hello from the bbc sport centre. i'm delyth lloyd. briton daniel dubois will defend his world heavyweight title against former champion joseph parker in saudi arabia on the 22nd of february. 27—year—old dubois sensationally beat former two—time world champion anthonyjoshua inside five rounds in september at wembley stadium, in his first defence of his ibf belt. dubois previously captured the interim title with an impressive win over filip hrgovic last year and was elevated to world champion when oleksandr usyk vacated the belt. new zealand's parker, who's

five years dubois�* senior, held the wbo title between 2016 and 2018 before losing it to joshua. parker earns a title shot after a four—fight winning streak, including impressive wins over deontay wilder and zhilei zhang in his past two fights. huge night of women's european qualifiers ahead as the seven remaining places for euro 2025 will be completed. wales are hoping to qualify for a major tournament for the first time. they take a 1—1 draw to dublin to face the republic of ireland. we have many special players, equally we have played some really hard teams to break out already, we scored some beautiful goals in terms of getting the ball into the opposition half and working through how we like to play. so all i would say about this game, result is over there, how do we perform as wales and what does that mean? will see on the

day. elsewhere norway have a 4—0 advantage over northern ireland going into their second leg. the czech republic and portugal are tied at 1—1. poland are 1—0 up going to austria, sweden lead serbia 2—0, while belgium are two up in ukraine. scotland take a goalless draw to finland. imean, i mean, it's everything, i think it's everything for a lot of players, it really is. of course it is a game of football and how that's —— that's how we will approach it but we know it's on the line and i think it will be everything to so many players, to the country if we qualify. and the players are feeling good, pretty relaxed in camp, they are preparing well. the oldest cup competition in the world, the fa cup, has thrown up some interesting third round ties. it's the stage where the premier league clubs enter the compeition. holders manchester united will travel to arsenal. premier league leaders liverpool will host league two accrington stanley, while manchester city welcome salford city — who are owned by united's famed �*class of 92'. tamworth, one of only two non—league clubs remaining in the competition,

are at home to tottenham. the third—round ties will be played over the weekend of saturday, 11th january. ruben amorim expects "special talent" leny yoro to be in the manchester united squad for the first time against arsenal on wednesday in the premier league. united signed yoro from lille in the summer, but the frenchman is yet to feature for the club. he underwent surgery on a foot injury suffered during preseason in the united states. we have one or training session to see maybe when yoro is going to see maybe when yoro is going to be in the squad. ifeel that is a good moment, his fitness is a good moment, his fitness is better, so i think he is going to be in the squad. the rest, i have to see it because some players were tired, we have to assess tomorrow in training. amorim's reign well and truly under way at old trafford.

ruud van nistelrooy meanwhile has revealed it "hurt" to leave manchester united as he prepares to take charge of his first match in charge of leicester city against west ham. the dutchman had a four game spell in interim charge at united following the sacking of erik ten hag before amorim's apppiontment. he says he's excited and "proud to get the opportunity" at leicester. i'm not the romantic type of manager, that puts style in front of results. i love style, i love having the ball, i love creating lots of opportunities, love pressing the team high, because you have more of the ball, i love to create a lot of chances for our attackers, but we are facing opponents here and we are not the dominant side in this league, so we approach every game to win, and any approach for that will be made. american olympic bronze medallist ilona maher has

signed for bristol bears for the rest of the premiership women's rugby season in england. maher is the most followed rugby union player in the world on social media, with 4.5 million instagram followers and 3.2 million on tiktok. and that's all the sport for now. your live with bbc news. today, the emir of qatar will officially begin a two—day state visit to the uk, hosted by the king. we can show you these live pictures from horse guards parade. we are expecting the ceremony to get under way. he will be welcomed by king charles, also present will be the prince and princess of wales. queen camilla will unfortunately miss this event as she is still recovering from as she is still recovering from a lingering chest infection. she will take part in other events later on today at

