mkhitaryan clears.ameyang is left as they defend the one-goal lead with the seconds trickling away. ball advances. goal kick again. >> well, they're certainly trying everything they possibly can to put pressure on the arsenal back four. still work to be done for unai emery. he'll be very happy if he can finish the season with a trophy to show for his first year in charge. he's had eight majors in his last five years. of course, an expert in europa league with seville. matt lowton has had a fine game on the right-hand side. it's been a collective eight out of ten performances from burnley. more of a mixture from arsenal. mee's header. >> when you have somebody like aubameyang on your side, when someone comes his way, he can finish like we've seen him finish. their best player has been guendouzi. i'm really impressed with him. no great hurry to get the ball back in play. mee comes a long way to win it. tarkowski breaking the back line. brady. a gap to be exploited. westwood digging in. you can see why he'

as a result of political tensions between azerbaijan and armenia, mkhitaryan has missed club matches

europa league final against chelsea because of the location. (00v)mkhitaryan mkhitaryan is armenian,e final is being held. he's not travelling to baku because of fears over his safety. uefa say that a "comprehensive security plan" was in place for mkhitaryan, but he's spoken to his family and won't go. arsenal now plan to meet uefa to express their anger. that story dominating the back pages of this morning's newspapers. arsenal rage is the headline in the mail. the express says mkhitaryan has been "forced out of the final". and the mirror carry‘s quotes from the forward who says it hurts to miss the final. the cricket world cup starts a week tomorrow, england are playing at home, they're the favourites and one former captain says the tournament is theirs to lose. michael vaughan says england have never had a better chance to win the world cup. they've made some tough decisions in their 15—man squad, bringing in the exciting fast bowler joffra archer ahead of others with more experience. they start against south africa at the oval. and i'm delighted to say that i'm joined by the form

henrikh mkhitaryan decided it wasn't safe for him.flee their homes three decades ago. they are from a part of azerbaijan that is now under armenian control. it is an emotional issue for many, even now. the region's football team is still going too, in exile, and they say henrikh mkhitaryan would have been safe in the final. may be the maximum pressure with some screaming something, but it is enough, nothing else. azerbaijan wants this final to project its best face to the world, but this is also a country where government critics, activists and bloggers are behind bars, and that is aside the football fans want to see. the government firmly denies it is trying to whitewash its image through sport. for the fans who have made it, the talk of cost and controversy has already faded, drowned out by the sound of hope. people are calling it a once—in—a—lifetimejourney. on the 130th birthday of the eiffel tower, there's a chance to go on a hair—raising trip. as gail maclellan reports, it's not for the faint—hearted. the eiffel tower, paris's 3

as a result of political tensions between azerbaijan and armenia, mkhitaryan has missed club matchesyed in azerbaijan in the past. it is bad news. but i cannot do anything for this issue. it is very, very personal, the decision, a personal decision. and we need to respect him. and they don't understand now the political problems, but i must respect —— i don't understand. it is big news for us because he is a very important player. but we understand his decision, because it's dangerous for him. so for us it isa it's dangerous for him. so for us it is a big mess. yeah, he has contributed a lot for us to get where we are so far into the vinyl. he is very upset. we wanted him to come. “— he is very upset. we wanted him to come. —— final. we want to get the trophy notjust for us, come. —— final. we want to get the trophy not just for us, but for him. earlier, i spoke to the general secretary of the azerbaijan fa who told me that it's an unfortunate situation. yes, actually, we are very disappointed to see this statement from arsenal about the armenian player. because we have tried to do o

sarri says he'd like to see mkhitaryan on the pitch. of the final is far from ideal. for everybody, it is better to play with 30,000 fans from chelsea and 30,000 fans from arsenal. you do thisjob for these 30,000 fans from arsenal. you do this job for these matches, 30,000 fans from arsenal. you do thisjob for these matches, and 30,000 fans from arsenal. you do this job for these matches, and so, it is better for everybody to have the fans with the team. staying with chelsea, christian pulisic says he wants to reach the same levels of success at the club as eden hazard. pulisic was signed for £50 million from borussia dortmund. the usa international could be chelsea's only signing of this summer transfer window as the club is subject to a transfer ban, however they secured his signature back in immediately loaning him back to the bundesliga club. speaking to our football reporter simon stone, the midfielder says that hasn't affected his approach in the last five months, and now he's ready to develop at chelsea. people might think it's w

