this is bbc news. the headlines: china's foreign ministry has summoned the us ambassador to beijing to protest against the visit to taiwan of nancy pelosi, the us speaker of the house of representatives. the self—ruled island is claimed by china as a breakaway province. the white house said mrs pelosi's visit was consistent with the one—china policy. president biden�*s administration has accused the taliban of breaking an agreement not to allow foreign militants on afghan soil. the rebuke came after a us drone strike in kabul killed ayman al—zawahiri, the leader of al qaeda. the first grain ship to have sailed from a ukrainian controlled port

since russia invaded the country has reached turkish waters. it's hoped that resuming grain exports from ukraine will help ease a global food crisis, now on bbc news, fleeing afghanistan: free to be me. i've concluded that it's time to end america's longest war. it's time for american troops to come home. as us, uk and nato forces leave afghanistan, the taliban tightens its grip and a humanitarian crisis unfolds. everybody was desperately trying to find anyway to get out of afghanistan because it was the only chance to stay alive. so frightened, stressful. there was lots of broken cars all over the airport

and there was nothing, just a gate, to go into the plane. people were running towards the aircraft, the airport. - there were soldiers| keeping people out. the taliban, who were beating up people with sticks, - with wires, whatever they had, and they were shooting - on the ground and in the air. like the end of the world in the hollywood movies. i can't describe what the scene was like. i i have been beaten many times for the way i am. the taliban's interpretation of sharia law means homosexuality is punishable by death. they kill me by stones or maybe killed by fire. maybe hanging. they executed a trans person in kabul. - were you afraid of being killed? yes, many times. what will happen to me? what will have the future for me?

many people who don't make it out are forced into hiding. they wait and hope for survival. a secret operation to get some of the most vulnerable to safety begins. we started getting e—mails out of the blue from desperate lgbtq+ afghan people looking anywhere all around the world for someone who could help them. kind of like getting a message in a bottle. it was very clear as we were looking at events unfold in august in kabul that we would have to support those who might be at risk and those in need. when the taliban came they said we are going to look— for these lgbt people. they had names and addresses. they are searching our body and passports and visas. are you a spy for- the former government? have you worked with nato? for what reason do you want to leave? i was hiding, desperately looking for some way

to get out. they had to leave their families. people who are in hiding and had been hiding for many weeks now. people who were running out of food. and those moments when they were travelling were always nervous ones, were people going to be able to make it to fly or cross the border? i choose the risk because if i stay in my home country i am faced with my death. just the most desperate thing. completely almost physical sense of the risk. i was taking calls and messages through the night. how am i going to get - inside the airport because of the security, because of the boundary brigade i of the taliban - guarding the airport? you have to go in simple i clothing, afghan clothing. try to act as a common guy as much as possible. - and say whatever you need to say. i everyone was so stressed. everyone was noticing who was gay in this plane. weeks later in the dead of night a flight lands in the uk.

the police officer said welcome in uk. i felt the stress and to my heart went fast, fast. in the uk, get it. i felt calm. it's been a journey, a beautifuljourney to see. when we would knock and introduce ourselves people were reallyjust excited and sometimes overwhelmed. i said my name - and that i was gay. it was kind of liberating. we were hugging each other. i was a little bit crying. they asked, what's your name? she seems so nervous but brave. she said... my name is bella. she repeated it a few times.

my name is bella, it was my - first time to announce my name completely by my tongue and lips. i told myself that you're going to be safe now. almost a year after the afghan government collapsed, 3000 miles away, a group of refugees are beginning a new life. i've spent the last couple of months getting to know a few of them. today i am in brighton, known as one of the country's most welcoming lgbt cities. i'm off to meet bella, who is transgender, and for the very first time is free to be her true self. hello, hello. bella is one of around 30 people who identifies lgbt that made it out of the capital kabul last autumn after the taliban took control and flights organised by the uk government and charities.

thank you very much, how are you settling? it's amazing, i love brighton. while the majority who arrived last year are living in hotels across the country, bella has moved into a flat that she has decorated with her own paintings. while i am painting i create new worlds. the reason i can survive. being lgbt is criminalised in afghanistan and when the taliban returned, those who had been living a double life underground face being tracked down. and bella had to make a choice. in afghanistan i had to hide myself in another body and another name. this is my bedroom. she was forced to leave everything she knew. while she looks for work here she receives £80 a week to live off and accommodation. in afghanistan i had more space and the house was bigger.

