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* Kane's two goals in 11 minutes sent England into a last-16 match against Mexico* Questions arise about England's reliance on star striker* Alan Shearer says defensive concerns persist despite the comeback victory  England's ‌World Cup campaign has increasingly come to rest on the shoulders of Harry ​Kane, whose goals, link-up play ‌and ability to deliver in decisive moments have repeatedly rescued a side ‌still searching for ⁠fluency and conviction. The ‌captain was again central to their ‌2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 32 on Wednesday, ⁠but England's reliance on their talisman raises a growing question as the knockout stage intensifies: how far can they go if Kane is the only player consistently capable of turning pressure into progress?Once again at the World Cup, England were saved by their record goalscorer.With DR Congo threatening one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history, Kane dragged his team back from the brink with two goals in 11 minutes, the ​second a stunning piece of individual skill.The performance earned praise, but also highlighted a familiar concern.ENGLAND WINNING - BUT NOT CONVINCINGEngland have reached the last 16 unbeaten, yet they have rarely looked convincing. Their ‌attacking play has often lacked ⁠rhythm, their defence -- hampered ​by injuries -- has appeared shockingly vulnerable, and too often they have needed ​Kane to provide the solution when collective dominance has been absent.Former England captain and centre forward Alan Shearer told the BBC: "It wasn't a good performance and I've got the same concerns as I had in the previous two or three games about us defensively."Kane has once again shown why he remains among the world's elite forwards, capable of deciding matches by himself."There's not many centre forwards in the world can produce that piece of magic," Shearer said. "The way he turns and swivels - and the balance is incredible. Then to get the direction and the power into the roof ‌of the net - that was some ‌strike." OVER-RELIANCE ON ONE PLAYERBut knockout football has a way ⁠of exposing over-reliance on any one player. Opponents become stronger, margins become finer and, eventually, ⁠even the most reliable match-winners can ⁠be contained.One of the few encouraging signs was that Jude Bellingham at least has looked capable of sharing that burden.The midfielder was instrumental against DR Congo, driving England forward and repeatedly forcing openings that others failed to take."I think what we've learned up to now from England is that obviously their two most important players are Bellingham and Kane," Shearer said. "Bellingham was ​really unlucky, but for the goalkeeper's couple of brilliant saves. He was the one that was trying to drive forward."Against Mexico in the last 16, England will face a different challenge. The altitude of Mexico City, the intensity of knockout football and the quality of the opposition are likely to place far greater demands on Thomas Tuchel's side.Even the tournament's biggest stars need support.France's Kylian Mbappe has been among the standout players at this World Cup, but he is surrounded by match-winners such as Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and ‌Desire Doue, with attacking ​threats emerging from every area of the pitch.If England are to progress further, they, too, will need those around Kane to step up. 

Yoane Wissa dedicated his goals that sent the Democratic Republic of Congo into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time to those suffering back home from a humanitarian crisis caused by war. Newcastle striker Wissa scored twice in a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan to give the African side their first ever World Cup win and set up a meeting with England in the last 32. Eastern Congo has been plagued for three decades by conflict involving a litany of armed groups. DR Congo is also fighting an Ebola outbreak that has claimed more than 300 lives. But backed by thousands from the Congolese diaspora in Atlanta, the Leopards roared back from a goal down on Saturday to make history. "We are a proud country. We are proud people. We love our country. We love our national team. We love what we represent!" Wissa told reporters. "I think tonight we just showed that what it means for us is just to fight no matter what. It's not easy in our country. There's a war in East Congo. Every day, every time we wear this shirt, we think about them. That's why tonight, what we show is just to say that guys, no matter what, we need to keep going. "Because we want peace and for them, I just say 'thank you'. Thank you because we came from far. We came from nothing to be here. Now we write our story with a black pen and we need to be proud." Wissa's double took his tally for the tournament to three goals after also netting in an impressive 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal. The 29-year-old struggled for form and fitness following a £55mn ($73mn) move from Brentford in September and said his recovery made goals on the global stage all the sweeter. "That's why I'm even prouder than everyone else in this room," Wissa said on his battle with injuries during his first season on Tyneside. "I didn't show my best face at Newcastle, but I knew that my time would come. This time is now. I just show to everyone now I'm in a good place. I'm good physically, I'm good mentally. So that's why I'm proud today to show that I'm a good player." Next up is a clash with England, who remain among the favourites for the competition despite an unconvincing start to their quest to win a first major tournament in 60 years. "I'm happy with what we accomplished. Now there's another path waiting for us. A big beast is waiting for us," added Wissa. "We need to enjoy this kind of game. We deserve to play against England, one of the best in the world. I'm looking forward to what's coming next." 

