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Liverpool's Slot hints at fresh Isak bid despite 'attacking power'

Liverpool's Slot hints at fresh Isak bid despite 'attacking power'

France 242 days ago
After a quiet first year in the transfer market under Slot the Reds have spent almost £300 million ($402 million) on forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike as well as full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.
Nunez is one of a number of significant exits that will help recoup much of that outlay as the Uruguayan closes in on a £46 million move to Al Hilal.
Liverpool reportedly had a £110 million bid for Isak turned down by Newcastle, who are seeking a British transfer record fee.
The Swedish striker has not been part of the Magpies' pre-season preparations and has been told to train on his own by Newcastle.
"You never talk about players that are not yours," Slot said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Community Shield against Crystal Palace at Wembley, the traditional curtain-raiser for the season.
"I think we have a lot of attacking power in our team. When I think about Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa, Hugo Ekitike, Mo Salah, Jeremie Frimpong, who can play as a right-winger, Florian Wirtz, who can play as a left-winger, -- I already feel I have a lot of attacking options in my current squad.
"But, as always as a club, we are always looking at the chances in the market."
Liverpool celebrated a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title but were devastated last month by the death of forward Diogo Jota.
The Portuguese international was killed in a car accident alongside his brother in northern Spain as he began to make his way back to England for pre-season.
A series of tributes have been paid to Jota at every Liverpool game since and will continue throughout the season.
A "Forever 20" emblem, referencing Jota's now-retired shirt number, will be printed on Liverpool's shirts this season, while a permanent memorial will be installed at Anfield.
"First of all, tragedy impacted us but it impacted far more his wife, children and parents," said Slot.
"But it impacted us as well, definitely. The tributes that have been done since were all very emotional and impressive, every time we were somewhere.
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Relief for River Island as High Court approves restructuring, but the hard work starts now
Relief for River Island as High Court approves restructuring, but the hard work starts now

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Relief for River Island as High Court approves restructuring, but the hard work starts now

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Why are social media sites betting on crowdsourced fact-checking?
Why are social media sites betting on crowdsourced fact-checking?

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Why are social media sites betting on crowdsourced fact-checking?

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The experiment carried on after Elon Musk took control of the company in 2022. Otavio Vinhas, a researcher at the National Institute of Science and Technology in Informational Disputes and Sovereignties in Brazil, said that Meta's introduction of a community notes programme earlier this year is in line with a trend led by US President Donald Trump to move towards a more libertarian view of free speech on social media. 'The demand is that platforms should commit to this [libertarian view],' Vinhas told Euronews Next. 'For them, fair moderation would be moderation that prioritises free speech without much concern to the potential harm or the potential false claims it can push up'. Hale told Euronews Next there is some scientific proof behind crowdsourcing, with studies showing that crowds could often arrive at the right verdict when evaluating whether information was well fact-checked or not. They often agreed with professionals, he said. But TikTok's Footnotes is slightly different than other crowdsourcing initiatives on Meta or X, Vinhas said. That's because the programme still asks users to add the source of information for their note, which Vinhas says is not mandatory on X. Most notes don't end up on the platforms Where the challenge lies for all social media companies is getting the right people to see the notes, Hale said. All three community programmes use a bridge-based ranking system that ranks how similar you are to another user based on the content that a user consumes, based either on the other accounts they follow or the videos they watch, Hale said. The algorithm shows the content to users that are considered 'dissimilar' to each other to see if they both find the note helpful, Hale said. Notes that pass the test will then be visible on the platform. What tends to happen, though, is that the vast majority of the notes that are written on the platform are actually never seen, Vinhas said. A June study from the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas (DDIA) of English and Spanish community notes on X found that over 90 per cent of the 1.7 million notes available on a public database never made it online. Notes that did make it to the platform took an average of 14 days to be published, down from 100 days in 2022, even though there are still delays to how quickly X responds to these notes, the DDIA report continued. 'I don't think these platforms can achieve the promise of bringing consensus and make the internet this marketplace of ideas in which the best information and the best ideas end up winning the argument,' Vinhas said. Hale said it can be difficult for users to come across notes that might contradict their point of view because of 'echo chambers' on social media, where content is shown that reinforces the beliefs that users already have. 'It's very easy to get ourselves into parts of networks that are similar to us,' he said. 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Brexit sends Brits to Europe for Louboutins in a blow to UK luxury
Brexit sends Brits to Europe for Louboutins in a blow to UK luxury

Euronews

timea day ago

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Brexit sends Brits to Europe for Louboutins in a blow to UK luxury

