The event at San Francisco’s Fairmont hotel sold nearly 700 tickets priced between $3,300 and $500,000, and was attended by leading party figures including former House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the California governor, Gavin Newsom. Pelosi heaped praise on Harris, saying: “She makes us all so proud. She brings us so much joy. She gives us so much hope,” while describing her as “politically very astute”.
During their swing state tour, the vice-president and Walz saw rallies packed with thousands of supporters. While Harris said the energy in her campaign was “undeniable”, she cautioned against complacency, saying: “We can take nothing for granted in this critical moment.”
US accelerates military deployment to region amid reports Iran may attack within days
The US has ordered a strike group of fighter jets and navy warships to hasten its deployment to the Middle East as the region braces for the possibility of an escalation by Iran after the killing of senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Tehran has threatened revenge after the political leader of Iran-backed Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated on 31 July. Iran blames Israel for the killing in Tehran, though no one has claimed responsibility. The US subsequently announced it would help increase Israeli defences by sending additional fighter jets and warships to the region.
Concerns have grown that the Israel-Gaza war could escalate into a wider Middle East conflict after Haniyeh’s assassination, which followed Israel’s killing of Hezbollah’s most senior military commander Fuad Shukr, in a strike on Beirut. The Lebanese group is also backed by Iran.
What is the latest news from Gaza? An additional 75,000 people or more have been displaced within recent days in south-west Gaza, said Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, after an Israel Defense Forces operation on Khan Younis.
In golden ceremony Paris hands Olympics flag over to Los Angeles for 2028
The Paris Olympics closing ceremony on Sunday brought the 2024 Games to an end with a message about the importance of protecting the Olympic spirit in a world divided by conflict.
Attended by 70,000 spectators, the ceremony’s grand finale featured Tom Cruise swooping through the air from the stadium roof before delivering the Olympic flag to the mayor of Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Games. Karen Bass became the first black female mayor to receive the Olympic flag, accepting it on stage with the US gold-medallist gymnast Simone Biles.
Commenting on his stadium extravaganza, the artistic director of Paris 2024, Thomas Jolly, said: “Humanity is beautiful when it comes together.” Describing the show as one that celebrated “respect and tolerance” in a divided world, Jolly called the Games and the closing performance “a unique opportunity to share, reconcile and repair”.
How did the US fare in the Games? The country topped the medals table again, with 126 in total: 40 gold, 44 silver and 42 bronze.
In other news …
Hundreds of firefighters are trying to curb blazes on the peripheries of Athens as Greek authorities issue evacuation orders in affected areas and warn people in the capital to stay inside with their windows shut.
Thousands of soldiers have been committed to Ukraine’s push into Russia’s Kursk region, Ukrainian sources have indicated , with a security official saying the incursion aims to destabilise Russia.
Hong Kong’s highest court on Monday unanimously rejected the appeals of media mogul Jimmy Lai and six other pro-democracy campaigners to overturn their convictions for an unauthorised assembly in 2019.
Stat of the day: South America’s Pantanal is home to 380 species of fish, 580 types of birds and 2,272 different plants
Environmental experts are raising the alarm over Brazil’s plans to turn the Pantanal – the world’s biggest tropical wetland – into an industrial shipping route. Likened to “Noah’s ark”, the expanse is one of the most biologically rich environments , harboring at least 380 species of fish, 580 types of birds and 2,272 different plants.
Don’t miss this: ‘They are trying to exterminate us’: Thailand’s banned political leader speaks out
Thailand’s Move Forward party won the most votes and most seats in last year’s election. But rather than being swept into power, the party, which promised deep-seated changes, was last week banned by the courts. Its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat speaks to the Guardian’s south-east Asia correspondent in this exclusive interview , saying of the country’s military royalist establishment: “They’re coming after us. They’re exterminating us.”
Climate check: Australian fossil fuel exports ranked second only to Russia for climate damage
Australian fossil fuel exports damage the climate more than those from any other country except Russia, according to a study that argues Australia is weakening a global agreement to move away from non-renewables. The country ranks ahead of the US on an emissions basis due to its reliance on coal.
Last Thing: Can grunting improve your performance in the gym?
It’s a controversial topic: by many, grunting while lifting barbells is seen as annoying posturing, but others point to evidence that it aids performance. Planet Fitness famously created a “lunk alarm” – a siren that can be activated when lifters get too loud, triggering a staff intervention. (Mortifying.) The Guardian’s Joel Snape investigates whether we should keep quiet – or ease up on policing noise in the gym.
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