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Found 10418 news

• Govt orders inquiry into Cambridge exam leaks

  Dawn - 09:02 May 14, 2026
  

  The interior ministry on Thursday directed the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) to investigate, in coordination with Cambridge International Education (CIE), the leaking of the latter’s exam papers. According to a handout issued by the interior ministry, the development came as Interior Secretary Muhammad Khurram Agha chaired a high-level meeting regarding the “alleged leakage of Cambridge examination papers” at the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control. A day earlier, CIE confirmed the leak of an AS-level Mathematics exam paper held on Tuesday and announced the postponement of another Mathematics paper scheduled for Friday (tomorrow). This was the second such incident it had confirmed during the ongoing session. However, the statement issued by the ministry mentioned the “alleged leakage of Cambridge O Level Mathematics examination papers”. Thursday’s meeting was attended by the Education Secretary Nadeem Mahbub, representatives from CIE, NCCIA Director General Syed Khurram Ali, represe...

  Tags: Cambridge

• HRCP 'deeply alarmed' at continued captivity of seafarers onboard tanker seized by Somali pirates

  Dawn - 07:09 May 14, 2026
  

  The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday expressed alarm at the continued captivity of Pakistanis aboard an oil tanker seized by Somali pirates, demanding urgent action by the government and the relevant authorities. The MT Honour 25, a Palau-flagged product tanker, was seized on April 21, approximately 30 nautical miles off Somalia’s Puntland region with 17 crew members aboard, 10 of them Pakistani. In a post on X, the HRCP said that it was “deeply alarmed by the continued captivity of the Pakistan crew members aboard the MT Honour 25 by Somali pirates and demands urgent action by the Pakistan government and all relevant international authorities”. The commission also expressed concern at reports over the living conditions of the hostages. “Reports that hostages are surviving on contaminated water and minimal food while their families endure severe psychological distress are unacceptable,” HRCP said. The human rights body stated that it stood in solidarity with “the families in Karachi prot...

  Tags: HRCP Somali

• Former Indian army chief backs RSS leader's call for engaging in dialogue with Pakistan

  Dawn - 06:45 May 14, 2026
  

  Former Indian army chief Gen (retired) Manoj Naravane has supported the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) secretary general’s remarks calling for keeping the window for dialogue between Islamabad and New Delhi open. In an interview with Press Trust of India aired on Tuesday, RSS Secretary General Dattatreya Hosabale said there “should always be a window for dialogue” between Pakistan and India, terming people-to-people contacts as key to breaking the deadlock in ties. Responding to a query about how India should deal with Pakistan, Hosabale said, “If Pakistan is like a pinprick trying to create incidents like Pulwama, etc, we have to answer appropriately according to the situation because the security and self-respect of a country and nation have to be protected.” Over 40 Indian paramilitary troops were killed in the Pulwama attack in occupied Kashmir in 2019. India alleged that those who planned the attacks had links with the Pakistani state — a charge that Pakistan has vigorously denied. The RSS secretary g...

  Tags: Pakistan Former Indian

• India bars sugar exports until September

  Dawn - 06:34 May 14, 2026
  

  India, one of the world’s largest sugar producers, has banned exports of the key commodity until the end of September to ensure enough domestic supplies and prevent prices from rising. The government prohibited exports “with immediate effect”, according to an order issued late on Wednesday, other than limited exceptions, including consignments already in the pipeline. Exports under government deals for food security with other countries would also be allowed, the order said. The ban will stay in place until September 30. The move comes amid concerns that the country’s next sugar harvest, which starts around October, could be affected by a lower-than-average monsoon because of the El Nino weather pattern. The US-Iran war has strained India’s economy, heavily reliant on Middle Eastern energy supplies and fertiliser imports, and has cast uncertainty over New Delhi’s growth outlook. India’s sugar exports have fallen sharply since their peak in 2021-22, government data shows. Shipments reached a record 11 million ...

