<p>Taliban militants have killed at least 10 people after kidnapping dozens of bus passengers near the city of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan, officials say.</p><p>Two buses were stopped and more than 185 passengers seized by armed gunmen, a statement by the regional police chief said. Officials managed to free 160 of them, it added.</p><p>The Taliban are still active in parts of Kunduz, after most of the city was retaken by Afghan forces last year. The group have not commented on the incident, in Aliabad district.</p><p>The buses were travelling from Kabul to Badakhshan, in north-eastern Afghanistan, when they were stopped by Taliban members who had set up a roadblock.<br><br><br><br></p>

<p>North Korea has attempted to fire a ballistic missile off its east coast but the launch appears to have failed, South Korean military officials say.</p><p>It is unclear what type of missile it was, but it follows three failed tests of the medium-range "Musudan" missile in April.</p><p>The North is banned by the UN from using any ballistic missile technology. Tensions have run high in the region after Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test in January and numerous missile tests.</p><p>Also today, the newly promoted vice-chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers Party, Ri Su-yong, arrived in China for what South Korean media said was an unannounced official visit.<br><br></p>

<p>At least 23 people have been killed by air strikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib, in north-western Syria, activists say.</p><p>The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Russian aircraft targeted various positions overnight. Turkey also blamed Russia and put the death toll at more than 60. Russia has denied any involvement. Idlib city and the province of the same name are a stronghold of groups including al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.</p><p>The Nusra Front is excluded from a partial cessation of hostilities brokered by the US and Russia in February to make way for a resumption of peace talks.<br></p><p><b>Islamic State group hits back as Iraqi army moves into Falluja</b></p><p>Militants from the so-called Islamic State have launched a dawn counter-attack as Iraqi government troops push into the city of Falluja.</p><p>A day after troops advanced through the southern suburb of Nuaimiya, scores of IS fighters attacked them, army officers told news agencies.</p><p>The army defeated the attackers but suffered casualties, the sources said. Aid workers are increasingly concerned for the safety of 50,000 civilians said to be trapped in Falluja. Reports speak of people starving to death and of being killed for refusing to fight for IS.<br></p>

<p>Seventeen Indian soldiers have been killed in a massive fire at a military ammunition depot in western Maharashtra state, army officials say.</p><p>The fire in the depot at Pulgaon near Nagpur triggered a number of explosions, leading to the evacuation of people from neighbouring villages.</p><p>Firefighters are trying to put out the blaze, in which at least 19 people have also been injured. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The fire broke out early today and spread quickly through the depot.</p><p>Reports said about 1,000 villagers had been evacuated as shells and splinters ripped through the area.There have been several such incidents at army ammunition depots in recent years.<br><br></p>