Asia

Pyongyang and Seoul restored cross-border hotlines on Monday after the lines were cut in August, holding their first liaison call. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had recently expressed willingness to restore stalled lines with South Korea to promote peace.

The United States has warned China against quote military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan. Beijing considers the island as part of the People’s Republic of China.

An explosion outside a mosque in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed at least 12 people and wounded 32 others on Sunday. It comes more than a month after a suicide bombing outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport took the lives of 200 civilians and 13 U.S. service members.

Pyongyang has accused the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) of applying double standard over missile tests by the member states. The UNSC held an emergency meeting on Friday over North Korea's recent missile launches but failed to agree on a joint statement.

Dropping a plan to run for vice president in 2022 election, Philippines’ President Rodrigo Duterte announced he will retire from politics after his term ends. The controversial leader has faced backlash during the recent years over his bloody war on drugs.

The deposed leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, appeared in a court on Friday in Nay Pyi Taw for trial on corruption charges.

North Korea said on Thursday it has test-fired a newly developed anti-aircraft missile. This comes two days after Pyongyang announced testing of a new hypersonic missile and one day after its leader Kim Jung Un snubbed US offer for talks due to continuing US “hostile policy”.

The Central Bank of Afghanistan had drained most of its cash reserves, weeks before the Taliban seized power in the war-ravaged country, according to a report seen by Reuters.

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned of a “real possibility” that al-Qaeda or Daesh could rebuild in Afghanistan as early as spring 2022 in the wake of the U.S. military withdrawal.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley has warned that reconstitution of al-Qaeda or Daesh in Afghanistan is a 'real possibility'.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un rejected US proposal for dialogue, calling it a cover for Washington’s hostile attitude toward Pyongyang.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley on Wednesday pinned the blame on the US State Department for the last-minute evacuation of Americans and their allies from Afghanistan.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, in reply to a question about Beijing’s oil purchase from Tehran, said China’s trade with Iran is conducted within international law. Beijing also called for removing all sanctions against Tehran.

The US-UK-Australia military bloc has heightened geopolitical tensions as well as risks of a return of the Cold War, potential arms race and nuclear proliferation, China warns.

The Korean People's Army (KPA) successfully test-fired a new “hypersonic missile” on Tuesday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Wednesday. The move comes after Pyongyang’s representative to the United Nations has said the country has the “righteous right” to test weapons because of the “hostile” policies directed against it.

The Taliban has warned of “consequences” if the U.S. does not stop drone patrols in the Afghan airspace, the new rulers in Kabul have described as illegal operations.

Fumio Kishida, former Japanese Foreign Minister who was once handpicked as successor to longest-serving Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, was elected as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Kishida is set to succeed current Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Beijing refuted rumors spread by western Countries and media over quote dangers threatening foreign travelers visiting China. The allegations come as China has recently freed two Canadians after the U.S. struck a deal for the release of Huawei’s chief financial officer.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday met online with the Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg and United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says the US and some of its allies are hyping up the danger purportedly posed by Beijing. The official also blasted a security pact between the United States, Australia, India and Japan, saying it aims to confront China.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking approval to continue investigation into quote crimes against humanity committed by the Taliban and Daesh in Afghanistan, while US actions will be out of the new probe.

South Korea says its Northern neighbor fired an “unidentified projectile” into the East Sea on Tuesday. It comes hours after the United States announced its readiness to meet with the Pyongyang leaders without preconditions.

Taiwan’s Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Monday the island needs to develop its missile capability to counter China’s possible threats. China regards Taiwan as its territory and has repeatedly warned against any move that could violate its sovereignty.

The China's military has strongly blasted the United Kingdom's navy for transiting through the Taiwan Strait, warning such moves threaten peace and stability in the sensitive region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory message to the newly elected leader of Taiwan's main opposition party. Xi has also described the situation between China and Taiwan as “grim” and "complex".