they claim to have captured the city of zaranj in the south—west of the country.ls say if true, it would be the first provincial capital to fall into their hands in this, the latest upsurge in fighting. and the taliban claim more will follow. at the united nations in new york, there are now calls for action. the council must act and prevent a catastrophic situation. we are alarmed by reports of incidents of gross human rights violations by the taliban and their foreign terrorist associates in almost half of our country. and we are extremely concerned about the safety and security of people in cities under taliban attacks, and what brutality would await them. the question now, though, is what action can be taken, given the taliban advances have been precipitated by the withdrawal of foreign troops from afghanistan. the futures of millions of afghans are at stake. i think the region should very clearly tell the taliban that taliban coming to power through force and continuing the violence is unacceptable. they need to see that their government will not be accepted a

her warning comes as zaranj, in the south west, became the first provincial capital to fall to the taliban these are very strong words indeed from the un? find these are very strong words indeed from the un?— from the un? and it all flows from the decision _ from the un? and it all flows from the decision of— from the un? and it all flows from the decision of joe _ from the un? and it all flows from the decision of joe biden _ from the un? and it all flows from the decision of joe biden to - from the un? and it all flows from the decision of joe biden to pull. the decision ofjoe biden to pull american troops out by september the 11th. the picture painted with unbelievably bleak, talking about afghanistan becoming another syria or like sarajevo, 1000 deaths and with the taliban using methods like stoning people to death again, beheadings and all the rest of it. so i think it�*s a very uncomfortable position that this administration, as a result of that decision and what might now flow from it. but what might now flow from it. but what happens now, joe biden is not going to reverse the decisi

he put the recent taliban advances in sheberghan and zaranj into context.is true that another provincial capital has fallen or is in the process of falling then that is a deeply worrying thing. it is partly about the image of what is going on. the military picture may be confused with the fact of the matter is that in the past couple of months the taliban have successfully captured half of the districts of afghanistan. the lightning advance of the taliban is getting harder and harder to ignore. and that has catastrophic effects. for example, on the morale of tens of thousands of afghan troops who, you know, in a rather familiar way, we are hearing reports that they are simply abandoning their positions and throwing of their uniforms. these are people who are poorly trained, badly and in some cases not paid. and they are not fighting for kind of victory or glory as the taliban are. and they are not perhaps willing to die as the members of the taliban are so this impression of a lightning advance is something that is becoming more and more apparent. let's tal

this adds to zaranj and sheberghan captured on friday and saturday.es in kunduz appear only to hold their own base and the airport, though the interior ministry spokesman insists they're already retaking strategic sites and will drive the insurgents out. fire and confusion in the centre of kunduz. taliban pictures appear to show yet another city falling under their control. this is their biggest prize so far — a large city, economically and strategically important, and it seems to have fallen easily. afraid of the fighting as much as the taliban, civilians are fleeing, some of them heading south for kabul. a government spokesman says the taliban will soon be ousted, but similar claims have been made elsewhere, apparently without result. to the west, taliban fighters inspect newly captured government buildings in sar—e—pul, another provincial capital. one of three reportedly captured in just one day. the taliban have now captured five provincial centres. as well as sar—e—pul and kunduz, they now appear to control zaranj, sheberghan and taloqan. if the

afghan officials say the taliban have seized the south—west city of zaranj, the first provincial capitalo fall to the militants for five years. during a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. the greek government has put almost half of the country's regions on high alert as wildfires continue to spread. huge clouds of smoke are billowing over the outskirts of athens. a man has been killed in a village north of the city after being hit by a falling electricity pole. the penultimate day of action at the olympics is underway in tokyo. kenya's peresjepchirchir has won the women's marathon, claiming the country's second consecutive gold medal in the event. later, medals will also be up for grabs in basketball, volleyball and golf. the film review is coming up in about 10 minutes�* time. but first on bbc news, click. this week: a special programme. can artificial intelligence make healthcare better for all of us, and save the nhs? here in the uk the national health service has been in crisis for many years, lo

