BBC News Briefing

5 August, 2024

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. It's a potentially pivotal week for Vice-President Kamala Harris as she is expected to announced her pick for running mate in the US presidential race. Emily McGarvey gives us the latest. In Frankfurt, Sarah Rainsford sits down with Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza in one of his first interviews since landing in Germany following last week's Russia-US prisoner swap. Finally, a dolphin is spotted in a rare sighting along a stretch of the River Thames in London.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Harris expected to announce VP pick

Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event

Ms Harris has secured enough party delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination. Credit: Getty Images

Vice-President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has interviewed potential running mates. At least three of the top rumoured contenders for the role spoke to Ms Harris in Washington DC - Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. The one-on-one meeting with the presidential candidate is one of the final steps of a gruelling and exhaustive vetting process - and perhaps the most consequential, as the final decision ultimately rests with Ms Harris. A decision is required before the Democratic National Convention, which starts on 19 August in Chicago, but it's likely to come early this week. Ms Harris and her running mate are expected to tour battleground states, beginning with Pennsylvania on Tuesday before heading to Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

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Face-off: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has proposed a debate with Ms Harris take place on 4 September on Fox News instead of the 10 September ABC date originally fixed with Joe Biden.

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Smashing the glass ceiling: Three female Democrats hold the top positions in Michigan - the state run by women could offer pointers for Ms Harris to make history as the US's first female president.

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Robert F Kennedy Jr: The independent presidential candidate has posted a video on social media in which he admits he dumped a dead bear cub in New York City's Central Park in 2014.

WORLD HEADLINES

Bangladesh protests: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left the country after at least 90 people were killed on Sunday in clashes between police and anti-government demonstrators. Get the latest.

War in Gaza: Dozens of people have reportedly been killed in Israeli air strikes on two schools in Gaza City, according to Palestinian rescuers and news outlets. Meanwhile, several countries have urged their nationals to leave Lebanon over fears of a wider confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel, which exchanged fire early on Sunday.

Wagner group: Mali says it has cut diplomatic relations with Ukraine, after a military official suggested Kyiv had played a role in deadly fighting last month involving the Russian mercenary group.

Far-right violence: More than 150 people have been arrested following violent disorder in UK towns and cities over the weekend that included the targeting of a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Mount Etna: Intensifying volcanic activity has restricted arrivals to Catania airport, with footage showing Europe's tallest volcano erupting over the island.

AT THE GAMES

Paris, France

North Korea's sports diplomacy

An Chang-ok does her vault routine at the Paris Olympics.

An is among 16 North Korean athletes who have come to the Paris Olympics. Credit: Getty Images

Saturday's women’s vault final saw North Korean athlete An Chang-ok waving for TV cameras and hugging at least one fellow finalist - rare interactions with foreigners for a young woman from a famously secretive country. An missed out on the podium, but North Korea's diplomatic gymnastics was on full display.

James FitzGerald, BBC News

The contrasting support for An and Simone Biles could not have been starker. Thousands of punters yelled Biles' name. An, meanwhile, received only polite appreciation from the neutrals. She had no compatriots in the room, since ordinary North Koreans are prevented from leaving their country. It is unlikely that anyone was watching at home, either, as the Games are not being televised live in North Korea, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).

Read in full

Olympic 100m: It came down to a difference of five-thousandths of a second between gold medal winner Noah Lyles of the USA and silver medallist, Jamaica's Kishane Thompson. Harry Poole explains where what’s been dubbed "the greatest race in history" was won.

Triathlon events: Belgium have pulled out of the mixed relay after one of their athletes fell ill following the women's triathlon on Wednesday.

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

'I was certain I would die in prison'

Vladimir Kara-Murza has spent the past 11 months in solitary confinement. Credit: BBC

Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza survived two poisonings before he was convicted of treason and jailed for 25 years for his fierce and persistent condemnation of Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine. Released as part of the prisoner swap last week, he tells Sarah Rainsford of his ordeal.

Read the interview

Still detained: The sister of Marc Fogel, an American teacher imprisoned in Russia for illegal possession of cannabis, told the BBC that, after learning her brother was not part of the swap, she felt "betrayal".

An illustration showing a family tree-style diagram of two parents and three offsprings. One parent presents a blue mark, which is replicated in two of the children.

SOMETHING DIFFERENT

Foetal alcohol syndrome

A father's alcohol consumption before conception can affect the baby's health.

Find out more

And finally...

A dolphin has been filmed swimming in the River Thames in west London, between the Hammersmith and Putney bridges. Mary Tester, Thames area coordinator with the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, said it was "totally normal" to see dolphins in the Thames Estuary, close to the North Sea, but "when the dolphins go into London, that's something else". Take a look.

Medal Moments

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– Sofia

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