MADRID: Austrian defender David Alaba will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season when his contract expires, Los Blancos said Friday. The 33-year-old has been in the Spanish capital for five years after joining from Bayern Munich, but serious injury problems stopped him playing consistently. Alaba won 11 trophies including two Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles, playing 131 times for the club. &quot;Real Madrid wishes to express its gratitude and all its affection to a player who has been part of a team that has marked one of the most successful periods in our history,&quot; said Madrid in a statement. Alaba, like right-back Dani Carvajal and departing coach Alvaro Arbeloa, can say goodbye to the club&#39;s supporters on Saturday in Madrid&#39;s final league match of the season, at home against Athletic Bilbao. The centre-back, who has not yet announced his next destination, will captain Austria at the World Cup this summer.

Football

Austrian defender David Alaba will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season when his contract expires, Los Blancos said Friday.

Alaba to leave Real Madrid after five years

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Television Corporation Ltd. (PTV) has won a major international honor at the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Awards 2026, earning recognition in the &ldquo;Virtual Production &ndash; Pakistan&rdquo; category for its innovative project &ldquo;Tasveer Kahani.&rdquo; The award was presented during a ceremony held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore earlier this week, celebrating excellence and innovation in the broadcasting and media industry across the Asia-Pacific region.&nbsp; The annual awards program recognizes broadcasters, production houses and technology leaders that are redefining storytelling and media production through digital transformation, artificial intelligence and immersive audience experiences. PTV&rsquo;s winning project, Tasveer Kahani, is a unique series of fiction films inspired by real archival photographs from the 1947 Partition of the Indian subcontinent.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2057884138384797832&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=956eb7e6beec401652495e516e81d4aed85e6f91&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2057884138384797832"></iframe></div></div>The production combines historical storytelling with advanced virtual production techniques and artificial intelligence-driven visual enhancement to recreate pivotal moments from one of the region&rsquo;s most defining historical events. This year&rsquo;s awards highlighted the rapid evolution of broadcasting from traditional television formats into more intelligent, interactive and digitally integrated media ecosystems.&nbsp; Organizers said the winning entries demonstrated innovation, impact and technological dynamism in an increasingly competitive and fragmented media landscape. The awards were evaluated by an international panel of industry experts, including senior executives from Kearney, KPMG Singapore, PwC China and Roland Berger. Judges assessed submissions on the basis of innovation, creativity, technical excellence and industry impact. PTV&rsquo;s recognition marks a significant achievement for Pakistan&rsquo;s state broadcaster at a time when media organizations worldwide are investing heavily in next-generation production technologies and digital-first content strategies.

Culture

Tasveer Kahani is a fiction film series based on real archival Partition photographs, blending historical storytelling with virtual production and artificial intelligence-driven visual recreation techniques.

PTV wins prestigious Asia-Pacific Broadcasting+ Award for virtual production innovation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed on Friday to accelerate documentation and procedural requirements for the Karachi&ndash;Rohri section of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project, as the government pushes to begin work on the long-delayed infrastructure scheme this year. Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema chaired a high-level meeting reviewing implementation arrangements for the project, with senior officials from the Economic Affairs Division, Ministry of Railways, and the ADB in attendance. Cheema directed the Ministry of Railways to expedite documentation in coordination with the ADB and the Economic Affairs Division, stressing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif&rsquo;s commitment to holding the project&rsquo;s groundbreaking ceremony within the current year. &ldquo;The Karachi&ndash;Rohri section is a starter and will be implemented come what may,&rdquo; the statement quoted Cheema as saying.&nbsp; It added that the government was coordinating with other development partners for the remaining sections of the ML-1 corridor and aimed to finalize agreements for the full Karachi-to-Peshawar railway upgrade. Cheema, according to statement, said the government was also engaging other development partners for the remaining sections of the ML-1 corridor and aimed to finalize agreements for the full Karachi-to-Peshawar railway upgrade. The minister said Pakistan was seeking to secure ADB financing in the upcoming fiscal year and emphasized that timely completion of documentation and procedural requirements would be critical to achieving that goal.&nbsp; He also instructed the Ministry of Railways to work closely with the Planning Division to finalize the PC-1 and other mandatory approvals. Cheema described ML-1 as a &ldquo;landmark initiative&rdquo; that would improve freight movement and strengthen railway services nationwide. ADB Country Director Emma Fan reaffirmed the lender&rsquo;s support for the project and praised efforts by Pakistani authorities to advance preparations.&nbsp; &ldquo;ADB would ensure the timely hiring of the PRF consultant,&rdquo; Fan said, adding that the bank would &ldquo;make every effort to minimize the project review timeline&rdquo; to support swift implementation of the strategically important scheme. The ML-1 project, stretching from Karachi to Peshawar, is Pakistan&rsquo;s largest railway modernization initiative and is aimed at upgrading tracks, improving freight capacity, and reducing travel times across the country.

