Kamala on China, G7 Afghanistan talks, McBoatface NFTs

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Kamala Harris criticized China on her Asia tour. “Beijing continues to coerce, to intimidate, and…undermine the rules-based order,” said the US vice president, referring to the South China Sea, in a speech in Singapore.

US regulators gave the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine full approval. Comirnaty is the first Covid-19 shot to graduate from emergency use status.

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi is reportedly putting the brakes on its Europe launch. According to The Telegraph, the company is shelving plans to roll out across the continent because of issues with data privacy.

At least one company is weathering the Chinese tech crackdown well. JD.com’s quarterly sales figures were strong, unlike those of its rivals Alibaba and Tencent.

A $2 billion fintech startup has become Africa’s fastest unicorn. OPay’s latest valuation comes after it raised $400 million from a round led by SoftBank, the Japanese investment firm.

The Paralympic Games begin. The opening ceremony in Tokyo is at 7am US eastern time.

What to watch for

US president Joe Biden is talking today to leaders of other G7 countries to discuss how best to handle the unfolding situation in Afghanistan, after the US and allies’ abrupt departure let the Taliban secure power in Kabul within 10 days.

The Taliban confirmed yesterday that it won’t extend an Aug. 31 deadline for countries to evacuate their citizens and selected Afghans, which leaves just a week to get as many people out as possible.

Biden and the other leaders are hoping the Taliban keeps its word to govern with moderation, though those on the ground are preparing for the worst. Russia and China are instead likely to become the influential powers in the region.

Charting China’s carbon trading market

The price of emissions credits in China’s carbon trading market reached a record low on Aug. 20, the latest sign that the market’s structural flaws are preventing it from working as an effective weapon against climate change. Since the market’s launch in mid-July, the daily volume of trading has declined significantly as the covered companies find themselves with plenty of credits to spare.

The EU also has a carbon market, but it’s designed differently. On Aug. 20, when the price in China hit $7.55, it was $63.80 in the EU.

The next year with Covid

Here’s the bare-bones game plan for referring to the pandemic in the past tense:

1️⃣ Vaccinate everyone

2️⃣ Achieve herd immunity

3️⃣ Stay ahead of variants

4️⃣ Learn to live with Covid-19

✦ Seem simple? It’s anything but. To learn why, check out the most recent Forecast email, exclusive to Quartz members. The game plan to become a member: follow this link and enter code QZEMAIL40 to get 40% off.

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⚔️ How China’s top internet regulator become Chinese tech giants’ worst enemy

🛂 The business case for eliminating paper-based passports

Surprising discoveries

Man City fans can have their drinks and eat them, too. The English soccer team’s home stadium is trying out edible biscuit-like cups.

An early Zelda game is the latest to slay at auction. Rare, sealed cartridges like this one—which had been donated to Goodwill—are becoming lucrative links to the past.

McBoatface NFTs exist. If you’re still amused by this 2016 joke, consider owning a cartoon-like illustration of it.

A bee has become a teenager’s pet. Betty had a broken wing, and now follows her rescuer around.

Sri Lankan elephants just got a lot more rights. Among them, personal identity cards and protection from being driven drunk.

Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, bee friends, and elephant neighbors to hi@qz.com. Get the most out of Quartz by downloading our iOS app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Hasit Shah, Tim McDonnell, Liz Webber, and Susan Howson.