NewsHour

The Taliban is celebrating 5 years since they seized-back control of Afghanistan - with parades and events that women are banned from joining.

The BBC's Lyse Doucet joins us live from Kabul with an assessment of life under the Taliban, and why so many women fear for their safety with the extremists back in charge.

Also in the programme: We'll have the latest on the Indonesian earthquake; we'll discuss what impact Ukrainian attacks are having on Russian civilians; and we'll hear from the musician still playing jazz at 100.

(Photo shows members of the Taliban attending a rally to mark five years in power in Kabul, Afghanistan on 15 August 2026. Credit: Mohammad Yunus Yawar/Reuters)

The BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet, returns to Afghanistan to report on the state of the country after five years of Taliban rule. She also brings us an interview with Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Later, we hear from the American four-star general David Petraeus, who led US forces in Afghanistan for a year.

Also in the programme: Colombian Vice-President Jose Manuel Restrepo on how his country has handled the aftermath of last week's earthquake; and the BBC Proms festival of classical music celebrates the legacy of the Motown musician Marvin Gaye.

(Photo: An Afghan boy sells flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power. Credit:

EPA/Shutterstock)

This week marks five years since the Taliban swept into Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, seizing back power. In those five years, girls’ and women’s rights have drastically worsened, as has the country’s humanitarian situation. We hear from the BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet, who has been travelling to Afghanistan for many years and has returned again now to report on life under Taliban rule, five years on from the 2021 Taliban takeover.

Also in the programme: extreme rainfall in Japan has led to the deaths of several people and caused major travel disruption near Tokyo; new research by the artificial intelligence giant Anthropic finds autonomous AI agents engage in “turf wars” when pitted against each another; and builders renovating a building in Belgian have struck gold, after they discovered a stash of treasure sealed into the walls of its cellar.

(Photo: women walk through a market in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 4 August 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has said that Washington has been very involved in efforts to end the siege in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers and remove what he called “Israeli terrorists”.

Also on the programme: Taiwan's Foreign Minister tells us Pacific nations need to act together to counter Chinese aggression while hoping the US will remain involved; and why did Joshua Kushner buy the LA Lakers for more ⁠than $12.5bn in a record-breaking ⁠deal?

(Photo: Israeli settlers wait during a military raid in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus, West Bank on August 13, 2026. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)

Millions of people on the western fringes of Europe have witnessed their first total solar eclipse of this century.

Also in the programme: Israeli settlers are continuing to trap two Palestinian families in their homes in the occupied West Bank, after clashing earlier with the Israeli security forces; what was behind the mass poisoning of 14 elephants in Kenya -- a terrible accident or deliberate harm?; and Spotify says it's cracking down on AI generated music to protect HUMAN artists.

(Photo: Partial solar eclipse in Britain, London, United Kingdom - 12 Aug 2026. Credit: EPA)

The security forces moved in to try to force the settlers away from the homes in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. But reports from the scene say more settlers then arrived, and the security forces withdrew.

Also on the programme: Germany is planning to loosen restrictions on its spy agencies to counter domestic and foreign threats; and we hear from an Italian scientist preparing a new solar instrument to measure the Sun's corona during the eclipse.

(Photo: A view shows Nablus city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, February 16, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Mohammed Torokman)

A court in Syria has sentenced the ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity committed during the country's civil war. His cousin who was in charge of political security in Daraa province where the uprising began was also sentenced to death. We find out how the ruling has been received in Syria and whether justice has been served.

Also in the programme: Does the earthquake in Colombia pose a challenge for the newly inaugurated president, Abelardo de la Espriella? And we hear about the scramble for the right glasses in Europe to catch a safe glimpse of Wednesday's solar eclipse.

(Photo: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad speaks during an interview with Australia's SBS News channel in this handout picture provided by SANA on July 1, 2016. Credit: Sana/Handout via Reuters.)

Rescuers worked through the night looking for survivors trapped under dozens of collapsed buildings. The cities of Cali and Pereira were among the places worst hit.

Also on the programme: A Palestinian family in the West Bank says their house has been surrounded by Israeli settlers who they say have cut off their water and electricity; and Chinese authorities are warning of a rise in fake matchmaking agencies preying on the country's growing number of single men.

(Photo: Dozens of buildings have collapsed in the city of Cali. Credit: Reuters)

An earthquake in western Colombia has killed more than 100 people and caused significant damage. The seven point four magnitude quake's epicentre was in the Choco region between Medellin and Cali - where dozens of buildings have collapsed. We talk to the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder.

Also in the programme: Police in eastern India have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of young people protesting against alleged corruption in civil service examinations. And 40 years on from its release, we've been hearing about the singer-songwriter, Paul Simon's controversial album, Graceland, from Ashley Kahn, the former member of the Graceland-tour production team.

(Photo: People search through the rubble of a collapsed building following an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, 10 August 2026. Credit Ernesto Guzman JR/EPA/Shutterstock )