PAKISTAN has dropped 16 spots on the global Corruption Perceptions Index for 2021 and is ranked 140th out of 180 countries, Transparency International said in a report on Tuesday (25).
It comes as a major blow to prime minister Imran Khan's government which came to power on the promise of clean governance.
The report released by the Berlin-based non-profit organisation said corruption levels remain at a standstill worldwide, with 86 per cent of countries making little to no progress in the last 10 years.
In its 2021 edition, the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), drawing on 13 expert assessments and surveys of business executives.
In 2020, Pakistan's CPI was 31 and it was ranked 124 out of 180 countries. According to Transparency International, the country's corruption score has now deteriorated to 28.
Comparatively, India's score stands at 40 and is ranked 85, while Bangladesh's CPI is 26 and stands at the 147th position.
Explaining the causes of the low score of Pakistan, the report said the absence of the “rule of law” and “state capture” were the main reasons.
The report comes at a time when Khan is under pressure to improve the performance of his government. His advisor on accountability, Shehzad Akbar, stepped down on Monday (24) amid reports of his poor performance in bringing the corrupt elements to justice.
To add to Khan's woes, Justice (retired) Nasira Iqbal, vice-chair of Transparency International Pakistan, said the ranking of the country under the current government has gradually come down.
In 2019, it was 120th out of 180 countries, in 2020, it was 124th and in 2021 it worsened further to 140, she said.
In contrast, in 2018, during the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) period, Pakistan's ranking was 117 out of 180 countries.
The CPI global average remains unchanged at 43 for the 10th year in a row, and two-thirds of countries score below 50, the report said.
According to the report, the top-performing countries are Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, all having a corruption perceptions score of 88, followed by Norway, Singapore and Sweden, all of them scoring 85.
In contrast, the worst-performing countries were South Sudan with a corruption perceptions score of 11, followed by Syria (13), Somalia (13, Venezuela (14) and Afghanistan (16).
Transparency International calls on governments to act on their anti-corruption and human rights commitments and for people across the globe to join together in demanding change.
“In authoritarian contexts where control over government, business and the media rests with a few, social movements remain the last check on power. It is the power held by teachers, shopkeepers, students and ordinary people from all walks of life that will ultimately deliver accountability,” said Daniel Eriksson, chief executive officer of Transparency International.
The Index scores are based on the perceptions of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk consulting companies, think tanks and others. The scores reflect the views of the experts and business people.
(PTI)
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Siddhashram leads interfaith tribute to Ahmedabad plane crash victims
Mahesh Liloriya
Jun 16, 2025
In the wake of the tragic plane crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, London came together in an emotional outpouring of grief and unity at the Siddhashram Shakti Centre in Harrow. Over two solemn days, the revered spiritual haven hosted a series of powerful ceremonies led by His Holiness Rajrajeshwar Guruji, drawing together faith leaders, public figures, and residents from across communities.
On the day of the tragedy, Guruji led a spiritually charged recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa 12 times, joined by a team of spiritual practitioners from India. The prayer created a deep atmosphere of collective mourning and healing.
“Prayer is our greatest strength in the face of such loss,” Guruji said. “We do not grieve as Hindus, Muslims, or Christians — we grieve as one humanity.”
The prayer service was attended by several distinguished figures, including Gareth Thomas MP, Minister for Services, Small Businesses and Exports.
Two days later, on June 14, Siddhashram partnered with the Harrow Interfaith Forum to host a candlelight vigil — a remarkable expression of unity, attended by representatives of Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jain, Jewish, and Zoroastrian communities. Children from the temple led the lighting of candles, setting the tone for an evening of shared sorrow, solidarity, and prayer.
Key dignitaries included:
- Simon Ovens DL, Representative of His Majesty King Charles III, who read a message of royal condolence and described the gathering as a reflection of “true British compassion.”
- Cllr Anjana Patel, Worshipful Mayor of Harrow, who spoke with visible emotion as a member of the grieving Gujarati community.
- Bob Blackman CBE, MP for Harrow East, offered messages of comfort and pledged support for those affected.
- Kareema Marikar, former Harrow Mayor, recited a heartfelt Muslim prayer.
- Mahavir Foundation’s Nita Sheth and Mukesh Kapashi, who led Jain prayers.
- Bobbi Reisel, Jewish representative from Bereavement Care Harrow, who offered messages of solace.
- Dorab Mistry, representing the Zoroastrian community, and
- Gopal Singh Bhachu, Chair of Harrow Interfaith Forum, who led Sikh prayers with fellow community leaders.
- PC Elaine Jackson, Met Police Faith Officer, attended in support of the event’s interfaith spirit.
Attendees travelled from across the UK, including Leicester, to be present. Musicians lifted spirits through devotional melodies, and volunteers ensured all were cared for on a sweltering summer day.
The Siddhashram Shakti Centre, long a sanctuary for spiritual guidance and community healing, once again stood at the heart of London’s collective conscience. As Guruji reflected, “In our unity, we find peace, in prayer, we carry the light of those we lost.”
