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sport centre. manchester city manager pep guardiola insists his side are not playing badly, despite winning just one of their last ten. their seventh defeat in that stretch — a 2—0 loss atjuventus in the champions league — is as many as they lost in their previous 105 games. so what's going on with the english champions? i have my thoughts, i thought they played very good, i analyse, you said what is happening with the results, thatis happening with the results, that is one question. we have good moments and bad moments, i was stable in the government and the bad moments and i tried to find a way and a way to win, but the game was there and that is... i'm incredibly honest when we play good or not good. always the game will save us. it city have issues, it's hardly better with their neighbours united, who are in the czech republic to face victoria pilzen in the europa league. the new manager bounce under ruben amorim hasn't lasted long.

they've lost their last two. although they're 12th in europe's second tier, united are yet to taste defeat in the competition it is really important for us as a club and team in this moment, if you pass to the next stage without lay—off and taking two games from our schedule is massive. but you are facing a team a lot of people in england do not know the name but they are unbeaten at home in europe, so it's really important to win the game and play well, notjust win, but play well. that's one of the early kick—offs. after that, former celtic boss ange postecoglou returns to glasgow as his tottenham side take on rangers. spurs havejust one win in seven, rangers are unbeaten in eight. it isa it is a big challenge but that is what we want, that is what we love also. already this year we love also. already this year we have had a few good really good opponents and european

nights, this club has a big history on that. for the players, it is very challenging and a really nice evening and they can write history in that way. that is why players want to play for rangers also. atlanta hawks and houston rockets have reached the semi finals of the nba cup, where golden state warriors head coach was not too impressed with the officiating. their is—game unbeaten run against the rockets was ended in dramatic fashion. steph curry�*s missed three—pointer led to a scramble, with the refs spotting a foul onjalan green. he nailed the resulting free throws to give the rockets a one—point win. iam stunned. i am stunned. i give the rockets credit, great defence all night. ifeel for our rockets credit, great defence all night. i feel for our guys, they battled back and played hard and deserved to win the game or at least for a chance for a one stop to finish the game. that was taken from us

from a call that i do not think an elementary school referee would have made. a couple of lines from the usa to bring you wherejuan soto has completed his $765 million move to the new york mets — the biggest contract in the history of baseball. the mets owners called it a seminal moment after soto passed his medical. the 15 year deal includes a $75 million signing bonus. he was a free agent after playing for the new york yankees last season, where he hit a career high 41 home runs. legendary american football coach bill belichick is back in the game after taking a year off, but he hasn't returned to the nfl. at the age of 72, belichick has become head coach at the university of north carolina. he won a record six super bowls with the new england patriots and ended his 24—year spell with them at the end of last season. his father steve was an assistant at the same university in the �*505. and that's all the sport for now. thank you, ben. some breaking

news, in the uk, the first compensation for the infected blood scandal is expected to arrive in victims�* bank accounts in the next few days we have been told. ten people have been offered compensation totalling more than £13 million, and this relates to the deadly viruses that were contained in blood transfusions and blood products back in the 19705 and all the way through to the early 19905. more than 30,000 people infected with potentially deadly viruses during that time as they received those transfusions of blood products while undergoing nhs care. the chancellor in the uk rachel reeves announced £11.8 billion in total compensation for the victims in october. let�*s take you like, we can see the us secretary of state antony blinken, here�*s

talking injordan, he is there to talk to regional partners about what is happening in syria. about what is happening in s ria. �* , syria. and fulfil its aspirations. - syria. and fulfil its aspirations. also l syria. and fulfil its - aspirations. also critical to unlocking international recognition, support that syria very much needs after decades of dictatorship, conflict, corruption, isolation. i have had many calls over the last days with partners in the region and everyone is in agreement on the need to have a unified approach to advance many of our shared interests, and so here on the ground in the region we are working to build up and build out that unified approach. that was the basis of my conversation with the king today here injordan. i will continue those conversations with resident

