much higher than advertising researches say that huge gaps in testing capacity that the government is now trying to close. extrapolate that across the country and the spread of corona virus appears far wider than any one thought. ah, afghanistan's government, on the brink of catastrophe, city of the city falls to the taliban with the fighters. now just an hours drive from combo. but in the capital itself, a humanitarian crisis is already unfolding a thousands of civilians. fleet, the march of the taliban. the hello marianna, mossey, and london. you are watching al jazeera, also coming off on the program from the mediterranean to siberia. the wildfire

incinerating forest, farmland and homes were following the thousands of people crossing rivers, mountains and jungles in latin america. and that desperate search for a better life. ah, the taliban is rapid advance in afghanistan seems almost unstoppable as city after city falls to the arm group. is she a scale of the last look catastrophic for the government? intelligence reports now suggest cobble could fall within a month, and humanitarian crisis seems all been inevitable in less than 2 weeks. a taliban of seas, more than half of afghanistan's provincial capitals. thank clued some of the country's biggest and most significant cities kandahar, harass, and condors. over all the group controls more than 2 thirds of afghan territory.

just weeks before us troops complete that withdrawal. it spoke to humanitarian disaster. around 400000 civilians have been displaced. this year, more than half of them since the month of may. many on now in cobble living in overcrowded pos parks that are in the city, they fear a return to the brutal and repressive rule. the taliban was known for the last time they were in power. more on that in a moment. first, this report from charlotte that us and now the 2 provincial capitals today, poly alum provincial capital of logo is just to the self of of carbo about an hour drive from cobble about 65 kilometers. so now they are knocking right on the door of cobbled the telephone, say that the governor actually joined them. how we understand it is that they sent hundreds of fighters into the city and this actually, his compound was to and he was forced to surrender. it is significant because it

has gone these harm province and also because it is just so close to the capital. now it is not the only place that cloud today collapsed, which is the prevention capital valvo that just in the last few hours we've seen video of the valve, the governor being escorted by the telephone out of town. very shortly after that, the taliban took over and claimed it as the 18th provincial capital. to put this into context for you, there's only 34 provinces in the country, so they now have control of more than half the provincial capitals. they hadn't had control of one in about 5 years and managed to do this all within a week that picked up in the last 24 hours, 7 provincial capital. and that includes the 2nd and 3rd biggest cities in afghanistan, kandahar city in the south, which is the herat and the west, and also let chicago and home and so they own a roar. hello bon contact this morning. who said, even they shot at how quickly they are taking control or situation in the capital

campbell is deteriorating. thousands of people have fled to the capital to seek refuge from violence. elsewhere in the provinces agency say the city is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster. from the bride is there on the northern edge of cobble a fight for bread among people newly arrived at a food distribution. the quickly turns into a free for all this open piece of land has become a makeshift camp for people who have nowhere else to go and very little for shelter . obama will knock them out, but i don't, i was to go out. that's just i have 2 children with me. this woman tells it out in the open sun all day got you arrivals are encouraged to take buses to temporary camps for internally displaced people or id peas that already exists from previous phases of this decades long conflict. the makeup of the i d, p population in kabul,

reflects the changing states of the conflict beyond the city limits until relatively recently, most of the id piece would be from the south escaping the ongoing fighting there. but now that being joined by new comers from the west, unlike these people from the north. as this conflict has spread across the country . but from touch are and his family of 10 have been here for 3 days after fleeing the fighting in the northern province of butler. there's master them. yes, i would say there is no system here and no shelter. there was nothing from the government and i don't know if we'll get help. my name's bull fortunate arrivals. can find refuge in most in the grounds. it's this one. there are 37 other people find room with relatives like begging jam and her husband who escaped the southern city of laska dela, they're the head of water. there were bombs falling all around my house to the left

and to the right. i didn't know what was going on. having worked for both the government and overseas aid organizations, she's afraid she's now a target for the taliban piece and we did out of mind media. hey, i had a good life there. i was thankful to god. i don't know if i can ever go back. i want this, this is what it is. it's a dilemma facing many from all parts of afghanistan with the one goal of getting to cobble, but not knowing what happens after that. public bride out his era couple. when the taliban last ruled afghanistan, women were not allowed to work. the girls couldn't go to school, and public executions were common, can now speak to more watered z i. e. she previously worked at the afghan ministry of women's affairs and is now senior director. it's the canadian women for in afghanistan as joins us live from calgary via skype. first of all, can i ask if you have been in touch with any friends or family and honest on what

they tell you about developments that thanks, maria. yes, i have been in patch or actually i am in touch with our office colleagues and cobble and friends family. i have let me get somebody they're pulling up these and following the situation, minute by minute. and we have been seeing images of a refugee's displace people pouring into campbell that in overcrowded parks scenes of families fighting for food. i mean, already it was a difficult situation in the country with a mounting humanitarian crisis. environmental challenges. cove it is before the current wave of fighting. how would you describe the situation? now?

