berlin. the taliban's first news conference answers questions about the future of afghanistan, including women's rights. spokesman for the insurgents insist that they have changed since they last ruled 20 years ago. and as foreign governments start the airlift of their citizens

out of afghanistan, germany's delayed evacuation gain some momentum after its first flight maintained only a few passengers. and more misery for haiti in the wake of a massive earthquake. a tropical storm hits the caribbean nation and batterers it with rain and strong winds after saturday's tremors left thousands homeless. and poland says it will drop a controversial means for disciplining its judges. too late for this man, who has become an icon for independent judiciary. he was fired because of a commission ruling and could face prison. ♪ >> to our viewers of pbs in the united states and around the world, thanks for being with us. i'm michael loke. with western forces desperate to evacuate those fleeing

afghanistan, the ruling taliban have held their first news conference, putting out a positive message and calling for women and former officials to join their government. their promises about respecting women's rights and forgiving their former foes have so far been met with strong skepticism inside and outside the country. >> desperate people are still trying to flee the country. but armed taliban fighters are showing a sense of calm. backed up by their weapons. like these militants outside the afghan interior ministry. despite the guns, their messages to convince the afghan people that there is nothing to be afraid of. >> we want the people to come to their workplaces and offices. there is no problem on the apart -- the part of the islamic emirate, and no one should

fear the mujahedin, because they are from the nation. >> undermining the taliban's hostility towards women, this taliban engaged with the female presenter and a tv interview, an unprecedented move for the group and perhaps a wider part of tapping into the desire for peace and delaying the real fears that women are not safe. it was a line that was reiterated in a taliban press conference later. >> women will be afforded all the rights, whether that is in work or elective activities, because women are a key part of society. we are guanteeing all their rights within the limits of islam. >> an attempt to show a moderate side, perhaps, but many are skeptical of the group, which presided over brutal punishmen and severe restrictions for

won. superficially, though, the taliban presence appeared to b not so unsettling for the residents of kabul. me went about their daily tasks, either out of curiosity to see how things are under the new taliban, or out of necessity. most of those out on the streets were male. this woman, though, expressed a desire for peace. >> i want to give this message to the youth, that many young people were murdered. my son is one of them. i don't want any more bloodshed. one of my sons was in the police. he was killed two years ago. the her is still alive. >> conflict has been a part of their lives for so long, many afghans are desperate for peace. but extremely wary of the promises being made by the

taliban. michael: for more, let's bring in a journalist who joins us from kabul. the taliban have held their first press conference since seizing kabul. were there any surprises? >> not that much, because much of what the spokesman said during the press conference was more or less the repetition of earlier statements. amnesty, that they intend to forgive people that worked for the government, that they want to peaceful solution, that they want government workers to come back. that they grant women's rights with the caveat that it has to be within the limits of islamic law. this was all already said before . other questions, open questions, this taliban spoke

sman evaded or could not reply to. he said the new regime, the new laws are still being worked out. he evaded questions about al qaeda, and this is all what we have seen before, so there was nothing much new. michael: these pronouncements almost felt as if they were general olive branch is being extended to the entire country of afghanistan. how are these announcements received in kabul? >> differently. i mean, you have shown in the report tre are still people trying frantically to flee. today, despite myself, people who work with foreigners being in panic, afraid that the taliban might kill them for their involvement with foreigners in the past or currently. there are other people who td me everything is fine, they are happy with the taliban coming.

the situation is quiet and they are happy that the former government, that they perceived as corrupt and bad, is gone. so you have the full spectrum, from one extreme to the other. michael: you been in the thick of it there, what's it like there on day two of taliban rule? >> today, i was walking through the city center. there is little traffic, not that many people on the road. some shops are closed, some are open. compared to before, the situation is quieter. people are quieter. they are not necessarily tense or afraid, so there were also children playing on the streets or people going about their normal business or being optimistic, but nonetheless, it

ems to be quieter than ual, what i experienced before in the years that i lived here. yeah, for me, this signifies a little bit that everyone is still waiting and seeing, holding their breath to see what exactly is coming. michael: holding their breath. we heard in a report that the taliban are going door-to-door, looking for people on their revenge list, but the head has apparently forbidden any members from entering anyone's house, especially in kabul. our afghans taking his word? >> this is difficult to say. there are many people, especially those who worked for foreigners, that a in panic because they believe these ports. the problem is a lot of these reports, they can't be confirmed definitively. that does not mean they are made up, but certainly, some of them

are exaggerated. some of them might have been made up and other organizations, like human rights watch and also other sources conrmed that ere have been revenge killings in other parts. for example, the border or in ghazni province. the taliban spokesperson, when asked about this, called it away. he said this doesn't happen, this is not true, where yeah, sums cases cerinly extend -- exist, and there is a doubt that the taliban will not address these killings that apparently happened. michael: journalist friends marty in kabul, thank you very much. the german governments evacuation has begun in earnest with more than 100 people flown out of kabul on tuesday.

