Category Archives: US News

Kamala Harris’s big moment, and a message of hope: key takeaways from the Democratic convention’s final night

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The vice-president rebuked Trump and urged ‘optimism and faith’ – but Beyoncé did not make an appearance

The Democratic national convention has ended in Chicago, with vice-president Kamala Harris formally accepting the nomination and making her pitch to voters. Here are some key takeaways from the fourth night:

Democratic convention highlights:

Tim Walz’s acceptance speech channeled grit and empathy

Democrats issue warning over Project 2025

What to know about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

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Meth worth nearly $6m found in fake watermelons at US-Mexico border

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Imitation fruits and vegetables are the latest ‘sophisticated’ tactic for Mexican cartels to smuggle drugs into the US

Everyday fruit and vegetables are some of the latest methods Mexican cartels are using to smuggle drugs into the US, recent seizures of methamphetamine suggest.

Around 2 tonnes of the powerful stimulant known colloquially as crystal meth was discovered recently in packages designed to look like bright green watermelons at the San Diego, California, port of Otay Mesa, according to US Customs and Border Patrol Protection officials.

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US officials say Gaza ceasefire ‘in sight’ but Israel and Hamas downbeat

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Warring sides indicate breakthrough not imminent as renewed fighting rages in parts of Palestinian territory

US officials have expressed optimism that a ceasefire deal in the war in Gaza “is in sight”, despite growing indications from Israel and Hamas that a breakthrough is not imminent and as renewed fighting rages in parts of the Palestinian territory.

Washington has put pressure on both parties to accept a bridging proposal suggested during internationally mediated talks in Qatar last week, dispatching the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, on his ninth visit to the region since the conflict broke out 10 months ago. The latest round of negotiations, in which Hamas is not directly participating, were scheduled to restart in Cairo by Thursday but appear to have been postponed.

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Harris prepares for convention keynote as Trump and Vance focus on immigration message – live

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Harris will formally accept her party’s historic presidential nomination while Trump and Vance will hold separate battleground state events

Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz is dropping by the Minnesota delegation’s breakfast meeting in Chicago this morning, according to reports.

Walz and his wife, Gwen, are expected to thank delegates at the breakfast for their support of the Harris-Walz ticket.

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Uncommitted holds sit-in outside Democratic convention after Palestinians denied a speaker

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Movement launched protest after party rejected requests for Palestinian American to speak on the main stage

A sit-in that began Wednesday evening in protest of the Democratic convention’s denial of a Palestinian American speaker on the main stage continued on Thursday.

Uncommitted, a national movement that began in Michigan, won 30 delegates to the convention and has tried to use the party process to pressure Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to broker an end to the war in Gaza. The sit-in has been taking place outside the United Center, where Harris will speak this evening, is the latest attempt to get the Democratic party to allow greater prominence for the anti-war movement at this week’s convention in Chicago. Organizers were expected to remain in place until or unless the party changes course.

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US Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik joins Dancing with the Stars

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‘Pommel horse guy’ becomes first confirmed cast member for reality show’s 33rd season premiering 17 September

The US Olympic gymnast Stephen Nedoroscik will appear on the new Dancing with the Stars season, ABC’s Good Morning America hosts announced on Thursday.

“I want to bring some of that gymnastics – maybe a backflip or handstand. I want to have fun with it,” Nedoroscik told GMA hosts Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Gio Benitez.

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Woman caught in awkward ‘childless cat ladies’ DNC camera pan attacks Vance

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Teresa Woorman takes moment in limelight in her stride after cameras cut to her during Oprah Winfrey speech

When the cameras panned over from Oprah Winfrey calling out “childless cat ladies” at the Democratic national convention, they landed on an unsuspecting woman who nodded along to Winfrey’s words and prompted plenty of reactions online – and a response from the woman herself.

During Winfrey’s speech on Wednesday, the cameras awkwardly cut to the audience member Teresa Woorman, a delegate from district 16 in Maryland.