  Tags: September India

• Constable injured in attack on checkpost succumbs to wounds in Charsadda

  Dawn - 05:56 May 14, 2026
  

  CHARSADDA: A constable, who was critically injured in an attack on a checkpost in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Charsadda last month, succumbed to his wounds, police said on Thursday. Charsadda police spokesperson Safiullah said Constable Sajjad Khan was injured when unidentified militants targeted the Azizabad checkpost with explosive material on April 22. He said the constable was taken to the hospital in a critical condition, where he remained under treatment before embracing martyrdom late on Wednesday night. Saifullah said that the constable’s funeral prayers were offered on Thursday morning with official honours at Police Lines Charsadda. A smartly turned-out police contingent saluted the martyr, while floral wreaths were laid on the coffin, he added. District Police Officer (DPO) Mohammad Waqas Khan, Superintendent Police Investigation Alamzeb Khan, Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Headquarters Anwar Khan, Counter Terrorism Department DSP Jamshed Khan, the relatives of the deceased and a large number of resid...

  Tags: Charsadda

• UAE 'denies reports' of secret Netanyahu visit

  Dawn - 04:38 May 14, 2026
  

  The United Arab Emirates said Thursday it “denies reports” that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secretly visited the country, after Netanyahu’s office said he had met with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) president during the war with Iran. Netanyahu’s office said on Wednesday he had “paid a secret visit to the United Arab Emirates” during the war, “where he met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan”. The announcement came a day after US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced that Israel had sent its Iron Dome air-defence systems, plus personnel to operate them, to the UAE during the war with Iran. While stopping short of confirming Huckabee’s comments, Netanyahu’s office said the visit “marked a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates”. The UAE did not directly deny any such visit, referring to “reports” of a visit. “The United Arab Emirates denies reports circulating regarding an alleged visit by Netanyahu to the UAE, or receiving any Isr...

  Tags: Netanyahu

• Punjab to include Marka-i-Haq in textbooks

  Dawn - 04:09 May 14, 2026
  

  LAHORE: Punjab has decided to include the four-day war between Pakistan and India — Marka-i-Haq — in the national curriculum and make films on it. The decision was taken in a meeting of the Information Steering Committee with Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari in the chair here on Wednesday. “To instil a spirit of patriotism among the younger generation, the content related to Marka-i-Haq will be incorporated into the academic curriculum. Besides, the programmes related to it (Marka-i-Haq) and national unity would be held in private educational institutions with the same enthusiasm as that of the public,” the minister said. The four-day armed conflict between Pakistan and India in May last year marked one of the most serious military escalations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours in recent years. Tensions erupted after a militant attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based elements, an allegation Islamabad denied. Films on war narrative will also be prod...

  Tags: Marka-i-Haq Punjab

• Henley places Pakistani passport on 100th spot

  Dawn - 03:07 May 14, 2026
  

  ISLAMABAD: With visa-free access to 30 countries, Pakistan’s passport has been ranked at the 100th spot in the world by the Henley Passport Index. The Henley Passport Index compares 199 different passports across 227 different travel destinations, and calculates the score based on the number of destinations that can be accessed visa-free. Over the past decade, Pakistan has remained close to the bottom of the rankings, although its position has steadily improved since 2021. In January, Pakistan’s rank improved to 98th, up from the 103rd spot in 2025. In the current rankings, only Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have scored lower. In February 2026, Pakistani citizens had access to 32 destinations, up from 31 in January following the reinstatement of The Gambia. However, the latest May ranking reduces the total to 30 destinations, highlighting ongoing adjustments in global visa policies and bilateral travel arrangements. The list is dominated by Asian countries, with Singapore retaining its position, while Japan, So...