The risk from the deadly Ebola outbreak has been raised to the highest level for the Democratic Republic of Congo, the World Health Organization said yesterday, as the toll continued to rise. There are now 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths in the DR Congo, with almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, the WHO said. The outbreak, which experts suspect was circulating under the radar for some time, was caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. The WHO is prioritising certain existing treatments to see how effective they might be in combating the strain. 

The deadly Ebola outbreak raging in central Africa probably began several months ago, the World Health Organisation said yesterday, deeming the risk high in the region but low worldwide. “Given the scale, we are thinking that it has started probably a couple of months ago,” Anais Legand, WHO technical officer on viral haemorrhagic fevers, told reporters in Geneva. Ebola has killed more than 15,000 people in Africa in the past half-century, and the UN health agency declared the latest surge an international health emergency.The 17th Ebola outbreak to hit the DRC is already suspected of having caused 139 deaths from around 600 probable cases. “We expect those numbers to keep increasing, given the amount of time the virus was circulating before the outbreak was detected,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters. The WHO has highlighted the complexity of detecting and responding to the outbreak, which has been spreading in hard-to-reach areas of the DRC’s conflict-torn Ituri province. Complicating things further, the less common Bundibugyo species behind the outbreak does not show up on tests for the more common Zaire strain of Ebola. On Sunday, Tedros declared the outbreak a so-called public health emergency of international concern — the second-highest level of alarm under the legally-binding International Health Regulations (IHR), which triggers emergency responses in countries worldwide.“There are several factors that warrant serious concern about the potential for further spread and further deaths,” he said, adding he “determined that the situation was not a pandemic emergency,” saying the agency “assesses the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels. (AFP) 

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Alliance Fleuve Congo / March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) have signed in Doha the terms of reference arising from the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region. The signing came at the close of a meeting of the Ceasefire Oversight and Verification Mechanism between the two sides, hosted by Qatar as part of its efforts to help end the conflict in eastern Congo.Both parties also renewed their commitment to the ceasefire and to the Doha Framework Agreement for Peace, signed on November 15, 2025, and pledged to implement all their obligations in good faith to support the peace process.Members of the mechanism attended the meeting, with the United States and the African Union present as observers, alongside the Republic of Togo in its role as AU-appointed mediator, the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region.Talks focused on developments in the field and the challenges facing implementation. Participants stressed the need for practical steps to strengthen monitoring, verification and information-sharing in support of peace efforts.They also reviewed plans by MONUSCO and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region to put the mechanism into operation, and reaffirmed their backing for its work to ensure the success of field missions. MONUSCO was tasked with sending the first field mission to the city of Uvira in the coming days to monitor the ceasefire, with the necessary communication channels already established to facilitate its work under the mechanism.

