0:00:18 > 0:00:20Hi, everyone, Ricky here with all your news this
0:00:20 > 0:00:21Thursday afternoon.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23First up, a rocket has exploded at the launch pad at
0:00:23 > 0:00:25the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28The company say no-one has been hurt but we don't know
0:00:28 > 0:00:29why the blast happened.
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Smoke is still coming from the site and the blast shook
0:00:31 > 0:00:32buildings several miles away.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Nasa say SpaceX were planning to use the rocket to take a satellite
0:00:35 > 0:00:37into space this weekend, but the satellite
0:00:37 > 0:00:42has been destroyed.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44Next, over to these incredible mammals and the uncertain
0:00:44 > 0:00:46future they face.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48In the last seven years, 30% of Africa's elephants
0:00:48 > 0:00:49have disappeared.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Every year, it's thought around 30,000 are lost -
0:00:51 > 0:00:53many of them killed for their ivory tusks.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56For two years, a massive project called the Great Elephant Census has
0:00:56 > 0:00:59flown above 18 countries in Africa to see how many
0:00:59 > 0:01:00are left in the wild.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03The drop in numbers is thought to be due to poaching - that's
0:01:03 > 0:01:05when elephants are hunted for their meat and tusks.
0:01:05 > 0:01:07BBC reporter Alistair Leithead is at an elephant sanctuary
0:01:07 > 0:01:17in Kenya and sent us this.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25It is feeding time at the moment for the baby elephants.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28A lot of their mothers were killed by poachers, and that is why
0:01:28 > 0:01:31they end up here, to be looked after and eventually reintroduced
0:01:31 > 0:01:33to the wild.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Joining me here is Edwin, the head keeper here.
0:01:38 > 0:01:45About half of these elephants were orphaned because of poaching?
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Yes, about half of them, and others, have been killed by poachers,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50and that is why we had to bring them in.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53So that we can give them another chance to survive.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55One of them almost knocked the cameraman over while we were
0:01:55 > 0:01:58doing that interview a second ago.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01If the poaching rates go on, then half the elephants in Africa
0:02:01 > 0:02:06will be gone in just nine years' time.
0:02:06 > 0:02:11That is a very depressing future.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14There's less than one week to go until the Paralympic Games kick
0:02:14 > 0:02:17off in Rio in Brazil.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19One of the British stars going for gold is wheelchair
0:02:19 > 0:02:20tennis player Gordon Reid.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23He's hoping to add a Paralympic medal to the Wimbledon title
0:02:23 > 0:02:24that he won earlier this year.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27Martin has been to meet him.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29The Paralympics is a different story.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31You represent your country, you're part of a big
0:02:31 > 0:02:40Paralympics GB team.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43I always feel a bit more inspired, a bit more motivated
0:02:43 > 0:02:47when wearing the GB shirt.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Hopefully, I can get up on top of that podium with
0:02:49 > 0:02:50the national anthem.
0:02:50 > 0:02:54One of the things I love the most about the sport is that it
0:02:54 > 0:02:56translates really easily, from someone playing on their feet
0:02:56 > 0:02:59to someone playing on their chair.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01Playing the same court, playing the same size net,
0:03:01 > 0:03:06the same scoring system...
0:03:06 > 0:03:11The only difference is, I get two bounces of the ball.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15So, it's dead easy to play with someone who is on their feet.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17You can play with your family and your mates.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20You have had such a successful year ? Melbourne, Wimbledon...
0:03:20 > 0:03:24It has always been a dream of mine to play singles at Wimbledon,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26so to go there and have that opportunity after a few years
0:03:26 > 0:03:28of playing doubles there was special.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29And then, obviously, to be the first-ever
0:03:29 > 0:03:34winner on home soil, the support and atmosphere
0:03:34 > 0:03:36from my friends and family there, I think it was heard
0:03:36 > 0:03:39around all the grounds, never mind just on our court.
0:03:39 > 0:03:43I have heard a few stories from some of the guys who were at the Olympics
0:03:43 > 0:03:48about some of the conditions and the organisation.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50So I am kind of going in with low expectations and then,
0:03:50 > 0:03:53if it runs smoothly, it will be a nice surprise for me.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56There's always a bit of negative chat before any Games.
0:03:56 > 0:03:57The Olympics as well.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59And, OK, not everything ran perfectly, but they still staged
0:03:59 > 0:04:01a pretty successful event, in my opinion.
0:04:01 > 0:04:06You know, there were still some great moments made.
0:04:06 > 0:04:10Some great performances, especially from Team GB.
0:04:10 > 0:04:12So, you know, it is just trying to go out there,
0:04:12 > 0:04:16focusing on myself as the athlete, and focus my performance.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Our division is really competitive.
0:04:19 > 0:04:24I think there's probably six or seven players in the men's
0:04:24 > 0:04:26division who could win gold.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28My aim is to try and win two golds - singles and doubles.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Gordon, if you win a gold medal, will you cry?
0:04:31 > 0:04:32I probably will!
0:04:32 > 0:04:34I was just about crying watching Andy Murray up there,
0:04:34 > 0:04:36never mind if I was up there myself!
0:04:36 > 0:04:38And check this out for a doggy day-spa.
0:04:38 > 0:04:42It's a dog massage parlour!
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Yep, these dogs are getting the five-star treatment
0:04:44 > 0:04:46in a new pet hotel in Taiwan.
0:04:46 > 0:04:47She looks like she's enjoying that!
0:04:47 > 0:04:50The people behind the hotel are offering massage classes
0:04:50 > 0:04:52to owners and say it really helps to build the relationship
0:04:52 > 0:04:55between pooch and human and gives them both a real treat.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56That's all from me.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59Newsround's back right here tomorrow morning at 7.40am.