this is bbc news, the headlines at 8pm... six cases of a coronavirus "variant of concern" that was first detected in brazil have been identified in the uk. plans for a £5 billion grant scheme in england for high street businesses hit by covid—19 — as the chancellor says he'll continue to protect people through the pandemic. it's difficult out there for many of these businesses. they've been brilliant at trying to adapt. we want to support them as they reopen, and i want people to be reassured that we will have support in place to help them move along the prime minister's road map as we move forward on that path. more than 20 million people in the uk have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. free rapid covid tests to be offered to families in england, as children go back to school.

the bloodiest day of the military coup in myanmar — the un says security forces have shot dead at least 18 protesters. and the coronation street actorjohnny briggs, who played mike baldwin in the itv soap, has died at the age of 85. public health england has identified the first cases in the uk of a coronavirus variant, that was first detected in northern brazil. there's concern the manaus variant may be more transmissible, and less likely to respond

to a vaccine, than the original virus. five out of the six cases are linked to travel from brazil. the national medical director for nhs england, professor stephen powis, says the country is well placed to deal with them. we expected to see this, we will see lots of minor variants occurring and some will have some importance, so it is important that we continue to sequence. the good news in the uk is that we have a lot of capacity to sequence samples and therefore get the mutations and the genetic code. we have good contact tracing in place as well. of course, the third bit of news is that the vaccines that are being used for covid can be adapted very rapidly, so it is likely that if we do need to change the vaccine, that can be done in months, rather than in years, which was the case with the more traditional vaccines. as our health correspondentjim reed explains, there are two variants known to have come from brazil.

one is called p1 and the other is called p2, this p2 version was discovered here many weeks ago. it's not very different from the standard version, if you want to put it like that, of the virus that we are used to in this country. this other one, this p1 version is the one that scientists are more concerned about. that's the one we have just seen these first six cases confirmed in the uk. actually, when you look at it very similar in certain ways to the south african variant that we talk about, mutations in the same part of the virus that's likely to make it more transmissible, potentially make a vaccine less effective, and in northern brazil where this was first discovered, it was linked with higher levels of reinfection. so people either had coronavirus before appeared to be getting it again with this variant. now, to what level, we are not sure yet, but there is some indication that is the case. three cases now found in scotland, three we think in england, two confirmed, when we are not sure about. but as the professor just said

there, really, no surprise that we are noticing this. we shouldn't be too concerned, i don't think, this was always going to happen as the vaccine roll—out continues and as we get use to more and different variants emerging in the united kingdom. it's difficult, i suppose, as always, the nature of viruses that they evolve, and every opportunity they get to change, to protect themselves so they can keep replicating is kind of what they do. and we always have to be, if not one step head, then very, very close behind. that's right, and the government strategy on this is two fold. one is to look at vaccines and whether we might need to tweak vaccines in the future to be able to deal with new variants. some talk there might be a booster jab needed in the autumn, we don't know that for sure yet. but if we do, it shouldn't be that difficult to make these changes is what the scientists say. the other thing they are doing is rolling out this surge testing. so in areas that you see levels of these variants, even just a handful, even if it's one or two cases, they really try to hammer down on it, test everyone in the local

area whether they have symptoms or not. and that's what they are doing here. so, for example, a couple of these cases were found through people that flew from sao paulo in brazil to zurich in switzerland, and then onto heathrow. so they are asking anyone else that was on that flight to get in touch with them straightaway. can ijust pick up on that, because i heard you saying this an hour or so ago, if they are on a flight and the government knows which flight they were on, why don't they just contact the airline and ask for a passenger list and contact these people directly? it seems an odd way to go about this. if we are so concerned about it. it does, and in fact, the scottish authorities, that's exactly what they are doing. so they've got three cases in scotland, early february, we don't have the exact dates, and they've flew to aberdeen from paris and then london onto aberdeen. and they said they are contacting everyone on that london to aberdeen leg to speak to them. so quite why the authorities are asking people to come forward in this england example, we are not quite sure. the other thing they are struggling with is the last case, the sixth case that they've discovered. now, it looks like someone...

