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Afghanistan said Sunday it killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in overnight border operations, in response to what it called repeated violations of its territory and airspace.Earlier in the week, Afghan authorities accused Pakistan of bombing the capital, Kabul, and a market in the country’s east. Pakistan did not claim responsibility for the assault.The Taliban government’s chief spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghan forces have captured 25 Pakistani army posts, 58 soldiers have been killed, and 30 others wounded.“The situation on all official borders and de facto lines of Afghanistan is under complete control, and illegal activities have been largely prevented,” Mujahid told a press conference in Kabul. There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan about casualties.Pakistan has previously struck locations inside Afghanistan, targeting what it alleges are militant hideouts, but these have been in remote and mountainous areas.The two sides have also skirmished along the border. But Saturday night's heavy clashes underscore the deepening security tensions.The Taliban government’s Defense Ministry said early Sunday morning its forces had conducted “retaliatory and successful operations” along the border.“If the opposing side again violates Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, our armed forces are fully prepared to defend the nation’s borders and will deliver a strong response,” the ministry added.The Torkham border crossing, one of two main trade routes between the two countries, did not open on Sunday at its usual time of 8 am. The crossing at Chaman was also closed.Pakistan accuses Afghan authorities of harboring members of the banned group Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. Islamabad says the group carries out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, but Kabul denies the charge, saying it does not allow its territory to be used against other countries.Before the Afghan claim of casualties, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the assault and said the country's army “not only gave a befitting reply to Afghanistan’s provocations but also destroyed several of their posts, forcing them to retreat.”The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement late Saturday, calling for “restraint, avoidance of escalation and the adoption of dialogue and wisdom to help de-escalate tensions and maintain the security and stability of the region.”Saudi Arabia just reached a mutual defense pact with Pakistan, which apparently put the kingdom under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella following Israel’s attack on Qatar.A senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said Afghan forces opened fire in several northwestern border areas in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the districts of Chitral, Bajaur, Mohmand, Angoor Adda and Kurram.The official also said troops responded with heavy weaponry near Tirah in Khyber district and across the frontier in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province.The two countries share a 2,611-kilometer (1,622-mile) border known as the Durand Line, but Afghanistan has never recognized it.

India’s third-largest IT services company by market capitalisation, HCL Technologies (HCLT), will announce its Q2 earnings on Monday, October 13, where the tech major is set to report a net profit growth in a wide range of 0.8% to 6.1%. The bottom line is seen between Rs 4,136 crore and Rs 4,491 crore, showing muted year-on-year growth but healthy sequential improvement.The revenue in the September-ended quarter is estimated between Rs 31,252 crore and Rs 31,603 crore, reflecting 8%-9.5% YoY growth and 3-4% QoQ growth.The estimates of five brokerages have been taken into account, viz. Nomura, Nuvama Institutional Equities, Axis Securities, HDFC Securities and Choice Broking. While Japanese brokerage has the most conservative profit after tax (PAT) estimates, HDFC Securities’ adjusted PAT is the highest in the pack. As for the revenue, Axis numbers are the lowest, while Choice is the most bullish.Brokerages recommended 4 metrics to watch out for:1. PAT- Nomura: Rs 4,136 crore, down 2.3% YoY, up 7.6% QoQ- Nuvama: Rs 4,275 crore, up 1% YoY, up 11.3% QoQ- Axis Securities: Rs 4,275 crore, up 0.9% YoY, up 11.2% QoQ- HDFC Securities: Rs 4,491 crore, up 6.1% YoY, down 16.1% QoQ- Choice Broking: Rs 4,268 crore, up 0.8% YoY, up 11.1% QoQThe sequential uptick is expected to be driven by deal ramp-ups in BFSI, Hi-Tech, and ER&D verticals, although YoY growth remains constrained by ongoing restructuring costs.2. Revenue- Nomura: Rs 31,511 crore, up 9.2% YoY, up 3.8% QoQ- Nuvama: Rs 31,396 crore, up 8.8% YoY, up 3.5% QoQ- Axis Securities: Rs 31,252 crore, up 8.3% YoY, up 3% QoQ- HDFC Securities: Rs 31,418 crore, up 8.9% YoY, up 3.5% QoQ- Choice Broking: Rs 31,603 crore, up 9.5% YoY, up 4.1% QoQRevenue growth is expected to be supported by a stable services business, improvement in products & platforms (P&P), and net new deal wins exceeding $2-2.5 billion, including at least one large deal closure.3. EBIT / EBIT MarginEBIT estimates fall between Rs 5,343 crore and Rs 5,432 crore, with margins expected to expand modestly QoQ despite YoY pressure:- Nomura: EBITDA margin 16.5%, down 210 bps YoY, up 20 bps QoQ- Nuvama: EBIT margin 17%, down 160 bps YoY, up 70 bps QoQ- Axis Securities: EBIT margin 17.2%, up 87 bps YoY, down 142 bps QoQ- HDFC Securities: EBIT margin 17.3%, down 129 bps YoY, up 101 bps QoQ- Choice Broking: EBIT margin 17.1%, down 143 bps YoY, up 86 bps QoQAnalysts expect the modest sequential margin improvement to be aided by ongoing restructuring initiatives and better performance of the HCL Software unit, partially offset by higher sales investments.4. Key monitorablesStreet will watch out for FY26 guidance for revenue growth (3-5% YoY in CC terms) and EBIT margins (17-18%). Client discretionary spending trends, particularly in BFSI, ER&D, and digital segments, will remain a key monitorable.Large deal wins and pipeline updates, along with the impact of macroeconomic headwinds on verticals like healthcare, manufacturing and retail, will be watched closely by the Street. (Disclaimer: The recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

