good afternoon. this is bbc news. i'm victoria derbyshire. here are the headlines at 5pm: in their first press conference since taking control of afghanistan, the taliban claim they don't wish to take revenge — and say women can be educated and go to work if they live according to sharia law. translation: i reassure all residents of kabul - that we protect them. they are safe, and now all our fighters are across kabul city and we will be taking care of the security. but the evacuation continues — a spokesperson for the pentagon confirms the us military are communicating with the taliban, in an effort to evacuate citizens. our commanders at the airport are in communication with taliban commanders on the ground

outside the airport. there is a dynamic political situation running across the city. we make no assumptions about that either a band that we really can't afford to pause and wait. the chaos at the airport on monday has been highlighted by newly released satellite pictures — showing people swarming onto the runway. a major afghan media outlet keeps women presenters on screen — one of them interviews a senior taliban official. rebuilding after the pandemic — the latest official figures show record job vacancies as the uk economy rebounds. the uk regulator approves moderna coronavirus vaccine for 12 to 17—year—olds.

good afternoon, and welcome to bbc news. the taliban have attempted to reassure the world about their intentions as the new rulers of afghanistan, in an extraordinary press conference which hasjust been held in kabul. spokesman zabihullah mujahid addressed reporters, saying... "this is a proud moment for the whole nation" and insisted there would be no reprisals against people who'd worked for western nations, media freedoms would be protected and women would enjoy rights within sharia law. he added, "we do not want to have any problems "with the international community. " withn the last few hours, mullah abdul ghani baradar, the taliban's political leader of the taliban, has flown in from qatar to afghanistan's kandahar province along with a delegation. mullah baradar is a co—founder of the taliban and one

of its most senior leaders. in other developments, military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians have re—started at kabul�*s airport. access to the airport is now controlled by the taliban — says the vice admiral sir ben key, who is in charge of the uk evacuation. britain aims to bring out between 6,000—7,000 people from afghanistan — and the us says it is planning to evacuate up to 9,000 passengers per day. pentagon spokesmanjohn kirby added that the taliban has not interfered with the us evacuation efforts out of kabul. local reports say the streets of kabul are quiet on the second full day of taliban rule. militants are out in force, manning checkpoints across the city. let's listen back to some of that press conference held by the taliban spokesman zabihullah mujahid — in which he tried to reassure the rest of the world that afghanistan will not be used as a base for spreading terrorism.

translation: it is very - understandable the international community is expressing worries about the security and about afghanistan. but i reassure all internationals, the un, all embassies, to all our neighbours, that we will not be allowing the soil of afghanistan to be used against anybody. we assure them, we keep our promises and we keep the islamic emirates promises. but... but we expect the international community, the internationals to speak to us, to sit with us, to talk to us and express their concerns direct to us. a little earlier, at a pentagon

briefing in washington, major general hank taylor said american forces had faced no hostile interaction with the taliban and that hamid karzai international airport — known as hkia — is secure. we have had no hostile interactions, no attack and no threat by the taliban. we remain vigilant. we have also not experienced any additional security incidents at hkia. we retain the security of hkia that enables the safe orderly evacuation of americans and afghans. i want to reinforce that we are focused on the present mission, to facilitate the safe evacuation of us citizens, sivs and afghans at risk, to get these personnel out of afghanistan as quickly and as safely as possible. that mission has not changed.

the mission is of historical significance, and it is incumbent upon us to be resolute in the protection of american and afghan lives. let's speak to our correspondent in washington, barbara plett usher. politicians in washington, barbara plett usher. there will hav| watching politicians there will have been watching that taliban press conference as they incest that they want, you know, a peaceful transition, and they want to talk to the international community. what reaction has there been so far? 0utcome reaction has there been so far? outcome of the press conference has just ended, so i haven't seen any reaction here, but i think watching that press conference that the taliban where certainly hoping that's politicians here and elsewhere where watching. because although a lot of the questions were from afghan journalists and a lot of the answers were about trying to reassure afghans that things would be ok, that there was amnesty for everyone, that everyone should go back to work and so on. there is clearly an attempt to send a message internationally. he had several times one of the leaders on the

desks say are there any international journalists desks say are there any internationaljournalists give questions to international journalists. so they wanted to send that message, victoria, talking about the message of how that taliban would make sure that afghanistan was not a base for foreign fighters are attacks against the west. he also said that it would not be produced —— used to produce opium, it has been a big producer of drugs. at that, he said they need international help, they need funding, and that was very much at the back of what was a motive for this press conference. afghanistan is a country that exists on international aid, and americans and others have made very clear that if the government violates international norms, and that includes some of the brutal things that previous taliban regime dead, but also how they treat women, that aid would not be forthcoming. so that does seem to be what was behind partly at least this press conference topic thank you very much, barbara. efforts to evacuate people from afghanistan to the uk

are being stepped up, with 300 people already brought out, with the aim to bring out as many as 7,000. vice admiral sir ben key — who is running the uk evacuation operation — says it's a dynamic situation across the city and they cannot afford to pause, with the taliban controlling the gates of the airport. 0ur diplomatic correspondent paul adams reports. at kabul airport, the exodus of foreigners continues, civilians boarding an indian military flight this morning. after yesterday's chaos, planes are once again leaving. earlier, france sent a plane to evacuate its citizens and their afghan colleagues. this vast international operation now gathering pace. the man running the british operation says he expects to bring out as many as 7000 people. how long have we got to do it? we don't really know and so every day, we are working as hard as we can to put as many forward into this pipeline as we possibly can. clearly, there is a dynamic political situation running

across the city, we make no assumptions about that, other than that we really can't afford to pause and wait. and this is what it looks like for some. this extraordinary image from an american military flight on sunday. 650 afghans crammed on board. in the city, an uneasy, watchful calm, taliban fighters highly visible as they assert their authority and raise their flag. for now, the city appears to be functioning. those who have chosen to stay or have no choice, wondering what taliban rule will be like. let's see what afghanistan brings, i want to stay here, i want to fight for my students, i want to fight for our vision of afghanistan and i know things are never going to be the same any more, it'sjust, i have to be here. in herat, which fell to the taliban last week,

some things have not changed. schoolgirls were at their desks today, scenes unthinkable when the taliban last ruled the country. my hope is that we will continue to resist any possible regression and any possible deprivation, and the taliban must also realise that they can't keep afghanistan to the knee, they have to live with the world. only in a moderate situation, moderate government, moderate islam, that we can live with ourselves and the world. these are strange, uncertain times. a world in which a female presenter in kabul can still interview a representative of the taliban. but for how long? it's been 20 years since the taliban last ruled kabul. not everyone here even remembers what it was like. the militants say they want an inclusive islamic government. what, people wonder, will that mean? paul adams, bbc news.