  Tags: Pakistani

• IMF funds arrive as govt opens pre-budget talks

  Dawn - 02:54 May 14, 2026
  

  • Aurangzeb, mission discusses revenue targets, tax measures, reforms, fiscal strategy • Lender stresses need for fiscal discipline • Minister heads to China for Panda bond launch ISLAMA­BAD / KARACHI: Pakistan has received fresh inflows of $1.3 billion from the Interna­tional Mon­e­t­ary Fund (IMF), which has pushed the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) foreign exchange reserves above $17bn and closer to the central bank’s target of $18bn. Meanwhile, a visiting IMF mission on Wednesday began a pre-budget review of Pakistan’s economy, focusing on revenue collection targets, proposed tax measures, reforms and the fiscal strategy for 2026-27. The Fund approved special drawing rights (SDR) worth 760 million for Pakistan under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and SDR 154 million under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). “The SBP has received SDR 914m (equivalent to about $1.3bn) under the EFF and RSF in value dated May 12, 2026, from the IMF,” the central bank said on Wednesday. The SBP’s foreign exch­...

• PTI defends MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son over asylum move, assails govt’s ‘oppression’

  Dawn - 19:04 May 13, 2026
  

  ISLAMABAD: PTI on Wednesday defended MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son, who surrendered his passport and sought asylum in a European country, saying he had no other option left to prevent detention and harassment. The matter came to light during a recent meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior, where State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry alleged that MNA Iqbal Afridi’s son had sought asylum in Italy. The minister had alleged that the young man held a diplomatic passport, and proceeded to Italy via a European nation that does not require Pakistanis who hold official passports to obtain a visa before arrival. Talking to Dawn, Sheikh Waqas Akram, the information secretary of PTI, said he had personally spoken to Afridi about the issue. “Afridi’s son is 28-year-old so he does not carry a diplomatic passport. According to rules, only dependents, which include children below 18 years and spouses of MNAs, can carry a diplomatic passport,” he said. Waqas further claimed that Afridi’s son travelled t...

  Tags: MNA Iqbal Afridi

• Major among five soldiers martyred during operation in Balochistan’s Barkhan: ISPR

  Dawn - 18:59 May 13, 2026
  

  A major-ranked officer was among five soldiers martyred during an area sanitisation operation in Balochistan’s Barkham district, said the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday. At least seven terrorists were also killed during the operation. According to a statement by the military’s media wing, the operation, carried out by the Pakistan Army and Frontier Corps Balochistan, took place in Barkham district’s Nosham area and targeted members of Fitna al Hindustan — a term used by the state to designate terrorist organisations in Balo­chistan. “During the operation, a group of terrorists was located and engaged by troops. During [the] fire exchange, seven terrorists of Indian-backed Fitna al Hindustan were sent to hell,” ISPR said, adding that weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists. “However, during intense fire exchange, five brave sons of soil, including a field officer, met the ultimate sacrifice and embraced shahadat (martyrdom),” ISPR added. The martyr...

  Tags: Balochistan ISPR

• 'No indication' Andes strain of hantavirus has mutated: EU agency

  Dawn - 18:40 May 13, 2026
  

  The European Union’s health agency (ECDC) said on Wednesday there was nothing to suggest that the Andes strain of hantavirus had mutated following a deadly outbreak of the illness on a cruise ship. The deaths of three passengers from a rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise from Argentina to Cape Verde sparked international alarm. Seven other passengers are confirmed to have the virus, including a French woman in a critical condition, while an eighth case is considered “probable”, according to an AFP tally. All of the passengers have been evacuated and are now in quarantine. “Preliminary investigations based on the whole genome sequencing that is available to us suggest that there are no indications that this virus is acting any differently from the known virus circulating in some regions of the world,” Andreas Hoefer, of the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, told journalists. “All sequences obtained to date are virtually identical, which means that there is likely only a singl...

