for the last five seasons. the changes come as part of a new six—year agreement between the football association and the premier league. both say that it will "strengthen" the fa cup format. the semifinal line—ups for the champions league are complete after real madrid and bayern munich overcame defending champions manchester city and arsenal respectively. the spanish and german giants will face each other in the last four. borussia dortmund and paris saint germain will contest the other semifinal. attention turns tonight to the europa league quarterfinals. last week's matches produced first—leg leads for roma, benfica, bayer leverkusen and atalanta. liverpool are in bergamo, looking to overturn a 3—0 deficit. the odds are stacked against them butjurgen klopp hasn't ruled out his liverpool side. butjurgen klopp hasn't ruled

everybody butjurgen klopp hasn't ruled thinks it has already decided everybody thinks it has already decided but, you know, we are here. and we can be good. obviously we can be not so good as well, so let's see what we can do on the pitch tomorrow. when you are free having zero up, that is not easy for them as well, sue will see who goes better with the situation and all these kinds of things. joining me now is the anfield wrap�*s neil atkinson. at big mountain to climb, and liverpool it feels like they do need it after the last week and their performances.— it after the last week and their performances. it after the last week and their erformances. , ., ., performances. they do need to get throu~h performances. they do need to get through tonight, _ performances. they do need to get through tonight, they _ performances. they do need to get through tonight, they need - performances. they do need to get through tonight, they need to - performances. they do need to get through tonight, they need to put i performances. they do need to get| through tonight, they need to put a performance in, play well, score a couple of goals, win the game. they need to not lose, not run out of time, but the idea of the season is finished, confidentially be on the floor if they don't go through tonight when they kick off three having zero down is a bit unfair. no

football team really could function under that pressure but they do need to function under the performances being better, that is what the manager was saying. mb? being better, that is what the manager was saying.- being better, that is what the manager was saying. being better, that is what the manaaerwassa in. ~ , ., ~' manager was saying. why do you think the performances _ manager was saying. why do you think the performances haven't _ manager was saying. why do you think the performances haven't been - manager was saying. why do you think the performances haven't been there l the performances haven't been there in the last week in particular? there is a couple of things, you cannot keep conceding first, liverpool have conceded first so often, finally you have to pull yourself back out. liverpool play well in spells, the crystal palace game, creating opportunities to get a result, just generally are run poor against atalanta in the first leg but against palace, good between 20 and 35, a strong second half, but they go ten down and in previous games they managed to come back, and in this one they don't add this combo tells the story, especially at the back of what happens off the back of the atalanta game, people feel depressed by the outcome of the two games and then they get grouped together. if two games and then they get grouped to . ether. , ., two games and then they get grouped touether. , ., ., ., , together. if they are to do it this evenin: , together. if they are to do it this evening. how — together. if they are to do it this evening, how can _ together. if they are to do it this evening, how can they? - together. if they are to do it this

evening, how can they? 1- - together. if they are to do it this evening, how can they? 1- 0160| together. if they are to do it this i evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine, to evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine. to having _ evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine, to having zero _ evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine, to having zero on _ evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine, to having zero on 82 - evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine, to having zero on 82 is - evening, how can they? 1- 0160 is fine, to having zero on 82 is fine, | fine, to having zero on 82 is fine, orjust one goal difference, absolutely fine. it is the idea of turning the screw, let atalanta get nervous, liverpool have to win the battles come out right away across the pitch. they have to make the picture numbers, ask a lot of questions, but the best way which they can get anything out of this game and those ahead is to play better the most important thing is nothing daft in the first few minutes because there has been a lot of that the first 15 or 20 minutes in the last two games.— of that the first 15 or 20 minutes in the last two games. the semifinal line—up of the europa conference league will also be determined tonight. in the early matches, aston villa travel to lille with a 2—1, while florentina host viktoria plzen after a 0—0 draw in the first leg. greek side paok host club brugge1—0 down, while olympiakos take a 3—2 first leg lead to turkey to face fenebahce. collegiate basketball star caitlan clark was unveiled by her wnba team the indiana fever on wednesday after she was selected as the number one draft pick.

