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The US and UK will deploy troops to help evacuate staff from their embassies in Kabul as the Taliban continues its rout of provincial capitals in Afghanistan, following Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw American troops.
The Pentagon said it was sending 3,000 troops to Kabul in the coming days, including aircraft that could fly personnel out of the Afghan capital, and a back-up brigade of 3,500 soldiers to Kuwait in case the security situation deteriorates further.
The state department said it was pulling diplomats out because of the threat posed by the Taliban’s advance, adding that only a small number of personnel would be left after the operation was completed.
The UK deployment, also announced yesterday, will include 600 troops for speeding up evacuations of some diplomatic personnel and Afghans who worked with British forces.
Read more: The Taliban captured Kandahar and Herat, Afghanistan’s second- and third-biggest cities, after a day of fighting. The militant group has taken control in at least 12 provincial capitals and is setting its sights on Kabul.
Opinion: A different outcome in Afghanistan is still possible — but only if the UN and others take action now, writes Mark Malloch-Brown, president of Open Society Foundations. (FT, AP)
Five more stories in the news
1. Once-a-decade US census results White Americans account for less than 60 per cent of the US population for the first time on record while more than four in 10 identify as multiracial or people of colour, according to findings from the 2020 US census that underscore the country’s rapidly shifting demographics.
2. Wall Street predicts equity bull run will continue A robust corporate profits recovery is igniting optimism on Wall Street that US equities will extend their bull run even as investors question whether companies can eclipse a high bar for earnings growth and margins.
3. Adidas sells Reebok for up to €2.1bn Adidas is selling Reebok for up to €2.1bn to US-based celebrity and clothing licensing group Authentic Brands. The deal draws a line under the German sportswear maker’s ill-fated $3.8bn acquisition in 2005 in an attempt to compete with rival Nike.
4. Insurance losses soar on extreme weather Wildfires, US winter storms and tornadoes in Europe helped deal an estimated $40bn blow to global insurers in the first half of 2021, the worst start to a year for natural catastrophe insurance in a decade.
5. China probably building new missile silo site, say experts US defence experts say China has probably started building a new missile silo site, suggesting that Beijing is pursuing an even more rapid nuclear build-up than previously assumed. The findings are set to stoke US fears that Beijing could be abandoning its “minimum deterrence” strategy.
Coronavirus digest
The US drug regulator has authorised an additional dose of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine for certain people with weakened immune systems.
New Orleans has become the latest big US city to announce that proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test will be required for certain indoor venues and some outdoor events.
The UK’s falling infection rate has slowed, a leading survey found, with signs emerging of an uptick. The country’s economy grew 4.8 per cent in the second quarter as consumers eagerly spent money following the easing of restrictions.
After losing the sprint, the EU is leading the vaccine marathon, our editorial board writes. Sign up for our Coronavirus Business Update newsletter and follow our live blog for the latest.
Thank you for taking part in Wednesday’s poll. Eighty-two per cent said governments should “definitely” enforce the use of coronavirus vaccine passports.
The day ahead
Football A new football season kicks off in Europe today. The post-Messi era starts for La Liga in Spain and the Premier League’s opening game in England sees promoted Brentford host Arsenal. In Germany, the Bundesliga is also back. For more on the business of sport, sign up for our Scoreboard newsletter. (AP, FT)
Earnings Alrosa is among the companies reporting earnings. Read the full list here.
What else we’re reading
The red-state rescue dog living a blue-state life Since 2014, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has relocated 140,000 dogs from overflowing southern shelters, most heading north. Culture is part of it, though a sticky subject: dogs are sometimes seen as more disposable in the south, and treated as such, writes Joshua Chaffin, as he researched the origins of Louie, the Tennessee hound he adopted last year.
How Turkey became a tech star Since last summer, Turkish tech companies have seen their valuations vault above the billion-dollar mark, seen as the threshold for start-up success. While a flurry of investment has put Istanbul on the map, its newfound ascendancy has been many years in the making.
Hopes rise that Iran hardliner will rejuvenate nuclear deal Hossein Amirabdollahian is set to become the main interlocutor with the west after he was nominated as foreign minister this week. Iranian analysts are optimistic that Amirabdollahian — who is close to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards — may be able to revive the deal. Donald Trump abandoned the accord three years ago.
Going on holiday? Leave the ‘to do’ list at home The pressure to be productive is everywhere, even during time off. But how often can we honestly look back at our day and say not a minute was squandered? It is exhausting when it happens. We cannot burn brightly every day, writes Tim Harford.
The politics of safety It is more or less unimaginable to be a woman and not to know what it is to have a dark alley or a quickening footfall make your heart run cold. But focusing solely on street-and-stranger safety does little for the women who are the victims of male violence in the domestic sphere.
Recipe
Rice pudding with apricots Served chilled, Rowley Leigh’s summertime twist on the traditional dish will be a hit even on the hottest day.
Source: Economy - ft.com
