Friday Briefing: Floodwaters still rising in western Europe with death toll over 100

The Reuters Daily Briefing Friday, July 16, 2021 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. A flood catastrophe "of historic dimensions" hits western Europe, the Oregon wildfire displaces 2,000, and a mask mandate returns to Los Angeles Today's biggest stories An aeroplane flies over the Grandview Fire as it rages in Jefferson and Deschutes Counties, in Oregon, in this undated screen grab taken from a video obtained by Reuters U.S. Hand crews backed by water-dropping helicopters struggled to suppress a huge wildfire that displaced roughly 2,000 residents in southern Oregon, the largest among dozens of blazes raging across the drought-stricken western United States. Los Angeles County will reimpose its mask mandate this weekend in the latest sign that public health officials are struggling with an alarming rise in coronavirus cases tied to the highly contagious Delta variant. President Joe Biden said the United States is reviewing when it can lift restrictions that ban most-non U.S. citizens from traveling to the United States from much of Europe after German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised the issue. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer pressed lawmakers to make progress on Biden's agenda, setting up a vote on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and demanding Democrats back a larger $3.5 trillion budget blueprint. The U.S. Air Force is desperate to get rid of some of its fleet of expensive, slow and outdated A-10 Warthog airplanes, but politicians have blocked the move, aiming to keep the local dollars flowing. We report on the politics of retiring a warplane. An areal view after flooding at Erftstadt-Blessem, Germany, July 16, 2021 WORLD More than 1,000 people are missing and more homes have been destroyed in flood-stricken regions of western Germany and Belgium where waters were still rising and the death toll is already over 100. Reuters journalist Danish Siddiqui has been killed while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters near a border crossing with Pakistan. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer covered war zones and crises from Iraq to Hong Kong to Nepal. Here is some of his best work from the past decade. President Cyril Ramaphosa said his government would not allow "anarchy and mayhem" to prevail in South Africa after violence this week which he suggested had been deliberately provoked. Hungary's Prime Minister accused the European Commission of "legalized hooliganism" for an infringement action against measures by his government that the EU executive said discriminated against LGBT people. BUSINESS The Biden administration issued an advisory to warn U.S. businesses about risks to their operations and activities in Hong Kong after China's imposition of a new national security law there last year. Ericsson said it was no longer banking on previously anticipated contract wins for 5G tenders in China as it gets caught in the crossfire of a political battle between Beijing and the West. Uber reached a preliminary agreement with a California regulator for sharing data on sexual assault and harassment claims on its platform while protecting victims' privacy and avoiding a $59 million fine. Burberry, the British brand seeking to replace departing boss Marco Gobbetti, said its like-for-like sales had risen above pre-pandemic levels, driven by new, younger customers and demand for handbags and trench coats. Quote of the day "It is clear we will not be able to agree with his Excellency the President. That is why I excuse myself from government formation and God help the country" Saad al-Hariri Lebanese politician Lebanon spins further into crisis as Hariri abandons bid to form government Video of the day Tornado rips through Canadian town Drone footage captured the tornado's trail of destruction across Barrie, Ontario. And finally… World's oldest tennis player - 97 and still in the game For Leonid Stanislavskyi, a Ukrainian who has been playing amateur tennis for over half a century, it is next to impossible to find a worthy adversary in his age group. More from Reuters COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036