Economy

Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank agreed to fast-track approvals and documentation for the Karachi–Rohri ML-1 railway section, as Islamabad pushes to begin construction this year under the broader Karachi-to-Peshawar railway modernization project.

Pakistan, ADB push to fast-track Karachi-Rohri ML-1 railway project

GENEVA: The public health risk from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been upgraded from high to very high, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The risk level remains high at the regional level and low worldwide, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. He said there were now nearly 750 suspected cases in the DR Congo and 177 suspected deaths. &quot;The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly,&quot; Tedros said. &quot;We are now revising our risk assessment to very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level. &quot;So far, 82 cases have been confirmed in DRC, with seven confirmed deaths. &quot;But we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger. There are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. &quot;The situation in Uganda is stable, with two cases confirmed in people who travelled from DRC, with one death.&quot; Tedros said that violence and insecurity was impeding the response to the outbreak.

Africa

The public health risk from the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been upgraded from high to very high by the World Health Organization.

Ebola risk upgraded to 'very high' in DR Congo: WHO chief

GENEVA: Hospitals in Gaza are being prevented from functioning properly due to a severe shortage of medical supplies, the World Health Organization warned on Friday, denouncing Israeli restrictions on essential items. Reinhilde Van de Weerdt, the WHO&#39;s representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, said most of the hospitals and primary healthcare centres in the Gaza Strip were only partially operational, while none of the hospitals were fully functional.&quot;One of the key reasons these facilities are not functioning is because they are struggling with critical shortages of medical supplies,&quot; she told a press conference in Geneva. She said part of the problem is Israel blocking the entry of items it argues are &quot;dual use&quot; -- items which could potentially be used for a military purpose. &quot;WHO has internationally recognised lists of essential medicines. That is what we are talking about,&quot; said Van der Weerdt. &quot;Essential medicines, essential supplies are essential. &quot;There should be no bureaucratic processes and access restrictions.&quot; She gave multiple examples of medical equipment being held up, including a prefabricated hospital that has sat &quot;waiting for months&quot; in Jordan. Without laboratory equipment, &quot;we cannot diagnose diseases and detect potential disease outbreaks&quot;, she said. &quot;Without oxygen concentrators, let&#39;s just be honest -- there are critically ill patients that die.&quot; A shaky ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas officially came into effect on October 10, 2025. The first phase of the truce saw the release of the last Israeli hostages seized in October 2023 in exchange for some Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But Israeli strikes continue. The Israeli military and Hamas accuse one another of violating the truce. Van de Weerdt said that despite the ceasefire, at least 880 Palestinians had been killed and more than 2,600 wounded since it was declared. The WHO has documented 22 Israeli attacks on healthcare in Gaza this year. She said that more than 43,000 people in Gaza have life-changing injuries from the conflict, 10,000 of them are children. &quot;They require long-term rehabilitation, prosthetics and assistive devices, many of which face delays and restrictions on entry. &quot;What we manage to get in barely scratches the surface of what is needed,&quot; she said. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in November 2025 endorsing the US-backed peace plan, which called for the full resumption of humanitarian aid.

Middle East

Hospitals in Gaza are being prevented from functioning properly due to a severe shortage of medical supplies, the World Health Organization warned, denouncing Israeli restrictions on essential items.

WHO sounds alarm on Gaza medical shortages

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Germany on Thursday signed an agreement worth 40.5 million euros to launch new development projects focusing on climate resilience, energy, and social protection sectors in Pakistan, Pakistan Information Department (PID) reported. The agreement was signed by Secretary Economic Affairs Muhammad Humair Karim Kidwai and German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel during a ceremony attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and representatives of the German Embassy. Under the agreement, the German implementing agency Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Pakistan will provide technical support for the launch of the projects across Pakistan. According to PID, the agreement seeks to enhance bilateral development cooperation in key sectors linked to sustainable and inclusive development. Speaking at the ceremony, Kidwai appreciated the continued support of the German government and GIZ toward Pakistan&rsquo;s socio-economic development. He said Pakistan and Germany have maintained a &quot;strong and enduring development partnership&quot; since 1961, built on mutual trust and cooperation. Kidwai noted that Germany remains one of Pakistan&rsquo;s key development partners, adding that the current active bilateral portfolio between the two countries stands at approximately 550 million euros, PID reported. The German Ambassador said Germany highly values its longstanding partnership with Pakistan and remains committed to supporting initiatives promoting sustainable and inclusive development. &quot;The new agreement reflects the shared commitment of both countries to addressing global challenges such as climate change, energy transition, and social vulnerability through practical cooperation and joint action,&quot; Lepel said, according to PID. She expressed confidence that the projects launched under the agreement would provide meaningful benefits to communities across Pakistan and further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.

