turn also embraced him. he sought to emulatejesus christ, who embraced all those who society looked down upon and rejected. throughout his life he became involved and causes both here at home and abroad, went to the very heart of the quest for social justice. through the desmond tutu hiv foundation, he was involved in the treatment and care of people living with hiv and aids, and the provision of health care services to adolescents and empowerment of young women. he was an outspoken supporter of the palestinian cause and in 2014, he wrote to a powerful article calling on the israelis and palestinians to find each other, and to make peace. in his words, peace requires the people of israel and palestine to recognise the human being in themselves and each other, and to understand their interdependence. he advocated for the lgbtq i plus rights and decried all forms of violence, and discrimination against this community. speaking of hate crimes, perpetrated against the lgbt iq plus community any powerful video message marking 20 years since the world conference on human rights, he said, i oppose such injustice with the same passion that i oppose apartheid. 0ne same passion that i oppose apartheid. one of the causes that was dear to him and less well—known to many of us was campaigning together with her royal highness, who is here with us today, against child marriage across the globe. i have learned how the arch travelled to villages in ethiopia, in india and zambia, to understand the circumstances under which young girls were being forced into marriage. he also took up this cause with the elders, mary robinson is here, and others. the group of senior leaders brought together by president nelson mandela in 2007. such was his stamina, such was his commitment to social justice for all, that he took up the cudgels on behalf of millions of people around the world. many would know his name, but many would not. but he did make a difference in taking up their causes. he never stopped fighting, he never stopped speaking out. and he never stopped speaking out. and he never stopped caring. since the passing of our beloved arch, we have been looking back on his life, on the part he played in our transition to democracy and to his towering role as the chairperson of the truth and reconciliation commission. today, 27 years after the event of our democracy, we can still say with certainty that what we have achieved as a country was nothing short of a miracle. we could have chosen the path of retribution, but the project of national reconciliation, of recognising the injustices of our past, set us apart from many societies in transition. alongside president nelson mandela, archbishop desmond tutu helped to steer our nation through this very challenging and painful period. the heart—rending testimonies of many who had suffered and lost loved ones were broadcast for all to see. there accounts open to deep apartheid wins, but they also opened a window, —— deep apartheid wounds. to know what crimes had been committed and perpetrated in their name. to the white minority community. helping us to come to terms with the past was among the most arduous tasks of our new nation and archbishop desmond tutu played a seminal role in this whole process. he led to the truth and reconciliation process with integrity, dignity and humility. while our beloveds was the father of our democracy, archbishop desmond tutu was the spiritual father of our new nation. in considering how fortunate we are as a country to have been blessed with these two global icons, we think about soweto, the only street in the whole world that was home to two nobel peace laureates. we think are both of these two icons of our country played different but complementary roles in forging the nation we are today. archbishop desmond tutu has been our moral compass, but our national conscience also. even after the advent of democracy, he did not hesitate to draw attention, often harshly, to our shortcomings as leaders of a democratic state. he saw our country as a rainbow nation, emerging from the shadow of apartheid, a united in its diversity with freedom and equal rights for all. the arch decrease us many things —— decreased us many things. the courage of having 1's convictions, solidarity with the oppressed, delivering on the promises made of the constitution and many others. but it was with this term, rainbow nation, that he bequeathed a new nation the greatest gift of all. hope and forgiveness. hope and forgiveness for a better tomorrow. hope for a country free of tyranny and hope for a society where all the people of south africa, irrespective of their religious affiliation, their gender, the race, their origin, could live side by side in harmony. when he first spoke about us as this rainbow nation, south africa was a different place and we were going through a very difficult time. we are still finding ourfeet on a difficult time. we are still finding our feet on a long road to nationhood. he has left us at another difficult time in the life of our nation, problems and challenges abound, and they are everywhere. poverty and inequality, racism, homophobia, gender—based violence, crime and corruption has left many people disenchanted. there are times when he felt let down and yet he never lost hope. the most fitting tribute to be can pay to him, whoever and wherever we are, is to take up the cause of social justice for which he tirelessly campaigned throughout his life. archbishop tutu has left a formidable legacy and we are enormously diminished by his passing. his life and a park in a country first make history that has now come to an end. —— and e pot. although we say goodbye to him today with the heaviest of heights. we salute our beloved arch for all that he did to help build this nation. we thank him for giving us hope, for reminding us of our responsibility as a people, but more especially as leaders. and for giving us a reason to believe we are and can be a true rainbow nation that he spoke about. we celebrate him for what he was, life. to the family, our nation shares in your sorrow. 