at least 80 people have been killed and thousands injured in a huge explosion in the lebanese capital, beirut. many people are still missing, believed to be trapped under the rubble. the blast was so powerful that it caused extensive damage to buildings over much of the city. the lebanese prime minister says a confiscated haul of ammonium nitrate caused the devastating blasts. he has promised that those responsible would be held accountable. countries from the region and beyond have offered support and medical assistance. lebanon will observe three days of national mourning for the victims. he bbc has obtained rare footage from inside china's secretive system of mass incarceration, in the region of xinjiang. in a self—shot video, a member of the uighur ethnic group can be seen handcuffed to a bed. relatives say he was then taken away for so called "re—education". now on bbc news, the travel show. coming up this week: elephants, iceland, and a splash of heavy metal, african—style. band plays heavy metal. hello and welcome to the travel show with me, christa larwood. well, if you were watching last week, you would have seen ade in venice on the very first overseas travel show trip we've been able to do in a really long time. hopefully, we'll all be back out on the road sometime soon. but in the meantime, here are some more of our favourite travel show stories from the archive. they might even inspire your next trip, wherever that might be. well, i'm not going to lie, working on the travel show is a pretty sweet deal. not only do we get to travel the world, see amazing places, but we also, from time to time, get to meet truly inspirational people. and that's the focus of this week's programme. including the man whose family have pretty much dedicated their life to iceland's enormous imposing glaciers, but who is now charting their decline. but let's kick off with a woman who has a different life's mission — to help sick and injured elephants in thailand. and a few years ago, henry went to meet her. when it was opened in 1993, this was the world's first elephant hospital. and since then, they've treated over 4,000 elephants, and i'm here to meet some of them. the hospital aims to provide care for any sick or injured elephant in thailand. what kind of patients do you have? we have all kinds of illnesses, sicknesses, knife wounds, gunshot wounds. some have diarrhoea, constipation, cataracts. some have serious, like, cancer, you know, and tumour. the most difficult case are the victims of landmines. laughs. she's very friendly! this one belongs to murtala. the old one. because, you know, she is growing up, she is still young. yeah — oh, that's true. yeah. so every so often you have to do... yeah, softer inside. get a new one, get a taller... right. soraida started the hospital after seeing elephants die because there was nowhere to treat them. so i told myself "0k, that's it. if no—one is going to do it, i'm going to do it myself. there should be a place where elephants can be treated. because there's no elephant hospital." the hospital is funded by donations and treatment is provided for free. yeah! after medicine, get treaties! tourists can come here to see the elephants in their recuperation areas but there are none of the shows and rides you might find at elephant camps elsewhere in thailand. some have called for a ban on using these revered animals in the tourist industry, but soraida tells me that could also create problems. to ban them, then we have to have the solution where would these elephants be? you can't take 4,500 elephants back into the wild. how are we going to keep them, you know, in its natural surroundings and in a way to earn some money, you know, in order to treat them well? it's amazing to see elephants like these that would otherwise have died in the wild actually thrive here in the hospital. and spending time with soraida and learning the ins and outs of what goes on here has been an absolutely amazing experience that i will not forget any time soon. my name is andri magnason. i'm a writer. i live in iceland. i have written children's books, poetry, plays, science fiction and non—fiction. my grandparents were founding partners of the icelandic glacial research society and they went on a glacial honeymoon in 1956, for three weeks. so these are your grandparents? this is my grandparents. this is iceland's highest peak — this is 2119 metres and, uh... grandma's not even wearing a coat, is she? no, it's good weather there. so i slightly interrupted you — can i help you hang these up? yeah, please, help me. so i'm choosing what photos i would like to use in my book. i'll pop this one up here. andri, how does looking at these photos make you feel? well, they've always made me feel, you know, nostalgic, proud, but they're also a slice section of time — that is, this is the first generation that was able to enjoy glaciers, and we only have three generations that will live that period. so then the glaciers will go, and after 300 years, these photos will be totally alien to that generation, especially in iceland, when the ice has left iceland. when the ice has left iceland. yeah. andri wanted to take me somewhere to show me just how quickly