Liverpool manager played down the severity of Hugo Ekitike’s injury in the wake of Liverpool’s damaging defeat against Brighton.

Already without Mohamed Salah and Aleksander Isak, the Reds were rocked early on at the Amex Stadium when their France international striker went down in agony following a collision with James Milner.

The summer signing from Eintracht Frankfurt was clearly in pain as he limped to the sidelines where he received further treatment.

Ekitike attempted to play on but was unable to continue and was replaced by Curtis Jones after only eight minutes.

The 23-year-old had been called up to Les Bleus squad ahead of the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia but may now be forced to withdraw.

Speaking about his centre forward’s injury, Slot said: ‘The players and the fans know that there is only eight games to go to qualify for the Champions League and every game you have to miss is something you are upset about.

‘Him going off and not being able to help the team – it is just a bit of bad luck. It is not like he will be out for three months but it is bad enough that he wasn’t able to continue.

‘It was a blow for him and a blow for us.’

After their midweek morale-boosting win over Galatasaray, Liverpool would have hoped to build further momentum on the south coast.

Instead, they delivered another insipid, disjointed display that yielded a 2-1 defeat and has put their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League in major jeopardy.

‘First half was an equal game. It was a big blow for us that one of our two strikers that we have available with Hugo [Ekitike] and Alex [Isak] was already not here and the other one has to go off after one or two minutes – that is usually not helpful, especially when you look at how well Hugo played Wednesday,’ added Slot.

‘The first half was equal and the second half, Brighton were the better team on the pitch.’

Danny Welbeck’s brace ultimately proved decisive as the outgoing Premier League champions succumbed to their 10th defeat of the campaign.

Slot said: ‘It is clear that we have lost a lot of points after playing in Europe. I have tried to explain a lot of times already why this is but today we also have to give credit to Brighton. In the second half, they were the better team on the pitch.

‘What I thought was, you won’t need 24 points to qualify and hopefully I am right because we aren’t able to get 24 points anymore.

‘We kept trying, in the second half we were close but they were closer to score the third one than we were the second one. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough after a week like this.’

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She is described as 5ft 5in, petite, with hair in a messy bun

Police have issued an appeal for a woman who went missing in Co Derry on Saturday.

Taking to social media, PSNI have asked for help in locating Shannon Donnell was last seen at Altnagelvin Hospital in the morning of March 21.

Shannon has been described as 5ft 5in, petite, with hair in a messy bun.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police are concerned for local woman Shannon Donnell who has went missing form Altnagelvin Hospital earlier today.

“Shannon hasn’t been seen in a number of hours and was described as 5ft5, petite, hair in messy bun. Burgundy leggings, light blue jumper and a heavy black coat. She is also wearing black converse shoes.”

PSNI have asked that if any person knew of Shannon’s whereabouts, or have any information that may assist in locating her, please call 101 quoting: 538-21/03/26.

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A 44-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with carrying a blade.

A man has been charged after allegedly wielding a knife in Fife.

Police officers raced to Lawrence Court in Buckhaven at 9.05pm on Friday night. It followed reports of a disturbance on a housing estate.

A 44-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with carrying a bladed weapon.A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Images taken at the scene showed two police vans and a marked car parked on the street. A number of officers could be seen standing outside a block of flats.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 9.05pm on Friday, 20 March, 2026, we received a report of a disturbance in Lawrence Court, Buckhaven.

“A 44-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with carrying an offensive weapon.

“A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.”

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LONDON (AP) — Wimbledon will use video review technology for the first time at this year’s tournament, the All England Club announced Saturday.

The oldest Grand Slam tennis tournament will have the technology available on Centre Court, No. 1 Court — the club’s second-biggest stadium — plus four other show courts.

Players will be allowed to review specific calls made by the chair umpire — such as double bounces.

Video review made its Grand Slam tennis debut at the 2023 U.S. Open. The Australian Open also uses the technology.

Centre Court and No. 1 Court will have video review available throughout the tournament, which starts on June 29, and the technology will be used on No. 2 Court, No. 3 Court, Court 12 and Court 18 for singles matches.

Players will not be limited in the number of reviews they can request.

Video review is separate from the electronic line-calling used for ruling balls in or out.

