CSP WEEKLY UPDATES (October 24-30, 2026)

238

 

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA & THE UNITED NATIONS

Ø  Pakistan seeks investment from US in oil refinery upgradation projects

https://www.dawn.com/news/2039988

Ø  Pakistan urges Iran, US to resume nuclear talks under Islamabad MoU

https://www.thenews.pk/print/1445728-pakistan-urges-iran-us-to-resume-nuclear-talks-under-islamabad-mou

Ø  Embassy of Pakistan Hosts ‘Pakistan-US Tech Connect 2026’ to Boost Bilateral Technology Partnerships

https://mofa.gov.pk/news/embassy-of-pakistan-hosts-pakistan-us-tech-connect-2026-to-boost-bilateral-technology-partnerships-2?mission=washington

Ø  US costs of Iran war rise to over $47bn, according to Pentagon estimate

https://www.dawn.com/news/2040407

Ø   Iran’s Maritime Threat and the Conflict in Yemen

https://www.hudson.org/national-security-defense/irans-maritime-threat-conflict-yemen-can-kasapoglu

Ø   The Donald Trump–Vladimir Putin–Xi Jinping Summit: A New Yalta?

https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-xi-jinping-summit-new-yalta-tsiporah-fried

Ø  What Lula’s comeback win means for Brazil and beyond

https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/content-series/fastthinking/what-lulas-comeback-means-for-brazil-and-beyond/

Ø  The midterm effect: What the 2026 election could mean for public policy

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-midterm-effect-what-the-2026-election-could-mean-for-public-policy/

Ø  Pakistan urges US, Iran to honour Islamabad MoU during UNSC debate on Iran’s nuclear programme

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2637355/pakistan-urges-us-iran-to-honour-islamabad-mou-during-unsc-debate-on-irans-nuclear-programme 

Ø  At UNGA debate, Pakistan warns against adding more permanent members to Security Council, extending veto privileges

https://www.dawn.com/news/2040183

Ø  UN agency highlights ‘complex’ water management of Sindh

https://www.dawn.com/news/2040327

Ø  Afghanistan opium production jumps fivefold as farmers find ways round Taliban ban

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168697

Ø  Women and girls face greater dangers in war

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168684

Ø  Ending conflict is ‘number one thing’ to reduce world hunger, new WFP chief says

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168693

Ø  Hormuz and Red Sea disruption squeezes food supplies, UN warns

https://news.un.org/en/audio/2026/10/1168653           

 

RUSSIA & EUROPE

Ø  North Koreans being recruited into forced labour in Russia, report says

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/10/29/north-koreans-being-recruited-into-forced-labour-in-russia-report-says

Ø  Norway and Finland hold rare phone call with Putin: What that means

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/28/norway-and-finland-hold-rare-phone-call-with-putin-what-that-means

Ø  UN experts sound alarm at excessive use of force in French student protests

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/28/un-experts-sound-alarm-at-excessive-use-of-force-in-french-student-protests

Ø  European Union backtracks on Canada becoming ‘associate member’

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/29/european-union-backtracks-on-canada-becoming-associate-2

Ø  What we know about Spain’s second high-speed rail tragedy this year

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/29/what-we-know-about-spains-second-high-speed-rail-tragedy-this-year

Ø  Why is Russia sending fighter jets and air defences to Ethiopia?

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/29/why-is-russia-sending-fighter-jets-and-air-defences-to-ethiopia

Ø  Pakistan says human smugglers exploiting Umrah journeys amid evolving routes to Europe

https://www.arabnews.pk/pakistan/pakistan-says-human-smugglers-exploiting-umrah-journeys-amid-evolving-routes-to-europe-3005197

Ø  Russia, Africa are natural allies in creating multipolar world order, says Putin

https://tass.com/politics/2209979

Ø  Russia, NATO moving closer to direct military clash

https://tass.com/politics/2210301

Ø  Protecting Europe with stronger climate-resilience

https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/protecting-europe-stronger-climate-resilience-2026-10-27_en

Ø  Pentagon tells Europeans to cool their rhetoric on Russia, sources say

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2637746/pentagon-tells-europeans-to-cool-their-rhetoric-on-russia-sources-say

 

POLITICAL ECONOMY & NON-TRADITIONAL THREATS

Ø  SBP Weekly Data Report
http://www.sbp.org.pk/ecodata/index2.asp

Ø  New $600m loan tied to reform laws

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2637647/new-600m-loan-tied-to-reform-laws

Ø  How long will Pakistan’s economy be ‘indebted’ to expats?

https://www.dawn.com/news/2039839/how-long-will-pakistans-economy-be-indebted-to-expats

Ø  Fundamentals improve despite shocks: SBP chief

https://www.dawn.com/news/2040568/fundamentals-improve-despite-shocks-sbp-chief

Ø  SBP raises policy rate by 50bps to 12% amid rising inflation risks

https://www.geo.tv/latest/688301-sbp-raises-policy-rate-by-50-basis-points-to-12

Ø  Oil set for fourth monthly gain as Hormuz tanker attack highlights supply risks from war

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-rises-supply-concerns-houthis-attack-saudi-arabia-2026-10-30/

Ø  A test for COP31

https://www.geo.tv/latest/688616-a-test-for-cop31

Ø  Pakistan, China open green channel for trade

https://www.dawn.com/news/2040853/pakistan-china-open-green-channel-for-trade

Ø  Sustainable sugarcane irrigation

https://www.dawn.com/news/2039900/sustainable-sugarcane-irrigation

Ø  Poverty climbs back to 28.9%

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2637469/poverty-climbs-back-to-289

Ø  Karachi’s waste is a Rs1.2b economy it ignores

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2636902/karachis-waste-is-a-rs12b-economy-it-ignores

Ø  Pakistan’s climate defences under scrutiny amid Lancet warning

https://www.dawn.com/news/2040864

Ø  Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon is weakening as climate change intensifies, UN warns

https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168687

Ø  Amid a climate of denial

https://www.thenews.pk/print/1445242-amid-a-climate-of-denial