04/03/2018 Breakfast

Hello, this is Breakfast,

with Roger Johnson and Tina Daheley.

An end in sight for the big freeze -

but icy weather is still causing

problems.

Many rural communities remain cut

off by snow drifts and,

despite some services reopening,

there are still widespread

cancellations on rail

lines across the UK.

Good morning.

It's Sunday the 4th of March.

Also this morning,

a warning to councils -

the government says build

more houses or risk

losing planning powers.

And in sport, there

are more British medals

at the World Track Cycling

Championships and also

the World Indoor Athletics.

It is just a few hours until

Hollywood's most important night of

the, but it will be the big winners

the Academy Awards?

And in sport, there

are more British medals

at the World Track Cycling

Championships and also

the World Indoor Athletics.

Silver for Laura Muir,

that's her second medal in

Birmingham.

They could be more medals to come

for the British team on the final

day. And Chris has the weather. Good

morning. A murky start to the day

with ice and frost. More snow to

come, especially in eastern

Scotland. For many areas the weather

will be getting less severe as the

thought gets under way. -- thaw.

Good morning.

First, our main story.

Snow and ice continue to cause

widespread disruption

despite temperatures slowly rising.

Many rail lines remain blocked

and drivers have been warned

to expect delays.

Two yellow warnings remain in place,

covering much of the UK,

while 16 flood warnings have been

issued for the south-west

and north-east of England.

Thousands of homes in cut-off rural

communities remain without power.

Simon Clemson reports.

With so much snow to melt and even a

little more in today's forecast,

some will be living with these

conditions and the disruption for a

while yet. Northern England, the

Midlands, Wales and parts of

Northern Ireland could still see

further amounts of snow this

morning, while Scotland faces more

coming in from the North Sea. The

Met Office is also warning drivers

to be aware of ice following lower

overnight temperatures. After some

train operators simply said, don't

travel, services are resuming. Many

trains will not run today, with a

number of companies on a reduced

service. Burning mink -- Birmingham,

Cardiff and Glasgow airports have

reopened, but there are delays and

cancellations. Some power companies

are planning to fly engineers out

today to reconnect remote areas.

Thousands of homes remain without

power. In Devon, work will continue

this morning to get supplies to a

town and village on the north coast

which were cut off. Elsewhere, in

Somerset, farmers say they cannot

get their milk out because tankers

cannot reach them, meaning they are

having to pour thousands of litres

away.

Dairy farming is hard enough

without losing money, but at the end

of the day, what can we do? It was

frequent. We've just got to get on

with it. -- it was freak weather.

There are still flood warnings in

place along the south-west and

north-east coast as the wind whips

up the waves. With Scotland on

standby for snow into tomorrow, the

latest spell of weather is not going

quietly.

Chris will have a full weather

forecast in around 10 minutes' time,

and we'll speak to a flooding expert

about the current risk at 7:10.

Local authorities are being warned

by the Housing Secretary,

Sajid Javid that they risk

losing their planning powers

if they refuse to build

enough new homes.

He told the Sunday Times

that he would be "breathing down

the neck" of so-called NIMBY

councils to make sure

they meet their targets.

Tomorrow, the government

will announce an overhaul

of planning rules in an attempt

to increase the rate of building.

Donald Trump is threatening

to impose additional taxes on cars

imported from Europe.

The warning has heightened fears

of a trade war between the US

and the EU after he also promised

to impose hefty tariffs on imports

of steel and aluminium.

His latest comments came in a tweet

after he'd previously described

current trade deals

as "very stupid."

The construction giant Carillion had

been "aggressively managed"

to make its balance sheet

look better than it was.

That was the verdict

of an independent report given

to its board four months

before it collapsed.

The chairman of the Commons Work

and Pensions Committee,

Frank Field, said the report showed

the "gross failings of corporate

governance and accounting"

at the firm.

Syrian government forces are

believed to have gained more ground

in their assault on the last major

rebel-held enclave near Damascus. A

monitoring group says they now

control around 10% of Eastern

Ghouta. More than 100 civilians are

reported to have been killed since

the UN Security Council called for a

ceasefire last weekend. It is

estimated 400,000 people remain

trapped in the area.

A man has been charged

with the murders of four people

who died in a fire which destroyed

a bungalow in Fermanagh last week.

The victims, including a young child

were members of the same family.

The man, who's 27 has also been

charged with arson.

In the last few moments the polls

have opened in Italy to elect

a new government.

The election campaign has been

dominated by concerns over

immigraion and the economy.

Our Europe Correspondent,

Gavin Lee is in Rome

for us this morning.

There has been some suggestion that

a hung parliament is likely?

Congratulations from all of us. The

big day is getting closer, and now

pubs will be able to stay open

longer.

Cheers!

On the Friday night

before the royal wedding and the

Saturday night itself, licensing

hours are being extended to 1am, so

people have more time to raise a

glass to the happy couple.

A great

idea, lets all celebrate.

To connect

the people to the royal family, we

need to be able to celebrate as

well.

Very much in favour. I think

it is something all pubs need.

And

this has happened before. Including

for the wedding of the Duke and

Duchess of Cambridge, and for the

Queen's 90th birthday. It is the

Home Secretary who can briefly loose

and licensing laws for special

occasions. -- loosen. Of course, the

royal wedding coincides with this

you's FA Cup final. But the

government says there have been no

reports of increased disorder when

pub brawls have previously been

relaxed like this.

It is all about

community, it is all about

celebrating, whether it is football

or the royal wedding. I think it is

going to be a great Dave everybody.

-- day.

Prince and Meghan Markle

have announced that over 1000

members of the public will be

invited to the grounds of the castle

to hear the celebrations and the

wedding bells chiming. Drinkers will

hear a familiar sound as well. Just

little later than normal.

In the last few moments the polls

have opened in Italy to elect

a new government.

The election campaign has been

dominated by concerns over

immigraion and the economy.