the landscape is changing. about 10% of iceland is covered in glaciers but glaciologists now believe that all of iceland's glaciers will be gone in just 200 years. five years ago, when 0k glacier was no longer heavy enough to lift itself up and move, it was declared dead. the amount of ice here has decreased dramatically. researchers from rice university in america recently drew attention to the loss. they approached andri to write the inscription for the plaque, commemorating the dead glacier. it's a strange situation, because how do you memorise the sky or something? it's like something big, firm, eternal. and so here it says, "a letter to the future. "0k is the first icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. in the next 200 years, all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path. this monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. only you know if we did it. august 2019, 415 parts per million of c02." that's the amount of c02 in the atmosphere, and actually the cause of the melted glacier. and that is rising, about 2—3 ppm every year. cat there with a man who is helping to memorialise iceland's disappearing glaciers. up next, back in 2018, lucy visited johannesburg to meet a very special lady who played a crucial role in south africa's history — from her kitchen, by cooking for nelson mandela. hi! really nice to meet you. mwah! i have heard amazing things about your talents as a chef so, talk to me. what are you going to make for us today? i'm making the simplest meal that you have ever had in your life. it's called crumbly meal — in our language, it's called umphokoqo — that one that mr mandela used to love it to bits. and he can not go a single week without eating this. yeah? he had to have this meal every week? yes. chuckles. how i do this? i would use crumbly meal, we got maize meal, and then this is a sour milk. sour milk. it has to be sourfor him, so much that when you talk about it and when he eats it, he must feel it in his mouth. so with water and salt, that is all — that's how simple it is. very simple — that's my kind of meal. i will add water, then i add salt. that's called umphokoqua — am i saying that right? umphokoqo. i can't say it! i'm just going to just nod. 0k. tell me what it was like cooking for mandela, just in general? well, it — at the beginning i felt intimidated, because i was going to cook for this... now, when i had to meet him, the first time, i was shaking — i must say, i was shaking and i was shivering. yeah, i bet you were! but he was so warm to me! when he received me in his house, he stood up for me and then he shake my hand and he asked me if — he said to me, "i know you are a great cook..." "..but can you cook our own home food?" that's when i said, yes. i didn't even hesitate, because i knew that now this is myjob, and then i got the job immediately. yes! so apparently when he went to london, we don't send him with food that we know. wherever he goes, in any country, but that particular year, that day, that week, hejust decided he's not going to eat, he's got a craving for his own home food while they were there already. then i got a call saying that "we know you are off, you are home. can you please go back to jo'burg?" and i had to cook this simplest dish for him. and what i did, me and my colleagues, we had to wrap it up nicely — it looked like a present — and then when we sent it to him, we had to write "the president's medication". and after that, i was called that. i smuggled food to him. laughs. you smuggled his favourite dish into the uk! yes. the meal is about to be ready. is he doing what i am doing now? would he hover? he can smell the umphokoqo and then, yeah. umphokoqo is coming. do you want to try? i'm going to try it. come on — it was one of mandela's favourite meals! i've got to give it a try! yeah. chuckles. that's quite yummy. thank you. mmm! mm! i can see why he liked it. i'm talking with my mouth full! both laugh. still to come on the travel show: we've got the californian sculptor who cooked up his own masterpiece in the kitchen. i literally microwaved a microwave while it was microwaving. i'm the only one in human history that's ever successfully pulled off this accomplishment. and ade learns to headbang, botswa na —style. so see you after the break. around this time last year, we sent mike off to dalyan in turkey to meet an incredible woman who spent the past 30 years doing her bit for conservation. she's become a bit of a local celebrity and she's a great lesson that's never too late because she is in her 90s. welcome to iztuzu beach here, just a few kilometres away from the sleepy little beach town of dalyan, here in turkey. 