Good morning from the Financial Times. Today is Wednesday, September 1st.

And this is your FT News Briefing.

European officials are drafting a plan to avoid an influx of Afghan refugees.

China's leaders have been talking about economic inequality and that's making the luxury

goods industry nervous. Plus, emerging markets have been lagged over the past decade.

So far, this year isn't much different. But some investors see hope.

We're a lot of stars aligning in the right way, but we're just kind of waiting for that

catalyst and then I think we might be off to the races.

I'm Mark Filipino and here's the news you need to start your day.

The US pulled its last troops out of Afghanistan yesterday that brings an end to the 20-year war there.

US President Joe Biden has been criticized for the chaotic evacuation and timing

of the withdrawal. Yesterday, Biden addressed the nation from the White House and defended the

decisions. Let me be clear, leaving August 31st is not due to an arbitrary deadline.

It was designed to save American lives.

Meanwhile, Europe is bracing for a wave of refugees from Afghanistan as people flee the Taliban rule.

EU politicians want to avoid a repeat of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015,

so they're drafting a proposal to offer 600 million euros to Afghanistan's neighbors.

The funds would help those countries, like Pakistan, host Afghan refugees.

The package could even mean cash would go to Iran, which is under international sanctions.

China is an incredibly important market for the luxury goods industry.

The Chinese shopper is essentially responsible for all the growth in the sector.

That's the FT's Laila Aboud. She's our correspondent in Paris, which is home of some of the

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