the weather sponsored by cattle airways booted world's best airline of 2021. hello there, hope you're doing well. let's pick up your weather story right here right now with asia pacific and right off the bat are plum rains. picking up through the inks, the river valley outside the east china sea, and steering rate in to south korea, which of course does not need this rain. after tropical depression, no mice pass through dropping hundreds of millimeters of rank further toward the east. it's a story of heat across japan, so alerts in play for chicago cou, q issue and haunt you. and tokyo is included in this with a heat index. it's feeling in the low to mid forties, why they're view the plum rains on saturdays start to migrate further toward the north along the yellow river valley. still outside the east china sea in a bit of a breather for the korean peninsula. on saturday. thousands of people have been impacted with flooding across sumatra. some dry spells in store on friday. and we've got rounds of rain for indo china across indo china in store in the forecast

for you on friday. australia next system moving across the bytes in this potent weather makers. still feeling in what weather for victoria and southern sections of new south wales on friday, pretty decent day and what's not straight the perth at 18 degrees. our rain starts to fill in across the north island of new zealand, auckland, a high of 15 degrees. that's it from me. see soon. the weather, sponsored by cattle airways, boated world's best airline of 2021. joint applicant launches, trade and investment in south africa in traffic and trade. it gives you access to more than $1000.00. $100.00 exhibitors and $10000.00 visitors and buyers and more than $5000.00 conference delegates more than $55.00 countries, participate in trade and investment deals with $40000000000.00 as business and government come together to explore business and networking opportunities at the international exhibition boots to you by the african export import. back at the premium partners, the atl 2020 was transforming africa. all.

oh, the the me. warner breaking news story this our, those explosions in afghanistan, the taliban saying that was 13 people were killed in 2 explosions outside cobbles, international airport, but medical sources of toll al jazeera, as many as 60 people have died. the pentagon says you 12 us service personnel were killed and 15, others injured. charles stratford has this report now. for the lindsey's rush through the streets to collect the wounded bodies are lifted on to stretches. the 2 attacks by suicide bombers happened close to the abbey gate entrance to cobble airport yet the power of hotel. by now he was

a sudden explosion. we climbed out and saw that there were many people effective people were held everywhere. their brains were scattered. there were also foreign forces who were fallen. i saw at least 4 or 500 people there. the explosion was really powerful, half withheld into the water, others on the ground outside. we carried the wounded here on stretches and my clothes completely bloody. i know the power hotel is controlled by the u. k. and they 2 forces. it is one of the places where tens of thousands of afghans had been gathering out of the taliban took control of cobble on august, the 15th. they'd be going there to have their papers processed before being evacuated out of the country. western governments and security expertise cobble could be warning about potential attacks around the airport. but days, it's all about told al jazeera, it had intelligence about potential car bombs in the area, and also,

people stay away. an increasing number of nato countries have already announced a halt to their evacuation operations. and these attacks jeopardize remaining flights. meaning many afghans who want to leave their country and they have all the necessary documents to do so, could be left behind. it's all about have condemned the attacks and violence to bring the perpetrators to justice with suicide bombings like these not dissimilar to those that the tolerable, unused against what it often described as foreign invaders. show just the kind of security challenges the movement faces. charles, rafa al jazeera cobble. so as you mentioned earlier, the pentagon says at 12 us service members have been killed in these attacks. but officials say it will not deter the evacuation efforts. we continue to focus on the protection of our forces in the evacuees. as the evacuation contains, let me be clear, while were saddened by the loss of life. both us and african were continued to

execute the mission. our mission is to evacuate us citizens, 3rd country nationals, special immigrant visa holders, u. s embassy, staff, and afghans at risk. despite this attack, we are continuing the mission, the evacuation at best speed. and as of today we have approximately 5000 evacuees on the ramp at h. kyle, awaiting earlier. well, we're tyler tenant general ben hodges served in afghanistan on hold for pershing sharon strategic study center here. p policy analysis enjoys is from frankfurt, germany. now. thank you very much for joining us. so pentagon new didn't ne, about the risk of an attack like this, than the breakdown in security that would result in the collapse of the afghan government. why was it more done to prevent an attack of this nature? well, marian, 1st of all, i would imagine that they've done all that they can to prevent such an attack,

