And the uae is over the moon as its first Historic Mission to mars enters the red planet� s orbit after a seven month journey from earth. Good afternoon. The Health Secretary matt hancock has announced a series of strict new Border Measures for england to attempt to prevent people bringing new variants of the virus into the country. They include fines of up to ten thousand pounds for those who fail to quarantine in hotels on arrival. Mr hancock also said travellers will face up to 10 years in prison if they try to hide the fact they� ve been to any of the 33 designated high risk countries. And people arriving here will be required to take two covid tests failure to do so will also lead to big fines. The measures will come into force on monday though critics have said they should have been introduced far sooner. Here� s theo leggett. Travel into the uk is about to get even tougher and the rules even more complicated. Passengers already need to test negative for covid i9 before they can even get on a plane, train or ferry, now arrivals in england will have to take further tests during their ten days in isolation. The first after two days and the second after eight days, which they will have to pay for. The first test will be used to identify not only whether anyone is carrying the virus but also whether they� ve been infected with a new variant. We will be putting in place tough fines for people who do not comply, this includes a £1000 penalty for any International Arrival who fails to take a mandatory test, a £2000 penalty to any International Arrival who fails to take the second mandatory test, as well as automatically extending their quarantine period to 14 days. The government has already said from next week people arriving in england, wales and Northern Ireland from a so called red list of countries, seen as being high risk, will have to spend their isolation period in Quarantine Hotels at their own expense. And scotland plans to make nearly all International Arrivals undergo Hotel Quarantine. These measures, taken together, are designed to prevent potentially dangerous new variants of covid i9 getting a foothold in the uk. Testing before flight is used to make sure that people on that flight are not transmitting to one another, that� s one issue related to testing. Another is testing after people arrive and if they are tested faithfully after they arrive and then five or eight days later, they can determine whether they were infected in the previous week or so. So it� s very important that these Testing Strategies are used for the right purpose. Im now going to call the shadow secretary of state, jonathan ashworth. For labour, though, the new measures simply don� t go far enough. And more is needed. He has announced a detailed package today, but he hasnt announced comprehensive Quarantine Controls at the borders, so why, then, when over half of countries where the South African variant has been identified, why are over half of them not on the so called red list . But for the travel industry, it� s another severe blow. What we need is some sort. Of consistency and measures across the globe but consistent. Is very important and also instead of assuming an entire country is infected,. We need to figure out how we move to a risk based on individuals so we are in favour of testing, testing is good but we are noti in favour of blanket quarantine. Meanwhile, some passengers are complaining the existing rules simply aren� t being enforced properly. Sharon says when she arrived at heathrow from south africa last night, she passed through the airport without any checks at all. I was in the arrivals hall within ten minutes, to spend all this money going around testing people who may have the South African strain, and i could be incubating it. I was very saddened because of what we are going through, because of how desperate our situation is. The government insists it will now enforce the rules with a firm hand, not only with fines but also a possible ten Year Prison Sentence are those who lie about where they are travelling from. Theo leggett, bbc news. 0ur Political Correspondent chris mason is At Westminster and earlier explained how many in government believed this announcement should have come sooner. I think it was striking listening to matt hancock take questions and it was broad support for what he had to say both from his own benches and from the Opposition Benches but where there was criticism again on occasion from his own side as well as the opposition was around the timing and why this could not have happened much sooner with edward is one veteran Conservative Backbencher asking why the uk had not modelled its approach on that of the likes of australia and new zealand with much higher shared limitations put on International Travel much sooner. The argument has been made by the government At Westminster for months on end is that to compare the uk and its economy and literally its geographical place in the world with australia and new zealand is relatively ludicrous. However, he has been in conversation with this australian opposite number of on the practicalities of this Hotel Quarantine policy that� s located in and around the uk on monday. So there is clearly a recognition and there can be Lessons Learned from elsewhere as far as how that is implemented. On top of that is very eye catching policy that anyone who tries to come in from a country on the so called red list, countries in primarily South America and does not adequately declare that� s where they have come from. They try to get into the uk without acknowledging where they set off from they could face quite a heftyjail term. Here is matt hancock making that announcement in the commons. Anyone who lies on the Passenger Locator Form and tries to conceal that they have been in a country on the red list in the ten days before arrival here will face a Prison Sentence of up to ten years. These measures will be put into law this week. And ive been working with the home secretary, the board of force, and the police to make sure the resources are being put into enforcing these measures. I make no apologies for the strength of the measures. We are dealing with one of the strongest threats to our Public Health that we face as a nation. That was matt hancock in the comments. Not for the first time a different approach from that government in scotland. The Transport Secretary and the snp Scottish Government has been setting out its approach to all things quarantine. This matters because there are International Flights that arrive directly into scotland and the most recent figures suggest around 1600 people arriving on such fights in the last week of january. Here is the Transport Secretary making that announcement in the last couple of hours. It is very hard to say with confidence where the high risk countries are. Even for their variants we know about. That is why the Scottish Government wants a i comprehensive approach to manage isolation. So from monday we will require all International Travels by arriving directly on flights into scotland to enter managed isolation. This goes further than the measures announced by the uk secretary earlier this afternoon. The uk government has already committed to l adopting this for travels returning from red list countries. We know that is not. Sufficient and we have gone further. We believe that all International Travels there is some limited exceptions should meet the requirement to isolate in managed facilities. A tough response from the Scottish Government and the government At Westminster and to complete the quartet of the uk home nations both wales and Northern Ireland currently are not receiving any direct International Flights from beyond the uk and so as things stand we have not heard anything specific from the government in cardiff and belfast because anyone hoping to get to wales or Northern Ireland and coming in via england or scotland will be subject to england or at scotland� s own Quarantine Measures and having completed those and the necessary tasks that are built into those Quarantine Measures if they have come in from a red list country particularly from any country if you were to go into scotland from that point on they will be able to travel to wales or Northern Ireland. Figures released in the past hour show that a further 1,052 people have died within 28 days of a positive Coronavirus Test in the uk. Another 12,361; people have tested positive for the virus. And the number of those receiving their first vaccine has climbed to more than 12. 