caroline hawley, bbc news.ghanistan and was listening to the president's address. well, everyone was waiting to hear what the president would say. this is the first time he has addressed the nation after this really unprecedented advance by the taliban. everyone has been left pretty much astonished by the pace and the scale of the militants' push across the country, taking now around half of all the provincial capitals here. president ghani, in a short pre—recorded message today, said it was his priority to re—mobilise the security forces and prevent further instability. there had been speculation yesterday, even this morning, that perhaps he would announce his resignation. that certainly doesn't seem to be the case. it but what is also missing for the moment at least it but what is also missing for the moment at least from the public debate is any kind of real indication of what president ashraf ghani and his team can do to reverse the situation. the more and more people look at the way things are developing h

caroline hawley, bbc news.t secunder kermani in kabul. you were at the taliban press conference. how do you interpret their comments about who is allowed to leave the country? well one of the spokes men telling me tonight what they went those afghans without the correct documentation, they won't be able to go to the airport, but others will. but he also said that the taliban are not in favour of allowing afghans to leave. so it really seems as if there is a degree of confusion and that will add to the fears of those trying to fly out. the taliban don't like the scenes that we are witnessing at the airport, it undermines the narrative they want to portray that they're bringing stability to the country. at the press conference, they talked about female government employees, saying they needed to stay at home, because of the securitiation. in the past that has been used to keep women away from work permanently. at one office female employees were encouraged to go back to work. that is adding to the feeling of conf

caroline hawley, bbc news. decide whether to stay in afghanistan and live under taliban rule, or try to find other ways of fleeing the country. our correspondent secunder kermani reports from kabul. outside kabul airport warning shots ring out. since thursday's awful suicide bombing by the local branch of the islamic state group, the crowds here have grown smaller, but some still remain, desperate to get out of the country. tens of thousands have been evacuated. these afghans escorted by the taliban. others, however, are being left behind. like this pizza shop ownerfrom essex. he'd travelled to kabul to help try and take his afghan national wife and young children home. i got in yesterday, and they said stay away from the airport and stay in a safe place. and today i was calling, but nobody answered. elsewhere in kabul, the city remains unusually quiet. the is attack has left many fearing they could be further bloodshed. the united states today said it killed two key is operatives in a drone strike in the east

caroline hawley, bbc news.tish and afghan citizens being flown out by the uk are expected to leave in the coming hours. our defence correspondent jonathan beale reports now on the struggle to airlift thousands to safety. it's been the biggest airlift in recent history — a mammoth operation, overall more than 100,000 people evacuated in less than two weeks. more than 111,000 flown out by the raf, twice the number they originally planned. but the british effort is now over, with hundreds still left behind. as we come now to the final hours of the operation, there will sadly be people who haven't got through, people who might qualify. and what i would say to them is that we will shift heaven and earth to help them get out, we will do whatever we can. the final phase of this operation is getting out the 1,000 british troops who've provided security. that is now under way. it's us troops who'll be the last to leave. drawing down forces in a hostile environment is already high risk, all the more so with the continuin

caroline hawley, bbc news.te with the situation in afghanistan as it changes in the coming days. there is analysis and the latest video on the developments as the deadline before the us withdrawal nears, all at bbc news online. you're watching newsday on the bbc. still to come on the programme: the scramble to find hospital beds in tokyo for patients critically ill with covid. she received peace prize for working with the poor and dying in the slums. mother teresa, a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we identified the bodies and the coffins. parents are waiting, wives are waiting. hostages appeared. some hurried, some running, trying to escape the nightmare behind them. britain lost a princess today. described by all to whom she reached out to as irreplaceable. an early—morning car crash in a paris underpass ended alive with more than its share of pain, warmth, and compassion. this is newsday on the bbc. i'm karishma. 0ur headlines: hurricane ida has made landfall in the us state of louisiana, br

caroline hawley, bbc news. a $1 trillion infrastructure plan after months of political wrangling. unusually in the divided political town of washington, the measure had bipartisan support — nearly 20 republicansjoined democrats in voting for the bill. it now goes to the house of representatives, and if passed there would head to president biden�*s desk. let's look at what this bill would do. $550 billion in new money would be spent over five years. another $110 billion will be invested in roads, bridges and dams. $66 billion will be spent on passenger and freight rail. and $65 billion goes to expanding high speed internet access. president biden praised the new legislation. i know compromise is hard for both sides. but it's important, it's necessary, for democracy to be able to function. so, i want to thank everyone on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bill. today, we proved that democracy can still work. an american woman has filed a civil lawsuit in new york, accusing prince andrew of sexual abuse.

