this is bbc news with the headlines... on the second anniversary of the january 6th attack on the us capitol building, the house of representatives meets for a fourth day to try to select a speaker. this is the scene live in congress where it was 13th time unlucky for republican kevin mccarthy. he did gain additional support in the previous vote — but looks set to come up short again in vote number 13. meanwhile, president biden is marking the second anniversary of the attack on with a ceremony at the white house — a minute's silence was held at the capitol building earlier. ukraine says russia is continuing to carry out attacks — despite declaring a ceasefire for the orthodox christmas. prince harry faces criticism over

remarks about killing taliban fighters in afghanistan in his controversial autobiography. the great british race to space — the countdown�*s on for the first ever rocket launch from uk soil hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk, on pbs in the us or around the world. two years to the day since the capitol riots in washington — which saw supporters of donald trump try to stop the ratification of the election results — there's still gridlock in the us house of representatives — as members attempt for a fourth day to elect a new speaker. this is the scene live on the floor of the house where a 14th vote is now underway.

there has been some momentum favouring the frontrunner, kevin mccarthy. 1a conservative republicans — who were among a group preventing him from winning a majority — have now swung behind mr mccarthy. it still leaves him 5 votes short of the 218 he requires. business cannot be conducted in the lower chamber of congress without a speaker. elizabeth landers is the chief political correspondent of vice news. she joins us from washington. thank you so much forjoining us, elizabeth. are you thank you so much forjoining us, elizabeth. are you surprised thank you so much forjoining us, elizabeth. are you surprised to thank you so much forjoining us, elizabeth. are you surprised to see this taking so long? because it has been dragging, hasn't it? it’s been dragging, hasn't it? it's definitel been dragging, hasn't it? it�*s definitely been dragging. and i thank you set it up well, this split screen moment that is happening in dc right now. it's a solemn day here, but the speakers boat continues to go on and on. i think the short answer is no, i'm not surprised by this. i think that when

the republicans won the majority backin the republicans won the majority back in november after the elections that there was immediately a conversation about whether kevin mccarthy, the leader of the republicans on the house side, was going to be able to get those votes, and also immediately a group of never kevin members. people who made clear that they did not support him and they would not support him as speaker of the house. as you mentioned, he has whittled that number down in the last few days. we are on day four of this. i think people are very tired. i think everyone reporters, the staff on the hill, and certainly the members of congress who are not yet sworn in as members are all getting tired of this. but there are six holdouts that we side just in this 13th round of voting who are still not devoting for a leader mccarthy to be speaker. elizabeth, we have people watching from all of the world who may not be as familiar with the process in the

states as you. so just explain to us what are some of the things that kevin mccarthy has been attempting or trying to do in order to win backing from those republicans who may be in previous rounds of voting had refused to back him?— had refused to back him? exactly, well, first of— had refused to back him? exactly, well, first of all, _ had refused to back him? exactly, well, first of all, kevin _ had refused to back him? exactly, well, first of all, kevin mccarthy l well, first of all, kevin mccarthy just needs a majority of the votes. that sounds easy, but one of the problems that has started to happen now in the last few days is there are members who have to leave for personal matters. some of these numbers are changing that threshold that he needs, to 18 has not been the threshold for every vote. that's just one thing that sort of throwing a wrench into why he has not reached the speaker threshold. he has a few of these members, there were about 20 of them yesterday, many of them are part of what is called the house freedom caucus, a small conference of republicans on the hill who i would say are more libertarian than some of the other members of the

republican conference and are more contrarian in some ways. some of those folks, like for example, chip wright of texas, i was just watching some of the interviews that he has been doing the last few days, he had been doing the last few days, he had been hauled out on mccarthy. he wanted things mostly procedural things that the speaker would guarantee to other members, for example, chip really wanted one vote, one member could motion in to vacate the speakers seat, meaning one member of the house now can force a vote on the house floor again, like what we are seeing for the speakers position. that was one thing that some of these holdouts had wanted, and that is something that kevin mccarthy has agreed to. some of the other things are who sits on some of the committees. there are no committees right now because they cannot form anything with no members sworn in and no speaker. who sits on what

