this is bbc news. the headlines — pakistan's former prime minister imran khan is back at home after being granted bail by a court in islamabad. he's due to appear in court on monday to face allegations of corruption. in ukraine, the military says it's recaptured ground in bakhmut after soldiers advanced 2km in a week. earlier, russia's defence ministry said their troops in the area had changed position for strategic reasons. a new migration policy is in operation along the southern border of the united states following the expiry of title a2. officials say so far they haven't seen a "substantial increase" in crossings. the excitement is building in liverpool as last—minute preparations are made for the eurovision song contest final.

the uk's entry, mae muller, will be the last of the 26 acts to perform. now on bbc news, the travel show. this week, it's time to party. "it ——it is the birthplace of the olympic games, french and ancient philosophers and democracy. home to the acropolis and whitewashed houses set against stunning blue sea and sky. we are in greece.

greece, a firm favourite with package holiday and culture lovers alike. in fact, almost a million of them arrived here every week last summer to soak up the sun. with summer fast approaching in europe, we thought it's time to take a look back at some travel show greek adventures. and what better place to start than athens, the country's capital city? we went to see the ancient monument of the acropolis, which is facing up to the challenge of becoming more accessible, proving even historical sites need to move with the times. that was a bit of a mission! i'm making my way up to the acropolis which, in greek, means high

city, which doesn't look nor sound very wheelchair—friendly. so, 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, over3.5 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. just seen a sign for disabled entrance, i think. yeah. know what? it's still a mission to get up here. i can see why the ancient greeks were so fit. 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 stairs to get to the acropolis? those are the stairs i'm talking about. wow! i'd never make it up there. hello! 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! this isjust... 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.

and 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's 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've 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. now, some people have complained about the concrete slabs being laid down, saying that it's 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'll still have the original features and, actually, look — this is some of the original stone, and it's 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, culture, is an anthropocentric culture. that means they created their gods in the image of themselves — zeus, hera, aphrodite, and so on. and between them, they had hephaestus, a very hard—working metalsmith and very powerful god, and he was lame. wow, that's incredible — disabled gods or gods with disabilities. i'm learning so many new things. this is amazing. and i'm also told that accessibility at the acropolis is not a new thing.

even in the archaic period — that means 6th century bc — there were ramps leading up to the temple of athena. not the parthenon, because the parthenon didn't existed 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. there are plans in place to make the site even more accessible with the installation of further paths. i, for one, think 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.

amazing work allowing everyone to enjoy the acropolis. and if you're going, the national archaeological museum in athens is also fully accessible and contains one of the world's top collections of greek antiquities. now, the harbours around greece can be full of superyachts and cruise ships but this lifesize replica of the 5th—century bc warship olympias is the only one of its kind in the world. a few years ago, i was lucky enough tojump on board and head out to sea. this amazing—looking galley belongs to the greek navy, and every year, groups of very lucky people get to go aboard and actually row, just like ancient athenians did. this year i'm one of those lucky people, so i'd better get ready. i think it's going to be quite hard work.

it took 20 years of passionate research to work out a design for this trireme as no remains of the wooden boats could be found. she was constructed here in greece in 1987. the important thing for the rowers of the boat is that they were free citizens. it was very honour to be rowerfor trireme. and the important is that in so small boat, we have so many people. they are the machine and they help the boat to move. i think it sounds like a fantastic lot of fun, and hard work. yes. so, would you maybe show me how to do it? yes, yes, yes — of course. wow! look at this! oh, this is amazing! this is the naval way to go down.

