Good afternoon,

The word of the week is war, as tensions boil over in the Asia-Pacific and the Middle East, with Pakistan and Afghanistan at war, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei martyred by US and Israeli strikes. Plus, other global and local updates.

☕ : Grab your chaye, let’s go:

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🌍 What In The World

🇪🇺 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the “One Europe, One Market” strategy earlier this week, a plan to fully integrate the EU’s single market by 2027 to help the bloc catch up with the US and China. 

Despite having the world’s second-largest economy, Europe is held back by internal barriers and fragmented regulations. The strategy focuses on the main drivers of Europe’s competitiveness gap: complex regulations, weak capital markets, high energy costs, and barriers to trade within the EU.

🇨🇺 US President Donald Trump on Friday floated the prospect of a “friendly takeover” of Cuba, saying the country’s government has been in talks with his administration. Trump did not specify what such a takeover would look like or offer a timetable for any potential action against the country. The president’s remarks came days after Cuban soldiers opened fire on a boat that it claimed was trying to infiltrate the island, killing four, including a US citizen.

🫸 US President Trump has said he would direct every federal agency to stop using technology from AI developer Anthropic immediately. Anthropic is mired in a row with the White House after refusing demands to grant the US military unfettered access to its AI tools. The refusal led US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to deem Anthropic a supply chain risk, the first US company to ever publicly receive such treatment. 

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also announced late Friday that the company had signed a deal with the Pentagon for its AI tools to be used in the military’s classified systems, but with seemingly similar guardrails rival Anthropic had also requested. It’s not clear what is different about OpenAI’s deal with the Pentagon versus what Anthropic wanted.

🇯🇵 Japan plans to deploy surface-to-air missiles to its remote western island near Taiwan by March 2031, as regional tensions simmer. It is the first time that Japan specified a timeline for the missile deployment to Yonaguni Island since it was announced in 2022. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have run high since November, when Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi appeared to suggest that Japan would activate its self-defence force in the event of an attack on Taiwan.

🇨🇦 Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Mumbai on Friday for his first official visit to India, seeking to reset relations and deepen trade cooperation with New Delhi after ties deteriorated in recent years under his predecessor. During his four-day trip, Carney is set to hold talks with business leaders and will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday.

Story of the Day - Iran

Iran has begun 40 days of mourning after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed by joint strikes launched by the US and Israel on Iran, despite ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear programme. The exchanges of fire continued throughout the night, and Iranian state media reported on Saturday evening that at least 201 people had been killed and more than 700 injured.  Among those killed are 108 people, mostly students, who died following a strike on a girls’ school in southern Iran.

Here are the mapped out strikes from Iran, Israel, and the US.

Iran’s government says an interim council, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, will oversee the country until a new supreme leader is elected. Iranian state media say at least 201 people have been killed in the attacks across 24 provinces.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would defend its homeland, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps pledged revenge and said it has launched attacks on 27 bases hosting US troops in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, while authorities said that four people were injured in a blaze at a luxury hotel in Dubai in the Palm Jumeirah area, as well as Israeli military facilities in Tel Aviv. 

The explosions were heard for a second day on Sunday morning in Dubai, the UAE; Bahrain’s capital, Manama; and Qatar’s capital, Doha, raising fears of a wider conflict in the Middle East.

The Middle East: The strikes forced at least eight states to declare their airspace closed, including Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE. Syria also announced it had closed part of its airspace in the south along its border with Israel for 12 hours. 

The world: A UN emergency session was called, urging immediate de-escalation. Pakistan was the only Muslim country to condemn the attack on Iran, while also condemning Iran’s retaliatory attacks on the Gulf nations. China called for a halt to military action, while Oman said that the negotiations were going well and were undermined. Russia has criticised the US negotiations as a “cover” as Putin expressed his condolences to Pezeshkian over the killing of Iran’s supreme leader and said that the killing was a cynical murder in violation of all standards of human morality and international law.

Pakistan: At least nine people have been killed today near a US consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi after security forces opened fire to scatter hundreds of protesters trying to storm the consulate early on Sunday. Protesters also set fire to a UN ⁠office building in Pakistan’s northern city of Skardu, ⁠in Gilgit Baltistan. Protests are currently happening in many major cities of Pakistan, and this is a developing story.

Live updates here, here, and here.

🇵🇰 Homeground

🪖 There hasn’t been any decrease in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan as the conflict entered its third day despite efforts by the international community to de-escalate the situation since Pakistan’s military on Friday said it had destroyed more than 73 Afghan Taliban posts and 115 tanks in retaliatory strikes, killing 331 Taliban regime operatives and terrorists and injuring over 500 since Thursday night after the Afghan Taliban forces had initiated unprovoked cross-border firing in 15 sectors across 27 locations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. 

Pakistani air strikes hit military targets at 22 locations across Afghanistan, including in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, Nangarhar, Khost, and Paktika provinces, while 12 Pakistani soldiers were martyred, 27 sustained injuries, and one remains missing in action. The strikes targeted brigade and battalion headquarters, sector headquarters, ammunition depots, and logistics bases. Live updates here.

Pakistan had also launched airstrikes earlier this week, as at least 13 civilians ‌were killed and seven were injured in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, following a string ​of suicide bombings in Pakistan.

✈️ The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday suspended its flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Doha, and Kuwait due to the evolving situation in the Middle East. However, PIA flights to Saudi Arabia continued with changed routes.

🌊 The National Emergencies Operation Centre (NEOC) of NDMA on Thursday issued an ad­­visory regarding potential glacial lake outburst flood (Glof) risks from March to September 2026, citing anticipated rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, and possible early heatwave conditions in northern Pakistan.

🤖 The National Database and Regulatory Authority (NADRA) notified amendments to the National Identity Card and Pakistan Origin Card rules and introduced QR-based verification and stronger fraud controls to strengthen the country’s digital ecosystem. The amendments include legally embedding QR-based verification, strengthening authentication controls across digital services, expanding biometric recognition, and updating card formats for key citizen categories.

🪁 The Punjab government on Wednesday informed the Lahore High Court that 17 people were killed in Lahore during the Feb. 6–8 Basant kite-flying festival, which was revived this year after nearly two decades of restrictions and bans.

🏏 Pakistan was knocked out of the T20 World Cup on net run-rate as New Zealand reached the semi-final. Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 runs or fewer in their reply to ensure their net run-rate was better than New Zealand's in Group 2.

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Good afternoon, 

It seems the tariff updates will continue in 2026 as well, as Trump fights his Supreme Court over trade dominance. Former Prince Andrew was arrested due to his ties with Epstein, and the Iran situation remains tense. Locally, the social media firewall was finally shut down after it failed to deliver results.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

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🌍 What in the World

🇮🇷 US President Donald Trump says the world will find out over the next 10 days whether the US will reach a deal with Iran about its nuclear programme or take military action.  In recent days, the US has surged military forces to the Middle East, while progress has been reported in talks between American and Iranian negotiators.

The Iranian government has told the UN Secretary-General that it will regard US bases in the region as legitimate targets if used in any military aggression against Iran. Democratic lawmakers and some Republicans have also voiced opposition to any potential military action in Iran without congressional approval. Track the rapid US military build-up near Iran, here.

🇱🇧 Israeli attacks killed at least 12 people in eastern and southern Lebanon on Friday, in the latest breach of a 2024 ceasefire deal with the armed group, Hezbollah. Israel’s army said it hit Hezbollah command centres in the Baalbek area of Bekaa. Hezbollah confirmed that at least eight of its members had been killed, including a senior field commander.

🇬🇧 The UK government is considering introducing legislation to remove Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession over his ties to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. On Thursday evening, Andrew was arrested for 11 hours on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Currently, Andrew, the King's brother, remains eighth in line to the throne despite being stripped of his titles, including "prince."

🇰🇷South Korea's ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol has been jailed for life for masterminding an insurrection by trying to impose military rule. A Seoul court ruled that Yoon attempted to subvert the constitution by deploying military troops to seal off the National Assembly and ordering the arrest of politicians on 3 December 2024. 

🫸 US President Donald Trump has imposed a new 10% global tariff to replace those struck down by the Supreme Court, calling the ruling "terrible" and lambasting the justices who rejected his trade policy as "fools". The president unveiled the plan shortly after the justices outlawed most of the global tariffs the White House announced last year. In a 6-3 decision, the court held that the president had overstepped his powers. Full tea, here.

🇮🇳 Tech giants committed to funneling hundreds of billions of dollars into Indian AI efforts, against the backdrop of the India AI Impact Summit this week. Hyperscalers such as Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and Alphabet announced capital expenditure that could hit $700 billion on AI this year. Indian tech group Reliance also reportedly announced plans to invest $110 billion into data centers and other infrastructure, and compatriot Adani is outlining a $100 billion AI data center buildout over the next decade.

The summit was also marked by controversy as Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates withdrew from the event amid public backlash for his past relationship with deceased financier and sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei visibly declined to hold hands during a group photo. An Indian university was also criticized after claiming it had invented a commercially available Chinese-made robot dog.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🪖 The armed forces struck seven terrorist camps along the Pak-Afghan border earlier today, in direct response to the recent suicide attacks in Islamabad, Bajaur, and Bannu. The government says it has solid evidence that TTP (Fitna al Khwarij) and the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) militants were operating from Afghan soil and carrying out attacks in Pakistan during Ramzan. Islamabad says it repeatedly told the Afghan Taliban to take action and won’t compromise on citizens’ security.

➗ The Sindh Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution declaring Karachi an “inseparable part” of the province and opposing any move that suggested otherwise. The resolution, tabled by CM Murad and passed with a majority, stated that the House “unequivocally condemns and rejects any conspiracy aimed at the division of Sindh or the creation of a separate province comprising Karachi”.

The chief minister’s move comes after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has repeatedly called for the Centre’s intervention in Karachi, demanding that the metropolis be made a federal territory.

🧱 Ahead of the much-anticipated 5G spectrum auction, the government has permanently shut down the controversial system that was installed in 2024 to monitor and control social media. Officials say the project failed to deliver desired results and caused billions of rupees in losses to the national exchequer. The decision marks a major policy shift as Pakistan prepares to attract investment in its telecom and IT sectors.

🤑 Pakistan has moved forward with a $1.12 billion coal-to-fertilizer project in the desert region of Thar, aiming to use domestic coal to produce urea and reduce reliance on imported fertilizer and on costly natural gas. The initiative is part of a broader push to tap the vast coal reserves in Tharparkar district, which is home to one of the world’s largest untapped lignite coal deposits.

🤖 IT exports maintained steady double-digit growth in Pakistan, rising to $2.61 billion during July–January FY2025–26, showing a 19% year-on-year growth. The increase in export receipts was driven by higher foreign earnings from IT companies, remote professionals, and freelancers providing services to international clients across various markets.

⬆️ Short-term inflation, measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI), rose 5.19 percent year-on-year in the week ending Feb 19, the statistics bureau said on Friday, reflecting higher prices of perishable food items at the start of Ramadan.

