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Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Ayesha Rahimi was in 11th grade when the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 and barred girls from secondary education. Three years later, Rahimi lives as a refugee in Peshawar, Pakistan, where she hopes to go back to school. VOA’s Muska Safi met with Rahimi in this story narrated by Bezhan Hamdard.

white house — President Joe Biden said Thursday he supports new elections in Venezuela, giving a VOA reporter a two-word response — "I do" — when asked "do you support new elections in Venezuela?" Brazil's leader had proposed a rerun of the July 28 election, which the White House says opposition challenger Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won. Protests have bubbled up in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro's victory claim, and the leader of the opposition is calling for massive protests this Saturday.   But the administration told VOA hours later that Biden understood VOA's question differently, leaving it unclear whether this represents a shift in Washington's position on Venezuela's political crisis.   A National Security Council spokesperson reiterated the administration's stance, telling VOA in an email that Biden "was speaking to the absurdity of Maduro and his representatives not coming clean about the July 28 elections."  "It is abundantly clear to the majority of the Venezuelan people, the United States, and a growing number of countries that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes on July 28. The United States again calls for the will of the Venezuelan people to be respected and for discussions to begin on a transition back to democratic norms."  The spokesperson did not say definitively where Biden stands on whether the election should be repeated.   Earlier Thursday, an NSC spokesperson told VOA that the Biden administration is "considering a range of options to incentivize and pressure Maduro to recognize the election results and will continue to do so."  White House seeks vote data Separately, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby told reporters: "We want to see the actual vote tallies, the data, and we haven't seen that yet. So, we still need to see that."  Kirby also added, "it is not true that there's been amnesty offered to Mr. Maduro" as part of any deal to resolve the crisis.   Shortly after the election, Maduro began cracking down on political opponents, prompting rights groups to sound the alarm. Strained ties  Washington has long had strained ties with Caracas, Venezuela, caused by ideological differences with the left-leaning country, doubts about the validity of previous elections, U.S. sanctions on officials over human rights abuses, and crippling American economic sanctions on the oil-rich nation.  Venezuela's situation has led to a northward exodus of millions of Venezuelans, leaving both American authorities and those migrants in a delicate position. Celia Mendoza, Carolina Valladares and Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this story.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Abuja, Nigeria — Nigerian legislation that critics said would have allowed the government to crack down on dissent has been withdrawn. Supporters said the bill was intended to stop what were seen as subversive activities. But Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of Nigeria's lower chamber of parliament and sponsor of the bill, withdrew it in a statement Wednesday. He said the decision was made in response to public concerns, and after careful consideration of Nigeria's current circumstances. The Counter Subversion Bill, with 24 clauses, had reached the first reading in parliament — a significant step in Nigeria's legislative process, since it was introduced in late July. The bill called for a 10-year jail term or a hefty fine for refusing to recite the national anthem and a five-year sentence for erecting an illegal roadblock, proposing illegal curfews or conducting illegal processions. Damilare Akinola, an Abuja-based human rights activist, called the bill "thoughtless." "Even before the introduction of the bill, Nigeria's civic space has been stifled," Akinola said. "These are just further attempts to consolidate. So these attempts are not surprising." The bill said citizens who disobeyed constituted authority could be jailed for three years. It was introduced in the wake of anti-government demonstrations in Nigeria. Earlier this month, thousands marched in the streets of Nigeria's major cities to demand a reversal of government actions, especially the removal of fuel subsidies. The protests turned violent when security agents applied excessive force to disperse demonstrators. Amnesty International said 23 people were killed. Amnesty's Isa Sanusi sayid Nigerian lawmakers are supposed to focus on important matters. "The whole matter is misplaced, ill-timed and inappropriate, because that legislation is draconian, repressive and adds no value," Sanusi said. "It can possibly be manipulated and used to target people who disagree with the government. It must be completely withdrawn. We want to get assurance that it will not be brought back through the back door. The lawmakers are supposed to focus on addressing corruption, mismanagement, hunger and growing inflation." Human rights groups often blame Nigerian authorities for trying to enact repressive legislation that shrinks the civic space. In 2019, legislation calling for regulation of social media was dropped after it led to protests. Authorities often say such legislation is proposed in the interest of national security. Abuja resident Godswill Effiom disagrees. "I am one of the citizens who kicked against" the bill on allegedly subversive activities, Effiom said. "Let them allow citizens to express themselves. There are better ways to curb all this, not to restrict people from expression. We are in a democratic kind of leadership.” For now, activists and citizens will be monitoring lawmakers’ next step.

