hello. this is bbc news. the headlines. the government has published its blueprint for a "seamless" border between northern ireland and the republic after brexit, ruling out new customs posts and surveillance technology. new figures out today show that unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since 1975 but average earnings are still lagging behind inflation. the labour mp sarah champion resigns from herfront bench role, and apologises for what she says was an extremely poor choice of words in a newspaper article about child abuse. at least 600 people are still missing after the sierra leone mudslide. the country's president says entire communities have been wiped out. those are the main stories. sportsday is next but let's tell you

what else is coming up this evening on bbc news. we will be talking about the latest criticism of donald trump following his condemnation of both sides after the violence at cha rlottesville both sides after the violence at charlottesville on both sides after the violence at cha rlottesville on saturday. both sides after the violence at charlottesville on saturday. that's at 730. we are expecting to hear an official comment from jeremy corbyn after the resignation of his front bench colleague sarah champion. and my guests in the papers to night otherformer my guests in the papers to night other former trade minister, my guests in the papers to night otherformer trade minister, lord digg thejones otherformer trade minister, lord digg the jones and otherformer trade minister, lord digg thejones and —— digbyjones and henry on c. digg thejones and —— digbyjones and henry bonsay. hello and welcome to sportsday. i'm leah boleto. lots to get through tonight. can celtic make a mark in europe? we look ahead to their champions league qualifier at celtic park.

pink balls and new playing partnerships. what can we expect from england's first test against the west indies tomorrow? it's an opportunity for the guys now in this series, in particularity stamped their mark on test cricket. —— in particular to stamp. and we also hear from the american long jumper, who explains why the bronze she won at the world championships means more to her than olympic gold. hello. welcome to the show. we're starting tonight with the champions league. in about an hour, celtic play the first

leg of their qualifier. brendan roger's side take on the kazakhstan champions astana at celtic park. in a minute we'll have a word with former chelsea and everton player pat nevin. but first here's chris mclaughlin with all you need to know about tonight's match. a little—known opposition the celtics this evening, but do not be falls, this is huge for the scottish premiership champions‘ progression, there's premiership champions‘ progression, there‘s a pot of £25 million but it‘s all about the prestige, the big nights under the lights for europe‘s best and this is where brendan rodgers believes that it‘s they belong. —— babe along. rodgers believes that it‘s they belong. -- babe along. we've got to fight over these last two games to arrive there, knowing the team is in arrive there, knowing the team is in a much better place. they've played

asta na a much better place. they've played astana before and not out, 3—2 aggregate win. brendan rodgers believes his side have progressed and matured. in fact, they have not tasted defeat here since barcelona came here 266 days ago. the people packing out the stadium find me will hope for a great run this evening. pat nevin joins us now. they want to make waves in europe, what are their chances like?” they want to make waves in europe, what are their chances like? i think they‘ve got a great chance against asta na. they‘ve got a great chance against astana. they understand what brendan rodgers wants to get out of them and

he has improved them no end in this period of time. however, it‘s about getting to this next phase. they got a dreadful draw last year and they didn‘t do too badly in that group but they did not proceed. they want to get through, get a good draw and i think that‘s at the top of the agenda for brendan rodgers. what do you think the team talk will be tonight? believe in yourself. know that you are good enough and i believe they think that. it‘s absolutely extraordinary. being in the stadium assaults the sentences and it won‘t just affect celtic the stadium assaults the sentences and it won‘tjust affect celtic but asta na and it won‘tjust affect celtic but astana also. we have been speaking about this next story for a while.

swa nsea about this next story for a while. swansea midfielder gylfi siguardsson, he passed a medical and moves to everton breaking their previous records. when they paid almost 32 million records. for romelu lukaku three years ago. lets here the thoughts of everton manager ronald koeman. we need protective repeated the team. he‘s that type of player. he had a great season in swansea and he is, in my opinion, in this position, one of the best in the premier league. pat what do you make of the situation? what will sigurdsson bring to goodison park? i think ronald koeman is underselling him. ithink i think ronald koeman is underselling him. i think he i think ronald koeman is underselling him. ithink he is i think ronald koeman is underselling him. i think he is a fabulous player. i think he fits in