committees, who will chair some of those committees. i think having jim jordan as thejudiciary those committees. i think having jim jordan as the judiciary chairman was one of the requests from some of these holdouts. that's also something that kevin mccarthy has appeared to agree to. some of these procedural things, some of them are also related to policy debates about what may happen in the next few months going forward on raising the debt ceiling are also voting on budgetary and appropriations matters. those were some of the holdouts. i will say, matters. those were some of the holdouts. iwill say, though, that some of the six people who are still voting no i think i'm never going to come around to some of this. i spoke with congressman matt gates on capitol hill who said i am never going to vote for kevin mccarthy as speaker. he feels that kevin has lied to him in the past and lied about him and some of the other holdouts in this case. so for some people, they will never vote for him. ~ , ., , him. well, we shall see as the votin: him. well, we shall see as the voting continues. _ him. well, we shall see as the voting continues. thank- him. well, we shall see as the

voting continues. thank you. | him. well, we shall see as the. voting continues. thank you. as elizabeth just mentioned there, presidentjoe biden is marking the second anniversary of the deadly attack on the us capitol by pro—trump supporters. he's awarding presidential medals to officials and police officers for their part in resisting the attempt to overturn the result of the presidential election. here he is speaking just a short while ago. you held the line that day and what was on the line with our democracy. history will remember your names. history will remember your names. history will remember your names. they will remember your courage, they will remember your bravery, they will remember your bravery, they will remember your extraordinary commitments to your fellow americans. it's not hyperbole, that is a fact. that is a fact. folks, history is also going to remember your instincts to respond, to do something, as he did, as we all watched, this is the irony of it, america watched it. watched

it on television, saw it repeated and repeated. in the past months, we have heard you testify to the nation about what happened that day. what you are thinking about the time it was happening. what you are thinking now. the threats, the violence, the savage and us of what happened. the trauma. all real. it's not an exaggeration to say america owes you. america owes you all, i really mean this. a debt of gratitude. 0ne we can neverfully mean this. a debt of gratitude. 0ne we can never fully repay. unless we live up to what you did. us presidentjoe biden speaking earlier. the taliban have responded to claims by prince harry that he killed 25 people while serving as a helicopter pilot in afghanistan. a taliban spokesman said the killings amounted to war crimes. there's also been criticism

and unease about that claim here in britain. a former british commander called his comments "ill—judged". 0ur royal correspondent daniela relph reports. it is a raw, unflinching story of his life, intimate even embarrassing details shared. pain, anger, sadness explored. prince harry's spare has spared very little and the reaction to it has been polarising. in the book harry describes the day his grandmother the queen died. his family travelled to balmoral without him after a row. harry eventually charted his own flight. by the time he arrived in scotland the queen had died. he found out as his plane was about to land. it is some of the personal stories that are perhaps the most shocking to read. harry tells us in great detail how he lost his virginity aged 17 to an older woman in a field behind a pub.

he confirms that he had a relationship with the tv presenter caroline flack who died almost three years ago and in the book and then the interviews to publicise it he describes using drugs as a teenager. there is a fair amount of drugs, marijuana, magic mushrooms, cocaine, that is going to surprise people. but important to acknowledge. elsewhere his main american interview deals with racial bias in the media. i had no idea they were so bigoted. i was probably bigoted before the relationship with meghan. this would be familiar territory for diana in many ways. she cooperated on her own book filled with revelations. almost 30 years on the shock factor has been repeated. do you think this book is going to be very damaging for the royalfamily? i think it will be, because remember diana always used to say to me that harry was the back—up,

in the nicest possible way. and she wanted harry to be william's wing man, not as we have seen, his hit man. reflecting on his army service in afghanistan, harry says he believes he killed 25 taliban fighters, a claim many in the military view is a misjudgment. i think he is wrong when he says in his book that in were seen as being inhuman and just as chess pieces to be knocked over. that is not the case at all and not the way the british army trains people as he claims. and in an extraordinary development the taliban has criticised harry saying the people he killed were human, with families waiting for their return. the publishers promised in revelation and self—examination.

the book seems to have delivered than there may be more to come as his well trailed tv interviews are broadcast in the coming days including a more light—hearted turn on the late—night american chat show. tuesday in a late—night exclusive, that's an exclusive, prince harry right here on this show. prince harry's truth as well and truly out there. from the royalfamily, still no comment. daniella relph, bbc news. well, a short time ago, i spoke to our security correspondent, frank gardner. i asked him how prince harry's claim that he'd killed 25 taliban fighter during the war in afghanistan had gone down with the military here?. prince harry claims to have killed 25 taliban fighters and likens the taking of taking human life from removing chess pieces. they are saying it is absolutely