Washington — The United States welcomed Thursday’s announcement by Sudan's sovereign council to allow the use of the Adre border crossing with Chad for three months, while continuing efforts to bring both sides of Sudan's warring military factions to the negotiating table. The opening of the Adre border crossing is a long-awaited move by aid organizations aiming to deliver humanitarian assistance to famine-threatened areas of the Darfur region. The war-torn country faces one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. We “welcome the news as it relates to this border crossing with Chad,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told VOA during a briefing on Thursday. “We are continuing to call on the SAF [Sudanese Armed Forces] and RSF [Rapid Support Forces] to facilitate unrestricted humanitarian access through any and all available channels.” The United States has invited leaders from both warring factions to Geneva, Switzerland, for talks aimed at negotiating a potential cease-fire to end the 16-month civil war. The SAF had already rejected the talks several days earlier, while the RSF delegation, though in Switzerland, was absent from Wednesday’s open session. “We're still very focused on getting both sides in Sudan back to the table and to come to meaningful agreements about laying their arms down and doing the right thing for the people of Sudan,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters on Thursday. “You certainly need both military actors to be part of” the conversation on a cessation of violence, Patel told reporters on Thursday. Diplomats from the African Union, Egypt, Saudia Arabia, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates and the United Nations were at the U.S.-mediated talks, which opened on Wednesday. “Day 2 of our diplomatic talks on Sudan is under way. We continue our relentless work with international partners to save lives and ensure we achieve tangible results that build upon the Jeddah Process and implement the Jeddah Declaration,” U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan Tom Perriello wrote on X. The Jeddah Declaration, reached in May 2023, calls for full aid access by land and air to all populations regardless of who controls the area. More than a year of fighting between SAF and RSF troops has displaced nearly 10 million people across the greater Horn of Africa country and left 26 million facing crisis-level hunger.   “The medical system in Sudan is at a breaking point. Hospitals designed to serve tens of thousands are overwhelmed with over half a million displaced people, while the international community’s pledged aid remains largely undelivered,” Adil Al-Mahi, humanitarian organization MedGlobal’s country director in Sudan, told VOA on Thursday. He added that the last operational hospital in El Fasher may be forced to close due to intense shelling. El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, is the battleground for intense conflict between the SAF and RSF. “The Saudi Hospital, the last public hospital in North Darfur, is barely functioning after continued bombardments. With each attack, it becomes increasingly clear that there is no regard for the protection of health facilities or the civilians within them. The international community must urgently intervene to protect these vital lifelines before it’s too late,” Al-Mahi said.

Azerbaijan and Armenia are in an arms race that threatens to undermine U.S.-backed peace talks between the two Caucasus countries. Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul.

cape canaveral, florida — The first of four supermoons this year rises next week, providing tantalizing views of Earth's constant companion. Stargazers can catch the first act Monday as the full moon inches a little closer than usual, making it appear slightly bigger and brighter in the night sky. "I like to think of the supermoon as a good excuse to start looking at the moon more regularly," said Noah Petro, project scientist for NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. August's supermoon kicks off a string of lunar spectacles. September's supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October's will be the year's closest approach, and November's will round out the year. What makes a moon so super? More a popular term than a scientific one, a supermoon occurs when a full lunar phase syncs up with an especially close swing around Earth. This usually happens only three or four times a year and consecutively, given the moon's constantly shifting, oval-shaped orbit. A supermoon obviously isn't bigger, but it can appear that way, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible. "Unless you have looked at a lot of full moons or compare them in images, it is hard to notice the difference, but people should try," Petro said in an email. How do supermoons compare? There's a quartet of supermoons this year. The first will be 361,970 kilometers away. The next will be nearly 4,484 kilometers closer the night of September 17 into the following morning. A partial lunar eclipse will also unfold that night, visible in much of the Americas, Africa and Europe as the Earth's shadow falls on the moon, resembling a small bite. October's supermoon will be the year's closest at 357,364 kilometers from Earth, followed by November's supermoon at 361,867 kilometers. What's in it for me? Scientists point out that only the keenest observers can discern the subtle differences. It's easier to detect the change in brightness — a supermoon can be 30% brighter than average. With the U.S. and other countries ramping up lunar exploration with landers and eventually astronauts, the moon beckons brighter than ever. As project scientist for the first team of moonwalkers coming up under Apollo's follow-on program, Artemis, Petro is thrilled by the renewed lunar interest. "It certainly makes it more fun to stare at," Petro said.

