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England face Argentina in Wednesday’s semifinal, hoping to reach the World Cup final for the first time since 1966.

Manager Thomas Tuchel said he did not feel burdened by the weight of history as he bids to lead England to a first World Cup final in 60 years by beating Argentina on Wednesday.

The Three Lions have been led at the 2026 tournament by Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, who have each scored six goals.

Remarkably, Wednesday’s semifinal will be the first time Lionel Messi faces England, at the grand old age of 39, despite the historic significance of the fixture.

Former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich boss Tuchel said he did not feel extra pressure as he spoke to reporters in Atlanta on Tuesday.

“I don’t feel a burden. We feel the tension and will be nervous, but that is normal,” Tuchel said.

“What I like is that I feel the players are really competitive, hungry and excited to play this match.

“The two shirts are just iconic. There are historic matches, iconic moments, and everyone recognises the shirts and players straight away.”

England have not won a major trophy since their 1966 World Cup triumph on home soil.

England and Argentina have previously clashed five times at World Cups, most notably the 1986 quarterfinal when Diego Maradona scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal in a 2-1 win.

Twelve years later, Argentina won on penalties after David Beckham was sent off for kicking Diego Simeone.

“I think the players of both countries are very aware of what it means to them – if a fixture provides so many iconic moments, then you cannot say it is just another football match, but as a coach we do exactly that, focus on what we can influence.”

The German said he would not use the rivalry between the two teams as “fuel” to fire his men.

“We know why we are here, we know what we want, we were never shy of expecting that from ourselves, and of saying it or of dreaming it,” he added.

“We are in the semifinals, and we arrive very hungry.”

The England boss said his entire squad trained on the eve of the game and that Declan Rice was fit to play after recovering from illness. Jarell Quansah remains suspended, following his red card in England’s last 16 win over Mexico.

‘Big obstacle’

Tuchel explained that he had “no words” to describe magical Messi, who has scored eight goals so far and is second behind Kylian Mbappe in the Golden Boot race.

“You can see the cohesion, you can see that they are experienced in tournament football,” Tuchel said.

“They have the same core group of players who have been together a long time, and they have a very experienced and very, very good head coach, he added, referring to Lionel Scaloni.

“We know how big the obstacle is, but we are ready for it.”

Argentina have laboured to reach the semifinals, although England’s path through the knockout rounds has not been smooth either, with tough matches against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico and Norway.

“It is just my first World Cup as a coach, and it is very rare that you fly through a tournament and everything falls into place from match to match,” Tuchel said.

“We will prepare for the best version of Argentina – we expect and demand the best of ourselves.

“We have not peaked yet, but the match will bring the best out of us, and we are excited.”

Should England beat Argentina, they will face Spain in Sunday’s final after La Roja defeated two-time world champions France with a controlled display in the first semifinal.

US President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi have met at the White House in Washington, DC, with both leaders pledging to deepen economic ties and boost Iraq’s oil output. The meeting comes as the US prepares to reduce its military presence in Iraq. Al Jazeera’s Tanya Noury has the latest.

July 14 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s new court administration chief warned Tuesday that growing outside pressure is making it more difficult for judges and other court employees to perform their duties independently.

Supreme Court Justice Roh Kyung-pil, 62, made the remarks during his inauguration as minister of the National Court Administration at the Supreme Court in Seoul.

“External pressure and burdens that make it difficult for judges to conduct independent trials and for court members to perform their duties in a stable manner are increasing,” Roh said.

He said the National Court Administration would serve as a protective barrier so judges and other employees could carry out their responsibilities according to the law and their professional judgment.

“The National Court Administration will provide firm support so that all members of the judiciary can confidently perform their duties in accordance with laws and principles,” Roh said.

He also pledged to strengthen personnel and material resources for judges and court employees working in difficult positions.

“The more demanding the position, the more we must reduce the burden, even slightly, so they can concentrate on their work,” he said. “We will expand the necessary personnel and physical foundations and develop effective support measures.”

Roh’s appointment filled a position that had remained vacant for about four months.

Former court administration chief Park Young-jae resigned in February after the ruling bloc pushed three controversial judiciary bills through the National Assembly.

The measures included the creation of a criminal offense for intentionally distorting the law, a system allowing constitutional challenges to court judgments and an expansion of the number of Supreme Court justices.

Park stepped down in protest against the legislation.

Roh was born in Haenam County in South Jeolla Province. He graduated from Gwangju High School and Seoul National University’s College of Law.

He was appointed as a judge in 1997 and later served as a Supreme Court research judge, a Seoul High Court judge and a presiding judge at the Gwangju and Suwon high courts.

Roh was appointed to the Supreme Court in August 2024.

The head of the National Court Administration oversees judicial administration under the direction of the chief justice and supervises court administrative operations and personnel.

The position does not involve directing judges’ decisions in individual trials but carries significant responsibility for the judiciary’s budget, staffing and administrative policies.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260714010005202

July 14 (UPI) — Authorities were searching waters near Alcatraz on Tuesday evening for two missing people after a pontoon boat carrying 19 people capsized off San Francisco, leaving one person dead and 16 others rescued.

