Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced Sunday that the country hopes to host the next round of multilateral peace talks &quot;very soon&quot;, as the United States and Iran edge closer to a comprehensive peace deal following months of intensive diplomatic negotiations. In a post on X, PM Sharif wrote that &quot;Pakistan will continue its peace efforts with utmost sincerity and we hope to host the next round of talks very soon.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I congratulate President Donald Trump on his extraordinary efforts to pursue peace and for holding a very useful and productive telephone call earlier today, with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Egypt, the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan. Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir&hellip;&mdash; Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/CMShehbaz/status/2058351220851613947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">May 24, 2026</a></blockquote></div> The announcement came after President Donald Trump convened a telephone call Saturday with leaders from several countries to discuss finalizing a deal with Iran. According to Trump&#39;s statement on Truth Social, participants included the heads of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Pakistan. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/cf0987ce-c42b-4e88-bdfc-6ca175d554ce.png" style="width: 505px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib fr-fil"> &quot;An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries,&quot; Trump wrote. He added that &quot;final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly.&quot; Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir represented Pakistan during the call. In a post on X Sunday, the prime minister praised Trump&#39;s &quot;extraordinary efforts to pursue peace&quot; and called the discussion &quot;very useful and productive.&quot; Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in recent weeks, playing an active role in regional diplomacy. According to government sources confirmed Saturday, Pakistan successfully mediated a draft framework aimed at ending the US-Iran conflict and is now positioned to host the Islamabad Talks. The negotiations come against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire that took effect April 8, which followed months of regional tensions that disrupted maritime trade and energy markets. Iran signaled openness to a deal, with Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stating Tehran was in the &quot;final stage&quot; of drafting a framework with Washington. Trump indicated the agreement would include opening the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan successfully mediated a draft framework aimed at ending the Middle East conflict while maintaining active diplomatic engagement with Tehran, Washington, and regional partners.

Pakistan hopes to host next round of US-Iran talks 'very soon': PM Sharif

GOMA: Fighting between government troops and the Rwanda-backed M23 militia has been raging for days in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where an Ebola epidemic is spreading, security sources and locals said Monday. The mineral-rich region has been scarred by violence from various armed groups for more than three decades. Since 2021, the M23 has seized swathes of territory and fighting has stepped up since the start of 2025. It is also ground zero for an Ebola outbreak which has sparked an international health alert by the World Health Organization. The illness has caused 204 deaths and 867 suspected cases, according to a toll given over the weekend by the DRC&#39;s health ministry. The security and local sources said the recent combat has been taking place in Masisi, an area in North Kivu province, which lies south of the Ituri province, the epicentre of the Ebola epidemic. On Monday, North Kivu&#39;s &nbsp;deputy governor, Didier Lomoyo, said mortar fire had been aimed at the strategic airport at Kisangani, used by Congolese troops, while a police source on the ground told AFP that two drones had been intercepted &quot;without causing any damage.&quot; In recent months, M23 has repeatedly targeted the airport, from which military aircraft belonging to Kinshasa&rsquo;s forces take off. Local sources have reported several air strikes in localities in North Kivu and South Kivu in recent days, but AFP has not been able to confirm the casualty figures from these strikes with independent sources.

Response team members are helped to wear protective suits before burying a person suspected of having died from Ebola in Bunia, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on May 25, 2026. (AFP)

Africa

Fighting between government troops and Rwanda-backed M23 militia intensifies in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as a deadly Ebola epidemic spreads across the region.

