In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said U.S. strikes on Iran will continue until he says “it’s enough,” threatening to bomb Iran’s bridges and power plants as soon as “next week.” The president also did not rule out the possibility of a ground campaign in Iran.
During the interview, Trump delivered mixed messages over the state of negotiations with Iran, saying “I don’t want to negotiate,” while also saying the strikes will continue “unless” Iran negotiates. Trump also claimed that U.S. negotiators had communicated with Iran earlier this afternoon and demanded they make a deal.
Regarding U.S. strikes and what’s next for the war, Trump said: “They’ll continue until I say it’s enough … You know the word the military likes to use is degrade. They’ve been degraded to a very low level,” Trump said.
When Trump was asked if his objectives could be completed in an air campaign alone, he claimed his objectives were already “completed.”
But moments later, Trump notably did not rule out a ground campaign.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst asked: “Are you ruling out a ground campaign in a limited capacity?”
Trump replied: “Well– I don’t want to say that either. But I would say no — if I, if I thought it was appropriate. Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us.”
China’s economic growth slowed sharply between the start of April and end of June as weak demand domestically and the impact of the Iran war on oil prices overshadowed the country’s strong exports.
Official gross domestic product (GDP) figures showed that the world’s second largest economy grew in the second quarter of the year by 4.3%, below Beijing’s annual target.
The announcement comes a day after government data showed that China’s exports jumped by 27% in June compared to a year earlier.
In March, China cut the target to a range of 4.5%-5%, its lowest economic expansion goal since 1991 – a move some analysts say gives officials more flexibility in managing the economy.
The figures mark the first full quarter of GDP data since the start of the Iran war on 28 February and comes after a rise of 5% in the first quarter.
Separate data released on Wednesday highlighted the economic challenges Beijing is facing at home – including a long-running property market slump and weak consumer spending.
New home prices contracted again, although the 0.1% fall in June was at a slightly slower pace than the previous month.
But retail sales rose by 1% in June, improving from a 0.6% decrease in May.
Customs data for June, which was released on Tuesday, showed that China’s tech exports were boosted by soaring global demand for semiconductors to power artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.
Surging demand for Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) also gave a major boost to China’s exports – with monthly car exports topping one million for the first time.
China has detained a US seismologist who tracks nuclear tests for nearly two years on espionage charges, his family says.
Chen Youlin, 54, was arrested in November 2024 during a trip to Beijing to visit family, according to hostage advocacy group Global Reach. The family decided to speak out after they saw no sign of Beijing freeing Chen.
His wife Rong Yufang, also a seismologist, said Chen worked closely with Chinese colleagues, and the allegations are “both wrong and inconsistent with the public and collaborative nature of the work that he has done”.
His published work centres on North Korea, a close friend of China and long sanctioned for its nuclear weapons programme and underground tests.
It is unclear if and how Chen’s work touched on Beijing’s nuclear programme. US intelligence suggests that China is developing a new arsenal and has conducted secret tests, which Beijing denies.
When asked about the case at a daily press briefing on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said its “judicial authorities handle cases in accordance with the law”.
“There is no such thing as so-called wrongful detention,” the ministry’s spokesman Lin Jian said. In China, espionage convictions can lead to life imprisonment or death.
Chen is currently the only US citizen designated as “wrongfully detained”.
“I have not been able to speak with my husband for over 600 days and am concerned for his health and well-being,” Rong said in a statement through Global Reach.
In an interview with Reuters, she said Chinese authorities interrogated her husband more than 100 times on his work and that he wasn’t allowed to see a lawyer for the first 13 months of his detention.
Born in China, Chen became a US citizens in 2011. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
He specialised in using seismological data to identify nuclear tests, and undertook several projects funded by the US government. Rong said he his work with colleagues in China was always done “transparently”.
“He is doing precisely the kind of people-to-people engagement that the Chinese government says it wants,” she added.
Chen’s work included a study in December 2020 that looked at seismic data recorded across Asia, including China, to improve methods for nuclear-test monitoring and yield estimation.
According to Global Reach, there are “suspicions within the US government that Chen’s arrest was spurred by China’s conduct of nuclear tests in violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty”.
The group said Chen’s expertise would give China “an opportunity to learn as much as possible about US seismic detection methodologies so they can establish countermeasures that allow them to circumvent the treaty”.
The treaty seeks to ban all nuclear explosion tests on Earth, but several “nuclear-capable” states have not ratified it yet. Among them are the US and China, which have both established voluntary moratoriums against explosive nuclear testing.