and it was in a huge garden. today she is dressed in the clothes she wants and is wearing make up. who is the most beautiful woman on the earth? but being out in public like this is still very new. do you come down here by yourself? sometimes. i feel like a baby. like you have been reborn? yeah. the taliban believe that god created this body and you have no right to change. it is completely illegal. when you want to be a female, but your body is male, so it is completely... they will kill you. when did you know you were trans? i was born as... ..with these emotions. sometimes people are laughing at me when i was a kid.

i learned i should hide myself. i can be like my sisters and mother, girls. but they said you are a bad boy, and waiting for men to do bad something with you. bella told me there were times she considered taking her own life and she still suffers with depression. since 14, i started medication because it was very terrible to hide myself and it made me sad, day by day. i started to be grey and i started to feel darker, more dark and more dark. while bella is discovering new independence in brighton, i have come to birmingham to catch up with others in the group. nice to see you. ahmed is gay.

he has been living in a hotel room for months. i would ask for a tour. but this is the room, how are you settling in? he is educating himself about the many different aspects of life in britain. cheese rolling? yeah, cheese rolling. i saw this on tv, people rolling after cheese. hours before i arrived, ahmed decides he doesn't want to appear in front of the camera because he is afraid of what will happen to his friends back home if he is recognised. he agrees to still talk to me but we hide his face and change his name. the more i discovered about my identity. it was like i lost myself, ending up like a sickness, a dizziness inside, like a personality issues with the people. i have seen a lot of people be hurt. they have covered themselves because... because they were lgbt? yeah. they had nowhere to go and report it.

forgive me, did anything like that happen to you? yeah, actually. yeah, yeah. it's not a good feeling. it's not a good thing to tell about. it's a bad thing. but you were hurt because of being gay? yeah. there are other things ahmed doesn't want to talk about. things he was put through in afghanistan and saw done to others because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. it is obvious how traumatised he is and much happier talking about the present. your space is quite compact. do you do exercise with stuff down here as well? yeah. he goes to college a few days a week and his accommodation is paid for by the government. he has signed up at the job centre where he is trying to find employment so he

can move into a flat. in afghanistan he was a youth worker and loved to cook. now his whole life takes place inside these four walls. i wake up at 6:30am. i just prepare for college, and i go to college. we still live in a hotel, so it's not like a feeling of home. at the moment i still feel safe and feel like we will be safe in the future here. what has struck me is that life here in this place is freedom for so many after everything they've been through back home in afghanistan. but that freedom is being lived out in a very small hotel room. there is no fridge, no washing machine, no kitchen. and although they are free and not in fear of being killed for who they are, it's very hard for them to build a life and there is still a long way to go for them to get the full freedom we have. everyone who speaks to me is taking a huge risk.

a few miles away i meet up with ali. he asked me to hide his face and change his name and his words are re—voiced by an actor. his parents threw him out when they discovered he was bisexual and he lived alone and worked in kabul. when the taliban returned last august everything changed overnight. the anxiety was off the roof. i couldn't sleep for. four days and nights. i was awake, thinking they are coming now, they are coming now. the problem started when they started catching other lgbts. l one person was enough for them to get other people. _ ali learned about a charity called rainbow railroad, working with stonewall in the uk to get lgbt people to safety. after several weeks of secret communication they got him a plane ticket and a student visa. he headed for one of the final few flights still in operation, in constant fear of being caught. they had tracking devices. they could hack your - phone and your whatsapp.

