welcome to bbc news. broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. the indian government says nearly 900 people have died since the start of the monsoon season injune. the worst affected state is kerala in the south, where more than 300 deaths have been recorded. emergency workers are scrambling to reach thousands of people who remain cut off by landslides. the bbc‘s yogita limaye reports from kerala. forced out of their homes by the floods, people are walking miles to safety, escaping surging water that has swallowed everything in its path. for many, this is the only way out. this pregnant woman was among several airlifted in kerala. she delivered just a short while later. dozens of helicopters are pulling out as many as they can,

but tens of thousands are still stuck. the monsoon always brings heavy rainfall to kerala, but this year is different. translation: after 36 years, it's the first time that 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. this is a public school which has been converted into a shelter. there are about 200 people here. the men are asleep in this room behind me, and the women are across on the other side. butjust behind this school is a river that is already quite close to breaching its banks. so, if it continues raining here, no—one quite knows for how long even this place will remain safe. cochin airport, the busiest in kerala, is unrecognisable. its runway resembles a river.

the government has been forced to open dam gates, and people are bracing themselves for worse. there is more rainfall expected. funerals have been held for some of those who died when a major road bridge collapsed in genoa in northern italy. but anger towards the authorities has been growing because of suggestions the structure had not been properly maintained for years. from genoa, james reynolds reports. amid the heavy machinery and the tons of rubble, the search for survivors sometimes comes down to a single voice. "anybody there?" shouts a rescuer. there is no reply. but they will 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 that the original engineer's bridge design was flawed. he made some decisions that produced a bridge, a new bridge, different from the others. the attempt to find a new way, a new structure orform, failed. it failed? failed, si. this is the result of that collapse.

the families of the dead gathered around their coffins. the victims will be given a state funeral. let's get some of the day's other news. the judge in the trial of president trump's former campaign manager paul manafort says he's received threats over the case and is being guarded by us marshals. thejury in alexandria, virginia, is currrently in its second day of deliberations. the value of the turkish lira has fallen again after warnings from washington of further sanctions against turkey's detention of an american pastor, andrew brunson. at one point the lira lost as much as 9% against the dollar. the debate over the safety of e—cigarettes has heightened following the recommenation of a group of mps, that the rules governing vaping should be relaxed. the commons science and technology committee,

says the government should make it easier for people to use e—cigarettes, in public places. the report suggests tens of thousands of people, have already quit normal cigarettes, because of vaping. but some say their safety and health implications are still not clear, and that more research is needed. here's our health editor hugh pym. . the the debate on e—cigarettes is heating up. a committee of mps has come down strongly in favour of vaping and the benefits that can bring, and it wants official backing for that view. 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 this mental health unit in leicester. smoking is not allowed on trust property, but vaping is. it is helpful when they bring the vapes in the flavours because 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 the help, i went on my vape again. like, ijust started vaping and i don't really touch fags much any more. it helped me cut down quite a lot. i used to smoke about 20—30 a day and now i'm probably on about four or five. there is evidence that 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 we know. therefore, the trust is of the view that we should be exploring that option for our patients and also promoting it for our staff as well. and you stopped with an e—cigarette, using an e—cigarette, didn't you? yes. elsewhere in leicester, a stop smoking clinic is run by the city council and e—cigarettes are recommended for those who would like to try them. another example of official backing for vaping. so you're reading now is zero.

the mps‘ report calls for moves to allow e—cigs in more public places like bus and train stations and to encourage nhs use of e—cigarettes. it also want 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 that they do help people stop smoking but we also have to be careful about their long—term use. so they are safer than cigarettes but we can't absolutely say that they are safe. so do people mind the vapour? opinions we heard were divided. we wear contact lenses and that smoke comes into your eyes and it feels uncomfortable. it's not like cigarettes. it doesn't have that stinky smell that bothers anyone. for us as nonsmokers and generally, i think the fumes are very bad. it is a sensitive area and health authorities and leaders are likely to continue treading carefully

before deciding what to do next. a teenage boy is in a critical condition in hospital afterfour people were stabbed in south london. the victims, all aged between 15 and 16, were attacked on the elmington estate in camberwell on thursday evening. six boys of the same age have been arrested, on suspicion of violent disorder and grievous bodily harm. the prisons minister, rory stewart, says he'll resign if his campaign to tackle violence and drugs injails isn't successful within 12 months. some of england's toughest prisons are to get 10 million pounds 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 while 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 judgement. 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. the southern indian state of kerala is facing the worst floods in a hundred years according to its chief minister. more than three hundred people have been killed — most of them in the past few days. a state funeral for some of the people killed in the genoa bridge collapse will take place later on saturday. rescuers are still searching for five people thought to be missing. inflation in venezuela is expected to reach one million percent by the end of the year, which means you need bags of cash to buy basic goods. to try to deal with the problem, the government is knocking five zeros of the national currency. the new money will be introduced on monday, but there are concerns about what will happen after the switchover. shops are closed and people have been stocking up on food and petrol. steve hanke is professor of applied economics