0ur south asia editor anbarasan ethirajan joins us from delhi. —— afirm —— a firm uk ambassador to the united nations. how would you describe the conjured from the taliban that press conference this afternoon? . ., ~ ., , afternoon? outcome i think what they said was relatively _ afternoon? outcome i think what they said was relatively reassuring. - said was relatively reassuring. 0bviously deliberately so. but i think they said something that both the domestic audience but also the international community would have liked to have heard. they said that they were not going to be the same as they were 20 years ago when they were in power, that they didn't want any problems with the international community. they weren't going to allow foreign fighters to operate out of afghanistan. they weren't going to target those who had worked forforeign going to target those who had worked for foreign governments. going to target those who had worked forforeign governments. there going to target those who had worked for foreign governments. there was amnesty for people who fought against them. and that they would allow women to study and work within sharia law. so some very reassuring

words at this stage, but, of course, we must be extremely cautious because it is very early days, and they aren't on a deliberate charm offensive, if you like, whilst forming a government. we offensive, if you like, whilst forming a government. offensive, if you like, whilst forminu a covernment. ~ ., ., , forming a government. we have to see action. forming a government. we have to see action- they — forming a government. we have to see action- they have _ forming a government. we have to see action. they have to _ forming a government. we have to see action. they have to be _ forming a government. we have to see action. they have to be tested - forming a government. we have to see action. they have to be tested on - action. they have to be tested on their promises today. {iii action. they have to be tested on their promises today.— their promises today. of course. there have _ their promises today. of course. there have been _ their promises today. of course. there have been some _ their promises today. of course. there have been some positive i there have been some positive actions as well as words. the fact that they are not interfering with the evacuation process that you are just talking about at the airport is encouraging. the fact that they have instructed their fighters not to go into houses. we have even see female presenters back on some of the tv channels. so there are some positive actions as well as the reassuring words. but, of course, we have to be careful. people are rightly very nervous about the return of the taliban given what happened 20 years ago. so one can understand the concerns that the afghan people have, and we will need to monitor very carefully and the next few days

and weeks and months on what they actually do. if it and weeks and months on what they actuall do. ., , ., ., actually do. if it does turn out to be a different _ actually do. if it does turn out to be a different kind _ actually do. if it does turn out to be a different kind of _ actually do. if it does turn out to be a different kind of taliban - actually do. if it does turn out to be a different kind of taliban in i be a different kind of taliban in the 90s, can you see the uk, can you see the us dealing with them? i think eventually, not immediately. in the 90s, they were only three countries that recognise the taliban government. yet pakistan, saudi arabia, no one else did for the full five years they were there. this time, i would expect many more countries to be involved really right from the word go, including all the neighbours like iran, russia, china, etc. i don't think the british or the americans will leap to deal with the taliban administration, but if they show that they are not going to be posing a threat to the international community and they stick to some of the promises they've made today, then i would expect eventually there would be some interaction with them. thank you very much for your time this afternoon, thank you.-

this afternoon, thank you. thank ou. in a this afternoon, thank you. thank you. in a moment, _ this afternoon, thank you. thank you. in a moment, we _ this afternoon, thank you. thank you. in a moment, we will- this afternoon, thank you. thank you. in a moment, we will speak this afternoon, thank you. thank i you. in a moment, we will speak to a man who was — you. in a moment, we will speak to a man who was attacked _ you. in a moment, we will speak to a man who was attacked by _ you. in a moment, we will speak to a man who was attacked by the - you. in a moment, we will speak to a man who was attacked by the taliban j man who was attacked by the taliban when he was a student in pakistan. in fact, he was at school, sitting in school back in 2014 when the taliban burst in and killed 130 people, including his own brother. here is a clip of him sharing his experience of that day back in 2017. my my name is ahmed, i am a victim of terrorism. i have lost my younger brother and 132 friends in an attack on my school in pakistan. it was the 16th of december 2014, an unforgettable day of my life. i have no words to describe the experience through which i went there on that day. i was in first aid training with my schoolmates, those happy moments of laughing, joking and

talking to my friends did not last for long. a group of men with guns and bombs in their hands entered our school and started firing one after another. it was an astonishing moment of my life because i always thought of this was a safe place, not a place that children would be brutally massacred. ahmad is now studying at oxford university and is a human rights activist. it was —— it is good to see you again. and you were attacked becasue you were at school, is that right? yes, that's right. and can you tell our audience, _ yes, that's right. and can you tell our audience, can _ yes, that's right. and can you tell our audience, can you _ yes, that's right. and can you tell our audience, can you give - yes, that's right. and can you tell our audience, can you give them l yes, that's right. and can you tell. our audience, can you give them the insight into what that day was like? yes. so, essentially on the 16th of december 2014, yes. so, essentially on the 16th of december2014, i yes. so, essentially on the 16th of december 2014, i was attacked in a school in pakistan. it was in 2014, and on that day, a lot of my friends over about a of my friends, including my teachers were massacred

