mark lowen took a look. reporter: a night at the opera.ts, temperature check, and from today, the mandatory green pass. a covid vaccination certificate, negative tests, or proof of recovery, as italy tightens its rules for theaters, restaurants, gyms, and cafes. i co up to the venue in question, i present my green pass, which in my case is a certificate of vaccination. it is verified. this device does not save the data. i prevent -- i present my i.t. card -- i present my id card. it's a big change. >> no one told us how to face covid. in the beginning we we afraid, we were anxious. then month by month we saw new problems, and new solutions. after 18 months we built up self-confidence. so let's say that now the situation is -- it is not a problem. this is another problem, regarding covid. reporter: tonight street? -- tonight street -- tonight's treat? "aida," a jewel of verdi. verona serena has already adapted to covid. --verona's arena has already adapted to covid. but the drama has moved offstage, too. parliament had to be suspended after

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily. and as always plenty more on the website. news. goodbye. hello there. it's going to be one of those weekends where we get a bit of sunshine and a bit of rain, as well. it looks like saturday will be a much drier day in scotland, where we've had a lot of shower clouds on friday. we'll see more cloud coming in from the south—west, as well — and that is due to this area of low pressure that'll just hang around, really, through the weekend. it means as we start the weekend, we've got quite muggy air across the south of england, south wales, 15 celsius here. it's cooler air that we've got in scotland with those showers in the north, 10—11 celsius. the showers in scotland do to become fewer, mind you. a bit of a dull, misty, damp start across parts of wales and the south—west of england. and this cloud gradually working its way northwards. more in the way of sunshine across scotland as those stars become fewer, but the cloud will be increasing in northern ireland and northern england, bringing a bit of rain and drizzle especially l

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily. 68. the texan musician was known for songs such as "love at the five and dime", which celebrated the south of the usa. her 1993 album "other voices, other rooms" earned a grammy for best contemporary folk album, and in 2008 she won the lifetime achievement trailblazer award from the americana music association. nancy griffith worked closely with other singers, helping the early careers of artists like lyle lovett and emmylou harris. toa to a topspin secret plan in the art world, with a famous painting, the scream on the move in norway. it painting, the scream on the move in norway.— painting, the scream on the move in norway. it was painted in 1893 and _ move in norway. it was painted in 1893 and it _ move in norway. it was painted in 1893 and it has _ move in norway. it was painted in 1893 and it has been - in 1893 and it has been carefully transported from the national museum in oslo to a new museum. the project was years in the making with the delicate operation kept secret in the

mark lowen reports. it's been venice's david versus goliath. pollute, damage venice's ecosystem and erode foundations with their large waves. finally, victory. from today, any ship over 25,000 tonnes is now banned from the city's central canal. they brought significant amount of fear and hopelessness because every time we saw one of these ships, you know, coming towards us in piazza san marco, it just brought to the front of our minds just how little everybody cares about venice as world heritage and, you know, about environmental and socialjustice in general. the cruise ships have been seen as symptoms of venice's over—tourism. hordes of day—trippers not the model of sustainable tourism many here want. and they've contributed to the flooding that's long plagued venice. the high tide in 2019, the worst in 50 years, inundating st mark's square and devastating homes and businesses. a new port in the nearby city of marghera will be fast—tracked for the cruise liners, but those depending on the industry are worried. translation: such a decision tak

mark lowen, thank yom _ the latest government coronavirus figures show there were 29,612 new infectionsust over 28,000 new cases per day in the last week. nearly 6,000 people are in hospital with coronavirus. 104 deaths were recorded in the last 2a hours, which means an average of 87 deaths a day, in the last week. 89% of adults in the uk have now had theirfirstjab. and just short of a0 million people have had both jabs — 76% of adults. one of the uk's top universities — leeds — is offering students on oversubscribed courses £10,000 and a year of free universtiy accomodation if they are willing to defer their place. it comes after a record number of students were awarded top grades this year after their exams were cancelled because of the pandemic. here's our education editor branwen jeffreys. at leeds, students were getting their first look around campus — tours for those starting this autumn. leeds isn't offering places in clearing and, with lots of students with good grades, they're asking some in business and law to wait a year. we're going to make them an offer to defer to next yea