0n life. to the family, our nation shares in your sorrow. on behalf of the government and the people of south africa, we thank you for sharing your husband, your father, your brother, uncle and grandfather with us. we know it was not easy and yet you did so willingly. he belonged to all of us and it is all of us who mourn him, but today we celebrate his life. i recently came across these words which provide a fitting end to any tribute to desmond tutu. tears are sometimes an inappropriate response to death. when he life has been left completely honestly, completely successfully, orjust completely honestly, completely successfully, or just completely, the correct response to death's perfect punctuation mark is a smile. his was a life lived honestly and completely. he has left the world a better place. and he has left our country a much better place than we were prior to our democracy. we remember him with a smile, the type of smile that he would have flashed around, and we say, farewell, father. servant of god. rest in peace. thank you. applause we now call upon the chief of the south african national defence force, the general to hand over the national flag to the nationalflag to the commander—in—chief national flag to the commander—in—chief thereafter. the commander—in—chief thereafter. tue: commander—in—chief thereafter. tue: commander—in—chief will commander—in—chief thereafter. tue commander—in—chief will hand over the nationalflag to commander—in—chief will hand over the national flag to mama tutu. i thank you. as we close this ceremonial, the arch was a great saw, a truly wonderful example of gift, grit and gumption. we believe that beyond the absence, there is presence. beyond the pain, there is healing. beyond the pain, there is healing. beyond the brokenness, there is wholeness. beyond the turmoil, there is peace. beyond the turmoil, there is peace. beyond the turmoil, there is peace. beyond the heating, there is heaven. beyond the heating, there is heaven. beyond the heating, there is heaven. beyond the fighting, there is forgiveness. beyond the silence, god speaks. commander—in—chief, permission to withdraw. i thank you. thank you so much. i was told i shouldn't thank the president but thank you for your homily. thank you so much. applause and lastly to our preacher, bishop michael, thank you so much. let's give bishop michael a round of applause, please. before the final blessing, we will have a cremation service which is a private, family service. and then at the time and date known to the family, they will come and in terror the ashes of the arch —— in terror the ashes. again, it is a private service. thank you to the city. thank you to the state. thank you to the ip trust, to the tutu foundation, to the cathedral and all those, you know yourselves, that were in the planning team for the last six years. on behalf of mama leah and the family, we want to say thank you. please stand. in the name of the lord, bless it to be the name of the lord. —— blessed be the name of the lord. —— blessed be the name of the lord. —— blessed be the name of the lord. the god of peace brought again from the dead our lord jesus, the great shepherd of the sea, by the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do god's will, working in which is pleasing in god's site, and the blessing of god almighty, the father, the sun and the holy spirit be amongst you always. amen. may i just also may ijust also recognise our arch bishop has carried the load of an immense challenge, that he has finally submitted, gracefully with wisdom and i think it would be so beautiful if we give him some love. applause the hallelujah is four syllables. focus on that when we come to it. hallelujah, christ has risen. are you going to go that way? let us go forth in the name of christ, hallelujah, hallelujah. we shall listen to the great high priest recorded by the cathedral choir. choral singing. studio: the funeral service of archbishop desmond tutu isjoined to a close. what we're feeling there is the bishops and clergy that are gathered around his simple pine coffin to carry it out of the cathedral, carried by his grandchildren and carried out by his peers. let's cross to cape town and speak to our correspondent nomsa maseko. there have been members of the public viewing and following the service in the public viewing area. what has the atmosphere been like? fix, what has the atmosphere been like? lot of people saying they did not want to grieve alone at home, they wanted together amongst other south africans to say goodbye to the archbishop because they felt he pretty much held this nation together, both in what he said and also what he did. there is a lot, the sentiment here is that people here in south africa should follow in his footsteps in ensuring that south africa does become what he would have wanted, a united nations, despite all the difficulties that the country faces.— despite all the difficulties that the country faces. thank you very much. the country faces. thank you very much- the _ the country faces. thank you very much. the president _ the country faces. thank you very much. the president closing - the country faces. thank you very much. the president closing and | much. the president closing and bringing the story forward to modern day current south africa, saying that he left the country a better place than before democracy. what would the arch have made of his mental nation today?— would the arch have made of his mental nation today? yes, a powerful eulo: b mental nation today? yes, a powerful eulogy by president _ mental nation today? yes, a powerful eulogy by president ramaphosa - mental nation today? yes, a powerful eulogy by president ramaphosa and l eulogy by president ramaphosa and pretty much on point, if i should say so. he leaves the mental nation in the much more difficult position than he had envisaged —— rainbow nation. than in the beginning of our democracy will stop but we are two steps forward, one step backward so we hope steadily the arch's wishes will be realised because in south africa, you have a country that belongs to all who live in it as the constitution of the republic says. i never forget desmond tutu cosmic joke when he said that when the white men came in south africa, we had the land and they said let us pray. they had the bible. when we opened our eyes, they had the land and we