of course, one person hasn't had a chance to see the exhibition, captain tom. would you like to have a little tour of the gallery? would you like to have a tour of the gallery? yes, please. there we go. and so i took him on a little virtual tour. theyjust seem to go on forever. i love the children's ones. 0h, they're all amazing, look? i love this one. this one is made of coffee, isn't it? that's coffee. i have to be really honest, i nearly kept it and put money in the foundation myself, but i had to let it go. it's amazing. the auction will help raise a little more money for the captain tom foundation, but it's also been a chance for a little group of artists to share their lockdown creativity. david sillito, bbc news. the public is being urged to find new ways to support this

year's poppy appeal. the british legion has launched the appeal this year with a series of photographs — taken on doorsteps and through windows — reflecting the impact of covid—i9 on the armed forces and veterans. as many poppy sellers are themselves elderly or shielding, the charity has come up with alternative ways people can show support this year, including donating for poppies to be sent to you in the post, or downloading a printable poppy to display in a window. supporters are also encouraged to do a virtual poppy run or walk, to help raise funds. time for a look at the weather. he is darren bett. thank you very much indeed, it's a quiet, drier day today, there's even some sunshine around here and there. still pretty wet underfoot. the cloud and rain we had yesterday has swept up towards scandinavia. we've

got a brief respite today, because this is where all our weather is coming from, one band of cloud and rain followed by another so it will be turning very unsubtle. earlier on we did have heavy rain eased in scotland. that has moved through. cloudy and damp in scotland and the north of england. elsewhere, sunny spells and the odd shower around and temperatures peaking at 17—18 in sussex and kent. we've got some rain around this evening across eastern scotland. that will move away. later in the night we could see patchy rain getting swept into the south—east. ahead of ourfirst rain getting swept into the south—east. ahead of our first band of cloud and rain that brings wet weather overnight into northern ireland, later into western scotland, head of that with some clearer spells temperatures down to 3-4 clearer spells temperatures down to 3—4 briefly but cloud amounts will tend to increase later. the rain we have a northern ireland first thing moves away, patchy rain runs eastwards tomorrow across scotland. heavy rain in the morning perhaps across the and onto the pennines but as the rain moves into eastern england in the afternoon it's light and patchy. behind the rain band

more sunshine and showers, western scotla nd more sunshine and showers, western scotland and northern ireland, temperature is 11 degrees here. ahead of the rain in the south—east, temperatures could make 15 celsius. into the weekend, very unsettled. we have a band rain followed by sunshine and showers. we will be windy particularly on saturday. it may be a dry start with some sunshine through the midlands and eastern england but we've got this band of perhaps heavy rain pushing in from the rest followed by sunshine and showers into scotland and northern ireland, but a windy day. strong to gale force winds for a while through the irish sea and western scotland. we could see gusts of 60 miles an hour. temperatures struggling to around 11—12 in scotla nd struggling to around 11—12 in scotland and northern ireland. ahead of the rain that arrives later in the south—east, i7 of the rain that arrives later in the south—east, 17 degrees. we get the south—east, 17 degrees. we get the wet weather by the end of the day as a weather front takes the rain away but we keep the driving force, this deep area of low pressure, to the north—west of the uk on sunday and that's where we've got the strongest of the winds and

perhaps showers or longer spells of rain. some sunshine elsewhere, some showers too mainly towards the south and west of england and wales. not quite as windy on sunday but the air is going to be a little bit cooler. that's all from the bbc news at one. just to let you know, you can watch a coronavirus briefing from downing street with the prime minister and chancellor — coverage you're watching bbc news, the time isjust after 1.30 and i'm at the bbc sport centre. international rugby union returns for the home nations this weekend. wales have named their team to face france in paris on saturday and alun wynjones is set to equal richie mccaw‘s world record for most test appearances. jones will move to 148 caps, 139 for wales and 9 for the british and irish lions.

