Following are the top foreign stories at 2030 hrs

    
     FGN37 CHINA-US-MILITARY-LD TALKS
     China, US hold first military-level talks under Biden’s presidency, discuss Afghan crisis
     Beijing: China and the US have held their first round of high-level military talks after President Joe Biden came to power in January this year during which the two sides discussed the rapidly evolving situation in Afghanistan, a media report said on Saturday. By K J M Varma
    
     FGN36 US-AFGHAN-LD EVACUATION
     US evacuates over 111,900 people from Afghanistan since Aug 14, says White House
     Washington: The US has evacuated and facilitated the shifting of approximately 111,900 people from the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul since August 14, the White House has said. By Lalit K Jha

    
     FGN30 US-VIRUS-4THLD ORIGIN
US intelligence agencies fail to reach conclusion on COVID-19 origins
    Washington: The US intelligence community has failed to reach any firm conclusion on the exact origin of COVID-19 and is split on whether it leaked from a lab in China or emerged in nature, even though it does not believe the virus was developed as a biological weapon, according to results of a detailed review ordered by President Joe Biden. By Lalit K Jha

     FGN28 US-AFGHAN-ISIS-2NDLD AIRSTRIKE
US airstrike targets ISIS-K 'planner' in Afghanistan
    Washington: The US military has said that it carried out a drone strike in Afghanistan, killing an Islamic State "planner", a day after President Joe Biden promised to retaliate for the twin blasts at the Kabul airport that killed 169 Afghans and 13 American soldiers. By Lalit K Jha

    FGN12 US-AFGHAN-DEADLINE
US sticks to Aug 31 deadline to complete Afghan mission
     Washington: The US has said it will go ahead with its plan to conclude its Afghanistan mission by August 31, even as the evacuation effort, which is now in its "retrograde period", is facing an "ongoing and acute threat" from ISIS-K. By Lalit K Jha
    
     FGN26 VIRUS-UK-STUDY-LD HOSPITALISATION
Risk of hospitalisations higher with Delta variant: UK study
    London: Those infected with the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the UK have been found to be twice as likely to be admitted to hospital compared to the Alpha variant, according to a large new study. By Aditi Khanna
    
     FGN16 US-TALIBAN-DIPLOMACY
US says it wants 'deeds, not words' from Taliban to recognise it diplomatically     Washington: The US has said it expects "deeds, not words" and "follow through" on pledges by the Taliban to recognise the group diplomatically. By Lalit K Jha
    
     FGN27 CHINA-US-VIRUS-REPORT-REAX
China slams US allegation of stalling international probe into COVID-19 origins
    Beijing: With a US intelligence community report failing to determine the origins of the COVID-19, including whether it leaked from a lab, a relieved China has said the allegation by Washington that it stalled international probe and resisted in sharing information about the coronavirus was aimed at politicising and stigmatising the issue of the origin of the deadly virus. By K J M Varma
    
     FGN29 UK-AFGHAN-EVACUATION
UK to conclude civilian evacuation from Afghanistan
    London: The UK will conclude its evacuation programme of civilians from Afghanistan on Saturday with only troops left to be flown out after that ahead of the August 31 exit deadline, Britain’s Chief of Defence Staff said. By Aditi Khanna
    
     FGN31 UK-QUEEN-COP26
Queen Elizabeth II to attend UN COP26 climate summit in Scotland
    London: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II will attend the UK-hosted United Nations Climate Change Conference scheduled for November in Glasgow, Scotland, it was confirmed by the organisers on Saturday. By Aditi Khanna
    
     PTI
    
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(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)