Priest appears in court charged with attempted child sex offence
Fr Edward Gallagher, of Orchard Park, Lifford, County Donegal, appeared via video-link at a special hearing of Londonderry Magistrates' Court, sitting in Dungannon.
A Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officer told the court he could connect Mr Gallagher to the charges which were alleged to have taken place between 2 and 17 April.
The priest spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the charge.
No application for bail was made.
The case will return to court in May.
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
30 Christian Worshippers Killed During Night Vigil in Church
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More than 30 Christian worshippers were killed during a prayer vigil in a church in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a jihadist group linked to the Islamic State, is believed to be responsible for the killings, according to Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, who spoke to The Associated Press. The Context The DRC has been in a nearly continuous state of war and conflict for more than three decades, but violence has surged recently, with advancement of the March 23 Movement (M23), which has captured strategic locations, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu. ADF is another rebel group involved in the violence. The deadly attack underscored the escalating violence targeting Christian communities in the region. People gather around the charred remains of a vehicle following a deadly attack in Komanda, Ituri province of eastern Congo, on July 27, 2025. People gather around the charred remains of a vehicle following a deadly attack in Komanda, Ituri province of eastern Congo, on July 27, 2025. AP What To Know The attack on the Catholic church began at around 1 a.m. on Sunday, while the parish was celebrating its 25th anniversary Armed members of the ADF stormed the church in Komanda while more than 100 worshippers were gathered for a prayer vigil, according to local residents cited by The New York Times. The attackers, described as armed with guns and machetes, killed at least 34 people, according to Duranthabo. Other estimates from the U.N. peacekeeping mission and local officials have placed the death toll at up to 43, including nine children. Video footage from the aftermath showed burning structures and bodies scattered inside the church. Several houses and shops nearby were also set ablaze in the attack. The church's priest said some children, mostly between the ages of 12 and 14, were taken hostage by the militants, according to the New York Times. The ADF has been linked to numerous assaults on civilians in eastern DRC, often targeting Christian congregations. Originating in Uganda in the 1990s and affiliated with the Islamic State since 2019, the ADF has a reputation for extreme brutality, including beheadings and kidnappings of civilians. In February, Newsweek reported on how the ADF is believed to have beheaded 70 Christians in a church in the province of North Kivu. What People Are Saying Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, described the aftermath to the Associated Press: "The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church." Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of Monusco, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the region: "These targeted attacks against defenseless civilians, particularly in places of worship, are not only appalling but also in violation of all human rights standards and international humanitarian law." What Happens Next The massacre has renewed debate over Congo's security situation and the protection of religious minorities. With the recent drawdown of U.N. peacekeepers and a fragile peace process unfolding with other rebel factions such as M23, security forces are stretched thin across the region. The United Nations, provincial authorities, and international advocacy groups have called for urgent measures to improve the protection of civilians and places of worship.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
An attack on a Congolese church killed nearly 40 worshippers. Here's what to know
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Nearly 40 people were killed Sunday in eastern Congo's Ituri province when rebels stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshippers, including many women and children. At least 38 people were confirmed dead in the church while another five were killed in a nearby village. The victims included 19 men, 15 women and nine children. The attacks in Komanda town in the conflict-battered region were carried out by the Allied Democratic Force, a rebel group backed by the Islamic State that has mostly targeted villagers in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda, the Congolese army said. The ADF arose from tensions in neighboring Uganda The ADF has roots in Uganda in the 1990s. Following the overthrow of long-term dictator, Idi Amin, a coalition of various discontent groups saw the new government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni as anti-Muslim. Since then, the group has grown into a potent force but has been pushed out of Uganda's territories and now operates in the borderlands between Uganda and Congo, often targeting civilians in remote villages. ADF leaders pledged allegiance in 2019 to the Islamic State and have sought to establish an Islamic caliphate in Uganda. Eastern Congo has been beleaguered by protracted conflicts for decades, dating back to the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The conflicts have involved more than a hundred armed groups, according to the United Nations. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group is the most prominent and launched a blitz of attacks in January in a major escalation culiminating in its capture of two key cities in the region. The Congolese and Ugandan armies have targeted the ADF in a joint military effort but analysts say it has done little, even as the rebels attack civilians. 'These joint operations have only succeeded in dispersing the ADF without really protecting civilians from their wrathful reprisals,' said Onesphore Sematumba, the Congo analyst at the International Crisis Group. This presents complex headaches for the overstretched Congolese army, which is occupied with advances by M23 and other rebel groups in the mineral-rich region. 'The ADF is taking more or less the advantage of the Congolese army's and international diplomacy's focus on the M23 further south without attracting too much attention,' Sematumba said. Attack targeted worshippers at midnight The church attack Sunday was the latest in a series of deadly ADF assaults on civilians, including earlier this month when the group killed 66 people in Ituri province. The attack happened July 11 around 1 a.m. during a vigil at a Catholic church in Komanda, civil society leaders and survivors. It followed an attack a few hours earlier in the nearby village of Machongani, where five people were killed and houses razed. The attackers were believed to have come from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Attack expected to worsen situation The attack Sunday has sent shockwaves around the Central African country, which is currently embroiled in numerous conflicts. The Congolese government condemned it as 'horrific" while the military described it as a 'large-scale massacre' carried out in revenge for recent security operations targeting the ADF. However, M23 used the attack to accuse the governemnt of 'blatant incompetence' in attempts to protect citizens.
UPI
14 hours ago
- UPI
Fatal DR Congo church attack linked to Islamic State-backed rebels
A Lendu militiaman arrives to the U.N. disarmament post of Yambi in Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo to give up his weapon in 2005. Bunia is 75 miles east of Komada, where Islamic State-backed rebels attacked a church in Momanda. File Pohot by Riccy Gares/EPA July 27 (UPI) -- Islamic-backed rebels killed at least 43 people in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including raiding a Catholic Church, early Sunday, a United Nations-backed radio station reported. The Allied Democratic Forces emerged in Uganda in the 1990s against the marginalization of Muslims but rebels have gone across the border into DR Congo. About 20 people were stabbed to death during the church's night vigil in the town of Komanda, Radio Okapi reported. Other bodies were found in burned-out houses and businesses near the church. One man's charred body was found in a truck set on fire. The DRC Army confirmed the incident but reported 10 deaths. An alarm sounded at 2 a.m. Sunday of smoke from burning houses. The attackers had already left the scene when military authorities arrived. All activities in the city were suspended. The attack was about 7.5 miles from the center of Komanda. Security forces, including the DR Congo Armed Forces, Ugandan military and local police, are searching for the attackers. The area had been relatively peaceful with residents returning to the city. Komanda is in DR Congo's Ituri province, which is mineral rich. The United States is seeking to get access to those critical minerals, which are used to manufacture high-tech devices and weapons. On June 27, DR Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement in Washington, D.C., after 30 years of conflict between the two nations. Then on July 19, DR Congo and M23 rebels backed by Rwanda signed a declaration of peace after nearly four years of fighting. The rebels were not involved in the agreement in Washington but the declaration must follow the Washington Accord brokered by the United States. Around 7 million people have been displaced in Congo, which has a population of 106 million. Rwanda also borders Uganda to the south.
