France's surprise left-wing surge

Plus, inside the bitter fight to block J&J's controversial bankruptcy-court maneuver.

Sign up for Reuters newsletters  Daily Briefing Daily Briefing By Kate Turton France risks policy paralysis after a surprise left-wing surge blocked the far right from power, an embattled Biden faces escalating pressure, and our special report on the battle over J&J's bankruptcy plan to end talc lawsuits. Plus, running with the bulls in Pamplona. Today's Top News   People raise their arms and hands as they gather at the Place de la Republique. Paris, France, July 7, 2024. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor  France election A surprise left-wing surge blocked Marine Le Pen's quest to bring the far right to power. The leftist New Popular Front emerged as the dominant force in the National Assembly but must now consider forming a minority government or building a broad, unwieldy coalition. Here's how the far-right lost. Senior Political Correspondent Michel Rose joins the Reuters World News podcast from Paris to explain what's next as France faces a hung parliament. US news An embattled President Biden faces escalating pressure from fellow Democrats worried about his candidacy, concerns he worked to ease with campaign stops in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. But many are now asking, could Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump? With immigration once again set to be a major issue of the race, our graphics team shows how Biden is now deporting more people than Trump. In other news Russia launched a barrage of missiles on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities in a rare daytime attack, killing at least 20 people across the country and hitting a key children's hospital, officials said. Last month was the hottest June on record, continuing a streak of exceptional temperatures that some scientists said puts 2024 on track to be the world's hottest recorded year. Any Gaza ceasefire deal must allow Israel to resume fighting until its objectives are met, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, as talks over a US plan aimed at ending the nine-month-old war were expected to restart. Business & Markets   Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are assembled at the company's plant in Renton. June 25, 2024. Jennifer Buchanan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay a fine of $243.6 million to resolve a US Justice Department investigation into two 737 MAX fatal crashes. Here is how the plea deal could affect the planemaker. Tesla shareholders will appear in court to argue that an unprecedented request for more than $7 billion in attorneys' fees to be paid by the company is "outlandish," the latest twist in a legal showdown over Elon Musk's $56 billion pay package. Similac baby formula maker Abbott is expected to face a trial over claims that its formula for preterm infants used in neonatal intensive care units causes a potentially deadly bowel disease. Skydance Media and Paramount Global agreed to merge, the companies announced, scripting a new chapter for one of Hollywood's oldest studios. With doubts growing about whether President Biden will remain a candidate for re-election in 2024, some investors are preparing to game out potential economic scenarios and trades if a stronger Democratic candidate emerges. Carlsberg has agreed to buy British soft drinks maker Britvic for $4.23 billion and buy out UK pub group Marston's from its joint venture with the Danish brewer. The battle over J&J's bankruptcy plan to end talc lawsuits   Eron Evans, shown with one of her daughters, died in 2016 of ovarian cancer at age 41. She had sued J&J alleging talc in its Baby Powder caused her disease. Johnson & Johnson is locked in a bitter fight with lawyers opposing its third attempt to settle tens of thousands of lawsuits through a controversial bankruptcy-court maneuver. The women alleging J&J's talc products caused their cancer are caught in the crossfire. Read our special report And Finally... Revelers sprint during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain, July 7. REUTERS/Susana Vera Revelers run with the bulls through the streets of Pamplona during Spain's best-known bull-running festival. Spain's most popular encierro takes places during the San Fermin festival held every year in July. See the photos Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here. Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036