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What you need to know

Senate advances bill to reopen government, adding controversial data-privacy clause

The U.S. Senate on 10 November 2025 voted 60–40 to advance a short-term funding bill intended to reopen the government after more than a month of shutdown.

Supporters claim the measure strengthens the separation of powers and protects legislators from executive overreach. However, it risks shielding members of Congress from legitimate investigations and creates unequal legal protections compared with ordinary citizens.

Senate leaders regarded the provision as a necessary concession to restart federal operations, reflecting how partisan negotiation has merged with institutional self-preservation.

The rising Middle Powers: India, Pakistan, Türkiye, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, the GCC nations

Pakistan declares a state of war after deadly bombing in Islamabad

Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, has declared that the country is “in a state of war” after a bombing outside the Islamabad District Judicial Complex killed at least 12 people and injured 27 more on 11 November.

The explosion, believed to have been carried out by a suicide bomber, occurred when the attacker failed to enter the court premises and detonated explosives near a police vehicle. The blast is one of the deadliest in the capital in almost a decade, and has rattled confidence in Pakistan’s internal security.

Asif described the attack as a “wake-up call,” warning that it was no longer realistic to expect progress in peace talks with Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government.

His description of the situation as war signals a major shift in tone, reflecting growing frustration within Islamabad’s security establishment.

The bombing in the heart of the capital suggests that the insurgency is no longer confined to border regions and that the state’s counter-terror campaign, including Operation Azm-e-Istehkam launched in 2024, faces serious challenges.

The government is expected to impose tighter security across major cities, while cross-border tensions with Kabul may worsen as Islamabad weighs a more forceful military response. Public unease and political pressure are mounting, and by framing the crisis as war, the government has signaled that Pakistan is entering a more volatile and dangerous phase of its long struggle against militancy.

Blast in Delhi sparks terror probe and heightens India–Pakistan tensions

A car explosion near the Red Fort metro station in Old Delhi on 10 November killed at least eight people and injured around nineteen.

Authorities have launched an anti-terror investigation, treating the blast as a possible deliberate attack. Forensic teams are collecting debris and explosive residue, while police analyze CCTV footage, mobile-phone data, and financial records to identify those responsible.

According to Indian media, investigators are examining possible connections to a logistics network allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, two Pakistan-based militant groups previously accused of orchestrating attacks inside India. The reports remain unconfirmed, and security officials caution that the findings are still preliminary.

In response, security has been tightened across New Delhi and other major cities. Armed patrols now guard transport hubs, government buildings, and religious sites, while the U.S. embassy has issued a security alert for its citizens in India. The National Investigation Agency and Delhi Police are coordinating efforts to determine whether the blast involved an improvised explosive device or a vehicle-borne bomb.

Separately, Indian authorities say they have foiled a major bioterror plot.

A Hyderabad-based doctor was arrested in Gujarat after allegedly preparing ricin, one of the world’s most lethal toxins, from castor-bean mash. Police recovered two Glock pistols, a Beretta, thirty live cartridges, and about four kilograms (8.8 pounds) of the mash. The doctor, who reportedly studied medicine in China, is accused of attempting to produce ricin in large quantities for a potential mass-poisoning attack.

Ricin, a poison extracted from castor beans after oil has been removed, has no antidote and is fatal if inhaled, injected, or ingested. Castor oil itself, used in cosmetics and industry, does not contain the toxin.

If Indian investigators confirm that Pakistan-linked networks directed or financed the Delhi bombing, the attack could trigger a fresh cycle of confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Previous cross-border crises have shown how swiftly such incidents can escalate from diplomatic tension to military skirmishes.

Birthplace of civilization

Trump hosts al-Sharaa at the White House

President Donald Trump met Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House in the first official visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington since the country’s independence. The two-hour meeting marked a remarkable shift in U.S. diplomacy, bringing a nation long isolated under sanctions back into formal engagement.

Syrian state media released photographs of al-Sharaa with Trump in the Oval Office, a first in the history of U.S.–Syrian relations, signaling the symbolic weight of the encounter.

Those present included senior officials from both sides: Asaad al-Shibani, Ahmed Olabi, Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Tom Barrack, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and General Douglas Caine. Türkiye’s foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, was also at the White House at the same time, suggesting a parallel round of regional consultations.

