this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. history in the making in doha, as the afghan government and the taliban sit down for peace talks. and we have to prevent the destruction and killing in our country. we also firmly request the other side to act according to those things that have been agreed. america's west coast fires burn out of control. half a million people in oregon are under evacuation alert. "on the edge of losing control" of coronavirus — a warning from one leading british scientist as 3,500 uk cases are recorded for a second day.

and britain's last night of the proms goes ahead with the song that caused controversy, but without the crowds. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. stay with us for the latest news and analysis from here and across the globe. there have been calls for an urgent ceasefire in afghanistan, at the end of the first day of long—awaited intra—afg han peace talks in qatar. these are the first formal negotiations between the afghan government and the taliban and are aimed at ending a ao—year conflict. the afghan government delegation says the country must respect free speech, women's rights, and it was time for the violence to end.

as one of the top most issues in the minds of the people, reduction in violence in a significant way, in a way that it is palpable, and also getting to a humanitarian cease—fire and hopefully a permanent cease—fire. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet is following the talks in doha. the two sides sat down for their first direct negotiations, the taliban on one side, the afghan government on the other. and after, both sides said that they went much better than expected. they were able to agree on the formula for the talks, they were able to agree on a 6—member committee to facilitate the talks and they've said they will meet again tomorrow to discuss the agenda for the talks. so, let'sjust hear a little bit more about how the afghans are describing the mood. i was speaking to the taliban chief spokesperson, suhail shaheen. we want to bring about peace to afghanistan, to see an independent country,

to see an advanced country and to see prosperity of our people. that means, when we follow these aims and these goals and the other afghans follow, we will, of course, come together in shared goals. i noticed the taliban negotiator in his opening remarks emphasised the need for an islamic system for all afghan citizens. there already is an islamic republic in afghanistan. what more do you need? people worry that you will have an even harsher interpretation. no, this is no harsher interpretation. the rules are clear islamic rules, so there will be a committee of the scholars set up and they will see about the islamic system. and the mood on the other side

of the table, a question for the government spokesperson and one of the negotiators, nader naderi. it's a hopeful step. the window is now opened. we are looking forward to discuss those differences to end completely the violence, silence the gun and protect and strengthen further the values of the republic, the islamic republic of afghanistan. we have given so much sacrifices. our international partners have gave so much sacrifices to see afghanistan a stable and democratic country. and that's what we are here for. everyone at the opening ceremony except the taliban called for a ceasefire. how much of a stumbling block is that going to be? our people long for the silencing of the gun. throughout the country, the overwhelming majority of our people, be it through any mean they have expressed themselves, they want ceasefire and they want to see it immediately. we understand that's a difficult

step for the taliban to take, but we also understand they have an obligation, both to afghan people, but it is also a religious obligation to all of us who believe in the sacred provision of islam that promotes peace. nader naderi, from the afghan government delegation and a negotiator. so you have it there, the very sense on both sides that this was an important start. but it's only a start. and you also got a hint of the deep differences dividing these two sides and, indeed, dividing afghans. disagreement over the timing of a ceasefire that so many afghans are yearn for. what kind of a political system and what kind of an islamic state does afghanistan want in the future? what will be the extent of rights and freedoms, particularly for afghan women, many of whom are expressing concerns that, as the phrase goes, the gains of the last 19 years since the toppling of the taliban won't be lost?