but you know, suicide bombers or car bombs or things of this nature are the most difficult to, to stop. and of course, the taliban controls the outer perimeter. not the us are and not coalition. so this, this is a very difficult situation. what do you make of that? because it's not about in that statement. obviously, they're in a position now where they're having to go from insurgency to governance. so they want to project the ability to be able to enforce some kind of stability in the capital. they are at some pains to say that this took place in an area in which the us military forces were responsible for, for security of our essentially absolving themselves of any role. well, if you allow me, let me say 1st, there are hundreds of africans as well as these 12 americans who have been killed or terribly injured here recently in the last few hours and their families attached

to them. and this is certainly for them. of course, the to think that they were there on a humanitarian mission. secondly, i do believe mackenzie when he talks about they're going to continue the evacuation process as long as they can, as well as they can. but the, you bring up a great point. the pressure is on the taliban, they have got to take some ownership. now they, if they are in fact going to be the government, then they're gonna have to do with isis k and other threats to african sovereignty . and so i think there is a lot of pressure on the taliban now to make sure that these kind of things don't continue. i think the united states and our allies have high expectations that will do a better job of stopping these. why? why would they be under that impression given what we've just seen?

why would, why would yes, why would they believe that the taliban is able to take control of the situation and in for security and prevent attacks like this from taking place given what's just happened today? in the fear that we could see further attacks. yeah, it was again, a great point and i'm certainly not privy to the discussions that have been held between u. s. government and the british government and others with taliban leadership. but the fact is, taliban now are in control of afghanistan, and here in the early days, they're going to figure out what does that mean to govern and how do you secure your own government institutions otherwise, otherwise, isis k and other extremes, organizations are running him up there and going to stand and that does. i don't believe that that's actually what the taliban war in 2021. i don't, i don't know that. but i think that there, there is a, there's

a fight going on. now a struggle if you will, between these various factions and the taliban or control. and i would imagine that the united states government, others are working with the taliban, talking to them about sex spec. taishan is certainly we can have this continue. if the, if taliban expect any sort of international recognition in the future, which they're going to desperately need, i suppose in many ways with tragic developments of today, go back to the question of how the united states has managed the execution of its withdrawal from afghanistan and whether it could have been done differently, and there will be, as you all know, many military experts saying that this sort of thing could have been prevented if the bag from base hadn't been abandoned. and if the u. s. troop presence hadn't been drawn down so dramatically. well,

i think these are all fair criticisms to make and there will be an awful lot of critiques and reviews and investigations about how did we get where we are. but i have to be honest with you for me right now. the key is these women and men of the us armed forces and our, and our other allies that are still there, that are working as hard as they can to get as many, not only americans and other 3rd country nationals out, but also those atkins to have earned or need to get out, and so i think they're going to do the best they can over the next few days to get as many out as possible. i have been impressed with what i have seen and heard in various conversations with people from central command on down what they're doing. and of course, the air crews and think about the challenge for pallets flying in and out of this airfield where they're worried about people running onto the runway. hundreds of

people loaded on the aircraft, many of whom probably have never even flown before. and the threat now of ice k attempting to do something that would destroy or disrupt a flight. this is real courage and we've got some tough days ahead of us. you mention that you are concerned about the fate of many afghans and i've been speaking to people who are very worried about the fact that they will not be able to board and evacuation flight. and obviously now the, the disruption that comes from today will probably just increase the, the panic in desperation. people feel and the fear of that being more instability in campbell itself does need to be more flexibility from the bite and administration on this august 31st deadline. i know they've made that position. absolutely. claire. but you yourself were saying that you,