6 million. The second Impeachment Trial of donald trump begins, in just an hour� s time, in the us senate. The former president is charged with Inciting Insurrection in a speech to supporters ahead of the deadly riot at the us capitol just over a month ago. His lawyers say the trial is unconstitutional, and insist he was not responsible. Barbara plett usher looks at what we can expect from the trial. Shouting. For the first time in modern history, america� s Peaceful Transfer Of Power was shaken. The capitol stormed by armed supporters of the president to stop congress from declaring his election defeat. The ragged insurrectionjolted lawmakers into action. Members of the lower chamber, including some republicans, charged donald trump with inciting the riots. We fight like hell and if you don� t fight like hell, you� re not going to have a country any more. President trump used fiery language that day, his lawyers say he was simply exercising his right to free speech. We are going to walk down to the capitol. But democrats plan to use his own words against him. Crowd take the capitol they say the evidence is all out there. Live streamed and live tweeted. Shouting. Fight for trump. And they will present it in vivid colour for the nation to see. No one will be able to avert their gaze from what mr trump said and did, and the consequences of his actions. Singing. Five people died during the riot. Here, a Memorial Service for a Capitol Police officer who was killed. And lawmakers on both sides of the aisle feared for their lives. And then, ijust start to hear these yells of where is she . Where is she . Like hell im going to let a bunch of domestic terrorists interfere with ourjob to protect and defend the constitution. Do you solemnly swear. It looks almost certain that Senate Republicans won� t vote to convict. 0n the day they were sworn in as jurors, most of them backed mr trump, calling the trial unconstitutional. Democrats are wasting the nations time on a partisan vendetta against a man no longer in office. The man may have left the white house but he� s still a power broker in the party with a tight grip on the grass roots. And he� s not coming back here to testify. To this fortress capitol, still under heavy guard to protect members of congress. Republicans are clearly eager to turn this unhappy page and move on. But democrats are determined to hold donald trump to account, for the history books, if nothing else. Barbara plett usher, bbc news, washington. This is for seeing the world now in washington. The impeachment proceedings getting under way at around six o� clock. We will bring you coverage of that throughout the evening of course here on bbc news. Let us talk about how it might unfold. Joining me now isjeremy hobson, former host of npr� s here and now programme. He was the anchor from washington during donald trump� s last Impeachment Trial. The key difference this time if he is not president anymore. I the key difference this time if he is not president anymore. Is not president anymore. I think that makes is not president anymore. I think that makes all is not president anymore. I think that makes all the is not president anymore. I think that makes all the difference that makes all the difference because the stakes are simply lower this time. We are not talking about whether this senate is going to convict him and remove a sitting president , we are talking about whether the senate is going to convict him and say perhaps that he cannot run again in four years. It is simply lower stakes. It is certainly is simply lower stakes. It is certainly not is simply lower stakes. It is certainly not going is simply lower stakes. It is certainly not going to is simply lower stakes. It is certainly not going to convict him because they are not enough republicans who will vote that way. I think that is the expectation. I have been speaking with a number of people today. I� m in florida which is a state which voted for President Trump in the last election and people here believe the president will not be convicted whether they be republican or democrat or independent, they believe the senate is not going to convict the president this time around. You say oure in president this time around. You say youre in florida president this time around. You say youre in florida and president this time around. You say youre in florida and the president this time around. You say youre in florida and the ability you� re in florida and the ability for him, what extent do you think this will damage him if he tried to run and people speculate that he would in 202a. Could this backfire on the democrats . I would in 2024. Could this backfire on the democrats . Would in 2024. Could this backfire on the democrats . I think on the one hand i spoke on the democrats . I think on the one hand i spoke with on the democrats . I think on the one hand i spoke with a on the democrats . I think on the one hand i spoke with a republican on the democrats . I think on the one hand i spoke with a republican today| hand i spoke with a republican today in florida who says she thinks this entire trail is a waste of money, i waste of taxpayer money, and a waste of time and she does think he will not be convicted. However, she said she would be more than happy if he was barred from running a game in four years because she is ready for the party to move on. I think there are a lot of republicans in that place who said look, he came in and did what he did and lost the house and lost the senate and lost the presidency in four years. It is time for something new. At the same time i think especially with Everything Else going on right now in this country with the pandemic and the people are ready to move on and think about the future. And probably the number one thing on most peoples mind you republican or democrat is light get the vaccine. And mind you republican or democrat is light get the vaccine. Light get the vaccine. And i guess that oint light get the vaccine. And i guess that point about light get the vaccine. And i guess that point about the light get the vaccine. And i guess that point about the coronavirus i that point about the coronavirus pandemic still rampant in the united states. People dying in such large numbers every day and like everybody else, President Biden is focused primarily on that. Not on the trial against his predecessor. I primarily on that. Not on the trial against his predecessor. Against his predecessor. I think that is crucial. Against his predecessor. I think that is crucial. You against his predecessor. I think that is crucial. You can against his predecessor. I think that is crucial. You can see against his predecessor. I think that is crucial. You can see the | that is crucial. You can see the message from President Biden very clearly right now. He does not want anything to do with this Impeachment Trial. He is not getting in the way of it but he has shown his schedule for the next two days he will be focused on the economy, on the pandemic, and other things. Not the Impeachment Trial. He has got a 61 approval rating. So all the people who are with President Biden right now he may be sending them a message, let� s be focused on our agenda and on the future. Message, lets be focused on our agenda and on the future. Message, lets be focused on our agenda and on the future. Thank you for bein agenda and on the future. Thank you for being with agenda and on the future. Thank you for being with us. In the last few minutes Buckingham Palace has announced the queen is delighted after Princess Eugenie gave birth to a baby boy today in a statement, the palace said her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie was safely delivered of a son today, february 9 2021, at 8. 