�*welcome to newsday, reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines. president biden lays out a forceful defense of his nation's withdrawal from afghanistan, ending america's longest war. it will likely succeed and will be set out to do in afghanistan over a decade ago and we stayed for another decade. it was time to end this war. american uniforms, american weapons — but taliban fighters. these are the spoils of a war — that was america's longest military mission. now, it has ended in the worst of ways and it will live long in memory

here in afghanistan, and america and far beyond. rescue operations continue in louisiana — as hurricane ida brings life—threatening floods — millions of people remain without power and — from russia with love. our moscow correspondent sarah rainsford files her final report from the country, after being labelled a threat to national security. it's six in the morning in singapore, 2.30 in the morning in kabul and six in the evening in washington, where president biden has described the us evacuation mission from afghanistan as an extraordinary success. speaking earlier, the president struck a defiant tone, in a televised address from the white house, the day after the end of america's

twenty year presence in afghanistan — defending the decision to pull out of the country. we succeeded in what we set out to do in afghanistan over a decade ago. and we stayed for another decade. it was time to end this war. this is a new world. the terror threat has metastasized across the world well beyond afghanistan. we are left with a simple decision. either follow through on the commitment made by the last administration leave afghanistan or say we were not leaving and commit another tens of thousands of more troops going back to war. that was the choice, the real choice. let's speak to our north america correspondent peter bowes.

karishma's questions: it was very much a speech justifying his decision to leave when he did — saying he believed that staying longer wasn t an option — how is that being viewed domestically? well, to a large extent, president biden perhaps in stronger terms and preps of more emotion, he repeated what he said several weeks ago in terms of his reasoning to leave on august the 31st. he says he did not want to extend the forever war and we knew there was his policy and he also said he did not want to extend the forever exit and that is more pertinent to what's been happening over recent weeks and that's where he's been getting a lot of criticism and is continuing to get a lot of criticism where is he sees what happened in the past hundred 23,000 people as a success, there are

others who believe the whole vaccination process —— evacuation process not being necessary if your plant differently. he was defensive and also laying the blame to some extent on the afghan forces, that the us armed and trained over recent years, saying that he believed and he clearly thinks that many others believed would hang on for much longer against the caliban and also his predecessorfor longer against the caliban and also his predecessor for making the deal —— taliban.. he allocated some responsibility for the situation that the us found itself in to the previous administration as well — talk us through that? the white house press also repeated those thoughts a short time ago and it is true that the us and indeed the western world to the large

extent have some leverage over the taliban. because to successfully govern in that country, if we are to assume that clearly it is apparent that they are leading the country now and forming a government. they can only be successful in the adventure if they have international cooperation. access to the international banking system in order to rebuild the afghan economy, which is absolutely crucial. so, some level of cooperation is vital and important to the taliban and thatis and important to the taliban and that is with the president means when the us has leverage over the taliban because they can make it difficult or they can make it a little bit easier. there is some degree of cooperation and crucially if over the weeks and months, they can develop some trust. in kabul — the taliban have been making the most of their first day in full control of afghanistan — an �*enjoyable moment of victory�* —— according to its leaders. taliban fighters have been keen to show off some of the equipment

and weapons left behind by us forces, while pointing out that they now control more of afghanistan than they did 20 years ago. the taliban are claiming they have won independence but there are hugely challenging problems facing afghanistan — and the taliban leadership in particular — as they try to establish some kind of stable government. 0ur chief international correspondent lyse doucet, and cameraman robbie wright, sent this report from kabul. american uniforms, american guns, but these are taliban special forces. badri unit 313. they are in charge at kabul airport. translation: our message - to the americans is they should not have any plans to attack muslims again. 0ur message to all afghans is we are going to protect them. surreal to enter what was a us hub.

whiteboards from a moment in time just days before kabulfell, when us soldiers plotted an orderly pull—out. this is what they left behind. hangers are full of helicopters. all disabled, destroyed, so the taliban cannot use them. the best of american military hardware, the best of its generals, were part of its longest war. and now it has ended in the worst of ways, and it will live long in memory, here in afghanistan, in america, and far beyond. today, an airfield flooded with fighters. theirfirst urgent task, repairing the runways so commercial airlines can fly again. translation: as you can see, these infidels destroyed - the entire airport.

they haven't left any machinery in good repair. we had a team ready to fix this mess ever since we came to kabul. now that the americans have left we are ready to clean it up. all flights have stopped, but afghans still keep trying to get in, to find a way out of this country. taliban guards turn them away. the last us flight lifted off last night, and the skies exploded with taliban soldier, after the last american soldier, major general chris donahue, was on his way home. when we drive through the streets of kabul, the city seems much the same, until we get to the banks. to the queues stretching all the way down the street. most banks are shut, most don't have any money.

