mark lowen, bbc news, rome. beautiful blue skies in rome filmed by mark lowen.particularly across england and wales this morning but the weather has been changing a bit. you can see in gloucestershire how we have this shield of generally high cloud and further north—west into western scotland the cloud is thickening up and we have had showers which are getting longer spells of rain. looking at all this ground coming from the atlantic, it's mostly high cloud, spilling eastwards, so sunshine is hazy at best and the best of the sunshine probably to the south—east of the uk. the north—east turning wetter, breezy as well with temperatures of 6—8 . this evening looking wet in scotland and northern ireland. before we replace the rain with showers will stop a view showers and more cloud pushing into england and wales. a bit of a breeze as well and on the whole it should be just about frost free although there is the risk of a few icy patches. tomorrow, a line of rain across southern scotland. to the north of it, sunshine and showers and wintry over the hills. elsewhere,

here's our rome correspondent, mark lowen.obatic twirls like wisps of smoke. a synchronised spectacle of breathtaking beauty. the starlings migrate in winter south to africa. nesting at night in central rome for warmth, flying in formation to avoid predators. a murmuration, it's called, and this city of art marvels at the show. but beneath their charm, rome is rotting, and it's a hell of a mess. in the cold light of day, the other side of these gorgeous birds is clear, and for those unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, it's not exactly sightly, it can be a safety hazard, and i can tell you that even with the mask, the stench is rancid. "i slipped on the droppings when it was muddy", this man says. "the world has invented everything, just not bird underpants." beside the ancient forum, a new attempt to try and solve the problem. city officials shining lasers onto trees, which the birds dislike, prompting them to move on. the project is focused on rome's tourist heart in a bid to clean up its image. transla

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.ore than 250 metres of a skyscraper while strapped to a wheelchair. lai chi—wai scaled the great height using a piece of rope and sheer grit and determination, as our reporter freya cole explains. from dizzying heights, lai chi—wai looks tiny, but in the grand scale of the situation, he has more strength than most. translation: l was quite - scared, climbing up a mountain, i could hold onto rocks or little holes. but with glass, all i can really rely on is the rope that i'm hanging off. ten years ago, lai chi—wai was in a car accident which left him paralysed from the waist down. it ended his highly successful professional career as a climber, as he knew it. but over time, he's overcome mental and physical barriers and now there is very little that will stop him. translation: i want to climb something higher| than lion rock mountain. i want the image of me climbing up in a wheelchair to become a reality, and it's always been a dream. lai chi—wai came so close to the top when he had to

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.r with louise lear. hello, there. it's a perfect sunday for getting outside and enjoying some fresh air. for most of us, it will be a dry, settled and relatively sunny afternoon, but the further north and west you go, a brisk wind driving in some showery outbreaks of rain, with gusts of 30mph to 40mph here. elsewhere, with some sunshine, the temperatures will peak between 6—9 degrees — where they should be for this time of year. moving into monday, closer to this area of low pressure, it will continue to feed in showers across much of scotland and we will see weather fronts starting to gradually approach from the south—west as low pressure edges in from the atlantic. but there will be some drier, brighter weather, particularly in sheltered eastern areas. generally a little more cloud around than we have seen today. 5—10 degrees the overall high. but from tuesday onwards, it turns increasingly wet and windy across the country. milder for england and wales, but some of that rain could br

mark lowen, bbc news, rome. beautiful weather in rome.nated not by wintry weather but by wet weather. in fact, for some parts of the uk, a lot of heavy and persistent rain, which will bring the risk of flooding. through this evening and tonight, many spots will be dry, particularly down towards the southeast. a few showers for wales, northwest england and certainly some showery rain at times for northern ireland and scotland. a bit of snow mixing in over high ground across the northern half of scotland. temperatures getting quite close to freezing, most spots will hold just above. then, as we go through tomorrow, we will have this band of rain affecting parts of southern scotland, that will drift northwards back into the central belt. showers for northern scotland, some of which will be wintry, not a bad day for northern ireland, and eastern parts of england will hold onto some brightness, but for wales, the western half of england, it will turn increasingly cloudy, misty and murky with some outbreaks of rain at times. it's going to be tu

mark lowen, bbc news, rome. not sure if it is good starling weather over here. now it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello. we have severe waether the way for the week ahead, today's been fairly quiet. this evening we have thicker cloud bringing wet weather for a while across scotland and northern ireland before it turns showery again. some of that cloud will push into england and wales, a bit of a breeze overnight. shouldn't get too cold, many places temperatures will be just above freezing, there is the risk of a few icy patches here and there. tomorrow we are left with this line of rain in southern scotland. to the north there will be sunshine, showers, wintry over the hills, bright enough start elsewhere, with the odd light shower but it will cloud over from the south—west, getting rain into the south—west, pushing into wales, west country in the afternoon. in the south—west it will turn misty later, temperatures may be making double figure, elsewhere a chillier five to seven. we have wet weather arriving overnight into tuesday and wednes

mark lowen, bbc news, rome. what a beautiful sight. we had been hoping to bring you an interview with debbie for the 100th anniversary, but i'm afraid she's vanished. she really has. we hope we will be able to talk to her some point during this evening. now it's time for a look at the weather with ben rich. good evening. a bit of a shift in our weather focus as we move into the new week. the wintry weather of last week replaced by some very wet weather in places this week, there is the risk of flooding. it isn't a bad start to the week, certainly through the early hours of monday, we will see some showery rain across scotland, into northern ireland, the odd shower for england and wales. further south and east, some clear skies, that's where we will see the lowest temperatures, one or two spots getting down to freezing, most places hovering just above. then for tomorrow, this band of rain across southern scotland will eventually shift back northwards into the central belt. sunshine and showers for the far north of scotland. not a bad da