this is a very hard time, a very difficult situation. this was the reality. this was the face that we, the women of afghanistan tried to put in front of the leaders for the past a year or so. and that they had come, i them a, you see that and turn displeased people all around cobble without children, without any immediate and immediate need support. they have this is a disaster, a humanitarian crisis. and this is heartbreaking. we didn't expect that. and i just, i can't imagine if something and as i, as you all know, i told him going out and look at one hour drive from call. but, and if something happens to column where all these people will go, including people from column. what was life like for

women and girls on the taliban rule? i live my life and call upon government between 96 to 21. so i have experienced the government regime and totally abandoned. we were totally denied all our rights. i was studying at the university, and next morning they woke up and i was told that you are not allowed to go to university anymore. so not only from we were banned from studying, but also it were getting in the cation even not allowed to go out without the madam and i am i from an e, b r that doesn't of women. and we just had one. my father and a small and a young brother. and if we all had needs to go out for the doctor or to purchase something,

we didn't have enough men in our family to accompany us. so we were such such a difficult situation that we had to see just at home and even not our basic needs were we were not allowed to access those . and that's very important when you say, madam, you're referring to men within the family, a brother or father, or someone that can accompany you. because otherwise, women are not allowed to leave the house. and already now we're hearing reports of restrictions and control over their movements in some areas. now obviously a lot of this is very difficult to verify because communications and internet is a bit ways it's inconsistent and that people don't always have access to these areas. but have you been hearing much about the forced marriages of women to taliban fighters? we have been hearing lots of stories and cases about taller one point

there's forcing goes to a made him and not only that, they are like different different sorts of women's rights women, women that uses women, sexual harassment, families, there are like, he says that the answer to the house is searching for for girls the age of 15, sometimes 12 to above and whether was or a man with the 2 wives, they had the they have pulled one of the wives and a one is in a for you. so women have been subject to 6 slaves and paula on took over the provinces and recent 3 weeks and this has been not, not in one province to run the sick, but they have they have enough pattern of

a similar. so now you, some of the cases across the provinces and districts they have capture so far. and when we speak about force marriages, what happens to these women or their families, if they refuse, simply they will be shot. they will be killed and made out the girl would be dragged by tolerable and just to tell you that to be here. it's not, not that just this. this girl is married to one fighter, but a group of taught up on that torture her sexually abuse her. and every day and every night, boy by just the name of course, by just the name of mattie. and the want to show that this is not a great, this is not rape case, but actually, this is rick, this is sexual abuse and sexual violence against a child that the drac, from a family and be,

will be punished if they deny fathers or mothers will be killed and adult ed would be appalled out of the house. yeah, very important distinction you make that we say the word mar just, but we see there are consequences, devastating consequences that come from this. thank you so much. more towards i joining a staff from calgary. thank you ma'am. ah, do you and he's calling for fundamental changes in how countries deal with wildfires as they sweep across europe, north and north america and north africa. 5 fights as an alias struggling to contain blazes in several regions with a record heat wave expected over the weekend. but the un office for disaster fire says the focus has to switch to prevention. and now calling for tough new international laws, including mandatory fire breaks and the regulation of outdoor fires. meanwhile,

algerian villages helping firefighters battle blazes have been burning there for several days. crews are still trying to extinguish 51 wildfires across 16 provinces . at least 71 people have died for see say most of the fire will man made, but a he wavelength to climate change is help with flame sprayed even foster. and then a new blaze is broken out on greece's 2nd largest island, where a massive wildfire recently burned down forests and homes. famous rami has been to the mountains north of athens to meet some of the residents there. the quiet of a life was forest sharp contrast to the violent wildfires that snuffed it out. crystals beat us walks the burned woods looking for injured animals. the forest stood for many years. he says filled with animals. dear wolves, wild boar, whatever anyone can imagine to find in a forest apathy budgeting. because we started trying to save animals right from the

start. and there's a matter of fact, a lot of these animals we knew because we were feeding them. paula, but i want to make ends. unfortunately, we found many of them dead. all living creatures have souls. he says. so they all matter. looking at the landscape now. he doesn't know how anything can continue to live here. greece is prime minister has promised to replant every tree and rehabilitate every forest that's been effected by these wildfires. but we are talking about vast tracts of land that is spread across the entire country. these are forests, that it took generations to grow or cement growth, familiar. he, whoever lives in this area are people who are live, they live in nature in the forest. they know how to face fires or are brave enough to help the firefighters. not boys isn't going to be the risk. after a 42 year career covering the war in vietnam,

