this is bbc news, the headlines: for the first time, the irish nationalist party sinn fein has won the largest number of seats in northern ireland's assembly. sinn fein wants to take northern ireland out of the united kingdom. its president said that the momentum for change across the island of ireland was now well—established. ukraine and russia say a humanitarian operation to evacuate civilians from the besieged azovstal steelworks in the city of mariupol has been completed. ukraine said that all elderly people, women and children had been taken to safety. president zelensky said they would now seek to evacuate wounded soldiers. the taliban in afghanistan have ordered all women to veil theirfaces when in public, returning the country

to the dress code enforced during their previous time in power. the education secretary nadhim zahawi has said the government must not be complacent after the conservatives suffered substantial losses in local elections across england, scotland and wales. the party lost almost 500 council seats, with the liberal democrats and labour making gains. our political correspondent leila nathoo reports. the full picture of elections across england, scotland and wales is now clear, and the losses for the conservatives have been significant — down almost 500 councillors, ii more councils now out of tory control. ministers say they are listening. very much around making sure we have the plan for recovery continues, that we continue to bear down on the household budget pressures. 22 billion in 12 months

is what we're delivering now. we're not going to be complacent. we're going to continue to bear down on that, safer streets and, of course, the nhs backlog. labour had hoped a national backdrop of rocketing living costs and fines at the top of government for breaking lockdown rules would send voters flocking their way. cheers. the party did do well, securing symbolic victories in london and gains elsewhere. but these were tentative steps forward, rather than emphatic strides. we know we've got to rebuild trust. we had a terrible near—death experience at the last general election, so we're not taking anyone for granted. but i think what we saw in the results on thursday is a firm foundation for going on to win the next general election. sir keir, good morning. will you resign i if you're fined... but labour's successes were overshadowed by police announcing they were now investigating leader sir keir starmer for a possible lockdown breach of his own. it's definitely been a good morning for the lib dems... i wasn't expecting that!

..who tempted traditional tory voters away to add almost 200 councillors in england. conservative support also melted away in wales, with labour profiting. and in scotland, the snp increased its support again, forcing the tories into retreat. the snp is a party 15 years into government. so it's a big vote of confidence in our leadership of scotland, both nationally and at local level. i don't take it for granted, though. people want to see us deliver now. the reason we keep winning elections is because we work really hard, at elections, between elections, to deliver for scotland. votes are counted in the verdicts are in. it's only a snapshot but for all parties, plenty to chew over. now on bbc news, the travel show. coming up on this week's travel show: making ancient greece more accessible. i mean, this is an extra part of the trip. this is a part that

only we get. we meet the woman who helped the famous stray cats of athens survive through the pandemic. she's so cute. and we're off to spain for a taste of the sun. oh my god, that crushing sound. and back? wow, look at that! history and accessibility can

sometimes feel like they are at odds with each other. i love a historical site as much as the next person, but with narrow walkways, flights of stone steps and worn—away surfaces, a visit can feel like a herculean task. that was a bit of a mission. i'm making my way up to the acropolis, which in greek means "high city", which does not look nor sound very wheelchair friendly. before covid it was a proper mission to get up to the acropolis if you had any sort of mobility issues. basically, you had a is—minute hike up a load of steep stairs and loads of steep ramps before you came to any sort of accessible pathway. but since then, things have changed. the acropolis is greece's

number one tourist attraction, and pre—pandemic over 3.5 million people climbed to the top each year. one good thing to come out of the lockdowns was there was finally the time and the space to make the site more accessible to those with mobility issues. i have just seen the sign for the disabled entrance, i think. yes. you know what, it is still a mission to get up here. i can see why the ancient greeks were so fit 7 you have to be a god to get up this ramp. let's do it! which way am i going? this way? thank you. remember when i said it was a is—minute hike up some steps to get to the acropolis? those are the steps i was talking about. wow, i would never make it up there. but help is at hand. all i have to do is catch my