here is more from mark lowen in rome.seppe conte lost his majority in the house of parlment after a sma coalition party led by a foreign prime minister withdrew its ministers. without the numbers in the senate, it would have been a torturous task for prime minister conte to pass anything through parliament. there would have been horsetrading and backroom negotiations. facing another vote later on this week, he decided to jump early. and went to the presidency, he tendered his resignation. it is seen as a tactical move because what he hopes will happen is when tomorrow, the president begins consultations with party leaders to see who could have the numbers to come out of parliamentary majority, that actually the president will give the prime minister another chance to come back with a revamped coalition. ♪ ros: i am ros atkins. we are here in the bbc news room. more than 100,000 people have died from covid-19 in the u.k. the highest number in europe. prime minister boris johnson says he's deeply sorry for every death. the

mark lowen, bbc news, rome. now it's time for a look at the weather, with darren bett.recious point for motherwell who move off the bottom. rangers still a hefty lead at the top still unbeaten. i will have more throughout the afternoon. . hello. we have severe weather on the way, today has been fairly quiet, this evening we have thicker cloud bringing wet weather for a while across scotland and northern ireland before it turns more showery, some of that cloud and showers will push down into england and wales, a bit of a breeze overnight. shouldn't get too cold, to many places temperatures will be just above freezing, there is the risk of a few icy patches and tomorrow we are left with this line of rain in southern scotland, to the north of that there will be sunshine, showers, wintry over the hills, a bright enough start elsewhere with the odd light shower but it will cloud over quickly from the south—west. getting rain into the south—west. getting rain into the south—west, pushing into wales, the south—west, pushing into wales, the west country in the afternoon n the w

his majority in the senate last week, after a small party left the coalition. 0ur correspondent mark lowen in the upper house of parliament last week after a small party within the coalition quit. following that he has tried to tempt opposition senators to try and jump ship and given the number that they need. it seems he hasn't managed to do so. so he will now have a cabinet meeting tomorrow morning and he will then go to the president's office and tender his resignation. now, it is likely that he would be tasked with forming a new coalition government. which might sound rather strange to you, that when the prime minister quits he's given a chance to form a new government. but that's one of the quirks of italian politics. remember, this is a country that has had 66 governments since the second world war. a country of seemingly perennial political crises. and when a prime minister quits, they then will go to inform the president and then usually and hope to be given a chance to form a new stricter coalition, a reformed coalition. if he manages to do so he can relaunch his government. if he

our correspondent mark lowen — who's in rome — explained what could happen next.ority in the in the upper house of parliament last week after a small party within the coalition quit. following that he has tried to tempt opposition senators to try and jump ship and given the number that they need. it seems he hasn't managed to do so. so he will now have a cabinet meeting tomorrow morning and he will then go to the presidents office and tender his resignation. now, it is likely that he would be tasked with forming a new coalition government. which might sound rather strange to you, that when the prime minister quits he's given a chance to form a new government. but that's one of the quirks of italian politics. remember, this is a country that has had 66 governments since the second world war. a country of seemingly perennial political crises. and when a prime minister quits, they then will go to inform the president and then usually and hope to be given a chance to form a new stricter coalition, a reformed coalition. if he manages to do so he can relaunch his govern

here's our rome correspondent, mark lowen.he stage. the acrobatic swells like wisps of smoke. a synchronised spectacle of breathtaking beauty. the starlings winter south to africa, nesting out tonight in central rome for warmth, flying in formation to avoid predators. amm oration, it is called, and this city of art marvels at the show. —— a murmuration, it's called. but beneath our charm, rome is rotting. and it is a hell of a mess. in the cold light of day, the other side of these gorgeous birds is clear. for those unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, it is not exactly slightly. it can be a safety hazard. i can tell you that even with a mask, the stench is rancid. translation: i mask, the stench is rancid. translation:— mask, the stench is rancid. translation: i slipped on the dro inas translation: i slipped on the droppings when _ translation: i slipped on the droppings when it _ translation: i slipped on the droppings when it was - translation: i slipped on the droppings when it was muddy, | translatio

our correspondent mark lowen joined us from rome and i asked him whether this move comes as much of a form a strengthened coalition which could command a parliamentary majority. if he cannot do that it would fall to other party leaders to have a go on feeling that fresh elections would come. the thought of going on holiday right now may seem like a long way off, and for many of us, working from home is the reality for a good while yet. with that in mind, one couple from edinburgh decided enough was enough. in october, they moved to barbados. the islands offering a twelve—month visa to anyone who fancies a change of scenery, as long as they can stump up the cash. hazel martin's been finding out what life is like for them. the cocktails are ordered. my husband the cocktails are ordered. iii husband worked the cocktails are ordered. m husband worked in the cocktails are ordered. 1511: husband worked in dublin the cocktails are ordered. m1: husband worked in dublin so the cocktails are ordered. m1 husband worked in dublin so rather than stay in the cold for the winter we thought we would

conte lost his majority in the senate last week, the bbc�*s mark lowen gave us a bit more detail on whyrisis since the second world war. it is hardly the moment that you would want to spark a political crisis but, of course, that is what has happened in a country that has now had 66 governments since the second world war and giuseppe conte is hoping to be able to lead to the 67th. he has now held his cabinet meeting, he has told his cabinet that he is going to resign and he is off to the presidential palace where he will formally tender his resignation to president mattarella. there will then be a round of consultations with party leaders but it is expected that the president will ask giuseppe conte to try to cobble together a new strengthened coalition. why? because partly of the pandemic but also because if party leaders fail to be able to form a government, italy would be plunged into fresh elections and polls suggest that the far right would win those. the stormont executive is due to publish a report today on institutions for unmarried mothers in northern ireland during the last ce