this is bbc news, i'm julian worricker. the headlines at three: agrichemicals giant bayer monsanto, insists that its weedkillers are safe to use, after an american jury ruled that they caused a man's cancer. an airline employee who stole an empty passenger plane from seattle airport is thought to have died after crashing on a nearby island. a 29—year—old man is killed and another man is seriously injured after an explosion at a military hardware factory in wiltshire. a warning the australian army could be deployed in new south wales — to help farmers deal with the worst drought in living memory and mission to the sun on hold: nasa is forced to postpone one of its most daring ventures until tomorrow because of technical problems. and the click team meet france's very own rocket man — that's in half an hour's time on bbc news. the manufacturers of britain's most

widely—used weed killer — round—up — are insisting that it's safe, after a court in the united states awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to a man with terminal cancer, who says it caused his illness. the jury in california decided that the us agro—chemical company monsanto knew the herbicide spray was dangerous, but failed to warn consumers. the company insists the product does not pose a risk to health. from california, james cook reports. dewayne johnson applied monsanto's roundup and ranger pro herbicides up to 30 times a year. now 46 years old, and dying of non—hodgkin's lymphoma, he held his head in his hands after the judge related the jury's verdict.

glyphosate did present a substantial danger. monsanto had been negligent in failing to warn users and had acted with malice or oppression. mrjohnson said he hoped the verdict would bolster thousands of similar cases. since the beginning of this case i have received a lot of support, a lot of thank yous and and a lot of prayer, a lot of everything. just getting energy from a lot of people that i don't even know, you know. and i'm glad to be here to help with this situation after i learned about roundup and glyphosate and everything, i'm glad to be here to be able to help, but the cause is way bigger than me. his lawyer said the company had acted with reckless disregard for human life. this case was historic. every major known human carcinogen had a moment like this, a moment when the science finally caught up, when they could no longer bury it, where people had to actually look at it and say, "we have a problem". but monsanto, which is owned by the german conglomerate bayer, says it will appeal,

insisting its products are vital, effective and safe tools forfarmers worldwide. the science is not certain. in 2015, the world health organization classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic, but both the us and the eu, supported by the uk, have since reapproved its usage. james cook, bbc news, los angeles. so, what is the weedkiller glyphosate used for? well — earlier i spoke to joe stanley from the national farmers union — who told me why it's an integral product in agricultrue. it is one of the things that we use annually but it is absolutely essential to modern productive farming and helps us to put affordable, safe food on your plate. specifically what do you use it for? the primary use for glyphosate is to create what we call a stale seedbed before we plan the crop. so, around this time

of year you will spray a field of stubble once the harvest has been taken off and that kills any weeds in the stubble off which means we can then plan the following crop free from weeds to grow unchallenged by weeds. and what if any safety concerns do you have about it? personally, i have no safety concerns about the use of glyphosate. the overwhelming weight of scientific evidence for the last a0 years has been that it poses no appreciable harm to human health. if it did, i would be the person most at risk, as the primary user of the chemical. but personally, i am confident that if global religion we if global regulatory agencies are happy for me to be using it in a responsible manner, then it is safe to be used to. and it's worth bearing in mind that the eu has really the world's most stringent regulatory procedures when it comes to approving such products

and if it is being used in the eu, then there is really very little evidence that you shouldn't be using it. there were some doubts expressed three years ago by the world health organisation's cancer agency concluding that it was probably carcinogenic to humans, so the science is not entirely secure, is it? the overwhelming balance of science agrees that glyphosate is not harmful to human health. the report you're referring to by the irac is somewhat controversial inasmuch as glyphosate is put in the same bracket as things like working night shifts, eating a bacon sandwich or being a hairdresser i believe, similar things in the same risk there. so you can see we're really talking about, when we say possible carcinogen, we're talking about such an incredibly low level of risk that its... i fear the issue has a tendency

