this is bbc news. i'm martine croxall. the headlines at 7pm: devastating monsoon floods in the southern indian state of kerala have left more than 300 people dead and 200,000 homeless. helicopters are being used to airlift children to safety, with roads and even the local airport submerged. officials say it's the worst flooding for decades, and more rain is predicted to fall. translation: after 36 years, it's the first time that such flooding is happening here. it's a disaster for the whole population. here, mps call for the rules around e—cigarettes to be relaxed. they say they help people to stop smoking. the prisons minister, rory stewart, promises to resign if he fails to reduce the level of drugs and violence in jails within a year. some of the biggest names in music pay tribute to the queen of soul, aretha franklin, who died yesterday. she touched every genre, every

singer was influenced in some way by the way she sang. and we'll be finding out who's been unveiled as the latest contestant in this year's strictly come dancing — and speaking to them, too. good evening. devastating monsoon floods in india have killed nearly 1,000 people. the southern state of kerala has been the worst—hit region, with 320 dead and at least 200,000 without homes. rescuers in helicopters and boats are struggling to reach the thousands of people who are still believed to be marooned by the floodwaters — which are the worst to hit the region in nearly a century. more heavy rain is expected. yogita limaye reports. forced out of their homes

by the floods, people are walking miles to safety. beyond this surging water, there are tens of thousands who are stuck, waiting to be rescued. this child is amongst several people who have been airlifted in kerala. dozens of helicopters are pulling out as many as they can. the monsoon always brings heavy rainfall to kerala, but locals say this year is different. translation: after 36 years, it's the first time such flooding is happening here. it's a disaster for the whole population. shelters have been set up wherever possible. locals are volunteering, cooking food and distributing supplies to people who have been left homeless. cochin airport, the busiest in kerala, is unrecognisable.

its runway resembles a river. rescue teams are being dispatched from other airports. river levels are rising, and the government has been forced to open dam gates. and there is more rainfall expected in the coming days. yogita limaye, bbc news, mumbai. with me is ravi singh, founder and ceo of the charity khalsa aid, who has a team on the ground in kerala helping with the humanitarian effort. thank you for coming in. let's start with the scale of this. this is a pa rt with the scale of this. this is a part of the world which has seen flooding on many occasions, but this seems to have caught people out. flooding on many occasions, but this seems to have caught people outli mean, seems to have caught people out.” mean, we are known oi’ seems to have caught people out.” mean, we are known or the last 20 yea rs mean, we are known or the last 20 years for responding to disasters pretty quick, and we underestimated

it. it's fascinating to see that nature is so powerful, and suddenly the water is taken over almost the whole area of kerala, known as gods own country, and devastated state of now we are seeing own country, and devastated state of now we are seeing the results, 300 dead, and we are expecting that to rise heavily, and our team which reached kerala earlier today, they say, we've never seen reached kerala earlier today, they say, we've never seen anything like it, and they are very seasoned aid workers. it's utter devastation. what has the initial response been from your organisation? the team reached there today, they are already working with the local community, providing hot meals. we are trying to source freshwater. there is a crisis in trying to get freshwater. floodwater has taken over everything, so everything is polluted, so our team is working on bringing water, 46 hours drive away, and trying to work with contractors

in different states. i think it's more frightening, if the authorities don't realise in tact fast enough, —— and act fast enough for the danger of disease in hot weather, with standing water, there could be an outbreak of disease, and that could take many more lives. i think the big organisations and the government will be acting very hard to prevent that. for aid organisations like us, it's huge, it's something like we underestimated. now we reckon in the next three to four weeks, two to 3000 volunteers —— 200 to 300 volu nteers 3000 volunteers —— 200 to 300 volunteers dedicated to kerala. and even the airport is submerged. logistically it's a nightmare. 0ur volu nteers logistically it's a nightmare. 0ur volunteers are working in camps in some towns and cities, where

colleges, universities and stadiums are being taken over by those who are being taken over by those who are displaced, but there are people who are stranded and cut off, and we are getting reports of certain towns further afield that need help, so it looks like we will be working with the army, the local authorities, and making a longer route around the floods to reach those people, but it's a huge nightmare for the government, the local and state government, the local and state government, and i think we need all hands on deck, and i hope every organisation globally who are known for doing this sort of disaster work will react to kerala. they need all the help they can. i am hoping this disease doesn't spread. that's the biggest fair at the moment. it could be devastating. wedge a game changing situation when that happens. in this era of social media, people are no doubt contacting you, not just media, people are no doubt contacting you, notjust saying, what are you doing to help, but for other kinds of support. there are

individual pleas on my twitter and facebook, khalsa aid, they are clea n, facebook, khalsa aid, they are clean, my family or friends are stuck, they put the address is down, they phoned me, then the battery i’u ns they phoned me, then the battery runs out, so personal struggles. there are people who say the last thing they knew they were on the rooftop awaiting aid, and we don't know if that which seven foot we can't reach many places. —— we don't know if that aid reached them. people watching often want to try and do something. what is the best thing the public can do? customer support the organisations working in the field, and we are just one. choose wisely. sadly, ithink the field, and we are just one. choose wisely. sadly, i think there isa choose wisely. sadly, i think there is a donorfatigue choose wisely. sadly, i think there is a donor fatigue at the moment, because there are so many disasters and was, but please, don't these people alone. the people of kerala need us. we don't want it out of