buckingham palace. we can see they are in the middle of the shot, that is the prime minister sir keir starmer, arriving. next to him is the foreign secretary, david lammy. we can cross straight to buckingham palace and speak to my colleague, kasia madera. you join us at buckingham palace wherejust you join us at buckingham palace where just further down the mall... because there is a sir keir starmer, and him, this is his first royal state visit as the leader of the united kingdom as prime minister, so for him, a critical trip, a critical moment because he would like to build those relations with qatar, important in terms of we know that qatar already has billions of pounds worth of wealth invested in the

uk, so no doubt sir keir starmer wants to build on that, and that is what these state visits are all about. it is that soft diplomacy, red carpet diplomacy, the pomp and ceremony that these royal state visits really bring about when it comes to building ties, building those bilateral relations between countries, between the united kingdom and between the united kingdom and between countries such as qatar. obviously, there is controversy when it comes to qatar itself, we know that when it came to the world cup there was a lot of concern as to the country's human rights record, but today what we are looking at, although there will no doubt come up as well because i know a lot of the commentators we've been speaking to this morning have this up, but today this is about what we're going to see within the next hour, just the pomp and ceremony, the royal household working in unison with the foreign and

commonwealth office to ensure that every moment of this goes down to detail. so we are watching what is happening at horse guards parade. with me is robert hardman, economist for the daily mail. and you are the author of a new book, charles iii, allabout author of a new book, charles iii, all about the king. author of a new book, charles iii, allabout the king. as author of a new book, charles iii, all about the king. as we monitor what is happening, we'rejust watching monitor what is happening, we're just watching these pictures of is happening at horse guards parade, because this is part of that ceremony, part of the pomp and circumstance that we have with these state visits. what will we expect to see when the emir and the sheikha arrive?- and the sheikha arrive? unlike and the sheikha arrive? unlike a lot of it _ and the sheikha arrive? unlike a lot of it is, _ and the sheikha arrive? unlike a lot of it is, the _ and the sheikha arrive? unlike a lot of it is, the emir - and the sheikha arrive? unlike a lot of it is, the emir will - a lot of it is, the emir will have _ a lot of it is, the emir will have a_ a lot of it is, the emir will have a pretty good idea because he himself was trained at sandhurst, so here's familiar with— sandhurst, so here's familiar with some of the commands and structures— with some of the commands and structures of the british army. but what — structures of the british army.

but what they will get is absolutely immaculate drill, immaculate pageantry, both the guards _ immaculate pageantry, both the guards on foot and the household cavalry, mounted of course, — household cavalry, mounted of course, and it's what people love, — course, and it's what people love, and _ course, and it's what people love, and there is a buzz around _ love, and there is a buzz around the place, we can see it now, _ around the place, we can see it now. as — around the place, we can see it now. as the _ around the place, we can see it now, as the first convoys of vips — now, as the first convoys of vips are _ now, as the first convoys of vips are making their way, the government already waiting for keir starmer, it's a big day, it always _ keir starmer, it's a big day, it always is the governments, the hard _ it always is the governments, the hard politics if you like, but can _ the hard politics if you like, but can come later in private, this— but can come later in private, this is— but can come later in private, this is att— but can come later in private, this is all about warmth, handshakes, and as you say, soft— handshakes, and as you say, soft power, and projecting, it is projecting bit into the world _ is projecting bit into the world and also it is one nation saying — world and also it is one nation saying to _ world and also it is one nation saying to another, welcome, in as grand — saying to another, welcome, in as grand a _ saying to another, welcome, in as grand a way as we can. and there is procedure, _ as grand a way as we can. fixic there is procedure, there is a way of doing things which is very exact. we know that when it comes to the prince and princess of wales, they have already met the emir and his