mark lowen reports. it's been venice's david versus goliath.or years, protests by locals in their small boats against the mammoth cruise liners clogging its waterways. critics say they pollute, damage venice's ecosystem and erode foundations with their large waves. finally, victory. from today, any ship over 25,000 tonnes is now banned from the city's central canal. they brought significant amount of fear and hopelessness because every time we saw one of these ships, you know, coming towards us in piazza san marco, it just brought to the front of our minds just how little everybody cares about venice as world heritage and, you know, about environmental and socialjustice in general. the cruise ships have been seen as symptoms of venice's over—tourism. hordes of day—trippers not the model of sustainable tourism many here want. and they've contributed to the flooding that's long plagued venice. the high tide in 2019, the worst in 50 years, inundating st mark's square and devastating homes and businesses. a new port in the nearby city of marghera w

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily.ream on the move in norway. the iconic piece was painted by edvard munch in 1893 and has been carefully transported from the national museum in oslo to the new munch museum. the project was years in the making with the delicate operation kept secret. the new museum, celebrating munch's unique legacy, is due to open to the public in october. a quick reminder of our top story. us officials say that an evacuation force arriving in afghanistan will be capable of airlifting thousands of people airlifting thousands of people a day out of the capital as taliban forces accelerate towards the city. the militants are reported to be in control of half of afghanistan's provincial capitals, including 175km south of kabul. the president is rushing the 3500 trips to the country saying that they should all be there by the weekend. that is all from me. i'll be back with the headlines shortly. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @lvaughanjones. iam i am lewis vaughanjones. this is bbc news. hello there. i

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily. can return to one of its research stations. it's because of the danger posed by a giant iceberg that's almost the size of greater london. jonathan amos reports. it was the briefest and gentlest of icy kisses. a colossal iceberg, a74, weighing billions of tonnes, scrapes past a region of the antarctic, known as the brunt ice shelf. it was the moment the british antarctic survey had been anticipating for months. the expectation was the berg would knock into and dislodge another vast and unstable piece of ice that's sitting in front of the survey�*s halley research station. the fact that nothing was dislodged this time will be a frustration for the british antarctic survey. until the unstable ice in front of halley comes away, the base must close every winter, on safety grounds, and this impacts the world—leading science that can be done at this important location. it's at halley, for example, that they discovered and continue to monitor the hole in the ozone layer. icebergs the size of

mark lowen reports.from today, the mandatory green pass — a covid vaccination certificate, negative test or proof of recovery — as italy tightens its rules, from theatres to restaurants, gyms to cafes. well, this is how it will work in practice. i come up to the venue in question... buona sera. ..present my green pass which, in my case, is a vaccination certificate. it's verified. this device doesn't save the data. i present my id card and i'm allowed to enter. it's a big change, and a big challenge, for those involved. nobody told us how to face covid, you know? so at the beginning, we were afraid, we were nervous, we were anxious. then, month by month, we solve new problem, giving new solution. and after 18 months, we built a little of self—confidence. so let's say that now, the situation is, it is not a problem. this is another problem, regarding covid. verona's arena has already adapted to covid — fewer performers, masks and half—ca pacity. but with the green pass, the drama has now moved offstage to

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily. let's get some of the day's other news.vince of hubei after torrential rains battered the region. the downpour caused flooding and landslides. hundreds of reservoirs have reportedly exceeded their flood warning levels. this comes after massive flooding killed hundreds in henan province last month. china has said it won't co—operate with the world health organisation's new plan to investigate the origins of the coronavirus. the who has asked for more data, partly to continue looking into the theory that the virus escaped from a chinese laboratory. but on friday officials in china said the lab leak theory should not be investigated. clashes have broken out between police and protesters in thailand, after hundreds of people defied a ban on mass gatherings to march on the prime minister's residence and demand his resignation. the protestors claim the prime minister has mismanaged the country's covid—19 response. on friday, thailand saw a new record for daily cases. potentially dangerous illnesses are often picked up during rout

mark lowen, bbc news, verona.winds fanning the flames. thousands of people have been moved from their homes in the northern suburbs of athens. there are extreme fire warnings covering many areas, and the prime minister says his country is in the midst of an unprecedented environmental crisis. our correspondent, bethany bell is in athens for us now. it's a very, very difficult situation. where i am here, there's a fire burning behind that mountain behind me, and the fear is that the wind is blowing in the wrong direction and this suburb where we are now could face the flames quite soon. and since we've been here, we've seen emergency vehicles out warning people to leave their homes. people have packed up their cars to drive away from this area because the authorities have told them it's too dangerous to remain. some people, though... we spoke to one greek orthodox priest. he said, "where do we go? "where are we supposed to go? "has the government organised this properly?" and at the moment, we've seen aircraft over

