hello this is bbc news. the headlines. the commons speaker — john bercow — will stand down next summer — the bbc understands. the news comes after a damning report on bullying and harassment at westminster. the only possible way to resolve this matter is the establishment of a body which is both entirely independent of and external to parliament. there's another delay to the rollout of universal credit — the government's flagship welfare reform — to prevent claimants suffering hardship. ahead of this week's crucial eu summit — theresa may updates her cabinet on the state of the brexit negotiations. reports of religious hate crimes in england and wales — have increased by a0 per cent — new figures show. in a moment it will be time for sportsday but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news. at seven beyond 100 days

will have the latest on the disappearance of the saudi journalist jamal khashoggi, and will be speaking to the american enterprise institute. at eight — we'll be speaking to the chair of the government's advisory board on hate crime, following a surge in offences recorded by police. and at nine—thirty we'll bring you special coverage of the man booker prize ceremony for the best fiction book of the year. that's all ahead on bbc news. hello and welcome to sportsday. it's ireland versus wales in the nations league — we'll have all the build up from dublin. and we'll hear from lizzy yarnold as the double olympic champion announces her retirement from skeleton.

i have done it for ten years and loved it, i have been privileged to be an athlete. but it has been my body that has had to work hard and produced the results. and the worst snooker venue ever? yes, says ronnie o sullivan — no, say world snooker. is the k2 in crawley really that bad? 7 good evening — it's a trip across the irish sea for wales this evening. they're in dublin to take on the republic of ireland in the nations league. no gareth bale, no aaron ramsey — this is wales‘s chance to bounce back from a 4—1 friendly defeat to spain last week. an under pressure martin o'neill also needs

an improved performance tonight. thomas niblock reports from dublin. the republic of ireland trained this week knowing that the last time they faced wales they were not good enough. tonight the side are aiming for a win. we set out to try to do well in the competition. we were well in the competition. we were well beaten in wales and so we have now got some matches and this game at home and let's try and win the game. denmark midfielder thomas delaney described the performance as primitive on saturday. some high—profile supporters described it as boring. as for the welsh manager he has a slightly different opinion. we have already played them and played really well in the first game and we will have to pay to that standard again. martin, i have full respect for martin. he is a

brilliant manager and he has proved that over the years. we will expect a test. when we step out it is down to us to put in a performance and played to the best of our ability. our big strength is the togetherness asa our big strength is the togetherness as a group and that comes to the fore in times when we need it. we need to play an attacking game and hopefully get the result. attacking football would be night, a positive result essential. —— would be nice. conor mcnamara is commentating on the match for bbc 5live — and sent us this ahead of kick off: well we have ireland against wales and full commentary tonight on bbc 5 live. and there is a despondent mood about irish football the moment. can they get a performance? about irish football the moment. can they get a performance ?|i about irish football the moment. can they get a performance? i think optimism and opportunities will

hopefully be the keywords this evening. i hope the opportunities for those that get the shirt tonight, that they will take it and realise that they have got to try to start to make something happen, generate something. we have all been in situations where it is not great and does not seem to be going well. but you have to try to find it within you as a group of players to start to generate some interest back in the game. the only way to do that is by effort and commitment and genuinely trying to excite people again and make them get back behind you. again opportunities i think all around, optimism because there is no gareth bale, no anne ramsay, reasons to be happy in that respect but hopefully, the boys will put on a courageous hopefully, the boys will put on a courageous performance. what a night it was in september at beating ireland 4—1 and wales must be feeling confident now.

ireland 4—1 and wales must be feeling confident nowi ireland 4—1 and wales must be feeling confident now. i do not think the spain result the other day helped. ireland were missing a lot of players and this time it is wales. and when gareth bale does not play and aaron ramsey does not play, wales look to be a different outfit. sol wales look to be a different outfit. so i think it is a different game. and we're coming from the back of a bad game against spain. sol and we're coming from the back of a bad game against spain. so i think that level things up. it is always difficult coming to the aviva stadium. sol difficult coming to the aviva stadium. so i think ryan giggs will be looking for some reaction from his place tonight after that result the couple of days ago. a lot of people working out exactly how the nation ‘s league works but if england had a good result last night and end up getting any easier draw for euro 2020, but getting to the bottom of these groups means possibly a harder qualifying

