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UN secretary general climate change warning

The UN secretary general has warned that greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is rising relentlessly after a short dip during the pandemic. Antonio Guterres said he was alarmed how far the world was off course in tackling climate change. We speak to Barbara Davidson from Carbon Tracker who published a report that found many companies do not include their climate impact in their financial statements. And the BBC's Fergus Nicoll explores the prospects for deep sea mining to access metals required...


Energy prices set to rise

Wholesale prices for gas and electricity have been rising sharply across Europe. That's likely to lead to significant cost increases for businesses and households, and we find out what's causing the issue from David Hunter, Director of Market Studies at Schneider Electric. Also in the programme, the world's first all-civilian mission to space, Inspiration4, has just taken off for a three day mission to orbit the Earth. The historic mission, operated by billionaire Elon Musk's firm SpaceX, is...


US inflation shows signs of cooling

Inflation in the US is running at 5.3%, slightly down on July's year-on-year figure. Robert Reich is a Professor of Public Policy at the University of California Berkeley and a Secretary of Labour under President Clinton, and he talks us through the latest data. The plane maker Boeing says it expects that it will take another two and a half years for global aviation to return to pre-pandemic levels; we hear from its Chief Strategy Officer, Marc Allen. Also in the programme, there are...


Democrats unveil plans to raise US taxes

Leading Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have outlined plans for a substantial roll-back of former President Donald Trump's tax cuts, including raising the top tax rate on corporations to 26.5% from 21%. Democrats on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee will debate legislation this week that would achieve the changes as part of their broader, $3.5 trillion domestic investment plan. James Politi, the Washington bureau chief for the Financial Times Newspaper, explains the...


Twenty years since 9/11

It's been twenty years since the terror attacks of 9/11. We'll hear from people who were there, and who felt the aftermath. We'll also hear about how 9/11 changed the way we live our lives, and the built environments around us. Also in the programme, we'll hear about how language learning has boomed during lockdown, and how a refugee-led language programme is connecting people all around the world. We'll also hear about how protracted lockdowns are affecting Australians, and how one Aussie...


Vaccine mandates announced

US President, Joe Biden, has announced that all federal workers have to be vaccinated against Covid-19. He's also instructing the Department of Labor to draft a rule mandating that all businesses with 100 or more employees require their workers to get vaccinated or face weekly testing. And as the BRICS leaders meet, is the loose alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa working? We hear from Professor Miles Kahler, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in...


Bitcoin becomes legal tender in El Salvador

El Salvador becomes the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender - a move that sparked some small protests. We speak to John Dennehy, a journalist based in the capital San Salvador. Protonmail, an email provider which sold itself as a secure, private service, is under fire for handing police the IP address of a French activist - Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation discusses cybersecurity. Canada opens its borders to double-jabbed visitors, and we take a look at...


Mobility at the Munich motor show

Mobility, not just motoring, is the theme of this year's Munich motor show, the IAA. The BBC's Theo Leggett is there and talks to us about the challenges facing the auto industry as it moves away from petrol and diesel. We hear from the EU Tax Observatory as they calculate European banks log $24billion a year in tax havens around the world. China's biggest property company Evergrande's creditors have called for immediate repayment of debts, could this be China's Lehman moment? Vivienne Nunis...


US job growth starts to slow

The US economy added 235,000 jobs in August, compared with 1.05 million in July. We hear how this is affecting businesses on a local level from Stephen Griffin, CEO of the Finger Lakes Economic Development Centre in upstate New York. Apple is to postpone the introduction of new software that would have detected pictures of child pornography and sex abuse on iPhones, following criticism by privacy campaigners. Our North America technology reporter James Clayton explains the situation. The...


Western Union to resume money transfer services to Afghanistan

The money transfer firm Western Union is resuming services in Afghanistan - a rare piece of good news as the country's economy faces collapse. We speak to former Afghan finance minister Omar Zakhilwal on the current situation there. Ireland has imposed a record fine of $225 million on the messaging app Whatsapp for violating European data protection rules. We get more details and context from Ireland-based business journalist Iain Guider. Lockdowns in the Australian cities of Melbourne and...


