International

• 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.
• US Unemployment Claims Fall to 360,000, a New Pandemic low
  
  The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits has reached its lowest level since the pandemic struck last year, further evidence that the U.S. economy and job market are quickly rebounding from the pandemic recession.
• ‘Overdue’: Biden Sets Aug. 31 for US Exit from Afghanistan
  
  Biden pushed back against the notion the U.S. mission has failed but also noted that it remains unlikely the government would control all of Afghanistan after the U.S. leaves.
• Lockdowns in Asia as Some Nations See 1st Major Virus Surges
  
  Several countries around Asia and the Pacific that are experiencing their first major surges of the coronavirus rushed to implement tough restrictions Friday, a year and a half into a pandemic that many initially weathered well.
• Iraqi Militia Commander Vows to Avenge Deaths in US Strike
  
  The leader of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia has vowed to retaliate against America for the deaths of four of his men in a U.S. airstrike along the Iraq-Syria border last month, saying it will be a military operation everyone will talk about.
• Israel Blocks Law That Keeps out Palestinian Spouses
  
  The 59-59 vote, which came after an all-night session of the Knesset, marked a major setback for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
• Israel Looks to Renew Law That Keeps out Palestinian Spouses
  
  Critics, including many left-wing and Arab lawmakers, say it's a racist measure aimed at restricting the growth of Israel's Arab minority, while supporters say it's needed for security purposes and to preserve Israel's Jewish character.
• 20 Years after 9/11, Lawsuit against Saudis Hits Key Moment
  
  As the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks approaches, victims' relatives are pressing the courts to answer what they see as lingering questions about the Saudi government's role in the attacks.
• Biden: US 'coming Back Together,' but COVID Not Yet Finished
  
  Calling a vaccination “the most patriotic thing you can do,” President Joe Biden on Sunday mixed the nation’s birthday party with a celebration of freedom from the worst of the pandemic.
• Earth's Cryosphere Shrank by 87,000 Sq Kms per Year in Last 37 Years
  
  The global cryosphere -- all the areas with frozen water on Earth -- shrank by about 87,000 square kilometers per year on average between 1979 and 2016, as a result of climate change, according to a new study.
• Trump Organization CFO Surrenders Ahead of Expected Charges
  
  Donald Trump’s longtime finance chief surrendered early Thursday to New York authorities for arraignment in the first criminal indictment arising from a two-year investigation into the former president’s company.
• House Poised to Approve $715 Billion Transportation Bill
  
  The Democratic-led House is set to approve a sizable $715 billion transportation bill Thursday, a potential investment in roads, rail, public transit and water that could serve as a marker in the negotiations over a bipartisan infrastructure package.
• Top US General Says Security in Afghanistan Deteriorating
  
  The U.S.'s top general in Afghanistan on Tuesday gave a sobering assessment of the country's deteriorating security situation as America winds down its so-called “forever war.”
• Biden to Visit Florida Building Collapse on Thursday
  
  President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Surfside, Florida, on Thursday to visit with the families of victims of the collapsed Miami-area condominium tower, according to the White House.
• Big Fire Breaks out near London's Elephant & Castle Station
  
  It said that one man was treated at the scene by ambulance crews and urged people to avoid the area and to close all doors and windows.
• Death Toll in Florida Collapse Rises to 4; 159 Still Missing
  
  Three more bodies were removed overnight, and Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said authorities were working with the medical examiner’s office to identify the victims.
• UK Health Minister Admits Virus Rules Breach with Embrace
  
  Britain’s health minister apologized Friday for breaching national restrictions after a newspaper ran pictures of him embracing a woman with whom he allegedly had an affair.
• White House Preparing to Relocate Afghans Who Helped US
  
  The Biden administration is stepping up preparation for relocating tens of thousands of Afghan interpreters and others who worked with U.S. forces during the war to other countries.

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