Explosions at a Shiite mosque in the city of Kandahar killed at least thirty-two people (Al Jazeera). It was the second large-scale attack on a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan in eight days, raising worries of mounting sectarian violence despite the Taliban’s assurances of a new era of safety.
 
No group immediately claimed responsibility for today’s attack. The self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility (TOLOnews) for blasts a week ago that killed dozens of people (Reuters) at a mosque in Kunduz. A spokesperson for the Taliban interior ministry said authorities are investigating the latest attack.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told the Financial Times that Abenomics, policies named after former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that have formed the backbone of Japanese economic planning for nearly a decade, did not sufficiently raise incomes for the poor.
 
For Foreign Affairs, Richard Katz writes that Japan’s failure to welcome foreign capital is hobbling its economy.
 
China: LinkedIn announced that it will close operations in China (SCMP) due to a “challenging operating environment.” The professional networking service had faced criticism for years over its censorship of politically sensitive posts on its Chinese site.

A deal granting the UN refugee agency access to a remote island where Bangladesh’s government has sent nearly nineteen thousand Rohingya refugees does not guarantee that the refugees can move freely to mainland Bangladesh, Reuters reported.

Special Envoy for Iran Robert Malley will travel (National) to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in hopes of reviving stalled negotiations on the nuclear deal with Iran.
 
This Backgrounder unpacks the Iran nuclear deal.
 
UAE: The University of Cambridge ended talks (Guardian) with the UAE about a potential $550 million collaboration after allegations that the country used the controversial Pegasus software to hack cell phones with British numbers.

A special forces unit rescued two South African ministers (News 24) whom military veterans held hostage following a meeting to discuss the veteran’s demands for government assistance. At least fifty-six people were arrested.
 
Cape Verde: The country holds a presidential election (Al Jazeera) on Sunday, with two former prime ministers as the apparent front-runners. The winner will be the country’s fifth president since its 1975 independence from Portugal.

Brexit minister for the United Kingdom (UK) David Frost will discuss (BBC) provisions on Northern Ireland with his European Union (EU) counterpart, Maros Sefcovic, in Brussels today.
 
Russia: The Moscow metro rolled out (Guardian) a facial recognition–based payment system, sparking fears of privacy violations.

Mexico has not required visas for Brazilians since 2004, but Washington asked Mexico City (Reuters) to impose the requirements to make migration routes to the United States less attractive.
 
Uruguay: The country will offer COVID-19 booster shots (MercoPress) to tourists once its borders reopen next month.

Washington had abandoned the council (NYT) in 2018 over what President Donald Trump said was anti-Israel prejudice.  
 
For Foreign Affairs, Suzanne Nossel writes that the world still needs the United Nations.