Markets have been waiting for news on Chinese tariff cuts on US farm goods following last week’s Washington summit of leaders Xi Jinping and Donald Trump.

The agricultural tariff cuts are part of the $60 billion package of reciprocal tariff cuts negotiated by the Board of Trade and unveiled for the first time on Monday.

The list covers sorghum, vegetable oils and meals, including soya oil and soya meal, along with meat, dairy products and other items.

While the proposal identifies the covered products, it does not specify when the tariff cuts will take effect.

More than 90 per cent of the covered products will be exempt from all additional tariffs imposed on each other and will instead be subject to most-favoured-nation tariff rates, the commerce ministry said in a statement.

US soybeans, however, still face an additional tariff of 10pc, which traders have warned is too high for private crushers to absorb, even as Chinese state buyers have stepped up purchases.

“Despite the soybean being a non-sensitive item in trade, the political significance of China’s soybean purchase is enormous and carries major political implications,” said Feng Chucheng, founder and partner at Hutong Research.

Keeping soya beans on a separate track gives Beijing leverage in its dealings with Washington, especially ahead of the US midterm elections, Feng added.

Chinese state-run agricultural companies Sinograin and COFCO have bought more than 12 million metric tons of US soya beans, nearly half the 25 million the White House has said Beijing committed to buying annually through 2028.

Trade in the agricultural and related products on Monday’s list stood at about $17 billion in 2024, roughly matching China’s reported purchase commitment, excluding soya beans, according to Reuters calculations.

In May, the White House said Beijing had agreed to buy that volume annually through 2028, but China has yet to confirm any target for such purchases.

State-run companies will continue to buy US soya beans and the tariff cuts on other goods will help China meet the $17 billion commitment, said a trader based in Asia with an international company that sells soya beans to China who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Without tariffs, the landed cost for both US and Brazilian beans is roughly $595 per ton, although Brazilian soya beans are generally preferred for their higher oil and protein content, according to traders. At those prices, Chinese private crushers are running at negative margins.

The most-active soya bean contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was trading down 1.38pc at $13-3/4 per bushel as of 0709 GMT.

Addressing media in Islamabad, Chaudhry recalled that KP Chief Minister Sohail Afridi held a “very lengthy” press conference in Dera Ismail Khan in the wake of Saturday’s deadly suicide blast.

“Why did they not condemn Afghanistan? Why do you have a soft attitude on Afghanistan? Why do you deliberately employ such ambiguity and demeanour, and do not openly condemn or name the real enemy or the source of these proxies?” he asked.

At the outset of his press conference, Chaudhry noted that terrorist “proxies are financed by our eastern border and their hideouts are on the western border”.

He emphasised that Pakistan had employed “every way” to convey its concerns to Kabul, including dialogue, dossiers and international forums, but to no avail.

More to follow

Two passersby were also injured in the firing and were subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment, the report added.

Police said the attackers fled with the traffic police mobile van. A heavy contingent of police reached the site shortly afterwards and cordoned off the area, while a search operation was launched to trace the suspects and recover the vehicle.

An investigation into the attack was underway, with efforts being made to identify and arrest those involved, police say.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi expressed deep sorrow over the attack and sought a report from the relevant senior authorities. In a statement, the governor conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families and colleagues of the martyred policemen.

Kundi directed the authorities to ensure that all possible medical treatment was provided to the injured and prayed for their early recovery.

Earlier this month, at least 21 people, including 15 police officials, were martyred when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque in Kohat Police Lines, followed by terrorists storming the compound and attacking police facilities, according to senior police and district health officials.

On July 26, a terrorist attack on a joint police checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tank district martyred 15 people, including 14 security personnel, the military’s media wing.

Among those martyred were 12 soldiers, two policemen and a government official.

In another attack during the same month, two cops were martyred and as many injured in what police suspected was an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.

KP has been facing security challenges, and according to monthly data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), mainland KP recorded 54 terrorist attacks last month, marking a 50 per cent increase compared to July.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) recorded 33mm of rain at Saidpur village on Monday morning. Golra, near E-11, received 25mm of rain, while Pirwadhai and Gawalmandi recorded 28mm and 27mm, respectively. According to PMD data, 23mm of rain was recorded in H-8, 22mm in I-12 and 29mm in Shamsabad.

In its update, the PMD advised residents to stay away from Nullah Lai.

