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World Cup 2026: Spain masterclass flattens France in semi-final

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World Cup 2026: Spain masterclass flattens France in semi-final


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.



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Cuba plunged into 3rd nationwide blackout in 2 weeks as fuel runs low

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Cuba plunged into 3rd nationwide blackout in 2 weeks as fuel runs low


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.

Last week, two nationwide blackouts — on Monday and Friday — left more than 9 million Cubans in the dark, adding to two others in March, as well as several regional outages.

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.

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Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america



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CDC looking into several items potentially linked to cyclospora parasite

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CDC looking into several items potentially linked to cyclospora parasite



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.



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Royal Mint releases two Game of Thrones coins to mark 15-year anniversary

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Royal Mint releases two Game of Thrones coins to mark 15-year anniversary


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.

Last month, the Royal Mint released a 50p coin celebrating 100 years of the Grand Prix in Britain.

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 other collectable coin
The other collectable coin (The Royal Mint)

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.”



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How to watch England vs Argentina: Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup Semifinals

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How to watch England vs Argentina: Live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup Semifinals


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It’s the Three Lions against the reigning champions in this epic World Cup semifinal matchup in Atlanta on Wednesday.

England, led by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, made it through the quarterfinals after defeating Erling Haaland and Norway over the weekend.

But they’ll face off against Argentina, the Lionel Messi-led bunch looking to get back to the World Cup Final and defend their 2022 championship.

WATCH ENGLAND VS ARGENTINA LIVE

Argentina’s Lionel Messi looks to get back to the World Cup Final to defend their 2022 title, while Harry Kane and England hope to get back to the final match for the first time since 1966 as they meet on Wednesday in Atlanta. (GETTY)

For Messi, it was 2022 where many believed he would be done with the World Cup, especially after finally adding that victory to his illustrious resume. But he’s back in 2026 and a Golden Boot Award frontrunner, scoring eight goals in six matches, though he wasn’t among the three in the quarterfinal match against Switzerland.

There was an option at the very end of the game as a consolation goal, but it was Lautaro Martínez scoring that. But Julián Alvarez’s gorgeous strike in the 112th minute of extra time sealed victory for Argentina , which was playing with a man advantage after Breel Embolo got a red card in the 72nd minute.

FIFA EYES WORLD CUP FORMAT EXPANSION FROM 48 TO 64 TEAMS: SHOULD THE US BE THE PERMANENT HOST?

In England’s case, Bellingham was the man of the match, scoring his squad’s two goals to beat Norway. One of them was controversial, however, after video replay showed a kick hit the wire holding up the Skycam, and England needed just two passes before Bellingham made a guy miss and buried his shot in the back of Norway’s net.

While it wasn’t called in the moment, Bellingham’s second goal was undeniable after he cleaned up Morgan Rogers’ shot that deflected off the Norway keeper and landed right at his boot in stoppage time to send his team off to the semifinal.

Argentina's Lionel Messi controls the ball

Argentina has won two World Cup titles and fans are hoping forward Lionel Messi can bring that to three in the 2018 tournament. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)

In turn, another England-Argentina matchup is upon us. These two countries have delivered some key moments in World Cup history, including the late Diego Maradona’s famous “Hand of God” goal in 1986, while David Beckham was given a red card for kicking Diego Simeone in 1998.

There’s drama between these two squads, one wishing for the chance to defend their title, while the other is hoping to get back to said final for the first time since 1966. England won the tournament that year, and they’re hoping to bring the trophy home.

It’s Messi. It’s Kane. It’s England and Argentina, and it’s all on FOX. Here’s how to watch the match, including start time, TV information and streaming options.

Jude Bellingham

England’s Jude Bellingham celebrates scoring a tying goal in the first half against Norway. (Photo by Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)

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How to watch England vs Argentina

When: Wednesday, July 15, 2026

Where : Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

TV: FOX

Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.





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Outspoken Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi arrested in Casablanca

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Outspoken Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi arrested in Casablanca


Activists say Moroccan authorities are intensifying repression of critical voices and the Gen Z protest movement.

Politically outspoken Moroccan artist, rapper, and filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi has been arrested in Casablanca, days after being barred from returning to France, where he has been based since 2017.

El Youbi, better known by his stage name Mehdi Black Wind, was detained on Monday night after being questioned by Morocco’s National Brigade of Judicial Police in Casablanca, according to a statement from a group of his friends and supporters.