Fighting flares in east DR Congo as Ebola epidemic spreads

MANCHESTER: Basketball legend Michael Jordan joined thousands of Manchester City fans paying tribute to Pep Guardiola at the manager&#39;s farewell party on Monday. Guardiola is about to step down after a glorious decade in charge of City and the Premier League club gave him a fitting send-off during a trophy parade in Manchester. Jordan, one of the NBA&#39;s all-time greats, was a surprise participant in the event, delivering a recorded video message saluting Guardiola. &quot;Hey Pep. This is Michael Jordan. I just wanted to congratulate you on an unbelievable career,&quot; the former Chicago Bulls star said as Guardiola watched the video on a screen inside the Co-op Live &#39;after-party&#39; following the parade. Referencing Guardiola&#39;s fondness for golf, Jordan quipped &quot;Enjoy your retirement. Good luck on the links and keep them straight. Congratulations.&quot; Earlier, fans lined the streets to salute Guardiola as the Spaniard joined City&#39;s players and staff on an open-top bus ride to the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola led City to the FA Cup and League Cup in his final season in charge, taking his trophy haul to 20 since arriving in 2016. He masterminded six Premier League title victories, as well as City&#39;s first Champions League crown in 2023. City finished second in the Premier League behind champions Arsenal this term and were beaten 2-1 at home by Aston Villa in Guardiola&#39;s last game on Sunday, with the boss reduced to tears after the final whistle. The 55-year-old&#39;s decision to leave City was officially announced on Friday after several days of speculation that he was set to quit. A host of current and former City players brought every trophy won during Guardiola&#39;s reign onto the Co-op Live stage to cheers from the sell-out 19,000 crowd. Guardiola said goodbye for the final time in an interview with Oasis rock star Noel Gallagher at the after-party. &quot;I think, first of all, thank you so much for coming tonight to say bye,&quot; Guardiola said. &quot;To say bye to John (Stones) and Bernie (Bernardo Silva) and all these incredible legends like Vinny (Vincent Kompany), Fernandinho, Eddy (Ederson), Jack (Grealish), all of them and many, many more. &quot;I feel tonight that really shows the connection this club has. (City chairman) Khaldoon Al Mubarak and all the people and all the City fans that were connected from the first minute. &quot;Thank you so much, I don&#39;t have enough gratitude. Always, for the rest of my life, I will have you in my heart. Thank you so much.&quot;

Manchester City's English defender #05 John Stones (centre right) and Manchester City's Portuguese midfielder #20 Bernardo Silva (centre left) say goodbye at an after-party event with the players after their victories in the two domestic cup competitions 

Football

Guardiola is about to step down after a glorious decade in charge of City and the Premier League club gave him a fitting send-off during a trophy parade in Manchester.

