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Raphinha hat-trick powers Barcelona past Sevilla to keep La Liga lead Leaders win 5-2 at Montjuïc; Cancelo and Olmo on target as Sevilla concede two early penalties Raphinha scored three times — including two first-half penalties — as Barcelona beat Sevilla 5-2 at home on Sunday to maintain a four-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of La Liga. The Brazil winger converted spot-kicks seven minutes apart in the opening period after João Cancelo twice drew fouls in the area. Dani Olmo added a third before halftime, and…

Joan Laporta was reelected as FC Barcelona president, securing a new five-year mandate with 68% of the vote in a member ballot that reaffirmed his grip on the club’s future and its most consequential rebuilding effort in a generation. Barcelona announced the result shortly after midnight in the Catalan capital. Víctor Font, Laporta’s only rival, conceded earlier in the evening and congratulated the incumbent on what he called an “unquestionable victory.” The club said more than 48,000 of its 114,000 eligible members cast…

Joan Laporta has secured another five-year term as FC Barcelona president, winning a members’ vote that cements his control of the club at a pivotal moment for its finances, stadium rebuild and sporting project. Shortly after midnight in Barcelona, the club announced Laporta’s victory. With the count complete, Barcelona said Laporta received 68% of ballots cast. His only challenger, Víctor Font, conceded earlier in the evening, congratulating Laporta for what he called an “unquestionable victory.” More than 48,000 of Barça’s…

AL-MISKAD MOUNTAINS, Somalia — On a windswept ridge overlooking a maze of limestone caves, Puntland State Defence Forces soldiers huddle around a hand-held screen, tracking a lone figure sprinting through a chalky valley. “He has been to fetch water for his friends,” one says, as the dot moves toward a suspected hideout. Another adds: “He is running and carrying something on his back.” The suspected cave network below, commanders say, shelters 50 to 60 Islamic State group fighters. It is one node in a stubborn insurgency…

GALKAYO, Somalia — Security officials from Puntland State and Galmudug met Sunday in Galkayo to coordinate plans for stabilizing Somalia’s divided Mudug region, pledging closer cooperation and heightened vigilance ahead of Eid al-Fitr, officials said. The joint session brought together members of the two states’ security committees to assess the overall security picture, examine recurrent flashpoints along their shared boundary and align responses to threats that spill across administrative lines. The meeting, held in a city…

BAIDOA, Somalia — Southwest State’s information minister on Monday denied social media reports that fighting erupted overnight in Baidoa, insisting the regional capital remains calm despite unverified accounts of a mortar incident near a military installation. Minister says “no shooting” occurred and daily life is normal in Baidoa Unconfirmed online claims alleged a mortar round landed near a Southwest State base Officials accuse unnamed groups in Mogadishu of spreading misinformation Denial comes amid broader political…

Sunday, March 15, 2026 BAIDOA, Somalia (AX) — Armed fighters aligned with opposition figures and clan leaders clashed Saturday with Southwest state security forces in the Qansahdhere district of Bay region, residents said, reporting hours of heavy gunfire and a tense, fast-moving situation. Local sources said both heavy and light weapons were used as the confrontation unfolded from early in the day and continued for several hours. Casualties were reported on both sides, though precise figures could not be independently…

Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine said Sunday he has left the country after spending two months in hiding, accusing President Yoweri Museveni’s government of targeting him and his allies in the wake of January’s disputed election. In a five-minute video posted on X, formerly Twitter, Wine said he had traveled abroad for “critical engagements” and to mobilize international pressure, including targeted sanctions, against Museveni’s administration. He repeated his claim to have won the presidential vote, which Uganda’s…

MOGADISHU (AX) — The Banadir Regional Administration will allocate $288,000 this year to strengthen education services and support the construction of new public schools in Mogadishu, Mayor Hassan Mohamed Hussein, known as Muungaab, announced Sunday, marking a renewed push to expand access to free public education in the capital. The funding, approved for the current school year, is expected to rise in subsequent years as the city advances a wider plan to improve public schooling. “I recently signed nearly three hundred…

Missile hits U.S. Embassy in Baghdad’s Green Zone, officials say BAGHDAD — A missile struck inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone on Saturday, igniting smoke visible over the area and damaging parts of the complex, according to Iraqi security officials. An Iraqi security source told Al Jazeera the attack destroyed part of the embassy’s air defense system. Separately, two security officials told The Associated Press the projectile hit a helipad within the compound. The officials spoke on condition…