caroline hawley, bbc news. of political wrangling but the us senate has passed a $1 trillion infrastructure plan intended to restore some of the ageing, often crumbling transport systems across the us. what makes this especially noteworthy is that the bill won support from both democrats and republicans — 19 of them voting in favour and bucking the long—standing trend of highly divided party politicking in congress. so this bipartisan success story now goes to the house of representatives, and if passed there, would head to president biden�*s desk. i know compromise is hard for both sides. but it's important, it's necessary, for democracy to be able to function. so, i want to thank everyone on both sides of the aisle for supporting this bill. today, we proved that democracy can still work. an american woman has filed a civil lawsuit in new york, accusing prince andrew, the queen's third child, of sexual abuse. in a statement, virginia giuffre claims she was trafficked to the prince by the late, convicted paedop

caroline hawley, bbc news.carrying uk soldiers home from afghanistan have been arriving at a royal air force base in oxfordshire. more than 15,000 people, including over 2,000 children, have been evacuated by the uk over the past two weeks. britain says the taliban has promised to allow foreign nationals and afghan citizens to leave, if they have the authority to travel. the bbc�*s political correspondent iain watson reports. one of the last british flights from kabul, landing in the uk this morning. the prime minister said we would not have wished to leave in this way. 20 years of military involvement in afghanistan, concluded with a frantic evacuation. but in a government—issued video, he also pledged not to abandon those left behind. if the new regime in kabul wants diplomatic recognition or to unlock the billions that are currently frozen, they will have to ensure safe passage for those who wish to leave the country, to respect the rights of women and girls, to prevent afghanistan from again becoming an inc

caroline hawley, bbc news.ents of the us state of louisiana are bracing for the arrival of hurricane ida. the state's governor warned it could be one of the strongest storms to hit the area in 150 years. he also said time was quickly running out for residents to evacuate. celestina 0lu—loday reports. above the clouds in louisiana this is what hurricane ida feels like. as this tropical storm continues to travel over warm waters in the gulf of mexico, wind speeds have intensified. forecasters predict that, by the time it reaches land, this will be a category four hurricane. that is the second most severe on the scale. while the storm will weaken, after it makes landfall, so strong strong at the outset that it is going to be extremely powerful. president biden says plans are in place. we have pre—positioned food, water and generators and other supplies in the area. mobile communication support teams are also en route. mandatory evacuation plans are in place for some parts of new orleans. i hear there's only about

caroline hawley, bbc news.identjoe biden has issued a fresh warning that another attack on kabul airport is �*highly likely�* in the next 2a to 36 hours. on thursday, the islamic state group in afghanistan killed as many as 170 people, including 13 us military personnel. as the us operation in afghanistan is due to end by tuesday, white house officials say the next few days are likely to be the most dangerous since the evacuation began. 0ur correspondent, secunder kermani, reports from kabul where fear and tension remain. gunfire 0utside kabul airport, warning shots ring out. since thursday's awful suicide bombing by the local branch of the islamic state group, the crowds here have grown smaller, but some still remain. tens of thousands have been evacuated, these afghans escorted by the taliban. others, however, are being left behind. like this pizza shop ownerfrom essex. he travelled to kabul to help try and take his afghan national wife and young children home. they said, stay away from the airport and stay i

caroline hawley has the story. the northern city captured by the taliban on sunday, the terrifying cost of urban warfare. the un and other aid agencies are now growing increasingly alarmed at the mounting toll it's taking. civilians have fled the taliban advances in their tens of thousands. many have reached the relative safety of the capital kabul. translation: those who have been displaced are in a very - bad and frustrating situation, but those in the government have not sent a representative here to help. there's little comfort for them here, but they've left far worse behind. people are living infearand dread. women are already being killed and shot for breaching rules that have been imposed on what they can wear and on where they can move without a male escort. it's time for the international community to prioritise peace in afghanistan. securing a ceasefire is the aim of these talks taking place in the qatari capital, doha, over the next few days. the us special representative for afghanistan, zalmay khalilz