you're worried about guns being left behind vulnerable afghans where this goes to the point i was trying to make a little bit earlier. perhaps not so well. there is, if there is a fight going on inside afghanistan, between the taliban and other extreme organizations such as isis k, about the direction about who's going to control. again a stand and what kind of actions they might take from african territory. and this is where i think other perhaps other nations in the region need to step in and apply some pressure. there are a lot of people and countries that control the finances, for example, that isis k and other experience organizations depend on. i think it is in the interests of everybody that this evacuation be allowed to continue for as long as it can. you know, obviously the taliban will have something to say about whether or not the united

states and others can extend the deadline. it's not just a simple yes or no choice for the president of the united states because we do depend on taliban providing this sort of outer perimeter. so here here is an opportunity for some other countries in the region to show some leadership enhanced ability. instead of just saying, send it back in, allowing it to go along the path that we saw this evening. all right, thank you. retired lieutenant general, ben hodges for joining us. who holds the pershing chart strategic studies at the center european policy analysis. thank you. you thank you for the privilege we've been monitoring international reaction to the story and you went to the general attorney, the terrorist has been speaking out. he has also condemned the attacks in cargo. i'd like to express in the strongest possible way my total condemnation

about the or refill terrorist attack in coupled to send my condolences to the families of all those that perished afghans and those that's what helping their the african since died serving the lives of others. i have also asked to my special representative to convey directly to couple my deep gonzales's to the african people what mexico is accepted, it 1st group of refugees from afghanistan more than 100 people arrived this week on 2 separate flights on iraq. zillow has more from mexico city. this is the moment afghan refugees were 1st greeted by officials in mexico city on tuesday night. there were rival follows what mexican authorities have described as a difficult journey across 6 countries. in the pre dawn, hours of wednesday, a 2nd flight arrived with more than a 100 other afghan nationals,

many of them journalists and other media workers seeking refuge in mexico, all of whom were welcomed personally by mexican foreign minister. marcello, but we might be very far away from what is happening in afghanistan, but the human cause, the protection of the values that we identify with mexicans, have led to a commitment from us so they can be in mexico when it comes to rolling out the welcome met for refugees. mexico has a long tradition. this, historically, mexico has been a top destination, especially for people who are fleeing political situations. as was the case with chile, argentina, and spain. mexico has always been an important and welcoming nation across mexico. many are expecting the country will welcome more africa and families in the days ahead. probably shelters like this one near the outskirts of mexico city. see their doors are open to anyone seeking a safe space and a meal. not the most perfect. if we don't discriminate. if people want to come from

afghanistan or anywhere else, they will be well received. the arrival of refugees from afghanistan also spotlights. how mexico is already hosting a growing number of displaced people from around the world who are seeking asylum. so far this year, mexican officials have recorded more than 64000 asylum applications, and data suggests that 2021 is on pace to set a new record for the number of people seeking asylum in the country. some experts have warned that mexico, the ability to care for everyone may be limited due to the growing populations of migrants and refugees, fleeing crises in haiti, venezuela. in countries in central america, mexico is one of only a handful of latin american countries, including sheila and costa rica that have offered a commitment to aiding refugees from afghanistan. monroe raf alone al jazeera mexico city. as the taliban works on forming a government in afghanistan,

it's presenting a very modern problem for social media networks. some who bound the group and its members with others scrambling to figure out what to do. not storing parallels with one big very public expulsion back in washington. a civil reports for presidents to pop stars to princes. social media is the mouthpiece of choice. now the taliban once into the group has changed a whole lot. 20 years ago, they'd been the internet. now, you can't get them off it. they have been embracing social media to an extraordinary degree. in kabul, the digital revolution becoming clear. selfies with fighters taliban wearing smart watches as they try to project a more modern approach. or we may have the same rights they're going to be working shoulder to shoulder with us in a country that has changed so much. what is the payoff strategy here? like, what is it the taliban is trying to achieve? how are they doing it? have they thought it out? you think it's very sophisticated,

