Live from our studio in singapore, this is Bbc News, it is newsday. Welcome to Bbc News, broadcasting to viewers in the uk and around the world. President biden has defended the us operation at Kabul Airport. Addressing The American people for the third time in a week, he said the us had flown out 28,000 people since last saturday. Mr biden insisted there was no way to carry it out without causing pain and loss. We lifted approximately 11,000 people out of kabul in less than 46 hours. This is an incredible operation. Let me be clear, the evacuation of thousands of people from kabul is going to be hard and painful, no matter when it started, when it began. It would have been true if we had started a month ago or a month from now. There is no way we can evacuate this many people without pain and heartache. It is just a fact. I had without pain and heartache. It isjust a fact. I had eggs without pain and heartache. It is just a fact. I had eggs for those people you see. Were proving we can move thousands of people out of kabul. We bring in citizens, nato allies, afghanis who have helped us in the war effort, but we have a Long Way To Go and a lot can still go wrong. Our State Department Correspondent Barbara Plett Usher gave this assessment of President Biden� s speech. Recent polls show there is still a Majority Support in the country for ending the War In Afghanistan and for bringing troops back but strong disapproval for how it was conducted. The president is focusing on how it was conducted and painting a sort of positive picture about steps taken and that has been his approach. He talked about picking up the pace of the evacuation. He said it was an extraordinary airlift on the weekend. He suggested that the perimeter the us forces had extended the perimeter and he also talked about the vulnerability of it. He did say it was dangerous and there were possibilities of attack by islamic state militants stop and would be saved. It is said that there was no reason to think that would keep up the pace of the evacuation and he said they would hope they could complete this by the deadline which is by the end of the month. The deadline he has imposed. He also said that military officials were discussing about the possibility of extending it if they had to and that is something that has been called for by both people here in the us and also allies. He was very much coming out there, talking about the way they were carrying out what he called an extraordinary airlift, an extraordinary airlift, an extraordinary operation and he is saying that they will properly continue to improve, acknowledging, as we head in that statement, that any kind of evacuation would have been heartbreaking at any time. We will see if that makes a difference to people watching those heartbreaking and chaotic images of The American exit from afghanistan. Congresswoman Carol Miller represents west virginias third congressional district in the us house of representatives. Shejoins me from huntington. I know youve been hearing from americans in afghanistan trying to get out, what are they telling you . They are frightened stop they are concerned. I have spoken to women, i have spoken to their husbands, i have spoken to multiple people and the important thing is is that we get them home, that we get our americans and our allies out of there safely and quickly as possible stop the fact that the evacuation this evening and we have heard from President Biden in defending the evacuation process, saying they would continue. Would continue. How do you think he biden would continue. How do you | think he biden administration has managed this and what more would you like to see . At has managed this and what more would you like to see . Would you like to see . At this particular would you like to see . At this Particular Point would you like to see . At this Particular Point double would you like to see . At this Particular Point double not. Particular Point Double not play politics with an extremely important event that is going on. The most important thing that we can do is get out military, our intelligence, everyone working together to get the people out safely. There are many areas that can be improved on and we have a sudden expression that you can play wood, could, should i would like to wait until afterwards until i do uncheck quarterbacking. The important thing is we work together. I have spoken to people, i have told them we are praying for them, working with the White House. There are many of us that have been reached out to buy people through different methods and i know my friends and allies in congress have been doing the same thing and particularly those veterans who have served in afghanistan, we have served in afghanistan, we have all been reached out to and we are making concerted efforts to make sure all that information gets to the White House and gets to the people that need to know because we need to get our people and our allies home. I need to get our people and our allies home. Allies home. I think that is a very responsible allies home. I think that is a very responsible of allies home. I think that is a very responsible of you allies home. I think that is a very responsible of you and| allies home. I think that is a| very responsible of you and i think any of our viewers would feel the same way, you choosing not to play politics at such a sensitive time. I want to draw some attention to some of the tweets you have sent out about that situation on the ground. I understand you have been tweeting about some audio you have received from an incredibly brave american, as you put it, and she was attacked each time she try to reach the effort. Can you talk us through what you have heard . It is heartbreaking. 