good evening. up until last saturday, northern ireland hadn't recorded a temperature above 31 degrees. now it has happened three times in less than a week. 31.4 degrees this afternoon, yet another provisional new temperature record for northern ireland. and northern ireland one of the slowest places to call down as well. this warning expires at midnight but this one covering northern ireland continues throughout tomorrow. with the heat today we have seen showers and storms popping up across south—west scotland, parts of the midlands and wales as well. where we have the showers and storms, they will rumble around for a time this evening. a lot of cloud rolling in once again, and those are the very lowest temperatures you can expect by the end of the night, it's another one night for most of us. tomorrow a lot of cloud for not only scotland down the eastern side of england, retreating towards the north—east

coast through the day. other areas seeing sunshine again, with isolated thunderstorms, but signs of a change in the south. the winds will be strengthening, thundery rain showing its hands of the far south—west, and cooler than it has been across far south—eastern part. through friday evening we will see heavy, thundery rain putting in a southern england, parts of south wales as an area of low pressure approaches and this will take over as the big weather maker through the weekend, turning things much more unsettled, especially for england and wales. some heavy and thundery rain at times which could cause disruption. drier and brighterfor times which could cause disruption. drier and brighter for scotland and northern ireland, coolerfor northern ireland, cooler for everyone. northern ireland, coolerfor everyone. a similar story, drier in the north and wet in the south but we stick with those lower temperatures. many thanks. that's all from the bbc news at six so it's goodbye from me and on bbc one we nowjoin the bbc�*s news teams where you are.

hello and welcome to sportsday — i'm chetan pathak. coming up on the programme... anger and frustration as australia and new zealand pull out of the rugby league world cup in england because of the pandemic — they say player welfare and safety must come first. we'll also tell you what a new study analysing the brains of top rugby players has found — and what it could mean in terms of understanding the long—term implications of head trauma. a first—half hat—trick for everton�*s richarlison — as the defending olympic champions brazil beat germany. but there's more disruption ahead of tomorrow's opening ceremony, i'll explain more shortly. and also coming up on the programme... england's georgia hall is among the players trying to stay in touch with the leaders on the opening day of the evian championship in south eastern france.

welcome along, thanks forjoining us. we'll be in tokyo for the olympics latest shortly, but we start with the fall out in rugby league after australia and new zealand both pulled out of this autumn�*s world cup in england. they say it's down to player welfare and safety concerns related to the pandemic. the men's, women's and wheelchair events are scheduled to take place from october, but there are now questions about how it can go ahead without two of the biggest sides. their withdrawal led to this response from the rfl. the rugby league world cup organisers had been bending over backwards for many months to accommodate all of the concerns raised by the australians and the

key and we believed that they were in a situation into place where they were willing to come, so this decision has come as a huge blow, and i'm sorry to say that i have no choice but to call this a selfish parochial and cowardly decision. they are now going to have to turn around to their players, their men, their women and their disability athletes and say to them that because of their decision, they are not able to participate in a world cup that should be the pinnacle of their career. i think that is going to be very difficult. the players want to come, and i think leadership of our sport in those countries has taken that away from them. there's a lot to unpack here, ben croucherjoins me now. australia and new zealand have serious concerns about the coronavirus situation and protocols in england, and back at home. in a sporting sense though, how big a blow is it to not have them at this world cup? it's devastating. no two ways about it.

when you are missing so many top teams at the tournament. so many questions and problems for organisers to solve but if we show you the history. not since 1972 has a team other than australia and new zealand won the world cup. in the women's tournament — they've monopolised it completely — contesting the last three finals and winning every trophy. england and france are the top teams in the wheelchair tournament — new zealsnd weren't in it. as always it's more complex. the government bodies say their argument is safety and welfare of players, rising covid rates in their countries — why send to a country that�*s experiencing over 40,000 cases a day— on the other hand — new zealand sent a cricket team to england, they're sending athletes to toyko so some are questioning if it's more about domestic clubs not wanting to rsisk player health and availability if they had to undergo quarantine on return.

