>> this is dw news live from berlin. the end of a 25 years of a mission against islamic extremists in afghanistan. last u.s. and nato troops leave the bagram air force base, but afghans fear for the future at the taliban takeover. angela merkel aims to reset relations with britain on her last trip to the country. and big magic trauma and disappointment -- spain booked

their place in the euro 2020 semifinals with a penalty shootout wendover switzerland. to our viewers on pbs in the united states and all of you around the world, a very warm welcome. the last remaining american and nato troops have left the main international military base in afghanistan. bagram was the center of the twenty-year campaign against the islamic extremists. the pallet -- that taliban terror group is celebrating the departure of the western groups and has already overrun much of the country. afghans are worried about what will happen to them now that the international troops have gone. reporter: this is the sound of u.s. troops leaving afghanistan to its fate.

in 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, u.s. troops turned bagram into a key military base to hunt down military groups responsible for the atrocity. now, the afghan government is getting the base back even though they have made no headway. present biden believes it can work. pres. biden: we were in that war for 20 years. i think i met with the afghan government here in the oval, i think they have the capacity to sustain the government. reporter: afghans do not have as much faith in their government as biden. as military troops apart, they are looking for a way out. people are flocking to passport offices in kabul to plan their exit. we are very worried about a

possible return of the taliban, so we want to leave the country before the situation gets worse. most districts have fallen. there's not a single district without fighting. they've even reached the chief of police office and provincial capitals. i've come here to get my passport and get out of afghanistan. it's not safe here. for the soldiers of the afghan national and defense forces, that is not an option. some feel the country is finally their own and they intend to hold it, keeping the taliban at bay. this land belongs to you and us. the russians were here at left and then the americans came and now they have left. this country is ours and we will protect it even without pay or equipment. meanwhil the taliban are gaining evermore ground in afghanistan. over the past weeks, they've been on the offensive, releasing propaganda videos and taking

control of many districts. it won't be until the last u.s. troops pullout on september 11 that the world will finally learn what the have planned. michael: let's get more on that with a professor of the practice of conflict management and american foreign policy programs and research scholar at the middle east institute. he joins us from washington, do you see -- washington, d.c.. what does the withdrawal of troops mean for this debility of the region? guest: it introduces enormous uncertainty. obviously, the taliban have already been taking advantage of the lack of american action against them. advancing, especially in the countryside, but in some important towns also. meanwhile, negotiations are ongoing and no one knows where

they might lead or not lead in this long history in afghanistan of civil war and chaos. michael: i think the question all observers have at this moment is whether the afghan security forces are strong enough or capable enough to hold off the tele-ban and secure peace for their country. guest: i don't think there's any indication they can secure peace throughout all the provinces, but there is indication they may be able to secure major towns, major cities. i'm not sure kabul is about to fall, certainly the afghanistan experts i talked to say that is unlikely. michael: what do you think the plan is from the biden administration? what is that plan for that region and afghanistan? guest: the pla is to turn over

the issue of the political settlementn afghanistan entirely to the afghan government and the negotiations it is conducting with the taliban. at the same time metoo support financially the afghan security forces so as to strengthen the government's hd as much as we can from afar, with out having a significant military presence on the ground. that is a strategy and it is even a long-term strategy, if the financing can be sustained. michael: we often talk about the united states when we talk about afghanistan, but there is a whole international community out there. what is the plan or should be the plan the international community has as a whole for that country? guest: the international

community has to be ready, especially if there is a settlement between the taliban afghan government. to step in in support of that settlement, but i don't think anybody is going to leave troops on the ground. nato is not going to leave troops on the ground after the americans are gone. so this becomes a stabilization effort at arms length, so to speak. the record of such stabilization efforts is not great. michael: if, in fact, the taliban are able to retake the country, what would that mean for afghanistan? guest: it would mean a reversion, at least in part, to the kind of strict, islamist rule, discrimination against womeand minorities, that

prevailed during the previous time as the government of afghanistan. it will be a very ugly picture if they take over. but even uglier might be the civil war that continues after the nato withdrawal. michael: we really appreciate your time. angela merkel has been in britain on a mission to reset relations about breaks it. it is her last official visit to the u.k. before she steps down as german chancellor. she held wide-ranging talks with the british prime minister and there was of course time 14 with the queen at windsor palace. reporter: boris johnson on a charm offensive as he welcomes the eu's longest-serving leader.

this is angela merkel's third visit to checkers, the country residence for british prime minister's. boris johnson is the fifth british leader she has dealt with in her 16 years as german chancellor. and her last as she prepares to step down in september. >> on behalf of the u.k., i want to thank you for your truly historic commitment, not just to the u.k.-germany relationship, bu for global diplomacy more generally. reporter: this meeting was about resetting relations between terminally -- between germany and the u.k. after the tensions of brexit. >> after britain's exit from the eu, it's a good opportunity to open a new chapter in german-british relations and find practical ways to have close contacts. this includes regular consultations which we have agreed on.