caroline hawley, bbc news.ior fellow and director of the defence programme at the centre for a new american security. thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news and bbc world news today. this extract was not the last, said president biden in response to the strike on the east of afghanistan which we are told killed an iis planner and facilitator. how difficult beyond next tuesday, when there were no american boots on the ground and the taliban are absolutely in control, how difficult will it be for the us to plan it, gather the intelligence and carry out more strikes? it will be very difficult _ and carry out more strikes? it will be very difficult for— and carry out more strikes? it will be very difficult for the _ and carry out more strikes? it will be very difficult for the united - be very difficult for the united states to continue to monitor the situation in afghanistan and conduct extracts from over the horizon. it will require either overflight rights from pakistan or central asia, neither of which s

caroline hawley, bbc news.ador of pakistan to the united states, and now with the hudson institute. he joins us from washington. thank you very much for your time. given what is happening and what we are seeing in afghanistan, in particular so many people fleeing their homes, in the hope of finding some refuge, are you surprised at the apparent reluctance, the relative inactivity of the afghan army to face up to the taliban? i afghan army to face up to the taliban? ~ �* . taliban? i think the afghan army has — taliban? i think the afghan army has faced _ taliban? i think the afghan army has faced them - taliban? i think the afghan | army has faced them where taliban? i think the afghan i army has faced them where it could. it's a very complicated situation. does the ale army engage in warfare which will result in even more civilian casualties than the taliban are already inflicting? —— the afghan army. this is more about the nato and us decision, zalmay khalilzad, the us negotiator, promised the afghans piece,

caroline hawley, bbc news. things being said by conservative politicians who have served in afghanistan, one talked about his anger and shame that people had been left behind and today, the chief of the defence forces, sir nick carter, said it's brought a tear to his eyes that some of the friends he had worked late in afghanistan had not cut out either. 0ver afghanistan had not cut out either. over the coming days, it is going to be time for reflection and time to look back on achievements and challenges that uk and western forces have had in the last 20 years. the immediate focus now will be on how the people who have been left behind can be helped to be processed. there are many, many questions unanswered at this stage for example, where will the processes be set up? what kind of documentation will they need? they cannot definitively answer those questions. the us operation is due to end in afghanistan by tuesday. white house officials say the next few days are likely to be the most dangerous since the evacua

caroline hawley, bbc news.s institute of peace. great to have you on the programme. more cities taken over. as the taliban's plan to keep going? and is kabul next? it taliban's plan to keep going? and is kabul next?— kabul next? it looks like the taliban has _ kabul next? it looks like the taliban has been _ kabul next? it looks like the taliban has been rampaging| taliban has been rampaging through multiple provinces, as report noted, they have not taken a provinces, eight out of 3a full so that is a substantial momentum, and my sense is coming even how they are behaving in the peace talks in doha, they are not negotiating there, they are not putting down any minute for terms they want, that suggest the taliban are planning on a military takeover of the countries. the are planning on a military takeover of the countries.— of the countries. the advance in afghanistan. — of the countries. the advance in afghanistan, i— of the countries. the advance in afghanistan, i know, _ of the countries. the advance in afgha

here's our diplomatic affairs correspondent caroline hawley with the latest.t raf brize norton this morning british military personnel arriving back on uk soil. around a thousand was flown out to afghanistan to help in an unprecedented rescue mission which is now in its final hours. we've done an extraordinaryjob to evacuate as many as we have, but i'm afraid it's absently heartbreaking that we can't bring everybody out. and i think that point has been made very strongly, certainly by the defence secretary and others over the last ten days or so. personally i've probably had over 100 messages from different afghans who i know in my long association with the country, and many of those friends of mine won't make it out. and for me, not a day passes without me having a bit of a tear in my out do what i about all that. in having a bit of a tear in my out do what i about all that.— what i about all that. in less than fortniuht, what i about all that. in less than fortnight, 14,000 _ what i about all that. in less than fortnight, 14,000 people - what i about all tha

