FirstFT: Kamala Harris lays out positions on China, Ukraine and Gaza

Good morning. We now have unique tales in the present day about AstraZeneca’s menace to maneuver its UK vaccine manufacturing to the US and the chair of Britain’s monetary watchdog going through accusations that he breached confidentiality.

However first we flip to Chicago, the place Kamala Harris has simply accepted the Democratic nomination for president. The vice-president closed the occasion’s four-day conference with a primetime handle that laid out her most detailed feedback but on US international coverage, vowing to “strengthen, not abdicate” America’s international management.

Harris stated that as president she would guarantee “America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century” and promised to “stand strong with Ukraine and our Nato allies”. She additionally spoke at size concerning the Center East, saying she would “always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself” whereas describing the size of human struggling in Gaza as “heartbreaking”.

In feedback that garnered roars of approval from the gang, she added: “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

Talking to tens of thousands and thousands of viewers throughout the US, Harris additionally warned of the results of placing Donald Trump again within the White Home and stated the nation had a “precious, fleeting opportunity” to chart a brand new path. We now have extra from her speech, and what comes subsequent within the race for the White Home.

• Gaza protests: As Harris spoke concerning the battle, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered exterior the conference, warning that US backing for Israel would value her votes.

With the tip of the DNC, Harris now faces strain to maintain this surge of Democratic assist alive. Enroll for our US Election Countdown e-newsletter for the most recent updates on this subsequent part. And right here’s what else I’m protecting tabs on in the present day:

• Financial information: The European Central Financial institution releases its client expectations survey, France publishes its enterprise confidence survey and GfK has its client confidence survey for the UK.

• Federal Reserve: Chair Jay Powell’s speech at Jackson Gap will likely be carefully watched by traders after a high Fed official on the symposium warned in opposition to “self-fulfilling” pessimism on the US financial system.

Thanks for studying FirstFT. Do you will have any questions concerning the US presidential race? E-mail us at firstft@ft.com or hit “reply” and bear in mind to incorporate your identify and the place you’re writing from. We’ll reply as many as potential in a particular weekend version of the e-newsletter.

5 extra high tales

1. Unique: AstraZeneca has threatened to maneuver a UK vaccine manufacturing website to the US amid a impasse in talks over authorities plans to chop state assist for the undertaking. Chancellor Rachel Reeves needs to cut back the quantity of assist from about £90mn pledged by the final Conservative administration to £40mn, based on folks with data of the matter. Anna Gross has extra particulars.

2. Unique: The UK monetary watchdog’s chair has been accused of breaching the confidentiality of an inside whistleblower who wrote to him asking for assist, violating its code of conduct. In line with emails, Ashley Alder, chair of the Monetary Conduct Authority, forwarded on correspondence with the complainant’s identify, handle and considerations unredacted.

3. AI-driven coding assistants have amassed practically $1bn of funding for the reason that begin of final yr, a sign that software program engineering is changing into the primary “killer app” for generative synthetic intelligence. However this rising conviction in Silicon Valley stands in distinction to questions amongst some traders concerning the financial advantages of generative AI. Listed here are the businesses elevating cash.

• Open-source AI: Free-to-use “open” fashions assist builders catch as much as giants reminiscent of OpenAI and Google, writes Richard Waters. There’s only one downside: most of those fashions are not very open.

4. Nestlé chief government Mark Schneider will step down after eight years and be succeeded by firm veteran Laurent Freixe subsequent month. The world’s largest meals producer had outperformed a lot of its client items rivals for a lot of Schneider’s tenure. However there have been setbacks that led as much as yesterday’s determination.

5. Nigeria’s presidency has defended its buy of a multimillion-dollar jet that has swelled the presidential air fleet to virtually a dozen carriers even because the nation endures its worst financial downturn in many years. Photographs of President Bola Tinubu flying on the personalised Airbus A330 have drawn heavy criticism, with one former minister calling it a image of “fiscal recklessness and rascality”.

How properly did you retain up with the information this week? Take our quiz.

The Massive Learn

The UK is seeking to retailer a few of its 400mn tonnes of annual emissions in salt caverns and depleted oil and gasfields round its shoreline to assist meet its internet zero targets. Heavy polluters within the nation’s industrial sector hope the Labour authorities will determine to fund this effort, however questions persist over its business and technical feasibility at any scale. Can Britain make carbon seize work?

We’re additionally studying . . . 

• German finances: Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s determination to reduce army assist to Ukraine will solely encourage Russia and undermine European safety, writes Ben Corridor.

• US financial system: Manufacturing jobs have traditionally been seen as a ticket into the American center class, writes Soumaya Keynes. However do they pay higher?

• Lidl’s cloud unit: Schwarz Group, the low cost retailer’s mum or dad group, is providing information companies to firms cautious of massive suppliers reminiscent of Amazon and Google.

• UK politics: Conservative management hopefuls should face some arduous truths if the occasion needs to keep away from perpetual opposition, writes Tim Leunig, financial adviser to 2 Tory chancellors.

Chart of the day

With the continent’s quickly rising inhabitants and excessive focus of essential minerals, Africa has been wooed by leaders world wide, however few international locations have but to plot an “Africa strategy” to take full benefit of the connection, consultants say.

Take a break from the information

One of many world’s greatest road festivals begins in London on Sunday, with greater than 300 distributors anticipated on the annual Notting Hill Carnival. However why wait yearly to rejoice the town’s vary of Caribbean cuisines? From Anguillan effective eating to the unique Jamaican roast dinner, listed below are 5 of the UK capital’s finest Caribbean eateries.

Extra contributions from David Hindley and Emily Goldberg