The two hours that changed America: remembering 9/11, 20 years on

On the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Taliban flag is flying over Kabul again. A German police expert fears that Afghanistan could once again become a gathering place for jihadists — including from Germany.

Director Oliver Stone, actresses Dylan Penn and Lea DeLaria and photographer David Turnley reflect on the September 11 attacks, 20 years on. As one of the few photographers who recorded the Twin Towers fall right in front of him, Pulitzer Prize winner David Turnley takes us through his powerful images and takes us back to the day that changed the world forever.

After the 9/11 attacks, Jorge Roldan was one of about 3,000 illegal workers who helped clean up Ground Zero. Like many others, he got sick from toxins at the site, but his immigration status made it hard to get the help he needed.

The January 6 riots at the US Capitol and the terror attacks of September 2001 were an "assault" on democracy, the House speaker says. She also claimed ex-President George W. Bush did not "accept" climate initiatives.

US President Joe Biden has dispatched his top diplomat to the region to shore up democracy and reverse gains made by autocrats under his predecessor Donald Trump.

Abortion rights in America are under threat with the nation's landmark ruling, Roe v Wade, at risk of being overturned or significantly weakened later this year. In response, California is already declaring itself a sanctuary state for women seeking a termination. Annette Young talks to Amanda Becker, the Washington correspondent for the 19th, an American website reporting on gender and policy, on what the Supreme Court is likely to do. Plus we meet photographer, Pamela Tulizo from the Democratic Republic of Congo whose work challenges clichés about women in her country who are often presented as victims.

Six months after the Taliban retook Afghanistan, FRANCE 24 spoke to former Afghan president Hamid Karzai, who remains in the country. Karzai strongly criticised the Biden administration's recent decision to unfreeze Afghan assets but divide the funds between aid to Afghanistan and victims of the 9/11 attacks, saying the funds "belong to the Afghan people". He also said he believed the Taliban would eventually allow girls to return to school, since doing so is "absolutely necessary for the well-being" of Afghanistan.

As Russia continues to bombard Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky made a landmark virtual address to the US Congress this week. US lawmakers gave him a standing ovation the moment he showed up on screen. Speaking almost three weeks after the Russian invasion first began, Zelensky showed a graphic video of victims of the war and referred to the September 2001 terror attacks in the US, saying Ukraine has been experiencing a 9/11 every day for three weeks.

The recent leak of a confidential US Supreme Court document has confirmed the conservative-majority court's intention to overturn Roe v. Wade, the decision that has guaranteed access to abortion throughout the United States for nearly 50 years. Such a decision would have an unprecedented impact on 75 million women of childbearing age. But at the instigation of the Republican Party, some parts of the US, such as the states of Texas and Oklahoma, are already turning into a medical desert for women who seek a termination. Our correspondents Valérie Defert and Pierrick Leurent report on the "post-Roe America".

In another tragic US mass shooting echoing the 2012 Sandy Hook killings, an 18-year-old gunman has killed more than 20 people – mostly children – in Uvalde, Texas. We take a look at how papers are reacting to the all-too-common event in the United States, including why many blame Republicans. We finish with an editorial arguing that the United States – its policies and institutions – is its own worst enemy.

In another tragic US mass shooting echoing the 2012 Sandy Hook killings, an 18-year-old gunman has killed more than 20 people – mostly children – in Uvalde, Texas. We take a look at how papers are reacting to the all-too-common event in the United States, including why many blame Republicans. We finish with an editorial arguing that the United States – its policies and institutions – is its own worst enemy.

Police in the US town of Uvalde, Texas are facing questions over why it took an hour to neutralise the gunman who murdered 19 small children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The tragedy comes amid increasing calls for greater gun control measures. Among the demands of campaigners are a ban on assault weapon sales, as well as universal background checks and so-called red flag laws. Pastor Mike McBride, director of the LIVE FREE gun violence prevention campaign with the Faith in Action network, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.