this is bbc news. the headlines: kurdish—led forces in north—eastern syria say they're launching their final battle against the islamic state group in the tiny pocket of territory it still holds near the iraqi border. the announcement comes just days after president trump said the end of the self—declared is caliphate could soon be announced. seven men have been sentenced to life in prison for terror attacks in tunisia that left nearly 60 people dead. the attacks in 2015 were claimed by the islamic state group. the first one hit tunis‘ bardo museum. the second targeted tourists at a beach resort. us senator elizabeth warren has formally launched her bid to stand for the white house in 2020 with a speech in which she promised to tackle economic inequality. shejoins a growing list of democrats keen to take on republican president donald trump in 2020. 50 years ago today, the boeing 7a7 took to the skies for the very first

time — heralding the start of what was dubbed the "golden age of travel". thejumbojet offered more space, more seats and greater luxury than ever before. it transformed aviation, making far—flung destinations within easy reach, as adam woods explains. newsreal: the jumbos are coming. 1969 and the jumbo jet is unveiled to the world. newsreal: one observer commented that it seemed as though the qe2 had taken to the sky. bigger than anything else at the time, it transformed air travel for millions of people. newsreal: the jumbo jet has brought a new dimension to air travel, space, more room for more passengers. more seats meant more tickets, it shrank the world. america, africa, australia — now all within reach of the masses. the 7a7 was a massive risk for boeing — it nearly bankru pted the company. orders for the new plane were slow to come in. but half a century later it's still in service and more

are still being built. yet thejumbo's days are numbered. british airways plans to retire its fleet within five years. all airlines in america have already grounded theirs. smaller, quieter, more efficient planes are now the future passenger flight. instead, jumbo jets are finding a new life ferrying freight. the queen of the skies for 50 years — and, perhaps, a few more to come. aaron woods, bbc news. it's just after 1:30 in the morning. now on bbc news — time for the travel show. this week on the show: i'm in france to explore new ways of saving notre dame for generations to come.

the risk here is a structural risk of the building itself. within 10 years, we could have the cathedral completely down, if we were to do nothing. mike's in mexico on the trail of the truly remarkable monarch butterflies as they prepare to start their epic 3000—mile migration north. we are about 3,000 metres above sea level. the air is thin, it's quite cold, but we are beginning to see butterflies. we've got on how to travel and stay together if you're a couple. do you ever tire of each other‘s company? both: yes. all the time! laughs. and we meet the grandmas bringing a taste of their faraway home to native new yorkers. we're starting off this week in the french capital at a masterpiece of gothic architecture, lying in the heart of paris. notre dame cathedral is the city's

most visited monument. 13 million people walk through its gigantic doors every year — that's twice as many as head to the eiffel tower. the cathedral was damaged during the french revolution, and many of its figures were defaced. but there are sections that still remain from before

the revolution and have been reconstructed since, like the lastjudgement here, right on the facade of the cathedral. although successive waves of restoration have maintained the cathedral‘s main features, some of which date back to the 12th century, maintaining the building is an ongoing challenge. pollution, acid rain and age are now eating up not only its fine details, but also this building's actual structure. and it's particularly striking when you go behind the scenes here, up high at the back of the cathedral — a place that tourists don't usually get to see. notre dame looks so imposing from the street, towering down, this huge structure. but when you get up close, it's amazing to see how much the old girl needs a helping hand. help is what michele is trying to provide. his charity, friends of notre dame, has launched an appeal that asks private donors to help pay for some of the most needed and urgent repairs. so you see here, we have already

some parts of pinnacles which were at risk of falling, so we removed them and stored them here. if we don't want the cathedral to collapse, we absolutely need have to repair all these flying buttresses and these pinnacles need to be replaced as well. but repairing and preserving mediaeval architecture does not come cheap. the french state actually owns the building, and spends up to 4 million euros each year on the cathedral. but that is not enough, and a lot more money is needed. it's estimated that it will cost at least 150 million euros to carry out all of the essential structural work here, and it's a race against time. so, how urgent are these repairs? so they are very urgent, because actually, the risk here is a structural risk on the walls of the cathedral and the building itself. within ten years, we could have the cathedral completely down

if we were to do nothing. that's incredible. although it's hoped that private funds might help to save notre dame, the country is full of other beautiful historic buildings that also need help. so the french government is trying out a new way to help save at risk churches, castles and chateaux. bonjour. and it starts with a trip to the local newsagent. 0ui. merci. 12 million of these special heritage scratch cards are on sale across france. you can win big money and save monuments in one go. at 15 euro, this isn't cheap, but 10% of the money from this will go to conservation projects. in total, almost 270 historical sites, from ancient monuments to churches and castles, will hopefully benefit from the 16 million euros raised so far. ah! it's nothing. rien. at least it's for a good cause.

