A Chinese court on Tuesday threw out a landmark sexual harassment case on the basis of insufficient evidence, in a blow to the country’s fledgling #MeToo movement.

Judges at the International Criminal Court yesterday approved a formal investigation into possible crimes against humanity allegedly committed under the leadership of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the context of his “war on drugs”.

Telenor said yesterday the Myanmar military junta had demanded it install equipment to intercept communications on the network the Norwegian firm operates in the country.

A month after seizing Kabul, the Taliban face daunting problems, including economic crisis, infightings, as they seek to convert their lightning military victory into a durable peacetime government.

Both North Korea and South Korea test fired ballistic missiles yesterday, the latest volley in an arms race that has seen both countries develop increasingly sophisticated weapons while efforts to get talks going on defusing tension prove fruitless.

The Taliban hold all of Afghanistan and if they can sort of now work towards an inclusive government, get all the factions together, Afghanistan could have peace after 40 years.

Afghanistan's banks are running out of dollars, and may have to close their doors to customers unless the Taliban government releases funds soon, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Qatar warned Tuesday it would not take responsibility for Kabul airport without "clear" agreements with all involved, including the Taliban, about its operations.

Thousands of Afghans protested against the Taliban in the southern city of Kandahar on Tuesday, according to a former government official and local television footage, after residents were asked to vacate a residential army colony.

The United States said Tuesday it had evacuated nearly 500 "military and civilian" Afghans from Uzbekistan, while the ex-Soviet country declared there were now no Afghan refugees on its territory.

Hong Kong will create a host of new national security offences, a senior official confirmed yesterday, building on a law Beijing imposed last year that has criminalised much dissent and transformed the city.

South Korea’s antitrust watchdog fined Google nearly $180 million on Tuesday for abusing its dominance in the mobile operating systems and app markets, it said, the latest in a series of regulatory moves against tech giants around the world.

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi returned to court yesterday to face charges of incitement and flouting Covid restrictions, her lawyer said, a day after failing to appear on health grounds.

The Taliban yesterday thanked the world for pledging hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency aid to Afghanistan, and urged the United States to show “heart” in future dealings. 

The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan is a shattering earthquake that will shape the Middle East for many years, a senior Gulf official has said, warning that – despite the group’s promises of moderation – the militant group is “essentially the same” as last time it was in power.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi returned to court on Tuesday, a day after a non-appearance on health grounds, seeming relieved, but saying she was still "somewhat dizzy", her lawyer said.

Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi skipped the resumption of her coronavirus-delayed trial in a junta court because she felt ill, her lawyer said yesterday.

Donors have pledged more than $1.1 billion to help Afghanistan, where poverty and hunger have spiralled since the Islamist Taliban took power, and foreign aid has dried up, raising the spectre of a mass exodus.

India is worried that growing complacency as Covid-19 infection rates and deaths decline could lead to people skipping their second vaccine shots, leaving communities vulnerable to the coronavirus, said two health experts briefed on the matter.

The Indian government yesterday informed the Supreme Court that it is not going to file a detailed affidavit on petitions seeking inquiry into alleged use of spyware Pegasus. The government had asked for time to decide on filing the affidavit twice.