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“After a day of questioning, his family were informed at around 9pm that he had been taken into police custody and was due to appear before the public prosecutor on Wednesday”, the statement said. “According to the latest information, his arrest is believed to be linked to his artistic views and posts on social media.”

El Youbi, born in 1992, is widely known in Morocco and across North Africa for his rap songs heavily influenced by US hip-hop. He rose to prominence in the early 2010s, at the same time as the Arab Spring, with songs that caught the attention of the authorities for their politically engaged lyrics.

“When I return home, I’m afraid of being arrested or banned from the country,” El Youbi told French music magazine Mosaique Magazine in December 2025. “Many people try to depoliticise art or sport, but I believe that every committed artist, every activist, or anyone who takes risks lives between boldness and fear.”

El Youbi is “the best rapper in North Africa and it’s not close”, Algerian journalist Maher Mezahi said on X.

Mehdi El Youbi was arrested in Morocco, days after being barred from returning to Marseille, France, where he’s been based since 2017. [Courtesy of supporters of Mehdi El Youbi]
Mehdi El Youbi was arrested in Morocco, days after being barred from returning to Marseille, France, where he’s been based since 2017. [Courtesy of supporters of Mehdi El Youbi]

Omar Radi, a Moroccan investigative journalist and human rights activist who was previously jailed in Morocco for criticising a judge, told Al Jazeera that El Youbi is “the most outspoken and politically direct Moroccan rapper”.

“There is a deliberate attempt to stamp out any possibility of criticism of the government or police methods, whether within civil society and the press, or in artistic circles or amongst football supporters,” Radi said.

El Youbi’s detention comes a day after the arrest of Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet, which was condemned by the Committee to Protect Journalists, and two weeks after Zineb Kharroubi, a leading figure in the Gen Z 212 activist movement, was given a six-month suspended prison sentence after being found guilty of “incitement to commit crimes or offences by electronic means”.

A supporter of El Youbi said that these developments reflect “intensified repression linked to the Gen Z movement”, referring to the youth-led protest movement that emerged last year in Morocco demanding better health services and education reforms.

El Youbi is due to appear before the public prosecutor on Wednesday morning. His supporters said they were concerned that he may have to appear without a lawyer, as lawyers in Morocco are currently on strike.



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FBI snares an American heir indicted for allegedly bankrolling anti-cop, pro-Hamas communist revolution

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FBI snares an American heir indicted for allegedly bankrolling anti-cop, pro-Hamas communist revolution


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The Justice Department and FBI have a new communist financier in their crosshairs for alleged financial crimes: James “Fergie” Cox Chambers Jr., the estranged bad-boy heir to the Cox cable empire.

On Friday, Spanish police detained Chambers on the luxury island of Ibiza, in response to an international arrest warrant, according to sources. Chambers is allegedly wanted for money laundering and providing support to Hamas, following years of financing anti-Israel and anti-West organizations and protests. The transnational network he helped fund and support is kicking in to cast him as a victim of the Trump administration’s “fascism,” while critics are cheering the arrest as long overdue.

A spokesman for Spain’s Balearic Islands police branch, which includes Ibiza in its jurisdiction, told Fox News Digital that a U.S. citizen was arrested on charges tied to an international arrest warrant Friday under an international arrest warrant seeking his extradition to the United States. The spokesman did not confirm the identity of the citizen, but sources told Fox News Digital that the individual is Chambers.

Fergie Chambers poses for pictures in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

FBI SAYS NEW MISSION CENTER HAS IDENTIFIED ‘NEFARIOUS’ PROTEST FUNDING AND SUBJECTS

The police spokesman added that the individual is being held at the central jail in Ibiza pending a judicial decision that will be conducted by videoconference. Supporters now plan a “Free Fergie Chambers” protest on Tuesday at 7 p.m. outside the prison in Ibiza, demonstrating against “DEL FASCISMO DE TRUMP,” or the “TRUMP’S FASCISM IN PERSECUTING DEFENDERS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE.”

A spokesperson for the FBI declined to comment. Chambers and his representatives couldn’t be reached for comment.