they could do a lot of stuff, - the taliban, even a simple song was enough to get you in trouble. - ali grew a beard and dressed in traditional afghan clothing. he learned a cover story and left home with just a backpack and the equivalent of £15 in his pocket. like ahmed, he still lives in a hotel but has a job interview this week. even now, he is afraid to trust. with life in the uk, i am safe. but i do have concerns - for my friends and family back home because the taliban are trying to get to our families. i what they will do is arrest. them, torture them and send those videos to me. like, you need to come back or your brother, . father, son or sister- will suffer because of you. with that in mind, why did you feel it was important to talk to us and tell us? because nobody is speaking on our behalf, afghan lgbt| people have always existed. i thought maybe we need to speak up, even if it isi dangerous, because if i don't

do it, who is going to do it? i everything was so different from my country. what did you enjoy the most when you were doing that? 0ne organisation vital to the rescue and helping the group with a new life is micro rainbow. the charity runs safe houses for lgbt asylum seekers. sebastian and maud teach them about living in the uk, how to find a job and a place to live. they also arrange regular counselling sessions. we have lgbtq organisations who can support you. bella, ahmed and ali might be out of afghanistan but now they face new difficulties. leaving their culture, families and friends behind, and often their children and partners, was a huge thing. also not knowing what would have happened to their loved ones once they left

the country. for so many you were the first person they saw when they got to the uk. what was it like on the first day when you met everyone? it was overwhelming. and i can imagine for them as well. literally the first thing i would say to them is, you know, welcome, and you are safe now, and you're free. maud is from zimbabwe, which has fewer protections for lg bt people. as a lesbian she claimed asylum. how has your week been? she spends her time helping the group with a new culture and lifestyle. you have been looking at grindr. bella is thinking about dating. i had bad experiences. talking about sexual health, we have to talk about safety, you are safe here, no one will arrest or kill you because of who you are but you still have to be

careful when you meet people. they say you want to visit their home. ithink, please, take coffee or a drink. no, we just want to hook up. people have no patience. you want to start a different social life so you are notjust at home alone. that's when you are going on grindr to talk to people. last august, the taliban seized control of afghanistan's capital in just ten days, taking governments around the world by surprise. there are no lgbtq+ organisations in afghanistan. we had to tell these people that they were going to have to keep hiding in this incredibly dangerous situation. politicians described the withdrawal as a disaster but failed to prioritise some

of the most vulnerable until it too late. despite that, the uk was the first country to offer a special relocation programme specifically for lgbt people. but as help on the ground dried up it was a race against time. you are watching bbc news. we are going to go straight and we expect to hearfrom mrs pelosi to the taiwanese president. translation:— to the taiwanese president. translation: ., ., , ., translation: third, taiwan is a reliable and _ translation: third, taiwan is a reliable and trustworthy - reliable and trustworthy cooperative partner of the united states. we will continue to work with the us congress as well as the administration to strengthen cooperation in areas

such as indo pacific security, economic element, talent cultivation and supply chain so as to further elevate taiwan us relations. 0nce once again, i welcome the speaker pelosi and the delegation to taiwan. thank you for taking concrete action to show staunch support for taiwan at this critical moment and expressing the us's consistent policy supporting taiwan's self defence. ,, , defence. studio: so the president— defence. studio: so the president laying - defence. studio: so the president laying out - defence. studio: so the president laying out the | defence. studio: so the i president laying out the key tenets or positions of taiwan, vis—a—vis the chinese mainland and its rights to self rule and to maintain its democracy. m50 to maintain its democracy. also expresses _ to maintain its democracy. also expresses our _ to maintain its democracy. also expresses our wish _ to maintain its democracy. also expresses our wish to - to maintain its democracy. i"r

expresses our wish to continue progressing taiwan us relations through more cooperation. to close, thank you all again for coming. taiwan and the united states shall continue with our mutual support and be steadfast partners to one another in our joint efforts to make democracy shine again. thank you. applause studio: so they welcomed there and address from the president, from tsai ing—wen, directed very particularly at nancy pelosi, who has brought with her a significant us delegation as well, and this is her opportunity to respond. it as well, and this is her opportunity to respond. it is my honour— opportunity to respond. it is my honour to _ opportunity to respond. it is

