hey, i'm dylan with the catch—up. tonight: a world war ii bomb in plymouth. mansplaining goes viral. and a panda party. but first, shamima begum, the 24—year—old who travelled to syria to join the islamic state group when she was 15 has been told by a top court that she can't come back to the uk. she had appealed the government's decision from back in 2019 that strips her of her british citizenship on the grounds of national security. her lawyers say they won't stop fighting until she's home. and if you want to hear more on this story, then check out the shamima begum story podcast

on the bbc sounds app. some other stories now. an unexploded world war ii bomb that was found in plymouth has been put in the sea to be detonated. thousands of people were evacuated as the bomb was taken through the city. the 500kg device was transported by the military after it was found buried in a garden on tuesday. germany has become the latest country in europe to legalise cannabis. the law will come into effect in april and it will apply to over 18s only, but it does come with strict rules which will make it harder to buy the drug. however, people will be allowed to grow up to three plants at home. the government says the new law will undermine the sale of the drug on the black market. and some potentially good news now if you are a swiftie because one of london's top museums is hiring a taylor swift super fan who can help advise them about swiftie culture and memorabilia.

job applications are open now if you're interested. and the museum is searching for experts on crocs, emojis and drag. here is a video that's gone viral on social media this week and if you've not seen it, you will probably get why. excuse me. what you're doing there, you shouldn't be doing that. this is georgia ball, a pro golfer, replying to a guy who was trying to tell her how to improve her swing at the driving range, and it was all caught on camera. the clip had had over 10 million views on tiktok with around 25,000 comments. georgia told us she's got a lot of support. although it was an awkward conversation at the time, it's good that i can just kind of look back at it and laugh at it. now, i'm going to leave you with ten seconds of pandas because what's a better way to start the weekend than with a panda party? this family of five is celebrating heading back to china after living at a zoo in spain. they got this incredible

send—off from keepers, including a cake and plenty of bamboo. that's it from me. you're all caught up. voice-over: this is bbc news. we'll have the headlines for you at the top of the hour, which is straight after this programme. around the world, people are looking to technology for clever solutions to tackle the challenges of climate change. i've come back to japan to visit some of the new world —first projects that could pave the way to a sustainable future, both here and beyond. i'm tracking down the inventors turning to the sea to meet our energy needs. there she blows. she's away!

i'm visiting the countryside to see robots helping an older generation of rice producers. and vertical farming taken to a whole new level. i'm getting a lettuce delivery. i want to eat this! chuckles this is tecthlore japan. it's known for its megacities butjapan is, above all, an island nation. hemmed in by the ocean on all sides, land is ata premium. and that means when it comes to green energy, there's less room for the cheapest power source of all — solar. so, actually, the biggest changing we're seeing right now is the rapidly

decreasing costs for solar. it would be more expensive to operate fossil fuels than solar in the near future. as i start my sustainable tech journey throuthapan, i'm headed to the islands of tokyo bay. this is the site of japan's first ever offshore solar farm. 0laf, hi! hey, paul! nice to meet you! nice to meet you, too! here we will put our offshore floating solar platform. solarduck is the company behind the build. it's part of a group of start—ups coming up with sustainable designs for future urban life. so, that's the site down there? yeah, so basically, this is a cgi of the project here in the tokyo bay. the solar array is designed to be modular. each unit can power a0 households a year. more can be added to meet demand. it can survive anything at the ocean can throw at it.

the triangle has three xs, where it can rotate around. so, if there are waves from any direction, it's easily able to follow, and this makes sure that we can actually also survive very high waves. it's a hugely impressive concept but even cleverer than the design of the solar farm is how the green energy it produces could be carried back to shore. nearby, another start—up is working on this side of the project. and this little boat is the key and what i'm here to see. hi! hi, how are you doing? good, hi! nice to meet you, paul! good to meet you, too! wow, this is beautiful, isn't it? yeah, it's a wonderful day. thank you for coming out. check this out. let's go jump on a boat. the team is developing this vessel to collect small loads

