Chelsea are expected to be without a number of players for their Premier League with Liverpool this afternoon.

While there is an FA Cup final to look forward to next weekend, the Blues’ league campaign is spiralling towards a dreadful conclusion, losing six games on the bounce and scoring just once in that run.

Robert Sanchez was involved in that dreadful head-to-head collision with Morgan Gibbs-White during Monday’s defeat against Nottingham Forest with both men requiring stitches.

The former Brighton goalkeeper will not be involved today, nor will Jesse Derry who was also involved in another sickening clash of heads in a separate incident.

To add to Chelsea’s woes, both Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto are expected to miss out with knocks. With Estevao’s season over due to a serious hamstring injury and Jamie Gittens sidelined, it leaves Calum McFarlane very light on the wings.

In better news for the Blues, Reece James and Levi Colwill trained this week. Colwill played the second-half against Forest having also played a full 90 for the Under-21s in April.

Liverpool meanwhile hope to have Alexander Isak available to start after he missed the defeat at Manchester United last time out.

The Sweden international returned to training on Thursday with Arne Slot hopeful he can have a role to play. Giorgi Mamardashvili also returned to training this week and will be pushing to reclaim his place in goal with Alisson Becker still out.

Mohamed Salah meanwhile is still to return to training after his hamstring issue and is set to miss out again.

Florian Wirtz and Ibrahima Konate missed training earlier this week but both were back among the group on Friday.

Chelsea XI to face Liverpool – Metro prediction

With no wingers fit, Calum McFarlane may turn to Enzo Fernandez to occupy a more advanced role once again.

Joao Pedro is also an option to drop deep if Liam Delap gets the nod up top.

While Colwill has only recently returned to action after his ACL injury, he will be desperate to be fully up to speed for next weekend’s FA Cup final against City. A starting role today at Anfield would certainly aid that.

Liverpool XI to face Chelsea – Metro prediction

Isak’s availability offers a focal point up top for Liverpool with Hugo Ekitike a long-term absentee.

Liverpool vs Chelsea live stream, TV channel and kick-off time

Liverpool vs Chelsea kicks off at 12:30pm today (Saturday 9 May) at 12:30pm.

You can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1 with streaming also available through the HBO Max app.

MORE: Sunderland vs Man Utd: Predicted lineup today and confirmed team news

MORE: Theo Walcott urges Arsenal star to reject England call-up for the World Cup

MORE: Liverpool urged to sign major Tottenham star ‘on the cheap’ if Spurs are relegated

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Today, Labour suffered a historic loss in the Welsh Senedd elections coming in third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.

In Scotland, the SNP held onto it’s majority with second place too close to call between Labour and Reform as Newscast began recording.

And in England, a bruising run of results continued for Labour, who lost more than a thousand council seats. Reform won more than 1400 councillors and the Greens made gains.

Adam, Chris and James break down the results.

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 Shiler Mahmoudi. The social producer was Joe Wilkinson. The technical producer was Stephen Bailey. The assistant editor was Jack Maclaren. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Harry Poulton went on a “lads’ holiday” to Benidorm, Spain and decided to up sticks and move to the popular destination for good, with one thing in particular making his decision “easy”

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A young man took the leap and moved to Benidorm after becoming enamoured with the tourist hotspot while on a lads’ holiday, and he’s sworn he’ll never come back to the UK. While the United Kingdom has its charms, it’s far from perfect. Between the famously fickle weather and the relentless cost of living crisis, it’s little wonder some people decide to up sticks and seek out sunnier shores.

That’s precisely what happened to Harry Poulton, 24, who fell head over heels for Benidorm during a lads’ getaway and immediately saw it as the place he needed to call home.

For Harry, one significant factor made the choice easy – enjoying a fun lifestyle on a far tighter budget compared to “gloomy” Britain.

The Brighton-born travel vlogger had grown weary of life in dreary England and, aged just 18, made the radical choice to completely upend his life by leaving his homeland behind for good.

Speaking in a TikTok video about his reasoning, he revealed that escaping Britain’s “horrible” weather was among his primary motivations for the move.

Financial pressures also played a crucial role in his thinking. Living in the Spanish coastal resort works out considerably more affordable for Harry.