islamabad — From sharing memes to sealing deals, millions of Pakistanis are struggling to communicate digitally as internet and data services have slowed down across much of the country.  Officials are blaming internet service providers for the slowdown, but media reports indicate the problem may stem from the deployment of a nationwide internet firewall aimed at controlling online content and traffic.  Crippling economy  The problem, which began several weeks ago, has worsened in recent days, frustrating freelancers like Moadood Ahmad, who is seeing a drop in income.  "If I don't show as available on Upwork or Fiverr, then new clients can't even approach me. Older clients are also disturbed," Ahmad told VOA. The Lahore-based digital marketing services provider says he has made virtually no money in the last two weeks.  According to DataReportal.com, 111 million Pakistanis in the nation of more than 240 million have access to internet. The country has nearly 189 million active cellular connections. State Bank of Pakistan put the country's IT exports at $3.2 billion in the financial year that ended in July 2024.  The spokesperson's office of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) told VOA it has only heard about issues with internet speed and web access through media. Speaking to VOA in late July, a PTA spokesperson blamed the slowdown at that time on a possible technical glitch.  During a hearing Thursday, the secretary for the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication told a Senate committee that it was gathering data about the situation from mobile operators.  But the slump in services is not limited to mobile data users. In a statement to the media Thursday, an alliance of internet service providers (ISPs) said internet speeds had plummeted by 30% to 40%, "crippling [the] digital economy."  "Many are leaving the smaller ISPs because they can't sustain the poor service quality anymore. If this continues, we will see a mass exodus of businesses from Pakistan," said the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP).  Speaking to VOA, WISPAP Chairman Shahzad Arshad said his alliance members were inundated with customer complaints.  "The authorities should at least tell us a timeframe that we can give to the customer," Arshad said.  Without mentioning the firewall, WISPAP's statement blamed increased "security and surveillance" for the decline in service quality.  "While the government remains steadfast in its commitment to enhancing security, the question remains: at what cost to the nation's digital economy?" the statement asked.  Controlling access  A source familiar with the nationwide firewall told VOA the system — acquired from China and installed through the Ministry of Defense — is based at a cable landing station in Pakistan, the place where the undersea internet data cable meets a country's internet system.     The firewall, also placed on the systems used by data providers, can give Pakistani authorities information about an individual user's online activities and where they are operating from, allowing for targeted monitoring, the source said.  Efforts to deploy the firewall on servers that major international companies use to store content close to end users are also underway. This can give authorities deeper access to an individual's data and control of their online activities.  Digital rights activists reject the government's claim that the firewall is only a cybersecurity tool. "To me, this is about political control. This desperation to do whatever they can," said Farieha Aziz, co-founder of the digital rights group Bolo Bhi, an Urdu name that means "speak up."  Government officials "are still not transparent and open about the capability [of the firewall], what kind of monitoring is happening," said Aziz. "What are they attempting?"  The country's latest efforts to control internet traffic and user activity come as the powerful military frequently complains of rising "digital terrorism," a term it uses for those who criticize or mock the armed forces on social media.  Digital rights activist Aziz also criticized telecom companies and internet service providers for not being transparent with users about the reasons for service disruptions.  Digital freedom is limited in Pakistan. Global rights watchdog Freedom House describes Pakistan as "not free," with a low score of only 26 out of 100 on its internet freedom index.  Pakistanis trying to bypass poor connectivity and speed by using VPNs are not faring much better either.  "Even those who use VPNs, and use our internet services, are unable to connect," WISPAP's Shahzad confirmed to VOA.  A PTA official told the Standing Committee on Cabinet Sec­retariat, earlier this month that the regulator was working on a plan to approve certain virtual private networks. All other VPNs would be blocked.  Senator Palwasha Khan, chairperson of the Senate's standing committee on IT, told VOA she expected internet speed to normalize in Pakistan within days. She said the committee was not informed if the problem was because of the firewall, but said she supported the censorship tool.  "I do agree that if some security measures are taken to control the chaos on social media, I don't have any problem with that," said Khan, a senator from the Pakistan People's Party, which is part of the ruling alliance.  Struggling to share voice notes and visual content with clients via a popular messaging app, freelancer Moadood Ahmad told VOA he regretted moving back to Pakistan from the United Arab Emirates.  "I am thinking I made a mistake," Ahmad said. "I should go back." 