of renewable energy generated at sea. it's trying to get away. there she blows! she's away! everblue�*s boats use wind power to sail all on their own with sensors navigating the course. they have on—board batteries which will be charged by the solar farm. the power is gathered and can be transported by boat. the aim is these boats will operate in fleets, creating an affordable alternative to undersea cables. the cable has to be so big and it's really expensive, so what we do is take these boats to a place where, let's say, we have a floating solar panel array or floating wind, you know? it's a very common thing. and we can take the energy from those locations and transport it to

wherever it's needed. if this succeeds at scale, it could be game—changing. a completely different way of approaching energy transfer at a time where the world must adopt green energy at pace. and because the boats are wind—powered, no energy is needed for their journey, meaning the whole process is much more sustainable. we're not using the energy to transport our energy, so, you know, it's a lossless system and so, we can transport a kilometre, ten kilometres, 1000 kilometres — it doesn't matter. it's hoped these boats could help bring green power to over 4 million people living on hundreds of islands across japan. the boats could also serve future floating projects like this one. floating islands, these things could be mobile. imagine these guys are workerhands and they're transporting

constantly to the mothership. it has been fascinating to see how a technology as old as time — a simple sail — has been repurposed to deliver a sustainable energy solution. and it's going to be really interesting to see how it develops in years to come. a year ago, i visited choshi, on the other side of tokyo, to see japan's first bottom—fixed offshore wind turbine. the noise is really something else! it's actually quite intimidating being this close to it! as i found out, the bigger blades commonly seen at sea and on land have drawbacks. most wind turbines stop working at around 90km/h. anything more puts their blades at risk of damage. but across asia, high wind typhoons are becoming

ever more common. i'm visiting a start—up that has made a new type of turbine and, surprisingly, there's not a single propeller blade in a site. —— in sight. so, this is itjust here? yes, this is our turbine. this is on one tokyo's urban evacuation sites where locals gather in emergencies. its vertical access can catch wind from any direction and it's practically silent. 0k. everyone can charge their phone. that's good, i am low onjuice, so let's give it a go. charging. it is! chuckles this is just a small prototype. a bigger 10 kilowatts version is on 0kinawa island. it can operate in higher winds, and, crucially, its propeller—free design makes it much more resilient to typhoons.

it's not that windy today and it's still turning pretty fast. when the winds do stop these working, solar panels continue to generate energy. local communities, they often have a bit of pushback against renewable energy because it's noisy, it takes up too much space. but if you have projects like these which can be erected in sort of like urban places, i think this would be really, really important to push the renewable kind of acceleration forward. japan is getting used to ever—stronger typhoons but when it comes to showing resilience, few places come close to my next destination, fukushima.

japan's biggest ever earthquake in 2011 caused a tsunami and the fukushima daiichi nuclear plant went into meltdown. the devastation displaced over 150,000 people and many never returned. i'm heading to the north of the region, to soma, a place rebuilt to entice populations back to the area with unrivalled green credentials. this soma project serves as a testbed of ideas which could be rolled out across japan and around the world. everything here is connected. the solar farm collects the sun's energy. it produces 1.6 megawatts of electricity. 0n sunny days, it produces more energy than the neighbourhood needs.

but usually, it's during the battery storage process a lot of this power is lost. this facility looks quite simple but this is where the surplus energy is converted into hydrogen. hydrogen is a very efficient way of storing energy because very little is wasted. 0k, and it does that through electrolysis, which is splitting hydrogen and oxygen out of water? yes. but beyond its energy efficiency, hydrogen is being used to test lots of cutting—edge ideas. some is combined with c02 captured from the atmosphere to create eco—friendly fuel for locals. and this is the e—methane dispenser. 0k. to fuel the small minivan for elderly people to move around to the soma city. really? the first e—methane dispenser injapan. that's pretty cool!

yeah. yes. wow, look at that! and these fish ponds are aerated with oxygen left from the hydrogen processes. oh, wow, i can see them — they are massive! here he comes! oh, look at him! dinner time for the fishes! yes. the lettuce gets nutrients from the fish faeces, and they thrive on carbon dioxide that's been captured and pumped in from outside. i don't have green fingers but they look like they're pretty healthy to me. yeah. and the local farms use fertiliser made from repurposed sewage. we palletise the waste. rather than having to track all of this waste around the country, you're using it here to grow things and save energy? exactly. really smart. soma is one of the most sustainable projects i've ever seen and the ideas here are being driven by this man.

