US military leaves Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base after 20 years

Afghan National Security and Defense Force are now in control of Bagram Air Base. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following US military leaves Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base after 20 years [A gate is seen at the Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, June 25, 2021.] Credit: Rahmat Gul/AP US leaves Bagram The US military has left [Bagram Air Base]( in Afghanistan after 20 years, handing it over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force in its entirety on Friday. The airfield has [been the epicenter]( of the United States’ war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda following the 9/11 attacks. The district administrator of Bagram said the US departure was done overnight without coordination with local officials, allowing [dozens of looters]( to storm the unprotected gates before Afghan forces regained control. Washington will pay nearly [$4 billion]( a year until 2024 to finance the Afghan security forces. The handover comes ahead of a full US military withdrawal in September. Global corporate tax The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development [announced on Thursday]( that 130 countries have agreed on a global minimum tax. While the details are still being worked out, the deal calls for a global minimum tax of at least 15% in an effort [backed by US President Joe Biden]( to keep multinational firms from dodging taxes by shifting their profits to countries with low rates. Delta variant across Asia The delta variant of COVID-19 is surging across Asia. Scientists say the variant may be [twice as transmissible]( as the original coronavirus. The junta in Myanmar has placed 20 townships under pandemic-related stay-at-home orders. South Korea has seen more than 800 cases, the highest in nearly six months. Japan is also seeing a spike, prompting concerns over the upcoming Olympics. Health authorities in Japan say the delta variant now accounts for [nearly one-third of all cases]( in the eastern part of the country, including Tokyo, warning that it could expand to 50% by mid-July. And Indonesia has imposed emergency measures through July 20 to contain a spike in cases. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Critics say Biden’s plan to combat domestic extremism repeats past mistakes]( [Supporters of former President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the US Capitol, in Washington, Jan. 6, 2021.]( Credit: Jose Luis Magana/AP After the Sept. 11 attacks, the US government began to surveil and infiltrate Muslim American communities to find people planning more violence. The Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) program was criticized for the harassment of marginalized communities. [Some say President Joe Biden's new plan]( after the Capitol Hill breach doesn't do much better. [Reflections on the 100-year anniversary of China’s Communist Party]( [A screen shows Chinese President Xi Jinping speak during a ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Chinese Communist Party at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, July 1, 2021.]( Credit: Hussein Malla/AP/File photo Chinese President Xi Jinping, in an hourlong nationalistic speech on the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party, said the nation must stick to its one-party rule, emphasizing the communists' role in lifting China to global prominence. Two people born in China in somewhat different eras [join host Marco Werman to look at the evolution of the Chinese Communist Party](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Global hit Here's a recommendation to send you off to a nice weekend — host Marco Werman [spins this love song from Mexico]( (🎧). 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[Screen grab of Natalia Lafourcade's "Cien Años."]( Via YouTube --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Concerns about new Biden domestic extremism plan]( - [US vaccine donations update]( - [Tour de France organizers won’t sue fan]( - [Donald Rumsfeld’s legacy]( - [German mission in Afghanistan officially over]( - [State Department announces third gender marker option]( - [Turkey leaves European treaty protecting women against violence]( - [Lessons on extreme heat from Ahmedabad, India]( - [Mapping Vancouver, British Columbia’s heat]( - [Front row seat at China’s 100th anniversary celebrations]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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