parts, this is bbc news with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm victoria derbyshire. british defence officials say seven more people have died at kabul airport — as thousands desperate to leave afghanistan crowd round the area. former world leaders criticise the us withdrawal — former british pm tony blair accuses president biden of following an �*imbecilic�* policy — and donald trump attacks mr biden. biden�*s botched exit in afghanistan is the most astonishing display of gross incompetence by a nation's leader perhaps at any time that anybody�*s ever seen. leader perhaps at any time

as thousands of afghans try to escape the taliban, europe is preapring for many refugees. a state of emergency is declared in parts of new york state ahead of the expected arrival of hurricane henri. and cambodia's last remaining population of critically—endangered vultures are on the brink of extinction. hello and welcome if you're watching in the uk or around the world. the uk ministry of defence says seven people have died in the chaotic crowds outside kabul airport where thousands are trying to flee the afghanistan, a week after the taliban took over. people have been trying to get

through checkpoints in sweltering heat to reach evacuation flights. the british defence secretary, ben wallace, said the uk had flown out more than 1,000 people in the last 2a hours. he also said he was exploring ways to maintain a presence in afghanistan after the military had left. here's our correspondent, simonjones. desperate to leave. their goal — to get inside kabul airport and get out of the country. tear gas fired. screaming and yelling. but the chaos and confusion continue. taliban fighters keep guard outside, even some people who do have valid travel documents are unsuccessful. translation: we've got a legal visa. many people who are coming here don't have the right documents but we've got the visa and they won't let us through. britain's ambassador leading the uk's rescue mission has in a statement, sir laurie bristow said...

and these are some of the 3,821 people the uk has so far helped get out of the country. the mod tweeted this photo, along with thanks for all those working on the evacuation. but americans hoping to leave have been advised not to travel to kabul airport unless instructed to do so because of potential security threats from islamic state militants. the us is still hoping to complete the evacuation by the end of the month. we're fighting against both time and space. that's really what we're. .. that's what we're — that's the race that we're in right now and we're trying to do this as quickly and as safely as possible. the us president, joe biden, has promised to mobilise every resource necessary, but his predecessor, donald trump, who signed a deal with the taliban that committed american troops to leaving, questioned why many soldiers left afghanistan before civilians were flown out. biden�*s botched exit in afghanistan is the most astonishing display

of gross incompetence by a nation's leader perhaps at any time that anybody�*s ever seen. name another situation like this. vietnam looks like a masterclass in strategy compared tojoe biden�*s. ..catastrophe. the departing flights from kabul can be seen above this market in the city. while daily life continues here, the concerns over the future of afghanistan grow. the taliban say they're making progress in forming a government. the rest of the world can only watch on to see what comes next. simon jones, bbc news. danjohnson is covering the story from delhi. he told us more about situation in kabul.

those scenes just seem to have repeated themselves day after day after day. if anything, it's only getting worse because of its sweltering hot and there are thousands of people crowded in really tight spaces and, in order to try to keep people cool, to stop more people dying, service personnel children and babies out of the crowd and trying to reunite them with families later on. it really is a desperate situation with nobody really having a solution to it. the us telling its citizens to stay away. some nations coming up with other solutions are getting their citizens to the airport without having to go through the streets, face those crowds, but daily life in kabul is also getting more difficult, we're hearing on the ground. the banks have been closed all week, nobody�*s been able to get money out of cash machines either. many of the shops, the credit card machines have stopped working,

so even everyday life for the people who want to stay in kabul is getting more and more difficult. we're hearing that hospitals are still operating, but they can't work to normal capacity because a lot of female staff hadn't turned up for the last week, they haven't felt able to, they haven't felt safe. doctors and nurses are missing. one of our colleagues who was in the hotel hasn't seen any female staff are working any hotel since last sunday, so it shows you how even if the taliban is not making particular moves, not enforcing particular rules, life is changing and getting more difficultjust by the way that let's get more on the humanitarian crisis facing afghanistan. catherine stubberfield, a spokesperson for the united nations high commissioner for refugees, joins me now. what we're continuing to evolve is the humanitarian crisis is deepening in afghanistan. we the humanitarian crisis is deepening in afghanistan.— in afghanistan. we are not seeing it across borders. _ in afghanistan. we are not seeing it across borders. of— in afghanistan. we are not seeing it across borders. of course _ in afghanistan. we are not seeing it across borders. of course no - in afghanistan. we are not seeing it| across borders. of course no nations across borders. of course no nations were prepared for these challenges. as of today the united nation's

