| No regret over Afghanistan withdrawal - Biden |
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Violence is escalating in Afghanistan as the Taliban - ousted by US-led forces 20 years ago - seize more and more power. "They've got to fight for themselves," says US President Joe Biden who does not regret withdrawing troops from the country. He’s urging Afghanistan's leaders to unite and "fight for their nation" amid escalating violence as the resurgent Taliban gains more ground. According to the UN 1,000 civilians have been killed in the past month and the Taliban have taken more territory in the last eight weeks than at any time since they were removed from power. So far at least eight of the country's 34 provincial capitals have fallen into the hands of the Taliban, with threats of more to follow.
In a month’s time - 11 September - the US plans to complete its withdrawal but, speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Biden said the US will provide close air support, paying military salaries and supplying Afghan forces with food and equipment. Despite this, fighting rages in Afghanistan and thousands are fleeing their homes but in the city of Kunduz - in the north of the country - "people are opening their shops and businesses, but you can still see fear in their eyes," says one resident. However that’s because the Taliban is focusing on government forces who have retreated to the airport. The Taliban have so far rejected international calls for a ceasefire but have pledged to stop the country becoming a base for terrorists who could threaten the West. | |
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| Prince Andrew must respond to legal action, says accuser's lawyer |
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| The Duke of York, who has consistently denied allegations of sexual abuse, must respond to the claims filed to a court by US woman Virginia Giuffre, her lawyer says. According to David Boies, Prince Andrew should let a jury decide what happened in the US-filed civil case, which alleges he sexually assaulted Ms Giuffre - then Virginia Roberts - aged 17. The duke’s spokeswoman said there was no comment on the case while Mr Boies told the BBC he "cannot hide behind wealth and palace walls". He says Ms Giuffre, who was an accuser of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had "tried every way she can to resolve this short of litigation" and "at this point litigation is the only way to establish once and for all what the truth is". | |
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| Where is the least affordable city? |
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| If money was no object which UK city would you live in? Oxford, Bath, London? How about Winchester? It’s been named as the least affordable city to buy a home in, according to the Halifax. It’s the closely followed by Oxford, Truro and Bath. Buying a home in Winchester, a commuter city in Hampshire, will cost 14 times average earnings – that’s higher than Greater London which stands at 11 times the average earnings, according to figures. "You can be both country mouse and city mouse at the same time" in the historic cathedral city says Katie Cave, director at mortgage broker Clearpoint Finance. | |
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| |  | | | Recent heatwaves and wildfires around the world have caused alarm - with warnings that parts of Europe and North America could be experiencing the worst fire season ever. So how do wildfires compare with previous years?
Parts of the western US have seen record-breaking temperatures this year, which - along with severe drought conditions - have triggered a series of major wildfires. So far this year in California, more than twice as many acres of land have been burned by wildfires compared with the five-year average. Dr Susan Prichard, from the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington, says "we might be set up for another record-breaking fire season". | |
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| | Jack Goodman & Jake Horton | BBC Reality Check | |
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| | | | With a record high number of students achieving A* or A at A-level on Tuesday there are calls for an "urgent overhaul" of the system, according to the Times, which also claims Education Secretary Gavin Williamson could be replaced. A plan to "fix A-level inflation" wouldn’t come into effect next year because ministers are keen not to judge students harshly, reports the i. The Daily Telegraph says the grading system could be scrapped and replaced with numbers to end the "free-for-all". Meanwhile, the Duke of York appears in the Metro, the Daily Mail and the Mirror after a US woman filed a civil case, alleging he sexually assaulted her when she was 17-years-old. Prince Andrew has consistently denied the claims. Read the newspaper review in full here. | |
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| | | Facebook Anti-vax influencer campaign removed |
| | | | US New York governor resigns in wake of harassment report |
| | | | Algeria Dozens killed in Kabylie region forest fires |
| | | | Covid Vaccine fertility misinformation that won't go away |
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| If you watch one thing today |
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| If you listen to one thing today |
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| If you read one thing today |
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| Need something different? |
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| With chart-topping hits like We Found Love and Diamonds, Rihanna is known globally for her music. She also turned her hand to business, officially becoming a billionaire largely on the back of her Fenty Beauty cosmetics company. What's been the key to its success? We’ve spoken to beauty experts to find out.
Now, a British boxer has topped off his career by winning his first world title - aged 64. Steve Ward’s success in the ring landed him the World Legends Championships' inaugural cruiserweight title. Read more about the Guinness World Records holder, who says he’ll be "the only world champion with a bus pass".
And finally, it was results day for students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland on Tuesday, where top A-level grades reached a record high. Take a look at the excitement of students finding out their results, what studying during the pandemic has been like and what their futures now hold. | |
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| On this day |  |
| | | 1999 Millions of people witness the last total solar eclipse of the 20th Century - we've captured it in our report. |
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