perfectly. he is extra special. yes, he scores goals but he is also creative. sigurdsson row, he is special. if they're going to be somebody to create for though, because he has a great relationship with the likes of wayne rooney. i'm looking forward to this and i'm excited for this. i'm worried about swansea. he's a special talent and he would grace any team the premier league. over at arsenal, things aren‘t as clear cut with alexis sanchez. all summer arsenal fans have been on tender hooks will he or won‘t he stay at the emirates. well, the chilean star has one final year left on his contract but there‘s been much speculation about a move away from the club. a big headache for arsene wenger who says sanchez isn‘t for sale but there hasn‘t been any progress

on a new contract with the player. we have to make a choice between efficiency on the field and financial interest, and most of the time you can find a good compromise when it is better, but in this case, i think when it is better, but in this case, ithinki when it is better, but in this case, i think i would prioritise the fact that he would be useful on the sportive side. will he stay or go? there are three possibilities. numberone, he there are three possibilities. number one, he leaves and leaves sooi'i. number one, he leaves and leaves soon. i think that's most likely. the other possibility is he runs down his contract and arsenal lose the 50 million. i think that's the least likely because he will make himself a huge deal for the next deal. difficult for the manager because it doesn't give away at penny if he doesn't have tea. that's not a criticism. i'm impressed. they need to sort it out though and soon

because you must get the player in that's going to fit in beside him. oddly enough, that's what arsenal fans are talking about. they need to think at the back as well so a bit of work still needed to be done by arson banggaard. —— arsene wenger. we could talk about this all evening, sadly we‘ve run out of time but pat thanks again for coming in this evening. time to put football to one side because we‘re talking test cricket now — but not as we know it. at edgbaston tomorrow, england play the west indies under floodlights and with a pink ball. it‘s first day—night test match to be played in england — as our sports correspondentjoe wilson reports. play was started 2pm and finish after dark. they‘ve scheduled the match when the crowds to come and watch it. e is for entertainment as well as for edgbaston. floodlights and pink balls arejust

well as for edgbaston. floodlights and pink balls are just two of the variables here. there are traditional issues such as selection. mark stoneman will debut along with —— and joe root could do with somebody rock—solid behind them. i think this is an exciting place for this team to be. if the lads can take their chances now the natural stand it in really good stead. the challenges for the captain tend to be more by the problem is that the west indies. jason holder is still only 25 and must lead a team of players trying to prove themselves. who looks after the west indies‘ captain? to prove themselves. who looks after the west indies' captain? my team are supporting me and it is a thrill. everything won't be handed to you on a platter. i'm accepting

the challenge and the group are supporting me thoroughly and i really appreciate it. i think we will be in for something special in the years to come. one place this match will be scrutinised is the dukes 0r headquarters and that‘s where a pink cricket ball will be produced to be able to play after dark. fundamentally, it's the same as all the wall—macs. the colour, the surface finish, we are trying to get it as near as possible to the original. warrington are putting this to the test. england will play australia in adelaide under light,

soak ina australia in adelaide under light, soak in a way, this match will give them some practice so is itjust a one—off or is it the future?” them some practice so is itjust a one-off or is it the future? i don't know if the honest answer. a big pa rt know if the honest answer. a big part of the reason we are doing this is because of the ashes this winter. ask me in five days‘ time. it‘s going to be historic because it will either be the first and last for the first of many daylight— night—time test. for a few days here we will have to think pink. staying with cricket because you may have heard about this in the news 70 years on from the partition of india, and the creation of pakistan, well there‘s still only one thing that really brings the countries together and that‘s cricket. whenever the sides play, more than a billion people watch. and for a lot of the younger generation of british asians, cricket gives them a connection to their roots. nikesh rughani reports.

it's it‘s probably the biggest sporting rivalry in the world. the tension around these matches is something that makes it more than just a game. nothing can explain the rivalry. this is like a mini world cup. it's one of the biggest games in a country's history. three wars have been fought since the partition in 1947 and there are constant political differences, but that the average person, although the cricket is intense, they seem to get on very well. we are friends. we are all pa rt well. we are friends. we are all part of the same community. we put in all of our love and passion so we love cricket. this boy was brought up love cricket. this boy was brought up watching cricket and is proud to be both british and pakistan e.

