Good afternoon,

Today’s news: Story of the day: Trump’s Gaza plan. Globally, the US gov shuts down, and an earthquake in the Philippines. Locally, updates from Quetta and AJK.

P.S. Today’s Biscuitt is longer since we had much to cover from Gaza and locally. 

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Around The World

Error 404. A US federal government shutdown started at midnight on Wednesday, which temporarily halted some US government services and put the salaries of hundreds of thousands of government employees on hold. The shutdown comes after Republicans and Democrats in Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill, mainly over healthcare spending and continued funding for the Affordable Care Act. Roughly 750,000 federal workers are expected to be furloughed during the shutdown, some potentially fired by the Trump administration.

Earthquake. A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the central Philippines late Tuesday, killing at least 60 people and severely damaging infrastructure in nearby towns and cities. The epicenter of the quake was at a dangerously shallow depth of 5 kilometers and was about 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo, a coastal city of 90,000 people in Cebu province.. Emergency services are scrambling to find survivors, alongside military troops, police, and civilian volunteers.

Story Of The Day - Trump’s Gaza Plan

The plan. The White House announced the anticipated peace plan for Gaza on Monday in a 20-point document that calls for an immediate ceasefire. On Monday, Netanyahu also apologised to Qatar for the killing of a Qatari citizen during an unprecedented Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha.

Under the plan, fighting in Gaza would cease, hostages would be returned, and Hamas members who promise disarmament would be granted amnesty. Aid deliveries would resume, Israeli troops would allegedly withdraw, and an economic revitalisation plan would be developed by experts.  Hamas will be required to give up control over the Gaza Strip to the “Board of Peace”, chaired by Trump, with members including Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

Here’s the full text of Trump’s plan, which many analysts say contains almost nothing positive for the people of Palestine.

The unwritten. There is no role for the Palestinian Authority in the plan until it completes certain ”reforms”. Reports suggest Netanyahu pushed last-minute changes tying Israel’s Gaza withdrawal to Hamas’ disarmament, giving Tel Aviv veto powers. Netanyahu also reinstated his longstanding opposition to a Palestinian state, and said the peace plan would allow the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to stay in Gaza - contrary to the text of the proposal published by the White House.

Many countries privately expressed unease over the altered plan, though Trump has given Hamas “three to four days” to accept. Trump warned that if it rejects his offer, Israel would have free rein, with full US support, to take any action it sees fit in Gaza.

What do the Palestinians say? Many Palestinians in the decimated coastal enclave are wary of the proposal, while many welcomed it. To some, international governance evokes the colonial British Mandate that governed Palestine from 1920 to 1948. 

A senior Hamas figure has told the BBC that the group is likely to reject the plan, as Hamas is unlikely to agree to disarm and hand over its weapons. Hamas is also said to object to the deployment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, which it views as a new form of occupation. Hamas talks are expected to take several days and also include other Palestinian factions.

Pakistan's position. Pakistan initially joined seven other Muslim-majority states in backing Trump’s Gaza plan, affirming readiness to work with the US on its finalisation and implementation. PM Sharif welcomed the announcement of the 20-point plan; PM Shehbaz and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir recently met Trump at the White House to pitch investment opportunities and Pakistan’s critical minerals potential.

On Tuesday, however, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Pakistan does not own the Gaza peace plan unveiled by the White House, stressing that it differs from the draft jointly proposed by eight Muslim states. He reaffirmed commitment only to the bloc’s joint statement and confirmed Islamabad has yet to decide on contributing troops. 

Pakistan

The Quetta blast. At least 10 people, including paramilitary personnel, were killed and 32 were injured in a powerful bomb blast near the Frontier Corps headquarters in Quetta. Security forces swiftly killed four terrorists in response. President Zardari and PM Shehbaz condemned the attack, blaming TTP and India-backed terrorist groups. An emergency was declared in Quetta hospitals as authorities vowed to intensify counterterror operations. 

Bubbling up. Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) remains tense after a second day of shutter-down and wheel-jam strikes in Muzaffarabad, following the killing of a shopkeeper during clashes. The Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JKJAAC) alleged that participants of a government-backed “peace rally” opened fire on their peaceful demonstrators on Monday.

The JKJAAC has been protesting with a 38-point charter of demands, including abolition of elite privileges, an end to 12 AJK Assembly seats reserved for Kashmiri migrants from across the LoC, and royalty for local hydropower projects.

See no evil🙈. The Commonwealth Observer Group (COG) has released its long-delayed report on Pakistan’s 2024 general elections, concluding that conditions undermined fundamental political rights and denied one party, the PTI, a fair chance to contest.

The report highlighted the loss of PTI’s symbol, Imran Khan’s convictions, restrictions on freedom of association, assembly, and media, and a cellular shutdown on election night. It also cited evidence that Forms 45 and 46 were altered, impacting results. The report, submitted in November 2024, was only published now after controversy and allegations that the Commonwealth had “buried” the findings.

What Else Is Happening?

🧨Pakistan’s army says it successfully test-fired a long-range cruise missile, aimed at strengthening the country’s missile arsenal. The Fatah-4 surface-to-surface missile has a range of 750 kilometers.

🧬US scientists have made early-stage human embryos for the first time by manipulating DNA taken from skin cells and then fertilising them with sperm. The technique could overcome infertility due to old age or disease by using almost any cell in the body as the starting point for life.