♪ brent: this is "dw news." joe biden promises relief to americans and allies trapped in kabul, attempting to restore confidence amid criticism of the evacuation operation. chaotic scenes at the airport in kabul. also, angela merkel meets vladimir putin on her last official trip to moscow, clashing over ukraine and jailed

opposition leader aleksei navalny. fourth wave of coronavirus infections hits israel. e prime minister gets his third jab to encourage people to get booster shots. wind, waves, and hang-time are the name of the game at this world cup. germany hosts this years kite surfing world championships. ♪ anchor: welcome to the program. u.s. president joe biden has addressed the ongoing crisis in kabul, evacuating american still trapped at the airport. he said the u.s. remains committed to evacuating all afghans who have assisted the u.s. war effort. president biden has been facing

criticism over his handling of the evacuation. thousands have thousands of proud of the airport this week. here is the president. >> this is one of the largest, most difficult there lives in history, and the only country capable of projecting this much power on the far side of the world with his degree of precision is the united states of america. we have already evacuated more than 18,000 people since july, and approximately 13,000 since the airlift began on august 14. anchor: nato foreign ministers have issued a joint declaration, calling on the taliban to allow evacuees to leave amid chaotic scenes at the airport. reporter: many are hoping to board a plane for the u.s. or europe. many are awaiting their chance. many have managed. tens of thousands have gathered

outside kabul airport, increasingly desperate to flee the country. when the taliban let's anyone through, it is usually only foreign passport holders. >> the german ambassador has urge the taliban to allow safe access to the airport to those we want to fly to germany. there are some positive signals in this regard, but we have not been able to verify how reliable these signals are, because the situation on the ground in kabul , especially around the airport, is still extremely chaotic. correspondent: the situation at the airport is extremely tense. sounds of gunfire can be heard, warning shots fired by u.s. forces in the taliban. on friday, a german surveyed were shot on his way to the airport --ivilian was shot on his w to the airport, but is not in danger. >> chaos it's raining right now

inhe capital -- chaos is reig ni in the cital. the lethality is being used to ensure their rise to power. correspondent: there could be an airlift by the german army, using two helicopters being deployed to afghanistan. >> the helicopters will only be used in the city of kabul, meaning there is no chance, and i say this because i have been asked already, to use the helicopter to fly over the mountains to pick people up. that will not happen. correspondent: the situation is especially dangerous for employees of western organizations and their families. the taliban shot and killed the relative of a deutsche welle journalist while searching for the reporter.

the german army has so far brought 1700 people to safety refugees being housed in reception center such as this was in the eastern german state of brandenburg. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: the most important thing is to offer people a safe haven, they are well looked after, have a safe night sleep, have somewhere to go, and we make sure they are healthy. correspondent: gern officials are conducting an inquiry into how the afghanistan crisis unfolded so quickly, with the report due wednesday. angela merkel would then make a statement to the bundestag. members of parliament are expected to ask many questions. anchor: let's take a closer look with a former advisor to the chief executive of afghanistan and a former afghan ambassador to france and canada. welcome to dw. president biden said the

evacuation operations are under control. is that a correct assessment in your opinion? >> it is an operation that started unexpectedly with a lot of issues. over the last four or five days, they have tried to bring it under control, and under full control, probably not. there are moments of chaos and disorganization, but it is improving. along long will this take? how many people will take advantage of this? will the taliban cooperate as they have to some extent at this point? and to what extent are the internationals going to help resettling most of these who end up in transit hubs in the gulf, so the situation is not that easy yet for the thousands of afghans who have left. anchor: the international

situation all the way around appears confused. russia and china say they will work with the taliban, where western governments have closed their embassies. let's start with russia and china. do you think that is the right decision to work with afghanistan's apparent new government? >> each country will have to decide for itself, especially great powers and middle powers and regional powers as well as the natives of afghanistan who will look at it differently from so i think when it comes to china and probably all afghanistan neighbors, they do not want chaos. they prefer stability, security, no terrorist threats, no refugees, no drugs crossing the borders, so for him each one has

a different set of priorities, and the russians are probably the same to a large extent, but when it comes to others, obviously nato countries have a different perspective with different issues. they have to take all of this into account. they can't be one-sided and take two radical ideas and policies. ey will ha to show flexibility domestically at home and externally in its relationship with the international community. anchor: it is difficult, because when you have western countries like germany that will hold financial aid to afghanistan now

that it is ruled by the taliban, you have to ask who does that her? -- hurt? the taliban? the country? aid is 80% of gdp. >> absolutely. there is a moral dilemma in the policy challenge. if aid is aimed at helping the people of the country, it is not just a pure political tool or security tool, then you have to weigh the pros and cons and use sticks and carrots at times, and have to work with authorities in a way that both sides can find common ground, and this would be the challenge for the next weeks and months as the taliban consolidates power. we don't know if they will consolidate in taliban style or

they will open the space to others who can participate. that would be a big indication in my view. when it comes to aid and assistance, they will have to also be accommodating and flexible enough that the usual donors such as germany and others can also have a different viewpoint and participate. anchor: ambassador, thank you for your insights and thank you for joining us. the taliban's route took everyone by surprise, the president has left the country. the militants control most of the country. a resistance movement is growing, and one leader is many taliban opponents consider a national hero. correspondent: he was born in a province northeast of kabul.