definitely naval. the ship carries two small sails. butjust like in ancient times, most of the propulsion comes from the 170 oarsmen staggered over three levels under the deck. it's quite tight in here, isn't it? yes, as i told you. all right. so, here you put your feet there. so, you sit here. yes, yes. what's your. . .. what's the technique for...? the technique must be like that. so, you lift it up out of the water. yes. one, two. ooh! yes, yes, yes. and now, in greek, dyo. two. i think i'm going to have very good abs after this. yes, yes, yes. and i will give you the orders. yes, absolutely. thank you so much. you're welcome. well, my fellow rowers are starting to arrive now, so i've picked a plum spot,

right in the middle of the action. 0h. ah. ready for ramming speed. gives instructions in greek. reaching speeds of about nine knots, or 17 kilometres an hour, this boat was considered pretty quick in its time. enas, dyo! enas, dyo. and its manoeuvrability won athens some decisive victories at sea. the bronze ram served as the main weapon to puncture the hulls of enemy ships and to sink them.

we get a break every so often. pants. oh, here we go again. eva, dio! eva, dios! looking around, it's almost impossible to imagine what this must�*ve been like for the people who originally rode —— rowed these kinds of boats. to be in battle, three layers

of different people, all sweating and trying to ram another boat in the open sea — i mean, it's unimaginable, given how pleasant and lovely this is today. still to come — we travel back to athens to meet some four—legged friends. we're heading to greece's first and still its only 100% renewable energy island, and ade is in some hot water in a secret spring. goddess athena created these springs for her favourite hero, hercules. i think it's quite fitting for someone like me. now, these wandering stray felines are a common sight in the streets of greece. from the tavernas to ancient monuments, they're part of the fabric of life which you'll undoubtedly encounter during your travels here. although, through the pandemic, one local charity made it their mission to ensure these street cats

were cared for. ade joined them in athens to help out for the day. puss, puss, puss. 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 here in acropolis and in many other places around the centre of athens. wow. i mean, that's a big job. are there many, 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 dinner—time 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 that you were doing and also the welfare of the cats? well, er, suddenly, because the town was, er, empty, you could see so many, many cats revealed,

a lot of cats. we didn't knew that they 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 the eye? yeah, he lost his eye. er, recently. hello, baby, 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 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. yeah. so, they would die. they wouldn't survive. no tourists meant no tavernas. and if it wasn't for volunteers, these guys would have gone hungry. meowing. but as athens opens up again, should we all be sharing our meals with the local cats? ok, they can give them a treat as a... ..as far as is not a problem for the owner. i do it also when i eat in a tavern. all animals mustn't eat actually our food.

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 am outside. i have something always. right, next time i'm in athens, i'll be packing cat biscuits, for sure. oh, so cute. now we're off to the island of tilos, a whopping 17—hour ferry ride from athens. unsurprisingly, it's more laid back and sees fewer tourists because it's so remote. after years of blackouts and reliance on neighbouring islands for its energy supply, a few years ago, it became entirely powered by renewable alternatives. we sent guy fenton to find out more about greece's

first hybrid island. probably one of the most relaxing and scenic ways to see tilos is by bike. you might see some wildlife along the way but right now, i'm on my way to check out something that up until now has been a vital link between tilos and the outside world. and this is it — these cables here. they have been connecting tilos to another island called kos, around 100 kilometres away, and traditionally, that's how tilos has been getting its power — from kos. from here, the cable travels underwater to kos and up until now it's been a lifeline for tilos. the underwater cable sounds like a good idea but the oil—generated power is expensive and the line is vulnerable to breakdown. when that happens, the island and its tourists are left without electricity. but thanks to a locally devised initiative, tilos has now set about generating its own electricity in a sustainable and eco—friendly way.

in combination with the wind turbine and the battery storage area, we are hoping that we can satisfy the demands of the island. and, of course, in some particular hours of the day, we can also provide power to the coast complex. the solar park isn't enough, though, on its own. the wind turbine is also a vital part of the energy system. the wind turbine, though, has the ability to operate, to produce energy throughout the day, 21w. so, this means that comprising both energy sources and also storing medium— or short—term storing energy in the battery will provide us a full operational power station. there are power cuts... the current mayor of tilos, maria kamma, grew up on the island. for maria, protecting the environment through renewable energy has been a number one priority. translation: the mentality

