welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. twin bomb attacks at kabul airport, leave at least 60 dead and a hundred and a0 others wounded. the explosion was really powerful. half were held into the water. we carry the wind it on stretchers and hear my clothes are completely bloodied. thirteen us service personnel are among those killed. president biden vows to complete the evacuation mission and track down the perpetrators. we will not forgive. we will not forget. we will hunt you down and make you pay. an affiliate of the islamic state says it

carried out the attacks— what now, for the us — led withdrawal from afghanistan? it's eight in the morning in singapore, and 8 pm in washington where president biden has vowed to continue airlifts out of afghanistan despite the deadly bombings at kabul airport on thursday. at least 60 people died in the attacks — including 12 us military personnel. the first 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. speaking at the white house, mr biden called the servicemen who lost their lives heros, and said the attackers would be made to pay. we have a continuing obligation, a sacred obligation to all of the families of those heroes, that obligation is not temporary. it lasts forever. the lives we lost today where lives are given in the service of liberty, the service of security, and the service of others. in the service of america. like theirfellow brothers and sisters in arms who died defending our vision and our values in the struggle

against terrorism of the fall on this day, they are part of a crate, noble company of american heroes. for those who carried out this attack as long as anyone who wishes america home know this, we will not forgive. we will not forget. we will hunt you down and make you pgy- will hunt you down and make you pay. i will defend our interests and our people with every measure at my command. we will not be deterred by terrorists. we will not let them stop our mission built up we will continue the evacuation. i've also ordered my commanders to strike isis—k assets, leadership and facilities. we will respond with force and precision at our time at the place we choose in the moment of our choosing.

we'll get more on president biden�*s comments in a few minutes, but first let's get more on the situation in kabul. our chief international correspondent lyse doucet has just sent this report, which does have 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. great to have you on the programme today. i understand you spoke to my colleague last night on the bbc and sadly you predicted that such an attack might indeed happen. what is the urgent priority for people on the ground right now at kabul airport?— kabul airport? first of all, thank you _ kabul airport? first of all, thank you so _ kabul airport? first of all, thank you so much - kabul airport? first of all, thank you so much for- kabul airport? first of all, i thank you so much for having me. that was not a prediction i obviously wanted to be right about however, i was honest. i

do see that there may be more attacks. perhaps coming. especially when you see the success that isis—k had in perpetrating this one. i think the biggest danger i see right now are folks that are trying to actually get into the airport. it is my descent do go through the gates now have been shut with the exception of one a sort of creating a funnel, a moving target, for a potential terrorist attack. i truly think that if you are not already inside the airport, really, the only way out of afghanistan is really by car or by foot. i only way out of afghanistan is really by car or by foot.- really by car or by foot. i am sure you _ really by car or by foot. i am sure you were _ really by car or by foot. i am sure you were listening - really by car or by foot. i am sure you were listening in i really by car or by foot. i am sure you were listening in to what president biden said earlier today. you know, strong words they're saying the us will hunt down those responsible and make them pay. does that give you a sense that retaliation is on the cards?

that is an excellent question. i did listen to his remarks and camino, i did appreciate the assertive nature. however, i don't quite understand how that will occur in terms of retaliation. our troops are extremely preoccupied right now with ensuring that everyone inside the airport is able to get out safely in a timespan that we have allocated. perhaps some retaliation may come in the form of air strikes and thatis the form of air strikes and that is something i could see however, in the form of ground troops, i would however, in the form of ground troops, iwould be however, in the form of ground troops, i would be very uncertain about that and unclear in terms of the intelligence that we have in regards to where some of the isis—k camps and facilities are. isis-k camps and facilities are. ,, , y isis-k camps and facilities are. ,, , , . are. the us is very much sticking _ are. the us is very much sticking to _ are. the us is very much sticking to that _ are. the us is very much sticking to that deadline | are. the us is very much i sticking to that deadline of august 31 but given how difficult it is, as you have just described for our audiences, for people to get

out with the current situation the way it is, do you see that as a realistic outcome that they will be able to get everyone they need to get out on time? �* . , on time? again, i will be honest- _ on time? again, i will be honest- i _ on time? again, i will be honest. i don't _ on time? again, i will be honest. i don't think- on time? again, i will bej honest. i don't think that everyone is going to be able to get out by august 31 who is wanting to get out and who has the paper is to get out. ijust don't see that happening. however, i will say that the effort has been herculean... has been extremely, extremely remarkable in terms of how many people we have been able to get out. over people we have been able to get out. 0ver100,000 people we have been able to get out. over 100,000 afghans and american citizens and i would say that is quite remarkable however, i do think, as of last count i think we have about 1500 that i still not been able to reach the airport.