erdogan as we had turkey going forward. we will also be very focused on banning any actor inside or outside the country from putting their interest ahead of the syrian people, especially in this delicate moment. that includes a course isis, which no doubt will seek to regroup. as has been demonstrated, the united states is determined to prevent that happening. we also want to ensure we are doing everything possible to support those people and organisations that are working to find the thousands of disappeared people, children, women and men during the assad regime. that includes the american journalist austin tice, determined to find him and bring him home to his family. this is a moment of tremendous

opportunity. because for the first time in decades, syria has an opportunity to have a government that is not dominated by a dictator like assad, that is not dominated by one religion or ethnic group, not dominated by an outside power, by isis, but is run by an answers to the syrian people, and we are determined to do everything we can working in close coordination with partners to help the syrian people realise that aspiration. could you expand on the conversations you had, the principles around the neighbourhood, did you obtain any assurances from jordanians they— any assurances from jordanians they are — any assurances from jordanians they are on board and could you speak— they are on board and could you speak to — they are on board and could you speak to the mechanics, potentially, of a transfer of

the american found recently, and austin tice?_ and austin tice? from the conversations _ and austin tice? from the conversations i _ and austin tice? from the conversations i have - and austin tice? from the conversations i have had, | and austin tice? from the l conversations i have had, it and austin tice? from the . conversations i have had, it is a strong desire to get together and get behind a unified approach... studio: us secretary of state antony blinken taking questions there injordan, he is visiting a number of countries in the region to talk about the unfolding situation in syria, which he described as a delicate moment for the country. pictures here of damascus at night, much more on that coming up next, here on bbc news, stay with us. hello there. for many of us, we�*ve probably felt like the weather has been stuck in a rut. it has been very cloudy across many parts of the uk, the exception being really across scotland where there�*s been some sunshine.

but certainly this afternoon there�*s been again some rather grey skies and we�*ll keep that cloud really for the rest of the afternoon. across much of england, wales, northern ireland, some sunshine towards the far north and northeast of scotland. a bit more cloud towards the far west, temperatures perhaps a little bit higher compared to the last few days across scotland. two or three celsius, about seven to ten degrees elsewhere. now, through tonight, we�*ll continue with a fair amount of cloud, but with clear skies once again across scotland, the temperature will fall down fairly quickly tonight and we�*ll see some frost, particularly towards eastern areas. further south, again, the cloud keeps temperatures up by about five or six celsius, and then we will finally start to see some changes as we go into friday. high pressure finally moves away to the east. we�*ve got one weather front moving its way into the far northwest, and that�*s going to introduce some rain across the northwest of scotland throughout friday, very gradually moving its way

south and eastward. there could be some showery outbreaks of rain around the irish sea coasts. otherwise, though still fairly cloudy, but that cloud will break up. there will be a few brighter spells developing, perhaps more so than the last few days. temperatures are about four to eight celsius, and then as we go into the weekend, changes even more because high pressure, yes, is towards the southwest, but we�*ve got a rather brisk westerly wind, and that�*s going to bring a few weather fronts in across northern areas. and with the wind coming in from the west and southwest, it�*s going to bring in milder conditions as well, especially for sunday. so over the weekend, we will see more in the way of sunshine. on saturday, a bit of rain moving its way south and eastward, but it won�*t last all that long. not very high rainfall totals, so some sunshine at last for many parts of england and wales. more cloud towards northern and western areas. temperatures again at this stage still about 6—9 or ten degrees celsius. it�*s only by sunday where we start to see that much milder air moving its way in.

so temperatures for most of us in double figures, although it will turn cloudier again by sunday, with some outbreaks of rain. bye— bye.

live from london. this is bbc news syria�*s new government says — they�*ll suspend the constitution and parliament — while g7 nations call on them, to respect women�*s rights. rescued by the rebels — an american man is found

wandering the streets — after reportedly being freed from a syrian prison. i�*m lyse doucet in damascus — where the authorities say they are going to dissolve the security forces and shutdown the notorious prisons run by the notorious prisons run by the ousted regime. in other news — the british prime minister says — questions need to be answered — after the murder of ten—year—old sara sharif. and — a ringing endorsement for donald trump — time magazine�*s person of the year — as he opens trading on the new york stock exchange. you join us here in damascus as

the fourth day of