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

los angeles — A prosecutor says five people have been charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death from a ketamine overdose last year, including the actor's assistant and two doctors. U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada announced the charges Thursday, saying the doctors supplied Perry with a large amount of ketamine and even wondered in a text message how much the former "Friends" star would be willing to pay. "These defendants took advantage of Mr. Perry's addiction issues to enrich themselves. They knew what they were doing was wrong," Estrada said. Perry died in October due to a ketamine overdose and received several injections of the drug on the day he died from his live-in personal assistant. The assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, is the one who found Perry dead later that day. The actor went to the two charged doctors in desperation after his regular doctors refused to give him ketamine in the amounts he wanted. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in one instance the actor paid $2,000 for a vial of ketamine that cost one of the physicians about $12. Two of the people, including one of the doctors charged, were arrested Thursday, Estrada said. Two of the defendants, including Iwamasa, have pleaded guilty to charges already, and a third person has agreed to plead guilty. Multiple messages left seeking comment from lawyers or offices for all the defendants have not yet been returned. Among those arrested Thursday are Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who is charged with seven counts of distribution of ketamine and also two charges related to allegations he falsified records after Perry's death. The other person arrested Thursday is Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors described as a drug dealer known as the "ketamine queen." Ketamine supplied by Sangha caused Perry's death, authorities said. Sangha and Plasencia could make their first court appearances later Thursday. Records show Plascencia's medical license has been in good standing with no records of complaints, though it is set to expire in October. A San Diego physician, Dr. Mark Chavez, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Prosecutors allege Chavez funneled ketamine to Plasencia, securing some of the drug from a wholesale distributor through a fraudulent prescription. The prosecutor said the defendants exchanged messages soon after Perry's death referencing ketamine as the cause of death. Estrada said they tried to cover up their involvement in supplying Perry ketamine, a powerful anesthetic that is sometimes used to treat chronic pain and depression. Los Angeles police said in May that they were working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with a probe into why the 54-year-old had so much of the surgical anesthetic in his system. Iwamasa found the actor face down in his hot tub on Oct. 28, and paramedics who were called immediately declared him dead. The assistant received the ketamine from Eric Fleming, who has pleaded guilty to obtaining the drug from Sangha and delivering it to Iwamasa. In all, he delivered 50 vials of ketamine for Perry's use, including 25 handed over four days before the actor's death. Perry's autopsy, released in December, found that the amount of ketamine in his blood was in the range used for general anesthesia during surgery. Ketamine has seen a huge surge in use in recent years as a treatment for depression, anxiety and pain. People close to Perry told coroner's investigators that he was undergoing ketamine infusion therapy. But the medical examiner said Perry's last treatment 1½ weeks earlier wouldn't explain the levels of ketamine in his blood. The drug is typically metabolized in a matter of hours. At least two doctors were treating Perry, a psychiatrist and an anesthesiologist who served as his primary care physician, the medical examiner's report said. No illicit drugs or paraphernalia were found at his house. Ketamine was listed as the primary cause of death, which was ruled an accident with no foul play suspected, the report said. Drowning and other medical issues were contributing factors, the coroner said. Drug-related celebrity deaths have in other cases led authorities to prosecute the people who supplied them. After rapper Mac Miller died from an overdose of cocaine, alcohol and counterfeit oxycodone that contained fentanyl, two of the men who provided him the fentanyl were convicted of distributing the drug. One was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison, the other to 10 years. And after Michael Jackson died in 2009 from a lethal dose of propofol, a drug intended for use only during surgery and other medical procedures and not for the insomnia the singer sought it for, his doctor, Conrad Murray, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2011. Murray has maintained his innocence.

