achieve in washington? the uk labour party suspends seven of its mps for six months after they rebelled against the government in a commons vote. with the olympic games just days away, we report from paris as the massive security operation kicks in. and toy—maker mattel break new ground with its first ever blind barbie doll. hello and welcome to the programme. starting in the us, where, in herfirst campaign rally since emerging as the presumptive democratic us presidential nominee, kamala harris has sharply attacked donald trump, saying she has taken on predators, fraudsters and cheaters before. she also promised to strengthen

gun control and defend women's reproductive rights. our north america editor, sarah smith, has the latest. it's back to work forjoe biden. he is not a presidential candidate any more, but he does have a day job — running america. reporter: why did you | drop out of the election? was it a difficult decision to make? he will explain his decision to the nation on tv tomorrow night — including why, if he's not fit enough to run for election, he is well enough to remain as the president for the next six months. beyonce herself has approved the use of this track, freedom, as part of the harris campaign. she's attracting all sorts of celebrity endorsements... # i'ma keep runnin�* # cos a winner don't quit on themselves... # ..and, more importantly, has also secured enough democratic delegates to be certain of being her party's presidential candidate. so, friends, we have 105 days until election day.

and in that time, we've got some work to do. but we're not afraid of hard work. we like hard work, don't we? and we will win this election. her supporters are already convinced she can win. i am super excited about kamala. i've been following her for many years. i think she is the perfect candidate to run against trump. i do think she can win. i think she'll get the votes - that biden maybe couldn't have got, or maybe trump won't get. there's only one old man in the race now. and it's notjoe biden. we have a vibrant candidate, this is going to be a great election. and i expect kamala harris to be elected president of the united states. kamala harris has inherited the formidable machinery of what was the biden—harris campaign. and she'll need it, to run the shortest election campaign in modern american history. part of her pitch against donald trump is based on herformer career as a prosecutor, who brought criminals to trial.

predators who abused women... ..fraudsters who ripped off consumers... ..cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. so hear me when i say i know donald trump's type. so, can she defeat him? voters want to know more about her before deciding. she's hoping to appeal particularly to black voters, younger people and women concerned about abortion. the right of every woman, in every state in this country, to make decisions about her own body is on the line. and i've said it before, and i will say it again. how dare they?! it was this tv debate that killed joe biden�*s candidacy. donald trump says he will debate kamala harris — more than once, if she wants. she has a lot to prove in less than four months, before one of the most crucial elections america has faced.

staying in the us... benjamin netanyahu is in washington, preparing to address a joint meeting of congress later on wednesday. israel's prime minister arrived in the us on monday at a moment of political flux, withjoe biden�*s withdrawal from the presidential race. the pair were due to meet on wednesday, but that's been delayed for a day. donald trump is also set to meet the israeli leader in florida on thursday. aaron david miller is a senior fellow at the carnegie endowment for international peace, he explained the reason behind mr netanyahu's visit. let's be clear about mr netanyahu's visit. he's coming here driven by his politics. number one, he's here to use both congress and the white house meeting as props in an effort to boost his own political stock at home. he's here in order to maintain a functional relationship with president biden and to start off on a reasonably good note with the likely democratic nominee for president,

kamala harris. he's also here in order to seek forgiveness. and he's prepared to atone, i'm sure, to and about one donald j trump. he's headed to mar a lago either thursday or friday, in an effort to patch up what had been a very frayed relationship. this is not about substance, this visit. this is not about negotiations. it's not about making concessions. it's myjudgment, though, that once the knesset goes out of recess july 28th, mr netanyahu will be free, should he choose to do so, to cut a deal — because while the knesset is in recess and won't reconvene until two weeks before our election, at the end of october, it's very hard to introduce a constructive no confidence vote or bring down the government. and i think his intention, and he certainly has the option, and he's being pushed and pressed by all sides to conclude a deal