the headlines: afghan officials say the taliban have seized the south—west city of zaranj, the firstrovincial capital to fall to the militants for five years. during a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. the greek government has put almost half of the country's regions on high alert as wildfires continue to spread. huge clouds of smoke are billowing over the outskirts of athens. a man has been killed in a village north of the city after being hit by a falling electricity pole. the penultimate day of action at the olympics is underway in tokyo. kenya's peresjepchirchir won the women's marathon, claiming the country's second consecutive gold medal in the event. later, medals will also be up for grabs in diving, volleyball and golf. now on bbc news, the travel show. india. a vast country, home to over a billion people, birthplace of illustrious ancient civilisations, and today, a fast—emerging global power. and 70 years after independence, india is still a diverse, ever—evolving assortment of culture

the south—west city of zaranj — the first provincial capital to fall to the militants for five years.ing a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. the greek government has put almost half of the country's regions on high alert as wildfires continue to spread. huge clouds of smoke are billowing over the outskirts of athens. a man's been killed in a village north of the city after being hit by a falling electricity pole. the penultimate day of action at the olympics is underway in tokyo. there has been another gold medal for team gb in the flyweight boxing. in the solo ten metre diving britain �*s tom daley took the bronze. now on bbc news, the media show. hello. no, don't adjust your set — this is the media show on the bbc. but that theme tune to news at 10 and the famous bongs are part of our popular culture, along with the high angle sweep across london over the rooftops along the thames to meet the face of big ben. all that is part of the iconography of british television news, but who watches the bi

the militants earlier captured zaranj in nimroz, close to the border with iran, in a major escalation gains since foreign forces started withdrawing from the country. in both cities, the taliban freed hundreds of inmates from prisons they'd captured. the us and the uk have asked their citizens in afghanistan to leave the country immediately because of the worsening security situation in the country. earlier i spoke to our south asia editor anbarasan ethirajan — he said it's a very disturbing situation for the government in kabul. the government must be worried at this point because the change in situation is fast. the first provincial capital was captured by the taliban in recent years yesterday. within 2a hours they have reached out to a different part of afghanistan, also the stronghold of former vice president abdul rashid dostum. this will be the second major provincial capital to be captured by insurgents. they are also stretching the afghan forces. look at what is happening in lashkar gah in the south, and in the north, as we speak heavy clashes are going on there. 0fficials the

the taliban capital -- captures zaranj, the first city taken since u.s.nd nato troops withdrew from the country. >> afghanistan is at a dangerous turning point. ahead lies either genuine peace negotiation or a tragically intertwined set of crises. an increasingly brutal conflict combined with an acute humanitarian situation and multiplying human rights a blue -- abuses. i do believe the security counsel and the broader international community can help prevent the most dire scenarios. but it will require acting in unity and acting quickly. >> at least 56 wild fires are burning across greece. one person has been killed. a blaze north of athens has forced thousands to flee. it is moving toward the capitals made water reservoir. israel says it is ready for escalation on the lebanese border after an exchange of order -- fire. israel intercepted several rockets from lebanon. they said it was retaliation from israeli airstrikes. israel fired back with artillery. the electoral tribunal has disqualified the major opposition party from participating in the election

zaranj province, close to the border with iran fell due to a lack of government reinforcements.o forces complete the withdrawal. american troops are due to leave by september 11, the 20th anniversary of 9/11 that provoke them to invade afghanistan in the first place. in the capital, the taliban killed -- shooting him dead in his car. the un security council has been meeting in special session to discuss the tier rating situation in the country. -- the deteriorating situation in the country. >> there had been an exptation when the u.s.-taliban deal was signed in 2020. we would see a reduction in violence. we did not. there had been an expectation when talks between the afghan republic and the taliban began in september of last year. that we would see a reduction of violence. we have not. there had been an expectation that when international troops left, we would see a reduction in violence. we did not. instead, despite significant concessions for peace, we have seen a 50% increase in civilian casualties, with the certainty of many more as the cities are attacked. >> the u.k. gove

