welcome to newsday. reporting live from singapore, i'm karishma vaswani. the headlines... in afghanistan, the leader of the resistance group fighting the taliban says he's willing to enter peace talks. with the future still uncertain for many, we have a special report from rural afghanistan on life there under the taliban. football's world cup qualifier between brazil and argentina is dramatically abandoned after a row about covid quarantine rules. tributes to former girls aloud singer sarah harding, who's died at the age of 39 after being diagnosed with breast cancer. and as the tokyo paralympics comes to an end with

a spectacular closing ceremony, how does japan feel about the event? live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. it's newsday. it's six in the morning in singapore and 2.30 in the morning in afghanistan, where the resistance leader ahmad massoud says he is ready for peace talks to end fighting in the panjshir valley. the northern province of panjshir is two hours from the capital kabul, and is now the only region not controlled by the taliban. they claim they have reached panjshir�*s provincial capital after securing the surrounding districts, but massoud's national resistance front disputes this. posting on facebook, mr massoud said that to reach a lasting peace, the nrf is ready to stop fighting on condition that taliban also

stop their attacks and military movements on panjshir and andarab, a district in a neighbouring province. it's not clear if the taliban are likely to agree to the truce proposal. i'm joined now by the head of foreign relations for national resistance front of afghanistan, ali nazary. he is speaking to us from an undisclosed location outside of afghanistan. great to have you on the programme today. can you in the first instance tell us what's the latest situation in the panjshir valley? are your fortune is able to hold back the taliban —— forces? we fortune is able to hold back the taliban -- forces?— taliban -- forces? we are in panjshir_ taliban -- forces? we are in panjshir at— taliban -- forces? we are in panjshir at the _ taliban -- forces? we are in panjshir at the moment. - taliban -- forces? we are in - panjshir at the moment. panjshir has many valleys. right now, the taliban are only in a few locations. they

are only in a few locations. they are facing difficulties. ourforces are facing difficulties. ourforces are resisting and defending their people, their owner, their home and their values —— their honour. this will not end with the taliban entering panjshir. it is the lion's been. any enemy that enters will not leave alive. but been. any enemy that enters will not leave alive. �* �* , . leave alive. but it's true that there are — leave alive. but it's true that there are a _ leave alive. but it's true that there are a number - leave alive. but it's true that there are a number of - leave alive. but it's true that there are a number of key i leave alive. but it's true that _ there are a number of key commanders of the mrs that have been either injured or killed in this battle? reports emerging that he's been killed. what details are you able to give us on this? can you tell us more about who he was? in give us on this? can you tell us more about who he was? in the war, there is always _ more about who he was? in the war, there is always casualties _ more about who he was? in the war, there is always casualties on - there is always casualties on both sides. this is something normal. we are not going to deny that we've had

casualties. two of my colleagues, the spokesperson and the general, who was of formidable officer and was the nephew of the late commander, were martyred tonight. unfortunately, they were martyred, and however their spirit is going to be alive and the people will resist. so... just to jump be alive and the people will resist. so... just tojump in, why be alive and the people will resist. so... just to jump in, why are you offering a truce now, given the fact that you're saying the taliban have not made the encroachments in the panjshir valley as they claim? we've alwa s panjshir valley as they claim? we've always extended, _ panjshir valley as they claim? we've always extended, whether _ panjshir valley as they claim? we've always extended, whether it - panjshir valley as they claim? we've always extended, whether it was - panjshir valley as they claim? we've always extended, whether it was 27 | always extended, whether it was 27 years ago when the taliban movement

first form, whether it was ten years ago, and he was assassinated. whether it's today. this has always been our legacy because we perform peace over war. this has always been valued by us. but peace over war. this has always been valued by va— peace over war. this has always been valued by us-— valued by us. but the taliban are unlikely to _ valued by us. but the taliban are unlikely to share _ valued by us. but the taliban are unlikely to share power- valued by us. but the taliban are unlikely to share power with - valued by us. but the taliban are| unlikely to share power with you. isn't that right? they don't want to bring in non—caliban—word—mac members or outsiders into the government. —— taliban. -- taliban. they need to read afghanistan's _ -- taliban. they need to read afghanistan's history. - -- taliban. they need to read afghanistan's history. it - -- taliban. they need to read afghanistan's history. it is - -- taliban. they need to read i afghanistan's history. it is made -- taliban. they need to read - afghanistan's history. it is made up of ethnic minorities. one force cannot dominate the country. what the taliban are doing today isn't

