seek new assurances on the irish border, but eu leaders say there is no room for renegotiation, only clarification. at home, mps will not bea clarification. at home, mps will not be a asked to vote before january. a former police others has been jailed former police others has been jailed for 35 years for the rape and sexual assault of a girl. local authorities are set to receive an increase in funding in the next financial year, and the ability to raise council tax by up to 3%. some hospitals in inler now working capacity and telling patients away as they are overcrowded with no spare beds. —— hospitals in england. ina spare beds. —— hospitals in england. in a moment it will be time for sports day but first a look at what else is coming up this evening on bbc news. at 7pm, we will have the

latest on the russian woman accused of acting as an agent for the kremlin in the us who pleaded guilty to conspiracy. we will bring you updates from the annual climate conference in poland, as delegates try to reach agreements on how to increase and verify their carbon pledges productions. at 10:1i0pm and 11:30pm, we will be looking at tomorrow's front pages. during us this evening, stephen bush and former trade minister lord digby jones will bejoining former trade minister lord digby jones will be joining us for a look at the papers tonight. probably lots on the fallout of brexit, as you would expect. let's just on the fallout of brexit, as you would expect. let'sjust remain on the fallout of brexit, as you would expect. let's just remain with it for the moment. we have in taking a lot of interest in westminster, oui’ a lot of interest in westminster, our correspondence or look east has

been gauging opinion at the christmas market in norwich. the norwich christmas market is well under way this week. this is one of the few places in east anglia which actually voted to remain in the referendum. 56% of people said they wa nted referendum. 56% of people said they wanted to stay in the eu. and at this market, there is loads of food and drink to tempt the full. voters have still been following what has been going on at westminster.” been going on at westminsterlj think been going on at westminster.” think they need to stop fighting amongst themselves and just get on with the matter in hand really, and focus on sorting out breakfast, brexit sorry. everyone seems to be using it as a point to further their own gains in things. are you glad theresa may one yesterday?” own gains in things. are you glad theresa may one yesterday? i am, because i think a change of leadership at the moment is not the right thing to do, we just need to get on with what we are doing and that can be sorted out later on of the party is unhappy. as a law to be both have been saying, being pm is an incredibly harjot. are you glad

she won last night? won i'm going to stay in on that one. we have come out of the cold comment of the cold, into the sleigh bells bar. eddie, who runs it, what have you made of the last 2a hours? who runs it, what have you made of the last 24 hours? probably unnecessary for the contest to be held in the first time, really it is time for the mps to put the national interest in front of their own agendas and should take the instructions really of the country on board, rather than thinking a little bit more about themselves. you are a conservative party supporter, how did you feel watching the leadership challenge taking place? well, orjust thought there was no need for it really, i think she is in an impossible position, i'm not sure i was completely always of the opinion that she should have been the leader that one or two of the others who perhaps should abandon for themselves up when they needed to, so i think she hasjust been put in an invidious position really. so you are happy she stays

on as prime minister, even though she is damaged after that? she is damaged, i, but they think is anyone else putting their head above the parapet to do something serious about it. and after the week we have had a westminster, what would your message beads mps?” had a westminster, what would your message beads mps? i think it is rarely time to stop your nonsense and pull together. thank you very much indeed, at the christmas market in norwich, that is the view of people here, just get on and do the job. andrew sinclair from bbc look north. now it is time for sports day. hello and welcome to sportsday. it's make or break for celtic and rangers in the europa league tonight. why serena williams hasn't got her wish in the wta's rule change for returning mums. and coming up, what links leicester

city to will dureau i will explain. —— wheelchair rugby. i will explain. yes — good evening — welcome. it's very simple for both scottish clubs tonight. celtic need a point to qualify, for rangers they must win against rapid vienna in austria to reach the last 32 of the europa league, joining the likes of chelsea and arsenal who've already qualified. it's already aproaching half—time in vienna, rangers are goalless. kheredine idessanne is at celtic park where — celtic face salzburg — let's start with rangers. it remains goalless at the moment. it couldn't be closer, all four teams from group g can still qualify.

