Arne Slot says he is leaving Liverpool “exactly where it belongs: among Europe’s elite” after he was sacked as head coach on Saturday.

The Dutchman, 47, won the Premier League title in his first campaign but was dismissed by the club’s hierarchy after the Reds finished fifth in the league this season, 25 points behind champions Arsenal.

Liverpool will open formal talks with former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola this week over becoming their new head coach.

In an emotional open letter published in the Liverpool Echo, external, Slot said fans made him feel welcome from the start and helped him on his path. “That is something I cherish,” he added.

“I leave with complete confidence in what lies ahead.

“The players who have given so much to this club, who have upheld its values and helped create so many unforgettable moments, have built foundations that will endure.”

Despite suffering 20 defeats in all competitions, Slot secured Liverpool‘s place in next season’s Champions League.

“Securing Champions League football was an important responsibility and one that ensures Liverpool can continue competing at the highest level next season and beyond,” he added.

“Change is part of football, but I know that this club will continue to make its people proud.

“When I first stood beneath that sign in the Anfield tunnel, I knew what this club demanded. I leave knowing we never stopped striving for it.”

He disappeared during that time and attacked police after a manhunt.

And he offered no explanation of why how and why he got there, other than being “impulsive”.

But Steffan Crompton has been allowed to keep his licence so he won’t lose his job at the National Grid.

The 34-year-old, from Bolton, previously pleaded guilty to two incidents in Alexandria that caused hours of disruption.

Just after 10am on August 29, he was speeding on the wrong side of Main Street near Vale of Leven Academy. He collided with a wall and lamp post, causing damage to both and the car.

(Image: Network Rail)

It caused masonry to fall on the rail line, forcing the route between Dumbarton and Balloch to close for emergency repairs.

At the time, it was reported that the car’s driver fled the scene before police arrived.

They appealed to find the man, dressed in a blue anorak and denim trousers.

Main Street was closed between Wylie Avenue and Place of Bonhill.

More than three hours later, Crompton was found on the Dumbarton High Street. He acted aggressively, shouted, swore, uttered threats of violence towards police and struggled with officers.

He admitted that charge and to driving without due care and attention.

(Image: Network Rail)

At Dumbarton Sheriff Court on May 28, Sheriff Maxwell Hendry was unimpressed.

“What puzzles me is that the accident happened in Alexandria,” he said, “there’s no suggestion he suffers head injury, and his behaviour toward the police takes place some three and a half hour later, at an entirely different locus, and claims to have no recollection of intermediary period and tells police he is going to ‘do them all’.”

Crompton’s defence solicitor said: “He is apologetic and ashamed of his actions.”

The sheriff replied that if his client had a concussion, that might be an explanation.

The solicitor said it was a “fairly impactful crash”.

He said his client had been abstinent from any alcohol or narcotics for some time.

It was agreed he was speeding at around 40mph and there was “dampness on the road”, he continued.

“A previous accident left a car somewhat protruding,” said the solicitor. “And when he came around, he lost control of his car.

“He seems to have got his life relatively back on track. He is employed by the National Grid, being in real jeopardy of losing his job if he loses his licence.”

The solicitor said Crompton, of Fair Street, had a “checkered past”.

He added there was “really no excuse” for the behaviour to police. “It’s just not on,” he said. “He apologises for his action.

“I believe he would benefit from supervision. It seems most of his actions seem impulsive.”

Sheriff Hendry said the man’s main concern should be that he not get sent to prison.

“I want you to understand you have come very, very, very close to at least losing your licence,” he said.

“The driving incident is far from the first time. The police incident is inexcusable.”

He imposed eight penalty points on his licence and fined him £300, plus a £20 victim surcharge.

For the police abuse, he was put under social work supervision for 12 months. He must do 150 hours of unpaid work in the community within a year.

UK Athletics Ltd pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter. Keith Davies, 79, then head of sport for the 2017 World Paralympic Athletics Championships, admitted a health and safety charge. Judge Richard Marks KC will sentence UK Athletics and Mr Davies, of Leytonstone, east London, over two days at the Old Bailey from Monday. Corporate manslaughter carries a fine between £180,000 and £20 million, according to guidelines.

BBC Verify has used satellite imagery from other international providers combined with older images from Planet to track the damage caused by Iranian attacks. The facilities are in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman. The actual figure could be higher, with some analysts placing the number of bases hit as high as 28.