Pakistan’s overall poverty rate has also climbed sharply in 2024–25 as years of high inflation, weak economic growth, and repeated shocks eroded household purchasing power. Meanwhile, both real household income and consumption have declined since 2018-19.

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Imran Khan, solar net-metering, and AI are the highlights of this week. Plus, other updates from around the globe.

Please scan the QR code below for our link-enabled newsletter on Medium if the links don’t work in your email. 

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

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🌍 What in the World

🇵🇸 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Israel this week to reverse its unlawful decision to deepen control over the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, the UNRWA issued an urgent appeal for $1.26bn in funding “to respond to one of the gravest, protracted humanitarian crises in recent history” in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory. More updates here.

In another harrowing development, Civil Defence teams in Gaza have documented 2,842 Palestinians who have “evaporated” since the war began in October 2023, leaving behind no remains other than blood spray or small fragments of flesh.

Experts and witnesses attributed this phenomenon to Israel’s systematic use of internationally prohibited thermal and thermobaric weapons, often referred to as vacuum or aerosol bombs, capable of generating temperatures exceeding 3,500 degrees Celsius [6,332 degrees Fahrenheit]. More on this story, here.

🇮🇩 Indonesia is preparing up to 8,000 soldiers for deployment to Gaza, the first country to do so as part of phase two of the ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States late last year. Indonesia has also joined President Donald Trump's Board of Peace, which was announced last month.

🇧🇩 The centre-right Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)  secured a landslide majority in parliament, 18 months after mass protests ousted the country's longest-serving prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. BNP leader Tarique Rahman is set to be the next prime minister and faces huge challenges in getting the economy back on its feet and restoring democracy after 15 years of authoritarian rule under Hasina.

🇺🇦 A deadly exchange of drone strikes killed one person in Ukraine and one in Russia and cast doubts on the prospects of a ceasefire before another round of negotiations to end the war next week, as the conflict is about to enter its fifth year.

🤝 The 62nd Munich Security Conference is taking place this week, convening more than 60 heads of state and government, 50 leaders of international organizations, and participants from at least 115 countries. 

The first day of the gathering on Friday saw French President Macron call for a strong Europe, while German Chancellor Merz acknowledged a “rift” between Europe and the US. He said that the international order based on rights and rules“no longer exists and that US leadership is being challenged or is perhaps already lost. Live updates here.

On the second day,  Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen said that Trump is still very serious about acquiring Greenland, but national sovereignty must be respected. UK PM Keir Starmer said the UK will send a fleet of warships and fighter jets to the Arctic in 2026. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio patched up the fraught US-EU relations by telling the summit that "the US and Europe belong together”.

🌎 The LATAM region just got its very own LatAm-GPT, founded by Chile and supported by other regional countries. It’s the first open-source artificial intelligence language model that’s specifically trained on Latin American data. Sovereign AI is now the new space race, with many nations racing to create their own before rivals.

🚨A bunch of AI experts resigned from their posts or spoke up about the existential threat posed by AI this week. Anthropic’s head of Safeguards Research announced his resignation in a letter that mentioned a world in peril. OAI researcher Zoë Hitzig resigned after the launch of ChatGPT ads, warning that OAI’s archive of human thought creates unprecedented potential for manipulation. Meanwhile, half of xAI’s founders have exited as of this week, though the recent departures didn’t specifically cite AI concerns.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🏏 PTI and the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahaffuz-e-Aiyeen Pakistan (TTAP) continue their sit-in at Parliament House for a third consecutive day, saying the protest will not end until the PTI founder is shifted to Al-Shifa Hospital. Although the government has announced its decision to move him to a hospital and constitute a medical board, the party has rejected any transfer without prior consultation with his family and legal team.

Khan, diagnosed with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), has reportedly lost 85% vision in his right eye and remains in Adiala Jail pending further medical assessment.

Khan and his wife have also approached the Islamabad High Court seeking suspension of their sentences in the Toshakhana-2 (Bulgari jewellery) case, citing grave medical concerns and legal infirmities in the trial court verdict.

⚡ The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday drastically changed the terms of contracts for all existing and future net-metered solar consumers — known as prosumers — to contain rising solar energy penetration and protect an expensive and inefficient state-owned power network. The notification effectively terminated the existing net-metering regime and replaced it with net-billing for all. 

The announcement led to an outcry in the upper house of Parliament on Tuesday, with the government defending the move. Get the full scoop here.

🤑 According to the official fiscal operations data released by the Ministry of Finance for July-December 2025, the four provinces returned Rs1.18 trillion in cash to the Centre, just Rs285 billion short of the Rs1.464 trillion target set for the whole under the IMF’s $7bn Extended Fund Facility (EFF). Punjab led the charge with Rs609bn cash surplus, followed by Sindh’s Rs354bn, KP’s Rs175bn, and Balochistan’s Rs41bn. Meanwhile, the Revenue-to-GDP ratio fell to 8.2pc.

🤖 Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced that Pakistan would invest $1 billion in artificial intelligence (AI) by 2030, marking a major step toward modernizing the South Asian nation’s digital economy. Sharif detailed several flagship initiatives to support this transformation, including a sweeping educational reform.

🛰️ Pakistan has successfully launched its second indigenous Earth Observation satellite, EO-2, from China’s Yangjiang Seashore Launch Center, the national space agency SUPARCO said on Thursday.

The launch marks a significant step in Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen its domestic space and remote sensing capabilities, with the satellite expected to improve imaging continuity, disaster monitoring, agricultural planning, and strategic resource management.

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Good afternoon, 

The highlights of this week have been mostly grim, with a terrorist attack in Islamabad and a saas-pocalyse style major sell-off. Plus, other top updates from around the globe.

Please scan the QR code below for our link-enabled newsletter on Medium if the links don’t work in your email.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🌍 What in the World

👋 A deep selloff in global software stocks shocked the world this week, after Anthropic rolled out a new legal AI tool this week, intended to automate contract review, legal research, and drafting. The tool shook an already nervous market, heightening fears that AI could threaten a whole range of software companies, from app developers to stock market data aggregators.

A global software sell-off followed, lasting almost four days, after wiping out almost $300 billion in market value on Tuesday. Europe and Asia also joined the rout. Get the full scoop here.

🇵🇸 Hamas’s political leader abroad, Khaled Meshaal, has rejected calls to disarm Palestinian factions in Gaza, arguing that stripping weapons from an occupied people would turn them into easy victims to be eliminated. US President Donald Trump last month sought to achieve a comprehensive demilitarisation of Hamas, threatening the Palestinian group with repercussions if it fails to do so. Hamas has refused to give up arms as long as Israel continues to occupy Gaza.

🇹🇭 Thailand has voted in an early election called after multiple coalition governments collapsed, giving the country three prime ministers in as many years. Just like in 2023, this election pits those advocating far-reaching change, the People's Party, against conservative forces led by incumbent PM Anutin Charnavirakul. Results will become clear around 22:00 local time (15:00 GMT), but no party is likely to win a majority.

🎌 Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party is projected to secure a large majority of more than 300 seats in Japan’s lower house in a snap election on Sunday, based on exit polls. Her predicted success is in marked contrast to her two predecessors, under whom the party lost its parliamentary majority because of corruption scandals and rising costs.

🇮🇹 Six people have been arrested after police clashed with protesters in Milan, one of the hosts of the Winter Olympic Games, during the first day of the competition. An estimated ‍10,000 people took to the streets of the city in northern Italy on Saturday to protest against a range of issues, including the cost of living. 

🇱🇾 Libyan prosecutors are investigating the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the country's long-time leader, Col Muammar Gaddafi. The 53-year-old, who was once widely seen as his father's heir apparent, was killed during a confrontation with four unknown gunmen who broke into his home in the city of Zintan.

🛰️ SpaceX has filed plans with the FCC for a massive satellite-based data center network, signaling that Elon Musk is serious about moving AI computing into orbit. This effort aligns with the recently completed merger of SpaceX and xAI, suggesting a shared infrastructure vision.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🪖 At least 32 people were killed, and 150 were injured on Friday when a suicide blast targeted the Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra mosque and imambargah in Islamabad’s outskirts. The blast occurred during Friday prayers, marking the deadliest assault on the Pakistani capital in nearly two decades. On Saturday, a police officer was killed, and four suspects, including an “Afghan Daesh mastermind” behind the attack, were arrested in overnight raids in Peshawar and Nowshera.

Pakistan’s military and civilian government have long accused the Afghan Taliban government of sheltering militants on Afghan soil. Pakistan also blames India for funding and supporting militants who launch these attacks against it. New Delhi and Kabul have rejected Islamabad's allegations.

🛩️ The recently privatized Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a cargo agreement with global aviation group Air France-KLM to expand its global outreach and push Pakistani exports to more international markets. Air France-KLM operates in 320 destinations and is a global aviation player in passenger, cargo, and maintenance businesses.

⛔ Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party called on the masses to observe a countrywide “shutter-down” strike by closing their businesses in protest against alleged rigging today on the second anniversary of the Feb. 8, 2024, general elections. Most of the markets in Lahore and Islamabad were open on Sunday. A partial shutdown was observed in Peshawar, while a complete shutdown strike was reported in Quetta.

📈 Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan increased by $56 million during the week ended January 30, 2026, reaching $16.16 billion, according to data released by the central bank on Friday. The country’s total liquid foreign reserves stood at $21.34 billion as of January 30.

💨 Pakistan has been invited to the first proposed meeting of US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” (BoP) on Gaza, reported to be held in Washington on Feb 19, and is likely to attend. Meanwhile, a new Gallup Pakistan survey shows 73% of Pakistanis are in favour of sending troops to Gaza, but only if it’s part of a UN-backed mission with Muslim countries and at the request of the Palestinian leadership.

🫸 In a significant move to assert parliamentary supremacy, a Senate rule was amended on Friday with the aim of curbing judicial interference in parliamentary affairs. Here’s the tea.

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Good afternoon, 

Security forces repelled multiple attacks across Balochistan, India & the EU signed a major trade agreement. Plus, other top updates from around the globe. 

P.S. The issue with our links has persisted for our international readers. We are working to resolve this issue. In the meantime, please scan the qr code below and read our link-enabled newsletter on Medium.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🌍 What in the World

🇵🇸The Israeli military has acknowledged in a briefing to Israeli journalists that approximately 70,000 Palestinians were killed during the war in Gaza and that the figures from the health ministry in the enclave are largely accurate. 

Israel also reopened the Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt on a trial basis today after nearly two years, as thousands of sick and wounded Palestinians seek urgent medical care a

Meanwhile, in one of the bloodiest days since an October “ceasefire” took hold, at least 31 Palestinians – including six children – have been killed in multiple Israeli air raids on northern and southern Gaza. Updates here.

🤝 The EU and India announced a landmark trade deal this week after nearly two decades of on-and-off talks, as both sides aim to deepen ties amid tensions with the US. The deal will allow free trade of goods, huge tariff cuts across a range of goods and services, and a joint security partnership.

