if the regime in pyongyang thinks about attacking the united states, he said, "things will happen to them like they never thought possible". his defence secretary, james mattis, said war would be "catastrophic" and insisted diplomacy was bearing fruit. modern slavery and human trafficking has become so widespread there are victims in every large town and city in britain. the uk's national crime agency says there are likely to be tens of thousands of victims. there were 111 arrests across the uk in may and june. canada is investigating why at least one of its diplomats stationed in cuba has needed treatment for hearing loss and headaches. american diplomats in havana have also experienced strange physical symptoms. us media suggest cuban agents may have used a covert sonic device that causes hearing loss. one of britain's most successful

playwright is best known for his shows about the middle class. he is now entering the world of science fiction forfirst time. now entering the world of science fiction for first time. his new play debuts at the edinburgh festival today. it is set 100 is from now when a deadly contagion has separated men from women. it was, i think, an attempt by me to bridge my ageing writing personality to a younger generation, and the way to do that, i thought, was through the medium of science fiction. science fiction is a great leveller. it gives you an even playing field, where you say to your younger audience, "now this is a world that i don't know but i have created, and you don't know, and you can inhabit it." i can't enter their world, which is for me as a 78—year—old, incomprehensible now.

i mean, most of what my grandchildren say is complete gobbledygook. and anything i say is beyond their comprehension. so, here i am at last... a member of the falcons. is it a concern of yours that the theatre is failing to engage the younger audience? it's a fear, it's always a fear. if you look in the average audience, maybe because of money but they seem to be middle to late middle age. the sort of people i want in there are... you can get the very young, you can catch them before they are ten but after that they are a lost tribe. i want that audience back. we've now reached the age where we are considered mature enough to be possible carriers and therefore a danger to men. how do you keep on challenging yourself? how do you make sure, you know,

after all these plays you don't find yourself repeating past ideas? i think it's a terror. that is a real problem because i keep thinking i must have done about everything by now. i had a stroke a few years back, and for the first time in my life for a few months i had no ideas. and i thought, well that's it. then a little germ arrived and i go, wow, they're still manifesting and of course now manifesting furiously. i feel very excited but a little bit nervous. it's a good feeling. i've written next year's play as well. it's a play called better off dead, i hope that doesn't predict anything! now on bbc news, the travel show.

coming up on this week's travel show: ben is seeking out beats in pakistan. we are watching two beat boxers perform to an audience full of young people eating pizza and enjoying life whilst they are waiting for a rap group to come on. i'm getting my kicks in thailand. i am about to step in the ring with momo. he looks really mean. # spend my life in this sweet surrender... and we're hitting the high notes in manila. # this is a man's world. this is a country

that some governments say you probably shouldn't visit as a tourist, pakistan. terror—related incidents, kidnappings and political turmoil have all taken their toll on the country's reputation. and as the country prepares to celebrate its 70th anniversary of independence, the travel show‘s benjamin zand packed his backpack and headed for karachi. i was in karachi, pakistan, on the search for some good news. as a man who likes music, like pretty much everyone else in the world, i thought it would be a good place to start. so i decided it was time to check out karachi's music scene. historically, being a musician here has been hard. musicians and gigs have often been

targeted by religious extremists. but i had heard that things were getting better and some great tunes and artists were coming out as a consequence. so on an insanely hot day injuly i find out more. on the breakfast show. official, on facebook, who is ultimately the control freak in yourcar? what are the radio rules? we have got simon who says, in my car i am the one in charge as i am the only one who sits in front. what is it like being a musician here? is it hard? it is but it has become a lot better to the point that we have actually come out and started doing more outdoor events. we have food festivals, we have music festivals. we have lots of concerts in the last year. people are not afraid any more to come out and go to a concert. what is the driving force? is it these kind of young musicians who are just like, i don't care, i'm going to be a musician? yes. there was a music festival that took place in lahore about a month ago. a week before the event

there was a really tragic bomb blast took place in lahore so we had to figure out whether we were going to have the event or not these after that. we ultimately decided to do it. not out of any other reason than the fact that it should happen regardless of what is happening in the city. and that was amazing. i wanted to see for myself how pakistan was changing. and meet someone from this new era of artists. so i asked my new friends. i want to hear some rap. the name they gave me was ali gul pir. this is a really cool song by ali gul pir who is a comedian and rapper who has written about social class issues and stuff. so it is a really fun song. raps

ali raps about society and social injustice. in this video, waderai ka beta, which went viral across pakistan, he raps about the issues the country has with feudalism. as a consequence he is now pretty famous and he agreed to meet me. this is it. hey, are you ali? hey. nice to meet you. what's up, man? sorry for being late. long time. i know. how's it going? good, good, good. i feel like i'm meeting a superstar. you should not look at me. i look like a bum. ali was jamming with his friends, preparing for a gig the following day. i talk about issues that we face as a society. i mean, it's something like — there is a song about feudalism,

feudal landlords and the power. there is another song about people who stare at women. i grew up with a single mother and i saw her face a lot of that growing up so i made a song about that. you know, youtube was banned in pakistan so i made a song about that. there were times when i used to get death threats but ijust focused on the love that i got and i realised that if this is what i want to do for my future then i have to deal with that. do you get nervous when you go to these gigs? because something could happen? the situation right now is better, but we have been through some tough times in the past. pakistan has been through a rough patch. we know that. that is the more reason why we need to perform, to entertain, to bring positivity.

