AFGHANISTAN
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing in which Taliban refugee minister Khalil Haqqani was killed. Six other people died in the explosion. Khalil Haqqani belonged to the most important faction within the Taliban: his brother, Jalaluddin, founded the Haqqani network after fighting against the Soviets, while Jalaluddin's son Sirajuddin is the current Minister of the Interior of the Islamic Emirate.
INDIA - BANGLADESH
The Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, accused the central government in Delhi of not doing enough to protect religious minorities. From 5 August to 22 October, 88 cases of violence against religious minorities were recorded, the Bangladesh interim government announced in recent days. Tensions with India increased after the arrest of three Hindu monks.
SOUTH KOREA
Yoon Suk-yeol once again defended the decision to impose martial law and added that he refuses to quit as president. Statements were made in a televised public speech. According to some senior officials, Yoon's decision had been premeditated for months after the elections that handed parliament to the opposition.
JAPAN - UK - ITALY
Italy, Japan and the UK will each invest the same amount in their joint venture (announced in December 2022) to develop a next-generation fighter aircraft. The aim of the Global Combat Air Programme is to deploy aircraft with capabilities superior to those currently in circulation, including the US F-35, by 2035.
GAZA - ISRAEL
While the eyes of the world are on Syria, Israel is continuing to bombard the Gaza Strip: at least 35 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Among the victims were also some people who were providing aid. Yesterday the UN General Assembly had voted for a ceasefire.
MOLDOVA
Moldova finds itself in an energy crisis again, two years after it stopped buying gas from Russia's Gazprom, and Prime Minister Dorin Rečean has asked parliament to declare a state of emergency, including for the separatist region of Transnistria, and is seeking to buy gas (including Russian) from other sources such as Ukraine.
RUSSIA
In the Russian republic of Tatarstan, the region that uses migrant labour the most, in 2025 foreigners will be banned from working in a number of areas, by decree of President Rustam Minnikhanov, such as transporting dangerous cargo, taxis, financial services and insurance, veterinary medicine, surveillance, computer repair and others.
