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. what now for the us—led evacuation from afghanistan? live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's 6am in the morning in singapore and 2.30am in the morning in the afghan capital kabul, where there has been carnage at the airport after twin explosions killed at least 60 people, according to a health official. the first blast is thought to have been the work of a suicide bomber, passing among the crowds gathered for more than a week at one of the airport's main gates to try to get flights out of the country. the second was at a nearby hotel. along with afghan civilians, 12 us military personnel have died. the uk ministry of defence says there were no british casualties.

the initial explosion took place just before dusk outside the abbey gate at kabul airport, leaving bodies strewn all over a sewage ditch. the second blast happened near the baron hotel, which has been used by some western nations as a staging point for evacuations since the airlift began. there had been warnings in recent days that an off—shoot of the islamic state group in the region was planning an attack. us presidentjoe biden has been speaking in the last hour. he called the servicemen who lost their lives "heroes" and spoke about the death of his own son who was also in the military. we have some sense, like many of you do, what the families of these brave heroes are feeling today. you get this feeling like you're being sucked into a black hole in the middle of your chest. there's no way out. my heart aches for them.

but i know this. we have a continued obligation, a sacred obligation, to all of you, the families of those heroes. that obligation is not temporary, it lasts forever. the lives we lost today were the lives given in the service of liberty, the service of security, in the service of others, in the service of america, like their fellow brothers and sisters in arms who have died defending our vision and our values in the struggle against terrorism. of the fallen this day, they're part of a great and noble company of american heroes. to those who carried out this attack, as well as anyone who wishes america harm, know this. we will not forgive. we will not forget.

we will hunt you down and make you pay. well, that was president biden there. we'll get more on his comments in a few minutes, but first let's get more on the situation on kabul. 0ur chief international correspondent has just sent this report, which does has some distressing images from the start. the feared attack, a bombing forewarned, casualties rushed yet again into kabul�*s emergency hospital after twin bombings close to kabul airport. this man was there. translation: 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 here on stretchers and, here, my clothes are completely bloodied. so many wounded, some shoved into wheelbarrows, afghans who'd hoped to be on an aeroplane tonight,

flying to a safer place. this attack — claimed by the islamic state group — shattered that hope and struck one of the deadliest blows against us troops in the past 20 years. the pentagon put on a brave face. i would like to offer my profound condolences to the families of our service men and women and afghan civilians who lost their lives today. we have put more than 5,000 us servicemembers at risk to save as many civilians as we can. it's a noble mission, and today we have seen first—hand how dangerous that mission is. isis will not deter us from accomplishing the mission, i can assure you of that. hours earlier, in the centre of kabul, an ever growing clamour, people desperate to find ways to get that airport. i worked in security with british people. how many years? maybe one year. a few years ago.

but now the british are saying it's too dangerous to go to the airport. it's dangerous, yes. i cannot go in the airport. i cannot go. even three—year—old salim is worried, just listening to his mother. she tells us they got to the airport and were sent from gate to gate. she says the taliban asked, "why do you want to leave?" and threatened to shoot her. now, it's been two days on this street for her exhausted children. the taliban are now stopping afghans from even travelling to the airport. but still they try. they're bringing certificates, they're bringing flight details, they're bringing whatever letter they've ever had from any government anywhere in the world. whatever the risks there are in going to the airport, whatever the risks there

are at the airport today, for all of them — just look at this — for them, the greatest danger is staying here in afghanistan. and tonight, that danger all too clear. there had been warnings for a week of an attack like this — a last strike against western troops set to leave within days, another blow to many afghans�* last hope of leaving this chaos behind. lyse doucet, bbc news, kabul. and in the past hour, we've received these pictures showing scores of people still gathering outside the airport in kabul, the scene of the deadly explosions. they're still desperate to board evacuation flights despite the risks of being in that area. there are also reports of more explosions heard around the city. 0ur afghanistan correspondent secunder kermani has more on that. we've heard a number of further explosions throughout the evening, the last one quite powerful, rattling our windows here. it's not entirely clear what they were, some suggestion

