By Mike Stone and Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON A $16 billion list of lower-priority defense items like tanks, helicopter

Michael Olise has signed a new £100,000-a-week four-year deal with Crystal Palace, as Roy Hodgson has made strong arguments that the club should keep both the winger and Eberechi Eze this summer. The window has so far seen Wilf Zaha finally leave Selhurst Park, with a number of clubs trailing the two young attackers seen as their new jewels. Chelsea had been strongly pursuing Olise, much to the irritation of their south London rivals, who have been intent on keeping him. Palace have hence rewarded the French youth international with a bumper deal, on £100,000-a-week. The interest in Eze is stronger, with West Ham United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur looking at him as a top-range target for their wide positions. Hodgson has repeatedly made the argument to the club that they should seek to keep both this summer, however, if they are intent on going to the next level. Having already agreed a deal with Olise, there are attempts to do similar with Eze. Read More Nottingham Forest set high price for Brennan Johnson Premier League clubs interested as race for Jeremy Doku’s signature heats up Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more

Chris Hemsworth said the alarm was a 'good kick in the a**e and a reminder to do whatever is in my power to give myself the best fighting chance'

FanDuel is giving new users a $2,500 bonus to use on any NBA Finals or Stanley Cup game! See here how to claim yours!

Rights group Amnesty International on Tuesday accused Cambodia of breaking international law through the eviction of 10,000 families from around...

An aircraft of the Italian acrobatic air team crashed on Saturday during a practice run outside the northern city of Turin, killing a child on the ground, according to media reports. The plane or parts of the plane reportedly struck a car carrying a family, killing a 5-year-old girl. A 9-year-old and the parents were being treated for burns, according to Italian news agency ANSA. The pilot ejected and also reportedly suffered burns. Video of the crash shows nine aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori in two tight V-formations, before one of the aircraft drops below the others and crashes, sending a fireball into the air. In the video, the pilot can be seen ejecting with a parachute shortly before impact inside a fence airfield. The crash reportedly happened after takeoff from the Turin Caselle airport, near the industrial northern city. There was no immediate word on the pilot’s condition or the reason for the crash. Photos of the aftermath show the wreckage of the plane in a cornfield, and a burned and wrecked car overturned on the side of a road. The Frecce Tricolori is Italy’s premier team of acrobatic pilots, part of the Italian air force. They typically perform dramatic flybys at events of national importance, leaving streaks of red, green and white smoke for the colors of the Italian flag. They perform more intricate acrobatics during air shows. The squad was preparing for a show on Sunday as part of events marking the 100th anniversary of the Italian Air Force. In 1988, three aircraft of the Frecce Tricolori collided and crashed to the ground during an air show at Ramstein Air Base in Germany attended by around 300,000 people. The three pilots and 67 people on the ground died. Hundreds more suffered injuries. Read More Terror as United Airlines plane drops 28,000ft prompting emergency landing Motorist dies after tree limb falls on vehicle as Atlantic storm Lee batters New England and Canada Outrage as airport worker tells stranded passengers they should be grateful plane didn’t ‘crash into the sea’

Carlo Ancelotti admits he does not know what the future holds for Marco Asensio at Real Madrid but would be disappointed if the Spaniard left the club this summer. PSG are understood to be in advanced talks over a move on a free transfer.

A Florida couple’s dog is recovering after it was attacked by a 12-foot alligator at Riverside Park

Cole Palmer has been rewarded for his Chelsea form this season with a late call-up to Gareth Southgate's England squad for the team's...

It sounded questionable, but the league has opened an official investigation.

Taylor Swift's highly anticipated Eras Tour in Brazil turned tragic with the devastating loss of two devoted fans

