this is bbc news. the headlines: holders france have booked their place in the semifinals of the world cup, beating england by 2—1. they will face morocco in wednesday's semifinal. they are the first african country to reach the semifinal stages. the brother of a former us marine imprisoned in russia says his family fears that paul whelan won't be freed in time to be see his ageing parents. the white house is facing backlash from republicans over its deal to return us basketball star brittney griner to the united states. tens of thousands have gathered in the bangladeshi capital, dhaka, for a mass anti—government rally calling for a neutral interim governent to be appointed. it followed days of violent clashes in the city where hundreds of opposition supporters were arrested.

the government says it respect the right to peaceful protest and has denied claims it is trying to suppress any form of dissent. now on bbc news, the travel show. coming up on this week's travel show... as the cost of energy soars, cat meets the islanders making the most out of mother nature... we are in an active, dormant volcano. ..nic tests his tastebuds in turkey... i'm suddenly doing a jigsaw puzzle with pastries. ..uno, due, tres... ..and things get a bit competitive in italy!

wow! welcome to the travel show. this week, i'm in tuscany, in the mountain town of volterra to find out all about the delights of this region. check these guys out behind me. they're called the spandera torri. but first up, we're off to the azores. and if you're not familiar with them, they're an archipelago far out in the atlantic ocean, about 1,500 kilometres off the coast of portugal. now, we sent cat moh to sao miguel, the largest of the islands, to see how they're using volcanoes to power up and keep tourism going amidst rising energy prices. cat: adventurers have long been drawn to these nine volcanic

islands jutting out in the middle of the atlantic. they've been called "the hawaii of europe", and it's easy to see why on sao miguel. this intense greenery is a result of regular rainfall and mist. i mean, just look at all of this. now, locals say you can experience four seasons in one day, and right now, it's pretty misty. but that could change at any moment. hiking in the forest, i almost forget that sao miguel was borne out of volcanoes erupting. but there's no getting away from it in the valley of furnas. it's, in fact, a huge volcanic crater and a hot spot of geological activity. that's boiling and the mud boiling, so... 0h! bubbling and gurgling we are in an active dormant volcano. - so the magma below us... oh, the smell! ..even if it's crystallised magma, it releases temperature and gases.

that heat produced by the volcano can be used to make energy to sustain life on the island. it's a good position to be in at a time when the rest of europe is struggling with high gas and electricity prices. but what's it really like living in an active volcano? would you say that the azores is a safe place for people to live and for tourists to come and visit? 0k. i usually say... there was a pause there! yeah! but, usually i say that we live in the centre of the world. of course, that from a seismic and volcanic point of view, we need to be aware that we live in volcanic — active volcanic systems. what is important is that we monitor the sites. if this is done, i think we are in a safe place if we follow the rules. unsurprisingly, the locals have

been making the most of having these natural steam pots around. these bubbling ones near the lake are perfect for cooking in. how hot is it inside? it varies between 60 to 97 degrees. 60 to 97 degrees celsius inside! and how long's it going to stay in there for? seven hours. tourists chatter these cooking holes act like a steam oven for the island's most iconic food — cozido das furnas. and i'm definitely not going to pass up the opportunity to try some. so we have chicken, we have beef and pork, sweet potato, yams, everything. sweet potato... carrots, cabbage. ..carrots. i see everything here. is this pork? this is pork. just pulls apart.

