this is bbc news. i'm lukwesa burak with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. president biden urges the us senate to approve his $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package, after it was passed by the house of representatives. 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. praise for donald trump at the annual gathering of us conservatives, but will the ex—president stay in command of the party?

the british finance minister plans new measures to help people buy their own homes, as he prepares for next week's budget. trumpet plays: the last post tributes are paid to the record—breaking british charity fundraiser captain sir tom moore at his funeral. family members say his spirit will live on. and we find out how top hollywood make—up artists have been adapting their skills during a socially—distanced pandemic. hello and welcome to audiences in the uk and around the world. we're covering all the latest coronavirus developments here in britain and globally. first, though, us presidentjoe biden has urged the us senate to approve his $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid bill after it was passed by 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 $2 trillion package introduced last march by donald trump. this was mr biden�*s reaction. 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. well, the president there alluded to some of what's in the aid bill. but in summary, each person will receive a cheque for $1,400. payments will be phased out for those on higher incomes. the bill extends jobless benefits until the end

of august, to help the more than 11 million people who are unemployed. and there's a $70 billion boost for covid testing and vaccinations. the next stage for the stimulus bill is the senate. whilejoe biden�*s democrats have effective control of the chamber, it's not certain they'll accept all of the measures without wanting some degree of compromise from the white house. and as our washington correspondent lebo diseko explains, president biden is appealing to members of his own party to get his bill passed. it was interesting. i felt that he was talking, really, to his own party. he said the senate... he mentioned the senate as the next stage, but the way that democrats have chosen to process this means that they only need a simple majority in the senate to get that through. so if all of their party were to vote for it, it would pass. the problem that they have is that, already, you have two

democratic senators that have said, no, they won't pass it at the moment, as it stands, and that is because there is this very controversial issue of a proposal for a $15 minimum wage — that's $15 per hour minimum wage. so they don't want that in there. what we're likely to see is that there will be modifications and then it will be sent back to the house of representatives to vote on and go back to the senate again. but, lukwesa, they don't have very long to do this. democrats want to get this wrapped up and before the president, on his desk, to sign off by the middle of march, which is two weeks away now, because that's when certain unemployment benefits run out. it's interesting, isn't it? because raising that minimum wage to $15 was part of the campaign promise. how badly are things for people who are in desperate need for this aid? welcome i think asjoe biden says, it is really something that he feels is urgent, and that's why it was part of his package.

i think, though, it is telling — and it kind of speaks to the state of play here in america, the division between the parties — that they knew that it would be very difficult for them to pass this with republican support. they're not going to get that. republicans have said this is too expensive as it stands. the democrats have said that they are going to try and get this through, if not this way in another way. we're not quite sure how that would be, but i thinkjoe biden hasn't given up on getting the $15 minimum wage through at some point, some way. that was lebo diseko. conservative activists and elected officials in the us are attending this year's conservative political action conference — known as cpac — in florida, in what is seen as a key event determining the future direction of the republican party. the main event will be on sunday, when former president donald trump will give his first speech since leaving the white house.

speaking earlier, the trump administration secretary of state, mike pompeo, defended the america first foreign policy, which included pulling out of the paris climate accord and abandoning the iran nuclear deal. i was with the president so many trips, and he would tell his counterparts across the world, he would say, "look, i'm going to put america first as the president of the united states and i expect you will put your country and your people first. and we'll work together and accomplish this for both our countries," and we did that. applause you know, america first is right for america, it's right for each of us. america first secures our freedom. and the entire world benefits when america's fearless and bold and strong. let me just take through a few ways, right? let me just tick through a few ways, right? so, first, we show up — paris climate accord. it was a job—destroying joke, so we said "au revoir"!

look, we all want clean air, safe drinking water, but the paris agreement was a fantasy for elite diplomats who just wanted to virtue—signal. and when president biden reentered this deal, i can tell you that xi jinping was smiling every single minute. and the american workers lost. the conference has also been hearing from the former us trade representative robert lighthizer, who was asked how important it was to the conservative cause that the former president's voice was not silenced. look, he had a four—year extremely successful presidency. i have an enormous amount of respect, not only respect, but personal affection for the president. i worked very hard with him. i've never seen a person work harder. the notion that you can cancel donald trump is absurd, right? i mean, that's literally... look, if they could have cancelled donald trump, they would've done in 2016.