sight, out of mind choosejust need us. we don't want it out of sight, out of mind choose just one organisation and support those people, please. they need us. best of luck with that work. thank you for coming in. we'll find out how this story and many others are covered in tomorrow's front pages at 10:40 and 11:30 this evening in the papers. joining me tonight are tim stanley, leader writer for the telegraph, and susie boniface, columnist at the daily mirror. rules governing e—cigarettes should be relaxed, to make it easier for people to vape in public places. that's one of many recommendations from a group of mps. around 2.9 million people use electronic cigarettes in the uk, with almost half a million who are trying stop smoking. the report suggests tens of thousands of people have already quit normal cigarettes because of vaping. it's estimated they're 95% less harmful than conventional tobacco, but some say it still isn't clear that they're completely safe and more research is needed. here's our health editor, hugh pym. the debate on e—cigarettes is heating up. a committee of mps has come down

strongly in favour of vaping and the benefits it can bring, and it wants official backing for that. vaping is one route to help problem smokers give up and we should be doing far more to encourage it. the mps want to see more of this, nhs endorsement of vaping. e—cigarettes are on sale at mental health units in leicester. smoking isn't allowed on trust property, but vaping is. it's helpful when they bring the vapes in flavours, you can buy different flavours. two users of the service told me how it helps them. since my mental health deteriorated, i smoked more but as soon as i was getting help, i went on my vape again. like, i started vaping and i don't really touch tobacco any more. i used to smoke about 20 to 30 a day and now i'm on about four to five a day. there is evidence those with mental health conditions tend

to smoke more than others, so the trust says there is every reason to offer help. vaping has less harmful effects as far as we know from the data and research, and therefore the trust is of the view that we should be exploring the option for our patients and also promoting it for our staff as well. elsewhere in leicester, a stop smoking clinic is run by the city council. e—cigarettes are recommended for those who would like to try them. another example of official backing for vaping. your reading now is zero... the mps' report calls for moves to allow e—cigs in more public places such as bus and train stations, and to allow nhs use of e—cigarettes. it also wants the authorities to loosen regulation of devices and liquids. the mps argue that e—cigarettes bring clear public health benefits in terms of helping smokers quit the habit. but can we be certain

that there are no side effects? the answer is not yet. we know they do help people stop smoking, but we do also have to be careful about their long—term use, so they are safer than cigarettes, but we can't absolutely say they are safe. so do people mind the vapour? 0pinions we heard were divided. we wear contact lenses and when that smoke comes into your eyes, it feels uncomfortable. it's not like cigarettes, it doesn't have that stinky smell that bothers anyone. for us as nonsmokers and just generally, i think the fumes are very bad. it's a sensitive area, and health authorities are likely to continue treading carefully before deciding what to do next. the prisons minister, rory stewart, says he'll resign if his campaign to tackle violence and drugs behind bars isn't successful within 12 months.

some of england's toughest prisons are to get £10 million to bolster security, improve living conditions and raise standards of leadership. labour says the government needs to do much more. our home affairs correspondent danny shaw reports. how to stop drugs getting into prisons. here's one way. hmp leeds is one of ten prisons where sniffer dogs are being brought in and new technology is being used to detect synthetic substances, like the former legal high spice. it's led to record levels of violence in prisons — volatile places, say inmates, even at the best of times. it's good here. but like anything and everything, things can change. the dynamics of a jail, the dynamics of a wing can change overnight. security around cell windows and perimeter walls will be strengthened to stop drugs being flown in by drones or thrown over fencing, and the government minister overseeing the improvement plan has promised that, if it doesn't work, he'll walk. i will quit if i haven't succeeded in 12 months in reducing the level

of drugs and violence in those prisons. i want to make a measurable distance. that's what this investment is around. but prison conditions have been severely affected by a programme of cutbacks. that's the view of campaigners, who question if the new funding will make much difference. we have record levels of violence and self—harm in our prisons at the moment. too many prisons are failing to deliver even the basics for prisoners, and whilst this £10 million across ten prisons is welcome, it will only go so far. but, at britain's biggest prison, holding 2,000 offenders, they‘ re bringing stability to the wings by giving inmates more say. 0akwood prison has its own approach to dealing with conflict and violence. it involves prisoners themselves taking the lead and providing support and mentoring. a lot of it has to be empathy, shared experiences, reliving your own experiences

to the individual. it's about connecting with the individual and not making any judgment. ben is showing there can be hope behind bars. the political career of a government minister rests on prisoners like him steering clear of drugs and violence. danny shaw, bbc news, at 0akwood prison. fewer than half the families of victims of the genoa bridge collapse in northern italy have accepted the offer of a state funeral. at least 38 people have died in the disaster. there's growing anger at the authorities over claims of years of neglect by successive italian governments in maintaining vital infrastructure. from genoa, james reynolds reports. amid the heavy machinery and the tonnes of rubble, the search for survivors sometimes comes down to a single voice. "anybody there?", shouts a rescuer. there's no reply.