agency still has access to all provinces operating in about two thirds of districts but we really need much more international support at this point and that means not focusing or only on the worrying situation at kabul airport and the few that may be able to back in the country but the a0 million afghans living there at the moment. fire country but the 40 million afghans living there at the moment. are you talkin: living there at the moment. are you talking about _ living there at the moment. are you talking about cash _ living there at the moment. are you talking about cash our _ living there at the moment. are you talking about cash our military - talking about cash our military presence in order to maintain safe delivery of humanitarian aid? what mean? . , ., ., delivery of humanitarian aid? what mean? . ., ., mean? principally one of our concerns _ mean? principally one of our concerns at _ mean? principally one of our concerns at the _ mean? principally one of our concerns at the moment - mean? principally one of our concerns at the moment as l mean? principally one of our i concerns at the moment as we mean? principally one of our - concerns at the moment as we have a very underfunded appeal for afghanistan. it's well under half are a3%. in addition to that the safety of our staff is absently paramount. as i mentioned we do remain on the ground today. there will be new challenges in terms of security. we have contingency measures in place for that but the welfare and safety of our staff

remains our priority. if welfare and safety of our staff remains our priority.— remains our priority. if the humanitarian _ remains our priority. if the humanitarian aid - remains our priority. if the humanitarian aid does - remains our priority. if the humanitarian aid does not| remains our priority. if the - humanitarian aid does not come as quickly as you say it is needed, what will be the consequences? is what will be the consequences? i3 difficult to speculate what will happen in the next few weeks is a situation can is to change daily but what we are seeing is people need a huge amount of support. there are no more than 3.5 million afghans displaced across the country, more than half a million displaced since january and they need food and shelter and clean water and health care and as the situation continues those needs will evolve and eventually they will need more. potentially hundred if not thousands will die if the aid does not get there. ~ ., will die if the aid does not get there. ~ . ., there. we have urged that while there. we have urged that while there has been _ there. we have urged that while there has been no _ there. we have urged that while there has been no large - there. we have urged that while i there has been no large movement there. we have urged that while - there has been no large movement of afghans across borders so far it is critical people do keep borders open, not only for the people being

able to seek assistance but much more fundamentally for people to be able to seek safety if they are able to find it within afghanistan itself. ~ , ., ~' to find it within afghanistan itself. ~ , ., ~ ., itself. why do you think that has not been mass _ itself. why do you think that has not been mass movement - itself. why do you think that has not been mass movement overl itself. why do you think that has i not been mass movement over the borders so far? to not been mass movement over the borders so far?— not been mass movement over the borders so far? to be honest, we see all over the — borders so far? to be honest, we see all over the world _ borders so far? to be honest, we see all over the world that _ borders so far? to be honest, we see all over the world that people - borders so far? to be honest, we see all over the world that people try - all over the world that people try to stay as close to home as the security situation will allow. this is a very large—scale displacement within afghanistan, not so much beyond it. in terms of the past couple of months the government of iran is estimated at one point around 30,000 people might be arriving per week. those numbers have since ceased and i think people are waiting to see what happens next. ., ~ are waiting to see what happens next. . ,, , ., ., are waiting to see what happens next. . ,, ., ., ,, ., , the former british prime minister, tony blair, has said president biden's policy — which led to the withdrawal of troops from afghanistan — was "imbecilic". he says the decision to leave represents a tragic, dangerous and unnecessary abandonment of the country.

mr blair, who sent british troops into afghanistan two decades ago, has urged the government to help all afghans who supported the uk, calling it a "moral obligation". 0ur political correspondent, chris mason, reports. he's the former prime minister most often remembered for the controversies that swirled around the conflict in iraq, but before the war there came this moment in 2001 when he committed his troops to afghanistan shortly after the september 11 attacks. military action against targets inside afghanistan has begun. i can confirm that uk forces are engaged in this action. the world understands that whilst of course there are dangers in acting, the dangers of inaction are far, far greater.