Harare, Zimbabwe — The United Nations’ Human Rights Office has joined calls for Zimbabwe's government to release more than 100 activists detained ahead of the Southern African Development Community summit on Saturday. Speaking to VOA from Nairobi on Thursday, U.N. Human Rights Office spokesperson Seif Magango said his organization is monitoring the situation.  “We at the U.N. Human Rights Office are concerned by reports of arrest, harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and political activists in Zimbabwe, in the lead up to the SADC summit,” Magango said via WhatsApp. “We call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained and for protection of civic space.”  Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said that since mid-June, there has been a "wave" of arrests of pro-democracy activists nationwide. Other activists reportedly are in hiding. The government said the people arrested were planning to protest at this weekend’s SADC summit, where 16 heads of state and government are expected in Harare.  “While freedom of expression is a fundamental right, it’s paramount to observe that the enjoyment of that freedom should not be at the expense of the freedom of your fellow citizens,” said Kazembe Kazembe, Zimbabwe’s home affairs minister. “Freedom of expression does not and cannot mean the right to remove a democratically elected government from office and to replace it with people or [a] party elected by nobody. The opposition has never held any peaceful demonstrations.”  Kazembe added that the country’s focus should be on hosting the upcoming summit and not on the “misplaced priorities” of an opposition hoping to stir up civil unrest.  Promise Mkwananzi, the spokesman for Zimbabwe’s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change, welcomed the statement by the U.N. Human Rights Office as proof that the “crisis” in the country had transcended its borders.  “It is the prerogative of the international institutions like the U.N. to hold Zimbabwe to account and to call for the halt of harassment and arrest of activists in Zimbabwe,” Mkwananzi said. “Welcome the statement indeed, we ratify the statement and indeed it is true: Zimbabwe must release all political prisoners and SADC must not be party to the persecution of Zimbabwe for the sake of hosting this summit.”  Alexander Rusero, a professor of politics at Africa University in Zimbabwe, offered advice to both the ruling ZANU-PF party and civic society groups.  “Civic society organizations, they also ought to change their game, in as much as confronting ZANU-PF is concerned. And on the other hand, ZANU-PF should also realize that confrontation with civic society ... at the end of the day, the civic society has nothing to lose, but ZANU-PF, they have a country to run,” Rusero said. “Now we have an SADC summit and it does not give a good picture, to have the state always at loggerheads with certain protagonists in the opposition and in the civil society.”  At the Saturday summit, Zimbabwe will assume SADC’s chairmanship for the first time since the 16-nation bloc became a development community in 1992.  

Yaounde, Cameroon — As Gabon approaches the first anniversary of the coup that ousted longtime President Ali Bongo Ondimba, supporters of the military chief who leads the transitional government are urging him to run for president. Meanwhile, opponents of General Brice Nguema say he is plotting to seize power for the long term and turn Gabon into a military dictatorship. Gabon's military is urging people to turn out in droves on August 30 and celebrate what the central African state’s military leaders call the Day of National Liberation. Their message, broadcast several times each day by state TV, reminds civilians that the military seized power in a bloodless coup on that day last year, saying it acted to save the country from a serious political, economic and institutional crisis. Colonel Ulrich Manfoumbi Manfoumbi, spokesperson for the transitional government, said military leaders want to use August 30 as an annual day of celebration to thank troops who effected the change of leadership without killing civilians or destroying property. Manfoumbi also said Nguema's integrity and commitment to improving living conditions and developing Gabon can't be disputed. He said Nguema has put in place functional state institutions such as a transitional government, National Assembly, Senate and Constitutional Council. Others say Nguema is trying to transform Gabon into a military dictatorship, in part by manipulating opposition parties. Pelgie Marle Joselle Itsana, who heads the Pan African Movement for the Unity of Gabon People, said the heavy presence of troops along streets in major towns is an indication that Nguema will want to confiscate power at all costs. Itsana said she was surprised when Nguema, after abolishing state institutions from Ondimba's regime, appointed some of those same officials to his transitional government, the Constitutional Council and the National Assembly, even though he earlier had accused them of ruining Gabon and refusing to hand over power. Manfoumbi tried to counter that argument by pointing out that within the past year Nguema extended water and electricity supplies to several dozen towns and villages, built hospitals and schools, improved road infrastructure and provided several thousand jobs for unemployed youths. He also, Manfoumbi said, “mercilessly fought corruption,” especially among government officials and politicians. This week, Gabon state TV reported that scores of opposition and civil society groups are calling on Nguema to run for president in the August 2025 elections, which are intended to reestablish civilian rule. Alexandre Barro Chambrier, vice prime minister and president of the opposition RPM party, said Tuesday that he is ready to support Nguema. He said love of country and patriotism have been ignited among citizens and cited many development projects started since Nguema seized power. Barro Chambrier, who spoke on state radio, did not say how many opposition and civil society groups want Nguema to run for president. Gabon is currently preparing a constitutional referendum that will lay the groundwork for future elections. The proposed constitution bars transitional government members from running in the 2025 elections, with the notable exception of Nguema. The general has not said whether he will be a candidate. But the transitional government has refuted claims the military leader is planning to hold on to power. Many opposition and civil society groups say they want Nguema to respect commitments he made in April after a monthlong national dialogue to make Gabon a true democratic state, one in which civilians are not persecuted for holding opinions contrary to those of the government. They say Nguema should hand over power to civilians when the 24-month transitional period ends next August. The transitional government says when the time comes, Gabon will hold free, fair and credible elections. 