Our Europe Correspondent,

Gavin Lee is in Rome

for us this morning.

There has been some suggestion that

a hung parliament is likely.

But a lot of the headlines are

certainly being made by Silvio

Berlusconi, who could find himself

back in power again. That is almost

amazing to think of.

Yes, the

81-year-old billionaire is back. I

am speaking to you from downtown

Rome. Behind me, there is a school

here, and a few blocks away is

Silvio Berlusconi's Rome residence.

He is banned from holding public

office, so he could not become Prime

Minister. But his party, thoughts

Italia, have a centre-right

coalition and are the biggest party.

-- Forza Italia. Since the Second

World War in Italy it is pretty

unheard of for a party getting a

majority, so coalitions matter here.

Italy matters, it is the fourth

largest economy in the European

Union. It has a problem with debt at

the moment, although it is

recovering, but when it has problems

the rest of Europe is affected. With

Brexit on the cards, that matters as

well. Migration as well, thousands

of migrants arriving on these shores

in the last couple of years. That is

an issue here. Berlusconi's

centre-right coalition, and

mentioned that, another within that

coalition making waves according to

the polls which were a stake in two

weeks ago, there has been a blackout

since then, is La Liga, the former

Northern league. Critics called a

xenophobic and racist party. They

are certainly anti-immigration.

Matteo Renzi's party is also in

there. The one to look out for is

the Five Star Movement, Luigi Di

Maio's party, Eurosceptic and

antiestablishment, they may be the

single biggest party. We will know

more after the polls close here at

11 o'clock tonight.

Thank you.

Skaters have been making the most

of the freezing temperatures

on the Fens at Welney.

The flooded fields have frozen over,

allowing them to be used as an ice

rink for the first time

in almost a decade.

But as you can see, it isn't always

as easy as it looks and experts

advise never to skate alone

and only if you understand

the conditions.

That always terrifies me. You cannot

see how thick the Isis.

Yes, I would

never want to step out on a frozen

pond.

The red carpet has been rolled out

for one of the biggest nights

in Hollywood's calendar as the great

and the good of the silver screen

prepare to gather for

the 90th Academy Awards.

The Oscars take place

following months of headlines

about sexual harassment being rife

in the film industry.

Our arts correspondent,

Rebecca Jones is in Los Angeles.

What is the atmosphere

like there ahead of tonight's

ceremony?

It is very late in the evening here

in Los Angeles, but preparations

will be going on throughout the

night to make sure everything is

perfect for when the stars arrived

on the red carpet in a few hours.

Let me give you a sense of what is

going to happen. The stars arrive

down here, they come in three

airport style security, and then

they walk up the red carpet passed

hundreds of film crews and

journalists. The plastic sheeting

will have come off by then. They

carry on up time being and into the

ceremony. Among them will be a host

of additional needs. -- British

nominees. I should warn you, some of

the pictures in this report contains

lush photography. -- flash.

It is the most famous carpet since

Aladdin's, and now it is being

rolled out before the stars roll up.

Not long to go now, but operations

continue to Hollywood's ignite. This

Star Wars actor will be making an

appearance for the first time since

1977.

All these years of watching it

in my pyjamas, saying, look at her

hair! Now this year I had to put on

a taxi go and be part of it, because

I'm presenting. -- put on a tuxedo.

As big an honour as it is to be part

of it, it is more fun to watch it at

home.

You cannot reason with a tiger

when your head is in its mouth!

Playing a starring role this year

will be Gary Oldman, who is

favourite to win Best actor for his

portrayal of Winston Churchill in

Darkest Tower.

Do they know I'm

black?

British hopes also rests with

Daniel Kaluuya for Get Out.

I've got

a few text messages for people

saying, good luck. I'm just trying

to relax and enjoy it.

You may think

that thing looks human. Stands on

two legs, right?

The Shape Of Water

has 13 nominations. It's Jewish

Star, Sally Hawkins, is up for best

actress. -- it's British star.

Francis McDormand is tipped to win

for three billboards outside ebbing

Missouri. While it may look much the

same as usual, this is not a typical

Oscars year. The issues of

harassment and gender equality are

being talked about as much as the

likely winners, which is threatening

to overshadow the ceremony. Is it

going to be about the prizes or the

protest this year?

I think you

decide, that person decides. For us,

it is about the fun. Your life

should be a protest. Your voice,

every day, should be the protest.

Not just one night.

I know that if I

get up on the stage I will be so

nervous...

This woman is competing

against herself, with nominations

for best costume design for duty and

the beast and Darkest Tower.

How did

this happen, I don't know!

You have

been in this position before, you

won an Oscar in 2013 for Anna

Karenina. What is that moment like,

when your name is read out?

Totally

and utterly overwhelming. It is

everything mixed up together. It is

a kind of... Absolute shock. And

then a kind of dread, of standing up

and going up onto the stage. But

also the most wonderful feeling that

you cannot believe that you have

actually won.

The stars have been

out and about in Hollywood this

weekend. But it is just a taster

before the main event.

Well, the race for rest film is one

of the most un- predict will in

years. -- the best film is one of

the most unpredictable. Among the

nominees, Dunkirk, a film I'm sure

many of you have seen. A

spectacularly successful World War

Two block Oster, much of it made in

the UK, with British talent both

behind and in front of the camera.

There is also Phantom Thread, a

strange but dutiful film about...

Fashion designer, starring Daniel

Day Lewis. -- beautiful film about

an obsessive fashion designer. The

most important thing this year is

for them to announce the right film.

There was that hideously

embarrassing mixup last year when

the presenters announced the wrong

film. Well, those same presenters

have been invited back this year to

make the announcement. Of course,

against all of this there is the

political backdrop. In the wake of

the sexual abuse allegations and

subsequent discussions about the

gender inequality and

representation, how much of those

issues will be reflected in the

ceremony? Or will be revealed in

just a few hours. But for now, from

me, that is the latest from

Hollywood.