including my teachers were massacred in that attack, which was claimed by the taliban. they said that they had done that attack. it's a particularly unforgettable day for me, because i not only lost my friends, but i also lost my brother and that attack, including myself getting severely wounded, for which i was brought to the uk to the hospital. 50 i was brought to the uk to the hosital. , ., , ., ., hospital. so when you seated taliban takin: over hospital. so when you seated taliban taking over afghanistan _ hospital. so when you seated taliban taking over afghanistan in _ hospital. so when you seated taliban taking over afghanistan in the - hospital. so when you seated taliban taking over afghanistan in the way i taking over afghanistan in the way that they have, and i don't know if you manage to catch the press conference this afternoon, but the insistence that they would be peaceful, that girls would be able to go to school, what were you thinking? i to go to school, what were you thinkin: ? ~ ,., , thinking? i think it sounds, the whole thing — thinking? i think it sounds, the whole thing sounds _ thinking? i think it sounds, the whole thing sounds ridiculous. | thinking? i think it sounds, the i whole thing sounds ridiculous. it's been a really upsetting experience, notjust been a really upsetting experience, not just for myself, been a really upsetting experience, notjust for myself, but been a really upsetting experience, not just for myself, but for been a really upsetting experience, notjust for myself, but for my family. i believe a lot of families in pakistan too. especially because these are the same people who have

been doing barbaric attacks and massacres, carrying out massacres in the past. they have deprived children and women and people generally of their fundamental human rights in the past. and we are supposed to believe the same people, that they will be allowing all of those things that they have said that they are really against. i don't think that i can buy this. i think that's this does not sound quite right, and it's really upsetting that people are, the western countries are choosing to believe that, and let them do that thing. i don't think this is the time where we can leave the people of that country alone. i think this is a time where we stand with them and do something to take them out of this mess. this do something to take them out of this mess. �* , , ., do something to take them out of this mess. ~ , i. ~ ., do something to take them out of this mess. ~ , , ., ~ ., ,, ., this mess. as you know, the us and britain are evacuating _ this mess. as you know, the us and britain are evacuating thousands i this mess. as you know, the us and britain are evacuating thousands of| britain are evacuating thousands of people, most it would seem people who have worked with the british in

the us and british passport holders and british citizens. by using that we should be evacuating afghan civilians as well? i we should be evacuating afghan civilians as well?— civilians as well? i think that would be — civilians as well? i think that would be a _ civilians as well? i think that would be a solution - civilians as well? i think that would be a solution for i civilians as well? i think that would be a solution for the l civilians as well? i think that i would be a solution for the current situation, where people who are at risk must be evacuated so that they can be saved. i think we need to start thinking about long—term solutions for that country. we can't just evacuate everyone from that country until it empties out. i think because none of the countries have been very welcoming to the refugees anyway in the past, i myself have been a refugee in the uk for the last few years. there are a lot of people who have come from war zones in the uk or other countries, but i think we need to think of a long—term solution for those people, a long—term solution would be to not let them be run by an extremist group who have carried out massacres, work on how we can

educate those young people in that country and how we can liberate those young people by educating them properly and not by the definition of education that these extremists carry, because that is not education, that is propaganda. and i think we need to be clear about that. i think that is a solution for the current moments, but we need to think about the future and the children. ,, ., think about the future and the children. ,, . ., ,~' , ., children. sure, and let me ask you, because the — children. sure, and let me ask you, because the child _ children. sure, and let me ask you, because the child and _ children. sure, and let me ask you, | because the child and spokesperson in that press conference that, yes, girls can get education committee eskimo women can go to work within the framework of sharia law. what do you take that to mean? i the framework of sharia law. what do you take that to mean?— you take that to mean? i think they have been defining _ you take that to mean? i think they have been defining things. - you take that to mean? i think they have been defining things. i- you take that to mean? i think they have been defining things. i think l have been defining things. i think their definition of these things perhaps may be very different. i think this is sort of the way, right now, they are acting as if they have not carried out massacres in the past. now they are coming and saying, oh, we will be peaceful and allow everything that we always

worked against. itjust doesn't sound right, and i think it's a at them and systematically brainwashing people now by providing them with the education that they want them to gain, and i think that is even more dangerous than no education, because then the future of afghanistan, the children, will be brainwashed in a way where their will be no future. so i think that is something we need to be really worried about. we so i think that is something we need to be really worried about.— to be really worried about. we are awaitin: to be really worried about. we are awaiting the _ to be really worried about. we are awaiting the details _ to be really worried about. we are awaiting the details from - to be really worried about. we are awaiting the details from the i awaiting the details from the british government furby settlement scheme for afghan civilians. you came here several years ago now. i wonder how you would describe how you wear welcomes, or otherwise in this country. i you wear welcomes, or otherwise in this country-— this country. i think i would've wished that — this country. i think i would've wished that in _ this country. i think i would've wished that in the _ this country. i think i would've wished that in the first - this country. i think i would've wished that in the first place l this country. i think i would've wished that in the first place i | wished that in the first place i didn't have to leave. in the circumstances had arrived to the point where i would have to leave my own country. everyone, at least

people around myself, loved afghanistan and loved living there. i wish there had never been a reason for me to come here, but when i had to come here, i had to stay here because of the safety reasons. i think that it was not quite a deal staying. i think you are always sort of a burden on the country, and i think a lot of people feel that way. i think most anyone would prefer that their own country was at peace, and i think we need to be working on that rather than thinking of how we can sort of treat them as victims by giving them raspy chair and stuff like that. i think that something that i would like to emphasise in this interview.— that i would like to emphasise in this interview. ~ �* , this interview. when you've finished our this interview. when you've finished your studies. _ this interview. when you've finished your studies, are _ this interview. when you've finished your studies, are you _ this interview. when you've finished your studies, are you planning i this interview. when you've finished your studies, are you planning on i your studies, are you planning on going back to pakistan?— your studies, are you planning on going back to pakistan? well, that de-ends going back to pakistan? well, that depends on _ going back to pakistan? well, that depends on what _ going back to pakistan? well, that depends on what i _ going back to pakistan? well, that depends on what i sort _ going back to pakistan? well, that depends on what i sort of- going back to pakistan? well, that depends on what i sort of get i going back to pakistan? well, thatj depends on what i sort of get into. i wish to work more and that the