He went on to say: “Everything in the UK is just going up, up, up and up, and no one knows when it’s going to stop. At least here in Spain, your money travels so much further – you’ll get way more for your money here in Spain than you would in the UK, and that’s my opinion.”

Speaking to Luxury Travel Daily, Harry explained: “I don’t know why anybody would want to live in Britain. It’s cold, dreary and gloomy all the time.

“There’s no room to have fun outside of the constant boring routine and work. After I visited Benidorm, I knew that it was the place I wanted to settle down.

“It offers great weather, beautiful beaches and such a laid-back vibe. It’s the complete opposite of the UK.”

Harry is a passionate advocate for Benidorm, believing many Brits unfairly make a “mockery” of the popular holiday hotspot. The Spanish resort is renowned for its bustling hospitality and entertainment sector, pristine beaches, and litany of high-rise buildings.

The municipality reportedly attracts equal numbers of international visitors as it does Spanish holidaymakers. He said: “Stop making a mockery of such a wonderful place. If you live here, you’ll know better than any British tourists what this country is really like.”

Harry continued: “Everyone says not to visit Benidorm, as you’ll get scammed or mugged. And that bars will rip tourists off with extortionate prices for drinks – but that’s all absolute rubbish.

“It’s crazy what Brits believe. It’s not just for party-goers or stag dos. Benidorm has so much on offer and it’s not a place you’ll regret going. There are so many haters out there that like to spread misinformation or myths, stopping people from coming here.”

He went on: “It’s mad. Look at the state of the UK – all of these things happen there more than they do in Benidorm.”

Harry believes his quality of life in Spain far exceeds anything he experienced back in the UK.

For anyone contemplating a similar leap across borders, he advised: “Learn some basic Spanish before coming. Ensure to plan financially, too. Be prepared for some paperwork, especially since Brexit, but it’s so worth it once you’re here.”

Looking back on taking such a momentous step while just a teenager, he added: “It’s completely transformed my life – and being so young, I’m glad I leaped now rather than later. Who wants to wake up to grey skies every day, when you can have blue ones greeting you each morning? Benidorm is paradise – anyone who says otherwise is lying.”

Pamela Doherty spoke up about John Leathem’s wife after someone referred to her online as “his poor wife”.

The of murdered teenager Paige Doherty has slammed the wife of the killer for sticking by her husband.

Pamela Doherty, 43, was provoked into posting about John Leathem’s wife, Katya Karbowiak, after someone put a comment on a post referring to “his poor wife”.

Leathem, 42, was sentenced to life after he admitted killing the 15-year-old – who who was 4ft 8in – at his deli in Clydebank, in 2016. Paige’s body was found two days later dumped in a wood.

She had more than 140 injuries and had been stabbed 61 times. Pamela wrote on Facebook: “I’ve never said much about what I think about the wife of the man who killed Paige. So here it is.

“When Paige died, I had loads of people say I should tell people ‘don’t blame the wife’.”

Pamela explained that she believes Karbowiak was wrong to stand by her husband. She added: “I gave her the benefit of the doubt. I thought she was maybe ­terrified. Maybe he had threatened her.

“Instead, she defended her husband, even shouting outside Low Moss Prison he was innocent. When people feel sorry for this woman, please remember.”

Pamela told the Record in March about her wish to visit Leathem in jail and challenge him to explain why he murdered.

The interview marked the 10th anniversary of Paige’s murder and since then, Pamela has held a charity ball in her memory to raise funds for Paige’s Promise, set up to help families who lose children in tragic circumstances.

Pamela belives there was a sexual motive for the attack and that Paige was killed because she fought back. She also said she had written previously to Leathem, asking him to accept a visit from her in jail, but he failed to reply.

Pamela intends to try again. She said: “I want him to face me, look me in the eye and tell me why he took my daughter’s life when she had so much ahead of her.”

Pamela also revealed that the justice system had added to the torture she felt at losing her daughter.

She had to delay the funeral for weeks to allow the defence to have its own post-mortem, and when Leathem appealed against his 27-year minimum sentence and saw it reduced to 23, she had no input into the proceedings.

