Muhammad Asim

China has offered a $31 million humanitarian aid package to Afghanistan, announced by Foreign Minister Wang Yi during a regional meeting. The aid aims to address economic challenges, combat COVID-19, and alleviate malnutrition while supporting societal reconstruction.

The Afghan Taliban has announced its interim government, with Muhammad Hassan Akhund appointed as head of state. Zabihullah Mujahid revealed the cabinet, stating Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar will serve as deputy head. The leadership comprises close associates of the Taliban's founding members.

The start of 2021 was promising for the stock market, with commodity prices reaching new highs. Though the Delta variant initially impacted markets, foreign investors have recently injected nearly RM1bil into equities, helping the FBM KLCI recover approximately half of its previous losses and signaling a potential market turnaround.

Malaysia's Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz plans to propose increasing the statutory debt limit from 60% to 65% of GDP. Currently at 58%, the government aims to provide financial support to people and businesses, with the proposal to be presented to the cabinet next week.

The automotive sector is set for sustainable recovery following government economic relaxation measures. MIDF research suggests the re-opening of plants and resumption of distribution and retailing from 16 August will help the industry regain lost production and rebuild supply chains.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal safety probe into Tesla's Autopilot system after identifying 11 crashes involving Tesla vehicles at first responder scenes since 2018. The investigation covers approximately 765,000 U.S. vehicles equipped with Autopilot since 2014.

Indonesia's economy showed significant improvement in Q2, growing 7.07% and breaking out of recession. The growth rate, the strongest in 17 years, surpassed analyst predictions. However, rising Covid-19 infections could potentially disrupt the ongoing economic recovery.

Facebook declares Taliban a terrorist organization, banning their content and accounts across platforms. The company warns of potential account removals on WhatsApp if Taliban-linked profiles are identified, highlighting ongoing content moderation challenges during Afghanistan's political transition.

Taliban militants captured Afghanistan's capital Kabul, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee and marking the end of a two-decade US military presence. Chaos erupted at the airport as residents and foreign nationals desperately sought to escape the rapidly changing political landscape.

Malaysia's political landscape is in transition as the King prepares to choose a new Prime Minister following Muhyiddin Yassin's resignation. The country faces significant challenges, including a severe COVID-19 outbreak with high infection rates and public dissatisfaction with the current government's pandemic response.