In June 2020, during Donald Trump’s first presidency, his administration accused Beijing of conducting a covert underground nuclear test at the Lop Nur facility in the country’s north-west. China dismissed the claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
The Foley Foundation, another US-based hostage advocacy group, said Chen’s health is a concern, noting that he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
“He needs reliable access to treatment and care that is not available while he is unjustly incarcerated,” the group said.
US Senator Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said Beijing’s “treatment of Chen has undermined [its] partnership [with the US] and may deter other academics from engaging with their colleagues in China”.
“It is my hope that increased attention on his unjust detention will force the Chinese government to do the right thing and release Chen,” he wrote in a statement published on Tuesday.
Details around Chen’s detention came a month after China confirmed that it had arrested another US scholar, Min Zin, director at a Myanmar-focused think tank.
Beijing has accused Min Zin of spying and endangering Chinese national security.
Buy now pay later (BNPL) customers must be given clearer information and undergo proportionate affordability checks under stronger protections that have been introduced.
The sector is now under the regulation of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and lenders will need to be authorised by the regulator to provide BNPL products.
BNPL firms will also be subject to the Consumer Duty, which requires financial firms to put customers at the heart of what they do, and which is overseen by the FCA.
A spokesperson for the FCA said: “Buy now pay later can be a form of credit, but people deserve to be protected when using it.
“Lenders should check their customers can afford to pay it back.”
The spokesperson said millions of customers will get clearer information before they sign up “and better support if something goes wrong”.
BNPL options often appear at online checkouts as a slick and easy way to pay.
But while they help people to spread the cost, concerns have also been raised about people being able to run up significant debts by making multiple BNPL purchases.
The BNPL market has grown significantly in recent years, to reach over £13 billion in 2024, the FCA said previously.
According to its 2024 Financial Lives Survey, 20% of UK consumers, equating to 10.9 million adults, used BNPL in the 12 months to May 2024.
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Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at AJ Bell said: “Most payments using BNPL are relatively small.
“The Woolard Review, done by the FCA in 2021, showed that people often didn’t think of it as borrowing either.
“A combination of both things means borrowers don’t consider affordability as carefully as they would for other kinds of debt.
“It means a real risk of stacking these debts until they’re unwieldy. The rules requiring stricter affordability checks are highly sensible.”
Ms Coles said the added friction in the process “should help people stop and think about whether they really need the item they’re buying, and consider the total cost rather than just the price of the instalments – which can be incredibly useful”.
Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which? said regulation “means users of these services will benefit from stronger safeguards”.
She added: “Before choosing BNPL, shoppers should consider whether they can comfortably afford the repayments and understand the consequences of missing them.
“Regulation should make those decisions easier by ensuring people have clearer information and stronger consumer rights.”
Under the changes, people will be able to take their complaints about BNPL to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Complaints about BNPL must be in relation to agreements taken out on or after July 15 and be about regulated firms.
Potential BNPL gripes taken to the ombudsman may include whether the lending was affordable and whether the customer understood the agreement.
James Dipple-Johnstone, interim chief ombudsman for the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) said: “This is an important step for consumers who use buy now pay later.
“If something goes wrong and they cannot resolve the issue with their provider, they now have access to our free and impartial service.
“As new financial products become part of everyday spending, it is vital that consumer protection keeps pace.
“We have worked closely with the FCA to make sure we are ready to handle these complaints fairly and efficiently and have engaged with firms to ensure they understand our approach.”
In its most recent plans and budget, the Financial Ombudsman Service said it anticipates around 2,000 complaints from buy now pay later users in this financial year.
The FCA’s regulation of BNPL will require lenders to provide clear upfront information about the agreement, including when payments will be due, amounts, and what happens if they miss a payment.
Firms will need to assess consumers’ creditworthiness, including affordability.
They will also need to support consumers in financial difficulty, including pointing them to free debt advice where appropriate.
BNPL agreements may be reported to credit reference agencies, which could potentially mean they are taken into account by some lenders in future lending decisions.
Dimitar Lazarov, head of Credit Karma UK said that while this could help people who typically pay their BNPL loans on time, those who may fall behind on payments should be aware that “it could have an impact on their ability to apply for other products”.
John Webb, head of consumer affairs, Experian UK and Ireland, said people should remember that when they open a new BNPL account, this may be taken into account on credit reports by lenders when they are considering new borrowing applications “such as a loan, credit card or mortgage”.
A spokesperson at BNPL provider Clearpay said it welcomes the regulation, saying it “will help establish a consistent operating environment and clear standards for all providers”.
The spokesperson said: “Millions of consumers rely on BNPL for short-term and interest-free credit to make everyday purchases.
“We will continue to provide our existing safeguards that customers have long valued, including pausing accounts if a single payment is missed and capped late fees.”
