Welcome, readers, to the Afternoon Update.
Joe Biden has caught Covid-19 and cancelled a speaking engagement moments before he was due to address a conference in Las Vegas.
The White House says Biden’s symptoms are mild, with the US president suffering from a runny nose, a dry cough and “general malaise”. He will take the antiviral drug Paxlovid.
The announcement came amid mounting pressure for the president to step down as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. There are reports that the Democratic House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, and the former Democratic House speaker and close Biden ally Nancy Pelosi, have joined the chorus of voices saying Biden cannot beat Trump in November.
Top news
Labor suspends affiliation with construction arm of CFMEU | Labor’s federal governing body has voted to suspend the construction branch of the CFMEU from the New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian branches of the party “until further notice”. Labor will not accept affiliation fees or donations from the suspended branches.
Sydney’s Liverpool council faces threat of suspension | One of Sydney’s largest and fastest-growing councils could be placed in the hands of an independent administrator after an investigation revealed evidence of a toxic work environment, direct interference in the assessment of developments and other activities.
Police officer found to have committed serious misconduct after work drinks | The New South Wales police watchdog has made two findings of “serious misconduct” against a high-ranking detective who crashed a work car while allegedly drunk in the NorthConnex tunnel in May 2023.
JD Vance speaks at Republican national convention | Vance accepted the GOP’s nomination as candidate for vice-president with a speech that harkened back to his Ohio upbringing and condemned past US leaders who “have failed and failed again”. Day three of the RNC also featured a fiery speech from Donald Trump Jr. Read our full recap here.
Special counsel appeals dismissal of Donald Trump classified files case | US prosecutors formally appealed a federal judge’s decision to throw out the criminal case accusing the former president of illegally stashing classified documents after leaving the White House.
Chinese state media seeks to shut down claims country has entered new epoch | In recent weeks, Chinese chat groups and WeChat feeds have been buzzing with discussion of whether China has entered a period of economic stagnation or regression in which failure is all but inevitable, leaving authorities unhappy.
Stegosaurus goes under the hammer in New York | The largest and most complete stegosaurus fossil ever discovered has been sold for $44.6m at Sotheby’s in New York to become the most valuable fossil sold at auction. The dinosaur remains, nicknamed “Apex”, exceeded its pre-sale low estimate by more than 11 times.
Gases in clouds of Venus could indicate life | Hot enough to melt metal and blanketed by a toxic, crushing atmosphere, Venus ranks among the most hostile locations in the solar system. But astronomers have reported the detection of two gases that could point to the presence of life forms lurking in the Venusian clouds.
Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI’s CEO would make a good Marvel villain | The actor has spoken out against OpenAI and deepfake technology, saying it was “so disturbing” and she was angry after the company seemingly mimicked her voice for its ChatGPT system Sky.
In pictures
Child’s play and a splash landing – readers’ best photos
We have compiled a gallery of the best photo submission from Guardian readers around the world. You can submit your own picture here.
What they said …
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“It’s beyond the understanding of most community members to get a sense of what some of these kids have been through.” – Prof Carmela Pestell, a clinical neuropsychologist.
Speaking with Guardian Australia as part of the In The Box investigation, which looks at the treatment of children in Queensland police cells, Pestell called for better screening and support for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
In numbers
Queensland has become the latest state to set a record for electricity demand as a cold front makes its way across the country.
Before bed read
Renewables caught in misinformation crossfire from Australia’s nuclear cheerleaders
Those pushing the nuclear option are making some questionable claims about the capacity of renewable energy, writes Graham Readfearn.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: EWE. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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