it's the last afghan province holding out against the islamist group. both sides are claiming to have the upper hand without producing conclusive evidence. here in the uk, the labour opposition party has called for clarity on covid vaccines for children to prevent further disruption to their education. labour says there's a "strong case" for offering all 12 to 15 year olds coronavirus vaccinations — but the government's scientific advisors don't support it. scientists have revealed that tuna stocks are starting to recover after being fished to the edge of extinction. however, many other plants and animals remain under huge pressure. biodiversity researchers say that nearly a third of the species they're monitoring face extinction. one official warned of a major crisis soon. the doctors�* union, the british medical association, is calling on the government

to take urgent action to tackle delays to the delivery of the winter flu jab. some gp surgeries in england and wales are cancelling appointments for the vaccine, after one of the uk's largest suppliers warned of a possible two—week delay, because of a lack of lorry drivers. the department of health insists there's no shortage. daniela relph reports. 35 million people will be offered the vaccine to combat the flu virus this autumn and winter. those targeted have a higher risk of serious illness if they contract flu, but actually getting your flu jab is now riddled with delays. the vaccine is not being delivered to gp surgeries in parts of england and wales, causing them to postpone appointments and flu clinics. i think it could be a real issue for patients and for general practice, and that, of course, if general practice is in trouble, then patients are in trouble. because it's notjust a question of delaying it, it's all the cancellations of the many, many clinics, the many appointments, which have already been booked

seqirus supplies vaccines to gps and pharmacies. it's warned that road freight challenges have disrupted their work. there simply aren't enough lorry drivers to distribute the vaccine. the concern is that any delay in delivering the flu jab could have a knock—on effect on the wider nhs. with increased pressure on hospitals, during a winter when medics already know they will have to deal with both flu and covid. more flu cases, potentially caused by a delay in vaccines, plus high levels of covid in the community, plus the nhs trying to deal with other issues really is a bit of a perfect storm. i think there's a high level of anxiety amongst my clinical colleagues who are really, really tired and going into another difficult winter. surgeries are already limiting blood tests due to a chronic shortage of test tubes. doctors�* leaders are critical of the government's handling of the disruption. we're hearing nothing from the politicians i and the bma is calling for the government toi

have a cobra meeting - because within the space of two weeks, we've seen two major| crises — cancellations of blood tests and now, flu jabs. we want to hear from our politicians and hear why i there are no contingency plans. gp surgeries now face managing further delays and cancellations, as well as the worry and anxiety of their patients. daniela relph, bbc news. now on bbc news, the travel show. this week on the show, could ships like this be the future of more sustainable cruise holidays? it can be saving, on the energy, up to eight tonnes per day. we get a new view of an iconic skyscraper that celebrates its 90th birthday this year... welcome to new york city. ..why they can't wait to get the party started again in the bahamas... you are caught up in the rapture. - ..and we share the secret

to making the perfect paella in spain. mm! the golden age of sail, where tall ships ruled the seas and followed the prevailing trade winds around the world. it ended with the advent of steam and diesel power in the mid 19th and early 20th century. but now, could we be about to enter another age of sail?

this is the golden horizon, the largest tall ship in the world and the biggest of its kind ever made, today is its maiden voyage. you can see them loading on the equipment and the provisions as i talk. now, it's a journey that begins here in dover, and sees it sail on the high seas around the world for the next few years. in that distant pre—covid world of 2019, a record 30 million passengers worldwide took a cruise. and that figure was projected to grow — and with it, a fear of a negative impact on the environment. well, we all know what happened next. and with cruises starting to resume, we're here to see if things can be done a little differently. horn bellows.

so, this is the moment. the sails are coming up. well, of course, there's a grand unveiling of what is 42 sails on a five—mast boat. it's pretty incredible, actually. and the music, which they've composed specially, is the background to this. and i've got to be honest, it's a lovely, lovely scenario. you've got all this going on around you in the most amazing vessel. the golden horizon weighs a whopping 8,770 tonnes and took five years to be built in croatia. it's taking me on a 160—mile journey to the isle of wight, off the south coast of england, before heading to the mediterranean and croatian coast. captain, permission to come on the bridge?

