Flagship

Faulty update floors global internet

Airlines, businesses, and TV stations were among the organizations disrupted by a huge worldwide computer outage. Some airports in India were issuing handwritten boarding passes, Israel’s health service was hit, and Britain’s Sky News was taken off air. Some South Africans were unable to make card payments. The outage appeared to be linked to Microsoft’s cloud-computing services, causing huge numbers of Windows machines to display a “blue screen of death” — the problem was apparently caused by a faulty update from the cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike, once again demonstrating the risks of highly centralized computer systems. A workaround has been created, but The Verge said that “it looks like it’s going to be a long day for IT admins worldwide.”

GOP jubilant after Trump speech

US presidential frontrunner Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging address to a jubilant Republican convention in which he pledged to bridge political divides. In a 90-minute speech — delivered with his ear still bandaged after a weekend assassination attempt — he labeled incumbent Joe Biden the worst president in American history. The Republican said he would govern “for all of America, not half of America,” pledging to strengthen the economy, curb “the illegal immigrant invasion,” and end conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. His remarks were met with thunderous applause: Semafor’s Ben Smith dubbed the convention “the happiest place on Earth.” The contrast with the Democrats was stark, with multiple outlets reporting Biden was close to dropping out of the presidential race.

Trump, the Man’s Man at the RNC — the Happiest Place on Earth

Ben and Nayeema discuss reactions to the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump — from a cautious media, an internet in overdrive, and a Republican National Convention that proved surprisingly welcoming. Then they turn to the undercurrent of the RNC: the campaign for the hearts of American men, via the UFC, Hulk Hogan, and broader “manosphere.” Semafor reporter Kadia Goba also joins to talk about Trump’s appeal to Black men, particularly the iconic athletes of the 80s (you’ll hear from Mike Tyson and Lawrence Taylor).

Houthis claim Tel Aviv drone attack

Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack in Tel Aviv that struck a building near the US consulate. A maritime security firm also said a Singapore-flagged ship off the coast of Yemen was hit by projectiles likely fired by the Houthis. The incidents underlined both the militant group’s continued capacity despite American and British airstrikes against their forces, as well as the risk of Israel’s war in Gaza spiraling into a regional conflict. Rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel today indicated tensions with the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah remained high. Israel could also face renewed international pressure today, with the International Court of Justice due to publish a legal opinion on Israel’s occupation of the West Bank.

Chinese protein intake outpaces US

The average Chinese person now eats more protein than the average US citizen. Both countries are at the high end, more than a third higher than Japanese consumption and nearly double that of the average Indian. Until recently, China reaching Western levels of food intake was expected to cause a huge spike in global food prices, but that has not happened — partly because much of China’s protein comes from non-animal sources, and partly because of improved agriculture. Nonetheless meat consumption is also going up, and concerns persist about the climate impact, because meat-based diets result in more carbon emissions than vegetarian ones.

Batteries save Cali power grid

California’s power grid emerged largely unscathed from a record-breaking three-week heat wave, a success officials are crediting to renewable energy investment and especially batteries. During previous hot spells, including one in 2022, hundreds of thousands of Californians were asked to reduce electricity consumption. Since then, the state added 10 gigawatts of battery capacity, enough to power 10 million homes for several hours. California now has the most grid batteries of anywhere outside China, and this time no voluntary conservation calls were issued. A utilities boss told The Sacramento Bee that the batteries “made a big, big difference,” although he warned that it would be “a long summer” and that there were ways for consumers to save energy without inconveniencing themselves.

Argentina economy growing again

Argentina’s economy grew for the first time since Javier Milei became president, far surpassing economists’ expectations. Milei — a self-described anarcho-capitalist — has implemented a series of drastic spending cuts that have rapidly eased inflation. However the blow to pensions and subsidies have contributed to poverty rates rising to as high as 57%. Although economists still forecast the economy will shrink this year, many predict a sharp recovery in 2025. The government is now hoping voters have the patience to see the effects of its policies borne out. “His support is very ephemeral and very volatile,” an expert told the Financial Times. “Voters made a bet on him but that bet has an expiry date.”

