Government officials in Bangladesh denounced US sanctions but activists hailed them as a step forward for human rights in the country. The measures were implemented over rights abuses and extrajudicial killings.

The US Commerce Department sanctioned Chinese surveillance and biotechnology companies over rights abuses. The Biden administration expressed concern that US technology could be used in abusing Uyghur people.

It's been four months since the Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan, something they did faster than anyone anticipated. Since August, they have had to make a rapid transition to running the day-to-day business of a struggling state. From Kabul to the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and the mountainous Wardak province, our team have witnessed the grim reality of Taliban rule. FRANCE 24's senior reporters Catherine Norris Trent and Roméo Langlois bring us this exclusive full-length documentary.

What's it really like inside the new Afghanistan? Four months after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban, FRANCE 24 went to the capital and beyond to speak to citizens from all walks of life. What they heard was a mix: relief that the guns have gone quiet but worry over the prospect of a bleak winter, with more than half the population facing acute food shortages. Meanwhile, Afghanistan remains isolated on the world stage and its new rulers have yet to let women return to school and work. The Taliban also still have to prove that they can run a country.

Nobody was ever held responsible for strikes that killed thousands of civilians in Afghanistan and the Middle East, a New York Times report has found. A US strike cell routinely sidestepped safety procedures, it found.

Pakistan hosted a conference of Muslim countries pledging financial assistance to stave off "chaos" in Afghanistan. They vowed to unlock frozen aid funds and set up a humanitarian trust.

US President Joe Biden has unveiled a new plan to tackle his country's COVID-19 emergency. Announcing the measures on his first full day in power, he said drastic action is needed.

A case of whether to uphold a Mississippi law that bans terminations of pregnancy after 15 weeks has made it to the country's highest court. A ruling could see the landmark 1973 'Roe versus Wade' case that legalized abortion overturned.

The court has agreed to hear arguments about the Biden administration's vaccine or testing requirement for large employers, and a separate vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.

The German foreign minister said more needs to be done to help Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover. Some 15,000 people which Germany vowed to take in are still stranded there.

The latest polls find a majority of Americans regard the supply chain crisis as a major concern.

US national security advisor Jake Sullivan is in Israel to discuss Iran and other issues. In Jerusalem, Sullivan said Iran may exhaust diplomacy within weeks.