Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza and Sudan and Xi in South East Asia. Locally, BHC rejects petition for Dr. Mahrang Baloch's release, tensions rise between Punjab and Sindh over Indus River canals, and fast food outlets vandalized across Pakistan.

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Around The World

Updates from Gaza. Negotiations for a renewed ceasefire and an end to the war in Gaza are at an impasse after Israel issued new demands for Hamas to disarm in its latest proposal that offers only a temporary halt to attacks on the Palestinian territory, where the death toll is quickly approaching at least 51,000. Hamas responded that it will not accept any ceasefire proposal that would require the Palestinian group to disarm.

Egypt and Qatar have expressed “grave concern” over the escalation of violence and announced an international conference in Egypt to coordinate humanitarian and development efforts to ensure improved living conditions for the Palestinian people in the Strip.

Xi’s trump card. China’s Xi is making the case for free trade as he tours Southeast Asia this week, presenting China as a source of stability and certainty. He urged Vietnam to resist “unilateral bullying” and uphold free and open trade as he arrived in Hanoi on Monday and is set to visit Malaysia and Cambodia from Tuesday to Friday. In Malaysia, Xi is expected to discuss a free trade agreement between China and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as Malaysia is the chair of the association this year.

Updates from Sudan. The United Nations and rights groups are calling for an end to the violence in Sudan on the second anniversary of its civil war. More than 400 people have been killed in recent attacks, as the RSF launched an intense ground and aerial assault on refugee camps surrounding the city of el-Fasher in an attempt to seize the last state capital in Darfur held by the Sudanese army.

AI, AI, Mr President. Nvidia, Apple, and other tech giants are scrambling to appease the US president. Today, Nvidia has committed to investing up to $500 billion in US AI infrastructure, including two new factories to build supercomputers. This follows Apple's announcement two months ago that it would invest $500 billion in the U.S. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has taken its next steps toward imposing more tariffs on key imports, launching investigations into imports of computer chips, chip-making equipment, and pharmaceuticals.

Pakistan

Update from Balochistan. The Balochistan High Court (BHC) dismissed a petition seeking the release of Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) leader Dr Mahrang Baloch, directing her sister to approach the provincial home department instead. The court reframed the plea as a representation, avoiding a ruling on the MPO’s legality.

Separately, 3 Balochistan Constabulary personnel were martyred and at least 16 others injured when a vehicle was targeted by a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) on Dasht Road in Mastung. The officers were returning from deployment at a sit-in organized by the Balochistan National Party–Mengal (BNP-M), which has been protesting the arrests of Baloch activists for 19 days. No group has claimed responsibility so far, but this is the second security incident in two days, and just a day earlier, a Frontier Corps soldier was martyred in a separate attack in Noshki.

Rocking the boat. Tensions between Punjab and Sindh are rising over the proposed new canals on the Indus River, with both sides trading accusations and the PPP threatening to quit the federal coalition if the issue remains unresolved. Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah said the province’s opposition to the Cholistan and Greater Thal Phase-II canals is backed by strong legal and technical grounds and rooted in the 1991 Water Accord. 

Meanwhile, Punjab's irrigation department accused Sindh of underreporting discharge data at its barrages and drawing more than its share of water, putting pressure on the Tarbela and Mangla dams. In a letter to IRSA, Punjab claimed that even closed canals were still flowing at high volumes - evidence, it says, of inaccurate reporting that undermines fair distribution.

Spinning out. A case has been registered against 12 individuals for vandalizing a fast-food outlet in Saddar, Rawalpindi, on Sunday night. The suspects, armed with baseball bats and batons, threatened the staff and customers. This attack is part of a broader series of mob attacks on fast food chains across Pakistan, with the attackers believed to be motivated by anti-Israel sentiment in solidarity with Palestinians.

What Else Is Happening?

👮Albert Saniger, founder of the fintech app Nate, has been charged with fraud for claiming the app used AI to automate online purchases when it relied on a team of call center workers in the Philippines to manually complete transactions.

⚖️Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg will take the witness stand today in a landmark antitrust trial to defend his company against allegations that his company operates a social media monopoly through its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.