| |  |  | The Reuters Daily Briefing | Wednesday, September 1, 2021 by Linda Noakes | Hello Here's what you need to know. Ida evacuees are urged not to return home, Taiwan says the threat from China is rising, and read excerpts of the last call between Biden and his Afghan counterpart | | | | | Today's biggest stories  Afghan migrants are seen at a camp in Obrenovac, near Belgrade, Serbia, August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Fedja Grulovic AFGHANISTAN Crowds seeking to flee Afghanistan flocked to its borders while long queues formed at banks, as an administrative vacuum after the Taliban's takeover left foreign donors unsure of how to respond to a looming humanitarian crisis.
In the last call between U.S. President Joe Biden and his Afghanistan counterpart before the Taliban seized control of the country, the leaders discussed military aid, political strategy and messaging tactics, but neither Biden nor Ashraf Ghani appeared aware of or prepared for the immediate danger of the entire country falling to insurgents, a transcript reviewed by Reuters shows.
The chaotic withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan has shown that the European Union needs to intervene militarily in a crisis without relying on U.S. troops, senior EU officials say.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the U.S. military intervention in Afghanistan had achieved nothing but tragedy and loss of life on all sides and showed it was impossible to foist foreign values on other nations.
|  An aerial view shows destroyed houses after Hurricane Ida made landfall in Golden Meadow, Louisiana, August 31, 2021. REUTERS/Marco Bello U.S
Evacuees who fled Ida before the storm hit are being urged not to return home just yet as the long, arduous recovery is only beginning. South Louisiana is braced for a month without electricity and reliable water supplies, as people face suffocating heat and humidity.
Firefighters waged an all-out battle in heavy winds to protect homes on the fringe of tinder-dry forests near Lake Tahoe from a wildfire that has chased thousands of people from the popular resort destination in California's Sierra Nevada range. We spoke to evacuees anxiously following the course of the fire.
A Texas ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy has taken effect after the U.S. Supreme Court did not act on an emergency request by abortion rights groups to block the law enabling the ban. Meanwhile, the Texas legislature passed the final version of a bill restricting voter access that sparked a weeks-long political showdown and is expected to be quickly signed into law by the state's Republican governor.
WORLD
Japan reported a fresh contamination case involving Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, the fourth such incident in less than a week, threatening to slow the country's sputtering inoculation campaign.
China's armed forces can "paralyze" Taiwan's defences and are able to fully monitor its deployments, the island's defence ministry said, offering a stark assessment of the rising threat posed by its giant neighbor.
First came leaflets in her stairwell accusing her of encouraging children to become gay. Then her office was vandalized and its windows shot at. And after that she was taken to hospital for COVID-19 treatment that she said she did not need or want. We spoke to Russian opposition activist Violetta Grudina, whose election bid was crushed.
Sri Lanka has declared an economic emergency empowering the authorities to seize stocks of staple foods and set their prices, to contain soaring inflation after a steep devaluation of its currency due to a foreign exchange crisis.
Canadians are demanding decisive action from leaders to tackle climate change after a summer of extreme weather intensified environmental concerns, making it the No. 1 issue in September's snap election, polling data shows.
| BUSINESS World shares climbed, shrugging off economic data that pointed towards weak economic growth to start the month on the front foot, as the dollar struggled to move away from three-week lows.
Global factory activity lost momentum in August as the pandemic disrupted supply chains, raising concerns faltering manufacturing would add to economic woes caused by slumping consumption, surveys showed.
Walmart plans to hire 20,000 workers at its supply chain division and raise wages ahead of the busy holiday season anticipating higher demand.
State-backed firms are set to take a sizeable stake in a key Ant Group asset for the first time, three people told Reuters, in a move that will loosen the Chinese fintech giant's grip on a data treasure trove of over 1 billion users but help revive its IPO.
Swedish steelmaker SSAB has partnered with Daimler's Mercedes-Benz to introduce fossil fuel-free steel into vehicle production, with prototype parts for body shells planned for next year.
| | | | | | | Video of the day  Argentine town seeks to curb its capybara population Neighborhood rivalry in an upscale residential area of Buenos Aires Province has frustrated locals calling for measures to be taken to keep a lid on the population of native capybaras. | | | Thanks for spending part of your day with us. | | | | | |