but the internet has also opened up new opportunities for saving france's vanishing heritage. i'm heading out to the loire valley, about three hours from paris, to check out an experimental conservation project powered by people. welcome to la mothe—chandeniers, a romantic castle from the 13th century, surrounded by water. it's lain in ruins for decades and has been reconquered by nature. but a crowdfunding start—up might just change its fate for good. you can see how nature has just taken over with huge trees coming out the window. it's like a cross between the classic french chateaux and one of the temples of angkor. so when we came — first came here, it was like alljungle

and everything. it was crazy. and this has all been cleared? yeah. it was the first thing we did, you know, to — to allow people to enter the castle and — and to see, like, all the magnificence of it. last year, in a bid to save this crumbling castle, romain‘s start—up imagined a new concept. for 50 euros each, people from around the world could join forces online and just buy it collectively. et voila. you see here, it's like — you feel like time has stopped a long time ago. so just watch the roots, because is very fragile, just like the rest of the castle. i will be very gentle with the trees, i promise. the dream of owning part of french history appealed to many... is this safe? yeah, it's safe. no problem. ..and the crowdfunding operation was a huge success. we managed to — to have the mothe—chandeniers being the biggest co—operative in the world with 28,000 people coming from 125 countries who are the new owners of the castle. so now that we are many owners, the biggest step is to secure the castle and have it not damaged

more than it is now, and to develop also a sustainable, economic modern site, having maybe a restaurant, maybe a hotel, and the aim here is to have people to come here and to help us with the restoration project being a choice, you know? so, will this stay a ruin, or will you restore it back to its former glory? basically, it will say a ruin, but a more beautiful ruin than it is now. we don't want to take out this nature, you know? we need to keep this magic with the trees, with the birds, with everything that you can see all around us, that has made people so amazed by the castle. thanks to a dedicated community of co—owners and volunteers, la mothe—chandeniers will be open to the public next summer. and since we met, romain‘s start—up has launched another crowdfunding campaign and bought a second castle in the region. could this new model of collective ownership be part of the solution and help to save thousands of historic buildings across france? it would be nice to think so.

now we're off to mexico, where a truly remarkable migration is getting ready to take place. next month, millions of new monarch butterflies will start their long flight north as they prepare to spend the spring and summer months over the border in the us and canada. but climate change is having a real effect on butterfly numbers, and some scientists fear that within 20 years, they could be extinct. well, a while back, mike headed to mexico to see these amazing monarchs close up. you wouldn't know it to look at, but these hills are just a couple of hours' drive from mexico city, one of the world's biggest urban conurbations. this is the transatlantic volcanic

belt, but it's not the volcanoes we've come to see. i'm almost to the summit of bald peak and you can tell, i'm quite out of breath. we are about 3,000 metres above sea level. the air is thin, it's quite cold, but we are beginning to see monarch butterflies. every winter, millions of butterflies fly for around two months from canada and the us to a few patches of high altitude forest here in mexico. most are located in the state of michoacan, but this place is slightly east of there in mexico state. cerro pelon is the least touristy site, and somewhere you can truly be alone with these creatures. wow!