going to bring peace and stability. they've deepened social cleavages and so much in our society that is irreversible, and we will see the negative impact inside afghanistan in the years to come. the taliban, with their narrative of dominance, will never rule afghanistan. this isn't the approach to bring peace and stability. isn't the approach to bring peace and stability-— isn't the approach to bring peace and stability. does that mean the resistance in _ and stability. does that mean the resistance in the _ and stability. does that mean the resistance in the panjshir- and stability. does that mean the resistance in the panjshir valley, | resistance in the panjshir valley, that will continue despite this offer of a truce and the taliban say they now control the area? {iii they now control the area? of course. look, from 1979 up to 1992 or 1999 when the soviets were in the country, the soviets entered panjshir nine times. every time they came, they left the valley defeated.

taliban are not as strong as the red army. are you are —— if you are able to manage that in the 19805 when we defeated our enemies, we're able to defeated our enemies, we're able to defeat the taliban. it is going to be a struggle and a challenge. we've overcame the5e be a struggle and a challenge. we've overcame these challenges before and we will in the future. mi. overcame these challenges before and we will in the future.— we will in the future. ali, head of forei . n we will in the future. ali, head of foreign relations, _ we will in the future. ali, head of foreign relations, thank- we will in the future. ali, head of foreign relations, thank you - we will in the future. ali, head of foreign relations, thank you for l foreign relations, thank you for joining us on newsday. in other developments, a heavily pregnant police officer in afghanistan has been shot dead by armed men inside her home. witnesses said banu negar had been beaten the previous day after taking down a taliban flag. the taliban have told the bbc they had no involvement. meanwhile, across the country, people are adapting to life under the new regime. our correspondent secunder kermani has travelled from the capital, kabul, to the province of logar, from where he sent this report.

they've grown up along the front line, but their first taste of peace is bittersweet. in the final weeks of the war, government forces flattened the5e houses after coming under fire from taliban fighter5 somewhere nearby. the home of this school cleaner wa5 closest to the army base. it's nowju5t a pile of rubble. the afghan army frequently accused the taliban of firing from residential areas. either way, civilians have often been caught in the middle of this conflict. everywhere we go in this village, people are trying to show us signs of the war — where the army used

to fire down on the bazaar, where the taliban used to be based, the ceiling hit by bullets, that shop over there hit by a rocket. this man saying to come with him. the signs of destruction might not look that much, but they've had a devastating impact on people's lives. now you've got peace, but what other challenges do you have here? and we are here, and i don't see any women around us, so is that because of the taliban? in more conservative areas like this, social attitudes do align more closely with those of the taliban. what local women think

remains unclear. elsewhere today, a female police officer was allegedly killed by the taliban, though they've denied that. by the time we arrive, the local girls' school has already closed for the day. across much of the country, classes are taking place — but, for now, only for primary pupils. this village boys' school is under—resourced and overcrowded, with most taught outside. in the past, lessons would often be interrupted by clashes, the principal tells me, with children cowering inside classrooms. in villages like this, an end to the violence was the biggest priority. but so many other challenges still remain. will the taliban be able to take them on? secunder kermani,

bbc news, logar province. you can find much more on this story on our website, including more reports and analysis from our correspondents secunder kermani and lyse doucet and the rest of the team in kabul. this piece about life in kabul under taliban by lyse is well worth a read — descriptions of what life is like in afghanistan for people now, as the taliban take control of more of the country. close to what you saw in that report. just go to the bbc news site — bbc.com/news — or download the bbc news app. let's take a look at some of the stories in the headlines in the uk. there's a growing backlash in the governing conservative party to suggestions of increasing national insurance tax in order to fund social care in england. senior conservatives have warned prime minister borisjohnson he'll damage the party if he adopts the policy, which would break a manifesto commitment. an announcement is