as well as conflicts in europe and the middle east. electors would set us retired to a house in the woods, a lifetime of photographs, the tools of his trade cameras, computers, all gone. he might have to return to work, but says he doesn't even know where to begin. he is angry, says he could have saved his house himself, but as a safety measure was forcibly removed by people from the civil protection ministry . i don't want to have these missed, even though we could have put it out. they cut off our water and they forced us out . these are people who don't know this area. people had nothing to do with fire fighting. it was a mess, and this is the situation. my whole life has been burned. he won't leave even burned to the ground. he says this is his home. he will repair a cott use a brick as a pillow and sleep under open sky. his grit is all he has left his

in basra. v o to 0 in greece is pernesa mountains. elsewhere authorities have expanded a state of emergency in russia. coldest and largest region is more than $100.00. while 5 varying gulf, the area moves should help the government for more fire fighting resources into your crew. tia nearly $120.00 forest fires burning across $14000.00 square, it always has several villages in the siberian region have been evacuated. smoke from the burning forest is enveloped the capital you could see which is often referred to as the coldest city on us. in watching algebra ly from london is. marcella had on the program to gas and rubber bullets on the streets of bangkok or corona virus crisis. response calls for the prime minister to step down and know where left to go. the migrants expelled by the united states and left stranded in southern mexico. ah

hello there, let's look to australia and things are looking fine and dry across many areas. thanks to high pressure. that's keeping lots of sunshine through central and northern areas and it's a similar story in the west. there will be sunshine for perth this weekend with the temperature sitting in the early twenties. it's a similar story for sydney further north though we are expecting a few showers around coastal areas of new south wales and queensland possible storm or 2. but it's looking relatively quiet as we head further south, little bit of wind kicking into victoria and by the time we go to sunday it's looking rather wet and windy for tasmania. now the hope across the tasman see to new zealand, this is where we're seeing the really unsettled weather. we've got a weather system pushing up through the south fall in that spring quite a winter. we mixed essential areas with quite a bit of snow kicking in. but by the time we get into sunday,

it does clear though it will start to feel colder in southern parts of the south island up in the north. those in sunshine coming through oakland coming in at 15 degrees celsius is moved to east asia. this is where we are seeing the really wet weather across the central provinces of china. and we are expecting more flooding in the days to come back. your update the on counting the costs of europe paint fund to fight terrorism and counter china and russia in africa. activists say it will provide weapons to dictate the climate emergency costing billions, place the 1000000 counting the call. well now, just unprompted and uninterrupted discussions from our london broadcast center on al jazeera.

ah ah, main story this, our taliban is gradually in, circling, cobble seems to do fully alarm just 50 kilometers from the capitol. earlier to major cities fell to the group. last, gar, in kandahar taliban both place and a key trade port. and then un agencies, a warning of a humanitarian catastrophe, and honest on as the taliban defensive. dr. thousands of people from now over 250000, have been displaced in may of which 80 percent of women and children or international concern is growing over the taliban. rapid control over the territory

in the country. the british prime minister, or is johnson insisted as a military solution following an emergency meeting on friday. andrew simmons has more on this now from london. all western powers, not least of all the u. k. government have been taken aback by the speed of the tunnel advance. u. k. prime minister boris johnson has ordered a detachment of 600 soldiers from a rapid reaction force into gobble, to help the evacuation of u. k. nationals, embassy, staff, africans who had worked for the british forces. he's trying to put a gloss or what is a grim picture? i don't believe it was in vain because i do think when you look back at what has happened over the last 20 years, there was a massive effort to deal with a particular problem that everybody will remember after 911. and that was successful. and to very large extent, the threat from our car on the streets of,

of our capital was around the u. k. around the whole, the west was greatly, greatly reduced now far as johnson saying that he will support the afghan government. but it will be diplomatic support, not military. there is no military option. going to stop. he insists. now again, start on berkeley. secretary general of nato had a similar message, but he said that all of the 30 allies of nato will push as hard as they can for political solutions for the fanatic moves to help the africans. however, you k, which was probably in arms with the u. s. 20 years ago after 911. well, it's now a very different picture between the 2 faucet. there's a feeling amongst top ross of the military here in the u. k. that this is a failure. this is a loss and the that is really a form of shame in the u. k. forces now who have been effectively humiliated

according to many senior former offices and also an observation that the afghans have been betrayed. one key person in comment as described like this. if you can't really send reinforcements in to open the door to let a force go with any honor because that is abject failure. the u. n. is calling for an immediate end to a new wave of violence. in serious southwestern city of thousands of civilians of fled. heavy shelling and ground battles between government troops and rebel forces . un special envoy says local residents is suffering from shortages of food, fuel, water, and medicines. says he was put under a blockade by the government in june after residence, refuse to surrender, weapons and allow forces to such that houses rescue as in northern turkey, searching for survivors. thereafter, flooding and mud slides killed at least 31 people. as many as 300 people are

reportedly missing, for coastal province is on the black sea will hit by torrential rain on friday with washes, in some places rising by 4 meters. thousands of people have been displaced in india with rain causing rivers to burst their banks. more than 1200 villages have been flooded in the northern state of a tough dash with people moving to relief shelters. will this we've been following migrants making the dangerous journey from columbia to panama, many hoping to reach the united states and walking through a jungle region known as the dorian gap. teresa bow brings us this report. now, i ride through the 2 quiet river, dipping the jungle in panama shows how thousands i fling poverty you south america . boats filled mostly with patients, cubans and venezuelan migrants follow one after the other. heading to the united states be arriving columbia across to panama through the daring gap.