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Smoke billows for the second day from the Shahran oil depot, northwest of Tehran, on June 16, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
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India moves students to safety in Iran as Israel-Iran conflict escalates
Jun 16, 2025
INDIA has moved some of its citizens, including students, to safer locations in Iran following days of deadly Israeli strikes. The Indian embassy in Tehran is monitoring the situation and coordinating with local authorities to help Indian nationals amid the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel.
"The Indian embassy in Tehran is continuously monitoring the security situation and engaging Indian students in Iran to ensure their safety," said a statement from the ministry of external affairs. "In some cases, students are being relocated with (the) embassy's facilitation to safer places within Iran."
The ministry said there are around 10,000 Indian nationals in Iran, including more than 2,000 students, according to government data from last year and 2022, respectively.
Iran closed its airspace after the Israeli attacks began on Friday. India, which maintains diplomatic relations with both Iran and Israel, has urged restraint. "Existing channels of dialogue and diplomacy should be utilised," said foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. On Friday, India said it was ready “to extend all possible support” to both sides.
Casualties reported on both sides
Iran's health ministry reported that at least 224 people had been killed in Israeli strikes since Friday, while Israeli authorities confirmed more than a dozen deaths following retaliatory Iranian attacks. Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said five people had been killed and 92 wounded in the latest Iranian missile barrage.
Iran launches missile strikes on Tel Aviv
Iran launched missile strikes early Monday on Israeli cities, including Tel Aviv and areas near Haifa, in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Iranian military targets over the weekend. Israeli military officials said the strikes targeted missile sites in central Iran. AFP images showed damage to residential areas in Tel Aviv, while explosions were reported in Jerusalem.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had “successfully” struck Israeli targets and warned of “effective, targeted and more devastating operations” if attacks continued.
‘A heavy price’ for targeting civilians, says Netanyahu
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Iran of targeting civilians and warned of consequences. “Iran will pay a very heavy price for the premeditated murder of civilians, women and children,” he said during a visit to a missile-hit residential building in Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv.
Iranian state media said five people were killed in an Israeli strike on a residential building in central Tehran on Sunday. Iran’s armed forces spokesperson Colonel Reza Sayyad warned Israel to evacuate the occupied territories, saying they “will certainly no longer be habitable in the future”.
Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian called for national unity in response to Israeli attacks. “Stand strong against this genocidal criminal aggression with unity and coherence,” he said while addressing parliament.
Tensions rise as global leaders call for restraint
Former US president Donald Trump said the United States was not involved in the Israeli strikes but warned of consequences if American interests were attacked. “Sometimes they have to fight it out, but we’re going to see what happens,” Trump told reporters on Sunday.
A senior US official told AFP that Trump had discouraged Israel from targeting Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “President Trump was against it and we told the Israelis not to,” the official said.
Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said Tehran would “pay the price” for attacks on Israeli civilians. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Tehran had “solid proof” of US support for the Israeli attacks and said Iran’s response was to “aggression”.
“If the aggression stops, naturally our responses will also stop,” Araghchi said in a meeting with foreign diplomats.
Iran cancelled nuclear talks with the US and called negotiations “meaningless” during active hostilities. The Iranian judiciary announced on Monday that a convicted Mossad agent had been executed. Meanwhile, Israel said it had detained two individuals with alleged links to Iranian intelligence.
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Minnesota lawmaker’s suspected killer arrested after massive two-day manhunt
Jun 16, 2025
US law enforcement officials in Minnesota caught the suspected killer of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband on Sunday, authorities said, ending a two-day manhunt.
The suspect, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, allegedly disguised himself as a police officer, then shot and killed Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark at their home early Saturday.
Boelter was captured in Sibley County, a rural area where the murders had occurred about an hour southwest of Minneapolis, police and state officials said.
"After (a) two-day manhunt, two sleepless nights, law enforcement have apprehended Vance Boelter," Minnesota Governor Tim Walz told a late-night news conference.
Police described the search as the "largest manhunt in (the state's) history", with 20 SWAT teams and several agencies working to find him.
Jeremy Geiger, assistant chief of the Minnesota State Patrol, told reporters that Boelter had been "taken into custody without the use of force."
Before the murders, Boelter also allegedly attacked two others nearby -- Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, who survived and were treated for serious injuries, authorities said.
"The latest news is Senator Hoffman came out of his final surgery and is moving toward recovery," Walz told reporters.
Hoffman was shot nine times and Yvette eight times, according to US Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Political motive suspected in targeted killings
A notebook containing the names of other lawmakers and potential targets was found inside a car left by Boelter at the Hortmans' home, which Drew Evans, head of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said earlier Sunday was not a "traditional manifesto."
"I am concerned about all our political leaders, political organizations," Klobuchar said Sunday.
"It was politically motivated, and there clearly was some throughline with abortion because of the groups that were on the list, and other things that I've heard were in this manifesto. So that was one of his motivations."
As speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives from 2019 to January 2025, Hortman was committed to legislation that protected reproductive rights in the state, local media reported.