if somebody feels unsafe they should come over and watch the show and feel safe and loved and happy. ali wanted me to go with him to his gig so of course i said yes. we set off on a road trip. it was the first time ali would ever be playing in hyderabad and he was excited. and so was i. i left the band to go and prepare for the show elsewhere. i carried on to the location alone. music and food festivals aren't too common here in hyderabad. this is it. the hyderabad club. but the place was packed. everyone is a lot younger than i thought. and this is also on a cricket pitch. i have never seen that before. while i was waiting for ali to arrive i made some friends. and eventually had a chat with the guy who arranged the whole thing. the view from a lot of people will be, pakistan shouldn't have

music events because if they do the taliban will bomb them. people would not expect to see something like this in pakistan. is this what pakistan is like? most of pakistan is like this. all the negative aspects of that are shown in the media. we're not like that. we have families who come out and enjoy their lives. we're not intimidated by any wrong activities or terrorist activities. this really could not be more different from the image most people get when you think of pakistan. we are watching two beat boxers perform to an audience full of young people eating pizza and enjoying life whilst waiting for a rap group to come on. i only knowjustin bieber. you only knowjustin bieber? yeah, but i am a very great fan. you are a belieber? i am a belieber. # touch me like you do. # what are you waiting for? that was brilliant. soon ali and his band arrives.

are you nervous? i am always nervous. i have done hundreds of shows, but i still get nervous before a show. before he went on stage i decided to ask why he puts himself through all of this. by the end of the show i go home and i go like, great, i made them dance, and i made them think as well. a lot of people when they think of pakistan think of the taliban, they think of terror and they would think that being a musician would be difficult as a consequence. have they got it all wrong? my content gets me into trouble with some bad people but you can see a thousand people here having fun. and there is no taliban here. you don't have to be nervous about security because it happens and if it is going to happen it is going to happen. it has never happened. i have never been shot at while performing and stuff like that. so i'm going to keep on doing it because i need to speak to these people. my audience is this.

they are more or less the same people. they just want to survive and make a good living. they want to be happy. in the end of the day theyjust want to make a living. music gives them hope. we lack education. we lack proper employment. there is a lot of corruption. so at the end of the day somebody goes back home happy, i think that's what i give them. a little bit of happiness, a little bit of hope. everyone should be a pioneer, right? it's no good to follow. you should lead. you should do something. that's where the risk is. it might not work, but if it does, it'll be the best. stay with us because coming up...

i'm trying not to get knocked off my feet. look at his abs. and we're searching for singing stars in manila. # total eclipse of the heart. the travel show, your essential guide wherever you're heading. japan can lay claim to many crazes that have swept the world but now people in another country say they are responsible for one of japan's biggest entertainment exports. and they're just as passionate as the japanese about showing off their skills.

so we took a trip to manila in the philippines to meet them. # this is a man's world. i'm 21 years old. i'm a fourth—year physiotherapy student. my passion is singing. singing is part of my everyday life. it makes me happy. it keeps me alive. we love to sing here in the philippines, karaoke. my ideal type of song to sing for an audience is something that speaks about love, something that speaks about broken hearts, because everybody has felt that. i'm the daughter of the inventor of the singalong system or karaoke. my father introduced the singalong system in the philippines in 1974. let me show you a sample of one of the singalong systems my father

came outwith. with the introduction of the karaoke many filipinos were able to afford to have their own machine at home and it provided a new form of entertainment. there was a new set of venues to go to. we love to sing in malls with karaoke machines. an example of that is happening right now. we love to sing female pop belter songs, we love to sing that kind of stuff. we love to sing those high notes. it is part of our culture. it is getting late here in manila, it is already dark, it is the perfect time for a karaoke session. # i would stay awake just to hear you breathing # watch you smile while you are sleeping # while you're far away in dreaming...

# i could spend my life in this sweet surrender, # i could stay lost in this moment forever. ..# the filipinos really know how to sing. they have a voice. it has been proven all over the world that we have entertainment all over the world. they take a shower, they are singing. they wash their clothes, they are singing. it is part of filipino culture. # together we can take it to the end of the line # your love is like a shadow on me all of the time...#

# nothing i can say, total eclipse of the heart. # total eclipse of the heart. finally this week, i'm in bangkok finding out why thailand's national sport is drawing visitors from around the globe. muay thai is said to have been developed by thai warriors in the battlefields of the 14th century where it became known as the art of the eight limbs.

that's because hands, shins and elbows and knees are all used as points of contact. fighters battle it out in villages and towns across the country but only the very best make it here to the stadiums of bangkok. this is rajadamnern stadium, it's the oldest of its sort here in bangkok and it's held host to many a legendary muay thai fight and tonight is no different. if you look into the rafters, you'll see a lot of local faces, but a lot of foreigners as well. a lot of tourists. i have some fantastic seats so i'm going to go find them.