breath and admire the scenery as i wait for the brand—new lift, built to comfortably accommodate two wheelchairs at a time. but not everyone sees it as an improvement, with some critics calling it a modernist eyesore. well, i think it beats climbing flights of steps any day of the week. this is all right, look at this view! i mean, this is an extra part of the trip. this is a part that only we get. all the other good old—fashioned two—leggers have to go up the stairs. this is what i'm talking about. after just a0 seconds in the lift and using the acropolis�*s new accessible paths, i get to experience all of this. the acropolis has

a long history. and over its time it has been used as a fortress, a mosque, and it's even been blown up. but its headliner has got to be the parthenon, a temple dedicated to the ancient greek goddess athena, who gave the city of athens its name. wow! i have never been so happy to see concrete. that is amazing. i have actually been here before, and the last time i was here this was all rough and gravelly and really hard to push along, but now i get to experience the acropolis and i get this wonderful view of the parthenon. this is brilliant. i want to take these concrete slabs home. but "improvements" is not a word some would use when describing the work carried out at the site. not everyone is happy with the renovations that have gone on here at the acropolis. some people have complained

about the concrete slabs being laid down, saying that it is hiding the original features of the acropolis and even wounding the stone here. but i've been told that these slabs can be raised and you would still have the original features. and, actually, look — this is some of the original stone and it is smooth anyway. rival historians claim the work carried out is a means to get more tourists to visit and is disrespectful to the site's diverse past. i'm heading down to the acropolis museum to meet a man who knows a thing or two about ancient history, and he believes the ancient greeks themselves would have been ok with this upgrade. ancient greek civilisation and culture is an anthropocentric culture, which means they created gods in the image of themselves, zeus,

hera, aphrodite and so on. and between them they had hephaestus, a very hard working metalsmith, a very powerful god, and he was lame. that is incredible, disabled gods all gods with disabilities. i'm learning so many things, this is amazing. i'm also told that accessibility at the acropolis is not a new thing. even in the archaic period, that means sixth century bc, there were ramps leading up to the temple of athena, not the parthenon, because the parthenon did not exist until the fifth century. but even earlier, there is evidence for this ramp as well, and many times it has been interpreted

that it was for the animals to be sacrificed. but it is not only that, it is also for all the people helping disabled people and older people or pregnant women and so on, so that they have a good and easy accessibility towards the temple of their goddess. and the conversation has got quite heated. people have said that it's the disneyfication of the monuments here, it is wounding the rock, it's barbaric. what are your thoughts on that? come on, these are politics. politics, it is actually, democratically speaking, different options of different people.

you cannot look with my eyes and i cannot look with yours. there are plans in place to make the site even more accessible, with the installation of further paths. i, for one, think that this attraction is setting a good example to historic monuments throughout the world, and i'm really happy that i get to experience the acropolis now. if you're planning on visiting athens any time soon, here's a rundown of things to maybe look out for. you might find yourself paying through the nose to get onto one of athens�* many beaches. entry fees can push up into the hundreds of euros at somewhere like astir beach during peak season. vouliagmeni lake is

a good alternative. it has sun beds, hot springs and limestone caves for about 15 euros each. athens�* open—air amphitheatres are a really special place to go and see a concert or play. patti smith and diana krall are both appearing this summer at the 0deon of herodes atticus, at the foot of the acropolis. now, if you're a fan of the classics, plays by aeschylus, sophocles and euripides are on at the ancient theatre of epidaurus with full english subtitles. i think i'll need them. many visitors pass through the vast and ancient piraeus port on their way to the greek islands. while you're there, check out the old workshops and warehouses in surrounding streets. in recent times the buildings have become a hub for contemporary art galleries. a brand—new train line can whisk you there from central

athens in about is—minutes. and athens is known for its open—air cinema and throughoutjune, july and august you can catch classic films and new releases in some beautiful outdoor spots. the screenings take place under starry skies in the city's squares, museums and parks, and some are totally free of charge. right, stay with us because still to come on the programme: i meet the woman who helped hundreds of her a—legged friends survive the pandemic here in athens. and kate is off to malaga in spain to take on another culinary challenge. take another one. they are totally different. they look identical to me. i know, but i promise it is going to be a totally different taste. so don't go away.

