DARK SECRETS: 6 - The Real Truth

25 Years in Afghanistan review – the extraordinary life of an optimist

Mir Hussain has been followed by TV cameras since he was a child, and managed to deliver love and laughter alongside his struggle. Now his previous Bafta-winning documentary gets an update

The Guardian - UK · Aug 17

Fury erupts at Fox host who blasted ‘weak’ sailors on USS Abraham Lincoln: ‘Put him on that ship’

The former Marine Corps staff sergeant compared the carrier crew’s living conditions to his own deployment in Afghanistan

The Independent UK · Aug 16

Taliban mark five-year anniversary of regaining power in Afghanistan

Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the former US embassy, with flowers thrown down from military helicopters. Critics of the Taliban, however, fear worsening human rights abuses.

Euronews · Aug 16

Five years of Taliban rule: Survival is not the same as stability

The Taliban has maintained control of Afghanistan for five years. Mounting domestic pressures include poverty and refugee returns. Internal factionalism and security strains also challenge the regime. External engagements have expanded, though Pakistan relations have worsened. India pursues calibrated engagement with humanitarian support and strategic patience.

The Economic Times · Aug 15

Taliban mark five years in power in Afghanistan

KABUL - ​The Taliban marked five years in power in Afghanistan on Saturday, seeking to portray their ‌government as in control even as aid and rights groups warned of escalating crises.

Bangkok Post · Aug 15

While Taliban leaders mark 5 years in power in Afghanistan, a UN official warns of a rights crisis

Taliban rulers have celebrated the fifth anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan

The Independent UK · Aug 15

Five years into Taliban rule, Afghanistan seeks to ease international isolation

In the five years since the Taliban seized back power in Afghanistan, the country's worsening human rights record has drawn sanctions and aid cuts. But despite refusing to officially recognise the fundamentalist movement's government, some countries are concluding that engaging with the Taliban has become unavoidable.

Radio France Internationale · Aug 15

'Suffocating restrictions' shadow five years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan

Five years after seizing Kabul and returning to power, the Taliban is celebrating what it calls a more secure and "free" Afghanistan. But its anniversary comes amid mounting criticism over sweeping restrictions on women and girls, economic hardship and continued international isolation.

France 24 · Aug 15

Five years into Taliban rule, Afghanistan plunges into a state of collapse – visualised

The stark figures show that since the hardliners seized power in 2021, women have been erased from public life, poverty is forcing hopeless families to marry off their daughters and healthcare is on the brink of failure

The Guardian - UK · Aug 15

I feel guilt talking to those left behind in Afghanistan. While I enjoy freedom, they are prisoners

Five years since the Taliban returned to power, life – especially for women – is merciless and suffocating, says Afghan-British journalist Nelufar Hedayat

The Guardian - UK · Aug 15