| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Monday, August 23, 2021 by Farouq Suleiman | Hello Here's what you need to know. A firefight erupts at Kabul airport, protest violence flares in Portland, Oregon, and the Fed conference at Jackson Hole isn't happening because of COVID-19. | | | | | Today's biggest stories  A soldier assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division provides security at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Afghanistan, August 21, 2021. U.S. Marine Corps/Cpl. Davis Harris WORLD A firefight erupted at Kabul airport when Afghan guards exchanged fire with unidentified gunmen and one guard was killed during the clash, which involved U.S. and German soldiers, Germany's military said.
Vice President Kamala Harris said during a visit to Singapore that the United States was focusing on evacuation efforts. The U.S. has enlisted the help of six commercial airlines to transport people after their evacuation from Afghanistan.
Taliban forces recaptured three districts in northern Afghanistan that fell to local militia groups last week, a spokesman said.
The Russian and British empires battled over Afghanistan in the 19th century, and the U.S. and the Soviet Union performed their own version in the 20th. As the Taliban takes over, the cast of the new Great Game has Pakistan in control, with China looking to cement its grip on the region, and a nervous India watching from the wings.
Lawyers who have represented opposition protesters in Belarus are subject to intimidation, including criminal and disciplinary proceedings and even disbarment, according to representatives of the profession and human-rights groups.
A third dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine has significantly improved protection from infection and serious illness among people aged 60 and older in Israel compared with those who received two shots, findings published by the Health Ministry showed.
Iran said it is ready to ship more fuel to Lebanon, a day after Hezbollah's leader said more vessels carrying Iranian fuel would sail soon to help ease the country's fuel shortage. |  The U.S. Capitol Building is pictured in Washington, U.S., August 20, 2021. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz U.S. House Democrats face a test of unity as they begin work on two spending plans that would devote trillions of dollars to transportation infrastructure and social programs.
Civil-rights leader Jesse Jackson and his wife are "responding positively" to COVID-19 treatment, their son said.
Protests by far-right and left-wing groups in Portland descended into violence on Sunday, and at least one man was arrested for firing a gun at demonstrators.
Visa processing is delayed as U.S. embassies and consulates operate at reduced capacity because of the pandemic, leaving some students abroad unable to arrive for the beginning of the school year. |  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell takes his seat to testify before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 15, 2021. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque BUSINESS The pandemic resurgence caused Federal Reserve officials to abruptly cancel their premier in-person conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. And a think tank highly critical of Fed Chair Jerome Powell's record on banking regulation released an assessment of his four-year tenure.
Chinese bourses have halted more than 40 IPOs in Shanghai and Shenzhen amid a regulatory probe into several intermediaries in the deals, according to official exchange disclosures.
Self-driving startups like Cruise and Pony.ai have begun testing their driverless cars in some parts of California in the past year, with an additional feature: Human operators.
Virgin Orbit, the small satellite launch service which is a part of billionaire Richard Branson's conglomerate, said it is going public through a merger with a blank-check vehicle in a deal that values it at $3.2 billion.
PayPal Holdings will allow customers in the UK to buy, sell and hold bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies starting this week, the company said. | | | New from Breakingviews Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans to rein in the super-rich have hit shares in luxury groups like LVMH and Kering, Gucci's parent company. The selloff looks excessive, Breakingviews columnist Dasha Afanasieva writes. | | | | | | | Quote of the day "I don't believe what they say at all. It's all lies. Nobody trusts what they say." Anonymous Kabul resident Some Afghans aren't buying the Taliban's PR campaign about life returning to normal, and they fear saying so. As Kabul turmoil mounts, Taliban's PR offensive falters | | | | Video of the day  Storm Henri hits Rhode Island, dumping rain A weather system packing fierce winds and propelling a storm surge made landfall in the U.S. Northeast coast on Sunday. | | | | And finally… Skiing in Africa?  Suggest a holiday in Africa and most people picture sunshine, palm-fringed beaches or wildebeest galloping across the savannah. Few think of skiing. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