have been left back in london arsenal are also missing one of their key players armenian henrik mkhitaryan bowed out of the fixture considering azerbaijan too dangerous a destination the 2 countries fought a bloody war within living memory and remain locked in conflict over disputed territory today there have been reports of police and security forces bothering fans with mick atari ans name on the back of the shirts. of course you are disappointed it's not here but. we spoke a lot about. a lot of. politics thinks it's time to speak about football president ilham aliyev would be pleased if the conversation moved on as no doubt would you wait for friends to are keen to get on with the game brought him back politics once again overshadowing. there's a lot of buzz about trade show in china a trade show in china which has been putting on a tackler show in fact but it's something because of fireworks that's not what you're witnessing there they're actually. more than 500 of the pilotless aircraft have been lighting up the night sky in an elaborate performance equipped with colorful lights they'r

despite discussions between arsenal and uefa, mkhitaryan and his family have decided not travel to thes issue. it is very, very personal, the decision, a personal decision. and we need to respect him. and i don't understand the political problems, but i must respect his decision. barbados—born fast bowler joffra archer has been named in england's 15 man squad for the icc world cup starting next week. the 24—year—old only qualified to play for his new country in march and has featured in just three one day internationals with his selection meaning david willey is the man to miss out. south africa's caster semenya will run in the 3000 metres at a diamond league meeting in america next month. which is an event she doesn't need to take hormone suppressants to compete in. the 800—metres olympic champion lost her legal battle against the iaaf who have changed their rules so that female athletes with naturally high levels of testosterone, must artificially reduce the amount in their bodies to be allowed to compete in races between a00m and a mile and semenya has said she won't do that. holder

league final after their managing director labelled the situation "unacceptable" that player henrikh mkhitaryan't feel able to travel to azerbaijan. he's the captain of armenia, and their are no diplomatic relations between the bordering countries. uefa say a "comprehensive security plan" was in place and the azerebaijan football authorities say there was no reason why the player shouldn't travel. well arsenal and chelsea haven't sold their full allocation of tickets with travel to baku proving difficult and expensive. neither club are expected to take up their allocation of six thousand each. for everybody it's better to play with 30,000 fans cheering and you do thisjob, these matches and it's better for everybody that, didn't to have the fans with the team. raheem sterling has been a strong voice in the fight against racism in football but he's calling for more action to be taken. he says t—shirt campaigns and social media blackouts aren't enough. the manchester city player says if the authorities are serious about combating racism then points deductions and expulsion from tournaments should

azerbaijan football association has told the bbc, they‘ re disappointed that arsenal's henrikh mkhitaryanas decided not to play in the europa league final. it's understood the midfielder feared for his safety on the pitch in baku due to political tensions between armenia and the host country. the azerbaijan fa says sport and political should stay separate. we are very disappointed to see the statement about the player because we have tried to do our best and on behalf of the government as well as local organisations, we had given all the guarantees to the cloud but they think it was a personal decision at the player again for his family, this is a great final, of course everything was observed and analysed in details, and require from us all a recommendation to be provided and that is what we did, with the state authorities as well, and all accommodations have been provided as well as to our snow cloud as well, they had been here the last week for the site visit and it's really disappointing the announcement of their cloud. new scotland manager steve clarke insists he only wants players w

but next week, henrikh mkhitaryan will miss the match of a lifetime because he's from armenia and arsenal a scandal, it's a deeply ugly side to the beautiful game, and if i were secretary of state, i would make it clear to uefa that it's completely unacceptable. so, will the minister demand that uefa ensures that countries that force players to choose between their sport and their safety and discriminate against travelling fans will never be allowed to host future events? mr speaker, the honourable gentleman is right. if football is to be for everyone and we all believe that it should be, then that should apply to football in our own country and it should apply to football where we want our fans to be able to travel. and so it is important that we engage with uefa as we have been to make sure we make the message very clear that those places where footballers should travel to should be welcoming to those to support football. and politics should have nothing whatsoever to do with it. there is, as he says, a related challenge which is whether or not british fans who are of armenian descent a