expected this week. there are reports that grenfell tower in london could be demolished after the blaze four years ago that killed 72 people. experts have advised it should be "taken down" because of safety concerns. the government says it's considering the independent safety advice, but survivor groups say they have not been consulted. police in north yorkshire say their operation to drain lakes and search woodland in relation to the disappearance of claudia lawrence has concluded without any significant discoveries. claudia lawrence has not been seen since she failed to arrive for work at the university of york in march 2009. she was part of one of the most successful british female bands of all time, with 20 consecutive top ten singles. now tributes have been paid to the girls aloud singer

sarah harding, who has died at the age of 39. she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. our entertainment correspondent, lizo mzimba, looks back at her life. his report contains some flashing images. after three months of competition, the moment her dream came true. ..sarah. cheering. but sarah harding could scarcely have imagined the success that would follow. every one of their first 16 singles a top ten hit. thanks to a collection of irresistibly catchy songs, they were soon selling thousands of singles... # sound of the underground...# ..and performing to sold—out audiences. # if i had a promise from you... # sarah brought powerful vocals and a willingness to be portrayed... # makes me wanna break the rules! # ..as the band's most outrageous personality, the headline—grabbing party girl.

she also acted. there were small parts in coronation street... actually, i don't suppose by any chance you know a tracy barlow? ..and the second of the st trinian�*s movies... # i predict a riot, i predict a riot! #j has it been fun? it's been great fun. we have a real giggle, actually, in between takes. we really are naughty schoolgirls. we have to be kept getting told, "girls, shut up!" nadine coyle led the tributes, saying... and pop starsjudge pete waterman paid his tribute this afternoon. she was a girl next door who had got it all. she was identifiable by the audience that are going to buy her records. that was the beauty of sarah. when the singer discovered an enlarged lymph node just before covid began, the pandemic was a factor in her delaying seeking treatment.

breast cancer is, in fact, a very curable illness if it's diagnosed early, but the unfortunate thing in sarah's case is that she was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer where it had already spread to her body. and you can only survive it for as long as the treatments are helping and stalling the breast cancer from spreading any further. sarah and the other four members of girls aloud went their separate ways in 2013, but not before they'd entertained fans for the best part of a decade. sarah harding was a crucial part of the group. a woman who achieved so much in a life cut short at such a young age. a real tragic loss there. if you want to get in touch with me,

i'm on twitter — @bbckarishma. i'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme... a5 as the paralympics come to a end, how does japan feel about the event? freedom itself was attacked this morning, and freedom will be defended. the united states will hunt down and punish those responsible. bishop tutu now becomes spiritual leader of 100,000 anglicans here, of the blacks in soweto township, as well as the whites in their rich suburbs. we say to you today in a loud and clear voice, enough of blood and tears. enough. the difficult decision we reached -

together was one that required great and exceptional courage. it's an exodus of up to 60,000 people caused by the uneven pace of political change in eastern europe. iam free! this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. our headlines... a football world cup qualifying match between brazil and argentina has been stopped minutes after kick—off, following a dramatic intervention on the pitch by brazilian health officials. they accused four argentine players of having broken brazil's covid quarantine rules. for more on this, i am joined now

by sportsjournalist tim vickery, who is in brazil. tim, great to have you on newsday. the story is all about life in 2021. talk us through what happened and how is it possible these players could have got through the airport into the country, and only when they were on the field the disk it discovered? it were on the field the disk it discovered?— were on the field the disk it discovered? , , ., discovered? it is indeed bizarre, one of the _ discovered? it is indeed bizarre, one of the world's _ discovered? it is indeed bizarre, one of the world's great - discovered? it is indeed bizarre, | one of the world's great sporting rivalries reduced to the level of absolute farce. the uk is on brazil's red list for covid, just like brazil is on the uk's, and four of the argentine squad, including three of the starting line—up, live, work, play in the uk. when they arrive in brazil on friday, they'd come down from playing a game in venezuela, but they had to fill out forms saying where they had been,