an official said zaranj in nimruz province, close to the border with iran, fell because of a lack ofnment reinforcements. the taliban have made widespread advances in recent months as nato forces complete their withdrawal. but had previously failed to seize previously, the taliban had failed to seize. in the capital, the president tv spokesperson said that shooting him dead in his car. un security council has been meeting a special session to discuss the deteriorating situation the country. an envoy to afghanistan because of the taliban to cease its attacks among major cities immediately, as she warned the conflict torn country is heading for catastrophe. there had been an expectation, when the us—taliban deal was signed in february 2020, you will remember that we would see a reduction of violence. we did not. there had been an expectation when the talks between the afghan republic and the taliban began in september of last year. that we would see a reduction of violence. we have not. there had been an expectation, that when international troops left, we would see a reduction of viol

it comes after the militants said they'd captured zaranj in nimroz, close to the border with iran, inalation of their offensive. they've made sweeping gains since foreign forces started withdrawing from the country. the us and the uk have asked their citizens in afghanistan to leave the country immediately because of the worsening security situation. richard galpin reports. in this fast—moving offensive, the taliban are claiming a second provincial capital, sheberghan, is in their hands. here video filmed by the fighters appears to show them releasing inmates from the local prison. the afghan authorities admit some parts of the city have been taken. in response, the afghan defence ministry says it has called in american b52 long—range bombers to try to halt the taliban offensive in sheberghan. airstrikes, it claims, have already hit the insurgents, killing many of them. there is a risk, though, of civilian casualties. already many civilians have been killed or injured, including children. the hospitals filling up. the taliban have been specifically targeting government officials such

as well as sar—e pul and kunduz, they now appear to control zaranj, sheberghan and taloqan.tent to control the countryside, but confident enough to move on major cities. if the taliban can make it to kunduz maybe they can make it to kabul, and that in itself is a big fear. the only good option would be if there is some kind of a political settlement, but that doesn't seem any more possible today than it did two or three years ago. and tens of thousands of afghans are being displaced. this is notjust a political and military disaster. decades of conflict in afghanistan have created whole generations of refugees. the west's military withdrawal is almost complete. afg ha ns fear they�* re being abandoned. the government can request american air strikes, but for how long and to what effect? paul adams, bbc news. to get a little bit more on this continuing afghan conflict. i've been speaking to dr dipali mukhopadhyay, a senior expert on the afghanistan peace process for the us institute of peace. she expects the taliban advance to go much further. there is a kind of momentum to t

headlines: afghan officials say the taliban have captured their first provincial capital since 2016, zaranj in nimruz province. during a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, it's onward to the region demanded the militants and their offence. nearly half the regions increase on alert as the worst for wildfires in decades rage across the country. strong winds whipped up many of the fires that were being brought under control. the penultimate day of action at the old and fixes under way in tokyo. the athletes in the women's marathon are currently pounding the streets while medals also be up for grabs in volleyball, beach volleyball and golf. now on bbc news, across america, dna testing is uncovering a disturbing side to the largely unregulated fertility industry. angelica casas reports. i see you, evie! cheering across america, dna testing is uncovering a disturbing side to the largely unregulated fertility industry. i had prayed for 15 years to have another child. i was given this referral to see a fertility doctor, and i agreed to do the artificial insemination and that we

as well as sar—e pul and kunduz, they now appear to control zaranj, sheberghan and taloqan.ountryside, but confident enough to move on major cities. if the taliban can make it to kunduz maybe they can make it to kabul, and that in itself is a big fear. the only good option would be if there is some kind of a political settlement, but that doesn't seem any more possible today than it did two or three years ago. and tens of thousands of afghans are being displaced. this is notjust a political and military disaster. decades of conflict in afghanistan have created whole generations of refugees. the west's military withdrawal is almost complete. afg ha ns fear they�* re being abandoned. the government can request american air strikes, but for how long and to what effect? paul adams, bbc news. the afghan government says its forces are trying to retake that lost ground, the provincial capitals, the cities. do you think they can do it? the security situation had been deteriorating for a while, and the afghan government had said that it wanted to defend these cities across the countr

