citizens who are not of afghan citizens who are not taliban, who did not actively cooperate with us, who have given a chance, they would be on board a plane tomorrow. it sounds ridiculous, but the vast majority of people into communities like that want to come to america given the choice. getting every single person out, it can't be guaranteed of anybody because there is a determination of who wants to get out as well. it is a process.- out as well. it is a process. there are reports _ out as well. it is a process. there are reports that _ out as well. it is a process. there are reports that us _ out as well. it is a process. there are reports that us officials - are reports that us officials provided the taliban with names of americans— provided the taliban with names of americans and afghan officials to evacuate — americans and afghan officials to evacuate stop were you aware of that? — evacuate stop were you aware of that? did _ evacuate stop were you aware of that? did that happen? and did you personally— that? did that happen? and did you personally reject a recommendation

to hold _ personally reject a recommendation to hold or— personally reject a recommendation to hold or recapture the air force base? _ to hold or recapture the air force base? , ., �* ., ., base? here is what i've done. to answer the _ base? here is what i've done. to answer the last _ base? here is what i've done. to answer the last question - base? here is what i've done. to answer the last question first. i base? here is what i've done. to | answer the last question first. on base? here is what i've done. to i answer the last question first. on a tactical question of how to conduct an evacuation in a war, i gather up all the major military personnel that are in afghanistan, the commanders, as well as the pentagon. they ask for their best military judgment what would be the most efficient way to accomplish the mission. they concluded, the military, that it was not much value added and it was much wiser to focus on kabul. and so, ifollowed that recommendation. with regard to, there are certain circumstances

where we've gotten information and quite frankly, sometimes from some of you, saying that you know of such and such a group of people trying to get out or are on a bus and they are moving from other people. and this is their location. and there have been occasions where they collect their military counterparts. this bus is coming through, with x number of people on it. made up of the following group of people. we want you to let that bus or that group through. so, yes, there have been occasions like that. but to the best of my knowledge, in those cases, the bulk of that has occurred have been that through. i cannot tell you with any certainty that there has been a list of names. there may have been, but i know of

no circumstances. it doesn't mean they didn't exist that he is the name of 12 people were coming, let them through. it could very well have happened. let me take the one question from the most interesting person i know in the press. that is you. person i know in the press. that is ou. ., , ., ,, person i know in the press. that is ou. ., , ., . you. there has not been a us service member killed _ you. there has not been a us service member killed in _ you. there has not been a us service member killed in combat _ you. there has not been a us service member killed in combat in - member killed in combat in afghanistan since february of 2020. you set _ afghanistan since february of 2020. you set a _ afghanistan since february of 2020. you set a deadline, you pull troops out, you _ you set a deadline, you pull troops out, you sent troops back in and now 12 marines _ out, you sent troops back in and now 12 marines are dead. you said the buck_ 12 marines are dead. you said the buck stops — 12 marines are dead. you said the buck stops with you. do you bear any responsibility for the way the things— responsibility for the way the things of unfolded in the last two weeks? — things of unfolded in the last two weeks? i— things of unfolded in the last two weeks? , ., things of unfolded in the last two weeks? ,. ,, ,., weeks? i bear responsibility for fundamentally _ weeks? i bear responsibility for fundamentally all _ weeks? i bear responsibility for fundamentally all that's - weeks? i bear responsibility for - fundamentally all that's happened. of late. but here is the deal. you know, i wish you one day, you know as well as i do that the former president made a deal with the

taliban that he would get all american forces out of afghanistan by may one. in return, the commitment was made and there a year before, in return he was given a commitment that the taliban would continue to attack others, but would not attack any american forces. remember that? not attack any american forces. rememberthat? i'm being not attack any american forces. remember that? i'm being serious. i'm asking you the question because no, wait a i'm asking you the question because no, waita minute. is i'm asking you the question because no, wait a minute. is that accurate to the best of your knowledge? i think they have an issue that people likely to get hurt, some have gotten killed and it is messy. the

reason why whether my friend will acknowledge it who has reported it, the reason why there were no attacks on americans as you said, from the date until i came in to office was because the commitment was made by president trump, i will be out by may one and in the meantime, you agree not to attack any americans. that was the deal. that is why no american was attacked. so that was the deal. that is why no american was attacked.— american was attacked. so you s: uarel american was attacked. so you squarely stand _ american was attacked. so you squarely stand by _ american was attacked. so you squarely stand by your- american was attacked. so you j squarely stand by your decision american was attacked. so you i squarely stand by your decision to pull out — squarely stand by your decision to ull out. , ., �* squarely stand by your decision to ull out. , ., ~ ., pull out. yes i do. and i have another _ pull out. yes i do. and i have another meeting. _ pull out. yes i do. and i have another meeting. but, - pull out. yes i do. and i have i another meeting. but, imagine pull out. yes i do. and i have - another meeting. but, imagine where we would be if i had indicated on may the 1st, i was not going to renegotiate an evacuation date. we

were going to stay there. i had only one alternative, for thousands of more troops back into afghanistan to fight a war that we had already won by the reason we went in the first place. i have never been of the view that we should be sacrificing american lives to try and establish a democratic government in afghanistan, a country that has never once in its entire history been a united country and is made up, and i do not mean this in a derogatory, made up of different tribes who have never, ever, ever gotten along with one another. and so, as i've said before and this is the last comment i will make it will be more chances to talk about this