the steep mountains and narrow valleys have kept the population relatively safe through decades of war. the soviet union came with tanks and bombers and could not seize control, even the taliban were kept out during the civil war of the 1990's. now it is the last taliban-free area of the country. his father also known as the lion of the province, is a hero in afghanistan. for 22 years, he fought for his province and founded the anti-taliban alliance. in 2001, he warned the world that osama bin laden might use afghanistan as a base to launch terrorist attacks. two days before the world trade center collaps he was killed by al qaeda agents posing as journalists. his legacy did not die with him. his son says he is ready to follow in his father's footsteps . like his father, he is calling on western nations that help,

saying his forces need ammunition and other supplies. he is not the only big-name holding out in the province. another person, the first vice president and the recently ousted government, has taken refuge in the province. he has said he is legally in charge of the country. clarity, as for the constitution of afghanistan come in absence, estate, resignation, or death of the president, the vice president becomes the caretaker president. i am currently inside my country and in the legitimate caretaker president. i am reaching out all leaders to secure the support and consensus. even with the constitution and the legacy of a famous anti-taliban fighter on their side, analysts save the old outs are unlikely to present much of a challenge to the taliban. he has a famous name but few allies, and so far come of the

western countries have not shown any signs they will support an armed resistance. anchor: let's look at more stories making news around the world. more than 50 are feared dead after about carrying migrants sank on route to the canary islands. a spanish helipter crew rescued a single survives or. -- survivor. aid agencies say more than 2000 have died trying to reach europe by sea this year. israeli missiles, a monitoring group based in britain said the israeli rockets targeted a weapons depot. a cargo ship has successfully crossed the suez canal without blocking it. five months ago, the vessel became stuck in th canal, hoing up global supply chains

for six days. on its return journey to china, guides and tugboats accompanied it to avoid any issue. chinese astronauts have carried out their second spacewalk outside the space station and installed equipment and worked on its robotic crime. the facility is scheduled -- robotic arm. the facility is scheduled to be ready by 2022. astronauts have been living and working on the states patient -- space station for more than two months. and go merkel has paid her 20th and final visit to moscow as chancellor, where she and vladimir putin agreed that dialogue is important, but remain at odds over many issues, including energy policy the conflict in ukraine, and the fate of jail opposition leader alexei navalny. correspondent: vladimir putin, paying tribute to another long serving leader with flowers. both he and angela merkel stressed the historic nature of this meeting, their last.

>> [speaking foreign language] translator: 80 years ago, germany invaded the soviet union, and i just laid a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier. even if our countries have profound differences, we still talk, and it should always be that way. correspondent: but on many issues, russia and germany cannot overcome their differences, like when it comes to imprisoned kremlin critic alexei navalny. friday mark the one year anniversary of his poisoning. vladimir putin insisted that jailing was unrelated to politics and alex a navalny was guilty of breaking the law. -- alexei navalny was guilty of breaking the law. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: he was not convicted for his political activities. he was convicted for committing a criminal offense. correspondent: angela merkel calm the situation depressing.

-- called the situation depressing. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: we see the decision to send him to a penal collie on the basis of an old verdict, which the european court of human rights has classified as manifestly disproportionate, is unacceptable. i have, once again, called on the russian president to release alex a navalny, and made it clear we will keep following this case. correspondent: the two leaders also struck a very different tone on the nord stream 2 pipeline. merkel allowed gas to continue to be delivered, allowing kyiv to secure revenue. vladimir putin said it was purely an economic decision and had nothing to do with politics. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: even after 2024, we

are ready to deliver gas through the territory of ukraine. how long? we need an answer from our european partners about how much they want to buy in the first place. correspondent: on ukraine both insisted the minsk agreement and the cease fire in the east of the country must be observed. angela merkel would discuss that question in the ukrainian capital kyiv on sunday. they remained cordial, putin invited angela merkel to moscow once she is out of office. anchor: let's go through this with our moscow correspondent. welcome. this has been a long relationship. do you think vladimir putin will miss angela merkel? correspondent: you know, i think he will. i think there is mutual respect, even though i would not go as far to say there is personal sympathy.

the two leaders have been working together for 16 years, and today he was almost effusive . he talked several times about the productive relationship that they have had, the constructive relationship, and invited her to russia after her time in office two times during those talks. he gave her flowers as well. i think angela merkel has been an equal sparring partner, someone he can work with, and someone as it is perceived in russia is not afraid of standing up to the u.s., for example, and also, angela merkel is a known entity. today on russian state tv there was a nostalgia for the angela merkel era because it is not clear how the relations will be under the next government. anchor: she has insisted it is better to keep talking been isolating it internationally.

