a very warm welcome to bbc news. my name is mike embley. with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. the second impeachment trial against donald trump begins in the us senate. we are eeally here because the majority and the house of representatives does not want to face donald trump as a political rival in the future. the world health organization investigation concludes coronavirus did not originate from a lab in china but they cannot say where it did come from. there uae historic mission

enters ovid around mars. # some day we'll be together, yes we will, yes, will...# and mary wilson, a founding member of the group, the supremes, has died at the age of 76. hello and welcome. a historic second impeachment trial of donald trump has begun with videos of the riot at the. mr trump is charged with inciting interaction. his lies say the process is unconstitutional because he has left office but the senators voted to go ahead with the trial. our north american editor

jon sopel reports. hear he, hear ye, hear ye. in the building where a policeman and four protesters lost their lives, where the trump—supporting mob ran amok last month, donald trump today went on trial. on the question of whether donald john trump is subject to thejurisdiction of a court of impeachment... charged with inciting an insurrection at the capitol, the most serious accusation ever levelled at an american president. the democratic party prosecutors setting out a vivid and searing video timeline. shouting. leading the democratic team is a congressman who'd buried his son the day before the riots, and he'd persuaded his wife and daughter to come to the capitol to witness american democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. she said, "dad, i don't want to come back to the capitol again." of all the terrible, brutal things i saw and i heard

on that day and since then, that one hit me the hardest. that, and watching someone use an american flag pole, with the flag still on it, to spear and pummel one of our police officers ruthlessly, mercilessly. if donald trump is to avoid conviction, it won't be because senators will forgive or condone his behaviour. instead it will rely on a constitutional argument that you can't impeach a former president. the trump legal team, though, seem to be struggling to make their case. i don't know about off the top of my head, but each one of them, once there was the vacuum created that the greatest deliberative bodies, the senate of greece sitting in athens, the senate of rome. the beating heart of us democracy is now padlocked and chained. there are miles of fencing and razor wire

and literally thousands of deployed national guardsmen. this is fortress congress. beyond the heavily guarded perimeter, a few protesters are making their point, a far cry from what the trump—supporting insurgents found a month ago when they'd taken the former president at his word. we fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country any more. the trump defence is that his speech was figurative and not literal. but the new president is trying to put maximum distance between himself and what's unfolding at the other end of pennsylvania avenue. the senate has theirjob. they're about to begin it. i'm sure they're going to conduct themselves well, and that's all i'm going to have to say about impeachment. thank you very, very much. since leaving office, donald trump has spent more or less every day playing golf. but you can be sure that today he'll be watching, and closely. jon sopel, bbc news, washington.

respect now to a senior north american reporter. there is some truth to the republican argument made by the trump legal team that much of this is about stopping mr trump running into thousand 24. democrats are very concerned about that? that is certainly _ very concerned about that? that is certainly one _ very concerned about that? that is certainly one of— very concerned about that? that is certainly one of the _ very concerned about that? twat is certainly one of the main goals. another is to put a mark on donald trump's record, biography and history about what he did onjanuary six and anything democrats view was beyond the pale, it amounted to inciting an interaction and they could not let that go by with at least attempting some form of discipline. the form of discipline they want to take, as you mentioned, is by convicting in the senate, they could ban him from holding federal office again. that is a fairly sweeping punishment but one day think the crime befits.

and yet it seems almost certain that he will not be convicted not particularly because of the fine details of the constitution or the niceties of what he said but some are worried that if they vote to convict him they might lose their seed, convict him they might lose theirseed, not convict him they might lose their seed, not necessarily by — two democrats but to more extreme republicans. that - two democrats but to more extreme republicans.- - two democrats but to more extreme republicans. that is a valid concern _ extreme republicans. that is a valid concern and _ extreme republicans. that is a valid concern and if— extreme republicans. that is a valid concern and if you - extreme republicans. that is a valid concern and if you look i valid concern and if you look at the vote that happened this evening, to proceed with the trial, putting aside this question of constitutionality of impeaching a former president, only six republicans decided with the republicans and one is retiring, another fourjust and one is retiring, another four just were and one is retiring, another fourjust were re—elected so they have six more years before they have six more years before they have six more years before they have to stand before voters again and the final one is mitt romney, the standardbearer into thousand i2 and has a fair amount of

