welcome to newsday — reporting live from singapore — i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. the united states and britain warn their citizens to stay away from kabul airport — amidst fears of a potential terror attack. but the scramble to flee the country continues — thousands of people remain at the airport — desperate to leave. is it worth it? is it betterjust staying here in afghanistan for the moment? translation: there's | no way we can stay here. the americans should shoot us or let us through. also in the programme. researchers say booster shots of the covid vaccine may be needed — in the wake of a study suggesting waning protection after six months.

and — a warning that the summer of devastating wildfires underlines the need for radical shifts in behaviour to tackle global warming. it's eight in the morning in singapore and 4.30 am in kabul, where the us embassy is asking us citizens in afghanistan not to travel to kabul airport at this time. earlier, the uk foreign office issued a similar advice, quoting a "high threat of a terrorist attack". the pentagon says about 10,000 people are currently at the airport, as the scramble to leave the country is gathering pace.

i'm joined now by our bbc washington correspondent, nomia iqbal. great to have you on the programme. in the first instance let's just get your immediate reaction to the uk and us very specific simultaneously warning similar, same things i should say. what more can you tell us?— more can you tell us? that is riuht. more can you tell us? that is right- this — more can you tell us? that is right. this warning _ more can you tell us? that is right. this warning has - more can you tell us? that is right. this warning has come | right. this warning has come from the us embassy in afghanistan asking citizens not to make the journey to the airport citing a security at that and on tuesday president biden talked about a terror threat. this was to explain his rationale for trying to get out of afghanistan as quickly as possible and he mentioned a terrorist group. there is not much known about them and they are an affiliate group of the

so—called islamic state group. they were formed abound about six years ago. they are made up of former taliban members in pakistan. they are actually a sworn enemy of the taliban. they have carried out many attacks in afghanistan this year alone. attacks in afghanistan this yearalone. in attacks in afghanistan this year alone. in terms of the threats that the us is worried about, military and us intelligence officials say that this could include trucks with bombs and suicide bombers heading to the international airport. so that is why they haveissued airport. so that is why they have issued this warning. but they are saying the advice is to citizens, do not go to the airport at this time. which is really extraordinary because at what time are they meant to go? as we know, time is not of the essence. there is, what? just under a week to go before that deadline hits. august 31 when president biden wants everybody out and wants to get out. for

the moment, people are being told, do not travel to the airport. told, do not travel to the airport-— airport. as you say, extraordinary - airport. as you say, | extraordinary advice airport. as you say, - extraordinary advice there. better in the uk and the united states. given there are already thousands of people currently at the airport in kabul. how does this change, then, the us evacuation timeline. having heard from anthony blinking, saying the us will help them to do that? , . , ., do that? they are relying on the taliban _ do that? they are relying on the taliban to _ do that? they are relying on the taliban to help - do that? they are relying on the taliban to help them. i do that? they are relying on | the taliban to help them. the taliban and isis—k are sworn enemies and so this is probably why the us has found itself in a position where it has struck this strange deal with the taliban to temporarily accommodate something here so that the taliban can help americans get their people out of afghanistan. but it will be interesting to see, you know, if that happens. as we know, this is the us relying on the

taliban to make sure there is a safe passage but if anything goes wrong, let's just say, if this... and nato has said this threat is not theoretical. this is a real threat so if anything did happen, that from the fact that the situation in kabul would become even more horrific. strategically would be such a blow to the us under the taliban because remember the taliban because remember the taliban because remember the taliban want to try and show it is in control in afghanistan and they do not want isis—k either making any sort of then why do you think thatis sort of then why do you think that is why, you know, america is hoping that that rivalry, so to speak, between the taliban and isis—k is or what will hopefully help them work with the taliban to get people out in time before that deadline hits. a, in time before that deadline hits. �* , , ., ., hits. a very fluid situation and just — hits. a very fluid situation and just a _ hits. a very fluid situation and just a reminder - hits. a very fluid situation and just a reminder to - hits. a very fluid situation j and just a reminder to our

