COVAX, the UN-backed mechanism for improving global access to COVID-19 vaccines, said it will deliver only 1.4 billion doses (Axios) by the end of this year, down from an original target of 1.9 billion.
 
While COVAX blamed the decrease on manufacturing bottlenecks, World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus characterized it as a failure of will (Al Jazeera) by manufacturers and wealthy countries, describing the situation as “appalling.” He called for a global moratorium on booster shots until the end of 2021 so all countries can vaccinate at least 40 percent of their populations. Less than 1 percent of doses (NYT) have been administered in low-income countries.

The event marked the seventy-third anniversary (Yonhap) of the country’s founding, but in a departure from past events, no new strategic weapons were displayed.
 
CFR’s Scott A. Snyder weighs when Washington and Pyongyang will break their negotiating stalemate.
 
Malaysia: A Kuala Lumpur court ruled that Malaysian women married to foreigners can pass their Malaysian citizenship (Star/Asia News Network) to their children born overseas, a right previously only afforded to men.

The aid package includes food and COVID-19 vaccines (SCMP). Beijing said it plans to maintain communication with the new Taliban government in Kabul and work with countries in the region to rebuild Afghanistan’s economy.
 
CFR’s Ian Johnson discusses how China will deal with the Taliban.
 
Afghanistan: Several Afghan journalists said Taliban members arrested and beat them (NYT) in custody while they were covering a protest in Kabul.

The moderate Justice and Development Party won only 12 seats in Parliament (Middle East Eye), down from 125, ending its decade-long rule. The liberal National Rally of Independents now has the largest delegation, with 97 seats.
 
Syria: Government forces entered the rebel-held city (Al-Monitor) of Daraa after agreeing with rebel forces to end a siege of the Daraa al-Balad neighborhood and deploy Russia-monitored checkpoints in the area.

At an emergency virtual summit, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) leaders moved to suspend Guinea (AFP) and called for the country’s “immediate return to constitutional order.”
 
For the Africa in Transition blog, CFR’s John Campbell looks at how coups have rocked West Africa.
 
Ethiopia: Doctors and local officials told AFP that at least 125 civilians in the Amhara region were killed earlier this month. Officials blamed Tigrayan rebels (Bloomberg), who denied responsibility.

The two presidents will meet in Moscow today (RFE/RL). Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has been increasingly isolated internationally following his crackdown on domestic political opposition. Belarus and Russia are in the final stages of negotiating a military and economic cooperation deal (RFE/RL).
 
Germany: Public prosecutors raided the country’s finance and justice ministries (Bloomberg) as part of an investigation into a unit of the finance ministry’s alleged mishandling of a money-laundering alert. The alleged wrongdoing would have occurred under Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is leading polls to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Uruguay has begun talks with China (MercoPress) on solidifying a free trade deal, despite objections from other members of South America’s Southern Common Market (Mercosur) trade bloc.
 
Nicaragua: Authorities arrested prominent writer (Al Jazeera) and former Vice President Sergio Ramirez as part of a continued crackdown on opposition to President Daniel Ortega.

The Joe Biden administration sent letters (AP) to several high-profile former officials from the Donald Trump administration who had been named to board positions at military academies, saying they would be removed if they did not step down.