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The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Tuesday's briefing: Alexander Isak back in Toon as Liverpool parade new signings
Wantaway Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is back on Tyneside while the club linked with him, Liverpool, have been parading the signings they have made this summer at Anfield. Also in the north east, Regis Le Bris has been handed a new contract at Sunderland. Isak returns to Newcastle Alexander Isak is facing showdown talks with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe after returning to Tyneside. The 25-year-old Sweden international headed back to Tyneside over the weekend after spending time working on his fitness at former club Real Sociedad. Isak missed the Magpies' pre-season tour of Asia having cited a thigh injury amid fevered speculation over his future. Newcastle swiftly rejected a £110million bid for the player from Liverpool last week. 'You have to earn the right to train with us,' said Howe before the team flew home from Seoul. 'No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal.' New stars on show at Anfield Established stars Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo scored the goals as Liverpool showcased £270million-worth of new signings in a 3-2 friendly win over Athletic Bilbao at Anfield on Monday. Record recruit Florian Wirtz hit the bar in an eye-catching display while fellow new faces Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike also featured for the Premier League champions. Ekitike set up the opener for Salah, who also missed a penalty, and Gakpo struck twice. It was the second of two games against the Basque outfit, with a largely second-string Reds side earlier winning 4-1. Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott, two players linked with moves, were on target along with teenagers Rio Ngumoha and Ben Doak. Tributes were paid to forward Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash last month, in both games. New deal for Black Cats boss Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has signed a new three-year contract. The 49-year-old Frenchman was appointed in June 2024 and guided the Black Cats back to the Premier League after an eight-year absence in his first season. Sporting director Kristjaan Speakman said: 'I'm delighted we are announcing this contract extension for Regis. 'It provides clarity going into the Premier League season, but more importantly it recognises his contribution and continued commitment to the club.' Martin defends Gers criticism Russell Martin claims his criticism of some of the Rangers squad following their deflating 1-1 draw with Motherwell on Saturday came from a position of 'love and care'. The Gers boss hit out following the William Hill Premiership opener at Fir Park, questioning mentality, speaking about 'egos' and accusing some of 'self-preservation'. 'I think if they know us by now as a group of coaches that it all comes from a place of love and care for them,' said the Gers boss. Hearts investor targets title Brighton owner Tony Bloom has set his sights on winning the SPL with Hearts after investing in the Edinburgh club. The English entrepreneur completed a £9.86million deal in June to secure a 29 per cent stake in the Jambos in non-voting shares. Bloom said: 'If we have not won the league title in the next 10 years, I will be very disappointed.' What's on today? Rangers are in action again as they host Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the first leg of a Champions League third qualifying round tie.
Coin Geek
an hour ago
- Coin Geek
Iraq plans AI-focused colleges; Walmart powers up with AI
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Iraq has taken a giant leap toward the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), eyeing the launch of two colleges to deepen the local talent pool. Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Naeem al-Aboudi has given a ministerial order to establish two colleges at the University of Baghdad. The two faculties—the College of Excellence and the College of Artificial Intelligence—are expected to begin operations in the 2025-2026 academic session. Under the ministerial order, both colleges will integrate real-world AI applications in their curricula, with August 20 earmarked for the resolution of staffing and logistics. The order also directed the Directorate of Studies, Planning, and Follow-up to set up admission criteria for students' intake before the start of the new academic year. The College of Excellence will launch departments in applied information systems, data science, e-business management, philosophy, and sociology. Meanwhile, the College of Artificial Intelligence will provide advanced courses in engineering and biomedical applications. Sarkawt Penjweni, Head of the Academy of Artificial Intelligence, hailed the move as key to generating a stream of AI talent for the fledgling digital ecosystem. While key ecosystem players have lauded the establishment of the college, mainstream AI adoption in Iraq is underwhelming compared to its regional peers. The absence of a clear framework for regulating AI service providers and crystal-clear long-term plans continues to stifle adoption. Aware of its shortcomings, the Iraqi government is scrambling to unveil plans for the wholesale integration of AI across public services. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the High Committee for Artificial Intelligence are mulling the prospects of introducing AI capabilities in agriculture, water resources, and the education sectors. Meanwhile, the plans include a scheme to attract skilled AI professionals from abroad to bolster key ranks in the private and public sectors. Amid the push for AI, Iraq is proceeding with its attempt at rolling out a central bank digital currency (CBDC). Middle East to record significant AI growth Although the Middle East is lagging behind North America and Europe, experts are not dismissing its significance in the overall adoption of AI. A report noted that the Middle East is in a strong position for AI innovation given the wave of government initiatives to trigger adoption. The United Arab Emirates leads the pack, while Saudi Arabia and Qatar match the regional leader's pace. Already, regional spending on AI is predicted to reach $7 billion by the end of 2026, reflecting a surge in adoption metrics across several key sectors. Walmart transforming e-commerce with AI Agents Elsewhere, Walmart (NASDAQ: WMT) has announced plans to extend its AI capabilities by introducing 'super agents' to improve customers' experiences and keep pace with rivals. The world's largest retailer will launch four AI-powered agents to streamline operations. Each agent will cater to the needs of Walmart shoppers, employees, software developers, suppliers, and sellers. The AI agent for customers, dubbed Sparky, is available for users of the Walmart app and offers a raft of features. The use cases extend beyond conventional chatbot functionality to include the ability to automatically reorder items, plan events, and generate recipes from a pool of available supplies. Another agent, named Marty, manages supplier onboarding and ad campaigns, while the Associate supports employee processes, such as leave requests and scheduling. Meanwhile, the Developer is the agent for building and testing Walmart's new AI tools. Before launching AI agents, Walmart leaned on several generative AI functionalities for search and chat. The chatbots supported users with order tracking while offering suggestions for user queries. Now, Walmart has disclosed that the new AI agents will replace its previous AI offerings as the retailer looks to turbocharge its growth. The company predicted that AI-assisted online sales will make up 50% of total sales by the decade's end. Several studies strongly advocate for AI integration in Walmart's processes, citing efficiency and productivity perks. In addition to AI, Walmart is embracing blockchain and considering the prospects of digital goods and a potential stablecoin rollout. Walmart is eyeing snagging customers from Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), a retailer that has unveiled a slew of AI-based solutions for suppliers and customers. Last year, the company raked in $648 billion in annual sales, with analysts targeting a spike in the coming years following the wholesale embrace of emerging technologies. Global retailers wade into AI to spike metrics Walmart and Amazon are not the only retailers adopting AI for their internal processes. China-based Alibaba (NASDAQ: BABAF) previously announced a raft of AI functionalities, extending the offerings to suppliers on two of its flagship e-commerce platforms: Taobao and Tmall. United States-based Target (NASDAQ: TGT) has also joined the AI arms race, unveiling a streak of solutions for users via personalized offers and demand forecasting. Sports apparel brand Nike (NASDAQ: NKE) has turned its gaze to AI solutions for market efficiency and custom recommendations for consumers. In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek's coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI . Watch: AI is for 'augmenting' not replacing the workforce title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal transfer news: Real Madrid star Rodrygo makes major call amid Liverpool hijack
Arsenal have had a very busy summer transfer window so far with Mikel Arteta welcoming a host of new faces to North London and it appears that some other big signings could be in the offing The 2025/26 Premier League season is drawing ever closer for Arsenal. There's now less than two weeks until the Gunners' opening game of the campaign against Manchester United at Old Trafford. It all means there's still plenty of work for Mikel Arteta to do to get his squad in the best position it can be. Two pre-season friendlies remain for the North London side to test themselves ahead of meeting the Red Devils against Spanish duo Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao. Those two games will give a host of new signings more chances to integrate, with ex-Chelsea man Noni Madueke finally expected to link up with his new teammates. Meanwhile, Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Zubimendi and Cristhian Mosquera will all get the chance to step out at the Emirates Stadium for the first time. While Arsenal already have a host of new faces in situ, their work in the transfer market might not be quite finished yet. Arsenal remain keen on adding a new winger to their squad. And it appears that they already know the man they want. Take a look at all of the latest Arsenal transfer rumours: Rodrygo makes transfer decision Rodrygo looks set to stay with Real Madrid despite serious interest from the Premier League. Arsenal were previously linked with a move for the Brazilian wideman this summer, albeit there is competition from Liverpool and Tottenham. But it appears that Rodrygo wants to stay where he is. According to Spanish outlet AS, Rodrygo is now keen to stay at the Bernabeu and fight for his place under Xabi Alonso. Rodrygo believes he has enough quality to add to the existing options at the club. And that could potentially force Arsenal to look elsewhere for attacking recruits. Liverpool complete hijack While Liverpool were potentially looking to rival Arsenal for Rodrygo, the Reds have already beaten their Premier League rivals in the race for one player. The Reds have confirmed a deal for Salford City striker Will Wright despite the Gunners having agreed a deal for the teenager. It was previously reported that Arsenal offered around £250k for the youngster but he has instead opted to move to Anfield. Wright has already played for Liverpool's under-21 side after completing his switch to Anfield. Wonderkid rejects move French defender Jeremy Jacquet has turned down a move to Arsenal after an approach from the Gunners. It was suggested that the North London side had made an attempt to sign the 20-year-old. But Jacquet has rejected that opportunity according to Foot Mercato and his current club Rennes are now attempting to rebuff any further interest having offered the youngster a new deal until 2029.