atjohns hopkins university. he is one of the world's leading experts in measuring and stopping hyperinflation. professor hanke is in baltimore maryland. what exactly do you do in a situation like this? they are doing the wrong thing. what they are doing is changing the appearance of the currency. they will exchange 100,000 for a one new one and that is about the end of the story. if you don't change the regime and the system of monetary and currency and exchange rates, nothing changes. the inflation now is running about, as i measure it honoured daily basis, about 44,000% on an annual basis and

going higher. what is the fastest six that the governments can use? there are only two mac ways to do this. the fastest way is to officially dollar rise of the economy. get rid of it completely and use big us dollar. the fact that that has occurred, we have had a spontaneous dollarisation in venezuela where it, for all calculations, it is the us dollar. the real value is very, very small. dollars dominate. but if you dollar rise, that is a political proposition considering the relations between venezuela and the united states. —— dollarise. relations between venezuela and the united states. -- dollarise. we did

that in 2001 in ecuador. their currency was collapsing and i was the adviser to the minister of finance and we simply eliminated it and replaced it with the dollar. inflation stopped immediately. we did exactly the same thing in montenegro where i was the president's adviser in 1999. the inflation rate had been 313,000,000% per month. we replaced it in december of 1999 with the deutsche mark and everything calmed down within hours. i was going to ask whether venezuela was the worst case you have ever seen that you suggested just now that venezuela could do better. it is obviously not the worst that any country has ever

seen. the worst that any country has ever seen. they have been 58 hyperinflation in world history. the one going on now in venezuela is modest. the big ones were hungary in 1946, modest. the big ones were hungary in 19116, zimbabwe in 2008 and yugoslavia in 1994. 1946, zimbabwe in 2008 and yugoslavia in 1994. those are the big three. amnesty international has accused indonesia's security forces of using excessive force against suspected criminals ahead of this year's asian games. the sporting event opens on saturday, with athletes from 45 asian countries competing. police say they are breaking up organised rings of pick—pockets and bag—snatchers, ahead of what is the world's second—largest multi—sport event. andrew plant reports. bag scanners, body searches, even facial recognition software.

indonesia has suffered several terrorist attacks over recent years, so this year's asian games will take place here amid tight security. translation: i am not worried at all. we have been waiting for this event for a long time. we are not afraid of an attack. police have really cracked down. i feel like indonesia has a relatively safe security situation. 17,000 athletes will take part, with 462 gold medals up for grabs. and with tens of thousands of tourists expected, indonesia is determined to stamp out petty theft. but amnesty international says the crackdown on criminals has led to unnecessary violence, with 31 people killed in police raids and dozens injured. alongside security, pollution has been high on the list of concerns. despite attempts to take cars off the road, indonesia's traffic clogged capital is still shrouded in a thick layer of smog. the two week—long asian games

will take place in venues across the capital, sumatra, and the capital, jakarta, and the south sumatran city of palembang. on friday, indonesian presidentjoko widodo ran with the torch, almost at the end of its month—long journey across the country. there will be around 100,000 police and army personnel guarding the games, tasked with stamping out pick pockets and bag snatchers. police say they have a duty to ensure the games go smoothly and take firm action against suspected criminal gangs. it is a journey that has taken 22 years — but on friday the former captain of the pakistan cricket team,

imran khan, was confirmed in a vote by parliament as the country's prime minister. his pti party gained the most seats in last month's elections, and he will be formally sworn into office in a ceremony on saturday. secunder kermani has been looking at some of the challenges he will face in office. imran... cheers for pakistan's next prime minister, but alongside them, angry chants from his rivals. they continued as he gave a fiery speech promising action against corrupt politicians. translation: those who stole the future of our children while in power, those who stole money and took it abroad, i will hold them all accountable. imran khan has promised to create a new pakistan, improving education and healthcare for ordinary people. the country faces real challenges, amongst them the highest rate of newborn infant mortality in the world.

