Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Globally, updates from Gaza and Yemen, and Ukraine agrees to a mineral deal. Locally, PM Sharif vows to crush terrorism, more Afghans repatriated, and Punjab pushes for wheat exports to support farmers.

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Around The World

Updates from Gaza. Hamas has formally rejected Israel's latest ceasefire offer, saying it is prepared to immediately negotiate a deal that would see the release of all remaining hostages in return for an end to the war and the release of Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli ceasefire proposal did not guarantee an end to the war and called for the disarmament of Gaza, both of which have been red lines for Hamas. The rejection prompted far-right Israeli lawmakers to issue calls for an immediate escalation in Gaza, urging Netanyahu to pursue a complete victory.

Updates from Yemen. Air strikes by the United States on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port have killed at least 38 people and wounded 102, in one of the deadliest attacks on the country by US forces. The US Central Command said the air strikes were intended to cut off the Houthis’ source of fuel and revenue.

Crave that mineral. Ukraine's government has announced signing the outline of a minerals deal with the US. The outline states that the countries will establish an investment fund for Ukraine's reconstruction as part of an economic partnership agreement and will finalize the deal by 26 April. Ukraine has 7% of Europe's titanium and a third of all European lithium deposits, as well as beryllium and uranium.

The document provides no details on natural resources, but previous leaks have suggested the deal has been extended beyond minerals to control of Ukraine's energy infrastructure, as well as its oil and gas. The US has so far resisted providing Kyiv with security guarantees to support any future ceasefire.

I ship it. The Trump administration has unveiled its plan to impose port fees on Chinese ships as it tries to revive shipbuilding in the US and challenge China's dominance of the industry. The fees on Chinese vessel owners and operators of ships built in China would start to be charged in 180 days and would rise in the coming years. There have been concerns that the measures would further disrupt global trade amid Trump's tariff policies.

Pakistan

Tackling terrorism. PM Shehbaz Sharif vowed to “crush” terrorism, linking recent attacks to fear over Pakistan’s economic progress. In a high-level security meeting, he praised security forces' sacrifices and urged unity across provinces and institutions. Last month, Pakistan saw 79 terrorist attacks, leading to the deaths of 55 civilians and 47 security personnel, with dozens more injured, according to PICSS. 

Where’s home? Over 2,000 Afghan nationals left Pakistan for Afghanistan on Wednesday night, as repatriation efforts continue. Of these, 829 were registered ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) holders — 526 departed voluntarily, while 303 were deported. Another 1,668 undocumented Afghans also left, with 1,262 going voluntarily and 406 deported. Since April 1st, nearly 23,000 registered Afghans have returned, over two-thirds voluntarily. Transit camps process returnees before they’re sent to the Torkham border.

Against the grain. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday assured federal support for Punjab’s efforts to export surplus wheat and related products, as the province rolls out a Rs. 15 billion relief package for wheat farmers. The announcement comes amid farmer protests over low prices and rising production costs. Punjab’s package, unveiled earlier this week, will provide direct financial support to 550,000 farmers via the Kisan Card system. Traders and farmers have called for lifting the wheat export ban to ease market pressure and raise prices. Though exports have been banned since 2019-2020 due to food security concerns, farmers argue the policy undercuts their earnings and leaves surplus stock unused.

Agriculture remains central to Pakistan’s economy, contributing 24% to GDP and employing half the labor force. Wheat, planted in December and harvested between March and June, is now being collected, prompting hopes that policy shifts including possible export approval could ease tensions and stabilize the market.

What Else Is Happening?

♟️Chinese grandmaster Ju Wenjun secured her fifth consecutive Women’s World Chess Championship on Wednesday, becoming just the fourth woman in history – and the first Chinese player ever – to win the world championship five times.

🧑‍⚖️A US judge has ruled that tech giant Google has a monopoly in online advertising technology. This is the second antitrust case Google has lost in a year, after it was ruled the company also had a monopoly on online search. Google said it would appeal against the decision.

🌊A ground-breaking project to suck carbon out of the sea has started operating on England's south coast. The project will find whether removing carbon from the water might be a cost-effective way of reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.