One person said that the village “hasn’t got the facilities for a town”

Locals have shared mixed views on several proposed developments in a Cambridgeshire village, with one person saying they “would move” if new houses were built near their home. Separate developers have proposals for up to 470 homes across four parcels of land around the village.

This includes planning applications for up to 75 new homes on land off Back Road in Linton, up to 100 new homes on land south of Horseheath Road, and up to 230 homes on land north of Cambridge Road, alongside a new site for a doctors’ surgery and open space if approved.

Gladman Developments has also proposed up to 65 new homes on land off of Balsham Road although a planning application has not yet been submitted. Horseheath Road is just over 10 minutes away from Balsham Road on foot, while Balsham Road and Back Road are just a two-minute drive away from each another.

The applications have faced some backlash from neighbours living close to the proposed sites. CambridgeshireLive went to Linton to speak with some locals about their thoughts on these potential developments.

Janice Mallows, who has lived in the village for more than 50 years, said: “I don’t like the idea. It is not that they are building houses, it is the effect it would have on the health centre, the dentist, and schools. Unless they build some other things, I think it will be too much.”

She added: “I honestly don’t know why they’ve chosen here but I know it is a very unpopular choice. You have to think, most houses will probably be two cars.”

Janice said that she understands that “houses have to be built somewhere” but feels as though it would reduce the countryside and make the village “too big”.

Hillary Green said that “some development is no doubt necessary because housing is needed” but believes that “big developments are never a great idea”. She feels as though Linton was “always a big village” so “it hasn’t got the facilities for a town”.

The local added: “It could have an impact. The sewage systems are always challenged as well as the local schools. I think there are children who can’t find a place in the local school.”

Hilary believes that the local pharmacy in Linton is “wonderful and necessary”, but it is also “challenged” like many other village pharmacies.

Karen Johnson, 60, who has lived in Linton for more than 20 years, said the village “is not as nice as it used to be”. She said the “whole area is going to be very different in a few years” if the proposals are approved.

She added it would feel like a town and stated that she would move if the proposals at land off Balsham Road near her home proceeded. She added: “We’re very lucky because we look out over a field and it won’t be the same.”

Naomi said that new developments would “absolutely” impact the village. She said: “They’d have to expand some certain things for it to accommodate the new houses. It is possible but they just need to make sure there is enough for the amount of people they are bringing in.”

She said that “people need housing” and there is a “demand for it” and if they “can provide another store, and open other things, it could then make it a bigger village”.

Julie Manning, 43, has run The Dog and Duck pub for 13 years. She said that the “biggest concern for the village is all the new houses”.

“People are getting a bit worried about how many more are being put in place and how many more are being approved”, she said.

Julie added: “It is a worry for the village. The pressure on the doctors’ surgery, the dentist, people are really struggling to get one so it’s hard to see how it is going to work. It is out of our hands I suppose.”

Laurel Thomas (Charlotte Bellamy) could really do with something – or someone – to put a smile on her face after the year she’s had in Emmerdale.

Life has been less than blissful for the café worker in recent times. From a miserable marriage and contentious divorce from Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson), to shacking up with human trafficker Ray Walters (Joe Absolom), capped off with violent son Arthur (Alfie Clarke) abusing her.

What she could do with is a good dose of Netflix and chill.

There was a bit of light relief amongst it all when she had a little dalliance with vicar Charles (Kevin Mathurin) but it wasn’t an ideal match, being one of her besties’ ex and it all fizzled out like damp firework. That said, it won’t be the only time she shares a man with Manpreet (Rebecca Sarker).

*Ross Barton enters the chat *

It’s a small village, it’s hard not to have crossover.

Ross is mostly led by what’s in his pants. He recently tried to get it back on with Manpreet, who told him in no uncertain terms that he was punching. But when did that ever stop him – he simply turns his attention to someone else.

Not Gabby, definitely not Gabby.

As the dancing gets underway, Ross starts to have flirty thoughts towards Laurel.

‘Unbeknown to anyone, [Ross] is a really good dancer and so that’s how I get in with him,’ Charlotte reveals. ‘We sort of Salsa and it all gets a bit steamy, but it’s all really lighthearted and fun, which we need.’

Good old snake hips does it every time.

It’s quite the controversial storyline, because Ross and Laurel is a pairing no one imagined, but also Laurel is sleeping with the guy her step-daughter wants to bed.

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But this is a big deal for Laurel.

