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 cup,

algeria is in the same group as ivory coast. we look at the full group stage draw, coming up. thank you for being with us here on france 24. the taliban said this tuesday the war in afghanistan was over, holding their first declaration twirled media. their message was that all their opponents would be pardoned. they took kabul on monday, cementing her grip on the whole of afghanistan. afghan citizens are now scribbling to get out of the country, with fear for the fate of women and girls in particular. the taliban said women will be able to work, but within what they called the principles of islam. a long time taliban supporter made his first ever public appearance. reporter: calm appears to have returned to the streets of kabul. residents, including women and children, are seen walking about the afghan capital. as they stand guard outside the

interior ministry, taliban fighters say they are there to protect people. >> [speaking another language] reporter: as part of efforts to portray themselves as more morate, senior taliban officials have been granting interviews. the militant group's spokesman held a press conference in which he vowed afghanistan would not again become a haven for terrorists, and that women's rights would be respected. >> [speaking another language] reporter: meanwhile, the taliban 's english-language spokesman has been busy tweeting positive messages. manyo not takehe jihadists at their word. >> there are many reports of the

taliban going door-to-door, trying to find government workers and people who worked for the security forces, and for international organizations. the taliban are not a monolithic group. there is a huge gap between what is said in doha and what the actual fighters and commanders believe. reporter: as political heavyweights went to doha to meet with taliban negotiators, the international community started weighing their next move. written's foreign secretary said the strategy now was to be pragmatic and to moderate the impact of the taliban takeover. anchor: as well as looking at what is happening now within afghanistan, there is much speculation how the taliban will begin to build relations across the world. one of those possibilities is perhaps some kind of working relationship with russia. it is something that has been discussed. the russian embassy in kabul is still open, it is worth noting.

moscow is cautiously optimistic about the new leadership, the prime minister saying today that the taliban so far have behaved in a civilized manner. let's hear more from our correspondent in moscow. felix: the relationship between russia and the taliban has always been fraught. also very pragmatic on both sides. any russian, when the look and afghanistan, this first and foremost of their own very long, unsuccessfuldrawn o war in the country in the 1980's. the motion dean forced the soviet -- the move had been -- they forced thsoviets out in 1989. the russian governnt clearly are not wanting to fall out of step with events in afghanistan. they he been cle right and pragmatic about the probability of the taliban sooner or later taking control. what we see in recent months are a series of visits by the taliban, who ironically remain a

terrorist organization under russian law, to mosw, meeti with people like sergey lavrov, guaranteeingit seems, certain security guarantees to the russian side. i think what we have seen in kabul these last few days, with the russian in see even -- embassy even praising the taliban and keeping a program on the government is part of this process of putting out feelers and getting to know each other ahead of the likely taliban taover whichas now taken place. the russian were rate with the taliban returning to power is that they will behave as they did in the 1990's, which is to say they sponsored foreign islamic extremists. for russia, this is relevant primarily for those central asian republics, former members of the soviet union, who are mostly still russian allies -- countries like to jicha stan, uzbekistan. the russian side is very clear

this negotiation process with the taliban has elicited security guarantees, a pledge from the taliban that they will not support the tax -- attacks in countries like uzbekistan. in the next few weeks, as perhaps we move toward formal diplomatic recognition -- i think there is some worry that even if the taliban can be dealt with, certain of their allies from central asia cannot, and the border with uzbekistan could prove problematic. we will wait to see. anchor: felix is in moscow on the possibility of the taliban and russia at some stage perhaps extending some kind of cooperation. we are watching all developments. let's go back to the situation in kabul, people trying to get out of the afghan capital. this could be a game changer. white house sources say the

taliban has told them they are willing to guarantee safe passage to the airport in kabul for all civilians. thessage angled particularly at american citizens. but what does it mean for afghans who which -- who wish to leave? that is not known. let's get more of the washington take on the situation. kevin is our correspondent in washington. good evening. great to see you. the taliban has a public declaration we saw earlier to uphold women's rights. does the white house take this at face value? >> i asked jake sullivan, the national security advisor, during the briefing, what he thought of the press conference, especially comments about protecting and upholding the rights of women and young girls by the taliban. his answer was very quick and very simple. i asked him if they had any trust in the taliban. he said this is not about trust.

