Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza, Putin calls Trump’s bluff, and Nvidia announces its AI plans. Locally, PM Shehbaz Sharif embarks on a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, the Torkham border reopens after 27 days, sugar prices capped, and Eid holidays announced from March 31 to April 2.

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Around The World

Updates from Gaza.  At least 27 more Palestinians were killed yesterday in overnight Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was outraged, joining a chorus of international condemnation as more than 400 Palestinians have been killed, including women and children. Netanyahu says the new bombardment is only the beginning and that all negotiations for the ceasefire will now take place under fire.

Hamas officials say the group has not shut the door on negotiations but insist that there is no need for new agreements when a signed one exists. Both Israel and the United States blame the renewed hostilities on Hamas’ refusal to release more hostages before negotiations on ending the war proceed, which was not part of the ceasefire agreement. Israel has accused Hamas of preparing for new attacks, without providing evidence. The militant group has denied those allegations.

Little bit of this. US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to pause the strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Still, Putin stopped short of backing a broader 30-day pause in fighting that the U.S. administration is pressing for. The White House described it as the first step in a movement to peace. But there was no indication that Putin has backed away from his conditions for a prospective peace deal, which Kyiv fiercely opposes. Putin also raised concerns that such a truce could be used by Ukraine to mobilize more soldiers and rearm them.

Blind rage. A curfew has been imposed in parts of a city in India's western state of Maharashtra after Hindu groups demanded the removal of the tomb of Aurangzeb, a 17th-century Mughal emperor, sparking violence on Monday night. The tomb of Aurangzeb, who died more than 300 years ago, has in recent years become a political flashpoint amid growing calls for its removal by hardline Hindu groups. The trigger for this week's violence has been a recent Bollywood film about Sambhaji, a Maratha ruler who clashed with Aurangzeb but lost, and its graphic depiction of him being tortured.

Get smart. Nvidia founder Jensen Huang kicked off the company’s AI developer conference on Tuesday, announcing that AI is going through an inflection point and that the era of physical AI is here. Huang unveiled a new, faster family of chips and a deal with General Motors to make custom AI systems for autonomous vehicles. He also revealed Isaac GR00T N1, the first open humanoid robot foundation model, alongside a comprehensive physical AI dataset for training robots.

Pakistan

Catching flights. PM Shehbaz Sharif has left for a four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by Deputy PM Ishaq Dar and key ministers. He will meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss expanding trade, boosting investment, and strengthening economic ties.

Update from Torkham. The Torkham border crossing reopened on Wednesday after being shut for 27 days. The decision to reopen was finalized in a flag meeting on the Afghan side, attended by Pakistani jirga leaders and Afghan officials. Cargo movement resumed immediately, while pedestrian crossings will reopen on Friday after repairs to Pakistani customs infrastructure.

A sweet deal. Deputy PM Ishaq Dar announced that sugar’s retail price will be capped at Rs. 164 per kg, while ex-mill rates must stay below Rs. 159 per kg. He dismissed concerns over shortages, calling the recent price surge to Rs. 179 “intolerable.” A sub-committee led by Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain will review sugar costs within a month. Meanwhile, PM Shehbaz Sharif has tasked an Inter-Ministerial Committee with exploring import strategies and has ordered a crackdown on hoarding and price manipulation, ensuring stability, especially during Ramadan.

Over the moon. The government has announced March 31 to April 2 (Monday to Wednesday) as public holidays for Eidul Fitr, with the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee set to convene on March 30 for the moon sighting. The Meteorological Department predicts a strong chance of moon sighting that evening. Pakistan Railways has also announced four special trains to accommodate Eid travelers, with routes covering major cities from Quetta to Peshawar.

What else is happening?

🧑‍🚀NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth in a SpaceX capsule on Tuesday, nine months after their faulty Boeing Starliner craft upended what was to be a week-long stay on the International Space Station.

🤝Alphabet has acquired the cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32 billion in an all-cash deal intended to boost Google’s lagging cloud business. This is Google’s largest acquisition yet, more than twice as much as its next-priciest purchase, Motorola.