yes, permission granted, please. now, look at this. this is really high—tech. and yet, you're the captain of a sailing ship which has got five masts and 42 sails — it's like a combination of the old and new, right? yes, it is. it's not only the sails, what we need. we need the steering, we need that engine for the operation in the port. we need all this equipment to make the safe navigation of the seas. by using the sails, how much fuel are you saving? if we utilise the sails in their full power, then we are only using the generators to produce the energy we need for the, let's say, cooking, erm, lights, and so on. so, it can be even up to eight tonnes per day, saving on the energy. there are 136 cabins and suites over the ship's four decks. this won't be a cheap holiday,

but what's on offer here is very different from one of your regular mass—market traditional cruises. it's obvious that this is a very complex ship to operate, and making things run smoothly takes a lot of skill and teamwork. it's all hands on deck, just to set the sails without any problems. right. i know it's really skilful, but is there any way that i can learn the ropes? i mean, can i have a go at doing this? well, i think it's not a problem. i think the guys are still setting the sails, so let's go! great, brilliant. ok, so that's for you. yeah. you're holding this rope. yeah. right now, are you ready? so, this guy over there is on the left side of the same sail. yes. he's pulling the left corner of the sail. and we've got to co—ordinate between the two of them? yes. you'll have to keep the same tension on both sides. 0k, we're ready. slowly, slowly — you see how slowly the sails is coming out of the yard. that's the speed that we have

to give, like, very slowly. very careful. is this good? yes. god, you feel the responsibility! yes. this is the most critical bit now, is it? yes. you have to be really careful that this corner is not going to get into and out of lock. 0k, stop. secure! now you can be a part of the sail station. they laugh. thank you. brilliant! the wonderful thing on the small ship, and especially on a sailing ship, is that when we have a lot of wind, when we have a storm, we all need to work together and rely on each other. because sometimes, we also have to go up in the rig on these yards up there, and furl in the sail, if the semi—automatic system doesn't work. so, that creates a lot of bonding. but the only thing that counts here is your skill. so, do you think this is the future? this is true sustainability.

and it's also time—proven sustainability, because sailing ships have been around for hundreds of years, and now we are coming back to something that we know already and develop it a little bit further. now, i've got one more thing to try before i head back to land... just come here. yeah. so, here we... 0ne leg. yeah. the other leg... ..and that is to check out the view from the top. so you're going to climb? ok, i'm going to keep this tensioned. 0k. step... step on this, all the way up. ..and then...step... ..and then... ..step. look ahead. they laugh and then, step... 0h... it's actually a lot higher than i thought. all right. i'll be honest with you... it's scary — and also gets narrower. 0k. and this is the worst

bit, for sure. hold on to where, this? this one, and this one. this is also good to hold, because it's not slippery. and this... you might have to pull me. 0k, 0k, 0k, 0k. oh, yes! all right. victory! you got it. that... i've got to be honest with you. that was a little bit frightening. phew! well, the view was well worth it. this has been such a different experience to being on board a much bigger, more conventional modern cruise ship. and it's really hard to compare the two experiences. clearly, nobody is suggesting that sail power will take the place of engines throughout the entire cruise industry. but the golden horizon and ships like her will open up more sustainable options — and that could encourage more traditional cruise lines to up their game when it comes to things like emissions and waste, which, hopefully, could be a win for everyone.

next up, we're off to spain to meet a global gourmet who claims that he has the secret to preparing the perfect paella.

mm!

a little... mm! por favor... mm! well, stay with us, because still to come on the travel show...