viewers of that breaking news, the us embassy in kabul warning american citizens not to go to the airport at the time. a similar warning from the uk foreign office as well. president biden has rejected calls from us allies to delay the withdrawal date for remaining american soldiers beyond the end of the month. with the time running out for evacuation flights, there's a sense of panic setting in among those trying to leave the country. secunder kermani has sent this report from kabul. shame on them! they've been through so much already. now wading through sewage in the hope of somehow being able to leave this country. huge crowds are still flocking to kabul airport, under the watch of american and british soldiers. despite the dirt, the dust, the gunshots and the chaos, people are still coming here, and they're coming here in their thousands.

here, a makeshift camp has sprung up. most of the people gathered don't have permission to board an evacuation flight. the few that do are struggling to make their way inside. translation: we've been waiting here for six - days and six nights. the american embassy told us to come here, but we can't get past all these crazy people. is it worth it? is it betterjust staying here in afghanistan for the moment? there's no way we can stay here. the americans should shoot us or let us through. yesterday, the taliban said they're not in favour of afghans leaving. we saw no sign of them preventing people where we were, but they're clearly frustrated with the scenes unfolding. with time running out, there's a sense of panic amongst those trying to escape. many worry they'll be left behind, like this former british army interpreter who is yet to receive a response to his application.

it's very dangerous for us, because from the day the taliban entered kabul, i've changed my home three times. so two days, two nights, we are living in one place. he's only got one document from the british army, and it doesn't even say who signed it. but we managed to find his former boss, now a retired soldier in the north of england. i absolutely remember him as one of about eight- interpreters i worked with out in afghanistan on my tour, i and like all of the others that i i worked with, he was a brave, bright, intelligent lad - who actually genuinely wanted to do better for his country. the british government says no—one's life should be put at risk because of their support for the uk's efforts in afghanistan and that it's working around the clock to relocate as many eligible afghans as possible. so are other countries.

but these are the last days of the effort, and many who want to leave are set to left behind. secunder kermani, bbc news, kabul. don't forget you can get more on the rapidly developing situation in afghanistan on our website. there you'll find a live page updated with the latest developments as those evacuations from kabul airport gather pace. if let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. all children in china will begin to study the political ideology of the chinese president, xijinping, as part of the national curriculum. from kindergarten through to university, china's ministry of education said the new material would strengthen resolve to follow the ruling communist party and cultivate patriotic feelings.

the latest us intelligence report into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic is inconclusive, according to us media reports. it looked at whether the virus could have been the result of a lab—leak, or passed from an animal to a human. the subscription website onlyfans, known for its adult content, has announced that it will delay making changes to prohibit sexually explicit photos and videos from october. in a tweet, the website now says it has suspended the policy change. however, it has not specified whether the delay will be permanent. armenia's parliament has descended into a mass brawl as the country remains split following last year's defeat in a war with azerbaijan. local media says chaos erupted when a ruling party minister described some former defence ministers as "traitors", prompting water bottles to be thrown. bottles and hand sanitisers have since been removed from the chamber.

still to come a bit later in the programme: we report from texas to find out what happens to afghans fleeing their country — once they land in the us. but first. protection against coronavirus starts to reduce within six months of people being fully vaccinated with the pfizer or astrazenica vaccines. new research suggests that booster vaccines will be needed at some point to maintain protection. our health correspondent sophie hutchinson has this report. more than three—quarters of adults in the uk have now had two doses of a covid vaccine, but how long that protection lasts is a crucial question. sarah, a head teacher, received her second dose in april, but injune, after her family all caught the virus, she became infected too. obviously, i'd been shielding at home, i'd been staying in different rooms, keeping doors and windows open, wearing masks in communal areas of the home. so i'd hoped not to get it