is bbc news, the headlines: afghan officials say the taliban have seized the south—western city of zaranjthe first provincial capital to fall to the militants for five years. during a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. the greek government has put almost half of the country's regions on high alert as wildfires continue to spread. huge clouds of smoke are billowing over the outskirts of athens. a man's been killed in a village north of the city after being hit by a falling electricity pole. the penultimate day of action at the olympics is underway in tokyo. kenya's peresjepchirchir won the women's marathon, claiming the country's second consecutive gold medal in the event. later, medals will be up for grabs in diving, volleyball, and golf. now on bbc news, click looks at how artificial intelligence could be used to help health services around the world. this week: a special programme. can artificial intelligence make healthcare better for all of us, and save the nhs? here in the uk the national health

this adds to zaranj and sheberghan captured on friday and saturday.es in kunduz appear only to hold their own base and the airport, though the interior ministry spokesman insists they're already retaking strategic sites and will drive the insurgents out. our correspondent paul adams has more. fire and confusion in the centre of kunduz. taliban pictures appear to show yet another city falling under their control. this is their biggest prize so far — a large city, economically and strategically important, and it seems to have fallen easily. afraid of the fighting as much as the taliban, civilians are fleeing, some of them heading south for kabul. a government spokesman says the taliban will soon be ousted, but similar claims have been made elsewhere, apparently without result. to the west, taliban fighters inspect newly captured government buildings in sar—e—pul, another provincial capital. one of three reportedly captured in just one day. if the taliban can make it to kunduz maybe they can make it to kabul, and that in itself is a big fear. the only go

headlines: afghan officials say the taliban have captured their first provincial capital since 2016, zaranjis bracing for a new wave of wildfires, as strong winds whip up the flames which are thought to have been brought under control. an extreme fire warning has been issued as the flames engulf the outskirts of athens. china has reacted angrily to president biden�*s announcement that hong kong residents currently in the us will be granted temporary safe haven. it described the decision as a gross interference in china's internal affairs. it's the last few days at the tokyo 0lympics. among the event, italy won the men's four by 100 metres relay in a very close finish with britain,

the militants had earlier captured zaranj in nimroz, close to the border with iran, in a major escalationfensive. they've made sweeping gains since foreign forces started withdrawing from the country. in both cities, the taliban freed hundreds of inmates from prisons they'd captured. the us and the uk have asked their citizens in afghanistan to leave the country immediately because of the worsening security situation in the country. the caliban are now claiming a second provincial capital is in their hands. , taliban. now it seems the city in the north is also coming under their control. in the wake of the fighting, many civilians are now being treated in local hospitals with serious injuries. amongst them, young children. government officials such as this man, head of the government was that media information centre, are among the growing list of list assassinated. his funeral has now taken place after he was shot dead in the capital. a killing designed to intimidate those working for the government in the capital. many outside the country are now trying to get back in. but one of the ke

the south—west city of zaranj, the first provincial capital to fall to the militants for five years.uring a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. the the militants end their offensive. greek governmer half the greek government has put almost half the country's regions on high alert as wildfires continue to spread. huge pillars of smoke billowing on the outskirts of athens. a man has been killed in a village north of the city after being hit by falling electricity pole. the penultimate day of action at the olympics is underway in tokyo. kenya's peresjepchirchir won the women's marathon, claiming the country's second consecutive gold medal in the event. later, medals will be up for grabs in diving, volleyball, and golf. now on bbc news, prime minister of barbados mia mottley answers questions from a local audience on a range of issues that affect them and what they want their government to deliver. hello, and welcome to global questions with me, zeinab badawi, from barbados. i'm in the capital, bridge

afghan officials say the taliban have captured their first provincial capital since 2016, zaranj in nimruz province. in another development, the militant group assassinated a close associate of the president in the capital kabul. greece is bracing for a new wave of wildfires, as strong winds whip up the flames which are thought to have been brought under control. an extreme fire warning has been issued as the flames engulf the outskirts of athens. china has reacted angrily to president biden�*s announcement that hong kong residents currently in the us will be granted temporary safe haven. it described the decision as a gross interference in china's internal affairs. it's the last few days at the tokyo olympics. among the events, italy won the men's 4x100 metres relay in a very close finish with britain. and faith kipyegon retained the women's 1,500—metre title. hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. with me are kate proctor, editor of politics home, and jonathan walker, political editor of the birmingham post and mail. warm welcome to you, jona