20 years on, his critique of president biden's decision to pull out is unflinching. he writes... a phrase the president has used. mr blairadds... he sets out his argument in a 2,700 word article, published on his website, in which he paints the taliban as part of a bigger picture — what he calls radical islam — a desire to turn the religion into a political ideology that's exclusionary and extreme. taking this on, he says, is a strategic challenge comparable to the decades—long threat the west faced from communism, and when looked at like this, the decision to pull out of afghanistan is a mistake. if the west wants to shape the 21st century, it will take commitment, he concludes, through thick and thin. the issue, though, in western

countries, in democracies, is long—term open—ended military commitments do require public support. with me our political correspondent ione wells. it has made a massive splash today and it came days after president biden claim no allies had been questioning his policy. now it is splashed across all the uk front pages. tony blair is calling the policy imbecilic and that is coming and the west needs to have a policy

against radical islam and we should be evacuating everybody. downing street have not yet responded to any of the comments from the former prime minister but number ten sources have been stressing this morning and last night that the prime minister has not criticised the united states and that close working relationship with them is still there. the defence secretary ben wallace has written a piece in the mail on sunday today. he said 1000 people were evacuated yesterday and that is the priority. he also said that they

are now exploring ways to get people out through other means, through third countries but also through refugee camps as well, knowing that we are coming up to this deadline of 31st august, the date that at the moment us forces are due to be withdrawn and evacuations from that international airport in kabul may become more difficult he repeats his point that no nation in his view will be able to get everybody out and he got quite emotional admitting earlier this week on radio. president biden said he would stay until everyone was out. he also said that where the us to decide to stay longer and extend that will be something the uk government would fully support. the us are still hoping to complete the evacuation by the end of the month. an afghan woman has given birth

on board a us evacuation aircraft in germany. the us air mobility command said on twitter that the mother was travelling with her family from kabul to the ramstein air base in germany when she went into labour. after she began experiencing complications, the aircraft pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilise and save the mother's life". once the plane landed, us military medics came aboard and delivered the child. both mother and baby are well and have been taken to a nearby medical facility. the headlines on bbc news: british defence officials say seven more people have died outside kabul airport — as thousands desperate to flee afghanistan crowd the area. former world leaders criticise the us withdrawal — with former british pm tony blair accusing president biden of following an �*imbecilic�* policy. at least eight people, including children, have died including six from the same family after hurricane grace hit mexico

for the second time in two days. the deaths and the worst damage occurred in the state of veracruz, where the storm uprooted trees when it made landfall early on saturday. the major category three storm swept onto the country's gulf coast and moved inland, causing rivers to overflow, mudslides, and small towns to flood. of the eight people killed, six were members of the same family, state government officials said. a state of emergency has been declared in parts of new york state as hurricane henri bears down on the area. the governor, andrew cuomo, said he had spoken to president biden who will release funds before the hurricane makes landfall later today. it's expected to be one of the most powerful storms in years. bbc weather�*s chris fawkes told us more about the storm. hurricane henri will make landfall across the north—east of the united states on sunday. 0ver recent hours the storm has picked up energy as it has worked across warm waters of the atlantic gulf stream. it is being driven around an open area of low pressure, sending it in a north—westward direction. landfall is expected around long island but there newjersey and into connecticut with damaging wind, and as well as that, torrential rain will cause flooding problems.