human rights area making sure that more and more people in this world get their basic human rights and that they can live safe and comfortable, peaceful lives, that is what i wish to dedicate my life too. and i think it takes me to live wherever, i think i will do that to sort of work on that mission in the most efficient way possible, whether it be from pakistan or from here or from anywhere else.— it be from pakistan or from here or from anywhere else. good luck and thank ou from anywhere else. good luck and thank you very _ from anywhere else. good luck and thank you very much _ from anywhere else. good luck and thank you very much for _ from anywhere else. good luck and thank you very much for talking i from anywhere else. good luck and thank you very much for talking to | thank you very much for talking to us again. thank you.— us again. thank you. thank you very much. female presenters in afghanistan are appearing on television today after reports of some were female journalists were taken off air and confined to their homes as they feared for their lives. the taliban said today in that news conference that is committed to the rights of women within the framework of sharia. i'm nowjoined by sana safi, who works for the bbc afgan service and presents pashto tv, to discuss this further. do you know what that means, "within

the framework of sharia law." you can go to school go to work, within the framework of that lot. i can go to school go to work, within the framework of that lot.— the framework of that lot. i don't. i was the framework of that lot. i don't. i was born — the framework of that lot. i don't. i was born in _ the framework of that lot. i don't. i was born in afghanistan - the framework of that lot. i don't. i was born in afghanistan that i i i was born in afghanistan that i spend my 18 years there and i still don't understand what they mean by that. ~ ., ., ,, don't understand what they mean by that. ~ ., ., , ., ~' don't understand what they mean by that. ~ ., ., ,, ~' that. what do you think it could mean? well. — that. what do you think it could mean? well, i _ that. what do you think it could mean? well, ithink— that. what do you think it could mean? well, i think they i that. what do you think it could mean? well, i think they could| mean? well, i think they could robabl mean? well, i think they could probably mean _ mean? well, i think they could probably mean that _ mean? well, i think they could probably mean that women i mean? well, i think they could i probably mean that women shed to mean? well, i think they could - probably mean that women shed to be, afghan women should behave the way that women behaved in saudi arabia, for example. i don't know. itrailiidi for example. i don't know. which means much _ for example. i don't know. which means much in _ for example. i don't know. which means much in practical- for example. i don't know. which means much in practical terms? | for example. i don't know. which i means much in practicalterms? which means much in practicalterms? which means they need _ means much in practicalterms? which means they need to _ means much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear _ means much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear the - means much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear the file i means much in practical terms? law an means they need to wear the file on the file on nick cobb, that's not an afghan think they could probably mean that women shed to be, afghan women should behave the way that women should behave the way that women behaved in saudi arabia, for example. i don't know.— women behaved in saudi arabia, for example. i don't know. which means much in practical _ example. i don't know. which means much in practical terms? _ example. i don't know. which means much in practicalterms? which i example. i don't know. which means i much in practicalterms? which means the need much in practicalterms? which means they need to — much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear _ much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear the _ much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear the file _ much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear the file on - much in practicalterms? which means they need to wear the file on nick- they need to wear the file on nick cobb, that's not an afghan thing, that's an saudi, that's the way and said —— that's the way women in saudi arabia where it. maybe it means they should behave in a cover themselves like women in somalia deal, because islam is such a diverse, it's a religion, but there is so much diversity within it and how women dress, so i don't know what they mean by that. do they mean that women could go and play the sort of role of the way women pay ——

play in society. it's not clear, they have never explained it to afghan women, they have never put it on paper, i think him and that's probably because they don't think that's an important issue and that they haven't had the time to really sit down and say, hang on a minute, if we went to governments, if we want to govern, then let's talk about these really small issues in their mind. so i don't understand what that means. let their mind. so i don't understand what that means.— their mind. so i don't understand what that means. let me ask you about the female _ what that means. let me ask you about the female journalist, i what that means. let me ask you about the female journalist, the l about the female journalist, the presenter on afghan television interviewing at taliban spokesperson. how did you find that? it was rare, because it was the first time that we saw taliban foot soldier is speaking to afghan female journalists because we have had incidents of foreign female journalists going into afghanistan, speaking with the taliban, and then everyone else thinks that, oh, look at the taliban from a they are speaking to female journalists, but it was rare for afghanistan. it was

the first time that we saw that. if there was a difference. the female journalists that the taliban members respeaking two, those where private channels. the government owned state tv has turned into all islam channel from what i understand, and from the conversations that i have had this morning. conversations that i have had this morninu. ~ ., ., , ., conversations that i have had this morninu. ., ., , ., ., means morning. what does that mean? means all the banners — morning. what does that mean? means all the banners and _ morning. what does that mean? means all the banners and screens _ morning. what does that mean? means all the banners and screens are - all the banners and screens are covered with the taliban flag, it has an islamic verse on there, the writing of the flag. mail on air presenters are all male. the programmes are all islam focused programmes. i don't know whether there are news programmes are not, but they are all about the teachings of islam and how things are done. that is what i was told this morning when i made my first round of calls to some people. when i made my first round of calls to some maple-—

to some people. what else are you heanna to some people. what else are you hearing about _ to some people. what else are you hearing about what _ to some people. what else are you hearing about what it _ to some people. what else are you hearing about what it is _ to some people. what else are you hearing about what it is like - to some people. what else are you hearing about what it is like in - to some people. what else are you hearing about what it is like in the | hearing about what it is like in the capital today? hearing about what it is like in the capitaltoday? because hearing about what it is like in the capital today? because they get the impression that it is calmer, certainly at the airport it is much less chaotic, and we hear from the us that the taliban are not interfering with the evacuation programme. the interfering with the evacuation programme-— interfering with the evacuation rouramme. . , ., , , programme. the cities are empty. the streets are empty- _ programme. the cities are empty. the streets are empty. there _ programme. the cities are empty. the streets are empty. there aren't - programme. the cities are empty. the streets are empty. there aren't many| streets are empty. there aren't many people out and about. women that i have spoken to have decided to stay inside for the time being because it has only been the third day. today, the taliban have entered kabul. so it was, yes, it was complemented with less chaotic than the past few days, but the wary and the uncertainty is still there because the taliban have not declared their government so far. we don't have a government so far. we don't have a government in afghanistan. it's a transition period, so i think women and men, they are staying inside. they are not going out in case they are stopped and their phones are

