this is bbc news, the headlines at eight: tributes are paid to captain sir tom moore at his funeral — family members say his spirit will live on. the chancellor plans new measures to help people buy their own homes as he prepares his budget for next week. anas sarwar has been announced as the new scottish labour leader. he takes charge of the party ahead of the scottish parliament election on the 6th of may. ministers in england launch a campaign to reassure parents it's safe for children to return to the classroom. and in the six nations — wales seal the triple crown with a 40—24 win over england

the funeral of captain sir tom moore has taken place, with his family paying tribute to the veteran and charity fundraiser. sir tom captured the hearts of the nation after raising tens of millions of pounds for nhs charities by walking a hundred laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. he died earlier this month. our correspondentjohn maguire has the story. his was a story born out of lockdown, and as the hearse left his house this morning, pandemic restrictions meant people adhered to the family's wishes to stay at home.

soldiers from the yorkshire regiment, the modern equivalent of captain sir tom moore's wartime unit, who were with him as he made his famousjourney, joined him once more as he made his finaljourney. he received full military honours. on the coffin, his medals, including his knighthood and a specially commissioned officer's sword. on one side the regimental motto, "fortune favours the brave", and on the other, his motto, "tomorrow will be a good day". and in clear blue skies above bedford cemetery, the silence was broken by a fly—past from a wartime dakota. to us he was a veteran and a record—breaking fundraiser who walked 100 laps of his back garden to mark his 100th birthday, raising almost £40 million for nhs charities in the process.

but for his daughters, lucy and hannah, he was first and foremost a father. daddy, you would always tell us "best foot forward", and true to your word, that's just what you did last year, raising a fortune for the nhs and walking your way into the nation's hearts. we are all so proud of everything you have achieved and promise to keep your legacy alive. thank you for all the special times we shared. 0ur relationship cannot be broken by death. you will be with me always. and for his grandchildren, benji and georgia, who've grown up living with their grandad, it was a time remember cherished moments. there is a lesson i have learned from living with you these past 13 years. it's the power of positivity and kindness. i truly do not believe i'd be the person i am today without your sound guidance.

he tells stories of his loved ones, the people left behind. _ he doesn't cry or moan or shout. he just says, "best be kind." during the funeral service we learnt so much more about captain sir tom moore — the man, the grandfather and the father — about his humour, his honesty and his humility, qualities that have sent his name around the world and ensure that it lives on beyond today for generations to come. last post. and he became a favourite for millions of people around the world who were inspired by his words and deeds to walk, to be kind and to support good causes. # walk on through the wind.# reassuring us all that we would never walk alone. john maguire, bbc

news, bedfordshire. the chancellor says he will level with people about the enormous strain the response to the coronavirus pandemic has put on public finances when he unveils his budget next week. amongst the measures expected to be announced is a new mortgage guarantee scheme, as our political correspondent, damian grammaticas, reports. a year into this pandemic, is an end in sight? perhaps. and as the mood lifts, a question, when should the massive support given to the economy stop? a year ago, rishi sunak delivered his very first budget as chancellor. since then, he's had to borrow £270 billion, a record. we're setting up a new coronavirus job retention scheme. for now, this national debt is relatively cheap to pay back, but if interest rates rise, that will change. today, the chancellor said...

adding... labour says the government's overseen the worst downturn of any major economy, despite all the cash it's spent. now is not the time to withdraw support for hard—hit firms and families. the chancellor is preparing new measures. so i'm supposed to pour this milk into the yogurt? for abby, who still lives at home with his family, could benefit from a new scheme in the budget to help home—buyers with small deposits get a mortgage. ajunior doctor in london, he hasn't been able to afford his own place. on an nhs salary, i'm on the higher end for a doctor, people who are carers, people who are nurses, physios, etc, if you don't help the rest of us on low incomes, then you are stuck in a sticky situation for the rest of your life. and the chancellor is facing

pressure on all sides. there is some tory mps who won seats off the opposition at the last election who want more spending to level up more deprived areas. the labour party, along with businesses and unions, say any tax rises now could choke off any recovery. and others who say we should start paying down all that debt now. every sensible person knows that this spending we embarked on... to stop the economy collapsing is taxpayer spending and if we don't get it under control inflation comes back then interest rates go up, we'll face a financial crisis. all of this is a sign that as the immediate crisis recedes, its aftereffects will linger on people's health and jobs, the nation's well—being and wealth. damian grammaticas, bbc news. an update on the coronavirus figures now. there were 7,434 new confirmed infections

