International

• UPDATE 3-Blast at Mosque in Afghan City of Kandahar; at Least 15 Dead
  
• Man Ram-raids Motorbike Shop in Australia, Flees on Digger
  
• Covid-19 Likely Originated Naturally: US NIH
  
  It is still unknown if the virus leaked out of a Wuhan lab, Dr Francis Collins was quoted as saying in an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday.
• Was Biden Handcuffed by Trump's Taliban Deal in Doha?
  
  But Biden can go only so far in claiming the agreement boxed him in. It had an escape clause: The U.S. could have withdrawn from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed.
• Taliban Violently Disperse Rare Protest, Killing 1 Person
  
  As officials work to shape a future government, the United Arab Emirates acknowledged that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the Taliban advance, and his family were in that country.
• Taliban Announce 'amnesty,' Urge Women to Join Government
  
  Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a brutal rule in the late 1990s. But many Afghans remain skeptical.
• Rush on Kabul Airport as Afghans Flee Taliban Takeover
  
  Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of the capital’s airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed.
• Imran Khan Blows up the Cover -- Reveals Pakistan and Taliban Are Conjoined Twins
  
  By making, some would say, a not-so-smart statement, the Pakistani Prime Minister has blown up the cover.
• Taliban Take 10th Afghan Provincial Capital, Squeezing Kabul
  
  The Taliban captured a strategic provincial capital near Kabul on Thursday, the 10th the insurgents have taken in a weeklong sweep across Afghanistan just weeks before the end of the American military mission there.
• US Vows to Isolate Taliban If They Take Power by Force
  
  A U.S. peace envoy brought a warning to the Taliban on Tuesday that any government that comes to power through force in Afghanistan won’t be recognized internationally after a series of cities fell to the insurgent group in stunningly quick succession.
• New Iran President Calls Macron about Stalled Nuclear Talks
  
  In his first phone call to a Western leader, the new president of Iran asked his French counterpart Monday to help secure Iran's “rights” in now-stalled talks to revive Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.
• Iran Swears in New Hard-line President amid Regional Tension
  
  The protégé of Iran’s supreme leader, Ebrahim Raisi, was sworn in as the country's new president during a ceremony in parliament on Thursday, an inauguration that completes hard-liners’ dominance of all branches of government in the Islamic Republic.
• Biden Nominates First LGBT Federal Appeals Court Nominee
  
  Robinson served as counsel to Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, a Democrat, from 2010 to 2011.
• Microsoft to Require US Employees to be Fully Vaccinated
  
  Microsoft has reversed course and will now require employees to be fully vaccinated to enter the company’s U.S. offices and other worksites, starting next month.
• Groups Say Myanmar Journalists in Peril amid Crackdown
  
  Journalists in Myanmar face extreme peril as the military-controlled government cracks down on independent reporting, human rights and media advocates say.
• Iran's Supreme Leader Criticizes US as Nuclear Talks Stalled
  
  Iran's supreme leader on Wednesday called the U.S. "stubborn" in stalled nuclear talks in Vienna for discussing Tehran’s missiles and regional influence, likely signaling more trouble ahead for the negotiations.
• Iran Hits New COVID Infection Record for 2nd Straight Day
  
  Iran recorded over 34,900 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, setting the nation's single-day record for cases as vaccinations lag, public complacency deepens and the country’s outbreak spirals further out of control.
• Amazon's Mission: Getting a 'key' to Your Apartment Building
  
  The service, dubbed Key for Business, is pitched as a way to cut down on stolen packages by making it easy to leave them in lobbies and not outside.
• Tokyo New Virus Cases near 2,000 a Day before Olympics Open
  
  Tokyo hit another six-month high in new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, one day before the Olympics begin, as worries grow of a worsening of infections during the Games.
• Afghan President Slams Taliban, Rockets Target Kabul Palace
  
  At least three rockets hit near the presidential palace on Tuesday shortly before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was to give an address to mark the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.
• Jeff Bezos Blasts into Space on Own Rocket: 'Best Day Ever'
  
  Jeff Bezos blasted into space Tuesday on his rocket company’s first flight with people on board, becoming the second billionaire in just over a week to ride his own spacecraft.
• UK's Top Medic Warns of 'scary' COVID Numbers in Hospital
  
  Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty told a webinar hosted by London's Science Museum late Thursday that the U.K. is “not out of the woods yet.”
• Pope Reverses Benedict, Reimposes Restrictions on Latin Mass
  
  Pope Francis cracked down Friday on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI’s signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics.
• Service Rendered without Element of Any Charge May Not Qualify for GST
  
  Service rendered by an individual or institution for facilitating overseas payments without any element of service charge may not be liable to pay GST, a tax authority has held.
• Cases Surge to 6-month High in Tokyo a Week before Olympics
  
  New coronavirus cases surged to 1,308 in Tokyo on Thursday, a six-month high, as fears rise of a possible dramatic increase that could flood hospitals during the Olympics that start in eight days.

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