55am at the portland hospital. Jack brooksbank was present. The baby weighs 8lbs1oz. The queen, the duke of edinburgh, the duke of york, sarah, duchess of york, and mr and mrs George Brooksbank have been informed and are delighted with the news. This is Princess Eugenie and jack brooksbank� s first child, the duke of york and sarah, duchess of york� s first grandchild, and the ninth Great Grandchild for the queen and the duke of edinburgh. Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well. Congratulations to them. The headlines on bbc news new sanctions for anyone failing to observe new rules for travellers coming to england from abroad, including a maximum 10 thousand pound fine for flouting Hotel Quarantine rules and up to ten years in prison for anyone hiding the fact they� ve been to a high risk country. In scotland all overseas travellers arriving there will be required to quarantine in a hotel. Donald trump on trial again. The first ever impeachment of a former president gets underway in a few hours time. World Health Organisation scientists who travelled to wuhan investigating the origins of the virus say it is extremely unlikely to have emerged as a result of an incident in a laboratory. Plans for a controversial coking coal mine in cumbria have been suspended by the County Council. Councillors now want to reconsider the Planning Application in the light of concerns about Climate Change. Let� s get more and speak to our energy and environment analyst roger harrabin. This has been very controversial and suddenly it� s being reconsidered. Yes, it is flipped on its head again. The county Council Agreed to backin again. The county Council Agreed to back in october and there was a pause while the government had to decide whether it wanted to call into decision. That means to overrule its because it had not taken into account national and international concerns. The government decided it was not going to call it in and that brought an avalanche of criticism on boris johnson� s head because he is leading a change conference in november and trying to lead the world away from coal. Allowing a new coal mine to be dug on his own mind and in his own country. So now, it slipped again because the County Council in cumbria as a they think they had not taken proper notice of the most up to date advice from the government advisory Climate Change committee which say the coking that will come from them i am should be underweight to being phased out by 2025 unless it is using technology to capture its admissions. I suspect what is happening here is the concert insulating itself so it needs to be quite clear to the firm about the dates by which it will be expected to be out of coking but it does not mean at all that there counsel is going to agree the planet. They will not know. We have to wait and see. The planet. They will not know. We have to wait and see. To wait and see. The defenders of this preject to wait and see. The defenders of this preject say to wait and see. The defenders of this project say its to wait and see. The defenders of this project say its not this project say it� s not traditional coal mining in the sense. ,. Traditional coal mining in the sense. , sense. Yes and coking coal is used b the sense. Yes and coking coal is used by the british sense. Yes and coking coal is used by the British Steel sense. Yes and coking coal is used by the British Steel industry sense. Yes and coking coal is used by the British Steel industry but i l by the British Steel industry but i have been looking at the figures in the past few days and none of them want to go in the record and they all say it would be good for us if we got this but frankly it does not really matter greatly one way or another so that is one argument now that has to be weighed in the balance against the others but i think for borisjohnson he really is facing up to a decision time because he wants on one hand to supportjobs and one from neighbour last time around as a local mp and one can imagine he might have had a word or two and carrying his bags and he needs to be true to them. Also he needs to be true to them. Also he needs to be true to his vision to lead the world to combat Climate Change. And i suspect and be tblisi in a few weeks� time, i suspect this decision ultimately will bounce back to his door. , ~ ,. ,. The First Minister accuses Nicola Sturgeon of breaking the ministerial code. He has said he wants the evidence which has been widely reported in the media published if he is to appear before the courts. At a meeting today the members decided not to publish and they are looking at the Scottish Governments handling of harassment complaints made against him. Scientists have said that that theory that leaked from the city of wuhan has been unlikely. They presented their findings to investigate the origins of the virus. The team said they believe that most likely because of the first outbreak was the Virus Jumping from an intermediary host species to human beings. I would train a correspondence gave us the latest. The who scientists and their chinese counterparts said they were looking at four theories. That the coronavirus came from a specific animal and jumped directly to human beings. That it went from animal into intermediary animal and into human beings. That it came from a frozen surface possibly frozen seafood in human beings. That it comes from eli blake. They are to not waste anymore time and effort on that. We found no evidence of it. It would have been very difficult for it to have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of virology. Such incidents are very rare and they said they could not find a single lab Anywhere In The World studying a coronavirus just like this one. Daylight theory number two. Animal, animal, human. And that is where they are saying the effort needs to go now. Much more research into that route. They are recommending that globally databases, scientific databases need to be much more integrated and sharing information and enabling tracking. They want more work to be done into the study of the survivability of the coronavirus on frozen surfaces. They are saying that it can be transported over quite long distances. What they do not know is when he gets to the other and if he can then infect somebody. One possibility is a combination of two of those theories. That is that it could be on a frozen wild animal. So a combination of being frozen and coming from a wild animal and that is how it all kicked off. Either way, a lot more work needs to be done, they now have wrapped