Rebecca, thank you. Will be talking

more about the Oscars later on. And

lots of reaction on the programme

tomorrow morning.

Here's Chris with a look

at this morning's weather.

The image behind you would suggest

it's still very cold in a lot

The image behind you would suggest

it's still very cold in a lot of

places.

We have fairly wintry

weather coming in the next 24 hours.

We are not completely done with the

cold spell but for many, it will be

easing. We have a cold start to the

day with frost and ice and hill fog.

A bit more snow to come today,

particularly across the north of the

country. Cold air still flowing in

from the continent across northern

areas and this less cold areas

drifting in across southern areas of

England and Wales and that will set

the floor in place. We also have

rain showers moving in, too. -- thaw

in place. A bit of freezing rain

around so things could again turned

icy for some of us this morning.

Take it easy out on the roads. Murky

conditions as well. As we go through

the day, an area of rain moving up

from the continent, moving into the

East Anglia and parts of East

England. Snow working in across the

North of England and Scotland.

Probably a bit more of a wintry mix.

Over the health, several more

centimetres of snow possible. -

around eight or nine in the south.

As the go through the

As the go through the night, called

MS back into the end the night

working in towards Scotland. -- cold

air.

Cold enough pockets of frost in

rural areas. An icy start for one or

two of us on Monday. By the end of

Monday, several centimetres, maybe

as much as five or ten centimetres

across the hills of Scotland. An

area of rain looks set to move in

across parts of western England and

Wales and otherwise, a few more gaps

in the cloud and some sunshine

coming through. Temperatures coming

up to 11 degrees in London. Closer

to normal. The Atlantic is still

pretty blocked at the moment. We

don't have weather systems moving in

from the United States as they

normally do but a lot of low

pressure moving in that will be with

us for a few days. It will be still

on the cold side, call than normal

but not as bitter and cold as last

week. Plenty of showers around

thanks to that area of low pressure

as well and a bit more snow to come

across northern areas. For example,

snow works in on Tuesday across

Scotland. The majority will be

across the hill areas as

temperatures continue to rise.

Temperatures in Edinburgh should

stay around six degrees. More likely

rain with sleet mixed in. The big

picture is the weather is easing,

the thaw setting in place but for

some, more snow to come particularly

the thaw setting in place but for

some, more snow to come particularly

across the North of Scotland.

So,

Chris, if you look into your weather

crystal ball, is that it for wintry

weather? Are we will

weather? Are we will -- are we done?

Temperatures will stay a bit cooler

than normal over the next month and

when we get weather systems moving

into the cooler air, there is always

the risk of returning to smoke but

it is more especially across the

hills rather than the widespread

snow we have seen and the severe

weather. I don't think we see any

return of that there is the risk of

further spells of snow as the

systems moving to the cold air.

A

bit more with Chris at it later.

It's technically spring, isn't it?

Not technically warming up but just

less cold.

We'll be back with the headlines

at 6:30 but now it's time

for the Film Review

with Mark Kermode and Jane Hill.

Hello, and welcome to

The Film Review on BBC News.

To take us through this week's

releases is Mark Kermode.

What have you been watching?

We have Red Sparrow,

the new film starring Jennifer

Lawrence.

We have A Fantastic Woman,

which is Chile's Oscar entry

for the Foreign Language

Film Academy Award.

And Game Night.

Is it a game or is it real?

Red Sparrow.

Yes, so Red Sparrow

is very interesting.

It's based on a book

by a former CIA operative,

Jason Matthews.

Jennifer Lawrence is a Russian

ballerina who is violently recruited

to become a sparrow -

an undercover intelligence agent.

She is taught how

to seduce her prey.

She is sent to Budapest

on the trail of an American,

played by Joel Edgerton,

whom she meets, and we know she has

to win his confidence.

But it seems fairly early

on that they both understand

what the other is.

Here is a clip.

Dominika.

You know my name?

You told me.

You stole my ID from the pool.

That would be illegal.

Were you just looking for me?

I'd know where to find you if I was.

I'm curious, did you want me to know

you were following me

or are you just real clumsy?

You Americans think

we are so interested

in you, don't you?

What made you want to

become a translator?

My mother is ill.

If I work for the government,

the state helps me to care for her.

My uncle helped me get the job.

Your uncle is a very powerful man.

In my country, if you do not matter

to the men in power,

you don't matter.

Hey, I would like to see you again.

Why, are we going to become friends?

Is that what you want?

I don't have any.

There is a Russian restaurant right

by the opera, have dinner

with me there.

So it is an odd movie.

On the one hand, it looks

like a mainstream glossy thriller.

It is directed by Francis Lawrence,

who did some of The Hunger Games

movies and it has English

and American actors speaking

in Russian accents like that.

I wasn't sure about that

accent, I've got to say!

But the other side is that it is

nastier than you would expect.

It was precut from an 18

to get a 15 certificate,

and in the very first assignment

she has, there is a graphic sexual

assault when she is sent

to the training camp,

in which she is led

by Charlotte Rampling.

It is really quite tough

and distressing and oddly explicit,

and then the violence,

the outbreaks of violence

during the movie are

wince-inducing fare.

I imagine that some people

who are Jennifer Lawrence fans

from the Hunger Games might

find it hard to take.

There is an argument

for saying actually,

it's not glamorising it,

it's saying this is really rough

and nasty stuff.

Then you think, well,

actually Jennifer Lawrence's fans

have already come through Mother!,

the Darren Aronofsky film.

She is having a run

of peculiar films.

Absolutely, and she made that

strange science fiction movie

which again divided audiences.

I like the fact she makes bold

and often strange choices.

I like the fact she

doesn't play it safe.

She is the centre of the movie.

It is very changeable tonally,

so sometimes it is almost high camp,

sometimes it is people

chewing the scenery,

and doing the stuff that

you would expect and sometimes

it is really, you know, nasty -

and I mean properly nasty,

gritty - and I know some people have

found that intolerable.