some people have stood here for days wondering if they can withstand this for long. i should build a future, i should study. so definitely if the situations are like that, you should stay for one weekjust to take 10,000 afghani...$100 from the bank, so it's not possible to live here. a country turned upside down and inside out. an old order suddenly ripped away, a new one suddenly started, in chaos and uncertainty. lyse doucet, bbc news, kabul. joining me live from geneva is dr florian weigand, who is co—director of the centre for the study of armed groups at the international development think—tank the overseas development institute. he has also lived in afghanistan.

karishma's questions: just watching that report from our chief international correspondent lyse doucette there — and the taliban look like what they're saying to the world — is that they are ready to govern — but do they have a blueprint to run the country? i think that would be a bit of a stretch to say. the echo and have a little experience with regard to governments and so the taliban are notjust an armed group insurgency but for the last few years, the been consistently expanding their control over the country and actually governing rural areas of the country in providing services such as conflict resolution but also collecting taxes. so, they do know a little bit about it but it will be a stretch to say that they have a blueprint. the focus has been the military and they have been saying that what does this islamic emirate mean at this stage?— mean at this stage? what do you think will be _

mean at this stage? what do you think will be their _ mean at this stage? what do you think will be their biggest - think will be their biggest challenge in governing now? the need to aain local challenge in governing now? the need to gain local legitimacy, _ challenge in governing now? the need to gain local legitimacy, made - challenge in governing now? the need to gain local legitimacy, made do - to gain local legitimacy, made do not trust them and they need international partners and also there's the economic challenge. looking back at the past government with 80% and international aid for the budget, now the micro need to generate revenue to finance all of the activities of the state to pay salaries for teachers, civil servants and then finally with the looming humanitarian crisis, there is hunger in the country and a lot of displacement and the taliban need to address these issues immediately. president biden talked about the future relationship between the us and afghanistan and part of that is that the us is expecting the taliban to keep to their commitments and letting people out, suggesting that is some kind of leverage that the us holds over the taliban. how do you

see the relationship laying out? it is very interesting to watch and see president biden reviewing the taliban as a new partner of the us and accepting them as the legitimate government of afghanistan. at the same time, realistically, it's going to be very difficult for president biden to enforce these commitments and many afghans would be very afraid of actually trusting the taliban and particularly those that are most threatened by the taliban will think twice before going to the airport and relying on these commitments, fearing that they might be arrested on their way out. co—director of the study for armed groups is a think tank, the the bbc s moscow correspondent has left russia today, expelled by the authorities after being labelled a threat to national security. sarah rainsford, who first reported from moscow for the bbc more than 20 years ago, just as vladimir putin came

to power, has been told she can never return to the country. moscow claims the move is in response to the expulsion of a russian journalist from the uk two years ago, but the decision comes amid a severe crackdown on independentjournalists and opposition activists within russia. here s sarah s report. this was the moment i discovered i was being expelled from russia. according to a specific law, i've been designated a "threat to national security" and, as such, i'm not allowed into the country. pulled aside at passport control, i was told the fsb security service had banned me for life. i recorded the conversation. i was returning from belarus, where i'd confronted

alexander lukashenko on the mass repression and torture of peaceful protesters. his loyal supporters rounded on me... ..in a coordinated attack. vladimir putin's presenting this as just another working visit. .. i've reported from russia for two decades — the whole span of vladimir putin's presidency. there've been highs — like the world cup — but i've also charted the slow erosion of freedoms here. the crackdown on dissent. a year ago, the government put me on short—term visas. sarah rainsford... then i became the news, as state television announced i had to leave. after tense negotiations, i had been allowed to enter russia... they let me in — for now. ..but only to pack. i was then told my visa wouldn't be renewed — supposedly what happened to a russian reporter in london, but that was two years ago. when i was called in here,

to the foreign ministry, they kept insisting that my expulsion was nothing personal — they talked about it as a reciprocal move — but they refused to even engage with the fact that i've been labelled "a national security threat". they said that was just a "technical moment". but, at a time when russia is increasingly seeing enemies all all around, it really feels like i've now enemies all around, it really feels like i've now been added to the list. it's happening as the pressure on russian journalists who don't toe the kremlin line is intensifying. dozhd tv has just been added to a growing blacklist of media labelled "foreign agents" — for getting funds from abroad. this terror of "foreign agents" means that we — dozhd — we are enemies of the state. the pretending of being democracy is over. it is very bad, and it could become much worse — any time. so, i'm leaving a country i first came to as the

soviet union fell apart. when free speech — orfreedoms — were new and precious. it feels like today's russia is moving in reverse. sarah rainsford, bbc news, moscow. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme. fleeing the fires of northern california. tens of thousands evacuate, as the blaze spreads and forests burn. she received the nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and the dying in india slums. the head of the catholic church had said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies and round up the coffins and take them back home. parents are waiting and wives are waiting. hostages appeared, some carried,

