the headlines: the unites states has accused north korea of begging for war. in response to pyongyang's latest nuclear test, the american ambassador to the united nations has urged the world to use the strongest possible measures. south korea has been conducting massive military exercises. china has urged restraint, saying there must be a return to negotiations. a state of emergency has been declared in florida in the face of hurricane irma, now a category four storm, and bearing down on the eastern caribbean. it is likely to reach land early on wednesday. it could hit several caribbean islands, including the leewards, haiti, and puerto rico. the duke and duchess of cambridge have announced they are expecting their third child, tojoin charlotte and george. the duchess is suffering with severe morning sickness, as she has with the previous pregnancies. britain's tallest bridge, the queensferry crossing, which traverses the firth of forth, has been formally opened by the queen, accompanied by the duke of edinburgh. the bridge took six years to build, and her majesty paid tribute

to those who designed and built it, calling it a breathtaking sight. it is a little over half a century since the queen opened the neighbouring forth road bridge, as our correspondent lorna gordon reports. this newest of bridges across the forth has had plenty of attention since it was completed. today, it was the turn of the queen to meet some of the workers who built it, and see for herself the finished crossing. cheering. there to greet her and the duke of edinburgh, hundreds of local school children, who have grown up watching the new structure stretch out over the water. this is a bridge that celebrates the skills of hand, and heart, and mind. a small group, chosen from the many thousands involved in this construction, on hand as the queen officially opened the new crossing. then, for the royal visitors, a short drive over the bridge, this reminiscent of an earlier visit

by the queen more than half a century ago, when, in front of large crowds, she officially opened the forth road bridge, which sits just to the east. concerns over corroding cables on that older bridge led to the decision to build this new one, which the queen today described as a feat of engineering. the queensferry crossing joins its iconic and historic neighbours, to create not only a breathtaking sight over the firth of forth, but to provide an important link for so many in this community and the surrounding areas. those who live nearby excited to be part of this special day. it was just amazing, like, seeing the queen come and everything, and all the marching bands. oh, my gosh. it's absolutely amazing that she was here to open it today, and for us as locals, to actually be allowed to be so close to her.

i think that was absolutely fantastic. celebrating this occasion from the forth, a flotilla of boats, while above, the red arrows. these now three bridges standing side by side, from the water, land and air, a unique and unmistakable scottish vista. lorna gordon, bbc news, at the queensferry crossing. now on bbc news, the travel show. this week on the show, we're on colombia's unspoilt island of providencia. but where are all the tourists? henry heads to turkey to try his hand at painting on water instead of canvas. it's going everywhere. great. is it ok? yes. plus — we're in a medieval city in belgium for our whacky race, where bathtubs rule. one that looks like a shed on a bathtub. it is unbelievable. and i'm having a cracking time in northern japan. that really doesn't look appetising. we start off this week on the remote

caribbean island of providencia, with its breathtaking scenery and golden sand beaches. it's a slice of paradise you won't have to share with the package holiday crowd, because up until now, there's no major tourism development here. it's mostly untouched. but all that could be about to change, as james clayton discovered. basking in the south of the caribbean sea lies providencia, known throughout its history as an island that's harboured pirates like captain morgan. a place where traditions live on. people still speak english creole

here, even though it's been part of colombia for 200 years. the island is a paradise, but there's something missing. on one of the most idyllic beaches on one of the most idyllic islands in the caribbean, why are there no tourists here? the lack of holidaymakers seems almost bizarre, but it didn't happen by accident. getting to providencia is actually really hard. for example, if you're coming from the uk, you have to get a flight from london to bogata, then get a flight to a little caribbean island called san andreas. then either get a rickety flight or a catamaran to providencia. and it's not surprising as a result that there really aren't

many tourists here. it's just too much of a hassle. providencia's isolation is nothing new. it was established by english puritans, in part, seeking isolation to practise their religion. elkin robinson is one of providencia's biggest pop stars. he proudly traces his ancestry back to his english relatives. in the history, this island had been english always. the spanish always try to take over the island. he says there's a danger of providencia losing its identity to the neighbouring mainland. colombia is a country with a lot of different culture. everywhere you go is different. different climate, different food, different music, different people. but providencia's isolation from the mainland has also hit its economy.