this is a country where, 19 years and one day since the attacks of september 11 on the united states and the intervention of the international community, it's still a country where the afghan president says 90% of afghans are still living on less than $2 a day. so it's notjust peace, but it's also prosperity. there's a long way to go, but today was a start. lyse doucet in doha. a leading scientist has warned that the uk is "on the edge of losing control" of coronavirus, as infections rise. professor sir mark walport, a member of the british government's scientific advisory body, says people need to limit their socialising to ensure children can remain at school, and students at university. it comes as about 3,500 coronavirus cases were recorded in the uk for the second day in a row. lauren moss reports. on the final weekend before new restrictions are introduced, there's a stark warning

about what could lie ahead. 3,500 more coronavirus cases have been diagnosed for the second day in a row. scientists say although the rate of infection is lower than it was at the peak of the epidemic, covid—i9 is growing in the community. i think one would have to say we're on the edge of losing control. and you've only got to look across the channel to see what's happening in france and what's happening in spain. the figures in the uk, on the 5th of september, it was around 1,800 people identified with the infection. 0n the 11th, it was 3,500. there's been an increase in coronavirus cases across all age groups. it's most pronounced among 20 to 39—year—olds. but there's also been a steep rise recently in people over the age of 80 testing positive. those numbers declined over the summer but, as you can see, they're now going back up. to try and keep a lid on infections, the rule of six will limit the numbers we can socialise with in england from monday — and people are getting their heads around the new rules. why is it monday? why not bring it in straight away?

i do think it's a funny system. if it's saving lives, then i think it makes sense, to be honest. it's a lot clearer. the rule of six, i think people understand it. i have to say, i'm in support of it. in birmingham and nearby sandwell and solihull, where the rate of infection is among the highest in the country, 1.5 million people will be banned from mixing with other households from tuesday. everyone is warned they have a part to play. the onus is on all of us to do everything we can to make sure we are abiding by the rules. and those rules, of course, ensure that we can, with close family members and close friends, socialise in appropriate circumstances. those rules also stress the vital importance of making sure that children are at school, that students can study at university and that we can work in a covid—safe environment. restrictions on two households mixing were expanded into lanarkshire from midnight, and from monday in the rest of scotland, there will be a limit of six people from two households

allowed to meet. and in wales, indoor gatherings of more than six will be banned. there's positive news that the vaccine trial by oxford university is restarting after being paused when one participant became unwell this week. an independent investigation has concluded it is safe to continue. but any vaccine is likely to be several months away. for now, we'll continue to walk a fine line between maintaining a way of life and containing the virus that's changed it for so many. lauren moss, bbc news. at least 25 people are confirmed to have died as deadly wildfires continue to burn on the us west coast. fanned by winds and record heat, the blazes have burnt millions of acres and destroyed thousands of homes. california's governor, gavin newsom, says the disaster should end all doubt about the effects of climate change. this was the scene in portland in oregon in the morning local time,

as smoke from the nearby fires settled on the city making visibility extremely poor. let's speak tojim gersbach, who's with the oregon department of foresty. he's in portland in oregon. jim, thank you forjoining us at such an immensely busy time for you all. how far stretched or your resources in trying to tackle these blazes? our resources in oregon are fully engaged in firefighting, whether that is local fire departments to the state fire resources , departments to the state fire resources, those structural and wildland, our tribal partners as well as private heavy equipment operators have engaged with us in trying to do every thing we can to start getting a handle on these fires which were pushed by very strong winds earlier this week and overran a great deal of our state.

and having to do this against the backdrop of not knowing for sure how many people have died, or how many are missing. yes, we know that this fire being pushed by winds that were travelling over 30 miles an hour in a sustained fashion did come upon people three suddenly, required immediate evacuation, and many cases people were not aware of how quickly those fires were moving. and that was obviously one of the factors that led to there possibly being fatalities. while we don't know the total, we know our governor has had this will be historic in the number of lives lost and the amount of properties sorting these wire fires —— properties destroyed. that has made everyone in the state sober and determined to do everything we can to get a hold on these fires.