up here. They go back to their countries, there will be a final report but although they are saying they have made significant breakthroughs and they think they are further down the path of understanding the origins of the coronavirus, it� s still going to take a long time and maybe years until we can really pin this down. Mary wilson, one of the original members of the supremes, has died aged seventy six. The all female group, which included diana ross, was known for hits such as baby love and you can� t hurry love and its music became a defining sound of the 1960s. After leaving the supremes, mary wilson continued as a concert performer, and became more involved in political activism. David sillito looks back at her life. Ooh, need to hold you. Mary wilson. The supremes. Ba by love. Set me free why don� t you, babe. You keep me hangin� on. I remember mama said. You can� t hurry love. They were a motown hit machine. Five number one singles in a row. It� s a game of give and take. Mary wilson had formed the group with herfriend, florence ballard, when they were teenagers. Then they werejoined by a neighbour, diana ross. And then, they headed to the office of motown, in detroit. Every day, after school, we would catch the bus to motown, sit on the steps. Eventually, we got into the lobby. We� d sit in the lobby. And every day, we� d do that until eventually, they signed us. We pestered them to death i am just so thrilled because so much has happened to me in the month of february. 60 years on, her death is a shock. She posted this only a few days ago, talking about her plans for the future. And one of her friends received a gift from herjust hours before hearing the sad news. Today, i actually got a late Christmas Gift in the mail from her. And when i went online to say thank you, you know, text her thank you, and it also popped up that she had passed, and when i tell you i� m really still in shock. I� ve got, like, a knot in my chest now. Just very, very sad. The world� s lost a great entertainer. The head of motown records, berry gordy, said today, diana ross offered her condolences and wrote of the many wonderful memories of their time together. Of course, it wasn� t always perfect harmony in the supremes. The decision to rename the group Diana Ross The Supremes was a sign of who was being groomed for stardom. Mary and new member Cindy Birdsong didn� t even get to sing on this recording. Love child, never meant to be. But mary wilson stayed with the supremes until the group came to an end and, over the years, she continued to perform, she wrote, she campaigned for performers� rights. And she was looking forward to celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the supremes a memory of the era of civil rights, when the charts were ruled by three successful, confident, glamourous black women. As mary wilson said, yes, she was the dreamgirl. Mary wilson who has died at the age of 76. We will be answering your questions about coronavirus and in particular the vaccine and misinformation about the vaccine and misinformation about the vaccine. We have got a special programme on that at 10am tomorrow morning on the bbc news channel and also we will be joined by the deputy chief medical officer. So send us your questions about the vaccine using the bbc your questions or you can e mail your questions at bbc in touch with us. Now it� s time for a look at the weather. The snow showers today will continue to give fresh accumulations of snow, a couple of centimetres here and there. In some places there will be more, for example central and eastern scotland, five, ten, 15 centimetres, and an Amber Warning in force from the met office for today and into this evening. Obviously, very cold. The cold east, north easterly winds continue, so it feels more like 5 or 6 in some of the stronger gusts. On top of that, we have stronger winds and potentially some snow also sweeping across the English Channel during the course of this afternoon and this evening. The wintry showers will continue through the course of the night and into tomorrow, but tomorrow during the day, we are expecting High Pressure to build in from the north, and what this High Pressure will do is tend to ease the showers, so by tomorrow evening i think there will be fewer showers around, lighter winds and clearer skies. Hello this is bbc news. The headlines. New sanctions for anybody failing to observe new rules for travellers coming into england from abroad. Including a maximum £10,000 fine for floating Hotel Quarantine rules. In p floating Hotel Quarantine rules. In up to ten years or anybody hiding the fact that they been to a high risk country. I the fact that they been to a high risk country the fact that they been to a high risk country. I make no apologies for the strength risk country. I make no apologies for the strength of risk country. I make no apologies for the strength of these risk country. I make no apologies i for the strength of these measures was up because we are dealing with one of the strongest threats to our Public Health that we face as a nation. �. ,. , nation. And the Scottish Governments one nation. And the Scottish Governments gone further nation. And the Scottish Governments gone further and nation. And the Scottish Governments gone further and said nation. And the Scottish Governments gone further and said all nation. And the Scottish Governments gone further and said all overseas gone further and said all overseas travellers arriving in scotland will be required to quarantine in a hotel. World Health Organization scientist who travelled to china to investigate the origins of the virus say it is extremely unlikely to have emerged from a laboratory. Donald trump is on trial again. The first ever impeachment of a former president gets under way and about half an hour� s time. The government risks turning the clock back on equality for women. Offered during the pandemic have been � repeatedly skewed towards men,� that� s the finding of a group of cross party mps. The Committee Chair Caroline Nokes said the government had repeatedly failed to consider caring inequalities faced by women. The report recommends reforms, including Making It Easierfor staff to get Flexible Working. Alex forsyth has more. I� v e i� ve got the brunt of everything, really. Trying to earn a living and home school my son. I really. Trying to earn a living and homeschool my son. Really. Trying to earn a living and homeschool my son. I found a ob that was perfect � homeschool my son. I found a ob that was perfect for d homeschool my son. I found a ob that was perfect for me i homeschool my son. I found a ob that was perfect for me and i homeschool my son. I found a ob that was perfect for me and my h that was perfect for me and my family that was perfect for me and my family and that it was just taken away family and that it was just taken away from family and that it was just taken away from me by this pandemic. A lot of companies away from me by this pandemic. A lot of companies are away from me by this pandemic. A lot of companies are looking for new people of companies are looking for new heapie hut of companies are looking for new heapie but the of companies are looking for new people but the problem of companies are looking for new people but the problem is of companies are looking for new people but the problem is they. Of companies are looking for new. People but the problem is they are not very people but the problem is they are not very flexible. People but the problem is they are not very flexible. For people but the problem is they are not very flexible. People but