counter to the culture that they tried to interview into people, that every single time a trigger was priced, it was, there was a legal team involved, so at that time, he was based at... he was an apache gunner and copilots, and there was a legal team embedded there with the military, and they went over every single engagements using something called the gun camera, which would be on the nose of the helicopter, and that was examined. so, yes, it's possible that they could have counted this number up, but i'm told by a number of people very clearly, nobody did that come and that was absolutely counter to their culture. so people are really appalled that he should make this allegation, which seems to have backfired, because it's not endeared him to the military and certainly not endeared him to the taliban, who as you have

heard that criticised him because idea of dehumanizing your enemy as chess pieces to be knocked over from 3000 feet is not what the army air corps was trying to instill in people at all.— corps was trying to instill in people at all. and of course, there is a wider risk, _ people at all. and of course, there is a wider risk, a _ people at all. and of course, there is a wider risk, a broader - is a wider risk, a broader consequence of dehumanizing the enemy in that way.— enemy in that way. yes, there is. prince harry _ enemy in that way. yes, there is. prince harry has _ enemy in that way. yes, there is. prince harry has his _ enemy in that way. yes, there is. prince harry has his own - enemy in that way. yes, there is. j prince harry has his own security, even though he hasn't to the royal protection he had before when he was a serving rail. but there are plenty of people who served with him who will be deeply uncomfortable about this should somebody wish to take action on it. it's not the first time that he has upset the taliban like this because back when he was serving, he did an interview in which he referred to, he compared it to pay station, and i he meant was that the extra physical fire control system that an apache gunner has is a little bit similar to the console

thatis a little bit similar to the console that is used on playstation. that is what he was saying, but it came across very badly and the taliban at the time heavily criticised him saying we are not again prince harry, this is not a game. this is war and this is afghanistan. do not belittle and trivialise the conflict that that country was undergoing. so i think the view in the military both past and present serving members is pretty negative about that. . . , members is pretty negative about that. ., ., ~ ., , that. that was frank gardner, harris security correspondent _ that. that was frank gardner, harris security correspondent talking - that. that was frank gardner, harris j security correspondent talking to me little earlier. stay with us on bbc news, still to come: the great british race to space. we report on the build up to the first—ever rockets launched from uk soil. 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 l albums in a career that| spanned half a century. his family announced i overnight that he died of cancer at the age of 69. the world's tallest skyscraper opens later today. the burj dubai has easily overtaken its nearest rivals. this is bbc news, the latest headlines... ——now to the war in ukraine

where there have been fresh strikes on the frontline — just hours after a temporary russian ceasefire came into force. president putin ordered the 36 hour pause to mark 0rthodox christmas — but a regional governor in eastern ukraine says russian forces are failing to implement their own ceasefire. earlier, president zelensky accused russia of playing dirty tricks. translation: now they want to use i christmas as a cover to at least i briefly stop the advance of our guys in donbas and bring equipment, ammunition and mobilise men closer to our positions. what will this bring? just another increase in the death toll. everyone in the world knows how the kremlin uses respite at war to continue the war with renewed vigour. there have been reports of continuing artillery fire on the frontline near the city of kramatorsk — which is in ukrainian hands. 0ur correspondent james waterhouse is there and had this assesement of how the ceasefire has been holding up.

very few expected this cease—fire to work. before the full scale invasion, the army had been fighting russian backed separatists here. we are very close to the front line and we have already heard, sirens, possible symptoms of the sirens not raking and relatively close by, we see some of the heaviest fighting. there have been reports of artillery fire being exchanged by both sides. russian forces have a accused ukraine of targeting its positions. ukrainian officials close by have accused russian forces of doing the same. these accusations were expected, but vladimir putin had said he wanted to allow 0rthodox christians to celebrate christmas. all the early signs suggest that this was probably more parked up the information war rather than a meaningful gesture of goodwill. a little bit of british space

history is happening next week in cornwall. for the first time the uk is attempting to launch a rocket into space from british soil — and send satellites into orbit. the blast—off will take place at spaceport cornwall in newquay. britain's space industry is growing quickly and this is just the first of a number of launches planned from around the uk as our science editor rebecca morelle reports. coming in to land at spaceport cornwall, a jumbo jet with a difference — getting ready to make history. the plane will release a rocket mid—air, which will fire its engines and send satellites into orbit. the first time this has been done from british soil. matthew stannard will be at the controls. it's incredible. a huge amount of pride that i get to be involved in this. it's a big dealfor the uk. it's a big dealfor cornwall. and the idea that i get to be the pilot on this mission is incredible. this is what's on board the rocket. small satellites. the uk is a leader in this industry.

