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Rescuers race to save two people still trapped in cave in Laos

Rescuers race to save two people still trapped in cave in Laos

Rescuers face heavy rains, equipment failures in search for two people trapped in central Laos cave by flash floods. By AFP and AP Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026 Heavy rains have threatened to delay the search for two people who remain missing in a flooded cave in Laos, after five others were rescued after being trapped underground for more than a week. Finnish diver Mikko Paasi, one of the first international rescuers to arrive at the site, told The Associated Press news agency that rains on Sunday had filled the cave up to the second chamber, preventing divers from entering until pumps can lower the water level. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list A drainage pump also broke, making the situation even more difficult, said fellow diver Yoshitaka Isaji of Japan. Rescue teams from Laos and neighbouring Thailand have been working together over the past week to rescue the trapped villagers, alongside divers from countries including Finland, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia, France and Australia. Seven people entered the cave in a remote mountainous area of central Xaysomboun province last week to look for valuable minerals such as gold, before being trapped by a flash flood that blocked their way out, according to local media reports. One other person escaped and alerted the authorities. A Laotian rescue group said on Sunday it had received “substantial” information on the cave system from the five men who were rescued earlier this week. “The hope is that today’s mission will locate both remaining victims,” the group wrote on social media. The rescued men were being treated at a local hospital and were doing well, Malaysian diver Lee Kian Lie, who is taking part in the operation, told AP. Advertisement “We interviewed them about how the deeper part of the cave looks like. We will continue to search based on the information we have, and perhaps we will be able to get to the other two,” he said. Rescuers said they navigated more than 200m (650 feet) into the cave and discovered five chambers in the system. The five people rescued so far were found in the fifth chamber. Paasi, the Finnish diver, told AP that the survivors reported a narrow crack in the fifth chamber that could be a passage leading to a deeper part of the cave system. “This was the only place that we haven’t checked in the mine, where the two lost miners could still be,” he said in a video interview. The five men who were rescued – identified by their first names as Khamla, Mued, Ee, Ing and Laen – were first found last Wednesday. The first man was safely extracted on Friday, guided through a narrow flooded passage by an expert diver. The remaining four left the cave on Saturday, after the water receded enough for them to walk out on their own, rescuers said. Videos posted online on Saturday showed emotional moments as the men emerged one by one from the cave. Some collapsed on the ground at the cave’s entrance, and were hugged by a group of workers who cried with joy. Later moments showed them lying on stretchers, wrapped in foil blankets and fitted with oxygen masks before being transported out. Adblock test (Why?)