my honour to receive - opportunity to respond. it is my honour to receive proud a woman— my honour to receive proud a woman president in one of the freest — woman president in one of the freest societies i have great admiration for your leadership and great personal humility, i accept — and great personal humility, i accept this award, humility because _ accept this award, humility because i accepted, not for me only— because i accepted, not for me only but— because i accepted, not for me only but for our members of congress _ only but for our members of congress and all that you said about— congress and all that you said about our— congress and all that you said about our accomplishments together. democrats and republicans, house and senate, both _ republicans, house and senate, both sides of the aisle, united in our— both sides of the aisle, united in our support for taiwan. this time _ in our support for taiwan. this time i— in our support for taiwan. this time i am _ in our support for taiwan. this time i am so excited to receive this award _ time i am so excited to receive this award on behalf of the united _ this award on behalf of the united states congress that is 'ust united states congress that is just unwavering, the response we had — just unwavering, the response we had to— just unwavering, the response we had to our visit was so positive _ we had to our visit was so positive from our colleagues. i look— positive from our colleagues. i look forward to displaying this award — look forward to displaying this award in — look forward to displaying this award in the speakers office. more — award in the speakers office. more wearing it there, right? laughter

in the capitol as a symbol of our treasured friendship. studio: warm words from nancy pelosi as she accepts the order, the order awarded to her there. she is bearing the sash, which she will wear in congress, she says. i

which she will wear in congress, she says. ithink it is important _ congress, she says. ithink it is important to _ congress, she says. ithink it is important to remind - congress, she says. ithink it is important to remind some | congress, she says. i think it- is important to remind some and inform _ is important to remind some and inform others of how we are here — inform others of how we are here 43 _ inform others of how we are here. 43 years ago with the taiwanese relations act, america _ taiwanese relations act, america made a bedrock promise to always — america made a bedrock promise to always stand with taiwan. and — to always stand with taiwan. and on— to always stand with taiwan. and on the strong foundation, we have — and on the strong foundation, we have built a thriving partnership, grounded in our shared — partnership, grounded in our shared values of self—government and self—determination, focused on our mutual security in the region— our mutual security in the region and across the world, committed to the economic ties that power prosperity for all of our — that power prosperity for all of our people. studio: so nancy pelosi laying out a little bit of a history of the relations between the two countries. worth pointing out also that there are very

few countries that do recognise taiwan as an independent state, and those who do are relatively small countries and dwindling in number. nonetheless the united states in particular leading the drive to make the point that the right to self—government and self determination is etched into taiwan's make up and should be maintained. today, our delegation, which i'm today, our delegation, which i'm very— today, our delegation, which i'm very proud of, came to taiwan— i'm very proud of, came to taiwan to _ i'm very proud of, came to taiwan to make it unequivocally clear— taiwan to make it unequivocally clear we — taiwan to make it unequivocally clear we will not abandon our commitment to taiwan, and we are proud — commitment to taiwan, and we are proud of our enduring friendship, and mayl are proud of our enduring friendship, and may i mention, they— friendship, and may i mention, they are — friendship, and may i mention, they are all co—chairs of this delegation, the chair of the foreign _ delegation, the chair of the foreign affairs committee from new york, the chair of the foreign _ new york, the chair of the foreign affairs committee, california, the vice chair of

the — california, the vice chair of the ways _ california, the vice chair of the ways and means committee of washington state, the member of the intelligence committee and leader— the intelligence committee and leader of covid and so many things— leader of covid and so many things in— leader of covid and so many things in the congress from, i say illinois, she says chicago, and _ say illinois, she says chicago, and again. _ say illinois, she says chicago, and again, one of our newest members _ and again, one of our newest members of congress, certainly as a diplomat, in the state department before becoming a congressman, andy kim of not only— congressman, andy kim of not only of— congressman, andy kim of not only of the long services committee but also the foreign affairs — committee but also the foreign affairs committee and others. we are — affairs committee and others. we are very proud of our delegation, and you will be hearing _ delegation, and you will be hearing from them in the course of our— hearing from them in the course of our visit, _ hearing from them in the course of our visit, who delegation, and — of our visit, who delegation, and we — of our visit, who delegation, and we are proud to be here with— and we are proud to be here with the _ and we are proud to be here with the vice president, with other— with the vice president, with other with you, madam president. thank you the story

of taiwan— president. thank you the story of taiwan is an inspiration to in the — of taiwan is an inspiration to in the united states and out of a crucible _ in the united states and out of a crucible of challenge, you have — a crucible of challenge, you have forged a flourishing democracy, one of the freest in the world, _ democracy, one of the freest in the world, proudly to be led by a woman— the world, proudly to be led by a woman president. that is an applause _ a woman president. that is an applause line. a woman president. that is an applause line-—

