The Taliban spokesman Zabulon would Duckie acknowledge the number of American troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan in a text to the B.B.C. Earlier the US and vice said the American troops would be withdrawn from 5 basis during the next 5 months he said President Trump must 1st approve the deal concluded after 9 blocks of talks in Qatar the Afghan president of Danny is also assessing the agreement after being shown a copy in the meantime there have been reports of a big explosion in the capital Kabul the blast came as Mr Khalilzad was visiting the city the devastating hurricane that hit the Caribbean has stalled over the Bahamas bringing to rental rain and powerful winds while traveling at less than 2 kilometers an hour the center of Hurrican Dorian is over Grand Bahama wind speeds estimated at well over 200 kilometers an hour earlier the storm hit the outlying a bacco islands this is the world news from the B.B.C. The U.S. Coast Guard says that 4 bodies have been recovered and up to 30 people are still missing after their boat caught fire off the coast near Los Angeles the Coast Guard launched a major rescue operation involving helicopters and boats a fierce fire broke out in the early hours of the 20 meter scuba diving vessel when it was anchored off the north of Santa Cruz Island Hong Kong's Leader Kerry Lim has blamed herself for igniting the territory's political crisis saying it was unforgivable of her to have caused such huge havoc Mr Lamb made the admission in an astonishing audio recording of a meeting with business people obtained by the Reuters news agency. This. Yes. The best thing is still. This show was. So. Unusual this Ms Lamb added that her own room for maneuver was severely limited by her obligation to serve 2 masters as she put it Nigeria's foreign minister Jeffrey on Yemen said he sickened and depressed by the burning and looting of Nigerian shops in South Africa he said police protection had been ineffective hundreds of people in Johannesburg have been looting and torching shops many of which are owned by African immigrants the police fired tear gas and rubber bullets arrested and arrested over 40 people the U.S. Anti-doping agency is solder has withdrawn its case against sprinter Christian Coleman the fastest man in the world this year Coleman has been charged with missing 3 drug tests and was facing an automatic one year ban you solders said it had withdrawn the charge after receiving guidance from the World Anti-Doping Agency B.B.C. News. Hello and welcome to News Hour live from the B.B.C. World Service in London I'm TIM FRANKS at top story the savvy slow motion catastrophe smashing up the Bahamas also on the program the British prime minister takes to elect an in Downing Street to say he absolutely does not want an election why then is the money in Westminster precisely on a snap vote next month and will be joining Lisa set in Kabul has managed to get the inside scoop on the draft U.S. Taliban peace deal if American 15 minutes. When we talk about how Ricans making landfall we often say things like they're tearing or ripping through places but hurrican Dorrian is that particularly awful combination a storm with winds of up to 300 kilometers an hour that is more enduring across the Bahamas at the slowest speed well below walking pace it's like a monster legibly lashing out to ensure that his devastation is a sustained and complete as possible. One video posted on Twitter showed water pouring over the tops of cars always to the level of grooves building smashed and the sound of terror from the woman who filmed it in the part of the Bahamas known as the abacus. Let. Me. Take. You to make. Me. Want. To. Speak. To. What's been the response of the Bahamian government down Handfield He's the foreign affairs minister I want to say to the citizens here our goal I am Crocker area it is not safe to board or. The lines are down drunkards are down 3. 3 is very. Good on how to order a phone of the revenue from it 1st responders were told her every report from individuals who were in distress we are very hard to move a sort of a safe program to do so. We were reporting from the country rewarding strong and steady get out of the government complex returned to someone and make sure the shelter you were holding strong we asked you to continue to pray for us. Is too far from clear how bad and how extensive the damage has been one of those trying to piece the picture together is Clint Watson he's a reporter with the television network Eyewitness News based in the capital Nestle what we're getting so far today is what we suspect it might is sheer devastation we've been getting reports in from hour ago as you can imagine that storm passed through last night and communications were knocked out this since been able to restart Lish some communication despite how minimal is we've been able to hear from people and so what's been happening all day is relatives have been reuniting and he and checking on their loved ones being able to find out if they were OK what level of damage is done with being unfortunately hearing some devastating new or waiting for an afternoon press conference that will take place the prime minister to confirm what we've been hearing some of the persons who were evacuated we've been told may have lost their lives trying to get to safety they have drowned in the SO in the strong storm swells and the surge and so we are hearing of that there could be mass casualties particularly in a in a city community Shakti town makeshift community called the mud which is which is made up of a lot of Haitian migrants we've been told that many of them who obviously live in less substandard conditions and quality of homes those homes were flattened and many of them may have perished in them so we're waiting on this news conference this afternoon to confirm whether that indeed is true what we're hearing but we have spoken ourselves to some of the victims who were able to escape to the health care facility which initially was never a shelter but as a result of the Mass Destruction people ran there because it was the closest thing and so they have been housing some 300 persons alone just in the public clinic who have nowhere to go no food no running water look. Nothing they have absolutely nothing but just sitting there looking waiting for help and talking to persons who were there they told us about bodies that they would have seen passing that were just laying there as they were trying to get to shelter so those stories are no doubt devastating it's put a damper all over the entire country as we're now hearing and there are still so many people