that comes hot on the heels of militant overrunning the strategic income of ghazni. heavy fighting is also taking place in the country second-biggest city. the u.s. believes the afghan capital itself could come under attack within weeks and is asking its citizens to leave the country immediately. >> the taliban triumphant in ghazni. they have met barely any resistance. it seems that without backing from the u.s. and other international troops, afghan government forces are reluctant to make a stand. >> our security forces are still fighting the opposition and some areas. >> ghazni lies on a vital highway connecting these cities. both already under heavy attack by the taliban. just a short distance from ghazni is the capital of kabul itself. >> we remain optimistic but we were always concerned that if the central and global governments did not pay special attention to ghazni and it fell, we would see a huge security challenge threatening couple. >> -- kabul. >> now the military has fallen. they usually find stockpiles of weapons and vehicles left behind by government t

today, it was ghazni, just 85 miles from the capital kabul.eteriorating security situation, today, britain announced it was temporarily sending 600 troops to kabul to facilitate the withdrawal of embassy staff and british citizens are still in the country. america announced its preparing to do the same, deploying 3000 marines and soldiers. this do the same, deploying 3000 marines and soldiers. , , ., ., , and soldiers. this is a temporary mission with _ and soldiers. this is a temporary mission with a _ and soldiers. this is a temporary mission with a narrow _ and soldiers. this is a temporary mission with a narrow focus. - and soldiers. this is a temporary mission with a narrow focus. asl and soldiers. this is a temporary - mission with a narrow focus. as with all deployments of our troops into harm's way, our commanders have the inherent right of self—defence and any attack on them, and will be met with a forceful and an appropriate response. l115 with a forceful and an appropriate resonse. , . with a forceful and an appropriate resonse. ,,

today, it was ghazni, just 85 miles from the capital kabul.e face of this rapidly deteriorating security situation, today, britain announced it was temporarily sending 600 troops to kabul to facilitate the withdrawal of embassy staff and british citizens still in the country. america announced its preparing to do the same, deploying 3000 marines and soldiers. this is a temporary mission with a narrow focus. as with all deployments of our troops into harm's way, our commanders have the inherent right of self—defence and any attack on them, and will be met with a forceful and an appropriate response. us initiated so—called peace talks with the taliban were still taking place in doha today, but they now look more like a sideshow with little relevance to what's happening on the ground. in the past month the insurgents have moved at speed, seizing more territory. in the last day alone, three major cities have fallen including herat, ghazni and lashkar gah in helmand, once patrolled by british troops. nearby kandahar is believed to be on the brink.

in afghanistan, taliban fighters have captured the city of ghazni — the tenth provincial capital they'ved in recent days — but could taliban rule see a return to strict sharia law? we have a special report. complaints of prison—like conditions in mandatory hotels for red—list travellers as the the price increases to nearly £2,300 for the 11—day stay. online retailer boohoo insists its clothing brands are "not throwaway fashion". it says 20% of its ranges will be sustainable this autumn — increasing to 40% by next year. hello, good afternoon. gcse students in england, wales and northern ireland have received another set of record grades, after exams were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. top grades rose by 2.7% to almost 29%, while the pass rate is also slightly up. the government had to cancel exams for a second consecutive year, so pupils�* grades have been based on teacher assessment, drawing some criticism of grade inflation. with the latest, here's our education correspondent, elaine dunkley. the moment anxiety and fear disappears. in their grasp, the gcse results these students

and nato troops at fab an dar in ghazni province. last americans left a couple of years ago, but their memory still lurks, ghost-like. it's just so strange to see this, you know? the taliban granted access to cnn along with award-winning afghan filmmaker, keen to show off the spoils of war. so we're just arriving at another u.s. base, and already i can see a large number of military vehicles over there. according to the taliban, afghan forces here surrendered three weeks ago when their food ran out, leaving weapons and ammunition and more. when the americans were here, were you and your men attacking this base a lot? >> translator: yes. many times we attacked this base when america was here. we did operations. we were using ieds. the americans had their helicopters, weapons, and tanks on the ground. we resisted very well. >> reporter: now they roam through what's left of the tactical operations center. anything of value will be stripped down and sold. walking through what's left of these american bases, you have to ask yourself, what