the winds have abated and the weather has turning the firefighter favour, so using that window to get out into the perimeters of those fires and start building fire lines to control them. what sort of stories are you hearing from people who have been trying to evacuate their homes? thousands of people are currently under evacuation orders. and also, one of the things that make this a bit unprecedented is wildfires in forested areas are not an unusual occurrence in oregon, but these fires burn very close to very populated areas, some of the most heavily popular the counties in the state, in the willamette valley, those fires turned down within a few miles of large towns and underwritten very small towns in those communities, so that's what's

unprecedented, the evacuation orders, even in some of the suburbs around portland received, get ready, there might be a possible evacuation, so that has certainly got everybody‘s attention, and the fa ct got everybody‘s attention, and the fact that urban areas, the urban— rural interface, as people built out into the cities, those are areas that were impacted very heavily. let's hope this change in the weather does provide a little bit of rest —— of respite. jim gersbach from the 0regon —— of respite. jim gersbach from the oregon department of forestry, thank you for your time. in greece, some of the thousands of people from the moria camp on the island of lesbos, who were left without shelter since wednesday, have started moving in to another temporary camp being built nearby. more than 10,000 people were left without anywhere to stay after the moria camp fire. many have had to sleep rough on the streets. greek authorities say the most vulnerable asylum seekers,

including families, will be given priority housing in tents earlier in the day, police on lesbos fired tear gas during a protest by migrants. it was the second such demonstration since friday, sparked by anger over their conditions and by being unable to move into mainland europe. martha roussou is a senior advocacy officer for the international rescue committe. it's working to deliver basic supplies to those in need. she says many from the camp are still struggling to get water and food. although there are distributions, they haven't reached everybody. so, from what we hear on the ground, there's lots of people who haven't been able to access water and food. this is the fourth day that they are left homeless — and still, only about 200 people have reportedly entered the new camp, so this will be another night where thousands of people will be left homeless. all the response is coordinated by the minister of migration and asylum, as well as international organisations and the ngos.

the number of people is really large. there's 12,000 people, so not very much one organisation can do on its own. the people of lesbos are indeed opposing any new structure to most refugees, but obviously these people need a place to stay, so it is really of a most important that the authorities, both local and national, de—escalate any tensions and work together to find a solution for at least permanent accommodation of these people, until, eventually, they should be moved to the mainland and other eu countries. people have been left in limbo forfar too long. and sadly, this is a tragic but a predictable outcome, and eu countries should work with the greek government to urgently take these people not only to the greek mainland but also to other eu countries. martha roussou from the international rescue committee. the headlines on bbc news:

history in the making in doha, as the afghan government and the taliban complete their first full day of peace talks. the afghan government has called for an urgent ceasefire. america's west coast fires burn out of control. half a million people in oregon are under evacuation alert. the international olympic committee has expressed its shock at the execution in iran of a champion wrestler, navid afkari. the ioc was part of a global campaign that had called for his life to be spared. in a statement, they said that it was deeply upsetting that the pleas of athletes from around the world and the action of the ioc in asking for navid afkari to be shown mercy had been ignored. siavash ardalan is from the bbc‘s persian service. he explained why the iranian government seemed so determined to carry out the execution. perhaps, one — if it was a show of defiance, that we will not cave into foreign pressure,

that we will not cave into the opposition pressure from outside. and also, let's not forget, in the past two years, iran has been faced with massive unrest, street protests that have rattled it. so, it serves it well to deter any potential protesters from engaging in these kinds of, let's say, security challenges. well, for those people, for those sectors of the population who believe the government's narrative and who support the death penalty in general, they've obviously supported it. but a large part of the iranian public, especially the repressed civil society, human rights activists, they've condemned it. and we've even had a condemnation by one of iran's former mps. and we know that there are other reformist politicians and groups within the system itself who have criticised the sentence on grounds that it was done in haste, that the due process was not followed. siavash ardalan from bbc‘s persian

