What Harris’s answers say about her s trategy

Hello. After Kamala Harris gave her first interview since accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for the White House, Sarah Smith writes about the challenges the vice-president faces in pitching herself as a change candidate. We're serving up some tasty features on British food - it's better than you might think, honestly - and AI recipes, while offering TV tips for the month ahead. And it's football's transfer deadline day here in England, so I'll be spending the coming hours waiting in vain for Everton to pull off a minor loan signing. Keep tabs on your team's activity via our live page. Have a great weekend.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Harris unscathed - but challenges await

During the interview, Ms Harris refused to engage with opponent Donald Trump’s personal attacks. Credit: Reuters

US Vice-President Kamala Harris's apparent reluctance to give an extended broadcast interview had meant that her sit-down with CNN on Thursday night assumed an exaggerated significance. And it placed the Democratic Party candidate under greater scrutiny.

How did she perform?

Initially, Ms Harris struggled to lay out what she would do on day one, talking in sweeping generalisations about creating an opportunity economy and trying to lower the cost of living. She will need to craft a more concise explanation of how she intends to make life more affordable for ordinary, working Americans if she wants her message on the economy to land. Throughout the interview, Ms Harris appeared calm and confident. And, crucially, didn't score any own goals.

What did her Republican rival Donald Trump make of it?

He posted his one-word verdict on his social media platform - "BORING". The Harris campaign will have taken that as high praise. After all, her most important job was to ensure she did not give Republicans any new ammunition to use against her.

What did we learn?

While she was loyal to Mr Biden, she also repeatedly said it was time to "turn the page on the last decade". She then had to explain that she meant a decade of bitterness and division, not the last three and a half years of the Biden-Harris administration when she has been in power. It was a moment that deftly illustrated the challenge Ms Harris faces in presenting herself as a candidate of change.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

THE BIG PICTURE

Are AI-created recipes hard to swallow?

Blueberry and breakfast cereal pizza - a recipe created by artificial intelligence - did not end up the menu. Credit: Dodo Pizza

When a Dubai pizza chain asked an AI chatbot to come up with new toppings, it suggested Arab shawarma chicken with Indian grilled paneer cheese, Middle Eastern Za'atar herbs and tahini sauce. That combination proved a hit with the public but others never got near the menu. Tech reporter Padraig Belton hears of AI culinary successes - and failures - around the world.

And finally... in Northern Ireland

Back in May, passengers aboard the Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey were embarking on the journey of a lifetime: a round-the-world cruise that could last up to three years. However, technical problems have stranded the ship and its cruisers for three months in Belfast. Here's what they think of their unexpected stay.