berlin. with afghans already on edge, warning shots ring out on the streets of kabul. the taliban opened fire as demonstrators waved the afghan national flag to mark independence from the british a century ago. similar rallies are also marred by deadly violence. there is relief for scores more afghan evacuees who have been

flown to germany but anxiety for those still stuck in kabul including dw correspondent who so far have been unable to leave. grief and despair as the death toll from last weekend's earthquake in haiti surpasses 2000 and many more people are left waiting for help to arrive. ♪ to our viewers on pbs in the united states and around the world, thanks for being with us. taliban fighters have opened fire on demonstrators marking afghanistan's national day in the capital, kabul. opposition to the takeover appears to be spreading as defiant afghans raise the national flag in a growing number of cities. have been reports of deaths at

some rallies as the taliban tightened their grip. >> the taliban have only been in kabul for a few days but the city has already changed. on afghanistan's independence day, flowing the old national day is no longer just an act of celebration. it is becoming one of defiance. the taliban have replaced it with their own white banner that did not stop large numbers of people from parading through the streets with the red, black and green again. sometimes right in front of their new rulers. in some parts of kabul, gunshots were heard during demonstrations. so far, the taliban have showed or restraint than in other parts were civilians have been beaten and killed for participating in similar protests. since the city fell to the insurgents, crowds of people have come to the airport every day in desperate hope of getting out. coalition leaders have made

promises to evacuate those who have worked for their military and diplomatic missions and several thousand have already made it out. many more are still waiting at the airport. >> the situation is very bad and are twice as many people inside. no one is getting out of fear. -- out of here. >> even the journey to the airport is uncertain should taliban fighters are reportedly stopping and checking cars on some of the city streets. turning back some and allowing others through. most of the people who make it to the airport can only watch the planes take off, leaving them behind. >> we were kicked off the plane. the black one that flew away. i was on it. >> far from the crowded airport,

some people have already come a long way from home to reach temporary camps. now they have nowhere left to run to and supplies are scarce. >> when our country is peaceful, we will return to our homes. at least then we can work and eat. >> helplessness is in the faces and voices of so many afghans whose government and security forces seem to have vanished into thin air. there world suddenly turned upside down. >> straight to kabul where we join a journalist who has been in the thick of it for days. let's start with today's protests and the taliban reaction. what have you heard? >> there have been rallies for the afghan flag in kabul.

there have also been reports from a smaller rally in a rural part. the taliban were at the scene and did not react. in other instances, has apparently been gunfire and casualties reported. yesterday, similar rallies. that led to different reaction. a curfew was imposed that seem to be at least partially caused by this valley. -- this rally. the taliban commander said people are allowed to have the flag. there have even been pictures the taliban celebrated independence day, lying down flowers at the grave of the afghan king that gained independence.

the crowd in the ceremony had also laid down the flags of the republic. different reactions in different places. >> does it look like these protests are gaining momentum? >> they have spread a little bit. it should be noticed that they are still relatively small in number so we are not talking about mass protests that threaten to reverse the taliban takeover. these protests are relatively small. they are of significance because they show afghan population is not just tag along with everything the taliban want to change. now it remains to be seen how this is handled. >> what about kabul's airport, which is been the focus of so much chaos? is the situation any clearer? >> not really.

the situation has been fluid in the past days. sometimes it seems like it would become more orderly just to be followed a more reports of chaos. it is difficult to pinpoint who is responsible. or rather the indication all sides are responsible. there are reports the taliban have said people should go home and not go to the airport. the taliban have made clear in statements they want afghans to stay and it looks bad for them if everyone wants to leave. the international forces also seem to be not well set up. there have been examples of people with all their paperwork being ordered to an airport gate just to see it being closed and not being let in. a source from the airport said no embassy staff is on the ground to process people.

you have afghans who go to the airport without any papers in the unrealistic hope to somehow get out and that makes things difficult. >> one region is holding out against taliban and that is the pangaea valley where the son of a famed anti-taliban fighter appears to be trying to raise a resistance army. what is going on there? >> so far, apparently not much. massoud had already before started preparation for a resistance. the vice president is apparently also in the valley. they tried to rally people. to what extent this has been successful cannot be said. there have been reports of first skirmishes. they remain unverified and are likely inaccurate. in the old days when his father resisted, routes to the borders

were open so they had some supply routes. now he is surrounded by all sides by the taliban and there are reports the taliban tried to negotiate the surrender before resistance starts. massoud in today's op-ed in the washingt post wrote to fight. whether this is possible as yet to be seen. >> thank you so much. one of the biggest unanswered questions about the taliban's rapid takeover is this. what happened to the afghan army and why didn't they put up more of a fight especially since nato countries invested so much time and money to train afghan fighters to defend their democratically elected government? germany was among the countries involved in the training mission. >> footage of the german army training afghan soldiers several years ago to evidently the

combat readiness only existed in training. >> primary reasons for this are not that the afghan security forces were demoralized and elect loyalty to a government that was not unified to add to that the immense casualties. over the past year, some 10,000 police officers and soldiers were killed annually. afghanistan's government was also apparently more facade than substance. the political class was held in low esteem by the afghan population but the west shares blame for trying to reinvent afghanistan in its own image. one nato commander recently called this a fatal mistake. >> all provincial governors were appointed by kabul. voters in the various provinces were not given the opportunity to vote for their governors.