the question is has this dialogue ever succeeded in changing the kremlin position? correspondent: i think most likely if she looks back at her time in office and her conversations with vladimir putin, she will be frustrated, because things have not really gotten better, and in fact, russia has been closing off. one of the big turning points came in 2014 was russia annexed the crimean peninsula from ukraine, which really showed that vladimir putin was disregarding with the international community thinks, disregarding international law, and since then, we have seen the poisoning of a former spy, hacking against russia, including the german bun this dog, the poisoning of alexei navalny, in this increasingly widening crackdown on civil

society in russia, but the thing that vladimir putin really wants to be treated on an equal footing and be seen as an old member of the international community, and i think that is why it is right she keeps talking to him in the german government keeps talking to him. anchor: thank you for that. now to israel, where the prime minister has received his third dose of coronavirus vaccine, as a fourth wave of coronavirus infections ravage the country, cases at a seven month hide, and the hope is booster shots will slow the increase. >> israel is the pioneer of the third dose of the vaccines against the covid virus. we are seeing profound effect see -- efficacy, and it is the

way to defeat this virus. we from israel will share all the data, information, insights in this. anchor: many hospitals have been forced to reopen coronavirus wards. most israelis thought the worst was behind him, but rates have doubled over the last two weeks. correspondent: the medical staff at the hospital are in crisis mode. this nurse shows us around the intensive care unit for covid-19 patients. the ward had to be reopened one month ago. it is at full capacity, as the delta variant plunges israel deep into a fourth wave. the isolation ward is a stark minder of the pandemic is far from over. it goes without saying that it takes a lot of us. it is not a regular ward. it is difficult with all the seriously ill patients. you need to be able to deal with it. >> it is very upsetting.

i was hing we would not get back to this. i just started working in the hospital a month and a half ago, but i wanted to work in the coronavirus ward and be part of it. correspondent: a majority of the seriously ill patients in this ward have not been vaccinated. some have been inoculated, but still got infected. here it is mostly elderly people. back outside, we meet the vaccine -- a doctor who says the vaccines work and are vitally important. without them, more people would get seriously ill. the effectiveness seems to wane over time, and there are many variants to contend with. >> two processes. one is the disappearance of the antibodies with time, the time, along with months, 6, 7, 8 months. you have to make a poster.

on top of it, you -- a booster. on top of it, you have a new variant which is more aggressive, then you have to compete with o processes at the same time. correspondent: israel was one of the first countries to start its vaccination campaign last december. 60% of the population has been vaccinated by now. the vast majority with two shots. the sudden reversal is a critical test for the new governnt. restrictions are back in force. masks must be worn indoors. travel rules have been tightened. the unvaccinated are being urged to get their jab. the government is pinning its hopes, third booster shot. although the effectiveness is still under debate, more than one million israelis over 50 have already had a third shot. >> people in israel are pro-vaccination. they know and feel that it can help us, so they are wling to do it again.

they are trusting the science behind it. correspondent: authorities are trying to strike a difficult balance, tightening restrictions, while at the same time encouraging booster vaccinations in the hope of heading off a full lockdown. ♪ anchor: the world cup is in germany. despite the stormy weather, they were ready to battle it out. correspondent: the best of the best in kite surfing are competing in the world cup. it is being held on the north sea island in germany. it is a popular holiday destination. and for one german medical student who reached the quarterfinals, the conditions are ideal. >> [speaking foreign language] translator: a lot of whitewater,

big wind waves onshore, so the wind blows onto the land. it makes it hard to get out, but it pops. correspondent: one of the disciplines is the freestyle, where they stand on the board without any attachment. sometimes the force of the wind is so powerful, kite surfers are thrust high above the water. >> yeah, man, it is hard to describe the feeling. if you do a certain job, you ripped through the air, and depending on what you're doing, it is like there is no gravity and you kind of are falling. it is a weird feeling. correspondent: the windy conditions are definitely giving them a boost. an australian had the highest score in this one. >> it feels great. i have been fighting for this. i have been training a lot. i work on my mindset and

everything. to get the win, it feels good. correspondent: the world cup comes to a close on sunday, where the best in the world are displaying their skills. anchor: the tokyo 2020 paralympics begin next week. organizers say the games will be held under very difficult circumstances. japan is battling is worse wave of covid-19 infections. 12 new cases have been confirmed among paralympic participants, including one athlete. despite the obstacles, it is business as usual, and the ceremony took place. organizers will use the same protocols used during the olympics, and like the bulimics, the paralympic tournament will be held without spectators. -- olympics, the paralympic tournament will be held without spectators. rafael nadal is out of this month's open. he has been suffering with an

injury after pulling out of several tournaments recently. he is not the only one missing at flushing meadows. other stars like roger federer have also been ruled out due to injury. that is it. you are up-to-date. more world news at the top of the hour. i will be back in just a moment to take you through the big stories of the day. stay tuned. [speaking in foreign language] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] ♪ x■ç■ç?

♪ >> and desperation at kabul airport. thousands of foreign citizens and afghans are trying to get out of the country. while hastening evacuations. any american who wants to come home, we will get you home, president biden vows to evacuate afghanisn, but as the u.s. care is one of the most difficult airlift in history, president biden cannot promise with the final outcome will be. and angela merkel makes her less trip to russia, as german