‘Sexual liberation!’ actress Charlotte Bellamy labels Laurel’s next few moves. But she has one big concern for Laurel, after making her way through so many men. ‘I don’t want her to become the local bike!’.

So the fear is that Laurel takes it too far in the name of letting go, but as she confesses herself, with it being such a small area, there’s not much other option if a gal just wants to have fun.

‘It’s a small village. We have to go through everybody really. Well, I have anyway,’ Charlotte told Metro. And why not? Some good looking fellas in that place.

Could Laurel now be awakened to her own desire and go on the prowl around the village? Spoiler alert – she and Ross don’t make it long term because she decides when she’s had enough.

Perhaps the Ray situation had an effect on Laurel. Though Ray was a terrible man, their short-lived romance was fiery and passionate, leaving a lasting impression on Laurel. When asked if Ray awoke something in her, Charlotte said: ‘Totally. That was genuine. But she’s been stung, hasn’t she? So maybe just some frivolous affairs will see her through. But I’m sure it won’t carry on like that.’

Ok so that confirms it – there’s more to come from Laurel’s sexual liberation, if you pardon the expression.

‘He’s her kind of therapy,’ Charlotte shared about Laurel and Ross. ‘Just to have a really surface-level relationship after falling for Ray, and getting burnt.’

But when she’s had her fill, she dumps Ross.

‘That’s why she actually rejects Ross. You’d think it might be the other way around, but of course, she has all the power. We’re going to like that. We should get a good reaction, hopefully.’ Never have we been more proud of Laurel in her whole 24 years in town. Love this for her.

MORE: All new Emmerdale spoiler videos show Laurel taking pleasure in Gabby’s agony

MORE: Lydia has had enough of Sam in all new Emmerdale spoiler video

MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as a dangerous alliance is formed

WASHINGTON (AP) — A novel pill helped people with advanced pancreatic cancer live longer, researchers reported Sunday, raising hopes of long-needed better treatments for one of the deadliest types of cancer.

“While not curing the cancer, it is a very large step forward,” said Dr. Zev Wainberg, of the University of California, Los Angeles, who helped lead the study.

The drug is called daraxonrasib and it blocks a mutated protein that fuels tumor growth in more than 90% of pancreatic cancer cases — a target that had eluded treatment for decades.

The daily pills nearly doubled survival time, with fewer severe side effects, in a study that randomly assigned the experimental drug or more chemotherapy to 500 patients whose metastatic, or spreading, cancer had quit responding to prior treatment. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Sunday at the American Society for Clinical Oncology meeting in Chicago.

Those taking daraxonrasib lived for a median of 13.2 months compared with 6.7 months for chemotherapy recipients. While that may seem like a small improvement, Wainberg said it marked the first drug to show a substantial advantage over chemotherapy.

“Having treated pancreatic cancer for 16 years, I actually started crying” when first seeing the study results, Dr. Rachna Shroff of the University of Arizona Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved with the research, said from the ASCO meeting. She was struck by how “patients stayed on this treatment because it was providing durable and meaningful benefit to them.”

The pills’ effects eventually wane but recipients used them for significantly longer than the comparison group stayed on chemotherapy, reporting less pain and a better quality of life as their tumors shrank. Many still were using the drug after the data was analyzed, which Wainberg said means the survival gap may widen as researchers continue tracking them.

Dr. Brian Wolpin, of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, presented the findings Sunday. He said the drug should become “a new standard of care” for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer, adding that researchers also will explore its use earlier in the disease, including to see if tumor shrinkage might let more patients qualify for surgery.

Side effects most likely to affect pill usage were a rash that can be severe and mouth sores, he said.

Maker Revolution Medicines funded the study and the Food and Drug Administration plans to expedite review of the drug. Meanwhile, the agency is allowing what’s called “expanded access” to the experimental drug for patients who meet certain criteria. The drug garnered public attention when former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse described on “60 Minutes” how he’s had less pain while taking it. Oncologists are being flooded with requests as the special access program gets started.

Pancreatic cancer is among the most deadly forms in large part because it’s hard to detect before it starts spreading to other organs. The American Cancer Society estimates about 67,000 new cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year and more than 52,000 people will die from the disease. The five-year overall survival rate is 13%.

Unlike with other cancers that have benefitted from a variety of chemotherapy alternatives, pancreatic cancer has been harder to tackle.