with my double vaccine, but i knew there was always a possibility of getting it. it was obviously very disappointing to get it in the end, and my symptoms were just like that of a heavy head cold, really. i didn't have to stop working, i was working from home throughout that period. i had to rest a little bit more than usual, but i felt like it was a much lighter version than i had the year before. sarah's one of a growing number of people who've been infected despite being double—jabbed. today's study by the zoe covid team adds to the evidence that vaccines lose some effectiveness over time. it found protection from infection, with both the pfizer and astrazeneca vaccines, reduced slightly within six months of the second dose. but for most, the vaccines still seem to prevent severe disease. what this study tells us

is that we have to keep an eye on the level of immunity and track it as time goes on, so that we can make a prediction, one month, three months, six months into the future, of when a booster might be required. and infections have been rising sharply in some parts of the uk. scotland, where schools have gone back, hit another record high today, well over 5,000 new cases, with more than a third among teenagers and children. experts are warning the new term is likely to be difficult. so i think we do need to be braced for a challenging period. exactly how high the numbers will be, it is very, very challenging to predict that. where i think we can be more confident is that levels of mortality are going to remain low, because we have study after study that still shows the vaccines are working. cornwall�*s rocketing rates of infection have been blamed in large part on a music

and surfing festival. preparations are well under way for this weekend's reading festival, where thousands will gather, and where there are crowds, there is likely to be covid. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. 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.as vice president kamala harris wraps up a diplomatic charm offensive in south east asia — we examine china's growing influence in the region.

he's the first african—american to win the presidential nomination of a major party, and he accepts exactly 45 years ago to the day that martin luther king declared, "i have a dream." as darkness falls tonight, and unfamiliar light will appear in the southeastern sky — an orange glowing disc that's brighter than anything save the moon — our neighbouring planet, mars. there is no doubt that this election is an important milestone in the birth of east timor as the world's newest nation. it'll take months and billions of dollars to repair— what katrina achieved injust hours. - three weeks is the longest the great clock has been off—duty in 117 years, so it was with great satisfaction that clockmaker john vernon swung the pendulum to set the clock going again. big ben chimes this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karisham vaswani in singapore. our headlines: the united states and britain warn their citizens to stay away from kabul airport — amidst fears of a potential

terror attack. but the scramble to flee the country continues — thousands of people remain at the airport — desperate to leave. the greek prime minister says a string of devastating wildfires this summer have underlined the need for radical shifts in behaviour to tackle global warming. fires have torn through the mediterranean — including greece, turkey, spain and italy — and russia has been battling its own record—breaking fire season. courtney bembridge reports. a wall of flames which had them quickly surrounded. translation: the flames were rising 30 or a0 metres and it was absolutely horrible. the

wind was pushing, placing pieces of wood were flying around. just 100 metres away. it was a storm of a fire. a storm of ashes and smoke. this is russia's second worst fire season since the turn of the century. fuelled by extreme heat they've burned to be more than 70 million hectares of land. experts say climate change has made the country's huge expanses of forest drier, hotter and increasingly vulnerable to wildfires. europe has also hit record temperatures this summer and wildfires have torn through the mediterranean. the greek prime described it as a bitter cost of climate change. translation: we recognise that dealing with the climate crisis is forcing us to change everything. the way we produce agricultural products, how we move around, how we generate energy and the way we build our homes. everything must change in this immense effort to

mitigate the impact of the climate crisis to whatever extent possible. sign to last year was the warmest on record across europe, exceeding this previous record by a considerable amount and they are again calling for actions with a crucial moment on the horizon. leaders from almost 200 countries will meet in glasgow in novemberfor a major climate conference. described as the world's last best chance to tackle climate change. as the us military evacuates afghans who worked with american troops out of kabul —, in states across america, plans are being made for their arrival. 2 hundred are heading to austin in(gfx map)texas. for afghan americans in the us waiting for news of family trying to get out, it's an anxious time. the bbc�*s laura trevelyan has been speaking to some of them. a protest in austin, texas by

