Rooma News ; Xi Wraps Up US Visit as Both Sides Extend Trade Truce.Bitget Hit by Nearly $400 Million Heist

 Rooma News

By Rooma Mehmood · Islamabad

Saturday, September 26, 2026

World & Pakistan Edition

Top Story

Xi Wraps Up US Visit as Both Sides Extend Trade Truce

Three days of summitry bring ceremony and a two-month tariff reprieve, but Taiwan and the deeper trade dispute go untouched

Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded a three-day state visit to Washington marked by high-level meetings, a state dinner and official tours. The two leaders agreed to extend their existing trade and tariff truce by two months and to meet again later this year, touching also on Iran and artificial intelligence. Analysts described the visit as heavy on optics and light on substance, with Taiwan and the wider trade dispute left unresolved.

World News

Bitget Hit by Nearly $400 Million Heist

A backend breach let attackers spoof transactions and drain Bitget's hot and warm wallets of an estimated $351–388 million from September 24, though cold wallets and private keys stayed secure. CEO Gracy Chen said the method resembles known North Korean hacking patterns; a $464 million protection fund will cover losses while withdrawals stay paused and investigators trace the funds.

Kyiv Strikes Kill Several as War Drags On

Russian drone and missile barrages on Kyiv killed several people, among them a teenager, and wounded dozens, as strikes continued on both sides of the front.

Iran Floats Hormuz Reopening; Washington Balks

Tehran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days under conditions, but the offer was reportedly rejected by the US. Houthi missiles and drones aimed at Saudi Arabia were largely intercepted, prompting UN Security Council condemnation and fresh calls to keep Gulf shipping lanes open.

Around the World

Flooding in Thailand has killed at least two and disrupted tens of thousands; a fire aboard a Russian fishing vessel off Kamchatka left crew missing or injured; Pope Leo warned the UN risks losing relevance amid mounting crises; and Netanyahu delivered a combative address at the UN.

Pakistan News

PTI Long March Pushed to October 4

PTI postponed its planned Islamabad march as the government mounted heavy security. PM Shehbaz Sharif invited opposition figure Mahmood Khan Achakzai for direct talks, even as federal ministers accused the PTI-led KP government of enabling militants and rights groups criticized the detention of party workers.

33 Militants Killed in Balochistan Operations

Security forces have killed 33 terrorists in Balochistan since September 21, amid lingering concern over Afghan border security and the recent attack on the Kohat police lines complex.

PM: Gulf Waterways Must Stay Open

PM Shehbaz Sharif called the Haramain a "red line" and pressed for open Gulf shipping lanes, highlighting Pakistan's mediation role. Military chiefs from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye met under the Makkah defence pact, which the PM said targets no country.

Economy in Brief

Nearly 10,000 traders joined the new Asan tax scheme in its first month, and hybrid car prices fell after a GST cut. Inflation rose on food and energy costs even as petrol nudged up and diesel eased. Over six million people have registered for the PM's fuel relief scheme, Diamer-Bhasha Dam passed a construction milestone, flash-flood risk persists in upper areas, and President Zardari approved an ordinance protecting Islamabad's Safe City infrastructure.

Editorial

Navigating Storms at Home and Abroad

On this Saturday in late September, overlapping pressures at home and abroad call for clarity and restraint. The Trump–Xi summit offered optics and a short trade reprieve but little structural progress, while the Hormuz standoff and Houthi attacks deepen a sense of a fractured global order — underscored by the Bitget hack, a reminder of how exposed digital finance remains to sophisticated threats.

Pakistan's own picture mirrors that complexity. The long march's postponement buys time, but polarization, accusations of militant facilitation and heavy security deployments show how strained politics remain, even as operations continue against real militant threats. Relief measures on tax and fuel are welcome, though inflation still bites.

Islamabad's diplomacy — pressing for open sea lanes and offering mediation through the Makkah pact — is the right instinct. The test now is consistency: firmness against terrorism paired with openness to dialogue at home, and defence cooperation paired with real efforts to ease tension abroad. Turning today's pauses into lasting progress is the leadership challenge, in Islamabad and beyond.

Rooma News · Islamabad · Compiled Saturday, September 26, 2026