he's going to captain an experienced side as they use this first test in seven months as preparation for next week's delayed six nations match against scotland. the wasps head coach lee blackett says that eleven players from his squad are unavailable for saturday's premiership final against exeter. wasps were only given the green light to play yesterday after revealing that the club had been hit by coronavirus, with players either testing positive or having to self—isolate. of the eleven blackett says four would have probably been in the matchday 23. he says "it's gut wrenching for those who will miss out but the health and safety of players and families is more important." arsenal are one of the five british clubs playing in the europa league tonight, they are in austria to face rapid vienna. no mezut ozil who appears to be completely frozen out of the club now, exluded from their european and premier league squads.

he was the gunners‘ record signing 7 years ago but his contract runs out next summer. he's accused the club of lacking loyalty in a message to fans. he was a regular starter when mikel arteta took over last december but hasn't featured since football returned after the lockdown. ifeel, at the moment today, that ifailed because i wanted the best possible message for the team to do it and in some moments i was able to get close to that. i take full responsibility. i have to be the one getting the best out of the players, it is my responsibility. 2a europa league matches tonight as the group stages gets going. that arsenal game is at five to 6. should be a great game at parkhead, celtic v ac milan that's an 8'oclock kick off. so too leicester city against ukraimnian side zorya luhansk. rangers are in belgium, an early kick—off against standard liege.

and tottenham take on the austrians lask at home. the draw‘s been made for the first qualifying round in the women's champions league. glasgow city reached the quarterfinals last season and will face irish side peamount united. northern ireland's linfield ladies have a match away at one of the top seeds anderlecht. and swansea city ladies have a trip to cyprus to apollon. they are all one—off knockout ties. the hull kr head coach tony smith is self—isolating, after coming into contact with someone who has tested positive for covid—i9. the players have been made aware of the situation and their super league match against castleford will go ahead tonight, with assistant coach david hodgson taking charge. the haas formula one team are having a driver clear out for next year. romain grosjean and kevin magnusson are leaving. the us based team were fifth in the constructors championship

in 2018 with both drivers, but they have only secured three points between both of them this season. the former formula one rivalry between lewis hamilton and nico rosberg will be reignited in the extreme e series next year. rosberg will be running one of the teams when the series for electric off—road vehicles starts in february. it'll be visiting territories affected by climate change, such as greenland and the amazon, to raise awareness of the issue. hamilton has already stated his intent to get behind a team. around 2,000 fans will be allowed in for a pga tour event in houston next month, but that's divided opinion, phil mickelson says he might skip the event, with the delayed masters taking place the following week. but rory mcilory says he'd be happy to see specatators on the course with the correct protocols. we need to still be careful and protect the community that we play in as well, but if local officials there are comfortable

at having fans onsite and the pga tour are comfortable and working with local health experts, then i am all for it. i think it is a gradual reintroduction back to having fans again. i am certainly more comfortable with it now than i was maybe two or three months ago. i'll have more for you in the next hour. thank you very much. good afternoon, you are watching bbc news. i am jane hill. we will take you through a discussion on covid—i9 issues. we will take you through a discussion on covid—i9 issues. more now on why ethnic minority communities appear at higher risk of dying from covid—i9. in the last half an hour, the equalities minister kemi badenoch has given a statement to mps on the government's study,

led by its race disparity unit. we now know much more about the impact of the virus. we know more in particular about why people from ethnic minority backgrounds are more likely to be affected and die from covid. the current evidence shows it isa covid. the current evidence shows it is a range of social economic matters, population density, household precondition and pre—existing conditions which contribute to the high mortality rate for ethnic minority groups. however, part of the excess risk remains unexplained for some groups and further analysis is planned for the coming months but what has emerged as interventions across the high emerged as interventions across the mgh—— emerged as interventions across the high —— the entire population are most likely to diss benefit ethnic minorities. this is best captured throughout experience of the national lockdown and shielding programme. we must assess the

