ground. the massive evacuation effort at couple airport is picking up pace, but panic is going as thousands of people try to access flights before next tuesday. u.s. and allied forces have now flown more than 88 thousand people out of afghanistan since the taliban took over at some foreign military have already started to leave as the operation enters its final phase. this report from kabul. reporter: the countdown is on and here outside the airport there is panic as people rush to

see if they can get on some of these final flights. we understand the u.s. and taliban have a deal that the taliban will only allow people with foreign passports, visas and paperwork. >> i'm here without documents because a lot of people that went to the u.s. are civilians. so i thought if civilians are going and i served in the army, i should be eligible to go, too. my wife says get down there, why are you so lazy? i leave the house every day so my wife stops hassling me. reporter: they have been looking at people's paperwork at different locations around kabul and then putting them on these buses, knowing that these people are actually allowed to be on the flights and are prioritized to get through. in the meantime they are trying to control the accounts and keep people back.

they're shooting guns in the air and using water cannons and by beating people to push them back. >> i've been close to the gate three times but because of gunshots and shouting, it makes everyone scared. since i am a woman, i don't have the courage to get put -- to push past them. even if i get shot, i will continue trying to get inside the airport. reporter: the taliban says anyone who wants to get through and has the paperwork can do so, but they also tell us they hope people don't. they say that these people, many of whom are highly skilled, would be an asset to the country going forward and they hope that they stay. with only six days left until these flights have to end, and the number flights will decrease in the days going forward, the crunch is on and a lot of these people are trying their best to get through into the airport today. >> u.s. secretary of state

antony blinken insist diplomatic efforts will continue in afghanistan beyond august 31, and told our correspondent that america remains engaged with the taliban, despite not recognizing the growth as legitimate political leadership in the country. >> why should the united states care what they want done at the airport or anywhere else in the country since they are not a legally recognized government in the eyes of the u.s.? >> our focus right now is on getting our citizens, our partners, afghan partners, third country partners who have been working in afghanistan with us out of the country and to safety. for that purpose, first, the taliban, like it or not, is in control of the country.

certainly in control of the city of kabul. and it has been important to work with them to try to facilitate an insured the departure of all of those who want to leave. that is something we have been focused on from the beginning of this operation because as a practical matter, it advances our interest. >> he says the international community must persist in engaging with the taliban. >> you have to set an understanding with regard to negotiations, the communication of expectations. often times to opposing parties don't know what the other end expects of them. so that rationality is very limited from time to time. so it is very important to engage with the taliban and communicate with them as to what are the expectations, what is

the recognition or the conditions for them to understand exactly what the red lines are. and again, this is not for two for the taliban with regard to confirmation once you enter of post-conflict society, you have the opportunity to rebuild and create a society free of the flaws that existed before. one of the major gaps is a gap of trust. the taliban cannot hold people hostage, if they want their skills, they need to establish a government, people are trying to go abroad, but they need to have a counter faction in afghanistan to stay for. they cannot stay for an unknown future that is full of fear of retribution. so the taliban really need to start addressing these points if they hope to stop these people from leaving. >> the u.n. secretary general set all steps are being taken to

keep the afghan operation -- running. they have airlifted some staff to kazakhstan where a temporary office has been set up. here is more from the united nations. reporter: the you and says the third of its international staff has now been relocated from afghanistan to a temporary base in cause asked on. it says a number of afghan nationals have also been brought out of the country, though there are no specifics as to the exact number. the staff had been told to work from home unless it is necessary for them to go into u.n. offices to complete their work. the u.n. secretary general held what is called a virtual town hall with you and staff in the course of the day. he is said to have reassured them that the you and is doing everything it can to protect their safety, but he also says it is necessary for the u.n. to carry on its activities in afghanistan with a view to the

mounting humanitarian crisis. the you and spokesman confirms that there will be a substantial staff in country, but would not be drawn on the exact number that is needed for the u.n. to be able to continue its operations. >> all of that is still being worked out. we are ongoing with a number of programs, unicef, who, obviously as the situation stabilizes, we will have a better idea of what we are able to do, what the humanitarian needs are, and what the staffing will be that we need to run those programs. and most importantly, the funding we will need. >> there have been a number of reports about discontent among you and staff about the lack of action in terms of protecting their safety. the you and spokesman refuses to comment on the specific allegations, but he did confirm

that a number of letters have been received from various unions which are being considered by the secretary. >> hundreds of afghans have been trying to enter pakistan. many are unable to get through without proper documents. this report from the pakistan-afghanistan border. >> i have just entered on the packet that -- pakistani side. taliban fighters are manning the border across the country with neighboring countries and these letters have been telling us they are allowing everyone to cross the border. the problem here connor -- dear, people have been gathering every day since august 15 and these people have been trying to get inside pakistan. the pakistani authorities say they will only allow people who have the right documentation, to