Purdue Pharma Is Dissolved

A judge in America has approved a bankruptcy plan that effectively dissolves Purdue Pharma, maker of the highly addictive painkiller, OxyContin. The company owners, the wealthy Sackler family, will have to turn over billions of dollars to help combat the deadly opioid epidemic. But the agreement will absolve the Sacklers of any liability or future lawsuits, allowing them to remain one of the richest families in America. We hear from Patrick Radden Keefe who writes for the New Yorker and has...


Joe Biden defends US pull-out as Taliban claim victory

President Joe Biden has defended his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan - a move which led to Taliban militants returning to power. Also in the programme, Dan Cooper of tech site Engadget explains the significance of a new South Korean law requiring app stores such as those of Google and Apple to allow alternative payment methods. US climate envoy John Kerry flies to China for high-level talks ahead of COP26.The BBC's Rahul Tandon explores an increase in underaged girls in India...


US military completes withdrawal from Afghanistan

The US military completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war, leaving the Taliban in charge. We hear from BBC Chief International correspondent Lyse Doucet, who watched the last US military planes leave Kabul's airport. We also hear from Jonathan Schroden, Director of the CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program, about what this means for the US and its legacy. And the last country in the world to use leaded petrol has stopped selling the highly toxic fuel,...


Hurricane Ida heads for the US

Two days ahead of Ida's expected arrival, President Biden has approved a request from the Governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, to declare a state of emergency; we get analysis from Johnston Von Springer at WBRZ in Baton Rouge and Dakota Smith, a meteorologist and satellite data analyst at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere at Colorado State University. The head of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, has addressed the virtual meeting of central bankers at Jackson...


Central bankers gather virtually in Jackson Hole

Central bankers from around the world are about to meet - virtually - to discuss challenging issues like inflation. We hear from Mohamed el-Erian, former chief executive of bond fund Pimco, about where we are in the global recovery. And a new study involving very young children in Mali and Burkina Faso suggests that a new vaccine combination developed by the UK-based pharma company GSK could reduce deaths and illness from malaria by 70% and millions of lives could be saved every year. We...


Kamala Harris pledges cooperation with Vietnam

As many around the world ask questions of the USA's foreign policy, the White House looks towards partners in Asia to reaffirm them of America's commitment to the region, and at the same time, to counter China's growing assertion. We'll hear from an employment lawyer as to why US firms will increasingly mandate workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Plus, why in Nigeria the search to secure a house isn't just a financial challenge, it's a cultural one too. We'll discuss this and more...


US: 'We will meet Afghanistan withdrawal deadline'

As people look to leave Afghanistan, we speak with the International Refugee Committee about measures to help those still in the country, whilst the chief executive of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, tells us about the firms efforts to house Afghan refugees who do manage to flee the country. In Japan, the Paralympics has its opening ceremony. But the seats are all empty and the pandemic looms large over the city - we'll be asking if the government was right to go ahead with the Games. Shipping giant...


On the ground in Afghanistan

What does the Taliban rule mean for Afghanistan's economy, and the surrounding region? The group says foreign military - including the US, France and Germany - must complete their evacuations and leave the country by 31 August. We hear from Rahmatullah Amiri, a socio-political analyst based in Kabul. who tells us what conditions are like in the capital. Authorities in the US have approved Pfizer's two-dose vaccine for over-16s. But some states are now seeing a surge in cases of the Delta...


What now for Afghanistan's media?

In the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan we consider the future of its media. We get the perspective of Saad Mohseni, chairman of Moby Media Group, which owns the most-watched network in Afghanistan, Tolo TV. Also in the programme, clampdowns on tech companies have investors questioning the prospects for the Chinese market, as around $560bn is wiped in one week. Chris Low of FHN Financial breaks it down for us. Sophie Haigney reports on the black market of pre-publication copies...


Afghanistan's finances in disarray

Afghanistan's finances are in a disastrous state, with assets abroad frozen and international payments suspended. The Taliban has already been raising millions in taxes - we'll hear how effective they've been at it, with an update from our correspondent in Kabul. Plus, we speak with Ian Fritz, who spent hundreds of hours eavesdropping on Taliban fighters. The website and app OnlyFans has banned sexual content; for stars on the site, it presents a serious dent to their lucrative incomes - we...