this is bbc news, the headlines: the former us president, donald trump, has refused to answer questions from the new york attorney general, who is investigating the trump organisation's business practices. mr trump invoked his right against self—incrimination under the fifth amendment. afterwards he called the process a witch—hunt. dozens of people are missing after a boat, laden with migrants, sank off the greek coast. the vessel is believed to have gone down near the island of karpathos, after setting sail from southern turkey and heading for italy. a search and rescue operation is underway. newly released images appear to show several destroyed russian warplanes at a crimean airbase — following explosions there earlier this week. the saky base in the west of russian—ruled crimea was struck on tuesday.

ukraine has not claimed responsibility for what appear to be targeted attacks. now on bbc news, hardtalk welcome to hardtalk, i am stephen sackur. a year on from the very imposition of the taliban rule, afghanistan is facing a humanitarian calamity. after population is facing serious food insecurity and more than 1 million children are at risk of acute malnutrition. the taliban seemed focused on snuffing out opposition and imposing strict controls on women and girls. my guess is formerfirst

controls on women and girls. my guess is former first vice president of afghanistan and now a seniorfigure in president of afghanistan and now a senior figure in the national resistance front, amrullah saleh. it is internal resistance a viable when afghans are starving? theme music plays amrullah saleh, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. it is a year since the taliban swept into kabul and topple the government of which you were a part. has this been a year of

failure from your point of view? . ,., ., , failure from your point of view? . ., , ., view? the taliban, it has not been not _ view? the taliban, it has not been not only _ view? the taliban, it has not been not only a _ view? the taliban, it has not been not only a year- view? the taliban, it has not been not only a year of- view? the taliban, it has not| been not only a year of failure but has exposed their real intentions to the afghan people. they have brought disaster, starvation, displacement and they have a basically pushed women into shadows. all those people who were architect of the handover of afghanistan to the taliban, justifying that they have changed, responsible for this catastrophe. changed, responsible for this catastmphe-_ changed, responsible for this catastrophe. changed, responsible for this catastrohe. ., . . ., catastrophe. you have chosen to focus on the _ catastrophe. you have chosen to focus on the taliban's _ focus on the taliban's failings. i was thinking more about your situation. when you were forced to flee from kabul, you took to your panjshir valley home and told them you would build a resistance and

topple the taliban but obviously, one year on, you have failed.— obviously, one year on, you have failed. no, we have not failed. have failed. no, we have not failed- we — have failed. no, we have not failed. we did _ have failed. no, we have not failed. we did build - have failed. no, we have not failed. we did build the - failed. we did build the resistance, we did not give up, surrender, change out narrative and we are still fighting and we broke down one helicopter, we broke down one helicopter, we have prisoners in our custody and, as i said. it was a massive conspiracy to handover afghanistan to the taliban. the very fact that we are still fighting and we have not given up is eight magnificent hope for the afghan people. we magnificent hope for the afghan neale, . ., magnificent hope for the afghan n-eoler ., ,. people. we cannot disclose your location for _ people. we cannot disclose your location for security _ people. we cannot disclose your location for security reasons - location for security reasons but we do know from reading reports from inside of the country that, yes, there are national resistance front fighters in the mountains, particularly around the

panjshir valley but thousands pa njshir valley but thousands of panjshir valley but thousands of reinforcements have been sent by the taliban and you do not have the supply lines nor the numbers to threaten the taliban's grip on power? in this type of situation, the character of the struggle we have put is a partisan struggle, it is a gorilla warfare and the first and foremost important factor you need is motivation of the people to assist the freedom fighters. —— guerrilla. that we have got and we have massive assistance provided by the afghan diaspora and we have managed to create underground sub bylines stop we have weapons and we have ammunition and we have challenged the

taliban takeover of afghanistan. you are right. we have not been able to capture a province but in this type of battle, there is a very old notion and saying, if the enemy cannot crush you, you emerge stronger. we have emerged stronger. we have emerged stronger and it is a matter of time. insurgency is like a drop of oil put on a page, a piece of oil put on a page, a piece of paper, and it starts from a small area and within a matter of time, the whole place is gripped. we are seeing protraction of insurgency against the cruel taliban regime and it is giving hope to the people. to regime and it is giving hope to the people-— the people. to what extent is this for you? _ the people. to what extent is this for you? you _ the people. to what extent is this for you? you have - the people. to what extent is this for you? you have been i this for you? you have been confronting, fighting the taliban for most of your adult life. you have lost friends, associates, and family members and indeed, ithink associates, and family members and indeed, i think your