normally, we're not allowed to get this close, but from this distance, i hope you can see. there are millions of monarchs clustered in black lumps on this fir trees. what i find absolutely amazing about this insect is they travel 4000km from canada, united states, down to this particular forest. it's the longest migration undertaken by any insect. scientists only recently discovered that they use the sun to navigate to the same few reserves every year where they rest, feed and then find a mate. in recent years, the populations have dwindled, thanks to the destruction of habitats in the us and canada, and deforestation here in mexico. one study says the numbers have gone down by 84% in the last 20 years. the fear is this — one more bad winter, and the entire colony could be gone. mike there reporting from mexico,

and good luck to all of those monarchs as they begin their long flight north next month. coming up: we have got news of a tribute to an ‘80s soft rock classic at a secret location in trending travel. # ..do the things we never had. and we head to new york to meet the grandmas bringing a taste of home cooking to staten island. when i opened this place, it was about trying to recreate that part of my life that i lost. when the grandmothers were in the kitchen and they were cooking, it was very comforting, and that's what it was all about for me. the travel show — your essential guide, wherever you're heading. it is now time for trending travel, our regular pick of the top stories, videos and photos all happening online this week.

although london is always the main draw for tourists to england, if you've always been curious about what lies beyond, then now you can explore some of the country's most historic cities from the comfort of your own phone — that's thanks to a new app called england 0riginals that uses augmented reality to create pop—up, interactive 3—d versions of places like 0xford, york and durham, right in front of you. and then, once you get there, you can step into secret portals to learn more about their history. we're already the smartphone generation. my grandma who's, you know, is in her late 80s, uses an ipad. the challenge, really, is to create stuff that — that feels youthful, to spark an interest which they then put onto visit some of these places. if your idea of getting away from it all usually involves a sun—and—beach holiday, how about trying something new this year? stressed—out offers workers in south korea are booking two—night stays at a prison—style retreat, where they are being kept

in solitary confinement, deprived of their phones and deprived of contact from the outside world. so far, over 2,000 people have been willingly locked up in the facility in hongcheo, about an hour east of seoul. here is another story about travellers being asked to stay back with their selfie sticks when they're exploring the natural environment. authorities in australia are asking visitors to maria island in tasmania to sign up to a pledge that means they will respect the national park's wombats by keeping their distance. although wombats are naturally docile and cute, too much human interaction can be really harmful, no matter how well it's intended. # i bless the rains down in africa. and if you're a diehard fan of the rains down in africa, then you should head to namibia, where local artist max siedentopf has built the ultimate tribute to the toto classic. running on solar power and built to last out of mainly sustainable materials, it blasts out the ‘80s soft rock classic over the namib desert 2a hours a day on a loop that max hopes will last for ever.

let us know if you find it, though, because max has kept the exact location a secret. now it's time to look at some of the photos you've sent us using the hashtag #traveltuesday. here are some of our favourites. scotty took these pictures of the great pacific northwest in the us recently. benjamin managed to shoot this stunning sunset shot in finnish lapland. gabriel shot this great photo of the first snow in amsterdam recently. and remember to send us your pictures using the hashtag #traveltuesday. moving on now to online travel videos. here are some great ones racking up the likes this month. well, with valentine's day on the horizon, we thought we'd ask a couple who have spent their lives travelling and vlogging around the world to give us some tips. phoebe lee and matt turk have almost 2 million views on their little grey box youtube channel, where they chart their adventures around the world together. you get to travel with your best friend.

and i also love the fact that you get to have those memories together for ever. do you ever tire of each other's company? both: yes. all the time! laughs. we've been together for 11 years so it's gonna happen. you know, we started doing this probably five years ago, i think it was? so, yeah, we do tire of each other but, you know, a day apart, a little bit of time apart, and it's all back to normal again. we try to find a really good balance and have our own days. travel has shaped who we are as people, individuals, and together. to have your best friend, your partner, with you, sharing that with you, it is incredibly rewarding. make sure to keep sending us your photos and your stories of the places you live and also the places you love. check out the links below and who knows? maybe next time, you'll be trending in travel. to finish this week, we are off to new york's staten

island. now, many people take the ferry across from manhattan just to get a view of the statue of liberty. but there's another reason to make the trip — a restaurant staffed not by trained chefs, but by a team of grandmas who are serving up traditional dishes from all over the world. we've been to meet them. the concept behind the restaurant is very simple — it's about grandmothers. i was born in brooklyn and my grandmother was from the messina, sicily. my mother worked, so i was raised by my grandmother. she was the sweetest, kindest woman in the world, and the best cook. this is spinach pie.

i cook the spinach with onion. i put dill, feta cheese. i am from greece. i came here because my husband is here. i have now 49 years. when i opened this place, it was about trying to recreate that part of my life that i lost. when i opened this place, it was about trying to recreate that part of my life that i lost.

