WASHINGTON – About a month ago, Afghanistan's Ministry of Defense posted photographs on social media of seven brand-new helicopters arriving in Kabul, delivered by the United States. "They'll continue to see a steady drumbeat of that kind of support going forward," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters a few days later at the Pentagon. In a matter of weeks, however, the Taliban had seized most of the country, as well as any weapons and equipment left behind by fleeing Afghan forces. Video showed the advancing insurgents inspecting long lines of vehicles and opening crates of new firearms, communications gear and even military drones. "Everything that hasn't been destroyed is the Taliban's now," said one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The Hong Kong-listed company is selling as much as $7 billion of stock and $3 billion of convertible bonds, according to a term sheet Monday that was seen by The Wall Street Journal. The huge capital-raising is considerably bigger than the $4.2 billion Meituan raised in its 2018 initial public offering and suggests there is still a healthy appetite among investors for stock in Chinese technology companies, even though shares in Meituan and many peers have pulled back recently. Earlier this month, Prosus NV raised $14.6 billion by selling down a small part of its stake in Tencent Holdings Ltd., the internet and videogaming giant. Meituan plans to use some of the net proceeds on projects such as researching and developing autonomous delivery vehicles, drone deliveries and other cutting-edge technology, the term sheet said. In a separate statement Monday, the company unveiled a new generation of self-driving delivery cars that it said were smarter and safer than previous versions, with a longer battery life and capable of carrying heavier loads.

Uber rival Lyft is raising an additional $500 million in funding ion its ongoinjg battle with Uber, according to a U.S. share authorization document filed in Delaware. The additional funding round, led by Alphabet's CapitalG, is an extension of the $1 billion round announced in October. Lyft spokesman Adrian Durbin, confirming the funding round, in an e-mailed statement said, 'Increasing the potential for this round will allow us to further accelerate our commitment to serving passengers and drivers.' The additional funding round, led by Alphabet's CapitalG, is an extension of a $1 billion round announced in October, and raises the firm's valuation to $11.5 billion Axios was first to report the news. In October Lyft had said that the previous round of funding boosted its valuation to $11 billion from $7.5 billion.

How do you try and become one of the biggest and most influential technology companies in the world? Just move the $15 billion you have stashed away into the R&D business, suggests Telecoms.com This might not be realistic for most companies, but apparently it is a goer for Alibaba. This is a company which has serious ambitions to emulate Huawei on the global stage. By 2036, the company wants to serve two billion consumers, create 100 million jobs around the world and serve ten million companies through its various platforms and services.

Line Corp. plans to use part of the 130 billion it garnered from last month's initial public offering to bankroll acquisitions of content and technology, transforming its messaging service into a one-stop shop for Asian social media users. Japan's most popular messaging service is gunning for companies in areas ranging from artificial intelligence chatbots and advertising to video streaming and games, including those with augmented reality features, Chief Executive Officer Takeshi Idezawa said in an interview. The Tokyo-based company has assembled a dedicated team to scope out and review possible targets across the globe. The idea is to build Line into a "smart portal," supplementing its mainstay features of chatting, stickers and games with commercial services such as food delivery, job searches and travel reservations in main markets. "We are very open-minded about the size and geography" of potential acquisitions, Idezawa said.