The three-level vessel with 19 people aboard was reported on fire about 600 yards off the coast of Alcatraz at 3:35 p.m. PDT, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said in a press conference. Though reported as a boat fire, no evidence of one was found.

Responders were deployed, with the police department’s marine unit arriving on the scene to find one person “severely injured,” he said. CPR was administered to the victim, who was transported to Gashouse Cove Marina on the shore, where they were pronounced dead.

Officers arrived to find people had fallen into the water while others were inside the top compartment of the vessel, he said.

Of the 16 people rescued, three were transported to California Pacific Hospital, he said, adding that they had sustained impact injuries when they fell from the boat.

Crispen said he spoke with several of the survivors who remained on shore.

“They’re incredibly upset,” he said. “They’re aware that there’s some serious injuries here. They’re concerned about their mates and they went out on the bay with and, obviously, we’re going to take good care of them here.”

A search involving 11 vessels was underway for the two missing people, he said, adding, “We are going to be continuing for hours to make sure we find these two people if possible.”

He said authorities believe the boat launched from a local yacht club, but that was being investigated. It was also unclear whether those aboard were wearing life vests.

All those aboard the boat appeared to be adults, though a dog that had accompanied them died in the incident, he said.

Alcatraz is a former island prison and a current tourist attraction that sees about 1.2 million visits a year, according to the National Park Service.

Iran’s bridges, power plants possible targets, Trump said as IRGC says it attacked US forces in Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan.

Fans erupted in celebration after Spain beat France 2-0 in the semifinals, securing their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.

July 14 (Asia Today) — The U.S. Navy has asked major South Korean shipbuilders for information about their ability to design and build destroyers and fleet support vessels, potentially opening the world’s largest naval market to South Korea’s shipbuilding industry.

The requests for information mark a significant step in Washington’s effort to address shipyard capacity constraints and strengthen its maritime industrial base with help from key allies.

The development comes as South Korea and the United States expand cooperation under MASGA, short for Make American Shipbuilding Great Again, a bilateral initiative intended to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding through investment, workforce development, technology cooperation and naval vessel maintenance.

The prospective U.S. market could dwarf South Korea’s recent efforts to win Canada’s next-generation submarine program, estimated by the industry at about 60 trillion won, or approximately $43 billion. Long-term U.S. naval construction and modernization spending could reach about 1.6 quadrillion won, or roughly $1.2 trillion, according to industry estimates cited in South Korea.

U.S. Navy examines Korean shipbuilding capacity

Naval News reported Friday that the U.S. government had issued two requests for information involving destroyer-class surface combatants and medium-sized fleet tankers.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean responded to requests covering both destroyers and support vessels. Samsung Heavy Industries submitted information concerning fleet replenishment ships, an area in which it has extensive commercial tanker-building experience.

A request for information is an early market-research procedure rather than a formal order or bidding process. It allows a U.S. government agency to assess potential suppliers, technical capabilities, prices and delivery schedules before deciding whether to proceed with a procurement program.

The inquiries are nevertheless notable because U.S. law and defense procurement rules generally require Navy vessels and major hull components to be built in American shipyards.

Changes to existing law or a congressionally approved national security exemption would probably be required before a U.S. warship could be constructed at a South Korean yard.

The outreach reflects growing concern about delays, workforce shortages and limited production capacity within the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The U.S. Government Accountability Office has repeatedly reported that Navy shipbuilding programs are running years behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget.

U.S. policymakers are also seeking ways to respond to China’s rapidly expanding naval and commercial shipbuilding capacity.

Korean companies highlight destroyer experience

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean have experience designing and constructing some of the South Korean Navy’s most advanced surface combatants.

South Korea’s Sejong the Great-class and Jeongjo the Great-class destroyers use the U.S.-developed Aegis combat system, which is also installed aboard the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers.

That experience could make South Korean shipbuilders attractive partners in vessel design, component manufacturing or joint production, although U.S. technical, security and domestic-content requirements would remain major obstacles.

South Korea’s latest Aegis destroyers displace more than 8,000 tons and incorporate advanced radar, missile defense and stealth-related technologies.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has also been developing export-oriented destroyer designs and has pursued partnerships with U.S. defense contractors and shipbuilders.

Hanwha Ocean has established a direct foothold in the United States through its acquisition of Philly Shipyard in Pennsylvania. The company has announced plans to expand the yard’s capacity and introduce South Korean production technology.

The company has also completed maintenance work on U.S. Military Sealift Command support ships at its Geoje shipyard in South Korea.

The USNS Wally Schirra, a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo and ammunition ship, entered the Geoje facility in September 2024 for maintenance, repair and overhaul work. The ship departed after approximately six months of repairs.

Such projects allow South Korean yards to demonstrate their ability to meet U.S. Navy technical standards and delivery requirements, while helping Washington reduce maintenance backlogs.

MASGA moves from proposal to implementation

The Navy inquiries come as the two governments seek to turn MASGA into a broader industrial partnership.

South Korea proposed the initiative as part of trade and security negotiations with the Trump administration. The package includes investment in American shipyards, training for U.S. workers, supply-chain development and maintenance services for U.S. naval vessels.

