Wednesday, August 18th, 2021 

Researchers at the Graubuenden University of Applied Sciences in Switzerland announce that they have calculated pi to 62.8 trillion digits, a new world record. (The Guardian) 

Three people are killed and 12 more wounded during a shootout as civilians protest in Jalalabad against the Taliban banner replacing Afghanistan’s national flag. (Al Jazeera) 

The United Arab Emirates confirms through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Afghan former President Ashraf Ghani has been welcomed along with his family on humanitarian grounds. (Reuters) 

The Afghan embassy in Tajikistan issues a request to INTERPOL to arrest former president Ashraf Ghani on the accusation that he stole from the country’s treasury when he fled Afghanistan. (Forbes) 

Former President Ghani says that he fled the country to avoid being lynched. He also denies reports that he left the country with cash. He also says that he is in talks to return to Afghanistan. (The New York Times) 

New Zealand enters an Alert Level 4 lockdown for seven days in Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula and three days for the rest of the country after the first locally-transmitted COVID-19 case in six months, later being confirmed as Delta variant, was reported. (Radio France Internationale) 

Israel begins to require people aged above three years old to show their vaccination certificate, a negative test result, or have been recovered from COVID-19 to enter indoor places excluding malls and stores. Additionally, there will be crowd size restrictions at large events and malls and stores will be required to limit capacity to one person per 7 square metres (75 sq ft). (Haaretz) 

The Biden administration announces that the U.S. will begin administering booster shoots of the Moderna and Pfizer–BioNTech vaccines for most people who received the second dose eight months ago beginning from September 20. (Business Insider) 

Taliban leader arrives in Afghanistan The Taliban’s co-founder and de facto leader, Abdul Ghani Baradar, arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday, returning for the first time in more than a decade just two days after his Islamist group’s fighters regained control of the country. Taliban leaders made conciliatory comments at a news conference, promising not to discriminate against women, who were denied basic rights when the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan. U.S. and Afghan women said they were skeptical the Taliban would keep their promise of tolerance. Taliban leaders also said they would “pardon” Afghans who worked for the ousted government or foreign military forces. The United States military and allies continued to evacuate Afghans and other civilians seeking to escape Taliban rule.  THE WASHINGTON POST 

Body parts found in wheel well of plane from Kabul The Air Force on Tuesday confirmed that human body parts had been found in the wheel well of an American military C-17 cargo plane that took off from Kabul’s international airport, where crowds of Afghan civilians have been desperately trying to get onto evacuation flights to escape after the Taliban toppled the government. An undetermined number of Afghans have died in the chaos. Some of them climbed onto the wings of departing aircraft and fell to their deaths after the planes took off. “We are all contending with a human cost to these developments,” said Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser. “The images from the past couple of days at the airport have been heartbreaking.” The military allowed commercial flights to resume Tuesday after pausing them while troops secured the airfield. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Texas governor tests positive for COVID-19 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office announced Tuesday that he had tested positive for COVID-19. Abbott, a Republican, is fully vaccinated and gets tested daily. This is the first time one of his tests came back positive. Abbott’s office said he has not experienced any COVID-19 symptoms and is in good health. His wife, Texas first lady Cecilia Abbott, has tested negative for the coronavirus. Abbott last month issued an executive order barring local government entities in the state from imposing mask mandates to fight a surge of new coronavirus infections fueled by the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant. The state Supreme Court upheld it, but at least one county and a school district are sticking with plans to require face coverings. CNN 

New Zealand imposes nationwide lockdown over 1st COVID case since February New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Tuesday that her government was imposing a national lockdown after confirming the country’s first COVID-19 case since February. Ardern said authorities assumed the infection was caused by the highly infectious Delta variant, although genome sequencing had not been completed to confirm that. The patient, an unvaccinated man, tested positive in Auckland, but had traveled elsewhere in the country. Under the lockdown, people must stay home for three days. All businesses except those deemed essential, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, must remain closed. The last time the country was under a “level four” lockdown was a year ago. CNN 

