well as computers and mobiles have been seized at west ham united and newcastle united by customs officers investigating alleged tax fraud. surrey police have been severely criticised for returning guns to a man who later shot dead his partner and her daughter. tensions over north korea — the us military holdsjoint exercises with south korea. us senators are preparing for a security briefing on north korea at the white house. british scientists have developed a test for lung cancer up have developed a test for lung cancer up to have developed a test for lung cancerup toa have developed a test for lung cancer up to a year before it would show on scans. in a moment it will be time for sportsday but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news... as the us military holdsjoint exercises with south korea, we're live in washington in 100 days as tensions increase over north korea. a week since the general election was announced, we'll be looking at which election issues you're talking about online with the news statesman and the website ‘reaction‘.

and we'll find out what's on the front pages of tomorrow's newspapers at 10:40 tonight with our guests martin bentham from the standard the political commentatorjane merrick. that's all ahead on bbc news. now on bbc news it's time for sportsday. hello and welcome to sportsday with me will perry, the headlines this evening. is this the end of joey barton's career? the 34—year—old burnley midfielder is given an 18th month ban by the fa for betting on football. newcastle united and west ham united's grounds have been raided as part of a tax fraud investigation. he's won the tournament five times but ronnie 0'sullivan is knocked out of the world snooker championship by ding junghui in the last 8. and, maria sharapova makes her return to tennis following a 15 month doping ban, she's on court at the stutgart 0pen as we speak. good evening.

burnley midfielderjoey barton has been given a ban from football after admitting a football association charge in relation to betting and there questions over whether the 34—year—old will play again, john watsonjoined me earlier with more details on the story. j°ey joey barton has been banned from all football related activity for 18 months, it follows his admitting to a charge in relation to betting. he was found to have placed over 1200 bets over a 10—year period. some of these involve his current team but go way back to the start of his career when he played for manchester

city. he bet on a match in which he played. 0ne city. he bet on a match in which he played. one of those bets for the £3 sta ke played. one of those bets for the £3 stake he placed on himself to be the first goal—scorer the manchester city against full in a premier league match in 2006. in 2004 and 2011 he also bet on burnley to lose. these are matches he wasn't involved with. he claims he placed those bets purely out of frustration at not being able to play and not being selected for the first team. this doesn't relate to match fixing. in a statement he contests the length of the ban but says his integrity has been questioned. he says, i never placed a bet against my own team when ina placed a bet against my own team when in a position to influence the game and i'm pleased that my integrity on that point hasn't been called into question. he's 34, where does this leave his footballing career? that's the question. joey barton, following the news of this ban, he said this could force him into an early retirement. he's 34

now, when he returns he could be 36 and he plans to contest the length of the ban. we'll will wait to see whether that will have any bearing on what the fa choose to do. he fills it is excessive and he made the point, in quite a long statement on his website, that 18 months is longer than several bans handed the players who played in matches where they bet for their team to lose. the only players to be banned for more than 12 months bet against their own teams and played in the matches in which they placed those bets. you can see barton feels 18 months is excessive. one thing that stands out is that this isn't a couple of bets, over 1200. but in admitting he is addicted to gambling. absolutely and he feels that perhaps wasn't taken into enough consideration by the fa in coming to the length of the ban. he sought with the fa to demonstrate

that he is addicted to gambling, and that he is addicted to gambling, and that he is addicted to gambling, and that he felt by demonstrating as such, that he should be allowed the ban to be slightly limited. he fills that regards to gambling, the relationship the fa and football has with gambling companies and the sponsorship of the game, he feels that by being made an example of with a ban of this length, the fa are in someways demonstrating double standards, because they show a willingness on one hand to take the money and the benefits that comes from the sponsorship of the game but clearly they are making an example of barton in this case. in 2014 the rules changed from players being not allowed to bet on their own team to not being allowed to bet on football in general. we can speak to a sports sponsorship expert. thank you for joining us. earlier today barton says, if the farc is about tackling the culture of gambling in football, it needs to look at the dependence

on gambling rather than blaming the players. i think he's got a point but he slightly changing the subject, he's a very clever chap. he's slightly moved the argument around. the rules are the rules, so he can't get away from that. he has certainly highlighted the fact that football and a lot of football clubs and competitions are dependent or rely heavily on money from sponsors who are gambling companies. this story will put gambling right in the spotlight again, won't it? absolutely. i think the gambling companies don't really need this because sponsorship has relied in the past heavily on the tobacco industry and then the alcohol industry. they have both been squeezed out, alcohol is still an

extent. gambling will be next in the firing line there's no doubt that over the next couple of years we will see restrictions starting to come in which will affect the reve nu es come in which will affect the revenues but the football clubs can expect. is there too much temptation for footballers to bet on the game and ultimately is it down to them to ta ke and ultimately is it down to them to take responsibility now?” and ultimately is it down to them to take responsibility now? i think there is a lot of temptation, they have a lot of downtime. they are young guys with a lot of money. the temptations are there. it's one of these things where, i think this is really going to bring it home to the fa and the other governing bodies, the premier league, etc, that they possibly have to start addressing this subject and looking at ways to maybe restrict the powers of the gambling companies and restrict their presence in football. thank you for speaking to us. newcastle united and west ham

united's grounds have been raided today as part of a tax fraud investigation. we've been covering the story all day, let's go live west ham's london stadium and join our sports correspondent natalie pirks, natalie what more can you tell us? we understand around 50 hmrc offices raided the taxpayer funded home of west town this morning at 8am. we've seen a west town this morning at 8am. we've seen a van west town this morning at 8am. we've seen a van leave filled with evidence. in the last half an hour week saw another band being filled up. still clearly a couple of officers here, carrying out but work. we know business records, documents, computers and mobile phones were seized. we'll send out west ham's training ground was also raided. all the club will say is that it raided. all the club will say is thatitis raided. all the club will say is that it is cooperating fully with the borough tees. we'll so no officers from hmrc visited chelsea's offices. they've not been raided, there is no allegation of wrongdoing. a chelsea spokesman

