And using it to Sound The Alarm on climate change. The british Prime Minister announces one of the largest Tax Rises in decades, saying it will pay for delays in the national Health Service and fund long awaited reforms to elderly care. And struggling to remember their letters how indias School Children have been hit hard by the Covid Pandemic. Live from our studio in singapore, this is bbc news. Its newsday. Hello and thanks Forjoining Us. The taliban have announced an interim government. It comes more than three weeks after they ousted the afghan president and took control of most of the country. The head of the interim cabinet is this man mohammad Hasan Akhund Who also happens to be on a un terror sanctions list. Today, hundreds of protesters, many of them women, took to the streets of the capital, kabul. They were met with Warning Shots from the taliban. The bbc� s Secunder Kermani reports from kabul. Death to pakistan, the crowd chant. Theyre furious at what they believe is the countrys support for the taliban, including, they allege, in taking over panjshir, the last province to be captured by the group. Translation pakistan has| directly attacked our country. We dont want pakistan to announce the government here. Afghanistan is a free country. We women and men are not the same as those 20 years ago who were being whipped into submission. But pakistan says the taliban are afghan, its got nothing to do with them. Translation | accept. The taliban are afghans, but behind them is pakistan. They gave them this ideology. Pakistan says it has always worked for peace in afghanistan. Taliban members initially appeared to allow the protesters to march through the city. This is the biggest challenge to the Talibans Authority that weve seen so far, and its not coming from a militia force. Its coming from peaceful protesters, from both women and men. And amongst the protesters, some not afraid to directly criticise the group. Translation we demand freedom of speech, democracy, national resistance against the taliban. Arent you afraid . We are not afraid of death. We are the young generation, and well bring the bud of freedom. Our voices will make history. At a taliban press conference, the group rejected what they termed propaganda about pakistans influence. This evening, they finally announced their new government, naming Mullah Obaidullah emir, or Supreme Leader of the country, Mullah Hasan Akhund as Prime Minister, and Sarajuddin Haqqani, wanted by the fbi, as minister of interior. Theres no women in the cabinet. What message do you think that sends out . Translation we havent | announced all the ministries and deputies yet, so its possible this list will be extended. Back at the protest, convoys of taliban vehicles made their way to the site. Eventually, fighters fired shots in the air to disperse the crowd. Dissent is not something the taliban is used to. Secunder kermani, bbc news, kabul. Earlier, i spoke to dr Madiha Afzal, a fellow at the Brookings Institution in washington, who has been following the situation in afghanistan. This is the furthest thing from an inclusive cabinet, this interim cabinet that the taliban have announced. And the taliban say that international recognition matters to them, and its words certainly are designed to placate the international community, but its actions are quite different from its words, including this announcement of this cabinet. And its actions say otherwise. I think the Taliban May in fact be able to gain some recognition even without government, though, especially from countries that its been close to china, russia, pakistan, iran, turkey and qatar. Without an inclusive government. When you talk about international recognition, in the Cabinet Line up, though, youve got Sarajuddin Haqqani, head of a militant group known as the haqqani network, wanted by the us state department. Hes now the Interior Minister. Hwo do other governments navigate the issue of working with the taliban in this way . I think this puts the us, certainly, in a very difficult position. I dont see the us engaging with a Taliban Government in which Sarajuddin Haqqani is a part of that government, so i think that certainly puts the us in a difficult position. I do think that there are certain governments, right . So the Taliban May be able to get. I think its more regional recognition rather than international recognition. It may be more thinking about these countries that i mentioned rather than western recognition. So i dont think its the entire international community engaging with this government, i think its going to be a part of the international community. Right. Yeah, madiha, on that regional recognition, pakistan, of course, one of the countries that you mentioned, and yet there have been anti pakistan protests in the country, havent there . Some speculation that theyve funded and supported the taliban. How much influence does pakistan really have now . Sure. Well, pakistans support for the taliban in the 1990s was crucial for the taliban. It was part of pakistans whole strategy of strategic depth, a friendly government on its western border. And post 2001, pakistans sanctuaries for the group have really played a crucial role in the group being able to regroup and launch its insurgency. And, infact, pakistans own Interior Minister talked about the fact that the talibans families live in pakistan and the taliban have received medical care and they come and go from pakistan. So theres some Recognition And Acknowledgement of that from the pakistani government as well, and so there is anger at that coming from kabul and coming from afghans all over the country. And, of course, the dg isis recent visit has inflamed tensions. Theres also a fair bit of propaganda and fake news that inflames tensions, but the basic case of pakistans support for the taliban is something that afghans feel very strongly about, and that is going to certainly play a role in a resistance, i think, to the taliban in the future. Madiha afzalfor the Madiha Afzal for the Brookings Institution. If you want to know more about the interim Taliban Government, just go to our website, where youll find more details on whos in the cabinet. Well, lets take a look at some other stories in the headlines. Angela merkel has addressed a regular session of the german parliament for the last time as chancellor before her successor is elected later this month. She has been in office for 16 years. During an unusually heated debate, Angela Merkel used the event to campaign for her chosen candidate for chancellor, conservative leader armin laschet, who is doing badly in the polls. Mexicos Supreme Court has ruled that criminal penalties for terminating pregnancies are unconstitutional, a decision which could lead to the decriminalisation of abortion across the country. In a unanimous ruling, the top court ordered the Northern State of coahuila to remove sanctions for abortion from its criminal code a move which will set a precedent across mexico. Canadas Prime Minister, justin trudeau, has been hit by gravel thrown by protesters during a campaign stop. He was returning to his bus after visiting a brewery when he was pelted by gravel, athough he wasnt injured. Mr trudeau called a Snap Election in mid august, in the hope of gaining a Majority Government for his liberal party. President biden has been in New York and Newjersey Surveying the damage caused by tropical storm ida. Ida first slammed into louisiana as a category 4 hurricane more than a week ago, then became a tropical storm as it deluged the northeast. More than 60 people died across eight states. In newjersey, Heavy Rain and catastrophic flooding killed 27 people and took the lives of 17 in New York. Heres what Mr Biden had to say. Weve got to listen to the scientists and the economists and the national security experts. They all tell us this is code red. The nation and The World are in peril. Thats not hyperbole. That is a fact. They have been warning us the extreme weather would get more extreme over the decade, and were living it in real time now. President biden there stop bring you and another story now. And i want to bring you another story now. Much of New Zealand eases a strict lockdown Wednesday Morning Residents Outside Auckland will be allowed to return to work and school. The country has been chasing a zero Covid Strategy enforcing severe restrictions on movement and activities. The elimination strategy has been popular in many parts of the asia pacific region, although countries like hong kong, Singapore And Australia have talked about living with the Virus And Loosening measures. It has been the Delta Variant which has proved much more difficult to contain, although the New Zealand prime Ministerjacinda Ardern has continued her support for Zero Covid policies. Michael baker is a professor of Public Health at University Of Otago and joins me now from wellington. Great to have you on the programme. First of all, this easing of restrictions, this has been a long time coming now, hasnt it . How did we get to this point . figs now, hasnt it . How did we get to this point . To this point . As you point out, to this point . As you point out. New to this point . As you point out, New Zealand to this point . As you point| out, New Zealand pleasant pursuit of an Illumination Strategy since he turned the pandemic, since march last year, this is been very successful New Zealands pursuit. It has been successful, we have had 27 deaths over this period, we have had very little time under lockdown and the economy has performed very well, but as you point out, in the asia pacific region, the Dulcet Variant Emergence is really strained this strategy, and we have had three weeks now with battling a Delta Variant outbreak New Zealand tulsa variant. It is concentrated in auckland. We appear to be winning, the numbers of drops down to 20 Cases Day in auckland, which is still under intense lockdown, but the rest of the country is emerging into a situation where we have very few restrictions now. And i think we will actually fully eliminate this virus