welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. signs of the taliban tightening their grip, cracking down on dissent and reportedly hunting down those who collaborated with western forces. the militants beat back the crowds at kabul airport, as afghans turn up in hope, at western embassies, long abandoned. these people have no real information about what they can do to leave afghanistan but they are desperate. in fact, they're coming to us sing is a true, would the canadians give us a view? most of these people will never get one.

we'll take a look at the winners and losers from the taliban takeover of afghanistan and we hear from an award winning photo—journalist who spent years documenting life for afghan women under the taliban. also on the programme. waiting for aid and answers. why is taking so long for help to reach the victims of haiti's catastrophic earthquake? and — it's been 30 years since boris yeltsin led the resistance against communist hard—liners staging an unsuccessful coup in moscow. for many, its ancient history. for others, it's all too relevant today. it's six in the morning in singapore, and 2:30 in the morning in kabul. the taliban had promised there would be no retribution against those who worked with us forces. they also said that afghans would be free to leave the country,

if they had the right papers. but today both of those promises look uncertain. an intelligence briefing for the united nations says the taliban are stepping up their search for so—called "collaborators". that includes those who served in the afghan military or police. and the international airport at kabul remains a scene of chaos and uncertainty. our correspondent in kabul secunder kermani reports. this is crowd control, taliban style. outside the airport, thousands of people desperate to leave. this is the road anyone being evacuated has to travel along. the taliban repeatedly stopped us filming. they don't like the images of so many afghans are fleeing their rule. they have denied claims they are at times preventing some afghans with valid documents from entering the airport. but many of those here don't have a visa. they are hoping somehow to leave.

i want to go anywhere else other than here, says this man. but the embassies and offices are closed. what can i do? then taliban fighters bring the interview to an end. the taliban are everywhere you go in kabul. they are heavily armed. but for the most part, in the city, they are friendly. today, so more protests expressing defiance to their rule, rallying around the afghan flag. outside the canadian embassy, more chaos. hundreds of people frantically scribbling their names on pieces of paper hoping it will somehow lead to a visa. the embassy has already been evacuated. these people have no real information about what they can do to leave afghanistan, but they are desperate. they are asking us, is it too, will the canadians give me a visa?

the fact is, most of these people will never get one. this family haven't spoken to anyone at the embassy, but heard rumours that if they turn up, they will find help. there is war, misery. i cannot even buy bread for my children, says this man. new footage today of the even more chaotic scenes at the airport earlier this week. some parents so desperate, they hand their children over. new details of the horrifying story of those who lost their lives. one of the young men clinging to a plane, clinging to it even after take—off, a talented footballer who had played for the national youth team. a generation of afghans now facing an uncertain future. a un document says the taliban are intensifying their hunt for people who worked for and collaborated

with nato and us forces. the document says those at particular risk are people with positions in the military, police and investigative units. this letter was highlighted in the report. it was written to an individual threatening "if you do not here's one of the report's authors. the taliban, in advance of moving into all major cities in afghanistan, notjust kabul, they have more advanced intelligence system, they have a list of individuals and even in the very first hours of moving into kabul, they began to search for former government employees, especially intelligence services and special forces units and this is not the action of random taliban

groups seeking revenge. this involved written orders from the military commission of the taliban. it involves actual intelligence, photographs and so on of the individuals they are searching for. this is a different animal than what we encounter 20 years ago. they are more advanced, they have a much more improved financial system and intelligence system and the fact that they can commence this hunt for former collaborators or individuals working with western intelligence services or special forces units, not just services or special forces units, notjust in kabul but elsewhere, shows that they were very well on this. i'm joined now anthony h. cordesman, burke chair in strategy at the centre for strategic and international studies and a former us government official working in afghanistan.

