the saudi led coalition has announced it will investigate it airstrikes in yemen, which killed at least 29 children. it hit a school bus in the town of saada, which is under the control of iranian backed houthi rebels. the united nations says any investigation must be credible and transparent. tens of thousands of romanians have been protesting in the capital, bucharest, and other cities, against government corruption and low wages. police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds are some demonstrators threw missiles. more than 200 people, including police, have been injured. nasa is set to launch a spacecraft to the sun in the coming hours. the parker probe will gather information on solar winds, which can disrupt satellite communications. it will go seven times closer to the sun than any spacecraft before it and it is the fastest ever made. now on bbc news it's time for more from the money and power season which is looking at how money, and its inherent power, shapes our lives.

this weekend's programme looks at the cost of marriage in uganda. a new craze is seducing couples across uganda. in a quest to show new—found wealth and status, brides and grooms are going to extremes to show on their big day. ugandan weddings are now big business. big dresses, big venues and big deals. -- big bills. i am on the shores of lake victoria, here to see one of the biggest weddings in kampala. over a quarter of a million couples are getting married in uganda every year in a country where the average annual income is just over $700 people are spending a small and sometimes unaffordable fortune on their wedding. you feel like your husband cannot provide. you feel you made a mistake.

rita is an up—and—coming wedding planner and compiler. she started her own events company three years ago. she's meeting viola, a bride—to—be, for a very special appointment. that is lovely. it has a touch of weight, has a little embroidery. you do not like the embroidery? no, it is a bit complicated. we shall get there. this, no. it looks so nice. i love the fact that it holds your waist so nicely. i can't breathe! we are going to try millions

until we get what you want. it is a really nice. how much does that crown go for? 200,000? only. yeah, only. i do not believe you. rita is one of an estimated 130 wedding planners in the capital. you can do lots better than that. how is it? shoot me! i think we shall get it for you, madam. wedding planners, bridal salons and a range of new businesses are all profiting from the new and modern approach to getting married: the big white wedding. if you have fallen in love with this gown, if she wants it,

how much would it go for? 4.5. $1500. that would be perfect. thank you so much. rita's workload is increasing. she now usually works one wedding every weekend. in uganda getting married is a big deal. it is an achievement, i would say. since i started this business about three years ago, the wedding business has really changed a lot. it's really a lucrative business right now. more and more clients are getting interested in wedding planning. rita has noticed a marked trend towards bigger and ever more lavish weddings. five years ago you talk to somebody and you would say,

80 people are enough. yeah, it is about me getting married. today, 80 people? are you serious? bridejoyce has invited 1,500 guests. today she is getting married to her high school sweetheart. the couple had a traditional union ten years ago but, like many ugandans, they now want a second ceremony, a big, white wedding. this morning i'm on the shores of lake victoria, to witness one of the biggest weddings in kampala in recent weeks. rita has come to meet and observe one of the most successful wedding planners in the country. over the last ten years, andrew has built a reputation organising the most extravagant weddings. roughly how much went into this wedding? they spent like 300—400 million.

that is about over $100,000, that is huge. it took us three months to organise this wedding. it is a big team. this is a work i am doing every time. we have a video team, we have 20 people to generate the party. like 100 people altogether. that dress looks so beautiful on her. it complements her so well. i could say it goes for about 8 million ugandan shillings or $2,500. their wedding guests begin to pour into the reception. this is even bigger than i expected. we even have a national tv invited to capture this lavish wedding.

we have some of the biggest cars in kampala, it cost over 100,000 us dollars. -- $9,000. you can imagine, it is huge. you may think the reception could rival a royal wedding but the couple are part of a new wave of successful ugandan entrepreneurs. they run two thriving retail businesses and a restaurant in kampala, earning them an annual income of $200,000 us per year. five—star venues, production crews, fireworks, 60 cakes, —— six—tier cakes, their very own throws and caterers serving feasts are all the guests.

—— thrones. these are just some of the things couples request on their wedding day. such demand is fuelling the wedding industry. people like rita, andrew and this decorator are reaping the benefits. do you think weddings have changed a lot? of course. they have really changed. initially we did not have all this. we did not have those flowers, we didn't have the ability to really go to that extent. from india, from china, to recreate the atmosphere. at a wedding where no expenses been spared, it is no surprise that the entertainment is a national treasure. but not everyone in the country can

afford big white weddings with planners, limousines and pop star performers. 0ne groom, with the help of his sister, is still busy organising his big day with less than 2a hours to go. how much was it? 15. i need to know the budget. i do not want to go with less money. joseph is a 29—year—old businessman but he has come home to a rural town in eastern uganda to get married. the traditional wedding is costing him 7 million shillings,

