It is the 78-year-old Claude Le Roy’s second stint with the Congolese team, which he lead from 2013 to 2015.

For the first time, Africa will be represented by 10 teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, raising expectations that the continent could produce another historic run on football’s biggest stage.

Gulf leaders have strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, warning that the assaults threaten regional stability, global trade and energy supplies. The criticism came as tensions intensified following fresh military exchanges involving Iran and the United States.

As the FIFA World Cup prepares for kickoff, schoolchildren in Haiti are playing along. 48 schools have been chosen to represent the 48 countries in the World Cup and stage their own tournament. But Ti Mondial 2026 is more than a football tournament – it’s a call for peace.

Dozens of motorcycle taxi drivers have taken to the streets of Bunia and Rwampara in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo to spread Ebola prevention messages.

Nigerians fleeing the wave of anti-immigrant tensions sweeping South Africa arrived at Johannesburg airport on Wednesday for repatriation. For weeks, groups armed with sticks and shields have marched through parts of the country demanding that foreigners with no papers leave by the end of the month.

Iran is closing the Strait of Hormuz to all traffic, including oil tankers and commercial ships, the country’s state media announced on Thursday.

Pope Leo XIV blesses Sagrada Familia’s new tower in Barcelona, now the world’s tallest church, in a mass marking 100 years since Antoni Gaudí’s death.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni says the “fire of Ebola has started going down” in an address to the nation. Museveni and officials state there have been “no new cases” for five days, with the president calling the outbreak “easy to stop.”

The expanded tournament is co-hosted by Mexico, the United States, and Canada with 104 matches in 16 stadiums over 39 days.

The EU says there is no evidence that additional border measures were needed to prevent the spread of the virus to Europe.

Speaking at the airport, Omar Artan told supporters not to give up hope and vowed to participate in the next World Cup.

They have denounced what they said was government’s failure to respond concretely to their demands for better pay and working conditions.

As Ebola continues to spread across eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, claiming more than 100 lives, two artists in the city of Bunia are turning to music as a weapon against the outbreak.

They say the government is increasingly attempting to shackle and control the profession.

Lebanon’s death toll from months of Israeli attacks has climbed to 3,666, with more than 11,300 wounded, as fresh airstrikes and drone attacks killed at least a dozen people in the south. The renewed violence comes despite a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month.

Kenya saw fresh unrest on 9 June as protesters defied a court order and clashed with police near Laikipia Air Base over plans for a US funded Ebola quarantine facility, fuelling fears about the virus and prompting arrests.

With 180,000 tonnes of discarded garments imported into Kenya each year, with luck one can spot an authentic shirt.

Belfast awoke to scenes of destruction on 10 June after anti immigration protests descended into violence across several parts of Northern Ireland, leaving homes damaged, vehicles burnt out and families displaced.

The Philippines continued rescue operations on 10 June after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao, killing at least 37 people, injuring nearly 500 and forcing more than 32,000 residents from their homes.

Gauteng province’s top cop said it was too early to say if the incident late on Tuesday night was related to illegal mining in the area.

Nigeria’s ambitious $11 billion coastal highway promises to transform transport and tourism along the Atlantic coast. But as construction advances, environmentalists, fishermen and villagers warn the project could worsen coastal erosion, destroy forests and threaten livelihoods.

Residents of Marktweg in The Hague have once again transformed their street into a sea of orange ahead of the FIFA World Cup, continuing a popular local tradition that has become a symbol of community spirit and support for the national team.

Funerals are never easy for families mourning their loss. They can also be a moment of financial stress. In Zimbabwe, some people are turning to burial societies for help. Those societies are now also helping the living pay for daily expenses.

Pope Leo XIV made a rare visit to the cockpit mid-flight before greeting passengers and crew during his flight from Madrid to Barcelona on 9 June, marking the second stage of his week-long visit to Spain.

The International Monetary Fund has approved a new $250 million extended credit facility for Rwanda, as the country’s economy faces pressure from the Middle East war.

Violent anti-immigration protests swept through Belfast after a refugee was charged over a brutal stabbing that shocked the United Kingdom. Buildings and vehicles were set ablaze, roads blocked and residents evacuated as tensions over immigration intensified.

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda has surpassed 600 confirmed cases and claimed more than 100 lives, as health authorities warn that insecurity, resource shortages and travel restrictions are hampering efforts to contain the virus.

AFC/M23 rebels and the Rwandan army have committed numerous war crimes in eastern DR Congo, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch.

France’s renowned Patrouille de France performed a symbolic flyover above New York on 9 June. The display launched a series of events marking the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence.

Hundreds of Malawian migrants in Durban prepared to be repatriated on Tuesday, driven out by a growing wave of xenophobic violence sweeping South Africa.

Welcomed by a towering Catalan human castle, Pope Leo XIV joined 40,000 young people in Barcelona on 9 June, urging greater support for those facing anxiety, loneliness and violence ahead of the blessing of the Sagrada Família’s Tower of Jesus Christ.

The US military launched airstrikes and Iran retaliated Wednesday following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that US President Donald Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic.

A decision by US customs officials last week to deny entry to Somali referee Omar Artan is being met with blowback from fans and officials alike.

France Tuesday banned Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country, as part of coordinated sanctions with other countries over settler violence against Palestinians

Victims of alleged atrocities linked to the war in Sudan on Tuesday asked prosecutors in Kenya to investigate allegations of torture and sexual violence by members of a notorious paramilitary group

Thousands of residents fled Lebanon’s southern city of Tyre on 9 June, with long queues of vehicles heading north after Israeli military warnings heightened fears of further air strikes and a wider regional escalation.

Spain’s Barcelona welcomed Pope Leo XIV on 9 June as thousands gathered for a prayer service at the city’s cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia. The pontiff’s visit includes a landmark ceremony at the Sagrada Familia Basilica.

Electricity rationing has been a persistent challenge since the July 2023 coup. But the situation now appears to be moving toward a temporary solution, with the launch of the Niger-Algeria solidarity power plant

Kenya and the United States have officially launched a $1.6 billion health partnership after months of legal disputes delayed its implementation. The five-year agreement aims to strengthen disease surveillance, healthcare systems and emergency preparedness across the country.