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A Belfast-based arts collective is calling for more funding for the arts in Northern Ireland and more affordable studio space to help the country’s thriving creative sector.

Vault Artist Studios was formed in 2017 as a community driven, non-profit charity, with the initial intention to transform derelict buildings by bringing them back to life, all while providing much-needed affordable artist studio space.

The multi-disciplinary collective has over 100 members consisting of musicians, circus performers, visual artists, photographers and more. Up until this month, the group had spent three years between studio space on Victoria Street in Belfast city centre and at the Shankill Mission building.

READ MORE: Where are we with the big “game-changing” development projects in Belfast?READ MORE: Belfast arts collective looking to the future after setting up first city centre location

Prior to this, the group had been based on Tower Street in East Belfast for five years, with the building recently demolished to make way for affordable housing. Now, the group has moved into a new home in Bankmore House on Bedford Street, which gives studio space to 30 artists, as well as a gallery and project space.

Further studio space will come from a move back to the East of the city, with a hub opening soon in the former Masonic Lodge on the lower Newtownards Road.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Rob Hilken, a visual artist on the board of trustees for Vault Artist Studios, said they’re delighted with their new space on Bedford Street.

“This is the best building we’ve ever had,” he said. “The gallery space is incredible and our studios are great here, we’re in a busy part of town with lots of businesses, a lot of developments in the are, so it’s a real opportunity for us to engage with the local community.

“This space is going to be essential for us to manage keeping our studio rents affordable because artists are some of the lowest paid workers in the economy. We use these rentable spaces to continue to be affordable to those who would otherwise struggle.

“We’ve designed the space to be multifunctional and we’re working really closely with Linen Quarter BID and they’re going to be taking on the space to run wellbeing workshops for local people and businesses at lunchtime.

“We have one exhibition a month that we programme for Late Night Art, but in between that, there are groups of artists who come and rent our space and put on their own exhibitions here.”

Reflecting on the nomad status of Vault Artist Studio, with moving from derelict building to derelict building being in the collective’s DNA, Rob said: “With these buildings, there’s always a long-term plan for them which we’re not a part of because we can’t pay commercial rents, so we occupy on a short-term basis.

“When we move in we work hard to get a space immediately working for us. We haven’t got unlimited energy to do this, but we’ve got good energy to make things happen in a short space of time.”

The collective’s first exhibition in their new space is titled ‘Mayday Mayday’, a fitting theme in their new temporary home, with the term being both a distress signal and a rallying call for workers to come together.

It comes as funding for the arts in Northern Ireland is less than a quarter of the sum invested in the Republic of Ireland, and half of that in Wales. Of the estimated 14,500 artists in NI, only 29% can work full-time in the arts, with the majority supplementing their income by taking on multiple jobs.

Visual artist Cathy Scullion curated the exhibition, and took a week off on holiday from her day job to put it together. She said: “The exhibition is all about celebrating workers and the working classes. For me personally, there’s a real worry that as the cost of being an artist rises, we’re basically eliminating the ability for working class people to be able to do this type of work and exist in this world.

“It’s something we should all be really concerned about as working class people have a lot of really important and interesting things to say. I come from a working class background myself and I went back to university later in life because when you were younger it was very much drummed into you that that isn’t for you.

“There are still certain parts of the art world you can feel like you don’t belong, so that’s why this exhibition was personally really important to me to be the first thing to launch this new space.”

As for the importance of collectives such as Vault at a time when the costs of being an artist are on the rise, Rob sadi: “We provide studios to people that don’t necessarily make a full-time living from their art, which is very hard to do. Most people have other work, but to justify having a studio that is expensive would just push a lot of people out of the sector.

“So by having this affordable studio space we can include people of all demographics. The whole spectrum of the arts is here, so that’s really important to the city and brings an energy to this place that is so unique.”

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Such groups also add to the fabric of the city, with exhibitions being a central part of the monthly Late Night Art event on the first Thursday of each month at galleries around the city.

Rob said it provides a vital space to get people interested in the arts and to meet new people, with community engagement a vital part of Vault’s mission.