after that the winds calm down and the rain will eventually accelerate towards the eastern parts of canada over the next few days. so hurricane henri no doubt bringing back uncomfortable memories from hurricane sandy that hit much the same area in 2012. damaging gusts of wind, 250 millimetres of rain causing flooding in itself but as well as that, coastal communities will be watching out for a storm surge. that could be around 3—5 foot high, bringing inundation to coastal communities. the approaching storm has already caused disruption in new york — as tanya dendrinos reports. # don't call it a comeback!# a star—studded homecoming concert. # her name was lola, she was a showgirl #. a grand celebration of new york city's emergence from the worst of the covid—19 pandemic. but mother nature had other plans. announcement: please pay close attention to the following safety message.

due to approaching severe weather, all persons should move quickly and calmly to the nearest exit. around six million people living in coastal parts of long island, connecticut and massachusetts have been issued with hurricane warnings. a state of emergency has been declared in parts of new york with winds of 120 kilometres per hour forecast along with as much as six inches of rain. while hurricanes are rare for this stretch of the us coastline, new york governor andrew cuomo pleaded with residents to take the storm seriously. i can't tell you how many people i have — in the middle of a storm — helped out of a house, carrying everything on their back through floodwaters, with their children, putting them into boats, in dangerous situations, and people saying to me, "i should've left yesterday. "i should have left yesterday."

please, please, don't make that mistake. it comes after hurricane grace tore through eastern mexico on saturday, leaving widespread destruction. a number of people have died, including a mother and six of her children. translation: as they were taking l them out, they took out my wife i and my other children. they pulled out a four—year—old, then an eight—year—old, a two—year—old girl and a newborn who was only 15 days old. the hurricane weakened to a tropical storm as it moved inland but the potential for heavy rain and flooding continues.

tanya dendrinos, bbc news. let's bring you some more stories that are making the news today. israel has carried out air strikes in gaza in response to what it calls riots instigated by hamas — the palestinian militant group which rules gaza. the israeli army said its aircraft hit four weapons and storage manufacturing sites. palestinian media spoke of explosions near a power station and close to a refugee camp in central gaza. palestinian media spoke of explosions near a power station as funerals are held in haiti for the victims of last week's devastating earthquake, tensions are rising over a lack of aid reaching remote areas, hardest hit by the disaster. humanitatian organisations say the poorest country in the americas is in urgent need of medical, food and sanitation aid, while many haitians who lost their homes said they're unsure how to even start rebuilding. the american civil rights leader, jesse jackson, and his wife, jacqueline, are in hospital

in chicago, after they both tested positive for covid—19. a statement said that reverend jackson, who's 79, and mrs jackson, who's 77, had both been vaccinated. if you're an adult in the uk who tests positive for covid—19, you could be invited to take part in a new programme that aims to find out more about the effectiveness of vaccinations. from tuesday, up to 8,000 volunteers a day, who receive a positive pcr result, will be asked to check whether they have developed antibodies. 0ur reporter, chi chi izundu has more. this research is trying to work out whether people get antibodies from vaccinations or the virus itself. antibodies are part of the body's natural defence system and they can take time to develop. most people make antibodies within 28 days of being infected or vaccinated but it can take longer. unlike some other blood tests, you don't need to fast and you can do the test at any time of day,

just don't do your test — or post your test — on a saturday as it might sit in the post for too long. any other day is fine. for the first time from tuesday, any adult in england, scotland, wales and northern ireland who has a positive pcr test will be offered the chance to have two antibody finger prick tests at home. check that your test is addressed to you before starting. this is especially important if other members of your household are also having the test done. lay your kit out on a low table and get familiar with the components. the two tests — one to be taken as soon as you test positive, and the other 28 days later, will look for a response to the vaccination, and the other will look at past infection only. the uk health security agency is working alongside nhs test and trace to monitor levels of antibodies in positive cases. they hope to test up to 8,000 people a day and will also use the data collected to help provide further insight into vaccines, especially when it comes