$2,500 us, a fraction of the big white weddings in kampala. i can top up the money to finish up the money. shopping. have you gone slightly over budget? yeah. some small things are coming in right now at the last minute. so i'm going in. i am not regretting it, i am happy i am doing it for myself. one day, one thing in life that i do not need to take for granted. meanwhile, in a neighbouring town, his bride—to—be, is preparing food for her guests. i began realising i was falling

in love withjoseph when he sent me a song. he sent me a song and the song was so touching, it made me reflect about my life with him, that song made me have a sleepless night, it kept ringing in my mind over and over and i said, ok, the feeling i had that time made me realise that actually i loved him, i was in love with him. as tradition dictates, her father will host the wedding at the family home. i feel the excitement this week is greater than before. how was it for you?

what are the memorable moments? wedding is like we are putting your last, last oath, this is the person i want, this is a person want to stay with, this is the person i want to be the father or the mother of my children so that is a very touching moment. you feel very excited that you are at last going to be husband and wife. what did you take to the family for appreciation for mummy? people, that time,

were taking animals. that time, my father—in—law said he was an old man so he wanted the equivalent in cash. sisi's parents got married 45 years ago. for generations, gifts of cattle have been offered as a dowry or bride price when the man asked for the woman's hand in marriage. the offer is increased by the woman's worth: her social standing, age, looks and so on. while this tradition continues in uganda and beyond, sisi's parents did not askjoseph for a bride price. that evening, joseph collects his final gift ahead of tomorrow's celebrations. this one. hello. i am not paying a bride price.

i can't equate her to an animal. she is worth more than this, she is a beautiful woman, very intelligent and above all, god—fearing. that is the most important thing i love about her. with everything now paid for ahead of tomorrow, the total wedding cost them just under $2,000 us, a quarter of their annual earnings. with the help of their families, the couple have come in on budget. the big day has arrived. mother and daughter spend their last moment together before embarking on a new chapter. yeah, so far, so good. everything seems 0k.

my family is happy. you can see from my mum right there! everyone is happy. my prayer for sisi is that joseph has come here, let him be a loving husband, and an outstanding husband, a caring husband. i am happy that my family doesn't ask for bride price, didn't askjoseph for bride price. he chose to bring whatever he can afford. so i'm happy about that. at least he shows the appreciation for them raising me up and he shows his respect to their culture but it is out of his own will, not by force. bride price means when the husband takes you, you are his property.

whatever you do is for him. so when joseph came, we received them and told him that cecilia was too precious for a bride price so whatever they are bringing is a gift. not a bride price. in uganda, lam happy that it is dying out. i love you. i love you too, mummy. cissy and joseph have decided to have a kwanjula, a type of traditional wedding which alongside religious and civil ceremonies is one of three legally recognised forms of marriage in uganda. wonderful!

finally, joseph and his entourage arrived. the main celebrations can now commence. asjoseph is a lure from a tribe in eastern uganda and cissy is from another group, the dancers must formally greet and invite him across the family's threshold. cissy‘s sister and maid of honour joyce is tasked with seating joseph. she comes covered, dressed like the other girls, the other sisters. and a little difficult for the groom to choose. dressed like other girls, other

sisters,. dressed like other girls, other sisters. this is one of the oldest traditions in a kwanjula. joseph must identify his bride amongst the sisters. it's a final test the groom must pass before he finally earns the bride's hand in marriage. the pressure is on. 0ne mistake and it's all off. these are presents from joseph to cissy‘s presents and the family members. each gift offered to cissy‘s family has a significance like the two

white goats that symbolise cissy‘s purity. the union is finally blessed and celebrated by their family and community. making them lawfully husband and wife. at each stage of the ceremony, cissy changes from one outfit to another with a grand total of five dresses. as night descends, it is time for a universal tradition. dancing... i feel super excited. i'm really happy that she is mine. a super excited. oh, i'm extremely excited. i'm happy. the function went well. i'm happy that this is not a worry.

thank you. i promise i won't mistreat you. i will do my best to keep a smile on your face. backin back in kampala, rita is meeting a couple who've had a very different wedding experience. right now, i am on my way to visit my old clients. i did their wedding last year, moses and joan. they are such a lovely couple but right now, they are going through some financial difficulties because of the expenses they had to incurfor their wedding. they had to go into debt. it has greatly affected their marriage so i'm going to check on them and see how they are progressing. father, in jesus' name, we thank you because you are a good

and gracious god. 33—year—old moses is a pastor whose livelihood is dependent on community donations. his 27—year—old wifejoan is a new mother and works odd jobs when she can. moses, tell me, why were you under so much pressure to have this big wedding? first and foremost because of my position as a pastor, as a man of god in community and society and even in church as well. i had to give them what they expected from me. so i wish i listened what you told me, the advice of doing something that is meaningful but i had no choice. if i had a chance to do it again, i would do it much better and at a more affordable cost, within my means. moses and joan spent 10,000 us dollars on their wedding ceremonies, half of

