this is bbc news. i'm ben boulos and these are the headlines. iranian state media says british—iranian dual national alireza akbari has been executed on charges of spying for the uk — which he had denied. britain's prime minister calls it a callous and cowardly act. ukraine's capital, kyiv, has been hit by a missile attack, with critical infrastructure apparently the target, as president zelensky insists the fight for soledar goes on — despite russian claims they've taken the town. climate activist greta thunberg joins protesters in the german village of lutzerath as police try to clear the area

to make way for coal—mining. it's the fourth day where officers are trying to forcibly remove demonstrators — they say they don't plan to leave. and takeaways, restaurants, and cafes in england will have to stop using plastic cutlery, plates, and bowls from october as part of a new government plan to tackle plastic pollution. you're watching bbc news. now its time for the travel show. this week on the travel show... mastering the tile with a style in morocco. you're doing a greatjob! am i doing a greatjob? well, i tried. 0k, down the hatch. nick tries out a 1,000—year—old delicacy in turkey. and we're talking tortoise on the coast of senegal. why is he called bill, can i ask? because he arrived the month

where bill clinton was elected. so you are named after a president! hello, and welcome to morocco and the historic city that's sometimes known as the country's cultural capital, fez. from its medinas and mosques to its madrassas, fez is steeped in cultural heritage — so much so that the medina of fez is listed as a world heritage site.

mind—blowing! absolutely incredible. this is the attarine madrasa. it goes back to the 14th century, and it is perhaps the best example of what they call zellij. zellij is a style of mosaic tile work made from individually hand—chiselled pieces that is found all across morocco, as well as parts of tunisia, algeria and southern spain. the detail — tiny, tiny detail. the art form dates back over 1,000 years, but the more intricate and colourful designs, which have become synonymous with moroccan architecture, were developed in the 14th century.

despite its mixed origins and geographical spread, experts like fouad believe that zellij is a vital part of his country's history and culture. authorities here have long wanted to formalise zellij's moroccan connection. it's not uncommon for countries to do this by gaining un—recognised

intangible cultural heritage status. for example, the french recently achieved this with the humble baguette, as have jamaica with reggae music. but in the case of zellij, morocco went a stage further and insisted on having it patented. it's part of a drive to protect the country's assets from cultural appropriation and commercialisation. we call it the positive protection, and that is just to protect their traditional knowledge or, in this case, cultural expression from other people using it in a different way and exploiting them. it's not black and white, there is a lot of nuances. the use of traditional culture, expressions of knowledge. what is black and white is the threat to its future. the skilled craft is facing competition from cheaper mass production and fewer people interested in taking up the practice.

i travelled to a traditional workshop just outside the medina to find out just what goes in to this ancient process. how many of these do you think he does, every... every day? yeah. so, every day, it depends if, for example... he can make up to 1,000 pieces a day. has he ever banged his fingers? they chat no, never. never? sayyid's craft skills were learnt as a boy — and some zellij producers are worried that these techniques will not be passed down to future generations. and that's partly because pay and working conditions are not as attractive as in other industries. sayyid earns around 12 euros a day. so, as you've seen, he's doing this by hand as well. yeah, look at that. nothing else. wow — and, again, this is exactly

the same way they've been doing this for hundreds of years. apprenticeships can take up to a decade. and for most people, it's a lifelong dedication. so we do have our artisans who work as a couple, 0k? the first one who is the one responsible of cutting the tile, as you're seeing here, with this specific type of stencil, 0k? you just take the shape of it, the design of it. he starts cutting it one by one, piece by piece, with a sharp hammer. i don't know who i think i am, but i'm going to have a go at trying to create a shape from this. and apparently you have to sit down exactly the way this guy was sitting down before. so here we go. it can take six months just to achieve the correct sitting position, let alone try to cut and shape the tiles. you're doing a greatjob!