absolutely, good evening from a very noisy celtic park atjust 90 minutes or so to kick off here, but as you say, they are approaching half—time in vienna, and what a group they have there, pretty much any of the four teams can finish in any of the four teams can finish in any of the four places, but rangers's equation is simple, they must win if they are to make the last 32 of the europa league and they have gone close to taking the lead in that first half. jake connor goldson header coming back off the crossbar as steven gerrard's press away to rapid vienna to try to get the three points that they require. so i guess so far so good for rangers. theyjust leave that one goal. they won— zero win would be good enough for them but it must be a win, or they will be out of europe this evening. absolutely. celtic need a point to qualify and they do so without striker leigh griffiths who's taken an indefinite breakfrom the game. yes, indeed, it was quite an

emotional brendan rodgers at the celtic news conference yesterday who revealed there would be an indefinite break, and indifferent period of absence the leigh griffiths, for personal reasons, reasons that are affecting his mental health. he has released a statement today, leigh griffiths, and he said he is doing all he can to come back as soon as possible a better and stronger person. he has thanked those who sent him what he calls powerful messages of support. leigh griffiths sending out some positive messages and some positive lives today, a very difficult time for him personally, and his family, but he is getting all the support he needs from celtic as a club, and from the wider football community here in scotland. he is getting the professional help and advice he needs to get him back on track. that is good to hear. for matters on the

pitch, though. for celtic it will be farfrom pitch, though. for celtic it will be far from easy against a salzburg side who have won all of the matches so far in this group. it is an number liveable success story recently. spoke. as you say, unbeaten for the whole of the season so far, 29 matches, haven't lost a single one. five out of five in this europa league group. they are already qualified, losses and's semifinalist in this competition, unlucky not to make the final. a very stiff test for celtic across there in salzburg, celtic lost 3—1. celtic know that a draw will be good enough. that can create a slightly curious dynamic where they will want to win but they only need a draw, but one thing is absolutely certain, the atmosphere will be cracking, the stadium will be full, and celtic will be playing a top—class european

side who can relax a little bit because they are already through and celtic want to join them. to do so, they need at least a point here at celtic park. by all accounts the teams arriving behind you. many thanks indeed forjoining us on sportsday tonight. with chelsea's place in the last 32 already guaranteed, manager maurizio sarri has fielded a weakened team against hungarian side vidi. the blues, fresh from victory over manchester city in the premier league are yet to drop a point in qualifying. five of chelsea's first team haven't travelled to budapest — including eden hzard and ngolo ka nte. although they face a vidi side who can still qualify. they managed to equalise shortly after, through an own goal. currently i—i after, through an own goal. currently 1—1 in that match. so, rangers, as we said, are currently under way, still goalless in that one. chelsea, as you can see, i—i with vidi at the moment, and arsenal

also in action later against fc qarabag. they are already through. a change in tennis will help women making a return to the game after giving birth. serena williams had called for mums to be seeded for tournaments if their ranking at the start of their absence allowed. under the rule change, players will be be able to use their protected ranking to enter i2 tournaments within a three—year period from the date of their child being born. there will be no protection for seedings as williams wanted, but tournaments will be able to use their own discretion to seed players. instead, the wta say they will guarantee mums will not face a seeded player in a tournament's opening round. so some concessions being made by

the wta. tennis commentator gigi salmonjoins us now. it is worth pointing out that there was a great deal of debate about this, suggestions that players were being unfairly penalised when making a return to the game. 0thers suggesting that when it comes to a baby, it is a choice, you know, you make your decision to do so and then perhaps shouldn't be given a helping hand when returning to the game. interesting to know the wta haven't gone all the way in protecting those seedings, as serena williams wanted, but making some concessions on helping players make that return after giving birth. it is really good news and was an issue thrust into the spotlight by serena williams. she returned at the start of this year having had her daughter last year. when she announced her pregnancy, she just had won the australian open while pregnant, and

had to go through qualifying. she is not the first mother to have had a baby and, to claim that she is the most high profile. tournaments fall over themselves to have serena williams at their tournament, so she did not have a problem in terms of getting the wild cards, it is the rankings. for new mums out there, you have been up all night with a baby, you are not an relief ashley, you have to get yourself showered —— not an elite athlete you have to get yourself showered and up and dressed, imagine how difficult it must be to train to elite level, come through qualifying and then face the top seed. it is really good news. i know serena williams was the driving force in this, but they can boast a lot of players in the wta tour. interestingly for me, —— they canvassed a lot of players. victoria azarenka, she expressed her concerns, she was not actually for this, but you have to remember those

players were not serena williams, the landscape is changing, careers are going on for longer. they want continue doing what they love, this isa continue doing what they love, this is a big step was doing that, we should also say this rule will apply to players coming back from injury as well. interesting. specially when you consider there was a split. let's round up some of the day's other sports stories now and justin rose is just one shot off the pace in defence of his indonesian masters title. he only played 14 holes before play was suspended for bad weather. rose can end the year as world number one with a top—i2 finish injakarta. england will play 0lympic silver medallists belgium in the world cup semi finals on saturday after beating germany 2—1. england have already beaten the olympic champions argentina on their way to their third consecutive world cup semi final. john higgins is safely