brother was killed by the taliban after the takeover, just last step member stop are you motivated by personal reasons as much as anything right now?— reasons as much as anything riahtnow? ~ , ., right now? absolutely, you are riuht. right now? absolutely, you are riht. it right now? absolutely, you are right- it is _ right now? absolutely, you are right. it is personal, _ right. it is personal, national, subnational, elliptical all combined. the stretch political. i am the embodiment of much of those who are opposing the taliban are, they have various layers of motivation to stand against this a very cruel dictatorship which the afghan history has not seen its precedent in the past. not seen its precedent in the ast. . ., , not seen its precedent in the ast. , ., not seen its precedent in the ast. ., past. the country cannot stand a wall right _ past. the country cannot stand a wall right now. _ past. the country cannot stand a wall right now. it _ past. the country cannot stand a wall right now. it has - past. the country cannot stand a wall right now. it has been . a wall right now. it has been at war in one form or another for many decades but right now you are living with the world's

because humanitarian catastrophe. more than half of the people in afghanistan appeared to be in some way or other threatened by starvation, either acute or longer term and, in that context, continuing to fight does not really seem viable?- continuing to fight does not really seem viable? that is a very narrow _ really seem viable? that is a very narrow definition - really seem viable? that is a very narrow definition of - really seem viable? that is a very narrow definition of the | very narrow definition of the situation. the country can also not live in dignity. the country cannot allow its sole to be crushed day and night they are very repressive, clerical dictatorship, who were preaching nothing but death and afterlife. therefore, i do not know — if you look at it from a materialistic point of view, your argument is valid but, as human beings, do not livejust for food. human beings, do not livejust forfood. there is a human beings, do not livejust

for food. there is a factor... well, i do not know where you are speaking from clearly, but what i do know is that ordinary afghans inside the country are facing the most terrible choices on a daily basis. the country director of save the children says parents right now i having to make impossible decisions, which of their children with a feed? do they send their children to work, if they are lucky? or do they let them starve? in that context, how can you say to these people should be taking up arms and fighting? should be taking up arms and fiuuhtin? . ., fighting? perhaps the director ofthat fighting? perhaps the director of that un _ fighting? perhaps the director of that un agency _ fighting? perhaps the director of that un agency is - fighting? perhaps the directorl of that un agency is absolutely right that the report should not forget the matter that the evil is something called the taliban and the death and destruction they have brought to our nation. if they had agreed to a piece process, afghanistan would not have been abandoned. there would have

been no fall of the bureaucracy, we would have had the small middle—class steel staying in afghanistan and the flow of money would have continued. the disaster is not my guilt or the guilt of the resistance, it is the guilt of the taliban whose leaders are on the list of terrorist around the world. these people are responsible for the catastrophe and the tragedy afghanistan is undergoing. and the tragedy afghanistan is undergoing-— and the tragedy afghanistan is underuaoin. �* ~ , ' undergoing. after the august 15 taliban takeover, _ undergoing. after the august 15 taliban takeover, many - taliban takeover, many countries, including the united states cut financial assistance to afghanistan, fries it reserves in us financial institutions. —— froze. and other things that have

contributed to the collapse. the world food programme and others say the world needs to put huge amounts of funding into afghanistan to a vote catastrophe. do you support international assistance now going into afghanistan? first of all i do — going into afghanistan? first of all i do not _ going into afghanistan? first of all i do not buy _ going into afghanistan? first of all i do not buy the - of all i do not buy the argument that the west is pressuring the taliban. they have provided 1.1 billion dollars in the name of military assistance which has assisted the taliban and there is zero western supervision of how it is spent and distributed... forgive me for interrupting, but the message is the $1.1 billion is nowhere near enough. at least two more billion needs to come into people dying. are you telling me you do not want

that money to be delivered because you do not want the taliban involved in receiving it? ~ , a, it? whenever they are giving money to — it? whenever they are giving money to the _ it? whenever they are giving money to the republic, - it? whenever they are giving money to the republic, they | money to the republic, they have a systems to also have scrutiny. but they are not asking the taliban what they do with the income. in a way, it is a discrete way, in an intelligent way, it is consolidating the taliban rule. the waste is to put tough conditions for supervision and accountability. this so—called humanitarian assistance is helping the taliban to consolidate. i am helping the taliban to consolidate. iam not helping the taliban to consolidate. i am not saying the afghanistan people should be left to die, i am saying what the west is doing is wrong. they are sending $40 million a week without knowing where it goes... million a week without knowing where it goes. . ._