caroline hawley, bbc news. you're watching newsday on the bbc. for patients critically ill with covid. she received the nobel peace prize for her work with the poor and the dying in india's slums. the head of the catholic church had said mother teresa was a wonderful example of how to help people in need. we have to identify the bodies, then arrange the coffins and take them back home. parents are waiting, and wives are waiting. hostages appeared — some carried, some running — trying to escape the nightmare behind them. britain lost a princess today. described by all to - whom she reached out as irreplaceable", described by all to whom she reached i out as "irreplaceable", - an early—morning car crash in a paris underpass ended i a life with more than its share of pain and courage, - warmth and compassion. this is newday on the bbc. i'm karishma vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines... hurricane ida has made landfall in the us state of louisiana, bringing winds of up to 240 kph. the us military says it's carried out an air strike to thwart a furthe

here's our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley.ding home. 1,000 british troops were sent into kabul to get people out. us troops provided security for an unprecedented international rescue mission. the last british plane carrying civilians flew out of kabul this morning. this evening, news that the last soldiers and british diplomats have now left. in all, there were over 100 raf flights. the end of a 20—year campaign that was not supposed to finish like this. we've done an extraordinaryjob to evacuate as many as we have, but i'm afraid it's absolutely that heartbreaking that we can't bring everybody out, and that point has been made very strongly, certainly by the defence secretary and others over the last ten days or so. personally, i've probably had over 100 messages from different afghans who i know in my long association with the country, and many of those, friends of mine, won't make it out. and for me, not a day passes without me having a bit of a tear in my eye about all of that. day after day, british personnel have been p

caroline hawley, bbc news.irlift from kabul, it's the end of british military operations in afghanistan?— end of british military operations in afghanistan? that's right, it was confirmed to _ in afghanistan? that's right, it was confirmed to me _ in afghanistan? that's right, it was confirmed to me in _ in afghanistan? that's right, it was confirmed to me in the _ in afghanistan? that's right, it was confirmed to me in the last - confirmed to me in the last few minutes that the last uk flight carrying military and diplomatic personnel has taken off from kabul airport. and as you say, it is a historical moment was that it is the end of a two decades long struggle in afghanistan. it was back in november 2001, in afghanistan. it was back in november2001, in in afghanistan. it was back in november 2001, in the wake of 9/11, that the first uk ground troops entered afghanistan, initially successfully, but then of course, the whole campaign became incredibly protracted and cost a57 lives of uk service personnel. toni

caroline hawley, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent, iain watson, is at westminster.m afghanistan, with some of those who could leave being left behind, that'll be controversial. that's ri . ht. 20 that'll be controversial. that's right- 20 years _ that'll be controversial. that's right. 20 years of— that'll be controversial. that's right. 20 years of uk - that'll be controversial. that's right. 20 years of uk military | right. 20 years of uk military involvement in afghanistan is expected to end this weekend but borisjohnson has been severely criticised notjust by opposition parties but by some of his own mps for leaving civilians behind. 0ne mp who served in afghanistan expressed his anger and shame so the prime minister has said he will shift heaven and earth to try to get more people out and tonight cabinet ministers have written to mps to try to reassure them that the resettlement programme will enter a new phase. quite frankly, i have to say, the planning seems to be at an early stage so the decision has been taken over where or what extent there will be process

caroline hawley, bbc news.istan. shejoins me now from the capital kabul. thank you forjoining us here on bbc news. how serious is the situation from where you are sitting? goad from where you are sitting? good evenina. from where you are sitting? good evening- a _ from where you are sitting? good evening. a humanitarian - from where you are sitting? (emf. evening. a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding right before our eyes. 2021 was already going to be an extraordinarily difficult year. one in three afghans, that is 1a million people, already at crisis hunger levels, 2 million children suffering from malnutrition. as a country, as afghanistan grapples with a second that severe drought in just three years, we have seen the impact of the covid pandemic impacting the most poorest and now the raging conflict across the country, displacing thousands of people already on the brink. 0ver displacing thousands of people already on the brink. over 400,000 displaced already this year, even since may, 250,000 displaced.

