Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, Arab leaders approve their Gaza-rehabilitation plan, Trump addresses both houses, and China eyes a 5% growth. Locally, a terrorist attack on Bannu Cantt.

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Around The World

Concepts of a plan. Arab leaders have unanimously agreed on a five-year $53bn plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing Palestinians, to counter US President Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the territory. The plan aims to reconstruct Gaza, maintain peace and security, and reassert the governance of the Palestinian Authority in the territory. Here are the details of the plan.

Hamas appreciated the Egypt-led proposal and welcomed calls to hold legislative and presidential elections. Israel, which is maintaining a blockade on all food, medicine and aid into Gaza, slammed the idea. The White House also rejected the proposal, saying that Trump stands by his vision for Gaza.

Lines in sand. In a lengthy speech before both houses of the United States Congress, President Donald Trump vowed to keep up his campaign of “swift and unrelenting action” in reorienting the nation’s economy, immigration and foreign policy. Trump also said that Ukraine's Zelenskyy was now ready to work under his "strong leadership" to end the war and finalize a minerals deal with the US. Here are the key takeaways from the speech.

Meanwhile, EU leaders will meet in Brussels tomorrow to discuss further support for Ukraine and European security. It follows last week's talks in London, after which the UK PM Starmer announced a four-point plan to work with Ukraine to end the war.

Looking up. China has set an ambitious target of 5% growth for 2025, in a defiant show of confidence as it braces for the fallout from escalating American tariffs on its export-driven economy. Beijing also implemented retaliatory measures by imposing up to 15% tariffs on selected American imports, including key agricultural products, expanding export controls to a dozen US firms, and filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization.

Story Of The Day- The Bannu Attack

What happened? At least five soldiers and 13 civilians were killed, with 32 others injured, after a bombing targeted a security installation in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Two explosive-laden vehicles rammed into the compound’s wall before attackers stormed the site. Security forces repelled the assault, eliminating all 16 assailants, including four suicide bombers, as reported by ISPR. The blasts caused significant destruction, leaving nearby houses damaged. 

Who orchestrated the attack? According to Al Jazeera, Jaish al-Fursan, a group affiliated with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility while ISPR stated that intelligence reports confirmed the involvement of Afghan nationals in planning and executing the attack. Evidence suggests that the assault was orchestrated by terrorist ring leaders operating from Afghan territory. 

What’s the context? This attack is part of a sharp rise in militant violence in the country, with over 1,600 fatalities last year — the highest in a decade. The government has repeatedly urged the Taliban-led government in Kabul to prevent the use of Afghan soil for launching attacks against Pakistan though Kabul denies these claims. In its statement, the military warned that Pakistan reserves the right to take necessary action to counter threats emanating from across the border. Read more, here.

Pakistan

Good boy. US President Donald Trump announced the arrest of Sharifullah, the militant responsible for the 2021 Abbey Gate bombing that killed 13 US service members. Trump acknowledged Pakistan's role in the capture, which took place near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, through close cooperation between the CIA and the ISI. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the terrorist's identity and “thanked” Trump for recognizing Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts.

Alarming. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised concerns over rising mob-led attacks on religious minorities, especially Ahmadis, with increased violence at their homes, worship places, and graves. The report links this to growing disinformation on social media and the misuse of blasphemy laws, often manipulated by extremist groups like TLP. It highlights state complicity, with law enforcement involved in many attacks. HRCP also called for constitutional amendments to ensure political rights for minorities and reforms to discriminatory laws. 

What else is happening?

🎓The University of Oxford has announced a new five-year partnership with OpenAI, with students and staff gaining access to funding and "cutting-edge" AI tools to enhance teaching, learning and research.

⬛American asset management giant BlackRock has agreed to buy two ports at either end of the Panama Canal from a Hong Kong-based firm. The ownership had angered President Donald Trump, who said that China is running the canal.