Morning news brief: Putin linked to Pandora Papers, California oil spill & more

North and South Korea restored the cross-border hotline as officials conducted their first phone call since August. The move comes just days after Kim Jong-Un's regime tested a hypersonic missile and launched a long-range cruise missile last month.

Meanwhile, in a startling revelation, the Pandora Papers revealed Russian President Putin being reportedly linked to undisclosed assets in Monaco. Pandora Papers identified the buyer as a woman named Svetlana Krivonogikh. The woman has been romantically linked with Putin since he was still deputy mayor of her hometown of St. Petersburg and reportedly has a daughter with him.

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North and South Korea restore hotline, exchange phone call

Last week North Korea had tested an anti-aircraft missile even as Kim Jong Un expressed his wish to restore the inter-Korean hotline.

Pandora Papers reveal Putin's alleged mistress has assets worth $100 million: Report

In September 2003, a secret transaction took place in Monaco. A flat was purchased for €3.6 million. However, the identity of the flat’s buyer was a mystery.

Oil spill due to pipeline leak hits California shores

The oil spill off California has been described as "environmental catastrophe" by the mayor of a city in the area. 

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