the problem is they are not very flexible. For each of these women the not very flexible. For each of these women the pandemics not very flexible. For each of these women the Pandemics Come not very flexible. For each of these women the Pandemics Come with l not very flexible. For each of these women the Pandemics Come with a particular cause. Jobs are lost, childcare struggles, businesses paused. Now a group of mp is warning many women have been hard hit by the Economic Impact of this virus. And the risk is it makes any quality worse. Take sharon, she recently set off in Clothing Business from home and runs a charity. In memory of her stillborn son. But with a has been working full time she has borne the brunt of home schooling. With her work taking a backseat. So brunt of homeschooling. With her work taking a backseat. Brunt of homeschooling. With her work taking a backseat. So this time around my husband work taking a backseat. So this time around my husband is work taking a backseat. So this time around my husband is not work taking a backseat. So this time i around my husband is not furloughed. I� ve had barely any time to focus on my business or the charity. I know a lot of mums who work from home. Or have their own Small Businesses like myself. And all of them are saying that they have been affected by homeschooling. And they really don� t have the time now to put energy into earn a living from their Small Business. Earn a living from their Small Business earn a living from their Small Business. ,. , business. Many sectors have been hardhit. Business. Many sectors have been hardhit iztut business. Many sectors have been hardhit. But there business. Many sectors have been hardhit. But there is business. Many sectors have been hardhit. But there is evidence. Business. Many sectors have been. Hardhit. But there is evidence that hard hit. But there is evidence that women are more likely to work in Industries Like hospitality and retail. Which is seeing closure after closure pileup. Joanne had a job at a hotel. An idealfit after closure pileup. Joanne had a job at a hotel. An ideal fit around herfamily. But she job at a hotel. An ideal fit around her family. But she was made redundant last year and hasn� t been able to find work sense. I was devastated able to find work sense. I was devastated because able to find work sense. I was devastated because ive able to find work sense. I was devastated because ive not l able to find work sense. I was devastated because ive not been there devastated because ive not been there long. But i found a job that was perfect for me and my family. Somewhere i fitted in. I dont want to do somewhere i fitted in. I dont want to do anything else. Hospitality is all i to do anything else. Hospitality is all i know to do anything else. Hospitality is all i know. �. , to do anything else. Hospitality is alli know. �. , �. , all i know. And what im good at. Our tlan all i know. And what im good at. Our plan to all i know. And what im good at. Our plan to build, all i know. And what im good at. Our plan to build, build, all i know. And what im good at. Our plan to build, build, build. I our plan to build, build, build. Ministers our plan to build, build, build. Ministers have our plan to build, build, build. Ministers have promised our plan to build, build, build. Ministers have promised hugel ministers have promised huge investments in rebuilding the economy creating jobs in top of billions already spent protecting them. But critics say there is too much focus on hard hats and hives is, a male dominated sectors. With more people working from home, the government says it doesn� t want to harness the cultural shift covid has prompted with parent sharing, caring roles. And more flexibility from employers. Fora roles. And more flexibility from employers. For a single mum claire, that flexibility is key. She struggled with childcare through the pandemic. And had been recently made redundant she� s finding it hard to get a job that fits around her daughters need. Get a job that fits around her daughters need. Get a job that fits around her dauthters need. ,. , daughters need. Employers need to reall think daughters need. Employers need to really think about daughters need. Employers need to really think about the daughters need. Employers need to really think about the choices daughters need. Employers need to really think about the choices they i really think about the choices they are making and i think the government need to also proactively change that too. Things i Flexible Working need to be a right for everybody. And Remote Working should be a part of that too. So everybody. And Remote Working should be a part of that too. Be a part of that too. So much about the way we be a part of that too. So much about the way we work be a part of that too. So much about the way we work has be a part of that too. So much about the way we work has changed. Be a part of that too. So much about the way we work has changed. The l the way we work has changed. The government has had to scramble to put in place supports games which have largely been welcomed. But mp say there must be more focused on support for women. Say there must be more focused on support forwomen. Gender say there must be more focused on support for women. Gender equality could go backwards. With me now is dr mary ann stephenson. She is the director of uk women� s budget group which scrutinises Government Policy from a gender perspective. Thank you for being with us. Is it your belief that the pandemic has exacerbated inequality . Yes. Your belief that the pandemic has exacerbated inequality . Yes, very much so. Exacerbated inequality . Yes, very much so its exacerbated inequality . Yes, very much so. Its exacerbated exacerbated inequality . Yes, very l much so. Its exacerbated inequality much so. It� s exacerbated inequality and its expose the inequalities that were already there. I think that� s what the women inequality select report today really spelt out. None of this was unpredictable. We knew the sorts ofjobs that women worked in, we knew that women were more likely to be poor, more likely to not qualify for statutory sick pay. We knew women did them majority of young unpaid care. Everything that happens sends are things that the women sector have been warning about since the beginning of the pandemic. So lots of warnings. Much of the government be doing then to address this that it isn� t doing now . I this that it isnt doing now . I think the first thing to do is to actually do proper equality Impact Assessment of their policies. To recognise where there are gaps in the system. Like i said with statutory sick pay, you� ve got 70 of those not entitled to statutory sick pay women. That means it can be very difficult for them to take time off if they� re ill. They� re more likely to go to work if they are ill. Which is bad at all times but particular the bad in a pandemic. One of the things that the committees report showed was that when the minister was asked about this, she wasn� t even aware that women were less likely to be entitled to sick pay. Actually looking at the data, the differences between men and women in terms of who does unpaid care work, what sectors people work in and then using that to inform policy i think would be the most important step. Its would be the most important step. It� s been particular tough on mothers who are Single Parents. Absolutely. Things are always very tough or Single Parents because there isn� t anybody else to share there isn� t anybody else to share the load with. At the moment, when schools are closed and