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woman: a successful business owner sells his company and restores his father's historic jazz club with his son. a raymond james financial advisor get to know you, your passions, and the way you bring people together. life well planned. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neected needs. announcer: and now, "bbc news" ♪ sumi: i'm sumi somaskanda in ♪ washington, and this is "bbc world news america." syria accuses israel of targeting several military sites in central syria, killing at least 18 people. kamala harris and donald trump are preparing to face off for the first presidential debate. as u.s. republicans and democrats trade blame over the 2021 withdrawal from afghanistan, afghan women face

increasing restrictions under the taliban. the bbc gets rare access on the ground. sumi: welcome to "world news america." in the latest design of escalating tensions in the middle east, syria says at least 18 people have been killed and dozens injured in a series of israeli airstrikes. syrian state media says multiple sites were targeted including scientific research centers. monitoring organizations say one of the sites was housing pro or rainy and weapons act -- pro-iranian weapons experts. iran rejected reports that iranian sites were hit. israel says it will not comment on reports of the strikes. israel has previously gained knowledge carrying out the previously acknowledged carry out strikes in syria linked to iran. our correspondent has more from beirut. reporter: there has been a sharp

increase in the number of attacks by the israeli military on locations inside syria since the beginning of the war in gaza . manyf these locations, many of these targets have been weapons and ammunitions, facilities linked to iran and its proxies in the region, including hezbollah in lebanon, the most powerful group supported by iran here in the region. so the attacks that happened on sunday where the most intense so far. reports say one of the locations hit in syria was a research center believed to house iranian military experts. there has been some strong reaction from iran. the iranian foreign rejected those reports that this was an iranian facility or a facility used by the iranians. it said this was a syrian site

that was targeted. it described these attacks as a criminal act by israel. there hasn't been any reaction from israel. israel rarely reacts to these reports of spikes inside syria. but again, this is another sign of this heightened tensions between israel and iran. sumi: in the u.s. we are one day away from a critical moment in the presidential election campaign. kamala harris and donald trump are such a take the stage in philadelphia, pennsylvania, in their first debate. both camps will be hoping for a pivotal performance to shake up the race, which current polling shows is stuck in a dead heat. the candidates are essentially tied among likely voters in the swing states of pennsylvania, wisconsin, and michigan, according to the latest polls from our news partner cbs. as president harris -- vice president harris appeared on a radio show on monday and shared

what she is expecting from the former president on the debate stage. vice pres. harris: there is no floor for him in terms of how low he will go, and we should be prepared for that. we should be prepared for the fact that he is not burdened by telling the truth. sumi: ms. harris has been hunkered down in pittsburgh preparing for extended mock debates for tuesday's 90-minute showdown. a former aide to hillary clinton has reportedly been playing the role of mr. trump the scenarios. for donald trump, preparations for the debate have been largely informal. congressman matt gaetz is among those helping mr. trump with debate prep. in an interview with fox news's sean hannity, mr. trump discussed his intention to improvise, saying, "you can go in with all the strategy you want, but you have to file doubt as the debate is taking -- feel it out as the debate is taking place." we speak to kevin madden, a republican strategist who served as an advisor for mitt romney's best oak campaign, and a

democratic exte -- democratic strategist. i want to start with the description of how the camps bearing for this debate. what are you making of what you are seeing and hearing? kevin: it is perfectly in line with how donald trump has approached campaigning overall, not just debates. he is a very instinctual player, so to speak. he plays a little bit of freedom react. and in real time he tries to figure out what his opponents are uncomfortable about, and then tries to put them on the defensive. let's not look at any sophisticated or complex debate strategy from donald trump. he has two real goals, first to put kamala harris on the defensive, because she has had 60 days of nothing but really good mia as part of her introduction as the new candidate to lead the democrats. and then to fill in the blanks

for a lot of swing voters out there who have yet to make up their mind about this race and paint her as a west coast progressive was out of step with means to voters. that is going to be at the core of what the main strategy is. sumi: amy, i saw you nodding alongside. what do you think the strategy is for kamala harris as she is preparing for this debate? >> well, yes, from her history as senator and prosecutor she does prepare in that way. i think for her this is a really important momentecause this debate is th occasion that rarely occurs during campaigns were both candidates are on the stage together. she has, as kevin mentioned, had a really good run since her announcement. e convention went very well. she has been on the campaign trail. this is your opportunity to reinforce what she has shared with the american people about her new way forward, policy stances, the detailed accounts of the different ways she wants