  Tags: Andes

• Flydubai suspends flights to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar till Oct due to 'operational issues'

  Dawn - 17:17 May 13, 2026
  

  Flydubai has suspended its flight operations from and to Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar till October 26 due to “operational reasons”, the airline’s flight inquiry in Pakistan said. However, flight operations from and to Karachi will continue as usual, the airline confirmed. Flydubai, a low-cost airline based in the United Arab Emirates, launched its operations in Islamabad and Lahore in July 2024, and commenced flights to Peshawar in May last year. According to aviation monitor Flightradar24, flydubai’s flights between Islamabad and Dubai (FZ353, FZ354), Lahore and Dubai (FZ359, FZ360), and Peshawar and Dubai (FZ375, FZ376) were cancelled since at least May 7. A statement on flydubai’s website, issued on March 31 — days after the Iran war began — says that the airline is “currently operating flights across its network with a reduced schedule”. It advised passengers to regularly check flight status and operational updates for the latest information before heading to the airport. While the statement did not men...

  Tags: FlyDubai Lahore Peshawar Islamabad

• IHC rules high courts can assume jurisdiction in cases of promotion assessments

  Dawn - 17:14 May 13, 2026
  

  ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday set aside the supersession and deferment of top bureaucrats in promotion matters and ruled that high courts can assume jurisdiction in cases relating to assessment of “fitness” and “suitability” for promotion. In a detailed judgment authored by Justice Raja Inaam Ameen Minhas, the court held that denial of fair consideration for promotion was amenable to judicial review and such disputes did not fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Service Tribunal. The judgment came on a series of petitions filed by BS-20 officers belonging to the Police Service of Pakistan (PSP), Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS), Inland Revenue Service (IRS), Pakistan Customs Service (PCS), and the health sector, which had challenged their supersession or deferment by the Central Selection Board (CSB) during meetings held in March 2025. The court set aside the CSB’s decision and directed that the cases of the officers be considered afresh. The court observed that a...

• Trump arrives in Beijing for high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi

  Dawn - 17:02 May 13, 2026
  

  United States President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beginning the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, Trump touched down on Air Force One at Beijing Capital International Airport at 7:50pm (4:50pm PKT) after the long flight from Washington. Ructions over Iran, trade and Taiwan loom over the highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s largest economies, which Trump had already delayed from March because of the war in the Middle East. But Trump appeared firmly focused on business deals, with Nvidia chief Jensen Huang boarding the plane at the last minute in Alaska and Tesla’s Elon Musk also travelling on the presidential jet. Trump was welcomed by Chinese dignitaries, a tightly choreographed formation of military honour guard and dozens of Chinese students waving US and Chinese flags as he disembarked Air Force One in the waning hours of twilight. Pausing midway down the red carpet as the students chanted “...

  Tags: Beijing Chinese President Trump

• Pakistan, WHO launch Prime Minister's Hepatitis C Elimination Programme

  Dawn - 16:22 May 13, 2026
  

  ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday launched the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme, aiming to end the disease by 2030, according to a press release issued by the ministry. “Pakistan and the WHO today launched the Prime Minister’s Hepatitis C Elimination Programme in Islamabad with the goal of reaching 1.6 million people in the area over the next 6 months, and over 164 million across the country in subsequent phases.” “The main goal is to eliminate Hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030, as agreed upon by the World Health Assembly,” the press release said. Speaking at an event in Islamabad, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that Rs67 billion had been allocated to combat one of Pakistan’s most serious public health challenges, the statement said. “A complete three to six-month treatment course will be provided free of cost under the programme,” the statement quoted Kamal as saying. He highlighted the alarming burden of hepatitis...