and nato troops in ghazni province.ouple of years ago, but their memories still lurk ghostlike. it's just so strange to see this, you know? the taliban granted access to cnn along with award-winning afghan filmmaker. keen to show off the spoils of war. so we're just arriving at another u.s. base. and already i can see a large number of military vehicles over there. acco according to the taliban, afghan forces here surrendered three weeks ago. when the americans were here, were you and your men attacking this base a lot? >> translator: yes. many times we attacked this base when america was here. we did operations. we were using ieds. the americans had their helicopters, weapons and tanks on the ground. resisted very well. >> now they roam through what's left of the tactical operations center. anything of value will be stripped down and sold. walking through what's left of these american bases, you have to ask yourself, what was it all for? america's great experiment with nation building now vanished into dust. >> transla

taliban fighters in afghanistan say they've captured the strategically important city of ghazni as the un warns of an unfolding humanitarian disaster. it's gcse results day in england, wales and northern ireland, with record grades achieved after a second year of cancelled exams. the government says people can be confident in the results. inevitably, you'll get a higher proportion of top grades in this system this year, but they're still valid grades that are backed up by very real evidence of the performance of those young people. the number of people in england waiting to start routine hospital treatment has led to a record high of 5.45 million people. the economy crows b of 5.45 million people. the economy grows by nearly _ of 5.45 million people. the economy grows by nearly 596. _ new zealand says it will keep its border closed until at least the end of the year to keep covid out more wildfires in italy, as sicily records what could be europe's hottest—ever temperature. hello, and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. the international red cross has warned of a

was on the road from ghazni to kabul. they said he was arrested for fleeing the capital, for fleeing the fight. there has also been heavy fighting in kandahar today. as you mentioned that those reports from the taliban is claiming it has fallen into their hands and that hasn't been confirmed by the afghan government either and same as herat, we know there's been heavy fighting and we've seen the video and we have no confirmation from the government that they've been pushed out yet. so if those two cities fall, kandahar, the second largest city in the country and herat, it would mean that the government is only in control of two major cities. sharif in the north and of course, the capital kabul, and you already have, as you mentioned this influx of thousands of people who have fled these provinces where the taliban has taken control over the past several days and andrea, the rapidity and the quickness with which this happened cannot be ignored. you know, less than a week ago the taliban didn't control a single provincial c

the capture of ghazni is particularly alarming. it is just 100 kilometers from kabul, and with it in the hands of militants, a crucial highway has been cut off. there are reports the taliban are being prisoners. meanwhile, ongoing peace talks in doha are being stalled despite the offer of a power-sharing deal from the government in return for an end to the fighting. >> as a deadly fourth wave of coronavirus inftions wreaks havoc in the wrench caribbean island of martinique, dr. face the cruel reality of having to choose between life and death for critically ill patients with hospitals overwhelmed and the number of cases skyrocketing. they do not have enough oxygen to administer to patients. >> patients are everywhere. as more and more people are brought in with covid-19 symptoms, medics have to place them anywhere they can -- in corridors, in hallways, and under tents set up outside the building. a new patient has arrived. the first thing nurses do is test their oxygen. -- to give them oxygen. instantly, she can breathe better. for

the south in their laterland, but they've also taken critical cities including in ghazni, which is onlyf the turning points here, is once they took ghazni 80 miles out of kabul, the concern is they'll be moving toward and threatening kabul in a matter of days. most of the military's estimates is the taliban would take many of the more rural areas, slowly make their way thwart kabul, threatening it later this year. now there is a real concern that they have isolated the capital of kabul and they'll be able to threaten it potentially even before the end of this month, jonathan. i mean the way that the taliban -- the military strategy that they have shown in this offensive in these past several weeks has really been pretty remarkable, and that's what's really changed the situation and the calculus on the ground. >> courtney, walk us through what capabilities the u.s. has to slow this, and, secondly, just a few days ago, president biden said he had no regrets about his decision, words that i know some around him wish he could take back. is there any chance of a the ais stepped up their air