that followed harsh criticism for delays in an initial evacuation flight that carried only a handful of passengers. the foreign ministry says the latest flight back to germany, with a stop in uzbekistan, includes german and afghan citizens, as well as people from 13 other countries. >> this is what an evacuation flight could look like. the u.s. military released a photo of more than 600 afghans crowded into a cargo plane, which took off from kabul on sunday. by contrast, the german planes flown to the region have brought out only a few people. one flight left kabul on monday night with only seven passengers on board. the security situation meant more could not be taken. germany plans to use the airport and the capital of neighboring uzbekistan as a base for evacuations. they will then be flown on civilian airliners back to germany. the first plane landed on

tuesday, bringing german embassy and support staff, but also members of other nations. the operation will assist anyone who can get to kabul airport. >> for as long as it is possible, we will fly people out from kabul, to the extent that we can. be they our own citizens or people from other nations. local staff or people who are in special danger. german airline lufthansa says it is supporting the evacuation mission with special flights to bring people home from the bridgehead for u.s. evacuations. for those that want to leave kabul, help is on the way. what's not clear is whether the taliban will allow them all to leave. michael: let's speak to a member of german parliament for the opposition center-right fdp and

head of the parliamentary human rights committee. welcome. germany's first evacuation flight carried only seven people. this has prompted anger and even a snap protest here in berlin today. how could this have happened? >> we need to assess how that could have happened. i think the first thing that we and the german government need to organize that is currently underway is getting as many people out of kabul, out of afghanistan as possible with the help of our friends in the u.s., because without them, to be honest, this process could not have been taking place. what we need to call for is more pragmatism in the way that people are being secured. we have this comparison between the transport flight that left by the u.s., where over 600

people were secured, and then the seven people that were justified with the situation on the ground. so that is something we need to address and assess afterward, but so far, the question that needs to be answered in the process that needs to take place is getting people into safety. michael: many of our viewers may not be aware that in an open letter, together with other members of the human rights committee, you urged angela merkel more than one month ago to speed up the evacuation process of afghans working for the germans. why didn't the government listen then? >> well, they didn't listen then. we didn't even get an answer, to be honest to you. tonight, we asked the parliamentary group of the fdp, and urged the government already in 2018. with the beginning of this legislative term, to have an exit strategy for ghanista ready and up and running up to

the point where the bundeswehr and other partsf the army would be lving afghanistan. it has been for the past four years where this exit strategy is missing, has been missing. what we are doing now is calling for announcement that chancellor merkel needs to do in the upcoming session on the 20 for the august, to explain herself and theay the government acted on this behalf. the next legislative term that is starting this fall in germany , we have to have a mission that is a mission of inquiry, looking very deeply into the whole mandate of the afghanistan action and the afghanistan mission that the bundeswehr has

been engaged in for the past two decades. michael: what sort of situation are those who assisted german forces in now? >> the situation on the ground in kabulbut also in other provinces in afghanistan, is very volatile. depending on who you are asking and also depending on how good your networks are, myself, i haven't been to afghanistan, so i am very dependent on people who have better networks in the region. they report and we saw that on your reports just a few seconds ago, how angry on one hand but also how scared people are and how uncertainty leads to these drastic situations that we saw in the past 72 hours. from kabul airport. we need to assess, the german

government needs to assess with european partners who they are talking to, when they are talking to the taliban that are currently giving these press conferences from kabul and the presidential palace. all these things need to be addressed and assessed in order to know where and what we are talking about for the future. michael: you tientsin -- geeta yen sin, we appreciate your time. >> thank you. michael: turning to haiti now, where tropical depression grace has brought heavy rainfall and strong winds, just as the country is struggling to recover from a powerful earthquake over the weekend. the tremor killed at least 1400 people and left thousands homeless with nowhere to shelter from the storm. >> a downpour of disastrous dimensions. tropical storm grace couldn't have hit at a worse time.

only days before, an earthquake left tens of thousands homeless. now, they are scrambling for shelter with nowhere dry to spend the night. >> the situation is very hard for me. i have many children and i don't even have a piece of plastic to cover us up. officials are warning that rain hall could bring around knee-high floodwaters in some areas. they fear the precipitation could trigger landslides and further decrease chances of finding survivors under the rubble. rescue workers are still sifting through the remains left behind after saturday's earthquake. but with each passing day, their hopes of finding anyone alive dwindle. thousands were injured in the quake. hospitals are unable to admit everyone in need of care. the frustration outside this makeshift shelter is palpable, but making it inside does not guarantee better conditions.