the club's managing director says the situation is unacceptable that their player henrikh mkhitaryanen the bordering countries. uefa say a comprehensive security plan was in place for mkhitaryan, and the azerebaijan football authorities say that the player's decision is unwarranted. arsenal and chelsea have not been able to sell their full allocation of tickets, with travel to baku proving difficult and expensive. neither club are expected to take up their allocation of 6,000 each. everybody is better to play with 30,000 fans, you do this job for these matches. so it's betterfor everybody to have the fans with the team. fifa have abandoned plans to expand the world cup in qatar in 2022 from 32 to 48 teams. football's world governing body had explored bringing the expansion, which would have meant neighbouring countries stepping in to share hosting duties, forward. but, following a consultation with stakeholders, it said the change could not happen now, with the expansion expected four years later, when the usa, canada and mexico host the tournament. gloucester‘s danny cipriani has be

i am looking at the henrikh mkhitaryan decision not to go to the cup next week.he times has done a piece. ian herbert in the daily mail has done a comment piece and how he is so closely linked to the local armenian community, wherever he and when he was living in manchester he was very closely linked, the community enormously, and he feels very simply that he would not be safe in azerbaijan. his sister, monica, and mother work overseas. yesterday we heard from various people from the clu b heard from various people from the club saying that it is devastating not to take a player with you to the biggest games. fans are also really upset because it is so far away and expensive to get to. also the airport can't process more than a couple of,000 fans. it will be tricky to travel there for everybody. there are big warnings from the regulator about package holidays that are not covered. you will not get your money back. if you're halfway there in your connections don't appear, if you are not protected, and there are very few package holidays which will be doing it, you

arsenal say they're furious with uefa after henrikh mkhitaryan decides not to play in the europa leagueause of fears over his safety.

henrikh mkhitaryan decided it wasn't safe for him.oup to flee their homes three decades ago. they're from a part of azerbaijan that is now under armenian control. it is an emotional issue for many, even now. the region's football team is still going, too, in exile, and they say mkhitaryan would have been safe in the final. maybe they make some pressure, with the whistle, with some screaming something, but it's enough — nothing else. azerbaijan wants this final to project its best face to the world, but this is also a country where government critics, activists and bloggers are behind bars, and that is a side that the football fans won't see. the government firmly denies it is trying to whitewash its image through sport. for the fans who have made it, the talk of cost and controversy has cost and controversy is already fading, drowned out by the sound of hope. there's been a report that one chelsea fan has been taken to hospital in baku after a brawl between the two rival sets of fans. well, our sports presenter olly foster is there —

mkhitaryan will stay at home for arsenal's europa league final in baku because of safety concerns evenhough uefa and azerbaijan say a security plan in place. also coming up in the programme... steve clarke lays out his vision for scotland and what he'll demand from his players. i only want players who out 100% committed to the national team. i will certainly be 100% committed. and as part of our change the game season we look at a possible link between periods and the increased risk of serious injury. good evening. the cricket world cup starts in nine days time. england, the hosts, taking on south africa at the oval. it's a long tournament and england think that their best chance of going the distance and making it through to the lords final onjuly1lith is with jofra archer in the side. that's the biggest talking point that came out of today's squad announcement. here's our sports correspondentjoe wilson. sometimes in cricket things move quickly, sometimes. fast bowling is what jofra archer does. in the matches, he is exceptional. he qualified for england in march, he is in the world c

of course, henrik mkhitaryan won‘t, after a ll of course, henrik mkhitaryan won‘t, after all that hardced the media for the first time today after being given the job yesterday the door is open to everybody at this moment in time. if players are retired then they will have to come out of retirement themselves, i won't chase down players that have retired. i will respect their decision. if they want to get back into the food they have to get in touch with myself for the scottish football association and say they will make themselves available. it is down to me to have the conversations with the players to fallen out of the squad too easily. we wait to see whether or not he can convince any of those players to return to the squad. after impressing for manchester city, nikita parris has joined women‘s champions league winners lyon the england forward — seen here in action against wales — scored 19 goals in the women‘s super league for city who finished second in the table behind arsenal. parris said joining lyon who‘ve the champions league four times in a row, having beaten barcelona in t

