Axios

Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States' special representative on Afghanistan reconciliation, warned the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday that any government formed by force will not be recognized internationally, according to AP.

Why it matters: Nine out of 34 Afghan provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban in recent days as the U.S. military withdraws, raising fears that the Afghan military will be unable to hold off the insurgent group.

The United States will send 8.5 million more doses of the coronavirus vaccine to Mexico as the country experiences a third wave of infections, AP reports.

Why it matters: The announcement by Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard comes as the Delta variant drives up the number of infections in the country.

China's regulatory shakeup is causing even one of its biggest believers —SoftBank — to take pause.

Driving the news: "We don't have any doubts about the potential of China but again, new rules are being implemented, so until it gets settled, we want to wait and see," SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son told analysts during the company's quarterly earnings presentation.

Hong Kong's largest teachers' union said Tuesday it had disbanded amid the government's crackdown on dissent in the city, AP reported.

Why it matters: The union's split is the latest pro-democracy group to close its doors amid concerns that it would be targeted under the sweeping security law passed in Beijing last year.

Russian authorities on Tuesday announced a new criminal case against the two closest allies of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, AP reports.

State of play: The Investigative Committee of Russia is accusing Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, both of whom have left the country, of funding extremist groups. In June, a Russian court ruled that organizations founded by Navalny were extremist groups because they had plans to overthrow the government.

At least 47 Chinese officials are facing disciplinary actions for failing to control a worsening outbreak of the COVID-19 Delta variant, CNN reports.

Why it matters: China's "zero tolerance" COVID strategy stands in stark contrast to the ongoing virus response in the U.S., where vaccine hesitancy persists and some states have passed measures to ban mask mandates.

U.S. envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will "press the Taliban to stop their military offensive and to negotiate a political settlement" during talks in Qatar's capital, Doha, this week, the State Department said.

Why it matters: As the Biden administration prepares to fully withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan on Aug. 31, the Taliban has seized six provincial capitals in the country. The Pentagon said Monday it's up to the Afghan government to defend these cities.

Six Afghan provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban since Friday, Reuters notes, with the militants taking the town of Aybak on Monday and targeting northern Afghanistan's largest city, Mazar-i-Sharif.

Why it matters: The string of swift Taliban successes in the final weeks of the U.S. withdrawal has dented hopes that the Afghan military and allied militias will be able to fend off the insurgency.

With the possible exception of North Korea, no country has gone to greater extremes to cut itself off from the world during the pandemic than Australia. 

Why it matters: Australia's approach of shutting down at the first hint of an outbreak and keeping the borders hermetically sealed — including to its own citizens — have proved both effective and popular, until now. With vaccinations lagging, some Australians are wondering how long they can go on like this.

Virginia Giuffre, one of Jeffrey Epstein's longtime accusers, filed a lawsuit in New York against Prince Andrew on Monday alleging that the British royal sexually abused and raped her when she was 17 years old.

Driving the news: Giuffre alleges in the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, that the sexual abuse happened on three occasions nearly two decades ago after she was "lent out for sexual purpose" to the prince. He has denied any wrongdoing.

As a new report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned Monday of the "unequivocal" connection between human-caused global warming and extreme weather and climate events, massive wildfires burned across the world.

Why it matters: There appears to be no end in sight. Wildfires are currently devastating large swaths of the U.S., Canada, Russia, and the Mediterranean, and the wildfire season is far from over.

CIA director Bill Burns will visit Israel on Tuesday for the first time since assuming office for talks that are expected to focus on Iran, Israeli officials tell me. He's also expected to meet Palestinian Authority officials in Ramallah.

Why it matters: Burns will arrive in Jerusalem with tensions running hot between Israel and Iran over an alleged Iranian attack on an Israeli-linked oil tanker and amid escalation between Israel and Hezbollah on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

The U.S., U.K. and Canada imposed an array of new sanctions against Belarus on Monday, the first anniversary of a fraudulent election that triggered a national protest movement and a brutal crackdown by the country's authoritarian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko.

Why it matters: Previous Western sanctions have so far done little to influence Lukashenko's behavior as he clings to power — with the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin — by jailing his political opponents, arresting journalists and publicly attacking those who criticize his regime.

The Canadian government announced Monday that it will begin allowing Americans who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus and have recently tested negative for the virus to enter the country for nonessential travel.

Why it matters: It's a step toward normalcy on the U.S.-Canadian border, which has been closed for nonessential travel since March 2020, though the U.S. is still restricting travel from Canada until at least late August.

A sweeping United Nations-sponsored review of climate science published Monday projected that the world will cross a crucial temperature threshold as early as 2030 — up to a decade sooner than previously thought.

Why it matters: Warming is affecting every area of the globe, the report notes, and extreme weather events are becoming more common and severe contributing to a more volatile world.

Jay Y. Lee, Samsung’s de facto leader who had been serving a 30-month sentence on bribery, embezzlement and perjury charges, is expected to leave a South Korean prison on Friday after being granted parole, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Why it matters: Lee, the grandson of Samsung's founder, still holds a vital role in the company, though it is unclear if he will be able to resume his duties after leaving prison.

President Biden has appointed close former adviser Amos Hochstein as a State Department energy envoy charged with implementing a U.S.-Germany deal allowing the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to be completed, sources familiar with the decision tell Axios.

Why it matters: Hochstein has been a leading voice against Nord Stream 2, a strategic and financial priority for the Kremlin that will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine and deliver gas directly to the heart of Europe.

The Taliban continued its offensive in Afghanistan Monday, a day after taking control of the key strategic northern city of Kunduz.

Why it matters: The Taliban's escalating success poses a looming problem for the U.S., which is due to completely withdraw military forces from Afghanistan on Aug. 31.