am i doing a greatjob? oh, there we go. well, i tried. after assembling all the pieces, we'll bring them all the way to another artisan who is responsible of putting the pieces next to each other. every single piece, it's like a type of puzzle. so what does 0thmane think about morocco�*s successful claim of ownership of zellij? morocco is very well known when it comes to its culture and traditions, and the heritage, the culture of the heritage that we have, is typically moroccan, and those artisans that we're talking about are typically moroccan as well. as for the future, it's hoped that the craft — with its new protected status — will survive, thrive, and proudly proclaim "made in morocco".

now, if you're thinking of taking a trip to morocco in 2023, here are some travel show tips as to things you might want to see and do. now, did you know that morocco is the very first country on the african continent to build a high—speed railway? whipping along at 320km per hour, the al boraq service will take you from tangier in the north to the capital, rabat, and down to casablanca in around two hours. that's less than half the time of the older network. and there are plans afoot to expand the line to marrakech and fez, and eventually to other major cities. if you're into photography, then head to chefchaouen —

considered one of the prettiest and most photogenic places in morocco. nicknamed the "blue pearl" for its traditional blue—and—white painted houses, the city sits at the foothills of the rif mountains in the north of the country. and if you're visiting, don't forget your hiking boots for a trip up the surrounding mountains. you'll be rewarded with spectacular views of the city from above and another perfect photo opportunity. now, something that's highly recommended notjust here in fez, but all across morocco, is the traditional mint tea. especially good after a heavy meal. served as a sign of hospitality, it's made of fresh peppermint, water, sugar and green tea, and is said to have healing properties. stick around because after the break, there'll be more from morocco — plus... does that hurt, or is thatjust like getting your ears pierced?

it's going to hurt, but it's going to... save your life at the same time. yeah. we meet the man bringing west africa's turtles back from the brink of extinction. this is bab boujloud. it's one of the seven gateways into this walled city, the medina. and my task, my challenge, is to go from here to another gateway, another of the seven gateways, as quickly as possible. now, you may say, "very easy." i think you might be wrong because there are 9,000 alleyways here, which makes it the biggest medina in the world. am i allowed to look at google maps? no, i'm not.

i think that is actually going down a blind alley. i'm not going to do that. 0h, now, we've got some choices to make. no, that way, i think. i saw a sign earlier on which said "no donkeys". this guy has got through somehow. but some people who are actually born within the city walls never leave the city walls during their lifetime. whoa! there's a man in more of a hurry than even me. some of these hats would be perfect. honestly, this is the kind of place i would stop at if i had time. but i have not got time. thank you so much. this is a square called seffarine. and as you can hear... ..this is the original tin pan alley.

we have walked from one gate to another through the medina of fez. and can i say it's been an experience? next up, wejoin nick kwek on his culinary quest to find the real taste of turkey. kayseri, a city bang in the middle of turkey, which once upon a time was part of the old spice route. today, it's mostly known for its neighbour, cappadocia, the ancient land of fairy chimneys. but for me, the food is what makes the destination. i grew up in the kitchen. 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. what's lured me here is a delicacy

that dates back over 1,000 years. a meat called pastirma, which is this dried beef, a speciality only found in this region. and it's still prepared here the old—fashioned way. pastirma is as important to this area as parma ham is to italy, and it's mount erciyes, which towers over the city, that creates the perfect climate to cure the meat. i can't wait to taste it for the first time. hello, how are you? lovely to meet you, i'm nick, how are you? taking me behind the scenes is hulya, whose grandad started this factory back in the �*50s. and the way they prepare pastirma here is still true to tradition. vegetarians, you may want to look away. this is the first stage of the process where they put loads of salt onto the beef. and this is an entire bath of beef. the salt kills the bacteria and then

the meat is hung out to dry, not in the refrigerator, but the good old sun. and, lastly, chaman — a paste made from a mix of spices — is lathered onto the meat. the precise recipe is closely guarded, but the extra special ingredient here is the human touch. it's a dying art — ahmet tells me there are very few chaman masters coming through the ranks. such a recurring theme across the board in food, when you have a delicacy such as this, there's only a handful of people left that really are perfecting the art of making it. the rest of it's just becoming commercialised. 0k, down the hatch. flavourful and spicy. yet in recent times, pastirma's fallen out of fashion. so i'm taking some to istanbul

