Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza, the US, and Papua New Guinea. Locally, Talks held to defuse AJK protests, exports dip as trade deficit widens, and fresh storm spell forecast from Oct 3–7.

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Around The World

Updates on Gaza.

• Israeli forces boarded and took control of all the vessels in the Global Sumud Flotilla, one of the largest naval aid missions to attempt to break the blockade of Gaza. The flotilla, consisting of at least 44 civilian boats carrying some 500 activists, was intercepted late Wednesday, with volunteers detained and taken to Israel. As of now, all vessels have been intercepted.

• Reactions from world leaders have ranged from outright condemnation to calls for Israel to provide their detained citizens with access to consular services. Thousands of people supporting the Flotilla globally have taken to the streets in major cities after news of Israel’s illegal interception. Italy’s largest union has called a one-day general strike on Friday. Clashes also erupted between police and pro-Palestinian protestors in Paris and in Barcelona, Spain.

• Meanwhile, Israel’s army is using remote-controlled vehicles packed with explosives to demolish entire neighbourhoods in besieged Gaza City after issuing a “last chance” to leave warning to hundreds of thousands of trapped Palestinians.

• Hamas has told Al Jazeera it is discussing US President Donald Trump’s peace plan, intending to stop Israel’s war on Gaza, and will soon announce its position on the 20-point proposal.

Day three. The US government shutdown has entered a third day after the Senate failed to reach a deal on a crucial spending bill before observing Yom Kippur. The next vote is set for today, but the chances of success appear slim, which means the shutdown will likely continue into next week. Both Republican and Democratic spending bills have failed to reach the 60 out of 100 vote threshold to pass, as senators continue to vote largely down party lines.

All hands. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has approved a landmark mutual defence treaty with Australia, which includes a mutual defence clause, provisions for PNG to modernise its military capabilities, and develop a national reserve force. The treaty will also create a path for 10,000 Papua New Guineans to serve in the Australian Defence Force.

PNG has a population of more than 11 million people and is one of the most diverse countries in the world, according to the World Bank, but it also struggles with recurring violence among its more than 10,000 ethnic clans.

Pakistan

The latest from AJK. A high-level Pakistani delegation held initial talks with the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) in Azad Kashmir on Thursday amid ongoing violent protests that have left at least nine people dead, as demonstrators demand the removal of official perks, abolition of assembly seats for migrants, and royalty from hydel projects. 

PM Sharif formed a committee to negotiate after days of clashes, with officials urging restraint to “prevent India from exploiting the crisis”. JKJAAC leaders stated that they would consult before deciding on the next steps, while AJK’s PM reiterated their readiness for dialogue. The unrest follows similar protests in May 2024, which ended after the government pledged subsidies and reforms — promises protesters accuse authorities of failing to fulfill.

Deficit-core. Pakistan’s exports fell 3.83% to $7.60 billion in the first quarter of FY26 from $7.91 billion a year earlier, driven largely by a decline in textile shipments due to falling global cotton prices and high energy costs, while imports surged 13.49% to $16.97 billion. In September alone, exports dropped 11.71% year-on-year to $2.50 billion, imports rose to $5.84 billion, and the trade deficit widened 45.83%.

Storm season. The PMD has forecast a new spell of rain, windstorms, and thunderstorms with possible hailstorms across much of the country from Oct 3 to 7, bringing a significant drop in temperatures. Heavy rainfall is expected in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, parts of Sindh, and northern Balochistan, with isolated heavy falls likely in many areas, with warnings of potential flash floods in streams and nullahs, urban flooding, and landslides, while snowfall is expected over high mountains in upper KP, Kashmir, and GB.

What Else Is Happening?

💔British primatologist, ethologist, and anthropologist Jane Goodall, who was renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee field research, has died. She was 91. Goodall devoted decades to education and advocacy on humanitarian causes, climate crises, and protecting the natural world.

💭Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab has introduced Tinker, an API that enables developers to customize frontier models without managing complex infrastructure. Early users, including Princeton, Stanford, and Berkeley, have applied Tinker to build custom AI systems for math proofs, scientific reasoning, and research.