Good morning. Welcome to the Independent Republic of Mike Graham right here on Talk of Radio.

As we predicted yesterday, there wasn't really very much point in that virtual G7 meeting,

hastily organized by our Prime Minister with a view to extending the deadline for US troops

to leave the airport at Kabul and further abandoned the people there to the delights of the Taliban

and their punishment techniques.

Yes, that's right, the best Boris Johnson could offer was a rather simpering hope

that the Islamic fundamentalists might behave themselves so that they're recognised by the West, some hope, some chance and a colossal waste of time. Last night, President

Joe Biden was no more encouraging as he reiterated America's intention to leave Afghanistan by Tuesday.

It's not so much America first as everybody else, we don't really care. But even his spokeswoman

couldn't actually say what time the deadline would be.

Will it be midnight American time?

Like, would it be midnight New York time?

Would it be midnight Afghanistan time?

Would it be midnight Eastern Standard time?

Would it be British summertime?

We don't know.

They don't know.

They haven't actually worked it out yet.

We'll be asking Forward Soldier and now analysts for the Henry Jackson Society, Rob Clark, precisely what is

going on. First up this morning, though, we're looking at the latest COVID statistics with

Jamie Jenkins. He'll be telling us whether Nicholas Sturgeon in Scotland and Mark Drayford in Wales

are actually right to warn of tighter restrictions coming in the autumn. As they say, cases are surging again. We've heard it

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