got the bible. but we got the better of them because the bible is more superior. you better of them because the bible is more sunerior-_ more superior. you knew desmond tutu, ou more superior. you knew desmond tutu, you interviewed _ more superior. you knew desmond tutu, you interviewed him, - more superior. you knew desmond tutu, you interviewed him, he - more superior. you knew desmond | tutu, you interviewed him, he more or less grew up around him. he was a member of the community in soweto. what are yourfinal member of the community in soweto. what are your final personal reflections of the man? t what are your final personal reflections of the man? i remember a very dignified — reflections of the man? i remember a very dignified man _ reflections of the man? i remember a very dignified man with _ reflections of the man? i remember a very dignified man with a _ reflections of the man? i remember a very dignified man with a great - very dignified man with a great sense of humour. i am sad for his wife, who loved her garden, which we all admired wife, who loved her garden, which we alladmired in our wife, who loved her garden, which we all admired in our township, because she had a beautiful garden in the house in orlando west. and i remember him jogging to buy his newspaper at the station. i am left with memories that can be passed on to many others if they decided to follow his values. 0ur vicar, desmond tutu, may his soul rest in peace. desmond tutu, may his soul rest in eace. : ~' desmond tutu, may his soul rest in eace. :, ~ ,, y desmond tutu, may his soul rest in eace. :, ~ y : desmond tutu, may his soul rest in eace. : ~' y : :, desmond tutu, may his soul rest in eace. :, ~ , . :, ., peace. thank you very much. you have been watching — peace. thank you very much. you have been watching the _ peace. thank you very much. you have been watching the special— peace. thank you very much. you have been watching the special coverage - been watching the special coverage of the funeral service for the archbishop desmond tutu, who passed away on the 26th of december. he had been suffering from cancer and passed away at the age of 90. his funeral service has just taken passed away at the age of 90. his funeral service hasjust taken place and is drawing to a close. in cape town. he was a noble laureate and a hero of south africa's fight against a white minority rule. the nation is saying its final goodbye from st george's cathedral, a private service will take place by the determinant of his remains —— internment of his remains at a later date. the view you can see and the steps are the bishops and clergy were doing him the honour of carrying him out of his beloveds saint georges cathedral, where he once held the appointment of archbishop. we will leave you with the final sounds from inside, the music from inside st george's cathedral. you have been watching bbc news. hello, we had some records want to end 2021. it has been a very mild start to 2022. the record for a new year's day were set back in 1916 and could be that we picked that 15.6 degrees today because of the wind direction. they are coming up from the tropics, a strong south—westerly wind, it is a dp area of low pressure settle to the north—west of us and that has prompted the met office to issue a warning for when strengths of 75 mph for western parts of scotland. it will be a windy day for all of us, gale—force is not severe gale—force winds up towards the north and west. building southwards and eastwards, some sharp showers, dragging their heels, plenty of sunny spells following behind. my show is coming in on that brisk winter. despite the strength of the wind, it will be mild amount of the wind, it will be mild amount of the wind, it will be mild amount of the north of scotland. 14, possibly 15 or 16 degrees in some spots which will put that record. more showers or longer spells of rain coming into night, the winds continued to blow from the south—west. it is going to be a very mild night. temperature not dipping much lower than 7—12 a bit of a wet start wrestling black rain in the shower is clearly quite quickly, a dry spell of weather, but more showery rain on the way for sunday. not a wash—out, there will be dry weather, brighter weather. not a wash—out, there will be dry weather, brighterweather. it will not be quite as windy as weather, brighter weather. it will not be quite as windy as today and it will not be quite as mild. 10-13 c, a it will not be quite as mild. 10—13 c, a subtle change in our wind direction around to a more westerly wind. it will carry on more rain because of monday and during the second half of monday, we said this when slipping southwards and it is behind this by front we see a change to colder air coming behind this by front we see a change to colderair coming in behind this by front we see a change to colder air coming in across the north. and some showers. before that, we could have another spell of quite wet weather for a time. on monday, temperaturesjust quite wet weather for a time. on monday, temperatures just creeping down, closer to normal. monday, temperatures just creeping down, closerto normal. it monday, temperatures just creeping down, closer to normal. it is really by tuesday that we get that snap of cold air spinning by the way southwards, that weather front close away from southern areas, that i see north wind, at this very day, perhaps a day or two in some areas, but it will not last that cold snap because it looks like we're back to the milder atlantic, more unsettled weather from the milder atlantic, more unsettled weatherfrom midweek the milder atlantic, more unsettled weather from midweek one. this is bbc news. the headlines... south africa bids a final farewell to archbishop desmond tutu, whose funeral has taken place in cape town. among those to pay tribute was his daughter, the reverend nontombi naomi tutu. we say thank you, daddy, for the many ways you showed us love, for the many times you challenged us, for the many times you comforted us. leading uk figures in the battle against covid — professors chris whitty and jonathan van—tam are knighted in the new year honours list. former prime minister tony blair is given a senior knighthood by the queen.