Joe Biden will come under pressure today from western allies who want the US-led evacuation from Afghanistan extended beyond August 31, while facing the humiliating prospect that the Taliban may veto any delay.
The likelihood of an extension receded after the Islamist group warned that any delay of the withdrawal of foreign forces would be a “violation”.
Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesperson, told the Financial Times that remaining US and other foreign troops at Kabul airport must withdraw in accord with the timeline set by the Biden administration.
Jake Sullivan, US national security adviser, said yesterday the White House believed “that we have time between now and the 31st to get out any Americans [who] want to get out”.
But he did not rule out a possible extension. “We are engaging with the Taliban, consulting with the Taliban on every aspect of what’s happening in Kabul right now, on what’s happening at the airport,” Sullivan added.
Boris Johnson, who chairs the G7, will lead calls today for the US president to negotiate with the Taliban for an extension to the American deadline. Johnson and Biden spoke last night and according to an account from the White House they discussed the evacuation plans as well as “forging a common approach to Afghanistan policy”.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has appointed Haji Mohammad Idris, a longstanding member of the Islamist militant group, as acting head of the central bank.
The financial system in Afghanistan is under severe pressure from lack of cash and public panic. Most automated teller machines ran out of money the day before the Taliban seized Kabul and banks have been closed since the group took control more than a week ago.
More on Afghanistan:
Politics: The chaos in Afghanistan is testing Democrats’ opposition to US military intervention.
Tech: Ehtesab, an Afghan-led and funded app, helps Kabul residents steer clear of danger with alerts on areas to avoid.
Opinion: The US must be realistic about its influence over the Taliban, writes General John Allen.
Editorial: The Taliban should not have a veto on the Afghanistan evacuation, argues the FT’s editorial board.
Do you think the US should extend its evacuation deadline? Tell me what you think by emailing [email protected]. Thanks for reading FirstFT Americas — Gordon.
Five more stories in the news
1. Walmart to deliver goods for other merchants Walmart is planning to share its delivery network with other retailers in a new business that will open another competitive front between the world’s largest big-box store chain and the online retailer Amazon. Merchants that sign up for GoLocal will use Walmart’s “white label” delivery platform to fulfil orders made through their own websites.
2. Uber and Lyft shares rise despite legal setback Shares in the gig economy groups rose yesterday after they expressed confidence at overturning a California judge’s ruling that Proposition 22 was “unenforceable”. Prop 22 came into force in January after receiving backing from 59 per cent of California’s voters.
More gig economy news: Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi has halted European expansion plans because of government concerns over how the company handles passenger data. (Bloomberg)
3. Virgin Orbit brings Boeing on board Boeing will become an investor in Richard Branson’s satellite launch company Virgin Orbit when it goes public in a merger with a special purpose acquisition company in a deal that values it at more than $3bn.
Air taxis: Funding for the nascent air taxis market has hit a record $4.3bn this year as many investors hope to uncover “the next Tesla”.
4. JD.com leads Chinese tech share rebound Shares in Chinese ecommerce group JD.com jumped 13 per cent during Hong Kong trading today after Cathie Wood’s Ark Investment Management disclosed that it had bought JD.com’s stock following the company’s earnings release.
5. US Treasury conditions worsen ahead of Jackson Hole Bond liquidity has deteriorated as jerky price movements and uncertainty in Federal Reserve policy have kept investors from making big bets ahead of Jay Powell’s speech at the Jackson Hole summit later this week.
Coronavirus digest
Joe Biden urged US employers to require workers to get vaccinated after the FDA granted full approval to BioNTech/Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine. The two-dose mRNA jab will be sold under the brand name Comirnaty.
Chicago will soon require its public employees to be vaccinated against Covid-19, the city’s mayor has said. The mandate for city workers would bring Chicago in line with several other cities and states that have set vaccination rules or mandates for their public employees.
Indonesia will begin a staggered unlocking of its economy today as cases continue to decline.
Cambridge’s “Silicon Fen” profits from being a “safe place to do risky things” but the UK needs to act to protect it, writes Brooke Masters.
Follow our live coronavirus blog and sign up here for our Coronavirus Business Update newsletter.
The day ahead
Earnings Medical device maker Medtronic is set to report first-quarter results, while retailers Best Buy, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters report second-quarter results. Homebuilder Toll Brothers reports third-quarter figures.
New New York governor Kathy Hochul starts her first day as New York governor after being sworn in at a private ceremony on the stroke of midnight. She takes control of the state government after months of distractions linked to the sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo.
Tokyo Paralympic Games begin The Games will be held largely without spectators following a surge in Covid cases that has extended a state of emergency across Japan’s large cities. (Yahoo!)
Ten years at the top Today marks the 10th anniversary of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs announcing his resignation as CEO and Tim Cook succeeding him.
What else we’re reading
Could economic and political turmoil radicalise a generation? Hit hardest by an economic shutdown that disrupted jobs more than assets, people in their early 20s are mobilising around issues such as racial justice and climate change, as many feel marginalised from mainstream politics.
IMF chief: how to make the most of special drawing rights Yesterday, IMF member countries began receiving shares of a $650bn special drawing rights allocation, the largest ever. The injection of fresh international reserve assets marks a milestone in our collective ability to combat an unprecedented health crisis, writes Kristalina Georgieva.
Bolsonaro pushes the limits of democracy in Brazil A recent study suggested if an election was held now in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro would lose to his political nemesis, leftwing former leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, by almost 20 percentage points. With this in mind, Bolsonaro is crafting a re-election strategy reminiscent of Donald Trump’s, writes Bryan Harris.
The UK’s broken labour market Empty supermarket shelves are a visible message from a workforce that is usually invisible: truck drivers. They tell a story of how migration, a weakly regulated labour market and hugely powerful retailers have allowed goods and services to become unsustainably cheap, writes Sarah O’Connor.
Most super apps are not super great The most valuable real estate in the world is not in Hong Kong or Monaco — it’s in your pocket. Smartphone home screens have space for about 30 apps. It’s no wonder tech companies are racing to become one-stop “super apps”, writes Tim Bradshaw. But the trend is annoying to users and hostile to competition.
How to lead: A conversation with PayPal’s Dan Schulman The payment company chief executive wants to transform PayPal into a “platform” that can be relied upon for digital payments of all kinds — and cryptocurrency will be a big part of that vision.
Podcast
In Finding Q, a new podcast about extremist conspiracy theories, British journalist Nicky Woolf searches for the architect of the online movement that has inched its way dangerously into the mainstream.