Brits are swapping London's glittering storefronts for Paris' grands magasins and Milan's Quadrilatero della moda — and the numbers behind the luxury exodus are startling. Since tax-free shopping became possible for UK visitors in the EU after Brexit in January 2021, British consumers have increasingly directed their high-end spending towards brands and stores across the Channel. According to a recent report published by the Association of International Retail (AIR), Britons shelled out €854 million (£730mn) on VAT-free shopping in the EU in 2024, a five-fold leap from €169mn in 2021. "This is not the same people spending a bit more — it's a whole new shopping-led tourism market spending additionally on hotels, travel, restaurants, etc.," the AIR report stated. When the UK left the European Union, its shoppers became non-EU visitors or third-country travellers and instantly became entitled to VAT-free shopping. According to the EU's VAT directive, retailers in the bloc must provide shoppers with the option of reclaiming no less than 15%, with most countries applying an average rate of 20%, of the cost of the item. This can be particularly appealing when it comes to high-end or luxury items. Say you decide to buy the TikTok-viral Loewe Puzzle Bag during a trip to Paris or Spain. The small one retails at around €3,600 and the large one is currently priced at around €4,200, according to prices listed on Loewe's official website. With the VAT returns, you would get €700 back for the small bag and €840 for the big one. Suddenly, a weekend trip to the continent might seem more appealing. "So, they are spending hundreds of millions of additional euros on hotels, restaurants, transport, fun... at Britain's expense," the AIR report added, highlighting the blow to UK tourism. According to the Paris Tourism Office, there was a 44% spike in visitors from the UK visiting the French capital in 2023, the highest increase among European tourists in the ranking. No VAT-free benefits in the UK When the UK left the EU in January 2021, it proceeded to abolish its previous VAT scheme, citing cost and complexity. This made the UK the only major global shopping destination not offering VAT-free shopping to any international tourists. The only way you can currently buy VAT-free goods in the UK is if they are bought online and shipped directly to an address outside the UK. Northern Ireland has retained a VAT-free scheme, meaning that if you purchase goods there as an EU citizen and fly out within three months, you will get your VAT tax returned to you upon leaving. Even big-ticket items people buy at the airport — such as in the stores in the duty-free area — were stripped of the VAT-free status. So for UK travellers who would usually purchase laptops, smartphones or designer cosmetics at the airport, largely the same prices apply as the ones they pay in stores at home. Alcohol and tobacco purchases are exceptions, as these can be bought duty-free. Luxury retailers are furious Britain's luxury lobby is unhappy about the tax changes. Walpole — the official body representing Britain's luxury sector including Rolls-Royce, Burberry, and Harrods — published a study in May, claiming that luxury exports to the EU were "up to 43% lower than they may have been without Brexit". In the fashion and accessories sector alone, Brexit incurred a 64% loss. "This points to a substantial 'Brexit effect' on this industry which supports over 450,000 jobs and contributes £14.6 billion (€16.8bn) to the Exchequer" the report continues. Crucially, British luxury brands are not just losing sales to European rivals, they are also watching demand for UK-made goods slump across the EU and global markets. The luxury industry is uniquely dominant in Europe's history, having emerged from centuries of craftsmanship and artisanal work matched with the latest developments in artistry and design. 'Luxury is a global phenomenon, but it calls the UK and Europe its home,' Walpole CEO Helen Brocklebank said in a statement. The EU currently produces 74% of global luxury goods, and 62% of those goods are exported outside the EU, according to the European Commission — a profit opportunity the UK luxury industry is missing out on. "The British luxury sector has incredible growth potential, with a projection to reach £125bn (€144bn) by 2028," Brocklebank continued. "However, to achieve this ambition, we cannot afford to have one arm tied behind our back. Strong links and favourable trading with Europe remain essential to reaching this forecast, alongside our success in other global markets and key to supporting craft-led and high value manufacturing in the UK." Brands report that delays, surprise courier fees and inconsistent border checks have pushed EU customers to rival European labels and left a trail of negative reviews for UK brands, leading to a confidence shock on the continent that brands are not able to quell on their own without policy changes. They claim that the EU market is not replaceable, namely that they cannot just pivot to another market that would match the demand. Continental Europe is both their biggest customer base and the linchpin of their supply chains, with brands sourcing many leathers in Tuscan tanneries and continental brands buying from Scottish cashmere mills for their own products. 'At a time of global uncertainty and trade challenges, the Government must seize the opportunity to smooth the trade barriers with our closest and largest trading partner," Brocklebank continued. Apart from the UK-EU relations, luxury sales have faced additional challenges from rising US tariffs and reduced consumer demand in China. Brits love their luxury A YouGov poll shows there is an appetite to spend more on luxury. According to a 2024 study, a quarter of Britons bought a luxury product in the previous year and 45% of those shoppers say they are happy to pay extra for premium brands. More than half spent up to £500, while 9% blew through £5,000. More than a third or 34% of luxury shoppers say they are likely to spend the same amount on luxury goods this year, compared to the previous year. So until Westminster considers relaunching some form of VAT-free equivalent benefits, every swipe of a British card in the EU may ring up another missed sale at home.

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