BOJ Set to Raise Rates to 1.25% as Inflation Risks Build 
UK Businesses Urge Government to Cut Electricity Levies 
Hormuz Vessel Traffic Drops to Single Digits 
Central Banks Could Buy 20,000 Tonnes of Gold: BofA 
Japanese Yen Retreats as Dollar Rises Ahead of Fed, BOJ Rate Decisions 
China Industrial Output Beats Forecasts as Exports Support Growth 
Dollar Rises as Fed Hike Bets Weigh on Asian Currencies 
Finland Raises 2026 Growth Forecast as Exports and Investment Surge 
Treasury Buyback Fails to Cool Long-Term Yields 
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July, Beating Forecasts 
German 2-Year Yield Hits 2023 High as Rate Hike Bets Rise 
Oil Prices Surge as Houthi Attacks Raise Saudi Supply Fears 
Saudi Oil Exports Face 4% Global Supply Threat as Pipeline Remains Shut 
Gold Prices Steady as Oil Disruptions Boost Fed Rate Hike Bets 
Asian Stocks Fall as AI Fears and Oil Surge Hit Markets 
Add as a preferred source on Google
Malaysia's Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members to procure the COVID-19 vaccine as a bloc to increase its availability in the region.
Hishammuddin had raised the need for the COVID-19 vaccine for the ASEAN level in his telephone conversations with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
He said that member countries should speak as one voice when facing powers that could help ASEAN, emphasizing that there's no point for the vaccine to reach Malaysia if neighboring countries still face pandemic challenges.
Hishammuddin noted that Malaysia had always maintained that the vaccine must be made globally equitable, accessible, and affordable.
He added that the ASEAN, as a collective of over 650 million people, must position itself as a hub for vaccine production or distribution to drive costs further down and accelerate it as a region for biotech innovation in what he dubbed as vaccine diplomacy.
According to Hishammuddin, the COVID-19 must serve as a wake-up call for the ASEAN members to leave their comfort zones and explore new cooperation areas.
The ASEAN is composed of Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, and Brunei.