reporter: the two also discussed the vaccine rollout among other issues merkel signaling berlin could soon relax quarantine rules for britons traveling to germany who have been double jabbed. it is no secret that german chancellor has found johnson at times difficult to deal with. but she's the queen of diplomacy. >> we look at how different people are and make the best of it and that works wonderfully. reporter: merkel finished her visit with all the pomp and ceremony a world leader would expect. at windsor castle, she had an audience with queen elizabeth and no doubt they had a good chat over a proper cup of tea.

michael: let's take you to london where we are following the story. let's start with the press conference. what we learned about the state of relations between the two countries? guest: bilateral is the buzzword of the day because the u.k., having just left the european union needs these good bilateral relations in germany is one of the most important partners for the u.k., an important strategic partner when it comes to trade. it's the second biggest trading partner. but also when it comes to foreign and security policies, their joint declaration was published & between the two countries. but they announced more cultural exchange and youth exchange, so really saying that after the end of an era when the u.k. has left the eu, but these relations between germany and the u.k.,

they need strengthening and need a constant looking after and this is what they wanted to say today. michael: the northern ireland protocol came up. mr. johnson likes to refer to this as a victory and he claimed it as one. but this is a real source of friction between britain and the eu, of course. guest: and it is a real problem. i just traveled to belfast and spoke to people there. it's a problem because northern ireland is part of the united kingdom it economically remains aligned to the european union and many people really object because they feel they are being treated differently than the rest of the u.k., so they don't want it and we can feel the tensions in northern ireland. however, this is a topic where angela merkel signaled this is where bilateral relations have their limits because she said we

need to not overstretch ourselves when it comes to northern ireland. she urge for a pragmatic solution but also signaled this is where the u.k. and boris johnson really need russell and need to work on their relationship with brussels and make a sensible one and work on really tricky problems like the northern ireland issue and brags it. michael: and what is a trip to the u.k. without having tea with the queen. was this a courtesy visit or was there something special here? guest: i believe for angela merkel, this will be very, very special. she told journalists when she was in the u.k. just a few weeks ago at the g7 summit that it was the highlight of her trip, that she met with three generations of the royal family, and we know she's a fan to ended having tea

with the queen, that would have been something really special for her. michael: much thanks as always. angela merkel became the german chancellor back in 2005. boris johnson is the fifth kurdish prime minister she has dealt with. we take a look back now at how merkel has weathered the changes. reporter: what a moment to visit england -- the crowds are already cheering, but not because angela merkel is coming. instead, it's about beating germany at football. but the chancellor has seen all sides of this love-hate relationship before. during 16 years in office, she has dealt with five british prime ministers in all and she came to power, tony blair was in number 10 downing street. they had big plans to end poverty and start tackling

climate change. hopefully -- both were hugely popular with voters but as her power grew, blair was replaced by his nemesis, gordon brown. he was a very serious man, not unlike the chancellor. >> we now need to come together with heightened cooperation. reporter: while germans appreciated sobriety, brown was soon headed for defeat at the polls. merkel flew in to provide some support but she did not meet her fellow conservative, david cameron. brown lost the election. the new prime minister wooed the chancellor with stuff diplomacy -- with soft diplomacy. the visitor was shown proof of the british love of german cars. but cameron's friendly overtures were undermined by his plan to hold a referendum on leaving the eu. merkel herself was briefly at the center of that debate and

she addressed the mother of parliaments. >> we need a strong united kingdom, with a strong voice inside the european union. if we have that, we will be able to make the necessary changes for the benefit of all. reporter: but her appeals fell on deaf ears. the u.k. voted to leave the eu. brags it also rot in p.m. number four. with theresa may, it seems there was hope of doing a deal. two pragmatists working together, even after the split. in brussels, a shared sense of color and a shared sense of humor -- could these cement relations? but the deal on future cooperation agreed by may, merkel and other leaders was thrown out by the house of commons. last in the line was boris johnson. his bullish bravado is a world away from her cool, analytical

focus, but even he is willing on occasion to quote the german chancellor. >> we, in the u.k., want a deal. we seek a deal. i believe we can get one. we can do it. reporter: prime ministers have come and gone and merkel has worked hard to smooth relations with the u.k.. politics aside, there is one british leader, angela merkel has always got on with particular well. michael: highlights now from other stories making news around the world at this hour. or than 2000 aid workers have formed a human chain in northwestern syria stretching from the border of turkey to a rebel held cy, opposing russia'effort to close the only remaining border crossing for aid into areas with syrian insurgents. alexander lukashenko has ordered the complete closure of his

country's border with neighboring ukraine, claiming rebel groups are planning a coup and weapons are coming from ukraine. belarus has become increasingly isolated following last year's contested elections, which westercountry y were fraudulent stop zambia has been morning its founding president at a memorial service. the liberation hero died last month at the age of 97 after a of pneumonia. he led the country from 1964 to 1991. after leaving office, he came an activist against hiv-aids. the delta variant of the coronavirus is on course to become the dominant worldwide strain. now, public health efforts are watching the spread of another worrying variant, delta plus. it was first identified in india were more than 50 cases had been detected. the variant has also surfaced in the united states and nearly a dozen other countries. indian scientists say it's

