this is bbc news. the headlines... after a chinese balloon flew into us airspace, another is reported — over latin america. us secretary of state antony blinken earlier called off a visit to beijing calling the balloons "an irresponsible act". in the uk, the search for missing mother—of—two nicola bulley enters another weekend after police say they believe she fell into the river while walking her dog. the search continues but no trace of her has been found. forest fires in chile sparked by a devastating heatwave have left at least 13 people dead and tens of thousands hectares of forest destroyed since the wildfires began

earlier in the week. the tesla founder elon musk has been cleared of wrongdoing for a tweet in which he said he had "funding secured" to take the electric car—maker back into private ownership. the former sex pistols frontman, john lydon, has failed in his attempt to represent ireland at the eurovision song contest. he'd hoped his song hawaii would give him the chance to raise the issue of his wife's alzheimer's disease, but his band public image limited came fourth out of six acts. from dublin, daniel rosney reports. ladies and gentlemen, it's the late, late show. eurosong, 2023. welcome. john lydon�*s song was a tribute to his wife nora, who lives with a form of dementia.

# remember me. # i rememberyou. and you've been together many years. yeah, nearly 45 now. 45 _ and she's not so well. yeah, she, unfortunately, got alzheimer's. - and so this song — from an idea from the fabulous lou here — i we pieced together to try and tell the story as genuinely and real. as we possibly could. six acts competing all had their own story. in the end, lydon�*s band public image ltd brought the opposite of anarchy to ireland, meaning lydon won't be saying aloha to liverpool. we are one by wild youth. instead, wild youth, a band tipped to be ireland's next big thing, will fly the flag. we've toured the uk with the script, we've been on tour with lewis capaldi, niall horan, westlife. we've done other shows.

the band entered after watching maneskin�*s 2021 winning performance and are hoping to have similar global success. i hope you've cleared your diary for may, for liverpool, because this is a busy time. let me go down there, say hello to some of the lads. i'm supposed to be - getting married in may! the biggest stage in the world is calling, and that day can't be changed. daniel rossini, bbc news, dublin. and for more on eurovision, including on wild youth�*s win in ireland, there's a new bbc sound podcast. of course, it is being held in a liverpool because of ukraine's conflict. search "eurovisioncast". a new episode was made available on saturday. now on the news channel, it's the travel show.

coming up on this week's show... nigeria's looted treasures and the battle to get them back. they will not have any other choice than to release what belongs to all, than to release what belongs to us, because the whole world knows they are stolen properties. we get the lowdown on europe's sleeper trains. the private companies that are now embracing this new passion for sleeper travel are getting people back onto trains and away from short—haul budget flights. and we head to south america and what's officially the most electrifying place on earth.

hello and welcome to the travel show, coming to you this week from the historic university city of cambridge in the uk. now, it's the beginning of term and students are coming back, and like many generations before them, they'll be benefiting from some of the best educational resources in the world. and that includes valuable treasures looted from afar on colonial expeditions. but we're here because the university has recently announced it's actually returning some of those, specifically benin bronzes, to nigeria. and it's there, in what was once known as the kingdom of benin, that i want to start this story.

for centuries, this street, igun—eronmwon, has been famous for one particular craft — bronze casting. its name literally translates to "the place where bronze works are made". just five minutes from the palace, traditionally, it was the royal family and dignitaries who'd commission pieces to mark historical events. aigbe anthony spent 15 years mastering his craft. i've been into bronze—casting from childhood. i was taught by my father, which my father was taught by the forefathers, and it has been a family business, family work. so we've grown into it as a living. he's part of an exclusive guild of bronze casters, which has 120 members that mostly work on this street,

all practising a centuries—old technique where wax models are used to create a detailed mould for the bronze to be cast in. it will take up to two weeks to make a piece, and it'll take up to a month, depends on the size of the job, for the artwork. whenever a tourist comes to nigeria, they want to visit this place, so they buy and they commission works. whilst the technique has remained the same, most are working off printed images, with little access to their ancestors�* original works. we have few ones that is still left, which is in family houses here, and we still have them in catalogues. yes, there are a few, not much.

