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Every weekend, Asia Pacific Daily will provide you with a run-down of the latest hot news.
This week, the following hot news you should know:
Top 1 | Biden defends handling of withdrawal from Afghanistan
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday once again defended his administration's handling of withdrawal from Afghanistan, denying America's allies questioning the country's credibility over the ongoing chaotic evacuation.
"This is one of the largest, most difficult air lifts in history, and the only country in the world capable of projecting this much power on the far side of the world with this degree of precision is the United States of America," said Biden, who has been widely criticized on the botched pullout, in a televised speech from the White House.
Biden said he has "seen no question of our credibility from our allies around the world."
Top 2 | Taliban against any extension of withdrawal deadline for foreign troops
The Taliban has made it clear that it does not expect the U.S. to violate its agreement to withdraw all troops by August 31.
Speaking to CGTN's Beatrice Marshall on Monday, Taliban Spokesperson Mohammad Suhail Shaheen said any delay "would be a clear violation" of the withdrawal agreement.
Shaheen noted that any delays in the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan would only work to disrupt reconstruction plans.
He said the Taliban was keen to bring an end to foreign occupation of the country.
Shaheen urged the U.S. to instead "participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan because they were involved in destruction of Afghanistan."
Top 3 | At least 21 dead in flooding in U.S. state of Tennessee
At least 21 people died and dozens are missing after flooding in the southern U.S. state of Tennessee, local officials said on Sunday in what they warned was a preliminary toll.
Tennessee was hit Saturday by what meteorologists called "historic storms and flooding."
Top 4 | Texas congressman tests positive for coronavirus
Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) announced on Saturday that he had tested positive for a breakthrough case of COVID-19.
"I shared with you on Wednesday a close family member had become ill with COVID. Well, I have now tested positive and am symptomatic too," Nehls said. "I'm experiencing moderate symptoms but I am fully vaccinated and hope it passes soon. I have been quarantining at home and will continue to do so for at least the next 10 days."
"All Americans are free to make their own health decisions, but I strongly encourage getting vaccinated. It is scientifically proven to drastically reduce the risk of severe illness & death from COVID," Nehls said in his post.
Nehls' diagnoses is the latest example of a lawmaker testing positive for a breakthrough infection, including three senators announcing positive tests in a single day last week.
Top 5 | U.S. Supreme Court refuses Biden's appeal to ban 'remain in Mexico' policy
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday denied President Joe Biden's bid to rescind an immigration policy implemented by his predecessor, Donald Trump, that forced thousands of asylum seekers to stay in Mexico awaiting U.S. hearings.
The court, with three liberal justices dissenting, rejected the Biden administration's effort to block a Texas-based judge's ruling requiring the government to revive Trump's "remain in Mexico" policy, formally known as the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program.
Top 6 | Iranian parliament approves all but one of new president's cabinet nominees
Iranian lawmakers on Wednesday gave votes of confidence to 18 of the 19 ministers proposed by new President Ebrahim Raisi, according to the website of parliament.
The lawmakers started the debates on the qualification of the nominees last Saturday and decided on the composition of Raisi's cabinet on Wednesday.
The candidate for the Ministry of Education was the only person who did not win parliamentary approval.
Under Iranian law, the president has three months to nominate an education minister.
Top 7 | Germany's evacuation mission in Afghanistan ends
Germany has pulled out all its soldiers from Afghanistan with its last evacuation flight from Kabul, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Thursday.
"All soldiers, members of the foreign ministry and federal police who have led this mission to a safe end for us on the ground have been flown out of Kabul," said the minister, adding that the military evacuation mission has therefore now ended.
Germany evacuated more than 5,100 people, including more than 3,600 Afghans.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned the the "heinous" attack outside Kabul airport on Thursday aimed at people seeking evacuation from Afghanistan that left at least six dead.
"We don't know all the details yet but the terrorists targeted people waiting at the airport gates who was hoping to leave,"Merkel said.
"They wanted security and freedom and that is why it is an absolutely heinous attack in a very, very tense situation.”
Top 8 | House passes John Lewis voting rights bill on party lines
The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act passed the House on Tuesday, with the 219-212 vote going along party lines.
The bill, named after the late Georgia representative, would restore a provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that was gutted by the Supreme Court. It would require certain jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination in voting to receive approval, known as preclearance, from the Justice Department before making changes to their voting rules.
The bill, also known as H.R. 4, now heads to the Senate, where it faces stiff GOP resistance. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called it "unnecessary," and said it would give the Justice Department too much power over states. With an evenly divided Senate, all 50 Democrats and at least 10 Republicans would need to vote for the bill for it to pass.
Top 9 | Overdose deaths in New Mexico reached all-time high in 2020
Overdose deaths from alcohol, fentanyl and methamphetamine reached an all-time high in New Mexico in 2020, according to a new report presented to state lawmakers on Thursday.
The report revealed that Fentanyl-related deaths saw a near 129 percent increase from 2019 to 2020 in preliminary figures, with numbers expected to increase.
Legislative analysts presented the findings to New Mexico's Legislative Finance Committee.
Top 10 | The secret to defeating a nationally backed, well-financed, progressive candidate
The recent special election in Cleveland attracted only passing national attention, but it deserves a closer look. Its result reveals an important national trend: Progressives have trouble winning elections in which a full cross section of voters is allowed to participate.
The defeat of candidate Nina Turner makes clear that the support of the Justice Democrats, the "Squad," and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders may handicap Democratic candidates in elections in which a broader swath of the electorate can cast a ballot. More broadly, the result reminds us that state and local voting laws can greatly influence election results — and that so-called voter suppression can apply to blue states as well as those that liberals virtuously denounce.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