Valery Kyembo was leading an inspection of his community's protected forest reserve deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo's mining belt when two armed Congolese soldiers blocked their way.Behind the troops, a barrier restricted access to a developing mine site. One soldier brandished his weapon in a clear warning — Kyembo should turn back instead of reaching the reserve.As US and other companies jostle with China over the DRC's critical minerals, communities like Lukutwe in the southern province of Haut-Katanga fear increasing restrictions and incursions into nature reserves as they seek to protect their land.**media[405598]**Kyembo's Lukutwe community forest reserve obtained official land titles to help avoid unauthorised exploitation, as huge metal reserves draw more investors.But community leaders fear displacement from traditional lands despite the communities' protected status.Haut-Katanga produces a host of minerals, but none more in demand than the silver-tinged cobalt, essential for electric batteries and in defence technology.The DRC produces around 70% of the world's cobalt.In Lukutwe, 70 kilometres from the mining capital Lubumbashi, community leaders said they established a forest concession to legalise customary land titles after watching mining firm SEK, a subsidiary of Australia's Tiger Resources, displace other villages a decade ago.**media[405599]**"We wanted to have our own titled land," Kyembo said, echoing people from surrounding villages.Demand for minerals under Katanga's earth is heating up.US President Donald Trump, who has sought to broker an end to decades of conflict in eastern DRC, has made "mineral diplomacy" key to his approach, looking for access for American companies in exchange.CUSTOMARY LANDFor villages like Lukutwe, which often hold land rights dating back generations but lack formal paperwork, the concessions are a way to secure land titles and protect the region's vast savannah forest systems.Since 2016, forest concessions, known as CFCL by their French acronym, have been part of the DRC's strategy to let communities manage their forests.They "effectively constitute a safeguard against pressure over their land... relocations and expropriations by mining companies," said Heritier Khoji, a specialist in the region's forests and an agronomy professor at the University of Lubumbashi.In Haut-Katanga, there are now 20 reserves, covering 239,000 hectares (60,000 acres). Twelve more are in the process of approval.The DRC's south is covered in what are known as Miombo forests, the largest dry tropical forest ecosystem in the world. But, as in other parts of Africa, forests are shrinking due to agriculture, deforestation and mining.From 2001 to 2024, the Lualaba and Haut-Katanga provinces lost 1.38mn hectares of tree cover, much of it along the copper-cobalt belt, according to Global Forest Watch.The DRC's mining registry shows the copper-cobalt belt has one of the country's highest concentrations of exploration and mine licences.Overseen by Indigenous and local communities, the forest reserves allow environmental management through sustainable projects, reforestation and controlled charcoal production, and set aside specific areas for conservation and rural development.In theory, mining companies that overlap with or impact the reserves can pay royalties to communities for their operations.Each reserve has a volunteer brigade to monitor access points and boundaries, said Kibole Kahutu, vice-president of the CFCL Katanga.MINING PRESSUREEnvironmentalists and rights groups meanwhile worry over threats to waterways, farming and health.A leak of waste from a facility run by Congo Dongfang Mining (CDM), a subsidiary of China's Huayou Cobalt, flooded suburbs of Lubumbashi in November, prompting the Congolese government to suspend the miner's operations.Many of the Haut-Katanga reserves are surrounded by or overlap with mining companies.For example, the Kambala forest initiative, which is yet to be fully approved, overlaps with the exploration permit of MMG Kinsevere SARL, a subsidiary of Australia-based MMG Limited, whose main shareholder is the Chinese company China Minmetals.Khoji, the agronomy professor, said community forest concessions are not perfect. Sometimes, even communities mine in environmentally destructive ways.Companies can operate in a concession after obtaining community consent. But local communities complain miners still obtain licences on secured lands even without consent or benefit-sharing agreements.For communities, "obtaining the concession is a safeguard against land pressures, but the difficult application of laws, decrees, orders... is an obstacle," Khoji said.Politics also plays a role, with poor communities lacking clout.In villages like Lukutwe, forestry concessions often do not generate immediate returns, and the lack of funds discourages some residents, said Veronique Sebente, representative of a committee managing collective land ownership.Katanga also faces incursions and attacks by loggers from Lubumbashi who come to produce charcoal to sell in the regional capital."These people sometimes surprise us by surrounding us and attacking. We have difficulty securing the concession," said Kahutu, the vice-president of the CFCL Katanga.Community members say forest concessions with the government offer at least some protection.But a road built across the CFCL Katanga to reach a mining site is a reminder that one day a mining company may try to come for their land."Our only support in this case consists of the CFCL documents obtained from the government," Kahutu said.The DRC's environment and mines ministers as well as mining companies SEK and MMG were contacted, but none responded before publication.This article is part of a reporting project between Mongabay and Agence France-Presse (AFP). 