it's driven the growth of a space economy worth £16.5 billion, employing nearly 50,000 people. but until now, british—made satellites had to be sent abroad to launch. for the first time, the uk has all the pieces of the jigsaw to be able to design and develop satellites, launch them from the uk, operate them from the uk. we can operate an entire ecosystem in a really fantastic closed loop. a vital part of that is building rockets. in cumbernauld, just outside of glasgow, skyrora havejust opened up a new facility. they're busy working on a prototype before building a larger rocket to launch in the uk. and this is attracting a young workforce. i think it's a really fast growing industry. a lot of young people are really interested in this, so really putting a lot of work into working in the industry. for example, me, the hands—on experience as well as designing things as well as working on all sorts of engineering

projects — it's really good. what you see here really is the start of the uk's space launch industry. the rockets are starting to take shape and the idea is to bring everything to britain — from building the satellites to the rockets that carry them and the spaceports where they launch. there are a lot of opportunities, but challenges, too. one of these is building a launch site at the northernmost tip of the uk. in unst, one of the shetland islands, the saxavord spaceport is aiming for the uk's first—ever vertical rocket launch. this isolated location has been selected because it means the rocket can fly without passing over populated areas. there's a hive of activity, and the concrete's just set on a launch pad — one of three planned. i think the first response from the locals was probably maybe it was an april fool or something like that. and then there's been real excitement about

what we've been doing. and there will be jobs. the rocket companies that we're working with are already identifying those roles that can be fulfilled by local people, that they don't bring somebody in as part of their team to do some refuelling of the rocket. that actually those skills, those people can be trained locally to perform them. shetland and cornwall aren't the only new spaceports. more are planned around the uk — and other countries are doing this, too. the global space market is getting increasingly crowded. not every venture will make it. there's a long way to go for the uk, but the hope is that high risk can bring sky—high rewards. rebecca morrelle, bbc news. let's get more on this with matt archer, director of commercial spaceflight at the uk space agency. thank you forjoining us. first of all, how significant this monday's lunch for the uk space programme? it's really significant. it is our first launch, it's been the better part of five years in the making.

it's been a significant project for so many, but also for a spaceport to cornwall and the team at the virgin 0rbit. cornwall and the team at the virgin orbit. a cornwall and the team at the virgin 0rbit. a very exciting moment to be here just 0rbit. a very exciting moment to be herejust a 0rbit. a very exciting moment to be here just a few days from lunch, really excited.— here just a few days from lunch, reall excited. ., ~ , ., ., really excited. talk us through what ha--ens really excited. talk us through what happens on — really excited. talk us through what happens on monday, _ really excited. talk us through what happens on monday, what - happens on monday, what considerations in place and how nervous people involved might be feeling. i nervous people involved might be feelina. ~ ., , ., feeling. i think it varies, so from vir: in feeling. i think it varies, so from virgin orbit _ feeling. i think it varies, so from virgin orbit and _ feeling. i think it varies, so from virgin orbit and i _ feeling. i think it varies, so from virgin orbit and i supposed - feeling. i think it varies, so from virgin orbit and i supposed to i feeling. i think it varies, so from l virgin orbit and i supposed to give virgin 0rbit and i supposed to give a sense of what monday will bring, there will be a variety of technical checks in the morning, no doubt assuring whether that's been tolerated. then building towards the afternoon, and in particular into the evening when they start to load liquid oxygen onto the rocket and thatis liquid oxygen onto the rocket and that is kind of the final steps. they will put in liquid oxygen into the tank and once that is complete, they will do their final systems check and then they will go for lunch there cornwall. the plane will

take off and take the rocket over towards ireland when it will then launch south and deliver nine satellites into orbit. i am looking forward to being on the runway and seeing it take off alongside hopefully over 1000 local people it's going to be a really exciting time to time everyone has spent a lot of time pulling this together, whether that be the regulations, the manufacturer of the rockets taking over the last year, so, a success for everyone involved. find over the last year, so, a success for everyone involved.— over the last year, so, a success for everyone involved. and i suppose the question — for everyone involved. and i suppose the question is _ for everyone involved. and i suppose the question is why _ for everyone involved. and i suppose the question is why now _ for everyone involved. and i suppose the question is why now and - for everyone involved. and i suppose the question is why now and why - for everyone involved. and i suppose the question is why now and why not| the question is why now and why not before now? because of course this is the first attempt to lunch from uk soil. �* ., ., ., ., “ is the first attempt to lunch from uk soil. �* ., ., ., ., ~ ,., . ~ uk soil. before now, we look back at 2012, and uk soil. before now, we look back at 2012. and when _ uk soil. before now, we look back at 2012, and when we _ uk soil. before now, we look back at 2012, and when we look— uk soil. before now, we look back at 2012, and when we look at _ uk soil. before now, we look back at 2012, and when we look at the size l 2012, and when we look at the size of satellites launched, lots of them were medium and heavy objects and require large rackets to get into orbit and they weren't always commercially viable. they were