in the latest 24—hour period. it means an average of 9,263 cases per day were recorded over the past week. the number in hospital with coronavirus across the uk dropped below 15 thousand for the first time since mid—november. in the last 24 hours, 290 deaths have been reported , that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid test. on average, 334 deaths were announced every day in the past week. it brings the total number of people who've died the vaccination statistics show 500 and 4,000, 400 and 93 people had their first dose of a vaccine in the latest 24—hour period. almost 19.7 million people have now had theirfirstjab. ministers in england have launched a campaign to reassure parents it's safe for children to return to the classroom. the back—to—school adverts

will highlight extra measures, such as coronavirus testing and masks, being introduced ahead of schools reopening fully on march the 8th in england. our correspondent, jon donnison, has the details. these are some of the reasons the government in england think it's important to get young people back to school. teachers unions, though, are urging caution. our view is that it is the right time to go back into school. we would have had a phased return because that is what we see in wales, in northern ireland and in scotland. we haven't really seen the evidence for why it is so different in england. on the other hand, this is all about managing risks. and the risks of children not being in school are very significant as well. so, yes, it is the right time. but let's be realistic and recognise that it must be done with a real sense of honesty and of caution. and the unions are unhappy that the government has rejected the idea of prioritising teachers for vaccinations. instead, age will continue to be

the main factor driving the vaccination timetable. the government has pledged to offer the vaccine to everyone over 50, as well as those in specific at risk groups, by mid april. it will then work down through the age groups, starting with those aged 40—49, then 30—39, and finally 18—29 — aiming that all adults should have been offered at least a firstjab by the end ofjuly. but despite the rapid progress on jabs, at the latest downing street briefing — a warning not to become complacent. it's a bit like being 3—0 up in a game and thinking, "well, "we can't possibly lose this now." but how many times have you seen the other side take it 4—3? do not wreck this now. it is too early to relax. and as we head towards spring, although cases are continuing to fall on a national level, in one in five local council areas infections have actually started

to slightly rise again. jon donnison, bbc news. the scottish labour party has elected anas sarwar as its new leader. he won the vote by nearly 60% and will replace richard leonard who had been in post for the past three years. mr sarwar said the party under his leadership would "focus on what unites our country — not what divides it". 87 migrants successfully reached the uk today travelling in four separate boats. one person tested positive for coronavirus after arriving. the home office says the french authorities prevented another two attempted crossings today involving 51 people. presidentjoe biden has welcomed the passing of his 1.9 trillion dollar coronavirus aid bill in the house of representatives. the republicans said the plan was too expensive and voted against it. but the democrats' slim majority pushed the bill through. it's the third major us spending package during the pandemic — slightly smaller than

the two—trillion dollar package introduced last march by donald trump. reacting to last night's vote, president biden explained what it could mean for ordinary americans: with their vote, we are one step closer to vaccinating the nation, we are one step closer to putting $1,400 in the pockets of americans. we are one step closer to extending unemployment benefits for millions of americans who are shortly going to lose them. we are one step closer to helping millions of americans feed their families and keep a roof over their head. we are one step closer to getting our kids safely back in school. state and local governments the money they need to prevent massive lay—offs for essential workers. now, now the bill moves to the united states senate, where i hope it will receive quick action. i have...we have no time to waste. if we act now decisively, quickly and boldly, we can finally get ahead of this virus. we can finally get our economy moving again. the people of this country have

suffered far too much for too long. we need to relieve that suffering. the american rescue plan does just that — it relieves the suffering. and it's time to act. i thank you all for being here. appreciate it. well the bill must now go to the evenly—divided senate — and as our correspondent lebo diseko explains it's far from certain that a majority of senators will pass the bill in its current form. it's interesting thatjoe biden made a point of saying that he wants the senate to pay attention to it and pass it through very quickly. in its current form, that is very unlikely. i think the big issue or the big bone of contention is the proposal for a $15 minimum wage. at least two democratic senators have already said at least two democratic senators have already said they won't support the bill in the senate if it contains that, and at the moment it does.