to move the economy forward, that she wants to make sure that there is opportunity in her policy issues and that people will see the things that she is championing are something that they can get involved with. i think it is also substance but it is a style as well. to show her ability to stand next to her opponent on the stage together. sumi: it is a debate, so of course the show is important, isn't it. kevin, coming back to substance, the trump team has makeover they will not only try to type kamala harris to the biden-harris administration's record but to say that she is the chief architect of these policies. one of donald trump's advisors saying that president biden is incompetent and kamala harris is running the country. do you think voters will believe that? kevin: one of the benefits kamala harris has gotten is the new entrant is she was able to for 60 days be the candidate of change.

the trump campaign finds that is a threat, so they want to reverse any momentum she might have on that. and really go on the attack -- i suspect trump will be very aggressive in this debate and try to tie kamala harris to some of the anxieties that people have around the country about the state of the economy. kamala harris got a lot of goodwill in the first 60 days, but the fundamentals of this race before she became the top candidate was people worried about the direction of the country, worried about housing, worried about inflation. i expected donald trump to try to type kamala harris-- tie kamala harris to what many republicans argue are the policies that have taken the country in the wrong direction that led to voter anxieties on those issues. sumi: amy, with so much at stake, how consequential do you think this debate will be for kamala harris and her team going forward? amy: i think the june 27 debate created an environment to really

heighten the importance of the debates. having been through several of these in the past, i think it will be eyes on the debate. we are in the general election campaign timeframe, but even if people don't watch the debate, there will be clips and things played in the days following an opponents will use that to create ads. i think it is her ability to get out again on another platform not unlike she did in her speech at the democratic convention about the issues she cares about, her vision for the future. campaigns are about contrast and she will have to show contrast with donald trump and jd vance and their ticket and really show what she does for come not only what she is against. i think that is what she is going to try to accomplish to show that she is presidential, talk about the accomplishments that she did see under the biden administration, what they were able to accomplish. but to kevin's point, too, to talk about i have a vision, these are things we should be

focused on moving forward. sumi: kevin, 45 seconds left, but do you think the debate could be decisive? kevin: absolutely. first of all, amy's point is the most important, which is that we are only 50 days away from the most consequential presidential debate in history, the june 27 debate. we don't even have one of the candidates that was in that in the race anymore because of his performance. the performance, there are very high-stakes felt i think both campaigns recognize that and are embracing it. there is only a handful of swing voters still out there. 7 or 8% of this electorate right now is undecided. this is the one last best chance to reach those voters and make your case. sumi: kevin, amy, great to talk to you both. thanks for your insight. kevin: great to be with you. sumi: here on bbc news you will watch rolling coverage of the bbc news presidential debate simulcast. our coverage starts at 8:00 p.m. east coast time on tuesday, so tune in.

some sad news now. the actor james earl jones has died at the age of 93. he was known for iconic roles like darth vader in " star wars" and voicing the role of mufasa in "the lion king." here's a look at is six-decade career on screen and stage. reporter: from his first role he had something special. >> the fire is out, the power is on. reporter: that voice before "dr. strangelove," james earl jones served in the military. but he really wanted to act. playing jack johnson, the first african-american world heavyweight boxing champion, was his breakthrough role. >> is your wish coming true? sing it, sister f >> i want you. reporter: on state she won the tony award and an oscar nomination when he repeated the role on film. >> i don't want you watching! >> i've been waiting for you,

obi-wan. we meet again at last. reporter: then came something that made his voice world-famous. >> when i left you, i was but the learner. now i am the master. yoare part of the rebel alliance and a traitor. take her away! james: orson welles -- they wanted to use orson welles, but orson might be to recognizable. they pick someone born in mississippi and raised in michigan who had a stutter. one reason is i am an actor, and i get heated, i go haywire. reporter: his voice's gravity and depth made him a natural choice for "the lion king." >> look, simba, everything the light touches is our kingdom. reporter: and its remake a quarter-century later. >> one day, simba, the sun will set on my time here and will rise with you as the new king. reporter: while he again played