and they gave organisers four minutes notice before announcing they were pulling out this morning. particularly hard on the women's games for a number of reasons. take a look at the two favourites. both in the same group does represent an opportunity for other nations though. do organisers bring new teams in? do they do another draw? isa is a completelyjust a minefield. one thing for certain, it could represent a good opportunity for one of these teams to win it. it represent a good opportunity for one of these teams to win it.— of these teams to win it. it does dishearten _ of these teams to win it. it does dishearten us a _ of these teams to win it. it does dishearten us a bit, _ of these teams to win it. it does dishearten us a bit, because we| of these teams to win it. it does - dishearten us a bit, because we want to compete _ dishearten us a bit, because we want to compete with the top nations, we want to— to compete with the top nations, we want to be _ to compete with the top nations, we want to be beating the best. we want to be in the _ want to be beating the best. we want to be in the semi finals, those finals — to be in the semi finals, those finals come and we don't want people to turn around and say they had an easy— to turn around and say they had an easy route, — to turn around and say they had an easy route, they only won because the keyways didn't come on committee ozzie didn't _ the keyways didn't come on committee ozzie didn't come. we want them to coma, _ ozzie didn't come. we want them to come. and _ ozzie didn't come. we want them to come, and we want them to show how much _ come, and we want them to show how much we _ come, and we want them to show how much we developed on that side of the world, — much we developed on that side of the world, and how much we have to offer and _

the world, and how much we have to offer and we — the world, and how much we have to offer and we can compete with those bil offer and we can compete with those big sides _ offer and we can compete with those big sides. the offer and we can compete with those bi sides. ., ., , , ., ., big sides. the organisers have a real headache. _ big sides. the organisers have a real headache. do _ big sides. the organisers have a real headache. do they - big sides. the organisers have a real headache. do they bring . big sides. the organisers have a. real headache. do they bring new teams in? did they do another draw? what happens to the tickets? some of these gains were meant to be double—headers being played at the same ground. bolton mp yasmin qureshi said she's worried about the impact on the town's economy. and a lot of the venues are in northern towns where it would be a massive boost. if we just also talk about the players, they say they weren't consulted on the decisions. and saying they'd have happily gone and could there be teams created outside their governing bodies? so many questions, chetan. they've tried to answer a few on the five live rugby league podcast. but time is running out. on thea on the a couple of months before the term and is meant to start. i on the a couple of months before the term and is meant to start.— term and is meant to start. i think the coming _ term and is meant to start. i think the coming days. _ term and is meant to start. i think the coming days, much _ term and is meant to start. i think the coming days, much more - term and is meant to start. i think the coming days, much more to l term and is meant to start. i think. the coming days, much more to hear on this. thank you for all of that.

earlier, i spoke to former new zealand rugby league player robbie hunter—paul who gave me his reaction to australia and new zealand pulling out of the world cup. from a clients point of view, i think it's even more disappointing. the information is starting to flow to the service, and say that this won't work without input from the players. you have got to think that, actually, they are pretty important to the overall value of the game. i personally because i wanted to represent my country. i wanted to walk out with a silver spoon on my chest and play rugby for my nation. there will be a lot of players that this will be their last chance to get the opportunity to do it, and it might be betterfor might be better for his chance to get the opportunity. they are not going to get that opportunity again. should the opportunity go ahead without australia and new zealand?

personally, i want to see international rugby league. they will be taking part in the south tournament, they've been in australia, great britain, new zealand over the last three years, but now at the position of number fourin but now at the position of number four in the world, if we see that coming from australia and new zealand, you will see a much stronger team as well, much stronger gb, so this will be a competition that was to be staggered out. a lot of players of the highest calibre taking part in this tournament, so can the yakima press mike and i still want to see the tournaments, will it be the same tournament? now, it won't. next tonight, a study which has involved scanning the brains of elite rugby players�* has found one in four could be at risk of small abnormalities. but the team led by imperial college london say that further research is needed to understand the long—term implications of repeated head trauma. a parliamentary inquiry recently found the government needs to do more to reduce the risk of brain injuries in sport. our health editor hugh pym reports.

amateur rugby union players and training, it's a contact sport can under strict protocols relating to a concussion and head injuries. there is a growing debate over the long—term consequences of playing the game at a professional l. nick evans, former wales international, was campaign from a recognition of head injuries, she says she has no recollection of one of the games she played on. recollection of one of the games she -la ed on. ., ., recollection of one of the games she -la edon. .,.,, played on. it led to a season where i played with _ played on. it led to a season where i played with headaches, _ played on. it led to a season where i played with headaches, feeling i i played with headaches, feeling nauseous, quite significant... quite significant impact on me. and i continued regardless. i didn't really think about the long—term repercussions, really. the drake ru . b repercussions, really. the drake rugby study _ rugby study led by imperial college london assessed 41 elite level nail rugby union and league players and three female, 23% had brain