0k. mm! good! the meat�*s really soft and tender. you can tell it's been cooked for a very long time. just like... the juice, the juices you see is from the product. 0k. 0k, all in the produce. and that is cozido! that is cozido! with over 500,000 visitors a year — that's four times the island's population — sao miguel needs all the energy it can get. just a 30—minute drive from here is one of the island's two geothermal plants. i want to find out how they're harnessing volcanic energy to produce electricity, reducing the island's dependence on oil and gas. this is where everything starts. a geothermal well is drilled inside the reservoir. oh, my goodness! i can feel the heat coming up. exactly, because deep inside, at between 500 metres to 1,000 metres, there is hot

water at 240 degrees. wow! it's notjust geothermal energy that's used here. the island has been taking advantage of all its natural resources to increase its green credentials. between geothermal, hydro and wind, we already are able to fulfil almost 60% of the needs of the island. and this is important because this allow us to be a little bit self—sufficient. if we have situations like a war or something that makes the prices go very high of energy, this allow us to a source to be a little bit less dependent on what concerns energy. that's no small feat at a time when global events have made electricity bills shoot up to record levels elsewhere. energy independence, sustainability and wild beauty combined in one small island. and what better way to finish

off than to come here — the crater of sao miguel�*s largest volcano. some come to hike, whilst others do this. i can't believe i'm kayaking in a crater! it's so calm and serene here. it's incredible to think that this was once the site of a very angry volcano. ade: thanks, cat. well, if you're inspired by visiting a volcanic island, here are some places you could consider around the world. kilauea is the most accessible active volcano in hawaii and receives nearly three million visitors a year. fortunately for visitors, huge explosions are not its style, as it prefers to belch out slow—moving lava,

and has been doing so almost continuously for a0 years. japan is home to 108 active volcanoes, with mount fuji being the most famous one. 0n clear days, it's visible from the capital, tokyo. the best time to visit isjuly to september, when it's officially open and free of snow. finally, it would be remiss of us not to include iceland, the land of fire and ice, famous for its volcanic activity. you can find a handy guide online to the islands 32 volcanoes where you can see their current status and scientific descriptions. 0k, stick around, hang out with us, because there's loads more to come on this week's programme. ifeel like i'm tasting raw spices. am i? yes, you are. nick tastes some of turkey's unique flavours. and i'm going to be getting

to grips with a great big hunk of cheese as i try and roll it down this hill, cheered on by hundreds of screaming italians. you won't want to miss that! now, i'm in beautiful tuscany in italy, just outside of volterra, and this factory here produces the purest salt in the whole of italy. and i'm told that the salt is a sight to behold. let's check it out. wow! look at this. yes! why is the salt here so pure? amazing, amazing! here we go. it's snowing salt!

she laughs that's incredible. look at that! and can tourists come and visit this place to see this? it's such a cool sight and it's amazing to think that they've been producing salt in this area for 3,000 years! 3,000 years! incredible! next, we're off to ayvalik in turkey where nick kwek has been discovering new flavours only found in that part of the world. nick: ayvalik is a quaint seaside town 400 miles south of istanbul in the aegean region. its churches and narrow alleyways are reminiscent of its greek heritage.

wow, look at this — a little cobbled street. this is beautiful. for me, food is what makes a destination. i travel the world taking photos of what i eat, and i'm pretty obsessed with food. i grew up in a kitchen and i've worked in some, too. and there's a saying in my family — we don't eat to live, we live to eat! my parents ran chinese restaurants in scotland, so my childhood was a constant mix of cultures, tastes and flavours. and now, i'm on a mission to uncover more authentic dishes and ingredients from around the world. and ayvalik, i'm told, is famous for its fresh seafood, herbs and olive trees. today, i'm meeting chef semsa denizsel. a few years ago, semsa exchanged her pad in the city for an olive grove in ayvalik. now, she puts on cooking courses for travellers from abroad. we have this group of americans are coming for a workshop to cook. right.

so there's a menu i need to go through and do the shopping. we're on the hunt today for okra. 0kra, red peppers. and we're going to buy tonnes of stuff! 0k! what i like to do is, i mean, get something we like very much, do it maybe in a non—traditional way as well to show people there are many other ways to enjoy the stuff. chef semsa is introducing me to a famous ingredient here in turkey. this is tarhana. they make a paste and then they dry it on tables. i make my own tarhana that i will be using for the meal. so off to the kitchen we go to cook with sensa's modern version of tarhana. turkish cuisine is a highly regional cuisine like the italians. i would like to share this with non—turkish people so they will come, learn, witness a bit of what we are, and then turn to their countries with thinking something different than kebab! so, it's your own unique twist on tarhana?

