Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza. Plus, Trump on China and Canada. Locally, the debt ceiling breaches as liabilities reach 70%, the government bans TLP after deadly protests, and PMD warns of worsening smog.

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Around The World

Updates from Gaza. Following a UN General Assembly request in December, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding opinion declaring Israel has a legal obligation to facilitate aid into Palestinian territories, and rejecting Israel’s reports that the main UN agency (UNRWA) is compromised. Israel says it’s already meeting its aid obligations and has dismissed the court’s UNRWA ruling as political.

Meanwhile, the US is keeping up the pressure on Israel to adhere to the agreement, with top diplomat Marco Rubio the latest to visit the country. The US also dismissed an Israeli bill, which proposed to annex the occupied West Bank (imposing Israeli law on the West Bank). Muslim nations, including Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, also condemned the annexation bills presented in Israel’s parliament.

Hey there. US President Trump will meet his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in South Korea on 30 October on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation Summit. The meeting between Xi and Trump has been in the works for weeks, but was called into question as tensions between the world's two countries continued to rise, with Trump threatening to impose an extra 100% tariff on Chinese goods from November if China does not roll back its tightened restrictions on its rare earth exports.

Meanwhile, China’s leaders are vowing to reduce their reliance on foreign advanced technology and spur stronger domestic demand amid elevated trade tensions with the US. An outline of the ruling Communist Party’s blueprint for the next five years was laid out in a 5,000-word communique released Thursday after a four-day top-level meeting in Beijing. 

Ad-versaries. Trump has announced an immediate end to all trade negotiations with Canada over an advert critical of the tariffs he has imposed on the nation. The advert was sponsored by the government of Canada's province of Ontario and quoted Trump's predecessor, Ronald Reagan, saying tariffs "hurt every American".

Trump’s administration has imposed a 35% levy on many Canadian imports, as well as individual tariffs targeting specific industries, such as car and steel manufacturing, which have hit Ontario particularly hard. Trump has allowed exemptions for goods that fall under a trade agreement with Mexico and Canada that he negotiated during his first term.

Pakistan

Spiralling. The Finance Ministry admitted on Thursday that Pakistan has once again breached its legal public debt ceiling, with debt reaching 70.2% of GDP, well above the 60% limit set by law. Briefing the National Assembly’s finance committee, officials and experts warned that public debt has surged to Rs80.5 trillion, with interest payments consuming 89% of federal revenues and leaving little room for development spending, while urging fiscal and monetary reforms to restore stability. The committee acknowledged the findings and stressed the need for credible fiscal discipline and institutional coordination to prevent the debt crisis from worsening.

Sauce-gate. Following recent clashes that shut down key Torkham and Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan, tomato prices in Islamabad have soared by more than 400%, reaching up to Rs 600 per kg. The closures have halted tomato imports from Afghanistan, a crucial supplier, forcing traders to rely on limited supplies from Iran, Sindh, and Quetta. Wholesalers said daily imports had plunged from 80–120 trucks to just 10–15, leading to severe shortages, while customers have expressed frustration over the soaring prices.

Marching over. Pakistan’s interior ministry on Friday formally banned the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) under the Anti-Terrorism Act following deadly clashes between its supporters and police earlier this month, which left 5 people dead and over 100 injured. The decision, approved by the federal cabinet, came after TLP attempted a march to Islamabad for a pro-Palestinian sit-in outside the US Embassy. Authorities have since launched a search for the party’s leader, Saad Rizvi, who went into hiding after the violence. This marks the second time TLP has been outlawed, the first being in 2021 over violent protests against France, though the ban was later lifted. 

Ashmosphere. The PMD has warned of rising smog levels in the coming days across eastern Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan, due to stable weather, calm winds, and lower temperatures that are trapping pollutants in the atmosphere. The combination of industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and dry conditions is expected to worsen air quality, posing serious health risks such as respiratory illnesses and asthma, particularly for children and the elderly. The PMD cautioned that the thick smog could also reduce road visibility and disrupt outdoor activities, urging authorities to take preventive measures.

What Else Is Happening?

🤖Public figures across tech and politics have signed a letter demanding that governments prohibit superintelligence development until it is proven to be controllable. The letter cites concerns, including human economic obsolescence, losses of freedom, civil liberties, dignity, and control, and potential human extinction.

🆓US President Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, founder of the giant Binance cryptocurrency exchange, who was convicted of violating the United States’ money-laundering laws.

💡Tesla is recalling more than 63,000 Cybertrucks in the U.S. because the front lights are too bright, which may cause a distraction to other drivers and increase the risk of a collision. Tesla is also issuing a free software update to correct the issue.

Today in History:

On Oct. 24, 1945, the United Nations formally came into existence as the Charter of the United Nations, ratified by 29 nations, took effect; the date is now observed as United Nations Day.

In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message was sent from San Francisco to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C.

In 1929, a massive sell-off at the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange led to chaos as stockbrokers couldn’t keep up with trade requests. This “Black Thursday” marked the beginning of the Wall Street Crash of 1929.