interest in clark, who broke scoring and assist records in college basketball for both men and women, is soaring, with league offcials already announcing that 36 of indiana's games this coming season will be televised. i was just ready for a new challenge and something new in my life, ifelt like i had done everything i could possibly do, did a lot of amazing things, but to be able to come here and stay in the midwest, because only five hours from iowa city, seven hours from where i grew up, you really cannot script it any better. it was really a no—brainer for me. tennis and the round of 16 at the barcelona open. monte carlo masters champion stefanos tsitsipas is in action in a few hours. british number one cameron norrie is through to the quarterfinals after beating

spain's roberto bautista agut. norrie produced a dominant performance to ease past the spaniard in straight sets. meanwhile, american brandon nakashima is up against tomas etcheverry of argentina. it's going well for the unseeded american. he took the first set 6—3. it is tighter in the second, level at five games apiece. and that's all the sport for now. you can stay up—to—date on all the latest events and news using the bbc sport website and app, but from me, see you soon, goodbye. a post office in—house lawyer, rodric williams, is giving evidence at the inquiry into the horizon it scandal.

he says he felt "something was up" when he was invited to film a 2015 bbc interview and feared the programme would feature postmasters�* complaints. between 1999 and 2015, more than 900 sub—postmasters were wrongly prosecuted because of incorrect data from the horizon it system. here he is giving evidence. i haven't yet looked at the detail of the e—mail but see that the bbc want to film. there is a lot happening next week, next. and then not really a legal issue but given the bbc�*s approach to date, the close engagement it has with thejf essay and the timing of the piece, i smell a rat. what was the rat that you smell?— you smell? the timing seemed... smellin: you smell? the timing seemed... smelling a _ you smell? the timing seemed... smelling a rat _ you smell? the timing seemed...

smelling a rat means _ you smell? the timing seemed... smelling a rat means that - you smell? the timing seemed... l smelling a rat means that someone you smell? the timing seemed... - smelling a rat means that someone is trying to deceive you or harm you. by trying to deceive you or harm you. by artifice. trying to deceive you or harm you. by artifice-— trying to deceive you or harm you. by artifice. ha. what did you mean by artifice. no. what did you mean b ou by artifice. no. what did you mean by you smelled a rat? it _ by artifice. no. what did you mean by you smelled a rat? it looked - by artifice. no. what did you mean | by you smelled a rat? it looked like it is organised. _ by you smelled a rat? it looked like it is organised. something - by you smelled a rat? it looked like it is organised. something is - by you smelled a rat? it looked like it is organised. something is up. i it is organised. something is up. what _ it is organised. something is up. what was — it is organised. something is up. what was up? the it is organised. something is up. what was up?— what was up? the timing of this seemed to _ what was up? the timing of this seemed to be _ what was up? the timing of this seemed to be well _ what was up? the timing of this seemed to be well aligned to i what was up? the timing of this| seemed to be well aligned to put pressure — seemed to be well aligned to put pressure on the post office. let's speak to our correspondent theo leggett. this was focus on a bbc interview request which was about and inside out programme, one of the first to get this scandal, mr william said he smell direct. get this scandal, mr william said he smell direct-— get this scandal, mr william said he smell direct. yes, absolutely, these e-mails smell direct. yes, absolutely, these emails show _ smell direct. yes, absolutely, these emails show a _ smell direct. yes, absolutely, these e-mails show a number, _ smell direct. yes, absolutely, these e-mails show a number, not - smell direct. yes, absolutely, these e-mails show a number, not all - e—mails show a number, not all related to that one programme, also relating to a bbc panorama programme and other generalist inquiries, this was the advice that mr williams was giving as to how to respond to the

journalist inquiries. the main lawyerfor journalist inquiries. the main lawyer for the journalist inquiries. the main lawyerfor the inquiry journalist inquiries. the main lawyer for the inquiry has journalist inquiries. the main lawyerfor the inquiry has been offering probing questioning and he asked mr williams whether this was evidence of a bunker mentality within the organisation. mr williams did say that he was potentially part of that bunker mentality. these e—mails show what can only be described as a deeply cynical view within the post office as to how the media should be treated and as to how the subpostmasters own concerns were being treated. some of these e—mails look dismissive, and at one point the question came up, did he think they were on eccentric flights of fancy in asking for further information about the working of the horizon system and suggesting that it wasn't a perfect system. there was a lot of debate over how mr williams felt about horizon and whether he thought it was something that subpostmasters should just accept and put up with or leave.