this is in south gloucestershire? this we don't know. ah, right. so there's two cases in gloucestershire, and they are the ones that came through from zurich. got you. so they know who they are they are self isolating. they did everything by the book, self isolated, the whole works. the sixth case they are more concerned about. so there, they said they don't know who this person is. it looks like they filled out one of these home tests, but didn't... so where you send it back? you send it out, it gets sent to you, and then you send it back. well, they didn't fill out the registration card. so all they've got is this positive test showing that it looks like the brazilian variant. it's not theirfault, it's not that they aren't doing all they can, they do need somebody to think about, well, did i send a test, i still haven't had a result. exactly. they are saying if you applied for a test, they think on the 12th or 13th of february, anywhere in england, possibly think in scotland, and you haven't received your results then you need to get touch with them to see urgently, they say, to see if you are that person they are trying to track down. the latest figures from

the government on coronavirus show that there were 6,035 new confirmed infections in the uk in the latest 24—hour period. it means an average of 8,721 cases per day were recorded over the past week. in the last 2a hours, 144 deaths have been reported, that's people who died within 28 days of a positive covid test. this number is often lower on sundays. on average, 324 deaths were announced every day in the past week. it brings the total number of people who've died to 122,849. the vaccination statistics show 407,503 people had their first dose of a vaccine in the latest 24—hour period, which means more than 20—million people have now had theirfirstjab. ahead of the budget on wednesday, the chancellor rishi sunak has signalled the government

will continue to support people and businesses through the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic — and he announced a grant scheme worth five billion pounds, to help pubs, restaurants, shops and other businesses in england to re—open. but — with the government spending a massive £271 billion this year on fighting covid and its effects on the economy — mr sunak also said he wanted to level with people about the challenges ahead. here's our political correspondent damian grammaticus. it's in the air, a sense of change, a hint of spring and the pandemic waning. but still there are months left to go until restrictions lift. so today the chancellor was signalling the support in place for firms and families will stay. so weighing on his mind is the debt, £270 billion and rising, all of which will have to be paid. my priority is to keep supporting british families, businesses and people through this crisis. i said at the beginning

i would do whatever it took to do exactly that, and i remain committed to that. borrow, borrow, borrow? the right thing to do now is to support the economy. but i also want to level with people about the challenges we face. coronavirus has had an enormous shock to our economy and public finances and i think it's right to be honest with people about that challenge and our plan to address that. labour says he is planning to increase corporation tax and wants to do it soon so he can cut it before the next election. but he should be focusing on national needs not party ones. when we talk to businesses across the country, as i have, what they are really concerned about is confidence. they don't want to see a chancellor focused on politics, focused on getting any changes through right now, so he can wash his hands of them before the next election. instead, they want the focus on jobs

and businesses and sadly that's not what we've seen from this chancellor. but rishi sunak said that was not his plan. i don't recognise that. i think any one, given the shock we have had over the last year and the economic uncertainty we face, it would be brave for people to know exactly what was going to happen in three years. labour says the government handling of the pandemic and the timing of lockdowns contributed to having the severe, this country having the most severe lockdown. rishi sunak says it is important for a conservative government to be seen to be acting responsibly after an enormous amount of borrowing. —— and says it's important for —— i definitely important for -- feel financial spending - needs to be prioritised for some industries. more than raising taxes and paying the debt? maybe you could raise taxes with certain people? i know there are definitely some friends in certain industries, like consultancy, and they are sitting at home raking it in. it's a big hit to small businesses

across the entire uk. giving them support enough to start again and weaning them off so they don't crash, because at the end of the day, with brexit and the pandemic, it's really important to get the economy back on track, going upwards. mr sunak, it's reported, may also freeze income tax thresholds, so over time more people are likely to find themselves paying at the higher rate. however it is done, sooner or later, the debt will have to be addressed. as we've been hearing — the one budget measure that has been announced is five billion pounds for high street shops and businesses in england — to support them as they reopen after lockdown. it's been welcomed by many, but others say they will still struggle without more support and tax breaks — as our business correspondent katie prescott reports. a terrace, tables, sunshine, all that is missing from this bar is the punters. but with the prospect of welcoming them back here soon, this publican says he had a spring