Caldor fire reduces California town to ‘pile of ash’ California’s Caldor fire expanded rapidly on Tuesday, ripping through the small town of Grizzly Flats fueled by high heat and dry conditions. The blaze scorched 30,000 acres, up from 6,500, and destroyed many buildings in the town, injuring two people. “It’s a pile of ash,” local resident Derek Shaves said of the town of 1,200 people. To the north, the massive Dixie fire — the largest of 100 wildfires burning in more than a dozen Western states — threatened Susanville, a town of about 18,000. Pacific Gas & Electric, the nation’s largest utility, said it had started cutting power to 51,000 customers in parts 18 northern counties to prevent the threat of new fires from power lines knocked down by high winds. THE GUARDIAN 

Fed chair says pandemic has permanently changed U.S. economy  Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic had permanently changed the U.S. economy. Powell told participants in a Fed virtual town hall for students and educators that the changes included an increase in remote work, more take-out meals offered by restaurants, and more virtual showings by real estate agents. “We’re not simply going back to the economy that we had before the pandemic,” Powell said. “It seems a near certainty that there will be substantially more remote work going forward. That’s going to change the nature of work and the way work gets done.” Powell said it was too early to say whether the recent surge in cases attributed to the fast-spreading Delta variant would prompt further changes. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

TSA to extend transportation mask mandate The Transportation Security Administration plans to extend the federal transportation mask mandate through Jan. 18, Reuters and CNN reported Tuesday, citing a source familiar with the matter. The policy had been scheduled to expire Sept. 13. The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that there have been more than 2,867 cases in which passengers have violated the mandate. The TSA said it did “not yet have an announcement regarding face masks at this time.” Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson said the extension would “help tremendously to keep passengers and aviation workers safe.” The union represents nearly 50,000 flight attendants at 17 airlines. REUTERS 

Jaguars cut Tim Tebow, ending his NFL comeback attempt The Jacksonville Jaguars cut Tim Tebow on Tuesday, abruptly ending his attempt to revive his NFL career. The former quarterback and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner switched positions in a bid to return to pro football. He tried out for the Jaguars as a tight end. His performance in Jacksonville’s preseason opener against Cleveland was widely panned, with video of two botched blocks going viral. “We knew that was an uphill battle for Tim,” said coach Urban Meyer. “He has a bunch of good plays but can’t have a bad play at that position.” Tebow failed to catch any passes against the Browns, and he showed a lack of consistency on special teams. In college, Tebow helped Meyer and the Florida Gators win two national championships. After a short pro career, he tried his hand at baseball, but never made it to the big leagues. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Pete and Chasten Buttigieg to become parents Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced Tuesday that he and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, were about to become parents, saying he was “overjoyed.” Buttigieg, the first openly gay person to be confirmed to a Cabinet post in U.S. history, said the couple had been hoping to “grow our family” for some time. “The process isn’t done yet and we’re thankful for the love, support, and respect for our privacy that has been offered to us,” Buttigieg said. “We can’t wait to share more soon.” Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020. Chasten Buttigieg said the adoption process had been a “cycle of anger and frustration and hope,” but they look forward to telling their future child “we waited so long for you.” THE WASHINGTON POST 

Tuesday,  August 17th, 2021 

Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby says that evacuations have resumed at Kabul‘s Hamid Karzai International Airport. (The Hill) 

Taliban member of the cultural commission Enamullah Samangani announces an amnesty across Afghanistan and urges women to join their government in the first mention of women’s rights by the group since seizing Kabul. Samangani did not specify what he meant by “amnesty”, but said that “the Islamic Emirate doesn’t want women to be victims” and that “they should be in the government structure according to sharia law“. (Kyodo News) 

The Taliban says that they will respect women’s rights and security under the Islamic Emirate. The Taliban also says that they have encouraged women to return to work and have allowed girls to return to school. (Associated Press) 

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says that the Taliban will hold their first news conference this afternoon in a media center in Kabul previously used by the former Afghan government. (Reuters) 