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.al, jakarta, after being infected with coronavirus. 9—year—old tino and 12—year—old hari tested positive in mid—july, after they experienced flu—like symptoms, trouble breathing and appetite loss. officials at the zoo say the tigers are healthy now. scientists are trying to find the source of the infection. the zoo has been closed sincejune, as covid—19 cases have been soaring nationwide. now it's time for a look at the weather with louise. hello there. it's a quiet start to the month of august, but nothing particularly outstanding, i'm afraid. in fact, today summarises it quite nicely. we have seen some breaks in the cloud out to the west, a lot of cloud generally elsewhere and some nuisance showers from a weather front that's drifting its way steadily south and east. some of these may well turn quite heavy and thundery before the day is through, but as that cold front clears away, it then allows this ridge of high pressure to build from the west and quieten things down. but the wind

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.co. she gave me her reaction to the ban. well, of course we welcomed the decree to prohibit ships larger than 25,000 tonness from passing through the canal in the venice lagoon. as you know, the state of conservation and its lagoon has been reviewed by the world heritage committee since 2014 for a number of different issues, many of which have to do with the impacts of excessive tourism. and suddenly large cruise ships traversing through the heart of the city's a significant issue and we very much thank the state party for all the efforts to address the recommendations of the world heritage committee, but we do look forward to receiving the full details of how these large ships will be circulating and where they will be moored, because we don't have these details yet. and so while we very much appreciate the willingness to find solutions, there does need to be a clear plan on how these will be moored to be able to assess what impact they will have. just to jump in there. if the princip

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.t near dartford in kent was suspended, but is expected to resume today. an investigation is under way. police say they are "keeping an open mind", as an investigation continues into the death of a five—year—old boy, whose body was discovered in a river in bridgend. south wales police were called to a report of a missing child early yesterday morning. chief inspector geraint white said officers were working hard to establish the full circumstances of his death. as life in the uk starts to return to something resembling normal, heavy alcohol consumption seems to be falling. a recent survey showed one in five people in newcastle and darlington have recently turned their back on booze. from there, phil connell reports. it's a region that likes to party, with many of our towns and cities known for their drinking culture. but here in the north—east it's an image that may be changing. new research shows increasing numbers of adults living here are turning their back on booze, preferring inste

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily.y. the iconic piece which rivals works such as da vinci's mona lisa and van gogh's sunflowers, was painted by edvard munch in 1893 and has been carefully moved from the national museum in oslo to the new munch museum. the project was years in the making with the delicate operation kept secret. until now of course. hello there. it's going to be one of those weekends where we get a bit of sunshine and a bit of rain, as well. it looks like saturday will be a much drier day in scotland, where we've had a lot of shower clouds on friday. we'll see more cloud coming in from the southwest, as well — and that is due to this area of low pressure that'll just hang around, really, through the weekend. it means as we start the weekend, we've got quite muggy air across the south of england, south wales, 15 celsius here. it's cooler air that we've got in scotland with those showers in the north, 10—11 celsius. the showers in scotland do become fewer, mind you. a bit of a dull, misty, damp start acros

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.ort services in italy. thank you forjoining us. your reaction first of this?- thank you forjoining us. your reaction first of this? thank you and aood reaction first of this? thank you and good afternoon _ reaction first of this? thank you and good afternoon to - reaction first of this? thank you and good afternoon to you. - reaction first of this? thank you and good afternoon to you. i. reaction first of this? thank you | and good afternoon to you. i can reaction first of this? thank you - and good afternoon to you. i can say that there are three main elements that there are three main elements that make this decision a paradox. the first one is the deadline of august the 1st, today. remember that the decree was issued only onjuly the decree was issued only onjuly the 14th. and this deadline really creates a very strong inconvenience to cruise lines and their passengers, who are practically forced to use nearby ports such as trieste or ravenna and you have to consider at present there

