Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, the Israel-Palestine ceasefire is in effect, Ukraine wants US-made Tomahawks, and South China Sea tensions. Locally, Pakistan-Afghan border clashes kill 23 soldiers, TLP march turns deadly, and PTI elects Sohail Afridi as KP chief minister.

☕ Grab your chaye, let’s go.

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Around The World

New day. Hamas has released all 20 living Israeli captives held in Gaza as part of the ceasefire deal. Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank wait for the release of nearly 2,000 people from Israeli jails as part of the agreement, as Palestinians continue to return to what is left of their homes in northern Gaza as humanitarian aid begins entering the Strip.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has now arrived at Israel’s parliament, where he has met with Israeli PM Netanyahu. Later, he will address members of the Knesset, as well as meet some of the families of the hostages. Trump will then head to Egypt, where leaders from more than 20 countries will join a summit on the future of Gaza.

Like a hawk. US President Trump is considering sending Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, saying it would provide "a new step of aggression" in its war with Russia. The decision follows a second phone call over the weekend between Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, who pushed for stronger military capabilities to launch counterattacks against Russia. Tomahawk missiles have a range of 2,500 km, which would put Moscow within reach of Ukraine, as Zelenskyy assured that his country would use long-range Tomahawk missiles only against Russian military targets.

On your left. The Philippines has accused China of deliberately ramming a Philippine government vessel and causing minor damage near an island in a disputed area of the South China Sea. China, however, blamed the Philippines for the collision, claiming the Philippine vessel had “dangerously approached” its ship, as a UN-backed tribunal ruled China’s claims have no legal basis.

Pakistan

Crash landing on Kabul. 23 Pakistani soldiers were martyred and 29 were injured in clashes with Afghan Taliban forces along the border, after Kabul launched retaliatory attacks following reported Pakistani airstrikes targeting TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud. Pakistan’s military condemned the “unwarranted aggression,” warning of a “befitting response.” Islamabad said its precision strikes killed over 200 fighters and destroyed multiple posts, while Kabul claimed 58 Pakistani troops were killed.

Exchanges took place across several key border regions, including Angoor Adda, Bajaur, Kurram, Dir, Chitral, and Baramcha. The situation eased after mediation by Qatar and Saudi Arabia, though sporadic fire continued. Tensions remain high amid Pakistan’s claim that the Taliban shelters TTP militants, the ongoing deportation of undocumented Afghans, and India’s growing engagement with Kabul, raising fears of a wider regional flare-up. Read Al Jazeera’s coverage here. 

Holy smokes. Clashes erupted earlier today in Muridke between Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters and law enforcement after authorities blocked their march to Islamabad, leaving a police officer, 3 TLP workers, and a passerby dead, with dozens injured. Police said the protesters attacked with stones, spiked batons, and petrol bombs, forcing officers to respond “in self-defense,” while over 40 vehicles were torched and several demonstrators arrested. 

The TLP had planned to protest outside the US embassy in solidarity with Palestine, but authorities had dug trenches and deployed heavy forces to halt their advance. Following the violence, major roads and motorways in Lahore and Islamabad were shut, mobile services slowed, and schools in the capital closed early amid rising panic. 

Musical chairs. Lawmakers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday elected Sohail Afridi as the new chief minister, replacing Ali Amin Gandapur, who resigned amid internal reshuffling within Imran Khan’s PTI party. Afridi, a middle-class legislator from Bara district, easily secured the post given PTI’s majority in the provincial assembly. 

His appointment follows Khan’s directive to remove Gandapur over governance and security concerns as the province faces rising attacks by the TTP. Afridi pledged to bridge social divides and improve governance, with analysts viewing his tenure as a key test of PTI’s stability and effectiveness.

What Else Is Happening?

🏅Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt have won the 2025 Nobel economics prize for “having explained innovation-driven economic growth”.

🔢CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that Google is now processing 1.3 quadrillion tokens per month across its platforms, with 13M+ devs building with Gemini.

👀Hollywood is in turmoil over OpenAI’s new Sora 2, a generative video model that lets users create social-media-ready videos from simple text prompts. Major studios warned that Sora 2 poses a significant risk to intellectual property and copyrights.