to a chef who wants to change that. i'm at the newly—renovated galataport — home to some of the city's best restaurants. chef umut is taking traditional turkish classics and reinvigorating them, giving them a bit of a modern upgrade in the form of small tapas. chef umut! yes. lovely to meet you, how are you? great to meet you. this is for you — it's the pastirma. for me? what's on the menu? this is my baklava pastirma. wow! sweet dessert pastry mixed with salty, meaty beef? the beefy baklava crackers will be topped with hummus, mushrooms and more pastirma. we're also pickling pastirma and serving it with a fig chutney. i've never had pickled beef before. watch your fingers. wow, look how green it is! your dishes are so colourful.

it reminds me of roald dahl�*s george's marvellous medicine. cheers. great to meet you. oh, wow! and the result — absolutely sensational! who knew, by reimagining old ingredients, umut has created something both fresh and, at the same time, classic? finally this week, we're off to west africa on the trail of one nature lover who's celebrating 30 years of protecting some of the region's most vulnerable wildlife. some call him the father of the turtles — and his work may have already rescued one species of terrapin from extinction. we sent emeline nsingi nkosi to meet him close to his home in senegal.

about three hours�* journey south, away from the traffic and chaos of senegal�*s capital, the dust and aridity begins to give way to greenery. mangroves and, crucially, seagrass start appearing here along the coastline. and the wildlife becomes more abundant and precious for all number of reasons. turtles, tortoises, and terrapins have been a big part of west african traditions and symbolisms. and in some tribes, they are revered as being a good luck charm, a good omen — which is why it's so surprising that their numbers have been going down so much. all five species of sea turtles that nest on these beaches are endangered, thanks to fishing activities and pollution. but this man's made it his mission to save them. i'm going to put a tag, and after that, we are going to let it go. 0h, let me remove that little sand for you. now you can breathe clearly!

why the tagging, i mean, why is it done? with that, we can track the migratory pattern for the animals. when we know that, we are going to be more accurate in the strategy we need to implement in order to save this species. because the more you know about the species, the more you are going to be able to save them. ifeel like i need to hold my breath. 0h, breathe in! does that hurt or is thatjust like getting your ears pierced? yeah, it's going to hurt, but it's going to... save your life at the same time? yeah. tomas is about to celebrate 30 years of working with turtles in senegal. his work has brought him awards and recognitions from around the world. he's so gentle with it. i mean, you can see that these turtles actually are his babies. that's quite an impressive sight. i've never seen it, and i'm sure all of these people haven't either. everyone literallyjust ran down

to the beach to see this release. tomas started as a teenager rescuing african spurred tortoises — the second—biggest species in the world. since then, his work in northern senegal has saved the last remaining colony of adanson�*s terrapin from collapse. and these days, he's working on a new encyclopaedia and planning the continent's biggest turtle research facility on a plot near his home. it's a big project which is going to take several years and a lot of fundraising, a lot of work, in order to have a facility who will be like a base camp for everyone who wants to get involved in conservation, turtle conservation, in africa. what would you like your legacy to be? my legacy will be africa and africans who value nature, who want to protect nature — understanding nature

is part of our identity. and as an african, this is the place where, like, as david attenborough was saying, this is the kingdom of wilderness. all the kind of amazing animals, like turtle and tortoise, who emerged from africa 260 million years ago. they need to remain in africa, africa needs to be their paradise. 0n the outskirts of dakar, in the back yard of his dad's old farm, tomas has built this village of the tortoises. it's popular with tourists and school groups, but it's also a hospitalfor sick and injured turtles. you see the remains of the place where they dig or they draw a hole in order to put a rope to attach the turtle. wait, why was a rope attached to the turtle? yeah, because when you have them in captivity and you don't want them to dig in the middle of your lawn... oh, no! ..you want to have like a rope

in order to control the animals. but now, tomas is taking me to see the head honcho here. this is bill. so does bill know you? no... would you say that he...? usually, turtles are not like dogs. they don't celebrate you like my dog celebrates me when i come back at home. and that is frustrating, because i spend more time and more energy serving them than my dog. that is the reality. he's between 70—80 years old, and he and tomas go way back. so you saw bill in the zoo when you were a teenager? a teenager, yeah. wow. because i spent a lot of time going to the dakar zoo. in fact, that was my favourite place to go. why is he called bill, can i ask? because he arrived the month where bill clinton was elected. so you are named after a president.