with hamas that would at least get a six—week ceasefire and get the two parties through phase one. as you pointed out, the meetings that he is going to be having withjoe biden and, of course, also donald trump in mar a lago. there is uncertainty about who will be in the oval office, but given it's most likely to be a trump versus harris campaign from this point onwards, and given both their stance and statements that we've heard on the ongoing war, what would, in your opinion, benjamin netanyahu be hoping for in the months ahead? well, i don't think there's any doubt, assuming he's serious about a negotiation to relieve some of the pressure, his prime directive, his overriding fundamental priority is maintaining himself in power. i mean, he's on trial now... ..before threejudges for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. if he fails to maintain himself in power, he's faced

with one of two options. one is a conviction — and there is precedent for that, ehud olmert went to jail, a former israeli prime minister, charged with only one of the counts that mr netanyahu was charged with — or a plea bargain, which would be the end of his political career. so for him, it's all about politics and maintaining a 64—seat majority. he'll make a judgment because he will be prime minister on november 5, when we will decide here — in a truly historic election — whether it will be donald trump or kamala harris. if mr netanyahu could vote in this republic, i think you know who he'd vote for. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. the number of people now known to have died in two landslides in southern ethiopia has risen to almost 230. search and recovery operations are continuing in the isolated and mountainous gofa district. there are fears, the number of dead could rise.

the united states has invited the warring parties in sudan to ceasefire talks co—hosted by saudi arabia next month. it urged them to approach the talks constructively with the aim of saving lives and creating a path to a political solution. two people have been killed and 13 others injured when a walkway collapsed on a housing estate which has become synonymous with naples' drug wars. seven children aged between two and eight years old were among the injured. two of the younger children are described as being in a critical condition. the mayor of moscow has announced that muscovites who sign up to fight in ukraine will now receive a down payment of $22,000, making their total annual pay $60,000. the sum will exceed russia's average nominal wage more than five—fold. getting you news from the uk now. seven labour members

of parliament have been suspended for six months. it's after they defyed the government in the house of commons, voting in favour of scrapping the two—child benefit cap. it's the first rebellion for sir keir starmer since becoming prime minister. the government comfortably won the vote by a majority of 260. from westminister, our political correspondent nick eardley has the story. this was a vote tonight on the king's speech, the government's programme for the next year or so, and the snp put down an amendment saying this two—child benefit cap, which stops many or most low income families getting universal credit or tax credit for more than two children, that that should be scrapped. it's an unpopular policy with a lot of people. the government has said it does not have the money to get rid of it at the moment. but this matters because king's speeches are big votes for government, and mps were told, in no uncertain terms, you cannot

vote against us. seven did, and tonight they were told they are being kicked out of the party in parliament for the next six months, all left—wingers, all people pretty close to jeremy corbyn when he was leader, including the former shadow chancellorjohn mcdonnell, including rebecca long—bailey, who stood against keir starmer for the leadership, but i think it is pretty clear that what keir starmer is doing tonight is saying, "there's going to be zero tolerance for this sort of thing." it is a show of force, it is him saying, �*if you vote against the government when you've been told you cannot vote against the government, there will be consequences." around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news.

you are live with bbc news. us presidentjoe biden has paid

tribute to the former head of the us secret service, kimberley cheatle, after she resigned over the agency's failure to prevent the assassination attempt on donald trump. ms cheatle had been facing calls from republicans and democrats to stand down, as nomia iqbal reports from washington. take a look at what happened... former president donald trump was close to being killed. and the secret service has been under huge pressure to answer for it. its director, kimberly cheatle, attended a hearing on capitol hill yesterday, immediately accepting blame. the secret service's solemn mission is to protect our nation's leaders. on july 13th, we failed. as the director of the united states secret service, i take full responsibility for any security lapse of our agency. donald trump was on stage in pennsylvania. secret service snipers were on a roof behind him. outside the rally venue, more than 100 metres away, were these buildings. from the rooftop, the gunman had a direct line of sight to mr trump. the crucial questions for kimberly cheatle included, why weren't any agents on the rooftop beforehand, especially as it turned out the gunman was a known threat?