everything here is designed to make soma more sustainable. a fresh look at bringing green energy into the community. and if an earthquake were to strike again, the hydrogen will power vital services in soma. something we tested in a simulated power cut. the lights come on! yeah, almost immediately. the gas is piped off to be converted to electricity. oh, wow, i can hear that! and offsite to soma's disaster relief centre. it all happens automatically and that means that people can still get electricity even when everything else has gone down? yes, you are right. that's very cool. it needed something big, something to say that soma is the future, that it's

a place where people could come and live and, boy, have they delivered. sustainable energy solutions will be vital across the world. butjapan has another concern — maintaining sustainable communities. i'm travelling 250km north of tokyo to shinanomachi, a small town in nagano that's at risk of disappearing. nagano translates into english as "a long field" and considering how lush and green it looks outside, that seems pretty fitting. rice, so synonymous with japanese cuisine, has grown here for over 2,000 years. but those who farm it are struggling to keep up. more than half of the residents here in shinanomachi are over 60 as farming falls out of favour

and youngsters are lured by the lifestyle of japan's cities, there are fewer people able to attend to this vital crop. i'm meeting a woman from a start—up supporting farms as the labour force shrinks. hello! konnichiwa! how are you? very good, lovely to meet you. wow, this is a rice field? yes. it is beautiful. it is a lot hillier than i was expecting. yes. raised dams keep the water in each field but means significant weeding forfarmers, who must patrol the paths to spread fertilisers and deter pests. farmers like this.

for ageing farmers, it's robots to the rescue as this smartphone—controlled mower keeps weeds in check. just press here and then push pilot. so, you just press that and off it goes? sure. amazing! how does the robot know where to go? first, human has to tell them and then, a robot can run independently by using sensors. facing many more hazards and tougher terrain than your average lawnmower, data from satellite systems, accelerotmetres, direction and geomagnetic thermal sensors keep the robot on track, so just one pilot can monitor several mowers at a time. so, the central power can see the maps here.

i can see where it is in the field right now. this prototype uses petrol but is due an electric upgrade next year as the team works to bring a subscription service to farmers like this one, who has been testing the bot since 2019. but supporting farmers is not enough to save shinanomachi on its own. just down the road is the nomad work center — a hub where tech pioneers can create projects from the seat of nature. the neighbouring campsite attracts eco—friendly tourism but there aren't the staff

to man it round—the—clock. are there hikes nearby? there we go. so, the team is training a! to help visitors when real—life humans cannot. i have questions about the campground. are bonfires allowed on the campsite? no. 0pen fires are not allowed. please make sure to use a fire pit or barbecue. good advice! wow! this space is beautiful! i can absolutely see the appeal of coming to spaces like this to work or explore, and what a view for dinner! not only can robots help ageing farmers put locally sourced food on the table, but sites like this are boosting interest

and reinvigorating the local community. it's inspiring to witness efforts to preserve this area and its iconic rice patties. —— and its iconic rice paddies. climate change is making traditionalfarming more difficult the world over. i've seen vertical farming with its bright purple lights injapan before, but the next project i'm visiting is on a whole other level, and i'm one of its first outside visitors. hi, konnichiwa! the most extreme steps are required even to enter. all of this to ensure the facility is kept hygienically sealed. i'm going into an airlock. what's going to happen in here? oh, god! well, this is an experience! what is waiting for me

is breathtaking. oh, wow! it's absolutely huge! it's incredible! it's like being in a farm in outer space and, like outer space, very few humans can come here. this is like no farm i've ever seen. all of the growing is happening behind these sealed units. it's a completely closed system. this is our system. 0h, cool! there's lots growing here. what is the advantages of growing like this? because the closed system can control the inside very precisely — the temperature, humidity and the c02 concentration and the other 20 parameters. in allowing such microcontrol, this closed system is already proving way greener.