impacts of covid—19 based on all causes of mortality to operate indirect impact on this specific metric early evidence suggests there is no disproportionate impact across ethnic groups. an open study from february until august concluded that national data from england and scotland showed most ethnic minority groups have better overall health and lower rates of mortality than white groups. the evidence base is growing fast and we will continue to work with academics to improve their understanding of the relationship between covid—19 and ethnicity. i'm keen to deepen our outstanding how morbidity reacts with occupational exposure. we have had several studies to date and will account for the risk for different ethnic groups and outcomes from covid—19. we must

move away from seeing covid—19 affecting discrete group towards helping individuals understand their owi'i helping individuals understand their own risk profile as the evidence base grows. we know a vaccine is likely to present a long—term protection against this disease. the only way to check how a coronavirus works is to carry on large—scale clinical trials involving a diverse group of thousands of people. that is why i am leading by example and participating in a trial myself at guy's hospital. as week i wrote to all colleagues encourage their ethnic minority constituents to sign up ethnic minority constituents to sign up to the registry as these groups are underrepresented in vaccine trials. we have made good progress but more needs to be done. the particular need to work with local communities to project the most vulnerable. i therefore announced a new community champion scheme which includes up to £25 million of funding for local authorities and the voluntary sector. this will help

to improve regional public health guidance and other messaging communication about the virus in specific and groups of most risk from covid—19. 0ur specific and groups of most risk from covid—19. our community champion funding will support those groups at most risk from this disease and ensure key public health advice is understood and safety procedures followed. this will help build trust, reduce transmission and lower death rates in the targeted areas and beyond. cancers are been working tirelessly to support communities through this crisis, they to do this best. the funding will enable councils to do more of what they know and allow it to go further by enhancing existing schemes. the scheme will be shared with all councils and across all releva nt with all councils and across all relevant government departments leaving government departments and local authorities to hear from individuals about the impact of the crisis. there are other measures we can take to protect those at risk. so in my report to the prime

ministerl so in my report to the prime minister i loudly number of recommendations. these include mandating the recording of ethnicity data as part of this and end date for gate and process as this is an elevator establish a complete picture of the impact of the virus oi'i picture of the impact of the virus on minority groups. appointing two extra advisers on covid who will bring expertise from the field of medicine, epidemiology and clinical research, ensuring new evidence from this review is —— related to the extremely variable is related to health policies. understanding individual risk by this commission. i also wanted to catch good work done by local authorities and directors of public health so we can learn lessons that help at a local level so there will be a rapid review of local authority reaction to support ethnic minority communities. the package of announcements i have announced today are part of a year—long group and will give us a better insight in

protecting those most at risk and how we can address long—standing public health inequalities. i would report back to the house with another update at the end of the next quarter. kemi badenoch speaking there in the commons. as we've been hearing the chancellor rishi sunak has been setting out fresh support for workers in parts of england that are under tier 2 restrictions — that's the high alert level. it follows criticism that his winter economic plan was based on a model of falling coronavirus infections and a recovering economy. the chancellor says the newjob support scheme will be more simpler and more generous. i have always said we would need to adapt our adapt our financial support as the situation evolves and that's why today we are announcing three measures that will ensure we can protect more jobs and support more businesses through the difficult winter months ahead. firstly, we are making our job support scheme simpler and more generous. employees will only need to work

one day a week to be eligible for the scheme and we are significantly reducing the amount that employers will have to contribute to the scheme. secondly, we are doubling the value of our grants for those who are self—employed and lastly we are going to be providing cash grants to predominantly hospitality and leisure businesses in tier 2 areas operating under restriction, worth up to £2100 a month. taken together, all of these measures will make a significant difference and support more people'sjobs, livelihoods and businesses through the winter. myjob is to make sure that our economic response evolves as the virus evolved and that is what i am doing. that is what i would always do. everything announced today is national in basis and applies across the united kingdom. that is what i will do, whether you are tier 2 area, tier 3 area, we have support for you on a national basis and that is the right way to approach the problem. speaking in the house of commons, labour's shadow

chancellor annelise dodds said today's announcement has come too late for many businesses. we've had a patchwork of poor ideas rushed out at the last minute. a bonus scheme that will pay £2.6 billion to businesses that don't need it. a job support scheme that simply was not going to work for the majority of businesses under pressure and which we said at the beginning did not do enough to incentivise employers to keep staff on. an approach to support for areas entering tier 3 which has been nothing short of shambolic. this has had real consequences. the deadline for large—scale redundancies came and went before the chancellor announced the job support scheme. the deadline for small businesses passed before he realised he needed to amend it further. many parts of our country have spent months under tier 2 restrictions without adequate support. how many jobs have been lost, mr speaker, because of that inaction?

