Tuesday, August, 17 2021

*) Biden defends US pullout from Afghanistan President Joe Biden has deflected blame for the Taliban's stunning military takeover after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. He said US troops could not defend a nation whose leaders "gave up and fled," as did President Ashraf Ghani. Kabul airport saw scenes of heartbreak on Monday as thousands of Afghans tried to flee Taliban rule, with at least seven people dying in the chaos. *) UN chief urges world to open doors to Afghan refugees The UN has asked the international community to let Afghan refugees in and not deport those who are taking the risk to get away from the country. It is expected that in the coming months a wave of refugees will move towards Europe and the US. Some countries are now calling for allowing in refugees but France has expressed concerns, vowing to work on preventing an influx of irregular Afghan immigrants to the EU. *) Haiti quake revives anger over aid response in past disasters Saturday's earthquake has revived anger in Haiti over international aid response to a devastating quake that hit the country 11 years ago. Haitians took to social media to urge donors to send money directly to local charities, criticising what they saw as misuse of funds after the 2010 quake and a major hurricane in 2016. Saturday's quake in the poorest country in the Americas killed at least 1,419 people and injured thousands more. *) Zambia's new president vows 'better democracy’ after landslide win Zambian president-elect Hakainde Hichilema has slammed the country's outgoing "brutal regime" while promising a "better democracy" in his debut address to the nation. He pledged to foster rule of law and respect for human rights, liberties and freedoms. Hichilema won more than 2.8 million votes against incumbent Edgar Lungu's 1.8 million in Thursday's election. And finally ... * ) Japan's Kaji, the "godfather of Sudoku," dies at 69 Maki Kaji, a puzzle enthusiast and publisher who was known as the "Godfather of Sudoku" has died at 69. Th