an open system—type wastes half of the lights for leds half?! that's quite a lot! a 30m—long robotic system sits at the heart of all of this. where 150,000 lettuces are being grown forjapan�*s biggest supermarket group. and here comes some freshly grown lettuce. truly automatic. what are the benefits of doing it all automatically, rather than having people do this work? the machine operation is totally clean, so we don't need to washing vegetables before eating. we can save the resources, such as water, which is good for the planet. this lettuce saves 12 litres of water? per head of lettuce. per head of lettuce?! that's a lot of water! in the start—up�*s lab, i am shown other greens, like basil.

you really can, really. it smells amazing! it's making me hungry! but not everything here is for eating. because of supreme precision, plants for medicinal use can be grown more easily. oh, i can see the flowers. they're very small at the minute but you can definitely see they're there. these are being grown for painkillers. others, for cancer research. the system is so precise, the most difficult plants to grow can be sourced at speed. how does it feel, helping to research plants that might one day cure illnesses such as cancer? and without humans sharing the environment, oxygen levels can be dropped and temperatures pushed to extremes — whatever�*s necessary to perfect

each ingredient. what's happening here really is incredible. and as we all live longer, it's another example of japan's innovators helping us all live better. how to live sustainability is a question the whole world is trying to answer. whether it's finding new energy solutions or thinking differently about how we live and age together, japan is working on ideas that can inspire us all. chuckles perfect!

hello there. friday was a day of sunshine and showers, some of the showers heavy with some hail mixed in, and with colder air moving in across the country, we saw a bit of snow return to the top of the cumbrian fells. this is the top of helvellyn, snow—covered there, in cumbria. now, so far this february, it has been a bit of a wash—out across england and wales. cardiff and coventry have had well over double the average rainfall so far this month. parts of east anglia, houghton hall in norfolk had three times the average rainfall, and there's more to come as well. now, on the satellite picture, all of this white speckled cloud you can see to the north and west of the uk is shower cloud, and there are loads of those, so we are looking at more showers working in. and over the next few hours, by and large, the showers are most likely to be across northern and western scotland, a few for the north and west of northern ireland,

one or two for wales and the southwest of england but otherwise, particularly across inland areas, we'll have clear spells to take us into saturday morning and a cold start to the day with some frost or maybe one or two icy stretches. should be a fine if somewhat chilly start to the day, then, on saturday, but it is another day where we'll see showers pop up. some of those across northern scotland, some of the heaviest ones probably across southern areas of england and southern and western wales with a real threat of seeing some hail and a bit of thunder mixed in. still, where the sunshine comes out, temperatures of around 8—10 degrees to be expected — that's about average at this time of the year. for sunday, there'll be further showers across northern scotland but an area of low pressure looks set to run in across northern france. now, this could bring a spell of rain and windier weather to southern counties of england and southern wales or it could be that the rain just holds a bit further south out in the english channel. so, that's the big zone of uncertainty, really, as we head through sunday but still, the bulk of the uk having a fairamount of sunshine and temperatures, still about 8—10. now, if we do see that rain

in the south, could still be affecting east anglia and south east england into monday with quite breezy weather conditions but further north, for northern ireland and scotland, good parts of northern england and wales will be underneath the influence of this ridge of high pressure and so, the weather should be drier with more in the way of sunshine. after a cold and locally frosty start to the day, our temperatures not really changing that much day to day — highs of again around 8—10 degrees or so. and then, deeper into the new working week, it stays unsettled, temperatures often near double figures, but there will be rain at times.

live from washington.

this is bbc news special report. february marks black history month in the us. over the next half hour we'll celebrate the culture and delve into the issues important to black americans across the country. 0ver 3a million black voters will be eligible to cast their ballots this year. but could the rolling back of voting rights threaten turnout? retracing the footsteps of the tens of thousands of africans shipped and sold across the alabama river. i believe that our existence as a company is to serve as a reminder of the great potential that we have as human beings. and we can come together and that we can have a universal language. telling the story of the black experience through movement and music. the alvin ailey dance company celebrates african american culture on stage. i'm sumi somaskanda. welcome to our bbc news special

celebrating black history month in the us.