where it goes... typically, hanu where it goes... typically, hang on. _ where it goes... typically, hang on. do _ where it goes... typically, hang on, do you _ where it goes... typically, hang on, do you want - where it goes... typically, hang on, do you want thatj where it goes... typically, - hang on, do you want that flow of international assistance money to stop? i of international assistance money to stop?— of international assistance money to stop? of international assistance mone tosto-? . ., ., money to stop? i want that flow of international _ money to stop? i want that flow of international money - money to stop? i want that flow of international money to - money to stop? i want that flow of international money to be - of international money to be supervised by impartial bodies but to date, the taliban governors choose who they choose to receive assistance. there is a small district which was pro— taliban and that district has received 18 rounds of assistance, the rest of the province which is anti— taliban is only received 2— three rounds of assistance. there is not much scrutiny and supervision. it is consolidating the taliban rule. is it time for you to think about putting down your guns, stop talking about armed resistance and actually find ways in engaging in adult, building bridges to the taliban, particularly in the context of a national

catastrophe?- context of a national catastrohe? a ~ ., catastrophe? as you know, we have been _ catastrophe? as you know, we have been proposing _ catastrophe? as you know, we have been proposing peace - catastrophe? as you know, we l have been proposing peace talks and political settlement for over a decade and what we got was roadside bombs, urban bombings, massacres, assassinations, lies and false hopein assassinations, lies and false hope in the name of the peace process and the full takeover of the country. you are asking this from the wrong person. you have to ask the clerics who with the support of the army, have taken our country. {iii have taken our country. of course. — have taken our country. of course. we _ have taken our country. of course, we seek interviews with the taliban and ask them tough and challenging questions as well. but for you, a tough question, raised by the islamic party who says all sides need to find a way to sit down. he is promoting a compromise plan

that would involve the taliban cutting ties with what he calls terrorist allies, committing to long—term political processing, including elections, guaranteeing rights, including for women, the taliban would have to do that but in return the international community should remove the taliban from various black lists, should recognise the taliban government and you should agree to sit down with taliban and recognise that they are in power today. are you ready to do that? if power today. are you ready to do that? ., ,., power today. are you ready to do that? . ,., ., do that? if the taliban agree for a timetable _ do that? if the taliban agree for a timetable for _ do that? if the taliban agree for a timetable for election l do that? if the taliban agree | for a timetable for election so people can choose the character of the state, we will sit with the taliban. but if the peace process is actually inviting us for allegiance or for accepting this illegitimate, criminal

syndicate called the taliban, we will never bowel. we are ready to give more sacrifices and i think if the international community recognises this cruel, inhumane regime, it will further reinforce the conspiracy theories that the handover of afghanistan was an international western conspiracy to prepare for the new cold war and the collateral was of afghanistan and victimise the republic and the population of afghanistan. the west owes us, it is guilty, and they have to help the afghans create a legitimate state, recognition of the taliban will intensify the civil war, it will lead to massacre and it will lead to massacre and it will lead to unprecedented level of violence the country has not seen. we are ready to

stop armed resistance, provided there is a mechanism which will ensure referendum or an election is held. if the taliban when, for sure, we will accept the legitimacy but we will not surrender to a group which has come to power through a conspiracy. it’s which has come to power through a consoiracy-_ a conspiracy. it's interesting to me that _ a conspiracy. it's interesting to me that your _ a conspiracy. it's interesting to me that your narrative i a conspiracy. it's interesting to me that your narrative is | to me that your narrative is still based upon afghanistan being betrayed by some sort of western conspiracy. a year on from the taliban takeover, you and ashraf ghani fleeing couple, you accept no probability or responsibility at all? ., ., , probability or responsibility atall? ., ., , ., ., at all? no, i do accept a lot of responsibilities. - at all? no, i do accept a lot of responsibilities. the - at all? no, i do accept a lot| of responsibilities. the time of responsibilities. the time of your programme is very short so i'm not going to go into nuances and details of where we are responsible and where we