henrikh mkhitaryan decided it wasn‘t safe for him. azerbaijan that is now under armenian control. it is an emotional issue for many, even now. the region‘s football team is still going, too, in exile, and they say mkhitaryan would have been safe in the final. maybe they make some pressure, with the whistle, with some screaming something, but it‘s enough — nothing else. azerbaijan wants this final to project its best face to the world, but this is also a country where government critics, activists and bloggers are behind bars, and that is a side that the football fans won‘t see. the government firmly denies it is trying to whitewash its image through sport. for the fans who have made it, the talk of cost and controversy has cost and controversy is already fading, drowned out by the sound of hope. sarah rainsford, bbc news, baku. a poll of shoppers has named whsmith britain‘s worst shop, for the second year running. almost 8,000 people took part in the survey by which. richer sounds was named the best performer. whsmith said the study w

and passed it over to arsenal that they respect the fact that the personal decision of henrikh mkhitaryan playing. arsenal supporters that have dual azerbaijani citizenship of also struggle to travel over. it hasn't been a great story of the pitch. steve clarke says he only wants players who are 100% committeed to scotland. his predecessor alex mcleish had to contend with several withdrawals and retirements during his time in charge. clarke faced the media for the first time today after being given the job yesterday. the door is open to everybody at this moment in time. if players are retired then they will have to come out of retirement themselves, i won't chase down players that have retired. i will respect their decision. if they want to get back into the food they have to get in touch with myself for the scottish football association and say they will make themselves available. it is down to me to have the conversations with the players to fallen out of the squad too easily. england have named their 15—man sqaud for the cricket world cup that starts next week. the fast bowlerjofra arc

have been left back in london arsenal are also missing one of their key players armenian henrik mkhitaryan bowed out of the fixture considering azerbaijan too dangerous a destination the 2 countries fought a bloody war within living memory and remain locked in conflict over disputed territory today there have been reports of police and security forces bothering fans with military ends name on the back of the shirts. of course you are disappointed it's not here but. then we spoke a lot of all about. a lot of. politics things it's time to speak about football president ilham aliyev would be pleased if the conversation moved on as no doubt would you a frog friends too are keen to get on with the game but in backroom politics once again overshadowing sport. you're watching news still to come on the program. eco africa is looking at turning trash into treasure in guyana and with us here and for that and a whole lot more i'm sorry kelly in berlin thank you so much for watching. eco africa. these people used to make money by hunting elephants. now only earn their living collecting yellow. done. h

managing director vinai venkatesham says the situation is "unacceptable" that their player henrikh mkhitaryanerbaijan. he's the captain of armenia, and their are no diplomatic relations between the bordering countries. uefa say a "comprehensive security plan" was in place for mkhitaryan — and the azerebaijan football authorities say that the players decisison is unwarranted. arsenal and chelsea have not been able to sell their full allocation of tickets with travel to baku proving difficult and expensive. neither cloud are expected to take up their allocation of six thousand each. yellowknife everybody it's better to play with 30,000 chairs and finds. you do thisjob, for this match and so it's better for everybody that to have their fans with the team. (pres)raheem sterling says social media boycotts and t—shirts raheem sterling has again called for points deductions in combatting racism. sterling's been a strong voice in the fight against racism in football since allegedly being abused by chelsea fans, whilst playing for manchester city in december. he told the wall streetjournal, social med

the most high—profile absenteeism henrikh mkhitaryan, the armenian player saying he didn't feel safe because of political tension between his country and the hosts, azerbaijan. on the pitch, it's all about the football. chelsea have enjoyed their fair share of european success, but this game is particularly important to their manager, who has never won a major trophy. and even that might not be enough to keep a in hisjob, nor prevent star player eden hazard from leaving the summer. a lot of speculation about individual players futures, managers futures at the clu b futures, managers futures at the club so when you add that together sets us up for a bigger game than just football. arsenal have a key man of their own in pierre—emerick aubameyang, and no victory —— victory would bring the added bonus of qualifying for next season's champions league. may be the season we deserved, to be in the top four, but it's a one—off game, a final, we can takea but it's a one—off game, a final, we can take a trophy and go back to the champions league. the past azerbaijan has been farfrom champions l

not in attendance is the arsenal player henrikh mkhitaryan, who decided he didn't feel safe enough becausenia, and hosts azerbaijan. even his name, it seems, is attracting the wrong kind of attention. the sports minister is keen to promote the positives and told me there was no truth in accusations that events like these are being used to sanitise the nation's human rights record. so we are looking for the future, we see our future as a democratic state, one of the democratic states of europe. it's not a sport washing system working here for my country, it's a system to be a sport country and to promote sport inside society. 0n the pitch it's all about the football. chelsea have enjoyed their fair share of european success but this game is particularly important to their manager who has never won a major trophy. and perhaps the pressure was beginning to show. maurizio sarri storming away from training just a short time after lavishing his players with affection. in this moment, i love them. because i have 22 wonderful men. and wonderful players. so now i'm really very happy with them. he l

