Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, heavy flooding in India. Plus, updates from Gaza. Locally, U.S. slashes tariffs on Pakistani goods, terror strikes rattle KP, PTI protests persist, and fresh monsoon alerts issued as flood toll rises.

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Around The World

Floods in India. More than 100 people are missing and at least one has died after a cloudburst triggered devastating flash floods in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Teams of army and disaster force rescuers are searching for dozens, who are believed to be trapped under the rubble. Heavy rains have been lashing the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand over the past few weeks. Uttarakhand is known for its rugged terrain, spiritual pilgrimage sites and tourist destinations.

Updates from Gaza. UN officials have warned of catastrophic consequences if Israel expands its military operations in Gaza, following reports in Israeli media that Netanyahu is pushing for a total occupation of the Strip. The Israeli military currently controls about 75% of Gaza territory containing a displaced population of 2.1M. US President Trump has suggested that he will not block possible Israeli plans to take over Gaza, and is focused on getting Gazans fed.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have killed at least 23 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn, with one of the attacks targeting a UN clinic sheltering displaced people in Gaza City. Only 84 aid trucks entered the enclave yesterday, the majority of which were subjected to looting and robbery as a result of the state of security chaos.

Pakistan

Tariff tease. The U.S. has reduced tariffs on Pakistani goods to 19%, giving Pakistan a potential trade edge over regional rivals, but experts warn the benefit may be limited unless structural issues like high interest rates, costly energy, and reduced export financing are addressed. Industry leaders stress that Pakistan’s uncompetitive production costs, low labor productivity, and weak export incentives continue to hinder growth, urging immediate reforms to fully leverage the trade opportunity and boost global competitiveness. 

Attacks in KP. Seven people, including four security personnel, were martyred in two separate firing incidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district and Peshawar city, amid a surge in terrorist attacks following the TTP's ceasefire withdrawal. In Karak, unknown assailants targeted a Federal Constabulary vehicle, killing four personnel, while in Peshawar, a police inspector and two others were gunned down on Warsak Road.

All out (in). On the second anniversary of Imran Khan’s detention, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) staged nationwide protests despite a sweeping police crackdown, mass arrests, and roadblocks, especially in Punjab where authorities invoked Section 144 to ban gatherings. While demonstrations were largely thwarted near Adiala Jail, where Khan is held, rallies took place in major cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, and across Punjab. Over 300 activists were arrested amid allegations of police violence. 

Torrential. Since the start of the monsoon in late June, at least 71 people have died and 86 have been injured in rain-related incidents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Swat has recorded the highest death toll at 22, and flash floods in Swat and Malakand left 17 people missing. Meanwhile, The NDMA and PMDA have issued fresh alerts for potential flooding in major rivers, especially the Sutlej, due to increased inflows from rainfall and dam releases in Indian-administered regions. Additionally, landslides and mudslides are expected in areas of KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Kashmir, with the sixth spell of monsoon expected to last until August 7.

What Else Is Happening?

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🚓Authorities in the US have charged two Chinese nationals with illegally shipping millions of dollars' worth of powerful AI chips to China, in breach of export controls.

Today In History

On August 6 1945, during World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb code-named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.

In 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom after 300 years of British rule.

In 1991, the World Wide Web made its public debut as a means of accessing webpages over the Internet.