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| | | | | First Thing: Evan Gershkovich freed in largest US-Russian prisoner swap since cold war | | | Joe Biden and Kamala Harris meet Wall Street Journal reporter as he steps off the plane in Washington. Plus, Simone Biles wins sixth Olympic gold | | | | Evan Gershkovich, who spent nearly 500 days in Russian prison, greets family members as Joe Biden looks on. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock | | Jem Bartholomew | | | Good morning. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have met the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other freed American prisoners after Washington and Moscow completed their largest prisoner exchange since the cold war. As he stepped off the jet, Evan embraced Harris and Biden, then stepped over to his mother, Ella, and lifted her off the ground in an embrace. “We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like,” Gershkovich’s family said earlier in a statement. “Most important now is taking care of Evan and being together again. No family should have to go through this.” The vice-president called the deal an “extraordinary testament to the importance of having a president who understands the power of diplomacy”. | | | | | | | | Who were the freed prisoners? There were 16 American, Russian dissident and German prisoners freed by Russia, in exchange for eight Russians freed by the US, Germany, Norway, Slovenia and Poland. Those returning to Russia included a number of undercover spies and a convicted FSB assassin whom Vladimir Putin had sought to free from German prison for years. How did the deal come about? The complex deal had involved months of negotiations between countries and came together in extreme secrecy. The US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters that the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was meant to be a part of the deal before his death in February. Hezbollah chief says conflict with Israel is in ‘new phase’ after assassinations | | | | | People gather around a truck carrying the coffins of Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard in Tehran, Iran. Photograph: Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA | | | | Warnings of retaliation against Israel and its allies came after the recent assassinations of Hamas’s political and military leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif, and Hezbollah’s second-in-command, Fuad Shukur, fuelled fears of a regional conflict. The leader of Hezbollah has said that the Lebanese group’s conflict with Israel has entered “a new phase”. At Shukr’s funeral, in Beirut, Hassan Nasrallah vowed that the powerful Shia militia would seek revenge. “The enemy, and those who are behind the enemy, must await our inevitable response,” he said. Similar warnings of retaliation were made earlier in the day in Tehran, at Haniyeh’s funeral. What do the assassinations mean for ceasefire negotiations? The Israeli killing of Haniyeh in Tehran “doesn’t help” efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, Joe Biden said. What’s the latest death toll from Israel’s invasion of Gaza? More than 39,480 Palestinians have been killed and 91,128 injured in the Israeli military offensive on Gaza since 7 October, the Gaza health ministry says. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble, with the assault decimating civilian infrastructure and bringing famine to the coastal strip. Sonya Massey’s mother called 911 and asked police not to hurt daughter before shooting death | | | | | Donna Massey, the mother of Sonya Massey, at a rally at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois. Photograph: Vincent Alban/Reuters | | | | Two emergency response calls were made from the home of Sonya Massey, the Black woman who was shot in the face by an Illinois sheriff’s deputy after she called 911 for help, in the days leading up to her death, according to records. In a third call, Massey’s mother, Donna Massey, reported that her daughter was having a “mental breakdown” and told the dispatcher: “I don’t want you guys to hurt her.” She added that she feared the police and asked that no officer who was “prejudiced” be sent. What charges is the officer facing in the case? Sean Grayson, 30, a white former sheriff’s deputy, is charged with first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and official misconduct in the shooting death of Massey, 36, in her home. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. How many people have been killed by police in 2024? Police have killed 772 people in the US so far this year, with Black people 2.9 times more likely to be killed by police than white people, according to the Mapping Police Violence project. In other news … | | | | | Teaching staff from the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology show support for the student protesters. Photograph: Habibur Rahman/Abaca/Rex/Shutterstock | | | | Bangladesh has arrested more than 10,000 people and banned a major opposition party, as part of a crackdown on dissent after weeks of anti-government protests. The US recognized Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, discrediting the results announced by government-controlled electoral authorities who declared Nicolás Maduro the victor. China has experienced the highest number of significant floods since records began in 1998, despite being only halfway through peak flood season. Simone Biles won her sixth Olympic gold medal, and her second of the Paris Games, capturing the women’s all-around title for a second time. Stat of the day: Surrounding cities with trees may bring down urban heat 0.5C | | | | | Vancouver, Canada. What grows on the land surrounding the city makes a difference to the temperature in the centre, the study says. Photograph: All Canada Photos/Alamy | | | | The urban heat island effect, which raises temperatures in cities by 2-3C because the sun’s rays are absorbed by hard surfaces, is making life uncomfortable for millions. But scientists, studying 30 cities, found that those with belts of trees and large lakes on their borders drew in cooler air that helped reduce temperatures by 0.5C. Don’t miss this: The secret life of rap bodyguards | | | | | Bodyguard Samson Dread and rapper Sexxy Redd. Photograph: Samson Dread | | | | From 2Pac in the 90s, to XXXTentacion and more in recent years, murder is frequent in the rap scene. The men trying to protect the artists explain the physical and psychological toll. “A lot of your favourite rappers are only alive because of our sacrifices,” one says. Climate check: Only 117 of 250 big fashion brands have decarbonisation plans, report finds | | | | | Environmental pollution on river banks near a textile industrial area in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photograph: Andrew Aitchison/In Pictures/Getty Images | | | | Many of the world’s biggest fashion brands, such as Reebok, Tom Ford and DKNY, do not have a public plan for decarbonisation, the What Fuels Fashion? report found. The fashion industry can be highly polluting but the report found that only 117 of 250 brands – with turnovers or more than $400m – had any decarbonisation targets. Last Thing: A woman brought her own snacks to Despicable Me 4. Then the police arrived | | | | | A still from Despicable Me 2. Photograph: Moviestore/REX | | | | According to the New Zealand Herald, two women took children to see Despicable Me 4, bringing popcorn, sweets and lollipops against the cinema’s policy. Soon, four police officers entered the cinema lobby. It reheated the enduring question: should you be allowed to take your own snacks into the cinema? 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 | |
| | | Betsy Reed | | Editor, Guardian US |
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