just what a chaotic situation it is at the country. i have been speaking to a researcher at the centre for afghanistan thatis at the centre for afghanistan that is at the university of nebraska. she managed to escape kabul last week but he still has family in the country and this is what he had to say. fix, this is what he had to say. terrible day back home. people are terrified including my family. the last attack happened in the vicinity of my house and i was talking to prove firmly and all the glasses and windows were shattered and they were crying out loud so this is such a devastating situation right now. early in the morning what

happened, suicide bomb attacks. so it has terrified people because they are afraid that something bad is going to come. i think this is a time that the international community should intervene and should do something about the humanitarian crisis already unfolding in afghanistan right now. �* , y unfolding in afghanistan right now. �* , , ., unfolding in afghanistan right now. �* , ., ., now. i'm very sorry to hear that, the — now. i'm very sorry to hear that, the experience - now. i'm very sorry to hear that, the experience your. that, the experience your family has gone through. what is the situation by the people that you have been talking to their who are trying to get out of the country? afghans who are trying to make their way to the airport or are already at the airport or are already at the airport trying to leave? well, the situation. _ airport trying to leave? well, the situation. i— airport trying to leave? well, the situation. ijust _ airport trying to leave? well, the situation. ijust saw - airport trying to leave? well, the situation. i just saw the l the situation. i just saw the video is that people were killed. many people were killed during the suicide attack was that there was a stream of blood. so we hope with the but the last a0 years on more than that. somebody should care for our lives. our lives matter in the world. why is all this

happening to afghans? people are so desperate and they don't have anyone to go with and complain about their situation. people are desperate because i need to get out. their life is in danger under the taliban. we need increased assurance from the taliban that people will not be harmed or they will not be threatened, so that is what people want. they want to go back to their business as usual and the situation is getting bad but economically, socially and politically so that is what people don't want to see. everyone is terrified about the situation. �* , . situation. are people convinced that those _ situation. are people convinced that those who _ situation. are people convinced that those who want _ situation. are people convinced that those who want to - situation. are people convinced that those who want to leave i that those who want to leave will be able to before that deadline of august 31? well, that is why — deadline of august 31? well, that is why everyone - deadline of august 31? well, that is why everyone is - deadline of august 31? well, i that is why everyone is cramped into the area of the airport. you know, they want to get into the grounds of the airport hoping that they will be evacuated or airlifted and that is their only hope because they

cannot go to pakistan foot of the borders are closed. they cannot go to iran or any other country. and there are no civilian planes as well so the only hope right now is the american evacuation. nato has already..., british stopped, the crew views are also shops who are only one evacuation which is run by americans and this is the only hope so i hope many people will be taken out of kabul airport, as many as they can. they will look for any other ways to evacuate people or take people from the entries. whatsoever as possible. for more on the situation in kabul, go to the bbc news website.

there's a live page running for the very latest information, and also this explainer from our security correspondent frank gardner on the group known as isis—k, which is thought to have carried out the attack. if you wanyt to get in touch with me i'm on twitter — @bbckarishma 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 a5 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 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. at least 60 people have been killed and a hundred and a0 others wounded in twin bomb blasts at kabul airport.

thirteen us service personnel are among the dead. president biden says the evacuation will continue and promises to hunt down the perpetrators. our correspondent nomia iqbal is in washington. i asked her if president biden is on the brink of retaliating for the kabul attack. i think it wasn't surprising he said those tough words. we were expecting him to comment in that way, i think. but he did not really give any details when he was asked by a reporter, and it was 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. yeah, nomia, there's been some criticism,

even in president biden�*s own party, of the us having to depend on the taliban to secure the perimeter of the airport. what's been his response to that? he rejects that criticism. he stands by it. he praised general mckenzie, who's the top commander in the region, saying that he thinks he did well to try and keep 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, to not get bigger. lets look at some of the international reaction to the attacks in kabul. germany has called it a heinous attack and says a hospital plane is on standby to help treat injured people at the airport. here's chancellor angela merkel. there is a high level of pressure to be exerted in the effort of lifting people out of kabul. , ., ., , effort of lifting people out of kabul. ., kabul. tens of thousands of eo - le kabul. tens of thousands of people have _