but they'll keep going for a while longer. it's difficult to say we will finish tomorrow, but i can tell you that probably in a couple of days we should finish, but it is really depending on how we can remove all the debris. parts of the operation are extremely delicate. here, firefighters reversed a truck abandoned right next to the edge of the collapse. professor antonio brencich is on the official investigation commission. before he was appointed, he told me the original engineers' bridge design was flawed. he made some decisions that produced a bridge, a new bridge different from the others, an attempt to find a new way, a new structural form, which failed. it failed?

it failed. you see. this is the result of that collapse. this afternoon, the families of the dead gathered around their coffins. in the morning, the victims will be given a state funeral. and it's worth adding that a number of families had decided not to take pa rt of families had decided not to take part in the ceremonies. instead, they've chosen to hold private burials for their relatives elsewhere in italy. but the state funeral here will allow a short pause in the bitter arguments which had broken out since the collapse on tuesday. 0nce had broken out since the collapse on tuesday. once the ceremony is over, those arguments, that debate about decades of decision—making may re—intensify. the headlines on bbc news: devastating monsoon floods in the southern indian state of kerala have killed more than 300 people, with more than 200,000

people left homeless in camps. here — mps call for the rules around e—cigarettes to be relaxed. they say they help people to stop smoking. the prisons minister, rory stewart, promisees to resign if he fails to reduce the level of drugs and violence in jails within a year. a teenage boy is in a critical condition in hospital, after four people were stabbed in south london. the victims, all aged between 15 and 16, were attacked on the elmington estate in camberwell yesterday evening. six boys of the same age have been arrested, on suspicion of violent disorder and grievous bodily harm. 0ur correspondent simonjones sent us this update. the police have said, if you want an example of the utter senselessness of knife crime, this is it. witnesses say yesterday evening they saw around 30 boys running around this estate, and one said she saw a

boy armed with what looked like a large carving knife and then, one witness heard a voice green, help, help, and the other boys ran off, and another said they saw one of the victims come round the corner, clutching his stomach, and then he collapsed the floor. four people we re collapsed the floor. four people were taken to hospital, four boys aged 15 and 16, one in a critical condition, the other described as serious but stable. two others minor injuries. six people have been arrested, and they are boys aged 15 and 16, according to police. they we re and 16, according to police. they were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and violent disorder. the sad reality is police here in london often have to deal with many stabbings each day, but what makes this rather unusual is the fact that we had four stabbings ina single the fact that we had four stabbings in a single incident, and the age of those who were stabbed, just 15 and 16, and the age of those arrested,

also 15 and 16. police are appealing for witnesses to what happened. they say they recognise some might be relu cta nt to say they recognise some might be reluctant to contact them, but their message is that anyone who has information should think of the boys who have been heard and their families and do the right thing and come forward. the department store chain house of fraser is cancelling all online orders and refunding customers. it follows a payment dispute with the firm that handles its warehouse operations. xpo logistics is owed £30 million by house of fraser, which was taken over by sports direct last week, and hundreds of suppliers say they're owed money too. our business correspondent emma simpson reports. it's the last thing this business needs — a stream of angry customers. the website is down and orders cancelled, thousands of them. house of fraser says it's sorry, and refunds will be given. nearly a fifth of its sales are now online — business this chain can ill afford to lose. one of house of fraser's failings over the last few years has been

that its online offer has not been good enough, and that's something mike ashley and his team will be wanting to remedy pretty quickly, but it demonstrates how, suddenly, if your online offer cannot be delivered, how it impacts your customers and their ability to spend money with you straightaway. here's the problem. its warehouse operator xpo logistics has stopped processing orders, including at this site in milton keynes, in a dispute over payment. this time last week, mike ashley came riding to the rescue. he did so by buying this chain through what's known as prepack administration, a much—used process that is controversial, because it means mr ashley's sports direct has no legal obligation to pay any of house of fraser's debts owed to suppliers. the fallout was laid bare today. some £418 million is owed to unsecured creditors, like landlords and suppliers.

xpo logistics alone is out of pocket by more than 30 million. jigsaw the fashion retailer is owed much less, but it has now removed stock from 20 house of fraser stores. this small nottingham business supplied dry—cleaning services, one of hundreds who'll get next to nothing back. house of fraser at the moment owe us about £270. that'sjust one month's invoice. but a lot of companies have gone in the past, austin reed to mentionjust one, but over the past ten years probably £12,000 to £15,000. we may not know mike ashley's plans for these big stores, but one things for sure. he'll need plenty of good will to turn things around, from customers and suppliers. emma simpson, bbc news. it's been announced the england cricketer ben stokes will play in the third test against india

at trent bridge tomorrow. he's been back in training with the squad after a jury found him not guilty of affray earlier this week. diets designed to take inches off waistlines could potentially end up taking years off someone's life. researchers in america have found that cutting down on carbohydrates in foods like pasta, potatoes and bread may reduce life expectancy by up to four years. here's chi chi izundu. this is the kind of carbohydrate—heavy food that, for years, has had a bad reputation when it comes to our diets. low—carbon, high carb, just meat, plant—based, sugar—free — there are so many different pieces of advice on what's best to eat. but a new study of more than 15,000 people over 25 years suggests that cutting carbs altogether could increase the risk of an early death. when people think of carbohydrates, they might think of foods like this, and this report is saying that those who substitute their carbohydrates for more meat isn't the best option. in fact, what they would rather

