Category Archives: Uncategorized

Author: AP

GENEVA, May 22: The head of the World Health Organisation says the Ebola outbreak in Congo is “spreading rapidly” and now poses a “very high” risk at the national level. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said Friday the UN health agency was revising upward to “very high” its assessment of the risk within Congo, which had previously been deemed as high. The risk remains high for regional spread and low at global levels, he told reporters The WHO chief noted that 82 cases have been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, “but we know the epidemic in DRC is much larger.” He said there are now almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The situation in neighbouring Uganda is “stable” with two cases confirmed in people who had travelled from Congo, with one death. (AP)

(IANS)

KABUL, May 22: Six people were killed and 11 others injured after strong winds, thunderstorms and flooding hit Afghanistan’s Kandahar, Herat, Ghor and Takhar provinces overnight, according to local media and the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority (ANDMA). Officials said the severe weather destroyed roads, wells, farmland, trees and hundreds of solar panels. Around 20 homes were completely destroyed and 10 others partially damaged.

Residents reported widespread damage, including collapsed electricity poles and power outages, and called for urgent government assistance. ANDMA said storms, lightning and floods were responsible for the casualties.

Since late March, Afghanistan has seen repeated natural disasters, killing 250 people and affecting thousands of families, with ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in flood-hit regions.

ISLAMABAD, May 22: Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has travelled to Tehran for high-level discussions as regional diplomatic efforts intensify to end the ongoing US-Iran conflict, according to security sources.

His visit comes amid a broader push by Pakistan to mediate between Washington and Tehran and follows renewed talks involving Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.

Naqvi has been in Iran since Wednesday on an unannounced visit and has held multiple rounds of talks with senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Reports suggest the discussions have focused on proposals aimed at reducing tensions, improving dialogue between Iran and the US, and establishing a framework for long-term regional stability.

Field Marshal Munir is expected to meet key Iranian leaders during his visit to discuss the Iran-US negotiations, regional peace, and related strategic issues.

Iranian state media confirmed his arrival, while Pakistan’s Foreign Office neither confirmed nor denied reports of the high-level delegation, describing the matter as part of ongoing diplomatic engagements with neighbouring countries.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that Pakistani officials were actively involved in shuttle diplomacy, noting that progress had been made in talks but cautioning that “other options” remain available if negotiations fail. Pakistan, however, clarified that Rubio’s comments referred to Naqvi’s ongoing visit.

Pakistan’s role in mediation has included facilitating earlier communication between Iran and the United States. A previous ceasefire was reportedly brokered with Pakistani involvement, followed by inconclusive negotiations to convert it into a permanent agreement.

The ceasefire has since been extended, though deadlines and conditions remain fluid, with shifting positions from US President Donald Trump.

Diplomatic activity has intensified following renewed threats from Washington and warnings from Iran. Trump recently suggested military action could resume if a deal is not reached soon, while Iranian officials have warned that renewed conflict would have severe regional consequences. The Revolutionary Guards also issued warnings of a wider escalation if Iran is attacked again.

Despite ongoing efforts by Pakistan and other regional actors, significant gaps remain between the US and Iran over nuclear restrictions, security guarantees, and regional stability. Talks continue, but no final agreement has been reached, and tensions in the region remain high. (PTI)</

AP

KYIV, May 22: Hundreds of Ukrainians marched in Kyiv on Friday, calling on the government to veto Bill No. 13646, which deals with the legal status of missing persons. Families of missing soldiers say the proposed legislation could allow courts to declare their loved ones legally dead before their fate has been confirmed, intensifying fears among relatives already living with uncertainty. Protesters insisted the law should not equate missing soldiers with confirmed fatalities and urged the government to protect families’ rights and hopes for clarity.