food and drink are, for example, much more expensive than on the mainland. and so colombia has committed to extending providencia's airport so it can take international flights. many of the locals are up in arms. it's not going to happen. we're not going to permit it. sophia huffington is leading protests against the expansion. she fears what happened in san andres sets the precedent. they opened the airport there in 1953 and started pulling away the territory from the people. we have an example for them not to come and make the same mistake again. 60 years after san andres got its international airports, there are now high—rise hotels, casinos and a0 times more tourists than providencia.

crime is now a problem and the locals are in a minority. however, other people in providencia are more realistic about the benefits of visitors. manuela rents out a spare room to tourists. as soon as the government tried to open more to the tourists, people right away it's like a strike. they all get together and they say no, this is not what's going to happen here. it's not like the big tourist companies haven't tried to get into providencia. this spa hotel was built by a prospector. but it lies empty. locals never allowed it to be opened, claiming it breached planning permission. they will lose all those roots, all that culture. they are just preserving it. in san andres the island has changed completely. the children are not even speaking the language any more. it's spanish.

providencia is afraid that the same thing will happen. although work has begun on the airport, locals have, for now, stopped the expansion. but providencia's conundrum is a microcosm of the challenges that communities face from globalisation across the world. opening the island up would undoubtedly boost its economy. but the overdevelopment of the island of san andres means many providencians simply don't believe it's a price worth paying. tourism is important. but i don't feel it will live from tourism. i feel like the tourism will live from us. james clayton reporting there from the untouched island of providencia. now we head to istanbul for a spot of ebru painting — a turkish art form that involves

marbling or painting on water. ebru has been around for centuries, growing in popularity under the ottomans and then spreading to europe. we sent henry golding to give it a go. we're going to make a daisy today. 0k. first we have to choose colours. which colours do you want to use? i like the blues. maybe this one. daisies are usually white with yellow. there's a white here. you start with the base? yes. how do you do it, what's the technique? we first mix it. and we start sprinkling. 0k. it's going everywhere. i'm not sure it's as good as yours. it's great. is it ok? yes. the reason why the paint sticks on the top here is because the canvas we're using is made of water and starch. it's a lot thicker than the paint.

this is almost like a chopstick. yes. we are using them to make these shapes. now we're making the daisy. first we're going to start with the leaves. this takes a little more control that the flicking. like a teardrop. we're going to do this to the leaves. more of a blob than a flower. a little bit of colour. stick this in the middle. that looks like an egg rather than a daisy. this is where we print it out on paper. yes. lay the paper here. you lay it down. we just wait.

just pull it. shall i show you? how is it? you think it's pretty good for a first time? yeah, it's great! you're really talented. do you think i'll be able to keep the turkish tradition of marbling going? yes! still to come on the travel show... we're in belgium for the annual international bathtub boat race, trying to keep the travel show‘s reputation afloat. i'm soaking wet! and my mission begins in the first part of a new series as i travel throuthapan, taking on some of its most daunting dishes. so don't go away. the travel show — your essential guide,

wherever you're heading. now we're off to dinant in belgium. the town's an hour's drive south of the capital, brussels, and is known as the birthplace of the saxophone. but in more recent years it's become famous for its very unusual summer festival. we sentjoe along to take part in one of the world's wackiest races. the river meuse flows for nearly i,000km through france, belgium and the netherlands and has been an important trading route since medieval times. but in more recent decades, a stretch of the river here in dinant in southern belgium has become better known for its epic water fights that happen each year as part of la regate de baignoires — the bathtub regatta. alberto came up with the idea for the regatta 35 years ago.

he shows me the one kilometre route where the boats will race. the race was intended to be a one—off. but 35 years later, it's still going. originally, each competitor had their own bathtub.