said, in connection with its investigation hmrc has requested certain information which the club will provide. several men have been arrested, several men working within football, as part of an ongoing investigation into suspected income tax and national insurance fraud in the uk and france. france is interesting because west ham have done a lot of deals with french clu bs done a lot of deals with french clubs in the last few years, particularly marseille. dimitri payet the most high profile player having been transferred back to marseille in january this year. having been transferred back to marseille injanuary this year. with more on that and what happened at newcastle today we can cross to st james' park, where our sports editor dan rowan is. thank you. two days ago, this club was celebrating its return to the riches of the premier league, but rather than looking towards a bright future, this evening they are facing questions, just like west ham united, about their past. a similar scene was

played out here at the stadium behind me this morning, when there we re behind me this morning, when there were raids by revenue and customs officials at newcastle united's home, and indeed to the shock of their players, at their training ground as well. just before they arrived for training. just as with we st arrived for training. just as with west ham united, documents and computers were seized. in addition to that, among the arrests natalie mentioned, it's been reported that lee charnley the managing director of newcastle united, 39 years old and the right—hand man to the club's owner mike ashley was among those arrested as part of raids which took place not just arrested as part of raids which took place notjust on arrested as part of raids which took place not just on the facilities but at the heinz of various individuals involved in the game. —— at the homes. the taxman has a difficult relationship with this board and it'sjust got more relationship with this board and it's just got more awkward relationship with this board and it'sjust got more awkward over the la st 24 it'sjust got more awkward over the last 24 hours. there's a real sense that tax authorities are taking a

closer look at this sport, which generates billions of pounds not just for clubs and players but also the agents. there is increasing scrutiny, whether it's over players personal tax arrangements, or winding—up petition is for indebted clubs, or cross—border transfer payments. what is clear is that this isa payments. what is clear is that this is a significant investigation involving 180 officials, a cross—border collaboration, raids on clu b cross—border collaboration, raids on club premises big stadium and training grounds, and individuals homes as well. it's very serious indeed, for a game which enjoys great power and great wealth but whose finances are clearly under increasing scrutiny. thank you. meanwhile sunderland manager david moyes has today been charged by the fa over his comments that he would slap a bbc reporter. not great build up for his side's match at middlesbrough this evening. the two sides are battling to avoid relegation. there are two more matches in the premier league tonight too,

arsenla host champions leicester, and tottenham are looking to narrow the gap on leaders chelsea to four points, when they take on crystal palace at selhurst park. one other football storyjust coming in, fifa president gianni infantino has confirmed that next year's world cup will have video technology. infantino says fifa have had nothing but positive feedback since trials of video assistance began in their competitions last december. a new twenty20 cricket competition will start in the summer of the year 2020 after the ecb voted heavily in favour of a change in the governing body's constitution. 0ur reporter patrick gearey has the details. this is an historic day for english cricket. ever since victorian times the game has been based around counties. after this vote of 41 ecb members, 38 supported a change which will allow the creation of eight non—county teams to take part in a new t20 competition, which starts in the summer of 2020.

it is inspired by the ipl in india and the big bash in australia. the ecb hopes to attract some of the best players in the world to this competition but it doesn't have universal support. we know ethics and middlesex both voted against it and middlesex both voted against it and kent abstained. their worry is about the future of smaller counties, wants the new competition comes into being. what will be the effect on advertising revenue, will it split dressing rooms with some players going on to earn big money and others being left behind. will it lead to the end of county cricket in this country? existing county competitions will continue alongside the tournament. the ecb still they need to appeal to younger audiences. more schoolchildren recognisejohn cena the american wrestler bambi then england captain alastair cook. but perhaps if you are the reason behind this controversial move. surrey and england all—rounder

zafar ansari has announced his retirement from cricket with immediate effect saying he has other ambitions he wants to fulfil. ansari is only 25 and began playing with surrey at the age of eight. he made his test debut only last 0ctober, shortly before he obtained a master's in history. he plans to explore another career, potentially in law. he's told me on a few occasions that cricket is just a part of his life, it's not his whole life. he is a highly intelligent individual, he's got more degrees and everything else than most of us put together. he has seen this as, yes, he's played for surrey and england, and now he's going to explore new avenues, and have a different type of career. former world number 1 maria sharapova is playing herfirst competitive match since returning from a 15 month doping ban. the russian controversially received a wild card to compete at the stuttgart 0pen. the five—time grand slam winner is playing italy's roberta vinci. sharapova will find out next month if she's been granted a wild card for the french open. britain's joanna konta

is through to the second round in germany, beating japanese qualifier naomi 0saka in three sets. konta was playing her first wta event since winning the miami 0pen and won a difficult first set on the tie—break. 0saka soon presented even more of a problem to konta — she immediately broke her and went on to win the second set 6—3. but konta moved up a gear and after nearly two hours on court, the world number 7 took the deciding set 6—1, and with it the match. 0nto the world snooker championship and five—times champion ronnie 0'sullivan is out — beaten 13 frames to 10 by last year's runner—up ding junhui. a fantastic match was settled by a century from ding — after 0'sullivan had made a tournament best break of 146 earlier in the session. 0'sullivan warmly congratulated ding at the end who now goes on to met mark selby in a repeat of last year's final.