kabul. tens of thousands of people have been _ kabul. tens of thousands of people have been airlifted l kabul. tens of thousands of| people have been airlifted to security. today i would like to once again repeat that those who have not been able to leave kabul with the help of the airlift will not be forgotten. we will continue to work to ensure that they can leave their country if they so wish. ms merkel has actually cancelled a trip to israel due to the unfolding crisis in afghanistan. separately, the uk prime minister has also weigheed in. borisjohnson condemned the attack as "barbaric", paying tribute to the "phenomenal effort" of those involved in the evacuation operation. but he added that the uk evacuation effort would continue. (sot we have already extracted the overwhelming majority of those under both the schemes, the uk persons, uk nationals, plus the afghans, the interpreters and others, and it has been a totally phenomenal effort by the uk. there's been nothing like it for decades and decades. but clearly what this attack shows is the importance

of continuing that work, in as fast and as efficient a manner as possible, in the hours that remain to us, and that's what we're going to do. earlier i spoke to ben scott in sydney — a foreign policy expert from the lowy institute. he had this take on america's withdrawal from afghanistan. i think the biggest question now for most countries with an interest in afghanistan globally, but especially afg hanistan�*s neighbours, is what is the relationship going to be going forward between the taliban and jihadist groups? the taliban had an unbroken relationship with al-qaeda. .. is it going to have the capability to go through on that?

from my perspective the taliban are actually torn. on the one hand they are this proven ideological violent jihadist group with, as i say, this long collection with al-qaeda and on the other hand they now are to govern a landlocked state surrounded by neighbours who all view them as a source of potential security threats. there is been some criticism about the fact that the us is working with the telephone to secure the perimeter of the airport. and that has also been one of the main reasons, i understand, that groups like isis see the taliban as having veered away from the purest ideology ofjihad. how do you see this playing out in the

future. i see this playing out in the future. ~' ., , future. i think the taliban is now in a _ future. i think the taliban is now in a delicate _ future. i think the taliban is now in a delicate stage - future. i think the taliban is now in a delicate stage of l now in a delicate stage of consolidation with those two directions that it's been pulled in i have been played out at the same time and this means that for a group like isis—k which has many motivations for an attack like this from the purely ideological hatred driven through to more tactical ones, to a more strategic objective which is just to create further instability and humiliate the telephone at this point, but it is notjust isis—k. a group like al-qaeda now would be very worried and thinking carefully, how can we best play the situation. how can we avoid a situation. how can we avoid a situation with a teller band actually put more priority on maintaining stable relations with its neighbours and keeps us on a tight leash. the al-qaeda approach to this problem is going to be more long game and looking further

ahead than isis—k which isjust pushing for violence as quickly as possible and really threatened by any telephone consolidation and control over afghanistan but i think there is a whole spectrum of issues there. it is a question for all of afghanistan. including those flues which are perceived to have achieved someone through the telephone such as pakistan. —— including those states. it -- including those states. it is —— including those states. it is notjust kabul airport where thousands have been gathering to try to leave afghanistan since the taliban took over the country. thousands of travelled to the border with pakistan but many are not being allowed through.

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. that's all for now — stay with bbc world news.

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 have pushed in from the east. and temperatures will be a little lower than this

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. for wales, especially in the west, far southwest of england, for cumbria, some occasional sunshine, perhaps developing more widely through some eastern parts of england on through the afternoon. this wind direction, though, will continue a feed of cloud and breeze into the coast of eastern scotland and northeast england, keeping temperatures down here at around 15, 16 degrees, whereas elsewhere, mainly 17 to 20. a little higher, though, with prolonged sunny spells across western parts. overnight and into saturday, areas of cloud, clear spells, down into single figures where you're clear. and by the end of the night and first thing on saturday, the chance of a few showers running in across southeast england, more especially into kent. so this is how the weekend is shaping up. it is looking, for the most part, dry, barthe chance of that shower towards the far southeast on saturday for a time, variable cloud and some sunny spells around.

probably faring quite well for sunny spells during saturday. temperatures, high teens, just a few 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 a little more moist air to run down into scotland, with more widely cloudier skies on sunday, perhaps northern ireland, too, and running in across the eastern side of england, where, still, along that north sea coast, it'll be rather cool in the cloud. but really quite pleasant where you're still getting to see a bit of sunshine.