unfortunately beyond because we are not out yet. if osama bin laden as well as al-qaeda had chosen to launch an attack when they left saudi arabia out of yemen, would we have ever gone to afghanistan? even though the taliban completely control afghanistan at the time, will we have ever gone? i know it is not fair to ask you that question is rhetorical, but raise your hand if you think we should have gone and given up thousands of lives and tens of thousands of wounded? our interests and going was to prevent al-qaeda from re—emerging, first to get bin laden, wipe out al-qaeda in afghanistan, prevent that from happening again. i've set a hundred

times, terrorism is an around the world. we have greater threats around the world that are a lot closer than the united states, we do not have military in cannes not to keep people there, we have the capability to keep them from going after us. it is and gentlemen, it was time to end a 20 year war. thank you very much. was time to end a 20 year war. thank you very much-— you very much. many questions still for president _ you very much. many questions still for president biden _ you very much. many questions still for president biden as _ you very much. many questions still for president biden as you - you very much. many questions still for president biden as you can - you very much. many questions still| for president biden as you can hear, but cutting short now that briefing to the press. he said he bore responsibility for all that is happened and he stands by his decisions to pull out. i want to bring in her correspondent in washington who was listening to that. the president at times emotional, distraught, defending the decision to pull out. we did not hear much defence of the

strategy and the speed of which the troops are being pulled out. that strategy and the speed of which the troops are being pulled out.- troops are being pulled out. that is riuht. this troops are being pulled out. that is right- this was _ troops are being pulled out. that is right. this was a _ troops are being pulled out. that is right. this was a joe _ troops are being pulled out. that is right. this was a joe biden - troops are being pulled out. that is right. this was a joe biden who - right. this was a joe biden who was very empathetic, very compassionate, these are some the traits that he is known for. but very defiant, very emotional, even invoking scripture during his speech and talked about his son who served in iraq and died laterfrom cancer, and that his son who served in iraq and died later from cancer, and that he went on to say, this is what he can relate to the families of those service members that have been killed. he was very tough as well in that speech when talking about ice skate, he will take responsibility for those attacks in kabul airport. he says will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay. when asked by reporters what he meant, he took questions from the press because he has been criticised for not doing that enough. he didn't go into any details about what that would

entail. he decided would not involve large military operations. but the big question is, will these evacuation missions still go ahead, why should america stay another day given what's happened and he said that he believes in the military believed that the risk was still worth it to get everybody out that wants to get out. he wanted to talk about what happens after the 31st if people cannot get out and he says that the taliban are not good guys, but they have interests here and there were numerous opportunities for people to get out afterwards but did not go into many details. maw; did not go into many details. many thanks. you're _ did not go into many details. many thanks. you're watching _ did not go into many details. many thanks. you're watching bbc- did not go into many details. many thanks. you're watching bbc news. it's a mark of a stretch of summer it has been my can say the truth and say it's been warmer than average for the uk. some will look at me like i've gone crazy. the office says that it's been a degree warmer than average for the summer so far.

in scotland and northern ireland. in london in southeast england, even though it has been a little warmer than average, it is been really quite wet and dull the summer. and now dry, it looks quite dull with all the cloud we've had, high—pressure close to the uk keeping things settled in on friday, through much of next week, it doesn't mean sunnyvale and overnight and into the morning, a lot of clout will push in from the east and temperatures will be a little lower in the countryside. across country, it will clear during friday but still keeping some towards the east coast. forthe still keeping some towards the east coast. for the patch is clear, some sunny spells here. wilson southwest of england and cumbria, occasional sunshine has been developing widely across eastern parts of england through the afternoon. this wind direction will continue at the feet of cloud and reason to the coast of eastern scotland in northeast england and temperatures around 15

and i6 england and temperatures around 15 and 16 degrees. mainly i7 england and temperatures around 15 and 16 degrees. mainly 17 to 20, been more higher with prolonged sunny spells across western parts. overnight and into saturday, areas of cloud, clear spells, down to single figures and by the end of the night and first thing on saturday, the chance of a few showers running across southeast england and tomorrow and to kent. and this is of the weekends, shaping up and looking for the most part dry but the chance of showers across the southeast on saturday for a time. variable cloud and some sunny spells, probably fearing quite well but sunny spells on saturday, temperatures in the high teens just creeping into the low 20s. a bit of a change in part two of the weekend on sunday. the high—pressure disc drifting towards the northwest allowing of flow of moist air running down through scotland and more widely cloudy skies on sunday. northern ireland to an across the eastern side of england were quite a lot of the

north sea coast will be rather cool but really quite pleasant. you're still getting to see a bit of sunshine.

welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines: at least 60 people have been killed and 140 others wounded in bomb blasts at kabul airport. translation: people started running away and we got out. | i saw at least 400 or 500 people there. the explosion was really powerful. half were hurled into the water, others on the ground outside. we carried the wounded on stretchers and, here, my clothes are completely bloodied. 12 us service personnel are among the dead. president biden has just said this: these american service members who gave their lives — it's an overused word, but it's totally appropriate here — were heroes. an affiliate of the islamic state says they did it.