you did was substitute it for more nutritious carbohydrates, so effectively eating more fruit and vegetables. researchers of the report say people who consume very small amounts of carbohydrates will have a life expectancy of around 79 years. those who only focus really on foods like breads, potatoes and cereals will have a life expectancy of around 82 years. but those who eat between 50 to 55% of carbohydrates in their diet, the healthiest, expect to live to about 83. carbs are good for us. it's really about making the most of getting a balanced diet, with everything in moderation, lots of colour — that's the key. the findings of this study did rely on people's self—reporting, remembering the amount of carbohydrates they were eating, and that's something those who are conscious of what they are putting inside their bodies also keep an eye on. i watch my carbs a little, yeah, but i don't restrict myself a lot, because i like pasta too much, i like bread. ijust like to keep an eye

to see what i'm putting into my body and just keep an eye, really. i don't watch them. i think it should be about balance. as long as you've got a little bit of everything, if your body is craving something, it's for a reason, so you've just got to listen to what your body is telling you, and that's the healthiest way to be. the report also supports the advice of public health england, which suggests starchy carbohydrates should form the main components of a healthy diet. the overall message is there is a sweet spot of consumption levels for all nutrients. eating too much or too little will be damaging. chi chi izundu, bbc news. some of the biggest names in music have been paying their tributes to the queen of soul, aretha franklin, who died yesterday. 0ur correspondent aleem maqbool has more from the singer's home city of detroit. here in detroit, the trickle of mourners turned into a crowd of people celebrating the life of this incredible artist. aretha franklin was one of the spearheads of an extraordinary

group of musicians in detroit at the time that lived in these streets, performed at venues like the fox theatre, people like smokey robinson, the temptations, diana ross and, of course, the legend that is stevie wonder. he knew aretha franklin from the age of four years old. he saw her in herfinal days, and as recently as two months ago talked about collaborating with her again. there's a song that i had written called the future, and we were going to sing it together. and so, er... he clears his throat. i,er... i thought i had cried my last tear. i said i would get it together. i wanted and i did want to see her, so i decided on monday i would go, so i flew out from la to detroit and went to see her, and spoke with her. she wasn't able to speak back,

but her family felt that she could hear me, and so ijust said all the things that i wanted to say, and told her to say hello to my sister. hey! written and produced by mr stevie wonder, called me late one night and said, re, i've got a song for you. i said, i'll take it! he said, send somebody down to get it. # yo—ho, yeah yeah yeah yeah...# the greatest gift for me was when i heard her sing till you come back to me. when she sings your song, she takes it and you don't get it back, and that's what she did. # give me a freedom like this. # i'm gonna walk back...# she was just consistently a great human being. # i'll make you see our love is dying...# incredibly moving stuff from stevie wonder.

of course, in terms of aretha franklin's funeral, we have had no official word from her family but we are hearing rumours it could be a four—day event. in any case, lots of the venues at which she performed are going to hold their own memorials. as many people as possible will be able to pay their own tributes to the queen of soul. hundreds of people lined the streets in rotherham today for the funeral of the comedian barry chuckle, who died earlier this month aged 73. his brother, paul, who appeared alongside him in the long—running bbc children's series chucklevision, was one of the pallbearers. the service for family and close friends was held at the home of rotherham football club, where barry was an honorary president. now it's time for a look at the weather with louise lear. good evening. a bit of an east—west

divide today, the best of sunshine and warmth in the south—east and, as we go through the night, we see quite a lot of crowd invading from the west, pushing across the country. it will bring outbreaks of rain and windy conditions on exposed north west coasts but, in comparison to last night, temperatures will hold up, overnight lows of 12 to it looks likely there will be some usable weather for the weekend. mostly dry on saturday but a bit more rain around on sunday. any rain will be fairly light and patchy in the scottish borders and northern ireland for the start of the weekend, but still pretty windy on exposed north—west coast. further south, lighter winds and the cloud will break up and allow sunshine to come through, so temperatures will respond, with mid—20s possible. as we move into the second half of the weekend, the potentialfor more rain, but the best practice and warmth further south. —— brightness

and warmth. hello, this is bbc news with martine croxhall. the headlines: devastating monsoon floods in the southern indian state of kerala have killed more than 300 people, with more than 200,000 people left homeless in camps. mps call for the rules around e—cigarettes to be relaxed they say they help people to stop smoking. the prisons minister, rory stewart, promises to resign if he fails to reduce the level of drugs and violence in jails within a year. we'll be speaking to paralympics starjonnie peacock about his latest venture to encourage more people with disabilities to take up sport. the leader of pakistan's largest party, the former cricket star imran khan, has been confirmed as prime minister. he will need to form a coalition government after winning 176 votes in the 342—seat national assembly. he's due to be sworn in tomorrow. secunder kermani has