which went towards the bride price. they still owe $a000. it has been so, so, so, so challenging, rita. at times it felt like hell. when all the debts are settled, i will finally feel my husband is now at peace. the situation has been so tense to me, as a man, as a father, as a husband. also as a pastor. sometimes you end up feeling like you are not worth it enough, you end up doing sacrifices to put food on the table. like some days i used to tell my wife that i am fasting. for them to have a meal that we couldn't share both of us. it has put a lot of stress and strain and pressure on me, even between me and my wife. basically, with stress, you can develop depression. you feel like your husband cannot provide. you feel like you really made

a mistake but sometimes we really get off the hook and we kind of fight over financial issues. i think it's such a horrible impact that anyone could ever choose to have, because of poor planning and i can call it extravagance. serve me, oh, god, forthe waters are coming to my soul... as a leader of his community, moses wants to know what can be done to prevent other couples ending up in a similar situation. he has heard a group of politicians are proposing a change in the law to regulate weddings and support young couples getting married. monica is an mp leading the campaign.

there has to be regulation of marriages so we don't commercialise and make it a business, per se. as a country, we have not moved faster to address the costs embedded in celebrating the various steps of marriages. customary marriage, civil marriage and the church marriage. that is why we are working together as members of parliament to streamline these types of marriages and provide for the basic requirements which are acceptable under the law. that's why i am so much interested in hearing what parliamentarians are really discussing about it. the mps are also proposing a legal change to the tradition of bride price in an effort to reduce wedding costs. the first thing we require is that bride price doesn't have to be paid. and if it is paid, it should not be refundable as it has been.

as a pastor, i have a young man behind me that right now intending to get married. and that cost is scaring them off? yes. newlyweds cissy and joseph are contemplating what their marriage will bring. so i'm looking forward to seeing ourselves happy, growing old together. getting wrinkles together. and seeing our grandchildren together. at the office, they will be calling me mrs, not miss. it's going to give me a certain amount of respect. i'm happy that i came to your family. we didn't choose to go to the city where things are so high, you know. we have seen so many people make it look big, at the day, they end up clashing. a new level, a new responsibilities,

new status amongst our friends. with us, let us work towards having it work. till death do us part. as couples across uganda decide on how they wish to celebrate their marriage, they will each find their unique way of managing tradition and the allure of big white wedding. good morning.

friday bought more welcome rain. people had to shelter under the pier at hastings to take this dramatic shot. there was sunshine to be found, optically across the channel isles. a pleasant afternoon with highs of 21 celsius. as we move into the weekend it looks like we will have a similar theme, a tangible weekend ahead. saturday looks likely to see the best of the dry weather. looking at that in more detail, clearer skies, that will allow for a chilly start to the day. it also allows for plenty of sunshine to develop. if you are up and offer early on, as you can see quite clearly, we will see a good deal of dry. the rednall stodge wishing to south—west of england —— england and wales as we get to the morning. cloud thickening and pushing

eastwards. masking the sunshine and turning it increasingly easy. in the sunny city temperatures responding at 22 or 23 degrees. that is pretty good news for day three of the cricket where we haven't so far seen significant lengthy spells of play, it looks like today we will see some decent play. the breeze will pick up as we go into the evening and the rain will continue to push on from the west. not significant strong winds, just nurdle will on expose close and if you're out and about in the evening. the area of low pressure will move north and east overnight saturday into sunday morning. potentially it looks as though that rain could ease away during the early hours of sunday morning and leave quite a lot of cloud around and scattered showers. wind direction changing to eight south—westerly. quite a humid feel. if you get more brightness, temperatures will respond. i suspect highest value is around 22 or 23 degrees, with most frequent showers

maybe on sunday up into the far north. low pressure stays with us to start the new working week. this little bridge of high pressure building behind. it looks as though we could start of disappointing with a scattering of showers and that cooler phil still to come. the heat will return, particularly in the south, and a greater chance of seeing more in sunshine coming through. enjoy your weekend. this is bbc news. i'm nkem ifejika. our top stories: the saudi—led coalition says it will investigate an airstrike which killed 29 children in yemen. the un demands it be "credible." in romania, tens of thousands attend anti—government rallies. more than 200 people are injured. nasa is just hours away from launching a probe to the sun. it'll get seven times closer than any spacecraft before it. an immigration reprieve for a 9—year—old chess prodigy. we meet the boy whose talents mean his family can stay in the uk. man charged with arson in california

after a raging wildfire forces thousands of people from their homes.