some running, trying to escape the nightmare behind them. britain lost a princess today, - described by all to whom she reached out as irreplaceable. an early—morning car crash - in a paris underpass ended a life with more than its share of pain- and courage, warmth and compassion. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma in singapore.0ur top story our top story in a televised address,

president biden has described the us evacuation mission from afghanistan as an extraordinary success — the day after the end of america's twenty year presence in the country. in other news — tens of thousands of people have been moved from the shores of lake tahoe in northern california, as a major wildfire spreads there. the caldor fire has already burned more than 190 thousand acres since it began more than two weeks ago. authorities have closed all 18 national forests in california to protect the public. 0ur correspondent james clayton has more. over the past few days, residents have looked on in horror as the fire got closer and closer to their homes. , , ., , �* , homes. this is the worst i've seen it for 30 years. — homes. this is the worst i've seen it for 30 years, so. _ homes. this is the worst i've seen it for 30 years, so. the _ homes. this is the worst i've seen it for 30 years, so. the town - homes. this is the worst i've seen it for 30 years, so. the town is . it for 30 years, so. the town is crazy trying _ it for 30 years, so. the town is

crazy trying to _ it for 30 years, so. the town is crazy trying to get _ it for 30 years, so. the town is crazy trying to get out. - it for 30 years, so. the town is i crazy trying to get out. everyone it for 30 years, so. the town is - crazy trying to get out. everyone in this town was _ crazy trying to get out. everyone in this town was ordered _ crazy trying to get out. everyone in this town was ordered to _ crazy trying to get out. everyone in this town was ordered to evacuate | crazy trying to get out. everyone in i this town was ordered to evacuate on monday, leaving their homes at the mercy of the flames. nearly 4000 firefighters are trying to stop it or at least diverted. 0ften fighting it by hand, this is dangerous work. it shown to be unpredictable, terrain— it shown to be unpredictable, terrain driven, _ it shown to be unpredictable, terrain driven, whether- it shown to be unpredictable, | terrain driven, whether driven it shown to be unpredictable, - terrain driven, whether driven it's been _ terrain driven, whether driven it's been very— terrain driven, whether driven it's been very active _ terrain driven, whether driven it's been very active and _ terrain driven, whether driven it's been very active and very- terrain driven, whether driven it's been very active and very active l been very active and very active progression— been very active and very active progression at _ been very active and very active progression at times. _ been very active and very active progression at times. by- been very active and very active progression at times.— been very active and very active progression at times. by no means the biggest — progression at times. by no means the biggest fire _ progression at times. by no means the biggest fire they've _ progression at times. by no means the biggest fire they've seen - progression at times. by no means the biggest fire they've seen the i the biggest fire they've seen the share makes it so dangerous is its proximity residential areas. it is a beloved alpine town on the california border, high up in the mountains. california and spend summer holidays here, you can ski in the winter. it is a special place in peoples hearts. a place fun and adventurous. but the slopes of been transformed into an inferno, the clear air turned to dense smog. which what happens now depends on

wind direction and fire intensity. firefighters say they are now embroiled in a tense fight which will take days to save the town. instead of emergency has been announced here. if the area were to be involved, it will represent some of the large—scale destruction from us forest fires in modern times. meanwhile, four people have died and more than a million remain without power after hurricane ida slammed into the us gulf coast on sunday. officials say electricity may not be restored in some areas for weeks. hurricane ida tore through the area on sunday with winds reaching 240 kilometres—per—hour i'm joined now by paul cobler, baton rouge city hall reporter for the advocate. talk us through the situation with hurricane ida now — and how the rescue operations are going?

so, it is not good here, basically. we were hit with a category four hurricane with sustained winds of hundred 50 mph on the coast. up in baton rouge, we're doing pretty 0k. the storm was forecast to lend a little further west than it did and we dodged a bullet that comes at the expense of a lot of smaller communities in the new orleans area which had a tonne of rainfall and winds in the entire area is not power. communication is really difficult no service, no electricity in southeast louisiana. the louisiana — louisiana governor has put it in stark terms — telling residents that there is no timeline for when they can go back home — what has been the reaction to this? i would say people are just coming together. i wasn't home in louisiana

yesterday and it's religious people trying to help each other there yesterday and it's religious people trying to help each othe- trying to help each other there is no power. _ trying to help each other there is no power. no _ trying to help each other there is no power, no cell— trying to help each other there is no power, no cell service, - trying to help each other there is no power, no cell service, no - no power, no cell service, no internet. and it's religious people coming together to try to help each other and there are people who are in these disaster areas that i think a lot of them understand that not everyone has the resources or the means to be able to evacuate with something like this is coming and he was right by the eye of the storm when it went over and there are still a lot of people there yesterday they�* re still a lot of people there yesterday they're just trying to pick the pieces up. what efforts are underway to restore this kind of vital infrastructure? there are tens of thousands of company workers flooding to the state but i think at this point, there aren't any estimations of when a lot of these areas will have power back. the releases that we have are