a lack of facilities and trained staff are amongst the main causes. this government hospital in islamabad is better resourced the most, but they struggle to keep up with demand, with patients travelling from more remote regions. many a time, we are short of beds in the neonatal intensive care. we are short of beds in the paediatric intensive care. at the level of intensive care facilities, we need a lot of additional resources. does that mean sometimes you have to turn people away? yes, obviously. healthcare spending in pakistan has been far below international guidelines. if imran khan's new government wants to give these children a better chance in life, it will take both investment and reform. but the country's poor economic situation means he will only have limited funds available. manufacturing has been one of pakistan's main sources of income. this company produces 600 million

pairs of socks every year for some of the world's best—known brands. but, at the moment, imports are vastly outstripping exports and the country needs a loan of around $12 billion, making plans to increase spending difficult. for mr khan to sort of expand his budget for social protection or social safety nets, at least — it'll be difficult to do it in the first two years, at least. there has to be some belt—tightening, some fiscal discipline that has to go there. 0utside parliament, even the policemen ate the celebratory sweets. imran khan's supporters have high expectations of what he can deliver. with only a slim majority in parliament, he will have to do his best to live up to them. secunder kermani, bbc news, islamabad. dozens of injured british veterans, who are using art to help

them cope with their experiences of war, are having their work 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 went along to have a look. i couldn't walk very well. i was in a wheelchair at the time. i was emotionally numb back then, in 2014. but i went into the art room, and we sat down and we was asked to have a go at drawing. i'm sure, if you spoke to my wife, she'd tell you that 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'm 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. 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 channelling 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, ‘cause i've had four spinal operations on my back, and i've had 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 is notjust visual art, it is poetry as well. 0ne brief moment in history is where this began... for corporal mark beckham, it is healing through words, but the memories linger. you're precious to me, like a bright, shining pearl. i'll neverforget you, my little kosovo girl. colleen harris, bbc news.

for many, losing weight involves cutting carbohydrates, but new research from the us suggests that's the wrong approach. the study has gone further, concluding that people who eliminate foods such as pasta, potatoes and bread from their diets could reduce life expectancy by 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—carb, high—carb, just meat, pla nt—based, sugar—free — there are so many different pieces of advice on what is 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%—55% of carbohydrates in their diet, that's the healthiest, could 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 is 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. so 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. coming up, the latest headlines. first the weather with darren bett. hello there. this weekend, again, we look to the atlantic to see where our weather is coming from. we're going to add into the mix, just for good measure, the remnants of an old tropical storm. it will feel quite humid out there this weekend. for many it will be dry on saturday,

more rain for some on sunday. there was a fair bit of dull, damp, cool and wet weather across some parts of the country on friday. a lot of that has moved through. this area of low pressure, though, contains remnants of tropical storm ernesto, to arrive in the second half of the weekend. still got some rain on that weather front there, though. that is strung out across central and southern scotland, the north of northern ireland, perhaps the north—west of england too. south of that, though, we're going to find it probably dry, sunshine at times, the best of which is likely to be in the south—east. temperatures likely to hit the mid—20s or so. north of our band of cloud, patchy, light rain and drizzle. northern scotland, after a windy

start, should be dry with some sunshine. here comes ernesto, though. don't have to worry about the strength of the winds. it's more the rain. it'll be quite heavy for a while as it moves over the irish sea, into southern scotland, northern ireland and wales. 0vernight, once again those temperatures no lower than 17 degrees, but across some areas, some heavy rains on sunday — central and southern scotland, northern england and wales. as the rain makes its way eastwards into the midlands, it becomes lighter, temperatures into the mid—20s. improvements in the weather in northern ireland. slightly cooler, fresher, but still cool weather in the far north of scotland, with some sunshine. so we see the remnants of tropical storm ernesto bringing a spell of rain during the second half of the weekend. it moves away into southern parts of scandinavia by monday, and things calm down just a little. a very flat ridge of high pressure, still a lot of cloud coming in from the atlantic, and developing through the day. the odd shower perhaps up towards the west. patchy light rain and drizzle in the north and west of the uk, but 21 degrees likely in belfast, and 25 or 26 in london and the south—east. that's our monday. as we look further ahead, we still have higher pressure across the south.

it's not a dominant high, by any means, and a string of fronts arriving in the north—west, but very late on in the day on tuesday. ahead of that, increasing cloud perhaps, but some sunshine for a while, and the odd shower in scotland and for northern ireland and england. a dry day, a bit more sunshine around as well, and those temperatures more widely into the mid—20s across east anglia and the south—east. the number is not changing too much for scotland and northern ireland. the weather fronts that arrive in the north—west push southwards. there won't be much rain on them at all. but a north—westerly breeze by thursday could drop the temperatures just a little. this is bbc news. the headlines — the indian prime minister narendra modi has arrived in the southern state of kerala to see the devastation caused by the worst floods there in a century. weeks of rain have triggered landslides and floods killing more than 300 people. state funerals for some of the victims of the genoa bridge collapse will take place in the city later on saturday. 38 people are known to have been killed with the search for another five continuing. the government has begun action against the motorway management company. the former cricket

international, imran khan, will be sworn in as prime minister of pakistan in a few hours time. he won last month's election on a pledge to fight corruption and to lift millions out of poverty. his opponents are continuing to claim that the voting was rigged.