THE WORLD THIS WEEK © France 24 By: François PICARD Follow | Charles WENTE | Juliette LAURAIN 39 min They were chased out 20 years ago. On Tuesday at Kabul airport, the Taliban celebrating their return at times with seized US built military hardware. This after the last US soldiers hopped aboard the last flight one day earlier than announced. 20 years, more than 2300 casualties and a trillion dollars spent. The US president taking stock in a speech that capped the day.
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For the first time since the U-S supreme court legalized abortion in 1973 a state has made it all but impossible for a woman to terminate her own pregnancy after six weeks? that is often before a heartbeat is even detected. The Texas law encourages private citizens to sue not only abortion providers but also those who help. Other conservative states aim to follow in kind. Most striking is the supreme court with its three Trump appointees. By five 5 justices to 4, it ruled against any emergency freeze of the bill until challenges have made their way through lower courts that has prompted a strong statement from the president.
It has got all the trimmings of an unofficial re-election campaign kick-off. Incumbent French president Emmanuel Macron taking seven ministers in two for a three-day visit to Marseille, a city beset by inequality, longtime mismanagement, and a drug related turf war that has left at least 15 killed since the start of the year. It was not all cheers for Macron when he visited the northern neighborhoods of the Mediterreanan port city. The locals are fed up with crime, crumbling infrastructure and the all-too familiar sight of politicians' promises.
Back to school in France this week. Also back to school in China where pupils discovered new textbooks peppered with Xi Jinping thought. That was not the only novelty though.The government announcing a ban on minors playing video games for more than three hours a day, a decision that has got the stamp of approval from many a parent. Of course, China can control the Internet but good luck trying to control teenagers.
Produced by Charles Wente, Juliette Laurain and Léopoldine Iribarren.
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