in the final phase, we were hardly able to keep up with the changes. which governor was replaced by whom of which ethnicity and more often than not they were not the choice of the people who live there. >> the final -- the final illusion was an orderly withdrawal. the german army units are being reactivated to support an 11th hour evacuation. it is an admissionf abject failure in the eyes of german veterans. >> if one of our troops is wounded, killed or experiences something that traumatizes them for life, thats a failure of the german government becau this couldave been planned differently. >> the mission in afghanistan was marked by a series of misjudgments and the political reckoning is just beginning. >> the defense ministry here in germany says the bond is fair has evacuated more than 1200

people from afghanistan. german military aircraft are playing people to is becca stand to -- people to uzbekistan. >> hugs and huge relief for those arriving at frankfurt airport. even for those with german passports getting into kabul airport and onto a plane was an ordeal. they tell of the chaotic evacuation and uncertainty about the future of those left behind. >> the life of an afghan is cheap at the moment the way the world is treating us. it is a terrible game they are playing in afghanistan. >> i am very thankful of german people. from our colleagues at the foreign office, thank you very much. please continue to help us. i worry about my father, my mother and my brothers and my sister because now i am not

there. >> those without german documents are being transferred to this clearing center in brandenburg. around 100 afghans are expected to arrive here thursday evening . >> as far as i know, they are mostly local staff, possibly also people who have reason to be afraid of the taliban such as people from civil society or journalists. we will take care of them as well. >> they will be given medical assistance and tested for coronavirus before being moved to new homes around the country in the coming days and weeks. government says it is doing all it can to bring out above all those who worked closely with germany and german organizations. >> it is totally without question the local staff and

their family members should come to germany. have a moral responsibility for this. these people are not refugees or asylum-seekers but rather they will receive approval to stay from the german government should out of national, political interests. while germany is a new home for some, others are being welcomed by loved ones. what none of those arriving know is when they might be able to return to afghanistan. >> let's hear from dw's asia desk. i wanted to ask you about some of our own correspondence who are stuck in afghanistan. we are hearing a family of a colleague was attacked by the taliban. what else can you tell us about that? >> the situation is very for

journalists. those who are associated with foreign organizations, their lives are in danger. we have local reporters and correspondents. their lives are in danger. their families are in daer. they have been harassed by the taliban. in one case, one of our colleagues who is in germany, his family has bn attacked and a family member has been killed. one is wounded. the situation is extremely bad. despite all these claims by the taliban that they will not do anything against journalists, it will be lenient to journalists and they will respect human rights. it looks it is not happening at the moment could the situation is very bad. >> we should mention dw has urged the german government to help them. will they get evacuated? >> it is an ongoing process.

dw had requested they be evacuated from afghanistan as their lives are in danger. it is not just dw. many organizations have joined hands and called on german authorities to do something about it should i am hopeful the german government will look into it and they will be evacuated. it is a difficult process. it is not that easy. we have our fingers crossed. >> that is dw's asia desk. thank you for your insights. let's take a look at some other stories making headlines. a powerful roadside bomb blast in central pakistan has killed at least three people and injured more than 50 others. the explosion took place during a procession of shiite muslims marking a holy day. they are a minority in pakistan.

their religious celebrations have previously been targeted by militia. police in washington have arrested a man who claimed to have a bomb in his truck near the u.s. capitol building to the library of congress and a senate office building was evacuated following an hours long standoff. it is unclear if the truck contained in explosives. tensions have been high since january when supporters of former president trump stormed the capitol building. intense storms have struck northeastern bolivia, tearing the roof off a building and bringing down power lines. heavy hail and rain flooded the streets although no injuries were reported. well the north is better by storms, other parts of bolivia are struggling to contain destructive wildfires. to haiti now where the u.s. coast guard has arrived with helicopters to transport some of

the most severely wounded from saturday's earthquake. more than 21 people are known to have been killed. relief shipments are startling to trickle in but anger and frustration is growing as people desperate for food, shelter and vital medical supplies still await help. >> in rural areas, progress is slow. entire villages were destroyed. after a week after -- a week after the quake, people have been left on their own. >> do we have to be screened -- do we have to scream to be heard by the government or should we die here? >> grief, despair. >> mobilized general and specialized that a cool personnel to the affected zones. they need logistical support for the delivery of supplies and the