A convert to Islam, Chambers represents the fusion of socialist and communist activists with Islamist interests that seek the destruction of the West, free enterprise and the state of Israel and the rise of political Islam, communism and a new Palestinian state.

fergie-chambers-arrested-spain-fox-news_003

General view of Centro Penitenciario de Ibiza, in Ibiza, Spain, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.  (Photo for Fox News Digital)

Chambers’ ideological comrades leaked news of the detention to trusted colleagues on far-left media platforms – some of which Chambers funds – and his communist, socialist and Islamist comrades are flooding social media to frame the narrative around the arrest as the Trump administration unfairly targeting Chambers.

The arrest is a significant move by the Trump administration as it targets far-left financiers allegedly engaged in supporting political violence. In this case, as in other investigations, federal authorities are following the money and investigating potential tax and financial crimes.

FBI Co-Deputy Director Chris Raia recently told Fox News Digital that investigators at the FBI’s Joint Mission Center have identified subjects tied to financing violent protest activity and have been building prosecutable cases.

fergie-chambers-arrested-spain-fox-news_002

General view of Centro Penitenciario de Ibiza, in Ibiza, Spain, Tuesday, July 14, 2026.  (Photo for Fox News Digital)

Like Neville Roy Singham, the American tech tycoon accused of financing communist and far-left nonprofit organizations from his base in Shanghai, China, Chambers has made a name for himself as a financial backer of anti-Israel and anti-American causes around the world. As reported exclusively at Fox News Digital, the Justice Department has launched a grand jury investigation into Singham for alleged money laundering and other financial improprieties. It is currently prosecuting the Southern Poverty Law Center for alleged money laundering, bank fraud and wire fraud.

DOJ LAUNCHES GRAND JURY PROBE INTO MARXIST MOGUL NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S FUNDING OF LEFTIST GROUPS

Fergie Chambers walks near a mosque in Tunis.

Fergie Chambers walks near a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

Fergie Chambers walks near a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia.

Fergie Chambers walks near a mosque in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

Fergie Chambers prays at home in Tunis.

Fergie Chambers performs the Muslim prayer in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

Fergie Chambers smokes a cigarette while posing in Tunis, Tunisia.

Fergie Chambers smokes a cigarette while posing for photos in Tunis, Tunisia. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

Chambers was born in 1985 in Brooklyn as James Cox Chambers Jr. to his father, James Cox Chambers, and mother, actress Lauren Hamilton. He is the great-grandson of James M. Cox, a former Ohio governor, 1920 Democratic presidential nominee and founder of the media company that became Cox Enterprises. Forbes estimates the Cox family empire is worth about $27 billion.

Chambers is now the estranged heir of Cox Enterprises, walking away from the family company in 2023 with a payout estimated at about $250 million after a falling out with his family over the company’s support for Atlanta’s controversial public safety training center, known by critics as “Cop City.” In April, a grand jury indicted three alleged Antifa-linked protesters accused of throwing firebombs at the general contractor of the Atlanta police training center.

Police, demonstrators clash at

Protestors rush a police line during a demonstration against the so-called “Cop City” training facility in Atlanta, Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. (Mike Stewart/AP Photo)

Chambers openly redirected his fortune into communist collectives, bail and legal underwriting and groups engaged in hard-edged protest and property disruption.

Raised mostly in Brooklyn after his parents divorced, Chambers attended Saint Ann’s School and later enrolled at Bard College but didn’t graduate. He briefly worked for a Cox Enterprises subsidiary before operating gyms in Georgia and later became increasingly involved in left-wing activism following the anti-police protests in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014 and the demonstrations in Standing Rock, S.D., in 2016 against an oil pipeline.

Around 2019, Chambers established the “Berkshire Communists” collective in Alford, Mass., in a wealthy corner of western Massachusetts, where he built a commune, operated the Berkshire People’s Gym and launched a publication called “Combat Liberalism.”

THREE ALLEGED ANTIFA-LINKED PROTESTERS INDICTED IN ATLANTA POLICE TRAINING CENTER CONTRACTOR FIREBOMBING

Police detain activists outside APCO Worldwide offices in London.

Police detain Palestine Action activists at the entrance of APCO Worldwide offices in London, where the building is covered in red paint, on Sept. 3, 2024. (Rasid Necati Aslim/Anadolu)

Following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks, Chambers became one of the most prominent financial backers of “Palestine Action,” later renamed “Unity of Fields,” while also funding legal defense efforts for activists involved in anti-Israel demonstrations and direct-action campaigns in the United Kingdom and the U.S.

