CEASEFIRE: An outlawed Pakistani militant group behind numerous gun and bomb attacks announced a three-day ceasefire early today ahead of a key Muslim holiday, hours after Pakistan and Afghanistan also declared a temporary pause to escalating fighting. No exchanges of fire were reported.

Mohammad Khurasani, a spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, said the ceasefire was intended to allow people to observe Eid al-Fitr.

VENEZUELA: Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez announced a major Cabinet shake-up on Wednesday with the appointment of a new defence minister to replace General Vladimir Padrino Lopez.

Ms Rodriguez said the appointment of General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez was effective immediately. 

UKRAINE AID: European Union leaders today lashed out at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, accusing him of hijacking aid for Ukraine and undermining EU decision-making in an effort to win an election at home.

Mr Orban has blocked an aid package he previously agreed to, citing Ukrainian damage to a pipeline carrying Russian gas as a breach of faith.

HONG KONG: An independent committee investigating the cause of a deadly November 2025 Hong Kong fire that engulfed seven buildings and killed 168 people got underway today.

In his opening remarks, committee lead lawyer Victor Dawes said the most likely cause of the fire was cigarettes that lit other materials on fire on a platform in an air shaft between two low-level units in Wang Cheong House.