Asia

Several US agencies have launched investigations into President Joe Biden administration’s handling of the US troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a report. Inspectors general from Homeland Security, Pentagon, departments of State, Health and Human Services, and USAID are involved in the probe.

Iran’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Bahador Aminian has held talks with the Taliban’s Foreign Minister Molavi Amir Khan Mottaqi in Kabul.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has warned aid groups are not enough to stave off the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

At least seven people were killed in an attack on an Islamic seminary in a Rohingya refugee camp on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, according to the Bangladeshi police.

Uzbekistan’s foreign minister says there is no need to deploy the US military in the central Asian country. A report had suggested the administration of US President Joe Biden is in talks with Tashkent on the possibility of using Russian bases in Central Asia to conduct what it calls counterterrorist missions in Afghanistan.

Beijing has announced Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and that Taiwan-related issues are purely China's internal affairs. The comment by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson comes in response to US President Joe Biden’s remark over quote defending Taiwan against Beijing.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has reiterated Washington’s pledge to help Taiwan strengthen its defense, but says Washington remains committed to One China policy.

The Taliban has condemned the US atrocities against the people of Afghanistan over the past 20 years. The new rulers of Afghanistan have urged Washington to compensate for its acts of brutality.

The United States would come to Taiwan’s defense if it were attacked by China, US President Joe Biden says. A bombshell report has recently claimed American Marines and special operations forces have been secretly training Taiwanese soldiers on the island.

The US Department of Defense had an unsuccessful test related to its hypersonic weapons development. It comes amid reports China has successfully tested hypersonic weapons. Beijing announced it was a “routine test” for reusable space rocket technology.

Iran’s Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has called on Afghan officials to provide security and improve the living conditions of people in Afghanistan so that the Afghans would not come to the borders.

North Korea says the United States exercises "double standards" in its approach to Pyongyang's weapons program. The announcement was made in a reply to the United Nations Security Council meeting over the recent ballistic missile test by Pyongyang.

The Iranian foreign minister says the International Community must assume its responsibility to attend to the Afghan refugees.

US President Joe Biden has expressed concern about a possible Chinese hypersonic missile test. China has refuted a recent report over a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile test. Beijing announced it was a “routine test” for reusable space rocket technology.

At least four people were killed and 47 others wounded in a powerful gas explosion in the Chinese northeastern city of Shenyang on Thursday. The incident reduced nearby buildings to rubble.

The United State has called for a “sustained and substantive dialogue” with North Korea over the country’s nuclear programme. This was announced by the US ambassador to the United Nations (UN) after the Security Council meeting over North Korea's latest missile launch. In September and October, Pyongyang conducted a series of new missile tests.

Iran wins the freedom of two Iranian truck drivers who were in custody in the Republic of Azerbaijan since August.

Participants in the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan have called for urgent humanitarian and economic assistance for the reconstruction of the country, according to the joint statement released on Wednesday.

Reports say a delegation led by Abdul Salam Hanafi, the deputy prime minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has sat down with Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iran’s special envoy and his accompanying team in Moscow.

The Philippines justice ministry has announced a probe into thousands of killings which occurred during President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. The official death toll is almost 6,000, although the real number of fatalities is believed to be much higher.

The Taliban says they will not allow anyone to use Afghanistan soil to launch attacks against other countries. This was announced by the Taliban acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday.

Deputy United States Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo has said it is essential to maintain Washington sanctions against the Taliban, who regained power in Afghanistan last August. The new rulers of Afghanistan have warned the country is on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe, blasting west for keeping mum on grim situation.

The Moscow consultations on Afghanistan has kicked off at President Hotel in the Russian capital, Moscow. Delegates will discuss the prospects of the developments related to the military and political situation in Afghanistan as well as the efforts of the international community on preventing a humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country.

North Korea has confirmed it tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) on Tuesday. The fire became Pyongyang’s first of its kind since 2019, prompting international outrage.

China's independent refineries reportedly plan to increase their oil purchases from Iran and Russia by using their import quotas before they expire in the next three months.