30 years ago, no—one really knew about the beach, but 30 years ago, they also were not paying much attention to what was happening underneath the sands. this is one of the most important nesting sites for europe's population of endangered loggerhead turtles. every summer, thousands of hatchlings push their way up onto the beach and crawl down into the ocean. that is still the case largely because of the work of this woman. june haimoff, who is now 96, stopped a hotel development in the late ‘80s that would have spelled total destruction for the breeding grounds. she has devoted the last three decades of her life to the turtles, winning turkish citizenship and an mbe along the way. the government had a plan to develop this for tourism and it included — not only included — a vital part of it — was a road down the middle of the beach. i spoke up, i said, please, don't put a road and i was helped. i did not do it alone. some said i was mad, others said i was a spy! a spy? a spy for greece. it is true. it sounds funny to us but that was actually written in a newspaper at that time. what's happened here now, what is the situation like? very good. the government here respects and knows about this beach. it is under protection. no—one can come here at night and start flashing lights around, looking for the turtles, or digging up nests, because there would be curious people who would like to do that. it would take a lot of fire in your heart to put all that energy and time into saving these turtles? i do have some fire in my heart. i can tell. i've still got it. i can tell. well, i think if turtles could erect statues, there would be one of you just right over there, just off the coast, built by loggerhead turtles. it is interesting what you say because, in the village, they plan some kind of edifice to me, i think, in dalyan village. i said i would rather have it at the beach if they do one and could they, please, you know, not make it too big orgrand. not you riding a turtle or anything like that? because that's not allowed. well, actually, now that you mention it, that would not displease me, no. in turkey, withjune haimoff there, 97 years old this year and still going strong. well, up next, surely this has to be one of the most creative and unconventional people we've ever had on the show. back in 2016, rajan visited palm springs and met a man who could create amazing artworks out of practically anything. wow, look at that. that is astonishing. welcome to the wacky world of kenny ingram junior. an artist whose work is now luring sightseers away from frank sinatra's old house around the corner to see this fantastical creation instead. i've been working on my art for i would say at least the last four decades, since i've been living and breathing. really? yeah, i was just born an artist. on these four acres of land kenny has used 1,000 tonnes of recycled stuff to create 350 works of art. so far. here's the hockey bot. what's that? it's made out of refrigerators. made out of refrigerators? yeah. right there's the robo—bear, made out of an air conditioning compressor. there's sa nta's barrel wagon up there. that is astonishing. this is the mongolian easter bunny's mobile throne. this is one of the world's only two microwave microwaves. that is correct. this is a genuine microwaved microwave. i literally microwaved a microwave while it was microwaving. i'm the only one in human history has ever successfully pulled off this accomplishment. where do you think this fits in, where you fit in, even, to contemporary america? i don't know where it could fit in, i don't think it fits in anywhere, really, to speak of. how we got men on the moon and how we'll get men on mars, or people on mars, isn't going to happen by how things fit in with other things. it's going to happen by how things that have been — never been done before, it's how it's going to happen. i actually physically can't get in this. of course you'll fit in there, you're not that big. i'm not that big at all. do you think grown—ups should be riding around in these? absolutely, there is no excuse not to. kenny, there's only one problem, right? what was that? we're on this thing and there's no—one to turn it off. does that mean we're on here for like, forever? well, in theory, that could happen. to finish up this week's look back at some of the most inspirational characters we've met here on the travel show, we've dug deep in the archives to find a film from ade, back in 2015, where he met notjust one, but a whole group of characters. they call themselves skinflint, and they're one of the leading heavy metal bands from botswana, which is not exactly a country known for its headbanging. out in the beautiful wide plains of southern africa, you really feel at one with nature. you hear the chirping of the birds, the occasional cackling of a hyena. but hold on a sec — is that drums i can hear? metal music plays that was amazing. fantastic, fantastic. skinflint are one of botswana's leading young heavy—metal bands, preparing a final sound check before a local gig tonight. the trio have performed all over africa and have taken their unique sounds as far as europe. we grew up with rock music, so we were always exposed to it and we wanted to make a new sound of music that could put botswana on the map. we realise these are the genres of music in botswana, notjust the typical genres. the band creates what has been dubbed "african metal", by fusing elements of african culture with heavy—metal music. and they have a big following. this scene has been here for ages. i started listening to rock and roll when i wasjust a young boy. my life is dedicated to rock and roll. we have a unique way of playing this thing. we have the african