so, will we are likely to see is quite a few modifications made, and then it being sent back to the house of representatives to be voted on again. democrats want to get this all done and dusted and signed off, you know, in front of the president, for him to sign on his desk by the middle of march, because that is when a lot of unemployment benefits expired. so, they will be doing everything they can to make sure that happens. the widow of belfast lawyer pat finucane has lodged fresh high court proceedings against the secretary of state for northern ireland. mr finucane was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries in 1989. last november, the government said there would not be an inquiry into whether the state was involved in his death and two years ago, the supreme court refused to hold a public inquiry into his murder. the headlines on bbc news: tributes are paid to captain sir tom moore at his funeral — family members say his spirit will live on. the chancellor plans new measures to help people buy their own homes as he prepares his budget for next week. anas sarwar has been announced as the new scottish labour leader.

he takes charge of the party ahead of the scottish parliament election on the sixth of may. once again in nigeria, police are carrying out search and rescue operations to find children kidnapped from their school. schools in the north have become targets for mass kidnappings for ransom by armed groups, many of whom carry guns and ride motorcycles. in the latest development, people kidnapped from a boarding school last week in the kagara district of niger state have been released. butjust yesterday, a separate raid by gunmen on a school in zamfara state saw 317 girls seized and taken away. bbc africa's reporter chris ewokor has more on the two incidents. these children, 27 of them, including staff members and members of their family were abducted a week ago and taken to another destination by armed gunmen.

basically, the government had security agents who had been on the manhunt trying to search and rescue them, and today, the news came that they have been released, they have their freedom and they are currently with the governor of north central niger state. at the moment, it's still a sad story of abduction that appears to keep on occurring in nigeria, especially objections from schools. 317 schoolgirls were objected on friday, yesterday, and taken to an unknown destination by armed gunmen. at the moment, it is not clear. no one has claimed responsibility for the abduction, but the nigerian government, especially the president has condemned the abduction. he said that his government

would not be intimidated by criminal elements known as kidnappers. and he is also not willing that his government negotiate with kidnappers if it comes to that, before they are released. the security agencies, the police cord needing with the army have launched a manhunt, rescue operations to try to locate and rescue the girls, but at the moment, nothing much has been heard aside from the fact that schools in that area have been closed down. security forces have pushed back against protestors across myanmar today after a fourth successive weekend of demonstrations. thousands took to the streets in protests against the military coup. in the main city, yangon, police used rubber bullets and tear gas to try to break up the crowds. the military government has now annulled the results of last november's general election, which saw a landslide victory

for the party of aung san suu kyi. the bbc�*s nick marsh is in singapore and told me there are reports that another woman has been shot in myanmar. local media outlets are actually reporting that she died. now, if that's true, that will make her the fourth person to die in coup related violence since the military takeover happened about a month ago. we don't know that for sure yet. we are not confirming that. we know that she was shot, she was rushed to hospital and taken to the intensive care unit. my colleagues at the bbc burmese service say that once a person is taken to hospital, once they are in the custody of authorities, effectively, it's very hard to get details, to get any confirmation of exactly what's happening. we are keeping across that, of course, and as soon as we know anything with any certainty, we will bring you up—to—date. in terms of what's happening across the country more broadly, we have seen more widespread protests. we've seen people coming out into the streets. today is a saturday,

it's not a working day, and we saw thousands, there was some tear gas, there was some live ammunition fired, warning shots into the air, but people keep coming out, and we are going to have to keep an eye now on how the security forces respond. members of the public are being urged to stick to the lockdown rules this weekend—the first since the road map out of the coronavirus restrictions was released. today has seen some of the warmest temperatures of the year so far, and in london it brought many people out into the capital's open spaces — but there are concerns it could lead to some ignoring the rules. bbc london's leigh millner reports... victoria park, broadway market in hackney and around the corner, london fields. a great day for a bike ride, a picnic, not so much. we want to bike ride, a picnic, not so much. - want to make sure that lockdown is eased at the dates that the

