for centuries, a significant sikh minority has grown in relative safety in afg ha nista n. but in the last decade, persecution has seen the population drop. sikhs have lived in afghanistan for centuries, but they are an embattled minority living in ghettos and trapped in poverty. in a muslim country that is unstable and insecure, sikhs are targeted and discriminated against for their religion. and the violence is getting worse. i have returned to my homeland of afghanistan to meet one of the nation's oldest communities. once, a quarter of a million strong, now reduced to just quarter of a million strong, now reduced tojust 100 quarter of a million strong, now reduced to just 100 families. this is a community facing a dilemma over its very existence. this is a district in the capital of kabul, it is home to one of afg hanistan‘s last remaining kabul, it is home to one of afghanistan's last remaining seat communities. today is the biggest day on the seek calendar. it celebrates the birth of the religion, and commemorates the fight against persecution. i am with aramendia sing

despite dwindling numbers, afg hanistan‘s education ministry still provides teachers.but the government has promised that even if there is just one sikh or hindu student left, they will still keep the school and the teachers. the school principal, who is muslim, used to teach afghan war refugees in iran. now he teaches afghan sikhs in their own country. but in a country that is officially islamic, many sikhs say they are treated like second—class citizens. i have come to the powerful ministry of religious affairs. part of its remit is to help ensure that all of the country's minorities can practice their religion in safety. but officials here don't blame the problems faced by the sikhs on religious intolerance. sikhs are not the only community to leave afghanistan after hundreds of years of shared experience. i have come to herat in the far west of the country. there was once prosperous sikh and hindu communities here but they are now almost entirely abandoned. the city was also the centre of a large jewish community in afghanistan that had once flourished in the count

afg ha n happen. let's go back to the times. afghan women pay deadly price for peace. murder in the street of a female television presenterjust shot dead in the street by two guys ona shot dead in the street by two guys on a motorbike. simply because she isa on a motorbike. simply because she is a woman who actually wants to earn a living for herself and control her destiny. exactly, and it talks about since the taliban, the taliban, when they were in power, notorious for the absolutely appalling way in which women were treated. things have improved in afghanistan. not massively at all but it talks about women who have beenin but it talks about women who have been in education, doctors and so on. and i was in afghanistan straight after the fall of the taliban and the national theatre, there was a performance there with a woman on stage for the first time in years and years. it was received well because the taliban had gone but it still remains a very conservative society and the point here at the moment is the peace deal talks which appear to be reaching fruition betwe

and the taliban refuses to speak to the afg ha n taliban refuses to speak to the afghan government, so knows what will happen if the americans do leave. it says something if, here we have a quote on the arab news, the saudi government, the ministry of foreign affairs, said we renew the kingdom's position against targeting and terrorising innocent people and all manifestations of violence. tell that to the poor people of yemen who have been blown up and shot to smithereens by bombs funded by saudi money. but it is a terrible picture presented here. 63 dead, 200 injured, and it would appear they we re injured, and it would appear they were attacked because they were shia and enjoyed music and dancing. it was a wedding, supposedly the greatest day of the new husband and wife's lives. they survived, but so many others killed. let's cast a ride to the south china morning post 110w. ride to the south china morning post now. i mean, weekend after weekend 110w now. i mean, weekend after weekend now for 11 weeks we have seen protests in hong kong. what makes it different this time as there were

including intra—afg han negotiations." crucial point to note, the us isn't negotiating with is — but it is with the taliban. the taliban has condemned the attack as "forbidden and unjustifiable". and the negotiations continue. here's one former afghan mp on that process. caliban are not the only violent extremist group in afghanistan. more than a0 years of war and conflict have paved the way and made afghanistan vulnerable to many terrorist networks. including recently isis so time and again i've been saying that by making a peace agreement with caliban, not necessarily, there will be a comprehensive peace that every people in afghanistan will enjoy. we don't expect that but having a peace settle m e nt don't expect that but having a peace settlement with caliban, probably there will be a reduction in violence and we hope there will be less of such horrible attacks, and we've been saying lately based on the un reports also, the civilian casualties over the past months have been at their peak. of course, horrible ones you'

look at that truck bomb yesterday and the appalling nature of it in weston campbell and the love of afgl and the love of afghans will have to be convinced they are serious about peace. —— western kabul. convinced they are serious about peace. -- western kabul. there is anger that the taliban is talking about peace in far—away doha but killing them at home. afghans are desperate for a ceasefire but we understand that in these negotiations between the us and the taliban, the ceasefire is not on the agenda and will only be on the agenda and will only be on the agenda as part of an afghan peace deal and not discussions with the us. we are discussing the last details for the peace agreement, and when they are concluded. so the peace deal as there, it is done. but you have no major objections now to the agreement as it stands now? no, all the points we discussed and we agreed upon during the past rounds of talks. so i already said it, we have done about 80% of the agreement. so that is the message we see from the taliban, the same we heard from the taliban, the same we heard from the chief am