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says that the Taliban is prepared to provide safe passage to civilians who are attempting to leave Kabul. (CNBC) 

Amrullah Saleh, who served as First Vice President under former president Ashraf Ghani, claims on Twitter that he is now caretaker president, and that he refuses to surrender to the Taliban. Saleh is recorded travelling to Panjshir Province with Ahmad Massoud, who has declared his opposition to the Taliban and also called for anti-Taliban militia to assemble in Panjshir. (Hindustan Times)  

Russian intelligence sources reported that Panjshir resistance forces loyal to Amrullah Saleh had managed to re-capture Charikar and the surrounding areas of Parwan Province from the Taliban. (RIA Novosti) 

The eight people who went missing after their helicopter crashed into Kurile Lake in Kamchatka Krai, Russia, six days ago, are all found dead. Eight more people were on board but survived. (Wral) 

The Japanese government extends the existing state of emergency in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, and also expands it to seven other prefectures from August 20 to September 12. (The Japan Times) 

New York City begins to implement mandatory proof of vaccination of at least one dose for people who want to dine in at restaurants or bars, watch public performances, or visit a museum or other cultural venue. However, the enforcement of these rules will not begin until September 13. (NBC News) 

Texas Governor Greg Abbott tests positive for COVID-19. His office says that he is fully vaccinated and is not currently experiencing any symptoms. (CNN) 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Peru Héctor Béjar resigns after a video of him claiming the Shining Path guerrilla group was propped up by the Central Intelligence Agency was published in local media. (Bloomberg) 

The first Afghan President after the 2001 United States invasion, Hamid Karzai, announces that he and his daughters will remain in Kabul as he appeals to the Taliban to respect his life and the lives of civilians in Afghanistan. (India Times) 

Biden defends Afghanistan withdrawal after Taliban takeover President Biden on Monday defended his decision to withdraw U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. Biden blamed the Taliban’s swift toppling of the Afghan government on the failure of Afghanistan’s security forces to fight the Islamist insurgents. “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” Biden said. The Taliban’s return to power 20 years after they were driven out by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 touched off a chaotic evacuation effort. At least seven people were killed at the Kabul airport as panicked crowds of Afghans tried to escape the country as the Taliban took over. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Biden administration to announce need for COVID booster shots The Biden administration is expected to announce that most vaccinated Americans will need a booster shot to keep them fully protected against COVID-19, USA Today and The Washington Post reported Monday, citing sources familiar with the decision by administration health officials. All Americans, regardless of age, will be urged to get the booster eight months after they became fully vaccinated, according to the reports. The move is expected to be announced as early as this week. Boosters could be given starting in mid- or late September. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA said in July that boosters weren’t necessary, but data released since then has shown waning immunity among vaccinated people. The FDA last week authorized an extra dose for immunocompromised patients. USA TODAY

Taliban official says ‘amnesty’ declared in Afghanistan  A Taliban official said Tuesday that the Islamist group had declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan. Enamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s cultural commission, said women could join the government. The remarks amounted to the first public comments on how the group would govern Afghanistan after toppling the country’s fragile democratic government after a blitz across the country by Islamist insurgents. Many people have stayed home since the Taliban took control on Sunday, fearing a return to the ultraconservative Islamic policies, including stonings, public executions, and denial of women’s rights imposed by the group before the U.S.-led invasion that drove them from power following the 2001 terrorist attacks against the U.S.  ABC NEWS 

Federal government declares 1st-ever Colorado River water shortage Low water triggered the first federal declaration of a shortage in the Colorado River’s largest reservoir, Lake Mead, on Monday. The lake, created by the Hoover dam, is projected to be 1,065.85 feet above sea level on Jan. 1, nearly 10 feet under a threshold requiring Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico to cut their water consumption in 2022. Drought, extreme heat, and other climate-change-driven factors already have reduced the water level to under 1,068 feet, or about 35 percent full, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which is responsible for managing water rights for states and Mexico. “This drought is like a boa constrictor. It just keeps getting tighter every year,” said Tom Davis, president of the Agribusiness and Water Council of Arizona. THE WASHINGTON POST 