children are at home, it� s next to impossible to combined that with paid work. That puts Single Parents in an impossible situation. We puts Single Parents in an impossible situation. ~. , puts Single Parents in an impossible situation. ,. , situation. We heard in that Report Criticism of situation. We heard in that Report Criticism of the situation. We heard in that Report Criticism of the government situation. We heard in that Report Criticism of the government plans for post covid investment. In particular the borisjohnson it� s sort of, build, build, build. The claim that it� s all a bit macho, men in hard hats and high viz. Jackets and so on. It� s not really talking particularly about how to get more women in work and get more women in better paid work. Women in work and get more women in better paid work better paid work. Obviously, its im tortant better paid work. Obviously, its important to better paid work. Obviously, its important to ensure better paid work. Obviously, its important to ensure that better paid work. Obviously, its important to ensure that you better paid work. Obviously, its| important to ensure that you are going to build invested in physical infrastructure that you make sure that women are trained and able to take up thosejobs. That women are trained and able to take up those jobs. But one of the things that we� ve been saying is you also need to invest in social infrastructure. Things i care, health, education which are as fundamental to the running of the economy we seen in the last year as things like roads and rail. We did some research that showed if you invest in the same amount of money and social infrastructure and care as you did in construction, you would create 2. 7 times as manyjobs. And morejobs for men would create 2. 7 times as manyjobs. And more jobs for men as well as many, many morejobs and more jobs for men as well as many, many more jobs for women. And more jobs for men as well as many, many morejobs for women. That would also help close the care gap. We got a close to it in a crisis in social care in this country. We got a looming crisis in childcare. So investing in the care sector were notjust investing in the care sector were not just generate investing in the care sector were notjust generate jobs it would enable people to work who currently can� t because they� re doing unpaid care. Cant because theyre doing unpaid care. ,. We� ve had confirmation that the United Arab Emirates� First Mission to mars has reached the red planet and successfully inserted itself into its orbit following its seven month journey. In the last hour, a spacecraft operated by the the United Arab Emirates entered orbit around mars after travelling more than 300 million miles from earth. Named hope, it� s going to study the martian climate. Applause there we are. Applause for the success so far of that mission. Let� s get more on this and speak to dr susanne schwenzer, Senior Lecturer at the open university, and a planetary scientist researching mars� geology and astrobiology. What is the importance of this mission . We know from the United Arab Emirates Point Of View obviously, for their National Pride this is huge. We� ve heard from their ruler, he said our goal is to give hope to all arabs that we are capable of competing with the rest of the world. Is it more than National Pride for the uae . filth. Of the world. Is it more than National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it is National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it is. First National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it is. First of National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it is. First of all National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it is. First of all it National Pride for the uae . Oh, yes, of course it is. First of all it is of course it is. First of all it is more than National Pride for the nation itself. Because this will inspire the next generation just in the same way that we claim it does for our next generation here in england or in Great Britain as well as all over the world. So it is more on a social basis but it is also a lot more for us as scientists. Because it is a another orbit at mars which will add to the data set we are already getting. If i say vast data set there are currently some orbiters, some lenders, some rovers going and already at mars. Mars is a planet and if you compare the effort to study it with the effort we are studying earth throughout, it isjust effort we are studying earth throughout, it is just a effort we are studying earth throughout, it isjust a drop in a vast ocean of what we� re doing. And so every spacecraft is exciting to see. It so every spacecraft is exciting to see. , so every spacecraft is exciting to see. , ~ see. It certainly is. And the ambition see. It certainly is. And the ambition of see. It certainly is. And the ambition of the see. It certainly is. And the ambition of the uae see. It certainly is. And the ambition of the uae is see. It certainly is. And the | ambition of the uae is have see. It certainly is. And the ambition of the uae is have built a Human Element on mars by the year 2117. About a century from now. I think we are all hoping for footprints in the tracks of the rovers is elon musk is thinking about putting a settlement on mars. We are all thinking of going to mars and studying it in more detail. Because it is so earthlike. For a billion years ago it basically looked like the earth with some water at the surface. And in inspires our imagination of what happened they are, what is possible they are . So going there and investigating with Human Brain Power straight onto the rocks, that would be it. �. ,. ,. , be it. Im dreaming of that too. Dreaming be it. Im dreaming of that too. Dreaming of be it. Im dreaming of that too. Dreaming of that be it. Im dreaming of that too. Dreaming of that but be it. Im dreaming of that too. Dreaming of that but could be it. Im dreaming of that too. Dreaming of that but could we | be it. Im dreaming of that too. I dreaming of that but could we live there . Human beings lived there future centuries . Hat there . Human beings lived there future centuries . Future centuries . Not like we are livint future centuries . Not like we are living here future centuries . Not like we are living here at future centuries . Not like we are living here at the future centuries . Not like we are living here at the minute future centuries . Not like we are| living here at the minute because the moment you go out of your habitat you will not only have to put on a thick coat you will have to put on a thick coat you will have to put on a spacesuit with life support. It is a lot more challenging to live on any other celestial body than on earth. Because we aren� t made for earth. The atmosphere with its oxygen. That� s missing on mars of course. But going there, building a Habitat Thatis but going there, building a habitat that is this enclosed space where astronauts, sciences, space fairs, explorers could live and then go and explorers could live and then go and explore mars. Explorers could live and then go and explore mars explore mars. Thats certainly possible explore mars. Thats certainly possible very explore mars. Thats certainly possible. Very exciting. Explore mars. Thats certainly possible. Very exciting. Fascinating to talk to you. You so much. Now it� s time for your questions answered with reeta chakrabarti. The Health Secretary has outlined new measures for travellers into the uk from overseas who will now be required to get test on day two and eight of ten Day