more from islamabad. well, this is one of two formal that imran khan needs to go well, this is one of two formal steps that imran khan needs to go through before officially becoming prime minister. today he was elected by parliament. tomorrow he will be sworn into office in a ceremony in islamabad. this is a huge political moment for imran khan. the combination of a 22—year political career. for pakistan, it's a huge moment, too. he's broken through a political system that for the last few decades has really been dominated by two established status quo political parties. imran khan has come in as a third force in the pakistani system, and he has upset the pakistani political establishment. today in parliament he gave a very fiery speech, in which he vowed to hold to account those who he said had " looted the country. " he stood on a populist,

anti—corru ption platform. he has also voted to create a new pakistan, a naya pakistan, in urdu, was the slogan, and that according to him means a society where everyone, whether rich or poor, is accountable. and where there are improved services for ordinary people, like health care and education. at the moment the country has huge problems. one of the highest levels of infant mortality in the world. over 20 million children out of school, but imran khan will also face, well, he will inherit a financial crisis that is brewing in the country. analysts say the country needs around $10—$12 billion pumped into the economy in the next few months, and that, those loans, whether from the imf or from other friendly countries, might make it harderfor him to increase public spending and create this kind of islamic inspired wealthier states that he says he wants to create. that report from islamabad.

councillors in birmingham are asking the public for ideas, on how to promote more racial integration. though the city is one of the most diverse in the uk, with more than a third of the population made up of ethnic minority groups, some areas are heavily segregated, leaving different communities living in isolation. sima kotecha has more. birmingham home to people... but council say communities are being held back both socially... birmingham is home to families from nearly 200 countries. but its council says people aren't always mixing, and that's holding communities back both socially and economically. those of asian origin make up more than 25% of the population here, and some of them say they have not

always felt welcome. if you knocked at a random white door and asked them, if you now know a pakistani or a muslim family is coming to move in, what would you do? i think a lot of them would probably say it's time to move out. that is a fear they have within themselves, not that we have brought fear into them. those people who have issues need to fight their own fears. of course, that is just one perspective. on this road in the area of acocks green, it's overwhelmingly occupied by white residents. but literally a few streets in that direction, and it's predominantly asian populated. now, the council wants things to change and is calling on the public to come up with ideas on how that change can take place. it says integration is key to building a resilient community. the asian people want to sort of be happy round their people but if the move to other certain areas where it's more... you find more races that wouldn't be happy. so they want to mix them with their own people. and what do you think about that? i think it's wrong, i think everyone should mix, you know. i think it's right in that way that they are going to be more comfortable and more happy... the council encourages people

of an older and younger generation to come and spend time together at this community centre. these women live in nechells, which has a large pakistani, muslim population. here, we are told integration isn't always straightforward. i'm just surrounded by foreigners. so i feel quite lonely that, you know, where is my country? but they would say they are british. they would say they are british, but they don't communicate with you, you feel that, as though you're not british, you are the outcast and they, you know, they say you call me an outcast, and no, i'm not. i'm not calling you an outcast, you are welcome to our country the same as anybody. the challenge for the council is to make this city somewhere that people from a range of backgrounds can live and work together in harmony. the question is, how and if they can achieve that. sima kotecha, bbc news.

sima kotecha, bbc news, birmingham. a council is to start offering free sanitary products in all its public buildings, as part of efforts to tackle so cold "period poverty". north ayrshire council in scotland says it's the first local authority in the uk to provide free sanitary towels and tampons libraries, community centres and other public offices. katie hunter reports. people have always been able to access free books at coal winning library now, women and girls can access free sanitary products. library now, women and girls can access free sanitary productsm library now, women and girls can access free sanitary products. it is a lwa ys access free sanitary products. it is always good it is clear, and you know it is there. may please the measures already get free towels and tampons in their schools and they support extending the scheme. -- please teenagers already get. a lot of people don't have the money to go out and spend on sanitary products, which has led to instances of people using newspapers, socks, that you shouldn't really use, unhealthy and bad for your body. it is breaking

down the taboo, not something that is an issue to talk about because it shouldn't be, it is natural, something all women go through so why should we talk about it? this is the women's toilet in coal winning library, but this is the vending machine with a difference. all women will have to do is press one of these buttons and a free sanitary product will be dispensed. research suggests around one in ten girls in the uk has been unable to afford sanitary items, but it isn'tjust teenagers who can struggle to pay for the products. some women are not able to afford what is essentially a basic need. it is not something they choose. it certainly doesn't wait to see how long they have got in their purse, see how long they have got in their purse , so see how long they have got in their purse, so i think it is about normalising it and making sure these basic items are available.|j normalising it and making sure these basic items are available. i think in the past couple of years the conversation has developed. msp monica lennon is behind a bill in the scottish parliament to make sanitary products free for all women

in scotland, and says it is about more thanjust in scotland, and says it is about more than just money. it is also about trying to end some of the taboo around periods because of course it is completely normal, so that shows periods are normal and we are getting the point where access to the products is as normal as accessing toilet paper in a public bathroom. the scottish government is already providing free sanitary products to some low income women. campaigners want that extended to all women. katie hunter, bbc coal winning. —— —— bbc news, kilwhinning. we havejonnie