gravitas. ——in 2012. i think it is a valid concern for them and the reality is they are going to need another 11 republicans to come over and vote to convict if they want to actually convict the president. obviously there will be court cases for those involved in a january six if the cliche goes and the republican party is now the party of trump, what do you say the state of politics is now and for the next four years? it now and for the next four ears? , ., now and for the next four ears? , . . ., ., years? it is a reflection of where the _ years? it is a reflection of where the base _ years? it is a reflection of where the base of- years? it is a reflection of where the base of the - where the base of the republican party is. if you look at recent polls about impeachment conviction, a majority of americans want to impeach donald trump and wants to prevent him from running for office again but within the republican party, donald trump's standing is still very high. we saw that in the vote in the house of representatives, and you have seen it with the vote here in the senate. this is still

donald trump's party, as are several members of congress have said and nothing seems to change that, as long as it continues to be able to project within his caucus and read republican voters, i think republican voters, i think republican officeholders have to respect that.— to respect that. this is obviously _ to respect that. this is obviously not - to respect that. this is obviously not the - to respect that. this is obviously not the way | to respect that. this is i obviously not the way mr to respect that. this is - obviously not the way mr biden would have wanted to start his presidency, a president who says he wants to unite. that tells you _ says he wants to unite. that tells you all _ says he wants to unite. that tells you all you _ says he wants to unite. that tells you all you need - says he wants to unite. that tells you all you need to - says he wants to unite. twat tells you all you need to know about the evaluation of the politics of this moment. he does not want to be accused of focusing on the past and not dealing with the many problems that are present in american public today with the coronavirus pandemic, with the economy and other kind of social unrest about social justice. he wants to focus on those sorts of things and i think allowing what is going on in the senate to play itself out, he understands he does not want to be bogged down with

that despite the fact, quite honestly, he campaigned as the anti— trump, he wants to become more thanjust the anti— trump, he wants to become more than just the man who was not trump but once you come out a presidency for himself.- a presidency for himself. thank ou ve a presidency for himself. thank you very much _ a presidency for himself. thank you very much for _ a presidency for himself. thank you very much for that. - former deputy assistant to the attorney general from california joins us now. what you make of the proceedings so far? ~ , ., ~ ., far? well, there is a kind of disconnect. _ far? well, there is a kind of disconnect. on _ far? well, there is a kind of disconnect. on the - far? well, there is a kind of disconnect. on the one - far? well, there is a kind of. disconnect. on the one hand, most objective observers will say that the house managers have far the better of the argument and that they were in fact able to make the case. on the other hand, at the end of the other hand, at the end of the day, 44 republicans voted to continue... not to continue the trial and of goals you can think that that has been

decided against them. if it was a normal court, we would then simply proceed to the evidence and their position have been defeated but there is every indication that they will instead — and they can do it with impunity even if it has been decided against them — seize on this constitutional argument to avoid having to passjudgement on the argument to avoid having to pass judgement on the merits which from the presentation today, the video and other things, was extremely harrowing and the mayhem and fear and violence came through quite clearly. they do not want any part of that yet they are concerned as anthony mentioned to cross up and there is a collective action problem. were they to vote in secret they may well convicting but no—one wants to be the first because he has the power on the french of the republican party to make their lives miserable when they

next have to stand for election.— next have to stand for election. ~ ., ., .,~ ., election. what do you make of the way the — election. what do you make of the way the president? - election. what do you make of the way the president? case . election. what do you make of the way the president? case is being presented in the senate. he struggled to get lawyers to take the brief. i he struggled to get lawyers to take the brief.— take the brief. i think that has actually _ take the brief. i think that has actually shown. - take the brief. i think thatj has actually shown. these lawyers only work and listed less than a week ago and there was something of a slap —, folksy quality to their presentation. part of it is i think they had the lesser argument on the actual merits but they seemed to nevertheless even taking that into account, to not really engage and to make arguments that really did not address the most important points of the house managers on the evidence. that reflects on