If there’s one thing football fans never learn from, it’s the year-to-year optimism which flourishes right ahead of a new season’s kick-off. Suddenly, regardless of disappointments or despair which came only a few months earlier, positivity and possibility reigns supreme once more. Naturally, that can ebb and flow once the campaign actually gets started, not just with results but with those within the club talking up, or down, the prospects of success. For Liverpool fans, while 2022/23 was a year to forget as fast as possible, the regeneration in the centre of the park and promise of still-new attackers taking another step up offers the tantalising prospect of an immediate return to fighting for honours in 23/24. For that to happen, it’s almost certain that one factor needs to play out perfectly: the qualities and availability of Trent Alexander-Arnold, the team’s greatest creator and new vice-captain, must be consistently on show in the roving, scheming role he occupied in the final months of last term. Add that to the reduced initial midweek demands of a club in the Europa League instead of the Champions League, and there’s a real possibility of Jurgen Klopp’s team going full tilt across 38 domestic matches this time around. Good news for Kopites, bad news for defences around the country: that’s precisely what the England international expects, and demands, to happen. “It gives a chance to focus on the Premier League a lot more. We respect the competitions we play and want to win them all but definitely going into the season, our aim is to win the Premier League,” Alexander-Arnold told The Independent from an Under Armour training camp. “[The Europa League] gives us a good chance to focus on it. It’s not about coming second or third and building on that, we’re a team full of winners. We know what it takes, we have the culture and the manager to win. “It’s positive pressure to go and do it again because we’ve got the team to win it.” Bold words, and ones the Anfield faithful will be desperately hoping ring true. But even the hardest of Liverpool fans would find it tough to align what was on show at times last year with potential title-winners this time, regardless of summer dealings and an effective reset. Failing challenges, though, before overcoming them in an even more emphatic manner, is arguably what this team has been built on. “It was a difficult season but that’s football. We’ve faced those times before and definitely will again. We’ll learn from it and move forward; as long as last season was a one-off that’s a good thing. We never want those kinds of seasons but if this one is much better then we’ve proven to ourselves we’re still a top team,” Alexander-Arnold added. His own campaign mirrored that of the team: uneven in parts, way out of form in others – and yet he ended the season in more influential, impactful form than any other Premier League central player, with the possible exception of Ilkay Gundogan. He certainly noticed when he had an upturn in fortunes, but the Reds’ No 66 never wavered in his approach, he insists. “Nothing changed for me throughout the whole season mentality-wise. You keep working. I just wanted to be the best player on the pitch and that never changed – but toward the end of the season I felt I had my powers back, being able to do it consistently.” That switch came after Klopp altered the midfield dynamic, Trent drifting centrally from right-back to play-make from deep. That the alteration came around quickfire fixtures against Arsenal and Chelsea might have been a surprise; that he adapted so well definitely wasn’t. “It wasn’t weeks of planning, it was more information-based rather than practice on pitch,” he explained. “The coaches trust me to fulfil my role when I do have a change. This was probably the biggest one so far but I asked a lot of questions and we were able to make it work – it’s just a lot of information, learning how to make it work and everybody bought into that. “Most enjoyable is the freedom to drift, get on the ball and make things happen. That comes with challenges too, you have to be disciplined and stick to a game plan. There are pros and cons, it’s freedom but with a lot of responsibility to control the game.” Liverpool, as a whole, struggled with the latter aspect last season and the same has perhaps been on view in pre-season, too. Alexander-Arnold acknowledges it’s “still being worked on”, particularly with regards “to nail down the spaces and who fills them” along with “who covers around” when he has made runs from deep and the other defenders are dealing with counter-attacks. It’s not the most simplistic of tactical roles to deal with, either for himself or the team, but Alexander-Arnold has never shied away from the unusual. Even this particular interview can be termed as such: he’s preparing to receive an AI-generated “ultimate team talk” designed as the most inspirational, motivational one possible. He’s on board with taking on “unconventional” off-pitch projects if they pique his interest; after all, this is a player who has raced a Formula E car from standstill and competed against a chess master. “I do what I’m passionate about, to be honest – I like anything that brings the best out of me. I’ve had hundreds of team talks; some hit you, some don’t. The project is exciting and something I’m looking forward to.” Back to on-pitch matters, the Scouser hailed new teammates Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister as “two quality players” and the type that Liverpool “needs to continue to make”. It’s notable that even Klopp has acknowledged more needs to be done in that same area of the park and Alexander-Arnold makes the point that “the best teams have the best squads”, which probably – with still almost a month of the window left – doesn’t immediately point to Liverpool at this moment. More arrivals will likely follow. And more honing of the Reds’ newest system will take place in the meantime. Uncertainty currently reigns with regard to both. But elsewhere there’s absolute certainty: for the title or other silverware this season and for how long that summer optimism lasts, Alexander-Arnold will play the biggest and most central of roles. :: We were speaking to Trent Alexander-Arnold from Under Armour’s Human Performance Centre in Portland where he was taking part in a pre-season training camp. Trent features in Under Armour’s new Protect This House campaign, where Under Armour has used generative AI technology to create the “Ultimate Team Talk,” a motivational speech that is scientifically proven to be the most effective of all time. See www.underarmour.co.uk for more details. Read More A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Liverpool left with midfield muddle – but Reds handed reason for optimism Jurgen Klopp wanted a midfield change at Liverpool – instead he got a revolution Man United join Lavia chase as midfield transfers shape the market A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Liverpool transfer news: Lavia, Andre, Doucoure, Thiago and more