Afghanistan airlift continues after deadly suicide attacks near Kabul airport

The US said that 8,500 people have been evacuated in US military planes on Friday and 4,000 in coalition flights. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following Afghanistan airlift continues after deadly suicide attacks [Hundreds of people, some holding documents, gather near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 27, 2021.] Credit: Khwaja Tawfiq Sediqi/AP Afghanistan evacuations Evacuation flights at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport have resumed after two [suicide bombing attacks]( that killed more than 100 people and wounded dozens. Thirteen US troops and at least 95 Afghans died in two separate blasts that targeted crowded entrance gates to the airport. Afghan officials warned that the death toll could rise. On Friday morning, the US said that [8,500 people have been evacuated]( in US military planes and 4,000 others in coalition flights in the past 24 hours, keeping pace with numbers seen the previous day before the attacks. President Biden on Afghanistan On Thursday afternoon, US President Joe Biden [addressed the nation]( to speak about the deadly attacks on Kabul, which were claimed by [ISIS-K](, an ISIS offshoot and sworn enemy of the Taliban. “We will rescue the Americans. We will get our Afghan allies out, and our mission will go on,” Biden said. The US president emphasized that the US is sticking to the Aug.31 deadline and that more attacks are possible while vowing to hunt down those responsible for the bloodshed. Cuba cryptocurrency The Cuban government announced that it will [recognize and regulate the use of cryptocurrency]( and related services for payments in the communist island. The decision, published Thursday in the Official Gazete, says that Cuba’s central bank can authorize the use of cryptocurrencies “for reasons of socio-economic interest,” setting the rules for such transactions. The move comes as the popularity of cryptocurrencies grows among Cubans who are technologically savvy. The rollout of mobile internet has facilitated cryptocurrency transactions and helped many Cubans [overcome financial obstacles](. Traditional international payment systems and credit and debit cards are unavailable on the island. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [China’s Xi Jinping Thought curricula teaches students how to ‘unmask enemies’ of the state, author says]( [Chinese President Xi Jinping is displayed on a screen as performers dance at a gala show ahead of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, June 28, 2021.]( Credit: Ng Han Guan/AP/File photo China plans to make "Xi Jinping Thought" part of its school curriculum, named after the country's president. It includes a mix of socialism, Marxism and Chinese nationalism. "Xi Jinping is a micromanager who touches just about every subject," [author François Godement]( told The World's host Marco Werman. "There are already six volumes of his so-called works and speeches since he's come to power." [Sea ice plays a crucial role in cooling the planet. It’s melting at record-breaking rates.]( [Sea ice breaks apart as the Finnish icebreaker MSV Nordica traverses the Northwest Passage through the Victoria Strait in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, July 21, 2017.]( Credit: David Goodman/AP/File photo According to research at the Norwegian Polar Institute, last decade’s average Arctic sea-ice levels hit their lowest in 1,000 years. And last month, sea ice reached its lowest point ever recorded in July. [Sebastian Gerland](, a sea ice and climate scientist at the NPI, made headlines last month when he co-authored the UN climate report, described as a "code red" for humanity. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot From the heart. An Australian farmer who was unable to attend his aunt's funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions found a special way to honor her. He arranged dozens of his sheep into the shape of a heart. Mourners at her funeral in Brisbane were able to view an aerial image shot by a drone of the pregnant ewes eating barley in a paddock. [Screenshot of Associated Press Twitter post]( Credit: Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [‘Xi Jinping thought’ now part of Chinese school curricula]( - [Big Fix: Post-disaster mental health]( - [Spokeswoman for Taiwan’s president]( - [Mexico pushes Central American migrants to rural Guatemala]( - [Jordan’s only orchestra ceases operations]( - [Global cost to vaccine equity]( - [Cuba’s new decree on social media]( - [Biden to meet Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at White House]( - [Kabul airport explosion]( 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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