have been left back in london arsenal are also missing one of their key players armenian henrik mkhitaryan bowed out of the fixture considering azerbaijan too dangerous a destination the 2 countries fought a bloody war within living memory and remain locked in conflict over disputed territory today there have been reports of police and security forces bothering fans with name on the back of their shirts. of course you are disappointed it's not here but. we spoke a lot of. a lot of. politics things it's time to speak about football president ilham aliyev would be pleased if the conversation moved on as no doubt would you a frog friends too are keen to get on with the game brought him back into politics paul once again overshadowing spoke. about a trade show in china which has been putting on a spectacular show but these aren't fireworks they are drones more than $500.00 of the pilotless aircraft lit up the night sky with this elaborate performance equipped with lights out there aligned into different patterns animation and 3 dimensional designs and displays taking place as an industry exper

have been left back in london arsenal are also missing one of their key players armenian henrik mkhitaryan bowed out of the fixture considering azerbaijan too dangerous a destination the 2 countries fought a bloody war within living memory and remain locked in conflict over disputed territory today there have been reports of police and security forces bothering fans with name on the back of their shirts of course you are disappointed it's not here but. we spoke a lot about. a lot of. politics thinks it's time to speak about football president ilham aliyev would be pleased if the conversation moved on as no doubt would you a fuck friends too talking to get on with the game but in back in politics once again overshadowing sport. you're watching day w d w news is up next i'll be back at the top of the out of the day. burning the global tourist guide for capital i look for let the full scope of the multicultural metropolis in our duramax series. the battle plan sounds like the term. i love the term once showed what a citizen who looks like the substrates like me inside says 50 nations 50 store

have been left back in london arsenal are also missing one of their key players armenian henrik mkhitaryan bowed out of the fixture considering azerbaijan too dangerous a destination the 2 countries fought a bloody war within living memory and remain locked in conflict over disputed territory today there have been reports of police and security forces bothering fans with nick atari ans name on the back of the shirts of course you are disappointed it's not here but. we spoke a lot of. a lot of. politics things it's time to speak about football president bill how i live would be pleased if the conversation moved on as no doubt would you a frog friends too are keen to get on with the game but in backroom politics paul once again overshadowing. a quick reminder of the top stories that we're following for you here on the w. nigerian president mohammad who bihari has been sworn in for a 2nd and final term the 76 year old won re-election in february after pledging to revive the economy improve security and topple corruption. german chancellor angela merkel and french president to manual micron ha

managing director vinai venkatesham says the situation is "unacceptable" that their player henrikh mkhitaryanbetween the bordering countries are strained to say the least. uefa say a "comprehensive security plan" was in place for mkhitaryan — and the azerebaijan football authorities say that the players decisison is unwarranted. what has become clear in the fortnight since arsenal and chelsea qualified for the final, is that travelling to baku is proving extremely difficult and expensive for some fans. neither club is expected to take up their allocation of 6,000 each. for everybody, it is better to play with 30,000 fans from chelsea and 30,000 fans from arsenal. you do this job for these matches, and so, it is better for everybody to have the fans with the team. heather watson is through to the second round of qualifying at the french open after beating bibiane schoofs. the british number three won in three sets 6—2, 4—6, 6—4. watson is aiming to come through qualifying at roland garros for the fourth time in her career. meanwhile, katie swan was impressive in advancing as she beatjil teichm

coming up on sportsday in the next 15 minutes on bbc news — arsenal's armenian forward henrikh mkhitaryansafety in azerbaijan, although uefa say that his security will be guaranteed. local councils in england could be facing a multi—billion pound funding gap — according to an independent review of their finances. it was commissioned by the organisation representing large county councils and says demand for services such as social care will increase in the next few years. unless more money is provided — it suggests that councils could face a shortfall of more than £51 billon by 2025. even if council tax is increased by almost 3% — there could still be a £30 billion gap over the five years from 2020. the government says this year's local government settlement has included extra funding for services. alex forsyth reports from staffordshire. rona is 91 years old. she moved into this apartment with her husband alf before he died two years ago. when i came here i thought, "this is a new life for me." i'd be really down in the dumps if i had to live on my own where i was. because you didn't see