the militants had earlier captured zaranj in nimroz, close to the border with iran, in a major escalationive. they've made sweeping gains since foreign forces started withdrawing from the country. the us and the uk have asked their citizens in afghanistan to leave the country immediately because of the worsening security situation in the country. richard galpin reports. in this fast—moving offence of the taliban are claiming a second province is in their hands. this video appears to show them releasing inmates from the prison and the afghan authorities admit some parts of the city have been taken. in the wake of the fighting many civilians are being treated at local hospitals with serious injuries. amongst them young children. government officials such as the head of the media information centre are amongst the taliban's growing list of those they have assassinated. his funeral has taken place after he was shot dead in the capital kabul. a killing designed to intimidate those working for the government. as the situation deteriorates many afghans who have been in pakistan are trying to get

one was zaranj in the south—west and sheberghan in the north, but today, this morning, they told me thatity of kunduz in the north, which is a very, very important trading hub and considered a gateway to central asia, and that they'd also captured most of the government buildings. but a defence ministry spokesman a short while ago tweeted showing what he said was the pictures from kunduz where special forces commandos have been tackling the insurgents. so, as we speak, heavy fighting is going on in kunduz city, and why it is important? because this will be the biggest prize for the taliban so far in the latest offensive against the government forces. i'm joined now by patricia degennaro an international security consultant who's worked with us forces in afghanistan. thank you very much forjoining us. it looks as if con dues is close to falling to the tele— band, if it is how significant is a? falling to the tele- band, if it is how significant is a?— falling to the tele- band, if it is how significant is a? well, i think it's definitely _ how significant is a? well, i think it's definite

it comes after the militants said they'd captured zaranj in nimroz, close to the border with iran, inscalation of their offensive. they've made sweeping gains since foreign forces started withdrawing from the country. the us and the uk have asked their citizens in afghanistan to leave the country immediately because of the worsening security situation. richard galpin reports. this video filmed by the fighters appears to show them filming inmates released from this prison. some admit some of been taken. in response, the afghan defence ministry says it is called in the b—52 long—range bombers to try and help the offensive. there is a risk of civilian casualties. already many have been killed or injured, including children, the hospitals filling up. the taliban have been specifically targeting government officials such as this man, head of the governments information centre. he was shot dead on friday. his funeral has now taken place in the capital, kabul. a killing designed to intimidate those working for the government in kabul. as the situation deteriorates, many afghans who have been

afghan officials say the taliban have seized the south—west city of zaranj — the first provincial capitalfall to the militants for five years. during a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. nearly half the regions in greece are on high alert — as the worst wildfires in decades rage across the country. the government has issued a warning about a second wave of blazes as strong winds whip up many of the fires that were being brought under control. and the penultimate day of action at the olympics is under way in tokyo. kenya's peresjepchirchir has won the women's marathon title, and later medals will also be up for grabs in volleyball, ——basketball, volleyball and golf. now on bbc news, click looks at how artificial intelligence could be used to help health services around the world. this week: a special programme. an artificial intelligence make healthcare better for all of us, and save the nhs? here in the uk, the national health service has been in crisis for many years. looking after an increasingly ag

zaranj in the southeast, where some locals greeted the taliban with cheers, and in the north, a socialg up on police weapons in a police truck. the speed of the taliban advance as u.s. troops withdraw ahead of a september deadline has shocked the west. >> the war in afghanistan has entered a new deadlier and more destructive phase. >> reporter: the u.s. providing some air support, but little else. most u.s. troops and contractors who helped to keep afghanistan's jets and other hardware working are now gone. in kabul, fear is spreading. the taliban assassinated another government official friday, and this morning a car bomb attack in the city. thousands of afghans are fleeing their homes and desperate to leave the country. many now worried the new regime will impose more restrictions on women. parents terrified their daughters will be taken to be married off to taliban fighters. this man was an interpreter for the navy seals for more than five years. he's one of nearly 80,000 applying for a special visa. >> they can kill us today, they can kill us tomorrow, and they will not just kill m

