With inflation up, consumer sentiment down and business activity contracting in Germany, we ask if two decades of prosperity in the European powerhouse are at an end. In a special programme, Vivienne Nunis is joined by BBC correspondent Damien McGuiness in Berlin to discuss the core issues. We hear from Thilo Brodtmann, head of Germany's largest industrial association, the VDMA. Thorsten Schmidt, CEO of Heller Machine Tools in Nürtingen gives us his view on the recent slowdown in manufacturing output.

The cost of oil climbs above $90 a barrel for the first time in 2023. We look at the reasons and the consequences this can have in countries that are already struggling with high fuel prices like Pakistan.

A new law has taken effect in New York City that restricts short term rentals through platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. We find out the details.

And we hear about the Belgian government's initiative to put pressure on banks to get them to raise interest rates on deposits. But will it work?

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is stepping down two months earlier than planned, as the airline faces growing controversies. In the past two years Qantas has faced a slew of criticism for expensive airfares, mass delays and cancellations, and its treatment of workers. Labor Senator Tony Sheldon gives his reaction to the news. South Africa's economy has grown more quickly than expected in the second quarter of 2023. This is despite ongoing power outages impacting the country. An ice cream seller in Soweto tells us how he's been affected. The maker of weight-loss drug Wegovy briefly became Europe's most valuable company, after the treatment was made available in the UK.

Russian president Vladimir Putin says the agreement to allow Ukrainian grain exports on the Black Sea will be revived when his demands on exporting Russian products are met. We look into the impact this is having on Ukraine's economy.

Protests against soaring electricity bills continue in Pakistan. We hear about the challenges high energy rates pose for local businesses and why the government does not have many alternatives to help bring prices down.

And we get the latest from the biannual meeting held by the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is taking place in Indonesia.

As Turkey's annual rate of inflation hits 58.94% in August, we analyse the reasons why. We hear from a local business owner in Ankara about his struggles with rising energy and food costs. We also take a closer look at two other countries struggling to control inflation: Pakistan and Argentina. Residents in Spain's capital city, Madrid, are dealing with the aftermath of flash flooding over the weekend. Transport links have been affected and many businesses have been forced to close. Internet search engine Google turns 25. We find out how the company with humble beginnings turned into a tech titan.

Mohamed Al Fayed, former Harrods owner whose son Dodi was killed alongside Diana, Princess of Wales in car crash, has died aged 94.

Born in Egypt, he built a business empire in the Middle East before moving to the UK in the 1970s.

Vivienne Nunis hears about a new report which says that if nothing is done to redress Africa’s huge debt burden, the consequences will be felt far outside the continent.

New rules come into force today (Friday) in the Netherlands, which could further limit the export of high-end semiconductor technology to China.

From today, rented E-scooters will no longer be seen on the streets of Paris - after residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of getting rid of them.

Florida’s Tropical Storm Idalia is the most expensive natural disaster to hit the United States this year.

Insurance companies in Florida are now under pressure; nine property insurance firms have closed down since 2021.

We hear from a business in Cedar Key which was badly damaged by the storm.

Army officers who seized power name a transitional leader for this nation rich in oil and manganese, a key mineral in the steel industry. We take a look at Gabon's economy, the role it could have played in the political crisis which unravelled this week, and the challenges it will face under new leadership.

Figures from China's manufacturing sector show that activity has dropped for the fifth month in a row. We look into the latest gloomy data on the state of the world's second largest economy.

And we hear how two years of drought in Spain, the number one global producer of olive oil, are making prices of the commodity soar.

Switzerland has outlined a series of measures to combat money laundering and increase transparency in its huge financial sector. They include a register of those who ultimately benefit from trusts and companies - Switzerland is the only European country that doesn't have one.

One of China's biggest property development firms, Country Garden, has reported half year losses of six-point-seven billion dollars. The announcement increases concerns about the troubled property sector, which accounts for more than a quarter of Chinese GDP.

Burger King must face a lawsuit that alleges it makes its Whopper burger appear larger on its menus than it is in reality, a US judge has ruled.