that they were controlled explosions carried out by american forces, destroying equipment as they prepare to leave. but either way, they are adding to a sense of anxiety after this awful attack. amidst all the uncertainty about the prospect of life under the taliban and what exactly that will look like, some afghans have been clinging to the hope that at least things would be more peaceful, there would not be more suicide bombings, there would be no more rocket attacks. these blasts really raising concerns that even if the taliban's war with the afghan government has come to an end, with groups like is still operating, this country could see more bloodshed in the future. meanwhile, evacuation flights are still continuing, but the efforts here are in theirfinal stages, with a number of european countries announcing that they have already

completed all the flights they were due to carry out. we expect the american forces to really pivot from evacuating american citizens and those of vulnerable afghans they're relocating to evacuating that thousands of american troops that they had brought in to oversee this relocation process. the bbc�*s secunder kermani there. i'm joined now by nomia iqbal in washington. nomia, strong words from president biden there, saying that for those who carried out the attacks, we will not forgive, we will not forget, we are going to hunt you down and make you are going to hunt you down and make y°u pay, are going to hunt you down and make you pay, suggesting... me are going to hunt you down and make you pay. suggesting- - -_ you pay, suggesting... we were exectinu you pay, suggesting... we were expecting him to _ you pay, suggesting... we were expecting him to comment in i expecting him to comment in that way, i think —— not expecting. but he did not give any details when you pass by a reporter, and it is interesting, because he did take questions from the press. he has been criticised for not doing that enough. when he was asked what he planned to do in response, he would not go into any details, all he said was that they will find ways of retaliating which does not involve a big military operation.—

retaliating which does not involve a big military operation. yeah, nomia, there's been — big military operation. yeah, nomia, there's been some _ big military operation. yeah, nomia, there's been some criticism - big military operation. yeah, nomia, there's been some criticism even - big military operation. yeah, nomia, | there's been some criticism even and president biden has begun party of having to rely on the taliban to secure the fermenter of the airport. what is been his response to that? he rejects that quizzes him. he stands by it. he praised general mckenzie, the top commander in the region, saying he did what strength that area secure, and he made the point, and he keeps reminding people of this, that it is in the taliban's interest for isis k, this group who has taken responsibility for the explosions at kabul, do not get bigger. her member, the taliban want to try and show that they can govern afghanistan, that they can take over the country and they can run it, and it is not in their interest for isis k to get bigger, which is the point that he made, and so he stands by that he made, and so he stands by that decision. and in terms of the evacuation, the question is, will

this evacuation continue? why would america stay for even one more day given these attacks on the given the loss of life? and he said, he was very steadfast about that, he said this mission will continue and it will meet that deadline of the 31st of august. we will meet that deadline of the 31st of au~ust. ~ ,., will meet that deadline of the 31st of au~ust. ~ h, ., will meet that deadline of the 31st ofau~ust.~ ., , will meet that deadline of the 31st of au. u5t_ . ,., ., , ., ., ., of august. we saw a very emotional president biden _ of august. we saw a very emotional president biden at _ of august. we saw a very emotional president biden at some _ of august. we saw a very emotional president biden at some point - of august. we saw a very emotionall president biden at some point during those remarks, did we not, nomia, bringing up his son, the experience he had had their quiz neck but also committing to the fact that he would get everyone out of afghanistan that the us is responsible for by that deadline, by the —— but the deadline is fast approaching. what does it mean for the process of getting people out? that is right, it was a very emotional speech. that is right, it was a very emotionalspeech. it that is right, it was a very emotional speech. it was very... we saw that empathetic side of biting, that compassionate side that he is very well known for. invokes scripture in his speech. he is a committed catholic. he spoke about

his son beau biden, who served in the iraq warand his son beau biden, who served in the iraq war and then died later on from cancer, and so he said he could understand the grief that the families of these us service people who have died are going through, but, yes, he is still committed to the evacuation mission. he still believes that it can be achieved and there was no... edge nothing there was an expectation that he would suddenly pull out. instead, he said that this was his rationale for trying to get people out as soon as possible. he was asked what happens after august 31 if people cannot get out or people have not cut out and want to leave, and he said there are numerous opportunities for people to get out, but he didn't actually go into any detail on that, and he ended his speech by saying, quote, ladies and gentlemen, it was time to end a 20 year war. that is his baseline, that is his mantra and that does deeply resonate with the american