capital since 2016, zaranj in nimruz province. in another development, the militant group assassinated a close associate of the president in the capital kabul. greece is bracing for a new wave of wildfires, as strong winds whip up the flames which are thought to have been brought under control. an extreme fire warning has been issued as the flames engulf the outskirts of athens. china has reacted angrily to president biden�*s announcement that hong kong residents currently in the us will be granted temporary safe haven. it described the decision as a gross interference in china's internal affairs. it's the last few days at the tokyo olympics. among the event, italy won the men's four by 100 metres relay in a very close finish with britain, at ten o'clock, clive myrie will be here with a full round—up of the day's news. first, it's time for the media show. hello. no, don't adjust your set — this is the media show on the bbc. but that theme tune to news at 10 and the famous bong is a part of our popular culture, along with the high

the south—west city of zaranj, the first provincial capital to fall to the militants for five years.uring a un emergency meeting to discuss the worsening violence, its envoy to the region demanded the militants end their offensive. the greek government has put almost half of the country's regions on high alert as wildfires continue to spread. huge clouds of smoke are billowing over the outskirts of athens. a man's been killed in a village north of the city after being hit by a falling electricity pole. at the olympics, there's been another gold medal for team gb as galal yafai beat carlo paalam of the philippines in the flyweight boxing. in the men's solo 10m diving, it was a china one—two, with britain's tom daley taking bronze. now on bbc news, zeinab badawi meets two sublime young opera stars who are grappling with a new world of opera. south african soprano masabane cecilia rangwanasha, and french tenor benjamin bernheim. i have been an opera fan i have been an opera fan for i have been an opera fan for decades i have been an opera fan for decades and i want to share my passion w

they took zaranj which is the provincial capital in nimraz.lsly taken. but unfortunately it doesn't look like it's going to be the last. 17 of afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals are now under threat by the taliban. three of them are completely under siege. kandahar, as you saw in that piece, one of them, completely surrounded by the taliban. they're in control of a quarter of the city and making gains every day. and the broader concern across the country is that things are very quickly unraveling. and no one yet knows, jim, how can these gains from the taliban be reversed? can afghan forces successfully launch some kind of counteroffensive? so you have really profound anxiety being felt everywhere amid an increasingly grim situation, jim. >> i'm sure. and i'm sure the people are genuinely scared. clarissa ward, thanks so much. it's good to have you on the ground there. coming up next, fighting the flames desperately in northern california. centrum multigummies aren't just great tasting... they're power-packed vitamins... that help unleash yo

an official said zaranj in nimruz province, close to the border with iran, fell because of a lack ofliban gunmen killed the head of the afghan government's media centre, shooting him in his car. the un security council has been meeting in a special session to discuss the worsening situation in the country. the united nations' envoy to afghanistan deborah lyon called there had been an expectation when the us—taliban deal was signed in february 2020, you will remember, that we would see a reduction of violence. we did not. there had been an expectation when the talks between the afghan republic and the taliban began in september of last year that we would see a reduction of violence. we have not. there had been an expectation that when international troops left we would see a reduction of violence. we did not. instead, despite significant concessions for peace, we have seen a 50%, 5—0 percent, increase in civilian casualties with the certainty of many more as the cities are attacked. that was the un envoy to afghanistan. our north america correspondent gary o'donoghue has more on the u

friday, the insurgents captured their first provincial capital in years when they took control of zaranjd intensified air strikes in support of the afghan government. our south asia editor, anbarasan ethirajan, is following developments in afghanistan. just how much of kunduz de the taliban now is control?- just how much of kunduz de the taliban now is control? there have been conflicting _ taliban now is control? there have been conflicting reports _ taliban now is control? there have been conflicting reports on - taliban now is control? there have been conflicting reports on what i taliban now is control? there have been conflicting reports on what is| been conflicting reports on what is going on inside kunduz because this week i was told they had taken control of all the major government buildings and have been driven out of the city and inane army base and were being held by but this afternoon a different military spokesperson tweeted a video saying that special forces have launched an operation to retake the city, a northern city which is very, very important, a trading hub and also