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Daily Briefing

Ukrainian troops describe a tougher fight than expected, Israel's spy veterans take on their government, and DeSantis tests revamped 2024 strategy to beat Trump.

Plus, the best of Reuters photography from July.

By Kate Turton

Today's Top News

Israeli military reservists sing together near the defense ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

Once they risked their lives for the state of Israel, now ex-Mossad spies are protesting legislation that will curb the power of the courts. Correspondent Jonathan Saul tells the daily Reuters World News podcast why this move by former members of Israel's revered institution is unprecedented - listen now.
Myanmar's ruling military pardoned jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi on five of the 19 offences for which she was convicted but she will remain under house arrest, state media and informed sources said.
China should encourage its citizens to join counter-espionage work, including creating channels for individuals to report suspicious activity as well as commending and rewarding them, the state security ministry said.
2024 Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is now leaning into smaller-scale, more intimate events with voters, according to people close to the governor. So far, he has failed to put a dent in Trump's roughly 30-point lead in Republican primary polls.
US senators Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a Republican, said they would push for an ambitious bill to create a new government regulator empowered to rein in Meta's Facebook, Alphabet's Google, Amazon and other Big Tech platforms.

WAR IN UKRAINE

Tales of the battle of Staromaiorske, recounted to Reuters near the frontline in southeastern Ukraine, give an indication of why Kyiv's boldest counteroffensive of the war, soon entering its third month, has proven a slower and bloodier slog than anticipated.
Economic sanctions have been the biggest headache for Russia's business elite since the start of the war in Ukraine, but a drone strike in the heart of Moscow's financial district is forcing companies to think about their employees' safety.

Business & Markets

'X' logo at the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, San Francisco, US, July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, sued a nonprofit that fights hate speech and disinformation, accusing it of asserting false claims and encouraging advertisers to pause investment on the platform. And, big X taken down from Twitter roof after San Francisco squabble.
Tech giants Apple and Microsoft remained the top two global companies by market capitalization at the end of July after riding this year's rally in technology shares.
Sterling's drop at the time of former Prime Minister Liz Truss's failed budget plans meant the British taxpayer stumped up tens of millions of pounds extra to fund Brexit divorce bill payments to the European Union, paid in euros, new figures show.
HSBC raised its key performance target as its first-half profit surged more than two-fold, boosted by rising interest rates worldwide and gains from the planned sale of its French unit.
China announced export controls on some drones and drone-related equipment, saying it wanted to safeguard "national security and interests" amid escalating tension with the US over access to technology.
Toyota nearly doubled its operating profit in the first quarter, the Japanese automaker said, helped by increased sales and productivity as well as the tailwind from the weaker yen. Sign up for the Reuters Auto File newsletter.
BP's second-quarter profit slumped 70% from a year earlier to $2.6 billion, missing forecasts, as refining margins and oil trading income fell, but still allowing the energy giant to boost its dividend by 10%.

The floor is lava

During heat waves, a substantial amount of the sun's energy is absorbed and reflected by surfaces exposed to its rays, leading to their temperatures increasing significantly. These warm surfaces then transfer their heat to the surrounding air, increasing the overall air temperature.

While some permeable and moist surfaces, like grass or soil, absorb less heat, other construction materials like asphalt or concrete are capable of absorbing as much as 95% of the sun's energy, which is then radiated back into the surrounding atmosphere.

How much hotter is an asphalt ground than a grassy field? Click here for the interactive graphic story.

And Finally...

Wildfires across Europe and Canada, Russia's war against Ukraine, Wimbledon, Tour de France, Women's World Cup and more of our best news photos from July. Produced by David Lucas

Click through: The best Reuters photography from July 2023

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