we don't have much access to it because much of them is stolen. ifeel bad, and i'm not too happy because this is our treasure. it's what our forefathers laboured to do. it's reckoned around 10,000 pieces were looted by the british when they sacked benin in 1897, burning down the city's palace in the process. the bronzes were then sold to institutions around the world. now, there's no law in the uk which forces museums or other places to return stolen artefacts, but some institutions are doing it independently, likejesus college, cambridge. they were the first institution in the world to return a benin bronze, in 2021.

more recently, germany handed back 22 bronzes and agreed to release over 1,000 items from their collections. the horniman in london has also sent pieces back to nigeria, and soon cambridge university's museum of archaeology and anthropology will follow suit. we've identified 116 objects that were taken during the punitive expedition of 1897, and those are the objects that we will be transferring ownership of. i think it's impossible to overstate just how severe an act of vandalism and cultural violence this was. the heads that we see before us here were several of the objects that graced ancestral altars throughout the palace, and the purpose of those altars was very much to maintain the lineage, to

maintain the kingdom. the plaques that had been removed from the walls throughout the city were visualisations of the benin kingdom's history and heritage, and those were all taken away in a wholesale export of this material, leaving very, very little behind. tell me, why are you now and only now returning some of the pieces? i think it's the right time for these collections to go back. one might say it's long overdue. i think the main reason, the most recent reason, is that there has been a request from the nigerian government, and i think fundamentally for us it's the right thing to do. these were stolen, these were looted. there are many, many different ways in which objects came to museums like this. there's such an awareness both within the uk and internationally of museums, colonial legacies, but also of the cultural heritage that is represented in museum collections. and we want the future retelling and care of these collections to be something that's

really, really collaborative. now, this is not a sentiment shared by all. currently, the british museum in london has more than 900 items from the historic kingdom of benin, the largest collection of bronzes in the world, with no current plans to return any. the british museum sent the travel show a statement, where they say that the collections offer an important opportunity for audiences to understand the history of the british conquest of benin city, and to reflect on the impact of that period of colonialism. they're in dialogue with the nigerian government about this, but also cite the british museum act of 1963, that it's their founding responsibility to care for the collection on behalf of the world — notjust the bronzes, but all the objects kept here. now, undoubtedly, that's not something that sits too

well back in nigeria. the national museum in benin has the most accessible collection of bronzes for tourists to see, though a fraction of what it perhaps should be. the time is coming for the british, for london in particular, when they see neighbouring countries around them bringing the objects, they will not have any other choice than to release what belongs to us, because the whole world knows they are stolen properties. there is no place like home. by the time this object comes home, it is going to do a lot of things. it will heal the wounds, it will create more jobs for our people. it will create more tourists to visit our museums. and on that note, plans are under way to build a brand—new museum to house their returning heritage.

the edo museum of west african art is scheduled to open in 2026, and they're optimistic it will be filled with their missing bronzes. fingers crossed the museum project goes smoothly. but if you can't wait that long, here are some alternatives from around the world that you could consider. starting in asia, the national museum of cambodia in phnom penh is filled with reclaimed stolen statues. a lot of the items here were looted from temples across the country, including from the famous angkor wat. a team is constantly working on tracing and bringing back their antiquities from museums and private collectors around the world. over in canada, the winnipeg art gallery has recently opened a centre showcasing the world's largest collection of inuit art.

it's called qaumajuq, which means, "it's bright, it is lit," with a building very much inspired by being in the arctic landscape. more than 27,000 artworks are on display, including a large portion which is on loan from the northern communities. travelling south into the us, why not check out the first american national museum designed and run by indigenous peoples? it's part of the smithsonian institution group, this one based in washington. the building is made out of materials closely connected to the native communities across the continent. inside, you'll find more than 800,000 objects, along with regular workshops and talks. over to morocco next, where you may remember we sent ade to the newly opened modern african art museum in marra kech. there you'll find lots of artworks from around the country.