Last year, Wimbledon replaced line judges with electronic line-calling, though it wasn’t without hiccups.

The grass-court major is also adding visual indicators for electronic line-calling on scoreboards showing ‘out’ and ‘fault’ calls.

“This enhancement has been made as a result of feedback following the adoption of live electronic line-calling last year,” the All England Club said in Saturday’s announcement.

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

The US-Israel strikes on Iran in late February caused an immediate spike in oil prices, and volatility has only increased since then. It quickly led to fears among motorists of “price-gouging” – petrol retailers raising their prices to take advantage of consumer panic.

In the UK, Chancellor Rachel Reeves asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to remain on “high alert” for profiteering by petrol retailers. Trade body the Petrol Retailers Association quickly hit back, saying her language was “incorrect and inflammatory”.

But what does the economic evidence suggest about retailers’ behaviour at times when oil prices are fluctuating wildly? As part of our yet-to-be-published research into UK petrol retailers and large oil price shocks, we examined Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The invasion led to a large and sudden increase in global oil prices, providing a valuable context in which to determine how shocks to crude oil supply filter through to prices at the pump.

The first striking pattern we found was that wholesale unleaded and diesel price changes closely tracked crude oil price changes. When oil prices rose, wholesale fuel prices increased almost immediately. Our estimates suggest that roughly 80% of changes in oil prices are reflected in wholesale fuel prices within a few days.

À lire aussi :
What oil, stocks and bonds are telling us about the Iran conflict and how long it might last

Retail prices, however, react quite differently. Prices at the pump adjusted more slowly and were considerably smoother than wholesale prices. In periods where wholesale prices increased sharply, retail prices typically rose by less and with a delay.

At the immediate peak of the shock in the weeks following the invasion, wholesale diesel prices rose by about 39 pence per litre, while pump prices increased by only about 16 pence per litre.

The implication is that retailer margins compressed during price spikes as the gap between retail and wholesale prices narrowed temporarily. In other words, although consumers experienced higher petrol prices, the evidence does not suggest that retailers increased their markups during these periods.

But why would retailers reduce their margins when prices spike? One explanation is that consumers become more aware of petrol prices at these times. Using data from price comparison site PetrolPrices.com, we found that when average petrol prices rose above £1.50 per litre during 2022, search activity increased dramatically. The growing number of daily searches indicated that consumers were actively seeking out cheaper filling stations when prices increased.

The crossing of the £1.50 threshold also attracted media attention, increasing people’s awareness and encouraging consumers to compare prices. By using geographically granular data on search activity, combined with daily petrol price data from nearly all petrol stations in the UK, we can causally link this increase in consumer attention with intensifying price competition.

As prices began to stabilise, we found that search intensity on the price comparison site dropped. Search activity itself did not return to pre-shock levels, but instead dropped and plateaued at a higher level than before, consistent with predictions from well-established economic models.

Correspondingly, price impacts narrow over time. At the peak of increased search activity following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a 10 percentage point increase in search activity was associated with roughly a 2% reduction in local area petrol prices. We then found that this was driven primarily by stations that already had higher prices in January 2022. These higher-priced petrol stations cut their prices the most as consumers became more price-sensitive.

The research suggests that when oil prices increase and there is lots of media attention, consumers make more effort to search for better prices. Competition then increases and this puts downward pressure on retail prices. So retailers may actually experience falling margins when oil prices spike.

Rockets and feathers

It seems that it is not the level of prices that drives consumer attention, but whether those prices are rising rapidly. As price increases slow or reverse, consumers search price-comparison sites less intensively, reducing the sense of competition between petrol stations.

But then a clear asymmetry emerges: retail prices rise more quickly following cost increases than they fall following cost decreases. This pattern is known as the “rockets and feathers” effect: prices rise like rockets but fall like feathers.

In our study, we examined the transmission from wholesale to retail prices over a period of more than ten years. As expected, when wholesale costs fell, pump prices dropped more slowly. This temporarily increased the gap between wholesale and retail prices – meaning retailers’ profits grew.

This pattern means if wholesale prices go up by ten pence per litre and then come back down, over the entire adjustment time motorists end up paying about a penny more per litre than they would if prices adjusted evenly.

But this varied across petrol stations. For some, there was very little additional cost to consumers. For others, it was up to five times larger, meaning that the same increase and subsequent decrease would cost consumers up to five pence per litre more.