searched, for example, in case the social media is looked at. so, yeah, people are worried and uncertain and dealing with uncertainty, but they are happy with the fact that there is the calm that has returned to the city, and also, in the last 72 hours, no one has died or had been killed from the ongoing war, which is a massive relief for most afghans across the country.— is a massive relief for most afghans across the country. would you expect any women — across the country. would you expect any women in — across the country. would you expect any women in this _ across the country. would you expect any women in this new _ across the country. would you expect any women in this new taliban - any women in this new taliban governments?— any women in this new taliban covernments? . h , ., governments? that's exactly what i asked their spokesperson _ governments? that's exactly what i asked their spokesperson in - governments? that's exactly what i asked their spokesperson in delhi l asked their spokesperson in delhi yesterday. and they said that we have not had the time to talk about the new government or the shape of the new government or the shape of the new government or the shape of the new government, but it will be a government that would be acceptable to every afghan, every afghan would be able to see themselves in our government. so we don't know whether they will have women are not. fik.

they will have women are not. ok. thank you — very much from the bbc afghan service. the model and activist lily cole has apologised for posting a picture of herself in a burqa, as afghanistan was being taken over by the taliban. the 33—year—old posted the images as a way to promote her new book and "embrace diversity". critics say that it didn't help diversity and was ill—advised given the current unrest in afghanistan. cole has "sincerely apologise for any offence caused" and said she "hadn't read the news at the time". right, let's bring you a full weather forecast and now. right, let's bring you a full weatherforecast and now. here is darren. hello there. it's another disappointing late—summer's day today. a cool breeze, a northwesterly breeze, still blowing. where we've got some more shelter from that breeze across southeast wales, the west country, we should be seeing some sunshine. —— for many pets in the uk, still a lot of clout around stomach keeping temperatures lower it then they are in many places, still a bit of rain in many places, still a bit of rain in the airfrom in many places, still a bit of rain in the air from time to time. a little drizzle developing particularly over the hills tonight as we see the cloud lower income to

some extend merck as well. this blanket of god keeping temperatures around i2—ili. similar to what we had last night. a bit of rain heading to the northern isles, could slip down into northern parts of mainland scotland. the rest of scotland should see the cloud bending and some sunshine coming through. looks pretty dell to begin with elsewhere, many places having a dry day. a cloud lifting and thinning at that. skies will tend to brighten, could be a peep of sunshine here and there. we have still got that's northwesterly breeze beating and quite cool air in actual fact, but the winds will tend to ease down to the winds will tend to ease down to the day. with more brightness more widely, we will see temperatures up to 20-21 widely, we will see temperatures up to 20—21 celsius.

hello, this is bbc news. i'm victoria derbyshire. the headlines: in their first press conference since taking control of afghanistan, the taliban claim they don't wish to take revenge and say women can be

educated and go to work within the framework of sharia law. translation: i reassure all residents of kabul - that we protect them. they are safe, and now all our fighters are across kabul city and we will be taking care of the security. but the evacuation continues. a spokesperson for the pentagon confirms the us military are communicating with the taliban, in an effort to evacuate citizens. there is a dynamic political situation running across the city. we make no assumptions about that, other than that we really can't afford to pause and wait. rebuilding after the pandemic — the latest official figures show record job vacancies as the uk economy rebounds. the uk regulator approves moderna coronavirus vaccine for 12 to i7—year—olds.

let us bring you the support and in salford, at the bbc sport centre, it isjohn watson. thank you. live support to bring you. it's a winner takes all in the cricket this afternoon — northern superchargers taking on birmingham phoenix in the hundred at headingley. the winner will qualify for the knockout stage and a shot at the women's final. birmingham phoenix batted first and lost an early wicket — shafali verma falling for eight. but they recovered thanks to a brilliant half century from evejones. she top—scored, making 64, as phoenix reached 147. the superchargers needing 148 to win. and that is in improbable 25 runs needed off eight balls. after defeat to india in the second test yesterday, head coach chris silverwood has warned players face losing their places as england were bowled out for 120 on the final day. both openers failed to score and silverwood accepts changes may have to be made.

i'd rather give somebody one too many chances than not enough — and we have invested in people. but at the same time, clearly, i don't want to start ripping things up. but at some point, we have to think manoeuvring things a little bit to find a better balance and something that works. from my point of view i have to be open—minded, and i might have to keep my eyes open to it. england will begin the t20 world cup in october with a repeat of the 2016 final against holders west indies. the windies won that in dramatic fashion, with those four successive sixes off ben stokes in the final over. south africa and australia join england and the west indies in their super i2s group along with two yet—to—be—determined qualifiers, who could be ireland or scotland.

some football news. the chelsea striker tammy abraham has completed his move to the italian side roma for a fee of £34 million. he signed a five—year deal and in doing so links up withjose mourinho, who was appointed as the club's new manager at the end of last season. abraham was an academy player with chelsea, but wasn't picked by thomas tuchel for the champions league final and has found opportunities limited, even more so with the big money arrival of romelu lukaku from inter milan. andy murray says his hip and body feels good, having moved into the second round of the cincinnati open. he completed a straight sets victory over richard gasquet in what was his first singles match since his third round defeat at wimbledon six weeks ago. when he returned to competition following his resurfacing operation at this event two years ago, he lost to gasquet in the opening round. i thought i did well.

i think i moved pretty well for my first singles match in a while, on the hard courts. certainly, a little bit more confidence in my movement than i did when i played him here a couple of years ago. it was the first match i'd played since i had, singles match, since i've had the metal hip put in, so i was a bit apprehensive. and he... you know, he uses all of the angles on the court really well and makes you move a lot. so you need to move well against him and i did that tonight. heather watson is also through to the second round of the women's event. she won in three sets against belarusian aliaksandra sasnovich and plays world number one ash barty next. england's women will face world cup holders new zealand in back—to—back matches as the red roses contest four home tests this autumn. england, ranked one in the world, will play the black ferns twice before matches against canada and the us. the first meeting of the series is due to take place on the weekend of 29—31 october, with venues to be confirmed.