metal, and we have old school here. they dress from head to toe in black leather. some even have the ability to stop traffic. that's how they classify me. the eviliser. this is where skinflint are going to be performing. it's in a suburb just outside of the capital. judging by all the people and the sounds that are coming from in there, it will be a wild night. let's do it. despite their aggressive appearance, everybody i meet here is quite friendly. these gigs take place monthly all around botswana. and newcomers like me are welcome. it's like an expression — freedom of expression, power, independence. that's how i look at it. heavy metal music plays as the band gets into its stride, the crowd begins to mosh. this is how some rock fans like to express themselves. for me it is definitely a first. have it! and this isn't just about dressing the part, this is a new generation claiming heavy—metal as their own. people should maybe just open their eyes, you know, not put africa in a box like they always do. they only think that africa is a certain way. we are poverty—ridden, and there's a lot of negatives about it. but we're also creative people, even though it's not publicised much. there are talented musicians and artists in africa. so i think skinflint are an example of that. ade getting a taste for african metal there, back in 2015. well, i'm afraid that's all we have time for on this week's programme. but coming up next week, carmen is back on the road injapan. she'll be reporting on how the pandemic is affecting ceremonies to mark the 75th anniversary of the bombing of hiroshima and nagasaki. that's next week. but in the meantime, from me christa larwood and the rest of the travel show team, it's goodbye. theme music hello there. we're holding onto this north—west, south—east divide. certainly on tuesday it was the case, with many southern and eastern parts of england seeing plenty of dry, bright, warm and sunny weather. but it was a very different story further north. we had outbreaks of rain in northern ireland, northern england, and for scotland it really was a soaking wet day. now, this weather front responsible for it will sink a little bit further southwards into central areas to start wednesday, but we've got another front which will move into western areas later in the day. this first front will start to migrate northwards again through the morning, taking the patchy rain with it. this next weather front will push across the irish sea, into parts of wales and western england, the odd heavier burst mixed in there. and then further north—west, it will be rather cloudy with spots of drizzle at times. a blustery day to come, particularly in england and wales. but once again, we'll stay dry with some brightness across england, the top temperatures 25—27 degrees. also fairly warm across aberdeenshire, with some brightness there. now, through wednesday night it stays rather cloudy with further outbreaks of rain pushing on in towards the north sea. but i think that will leave a legacy of clouds and clear spells and once again it's going to be quite a warm and humid night to come. now, this weather front really started out as we head on into thursday. you can see it fade out there in response to this building area of high pressure over the near continent, and that's going to be the theme as we end the week with high pressure starting to dominate. so that weather front as it fizzles out, it will take any showers with it, the cloud should start to break up, but as we start to pick up warm and southerly winds, i think it will be a dry day for many of us with variable cloud and sunny spells. and warmer, too, temperatures reaching the low 20s further north, the high 20s across the south—east. as we head on into friday, we could see a little bit of rain returning to western areas, some of it could be heavy. but for the bulk of the country, central, southern and eastern areas, it's going to be a very warm or even a hot day with plenty of sunshine. so again, low 20s in the north and west, 30 to maybe 3a degrees in the south—east. so feeling quite hot again. as we move into the weekend, looks like another area of high pressure will build in across the uk and will settle things down, so it should be drier even further north and west, too. and again, another hot day across the south—east on saturday, signs of it starting to cool down a little bit as we head on into sunday. a very warm welcome to bbc news. my name's mike embley. our top stories: explsion a massive blast in the lebanese capital, beirut, leaves almost 80 people dead and thousands injured. the explosion sent shockwaves across the city. translation: i don't know what happened. i was fishing. i heard there was a fire. i turned and started to head home. i heard something explode and then this happened. the lebanese prime minister says a confiscated haul of ammonium nitrate caused the devastating blasts — he promises those responsible would be held accountable. in china, a former fashion model handcuffed to his bed for so—called "re—education", rare footage of the uighur ethnic minorities held in secretive detention centres — we have a special report. futher harrowing video footage of police arresting