0ne official, luckily got out yesterday, and the next day they broke down there are also people are being actively pursued while they are at that and i have also spoken to the woman whose voice that you heard, i have spoken to her husband. There is children in bulk, many people in vault and a lot of them have to move from place to place until they can get safely to the airport but they are running into issues getting to the airport and then when they get that, i hope by now we getting better organise so that people have Water And Food and i know they are being treated as best as they can but, again, there are issues that we are trying to work through as quickly as possible to get people home. I through as quickly as possible to get people home. Through as quickly as possible to get people home. I know you want to stay to get people home. I know you want to stay away to get people home. I know you want to stay away from to get people home. I know you want to stay away from the want to stay away from the politics and Finger Pointing and i completely appreciate that given the nature of the operation on the ground but if you could comment at all on how you could comment at all on how you think this Evacuation Effort could have gone better . What else do people there desperately need . What else do people there desperately need . They need hel. Desperately need . They need help there desperately need . They need help. There are desperately need . They need help. There are people desperately need . They need help. There are people away. Help. There are people away from the airport that need to get there and to me the most important thing is to show them the support and that they understand we are out here and we are actually working hard to get them out. Of course, as i said, Water And Food and some kind of facilities. I have heard people describe that they are jammed in like match sticks. It is difficult when you are dealing with that many people in a humanitarian effort, to show them the respect that they need and that sympathy. I am a mother, respect that they need and that sympathy. Iam a mother, i respect that they need and that sympathy. I am a mother, i am a grandmother and my heartjust grandmother and my heart just bleeds grandmother and my heartjust bleeds for this people on what they are going through and how frightened they. Frightened they. Thank you so much forjoining frightened they. Thank you so much forjoining us frightened they. Thank you so much forjoining us on frightened they. Thank you so i much forjoining us on newsday. Thank you. Nato says at least 20 people have been killed at Kabul Airport over the past week, as afg ha ns, desperate to fly to safety, crowded the entrance gates. During sunday, there were reports of more orderly scenes, with taliban militants firing into the air and using batons to force people into queues. 0ur chief international correspondent, lyse doucet, flew into Kabul Airport earlier and sent this report from the tarmac. It hits you as soon as you put your foot on the tarmac of this airfield, the intensity and the urgency of this moment. Every direction we look at kabul international airport, afghans and foreigners in straight lines, boarding the Military Transport planes that are all around this tarmac. Taking afghans, notjust away from their country, but away from the lives that they live, the identity that they cherish, leaving everything behind, to start from scratch. Today is the day that a generation of afghans have buried their dreams and aspirations and our lives. This city, to us, is our home, despite its contradictions. We called it home, we were raised from here, we hope that the taliban can learn from the lessons of the Past And Everyone else and we can prove that we can move away from the tanks and bullets, towards a road where everyone can see themselves. This is a scene that No One expected, nobody wanted and No One will forget. There are said to be more than 10,000, possibly 14,000 people, now in this airfield, waiting to board a flight, to take them anywhere out of this country. Foreigners as well as afghans. There are thousands more afghans, a crush of afghans who raced to the airport to try to get on one of these flights. Afghans have an expression when they travel, which means May Yourjourney be happy. Some will be so relieved, so relieved. Some of them will have spent days outside, waiting to get inside here, it has taken some people days, days to get in because of the people who are pushing outside of the gates. Little children, families, not knowing what kind of life they are heading to. The taliban said that hundreds of its fighters are heading for the Panjshir Valley North of kabul, because local leaders had refused to hand it over peacefully. Earlier, the regions powerful militia leader, Ahmed Massoud said he was ready for talks to avert a civil war, so long as the taliban formed an inclusive, decentralised government. Mr massoud, son of the legendary anti soviet Resistance Fighter Ahmad shah massoud, said his forces would fight any regime imposed by the taliban. Until a week ago, the first Vice President now considering himself the legitimate Caretaker President of afghanistan and an ally, he told the bbc he would not accept the vision of afghanistan. Accept the vision of afghanistan. Accept the vision of afuhanistan. A. , afghanistan. As long as they reect afghanistan. As long as they reject extremism, afghanistan. As long as they i reject extremism, acknowledge the pluralistic fabric of afghanistan and they should understand we will not let me be very clear we will not accept clerical dictatorship in my country. We make peace but the piece must not mean surrounded to a group with massive record of human rights violation, massacre of people, you name it that will not happen. You name it that will not happen you name it that will not ha en. ~. , you name it that will not ha en. ~. ,. ,. , happen. We will have more from afghanistan happen. We will have more from afghanistan