China's Commerce Ministry on Sunday slammed the Donald Trump-led US government's plan to impose another 100% tariff on Chinese imports (up and above the existing levies), calling it a "classic case of 'double standards'." Amid rising trade tension between the two trade giants, Beijing restated its consistent stance and said it does not "want to fight, but are not afraid to fight." The ministry further stated that these actions "have severely harmed China's interests and undermined the atmosphere for bilateral economic and trade talks." "Since the US-China economic and trade talks in Madrid, the US has continuously introduced a series of new restrictions against China," the ministry stated. These actions include blacklisting Chinese entities, as the US "added multiple Chinese entities to its export control entity list and specially designated nationals list."The Commerce Ministry demanded that the US "promptly correct its erroneous practices."The ministry's sharp words came as it defended China's new export controls on rare earth materials, measures that have drawn international attention.China defends new rare earth rulesIn defending the rare earth export controls, which began on October 9, the ministry provided several key reasons for their implementation. It explained the measures are "designed to better safeguard world peace and regional stability" and also "designed to better fulfill international obligations such as non-proliferation."Moreover, the ministry assured global markets the rules do not constitute a total ban on exports. It confirmed that applications meeting requirements "will be granted licenses." China also maintained it followed proper procedure by "notified relevant countries and regions through bilateral export control dialogue mechanisms" before the changes were implemented.Despite global concerns, the ministry predicted the measures would have an "extremely limited impact" on supply chains, adding that China is "willing to strengthen dialogue" with all nations to maintain global supply stability.What has the US said and why?On Friday, the US threatened a major escalation in trade tensions by announcing plans for an additional 100% tariff on all Chinese imports, starting November 1 or even earlier.China has significantly tightened export controls on rare earth elements and related processing technologies, citing the need to safeguard national security and prevent foreign military use. Rare earths are critical minerals for high-tech manufacturing, including defence systems and semiconductors. The new curbs mandate special export approval, sparking US concerns over supply chain disruption.(With Reuters inputs)

Hamas said on Saturday that the group will not participate in the formal signing of the Gaza peace treaty set to take place in Egypt on Monday, distancing itself from the high-profile summit convened to mark a reportedly breakthrough moment in efforts to end the now two-year war. “The official signing — we will not be involved,” said Hossam Badran, a member of the group’s political bureau, in an interview with AFP. He added that Hamas had engaged “principally through Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during ceasefire negotiations, signaling the group’s intention to remain outside the diplomatic spotlight. Hamas officials have also rejected a key element of US President Donald Trump’s proposed roadmap for Gaza — the disarmament of the militant group. “The proposed weapons handover is out of the question and not negotiable,” one senior official told AFP, underscoring the deep divisions that still threaten the agreement’s next phase. Trump’s 20-point plan envisions amnesty for Hamas members who lay down their weapons and offers them the option to leave Gaza. The US administration has said that the disarmament issue will be addressed in the second phase of implementation — a stage that Hamas insiders warn “contains many complexities and difficulties.” Despite the ceasefire holding ahead of Monday’s 72-hour deadline for releasing Israeli hostages, disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli troops remain the most contentious obstacles to lasting peace. Ceasefire holds ahead of prisoner exchange As diplomatic preparations continue in Sharm el-Sheikh, Hamas is expected to begin releasing Israeli hostages on Monday morning, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. “According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed,” Hamas official Osama Hamdan told AFP. The swap is part of the first stage of Trump’s plan, which aims to de-escalate tensions before the international summit chaired by Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. More than 20 nations are expected to attend the long-awaited meet, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer.