Afghanistan’s ‘dire’ financial outlook
FT News Briefing
Forhecz Topher
4.4 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 19 August 2021
⏱️ 11 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
https://www.ft.com/content/b1c4e938-b959-4767-aba9-2aedc1f44005
The former head of Afghanistan’s central bank has warned that the country is facing “dire” financial prospects and an acute shortage of dollars and higher inflation will fuel the flow of migrants out of the country; the Taliban’s takeover hands China and Russia an opportunity to project their power after Washington’s chaotic withdrawal; and a majority of Federal Reserve officials believe the US central bank could start withdrawing a massive pandemic stimulus programme later this year, according to a record of their latest meeting.
Afghanistan faces ‘dire’ financial outlook, warns former central bank chief - with Jonathan Wheatley, emerging markets correspondent
https://www.ft.com/content/65f61fb1-9462-4e25-990a-702812860b76
China and Russia poised to step into the Afghanistan gap - with James Kynge, global China editor
https://www.ft.com/content/7ceb9e3b-bd6e-43fe-bb86-80353249e6ac
Most Fed officials reckon stimulus could start winding down this year - with Colby Smith, US economics editor
https://www.ft.com/content/29be3f70-3f3e-4bfd-b26e-01833337587c
UK government intervenes in £2.6bn Ultra Electronics takeover by Cobham
https://www.ft.com/content/55b3e146-87cb-469b-a128-5865cb1abe87
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning for the Financial Times. |
| 0:03.8 | Today is Thursday, August 19th, and this is your FT News Briefing. |
| 0:09.0 | Afghanistan's former central bank chief has fled, and yesterday told the Financial Times |
| 0:14.6 | that his country's financial outlook is dire. |
| 0:17.5 | Plus, we'll hear from our global China editor, James King, about China's position on |
| 0:22.2 | Afghanistan's new rulers and what Beijing is watching for. |
| 0:25.7 | What China wants to see most is Afghanistan becoming a peaceful country, a country that |
| 0:31.8 | it can have a stable diplomatic relationship with, and also thereafter start potentially |
| 0:38.9 | to invest in the country and to build up trade and commercial links. |
| 0:43.4 | And in the US, most federal reserve officials agree they should dial back pandemic stimulus |
| 0:48.5 | measures later this year, but they don't all agree on the details. |
| 0:52.6 | We'll get the latest thinking from our US economic editor. |
| 0:56.0 | I'm Joanna Gao, in for Mark Filipino, and here's the news you need to start your day. |
| 1:03.0 | The Taliban are rushing to form a government, and one of the biggest challenges will be |
| 1:07.3 | to shore up Afghanistan's finances. |
| 1:10.0 | The country's financial outlook is dire, and that's according to its former central bank |
| 1:14.2 | chief. |
| 1:15.2 | Ojmala Modi escaped Kabul a few days ago, and yesterday he spoke to the Financial Times. |
| 1:21.2 | To find out more about what he said, I'm joined by the FT's emerging markets correspondent |
| 1:25.5 | Jonathan Wheatley. |
| 1:26.5 | Hi, Jonathan. |
| 1:27.5 | Hi there. |
... |
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