♪ anchor: the taliban take more cities, sparking panic, thousands fleeing, while countries rushed to evacuate their citizens. a second natural disaster strikes turkey. the death toll from flash floods rising to 38. president recep tayyip erdogan has blamed climate change for the disaster. mexico marks 500 years since the conquest of the aztec empire, commemorations taking place in mexico city, where the

foundation still like today. you are watching "france 24." thank you for joining us. the united nations secretary general has called on the taliban to halt their offensive. more countries are calling on citizens to leave the country while the u.s. and u.k. have deployed troops to evacuate embassy staff. the taliban control 18 provincial capitals and are nearing kabul. france 24's correspondent joined us from kabul. reporter: we saw fighting earlier today in the province, one hour from kabul, where the governor of the province was taken captive by the taliban. it emerged he was taken captive. his picture appeared with the

taliban. it is that demoralizing trend for the government, where these provinces are falling. we are getting details from officials how the deputy interior minister and leadership of the province were taken captive and decided to not put up a fight. later on, the taliban allowed those officials to go, but the taliban commander publicly stated that he should convince other leaders to join the taliban, so there having the carrots and sticks approach, fighting on the battlefield, but offering people insurances.

anchor: six more cities have fallen to the insurgents. they have captured the major cities, three major cities, 18 provincial capitals in total. tell us how the afghan government is facing such heavy defeats. reporter: there was an emergency security council meeting, after which the decision was taken. we have to look at this from another perspective as well. there is a clear disconnect between kabul and battlefield commanders. the idea of offering people a chance to surrender if they don't fight is causing a massive blow to the morale of security

forces, and we see these rapid advances by the taliban in terms of taking over strategic urban centers, almost 18 cities. with these seizures comes weapons, munitions. the afghan government is losing thousands of fighting forces. the taliban are in control of lucrative trading centers with neighboring countries, so according to some officials, the taliban can earn $2 million to $2.5 million every day, meaning the central government coffers would dry up soon. it is a challenging and painful time for a government that is not only sidelined bu by the americans, but they have been working to sideline president. anchor: turning to turkey, 38

people have died after experiencing some of the most severe flooding in decades. rain inundated towns. more than 300 people may be unaccounted for. this follows on the heels of wildfires that killed at least eight in the southern area. we have this report. reporter: these aerial images show the scope and scale of the disaster. here on the shores of the black a, the floodwaters have washed away everything in their path, electric poles, trees, cars. the village streets are not passable and not recognizable. a partially destroyed building is on the verge of collapse. the residents are in shock. >> [speaking in foreign language]

reporter: in some places, the water level has exceeded four meters, many people missing, carried off by the strong current. on friday, the turkish president visited some of the victims of these deadly floods. he pledged government help in blamed climate change for the disaster. >> [speaking in foreign language] reporter: these are the worst floods in decades in turkey, and the second natural disaster to stke the country in a month, after the deadly wildfires in the south. anchor: mexicans are marking the

500tanniversary since the fall of an aztec city. commemorations took place in mexico city, where remains of the aztec civilization can be seen today. they hope that tributes will keep the spirits of the aztecs alive. we have the story. reporter: adorned with headdresses and body paint like their ancestors over five centuries ago, these mexicans may be dancing, but it is not a happy day. they are marking the 500th anniversary since the aztec capital fell to spanish conquerors. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: how can we celebrate the day we were enslaved. how can we make a cruel day official for our people? ♪ reporter: the spanish destroyed temples and palaces during the overthrow, then use the materials to lay the foundations for their own empire. the tribute took place in the square, located in the mexican capital, where the ruins of a

temple remain, one of the most sacred sites of the aztecs. the rituals drew crowds of waters, descendant -- watchers, descendants fighting to keep the spirit of their ancestors alive. >> [speaking in foreign language] translator: the importance of it is it shows the people the origin, the essential roots, just like with a tree. reporter: the clan was founded in 1325. it met its demise in 1521. anchor: finally, the father of britney spears is to relinquish control of her $60 million estate, although no timetable has been set. he has agreed to step down from his 13-your role as conservator. britney spears lawyer has cold the move indication for his client who said the conservatorship was abusive. reporter: a breakthrough for britney spears and her fans, after her father agreed he will

eventually step down as conservator of her state. court docket --estate. his lawyer said that jamie spears does not believe a public battle with his daughter over his continued service as conservator be in her interest. he took up the role of conservator in 2007, after his daughter's public breakdown. the job gave him control of her fortune. the pop star says he was able to dictate her contraception use. it puts an end to a bitter legal battle that has lasted more than a year to remove her father as conservator, launched last month , describing the 13-year guardianship as abusive. >> free brittany. reporter: her devoted fans have rallied around her under the free brittany movement. one supporter said that britney spears freedom is coming and i am so happy right now, while

