Afghanistan's Taliban regime is waging 'war on all forms of secular education'

The LA Times reports that a deal on a prisoner swap has been reached between US envoys and the Taliban. The deal happened during a meeting in Kabul, but it's not certain how many people are or were held in each country. A Taliban statement said that the talks were held to "develop bilateral relations between the two countries". Radio Free Europe, however, reminds us why cosying up to the Taliban regime might not be a good idea. "Afghan children in Pakistan fear Taliban schools if forced home," reads the headline. The article says that many families who have returned to Afghanistan were unable to enroll children in schools. The paper writes that the Taliban regime is "waging a war" on all forms of modern secular education, and is instead promoting radical religious instruction. El Pais writes about the efforts of Afghan women to defy Taliban rule. Women show resistance by participating in virtual book sessions, where they read, debate and share scanned PDF files of banned books. According to the United Nations, Afghanistan is "the most restrictive country in the world for women's rights". El Pais says that Afghans who are found reading books or secretly educating themselves face prosecution and physical punishment. 

We turn next to Spain, where massive pro-Palestinian protests cut the Vuelta cycling event short on Sunday. CBS News reports that over 100,000 people participated in the protests. Police in riot gear clashed with protesters, with more than 1,500 police officers deployed. And although there were no major incidents, the protests sparked a political debate. The headline of an opinion piece in El Pais reads: "Separating sports and politics: a bad idea". The article says that what we've witnessed these past few days is an effort to isolate protests from a sporting event, but history shows that dividing the two is impossible. French daily Le Parisien notes that the Israeli government condemned the protests. Israel's foreign minister called Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez and his government a "disgrace to Spain", blaming Sanchez for "encouraging protesters to take to the streets". 

Pro-Palestinian slogans also marked the night of the Emmy Awards. Breakout star Hannah Einbinder made a political statement while receiving her award, Time Magazine says. She said "Go Birds, F*** ICE and Free Palestine". The young actress won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in "Hacks". Backstage, she explained that as a Jewish person herself, she thinks that Jewish people need to be distinguished from the State of Israel. She added that Palestine is an issue dear to her heart and that she has friends working on the front lines in Gaza. Stephen Colbert's presence was also somewhat political. Variety writes that the late-night host, who presented the Emmys, got a standing ovation. He used the occasion to joke about "The Late Show" being shockingly canceled by CBS earlier this year. Colbert asked if anyone was hiring and gave his CV to Harrison Ford. Finally, 15-year-old Owen Cooper won an Emmy for best supporting actor for his outstanding role in "Adolescence". He is the youngest ever male actor to win an Emmy. The Wrap says the win is "not too shabby for a kid from outside Manchester", who had no acting experience before his big breakthrough role. 

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