The UN Security Council welcomed the efforts of the State of Qatar in mediating between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance (M23 Movement), which led to the signing of the Doha Framework for Peace on Nov. 15, 2025, in Doha.This came in the context of Security Council Resolution No. 2808 (2025), which was adopted and under which the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) was renewed for one year, until Dec. 20, 2026.

In a significant step forward for the peace process, the Doha Framework Agreement for Peace between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23) was signed Saturday during a special ceremony at the Sheraton Doha.The signing took place in the presence of His Excellency Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His Excellency Dr al-Khulaifi affirmed that the framework agreement represents an important milestone in efforts to consolidate peace and stability in eastern DRC.**media[381877]**He reiterated Qatar’s commitment to supporting the peace process until a comprehensive and lasting settlement is achieved for the Congolese people. Speaking at a press conference alongside Massad Boulos, US Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs, His Excellency the Minister highlighted the genuine political will and responsible engagement demonstrated by both parties, noting that these qualities made the agreement possible.**media[381882]**He also expressed appreciation for their confidence in Qatar’s role in facilitating and advancing the peace efforts. His Excellency Dr al-Khulaifi recalled that Qatar’s mediation efforts began when His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani hosted President Félix Tshisekedi of the DRC and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in Doha, and when President Tshisekedi subsequently opened the door for dialogue with the AFC/M23 movement.This latest agreement marks a new and important milestone in the ongoing peace process led by Qatar, building on the progress made with the Doha Declaration of Principles signed on 19 July. The Framework reaffirms the parties’ shared commitment to addressing the root causes of the conflict through structured dialogue, confidence-building measures, and a phased approach to de-escalation and stabilisation.**media[381878]**It emphasises the protection of civilians, respect for human rights, the safe and dignified return of displaced persons, and the promotion of national reconciliation and unity.Serving as the foundational reference document for the broader peace process, the Doha Framework sets the stage for a series of forthcoming protocols, annexes, and technical arrangements that the parties have agreed to develop.**media[381880]**These instruments will address operational details such as ceasefire consolidation and verification, troop disengagement modalities, humanitarian access, reintegration mechanisms, and support for national dialogue.Once adopted, these protocols and annexes will form an integrated and harmonised part of the Doha Framework for Peace, ensuring coherence, clarity, and phased implementation. Qatar commended the constructive engagement of both parties and expressed appreciation for the cooperation of regional and international partners supporting the process.**media[381881]**In particular, Qatar acknowledged the contributions of the US, Togo, and the African Union Commission, whose sustained support has played a key role in advancing the peace efforts.

