Al-Qaida leader killed in US drone strike, Joe Biden says | First Thing

President ordered strike on Kabul safe house in Afghanistan during high-level meeting, administration says. Plus, space debris found in Australia

Good morning.

A US drone strike in Afghanistan has killed the top al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, Joe Biden announced yesterday.

When did Biden order the strike? After much consideration and detailed questions, the president eventually ordered a strike on the safe house at a meeting of key cabinet members and national security officials on 25 July.

When was it carried out? At 9.48pm ET on Saturday by an unmanned aerial vehicle, while Zawahiri was on his balcony.

What else is California doing? The state said it is also building on the steps developed during the coronavirus pandemic to set up vaccination clinics and make sure there is outreach to vulnerable populations.