abnormalities in the shape of small tears and blood vessels. the study based on brain scans also found changes in volume of the so—called white matter. in effect, the wiring of the brain, the report authors say for the research is needed to work out whether there is any long—term impact on players health. taste impact on players health. we certainl impact on players health. - certainly don't have the full picture yet. what we need to establish is whether these abnormal changes progress and lead eventually to clinical symptoms. we don't know. there is enough there to raise significant concern about long—term brain health. thereby rugby football union which governs _ brain health. thereby rugby football union which governs the _ union which governs the sport and england supported the study and helps recruit players to take part. officials said they welcome any research which helped advance knowledge of the consequences of head injuries. in a separate report, and peace have called for the health and peace have called for the health and safety executive to be more involved in sports and to help

establish a national framework for reporting all sports injuries for the long—term aim of passing on details about events which might lead to brain injury. that digital culture media and sports committee said it was astounded that sport should be left to mark its own homework. acute pain, bbc news. —— hugh pym, bbc news. still to come on sportsday... we meet claire danson. paralysed two years ago — she's now getting ready to tackle the world's longest single day triathlon. my friend actually mentioned it to me, and ijust strayed away was like, that's what i want to deal. —— ijust like, that's what i want to deal. —— i just straightaway. a day before the olympics opening ceremony, the show director kentaro kobayashi has been dismissed after footage emerged from the 90's in which he appeared to be making jokes about the holocaust.he's one of a number of senior figures working on the games to lose his job this year. lucy hockings is in tokyo and spoke to us earlier.

there's been one scandal after another for the olympic organisers here. remember, we arejust another for the olympic organisers here. remember, we are just a another for the olympic organisers here. remember, we arejust a day away from the olympic opening ceremony, and this news today that they are creative cheap has been fired because ofjokes that he made backin fired because ofjokes that he made back in the 19905 about fired because ofjoke5 that he made back in the 19905 about the holocaust and footage emerged out of that. it's been very embarrassing for the organising committee, and also for him. we had a statement come through who has said entertainment should not make people feel uncomfortable. i understand that my 5tupid choice of where it's at that time was wrong, and i regret it, but everyone is weighing in with the japanese prime ministers 5peaking. he said these comments that were made back in the 19905 are completely inexcusable. he also said that the opening ceremony will go ahead as planned. what we have seen today that's been so just how the japanese public has responded to all of this. they are not on the embarrassed, they are angry, they are seeing the organising committee should have

painted them in a much better pa55ion painted them in a much better passion for this is a country full of creative talents, why did they choose the5e of creative talents, why did they choose these people when there are so many others that would've been more appropriate? there has been a lot of reaction to this story today and this latest scandal that they've seen. two gold medalli5t5 from rio will be leading out team gb at tomorrow's opening ceremony. in a break from tradition, each nation has been allowed to nominate one female and one male representative a5 flag—bearers. for britain — sailor hannah mills and rower moe sbihi are the lucky ones to have been picked from a group of athletes put forward by their sports. i'm sure athletes feel so proud to represent their country, you know, to have a gb and the olympic rings on your chest and, yeah, it is such an amazing thing to be a part of. in the first dualflag an amazing thing to be a part of. in the first dual flag carriers, male and female, that's really special

for me yeah, hopefully, we will inspire lots and lots of young girls in5pire lots and lots of young girls and boys, whether it's in5pire lots and lots of young girls and boys, whether its export or something else, but you know, proceed their dreams and see that anything is possible if you work hard enough. to anything is possible if you work hard enough-— anything is possible if you work hard enough. to be selected as a rower, hard enough. to be selected as a rower. and _ hard enough. to be selected as a rower. and be — hard enough. to be selected as a rower, and be the _ hard enough. to be selected as a rower, and be the flag _ hard enough. to be selected as a rower, and be the flag bearer, i hard enough. to be selected as a rower, and be the flag bearer, it| hard enough. to be selected as a l rower, and be the flag bearer, it is a sport— rower, and be the flag bearer, it is a sport of— rower, and be the flag bearer, it is a sport of pride, it's not that much money— a sport of pride, it's not that much money it— a sport of pride, it's not that much money it doesn't create superstars —— superstars, some to be in the front— —— superstars, some to be in the front of— —— superstars, some to be in the front of the — —— superstars, some to be in the front of the house for the team and to be _ front of the house for the team and to be the _ front of the house for the team and to be the face alongside hannah, i think is— think is such a phenomenal role, i just hope that it will that a normal kid from a — just hope that it will that a normal kid from a temperance and secondary school 18 _ kid from a temperance and secondary school 18 years later can be depressing that is leading out the team _ depressing that is leading out the team at an games. one man who knows what it's like to carry the british flag at the olympics opening ceremony is andy murray. he had that honour in rio five years ago, where he went on to successfully defend his gold medal in the singles from london 2012. making it three in a row in tokyo is going to be really tough, given his injury 5tuggles

in the past few years but as the double olympic champion's been telling our sports editor