“Nullah Lai is being continuously monitored, and the public is being kept informed in a timely manner,” Rawalpindi Commissioner Salman Ghani said.

The water flow is currently normal, according to the authorities.

The water level in Nullah Lai stands at 5.5 feet at Katarian and 2 feet at Gawalmandi.

In a post on X, the Islamabad Traffic Police said its officers were ensuring a smooth flow of traffic and urged residents to adhere to traffic advisories and cooperate with the police.

Heavy rain caused two flight diversions, Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said.

A Pakistan International Airlines flight from Paris to Islamabad was diverted to Multan airport, where it landed at 5:44am, later departing for Islamabad at 8:21am, PAA said.

Furthermore, an AirSial flight from Jeddah to Islamabad was diverted to Peshawar due to “bad weather”, landing at 10:25am, PAA said.

Drainage operations were under way in the twin cities, while the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) Rawalpindi had deployed staff and heavy machinery in low-lying areas.

Heavy machinery had been stationed at Liaquat Bagh, Committee Chowk Underpass, Murree Road, Dhok Khabba, Circular Road and low-lying areas of Sadiqabad.

Citizens were urged to contact the district administration or the Wasa helpline in case of an emergency.

or the rest of the week, the PMD has forecast mainly dry weather in most parts of the country, while partly cloudy weather with isolated rain, wind and thunderstorms is expected in the northern hilly areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

The first quarter-final, scheduled at Korogi Sports Park, was called off at the time of the toss after incessant showers left large parts of the ground under covers. Officials determined there was no realistic chance of play, even in a heavily reduced format.

Pakistan, one of four seeded teams alongside India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh that received a direct entry into the last eight, advanced under tournament regulations that award the higher-ranked side progression in the event of a no-result.

Hong Kong, ranked significantly lower, exited the competition without taking the field.

Hong Kong had reached the quarter-finals by finishing second in Group ‘B’ having defeated Malaysia by eight wickets before suffering a 41-run loss to Oman.

Pakistan had arrived in Japan after a training camp in Karachi and a practice session in Nisshin that was also disrupted by overnight rain and a wet outfield.

The side, captained by Sahibzada Farhan and coached by Mike Hesson, will face the winners of Tuesday’s quarter-final between Bangladesh and Malaysia in the semi-finals, scheduled for Thursday at the same venue.

This would have been the third T20 meeting between the two sides, with Pakistan having prevailed in both previous encounters at the 2022 Asia Cup and the 2023 Asian Games. Pakistan won bronze in the men’s cricket event at the 2010 Asian Games.

The second quarter-final between India and Afghanistan, scheduled to be the later fixture at the same venue was also abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain.

India, being the higher-ranked side, advanced to the semi-finals where they will meet the winners of the quarter-final between Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The semi-finals are set for October 1, with the bronze-medal match and final scheduled for October 3.

Officers detained the three men in the early hours of Sunday after they received a tip-off that three large white vans had been seen heading to the military airfield of RAF Fairford in the west of England.

US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been looking to do “big damage” and had been under investigation by British and US authorities. However, a local farmer said she had tipped off police after seeing a group of “hooded and masked men” running into the fields.

British counterterrorism detectives have not yet publicly stated who they assessed was involved but a source familiar with the investigation said an Iranian-linked motive was considered the most likely, while a Russian sabotage operation or an Islamist plot were also being looked at as possibilities.

Defence minister Wes Streeting told BBC News on Monday that he would not speculate about motives of a live investigation.

But he added on the general Iranian threat to the country: “We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm. We know that they hate our democracy, and we know that we regularly have to thwart Iranian attempts to threaten either our interests or indeed our allies.”

In May, Britain sanctioned 12 individuals and entities linked to Iran, accusing them of involvement in hostile activity including plotting attacks and providing financial services to groups seeking to destabilise the UK and other countries.

Iran has repeatedly denied involvement in attacks or plots in the UK and elsewhere.

Base cordoned off

The British government had given authorisation to the US to use bombers based at Fairford to strike Iranian missile sites that were attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The government has said Prime Minister Andy Burnham is being regularly updated on the incident and he cancelled attending at least two events at his Labour Party’s annual conference on Sunday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had warned Britain in July not to allow US bombers to fly from Fairford, saying any base used to launch attacks would be a legitimate target.

In Fairford, police have imposed a 400-metre cordon around the base and evacuated residents from 85 homes.