a kink opposite eddie murphy in " coming to america" -- >> i want the woman to love me for who i am. reporter: he had the chance to show his gift for comity. >> i have never tried my own shoes before. >> wrong, you are a prince was never tied his shoes. believe me, i tied my own shoes once. it is an overrated experience. reporter: on tv, he played the author alex haley, whose search for his african ancestors led to the groundbreaking series "roots." and he frequently returned to his theatrical, winning plaudits for his performance as a chauffeur alongside angela lansbury and the stage version of "driving miss daisy." >> my sisters saved up so that i could go to school and be a teacher. we didn't have anything. >> look like you right now? [laughter] reporter: his career spanned

close to 70 years. >> the force is with you, young skywalker, but you are not a jedi yet. reporter: and has all the more admirable in that a young boy who really spoke because of his stutter should become an actor whose stirring tones -- >> [laughter] that's very good! reporter: brought him the accolade of having perhaps the world's most recognizable voice. >> simba, remember. >> kunta kinte, i found you! >> i am your father. sumi: more on james earl jones's legacy on our website, bb b.com. republicans in the u.s. house of representatives issued a sharply critical report on monday into the biden administration's handling of the u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan three years ago. democrats called the report biased, noting it was former

president donald trump who negotiated the withdrawal. the report claims several failures including that the administration chose to evacuate personnel far too late, it had too few personnel and supplies to carry out an effective evacuation, it created the conditions for terrorist groups like the taliban to operate in, and the administration spread bad information as part of a cover-up. the biden administration dismissed the report and defended their handling of the withdrawal. >> after two decades of american presidents sending troops to fight and die in afghanistan, we are stronger today because of this decision that president biden made. the one that he made was the right one. sumi: life for afghanistan's 21 million women has become stricter. the taliban passed a law stating that if a woman must leave her home out of necessity, she not only has to have her face and body completely covered, but her voice must not be heard. yogita lamaye and two others

have had rare access the last two weeks speaking with women about their expenses f to protect their names for fear of persecution, we have hidden their identities, blurred their fas, and used actors voices. this is their report. >> every moment you feel like you arin prison. even breathing becomes difficult. >> we are like dead bodies moving around. we can't talk, we can do anything. -- we can't do anything. yogita: this is a country where women are increasingly being pushed out of yo their freedoms crushed a bit by bit by a relentless series of dictates, the latest published law. this section says that if a woman must leave her home out of necessity, she's obliged to cover her face and body, and her voice must not be heard. we have had to be very careful and discrete talking to women here because they are already operating in an environment of brutal restrictions.

and now the taliban's reality please have been given sweeping powers. it has only been a few weeks since the lot has been announced and it is unclear how stringently it will be implemented, but already there is a ripple effect of fear that you feel when speaking to people here. we meet teenage girls who have already lost three crucial years of education. their voices might need to be hidden, but they want their words to be heard. >> if we we go out, were scared. if we take a bus or remove our masks, we are scared. if we speak louder, we are scared. there is so much fear and stress. if we can't speak, why go out at all? why even live? yogita: unt last year, groups of women took to the streets demanding their rights, risking violence on detention. the taliban cracked down on the marches until they stopp altogether.

this woman broke down telling us how she was detained last year while participating in protests. >> t taliban beat me and drag me into a vehicle, saying, "why are you asking against us? this is an islamic system." they took me to a dark, frightening place, and insulted me with terrible words. we were treated like animals. after being released from detention, we were into the same people we were before -- we were not the same people we were before. yogita: now this is how afghan women are showing dissent, posting videos of themselves online seeking songs criticizing the taliban's actions. we met someone from the taliban government. he didn't want to be seen with a woman or sit directly opposite me, but he answered my questions.