>> i'm trying to set up a place to sleep. this catastrophe has affected us badly. we have nowhere to go. the only thing i have is a bedsheet. i use it to sleep on the ground. at night, it gets very cold. it would be great if i could get a tarp. that would be very good for us. >> seeking shelter indoors would keep his family dry and warm, but many here fear that aftershocks could make any roof over their heads collapse. that's why most people prefer to wait outdoors for both the tremors and the reins to pass. michael: let's bring in a journalist based in haiti's capital, port-au-prince, who has been following this situation and the quake hit area. welcome to dw. how much has the tropical storm

complicated on already difficult situation? >> well, as you can see from the images, it was raing basically the entire night and a large part of the day yesterday. floods are coming into the area and the peninsula of haiti does not have a lot of infrastructure, meaning there are not a lot of roads. any given day, there are already floods. the public drainages are clogged because of garbage and it is always very, very muddy and always very dirty. even with the slightest rain. let alone a rain like the one we had last night. coupled with the wind. michael: we saw footage of injured people being treated out there in the open because hospitals are damaged. his medical help available for everyone who needs it right now? >> well, medical help r

everyone who nds it, the international community is doing what they can. in 2010, the americans are the one who deployed the most in terms of numbers of people, helicopters, and planes. they are doing a fantastic job, but what they are doing and other countries are doing, like germany sent people as well, it is very difficult to reach these people because you have to understa that haiti is like this. if you look at haiti, we are here. all this area is affected. there is a mountain range you're going through, so it is here and here and all in between. it's a logistical nightmare to come to the people that really need help. michael: haiti's president was assassinated just over a month ago, which left the caribbean nation in a security vacuum, with gang violence on the rise. how much are the disaster relief

efforts hindered by haiti's political crisis? >>here is a t of fear that there will be a blockage in the street, and the only street that goes to the south, because this street goes through, an area, that for the time being is controlled by the gangs. but there was an announcement yesterday and today by the united nations saying local authorities had made a deal with the gangs, so convoys are allowed through. michael: that is our correspondent speaking to us from haiti. we appreciate your time and your work. let's highlight some of the other stories making headlines around the world at this hour. in niger, near the border with molly, the area north of the capital has been prone to violence from islamist militants for several months.

including similar civilian massacres. ivory coast has started inoculations against ebola after the virus was found. it's the country's first confirmed case in 25 years. it is thought the infected person traveled from neighboring guinea, which has recently had an outbreak. they hope to administer 2000 vaccine doses by wednesday. thousands of people have been evacuated in southn france has a massive wildfire spreads. two firefighters have been injured battling the blaze on the french riviera. france is the latest of a number of mediterranean countries to be hit by extreme weather and wildfires in recent weeks. to poland now, where the government has confirmed it will drop a highly controversial institution for disciplining the nations judges. this after the european court of justice ruled that that means of

discipline undercut eu law. european leaders had long criticized the polish government committee for damaging judicial independence. dw's marina strauss sent us this report from warsaw about a judge who lost his job from a ruling by the committee. >> this army of alarm clocks used to wake him up back when he still went to court every morning. but this man is no longer allowed to serve as a judge. >> truly sacrificed everything for my work at the court. now i have to fill my time with other things. my entire life has been turned upside down. >> he was suspended from his job after letting journalists attend a hearing that involved the ruling law and justice party piece in 2017. proceedings against the judge were launched by the

disciplinary chamber of poland's supreme court, a controversial committee deemed illegal by the eu's highest court. after a long dispute between brussels and warsaw, poland has now pledged to disbanded. the european commission recently slammed poland in its annual rule of law or report. in this report, the eu's executive raised concerns not only over the independence of the countries judiciary -- country's judiciary, but also the erosion of its media landscape. none erosion protested here. free media, they chance. this lawyer says the current crackdown on fundamental rights is a threat for the entire eu. >> if that system of european law would be destroyed here in poland, it can happen anywhere.

the whole european union can be deconstructed. >> many here think fellow eu member states should be harder on poland. >> in my opinion, eu procedures are not effective, and that's a shame. look what's going on here and in hungary. this is also critical towards eu institutions, but for other reasons. >> the eu's highest court considers it not sufficiently independent, but it is said that poland respects lady justice. >> i will gladly say it again and again. we don't violate european law. i don't see how the work of the judiciary council could be in breach of fundamental eu laws.

>> words that sound like mockery to this suspended judge. he could now face a prison sentence. >> from the very beginning, we expected that we would be alone in this. that europe wouldn't lift a finger. we were also aware that we might be convicted and sent to jail. this has become an icon for antigovernment protesters in poland, but all he wants is to go back to work. he said in the end, good prevails -- most of the time. michael: a reminder of the top story we are following for you, the taliban have held their first press conference since taking over afghanistan, offering to respect women's rights and offering amnesty

against people who resisted or fought against them. the insurgents say they have changed in the past 20 years since they have ruled the country. their promises have been met with skepticism inside and outside the country. you are watching "dw news," live from berlin. after a short break, i will lead you through the day. i michael --. we will be right back. ♪

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anchor: the taliban promises safe passage for civilians to kabul airport according to white house sources, the first declaration since taking the whole of afghanistan. a taliban spokesperson said women's rights will the respected, but he added "within the parameters of settled islamic law." a flight has landed in paris bringing 45 citizens back to the safety of home territory. in the draw for the africa c