afghan american tour calling for theirfamilies to be for their families to be evacuated.— for their families to be evacuated. ., , , ., ., evacuated. people 'ust want to brina our evacuated. people 'ust want to bring our family _ evacuated. people just want to bring our family here _ evacuated. people just want to bring our family here because. bring ourfamily here because they are dangerous so that is why we are here. my they are dangerous so that is why we are here.— they are dangerous so that is why we are here. my family is auoin to why we are here. my family is going to be — why we are here. my family is going to be butchered - why we are here. my family is going to be butchered or- going to be butchered or killed~ _ going to be butchered or killed. ., , going to be butchered or killed. ., , killed. he was an interpreter for the us — killed. he was an interpreter for the us army _ killed. he was an interpreter for the us army and - killed. he was an interpreter for the us army and settled | for the us army and settled here seven years ago and now he's desperately worried about his parents in kabul. the? he's desperately worried about his parents in kabul.— his parents in kabul. they left our house. — his parents in kabul. they left our house, they _ his parents in kabul. they left our house, they locked - his parents in kabul. they left our house, they locked the i our house, they locked the door~ — our house, they locked the door~ the _ our house, they locked the door. the only— our house, they locked the door. the only thing - our house, they locked the door. the only thing they i our house, they locked the . door. the only thing they took with_ door. the only thing they took with them _ door. the only thing they took with them was _ door. the only thing they took with them was some - door. the only thing they took with them was some food - door. the only thing they took i with them was some food items and one — with them was some food items and one pair— with them was some food items and one pair of— with them was some food items and one pair of clothes. - with them was some food items and one pair of clothes. so - and one pair of clothes. so they— and one pair of clothes. so they looked _ and one pair of clothes. so they locked the _ and one pair of clothes. so they locked the door- and one pair of clothes. so they locked the door and l they locked the door and they're _ they locked the door and they're sleeping - they locked the door and they're sleeping outsidel they locked the door and i they're sleeping outside the airport _ they're sleeping outside the airport. because _ they're sleeping outside the airport. because they - they're sleeping outside the airport. because they are i airport. because they are afraid _ airport. because they are afraid if— airport. because they are afraid if they _ airport. because they are afraid if they go - airport. because they are afraid if they go of - airport. because they are i afraid if they go of course, the — afraid if they go of course, the taliban— afraid if they go of course, the taliban have _ afraid if they go of course, the taliban have already. afraid if they go of course, i the taliban have already found out that — the taliban have already found out that their _ the taliban have already found out that their son _ the taliban have already found out that their son was - the taliban have already found out that their son was a - out that their son was a translator— out that their son was a translator so— out that their son was a translator so they- out that their son was a i translator so they cannot go back — translator so they cannot go back. ., ~ ., , ., ., back. for the afghans who are about to arrive _ back. for the afghans who are about to arrive here _ back. for the afghans who are about to arrive here back- back. for the afghans who are about to arrive here back in i about to arrive here back in texas volunteers are unpacking the donations which have been pouring in. despite the polarised politics of immigration us staff believe that afghans will be welcome here. , ., , ., , ,

here. the people who helped us overseas. _ here. the people who helped us overseas. it _ here. the people who helped us overseas, it is _ here. the people who helped us overseas, it is a _ here. the people who helped us overseas, it is a special- overseas, it is a special category that really does speak across, you know, political boundaries and rural urban. people understand that these are people that we really need to help. pa. are people that we really need to hel. �* , ., to help. a member of the local republican _ to help. a member of the local republican party _ to help. a member of the local republican party agrees i to help. a member of the local republican party agrees but i republican party agrees but says the biden administration has bungled their withdrawal so findings may get even worse. i hope they make a decision that does _ hope they make a decision that does not — hope they make a decision that does not result in a tectonic shift — does not result in a tectonic shift of— does not result in a tectonic shift of afghanis coming to the united — shift of afghanis coming to the united up the habit will result in there — united up the habit will result in there is a need to be had for safety— in there is a need to be had for safety reasons being here and those who need to stay and fight _ and those who need to stay and fight for— and those who need to stay and fight for afghanistan same purpose at the last is a brain drain— purpose at the last is a brain drain where their best and brightest are either been silenced by terrorist activities are being flown to america _ activities are being flown to america-— activities are being flown to america. . , , ., america. amidst this debate of who nets america. amidst this debate of who gets to — america. amidst this debate of who gets to come _ america. amidst this debate of who gets to come here - america. amidst this debate of who gets to come here from i who gets to come here from afghanistan tim kennedy is deploying to the middle east to support the evacuation of the afghans who work for the us