African women’s treatment worsens

The share of Africans who say that women on the continent are treated with respect fell markedly, new data by Gallup showed. In South Africa, the region’s wealthiest nation, just 28% of women said they were treated with respect or dignity, down from 75% less than a decade before. Although African countries have made strides in gender equality, women still face enormous hurdles. According to a report by the African Development Bank, women in the region work 50% longer than men and yet the pay gap keeps widening in favor of men. “Across every industry, the gender gap in employment… has remained persistent over time,” an expert at the Brookings Institution wrote.

Shanghai mulls courting stars

Advisers to Shanghai’s government called for city officials to ease restrictions on international performers such as Taylor Swift. The megacity has long missed out on many of the world’s biggest acts because of a labyrinthine approval process that requires artists to navigate endless regulations and restrictions, legacies from prior concerns over cultural influence and security control, the South China Morning Post reported. Beyond the entertainment loss, such restrictions are also hurting the city’s bottom line: Swift’s Eras Tour is “the largest and highest-grossing personal concert tour in history,” the advisers wrote on Chinese social media. “It is literally a ‘walking GDP’.”

Endangered crocodile record

A record 60 Siamese crocodiles hatched in Cambodia, a major step in a 20-year conservation effort to revive the endangered species. The reptiles, which grow up to 10 feet long, were once widespread throughout Southeast Asia, but habitat loss and hunting reduced their numbers and at one point they were feared extinct until a population was discovered in 2000 in Cambodia, but there are still only 400 left. A restoration program began breeding them, and since 2012 has returned 196 captive-bred crocs into the wild: They now appear to be breeding successfully in their natural habitat. The 60 new arrivals are “a tremendous boost” for the species, a conservationist told the BBC.

Ottoman Murano glass found

Archaeologists discovered a cache of centuries-old Murano glass artifacts in the sea off Bulgaria. Murano, a Venetian island, has been famous for glassware since the 13th century. Divers found over 100 glass items, likely dating from the late 16th and early 17th centuries when Bulgaria was part of the Ottoman Empire and the Venetian Republic was a trading partner. Ceramics from ancient Greece and Rome and from the medieval period were also found: The museum behind the find said it provided important information on international trade during the Ottoman period. The glass was likely on a ship that foundered during a storm in the shallow waters of a local bay, and researchers expect to find the shipwreck in the area.

• A Russian court is expected to issue a verdict in the trial of US reporter Evan Gershkovich.
• A funeral will be held for Corey Comperatore, a retired volunteer fire department chief who was killed in the attempted assassination of former US President Donald Trump.
• Day two of the Dana Open golf tournament in Ohio.

Edmundo González is the Venezuelan opposition’s candidate for upcoming presidential elections. Independent opinion polls forecast he would trounce incumbent President Nicolás Maduro were the country to hold free and fair elections — something observers worry is unlikely to happen.

The Imposters, by Tom Rachman. Rachman’s 2023 novel, his fourth, blurs the line between reality and fiction. It’s set during the pandemic lockdown, with democracy in crisis and the buzz of social media as a backdrop. The story follows a 70-year-old Dutch novelist as she tries to put together one last work using characters from her life, but is losing her grip on reality to dementia. Most of the chapters follow a different person she knows, like her brother, who disappeared in India in the 1970s; an ex-lover; a Parisian food critic; and her daughter, who lives in Los Angeles and writes comedy. Rachman’s story offers “an immersive sense of place,” says The New York Times.

• China pledges to ‘deepen reform’ and ‘resolve’ debt as key meeting concludes.
• JD Vance eases the GOP into his ‘America First’ vision.
• Senate Democrats share polling showing Biden dragging down candidates.