I think it is interesting.

I think it is nothing

like as mainstream as I expected it

to be, and that is for the better,

but it is not for everyone.

No, and I cannot handle violence

at all, as you know.

You are not going to embrace it.

I'm afraid I'm out.

It is not going to happen.

However...

Let me suggest you see

A Fantastic Woman, Chile's entry

for the Foreign language Film Oscar.

So the story is Daniela Vega,

who is brilliant as Marina.

She is a waitress and aspiring

singer who finds herself shut out

of her own life when her older

partner dies and her family -

the family of her partner -

suddenly descend and say "You can't

come to the funeral,

you can't come to the wake,

you cannot stay in the apartment

you have been living with Orlando

in, and you need to

give back the car".

The reason they find her

threatening, not just

because she is the other woman

with whom Orlando ran off,

but she is a transgender woman.

And they consequently think

that she is a threat

to what they call

their normal lives.

Throughout the film,

she says "My name is Marina",

but they refuse to call her that.

One of the sons calls her Maurice.

At one point, the wife

calls her Daniel.

The whole movie is about her

defining her own character,

finding her own space.

And what is really interesting

is that her name is echoed in these

visual motifs throughout the film.

It opens with a waterfall,

a seascape on the wall

of the bedroom.

The film itself goes

from being classical romance

to a social realist drama to a weird

Lynchian thriller and at one point,

it turns into a musical replete

with levitation sequences.

I thought it was wonderful.

I thought Daniela Vega

was wonderful, mesmerising

in the role.

You completely understand

and care about her character

and the situation she is in,

and I thought it was a really good

piece of work.

And I loved it so much,

I saw it and I went straight back

and watched it again a second

time because I thought

there was so much in it.

I think you will really like it.

There is a recommendation!

Fantastic.

I look forward to that.

Game Night.

Yes.

I have read quite a lot about this

film and I still don't understand

what it is about.

OK, so it is - basically,

here is the best way

of describing it.

Game Night - so therefore it

lifts its rifts from The Game,

the David Fincher

movie, and Date Night.

Hence Game Night.

There are two characters

who are obsessed with games.

They agree to take part in a murder

mystery but when it starts off,

maybe it is not a game,

maybe it is real.

Maybe this loaded gun is not a prop.

Maybe it's real.

That is the thrill.

It is a kind of an idea

we have seen done before.

If you think about films

like After Hours or Into the Night,

a normal couple gets sucked

into strange underworld crime.

However, it begins with them

just having game night

with their friends.

Here is a clip.

Come on, Max!

And go, go, go!

Oh, easy - the famous actor

we met at the airport

about eight years ago.

Who?

Only actor we have met

at an airport who's famous.

Bobby Flay?

He was in front of us at the Sbarro?

We wondered why he wasn't

in the first class lounge.

Oh, yes, yes...

Who was that?

God damn it!

Max, there's is a whole room

of people to help you out.

Use us.

Good point.

He was the Incredible Hulk!

Eric Bana.

Other one.

Um, Mark Ruffalo?

Other one.

Lou Ferrigno!

Holy...

Primal Fear!

Richard Gere never played

the Incredible Hulk!

Time!

Ed Norton.

Oh!

Primal Fear!

That is why those

games are so annoying.

But you laughed all

the way through that.

I have this rule that a comedy can

only count as a comedy if it makes

you laugh more than six times.

You laughed more than six

times in that clip.

Here's the thing with Game Night.

I looked at the trailer and thought

it is going to be that movie we have

seen umpteen versions of but I got

away with it because the cast gave

it their best, the gags are funny.

I do think that gag

about Richard Gere, that is good,

and that standard of gag is kept up

all the way through.

Even through the set

pieces and the very sort

of contrived set-ups.

They bump into people they think

are playing being criminals

but they are real

criminals, or are they?

That goes on all the way through

the film, but I kept laughing.

It kept me laughing,

and nobody was more surprised

than I was that that was the case.

OK.

I am still not 100% sure.

But anyway, OK.

A Fantastic Woman

is one you will love.

I look forward to that and I am sure

about The Shape of Water.

I love it.

I think it's wonderful.

Yes, I like it.

Do you feel as strongly as I do?

I loved it in a curious way,

but I enjoyed every moment.

It is great that it has

been multiply nominated.

It looks wonderful, brilliant score,

fantastic performances,

and I have seen it three times

and I will watch it again,

because it is a lovely fairytale

that you can keep revisiting.

It is Splash meets the Creature

From The Black Lagoon,

and that's an ideal film for me.

Yes, it is best out.

And should I say see

it on a big screen?

Because visually,

it is so impressive.

Yes.

When it comes out on DVD,

I will tell you the opposite.

I will lie.

You will have it in

the best DVD category.

Yeah.

So best DVD for this

week is Florida Project.

It is a shame it wasn't more

represented at the awards.

I mean, everything is coming up.

Willem Dafoe is the only one

who has been represented.

I think it is great.

It is a humanist, wonderful,

modern version of Our Gang

brilliantly directed

from the director of Tangerine.

Such a shame it has fallen into one

Supporting Actor nod.

But that tells you what you need

to know about awards -

they are nonsense.

Well, thanks!

Thanks for that thought!

But it is beautifully made

and it is starring some people -

some of the people in it have not

had formal acting training,

alongside people like Willem Dafoe.

And that's what - the real genius

of it is you get someone

who is a seasoned professional

against a first-timer

and suddenly, it works.

There is no sense of having

an imbalance between

the performances because actually,

it is because the director does

a brilliant job of putting

everyone right in the space,

and, you know, the whole film takes

place just beyond the boundaries

of Disney World, so it is like

you have been cast out of the magic

kingdom into this netherworld.

It has a sort of fairytale feel.

Into people in real American

poverty, alongside Disney World.

Living in a hotel designed

as a resort hotel, but has become

a hotel for people who are in

poverty, who are essentially

homeless, yet there is such

vibrancy, such life,

the characters are wonderful.