campaignfor euro possibly a harder qualifying campaign for euro 2020. it could be a much more difficult qualifying route. i think we all welcome a bit more competitive football in terms of the internationals put up for years i played in a lot of friendlies around the time when we we re really friendlies around the time when we were really playing well. and achieving a lot. by playing a lot of friendlies. that felt like it was a step backwards and felt like there was a step backwards and felt like there wasa genuine step backwards and felt like there was a genuine kind of feeling, you just do it. so the fact that they now feel more competitive. there is this league format and carrots dangling at the end of it. that gives some genuine substance to every game you get the chance to play. full commentary on bbc radio 5 live and kick in dublin at 7:45pm. they crashed out of the world cup group stages, and were beaten 3—nil by the netherlands on saturday — germany have lost 6 out of their last 10 matches and how about tonight's match as a daunting prospect —

against france in the nations league? having said that, beat the world champions tonight and it would at least be a much needed confidence boost. lutz fannenschteel is a former player, now pundit — and joins me now. what is going wrong with the german national side? i think there was no real improvement from the world cup in russia. it was a disastrous world cup for germany, one of the lowest points in recent history. and a lot of people thought that there would be some changes and a different kind of mentality on the field but looking at the game against the netherlands, it was just the same old story. as we had in russia. and lots of people asking for change but in the short term it is not possible. so if you ask what is wrong i think quite a lot. do you think that the manager is to blame and thatjoachim low should go?m

is easy to blame the manager, he is the easiest person to target. but i think there needs to be some decisions made, i believe if the game against france is last today there will be a bigger discussion. and some changes. i have a new fresh blood in the team and a lot of new players coming in and some of the older guys going out. and ifjoe joachim low stays as manager. 0r they tried easy way and hired a new manager. but i have the feeling that something like that will happen i would say this year. so for tonight how do you think you will fare against france, the world champions? i still believe we have a good team with a lot of potential. germany can beat any team, i believe that they can beat france. it was quite a good

performance in the first leg of the nations cup in germany. so i think everything is possible but it is just short—term i think germany needs to look to improve over the long—term and if it works with a lot of older players from the 2014 team, i have a feeling that germany will pick upa i have a feeling that germany will pick up a good result today. thank you for sharing your thoughts. scotland are playing england in an under 21 euro 2019 qualifier at tynecastle in edinburgh.. it's nil nil with the second half a few minutes old. harry barnes, who's on loan at west brom from leicester , is making his under 21 debut and will hope to do better in the second half after this miss in the first. england have already qualified for the euros in italy. scotland's hopes are already over. earlier this year, lizzy yarnold won her second 0lympic medal, becoming the first british athlete to win back to back winter games golds. she's also won world and european titles during her 10 year career — but she's announced she's calling

it a day. i caught up with her earlier, but before we hear what she had to say, lets have a look at those golden moments again: lizzie yarnold is the olympic champion! that is brilliant. lizzie yarnold, what a performance. the first british at great to successfully defend her olympic title. —— british athlete. successfully defend her olympic title. -- british athlete. and she joins us now. you have both of your medals here. just in case you wanted a look. we never get bored of looking at olympic gold medals. do you have a favourite between them now reflecting on your career? you made history with the second. i guess the second took a lot more work and was a lot more difficult to achieve. and i got to shared the

podium with one of my best friends, laura, so that was just awesome. and out of my wildest dreams. but again thought she was a different team supporting me, a different experience. it is a team effort with the skeleton so i'm grateful for all that help. skeleton was a sport that you discovered through being good at other sports, you were pushed into the sport because you showed you had the sport because you showed you had the should for. would you have ever said yourself when someone said why not try the skeleton, that if someone not try the skeleton, that if someone had told g would be double olympic champion, what would you have said? i would never have believed it, it was my dream is a primary school kids to go to the olympics, i did not care which support it was, ijust olympics, i did not care which support it was, i just wanted olympics, i did not care which support it was, ijust wanted to be a team gb athlete and represent my country. but skeleton is a strange sport, but i always loved it and

picked up on it quickly. i did not find the skeleton until i was 18 or truthfully i can go into schools and say just enjoy truthfully i can go into schools and sayjust enjoy sport, it is meant to be fun. chase your dreams. do you feel that you've left the sport in a healthy position? i hope so, i think it isa healthy position? i hope so, i think it is a team effort and there are 22 other amazing skeleton athletes training now and ready to compete. and hopefully they will be on the podium in beijing, i have no doubt. it is all about inspiring women in sport, i want to be a voice for women in sport that had not necessarily had the fair opportunities and equal opportunities and equal opportunities that i have had. there are opportunities that i have had. there a re battles opportunities that i have had. there are battles with anti—doping issues in sport and talking about good mental health so i hope i can still bea mental health so i hope i can still be a voice for good. i love the sport and want to stay involved in skeleton and mentor some athletes. governance is a really important pa rt governance is a really important part of sports and athletes cannot compete with that good governance.