we asked how he could justify the law. >> the laws that have been introduced have been approved by the supreme leader in accordance with islamic sharia. any religious scholar and check the references. yogita: most of the girls and women we spoke to say they are prepared to wear whatever your government prescribes as long as you allow them to study, and because they are not being allowed to do that, they are being given to the point of depression, even suicidal thoughts. isn't it your responsibility as a government to listen to those voices and act on it? >> absolutely, our sisters' education is an important issue. we are trying to resolve this. it is the demand of a lot of our sisters. we have mentioned it several times in the past, that our leadership is working on it. a solution will be found. yogita: it's been three years now since girls were locked out

of schools, but it hasn't happened on the ground. do you really expect people to believe that you are actually doing it? >> we are awaiting the decision of our leadership. yogita: in a province not far from kabul, we found some evidence that at least a section of the taliban differs with the supreme leader. we were given rare access to a midwife training course run the taliban government. all the students are in their 20's. here, there taught how to nurse a woman in labor. it is a rare exception. but behind closed doors, some afghan women are taking matters into their own hands. we meet a teacher who runs a secret school for girls. >> when the new law came, i explain its rules to my students and told them things would become even more difficult. every day i wake up asking god to make the day pass safely.

several times i've had to change the location of the school. yogita: it is a quiet act of defiance and hope. sumi: and we can speak now to a human rights activist and the executive director of learn, an organization that helps educate afghan girls and boys. thank you so much for joining us again. we spoke to you last month about how the space for women and girls is shrinking in afghanistan. and now this new ordinance that the voices cannot be heard if they leave home. what impact does that have on women and girls? >> thank you so much for having me. first of all, i think it is important that weight knowledge the fact that is has been in effect for the past three and half years. and apart from that, given that afghanistan -- women cover-up before that. the current situation only is they are grabbing attention for

something they've been doing for the past three years. but at the same time, this is driving them into more depression, more stress, and more anxiety, honestly, because they are more worried every time they step out of house if they are going to be safe, if they are going to be allowed to walk down that road. sumi: the fact that the taliban is writing this out, as you said, as an official ordinance, what do you think that tells us? pashtana: you can look at it in two ways, the first one being that we know that they will do whatever they want in the world will still engage with them. they can still be invited to u.n. meetings still be engaged in talks and still get money out of it. the second one is they also want attention. every now and then they go want to do something aut it and they ensure that the war on women continues in one way or the other. sumi: what should that mean for the international community? are you saying that the taliban should be shut out of all of these spaces internationally?

the concern is that that would impact the citizens and not the taliban government. pashtana: and what have the taliban done in the past three years that makes them good leaders for our citizens? how have they impacted our economy, our people, our peace, our security, our education? any of those things, especially women and health care -- you just showed a midwife center, but let me ask the same question of the taliban leaders, why are they doing in height and-- in hi ding? just because they get paid for that the majority of the time, why are they not doing uniform policy for the entire country? when they get carried out of it --paid out of it, they make money out of it. i right now -- sumi: we saw those images of women and girls filming videos as they are holding up signs. it seems to be incredibly brave. can you tell us what that takes? pashtana: i mean, i'm going to be honest, people ask me how is

it to be a woman in afghanistan, or how do you continue to be resilient in all of these situations. i give them a simple example -- i am safe in the u.s. there are women, teachers who just showed, they show up to teach and there are girls who are showinup to learn in a country right now that has not allowed them to learn or to teach. that takes incredible amount of courage. nothing will help you have that courage on your own, so i think at the end of the date, afghan women are just a different species on their own. at the same time we believe i a better afghanistan waiting for them, this is not the end, these are not the people who are going to rule us forever. sumi: right. pashtana durrani, always good to talk to you on bbc news thank you for joining us today. just one more item before we go, the princess of wales says she has completed her chemotherapy treatment. in a new film produced by kensington palace and narrated

by the princess featuring the well couple and their children, catherine says her cancer journey over the last nine months has been complex, scary, and unpredictable. she says she will resume some public duties, but will take each day as it comes. thank you for watching "world news america." you can find more on our website, bbc.com/news. for all the latest, follow us on your favorite social-media site. i am sumi somaskanda in washington. announcer: funding for presentation of this program is provided by... nancial services firm, raymond james. announcer: funding was also provided by, the freeman foundation. and by judy and peter blum kovler foundation, pursuing solutions for america's neglected needs. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ announcer: "usa today" calls it,

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geoff: good evening. i'm geoff bennett. amna: and i'm amna nawaz. on the news hour tonight, as kamala harris and donald trump prepare for this week's debate in pennsylvania, we speak with voters in that critical swing state about their views of the candidates. >> i generally just do not think