G-7 agrees on conditions to recognize and work with the Taliban

Allies were unable to persuade US President Joe Biden to extend the operation at Kabul’s international airport past the Aug. 31 deadline. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following G-7 agrees on conditions to recognize and work with the Taliban [In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Air Force airmen guide evacuees aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.] Credit: Senior Airman Taylor Crul/U.S. Air Force via AP Afghanistan G-7 leaders have [agreed on conditions for recognizing]( and dealing with a Taliban-led Afghanistan, but they have been [unable to persuade]( US President Joe Biden to extend the operation at Kabul’s international airport past the Aug. 31 deadline to guarantee that foreigners and Afghans at-risk can be evacuated. While defending the US decision not to extend the US troop presence, Biden warned of the threat to US and NATO forces from groups that might exploit the chaos at the airport, including by a group referred to as ISIS-K — [an enemy of the Taliban]( — the ISIS-affiliated group that operates in Afghanistan. K stands for Khorasan Province, a historical region covering part of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The US has airlifted 28,000 people from Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover a week ago. Naftali Bennett Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is set to meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington on Thursday. On Bennett’s agenda is a new approach to containing Iran’s nuclear program, including the strengthening of relations with Arab countries and taking diplomatic and economic actions against Iran. [Speaking to The New York Times,]( Bennet said he would expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank and oppose the reopening of a consulate in Jerusalem dealing with Palestinian affairs. Algeria-Morocco [Algeria has cut diplomatic relations with Morocco](, Foreign Minister Ramdane Lamamra announced on Tuesday at a press conference in Algiers, citing hostile actions by its neighbor. Lamamra accused Morocco of “massive acts of espionage,” using the Israeli-made Pegasus spyware, against government officials and citizens, [which Morrocan officials deny](. The foreign minister also said Morocco had failed in honoring bilateral commitments, including those related to the Western Sahara issue. Algeria and Morocco have had strained relations for decades, with their borders closed to one another since 1994. Morocco regards Western Sahara as its own, and the United States recognized this claim in return for improved relations between Morocco and Israel. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Southeast Asia allies express concern over US commitment amid Afghanistan crisis]( [US Vice President Kamala Harris takes part in a roundtable at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore before departing for Vietnam on the second leg of her Southeast Asia trip, Aug. 24, 2021.] Credit: Evelyn Hockstein/AP/Pool photo The situation in Afghanistan overshadowed US Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Southeast Asia. [People in the region are torn]( between concern over US commitment and loyalty as it exits Afghanistan, and the fact that the troop withdrawal would free up US resources to focus on other regions. [The US is building a military base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Micronesian residents have questions.]( [Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's plane makes its landing approach on Pohnpei International Airport in Kolonia, Federated States of Micronesia, Aug. 5, 2019.] Credit: Jonathan Ernst/AP/Pool Photo A new US military base in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is seen as another component of the Biden administration’s continued effort to increase its footprint in Oceania. [But Micronesian residents are worried]( it could alter their social landscape, increase US military presence and increase tensions with China. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot It's anybody's guess why it's there, but over the weekend, a giant 25-foot inflatable duck with the word "joy" written on it appeared in Maine's Belfast Harbor. Even the harbor master is unaware of its origin or purpose, but the large bird has attracted locals and visitors alike to snap photos of it bobbing up and down in the water. [A screen grab of News Center Maine's tweet.] Credit: Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Charlie Watts dies]( - [Summer Paralympics kick off in Tokyo]( - [UN humanitarians stay on in Afghanistan]( - [Syrian musical group performs for seniors in Québec]( - [New US military base planned for Federated States of Micronesia has some residents concerned]( - [Biden is sticking with Aug. 31 deadline for leaving Afghanistan]( - [Reassuring allies in Southeast Asia]( - [The pleasures of Indian cuisine]( - [Summer floods in Europe were bad — because of climate change]( - [Brazilians get vaccinated despite Bolsonaro’s messaging]( - [With guilt and relief, an Afghan family starts a new life in the US]( 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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