I thought it was a terrific film.

I thought it was going to be

an awards contender,

it will sweep the board, get

everything, and that just shows...

To be fair, you did say that -

I wasn't going to remind you.

I am the first to admit

I can't predict awards.

But there we go, it should have

been nominated for more.

Should have been a contender.

Thank you very much, Mark.

More next week.

Before we go, there are all the film

news and reviews from across the BBC

online - you know

the address, I am sure.

All our previous programmes

are on the iPlayer as well.

That is it for this week.

Enjoy your cinema going.

See you next time.

Goodbye.

Hello, this is Breakfast

with Roger Johnson and Tina Daheley.

Here's a summary of today's main

stories from BBC News.

Snow and ice continue to cause

widespread disruption despite

temperatures rising slowly. Two

yellow warnings remain in place,

covering much of the UK. 16 flood

warnings have an issue for the

south-west and north-east of

England. Thousands of homes in rural

communities remain without power,

while many rail lines are still

blocked, and drivers have been

expected -- warned to

expect delays. Police are

questioning the driver of a car

which crashed into the gates of

arcing Palace last night. Scotland

Yard says the incident was

weather-related and there was no

breach of security at the palace.

Local authorities are being warned

by the Housing Secretary,

Sajid Javid, that they risk

losing their planning powers

if they refuse to build

enough new homes.

He told the Sunday Times

that he would be "breathing down

the neck" of so-called NIMBY

councils to make sure

they meet their targets.

Tomorrow, the government

will announce an overhaul

of planning rules in an attempt

to increase the rate of building.

Donald Trump is threatening

to impose additional taxes on cars

imported from Europe.

The warning has heightened fears

of a trade war between the US

and the EU after he also promised

to impose hefty tariffs on imports

of steel and aluminium.

His latest comments came in a tweet

after he'd previously described

current trade deals

as "very stupid."

The construction giant Carillion had

been "aggressively managed"

to make its balance sheet

look better than it was.

That was the verdict

of an independent report given

to its board four months

before it collapsed.

The chairman of the Commons Work

and Pensions Committee,

Frank Field, said the report showed

the "gross failings of corporate

governance and accounting"

at the firm.

Now, in the last half-hour the polls

have opened in Italy to elect a new

government. Opinion polling suggests

an alliance of right-wing parties,

organised by the former Prime

Minister Silvio Berlusconi, could do

well. But observers say the election

is likely to result in a hung

parliament. Pubs in England and

Wales will be able to stay open late

on the weekend of Prince Harry and

Meghan Markle's wedding. Home

Secretary Amber Rudd said ours would

be allowed to serve until one

o'clock in the morning, rather than

11th p.m. On Friday 18 and Saturday

19 May. And preparations are under

way for the 90th Academy Awards,

being held in Hollywood tonight. The

fantasy drama The Shape Of Water is

widely tipped to do well, having

secured 13 nominations. British

actor Gary Oldman is in the running

to be named best actor for his

portrayal of Winston Churchill. And

it is expected that the Time's Up

campaign, a response to allegations

of sexual harassment against film

producer Harvey Weinstein, will have

a presence at the ceremony. Looking

forward to that. It is time for the

sport now.

Yes, I'm looking forward

to the last day of the athletics in

Birmingham. A fantastic few days, it

all started on Thursday evening. You

remember Laura Muir, she won that

medal on the opening night.

More

success again?

Yes, she has won

another one. That is half the team's

medals now. We are up to four.

Laura Muir had that gutsy bronze

on the opening night last Thursday

in the 3000 metres and last night

she took silver in the 1500m.

It was the same three

women on the podium

as Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba

completed the double,

but this time Muir finished ahead

of the Netherland's Sifan Hassan

to take second.

It's been a really impressive

couple of days from Muir,

who is 24.

She says that she can now mix

it with the the best.

The competition is so tough. I

thought if I could get one medal,

that would be a great achievement.

But to get two, and a silver, that

is great. Such a confidence booster.

I have been fourth, fifth, sixth and

seventh at global championships

before this. I thought it was about

time to get on the podium and I have

gone and one double here. -- won a

double here.

Eilidh Doyle took bronze last night

with a season's best time

in the 400m.

It's not her preferred event.

She said the result was incredible

and it's her first solo world podium

finish, after winning medals as part

of the British relay squad.

It's also the final day at the Track

Cycling World Championships

in the Netherlands.

Great Britain are up

to six medals there.

Katie Archibald and Emily Nelson

stormed to gold in the Madison.

They finished well clear

of the Dutch duo, and it was all

the more remarkable because Nelson

only stepped in to partner Archibald

on Friday, when Elinor Barker

crashed in the Omnium and had

to pull out.

I am a bit speechless at the moment.

It is going to take a while to sink

in. I think we raced very well as a

team. We were kind of thrown

together at the last minute but I

think we played to each other's

strengths, and, yeah, we won.

And Jack Carlin picked up a silver

in the individual sprint,

to go with his silver

in the team event.

It's his first world championships

and he did really well to reach

the final because he only expected

to finish in the top eight.

The icy weather decimated

the football fixtures yesterday,

The Premier League was the only

division that was untouched.

Liverpool moved up to second

in the table yesterday,

when they beat Newcastle 2-0

at Anfield, Mo Salah scoring

for a seventh game in a row

and Sadio Mane adding the second.

Newcastle are now just two points

above the relegation zone.

The battle for a top four finish

is looking good for Tottenham,

they are still unbeaten in 2018.

They were too good for

Huddersfield at Wembley.

This brilliant cross from Harry Kane

gave Heung Min-son his second

of the match.

They won 2-0.

The relegation scrap is hotting up

and Swansea have jumped out

of the bottom three,

up to 13th by hammering

West Ham 4-1.

It's the second week in a row

David Moyes has seen his side beaten

by that margin, and he said

it was a new low.