Guardiola saluted by Michael Jordan at Manchester City farewell party

PARIS: Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek and second seed Elena Rybakina both eased into the second round with comfortable wins at a sweltering Roland Garros on Monday, as Stan Wawrinka bade an emotional farewell to the tournament. Swiatek, playing at a Grand Slam event for the first time since linking up with Rafael Nadal&#39;s former coach Francisco Roig, made short work of seeing off Australian teenager Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2 in just 60 minutes. The Pole is looking to regain the trophy she won at Roland Garros in three successive years from 2022-24 before losing to Aryna Sabalenka in the semi-finals 12 months ago. Swiatek will take on Czech Sara Bejlek for a place in the last 32 on Wednesday. The third seed is among the favorites for the title after finding some form by reaching the Italian Open semi-finals earlier this month. &quot;I&#39;m really happy with the way I played. It was a solid match from the beginning to the end. I technically knew how to play,&quot; said Swiatek. Rybakina also wasted little time in swatting aside Slovenian Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2 on Court Philippe Chatrier. Like Swiatek, the Kazakh was pleased to not spend too much time on court in the 32C heat. &quot;It&#39;s tough conditions but I&#39;m happy things worked, and I&#39;m looking forward to the next match,&quot; she said. Rybakina, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, plays Ukraine&#39;s Yuliia Starodubtseva next. Elina Svitolina survived a scare against Hungary&#39;s Anna Bondar on Court Suzanne Lenglen, fighting back from 3-1 down in a deciding set to win 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/3). The Ukrainian, who ended an eight-year wait for a fifth WTA 1000 title in Rome earlier this month, has still never lost in the French Open first round in 13 appearances. Former runner-up Jasmine Paolini was a 7-5, 6-3 winner over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. China&#39;s Zheng Qinwen, who won Olympic gold at Roland Garros two years ago, crashed out in the first round for the first time with a 6-4, 6-0 loss to Poland&#39;s Maja Chwalinska. Sixth seed Amanda Anisimova, last year&#39;s Wimbledon and US Open runner-up, beat French wildcard Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-3, 6-1. Wawrinka waves goodbye to Roland Garros Former champion Wawrinka&#39;s final Roland Garros ended in disappointment as the 41-year-old was beaten 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong. Wawrinka, who beat Novak Djokovic in the 2015 final, is retiring at the end of the season. He enjoyed a fairytale run to the third round of his last Australian Open but could not repeat the feat in the Paris heat, despite being backed by a packed crowd on Court Simonne Mathieu. After the match, Wawrinka was presented with a glass case containing a section of a clay court and two video tributes to his career were displayed on big screens around the stadium &mdash;&nbsp;the latter featuring messages from former champions Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic. &quot;Thanks to all your support, I wanted to go on as long as possible, to 41 years of age, to continue living moments like this,&quot; Wawrinka said. The high temperatures took their toll on two-time runner-up Casper Ruud and Russian qualifier Roman Safiullin, as the Norwegian narrowly avoided a first opening-round defeat at Roland Garros, winning 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 5-7, 0-6, 6-2. Both players had medical time-outs in the fourth set and they took over 16 minutes to return to court ahead of the fifth, as the rallies slowed to walking pace. Ruud found just enough energy as the decider went on, though, with Safiullin continuing to wilt in the evening sunshine. Spanish teenager Rafael Jodar enjoyed a winning French Open debut with a 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 dismantling of American Aleksandar Kovacevic. Jodar has quickly climbed the rankings this year, winning a clay-court title in Marrakesh, reaching the Barcelona Open semi-finals and then the quarter-finals in both Madrid and Rome. Fifth seed Ben Shelton, who has made at least the quarter-finals at each of the other three Slams, saw off Daniel Merida in straight sets. Thanasi Kokkinakis, playing only his fourth tour-level tournament of the last two seasons after injuries, won an epic five-set battle over four hours and 18 minutes with Frenchman Terence Atmane, who crumbled from 5-2 up in the decider.

Tennis

Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek defeated Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-2, while second seed Elena Rybakina swept past Veronika Erjavec 6-2, 6-2 in sweltering conditions at Roland Garros.

Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina cruise through Roland Garros openers

Adil Shahzeb

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) transformed Pakistan&rsquo;s economic landscape at a time when the country was facing severe energy shortages, crediting China&rsquo;s unwavering support as a defining feature of the bilateral partnership. In an exclusive interview with Pakistan TV head Adil Shahzeb in Beijing aired on current affairs programme &lsquo;Beyond Borders&rsquo;, Ahsan Iqbal said the first phase of CPEC directly benefited ordinary Pakistanis by addressing crippling electricity shortages that had paralysed economic and social life across the country.&#39; He said China&rsquo;s investment of around $25 billion in energy and infrastructure projects helped add nearly 8,000 megawatts of electricity to the national grid, benefiting hospitals, schools, factories and households nationwide. <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" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; 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=2058976964313235698&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F6158%2F&sessionId=43fcca235e7efd22e8f1a2b99e2c10749c894e76&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div><div class="fr-embed"><div><div> </div> Recalling the launch of CPEC in 2013, he described it as an unprecedented economic partnership that rapidly moved from &ldquo;a piece of paper&rdquo; to major on-ground development projects within just three years.</div></div> Iqbal also spoke about what he termed an &ldquo;organised campaign&rdquo; against CPEC during its early years, saying the government countered misinformation through public engagement and fact-based communication. He said consensus among all provinces eventually helped accelerate the project&rsquo;s progress. Discussing CPEC 2.0, the minister said the new phase places greater emphasis on livelihoods, poverty alleviation and human resource development through what he called the &ldquo;corridor of livelihoods&rdquo;, aimed at creating opportunities for ordinary citizens and improving education and skills development. Turning to regional diplomacy, Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan&rsquo;s role in facilitating talks between the United States and Iran had earned global appreciation, including from Chinese leadership. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir played an important role in bringing both sides to the negotiation table after decades of hostility. According to the minister, the easing of tensions prevented further disruption to the global economy and rising fuel prices. He expressed hope that a resolution could be achieved soon, stressing that prolonged conflict would hurt poor populations worldwide through inflation and economic instability. Speaking during celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of Pakistan-China diplomatic relations in Beijing, Iqbal described the relationship as an &ldquo;Iron Brotherhood&rdquo; built on &ldquo;unbreakable trust&rdquo;, saying both countries had never witnessed an &ldquo;autumn&rdquo; in bilateral ties throughout their diplomatic history.

Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, left, speaks during an interview with Pakistan Television head Adil Shahzeb in Beijing, China. 

Beyond Borders

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Chinese investment under CPEC added thousands of megawatts to Pakistan’s power grid, while Pakistan also helped ease tensions between the United States and Iran through diplomacy.

Ahsan Iqbal hails CPEC success, highlights Pakistan’s role in US-Iran talks

MADRID: A Spaniard placed under quarantine after partaking in a cruise hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak has tested positive, the Spanish ministry of health said on Monday.&nbsp;&quot;The patient was transferred to a high-level isolation unit in the Gomez Ulla hospital, where he will remain hospitalised,&quot; the ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;This does not change the level of the risk for the general population and does not change the measures of the current epidemiological response,&quot; it said.&nbsp;It is the second confirmed case of the hantavirus in Spain.&nbsp;The hantavirus outbreak occurred on a Dutch-flagged ship MV Hondius that set off April 1 from Ushuaia, Argentina, taking in remote islands in the South Atlantic Ocean before heading north to Cape Verde, then Tenerife in Spain&#39;s Canary Islands, where remaining passengers were evacuated.&nbsp;The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday that 12 suspected and confirmed cases have been reported to the UN agency, including three deaths, and that no deaths have been reported since May 2.&nbsp;Spread by rodents, hantavirus is a rare virus for which no vaccines or specific treatments exist.

Europe

Spain confirms a second hantavirus case in a quarantined cruise passenger from the MV Hondius outbreak. The rodent-borne virus has no vaccine or specific treatment, while public risk remains low.

Quarantined Spaniard tests positive for hantavirus: health ministry

MOSCOW: Russia said Monday it plans to launch more strikes on Kyiv, including on its &quot;decision-making centres&quot;, and repeated a call for foreign citizens and diplomats to leave the city.&nbsp;Russia launched scores of drones and missiles at Ukraine over the weekend, killing four people, wounding dozens and causing damage across the Ukrainian capital.&nbsp;Among the weapons Russia used was its Oreshnik hypersonic missile, which can travel 10 times the speed of sound and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads, according to Moscow.&nbsp;The barrage came days after Russia accused Kyiv of striking a vocational school in the Russian-occupied Lugansk region, killing 21 people. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his military to retaliate.&nbsp;&quot;Under the current circumstances, the Russian Armed Forces are starting to launch systematic strikes against Ukrainian military-industrial facilities in Kyiv,&quot; Russia&#39;s foreign ministry said in a statement.&nbsp;&quot;The strikes will target both decision-making centres and command posts... We are warning foreign citizens, including personnel of diplomatic missions and international organisations, to leave the city as soon as possible,&quot; it added.&nbsp;Ukraine described Russia&#39;s threats as &quot;rhetoric&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;We are now telling our partners that they should not give in to all this Russian blackmail,&quot; Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga said.&nbsp;Russia had already called on foreign citizens and diplomats to evacuate Kyiv earlier this month, when it threatened massive strikes on central Kyiv if Ukraine disrupted a military parade on Red Square.