who have not heard from relatives and loved ones that are anxious because of the stories they are hearing they want to reconnect and am I right in saying given that the storm has yet to pass it is yet to pass that is just Abaco the storm is now over Grand Bahama Mahomet's of 2nd largest economy for the Bahamian economy and the storm is now over Grand Bahama and it's just literally sitting there it's been there since the late last night and it will be throughout this night it's moving so slow slow at a snail's pace at one mile per hour one mile an hour and so it's just literally sitting there dumping dumping buckets of rain dumping lots of rain feet of rain over that community and we're seeing videos of people up close in a social media in their homes there in the attic of their homes and you see the water coming up through the windows of the attic from the ground that's just how massive the flooding is the storm surge swells are the sea swells it's just indescribable you're talking about 20 to 21 feet of water it's unbelievable you can't fathom that but that's what people are showing us by the video saying please come and rescue me in the roof of my home and this is where the water is and you can see the water on the outside trussing and it's stories like that and images like that that you can't get out of your mind that's happening and grab a hammer right now as soon as we get beyond the storm is going to be a real concern about getting supplies to people because presumably I mean they won't even have pressure. Water that's correct the water services turned off the water supply to these to many of these communities before the storm to safeguard the system and the reliability of the system but those are probably compromise so the 1st thing they've got to need is water they're going to be food and then you're going to have to check and see how people are doing is going to be a massive but Lima National Emergency Management Agency is standing by we already know that Coast Guard helicopters are gone into Abaco and are trying to assess the damage and bring some relief quickly and I also write in saying that people hadn't finished trying to repair the damage that had been wrought in the last hurricane season before this one hit you are absolutely correct particularly grab Mahama many people still have blue tarps on their roofs where they're not repaired their rules yet and they have to go through this storm no one can say for certain whether any particular storm ease the result of climate change however did get a sense clean the people in the Bahamas is saying. Hurricane season ease becoming more intense very much so if there is one nation understands the impact of climate change it is a Bahamas in the Bahamian people we fully subscribe to the fact that climate change has a big part to play in the strange systems that we're seeing the strange weather patterns the strength of these systems are we saying we recognize that as a coastal community we understand the vulnerability of our nation other coastal community spread over 100000 square miles of water we've seen areas and on islands that are longer there that 30 years ago when you talk to our ancestors your great grandparents they told you range the water now that used to be dry land are prime ministers consecutive prime ministers have always preached to United Nations and they preach to the international community the importance of allowing the Bahamas to access important aid because of our vulnerability to climate change. TIM WATSON a reporter with Eyewitness News in the Bahamas capital Nassau and later in the program we'll hear from Florida as it prepares to face the storm will see him somebody who's flown through the eye of Hurricane Dorian in about 35 minutes. Palm oil is widely used in food and cosmetics but his impact on tropical rainforest is increasingly controversial some plantations are now committing to produce sustainable palm or where no new rain forest is cut down and work is treated fairly Can it really work environment correspondent Claire Marshall reports from Papua New Guinea. We've been driving for about 40 minutes now out through the rainforest and just crossed the river and come into land and by the pommel coming out of its given way it's a case of dusty it's far as we can see it soon we find children Beth harvesting Tom in the searing heat Thomas you will see the razor sharp cutting pole thrusting it between the leaves to hack out the freight his young son and daughter gather the fall and pieces Tell me about the work of the work is really hard so over there we have early in the morning and then it's sort of. Like this one you can admit though for throwing a bottle. In a nearby village more children of the plantation some clearly needing medical help they have serious skin conditions with dryly Janelle's all over their bodies. They say when the palm oil company came it promised them a new hospital it hasn't been belt they also believe they would get better housing a school and fair wages Steve in a case but for the dozens crowding around. Yes Many many people. To. Almost. Feel like you're being treated like slaves Yes of course. Under slavery they were any all power plantations isn't a Certified Sustainable plantation it told us it acted legally and did not allow child labor it said the area had been neglected for decades but jobs and benefits and was committed to addressing all the needs of the villages 1st light in a different part of Papua New Guinea we have come to see a very different model of producing palm oil. Producers certified sustainable palm oil. One key rule set by the round table on sustainable palm oil is that no new rain forest should be cut down another is that workers like Robert employed as a customer should be treated fairly. The company provides. School fees for my children. Transport for the children to go to school. Camel is by far the most productive fetched on the planet produces hope the sustainable sideway stay safe haven but the problem is that the guidelines on sustainable palm oil a voluntary and very difficult to police. Reporting from Papua New Guinea this is news. Coming up on the program the British prime minister Boris Johnson's declared there are no circumstances which would cause him to delay Britain's departure of the European Union and all up to the 31st we'll hear from an M.P. From Mr Johnson's own party who says he is ready to put country above Korea to try to prevent an audio departure I will vote as I have indicated over the course of some time that I believe the Parliament should have an opportunity to debate and discuss the prospects of a no deal as much as