over a million have already gone. last quarter we saw a record rise in redundancies. the chancellor could have done much more if he had acted sooner. anneliese dodds for labour. we will discuss that more after two o'clock. we will discuss that more after two o'clock. the headlines on bbc news... the chancellor announces more financial support for regions hit by coronavirus restrictions — including cash grants for businesses that haven't been formally ordered to close. the number of people reached through test and trace in england last week was the lowest since the scheme began. more parts of the uk prepare to enter the "very high" coronavirus alert level. geater manchester moves into tier 3 from midnight tonight — wales enters a two week ‘firebreak‘ lockdown from six o'clock today.

scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, has said she wants people to be able to fully celebrate christmas, but any restrictions will depend on the actions of the public. she said it was unlikely that people would be able to have family visiting over the festive period. at her daily coronavirus news conference, she was asked to respond to comments by scotland's clinical director who had warned that people should get ready for what he described as a "digital christmas". this is really tough stuff and i sanason leitch‘s comments this morning. i have seen the totality of these comments. i have seen the totality of these comments. what he is trying to do is be frank with people about the reality we live in and not prematurely rule things out but equally not trying to give people false assurance. that is a really difficult balance that we are trying to strike right now.

i want us to be able to celebrate christmas as normally as it is possible to do within the context of a global pandemic. my message to people is the more that we all stick with these really difficult restrictions right now, the more chance there will be of us doing that. some of the really tough additional things that government has decided right now, restriction on hospitality for example and any other restrictions we feel necessary to put in place, will also be in part about trying to deal decisively with an upsurge in the virus now so we give ourselves the best chance of greater normality at christmas and that is part of the objective that we are all working to right now. but christmas this year probably for no country is not going to be absolutely normal without any restrictions. i could do what politicians probably do in normal times, here and try to tell you otherwise.

and think i will let you down nearer the time. that is not the right approach right now. so we are unlikely to be able to celebrate christmas with no limits to people in our houses and what we do but the more we get the virus under control right now, the greater chance in the greater possibility of being able to interact with their loved ——our loved ones we will have. i know people want me to stand and say here right now here the rules for christmas day. if christmas day was tomorrow, it would be a harsh thing i was having to say to people. would be a harsh thing i was having to say to people. it would be a hard thing i would have to say to people. christmas day is not tomorrow so let us try and work as hard as we can right now to make sure we do have greater normality, even it if it is not 100% normality. i will try and jason and others will try to be as frank as we can with people. the worst thing to do right now

which politician sometimes have a tendency to do, tell people what they want to hear to make it easy here and now and worry about changing course later on. i have tried every day to give people as honest and straightforward a message as possible. that gets more important the further into this we go and certainly the closer we get to that christmas period. nicola sturgeon at the daily coronavirus briefing. the director general of the bbc has challenged other media organisations to put more women on air. tim davie said a project to achieve a 50/50 balance between men and women appearing on bbc programmes had improved the quality of coverage — and increased the number of women tuning in. he urged companies in the sector to adopt the same target, and then publish their results. it is really important that the storytelling comes from across the whole of society. it is not the preserve of one type of person so for me it is utterly critical we get women on air, we seek out all of the talents from across our community. the annual poppy appeal

is being launched today but — like so many other things this year — it won't be business as usual. the british legion has devised a plan to help us honour the fallen while also tackling the spread of a new enemy — coronavirus. tim muffett has the details. we will remember them. but this year it will be different. with so many remembrance events cancelled, the royal british legion wants us to remember in our homes and gardens, in our windows and on our doorsteps. bill is a 95—year—old royal navy veteran of d—day and the burma campaign in world war ii. most days he would be out collecting for the poppy appeal. yeah, we can't go anywhere, i can't go out. you're just locked up. it is a bit annoying. so this year many remembrance services won't be taking place. what about the idea of remembering in our own homes instead, or on our doorsteps?