🇺🇳 The United Nations has warned that it is at risk of "imminent financial collapse" due to member states not paying their fees, and that its money could run out by July. It comes after the UN's largest contributor, the US, refused to contribute to its budgets and withdrew from several agencies.

🔎 Three million pages, 180,000 images, and 2,000 videos relating to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have been released by the US Department of Justice, the largest number of documents shared by the government since a law mandated their release last year. Here and here are some early takeaways.

🇨🇩 A landslide on Wednesday collapsed several mines at a major coltan mining site in eastern Congo, leaving at least 200 people dead, rebel authorities said Saturday.

🇺🇲 US President Trump has picked Kevin Warsh to lead the US Federal Reserve when current chairman Jerome Powell's four-year term ends in May. Warsh is a former Fed governor, an outspoken Fed critic, and is expected to support lower interest rates in the near term.

📈 Gold prices have reached record highs recently, surging past the $5,000 per ounce mark on Monday and briefly hitting $5,500. Silver and platinum prices also saw similar rises. All have since fallen sharply after signs of political stability in the US. Here are three reasons for this record volatility.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🪖 Security forces and law enforcement agencies successfully repelled a large-scale, coordinated offensive by the Indian-backed terrorists across Balochistan on Saturday as simultaneous attacks were launched at 12 separate locations, resulting in the elimination of 145 terrorists in 40 hours. 17 law enforcement personnel and 31 civilians were martyred. Security forces also foiled an armed attack on the Frontier Corps (FC) headquarters in Quetta, killing three attackers late on Sunday night.

☮️ Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace” on Wednesday announced Pakistan and 25 other countries designated as founding members of the initiative. Trump announced the establishment of the Board on January 15 as part of his broader plan for Gaza, under which the ceasefire agreement was reached. The board was authorised by UN Security Council Resolution 2803 in November 2025.

📝 Pre­si­dent Asif Ali Zardari on Monday gave assent to the seven bills passed by parliament, including some controversial bills such as the Domestic Violence Bill, 2026, and the Human Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which were opposed by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F).

⛏️ Pakistan and China launched an e-mining platform on Wednesday to improve information sharing, project connectivity, and cooperation between Pakistani authorities and Chinese enterprises. The platform is expected to enhance transparency, efficiency, and collaboration in the mineral sector.

🏃 In a bid to avoid losing market share to Indian products in European markets following the finalisation of the EU–India trade deal, Pakistan has intensified efforts to explore new opportunities for economic engagement with the EU, while also seeking an extension of the “crucial” GSP Plus scheme. Details here.

🏦 The State Bank of Pakistan held its key policy rate unchanged ​at 10.50% on Monday, the central bank chief said, defying market expectations for further easing following a surprise reduction in December.

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Good afternoon, 

The world's elite converged on Davos this week for the World Economic Forum, and Trump announced his Board of Peace for Gaza. Plus, other top updates from around the globe. 

P.S. Our international readers have reported that links are not clickable. We are working to resolve this issue ASAP. In the meantime, please scan the qr code below and read our link-enabled newsletter on Medium. 

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🌍 What in the World

🇺🇲 A Minneapolis man was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent, marking the third shooting by federal officers in the city this month. Tensions in the area peaked as authorities used tear gas and flash bangs to disperse an angry crowd confronting agents after the shooting. Live updates here and here.

🌪️ A major winter storm is starting to spread heavy snow across a large portion of the US, impacting flights, daily lives, and emergency operations. The storm’s reach is expected to extend across hundreds of miles, bringing multiple weather hazards to different regions as it unfolds. Live updates here.

🤝 Negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, and the US concluded their two-day meeting in Abu Dhabi on Saturday without announcing any results in their efforts to end the war. Meanwhile, Russian air attacks targeted Kyiv and Kharkiv, killing at least one person and injuring dozens of others. Details here.

🇯🇵 Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has dissolved parliament in advance of a snap election scheduled for February 8.

🇺🇲 The US has officially walked away from the World Health Organization after 80 years of membership.

📈 Gold pushed past $4,900 per ounce for the first time on Thursday, powered by ‌ongoing geopolitical tensions, while spot silver ‍surged to a record high of $96.58/oz, and spot platinum rose 4.6% to a record high of $2,601.03.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🖊️ Pakistan on Wedne­sday announced its decision to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, supporting the implementation of a Gaza peace plan anchored in a United Nations Security Council resolution. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other world leaders signed the charter for the Board on Thursday after approval by the federal cabinet, amidst an outcry by the opposition in the National Assembly. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Trump's 'Board of Peace'.

🚒 The death toll of Karachi’s Gul Plaza blaze crossed 70 on Friday as rescuers found more remains from the rubble of the gutted shopping centre. The deadly inferno had erupted on the night of January 17 at the mall and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished. Meanwhile, at least three people were killed in a cylinder fire at a hotel in Lahore’s Gulberg on Saturday, according to rescue officials.

🌾 79 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Pakistani and Chinese companies were signed at the Pakistan–China Agriculture Investment Conference in Islamabad, with an estimated investment value of $4.5 billion, signaling Chinese investors' confidence in Pakistan’s agriculture and food sectors. 

🌨️ At least nine members of a family were killed in a snow avalanche in Chitral on Friday, as heavy snowfall, avalanches, and landslides brought life to a standstill across Khyber Pakhtun­khwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Kashmir.

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Good afternoon, 

Weddings, wars, and loadshedding- it’s been a very happening week. Here are the top updates to get you all caught up. Plus, our recommendations for the week.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🌍 What in the World

🇵🇸 Israeli forces continued deadly attacks across Gaza this week despite the US announcing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. The Palestinian committee tasked with overseeing the future administration of Gaza as part of a US-backed ceasefire plan also released a “mission statement”, laying out its key priorities and goals. Meanwhile, Trump announced he will chair what’s being called a “Board of Peace” to govern Gaza. He also named Tony Blair and Jared Kushner, among others, to the board.

🇬🇱 Trump said on Saturday that the US will impose a 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland starting February 1, unless a deal is reached for the purchase of Greenland. European leaders rejected Trump’s announcement, as thousands of people rallied across Denmark to reject the repeated threats to take control of Greenland. Live updates here.

🇸🇾 Syria’s military captured the strategic town of Tabqa from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during its lightning advance towards the key city of Raqqa in the north.

🇨🇳 China on Wednesday announced record export numbers and the world's largest-ever trade surplus of at $1.19tn  for 2025, a year when Trump's tariffs and trade policy caused turmoil in the global economy.

🇹🇭 At least 34 people were killed this week due to construction cranes collapsing over a highway and a train, in two separate incidents in Thailand. Construction works in both incidents are being handled by the same company, Italian-Thai Development, one of Thailand's largest builders.

🎤 After a nearly four-year musical hiatus, BTS are back. The entertainment company BigHit Music shared on social media that the band will release a new album on March 20 titled “ARIRANG.” It is their fifth album.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🚒 Firefighters are still trying to put out a massive blaze that erupted at the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi last night, with authorities confirming six deaths so far.

🪧 The National Assembly Secretariat on Friday issued a notification declaring Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed MNA Mehmood Khan Achakzai as the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly.

🌾 Pakistan’s rice exports recorded a strong rebound, with a 14% month-on-month (MoM) increase in December 2025. The impressive performance enabled Pakistan to overtake Vietnam and emerge as the world’s third-largest rice exporter, behind India and Thailand.

💡 The power distribution companies (Discos) this week started forced loadshedding across the country after the electricity shortfall surged to nearly 4,000 megawatts. The shortfall developed due to dense fog causing repeated tripping of various power plants in the southern region, while the hydel power generation remained negligible in the ongoing winter.

🤝 The Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority (PVARA) on Wednesday signed an agreement with a firm connected to World Liberty Financial, the main crypto business of US President Donald Trump’s family, to explore using World Liberty’s stablecoin for cross-border payments.

💸 The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved multiple technical supplementary grants (TSGs) exceeding Rs15 billion to support defence services, digital transformation, special education, and public service delivery initiatives.

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Good afternoon and Brrrr 🥶, 

As temperatures drop to single digits and even negatives in Pakistan, here are this week’s updates to get you fired up. Plus, our recommendations for the week.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🌍 What in the World

🇬🇱 US President Donald Trump said the US needs to "own" Greenland to prevent Russia and China from doing so. The White House recently said the administration was considering buying the semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, but it would not rule out the option of annexing it by force. Denmark and Greenland say the territory is not for sale. Denmark has also said military action would spell the end of the trans-Atlantic defence alliance.

🇮🇷 The Iranian army said it will safeguard strategic infrastructure and public property from Israel and other hostile groups as it urged Iranians to thwart the enemy’s plots, after Trump issued a new warning to Iran’s leaders over escalating anti-government protests. At least 65 people have been killed and more than 2,300 arrested during two weeks of anti-government protests. Authorities had cut internet access and telephone lines in Tehran and other cities on Thursday. Live updates here.

🇪🇺 The EU has reached a free trade agreement with South American countries, 25 years after talks began and despite opposition from farmers in several European countries. The EU lauded what will be its largest free trade accord to date, although critics have argued that cheap imports may undercut European farmers in products including beef, poultry and sugar.

🇺🇲 Tensions erupted in downtown Minneapolis overnight Friday into Saturday, as hundreds of protesters packed the streets over the killing of Renee Good, a mother of three who was fatally shot this week by an ICE agent involved with President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. More than 1,000 demonstrations against the immigration crackdown are planned across the country this weekend. Live updates here.

🚢 South Africa defended its weeklong naval drills with Russia, Iran, China and other countries as “essential”, days after the United States seized a Venezuela-linked Russian oil tanker in the North Atlantic, saying it had violated Western sanctions. Meanwhile, Trump asked for at least $100bn in oil industry spending for Venezuela, but received a lukewarm response as an Exxon executive warned the South American country was currently uninvestable.

🇨🇳 Zhipu AI debuted on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Wednesday after raising $558M, becoming the first major Chinese AI company to go public. Share prices on day one valued the company at between $6-8B, a fraction of Anthropic's recent $350B or xAI’s reported $230B valuations. MiniMax became the second ‘AI tiger’ (China-based AI startup) to IPO in Hong Kong on Friday, and saw its shares double in value on their first day as investors clamoured for a piece of a startup with popular consumer apps.

🇵🇰 Home ground

🪖 Pakistan’s military said on Tuesday that security forces killed 2,597 militants in more than 75,000 counterterrorism operations in 2025, as violence claimed the lives of 1,235 civilians and law-enforcement personnel.

💱 The Privatization Commission (PC) Board on Friday took key decisions on several high-profile transactions, suggesting termination of the sale of the House Building Finance Company Limited (HBFCL) stake, issuance of fresh expressions of interest for the Roosevelt Hotel, and inclusion of Islamabad airport in the privatization programme. The Board also approved the formation of a transaction committee for the privatization of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO).