again in New Zealand. I5 virus again in New Zealand. Is your sense, then, that lockdowns do work against the Delta Variant, despite the fact that it Delta Variant, despite the fact thatitis Delta Variant, despite the fact that it is so much more contagious than its predecessor . Contagious than its predecessor . Contagious than its redecessor . ~. , predecessor . With the model that new Zealand Predecessor . With the model that New Zealand has predecessor . With the model that New Zealand has used i predecessor . With the Model L that New Zealand has used very successfully, it is to have a very rapid and intense lockdown as soon as you see any cases, and that has worked before for us and it is working well now. It is just a bit tougher against this far more infectious variant, but i am certain we will return to elimination state after the. Michael, the picture youre painting, then, means that people are basically going to be living in lockdown for the indefinite future. What about the Vaccination Strategy . Why are people not more vaccinated New Zealand . We are people not more vaccinated New Zealand . Are people not more vaccinated New Zealand . We had supplied a contract with New Zealand . We had supplied a contract with vaccination. New zealand . We had supplied a contract with vaccination. It contract with vaccination. It is now rolling a very rapidly. We have over 60 of the eligible population now with one more more doses of the pfizer vaccine. We will get 80 over the next six weeks to eight weeks in this country. The strategy is to continue for elimination. We have had very little time under lockdown in the last 18 months. Get Vaccine Coverage for some and then cautious reconnection with the road so that will mean in a very controlled way, allowing more people to enter New Zealand. Reconnection with The World is. Zealand. Reconnection with The World is. The world is. Just briefly, michael. The world is. Just briefly, michael, does The World is. Just briefly, michael, does that The World is. Just briefly, michael, does that mean The World is. Just briefly, michael, does that mean that when vaccinations are at the level you want them to be, that means there wont be lockdowns, that social researchers will add to . , that social researchers will addto . ,. , add to . The social restrictions have been add to . The social restrictions have been very add to . The social restrictions have been very limited add to . The social restrictions have been very limited in add to . The social restrictions have been very limited in New Zealand for most of the last 18 months. This is only the second natural light and we have had in that 18 month period. We had one at the start. Basically we have had a high degree of freedom, but, yes, when we reconnect with The World more and have a lot more people coming across the border in a high Vaccine Coverage situation, we will hopefully avoid the need for lockdowns in those situations is. Those situations is. Michael baker, thank those situations is. Michael baker, thank you those situations is. Michael baker, thank you for those situations is. Michael| baker, thank you forjoining those situations is. Michael. Baker, thank you Forjoining Us on newsday. Baker, thank you for Oining Us On Newsdavh if you want to get in touch with me on any of the stories so far on newsday, i am on twitter. bbckarishma im looking forward to hearing from you. Youre watching newsday on the bbc. Still to come on the programme struggling to remember their letters. How School Children from indias poorest communities have been hardest hit by the Covid Pandemic. Freedom itself was attacked this Morning And Freedom will be defended. The united states will hunt down and punish those responsible. Bishop tutu now becomes spiritual leader of 100,000 anglicans here, of the blacks in Soweto Township as well as the whites in their rich suburbs. We say to you today, in a loud and a clear voice, enough of blood and tears. Enough the difficult decision we reached together was one that required great and exceptional courage. Its an exodus of up to 60,000 people, caused by the uneven pace of political change in eastern europe. Iam free this is newsday on the bbc. Im Karishma Vaswani in singapore. 0ur headlines the taliban have announced their new government in afghanistan. There are no women and their new Prime Minister is on a un terrorism sanctions list. Earlier, taliban fighters fired shots into the air to disperse protesters in the kabul. Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, many of them women. I want i want to i want to bring i want to bring you i want to bring you this i want to bring you this story i want to bring you this story from the uk now. Increasing taxes on Working Families is one of the most risky things a politician can do. But the british prime Minister Borisjohnson has done just that, breaking a key Election Promise in the process. He thinks voters will back him because the money is to provide care for elderly people and for the national Health Service, which has been put under huge strain in the pandemic. Heres our political editor laura kuennsberg. Even most of the cabinet were in the dark. Morning, sir. Happy to be raising taxes and breaking promises . Until this much anticipated plan emerged this morning into the bright light. There were some polite objections behind closed doors, but no straying from perfect manners for the cameras. Im happy to give great support to boris johnson, who is a wonderful Prime Minister. Even though borisjohnson� s breaking a promise, raising a tax to catch up after covid and pay for Social Care. We must now help the nhs to recover, to be able to provide this much needed care to our constituents and the people we love, and we must provide the funding to do so now. We will also fix the Long Term problems of health and Social Care. A low Tax Party . Well, its being hiked on millions of workers and business in what will become a specific charge on your pay to raise 36 Billion over three years. From next april, we will create a new uk wide1. 25 health. And social Care Levy on earned income. | he says covids the catalyst, even though care was creaking long before. I will be honest with the house, yes, iaccept that this breaks a manifesto commitment, which is not L Something i do lightly. But a global pandemic was in no ones manifesto, mr speaker. The new promise that no one in england will find themselves in sharons position. Ive got some food for you here. Desperately worried shell have to sell the Family Home in stockport, she does her best to look after her mum jean, whos in the late stages of alzheimers. But before too long, shes likely to move into expensive residential care. Its the hardest thing in The World, when someone doesnt know who you are and youre right in front of them. My mum is ready for a residential home, a care home. Im not in a financial situation. Its about £1,000 a week. There would be no House Money left. To have somewhere to live is what everybody needs, and its my home and it can get taken away. Just like that. Have you got a smile for me . From october 2023, therell be a guarantee, a cap that no one who starts paying for care from then will pay more than £86,000 over their lifetime and anyone with between £20,000 100,000 of assets will get some help towards the cost. Ministers will push mps to vote on the deal tomorrow. Labour believes the rise isnt fair, but its not entirely clear what theyd do instead. This is a Tax Rise that breaks a promise that the Prime Minister made at the last election, a Tax Rise on young people, Supermarket Workers and nurses. Mr speaker, read my lips, the tories can never again claim to be the party of low tax. Changes to Social Care will only take place in england, but its a uk Tax Rise and will mean extra money for scotland, wales and northern ireland, too. Cos it will fall hardest on the young and the lowest paid, i the two groups who have. Suffered the worst economic consequences of the pandemic. Before today, Tory Anger was frothing about putting tax up to make these changes, but there wasnt much evidence of that today. The reform of Social Care has been ducked for decades because successive governments. Successive governments have put it in the too difficult box. But. The conservative way to raise revenue is to lower taxes, not raise them. Dont doubt its a huge day for the trio who insiders have accused of cooking up this massive deal alone. What is fair about a huge Tax Rise, Prime Minister, that will overwhelmingly be borne by working people while the expensive properties of wealthy pensioners are protected . The measures that were setting out today, were protecting everybodys assets of up to £100,000, but its. Also now the right thing i to do to take reasonable, fair, responsible steps to put the nhs back on its feet. People who have wages and no assets are the ones who will pay here. But everybody, laura, i everybody has relatives who can potentially face the costs of care. Sometimes, politics can feel like a game, but how we pay as a country to look after those who desperately need care is anything but. Todays decisions are huge and not without risk, but borisjohnson� s calculation is that this strategy is one that he will win. Laura kuenssberg there. Meanwhile, a unicef study on the impact of School Closures in india has found that 42 of children reported not using any type of remote learning during the pandemic. The Indian Government has rolled out tools for online education but to very mixed results. As schools finally consider reopening, the bbc� s Divya Arya meets some children living through this long shutdown of education. Radhika and herfriends are excited but nervous. Theyre trying to write after many months. Radhika lifts her tiny chalk, hesitates and finally writes the wrong letter. The ten year Olds Education has become a casualty of the pandemic. What did they teach you at school . , i ask her. A, b, c, d, the Hindi Alphabet and math. They used to teach us everything, she says. Hindi and english were herfavourite. Children in this village in