Reuters Daily Briefing by Edson Caldas - September 11, 2024 - Harris - >TRump debate, and other news ...

 

Daily Briefing

By Edson Caldas

Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump met for their first and perhaps only debate, a square-off that could have a significant impact on the US election. Today, we bring you key takeaways, body language analysis and social media reactions. Elsewhere, Typhoon Yagi kills more than 150 people in Vietnam, Britain's economy stagnates unexpectedly, and Huawei's tri-foldable phone stirs Chinese pride.

Today's Top News   Trump and Harris in a combative presidential debate. REUTERS/Brian Snyder US election Harris put Trump on the defensive with a stream of attacks on his fitness for office, his support of abortion restrictions and his myriad legal woes. On today's Reuter World News podcast, Political Correspondent James Oliphant dissects Harris's attempts to knock Trump off balance. Meeting him for the first time in person, Harris forced her opponent to shake hands, something he and Joe Biden did not do in June. It was one of many moments at the debate in which the two candidates used body language and tone to do battle. While tens of millions of Americans tuned in to watch the debate on their television screens, a secondary war played out on social media. As the debate ended, Harris scored what some consider the ultimate online victory: Taylor Swift's endorsement. In other news Vietnam's capital of Hanoi evacuated thousands of people living near the swollen Red River as its waters flooded streets days after Typhoon Yagi killed at least 152 people. In Thailand, at least two people were killed and hundreds stranded after heavy rains swept through two northern provinces. In the US, Hurricane Francine is threatening New Orleans and the wider Gulf Coast as far east as the Alabama and Florida border, shutting down a quarter of oil and gas production in the Gulf while parishes across Louisiana issued evacuation orders. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian visited Iraq on his first foreign trip, signaling his intention to strengthen ties with a strategic ally of both Tehran and Washington as tensions rise in the Middle East. Follow our latest coverage of the Gaza war here. Anti-war protesters and police clashed outside a defense exhibition in Australia's second-largest city of Melbourne, with dozens arrested as police used sponge grenades, flash-bang devices and irritant sprays to control parts of the crowd. Among the dozens of Wagner mercenaries presumed dead after a battle with Tuareg rebels in Mali in July were Russian war veterans who survived tours in Ukraine, Libya and Syria, according to interviews with relatives and a review of social media data.

Business & Markets   Huawei's new tri-foldable smartphone has ignited nationalistic pride in China with social media abuzz with what supporters see as its ability to out-innovate Apple despite US sanctions — even if many are balking at the phone's $2,800 price tag. In more news from China, Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, a former leader of the country's shadow banking sector that declared insolvency last year, used aggressive and potentially illegal sales practices to sustain its operations as it lurched toward collapse. The Bank of Japan will continue to raise interest rates if inflation moves in line with its forecast, policymaker Junko Nakagawa said, signaling that last month's market rout has not derailed the bank's plan to hike borrowing costs steadily. Britain's economy stagnated for a second month running in July. The country's shift towards a services-dominated economy is accelerating, pushing manufacturing's share of economic output to a historic low and setting the nation apart from its global peers. Volkswagen is scrapping a range of labor agreements including a guarantee of jobs until 2029 at six German plants, raising the prospect of redundancies from next year. For more on the industry, sign up to our Auto File newsletter.

In Pictures   Planes brought down the World Trade Center's twin towers 23 years ago. REUTERS/Sara K. Schwittek Nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijacked jetliners crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. We look back at defining images from that day. See the photo gallery

And Finally... Books in, screens out. Some Finnish pupils are going back to paper after a tech push. REUTERS/Anne Kauranen Finland's education system has gained renown for its good results and its readiness to try new teaching techniques. Until recently, many schools gave free laptops to pupils from as early as age 11. But Finnish parents and teachers, as elsewhere, have become increasingly concerned over the impact of screens on children. Read more