Afghan Taliban: over 12 dead and 100 wounded among civilians in clashes with Pakistani forces

Today's headlines: Syrian interim president al-Sharaa in Moscow to meet with Russian leader Putin. Hanoi aims for 10% economic growth over the next five years. Up to 80 South Koreans are missing in Cambodia, victims of scams or fake jobs. At least 16 people have died in a factory fire in Bangladesh. Christians in Mosul celebrate the inauguration of two churches.

AFGHANISTAN - PAKISTAN

In Afghanistan, more than 12 civilians were killed and another 100 wounded in a series of clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces that broke out in the early hours of today. This was reported by a Taliban spokesman, marking a further escalation of tension between the two neighbouring countries, which had already seen violence on their borders in recent days, followed by a fragile truce that seems to have already vanished.

SYRIA - RUSSIA

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa meets today with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, on his first visit to Russia since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, now in exile in Moscow. The two leaders will discuss regional and international developments and ways in which Syria and Russia can cooperate. In addition to the request for the extradition of the former dictator, they will also discuss the Russian naval base in Tartous and the air base in Hmeimim.

VIETNAM

Hanoi is aiming for economic growth of at least 10% per annum in the period between . This is according to a document released today by the ruling Communist Party ahead of its next five-year congress. Among the objectives is a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) of ,500 by the end of the decade, a sharp increase from the target of ,700-5,000 for the period 2021-2025.

CAMBODIA - SOUTH KOREA

Eighty South Korean migrants, likely victims of fake jobs or scam centres, are missing in Cambodia. This was reported by the Seoul Foreign Ministry, according to which between January and August this year, 330 compatriots disappeared or were detained against their will after entering Cambodia. 

Many are believed to have been lured by fraudulent job offers.

BANGLADESH

At least 16 people have died and several others have been injured in a fire that broke out yesterday in a garment factory and an adjacent chemical warehouse. The cause of the fire, which started on the third floor of the seven-storey building located in the Mirpur area of Dhaka, is currently unclear. The flames then spread to the chemical warehouse containing bleaching powder, plastic and hydrogen peroxide.

IRAQ

A day of celebration for Christians in Mosul. Today, in fact, the inauguration of the Chaldean Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is scheduled to take place in the presence of the Patriarch, Cardinal Louis Raphael Sako, and the local Archbishop, Monsignor Michael Najib. Previously, on 10 October, the Syrian Orthodox Cathedral of St Thomas was inaugurated after three years of restoration.

ARMENIA - AZERBAIJAN

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pašinyan met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who arrived in Egypt to take part in the Peace Summit at the invitation of US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. The discussion focused on security and joint projects between the Caucasus and Central Asia, following the peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku.

GEORGIA

The “fifth peaceful revolution” in Georgia has not actually led to any results, 300 days after the November parliamentary elections and one month after the local elections. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze speaks of “zero support” from the citizens of Tbilisi, who are exhausted by the continuous blockage of activities due to street demonstrations and the arrest of various opposition figures, who nevertheless affirm that “the protests will continue”.