had they been in a red this country over the last 1a days. and it appears, according to brazil's health authority, the four players did not include this information, did not include this information, did not include this information, did not state they had been in a red this country. this would have required them to spend 1a days in quarantine. it was clear on saturday that there was a problem, that the brazil health authorities had been alerted to the fact that incorrect, incomplete information had been given. it seems they wanted those players to be quarantined and then deported. what happened then is that argentina it seems receiving the backing of the football authorities in south america, that argentina decided that they would play the game only if there players, all of their players could play. they started the game with the far starting line—up featuring these

players. argentina wouldn't carry on the game without them. i players. argentina wouldn't carry on the game without them.— the game without them. i see. tim, 'ust reall the game without them. i see. tim, just really briefly, _ the game without them. i see. tim, just really briefly, what _ the game without them. i see. tim, just really briefly, what does - the game without them. i see. tim, just really briefly, what does this i just really briefly, what does this mean for world cup qualifiers? it’s mean for world cup qualifiers? it's a hue mean for world cup qualifiers? it�*s a huge problem for fifa. they have to decide what to do. this is all about the perils of games and the reality of covid. it's a huge problem. south america could have simplified it by not playing injune and july. it's now are reaping the produce of a decision to try and plough ahead with too many games in a covert situation. tim plough ahead with too many games in a covert situation.— a covert situation. tim vickery, thank you _ a covert situation. tim vickery, thank you so — a covert situation. tim vickery, thank you so much _ a covert situation. tim vickery, thank you so much for- a covert situation. tim vickery, thank you so much forjoining l a covert situation. tim vickery, l thank you so much forjoining us a covert situation. tim vickery, - thank you so much forjoining us on newsday —— covid situation. guinea's new military leaders have announced a nationwide curfew after they removed president alpha conde from power. their actions have been condemned by the united nations. the coup followed hours of heavy gunfire near the presidential palace in the capital, conakry. our west africa correspondent, mayenijones, reports.

unexpected violence. a quiet sunday morning in the capital conakry disrupted by gunfire. soon, residents were reporting a heavy military presence on the streets of the city. access to a bridge leading to the presidential palace was also reportedly blocked. this unverified footage, allegedly showing president alpha conde being detained by the military was widely shared on social media, fuelling rumours of a coup. the military soon appeared on tv, claiming they were moved to take over because of corruption and economic mismanagement. translation: the government is dissolved. _ land borders will be closed for one week and we will then see what will happen with our air orders. the coup plotters are from an elite military unit who have historically received training with the united states. their leader can be seen

here with american soldiers. this coup is the latest chapter in what's been a fractious year for guinea. last october, the country held violently disputed elections after the president changed the constitution to run for a third term. dozens of people were killed in the ensuing clashes. many of the protesters were young guineans, unhappy with president conde's management of the country's economy. this is the fourth coup attempt in the region injust over a year. mali is now under military rule, and there was a failed armed takeover in niger in march. in a region struggling with poverty and weak political institutions, it's a dangerous trend. mayenijones, bbc news. let's take a look at some other stories in the headlines. the group behind hong kong's annual vigil remembering those massacred in tienanmen square says it won't cooperate with a police investigation into the organisation's activities. police have accused the hong kong alliance in support of patriotic democratic movements

of china of being a foreign agent, an allegation it denies. tens of thousands of indian farmers have staged a protest in the northern state of uttar pradesh against agricultural reforms. they say it's their biggest demonstration yet since the movement started last november. the indian government says the laws, which loosen rules around how farmers can sell their produce, will give farmers more freedom. but critics say they'll leave small farmers vulnerable to big corporations. the 2020 tokyo paralympics have ended with a dazzling closing ceremony after 12 days of extraordinary sporting achievement by disabled athletes from 162 countries. but, as with the tokyo olympic games which preceded it, the paralympics have been overshadowed by the covid—19 pandemic which has been spreading uncontrolled across japan in the last month. our correspondent in tokyo, rupert wingfield—hayes, gave me his assessment.