of the island is that we love | and protect the environment and it's been something we've been fighting for many years. how can we be independent from all polluting sources that harm the environment? so, an opportunity was presented through the programme and we decided to participate and offer our island for this experimental project. nobody here is suggesting that this scheme can be replicated across all of the greek islands. the tourism industry here on tilos is pretty sustainable and low key anyway, but they are setting a really good example. so, let's hope that at least some of the other islands do follow their lead. well, that's almost it for this week. but before we go, we've just got time for when ade found

another form of natural energy here in greece and a perfect way to relax after a long day sightseeing. i'll let him tell you more about it and we'll see you next time. i'm in the town of aidipsos in greece, and i was a little bit worried about this because i thought the travel show had set me up because that water looks freezing cold. but i've been told that these are hot springs which have been here for thousands of years. they've been visited by roman emperors, hollywood superstars and now an east london geezer. savage. oh, oh, oh, bad. this isjust gorgeous. now, there's a lot of history to these pools because legend has it that goddess athena created these springs for her favourite hero, hercules, so he could come here and kick back and heal himself after his herculean tasks.

i think it's quite fitting for someone like me. 0h. now, they say that the minerals in these baths have got healing properties, but the best thing is they're free. let's see what this one's like. this one's super hot. 0h! get over. oh, doesn't feel that bad. ooh! oh, that's so hot. i could put a teabag in there and make a proper cuppa. i'm not getting in there. i think i'd boil me chestnuts. it's not happening. oh, this is more my temperature.

hello there. we had big contrasts in weather on friday. west was best in terms of sunshine, so blue skies like these were pretty widespread. and in cardiff we had the warmest weather in the uk with temperatures reaching 20 degrees. but east scotland and most of england were stuck under this area of cloud, a blanket of cloud, if you like. not that it was much of a blanket around the north york moors in fylingdales, temperatures only got to eight degrees. and with the northeaster, i'm sure that felt more like wintertime. now where we did see those temperatures struggle across eastern areas, eventually over the weekend, we should see some sunshine break out and that will lift temperatures quite widely into the high teens to low 20s. so, eventually it will get warmer. before we get there, though, we have this pesky low cloud with us again. most of england, east wales, eastern areas of scotland thick

enough for an odd spit of rain. and these are the kind of temperatures, perhaps, if you're up early in the day. now, high pressure is in charge of the weather on saturday. so, we are looking at dry weather conditions. the best of the early morning sunshine is likely to be across west scotland, northern ireland, wales and western england. cloudy elsewhere, but that cloud will get munched away by the may sunshine. eventually, there could be one or two areas that keep the cloud across eastern areas of england, around the east coast. same for eastern scotland. but for the majority it's dry, it's sunny and it's getting warmer. temperatures high teens to low 20s, perhaps reaching 22 in northern ireland. if that happens, it would be the warmest day of the year so far, not that 22 is that impressive. by this stage of the year, more often than not, we've already had warm spells with temperatures into the mid to even high 20s. so, 22 this stage of may. bah! now the second half of the weekend, we do have a cold front that's going to be dropping rain and dropping the temperatures across northwestern areas. so a cooler day for scotland and northern ireland with rain here.

and the rain eventually will reach northwest england and across wales as well. to the east of that, well, i can't rule out an odd shower, but there will be hazy spells of sunshine and it could stay quite warm with temperatures again, high teens to low 20s. cooler, though, in the northwest. that's our weather this weekend. but i want to tell you about a serious cyclone that's heading towards the bangladesh/myanmar border region. this is home to many hundreds of thousands of rohingya refugees. and the weather looks horrendous, damaging winds, huge falls of rain and a storm surge. this could have potentially devastating impacts.

good morning. welcome to breakfast in ukraine, care claims they have recaptured round. a new migration policy in operation along the southern border of the united states. we will have the latest on the crossings. we visit the swiss village evacuated in just 48 hours after heavy rain threatened to bring tons of homes crashing down. and the fans around in liverpool over the

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