tonight at ten — the unfolding catastrophe in afghanistan, where a shortage of food and aid is causing terrible suffering. the united nations says the situation is fast becoming the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. we report on the families forced to take desperate measures, including selling their babies to buy food. another person came up to one of our team and asked if we'd like to buy their child. the desperation and the urgency of this situation is hard to put in words. the situation in afghanistan has become markedly worse in the two months since the taliban seized power. also tonight... millions of workers stand to benefit from a rise in the national living wage to £9.50 an hour. we report from burnley

on the efforts to deal with the increase in mental health issues in the wake of the pandemic. and the un warns that greenhouse gases are at record levels, just days before the global climate summit in glasgow. and coming up in the sport on the bbc news channel... sobering scenes for scotland, thrashed by afghanistan in their first super 12 match at the men's t20 world cup. good evening. we start with the terrible plight of millions of people in afghanistan, where a deadly combination of a lack of food and a shortage of international funding is threatening to create the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. the united nations says the country where the taliban seized power two months ago

is heading for catastrophe. the un estimates that around 23 million people, over half the afghan population, face an acute shortage of food. that's a rise of nearly 40% since april this year. international aid, which has been keeping the economy afloat, has all but dried up, as world leaders consider their approach to the taliban regime. as the bbc�*s yogita limaye reports, some families have reached the point where they're selling their children to make ends meet. her report from the western city of herat contains distressing detail from the start. this is what starvation does to a country. to its tiniest lives. six—month—old usman. habib ur—rehman, born three months ago. afghanistan was barely surviving before the taliban took over, but now foreign funds which propped

up this country have been frozen. putting at leasti million children at risk of dying. in this ward, one in five will not make it. usman weighs less than half of what he should. his father is among millions who have no work. usman�*s mother told us his twin is in a room next—door. this hospital is full.

some babies are already sharing a bed. while we were there, six more children were brought in. it's the only facility for hundreds of miles. because, without foreign money, most hospitals are collapsing. doctors and nurses among masses of government workers who haven't been paid for months. a third of the country's people don't know where their next meal will come from. we travelled out of herat to a rural settlement. tens of thousands displaced from remote provinces by decades of war and severe drought. no means of income, barely any food. some days families here don't eat. they have sold whatever

little they had. and now some are forced to do the unthinkable. this baby girl has been sold by her family. we are hiding their identity to protect them. her husband used to collect rubbish, but even that earns him nothing now. once the baby is able to walk, she will be taken away by the man who bought her.

he has paid more than half of the £400 she has been sold for. that will get the family through a few months. they've been told the girl will be married to his child, but no—one can be sure. we know there are other families here who've sold their children and even while we've been here, another person came up to one of our team and asked if we'd like to buy their child. the desperation and the urgency of the situation is hard to put in words. there is no more time left to reach the people of afghanistan. it cannot wait while the world debates whether or not to recognise a taliban government. nearby, aid agencies hand out parcels that might save some children from hunger. alone, they can't provide for the staggering needs. giving the taliban money without guarantees on human rights and how the funds will be used is dangerous.

but afghanistan is sinking fast. millions here will not survive the winter. yogita limaye, bbc news, herat. 0ur afghanistan correspondent secunder kermani is in kabul. when we look at these horrific problems that we've been reporting on tonight, what will it take for the taliban to be able to attract back some of the funding and the aid that it has lost in recent months? well, some humanitarian aid is still continuing into afghanistan, but given the scale of the crisis right now, it is simply not enough. but afghanistan's economy, including the vast majority of public spending on things like healthcare, teachers�* salaries, all of that was deeply dependent on international funding, and that is what stop, at the same