caroline hawley, bbc news.s embassy in kabul has issued a fresh warning to all us citizens to leave the airport area immediately. its latest security alert mentions a �*specific and credible threat�*. gunfire 0utside kabul airport, warning shots ring out. since thursday's awful suicide bombing by the local branch of the islamic state group, the crowds here have grown smaller, but some still remain. tens of thousands have been evacuated, these afghans escorted by the taliban. others, however, are being left behind. like this pizza shop ownerfrom essex. he travelled to kabul to help try and take his afghan national wife and young children home. they said, stay away from the airport and stay in a safe place. and from today, i kept calling and sending e—mails and nobody answered. the is attack on the airport has left many fearing there could be further bloodshed. the united states announced it killed two key is operatives in a drone strike in the east of the country. back in kabul, the streets are quieter than usua

caroline hawley, bbc news.nicola sturgeon, is self—isolating after being identified as a close contact of someone who has covid—19. she's awaiting the results of a pcr test. it comes as the number of new covid cases reported in scotland has hit another record high of more than 7,000 in the last 2a hours. the scottish health secretary warned that the nhs was facing a perfect storm of pressure. a look now at the latest government data. and there were 33,196 new infections recorded in the uk in the latest 24—hour period, which means on average there were 34,361 new cases per day in the last week. 61 deaths were recorded in the past 2a hours, with an average of 114 deaths a day in the past week. 0n vaccinations, 88.3% of adults in the uk have now had theirfirst jab and 78.4% have had both doses now. hurricane ida has made landfall in the us state of louisiana, with winds of 150mph. the authorities have warned of catastrophic damage, with forecasts that the storm could be the worst to hit the state for more than 150

caroline hawley, bbc news.ng in northern turkey, where at least 40 people have died in flash floods. the floods swept through the black sea region earlier this week, causing some buildings to collapse and damaging roads, bridges and power lines. it's the second natural disaster to hit the country this month, following wildfires in the south. july has been confirmed as the world's hottest month ever recorded by us government scientists. data shows that the combined land and ocean surface temperature last month was nearly one degree celsius hotter than the 20th century average. in a new record, nearly 600 people crossed the english channel to the uk on thursday — on the same day an eritrean man died trying to make the journey. the home office says 592 migrants, on 16 boats, were rescued or intercepted by uk authorities — the highest on a single day. more than 10,000 people have reached the uk on small boats this year. some clinically vulnerable children in england are struggling to access a covid vaccine, nearly

caroline hawley reports.lnerable himself here as he flew into mazar—i—sharif to try to rally forces to repel the taliban advance. his government has faced setback after setback on the battlefield, and the taliban are now closing in on this key northern city. president biden has said it's up to these men now to unite and fight, but he doesn't regret his decision to pull american troops out. afghan leaders have to come together. we lost... thousands lost, death and injury. thousands of american personnel. they've got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation. but the nation is fractured. this is the town of pul—i—khumri, another provincial capital to fall to the taliban yesterday. some people here wanted selfies with the insurgents, who have been accused by the un of committing possible war crimes as they have advanced, and of punishing women who breach their strict rules. tens of thousands of civilians have already fled in terror in what is a growing humanitarian crisis. many, many more afghans will be u

here's our diplomatic correspondent caroline hawley.to finish an unprecedented rescue mission is almost done. the pentagon says more than 110,000 people have been airlifted out of the country in the past two weeks by us forces and its allies. among the planes leaving kabul airport today, the last british evacuation flight for civilians. we've done an extraordinaryjob to evacuate as many as we have, but i'm afraid it's absolutely heartbreaking that we can't bring everybody out. and i think that point�*s been made very strongly certainly by the defence secretary and others over the last ten days or so. personally, i've probably had over 100 messages from different afghans who i know in my long association with the country, and many of those friends of mine won't make it out. and for me, not a day passes without me having a bit of a tear in my eye about all of that. day after day, british personnel have been processing afghans desperate to escape. altogether, nearly 15,000 people have been brought out by the raf — british nationals and afg

here's caroline hawley.ljust 12 days ago. its leaders are sanctioned as terrorists, but they are in charge of afghanistan now and calling the shots. as the taliban advanced through the country, western leaders had warned they would be international pariahs if they took power by force. they would be cut off from funds. now it has happened, and there is the dilemma of exactly how to respond. the g7 leaders, and the leaders of the eu, nato and the un, all agreed that we will stand united in our approach to the taliban. the g7 has very considerable leverage, economic, diplomatic and political. now that the last troops are almost gone, western countries have very little political influence, while russia and china keep their embassies in the capital. the departing west may have less financial leverage than they hope. there are other ways for the taliban to raise revenue, as they have already been doing. it is notjust about drugs, which does get a lot of attention, but the taliban can generate billions from its con