0ur north america reporter anthony zurcher is at the conference and explained that president trump still holds a commanding presence within the republican party. every single speaker here, practically, has been talking about their connection to donald trump and how donald trump is not going anywhere, in the words of texas senator ted cruz. of course, he is casting a long shadow. he's the closing speaker here tomorrow, and i would expect him to be warmly welcomed by the crowd here. they're just setting up for the evening's events behind me. but when i talk to the people who attend this conference, they say that... a lot of them got into politics because of donald trump. they supported donald trump throughout his presidency. they don't think he lost the election. and they support him running for president again in three years, if that comes to it. it's interesting, isn't it? because the more you read into this as the conference progresses, it is now being referred to as tpac —

we know who said that, trump jr — and also trumpchella. is everybody happy that mr trump is featuring so strongly in the party? you know, i think they are saying publicly that they are happy. if you talk to the politicians who are speaking here, they will have nothing but praise for donald trump, but i think there is some concern among some of these politicians who might have their own presidential ambitions that they won't be able to make up their mind on what to do until donald trump makes up his mind. and he, i think, is going to be in no rush to announce his plans for 2024, so it essentially freezes the republican presidential field until he makes up his mind. and that is a challenge. they talk up donald trump, they talk up their ideas, but it's a holding pattern. i suppose what really matters, at the end of the day, anthony, is that the republican voters like what they hear. what can we expect tomorrow?

well, i think what we're hearing is that donald trump is going to go afterjoe biden with some very harsh criticism of his handling of immigration, of his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. he's going to say he hasn't opened businesses and schools quickly enough. i also think that donald trump may take aim at some members of his own party, people who aren't here this weekend who have criticised donald trump in the recent weeks — people like liz cheney of wyoming, the third—ranking republican in the house of representatives, who voted for his impeachment, or mitt romney, the senator from utah who has been very open in his criticism of donald trump. so i think it could be twofold — going after the democrats but letting everyone in the party know that if you cross him, he is going to remember and he's going to work against them in the years to come. that was anthony zurcher there, speaking to me earlier. just to bring you a little bit more news from the united states the bill as expected, but we now have got confirmation, that the johnson &johnson covid—19

johnson & johnson covid—19 vaccine johnson &johnson covid—19 vaccine has been approved by us authorities for adults aged 18 and over. the approval, as it reads, is for emergency use. reaction also from president biden on this, saying that the green light is exciting but the us cannot let their guard down. things are still likely to get worse again as new variants spread. you willjohnson & johnson is the single shotjab, but in terms of the us portfolio of vaccinations, it has added to the moderna. 0k, has added to the moderna. ok, let's take a look at some of today's other news. large protests have been taking place on the streets of buenos aires, surrounding a vip vaccine scandal. the minister of health was fired on friday, after he was found to have personally helped to arrange jabs for prominent people connected to the government. hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the streets

of the bangladeshi capital, dhaka, for a second day of protest, over the death of a prominent writer in prison. mushtaq ahmed died on thursday, nine months after being detained on charges under the country's digital security act. the bangladeshi government says it will investigate his death, if the results of a postmortem suggest that's necessary. the british antarctic survey has released 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 entirely unexpected. the iceberg, which covers nearly 1,300 square kilometres, is expected to move slowly away before grounding itself once more. now let's turn our attention to myanmar, where the security forces have launched one of their toughest crackdowns yet after a fourth

successive weekend of anti—coup demonstrations. this was the scene in yangon on saturday. hundreds of protesters are reported to have been arrested, and there are unconfirmed reports that a woman has died after being shot. in dawei, in the south—east of the country, police were filmed firing tear gas at protesters who had blocked a road. meanwhile, state tv announced that myanmar�*s un ambassador, kyaw moe tun, has been fired. yesterday, he defied the militaryjunta in a shock speech to the un general assembly, urging them to use "any means necessary" to reverse the coup. well, earlier, the burmese analyst tin htar swe told us just how significant the ambassador's speech was. it was very significant. the ambassador made that speech.

nobody was expecting it, and he publicly condemned the militaryjunta. and when the speech came out, it was later in the evening in myanmar, in burma, and people were so surprised to hear it. they had a pretty tough time yesterday when the police cracked down on protesters. and suddenly, when they heard that the ambassador to the united nations has now publicly declared that he was not going to work for the militaryjunta, that really lifted the spirit of the people. they were so happy. they are very organised, and that surprises everyone. because, if you look at the protests, there's no visible leader. they are all organised by a group of young protesters, and they know themselves as generation z.

and they came up with very creative ideas. they are determined to go on with the protest. they are determined to be defiant simply because they're so worried that if they don't win this time, then they're going to be like their parents, going to be under the military dictatorship for another many, many years. so they're so worried about it, and they are going to fight back and they are fighting back. and that is something the militaryjunta was not expecting, and they seem to be taken aback by it. but sadly, we may be seeing more violence in the next coming few days. that was the burmese analyst tin htar swe. once again in nigeria, police are carrying out search and rescue operations to find children kidnapped from their school. boarding schools in the north have become targets for mass kidnappings for ransom

by armed groups. in the latest development, 42 people, including 27 students, kidnapped from a boarding school last week in the kagara district of niger state have been released. but in a separate raid on friday, 317 girls were abducted from a school by gunmen in zamfara state. earlier, i spoke to dr allen manasseh, the founder and chief executive officer of impact trust international, a nigerian—based humanitarian organisation. he hails from chibok, in borno state, where 276 girls were kidnapped in 2014 — 26 of whom are his relatives. he says it's a damning indictment that so long after that attack, these mass kidnappings continue to happen. it's actually appalling to see this happening after close to seven years after the abduction in chibok.