another said it is wonderful so many have supported britney spears. i just heard the news. underfoot things can happen when we stand together. fans have criticized jamie spears, claiming he exploited his daughter. he denies this and says he had her best interests at heart. anchor: that is from us. more news is next. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> my guest is a writer, director, and producer known for creating some of the most iconic

shows in tv history. beverly hills, 90210, melrose place, and emily in paris. hello. you are shooting the second season. what is different about this season? >> there are some new characters who come in. i'd like to think of the first season is the beginning of the movie, the set up, and the action begins in sees it too. >> are you shooting outside of paris? >> outside paris, suggests, so we began filming there. it is beautiful. part of the show is showing off the beauty of france. there is a lot of eye candy in this season. it is therefore the viewers to live vicariously. >> what is it about france you love so much? >> it is a beautiful country, beautiful culture, and so

different from the u.s. that is what makes the show interesting to write. the cultural differences, that is what it is about, that this character is late, the culture, the experience living in france that has an effect on her. >> [speaking in french] >> [speaking in french] [indiscernible] ♪ >> i am emily, her new neighbor. >> [speaking in french] >> you have come to teach the french some american tricks? >> has anybody noticed this is a very dysfunctional workplace. >> i think you have brought the drama. >> critics were not kind, saying it did not show the real paris. how painful is that? >> it did not hurt at all. i think the critics sometimes misses the humor, that we are

making fun of american cliches and french cliches, and that was the point. the point was to include the cliches, so i think you have to watch the show with a sense of humor and understand the spirit in which it is intended. >> do you remember your first trip to france? >> i was 19, backpacking through france, landed in paris, and fell in love with it. i have been back, spending time here, imagining what it would be like to live and work here, and meeting the emily character, living in an apartment, going to french class, living the sort of real life in paris, and so i encounter a lot of the cliches myself. >> what was the biggest emily moment you had? >> i have had a number. i have come up against language

barriers. i did not understand the difference between the first floor and second floor. i think french people can't underestimate the cluelessness of americans when they come over here. >> the show you are most associated with is sex and the city. why do you think it touched a chord with so many people? >> it was the first showed to represent adult relationships in a frank, honest way. we were able to do it on hbo, which did not have content restrictions. i thought it would be an independent film for television. i had had commercial success, and i wanted to do something that felt more real and personal. i think it was a shock, because people had not seen something like that before, that in its frankness was so relatable and universal. >> sex and the city pushed so many boundaries.

what is one scene or a line where you said they will never go for it? >> almost all of them at the beginning, but they did. i think the rest is history. they were very supportive, letting us do what we wanted, and letting us use our taste to guide us. >> you started beverly hills, 90210 30 years ago? >> so many years ago. >> how has television changed? >> i started on fox, a young screenwriter, not interested in television, but fox was this promising network that was going to be different, more relevant to younger viewers, and so beverly hills, 90210 was a showed to appeal to those viewers with an edgier point of view. at the time, there were four networks, no cable shows. since then, it has exponentially

exploded, and now tv has become the dominant medium. i don't even like the idea of calling it tv anymore, because that puts it in a box. i think we need a new word to describe tv. >> you are a writer. what with that word be? >> it is filmed entertainment. i don't think people differentiate it. it is like, it is just the same. >> so many of your shows, all have these incredible women who are fascinating and flawed, but real women protagonists. where do you think your knack for writing women comes from? >> i write shows where people are talking a lot about their feelings, and i think women tend to express those in that sense, and i always felt it was easy to put myself in the shoes of female characters. >> hbo is creating the sex and

the city reboot, which you are not working on. >> yes. >> does any part of you want to be involved? >> yes and no. i am busy now i couldn't do it. it is a compliment that it continues and there is a passion for for the audience who wants to see it. i still have my great creative team doing it, so i'm excited about what is to come. >> one person who turned down the sex and the city reboot to work on emily in paris is the costume designer patricia field who did so many iconic costumes and sex and the city. how involved are you in the fashion choices in the show, and what effect do they have on the writing? >> i'd love the imagination that patricia brings to wardrobe. i think it takes everything to another level. it adds another layer of entertainment value. we want the show to be visual,

and she thinks in such a visual way about it, and she thinks about wardrobe with a sense of humor also. i think i know how much the audience enjoys seeing that. >> is there any show you wish you had created but did not? >> i think back to older shows that really influenced me, like the mary tyler moore show. to me, that was a groundbreaking show for its time. single women, modern. i look at old reruns of star trek with my son and think, how did they do it back then? they did 30 episodes of season, you know? it is amazing. it still looks good. it still holds up. it is the storytelling also. >> which of your own shows are you proudest of ny. >> icam.