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily., which celebrated the south of the usa. she won a grammy for best folk album. nancy griffith worked closely with other singers, helping the early careers of artists like lyle lovett and emmylou harris. and now to a top secret plan in the art world, with the famous painting the scream on the move in norway. the iconic piece was painted by edvard munch in 1893 and has been carefully transported from the national museum in oslo to the new munch museum. the project was years in the making with the delicate operation kept secret. the new museum, celebrating munch's unique legacy is due to open to the public in october. a quick reminder of our top story. the united nations secretary general says the situation in afghanistan is spinning out of control with devastating consequences for civilians. he said continued urban conflict would mean continue cartage, with civilians being the highest price. he called on the taliban to end the fighting and urged the international community to make it cle

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.ining us. your thoughts first on the band. the ban is 'ust art thoughts first on the band. the ban isjust part of _ thoughts first on the band. the ban isjust part of the _ thoughts first on the band. the ban isjust part of the comprehensive i is just part of the comprehensive development. the way we look at this is the italian government has finally said that wood is the solution, the government, the authorities are going to send ships to marghera. we want away leeds away, so this is very welcome news. for many years, we have been accused of wanting to do something, sailing by saint marks square, where in reality we have no alternative. can ou reality we have no alternative. can you outline — reality we have no alternative. can you outline quickly what sort of damage our cruise ships or the industry was doing. the we understand the biology, but what about the architecture of the buildings?— about the architecture of the buildinus? ., , ., ., , , . , buildings? there are several aspect

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.reat britain have won another gold medal, with max whitlock producing a stunning routine on the pommel horse, to retain the title he won in rio. he was first to go — and none of the others could match it. that's his third gold medal in all. another brilliant win for team gb. catch up with more on that on the bbc sport website. fantastic stuff there. charlotte worthington recovered from a fall to win gold in the new bmx freestyle competition, confirming great britain's dominance of the sport at these games. declan brooks won bronze in the men's event, to add to the gold and silver team gb took on the track. adam wild reports. the brits are in raptures, it's a huge score! british bmx has never before reached such heights. she's smashed it! charlotte worthington on top of the world. it's the first time bmx park freestyle has been in the olympics. suddenly, it's what everyone wants to see. charlotte worthington! not so long ago, worthington was working as a restaurant chef, now her moment

mark lowen, bbc news, rome.thank you for coming on the programme. he thank you for coming on the programme-— he thank you for coming on the rouramme. ., ~ , . m programme. thank you very much. what is our programme. thank you very much. what is your reaction — programme. thank you very much. what is your reaction to _ programme. thank you very much. what is your reaction to the _ programme. thank you very much. what is your reaction to the big _ programme. thank you very much. what is your reaction to the big ships - is your reaction to the big ships being banned?— is your reaction to the big ships being banned? well, of course we welcome the _ being banned? well, of course we welcome the decree _ being banned? well, of course we welcome the decree to _ being banned? well, of course we welcome the decree to prohibit. being banned? well, of course we i welcome the decree to prohibit ships larger than 25,000 tons from passing through the canal in the venice lagoon. as you know, the state of composite —— science ——

applause mark lowen, bbc news, verona.ve for bovine tuberculosis. the animal's owner, in gloucestershire, claims the tests were inaccurate. andrew plant has the details. geronimo, in quarantine at this gloucestershire farm for the past four years, since he was imported from new zealand. now, though, he is set to be destroyed, after owner helen lost her fight against his positive tests for tb. sick. absolutely sick. because all of this was avoidable. we've had four years of trying to just sit down and rationally discuss the science. the science is just not there. farmers everywhere have cattle tested, and then they get a positive result and they have to put those animals down. why are you different? because the cattle test is designed for cattle, and it's an established programme, that is the test for cattle. the environment secretary george eustice said he'd looked into geronimo's case and, though he sympathised, the alpaca's tests, he said, were highly specific and reliable. helen's been fighting the results of the test f

mark lowen, bbc news, sicily.8,585 new cases per day in the last week. 5,875 people are in hospital with coronavirus. 100 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, which means an average of 89 deaths a day. more than 89% of adults in the uk have now had theirfirstjab. and 76% have had both jabs. and the latest weekly estimate by the office for national statistics shows variations in case rates around the uk. our health editor, hugh pym, is here. what are the trends? well, the good news is that despite predictions of a surge in hospital cases during august, made by official scientist and modellers, it hasn't happened after the opening up in latejuly, it hasn't caused a new wave, cases fell back from late july. it hasn't caused a new wave, cases fell back from latejuly. but it hasn't caused a new wave, cases fell back from late july. but they do appear to have stabilised, the daily reported cases. the underlying trend is up week on week, but hospital admissions continue to fall. the office for national statistics'

