The Democratic Republic of the Congo has cancelled its planned pre-World Cup training camp in Kinshasa because of the worsening Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country.

Preparations for the tournament will instead take place in Belgium as authorities respond to an outbreak that has reportedly killed more than 130 people.

The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern”, although it has stopped short of classifying it as a pandemic.

Jerry Kalemo, spokesperson for the national football team, said planned warm-up matches in Europe would still go ahead as the team prepares for its first FIFA World Cup appearance since 1974.

DR Congo are scheduled to face Denmark in Belgium on 3 June and Chile in Spain on 9 June before opening their World Cup campaign against Portugal in Houston on 17 June.

Team officials said the decision to cancel the Kinshasa camp was linked to travel restrictions introduced by the United States in response to the Ebola outbreak.

Under the restrictions, non-Americans who have recently visited DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days are barred from entering the US.

Because all DR Congo players and head coach Sébastien Desabre are based outside the country, they are not expected to be affected by the rules now that the training camp has been relocated.

Some support staff based in DR Congo reportedly left the country on Wednesday before the 21-day travel restriction window came into effect.

The planned Kinshasa camp had been expected to attract supporters and senior officials, including President Felix Tshisekedi.

Although Kinshasa lies around 1,800km from Ituri province — the centre of the outbreak — no Ebola cases have yet been reported in the capital.

The WHO said on Wednesday that 139 people were believed to have died from around 600 suspected cases, while Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba later stated on national broadcaster RTNC TV that authorities had recorded 159 deaths.

The United States has filed criminal charges against former Cuban leader Raúl Castro over the 1996 shooting down of two civilian aircraft belonging to the Cuban-American organisation Brothers to the Rescue.

The charges, announced on Wednesday, accuse Castro and five others of conspiracy to kill US nationals, destruction of aircraft and multiple counts of murder linked to the deaths of four men, including three Americans.

The victims were identified as Armando Alejandre Jr, Carlos Alberto Costa, Mario Manuel de la Peña and Pablo Morales.

At the time of the incident, Castro was head of Cuba’s armed forces. The aircraft were shot down over waters between Cuba and Florida, triggering widespread international condemnation.

Speaking in Miami at Freedom Tower, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case reflected the US government’s determination to pursue accountability decades after the incident.

“The United States, and President Trump, does not, and will not, forget its citizens,” Blanche said.

Some of the charges carry the possibility of life imprisonment, while the murder counts could potentially result in either life sentences or the death penalty if prosecuted successfully in a US court.

The move comes as Washington increases pressure on Cuba’s communist government amid longstanding tensions over political freedoms and economic reforms.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the charges, calling them “a political manoeuvre, devoid of any legal foundation”.

Analysts say the charges form part of a broader US strategy aimed at intensifying pressure on Havana’s leadership.

William LeoGrande, a Latin America expert at American University, said the approach appeared designed to push Cuba toward concessions through mounting economic and political strain.

The US has maintained sanctions against Cuba and recently tightened restrictions affecting oil supplies to the island, contributing to ongoing blackouts and shortages of food and fuel.

Earlier on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a message marking Cuba’s independence day, saying President Trump was offering “a new path between the US and a new Cuba”.

Rubio also accused the military-linked conglomerate GAESA of being largely responsible for Cuba’s worsening economic difficulties, including power outages and shortages.

GAESA controls major sectors of the Cuban economy, including ports, fuel distribution and luxury hotels.

In response, Díaz-Canel accused the United States of spreading misinformation and imposing collective punishment on the Cuban population.

Referee Michael Salisbury has not been selected for any match in the final round of Premier League fixtures following controversy over a key decision during Manchester United F.C.’s victory over Nottingham Forest F.C. last weekend.

Salisbury allowed Matheus Cunha’s goal for United to stand despite the ball appearing to strike the hand of Bryan Mbeumo during the build-up.

After being advised to review the incident by the video assistant referee (VAR), Salisbury chose not to overturn the goal. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited later admitted the goal should have been disallowed.

Referees in English football generally apply a more lenient interpretation of handball laws compared with some other countries, although decisions must still remain within the official laws of the game.

Referees’ chief Howard Webb reportedly told Forest there were arguments supporting the decision not to award handball, but acknowledged that “football’s expectation” would have been for the goal to be ruled out.

The incident marked only the 17th occasion in seven Premier League seasons — and the fourth time this campaign — that a referee has rejected the recommendation of the VAR after reviewing footage at the pitchside monitor.

Salisbury, who has officiated 13 Premier League matches this season, has not been assigned to any of Sunday’s final-day fixtures, all of which kick off simultaneously.

Meanwhile, James Bell has still been appointed as VAR for Fulham F.C.’s match against Newcastle United F.C. despite criticism surrounding another recent VAR decision.

Bell faced scrutiny after not recommending a review of a challenge by Kai Havertz on Lesley Ugochukwu during Arsenal F.C.’s game against Burnley F.C. on Monday.