and a dutch cyclist had just won the fourth stage of the vuelta. he came up fourth stage of the vuelta. he came up on top it was a hotly contested sprint finisher. adam yates remains 21 seconds behind the leader in the general classification, after finishing safely in the palatine. that is it from me for now. there is plenty more to,. that is in sportsday at 6:30pm. cheers, john. the labour leader has criticised the us president's decision to withdraw troops from afghanistan so quickly, leading to the taliban's rapid take—over of the country. tomorrow, mps will be recalled to parliament to debate the situation and what to do next. sir keir starmer says the prime minister must set out a plan for refugees. before we get to a number, the first question is getting our

international partners round a table, including neighbouring countries to afghanistan, to draw up a plan, an urgent plan, for the safe and legal exit of refugees that, inevitably, will flow from this and contain a humanitarian crisis. and i want to hearfrom the prime minister tomorrow. one of the questions we have for him is, what is that plan for refugees? because we need to know, and tomorrow's the time for the prime minister to answer that question. i'm joined now by ian blackford, snp westminster leader. mr blackford, good afternoon to you. what obligations to the uk have to the people of afghanistan? my the people of afghanistan? m goodness, we have the people of afghanistan? m1 goodness, we have an enormous obligation. we have been with them for most of the last 20 years and we have left them in the lurch, we have left them in this situation where the taliban have taken over, and of course people are very frightened or very vulnerable to whatever the taliban are going to do will and given we place so much on education for young girls, for women, for women to go into the professions,

not least become journalists, i think it is clear there are many vulnerable people and i think we've got to do is recognise that when we look at the syrian situation back in 2014, we did have a resettlement scheme for phone rope edom. the united kingdom took 20,000 people right through the silence, supported by local authorities, and we have to do the same again. and if you look at the 20,000 we took from syria, .1% of the population, that would be an equivalent number of about 35,000 from afghanistan, so asking the government to look at the way we did do in syria, to work with our evolved institutions, the local authorities, and crucially showing leadership on this couple working with our international partners so that we lead by example and others do the same. canada is a react by single take 20,000 people, and in doing so, we need to make sure we engage with the united nations, that

this is done properly —— canada has reacted by saying they will take. but given the scale of the defeat that we have seen over the course of the last two days, we need to act fast as well and we need to say quite clearly to the regime in kabul that we expect safe passage for those refugees that will need to find a place of sanctuary. the forein find a place of sanctuary. the foreign secretary _ find a place of sanctuary. the foreign secretary said this morning on radio and television that britain was a bighearted nation when he was asked about how many refugees this country might take from afghanistan. do you think that would extend to 35,000 people? i do you think that would extend to 35.000 people?— 35,000 people? i think if we use the rationale that _ 35,000 people? i think if we use the rationale that we _ 35,000 people? i think if we use the rationale that we used _ 35,000 people? i think if we use the rationale that we used in _ 35,000 people? i think if we use the rationale that we used in syria, - rationale that we used in syria, that would be the case, but i am asking the uk government to engage constructively with the devolved governments and indeed with our partners. let's make sure we act decisively. we left those in afghanistan in a troubled situation. we also the shocking picture yesterday of people try to cling onto aircraft leaving couple. we

need to show that we are serious, we have let people down through this —— leaving kabul. we need to show we will act quickly to give them a route to safety. we owe it to them, and deed i would say to our armed forces who have given so much over the course of the last couple of decades, that we are knocking to people in afghanistan in the lurch. i do not know if you have had a chance to see any of the taliban's first press conference since they've taken control of the country this afternoon, but they insisted they wanted a peaceful transition to a taliban government, they have said they did not want revenge, they said they did not want revenge, they said they did not want revenge, they said they did not —— they did want girls to go to school, albeit in the frame of sharia law. i wonder if you buy any of that. i sharia law. i wonder if you buy any of that. ., ., sharia law. i wonder if you buy any ofthat. ., ., , , of that. i do not. i suppose in the end. actions _ of that. i do not. i suppose in the end, actions will— of that. i do not. i suppose in the end, actions will be _ of that. i do not. i suppose in the end, actions will be louder - end, actions will be louder than words, deeds. women have been turned away from work, girls from school

and students from universities, so i am not sure the rhetoric we have heard today matches the reality of what has been happening. i think it is fair to say we need to hold the taliban to accounts, we need to make it clear to them we expect human rights to be respected, but when you look the way that the taliban have behaved previously, and indeed everything they've said recently, we have to be very careful in protecting the human rights of those that live in afghanistan, and we have a responsibility to the people that have been our partners in that country. that have been our partners in that count . ., .. that have been our partners in that count . ., ~ i. ., that have been our partners in that count . ., ~ ., ., ~ ., , country. thank you for talking to us this afternoon, _ country. thank you for talking to us this afternoon, thank— country. thank you for talking to us this afternoon, thank you, - country. thank you for talking to us this afternoon, thank you, ian - this afternoon, thank you, ian blackford, who is the snp�*s westminster leader. for those here with friends and relatives living in afghanistan, there is fear and apprehension. tim muffett has been spending time with members of london's afghan community as the events of the last few days have unfolded. events 3,500 miles away have never felt so close to home. fearful and scared that

things will get worse. people are torturing for no reason. why? because they are human? i ask great britain to help them, as a humanity. that's all i can say. the afghanistan and central asian association centre in feltham, west london. for 20 years, this organisation has offered support for the afghan community in the uk. most who come here have friends and family in a country in crisis. there's kids suffering. there's seniors, there's old people, there's homeless people. it's a shame. it's a shame for all of us. not only me, for all of the human beings, all of the communities all around the world. maria's mother and four sisters are in the afghan capital. three weeks ago, my father, he passed away. now they are by themselves. on friday, before the taliban

