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Daily Briefing

Maui's wildfires unleash a destruction that will take many years to rebuild, Biden calls China a "ticking time bomb" over its economic troubles, and Russia launches a lunar lander.

Plus, our oddest photos of the week.

By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

An aerial view shows the community of Lahaina after wildfires driven by high winds burned across most of the town in Maui, August 10, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Garcia

ENVIRONMENT

Maui's wildfires have killed more than 50 people, a toll expected to rise, and unleashed destruction on the resort town of Lahaina that will take many years to rebuild, Hawaiian officials said. On today's Reuters World News podcast, we hear from a survivor who clung to a floating board for hours with his five kids.
US forecasters said they expect a more dangerous Atlantic storm season than previously projected, raising their Atlantic hurricane outlook due to high sea surface temperatures. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast 14-21 named storms, with 6-11 potentially becoming hurricanes.
Record heat and historic floods in China have failed to ignite public debate about how the country can mitigate climate change. While state media and officials have said in the past that climate change makes China more vulnerable to extreme weather, few have made the connection this year.

AROUND THE WORLD

Russia launched its first moon-landing spacecraft in 47 years in a bid to be the first nation to make a soft landing on the lunar south pole. The Russian lunar mission is racing against India, which launched its Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander last month, and more broadly with the US and China.
Missile fragments crashed into the grounds of a children's hospital in Kyiv and explosions rocked the Ukrainian capital as air defenses responded to a morning Russian air strike. Mayor Vitali Klitschko said no one was hurt. Meanwhile, Russia says it downed a Ukrainian drone west of Moscow.
West African nations are working on plans for a possible military intervention in Niger following the army coup there although they have not given up the hope of a peaceful resolution to the crisis. The regional bloc ECOWAS ordered the activation of a standby force for possible use against the junta.

Business & Markets

Britain's economy eked out unexpected growth in the second quarter, laying the ground for more interest rate hikes from the Bank of England, but it remained the only big advanced economy yet to regain its pre-COVID, late-2019 level. Official data showed the economy grew 0.2% in the second quarter.
US President Joe Biden called China a "ticking time bomb" because of its economic challenges and said the country was in trouble because of weak growth. Meanwhile, although the market mostly shrugged off Biden's move to prohibit some US tech investments in China, investors flagged retaliation risks.
Many workers across the US are turning to ChatGPT to help with basic tasks, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found. Some 28% of respondents to the online poll on AI between July 11 and 17 said they regularly use ChatGPT at work, while only 22% said their employers explicitly allowed such external tools.
The International Energy Agency said OPEC+ supply cuts could erode inventories in the rest of this year, potentially driving oil prices even higher, before economic headwinds limit global demand growth in 2024. For more on the global energy industry, sign up to the Power Up newsletter.

The Week Ahead

Argentina will hold primary elections on Sunday, a nationwide ballot that will act as a giant voter poll ahead of general elections in October.
Santiago Pena from the conservative Colorado Party is sworn in as Paraguay's president on Tuesday.
The Fed minutes, to be released on Wednesday, could offer more clarity on the views policymakers held during their July 25-26 meeting. Here is a look at the week ahead in markets.
On Thursday, Biden hosts Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for a trilateral summit at Camp David in Maryland.

Cocaine cartels encroach on Unification Church's Paraguayan paradise

Couples attend a mass wedding ceremony at Cheongshim Peace World Centre in Gapyeong, South Korea, August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/File Photo

The South Korean religious organization founded by self-proclaimed messiah Sun Myung Moon bought a remote piece of land in Paraguay about a quarter century ago, hoping to create an oasis for followers. Now the area is a hub for global drug trafficking.

Read our special report.

And Finally...

Carson, Rosie and Charlie compete at the World Dog Surfing Championships in Pacifica, California, August 5, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

From a dog surfing championship in California to wildfires across many parts of the world, we bring you a gallery with our top photos of the week - and another one with the oddest pictures of the past few days.

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