they are truly on the doorstep of kabul in ghazni as kelly pointed out and threatening logar province next door to kabul. the big concern is if they threaten kabul, how strong will the afghan military be? will they be able to defend the city, and the real serious, the worst case scenario at this point is that if they move into kabul, they will move straight to the airport, they will take the airport and then there's really not a lot that the international community can do, that will be the worst case scenario. >> a huge game changer on that front. courtney kube, kelly cobiella, josh lederman you'll be watching closely in the coming hours on "msnbc reports." >>> we're talking more about this later in the show with a member of congress who served there. we want to turn to other big headlines this morning on the covid front. what happens in an hour or so from now. the cdc is getting ready for this big meeting on a third dose for americans, not all americans, right? they're looking specifically at people who have weaker immune systems. this green light for that third shot could come maybe

on the ghazni highway, we passed base after base, all flying the militants' flag.t the end, it's a similar site, the days of underground insurgency are over. and the taliban is poised to re-establish the very look that america came to destroy. the taliban governor insists the group has changed since then. >> translator: the difference between this that taliban and this taliban, is that the taliban of 2001 were new. this taliban is experienced, disciplined. our activities are going well. we're obeying our leader. >> a lot of people are concerned if the taliban takes power again, women's rights will move backwards, how you can guarantee that women's rights will be protected? >> translator: we assure this to people all over the world, especially the people of afghanistan. islam has given rights to everyone equally. women have their own rights. how much islam has given rights to women, we will give them that much. >> reporter: that is clearly open for interpretation. next to the mosque, we find a classroom of young girls. but their teacher says they will only receive r

government forces reportedly collapsing in kandahar to the south, herat in the west, and ghazni, just 80 miles from the edge of the capital, kabul. the state department saying all americans need to leave immediately, and vowing to increase flights to evacuate afghans who have worked with u.s. troops but many like this interpreter still don't know if their visa is approved >> we have lost our hopes, you know. >> reporter: for the thousands of afghan families who can't leave, they're seeking refuge in kabul, some saying the taliban is terrorizing villages they capture, targeting government workers and women. in a tweet the u.s. embassy said the taliban violence is escalating, including executions of surrendered afghan troops in kabul today, one of the last big cities under government control. girls rode bikes, women shopped and ran their businesses like this yoga studio, all unthinkable under the taliban. but anxiety and fear are now sinking in the owner of this studio was 19 when the taliban took over in 1996 her daughter is the same age now would you leave the country again? >> i don'

today capturing ghazni, the gateway to the south.apturing herat, the gateway from the west of kabul, so next up is the battle for kabul itself. i think it's difficult for republicans to fairly criticize president biden for the fundamental decision he made to withdraw u.s. troops. that was initiated by his predecessor president trump. it is fair to question whether reasonable planning was made when he made his announcement in april that he intended to withdraw troops by september. whether the right set of plans was put in place to make for a secure and stable transition as possible. what we're seeing is just an accelerating deterioration of a situation for afghan troops. i can only assume that today's news will produce increasing fear, perhaps panic among afghan civilians who are desperate to get out, fear the future. i think republicans, democrats, everybody's going to be concerned about this very chaotic and i fear dangerous end game in afghanistan. one final thing i'd say -- this imminent battle for kabul is not something that any

the taliban has seized control of ghazni, three hours from the capital, as well as herat, the third-largests fierce fighting in the country's second-biggest city, kandahar. the pentagon is sending 3000 u.s. troops to kabul to help remove embassy staff. polls are closed in zambia after long queues of people jammed voting sessions -- voting areas into the night. it is a tight race between the president and his opposition rival. algeria is observing three days of mourning after the number of people killed in wildfires went up to 69. they are appealing for help to attack the blazes. brain has brought much-needed relief to firefighters on the greek island of evie. fires have scorched the northern half of the island. most of the blazes have subsided. the country's prime minister called the destruction the greatest ecological catastrophe greece had seen in decades. he blamed the climate crisis and said he is ready to make bold changes. a new wave of floods and landslides has swept through turkey's northern black sea region. 11 people are dead. hundreds more have been evacuated from their homes. >>