to become politicised and it's something that really needs to be brought back to the science and to the facts, because glyphosate is a vital ingredient in a global agricultural system which enables farmers to produce safe and affordable food. what impact do you think the case in california might have? i would not like to comment too much on a californian court case, i haven't got the details. i would point out that this was a panel of lay people as opposed to a panel of experts. and we'll see what the fallout from this court case is. but one would hope that... of course more research can be done, you can never be too careful. but the overwhelming weight of evidence like i say is that it is safe to use, glyphosate. and you would hope that clearer heads would prevail and the politicization around the glyphosate issue should be taken down the scientific facts and more reasoned debate. the united states scrambled fighter

jets and declared a security alert, after a man stole a passenger plane from seattle airport, and performed aerobatic manoeuvres, before crashing on a nearby island. the airline worker, who was alone on the aircraft, is thought to have died in the fireball. the police say it was not linked to terrorism. andy moore reports. what the hell? the stolen plane was filmed by shocked witnesses flying low over the islands of puget sound. what is happening right now? ok, but why has it gotjets? it was pursued by at least two f—is military jets. the authorities said those aircraft escorted the plane out of harm's way but were not instrumental in bringing it down. what the hell is this guy doing? whilst he was performing aerobatic manoeuvres, the 29—year—old man at the controls was talking to air traffic control. we're just trying to find a place for you to land safely. yeah, i'm not quite ready to bring it down just yet but holy smoke, i got to stop looking at the fuel because it's going down quick!

0k, rich, if you could start a left—hand turn and we'll take you down to the south east, please. this is probably jail time for life, huh? i would hope it is for a guy like me. well, rich, we're not going to worry or think about that, could you just start a left—hand turn, please? the man piloting the plane said he would perform a last barrel roll and then call it a night. he crashed into a sparsely populated island, causing this fire. there was the loud boom and i looked at her and said, "what, did they drop a bomb over there?" and that really must have been it. 0ur information now is that there was only one person on the plane and that was the person flying the plane. there is no indication that this person who was flying the plane was trying to damage anything or attack anything. that man said himself he was not a qualified pilot, but he had enough knowledge to take a plane and fly it for some time before bringing his journey to an end. andy moore, bbc news.

a man who died in an explosion at a military factory in wiltshire was a 29—year—old man from southampton. kem—ring counter measures — which is based near salisbury — makes products to protect ships and aircraft from attack. another man was injured and is being treated in hospital. officials in new south wales in australia say the army could be deployed to help farmers as the worst drought in living memory continues to take its toll the state government says the miltary could be called in to help transport animal feed and water to badly hit communities in the outback. a warm, dry winter has left many farmers struggling to survive and little rain is expected in the months ahead. caroline lumley is executive manager of communications and engagement at tamworth regional council in new south wales, who have been running forums to help farmers. i asked her what are the most pressing needs for farmers at the moment.

look, i think at the moment, feed is a really big one. the most urgent thing is water. we are at that point now where farmers are having to make that decision, do i continue to use the stocks that i have now, what's going to happen next season? and am i actually going to be able to plant now so that i can survive another season? so, waterand rain is the number one thing. but for them otherwise, it's getting access to feed, to financial advice and access to mental health services. and it's about knowing i guess that the community and all three levels of government are working with them to get them through this crisis. how coordinated is all of this? you're talking about the needs in your particular area but how joined up is it all? look, i think that's just starting to happen now. and that's probably one of the frustrations that some of our farming community have that we're hearing about, that, of course, many farmers

are drought prepared and have been dealing with these drought conditions for sometime. of course, now the government is acknowledging that we are in a crisis and so it is really now that that coordination is starting to come together. the difficulty is that i guess a lot of our farming communities aren't aware of what's available to them and they will automatically tell you, i don't qualify for assistance, i don't qualify forfunding, or i don't need help. that's probably the biggest message that any level of government is trying to get out there, which is just don't self assess. before things get really too critical for you, ask somebody, speak to somebody and find out what help and assistance there is. because at this stage if we don't get the rain soon, it's not going to be about this season, it's going to be about cops season, it's going to be about crops and livestock for next season as well, and this could take us forward a number of years.