🛫 Bangladesh and Pakistan are set to resume direct flights after more than a decade, as ties warm and regional power balances shift. Biman Bangladesh Airlines is scheduled to fly its first Dhaka-Karachi flight on January 29 and will be operated twice weekly, the first regular flights since 2012.

🔎 Amnesty International has called for an urgent review of the 27th Amendment, describing it as “a concerted and sustained attack” on the independence of the judiciary. The 27th Constitutional Amendment has been widely criticized for abolishing judicial independence through the formation of a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) and introducing changes to the military leadership structure by rewriting Article 243 of the Constitution.

✈️ Pakistan is in the final phases of striking a $1.5 billion deal to supply weapons and jets to Sudan’s army, which is battling the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The Sudanese conflict has stoked the world’s worst humanitarian crisis for more than 2-1/2 years.

🏏 The Pakistan Super League (PSL) expanded to eight teams on Thursday with the addition of Hyderabad and Sialkot as new franchises, marking the league’s second major expansion. FKS secured the Hyderabad franchise for Rs1.75 billion, while OZ Developers acquired the Sialkot team for Rs1.85 billion at a competitive auction.

This Week In History

On Jan. 5, 1896, an Austrian newspaper reported the discovery by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen of a new type of radiation that came to be called “X-rays.”

On Jan. 6, 1974, year-round daylight saving time began in the United States on a trial basis as a fuel-saving measure in response to the OPEC oil embargo.

On Jan. 7, 1610, astronomer Galileo Galilei observed four of Jupiter’s moons for the first time.

On Jan. 9, 1916, the World War I Battle of Gallipoli ended with an Ottoman Empire victory as Allied forces withdrew.

On Jan. 9, 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.

On Jan. 10, 1920, the League of Nations was established as the Treaty of Versailles went into effect.

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🤖 Dan Wang’s year in review opens with this banger: “Silicon Valley and the Communist Party resemble each other in that both are serious, self-serious, and indeed, completely humourless.” Read here.

Watching:

🔋In Fukushima’s shadow, tracking Japan’s bumpy pivot back to nuclear. Watch here.

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Good afternoon and Happy Sunday,

New year, so much news! Get the run-through of this week’s most important news from Pakistan and around the globe. Plus, our recommendations for the week.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🌍 What in the World

🇻🇪 US President Donald Trump said that Washington will run Venezuela until a political transition can take place, hours after US forces bombed the South American country. The Trump administration launched attacks on Venezuela’s capital and seized Maduro and his wife in the early hours of Saturday. Venezuela has announced a state of national emergency and denounced the military aggression. Trump also said that US oil companies would also fix Venezuela's broken infrastructure and start making money for the country. Live updates here.

🇮🇷 Protests in Iran that started in Tehran last Sunday due to the ailing economy and sharp downturn in Rial currency have spread nationwide, with running battles reported between security forces and demonstrators. At least 10 people have also been killed during the demonstrations. The US and the government, meanwhile, have been baiting each other.

🇸🇾 The UK and France jointly struck an underground facility in Syria that had likely been used by the ISIL (ISIS) to store weapons, as the group appears to be resurgent after a period of relative dormancy in the region.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry has invited Yemen's southern factions for a dialogue, after KSA and UAE faced an unprecedented confrontation last week. Both Gulf powers intervened on behalf of Yemen's government in the long-running civil war, but a fracturing of the alliance saw them backing different rival groups on the ground.

🇸🇴 Most United Nations Security Council (UNSC) members slammed Israel’s formal world-first recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland, which they say threatens to fragment Somalia and destabilise the wider Horn of Africa and the Red Sea regions. Somaliland unilaterally declared independence in 1991 as a successor to the former British protectorate, but has failed to gain international recognition.

🗽 Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the first Muslim mayor of New York City, after campaigning on addressing affordability with changes like free buses and child care.

🇧🇩 Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh's first female prime minister and an arch-rival of ousted leader Sheikh Hasina, died from a prolonged illness on Tuesday. She was 80 years old.

🇵🇰 Home ground

📉 Pakistan’s headline inflation clocked in at 5.6% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in December 2025, according to Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) data on Thursday. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s YoY trade deficit significantly increased by nearly 24% to $3.7 billion in December 2025. The trade balance, the gap between exports and imports, was recorded at a deficit of $2.99 billion in December 2024.

💰The Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) announced on Wednesday that it has acquired 100% shares of Telenor Pakistan (Private) Limited for about $400 million.

🔎Amidst rising complaints of human trafficking and corruption, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has punished 214 officials in total during the last four months of 2025. The FIA reportedly introduced a strict accountability mechanism in the aftermath of the boat incidents in Europe and Africa, in which a large number of Pakistanis lost their lives.

🧑‍⚖️ An Islamabad court on Saturday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi over his repeated absences in a case registered against him under the cybercrime law for allegedly making online remarks against state institutions.

📋 The governments of Pakistan and India on Thursday exchanged lists of their nuclear installations and prisoners in each other’s custody in line with existing bilateral treaties.

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Watching:

📱 Being offline is cool now? Watch here. 

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Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza, Lebanon, Venezuela, and Thailand. Locally, Faiz Hameed jailed, the IMF piles on new reform benchmarks, and the World Bank okays $400m for Punjab.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

Around The World

Update from the Middle East. Several houses, walls, and tents have collapsed in Gaza since Storm Byron descended, killing more than 10 people in the past 24 hours, including 3 children who died from hypothermia. Meanwhile, US President Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan is set to enter a new phase within weeks, but crucial pieces of the agreement remain undefined. With the return of all but one of the deceased hostages, and questions about whether Hamas will even be able to locate the last set of remains, the first phase of the 20-point plan is verging on completion.

Additionally, the Israeli army has announced it targeted a training compound for members of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force in southern Lebanon a short while ago. Since Israel and Lebanon agreed to a ceasefire last year, Israel has routinely broken the agreement and targeted Lebanon. According to a UN report last month, at least 127 civilians have been killed in Lebanon since the ceasefire went into effect. 

Sanc or swim. The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on Venezuela, targeting three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro’s wife as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, a day after it seized a sanctioned tanker likely carrying millions of dollars’ worth of oil off the country’s coast. Two of Maduro’s sanctioned nephews were previously convicted in the US on drug trafficking charges before being released as part of a prisoner exchange.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s National Assembly voted on Thursday to withdraw from the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Rome Statute counts among its members 125 countries, including Venezuela. As the foundational document for the ICC, the statute outlines the court’s jurisdiction. The judicial body is tasked with the prosecution and adjudication of major international crimes: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression.

But critics have long accused the ICC of lacking the teeth to enforce its mandate. Major powers, including the US, China, and Russia, are not members. Israel is also not a party to the treaty.

Day five. Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand has entered its fifth day, with Cambodia accusing the Thai military of continued shelling and Thailand’s Prime Minister confirming that he is scheduled to speak with US President Trump. Thai forces allegedly carried out new attacks in three Cambodian provinces in the early hours of Friday morning. At the same time, an estimated 600,000 people have also been displaced on both sides of the Thai-Cambodian border.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s Parliament was dissolved on Friday for new elections early next year, with PM Anutin dissolving the House of Representatives after getting the royal endorsement. The election must be held 45 to 60 days after the royal endorsement, a period during which Anutin will head a caretaker government with limited powers that cannot approve a new budget.

Pakistan

Chains of command. Former ISI chief Lt-Gen Faiz Hameed has been sentenced to 14 years’ rigorous imprisonment by a Field General Court Martial after a 15-month trial, marking an unprecedented conviction of a retired general. According to ISPR, he was found guilty of breaches of discipline, misuse of authority, political interference, and unauthorised handling of classified material under the Army Act and Official Secrets Act, with separate proceedings underway over alleged political agitation. 

The case stemmed partly from the Top City housing society complaint filed by CEO Kanwar Moeez Khan, who accused Hameed and associated officials of unlawful raids, extortion, and withholding seized valuables. Prosecutors argued his conduct violated multiple military and civil provisions, while the government said the conviction followed due process; Hameed retains the right to appeal within 40 days.

Another rodeo. The IMF’s latest review of Pakistan’s Extended Fund Facility and Resilience and Sustainability Facility outlines 11 new structural benchmarks across fiscal, governance, monetary, financial, energy, SOE, and trade policy areas, adding to previously met conditions while resetting several missed deadlines. 

Key requirements include publishing a 3–5 year tax reform strategy, enhancing FBR effectiveness, mandating public asset declarations of senior civil servants, introducing anti-corruption action plans, assessing remittance costs, developing local bond markets, enabling private-sector participation in DISCOs, signing PSO agreements with major SOEs, liberalising the sugar market, and amending laws governing companies and special economic zones.

WASHed up. The World Bank has approved $400 million for the Punjab Inclusive Cities Program, which will expand safely managed water, sanitation, hygiene, drainage, and solid waste services across 16 secondary cities, benefiting an estimated 6.5 million people. The initiative will rehabilitate urban infrastructure while strengthening local governments’ institutional and financial capacity to sustainably deliver services, boost revenues, and mobilise private capital. Designed to reduce child stunting, lower healthcare costs, and enhance climate resilience, the program integrates capacity building, gender-focused measures, and improved sanitation management as part of the second phase of the World Bank’s long-term urban WASH program in Pakistan.

What Else Is Happening?

🧑‍⚖️ Reddit has launched a challenge in Australia's highest court against the nation's landmark social media ban for children. Reddit is complying with the ban, but argues that the policy has serious implications for privacy and political rights. It is the second such legal challenge, with two Australian teens also awaiting a High Court hearing.

😷 A new national assessment finds that air pollution is cutting the average Pakistani’s life expectancy by nearly four years and up to six in cities like Lahore, with transport, industry, brick kilns, power generation, and crop burning identified as the chief PM2.5 sources for the first time. 

📈 Disney has agreed to invest $1bn in OpenAI as part of a deal that will let people use many of its iconic characters in the chatbot ChatGPT and video-generation tool Sora. It is the first major studio to license parts of its catalogue to the tech giant.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, Thailand-Cambodia border clashes and updates from Ukraine. Plus, Story of the day: the Australian social media ban. Locally, Pakistan’s population hits 257m, PTI protests doused at Adiala, and US backs $1.25bn Reko Diq financing.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

Around The World

Still fighting. Clashes between Thailand and Cambodia have continued for a third day, with cross-border shelling and air raids forcing more than half a million civilians to flee their homes and seek shelter. The death toll over three days of hostilities stands at 10 - seven from Cambodia and three from Thailand. Thai officials said they evacuated more than 400,000 people, while around 100,000 on the Cambodian side have been moved to shelters. US President Trump has also said that he would "make a phone call" to stop the fighting, which is the most serious escalation since clashes in July killed dozens of people. 

POLLuted. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is ready to hold elections in the next 60 to 90 days if its allies can guarantee security for the vote after US President Trump repeated claims Kyiv was "using war" to avoid holding them. Zelenskyy's five-year term as president was due to end in May 2024, but elections have been suspended in Ukraine since martial law was declared after Russia's invasion. Russia has consistently claimed Zelensky is an illegitimate leader and demanded new elections as a condition of a ceasefire deal.

