who are hoping to add the club world cup to their impressive trophy haul in 2023. they're playing japanese side urawa red diamonds injeddah on tuesday for a place in the final city are boosted by the return of kevin de bruyne — finally back in training after injuring his hamstring back in august. erling haaland has also travelled to saudi arabia after his recent injury. no word on whether either will play. it's the first time city are competing in the club world cup but the tournament comes in between a busy festive schedule in the premier league and with injuries already impacting their season, manager pep guardiola has his concerns. i'm not against the competition is, i'm not against the competition is, i'm against for the lack of time to recover between year by year. that's what i'm complaining all the time. it's the first time manchester city is here, so it means how difficult it is. we want to take it not for

granted, we want to take it as a privilege. we granted, we want to take it as a rivileue. ~ . , ., ., ., privilege. we are very motivated to come here and _ privilege. we are very motivated to come here and play— privilege. we are very motivated to come here and play this _ privilege. we are very motivated to | come here and play this competition that is_ come here and play this competition that is almost all of us has never work _ that is almost all of us has never work as — that is almost all of us has never work as a — that is almost all of us has never won. as a club, we have never won. and we _ won. as a club, we have never won. and we want— won. as a club, we have never won. and we want to do it and to do that, we need _ and we want to do it and to do that, we need to— and we want to do it and to do that, we need to when the first game and we need to when the first game and we are _ we need to when the first game and we are going to prepare to do that. well, awaiting the winner of that semi—final will be the copa libertadores winners fluminense. they beat egyptian side al ahly 2—0. jhon arias�* penalty and a stoppage—time second from substitutejohn kennedy enough to seal the brazilians place in the final. deontay wilder says anthonyjoshua's scared to fight him but reckons a bout between the former heavyweight world champions is closer than it's ever been. the pair are on the same bill in saudi arabia on saturday night — wilder against joseph parker — joshua against otto wallin. if both emerge victorious, they could fight each other next year, but wilder's questioning whether

joshua has the heart for it. nobody wants to get knocked out. i hear different. i can end your career. him as a fighter, i don't say he's100% afraid but i think he is 75%. his promoter and his management, they are 1000% afraid. and that's why he does all the talking. that's what he has to have them with him at all occasions and times because the ones that have to get in the rain, of course they are going to have the biggest bar, they are going to say things and manipulate people over and over again. let's put us all in a room and see what happens. i guarantee you the truth would come out then.

both wilder and joshua are on the comeback trail after losing world titles in the past three years to oleksandr usyk and tyson fury respectively. joshua has two potential options if he beats otto wallin on saturday — facing wilder next, or having a shot at the ibf title against filip hrgovic. joshua says he's up for doing both — and isn't listening to any outside noise. it's just really about me, what i do. i'm not looking at, we thought we were kids, this was over ten years ago. he has changed a lot as well. so he is not the same fighter but what i do will determine what happens and i'm game. i am looking forward to it. i'm notjust saying it, i mean it. of course i want to become champion. yes, we are all focused on what is next and i am focused on what is next and i am focused on what is next and i am focused on my opponent, i am focused on the bigger picture and i am using

that as a source of motivation every day i'm in the gym. i'm using that as a source of motivation. the championship, there is much more to me. that's special. three—time heavyweight champion of the world. that's phenomenal. next to cricket — it's been a record breaking few hours in dubai, where the indian premier league action has been taking place with the world's best male cricketers going under the hammer as teams finalise their squads for next year's competition. two australian world cup winners have attracted the biggest bids. captain pat cummins has been bought for $3.67 million by sunrisers hyderabad. a record that didn't last long, because his aussie teammate mitchell starc was then bought by kolkata knight riders for $4.42 million — making him the most expensive player in ipl history. staying with cricket, south africa and india are playing their second one day

international, with the hosts looking to level the series having lost the opener to india by 8 wickets on sunday. put into bat — india lost opener ruturaj gaikwad early on. india currently 46 the one after 11 overs. and in the nba, the new york knicks overcame lebronjames 109th career triple—double for a 114—109 victory over the los angeles lakers. for a 114—109 victory over the los the knicks established a strong lead, quentin grimes putting them 10 in front at the end of the third quarter. lebron attempted to get the lakers back in the game but after missing a 3—pointer, the knicks were able to close out the match by scoring on the counter with just 30 seconds remaining. and that's all the sport for now.

schools in england have been told there is "no general duty" to allow children to change their gender identity. the government has issued its long—awaited transgender guidance for schools and colleges on pupils who question their gender, and says parents "should not be excluded" from decisions which relate to a child's request to "socially transition" — that's changing their name, pronoun and clothing. in the last few minutes, the women and equalities minister has been speaking about the guidance. this is not about forcing schools to tell parents. this is about making sure that parents know what is happening with their children. this is a relatively new phenomenon that we are seeing, with children questioning their gender and we have brought this guidance out because schools themselves have come to us, asking what to do. we think it is very important that parents are brought in at the early stage, if a child is having questions around their gender and believing that they are of the opposite sex.

