Old Vic, Bristol

AN Oldham loan shark has been jailed for 10 years for a "reign of terror" which included punishment beatings, kidnap and blackmail. Majid Tubassum, of Eric Street, Clarksfield, (pictured) ran an illegal money-lending business with his henchman, Karl Gordon, from East London.

The Taliban are resurgent, President Karzai is falling out of favour and another 20,000 US troops are on their way. But what do real Afghans think about the state of their country? Louis Quail took to the street to find out