on a personal note, you're there at the heart of this, what is it like to be living through a situation like this? it's heartbreaking. we're still a very prosperous town in terms of our business community but to watch the farming community, to speak to men who have traditionally worked the land every day, i met a farmer the other day, he's a sheep farmer, he had to sell all of his stock and he said, i don't have anything to do and i don't know what to do with myself. we got talking about the fact that he still had working dogs and they were, as he said, probably his mental health lifeline, because at least he had to run his dogs every day when he had nothing else to do. we're hearing these terrible stories, mums coming to the salvation army because they are unable to send their kids on school excursions. kids have formals coming up and they don't have the money for those sorts of things. they're really heart—wrenching stories but it's just that decision around, what's the right choice for me? do i continue to try

and hand feed my animals? do i sell my stock now and know i'm going to sell at a loss? it's the tension and pressure of making those decisions which is really starting to see people at breaking point. the turkish president recep tayyip erdogan has called for the united states to reverse what he calls a trend of "unilateralism and disrespect", after president trump doubled tariffs on turkish steel and aluminium imports. president erdogan was addressing a rally in northern turkey, earlier he told the new york times that he would look for new allies if washington did not change its position. mr erdogan said turkey will remain defiant against what he called ‘threats.’ translation: in respect of the pastor here, it is wrong to try to bring turkey to its knees using threats. let me address those in the us

again — what a shame. what a shame. you are trading a strategic partner in nato for a pastor. there are 81 million people in this country, the position of those 81 million people in this strategic partnership can't be traded for anything. whatever our stance was to this day will remain our stance to the future. we will comply with the law, we never compromised on law and justice to this day and we never will. the headlines on bbc news... agrichemicals giant bayer monsanto, insists that its weedkillers are safe to use, despite the verdict of an american court that they caused a man's cancer. police in seattle say they don't believe that an airline employee who stole an empty passenger plane from the airport had any terrorist intent. a 29—year—old man has been killed and another man is seriously injured after an explosion at a military hardware factory in wiltshire. is brought to come into the pill at

the european championships. there was a british gold and silver at the men's bmx. kyle edmonds a surprise winner ahead of the french world championship. england have a first lead against india in the second test at lord's, they are 100 five. jonny bairstow unbeaten on a7. totte n ha m jonny bairstow unbeaten on a7. tottenham beat newcastle, all three goals in the first 20 minutes. dele alli with the spurs winner. no other goals in the premier league so far. four matches under way. in the scottish premiership, hearts beat reigning champions celtic 1—0. a man's appeared in court in calfornia charged with starting a wild—fire that led to more than 20,000 people having to leave their homes. the holy fire — as it has become known— burned nearly ten thousand acres through the mountains

of southern california. peter bowes reports. a rapidly moving wildfire fuelled by high temperatures, gusty winds, and tinder dry brush. named after a local hiking trail, the holy fire broke out on monday, about 70 miles south—east of los angeles. dangerously close to homes, the flames leave residents with no choice. the police told us just a few minutes ago that it's time to leave. yesterday was mandatory evacuations. i left for the night and came back up. in the matter of about an hour were they were driving around with their sirens on and forcing residents to leave, so all of us are down at the park. steep, inaccessible terrain has hampered firefighters and the blaze is still out of control. officials are warning that worsening weather conditions with thunderstorms in the forecast will lead to extreme fire behaviour over the next few days.