South Korea and the United States signed a memorandum in May establishing a bilateral shipbuilding partnership initiative and plans for a Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center in Washington.

The program is expected to support cooperation among government agencies, shipbuilders, research institutions and equipment suppliers in both countries.

U.S. officials have increasingly acknowledged South Korea’s mass-production capabilities. U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll praised South Korean defense manufacturing during a congressional hearing in April, citing Hanwha as an example of an effective industrial production model.

The U.S. administration has also pushed for faster construction of commercial and naval vessels as part of its effort to restore the country’s maritime industrial capacity.

Legal and political barriers remain

Despite the growing cooperation, an RFI does not guarantee that South Korean shipyards will receive orders for U.S. Navy vessels.

Congress would have to address laws that restrict foreign construction of naval vessels. U.S. labor unions and domestic shipbuilders could also resist proposals they believe would transfer American jobs or defense production overseas.

A possible compromise could involve South Korean companies investing in U.S. yards, supplying ship components or jointly constructing vessels in both countries rather than building complete American warships in South Korea.

South Korean shipbuilders could also provide designs and production management systems while final assembly takes place at an American facility.

Industry specialists said the South Korean government will need a coordinated strategy involving the presidential office, defense and industry ministries and diplomatic officials if Korean companies are to secure a meaningful role.

They said technical competitiveness alone may not be sufficient because major defense contracts are also shaped by alliance politics, domestic employment considerations and long-term security relationships.

South Korean companies recently faced difficulties in European and Canadian defense competitions despite offering competitive prices, technology and local production plans.

The prospective U.S. programs therefore represent both a major commercial opportunity and a test of Seoul’s ability to coordinate industrial policy with security diplomacy.

For South Korean shipbuilders, the immediate goal is not necessarily the full construction of U.S. destroyers at Korean yards. Securing design work, component orders, maintenance contracts or joint-production projects would still mark an important expansion of the country’s naval defense industry.

The Navy’s decision to formally examine South Korean capabilities indicates that cooperation once considered politically difficult is now under active consideration.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260714010005100

July 14 (UPI) — The Wisconsin Elections Commission has sent two complaints to prosecutors accusing businessman Elon Musk of violating anti-bribery law when he gave out millions to people to encourage them to vote last year.

The bipartisan commission voted 5-1 to forward the complaints to the Brown County District Attorney, WISN-TV in Milwaukee reported.

Musk’s American PAC wrote $1 million checks to two voters in the 2025 election as part of tens of millions he invested in the failed campaign of conservative Brad Schimel, who sought a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He lost to Susan Crawford, a liberal, who previously served as a circuit court judge in Dane County.

Musk also gave out other prizes ranging from $20 to $100 for those who signed the “Petition in Opposition to Activist Judges,” Forbes reported.

The commission said Musk’s post on X offering $ 1 million to those who voted in the Wisconsin Supreme Court election to induce them to vote showed probable cause that he violated state election law banning bribery.

European champions Spain beat France with controlled display to book final against Argentina or England.

Spain snuffed out France’s dream of a third World Cup triumph, taming their galaxy of forwards to win 2-0 and progress to a final against England or Argentina.

Didier Deschamps’ men were hot favourites for the trophy after a string of breathtaking displays in the United States but they met their match against the slick European champions at the semifinal stage on Tuesday.

Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring for the 2010 winners with an emphatic penalty in the first half in Arlington, Texas, and Pedro Porro doubled their lead in the second half.

Shell-shocked France could not find a way back into the match despite their wealth of attacking riches.

The game at the Dallas Stadium caught fire midway through the first half when Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton pointed to the penalty spot after a reckless challenge by France left-back Lucas Digne on Spain winger Lamine Yamal.

Oyarzabal hammered the ball past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan for his fifth goal of the World Cup to leave France trailing for the first time in the tournament.

Minutes later they suffered another blow when centre-back William Saliba had to leave the pitch after a recurrence of his lower back injury, replaced by Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.

Spain went agonisingly close to extending their lead after some dazzling one-touch football but Dayot Upamecano’s challenge denied Fabian Ruiz.

France finished the half without a single shot on target, and just two attempts overall.

Deschamps threw on Desire Doue for Bradley Barcola in the 57th minute in a bid to supercharge his attack but a minute later they were 2-0 down after a stunning team goal for Luis de la Fuente’s men.

Defender Porro delivered a sharp pass to the feet of Dani Olmo on the edge of the box and collected the return ball before coolly slotting past Maignan.

Deschamps threw on Theo Hernandez and Rayan Cherki after the second hydration break in a desperate bid to get back into the match.

But France could not find a way back into the game against solid opponents who refused to yield.

Spain have conceded just once in the entire tournament, combining defensive steel with the trickery of winger Yamal in attack.

They are now just 90 minutes away from winning the first-ever 48-team World Cup as they seek to match the achievement of Vicente del Bosque’s team 16 years ago.

Defeat in Texas is a bitter blow for a France team that has enthralled fans at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

France had reached the past two World Cup finals, winning in 2018 in Russia and losing on penalties to Lionel Messi’s Argentina four years ago in Qatar in an epic final despite a hat-trick from Mbappe.