i hope you feel the weight of your name. yeah. you don't hear much about terrapins and tortoises, but tomas has dedicated his life trying to correct that and make sure that they don't go extinct. and you know what? i've got a feeling that he just might win. what a truly remarkable man doing such important work there in senegal. right, well, that's it for this time. butjoin us next week if you can, when... ..with the rising cost of living high on the agenda for many of us when planning our holidays, we'll be finding out if you can travel like our team and still have leftover change in your pocket. from going on safari in kenya, to america's bucket—list destinations. this is old faithful, probably one of the world's most famous geysers. that's next week.

in the meantime, why not check out a whole host of travel—related content on the bbc by following the links on your screen right now? in the meantime, from me, rajan datar, and the rest of the travel show team here in morocco, thanks for watching and goodbye. hello. compared to the grey conditions most woke up to this morning, a bit more sunshine around almost uk—wide. but we'll still feel the effects of last night's rain, and flood warnings continue to go up in some areas. the bbc weather website has all the latest details. and if you're on the move, bbc sounds to find your bbc local radio station, they'll keep you up to daate.

it's this area of low pressure responsible. the main rain—bearing weather front moving eastwards, but we still have a hang—back of rain through 0rkney this afternoon and showers, and some longer spells of rain and hill snow pushing in to western scotland and northern ireland. in east anglia and south—east of the channel islands, it may take until maybe late afternoon to see any glimpses of sunshine. staying a bit wetter here for longer. but for all, temperatures actually dropping relative to this morning. around 5—11 c through the afternoon. the strong winds in the south will start to ease a little bit, but they will pick up across some parts of northern ireland and south—west scotland, and we could see gusts of a0 to 50 mph here, if not a bit more, to end the day and to go into the night. and it's here where as winds start to go more northerly, it will bring rain into more sleet and snow territory across parts of northern scotland. and this band of rain — across northern ireland, into northern england and, eventually, north wales — will have some sleet and snow in the hills as well. north of it, the risk of frost and certainly some ice. all of us, a colder night than last night. so, as we go into sunday, a change is afoot.

colder weather for all. the real coldest air — the darker blue colours here — waiting in the wings to push their way southwards through sunday night and into monday. it's to the north of this zone of cloud and outbreaks of rain, and also, hill, sleet and snow which arrive through parts of wales, the midlands and east anglia through the day. south of it, sunshine, a few showers, more of a westerly wind to the north of it. a northerly wind making it feel increasingly chilly. lots of sunshine around, but frequent snow showers in the north of scotland and a sub—zero wind chill to go with it. as you go, then, into sunday night, a bank of rain — as it pushes through the english channel — could turn to sleet and snow in the south—east. but northern england, northern ireland most likely to see a covering of snow as we start monday morning. but across the board, very cold start to monday morning. maybe as low as —8 through parts of scotland. and that risk of frost and ice, which will be with us for a time next week, with that colder air in place. and there will be a chance of snow in places. frost and ice the most widespread risk. temperatures, you can see, in the capital cities staying in the mid, if not lower, single figures. rising, with some rain returning, later in the week.

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. welcome if you're watching i'm ben boulos and these are the latest headlines... iranian state media says british—iranian dual national alireza akbari has been executed on charges of spying for the uk — which he had denied. britain's prime minister calls it a "callous and cowardly act". ukraine's capital, kyiv, has been hit by a missile attack, with critical infrastructure apparently the target, as president zelensky insists the fight for soledar goes on — despite russian claims they've taken the town. climate activist greta thunberg joins protesters in the german village of lutzerath as police try to clear the area to make way for coal—mining.

come here, protect life, and fight for survival. as long as people are here, lutzerath stays.