1. Social media apps are still interrupted from time to time, while the internet remains slow and yet, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has reported that incidents of WhatsApp hacking are rapidly increasing in Pakistan.
1,426 complaints have been received in the last four months. The FIA, so far, has recovered 549 hacked accounts, but 877 complaints remain under investigation.
This increase also calls for users to strengthen their online security through strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and caution with suspicious links.
Hacking tactics include creating fake WhatsApp profiles using stolen photos of victims’ friends and family. They then send messages to gain the victims’ trust and ask for personal information or verification codes to access their accounts.
2. India is likely to support Pakistan’s bid to join the BRICS bloc, an alliance that challenges the economic monopoly of the West, Indian media has reported. Indian media has speculated that following Russia’s influence on India, News Delhi may vote in favour of Pakistan joining the BRICS.
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“One of the key takeaways of the summit is likely to be India’s green signal to Pakistan’s long-pending bid for membership in the bloc,” ABP Live reported.
Pakistan applied for membership in BRICS in August 2023; following this, other countries, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Malaysia, also formally applied to become members of the bloc.
3. The Council of Islamic Ideology has recommended that the government make the practice of giving three talaqs at once punishable. In a meeting chaired by Dr. Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naimi, the Council also suggested increasing the punishment for violating the Dowry Act from six months to one year and adjusting marriage expenses to equalise costs. They decided to send a previously prepared draft on this subject to the federal government.
Punjab police have proposed making domestic violence a non-bailable offence and amending the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act (PPWVA-2016) to include a Rs 1 million fine for offenders. IG Police Dr. Usman Anwar submitted this proposal to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, citing concerns that most domestic violence suspects escape legal action. Currently, only 6% of incidents result in FIRs due to a lack of clear legal definitions. The proposed changes aim to strengthen protections for women and ensure better enforcement against domestic violence in Punjab.
4. The IMF forecasts that global economic growth will stabilise at 3.2% in 2025 and rise to about 3.3% by 2026. This outlook comes amid ongoing inflation and geopolitical uncertainties that are slowing recovery in major economies. In its World Economic Outlook report, the IMF cautioned that persistent inflation, rising energy costs, and geopolitical conflicts could disrupt global trade and investment, affecting some regions more than others.
5. Chinese military drills have been exercised around Taiwan for the past five years, but now, the practice has intensified since Taiwanese polls in April that elected President William Lai Ching-te, whom Beijing has labelled a “dangerous separatist”.
On October 14, Beijing launched large-scale military drills, which included the army, navy, air force and rocket force, after which Taiwan’s defence chief cautioned that a Chinese blockade would be considered an act of war and could have a severe impact on international trade.
These drills came soon after Lai delivered his National Day speech on October 10 and were issued as a “stern warning to the separatist acts of ‘Taiwan Independence’ forces”.
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