the arrived thirsty hungry, and walk with difficulty robledo from venezuela travel with his wife and 3 children . he still recovering from the journey. but whatever i can say is small compared to what we saw in one, there was a dead child and in another tent, 2 people drowning in the river and left hanging on trees. i counted at least 8. i'm sure they were more. this is the worst i've ever lived. harder will take, i mean ask him in the dark, his wife floating out a cs as she struggled, climbing the mountains and the cliffs in the jungle. because it's horrible because i felt i couldn't anymore before i arrived here. i felt weak. we hadn't eaten in days. my feet were injured and i was thinking of my children. i thought my baby was not going to make it. florida says they were faulted

a woman from her group was raped and she had to cover herself in mud to protect herself. and g, o se, rape has become the norm. most of the people we have full controls that arrive to this camp are desperate. most of them have lost all their belongings, they have no clothes for their children. this group is from venezuela. they say the only thing left are there expired passport. they all arrive at the indigenous village of the hotel quito, where there is not enough food and water to help them recover from the trip. the driver has just arrived here from haiti. her 4 month old baby is dehydrated and has a fever. i left, she lay because we don't have papers. the government doesn't want to give us papers, so we're going to mexico. around 16 percent of those here are children. they survive the journey. but unicef says most of them are traumatized. but this gets

o'neil's. children are very young and they can be serious health issues like everybody else because of the trip. you see diarrhea form. it's but also their effect technologically because they go through to magic experiences. in some cases they get lost from their parents. so it's very difficult. the countries in the region are struggling to cope with the thousands of migrants heading towards north america. they're trying to implement quote, us, but this is unlikely to work for now. in spite of the risks, migrants continue to arrive. this is only a part of the journey, but most of them say it has left warns that will mark them for life. there is, i will see that in panama rights groups are criticizing us policy of flying refugees and migrants out. i stopped at the board of thousands of kilometers south and since monday, several daily flights of departed for the city of tampa, chula, on mexico, southern border with guatemala. john holman brings us the story. they started

actually before these flights for something called ty, 242, which is a decades old health provision, which basically means that anyone's showing up in crossing the us border and possibly asper asylum, doesn't necessarily need to be seen. they can be turned straight back because of a health emergency in president trump's administration study to apply that, saying that, that applied to the pandemic, decoded, president bite and now is continued to sending people across the border from the u . s. but what seems to be the case, the administration is worried that they keep coming back. so to stop that from happening, then now flowing them here to top to where we are right now, which is right at the south, submit her next to the board with marla. there also find them to another city on the board or some other code the most. so that's the u. s. sort of strategy, a new strategy. it seems to try and stop people repeatedly trying to cross into the united states. why are they doing that? the u. s seems to be concerned the mon, about over crowding,

their board of facilities about a spike in the number of apprehensions and also about new strains of cove it. so that's the justification for this rights groups, including the un, have criticize that you've got to get people access to asylum and see can't fly them straight down to the south. the country where they're not possibly safe type police find rubber bullets and tear gas to stop hundreds of protest as they were trying to march. the prime minister's residence, demonstrate his wont pro channel chest that down, accusing him of failing to control the corona. virus outbreak tied on reported more than 23000 new infections on friday. the vaccination program is accelerating, but houses are she say, it won't be enough to stop the current rise in cases. or russia has reported a 115 deaths from covert over the past 24 hours. but the capital moscow is still lifting some of the restrictions with the mail, saying there's no longer major pressure on hospital beds. at least $168000.00

people have died from the virus in russia and only around 20 percent of the population is vaccinated. and influential newspaper nicaragua is accusing president daniel ortega of trying to hide the truth after being prevented from printing its latest addition. customs officials refused to release paper imported for la princess, forcing the printing presses to close down on thursday. only the online edition is available now. the printer has been a leading critic of the president. ah ok, look at our main stories now and of course you've been covering the conflict in afghanistan . the taliban offensive is sweeping further through the country. the group gradually in circling, cobble. they have sees, if you have an alarm and logan province, 50 kilometers from combo earlier to major cities felt the taliban lash cook.