Buy now, pay later loans will now affect US credit scores – what does that mean for consumers?

A new change to buy now, pay later loans means borrowers’ credit scores may see a change, which has worried some users of the loans.“I have a feeling that I’m just not going to have as much access to spending power and zero or really low APR rates,” said Nicole Nitta, a 31-year-old Las Vegas resident, who uses BNPL and shared that she already does not have great credit.Fico, the credit scoring company used by most US lenders, announced on 23 June that they would include BNPL loans, which play “an increasingly important role in consumers’ financial lives”, to help lenders more “accurately evaluate credit readiness”.For users of companies like Affirm, Afterpay and Klarna, the new calculation could benefit them because it allows them to build their credit – if, of course, they pay back the loans on time, experts say.Nitta first used BNPL for essentials in 2021, like non-perishable food items

How has Ryanair changed its cabin baggage rule – and will other airlines do it too?

For all but the most seasoned travellers the metal bag sizers used by budget airlines have become an instrument of fear because of the heavy financial penalty incurred if hand baggage is too big to fit.But as the summer holiday season gets under way there is some good news for those who struggle to travel light: Ryanair has announced it is increasing the size of the small “personal” bag you can take in the cabin for free by 20%.Yes. But it comes as airlines fall into line behind a new EU guaranteed bag size of 40cm by 30cm by 15cm. The current dimensions of the Ryanair free carry-on limit are 40cm by 25cm by 20cm – below the EU rule

Elon Musk’s proposed new political party could focus on a few pivotal congressional seats

The new US political party that Elon Musk has boasted about possibly bankrolling could initially focus on a handful of attainable House and Senate seats while striving to be the decisive vote on major issues amid the thin margins in Congress.Tesla and SpaceX’s multibillionaire CEO mused about that approach on Friday in a post on X, the social media platform which he owns, as he continued feuding with Donald Trump over the spending bill that the president has signed into law.“One way to execute on this would be to laser-focus on just 2 or 3 Senate seats and 8 to 10 House districts,” wrote Musk, who is the world’s richest person and oversaw brutal cuts to the federal government after Trump’s second presidency began in January. “Given the razor-thin legislative margins, that would be enough to serve as the deciding vote on contentious laws, ensuring they serve the true will of the people.”Musk did not specify any seats which he may be eyeing

Minister demands overhaul of UK’s leading AI institute

The technology secretary has demanded an overhaul of the UK’s leading artificial intelligence institute in a wide-ranging letter that calls for a switch in focus to defence and national security, as well as leadership changes.Peter Kyle said it was clear further action was needed to ensure the government-backed Alan Turing Institute met its full potential.In a letter to ATI’s chair, seen by the Guardian, Kyle said the institute should be changed to prioritise defence, national security and “sovereign capabilities” – a reference to nation states being able to control their own AI technology.The call for new priorities implies a downgrading of ATI’s focus on health and the environment, which are two of three core subjects for the institute, alongside defence and security, under its “Turing 2.0” strategy

Wimbledon 2025: Djokovic races to victory; Sinner and Swiatek sail through – as it happened

Some sizzling matches to look forward to tomorrow. Britain’s Sonny Kartal looks to keep her dream run going against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, No 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka faces Elise Mertens, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz plays Andrey Rublev, Cameron Norrie – the other Brit still standing in the singles – takes on Nicolas Jarry. And more!Will I win the Stating the Obvious Award for pointing out that Djokovic was not moving like a 38-year-old out on Centre Court? He produced a dazzling display, returning as only he can and producing some exhibition tennis at times. De Minaur is next – a tricky last-16 draw, but plenty of people will be eyeing a potential Djokovic v Jannik Sinner semi-final.Big-serving Ben Shelton is into the fourth round! He needed 70 seconds to wrap up that second-round curiosity yesterday and, while today clearly took a good while longer, he was still pretty dominant

Shubman Gill displays old-fashioned technique to break England’s resolve | Andy Bull

The sound of Shubman Gill’s bat could stop traffic. The man’s forward defence lands with the crack of John Bonham’s drum. It is a shot no one really notices in the moment but demands everyone’s attention as soon as it’s over because of the way noise resounds around the ground in the split second afterwards, like a teacher smacking his hand down on a table to get the pupils to shut up.It is the very model of the shot. His bat comes down like Gandalf’s staff