government says, and the messages, please, the regulations are still in place. please, the regulations are still in lace. . ~ , please, the regulations are still in lace, . . , ., please, the regulations are still in lace. . ., . ,, please, the regulations are still in lace. . please, the regulations are still in lace, . ., ., ,, ., ., place. picnics and meet ups are not allowed into — place. picnics and meet ups are not allowed into later _ place. picnics and meet ups are not allowed into later in _ place. picnics and meet ups are not allowed into later in in _ place. picnics and meet ups are not allowed into later in in april. - place. picnics and meet ups are not allowed into later in in april. i've i allowed into later in in april. i've been driving around here for half an hour, and it's absolutely packed. can everybody remember to keep their distance? _ can everybody remember to keep their distance? for can everybody remember to keep their distance? ., ., ., , distance? for the owner of this company. _ distance? for the owner of this company. a — distance? for the owner of this company. a long _ distance? for the owner of this company, a long line _ distance? for the owner of this company, a long line is - distance? for the owner of this company, a long line is good . distance? for the owner of this | company, a long line is good for business, but hard to manage. figs company, a long line is good for business, but hard to manage. as you can see, business, but hard to manage. as you can see. we're — business, but hard to manage. as you can see, we're really _ business, but hard to manage. as you can see, we're really busy. _ business, but hard to manage. as you can see, we're really busy. we - business, but hard to manage. as you can see, we're really busy. we are - can see, we're really busy. we are asking _ can see, we're really busy. we are asking people to distance themselves. it is not actually working — themselves. it is not actually working at the moment, but i will go back and _ working at the moment, but i will go back and spread them out again. throughout the day, many people enjoy the sunshine across london. please keep to mater distance. experts — please keep to mater distance. exnerts say _ please keep to mater distance. experts say there _ please keep to mater distance. experts say there has - please keep to mater distance. experts say there has never- please keep to mater distance. l experts say there has never been please keep to mater distance. - experts say there has never been a time when you should moreover obey the rules. , ., ., ., the rules. there is a large portion of --eole the rules. there is a large portion of peeple who _ the rules. there is a large portion

of peeple who go _ the rules. there is a large portion of people who go out _ the rules. there is a large portion of people who go out there - the rules. there is a large portion of people who go out there who l of people who go out there who haven't been vaccinated, and that is the key time for a variant to emerge, and if we end up with a vaccine resistant variants, we are all going to be back to square one, but with no proper respect of the immediate vaccine on the horizon. do not wreck this now, it is too early to relax — not wreck this now, it is too early to relax. just _ not wreck this now, it is too early to relax. just continue to maintain discipline — to relax. just continue to maintain discipline and hang on, just a few more _ discipline and hang on, just a few more months, do not wreck this. as sprin- more months, do not wreck this. spring arrives, more months, do not wreck this. is spring arrives, londoners are being reminded that lockdown isn't over yet, and there is still a long way to go. the festival industry has been hit hard by the pandemic with revenues dropping by 90%. the government's furlough scheme and other financial support has helped many businesses survive, but event organisers will be watching wednesday's budget to see whether that continues beyond next month. this report from katie prescott contains flashing images from the start. dance music. dancing together — a distant memory.

the echoes of crowds like these not heard for over a year. but there are hopes that parks like this one might soon welcome them again. this festival organiser is planning an event here in september — but he's taking a big risk. with every single month that goes by from now until september, we are investing heavily in this show. we currently have no insurance in place to ensure that we're going to get that money back. every single month that goes by, thousands of pounds are being spent on suppliers. we had to delay as many payments as is humanly possible. performers can't be sure if the event will go ahead. completely helpless. but then, also, what can you do? i'm someone that definitely works in the moment, and when everything and all the tools possible have been taken away and downed, it makes it extremely hard. come on, now, tell me, - tell me what you want to do. come on! the festival industry will be hoping

the chancellor shows them some love in his budget on wednesday — a year on since the pandemic started, it will lay bare just how much it's cost to keep businesses going through covid. but the events industry is hoping the government doesn't pull the plug on spending just yet — at least until audiences are able to return to venues like these. we need an extension of furlough. the business rates relief was really important. the 5% vat was interesting, but we've not been able to trade so we've not been able to benefit from that. when tickets are available, it seems people do want to buy them. we are, if anything, worried about the capacity that we'e going to have for the explosion of domestic tourism we're expecting to see in the uk this summer. internationaltourism, obviously, completely different story. after a year of silence, this summer could mark the start of a new dawn for festivals — even in a socially distanced world. katie prescott, bbc news. a controlled detonation has been carried out in exeter

following the discovery of an unexploded second world war bomb nearthe main university campus. about two and a half thousand people in exeter — including students in 12 university halls of residence — were evacuated from the area. a 400 metre cordon was in place while bomb disposal specialists dealt with the bomb, which was found. the golden globes takes place this weekend but it's been a subdued year in hollywood due to the pandemic. the effect on actors and directors is well publicised. but spare a thought for what it's been like for the one set of workers with no way of doing theirjob remotely — make—up artists. let's take a look. make—up artists and hair and wardrobe is so important for hollywood. what you see in the movies and,