COVID-19 cases hit record highs in 5 states Daily new COVID-19 cases rose to record highs in Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii, Oregon, and Mississippi over the weekend, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The per capita infection rates in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida were the highest in the nation, CNBC reported Monday. Louisiana had 126 cases per 100,000 residents as of Sunday, more than any state and more than three times the national average. Mississippi and Florida had 110 and 101 cases per 100,000, respectively. The records came as the spread of the highly infectious Delta variant drove a new surge just as schools prepared to resume classes at the end of summer vacation. “This current wave is the pandemic of the unvaccinated,” said Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican. CNBC 

Safety regulators investigate Tesla’s Autopilot The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday said it had launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system. The investigation came after accidents involving at least 11 of the hundreds of thousands of Tesla electric cars using the system. The cars drove into parked firetrucks, police cars, and other emergency vehicles, the safety regulator said. The Autopilot system can steer, accelerate, and brake without driver input. The first fatal accident linked to the system occurred in 2016, when a Tesla Model S hit a tractor-trailer in Florida, killing the Tesla’s driver. “Driver monitoring has been a big deficiency in Autopilot,” said Raj Rajkumar, an engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University. “I think this investigation should have been initiated some time ago, but it’s better late than never.” THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Texas local officials keep mask mandates in place despite court loss Local officials in Texas said Monday that they would stick to their mask requirements in schools despite a state Supreme Court decision upholding Gov. Greg Abbott’s executive order banning such mandates. The mask policies adopted by officials in Dallas County and San Antonio were adopted to fight a rise in infections driven by the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus. The Dallas Independent School District, which resumed classes on Monday, said on its website that it was “still requiring that masks be worn while on district property.” Texas is one of eight states with Republican governors that have passed laws barring local officials from imposing mask mandates. REUTERS 

N.Y. man pleads guilty to online threats against Sen. Raphael Warnock A New York man has pleaded guilty to posting online violent threats against Congress and newly elected Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock before the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Eduard Florea posted the comments on Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 on Parler under the name “LoneWolfWar.” One of them said that Warnock would “have a hard time casting votes for communist policies when he’s swinging with the f***ing fish.” He commented on another Parler user’s post that “Dead man can pass s**t laws,” according to filings by prosecutors. Florea reportedly did not take part in the insurrection. He is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 29. CNN 

Prince Andrew person of interest in Epstein-related investigation U.S. prosecutors investigating British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and others connected the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are treating Prince Andrew as a person of interest, Reuters reported Monday, citing a source familiar with the inquiry. Investigators are seeking an interview with the prince to ask him about his relationship with Epstein, who reportedly was a friend of Andrew, Queen Elizabeth’s second son. The investigators from the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York don’t believe they will get to question the prince. “He doesn’t seem to want to talk to us,” the source said. One woman who said she was abused by Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, said earlier this month that Andrew forced her to have unwanted sexual intercourse at Maxwell’s London home. REUTERS 

Monday,  August 16th, 2021 

China factory output slows, threatening global recovery China on Monday reported that factory output and retail sales growth slowed sharply in July, fueling concerns that surging coronavirus infections were threatening the global economic recovery. Industrial production in China, the world’s second largest economy, rose by 6.4 percent in July compared to a year earlier, according to data from Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics released Monday. Analysts had predicted a 7.8 percent increase, after June’s 8.3 percent rise. Retail sales rose by 8.5 percent, falling far short of the expected 11.5 percent increase. Retail sales jumped by 12.1 percent in June. Although China’s economy is back to pre-pandemic levels, businesses now face supply bottlenecks and new coronavirus restrictions. REUTERS 

Russia accuses President Ashraf Ghani of fleeing the country with “four cars and a helicopter full of cash” and that he also left money behind that could not be transported with him. Ghani’s whereabouts are still unknown although multiple sources say that he is currently in Tajikistan. (Reuters) 

