Trump Administration Monitors OpenAI Incident as Lawmakers Push AI Kill Switch Bill 
UN Rights Chief Volker Turk Faces Opposition Over Second Term Bid 
Russian Missile Strike on Kyiv Region Kills 10, Sparks Probe Into Defense Industry Event 
Maduro U.S. Drug Trafficking Trial Set for June 2027 as Immunity Defense Looms 
Trump Education Department Removes Disparate Impact Rules, Sparking Civil Rights Backlash 
Trump Administration Imposes New Forced Labor Tariffs on 60 Trading Partners 
Trump Says No Decision on Major Iran Strikes as U.S.-Tehran Talks Intensify 
Arizona Primaries Set High-Stakes Governor and House Battles Ahead of Midterm Elections 
ASEAN Forum Puts Middle East Conflict, South China Sea Tensions in Spotlight 
Global Leaders Push Back as Trump Imposes New Forced Labor Tariffs 
Trump Threatens Iran With 'Major Military Punishment' as Red Sea Attacks Push Oil Above $100 
Trump Orders Warning Signs Outside Smithsonian Museum Over ‘Anti-American’ Exhibits 
Appeals Court Rejects Trump Bid to Reinstate $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee 
US Military Completes 13th Straight Night of Iran Strikes as Trump Warns of Further Action 
Iran Rejects U.S.-Backed Ceasefire as Trump Escalates Military Threats, Oil Tops $100 
Trump Praises Nigeria’s Tinubu, Signaling Stronger U.S.-Nigeria Security Ties 
Trump Signals More Iran Strikes While Leaving Door Open to Nuclear Deal 
The US and President Joe Biden have been taking criticism from many regarding the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan and the rapid takeover of the Taliban. The former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair added on to the criticism, calling the withdrawal “imbecilic.”
Blair wrote a piece that was published on his website, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, criticizing Biden’s decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. The decision was met with very mixed reactions, mostly from lawmakers and commentators, as many veterans in the US have voiced their support for the withdrawal. Despite the criticism, Biden has defended his stance on the US exit from the war-torn country even as the Taliban took over Afghanistan.
To note, Blair was the prime minister when the UK and the USA started the war in the country and ordered the UK’s invasion of Afghanistan. Biden kept the agreement former President Donald Trump, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made with the insurgent group back in 2020.
“We didn’t need to. We chose to do it. We did it in obedience to an imbecilic political slogan about ending the ‘forever wars.’ We did it with every jihadist group around the world cheering,” wrote Blair.
Blair also criticized the so-called “abandonment” of Afghans as acting opposite from the interests of both the US and the UK. The former prime minister’s comments follow reports of violence that occurred in Kabul, with seven people getting killed at Kabul airport at the hands of the insurgent group.
Meanwhile, a poll by NBC released Sunday showed that Biden’s job approval ratings have taken a dip in the midst of the criticism over the Afghanistan withdrawal and the rising COVID-19 cases in the country. The poll showed that 49 percent of all adults that took part in the survey approved of Biden’s performance while 48 percent disapprove, a rise in nine percentage points in the latter.
From all the survey participants who are registered voters, 50% have said they approve of Biden’s performance as president, while 48% disapproved. 1000 adults were interviewed by the network, and the survey has a margin of error of either plus or minus 3.10 percent. The survey also took place between August 14 and August 17.