Real Madrid forward Mbappe was just one cog in a star-studded attack that also included Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele and the elegant Michael Olise.

Defeat leaves just the third-place playoff for France coach Didier Deschamps, who is stepping down after the tournament following 14 years in charge.

Meanwhile, Porro told Television Espanola that the victory was a “dream come true”/

“This is all down to the team, I can’t take credit. I just congratulate everyone as they played great games,” he said.

“We knew that to get close to the final we needed to have the ball. We knew that to counter their strengths was key. And we did that. So we’re really happy.”

July 14 (UPI) — Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed an airliner in New York City’s Hudson River in 2009, announced Tuesday that he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

He revealed the news in a post to his personal website. He described the condition as “the unwanted visitor at the door.”

“I recently found out that I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease,” he wrote. “It is early stage. For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey.”

Sullenberger was the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, which made a safe emergency landing in the Hudson River after striking a flock of birds that disabled the plane’s engines. Aviation officials and the plane’s passengers credited Sullenberger with guiding the Airbus A320 safely to the surface of the water. All passengers and crew members aboard the flight survived, prompting observers to describe the incident as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

In addition to working as a commercial airline pilot, Sullenberger served in the U.S. Air Force, an accident investigator and was the U.S. ambassador to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

He said the diagnosis has challenged what it means to live an act of service.

“And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward,” he said Tuesday.

“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that ‘courage can be contagious,’ and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully. Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”

‘No one has been able to accept it yet.’ Grieving families collected the bodies of loved ones killed in Bangkok’s deadly pub fire as police investigated the cause of the blaze and possible safety breaches that have claimed 30 lives.

July 14 (UPI) — Billionaire investor Warren Buffet left the Gates Foundation out of his annual charitable stock gifts and said he would give all his stock for the year to his charities run by his children.

Berkshire Hathaway said that Buffet, 95, will donate 9 million Class B shares of the company to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation and 1 million shares each to the Susie Buffet-run Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the NoVo Foundation, which was founded by Peter and Jennifer Buffet. “My goal is to dispose of all of my Berkshire shares within about eight years,” Buffett said in a statement announcing the gifts. “As I explained last year, my children are unfortunately growing older. I have every hope that the three of them are able to carry out the disposal of my shares by Dec. 31, 2034.”

In previous years, the Gates Foundation was the largest recipient of his Berkshire donations. Buffett has donated more than $47 billion of Berkshire stock to the Gates foundation. The Wall Street Journal reported that Buffett was waiting for the outcome of a probe into the foundation’s involvement with Jeffrey Epstein, the sex offender who died by suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.

In March, Buffett told CNBC that he hadn’t spoken to Gates “at all since the whole thing was unveiled.”

Forbes values Buffett’s net worth at $147 billion, making him the 10th wealthiest person in the world.

Renewed conflict and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have slowed fertiliser shipments, worsening hunger in Sudan.

Sudan risks facing a deepening hunger crisis due to ongoing conflict, aid ⁠funding cuts, and rising agricultural costs driven by the global disruption caused by the Iran war, a senior World Food Programme (WFP) official has said.

“It’s a massive crisis, both in terms of numbers, but also due to the gravity,” Carl Skau, the WFP’s acting executive director, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Skau said that more than 100,000 people were still facing famine-like conditions, placing them in the highest level of the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). “With these kinds of numbers in IPC 5 starvation, it is extremely, extremely serious,” he said.

Sudan remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with around five million people facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger, even after an intensive ‌aid response helped reduce the number of people in famine-like conditions, Skau said.

Nearly 19.5 million people across Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the ⁠IPC. Skau said that recent fighting around el-Obeid in North Kordofan had raised fears the ⁠city could suffer a fate similar to el-Fasher in Darfur, where conflict and siege conditions trapped civilians and hindered aid deliveries, and where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out mass killings and gang rapes after they took control of the city in the course of their three-year conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

In recent days, however, violence has eased somewhat around el-Obeid, raising hopes that aid deliveries can be expanded from 100,000 to 250,000 in the area.

The WFP is ⁠also increasingly concerned about renewed fighting over the past week in Darfur, which has forced the closure of the Tine border crossing, a route from Chad ⁠into Darfur. This renewal of conflict threatens to reverse gains made after famine took hold in parts of the country, it said.

Throughout the country, the WFP has reduced the number of people ⁠it assists from five million a year ago to about 3.5 million, and reduced rations in many areas, including in Tawila in Darfur, as it faces a $646m funding gap after cuts from major donors, including the United States, European countries and Britain.

“We’re not heading in the ‌right direction here,” Skau said. “If anything, we are falling backwards.”

Skau also warned that soaring diesel prices and fertiliser shortages linked to conflict in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further undermine ‌Sudan’s food security during the current planting season.

Sudan relies heavily on fertiliser imports from Gulf countries, while much of its agriculture depends on irrigation pumps, which may be too expensive for farmers to run.

The ⁠war between SAF and the RSF, now entering its fourth year, has displaced millions and devastated much of the country. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of worsening food insecurity and limited humanitarian access.