there were long exchanges about whether a not he felt postmaster should like it or lump it, horizon being the system in place, if postmaster didn't like it they could simply stop being postmasters. that has been the tone of a lot of the questioning. right now the inquiry has moved on to other matters, like whether or not the post office was willing to disclose relevant documents to subpostmasters who were involved in civil litigation. a lot of toing and froing about that, including an e—mail sent early on, questioning whether some of these disclosures could be delayed. it is a complicated inquiry, mr williams has been in for a couple of hours, he seems rather nervous, and in—house lawyer and he is still in his post. he is a significant contributor to this inquiry. interesting about these e—mails, it seems like a lot of it is about the tone of those post office e—mails thatis tone of those post office e—mails that is coming out. tone of those post office e-mails that is coming out.— that is coming out. yes, and remember — that is coming out. yes, and remember these _ that is coming out. yes, and remember these are - that is coming out. yes, and remember these are the - that is coming out. yes, and _ remember these are the conversations that people within the post office

were having at a time when there was a great deal of litigation going on involving the subpostmasters and at a time as well when journalists were realising that something was up. asking persistent questions, trying to get information. in some cases trying to get hold of what should have been fairly standard data and not getting the replies they wanted. it does seem from these e—mails that the advice that mr williams was giving was dismissive of their concerns, dismissive of the subpostmasterssubpostmasters themselves and journalists asking themselves and journalists asking the questions. mr williams has apologised doing today's proceeded, he said he was sorry if he had caused any harm. but there was also questions about whether he had actually admitted to causing harm. there was a key admission, he stated that when looking at a report from consultants in 2014 he missed an item about how the horizon system

could be accessed remotely. that was absolutely key because it was part of the prosecution, that they were the only ones who had dealings with horizon and it couldn't be accessed ljy horizon and it couldn't be accessed by technological back doors. this was a suggestion that it could and he missed it. you can follow the inquiry live on the bbc website. now the weather. hello. it was quite a chilly start to the day, particularly for central and southern parts of the uk under those clear skies. but we had a touch of frost around. but rain has been moving in from the north and really for the rest of the day it's going to be fairly damp across the northern half of the uk, whereas sunny spells will hold on longest in the south. now there's high pressure not far away, sitting out towards the west here. but we've got a weather front that's just toppling around the northern side of that high pressure. so it's bringing the cloud and rain to much of scotland, a few splashes of rain from northern ireland, but that's tending to dry out a little bit. northern england, north wales also turning fairly wet

through the afternoon, whereas further south across england and wales you're more likely to stay dry. some sunshine lifting temperatures to around 15 degrees in london. so a little bit warmer than recent days, but still rather chilly in the north. we've got a cold and north westerly wind developing through this evening and tonight, bringing a scattering of showers to scotland, one or two further south as well. we've got the remnants of that frontal system sitting across southern parts of the british isles first thing tomorrow. so it won't be as cold as it was this morning. temperatures about 5 to 10 degrees to start friday. so a weak frontal system in the south, but high pressure out towards the west. and that combination is going to draw in these winds from a northerly or north—westerly direction into friday, bringing a day of sunshine and blustery showers, particularly windy weather across northern and eastern scotland. but showers should clear from scotland, northern ireland, wales, linger longest for central and south eastern parts of england. temperatures around about 14 or 15 for the warmest spots. but cooler where you're exposed to that northerly wind around the east coast. now into the weekend, high pressure willjust nudge its way a little bit further eastwards.

so good news, a spell of drier weather at last after all that relentless rain that we've seen recently. so a lot of dry weather, a little bit of rain perhaps across the north of scotland, more cloud in general around eastern areas where we've got that chilly and northerly wind. so 10 or 11 degrees close to the east coast. towards the west, though, 13, 14 celsius with some longer spells of sunshine and a very similar day on sunday. again, most of us looking dry with the best of the sunshine towards the west, a bit more cloud in the east, and that breeze coming in off the north sea. so a touch cooler, 11 degrees or so for norwich, but up to about 16 in belfast. into next week, it looks like high pressure still fairly close. so a lot of dry weather, one or two showers more, especially towards the south. but those temperatures will continue to be a little below average for the time of year. bye— bye.

live from london. this is bbc news. a third day of disruption at the world's second busiest airport after the united arab emirates suffers its heaviest rain in more than 70 years. there were a tonne of people sleeping at the airport, there were people crowded around check—in counters.

the conservative mp mark menzies is suspended from the party after being accused of misusing campaign funds, claims he disputes. the government says an investigation is under way. g7 foreign ministers are meeting in capri as ukraine's prime minister calls for international support — warning there will be a �*third world war�* if ukraine loses the war with russia. and police take down an international cyber—crime gang based in the uk, accused of industrial—scale fraud. hello, i'm annita mcveigh, welcome to bbc news now, three hours of fast—moving news, interviews and reaction. the aftermath of heavy rain is being felt in across the united arab emirates and parts of neighbouring gulf countries, a region usually known for its hot and arid climate. flash—floods have killed 20 people in oman and one in the uae.

dubai international airport warned of "very challenging