Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, the world reacts to Trump’s tariffs, India cuts interest rates, and Zelenskyy on Russia. Locally, PM to meet Diamer dam protestors today, BNP-M sit-in on the 12th day, and PMD issues heat wave warning.

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Around The World

Plan A**. In response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, Canada is implementing retaliatory tariffs just after midnight on Wednesday. Canada will put a 25% tariff on auto imports from the United States that do not comply with the USMCA, the 2019 North American trade pact. 

Additionally, China has retaliated with an 84% tariff on US imports, to take effect on Thursday, after accusing the White House of "bullying practices". US, European, and Asian stock markets have dipped even more after Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on China and the Chinese response to the tariffs.

Meanwhile, Trump said countries are calling him and “kissing my a**” (🙄) to make a trade deal. Delegations from Japan and South Korea are en route. Italy’s prime minister will be in Washington next week. The European Union told the US it is prepared to negotiate over buying more natural gas.

G-rate. India's central bank has cut interest rates by 0.25% amid a spate of downgrades to growth following Trump's tariff announcements. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced repo rates from 6.25% to 6%, a second cut since February when rates were brought down after nearly five years. The RBI also decreased its growth projections for this year from 6.7% to 6.5%. 

Show of hands. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces had captured two Chinese men fighting for Russia in eastern Ukraine. He suggested that many more Chinese citizens were fighting but did not say whether Ukraine believed the men were acting on Beijing's orders. Zelenskyy also publicly acknowledged for the first time that his troops are active in Russia's Belgorod region.

Pakistan

Meetings & flights. Pakistan will send a high-level delegation, including prominent business leaders and exporters, to the US to discuss the 29% tariff Washington has imposed on Pakistani goods. The decision was made in a meeting chaired by PM Shehbaz Sharif, where officials reviewed a report on the tariff’s impact and considered alternative strategies.

Long time coming. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to meet leaders of the ongoing Diamer Basha Dam protest today, as the sit-in in Chilas reaches its 53rd day. The protest, led by locals affected by the dam project, is demanding fair compensation, employment, and regularisation of workers, as outlined in a 31-point charter. Despite two rounds of negotiations, protestors and the federal committee remain deadlocked on key issues.

A federal committee has promised action on the protesters’ concerns but has requested more time on key demands such as land compensation, a new survey, and local jobs. Protesters refused to end the sit-in without firm commitments, though they briefly reopened the Karakoram Highway as a goodwill gesture, warning of possible escalation.

An impasse. The BNP-M’s sit-in at Lakpass entered its 12th day on Tuesday, with no breakthrough despite a visit from former Senate chairman Sadiq Sanjrani. BNP chief Akhtar Mengal said Sanjrani came in a personal capacity, and no progress was made, reiterating the party's demand for the release of Dr. Mahrang and other detained women. Mengal criticized the government’s weak response and road blockades. Meanwhile, a National Party delegation led by Dr Abdul Malik Baloch is in Lahore to seek PML-N support and present proposals to resolve the crisis.

Mood swings. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned of heatwave-like conditions in southern Pakistan over the next 24 hours, with temperatures rising above normal in central and southern Punjab, Sindh, and parts of Balochistan. The public, especially vulnerable groups, is urged to stay hydrated and avoid sun exposure. Farmers are advised to adjust wheat harvesting and livestock care. Simultaneously, a shallow westerly weather system is expected to enter the country’s upper regions, bringing rain, wind, and thunderstorms to parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Punjab, and Islamabad through Friday. Isolated hailstorms, dust storms, and gusty winds are also likely during this period, potentially damaging trees, solar panels, electric poles, and vehicles.

What else is happening?

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🌞The European Copernicus climate service reported that March 2025 was the second hottest March in history, extending a spell of record or near-record-breaking temperatures.