but now people create huge, elaborate floats. the only rule is that somewhere the design must incorporate a bathtub. people spend months secretly constructing their boats. i'm heading to meet one crew who are putting the finishing touches to the raft i'll be racing on. bonjour. hello. oh, these are amazing! yes, thank you. nice to meet you, i'm jo. nice to meet you. emmeline. they're enormous. yes, but it's not the biggest. come with me. 0k. wow! ready for you. you are very prepared. is this our boat? yes. the theme this year is famous people in dinant. emmeline has chosen to represent the town's doctors. the sign is like gray's anatomy. yes, it's my name. that's very clever. i can see a bathtub there. people sit in here? yes, me. just here!

where will i go? you can go here. emmeline and herfamily have been taking part in the regatta for the past 20 years. it's all hands on deck to finish their fleet of three boats. you must have a fancy dress. 0k. here are my scrubs. very nice. fully kitted out in my doctor's scrubs, all that's left to do now is launch the bathtubs. just making it nice for the trip! iget in? and we're off. in what i think is the wrong direction. which way are we going?

further down the river, we join the rest of the tubs on the start line. it's absolute chaos. there's a lot of shouting, a lot of chanting. have we started now? yes, i think. this is the race? i start rowing as hard as i can. but i get the impression it's more about showcasing the bathtub designs than how quickly you can complete the race. there is some seriously impressive contraptions on this river. one guy over there is barbequing on his bathtub. further down the river, there's something that looks like a shed. i don't know. i'm just going to keep rowing. soon, it becomes clear that splashing the opposition is the aim of the game.

you aren't allowed to try and sink other boats. but it seems that anything else goes. i'm obviously soaking wet! and the thousands of people who've come to watch aren't safe either. the town's bridge marks the end of the race. but no—one seems to be too bothered about hurrying towards it. for us, the regatta ends in the same chaotic way it started as we haphazardly paddle past the finish line. what a day. i'm not sure there were any winners or losers there. but it was so much fun. they've told me this is the only way to finish the race. after i've dried off from my dunking there's an anxious wait to see if we've won a prize. an award for the team's

creative bathtub design. it might seem silly, but i'm actually really excited about this, because it was an intense race and i think i've earned it. to end this week, japan's food can be justjaw dropping and most people new to the country make a bee line for the yakitori joints or sushiers that you'll find everywhere. i've lived here in tokyo for over three years now and i love japanese food. but there's still some ifind quite intimidating. with a little help from my

translator, yoko, i'm taking my tastebuds on a trip through this country to try and understand what i'm missing out on. hokkaido is japan's northern island. it's wild and craggy. in the winter, it's a snowy wonderland. after the thaw, the islanders are left with alpine meadows and crystal clear seas. we're in the port city of otaru. i'm told this is one of the best places in all of japan to find the best uni. this is japanese sea urchin, or to be more exact, its reproductive glands. it's a fairly pricey delicacy, which you normally eat with soy sauce on top of a bed of rice. carmen...

uni — you found it. yes. this is quite a big pack of uni. how expensive is this? 4,500 yen. wow! that's just less than $45, around 30 quid. expensive. why is it so expensive? because the fishermen can only fish for it at certain times. so this is the best uni injapan, is that correct? collecting them is hit—and—miss. the sea has to be perfectly still for the fishermen here to head out onto the water. either they all go or none do. luckily, i'm here at exactly the right time of year.

do you like uni? ilove uni. it's expensive. i cannot eat every day. we can reallyjust try uni out here? you don't have to cook it or anything? sterilise it? no. open it. put it in your mouth. this man has been fishing here for years. if anyone‘s ever earned the title mr uni, it's him. what's that black container do? it's a goggle. to look under the sea. wow! i love this, it's so amazing. japan is such a hi—tech country and the way he's finding the uni is by using some massive goggle and a net.

