A human catastrophe. And brushing loneliness away. We will tell you the story of how painting helped this woman cope with depression. Live from our studios in singapore and london, this is bbc world news, its newsday. Good morning. It is 9am in singapore, 1am in london, and 5pm in southern california, which is the scene of horrific mudslides. In the last hour, the official death toll has risen to 17 and another 13 people are missing. Airlifts have been called in to rescue those trapped in their homes and emergency crews are digging through waist deep mud. Our correspondent, james cook, reports from the worst hit town of montecito. On californias pacific coast, ordeal by the elements continues. First, they endured the largest fire in the states history. Next came torrential rain, more intense than anyone here could remember. And then, within minutes, destruction, caused by an unstoppable wall of mud and debris. 14 year old Lauren Cantin survived, but even she doesnt know how. Firefighters using rescue dogs heard her screams, and worked for hours to pull her from the wreckage of her home. Her familys fate is unknown. Everyone here, it seems, has their own incredible story of a struggle to survive. We heard a little baby crying. We dug down and found a little baby. I dont know where it came from. We got it out, got the mud out of its mouth. Im hoping its ok, they took it right to the hospital. But it was just a baby, four feet down in the mud, in nowhere, under the rocks. Im glad we got it. Coast village road, montecito montecito. So why did this happen . The downpour soaked an area which had been scorched by wildfire, burning grass and shrubs which hold the soil in place, and baking the earth, leaving it slick and hard. The water had nowhere to go but down, fast, into the town of montecito, with deadly, devastating effect. And the destruction wasnt confined to the coast. Further inland in burbank, a suburb of los angeles, the cameras captured another mudslide in action. Well, the power of this mudslide is graphically demonstrated here. For the people in these homes, and there were some people who stayed in this area, it must have been terrifying, as boulders like this and other debris swept down from the hills. Firefighters insist there is still some hope of finding survivors, but it is fading. The financial cost from this disaster will be immense, the human toll much higher. James cook, bbc news, montecito. A while ago the Santa Barbara county sheriff coroner confirmed the death toll had risen, but the names of the latest victims would not be released. We are saddened to report that the death toll has now risen to 17, with two additional fatalities recovered today. The process of positively identifying the victims is a process thatis identifying the victims is a process that is slowing, it takes time and it cannot be rushed. Our Coroners Office and our forensic unit are working around the clock to make careful identification is to be absolutely positive that we make the right identifications and work with and notify the next of kin. At this time we are not ready to release the names of the victims or identifying information, but we anticipate that we will be doing that in the near future. Confirmation the death toll has risen to 17 and we are monitoring that and theres much more on the website. Lets take a look at some of the days other news. Donald trump has told south koreas leader, moonjae in, that america is open to talks with north korea, at the appropriate time and under the right circumstances. The white house said moon thanked President Trump for his leadership in making the talks possible. Nick bryant is at the white house. Only last week, donald trump was boasting that his Nuclear Button was bigger than kim jong uns Nuclear Button. Only a few months ago he was trashing his secretary of state, rex tillerson, saying he was wasting his time pursuing diplomacy with pyongyang. So this new openess to talks really is a shift. It is the most conciliatory language we have had from donald trump on north korea since he took the oath of office, almost 12 months ago. And it follows that meeting between north and south korea on the korean peninsular yesterday, donald trump describing that as a great, great meeting. There was a lot of good energy, he said at the white house just an hour ago. And he is claiming credit for that, for his hardline stance on north korea, the tough economic sanctions, the pressure he has put on china, the fire and fury rhetoric, the digitised sabre rattling on twitter. And i suspect we will see a continuation of much of that. Dont be surprised if donald trump continues to mock kim jong un as little rocket man, the white house saying it will continue to assert maximum pressure. The question, really, is how will north korea respond . Will it lead to a pause in nuclear and missile testing . Because, if it doesnt, it is hard to see any direct talks taking place between washington and pyongyang. Also making news today rescue crews tackling the blaze on the stricken Iranian Oil Tanker in the East China Sea were forced to retreat, following an explosion on the ship. The tanker is in its fourth day of being ablaze, after a dramatic collision. The cause and damage to the tanker from the incident are not clear. A prominentjournalist in pakistan has told the bbc he managed to escape an attempted abduction byjumping out of a moving vehicle as he was travelling to the airport in islamabad. Taha siddiqui says he was attacked and beaten by armed men, but managed to escape. More than 100 women in france, including the actress catherine