tickets to the the main part of the arena start at 1,000 baht which is just under us$30. for that you can watch several bouts made up of five rounds. the competitor who lands the most strikes on their opponent's body wins that particular round. like boxing, you can also win by knockout. the atmosphere is amazing. you have the strong smell of heat rub and the fighters themselves are impressive. it is really quite high octane. despite the sport's popularity and the obvious skill involved, it's only recently that it's been granted provisional

olympic recognition. fans hope it will be part of the 2024 games. these fighters are astonishing watching up close and personal. but some bright spark at the travel show decided it was a good thing for me to try it out first hand so tomorrow morning i'm heading over to an actual muay thai camp that trains the fighters from all over thailand. i hope i don't come out the other end too bruised and banged up. i head 45 minutes to the north of bangkok to the gym where some of the country's top champions live and train. tourists who want to get fit can stay at camps like this throughout thailand but this place is known as the country's toughest. how's the experience been so far? good, man. these guys, they're tough. really, really tough. i mean, they're the best. back home where i'm training two

hours a day and that's supposed to be like the real tough stuff for competition. here, you train like six or seven hours a day. that's the normal. these guys train twice a day every day. they are determined to make me sweat even more. it's all about balance. you always think of leaning into a punch. with muay thai, you have to stay pretty much dead centre, keep your weight evenly distributed. it's weird, it's like breaking habits. children here start learning from a very young age and it takes years to master the practice. i'm about to step in the ring with momo who is the top contender for muay thai in japan.

he looks really mean. look at his abs. they look ridiculous! i have fair way to go yet. practice, yeah? i think i'm going to have to call it a day. these guys are finely tuned athletes. i have had the tiniest of training here.

it's been absolutely amazing but my time here is done so i hope you enjoyed my agony. i'm very relieved to say that's it for this week but coming up on next week's travel show. coming up next week, we begin a journey from the far west to the far east of india as the country celebrates 70 years of independence. if there is one defining legacy of british rule, it's the vast sprawling creaking indian railway network. it's still the lifeblood

of the country today. join us for that if you can but don't forget you can follow us wherever we are in the world byjoining our social media feeds. all of the details are on your screens 110w. but from me and the rest of the team here in bangkok, thailand, it's goodbye. hello there. thursday was a fine day for most of us, and the weekend isn't looking too bad either. we just have friday to get through first. because things will be turning increasingly cloudy. we'll see some outbreaks of rain. in fact, already, some wet weather

already in north—western areas. an area of low pressure sliding across the north of the british isles. tightly squeezed isobars — notice the white lines quite tightly packed. that shows us that the winds will be quite strong. stong gales at times across areas of scotland, with areas of rain working from west to east. but for the midlands, eastern england, in the south and the south—east, it'll start off dry and bright, and will stay that way for good parts of the day. cloud only very slowly increasing from the west. so even by 4pm in the afternoon, for east anglia, down to the south—east, there should be some sunshine around. 22—23 degrees is quite possible. mainly fine for the channel islands. just a bit of patchy rain creeping in here. that patchy rain continuing to work across the south—west of england. most of it quite light and patchy. perhaps some heavier bursts for coasts and hills. similar story there across wales. 16 degrees in cardiff for the middle of the afternoon. for northern ireland, even though the main area of rain will have cleared away by this stage, there's like to be some cloud left behind, some drizzle. so was true for much of scotland.

but to the north, the murray firth, aberdeenshire, they can see some brightness holding on. if that happens, temperatures could get to about 20 degrees. rather cloudy and a little damp across much of northern england. as we go through friday night into the early hours of saturday, the heaviest bursts of rain will have cleared away. but there's still gonna be cloud, mist, murk and drizzle around. not a chilly night by any means, 13—16 degrees. and for some, it is going to be a struggle to clear that cloud away during saturday morning. the frontal systems really dragging their heels, particularly across the south of the british isles. generally speaking, high pressure takes charge of the scene for the weekend, which means it will be largely dry, with some spells of sunshine. as you can see, though, quite a cloudy start for saturday. that cloud struggling to break up too much in southern areas. there'll be the odd spot of drizzle around. but northern england, northern ireland, and scotland, the skies will brighten. we'll see some spells of sunshine and perhaps a shower for scotland, north—east england.

temperatures nothing to write home about, but in the sunshine it won't feel too bad. and with high pressure right on top of the country on sunday, it should be mainly fine day. good spells of sunshine, and you would be unlucky to get a shower, 16—22 degrees. so, quieter through the weekend, but things will turn unsettled again into the start of next week, with rain at times, particularly in the north—west. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: he threatened "fire and fury"

and now president trump says he may not have been tough enough. they can be very, very nervous, i'll tell you why, and they should be very nervous, because things will happen to them like they never thought possible. british police reveal the shocking scale of modern slavery and human trafficking across the uk. another twist in the tale of diplomats suffering hearing loss in cuba. now canada says its investigating. writer and filmmaker michael moore is making his broadway debut. the oscar winner tells us why he's saving a presidential box.