public, hu... public, hu. .. he public, hu... he obviously cares what they think.— what they think. nomia iqbal in washington. — what they think. nomia iqbal in washington, thank _ what they think. nomia iqbal in washington, thank you - what they think. nomia iqbal in washington, thank you for - what they think. nomia iqbal in washington, thank you for that | analysis. let's bring in drjonathan schroden, director of cna's countering threats and challenges programme in tampa, florida. he spent 18 years as a military operations analyst, travelling to and from afghanistan. great to have you on the programme, jonathan. just picking up from what our correspondent in washington has just said, president biden firmly defending that this was the right decision to pull out of afghanistan but the longest war on to speak, but still saying in that speech that the us won't forget what happened today, it won't forgive. what is your sense of what this means in terms of any retaliation against isis k? i of what this means in terms of any retaliation against isis k?- retaliation against isis k? i would sa the retaliation against isis k? i would say the us _ retaliation against isis k? i would say the us retains _ retaliation against isis k? i would say the us retains a _ retaliation against isis k? i would say the us retains a military - say the us retains a military presence in afghanistan until august 31, in order to finish this evacuation, as the president said, but some of the assets that it has there can also be potentially used

for retaliation against the likes of isis in afghanistan if the us could find targets that it was willing and able to strike. it also maintains that as we have seen, the ability to maintain dell mac conducts air strikes from bases in the persian gulf region as well as from aircraft carriers and may have stationed in the indian ocean, so the us does have the ability to conduct over the horizon counterterrorism strikes as well, and if they could find some targets over the next few days or even beyond that, against the likes of isis in afghanistan, that it felt it could hit, and delivered some retribution for this, i would not put it past the us government to do that. �* g ., . . put it past the us government to do that. �* g ., ., ., , , ., put it past the us government to do that. �* ., ., , , ., ., that. but, jonathan, this is a whole new level of _ that. but, jonathan, this is a whole new level of threat _ that. but, jonathan, this is a whole new level of threat at _ that. but, jonathan, this is a whole new level of threat at some - that. but, jonathan, this is a whole new level of threat at some level, | new level of threat at some level, isn't it? it's a whole new dimension, isis k, and they don't appear to affected this in.- appear to affected this in. isis k has been present _ appear to affected this in. isis k has been present in _ has been present in afghanistan since at least 2015, that's when they stood up and formally declared

themselves affiliated with the islamic state. and the us has been conducting significant counterterrorism actions against isis in afghanistan since that time, killing... this is not a new dynamic in afghanistan. they've been around for, again, about six years, they have conducted horrific attacks into kabul before, and afghan government was unable to stop that, and clearly now the taliban has to deal with that challenge going forward. and as we saw today they have so far proven unable to stop it as well.— unable to stop it as well. on the operations _ unable to stop it as well. on the operations by — unable to stop it as well. on the operations by the _ unable to stop it as well. on the operations by the taliban, - unable to stop it as well. on the operations by the taliban, or. unable to stop it as well. on the| operations by the taliban, or the future efforts by the taliban, how do they manage the situation? i think they are going to likely rely

on the way that they... connections to human networks that exist in those areas. i am sure that they are leveraging their connections and networks to find out who did this, who is responsible. andy taliban are a brutal organisation, as the world knows full again, i would expect them to take a fairly brutal at retaliation against the likes of isis as well. the taliban have no love lost for isis in afghanistan, and isis certainly use the taliban as an enemy of theirs also —— views the taliban. also -- views the taliban. dr jonathan _ also —— views the taliban. dr jonathan schroden, thank you for joining us on the programme. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: seeking another escape route — thousands of afghans travel to the border with pakistan, but many are not being allowed through.