time, $9 billion of afghanistan�*s foreign reserves were frozen by the united states so there is a real shortage of cashier, and that is what has driven this crisis. western diplomats, however, they have deep concerns about the taliban, about their willingness to crack down on groups like al-qaeda, about their treatment of women and young girls. the taliban want international legitimacy, they say, they want international assistance, but it�*s not clear what they are willing to compromise on to get it. time to find a solution to this, though, is running out. find a solution to this, though, is running out-— find a solution to this, though, is runnina out. ,, . ., ., running out. secunder kermani, our correspondent _ running out. secunder kermani, our correspondent in _ running out. secunder kermani, our correspondent in kabul, _ running out. secunder kermani, our correspondent in kabul, many- running out. secunder kermani, our l correspondent in kabul, many thanks. on wednesday, the chancellor, rishi sunak, will unveil his budget at westminster, which will include an increase in the national living wage. the current rate, which applies to workers aged 23 and over, is £8.91 an hour. mr sunak will announce that the new rate will be £9.50 an hour. that represents an increase of 6.6%, double the rate of inflation. the change will affect millions

of low—paid workers but labour says much of that increase will be swallowed up by tax rises and cuts to universal credit. 0ur political correspondent alex forsyth has more details. behind the treasury�*s closed doors, the budget plans are being drawn up. but, while the official announcement�*s still days away, details of spending plans have started to emerge. today, news of a wage rise for some of the lowest—paid. the cost of living is a really important issue. the key thing is that today�*s announcement, an extra £1,000 a year for people on the national living wage, is a really important protection against those pressures, and it helps to make sure that every family in the country where people are in work can really see that this is a government that�*s on their side. people working in retail or hospitality, care or maintenance, are among those who will likely benefit. those aged 23 and over will see wages rise to £9.50 an hour from april, with increases for younger workers, too, welcomed by some in birmingham today.

it�*s good news for everyone, especially people that work in care work and cleaning jobs and things like that. it's a shame it's not more but it is going to help, yeah. i think it's good, to be honest, - because with that money adding up, it's going to do a lot for a lot of people. minimum wage has to always increase, to be honest. - but for hetty, who runs a brownie business in gloucester that we visited at the start of the pandemic, it�*s an extra challenge after a tough time and could mean costs are passed on to customers. it will mean we�*ll have to increase our product prices. and it does make it difficult for when i want to reward my team for their hard work by giving them pay rises and it still feels like a pay rise for something great they�*ve done rather than because the government�*s told me i have to. with the economy moving again after covid, there has been pressure on the government to help those struggling with rising bills and rising prices. part of its answer is pay going up.

the government says it wants to move to a high—wage economy, where people earn more to help with household budgets. as well as today�*s announcement, the chancellor has hinted that public sector workers could be in line for a pay rise, too. but critics say it isn�*t enough, given that some support put in place through the pandemic has ended and people are facing tax rises, too. what the government have announced today is going to be swallowed up by the tax rises they�*ve already announced, by that big cut to universal credit and because people are already seeing big increases in the cost of living, so it�*s just more smoke and mirrors for the government. there will be more to come from the treasury on wednesday, when the chancellor will set out not just who might benefit from this budget but how he plans to keep the books balanced. well, we have had a flurry of announcements ahead of the budget, which has prompting strong words from the speaker of the house of commons, who said the chancellor should be coming to parliament with these things first.

much of what we have had so far has focused on where the government plans to invest. today there was an announcement of £5.9 billion for the nhs to help try to clear record backlogs in people waiting for tests and scans. the problem is, we are just getting part of the picture, and what the chancellor will have to do on wednesday is to put these promises in the context of the public finances. we know he�*s already mindful of what has been spent through the course of the pandemic, so there is not going to be money all round. the challenge for him is whether he makes the decisions that help the people and the parts of the economy that really need it the most. alex forsyth with the latest at westminster, many thanks. less than a week before world leaders gather in glasgow for the global climate conference, the united nations has warned that greenhouse gases reached record levels last year, despite the economic slowdown caused by the pandemic. a new report suggests the target set by countries six years ago to limit the rise in the earth�*s temperature

to 1.5 degrees celsius is not being met. 0ur science editor david shukman is here. about that initial target, way off track? , ., , ., , track? yes, the un has totted up the ledaes track? yes, the un has totted up the pledges countries _ track? yes, the un has totted up the pledges countries have _ track? yes, the un has totted up the pledges countries have made on - pledges countries have made on climate change and found there are a long way short, that emissions are still projected to rise by 2030 when the science is screaming they have to be halved in that time to avoid the most dangerous climate change. we are still on course for hazardous levels of warming. it�*s still possible that the world�*s largest polluter, china, put in the coming days produce a spectacular surprise offer that might change everything but, unless that happens, it�*s hard to see how the cop26 conference can deliver the kind of real transformation many want from it. and when some poorer countries say they have not been given the financial help and incentives they were promised some years ago, do they have a point?—

