Afghanistan: Taliban retake Kabul - BBC News Review

The Taliban have retaken the Afghan capital of Kabul 20 years after being removed. The president has left the country and many people are evacuating.

Roy and Catherine talk about the vocabulary from this story so you can talk about it too.

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Video chapters:
0:00​​​​​​​​​​ - Introduction
0:28 - Story
1:20 - Headline 1: Afghans brace for Taliban rule after militants take control of Kabul
4:15 - Headline 2: Afghanistan is peaceful, Taliban say, chaos engulfs airport
6:57 - Headline 3: Taliban sweep into Afghan capital after government collapses
9:17 - Language summary

The story:
The Taliban’s seizure of Kabul comes twenty years after they were ejected from the city by a US-led offensive.

President Ashraf Ghani fled to Uzbekistan saying he relinquished control to avoid bloodshed.

The insurgents have urged calm, but Kabul is in chaos with many ordinary residents desperate to leave, fearing a bloody assault.

Key words and phrases:

brace
prepare for something difficult

The shareholders were told to brace themselves for the financial report.
He braced himself for bad news when he saw his friend’s face.

engulfs
affects powerfully; overwhelms

There is concern as panic engulfs the nation.
She was engulfed by fear as the person approached.

sweep
move powerfully and quickly

The new government want to sweep into power and start making changes instantly.
The fashion trend swept the nation.


To download the audio and a transcript and test your understanding, go here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/course/newsreview/unit-19/session-207

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