transfer of patients. >> help from abroad has finally arrived. the u.s. is using helicopters to take seriously injured people to hospitals but this is difficult because access roads are partly buried and often controlled by armed gangs. for now, there seems to be a cease-fire so officials are bringing more equipment to clear the rubble. for aid workers, there is still a lot to do. >> this time, things are better organized. everyone is on the same page. things are going pretty fast but it is still too little. just a drop in the bucket. >> thousands are waiting for help especially in destroyed hospitals. all they can do is hope international aid reaches them quickly. >> angela merkel is heading to moscow on friday with talks --

for talks with president putin. recent events in afghanistan will be high on the agenda but there will not be much more did discuss with german-russian ties in a state of crisis for many years. richard walker has more on this troubled relationship and why angela merkel has worked so hard to keep it alive. >> angela merkel has been to russia many times during her 16 years in office. she has made 19 trips. meeting vladimir putin over and over again. now is trip number 20 but if you think that is a sign of a warm relationship, think again. things are well and truly on the rocks. the problems as ominous as the russian embassy building here in berlin. top of the list as russia's annexation of crimea and his support for the separatist war in eastern ukraine.

the downing of a passenger plane is blamed on the russian side . there is also the poisoning of former russian spies on british soil and in the heart of berlin, a professional murder committed in broad daylight. in russia, opposition politician gunned down on the street and one year ago, and other putin critic, alexei navalny, lucky to survive an attempt on his life. all the while, a backdrop of escalating oppreion against oppositionroups and to top it off, cyber attacks aimed at the heart of german democracy and blamed on russian hackers. all this has led to multiple rounds of sanctions against russia. all along, angela merkel has kept trying to maintain a functioning relationship with vladimir putin spite tse problems. >> it is an unpleasant relationship. it is loaded with conflict but

at the same time, this is simply the convention of berlin is that everythi that can be tried has to be tried with regards to dialogue and negotiations. >> with the controversy over the nord stream 2 gas line, angela merkel has gone out of her way to avoid angering moscow refusing to cancel the project despite massive pressure from the u.s. and european allies. angela merkel may be hoping to get a promise from cutin -- from putin. >> i think this will be an attempt to get some sort of commitment even though the chancellery -- the chances are slim it will help them. >> of all the western leaders, she seems best placed to deal with putin with her knowledge of her russia edits language. yet she has not cracked the code on how to get putin to change

his behavior. so why does she keep trying? >> she always felt the generational task of reconciliation between the russian people and the german people after the second world war that this is really important. there is a conviction it has to be tried. >> it is one final encounter for these veterans of global politics. weber succeeds angela merkel can link -- tackling vladimir putin be one of their toughest challenges. >> it has been months since floods devastated parts of western germany. the region is still struggling with the cleanup. much of that work is being done by volunteers giving up their holidays to help out. >> the rubble has to be cleared for rebuilding can get underway in earnest. >> it is a hell of a mess around here.

>> peter is one of many volunteers working in germany's flood disaster zone should he is a professional landscape gardener who saw the devastation on television and decided to lend a hand. business contacts lent him construction equipment free of charge. heavy rains turn to the river into a raging torrent that destroyed several villages in mid july. more tn 130 people killed and hundred more injured. >> there is mud and debris everywhere. at the start, we just clear it out of the way now it and be sorted should >> the 58-year-old brought the heavy equipment and is spending his holiday working with like-minded volunteers. >> people have come from north, south, east and west. from austria, switzerland, the

netherlands. >> despite their efforts, it is not all running smoothly. >> over there, they are clearing earth. we are taking stuff to the tip. everything has to go along this one narrow road. it takes so much time. >> a few minutes later, it is his turn to load up. >> normally i could take 16 tons but they have put on at least 20. >> the traffic rules don't really apply at the moment. pele are taking whatever ty can. >> helping to clear the disaster zones can also be hazardous. the volunteers are toiling at their own risk. >> no one knows what is in the mud that was pilot up here. -- that was piled up here. everything was washed away. home contents, chemicals from

farms and vineyards. there is souch muck, you don't know what you might be breathing in. >> but far from being deterred, peter actually wants to spend a few more days of his holiday here by the river. >> a belarusian sprinter says she intends to raise for poland in the future after moving to the country on a humanitarian visa. she accused members of the deliveries olympic delegation of trying to take her back to her home country during the games after she criticized her coaches on social media pin the athlete says she hopes authorities will speed up the process to change her sporting citizenship, which can take several years. a reminder of the top story we are following. there has been no let up in the thousands of afghans at kabul airport trying to flee taliban

rule. as for an evacuation flights pick up pace, a taliban official has told reuters news agency the group is keeping its word and allowing the safe passage of foreigners and afghans. that is all the news for now. after a short break, i will lead you through the day. you can always find updates on news, is this, sport and culture stories on our website. this is dw.com. thanks for watching. ♪

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♪ >> anti-taliban protests have been taking place in several cities across afghanistan. meanwhile, the united nations briefing report says the taliban is stepping up its hunt for citizens they say collaborated with the allied coalition. this despite their word monday that everyone would he pardoned. in haiti, the death toll has now passed 2000. there are still many missing in the wake of the 7.2 hybrid magnitude earthquake that struck