the azerbaijan football association has told the bbc they are disappointed that arsenal's henrikh mkhitaryaneague final. it's understood the armenian midfielder feared for his safety on the pitch in baku due to political tensions between his country and the hosts azerbaijan, whose fa says the organisation has done everything it can to ensure his safety. really disappointed to see the statement from arsenal about their armenian player. because we have tried to do our best. and on behalf of the government as well as the local organising committee, we have given all the guarantees to the club as well. i think this was a personal decision of the player, together with his family. tributes have poured in today for the three time formula 1 champion nikki lauda who's died at the age of 70. he was one of the best—known figures in motor racing, winning the title for ferrari in 1975 and 77 and for mclaren in 1984. he'll be remembered for his remarkable recovery and return to racing just a0 days after a crash that nearly claimed his life. former world champion sirjacqui stewart says the austrian made a

and coming up on sportsday on bbc news — as arsenal's mkhitaryan decides not to play in the europa leaguever security fears, the azerbaijan fa tells us politics and sport should stay separate. good evening. despite offering what she calls a "new deal" over brexit, labour and several conservative mps say they won't be backing theresa may's proposals for leaving the european union, with the commons due to vote on her plans early next month. theresa may warned today that mps have "one last chance" to deliver a negotiated exit from the eu, and in an effort to win support, she promised mps that if it passes, they'll get a vote on whether to hold a referendum on the final deal. there was also the promise of a vote on future customs arrangements. and new guarantees on workers' rights. butjeremy corbyn says labour won't support the bill because it doesn't go far enough, while some conservatives say they‘ re unhappy because they believe mrs may's gone too far in making concessions. here's our political editor, laura kuenssburg. a strange—looking world... any sign of progress? a tory cabinet, clois

henrikh mkhitaryan decided it wasn't safe for him.to the war that forced this theatre group to flee their homes three decades ago. they're from a part of azerbaijan that is now under armenian control. it is an emotional issue for many, even now. the region's football team is still going too, in exile, and they say mkhitaryan would have been safe in the final. maybe they make some pressure, with the whistle, with some screaming something, but it's enough — nothing else. azerbaijan wants this final to project its best face to the world, but this is also a country where government critics, activists and bloggers are behind bars, and that is a side that the football fans won't see. the government firmly denies it is trying to whitewash its image through sport. for the fans who have made it, the talk of cost and controversy has already fading, drowned out by the sound of hope. so there are some fans who are excited about it, if they have managed to get there. sally. excited about it, if they have managed to get there. sallylj managed to ge

henrikh mkhitaryan will miss the final with chelsea next week, he will not travel over security concerns azerbaijan. new scotland manager steve clarke says he only wants players who are 100% committed. his predecessor had to deal with a number of withdrawals from the squad. david willian joe from the squad. david willianjoe henley other plays missed out of the england cricket squad. the world of sport is mourning the death of the legendary three—time formula 1 world champion niki lauda, who's died at the age of 70. the austrian made one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport when he returned to racing in 1976, just a0 days after being horrifically burned in a crash. his rivalry with the british driver james hunt was legendary, and made into a film. katie gornall looks back on his life. niki lauda was a fighter on and off the track. a man who succeeded and survived in his sport's most dangerous era. he won his first world championship in 1975 with ferrari and more titles looked certain until this terrifying crash at the 1976 german grand prix. other drivers had to rescue him fr

the head of the azerbaijan football assoication says he's disappointed that arsenal's henrikh mkhitaryanr feared for his safety on the pitch in baku due to political tensions between azerbaijan and armenia. fa says the organisation has done everything to ensure his safety. really disappointed to see the statement from arsenal about the armenian player. because we have tried to do our best and on behalf of the government as well as local organising communities, we give all the guarantees to the club and fa but this was a personal decision of the player, with his family. the entry list for the singles at wimbledon has been published this evening — no surprise that andy murray's name does not appear. the two—time champion had effectively ruled out competing in the singles tournament this season following another hip operation in january. he could still receive a widlcard entry to the championships however it's more likely the former world number one will compete in the doubles. johanna konta, kyle edmund, cameron norrie and dan evans are the only british players to gain direct entry. that's