make sure no extremist elements, no terrorist groups can enter. >> my family and kids are cross in pakistan and we have been waiting at this border crossing for one week, and will be here until what -- we are allowed to go. >> the soldiers have not been stopping them but they have been carrying cigarettes and other things they've been trying to smuggle across the border to make a quick out. the people are saying they are desperate because they have tribal ties on either side of the line which divides the two countries and they want to visit their family, but so far if they don't have the right documentation they are not going to be allowed inside pakistan. >> thousands of afghan refugees abroad are facing even more uncertainty after the taliban took over the country. in new delhi, more than 1000

afghan nationals are staging a hunger strike over the inaction over asylum claims. reporter: we're outside in new delhi were more than 1000 afghan nationals who have been living in new delhi are on a hunger strike, protesting day and night. they are demanding the refugee agency fast-track their asylum claims. >> people in afghanistan may die one day because of the war, but we refugees feel like we die every day. it's like being imprisoned. >> we will stay here until they fulfill our demands, even if it takes months. just like the indian farmers who have been protesting, we will keep sitting here. our protest has been growing. >> asylum-seekers in the country

depend on the unhcr. it allows him -- is not recognized but gives refugees limited opportunity to find a home. >> some afghan nationals have arrived in uganda with the deal arranged by the united states. officials say the evacuees will stay in uganda for a short while before being resettled in other countries. they were subjected to security screening and covid-19 quarantine procedures. uganda has requested to temporarily take into thousand afghans. indigenous activists in brazil are awaiting a decision by the supreme court which could result in them losing access to their ancestral lands.

thousands of people have set up a protest camp in the capital of brasilia. a rights group appealed the ruling they could only claim and if they live there are made a claim before the law. indigenous -- the say many were expelled from their lands before. the latest from brasilia. >> it's been a very, very long day. there was a screen set up here behind me where they were listening to the supreme court justices vote, but instead of voting on the indigenous issue, which should have been it -- address today early in the afternoon, they started talking about the central bank and a proposal to make it independent from the government. so during the whole afternoon you had all these different indigenous people just camped out here listening to this long

session in the heat. they were chanting, they were praying, they're waiting for it to end, because no in line comes the decision on their issue, which is who has a right to claim indigenous lands? only those that were there until 1988, so what happens to those that were expelled from the land before that? the land is tied also to the environment. by allowing a commercial agriculture, by making it easier for land grabbers, it also contributes to deforestation and even if people don't occupy the indigenous lands, they are encroaching on these reservations and poisoning the water, the fish can no longer be eaten, the stable food, which has poison mercury.

there are all these different issues i address. >> still ahead, algeria cuts ties with morocco. we will learn why. >> there's a few steps i want to go over for australia. first, let's start with the northern territory, unusual rainfall amounts, 19 millimeters. it is the wettest august day in more than three decades. new south wales, sydney on wednesday, 11.5 degrees, making it the second coldest day in about a quarter-century. caused by a vigorous disturbance we had that produced cyclonic

winds in new south wales, but the bulk of the energy out toward the tasman sea. rain filling in across the south island of new zealand on thursday eventually will make it to the north island, but the north island will not be as hard-hit as the south island. the heaviest concentration reserve for the southwest portions of borneo on thursday and drying out across java. a mix of sun and cloud in jakarta with a high of 29 degrees. mostly clear for the korean peninsula on thursday but the wet weather will steer right into south korea on friday. >> a tale of two presidents. venezuelan military defectors, american mercenaries.

and a bizarre yet audacious attempt at regime change in the republic of venezuela. people in power, the bay of piglets, on al jazeera. >> a reminder of the top stories here on al jazeera. western countries are racing to evacuate people from afghanistan with less than a week to go until all foreign troops leave. u.s. secretary of state antony blinken says the taliban has agreed to allow americans and

afghan nationals to leave until the -- after the august 31 deadline. he said america remains engaged with the taliban despite not recognizing them as legitimate leadership in afghanistan. thousands of indigenous protesters have gathered as the supreme court prepares to rule in a case that could put their ancestral lands in question. at least 14 people have been injured during demonstrations against israel's blockade of the gaza strip. the latest violence took place shortly after the funeral of a palestinian man who died after being wounded by israel fire during a protest on saturday. a 13-year-old palestinian boy is in critical condition in the hospital. a white supremacist was sentenced to death for killing nine black people in a u.s. church has lost his appeal.

dylann roof became the first person in the u.s. to receive a death sentence for a federal hate crime. his lawyers argue he was wrongly allowed to stand trial and represent himself in court during sentencing. the judges have ruled that his client -- his crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty. algeria's decision to cut ties with neighboring morocco is dominating headlines in both countries. algeria also accuses morocco of spying on us officials, using israeli made spyware. rocco says the claims are absurd and unjustified. and a peace building organization will focus on north africa and asia. he says both countries have been at odds for decades, especially over the disputed western sahara region. >> it's an unfortunate situation

we have endured for so long. in a part of the world that is interconnected socially, historically, and culturally. it dates back 50 years or more that the security council of algeria -- the relationship and rocco. but in relation to what is happening recently in morocco, at the same time we cannot forget that it has allowed for warfare from algeria.