Zelenskyy also reaffirmed his strong refusal to cede any territory, resisting US pressure for painful concessions to Russia as he moved ahead to rally more European support for his country. Following Trump’s claim that Moscow now has the “upper hand,” multiple officials reported that no new US or European assessments are suggesting there have been significant changes on the battlefield, and they don’t see any indications that Putin’s forces are likely to win the conflict quickly.

Story of the Day - Social Media Ban

What happened? Australia has banned children under 16 from social media in a world-first, as other countries consider similar age-based measures amid rising concerns over social media’s effects on children’s health and safety.

What’s the law? The ban, which came into effect at midnight local time on Wednesday (13:00 GMT on Tuesday), is aimed at protecting kids from highly addictive platforms and will affect nearly 86% of Australians between the ages of eight and 15. 

Ten of the biggest social media companies in the world—including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Kick, Twitch, and Facebook—are now required to institute age verification or face a fine of up to ~$32 million for repeated offences.

Social media platforms must now have age verification systems in place. The systems range from asking users to submit live video selfies or official documents to verifying via email.

The reactions. The law has been criticised by major technology companies and free speech campaigners, but praised by parents and child advocates. 77% of Australians support the ban, with proponents arguing it will decrease cyberbullying and help protect children’s mental health. Meanwhile, platform execs, free speech advocates, some parents, and young people claim the ban will jeopardise privacy and push kids to even more dangerous parts of the internet.

It’s spreading. Several other countries, like Norway, Denmark, Malaysia, Singapore, Greece, and Brazil, are among those who have said they're looking at Australia as a test case. The UK’s Ofcom also rolled out internet safety measures for teens online, listed here. 

The Senate of Pakistan also introduced a bill in July 2025 aimed at banning social media access for those under the age of 16. Some key concerns brought to the table included issues like cyberbullying, screentime addiction, inappropriate content, and more. However, the Senate decided to withdraw the bill after opposition from other ministries. It was dismissed as unrealistic, too strict, and nearly impossible to implement.

Pakistan

Power in numbers. Pakistan’s population has reached an estimated 257 million, placing it among the world’s most populous nations despite declining fertility and growth rates. The country faces a complex demographic transition, with a growth rate of 1.82% and a total fertility rate of 3.25, above the replacement level, ensuring continued population expansion amid low life expectancy, high child mortality, and strained public services. With a youthful population structure driving rising pressure on jobs, infrastructure, and services, experts warn that Pakistan must urgently improve health, education, and economic opportunities to avoid future instability.

Rain on my parade. Authorities used water cannons early Wednesday to disperse PTI protesters, including Imran Khan’s sisters, who were staging a sit-in outside Adiala jail after being denied a meeting with the former prime minister despite a court order permitting it. The PTI condemned the action as a human rights violation in cold weather, accusing the state of unlawfully blocking family access and keeping Imran isolated without medical visitation for 14 months. The sit-in began on Tuesday after repeated denied visits and escalating tensions between the party and authorities. 

Hopefully caving. The US Export-Import Bank has approved $1.25 billion in financing to support critical mineral mining at the Reko Diq copper-gold project in Balochistan, a joint venture between Barrick Gold and Pakistani stakeholders set to begin production in 2028. The US Embassy said the funding could enable up to $2 billion in US mining equipment and services, while generating an estimated 6,000 jobs in the US and 7,500 in Pakistan. The deal comes amid a renewed phase in US-Pakistan cooperation, following earlier agreements including a $500m MoU between US Strategic Metals and Pakistan’s FWO and the successful export of Pakistan’s first shipment of rare earth minerals to the US.

What Else Is Happening?

🗾A magnitude-7.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s northeastern coast on Monday, injuring more than two dozen people and prompting authorities to issue evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people.

💰Amazon and Microsoft have announced a combined $52.5bn investment plan for India. Amazon announced today that it plans to invest $35 billion in India by 2030 to advance AI-driven digitisation, promote export growth, and foster job creation, a day after Microsoft committed $17.5 billion to strengthen the country's AI ecosystem.

🩶The price of silver has hit a record high of $60 per ounce on the spot market ahead of an expected US Federal Reserve interest rate cut, as demand from the technology industry for the precious metal remains high.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, Thailand-Cambodia border clashes, China’s trade surplus, and Gaza ceasefire phase 2. Locally, IMF board to review funding request, PTCL clears Telenor buyout, and Sindh rally turns violent.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

Around The World

No good deal. Thailand launched airstrikes against Cambodia on Monday as a new wave of fighting erupted between the Southeast Asian neighbours, leaving a peace plan presided over by US President Trump months ago in danger of collapse. Both sides have accused each other of starting the violence, which is the most serious confrontation between the two countries since the ceasefire in July. The two nations have repeatedly fought brief border skirmishes in recent decades, with a deadly five-day conflict in July leaving dozens dead and displacing about 200,000 on both sides of the frontier.

The latest round of clashes has killed at least one Thai soldier and four Cambodian civilians, with the Thai army saying that more than 50,000 people have left areas near the border for shelters, while Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said that tens of thousands of residents had been displaced from several villages near the border.

Big bucks. China’s exports returned to growth in November following an unexpected contraction the month before, although shipments to the US dropped nearly 29% from a year earlier in an eighth straight month of double-digit declines. Overall exports from China were 5.9% higher than last year in November in dollar terms, at $330.3 billion, which was an improvement from a 1.1% contraction in October. 

Underscoring a widening gap between overall exports and imports, the customs data showed that China’s trade surplus for the first 11 months surpassed the $1 trillion mark, at nearly $1.08 trillion, a record high for any single year, and more than the $992 billion surplus in all of 2024. While exports from China to the U.S. have fallen for most of the year, shipments have surged to other destinations, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the European Union.

Phase 2. Hamas is expected to hand over the body of the last Israeli captive held in Gaza in the coming days and has commented that it would be open to discussing “freezing” its weapons to facilitate entering the second phase of the ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said on Sunday that the second phase would be challenging to achieve but that it could begin as soon as this month. 

The US-brokered ceasefire deal requires Hamas to give up its arms under the supervision of independent monitors as part of the demilitarization of Gaza. Disarmament is a key part of the second phase of the 20-point ceasefire agreement. However, Israel has been attacking Gaza throughout the first phase, killing at least 360 Palestinians, and still restricts the entry of aid, with quantities allowed in far below what was agreed.

Pakistan

Hope wired. The IMF Executive Board is scheduled to meet in Washington today to review Pakistan’s request for a $1.2 billion disbursement under its $7 billion Extended Fund Facility and $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility, following a Staff-Level Agreement reached in October following policy discussions held in Karachi, Islamabad, and Washington. The funding is seen as vital for Pakistan’s recovery from a prolonged economic crisis marked by depleted reserves, soaring inflation, and a near-default in 2023.  

However, recent improvements in the current account and inflation have brought some stability. Economists say the disbursement would strengthen Pakistan’s external position and enable further financial inflows, as the country continues to depend heavily on multilateral and bilateral support to stabilize its economy.

Smooth operator. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)  has issued a no objection certificate to PTCL for its $400 million acquisition of Telenor Pakistan, clearing the way for the merger of Ufone and Telenor to form the country’s second-largest mobile operator. The decision comes amid rising costs and regulatory challenges in the telecom sector, with the PTA saying it evaluated market competition and consumer impact before approval, and will monitor the transition to ensure service quality and compliance. PTCL expects the acquisition to boost network performance and sector efficiency, while reshaping a pressured telecom market currently split among four major operators.

For the culture. An FIR under terrorism and multiple criminal charges has been registered after a Sindh Culture Day rally in Karachi turned violent on Sunday, leading to clashes between participants and police near the FTC flyover on Shahrah-e-Faisal. Police used tear gas to stop rally-goers from entering the Red Zone under Section 144 restrictions, while a case was filed against 12 named and 300–400 unidentified individuals. According to the FIR, protesters blocked the road, pelted stones, opened fire, damaged vehicles, and chanted alleged anti-state slogans, injuring five policemen. 

What Else Is Happening?

🏎️McLaren driver Lando Norris clinched his first Formula 1 title at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Sunday, becoming the first British champion since Lewis Hamilton in 2020, and he also denied Verstappen a fifth straight title.

💦A water leak at the Egyptian department of the Louvre museum in Paris has damaged 300-400 works, mostly books, just weeks after thieves stole priceless French crown jewels from the museum in broad daylight.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Russia, India, and the US. Plus, the DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal. Locally, the government unveils the cotton revival plan, Asim Munir was appointed Pakistan’s first CDF, and PMD issues a snow forecast.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

Around The World

Paint the town red. President Putin warned again on Friday that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will seize it, rejecting any compromise over how to end the war in Ukraine. Moscow controls some 85% of Donbas, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ruling out ceding territory. Putin's comments come after Donald Trump said his negotiators discussing a US peace plan believed Russia's leader "would like to end the war" after Tuesday's talks in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Putin and Indian PM Modi have kicked off a day-long summit in the capital of India, where trade and Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine loom large. Friday’s summit is Putin’s first visit to India since 2022 and comes as India seeks a reprieve from punishing US tariffs related to its purchase of Russian oil. Russian officials have said they want to increase trade with India to $100bn by 2030, up from an already all-time high of $68bn in 2024.

Deals. The leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda signed a peace deal at a summit hosted by Trump in Washington. At the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace, Trump called the peace ceremony a "great day" for Africa and the world. Before the summit, fighting intensified in eastern DR Congo between government forces and rebels backed by Rwanda. 

The DR Congo army accused the rebels of undermining the peace process, while the M23 rebels claimed the army violated a ceasefire by launching an offensive. At the start of the year, the M23 rebel group took large areas of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in thousands of deaths and widespread displacement. 

Anti-drugs strike.  The US military struck a suspected drug boat in the Eastern Pacific on Thursday, killing four people on board, after intelligence confirmed that the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics and transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific. Thursday’s strike coincided with bipartisan criticism of the Pentagon over a September attack on an alleged drug vessel, which included follow-up strikes that killed surviving crew members. So far, at least 87 people have died in strikes on 23 suspected drug boats as part of Operation Southern Spear, aimed at curbing narcotics trafficking.

Pakistan

Soft launch. An inter-ministerial meeting led by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar approved key measures for Pakistan’s cotton revival plan, including collecting cotton cess through the FBR and enhancing its rate as per the 2011 ECC decision. With production down to 6.8 million bales (34% below target), the Cotton Commissioner presented a plan incorporating All Pakistan Textile Mills Association’s (Aptma) proposals, including greater industry representation and improved seed regulation. While Aptma suggested an independent Cotton Board, the government said restructuring of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) and the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) is underway to address industry concerns. 

All-in-one. The Ministry of Defence has officially notified Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) for a five-year term, following presidential approval under the 27th Amendment, which restructures military command by merging the COAS and CDF roles, abolishing the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and centralising tri-service authority. A separate notification extended Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar’s tenure for two more years from March 2026. 