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‘That’s my dad’: Gus Walz moved to tears as father Tim accepts VP nomination

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Walz’s 17-year-old son touched DNC viewers with his emotional display during father’s widely praised speech

Tim Walz’s 17-year-old son Gus stole the show with an emotional display of family fealty as his father delivered his acceptance speech at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

After the elder Walz described the painful process of starting a family using fertility treatment, television cameras focused on Gus as he stood up, with tears pouring down his face, and pointed to the stage mouthing: “That’s my dad.”

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Democratic convention schedule: Oprah reported to be among speakers on night three

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Tim Walz and Bill Clinton headline the third night amid reports Oprah Winfrey will also appear. Here’s a look at other noteworthy speakers on the schedule

The Democratic national convention is under way, with primetime addresses scheduled for tonight from Bill Clinton; Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s running mate; and many more.

CNN reported that Oprah Winfrey, the talkshow host and longtime Democrat, is set to appear on the main stage. In previous elections, Winfrey lent her star power to Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Chris Murphy, US senator, Connecticut

Olivia Troye, former Trump administration national security official

Bennie G Thompson, member of the US House of Representatives, Mississippi

Andy Kim, member of the US House of Representatives, New Jersey

Stevie Wonder, singer-songwriter and musician (performance)

Kenan Thompson, comedian, and guests (remarks on Project 2025)

Mindy Kaling (host introduction)

Hakeem Jeffries, US House of Representatives Democratic leader

Bill Clinton, former US president

Nancy Pelosi, former US House speaker

Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania

Catherine Cortez Masto, US senator, Nevada

Amanda Gorman, national youth poet laureate, whose performance of The Hill We Climb at Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration wowed the audience

Wes Moore, governor of Maryland

Pete Buttigieg, US transportation secretary

John Legend and Sheila E, musicians (performance)

Amy Klobuchar, US senator, Minnesota

Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and Kamala Harris’s running mate (keynote address)

Democratic national convention 2024 live updates

Monday: For the People

Tuesday: A Bold Vision for America’s Future

Wednesday: A Fight for Our Freedoms

Thursday: For Our Future

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Robert F Kennedy Jr to drop out of presidential race by end of week – report

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Independent candidate’s campaign says he will make address to nation on Friday in Arizona

Robert F Kennedy Jr is set to drop his maverick campaign for president, it has been reported, amid speculation the independent and environmental lawyer will throw his support behind Donald Trump.

The ABC network, citing “sources familiar with the decision”, reported that Kennedy would formally leave the race on Friday. The report followed an announcement on his campaign website that he would make a statement that day “about the present historical moment and his path forward” in Phoenix that would be live-streamed on X and other social media.

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‘They want to slime him’: Hunter Biden lawyer attacks prosecutors in tax case

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Mark Geragos says special counsel guilty of ‘character assassination’ by trying to bring salacious details into trial

An attorney for Hunter Biden has accused prosecutors of wanting to introduce salacious details about partying and spending by Joe Biden’s son to smear his character in front of jurors at his upcoming trial on federal tax charges.

During a lengthy hearing in Los Angeles federal court, Hunter Biden’s lawyer said special counsel David Weiss’s team was intent on “character assassination” by seeking to bring in evidence of spending on things like strippers in the case alleging a scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4m in taxes.

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US mayoral candidate who pledged to govern by customized AI bot loses race

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Victor Miller proposed customized ChatGPT bot to govern Cheyenne, Wyoming – but fared badly at the ballot box

A mayoral candidate in Wyoming who proposed letting an artificial intelligence bot run the local government lost his race on Tuesday – by a lot.

The candidate, Victor Miller, announced his run for mayor of Cheyenne earlier this year, and quickly made headlines after he decided to run with his customized ChatGPT bot, named Vic (Virtual Integrated Citizen), and declared his intention to govern in a hybrid format, in what experts say was a first for US political campaigns.

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Las Vegas politician accused of journalist’s murder takes stand in his own defense

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Robert Telles on trial over murder of Jeff German, who wrote critical articles about the public administrator

A Las Vegas politician accused of murdering a local investigative journalist who wrote critical articles about him took the stand in his own defense on Wednesday, giving his testimony in narrative style, without being asked questions.