this is about verifying. their view is that they are waiting for the telephone's -- for the taliban's actions rather than taking their word at face value. americans are saying they are going to be watching closely how the taliban behave themselves in the coming days, the coming weeks, the coming months. right now, they are not giving much detail as to what consequences there could be if the taliban don't uphold that commitment. jake sullivan mentioned the possibility of sanctions, the possibility of international condemnation and isolation, but he said he did not want to get into more details because he said a u.s. team was currently or about to start talking to the taliban to try to tell the taliban what the u.s. is expecting their behavior to be, and what the possible consequences could be from the united states as f as

sanctions or isolation if the taliban don't behave the way americans want them to. host: getting people out of kabul is on people's minds. we heard macron talk about how those who helped france over the past two decades, france would do its best to get them out. he made to guarantee this would happen. i wonder what the stance is on washington -- in washington on this. caroline: the message is we are fully focused on getting all those american citizens out of afghanistan as quickly as possible, but not just american citizens. they are also focused on getting afghan allies, as they call them, those who have worked so closely with the americans throughout these 20 years, as well as getting out some third country citizens that need their help, citizens of u.s. allies. right now, the white house has confirmed -- jake sullivan did

confirm that the taliban did say that they would provide safe passage, as you mentioned earlier, to that airport. remember, the taliban are currently operating checkpoints at the entrance of that airport. but jake sullivan and jen psaki were both asked multiple times about the deadline. right now, the deadline for the americans to leave afghanistan is august 31, and so the question repeatedly was, do you commit to staying a little bit longer if you don't manage to get all of these thousands of americans and afghan allies out of afghanistan by then? asked multiple times, neither jen psaki nor jake sullivan would make a full on commitment, saying that right now they were focused on getting people out to the august 31 deadline. jen psaki also said there were at least 11,000 american

citizens that have been self identified to u.s. authorities who are currently still in afghanistan. so you see this is going to be a huge process in the coming weeks. earlier, the pentagon saying they are hoping to have at least between 5000 and 9000 people getting out of afghanistan every day in the coming days and weeks. anchor: caroline, thank you for bringing us up-to-date in washington on the situation. the first french flight out of kabul landed in paris early this evening. on board, 45 mostly french people. emmanuel macron yesterday told all those who worked with france during the last two decades that more escapees could be expected. the main challenge is actually reaching the airport at the moment. there is that word coming from white house sources that the

taliban says access to the airport for civilians will be guaranteed. how this plays out on the ground is a different question. reporter: we will not abandon you was the message from the president. emmanuel macron said afghans who worked for the country would be evacuated. president macron:[speaking french] reporter: according to the foreign ministry, france has received more than 600 afghan collaborators and their family members since fighting intensified in may, bringing the total number two over 1300 since wrench troops pulled out in 2013. however, getting a visa to france has not been easy for all. earlier this year, our reporters

met a former interpreter for the french armor -- french army who had had his visa applications denied five times read he was living in fear of taliban reprisals. >> [speaking french] reporter: until now, only those deemed in danger as a result of their association with west are eligible for a french visa, and a lawyer representing afghans who have worked for france said macron's announcement could make things easier for others. >> for the first time, emmanuel macron and the president say w have to protect those that worked for the french army. this is something we never heard before. it is the first time france clearly states and says that it would protect them. reporter: paris has sent reinforcements to kabul airport

to speed evacuation efforts, including visa issuance to ann's desperately seeking safety. anchor: we are watching for all of filaments in afghanistan and will bring you all the analysis as things happen. let us now change the tone and talk about football. the draw for the africa cup of nations is taking place in cameroon. the star-studded event included delegates from all 24 countries, with the added presence of african soccer legends, like from camoon and the ivory coast. famously playing club football. let's show you now the draw, the first names you are about to see seated. the hosts, cameroon, look safe to proceed in their group. morocco is the -- has a tricky

group, with ghana and gab on -- gabon is tough competition. cote d'ivoire is in the cup of nations that kicks off in january next year in cameroon, which is why the draw was taking place there. for more on that, you can go to our special blog on the website. don't forget that. for more news, with you are watching -- stay with us. you are watching france 24. ♪

>> bringing a democratic spirit to both phones and public buildings, these architects have made a name for themselves thanks to a sustainable, thoughtful, and respectful approach to construction. the couple have just won the pritzker prize called the nobel of the built environment. congratulations on this accolade, which is extremely prestigious. it recognizes talent and commitment through architecture. we look at some of the winners of the prize such as wrinkle has, renzo piano -- rem k

oolhaas, menzel piano, these are people who left a mark on the global landscape. is this something you wanted to do? >> i think it is interesting to be part of all the story of architecture from old times to the persons you have just mentioned, because we learn from what they have done. it is a relation of information about spaces and different periods. all of this is what we need to do our job. >> this prize is awarded for a body of work, not one building in particular, but there is one structure that thrust you into the spotlight, just outside bordeaux. in many ways, i believe it sums up your architectural philosophy. can you explain some of the key elements there? >> it was our first concrete project for clients.

