Plus, could a headset train your brain to relax?
   
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By Victoria King

 
 

Spanish travel latest

 
 
Coronavirus latest

Spain's prime minister says the UK's decision to impose a two-week quarantine on everyone arriving from his country is "unjust". The move has prompted airlines and holiday companies to cancel services and many travellers to rethink their plans. Pedro Sanchez said Britons would be safer from coronavirus in most regions of Spain than in the UK and he wanted ministers to reconsider. Talks are taking place, he added.

While the virus remains under control in many parts of Spain, certain areas - in particular, the regions of Catalonia and Aragón - have seen a huge spike in infections. Official figures say the overall rate of infection is 35.1 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 14.7 in the UK.

Labour said the government's handling of the restrictions had been "chaotic". Initially, travellers were advised against non-essential travel to mainland Spain only, prompting confusion, but the Canary and Balearic Islands were later added. The official advice invalidates most insurance policies, making even those willing to accept the need to quarantine reluctant to jet off. Read the rules in detail and your rights if you had a trip booked.

Meanwhile, a committee of MPs has criticised the efforts made by the Foreign Office to bring home more than a million Britons at the start of the pandemic. The operation was too slow and the advice to those stuck overseas was misleading or confusing, they said. Separate criticism is also being levelled at the government for failing to properly provide translated coronavirus guidance for non-English speakers.

 
 
 

Call for anti-racism action

 
 

The government is "dragging its feet" over racism and must come up with a "coherent strategy" to tackle it. That's the view of David Isaac, outgoing chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of US police - and the subsequent wave of protests around the world - the government promised to form a new commission to identify ways to eradicate racial and social inequality. 

But speaking exclusively to the BBC, Mr Isaac said action didn't appear to be a top priority and there were "quick wins" - such as making ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory - that should have already been ticked off. The government insists it is "committed to tackling racism".

 
 
 

On your bike

 
 

The government is setting out how it plans to spend £2bn to promote cycling and walking in England. It's part of a mission to improve public health and strengthen resilience to coronavirus. Thousands of miles of cycle lanes, cycle training for anyone who wants it and more traffic-free streets are among the measures promised. A scheme offering £50 bike repair vouchers is also being launched, with an initial 50,000 available on a first come, first served basis.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the pandemic had created a "once in a lifetime opportunity to create a shift in attitudes", capitalising on many people's reluctance to take public transport and the desire to make lifestyle changes. Labour wants the proposals to be implemented more quickly, though. 

It certainly isn't the first attempt by a government to tackle the problem of obesity. So what impact have all the previous ones had? BBC Reality Check looks closely.

 
 
 
 

Could a headset train your brain to relax? 

 

A trip on London's Underground is rarely a relaxing experience, but the Covid-19 pandemic has added an extra level of anxiety for many. I'm off to try out a new technology that promises to train my brain to relax. I'm meeting Dr Jamil El-Imad who enjoyed a successful career in the computer industry before, in his words, "getting sucked into neuroscience". The Lebanese-born IT expert knew all about computer languages and was intrigued by the similarities between data and the way the brain processes information.

 
 
 
 
 
  Read full analysis >   
 
 
 
 

Michael Dempsey

Technology of business reporter
BBC News

 
 
 
 
 

What the papers say

 
 
Paper review

Reaction to the Spanish travel restrictions continues to dominate. For the Sun, the government is guilty of a "disastrous" overreaction, leaving holidaymakers caught in the middle of the "pandemonium". The Daily Star calls the situation a "hot mess", and warns that people who travelled on "the government say-so" risk losing money and their livelihoods. The union representing immigration staff tells the Metro there's "virtually no enforcement" of the quarantine rules, with only four people in England and Wales having been fined. But the i feels the Spanish decision was correct, despite it reportedly prompting "an internal row" between No 10 and the Department for Transport, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock stepping in to make the final call. The Daily Mirror casts a positive light on the situation, predicting the UK economy could get a £3.7bn boost as people choose to holiday at home instead. Finally, the Daily Telegraph says the government is finalising plans to cut the quarantine period for travellers from 14 days to 10.

 
 
 

Daily digest

 
 
   

Food sales Amazon takes on supermarkets with free delivery

 
   

Iran prisoner British-Australian lecturer moved to notorious desert jail

 
   

Kelp Marine plants found dating back 16,000 years

 
   

Booker Prize Find out who made the longlist

 
 
 

If you watch one thing today

'We're still waiting at home for them to come back'
 
 
 
 

If you listen to one thing today

Does comfort food really comfort us?
 
 
 
 

If you read one thing today

'Don't come back, they'll kill you for being gay'
 
 
 
 

Need something different?

 
 

Unhinged is the first major new movie to be screened in theatres since the pandemic hit. Its star, Russell Crowe, tells us he believes the road rage thriller taps into a wider anger in Western society. Elsewhere, find out how six-year-old Faith Boyd and her mother, Selina, launched the UK's first magazine for young black girls during lockdown. And with the Johnny Depp court battle making headlines every day, our home affairs correspondent explains what libel really is.

 
 
 

On this day

   

1988 Paddy Ashdown is elected the first leader of the new Social and Liberal Democrat Party

 
 
 
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