Good morning. We’re covering China’s rising youth unemployment and dimming hopes for dialogue in Niger. |
 | | Chinese students after the first day of the national college entrance exams.Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
|
Bleak outlook for China’s graduates |
In June the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds in urban areas hit a record 21.3 percent. The numbers for July are expected to be even higher as the next wave of students graduate. One college president told students to “not aim too high or be picky about work.” |
Notably, the economy is volatile. China’s trade numbers fell in July, another challenge to its slowing economy. Government crackdowns and tighter supervision have also subdued once-vibrant industries such as online education, technology and real estate — fields young people had flocked to for jobs. |
In 1992, just 754,000 students enrolled in colleges and universities. As more young people pursued higher education, there has been a mismatch in the jobs they want versus what is available: China’s economy has not created enough of the high-paying white-collar jobs that many college graduates are seeking. |
What’s next: The problem of youth unemployment may not abate for a decade, a Chinese think tank estimated. “If it is not handled properly,” it said in a report, “it will cause other social problems beyond the economy, and it could even ignite the fuse of political problems.” |
 | | Akmal Amir, center in dark green, was one of the two men who tried to organize a rebellion.Sami Sadat |
|
A thwarted Afghan rebellion |
After the Taliban took power in 2021, many Afghans who had fought alongside the U.S.-backed government fled to other countries. From afar, they watched as their country changed under the new, restrictive government. |
Christina Goldbaum, our bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan, followed two decorated commandos who met in exile and linked up with a resistance group operating in Afghanistan. They returned to their homeland and hid in a safe house, working to set up a headquarters to coordinate between rebel groups. |
But within weeks, the Taliban arrested local residents who had been bringing them food. Then, soldiers opened fire on their hide-out, killing both. People started posting on social media in an outpouring of support, Christina said. |
“They had really come to represent this younger generation, who believed in the vision for the country that was laid out under the U.S.-backed government and were willing to fight for it,” she told the Times podcast “The Headlines.” She added, “It felt like there was a collective mourning for their vision for the country at a moment where people recognized just how impossible any armed resistance right now has become.” |
 | | Members of the military council that staged a coup in Niger.Reuters |
|
Hopes for dialogue dim in Niger |
The new military leaders of Niger have rebuffed diplomatic efforts by the U.S., the U.N. and regional groups to resolve the crisis created by the recent coup. |
What’s next: ECOWAS, a regional group, has threatened military action and frozen financial transactions with Niger. It plans to meet for an extraordinary summit tomorrow. |
- Two strikes — just 37 minutes apart — killed at least seven people in Ukraine, including a responder to the first attack.
- Beijing’s foreign minister spoke by phone with his Russian counterpart after China attended peace talks in Saudi Arabia over the weekend.
- The Black Sea, a deeply important but often overlooked part of the war, has become a hot spot of military tensions.
|
- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company plans to invest $3.8 billion to build a facility in Germany, part of an effort to further diversify production locations.
- Typhoon Khanun zigzagged back to Japan after killing at least two people there last week. It’s forecast to reach South Korea tomorrow.
|
 | | Colombian fans celebrated the team’s 1-0 victory.Quinn Rooney/Getty Images |
|
 | | A cricket match at Van Cortlandt Park.Yuvraj Khanna for The New York Times |
|
The mayor of New York City wants to build a temporary cricket stadium for the World Cup in a Bronx park. But some local clubs expressed resistance because it would be built over the city’s largest expanse of cricket pitches. “We have no other place to go,” the president of the New York Cricket League said. |
 | | Ian Lee at his restaurant in Taipei called HoSu, which means “good island” in the Taiwanese dialect.Lam Yik Fei for The New York Times |
|
My colleague Li Yuan reported on chefs who are using food to assert a Taiwanese identity that’s separate from China. Her beautiful piece made me think of the dozens of responses we received when we asked you about foods that make you think of home. Below are mouthwatering reflections from your fellow newsletter readers. |
In my mind, Wuhan is synonymous with hot dry noodles, a delicious dish that awakens cherished memories. When I don’t have all the necessary ingredients, I make it with spaghetti at home. I hope that the delicious food, not the disease, becomes the defining characteristic of my hometown. — Ben Niu, 41, Mamaroneck, N.Y. My family, like so many others, moved to Australia during the Sri Lankan civil war. I love feeding my friends kothu roti, which is hard to make at home, so it was one of the only things my parents would let us buy out. There are now high-end Sri Lankan restaurants, but to me, there is still nothing better than sitting on a plastic chair near Pendle Hill train station with a mountain of spicy-carby goodness in front of me. — Ragavi, 23, Sydney Soto Betawi. This dish is the epitome of umami: salty from the fried shallots on top, sweet from the coconut milk, sour from lime juice, spicy from the sambal, and butter from the crisps on top. I took my parents to eat some here in Queens and they claimed, “This is better than Indonesia.” — Jade Lauw, Elmhurst, N.Y. Without a doubt, it would definitely be sinigang! Sour and savory at the same time, this soup is made with pork, shrimp, or fish simmered with local veggies like kangkong (water spinach), sitaw (string beans), and radish. It’s meant to be shared, which reflects the strong sense of community and togetherness in Filipino culture. — Antoinette Joy Argonza, 25, Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines |
Thank you to everyone who shared memories! |
 | | Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Carrie Purcell. |
|
Watch “Our Body,” a French documentary about gynecological patients. |
Listen to new tracks by Wilco, Mitski, maJa and more. |
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you … soon! — Amelia |
And a personal P.P.S. … This will be my last day writing the newsletter for a while. (I’m moving to another desk to report about Connecticut for a few months.) |
I am grateful for your enthusiasm, and I have learned so much from your emails. Thank you for spending the past 18 months with me. You’ll be in great hands with my colleagues. |
We always love to hear from you: briefing@nytimes.com. I’m available at amelia.nierenberg@nytimes.com. Thank you all! |
|