it was very new to have to talk with people, and for them to talk architects. we had a strong idea of what we would like to try to give to them in terms of living conditions. and we were really opposed to this idea of standard and we were motivated to give a strong connection with nature. >> and it became a sort of manifesto. we see echoes of that philosophy 17 years later with your work on the tower here in paris. this building represents a dramatically different approach to construction. i believe they initially wanted to demolish the tower, which eats back to the 1960's, and make a new structure, but you wanted to optimize what was

already there. can you talk is through your intervention? >> it is so violent. it is so difficult to think. the people that stay 20 or 30 years in their flat, and they have to see their building demolished -- we think it is a sort of waste of money, a waste of time and energy, and considering this, we think about a much more kind attitude. and also a most efficient attitude, which means that by addition you can have more than bite demolition and rebuilding. >> you extended the building. >> our first proposal was to say that we will provide much better conditions of living inside the flats, not only improving the technical qualities of the building, and be proposed for that that all the inner

residence could stay inside their flats during the work. and the extension was fulfilling to goals. one was to expand the space for living, allowed to reopen the facades and make large glass windows at the place of smaller windows, to have extensions at the same level, to go outside on the balcony. and all of this, we improve not only the space for living, but also the energy consumption of the building. but there was a strong interest for the inhabitants, and we worked a lot with them to explain, to meet them, to visit all the dwellings. for us, the most important is to consider the project from the inside and from the quality of living. >> indeed, that building was significantly revitalized, and

here is more from the people who have and work in that power. >> we have lid here for the last 60 years. we are the first residents. it is practical, and now they have made a park, and it is rather nice. there are supermarkets. we have everything we need. we have this in the afternoon, until the evening. we have a beautiful balcony, filled with plants. right now, it is isolated, in the midst of modernizing. there are social clubs surrounding it. there is a new energy taking over that will have a positive effect. >> asked that lady points out, a

building is not an island. can you tell us more about the urban context in paris and how you take it into account? >> it was complex and difficult because there is the periphery. >> the ring road. >> we had to take care about the noise. we wanted to be protected but still able to go on the balcony. step-by-step, building by building, we can improve. there is a precise action. it is about kindness. i think what was interesting that these buildings was the support of this project. it was called metamorphosis. it means you have to start from something. you cannot start from zero. this is very important, this idea of never demolish.

we have to start with what already exists. what is really precious is the life of people. we have to give to this life of people the maximum comfort and pleasure. >> this ecologically conscious approach is not limited to architecture. it is something we are seeing increasingly in fashion and design under the term upcycling. this practice has been in a luxury co-chair. here is an example. >> here are vintage embroidered tops, and we used them to make new pieces. the whole idea is to make a hybrid piece made up of up cycledr regenerated elements. we have embroidery mixed with the jersey. it is that fusion that is very important to the brand's aesthetic. >> being frugal with materials

is applauded as an environmentally friendly choice in the west, but it always existed in other cultures. in west africa, how did you see their approach to materials? >> for us, it was a second school. it is what you can do with nothing, and to do with never complaining, but always in the spirit of creativity and how to solve immediately a question, but to do it in a very beautiful way and very efficiently. we never forgot. >> with frugality, you have to do the maximum. it is important, the ambition of what you can do with less materials. there is less money. there is place for invention. it gives a maximum of comfort,

of pleasure and generosity. >> as well as residential buildings, you worked in public spaces, especially cultural spaces, for the expansion and redesign of the tokyo gallery in paris, and the regional collection of contemporary art. we have been deprived of these spaces this past year, due to the pandemic. what roles do you think these places play in the society, and how do you approach the project? >> it is clear they have a huge importance, as well as housing and education building. we did not make a great difference between thinking about housing or making space for exhibition or education. we always place ourselves in the mind and the body of someone living in space. the concept of inhabiting for us

is the most important for designing architecture, whatever the problem is. so a space for an exhibition is a place where people come, stay, look at artworks, look to other people looking at artworks. this is part of a life every day, were also the artist has great importance. >> looking ahead to the near and more distant future, the theme of expeditions at the architecture be an ali -- biennale in venice, what solutions do you think the architect of the future will propose? >> we need to be totally confident in inhabitants, in people who live in the apartment, but also in the city. we have to try to give them the maximum of generosity, the maximum of freedom.

the maximum of freedom is so important in life. we are talking about our spaces or flats. it is about life. architecture cannot be something in which we do not think about it. architecture happens when life is visible in it, and this is the most important. >> thank you so much for joining us in the studio. and we will wrap up the show with another perspective on the symbiotic relationship between climate, culture, and construction, a new exhibition here in paris offering a natural history of architecture, a look back through the ages at the forces that have shaped our homes and the cities we live in. that show is available in virtual form on the website. otherwise, you can get more arts and culture on our website and social media feeds. there is more news coming up just after this. ♪

>> a year after the explosion that devastated the port of beirut, france visits the people who still live there. >> [speaking french] >> they share their pains, their worries, and their demand for justice. lebanon is on its knees. >> for this blood i need justice, and i will fight for that. >> a fight to be equal. >> on france 24 and france 24.com. ♪

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08/17/21 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from new york, this is democracy now! pres. biden: i stand squarely behind my decision. after 20 years, i have learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw u.s. forces. amy: preside biden is defending his decision to withdraw u.s. troops from afghanistan as calls grow for the u.s. and other nations to do mark to help civilians trying to fully afte t