were promised some years ago, do they have a point? yes, 12 years ago at the copenhagen _ they have a point? yes, 12 years ago at the copenhagen summit - they have a point? yes, 12 years ago at the copenhagen summit in - they have a point? yes, 12 years ago at the copenhagen summit in 2009, | they have a point? yes, 12 years ago | at the copenhagen summit in 2009, i was there, they were promised by now they would be getting $100 billion a year to help cope with climate change they didn�*t cause. today we learnt that target is still not been met and not be met for another couple of years. it was greeted by massive disappointment, as you�*d imagine, and it might explain why borisjohnson was saying today when it comes to the conference and the outcome, things are pretty touch and go. outcome, things are pretty touch and i0, ., ~' outcome, things are pretty touch and to. ., " outcome, things are pretty touch and co. . ,, , ., let�*s turn to the pandemic, and the latest official figures. they show there were 36,567 new infections recorded in the latest 24—hour period. that�*s a quarter less than last monday. it means an average of 45,100 new cases were reported per day in the last week. there were 8,239 people in hospital with covid as of friday. 38 deaths were reported of people who died within 28 days of a positive covid—19 test.

on average in the past week, 135 related deaths were recorded every day. mental health services in england have been hit particularly hard by the impact of the pandemic. nhs figures injune show there were nearly 400,000 new referrals, up nearly a quarter from june 2019. and in east lancashire, urgent and emergency mental health referrals, the most serious of cases almost quadrupled injuly, compared to the same month in 2019. the picture is similarly stark in other deprived areas, though the figures for england as a whole have remained roughly stable. our special correspondent, ed thomas, has returned to burnley, where the lancashire and south cumbria nhs trust is under increasing pressure. he�*s been following the work of local pastor mick fleming, who supports some of the area�*s most vulnerable people. ed�*s report includes some distressing detail.

i really want to talk to you! inside a closed down gym in burnley, now reborn as a church, the desperate seek refuge. has anybody rung an ambulance? every other person around me is struggling with one form of mental health or another. i've been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and anxiety. i he�*s come out of a psychiatric unit. to the street? to the street. anxiety... ..paranoia... ..unable to cope in everyday life. i�*m feeling lost. i want to be human again. it's notjust here in burnley. it's all over the country. and the people who've suffered most are the ones who at the bottom - of the pile always. i don�*t think i can do it. it�*s too hard. come on, come with me. every week, hundreds

climb these steps. tonight, the church stays open forjohn. he's poorly, he's got mental health issues. if i lock this door... sit down here. ..he dies. tell me what's happened. john�*s paranoid. he needs urgent care. take a deep breath. take a really deep breath. i'm panicking! so, tell me with the big panic is. what's the big one? it's happening across the road! all right, 0k. it's been going on too long! before this, john said he rang his gp for a prescription, but was told to call back in 48 hours. nobody else has listened! he's the only one that ever actually does sit down! - it's all right, john. john says he�*s not seen a gp all year.

don't know what to think, i what to do, who to speak to. | people look at you like you belong| in a lunatic asylum when you speak about your mental health. it's like they don't realise there's thousands suffering. _ we�*re at the church, we just had a telephone call. yeah, just took an overdose. you do know you have to ring an ambulance, don't you? this evening, pastor mick received three calls in an hour from people at risk of suicide. but he can�*t answer every call. i didn't answer the phone, and i got the message... ..that, "if you don't answer the phone i'm going to kill myself." and they did. help also came too late for robert. he was a really kind—hearted person. he struggled through lockdown. two weeks afterjoanne asked for support, he took his own life.