deneuve, have signed an open letter defending the right of men to hit on women. They have complained of a new puritanism, sparked by recent Sexual Harassment scandals. Ethiopia has banned foreigners from adopting children, because of concerns that they could face abuse or neglect abroad. Under new legislation passed by parliament, orphans and other Vulnerable Children have to be cared for under locally available support mechanisms. The malaysian government has signed off on a deal to let an american exploration firm continue hunting for missing flight mh370, a year after the search ended. The Malaysia Airlines plane vanished en route from kuala lumpur to beijing in march 2014, with 239 passengers and crew on board. The us firm Ocean Infinity will only be paid if it finds the aircraft. The new search area will cover 25,000 Square Kilometres of sea floor, using eight unmanned mini submarines, and isjust a few Degrees North of the earlier search zone in the southern indian ocean. Earlier i spoke to grace subathirai nathan, who is the main spokesperson for the mh370 families and the search0n campaign. Here, she explains her thoughts and feelings on the renewed search. We are definitely very grateful to the malaysian government for signing this contract, and we are very relieved that the search is finally back on again, after nearly a year in suspension. And how optimistic are you, grace, that this technology being offered by Ocean Infinity and this new ship will work . Well, i want to say that i want to be very hopeful, very optimistic. But in the past weve been disappointed so many times, and its very, very hard. So any hope and optimism i have is guarded, to some extent. And you know what, grace, this disappearance of mh370 remains one of modern aviations biggest mysteries. Your mother was on board the flight. What do you hope will come out of this a sense of closure, if it is finally found, and knowing what happened . Yes, we definitely want the plane found, because i think it will bring us closure. But also, more importantly, and in the bigger picture, that it will bring answers, and it will improve aviation safety. And how united are you, together with the other families, regarding this latest technology that will be used for the search . We are aware that this technology has never been used before. But the technology seems very advanced, very capable. So we hope that this ship, and all the technology they have, we really hope they can find the plane. Indeed, that is the hope, that the plane will be found eventually, four years after its disappearance. But what has been the relationship between you and the other families in this search . Well, we constantly keep in touch with each other. We speak with each other almost daily. We keep each other abreast. We are constantly planning what we can do next to ensure that the search continues, that the search is not abandoned until the plane is found. What was the initial feeling when the search was abandoned last year, and finally it has been renewed once again . Well, we were devastated when they called off the search last year, because we felt it was absolutely premature, especially because the report produced by the australians suggested a new search area, a very highly probable search area, which is quite small 25,000 Square Kilometres. So we were really upset that all the three governments didnt want to pursue the search. And were very grateful now to Ocean Infinity for proposing a no cure, no fee search. I think this is the biggest motivation for the search being resumed, that there is a no cure, no fee search. Grace mason, whose mother was on that flight. In syria, at least 85 people have been killed in the past ten days in a besieged suburb of damascus under rebel control. The United Nations has condemned the recent upsurge in attacks on Eastern Ghouta by government forces, calling the situation a human catastrophe. The area has been under siege for more than 11. 5 years, as our chief International Correspondent lyse doucet reports from damascus. The bombs fall every day now in Eastern Ghouta. Rescue teams rush in to bring survivors out. Frightened children, trapped inside, not knowing where to run or hide. This footage filmed by the western backed white helmets, in the neighbourhood of hamoria. Theyre digging in the rubble with whatever tools they find. Often it is just bare hands. The attacks by syrian and russian warplanes on this last rebel held enclave of damascus intensified weeks ago, scarring entire streets. The attackings dont go only one way. Rebel groups controlling this area, including hardline Islamist Groups linked to alqaeda, fired more than a dozen rockets into the heart of damascus yesterday. This is the face of a war now approaching its eighth year. This is its sound. Child cries these children in Eastern Ghouta have known no other life. They survived the latest air strikes, blood being wiped away, not the pain, nor the fear. And it stalks the old, too, already broken by years of a punishing siege. The history of syria is written here amongst these stones. Three year old samer was buried yesterday by his uncle. His father is badly injured. Many now say syrias war is over, but its not, not yet. Lyse doucet, bbc news, damascus. Youre watching newsday on the bbc. Still to come on the programme two journalists in myanmar have been charged under the countrys official secrets act. They could face up to 1a years in prison. Also on the programme from taking up painting to cope with depression to then having your murals displayed all across singapore, we will have one womans very artistic journey. 