the evidence. that reflects on the poor had they have been endowed but also that having to bring it all together very quickly. the house managers by contrast seemed to have co—ordinated very well, have really made thoughtful selections when it came time for the trumpet lawyers, it was much more sort of you did not know what they were going to say from one minute to the next but so much of it really was beside the point.— but so much of it really was beside the point. thank you very much- _ beside the point. thank you very much. thank _ beside the point. thank you very much. thank you, - beside the point. thank you - very much. thank you, michael. more on this — very much. thank you, michael. more on this to _ very much. thank you, michael. more on this to cover _ very much. thank you, michael. more on this to cover first, - more on this to cover first, the world health organization saying covid—19 is extremely unlikely to have originated in a chinese lab. a team of who experts were on a fact—finding mission in wuhan the virus was first recorded. they say it is more likely to come from bats. it's one of the most important questions of our time — where did the virus come from?

but the scientists had more to say about what they hadn't found than what they had. it has not been possible to pinpoint any animal species as a potential reservoir for this disease, and it doesn't look like there was wide circulation of the virus in any animal species in the country. china's wet markets were once thought to be the prime suspect, where the virus was most likely to havejumped from animals to humans. this market, linked to some of the earliest cases, was a particular focus, but with animal tests said to be negative, the team has come up with another theory — frozen food. and an idea china itself has been promoting in recent months. the virus, they suggest, may have travelled to wuhan on imported frozen produce. the who arrived here insisting this was going to be all about the science,

and yet signs of the politics have been there every step of the way, from the wrangling about access and timing, from the team's reliance not on its own investigation, but on data provided by china. the questions about how independent these findings really are from china's own narrative are unlikely to go away. after the press conference, chinese officials tried to stop any interviews, concerned perhaps that they might lose control over such sensitive issues, and few more sensitive than this. given that this report rolls out a lab leg, why were you

rolling it out before you came here? a very large group of experts have looked at this, they have been to various labs around the region and got critical answers and they have come to that conclusion is that i have as well and what they say is extremely unlikely and that stands alone.— that stands alone. covid-19 devastated _ that stands alone. covid-19 devastated this _ that stands alone. covid-19 devastated this city - that stands alone. covid-19 devastated this city first . that stands alone. covid-19| devastated this city first and for now its origins remain almost as much of a mystery as before. stay with us on bbc news, much more to come: their historic emirates mission to mars successfully enters orbit around the red planet. music. there's mr mandela, mr nelson mandela, a free man taking his first steps into a new south africa. iran's spiritual leader, ayatollah khomeini, has said he's passed a death sentence

on salman rushdie, the british author of a book which many muslims say is blasphemous. the people of haiti have flocked to church to give thanks for the ousting of their former president, ba by doc duvalier. because of his considerable value as a stallion, - shergar was kept in a special secure box in the stud - farm's central block. shergar was driven away. in a horse box the thieves had brought with them. there stepped down from the plane a figure in mourning, elizabeth ii, queen of this realm and of all her other realms and territories, head of the commonwealth, defender of the faith. welcome back, very glad to have you with us on bbc news, the latest headlines for you: senators in the us have voted

to go ahead with a second impeachment trial on donald trump, rejecting proceedings that the trails are unconstitutional. let's get more detail now from the director for the centre for security race and rights. good to talk to you yet again. apart from anything else it seems pretty clear from what the republicans have done and said already, they are not going to come over to allow a conviction of mr trump, come over to allow a conviction of mrtrump, so come over to allow a conviction of mr trump, so really what is the point of all this? the oint the point of all this? the point is _ the point of all this? the point is accountability, i the point of all this? tue: point is accountability, and the point is setting a precedent that no president is above the law, the actual issue before the senate is whether or not trump, former president trump incited the siege on the capital which was attempt and attempted insurrection and maybe even an attempted coup. but what is really at stake is holding him accountable for the