The government amended the Pakistan Army Act to reset Munir’s tenure from the date of notification, enabling a possible extension up to 2035, sparking debate after delays in issuance led to speculation over high-level appointments. PM Shehbaz praised Munir’s “historic” elevation and military achievements, while ministers said unified command would bolster national defence. The defence ministry is finalising a new command structure outlining the authority of the CDF, service chiefs, and the strategic command.

Ice spice. The PMD has forecast light rain and snowfall in northern areas today (Dec 5) under a shallow westerly wave affecting the region, bringing mostly cloudy conditions and a chance of precipitation in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. While the rest of the country will remain cold and dry, smog and fog are expected to persist in parts of Punjab and KP, likely disrupting travel. Snowfall may cause slippery roads and closures around Babusar, and daytime temperatures in the upper regions are expected to fall by 1–3°C in the coming days.

What Else Is Happening?

👀A diamond-studded locket swallowed by a New Zealand man who tried to steal it has been "recovered" by the police. The Fabergé egg locket, valued at $19,300, was recovered in a "natural" manner, and medical intervention was not required.

🎤Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia will boycott the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, following the decision that Israel will be allowed to compete. They were among several countries that had called for Israel to be excluded over the war in Gaza and accusations of unfair voting practices.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from the US, Russia, and India. Locally, Field Marshal Asim Munir yet to be formally appointed as CDF, Parliament greenlights a minorities rights commission, and AJK rolls out health cards and student union revival plans.

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No compromise. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US negotiators appear to have failed to achieve a breakthrough on securing a Ukraine peace deal, with no compromise reached over territorial concessions for Ukraine. It comes as NATO foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the ongoing peace talks. Earlier, Putin had said Europe's peace deal demands were not acceptable, and added that "We are not going to fight with Europe, but if Europe wants to fight with us, we are ready right now."

Additionally, Putin will be in India this week for a summit aimed at deepening economic, defence, and energy ties, a visit that will also test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington. Putin and Modi review progress on bilateral ties, discuss issues of mutual interest, and sign interdepartmental and business agreements. India has continued to buy discounted Russian oil, despite warnings from the US that this is partly keeping Moscow’s revenues afloat to fund the Ukraine war. 

On the outs. The Trump administration is pausing all immigration applications, such as requests for green cards for people from 19 countries banned from travel earlier this year, as part of sweeping immigration changes in the wake of the shooting of two National Guard troops. The pause puts on hold a wide range of immigration-related decisions, including naturalizations for immigrants from those 19 countries that the Trump administration has described as high-risk. 

Meanwhile, Federal authorities are preparing a targeted immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that would primarily focus on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the US. The move comes as President Trump again on Tuesday escalated rhetoric about Minnesota’s sizable Somali community, saying he did not want immigrants from Somalia in the US because “they contribute nothing.”

Pain in the app. India’s telecom ministry has directed smartphone manufacturers to pre-install a government cybersecurity app, “Sanchar Saathi,” on all new devices within 90 days and prevent users from deleting it, raising concerns of data privacy and user consent in one of the largest handset markets in the world. 

The Ministry of Communications’ order asked smartphone makers to pre-install the government’s app on all new devices, while the order also requires manufacturers to push the app onto older models through a software update. The ministry claims the app, aimed at regulating cyber fraud, is essential for telecom security. However, privacy advocates argue that this move infringes on user privacy and consent.

Pakistan

Notification-gate. No formal notification has yet been issued appointing Field Marshal Asim Munir as Pakistan’s first Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), despite expectations that it would coincide with the abolition of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC)  post on November 27. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar has said the announcement will come soon, noting that Munir is already “holding the office in all respects”.

The CDF role, created under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, is now a constitutionally established post that places the Chief of Defence Forces — who also serves as Army Chief — as the highest military authority across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Other major steps are also pending, including appointing a four-star commander for the newly formed National Strategic Command, which will take over nuclear oversight, and amending the National Command Authority Act to align it with the reorganized defence framework.

PASSively positive. The parliament has passed a bill to form a National Commission for Minorities’ Rights, despite opposition concerns that it might affect the 1984 anti-Ahmadiyya ordinance. The bill aims to protect non-Muslim minorities such as Christians, Hindus, Parsis, and Sikhs, and was presented by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar. He clarified that the law will not impact Ahmadiyya-related provisions as “the Constitution and the state had declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, but they did not accept this and therefore did not fall within the ambit of the bill.” The commission will have 18 members from various minority groups and provinces, appointed through a parliamentary process. 

Eyes on Khan. Imran Khan’s sister Uzma Khanum met the jailed former prime minister at Adiala prison on Tuesday, saying he is in “good health,” though confined mostly to his room with limited outdoor access and no communication. The visit came after PTI protests over restricted access to Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023 on multiple charges, with the party alleging solitary confinement and rights violations, claims denied by authorities. 

Healthy priorities. The AJK cabinet has approved a universal health card scheme, restoration of student unions, and a wide-ranging reform package covering administrative, fiscal, and development measures. Key decisions include providing Rs 2.9bn equity to Bank of AJK for scheduled-bank status, establishing women police stations, fixing administrative departments at 20, introducing uniform power tariffs, waiving Rs139m in electricity dues, and creating education boards in Muzaffarabad and Rawalakot. The cabinet also approved solid waste management projects, procurement of C&W machinery, and multiple development schemes, including two 500kW hydropower projects and the Gulpur bridge in Kotli.

What Else Is Happening?

😷More than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses were recorded in six state-run hospitals in Delhi between 2022 and 2024. Delhi's average AQI has crossed the "severe" 400 mark many times over the past decade, levels that can harm even healthy people and pose serious risks to those with existing illnesses.

🇫🇮 Finland will close its embassies in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Myanmar in 2026, citing operational and strategic reasons linked to political changes and limited economic ties. The move is part of a global restructuring to prioritise key markets, with Finland shifting toward stronger commercial hubs like the US.

🛍️Prada announced on Tuesday that it has acquired Versace, bringing two major Italian luxury fashion houses under one roof. The $1.38bn deal is well below the roughly $2bn that Versace's former parent company, Capri Holdings, paid for the brand in 2018.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, flooding in Southeast Asia, Ukraine-Russia ceasefire, and updates from Israel. Locally, Inflation edges up, SKMT and Namal accounts unfrozen, and petrol and diesel prices drop nationwide.

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Flooding batters Southeast Asia. Heavy rainfall has unleashed further widespread flooding and landslides across Asia, killing more than 1,000 people and creating search and rescue operations for hundreds still missing. At least 502 people have been reported killed in Indonesia, 335 in Sri Lanka, 176 in Thailand, and three in Malaysia. At the same time, Sri Lanka and Indonesia deployed military personnel to help victims of the devastating flooding. 

One step forward. A Russian attack on Ukraine has killed six people and wounded dozens of others, while emergency crews restored power to more than 400,000 households in Kyiv after strikes on the grid. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia had launched about 36 missiles and nearly 600 drones in the attack.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials met in the US over the weekend, and Washington officials are expected in Moscow early this week as a renewed US-led effort to end the war gains traction. US President Trump’s peace plan became public last month, sparking alarm that it was too favourable to Moscow. It was revised following talks in Geneva between the US and Ukraine a week ago. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the revised plan could be “workable.” Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a possible “basis” for a future peace agreement. 

Beg pardon. Angry crowds of Israelis rallied outside President Isaac Herzog’s home in Tel Aviv after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally requested a pardon in his long-running corruption trial, arguing it was in the public interest. Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has been on trial for five years on three separate cases of corruption, including charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.

In a letter addressed to President Isaac Herzog, Netanyahu wrote that his trial has become “a focal point of fierce controversy”, but did not include an admission of guilt or make any commitments about his political future. He has repeatedly proclaimed his innocence on all charges.

Pakistan

Inflated. Pakistan’s inflation rose to 6.1% YoY in November 2025, slightly above the Finance Ministry’s 5–6% projection, compared to 6.2% in October and 4.9% a year earlier, with month-on-month CPI up 0.4%. Urban inflation hit 6.1% and rural 6.3%, while average inflation for 5MFY26 eased to 5.01% from 7.88% last year. The Finance Ministry had warned of renewed price pressures from food and agriculture, and brokerage houses projected even higher readings, citing flood impacts, Afghan border closures, and energy adjustments. Meanwhile, SBP Governor Jameel Ahmad said overall inflation trends remain aligned with forecasts and should stay within the central bank’s 5–7% medium-term target band.

Flagged down. A Rawalpindi anti-terrorism court on Monday ordered the unfreezing of bank accounts belonging to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Trust (SKMT) and Namal University, which had been mistakenly frozen in connection with a case against Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, stemming from the November 26 protest. Prosecutor Zaheer Shah clarified that neither the prosecution nor the court had ever directed the freezing of these institutions’ accounts; the confusion arose when the State Bank flagged them during a search based on Aleema’s CNIC. 

While the court restored the accounts of SKMT and Namal University, both founded by Imran, it upheld the freeze on Aleema’s personal and business accounts. The closure of SKMT’s accounts had sparked public criticism due to fears over disruptions to cancer treatment services, though the hospital assured that patient care would remain unaffected. 

Fully fueled. Pakistan has lowered petroleum prices for the next two weeks, cutting petrol by Rs2 to Rs263 per litre and high-speed diesel by Rs4 to Rs279, the Petroleum Division announced on Sunday. The government adjusts fuel prices fortnightly based on global market trends, currency movements and OGRA recommendations to reflect import cost changes.

What Else Is Happening?

🛒US shoppers spent a record $11.8 billion online, up 9.1% from 2024 on the year's biggest shopping day, according to Adobe Analytics, as shoppers bypassed crowded stores and turned to chatbots to compare prices and secure discounts amid concerns about tariff-driven price hikes.

💍Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese married his partner Jodie Haydon in a secretive and intimate ceremony in Canberra, becoming the first prime minister to marry while in office in the 124-year history of the Australian federal government.

🖼️A long-lost painting by Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens, sold at 2.3 million euros ($2.7 million) at an auction in Versailles. The painting was recently found in a private townhouse in Paris. It depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from the US, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Russia. Locally, Imran’s jail access fight escalates, the NA passes an anti-domestic violence bill, and a UNDP review warns the gold sector is too informal.

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Strike three. US President Trump vowed on Thanksgiving to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations in a blistering late-night, anti-immigrant social media post. He also stated that he will end all federal benefits and subsidies to noncitizens, adding that he plans to denaturalise migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any foreign national who is a public charge, security risk, or incompatible with Western civilisation.

Trump's comments come a day after one US National Guard member died, and another remains in a critical condition after a shooting in Washington on Wednesday, which triggered a large-scale federal investigation, with authorities identifying and arresting one suspect, named as Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal. He was arrested after the attack and was said to be not cooperating with authorities.