how surprised are you by the findings of this intelligence report — that after presenting a very moderate public face to the world, saying there would be no revenge — there are indeed reprisals? i think thisjust i think this just warns us that this is not a government. it is not a stable power structure. it has come to power very suddenly and most of that power was gained by fighters, not the politicians were trying to negotiate at least some form of peace agreement or at least some relations with outside states. but i think we also need to remember and this is often forgotten that very few revolutionary regimes that come to power stay in power even for a

year, which means that what we're seeing today may or may not be a sign of what the taliban will be when it really becomes a government. who might benefit from the taliban takeover in afghanistan? which might see an advantage from this? . ~ , ., , ., ., this? pakistan is the one that most louicall this? pakistan is the one that most logically will _ this? pakistan is the one that most logically will benefit. _ this? pakistan is the one that most logically will benefit. it _ this? pakistan is the one that most logically will benefit. it does - this? pakistan is the one that most logically will benefit. it does have i logically will benefit. it does have a disputed border but the taliban will not really care. they have ties to the intelligence service in pakistan and the taliban were formed with the support of pakistan and their leaders have sometimes been in prison. so that would probably be the most positive relationship. depending on how pragmatic the

taliban is, they may want to deal with russia or china to find an alternative source of money and support to the aid of their were getting from the west. or they may even reach some kind of agreement with western states, including the united states. just with western states, including the united states.— united states. just to “ump in there, united states. just to “ump in there. the h united states. just to “ump in there, the pakistan _ united states. just to jump in there, the pakistan have - united states. just to jump in there, the pakistan have long disputed that. you're seeing a future where the potential government could end up working in some respect with us or western countries. is that keeping in mind the fact that we're seeing these reports, these very real concerns over human violations in afghanistan?— over human violations in afghanistan? over human violations in afuhanistan? ~ ., ., , afghanistan? we have to remember there are 37 — afghanistan? we have to remember there are 37 million _ afghanistan? we have to remember there are 37 million people - afghanistan? we have to remember there are 37 million people in - there are 37 million people in afghanistan. it is not that the taliban is likely to ever take on

western values or become an ally or work well. when it comes down to humanitarian issues, the west may find that at least some form of aid in recognition can help many of the people inside afghanistan. it will be a trade essentially of money for human rights in some form of protection of the afghan people. but that all depends on whoever comes to power inside the taliban. thank that all depends on whoever comes to power inside the taliban.— power inside the taliban. thank you so much for— power inside the taliban. thank you so much forjoining _ power inside the taliban. thank you so much forjoining us _ power inside the taliban. thank you so much forjoining us on _ power inside the taliban. thank you so much forjoining us on newsday. | as thousands of people desperately try to flee afghanistan — every one of them has a real, human story to tell. our special correspondent, lucy manning, has been speaking to one family who managed to escape kabul, and an interpreter who worked with british forces,

who is still trapped there. to stay is dangerous, to try to go isn't much safer — but it's a risk many are taking. this man worked in afghanistan, a british afghan, here pictured with the country's former defence minister, thanking him for his work. he and his family were flown out of afghanistan two days ago by the raf and are now quarantining in manchester. yes, i feel good, we are safe. we will start back from scratch in the uk. his wife isn't a dual national. she was told to stay behind and then struggled to get into the airport. the situation is very bad because we were literally inside the compound, we could see the fighting, the shooting. she was crying. when we met her again in that,

there was one of the officers, he was a british officer, he was actually...he cried too. how was the situation on the plane for everyone? the situation was chaotic. the plane was completely full. one of my children was sitting on the floor. with his work for coalition forces, he feared for his life. we are the lucky ones. we made it. there are lots of people who really need help. others haven't made it out. these, the certificates of a former british interpreter we are calling abdul. good enough to risk his life, but refused permission to come to the uk.

what is your message to the british government? the home office says it carries out thorough checks, but his bags are packed with nowhere to go. lucy manning, bbc news. a 5—year—old boy from afghanistan who arrived in britain with with his familyjust a few days ago, has died in an accident at a hotel in sheffield. it is reported that mohammed munib majeedi fell from a ninth—floor room where he was staying with his mother, after fleeing the taliban.