highly transmissible and resistant to the drugs given to some patients. a dozen vaccines are in use against the coronavirus around the world and dozens more are in the pipeline. new variants of the virus are a constant challenge to scientists trying to stay one step ahead. there is good news but also reason to be cautious. reporter: getting the first shot of a vaccine against covid-19 is likely to come as a big relief to those lucky enough to have one. but what happens when new variants comes along? the world of science has good news on this front. against the new variant, biontech was found to be 86% effective at preventing symptomatic disease. astrazeneca was 60% effective. as for the delta plus variant, not enough data is available to

know how it interacts with immunizations. scientists in india and worldwide are looking into it. researchers say it's unlikely it will outfox the current jabs. as well as the vaccine's effectiveness against the variants, another question is how long the shots protect us for? it could be a od while according to a nature paper. the vigor of the immune response found in some vaccinated people was said to be a strong indication that the protection could last for years. that is how covid-19 looks at the moment. if it changes, it might be a different ballgame. but that may or may not happen in the future. for now, the vaccines available are our best way out of this pandemic. michael: let's take a look at some other develop into the pandemic. australia is to have the number of international flight

arrivals. leaders are worried about rising case numbers fueled by the delta variant. organizers of the tokyo olympics are considering dating the games without spectators. with just three weeks to go, they have yet to make a final decision. india has officially passed 400,000 virus deaths. the actual number is thought to be much higher. at football zero 20 20, spain had beaten switzerland in a dramatically penalty shootout to book their place in the semifinals. spain's goalkeeper made two saves as his country one three to one in the shootout. the match ended after extra time despite switzerland playing with 10 men after a red card. spain will now face the winner of tonight's final between belgium and italy. for more on spain's hard-earned victory, i'm joined by dave brannick from dw sports.

spain got in there in the end. i can imagine they are extremely relieved. guest: there must have been a nationwide sigh of relief that swept through spain after all of that. it was a real nailbiter and spain are almost a bit lucky to have squeaked through. they initially came out ahead thanks to an eight minute goal and switzerland cap fighting and managed to equalize in the 68th minute. he has had a great tournament for switzerland and, as you said, a red card in the 77th minute for switzerland and spain , it didn't seem to matter too much. they tried and tried but switzerland held strong. spain really came through and held their nerves when it counted. we had another dramatic penalty

shootout and switzerland only got this far by knocking out france through penalties but this time, they don't have the same luck. the game-winning penalty helped spain slide through into the semifinals. michael: they certainly did hold their nerves, but they also struggled at times. do you give them a good chance of winning the tournament? guest: i think we have to give switzerland all the credit they deserve. they have punched way above their weight and done a lot better than people give them credit for to say the least, but spain were clear favorites in this match and did struggle. the match was indicative of one of their broader issues where they had a boom-bust attack and into of their matches, they scored five goals. in three, they were either shut out or only scored one goal. it's either feast or famine and if they can get that figured out, then they are one of the better teams in the tournament

and they are also in a transitional time. this is not the same team that won the 2008 euros and world cup. it's a younger team but they will play the winner of italy and belgium. the way forward is not going to get any easier. michael: really appreciate your analysis. turning to tennis -- novak djokovic just through the third round of wimbledon. he didn't have it all his own way against dennis goodloe but when the key points when it mattered to beat the american qualifier. he's chasing a record equaling 20th major title and six that wimbledon. in the women's draw, the first arab woman to reach the first

round of wimbledon. the tunisian woman overcame vomiting due to nerves to beat 2017 champion. she will now face a polish competitor. shikari richardson, one of the sports hottest prospects has accepted a one-month fan after using marijuana. she won't be able to compete at the tokyo olympics. she tested positive after winning the u.s. trials and oregon earlier this month. the 21-year-old said she used marijuana as a way of coping after the death of her mother. the drug is and by the world anti-doping agency, but bands are less severe if an athlete can prove it did not enhance their performance. staying in athletics -- a norwegian has broken one of the longest standing records -- the men's 400 meal -- 400 meter

hurdles. he did it in front of a vocal crowd in oslo in the diamond league series. reporter: he and his home crowd were ready to make history. as they turned onto the home straight, the 400 meal -- 400 meter hurtle record was within reach. when he powered across the finish line with a time of 46.7 seconds, the stadium erupted again. for a man who already has two world titles to his name, this was a moment of special significance. his supporters in the stands couldn't have been happier. by just .00 seconds, he had beaten their record that had stood for almost 40 years and was set before he was born. for him and 500 -- four 5000 others, this will live long in

the memory. michael: i'll be right back after a short break to take you through the day. you can get the latest news and information on our website, dw.com. thank for watching.

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>> you are watching "live from paris" on france 24. the end of an era. u.s. troops pull out of their main military base in afghanistan after nearly 20 years of war. this as the taliban continues to gain more ground. french prosecutors launch a probe into major fashion groups over profiting from forced uighur labor. and