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The UN calls on the Taliban to re-open girls' secondary schools in Afghanistan. The US moves thousands of migrants away from a Texas border town. 
And a new twist in the case of the missing travel blogger - as her fiance also disappears.

UN urges Taliban to re-open girls' schools

An inquiry finds that the strike, days before the US pullout, killed ten members of a family, not militants. Also: France recalls envoys amid security pact row, and New Zealand abandons Pakistan cricket tour over 'security alert'.

US admits Kabul drone strike killed civilians

Google and Apple remove a tactical voting app from their online stores on the first day.  Voting will last three days. Also: the Austrian government is taken to court over its handling of a covid outbreak at a ski resort, and the secrets behind the best ocean photograph of the year.

Russia’s parliamentary election begins

The US tries to calm French anger over the new security pact with Britain and Australia. Iran sends fuel supplies to Lebanon, as the economic crisis deepens.
And an early work by Vincent Van Gogh is discovered by art experts in the Netherlands.

US tries to calm French anger over security pact with UK and Australia

Beijing says new security pact is 'extremely irresponsible' and 'narrow-minded'.   The alliance is widely seen as an effort to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific region.  Also, France says its troops have killed the head of the Islamic State group in the Sahara, and how some Dutch people are changing their names - to reconnect with their African heritage.

China denounces UK-US-Australia pact as 'damaging'

She was joined before the US Senate by other athletes who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar. Also: Rodrigo Duterte faces crimes against humanity investigation and the preacher promising to help anti-vaxxers.

Simone Biles testifies about abuse by US Gymnastics doctor

The departure of the football team from Afghanistan comes as part of a wider exodus of female cultural and sporting stars. Also: the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the EU needs the "political will" to intervene militarily without the US, and the Inspiration 4 space mission is ready for lift-off.

Afghan women's youth football team flees to Pakistan

Ariel Henry fires his chief prosecutor after attempt to charge him over killing of president in July. Also: Europe tries to avoid winter Covid and cows trained where to pee.

Haiti PM in murder row

New global survey shows high levels of anxiety among young people over climate change.  Over half of those interviewed think that humanity is doomed. Also, BBC analysis reveals the world now sees twice as many days with temperatures over 50 Celsius compared with 1980s, and remembering George Wein - the  jazz promoter who pioneered the modern music festival.

Climate change: Young people worldwide 'very worried' about future

The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres says the Afghan people are facing perhaps their most perilous hour. Also:turmoil in cryptocurrency markets after a fake news release purporting to be from the US retail giant Walmart, and the Pope's mission to Slovakia.

Emergency conference in Geneva pledges more than 1 billion dollars in aid for Afghanistan

The United Nations is seeking more than $600m in aid following the Taliban takeover last month. Also: tens of thousands of people in England are to take part in a "game-changing" blood test trial for cancer, and Britney Spears announces engagement.

UN warns that Afghans face most perilous hour

The memo records contact between Saudi nationals and hijackers but does not implicate the government. Also on the programme, a deal is reached on monitoring Iranian nuclear sites, and some gorillas have tested positive for Covid.

FBI releases document on Saudis and 9/11

Commemorations have taken place on the 20th anniversary of the 11 September attacks. Also, tennis history is made as British teenager Emma Raducanu wins the US Open, and Peru's Shining Path leader Abimael Guzman dies.

America stops to remember 9/11

Nearly 3,000 people died in New York, at the Pentagon and in a Pennsylvania field on 11 September, 2001. Memorial events are being held across the US to remember those who died. Also on the programme, Lebanon gets a new government amid deepening crisis, and the tennis brand that is Emma Raducanu.

Remembering 9/11 twenty years on

Russian state-run gas giant Gazprom says long-delayed Nordstream Two pipeline is now ready for use. We examine why it has caused huge tensions within Europe. Also, a woman who was a former MP in Afghan parliament tells us she fled to escape being killed by Taliban, and how are New Yorkers coping - as 20th anniversary of 9/11 approaches?

Gazprom confirms that controversial Nordstream Two gas pipeline is complete

President Biden has announced sweeping federal Covid measures that require workers at large companies to be vaccinated or face weekly testing. Also, dozens of international passengers have flown out of Kabul in the first such flight since American forces left Afghanistan, and Morocco's ruling party suffers a crushing defeat in the country's parliamentary elections.

Biden requires vaccines for millions of US workers

Quatari officials say Kabul airport is almost ready to resume flights.Qatar has provided Afghanistan with the technical expertise to reopen the ariport. Women in Afghanistan protest against the Taliban in defiance of a ban on women competing in sport. Also, North Korea marks its anniversary with a military parade featuring hazmat suits, and is there a mystery illness attacking American diplomats?