mark lowen, bbc news, rome. you can reach me on twitter — i'm @ lvaughanjones. hello.en the case when we have sunny spells and showers. the north york moors saw about 17 mm of rain from the showers during saturday as well and they haven't altogether died out through the night because we've got the complication of a weather front. what it is is cooler in the north. temperatures into a single figures in rural parts of scotland and northern ireland. that's because we're behind this cold weather front. as i say, that's complicating our sunny spells and scattered showers scenario because we've actually got rather more cloud to start across parts of northern england, showers following on that brisk wind into the north and east of scotland but fewer showers further west across scotland, very few showers for northern ireland generally speaking and further west, but they will break out both on our weather front and further south. it looks like the most potent showers during the day on sunday are likely across southern and eastern parts of the uk, slow—moving with hail and thund

mark lowen, bbc news. the tokyo olympic games. the 27—year—old was part of the men's four by 100 metres team that won the silver medal after being pippeti won the silver medal after being pipped on the line by italy. the international testing agency said it had found the substances nay sample provided. he has not yet commented. the actress una stubbs — who most recently starred as mrs hudson in the bbc�*s sherlock drama series and was known to a generation of children as aunt sally in worzel gummidge — has died at the age of 84. oh, you don't �*alf talk some rubbish! you, give a present? you wouldn't give anyone a cold! una stubbs played alf garnett�*s exasperated daughter rita in the 1960's and 70's sitcom til death us do part, and... #we # we are all going on a summer holiday... # we are all going on a summer holiday- - -— # we are all going on a summer holida , , , ., holiday... there is plenty of room to ass! her big screen debut starring alongside sir cliff richard in the hit british film summer holid

mark lowen, bbc news, verona. mark lowen is in verona.ide for a customer is 400 euros and the fine for a venue that will allow customers and without presenting it would be possibly closure of up to ten days. let�*s find out what the staff here think. jimmy is a waiter. how do you feel about the green pass, do you feel about the green pass, do you feel ready? i feel about the green pass, do you feel ready?— feel about the green pass, do you feel ready? i think we are ready to net feel ready? i think we are ready to get sensible _ feel ready? i think we are ready to get sensible and _ feel ready? i think we are ready to get sensible and do _ feel ready? i think we are ready to get sensible and do things - feel ready? i think we are ready to get sensible and do things with i get sensible and do things with covid. ., ., ., ., , , covid. you have downloaded the app on our covid. you have downloaded the app on your phone- if — covid. you have downloaded the app on your phone. if you _ covid. you have downloaded the app on your phone. if you can

mark lowen, bbc news, rome. now it's time for a look at the weather with louise lear.rnoon. it's a rather grey sunday out there for many. if we take a look at the satellite picture, you can see exactly what i'm talking about. there are some breaks in the cloud and some brightness into western scotland in particular and parts of north wales but a weak weather front is shifting its way steadily south and it's enhancing some sharp, possibly thundery downpours to develop a little bit later on in the day. also, a northerly flow means that it's quite cool out there, particularly on exposed north sea coasts. there will be a good deal of dry weather but, as i say, quite a lot of cloud around as well. so top temperatures, 12—20 degrees at the very best. it looks likely that the best of the weather as we go through the week, though, will be monday and tuesday, as this little bump of high pressure will build in from the atlantic and keep things relatively quiet. so if you've got some outdoor plans, certainly monday and tuesday look likely to be the best days but it's not going to

organization, it will be the hottest temperature ever recorded in europe. 0ur europe correspondent mark lowen to push up again during the day, but actually, the worst of the heat today in the mediterranean will probably be in spain, where in madrid, temperatures are likely to be a3 and in cordoba in the south of spain, going up to a5. and the spokesman for spain's weather agency says it could today be the hottest day on record. and people we were speaking to on the beach yesterday said the interesting thing was, despite the air being absolutely scorching, the water is very cold for this time of year so you have the extremes as well. and we have just had an announcement on the national oceanic and atmospheric administration, which is the us federal agency that monitors the climate, which has found thatjuly was the hottest month in the world since records began 1a2 years ago. and i can tell you from being here today, i think probably a scorching august is going to follow that sweltering july. people have been flocking to suffolk and norfolk in the east of england to see original works by the gr