July 14 (UPI) — Two Supreme Court Justices are planning to testify before Congress Tuesday about the Court’s budget ask for extra security amid growing threats.

Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett plan to appear before the House Appropriations subcommittee that approves funding for the Court to discuss the request for a $16.6 million budget increase to improve security for the justices at work and home. But questioning could veer toward several recent controversial decisions the Court made in its 2025-2026 term.

The budget increase requested is $20.6 million for fiscal year 2027. It asks for $14.6 million to give each justice six more security agents and 25 extra officers at the Supreme Court building, The Washington Post reported. The request also includes $2 million for a residential security office to coordinate home security.

It will be the first time Court justices have gone before Congress since 2019.

Supreme Court justices regularly face personal attacks from politicians and the public who may be displeased with their decisions.

Barrett’s home was “swatted” in May, when a caller reported gunshots at her home to lure police there. In October, a woman was sentenced to eight years in prison for planning to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Chief Justice John Roberts spoke out in March against personal attacks on judges after President Donald Trump criticized the justices for striking down his tariffs.

“Personally directed hostility is dangerous and has got to stop,” Roberts said during a speech in Houston.

Sending justices to Congress has become rare. Until 2011, at least one justice had appeared before Congress every year. Since then, there have been only three appearances.

A station in southeast London has been temporarily renamed Jude Bellingham Station before England faces off with Argentina in a seismic semi-final World Cup showdown. Fans hope the star midfielder can help England through to their first World Cup final since 1966.

July 14 (UPI) — The consumer price index for the year ending in June rose 3.5%, less than economists expected, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.

For the month, consumer prices fell by 0.4% due in part to the energy index dropping by 5.7%. It was the largest decline in the energy index in more than six years, following a spike in energy prices due to the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The consumer price index decline for the month followed a 0.5% increase in May, also making the decrease a six-year best for a single month.

The energy index remains high for the 12 months ending in June, up by 15.7%. This is bolstered by a 26.7% increase in the index for gasoline.

Energy services decreased by 0.7% on a per-month basis, putting the annual rate of inflation at 3.9%. Electricity fell by 1% to an annual 4% increase while utility gas service rose by 0.5% to an annual 3% rate of inflation.

June’s index beat estimates by the Dow Jones consensus, which projected a 0.2% decrease in the consumer price index with annual inflation at about 3.8%.

The index for all items not counting volatile food and energy, known as core inflation, remained steady between May and June. Core inflation measured at 2.6% for the year ending in June after reading at 2.9% in May.

The index for food rose by 0.2%, as did the indexes for food at home and food away from home. The annual index for food rose by 3%.

Tuesday’s report comes as new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh appears before Congress. In his prepared remarks, Warsh will tell Congress that the “number one objective is to get monetary policy right.”

“That is our clear and constant aim, the star we steer by,” Warsh’s prepared statement reads. And if we get policy right — and we will — the inflation surge of the last five years will be a thing of the past.”

July 14 (UPI) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Tuesday putting a moratorium on building large data centers for one year.

Hochul, a Democrat, signed the executive order pausing environmental permits and said that the delay would give the state legislature time to create new laws that protect the electrical grid, environment and communities.

The order is the first statewide ban in the United States.

“As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Hochul said in a statement. “New York will lead the way in creating the strongest standards in the nation for data center development, ensuring that when companies succeed because of New York, New Yorkers succeed, too.”

The order will temporarily block the state from approving permits for data centers that use 50 or more megawatts of power. During that time, the state will create a regulatory framework for assessing how the projects affect the environment.

The ban won’t delay projects that already have the needed permits.

Hochul also called on lawmakers Tuesday to repeal sales tax exemptions for data centers.

New York has fewer data centers than some other states, such as Texas and Virginia. But some projects have sparked local battles around the state.

Though states once courted the artificial intelligence companies’ investment, sentiment has since soured. Data centers use an enormous amount of electricity and are adding a huge burden to the electrical grid.

A May Gallup poll showed that more Americans would rather live near a nuclear power plant than a data center.

In Monterey Park, Calif., voters recently blocked data center construction permanently. But in April, Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed legislation that blocked construction of data centers because she said it could block a project in a town that supported a local data center.

The Seminole Nation passed a complete moratorium that bans development on its tribal land.

Hochul’s team didn’t say how many proposed data centers the moratorium would affect, but Cleanview lists 25 proposed facilities in the state, and a planned 300-megawatt facility near Ithaca has seen protests and backlash from locals, The Washington Post reported.

Lawmakers in New York recently passed a bill that called for a one-year moratorium but Hochul’s action allows the governor to move quickly while she reviews the legislation, the office said.

“This is an important victory for the thousands of New Yorkers who demanded that their government take action to put a pause on hyperscale data centers,” said Mitch Jones, managing director for policy and litigation at environmental group Food & Water Watch.

President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday the experience of understanding North Korean-born citizens in South Korea will become a “special asset” to prepare for a future shared by the two Koreas.

Lee made the remarks in a written address delivered by Lim Woong-soon, the second deputy director of the National Security Office, in commemoration of the day for North Korean defectors, which falls on July 14.