reached the city, she managed to speak to them. phone: people are coming from the provinces under. the control of the taliban. the girls have nothing to do but stay on the streets. they were begging for money and for food, for water. it is a bad situation. getting worse day by day. talking to your sister in those circumstances, how hard is that for you? it is too much. it is heartbreaking for me because this situation, i can't do for them anything. more. amidst the despair there are positive moments here. lessons in farsi for children, many of whom have never been to the country of their parents�* birth. and classes in english for adults looking to improve their language skills. as well as food, advice and support. how important is this place at the moment, given the terrible things

which are happening in afghanistan? i think this place plays a vital role. people are becoming very, very. . . not just upset, but also anxious and confused about what will happen in the future. tim muffett, bbc news. let's have a look at the latest coronavirus figures for the uk. a further 26,852 new infections have been recorded in the past 2a hours — that compares with 28,1138 yesterday. there have been 170 deaths within 28 days of a positive test — in terms of vaccinations, 89.6% of the adult population have received their firstjab, just over 77% have had both. the moderna coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use in the uk for 12 to 17—year—olds. the medicines regulator, the mhra, says it is safe and effective. it's now up to government advisers to decide whether people in that age

group actually receive the jab. a quarter to six p:m.. good afternoon. the headlines on bbc news: in their first press conference since taking control of afghanistan, the taliban claim they don't wish to take revenge and say women can be educated and go to work within the framework of sharia law. rebuilding after the pandemic — the latest official figures show record job vacancies as the uk economy rebounds. and the uk regulator approves moderna coronavirus vaccine for 12 to 17—year—olds. the uk economy is continuing to bounce back from lockdown, with job vacancies hitting a record high of almost1 million and wages ticking up. unemployment also fell in the three months tojune. our economics correspondent andy verity reports. at this construction site in huddersfield, 18 houses are being built but so far only four have been completed. the amount of work getting done

in the construction industry has been slowing down across the country, not because of covid but two shortages — raw materials and workers. in this sector alone, there are now 38,000 vacancies being advertised. there is a shortage of young people coming into the industry, without a shadow of a doubt. we need more young people of all trades, bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, and there is an acute shortage. this site has kept on workers into their 60s, and across the industry, they are being forced to pay more, with the average wage up by 12% in the last year. and it's notjust this industry. across the economy, vacancies are a fifth higher than before coronavirus and employers can't find the staff they need. i think it is a perfect storm of lots of things. we have had a pandemic, people have not been moving jobs, so people have been sticking where they are, so you've got a lack

of candidate movement. we have had a lot of eu workers that went home during the pandemic, and it is difficult to get back if you want to. and the skill shortages — you're going back to a lack of apprenticeships from a long time ago that have not been coming through. there are still about 1.9 million more people workless than there were before the pandemic, with more than 607,000 fully furloughed, nearly 850,000 partially furloughed, 201,000 fewer on employers' payrolls and nearly 300,000 fewer in self—employed work. slowest to recover from the pandemic�*s economic symptoms is london, where there are still far fewerjobs to be done serving coffee and lunch to workers in the city, for example, many of whom are still working from home. but in the wider economy, the big issue in thejobs market is now not so much people who can't find work as employers who can't get the staff. in health and social care, for example, a record 161,000 roles are going unfilled.

that's likely to put increased upward pressure on inflation, notjust in rising prices but lengthening queues and waiting times. andy verity, bbc news. a tropical storm that hit haiti overnight is hampering rescue work in the aftermath of the earthquake on the weekend. more than 1,400 people have been killed. thousands more are injured. our correspondent james clayton reports from the town of le cai, which is in the path off the storm. the church behind me is called l�*eglise du sacre—coeur, and as you can see, it's been hugely impacted by this earthquake. you can see right the way through it. there is a statue of the virgin mary completely smashed, there are these huge lines that cut across the church that is structurally unsound, and actually the locals have told me they are worried about that spire up there could fall at any moment because there are these huge cracks down the side of it. up across the road, you have the local coffin maker, a small business trying

to make ends meet. and once again, it has been totally decimated by this earthquake. really, this is a very similar story across this town. there are some buildings that are fine, or at least cracked that have not fallen, and others that have completely fallen in on themselves. the death count at the moment is still increasing and people are worried now about a storm. there are dark cloud over that way. we have heard it is raining in some parts of this region already, and people do worry that, now they are forced out of their homes, they are going to have to sleep in the wet and cold. james clayton reporting. hundreds of firefighters in southern france are battling a wildfire that's forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate as a precaution. officials say the blaze broke out on monday and has so far burned more than three square kilometres of forest and scrubland to the west of the resort of saint—tropez.

firefighting aircraft are dumping water to help douse the flames. bob dylan is being sued by a woman who says the us singer—songwriter sexually abused her in 1965 when she was 12. her legal case alleges the star "exploited his status as a musician to provide her with alcohol and drugs and sexually abuse her multiple times" and used threats of physical violence. it says the abuse took place at dylan's apartment bob dylan's spokesperson says the historical claim is untrue and will be vigorously defended. investment in hydrogen energy to power vehicles and heat homes will create thousands of newjobs and reduce carbon emissions — according to a new government strategy. ministers hope the industry will attract billions of pounds in investment. it's thought the fuel could account for a third of the uk's energy use by 2050, but environmental campaigners say there should be more focus on renewably sourced hydrogen. new zealand is at the start

of a three—day national lockdown, after the discovery of the country's first locally transmitted covid case for six months. but restrictions will last for a week in auckland, where the case was detected. new zealand's prime minister, jacinda ardern, said the government is taking action to ensure the virus can't spread. public health officials have been working at pace this afternoon to gather information on the case and their movements, and i will pass to dr bloomfield shortly to set out the facts as we currently know them, including locations of interest that have been identified so far. but first, i want to assure new zealand that we have planned for this eventuality and that we will now be putting in place that plan to contain and stamp out covid—19 once again. the data watchdog is warning pub customers to think carefully before handing over personal information when signing up to apps before ordering drinks. app and web—based ordering has become pretty commonplace during the pandemic — and despite the easing of restrictions, the big pub chains are continuing to offer them as an option, but there are concerns