Quarantine. Which must be spent at home or a hotel. Well, you� ve been sending your questions in on the new rules and to answer them i� m joined by the travelled journalist jill granger and also by sean tipton who was a spokesman for abta who represent 90 of Package Tours sold in the uk. And 80 of the travel agents. Good afternoon to you both. Lots of questions on this, as you can imagine. Let� s kick off with claire who writes in from surrey about she asked how the double testing for all arrivals on day two and day eight will sit alongside the present five day test to release scheme. Does it mean she asked, as someone who asked to stop self isolating after five days will need to take three tests on day two, day five and day eight . Complicated. Jill . So we can� t get clarity yet from the government about this. On the website it still says that you can have this test on day five. Of course once you take the test, it typically requires 24 48 hours for you to get the result. And i suspect that the government just had updated the website and they� re probably going to abolish that for anybody arriving particularly from those 33 red list countries. But unfortunately that� s an issue that� s not clear yet. So you think it� s been superseded by the announcement today . Yes. That� s what it would appear to have happen because theyjust haven� t changed that. It seems unusual that you would have a two, five and an eight day test. And taking the test on day five is really only going to get you back home a tiny bit sooner in any case. Because it� s not that you get released on day five, you still have to wait for the results. So you may as well go ahead and just stick it out until day eight. I know if you� re coming from the 33 red list countries you� re in Hotel Quarantine for ten days in any case. Okay. Sean, a question from beatrice, as a british citizen, do i have to quarantine in a hotel if i agree to isolate at home . Well, depends on which country youre coming back from. Ijust want to stress at the moment, there are very few British Nationals overseas. Certainly there are tiny numbers on holidays because you not supposed be going overseas during lockdown. But the Quarantine Requirements going into a country depends on which country. One of those 33 countries on the red list which are countries in South America, southern africa, portugal and the uae. Unfortunately, it doesnt matter whether youre a British National, you will be going into one of those hotels if you come back after the 15th. I want to stress though, these measures are incredibly important. Public health must come 1st. But as ive said, very few people are travelling at the moment. So its not going to affect that many people. Paul in london asks, why do tests in the you take so much . Again, the government did not give me an answer to that question. The tests are being provided by private companies. So they are free to set their own rates. I would agree, it does seem a bit unfair that we know that they aren� t much cheaper. And in many cases completely free in other countries. Yet here, if you want to do this it is much more expensive. Which has unfortunately, it led to some fraudulent activity. So it would be good if the government could look into this and try to make it more affordable so the people don� t resort to fraud in order to try to get around having a test. Robert says that he is a British National working currently in amman. Due to the pandemic is not been able to return home to visit any family since march 2020. Nearly a year. Does anyone have any idea how ex pats like himself and his wife and his Work Colleagues will get vaccinated as it is very slow where he is. Or will the government supply the uk embassy quantities of vaccines for its residents abroad . I think thats a very good point because there are a number of people who do live overseas and our British Nationals. And obviously theyre doing a great job rolling out vaccines in the uk. Better than many other destinations. But i think this is something that the government probably will be considering. I cant answer it, i cant speak for them. Certainly they will have the health and safety of People Living overseas. Things think itsjust as important as those who are in the uk. Its a possibility but the best thing to do on that is check with the embassy in amman. They could give a much more categorical answer. Sounds like good advice. Another question from overseas. Again somebody working in the middle east. Doesn� t give a name. They say i have a question that is unclear to many of us coming back from the uk from the uae. If we are vaccinated, do we still have to do the Hotel Quarantine . Yes, you do. There is no Vaccination Passport yet. If we get a Vaccination Passport scheme this is probably going to take much longer than most people realize. It� s much more complex to get the entire world, the majority of countries in the world to recognise and agree with those protocols should be. How the vaccine, that passport should work, who should be issuing it� s complicated. It� s not a simply saying ito the pharmacy i get the shot and they give me my passport. Unfortunately it� s great if you manage to get the vaccine but it doesn� t stop you from having to stay in a hotel for the top if you� re in one of those 33 red list countries, i� m afraid. That might change but currently that� s the status. Thank you. Two questions, kathleen and alsojustin, they both asked why don� t we just close our borders and except for the freight and lorry drivers . If you think from a leisure perspective, the companies i represent that pretty much is already happened. And has been the case for the vast majority of the pandemic. Cast your mind back to when this first started back in february and march. The Foreign Office very quickly advised against all but essential travel to every single country. What they meant it is youre not going on in overseas holidays. There was a brief period of time in july when we had Travel Corridors and basically the governments took medical advice which was if you going to a destination with a lower or similar rate of infection to the uk it wont make much difference. Even that was only for a short period of time. The people travelling at the moment i theyre either people going on Essential Business Trips or there will be people who went back home for christmas to visit their family and state longer they normally would. So they have to quarantine on arrival. In terms of holiday makes im not saying there arent any but there are very few. The advice on this as all been driven by medical experts and the government is following that advice. And its certainly the start of the pandemic the advice wasnt straightaway to shut down everything but obviously, weve moved since then and the situation is more serious. Its a possibility but certain things we do need to keep going obviously for economic reasons. Importing food etc. But as it stands leisure travel, no. Not in the cards. A question from claire who is asking about a refund. She says we booked a holiday last year to the maldives on the 3rd Of March Thinking the lockdown would be over. It� s now illegal to fly out of england for holiday. But British Airways artists insisting they are still putting on ourflights. Therefore we cannot cancel our holiday. And we will lose our money. It� s very unfair of ba she says and i� m sure other airlines are probably doing it. Surely ba should be offering a refund. This is a very big problem for a lot of people. And i think we all thought would be out of lockdown by now. Of course the situation changes. So, legally if the flight