Kabul airport prepares to reopen

Ashraf Ghani has issued a statement on Twitter three weeks after leaving Afghanistan. Also, the man believed to be the only gunman to survive the Paris attacks in 2015 appears in court at the start of his trial, and the world's biggest plant to extract carbon dioxide from the air opens in Iceland.

Former Afghan president says he fled to avoid bloodshed

Twenty suspects on trial over the Paris terror attacks which killed 130 people in November 2015. The wave of shootings and bombings by Islamic State extremists was France's worst attack since World War Two. Also, Afghan women protest against all-male Taliban government, and will snow soon disappear from Africa's highest mountain?

France: Trial begins of suspects over 2015 Paris attacks

The all-male cabinet in Kabul includes figures linked to attacks on US forces and a leader wanted by the FBI. Also, Mexico decriminalises abortion in landmark ruling, and youngest Catholic bishop in Spain resigns from church to marry erotic novelist.

Hardliners get key posts in new Taliban government

Protests are the the biggest show of defiance since the militant group took power in Afghanistan. Also: supporters of Myanmar's deposed civilian government call for a mass uprising against the military government, and Bitcoin becomes joint legal tender in El Salvador.

Taliban fire shots in Kabul to disperse protesters

The US State Department said the group had crossed into an unspecified neighbouring country, and that the Taliban had known about the departure and did not impede it. Also, Poland's parliament approves state of emergency on Belarus border, and the French film star Jean-Paul Belmondo dies aged 88.

US evacuates four Americans overland from Afghanistan

The Taliban say they have seized Afghanistan's Panjshir province, which would consolidate their control of the entire country, but resistance fighters dispute this. Also, the Belarusian woman who led mass protests against President Alexander Lukashenko is sentenced to 11 years in prison, and soldiers who have seized power in Guinea call government ministers to a meeting.

Taliban claim disputed Panjshir Valley

Troops announced a takeover on TV, capturing the president Alpha Conde. Also: Taliban accused of killing pregnant Afghan police officer in Ghor province, and could seaweed be a key raw material for a sustainable future?

Soldiers seize power in Guinea

An Ethiopian general says the rebels were killed in fierce fighting, aided by airstrikes. Also: Taliban break up women's rights protest in Kabul, and Vladimir Putin gets corrected by schoolboy about Russian history.

Ethiopia claims thousands of Tigray rebels killed

Resistance fighters deny claims that the Taliban has overrun their stronghold in the Panjshir valley. Also, President Joe Biden urges US southern states to improve their infrastructure after Hurricane Ida. And, as Tokyo hosts the Paralympics, we look at the prejudice faced by people with disabilities in Japan.

Afghanistan: Fighting rages in Panjshir

AstraZeneca will give the EU 200 million doses by 31 March 2022, ending court action. Also: an Islamist under surveillance stabs 6 people in New Zealand and Para Taekwondo, the Paralympics' 1st full contact sport.

EU and AstraZeneca reach deal over vaccine row

More than 40 people are dead after Storm Ida hits the US. Also, one of the alleged Islamic State members dubbed "the Beatles" has pleaded guilty to conspiring to torture and behead American and European hostages in Syria. And Russian regulators say Apple and Google are breaking the law by offering an app created by the opposition activist Alexei Navalny.

President Biden blames climate change for deadly New York flood

A 2-year-old died, with many victims trapped in flooded basements. Also: the US Supreme Court refuses to block the abortion ban in Texas, and Mikis Theodorakis - the composer of Zorba the Greek - dies.

NY floods kill at least 9

The economy of Afghanistan collapses, while prices soar. Also: President Biden promises to fight to protect the constitutional right to abortion, and the British man told to avoid prison by going to the library.

Afghan economy close to collapse after Taliban victory

World Meteorological Organisation issues stark warning about impact of climate-change.  It says there's been 400% increase in weather-related disasters worldwide in last five decades. Also, Taliban prepare to announce new Afghan government - but women unlikely to have ministerial roles, and historians research the forgotten female army which helped shape West Africa.

Climate change: Huge increase in weather-related disasters over last 50 years

The US president Joe Biden says staying in Afghanistan was not an option, as Taliban militants celebrate. Also: USAID says forces from Ethiopia's Tigray region have looted its warehouses in Amhara, and will Afghanistan's all-female orchestra Zohra ever play again?

Biden defends Afghan exit amid Taliban joy

After declaring that their victory belonged to all Afghans, the Taliban reach out to former foes. Also: the BBC’s Moscow correspondent, Sarah Rainsford, has left Russia, after being labelled a threat to national security, and is being kind selfish?

Taliban call for good relations with US

Taliban supporters fired into the air to celebrate the end of the 20-year occupation. Also: Brazilian bank robbers use hostages as human shields, and China cuts online gaming for under-18s to three hours a week.