  Tags: Prime Minister Hepatitis Pakistan Elimination Programme

• Punjab CM Office denies RTI requests seeking details of Maryam's tours and vehicles, luxury jet acquired by govt

  Dawn - 16:14 May 13, 2026
  

  LAHORE: The Punjab chief minister’s office has refused a lawyer’s requests, made under the right to information law, for details of vehicles in incumbent provincial chief executive Maryam Nawaz’s use, her foreign visits and a luxury plane acquired by the Punjab government. The right to information (RTI) in Pakistan is enshrined as a fundamental right under Article 19-A of the Constitution, designed to empower citizens with access to government-held information. Lawyer Abdullah Malik had submitted two applications with the Public Information Commission (PIC) in July last year and in February this year. In his letter in July 2025, he sought the following details: Expenditure under the heads of fuel, maintenance of vehicles and tours, including international visits Total number of vehicles and their make, model and cast Expenditure on helicopter or aircraft used by the CM and its total mileage of travel Total number of social media team members at the CM House, along with their salaries Whether the CM got the ap...

  Tags: Punjab

• Reform UK talking to watchdog over $7 million gift to leader Farage

  Dawn - 15:48 May 13, 2026
  

  Britain’s anti-immigrant party Reform UK said on Wednesday it was talking to the parliamentary watchdog, following a report that its leader, Nigel Farage, was being investigated over a 5 million pound ($6.75m) gift which he did not declare. After the BBC reported that Reform was being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over the donation, Reform, the biggest winner in local elections last week, confirmed it was discussing it but said no rules had been broken. “He (Farage) has always been clear that this was a personal, unconditional gift and no rules were broken,” a spokesman for the party said. “We look forward to this being put to bed once and for all.” Farage has said he accepted the donation from the Thailand-based billionaire and crypto investor Christopher Harborne to pay for his personal security before he announced his candidacy in the 2024 national election that brought him into parliament. He said it was not a political donation, but rival political parties in April accused ...

  Tags: Farage Reform

• Cambridge confirms leak of AS-level Mathematics paper, postpones upcoming exam as 'precautionary step'

  Dawn - 14:51 May 13, 2026
  

  Cambridge International Education (CIE) on Wednesday confirmed the leak of an AS-level Mathematics exam paper held on May 12, and announced the postponement of another Mathematics paper scheduled for Friday, May 15. Amid recent reports of Cambridge exam paper leaks, students who appeared for an AS-level Mathematics paper on Tuesday made fresh claims that the paper they received was identical to a solved paper they had come across on social media just a day earlier. “We can confirm that Cambridge International AS-Level Mathematics Paper 52 (9709), taken in our administrative zones 3 and 4 on May 12, was shared prematurely against our strict regulations,” said a statement issued by the board on Wednesday. “We investigate such incidents promptly and thoroughly and we are now working to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps.” The statement said that “as an additional security and identification measure”, and upon discussions with “key stakeholders” in the country, the board was postponing the...

  Tags: AS-level Mathematics Cambridge

• Heavy rain, hailstorm lash Lahore, inundating low-lying areas

  Dawn - 14:28 May 13, 2026
  

  LAHORE: Heavy rain and hailstorms lashed several parts of the provincial capital on Wednesday, inundating low-lying areas and disrupting the flow of traffic on major thoroughfares. On Sunday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department predicted rain in the upper parts of the country, including Lahore, from May 10 to May 12. According to Lahore Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) data recorded at 6:35pm, Lakshmi Chowk received the highest rainfall in the city, with 95 millimetres. It was followed by Pani Wala Talab (79mm), Saggian (53.2mm), Gulshan-e-Ravi (45.8mm), Jail Road (44mm), Tajpura (41.2mm), Chowk Nakhuda (40.2mm), Samanabad (37.4mm), WASA Head Office, Gulberg (34.4mm), Airport (33.9mm), Iqbal Town (25.6mm), Upper Mall (26mm), Farrukhabad (20mm), Shadi Pura (11.2mm), Johar Town (8.4mm), Mughalpura (7mm), and Nishter Town (5.8mm). The average rainfall recorded across the Lahore region was 34mm, while rain had stopped in all reported areas at the time of reporting. The Provincial Disaster Management Authorit...

  Tags: Heavy Lahore

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