It was a poor performance. We have

got to work to get out of this. We

are going to have to do much better

and we are going to have to get

actor doing the things we were doing

six weeks ago. -- get back to doing.

Alan Pardew has admitted

that his job is on the line

after his West Bromwich Albion side

lost 1-0 at Watford.

It's their fifth league defeat

on the bounce and they look doomed

seven points adrift at the bottom.

It is tough, but it isn't about me,

it is about West Brom. It is tough

for the fans, tough or the players

to experience gains that are so

tight. We just can't get ourselves a

win. Obviously that puts us in a

difficult position. We won't give up

a fight, we will keep going until we

get something.

Brighton will host Arsenal

in today's lunchtime kick off,

while leaders Manchester City

are at home to Chelsea.

Both of yesterday's Scottish Cup

games survived the freeze,

Aberdeen will have to replay

Kilmarnock after they drew 1-1.

But holders Celtic are

through to the semifinals,

beating Championship

side Greenock Morton.

Moussa Dembele scored

twice in their 3-0 win.

John Higgins can make history later

today at the Welsh Open in Cardiff.

He beat Gary Wilson 6-2 to reach

the final, and victory tonight

would give him a record fifth

title in this event.

He'll face Barry Hawkins.

I would love to win. It would be

some record, for myself, to win it

five times. But obviously Barry will

be trying to win it for his first

time. A good final, the top eight

players, so hopefully it will be a

good final.

Britain's Kell Brook says he'll be

back in the gym tomorrow,

targeting a fight with compatriot

Amir Khan after winning his first

bout at light middleweight.

In front of his home

crowd at Sheffield Arena,

he knocked out Sergey Rabchenko just

over a minute into the second round.

It was Brook's first fight

since he lost his IBF world

welterweight title last May.

He picked up a very nasty injury,

breaking his eye socket back in May.

Good to see him back. What was just

as impressive last night, overnight,

Beyonce Wilder, the WBC heavyweight

champion. -- D'Ontay Wilder.

He

looks fearsome.

Yes, you wouldn't

want to mess with him. But he wants

to mess with Anthony Joshua in a

super unification fight. He has the

WBC, Joshua has two belts. And

Joseph Parker?

He has another belt,

they face each other shortly. If

Joshua comes through that everybody

will be clamouring for this four

belts unification fight against

Wilder. That would be something

special. But where would it be, in

the US, in the UK? Josh Wagner is

never fought outside the UK. You

just know with all the politics of

trying to get these belts together.

But I think there is a will within

boxing to get it together.

It is the

holy Grail.

There has never been a

fall belt unification fight at

heavyweight level.

How much money

would be involved?

I watering.

Absolutely. It would be an

incredible fight. D'Ontay Wilder has

been calling out Anthony Joshua.

Of

course he has.

He did look

impressive, stopping that fight in

the tent.

You will know, I met

Anthony Joshua, I interviewed him on

the red carpet. He is enormous. What

a big fellow.

Yes, he is.

Exactly.

Thank you very much. As we've been

reporting this morning, the

temperatures are beginning to rise.

But the Snow remains and is

continuing to cause problems. But it

is also bringing some joy to some of

you. Yes, forget some of these

pictures. To celebrate her daughter

Sarah's birthday yesterday Divya and

her family made the snow replicas of

themselves.

They are impressive.

Lots of you have in letting us know

how much fun your pets have been

having in the cold weather.

And

finally, the small Lincolnshire

village of Olveston Ferry was cut

off due to the snow. Lots of

problems in Lincolnshire, with snow

and ice. But these neighbours had an

impromptu curling condition. They

got their brooms out.

Keep sending

us pictures and videos of the joy

and fun you are having in the snow.

We will try to show some more later.

We will indeed.

The film and TV industry in the UK

can lay claim to have created some

of the most iconic

characters seen on screen.

Harry Potter, Bridget

Jones and Doctor Who.

They have one thing in common:

they've all been portrayed

by white actors.

Fed up by the lack of diversity,

a group of teenagers have

created these posters.

They say if the images surprise you,

it's because there aren't enough

black actors in leading roles.

Shiden Tekle and Olivia

Francis-Cornibert created

the images.

They join us now.

Great to see you. Thank you for

coming in bright and early on a

Sunday morning. How did this start?

How did you come up with the idea?

We are part of a programme called

the Advocacy academy, a social

justice fellowship where we can

train to be political activists. So

all four of us came together and we

formed, well, we are all interested

in things like lack of

representation and racism in

society, in British society. So we

decided to make Legally Black, where

we could challenge the beliefs of

people in terms of

underrepresentation in

misrepresentation of luck people in

the media.

What is it something you

care about so much?

I guess because

the media have so much power and

influence, they are able to

condition people and make people

believe certain things in society.

If we can channel that and make

people think, actually, there might

be underrepresentation and

misrepresentation in society and in

media, not just in film and

television, but in advertising and

music and things like that, we can

actually bring up this discussion.

Let's talk about the ideas for the

posters. They went up during the

snow on Wednesday night, in London.

You are from Brixton. The posters

went up on bus shelters, all over

the place. You have this

eye-catching idea? -- who had.

We

originally wanted the posters on

buses. We met some push back of air,

we were not able to get into contact

with people, basically, but with the

Advocacy Academy, which is run by

Amelia, our chief advocate, with all

these amazing opportunities we are

given, a group came in and did a

session in October and on one of the

residentials we were on, they were

talking to us about ad hacking and

is brandalism. -- ad hacking and

brandalism. They were talking about

our campaign and the posters went up

on our website. They saw them and

they really liked them.

Just to be

clear, with what you just said, you

are not advocating vandalism or

anything like that. What you did was

artful and respectful. You are not

suggesting people actually go out

and vandalise anything.

No, our main

intentions were to just put them

online, but this group saw our

posters and wanted to put them out

more widely.

And look at the impact

it has had, you are here talking to

us about it. Were you surprised by

the reaction? How did people

respond?