ancorruption is still a huge, huge issue in afg tnistan, with government, within the ministries, within just even how business is done, and highways are difficult to travel. from criminals, from taliban, from other circumstances you yom have the i state that is there as well. >> sreenivasan: th president wants all 14,000 people out. is that possible? >> i think the agreement the taliban will sign on to will demand all leave. it is hard to imagine that they will not leave behind mil personnel who-- and intelligence personnel who can continue to battle the islamic state to ensure-- because the main concern for the united states, and understandably, is that its security is guaranteed. but i'm sure that they won't be there as u.s. military troops. i think the taliban are very clear they wanthe 14,000 gone. gone, that they-- i tnk th understand that, you know, the antiterrorism guarantees are going to come with orsight. >> sreenivasan: kathy gannon of the associated press, thanks so much for joining us. >> thank you very much. >> sreenivasan: in august of 2016, after four years of bombings,

security, they believe it is a personal ceremony, happy ceremony, it is not a political gathering, and afgcal gathering, and afghan wedding parties are very big, up afghan wedding parties are very big, up to afghan wedding parties are very big, uptoa afghan wedding parties are very big, up to a thousand people gather, and at this event, 60 killed, more than 180 wounded, most of these people are 180 wounded, most of these people a re close 180 wounded, most of these people are close relatives, immediate family members, and some have lost up family members, and some have lost up to as many as 15 immediate family members, and so we are talking about severalfamilies members, and so we are talking about several families connected to each other having lost so many. and today many parts in the heart of kabul, people are basically with the mass burials and funerals and mourning ceremonies, and it happened at a timejust a day ceremonies, and it happened at a time just a day before the 100th anniversary of the afghan independence, the last two days was so independence, the last two days was so festi

allow internationaljihad groups to operate in the country and the taliban will begin talks with other afgher afghan representatives. what is feared would be included in the settle m e nt feared would be included in the settlement is an immediate declaration of a ceasefire. and the concern — make the concern is the violence on the ground was to continue. the first type of this year alone, or than 1000 afghan civilians have lost their lives as a result of this conflict. as the british government plans for a no—deal brexit in october, it's been disclosed to the bbc that, in its worst case scenario, more than 5,000 lorries crossing the english channel every day could face long delays and disruption. it comes as the food industry called for the plans to include relaxing competition law, to allow firms to co—ordinate supplies should there be no—deal. here's our economics editor faisal islam. they call it a rolling motorway, the 20—minute turnaround of a channel tunnel freight train. fresh fish, medical products, car parts, even thoroughbred horses, are exported and imported in a system built on

policy strategist at afg investments. thank you both for being with me.how much is president trump's trade war impacting the u.s. economy? >> it's still growing. it's nothing to write home about. 2%. consumers are still spending. job market is okay. it's the uncertainty more than anything else. that farmer we just heard from, people who run businesses who need components of china face a lot of uncertainty. it looks like it's not going to go away any time soon. >> ken, what's your take? >> businesses aren't investing here at home either. it's toxic for the economy. it could come home to roost in the united states. >> a source close to the president told the washington post this, how the president is seeing the headlines. he speaks publicly and it's all honky dory. apparently he's telling his aides, or this is their perception, he's rattled, that all these people who do economic forecasting are a bunch of establishment weenies, elites who don't know anything about the real economy and they're against trump. what's your reaction to that, greg? >> the coverag

we must accelerate the afghan peace process including intra—afg han negotiations.e a laboratory. that and we have a very, very good view. i mean, some things are going to be announced over the next couple of weeks as to what happened, who's been taken out. a lot of people have been taken out that were very bad, both isis and al-anda. well earlier i spoke to omar samad, afghanistan's former ambassador to canada and france as well as a senior fellow at the atlantic council. ambassador samad, it has been a terrible weekend in afghanistan, the wedding bombings and now this latest round of attacks as well, how do you account for this level of violence? those who are behind these soft target attacks where civilians are hurt in such a horrible way are doing it for political or strategic reasons. it all depends on who's really behind this. so in this case, islamic state in that region, which is sort of an unknown entity, we don't know enough about it, has claimed responsibility. the taliban have also vehemently criticised this attack because they are involved, as you know,

the pakistani government on the pakistani government on the pakistani afg hani pakistani government ons not just about a sensitive intelligence operation but also vulnerable allies, united states does not really wa nt allies, united states does not really want to embarrass its own allies. they are keeping the story hushed for a while, but ultimately we will hear from the us government any next few hours or days. tell us how significant a figure hamza bin laden was. if his death is confirmed, this will represent a significant symbolic blow for al-qaeda. hamza bin laden carries a great deal of weight for al-qaeda's followers, he was the son of 0sama bin laden, he had been groomed by his father would be the crown prince of al-qaeda. al-qaeda is self has been packaging and selling hamza bin laden as the young public phase, and if he is killed it will deny al-qaeda the second generation, because al-qaeda now is led by dying older men. he is in his 30s, he could have taken al-qaeda to the next phase, the next generation. how potent a force is our car you do, because the caps we have become m