Asia

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has arrived in the east Chinese city of Hangzhou, kicking off his first visit to the Asian country since 2004 as he makes further strides to end over a decade of diplomatic isolation amid Western sanctions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has confirmed that he will travel to China next month on his first foreign trip of 2023. During the visit, Putin will meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has called for international aid for Afghanistan during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, saying that the country’s frozen assets should be used to address its “acute” humanitarian issues.

Addressing the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has expressed concern about recent incidents of desecrating of Quran, calling for special protection for religious books.

Speaking at the UN headquarters in New York, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Zhaparov highlighted instability in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Russia and China’s top diplomats discussed strengthening their international collaboration during a meeting in Moscow ahead of an expected landmark visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Beijing in the coming weeks.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu have discussed practical issues to boost military cooperation, state media reported on Sunday, in what Pyongyang called a “fresh heyday” for bilateral relations.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un believes that Russian aircraft building technology is outpacing the outside potential threats, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) has reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit Pyongyang at a "convenient time," state media KCNA reported, adding that the Russian leader has happily accepted the invite.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan's detention related to charges of leaking state secrets was extended for another two weeks, his lawyer confirmed on Wednesday.

The United Nations rights chief has accused Afghanistan's ruling Taliban of a "shocking level of oppression" of women and girls and cautioned that human rights in the Asian country were in a state of collapse.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Amur Region in Russia’s Far East on Wednesday.

Iran’s foreign minister has highlighted the need to support regional initiatives within the framework of neighboring countries to help resolve challenges facing Afghanistan.

Intensive contacts between the Chinese and Russian presidents, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, on developing comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries will continue, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Mao Ning has stated.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has arrived in Russia for a rare summit with President Vladimir Putin to discuss a possible military deal.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that relations between Moscow and Beijing have reached an "unprecedented historical level", according to Russian state news agencies TASS and RIA.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears to have left for Russia for a summit with President Vladimir Putin, South Korean broadcaster YTN reported on Monday, citing an unnamed senior government source.

The de-dollarization of Moscow-Beijing trade is practically complete, according to Georgy Zinoviev, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s First Asian Department, as cited by RIA Novosti.

Methamphetamine trafficking in and around Afghanistan has surged in recent years, even as the Taliban have curbed heroin trafficking since taking power, according to a United Nations report on Sunday.

A multinational rail and ports deal linking the Middle East and South Asia will be announced on Saturday on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, a White House official has confirmed.

US President Joe Biden and the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to announce a joint infrastructure agreement at the Group of 20 summit as part of Washington’s efforts to balance China’s influence in the region, Axios reported.

Demonstrations against rising electricity and petrol prices have rocked Pakistan, with thousands taking to city streets and setting their electricity bills alight.

Huawei Technologies has opened a cloud data centre in the Saudi capital Riyadh in a bid to grow its online service offerings in the Middle East and North Africa, the Chinese tech giant has announced.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un plans to travel to Russia and meet with President Vladimir Putin this month, the New York Times has reported, citing US and “allied” officials.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will soon meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to discuss, among other things, the development of humanitarian ties.