caroline hawley, bbc news.the united states now, and the pentagon where there is a briefing on the situation in afghanistan. they are addressing the drone strike against a is—k planner who is supposed to have been involved in the attack on kabul. to supposed to have been involved in the attack on kabul.— the attack on kabul. to leverage over the horizon _ the attack on kabul. to leverage over the horizon capability - the attack on kabul. to leverage over the horizon capability to - over the horizon capability to conduct counterterrorism operations as needed. we continue to evacuate american citizens and vulnerable afghans out of kabul. there are approximately 11100 individuals at the kabul airport who have been screened and manifested for flights today. as i said yesterday, we have the ability to include evacuees on military airlift out of afghanistan until the very end. this is a massive military, diplomatic, security and humanitarian undertaken for the united states and our allies. i'll give you a specific up

caroline hawley has the story.duz, the northern city captured by the taliban on sunday, the terrifying cost of urban warfare. the un and other aid agencies are now growing increasingly alarmed at the mounting toll it's taking. civilians have fled the taliban advances in their tens of thousands. many have reached the relative safety of the capital kabul. translation: those who have been displaced are in a very - bad and frustrating situation, but those in the government have not sent a representative here to help. there's little comfort for them here, but they've left far worse behind. people are living in fearand dread. women are already being killed and shot for breaching rules that have been imposed on what they can wear and on where they can move without a male escort. it's time for the international community to prioritise peace in afghanistan. securing a ceasefire is the aim of these talks taking place in the qatari capital doha over the next few days. the us special representative for afghanistan, zalmay khal

here's our diplomatic correspondent, caroline hawley.get people out.

this report from the bbc�*s diplomatic correspondent, caroline hawley.en, now they are calling the shots. and western leaders must work out the best way to deal with them so they cause the least harm in power. i think there is absolutely no choice but to develop channels to communicate with them at senior level, over how they are now going to afghanistan. what now going to afghanistan. what levera . e now going to afghanistan. what leverage does _ now going to afghanistan. what leverage does the _ now going to afghanistan. what leverage does the west, - now going to afghanistan. what leverage does the west, does the uk have now? i leverage does the west, does the uk have now?— the uk have now? i think in reality our— the uk have now? i think in reality our leverage - the uk have now? i think in reality our leverage is - the uk have now? i think in reality our leverage is very| reality our leverage is very limited. we can withhold recognition, but i'm not sure how much the taliban care about that. we can, as the foreign secretary has hinted, withhold aid,

caroline hawley reports.esident, ashraf ghani, looked vulnerable himself here as he flew into mazar—i—sharif to try to rally forces to repel the taliban advance. his government has faced setback after setback on the battlefield, and the taliban are now closing in on this key northern city. president biden has said it's up to these men now to unite and fight, but he doesn't regret his decision to pull american troops out. afghan leaders have to come together. we lost... thousands lost, death and injury. thousands of american personnel. they've got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation. but the nation is fractured. this is the town of pul—i—khumri, another provincial capital to fall to the taliban yesterday. some people here wanted selfies with the insurgents, who have been accused by the un of committing possible war crimes as they have advanced, and of punishing women who breach their strict rules. tens of thousands of civilians have already fled in terror in what is a growing humanitarian crisis. m

here's caroline hawley.y how to respond. the g7 leaders, and leaders across the eu, nato and the un, all agreed that we will stand united in our approach to the taliban. the g7 has very considerable leverage, economic, diplomatic and political. now that the last troops are almost gone, most countries have political influence, while russia and china keep their embassies in the capital. the departing west may have less financial leverage than they hope. there are other ways for the taliban to raise revenue, as they have already been doing. it is notjust about drugs, which does get a lot of attention, but the taliban can generate billions from its control over lucrative trade routes and it controls the whole country. and there are other partners, and i think particularly the role of china could be pivotal here. earlier this week, the taliban proudly tweeted a picture of them it meeting the chinese ambassador. the americans did have extensive dealings with the taliban, talks that led to the deal struck in doha l