Muhammad Humair Karim, Secretary for Ministry of Economic Affairs (front row-left) and German Ambassador to Pakistan, Ina Lapel, signing Technical Cooperation Agreement having worth 40.5 Million Euro in Islamabad on May 21, 2026. (PID)

Under the agreement, the German Development Bank will provide financial and technical support for the launch of nine new development projects across Pakistan.

Pakistan, Germany sign €40.5M agreement for development projects

BEIJING: China&#39;s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Canada next week, seeking to build &quot;a new type of strategic partnership&quot;, Beijing said Friday. Wang will visit Canada from May 28 to 30, the first time a Chinese foreign minister has done so in 10 years, according to a government statement. China&#39;s ties with Canada have improved recently as the latter&#39;s relations with traditional ally Washington have soured, with Prime Minister Mark Carney visiting Beijing in January. Wang&#39;s trip &quot;is of great significance for consolidating the positive momentum in the improvement of bilateral relations&quot;, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing Friday. &quot;China&ndash;Canada relations are currently undergoing a transition and continuing to improve, with both sides working to build a new type of strategic partnership,&quot; Guo said. Carney&#39;s winter trip to Beijing was one of a steady stream by foreign leaders hoping to woo China as they recoil from US President Donald Trump&#39;s mercurial policies and trade tariffs. Carney secured what he called a &quot;landmark trade agreement&quot; following talks with leader Xi Jinping, which has since seen China reduce anti-dumping duties on rapeseed imported from Canada. Beijing also temporarily lowered some tariffs on Canadian goods, while Ottawa agreed to import 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles under preferential tariffs. Wang will hold talks on advancing agreements reached between the two countries in January during his trip, spokesman Guo said. The trip will promote &quot;the development of a truly productive new China&ndash;Canada strategic partnership&quot;, Guo added.

China's President Xi Jinping (L) speaks next to China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi (2nd L) during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

China

Americas

Wang Yi is set to visit Canada from May 28 to 30, marking the first visit by a Chinese foreign minister in 10 years as Ottawa and Beijing move toward 'a new type of strategic partnership.'

China's top diplomat to boost 'new partnership' with Canada visit

NUUK: More than 500 Greenlanders demonstrated against US President Donald Trump&#39;s desire to control the vast Arctic island, after the inauguration of the US consulate&#39;s new premises in Nuuk. The crowd chanted and held posters reading &quot;Go Home USA&quot;, &quot;Make America Go Away!&quot; and &quot;We are not for sale&quot;, with many waving Greenland&#39;s red-and-white flag, according to an AFP journalist at the scene in the island nation&#39;s capital late on Thursday. &quot;Asu (&#39;Stop&#39; in Greenlandic) USA,&quot; read another sign. Trump has repeatedly argued that Washington needs to control Greenland because of national security concerns, claiming that if it does not, the Danish autonomous territory risks falling into the hands of China or Russia. The demonstrators turned their backs on the consulate building and observed two minutes of silence to express their displeasure with the United States. The new premises, in the center of the capital Nuuk, had been inaugurated a little earlier in the presence of the US ambassador to Denmark, Kenneth Howery. Greenlandic broadcaster KNR reported that Howery told guests at the inauguration that Trump had now ruled out the use of force to control Greenland and said that Greenlanders would decide their future themselves. Greenland&#39;s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen had declined an invitation to take part in the inauguration. Earlier in the week, Nielsen held talks with Trump&#39;s special envoy for Greenland, Jeff Landry, who made his first visit -- uninvited -- to the island since his appointment in December. Landry told AFP on Wednesday that the US needed to strengthen its presence in the territory. &quot;It&#39;s time for the US to put its footprint back on Greenland,&quot; he said as he wound up his four-day visit. &quot;Greenland needs the US,&quot; he insisted.

The US ambassador to Denmark, Ken Howery, opens the new American consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, on May 21, 2026. (Photo by Oscar Scott Carl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP)

Europe

More than 500 Greenlanders protested in Nuuk against US President Donald Trump’s renewed push for American control over Greenland during the inauguration of the new US consulate.

