Arson attacks in France before Olympic ceremony

Plus, Obamas endorse Harris.

Sign up for Reuters newsletters  Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton Arson attacks hit France's train network hours before Olympic opening ceremony, the Obamas endorse Kamala Harris, and US arrests Mexican drug lords. Plus, our top photography from around the world this week. Today's Top News   General view of passengers at Gare du Nord station after threats against France's high-speed TGV network. REUTERS/Yves Herman Olympics Saboteurs attacked France's TGV high-speed train network in coordinated actions that caused chaos on the country's busiest rail lines ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. Europe Editor Rachel Armstrong tells the Reuters World News podcast what we know about the attack so far. Follow our live coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics. US news Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle endorsed Kamala Harris' bid for president in a roughly one-minute long video that captured a private phone call between the couple and the current vice president. Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden. Netanyahu will also visit Republican candidate Donald Trump in Florida. Mexican drug kingpin Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada and the son of his ex-partner, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, were arrested in El Paso, Texas, in a major coup for US authorities that may also reshape the Mexican criminal landscape. In other news North Korean hackers have conducted a global cyber espionage campaign in efforts to steal classified military secrets to support Pyongyang's banned nuclear weapons program, the US, Britain and South Korea said in a joint advisory. Typhoon Gaemi lashed towns on China's coastal Fujian province with heavy rains and strong winds as the storm began its widely watched trek into the populous interior. Earlier this week, Gaemi turned streets in the Philippines into rivers - view our gallery. Business & Markets   The Bank of England's first interest rate cut since 2020 hangs in the balance next week, with greater uncertainty than usual as key policymakers have not spoken publicly for more than two months due to rules in the run-up to July 4's election. China's use of ultra-long treasury bonds to fund a consumer goods trade-in program deviates from the usual playbook of boosting investment to support the economy and is fueling expectations for more stimulus that targets household demand. Mercedes-Benz lowered its annual profit margin forecast after weak second quarter sales and earnings but expects new models to help it battle stiff competition in China in the second half of the year. OpenAI is venturing into a territory long dominated by Google with the selective launch of SearchGPT, an artificial intelligence-powered search engine with real-time access to information from the internet. Barclays, NatWest and Lloyds are among seven banks to share customer data with the National Crime Agency in the largest project of its kind worldwide to tackle criminal gangs, money laundering and "dirty money" flowing through Britain. The Week Ahead It's a big week for central banks, with policymakers in the US, Japan and Britain all due to reconsider lending rates and markets on edge over more earnings from US tech giants. The steep selloff in markets in recent days is shining a spotlight on the Federal Reserve, which concludes its July monetary policy meeting on Wednesday. Here's your look at what's happening in markets in the coming week. Venezuelans will head to the polls on Sunday for an election which has seen the opposition attract significant support - Andean Bureau Chief Julia Symmes Cobb talks through it on the Reuters World News daily podcast - listen now. From Monday be sure to check the Daily Briefing for a live medals tally from the Olympic Games in Paris. US told Philippines it made 'missteps' in secret anti-vax propaganda effort   A health worker shows a vial of Sinovac Biotech's Coronavac. Fort Bonifacio, Philippines, March 2, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez/File Photo The US Defense Department admitted that it spread propaganda in the Philippines aimed at disparaging China's Sinovac vaccine during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a June 25 document cited by a former top government official earlier this month. The US admission followed a June 14 Reuters investigation that revealed how the Pentagon launched a secret psychological operation to discredit Chinese vaccines and other COVID aid in 2020 and 2021, at the height of the pandemic.  Read more And Finally... Simone Biles of the United States during training ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics, in Paris, July 25. REUTERS/Amanda Perobelli A selection of our best photography from around the world this week. Read more Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2024 Thomson Reuters. 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