At least 24 people were killed and 47 wounded while protesting against Myanmar's military government after an army motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on the crowd, a spokesperson for the government-in-exile told BBC Burmese. The military attacked on Monday evening (Oct. 6) as around 100 people gathered in Chaung U township in central Myanmar for a national holiday. Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since a military coup in 2021, which triggered a civil war with armed resistance groups and ethnic militias.

After losing control of more than half the country, the army is making significant gains again, through an especially bloody campaign of airstrikes and heavy bombardment. The attack is just one of hundreds of similar air strikes that have been carried out this year by Myanmar's armed forces. The military government has in recent months augmented its air force with new drones acquired from China - which is now fully supporting the junta - as well as technical assistance from Russia.

Pakistani security forces raided a hideout of the Pakistani Taliban near the Afghan border, triggering a fierce gunbattle that left 11 soldiers and 19 militants dead, the military said. The operation took place in Orakzai district in the restive northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a statement from the military. The military described the slain insurgents as "Khwarij, " a term which the government uses for militants it claims are backed by India, including members of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and the Baloch Liberation Army.

In a brief statement, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for attacking troops in Orakzai. Pakistan has seen a surge in militant violence in recent years, most of it claimed by the Pakistani Taliban. The group, separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, has been emboldened since the latter group seized power in Kabul in 2021. Many Pakistani Taliban leaders and fighters are believed to be operating from sanctuaries across the border in Afghanistan.

The head of the International Monetary Fund has issued a stark warning about the mounting risks facing the global economy, saying: "Buckle up: uncertainty is the new normal." As finance ministers and central bankers prepare to meet in Washington for the IMF's annual meetings next week, its managing director, Kristalina Georgieva said the world economy had shown surprising resilience in the face of Donald Trump's trade war.

The US is now expected to avoid recession, despite the imposition of historic tariffs on many of its trading partners, and the global economy is forecast to slow "only slightly this year and next", she said. But Georgieva pointed to growing signs of strain, including the record gold price - which topped $4,000 an ounce on Wednesday, signalling anxiety among investors - and exceptionally high valuations for US stocks. In the last update of its World Economic Outlook in July, the IMF forecast global GDP growth of 3% for this year - a modest slowdown from 3.3% in 2024.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of preparing to wage war against it in collusion with an opposition grouping, in the latest sign of escalating tensions between the two neighbours over control of the Red Sea. Ethiopia's accusation is contained in a letter sent by its Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos to UN chief Antonio Guterres, warning that the collusion had become "more evident over the past few months".

Eritrea has not yet commented on the letter, but its relationship with Ethiopia has become increasingly strained in recent months. Ethiopia has been rallying support to regain access to the Red Sea, causing alarm in Eritrea as it took control of the coastline at independence in 1993. If Gedion's allegations are true, it means that Eritrea is waging a proxy war against Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's government, to prevent it from launching a military incursion into Eritrea to seize ports along the Red Sea.