We had lots of positive

comments. Lots of people messaged us

and said, wow, I have always felt

like this and have never been able

to articulate it. We have had some

negative comments but it is more

people misunderstanding the

satirical component of the posters

and the fact that it is not

literally advocating for the removal

or replacement of white actors.

You

are just saying, why not, why

couldn't it be a black actor?

Yes,

and basically, we want people to

question why we do not have more

black shows in the UK. And also,

calling on commissioners to give

black creators and like writers and

black directors the opportunity to

authenticate black storylines and

characters.

Lenny Henry and Adrian

Lester among the high-profile black

actors who have supported this,

which is great. It must be nice to

have that sort of acting.

Yes, nice

to have that support.

It is a really

striking way of getting people to

think about things like this.

Simple, but a very powerful message.

Very cleverly done. Thank you for

coming in.

Here's Chris with a look

at this morning's weather.

General picture with what's

happening

General picture with what's

happening in the UK. We so have some

wintry stuff to content with today

but the weather is starting to turn

a bit less severe. On the weather

menu, a bit of frost and ice to come

today, some murky conditions with

hill fog and yes, some more snow,

particularly across northern areas.

Cold air feeding in across the

northern half of the UK where is

further south, it is turning more

from the south-westerly direction so

not as cold as it has been. Some

snow around today. Showers moving in

across south-west England and Wales,

mostly falling as rain sewer thaw

happening. -- so, thaw. Freezing

rain mixed in which makes for icy

conditions. It could be dangerous on

pavements and roads for a time this

morning before the temperatures

left. As the day goes by, for most

of us, it was a pretty cloudy. Snow

across northern England and Scotland

particularly in the hills where we

will see accumulations. Done at

lower levels, perhaps are more

wintry mix. Rain comes in from the

continent to threaten south-east

England and East Anglia. It will be

just across the Far East in England

where we will see that area of rain.

Overnight, the rain will work across

some of the North Sea coastal areas

before moving back into the cold air

in Scotland so we will see the rain

turning to snow towards the end of

the night here. Still quite chilly.

Temperatures in towns and cities,

not quite as cold but still quite

cold in rural areas to give us icy

stretches for Monday morning.

Monday, another day of showers

across south-west England but this

area of snow across Scotland.

Several centimetres building up and

we could see five or ten in the

hills five or ten centimetres. Not

as cold as it has been in London.

The weather for the next few days,

we still have the Atlantic

essentially blocked at the moment so

we are not seen whether systems

moving from the West. We have an

area of low pressure that over the

top of the United Kingdom for the

coming few days. Showers are around

but there is the prospect of further

snow at times in the north. That the

latest weather.

We have looked at the front pages

yet so we will have an in-depth look

at the Sunday papers in about 30

minutes.

Now on Breakfast it's time

for The Travel Show.

This week on The Travel Show,

I'm in Norway, because I've heard

of what must be one of the world's

most unique music festivals,

where the stage and even

the instruments are made of ice.

So, I'm taking the chance to head

off from Oslo to Bergen on a musical

journey on one of the world's most

spectacular railways.

Joining me for the first

part of my trip is Jan,

a fanatic and a man who wrote a book

on the Bergensbanen.

Why did you write this big long book

all about this railway?

The Bergensbanen is iconic

in Norway and in Europe,

I think.

Many people know the name

and know what they will see

when the come here.

Along its 308 miles,

the trend never gets challenging

but starting to rain.

At its peak of over 1200 metres,

it is one of your's highest

railways, before it descends steeply

into Norway's second city of Bergen.

It is elemental landscape

pose a huge challenge,

and an engineering triumph

for those working on the rail

during its construction,

between 1894 and 1909,

with around 20 people thought

to have died in the process.

At a time when Norway's independence

was always on the horizon,

that the construction

of the Bergensbanen was more

than an added convenience

for travellers.

This line connected the east

and the western part of Norway.

And at that time,

we were administrated by Sweden,

and they did not like this at all,

because they thought it could be

used for military purpose.

So this is a sign of Norwegian

strength, that maybe was not

an approved of?

You could say that.

So in a way, this is

a symbol for the founding

of the Norwegian nation.

Yes.

All this makes it special.

You can't find this in other lines.

This is what Norway is.

As Jan reaches his

stop, I settle in.

3.5 hours from Oslo,

I pull into this town.

But it is not my destination.

This town usually features

the Ice Music Festival.

But on a go upwards,

almost 500 metres higher,

to the new home of Finse.

It is nearly 20 years

since the first time I tried ice.

Nearly

And I found the sound

so fantastically beautiful.

This is an ice-aphone.

The sound is phenomenal.

Do you like it?

That is lovely.

Any chance I could have a go?

Very carefully.

I promise you.

And I also promise to show

no ability whatsoever.

You may as well have

given it to a child.

Exactly.

It works?

This is great!

So as evening approaches,

the finishing touches are fast

being made around the site.

I really like it because it is kind

of the sound of nature.

So it doesn't sound like anything

else you have ever heard.

You don't get to practise,

so the music gets made on stage

in front of the audience,

and that is really special.

Many people are like,

what, is this possible?

It is pretty cool we can do it.

I guess there is a lot

of folk music on it.

It is very Nordic, with the ice

and the snow at the cold winters.

Just in the nick of time,

we gather for an evening

of ice music.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.

That was amazing.

Such a bonkers soundscape

and amazing to think that

all the sounds were made from ice.

I think it's also an interesting way

to experience the landscape

of Norway - freezing cold

with a full moon overhead.

Having said that,

it is freezing cold.

I am frozen through.

It's time to head in.

MORNING MOOD FROM GRIEG'S

PEER GYNT SUITE PLAYS.

Next morning, the festival continues

without me as I return

to the Bergensbanen for the next

part of my journey.

Travelling on this stretch

of the line, you start to appreciate

the vast landscapes that this

country has to offer.

And I can't imagine a better way

of experiencing them than this.