US completes Afghanistan withdrawal

BBC correspondents answer your questions about the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.  We ask how did the Taliban overthrow the Afghan government so quickly? What now for human rights, the economy and international relations?

Photo:People on board an evacuation flight out of Kabul airport, August 21, 2021 Credit:MoD/PA Wire

Afghanistan Special: Your Questions Answered

Forecasters say the storm, which has now made landfall, is extremely dangerous. Also: US says drone strike thwarts Kabul airport attack, and the Jamaican soul of reggae Lee 'Scratch' Perry dies aged eighty-five.

Louisiana hunkers down as Hurricane Ida strikes

The US president Joe Biden says commanders have told him another attack could happen within the next thirty-six hours. The final UK troops, diplomats and officials have now left Kabul. Also:  thousands flee as hurricane Ida closes in on the Gulf Coast and do you fancy being a teacher on the beautiful Scottish island of Fair Isle?

Biden warns another Kabul airport attack likely

The US is still evacuating Afghans desperate to leave. The Taliban said on Friday night they had taken control of parts of Kabul airport - the Pentagon has disputed this. Also:  US spy agencies split on Covid origin theories, and scientists find world's northernmost island.

US to continue Kabul airlift 'until last moment'

90 people were killed in bombings at Kabul airport on Thursday.  The final evacuation and foreign troop withdrawals are scheduled to be completed by August 31st.  Also, China fines a leading actress $46 million as part of campaign against 'chaotic' celebrity culture, and up for auction - the gun used to kill one of the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West.

Kabul: Evacuation enters final phase after deadly attacks

Twin bomb attacks at Kabul airport targeted people desperate to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Dozens of people died including US military personnel. Also: reports from Ethiopia say ethnic violence has left many people dead in the troubled Oromia region, and the hotter planets outside our solar system that astronomers say may support life.

Biden vows to finish mission despite Kabul attacks

Hundreds of desperate people are still there despite warnings of an IS attack. Also, crowds have also gathered at a border crossing with Pakistan in the hope of leaving Afghanistan by land, and a breakthrough in treatment for malaria could save the lives of many children. Plus the Swedish furniture giant, Ikea, is accused of destroying valuable forests in Romania.

Afghanistan: Time runs out for evacuations from Kabul airport

The US says the Taliban have promised to allow foreigners and Afghans to leave beyond 31 August, when a US-controlled airlift will end. Also: The World Health Organisation says time is running out to study the origins of Covid-19, and why the boss of world football has appealed for help from the British Prime Minister.

Afghanistan: Taliban committed to post-deadline safe passage

Deeply emotional comments by Afghan reporter who fears she'll be killed by Taliban. Western nations are stepping up Kabul evacuation ahead of final deadline of August 31st.  Also, China's schools are to teach ideology of President Xi Jinping, and one of the most famous album-covers in music history is generating a lawsuit - after thirty years.

Afghanistan: Woman journalist gives tearful interview to BBC at Kabul airport

But US president says he's asked the Pentagon to have contingency plans ready. Also: Hackers share shocking images of Iranian prisoner abuse and remembering Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts who's died.

Biden sticks to Kabul withdrawal deadline

These include executions, restrictions on women and recruiting child soldiers. Also: the 2020 Paralympic Games open in Tokyo; and uncovering the secret of the sound of the Stradivarius violin.

Afghanistan: UN says reports of rights violations by Taliban are credible

Allies want Biden to keep troops at Kabul airport beyond the end of this month but the Taliban warns against what it says would be a 'violation'.  Also:  the IMF gives member countries hundreds of billions of dollars for pandemic recovery; and how evolution has left humans one step behind chimpanzees.

Pressure to extend US-Afghan deadline

One Afghan guard killed in clashes with unknown assailants as evacuation continues.  Meanwhile the Taliban say they won't extend deadline for foreign troops to leave the country.  Also, Kamala Harris joins US diplomatic 'charm offensive' in SE Asia, and Tanzania's female president is criticised over harsh comments about women footballers.

Afghanistan: Gunfire at Kabul airport

President Biden defends actions in Afghanistan; resistance fighters take on the Taliban and the jazz star Josephine Baker is awarded one of France's top honours.

President Biden defends his actions in Afghanistan

Thousands try to flee Kabul as chaos continues outside the airport. Also: provoking the wrath of the Taliban - by flouting the militants' dress code, and the paper horse - now an exhibit in a national museum.

US warning at Kabul airport amid crush fears

US President makes televised address as airlift from Kabul continues.  Meanwhile reports emerge of alleged killings of Hazara minority by Taliban.  Also, how one African migrant survived boat journey to Canary Islands while 52 others died, and why rainfall on a mountain in Greenland could be bad news for all of us.

Biden on Afghanistan withdrawal: 'This is about America leading the world'

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Global News Podcast

BBC World Service - bbc.co.uk

Latest episode: Sat Sep 18 2021