they are trying to message internally and externally they have been apparently lying in wait, ready to do this? there have been accounts that were on sites where they are supposed to be banned, that have sprung up immediately. conundrum here is pretty clear, allow the taliban on social media, but then give them a platform, give them the jets them a say or remove them, but then you're effectively binding an entire government. this is a real headache. the social media companies, the taliban is officially been banned from facebook for years designated, a dangerous organisation take talk to it says it considers the group a quote, terrorist organization and youtube because it's on the us sanctions list messaging apps like whatsapp signal and telegram a private and encrypted that makes them more complicated. switzer meanwhile, well, the taliban spokesman a pay is to be on there. for now. he's got 300000 followers, although no verified, blue. take a speaking of twitter. that brings us to this place, the u. s. capital,

remember what happened, hey, back in january, the man, some accused of inciting, this was kicked off twitter and facebook leading to questions and conversations about freedom of speech. and now we find ourselves in the situation where the, how man is treating away. and yet a former us president is banned. that's going to be controversial, right? yes, it is controversial. i mean, it is such a difficult argument to make these social media networks have not really figured out what is one standard. the only commonality has been if you're inciting violence, then there is some grounds to ban you from the site. only 11 percent of off janice done had internet access at last count. that is 11 percent more than 2001, but suggests that a lot of what the tell about putting on line is not the afghans it's for an international audience. unfortunately, the power has been able to master the use of social media, not just in terms of projecting and messages and propaganda, but also it is,

it is use social media, it is exploited. social media for purposes of recruitment as well. and so taliban 2 point. oh grows, it's reach online and on the ground. some sites now offering pools for afghans to lock their profiles instantly in case they put them at risk. the taliban site no need. they've changed almost. i hate to say it like a rebranding. many don't believe them. they will have to convince the tech companies as well as the rest of the world. phil laval al jazeera washington. or he asked john gulls robotic team as arrived in mexico after leaving an uncertain future home on the taliban rule. the students from the city of herat, one internationally claim for their engineering, some hope to return to afghanistan to help shape their country the future. or by mommy spoke to a group during the 1st stop in doha noon for their innovation and ingenuity . the can girls reports team has competed around the globe on projects including

building offense later with carport or far right part is about solving the communities and our community problem. and i'm so interested to in the future, to serve my people and help my people. they had left couple days before it was taken by the taliban speaking from doha, they said they hope to return. it's in normal that everyone altree that i hope that and they can continue on. i wanted from the new government that lived over new generation with the gills and boys to continue their education. although we'll take us about what they want for the future as a country transitions and the future is uncertain. it can be overwhelming. and the team lead to tells me it's untenable to coordinate getting all girls who wants an education out of afghanistan. instead, she wants to engage with the taliban. and for both sides to build trust,

we have to making sure that our younger generation have access to the tools and guidance to making a better afghanistan to become the next scientist, interpreter and technologist. this is what we needed for our phone, and this is what our vision for desk and the afghan girls are about exchange that they hope to continue their education here and cut the foundation. the future is enough kind of some they hope that life under taliban rule is different from the 1900 ninety's. and they want to continue to compete around the world. i reached out to a taliban spokesman in dough ha. but he's yet to answer. on his twitter page, he should girls going back to school and apparent sign of reform in the taliban. it follows a promise that they would respect women's rights within the norms of islamic law. but despite the assurances so much can see the telephone's gains as dangerous for

women. the former captain of the african women's football team college propelled herself a refugee has been helping to get her former team out a couple. since the last couple things have become very hopeless for people there and especially women and girls are very afraid of the future. while many fear the progress will be impelled and seeking safety outside, many others pinning their hopes on reforming an old ideology and to work towards a dignified future for women and girls. nor about a manly i'll just go home. or the last president is due to speak in the next couple of minutes. our white house correspondent, kimberly how pet joins us lives. now. what are the expectations from his remarks? kimberly well, it's unclear if the us president will be taking questions. we know that he was

