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Daily Briefing

A pact that has allowed the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine for the past year is set to expire. Russia says it will suspend its participation just hours after Moscow accused Ukraine of attacking the Crimean Bridge. Meanwhile, extreme heat hits several parts of the world, including the US, China and Europe.

Plus, the best of Wimbledon, in pictures.

By Edson Caldas

Today's Top News

The section of a road split and sloping to one side following an alleged attack, in this still image taken from video released July 17, 2023. Сrimea24tv/Handout via REUTERS

WAR IN UKRAINE

Russia said that it had halted participation in a landmark deal which allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea just hours after Moscow said Ukraine had attacked the Crimean Bridge. The Kremlin said the halting of the deal had nothing to do with the attack.
The Ukrainian military suggested it could be some kind of provocation by Russia itself but Ukrainian media cited unidentified sources as saying that Ukraine's Security Service was behind the incident. Here are key facts about the bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula.

DIPLOMACY

Over 50 leaders from the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean hold their first summit in eight years, adding momentum to an EU push for new political and economic allies prompted by the Ukraine war and suspicion of China. Regardless of the outcome, officials said the meeting marked a step towards stronger ties.
Energy and environment reporter Valerie Volcovici is with US climate envoy John Kerry in Beijing as he tries to restart stalled climate talks with China. Listen to what she has to say about whether the two superpowers can reach agreement on the Reuters World News podcast. And speaking of climate...

SCORCHING HOT WEEKEND

An extreme heatwave peaked in the western US on Sunday, with temperatures reaching 128 Fahrenheit (53 Celsius) in the California desert, while flash flooding continued to menace the Northeast, killing at least five people. Nearly a quarter of the US population fell under extreme heat advisories.
A remote township in China's arid northwest endured temperatures of more than 52 Celsius (126 Fahrenheit), state media reported, setting a record for a country that was battling minus 50C weather just six months ago. Since April, countries across Asia have been hit by rounds of record-breaking heat.
Meanwhile, Italy issued hot weather red alerts for 16 cities, with warnings that temperatures will hit record highs across southern Europe in the coming days. Spain, Italy and Greece have been experiencing scorching temperatures for several days, damaging agriculture and leaving tourists scurrying for shade.

Business & Markets

China's economy grew at a frail pace in the second quarter as demand weakened at home and abroad, raising pressure on policymakers to deliver more stimulus to shore up activity. GDP grew just 0.8% in April-June from the previous quarter, compared with a 2.2% expansion in the first quarter.
Globally agreed rules leave crypto firms with no option but to introduce basic safeguards to prevent the blow-ups seen at FTX exchange and other crypto casualties, the G20's Financial Stability Board said. For more news on cryptocurrencies, sign up to the Reuters Crypto Wire newsletter.
Around a decade after virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa burst onto the scene, a new wave of AI helpers with greater autonomy is raising the stakes. Experimental systems that run on GPT-4 or similar models are attracting billions of dollars of investment as Silicon Valley competes to capitalize on the advances in AI.
Swiss watchmaker Swatch filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government for confiscating watches from its Pride collection, in an act the company says has damaged its reputation. Homosexuality is a crime in Malaysia, and rights groups have warned of growing intolerance against the LGBTQ community.
Fashion retailer H&M will launch in Brazil in 2025 as it pushes to accelerate its expansion in the North and South America region. The company opened its first store in Latin America in Mexico in 2012, and is currently present in Peru, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, and Costa Rica.

France loses an 'icon'

A person takes a photo near the house turned museum where Jane Birkin has lived with Serge Gainsbourg, in Paris, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

British-born actress and singer Jane Birkin, a 1960s wildchild who became a beloved figure in France, has died in Paris aged 76. The French Culture Ministry said the country had lost a "timeless Francophone icon".

Read more here: Actress and singer Jane Birkin dies aged 76

And Finally...

Alcaraz celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Djokovic at Wimbledon, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz heralded the changing of the guard in men's tennis on Sunday as he ended Serbia's Novak Djokovic's long reign at Wimbledon. On Saturday, Czech Marketa Vondrousova left Tunisia's Ons Jabeur heart-broken once again as she became the first unseeded player to win the women's singles title.

See our photo gallery with the best of Wimbledon 2023.
Read how Vondrousova wrote her own happy ending and Alcaraz proved he's the real deal. And check how much the winners get.

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