Harris takes center stage

Kamala Harris is in the spotlight [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Welcome to Balance of Power, bringing you the latest in global politics. If you haven’t yet, sign up [here](. Until this year, US Republican and Democratic national conventions were almost a relic of the bygone television era, a predictable display of political theater in an arena full of balloons, confetti and people in silly hats. But nothing about this [2024 presidential campaign cycle]( has been a foregone conclusion since that first presidential debate — held in June rather than September — changed the course of history. When Joe Biden’s Republican rival, Donald Trump, showed up at his convention in Milwaukee, it was with a bandaged ear mere days after being nicked by a would-be assassin’s bullet. The idea of Vice President Kamala Harris stepping out from Biden’s shadow and rocking up in Chicago to be formally crowned by the Democrats as their candidate was unthinkable until the president bombed so spectacularly in his face-off with Trump. As Harris [takes center stage]( at her own big show, the most important task is to show Americans who she really is. WATCH: Bloomberg’s Jodi Schneider reports on what to expect from the Democratic convention. Source: Bloomberg The schoolgirl from Oakland rose to district attorney of San Francisco, then state attorney general, then US Senator and 2020 presidential candidate at a dizzying speed — before plateauing as “Veep.” Much ink was spilled about her “likability” and what the Biden White House would let her do. But political watchers who tracked her decades-long career — swimming in the same shark waters where Nancy Pelosi, the grande dame of California politics, cut her teeth — know of her charisma and grit. Most importantly they no longer see her time as a prosecutor as a liability. On the contrary, reviving her tough-on-crime past could be an asset in the current climate. This is her chance to reintroduce herself to US voters and harness the enthusiasm that has seen her edge past Trump in key swing states. Harris has the advantage of a [four-day infomercial]( this week. But with protests planned against US support for Israel in the conflict in Gaza echoing the 1968 demonstrations — also in Chicago — against the Vietnam War, she must hope nothing happens to upstage her. — [Karen Breslau]( and [Flavia Krause-Jackson]( Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, on Aug. 7. Photographer: Kamil Krzacynski/AFP/Getty Images Global Must Reads Israel and Hamas traded blame for stalling a cease-fire and hostage deal as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv to press for an agreement. While mediators say the warring sides are [getting closer to pausing]( their conflict that’s been raging for more than 10 months and has roiled the wider Middle East, objections from both parties raised the prospect of another diplomatic failure. Safety at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is deteriorating after [a drone strike]( near its only remaining electricity supply line, the International Atomic Energy Agency said. IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called for “maximum restraint” at what is Europe’s largest nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the [ongoing incursion]( by his forces into Russia’s Kursk region aims to create a buffer zone. Turkey plans to send the research vessel Oruc Reis to explore offshore oil blocks belonging to Somalia next month in a move that could help diversify Turkey’s supply of crude and bolster energy security. But as [Simon Marks]( and [Mohamed Sheikh Nor]( report, it’s also indicative of Ankara’s steady [quest to boost ties in Africa]( competing for influence with China, Russia, Gulf states and the West. Somalian soldiers trained by the Turkish Armed Forces in Mogadishu in 2022. Photographer: Ercin Erturk/Anadolu/Getty Images Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said she’s making preparations to run in next month’s election for the presidency of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, the first contender to publicly declare her bid to replace [departing Prime Minister]( Fumio Kishida. With more candidates likely to make their intentions known in coming days, here’s [a look at some of the contenders](. Two Oxford academics argue that while new technology for removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere is essential, cutting emissions should be the primary weapon for slowing global warming. The [planet is heating up so fast]( that without rapid and drastic action, it’s near certain to overshoot the critical 1.5C threshold. Chinese and Philippine coast guard vessels clashed again in the South China Sea, marking [the latest flareup]( in the disputed waters and undermining a temporary deal to avoid conflict. The UK government has approved emergency measures to prevent prison overcrowding in northern England as its stretched penal system begins accepting [hundreds of people prosecuted]( over recent far-right riots. President Joko Widodo replaced Indonesia’s energy and investment chiefs in a wider cabinet reshuffle just weeks before he’s due to step down, in a bid to ensure [his policies remain priorities]( for the incoming administration of Prabowo Subianto. Washington Dispatch As Democrats await Biden’s address tonight at their convention in Chicago, Trump begins a tour of battleground states, with an event in York, Pennsylvania. His travels, which will take him to the US-Mexican [border on Thursday]( — the day of Harris’ acceptance speech — unfold after a period of just one or two rallies a week. With Harris continuing to generate much of the attention in the election contest, Trump has been trying to seize back the spotlight as well as forge an effective message to deploy against a more formidable opponent. He assails Harris on immigration and inflation, two constant themes when he ran against Biden. But he also has tried to portray her as an ardent California leftist, an approach that some Republicans think might be effective with independent voters. Yet his itinerary also reveals something about the state of the race. He’s visiting North Carolina and Arizona, states where polls showed him ahead — until recently. One Person to Watch: Hosting the Democratic convention in Chicago marks the [culmination of years of groundwork]( by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to elevate the city to the national spotlight. [Sign up for the Washington Edition newsletter]( for more from the US capital and watch Balance of Power at 1 and 5 p.m. ET weekdays on Bloomberg Television. Chart of the Day Improvements across West Africa’s cocoa belt are likely to yield a better harvest and ease a supply shortage that propelled prices to [record-high levels]( earlier this year. But issues that have long hobbled the industry, including crop disease and climate change, mean the cost of beans used to make chocolate won’t revert to historic norms of about $2,000 per ton anytime soon. And Finally A mutated form of mpox has been circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo for months, yet the country still doesn’t have a single vaccine. The absence of shots and challenges in understanding the spread of the disease in the central African country underscore how hold-ups on the ground, a lack of international coordination and funding problems have [hampered a swift response]( to what has become [a global health emergency](. A child with mpox receives treatment at a hospital in eastern Congo on Aug. 15. Photographer: Zanem Nety Zaidi/Xinhua/Getty Images Thanks to the 32 people who answered the Friday quiz and congratulations to Erwan Minaud, who was the first to name Indonesia as the country where celebrations in its future capital were scaled back last week because of challenges in providing enough food and accommodation in the remote location. 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