saying that they're just doing the surveillance there and just getting to the end of figuring out what is wrong with things but there is no timeline on when things will be fixed. massive towers fell into the river in new orleans and the entire areas without power and that is just really no timeline at this point. three weeks, maybe more. reported for the advocate. thank you so much for the advocate. thank you so much forjoining us on newsday. the environmental campaigner, greta thunberg, says she will only attend the un climate change conference in glasgow later this year, if the event is "safe and democratic". for her, that means ensuring participants from poorer countries are fully vaccinated and able to travel to take part. 0ur environment correspondent kevin keane reports she sailed across the atlantic twice to get the last un

climate conference in 2019, but this time, she's not so sure. greta thunberg wants to go to the glasgow talks, but says her participation is conditional. hi, greta. in an interview for bbc scotland, i asked what was stopping herfrom coming. well, of course, i'm not 100% sure yet, but if it's considered safe and democratic then i will, of course, go there. i take it you mean by that that it's accessible to the world's poorer nations. yeah. how important and why is that to you? because that's the essence of this meeting. it should be all about climate justice and, of course, we can't achieve climate justice if everyone is not contributing on the same terms. cheering. it won't be the first time greta has visited the uk. she addressed a large crowd in bristol last year before the pandemic. but it will be her first time in scotland. she famously clashed online with donald trump and doesn't seem too impressed with his successor. the biden administration doesn't seem to take climate,

the climate crisis, the least bit serious, since they are actually expanding fossil fuel infrastructure. so, it shows that they are not ready to take action. and she says the same applies to the uk government, which is considering whether to approve a new oil field off shetland. i think that maybe summarises the whole situation that we are in. the fact that these kinds of countries who are actually hosting the cop is planning to actually expand fossil fuel infrastructure, to open up new oil fields and so on. chanting: what do we want? climate justice! when do we want it? now! with such a large following, greta's absence from cop26 will be felt, but she says if all participants are vaccinated and allowed to travel, so will she. kevin keane, bbc news. that's all for now — stay with bbc world news.

hello there. the last day was a rather cloudy cool with some spots of drizzle across eastern areas in the best of sunshine was towards the west in the next few days of september are looking pretty similar and cloudy with the occasional drizzle and the ease with a little bit of sunshine at times, particularly across more western parts. so, for wednesday, it's rather cloudy picture again because the cloud across eastern coast was the spots of light rain or drizzle but to the afternoon, we'll see northern ireland, western fringes of wells in the southwest but it will be breezy across the channel and certainly around the north sea coasts and i would take the edge of the temptress hides here around the mid to upper teens and further in land, that sunshine

across central and western scotland we could see temperatures reaching around 21 or 22 degrees. as we get there wednesday night, it stays mostly cloudy and a bit of cloud continuing for eastern scotland and it will channel its way eastwards are the some western parts of scotland and northern ireland could state clear but fairly cool under clear skies we have the cloud in the breeze and 11 to 14 degrees. very little change for thursday and friday with an area of high pressure still sitting on top of us in bringing in the north northeast of the north northeasterly airflow and a lot of cloud and eastern areas in particular and further west, better of seeing some sunnier breaks and temperatures in sunshine reaching the low 20s otherwise since the mid—19th and the cloud your spots. signs of a change as the area breaks down the moose eastwards but allows the area of low pressure to slowly push and from the atlantic and i'll bring increasing breeze and the chance of some showers and longer spells of rain, particularly for

part two of the weekend. and he doesn't look too bad, staying mostly dry, variable cloud and light winds and one sister to pick up across southern and western areas of low pressure and by the end of the day, will start to see some showery bursts of rain arriving here. temperatures in the low 20s for many of the brighter spots of the mid to high teens across the far northeast. and to sunday, will see the area across the country being quite heavy followed by sunshine and heavy showers.

this is bbc news, the headlines. president biden has described the us evacuation mission from afghanistan as an extraordinary success. he said no other country would have been able to fly out so many people, and the us achieved everything it set out to do in afghanistan. the taliban have been celebrating the us departure, describing it as a victory which should serve as a lesson for other invaders. but the group said they want good relations with the united states and the rest of the world. a huge rescue operation is taking place in the us state of louisiana — after it was struck by hurricane ida. at least four people have been killed by the storm and millions remain without power. the bbc s moscow correspondent sarah rainsford has left russia, after being expelled by the authorities.