military. he is a us army sniper and veteran of the war. what is it that you hope you will achieve on this mission to afghanistan?— afghanistan? that is hard. it is a hard _ afghanistan? that is hard. it is a hard question. _ afghanistan? that is hard. it is a hard question. i - afghanistan? that is hard. it is a hard question. i hope i afghanistan? that is hard. it. is a hard question. i hope that i is a hard question. i hope that loan— is a hard question. i hope that i can preserve _ is a hard question. i hope that i can preserve and _ is a hard question. i hope that i can preserve and protect i i can preserve and protect human— i can preserve and protect human life. _ i can preserve and protect human life. as _ i can preserve and protect human life. as many- i can preserve and protect . human life. as many people i can preserve and protect - human life. as many people that want _ human life. as many people that want to — human life. as many people that want to live _ human life. as many people that want to live and _ human life. as many people that want to live and not _ human life. as many people that want to live and not have - human life. as many people that want to live and not have to i want to live and not have to live — want to live and not have to live under— want to live and not have to live under the _ want to live and not have to live under the tyranny- want to live and not have to live under the tyranny of. want to live and not have to| live under the tyranny of the tatiban— live under the tyranny of the taliban that _ live under the tyranny of the taliban that want _ live under the tyranny of the taliban that want to - live under the tyranny of the taliban that want to be i taliban that want to be contributors _ taliban that want to be contributors to - taliban that want to be contributors to a - taliban that want to be contributors to a free l taliban that want to be i contributors to a free world and — contributors to a free world and a — contributors to a free world and a free _ contributors to a free world and a free society, - contributors to a free world and a free society, i- contributors to a free world and a free society, i will i and a free society, i will fight _ and a free society, i will fight for— and a free society, i will fight for that. _ and a free society, i will fight for that. i- and a free society, i will fight for that.— and a free society, i will fight for that. i will die for that. that _ fight for that. i will die for that. that is _ fight for that. i will die for that. that is the _ fight for that. i will die for that. that is the america | fight for that. i will die for i that. that is the america these former translators believe about their faith in the us might has been tested and now they can only wait and pray theirfamilies make it out they can only wait and pray their families make it out of afghanistan alive. the us vice president kamala harris has been visiting vietnam as part of an effort to increase us engagement in the region— in the light of china's growing influence. vietnam is battling its biggest covid—19 outbreak yet, with hanoi under strict

lockdown and troops deployed to ho chi minh city. kamala harris said it was an uncertain time. the threats we face are accelerating more rapidly. we have all felt this deeply, both as covid—19 has taken millions of lives around the world and as our world has come together to develop and distribute vaccines that are saving millions of lives. our south east asia correspondentjonathan head — explained the strategic importance of the visit, and the promise of an additional1 million vaccines to vietnam. judged by four months ago when people said america has forgotten about us and nobody has come, they are not saying anything and then in the last two or three months it has been two or three months it has been two or three successful including the strip but also the defence secretary. before that, judged on a higher