as much as one can point to the narrative that morocco is focused on the future, calling to sit down with the algerian authorities because at the end of the day, it's the people in algeria and morocco. >> south africa's unemployment rate has hit a record high. close to 8 million people are jobless. the country has had 500 days of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, adding to the economic trouble. this report is from johannesburg. reporter: despite being africa's most industrialized economy, south africa has had an

unemployment rate of more than 20% for the last two decades. now it is at its worst at 64.4%. south africa lost more than half a million more jobs in the second quarter of the year, taking the total number of unemployed to seven point 8 million people. there are concerns that that unemployment rate will only worsen as the year continues. south africa is now in its 500th day of a national lockdown because of the covid-19 pandemic. many businesses have been badly affected and more jobs have been lost. economists are concerned about the slow pace of recovery and say job creation most likely won't have an impact in the short term as south africa continues to battle a shrinking economy. south africa's economy has already shrunk by at least 7% payment adding to that is

large-scale corruption. according to estimates, is because the country at least $15 billion and has severely impacted state owned enterprises, the economy, as well as investors. it's in poorer communities like this where the high number of job losses are felt the most. in july come there were riots and looting in alexandria and other places and the economic impact was devastating. many people lost their jobs, and stores remained close. shop owners here are trying to rebuild, but it will take some time. traders outside saying their business has been decimated. they are now making less than half of what they made before and they are struggling to make a living. they say they don't know when it will improve. it is estimated that south

africa lost at least $3 billion due to the unrest. while economists say there are signs of economic recovery, it will certainly take some time before people in communities like this feel the benefit of that. >> u.s. intelligence agencies reportedly sent to release a classified report that is said to be inconclusive on the source of the pandemic. in part, due to lack of information from china. the chinese authorities have accused the u.s. of scapegoating their country with suggestions of a laboratory leak. here is more now from beijing. reporter: we don't have any details into what is inside the cia report, but already beijing is on the defense and working to discredit the report before its findings are made public. on wednesday, china's foreign ministry held a special media re-thing and the foreign industry spokesperson accused

the u.s. of politicizing the investigation into the origin of the coronavirus. and said that washington is trying to shift the blank -- shift the blame and point fingers at beijing for its failed -- shifting -- officials have been taking the opportunity to promote their own theory as to the origin of the virus, saying it could've originated in a u.s. lab in the state of maryland. during the briefing, the spokesperson admitted this was an unlikely possibility and that beijing was only pushing this because of the u.s. itself pushing its own assertions. >> cuban children between eight and 13 are taking part in clinical trials of the countries own covid-19 vaccine. they are receiving the third

vaccine of one of those developed in cuba. it is not yet recognized by the world health organization. china is the only nation so far to allow vaccinations for children as young as three. israel has authorized it from the age of five. orchestra conductors are not known for their stunts, but one in hungary has taken showmanship to a new level. he led the ensemble with one hand while getting a vaccine with the other. thousands have come to see the world renowned musician and the budapest festival orchestra. band members also took part in the campaign, taking coronavirus tests on stage. in the spring, hungry had the most farmers deaths per capita in the world. three out of 10 people remain unvaccinated. russia's central regions are battling extreme wildfires that have been fueled by an unusual heat wave.

dozens of firefighters were trapped are being surrounded by flames. they managed to escape after bulldozers cut down trees and stopped the blaze from spreading grievant president vladimir putin has pledged hundreds of millions of dollars to protect force, saying the nation must learn from unprecedented wildfires that have scorched large parts of siberia. romania has become a dumping ground for large quantities of illegal waste from across europe. government officials in the country have told al jazeera that criminal organizations have made a big business, while warning environmental prosecutors the situation is as dangerous as drug trafficking. reporter: this site was registered as a recycling center. it had become a mountain of waste mixed with building rubble . ignored by local authorities for more than 10 years, until now.

>> you have plastic domestic waste, maybe industrial waste in that part. >> the new head of romania's national environment agency nothing about it until sewage pipes collapsed a few weeks ago, flooding a suburb of bucharest. aside from the acrid stench and the colossal scale, romania has an even bigger problem with illegal waste. go east to this port and rubbish is a commodity worth millions of dollars. a determined prosecutor here is taking on the cartels. >> it is comparable with drug trafficking. >> he did smash one audacious plan to import shipment of toxic wakes from italy. so-called businessmen were

involved when they attempted to bribe local officials. >> way bills from other consignment show recycling centers as destinations, but instead they go to basic incineration sites or landfill dumps. pollution on a big scale. this is part of one consignment from the u.k. host of the global warming summit due in november. he says the u.k. is not cooperating enough on getting prosecutions. >> not romania and not great britain, in my opinion, it is a huge problem for the planet. >> he says the investigation team is poorly paid and faces incrimination.

the mound he stands beside symbolizes a different era, now dwarfed by mafia cartels, bribery, corruption here and overseas, and there is pollution never seen before, coupled with inaction and apparent indifference from othe

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