who is responsible for the latest suspected chemical weapons attack in syria, and he's promised a quick and forceful decision on a response — possibly within hours. russia has warned that us military action could cause grave repercussions. there has been sweeping international condemnation. the us ambassador to the un, nikki haley, told an emergency meeting of the security council syria's president, and his allies russia and iran, bear responsibility. president trump has described a raid on the office, home and hotel room of his personal lawyer as a disgrace. fbi agents seized a phone, computer, and documents from michael cohen relating to the payment of $130,000 to the porn star stormy daniels. the washington post claims mr cohen is under investigation for campaign finance violations and bank fraud. now, spare a thought for the keepers at newquay zoo. they have had a few sleepless nights recently caring

for a baby armadillo. it's the first one to be born at the zoo, and needs some special attention. the little armoured one is now a few weeks old, but as eleanor parkinson has been finding out, he is proving a bit of a character. this is one hungry baby armadillo, and he can't drink milk fast enough. he is just five weeks old, and is growing fast. this video was taken just after he was born. back then, he needed bottle—feeding every three hours, so there were some long and sleepless nights for his keepers. they had to feed him right throughout the night, and they were feeding him every four hours for the last few weeks. luckily, for armadillos, they wean at about one month old, five weeks old, so it didn't last too long, and we're slowing up and he's starting to eat solids. but i've never seen an animalgrow like it. he went from 270g to over a kilogram

in less than 2.5 weeks. back in the nursery, and he has moved on to the next course. the sweet potato is going down well. we are doing it sort of every four hours at the moment. we had a longer gap last night. but we're kind of sort of lengthening that a little bit more at the moment, with the hope that he's going to start feeding himself, which is why we're trying to get him to feed out of a bowl rather than a bottle. this little armadillo is being hand—raised because he had to be removed from his mother. it was her first baby, and she didn't seem to know what to do. we're in the enclosure with the baby armadillo's parents, wallace and gromit. now, it's being quite brave, because they're normally quite reluctant to come out of their burrow. armadillos don't have very good eyesight, although they do have a keen sense of smell. and then it is time for a much—needed snooze, back under his heat lamp. but, if he continues to grow and the weather improves, he may soon get out to meet the public. eleanor parkinson with that report.

now on bbc news, it's time for the travel show. this week, we're in cairo, as egypt's capital prepares to open the doors to the biggest archaeological museum in the world. it's fit for a king. and we go behind the scenes as scientists attempt a delicate operation to restore a priceless discovery back to its former glory. this is one of the oldest structures of wooden ship in the world. plus we hear about one man's incredible solo journey across an uncharted mountain range. we start this week in egypt's capital cairo, a huge sprawling city and home to more than 20 million people. the traffic here in cairo is just another level. cars everywhere, and the sounds from the horns

beeping, it is just nuts. as we reach giza on the outskirts of the city, we get a glimpse of the archaeological wonders that have fascinated visitors for centuries. wow! is that them? i've only ever seen them on tv. we're still quite far away from them, but actually it's breathtaking. the ancient egyptians built these pyramids as elaborate tombs for their rulers, or pharaohs, some 4,500 years ago. they've become the calling card of egypt's tourism. and the oldest, the great pyramid of khufu, stands at nearly 150 metres, and is the largest stone

monument anywhere on earth. wow, that is awesome. seeing them in real life is so cool. tourism is one of egypt's biggest moneymakers, and in 2010 it reached an all—time high up with more than 1a million coming here on holiday. but the following year, everything changed. change, change, change! anti—government demonstrations in cairo's tahrir square kicked off a wave of protests across the country. standing on the corner of the square is egypt's national museum. built in 1902, it houses perhaps the world's greatest collection of ancient artefacts, including the magnificent treasures of the boy king tutankhamen. during the turmoil, looters and vandals took advantage of the chaos and broke in. suddenly, thousands of years of the country's history

were at risk. what were your emotions, what did you feel? i was concerned at first, then i keep watching and felt secure after the museum was protected by our armed forces, and proud of those who formed a shell around the museum to protect the museum. thieves damaged the building and stole more than 50 priceless a rtefa cts . following the looting, a number of stolen antiquities ended up for sale online or at auction. the egyptian authorities managed to track them down, and now most of the stolen treasures, like this limestone statue, have been recovered. well, we are in front of the statue of king akhenaten, one of the objects that was stolen during the revolution here in egypt, and we are so lucky to get it back here at the museum,

by the help of the security forces in egypt. was it damaged at all? it is not damaged, and it is as we found it, and as we got it again, so it is not damaged. cramped, dusty and overflowing, the museum holds a special place in the nation's haase. but the break—in exposed it's outdated and weak security, and highlighted what was already known — the need to better safeguard the nation's unique treasures. here in the shadow of the pyramids, a new ambitious project is entering the final stages of construction. due to open later this year, the grand egyptian museum will be equipped to take the country's ancient treasures way into the future. when completed it will be the biggest archaeological museum in the world. this place is absolutely enormous.