later happen. We will have more from afghanistan later in happen. We will have more from afghanistan later in the afghanistan later in the Programme And Plenty to discover about the story on our website. Theres lots of analysis and background, including an invesigation into how the media is changing under taliban rule. Just head to bbc. Com news or download the Bbc News app. Youre watching newsday on the bbc. Still to come on the programme the Music World pays tribute to don everly, who had huge success with the rock � n� roll duo, the everly brothers hes died aged 84. Washington, the worlds most political city, is today assessing the political health of the worlds most powerful man. Indeed i did have a relationship with miss lewinsky that was not appropriate. In fact, it was wrong. In south africa, 97 people have been killed today, i in one of the worst days of violence between i rival black groups. Over the last ten i days, 500 have died. Crowds chant czechoslovakia must be free Man Czechoslovakia must be free Crowds Chant czechoslovakia must be free russia is absolving a national day of mourning for 118 submariners who died on board the kursk. We are all with them now, within our hearts. The pope has celebrated mass before a congregation of more than 2. 5 billion people in his hometown of krakow. | stay with us, stay with us, i chanted this ocean of humanity. Well, well, joked the pope, so you want me i to desert rome . This is newsday on the bbc im Karishma Vaswani in singapore. Our main story one week after the fall of kabul to the taliban President Biden defends his handling of the evacuation despite growing criticism. Whilst chaos at the airport has dominated the coverage so far many of the afghans staying in the country are worried about what the future holds for them under the talibans return to power, in particular on the issue of womens rights. The group have promised that women will be allowed to go to work, and girls go to school but many remain sceptical and anxious. 0ur Correspondent Secunder kermani sent this report, and a warning it contains some distressing images. When the taliban took over kabul, many residents were terrified. But rowena, A Young Female journalist, decided she should go and talk to them for her youtube channel. That was the last video she uploaded. She is unsure if the group will approve of her working or not. For now, many offices have told female employees to stay at home. Many female professionals have fled in fear. It is hard to imagine the taliban accepting even small freedoms like this, filmed before the takeover. I really love myjob and i want to carry on working, she says. I hope the taliban will allow me to, otherwise i will have to leave the country and go abroad. The last time the taliban were in power in the 1990s, women were not allowed to work, girls could not go to school. Even now, they defend punishments like lashing and stoning adulterers to death. Today, under taliban rule, you do still see some women out and about in kabul, though significantly fewer than before. Many are simply too afraid to step outside. So far, here, they have not been ordered to wear the burka or to stay at home unless accompanied by a man, but No One is sure if that will last. We have been trying to speak to any of the women here, but all of them are extremely reluctant to go on camera. That is not something entirely new, but one woman did tell me that while she was deeply anxious about the future, she did not feel safe saying anything critical about the taliban. Even without new laws being imposed, the fear is changing the way many women dress. No one is buying jeans any more, says this shopkeeper. Instead, they are buying headscarves and more conservative gowns. Many are deeply suspicious of the group, but today the taliban told female employees at kabul� s Mayors Office to return to theirjobs. This woman is one of a handful that turned up. Theyjust said you have to wear the hijab, she tells me, but i already dress like this anyway. The taliban have always been vague on their commitments to womens rights. In some areas they banned girls going to school beyond the age of 12. Young afghan women have been among those taking part in scattered protests to defy the group. This woman is a prominent campaigner who was a member of the Team Negotiating with the taliban. A lot of women actually contact me, they come to see Me 01 message me. They are trying to find a way out or looking for something different. Not only in terms of security, but in terms of hope, for a better country. They do not have it any more. But in the meantime, i am very proud to see them getting ready to resist. Many worry that while the taliban say now that women can go to work and get an education they worry it will become increasingly strict. For now, it is a time of deep uncertainty. Secunder kermani, Bbc News, kabul. Us Vice President Kamala Harris will work to reassure Southeast Asia and more directly singapore and vietnam of us reliability on a short visit to the region, which is seeking more than a defense relationship. She is she is seeking more than just a defence relationship. Earlier i asked regional Security Expert Lynn Kuok if she thought the visit was ill timed with regards to afghanistan. As great a tragedy as what is happening in afghanistan is and some of those images coming out are upsetting, if we look at the broader geopolitical consequences for the region in the long run it is likely to be far less than what some of these images today may suggest. I think it is quite clear that china, for instance, will be seeking to milk the decision as well as its shambolic execution to suggest that the security guarantees of the us in the region are not worth the salt as well as suggesting that the united states is not a capable superpower and, united states is not a capable superpowerand, indeed, in the short