islamabad — The United Nations said Thursday that Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have “deliberately deprived” 1.4 million girls of schooling since they reclaimed power three years ago, putting at risk the future of an entire generation. The U.N. Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization or UNESCO released the new report as de facto Afghan leaders marked the third anniversary of ruling the poverty-stricken South Asian country this week. The Taliban swept back to power in August 2021 and have placed sweeping restrictions on women’s access to education and public life, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to prohibit access to education for girls ages 12 and older. “As a result of bans imposed by the de facto authorities, at least 1.4 million girls have been deliberately denied access to secondary education since 2021,” said Audrey Azoulay, the UNESCO director-general, in a statement. “This represents an increase of 300,000 since the previous count carried out by UNESCO in April 2023 – with more girls reaching the age limit of 12 every year,” she noted. The U.N. and global human rights groups have denounced the bans as "gender apartheid” and called for their immediate reversal. The Taliban government, not formally recognized by any country, has not immediately responded to the UNESCO findings and demands for removing the bans on female education. The radical Afghan leaders have vehemently and persistently rejected criticism of their policies, claiming they are aligned with local culture and their harsh interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. Azoulay said that almost 2.5 million girls in Afghanistan, which accounts for 80% of school-age girls, are now unable to access education due to the bans. The report also includes girls who were not attending school before the Taliban takeover, she added. The UNESCO report said that access to primary education had “also fallen sharply,” with 1.1 million fewer Afghan girls and boys attending school under the Taliban rule. It added that Afghanistan had only 5.7 million girls and boys in primary school in 2022, compared with 6.8 million in 2019. The study attributed the drop in primary school enrollment to the Taliban's decision to prohibit female teachers from teaching boys, exacerbating the teacher shortage. Increasingly difficult “socio-economic” circumstances facing Afghanistan are also responsible for parents’ lack of incentive to send their children to school, according to the report. “UNESCO is alarmed by the harmful consequences of this increasingly massive drop-out rate, which could lead to a rise in child labor and early marriage." "In just three years, the de facto authorities have almost wiped out two decades of steady progress for education in Afghanistan, and the future of an entire generation is now in jeopardy,” Azoulay said. Enrollment in higher education is equally concerning, the statement said, adding that the number of university students had decreased by 53% since 2021. "As a result, the country will rapidly face a shortage of graduates trained for the most highly skilled jobs, which will only exacerbate development problems,” said UNESCO. Azoulay urged the global community to “maintain its mobilization for the full restoration of the right to education for girls and women in Afghanistan.”

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.

Mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt meet for cease-fire talks with an Israeli delegation in Qatar Thursday as the Palestinian death toll from the 10-month-old war surpassed 40,000. What is Mpox and why has it been declared a global health emergency? Ukrainian forces continue their push deeper into Russia. Protests over the gruesome death of a doctor in India and the toll extreme heat is having on children around the world.

Give us 5 minutes, and we'll give you the world. Around the clock, Voice of America keeps you in touch with the latest news. We bring you reports from our correspondents and interviews with newsmakers from across the world.