so we will see what the future holds. hopefully there are boards i can apply to be on and continue to have the voice of the athletes. have that boys represented and just remind people that we have two protect athletes especially when we're talking about anti—doping issues. he protecting their endocrine competition. but i think it is important to use the platform i have as an olympic athlete and make sure our voices are heard if not field sometimes that they're not been heard, we have to continue the fight. you are going to need something to do for yourself as well, so what is next for you personally? i guess appreciating being around family, my husband, that will be quite a change. and being in the uk for the autumn. i thought there was just some and then it went straight to winter when i went away! nothing in between. so it was nice to be here and have a bit ofa was nice to be here and have a bit of a normal life. warren gatland has recalled

captain alun wyn jones, justin tipuric, george north and liam williams to the welsh squad for the autumn internationals, along with the uncapped leicester wing jonah holmes. originally from stockport, holmes qualifies through a welsh grandparent... wales will face scotland, australia, tonga and south africa next month. his form for leicester has been pretty outstanding in terms of the amount of tries he has scored and the games he has played. it is a position, the back three in terms of trying to create more depth gives us the opportunity to have a look at him. he is quick and physical as well. there's yet another setback in england's preparations for the up coming autumn internationals. chris robshaw is out with a knee injury and joins a growing list of absentees that includes number eight billy vunipola and lock joe launchbury, while nathan? hughes is facing a suspension. england play south africa, new zealand, japan and australia on consecutive weekends at twickenham.

time to take a quick look at the the other sports stories making the headlines this evening... jose mourinho has been charged by the fa for "abusive language" — they used a lip reader to work out what he said after manchester united came back to beat newcastle 10 days ago. he has until friday evening to respond. arsenal midfielder kim little will be out for ten weeks after breaking her leg in a heavy challenge during her sides' 5 nil win over chelsea in the women's super league over the weekend. she's is expected to be a key figure for scotland at next summer's world cup. johanna konta has recorded one of her best victories in what's been a troubled season. she knocked out the seventh seed elise mertens in the opening round of the kremlin cup in moscow, winning in straight sets. john higgins is through to the second round of snooker‘s english open. he beat china's li yuan by four frames to one in crawley. elsewhere, there was a maximum 147 break for thailand's thepchaiya un—nooh. australian spinner nathan

lyon took four wickets in six balls on day one of the second test against pakistan. but an innings of 94 from the pakistani captain sarfraz ahmed helped them to 282 all out. the aussies are 20 for 2 in reply. england face sri lanka in the third odi tomorrow in kandy. they lead the five match series one nil and all rounder moeen ali says he feels that he is coming into the peak of his career. the mental side of the game and just in general i feel i'm comfortable in myself and in my game throughout play. i know, you know when you've done badly done well, if you have made an impact. those of the kind of things that i think i have a bit more experience in now and ifeel a big part of the group. i feel like i'm coming into my form now. finally a hellhole

that smells of urine — that's ronnie o'sullivan's verdict on the k2 leisure centre in crawley — host of this year's english open snooker. o'sullivan is the defending champion, and he's urged world snooker to spend more money on venues — saying this one is as bad as he's ever seen. its all come as a surprise to the organisers... a spokesperson said they had been working hard to make the competition the best that can be put up and ticket sales have already surpassed the total number sold for all previous english open venues. i'm sure we will hear more about that during the course of the tournament. that's all from sportsday. we'll have more throughout the evening. three british writers are among the six shortlisted

authors vying for this year's man booker prize for fiction. the competition is celebrating its 50th anniversary and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in london's guildhall later tonight. our arts correspondent, rebecca jones is there for us. welcome to the magnificent guildhall here in the heart of the city of london as you say later this evening we will find out who is the winner of one of the world's most important prices, the man booker prize awarded to the best novel. it will be quite a party, 500 guess enjoying a champagne reception before coming through here to the main hall for a three course dinner. amongst them the six writers shortlisted for the price this year. and for one of them it will be a career defining moment. let's remind ourselves who is on the shortlist this year.

this year the six nominees are... everything under by daisyjohnson. it's her first novel. set on the waterways of oxford, it tells the story of a mother and daughter haunted by memories of the past. the judges have described milkman by anna burns as an experimental book. it explores the troubles in northern ireland through the eyes of 18—year—old girl. richard powers‘ ecological epic the over story is a love letter to trees. and follows nine strangers trying to save american forests from destruction. the mars room by rachel kushner takes place in a prison in california. and focuses on a woman serving two consecutive life sentences for killing her stalker. esi edugyan's washington black is based on a true story.