its whole thing is about making art accessible, and the first sunday of every month, you pay whatever you want or can afford to enter. finally to papua new guinea, where its national museum in port moresby has the task of protecting and preserving the country's cultural, military and natural heritage. some locals see it as a spiritual home, due to its heritage inside. alongside its archaeological objects, it also has natural history specimens and contemporary local artworks. ok, so stick around, because there is loads more still to come in the programme. simon's got his top tips for booking onto europe's sleeper trains, and the place where lightning almost certainly strikes twice.

hello and welcome to london st pancras international, britain's european train terminal and one of the most beautiful rail stations in the world. in east asia, covid travel restrictions are finally unwinding in 2023. while mainland china is still closed to tourists, hong kong has lifted almost all its pandemic—related rules. 0verseas arrivals must simply take a lateral flow test within 2a hours of theirflight departing to hong kong. back here in europe, ferry links are being restored after the peak of the pandemic. the fascinating french port of le havre, a unesco

world heritage site and gateway to the seine—maritime region, gets reconnected with portsmouth in southern england from march. also restored, international rail services from renfe, the main spanish train operator, from barcelona to lyon in southern france. which brings us on to my tip of the month. improvements in european rail services have made a cross—continentaljourney an increasingly cheap and appetising prospect this year. for example, on the main high—speed link in spain between the two biggest cities, madrid and barcelona, travellers can now choose from four competing operators. plenty of nine—euro one—way tickets are available, booking several months ahead, and even at short notice, you can typically payjust 35 euros. great news, too, for those of us

who believe that the most civilised way to travel across europe is by sleeper train. a new dutch enterprise, european sleeper, is starting an overnight service from brussels, antwerp, rotterdam and amsterdam to berlin. travel writer monisha rajesh, who's about to head off on a trip to istanbul on three separate sleeper services. it can be expensive, but there are plenty of options depending on your budget and what kind ofjourney you're looking for. tickets start at the very lower end, where you can travel in an upright seat overnight, but you can get seats for starting at around 45 euros, going up to around 270, if you want to be in a private compartment with a lovely big bed and an en—suite bathroom. tell me more about the new brussels to berlin sleeper. is it really significant? i think it is, because i think the private companies that are now embracing this new passion for sleeper travel are getting people back onto trains and away from short—haul budget flights,

which is what i think all of us want to see because of climate change. can an overnight train really compete with fast and frequent and generally low—cost flight? i think it's quite hard to get people to come onto a train for 16 hours at a cost which might be double what you would spend on a flight. but i think you will find people at least looking into it more, considering train travel. and if they don't have to be somewhere very fast, i think it's something that people will definitely embrace. lots of viewers are asking why long—haul airfares, particularly on routes from europe to asia and australia, have increased so much. well, partly the russian invasion of ukraine is to blame. it's greatly increased fuel costs, which are all the more significant on very long flights. also, the closure of russian and ukrainian airspace means that many routes have to travel much further.

staying with air travel, what's happening with airport security checks here in the uk? well, byjune next year, the current limits on liquids, aerosols and gels should be lifted, making the security checks much faster and less stressful. that's all for now from here at london st pancras international. wherever your next rail journey takes you, i hope it's a great success. and do keep sending in your travel questions. for now, from me, goodbye. i'll see you next time. now, here in the uk, we are slightly obsessed with the weather, but maybe not quite as much as in the lightning capital of the world. ok, that's not its real title. but in the remote parts of venezuela where the catatumbo river meets lake maracaibo, lightning strikes 140 to 160 nights a yearfor hours on end.

cat moh has been finding out more. this is what the earth's capital of lightning looks like. this is relampago del catatumbo, or catatumbo lightning. it's only found in one remote part of venezuela and only accessible by boat along a route largely populated by wildlife.