about the amount of personal data being collected. our consumer affairs correspondent colletta smith has the story. i'll wait until we've all ordered. the [ads are out for pints — but which will be quicker, the app or the bar? the race is on. table service sweeps in with the phone orders before the slow coaches make it back. if this place was packed, i would be dreaming for the app, i wouldn't go anywhere near the bar. you end up with ten different passwords — greene king, wetherspoons, i've got so many different apps. postcode, e—mail, there seems like a lot of irrelevant information that you don't technically need. the information is irrelevant, we all know it, but it's kind of the cost we have to pay almost, i think. but the privacy watchdog wants customers to be careful not to give away too many personal details. it needs to be relevant to the order and it also needs to be not excessive. if you are a member of the public and you're filling in your details, and you think, "hang on a second,

they want my name and address, they want all my personal details," question it. if it feels excessive, just pause for a second. we have been in touch with the biggest pub chains, who have all told me their apps are here to stay. they've all got one now. and tech companies say take—up across the industry is still on the rise. in terms of small, independent businesses, you know, the take—up has been slower, but it is still probably around 50%. the data that we collect from individuals has gradually, gradually been worn away now to a point where we want to make it as simple and easy as possible for customers to sign up. bar manager steve makes a little less money on every order through the app, but it's staying because plenty of customers are still using it. bar service is higher. it is roughly 70% at the moment compared to the app, which is 30, but on our busy periods, friday and saturday nights, then the app comes into play more because people don't particularly want to queue at the bar, so they use the table service more. whether you are an app addict

or you've got an app aversion, the reality is that these things are here to stay, with more and more venues offering apps as an option for customers to order. but for most of us, the reality is we'll never read the terms and conditions behind the app — especially after you've had a few. however the next round is ordered, the chief question is, who's paying? cheers, guys. colletta smith, bbc news, in manchester. an apprenticeship is usually in trades like plumbing, hairdressing or brick—laying, but one town in devon has been giving young people training in stilt—walking, clowning and puppetry. it's part of an effort to give traditional seaside entertainment a boost and attract more visitors. sarah ransome went to have a look. roll up, roll up, come and see the punch and judy show! echoing the past on the prom... i can go out and do funny things and spread joy and be joyful. make way!

..trainee street performers are putting into practice newly learned skills of the showman... i think we all need a laugh and we all need to feeljoyous at the moment. ..in celebration of traditional seaside entertainment. in its heyday, one of the draws of the great british holiday were the professional performers. the hope is it's the same for this new generation. you see a man, six, seven, eight foot tall, walking down the street in the 1800s, it will have the same reaction as right now. it's actually the same joy and the same feelings of excitement, and i don't think that's a thing that will stop. welcome to uncle taco's flea circus! as overseas travel became more pocket friendly, small resorts like this one saw visitor numbers drop. now a new project has seasoned

showmen sharing the tricks of their trade to help keep the skills alive, in the hope of also giving a family friendly boost to the town. we grew up in teignmouth and remembered watching it when we were children, many, many years ago. and it's really nice to see. it's important to try and keep the traditions going, isn't it? | it brings back childhood i memories, to be honest. it's exciting, it's just amazing. i'll give you a jolly one this time. and it's notjust about the music, the magic and the merriment. the skills they've got in teamwork, i pride, a sense of their confidencel in presenting in public space, these are life skills, i hope, i that they'll take with them for the rest of their lives, i and an experience i they'll never forget. while the sun shines, the shows will go on. the plan is to take the training and the tricks to more places next year. sarah ransome, bbc news, in teignmouth.

in a few minutes, it's the bbc news at six with george alagiah. first, it's time for a look at the weather with darren bett. hello there. when the sun does come out, it makes a big difference to the feel of the day, as it should do, really, at this time of the year — after all, it is august. and we had a fair bit of sunshine across scotland today, and that lifted temperatures in perth, across to dundee, up to around 23 celsius. but here in kent, it was various shades of grey, really. gravesend temperatures in the afternoon were around 16 celsius. now, we've got a blanket of cloud around overnight across much of the country. it will lower onto the hills, so some mist and murk and some pockets of drizzle here and there again as that cloud thickens up. temperatures, 12—14 celsius, much as they were last night. a bit of rain for the northern isles heading towards the far north of mainland scotland. the rest of scotland should see the cloud thinning and breaking and some sunshine coming through. elsewhere, after that dull start, we should see the cloud lifting and thinning. many places dry in the afternoon and brighter as well, and with more brightness,

and perhaps even some sunshine here and there, those temperatures will more widely hit 20—21 celsius. no doubt one or two places, especially around some western hills, could stay a little bit damp through the day and chilly, too. as we head to thursday, we look to the atlantic to see more thickening cloud coming in. that first weather front there will bring some patchy and mostly light rain, i think, into northern ireland across wales, some western parts of england. can't rule out one or two spots of rain further east as well, but many places should be dry, a fair bit of cloud once again, so those temperatures still struggling to around 17—21 celsius in the afternoon. by the end of the week, we're looking at lowering pressure heading towards western parts of the uk. that will spin this weather front into northern ireland, mainly affecting northern ireland to bring some rain here into southern ireland as well. ahead of that, we can't rule out one or two spots of rain, but on the whole, a lot of dry weather on friday, probably a lot

of cloud, but i'm hopeful it will brighten up more and a few more breaks will come in across parts of england and wales, lifting temperatures up to 23 celsius. so, a little bit warmer in some areas by that time we get to friday. into the first half of the weekend, ahead of that rain, it could get very warm, actually, across parts of the midlands and particularly in the southeast of england, 26 celsius is possible. only briefly, mind you, because this weather front will take the rain and an area of low pressure across england and wales on sunday, and that rain actually could be heavy in places.

today at six... we've seen the fighters, now the taliban's leaders arrive in afghanistan and say they're ready to take control. in the capital kabul the big question — is this a new taliban or will they govern with the brutality of the last time they were in charge? translation: i reassure| all internationals, the un, all embassies, our neighbours, that we will not be allowing the soil of afghanistan to be used against anybody. but thousands of afghans are taking no chances whatever the taliban say, they're waiting to be evacuated. clearly there is a dynamic political situation running across the city. we make no assumptions about that other than we really can't afford to pause.