run we going to see us credibility undermined. However, i think the implications for the politics of the region would be less than what we may imagine simply because us credibility has already for some time now being questioned in the region. The reason why the region works with the united states is less because it is reliable but simply because it is number one. The strongest, still the most capable superpower, the strongest superpower in the region currently and also because an unreliable partner is better than none at all and in a region that sees destabilising forces and undermining of the rules based international order. The East Coast of the united states has been hit by strong winds and heavy rain, as tropical Storm Henri made landfall in the state of rhode island. Power has been cut to more than 125,000 homes from newjersey to maine. A short time ago i spoke to the bbc� s Bahman Kalbasi in Long Island and he gave me this update. It has gone from very heavy winds, massive rain and an ocean that seemed to be coming closer and closer with very big waves that kept pounding to blue skies. This tropical storm moved pretty fast, we know that it has made landfall in rhode island. About five or six hours ago. But the worry is that these communities sitting on The Ocean had a Storm Surge and that is not as much any more, it seems like much of Long Island has been spared, although the worries about flooding continues. There are a number of Flash Flooding warnings across the state, including neighbouring states in newjersey and connecticut. But all in all, it seems that at least this part of new York State has been spared, we will have to see about the total damage when the Flooding Counting comes in from rhode island. Lets take a look at some other stories in the headlines. The number of people killed by Flash Floods in the us state of tennessee has risen to more than 20. Rescue workers are continuing to look for dozens who are still missing. Record rainfall of more than 40 centimetres in some areas sparked widespread flooding on saturday. The authorities in haiti say more than 2200 people are now known to have been killed by the huge earthquake that struck the country earlier this month. He the destruction of roads has hampered efforts to transport aid. There have also been reports of armed Gangs Hijacking Aid convoys. Iran has reported another Record Number of coronavirus deaths in a single day more than 680. The country is in the grip of what the officials call a Fifth Wave of the virus. Over the past Week Government offices, banks and many shops have been shut in an effort to curb infections, but the restrictions ended on saturday. France is awarding one of its highest honours to the Black French American Singer And Dancer josephine baker, who died in 1975. As well as being an international star, she was also a World War ii Resistance Fighter and a civil rights activist. Finally, tributes have been paid to don everly, of the everly brothers, whos died aged 84. The duo, with don here on the right, had six no1 singles in the uk in the 1950s and 60s including cathys clown, walk right back and all i have to do is dream. They were awarded a lifetime Achievement Award at the grammys in 1997. You have been watching newsday. Stay with us. Hello there the rather cloudy weather we had to contend with last week this week does promise something a little bit brighter. Certainly it will be largely dry with some spells of warm sunshine. Warm sunshine. Having said that, no warm sunshine. Having said that, no heatwave warm sunshine. Having said that, no heatwave on i warm sunshine. Having said that, no heatwave on the i warm sunshine. Having said i that, no heatwave on the way and temperatures will be nothing exceptional for the time of year but the High Pressure is building in and taking control of our weather. That is why it will be mainly dry and settled but the wind flows in a wise direction so we will pull out air down from the north and not tapping into any of the heat across parts of southern europe. As we head through monday we will begin with a lot of Mist And Murkiness and a lot of cloud around, much will break up to reveal some spells of sunshine. It will stay a little misty and murky some western coasts and it will be another way and gloomy day of loss shetland. A small chance for a shower over high ground in western scotland, wales and the South West but most places will be fine with light winds, spells of sunshine are not being too bad. Up to 24 degrees in parts of western scotland. As we head through monday evening, any showers that do crop up in the west will fade and it will be dry with clear spells but areas of cloud. In this area of cloud here may well work into parts of Eastern England and perhaps into the midlands and then continue westwards as we head through the day on tuesday. It could cloud over a little bit across some parts of wales, perhaps even with the Odd Spot of drizzle. Misty and murky Weather Clinging to northern and western coasts but elsewhere tuesday will bring further spells of sunshine. High temperature again across western scotland, parts of Northern Ireland as well. 24, possibly 25 degrees. A similar day on wednesday and the best of the sunshine in the west, more Cloud Filtering into eastern areas and also there is noticeable northerly wind starting to develop close to the eastern coast but that will not the edge of the temperature. Highest temperatures once again out towards the west. A change as we head towards thursday, an area of High Pressure is likely away northwards allowing a frontal system to work into the picture. Not a lot of rain but a lot of cloud in eastern areas and coupled with that strong northerly breeze that will feel really quite cool for the eastern coast. Motorschool further west even here temperatures are coming down a little as we head towards the end of the week