this is, yes, yes. and you can make a soup with this or, like we do today, i will make a porridge with oatmeal. ifeel like i'm tasting raw spices. am i? yes, you are. dried fava beans. fresh fava beans. is there lemon in this? yes, lemon zest in there. fresh marjoram, fresh dill, spring onions and artichokes. semsa will serve the tarhana—infused porridge with her main course — grilled squid. i need more of a tarhana flavour to this. sure. mm—hm. while the tarhana porridge slowly cooks, we learn how to hand roll bureks, a samosa—style turkish delicacy using a local dough called yufka. like this. start doing it. i'm suddenly doing a jigsaw puzzle with pastries. now, i think we're ready for cocktails, huh? what do you think? yes!

lessons over, it's time to treat our taste buds. will all of my hard work have paid off? delighted exclamations. it's almost a little bitter. yes. and you can taste... i remember the smell of the tarhana. i think it's earthy. earthy — yes. you know, it reminds me of a risotto, but, yeah, it's kind of, it is unexpected, actually. unexpected. surprising. how's it going? marvellous, i think. yeah. what do you think? everyone�*s enjoying themselves, yeah. yes, they have... they have enjoyed it. and i think they are my ambassadors now! it was delicious! thank you very much. thanks, nick. well, tuscany, here in italy, is also well known for being a foodie destination...

why didn't i get into food instead of travel? ..finding any excuse to hold a food or wine fair. grazie mille! and one not to be missed is the three—day festival which takes place inside the old medieval walls of the mountaintop town of volterra. just be ready for the steep streets. sometimes, you need to hold your hand up and say you need help and i need a good, old—fashioned two—legger to help me up this. paolo, come on! paolo, please, bruv! 0nyvas! andiamo! it's certainly worth the trip up. applause. oh, look at this guy. he's going three! yeah, bravo! applause. i started that! i started that.

cheering and applause. yeah! but what makes this weekend special is the palio dei caci — a downhill obstacle course racing cheese. and i'm taking part. oh, my days! look how steep this is! oh, my! i'm struggling just to control my chair. oh, no! ok, so maybe i need a masterclass. ade. nice to meet you. all right, let's see. jeez, he's off at pace! pace! this is going to be carnage. the rules are simple — guide the cheese around the hay bales as quick as possible. the winner moves through the rounds till you're left with one champion. applause. the cheese rolling is a pretty strange tradition. how did it begin?

so you must be one of the best, yes? so, you're the champion? you're the reigning champion? the best cheese roller in the whole of italy? si! champion! that's what i'm talking about.

so, should i be wearing a helmet and some knee pads and gloves? no. no? ijust need tough skin, yeah? 0k! 0k. one last practice run. come on, come on, come on! come on! come on, come on, come on! laughs. broke through the barrier! good? good! good, man. come on! right. well, i've learned from the best. there's nothing more i can do here until the race. so i've been told if you want to truly understand what the cheese race is all about, then you got to start at the beginning. i'm at one of the ten sheep cheese farms in and around volterra. this one is open to tourists all year round. rosita's the third generation of sheep cheesemakers in herfamily.

it's a very important cheese. smell the cheese. wow. it's quite sharp. si, because the milk, it's very fresh. so, how long do you preserve the cheese for? it's one year old. one year?! yes, but we produce pecorino in four different kind of maturing. so it's like fine wine? yes! since the middle ages, tuscans, particularly the poor, relied heavily on this cheese. i eat a lot of cheese, but i've never, ever had a chance to make some cheese. it's a great alternative to expensive meats for its nutrition. and this one, which they use in the cheese race, comes specifically from the milk of sarda sheep that graze both on lowland and mountainous terrain. perfect for here, then.