for example, the border or in ghazni province.he taliban spokesperson, when asked about this, called it away. he said this doesn't happen, this is not true, where yeah, sums cases cerinly extend -- exist, and there is a doubt that the taliban will not address these killings that apparently happened. michael: journalist friends marty in kabul, thank you very much. the german governments evacuation has begun in earnest with more than 100 people flown out of kabul on tuesday. that followed harsh criticism for delays in an initial evacuation flight that carried only a handful of passengers. the foreign ministry says the latest flight back to germany, with a stop in uzbekistan, includes german and afghan citizens, as well as people from 13 other countries. >> this is what an evacuation flight could look like. the u.s. military released a photo of more than 600 afghans crowded into a cargo plane, which took off from kabul on sunday. by contrast, the german planes flown to the region have brought out only a few people. one flight left ka

this morning, the militants sweeping into ghazni, just 80 miles sous south of kabul. these videos showing taliban fighters controlling the streets, some posing for the cameras, increasingly confident. and this afternoon the taliban taking herat. video taken by the taliban appear to show them wandering through police headquarters. and today, president biden refusing to answer questions as the situation on the ground deteriorates dramatically. >> the question there, is afghanistan lost? the president not answering today. ian pannell with us live from london tonight, where the uk says it will be sending its own military personnel to afghanistan to help british nationals leave the country. and ian, you reported there that the u.s. is not reporting this a combat mission or an evacuation, either. officials say the embassy will an tonpen, but what does that remain? a wt sort of u.s. footprint will be left in afghanistan after this new and urgent move? >> reporter: david, the pentagon's only saying less than 1,000 troops, but given the kabul's under siege and those remaining

by all 12th, ghazni, just south of kabul, was in taliban hands.nt chiefs chairman general mark milley warned that the taliban was within 24 hours of kab kabul. and the pentagon ordered in combat troops to reinforce the airport and safeguard the evacuation of americans from the embassy. >> the first movement will consist of three infantry battalions. they will move to hamid karzai international airport in kabul >> reporter: taliban leaders assured u.s. officials they only intended to surround the capital, not take it. >> kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment. but clearly, david, if you just look at what the taliban's been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate kabul. >> reporter: last saturday, general mckenzie, the central command chief, flew to the persian gulf to meet face to face with taliban leaders. he took a map showing a 25-kilometer area around the airport, intending to warn the taliban to stay out or their fighters would be attacked. but by the time they met on sunday, taliban fighters were already rolling i

this is in malistan district in ghazni province, where we've had for a number of weeks now reports ofder of a number of civilians. in fact, i spoke to one family. they said that two of their sons had been accused by the taliban of working for the government, of working with army. it wasn't true. by the time they brought their id cards out to show to the taliban, the taliban had already shot them in the head. amnesty international detailing the murder of nine other civilians in that area. this is a couple of weeks back when the taliban took it over. and, as you say, there's particular concern about the treatment of the hazara minority. they are a community that has long been persecuted. i have to say that yesterday — hazara minority are members of the shia sect of islam and yesterday was a holy day for them. they were holding rallies here. some members of the community saying that they felt safe, that they didn't feel they had anything to fear from the taliban. but in this area, in ghazni province, there seems to have been, for some reason or another, very worrying reports of these mas

distance away from kabul, and if they surround kabul, which they are trying to do, they have taken ghaznioute to the north is blocked, kabul would starve, so to speak, because all the roads that lead to kabul would be blocked. sorry tojump in — can that be stopped, is there something the international community can do now? unfortunately at the moment, no. unless they really enter very forcefully and tell the taliban that if they don't stop there onslaught, there will be a serious consequences, and i hate to say, but unless they really go back and with really strong force, there is no way that they can save afghanistan. a vigil has been held in memory of the 5 people killed by a gunman in plymouth on thursday, in the uk's worst mass shooting in over 10 years. the dead include the mother of the gunman, who was the first to die, and a three year old girl, sophie martin, who'd been out for a walk with her father who was also shot dead. 0ur correspondent, jon kay, has the latest, from keyham. plymouth is hurting tonight. in this neighbourhood, everyone knows one another, so finding out who the