MUSIC REACHES ITS CRESCENDO.

Well, my train's arrived

at its destination, but my musical

journey across Norway

is not yet finished,

because I am in Bergen,

a cultural hotspot and a great way

to experience the rich

musical heritage of Norway.

Norwegian folk roots.

They have agreed to come and show me

some of the traditional elements

found in Norway's halling dance.

The dance is mostly sort

of a show-off dance.

100 years ago women

also did that dance.

It is mostly boys or men doing

the dance because we want to...we

want to impress the

other men or women.

Put your right foot

in front of the left.

Sidewards.

Believe me, this is

harder than it looks.

And if you jump a little

on each step, one, two.

Yes.

Nice.

And then around.

But I think I am getting hang of it.

One, two, one, two.

And then we can move down here.

No!

So what is the relationship

between the dance and the music?

Maria plays the hardingfele,

it's our national instrument.

Some people say the fiddle,

the music came because of the dance

and some say it was the other way.

I think they depend on each other.

Nice!

In the 1800s the military started

competitions to try and kick a hat

from a stick and it was about

who could kick the highest.

And then it was incorporated

in the halling folk dance.

So we do it as a part

of the dance and, of course,

it must be a good kick

and the higher it is,

the better it is.

Everybody in Norway,

I think if I say halling they say

kicking the hat,

that it is the main

goal in the halling.

But the dance is the main goal,

kicking the hat is sort

of topping it.

I feel like I have rediscovered this

place through its music.

It is a country constantly inspired

by nature of epic proportions.

It treasures its traditions

but is not afraid to look forward.

Where artist are free to experiment

and supported as a crucial part

of society and where distinctive

sounds can be found

in the smallest of communities.

If the Bergensbanen showed me

Norway's muscle, its music has

shown me its heart and soul.

Hello, this is Breakfast,

with Roger Johnson and Tina Daheley.

An end in sight for the big

freeze but icy weather

is still causing problems.

Many rural communities remain cut

off by snow drifts and,

despite some services re-opening,

there are still widespread

cancellations on rail

lines across the UK.

This is the scene at the A66

in North Yorkshire.

It remains closed because of

the treacherous conditions.

Good morning, it's

Sunday the 4th of March.

Also this morning,

a warning to councils -

the government says build

more houses or risk

losing planning powers.

And the final preparations

are underway for the biggest night

in the showbiz calendar.

So will British stars

win big at the Oscars?

And in sport, there are more British

medals at the World Track Cycling

Championships.

And also at the World Indoor

Athletics, there was a brilliant

silver for Laura Muir,

that's her second medal

in Birmingham - and there could be

more medals to come for the British

team on the final day.

And Chris has the weather.

Good morning. We are looking at a

murky start to the day with frost

and ice around. More snow to come,

especially in eastern Scotland. But

in many areas the weather will be

getting less severe as the thaw

that's under way. -- gets under way.

Good morning.

First, our main story.

Snow and ice continue to cause

widespread disruption

despite temperatures slowly rising.

Many rail lines remain blocked

and drivers have been warned

to expect delays.

Two yellow warnings remain in place,

covering much of the UK,

while 16 flood warnings have been

issued for the south-west

and north-east of England.

Thousands of homes in cut-off rural

communities remain without power.

Simon Clemson reports.

With so much snow to melt and even

a little more in today's forecast,

some will be living with these

conditions and the disruption

for a while yet.

Northern England, the Midlands,

Wales and parts of Northern Ireland

could still see further

amounts of snow this

morning, while Scotland faces more

coming in from the North Sea.

The Met Office is

also warning drivers

to be aware of ice following lower

overnight temperatures.

After some train operators

simply said "don't

travel," services are resuming.

But many trains will

not run today, with

a number of companies

on a reduced service.

Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow

airports have reopened,

but there are reports

of delays and cancellations.

Some power companies are planning

to fly engineers out

today to reconnect remote areas.

Thousands of homes in cut-off

villages remain without power.

In Devon, work will continue this

morning to get supplies to a town

and village on the north

coast which were cut off.

Elsewhere, in Somerset,

farmers say they cannot

get their milk out because tankers

cannot reach them, meaning

they are having to pour

thousands of litres

away.

Dairy farming is hard enough

without losing money,

but at the end of the

day, what can we do?

It was freak weather.

We've just got to get on with it.

There are still flood warnings

in place along the south-west

and north-east coast

as the wind whips

up the waves.

With Scotland on standby

for snow into tomorrow,

the latest spell of

weather is not going

quietly.

The Housing Secretary has warned

what he calls NIMBY councils that

they risk losing their planning

powers if they refuse to build

enough new homes.

In an interview with

the Sunday Times he told local

authorities that he would be

"breathing down their neck"

to ensure targets are met.

Our political correspondent

Susana Mendonca joins us now.

Good morning. Is this tough talk,

then?

I think it is. Certainly Sajid

Javid is saying he will strip them

of their powers, send in inspectors

to take over planning if they are

not ill bring enough homes, that is

certainly tough talk for those

councils. -- not building enough.

But the Prime Minister is due to

make a speech on housing tomorrow,

launching what will be called the

National Policy Framework, which is

all about changing the way planning

is dealt with in order to get

housebuilding sped up. Because there

is a challenge with housing across

the country, the government knows

that, in terms of the general

election last year. They know they

lost lots of young voters and part

of the thinking is that this is down

to people feeling they do not have a

stake in society, and if you are

able to build -- to buy your own

home you feel like you have a stake

in society. They want people to be

up to get on the housing ladder and

this is part of that. But a lot of

the so-called NIMBY councils that

Javid talks about are actually

conservative councils. How will it

go down with them? The Labour Party

says that since 2010 the government

has not done enough on housing, and

this is just rehashing old policies,

and that actually, housebuilding is

down to a 30 year low. Housing is

such a challenge for successive

governments, not just this

government. Through the decades it

has been a very difficult thing for