and viva new south wales the australian festival celebrating the king of rock and roll. hello and welcome. we begin int the us where the house of representatives has adjourned for a second day without electing a speaker, extending the paralysis at the heart of american politics. president biden said having a congress that can t function is embarrassing for the country. republican kevin mccarthy has been stopped six times so far by a group of hardliners within his own party who refuse to back him. our north america correspondent peter bowes says the deadlock shows no signs of letting up. after six rounds of voting where he is found to be elected speaker. 20 members of his own party on the right to the party were consistently voting against him and at the end of the day, on wednesday, with an adjournment, he gave the republicans an opportunity to meet behind the scenes, a private meeting, kevin mccarty and some of those in the group of twenty who have been holding up of twent
this is bbc news, the latest headlines: for a second day, us house of representatives has failed to choose a new speaker. there have been six inconclusive votes. the european union urges member states to impose travel controls on visitors from china, where covid infections have exploded. the man known as the architect of the notorious us college admissions scandal has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison. william rick singer funnelled money from wealthy parents to university coaches to secure a place for their children at elite colleges. more than 50 people have been convicted for their roles in the scandal. let s talk to our news reporter
azadeh moshiri. william singer has been sentenced butjust remind us what this is all about? it sentenced butjust remind us what this is all about?- what this is all about? it was called operation what this is all about? it was called operation varsity - what this is all about? it was | called operation varsity blues because of its connection to sports and the details are pretty shocking. essentially wealthy parents who wanted to get their children into elite schools like yale or stamford gave william singer money and he funnelled it to sports coaches at these elite universities and in exchange they guaranteed these children spot that these universities by marking them as recruits even though these children were not student athletes so they pick low profile sports for these universities, things like water polo or rowing and just a really earn that name of a cheating scandal william singer also help these students falsify their results on couege falsify their results on college entranc
fairly high profile celebrities were involved in this. felicity huffman, lori loughlin were both convicted and they essentially had also provided william singer with some money. lori loughlin for example and her husband were accused of bribing half $1 million to get their two students into the university of southern california where they were marked as fake rowers and all this with the help of william singer. 1th this with the help of william sinner. a ,, this with the help of william sinner. , ., , singer. as you mentioned he is one of many. singer. as you mentioned he is one of many, the singer. as you mentioned he is one of many, the first - singer. as you mentioned he is one of many, the first person l one of many, the first person to be convicted so took us through the fallout of all of this? , ., through the fallout of all of this? ,., ., ., :: this? yet so more than 50 eole this? yet so more than 50 people have this? yet so more than 50 people have been - this? yet so m