well, i think it's a sporting achievement this games will be seen as a success. we have seen tremendous sporting achievements over the last 12 days. sport experts say on a level we haven't seen before the paralympics —— at the paralympics. i think it will be claimed by the government here, by the ioc and the paramount baked movement that these games have been a tremendous success. —— paralympic movement. on the other hand, they have come at a time when the pandemic injapan has really continued to spread very fast, so i think how it will beat seen by people injapan looking back is still hard to say. but i think the questions that were there at the beginning still remain today as the

games close, and those are why did they decide to go ahead with this in they decide to go ahead with this in the middle of a pandemic? why did the middle of a pandemic? why did the japanese government not move faster to get its population vaccinated before the olympics and the paralympics began? a lot of japanese people consequently still feel very ambivalent about the whole thing. it was put very well, i think, in the financial times in an article which said, asking about the prime minister. why did he decide to risk the health of a nation for a $25 billion event? the memory of which will be forgotten fairly quickly. and finally, we usually think of lions as steely hunters, but they have a more playful side. take a look. these pictures from oregon zoo show male lion zawadi enjoying playing with wood chips in his enclosure, along with lionesses neka and kya. they're all part of the zoo's breeding program. neka and kya have each given birth to three cubs, so it looks like there'll be plenty

more play to come. that's it from me. thanks for joining us. hello there. sunday was a warm and sunny day for most. hot for some along the south. temperature speaking at a around 27 605. we haven't seen temperatures like that in england since the end ofjuly —— 27 celsius. can see in the highland, the cloud they can for rain. in fact, that weather front is still continuing to bring outbreaks of rain as it moves south into the north of england. it is weakening as it bumps into this area of high pressure. a band of cloud and a few spots of rain towards dawn. mild start for all, may be missed involved lingering across south wales and southwest england. —— mist

and fog. the temperatures are set to line. some sunshine come through eastern england in northeast scotland. a light breeze coming from a southerly direction. that driving up a southerly direction. that driving up that dry air, peaking once again at 27 degrees. a5 up that dry air, peaking once again at 27 degrees. as we move out of monday into tuesday, still high pressure influencing the story. the winds in a clockwise direction which means the wind direction is coming from a southeasterly. driving in this warm air from the near continent, and with a little more of a breeze around, potentially on tuesday. that will break up the cloud. the sunshine will be fairly widespread right across the country, bar the exception perhaps for western isles. temperatures will be a little bit warmer, peeking at 25 celsius. we might see 29 somewhere across southern england. as we move out of tuesday, again, still plenty

of warm, sunny weather. but there is a potentialfor a of warm, sunny weather. but there is a potential for a few sharp showers towards the end of the day into the southwest, tied into another area of high pressure —— low pressure. peeking into the high 205. that means there is they will start to see a change. areas of low pressure moving off the atlantic, the wind direction changing once again and we see some outbreaks of rain. not widespread, but it does mean there will be a change as we move towards the end of the week. turning from warmer weather into something cooler with rain from thursday.

hello. this is bbc news. we'll be taking a look at tomorrow mornings papers in a moment — first the headlines. in afghanistan, the leader of the resistance group fighting the taliban, says he's willing to enter peace talks. relatives of a female police officer in the ghor province of afghanistan have told the bbc that she has been killed by the taliban. former girls aloud singer sarah harding has died at the age of 39, after being diagnosed with breast cancer last year. the head of one of prince charles' charities temporarily steps down after claims he helped secure an honourfor a major donor. plans to overhaul england's social

care system are likely to be and parliamentary journalist tony grew. tomorrow's front pages. the sun leads with the death of girls aloud singer sarah harding, with her mother describing her as a �*5hining star'. the metro echos that quote. the paper also covers the tax row, saying proposed national insurance hikes could hit young workers the hardest. the telegraph says plans to raise national insurance to pay for social care have been criticised by three former conservative chancellors.

the i reports that borisjohnson is under pressure from cabinet