standard, did she come here with the ideas and fresh thinking tivoli give beijing something to think about, i think thejury is something to think about, i think the jury is definitely still out. lots of countries in those parts of the world often find themselves stuck in the middle between superpower of the present and potentially the superpower of the future, china. what they want to get out of this visit, do you think? we want a sense that the us is here to stay, that it is not going to cut and run as was the risk under president trump and that is why afghanistan plays into this but they also want to know that the us is going to be helpful and they don't want america destabilising the region. they want america to solve problems like how to recover from covid, and how to solve other problems. and i think those are

the areas that people are watching and seeing. does america have the capacity to solve this role in the region people drift towards china because of its economic gravity. on that, given the fact that there has been some speculation and criticism of the us policy efforts in afghanistan, how much do you think asian officials will be looking at that and be concerned that this is damage us credibility in the region and the us mightjust be too distracted to focus on asia. i think, not as much as you might imagine. so everyone in the world has been watching the event are seen to kabul airport and clearly this is not a good period for the united states. as a very difficult situation and on the other hand we need to be careful about saying just because things are difficult in afghanistan than america is

going to behave very differently in the way it deals with japan or south korea over taiwan. however, people in the region now going to be watching for signs of american unreliability. they're prime for this and the aftermath of afghanistan so it is important if you are an american policymaker, not to give out any other signs. to do the opposite and to demonstrate that you are committed to the region in imaginative and new ways and that is where her trip was ok. but if you look at what she talked about on trade, not very much in the way of specifics. military commanders at the airport are increasingly concerned over possible terror attacks on the crowds trying to get into the base and onto a

flight out of the country. that is set for newsday. thank you so much forjoining us. to stay with bbc news. hello there. we just had the hottest day of the month on wednesday. and it was western scotland the place to be. looks lovely in the sunshine and temperatures reached 27 celsius. now, it won't get as hot as that again through the rest of the month because we've got this weather front moving down toward the southwest of the uk. it's bringing in cloud, one or two spots of rain just for a while, and as that weather front moves through, so we introduce a cooler wind off the north sea. that's blowing in cooler air and it's dropping the temperatures as well. we start with some fog, though, quite extensively across northern ireland in the morning. not so much fog in scotland. the fog will lift. the cloud that we start with in wales and the southwest will break up. sunshine for many western areas. but the wind will continue to blow in more cloud

to the eastern side of the uk. should get more sunshine, though, for the northern isles, some areas of cloud lingering across some easternmost parts of scotland. much of the country, though, seeing the sunshine and temperatures 23, maybe 2a in the west of scotland this time. could make 22 or 23 in fermanagh and tyrone. always warmer for wales, western parts of england. down the eastern side, a lot of cloud, a cooler wind as well. and around the coasts in particular, temperatures could be no better than 16 or 17 degrees. there could be a hint of sunshine now and again, but generally it's going to be pretty cloudy at headingley for day 2 of an exciting test match. not quite so chilly on friday. by this stage, the cloud is pushing more towards wales and western parts of england, and that means we should get a bit more sunshine for the eastern side of england. there will be some areas of cloud for scotland and northern ireland, some spells of sunshine too, and temperatures are back down to around 19 or 20 degrees typically, perhaps a little lower than that in the far north and east of scotland. heading into the weekend, big area of low pressure is bringing lots of showers into central europe.

they're not far away from the southeast on saturday, but over the weekend, it's high pressure that should tend to dominate. always a wind coming in from the north sea, some brisk winds for the southeast of england. should be a fair bit of sunshine, though, i think, on saturday, some patchy cloud bubbling up here and there. and in the sunshine, again, across western scotland, we could see temperatures up to 22 degrees. second half of the weekend, still dry, high pressure around, bit breezy and cooler around some of those north sea coasts, a bit more cloud perhaps coming into scotland and northern ireland, sunshine for england and wales and temperatures typically 19 or 20 celsius.

this is bbc news. we will have the headlines for you at the top of the hour straight after this programme. this is precious. i love this sweet. and ijust ate half of it and kept another half because i thought i will never, ever have them again. for me, this is a diamond. reminds me of my childhood. and the golden time.