if you want to get in touch with me i'm on twitter — @bbckarishma you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme. we talk live to an award—winning photo—journalist who spent years documenting life for afghan women under the taliban two decades ago. the worlds most political city is assessing the health of the worlds most powerful man. indeed i did have a relationship with her that was not appropriate. in a relationship with her that was not appmpriate-— appropriate. in fact, it was wrong. 97 --eole appropriate. in fact, it was wrong. 97 peeple have — appropriate. in fact, it was wrong. 97 people have been _ appropriate. in fact, it was wrong. 97 people have been killed - appropriate. in fact, it was wrong. 97 people have been killed todayl 97 people have been killed today were the worst days of violence. over the past ten days, 500 have

died. . ., ., ~ ., , over the past ten days, 500 have died. . ., .,~ ., , , died. czechoslovakia must be free! and national— died. czechoslovakia must be free! and national day _ died. czechoslovakia must be free! and national day of— died. czechoslovakia must be free! and national day of mourning - died. czechoslovakia must be free! and national day of mourning for. died. czechoslovakia must be free! i and national day of mourning for the 100 eighteenths of mariners who died of board. we 100 eighteenths of mariners who died of board. ~ . ., of board. we are with them now in our hearts- — of board. we are with them now in our hearts. the _ of board. we are with them now in our hearts. the pope _ of board. we are with them now in our hearts. the pope has - of board. we are with them now in i our hearts. the pope has celebrated mass before — our hearts. the pope has celebrated mass before a _ our hearts. the pope has celebrated mass before a congregation - our hearts. the pope has celebrated mass before a congregation of- our hearts. the pope has celebrated mass before a congregation of two l mass before a congregation of two and a half million people in his hometown. and a half million people in his hometown-— and a half million people in his hometown. ,, ._ , , ._ , hometown. stay with us, stay with us chanted this — hometown. stay with us, stay with us chanted this ocean _ hometown. stay with us, stay with us chanted this ocean of _ hometown. stay with us, stay with us chanted this ocean of humanity. - this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our top story. the taliban are tightening their grip following their takeover of afghanistan, carrying out door—to—door searches for those who collaborated with western forces.

the taliban have said that women will be given rights in afghanistan under the sharia law. but women say it's hard to interpret what that means given the militant group's record in the past. when they ruled in the 1990s education for girls was forbidden, women were not allowed to venture out without a male guardian. i'm joined now by lynsey addario a pulitzer prize—winning photojournalist and author, who's visited aghanistan three times when the taliban were last in control. you were in afghanistan when it was under taliban rule back in 2000 — talk us through what you saw and what life was like for women then? incredibly oppressive. the first time, i had neverseen a incredibly oppressive. the first time, i had neverseen incredibly oppressive. the first time, i had never seen a place incredibly oppressive. the first time, i had neverseen incredibly oppressive. the first time, i had never seen a place like that, almost no women on the streets. the only women out there were widows who had to beg to get

food because their husbands, they had no husbands they were unable to work. it was forbidden to work outside of the home under the taliban unless you are a doctor or nurse or who had special permission. i was able to sneak around in private homes and see secret girls schools, very brave afghanistan families open up their schools for girls knowing that if they got caught, it would be punishable under sharia law. i think it was just very oppressive. all forms of entertainment were illegal, no music, no television, no mixing of the genders. music, no television, no mixing of the gendere— the genders. looking at the photographs _ the genders. looking at the photographs you _ the genders. looking at the photographs you have - the genders. looking at the| photographs you have taken the genders. looking at the i photographs you have taken in afghanistan of women there over the years the spent going back, how did life change for women. each time you did go back. did things get better after the taliban left? thea;r