when the grandmothers were in the kitchen and they were cooking, it was very comforting, and that's what it was all about for me. well, i'm glad to have this opportunity to work here because it's such a brilliant idea that jody had to have what he called 'grandmother service'. so that we can all share our ethnic roots specialities, pass it along from — from my — from the other generation. 2016, i lost my husband. i'm cry, i'm stay home. my daughter maria, she say to me "ma, come to me and we go to one restaurant i see on staten island. it has all ladies, old ladies, cook over there. you come with me." i said to her "0k!" vevita, i'm ready

to drain these out. so what i'm going to do... let's see how this — i'll do it. i say "time to start this restaurant. nobody knows me." now, everybody loves me. i have a lot of people, 2,000 people, on the facebook, instagram. i'm very happy.

i'm proud for my island. i'm proud for i'm greek. i love everybody! thank you so much. you're welcome. thank you. oh, that's beautiful. so, one of the effects of our concept is it kind of introduces people to different cultures and it really pulls back that veil of ignorance and you really, uh, when you're sitting down and you're eating the food that that woman from a culture that you have no idea anything about it, and you're meeting that woman, it really, uh, takes you across that border without you even knowing it, and i think that, uh, music will do that and, uh, art will do that and food does that as well. well, that's it for this week,

but coming up next week: ade's in morocco, exploring marrakesh and finding out why it's making a big name for itself on the international art scene. and let's just say things get a little out of hand. see, i'm gonna get accustomed to this and this is how you're gonna have to treat me all the time at the travel show. and don't forget we're all over social media, and you can follow any of our feeds by clicking through from: until next time, from me, christa larwood, and the rest of the travel show team here in paris, it's goodbye. well, the weather is in the process of calming down after all

of that storminess we've had in the last few days. and, as storm erik pulls away out into the norwegian sea, behind it, it leaves a legacy of changeable weather. we have got some rain out there right now. it's pretty damp across some central and southern parts of the uk, brought by this area of cloud here. this is a weather front which will be sliding across southern and central parts of the uk. all of this cloud here to the north, actually, that's the remnants of storm erik that we've had in the last couple of days. so here's the forecast through the early hours. bits of pieces of rain across central and southern areas of the uk. clear for scotland and much of northern and north—eastern england there. in fact, a touch of frost first thing on sunday morning, and pretty chilly in belfast as well, around 2 degrees at 6:00am. so what can we expect, then, on sunday?

well, the morning is looking cloudy and damp for many of us across the southern half of the uk. but this weather front will be swiftly moving away towards the east, so the weather will improve. but it's going to be a slow process for places like lincolnshire and east anglia. some of that rain could last into lunchtime. now, notice how all the while it's sunny across eastern and central scotland. beautiful day, i think, for edinburgh, for newcastle, aberdeen too. but showers are expected to push into northern ireland by the time we get to lunchtime and then these showers will sweep across other parts of the uk later on sunday, so hence the mixed bag on sunday. now, as we head into monday, high pressure starts to build from spain and portugal. in fact, it's going to establish itself across much of western europe, which means that the weather will start to settle down from monday onwards, and any weather fronts that do come close to our neighbourhood will actually be diverted towards the north. so this is where all the weather fronts will go. we are in this window

of much drier weather. temperatures of 10 degrees on monday in london, and it's relatively mild. you can see how the jet stream actually meanders around the uk, in fact, at times even north of iceland, into scandinavia, and to the south of that, that's where we start to see the high pressure building, and with the winds blowing around in a clockwise fashion, the warmer air will be reaching the uk. so the summary for the week ahead is a lot of dry weather out, or at least mainly dry. there might be some sports of rain in north—western scotland. mild by day, but the nights with the clearer sky will be chilly, and there might be some fog around too. bye— bye. hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm reged ahmad. the battle against the spread of the so—called islamic state has raged on for years, but now a spokesman for the kurdish—led alliance in north—eastern syria says its forces are launching their final battle against the group in the tiny pocket of territory it still holds around the village of baghouz, near the iraqi border.

the announcement comes just days after president trump said he believed the end of the self—declared is caliphate could be announced in the coming week. but as sebastian usher reports, the threat still remains in the region.