Cancer specialists not involved in the new research expressed optimism that this may be a turning point in the quest for new options, with dozens of experimental drugs in development.

The new drug targets mutations in the RAS gene family that normally regulates cell growth. So-called KRAS mutations are especially critical in fueling pancreatic cancer. But a structure that made it hard for drugs to stick to the mutated proteins meant this cancer driver was long considered “undruggable.”

Revolution Medicines’ drug uses what’s essentially a molecular glue to bind with multiple KRAS subtypes. Wainberg said researchers next will probe whether the drug worked better in certain of those subtypes.

The drug will change pancreatic cancer treatment, said Dr. Andrew Coveler of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, who wasn’t involved in the research.

“This thing works drastically differently,” he said.

Wainberg said other drugs in development target specific KRAS subtypes. Other approaches in earlier stages of testing include vaccines designed to prevent recurrence after pancreatic cancer surgery by teaching the immune system to recognize the mutated protein.

___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

“What started as a passion project for Belfast’s whiskey community has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined”

Belfast will be getting in the ‘spirit’ as Whiskey Week returns with three mini festivals within the one event. Back for its eighth and most ambitious year yet, the event transforms the city into a nine-day celebration of whiskey, food, cocktails and culture.

Running from Friday July 24 to Saturday August 1, 2026, the festival has evolved from a grassroots whiskey gathering into one of the island’s “leading drinks and cultural events”, attracting visitors, distilleries and hospitality partners from across the UK, Ireland and beyond.

This year’s edition promises to be the biggest to date, with organisers unveiling an expanded city-wide programme designed to showcase not only Belfast’s rich whiskey heritage, but also its thriving nightlife, hospitality and creative scene.

Alongside its acclaimed tastings, masterclasses, distillery showcases, whiskey walks and the flagship Whiskey Expo, Belfast Whiskey Week will introduce three new festival strands:

• Belfast Fringe Fest: A new city-wide fringe programme bringing unexpected whiskey experiences, live entertainment, collaborations and pop-up events to venues across Belfast.
• Belfast Cocktail City: A celebration of Belfast’s booming cocktail culture, featuring innovative serves, guest bartenders and whiskey-led cocktail experiences from some of the city’s top bars and hospitality talent.
• Belfast Food Fest: A curated programme pairing world-class whiskey with Belfast’s celebrated food scene, highlighting local chefs, restaurants, producers and immersive dining experiences.

Since launching in 2019, Belfast Whiskey Week has welcomed thousands of visitors through its programme of tastings, tours, talks and immersive events, while helping position Belfast as a major destination on the international whiskey map.

Festival Director Paul Kane said: “What started as a passion project for Belfast’s whiskey community has grown into something far bigger than we ever imagined.

“For our eighth year, we wanted to create a festival that truly celebrates the entire city – its people, its venues, its creativity and its incredible hospitality.

“The introduction of Fringe Fest, Cocktail City and Food Fest allows us to shine a spotlight on every corner of Belfast’s drinks and cultural scene. Belfast Whiskey Week is no longer just a whiskey festival – it’s a celebration of Belfast.”

Michael Stewart, Belfast’s Night Czar added: “Belfast Whiskey Week has become one of the defining events in the city’s cultural and hospitality calendar.

“Its continued growth demonstrates the confidence, creativity and energy that exists within Belfast’s night-time economy. The addition of food, cocktail and fringe programming creates an even broader platform for local businesses, artists and venues to collaborate and showcase what Belfast does best.”

For further details, visit www.belfastwhiskeyweek.com

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our What’s On newsletter here

Strikes hit the bottom line across a wide range of industries, and it is these ripple effects that make industrial action by the RMT such an effective bargaining tool in securing conditions for its members.

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) estimated in April that two 24-hour strikes that month cost the economy directly between £130m and £250m in lost working days – both from RMT members themselves and commuters unable to get to work across the city.

However, it said that due to the increased popularity of cycling schemes and remote working, the direct cost of lost work days is higher than it would have been a few years ago.

But the cost is not limited to working days. Sectors such as hospitality and retail take a major hit when there is a Tube strike, particularly businesses in central London, which see a sharp drop in footfall and “less consumer spending”, the CEBR says.

Ahead of the April strike days, pubs and restaurants were braced for nearly a 40 per cent drop in sales, while cafés and coffee shops were expected to lose 34 per cent, according to trade body UKHospitality, which put the overall figure at around £600 million.