhmut has told the bbc the fighting there is ferocious. many have fled the city. it might only be the very start of 2023, but thousands of people in the philippines are already feeling the effects of extreme weather as they reside in emergency shelters following devastating floods over christmas. it's just the latest weather related catastrophe to hit asia

— with the region set to continue to be heavily impacted by the changing climate. the world bank estimates that 13 of the 30 countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are in the east asia and pacific region. earlier i spoke to lauren sorkin, executive director of the resilient cities network, and i began by asking her why the philippines in particular is so vulnerable. in the philippines, like other countries in the region, has an immense amount of coastline. so when you see extreme weather, you have vulnerability in coastal areas and you also have a highly, highly urbanised population and where you had dense urban development often there is nowhere for the water to go and this presents a lot of danger. in a country like the philippines you have thousands of islands, so you also see that there is a compounding of and vulnerability there where you

really need to get the right kinds of infrastructure in place to manage increased precipitation. 50 place to manage increased precipitation.— place to manage increased precipitation. so what kind of infrastructure _ precipitation. so what kind of infrastructure do _ precipitation. so what kind of infrastructure do you - precipitation. so what kind of infrastructure do you think. precipitation. so what kind of infrastructure do you think is| infrastructure do you think is necessary, and two asian countries that are most at risk have the political will to build this kind of infrastructure? �* , . ., infrastructure? it's a great question _ infrastructure? it's a great question and _ infrastructure? it's a great question and we _ infrastructure? it's a great question and we need - infrastructure? it's a great question and we need to l question and we need to remember that when we talk about asia and climate in asia it is a massively diverse region. we are talking about countries that rely on river fed agriculture which can, because of climate changes and precipitation and monsoon patterns, create impacts. then you are also looking at small island nations who when you look at sea level rise due to the warming temperatures and glacial melts are at risk so there is massive debt kinds of risk and that requires a really sophisticated look at the kinds of infrastructure and measures that are needed. the good news

is that we have the ability now to look at that risk in a much more sophisticated ways. we have ways to look at the climate models and see where the predicted increases in precipitation, the increases in temperature are going to most impact population. you asked specifically about asia. 13 of the most vulnerable 38 countries to climate are in this region so we know that there is a high level of risk. even more than that. this risk is very urban. the hundred cities that are most at risk to climate change, 98 of those at risk to climate and disaster, the most at risk are here in this region so there is that sense of urgency and that has created political will and the good news is the data is there in a better way than ever before, we can look at these multiple hazards in the same

frame and then direct the kinds of investments that we need that have multiple benefits. lets take you back to washington now, where the house has reconvened and is voting on whether to adjourn yet again. they have voted on the vote to elect a new speaker. let's take a look at what that motion is saying. as you can see right now the time remaining has gone and we can listen in now to what is being discussed. the member elect _ what is being discussed. tie: member elect wish to what is being discussed. t'i9 member elect wish to change what is being discussed. ti9 member elect wish to change his vote? inaudible

0n on this vote, the yeas r 213... interjections on this vote, the yeas r 213. .. interjections_ asl on this vote, the yeas r 213. .. i interjections_ as you interjections applause as you can interject ions applause as you can see interjections applause as you can see there, — interjections applause as you can see there, still— interjections applause as you can see there, still a _ interjections applause as you can see there, still a lot - interjections applause as you can see there, still a lot of i can see there, still a lot of chaos and confusion in the

house. as we understand at the democrats are attempting to block a vote to adjourn according to our reporters from the bbc live page on the bbc website. you can see there are that on the motion to adjourn, republicans have voted yes in favour of that. there are four republicans according to that graph that have voted against that and according again to the statistics that we are seeing on scene, oh, now it has gone down to three, two who haven't voted, the numbers are changing second by second. so a total of 216 republicans at this point who are voting in favour of adjourning this vote, 213 who are voting against the motion to adjourn. from what we understand a little earlier as peter bowes was saying of course that kevin mccarthy had suggested after speaking to reporters that no deal had been reached and that there was no reason to hold another vote

tonight. so a lot of contention of course over whether there will be another vote being held tonight, i think itjust underlines the amount of acrimony that you are seeing in us politics, the division is notjust between republicans not just between republicans and notjust between republicans and the democrats but between the republican party inside the republican party itself. let's just listen in some more into what is going on there. {lin just listen in some more into what is going on there. on this vote, what is going on there. on this vote. the _ what is going on there. on this vote. the yeas _ what is going on there. on this vote, the yeas are... _ what is going on there. on this vote, the yeas are... on i what is going on there. on this vote, the yeas are... on this . vote, the yeas are... on this vote, the yeas are... on this vote the yeas are 216, the nays are 214. accordingly... motion is adopted. accordingly, the house stands adjourned until noon tomorrow. 50 house stands ad'ourned until noon tomorrow._ house stands ad'ourned until noon tomorrow. so as you heard there the decision _ noon tomorrow. so as you heard there the decision has _ noon tomorrow. so as you heard there the decision has been i there the decision has been made, the motion has been adopted to adjourn the vote

until noon tomorrow. the decision again puts a great deal of uncertainty about who the new speaker of the house will be, as we've been reporting, the republican kevin mccarthy has again come up short of the required number of votes after around 20 members on the right of his party refused to support him. that's it for now, thanks so much for watching. do stay with bbc news. hello again. there wasn't that much in the way of rain around yesterday but despite that, there was actually still 24 flood warnings in force, most of them in southern england. i think that is a sign that the ground remains pretty saturated. in the atlantic, things are looking quite busy. we've got an area of cloud that's going to be bringing low pressure to the northwest of the british isles and some wet and windy weather

on the way from that. then near canada, this area of cloud is going to be bringing another belt of heavy rain in friday night and into saturday, and they could bring some area of localised flooding, i think. for the time being, a mostly dry picture. the brisk winds we had during the day on wednesday are lightening all the while, and those temperatures staying on the mild side for most, eight to ten degrees, even an 11 across england and wales, a few patches of frost possible in well—sheltered areas in north scotland. tomorrow, the best chance at seeing the sunshine will be in the morning across the north—eastern areas where it should be a fine start to the day. the cloud will thicken up pretty quickly and we'll see some rain moving in across northern ireland and particularly scotland where it will be quite windy as the day goes by. the wind still coming in from a south—westerly direction, hence the double—figure temperatures that many of us will have. highs again could hit 13 or even 14 degrees, that's around six or seven degrees above average for this stage of january. beyond that, thursday night, the low pressure winds up and we start to get a zone of strong winds affecting the northwest of the uk. gales, yes, but there probably

will be some severe gales around the far north—west, a band of rain sweeps across the country with blustery showers continuing to feed in close to that low pressure centre then will be to the north of scotland. here on friday, it would be quite blustery with further showers and lengthy spells of rain in scotland but otherwise, friday is a decent day but for most of the country, its bright with a bit more the way of sunshine. turning a bit cloudy northern ireland through the course of the afternoon. still relatively mild, temperatures 11 and 12 across southern portions of the uk. this band of rain going through friday and into saturday could bring some area of localised surface water flooding, the rain looks heavy but what follows is a mixture of plenty of heavy showers, quite blustery conditions, it is going to be windy through the weekend, and some of those showers could merge together to give some lengthier spells of rain. temperatures edging down just a degree or two. it is still on the mild side but pretty wet at times too.

this week this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines and all the main news stories for you at the top of the hour, straight after this programme. it's not fair, the boys never have to come home and help. i wonder if i had an arranged marriage, would i get someone who'd let me play football whenever i wanted? who are you talking to? move on up by curtis mayfield plays.