to the frustration of the committee's lawmakers, ms cheatle was accused of stonewalling. it is a miracle president trump wasn't killed. corey comperatore's life is over because that damn shooter made it onto the roof. it wasn't the roof that was dangerous, it was the nutjob on top of the roof. you know what else is dangerous? i believe your horrifying ineptitude and your lack of skilled leadership is a disgrace. your obfuscating today is shameful. i would have to get back to you. that is a no. you're full of today. - you're just being completely dishonest. mr chairman... crosstalk ..we have to maintain - decorum in this committee. just a day later, she announced her resignation, saying it was with a heavy heart. she went on...

kimberly cheatle became head of the secret service less than two years ago. but the democrats and republicans said she had to stand down, both united in agreement — always a rare moment in us politics. she just resigned? can you say how this i changes the oversight of the assassination attempt? well, she must have been watching our press conference. i'm glad she did the right thing. look, our reaction, the immediate reaction to her resignation, is that it is overdue. we have to rebuild the american people's faith and trust in the secret service as an agency. it has an incredibly important responsibility in protecting presidents, former presidents and other officials. presidentjoe biden, who appointed kimberly cheatle, said he was grateful to herfor her service. the head of the fbi will face questioning later this week, whilst an independent review into the shooting continues. nomia iqbal, bbc news, washington. elizabeth hoffman is the director of congressional and government affairs at the center for strategic

and international studies in washington, dc. thank you very much, elizabeth, for your time on bbc news. kimberly cheatle held on for a while, but was her resignation really inevitable? i while, but was her resignation really inevitable?— really inevitable? i think it is honestly _ really inevitable? i think it is honestly surprising - really inevitable? i think it is honestly surprising it. really inevitable? i think it| is honestly surprising it did not come sooner after such a glaring security lapse. she really failed to get out in front of it, assuage peoples concerns, she was subpoenaed before the house committee just yesterday and she should have been up there voluntarily briefing them, giving them answers, asking them what they want to know, and she did not do that, so i think it was just a matter of time. is do that, so i think it was 'ust a matter of timei a matter of time. is that something _ a matter of time. is that something that - a matter of time. is that something that added i a matter of time. is that j something that added to a matter of time. is that - something that added to the pressure? i wanted to get your sense of what you thought of the hearing and her answers? her answers were very disappointing. in the clip plate, she does take responsibility and really owns up, in her opening statement,

but in the questioning and answering, she was much more defensive, she came off as obfuscating, as not being straight, she would answer, some people would ask questions and other people would ask similar questions in a slight different manner and she would stonewall, so that was a bit confusing. and shejust stonewall, so that was a bit confusing. and she just wasn't forthcoming. she was not answering questions that people can find answers to using open source, on twitter, on the news, and so i think it was really problematic, and while the republicans's statements the republica ns's statements that the republicans's statements that were played in the clip, they were much harder on her, a little more colourful, let's say, in their criticism, you were hearing essentially the same exact criticisms coming from the democratic side of the aisle too, and this committee, the house oversight committee thatis the house oversight committee that is not one that's typically very united or very bipartisan, but he really did see bipartisan frustration and

anger at the director in that hearing. anger at the director in that hearinu. . , ., ., hearing. elizabeth, what would ou sa hearing. elizabeth, what would you say this — hearing. elizabeth, what would you say this has _ hearing. elizabeth, what would you say this has done - hearing. elizabeth, what would you say this has done in - you say this has done in general to the reputation of the secret service in the us? it certainly has damaged it. the more that comes out about the shooting, you see misstep after misstep. taking into account that there was the 75th in a bursary of the nato summit a week before this rally where this event happened, that was a huge strain on the agency. you have to ask the question, was this really the right time? i know symbolically, washington wanted to host this summit, but was this really the right time to stretch those resources in the middle of a hotly contested presidential campaign? obviously that's not something the secret service has control over, but i do think that it has damaged the reputation of