to different variants. but people are still being reminded that testing positive for antibodies doesn't mean you're immune and that they should still follow government guidance if they display any symptoms of the virus. chi chi izundu, bbc news. cambodia's last remaining population of critically endangered vultures are on the brink of extinction. nick wood reports from northern cambodia where efforts are under way to help maintain a healthy breeding population and safeguard the region's unique biodiversity. you know, these birds have got extraordinary vision. author, conservationist and ornithologistjonathan eames 0be is recognised around the world for his ambitious fight to save some of asia's most at—risk bird species from extinction. for the past decade, his work has focused on the monitoring and protection of cambodia's endangered bird populations. forjonathan, along with his team

of wildlife rangers, the proverbialjewel in the crown of their conservation efforts is siem pang wildlife sanctuary. situated in northern cambodia, the sanctuary mightjust be the last, best hope of survival for three critically endangered species of a particular bird, the asian vulture. what we have here at siem pang wildlife sanctuary is the largest remaining vulture population in cambodia. the two threats that the population here faces now are disturbance at the nesting site. 0ften vultures are nesting in the tallest trees, the straightest trunks, and these are sought after by villagers cutting timber to make houses. the other thing is the possibility of poisoning. people will poison carcasses, they will poison water holes to get birds and mammals and fish that they can sell in the market, so this is always a threat, a risk that vultures will feed on a dead cow or a dead dog that's been laced with a carbamate pesticide.

the vultures' numbers have fallen so low that extinction remains a very real possibility. ensuring their survival has led to some unique interventions. the vulture population today in cambodia is only sustained by feeding on dead domestic ungulates, domestic cattle and domestic buffalo, so supplementary feeding not only provides a source of regular food for vultures, but it also enables us to monitor vulture populations. so the rangers have carefully set the table. there's over 250 kilograms of fresh beef on the menu. the only question now is just who's coming for dinner? and it doesn't take long before the weekly vulture restaurant is under way. another innovation involves erecting artificial nests that are then hoisted 30 metres into selected treetops. the aim is to attract these vultures to nest close to the vulture restaurant where there's the safe place and the safe food for them.

creating sustainable, protected areas for endangered species is the aim of environmentalists the world over. in cambodia, a dedicated group of conservationists mightjust have achieved that goal for the country's last vultures that can now call the sanctuary home. nick wood, bbc news, cambodia. now it's time for a look at the weather with 0wain. today we will see a bit of an improvement. thanks to what we see

here very little on the satellite image, this is an area of high pressure. this is a weather front moving away from us and if i flip it over to the pressure chart you can see the high building. we will see these weather fronts move away from us and they brought some heavy rain this morning but they continue to leave the south—east and eastern parts. west is best, really. we see bright sunny spells developing here across parts of northern ireland and wales and west in england. this line of showers through scotland and the north of england and parts of the midlands and the south—east, to the east of this we hang on to a lot of the low cloud and mist in places. generally quite monochrome overhead but brighterfor the generally quite monochrome overhead but brighter for the west. breezy to the south and top temperatures today probably getting 222 or 23 celsius. in the sunshine filling pleasant enough. towards tonight we see further heavy showers for a time.

thundery and slow—moving and those will tend to lose a lot of the energy and fizzle out. the return of some low cloud, mist and fog in places and it should be dry and as with last night quite a mild and muqqy with last night quite a mild and muggy night with highs of 1a or 15 celsius. forthe muggy night with highs of 1a or 15 celsius. for the next few days a big area of high pressure groups across the uk and if you like dry unsettled weather good news. we will also tend to see quite a bit of that cloud cover and mist and murk and quite a keen eastern a north—easterly breeze at sew along coastal parts are cracking down on temperatures as a result. elsewhere attempt is getting to the low to mid 20s so feeling warm and pleasant enough. high pressure sticks around on tuesday and wednesday so we hang on to the

dry unsettled conditions for the next couple of days. looking good with some sunshine. stay safe, see you soon.

hello, this is bbc news, i'm victoria derbyshire. the headlines: british defence officials say seven more people have died outside kabul airport as thousands desperate to leave afghanistan crowd round the area. former world leaders criticise the us withdrawal — former british pm tony blair accuses

president biden of following an "imbecilic" policy, and donald trump attacks mr biden.