“The experience of understanding and trusting one another in a new community will lay the foundation for social integration and serve as a valuable asset in preparing for a future in which South and North Korea live together,” Lee said.

“We will establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and move steadily toward shared prosperity for the two Koreas,” the president said, adding that he will make all-out efforts to usher in a future of “coexistence and cooperation” beyond conflict and confrontation.

During the speech, Lee consistently referred to North Korean defectors as “bukhyangmin,” or people whose hometown is North Korea, a new term adopted by the unification minister earlier this year. The ministry is using “North Korean-born citizens” to refer to the North’s defectors.

Meanwhile, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young underscored at the event that it marked the first year to commemorate the third anniversary under the newly adopted reference, noting the term “North Korean defectors” implies discrimination and exclusion.

Tuesday’s event in Goyang, northwest of Seoul, was attended by some 1,000 people, including North Korean-born citizens and those who helped them settle into South Korea.

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July 14 (UPI) — Newly elected Labour Member of Parliament Andy Burnham was set to become British prime minister uncontested at the beginning of next week after securing unassailable backing from fellow lawmakers.

On Tuesday, with two days of the nomination period for the leadership of the party still to run, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester had the support of 349 Labour MPs, making it a mathematical impossibility for another candidate to overtake him.

Candidates need the backing of 81 Labour MPs minimum to be nominated — equivalent to 20% of the party’s 403 lawmakers — but the level of support Burnham has means insufficient numbers of uncommitted MPs remain to nominate another candidate.

Endorsements he needs from three other affiliated groups, including two trade unions, were expected to be rubber-stamped.

As the lone candidate to replace Keir Starmer, who resigned on June 22 after six years at the helm and two years as prime minister, Burnham, 56, will formally take over as party leader on Friday and become prime minister on Monday.

Burnham increased his support tally from 322 MPs to beyond the threshold at which he could still be challenged after hustings to answer questions from Labour MPs on Monday night with the proceedings held in private.

The former MP and government minister, who quit Westminster politics in 2017 after two failed bids for the leadership of the party while it was in opposition, succeeded at his third attempt, staged via a parliamentary by-election in Manchester just three-and-a-half weeks ago, which he won easily.

Burnham has promised a drastic transfer of power to the regions and to build an efficient state with a “laser-like focus on growth and regeneration,” but has said little else, in part because, with no mandate from the electorate, he is hemmed in by the manifesto that brought Starmer to power in a landslide general election in July 2024.

Starmer was forced out amid falling approval ratings and losses at the ballot box in successive local and by-elections, as well as rebellions by his own MPs forcing policy U-turns, and the debacle over his appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States.

The final straw was a disastrous defeat to Reform UK in “mid-term” local elections in May, prompting defections from his cabinet and growing numbers of MPs calling on him to give way to Burnham, said to be one of the country’s most popular political figures.

The South Korean government on Tuesday revised up its economic growth projection for 2026 to 3 percent, up 1 percentage point from its previous outlook, citing a semiconductor supercycle and easing uncertainties surrounding the Middle East.

The Ministry of Finance and Economy released its economic policy plan for the second half of 2026, presenting a forecast above the 2.6 percent estimates issued by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“This is the first year in which the Lee Jae Myung administration is taking full responsibility for the country’s economic management,” First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il said during a press conference held in the central city of Sejong.

“On the back of the government’s prompt response to the Middle East war and robust export performance, the economy is maintaining a stable growth trend,” the first vice finance minister said, adding that the revised 3 percent growth forecast reflects those developments.

Lee said the revised growth forecast, which is significantly higher than those presented by major international institutions, remains achievable because it reflects the latest data.

“I think the outlooks from other organizations were based on data from March and April,” Lee said. “We made our assessment based on the latest data, with the major changes including stronger exports driven by the semiconductor boom. Tensions in the Middle East have eased further since then.”

“We believe such developments will exert downward pressure on consumer prices and inflation, positively affecting both exports and consumption,” he added.

In the report, the finance ministry said the policy vision for the remainder of 2026 is to mark the first year of a major economic leap toward establishing an “irreplaceable Republic of Korea,” referring to South Korea’s official name.

Seoul also unveiled the so-called 3-4-5 vision, under which the country will seek to achieve a potential growth rate of 3 percent, become one of the world’s top four exporters, and raise gross national income (GNI) per capita to US$50,000. The GNI per capita came to US$36,850 in 2025.

The finance ministry said the growth momentum, which began to expand in the second half of 2025, is expected to further accelerate this year on the back of the continuing semiconductor boom, along with policy measures, including an extra budget aimed at shielding the country from the impact of the Middle East war.

The country will also seek to successfully implement three mega projects aimed at fostering the semiconductor, AI data center and physical AI industries, the report said.

South Korea will additionally focus on maintaining an unwavering supply chain based on lessons learned from the Middle East war, including offering tax benefits for the domestic production of strategically important items.

On exports, the finance ministry said South Korea’s outbound shipments are expected to jump a whopping 40 percent on-year in 2026 on the back of the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Non-IT products, such as ships, biohealth and secondary batteries, are also expected to remain robust, it added.

South Korea’s monthly exports reached a record $102.25 billion in June, surpassing the $100 billion mark for the first time after jumping 70.9 percent on-year.