funded by government or state—sponsored satellites. whereas over the last ten years, what we have seen is a militarisation of technology, —— miniaturisation of technology. therefore it makes it much more commercially viable to do it here from the uk. that's what we are investing in with government and industry, partnership, to develop that capability care and deliver hundreds ofjobs to remote regions across the uk. it's important that we are building highly skilled jobs that are traditionally underdeveloped are where they have struggles, it is a significant scientific endeavour that says for us we can launch uk magna factored payload from uk, we don't have to send them to the us. we payload from uk, we don't have to send them to the us.— payload from uk, we don't have to send them to the us. we will have to leave it there. _ send them to the us. we will have to leave it there. thank _ send them to the us. we will have to leave it there. thank you, _ send them to the us. we will have to leave it there. thank you, and - send them to the us. we will have to leave it there. thank you, and enjoy l leave it there. thank you, and enjoy the best seat in the house when you are there on the ru nway runway on monday. chairs, thank you. just time to — runway on monday. chairs, thank you. just time to bring _ runway on monday. chairs, thank you. just time to bring some _ runway on monday. chairs, thank you. just time to bring some life _ just time to bring some life pictures. this is the scene live in congress, whereas we have been

experiencing some of the house of representatives meeting for a fourth day to try to select a speaker. you are watching bbc news. good evening. it's been a mild, wet, and windy start to 2023 — and that theme continues this weekend. one area of low pressure moves away, and this next really deep and powerful low replaces it for the weekend. so more rain, and that rain piles up, particularly through tonight and the start of saturday, showers follow. you see the wettest weather is expected in the west, perhaps as much as 40mm through some parts of wales and the southwest, but all of us will see some rain. so it's a good job that we had a brief window of respite on friday for many — but as you can see, that rain is marching in during the course of the night across northern ireland, scotland, western parts of england and wales. there is a met office yellow warning across wales and the southwest because there's a concern, with the grounds saturated in the rain lasting for quite a long

time, we could have some further flood issues. ahead of that, temperatures will temporarily dip away — a chilly start to the night, but they will lift then later on. so the weekend is looking unsettled. we'll have rain or showers, and some strong winds to go with it, as well. so some fairly strong winds with this band of rain, which then clears away from much of scotland, northern ireland, wales, and the southwest, but it drags its heels across eastern areas during the day. it may linger for much of daylight here, but lots of showers rushing in behind and the winds escalate again to gale force. so temperatures actually fall away during the day after a very mild night, and i think, as well, add that wind on — it will be tempered a little. those winds touching gale force, as you can see in northern and western areas. lots of showers continuing through saturday night into sunday, as well, so it's not going to be a cold night either as we head towards sunday morning. there might be a bit more brightness and sunshine around during the course of sunday itself, but that low pressure's closer to our shores. so with it, gale force winds as well as heavy showers,

rumbles of thunder. still cold enough for a little bit of snow on the tops of the mountains across scotland, but again, nothing too cold for this time of year when we normally expect our lowest temperatures to be like 7—9 celsius. a little bit chillier than saturday. what about the start of next week? well, we may see a brief respite from those strong winds and showers a little bit chillier than saturday. what about the start of next week? well, we may see a brief respite from those strong winds and showers on monday as this ridge of high pressure builds in, particularly monday night. so quite chilly, but waiting in the wings, we've got the next spell of wet and windy weather. so it does look, again, very unsettled and mild by tuesday.

this is bbc world news, the headlines... it was 13th time unlucky for republican kevin mccarthy in his bid to become speaker of the house of representatives. he has gained additional support in the two votes so far on friday, but has again come up short. meanwhile, president biden is marking the second anniversary of the attack on with a ceremony at the white house. a minute's silence was held at the capitol building earlier in the day. ukraine says russia is continuing to carry out attacks, despite declaring a ceasefire for the orthodox christmas. president putin ordered the 36—hour pause — but a regional governor in eastern ukraine says russian forces are failing to implement it. there have been more claims and allegations about the royal family that have

been leaked from prince harry's autobiography, spare.