up watching cricket and is proud to be both british and pakistan elj wa nt be both british and pakistan el wa nt to be both british and pakistan el want to maintain links with another country but want to integrate and behave appropriately in this country. we grow up i lot of us watching indian cricket. i always wa nt watching indian cricket. i always want britain to do well and play matches at apart from when they play india of course. it's one of the few things worth doing. well on to some cricket action today then. england‘s sarah taylor scored 3a on her women‘s super league debut but it couldn‘t save her lancashire thunder team as they lost to surrey stars by 33 runs at old trafford. an unbeaten a0 from the stars‘ captain natalie sciver helped them set a total of 133 for 6 from their 20 overs. in reply, taylor‘s innings had given lancashire some hope, but five wickets from rene farrell saw them collapse to 100 all out. surrey winning by 33 runs.

right some other lines worth telling you about today. england women head coach simon middleton has made 10 changes to the starting 15 to face the usa in their pool b rugby world cup decider tomorrow. sarah bern recovers from a sprained ankle to start, from a sprained ankle to start. hooker vicky fleetwood will start from the bench afterjoining up late with the squad as she continued to recover from a knee ligament injury. as middleton continues to rotate his squad, full back danielle waterman is the only player who has started every world cup match so far. both sides are unbeaten and the winner of the match will automatically qualify for next week‘s semi—finals in belfast. there‘s been a late change to europe‘s solheim cup team. scotland‘s catriona matthew will replace the injured suzann pettersen. this will be a 10th solheim cup for matthew, who‘s 47 . norwegian pettersen has been receiving treatment for a back injury. the event takes place at in iowa from friday to sunday. britain‘s jo pavey says she‘s

looking to defend her ten thousand metre title at the european championships in germany next year, just a month before her 45th birthday. pavey became the oldest woman to claim european gold when she won in zurich 3 years ago. the five—time olympian missed the athletics world championships in london with a heel injury. she‘s ruled herself out of the commonwealth games in australia, but says she has no plans to retire. and serena williams revealed in a magazine article she plans play tennis again within three months of giving birth to her first child! the 23—time grand slam champion called it "the most outrageous plan". she went on to say "either i win, or i don‘t play." now for many athletes competiting at last week‘s world championships, claiming a gold medal was their sole focus. but the usa‘s tianna bartoletta has

told bbc sport thatjust competing was an achievement in itself. the rio olympic long jump champion claimed a bronze in london. and after receiving her medal she posted on social media that she was homeless after leaving home three months ago, and moving to arnhem in the netherlands where her training camp is based. in the post she also stated that she took the precaution to give herself the chance of a life that, in her words, "didn‘t involve fear or fighting, threats, and abuse". threats and abuse". she‘s been speaking to our reporter, ade adedoyin. the message was about why i was happy because as the reigning world‘s champion, a lot of people didn‘t know how to approach me. world‘s champion, a lot of people didn't know how to approach mel kind of wanted to share that actually, this was more than i could

ask for because of the circumcised is of —— the circumstances of moving myself from a bad situation, a relationship that was no longer serving me in any way. how dark did it get for you? it got was so dark i wa nted it get for you? it got was so dark i wanted to walk off a train platform in europe last season. it felt that had no way out, no way out of the feelings of frustration and shame. i felt like i didn‘t have enough strength. i thought i‘m not able to handle all this and on top of that, last season i wasn‘t competing very well. from april to july last season i wasn‘t competing very well. from april tojuly i was having the most frustrating season so having the most frustrating season so far. and to deal with that on top

ofan so far. and to deal with that on top of an overwhelming personal situation, it was so tempting to call it quitss. what would you like to do for people hearing this? people in similar situations? the most important thing is that you are not alone. you know it but you don‘t know it in your heart that you are not alone. you can be strong or weak. it‘s not a reflection on who you are as a person. you are not any less of a person because you cannot get out. it‘s a very difficult situation. it‘s complex, confusing and hard for people who are not in it to understand. i would say that i understand and take the time you need to look yourself in the mirror and say, you are worth more than

that. tianna ba rtoletta speaking to ade adedoyin. in a statement to us, her husband, john ba rtoletta, said that in their time together they "made an incredible team" and he would be "forever grateful" for having been a part of her success which included three world championship gold medals. he said it was his understanding they were going through an amicable divorce, and that he was very proud of tianna and wished her "the very best". now before i go let me show you these incredible pictures. the queens batten relay. it reached new heights when an raf display team jumped with the batten from 10,000 feet. it‘s expected to reach australia on christmas eve where it will be carried