A spokesperson for BNPL provider Klarna said: “Klarna’s called for regulation since 2020, so we welcome this moment.
“The FCA’s rules largely formalise what we already do – we run affordability checks, show costs up front and report to credit reference agencies.”
The Klarna spokesperson added: “Robust regulation that gives consumers added confidence and strengthens their access to protections is a good thing.”
Vikki Brownridge, chief executive at StepChange Debt Charity, said: “There’s no doubt that BNPL can be a useful form of credit – especially as it’s usually short-term and interest-free – to spread the cost of a bulky expense.
“However, as with any form of credit, regulation is vital to protect customers if something goes wrong, and ensure people aren’t being offered credit where it’s not affordable – something which will trigger debt problems, as we see all too often.
“Consumers can go on using BNPL in the same way as before, but it’s important to be aware of the new protections.
“If you are finding yourself struggling to keep up with payments, rather than taking on more credit or BNPL agreements, we would always advise seeking free and impartial debt advice to help get back on track.”
Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Charles Snowden was suspended for the first three games of the 2026 NFL season, the league’s transactional wire stated on Tuesday.
An NFL spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital he was suspended due to a DUI arrest from 2024, which was recently settled after Snowden accepted a plea agreement.
Snowden will miss the Cowboys’ season opener on the road against the New York Giants, their home opener against the Washington Commanders and another home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Charles Snowden No. 49 of the Las Vegas Raiders stands on the sidelines during the national anthem before an NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on Dec. 8, 2024.(Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
Snowden is still allowed to take part in the Cowboys’ preseason activities, which includes their three preseason contests. The suspension will take effect after NFL rosters reach 53 men.
Snowden, 28, reached a plea agreement to resolve a 2024 DUI arrest back in January.
Snowden pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor DUI charge, while being ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and attend coroner’s and DUI courses as part of the agreement.
Charles Snowden No. 49 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks between plays during the first half against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Nov. 17, 2024.(Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
As a result of the plea agreement, Snowden’s charge will be reduced to reckless driving if he completes the specified orders.
Snowden signed on with the Cowboys this offseason as a free agent following a tryout after he was invited for minicamp.
Snowden was an undrafted free agent out of Virginia who signed with the Chicago Bears in 2021. He appeared in just two games and did not play during the 2022 or 2023 regular seasons.
Charles Snowden No. 49 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept. 29, 2024.(Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Then, Snowden played for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024 and 2025. His best season came last year when he racked up three sacks, 28 combined tackles, five tackles for loss and one interception across 15 games (nine starts).
In the early 1990s, German educators and pediatricians introduced what became known as the Spielzeugfreier Kindergarten, or “Toy-Free Kindergarten.” The initiative asked preschools to temporarily remove conventional toys and allow children to create their own games using open spaces and ordinary materials. According to reports from participating schools, the first few days were difficult. Many children complained of boredom, arguments became more common and teachers had to resist the urge to step in. Gradually, however, something began to change. Children started inventing elaborate imaginary worlds. Chairs became trains and pirate ships. Blankets turned into caves, castles and secret hideouts. Instead of relying on ready-made toys, they relied on one another. Teachers also observed more conversations, negotiation during conflicts and collaborative storytelling.
Spain produced an absolute masterclass in control to secure their place in just their second World Cup final – leaving the rest of the world stunned at how France were blown away.
Les Bleus went into Tuesday’s eagerly anticipated semi-final as overwhelming favourites having cruised through the tournament, with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise making them an attacking force to be feared.
But while many were questioning how France could be beaten, Spain reminded everyone why they are European champions and unbeaten in a record-equalling 37 matches by running out 2-0 winners.
Luis de la Fuente’s men have rather flown under the radar at this World Cup – even failing to beat debutants Cape Verde in their opening match – and teenage superstar Lamine Yamal has scored just one goal.
But they appear to have hit peak form at the right time and, having kept a clean sheet in six of their seven games, can expect to be favourites for Sunday’s World Cup final, where they will face either Argentina or England.
France, meanwhile, must prepare for the third-place play-off after being frustrated by a midfield masterclass and managing just three attempts on target.
“Spain scalped France – they flattened France,” said former Premier League champion Chris Sutton, who was at the game for BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We have given France so much praise in this tournament, but they were swatted aside by silky Spain. In the main, Spain have outfought and outplayed this French team.”
Roy Keane – another Premier League winner – said on ITV: “France were not playing as a team. Brilliant individuals not playing as a team.
“Spain have been absolutely brilliant – an absolute joy to watch.”
When De la Fuente was appointed Spain boss in December 2022, some referred to him as: “Luis de la Who?”