“Right now I want to say unequivocally: I’m innocent. I didn’t kill Mr German. And I’ve got a lot to share with you all,” said Robert Telles, a former Clark county public administrator.

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US military announces $20m grant to build cobalt refinery in Canada

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Pentagon investment would make North America’s first cobalt sulfate refinery as US looks to diversify supply chain

The US military has made its largest investment in Canada’s mining sector in decades, spending millions amid a looming battle among nations to control the supply of cobalt.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced a $20m grant to help build a cobalt refinery in the province of Ontario, saying the investment will “create a more robust industrial base capable of meeting growing demand across both the defense and commercial sectors”.

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Prehistoric humans may have stuck pikes in ground to kill mammoths, say experts

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People of ancient Clovis culture could have impaled huge animals on pikes rather than throwing spears, finds study

When it came to taking down giant animals, prehistoric hunters would quite literally have faced a mammoth task. Now researchers have shed fresh light on how they might have done it.

Experts studying sharp stone points made by the Clovis people, who lived in the Americas from about 13,000 years ago, say that rather than hurling spears at enormous animals such as giant bison, mammoths or ground sloths, the tribes could have planted their weapons point-up in the ground to impale charging creatures.

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Bill Clinton says ‘Trump creates chaos’ and mocks crowd-size obsession in star-studded night at DNC – live

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Former president addresses delegates amid reports Oprah Winfrey is expected to make an appearance

Kamala Harris’s campaign raised four times as much money last month than Donald Trump’s campaign, Reuters is reporting, citing federal disclosures filed late on Tuesday.

The Harris campaign told the Federal Election Commission it raised $204m in July, compared to $48m reported by Trump’s main fundraising group.

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Shares in National Express owner jump as it starts sale of US school bus business

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Mobico also reports 24% increase in half-year profits to £71.2m as group tries to reduce £1.2bn debt

The owner of National Express has revealed it has begun the sale of its North American school bus business in an effort to reduce its £1.2bn debt, sending its shares sharply higher.

The share price of Mobico, which changed its name from National Express Group in June 2023, jumped by more than 20% after markets opened on Wednesday, before settling at 14% up at 66p by mid-morning.

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All eyes on America’s ‘blue wall’ as Harris scrambles to woo key voters

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Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin hold the election key – can the Democrats see off the challenge from Trump?

Away from the deafening roar of the party faithful that nightly fills the Democratic national convention in Chicago an urgent question is being asked behind the scenes: how can the party convert the energy that has exploded around Kamala Harris’s belated candidacy into actual votes on election day?

All eyes are on the “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, where the identity of the 47th US president is likely to be settled. The outsized significance of the three states in the race is evident in the scramble of the presidential candidates to woo them.

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First Thing: ‘America is ready for a better story,’ says Barack Obama

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Ex-president praises Kamala Harris as a champion of the people. Plus, US woman breaks record for widest tongue

Good morning.

Barack Obama returned to the scene of past triumphs yesterday to pass the mantle of political history to Kamala Harris amid chants of “Yes, she can!”. The former US president gave the closing speech on night two of the Democratic national convention (DNC) in his home city of Chicago, delivering a withering critique of Donald Trump.

What was Obama’s best line? “I’m feeling hopeful because this convention has always been pretty good to kids with funny names who believe in a country where anything is possible” – a nod to his 2004 convention speech as a relatively lowly Illinois state senator that shot him to fame.

What did Bernie Sanders focus on? In his speech, Sanders detailed an extensive progressive agenda that he said Democrats must enact if Harris is elected as president, stressing the need to expand healthcare access, reduce the cost of higher education and raise the minimum wage.

What is Trump saying privately? According to Stephanie Grisham, the ex-president’s former press secretary who has since said she abhors Trump and spoke at the DNC to excoriate him, Trump has called his supporters “basement dwellers”.

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