The New York Times - Tuesday Briefing

 Good morning. We’re covering the U.S. military’s exit from Afghanistan and the wreckage from Hurricane Ida.

Taliban forces patrolled outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times 

The U.S. military leaves Afghanistan

The last U.S. troops have left the airport in Kabul, signifying the end of a two-decade fight and the beginning of a Taliban-controlled chapter for the country, U.S. military officials said.
Evacuation flights ended today, a day ahead of schedule, and the military then packed equipment and personnel onto transport planes. Control of the airport was left in the hands of the Taliban, who said they were still working on the shape of the new government.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. military shot down rockets aimed at the airport. About 116,000 evacuations took place in the past two weeks, the White House said.

Shipping delays and shortages caused by the pandemic are getting worse. Scott McIntyre for The New York Times

Get used to coronavirus shortages

Pandemic-related product shortages were supposed to be temporary. Instead, the increasingly interconnected world is still feeling the ripple effects of disruption

A shipping container that cannot be unloaded in Los Angeles because too many dock workers are in quarantine cannot be loaded with soybeans in Iowa, leaving buyers in Indonesia waiting, and potentially triggering a shortage of animal feed in Southeast Asia.

Factories around the world are limiting operations, despite powerful demand, because they cannot buy metal parts, plastics and other crucial inputs and raw materials. Earlier this month, Toyota announced it would slash its global production of cars by 40 percent because of a shortage of computer chips.

Central banks weighing concerns about inflation rates have not been able to answer a key question: How long will the delays last? “There is a genuine uncertainty here,” said one economist. Normalcy might be “another year or two” away, he added.

Debris from a building that collapsed on Rampart Street in New Orleans. Edmund D. Fountain for The New York Times

Hurricane Ida’s wreckage

Search-and-rescue teams fanned across Southeast Louisiana after Hurricane Ida pummeled the area, 16 years to the day after Katrina hit.

Much of New Orleans remained without electricity after all eight transmission lines that delivered power to the city were knocked out. Some power outages may last weeks.

Buildings were razed in some areas, and at least one person died. Some places were cut off from rescue teams because of flooded roads or downed power lines.

But a $14.5 billion system of levees, barriers and pumps that protect New Orleans appeared to have held firm, passing the most severe test since being expanded and hardened after Hurricane Katrina.

A satellite image from March showing a steam plant near North Korea’s main atomic complex in Yongbyon. Satellite image Maxar Technologies, via Associated Press

• North Korea has restarted a plutonium-producing reactor, the U.N. nuclear watchdog warned, while talks with the U.S. remain stalled.
• China tightened limits for video games. Children and teenagers are now banned from online gaming on school days, and limited to one hour a day on weekend and holiday evenings under government rules issued on Monday.
• The Indian ride-sharing app Ola, which is backed by SoftBank, could raise up to $1 billion through an initial public offering, Reuters reported.

Around the World

Iván Duque, the president of Colombia. Jean Chung for The New York Times

President Iván Duque of Colombia defended his performance amid the pandemic and social strife. At least one person died after Tropical Storm Nora lashed Mexico.

Russian opposition leaders increasingly have to choose between jail and exile.

Novak Djokovic began his pursuit of an exclusive Grand Slam as U.S. Open tennis facilities filled with fans for the first time in two years. A last-minute change will require all spectators to be vaccinated, though many tennis players have stubbornly been slow to get the Covid-19 vaccine.