first wife, i believe there has been an image actually already released of that meeting, they will then come together, they were scored the qatari royal couple —— they will escort the qatari royal couple here for that inspection and have that ceremonial welcome by king charles himself. but not queen camilla. ,, , , camilla. she is still recovering - camilla. she is still recovering from - camilla. she is still recovering from a l camilla. she is still- recovering from a chest infection. she will still play a very— infection. she will still play a very full part in this part more _ a very full part in this part more indoors than out. but what we do _ more indoors than out. but what we do see — more indoors than out. but what we do see up there of course his. _ we do see up there of course his. these _ we do see up there of course his, these have to follow the same — his, these have to follow the same rituals for every state visit. — same rituals for every state visit, nobody gets special treatment, every visitor is met by the — treatment, every visitor is met by the heir— treatment, every visitor is met by the heir to the throne, wrote _ by the heir to the throne, wrote to _ by the heir to the throne, wrote to horse guards parade and introduced to the king. robert. _ and introduced to the king. robert, thank you for being with us. stay with us throughout the next moment as we see this special event, the state visit of the qatari emir. let's bring you up—to—date with the weather. hello. not a bad day out there. a little bit on the chilly

side, admittedly, but for most, you stay dry through the rest of the day. there will be a few changes ahead, though, more especially northern ireland and scotland, western scotland in particular. we've got cloud increasing and outbreaks of rain will start to push their way in. the odd showers still around the irish sea and quite grey and murky for some in cornwall and the isles of scilly, but temperatures not rising a huge amount for many, still only for four or five degrees into the afternoon across parts of eastern scotland and north east england, with the cold air in place with rain falling across the hebrides and the highlands to end the day. as well as northern ireland, it hits the colder air across the highlands, the grampians. you can expect to see some snow here for a time this evening. that will gradually clear, though the rain that we do have will push its way southwards and turn into showers across northern england, midlands and also wales. southern areas will stay dry, but as skies clear to the north of it, temperatures will take a drop. again not quite as cold as last night, but it will be cold enough for some frost and potentially some icy conditions considering we have had some rain earlier in the night. but lovely bright start, a dry start to the day for the vast majority. always a bit more cloud through wales, parts of central southern england.

a few spots of rain likely here first thing, but many will stay dry. bigger changes quicker than today though. in the west, northern ireland will turn wet by the end of the afternoon. rain into western scotland. a little bit quicker as well, but with southerly winds. turns milder here, whereas we've still got a rather chilly day through eastern england and it could turn chilly in the evening again before we start to see milder and wetter weather spread across the country through wednesday night into thursday, it'll be a wetter night than the night we're just about to experience. rain lingering across east anglia southeast first thing, then sunshine and a few showers dotted around. showers will fade for a time. many will become dry, but then quicker than we'll see on wednesday, wet and also increasingly windy weather pushes its way in. in fact, it'll be windy throughout the 2a hours leading up to thursday afternoon in northern scotland. a milder day, though temperatures back into double figures more widely. but as that rain spreads its way eastwards and clears overnight into friday, back to sunshine, a few showers, a little bit cooler again on friday. and then there is the potential for something stormier

coming our way. deepening area of low pressure will develop as it crosses the uk to take us into saturday. we'll keep an eye on the timings for that, but for england and wales in particular, we could see some very windy conditions indeed and we could also see a lot of rain too. that's how it's looking. i'll see you soon.

live from london. this is bbc news the emir of qatar is in london for a state visit. buckingham palace says the queen will not attend the official arrival at horseguards parade due to an infection. israel's defence minister says that if the lebanon ceasefire collapses, the military will no longer differentiate between lebanon and hezbollah. a vietnamese property tycoon loses her appeal against her death sentence

for masterminding the world's biggest bank fraud worth more than $27 billion. ukraine's desire tojoin the nato alliance is once again the focus of discussion as foreign ministers arrive in brussels. hello, i'm lucy hockings, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. in a warning to the lebanese governemnt, been hearing that queen camilla will miss the ceremony. let's

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