Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza, Syria, Myanmar, and Russia. Locally, the Court issues an arrest warrant for Aleema Khan, a deadly Orakzai clash kills 30, World Bank cuts growth forecast to 2.6%.

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Around The World

Updates on Gaza. Hamas officials sought guarantees that Israel would end the war in Gaza and withdraw from the enclave as part of Trump’s 20-point plan, on the second day of indirect negotiations in Egypt on Tuesday, which ended without tangible results. US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will join the talks negotiators in Egypt today. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not comment on the status of the talks, but told Israelis they were in "fateful days of decision.”

Bombing in Myanmar. At least 24 people were killed and 47 were wounded while protesting against Myanmar's military government after an army motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on the crowd. The military attacked on Monday evening as around 100 people gathered in central Myanmar for a national holiday. 

Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since 2021, when the army seized power, triggering a civil war with armed resistance groups and ethnic militias. After losing control of more than half the country, the army is making significant gains again, through an especially bloody campaign of airstrikes and heavy bombardment.

Updates from Syria. Syria’s government has declared a ceasefire between its security forces and Kurdish fighters in the northern city of Aleppo, after at least one person was killed and four people were injured in overnight violence. Syria’s defense minister announced the ceasefire after meeting with the commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, saying the two sides had agreed on a ceasefire across all fronts.

Carrot and stick. Russia hosted a delegation of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban government on Tuesday and issued a strong warning against a foreign military presence in the country. Speaking at the start of an international meeting in Moscow, the Russian Foreign Minister praised the Taliban government for its efforts to combat the Islamic State and other extremist groups, as well as eradicate illegal drugs. A few weeks ago, the Afghan government rejected a bid by US President Donald Trump to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from the country left the sprawling military facility in the Taliban’s hands.

Pakistan

Unwarranted. A Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court issued a bailable arrest warrant for PTI founder Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, after rejecting her exemption plea in a case related to the party’s November 26 protest, when over 10,000 PTI supporters clashed with security forces in defiance of a public gathering ban. Aleema also faces separate charges for alleged violence against a journalist and was previously arrested in October 2023 for violating Section 144 during protests before being released on bail.

Meanwhile, an additional District and Sessions Court extended the pre-arrest bail of Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, and six PTI leaders till October 28, while issuing a show-cause notice to Adiala Jail authorities for failing to produce Khan before the court and directing his appearance at the next hearing. The Islamabad High Court also adjourned hearings on the couple’s acquittal pleas in the Toshakhana case, where the defence argued that repeated investigations amounted to double jeopardy. 

Terror turmoil. Nineteen militants and eleven security personnel were killed in an overnight intelligence-based operation in Orakzai district, marking one of Pakistan’s deadliest clashes this year amid a surge in militant violence by groups like the TTP and BLA. The ISPR said troops engaged and killed “Indian-sponsored khawarij”, and a sanitization operation was ongoing to clear remaining fighters. 

Militant attacks have risen 46% in the past three months, with 2025 on track to surpass 2024 as the most violent year in a decade. Pakistan has accused India of backing such proxies and Afghanistan of harboring them — claims both deny.

Muddy metrics. The World Bank on Tuesday revised Pakistan’s FY2025/26 growth forecast down to 2.6% from 3.1%, citing devastating monsoon floods that have killed over 1,000 people and inundated Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, destroying homes, farmland, and infrastructure and slashing agricultural output by an estimated 10%. Growth is expected to rebound to 3.4% in FY2026/27 with improved agriculture, lower inflation, and revived investment. 

What Else Is Happening?

🏅The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to a trio of US-based scientists for the discovery of “macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit”.

🧑‍⚖️Johnson & Johnson has been ordered to pay $966m by an LA court after a woman died from mesothelioma, which found the company liable in the latest lawsuit alleging its baby powder products cause cancer.

💰Gold futures soared above $4,000 per troy ounce for the first time on Tuesday, as many investors sought a safe place to park their money during the continuing US government shutdown.

Today In History!

On Oct. 8, 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake on the Pakistan-India border killed an estimated 86,000 people.

In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire erupted; over 300 people died, and over 17,000 structures were destroyed during the three-day blaze.

In 1997, scientists reported the Mars Pathfinder had yielded what could be the strongest evidence yet that Mars might once have been hospitable to life.