in his step. i think the demand is great from customers. that is really encouraging. the demand is great from our staff, they are already messaging asking when are my first shifts, when am i coming back? demand is great from suppliers saying, we need to open our businesses as well, the window cleaners and the gardeners, everyone needs to get back to work. to help them reopen, the government is offering grants to businesses in england forced to close by covid. scotland, wales and northern ireland will separately receive an extra £800 million in funding. in wednesday's budget, nonessential retailers will receive up to £6,000 for each shop they own, hospitality, gyms and beauty businesses will receive £18,000 per premises as they will open with more restrictions or later in the year. overall, 700,000 businesses will be eligible for the funds. what businesses like these really want to see as they reopen is a far broader package of measures

from the budget. and information about what will happen to key schemes such as furlough and business loans that are due to come to an end. like the owner of this salon, who wants to know if business rates relief will continue. although the £18,000 is fantastic, it's certainly something, and it will help a lot of people. it's not going to help me very much and the larger salons, many of us are losing over £1000 a day. permanent closing time is also a discussion for the pubs. an expensive business for the pubs. these little crumbs of acknowledgement and the little grants that come out really probably less than cover the cost for one month of shutting. that might help some small businesses to reopen, but the truth is, the damage has been done is very severe and will need much more substantial package than this. but substantial packages

are expensive, and businesses suspect the chancellor could look to them in the budget to help plug the hole in the nation's finances. as he navigates spending to support the economy with balancing the books. and we'll find out how this story — and many others — are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:30 and 11:30 this evening in the papers. i hope we will have time for our paper review. i could turn out to be famous last words at 1030 and 1130, and we —— otherwise we will be talking about our hobbies. i will be joined by journalist yasmin alibhai—brown, and the executive chairman of the cicero group, iain anderson. i thank you will have quite a lot to say about what the budget situation is. to stay with us here on bbc news. twice—weekly rapid coronavirus tests are to be made available to families in england when children return to school. adults working with children — such as bus drivers and after—school club leaders — will also be offered them. it's hoped the programme will reduce the chances of cases increasing

when pupils return to classrooms on the eighth of march. our health correspondent, naomi grimley, reports. if you live with a school—age child in england, get ready to start using these — the 30—minute tests also called lateral flow tests are already used in universities and by key workers. and secondary schools will be supplied with them as they open their doors again. but this latest announcement means all children and anyone who lives with them, as well as people like school bus drivers and carers, will be offered two tests per person each week. health officials hope it will uncover hidden cases of the virus and break the chains of transmission. testing has expanded greatly over the last few months and it is one important component of our battle against coronavirus. if anyone tests positive, they will still need a laboratory—assessed test to double—check the result. naomi grimley, bbc news.

prince charles has thanked teachers for their hard work during the coronavirus pandemic. he made the commons in a video message to the pti, an organisation that support teachers. the prince said teaching had never been an easyjob. i'm very pleased to take this opportunity to thank all the dedicated teachers across the country, and all the generous supporters of the pti, for your continuing commitment to nurturing the next generation in these particularly challenging times. i must say i'm enormously suppressed by all that i've heard about what you are managing to achieve. despite the many difficulties you have faced. last term, the challenges were coping with teaching in a different way because of social distancing. at the same time as dealing with the mountain of logistical challenges of running a school with staff and student illness, remote teaching, bubbles, constant hand washing, deep cleaning.

the list goes on and on. then this year began with a new lockdown. and with changes to arrangements for summer exams. these are unpredictable times for us all. i just want to let you know that your dogged determination to do the best for your students is certainly not going unnoticed. i am full of admiration for all your efforts, so often unseen and unsung. prince charles bring us to our headlines here on bbc news. six cases of a coronavirus �*variant of concern�* that was first detected in brazil have been identified in the uk. the chancellor plans a five—billion pound support scheme for high street businesses in england hit by the covid—19 pandemic. more than 20 million people in the uk have now received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

