president biden has voiced his support for a ceasefire after eight days of violence between israel and palestinian militants in gaza. he urged israel to make every effort to ensure the protection of civilians. 200 people have been killed in the gaza strip. ten have died in israel. the indian state of gujarat is being buffeted by the most powerful storm in the region for decades. around 200,000 people were evacuated as cyclone tauktae travelled along india's west coast, with wind gusts of up 200 kilometers an hour. at least 20 people are known to have died. the us supreme court has agreed to hear a case challenging roe v wade — the 1973 judgement which gave american women the right to an abortion. it will be the first time the court's new conservative—majority bench has considered the issue after a ban in the state of mississippi.

the ban on foreign holidays for people living in england, scotland and wales has been lifted, and replaced with a traffic—light system, grading every destination according to risk. the green list currently includes 12 countries and overseas territories. portugal is on that green list and has seen a surge in bookings. 0ur transport correspondent caroline davies sent this report from the algarve. we're going to portugal! we are not all going on a summer holiday, but, from today, going abroad for one is no longer illegal. this, after a long time of empty arrivals halls, will be a sight for sore eyes for many in the travel industry. it is a change of environment. we have been stuck at home for literally two years, so, just getting out and doing something different, being in a different culture, getting some sunshine, relaxing. international travel has returned, but with only 12 countries on the green list, the destinations are limited, but the paperwork and cost is not. portugal requires a pcr test on the way out, as well as two covid tests

to get back to the uk, but today's 8:40am flight to faro, was 90% full. we are now flying at over 35,000 feet. it feels quite familiar to be on board a plane again, but also quite strange, not least being in such close proximity to other people. for some, the adventure began before the plane landed. arlo�*s grandmother hasn't seen him for nine months. we've done zoom christmas, zoom birthdays, zoom mother's day. so, yeah, i mean, he started crawling and walking and talking since she last saw him, so he is a completely different little boy. this was a longed—for arrival, for many. not least for those with businesses that rely on british tourists here, and peter has been running his cafe in albufeira for 23 years. when they said we were on that green list, yeah, choke in the voice, it really was. it is massive, absolutely massive, as i don't think a lot of us could carry on much further, you know, withoutjust going irretrievably in debt.

we will get through, everyone will. we are all in it together, and the algarve will bounce back. the beaches are still empty but after a difficult year, some are returning to the sunshine. julian and jordan arrived this morning after a hard year working in a supermarket. feeling great, literally great. normality, a bit of normality. who is it, arlo? after months of anticipation, today was a much hoped for reunion. are you going to have a nice big hug? are you going to have kisses? caroline davies, bbc news, albufeira, portugal. now on bbc news, the travel show. coming up on this week's show... we're approaching the first rapid, and it's meant to be the steepest and most exciting. whoa! imitating a drunk monkey driving a car. and, that's it?

i do kind of feel ninja—like here. laughter. hello and welcome to the travel show. coming to you this week from tokyo, a city that's been my home for a little over seven years, and where the big talking point is whether this summer's olympic games will definitely go ahead, and if they do, what form will they take? it was back at the end of march last year that the ioc and the japanese authorities

decided to postpone the tokyo olympic and paralympic games, which were due to kick off with a spectacular opening ceremony in the capital's new national stadium on the 23rd ofjuly 2020. since then, japan and the rest of the world have been through a series of lockdowns, and most countries still have international travel restrictions in place. and although the postponed games are due to go ahead at the end ofjuly, rising infection rate injapan, coupled with the recent extension of the state of emergency here in tokyo means that everyone is closely watching the news, waiting for a definitive answer. in the meantime, why not join me as we take a look back at some of our favourite travel show stories from here? last year, there was a big campaign here injapan for people to holiday at home, with lots of discounts and incentives on offer, and not wanting to miss out, i headed around 5,000

kilometres south—west of tokyo on the main island of honshu, to the countryside surrounding wakayama to try a rafting adventure with a different. for centuries the wood here was so sought—after that it was used in buildings all around the country, but transporting it was no easy task. they came up with a novel solution, and today travellers can experience the old journey downstream. it does look quite strange by today's standards. i don't know what i was expecting but it really is just a bunch of logs strung together. it must float ok, it's been around long enough. speaks japanese.

so what's it like to drive and steer such a long raft like this? in the past, once the trees had been felled and strung together, the rafters would ride them down the river to the destination. today, with travellers on board, the rafts are safer. there are life jackets, handrails, and a bench, plus additional measures

for coronavirus, like masks and reduced capacity. but it's still very open to the elements. so, we're approaching the first rapid and it's meant to be the steepest and most exciting. hang on! woo! whoa! this is great! laughter. i'm totally soaked from my waist down. laughter. whoa! this is the slower part of the ride, so to speak, but it's just fascinating to think this is what they would have been doing 600 years ago to transport all the logs

down to the city to make the temples and the shrines. so, we're approaching a rapid now and we stand up so we don't get too wet. here we go! woo! laughter. whoa! 0n the side! so, that was our last rapid. it so interesting to watch these four guys navigate this seven—tonne log raft down a riverjust like they would have 600 years ago. it's amazing! definitely a unique way to travel, if you don't mind getting your feet wet. well, each big japanese city

has its own particular and distinctive feel and if you're looking for a laugh, then you better head to osaka, which over the generations has earned itself a reputation of being the comedy capital of japan. and back in 2015, rajan headed there to get in on the journey. 0saka is japan's mecca of comedy. these guys are really famous here. this theatre claims to be the busiest and most popular comedy venue in all ofjapan. the demand is phenomenal, so it's open 365 days a year to full houses of up to four shows a day, that's around i million people a year. fans travel from all over the country to see the stars live on stage. cheering.