mark lowen reports. this device doesn't save the data. i present my id card, and i am allowed to enter. it is a big change and a big challenge for those involved. nobody told us how to face covid, you know, so at the beginning we were afraid, we were nervous, we were anxious. then, month by month, we solved new problems giving new solutions, and after 18 months we built a little bit of self—confidence, so let's say now that the situation is — it is not a problem. this is another problem regarding covid. tonight's treat — aida. ajewel of verdi. this ancient amphitheatre in a new pandemic era. verona's arena has already adapted to covid. fewer performers, masks, and half capacity. but, with the green pass, the drama has moved offstage, too. parliament had to be suspended after protests from far—right mps. and while polls show 70% of italians in favour, vocal demonstrations have broken out across the country. much of the opposition is from restaurateurs, their patience already worn by lockdowns. translation

mark lowen, bbc news, verona. mark lowen is in verona. a beautiful day behind you, mark. about it and were lucky _ compulsory in italy? we read about it and were lucky that _ compulsory in italy? we read about it and were lucky that we _ compulsory in italy? we read about it and were lucky that we are - it and were lucky that we are leaving — it and were lucky that we are leaving today, so we have been here for two _ leaving today, so we have been here for two weeks. do leaving today, so we have been here for two weeks-— for two weeks. do you have to use the treen for two weeks. do you have to use the green pass _ for two weeks. do you have to use the green pass today _ for two weeks. do you have to use the green pass today at _ for two weeks. do you have to use the green pass today at all? - for two weeks. do you have to use the green pass today at all? no, l for two weeks. do you have to use l the green pass today at all? no, not at all. we the green pass today at all? no, not at all- we will— the green pass today at all? no, not at all. we will use _ the green pass tod

mark lowen, bbc news.said a critical incident had been declared, the area cordoned off, and it believes the situation is "contained". still to come... why are experts saying america isn't an easy place to have children? we“ll disucss next. —— discuss. nearly five and a half million people are on the nhs list. more than three and a half —— 300,000 have waited for more than a year. research also shows that 500 700 patients have now been waiting for two years or more —— 5700. hugh pym explains what the numbers mean for those still waiting for treatment. gail is struggling to walk and needs spinal surgery. she has two collapsed discs in her neck. she's been waiting for an operation for nearly a year and she doesn't know when it might happen. if i had a date for my surgery, there's a light at the end of the tunnel. with no date, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. it isjust a long, dark tunnel of pain medication and sofa sitting and... that's my life. surgeons say for gail and others waiting a long time,

organization, it will be the hottest temperature ever recorded in europe. 0ur europe correspondent mark lowenoment touchlite they are closer to 30, likely to push up during the day but the worst of the heat today in the mediterranean will probably be in spain, where in madrid temperatures likely to be 43, and in the south of spain, going up to 45, and in the south of spain, going up to a5, and the spokesman for spain's weather agency says it could today be the hot etc day on record. record. people we were speaking to on beach said the interesting thing is despite the air being scorching, that the water is very very cold, for this time of year, you from the the extremes the as well and we had an announcement from the administration which is the us federal agency which monitors the climate which has found thatjuly was the hottest month in the world, since records began 15112 years ago, and i can tell you from being here today, i think probably a scorching august is going to follow that sweltering july. you're watching bbc news. a reminder of our headlines. a state of emergency is declared in ha

mark lowen, bbc news. of a number of victims, but this looks like a grim day for our city and community. can i ask you think of the families in our community and not share any images or videos?" this is an incident that all of the emergency services have been called to in considerable numbers four helicopters have attended the scene with paramedics and doctors on board. we will keep you up—to—date when we have more details. animal welfare charities say the dangerous dogs act needs a complete overhaul, on this the 30th anniversary of it coming into force. four breeds can currently be seized by police and either be put down or kept under strict conditions, but campaigners argue the law is too broad, and that each individual animal's temperament should be the deciding factor. with more, here's charlotte gallagher. meet alex. he's ten years old. in dog years, a senior citizen. but his life is very different to that of most other dogs. that's because he has beenjudged to be a pit bull—type animal, a banned bree