Fire in Hong Kong. Hong Kong firefighters found dozens more bodies Friday during an intensive apartment-by-apartment search of a high-rise tower complex, after a massive fire engulfed seven of its eight buildings. The death toll in one of the city’s deadliest blazes is now at least 128, with as many as 200 missing, as firefighters finally brought the blaze under control 42 hours after it ignited. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and a police investigation is underway.

Flood in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka closed offices and schools on Friday as the death toll from floods and landslides across the country rose to 56, while more than 600 houses were damaged. Sri Lanka began grappling with severe weather last week, and the conditions worsened on Thursday with heavy downpours that flooded homes, fields, and roads, and triggered landslides across the country.

Ace in the hole. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that a US plan to end the war in Ukraine could “form the basis for future agreements”, but renewed threats to seize more territory by force unless Kyiv withdraws. Kremlin is expecting a US delegation to visit Moscow early next week. Ukraine has said that such a withdrawal would leave the way open for a Russian assault on its capital, Kyiv, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his delegation will also meet with US officials by the end of this week to discuss points set out in Geneva. 

Pakistan

Ping-pong. Aleema Khan, sister of Imran Khan, has filed a contempt petition against the Adiala jail superintendent and other officials for repeatedly violating an Islamabad High Court (IHC) order allowing twice-weekly meetings with the incarcerated former prime minister. The move followed an overnight sit-in by KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and PTI members, who say they have been denied access to Imran for weeks despite court directives and agreed SOPs. 

The petition accuses authorities of “wilful non-implementation” of court orders, political victimisation, and even detaining PTI leaders who attempted visits. Meanwhile, the government rejected PTI’s accusations, calling the demand for political guidance from a jailed leader “illegal” and urging the party to prioritise governance. Concerns over Imran’s health grew as his family and lawyers have not seen him since early November, though jail officials insist he is fine. 

Big bills. The Senate on Thursday passed the Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill 2025, which has already been cleared by the National Assembly, introduces up to three years’ imprisonment for threatening divorce or contracting another marriage on baseless accusations, and broadens the definition of domestic violence to include physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, and economic abuse against anyone in a domestic relationship. 

Passed urgently without committee review and amid protests from PTI and JUI-F senators who objected to terminology and called the bill “un-Islamic”, the legislation ensures survivors’ right to reside in shared households. It prescribes six months to one year in jail plus fines for acts not covered under the Penal Code, with compensation paid directly to victims. 

Unrefined. A new UNDP-supported competition assessment warns that Pakistan’s gold sector, where roughly 90% of trade occurs informally, is unprepared to absorb the massive supply expected from the Reko Diq project, which is projected to yield 17.9 million ounces of gold worth $54 billion. The report highlights severe structural weaknesses: no centralized regulator, no mandatory hallmarking, minimal refining capacity, undocumented transactions, price manipulation, and reliance on informal sarafa markets for pricing. 

Pakistan consumes 60–90 tons of gold annually, mostly imported, yet weak oversight leaves the market opaque and prone to smuggling and distortions. Without urgent reforms, the study cautions, Reko Diq’s output risks being swallowed by the same informal ecosystem, squandering export and revenue potential. 

What Else Is Happening?

🧬 Harvard Medical School introduced popEVE, a new AI genetic analysis tool that can rank harmful DNA variants across a patient’s entire genome — outperforming DeepMind’s AlphaMissense and significantly cutting false positives.

💼 HP announced that the company is restructuring and cutting 4,000-6,000 jobs due to the industry-wide AI shift, expecting to generate $1B in savings by 2028.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Bangladesh, Lebanon, and Ukraine. Locally, FCC stalls challenges, PML-N sweeps by-polls, and solar surge flips Pakistan’s grid.

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Let her go. Bangladesh has again asked India to extradite former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was sentenced to death last week in absentia over last year’s deadly crackdown against a Gen Z-led uprising. Touhid Hossain, who holds the foreign affairs portfolio in Bangladesh’s interim administration, on Sunday said Dhaka had sent a letter two days ago, urging New Delhi to hand over the fugitive ex-leader. 

Hasina has been in hiding in India, her close ally when she was the prime minister of Bangladesh for 15 years,  until her autocratic rule was overthrown in a mass uprising in August 2024, in which more than 1,400 people were killed. Following the court ruling, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said that India had an “obligatory responsibility” under a bilateral extradition treaty signed in 2013 to expedite Hasina’s return.

Updates from Lebanon. The Israeli military has killed Hezbollah’s second most senior figure, along with 5 people, and 28 injured in the attack in the first air strikes in months on southern Beirut. The Israeli military said it “eliminated” Tabatabai in the strike, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office earlier said he was the target of the attack. Israeli media said it was the military’s third attempt to kill him since last year’s war. Hezbollah said the killing of Tabatabai was “a treacherous Israeli attack” on the Haret Hreik neighbourhood in Beirut’s southern suburbs. 

Meanwhile, 4 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza this morning, as more than 44,000 Palestinian children are being taught in temporary learning spaces in shelters across Gaza, the UNRWA says. The agency says it is running 330 such spaces across 59 shelters in Gaza, where many children learn without basics like desks or chairs, sitting on the cold floor during their lessons.

Frame this. The US and Ukraine have announced a revised framework for ending the Russia-Ukraine war after an earlier proposal by Washington drew criticism for being too favourable to Moscow. Delegations from both sides met in Switzerland to discuss a 28-point peace plan. The joint statement says there was "meaningful” progress toward aligning positions and identifying clear next steps. Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukraine continue, with at least four people killed by a drone attack on Kharkiv on Sunday. Read more on what’s included in the proposal here.

Pakistan

Rising & resisting. The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) on Monday dismissed an intra-court appeal filed by five Islamabad High Court judges challenging the transfer of three judges to the IHC, after their counsel failed to appear, marking another setback following the Supreme Court’s earlier ruling that the transfers were constitutional. The FCC, created under the 27th Amendment, also adjourned hearings on three of nine related petitions indefinitely, while separately rejecting a request from PTI founder Imran Khan’s counsel for permission to meet the incarcerated leader, advising him to approach the sentencing forum instead. 

Additionally, the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) announced a three-day public mobilisation campaign in early December to intensify its countrywide protest against the 27th Constitutional Amendment. In a meeting chaired by TTAP Sindh vice chairman Syed Zain Shah and attended by leaders from PTI, MWM, SUP, PkMAP, and others, the alliance vowed large public gatherings across cities and declared the movement had entered a decisive phase against what they call a fabricated mandate, while criticising the PPP for imposing Section 144 to stifle public dissent.

Out of your league. The PML-N won 12 of the 13 national and provincial seats contested in Sunday’s by-elections across Punjab and KP, according to unofficial ECP results, with the lone exception being Muzaffargarh’s PP-269 seat, which went to the PPP. Most constituencies were vacated after PTI lawmakers were disqualified following convictions linked to the May 9 protests. PML-N candidates secured decisive victories in key National Assembly seats, including NA-18 Haripur, NA-96 Faisalabad, NA-129 Lahore, and NA-143 Sahiwal. PTI alleged widespread rigging, with Omar Ayub claiming the NA-18 vote was being manipulated through “fabricated” Form 45s, an accusation authorities and the ECP have consistently denied.

Meter’s high. Pakistan’s rooftop solar boom is set to push daytime electricity demand on the national grid into negative territory next year in major industrial hubs like Lahore, Faisalabad, and Sialkot, as behind-the-meter solar increasingly replaces grid power. The surge, driven by high tariffs, power cuts, and record solar imports, has cut emissions and costs for consumers but strained already indebted utilities by eroding demand. 

Climate ministry official Aisha Moriani reported at COP30 that Pakistan will face more frequent negative-demand events during sunny afternoons and industrial holidays, making grid, regulatory, and market redesign urgent. The government now plans new tariffs for large solar users to share grid upkeep costs, while the solar shift is also prompting Pakistan to renegotiate LNG deals and reduce cargoes from Eni to better match demand, fiscal constraints, and seasonal needs.

What Else Is Happening?

🇧🇩 Indian women cricketers won the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup for the blind, defeating Nepal by seven wickets in the final played in Colombo on Sunday.

🏏Pakistan Shaheens won the Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 after a dramatic Super Over against Bangladesh, securing their third title with standout performances from Ahmed Daniyal and Maaz Sadaqat. 

🖼️Malaysia plans to ban social media for users under the age of 16 starting from next year, joining a growing list of countries, including Australia, which are choosing to limit access to digital platforms due to concerns about child safety.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, a new Russia-Ukraine peace plan. Plus, updates from Palestine and India. Locally, IMF report flags systemic corruption in Pakistan, a 28th amendment, and PM reviews PIA privatisation plan.

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Peace in our time. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he’s ready to work with Washington on its proposed path to ending the Russia-Ukraine war, pushing back on suggestions that Kyiv was sidelined in a draft peace plan floated after US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The draft Witkoff-Dmitriev plan emerged as Russia claimed small territorial gains in eastern Ukraine, and Zelensky faced a domestic crisis implicating top officials in a $100 million corruption scandal.

Under the plan, which covers 28 points, Kyiv would be required to concede weapons and territory. Overall, it would give Russia full control over both Crimea in the south, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 but which remains in dispute, and the Donbas region, which is made up of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Here are the detailed points of the plan.

Updates from Palestine. Israel plans to seize parts of a major West Bank historic site, and settlers put up a new outpost overnight, as the country faces pressure to crack down on settler violence in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Civil Administration announced its intention to expropriate large swaths of Sebastia, a major archaeological site in the West Bank. Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog group, said the site is around 1,800 dunams (450 acres), Israel’s largest seizure of archaeologically important land.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity by forcibly removing tens of thousands of Palestinians from refugee camps in the occupied West Bank earlier this year. A report indicates that Israeli forces expelled 32,000 Palestinians in January and February, and they have not been allowed to return. Additionally, A day earlier, Gaza’s Government Media Office said that Israeli forces and tanks had advanced about 300 metres (984 feet) beyond the so-called “yellow line” in eastern Gaza City.

Oil-free. Reliance Industries, India’s largest importer of Russian crude, has halted Russian oil purchases to comply with upcoming EU restrictions on fuels refined from Russian crude and new US sanctions. The White House welcomed the move, which comes after Washington imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods, partly over Delhi’s reliance on Russian oil, which had surged to nearly 36% of India’s imports since 2022. Mounting global pressure has pushed Indian refiners, including state-run companies, to sharply scale back Russian purchases, with Reliance increasing imports from Saudi Arabia and Iraq instead. 

Pakistan

System error. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released a damning report highlighting systemic corruption and elite capture as major obstacles to Pakistan's economic growth. While Rs. 5.31 trillion was recovered from corruption between January 2023 and December 2024, this represents only a fraction of the economic cost. The report identifies entrenched interests in sectors such as sugar, real estate, agriculture, and energy, which benefit from favourable policies, subsidies, and tax exemptions, undermining revenues, widening inequality, and limiting growth.  

