Axios

The last U.S. military planes left Kabul's airport, marking the end of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan and the efforts to airlift thousands of U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans as the country fell to the Taliban, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie confirmed on Monday evening.

The state of play: The U.S. facilitated the evacuation of over 120,000 people, including 5,000 Americans, but up to 250 Americans and thousands of Afghan allies were still attempting to leave the country.

The Council of the European Union voted on Monday to recommend reinstating a ban on non-essential travel from the United States due to its high rate of COVID-19 infections.

Why it matters: The decision, which is non-binding and will ultimately be up to individual member states to implement, comes after weeks of EU officials criticizing the Biden administration for not lifting U.S. restrictions on travel from Europe.

The U.S. drone strike targeting a vehicle believed to pose an "imminent ISIS-K threat" to Kabul's airport killed 10 Afghan civilians, including seven children, family members and witnesses told the New York Times.

The latest: Asked about the reports of civilian casualties, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said at a briefing on Monday: "We are not in a position to dispute it right now."

China's increased scrutiny of capital markets isn't restricted to tech IPOs. It's also taking a harder look at private funds.

Driving the news: China's top securities regulator, Yi Huiman, today said in a speech that VC and buyout fund managers must better align their interests with those of limited partners, adding that the government is dedicated to rooting out embezzlement and public equities masquerading as private equities.

Multiple rockets were fired toward Kabul's international airport on Monday — less than 48 hours before the U.S. was due to complete its full military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The latest: There were no reports of casualties and it wasn't immediately clear who fired the rockets, though the Islamic State has claimed responsibility, according to Reuters.

Chinese regulators on Monday imposed new rules on video game companies that drastically limit the amount of time minors can play to just an hour on Fridays and weekends, Bloomberg reported, citing state media.

Why it matters: The new rules come amid Beijing's broader crackdown on domestic Big Tech companies — including gaming giant Tencent.

North Korea appears to have resumed operations at a key nuclear reactor that is believed to produce fuel for nuclear weapons, the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency said in a report dated Friday.

Why it matters: The move suggests North Korea is working to enlarge its nuclear arsenal after denuclearization talks with the U.S. stalled during the Trump administration.

With U.S. troops departing Afghanistan after 20 years, it's now time for the Taliban to decide how it intends to run the country — and for the U.S. to decide how to work with that government.

The big pictures: The militants are offering vague assurances that they have changed with the times, while foreign powers are assessing what leverage they have to hold the insurgents-turned-rulers to those promises.

The U.S. launched a drone strike on Sunday targeting a vehicle that presented an "imminent ISIS-K threat" to Kabul’s international airport, U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Bill Urban said in a statement.

Of note: Afghan officials and witnesses told several news outlets that at least three children were killed in the drone strike. Urban said in a later statement he was "aware of reports of civilian casualties following our strike" on the vehicle and officials were "still assessing" what happened.

The next 20 years in Afghanistan will be dictated by what happens during the next 20 days, Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) tells Axios.

Why it matters: The Iraq war veteran visited Kabul exactly a week before the United States' impending withdrawal. "The best-case scenario is the country becomes like Iraq today; the worst-case scenario is it becomes like Syria today. I don't think we know right now what path it's going to take."

Former U.S. ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro has joined the State Department's Iran team as a senior adviser, a senior State Department official tells Axios.

Why it matters: Israel is pressing the Biden administration to start discussing a “Plan B” in case diplomacy with Iran fails. Shapiro, who has a personal relationship with many Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, is equipped to play a key role in any such talks. His portfolio will be the regional aspects of the Iranian issue and coordination with Israel.

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden met on Sunday with loved ones of the 13 service members killed in last week's Kabul airport attack and participated in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base.

Why it matters: This is Biden's first visit as president to the Air Force base in Delaware to honor fallen troops. The base serves as the initial transit place for U.S. service members killed overseas.

The United States, along with 97 other countries, announced Sunday that they had reached an agreement with the Taliban to allow them to continue to get Afghan allies out of the country after the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.

Why it matters: "We are all committed to ensuring that our citizens, nationals and residents, employees, Afghans who have worked with us and those who are at risk can continue to travel freely to destinations outside Afghanistan," the joint statement said.

Israel on Sunday expanded its coronavirus booster shot program to include anyone over the age of 12, AP reports.

Why it matters: Israel has seen a surge in COVID cases, due in large part to the Delta variant, and now has one of the world's highest rates of infection. The country was already offering booster shots to people over 30 years old.

Around 250 Americans in Afghanistan still want to leave the country, the Department of State said on Sunday.

Why it matters: The Kabul evacuation mission, which was further complicated by a terrorist attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport last week, is rapidly approaching President Biden's Aug. 31 end date.

India recorded more than 45,000 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, a day after it tallied a two-month high amid a new surge in infections, Reuters reports.

Driving the news: The surge is being largely driven by the southern state of Kerala after it hosted a major festival this month. The state's tally on Saturday made up nearly 70% of the country's new daily infections.

The United States is "not likely" to have an “on-the-ground diplomatic presence” in Afghanistan after Aug. 31, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday on "Meet the Press."

The big picture: "What is going to happen is that our commitment to continue to help people leave Afghanistan who want to leave and who are not out by Sept. 1, that endures,” Blinken told host Chuck Todd.

80% of Singapore's population of 5.7 million people has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, the island city-state's Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced Sunday.

Why it matters: Singapore has one of the world's highest coronavirus vaccination rates, and the milestone means the government can continue loosening restrictions and prepare to allow fully vaccinated travelers from some other nations to visit.

President Biden said on Saturday that U.S. commanders in Afghanistan told him earlier in the day that the threat of another terrorist attack near Kabul's airport was "highly likely in the next 24-36 hours."

Driving the news: Hours later, the U.S. Embassy in Kabul said in a new alert that Americans should "immediately" leave the airport area due to "a specific, credible threat."

American Kendall Gretsch just beat Australia's Lauren Parker to win the women's PTWC race at the Tokyo Paralympics on Sunday morning.

The big picture: Gretsch finished her first summer Olympics event with a time of 1:06:25, Parker recorded 1:06:26. Gretsch is the third U.S. woman, and fifth American overall, to win gold medals at the summer and winter Paralympic Games, NBC Sports notes. She previously won two golds in Nordic skiing at the 2018 winter Games.