time now to chat to the big boss, rosita's father. speaking to everybody here, they tell me that you are the king of cheese. i'd love to know about your history and your family's history. wow, so over 100 years yourfamily has been working with cheese? si, si! what do you think about the cheese race? maybe me and you? we can race in the cheese race. yes! laughter. well, the time has come. the medieval costumes all add to the experience as this race is also, in part, an historical re—enactment.

the contestants come from all over volterra, having been specially selected to represent their village or district. so this is our guy, davide. go, davide! shouts of encouragement. cheering. almost there! cheering and applause. ha! but i found the man that did. grazie! it's my first time trying this. wow!

that's actually really good! good? multo bono? buono. buono! multo buono! wow! well, that's it. bells toll. those bells are a sign that we're done for this week. look out for us next week, when... rajan heads to egypt's valley of the kings and visits tutankhamun, whose remains were discovered exactly a century ago. but the big question is who really made the historic find? so, this is the 12—year—old boy that they said really discovered the tomb. until then, you can find loads more amazing travel content from the bbc online by using the tags on the screen. but for now, from me, ade adepitan, and all of the travel show team here in volterra in italy, it's arrivederci. we'll see you soon. bye— bye!

hello. no let—up in this cold spell. we had another very cold day on saturday and for many of us, sunday could be even colder, sharp frost around. this was the picture in derbyshire during saturday afternoon, and i think that frost really extensive to start the day on sunday. now, over the next few days, it is staying cold. further wintry showers in the forecast, icy stretches around and some freezing fog patches, so various winter hazards out there at the moment. as we go through the early hours of sunday morning, then, some icy stretches and wintry showers for parts of northern and eastern scotland, also around some of these irish sea coasts, north west england, wales,

the far south—west as well. fog patches further east across england and temperatures first thing to start sunday morning at around about minus six degrees for many of us, even in the more urban spots. colder than that in some rural spots. so, sunday, then — quite a cold day for the bulk of england and wales. we've got quite a lot of cloud around with the odd snow flurry coming out of this cloud for perhaps the midlands, central southern england. towards the east, we've got some lingering freezing fog for parts of norfolk up towards the vale of york as well. further north, these snow showers tending to ease across parts of scotland but look at those temperatures — most of us between about freezing to plus two degrees. and then, during sunday evening and overnight, our attention turns to the far south—east. now, there is a chance we'll see a low pressure system just pushing in some snowfall potentially to parts of kent and east sussex — essex, suffolk could be at risk — so we are expecting some icy stretches to develop and,

again, some freezing fog patches. but sunday night, very cold with a widespread hard frost. temperatures could be as low as minus 12 degrees as we start monday morning, so an icy and very cold early monday commute, i think. again, a lot of low cloud and freezing fog across much of england and wales. that's going to be quite stubborn to clear. perhaps more sunshine for northern england and scotland. fewer wintry showers than we've seen of late but, again, it is going to feel cold — temperatures generally between around about freezing to perhaps plus three there in belfast. we could just see five degrees for the likes of plymouth. now, heading through into tuesday, and you can see the blue colours still very much on the map, so the cold air still with us. the winds coming in from a northerly direction, another cold plunge of air into the middle part of the week. so, looking at the forecast for the next five days, many places looking dry but expect some freezing fog patches, some icy stretches and temperatures on the cold side, certainly. bye— bye.

hello and welcome to bbc news. i'm nancy kacunjira with a summary of the bbc news. we start with the world cup, where morocco have become the first african and arab team to reach the last four of the tournament after a 1—0 win over portugal. they'll now play against france, who beat england in the day's other quarter—final. tim allman watched the action. it is an age—old story — england expects, but usually disappoints. and that seemed as true as ever when france took the lead just after the quarter—hour mark, an absolute scorcher