Money Talks

The International Monetary Fund has cut off funding to Afghanistan, following the Taliban's takeover of the country. Other aid flows to the country have also been stopped. Kabul relies heavily on foreign support, and the halting of these programmes could worsen economic conditions in the country. We got more on this story with Torek Farhadi in Geneva. He's a former adviser to the IMF and World Bank and he was also an economic adviser to the Afghan government.

#IMF #Afghanistan #AidFunding

COVAX was supposed to be a COVID-19 safety net for the developing world - a global alliance to ensure poorer countries would have equal access to vaccines and not be outbid by the buying power of the rich. But in reality, it's also become a crutch to prop up stockpiles in developed countries, where poor planning has left governments scrambling for supplies. Melinda Nucifora has more.

#COVAX #VaccineInequality #COVID19

Malaysia's king has assured he'll appoint a new prime minister soon - but that leader will have to face a confidence vote in a fractured parliament. The monarch is seeking to avoid a repeat of Muhyiddin Yassin's brief and tumultuous rein as prime minister. Muhyiddin stepped down on Monday but in his 17 months at the helm, he faced criticism over his handling of the pandemic. And as Natasha Hussain reports, the new prime minister will also be judged by how they revive Malaysia's crisis-hit economy.

#Malaysia #PrimeMinister #ConfidenceVote

The US government has frozen nearly all the foreign currency reserves of Afghanistan's central bank. It has also stopped shipments of cash to the country. The move follows the halting of aid to Afghanistan by a number of Western governments. But as Mobin Nasir reports, they're walking a tightrope between restricting the Taliban's access to funds, and ensuring that hundreds of thousands of Afghans in need of assistance, can receive it.

#IMF #AfghanistanEconomy #Taliban

Turkish President Recep Tayyip has hailed the country's growing defence industry. The president was speaking at the opening ceremony of the International Defence Industry Fair. The four-day event will showcase military products from over 1200 companies from 53 countries. Turkey has strengthened its position in the international market with over 500 domestic companies participating in this year's fair. Erdogan has praised local manufacturers, saying the country's producers have managed to overcome the challenges caused by global suppliers which left the country's borders at risk.

#Turkey #Defence #NationalSecurity

A tropical depression has hit Haiti, complicating rescue efforts just days after a powerful earthquake battered the impoverished nation. The depression has been downgraded to a storm but heavy rains and strong winds continue to lash areas still dealing with the aftermath of the disaster. At least 1,400 people died in Saturday's quake and that death toll is expected to rise as search teams reach remote areas. Natasha Hussain reports. Victoria Ward joined us from Panama. She's Save the Children's Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

#Haiti #Earthquake #Aftermath

After the Taliban completed its takeover of Afghanistan, the US and many other countries are pulling out their troops and other personnel from the country. But China, Russia, Turkey and Pakistan are maintaining their diplomatic presence and say they're working with stakeholders in the country to ensure a smooth transition. Afghanistan's neighbours could be poised to play a role in rebuilding its economy.. And some countries may look to exploit Afghanistan's vast mineral wealth. Mobin Nasir reports. We got more on this story with Ahmad Shah Katawazai in Kabul. He's a senior Afghan diplomat and a member of the Academy of Sciences of Afghanistan.

#Afghanistan #Taliban #AfghanEconomy

Pop star and make-up mogul Rihanna has work-work-worked her way on to the Forbes list of billionaires. It's largely thanks to the success of her cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty. The company caters to people of colour, a market that the rest of the industry had long ignored. #Rihanna #Billionaire #Forbes #Fenty

The return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan is not only raising concerns of a full-blown humanitarian and refugee crisis, it's also sparking fears that the progress made over 20 years to improve the lives and rights of women could be wiped out overnight. The Taliban says it will give women the freedom to work and go to school, but as Laila Humairah reports, what's been happening on the ground is raising concerns. Mariam Wardak is the founder of Her Afghanistan, an organisation dedicated to the advancement of Afghan women. She explains how women in the country are feeling about the Taliban's return to power.

#AfghanWomen #Equality #WomenRights

The speed of the Taliban take over of Afghanistan has shocked the international community. In Washington, there's been condemnation from both sides of the political divide over the Biden administration's decision to stick with an August 31st deadline to withdraw US troops. The Taliban had taken advantage of the vacuum left by departing troops, sweeping through Afghanistan in a mere matter of weeks. Natasha Hussain reports. Let's bring in Torek Farhadi again from Geneva.

#BidenAdministration #Taliban #Afghanistan