Greenlanders protest outside US consulate's new office

DELHI: Indian authorities have sought to block the social media handle of the satirical &quot;Cockroach People&#39;s Party&quot;, formed last week in response to comments from the country&#39;s top judge seen as critical of young people. The parody &quot;Cockroach Janta Party&quot; (CJP), echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), was created after Chief Justice Surya Kant reportedly called youth involved in criticism of the government &quot;cockroaches&quot; and &quot;parasites&quot; during a hearing. He later said his comments, which spawned a slew of social media sites, were taken out of context and that he was referring to those who use fake degrees. Abhijeet Dipke, 30, an Indian student at Boston University in the United States and a political communications strategist who formerly worked with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), created the fictional party online on May 16. Its popularity soared, using the slogan &quot;a political front for the youth, by the youth, for the youth&quot;. 20 million followersOn X, it gained 218,000 followers. It was soon blocked in India before a new account was created. That X handle, titled &quot;Cockroach is Back&quot;, rapidly generated nearly 150,000 followers within hours, alongside multiple parody &quot;branch&quot; handles. India tightly regulates social media content, asking platforms to withhold accounts or remove &quot;objectionable&quot; content. The party&#39;s Instagram handle, still online in India, has nearly 20 million followers, more than double the BJP&#39;s 9 million followers on the same site, as well as the main opposition Congress Party&#39;s 13 million followers. &quot;The more you try to suppress us, the stronger we will rise,&quot; it posted on Friday. Dipke said in a post on Instagram that young Indians &quot;are far more mature, aware, and politically conscious than many give them credit for&quot;. &#39;Peaceful and democratic means&#39; &quot;They understand their constitutional rights and will express their dissent through peaceful and democratic means,&quot; he added. There was no immediate comment from the information technology ministry, but Indian media reported the X handle was blocked on the recommendation of the internal intelligence agency. The Times of India dedicated its editorial on Friday to the CJP. &quot;Roaches... scurry fearlessly into every nook and cranny, and are nigh impossible to dislodge, no matter how big the effort,&quot; it said. &quot;We dare say CJP can be serious competition for existing political parties.&quot;

India

Indian media report that the X handle of the satirical 'Cockroach People's Party', formed last week in response to comments from the country's top judge about young people, was blocked on the recommendation of the internal intelligence agency.

India seeks to stamp out viral 'Cockroach' youth party

ISLAMABAD: Brazilian activist Thiago Avila has accused Israeli forces of rape, torture, and severe abuse against detained Gaza flotilla activists following the interception of a humanitarian aid convoy headed toward Gaza. In a video statement shared on X, Avila said activists detained aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla were subjected to violence and sexual assault while being transferred by Israeli forces after the flotilla was intercepted in international waters. &quot;There is no easy way to say it, but I have to say people got raped,&quot; Avila said in the video. &quot;Those monstrous soldiers, they raped participants. It was not one, not two, not three, it&#39;s many cases of sexual violence against our participants.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2057570882483003746&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6b8d496f192b105f528ac21c5fc5e495293e4a34&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &quot;Many people with broken ribs, many people with broken bones, the arms, the collar bones,&quot; he said, describing Israeli authorities as &quot;a genocidal state that takes pleasure in violence.&quot; Activists describe tortureBelgian activist Julien Cabral said the activists were beaten, restrained and denied proper medical treatment during detention. Speaking after arriving in Istanbul, Cabral said Israeli forces boarded their vessel in international waters and used violence despite activists raising their hands, AFP reported. &quot;I took a punch to the left temple,&quot; he said, adding that detainees were transferred with plastic ties around their hands onto what he described as a &#39;prison ship&#39;. &quot;My hands were tied so long I almost vomited&quot;, one activist recounted. Avila also claimed that evidence and medical examinations were being collected for possible legal action before international courts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). &quot;All the 428 people here are doing medical examinations. We are doing reports. This will all become legal cases,&quot; he said. &quot;This needs to go everywhere, don&#39;t let this be normalized.&quot; Some 430 activists from countries around the world had been placed in detention in Israel after they were intercepted at sea on Monday while making the latest in a string of attempts to break the blockade of the Palestinian territory, AFP reported. Human rights groups and UN experts have previously raised concerns over allegations of abuse and mistreatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody, although Israel has denied systematic abuse allegations. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2055435101484257411&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6b8d496f192b105f528ac21c5fc5e495293e4a34&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 878px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Israel&#39;s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked widespread condemnation and diplomatic backlash on Wednesday by posting a video showing the detained activists with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground. Israel said on Thursday it had deported all the foreign activists seized by Israeli forces from a Gaza-bound flotilla, following global outcry over their treatment in custody. Avila also referred to Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, claiming conditions faced by flotilla activists represented &quot;only a small fraction&quot; of what Palestinians experience in detention.

A member of the Global Sumud Flotilla headed for Gaza and arrested and deported by Israel flashes the V-sign outside a terminal following their arrival at Istanbul Airport on May 21, 2026. (AFP)

Activists deported after the interception of Gaza-bound aid vessels say detainees suffered violence, humiliation, and medical neglect while in Israeli custody; Brazilian activist Thiago Avila says evidence and medical examinations will be collected for possible legal action before international courts.

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