studio: as we hear this translation i willjust point out a course that from the perspective of what this picture really is bringing us, brings us into contact accords with the relations between the us and china. that lies at the heart of this, and this meeting has certainly antagonised beijing. has certainly antagonised bei'inu. . . has certainly antagonised bei'inu. ., . ., beijing. peaceful and pr05perous _ beijing. peaceful and prosperous future, - beijing. peaceful and prosperous future, even j beijing. peaceful and. prosperous future, even in terms _ prosperous future, even in terms of— prosperous future, even in terms of the challenges you face, — terms of the challenges you face, and now, more than ever, america's— face, and now, more than ever, america's solidarity with taiwan— america's solidarity with taiwan is crucial, and that is the — taiwan is crucial, and that is the message we are bringing here — the message we are bringing here today. the message we are bringing here today-— the message we are bringing here toda . ,, , ., here today. studio: there are questions _ here today. studio: there are

questions as — here today. studio: there are questions as to _ here today. studio: there are questions as to what _ here today. studio: there are questions as to what that - here today. studio: there arej questions as to what that level of support from the us does amount to. resident biden has said previously that they would be the possibility of military intervention, should that be required, but the white house has also stepped back from that position. but it's clear that there is an anxiety about china's determination, as xi jinping has put it, to move towards reunification of taiwan with the chinese mainland. this with the chinese mainland. as well as global security, economy to spread prosperity in our own— economy to spread prosperity in our own country and others, and governments are three principled pillars. they are all three _ principled pillars. they are all three areas we have greater cooperation and friendship with taiwan, — cooperation and friendship with taiwan, and we value that. just do want — taiwan, and we value that. just do want mention and congratulate taiwan for your governance of the covid issue. the pandemic. you are a model to the _ the pandemic. you are a model to the world, in terms of the cooperation of the people and

the success of your initiatives. congratulations, madam _ initiatives. congratulations, madam president, congratulations to the people of taiwan for following the lead — of taiwan for following the lead and suggesting their own proposal. today, the world faces— proposal. today, the world faces a _ proposal. today, the world faces a choice between democracy and autocracy. america's determination to preserve _ america's determination to preserve democracy here in taiwan— preserve democracy here in taiwan and around the world remains _ taiwan and around the world remains ironclad, and we are grateful— remains ironclad, and we are grateful to the people of taiwan _ grateful to the people of taiwan and this nation. i am very— taiwan and this nation. i am very grateful to receive this award _ very grateful to receive this award i_ very grateful to receive this award. i am grateful to you, madam _ award. i am grateful to you, madam president, to the people for their— madam president, to the people for their enduring friendship, as are — for their enduring friendship, as are maori colleagues, with many— as are maori colleagues, with many taiwan americans who are very— many taiwan americans who are very excited about our visit, and — very excited about our visit, and in — very excited about our visit, and in fact— very excited about our visit, and in fact when i came before in 99, — and in fact when i came before in 99, i— and in fact when i came before in 99, i came with them, and we learned— in 99, i came with them, and we learned a— in 99, i came with them, and we learned a lot, and that is what we came — learned a lot, and that is what we came to do, to participate in the — we came to do, to participate in the asian pacific initiative

in the asian pacific initiative in a — in the asian pacific initiative in a way— in the asian pacific initiative in a way that is appropriate for taiwan to be successful with — for taiwan to be successful with their own trade, security etc, _ with their own trade, security etc, and _ with their own trade, security etc, and to do so in a way that opens— etc, and to do so in a way that opens many more possibilities. we came — opens many more possibilities. we came here to listen... studio: _ we came here to listen... studio: this is bbc news. a warm welcome to all of our viewers on pbs at around the world. you join us as nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives addresses not just the president of taiwan, but also the appointed delegates. she hasjust delegates. she has just completed, delegates. she hasjust completed, in fact, delegates. she hasjust completed, infact, heraddress on what is seen as an historic moment but an antagonistic one as well, as beijing has made it very clear they did not want this visit to take place, they did not think it was appropriate for nancy pelosi to come to taiwan and offer her support to the democracy there,

because beijing itself believes