At least 18 soldiers of Pakistan's Frontier Corps (FC) have died during an operation in Mangocher, a city located in the Kalat district of Balochistan province, the country's military authorities confirmed on Saturday.

"On the night of January 31/February 1, terrorists attempted to establish roadblocks in Manocher, Kalat District of Balochistan. Security forces and law enforcement agencies were immediately mobilised, who successfully thwarted the evil design and killed 12 of them, ensuring security and protection of local populace," read a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military.

However, the statement added, 18 soldiers were also killed during the operation.

A new wave of bomb threats was reported in Hungary with 44 schools receiving threatening emails, the national police confirmed on Friday.

Among the affected institutions, 13 are in Budapest, while 31 are in rural areas.

Police responded to all locations and implemented necessary security measures.

Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Friday that Israel has received the list of three Israeli civilian hostages Hamas will release on Saturday.

The list includes Israeli-French citizen Ofer Calderon, 54, Israeli-American citizen Keith Siegel, 65, and Israeli civilian Yarden Bibas, 35.

Bibas' wife, Shiri, and two sons, five-year-old Ariel and two-year-old Kfir, were also taken to Gaza on October 7, 2023. The Israeli military has not officially confirmed their deaths but earlier expressed "grave concern" for their fate.

Under a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas, which went into effect on January 19, three Israeli hostages are scheduled to be released on Saturday.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) website remains down following a cyberattack, but its weather forecasts have not been interrupted, the SAWS said on Thursday.

The weather service said in a statement that it has relied on alternative channels to render critical marine, aviation and severe weather services.

"Thus far, we have not had an interruption of services. Weather products for marine and aviation sectors are being conveyed via alternative channels," SAWS Chief Executive Officer Ishaam Abader was quoted as saying in the statement.

Uganda on Wednesday strongly condemned an attack on the country's embassy in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), by rioters amid mass demonstrations.

John Mulimba, Uganda's Minister of State for foreign affairs in charge of regional cooperation, told the parliament that rioters had looted and burned embassy property, forcing the staff into hiding.

"The incident is a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961) and we condemn it in the strongest terms," Mulimba told lawmakers during a plenary.

Afghan counter-narcotics police have uncovered about 19 kg of illicit drugs, including 13 kg of Ice (methamphetamine), and arrested 12 suspected drug smugglers in five provinces of Afghanistan, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The drugs were seized during separate routine operations conducted by the police on the outskirts of the provinces of Herat, Laghman, Panjshir, Faryab and the national capital Kabul, the Ministry of Interior said in the statement.

The ministry said in another release that Afghan authorities destroyed more than 16 tonnes of narcotic drugs and acid by setting them ablaze in the western province of Nimroz.

Ukrainian forces launched drone attacks on oil facilities and a microelectronics plant in western Russia overnight Friday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed on Facebook.

The attack sparked fires at the production facilities of the Ryazan oil refining company and the Ryazan oil pumping station, it said.

Besides, drones hit Kremniy El microchip plant in the Bryansk region, which produces components critical for Russia's production of weapons.

Nine Turkish soldiers were killed and 11 others injured in attacks by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) targetting Turkish bases in northern Aleppo province, a war monitor said on Friday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the SDF strikes hit bases on Thursday in the al-Hoshriya area. The SDF also struck a military gathering in the village of Atshana, south of Manbij, with casualty figures from that incident still unconfirmed, the Observatory said.

The Observatory said the SDF attacks appeared to be in retaliation for continued ground and air assaults by Turkish forces and allied factions against SDF-held areas in northern and eastern Syria.

On Thursday, Turkish warplanes reportedly bombed areas around the Tishreen Dam near Manbij, causing explosions and smoke plumes, though there were no immediate reports of casualties

US President Donald Trump, affirmed hope of having a "very good relationship" with China under his administration, while also stressing the need to have a "level-playing field" regarding the trade situation.

Virtually addressing the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Trump said, "He (Xi Jinping) called me. But I see it very good. I think that we are going to have a very good relationship," Trump said, noting that the US has been facing significant trade deficits with China, a situation he attributed to former President Biden's policies."

Calling the relationship "unfair", Trump said the US doesn't want to take any advantage but wants fairness.

Five bodies were evacuated on Friday from a fire that broke out at a shopping mall in the western part of Jakarta on Wednesday evening, as rescuers intensified search efforts for other missing persons.

"Five bodies were found on the eighth floor, inside a karaoke room. All victims were unable to be identified," West Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency chief Syarifudin told reporters, adding that they were already transferred to a police hospital for identification through DNA analysis.

He also confirmed that the number of missing persons has increased from eight to 14 as more people reported their missing relatives to authorities.

Syarifudin said that search efforts were hampered by many partitions and large areas of the shopping mall.