this is bbc news. the headlines: a week after china relaxed its strict rules on quarantines and lockdowns, the nation has had its biggest wave of covid infections, since the pandemic began, three years ago. in beijing, nearly twenty thousand people, complaining of flu—like symptoms, have visited hospital in the past 48 hours. the united states president has signed into law a bill which gives federal protection to same sex and inter—racial marriages. the measure will require every state to recognise all such weddings. joe biden described the legislation as "a vital step towards equality, liberty and justice." at least 100 people have been killed by heavy rains, floods and landslides, in the democratic republic of congo.

major roads in the centre of the capital, kinshasa were submerged, as a deluge continued for hours and several homes collapsed. a 3—day period of national mourning is underway. 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 taste buds in turkey... i'm suddenly doing a jigsaw puzzle with pastries. ..uno, due, tre... ..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. 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! 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. 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 semsa'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! lesson�*s over, it's time to treat our taste buds. will all of my hard work have paid off? delighted exclamations oh, yes. see what you think. 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! 0nyva! 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 delle balze 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! salvatore and ade! 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. uno, due, tre... vai! so this is our guy, davide. go, davide! shouts of encouragement cheering almost there! cheering and applause yes! so, i clearly didn't win the prized cheese, 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. vai, vai!

hello there. this widespread and prolonged over five years. the next few days are staying cold, further snow showers forecast physically across parts of scotland, cold, frosty nights impairing visibility though as we lose the mist and fog we have had to start the week. we will start seeing sunshine. we have an area of low pressure close to the south and south—west of the uk, perhaps producing presentation first thing wednesday and cold northerly winds very heavy snow showers to the north so we can

trace these wind arrows back to the arctic, that very cold, clear with us at the moment, but strong winds across parts of scotland over the next few days, weather conditions in north scotland, some heavy showers over north—east england, particularly happy. icy of northern ireland and south—west england we all have had those overnight wintry showers, perhaps still sleepiness down towards the higher ground of the far south—west on wednesday. most places dry, chapters between freezing, “i! in spots, colder we are exposed to northerly wind. that's with us into thursday, winds from the north strong and gusty across parts of northern and eastern scotland, perhaps the odd shower around some of the irish sea coast and again the north sea coast and again the north sea coast and again the north sea coast of north—east england, heavy snow for the likes of durham, towards the north of york moors, clear and dry elsewhere, a touchless colder than recent days. still snow around so one to six degrees but cold, colder than

some areas which keep lying snow. to the end of the working week, we started the area of high pressure towards the south but this small area of low pressure into the north, that's likely to produce more persistent significant snowfall across central parts of scotland through into friday, could be some rain sleet but snow mixed in across parts of northern ireland. further south you're more likely be the day, still blue colours up, a coalfield the weather but as we go into the weekend, a change in the way. high—pressure looks like it slips out towards the south—east of the uk and that's opening the doors for lower pressure and something milder to move on from the south—west. through the weekend, politically through to sunday, south—westerly winds with us and milder errors well. before you get there, saturday is still a lot of dry settled on a fairly chilly weather, somehow outbreaks of rain and snow across the north and north—west of uk but averages on saturday around four or five degrees, we saturday nine degrees towards

the south—west. as the low pressure bums into the cold air that still sitting across us, during sunday we could see a period of potentially quite heavy snowfall moving northwards and eastwards across parts of the uk. most places will see that turning back to rain by the end of the day. the wind is picking up are so different feel to the day on sunday. yes, milder around four to 11 degrees and initially heavy snow but many of us turning back to rain. let's fast forward into the following week. my next tuesday, the mild fairly short lived because back into the blue colours, the cold air mass and wintry showers for thursday and into friday at least. we start off the week on the mild but it might not last long. turning colder in the lead up to the festive period but it does not look like it'll be quite as cold or injury as it's been over the past couple of weeks. you can check more details on the bbc weather app. bye—bye.

welcome to bbc news. i'm rich preston. our top stories: china experiences a surge of covid cases a week after relaxing its strict rules on quarantines and lockdowns. us presidentjoe biden signs into law a bill giving federal protection to same—sex and interracial marriages. today's a good day! cheering a day america takes a vital step towards equality. three days of national mourning are under way in the democratic republic of congo after at least 100 people are killed by heavy rains, floods and landslides, around the capital kinshasa. promising results from a new personalised cancer vaccine. the experimental therapy uses the same technology developed

in the moderna and pfizer coronavirus vaccines.