these are just some of the cats of athens. if you've ever visited greece then there is a good chance a feline friend has made a cameo appearance on your trip. outside a taverna or at an ancient ruin, these guys are everywhere. she's so cute. i'm meeting tsampika, a volunteer at athens—based cat charity nine lives. we are a team, nine lives, and we feed every day in acropolis and in many other places around the centre of athens. that's a big job. are there many cats in athens? yes. we feed around over 500 cats around the centre.

the team at nine lives definitely have their work cut out, so i've decided to help tsampika with the dinnertime shift and get some grub out to these furry athenians. they are always together. these two, yeah? yes. best friends. how did the pandemic affect the work you are doing and also the welfare of the cats? suddenly because the town was empty you could see so many cats. it revealed a lot of cats that we did not know there were around, and we had to feed more because probably some of them were eating around tavernas who were not any more open. hello, diego. this is diego. you recognise him because of his eye?

yes, he lost his eye recently. baby, come here. this isn'tjust about keeping these cats�* bellies full. feeding them breeds trust and allows nine lives�* volunteers to carry out important health checks. it�*s not so much so food for them — a town is not the physical environment for the animals. they don�*t have enough food and they wouldn�*t be so healthy, they would be a little bit skinny, sick, and if we didn�*t sterilise them, there would be thousands, so they would die. they wouldn�*t survive. no tourists meant no tavernas, and if it wasn�*t for volunteers, these guys

would�*ve gone hungry. meows. but as athens opens up again, should we all be sharing our meals with the local cats? 0k, they can give them a treat as far is not a problem for the owner. i do it also when i eat at a taverna! giggles. animals mustn�*t eat, actually, ourfood. and sometimes, it can be dangerous for them because usually, they give the bones of the fish. i always carry now with me cat food, so i don�*t have to take from my plate and give to the animals if i�*m outside. i have something always. right! next time i�*m in athens, i�*ll be packing cat biscuits for sure.

to finish up this week, we�*re leaving the cat food behind and heading off to spain, where kate hardie—buckley is on the lookout for something far more enticing to add to her menu. i�*m in malaga, a sun—kissed port city in southern spain. now, every summer, i normally pass straight through here to another town further along the costa del sol. but this time, i�*m sticking around. with its fertile soil, the sea air and over 300 days of sunshine a year, this region is perfect forfinding the best produce. jose carlos garcia is one of malaga�*s finest ambassadors of gastronomy. he suggested we meet at the mercato centrale to explore some local produce that inspire his michelin—starred restaurant. what are we going

to cook together? before i leave the market, i pick up the almonds for our ajoblanco soup. engine revs. woo! first up, i visit finca la torre, producers of one of the world�*s most premium extra virgin olive oils. these are, like, 100—year—old trees? yeah, yeah. wow! even more, yeah. wow! victor perez tends to his 3a,000 olive trees with such care, his olive oil receives the perfect score at competitions.

we take, you know, one olive and take another one. the olive oil is going to be totally different. chuckles. but they look identical to me! yeah, but, you know, i promise! it�*s going to be a totally different taste. in a few weeks, they will become a little bit yellow and they will be more tender. it�*s the signal that the olive oil content, it is full now. that means harvest time and victor prioritises quality, not quantity. from this tree, we�*ll get around 30—a0 kilos. so that�*s only four bottles — three or four bottles. three or four bottles. from the moment the olive leaves the tree to the bottle, how long does that take? the whole process, it takes around two hours since we... two hours? we have to be really, really, really, really fast. there�*s no other way. this estate dates back to roman times and today, we�*re pressing the olives the old—fashioned way. oh, my god — that crushing sound! and back? yes.

wow! look at that! unlike wine, which often improves with age, olive oil is best fresh. it�*s delicious. giggles. i�*m going to go back to london now and start drinking olive oil in a wine glass! i�*ve also got to bring chefjose carlos something from the sea and i�*m just in time for the fishermen coming in from their night trawl. i�*ve seen sardines, i�*ve seen anchovies, boquerones. it doesn�*t get much fresher than this! this is absolutely amazing — the noise, the pace, all the chatter. literally, yourfish is off the boat, into auction and, in a matter of hours, onto a plate. i pick up some sardines — a fish synonymous with this city. last on my list is the pitaya — the dragon fruit. beautiful colours.