the day he killed himself, i had a phone call and asked, "can i speak to robert ryan?" and they said, "he�*s not here no more." and i said, "what do you mean?" they said, "wejust found him dead." they said, you�*re a bit late, aren�*t you?" and what did they say? i�*m so sorry to hear that. i wished i could�*ve got back sooner. it feels like it�*s my fault because i didn�*t get the help quick enough for him. and now she can�*t forget. i see the flashbacks in my head all the time. it�*s like... it�*s always reminding me of him. i can see him every day in my head. when i get up. when i go to sleep. i don�*t think i can do it! it�*s too hard. if robbie had had early help... i think he would�*ve been all right. he would�*ve still been here. what�*s covid done to this town, this country?

i think it's made any issuesl for people that were already struggling ten times worse. services are overstretched, overworked~ _ can't always help everybody. i can't spell good, but i can read 0k. during lockdown, robbie was admitted to a psychiatric unit after trying to end his life. is this all you�*ve got in life? yeah, just a bit of loose change. after six months, he was released yesterday without accommodation. where did you sleep last night? i was at some old guy's house. he didn't have no gas, electric. so i ended up going from there walking around town all night. he�*s come out of a psychiatric unit. to the street? to the street. 24 hours after being released, robbie is close to crisis. confusion, upset, suicidal. it's like they've designed it to make me do it because they don't want me in no more. but i'm just trying to better myself. ijust want a better life, that's all i want. i'm sick of this.

this is just the tip of the iceberg. they feel left behind because they can�*t get any help. so, what do they do? well, they turn to addiction a lot of the time. and that means they�*re seeing more of this. he's gone over, hasn't he? anybody to do the naloxone? here's your daily med. the most vulnerable here at risk of losing their lives. he's overdosed. so, people don't like to see that, but that's the reality of every city and every town in this country. and i'm sorry if it offends people. they're dying. weeks after being referred, john has been unable to speak to the mental health team. i don't really want to live no more cos mental health's that bad. - joanne is being supported

by church on the street. robbie was placed by burnley council in a b&b. within 72 hours, he was readmitted to a psychiatric unit. lives changed forever, struggling for mental health care. it's non—existent in my mind in this country now. - because the way everybody's been treated, all this coronavirus - and all the excuses. cos that's all they are, aren't they? i just using excuses. ed thomas reporting. tonight, nhs england told us they urge anyone who needs help with mental health issues to come forward. details of organisations offering information and support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline or you can call free at any time to hear recorded information on 08000155 998.

the metropolitan police is to apologise to the family of two murdered sisters after a report concluded that the level of service provided after their disappearance was unacceptable. nicole smallman and bibaa henry were killed injune as they celebrated a birthday in a park in wembley. the independent office for police conduct found that officers were slow to investigate after the women were reported missing. more than a third of the world�*s population are active users of facebook and its other social media products. it�*s a startling figure, and the global tech giant has been facing serious allegations about the impact of its platforms on society. a former facebook manager who�*s turned whistleblower has told a parliamentary committee at westminster that facebook and others are "subsidising hate" online. our technology correspondent, rory cellan—jones, has the story.

facebook, a corporate giant used by 2.9 billion people, an empire which includes instagram, whatsapp and the virtual reality business 0culus. but now that empire stands accused of putting profits before people. frances, we�*re delighted you�*ve been able to make this trip to be in london and give evidence to us. at westminster this afternoon, francis haugen, the whistle—blower who�*s made that charge, told mps and peers what she learned inside the company. she said events like january�*s storming of the us congress were made more likely because of the way facebook was designed. the algorithms take people who have very mainstream interests, and they push them towards extreme interests. you can be someone centre—left, and you'll get pushed to radical left. you can be centre—right, and you'll get pushed to radical right. you can be looking for healthy recipes, you'll get pushed to anorexia content. she described how instagram facilitated bullying which would follow children home from school, so that it would be with them day and night. and she put much of the blame on facebook�*s founder.