service. brazil remains one of the worst—affected countries in the world from covid—19, but unlike other nations, the country has a unique and particularly vulnerable part of its population — the indigenous communities of the amazon. many tribes are known for their reluctance to mix with people, which means they frequently have very little immunity to viruses and diseases. 0ur south america correspondent katy watson reports. this village has fallen silent. between the searing heat and the risk of covid—19, people stay indoors, away from the outside world as much as possible. signs are posted reminding them of the invisible threat in their midst. today, the community health team has registered a new case. one of the village leaders has caught the virus. from the very beginning, jair bolsonaro has brushed off the virus, saying the majority of the victims have been the elderly and the ill. but that very fact is troubling for indigenous communities like this one because it's the elders

who are the pillars of the community. sandro, who invited us into his community, tells us that with each death, they're losing more than lives. translation: our knowledge is passed on from generation to generation. we don't keep records. we don't have encyclopedias. if we lose a leader, if we lose an elder within the community, we are losing everything — knowledge, traditions, medicine, culture, language. this village hasn't escaped the virus, but nobody has died. in more remote communities, in areas where illegal mining and logging are rife and where criminals have no respect for protected land, indigenous people have paid the price. there are some lifelines, though. there are shelters in towns across the amazon where people can seek help.

and this — a crucial way of communicating with remote villages. a woman is on the line asking after a relative who's been admitted to hospital. it's good news. "he's fine," she's told. this woman works as a nurse for the indigenous communities here at the shelter, looking after those with the virus and everyone else on top of that. it's not been easy. translation: one 75-year-old matriarch caught covid—19. a colleague called for a plane to pick her up, but when it arrived, she didn't want to go. neither did the family. in their minds, they think that when a patient is admitted to a hospital, they die. later, she got worse. and they asked for another plane, but it was too late. they needed a casket instead. for those who accept medical help,

there are other challenges. this is a special indigenous wing with two patients. but dr marcia says they won't come without their families, so the doctors have to accept isolation is an impossible ask. translation: indigenous people have a low resistance to some viruses, especially the flu. and despite trying to be careful, they ended up coming here to hospital and they came into contact with white people. the main concern was to isolate them as much as possible, children especially. brazil's indigenous people, though, should be safer than the rest of the population and their lands protected from the outside world. but this disease has crept in, and many pin the blame on bolsonaro's government for not doing enough to shield them. katy watson, bbc news, in the amazonian state of para.

women protesting against the re—election of president alexander lukashenko in belarus have confronted security forces arresting demonstrators in minsk. some tried to rip the balaclavas from the heads of unidentified agents in green fatigues. the women chanted their support for a 73—year—old great—grandmother at the forefront of the protests. us lawmakers are putting pressure on walt disney to answer claims it cooperated with chinese propaganda officials during the filming of mulan. a group of republican and democrat congress members have written to the company's ceo, asking him to explain the decision to shoot part of the action movie in xinjiang. they say filming with local officials gave legitimacy to atrocities against the region's uighur muslims. disney has not responded. it's a staple of the classical music calendar here in the uk. the last night of the proms took place tonight, but this year there was no flag—waving, bobbing audience inside

the royal albert hall for the first time in its history. the show was also swept up in controversy, after the bbc reversed its decision not to sing rule, britannia! and land of hope and glory. 0ur arts editor will gompertz was watching. they sing: rule, britannia! after the possible omission and then the indecision followed by the controversy and the accusations of wetness prompting, perhaps, the u—turn, britannia did finally rule the airwaves. and so tradition prevailed over those who thought the words were too imperialistic for this day and age. but it wasn't quite business as usual at this year's last night. it was a proms without promenaders, with a pared down, socially distanced bbc symphony orchestra and barely a flag or a hat in sight. some blamed — wrongly, she said — any suggested changes

on the night's finnish conductor, who started the programme with mozart's marriage of figaro. she said she simply wanted to use music to bring people together. the scottish violinist nicola benedetti, a late replacement for a poorly soloist, played vaughan williams' romantic pastoral favourite the lark ascending. # and did those feet in ancient time # walk upon england's mountains... the talking point of the night is likely to be the radical reworking of hubert parry‘s prom favourite, jerusalem, to which was introduced dissonance and blues references. a tribute, the composer said, to the windrush generation of migrants who came to britain. it was sung brilliantly