are responsible and where we are accountable to our people. but if you look at the macro picture, in the peace process the americans sought a regime change, and when they took their citizens to the kabul airport, they stop supporting the afghan state and that shipped a balance of power in favour of the taliban. you seem to ianore favour of the taliban. you seem to ignore a _ favour of the taliban. you seem to ignore a basic— favour of the taliban. you seem to ignore a basic truth, - favour of the taliban. you seem to ignore a basic truth, in - to ignore a basic truth, in over two decades, the americans are ploughed tens of billions, maybe $80 billion or $90 billion into afghanistan, they hoped they were building a credible, coherent government, but after what happened in august last year, it was clear that you and ashraf ghani and others had built no meaningful loyalty to the armed forces of afghanistan between the public and government, there was nothing but mistrust about the levels of corruption, and you surely have to take the blame for the? i

surely have to take the blame for the? ., . ~' surely have to take the blame for the? ., ., ,, , ., for the? i do take the blame where it is — for the? i do take the blame where it is my _ for the? i do take the blame where it is my responsibility| where it is my responsibility but those billions of dollars of american or western money, they never came through the afghan government and institutions. they came through private security companies, ngos, contractors, and they created a logistical system which completely made afghan institutions dependent on their own presence. you hear it from the mouth of general petraeus, who was cia director, and he served in afghanistan, and said what the west it was criminal and the reason, the macro reason for the collapse of the afghan republic was the lack of commitment, lack of unified narrative and a lack of solid commitment and narrative from the west, particularly the united states, we were lied to and we were lied to all the way through 14 august. i visited

washington injune with washington in june with president washington injune with president ashraf ghani, we met president ashraf ghani, we met president biden. everything he said to us proved to be a lie. your attitude to the americans now? i don't know we were but you see claiming yourself to be illegitimate leader of afghanistan, but clearly, that is theoretical, certainly not practical. if you don't get support from the outside, it's hard to see how your armed resistance is ever going to threaten the taliban. you need, do not, the united states, and other allies, to provide with support? the way you are talking, there is not a hope on earth that the united states is going to offer your support. the united states is not god, it's not the only country in the world. hope is not related to what washington thinks, so therefore, our definition of hope today is different. we are

not seeking western assistance. are you talking, sorry to interrupt, but we don't have much time, are you in contact with the americans today? the last time i _ with the americans today? iie: last time i contacted with the americans today? "iie: last time i contacted the americans was a couple of, a few days after the collapse of kabul and their message was very clear to me, that the decision is to completely go out. today it's very clear, it's much cheaper for them to allow this pit cancer called the taliban, designed by pakistanis, to run my country. the slogan, the space after 9/11, those slogans proved to be shallow. there is an ungoverned terrorist governance space in the name of afghanistan. space in the name of afuhanistan. , , ., ., afghanistan. everything you are sa in: afghanistan. everything you are saying contradicts what - afghanistan. everything you are saying contradicts what one - afghanistan. everything you are saying contradicts what one of. saying contradicts what one of your colleagues in the

resistance said last month. he said it's very crucial for the international community to support our efforts in any way thatis support our efforts in any way that is possible. to contain what he calls terrorism inside afghanistan. he says we need assistance. you say forget about assistance, that's not our future?— about assistance, that's not ourfuture? ., �* ., our future? no. i'm not saying we don't _ our future? no. i'm not saying we don't need _ our future? no. i'm not saying we don't need assistance. - our future? no. i'm not saying we don't need assistance. i'm| we don't need assistance. i'm saying we're not our time to go to western capitals who have, based on geopolitical calculations, making the decision to outsource afghanistan to pakistanis and allow pakistani created cancer names taliban to run afghanistan. we should not waste our time trying to convince them that uss asked, what we are struggling is to create a bigger relevance for ourselves, become in actuality, and become relevant. whether the three likes it or not, will have to engage with it sometime

in the future. as i said, they knowingly allowed the taliban takeover and the peace process was not a peace process. it was a process for regime change. aha, a process for regime change. a few days ago we saw the us launch a strike inside kabul which killed ayman al—zawahiri, the leader of al-anda. i'm interested, for you as afghan, and you claim to still have support inside the are you supportive of the so—called over the horizon us military strikes inside afghanistan or not? i strikes inside afghanistan or not? ., , ., not? i would offer support for that if they — not? i would offer support for that if they were _ not? i would offer support for that if they were not - that if they were not hypocrites. they are allowing ten people in the taliban cabinet on whose head there is a bounty, to go around, and they selectively come and kill one terrorist, which means washington, unlike what they