Leaders warn violence must not become the norm
The United States is bitterly divided politically as President Donald Trump embarks on his second term, implementing hardline policies and routinely insulting his opponents. Political violence has become more common.
Trump himself survived an assassination attempt last year, with a second attempt foiled by law enforcement.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's home was set on fire this year.
An assailant with a hammer attacked the husband of then-US House speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022.
"(This is) a moment in this country where we watch violence erupt," Walz said after the arrest.
"This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences."
US Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who was attacked by a neighbor in 2017, told NBC that "nothing brings us together more than... mourning for somebody else who's in political life, Republican or Democrats."
The shootings came on the day a dramatic split screen showed a country divided: hundreds of thousands of protesters across the United States took to the streets to rally against Trump as the president presided over a military parade in Washington -- a rare spectacle criticized as seeking to glorify him.
Trump has condemned the attacks in Minnesota on the lawmakers and their spouses.
The president was asked in a Sunday interview with ABC News if he planned to call Walz, who was Kamala Harris's running mate in the election Trump won last year.
"Well, it's a terrible thing. I think he's a terrible governor. I think he's a grossly incompetent person," Trump said.
"But I may, I may call him, I may call other people too."
bur/dw/des/abs/dhw
© Agence France-Presse
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Leena Nair receives CBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle
Jun 16, 2025
Leena Nair, the India-born CEO of Chanel, was honoured with a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) by Prince William at a ceremony held at Windsor Castle. The recognition, part of the 2025 King’s New Year Honours list, acknowledges her outstanding work in the global retail and consumer industry, particularly her strong leadership in steering one of the world’s most iconic fashion houses into a new era.
Nair’s rise to the top has been anything but conventional. When she was appointed as Chanel’s global CEO in 2022, she became the first non-white person to lead the 112-year-old French luxury brand. What made her journey even more unusual was her background, not in fashion, but in human resources. Before joining Chanel, she spent nearly 30 years at Unilever, eventually becoming its youngest-ever and first female Chief Human Resources Officer.
Chanel CEO Leena Nair smiles after receiving the prestigious UK honourGetty Images
Driving growth and redefining Chanel’s future
Under her leadership, Chanel has posted impressive growth despite wider industry challenges. In 2023, the brand reported a 16% rise in revenue and nearly 11% increase in operating profit, expanding its footprint and hiring more than 36,000 people worldwide. She has also brought in new creative leadership, appointing designer Matthieu Blazy to shape Chanel’s next chapter.
Nair’s focus hasn’t just been on sales. She has championed sustainability through the company’s Mission 1.5° climate goals and increased the Fondation Chanel’s annual philanthropic budget to £80 million (₹8.5 billion).
British Asian trailblazer Leena Nair recognised for global leadershipGetty Images
From Kolhapur to Chanel: a story of grit and vision
Born in the small town of Kolhapur in Maharashtra, Nair was raised in a middle-class Indian household. She studied engineering before discovering her passion for human resources at XLRI Jamshedpur. At Unilever, she broke multiple barriers and led major inclusion efforts before taking the leap into fashion.
Leena Nair’s CBE adds to her growing influence in global luxury fashionGetty Images
Receiving the CBE places her alongside prominent British Asians like London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who was also recognised recently. As Chanel prepares to move into its new London headquarters in 2026, Nair’s leadership is already being seen as a model for the next generation, proof that it’s possible to honour tradition while building a more inclusive future.
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Blaise Metreweli appointed as UK’s first woman to lead MI6 spy agency
Jun 16, 2025
The UK government has appointed Blaise Metreweli as the first-ever woman to head its MI6 spy service as the country faces "threats on an unprecedented scale", Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday.
The MI6 Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) achieved global fame through Ian Fleming's fictional agent James Bond.
Metreweli will be the 18th head of the service, Starmer's Downing Street office said in a statement.
"The historic appointment of Blaise Metreweli comes at a time when the work of our intelligence services has never been more vital," Starmer said.
"The United Kingdom is facing threats on an unprecedented scale -- be it aggressors who send their spy ships to our waters or hackers whose sophisticated cyber plots seek to disrupt our public services," he added.
The MI6 chief is the only publicly named member of the organisation and reports directly to the foreign minister.
The person in the post is referred to as "C" -- not "M" as in the James Bond franchise, which already had a woman, played by Judi Dench, in the role.
Metreweli will take over from outgoing MI6 head Richard Moore in the autumn.
Currently, she is MI6's director general -- known as "Q" -- with responsiblity for technology and innovation at the service, the statement said.
She is described as a career intelligence officer who joined the service in 1999 having studied anthropology at Cambridge University.
Metreweli held senior roles at both MI6 and the MI5 domestic intelligence service and spent most of her career in "operational roles in the Middle East and Europe", the statement added, without giving further biographical details.
The appointment comes over three decades after MI5 appointed its first female chief.
Stella Rimington held the position from 1992-1996, followed by Eliza Manningham-Buller from 2002-2007.
The UK intelligence and security organisation GCHQ appointed its first woman chief, Anne Keast-Butler, in 2023.
har/rmb/rlp
© Agence France-Presse
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