Germany World Cup 2026 team preview: Players to watch, group and squad list

Germany World Cup 2026 team preview: Players to watch, group and squad list

Previous World Cup appearances: 20Best performance: Winners (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)First appearance: 1934 (Italy)Top goal scorer: Miroslav Klose (16)Most appearances: Lothar Matthaus (25)Player to watch: Florian WirtzFIFA world ranking: 8 Germany are desperate for a successful World Cup after two spectacular failures – they were knocked out in the group stages in 2018 and 2022. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list They certainly look improved under coach Julian Nagelsmann. Germany eased through their World Cup qualification group with five wins from six matches. The squad blends the youthful brilliance of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz with the experience of Joshua Kimmich, Antonio Rudiger and veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who surprised many by coming out of international retirement for the tournament. However, whether the team as a whole is talented enough to pose a serious threat to the favourites and whether all the pieces really fit together under the pressure of a tournament remain to be seen. Group stage hoodoo Gary Lineker famously said: “Football is a simple game: 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes, and at the end, the Germans always win.” So the failures of the last two tournaments were almost unthinkable for the four-time winners. In 2018, they crashed out after losing to South Korea. In 2022, they were defeated by Japan en route to being eliminated on goal difference. Nagelsmann took over in September 2023 and has restored some national pride. Germany looked decent as the host nation at Euro 2024 and were perhaps unlucky to lose to Spain in the quarterfinals. The mood around the squad seems optimistic, and they will expect to go deep in the tournament. Gifted young attackers At the heart of Germany’s ambitions are gifted young attackers in Musiala, Wirtz and Lennart Karl. Advertisement Musiala, 23, was the standout performer at Euro 2024 and gives the team an individual spark of genius. However, he suffered a horrific injury in Bayern Munich’s FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in July, breaking his leg and dislocating an ankle in a collision with then-PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. He has suffered injury setbacks during his recovery and has not played as much as expected in recent weeks, mostly from the bench. Germany will be hoping he can get back to full fitness and form before the monthlong tournament, which begins on June 11. Wirtz, meanwhile, has endured a difficult season after his big money move to Liverpool. After failing to register a goal or an assist in the first few months of the season, he seems to have found his feet in the rough and tumble of the Premier League and is looking increasingly like his old self. He offers Germany versatility across the front line, and wherever he plays, Wirtz is capable of unpicking any defence. Florian Wirtz in action for Germany against Ghana in March 2026 [File: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters] Karl is another exciting prospect. The 18-year-old Bayern attacker, who can play on the wings or centrally, burst onto the scene this year. He became Bayern’s youngest scorer in the UEFA Champions League and third youngest in the Bundesliga after scoring against Club Brugge and Borussia Monchengladbach. He has even earned himself comparisons to Lionel Messi for his dribbling and low centre of gravity. Neuer’s shock return The 40-year-old goalkeeper was a surprise inclusion in Nagelsmann’s 26-man World Cup squad. Neuer retired ⁠from international play after Euro 2024, but the Bayern keeper is now set to make his fifth World Cup appearance with Nagelsmann saying he is the first choice ahead of Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nubel. “Everyone knows the aura and quality Manu has, what he brings to a team,” Nagelsmann said as he announced the squad. “He has an impact on his own team, on the opposition and can create special moments.” Kimmich remains as captain despite the return of Neuer, who was Germany’s longtime skipper. Manuel Neuer, left, makes a save against Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg in April 2026 [File: AFP] Nagging questions for Nagelsmann Several players look nailed on to start – think Leon Goretzka alongside Aleksandar Pavlovic as a double pivot in midfield and Kimmich at right back. But other positions are less settled, not least up front, where Germany lack a world-class out-and-out striker. Advertisement Niclas Fullkrug is a traditional number nine but did not make the cut after a terrible season in front of goal for AC Milan, netting just once in Serie A. Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade did make the squad despite a mixed season for his club and has looked better playing as a deeper lying forward. Kai Havertz can be used as a false nine, but it is not his most natural position. However, the Arsenal star is likely to get the nod in the absence of better alternatives. Despite the squad’s limitations, Nagelsmann remains ambitious. “I have repeatedly said we want to become world champions,” Nagelsmann said when he unveiled the squad. How does their group look? No disrespect to the other teams, but Germany will likely have breathed a sigh of relief when the draw for Group E was made. On paper, they will expect to progress comfortably. They open their campaign on June 14 against Curacao, the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup. Their second game on June 20 against Ivory Coast should provide a stiffer test as the Ivorians, who are returning to the World Cup for the first time in 12 years, are a dangerous side and boast the likes of Amad Diallo. The final group game is on June 25 against Ecuador, who finished second in qualifying ahead of Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay. They are a disciplined, well drilled side who conceded just five goals in 18 qualifiers and could be hard for Germany to break down. Nevertheless, Germany will fully expect to be in the knockout stages in a World Cup for the first time since 2014 when they went on

Juan Manuel Santos on Colombia’s peace process, 10 years on

Juan Manuel Santos on Colombia’s peace process, 10 years on

Ten years after Colombia’s landmark peace agreement, former president Juan Manuel Santos assesses its legacy. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate discusses renewed violence, political divisions and what Colombia’s experience can teach a world facing growing conflict. Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)