a three—hour journey from puerto concha, the lightning occurs above an area where the catatumbo river meets lake maracaibo. average temperatures here can hit above 32 degrees celsius all year round. some of the nearest human neighbours to this amazing display are in a village built on stilts, called an 0loga. locals say catatumbo lightning is a symbol,

a symbol of respect from nature. here, they call it ploy, which in english means curiosity.

nasa has since declared it earth's lightning capital. catatumbo's 250 lightning flashes per square kilometre every year equates to a staggering total

of 1.6 million bolts of lightning annually. the strikes are often visible for seven to ten hours per night. if the elements could write poetry across the sky, it would surely look like this. well, that's it for this time, butjoin us next week if you can, when... 0h, crafty! look at this. ..krista's in switzerland, finding out about how a vast network of bunkers lying beneath the surface... oh, wow. ..have been adapted over the years. mm. oh, that's lovely. and she heads to a hot—air balloon festival with a unique view of the swiss alps. this word gets used a lot, but there's something quite magical about being up here. but don't forget, until then,

you can find a whole load of other amazing travel content from the bbc online by using the tags on your screen right now. until then, from me and the rest of the team here in cambridge, it's goodbye. hello there. this weekend's weather is certainly going to be a tale of two halves. part one of the weekend, rather cloudy and mild, limited brightness around, but by sunday, it's going to turn chillier and largely sunny as high pressure topples in right across the uk.

so today we're in this wedge of milder air for one more day before the colder air starts to move in behind this weather front, introducing outbreaks of rain to the north and west of scotland and northern ireland through the afternoon period. some dry and bright weather towards the south and east of scotland for a while. but i think, for most of england and wales, we're staying dry. a lot of cloud around, limited brightness, some of the best of it towards eastern areas. one or two spots of drizzle towards western hills. top temperatures, 12 degrees in the south, just around ten degrees further north this evening. and overnight, that weatherfront with outbreaks of rain spreads southwards and weakens as it does so. so barely anything on it, just the band of cloud. by around dawn. it should eventually clear from the south and south east of england. introducing much colder air. so it's going to be a chilly start to sunday with some frosts certainly in northern western areas, perhaps a little bit of mist and fog, too. so, for part two of the weekend, big area of high pressure sitting across the uk with the chillier air trapped underneath it. although i say chillier, temperatures will be actually closer to the seasonal norm, but it will be a colder start than what we've

been used to for sunday. a bit of early frost and mist and fog around, and then it's going to be dry, widespread sunshine, i think across the board. a bit of cloud for the northern and western isles there, maybe for the far south west of england, perhaps in towards the channel islands. otherwise, it's going to stay dry and sunny for most. and temperatures down on what we've been used to the last few days, seven to nine degrees. 0ur area of high pressure still with us, then, as we head into monday. drifting a little bit further towards the east. that may allow this weather front to encroach in to the northwest of the uk. so i think it could be a bit cloudier on monday for scotland and northern ireland. breezier too, could see some splashes of rain in the western isles. for most of england and wales, after a chilly start with some frost, mist and fog, it's going to be another dry day with pretty much widespread sunshine. temperatures again range from around seven to nine degrees. and high pressure holds on for much of this upcoming week. so a lot of dry, unsettled weather to come.

quite a bit of sunshine around, too. it will be chilly by day. temperatures close to the seasonal norm. nights will be cold, though, with frost and mist and fog.

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk or around the globe. our top stories? notjust one ...but now a second: after a chinese balloon flew into us airspace — another is reported — over latin america, the first one angered the us government. the presence of a surveillance balloon in us airspace is a clear violation of us sovereignty and international law. and the missing person case that's left investigators in the uk perplexed , mother—of—two nicola bulley hasn't been seen for eight days — police think she may have fallen into a river. forest fires in chile sparked by a devastating heat wave have left at least 13 people dead. the boss of tesla, elon musk, is cleared of fraud charges brought against him by the company's shareholders.