At Least Nine Dead In DR Congo Rebel Attack

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3 years ago

June 3, 2023

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The KST said at least 15 civilians were killed on the evening of May 27 in three villages and about 15 others on May 19 at another location.

Suspected Islamic State group-affiliated ADF rebels have killed at least nine villagers in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a local monitor said Friday.

The volatile and mineral-rich region along the border with Uganda has been wracked by increasing violence involving rebel militias that has ensnared neighbouring countries.

The Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a network of observers based in DRC’s restive east, said several others were missing after the attack, which also left one person seriously injured.

“The ADF are suspected,” the KST said.

The raid targeted Museya Kanyamutsutsa village in Beni territory, according to Delphin Maleki, a local activist, who confirmed the death toll of at least nine.

He said that in addition to the suspected hostages, the attackers took away cattle and equipment.

“It all started around 8:00 pm (1900 GMT). We were surprised by the ADF while we were in our houses,” said village resident Socrates Mumbere.

“The toll is 10 dead — six men and four women,” he said.

“Goats, chickens, clothes were stolen” and shops vandalised, he added.

“We condemn these perpetual killings, we demand the security of our people,” Maleki said, adding that security forces had not reacted in time.

He said Congolese and Ugandan troops were stationed just three kilometres (two miles) from the site of the attack.

Joint operations have been carried out by the two armies in the northern part of North Kivu and the neighbouring province of Ituri since late 2021 against the ADF.

Originally the group was made up of mainly Muslim Ugandan rebels.

Since the mid-1990s it has been mostly active in eastern DRC, where they are accused of massacring thousands of civilians.

They pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2019 and are also accused of carrying out jihadist attacks on Ugandan soil.

Several other raids by suspected ADF rebels have been reported since early May in Beni.

The KST said at least 15 civilians were killed on the evening of May 27 in three villages and about 15 others on May 19 at another location.

AFP

Barcelona Seals New Deal With Head Coach Flick

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18 hours ago

May 18, 2026

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Barcelona completes contract renewal with head coach Hansi Flick, per official announcement.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Flick’s new contract with Barcelona runs until June 2028, with an option to extend until June 2029, meaning the coach could stay for three more seasons.

In his first season in charge, Flick led the team to a domestic treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup.

This season, Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup again and retained the La Liga title, bringing his total to five trophies in two seasons.

Erling Haaland Makes Acting Debut In Animated Film

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18 hours ago

May 18, 2026

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Erling Haaland will follow in the footsteps of David Beckham and Vinnie Jones by taking his first steps into the acting world, with the Norwegian striker set to make his film debut.

The Manchester City striker will voice a character described as ‘an animated version of himself’, in the upcoming animated film Viqueens.

This is according to the Hollywood Reporter, who say that the 25-year-old is playing a Viking called Haaland in the motion picture.

The adventure-comedy is directed and co-written by the award-winning Harald Zwart, the Norwegian director known for The Karate Kid and Agent Cody Banks.

‘As a Norwegian storyteller making a Viking adventure for a global audience, having Erling Haaland join feels incredibly exciting,’ said Zwart.

‘Erling has already become a kind of real-life Viking icon around the world – powerful, fearless and uniquely Norwegian.

‘Bringing him into this universe as himself gives the film an unexpected energy and authenticity that felt completely right for this story.’

Solveig Langeland, managing director of Sola Media, added: ‘Erling Haaland transcends sports – he’s a global cultural figure.

‘His involvement brings another exciting dimension to a film that already combines international adventure, humour, and emotional storytelling in a way we believe will resonate with audiences everywhere.’

He follows the likes of Beckham and Jones, who have already hit the cinema screens around the country.

Beckham made his silver screen debut in his pal Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur back in 2017 alongside film stars Charlie Hunnam and Eric Bana, playing hardened battleguard Trigger in the flick.

Meanwhile, Jones is known for portraying gangsters on screen, and as recently as 2024 played gamekeeper Geoff in Ritchie’s series The Gentlemen, featuring Theo James.

He famously also played Coach Dinklage in She’s the Man, and was The Juggernaut in X-Men: The Last Stand.

Haaland may need a while before he becomes the big actor that Jones has become, though, with plenty of years on the pitch still ahead of him.

The striker’s focus will currently be on winning the Premier League with Manchester City, as they look to hunt down Arsenal, who are two points ahead at the top, with two games to go.

Haaland will next be in action on Tuesday night as they travel to Bournemouth.

International News

Iran squad travel to Turkey for friendlies, US visas

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20 hours ago

May 18, 2026

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Iran’s national football team was headed to Turkey on Monday to play a final friendly match and apply for visas to fly to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, Iranian media reported.

The team plan to participate in the tournament despite co-host Washington having launched a war against Iran with a massive wave of attacks alongside ally Israel on February 28.

The fighting has been on hold for weeks thanks to a ceasefire, but peace talks have failed to make a breakthrough and new drone attacks against Gulf countries at the weekend combined with threats from US President Donald Trump raising fears of a return to fighting.

The team “departed this morning for Antalya, Turkey to play its final friendly match before flying to the United States for the 2026 World Cup,” the Tasnim news agency reported.

It said the squad consisted of 22 domestic-based players alongside their coaching staff.

On Saturday, head coach Amir Ghalenoei said they would also be completing visa applications for the US while in Turkey.

– ‘Let ’em play’ –

Iran secured their spot at the World Cup in March 2025, but since then the United States has twice launched attacks on the country.

US officials have insisted that Iran is welcome at the tournament, while organiser FIFA has said it will go ahead as planned and rejected Iranian suggestions that their games be moved to co-hosts Mexico or Canada.

“I think let ’em play,” Trump said in late April.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any problem would not be with Iranian players but “some of the other people (they) would want to bring with them”, suggesting they may have ties to the Revolutionary Guards, which Washington has branded a terrorist organisation.

Last month, officials from Iran’s football federation abandoned a trip to the FIFA congress in Canada, saying they had been “insulted” by Canadian immigration officers.

One of their delegation, Mehdi Taj, is a former member of the Revolutionary Guards, which Canada has also designated a terror group.

The Iranian football team hope to play two friendlies in Antalya.

They have already confirmed one match, against The Gambia, on May 29, said Sam Mehdizadeh, an Iranian-Canadian who heads a company that sets up friendlies for the team.

“No visas have been issued yet,” Taj, the head of Iran’s football federation, told Iranian media on Thursday.

On Saturday, FIFA secretary general Mattias Grafstrom held a meeting in Turkey with the federation, describing it as constructive, as did Taj.

When the squad reaches the United States, Iran will set up their base camp in Tucson, Arizona.

The team, who are in Group G, are due to kick off their campaign against New Zealand in Los Angeles on 15 June, before facing Belgium in the same city and then Egypt in Seattle.

AFP