the agency, and hopefully the president will ask quickly to nominate a new director. elizabeth hoffman, we will leave it there. thank you very much for your time here on newsday. much for your time here on newsday-— much for your time here on newsda . ., ~ i. , . the french authorities have arrested a russian man they say was planning to disrupt the olympic games. he's been charged with working for a foreign power to incite unrest in france — a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment. the opening ceremony on friday will take place in the heart of the french capital, prompting a massive security operation. our paris correspondent andrew harding reports. in the heart of paris today, a checkpoint on every corner and no access without a special permit. i'm going to a shop on rue saint—honore. key roads blocked for the imminent olympics. ijust wanted to make an exchange at a shop, and i'm going to need to go really far out of my way.

but... i still love paris. the security clampdown is making tourism complicated. so you're stuck here? yes. how do you feel about that? sad. stranded behind barriers, local cafes are also losing out. at the moment, no business, no tourists? no business, no tourists. yes, economic is done. but the tough security measures are designed to deliver a unique olympic experience, with friday's opening ceremony taking place here on the river seine. the french army has also been called in for the biggest military deployment in paris since world war ii. "we have demining teams and dog teams," says the general in charge, lionel qatar. there are anti—drone systems, radars and divers patrolling the river seine. paris has good reason

to be on high alert. this was a rehearsal, staged this morning in paris in case of a hostage incident during the games. in recent years, islamist militants have launched deadly attacks across france. there are also growing concerns about cyber attacks from russia. to help reassure british visitors joining the crowds in paris this week, 250 officers are crossing the channel. so, there are lots of tourists who can't speak french and they can speak a little bit of english, so we're speaking to them. of course, tourists who are here from britain, we're speaking to them, and, yeah, just engaging with people, lots of photos, making sure people feel safe and people know where they should go. by bringing these games to the heart of paris, the french authorities have created some security headaches and other frustrations, but they're clearly calculating that those risks are far outweighed by the opportunities

of showcasing this extraordinary city. andrew harding, bbc news, paris. charlotte dujardin, britain's joint—most decorated female olympian, has pulled out of the paris olympics after a video emerged showing her "making an error of judgement". the six—time medallist said she is under investigation from the international federation for equestrian sports and will "withdraw from all competition while this process takes place". the 39—year—old also said she was under investigation from the british federation. in a statement, she said, "i am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment." the bbc has not seen the video in question and it is currently unclear what the nature of the investigation is. she's been everything from

an astronaut to a president and, most recently, a blockbuster star played by margot robbie. but barbie's latest role might be her most important yet. toy—maker mattel is set to break new ground with its first ever blind barbie doll — which is already heading to toy shops. here's our reporter sofia bettiza. let's take a look at the new blind barbie. as you can see, she comes with a cane and with dark glasses. now, what's interesting is that the texture of her clothing means that children who are blind or who have low vision can feel the outfit that she's wearing. now the toy company mattel, which owns barbie, says that they created the doll, hoping that it would make blind children feel more represented within society. the senior vice president of barbie said that she's so much more than just a doll... now, this is part of an effort to make barbie dolls more diverse and inclusive.

and that's because in the last few years, mattel had come under quite a bit of criticism. many people felt that barbie was a thing of the past, that it promoted unrealistic beauty standards for young girls — i mean, just look at the tiny waist or the heels that defy gravity — and so barbie got quite the makeover. mattel created a wide range of dolls with different skin types, with different body shapes, and so that's how they launched ken with a prosthetic leg, barbie in a wheelchair. they also launched the first barbie with down syndrome, as well as barbie wearing a hijab. and also in 2019, we got the first ever gender—neutral barbie. now, it's important to say that this is notjust barbie. many toy companies have committed to increasing diversity in their products,

