First Thing: Biden defiant despite gaffes as he battles calls to stand aside

Biden introduced Zelenskiy as ‘President Putin’ at a Nato summit, but later showed command of thorny foreign policy issues. Plus, the subversive screen presence of Shelley Duvall

Good morning.

In a press conference seen as critical to his presidential campaign, Joe Biden spiritedly defended his foreign policy record even as he faced a barrage of questions on his mental fitness and, in another gaffe, mistakenly referred to Kamala Harris as “Vice-president Trump”.

Biden fielded an equal number of questions on his mental fitness, an issue that has loomed over his campaign since a faltering debate performance against Donald Trump that he called “that dumb mistake”.

Earlier on Thursday, Biden accidentally introduced the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as “President Putin” at the Nato summit, a gaffe that further fuels concerns about his mental acuity.

What did the press conference cover? Biden offered extensive remarks on thorny foreign policy issues including competition with China and the Israel-Hamas war, in which he said he had warned the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, away from an occupation of the Gaza Strip.

What was the reaction from Democrats? Two more congressional Democrats called on Biden to step aside, bringing the total to 17.

Israeli weapons packed with shrapnel causing devastating injuries to Gaza children, doctors say

Israeli-made weapons designed to spray high levels of shrapnel are causing horrific injuries to civilians in Gaza and disproportionately harming children, foreign surgeons have told the Guardian.

The doctors said many of the deaths, amputations and life-changing wounds to children they have treated had come from the firing of missiles and shells – in areas crowded with civilians – packed with additional metal designed to fragment into tiny pieces of shrapnel.

Amnesty International said that the weapons appeared designed to maximise casualties.

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials and emergency responders said people in Gaza City were trapped in houses and bodies lie uncollected in the streets, a day after the Israeli army told residents to use two “safe routes” to leave the city and head south.

What does the evidence show? Weapons experts say the shrapnel and wounds are consistent with Israeli-made weapons designed to create large numbers of casualties, unlike more conventional weapons used to destroy buildings. The experts ask why they are being fired into areas packed with civilians.

How did the Guardian report this story? The Guardian spoke to six foreign doctors who have worked at two hospitals in Gaza, the European and al-Aqsa, in the last three months. All of them described encountering extensive wounds caused by “fragmentation” weapons, which they said have contributed to alarming rates of amputations since the war began.

Donald Trump Jr to introduce his father’s running mate at Republican convention

Donald Trump’s running mate will be introduced at the Republican national convention next Wednesday by his eldest son, sources say, raising speculation that Senator JD Vance will be named the vice-presidential pick after being endorsed by Donald Trump Jr.

For months, Trump has presided over a theatrical selection process in which he made dramatic pronouncements at rallies in an effort to drive media speculation before narrowing the list to a final three: the North Dakota governor, Doug Burgum, Senator Marco Rubio and Vance.

Why is Vance suspected to be Trump’s pick? In contrast to Mike Pence – who refused to block the certification of the 2020 election – Trump for his 2024 campaign is seeking a “Goldilocks” running mate: strong but loyal, in tune with Maga but not over-rehearsed, telegenic but not likely to outshine him. Vance increasingly fits that profile.

In other news …

Brazil’s federal police allege the intelligence agency was illegally weaponized during Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right administration, monitoring and harassing politicians, journalists, judges and environmental officials.

A food safety scandal is causing public outrage in China, after a Beijing News exposé on fuel tankers transporting cooking oil without washing or disinfectant.

Russia has expressed anger over a US plan to site long-range missiles in Germany, as both sides accuse each other of escalation.

The Kenyan president, William Ruto, fired almost his entire cabinet, bowing to pressure after protests over tax rises spilled into violence that left at least 39 people dead.

Argentina face Colombia and England face Spain on Sunday, as this weekend sees the culmination of two major soccer tournaments.

Stat of the day: Global population predictions of 10.3bn by 2080s offer ‘hopeful sign’ for planet, UN says

The global population is likely to peak earlier than expected and at a lower level, according to new UN projections that officials have said offer hope of reduced pressure on the environment. The analysis predicts there will be about 10.3 billion people by the mid-2080s, up from 8.2 billion this year.

Don’t miss this: The sublime and subversive screen presence of Shelley Duvall

The image that Shelley Duvall became most famous for – the climax of The Shining – may have done justice to her intensity and capacity for utterly unselfconscious performance. But it said nothing about the subtlety, strength, wit and unfakeable superstar quality that otherwise marked her work, writes Peter Bradshaw. He pays tribute to a unique and often misunderstood actor, who has died at the age of 75.

Climate check: BP-owned company is selling carbon credits on trees that aren’t in danger

Some forest carbon offsets sold by the biggest offsetting company in the US offer little or no benefit to the climate, an analysis found. Finite Carbon, owned by BP, is responsible for more than 25% of total US carbon credits. But an analysis of three projects (accounting for almost half the company’s credits) by Renoster and CarbonPlan found that about 79% shouldn’t have been issued.

Last Thing: Snail mail – people in the UK asked to mail a slug to scientists to aid research

It may be known as snail mail, but researchers are hoping the public will use the postal service to send them slugs. A team of scientists and farmers, led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network, is researching slug-resistant wheat. Researchers need about 1,000 slugs to explore how palatable slugs find various crops – so they’re asking the public to get a “slug scout” pack and mail them in.

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