those are your headlines at 17 past 8pm. today has been by far the bloodiest day on the streets of myanmar since the military seizure of power there last month — with at least 18 people killed as security forces used live rounds — and tier gas — against protestors. it follows weeks of largely peaceful demonstrations following the coup, in which government leaders, including aung san suu kyi, were overthrown and detained by the army. the uk foreign office has condemned the violence as "abhorrent" and the un secretary general antonio guterres has urged the international community to send a clear signal to the military that it must respect the will of the people of myanmar. paul adams reports. gunfire and screaming four weeks after the military�*s coup... demonstrators remain defiant, but myanmar�*s streets

are more and more dangerous. today's violence marked a new, ominous turn. the military no longer able to argue that it is exercising restraint. in the largest city of yangon, the police were out in force, early, reinforced by the army. tear gas and stun grenades seem to have little effect. protesters have started erecting makeshift barricades, gone is the carnival atmosphere of some of the early demonstrations. this is morphing into something much more deadly. the military apparently determined to gain the upper hand. when gunfire rings out, they run for their lives. more live fire and more injuries in the southern city of dawei, three people shot dead here. ambulances racing injured protesters to hospital, doctors are suddenly overwhelmed. outside, the anxious search for news.

all across myanmar, the same demand. the release of the country's elected leader, the whereabouts of aung san su kyi remain uncertain. she faces another court hearing on monday, her lawyer says he still has not been able to meet her. terrified families grab furtive glimpses of other events outside. it is increasingly difficult and dangerous to record events on the street. the distress and fear are palpable. across the country, the number of arrests is soaring. more than 800 before the weekend, hundreds more in the past two days. the coup has been condemned around the world. new sanctions applied as well. so far, to little effect. myanmar is descending into chaos, with no sign of a way out. paul adam, bbc news.

47 pro—democracy activists in hong kong have been charged with conspiracy to commit subversion — in the largest single use of a national security law which was imposed by china last year. the activists had organised unofficial voting to select opposition candidates ahead of elections, which are now postponed. the european union has called for their immediate release from police detention. let's return to the vaccine roll—out here in the uk. there has been some vaccine hesitancy in ethnic minority communities. but nhs officials say uptake is very good among the british asian community at one particular vaccination center in north west london. harrow has a large british indian population, and it's thought the community could be less hesitant than some other ethic minority groups including pakistanis and bangladeshis. anisa kadri has more. getting the covid vaccine. it's a relief for a lot of british asians. it's notjust about protecting myself. it's about protecting my loved ones,

it's about protecting our wider community, and humanity as a whole. i'm the sole carer for my mother, so yeah, it's great. within my own family and friends, it's been very, very positive. - it's been received really, really well, but i do have friends who are hesitant, black minority group. - while there are concerns about vaccine hesitancy in black and ethnic minority communities, at this vaccination center in harrow in north—west london, there's been a good turnout of british asians coming to get the jab. it's thought british indians are less vaccine hesitant than some other bame groups. religious reasons, culture reasons. i mean, i would say some level of deprivation also and health literacy. these are the four reasons you can

categorise that they might be impacting the vaccine uptake. this doctor says it's key health staff build trust with patients to combat our needs and goals rumours about the vaccine. they may have had a text message from their own gp surgery who they know and trust, then phone calls from their own practice staff who they know and trust. so that way we've managed to engage our own populations, our own patients. we've gone into our communities as well. so for example we have had webinars by some of our local gps, collaborative webinars with the mosques and the temples. lakshmi, who has an underlying health condition, has just had her jab. she's one of the people so keen to get vaccinated she's turned up without an appointment before in the hope there might be spare vaccine. a lot of whatsapp messages going around saying just turn up and they'll give it to you. i got one of those messages as well, in the hope that we could get it, but unfortunately was turned away at the door. we are reaching out to patients in order of the priority groups we've been advised to vaccinate people. the advice, then, to have an appointment before coming to yourjab.

hundreds of people in exeter still can't return to their homes after debris from a detonated second world war bomb damaged their properties. homes had windows broken and walls cracked following a controlled explosion yesterday. a crane's needed to remove metal that fell on some people's roofs after the blast. john henderson reports from exeter. 0h! whoa! 0h! a controlled explosion in the heart of exits are, so powerful, it registered with earthquake detecting equipment 40 miles away. a huge blast from the second world war bomb weighing over a tonne — this aerial footage shows nearby buildings being showered with debris. our next—door neighbour, he was a street... they were the street behind us, and they had a hot burning piece of metal land very close to them, so they've got a little piece of memorabilia from the event.