mark lowen, bbc news. lets turn to greece.des fanned blazes — which have burnt through 100,000 hectares of forests and farmland. have a look at these satellite pictures — from the island of evia — one of the worst affected areas. the picture on the left is taken on the 1st of august. the picture on the right was taken 10 days later. we're told the damage on the island is some of the worst int he country since 2007. earlier, the greek prime minister held his first news conference since the fires broke out. translation: the climate crisis is here, and it shows us that - everything must now change — from the orientation of our economy to our national energy policy, from the functioning of the state to the daily habits of citizens that concern the environment. wildfires are still raging in algeria — fuelled by a heatwave in northern africa. at least 65 people are now known to have died. the conditions are brutal. here — residents in one village use water hoses and tree branches to fend off the flames. elsewhere — the army has been

as our correspondent, mark lowen, reports, the hot weather has been caused by an anticyclone moving upar here in italy. 0n the slopes of mount etna here in sicily it's particularly busy at the moment, partly because it's actually significantly cooler as you go up the slopes of the mountain and down at sea level. sicily, and much of italy have been sweltering over the past week with sicily recording a temperature this week of 48.8 degrees, believed to be the highest temperature ever recorded in europe. it has been prompted by an anticyclone, that's an area of high atmospheric pressure that's currently sitting across north africa and much of southern europe. it's push temperatures to the mid to high 40s here and also getting towards spain and portugal as well. it has contributed to a bout of wildfires as well. there has been about 500 wildfires in italy over the last couple of days and four people have died from the flames. the only solution for those going mountains for the moment are, bottles of water, italian ice cream, and to get to the top, where it is significantly cooler. the unit

our correspondent, mark lowen reports from verona. a night at the opera. tickets.en pass — a covid vaccination certificate, negative test or proof of recovery, as italy tightens its rules from theatres to restaurants, gyms to cafe is. this is now a work in practice. i come into the venue, i present my green pass, vaccination certificate that is verified. this device doesn't save the data. i present it and i am allowed to enter. it is a big change and be change for those involved. nobody told us how to face covid, so at the beginning we were afraid, we were nervous, were afraid, we were nervous, we were anxious. and, month by month we saw a new problem giving you solution, and after 18 months we built a little self—confidence, so let's say now that the situation is — it is not a problem. this is another problem regarding covid. tonight's treat — aida. the treat of verde. the amphitheatre in a new era. verona's arena has already adapted to covid. fewer performers, masks, and half capacity. but, with the green pass, the drummer has moved stage as well. parliament had

temperatures for this time of year in sicily are normally around 35 degrees. 0ur correspondent mark lowenknow it's an extreme. legend has it the 18th got a fire worked beneath etna with the tourists here, he still feels close. ~ ., , ~ close. we booked the holidays like half a close. we booked the holidays like halfa ear close. we booked the holidays like half a year ago _ close. we booked the holidays like half a year ago so _ close. we booked the holidays like half a year ago so we _ close. we booked the holidays like half a year ago so we did _ close. we booked the holidays like half a year ago so we did not i close. we booked the holidays like half a year ago so we did not knowj half a year ago so we did not know anything about the heat.— half a year ago so we did not know anything about the heat. would you have come if— anything about the heat. would you have come if you _ anything about the heat. would you have come if you had _ anything about the heat. would you have come if you had known - anything about the heat. would you have come if you had known how. anything about the heat.

mark lowen reports. it's been venice's david versus goliath.r 25,000 tonnes is now banned

organization, it will be the hottest temperature ever recorded in europe. 0ur europe correspondent mark lowenhelp to achieve that, so there can be a managed political transition that takes place. and that is within the next hours and days, i think, really, we are talking about.— are talking about. thank you very much for your— are talking about. thank you very much for your reflections - are talking about. thank you very much for your reflections and - much for your reflections and analysis. the temperatures have dropped for, they are closer to 30, but the temperatures have dropped for, they are closer to 30,— they are closer to 30, but the worst ofthe they are closer to 30, but the worst of the heat — they are closer to 30, but the worst of the heat today _ they are closer to 30, but the worst of the heat today in _ they are closer to 30, but the worst of the heat today in the _ of the heat today in the mediterranean will be in spain, where in madrid temperatures likely to be 43, and in the south of spain, going up to a5, to be a3, and in the south of spain, going up to a5, and the spokesman