The demonstration comes amid deep pub-lic concern over Ukraine’s missing persons crisis. More than 90,000 people are listed in the country’s official registry of those who disappeared under special circumstances, according to the commissioner for missing persons. The database includes both military personnel and civilians, with cases dating back to 2014, when Russia first annexed Crimea and conflict began in eastern Ukraine. The registry was formally established in 2023 to consolidate fragmented records, particularly following the full-scale invasion in February 2022, which sharply increased the number of missing.

Meanwhile, the war continues to intensify across multiple fronts. Russian-installed au-thorities in occupied Luhansk said a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory killed four people and injured 39, while claiming that up to 18 more may be trapped under rubble.

Ukraine did not immediately comment. Rus-sia also reported intercepting more than 200 Ukrainian drones across several regions, in-cluding Moscow and St Petersburg, in what it described as widespread overnight attacks.

Ukraine, meanwhile, said it struck Rus-sian energy infrastructure, including a refinery in Yaroslavl—reportedly hit for the fourth time this month—as part of efforts to disrupt Moscow’s war logistics and fuel sup-ply chains. Russian attacks also continued, with Ukrainian officials reporting drone and missile strikes that injured civilians in Sumy and killed one person in Kherson. The United Nations has recorded a 21% increase in veri-fied Ukrainian civilian casualties in the first part of this year compared with the same period last year.

International support for Ukraine con-tinues, with the United States approving a $108 million arms package to strengthen air defence systems, even as overall military aid has been reduced under President Donald Trump. Ukrainian forces also claim recent battlefield gains in southern regions, attrib-uted to improved domestic drone capabilities and Russian operational constraints.

At the same time, Ukrainian leaders have warned of potential new Russian operations involving Belarus, citing intelligence shared at a NATO meeting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia is attempting to draw Belarus deeper into the conflict, raising re-gional security concerns.

By Jim Davis 4-24

Liz: HOW WAS YOUR DAY TODAY, JON?

Jon: UH…

Jon: I DON’T REMEMBER

Jon: HOW WAS MY DAY TODAY?

Garfield (thought bubble): FORGETTABLE

© 2026 PAWS, INC. All Rights Reserved. Distributed by Andrews McMeel Syndication

===AUTHOR===

(PTI) Bollywood actors Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri pose for photographs during promotion of their upcoming crime-comedy film Maa Behen releasing on Netflix, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Thursday.

===AUTHOR’S NAME AND AFFILIATION===
(PTI)

LONDON, may 22: An Indian-origin man, Jagjit Singh, is among five gang members jailed in the UK for a total of 84 years for their role in a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Singh, 30, from Birmingham, received a sentence of 10 years and six months after pleading guilty to involvement in importing and supplying Class A drugs, including cocaine and heroin worth millions of pounds.

The Metropolitan Police said the organised crime group smuggled drugs from mainland Europe into the UK using haulage routes and “ghost warehouses,” where consignments were secretly offloaded and redistributed. Authorities seized over 300 kg of cocaine and 60 kg of heroin during the investigation. The gang received sentences ranging from 14 to 26 years each at Kingston Crown Court. Police said the operation, uncovered through surveil-lance and coordinated raids, significantly disrupted a major drug supply network operating across London and surrounding regions.

2023 UFS Dist. By Andrews McMeel for UFS

Andrews McMeel for UFS

IS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT HAVING TO LIVE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.?

PESHAWAR, May 22: Pakistan’s military said security forces killed 23 terrorists during intelligence-based operations carried out on Wednesday and Thursday in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the operations were conducted in areas including Datta Khel, Spinwam and Bannu, where troops engaged militants in intense exchanges of fire. Among those killed was a wanted militant identified as Jan Meer alias Toor Saqib, who was reportedly involved in multiple attacks targeting security personnel and civilians. The military said weapons, ammunition, explosives and improvised explosive devices were recovered from the militants. Security forces also destroyed underground tunnels and bunkers used by the group. Sanitisation operations are ongoing to clear remaining threats in the region. The operations are part of Pakistan’s broader counter-terrorism campaign, ‘Azm-e-Istekham,’ which has intensified efforts against militant networks in restive areas of the country. (PTI)