the footprint is 500,000 square metres. there are over 3,000 labourers working here 21w, and it cost over us$1 billion to construct. you will be greeted by this imposing statue of ramses ii, one of the greatest egyptian pharaohs. i think even he would have been impressed by the scale of this place. it is fit for a king. this state—of—the—art monument will be the new home to tutankhamen‘s treasures. and for the first time, over 5000 objects discovered in the boy king's tomb will be on display to the public. but now, they will be better protected by modern security,

shedding new light on the lives of the ancient egyptians. so tell me about this piece here. this is one of my favourite pieces. it's one of the chariots of king tutankhamen. so we are pretty much looking at a 3500—year—old artefact, but in perfect condition, intact, as it was? if we consider the 3,500 years, it is in a perfect condition. restorers in these specially built labs are using the most advanced technology in the world to prepare the artefacts were display. it is very convenient now that we can use modern x—ray, we can determine the composition of the materials that were used, the original colours, the nature of the gilding, all of these new, valuable information, is being disclosed to us in a non—destructive way. more than two thirds of the objects from tutankhamen‘s tomb have been hidden away in boxes since their discovery by howard carter

almost 100 years ago. they are unrestored, and have never been seen by the public. so, nagm el deen, tell me what we can see here? what does it tell us about the king, what's the story? tourism here has really suffered over recent years. notjust because of political unrest, but also through

acts of terrorism. with assurances of increased security, it is hoped that this new centre dedicated to egypt's unique history will finally help encourage tourists to come back. it's magnificent, how with every piece you discover, you add a new piece to the puzzle of ancient egypt. and the fascination doesn't stop. if you are thinking of coming here any time soon, here's

the travel show‘s tips for what to know before you go. in terms of weather, egypt is pretty much a year—round destination, but temperatures can be uncomfortably hot here betweenjune and august. so it's best to travel between september and april when the heat is a lot more bearable. before you book, make sure you check your government's travel advice, because although the vast majority of the country is safe to explore, some areas are still subject to travel advisories. sharm el sheikh is one of those areas, but if you're a beach or dive fan, then check out other resorts like hurghada or el gouna instead. flights to these areas have increased, and you'll still find plenty to keep you occupied. and finally, never be afraid to barter while you're here. how are you doing, you 0k? while most traders have suffered

because of the downturn in tourism, haggling is still very much part of the art of buying and selling in egypt. so hold your nerve and meet any price you are given with a much lower offer, and eventually you will agree to meet somewhere in the middle. how about 85? no problem. still to come on the travel show: we discover how a passion for hiking led to one man's incredible journey into the unknown. and i'll bejoining a team of experts as they battle to retrieve a 5000—year—old piece of history from underground. so stay with us for that. next up on the travel show:

a new series where we hear about some of the incredible journeys happening around the world. in armenia and georgia, the building of a new hiking trail set val ismaili on a path that took him well off the beaten track and tested his lifelong passion for hiking. i just really, really love the act of walking itself. and what comes with it. the best feeling, when you're out on the trail are those moments when you complete something that is really difficult, or there is a danger to it, and you go through it safely.

there is that feeling of complete ecstasy, that moment of immersion is, to me the reason i go hiking. i am val ismaili, and last summer i spent two months hiking 1500 kilometres on my own to become the first person to hike the trans—caucasian trail through armenia and georgia. at the time i could not point on the map where georgia or armenia was. the trans—caucasian trail is a young project, to build a 3000 kilometre network of new purpose—built hiking trail in the caucasus, which is on the border of europe and asia. half of the volunteers

are typically internationals, half would be local armenians and local georgians. it will go into the future, the next ten years, to finish. in the caucasus, there is a massive range of ecosystems, up north you have these massive alpine mountains, 5000 metres, but down to the middle and the south, is pretty much everything else you can imagine. you can walk for days and not see people, not see buildings, be completely alone. the last time the caucasus was mapped was in the 19705 by the soviets. and so i had a chance to really

contribute to the design of the trail by finding different potential routes to connect the known sections of trail with the unknown sections of trail. i was hiking by myself for eight weeks and there are no hostels along the way, there are no places you meet other travellers. so that sometimes makes it really difficult to just carry on. and at that point, when i was struggling the most, shepherds would be living up in the mountains, they don't have very much but they would see me walking in the mountains by myself and, you know, from a distance, a kilometre or two kilometres away, they would scream at me and encourage me to come in.

they would offer me food and a bed to sleep in for the night. what i would leave, they would give me a care package of food and one of the most common things in it was jars ofjam, believe it or not. amazing fuel for the mountains. one of the best things is that the infrastructure is coming into those countries, we are building a trail, the first map since 19705 for armenia was used this summer, and is now on sale in armenia, so locals are using it. and i think that is a massive benefit to the country itself, being able to contribute in that way was really cool. and finally, i am back in egypt's capital, cairo, on the banks of the nile. today 95% of egyptians live along the nile.