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, an 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 i 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 clockmakerjohn vernon swung the pendulum to set the clock going again.

big ben chimes this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines: at least 60 people have been killed and 140 others wounded in bomb blasts at kabul airport. 12 us service personnel are among the dead. president biden pledged to hunt down the perpetrators. as you'd expect, the kabul attack has left some afghans even more fearful for their futures. i'm joined now by hanif sufizada, who is a researcher with the center for afghanistan studies at the university of nebraska. hanif managed to escape kabul last week but still has family stranded in the country. great to have you on the programme, hanif. in the first instance, ijust went to ask you, is your family safe

given what has happened in the last 24 hours? ., ~ given what has happened in the last 24 hours? . ~' ,. given what has happened in the last 24 hours? . ~ i. , . given what has happened in the last 24 hours? ., ~ ,. , . ., 24 hours? thank you very much for havin: 24 hours? thank you very much for having me — 24 hours? thank you very much for having me stop _ 24 hours? thank you very much for having me stop it _ 24 hours? thank you very much for having me stop it is _ 24 hours? thank you very much for having me stop it is a _ 24 hours? thank you very much for having me stop it is a terrible - having me stop it is a terrible day back home. people are terrified, including my family. the lesson that happened just in the vicinity of my house. ijust talked to my family. —— the last attack all the classes in the house were shadowed, children were crying. debbie sitting situation right now. —— devastating situation. it has terrified people, because they are afraid that something that is want to come, and i think this is a time that international committee should intervene and should do something about the human italian crisis already unfolding in afghanistan —— humanitarian crisis. i'm so sorry to hear that, the esperance that your family has gone through, hanif. was the situation for other people you have been talking to their who

are trying to get out of the country of afghans who are either trying to make their way to the airport or already at the airport, trying to leave? it already at the airport, trying to leave? , ,., ., , leave? it is... i saw the videos many people _ leave? it is... i saw the videos many people were _ leave? it is... i saw the videos many people were killed - leave? it is... i saw the videos | many people were killed during leave? it is... i saw the videos - many people were killed during the suicide attack, there was a stream of blood, so we afghans are dying for the last 40 years. summit should care for our lives. our lives mattered in the world. why is all this happened to afghans? people are so desperate. they don't have anywhere to go. people are desperate because they need to get out. the life is on danger under the taliban. we need concrete assurance from the taliban that people will not be harmed or they will not be threatened. that is what people want. they want to go back to the business as usual. the situation is

getting bad both economically, socially and politically, so that is what people want to see, and everybody is terrified about the situation. ., everybody is terrified about the situation. . ., , situation. hanif, are people convinced — situation. hanif, are people convinced that _ situation. hanif, are people convinced that those - situation. hanif, are people convinced that those who i situation. hanif, are people i convinced that those who want situation. hanif, are people - convinced that those who want to leave will be able to before that deadline of august 31?— leave will be able to before that deadline of august 31? that's white eve one deadline of august 31? that's white everyone is — deadline of august 31? that's white everyone is crammed _ deadline of august 31? that's white everyone is crammed into - deadline of august 31? that's white everyone is crammed into the - deadline of august 31? that's white everyone is crammed into the area| deadline of august 31? that's white l everyone is crammed into the area of the airport —— that his wife a stub they want to get into the parameters of the airport, hoping they will be evacuated or airlifted. and that is there only hope. because they cannot go to pakistan for stub the borders are closed. they cannot go to iran orany are closed. they cannot go to iran or any other country for top and there are no civilian planes as well. the only hope right now is the american evacuation. nato has already... this is the only hope. i hope many people will be taken out

of the kabul airport, as many as they can. if not the us administration should look for any other which of echoing people from the country. —— to evacuate people. just briefly, president biden says he will get everybody who needs to get out of afghanistan on time for some is their confidence in that? when i was there, they need resources. when i was there, it was difficult for the process... it will be possible, but if they give it a try and bring more planes and extend the day, if they can, it will be possible, but if not, many people will be left behind, which are american lives and internationalize. right. hanif sufizada, thank you selling orjoining us on newsday ——