the show includes many types of comedy, but one of the most common and popular is manzai, a double act with a straight guy and a funnyguy trading jokes, and it's this style that emerged in osaka. i wanted to find out more about the roots of comedy in the city. hello! konnichiwa! nice to meet you! katsura kaishi practices the traditional story telling, rakugo, and he says it evolved from 0saka's trading history. speaks japanese.

i'll go to your show tomorrow, we'll see, i'll find out. rakugo comedy was invented by buddhist monks to make their teachings more entertaining. speaking english: there was a car accident, mother, father and children were all hospitalised, but a monkey was the only one left, with the police. the police said i wish this monkey could talk... it's a storytelling tradition that obviously resembles stand—up comedy, but this

is some 200 years older. what would the father do? he was drinking, maybe he was drinking and driving. what were you doing, monkey? after the show, i wanted to get some tips from the expert. hold the pen? "monkey, what was the father doing?" "hang on a minute, what were you doing, monkey?" and that's it? they laugh. you should maybe move to japan and should be a professional rakugo performer. really?

laughter. packing a punchline, japanese—style, in osaka back in 2015. well, stay with us, because still to come on the travel show... this wall is as tall as me! i get put through my paces as i visit a ninja training camp in nagoya. it's dance moves upon dance moves upon dance moves, it's very complicated! and we set out to wow the crowds in a traditional festival in hokkaido. so don't go away. when you think ofjapan, things like cherry blossoms, tea ceremonies, temples and karaoke will spring to mind. but if you're a film or comic book fan, then ninjas will also be high on your list. back in 2016, i travelled to nagoya to meet some martial arts fans to become modern ninjas, and i even gave it a go myself.

needless to say i did not get hired. the ninja, a mysterious, undercover agent in feudal japan, skilled in espionage and assassination, living in the shadows, and now, you can apply to be one. farfrom hiding in the dark, the next generation of ninjas answered a job ad. full—time, centraljapan, salary around 1600 us dollars per month. hundreds of people applied and auditioned for the jobs, including many from overseas. this is the nagoya castle, and these are some of the chosen few. the new ninjas. every kid dreams about becoming a ninja at some point in their life. for me i held onto the dream a bit longer than most people.

i know you have just started but what's it like to be the only foreign ninja? it's a challenge! i thought that i could come tojapan, find a ninja clan, become a ninja, and then that would be it, but it is a constant progression of learning, studying, and struggling with japanese, but i love it, i've never been happier. it's not just physical. there is also history to be learned. it will be an intensive month ahead of this modern day ninja team's debut. it's only a training session, but there is already a lot of media interest, and for me it feels like there's a reality tv or talent show element to this project. but not everyone is buying into the hype. some purists are worried

that this sort of campaign is sending a distorted image of the japanese icon to the rest of the world. two hours from nagoya, i've been told this is the heart of ninja country. so, hundreds of years ago, real—life ninjas trained in the very mountains here, in akamedaki. so, i've come to this ninja training camp to try and get an authentic ninja experience. �*ninja no mori', or �*ninja forest', has been set up to cater to tourists in a natural setting. i might look the part, but can a cut it as a real—life ninja? to my relief, we started the day with some prayers and meditation.

then it was time to leave the safe surrounds of the temple and head to the training corps. first, it was onto the wire. what would this be used for? so, if there was a castle and a moat? yes, yes. speaks japanese. oh, so, the rope would help you get over the water? yes, yes. i — i do kind of feel ninja—like here. laughter. this is the — it's quite difficult! laughter. 0h! 0k. i don't think ninjas are meant to giggle. 0k. oh, my goodness! and then, the skill of scaling walls undetected. you don't expect me

to do that, do you? n0 audio no audio translation available. this wall�*s as tall as me! i wouldn't say it was easy, and i definitely didn't say it was pretty. but i managed it. so, they upped the ante. time to let go of any dreams i have of becoming a true ninja. i still defy anyone my size without superhuman powers to get over that wall. well, to finish off this week's look back at some of our favourite japanese adventures, we head to the far north of the country, to the island of hokkaido, where in 2018, rajan headed

there to take part in an annual local festival based on the island's seafaring history. and he even managed to pick up a few dance moves along the way. yosakoi soran is one of the region's biggest international dancing competitions. teams dance to music which is all inspired by the hokkaido folk song soran. traditionally, this folk song was about hokkaido fishermen. it's come a long, long way since then! i'd arranged to meet someone who'd taken part in this festival many, many times since she was a child. but finding one dancer on long 13,000 others was proving a little trickier than i expected. hi! konnichiwa! so, you are a veteran of this — of soran, of this dance festival? yeah.