that often has comorbidities that might need medical attention. so parents should be kept in the loop. dame esther rantzen says she is considering the option earlier, i spoke to gill castle, founder of the chameleon buddies charity on why she chose to swim the channel and the relation to her charity in kenya. now she is working with her charity, helping women in kenyan. i asked her why she chose to swim the channel. i thought, actually, this is going to be a really good way of raising awareness. really in—your—face way, more people have climbed everest and they have swam the channel. also, when you have a stoma, swimming is on the main things that people worry about doing because of, they think

the bag will leak or come off. it was only after i decided i would submit, i discovered no one with a stoma had done it before. it added element of risk because i wasn't sure what would happen to the risk after being so long in the water. just explain the concerns with that? when you spend a prolonged amount of time in the water, the worry was that my stoma bag would come off and obviously my bowel, which is the stoma, the worry was the top layer of the bowel would come off, it would disintegrate with the salt. obviously, no one has done this before so we weren't sure but nothing happened to my bag. it stayed on for 14 hours. find nothing happened to my bag. it stayed on for 14 hours.- nothing happened to my bag. it stayed on for 14 hours. and it was fine, i didn't— stayed on for 14 hours. and it was fine, i didn't have _ stayed on for 14 hours. and it was fine, i didn't have to _ stayed on for 14 hours. and it was fine, i didn't have to do _

stayed on for 14 hours. and it was fine, i didn't have to do anything. fine, i didn't have to do anything particular? i fine, i didn't have to do anything particular?— particular? i had it open so the waste could — particular? i had it open so the waste could drain _ particular? i had it open so the waste could drain out - particular? i had it open so the waste could drain out freely . particular? i had it open so the i waste could drain out freely over time. we are taking you straight to central london where the housing levelling up secretary michael gove is about to make a speech which is expected to warn councils in england against dragging their feet when it comes to building new homes. let's listen in. , ., , , comes to building new homes. let's listen in. , , ., , listen in. christmas is nearly upon us and so many — listen in. christmas is nearly upon us and so many other— listen in. christmas is nearly upon us and so many other christmas i us and so many other christmas traditions that be cherish oh so much to a special time in our past. the victorian era. our favourite carols, where the products of the 18405 carols, where the products of the 1840s and 1850s. the christmas tree was introduced to england in 1840 by prince albert and queen victoria. and charles dickens�* depictions of

christmas has shaped further how we see this special time. today�*s celebrations may be shaped by the spirit of victorian christmas pasts but the victorians themselves were not haunted by the desire to look backwards. the victorian age was one of growth, innovation, expansion and ambition. they looked to the future with hope. it was in the 19th century that our great cities expanded to become the workshops of the world, the home is the swelling millions. london spread east as the docklands became a window to the world, west to graceful suburbs, north to embrace villages such as highgate within its, and south from clapham to crystal palace. it became the greatest city on the globe. it was joined the greatest city on the globe. it wasjoined by the greatest city on the globe. it was joined by others.

the greatest city on the globe. it wasjoined by others. the birmingham ever—changing and the jewellery quarter, the newcastle, manchester, the lead ofjohn marshall�*s nell and the lead ofjohn marshall�*s nell and the first electric tram network. it seems to me that in that spirit, we can embrace a better future. seems to me that in that spirit, we can embrace a betterfuture. i seems to me that in that spirit, we can embrace a better future. i want us as a nation once again to be always in the forefront of innovation, to be reimagining and regenerating our great cities, to be commissioning new homes of beauty, designed to endure, to be planning the urban quarters which both commercially and attract talent, to be building, growing, daring. iwant us to for back in love the future. the truth is a while the last 30 years has seen growth flourish

across the country —— i3 years has seen growth flourish across the country —— 13 years, we have not grown fast enough. we are on a mission to make sure that we see growth spread across the country. more towns and cities regenerated. more homes built and more innovation. it�*s why we are spending billions on urban regeneration, why we have a new approach to national significant infrastructure projects, and why he and i today published a new national planning policy framework. this infrastructure plan and the new planning framework have been designed to deal with obstacles that have stood on the way up to them and we need in the places that we need it. over decades, we have not been providing the infrastructure that we need at the pace that we need it, nor have we be building the homes

that we need. we have made significant progress over the last 13 years, across rail in london, 5g and superfast broadband, new life science labs in cambridge, material science labs in cambridge, material science services in manchester, more new homes last year than in any year under the last labour government. they all show the drive necessary for the future. that is however necessary, but not sufficient. progress, but not enough. growth but not yet at the rate that we need. so what are the obstacles that we still need to overcome? and how will this conservative government overcome them now and in the future? let me turn housing first. the figures in housing constitute a considerable record of achievement. more than 230,000 new homes in the last year, more than 900,000 in the last four

years. on course to meet our target ofi million new homes in this parliament. as strong as that record is, it could be stronger still and the uncomfortable truth is that we have not built more because in many parts of the country, there is a resistance to new development. the truth is uncomfortable for those of us are due for new develop meant because that resistance is not unreasonable. those who are first characterised as, not in my back yard objectors and develop meant, often had good reason tojust yard objectors and develop meant, often had good reason to just say no. as any economist pointing out, the games in development are felt widely but the difficulties are felt locally. you develop meant has too often been as poor quality, ugly without the beauty that is at the heart of all great architecture. i

am an admirer of architect�*s skill and vision. a believer in their mission to make homes more thanjust a machine for living but a delight to the eye and a statement of belief in the future. but my conviction we need to build more beautifully is notjust a matter of taste it makes sense in policy terms. as recent advice shows, opposition to new homes and communities drops dramatically when the development is beautiful. asked how they felt about a large increase in homes in the local area, 43% surveyed were resolutely opposed. but this falls to 20% when reassured the development will be in keeping with local architecture and traditions. in the market also shows the merit in building to exacting aesthetic standards. the development that his majesty the king championed and so carefully master planned next to dorchester is not to everyone�*s taste, but it is undeniably built