First Thing: Biden urges voters to elect Harris to ‘preserve democracy’

The president strikes an optimistic note in address at the opening night of the Democratic national convention. Plus, should licking popsicles be part of the curriculum?

Good morning.

Joe Biden urged the nation to elect Kamala Harris in his address at the Democratic national convention on Monday, at which he contemplated his five-decade career in politics and thanked tens of millions of voters for their support as he passed on the torch.

The president struck an optimistic note in his speech, reminding voters how far the US had come since he took office just two weeks after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, when the world was still in the early stages of the Covid pandemic.

“Yet, I believed then and I believe now, that progress was and is possible. Justice is achievable, and our best days are not behind us. They’re before us,” Biden said. “With a grateful heart, I stand before you now on this August night to report that democracy has prevailed. Democracy has delivered, and now democracy must be preserved.”

What were the night’s highlights? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Harris understood the ordinary struggles of America’s middle class and she would fight for reproductive and civil rights as well as a ceasefire in Gaza. Hillary Clinton said Harris would break the “glass ceiling” as the first female US president, while speakers from red states spoke about the personal impacts of abortion bans.

Divers resume search for six missing people after yacht sinks off Sicily

Specialist divers have resumed their search for six missing people, including the British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch and his teenage daughter, after a superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily.

The yacht carrying 22 people was hit by a waterspout at about 5am local time on Monday, the Italian coastguard said, and those missing had British, American and Canadian nationalities. An Antiguan citizen, Ricardo Thomas, understood to be the boat’s chef, has been confirmed dead.

As well as Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter, the others missing are the Morgan Stanley International chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and Chris Morvillo, a lawyer at Clifford Chance, and their wives.

In a separate incident, Stephen Chamberlain, Lynch’s co-defendant in a 2011 US fraud trial, has died after being hit by a car in Cambridgeshire on Saturday, his lawyer has said.

Who has been rescued? Fifteen people, including Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, and a one-year-old girl who was saved by her mother.

Bodies of six hostages held in Gaza recovered in overnight operation, Israeli military says

The bodies of six hostages taken in Hamas’s 7 October attack have been returned from southern Gaza in an overnight operation, the Israeli military has confirmed.

It identified the hostages as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry, and did not say when or how they died, the Associated Press reports.

Praising the recovery operation, the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said “our hearts ache for the terrible loss.” “The state of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages – both alive and dead,” he said in a statement.

How many hostages does Hamas still have? It’s believed to be holding about 110 hostages, while Israeli authorities estimate around a third of them are dead.

In other news …

Two women have been killed after being swept away in flooding in Connecticut, with torrential rain trapping people in cars and a restaurant, authorities said as the governor announced a state of emergency.

The head of the UN mission in South Sudan has called for more peacekeepers amid fears that violence could erupt as the world’s newest nation holds its first election as an independent country.

Two men have been charged with the murder of General Hospital actor Johnny Wactor, who was fatally shot in Los Angeles when he interrupted three thieves stealing the catalytic converter from his car in May.

The musician Chappell Roan has blasted fans’ “creepy behaviour”, saying she and her family have been stalked and harassed since she has shot to stardom.

Stat of the day: Nearly half of New Zealanders say government policies increasing racial tensions, poll finds

Almost half of New Zealanders (46%) believe their government’s policies have heightened racial tensions, according to polling. Since it came into power last year, the rightwing coalition government’s policy shifts for Māori has triggered protests and mass meetings of Māori leaders. Proposed changes include reviewing the way New Zealand’s founding document, the Treaty of Waitangi, is interpreted and used.

Don’t miss this: How Ireland became the world’s literary powerhouse

Considering it’s a country you can drive the length of in a few hours, Ireland punches well above its weight when it comes to literary output, including boasting four Nobel literature laureates and six Booker prize winners. From the Irish love of spinning a good yarn to robust arts funding, Kate McCusker unpicks the secrets to its success.

Climate check: Polar bears forced into people’s path by climate crisis

Earlier this month, two polar bears killed a radar technician in a rare attack in Nunavut, northern Canada. As the climate crisis makes the apex predators’ food sources scarce and destroys their habitat, experts are warning that polar bears will increasingly clash with northern communities.

Last Thing: Children should learn to lick popsicles as part of England’s school curriculum

In a piece of advice that reads suspiciously like it was written by a seven year old, scientists have called for popsicle licking to become an essential part of England’s national curriculum for primary schoolchildren. There appears to be solid reasoning for it, though: the idea is that it helps teach children the concepts of heating and cooling on a personal level.

Sign up

First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.

Get in touch

If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email newsletters@theguardian.com