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. Teams were trying to scoop up lumps of oil as france recognises it faces an ecological crisis. Three weeks ago, the authorities confidently assured these areas that oil from the broken tanker erika would head out to sea. It didnt. The worlds tallest skyscraper opens later today. The burj dubai has easily overtaken its nearest rivals. This is newsday on the bbc. Im rico hizon, in singapore. Im kasia madera, in london. Our top stories the local sheriff in Santa Barbara says at least 17 people have died in the floods and mudslides in southern california, which was hit only recently by a huge wildfire. Rescuers find some survivors, including babies. The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight mh370 resumes, a year after it was officially suspended. The plane vanished en route from kuala lumpur to beijing in 2014. Lets take a look at some front pages from around the world. Theres an interesting story from here in singapore from the straits times. A committee of mps will formed to examine the threat of fake news, but some critics worry about heavy handed legislation. The japan times is leading with new figures about demographics. One in eight young adults turning 20 years old isnt japanese. The paper says those figures show the Foreign Community is younger overall than the native population. And below the fold in the Financial Times china is moving to wipe out its Bitcoin Mining industry what the crackdown means for crypto currency in that country. For the first time in two years north korea and south korea held talks on military issues on wednesday and north korea took part in the Winter Olympics. But pyongyang refused to debate nuclear weapons. What do South Koreans think about this recent talk ahead of the Winter Olympics . There is optimism in the air. The olympics could only happen after so many decades in korea if north korea participates in this olympics. It isa korea participates in this olympics. It is a once in a lifetime event, which means it could be the only place where we can show that we are cooperating. I think its a good chance that north korean people, north korean teens, coming to south korea because its a Good Opportunity that we can become one of the country and our south korean citizens can see how an north korean to and think that they are not as bad. There is an opportunity for the South Koreans to see how north koreans are trying to unify as one country and its a good chance and opportunity for both sides to have a better relationship that before. State prosecutors in myanmar have charged two journalists from the Reuters News Agency under the countrys official secrets act, a charge which carries a maximum 1a year prison sentence. Wa lone and kyaw soe oo were detained last month while they were investigating reports of mass killings in rakhine state. Soe win than reports. Security is tight at the court where the two journalists are to appear. Wa lone and kyaw soe oo smile when they are greeted, by eagerly awaiting family members and fellow journalists. The two journalists were detained on december 12 in yangon, at a restaurant, after meeting with two policemen who reportedly gave them documents in relation to the Rohingya Crisis in rakhine state. Outside the court, wa lone tells journalists today why they think they were arrested. Translation they are charging us wrongly, just to prevent us finding and reporting the right information. Translation weve been treated like this because we are seeking the truth. Please, protectjournalism, the fourth pillar of the country. There is truth behind the case. Kyaw soe oos family members have come from western rakhine state, and they look shattered. The journalists are facing 1a years in prison if they are found guilty. Their lawyer lodged a request to the court for their release on bail. Translation the reporters are charged with very serious offences. This could damage freedom of expression in myanmar. There has been growing condemnation and criticism about this case, from not only the media circle in the country, but the international community. The European Union has called for the journalists immediate release. Also in myanmar the army has admitted for the first time its soldiers were involved in the killing of Rohingya Muslims in recent violence in rakhine state. It said an inquiry had found that four members of the Security Forces were involved in the killing of ten people in a village. The report said the four had helped villagers carry out a revenge attack on what it called bengali terrorists. Thousands of people whove been stranded in the alps because of unusually heavy snow are now seeing some relief. Trains have begun running to the swiss resort of zermatt and helicopters are ferrying people out if they need it. But others are making the best of the situation. After two days cut off from the rest of the world, zermatt is open for business again. The train line blocked by snow is now clear, and for those who are really in a huge hurry, the helicopters are waiting. Some tourists, though, seem quite happy exactly where they are. Translation since we have arrived yesterday morning, and were leaving saturday, we dont feel blocked at all. For commuters across the alps, the heavy snow continues to cause problems. Some villages are still cut off. Others are without power. The biggest worry of all is over avalanches. Tons and tons of snow has fallen, and the weather is warmer than normal, meaning the snow is loose, wet and heavy, more likely to slip down the mountain. Winter sports fans are being warned to stay