..the caribbean island that's determined that the party will go on... we've had dorian, and now we have covid. and, as we have done with every other crisis before this, we will survive. ..and the empire strikes back in time to celebrate a landmark birthday in new york. the steel is a big part of the history of the building, the fact that it was erected at a rate of four—and—a—half storeys per week. for two days every winter in nassau, the capital of the bahamas, the city's main street is traditionally transformed into a river of sound and colour. this is the festival ofjunkanoo. it has been documented in the bahamas for over 200 years.

but, of course, we believe it started long before that in secret places in dark of night. the story ofjunkanoo dates back to the island's links with the transatlantic slave trade. junkanoo takes place on boxing day and the ist ofjanuary, traditionally the only days that enslaved africans were given off during the year. i think of our ancestors who were in the crisis of slavery. and you are no longer owned by you. you are owned by somebody. you are classified as an animal. and in the midst of the horror and the degradation of slavery, you say to yourself, "i cannot be an animal. because when we were back home in the mother country, we had rituals and ceremonies. animals don't have those things." arlene was just four years old when she first danced in the parades, and has even transformed her

childhood home into a museum devoted tojunkanoo. these are all my costumes in here from different parades. i have the hard part, because i get to dance in them and look pretty and have people admire me all morning. she chuckles. ah, the good old days! 0ur costumes have really evolved over the years. in the old days, the costumes were made from indigenous materials — sponge, leaves, feathers, palm branches, whatever we could find. i tell the children this is sponge—bahama—bob. sponge made its way to bay street, indigenous materials on the parade. and eventually, paper came to be the main medium of costuming, which, for me, is very significant, because africans were not permitted to learn to read and write.

the parade begins at the corner of george street and bay street. whenjunkanoos say, "let's go to bay!", it's a rallying cry to go to the parade. when those drums start, and they start to penetrate right into your chest, you are caught up in the rapture of the moment. so, you are going to hear the pounding of those drums, the shaking of the bells, and you are going to hear a variety of horns. it is the richest experience of the people of the bahamas. and i think our visitors become immersed in that same feeling of expression when they witness it.

in 2019, the bahamas was struck by hurricane dorian. and the country's tourist industry has also been dealt another massive blow by the covid pandemic, forcing manyjunkanoo festivities online for the time being. junkanoo itself is the story of resilience. it really is a symbol of how strong and determined we are as a people. we have had dorian, and now we have covid. and, as we have done with every other crisis before this, we will survive. as we say in the bahamas, "we will bounce back." and that is just a part of "who we is", to put it in bahamian english.

to end this week, we're off across the atlantic to one of america's — if not the world's — most famous skyscrapers. the empire state building in new york is celebrating its 90th birthday this year. and although it stopped being the world's tallest building back in the early 19705, there's still something iconic and powerful about this wonder of art deco design and engineering. well, travel to the united states is still restricted for us here in the uk, so we asked the bbc�*s laura jones, who's based in the big apple, to head to manhattan to wish the empire state a very happy birthday. of the top five tallest buildings in new york, the empire state building is by far the oldest. construction began in 1930 and

was finished in just a10 days. the building really captured the imagination of hollywood and ended up playing a pretty big part in the movies itself, like in king kong... ..the rom—com sleepless in seattle, and one of my absolute favourites, the musical on the town. even today, it's still one of the most visited attractions in new york city, usually welcoming about 4 million people every year who get to come up here and take in those beautiful views. it is amazing to witness their reaction when they step out into any of our observatories, whether it be the 86th floor or the 102nd floor. you can hear them gasp. he oversaw renovations for the brand—new observation deck on the 102nd floor, which opened a few months before the pandemic.

we went into the design phase and started thinking about, "how do we get out of the way of the views?" we're able to reveal the beams. you know, the steel is a big part of the history of the building, the fact that it was erected at a rate of four—and—a—half storeys per week. and even though the empire state is one of the world's most recognisable buildings, it still has its fair share of secrets. this is exciting! just one floor up from the 102nd public observation deck, there's another floor that only vip guests and celebrities get to visit. wow! this is absolutely incredible. welcome to new york city! a tiny viewing balcony on the 103rd floor forms a ring around the building spire. hi there. is it good to go?