last four years, very unconventional ruling, he thought he was an authoritarian and it culminated into january six so what i think the democrats are doing is saying, we want a trial because we want all of these facts, we want to show the publicjust how dangerous he was and if they were able to get a conviction which you are right, they probably won't because all senators accept 13 have signalled they are probably going to acquit him and they need 17 to acquit but at least just the trial itself is a way to persuade the public that this behaviour and what he has done over the last four years in being divisive, polarising, and undermining suggestions, the rule of law, democratic elections is unacceptable and to signal to future presidents that this type of behaviour, evenif that this type of behaviour, even if you are the president, does not put you above the law. isn't there a risk that a lot of people don't follow all the details will simply hear an acquittal if that's what there is an think, right, there

really is no accountability? twice impeached, yes, this president but not even one conviction?— president but not even one conviction? yeah, but i think that there has been some punishment, at least ethically, that the republicans lost the house in 2018, they lost senate and 2020, so he is actually more harmful to the republican party that he is to the democratic party and this leads to, why are they doing this? i think the democrats are doing, are engaging this trial so that in addition to accountability but also so that trump cannot run again. if they were able to convict. but the republicans are actually the biggest losers if trump tries to run again because he is the one that has pushed their party to the far—right, to the extreme, he's the one who caused many voters to either not show up to vote or vote for the democrats and also they have made a point of highlighting the conservative legal scholars who signed a letter on january 21 2021

saying that it is constitutional to impeach a former elected official, including the president, and they sighted jonathan turley of george washington, jonathan adler, conspiracy bloggers who were well known for being libertarians and very conservative so the democrats want to show this isn't about partisanship, this is about rule of law.— partisanship, this is about rule of law. �* , , , rule of law. and yet it is very likely that — rule of law. and yet it is very likely that he _ rule of law. and yet it is very likely that he will _ rule of law. and yet it is very likely that he will be - rule of law. and yet it is very likely that he will be able - rule of law. and yet it is very likely that he will be able to | likely that he will be able to run again and 2024, isn't it? well, if he's not convicted, yes, legally he can but the hope, i think of the democrats is that they can sufficiently discredit him and that they can sufficiently marginalise him so that he may have a base but it is a fringe base and the republicans now see him as a threat to their own political survival, so they may be thinking this trial can help show that trump represents extremists. trump represents white supremacists and that is why they are showing that video and they want to show americans

who are republican, or those who are republican, or those who may have supported trump, that if you vote for him again, he is a threat to our domestic security. he is a threat to our domestic securi . ., ,,., he is a threat to our domestic securi . ., , ,., ., ~ he is a threat to our domestic securi . ., , ., ~ i. security. professor, thank you very much- — let's briefly round up some of the main news for you. the security forces and myanmar have rated the headquarters of an sun city's party. this after further protests, police force their way into the building after dark. a series of measures, divorce next monday to prevent new variants of the coronavirus getting into the uk. travellers arriving and england and wales badly affected will be required to quarantine and hotels for ten nights at their own cost. the investigation into a helicopter crash that killed the retired basketball star kobe bryant and his teenage daughter said the pilot was not licensed to fly and club. nine people died

including the pilot. the aircraft crashed in cloudy conditions near los angeles. twitter is saying its number of active daily users has grown to more than 190 million, that is a rise of more than a quarter compared to the year earlier. twitter has made more than $200 million in profit during the final quarter of last year. a space probe launched by the united arab emirates have entered orbit around mars. this is a first for the arab world. only four other space agencies have made successful trips to the red planet. music. mission accomplished — the united arab emirates has made it to mars. after a tense wait in the control room, celebrations. as a signal sent from their spacecraft millions of miles away beams in. it's like the weight of seven years has been lifted from my shoulders on arriving to mars.

