First Thing: Tributes paid after Liam Payne dies falling from hotel balcony

Former One Direction star, 31, fell from third floor of Buenos Aires hotel, police say. Plus, Trump doubles down on lies about immigrants eating pets

Good morning.

Tributes have been paid to Liam Payne after police confirmed that the 31-year-old musician had died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.

Musicians and other public figures shared tributes to the former One Direction member, while hundreds of heartbroken fans gathered outside CasaSur Palermo hotel to light candles in his memory.

The former One Direction member died on Wednesday at 5pm local time. “Liam James Payne, composer and guitarist, former member of the band One Direction, died today after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Palermo,” Buenos Aires police said. An investigation and autopsy was under way, according to authorities.

What have police said? They were called to the hotel due to an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”, according to Reuters.

What about hotel staff? The manager said he heard a loud noise towards the back of the hotel, and when police arrived they found that a man had fallen off his balcony.

Kamala Harris pledges break from Biden presidency in Fox News interview

Kamala Harris has said her presidency “would not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency” in her first interview with Fox News on Wednesday night as she criticized Donald Trump over his authoritarian rhetoric.

The 25-minute interview with the rightwing, Trump-supporting channel was conducted after Harris held a rally in Pennsylvania with more than 100 Republican officials who oppose Trump.

Harris had previously said that there was “not a thing that comes to mind” that she would have changed under Joe Biden’s administration – a comment which has proved to be fertile ground for attack by Republicans as they highlight her continuity from the unpopular Biden administration.

But on Wednesday she did a U-turn on her comment, saying: “Let me be very clear. My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency, and like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership.” She added that she was open to ideas from Republicans and the business sector.

What topics did the interview cover? They included immigration, the rights of transgender people and Joe Biden’s performance.

Trump stands by debunked claims immigrants are eating pets at event for Hispanic voters

Donald Trump doubled down on misinformation about immigrants as he faced questions from undecided Hispanic voters on Tuesday, during a town hall hosted by Univision, the largest US Spanish-language network.

Trump, who has been trying to bring Latino voters onside, did not mention his plans to order the largest mass deportation in US history. He dodged questions, including on who would do much of the US’s intense farmwork if he deported the many undocumented workers currently in these jobs.

When asked why he kept repeating the debunked myth that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, Trump stood by the lie. “I was just saying what was reported,” Trump said, adding that migrants were “eating other things too, that they’re not supposed to”.

Is he making inroads with Latino voters – and if so, why? Polls suggest the answer is yes, with their support stemming from economic issues.

In other news …

Young people in Wisconsin have received “malicious” texts discouraging them from voting in November’s election, leading the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin to call on the Department of Justice to investigate.

Militias linked to Iran have launched about 40 attacks from Iraq involving missiles, drones or rockets against Israel in the past two and a half weeks, in an escalation after the IDF’s killing of the Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

Mysterious tar balls have washed up on seven Sydney beaches, forcing their closure, but authorities remain unclear on their origin.

An official who at one time led Mexico’s war against drugs has been sentenced to more than 38 years in US prison for accepting bribes from cartels.

Stat of the day: Africa loses $4.15bn more than it should on sovereign interest

Africa loses up to $4.15bn each year through hiked-up interest on sovereign debt due to negative stereotypes that persist in international media coverage of the continent, a report has found. Increased perceptions of risk portrayed by the media allow lenders to apply “unjustifiably” high borrowing costs, according to the research.

Don’t miss this: ‘I hate the night’ – Life in Gaza amid the incessant sounds of war

Surrounded by the noise of gunfire, missiles and drones that shake Rafah, 22-year-old Shahd al-Modallal cannot sleep at night, and only gets some rest once it is light. When the day comes, Bader al-Zaharna, who has been displaced four times, tries to write, but finds the explosions send his heart rate out of control. This interactive feature follows two Palestinians through their days and nights.

Climate check: Global water crisis puts half of world food production at risk in next 25 years

More than half of the world’s food supply will be at risk within 25 years unless drastic action is taken to conserve water resources and save Earth’s ecosystems, experts have warned. Demand for fresh water will surpass supply by 40% by the end of the decade.

Last Thing: California screaming? Driver nabbed for using carpool lane with plastic effigy

Drivers, be warned: despite “#spookyseason” being upon us, your passenger must be alive in order to allow you to drive in the carpool lane. These were the stern words from California’s state highway patrol (CHP), who reprimanded a driver for using the lane with just a plastic skeleton in the passenger seat. And, somewhat incredibly, they’re not the first to try this spooky trick …

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