goes ahead regardless of whether you can travel or not, they don� t have to refund you. Now the Competition Marketing Authority is looking into this because what it is thought is happening is lots of airlines are running virtually empty flights in order to avoid refunding people. That might not be the case. Because people do still need to travel for various essential reasons. For work, we need ourfood brought back and forth so we do need planes bringing in food. However, the best thing that i would advise is that you don� t do anything until as close to departure as possible check your terms and conditions and may be called ba and see how late you could leave it until you ask them to change the flights. Because in most cases what you will find is that they will change the flights for free without charging you a fee. A year ago they would typically charge a fee but in most cases now if you can� t fly because of the lockdown, a lot of airlines made not refund you if the flight still goes ahead but they are changing the date. So you can move the back may be for another year. But if the flight gets cancelled, that� s why it� s good to just wait another few weeks if you would be due a refund. And technically that refund should be within seven days. Although you will have to apply for it. And you may have to chase up as well. Thank you for that. Ian asks about the test to be done on day two and day eight. Will they be done locally to other passengers staying or might they involve a lot of travel . Although actually someone is supposed to be in quarantine. I would say they would be done locally certainly. There is something that that kind a level of detail you would need to be clarified by the government. Also speak to your gp. See what kind of situation, i live in london there quite a few bases in proximity to where i am. Where can be done. It might be issues with people being visited. That level of detail, that something the government would need to clarify. But its an important point, obviously. Because if you are in quarantine then you shouldnt as much as possible be leaving your house at all. Certainly that applies if your self isolating as well. Patricia asked, will the uk be adopting the process used in iceland whereby visitors are required to prepay for their test before arriving . They haven� t indicated that yet. Of course, this is a rapidly changing situation. So it� s entirely possible. Lots of government require you to prepay for at that Hotel Quarantine stay. So if you do have to stay in the hotel it� s not that you� re paying when you go to check out, you� ve got to pay before they� ll even let you board the flight. So yeah, i think that sort of thing is entirely possible. I would just like to clarify a point from earlier, in france and in many other eu countries, many people even foreigners who are living in the country can actually get those tests for free. It� s only in some cases where they do have to pay. Which makes the situation when you� re travelling in the uk even more frustrating. Because people are only travelling now for absolutely essential reasons. And they� re having to pay up to £300 for a test. It� s very infuriating. Thank you. Maryjones says, she selling a property in france, she� s had a letter from the solicitor confirming that this is a journey for legal purposes. Can she travel using euro star having a negative test and self isolating when she gets there . Shes quite right. She does need a negative test. So shes got that and need to self isolate on arrival. This is a chance for me to practice my schoolboy french. I had a look on the French Embassy website and there are links directly from the Foreign Office. If you are travelling Anywhere In The World always check the Foreign Office website. A mine of information. The french are saying that you can only come to france from the uk and other destinations if you have a compelling reason to do so. One of the reasons they have listed is if you are going for something for economic purposes which this would be, if you have to be there, in person and its absolutely essential that you travel then yes, you will be able to. But i think this is something that as shes already been speaking to her solicitor they are in a better position to clarify exactly, does this count is a compelling reason . In general i would say that people should not be travelling at the moment. So if you can possibly avoid it dont do so. Okay. Thank you very much, both of you. For a very informative your questions answered. We are only in the middle of this cold snap. My last until the weekend. In the short term snow showers continuing to affect eastern that Amber Warning in central and eastern scotland for a while. For the rest of the night is mostly fleeting flakes and win. And needless to say, a Freezing Cold wednesday morning. 3, minus four degrees in city centers. Tomorrow once again snow showers affecting mostly eastern areas of the uk. In fact, many Western Areas clear the spells there, sparkling weather looking out to the irish sea. Temperature is around freezing. A little above and a little below depending on where you are on wednesday. Later on wednesday the winds are going to ease. They showers are going to become less frequent, the snow showers. The reason is High Pressure is building for the High Pressure tends to settle things down. And with Clearing Skies and winds falling like the temperatures are going to drop like a stone because of this cold, extensive Scandinavian Hive was up it will be the coldest morning of the week. Temperatures in city centres minus seven degrees, 8 In Kew Gardens could make it the coldest morning in around a decade or so. Coldest morning in around a decade orso. Super cold coldest morning in around a decade or so. Super cold morning on thursday with some sparkling, crisp weather a little later on. The weather a little later on. The weather is starting to change out towards the southwest you� ll notice clouds building. A bit of rain out to sea, some snow reaching parts of ireland. It still very cold across many parts of the uk, around freezing or even below. Friday the cold weather, the cold easterly wind still wins. That mild air tries to push in but it really struggles. In fact, it� s no longer in easterly wind, it� s more of a dry southeasterly. It undercuts any Weather Fronts trying to come in from the west and that dry wind evaporates delete back evaporates the weather front. Evaporates delete back evaporates the weatherfront. Dry evaporates delete back evaporates the weather front. Dry and cold on friday and across most of the uk. A battleground come the weekend for some the milder air tries to push and off the atlantic. This is a very persistent southeasterly at this stage. The indications are on computer models. As we go through the weekend into sunday it� s increasingly likely that that mild air it might eventually win. Tonight at six tough new rules for anyone entering england, including fines and the threat of jail for people who flout them. From monday, anyone coming from one of the Coronavirus Hotspots will have to quarantine in a hotel and pay more than £1,700 to do so. But, in a new move, all travellers from abroad will now have to be tested twice during their ten Day Quarantine at home and foot the bill themselves. I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we are dealing with one of the strongest threats to our Public Health that we� ve faced as a nation. We will be asking what it means for International Travel this summer. Also tonight. It is extremely unlikely that covid 19 came from this laboratory in wuhan say a team