there are a lot of resources available nationwide, but we are in competition with a number of fires up and down the state and also nationally. as those fires wind down and they release firefighting resources, we're able to get them here. the authorities say it was started deliberately by this man, 51—year—old forrest clark has appeared in court charged with arson. he could face life in prison if convicted. at least a dozen wildfires are burning across california. 1a,000 firefighters, including crews from overseas, are battling the flames from the ground and the air. so we've got a really good relationship between america and new zealand and we've had the american usar taskforce teams and come out and help with the kaikoura and christchurch earthquakes in 2010, 2011, so we were really grateful to provide that reciprocal help. the national weather service says smoke from california and other

fires burning in western states appears to have drifted as far as new york, 3000 miles away. some of the fires are expected to burn for several weeks. the un security council has called for a "credible" investigation into an air strike on a bus in yemen that killed at least 29 schoolchildren. earlier, the saudi—led coalition — which carried out the attack on thursday — said it would investigate what it called "collateral damage". donna larsen reports — you may find some of the images in her report distressing. preparing to bury the dead. nearly 10,000 people have died in more than three years of war in yemen, but thursday's attack stands out. children, apparently on their way back from a picnic, hit by an air strike. it happened near a market in the rebel—held province of saada. un officials called it

"a new low" in the conflict. what happened on thursday will change the lives of these children forever. they're now receiving what help is available in yemen's overstretched hospitals. translation: the blood bank here does not have enough blood. thank god, we're doing what we can. there are multiple injuries to the brain, to the bones. at first, saudi arabia, which leads the international coalition fighting the houthi rebels in yemen, said the attack was legitimate, targeting militants launching rockets. yet as outcry grew around the world, the saudi military promised an investigation and, after a closed—door meeting, the un security council said it will review what the saudis come up with. the important thing is the word "credible". if there is an acceptable, credible investigation, then the council will want to consider next steps in the light of that. if any investigation held is not credible, the council will obviously

want to review that, and want to review if more is necessary. for many, though, that's not enough. human rights watch say we've been here before. the saudis have been given a chance to investigate themselves and the results are laughable, they say. britain, the us and france all sit on the un security council and all support the saudi coalition to restore yemen's internationally recognized government. but their concern at this attack and yemen's worsening humanitarian crises is growing. they've not called for an independent investigation, willing for now, it seems, to wait and see. as the children are treated and the war rages on, the world is looking for answers. who asks the questions will be crucial. donna larssen, bbc news. seven marks and spencer stores will shut today as part of a major restructuring plan. it comes a day after house of fraser was bought out of administration, and as more and more high street

stores face pressure from rising costs and online retailers. our business correspondent joe lynam has more. this store in northampton will close its doors for the last time today. it's been trading for almost a century. yet another victim of intense condition from web retailers. in 2006, m&s announced a restructuring plan to cut costs to include the closure, shrinking or relocation of more than 100 stores by 2022. by the end of today, they will have closed down 28 stores. today, it shops in these areas will trade for the last time. these closures join an ever growing list of retailers facing existential threats from the internet, including mothercare, toys ‘r' us, and most recently, house of fraser. 2018 has been a tough year for retailers.

we have seen quite a few retailers go into administration or announce they are closing a significant number of stores. this is in reaction to consumer spends both shifting online and being held back where consumer confidence is low. house of fraser was bought out of administration yesterday by mike ashley, the owner of sports direct, but it is unlikely he will keep all of the 59 stores open. the attrition on the high street is set to continue. the governments decision to maintain its ban on boxing and martial arts in prisons is a "missed opportunity" according to the uk s leading expert on sport in prisons. in a report commissioned by the ministry ofjustice, professor rosie meek said the sports could help reduce re—offending and improve discipline injails. but ministers have rejected the recommendation, as our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford explains. teenage young offenders held in wetherby, working

out their aggression in a rugby league session organised by leeds rhinos. keep going, guys, well done. taking exercise while behind bars helps with fitness, mental health and also with learning lessons for life on the outside. it gives you good discipline and that, like, you have got to be told what to do and take it on and stuff like that. you can turn into real—life situations. today's report into sport in prison found some good examples like here in wetherby but it says the provision in england and wales is inconsistent and underdeveloped and it says women's prisons must do more. but you won't see boxing or martial arts being taught in prisons or young offenders' institutions. it is not allowed. today's report suggests that the prison service at least considers changing that but that recommendation has not been accepted. boxing is taking place in our prisons anyway, innocently. professor rosie meek who wrote the report says boxing teaches