we have jonnie peacock we havejonnie peacock here with us now did tell us about trying to get people disabilities into sports... how is this going to work? this has been around for a couple of years, andi been around for a couple of years, and i have a team this year who will be doing the women's cycle and it is basically a triathlon for all disabilities and it is completely inclusive for everything so the actual encourage you to bring any extra equipment you need, any support members you need, if you need to be pushed along something like that, it is absolutely fine, no real rules to it, so these people can really get involved, and it is just a really great fun day. what does it mean in terms of classifications, then? in the paralympics who got used to seeing all sorts of classification is and it can be quite complicated. this is more of a kind of what i guess you would call the fun run, ten k, at a

park, that kind of thing, so i don't think you have to go through the ins and outs of classification, it is morejust about and outs of classification, it is more just about kids coming and adults, too, all disabilities, mental, physical, whatever it is. i don't even think you have to be disabled to take part, it is com pletely disabled to take part, it is completely open to everybody and is really more about the fun measures. also, i would like to revisit that point about the drop in numbers since 2012, because personally i think that is obvious, after the 2012 paralympics, think that is obvious, after the 2012 pa ralympics, such think that is obvious, after the 2012 paralympics, such a huge pinnacle of paralympic sport, that you would see numbers go up, and it is only seven years later, so they are probably going to drop. i think more needs to be done for disability sport and i think we need to make sure that door is open, but as well don't think we can read too much into that seven years later. maybe i drop having a really big spike. yes, i think it was a really big spike. maybe a drop. talk about the barriers there are two taking part in sport if you have a disability,

whether physical or one that we may not be able to see... absolutely. it is completely different for individuals. somebody like myself, i can probably take part in most able—bodied sports without much problem, you know, i don't need any real extra equipment or anything. i can play rugby, played in school, football, and i knew many guys are with a similar situation, but obviously the more severe it gets the harder it may be. if you are obviously in a wheelchair and you're trying to get involved in a football tea m trying to get involved in a football team it is not going to be that easy and you may have to look for a special is not going to be that easy and you may have to look for a special football team. there are things... i think, special football team. there are things... ithink, obviously, it is ha rd things... ithink, obviously, it is hard because there are are probably not so much local things, it is hard to find these events. they are not as widespread as your local football team. you will have 20 local football teams you can participate in but probably only one specialist, disabled football team in the area. i know when i started actually i wa nted i know when i started actually i wanted to get involved in football, but the only team was actually for people with learning difficulties,

ori people with learning difficulties, or i had to play on crutches with my leg off. there wasn't one where i could run around and play football to my fullest ability which is actually likely to sprinting, so worked out for the long run. i think we need to get a point for everyone, with everyone in the country has the ability to play sport, no matter how much money you have or whatever your disability. it is not very far away, is it? the tokyo 2020 games? you must already be thinking about that. yes, for sure. i took a year out this year, away from the sport, obviously dun a few other and bobs. how much of a risk is it doing that? aduu how much of a risk is it doing that? adult ticket is much of a risk if you look at the jamaicans, the americans... nor the championships for them. we have the europeans in jamaica and the usa they don't really have that —— done a few other bits and bobs. it is more a case of

giving some physical rest. but you don't sit at home watching the telly and eating chips, do you? sometimes! your rest is a bit different from mine. you would be surprised, trust me! i would mine. you would be surprised, trust me! iwould happily mine. you would be surprised, trust me! i would happily smashed a chinese and a bottle of wine. in fa ct chinese and a bottle of wine. in fact my girlfriend probably hates me sitting there too much, but i think you'll find most elite sports men and women are very, very lazy. the second they have done their dayjob, you know, they go home, that's it. that is done for today. but, yeah, it... how do you gear up for tokyo 2020? for me athletics, the season finishes in september, the beginning of september, and you take all of september off, you come back in, then you start competing outdoors ryan mason you have that big bulk of period for winter so for me i have from october until next need to hit that again and i will act to finish this season with the race, in newcastle this season with the race, in n ewcastle — — this season with the race, in newcastle —— —— competing outdoors

so newcastle —— —— competing outdoors so you have that big bulk of period for winter. i am sure you will relish the hardships you are about to put yourself through. let's just return quickly to this, broadcast on the 20th of september, part of a bigger superheroes series? yes, two events. tomorrow is the triathlon and then in the winter in december they have these winter wonder wales, basically a triathlon without the swim because it is far too cold to jump swim because it is far too cold to jump on that lake. quite bright! they have to draw the line somewhere. best of luck to your team. great to have you here. thanks so team. great to have you here. thanks so much for coming in. thanks a lot. dozens of injured british veterans, are using art to help them cope with their experiences of war, and they're having their works displayed at a special