The current account for 2026 was expected to reach a $290 billion surplus, marking a record high, buoyed by the surge in overseas demand and an increase in the number of foreign tourists.

In 2027, however, the current account surplus was expected to narrow to $245 billion following a rise in imports on the back of increasing domestic consumption.

Facility investment for 2026 could expand 5 percent on-year due to the robust performance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, although growth will be limited by sluggish machinery and petrochemical sectors.

The policy report also projected inflation of 2.6 percent in 2026, up from the previous 2.1 percent estimate, citing the lingering impact of the Middle East war, which led to higher petroleum prices.

Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, is expected to remain at around 2 percent.

“In the second half of 2026, as tensions surrounding the Middle East war ease and global crude oil prices decline, consumer price growth is expected to slow,” the ministry said.

“However, uncertainties also linger amid the progress of Middle East war negotiations and weather conditions, which could lead to volatility in energy and agricultural product prices,” it added.

Looking ahead to 2027, the ministry projected annual inflation to reach 2.2 percent despite lower global crude oil prices due to demand-led inflationary pressure.

The government said it will continue to focus on rolling out a post-Middle East war strategy by pursuing stable macroeconomic policies while maintaining a stable supply chain.

“In response to the changing economic environment, we plan to establish a comprehensive response system to maintain market stability across the macroeconomy, financial markets, the foreign exchange market and the real estate market,” the first vice finance minister said. “Based on favorable tax revenue conditions, we will continue active fiscal management.”

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The United States carried out attacks against Iran for a third consecutive night late on Monday.

Iran has continued to hit targets in the Gulf in several waves of retaliatory strikes on Tuesday, including UAE‑flagged oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Here is a recap of what has happened on Monday night and Tuesday, and what each side has said.

Where did the US attack Iran?

US Central Command, the military’s regional command known as CENTCOM, said its latest strikes began at 4:45pm ET (20:45 GMT) on Monday and were aimed at degrading Iran’s capacity to attack “innocent civilians and commercial shipping” in the strait.

CENTCOM later announced the conclusion of its strikes and said the latest round of attacks on Iran lasted five hours. It added that US forces “successfully struck military targets across Iran including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas”.

Iranian state television and semi-official news agencies reported explosions throughout the night across the country’s southern coast, including the port city of Bandar Abbas, and on Kish and Qeshm islands, as well as the town of Jam in Bushehr province.

A projectile that struck western Bandar Abbas caused no casualties, the Fars news agency reported, citing the regional governor’s office.

What areas did Iran target?

For its part, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had launched a wider retaliatory campaign against US allies and interests across the Gulf.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Iranian forces had struck several “violating” vessels in the strait, and that a US-made drone had been shot down near Bandar Abbas.

The UAE: The UAE said two of its oil tankers had been hit by Iranian cruise missiles in Omani waters in the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE added that one Indian national crew member had been killed on one of the tankers, and eight other people were wounded.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said the IRGC hit two “offending” oil supertankers, citing an IRGC statement – apparently referring to the two UAE tankers.

Kuwait: The Iranian army said on Monday that it had carried out a drone attack on US military targets in Kuwait. In a statement posted by state broadcaster IRIB, the army said it launched drones at a US Patriot missile system, fuel tanks, a watchtower, an ammunition depot and communication systems.

Bahrain: The IRGC said it targeted “several weapons storage depots, a satellite communications centre, and a building housing US forces” at al-Juffair Base in Bahrain. It also said it had hit the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain with missiles and drones.

Air sirens have been heard four times in Bahrain on Tuesday so far.

Jordan: Jordan’s army said it shot down four missiles in Jordanian airspace that were fired from Iran, according to the official Petra news agency. After this, the IRGC said it launched ballistic missiles at US forces and key facilities at an airbase in Jordan.

In a message addressed directly to Jordanians, the IRGC insisted that the operation was aimed at the US military presence in the country rather than at Jordan or its citizens. “You know that we hold no animosity toward your country. On the contrary, we deeply love you, the noble people. You understand the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people better than any other nation, and you are aware of the crimes of the Zionist regime in the massacre of 70,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children in Gaza, carried out with the direct involvement of the United States,” it said.

What have the US and Iran said?

US President Donald Trump formally notified Congress on July 10 that fighting with Iran had resumed on July 7, invoking his authority to keep US forces in combat for another 60 days without lawmakers’ approval.

At a news conference on Monday, Trump said Iran’s offensive capabilities were being dismantled, but he still thinks a “deal is possible” despite the return to open fighting.

Trump also repeated an earlier demand that Gulf nations help cover the cost of protecting shipping, saying Washington was “protecting a very rich portion of the world” and expected to be paid for it.

On Monday, Trump also threatened to “take out” Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La, also known as Pickaxe Mountain, a suspected nuclear site near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran.

Meanwhile, the US blockade on Iran, confirmed by the US Navy-led Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC), is due to begin at 20:00 GMT on Tuesday.

The US’s blockade covers Iran’s ports and terminals along the entire southern coastline, according to JMIC.

Ebrahim Azizi, the head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security Committee, has warned that Iran remains steadfast in defending its red lines, following the formal introduction of a bill to manage the Strait of Hormuz.