He said: “We have a lot of students who come to the exhibitions, young artists moving to the city who want to meet other artists and embed themselves in the scene. The gallery does a lot for lots of different people.

“We’re hoping local people, the businesses and communities in the local area start to see us as a place where they can come and socialise. Some people don’t necessarily want to go to a pub, or maybe they don’t know anybody in the area, but it’s quite easy to just talk to somebody about a piece of art on the wall.

“On the other side of us there are flats, there are people living in this immediate area. We always have a goal to have an impact locally, we see ourselves as a community of artists and artists in the community as very much a two-sided thing about why we exist.”

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Firearms officers and a dog unit were called to the property in Rosemary Court, near Walmgate, shortly after 1pm on Friday (May 8).

It followed a report of affray that happened earlier on Friday, North Yorkshire Police said.

The force said the incident was “safely resolved” but officers would remain at the property on Friday to conduct a search.

Police cars parked in Rosemary Court, York, on Friday (May 8) (Image: Alice Kavanagh)

One woman visiting a friend in the area said she was surprised by the police presence.

“I had absolutely no idea, we didn’t see or hear anything that was happening,” she said.

A nearby resident said: “I saw three or four police cars before, but it wasn’t too close to me.

“I just keep myself to myself … It’s generally really nice living around here, but we do have police showing up a few times a month.”

A 43-year-old man was arrested in connection with the reported affray on Friday, police said.

Officers carried out a dawn raid where they discovered a large quantity of suspected Class A drugs – including a 20 litre barrel of a substance believed to be in the manufacture of drugs.

Two men have been arrested

Police raided the property on Elmira Way, Salford.

Two men– both aged 29 – were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class A and B drugs, in addition on suspicion of being concerned in the supply of Class A and B drugs.

They remain in custody for questioning.

During searches of the property, officers uncovered a quantity of suspected class A drugs – including crystal meth, ketamine, and other related paraphernalia.

A 20 litre barrel of a substance believed to be used as part of the manufacturing process was also recovered, and will be tested before being appropriately disposed of.

The work comes as part of an ongoing operation, with the warrant conducted by the Violence, Reduction and Exploitation team.

Discovery after raid (Image: GMP)

Sergeant Adam Culpan said: “This morning’s work resulted in significant recoveries and has seen harmful substances taken out of circulation.

“Our proactive teams work diligently every single day to tackle drug-related criminality, in addition to the wider repercussions that it can cause – such as exploitation and addiction.

“If you have any information about criminality in your area, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with police, either directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers.”

Is the name as naughty as it seems, or is there a different way to pronounce it?

Where is Shittlehope?

Shittlehope sits between Stanhope and Frosterley in the upper Wear Valley, tucked into the North Pennines landscape of farmland, steep banks and old mining ground.

The name lives on in Shittlehope Burn, which cuts down to meet the River Wear, and in Shittlehope Shield, a small settlement close to the main road up the dale.

It is the sort of place you are more likely to walk or drive past than search for, until the sign flashes past and the spelling sticks in your mind.

Why the name confuses people

Written down, the first part of Shittlehope looks like a word many people avoid saying in polite company, which is why some visitors try to soften it to “Sheetlehope” or glide over the middle completely.

Online, there are threads where people argue about the “right” way to say it and joke about how broadcasters will cope.

For people in Weardale, however, the joke wears thin quickly: it is simply the name of a burn, a shield and a small corner of the valley they call home.

How do you pronounce Shittlehope?

Locally, Shittlehope – as in Shittlehope Burn and Shittlehope Shield in Weardale – is generally pronounced “SHIT-uhl-hohp”, with a clear short “i” and both parts sounded as written.

In faster local speech, it is often clipped even further to something closer to “SHIT-lup”, the second half tumbling away in a single syllable.

Both versions sit comfortably within the Weardale accent, where vowels are short and place names are often shortened in everyday use.

A call for local voices

Even in an age of mapping apps and street-level images, small places like Shittlehope rarely come with audio guides. That is why local knowledge still matters.

If you live in or around Stanhope, Frosterley or along Shittlehope Burn, how do you say it?

Do you lean towards “SHIT-uhl-hohp”, the clipped “SHIT-lup”, or something else entirely?