exhibition in london. the charity help for heroes is mounting the event, to showcase how personal battles against post traumatic stress, depression and the anxiety of combat, are being won. colleen harris has the story. i couldn't walk very well. i was in a wheelchair at the time. i was emotionally numb back then in 2014. i went into the art room and we sat down and we were asked to have a go at drawing. i'm sure, if you spoke to my wife, she'd tell you it's calmed me down quite a bit. the scars of war immortalised in the art of soldiers. this is a road to recovery of an artistic kind. my name's tom stimpson. i served 26 years in the royal air force and i am now an artist. and that release of being able to put down on paper something that may be traumatic to talk about, i mean, it still causes emotion now, but it's being able to recognise it, and i think back then i couldn't even recognise it. i was so numb from coming back. 0nce discharged from the military and back to their families, isolation can kick in, so challenging trauma through talent is helping some veterans to adjust. i'm kevin preston. i served with the 1st battalion coldstream guards. i found it very

difficult when i left. i couldn't handle civilian life at the time, and i hit the drink really hard. i'm in constant pain, because i've had four spinal operations on my back and one on my neck, and i also suffered a stroke, but when i'm painting sometimes it takes my mind off it and i tend to forget about it. it's notjust visual art. it's poetry as well. 0ne brief moment in history is where this began. for corporal mark beckham, it's healing through words, but the memories linger. you are precious to me like a bright, shining pearl. i'll never forget you, my little kosovo girl. colleen harris, bbc news. you're watching bbc news. the

headlines on bbc news: devastating monsoon floods in the southern indian state of kerala have killed more than 300 people, with more than 200,000 people left homeless in camps. here, mps call for the rules around e—cigarettes to be relaxed they say they help people to stop smoking. the prisons minister, rory stewart, promises to resign if he fails to reduce the level of drugs and violence in jails within a year. scientists say they've taken a step towards the development of new strains of wheat that they say will be able to cope with climate change. an international team of researchers has produced a map of the crops genome which will help to identify genes associated with features such as drought resistance. critics continue to be concerned about the use of gm technology in food production. 0ur science correspondent pallab ghosh reports. week is one of the most important

food crops in the world and it is a struggle to produce enough —— wheat is one. it can take up to 15 years to develop a successful strain. but that time could soon be cut in half. an international team has decoded the dna of wheat and located the position of more than 100,000 of its genes. without the gene on it would be difficult to address the increasing demands around the world but with this we can use all the genetic information to accelerate the breeding process and produce better varieties more quickly that can feed the world for the future. these are large—scale trials of different strains of wheat, carried out by researchers at the international wheat and maize improvement centre, near mexico city. they are trying to develop new varieties for some of the world's poorest foreigners. the priority is to create wheat resistant to drought. these plants have been given —— poorest farmers. this one

has coped well because it has genes to enable it to withstand drought conditions. this will allow them to develop completely new strains able to cope with the increased heat waves that climate change is predicted to bring. by knowing where all the genes are, researchers can now discover how they work together. they will then be able to use gene editing to develop completely new varieties. now we will be able to select for a whole range of different traits. we can select for disease resistance, improved yield, and we can also select for things like improved nutritional value. they believe this was the vital breakthrough needed to boost production in the areas that will be ha rd est production in the areas that will be hardest hit by climate change, and so ensure hardest hit by climate change, and so ensure that the world's growing population will continue to have food on their plates. pallab ghosh,

bbc news. it has been one of the most hotly anticipated entertainment shows of the year. and in the last half hour the latest contestant who'll be competing in this year's strictly come dancing has been officially unveiled and it's our very own kate silverton. she'll be competing alongside pussycat dolls singer ashley roberts, bbc presenter stacey dooley, tv doctor dr ranj singh and cricketer graeme swann to name a few. you are in your sparkle is already! i cannot tell you how nice it is to be back here. ifeel like i cannot tell you how nice it is to be back here. i feel like this i cannot tell you how nice it is to be back here. ifeel like this is my home, i have been safe here, but outside it as a whole different world. but you don't know i am going to get you to leave backwards and then high hails. laughter when divided? some months ago. -- high heels. in the past i was asked, andi high heels. in the past i was asked, and i was going to afghanistan,

iraq, iwas and i was going to afghanistan, iraq, i was pregnant, and i was going to afghanistan, iraq, iwas pregnant, reading my babies, and it just felt. iraq, iwas pregnant, reading my babies, and itjust felt. my youngest committee is for and a half, going off the university, my oldest, —— my youngest is going off to nursery. and i thought, why not? i love dancing. and this is a lovely thing. you and i know that we work in very serious news, and this is joyful and gleeful, and actually... why not? for a little brief interlude i think i shall be casting my lovely home side. normally, as you all know, we normally work on a saturday, so i can't work on a saturday, so i can't work on a saturday might —— casting my lovely home aside. i will have to get a night of to come and sit... will you? i will need some support, some handholding. normally i am here writing headlines, thinking, yes, doing very well, whatever, so to be on the other side... as soon as you

said yes, how long did it take you to think, "no, what have i done? said yes, how long did it take you to think, "no, what have i done7fi said yes, how long did it take you to think, "no, what have i done? " i have been living in a bubble and also because i have been working a lot in children's mental health of late, yesterday i was doing a lot of filming with eminent child psychiatrists talking about very serious issues on children's mental health, and in the middle i am getting an e—mail saying, "could you send over that headshot?" so it is a little bit parallel universe at the moment, not really my world. because i can't work on a saturday night and my other day is on a friday when rehearsals are, you probably won't see me, although you will, but mildly petrified... you don't know who your partner will be an? not yet but i keep saying that i want aljaz. anyone wide and tall with big feet, you know, i need somebody in proportion. you and i are both tall, especially in our heels, so they are

