Situation Reports

Intense clashes erupted between Afghan Taliban fighters and Pakistani security forces along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border late on Oct. 11, days after the Taliban accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan, AP reported on Oct. 12.

Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev announced that construction of the Horadiz-Agbend railway and highway, key links in the North-South and Araz transport corridors, will be completed by 2026, Azerbaijan State News Agency reported on Oct. 13.

The Kremlin issued unusually sharp warnings about the potential U.S. supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, Reuters reported on Oct. 12.

U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Oct. 12 that Chinese "President Xi [Jinping] just had a bad moment," in reference to China's Oct. 9 expansion of rare earth export curbs, and that "The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it."

The Ivorian opposition coalition Common Front called for daily nonviolent demonstrations against the exclusion of key opposition figures from the Oct. 25 presidential election, despite a government ban on protests, Jeune Afrique reported on Oct. 12.

Cameroon held a presidential election on Oct. 12 that was broadly peaceful in much of the country but saw clashes erupt between supporters of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary and security forces in the northern city of Garoua, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 13.

The French military exfiltrated Malagasy President Andry Rajoelina from Madagascar on Oct. 12, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 13.

The Philippines accused China's coast guard of using water cannons and ramming a Philippine vessel near Philippine-controlled Thitu Island in the Spratly Islands of the disputed South China Sea, damaging the ship but causing no injuries, Reuters reported on Oct. 12.

Australia is consulting miners on a proposed $777 million critical minerals fund that would be led by the government and could include price floors, offtake guarantees and government-backed loans to stabilize domestic producers, Bloomberg reported on Oct. 11.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced his new Cabinet on Oct. 12, two days after being reappointed by President Emmanuel Macron following his resignation on Oct. 6, Le Monde reported the same day.