Taken together, our findings point to a clear conclusion. Petrol retailers do not appear to profiteer during periods when oil prices are rising rapidly. If anything, their margins tend to be squeezed. If concerns about excess profits are warranted, the evidence suggests that it is more likely to occur when oil prices are falling than when they’re spiking.

For those in Bolton, the Rivington and Anglezarke area remains one of the most popular choices, offering miles of scenic paths, open views across the West Pennine Moors, and routes that are easy to follow without too much planning.

One particularly appealing option is a circular walk that combines gentle waterside scenery with a well-earned pub stop along the way.

Starting at the Lower Rivington Reservoir car park, walkers can follow the main path along the water’s edge, keeping the reservoir to their left.

The wide, well-maintained track is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists alike, making it an accessible choice for all abilities.

The route continues towards the dam, which can be crossed before picking up the path alongside Upper Rivington Reservoir.

The Rivington Reservoir is surrounded by footpaths making it an easy and enjoyable walk (Image: Martini Archive)

From here, the trail curves naturally around the shoreline, offering uninterrupted views across the water and surrounding hills.

At the far end of the reservoir, the walk leaves the waterside and follows public footpaths towards Heath Charnock.

The route crosses open fields before reaching Dill Hall Brow.

A short right turn brings walkers to The Yew Tree Inn, a historic pub dating back to 1871 that came under new ownership in 2025.

The Yew Tree Inn provides that ‘proper country pub’ feel (Image: Adam Chapman)

Owner Adam Chapman previously told The Bolton News: “I’m taking it back to being a ‘proper country pub’ for everyone, with fresh home-cooked food serving quality local cask beers, including using our own produce from our own rare breed Saddleback pigs in Belmont.

“The aim is to create a relaxed environment where anybody’s welcome to pop in for a drink. Dogs are welcome, whether it’s just for a pudding and a glass of wine or a full three-course meal.

“We are a country pub for all, dedicated to looking after local walkers, cyclists, horse riders or people coming in for a drive to a country pub experience where the views are fantastic, quiet, very chilled out.

“In the summer, our terrace, secret garden and decking are probably the best places to eat and drink for miles.”

With the weather starting to get warmer, the outside terrace can be the perfect place for a pint. (Image: Adam Chapman)

Set close to Anglezarke Reservoir and surrounded by moorland, the pub has quickly become a popular stopping point for those exploring the area.

To complete the walk, visitors can follow the road back towards Rivington, re-joining the reservoir path and looping back to the car park.

At around five miles, the route is manageable for most walkers and with warmer weather on the way, it’s likely to become even busier in the weeks ahead.

The outline plan proposes building the 80 new homes on land off Arthur Lane in Harwood that had previously been used for grazing.

But 218 letters of objection from people living nearby have been sent to Bolton Council ahead of a vote on the scheme by the planning committee.

A council report said: “The site is located north of Arthur Lane on the eastern edge of Harwood, which is itself on the northeastern urban edge of the Bolton urban area.

“The site covers approximately 2.47 hectares of land across two agricultural fields for grazing purposes and the terrain of the site is generally flat with a gentle slope down from west to east.

Bolton Council officers have recommended that the plan be approved (Image: Rowland Homes)

“The site has limited intrinsic habitat or landscape value and is also private land that is fenced and walled on all sides, which limits any existing recreation value.”

It added: “The site is enclosed on all sides by strong and defensible boundaries including Harwood Golf Club car park to the north, Arthur Lane to the south, existing detached properties on Roading Brook Road and the golf club access road to the east, and existing residential development to the west.

“The east, west and north boundaries also include significant existing hedgerows and tree screening, combined with sections of post and wire fencing, with a dry-stone wall and timber fence along the southern boundary.”

The report said that the are could be considered “grey belt” land and that the proposed housing scheme “would not fundamentally undermine” the purposes of other green belt land in Bolton.

Council officers have recommended that the outline plans be approved, subject to conditions.

But Bradshaw’s Cllr Jackie Schofield has asked for the proposal to be heard at a full planning committee meeting.

Letters of objection have raised concerns about the loss of green belt land, the development being out of character with the area, the pressure on existing facilities and many others.