Spain – world champions under Vicente del Bosque in 2010 – are used to being led by high-profile personalities, and de la Fuente was viewed as a low-key federation appointment after his time in charge of the nation’s under-19s, under-21s and under-23s.
But the 65-year-old has given an emphatic response to the doubters.
Having led Spain to a Nations League triumph in 2023 and Euro 2024 glory, he has now guided them to the World Cup final.
If England win in Atlanta on Wednesday, they will set up a repeat of the European Championship final of two years ago.
HAVANA — HAVANA (AP) — Cuba suffered another blackout of the National Electric System, or SEN, on Tuesday, leaving the entire country without power, officials said. It was the third such incident in two weeks as a U.S. oil embargo stresses the island’s grid.
Fuel has been running out across Cuba since January, when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island, deepening the island’s ongoing economic and financial crisis. Public transportation has largely been halted, and officials have canceled tens of thousands of surgeries.
Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it needs. A solution for fuel imports is not yet in sight.
The state-owned Electric Union reported that a problem with a generating unit in the eastern province of Holguín caused “a sudden frequency change,” resulting in the SEN blackout around midday.
Both the Ministry of Energy and Mines and the Electric Union indicated that “protocols for its restoration have been activated,” meaning that “micro-islands” are being established and then interconnected to provide power to priority locations, such as hospitals and food processing plants.
By the afternoon, some parts of the capital Havana had power restored, The Associated Press confirmed, while authorities indicated that 4% of the city had received electricity. The provinces of Guantánamo and Cienfuegos reported that they had begun distributing power to their hospitals, and Matanzas confirmed that power had been restored to the city’s historic center.
The blackouts have a significant impact on the population and, combined with the energy embargo, have led to transportation limitations, reduced work hours and flight cancellations, in addition to serious public health consequences.
The power outages also affect basic activities such as cooking, water supply, and internet and telephone service.
On the streets of Havana, the blackout didn’t surprise residents.
“These blackouts are normal in Cuba now. If something else happened, it would be strange,” said Roberto Liana, 69, a retail store clerk.
Meanwhile, many were trying to adapt to the circumstances, like Sayli Aguilera, 25, a mother of two. “We’re improvising and doing what we can,” she said.
Many families have installed solar backup systems such as panels and portable batteries, and the main mode of transportation for the population consists of electric motorcycles and tricycles equipped with photovoltaic power.
As of Tuesday, nearly 7,000 people in 34 states reported symptoms tied to a parasitic illness that, so far, has no official source. Carter Evans reports on what’s suspected of being behind the cyclosporiasis outbreak.
The Royal Mint is launching two collectable “ice and fire” 50p coins to mark 15 years of fantasy drama Game Of Thrones.
The coins have been made in collaboration with Warner Bros Discovery Global Consumer Products.
The collection is built around the elemental duality that defines Game of Thrones – ice and fire.
A selection of 50p coins will feature colour, bringing both designs to life.
Game of Thrones first aired in 2011 and the show has inspired a passionate global fanbase.
One of two commemorative 50p coin celebrating 15 years of Game of Thrones (The Royal Mint)
Fans can order both coins from 9am on Wednesday from The Royal Mint, with delivery expected in autumn 2026.
Rebecca Morgan, director at The Royal Mint, said: “Game of Thrones captured the imagination of millions around the world, and 15 years on, that passion is still as fierce as dragon fire.”
She added: “Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering the Seven Kingdoms for the first time, these coins are a stunning tribute to one of the greatest stories ever told.”
Prices for the coins start from £15 for a brilliant uncirculated coin and £27.50 for a brilliant uncirculated colour coin, with a silver coin priced at £92.50 and a gold coin available for £2,420.
The coin was unveiled at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, the venue that hosted Britain’s first Grand Prix in August 1926, and was pictured alongside a Delage car.
The Royal Mint said it is the first time motorsport has been honoured on one of its official UK coins.
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The Grand Prix in Britain 50p has been designed in collaboration with London-based agency Interstate.
The “tails” side of the coin captures the sweep of Grand Prix history and technological evolution, featuring a historic racing car from the original 1926 Brooklands race sitting alongside a 2026 Formula 1 car.
A selection of the coins also feature colour.
Rebecca Morgan, director at The Royal Mint, said: “For 100 years, the Grand Prix in Britain has captured the nation’s imagination, from the thundering engines at Brooklands to the wheel-to-wheel battles at Silverstone.
“This coin is a true landmark for us. It is the first time in The Royal Mint’s history that motorsport has been celebrated on a UK coin, and we couldn’t be prouder to mark such a momentous centenary in this way.
“Whether you’re a dedicated collector or a Formula 1 fan counting down the days to race weekend, this coin is an absolute must-have piece of history you can hold in your hand.”