According to the joint readout, both leaders agreed to advance the implementation of the 10 March agreement, which calls for the gradual integration of the Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian army under a unified national framework. The accord, described as a move toward institutional consolidation and stronger national security, aims to bring the country’s fragmented armed groups under central command while reducing foreign military influence.

In a major policy turn, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a 180-day suspension of most sanctions imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. Sanctions will remain only on transactions involving Russia and Iran. Officials said the temporary relief was intended to facilitate humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Syria and to reward tangible progress on national reconciliation.

Both sides also confirmed plans to reopen the Syrian embassy in Washington, D.C., for the first time in a decade, a clear signal of diplomatic normalization.

The move could reshape geopolitics across the Levant if followed by similar steps from European and Arab states.

Still, challenges remain: integrating Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian army will test political trust and military coordination, while the sustainability of U.S. sanctions relief will depend on verifiable progress under the March framework. For Washington, the meeting reflected a calculated bet that engagement rather than isolation might deliver greater regional stability. For Damascus, it represented long-sought legitimacy after years of war and estrangement.

Move fast and break things

 DCA limits private flights as Trump pushes air-traffic overhaul

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) has come under a sweeping order from the Federal Aviation Administration banning private and non-scheduled flights through 31 December 2025, except for those based at the airport or specifically cleared by the Air Traffic Control System Command Center. Commercial airline services continue as normal.

The restriction, introduced on 10 November, comes amid severe strain on the U.S. aviation system caused by staffing shortages linked to the government shutdown.

Media reports suggest that ten other airports are now subject to similar directives, with Boston and Las Vegas already operating under comparable rules, though this has not been fully confirmed by official FAA notices.

The decision highlights mounting pressure on the nation’s air-traffic network, particularly around the heavily regulated Washington, D.C. airspace.

At the same time, President Donald Trump has announced that a new air-traffic-control system will be “handed out” within two to three weeks. The initiative, part of a modernization plan first unveiled earlier this year, aims to replace the country’s outdated radar and communications systems with digital infrastructure.

While the administration has hinted that contracts could soon go to firms such as IBM and Raytheon, official documents describe a multi-year rollout rather than a rapid implementation. Together, the temporary flight restrictions and the modernization push reflect both the acute operational stress within the FAA and the administration’s drive to reassert federal control over critical transport infrastructure.

Trump threatens to sue BBC for $1 billion over edited speech scandal

President Donald Trump has threatened to sue the BBC for $1 billion, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation after it allegedly manipulated his 6 January 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary.

The legal warning, delivered by Trump’s lawyer Alejandro Brito, demands an apology, a full retraction, and compensation for what it describes as “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.” The scandal erupted after BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News head Deborah Turness resigned, following revelations that Trump’s remarks had been edited in a way that appeared to link him directly to the violence at the U.S. Capitol.

The program, Trump: A Second Chance?, aired in late 2024, shortly before the U.S. presidential election. A leaked 19-page internal dossier revealed that producers had spliced together two separate portions of Trump’s address (nearly an hour apart) to make it appear as if he had called on supporters to “fight like hell” and march on the Capitol. Missing from the final broadcast was a key passage in which Trump urged his followers to demonstrate “peacefully and patriotically.”

BBC Chairman Samir Shah has since admitted an “error of judgment,” acknowledging that the edit created the impression of a direct call to violence. The corporation’s internal report, prepared by former advisor Michael Prescott, alleged serious editorial failings and suggested that the manipulation may have been politically motivated. Trump’s legal team contends that the edit was both “false and defamatory,” arguing that it was designed to influence the 2024 election.

The BBC now faces a deep crisis of trust and governance, with Parliament expected to call for an inquiry into its editorial standards. If the case proceeds, it could test the boundaries of defamation law across jurisdictions: in the U.S., Trump would need to prove actual malice, while in the U.K. he would have to demonstrate serious harm to his reputation.

The potential lawsuit, if filed, would rank among the largest ever brought against a major news organization.

Trump moves to deport head of UK-linked anti-digital hate group

President Donald Trump’s reported plan to deport Imran Ahmed, chief executive of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), has drawn attention to the increasingly fraught politics of online speech and foreign influence.

The CCDH, a British-American nonprofit with offices in London and Washington, D.C., was founded to combat online hate speech and disinformation, initially targeting Elon Musk’s platform X (formerly Twitter). In recent years it has become a prominent backer of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Online Safety Act, a law tightening government oversight of digital platforms.

