The Morning Dispatch: Afghanistan’s Economic Collapse

Happy Tuesday! We’re a day late, but we wanted to thank our interns—Mary Trimble, Augustus Bayard, Benjamin Woodard, Emma Perley, Isaac Willour, and John Scudero—for all their great work this summer, and wish them well as they head back to school. Those 10 weeks flew by!

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency announced Monday it approved for adult booster use a bivalent version of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine designed to target both the virus’ original and BA.1 Omicron strains, becoming the first country to do so. Moderna is developing a separate vaccine targeting the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron variants for the U.S. market, and it is expected to be authorized in time for a fall booster push.

  • The Pentagon reported yesterday the United States’ al-Tanf base in Syria was targeted with multiple drones Monday morning, but several failed and U.S. and coalition forces were able to engage the others before they inflicted any casualties or damage. Thus far, no country or group has claimed responsibility for the strike.

  • Wu Qian—a spokesman for the Chinese Defense Ministry—announced Monday the country’s military was conducting additional patrols around Taiwan in response to a congressional delegation led by Democratic Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts that touched down on the island on Sunday. “The Chinese PLA continues the military training for war-preparedness to firmly safeguard China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity and resolutely smash any form of the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatist schemes and interference attempts by external forces,” Wu said.

This content is available exclusively to Dispatch members
Try a membership for full access to every newsletter and all of The Dispatch. Support quality, fact-based journalism.
Already a paid member? Sign In
Comments (345)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
Load More