He praised the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks as a “moment of hope and inspiration,” told Mother Jones that “the most important thing for the prosperity of humanity is the destruction of the US” and said, “I chant death to America every day.”

Local and national reporting place him behind the “Stop Cop City” opposition, bail after occupations and protests against Elbit Systems, a company that provides services to Israel, in Merrimack, N.H., and the U.K., and ongoing legal support for networks in the U.S. and U.K. led by the controversial “Palestine Action.”

Fergie Chambers shows tattooed hands and fingers in a cafe in Tunis.

Communist tattoos are visible on Fergie Chambers’ hands and fingers while he sits in a cafe in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

After Alford, Mass., shut his Berkshire People’s Gym for zoning violations and law-enforcement scrutiny intensified, Chambers relocated to Tunis, in the North African nation of Tunisia.

In early February 2024, Chambers was photographed in his newly adopted city of Tunis in the North African nation of Tunisia, framing his narrative as a pious Muslim convert, with a red-and-white Palestinian kefiyyeh scarf draped over his shoulders, a black Muslim prayer cap on his head and a small beard on his face, a tradition that follows the sunnah, or practice, of Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.

The photo shoot included images of Chambers in Muslim prayer, at one point with his hands on his chest and at another point in “ruku” position, bent forward with his hands on his knees, staring at a point of concentration in front of him. In other shots, he walked by a local mosque, sat behind the wheel of a car with orange and green Muslim prayer beads, called “tazbi,” hanging on the rearview mirror. A pair of decorative boxing gloves with “RUSSIA” across the wrists, positioned on a red-and-white kefiyyeh spread along the dashboard.

Fergie Chambers walks his dogs on a street in Tunis.

Fergie Chambers walks his dogs in Tunis, Tunisia, on Feb. 8, 2024. (Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto)

Unconventional for traditional Muslims, who don’t often have dogs as pets because of a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam that bars dogs as pets in the home, Chambers also was photographed smoking a cigarette and walking on the beach with two small dogs who look like bulldogs. He also wore tattoos, including a sickle-and-barbells on his left hand.

By May 2026, his social media posts placed him in Ireland. This month, the self-declared communist vacationed among the wealthy in Ibiza, is now sitting in prison.

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Overnight curfew and scrolling curbs proposed for older UK teens

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Overnight curfew and scrolling curbs proposed for older UK teens


Older teenagers in the UK will face an overnight social media curfew, the government has announced – though they will be able to opt out of it by changing their account settings.

It would means apps such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube being set to be unavailable by default to 16 and 17-year-olds between midnight and 06:00.

The government also wants “addictive” features such as auto-play and infinite scroll to be set to be disabled, saying – combined with the curfew – the measures will improve teenagers’ focus, sleep quality and family life.

However, critics have described the proposals as “piecemeal” and a “missed opportunity” for children’s safety.

The plans follow the announcement in June that under-16s in the UK would be banned entirely from a range of platforms.

“These measures will be crucial in helping young people get the sleep they need, focus on school and college, and spend more quality time with family and friends, all of which are fundamental to building a happy, healthy and fulfilling adult life,” said Technology Secretary Liz Kendall.

“We want young people to enjoy the benefits of technology while having the tools to make the online world a place where they can thrive.”

Laura Trott, the Conservative shadow education secretary, described the plans as a “dog’s dinner”.

“Either they think 16 and 17-year-olds should be on social media or they don’t, but curfews they can simply switch off won’t achieve anything,” she said.

The government said further measures would be aimed at helping children use AI chatbots safely – including by making providers introduce regular breaks for under-18s.

It says it will aim to lay its new proposed measures in front of parliament by the end of 2026, with the aim that they take effect alongside its social media ban for under-16s next spring.

But some child safety charities and experts have cast doubt on the effectiveness or promise of a midnight curfew for older UK teens.

“While we welcome these measures for older teens, this latest move is yet another piecemeal set of announcements not the comprehensive plan for children’s safety that’s required,” said Andy Burrows, chief executive of the Molly Rose Foundation.

He added that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “leaves office having announced a social media ban without a plan” – with his likely successor Andy Burnham to “inherit a series of missed opportunities”.

Meanwhile Prof Sonia Livingstone, an expert in children’s digital rights at the London School of Economics, said a curfew could harm vulnerable children by limiting their access to social media when they might need it most.

“If it’s a curfew on companies using push notifications to wake someone up in the night, absolutely have a curfew,” Prof Livingstone told the BBC.