In an X post on Tuesday, Azizi wrote: “Last night, coinciding with the downing of US drones, the ‘Strategic Action for the Security and Sustainable Progress of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf’ bill was formally introduced in Iran’s Parliament. We remain steadfast in defending our red lines, particularly regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz.”

What is happening to shipping in Hormuz?

Oil prices rose more than 9 percent on Monday, with Brent crude climbing to about $81 a barrel, its highest level since mid-June.

Kpler, the ship-tracking firm, said crossings through the strait fell by about 52 percent between July 10 and July 12, compared with the previous week.

Madrid, Spain – Badr Tmairi, 22, from Morocco, has spent six years living in Spain without legal status. He arrived at 16, alone, without his family. He held legal residency briefly after turning 18, but lost it when he failed to renew it in time.

“What I want is to get my papers back so I can work as a hairdresser and travel to visit my family in Morocco,” he said.

Tmairi is one of more than a million people who have now applied for regularisation under a new scheme that contrasts with a growing European trend against irregular immigration.

He has been homeless for the past year. Without documents, finding work and decent housing in Spain is difficult.

“It’s very encouraging to know that so many people submitted an application and are trying to regularise their situation, but that huge number is also proof that the state has failed in its duty to protect the most vulnerable,” Edith Espinola, president of the Active Domestic Workers’ Service Association (SEDOAC) and spokesperson for the Regularizacion Ya (Regularisation Now), told Al Jazeera.

Regularizacion Ya, a collective made up of migrants, has led the push for regularisation since 2020. The measure grew out of a broad social consensus and has been backed by civil society organisations, the Catholic Church, trade unions and business associations.

Living without legal status, Espinola said, condemns people to social exclusion, as it has for Tmairi. Without rights or protection from abuse, they are unaligned with most of the rest of the population.

The new initiative, Spain’s first regularisation process since 2005, began in April and closed on June 30. The government now has three months to resolve the vast majority of the applications submitted.

Of the 1,174,978 applications, according to the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, only 11,000 have received a favourable resolution so far. About 608,000 have been accepted for processing, granting provisional residency and work permits until a final resolution.

‘All I want is to work’

Rocio Neciosupe, 54, is a Peruvian migrant who has spent two years without legal status in Spain. “Regularisation isn’t a handout; all I want is to work. To work without fear and with rights, so that if I fall and I’m sick, I don’t have to go to work that day and can still get paid, like anyone else,” she said.

Neciosupe, a cleaner in private homes, is busy across six different buildings around Madrid. But she is currently recovering from a back injury sustained in a fall at work. Without documents or a contract, she has no right to sick leave.

Unable to afford to lose her income while she recovers, her husband accompanies her to work each day and helps her with tasks she cannot manage alone.

Rocio, her husband and their two daughters, aged 22 and 17, have all had their regularisation applications accepted for processing and are now awaiting a favourable resolution.

“I want to support the country I live in, and if the country grows, we grow too,” Neciosupe added.

It is precisely in the contribution and growth potential of people like her that the Spanish government has framed its case for the measure.

“By 2050, Spain’s GDP would be 19 percent lower, 90,000 bars would close, 50,000 classrooms would shut and 220,000 farms would disappear,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said recently in a public address.

Gonzalo Fanjul, director of ISGlobal’s policy and development team and head of Research at the porCausa Foundation, said: “If you look at what’s happening in the United States, there are already estimates of the impact of the government’s violent, hostile anti-migration policies. Whole economic sectors are struggling to keep functioning.”

One of those sectors is care work. With an ageing population, Spain needs trained workers to fill positions in that sector, among others.

Josselyn Aguirre, 32, is one of those workers. A nursing assistant, she migrated from Ecuador to Spain in 2024. Her original plan had been to move to the United States, but her visa application was rejected.

“My goal is to stay and help older people. I really enjoy working with them,” she said.

“Here, in my country and in other countries around the world, this sector is collapsing due to a shortage of staff. That’s why I believe that being able to regularise your status and contribute as a professional benefits everyone,” she told Al Jazeera.

Migrants and refugees who applied for regularisation had already been living in Spain, working in the informal economy for years; 57 percent are men, most come from Latin American countries, and six out of 10 are below the age of 34.

So far, 159,097 additional people have registered with the Social Security system as a result of the regularisation process.

With this measure, “Spain has made a bet on growth. We’re going to be a country of 50 million people,” Fanjul said. “But it’s not enough.”

Amid a European political climate in which anti-migration rhetoric appears to be gaining ground, Spain’s approach shows another path is possible, though “regularisation is only the beginning”, Fanjul said.

“The system has been reset, but none of the underlying reasons that brought us to this point have been resolved.

“For the state to open up legal, safe and orderly channels for labour mobility is simply common sense,” he concluded.

Espinola is in no doubt.

Despite criticism from those opposed to the regularisation, she stressed, “We have come out stronger. The migrant community has once again shown its capacity for mutual support in difficult situations.”

The regularisation process is not yet over, she added: “We will remain vigilant to make sure the more than a million applications submitted are processed properly.”