Afghanistan is now under control of the Taliban. Host Marco Werman talks to a US government interpreter who says the Taliban has hounded him with death threats. Plus, the latest on the airlift at the Kabul airport, and what the first days of life under Taliban rule have been like for women. Also, Zambia is setting a good example for peaceful transitions of power, with President Edgar Lungu accepting the election results that he lost last week's election there. And, we have a story about dogs being trained as lifeguards — and they’re saving lives on Italian beaches.

The Taliban continues to take over provincial capitals in the north with stunning speed. The US is preparing for a rapid evacuation of personnel, and the Biden administration is dispatching 3,000 troops to help. US officials warn that Kabul could fall within 30 days. And a Hazara family tries to flee Afghanistan. Also, the US may soon open up to more foreign travelers, but require proof of vaccination. Here's a thorny question, though: Which vaccines will count? And in Algeria, wildfires that have been raging this week remain largely out of control.

Taliban fighters are in the streets of Afghanistan's third-largest city. Also, the new climate report from the UN calls for rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. We get a reality check on the massive effort needed to meet climate goals. And, an Olympic gold medalist from Jamaica thanks the volunteer who helped him get to his competition on time.

In Afghanistan, three more regional capitals fell to the Taliban yesterday. That makes nine in less than a week. One of the latest to fall is the city of Pul-i-Khumri, in Baghlan province, a vital piece of territory. And wildfires continue to rage in parts of Greece, including on Evia island. The Greek government has announced relief measures for those impacted. Also, EU officials are accusing Belarus' strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko of using the migrants as political pawns to retaliate against EU sanctions. 

Ethiopia's government is calling civilians to join the military to fight against Tigrayan rebel forces. This marks a stunning turnaround for Ethiopia and its leader, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. And, on Monday, Britain, Canada, and the United States imposed new sanctions on Belarus. The move comes one year after strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko rigged the country's presidential election in his favor. Also, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s recent report is a “code red” for humanity, says climate scientist William Moomaw. He joins us to talk about jump-starting efforts to reverse the climate crisis.

Crews and locals on Evia island, and other parts of Greece, continue to battle blazes burning through thousands of acres of forested and residential areas. As other countries step in with support, many Greeks say they feel abandoned by their own government. And, a new UN report says the Earth will likely blow past the 1.5 Celsius mark by the 2030s, a goal set by the Paris agreement to minimize global warming. This will drastically escalate the negative impacts of climate change in the next few decades. Also, we hear from Daniel Sherrell, whose new book, “Warmth,” addresses how it truly feels to face the magnitude of the global climate emergency.

As fighting in western Afghanistan intensifies, thousands of women and children are forced to leave their homes. The UN estimates 270,000 Afghans have been displaced since January. Also, on the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, a photographer roamed through the rubble of Hiroshima. His images of people exposed to the atomic blast were the only ones taken that day. And France dropped nearly 200 atomic bombs on French Polynesia between 1966 and 1996 as part of its nuclear testing program. During President Emmanuel Macron's first visit to the territory last week, he acknowledged the damage but failed to apologize. 

The highly infectious COVID-19 delta variant is leaving a devastating wake around the globe. The surge of infections raises a lot of questions and has sparked concern among public health officials. As part of The World's regular series of conversation presented with The Forum at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and as a special in our podcast feed, editor Carolyn Beeler moderated a discussion about the delta variant and what's next for the pandemic with epidemiologist William Hanage.

See more of the Coronavirus Conversations series here: https://www.theworld.org/categories/coronavirus-conversations

The World Health Organization took a clear stance this week on COVID-19 booster shots: Countries must hold off because the majority of people, globally, have yet to receive their first dose. And since the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, tens of thousands of ancient artifacts and art pieces have been looted and smuggled out of the country. This week, the US agreed to return more than 17,000 artifacts and treasures to Iraq. Also, a controversial new bill in Ghana could make life even more difficult for LGBTQ people; same-sex relations are already illegal in the country. The proposed legislation would further criminalize LGBTQ people.

For the first time since the 1990s, Taliban militants in recent days attacked the western city of Herat, one of Afghanistan's largest cities. Fighting in the vicinity of Herat's airport has grounded flights for several days. Also, Ethiopia has suspended aid operations with Doctors Without Borders and the Norwegian Refugee Council in its Tigray region, as hundreds of thousands of people there live under the threat of starvation. And one year after a deadly explosion in Beirut's port killed 200 people and injured and displaced thousands, Lebanese citizens are still seeking answers — and  justice.