48: Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire after a series of skirmishes along their 1,622-mile long border over the last week. The two neighbors have long had a testy relationship, dating back to Afghanistan’s vote against allowing Pakistan to join the United Nations in 1947. Their current tensions center on the Taliban’s reporting funding for a militant group that seeks to undermine the Pakistani government.
14%: Soy plantations cover 14% of Brazil’s agricultural land – and they are now the subject of a major geopolitical muddle involving the US and China. At stake are Brazil’s rainforests. Beijing has stopped buying soybeans from the US amid a broader trade dispute, and seeks to fill the shortfall through Brazil, which could threaten President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s efforts to stem deforestation.
79: South Korea is working to rescue citizens trapped in Cambodia’s online scam centers, where hundreds have been trafficked, tortured, or killed after being lured by fake job offers. Officials say 79 remain missing. The crackdown follows US, UK, and Chinese actions against Southeast Asia’s multibillion-dollar cybercrime networks.
