North And South Korea Restore Broken Communication After A Year

North and South Korea have restored communication channels between them following their leader’s agreement to improve ties. This is despite a 2 (year-stalemate in US-led diplomacy aimed at stripping North Korea of its nuclear weapons. The cheerful decision was made public in a statement by South Korea’s presidential Blue House and KCNA, the North’s state media agency. South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reached the agreement during several exchanges of letters since April. The two leaders agreed to “restore mutual confidence and develop their relationships again as soon as possible,” “Now, the whole Korean nation desires to see the North-South relations recovered from setback and stagnation as early as possible,” The official Korean Central News Agency said. “In this regard, the top leaders of the North and the South agreed to make a big stride in recovering the mutual trust and promoting reconciliation by restoring the cutoff inter-Korean communication liaison lines through the recent several exchanges of personal letters.”

Taliban Seizes Parts Of Afghanistan Days After Foreign Forces Were Withdrawn

Taliban fighters have been reported to have seized control of key districts in western Afghanistan which includes border crossing with Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China and Pakistan as foreign forces end their 20-year intervention.

Several People Missing After Mudslide Buries Houses In Japan

At least two people have died and about 20 missing after a powerful mudslide carrying black water buried homes in the central city of Atami in Tokyo, Japan, following a heavy downpour on Saturday, officials of the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said. The mudslide which affected about 130 buildings came after the flood, submerging about 80 houses in the seaside city.

Taliban Offers Ceasefire In Exchange For Prisoners

The Taliban who recently claimed their fighters had retaken 85% of the territory in Afghanistan has presented a three-month ceasefire to the Afghan government in exchange for 7,000 captured fighters. According to a government negotiator, Nader Nadery, the proposal is a "big demand". He added that Taliban leaders had also requested that their names be removed from a United Nations blacklist. From several soiurces, it was discouvered most of the 5,000 Taliban prisoners who were released has returned to the battlefield.

Chinese Astronauts Conduct First Spacewalk Outside China’s Space Station

Chinese astronauts have successfully carried out the country's first spacewalk outside the new Tiangong space station in what is seen as a significant milestone in its rapidly expanding space program. Before the spacewalk, China has previously landed a rover on Mars and sent probes to the moon. China sent the first crew of Tiangong space station last month. The crew includes Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo who will remain for three months in China’s longest crewed mission to date.

Netanyahu Out As Israel Swears In New Government

Israel has on Sunday approved a new coalition government, led by Right-wing Nationalist Naftali Bennet, ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year tenure as Prime Minister. Bennett was sworn in as Prime minister, leading the coalition party after parliament voted for the new government in a 60-59 thin majority. Israel’s new prime minister will lead centrist, right-wing, left-wing, as well as a party that represents the Palestinian citizens of Israel, who make up 21 percent of the country’s population.