Reports linking the group to Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s chief of staff, have heightened U.S. concerns that the CCDH may function as a conduit for foreign influence in domestic policy.

In Washington, the organization has faced mounting scrutiny from conservative legal groups. America First Legal, a watchdog organization allied with Trump’s political movement, has filed a complaint with the Department of Justice alleging that the CCDH operates as an unregistered foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

No formal confirmation has been issued of Ahmed’s deportation, but officials are believed to be examining the group’s legal and immigration status. Were such an action to proceed, it would mark a rare instance of the U.S. government expelling the head of a foreign-linked nonprofit engaged in policy advocacy.

It’s now the U.S. vs China, everyone else needs to choose a side

Russia advances on battlefield as it braces for economic shocks and pours money into banks

Russia’s financial authorities are pouring unprecedented sums into the country’s banking system in 2025, as the government and the central bank move to shore up lenders strained by sanctions and isolation. The Bank of Russia has announced an 800 billion ruble (about USD 8.8 billion) “counter-cyclical buffer,” along with tighter capital rules for heavily indebted firms.

Behind the technocratic phrasing lies anxiety about the stability of the financial sector. Reports from Russian and independent outlets describe banks being sustained by state lending and regulatory leniency, while officials quietly discuss potential bail-outs for major institutions.

Moscow’s decision to inject capital through bank share purchases and liquidity lines points to concern over a wave of defaults or liquidity shortfalls. The move is an unmistakable sign that the Kremlin is preparing for an economy under prolonged strain, where war-time spending and sanctions combine to erode confidence in the country’s financial core.

On the battlefield, Russia’s army continues to grind forward in Ukraine’s south, making slow and costly advances that are beginning to shape the front line.

The fiercest action is now around the Zaporizhzhia region, where Russian units have intensified their offensive along the Donetsk–Zaporizhzhia border, employing heavy artillery and infiltration tactics. Unlike the defense around Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad (where Ukrainian troops are holding firm and inflicting heavy losses) the fighting in parts of Zaporizhzhia appears less balanced, with Russian forces pushing ahead under cover of dense bombardment.

UK to send troops to Belgium over drone incursions

Britain is deploying Royal Air Force personnel from the 2nd Force Protection Wing to Belgium following a series of mysterious drone incursions that have disrupted air traffic and raised alarms among NATO officials.

The move comes after repeated sightings of unidentified drones near Brussels’ Zaventem and Liège airports, both of which were temporarily closed, as well as over several military installations, including Kleine-Brogel Air Base, which reportedly houses U.S. nuclear weapons. The Belgian government requested allied support after acknowledging shortfalls in its counter-drone capabilities.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff, said the origin of the drones remains unknown. “We don’t know, and the Belgians don’t know, the source of those drones,” he told the BBC, “but we will help them by providing our equipment and capability, which has already begun to deploy.” While speculation has focused on Russian involvement, reflecting the broader pattern of hybrid warfare in Europe, no conclusive evidence has been made public.

Belgium’s position at the heart of NATO and the European Union, as well as its role in managing frozen Russian assets, has amplified the strategic sensitivity of the incidents. The incursions, blending civilian disruption with possible military reconnaissance, have highlighted vulnerabilities in European airspace and the growing need for advanced counter-UAS (uncrewed aerial system) technology.

For NATO, the rapid deployment of British personnel and equipment demonstrates both alliance solidarity and an emerging recognition that hybrid threats have become a central feature of European security.

Thailand suspends ceasefire with Cambodia after border mine blast

Thailand has suspended its ceasefire agreement with Cambodia after a landmine explosion wounded four Thai soldiers along the border in Sisaket province, one of whom lost a leg.

The Thai army accused Cambodian troops of planting new mines on Thai soil, calling the incident a serious violation of the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord signed on 26 October 2025. In response, Bangkok halted all steps to implement the U.S.- and Malaysia-brokered truce, including the release of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war, until Phnom Penh provides a full explanation and verifiable proof of compliance.

Cambodia denied laying new mines, claiming the blast was caused by remnants from earlier conflicts. The dispute exposes the fragility of the peace process and the deep mistrust that continues to define relations between the two neighbors, who have fought sporadically over disputed border territory for decades.

It also marks a setback for Washington’s efforts to reassert itself as a regional mediator, particularly since the agreement was personally endorsed by President Donald Trump.

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