An assessment by the United Nations reports that the Taliban is conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" searching for opponents and their families, deepening concerns that the group will seek revenge. (Al Jazeera)
U.S. presidentJoe Biden addresses the United States for a second time this week. During the address, Biden said that the U.S. will evacuate any Americans who want to return to the U.S. He also announces that 18,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan in the past few weeks, and that 5,700 people were evacuated in the past 24 hours. (CBS News)
A suicide bomber in Gwadar, Pakistan, blows himself up targeting a vehicle carrying Chinese nationals, killing two children who were playing by the roadside. Three other people, including a Chinese citizen, are wounded. The Balochistan Liberation Army claim responsibility for the attack. (Al Jazeera)
Malaysia reports a record for the third consecutive day of 23,564 new cases of COVID-19, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.51 million. (The Star)
The Philippines reports a record 17,231 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, thereby bringing the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 1.8 million. (ABS-CBN News)
Portugal eases its COVID-19-related restrictions two weeks earlier than planned. Beginning on August 23, the country will allow eight people indoors and 15 people outdoors to sit together in bars and restaurants, and will also allow cultural events, weddings and baptisms to increase their capacity to 75% and permit restaurants, cultural venues and other businesses to remain open until 2:00 a.m. as the vaccination rate surpasses 70%. (Reuters)
Los Angeles County begins mandating face masks for all people who attend outdoor "mega-events" of more than 10,000 people such as open-air concert and sporting events regardless of their vaccination status. (Spectrum News 1)
South Africa expands the country's vaccine age eligibility to all adults over the age of 18 in order to increase the vaccination rate as the country deals with an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant. (AP)
On her last official trip as Chancellor, Angela Merkel urges Russian president Vladimir Putin to release jailed activist Alexei Navalny. The Russian government rebuffed Merkel, saying that Navalny is in prison due to reasons not linked to politics. (Reuters)