“But if it’s a curfew that prevents a child in need of support or help or comfort reaching out to trusted sources in the middle of the night, I think that’s quite harmful potentially.”



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Newlywed bride who was airlifted from Japan on honeymoon breaks silence

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Newlywed bride who was airlifted from Japan on honeymoon breaks silence


The bride who went into a coma during her honeymoon in Japan has spoken out for the first time since she was airlifted back to the U.S. in a terrifying medical emergency.

Sarah Danh, 27, was hospitalized April 9 on the second day of her trip to Japan with her new husband, 28-year-old Luke Gradl, after she suffered acute liver failure and fell into a coma, according to a previous GoFundMe for the newlyweds.

She was kept in critical care for two weeks overseas before she took an emergency medical evacuation flight back to her home state of Texas, where she and Gradl landed 20 hours later on April 21, as first reported by People.

Danh, who was still in a coma when she arrived back to the U.S., was diagnosed with “severe bilateral brain damage,” according to People, and doctors warned her family that she might never wake up again.

However, she began to breathe on her own days later and was taken off life support. She was transferred to a Houston hospital in May, where she began physical and cognitive therapy.

Sarah Danh was in a coma from April 9 to April 29 (Khang Le/Facebook)

In her first post on Instagram since a video of her wedding shared in March, Danh broke her silence with an emotional Instagram post July 9, according to People. Her account has since been made private.

“First things first… I’m alive,” Danh, a San Antonio nurse, wrote in a message alongside pictures and videos from the hospital.

“It feels bittersweet to finally be sitting here, able to tell this story myself,” she said. Danh went on to thank her doctors, her family and those who donated to her GoFundMe, which surpassed $187,000 before it was deactivated.

She explained in the post that she had felt sick in the days before her flight to Japan, but that she had been “convinced it was Covid.” She went to the local emergency room, but Danh said no blood work was done and nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. She said the doctor told her to “get some rest, stay hydrated, rotate Tylenol and Ibuprofen for your fever… and have fun in Japan.”

Danh said she does not remember anything from the trip to Tokyo.

“I have absolutely no memory of any of it,” Danh wrote. “Apparently I was already so weak from throwing up the whole flight that I could barely walk and could barely get through customs. Supposedly I decided to stay in and rest, convinced I’d wake up the next morning feeling better and finally be able to enjoy our honeymoon.”

She continued: “SIKE. That night everything changed. I became combative, lethargic, started speaking complete nonsense, and, according to everyone around me, turned yellow like a minion. An ambulance took me to St. Luke’s Hospital, where I was diagnosed with acute liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, and critically elevated ammonia levels.”

Doctors told Gradl and Danh’s mother, who traveled to Japan after her daughter was hospitalized, that they could not perform liver transplants on non-citizens, which meant that she needed to become stable “enough to survive the flight” back to Texas to have the surgery.

Once she was back in America, Danh said doctors began to focus on her brain injury that was caused by her liver damage, which led a neurologist to tell her family that, if she survived, she “would never be the same” and “would likely never walk or talk again and would require lifelong care.”

Then, as Danh wrote, “something incredible happened.”

“My liver slowly began healing itself,” she wrote. “The swelling in my brain started going down.”

She woke up April 29, writing, “It honestly feels like I came back from the dead.”

“Recovery didn’t end there – not even close,” she said. “I’m still recovering every single day. I now have more specialists than I can count and continue with neuro rehabilitation.”

Danh said that the cause of her sudden and extreme health decline is still a mystery.

“This experience changed me,” she wrote. “It taught me how unbelievably fragile life is. It taught me that tomorrow is never promised. It taught me to love louder, forgive quicker, and appreciate the ordinary moments we so often take for granted. And most importantly… it taught me that miracles do happen.”



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Watch: The clash between US and Iran for control of the Strait of Hormuz

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Watch: The clash between US and Iran for control of the Strait of Hormuz


The US and Iran have been exchanging waves of strikes, as a dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to derail efforts to end their war.

BBC correspondent Barbara Plett Usher, reporting from Jerusalem, examines the latest tensions over the key international shipping channel.

Over the weekend, Iran announced that the strait was closed, while the US insisted it was not controlled by Iran and that traffic was flowing.

The escalation has cast doubt over the preliminary agreement that the US and Iran signed in June to end their four-month conflict and reopen the strait.



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