yeah, that would be 0k, just to remember. i mean, both of the world wars, i think, is something that we should not forget. to mark today's launch of the poppy appeal, the royal british legion has released these images of volunteers, veterans and serving members of the armed forces. nicole is a nurse and reservist in the royal navy. i was honoured to take part in the photo, because it's remembering not only our past, but also our present. we have heroes in our past and i think we do have heroes of today. we went through a lot back then, and we're still going through a lot now. homes and front doorsteps have played such a key part this year, haven't they? we were clapping for carers when we were locked in. how's it been for you this year? just like everyone, i believe it was quite scary at first, the unknown. as a paramedic i was able to support people in the community,

whether that was physically or mentally. a lot of people who would typically collect for the poppy appeal won't be able to this year. but given the hardships being faced by so many, the royal british legion‘s support for members of the armed forces past and present, as well as their families, has never been more important. with so many older fundraisers unable to leave their homes, younger people are being encouraged to help. my name is poppy. why i think i'm called that is because our family, we had great great great uncles in world war i. p°ppy, you're just 11 years old. why is it important that young people like you still get involved in the poppy campaign? it's really important not to forget about them, because it... ..it‘s history. it's... ..part of life.

almost inevitably this year, less money will be raised from cash donations, so online giving is being encouraged. poppies can also be sent in the post or print it out and displayed in a window. applause. homes and streets have developed new meaning during the pandemic. from now until november the 11th, they will also shape the way we remember. tim muffett, bbc news. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren. hello there. it has been a much quieter day today, drier than it was yesterday with some sunshine around as well. the wetter weather from scotland has eased off and the rain and cloud is now in scandinavia. this is where our weather is coming from, in the atlantic,

one band of rain following another. a brief respite through today. we may see some patchy rain in eastern scotland and some rain in east anglia and the south—east ahead of our main rain band which comes into northern ireland and scotland by the end of the night. temperatures down to four or 5 degrees in the east, more cloud for the west ahead of the rain by the end of the night. this weather front is bringing wet weather from the west, the rain weakening and becoming lighter and patchier as it heads east, soon clearing from northern ireland. patchy rain heading eastwards across scotland. rain in the morning over the cumbrian fells and the pennines, lighter rain moving east into eastern england in the afternoon. after that rain, we get sunshine. showers continuing in west of scotland and northern ireland. 11 degrees or 15 in the south—east before the rain arrives. over the weekend, very unsettled. a band of rain followed by sunshine and showers. windy especially on saturday.

a dry start with sunshine across the midlands and east of england, wet weather pushing east steadily through the day. the rain could be heavier on saturday. followed by sunshine and showers for scotland and northern ireland. a windy day with strong, gale force winds. for a while, gusting 60 miles an hourfrom the irish sea into the north—west of scotland. temperatures fairly similar for many parts of the country, some warmer air for east anglia and the south ahead of the rain arriving at the end of the day. that weather front pushes the rain south—east overnight. it will clear away. but we still have that area of low pressure, the main driving force of the weather. windiest around that area of low pressure. in the northwest, we have showers and spells of rain. elsewhere, sunshine to come mainly for southern and western parts of england and wales. not as windy on sunday but it will feel a bit cooler. goodbye.

this is bbc news. i'm jane hill. the headlines: the chancellor unveils a new rescue dealforjobs, promising more support for businesses struggling under coronavirus restrictions. we are seeing areas move into tier 2 macro restrictions and that is having an impact on hospitality businesses which is why we are keen to support those businesses. last quarter we saw a record rise in redundancies, the chancellor could have done much more if he had acted sooner. the number of people reached through test and trace in england last week was the lowest since the scheme began. finding out why some people are more likely to die from covid—19 should focus on more than just ethnicity, urges a government scientific advisor.