when chibok happened, we called on every governmental action to be taken seriously, to ensure that children aren't forced to choose between going to school and staying alive. seven years after, we are having a series of attacks and abductions back—to—back. it's actually heartbreaking and it is something that is very condemnable by every reasonable human being on earth. and looking at this, it is notjust happening in small numbers, but the numbers keep increasing. and that is very, very unfortunate. there's been widespread, nationwide condemnation. we've seen the protests on the streets of nigeria. what on earth is the government doing about this? well, actually, the purpose of the advocacy groups coming up to protest was for government to actually

ensure security is taken seriously, as the most important goal of any government is to secure people and to protect life. but right now, we see insecurity on the rise, instead of it declining. and instead of government ensuring security is obtained in every region, building confidence, through increasing the welfare and equipping the security agencies, by ensuring that intelligence gathering and intelligence sharing is given the utmost significance. we are not seeing that happening. that was dr allen manasseh there. ok, let's take a look at some of today's developments in the coronavirus pandemic. and france has reported almost 24,000 new confirmed cases of covid—19 in the past 24 hours. that's just over 1,000 fewer

than the previous day. weekend lockdowns have been enforced in two coastal cities, to try to slow the spread of the disease. dunkirk — seen here — in the north and nice, along the mediterranean coast, have seen some of the sharpest increases in infections. the czech government has set out details of new coronavirus restrictions which come into force on monday. all schools, including primary settings, will be closed, and police will carry out spot checks to dissuade people from moving between districts. meanwhile, new zealand's prime minister, jacinda ardern, has announced a week—long lockdown in the country's biggest city, auckland, after the discovery of a new coronavirus case. that means the temporary closure of all but essential shops and services. in the uk, the funeral of captain sir tom moore has taken place, with his family

paying tribute to the military veteran and charity fundraiser. sir tom captured the hearts of the nation after raising tens of millions of pounds for national health service charities, by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. he died earlier this month. 0ur correspondent john maguire reports. 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. 0n 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've 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 to remember cherished moments. if 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 will ensure that it lives on beyond today for generations to come. 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. that was captain sir tom moore, who was earlier laid to rest on saturday. 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.

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, i try to 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 tests, 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.

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 carpet. it sucks that we can't do it and things are virtual now, but, slowly, we will get back to normal. we just have to be patient. but, yeah, award seasons are a really fun thing for makeup artists and hair and wardrobe stylists for sure. archaeologists digging near the ancient roman city of pompeii have revealed an exciting new find. experts say the chariot is likely to have been used in festivities and parades and is "in an excellent state of preservation". this ceremonial chariot discovered near a stable, where in 2018 the remains of a horse — still in its harness — was unearthed.

you are watching bbc news. the weather's been pretty good lately across most of the uk. lots of sunshine, it feels like spring. the flowers are coming up. there's certainly more oomph to that sunshine, and there's every reason to believe the weather is going to stay settled for the next few days because of high pressure. but high pressure doesn't necessarily mean sunshine everywhere. in fact, it really does all depend on how the wind blows and where around the area of high pressure. and sometimes we get sort of lumps of cloud stuck in that high, and they may creep in from the coast well inland. so, it does mean that some areas in the morning could be pretty overcast. where the skies are clear overnight, there'll be a touch of frost in the morning, but elsewhere, it's going

to be above freezing. so, this is what it might look like in some areas early on sunday morning, and in fact possibly even into the afternoon. here's an example. around lincolnshire, east anglia and down into the south east, possibly london, too, you may have to wait a while before that cloud burns to the coast, if it does. in some areas, it might actually hang around, and temperatures will struggle to seven degrees. but out towards central and western areas, we're talking about 10—12 degrees. not spectacular, but actually mild enough, really, for the very end of february. because as we head into the 1st of march, the first day of meteorological spring, again, a touch of frost in the morning to greet us, to greet march. temperatures out towards western areas a little bit milder there, 3—6 degrees. now, here's the high pressure monday and into tuesday. it'll sort of be around about here. in fact, extending its reach well into europe across the alps and further south into the mediterranean as well. now, look how much cloud

there is on monday. now, this is so, so difficult to predict. in fact, it could linger, it may not. it may actually clear away, so there's a bit of a caveat there. yes, plenty of sunshine with the high pressure, but it's not guaranteed. and it's a little bit cooler, only around eight degrees. in fact, there will be a tendency for temperatures to drop a little bit as we go through the course of the week. slightly cooler air may be reaching us from the northern climes, but enjoy the sunshine if you can.

this is bbc news. the headlines — president biden has urged the us senate to approve his coronavirus aid bill quickly after it was passed by the house of representatives. the package, which is worth nearly $2 trillion, seeks to stabilise the economy by giving cash to millions of americans.

activists and elected officials in the us are attending this year's conservative political action conference, known as cpac. it's seen as a key event in determining the future direction of the republican party. former president donald trump is due to give the keynote closing speech. the british chancellor of the exchequer, rishi sunak, is planing new measures to help people buy their own homes as he prepares his budget for next week. now on bbc news, as hollywood celebrates the golden globes, the first major film awards event of the year, talking movies hears from some of the key contenders.