applause mark lowen, bbc news, verona. since taking on the role, and hasn't had to quarantine when returning those on the amber or red list because government ministers are exempt from that rule if they're travelling on official business. but labour and the liberal democrats say this is another example of one rule for government ministers and one rule for everybody else, and the greens say the travel has been excessive and hypocritical, hinting at the environmental impact of all this air travel. the government, though, defending his trips, saying that while virtual meetings play a large part, face—to—face meetings are crucial to achieving the government's climate change aims. and he hasn't exactly been doing this in secret, just yesterday tweeting pictures of his trip to brazil, which is of course on the red list, talking about constructive meetings there. so, potentially embarrassing for the government, with some criticism coming their way. whether it gets any more difficult will depend on the credibility and success of t

people in the country are in favour, the rules have prompted protests, too. 0ur italy correspondent mark lowen outside and most residents are too. among the tourists eating their pizzas are john and laura from denmark. are you aware of the green pass change and the fact that from today it is compulsory in italy? do you have to use the green pass today at all? no, not at all. we will use it for the airport so we got our tests today i and they are negative, - so we can go on the flight. so you got the green pass through a negative test? we will get a vaccination at home but— we already had covid . in december so we had a pass and will get it next week. what do you think of bringing in a mandatory green pass certificate like this? we are used to it in denmark and we have had the same, i but in practical terms it is difficult. - because we fly back today and had to get test, just to find out - where it is and you have to pay, we are glad we didn't have to do iti for the last two weeks because _ we have been travelling around, | so if we had to find a place every second or third day, i it would be

federal weather agency confirms july was the hottest month globally ever recorded. 0ur correspondent mark lowenhere in italy as well. it comes after this us national oceanic administration said july was the hottest month on record since records began 142 years ago so it will be a sizzling august following that scorching july. mark, thank ou following that scorching july. mark, thank you very _ following that scorching july. mark, thank you very much. _ we've been hearing this morning about the conflict in afghanistan, and how clashes between advancing taliban militants and afghan troops have forced many thousands of people to flee their homes. one man who knows how this feels is dr waheed arian. he left afghanistan as a child to escape warfare and arrived in the uk as a refugee. he's now an nhs doctor and founded a charity to support afghan medics. yourfamily is in kabul. what are you hearing from them? this your family is in kabul. what are you hearing from them?- your family is in kabul. what are you hearing from them? this is a humanitarian _ you hearing from them? this is a humanitarian dis

maximum temperatures for this time of year are normally around 35 degrees there. 0ur correspondent mark lowenhange emergency�* support policies that threaten to increase carbon emissions. environmentalists say plans for more road building and airport expansion are examples of how local authorities are not taking a consistent approach to global warming. council leaders insist they are taking action but need more funding. roger harrabin reports. the residue of our consumerist lives. truckload after truckload of stuff we wanted once but want no more. 0ur waste generates lots of planet—eating greenhouse gases, but in leeds, they�*re turning it into something useful. heat. burning waste is controversial, but this giant plant, with its searing temperatures, generates electricity, and provides hot water to warm people�*s homes through a network of pipes. so we will extract over 100,000 megawatt hours of electricity a year and export that to the local area network. over 25,000 megawatt hours of heat energy, which feeds over 2000 homes and tens of businesses. even the lorries that collect the waste ar

embassy worker arrested in berlin on suspicion of selling secrets to the russians. 0ur correspondent mark lowenen charged with and what has happened? he has been charged with the chairman _ has happened? he has been charged with the chairman offence, _ has happened? he has been charged | with the chairman offence, suspected of engaging in intelligence agent activity. he faced that child here at the federal court ofjustice yesterday when he appeared in the courtroom in the afternoon. it is germany's highest criminal court and he is now being held in custody, remanded in custody, not granted bail by thejudge remanded in custody, not granted bail by the judge who accepted his arrest warrant. let's find out a little bit more about the man involved. his name is david s, that is the only name we are given for him. here in germany they are not releasing his surname. he has a 57—year—old british man, he was arrested in berlin yesterday. he was arrested in berlin yesterday. he was a contractor at the british embassy in berlin, meaning he is not actually a diplomat. there are local german media reports s