did go back. did things get better after the taliban left?— after the taliban left? they could onl aet after the taliban left? they could only get better. _ after the taliban left? they could only get better, really. _ after the taliban left? they could only get better, really. i- after the taliban left? they could i only get better, really. i witnessed over a dozen trips in the last few years and an incredible wakening of women. and i've seen them as activists, human rights activists, lawyers, doctors, parliamentarians, politicians, it was incredible and to really, we promoted democracy, we encouraged women to be independent, defined the voices and obviously afghanistan is a deeply conservative culture, so they had to do that sort of, with the permission of the families, but was incredible to watch women reallyjust defined in afghanistan. the photos you've taken of life there — such an insight into life there — afghan girls in school, women voting — now that the taliban are back in charge, what do you fear for women there the most?

i'm terrified and as they are, on my phone messages from women crying saying they can she give my sister out. i have my friends, former translators, journalists were stuck inside and we've been trying to get them to the airport, we've got them on lists of potential flights were trying to convince countries to give them asylum to let them even land there. it has been nonstop since sunday because of course, this came very quickly. we don't know, we've been doing her best because i don't believe the taliban's promises that they will afford them the right to work and have the freedom that they had before within the parameters of sharia law. i had before within the parameters of sharia law. is, had before within the parameters of sharia law. u, ., ., , , sharia law. i can hear how deeply connected _ sharia law. i can hear how deeply connected you — sharia law. i can hear how deeply connected you are _ sharia law. i can hear how deeply connected you are to _ sharia law. i can hear how deeply connected you are to afghanistan sharia law. i can hear how deeply - connected you are to afghanistan and the women there, the people that you have become friends it sounds like. do you think you might be going to

come back given the conditions? yes. i was able come back given the conditions? yes. i was able to — come back given the conditions? yes. i was able to work— come back given the conditions? jazz i was able to work under the taliban the first time, had to get a visa the first time, had to get a visa the islamic republic, the islamic emirate of afghanistan at the time and photography was illegal in 2000 and photography was illegal in 2000 and 2001 when i went. but i was able to go there and i was able to work. i do believe the taliban will allow journalists to go there. i do not know what they will eventually allow us to photograph, if at all, but, yes, i would like to go back to. this is the country have devoted so much of the last 20 years too and i believe in the people of afghanistan, i love the people of afghanistan, i love the people of afghanistan and i think it's an important story.— afghanistan and i think it's an important story. afghanistan and i think it's an imortantsto . ., . important story. thank you so much for “oininr important story. thank you so much forjoining us— important story. thank you so much forjoining us on _ important story. thank you so much forjoining us on newsday. - and just to remind you that we have a constantly updating live page on the rapidly changing situation in afghanistan, with all the latest news lines and developments.

anger is growing in haiti as aid agencies are struggling to reach some of the worst affected areas hit by the earthquake on saturday. foreign aid is starting to trickle in but bridges are damaged, roads are poor, so getting it to the people that need it, is slow work. the death toll is now more than two thousand people — thousands more have been injured and are being treated in clinics and makeshift hospitals. let's hear more from nadesha mijoba who is the country director for the health foundation injeremy, haiti. very difficult to get the aid and one, because the bridge that goes into the area is destroyed and so, you can only arrive to a certain point and then you have to unload everything before crossing a very small vehicle to be able to

distribute the aid and we continue to see the us coast guard helicopter and i can see it from my office, flying back and forth, evacuating patients and bringing some relief and aid, but it is still not enough with nowhere near what is needed and we are nowhere near getting close to the people that really need a lot of the people that really need a lot of the help. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. a man has been arrested after making a bomb threat near the congress building in washington dc. the suspect, identified as floyd ray roseberry, surrendered hours after the threat was made. his motives remain unknown. police are still searching the vehicle. nicole kidman has become the latest hollywood star to come under fire for circumventing strict quarantine rules for international travellers. the actress's arrival in hong kong

has sparked widespread anger after she was reportedly spotted out and about two days after touching down. this is despite the region having some of the strictest rules in place, with up to 21 days quarantine required. 30 years ago, a coup was launched in the then soviet union by hardline communist leaders to take power away from soviet president michael gorbachev, who's reform programme was slowly opening russia up. it failed, largely due to massive civil resistance in the capital moscow. stephen rosenberg reflects on the anniversary. it was the day the world held its breath. there had been a coup in a nuclear superpower. tanks rolled into moscow right up to red square. communist hardliners has seized power in the soviet union. but the people were not having any of it. defiance on the streets.