and after seizing ghazni, the taliban now control a city only about 90 miles southwest of kabul.roup's rapid victories are overwhelming afghan troops, triggering the u.s. to announce today the significant staff draw-down at its embassy in the coming days. >> we intend to continue that enduring partnership with the people of afghanistan, and the government of afghanistan. so this shouldn't be read as any sort of message to the taliban. >> reporter: but as the u.s. prepares to complete its military withdrawal by the end of this month, this latest move is sure to embolden the taliban even more. in the city of farah, a video appears to show insurgents dragging the dead body of an afghan security force member, shouting "god is great." and elsewhere, the taliban are showing off military and police equipment they seized from american-trained afghan forces. the violence has pushed hundreds of thousands of people to flee in recent months. many are coming to kabul seeking safety. they've left behind their homes, their belongings, and even loved ones killed in the fighting. shia mohamed's p

government forces reportedly collapsing in kandahar to the south, herat in the west, and ghazni, just 80 miles from the edge of the capital kabul. all americans need to leave immediately, says the state department, and vowing to increase flights to evacuate afghans who have worked with u.s. troops. but many like this interpreter still don't know if their visa is approved. >> we lost our hopes >> reporter: for the thousands of afghan families who can't leave, they're seeking refuge in kabul. some saying the taliban is terrorizing villages they capture, targeting government workers and women. in a tweet, the u.s. embassy said the taliban violence is escalating, including executions of surrendered afghan troops girls rode bikes, women shopped, and ran their businesses like this yoga studio, all unthinkable under the taliban. but anxiety and fear are now seeking in the owner of this studio was 19 when the taliban took over in 1996 her daughter is the same age now. >> would you leave the country again? >> i don't know exactly. you cannot make the plan, your future plan. >> reporter: the u.

the rights group has spoken to eyewitnesses who've given gruesome accounts of the incident, in ghaznithe killings were a �*horrifying indicator of what taliban rule may bring'. the hazara community is afghanistan's third largest ethnic group. they mainly practise shia islam and have long faced persecution in the predominantly sunni country. joining us is homira rezai, a member in the hazara committee in the uk. tell us about the conversations you are having with members of your community who are in afghanistan at the moment, what are they saying to you? the moment, what are they saying to ou? , ., , ., , ., you? everyone is fearful, everyone is very worried _ you? everyone is fearful, everyone is very worried about _ you? everyone is fearful, everyone is very worried about what - you? everyone is fearful, everyone is very worried about what the - is very worried about what the future holds for the hazara people in afghanistan. we have had reports from the airport where the afghan soldiers working with the americans are denying hazara people to enter the airport, even when they have th

that's exactly at. 20 years ago when my family and they were forced to flee our village in ghazni province on a fishing boat in the indian ocean to be resettled right there in new zealand, it feels like we won the lottery, and seeing those scenes at kabul airport right now, there is a very lucky few who do get a chance at resettlement overseas. i know exactly that feeling because they have been there. �* . , there. but the reality then for many others _ there. but the reality then for many others is _ there. but the reality then for many others is going - there. but the reality then for many others is going to - there. but the reality then for many others is going to be i many others is going to be something perhaps slightly more akin to your experience, and possibly with not the same outcome. new zealand has proved a very happy home?— a very happy home? yes, we are the lucky. _ a very happy home? yes, we are the lucky. lucky _ a very happy home? yes, we are the lucky, lucky minority. - a very happy home? yes, we are the lucky, lucky minority. the i the lucky, lucky minority. the very few,

other important cities such as herat and ghazni were captured within hours of each other on thursday.e also taken lashkar gah, capital of the southern province of helmand, as well as qala—i—naw in the north. there are increasing concerns that the militants will continue their lightning speed offensive toward the capital, kabul, where tens of thousands of civilians have fled violent street fighting. our correspondent in kabul, yogita limaye, gave us this update well, people are in shock and disbelief over what has happened just over a single day. five provincial capitals have fallen to the taliban, among them major cities. kandahar, this country's second largest city, a big economic centre. to the taliban, it is a traditional stronghold, so they will be looking at this as a major victory. herat is in the west of the country, close to the border with iran, so it is important for trade. these are big losses for the afghan government, it leaves them in a very vulnerable position and it has all happened in a span of 12 hours. we started the day talking about ghazni, about 100 hours south o