amazing. wow, that's a lot! it looks really spiky. that really doesn't look appetising. so you scoop it out like this. eurgh, it looks like a soggy dish sponge. here we go. it smells horrible! 0k. bleugh! a bit like an oyster, really salty, but the consistency of eurgh! hokkaido is also famous for its dairy.

they say about half of alljapan‘s dairy cow population live out their days up here. another thing people eat when they come here to hokkaido is ice—cream. this is a seven—tower rainbow ice—cream. check it out. my goodness, it's grape, strawberry, green tea, melon, chocolate, milk and lavender. i can't wait. this is your ice—cream. right, let me guess, this is uni ice—cream, right? well, i love ice—cream. maybe this is one way i might actually enjoy uni. it's not so bad. it does taste a little salty and a little bit seafoody. but i think this is the best way to enjoy uni, really. for me, anyway.

uni may not necessarily be for me, but it's a genuine passion for some of the people who live here. and if you're looking for a proper, authentic taste of northern japan, this is most definitely it. you're sure i can't have that one back? i want to keep this, so no! i got it back. that's all we have time for this week. coming up next week... ade travels through sweden to find out about stockholm's plans to become the most futuristic city in the world. this microchip implant sits right here under my skin. i would never know it was there. he also heads to the far north of the country to experience a chilly night on a block of ice. it's so cold! it's cold, man! don't forget, you can join in our adventures on the road by following us on social media.

in the meantime, from me and this melting ice—cream on the japanese island of hokkaido, it's goodbye. good morning. we've got some fresher air trying to push into the north—west of the uk today but for many, a mild and muggy start once again. the dividing line between that bit fresher air and something humid is this weather front which will be producing wet conditions across wales and northern england to start the day. to the south of that, like we saw on monday, extensive low cloud. there will be a few breaks allowing some sunshine and temperatures will shoot up in the morning rush hour. like yesterday, the cloud will produce some spots of drizzle.

the best parts of brightness will be across the east. the west midlands, north wales, north—west england some heavy rain around, particularly on the pennines and the lake distric splashes of rain into yorkshire and the north—east. scotland and northern ireland, a bit of cloud and outbreaks of rain particularly across the west of scotland and northern ireland. they will become less prevalent through the day. sunny skies will develop here and there. few in the way of showers. stays wet across northern england and north wales and the rain eases off in intensity and outbreaks of rain coming and going across the midlands and southern england. in sunshine, temperatures 23 or 24. while we see something fresher to scotland and northern ireland later, you will see something a good deal sunnier. the fresh air gradually clears away the damp weather from england and wales as we go through the night and into wednesday morning. we start wednesday and it will feel a good deal cooler. these are the city temperatures but rural areas down into single figures, widely.

a fresh start to wednesday but a ridge of high pressure is building in and while this weather front will bring a few showers to parts of scotland, one or two isolated showers in north—west england and northern ireland. wednesday is set to be the driest and brightest day overall. sunny spells. temperatures down on the start of the week. 15—19 degrees. similar on thursday. after a cool start, winds lighter to begin with and cloud amounts increasing. scotland and northern ireland a bit more wet. the rain spreads into northern england late in the day. many southern areas, a dry and bright day. as we finish the week, low pressure moves in and outbreaks of rain pushing into most parts of the country. we could see a zone of more persistent rain. a bit uncertain as to where that will be on friday. sunshine between blustery showers further north but temperatures in the mid teens for many. certainly a cooler end the week and we stay windy and cool into the weekend with further blustery showers as well. that's how it's looking.

bye for now. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley. our top stories: the us accuses north korea of begging for war, and urges the world to take the strongest possible measures in response to the latest nuclear test. only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy. we've kicked the can down the road long enough. there is no more road left. as tensions rise, south korea simulates an attack on its neighbour. china calls for restraint, and a return to talks. syria's army and its allies close in on the eastern city of deir al—zour, as the battle against the islamic state militants continues. calm before the category four storm. hurricane irma sweeps towards the caribbean and the southern united states.