The IMF warns that weak governance in budgeting, procurement, and state-owned enterprises is eroding public trust and hurting economic performance. It calls for structural reforms, including fiscal tightening, simpler taxes, transparent procurement, stronger judicial accountability, and better SOE management. The Fund estimates that successful reforms could raise Pakistan’s GDP by 5–6.5% over five years. But without decisive action, entrenched vested interests will keep blocking stabilisation and fair growth.

Stable-ish. The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) has urged Parliament to embed core economic reforms into the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment, arguing that chronic policy instability, high taxes, and currency volatility cannot be resolved without constitutional guarantees that restore investor confidence. As debate intensifies over potential changes to Article 160 (3A), which protects provincial shares in the NFC Award, the PBF proposed anchoring reforms such as stabilising the currency, rationalising taxes, and ensuring predictable, business-friendly policies.

Walk the runway. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was briefed on the fast-approaching privatisation of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), with 75% of the airline’s shares set to be sold to private buyers as the process enters its decisive bidding phase, involving four pre-qualified parties. Officials assured that PIA’s name and branding will remain unchanged and presented a business plan to expand the fleet from 18 to 38 aircraft and increase the route network from 30 to over 40 cities by 2029.

What Else Is Happening?

🇧🇩A powerful earthquake has struck Bangladesh outside the capital, Dhaka, killing at least three people. The magnitude 5.5 quake struck at 04:38 GMT near the city of Narsingdi, about 33km from Dhaka.

🖼️A self-portrait by Mexican artist Frida Kahlo has become the most valuable work by a female artist sold at auction after selling for $54.7 million. The work, titled El sueño (la cama), which translates to "The Dream (The Bed)," depicts Kahlo asleep in a canopy bed beneath a skeleton entwined with dynamite.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Lebanon, Gaza, and Russia. Plus, MBS in the White House. Locally, Punjab forms 12 JITs to probe TLP, PTI alleges police brutality, and the LHC takes up petitions challenging the 27th Amendment.

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Updates from the Middle East. One person has been killed and many wounded in an Israeli attack targeting a vehicle in southern Lebanon, while another Israeli air attack yesterday on a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon killed 13 people. The IDF said the strike targeted a Hamas training compound. Meanwhile, Israel’s military has continuously carried out several air strikes in parts of Gaza’s Rafah and Khan Younis, as Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza rejected a UN Security Council resolution that establishes a governing board and an international stabilisation force to take over the Israeli-besieged enclave.

Updates from Russia. At least nine people have been killed and dozens wounded in Russian drone and missile attacks across Ukraine, with President Zelenskyy alleging that Russia used more than 470 drones and 48 missiles in the attack on Ukraine. NATO scrambled fighter jets in Polish and Romanian airspace as Russia carried out the deadly attack, with Romania's defense ministry claiming a Russian drone entered its airspace during the ambush.

It comes as Russia said it shot down four US-made long-range missiles “deep within” its territory yesterday, which Ukraine claimed it fired. The use of the missiles, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers, was first approved under the Biden Presidency, and their use has previously been seen by Russia as a major escalation.

Be our guest. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) received a warm welcome to the White House from US President Trump in a visit that has emphasised the deepening ties between Riyadh and Washington. The two leaders addressed Trump’s recent comments about Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords, which established formal relations between Israel and several Arab countries. MBS and Trump signalled possible progress on the issue without providing details or a timeline for a potential deal. The Prince, however, did reiterate that Riyadh wants to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a potential agreement.

Go fish. China has warned of an incoming ban on Japanese seafood exports, the latest threat from Beijing as its diplomatic spat with Tokyo escalates over recent comments by Japan’s Prime Minister. The two neighbors have been engaged in a rapidly spiraling dispute after Japanese leader Sanae Takaichi said that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would count as “a situation threatening Japan’s survival,” and thus could trigger a military response from Tokyo.

Pakistan

JITtering. The Punjab government has constituted 12 joint investigation teams (JITs) to probe multiple cases registered against the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) in Lahore and Sheikhupura, following violent clashes during the group’s attempted march toward Islamabad. 5 JITs were formed for Sheikhupura and 7 for Lahore, each comprising police officials and representatives from the Counter-Terrorism Department, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The crackdown on TLP has intensified since the federal ban, with authorities searching for missing TLP chief Saad Rizvi and his brother, both wanted in over 100 cases, and arresting around 1,250 key members and financiers. 

All in all. PTI has accused Rawalpindi police of manhandling and violently detaining Imran Khan’s sisters, Aleema Khan, Noreen Niazi, and Dr Uzma Khan, after they were denied a court-mandated weekly meeting with the former prime minister and staged a sit-in outside Adiala jail. The party alleged that women were dragged, the area was deliberately flooded and darkened, and several leaders and workers were assaulted and picked up, calling it state-backed oppression. 

Police, however, claimed they only removed protesters from the road. The incident drew strong condemnation from PTI leaders, KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi, former president Arif Alvi, and others, who said the episode reflected growing authoritarianism, humiliation of dissenters, and abuse of state power, damaging Pakistan’s global image and violating basic human dignity.

27 reasons why. Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum has formed a three-member bench, headed by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan, with Justices Jawad Hassan and Sultan Tanvir Ahmad, to hear petitions challenging the 27th Amendment. The petitions argue that the amendment undermines the 1973 Constitution’s basic structure, weakens the Supreme Court, compromises judicial independence, distorts decades of judicial tradition, and introduces a federal constitutional court not envisaged in the original constitutional framework. They further contend that the current National Assembly lacks the authority to enact such sweeping constitutional changes, which allegedly violate Islamic provisions, fundamental rights, and the preamble of the Constitution.

What Else Is Happening?

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💊The UK will use AI to tackle the rising number of infections that have become resistant to treatment. The project aims to speed up the discovery of fresh antibiotics and deliver new ways of killing other threats, including deadly fungal infections.

Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, Sheikh Hasina sentenced to death over the 2024 violent crackdown. Plus, updates from Gaza, and Japan-China tensions. Locally, AJK braces for a vote likely to oust PM Haq, the FCC expands amid controversy, and October sees a $112M current account deficit.

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Around The World

Updates from Gaza. Israel reportedly engaged in a last-minute diplomatic push to change the wording of a United Nations Security Council resolution on the next phase of Trump’s Gaza peace plan, one day before the UNSC votes on the resolution. The resolution would mandate a transitional administration and an international stabilisation force in Gaza, and includes defined language about Palestinian self-determination under pressure from Arab and Muslim countries expected to contribute troops to the ISF.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military has killed at least three Palestinians in Gaza, as the enclave reeled from heavy rains, flooding, and makeshift tents housing thousands who have been denied sufficient shelter due to Israel’s continued restraint of aid supplies.

Girl fight. Japanese stocks related to tourism and retail fell on Monday after China warned its citizens not to travel to Japan amid a row between Tokyo and Beijing over Taiwan. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stirred tensions with China last week by suggesting a Chinese move against Taiwan could prompt a Japanese military response. China has consistently ranked among the top sources of tourists visiting Japan. Chinese and Japanese officials are expected to hold talks on Tuesday.

Story of the Day - Sheikh Hasina Sentenced to Death

What happened? Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death by a special tribunal in Dhaka for her violent crackdown on student-led protests last year. Bangladesh’s special tribunal also sentenced former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death for crimes against humanity.

The counts. She’s being sentenced to death on three counts: ordering the deployment of drones, helicopters, and lethal weapons against protesters, and “by virtue of her order,” the killings of protesters in Chankarpul of Dhaka and the killings in Ashulia of Savar. The 2024 uprising ended Hasina’s 15-year authoritarian rule, marked by allegations of suppression of dissent, and extrajudicial detentions and killings.

The trial. The 78-year-old was on trial in absentia for being the “mastermind and principal architect” behind the suppression of mass demonstrations prompted by a controversial quota system in government jobs, in which some 1,400 people were killed. 

The tribunal. She was sentenced by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which was established in 2010 by Hasina’s Awami League government to prosecute people for atrocities committed during Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971. The tribunal soon became one of the country’s most politically divisive institutions, and remained one of Hasina’s most powerful judicial instruments – a court she created, expanded, and heavily defended.

What’s next? Hasina has been in exile in India since losing power. The verdict will put India under pressure to extradite Hasina, but experts believe it is unlikely to do so.

Situation in Bangladesh. Paramilitary border guards and police have been deployed in Dhaka and many other parts of the country as Hasina’s Awami League party called for a nationwide shutdown Monday to protest against the verdict, calling the tribunal a “kangaroo court.” The verdict comes as local media reported new explosions of at least 30 crude bombs in Dhaka, including one in front of the house of an adviser, equivalent to a Cabinet minister, on Sunday. 

Pakistan

Switching seats. The AJK Legislative Assembly convened to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, with the PPP positioned to install its regional secretary general, Raja Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, as his successor. The PPP’s majority strengthened after two more PTI forward-bloc ministers joined the party on Sunday, raising its support to 29 in the 52-member house, where 27 votes constitute a simple majority. 

Under AJK’s Constitution, a successful no-confidence vote automatically elects the proposed replacement, making Rathore likely to become the region’s fourth prime minister since 2021. The rapid turnover began with PTI’s Abdul Qayyum Niazi in 2021, followed by his replacement, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who was later disqualified in 2023, leading to Haq’s elevation and now potential removal.

Tribulations. Two more judges, Rozi Khan Barrech and Arshad Hussain Shah, were sworn in to Pakistan’s newly created Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), joining Chief Justice Aminuddin Khan and four other judges already appointed under the 27th Constitutional Amendment. The FCC has begun operating in temporary facilities but faces significant controversy, as senior judges of the Islamabad High Court boycotted the oath-taking ceremony, and critics argue that the appointments have disregarded established seniority principles. 

Meanwhile, a petition filed in the Sindh High Court challenges the FCC’s formation, alleging the amendment undermines judicial independence, violates constitutional separation of powers, and attempts to create a “tailor-made court.” The petitioner seeks to strike down the amendment in its entirety, to invalidate all related appointments, and to have the case heard by an SHC bench unconnected to the new framework.

Slipping through my fingers. Pakistan’s current account slipped into a $112 million deficit in October 2025 after posting a surplus in September, driven by a surge in imports and a decline in exports. Exports fell 4% year-on-year to $3.57 billion, while imports rose over 13% to $6.32 billion, widening the trade gap despite a strong 12% increase in remittances, which reached $3.42 billion. 

Analysts noted that remittances remain crucial in offsetting external pressures as domestic demand pushes imports higher. Over the first four months of FY26, the current account deficit widened sharply to $733 million, up 256% from the previous year, though Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves improved to $14.5 billion, a 29% year-on-year rise that offers some buffer against mounting external challenges.

What Else Is Happening?

🪝Anthropic, the makers of AI chatbot Claude, claim to have caught hackers sponsored by the Chinese government using the tool to perform automated cyber attacks against around 30 global organisations. This is believed to be the first AI-driven cyber espionage campaign, with the model executing 80-90% of the attack autonomously.

🏏Pakistan completed a 3-0 series sweep of Sri Lanka with a clinical six-wicket victory in their third and final ODI on Sunday, with 32 balls remaining.