Saudi Arabia calls on the Taliban and “all Afghan parties” to “preserve lives and property” and also states that “Saudi Arabia stands with the decision of the Afghan people without interference”. (Reuters) 

The Taliban sets up a cordon and blocks access to Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport and also fires warning shots as civilians attempt to leave the country. (Al Jazeera) 

Kyrgyzstan says that they will accept 1,200 refugees from Afghanistan. Additionally, 500 visas will be issued to students. (Kabar)

U.S. troops shoot dead two “armed men” at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport as evacuations of Western diplomats and allied Afghans continue. (Wall Street Journal) 

Two people are recorded falling to their deaths from a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III flying over the airport. Local reports say that the stowaways landed on nearby rooftops. In a separate incident, three civilians are run over and killed while clinging to a U.S. jet on the runway. (NDTV) 

U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the nation following his decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. In the address, Biden said that he “stands squarely behind” the decision to withdraw from the country and admits that the government’s collapse was “quicker than anticipated”. (The Independent) 

The United Kingdom deploys an additional 200 troops to Kabul to help airlift UK nationals and Afghans who worked with British forces during the war. (BBC) 

Uzbekistan shoots down an Afghan Air Force jet that crossed into its airspace. The pilot ejected and survived, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense. (Reuters) 

Four Palestinians are killed and another is seriously injured after an undercover branch of the Israel Border Police raided a refugee camp in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. The raid, which was organized to arrest a suspected Hamas member, resulted in the highest death toll in the area in months. (BBC) 

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Haiti two days ago increases to 1,297 people. More than 5,700 others are injured. (BBC) 

Around one thousand people are evacuated in Castile and León, Spain, as a wildfire spreads across the region. (Reuters) 

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation issues an official water shortage declaration at the Lake Mead reservoir for the first time. The shortage will mean reduced water apportionments to Arizona, Nevada and Mexico beginning in October. (Reuters) 

France requires shoppers to show their “health pass” in order to enter 126 shopping centres that have a size of more than 20,000 m² (220,000 sq ft) in Paris and 12 departments that reached a threshold of 200 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. (Radio France Internationale) 

The German Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that all children between the ages of 12 and 17 receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to increased risks posed by the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant. (Spiegel) 

Outgoing New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that healthcare workers in the state will be required to be vaccinated by September 27. (WIVB-TV) 

Washington, D.C. announces that they will require healthcare workers and other health-related professionals to be vaccinated with at least a first dose of the Pfizer–BioNTech or Moderna vaccine or a single-dose Janssen vaccine by September 30. (The Hill) 

The last living Khmer Rouge leader, Khieu Samphan, appears before a court in Phnom Penh in order to appeal his conviction and attempt to overturn it. The 90-year-old’s hearing is expected to last for only a few days as analysts say that it is very unlikely that he will succeed in his appeal. (Deutsche Welle) 

In an unanimous decision, the Supreme Court of Uganda strikes down a 2014 law outlawing the distribution of pornography and wearing of “indecent” clothes as unconstitutional. Women’s rights groups in the country campaigned against the law since its inception, saying it unfairly singled out women for discrimination. (BBC) 

The Atlanta Falcons become the first National Football League team to have 100% of their players fully vaccinated. (ESPN) 

Afghanistan falls to Taliban Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday as Taliban forces took the capital city of Kabul, toppling the government. “If I stayed there, countless countrymen would have been martyred and Kabul city would also have faced destruction,” Ghani said. Afghan security forces put up no resistance as the Islamist insurgents reached Kabul following a sweep through city after city in the last week. The Taliban reversed a call for their forces not to enter the capital until an interim government was formed, sending their fighters in to “prevent chaos and looting” after Afghan police abandoned their posts. Five people died Monday at the chaotic Kabul airport, as Afghans tried to escape and U.S. troops guarded a massive effort to evacuate embassy personnel and other Americans. THE WALL STREET JOURNALREUTERS 