excellent. you're going to teach me about all of this? ok. fantastic. so, tell me. what makes this festival unique? this yosakoi soran festival in hokkaido has two rules, yes, yes, just one — every team, every dancer as this — �*naruko�*. do you know soran music? yeah. so, even though the music might sound different, and there's this — they have the same melody? yes, yes, yes. how does the melody go? sings �*yosakoi soran'. and while it is something that clearly takes a lot of practice, i'm told in my case one hour should do it. this is what i have to wear? yes! wearing happi. ah.

ok. a very public training session for newbies like me before taking part in the main festival parade around the streets of the city. tell me about the first time you entered the festival, tell me about how it felt for you and what you did? hah! yeah! that's what you need, attitude.

just, ok, from top. 0h, from the top? it's just dance move upon dance move upon dance moves, it's so complicated! many of these moves are based on the tasks old fisherman performed, like dragging nets, pulling ropes and lifting luggage over their shoulders. can't you tell? ok! that looks difficult. that's only the practice! and we haven't even started the real thing yet. thunderclap. so, i'vejust had a rigourous workout and lesson and i supposedly know my moves. and now, to cap it all off, we're going to do the whole dance around the square in front of the crowds. help! thanks to your wonderful teaching, ifeel quite confident now. 0h, we're sprinting? ok, let's start!

yeah! fantastic. the nerves have all gone. who cares how good you are? this is about community, the festival. i'm getting in there. are you tired? i'm not! yes, because it's exciting. �*soran bushi' plays.

not a bad effort there from rajan back in 2018. well, that's all we've got time for this week. coming up next week: mike heads to the maasai mara in kenya to find out how the coronavirus pandemic forced lodges to lower their prices, meaning that more kenyans got the chance to go on safari for the very first time. we are excited and now we can afford the rates, that's why we're here. well, join us for that, if you can. but in the meantime, let me leave you with some pictures of the climax of that festival in hokkaido in 2018. sadly, it was cancelled in 2020, but fingers crossed the festival can go ahead again later this year. in the meantime, from all of us here from the travel show team here injapan, it's goodbye, and see you next time.

hello there. the torrential downpours, the thunderstorms were once again the talking point of the weather on monday. up to an inch of rain fell in some areas, and a covering of hail in others, as you can see. so, just adding to the rainfall totals that we've already seen this may. some areas, such as bala in north wales, having had twice as much rainfall as we'd normally see throughout the whole of may, and that's so far. and once again, for the day ahead, with low pressure sat to the west of the uk, it's going to throw showers our way. it gives the atmosphere that instability to grow the showers, and the sunshine strong at this time of year.

not preventing perhaps a touch of frost for northern ireland first thing. a bit on the chilly side. a little bit of mist and perhaps valley fog, if you're up early enough. that should clear quite quickly. plenty of sunshine first thing, but already showers, in fact a more persistent area of showers moving in across wales and the south west and then pushing eastwards. and elsewhere the showers build once again. we've got a weather front also to the north of scotland. a brisk wind coming down behind it. but with the light winds for most, those will be slow—moving and torrential downpours that we see once again. perhaps fewer in southern scotland and northern england, but expect some more hailstorms and thunderstorms and for them to continue well into the evening. in fact, there might be something a little bit more organised coming towards the south, as we go through the evening and overnight. once again quite chilly under the clearing skies. there's a little bit of mist first thing wednesday morning. but then again, it's a day of sunny spells and showers. it looks as if they may be focused across central and eastern areas. this is our weather front pushing southwards, across scotland, just giving more energy, more moisture to generate those heavy downpours. temperatures therefore just a little lower

in the far north but as we saw on monday, tuesday and wednesday, probably mid to high teens at best. and then thursday looks set to bring a spell of wetter, windier weather. wind may be the main feature on this weather system, with gales even across southern areas. unseasonably windy weather is what we're thinking about at this stage. obviously, it's a few days ahead, but it will push in some more general rain, continuing that wet theme for may, and then the winds really escalate as well. we could have gales, gusts of wind at 50 mph, possibly 60 mph. it's definitely one that we'll be keeping an eye on. until then, it's a sunny spells but torrential downpours sort of picture until later in the week when there could be something wetter and far windier.

this is bbc news. i'm david eades. our top stories: president biden says the us is working to secure a ceasefire after more than a week of violence between israel and palestinian militants. he urges both sides to protect civilians. 200,000 people are evacuated from coastal areas in india's gujurat state, as a major cyclone strikes. at least 20 people are known to have died. the us supreme court agrees to hear a challenge to the historicjudgement which gave american women a constitutional right to abortion. a cold war in the arctic as russia issues a warning to the us and nato about its military activity in the region and we visit one of the many british museums

to open their doors again after nearly five months