not going to give me aj, put it that way. i have mild envy. really? absolutely. i think you will be brilliant. what dance experience have you got? none. just leaping around my kitchen in front of the children, and as clemency pointed out, i like singing to the lyrics while i am doing it, which clearly will not go down well. and you can't count either. yes, i will be making faces. i know! count either. yes, i will be making faces. i know i have a little bit of rhythm. and not too scared, but my sort of free flow is probably not what they would consider... not quite ballroom dancing, is it? you andi quite ballroom dancing, is it? you and i on quite ballroom dancing, is it? you and iona quite ballroom dancing, is it? you and i on a saturday night in some darkened room, discotheque, slightly different to being on the ballroom... yes, but you will be doing some latin as well, of course. in the past, journalists, newsreaders, they have done pretty well. yes, i nor! high benchmark,

really. natasha, and susannah did really. natasha, and susannah did really well, chris hollins, obviously, did really well. who else? we should see not everybody knows all their last names, kate. laughter natasha, she did well. and i danced with chris in a discotheque when we we re very with chris in a discotheque when we were very young, . . . with chris in a discotheque when we were very young,... do they have those any more, discotheques? norma, i haven't been out dancing for decades. what do the kids think -- no, i haven't been dancing. when i just said, "mummy‘s going..." you will know this, having a little boy who is four, anything to do with bottoms, so i just who is four, anything to do with bottoms, so ijust said," mummy‘s going to bejiggling her bottom a lot, " going to bejiggling her bottom a lot," which was the layers, and clemency, she pulled the covers, rolled her eyes, when i showed her the children in need quick, so i better apologise for embarrassing. i

think she is half mortified, have intrigued, because it has a lot of sparkle. i showed intrigued, because it has a lot of sparkle. ishowed her intrigued, because it has a lot of sparkle. i showed her my first costu me. sparkle. i showed her my first costume. you have seen it already. yes, i tried costume. you have seen it already. yes, itried it costume. you have seen it already. yes, i tried it on. you're pretty fit anyway, and you are going to be even fitter. a side benefit, yes. i would like to get back into my wedding dress, when i was 40. a lot happened in eight years when these two children came along, so my body has served me well but it would be nice to get back on the... i'm sure that would have been perfect in your audition tape. you're getting more out of me than everybody else just because i know you too well! yes, i shall be there. get me a ticket and i will sit on the front row. best of luck. you're my favourite. time for a look at the weather forecast. good evening. bit of a weather cliche, i know... further west the cloud came in from

the atlantic, so thanks, jean, for perhaps getting a bit soggy underfoot in wigan to take this photograph. the wind pushing into the afternoon across west of scotland, northern ireland, northern england and north wales, bringing cloud with that as well and the south—westerly flow, all tied into these weather fronts. quite windy particularly into the far north on those exposed to some of the cloud in temperatures will not fall very far. a cloudy night, a windy night in the far north and we will see some outbreaks of rain in the northern ireland close to the scottish borders and northern england. in comparison to the night just passed it will be a milder one, 12-16. just passed it will be a milder one, 12—16. quite a humid, to the weekend. looks likely saturday will

see the best of the drier weather if you have outdoor plans. some of the rain on sunday could be quite heavy andi rain on sunday could be quite heavy and i will come onto that in just a moment. we start saturday on a cloudy zero for many. 0utbreaks moment. we start saturday on a cloudy zero for many. outbreaks of light rain still across the scottish borders. still windy into the far north—west —— a cloudy note. perhaps some sunshine coming through. then we will see sunny spells and quite pleasa ntly we will see sunny spells and quite pleasantly warm. the mid—70s fahrenheit as a top temperature. in the sunday, looks likely we could see an injection of perhaps more tropical air, so that means the rain we see pushing into those west facing coasts could be quite heavy in places but not everywhere will get rain on sunday. looks likely again to be across central and southern scotland, northern england. perhaps the best of the sunshine in the south—east, quoting over a little by the end of the day maybe. and the winter starting to ease a touch. 16—24 or 25, 70 seven

fahrenheit, as a daytime maximum. it looks likely any rain we will see will be up into the far north. the best of the warm continues. —— 77 fahrenheit as a daytime maximum. take care. this is bbc news i'm martine croxall. the headlines at eight. devastating monsoon floods in the southern indian state of kerala have killed 170 people, 200,000 more have been left homeless. helicopters are being used to airlift children to safety, with roads and even the local airport submerged. officials say it's the worst flooding for decades, and more rain is predicted to fall. translation: at the 36 years, the first time that such flooding has happened here, it is a disasterfor the whole population. here, mps call for the rules around e—cigarettes to be relaxed. they say they help people to stop smoking. the prisons minister, rory stewart,

promisees to resign if he fails to reduce the level of drug use and violence in jails within a year. she touched everyjohn morra,