you know, mark zuckerberg has unilateral control over 3 billion people, right? there's no will at the top to make sure these systems are run in an adequately safe way. frances haugen�*s testimony comes just as politicians here seem united on the need to rein in facebook and other online giants. but exactly how a new law would work, well, that�*s farfrom clear. the whistle—blower told the committe what was needed from facebook was complete transparency about its inner workings. tonight, the social media giant had this response. i would encourage people to look at what the actual facts are, - and hopefully they can see that this is something this| company prioritises. and let's be honest, - it's in our financial interest to make sure that people have a good experience on our site. _ frances haugen has now taken her allegations about her former employer to politicians in westminster and washington. but while facebook�*s reputation has certainly been damaged, so far its finances

remain very healthy. rory cellan—jones, bbc news. a military coup is under way in sudan, where the armed forces have ended a power sharing agreement, arrested civilian political leaders including the prime minister and declared a state of emergency. military and civilian leaders have been at loggerheads since the long—time ruler 0mar al—bashir was overthrown two years ago. protests against the coup have spread from the capital khartoum to several cities. 0ur africa correspondent anne soy reports. keeping the flames of democracy alive. it is here on the streets of sudan cities they were fans, and the people are back trying to stop the military extinguishing them. they shared power with the army and there was the promise of elections, so the coup is seen as a betrayal.

translation: to coup is seen as a betrayal. translation:— translation: to re'ect it completely. * translation: to re'ect it completely. we h translation: to reject it completely. we have - translation: to reject it completely. we have to l translation: to reject it| completely. we have to go translation: to reject it - completely. we have to go back to the constitutional document. the government should be handed to civilians and you should free all those you detained.— civilians and you should free all those ou detained. ., , those you detained. thousands heeded the call to defend _ those you detained. thousands heeded the call to defend democracy _ those you detained. thousands heeded the call to defend democracy and - the call to defend democracy and some paid a heavy price. many of these images were blocked on state media. they played patriotic songs all day instead, breaking only for this announcement by the head of the ruling council. translation: ., , ., , ., ., translation: at first a state of emergency _ translation: at first a state of emergency is — translation: at first a state of emergency is all _ translation: at first a state of emergency is all over _ translation: at first a state of emergency is all over the - translation: at first a state of | emergency is all over the country. protesters believe the military possible actions today, including putting the prime minister under house arrest, speak far louder than their words. house arrest, speak far louder than theirwords. many, including aid agencies in the country, are concerned about what happens now. we concerned about what happens now. 7 are so concerned. this was a big humanitarian situation before, with 14 million people in need of

humanitarian assistance. there are over a million refugees hosted here, and yet this country is struggling to move on, and it was in some ways, it feels like everything has gone back to square one. it�*s it feels like everything has gone back to square one.— it feels like everything has gone back to square one. it's 'ust two ears back to square one. it's 'ust two years fl back to square one. it's 'ust two years since the t back to square one. it's 'ust two years since the streets _ back to square one. it'sjust two years since the streets were - back to square one. it'sjust two| years since the streets were last like this, with long—term leader al—bashir being overthrown for stop it was hoped there would be some stability but today that hope seems shattered. anne soy, abc news. —— bbc news. cricket, and the all—rounder ben stokes has been added to england�*s ashes squad heading to australia next month. he�*s been given the all—clear by his consultant after a second operation on a fractured finger, which he broke in april. he�*s also taken time out to focus on his mental health. in the men�*s t20 cricket world cup, taking place in the united arab emirates, afghanistan defeated scotland by 130 runs, asjoe wilson reports. there has never been a more significant occasion for scotland�*s cricketers.

to get here has demanded dedication, inspiration, qualification. they�*ve now earned games against some of the world�*s highest ranked nations, and that includes afghanistan. for afghanistan�*s men�*s team, at least, cricket has meant global connection and rapid rise. the future is seriously uncertain. in sharjah, their batters enjoyed themselves, but there�*s mark watt to spoil the fun. zazai gone. scotland are never down for long. neither, however, was the ball. 11 sixes in afghanistan�*s 190. scotland, follow that! sadly, they couldn�*t. tough enough facing afghanistan�*s spin bowlers but then the wicket—keeper holds a catch like this! the match became afghanistan�*s occasion. 60 all—out. ouch! well, that is world cup cricket. joe wilson, bbc news.

that�*s it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night.