human rights group, amnesty international, has accused the taliban of killing nine men last month in ghaznid three were tortured. akram gizabi is chair of the world hazara council. it is a human rights organisation which works for the welfare of the hazaras in afghanistan and around the globe. he's in washington. thank you for having me. how worried are — thank you for having me. how worried are you _ thank you for having me. how worried are you about - thank you for having me. how worried are you about the potential treatment of this community in afghanistan now the taliban are tightening their grip?— the taliban are tightening their a-ri? , , ., their grip? very, very worried. when the _ their grip? very, very worried. when the taliban _ their grip? very, very worried. when the taliban took- overin over in 1996 they reportedly massacred more than 10,000 and they unfortunately, the governor of that region was killed recently and announced in the mask that people should go to uzbekistan, or tredegar stand. and those who are not muslims should go to asymmetry. in a sentence or two, why is th

we woke up talking about the fall of ghazni which is about 100 miles south of kabul, and we are endingith multiple provincial capitals falling to the taliban. many of them significant cities for the afghan government. herat, fiercely contested between the two sides but the afghan government was not able to hold onto it. staring at defeat in kandahar, the second largest city in this country, lashkar gah the capital of the helmand province falling as well. and there are real worries among citizens here about what is next. what is the future of their capital, kabul? i see messages and social media from afghans talking about the last moments of freedom. but i think what happens here in the coming days will depend heavily on how the afghan government reacts to what's happened in this one day. so far, we have heard nothing from the top brass of the government, nothing from the president, nothing from the vice president or any of the big ministers. how they respond tomorrow to this situation will determine, you know, what happens next in the capital, kabul. the first british and american troo

told me more of his experience. 20 years ago when my family and i were forced to flee our village in ghazni boat in the indian ocean, to then be resettled right here in new zealand, it feels like we won the lottery, and seeing those images at kabul airport right now, seeing those families, those very lucky few who do get a chance at resettlement overseas. i know exactly that feeling because i have been there. yeah, but the reality then for many others is going to be something perhaps slightly more akin to your experience, and possibly with not the same outcome. i mean, new zealand has proved a very happy home? yes, we are the lucky, lucky minority. the very few, the 0.1% who were given a chance at a new life. 20 years ago when we were rescued off the indian ocean which is detailed in my book, after the tampa, 20 years ago when we were rescued and then offered a home here in zeeland, it has been a fantastic journey. i have to say, it wasn't easy learning the language, getting accustomed to the culture, learning to play rugby, learning to accustom yourself to the way of life here in new zeala

in afghanistan, taliban fighters have captured the city of ghazni — the tenth provincial capital they've

yesterday we started the day talking about ghazni and thenit the day talking about ghazni and then ithey are leaving us like this. we have seen that angle yesterday. it is over the last few months with people feeling international troops leaving irresponsibly. let's speak to tom tugendhat, chair of the foreign affairs select committee. i'm going to come to how you feel about the move in terms of the uk withdrawing from afghanistan in a moment. our correspondent in kabul were saying that people are feeling as if they are perhaps being abandoned as nationals are being repatriated all brought back home. it was inevitable this would happen the moment the uk said, we are hands off now. i the moment the uk said, we are hands off now. ., ., ., the moment the uk said, we are hands off now. . . ., ., , ~ the moment the uk said, we are hands off now. . . . . , . ., off now. i am afraid it was. a lot off now. i am afraid it was. a lot of military- _ off now. i am afraid it was. a lot of military. pens _ off now. i am afraid it was. a lot of military. pens on _ off now. i am afraid it was. a lot

in afghanistan, the taliban has taken control of the city of ghazni, the tenth provincial capital to fall to the taliban in under a week. "the washington post" reports u.s. intelligence officials are predicting kabul could fall to the taliban within one to three months. this week the biden administration launched a last-ditch effort to convince the taliban it would face international condemnation if it takes all of afghanistan by force. in a setback for wikileaks founder julian assange, a british judge ruled to allow the u.s. to widen the scope of its argument as it appeals the january decision to block assange's extradition. the united states argued the judge who blocked the extradition on the grounds that assange was a suicide risk did not sufficient take in account expert evidence that contradicted this finding. the full appeal hearing is scheduled for the end of october. assange faces up to 175 years behind bars under the espionage act for publishing classified documents exposing u.s. war crimes. julian assange's partner stella moris spoke wednesday outside the london courthouse.