you know, all the new apps, netflix and amazon and hulu, you know, they need make—up, and without us, it's just not going to be the same. you know, i mean, itry and keep six feet apart as much as i can, but as i'm doing the make—up, you really can't, so, that's why i keep my mask on at all times. i get covid test, you know, pretty regularly. like, maybe once a month, so, you know, i come up negative, and then i feel confident that, you know, i can go to my clients. in sydney and in australia they got a good handle on the pandemic quite quickly, so what was quite a fast halt to my work. it was the first time in about 16 years where i had a clear calendar for three months! so, that was really strange, a very strange moment.

but everybody was in the same boat, you know, many productions, we had a few marvel films that were filming out here, different types of films, and also shoots that were scheduled to happen. it really was put on hold, everything was stopped, you know, and halted while we went into different versions of lockdown around australia. it obviously affected my rollers make—up artist because we are so tight when we are with a client. it all depends on each job. so, there's different levels of things we need it obviously affected my rollers make—up artist to a photo shoot or i am on a large—scale production, actually, even the small photo shoots, we need to sign a covid waiver. it's not that i ever need a break. i love doing red carpet, and i love the glitz and glamour of, you know, making my clients up

and going to the award shows and being with them on the red carpets. it sucks that we can't do it and things are virtual now, but, you know, slowly we will get back to normal and we just have to be patient, but, yeah, award season's a really fun thing fora make—up artist, and hair and wardrobe stylist, for sure. we, too, look forward to the return of make—up artist. lady gaga's two french bulldogs have been returned — safe and unharmed. koji and gustav were stolen at gunpoint in hollywood on wednesday in an incident which saw the pop star's dog—walker shot and injured. lady gaga put out a $500,000 reward for the two dogs, who were handed in to a police station on friday. the dog walker is expected to make a full recovery. the british antarctic survey has sent out these pictures of a huge iceberg which has broken off from the brunt ice shelf in antarctica. cracks in the ice first

appeared ten years ago, so it's not unexpected. the iceberg covers nearly 1,000 300 square kilometres — it's expected to move slowly away. the italian city of venice has been experiencing an exceptionally low tide — which has left its famous canals almost dry. gondolas and other boats were left beached as the water levels fell almost half a metre below usual. that's still a long way short of the lowest on record — 121 centimetres, back in 1934. local experts say the canals will return to normal once the tides change. now it's time for a look at the weather. hello there. much of this weekend looks fine and settled and sunny, thanks to high—pressure. but there is still a weak weather front affecting northern parts of the country through today. that's bringing rather grey, leaden skies for parts of scotland and also northern ireland, with a bit of mist, also some drizzle. but a huge contrast further south — much of england and wales is bright

with plenty of sunshine, and after the chilly start, that slightly stronger sunshine is getting to work, so it'll feel quite mild out there, but the next few days, pretty similar, largely dry with variable cloud, some sunshine and nights will continue to be chilly. there's that weather front across northern areas which will tend to fizzle away as we move through the latter part of the day. high pressure dominating the scene for those light winds as well across the board. a little bit of cloud across scotland and northern ireland, the remnants of that weather front further south for england and wales, largely clear skies, so it's going to turn cold. could see a bit of low cloud and mistjust rolling into eastern england and east anglia towards the end of the night, but where we have the clear skies, chillier with pockets of frost, mist and fog, a little less cold for scotland and northern ireland, because here we'll have a little bit more in the way of cloud. our area of high—pressure still with us then as we move into part two of the weekend. we've lost that weather front as well across northern areas. so i think after some early cloud starts to break up across scotland and northern ireland, it should be a sunnier day for you through sunday.

because there will be more but it could be that we start many places off on monday morning like this, rather grey with some mist and murk around, but at least mainly dry. now, if i run the pressure chart on through monday and into tuesday, you can see high pressure dominates the scene, but this weather front tuesday into wednesday to bring just a few showers. but i think for most, this upcoming week is looking dry with that area of high—pressure influencing the weather. could see variable amounts of cloud, a little bit of sunshine in northern and western areas,

and then signs of it turning chilly for all by the end of the week.