only on slopes and paths marked clearly as safe. Meanwhile, the alpine authorities are working around the clock to clear the snow. Their window of opportunity may be short. More snow is forecast for thursday. From cold weather to loneliness. Its just a feeling, it can also be bad for your health. Research shows loneliness is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic, and not exercising enough. No one knows that more than singapore tax administrator, belinda low. She took up painting in her 50s and now her works can be seen across singapore. Lets take a look. Iam i am belinda low. Iam belinda low. I i am belinda low. I took a painting a few years ago to combat loneliness and now it has become my passion. When i am painting actually i feel im free and away from whatever is troubling me. I used to look after them, cook for them and do everything for them, but i find theyve got there on activities in theyve got there on activities in the and i was left on my own most of the and i was left on my own most of the time at home, so because of this ijust went into painting. My murals show the things i would do when i was a child, and the activities back then. I just want to showcase it on all my walls. And it was a happy time for me. I feel its innately in each one of us, something that needs to be unleashed, yeah, but itsjust up to us to find it. So, if you dont start, you wouldnt know. If you do it with the right heart, and the right incentive, and the right motive, the rest will follow. Thats all for now, stay with bbc world news. We will be seeking out manufacturing opportunities in Southeast Asia and we will be looking at why companies are shifting their focus from china to other countries in the region. Before we go, lets have a look at some charming pictures of seals in a swimming pool. They look cute but theres a serious story to this. Conservation charities in britain that they have been overwhelmed by the number of stranded seals that have been found along the cornish coast over the past few and they are calling for help. Thanks for watching. Good morning. Fog is our talking point for the weather this morning, quite widespread fog, particularly across the western half of the british isles, and some dangerously dense patches to be found out there at the moment. The knock on effects to travel certainly if youre heading on the roads, but also i think for some of our airports as well. A chilly start to thursday across scotland, with a frost here, and dense fog through the southern uplands, and the central lowlands. Murky conditions across Northern Ireland for the rush hour, as well, for the north west of england, too. Further east, its murky conditions but for a slightly different reason, the remnants of a weather front here introducing a lot of moist air, so low cloud particularly hanging across the hills. A chilly start for wales and the south west of england here, with dense patches of fog that have fallen overnight, lingering across the west country, as well, making things pretty messy. Then, in the east, some drizzly rain out of the remnants of our weather front. All in all, a pretty gloomy, murky start to thursday. In the west, im hopeful things will improve through the morning. The fog lifting up initially into cloud. Then hopefully, perhaps over the moors and the south west of wales, and, particularly for the north west of england, it will break and allow through some sunshine. It looks like glasgow could be one of those areas where fog lingers, temperatures will really struggle. Highs of somewhere between five and eight degrees, and, with the cloud in the east, even at eight degrees, nothing special here. Thursday night into friday, a repeat performance. Clear skies in the west, the fog will thicken, a patch of frost will develop, more breeze across ireland. In the east, though, the weather front close for a murky start. Hopefully some hazy sunshine in the west as the day goes on and, perhaps, just perhaps, a little bit more brightness across Eastern England come the afternoon. Temperatures again fairly unremarkable, somewhere around six or seven degrees. So, quite static for the uk for today and friday. Further afield, into europe, our patchy fog could also be a problem across france and germany. If youre travelling down towards the med, this area of low pressure still causing problems with thunderstorms for the next 2a hours. For us, though, not a lot moving until this weather front tries to push in later on on friday. It gradually works its way eastwards through the weekend. Most of the rain will be out of the way on friday night and then, basically, for the weekend, its just going to introduce quite a lot of cloud and a strengthening breeze. So, this weekend, no really dramatic changes, largely dry, cloudy and breezy. Our top story at least 17 people have died in floods and mudslides in southern california, which was hit only recently by a huge wildfire. Emergency teams are digging into the debris in the hope of finding survivors. Airlifts have been called in to help rescue those trapped in their homes. The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight mh370 resumes, a year after it was officially suspended. The plane vanished en route from kuala lumpur to beijing in 2014. And this video is trending on bbc. Com. That is the hand of a marine biologist who says a humpback whale saved her from a 15 foot tiger shark during a recent Research Expedition in the cook islands. The first such case that we know of. Thanks for watching. And the top story here in the uk uk manufacturing output has been growing at its fastest rate