by a south african soprano. # in england's pleasant pastures... it has been a very strange year. the pandemic prom is quite different without a live audience, particularly this evening's last night, at which even edward elgar‘s land of hope and glory seemed subdued, unlike some of those watching on from home. will gompertz, bbc news. toots hibbert, frontman of the legendary reggae band toots and the maytals, has died at the age of 77. one of jamaica's most influential musicians, he helped popularise reggae in the 19605 with songs like pressure drop,

monkey man and funky kingston. he even claimed to have coined the genre's name, on 1968's do the reggay. hibbert‘s family said he had died on friday. you're watching bbc news. we'll be taking a look at the papers with our reviewers the broadcaster and psychotherapist lucy beresford and john rentoul, the chief political commentator at the independent. that's coming up after the headlines at 11:30pm. waiting for my picture. they've got rid of it. doesn't look like me, you see. here is your weatherforecast with chris. hello there. on saturday, we finish the day with some pretty big weather contrasts. now, across england and wales, we had a sunny day, and it was a fine end to the day as well. this was one of our weather watcher pictures sent in from the surrey area. thanks to debbie w for that. further north in scotland's

stirling, it was a soggy saturday, certainly through the afternoon. thanks to graham for sending us that picture of the rain coming down in stirling. and the rain was all courtesy of this weather front, this area of cloud that stretches thousands of miles out into the atlantic. this is rain—bearing cloud, and it's going nowhere very far very fast. so, at the moment, pouring down in scotland. around western scotland, the rain continues. notice over the next few hours, there is a tendency for the heaviest of the rain to start to nudge away from northern ireland. still an odd patch for north west england and perhaps the western side of wales as well, but a mild start to the day for sure. now through sunday, we're going to continue to see the rain pouring down across those western mountains in scotland. now by the end of the weekend, we could see over 100 mm of rain, so there is a risk of seeing some localised flooding in western scotland. the rain clears away in northern ireland, should brighten up here with some sunny spells, and probably some sunny spells to end the day for southern and maybe central scotland. england and wales, that's where the best of the sunshine will be, with early—morning cloud melting away certainly through the afternoon and temperatures up to 26 across parts of eastern england.

that warming trend continues into the first part of the new week as well, briefly turning hotter as this area of higher pressure in the continentjust drift a little bit further eastwards to allow our winds to start to flow in from the south. and that'll be dragging in that hotter air from france. so, for monday, a lot of dry weather to come, and for most of us, yes, it is going to be a warm day in the sunshine. notice across the north west, there is a little bit more in the way of cloud here, perhaps threatening a little in the way of light rain late in the afternoon. but it's across eastern england that we'll see the day's highest departures, up to 30 degrees in the london area. so, a brief hot spell of weather here. now, we will stay pretty hot across parts of eastern england as we go on through tuesday. again, afairamount of sunshine for most of us. temperatures again pretty widely into the low 20s, with those highest temperatures again for east anglia and south east england. but from there, really, as we go on deeper into the week ahead, temperatures will tend to get close to normal as easterly winds start to blow in across the uk and we start to see cloudier skies.

hello. this is bbc news with me, martine croxall. we'll be taking a look at tomorrow morning's papers in a moment. first, the headlines — "0n the edge of losing control" of coronavirus — a warning from one leading scientist as more than 3000 uk cases are recorded for a second day. this is still a very widely distributed infection. it's crossed the whole of the uk. and by every measure, the numbers are going up. oxford university and astrazeneca restart clinical trials of their coronavirus vaccine, which was halted after a volunteer fell ill. sir terence conran, the designer and habitat founder who revolutionised british decor and dining, has died aged 88. a new trial to reduce pollution levels will cut the speed limit to 60 mph on four sections

of motorway in england.