New N.Y. governor backs mask mandates for students New York’s incoming governor, Kathy Hochul, said on Sunday that she supported mask mandates for schoolchildren to help fight a surge of coronavirus infections driven by the highly infectious Delta variant. “I’m willing to speak to our legislative leaders and to take whatever action I need to protect people,” Hochul said on CNN’s State of the Union. Hochul said she believed mandatory mask-wearing was necessary for the safety of children, teachers, school administrators, and the wider community, although she said she would be flexible as circumstances changed. She said she would work closely with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a sharp contrast with the position of recently resigned Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who often clashed with de Blasio. REUTERS 

Dixie Fire threatens thousands more California homes The largest of 100 wildfires burning across a dozen states in the West threatened thousands of Northern California homes on Sunday. The month-old Dixie Fire was fueled by wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour over the weekend, as thunderstorms generated high winds and lightning strikes but little rain. “We’re definitely still dealing with the possibility of lightning. Winds are all over the place. Things are going to be pretty unstable for the next couple days,” said fire spokesman Edwin Zuniga. About 21,000 federal firefighters are battling the blazes, more than double the number sent to contain forest fires last summer, said Anthony Scardina, a deputy forester for the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest region. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Sunday, August 15th, 2021 

Singapore announces the first giant panda cub in the city-state when the 12-year-old panda Jia Jia gave birth to a cub at River Safari after being artificially inseminated with frozen semen from 13-year-old Kai Kai. (The Straits Times)  

Konstantin Pavlov, the pro-Russian mayor of Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, is found dead at his home with a gunshot wound. The National Police of Ukraine say that they are currently establishing the circumstances of the mayor’s death and have also opened a criminal case. (Reuters) 

Spain records the higest temperature ever of 47.4°C (117.3°F) in Montoro, province of Córdoba amid an historic heat wave. (El Periódico)its all because of depletion of ozone layer. 

The Taliban enters Kabul and seizes the presidential palace, overthrowing the government. (Sky News)  

President Ashraf Ghani agrees to form a team for negotiations and also agrees to step down and allow an interim Taliban government to govern the country amid the insurgent group’s advance. Among the people in the negotiation team is the first president of Afghanistan after the 2001 U.S. invasion, Hamid Karzai. (TOLO) 

President Ashraf Ghani and Vice President Amrullah Saleh leave the country and are currently in Tajikistan. (BBC News) 

Taliban officials indicate that there will be no “transitional government” in Afghanistan, saying that the group expects a complete transfer of power from the Ghani government. (Reuters) 

Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres calls on the Taliban to exercise restraint and respect human rights, especially those concerning women and girls. Guterres also expressed concern at the civilian casualties in areas of conflict. (Reuters) 

In his first public comments since going into exile, ousted president Ashraf Ghani concedes that the Taliban has “won the war” in Afghanistan, saying that “they are now facing a new historical test. Either they will preserve the name and honour of Afghanistan or they will give priority to other places and networks”. (The Hindu) 

The Taliban captures Jalalabad, the provincial capital of the Nangarhar Province. The jihadist group faced no resistance as the Afghan military and provincial governor surrendered. Taliban forces also enter the Char Asiab District of the Kabul Province, advancing within 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) of Kabul. (Reuters) 

The Afghan military transfers control of Bagram Airfield, formerly the largest U.S. airbase in the country, to the Taliban. Five thousand unlawful combatants are freed from the airbase’s military prison. (The Economic Times) 

Embassies of Western countries are evacuated and relocated at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport. The Russian embassy is not evacuated, as it considers that “the situation in Kabul is a bit tense, but there is no war in the city”. The Turkish embassy also remains open. (The Guardian) 

U.S. Department of State spokesperson Ned Price announces that the U.S. Embassy is successfully evacuated. (CBS News) 

Taliban spokesperson Mohammad Naeem says on Al Jazeera Mubasher that the war in Afghanistan is over. (Reuters)  

A passenger bus overturns on the M7 motorway, west of Budapest, Hungary, killing eight people and injuring dozens of other passengers. (Reuters) 

Israel recalls a top diplomat from Poland, after the country passed a law limiting property restitution for Jewish Holocaust survivors. (Politico Europe) 

The End