and that's because this really matters to a lot of parents. according to a recent poll, 53% of people who buy toys say that they value diversity and inclusion, and they say that it's important to them that the toys that they buy represent all parts of society. before we go, have a look at this. if you enjoy going back and forth on a swing and you have absolutely no fear of heights, then this may be the ideal tourist attraction for you. it's what the operators claim is the highest swing in europe, set around 120 metres up on a hotel roof, overlooking alexander platz in central berlin. anyone having a go is strapped in before being pushed out over the edge, as fast or slow as they like. the view — taking in the nearby television tower — is quite spectacular, but staff say despite this, some people decide at the last minute it's not for them and settle for a sit down

and a drink instead. you can get much more on all our stories on the bbc news website as well, including the top story. that remains us politics. kamala harris has addressed her first rally as the presumptive democratic us presidential nominee in the battleground state of wisconsin, saying she would proudly set her record against donald trump's. ms harris said they were in a fight for the future and forfreedom. that's all for the moment. stay with bbc news. hello. there is nothing too drastic or dramatic coming up weather—wise over the next few days. that said, it will be a somewhat mixed affair. some sunshine through the day on wednesday, equally a little bit of showery rain. what we've got is this big area of high pressure, the azores high, just trying to extend its influence towards the uk. however, we also have

this frontal system pushing in from the west. so what that means is a lot of dry weather to start the day on wednesday, with some spells of sunshine, but with that weak frontal system pushing in, we'll see increasing amounts of cloud and some outbreaks of showery rain for northern ireland, parts of western scotland, wales, the southwest of england — and even further east, where we hold on to some sunny spells — we will see one or two sharp showers breaking out, but it will feel pretty warm in eastern and particularly south eastern parts, 25 or 26 degrees. not quite as warm further west with the extra cloud, the showery rain. and as we head through wednesday night, we'll see increasingly cloudy conditions. it will be quite murky and a little bit damp and drizzly in places as we import some more humid air. so temperatures on thursday morning generally starting the day between 13 and 16 degrees. pretty muggy start to the day, and a really complex weather chart with several different frontal systems in play across the uk.

what that will mean is a lot of cloud, some outbreaks of rain, one clump of potentially heavy rain pushing across southern counties of england and the channel islands. elsewhere, we'll see some bits and pieces of showery rain across parts of northern ireland, western scotland, in between one or two glimmers of sunshine and temperatures between 16 and 22 degrees. now, as we head into friday, actually, it's not a bad—looking day, we'll see some spells of sunshine. the chance for one or two showers, particularly across scotland and northern ireland — not as many showers for england and wales — and in the sunshine, it is going to feel warm. the sun is strong at this time of year, temperatures easily getting up into the 20s. a little bit cooler further north and west with more cloud and with those showers. and then as we head towards the weekend, it's a familiar story, really, this area of high pressure, the azores high, still trying to exert its influence, but not strong enough to fend off all the frontal systems. so there will be some showery rain at times, particularly towards the north and the west of the uk, drier and turning warmer

further south and east.

markets exercise caution after major tech firms like google and tesla announce their latest earnings. and japan is hit by a major health scandal — we'll have all the details later on the programme.

hello and welcome to business today. i'm arunoday mukharji. tesla has reported its lowest profit margin in more than five years. price cuts aimed at reviving demand for its electric vehicles, and increased spending on al projects weighed on earnings in the march tojune quarter, as erin delmore explains. the shares spent most of the year sliding — between lagging sales, production snarls, shipping delays and increased competition from overseas ev makers. then shares started gaining. they were up 40% since the end of may. see, investors started focusing less on tesla's slumping ev sales and more on chief executive elon musk�*s plans to make tesla into an artificial intelligence powerhouse with al powered robo taxis and humanoid robots. alluring? yes. profitable? no. or at least, not yet. tesla unveiled its second quarter earnings tuesday after wall street's closing bell, and reported a 45% drop in profit between april and june. that came in lower than analysts had estimated.

sales fell nearly 5% in the second quarter