Russia says it plans more strikes on Kyiv, including “decision-making centres,” after weekend attacks kill four people. Moscow urges foreign citizens and diplomats to leave the city, while Ukraine dismisses the threats as Russian blackmail.

Russia threatens more strikes on Kyiv, urges foreigners to leave city

MEXICO CITY: Mexico will allow Iran to be based in the country during the 2026 World Cup so its players can avoid US visa restrictions, President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday.&nbsp;The Iranian national team, scheduled to play three first-stage matches in US stadiums, announced on Saturday that FIFA had endorsed its plan to stay overnight on the Mexican side of the border to avoid visa problems.&nbsp;Uncertainty has clouded the Iranian team&#39;s participation in the tournament ever since the US and Israel launched an offensive against the Islamic republic in late February.&nbsp;The team had originally planned to set up camp in Tucson, in the US state of Arizona.&nbsp;&quot;The United States doesn&#39;t want the Iranian team to spend the night,&quot; Sheinbaum told reporters in her daily press conference. &quot;So they asked us, &#39;can we stay the night in Mexico? We said sure, no problem.&#39;&quot;&nbsp;The Iranian team chose the northwestern border state of Tijuana as their base, where they will recuperate in between two games in Los Angeles and a third in Seattle.&nbsp;The players are in Group G and will debut on June 15 in a game against New Zealand.&nbsp;Sheinbaum explained that Mexican authorities are coordinating the details of the Iranians&#39; stay with FIFA.&nbsp;Iran and the United States broke diplomatic relations in 1980 after militants held dozens of Americans hostage for more than a year in the US Embassy in Tehran.

Mexico agrees to host Iran’s 2026 World Cup squad after the United States rejects their presence in Arizona. President Claudia Sheinbaum confirms Iran's requests for relocation to Tijuana, which Mexico accepts without issue.

Mexico accepts to host Iran during the World Cup: president

GENEVA: The countries neighboring the Democratic Republic of Congo are at high risk from Ebola and should act immediately to counter the virus, the World Health Organization&rsquo;s head said on Monday.&nbsp;&quot;Countries bordering DRC are at especially high risk and should take immediate action,&quot; said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that he would travel on Tuesday to the DRC, the epicentre of the current outbreak of the deadly disease.&nbsp;&quot;The outbreak is spreading rapidly,&quot; Tedros told a virtual ministerial meeting on the viral haemorrhagic fever, which spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.&nbsp;He said the current outbreak was &quot;especially challenging&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;First, the delay in detecting the outbreak means that we are now playing catch-up with a very fast-moving epidemic. We are urgently scaling up operations but at the moment, the epidemic is outpacing us,&quot; he said by videolink from Geneva.&nbsp;Secondly, the eastern provinces of the DRC, where the outbreak was first detected on May 15, &quot;are highly insecure, with intensified fighting in recent months (and) there is also significant distrust of outside authorities among the local population&quot;.&nbsp;Thirdly, he pointed out, there were &quot;no approved vaccines or therapeutics&quot; for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola behind the current outbreak.&nbsp;The WHO has recorded 10 confirmed Ebola deaths and 220 suspected deaths in the DRC since May 15. One person is confirmed dead in neighbouring Uganda&nbsp;Ten African countries are at risk of being affected by the Ebola virus, in addition to the DRC and Uganda, the African Union&#39;s health agency, Africa CDC, warned on Saturday.

WHO warns neighboring countries of Democratic Republic of Congo are at high Ebola risk as the outbreak spreads rapidly. Ten confirmed and 220 suspected deaths reported, plus one in Uganda. Insecurity, delay, and no vaccine worsen the situation.

