Good afternoon. Kamala Harris’s newly minted running mate, Tim Walz, has thrown down the gauntlet to his Republican rival, JD Vance. The Minnesota governor told a packed rally at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that he “can’t wait to debate the guy … if he’s willing to get off the couch and show up”.
Learn the key things you need to know about Walz – including how to pronounce his name – with the Guardian’s cheat sheet.
The announcement has fired up Democratic voters – recent polls show Harris moving ahead of Donald Trump across the nation.
But it’s a more mixed picture in the seven battleground states in the US where the November election is expected to be decided.
Top news
Reynolds returns to stand at defamation trial | Linda Reynolds felt like a “punching clown on the fairground” by social media posts from Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz, a court has heard.
Wieambilla shootout was police team’s ‘most dangerous operation’ | The final shootout between police and three radicalised murderers was the most dangerous operation ever undertaken by Queensland’s specialist tactical police, an inquest into the deadly ambush has heard.
Teacher arrested and accused of sexual offences against student | Detectives arrested the 30-year-old woman at a school in south-west Sydney and laid two charges against her, including sexual intercourse with a person aged between 17 and 18 while under special care.
Hamas names architect of 7 October attack as new leader | Hamas has named Yahya Sinwar as the new head of its political bureau, elevating the hardline militant to the group’s top post after the assassination of its previous political leader in Tehran.
Ukraine crosses border to attack Russia | Moscow has said about 300 soldiers from Ukraine launched a cross-border attack into a hitherto quiet part of the front on Tuesday, with reports of fighting at a town as deep as 10km inside Russia.
Bangladesh gets new interim government | Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will head Bangladesh’s interim government after a meeting that included military chiefs and organisers of the student protests that helped drive longtime prime minister Sheikh Hasina from power.
Why is the word ‘Taiwan’ banned at the Olympics? | When Angelina Yang held up a sign reading “Go Taiwan” at the Games, she was surrounded and had the sign ripped from her hands. The IOC said there were “very clear rules” disallowing banners.
Learner driver fined after driving off as sister clung to door | A woman has been given a $600 fine after unintentionally driving off while her sister held on to a car door following an argument in a Melbourne street.
Australia at the Olympics | Meet the two boxers who are guaranteed medals in Paris and could win Australia’s first gold in the sport. Plus, check out the full schedule for Australian hopes, including cyclists and skateboarders going for gold.
What they said …
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“We tried peace for 2 years, now it is war” – Elon Musk.
Musk’s social media platform, X, on Tuesday sued a global advertising alliance and several major companies, including Unilever, Mars and CVS Health, accusing them of a “massive advertiser boycott”.
The World Advertising Federation, Unilever, Mars, CVS Health and Orsted did not immediately respond to requests for comment
In numbers
A man, 47, has been charged with allegedly stealing 63,000 of the colourful “dollarbucks” and selling the coins online for 10 times their value.
Before bed read
The end-of-life patients finding solace in magic mushrooms: ‘What life after life could be like’
Some with terminal cancer have said psilocybin helped them confront death. Shayla Love explores how psychedelic drugs give some patients “a taste of what life after life could be like”.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: RATU. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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