Let us know in the comments.

One type of outside light may make burglars “think twice before attempting to break into the property”

Worried homeowners who feel troubled by security and safety have been urged to install one type of light. And it may help prevent a break-in.

Touching on Home Security, one question on a police website asks: “Are external lights a good idea for security?” In its answer, the Ask the Police website, hosted by the Police National Legal Database, issued guidance and said “yes.”

It explained: “Yes they are, outside lights deter potential burglars from dark hidden areas. The best type of external light is one that stays on all the time. Any intruder that has made up their mind to break into a property will more than likely not be put off by lights that are triggered by movement.

“If the light is on all the time then it may make them think twice before attempting to break into the property.” In another question that asks, “how can I protect my home from burglary?”, the site recommends making sure you have taken all the necessary steps to ensure your home is not a target.

It says: “A secure home will reduce the chance of you getting burgled. Many domestic burglaries are committed by opportunists; criminals will look for homes that have little or no obvious security, have doors or windows left open or seem unoccupied.”

It recommends these “top tips” listed below “to help keep your home safe from thieves”.

• Install an alarm system will help to deter burglars.
• Ensure you have a robust, secure front door with British Standard-approved locks and hinges.
• Install outside lighting, such as motion sensor lights so that intruders cannot approach without being seen.
• Lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house, even when you are just out in the garden.
• Consider installing CCTV, as this is good deterrent for thieves and if you are targeted, CCTV can provide valuable evidence.
• When you go out, leave radios or lights in your house on a timer to make the property appear occupied.
• Keep hedges and walls at the front of your house low (under one metre) so burglars have nowhere to hide.
• Keep side and rear boundaries high and add trellis or prickly defensive planting to make it harder for burglars to climb over.
• If you have a sliding patio door, check that it has an anti-lift device fitted so it can’t be lifted out of the frame.
• Move bins or garden furniture that could be used to reach windows.
• Ensure communal doors in flats/apartments are closed and secure, and report any faults to your landlord or maintenance company.
• Never buzz anyone into the building that you do not know, or let them follow behind you.
• Lock and secure any sheds and outbuildings.
• Property mark and register valuable items.
• Think about having your door reinforced with a security door bar.
• Mark your property with a UV marker pen or Security DNA marking Kit – these can be bought online or in some stores.

Waterspouts were spotted spiralling off the Mediterranean coast as flash floods and severe storms battered a popular Brit holiday spot

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Footage circulating on social media has captured the dramatic moment enormous waterspouts spiralled off the coastline of a popular tourist destination.

Southern Spain has been battered by flash floods as fierce storms swept through the region ahead of the summer holidays. Torrential downpours triggered widespread flooding on roads across parts of Murcia, with cars pictured floating in deep floodwater as the deluge hammered the area.

Several marine tornadoes emerged offshore, with witnesses reporting at least three waterspouts. The towering vortexes stretched from dark, brooding storm clouds down towards the Mediterranean, according to the Sun. A waterspout is a rotating column of air that forms over water, capable of producing destructive wind gusts. In extreme cases, winds can reach speeds of up to 250km/h.

Days earlier British holidaymakers in parts of Spain were issued a weather warning.

Spain’s state meteorological agency AEMET reinforced severe weather warnings across Campo de Cartagena, while authorities issued a yellow alert for thunderstorms, cautioning residents about the possibility of hail and powerful wind gusts, reports the Mirror.

An orange alert remained active for torrential rainfall, with forecasters predicting up to 40mm of rain falling within a single hour.

The conditions form part of a broader storm system sweeping across eastern and southern parts of the country, following weeks of warm weather. Meteorologists have cautioned of heavy downpours, electrical storms and rapidly shifting conditions throughout the region.

The severe weather arrives just weeks after storms struck Spain in March, claiming one life. In some areas, rainfall exceeded 250 litres per square metre, with rivers surging to perilous levels.

Earlier this year, Storm Leonardo unleashed more than 15 inches of rain within just 24 hours, forcing mass evacuations, school closures and widespread train cancellations.

The devastating storm also claimed a life in Portugal, displacing thousands of residents from their homes.