and outside parliament. from russia's president boris yeltsin. the coup collapsed. four months later, so did the country. the soviet union was consigned to history. dmitry had helped build the barricades outside parliament. he and his wife tatiana still remember their elation when the coup failed. i felt a great hope for a great new russia, democratic russia. where everyone has the right to influence all the things going on but now i feel that my hope failed. the country is deteriorating, human rights deteriorating. the soviet union is an autonomy. at the time the collapse of the coup was hailed as a victory of people power but in the years that followed, democracy failed

to root itself in russia. that is partly because life became so tough here that in the eyes of many russians, the very concept of democracy became discredited. but it is also because for those running russia today, authoritarian rule is back in fashion. this year, the authorities cracked down hard on anti—government protests. and there have been police raids on government critics. so, where does that leave democracy? for many here a distant memory. this monument honours the three men killed in the 1991 coup. there are few visitors. there seems to be little interest in moment in history when russians embraced freedom. that's all for now —

stay with bbc world news. hello. afterward it's been a relatively and cool week so far, for many of us, the weather is set to change to friday and into the weekend. a turn a little bit warmer and it will also start to turn a wetter because low—pressure is pushing in from the west in this frontal system bringing in rain very early on friday to northern ireland will push eastwards over the coming days. out of that weather front, we will draw in a southerly wind bringing in some slightly warmer air in our direction. in many of us are going to start off on quite a cloudy note on friday. for england, wales and scotland, most pleats will be dry but for northern ireland, this heavy rain working its way will persist into the afternoon. rain extending disciple scotland and

fringes of england and wales. further east will have a few silly spells developed. turning quite breezy for western coast, with that breeze coming from the south, it will feel a little bit warmer and given some sunshine, eastern england could see highs of around 2a degrees. as we had to friday night in our band of rain will move a little further eastwards and it's likely to dry out a little bit across northern ireland saturday morning. mr merkin low cloud and will be a pretty mild night, mild start to saturday with a band of rain working erratically with heavy breasts running along it. eastern parts of england was the parts for a time, northern ireland should bread up time, northern ireland should bread up to along with the far west of scotland, wales and the southwest with some thundershowers to break up your later. highest temperatures likely to be across eastern areas we see some sunshine and may be up to 25 degrees. for the second half of the of the frontal system continues to journey eastwards and we end up with a little area of low pressure

lingering close to eastern counties of england instead of the potential for some rain here and quite windy for some rain here and quite windy for the eastern coast as well. sunny spells and a scattering of showers will be lose that southerly flow and we lose that slightly warmer feel. into next week, you start to it establish themselves but generally, it will be coming down from the north. to see any sort of heat we've come alive to come up from the south but that is not going to happen. some pleasant weather to come through next week and a bit more the way of sunshine, a lot of dry weather, but no real heat wave. interest generally around the low 20s.

this is bbc news.

the headlines: the taliban are tightening their grip on afghanistan following their takeover, carrying out house—to—house hunts for those who collaborated with western forces. a taliban letter seen by the bbc threatens family members of targets, unless they surrender themselves. the us says it's evacuated 7000 people from kabul, in the five days since the taliban took control. as people scramble to leave the country, the un refugee agency is warning of a looming humanitarian crisis. there's mounting anger in haiti as aid agencies struggle to reach some of the areas worst hit by saturday's earthquake. over 2000 people were killed. the authorities in washington dc have arrested a man who threatened to detonate a bomb near the us capitol. police said they don't know the man's motives.