for hundreds of others, their momento is structural damage to their homes — the reason they haven't been able to return to them. the damage can include cracks to bricks or broken windows, those properties are in the process of being fenced off at this time. we are working towards allowing some residents to return to their properties this evening, although we can't say when. so the advice does remain, please, make alternative arrangements. so, for householders and students, it looks like a second night staying somewhere else. i've had to leave my pc in my room. but, yeah, so i can't get my work done, but i've got mitigation, so it should be fine. very stressful, yeah. we have had an opportunity to defer our examinations and our assignments and stuff, so i guess that's a good thing that the university have allowed us to do. yeah, it's a bit inconvenient, obviously, all the moving around

and stuff like that. the police said it was the right decision to detonate the bomb where it was found two days ago, but the fact a crane is now needed to pluck debris off of people's roofs shows the difficulties the clean—up operation is now facing. john henderson, bbc spotlight, exeter. it's been a year when — for the most part — cinemas have been shut, but that's not stopped hollywood award's season. the golden globes take place tonight with the latest instalment of the crown nominated in six categories. but the gowns and tuxedos will have to be worn at home, as it'll be a virtual ceremony because of the pandemic. our los angeles correspondent sophie long reports. what a year for movies! i think you read it wrong. it's, what? a year for movies. tina fey and amy poehler will host for the fourth time, offering some much needed comic relief. they will be on different coasts of the continent, but what is 3000 miles if not

a safe social distance? they will present in semi—empty spaces. the normal celebrity supper has been scuppered but the golden globes will be the same celebration of creativity and talent on and behind the screens, both big and small. mank, a tale of old hollywood and all its glamour and sleaze is the most nominated movie. season four of the crown, the very british portrayal of strange royal relations, is likely to reign once again in the television categories. you were one of those lucky people... for the first time more women than men have been nominated for best director. chloe zhao for nomadland, a very real human journey through the american west. # whispered something in your ear...#. emerald fennel for promising young woman, a feminist film full of vengeance and payback. and regina king for her historical

fiction one night in miami. i don't see your name in lights. chadwick boseman has been nominated posthumously for his role as a troubled trumpet player in ma rainey�*s black bottom. what's the problem, officer? borat is back and his creator, sasha baron cohen, is a double globe nominee this year. he could also be recognised for his rather different role in the trial of the chicago 7. there may be no red carpet and far fewer champagne corks will pop, but despite the same criticism of the obscure voting body's practices, the golden globes will still be the opening ceremony of the awards season and they could still give some indication as to who is in pole position for those coveted academy awards. sophie long, bbc news, hollywood. from hollywood to weatherfield. the actorjohnny briggs, who played mike baldwin in coronation street for 30 years, has died at the age of 85.

he became famous as the charming but ruthless factory boss with a string of failed relationships. david sillito looks back at his career. i'm in charge of all the layabouts, i own the place. mr baldwin? that's right, jack. the arrival of a weatherfield outsider, factory owner and ladies man mike baldwin, played byjohnny briggs. before coronation street, he had had many roles on stage and screen, from a brief appearance in the lavender hill mob to z cars, but it was mike baldwin that made him famous. what's your game? a career that went from stage school in london to the roguish factory boss. some to rail against and hate, which was what was going ——it gave the women someone to rail against and hate, which was what was going on with the country with a terrible state of strikes and all the rest, but you still managed to like him

and he was part of that community. his most famous moment, the confrontation with his arch enemy ken barlow as they fought for the affections of deirdre barlow. it's ken, he knows, i've told him everything. shut up! manchester united even announced the outcome, ken 1—0 mike, during a match. get out of my house! go on! there was always a mix of charm and menace, and his final scene on the street was in the arms of his archenemy, ken barlow played by william roache, who today paid tribute. johnny briggs, he said, was a strong character who would be greatly missed. the actorjohnny briggs, who's died at the age of 85.