yes. thank you so much. back down on the ground, there are a few other closely—guarded secrets. siobhan macshane runs an exclusive access—all—areas tour. something you may not know that we have here in the empire state building is an old, abandoned bank vault. i most enjoy bringing guests down here and seeing the expression of surprise. you would never imagine there being a bank vault in the empire state building. but if you can't afford the $1160 price tag that comes with that tour, here's a little teaser of what you would learn. the vault is made of pure, solid steel and weighs so much that it would be almost impossible to remove it, at this point, from the basement. this actually belonged to one of our original tenants from 1931 that was on the second floor. and the bank knew that they had a lot of leverage with the building, being it the great depression, so they demanded that the building put in a bank vault for them.

it looks like i'm planning how to break into it! she laughs. thousands of workers, who were known as sky boys at the time, raced to finish the construction of the building injust over a year. but today, there's a much smaller team on the ground keeping things running. tim dailey has worked at the building for six years. he's an engineer who keeps everything safe and running smoothly, even in its underground wind tunnel. my dad grew up in the depression, 1922. i have relatives that actually worked on this building during the construction. the wind tunnel itself is the lowest level of the empire state building, and this represents technology and workmanship in 1930. the air conditioning was just fresh air and fans. this iconic feature

of the new york skyline has been thrilling tourists for 90 years. it's reopened thanks to the hard work of its staff behind the scenes during the pandemic, and it's still just as captivating as when it was first built. happy birthday to the empire state building — still looking good after 90 years. well, that's all we've got time for today. but catch us next week, if you can, when... ..mike�*s in kenya to meet the young performers who are limbering up to get back on stage again... cheering. ..and we're discovering some of the dark history behind one of america's biggest psychiatric hospitals, which has become a tourist attraction in its own right. so, hopefully, you can join us for that. in the meantime, don't forget, if you want to check us out online, just search for bbc travel. but for now, from me, rajan datar, and the rest of the travel show team here on the south coast

of england, it's goodbye. hello. sunnier, warmer weather on the way with september likely to top august in the temperature stakes. in the month of august, the high temperature was 27.2 degrees celsius. this week, we're expecting 29, maybe even 30. it is unusual for september to outdo august when it comes to the top temperature. and the warmth gets under way in england and wales for sunday, helped by a more generous helping of sunshine than of late, but wetter for some perhaps in scotland and northern ireland. very slowly, high pressure moving away,

atlantic weather fronts coming in. that will bring a bit of rain, slowly spreading east during the day. it may be welcome where it's been so dry. we are mainly dry to begin the day, some patchy mist and fog clearing. for england and wales, there will still be some areas of cloud, but sunny spells, too. an isolated shower in central southern england can't be ruled out. some areas of sea fog around the coast of southwest england. with light winds, it'll feel warm in the sunny spells. the wind strengthening in western scotland and outbreaks of rain moving in, not reaching southern and eastern scotland until very late in the day. the rain moving into northern ireland, too, the east staying mainly dry until later on. temperatures for england and wales in the low to mid 20s in those sunny spells. so, a wet evening and scotland and northern ireland. monday, some of this rain will push on towards parts of northern england. it will be a mild start to monday. and this wet weather system will slowly fizzle out as we go on through monday. we're left with some patchy rain towards the west of northern ireland and western parts of scotland. still a fair amount of cloud here, whereas for england and wales, there'll still be

sunny spells, though it could still be quite misty around some of the coasts of southwest england. and the temperatures in the sunshine in england and wales a little bit higher, reaching into the upper 20s in the warmer spots. and the warmth becomes more widespread for tuesday and wednesday. clearer, warmer weather heading in from the southeast around that ridge of high pressure. there'll some mist and fog early on tuesday. that will clear away. still got some cloud in the far north of scotland, a few spots of rain to clear away, but by tuesday afternoon, there is a huge amount of sunshine out there and the temperatures are responding. scotland and northern ireland with lows of mid—20s, england and wales, mid to high 20s, and near30 in the hotspots. that continues into wednesday. later in the week, as the temperatures wane, a chance for rain goes up. some thunderstorms, too.

this is bbc news: i'm lucy grey. our top stories. pakistan's spy chief visits kabul— what does it mean for the taliban's, yet to be, announced government? meanwhile, the taliban claims its fighters are closing in on the last organised group defying them in the panjshir valley. joe biden goes back to in person teaching. and setting a world record in the process.