were saying, for washington, there are good terrorists and bad terrorists. it is very clear they have come to some type of secret agreement with some terrorists and they have cleansed them of their past sins, and they are selectively killing others. iii sins, and they are selectively killing others.— killing others. if i may say so, killing others. if i may say so. you — killing others. if i may say so, you sound _ killing others. if i may say so, you sound extremelyl so, you sound extremely resigned and wary right now. you've written off american assistance. you acknowledge that your fighters in the panjshir valley have only a limited capacity to resist. it seems in the long struggle you've had with the taliban, you've had with the taliban, you have lost stop know, i have not lost. ~ , not lost. the west lost, the re - ublic not lost. the west lost, the republic last, _ not lost. the west lost, the republic last, we _ not lost. the west lost, the republic last, we are - not lost. the west lost, the republic last, we are a - republic last, we are a constituency, we will never lose, we stand, ourfoundation of our people, to put a resistance, am i wary and angry? yes. iam notjesus.

we're very angry at what happened. we have paid a heavy price. but we not lost. we are regaining. i didn't say we have limited capability. we are building a capability and i can't call it limited. insurgency starts from a place and it retracts. six months ago it was one valley, today it is a six valleys, and i hope next year it will be 60 valleys and we will defend our dignity, our land, our homes and we will regain our country. mil land, our homes and we will regain our country. all right, amrullah _ regain our country. all right, amrullah saleh, _ regain our country. all right, amrullah saleh, i'm - regain our country. all right, amrullah saleh, i'm sorry i regain our country. all right, amrullah saleh, i'm sorry to| amrullah saleh, i'm sorry to say we have to end it but thank you forjoining me on hardtalk. thanks very much.

hello. there will only be a few exceptions to the hot and sunny story over the next few days. so far this week, we've got above 30 degrees three times, 32 celsius on wednesday afternoon. the heatwave intensifies further through the rest of the week and into the weekend. we could have four consecutive days above 35 degrees, more than we saw back in 1976. the highest of the temperatures are in the area covered by the met office extreme heat warning, an amberwarning, health and transport impacts expected — leeds, liverpool, down the way to the south coast. and it's this area, under high pressure, where we'll also see heat build elsewhere. but notice weather fronts very close to the north of scotland. this is your exception. here, through the night and into the morning, we'll have had some rain, temperatures not dropping away much. maybe a little bit fresher through scotland, northern ireland, parts of northern england, but a warmer night and start to thursday morning in the south. a few mist and fog patches clearing, dry and sunny for many, but across the western isles, orkney, shetland, the northwest highlands, rain will come and go

through the day. 14—18 celsius here, but 27, 28 eastern scotland, 27 in parts of northern ireland, 35 degrees, potentially, to the south midlands, that heat continuing to build. now, as we go into thursday evening and overnight, more cloud, occasional rain or drizzle in the north of scotland. chance of a few mist and fog patches close to eastern coasts of england and scotland too, but night by night, temperatures starting to creep up a little bit as well. friday, we do it all again. some early morning mist and fog in the east, one or two patches close to eastern coasts, a greyer outlook across the north of scotland but not as wet as it'll have been for some on thursday. under sunny skies and light winds elsewhere, we'll see temperatures climb, potentially 36, maybe 37 celsius, through the south midlands. a little bit fresher down some eastern coasts. coolest of all, though, in the far north of scotland. by the start of the weekend, probably a better chance of some sunshine in the far north of scotland, but a better chance of some low cloud continuing, eastern coast of scotland, northeast england, limiting the temperatures in aberdeen a little bit. 26 inland, 27 to northern ireland, again, 36 or 37 in some parts

of southern england. that warmth and heat continues into sunday, but a slot of something changing. a bit more cloud, the chance of a few storms around later on sunday into monday, bringing a drop in temperature. but even though those storms may occur into next week, they'll be fairly sporadic, many places probably staying largely dry. and, of course, we need a good deal more rain.

should $:/startf should eed. this is bbc news, i'm sally bundock — with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. new images appear to show extensive damage to a russian airbase in crimea, following explosions there earlier this week. president zelensky remains convinced ukraine will eventually recapture the peninsula. they already feel that the time has come to flee from kherson in the south of our country. the time will come when they will flee from the kharkhiv region, from the donbas, and from crimea. can a range of british made equipment help reduce the number of premature births in ukraine. we have a special report. an extreme heat warning for parts of england and wales has come into force — lasting until the end of

sunday.