through to the fourth round of the scottish 0pen. he beat china's yan bingtao by four frames to nil in glasgow to set up a metting with alfie burden later this evening. a meeting with alfie burden later this evening. swimming's international governing body has announced a new competition for next year. olympic champion adam peaty stated last week that swimming was "stuck in 1970", after fina forced the cancelation of a new rival event he was backing. fina hopes the new format will appease those who have voiced frustrations with its governance. and how about this for a penalty to win the copa sudamericana, south america's second most prestigious club competition? it helped atletico parinanse beat colombia'sjunior in the penalty shoot out with the scores level at full time. you don't see one ups like that these days. —— run—ups like that. the fa will begin the search for a new technical director with the news martin glenn

is resigning from his position at the end of the season. since his appointment three years ago, there's been success on the field at senior and youth levels but controversies off it with the sacking of sam allardyce, mark sampson and the attempted sale of wembley. our sports correspondent david 0rnstein says his departure should not come as a surprise. martin glenn has succeeded for england and the fa on the pitch, certainly, with success for the youth level teams of england, and also the men's and women's senior teams. he's overseen a restructuring of the fixture list, so that from next season there will be a winter break at last for players. there has also been great investment, a boost in revenues, investment in women's football show, a greater representation within the fa staff, in terms of women and be a med representation, so it has been quite

a significant time for him. however, there have been some negatives as well. martin glenn was the man who hired and sacked sam allardyce in a very short space of time. also, he oversaw the sacking and the controversy around the women's coach at the time, mark sampson. meanwhile, there has been the controversy meanwhile, there has been the co ntrove rsy over meanwhile, there has been the controversy over the sale of wembley. martin glenn supported that in the search for grassroots funding for the english game, but that didn't go through, with shahid khan pulling out. so it is a bit of a mixed bag really, that he has overall the feeling has been that he has done a good job, and worth pointing out than ashworth, the fa's technical director, is also going. what can we read into that? is that troubling signs for the fa? not only having to fill this one vacancy, but two very senior roles to fill. it is

a huge time of change for the fa. dan ashworth will leave in the spring, martin glenn in the summer. it is not often you lose a chief executive and a technical director at the same time, however they will feel they have left the fa and england national team is in good shape. the structure is in place. and you may say if you look at results on the pitch that these two individuals have that the fa and england on the path toward success. tottenham manager mauricio pochettino is unhappy that people aren't talking about his side as contenders for the premier league title. tottenham sit six points behind leaders liverpool and five behind second—placed manchester city. ahead of their game against burnley this weekend, pochettino believes his players warrant more consideration. iam happy i am happy with the perception today, when you talk about only the perception for the people or from

the media is city liverpool, and not us. iam the media is city liverpool, and not us. i am not happy with the perception when they are not assessing in the right way to us. i think normally it is liverpool and manchester city, chelsea, united, but not top them. we are there because we compete in a very good way, because our performance are doing fantastic, but of course the perception is different. mauricio pochettino there. sir dave brailsford believes a backer to replace team sky must be found by nextjuly to bring clarity to the team. the four—time tour de france champion chris froome said finding a sponsor will serve as extra motivation to save the team. it's believed they were only told at tuesday's training camp in majorca of the broadcaster's decision to end their relationship. sir dave brailsford hopes they wont be short of offers. they won't be short of offers. you know, when these situations

happen, people say your phone will start ringing, and you think maybe, maybe, but it has! already, i have had calls this morning from people, quite a lot actually, who are expressing interest and want to talk, so if that is anything to go by, i think the opportunity for the future looks very good. yes, obviously it was a shock and it was disappointing, to start with, but i think when you sit back and look at it, you know, ten years is a long time asa it, you know, ten years is a long time as a main title sponsor in cycling, and it has been an incredible nine years so far, and we really sort of want to go out on a high and make it the last and best year yet. it is certainly not the end, hopefully it is not the end, so it is also kind of exciting at the same time. also coming up in the programme... we're in glencoe in scotland to find out how technology is helping the winter 0lypians of tommorrow. it's just guaranteeing that good

snow, ice can all those conditions that we need to be over to train. -- to be able to train. but before that, early next year, great britain will participate in wheelchair rugby's quad nations competition. it's a chance to test themselves against the world's best... ...a chance which may not have been possible, were it not for the former leicester city chairman and his support of the competition. asjoe wilson can tell us. if sport is a unifying force, that's partly why we are at leicester city, for wheelchair rugby. early next year, the second quad nations cup petition will be played in leicester, for the world's best