WHO urges DRC's neighbors to act immediately on Ebola

BUNIA: Locals at the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo attacked the town hospital overnight, demanding the body of a religious leader who died from the virus, officials said on Monday.&nbsp;Mongbwalu, a large town in the unstable northeastern province of Ituri, is where the current outbreak of the viral haemorrhagic fever was first detected on May 15, since when it has killed more than 200 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.&nbsp;&quot;A group of young people attacked the hospital four times,&quot; a hospital official told AFP of the incident on Sunday night.&nbsp;&quot;They wanted to retrieve the body of a Catholic shepherd who had died of Ebola,&quot; the official said on condition of anonymity.&nbsp;He said the victim had been &quot;a well-known local figure, a religious leader from Mongbwalu&quot;, which is home to 130,000 people.&nbsp;Soldiers intervened to disperse the crowd with warning shots, he said.&nbsp;Ebola is a deadly viral disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids. It can cause severe bleeding and organ failure.&nbsp;There is no vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain responsible for the current Ebola outbreak, the 17th to plague the vast central African country of more than 100 million people.&nbsp;Attempts to tackle the spread are forced to rely mainly on precautions and rapid contact tracing.&nbsp;But in rural parts of the DRC, &quot;loved ones are throwing themselves at the bodies, touching the corpses and the clothes of the deceased, while organising mourning rituals bringing together loads of people&quot;, Jean Marie Ezadri, a civil society leader in Ituri, told AFP last week.&nbsp;&quot;This... explains the many instances of contamination.&quot;&nbsp;Distrust and incomprehensionPoorly served by roads and torn apart by violence, Ituri is one of the most troubled provinces in the DRC.&nbsp;Hastily arranged burials of Ebola victims have been met with suspicion in a region already distrustful of the state.&nbsp;An isolation tent near Mongbwalu hospital was torched on Friday night and the hospital official said his car had been stoned at the weekend.&nbsp;The tensions were &quot;hampering (Ebola) response efforts&quot;, he said.&nbsp;Another hospital worker confirmed the incidents.&nbsp;Mongbwalu medical centre is not the first in Ituri to have been attacked.&nbsp;Tents used to isolate Ebola patients at the hospital in Rwampara, Ituri, were burned down on Thursday after the family of a deceased man was prevented from taking his body for burial because of the dangers of contamination.&nbsp;Tonnes of medical supplies have been sent to Ituri, where teams from the World Health Organization are on the ground.&nbsp;But the response has been slow to get off the ground in a province where state services have been largely absent from rural areas for decades.&nbsp;One million of the province&#39;s estimated eight million inhabitants have been displaced by years of conflict and live cheek-by-jowl in cramped camps.&nbsp;The WHO has issued an international health alert.

At least 200 people have died in a Bundibugyo strain Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with angry residents attacking hospitals over burial disputes. Officials say distrust, violence, and unsafe mourning rituals are hampering efforts to contain the virus.

Locals at epicenter of DR Congo Ebola outbreak storm hospital

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will depart Beijing for New York on a three-day visit from May 26 to 28, said a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad on Monday. According to the statement, in New York, he will participate in the UN Security Council Open Debate on &ldquo;Maintenance of International Peace and Security&rdquo; on May 26, convened under the Council&#39;s rotating presidency by China and chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.<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=2058865658029343054&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=b2e41eef4af9236282a2ea4682a48b2840517e12&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Pakistan, the statement said, welcomes China&#39;s initiative, highlighting the importance of multilateralism and the United Nations&#39; central role in addressing global challenges. On May 28, he will attend the Group of Friends on Global Governance, which is working to reform and improve global governance and collective responses to global challenges. On the sidelines, he will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts and with senior United Nations officials. Pakistan remains a steadfast supporter of multilateralism and stands ready to contribute constructively to global peace, security and development.

Ishaq Dar visits New York from May 26-28 to attend a UN Security Council debate, chaired by China’s Wang Yi, and the global governance reform meeting on the sidelines.