clarissa ward, cnn,ing ghazni province, afghanistan. >>> up next, more than 300 people are reported dead and the numbers are expected to rise after an earthquake in haiti. i'll ask the country's former prime minister just how bad things could get. >>> also ahead, school openings so far revealing that the science is right. masking works. new data tonight on exactly how much face coverings can cut the spread of covid. akouts doesn't have to be harsh on your sensitive skin. new cetaphil gentle clear contains balanced formulas that gently clear breakouts and soothe sensitive skin. cetaphil. complete acne care for sensitive skin. now in the acne aisle. washed your hands a lot today? probably like 40 times. hands feel dry? like sandpaper. introducing new dove handwash, with 5 x moisturizer blend. removes germs in seconds, moisturizes for hours. soft, smooth. new dove handwash. when i get a migraine, i shut out the world. but with nurtec odt that's all behind me now. nurtec is the first and only option proven to treat and prevent migraines with one medication. onederful. one quick dissolve tabl

we were just in ghazni saw them driving around in ford pickup trucks donated to the afghan army thathe afghan army was using in their positions and bases. we saw entire streets in the district of andar fluttering with white taliban flags. i can't tell you what a surreal sight that is to see. this is a group up until just a few months ago was an underground insurgency and now it holds a vast amount of territory on the ground. because that's happened so quickly, you do have to ask the question about how quickly could kabul fall. i think the estimates are, according to u.s. intelligence officials, that it could be isolated within 30 days. it's not clear that the taliban actually wants to take the chance of coming into kabul because that would likely be a very bloody scene. but frankly, at this stage, all they need to do is surround it and cut it off and they will still be able to achieve their strategic objective. they believe they can win this militarily. and that means there isn't a lot of leverage for other parties at the negotiating table. >> clarissa, you don't have to read between

so -- but as soon as, you know, when we started seeing falling and then, also, ghazni, which is crucialay, it was clear the game was up. and the -- the intelligence assessment of 30-to-90 days should have, immediately, been adjusted to several days. as the general says, you know, the collapse of the afghan army is also, i think, one element here is the -- the country's been at war since 1978, even before the soviets invaded. and most afghans want to retain their heads on their bodies. and they will switch sides not because they're bad people but because they have seen so many people -- so many forces come and go. and they want -- there -- there's a strong desire for survival. >> peter, do you share the concern that al qaeda could reconstitute in afghanistan, quickly? >> yeah. i mean, general milley. i mean, he's -- he's in a pretty good position to make that assessment. and, you know, every jihadi group in the world, not just al qaeda but isis and the 20 other foreign terrorist groups that are already in afghanistan. they are all going to be pouring in to celebrate this great victory. >

ghazni, a key city that it seems was greatly under threat yesterday by another taliban offensive, thatr according to a witness inside that city this morning, suggesting security forces are at least holding their positions. but it is extraordinary how the urban map of afghanistan has changed over the weekend and also i have to say extraordinary how the u.s. is responding to this crisis. yes, they said yesterday that there would be a use of drones and ac-130 gunships over the country. that is consistent with their desire to continue using air power to assist the afghan security forces at least for the next three weeks. but diplomatically dispatched the special envoy back to the capital of qatar, doha, for three days of consultations with the taliban to try and impress upon them the need for a cease-fire, the need for them to slow down their offensive. i think this brings to mind again the slight disconnect of the u.s.-backed peace process here. it's been something that they initiated with afghan government disapproval, then tried to push the afghan government into. it appears frankly to