eastern indiasjharkhand do not have access to internet or smartphones. Parents are mostly illiterate. With no classes during the pandemic, online or offline, learning has come to a halt. This dilapidated building is the local Primary School for children up to the age of ten, and it has been shut for more than 16 months now. And even when these doors open, some children may have been left too far behind to compete and get through school again. Education, definitely, for most poor parents, its the only hope that their children will have a better life. Economistjean dreze is coordinating a survey to understand how underprivileged children have been impacted by the lack of schooling. The Public Policy is driven largely by what is called the middle class, but actually its the privileged classes a relatively small minority, maybe 20 30 of the population. And this entire policy of complete reliance on online education, that is geared to this so called middle class. It works well for them, their children are safe at home. Like in this home in a delhi suburb, where this seven year old continued to study safely. She is helped by her educated mother and has online classes regularly. How is having classes online . Good, but bad. Good because i can wake up at quarter to 8. 00 and also sit in my class. And bad that i have tojoin, not go. She has also learned dance and the spanish language, but its not enough. I want to go back to school. No, no, i demand that it opens. Its what radhika told me too. The wide gap between such children has only deepened during the pandemic. When schools feel safe enough to reopen, the challenge will be to bridge this learning divide. Divya arya, bbc news, jharkhand. One last story before we go. A Blue Plaque has been installed at the former London Home of The Muppets creator Jim Henson ahead of what would have been his 85th birthday. He bought the home in hampstead in North London at the peak of the Muppets Success at The End of the 1970s. Mr henson died in 1990. He also voiced one of the main characters, kermit the frog. Thats it from us on newsday. Thanks so much Forjoining Us. Im Karishma Vaswani. Very quiet on the Weather Front out there right now and quite warm too, after a hot tuesday for some of us. Heres a reminder of the temperatures we had on tuesday in a selection of places. These are the hotspots up to 31 degrees in one or two spots in wales, close to 30 in many other areas, for example, across the midlands. And wednesday is going to be another hot one, with tonnes of sunshine on the way. But we are starting to see a breakdown of this sunny weather in the far southwest of the uk. Theres just the possibility of some showers early in the morning in cornwall, maybe even the Odd Crack of thunder. But for many of us, its sunshine right from The Word Go and warm 17 degrees in the morning. Now, the reason the weathers going to be changing over the next 2a hours or so is this low pressure which is approaching us. In fact, you can see itjust on the bottom of the screen there. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to creep, gently creep into southwestern parts of england and wales. They wont make much progress during the course of wednesday. In fact, by the afternoon, theyre just into southern wales, just across the west country, maybe a shower possible in northern ireland. But look at the weather across the rest of the uk hot and sunny. I wouldnt be surprised if temperatures hit 30 degrees once again on wednesday. Now, even through the evening on wednesday, you can see these showers just about moving a bit further north into the midlands, into central, southern england, many of us remaining dry. But a risk of downpours certainly possible, and that risk will continue into thursday because this low pressure will come closer. Its going to park itself over us. The winds will be light in the centre of this low pressure, and that means that these showers circling the low will be slow moving, so the possibility of long lasting downpours and even some Flash Flooding across parts of wales and england. Some eastern areas may escape the worst of the showers. And here, still a little bit of warmth left, maybe 2a in hull, 25 in norwich, but out towards the west, were talking about temperatures maybe not even making 20 celsius on thursday. So the hot spell will come to an end on thursday for all of us. And you can see in the outlook the temperatures come the weekend will be barely making 20 degrees across many parts of the uk. Thats it from me. Bye bye. This is bbc news. Well have the headlines and all the main News Stories for you at the top of the hour, as newsday continues straight after hardtalk. Welcome to hardtalk, im Stephen Sackur Today on the shores of Italys Lake Como at the ambrosetti forum, where some of europes leading politicians have gathered to talk politics and economics. The global Covid Pandemic and intensifying superpower rivalries all present the eu with some very difficult questions. My Guest Today is spains first deputy Prime Minister, nadia calvino