-- proudest of and why. >>, can't. -- i can't. i think when you do a series, you have to love it with all your heart when you're doing it because you put so much of yourself into it. >> what show do you binge watch the most? >> i don't have time to binge watch a lot. i just started watching hacks, which i am enjoying. >> how is it going in was vegas? did you do thelma and louise or what? >> no, but i do want to drive off a cliff. >> it is like watching picasso ing. >> you mean paint? >> no. >> iave a very long watchlist. >> it is opposite to emily in

paris. >> we think there is a crossover. >> why not? it could be a scoop. thank you very much. ♪ >> we are going to use this kid as bait. he will come right to us. ♪ >> i know this guy. and he will not give up. ♪ i will make him pay for this. ♪ [siren] ♪ ♪ >> france 24, every art form.

>> [speaking in french] ♪ anchor: it is time for french connections, a look at the intricacies of life in france. today, we will look at something france is very proud of, and that is the strong fertility rate in this country. france has been the babymaking champion of europe, but the country has been experiencing baby blues in recent years. the number of births has been dropping, particular now during the pandemic. >> which is surprising. a lot of people were saying they would be a baby-boom. if you look at the stats, it is a different story. nine months after the lockdown, france saw a historic drop in

the number of births. people are calling it a baby bust, not a boom. according to the france statistics bureau, and 2021, there was a 13% drop in the number of births compared to january 2020. it is hard to be optimistic during a global pandemic. >> [speaking in french] >> while a lot of french people postponed babymaking plans, those who went through with that site being locked down at home, working from home, those were ideal conditions. >> [speaking in french]

>> the babymaking numbers might be down, but the confinement did have some positive effects, like the drop in the number of premature babies. >> elsewhere in the world as well. it is interesting. it came as a surprised to doctors. why are there so few preemies being born? doctors believe it could be due to reduced stress level from others in the final part of the pregnancy, cleaner air, and even better hygiene. take a listen. >> [speaking in french]

anchor: some good news for preemie babies, but there is still this big drop in fertility, part of a trend we have seen over the past couple of years. >> demographer saying it is doing to a number of factors, including the number of women having children is dropping, and fewer are having babies. in 2020, 700 40,000 babies were born in france, the lowest number since the end of the second world war. it is a real drop compared to a peak in 2010, was nearly 833,000 babies were born. that being said, the babymaking rate in france is still relatively high compared to other countries, particularly in europe. let's look at the figures. if you compare 2018, for instance, 1.88 babies per woman. germany, 1.50 seven.

italy, 1.29. the european averages 1.56. these are the european figures. the replacement fertility rate when the population renews itself is 2.1 children per woman, so you can see all these countries are below it, but france still is the champion. anchor: france does still have this traditionally strong fertility rate. why is that? they don't have particular babymaking powers. the country has a strong welfare program that encourages people to keep having kids. >> it is a generous system put in place in the 1930's to boost the birth rate, setting up a family allowance system back by tax incentives. it is known as [speaking in french] and you start, receiving them on the birth of her second child. this was a universal system of cash handouts, but in 2015 with the major budget deficit, the socialist government decided to

make it income-dependent. high income families receive less. let's look at one case. if you learn less than 70,000 euros a year, for two children, 131.95 euros a month as a monthly stipend, and it makes a big difference. anchor: it keeps you in diapers, that is for sure. let's talk about parental leave. it is not that high in france compared to other countries. >> that's right, compared with the nordic countries. maternity leave is 16 weeks paid full salary. maternity leave just increase recently, 28 days. what makes a real dierence though is the state makes it easier for women to go back to work. this is what studies have shown, the easier you make it for women to go back into the workforce, the more babies they have. that being said, this reasoning has been thrown into the air due to the covid pandemic.

everything is in the air right now with the uncertainty about the future. will the french recover from these baby blues, go back to procreating? hopefully once the pandemic is a distant memory. we will have to come up with the generation name for these new babies. we were talking about the quarantines. anchor: the covid kids. thank you so much. thank you for watching. if you have questions about■>q?c

08/13/21 08/13/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! >> this is not abandonment. this is not an evacuation. this is not the whole so withdraw. what this is is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint. amy: the u.s. is sending 3000 troops back into afghanistan to help evacuate u.s. embassy staff in kabul as the taliban