it has always been essential to life here. the ancient pharaohs built elaborate vessels to travel along the river and these boats became some of their most prized possessions. in the scorching desert heat, an extraordinary operation is under way. i am going to a unique laboratory specially construct of next to the great pyramid of pharaoh khufu. inside, archaeologists and scientists face a daunting task. they are trying to excavate an ancient wooden boat which was buried nearly 5000 years ago. what can we see here? this is khufu's second boat, built in bc, before

christian, 2700 years. this is one of the oldest wooden ships in the world. these scientists are being led by a team from waseda university injapan, who have developed pioneering techniques to salvage the boat. it is a delicate and painstaking process. it can take a week to recover a single plank. what is happening now? they are now trying to lift up a very long, big wooden piece. unfortunately, this boat, the condition of the boat is not so good, very weak. it is thousands of years old. yeah. if the condition is good it is easy to lift up with manpower.

but in this case we did tentative reinforcement, and we lift it up very carefully. it is the second of a pair of boats which were buried in pits next to the pharaoh's final resting place. the other ship, now housed in a museum in giza, was excavated in 195a. the boats had been carefully dismantled into thousands of pieces before being buried, along with hieroglyphic instructions on how to reassemble them. that is because the ancient egyptians believed that in the afterlife the boats would be needed to transfer the rulers' resurrected spirits up to the heavens. so what is happening in here?

this is a lab for the conservation of khufu's second boat. after, as you saw, lifting the pieces from the boat, we bring the pieces here. the planks are incredibly fragile and removing them can cause even more damage. so this temperature—controlled lab was erected to examine the pieces on site. we take the weight, and we must keep the humidity at 55%... to help preserve the wood? yes, yes. the team are cleaning and restoring the wood piece by piece. they are literally rebuilding history. this is the dream for any conservationist, not only an egyptologist, but all over the world, people would love to work on this project.

we are most proud of this work. this is one of the most famous of boats. back in the excavation area, the team is still struggling to save a large part of the hull. it has been buried for five millennia and the slightest knock could be catastrophic. it looks like it is about 20 metres long. it feels like an incredible moment here. applause. how exciting. it's a little bit of history. it will take several years before this remarkable boat is fully restored.

but when it's finished, it will go on display with its sister ship in the new grand egyptian museum. so, there you go. that's it from us for now. join us next week when henry heads to alice springs in australia, to find out how mountain bikes are helping to revive this iconic 0utback town which has slowly been slipping off the tourist map. and don't forget, you can keep up with us on all our travels in real—time by following us on social media. but for now, from me and from all the travel show team, here in a foggy ehypt, it's bye—bye. or as they say here,

‘salaam wa—alaikum.‘ hello there, it is very slowly changing weather pattern this week. broadly the weekend is going to be disappointing temperatures for many parts of the uk because there is a lot of cloud and could be some further rain at times. easterly winds bringing that lots of it is a lwa ys winds bringing that lots of it is always going to be brightest further west across the uk and perhaps across southern counties as well seeing some sunshine. but this is the pressure pattern we have a

tuesday. a big area of low pressure to the south of us, and that is dominating the chart, certainly. and it is spilling up some ran away from iberia and heading northwards across the uk. so we saw rain developing through the evening and overnight. they continues its journey northwards up into scotland, away from the north—west, a bit dry of the england and wales. still a lot of misty low clouds roll while. some sunshine in southern england could trigger some heavy showers during the afternoon. temperatures here perhaps 16 or even 17 degrees, so an improvement on monday. now, wetter weather moves up and away from northern ireland scotland. at the same time we could see some rain originating from germany, coming across the low countries, heading towards our shores. and at the moment it looks like that rain is more like it to affect the midlands, perhaps wales, possibly pushing into northern england. again, some sunshine in the north—west of scotland. perhaps some sunshine across southern counties of england, boosting those temperatures. but again we have a big range of temperatures. in the sunshine not too bad, but again separate degrees around the eastern coast of

scotland, north—east england, where the winds are a little bit stronger and coming in off the north sea. high pressure centred over scandinavia. low pressure here across france, in between that easterly wind. it is always going to bea easterly wind. it is always going to be a stronger when the northern part of the uk. even on thursday there could be a few showers coming in from the north sea again. some brighter skies further west and across the south but we could see some wetter weather developing in the south—east. the air destabilising. conditions are right for rain to develop across this part of the uk. still dominated by low pressure. lighter winds were most of us, probably by friday, away from the northern half of scotland, where we still have that stronger winds. more rain developing, pushing its way northwards overnight. at the moment some heavy rain looks likely across scotland and north—east england for a while. although it might well brighten up a touch and it may well feel warmer with lighter winds, there is still a chance of a few showers across england and wales, but wetter weather overnight. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. my name is mike embley.

our top stories — president trump promises a forceful response to the suspected chemical attack in syria. his decision is expected soon. we are studying that situation extremely closely. we are meeting with our military, and everybody else, and we'll be making some major decisions over the next 2a to 48 hours. russia rejects calls for an independent inquiry but america's ambassador to the un points the finger clearly at syria's allies. we must not overlook russia and iran's roles in enabling the assad regime's murderous destruction. the international community must not let this happen. president xijinping promises to open up the chinese economy