and international lives. it's notjust kabul airport where thousands have been gathering to try to leave afghanistan since the taliban took over of the country. thousands have also travelled to the border with pakistan, in the hope of getting out, but many are not being allowed through. 0ur correspondent shumaila jaffery reports from the border. this is the border point. thousands of desperate families, trying to escape into pakistan. these are people who knew they had no chance at kabul airport. they are desperate to reach safety. but there is chaos here, too. just a few are being let across. these families left almost everything behind. with small children in tow, exhausted from walking in the baking heat, the elderly and sick pushed on wheelbarrows. as the taliban flag flutters at the border, people tell us they don't trust their country's

new rulers and see no future in afghanistan any more. no—one can trust the taliban, because we have some experience 20 years ago. right now, we just want to come to a safe area. the people here have come from across afghanistan. since the taliban captured kabul, thousands of ordinary afghans are crossing through the border every day. this woman is from the minority hazara community, persecuted by the taliban. she has made the dangerous trip from kabul with her daughters. she tells me that her daughter—in—law was killed in a taliban bombing some years ago. translation: they are terrible people. | i am scared of them. they have martyred my daughter—in—law. they do not have any sympathy.

they are heartless. the people here are scared for their safety. there are many reasons for afghans to fear the taliban. they are walking into unknown futures. still, they do not want to stay behind. shumaila jaffery, bbc news, chaman, pakistan. such a difficult dilemma for so many people there. you have been watching newsday. a reminder of our top story. 12 us serviceman people have been killed and 15... painter b to the americans who lost their lives, president biden called them heroes and it said the attackers would be hunted down and made to pay for their actions —— paying tribute. that's all that we have time for a newsday at this hour. to stay with bbc news for much more on this story. i'm karishma

vaswani. hello, it's a mark of how strange a summer it's been when i can tell the truth and say it's been warmer than average for the uk. some of you will look at me like i've gone crazy. the met office say that it's been about a degree warmer than average this summer so far. warmest compared with average in scotland and northern ireland. you know in london and southeast england, even though it has been a little warmer than average, it's been really quite wet and dull this summer. it is at least now dry, but it is still quite dull with all the cloud we've had. high pressure is close to the uk, keeping things settled. friday, the weekend and throughout much of next week. doesn't mean sunny, though, and overnight and into the morning,

a lot of cloud will push in from the east. and temperatures will be a little lower than they've been in the countryside. across scotland, a lot of the cloud will clear during friday, but still keeping some towards the east coast. northern ireland, once any fog patches clear, some sunny spells here. 0ccasional sunshine developing a little more widely through eastern parts of england through the afternoon. this wind direction will continue to feed cloud and breeze into the coast of eastern scotland northeast england, keeping temperatures down here at around 15 or 16 degrees. whereas elsewhere, mainly 17 to 20. a little higher, though, with prolonged sunny spells across western parts. 0vernight and into saturday, areas of cloud, clear spells, down into single figures where you are clear, and by the end of the night and first thing on saturday, the chance of a few showers running across southeast england, more especially into kent. this is how the weekend up, and it is looking, for the most part, dry, bar the chance of that shower

towards the far southeast on saturday for a time. variable cloud and some sunny spells around. probably faring quite well, sunny spells during saturday. temperatures in the high teens, just creeping into the low 20s. a bit of a change for part two of the weekend on sunday. the high pressurejust drifting more towards the northwest, allowing a flow of moist air to run down into scotland, with more widely cloudy skies on sunday, perhaps northern ireland too, running across the eastern side of england. it will be rather cool in the cloud but really quite pleasant where you still can see a bit of sunshine.

this is bbc news, the headlines

at least sixty people have been killed and many injured in two bombings at kabul airport. 0ne blast occurred at the gate where us and british forces have helped evacuate thousands of people. a second happened at a hotel nearby. twelve us servicemen were killed and fifteen wounded. the us said two suicide bombers from the islamic state group carried out the attacks, and that a gun battle followed the explosions. president biden paid tribute to the americans who lost their lives, and said the attackers would be hunted down and made to pay for their actions. he insisted that the airlift would continue despite the bombing. canada has joined several european nations in wrapping up evacuation operations but britain and france say they will continue. thousands of soldiers from the us and other nations remain to be flown out of kabul.