accused of not taking report questions earlier in the week when he spoke, and we suspect that may be the case again. given the fact that the white house press secretary, jan saki who delayed her briefing from earlier today will be holding her briefing now scheduled for 45 minutes after the president speak. so we are expecting us president to speak in about 7 minutes time. he is rarely on time, however, and then 45 minutes after that we expect to hear from the white house press secretary that gives us the indication that the u. s. president may not take reporters questions and they will leave that for the white house briefing group. now, in terms of what reporters are trying to get information on, not only do they want to know more about how these twin blasts occurred and whether or not the u. s was in control of the territory as the taliban alleges

is still very clear, but the other big question on the minds of so many in the united states is whether these occurrences are going to change the withdrawal day that the u. s. president was so firm on, in terms of the military withdrawing from afghanistan after a generation of war. he had said that as early as recently as tuesday, that august 31st was the hard withdrawal date. and although he's had pressure from international leaders, as well as members of congress to delay that in order to allow for more evacuations, the president has said that with each day that the united states remains, there is increased risk risk. but we have now spent the number of hours thing about given the fact that there are a large number of american casualties and africa and casualties. and this is something that the president critics, both republican and democrat se could have been avoided. there are some now on

capitol hill that are calling for the president resignation that does appear unlikely, at least at this juncture, but they are accusing of having blood on their, on his hands of not listening to the intelligence officials, something that the u. s. president will deny, in fact, we can confirm that he was in the situation room listening to the intelligence officials. and in fact, the pentagon has even confirmed that they did not think that it was unlikely an attack like this would occur. in fact, they were anticipating something like this. and preparing for every eventuality to ensure that this evacuation continued. so we're watching carefully to see what the us president has to say at times like this, he becomes the consoler and cheap for the families who have lost loved ones. but also there are the big i'm answered questions about the next steps, given the fact that the president maintained when he announced this withdraw date, that it was contingent on the taliban, ensuring there would be security to allow safe passage to and from the airport.

obviously that did not occur. and so does that now mean that some of these contingency plans of which we are not aware of and have no details on if those kick in and what exactly those look like. thank you very much for now. kimberly, i'll get reporting to live from the white house can we will catch up with you and best. of course, his kimberly was saying, we're expecting to hear from you as president joe biden, and just a couple of minutes as he addresses the nation at 2100 gmc on the situation in afghanistan, after multiple explosions at campbell airport resulted in the deaths of 60 afghans children are among those casualties. 12 us servicemen, 12 us personnel also dying in those attacks 15 others injured of course is. kimberly was saying, we're looking for clarification on whether a development today will affect us if ration efforts from the country, particularly as there is the risk of further loss of life. should that happen? the pentagon saying earlier that that is the threat of further attacks in and around the apple stay with that.

i in 2009, a tortured victim of the brutal argent time the delivery gene confronted his interrogator. torture? no, no, no, no. i wasn't trying to, i was interrogated, has justice now been for the atrocious crimes committed decades earlier i do that, you were telling me like an investigation into the dark history of argentina, or why didn't they told me india and 3 wind interrogating a torture on our 0 the city of cobble has experience so much upheaval for decades, and they says another change to get used to. and one that's far from using the situation. and now it's not clear. the people are just lost and confused. there are deep rooted fears about the erosion of basic price in particular for women and

girls, despite assurances from the taliban and about return to true punishments for certain crimes. everybody will be safe, nobody's kid will be kidnapped again to rental. now together that feeling that way forward into the new reality as a resurgent taliban retakes, i've got his don, female activist john list and even school goes under threats. 11 east investigate the fight for it's kind of stones women on out there. are we town the untold story? ah, we speak when others don't. ah, we cover all sides no matter where it takes a police fin. if you guys are my empowering, impartial,

we tell your story, we are your voice, your new, your neck out here. oh, this is al jazeera ah, hello, i'm marianne mazda, welcome to the news, our life from london. coming up in the next 60 minutes. as many as 60 reported dead officer, a double bomb attack outside car outside cobble apple, where thousands were still gathered, hoping to escape the country among those killed a number of children and 12 americans service us now. but the us and u. k are continuing to alice people out.