The UN General Assembly in New York was set to end yesterday but without speeches by those in power in Afghanistan and Myanmar, one of many quirks at this year’s diplomatic marathon that saw 100 leaders defy coronavirus fears to meet in person.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that Pakistan must not be blamed for the outcome of the war in Afghanistan and for the losses of the United States, stressing on setting eyes on the future to avoid another conflict instead of continuing with a blame game.

South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in raised banning the eating of dogs in the country yesterday, his office said, a traditional practice that is becoming an international embarrassment.

Myanmar’s military launched air strikes at the weekend after clashes with fighters opposed to the junta in the Sagaing region, according to media and a militia member, as phone lines and the internet were also severed in some districts.

The Madras High Court today denied bail to a group of foreign nationals, including Bangladeshis, who were arrested for various reasons including illegal stay in India.

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday said he was seeking approval to resume a war crimes investigation into Afghanistan, focusing on the actions of the Taliban and the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) militia.

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said on Monday there might be a need to prohibit dog meat consumption amid debate over the controversial practice and growing awareness of animal rights.

The US Treasury Department has issued licenses to facilitate humanitarian aid and financial assistance to the people of Afghanistan, while upholding sanctions on the Taliban.

Farmers from different parts of India, especially Punjab, Haryana, and the western part of Uttar Pradesh, blocked national highways and railroads today as part of “Bharat Bandh,” protesting the three controversial farm laws passed by parliament which they fear would favour big corporations.

The influential sister of North Korea’s leader said in a statement on Saturday that an inter-Korean summit could take place, but only if mutual “respect” and “impartiality” are guaranteed.

The Taliban yesterday urged international airlines to resume flights to Kabul, saying all technical issues at the country’s main airport

The situation in the Taiwan Strait is “complex and grim”, Chinese President Xi Jinping yesterday wrote in a congratulatory letter to the newly elected leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party, who has pledged to renew talks with Beijing.

Afghanistan is at risk of “imminent hunger” with winter approaching and services disrupted by the return to power of the Taliban, a UN official warned in an interview with AFP.

Tesla Inc’s Shanghai factory is expected to produce 300,000 cars in the first nine months of the year, capped by a delivery rush in the end of the July-September quarter, despite a global semiconductor shortage, two sources said.

Several local governments in China have set up special custodian accounts for property projects of its most indebted developer, Evergrande, to protect funds earmarked for housing projects from being diverted, media outlet Caixin said. 

Myanmar’s junta has denied suspending the internet in conflict-wracked regions, blaming a recent spate of data blackouts on anti-coup protesters who had destroyed military-owned communications towers.

A cyclone packing strong winds and rains barrelled into India’s east coast late yesterday, as tens of thousands of people in three states were evacuated to shelters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returns home today from a three-day official visit to the United States, is bringing back 157 artefacts and antiquities which were handed over to him in the country.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the Indian government did not allow her in-person participation at a global peace meet in Rome on October 6 “out of jealousy.”

Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrived in China on Saturday, ending her near three-year U.S. extradition fight, the same day two Canadians detained by Beijing for more than 1,000 days returned home, potentially paving the way for improved ties between China and the two western allies.