and arsenal's henrikh mkhitaryan said, "one club, one goal, "let's win this."iles, to the eastern edge of europe, and there are currently no direct, scheduled flights between london and baku in the week of the final on the 29th of may. the quickest journey by air on the day, takes nearly seven hours. and by train it takes more than four days, passing through seven countries! of course, you could drive, but the minimum journey time, is listed online as 58 hours. obviously the europa league is on all the back pages this morning — and the headline writers have been having fun. "a full english", says the mirror, and "england is finally the toast of europe." the daily express goes with "bam bam baku", with a shot of arsenal's hat—trick hero aubameyang, as well as chelsea's keeper kepa and in the sun it's, "oh my quad — and "an historic english final 4!" wales coach warren gatland has agreed a deal, to take charge of the british and irish lions on their tour of south africa in 2021. although no contract has been signed, terms have been agreed for gatland to lead the

sought assurances from uefa about his security but they have taken the decision not to include mkhitaryananager. he helped guide kilmarnock to third in the scottish premiership this season and says the nationaljob is the pinnacle of his career. delighted to finish the way that we finish the season at kilmarnock. that was my big worry about the whole process was that the scotland issue was going to accelerate and mean that we did not finish like we wa nted mean that we did not finish like we wanted to finish the season off at kilmarnock. so, to get the result that the weekend took a weight off of my mind. yesterday was a busy day, but we quickly got everything sorted and all of the proper signatures on the right places and everything was agreed, and like i said before, delighted and absolutely honoured to be the manager of scotland. caster semenya is going to run in the 3000 metres at a diamond league meeting in america next month. it means that she won‘t have to take medication to lower her testosterone levels. the 800—metres olympic champion lost her legal battle agaist the iaaf who have

henrikh mkhitaryan is a good player. and every so often he could be a game changer.ff in shifting towards the match and kick offina shifting towards the match and kick off in a few hours‘ time. tell us more about the politics of azerbaijan as a country, and its long history with armenia. and the bad blood between them? well, you say bad blood but this is a conflict that goes back some three decades. for azerbaijan and armenia it‘s a very sensitive issue. the conflict is often referred to as frozen, but a couple of years ago 100 people we re a couple of years ago 100 people were killed and renewed fighting. these are our that matter to both countries. as far as azerbaijan is concerned this is 20% of its territory occupied and controlled by armenians. so there is an awful amount of hostility and bad feeling, so amount of hostility and bad feeling, so you amount of hostility and bad feeling, so you can amount of hostility and bad feeling, so you can understand how despite the best intentions that spills over into sport. beyond that, there is theissue into sport. beyond

yes, an armenian player for arsenal, henrikh mkhitaryan has opted playing in the europa league becauser, that was a personal decision of the player and his family. so that's tomorrow... meanwhilejurgen klopp says winning the champions league final against spurs in madrid on saturday would be his greatest achievement. liverpool are hopeful roberto firmino will be fit for the game after missing the last three. klopp says the forward will return to full training tomorrow... and after losing to real madrid last year, klopp is confident of winning a final for the first time since he took charge. i have never been part of a final with a better team than this. but for different reasons, teams were good as well. i am not so surprised, because the boys are how we collect, mix up potential with attitude in the best way i ever fancied. kyle edmund won a marathon match last night againstjeremy chardy. meanwhile dan evans is playing fernando verdasco in the first round. he lost the first set and it is on serve in the second. earlier cameron norrie lost, as did jamie murray and bruno sara is in the

arsenal says it is unacceptable that henrikh mkhitaryan does not feel able to travel to azerbaijan forthey will seek a meeting with uefa. and former captain andrew strauss as england's cricketers have the best opportunity to win the world cup, the hosts are favourite for the tournament which starts a week tomorrow. i will be back with a full update in the next 15 minutes. the parole board has ruled that one of britain's most notorious criminals, convicted killer kenneth noye, should be released from prison. noye is serving a life sentence for stabbing to death 21—year—old stephen cameron in a road—rage attack in kent in 1996. the victim's family were informed of the decision this morning. joining us now is our home affairs correspondent, danny shaw. no tories is the right word here. —— no tories. at the time, this was a huge case, a very violent man, so there will be eyebrows raised by this decision. indeed, his offending history stretches back to the 1960s, he was heavily involved in organised crime, he was involved in the brink's—mat robbery, the huge warehouse robbery near heathrow