Wednesday Briefing

A top Hamas commander is killed in Iran

Ismail Haniyeh, one of the most senior Hamas leaders, was targeted and killed in Tehran, the militant group and Iranian officials said this morning. The assassination, a severe blow to Hamas, threatens to engulf the region in further conflict.

Hamas accused Israel of killing Haniyeh, who led the group’s political operations from exile in Qatar. He was in Tehran on Tuesday for the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected president, along with officials from other militant groups backed by Iran, including Hezbollah. Israel had no immediate comment on the killing.

As Hamas’s political leader, Haniyeh was central to the group’s high-stakes negotiations and diplomacy, including the stalled negotiations with Israel over a cease-fire deal in Gaza.

In Beirut: On Tuesday, the Israeli military said it had carried out a separate strike on a Hezbollah commander in Beirut’s southern suburbs, in retaliation for a weekend attack that killed 12 people in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. The targeting of two senior leaders of Iran-backed groups within a matter of hours would be an audacious escalation in the regional conflict.

In Gaza: The eight Palestinian athletes at the Olympic Games represent not only a homeland but a cause. But a scarcity of electricity has made it nearly impossible for Gazans to watch them or to remain connected to the outside world.

A British town mourns victims of a knife attack

A third child died and five children and two adults remained in critical condition yesterday, a day after a knife attack at a dance class in the northern English seaside town of Southport.

A 17-year-old boy from a nearby village, who was arrested Monday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder, was still being questioned. The motive for the attack was unknown, but the police said it did not appear to be terror-related and that no other suspects were being sought.

Taylor Swift, whose music inspired the dance class, expressed shock on social media. “I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families,” she wrote. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited Southport to pay his respects.

Protest: About an hour after a vigil for the victims ended, a group of protesters clashed with the police, leaving 22 officers injured. The police said they believed the protesters were supporters of a far-right extremist group, and that false information about the suspect had driven the unrest.

In Southport: The question of why such an unremarkable summer morning, filled with dancing and fun, had turned to horror was on the minds of many residents. “It was just little girls who wanted to dance,” one said.

Venezuela’s street protests turn deadly

At least 16 people, including a soldier, have died and about 750 others have been arrested in Venezuela, where protests over a highly contentious presidential election have led to violence.

The nation’s autocratic president, Nicolás Maduro, was declared the winner of another six-year term on Monday, but his government has refused to release the full election results. Many countries, including the U.S., have said the vote was marred by widespread irregularities.

Leaders on both sides of the country’s political divide called on their followers to take to the streets. Demonstrations led to deadly clashes on Monday, and the protests continued yesterday.

For more: Here’s how Venezuela’s government became authoritarian.

MORE TOP NEWS

India: At least 108 people were killed in the state of Kerala after days of heavy rainfall set off landslides. Government officials called it one of the region’s worst natural disasters.
Ukraine: Many recruits will arrive at the front in the coming weeks, but some are poorly trained or out of shape, soldiers and military analysts said.
Bangladesh: Since a crackdown on protesters opposing a quota system for government jobs began two weeks ago, more than 10,000 people have been arrested.
India: Auditors gave sugar mills a stamp of approval for their labor practices after inspections that were all but guaranteed not to find problems, a Times investigation found.
Western Sahara: France backed a plan for the autonomy of the long-disputed territory under Moroccan sovereignty, angering Algeria.
China: Shujun Wang billed himself as a scholar and a democracy activist. American prosecutors accused him of being a spy. His trial is this week.

U.S. Election

Donald Trump: The former president repeated his assertion that Christians will never have to vote again if they vote for him in November.

Search for a V.P.: What Kamala Harris is looking for in a running mate. (Supporters of Pete Buttigieg hope he could be her pick.)
In Atlanta: Speaking to her campaign’s largest crowd yet, Harris challenged Trump to commit to a debate. “As the saying goes,” she said, “‘If you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.’”

“Rainbow of beige”: A huge video call for self-professed “White Dudes for Harris” showed the breadth of Democratic support for her candidacy — and the ways the party is learning to make fun of itself.
Get in touch: We’re asking readers to send us their questions about the U.S. presidential campaign. Fill out the form here.

The Olympics

Gymnastics: The U.S. women’s team won the gold medal, in what Simone Biles called a “redemption tour.” Here’s how the athletes did it.
Tennis: The American tennis star Coco Gauff lost to Donna Vekic of Croatia after a disputed line call.
Antidoping: The global regulator said it was investigating why some athletes who test positive for banned drugs are escaping discipline with claims that they unwittingly ingested them through food.
Tahiti: The lush site of the surfing competition has a toxic nuclear legacy.
Rugby: The U.S. women’s team and its telegenic prop center, Ilona Maher, are breakout stars — with a medal to show for it.
For more: See results from Day 4.

SPORTS NEWS

Soccer: The England women’s team announced friendly matches against the U.S. and Germany as part of its autumn schedule.
Baseball: Live updates and analysis from the trade deadline.

MORNING READ

Nathan and Kim Maker, a scuba diving couple from Oklahoma, spent nearly two days bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico after severe weather separated them from their boat.

It was a harrowing tale, with a nick-in-time happy ending. Upon being rescued, they were taken to a hospital. And from there, they went directly to a Jewish deli for matzo ball soup, a triple-decker corned beef and pastrami sandwich and cheesecake.

“They wanted to pay, but I wouldn’t take any money from them,” the deli’s owner said. “Listen, if you’ve gone through that, you deserve a sandwich.”

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Cutting cravings: A study is trying to figure out why ultraprocessed foods are so hard to resist.
Assemble quickly: In the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championship, speed is key.
On the job: We asked five museum security guards about their favorite works.

ARTS AND IDEAS

The Booker Prize longlist

Six novels by U.S. authors, including Rachel Kushner and Richard Powers, are among the 13 titles nominated for this year’s Booker Prize, the award’s organizers announced yesterday. The judges will announce a six-book shortlist on Sept. 16, and the winning title will be revealed in London on Nov. 12.

The prize has been open to authors from outside Britain, Ireland, the Commonwealth and Zimbabwe only since 2014 — but ever since, British literary figures have complained about American authors’ dominance. This year’s longlist could reignite those concerns. Only two novels by British authors have been nominated: “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey and “Enlightenment” by Sarah Perry.

“Wandering Stars,” by Tommy Orange, is the first title by a Native American author to be nominated for the award. The follow-up to “There There,” his groundbreaking 2018 debut, the book is a “towering achievement,” our critic writes.

Read the full list of nominees.