under a week and we've learned this morning that the second really major city to fall to the taliban, ghazni happened. and increasingly imperils the capital of kabul. yes, ten provincial capitals now, two of them significant cities, many other cities significantly under threat particularly in the south, this the second largest city of afghanistan kandahar experiencing a jail break yesterday in which a thousand criminals were supposedly released. and now of course eyes turning to kabul unthinkable for many as little as a month ago that we would be talking this summer already about how long kabul might might be able to hold out against the taliban. so the question i think is really how much effort security forces are able to put in, how secure that city can be kept, what conditions will be like inside of it. and that u.s. assessment absolutely stark. deeply troubling times, but many see this as the inevitable consequence of the u.s. decision. you heard there, they are repeating very familiar points from the last decade while simply city after city seems to be falling to the taliban. >> nick pa

>> reporter: well, we just got back from a trip to ghazni, another provincial capital.ing past it, it was immediately cleared. the entire city is surrounded by the taliban. that was the same story in kandahar, afghanistan's second largest city that we visited last week, again, entirely surrounded by the taliban. many other cities in a very similar situation. more than half of the pro vengsal capitals are now under threat or have fallen to the taliban. the situation is clearly dire and there's a sense that it is escalating quickly. what we don't have a good sense of yet is what the government's response is going to be. we have heard president ashraf ghani calling for ordinary afghan citizens to go out and take up a gun, essentially enlist with your local warlord to fight back the taliban. that does not appear to be a very coherent strategy in terms of trying to put a stop to this lightning quick offensive that we've seen in a matter of months, literally since may, when the u.s. began its withdrawal. with the u.s. and nato forces finishing that withdrawal in the upcoming

ghazni. it fell after a local official described long and intense fighting. this is about 100 miles south of kabul and on the road that connects the capital with the large city of kandahar. they think that kabul could be captured within a few months. this is triggering alarms because the region is considered essential to the defense of kabul. and the human toll is growing. the foreign minister says 6,000 people have been killed since april including 2,000 civilians. but there is no change in the u.s. plan to withdraw troops by the end of this month. the u.s. special representative to afghanistan is pushing for a political settlement in talks and the pentagon insists the outcome of this conflict is not a foregone conclusion. >> clearly from a estrategic perspective, the taliban keep advancing. but the narrative that in every place, in every way the afghan forces are simply folding up and walking away is not accurate. i'm not at all, and nobody should take away from this, this i'm discounting what we're seeing, a deteriorating security situation. we've been not

on the ghazni highway, we pass base after base all flying the mill tant's flag.the end, it's a similar sight. the days of underground insurgency are over and the taliban is poised to reestablish the very emirate america once came to destroy. the taliban governor insists the group has changed since then. >> the difference is between that taliban and the taliban is that the taliban of 2001 were new. and now this taliban is experienced, disciplined. our activities are going well. we are obeying our leaders. >> a lot of people are concerned that if the tell ban takes power again women's rights will move backwards. how can you guarantee that womens rights will be protected? >> we assure this to people all over the world. especially the people eve afghanistan. ishroom has given rights equally. people have their rights. they have given rights to women. we will give them that much. >> that is clearly opened for interpretation. next to the mosque, we find a class roovp of young girls, but their teachers say they will not attend regular school. at night, i am separated fro

we actually recently were talking to some taliban fighters in ghazni province who said they were able to take over an afghan base because the afghan soldiers inside the base ran out of food because it was no longer possible for them to get resupplies. another thing that i would say is a really key issue is morale within the afghan forces. they don't have the same level of commitment to the cause. there's disenchantment. there isn't the same cohesion and coherence. a lot of people feel resentful about corruption within the afghan government. then you compare that with a taliban soldier whose very goal in life is to die in battle to enter paradise and you can begin to see how it becomes a very difficult fight for these afghan forces to accomplish. >> clarissa ward in kabul. kylie atwood at the state department and jeff zeleny at the white house, thank you. >>> up next, booster shots potentially coming soon, but only for a small number of americans. we're going to explain who might get one. plus, brand new census numbers. where the country is growing and why it matters for you. usaa is m