any deal I don't agree with the government's attempts to stifle debate on this and I don't agree with its basic premise that if M.P.'s do their job and question what a no deal is about some how we're assisting the E.U. In their negotiations I don't accept the premise for that and why a snap election may be just around the corner in about 15 minutes. You're with the B.B.C. World Service and live from London News are with me TIM FRANKS It is the United States longest war for Afghanistan conflict has stretched far far longer they have been decades of violence and instability could that now be about to end a draft of a peace plan drawn up between Taliban and U.S. Negotiators has today been presented to the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani his reaction will be important because up to now the Afghan government has been largely sidelined from the discussions given that the Taliban have insisted that they only wanted to talk to the U.S. Government dismissing the authorities in Kabul as American stooges our chief international correspondent least ascetic is in Kabul and has been able to glean some details of this peace plan what she heard is highly secret to a highly anticipated and highly sensitive there as we've reported often on news are there been months of difficult negotiations in the Gulf state of Qatar between the Afghan Taliban and the United States aimed at ending America's longest war and moving Afghanistan closer to its decades long destructive a conflict so here today in Kabul we have been receiving the 1st details of what the U.S. Envoy Zalmay had leaves out calls an agreement in principle he says it has been reached in their negotiations in Doha and that too he pointed out that final approval rests not with the president to Russia Afghani but of course his boss President Trump in Washington but the fact that a master how does that is here underlines how sensitive this is for Afghans because so far the Afghan government has been cut out of the negotiations of all the U.S. Deal one signed should lead to Afghan talks so when I sat down with the presidential spokesperson city I asked him what message. That Ambassador Hollywood Zod had brought here to call one of the messages was that they are trying to make sure that there will be a sustainable peace that whatever he has done or will do will lead to a ceasefire a direct negotiation with the Afghan government but you're worried yes because we don't want our country to become a save evident to the terrorists we need to end this war either the has to be based on the will of the Afghan people so what we have known so far not all the details or all but what has come out is that the United States will pull out $5400.00 troops from about 5 military bases within 20 weeks that's a key support for you does this worry the Afghan government is a worry the president yes if this agreement does not stop violence if the Taliban continue to host international terrorism and law does that mean to you I mean do you call the Taliban terrorist or are you worried about Islamic state and some of the other extremist groups al Qaeda all of them whatever they do it is to rising there are attacking your cities they are attacking or people so they are threat but they haven't agreed to a cease fire there is nothing in that agreement which says ceasefire so they will continue to attack no one of the key issue in this agreement is to make sure the Taliban sees violence if that isn't them and that that will be a good step So what does that mean is there going to we've heard from Ambassador before that they would even though a cease fire can only be agreed in the Afghan talks which are expected to now follow that there will be an agreement on a reduction of violence is it your understanding from the Greenman that there are those words. In the agreement yes and what he say there would be a reduction and in the violence but that's not the people of Afghanistan want we want an end to this violence we want. Cease fire and we want there a negotiation between have been government and the Taliban because your concern has been you've been totally shut out you are still described as a puppet government by the Taleban is it clear to you that they will sit down with you as the government so far they've said they will talk to Afghans as the representatives of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and not the Afghan government I think the Taliban are given a disproportionately legitimacy. But I think. The Taliban do not have any other choice except to say the with us because they have been government is representing the people and of the Do Not Talk to us it means that there is no commitment by the Taliban for peace so we will have to question their wealth for peace President Trump as the final say Ambassador has had has made that clear. But we've had conflicting statements for President Trump about how many troops he wants to keep in Afghanistan the Taliban say as part of this deal they want all American troops to leave Has that been agreed I think we share those concerns I think we are right to see and question Taliban's commitment towards any peace I think we're share the same level of concern and we have to be careful and even this week as they were finalizing this agreement which is a historic agreement they were trying to take over at least 2 provincial capitals this is the nightmare scenario that American troops leave and that vital support you've had to keep those capitals will be gone and they will collapse and the Taliban will basically take advantage of this agreement that's why we are concerned we don't want to give that advantage to the Taliban's of the U.S. Leaves then you know there will be huge gaps that they can use that against us we should not give them easy a portion of these we need to be careful we need to make sure that our production forces are based on conditions so that condition is to make sure we can deny and prevent Isle of Man having this freedom and of honest them and how long do you think there's going to be their final agreement by President Trump there will be a signing we expect in Qatar and then the beginning of Afghan talks in or slow is that about a week away that before you will be sitting down with the Taliban it will take couple of weeks probably yes we will have to see the 1st thing for us is to get back to the methods up until him our concerns and observations of what him 2nd step will be you know the signing and of course the 3rd will be to look into direct negotiations. So digs deeply the spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani talking to lease to set in Kabul i