Today's headlines: Taiwan has proposed a defence budget of billion; Pakistan has denied attacking Afghanistan; Monsoon rains affect 2 million people in Thailand; Jakarta has abolished the consumption of dog meat. Belarus has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens.

SYRIA

Syrian security forces intervened yesterday in the coastal city of Latakia to disperse two groups of protesters. Hundreds of Alawites (belonging to the community from which former dictator Bashar al-Assad also came) had gathered to demand a decentralised political system and the release of men they say have been unjustly imprisoned. Supporters of the current government then began shouting insults at the Alawites, and clashes broke out. There is no official information on any casualties. In recent days, in the city of Homs, the curfew had been extended following tensions that erupted after the killing of a Bedouin couple.

TAIWAN

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has proposed a special budget of billion to boost the island's defence capabilities in response to pressure from the United States. If adopted, the package would fund military programmes until 2033, while Lai is already seeking to allocate 3% of GDP to defence spending next year. The announcement comes at a time of particular tension in the region due to statements by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, a situation that experts say will not be resolved in the short term and will continue to be marked by mutual retaliation.

CHINA - TAJIKISTAN

The trade balance between Tajikistan and China in the first ten months of 2025 exceeded two billion dollars, with most of the transactions involving raw materials, primarily metals and mining products, obtained thanks to the support of Chinese companies, but also collaboration in the fields of energy, transport and agriculture, as agreed by President Emomali Rakhmon and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

INDONESIA

Jakarta has officially banned the consumption of dog meat following pressure from animal rights groups. According to Dog Meat Free Indonesia, in the province of Solo Raya in central Java alone, 13,700 dogs are killed every month, many of which are at risk of rabies. In Jakarta, 400 dogs are killed every day, while an estimated 70,000 are consumed in Bali each year.

THAILAND

Some regions of Thailand are facing record floods that have killed at least 33 people so far and forced local authorities to deploy military ships and helicopters to facilitate rescue efforts. More than 2 million people have been affected by the rains, but only 13,000 have been moved to shelters, while the death toll in Vietnam has risen to 98 and 19,000 people in Malaysia have left their homes.

PAKISTAN - AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban government in Kabul yesterday promised to respond to missile attacks carried out by Pakistan on its territory, but Islamabad denied responsibility. According to Mr Mustaghfir Gurbuz, spokesman for the governor of Khost, one of the three provinces affected yesterday, the raids were carried out by drones and aircraft. ‘The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns this violation and reiterates that defending its airspace, territory and people is its legitimate right and that it will respond appropriately at the right time,’ said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

BANGLADESH

A huge fire has devastated one of Dhaka's largest slums, Korail, leaving thousands of people homeless. No injuries have been reported so far, but residents said the destruction was almost total. With nearly 80,000 inhabitants, the settlement is wedged between the affluent neighbourhoods of Gulshan and Banani. At least 19 fire engines were dispatched to put out the blaze. The cause of the fire remains unclear.

BELARUS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens convicted in Belarus for various crimes, a decision taken “at the request of Ukraine and to support the agreements with US President Donald Trump to create the conditions for resolving the conflict”, as explained by spokeswoman Natalia Ejsmont, who stressed that “it was a gesture of goodwill based on principles of humanism”, such as the release of two Catholic priests, Andrzej Jukhnevicz and Genrikh Okolotovič, “at the request of Pope Leo XIV”. Meanwhile, Russia and Ukraine, beyond the ongoing peace negotiations, are preparing for a new large-scale prisoner exchange, which is expected to bring 1,200 soldiers back to Ukraine.

 

 

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