The planning committee is expected to vote on the outline plans at a town hall meeting on Thursday March 26.

Greater Manchester Police’s Bolton officers are urging people to sign up to their community messaging system after it emerged at a recent Police and Communities Together (PACT) meeting that many had never heard of it.

Officers introduced “Bee in the Loop”, a free service designed to keep the public informed about crime, incidents and policing activity in their area at the meeting in Tonge Moor UCAN Centre.

It came after residents raised concerns about how they can stay “in the loop” with what is happening locally.

Despite the scheme being in place across Greater Manchester, several attendees said the meeting was the first time they had come across it.

One resident said: “I’d never heard of it and I don’t think many others will have.

“This will really help keep us up to date on what’s happening, because I had no idea this all existed.”

Another added that better awareness of the service could help residents feel more connected to their community and more confident in reporting concerns.

Neighbourhood Inspector Wayne Warner told those present that public engagement is essential for effective policing, and encouraged residents to make use of the tools available.

He said: “We know people want to feel informed about what’s happening in their area, and Bee in the Loop is one of the easiest ways to do that.

“The more people who sign up to services like this, the better informed communities will be and the more we can act on local concerns.

“It gives residents direct updates from their local officers, rather than relying on word of mouth or social media posts they might miss

“Bee in the Loop” allows residents to receive updates tailored to their neighbourhood, including crime alerts, appeals for information and details of local initiatives.

Users can choose how they receive messages, including email or text alerts.

Officers also highlighted GMP’s increasing use of social media to communicate with the public.

The force is particularly active on Facebook, where it regularly shares updates, appeals and results from investigations.

Police told the meeting that their social media posts now reach around 1.8 million people, reflecting a growing shift towards digital engagement.

Residents were also reminded of features available on the GMP website, including a postcode search tool which allows people to identify neighbourhood officers covering their area, view recent local news and incidents, and access links to report crime or provide information.

Officers said these tools are designed to make it easier for the public to stay informed and to contact police in a way that suits them.

The meeting also drew comparisons with traditional neighbourhood watch schemes, with “Bee in the Loop” described as a modern, digital alternative allowing faster and wider communication.

Inspector Warner added that improving awareness of such services is now a priority.

He said: “It’s about making sure people know what’s available to them.

“The more people who sign up and engage with us, the better we can respond to the issues that matter locally.”

The discussion highlighted a clear gap between the availability of digital policing tools and public awareness of them, something GMP hopes to address through continued community meetings and outreach.

Residents across Bolton are now being encouraged to sign up to “Bee in the Loop”, follow GMP online, and report concerns to help strengthen communication and improve community safety.

Available for over a year

Today, Adam, Chris and Faisal are joined by Panorama Jane Corbin to discuss the latest strikes in the war in Iran.

They look at a straining relationship between Israel and the US and how the UK is reacting to the shock to the global economy.

You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say “Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.

You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord

Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.

New episodes released every day. If you’re in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd

Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Anna Harris with Jem Westgate. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Jack Graysmark. The assistant editor was Jack Maclaren. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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At the end of every season the Premier League’s stakeholders – that’s coaches, captains and fans, among others – are asked for their opinion on how the game is refereed.

Last summer the high threshold for VAR intervention was supported by 80%.

Clubs may feel they have been wronged, as Manchester United were at Bournemouth.

But they don’t mention the times they benefited from this high threshold.

Like the push by Leny Yoro before United scored at Fulham, or the penalty for Jaydee Canvot’s hold on Cunha (which also led to a VAR red card), or Diogo Dalot’s potential red-card challenge on Jeremy Doku.

Clubs have selective memory when decisions go against them.

There have been fewer VAR interventions this season, but the accuracy has remained the same at 94%.

PGMOL would probably say that shows more decisions are being made on the field rather than being left to VAR.

The independent Key Match Incidents Panel results say that on-field accuracy has remained stable, at 86%, since 2023-24.

Take that on face value and on-field standards have neither improved nor regressed.

English football’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t know what it wants.

It doesn’t like VAR getting involved in games.

The Premier League has the lowest intervention rate in Europe, but then you get clubs saying it must intervene more when a decision doesn’t go their way.

Clubs are always unhappy when a decision goes against them.

But they are strangely silent when they are the beneficiaries.