Friday, May 8th, 2026
First Test: Bangladesh dominate as Pakistan bowlers struggle on opening day
DHAKA, MAY 8: A century from skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto and a half-century by Mominul Haque put Bangladesh in command as they frustrated Pakistan’s bowling on the opening day of the first Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Friday. After being asked to bat first, Bangladesh ended the day at 301-4 in 85 overs with Mushfiqur Rahim unbeaten on 48 runs coming off 104 deliveries featuring six fours while Litton Das scored eight off 35 balls. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi struck early to give Pakistan their firstRead More
Weapons recovered from slain Indian-Sponsored Khwarij: ISPR
RAWALPINDI, MAY 8: /DNA/ – Five khwarij belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-Al-Khwarij were killed in two separate engagements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. On reported presence of khwarij, an intelligence based operation was conducted by Security Forces in Tank District. During conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged khwarij location and after intense exchange of fire, four khwarij, belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij were sent to hell. Another intelligence based operation was conducted by Security forces in Dera Ismail Khan District. In ensuing fire exchange, one kharji was effectively neutralised. Weapons andRead More
Suspected oil spill seen on satellite images near Iran’s Kharg Island export hub
The cause of the oil spill, which appears to cover the waters west of the 8-kilometer island, is still unknown. ISLAMABAD, MAY 8: A suspected oil spill covering dozens of square kilometers of sea near Iran’s main oil hub of Kharg Island has been seen on satellite imagery this week. The likely spill, appearing in images as a grey-and-white slick, covered waters to the west of the 8-kilometer (5-mile)- long island, as shown in images from Copernicus’s Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-3 satellites on May 6-8. “The slick appears visually consistentRead More
IMF approves 1.2 bn tranche for Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, MAY 8: The International Monetary Fund’s Executive Board approved Pakistan’s latest loan review, unlocking about $1.2 billion, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Friday. The decision gives Pakistan fresh support as it rebuilds reserves and tries to keep inflation in check, while meeting IMF demands to raise revenue and advance the privatisation of state-owned companies. Pakistan will have access to about $1 billion under the EFF and about $210 million under the RSF, bringing total disbursements under the two arrangements to about $4.5 billion.
Australia sanctions outlawed BLA
BLA has targeted civilians, critical infrastructure, and foreign nationals, says Australia’s foreign minister News Desk CANBERRA: The Australian government on Friday imposed counterterrorism financing sanctions on the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its senior leaders “for their engagement in and support of terrorist attacks”. Announcing the sanctions, Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said that BLA has conducted “violent terror attacks” across Pakistan, targeting civilians, critical infrastructure, and foreign nationals, as well as the Pakistani state. The Australian government’s commitment to countering terrorism and violent extremism is unwavering, sheRead More
IRS, IIS sign MoU to deepen Pakistan-China Academic Cooperation
ISLAMABAD, MAY 8 /DNA/ – The Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) Islamabad, Pakistan and the Institute of International Studies (IIS), Shandong University, China, held a joint session on marking the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening academic cooperation, policy dialogue, and collaborative research between Pakistan and China. The event was moderated by Ms. Nabila Jaffer, Research Analyst & Head China Program at the IRS, and Dr. Jamal Khan, Associate Professor at the IIS. Prof. Li Yuan, Executive Dean of the IIS, and Dr. Rizwan Naseer, SeniorRead More