Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, the SCO Summit in China, earthquake in Afghanistan, and updates from the Middle East. Locally, Floods displace millions as Punjab and Sindh brace for super inflows, Zardari signs tougher anti-terror law, and Shehbaz urges regional unity at SCO summit.

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Around The World

SCOot over. The leaders of Russia, China, India and seven other nations met Monday in northern China for the latest annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in what could be a challenge to America’s global leadership. The 10-member SCO has grown in size and influence since its founding 24 years ago, with the full membership also including Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged regional leaders to oppose “Cold War mentality” at the gathering that Beijing touted as an alternative to the Western-led international order and also announcing that Beijing would provide 2 billion yuan ($280m) in aid to member states this year and a further 10 billion yuan ($1.4bn) of loans to an SCO banking consortium.

Earthquake in Afghanistan. Hundreds of people were killed and more than a thousand injured when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake hit Afghanistan on Sunday with rescuers scrambling to reach hard-hit, remote communities. The earthquake hit just before midnight, at a shallow depth of 8km, 27 kilometers north-east of Jalalabad, a city of about 200,000 people in Nangarhar Province, and shook buildings from Kabul to Pakistan's capital Islamabad.

Rescue workers and security forces have been mobilized in several districts of the mountainous region, but authorities say the death toll could rise further. Relief teams struggled to reach some of the more remote communities and their progress has been hampered by landslides and destroyed roads. 

Israel’s aggression.  Iran-backed Houthi rebels stormed the offices of two UN agencies in the Yemeni capital Sanaa after Israel said it killed the prime minister of the rebel-controlled government. The offices of the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations children’s agency (UNICEF) were entered by local security forces, with a WFP staff member detained, along with 11 UNICEF staff members. 

Meanwhile, The Israeli military announced that it killed the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing. Israel's military said the spokesperson, identified as Hudahaifa Kahlout, had been behind the release of videos showing hostages as well as footage of the Hamas-led attack that sparked the war. Israel has also stepped up its destruction of Gaza as it killed at least 78 people across the enclave since dawn, including 32 desperately seeking food.

Pakistan

Staying alert. Since Aug 23, devastating floods in Punjab have displaced over two million people as the overflowing Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers continue to swell. Rescue efforts have evacuated nearly 750,000 people in Punjab in what officials call the country’s largest operation while nationwide rains and floods since June have killed more than 850. Authorities warn the next 48 hours are critical, with more inflows expected from India, raising fears of further devastation as relief operations, medical and veterinary camps, and UN aid missions still continue.

Meanwhile, Sindh CM Murad Ali said the province is fully prepared to face a looming “super flood” in the Indus, prioritizing the protection of lives and livestock with army, navy, and Rangers’ support. He warned inflows could exceed 900,000 cusecs, potentially affecting 1.63 million people across 15 districts. The government has set up 948 relief camps, deployed 192 rescue boats, and mobilized officials for emergency duties, while rehabilitation projects are underway with World Bank and Chinese support.

Billing bling. President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, 2025, granting security forces authority to detain individuals suspected of activities threatening national security or public safety, including target killings, kidnappings, and extortion, for up to three months with possible extensions under Article 10 safeguards. 

The legislation allows detention orders by the army or civil forces, with investigations conducted by joint teams under senior police and intelligence officials. The government says the amendments strengthen counterterrorism efforts while ensuring judicial oversight to prevent abuse. 

Big feelings. At the SCO summit in China, PM Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to sovereignty, multilateralism, and dialogue while stressing respect for international treaties, particularly over water rights, in an apparent reference to India. He condemned terrorism in all forms, citing “irrefutable evidence” of foreign involvement in the Jaffar Express hijacking and other attacks. 

Shehbaz also called for regional connectivity, expanding CPEC, and fostering stability in Afghanistan through trilateral cooperation with China while also condemning Israel’s aggression in Iran and Gaza, reiterating Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds as Palestine’s capital.

What Else Is Happening?

🧑‍💻 Microsoft debuted MAI-Voice-1 and MAI-1-preview last week, marking its first fully in-house AI models after years of relying on OpenAI's technology. MAI-Voice-1 is a speech generation model, while MAI-1-preview is a text-based model.

🇵🇸🚢 Former Pakistani senator Mushtaq Ahmad has joined a global flotilla of over 100 vessels launching from Tunisia on Sept. 4, including activists like Greta Thunberg and Susan Sarandon, aiming to deliver food, water, and medicine to Gaza. 

👀 Anthropic published a new threat report revealing that cybercriminals exploited its Claude Code platform to automate a multi-million dollar extortion scheme.