A bomb disposal robot could be seen on Sunday operating around the three white vans, while security was stepped up around the base. Armed police stood guard at the main entrance while large machinery was used to block other access points.

Security was also stepped up at other US bases in Britain.

According to the order sheet available with Dawn, the commission was informed that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had approved the summary seeking the extension and forwarded it to the provincial cabinet for a decision.

The cabinet is expected to meet on Oct 1, the order sheet said, adding that “it was therefore appropriate to adjourn Monday’s proceedings until Oct 2 at 10am”.

The order sheet said that if the cabinet decided not to extend the commission’s tenure, no further witnesses would be called and the report would shortly thereafter be submitted on the basis of the statements recorded so far.

However, if the cabinet approved the extension, fresh notices would be issued to the witnesses. A questionnaire for three senior police officers would also be sent on Oct 2, it added.

On Saturday, the commission had dismissed an application filed by the deceased’s family seeking the personal appearance of the Karachi police chief and the head of the investigation team before the commission.

Last week, the judicial commission declined a request by Dr Osama Shaikh, the medico-legal officer who conducted Ali’s first autopsy, to record a further statement.

In its order, the commission said it had enough information to determine the facts and circumstances of the case and attribute any negligence. It also cautioned investor Ahmed Bhardey against attempting to derail the proceedings through media statements.

The commission had earlier questioned discrepancies in Dr Shaikh’s post-mortem reports. Ali’s body was later exhumed and a second autopsy was conducted, which concluded that he had been shot in the back and ruled out suicide.

The case so far

Ali’s body was found a day after he went missing on July 28. Since then, the case has been mired in controversy, with the deceased’s family accusing the police of trying to bury the facts while the investigators initially attempted to build the case around the possibility of a suicide.

Days after the recovery of Ali’s body on July 29, Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed had told Geo News that the post-mortem findings in the case had raised several questions, as some observations in the report did not appear to match the available photographs.

On August 6, a Karachi court took up an application by Ali’s father, allowed the exhumation of his body, ordered the formation of a medico-legal board for the purpose and directed that a second autopsy of Ali’s body be conducted.

The Sindh health department then constituted an eight-member board, with police surgeon Dr Syed as the convener. However, in the early hours of August 7, the board was reconstituted through an order issued by the director general of the Sindh health department.

While Dr Syed remained the convener of the new five-member board, its members were changed.

But Ali’s family rejected the new board, which also resulted in the deferment of the planned exhumation on Friday. Meanwhile, the counsel for Ali’s family, Nasir, accused the authorities of trying to bury the facts.

The Sindh government then restored the original medical board, following which Ali’s body was exhumed on August 8.

A day later, the Sindh inspector general of police’s (IG) office notified the reconstitution of the investigating team probing Ali’s death, while Karachi Additional IG Azad Khan transferred the investigation into Ali’s murder to Zaman Town police station from Ferozabad Police Station, where the case was registered under charges of kidnapping.

The order for the probe team’s reconstitution also showed that a murder charge had been added to the first information report.

The same day, the Sindh government decided to seek a judicial commission for the case’s investigation, only to defer the plan a day later after Ali’s family said they had made no such demand and had faith in the new investigation team.

On Aug 19, Ali’s parents, Mir Hussain and Mariam Hussain, wrote to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, seeking his “direct supervision of the murder investigation”. They also urged the chief minister to order an investigation and departmental inquiry into the previous investigation team and immediately suspend the officers involved.

The provincial government acknowledged the letter and announced the decision on Aug 23 to form a judicial commission to determine whether the investigation in the case was being conducted impartially and to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ali’s death.

However, the counsel for Ali’s family approached the SHC, objecting to the provincial government’s decision to form a judicial commission and seeking the formation of an independent and multi-agency JIT “comprising officers who have had no previous involvement in the case”.

On Sept 2, the SHC dismissed that petition filed by Ali’s family, observing that constituting such a body was the “prerogative of the government”.

Meanwhile, the final report of Ali’s second post-mortem for the Mir Raza Ali murder case confirmed that his death was caused by a gunshot wound to the back.

“Death occurred due to cardiac rupture consequent to perforating firearm injury of the chest,” the report stated, adding that the entry wound was on the posterior thorax (back) and the exit wound on the anterior thorax (front of the chest).

“The findings are inconsistent with suicide as the manner of death,” it confirmed.