
Afghanistan's Taliban takeover: Five years on
From From Our Own Correspondent by BBC Radio 4
August 15, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the impact of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, highlighting underground networks supporting women, Gaza's tech entrepreneurs, fraudulent matchmaking in China, and wildlife conservation efforts in Australia.
Kate Adie introduces stories on the hidden networks providing vital lifelines to women and girls in Afghanistan, Gaza's tech entrepreneurs rebooting the digital economy, China's bogus dating agencies, and the hunt for a hard-to-find critter in the Australian bush. It's been five years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Lyse Doucet and Mahjooba Nowrouzi report on the severe restrictions placed on the freedoms and ambitions of women and girls, and the subsequent emergence of underground networks which are provide vital support - from education to legal advice for women seeking divorce. Since the ceasefire was announced last year, little progress has been made in Gaza in terms of reconstruction. But young tech-entrepreneurs are taking matters into their own hands, rebooting Gaza's fledgling digital economy and providing a much-needed source of income. Yolande Knell has been speaking to tech-savvy Palestinians. Matchmaking websites that help people find a soulmate can earn huge sums of money. Unfortunately it's an industry where fraudsters exploit lonely hearts looking for love. As Laura Bicker reports it is a serious problem in China, where some men have been…
People in this episode
Host: Kate Adie
Guests: Lyse Doucet, Mahjooba Nowrouzi
Topics covered
- women's rights
- technology
- fraud
- wildlife conservation
- digital economy
- Taliban
- entrepreneurship
Keywords
- Taliban
- women's rights
- Gaza
- technology
- China
- matchmaking
- Australia
- wildlife
- entrepreneurship
- fraud
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Afghanistan, Gaza, China, Australian bush
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