The Governments of the State of Qatar, the United States of America, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of Rwanda, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union mediator), and the African Union Commission issued the following statement on the occasion of the fourth meeting of the Joint Oversight Committee, held this week in Washington, D.C.On November 7, 2025, representatives from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda, along with the State of Qatar, the United States, the Republic of Togo (as the African Union mediator), and the African Union Commission convened to assess implementation of the Peace Agreement, signed on June 27, 2025, in Washington, D.C..In a significant step forward, representatives from the DRC and Rwanda initialed the full text of the Regional Economic Integration Framework (REIF) today, overseen by HE Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the United States, Allison Hooker, and HE Presidential Envoy and Senior Advisor for Africa at the US Department of State, Massad Boulos.The REIF outlines key areas for fostering economic cooperation and development between the two nations, demonstrating the tangible benefits of peace and creating opportunities for investment and growth that directly benefit people in the region. Its implementation remains contingent upon the satisfactory execution of the Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and Operational Order (OPORD) under the Peace Agreement, underscoring the critical link between peace, stability, and economic progress.The Committee recognized lagging progress and committed to redouble efforts to implement the Washington Peace Agreement. The Parties agreed on specific near-term actions in line with their respective obligations for neutralizing the FDLR armed group and its associated groups and advancing disengagement of forces/lifting of defensive measures by Rwanda, reviewed preparations for military operations in a named area of interest, adopted an implementing agreement, and acknowledged the efforts of both of the Parties to translate their obligations into tangible actions on the ground. The Parties reaffirmed their commitment to refrain from hostile actions or rhetoric, particularly political attacks or language that would undermine or complicate the full implementation of the Peace Agreement, including in international fora.The State of Qatar provided an update on the ongoing negotiations in Doha between the DRC and AFC/M23, highlighting progress on key issues, including prisoner exchanges.The Committee welcomed the first convening of the Doha ceasefire monitoring mechanism on November 5. The Committee expressed strong support for these efforts and emphasized the critical role of the Doha process in advancing the broader implementation of the Peace Agreement.The Parties expressed a shared commitment to maintaining momentum in the peace process and continuing to build on the progress achieved.The Governments of the DRC and Rwanda expressed their gratitude to the State of Qatar, the United States, the African Union, and Togo for their steadfast support in advancing peace and stability in eastern DRC and the broader Great Lakes region.

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance (M23 Movement) signed in Doha Tuesday an agreement to establish a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, facilitated by Qatar, in line with the Doha Declaration of Principles signed on July 19, 2025.The mechanism will oversee the implementation of the permanent ceasefire, investigate and verify reported violations, and communicate with relevant parties to prevent a resumption of hostilities.Qatar, the US, and the African Union will participate in this mechanism as observers, enhancing transparency and supporting regional and international efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the peace process in the Great Lakes region.The establishment of the mechanism represents a pivotal step toward enhancing confidence-building and moving forward toward a comprehensive peace agreement between the two parties to the conflict.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced Qatar's gratitude and appreciation to the African Union, the US of America, and the Togolese Republic for their constructive contributions to supporting this process.Qatar has been hosting direct peace talks between Congo and the M23 movement. The agreement is a sign of progress in Qatar-mediated talks.The ceasefire monitoring agreement was a key step to complete before talks towards a comprehensive peace agreement could begin, a source said.The deal follows a ceasefire agreement that both parties inked in Doha in July aimed at leading to a permanent end to the fighting that has devastated the DRC's mineral-rich east.Qatar described the move as a "pivotal step toward enhancing confidence-building and moving forward toward a comprehensive peace agreement".

The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Congo River Alliance (M23 Movement) signed in Doha on Tuesday an agreement to establish a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, facilitated by the State of Qatar, in line with the Doha Declaration of Principles signed on July 19, 2025. The mechanism will oversee the implementation of the permanent ceasefire, investigate and verify reported violations, and communicate with relevant parties to prevent a resumption of hostilities. The State of Qatar, the United States of America, and the African Union will participate in this mechanism as observers, enhancing transparency and supporting regional and international efforts aimed at ensuring the success of the peace process in the Great Lakes region. The establishment of the mechanism represents a pivotal step toward enhancing confidence-building and moving forward toward a comprehensive peace agreement between the two parties to the conflict. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs voiced the State of Qatar's gratitude and appreciation to the African Union, the United States of America, and the Togolese Republic for their constructive contributions to supporting this process.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo condemned the Israeli attack that targeted residential buildings housing several members of Hamas movement in Doha.In a statement carried by the Congolese News Agency (ACP), the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo expressed deep concern over the Israeli attack on Doha, adding that this constitutes a violation of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar and threatens to worsen an already fragile regional situation.The Democratic Republic of the Congo affirms its solidarity with Qatar, recognizing its historic role as a mediator and advocate for dialogue and peace, the statement said. Given the complexity of the current crisis, it insists on the need to prioritize de-escalation, respect for international law, and the protection of civilians, it added.The Congolese government called on all parties to refrain from any actions that could undermine mediation efforts and to work collectively toward achieving a permanent ceasefire and a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.