discipline and teamwork and she is disappointed. if we can develop a well—designed programmes which have meaningful objectives around reducing reoffending than we really should be doing so. ministers agreed to improve sports provision and the education and life skills that can be taught alongside it, but the idea of inmates learning to fight in prison proved too much for them. daniel sandford, bbc news, wetherby. the us space agency nasa has delayed the launch of its mission to send a satellite closer to the sun than ever before. the parker solar probe was due to have launched from cape canaveral in florida this morning but the lift—off was postponed when an alarm went off. it has been rescheduled for tomorrow. a care home for people living with dementia has been inundated with holiday postcards following an appeal. staff at cedar court in derbyshire asked for holiday stories from the public last month.

they've now received about 1,000 to share with residents. caroline moses reports. more holiday reading for cedar court. hello. but these aren't books. 0h, postcards, thank you. in an age of online posts, these are the old way of recording travel memories. it followed an internet appeal from the care home last month for people to send in traditional postcards from their holidays in the hope that among other things, it would help residents here recall their own family breaks. what they didn't expect was that around 1000 would arrive in the post. # sending a postcard, i don't care who sees what i've said... the response has been phenomenal to the postcard appeal. we're just overwhelmed by it, it really has touched all our hearts, we've had them from hawaii, new zealand, china, loads of different places, america and all around the uk as well. they really mean something more to the residents, i suppose, because a lot of their holidays

when they were children were in the uk, so places like brighton and skegness, they really invoke the memories of the residents. there's no place like blackpool. i was about ia when i went with my mum and dad, you know. and my dad used to hold my hand. does it make you want to be there? yes, it does. he's more responsive, it brings them out of their selves, if you like, it's a talking point. he loves them. we've seen a difference in the fact that the residents are a lot more alert because it's a daily thing that we're doing and reading the postcards and they never get fed up with actually getting the cards, looking at where they're from and what people are doing, the adventures that people are having. now, the idea is being sent to other care homes to encourage them and their supporters to do the same. it takes a few minutes out of your day to write a card, but it brings so much enjoyment to the residents that receive them. we have somebody that's proposed

and sent as a card about that, so, all of these single acts of kindness mean so much to us, it really does. caroline moses, bbc east midlands today, bretby in derbyshire. a rhino calf — one of only 650 in the world — has been playing outside for the first time, just over a week after being born at chester zoo. the baby, which is yet to be named, was born in front of astonished visitors 11 days ago, despite rhinos usually calving at night. with so few eastern black rhinos left on the planet, he is a very important new addition to the breeding programme working to prevent their extinction. just do well on that shot for a little longer! now it's time for a look at the weather.

for many of us it's been a fine afternoon with some sunshine but showers elsewhere. into this evening, that rain will shift further northwards and east. some rain through tonight across much of northern england, northern ireland into southern scotland, some heavy showers into the south—east. temperatures overnight much milder than last night, for most of us things will hold up in the mid teens, fresher for northern scotland but a more humid field to the weather as we start the day tomorrow morning. sunday, outbreaks of rain of southern and south—east england, and patchy rain lingering for central scotland. rain followed by more sunshine from the west but a fuse get showers and for wales and the south—west of england, some could be heavy and thuggery. most of us could be heavy and thuggery. most of us 18 to 22 degrees. cooler in the far north, still unsettled in the north for monday and tuesday but drying up and warming up further

south. hello this is bbc news with me, julian worricker. the latest headlines. agrichemicals giant bayer monsanto insists that its weedkillers are safe to use, despite the verdict of an american court that they caused a man's cancer. an airline employee who stole an empty passenger plane from seattle airport is thought to have died after crashing on a nearby island. a 29—year—old man is killed and another man is seriously injured after an explosion at a military hardware factory in wiltshire. officials in australia's most populous state, new south wales, say the army could be deployed to help farmers as the worst drought in living memory continues to take its toll.