i'm truly looking forward to the scientific discoveries. abd i truly hope this mission will impact an entire generation to strive for things that are even bigger. the spacecraft is called hope and has pulled off a make—or—break manoeuvre, firing its thrusters so it's captured by the gravitational pull of the red planet. the hope mission will see more of mars than we've ever seen before. its spacecraft has an elliptical orbit, swinging in closer and then much further away. at its closest, its flight path matches the rotation of mars, so it hovers over some key features, like olympus mons, the biggest volcano in the solar system. at its furthest point, the planet spins beneath it, giving it a much wider view. this means it will see almost all of the planet, both from close—up and from far away. arriving at the red planet is a huge leap for the uae. until now, the nation has only sent

satellites into earth orbit. the spacecraft will study the martian atmosphere to solve a big mystery, how mars transformed from a planet like earth, to the dry, dusty world it is today. reaching mars is just halfway through the journey. we still have to do the science work, we still have to collect data and still have to come up with new discoveries about mars. and this mission is again just a starting point. for the united arab emirates, they have made history, establishing themselves as a new space power. but they're not the only ones heading to mars. tomorrow, china's spacecraft arrive, then next week, nasa's rover is due to land. the red planet is about to get busy. diana ross has been talking about her wonderful memories

with mary wilson stopping the supremes thing has died at the age of 76. # you can't hurry love, no, you just— # you can't hurry love, no, you just have _ # you can't hurry love, no, you just have to — # you can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait. _ # motown�*s most successful act of the 1960s, much loved for hits such as baby love and you can't hurry love. they were founded in detroit in 1959 when wilson was just 15. just two days before her death she released a video on youtube announcing that she was working on releasing new material stopping there will be a celebration of her life later this year. mary wilson has died at the age of 76. there is much more for you on all the news anytime on the bbc website,

also on our twitter feeds. thank you so much for watching. hello. the cold snap across the uk continues. and no sign of anything milder for the remainder of this week. very cold nights ahead and some pretty bitterly cold days as well. a subtle change for today is that the wind will be lighter than it has been on monday and tuesday, though perhaps it won't feel quite as raw, but it's still an easterly or northeasterly wind. still some chains of showers being fed in, some making their way a reasonable way westwards. some of the heaviest snow on wednesday possibly for kent and sussex, the southeast of scotland and the northeast of england. as we move overnight wednesday into thursday, i've got the pressure pattern on behind me, notice how the isobars open up. the wind becomes much lighter. now, as i said, that wind has

made it feel very raw through the early part of the week, but for very cold nights, what you need are very light winds, and that is what we will have to take us into thursday morning. and that's important because at the moment, that's indicating signs that for some areas to the south of the uk, these are the temperatures of the towns and cities. we could have the coldest night in around a decade for some of the suburbs of london, for example. thursday, dawn, icy but with a lot of sunshine. there will be quite a bit of fair weather and largely light winds, temperatures, well, scraping just above freezing. towards the west, perhaps three degrees for belfast and plymouth. notice a little frontal system trying to push its way in here. this is the first signs of something a bit milder trying to approach from the atlantic. friday, it still looks like it'll be the high pressure in the east and the cold air, though, that will dominate. we could see some more organised snow showers for a time running into the northeast of scotland. towards the west, i think advancing cloud through the day turning any sunshine hazy, but 4 degrees in belfast, 5 degrees in plymouth. some signs of something

milder trying to head in. subzero, though, further east across the uk. and then for the weekend, it's that classic battleground that we so often talk about — high pressure in the east pushing the cold air our way, low pressure trying to come in from the atlantic and bring in something milder. at the moment, it looks like by sunday, we could start to see some significant improvement in our temperatures. but before that, there is the possibility of some further snowfall, but this time pushing into the west as we begin our transition.

the latest headlines from bbc news: the second impeachment trial has begun in the senate. the leading democrat says the case against mr trump is clear and his life say it is about freedom of speech. scientists investigating the origin of the coronavirus do not believe the virus escaped from a lab cannot say exactly where it had come from. some suggest it may have come imported by frozen food. and entering the orbit of mars. hope is the first from the arab world. only four others have made a successful trip to the red planet.

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