Wednesday Briefing: At least 25 dead in Chinese province's heaviest rains in 1,000 years

The Reuters Daily Briefing Wednesday, July 21, 2021 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. A winning start for the hosts as the Games 'of hope' begin, a worrying jump in COVID cases in locked-down Australia, and how safe is the U.S. president's 'nuclear football'? Today's biggest stories Residents wade through floodwaters amid heavy rainfall in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China, July 20, 2021 WORLD At least 25 people have died in China's flood-stricken central province of Henan, a dozen of them in a subway line in its capital that was drenched by what weather officials called the heaviest rains for 1,000 years. A relief official said rescue crews were unlikely to find any more survivors in the rubble of villages devastated by floods in western Germany, and a new poll showed many Germans felt policymakers had not done enough to protect them. The Japanese women's softball team got the Tokyo 2020 Olympics off to a winning start for the hosts, kicking off a pandemic-postponed Games that the World Health Organization says can be "a celebration of hope" even as COVID-19 cases surge. Australia's Brisbane has been named host of the 2032 summer Games. Australia's two largest states reported sharp increases in new COVID-19 cases, a blow to hopes that lockdown restrictions would be lifted with more than half the country's population under stay-at-home orders. Police and government authorities have secured the release of 100 people, including women, children and nursing mothers, who were kidnapped from their village in northwestern Nigeria over a month ago. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer looks down the hall after speaking to reporters following the Senate Democrats weekly policy lunch at the Capitol in Washington, July 20, 2021 U.S. President Joe Biden's goal of passing a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill faces a test today as Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer presses ahead with a planned procedural vote despite Republican appeals for delay. The Pentagon's watchdog said it would evaluate the safety protocols surrounding the president's "nuclear football" - containing codes needed for a strike - after one such briefcase nearly came within range of rioters storming the Capitol on January 6. Thomas Barrack, a billionaire friend of Donald Trump who chaired the former president's inaugural fund, was arrested and charged with illegally lobbying the Trump administration on behalf of the United Arab Emirates. A federal judge blocked enforcement of a newly enacted Arkansas law banning all abortions except in medical emergencies until she had a chance to decide a legal challenge to the statute on its merits. The Milwaukee Bucks, powered by a masterpiece from Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, ended their 50-year wait for a second NBA championship with a 105-98 win over the visiting Phoenix Suns. BUSINESS Johnson & Johnson forecast just $2.5 billion in 2021 sales of its COVID-19 vaccine, which has fallen way behind rival shots from Pfizer and Moderna as the company deals with vaccine production issues and safety concerns. Tesla plans to open its network of superchargers to other electric vehicles later this year, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said on Twitter. Netflix said it would make a deeper dive into video games as the movie and TV streaming service projected weak subscriber growth amid growing competition and the lifting of pandemic restrictions that had kept people at home. Japan's exports jumped in June led by U.S. demand for cars and China-bound shipments of chip-making equipment, supporting hopes for an export-led recovery in the world's third-largest economy. The Chinese yuan is on course to become a much more influential part of the global financial system with almost a third of central banks planning to add the currency to their reserve assets, a closely-followed survey showed. Forget the mass choreography and the huge props - Tokyo's grand opening will have none of that splendor or grandiosity. See our full coverage of Tokyo 2020 Quote of the day "Instead of being deployed widely, vaccines have been concentrated in the hands and arms of a lucky few. The pandemic will end when the world chooses to end it. It is in our hands" Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO head Tedros backs Tokyo Games Video of the day Russia's new stealth fighter jet Russia's state-owned aerospace conglomerate unveiled the prototype of a fifth-generation Sukhoi fighter jet, touted as a rival to the American F-35 warplane. And finally… UK's swan-uppers check on the queen's birds Royal officials took to the River Thames to count the swans that belong to Britain's Queen Elizabeth at the start of the 'Swan Upping' ceremony which dates back to the 12th Century. More from Reuters COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036