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“Our decisions will be made on the latest data at every step, and we will be cautious about this approach so that we do not undo the progress we have achieved so far and the sacrifices each and every one of you has made to keep yourself and others safe” - Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speaking ahead of his statement to MPS on plans to ease lockdown in England.

“It’s odd and rather touching to think that people might weep over my passing – strangers I’ve never even met. If I can, I’d like to watch my own funeral from a distance. That would be quite the joke as I looked down and chuckled at everyone making a lot of fuss over me” - Captain Sir Tom Moore, who died on February 2 after testing positive for Covid-19, writing about his funeral in a book he planned to release before his 101st birthday.

“Yes, he’s OK, they’re keeping an eye on him” - The Duke of Cambridge gives an update on the Duke of Edinburgh after his 99-year-old grandfather spent a sixth night in hospital.

“The Commonwealth Service is one of the Abbey’s most important annual services, but as it is not possible to gather here, we have seized the chance to take the celebration well beyond these walls. We are so pleased that this rich and vibrant BBC programme with the royal family and the Abbey at its heart will celebrate our global connections at a time when we are all so physically isolated”

- The Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, on a planned TV programme to celebrate the Commonwealth, after the annual Commonwealth Day service was cancelled.

Perthshire rural enterprise support organisation Growbiz will welcome David Groundwater from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) at a virtual networking event on Thursday at 6pm.

Mr Groundwater is the North East Scotland Development Manager for the FSB in Scotland.

At the Xchange networking event he will outlining some of the financial assistance currently available to rural businesses and how, when and where these can be accessed.

Growbiz chief executive Jackie Brierton said: “At a time when so many small businesses are struggling, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with the FSB to help rural enterprises find their way through the grants and funding options available.”

Canadian security giant Gardaworld and US rival Allied Universal have said they will not be increasing their respective £3.7 billion and £3.8bn bids for G4S, bringing an auction process to an end.

Gardaworld said anything higher than 235p-a-share would overvalue G4S due to a series of unspecified corporate governance issues at the firm.

Allied Universal confirmed its 245p-ashare offer, which has already been accepted by G4S, is final.

G4S has previously rejected Gardaworld’s bid but the Takeover Panel, a body which regulates mergers and acquisitions mainly of listed firms, said the two rivals would be given a chance to make bids for the company in the week beginning February 22.

But, yesterday morning, the Takeover Panel said the auction process has ended with both sides confirming their positions.

Echt Show is the latest agricultural event to fall victim to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The show, which had been due to take place on Saturday July 10, has been cancelled due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

In a statement, the show’s organisers said: “We have been following closely the government information and guidance on the current pandemic and wish to ensure the safety of the public, competitors and committee members. It is, therefore, with great sadness that Echt, Skene and Midmar Agricultural Show has taken the decision to cancel the show for a second year.

“Please stay safe and we look forward to seeing you at our 2022 show.”

Show secretary Louise Reilly said a number of virtual events will be held to mark this year’s event and full details will be available on the show’s website at echtshow. co.uk.