this cactus fruit, often associated with south east asia, originates from southern mexico. its production in spain has grown exponentially in the last few years. laughs. and now, tojose carlos garcia�*s michelin—starred restaurant the marina. the easy stuff for me, the difficult stuff for you. 0k! we grind the almonds to create the base of ajoblanco soup.

it�*s totally changed colour, to a magnificent creamy white. jose carlos takes the freshest ingredients and turns them into something beautiful. wow. oh, my god! it�*s beautiful! so fresh. the crunch of the fruit and then the sweet sliminess of the sardine — absolutely phenomenal.

well, that�*s your lot for this week. just before we go, a quick word about next week. wow! there are so many mummies here, vivian! carmen�*s back in chile where this time, she comes face—to—face with the ancient civilisation that�*s been given new unesco recognition for humanity�*s oldest examples of mummification. oh, wow! it�*s quite small. what can you tell me about this mummy? so, make sure you catch that if you can, and also, check us out on social media. but for now, from me, and ade adepitan and the rest of the travel show team here in athens, where it�*s

so good to finally be out on the road again together with you guys, it�*s goodbye and see you next time. hello there. we�*ll be heading through the remainder of the weekend on a largely dry and settled note before more rain works in from the north—west by monday. for the here and now, this is how we ended saturday evening. beautiful sunset in east ayrshire there, and through the course of sunday, we�*re looking at another largely dry settled day with some sunny spells around just one or two isolated showers. a weak weather front�*s trying to nudge in from the north—west, but not really making inroads because high pressure�*s in charge and that�*s sitting out east. the lowest temperatures first

thing sunday morning will be across eastern scotland and eastern england, mid—single figures, but further west most places starting off the day just about in double figures. any early morning mist and fog will lift fairly quickly and the day will warm up as the sunshine spreads across the uk. a little cloudier across the far north—west of the western isles, the northern isles as well. but through the day, fairweather cloud bubbles up and that mayjust be enough to produce one or two isolated showers for wales, parts of south—west england, northern england, into southern scotland. but most places avoid any of those showers, temperatures in the mid—teens around the east coast, but we could see 20 degrees inland. sunday evening and overnight into monday now, things remain largely dry and clear again some mist and fog patches. but you�*ll notice the cloud thickening from the northwest as this weather front spread some rain into northern ireland and north—west scotland to start off monday morning. mild, breezy and rather damp in the northwest cooler, clearer conditions down towards the south—east. so monday�*s weather dominated still by high pressure sitting out to the east.

but these more active weather fronts start to move in from the atlantic. they�*re going to bring more cloud to northern ireland and scotland with outbreaks of rain really from the word go, heaviest over coasts and hills in the west, slightly more patchy further east. but much of england and wales keeping the dry weather with some sunny spells. it�*ll be a little warmer, particularly for eastern england, compared to recent days — 20—22 degrees here. but typically mid—teens across scotland and northern ireland. into tuesday, and the front tends to make its way further towards the south and east, and then a return to sunny spells and scattered, blustery showers from the northwest. temperatures coming down a little bit in the south, still about 20 degrees or so. typically the mid teens across the north—west of the uk. through the week ahead, then some showers around, especially towards the north and the west. things looking drier, though, further south and east. bye for now.

welcome to bbc news — i�*m chris rogers. our top stories. final results are declared in northern ireland�*s assembly election — with an historic win for the irish nationalist party — sinn fein. today, they decreed that all women must cover their places with a veil in public and they laid out an escalating series of punishments for any woman not complying. ukraine says all women, children and the elderly have now been evacuated from azovstal steel plant in the city of mariupol. hong kong prepares to elect a new leader — albeit with not many voters — and only one candidate. rights in afghanistan come underfresh attack — the taliban order women to wear the full face veil. today, they decreed that all

women must cover their places