US man's biking dream cut short in Iran as he flees Israel-Iran conflict
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Israeli soccer club's ‘murderers' banner described as ‘scandalous' by Polish president
Polish President Karol Nawrocki says a 'scandalous' banner from fans of Israeli soccer club Maccabi Haifa insulted his nation's victims of the Second World War. Maccabi Haifa fans unveiled a banner reading 'Murderers since 1939' in their Conference League match against Polish club Rakow Czestochowa on Thursday. 'The scandalous banner displayed by Maccabi Haifa fans insults the memory of Polish citizens — victims of World War Two, including three million Jews,' Nawrocki, a historian who previously headed the state's Institute of National Remembrance, posted on X. 'Stupidity that no words can justify.' Skandaliczny transparent wywieszony przez kibiców Maccabi Hajfa obraża pamięć o obywatelach polskich-ofiarach II wojny światowej, wśród których było 3 mln Żydów. Głupota, której nie tłumaczą żadne słowa. — Karol Nawrocki (@NawrockiKn) August 14, 2025 Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union following an invasion in September 1939. Around six million Poles — roughly a fifth of the nation's pre-war population — died during World War Two, including approximately 3.2 million Polish Jews killed in The Holocaust. The nation's Jewish population was the largest in Europe at the start of the war and almost all were killed during the atrocities, many of them in Nazi death camps. Thursday's match, designated as the 'home' game for Maccabi Haifa, was played in Debrecen, Hungary, for security reasons due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. No matches in UEFA competitions can be held in Israel due to the situation. Skandaliczny transparent izraelskich kibiców podczas meczu Maccabi Haifa z Rakowem Częstochowa: — OficjalneZero (@OficjalneZero) August 14, 2025 Poland's interior minister, Marcin Kierwinski, said the 'anti-Polonism' banner was a 'scandalous distortion of Polish history by Israeli hooligans which demands strong condemnation'. Israel's Embassy in Poland said it was 'appalled' by the banner and called on UEFA, European football's governing body, to 'respond appropriately'. The Embassy added: 'We will raise this issue in our discussions with the Israeli Foreign Ministry to prevent such situations from arising again. Polish-Israeli relations cannot and will not be destroyed by extremists.' Rakow Czestochowa won Thursday's game 2-0 to advance to the play-off round of the Conference League league phase, where they will face FC Arda Kardzhali of Bulgaria. The Athletic has contacted UEFA and Maccabi Haifa for comment. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hezbollah warns Lebanon 'will have no life' if state moves against it
By Maya Gebeily and Jana Choukeir BEIRUT (Reuters) -Hezbollah raised the spectre of civil war on Friday with a warning there would be "no life" in Lebanon if the government sought to confront or eliminate the Iran-backed group. The government wants to control arms in line with a U.S.-backed plan following Israel's military campaign against Hezbollah which was founded four decades ago with the backing of Tehran's Revolutionary Guards. But the group is resisting pressure to disarm, saying that cannot happen until Israel ends its strikes and occupation of a southern strip of Lebanon that had been a Hezbollah stronghold. "This is our nation together. We live in dignity together, and we build its sovereignty together - or Lebanon will have no life if you stand on the other side and try to confront us and eliminate us," its leader Naim Qassem said in a televised speech. Israel has dealt Hezbollah heavy blows in the last two years, killing many of its top brass including former leader Hassan Nasrallah and 5,000 of its fighters, and destroying much of its arsenal. The Lebanese cabinet last week tasked the army with confining weapons only to state security forces, a move that has outraged Hezbollah. Qassem accused the government of implementing an "American-Israeli order to eliminate the resistance, even if that leads to civil war and internal strife." DIALOGUE POSSIBLE However, he said Hezbollah and the Amal movement, its Shi'ite Muslim ally, had decided to delay any street protests while there was still scope for talks. "There is still room for discussion, for adjustments, and for a political resolution before the situation escalates to a confrontation no one wants," Qassem said. "But if it is imposed on us, we are ready, and we have no other choice ... At that point, there will be a protest in the street, all across Lebanon, that will reach the American embassy." The conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which left parts of Lebanon in ruins, erupted in October 2023 when the group opened fire at Israeli positions along the southern border in solidarity with its Palestinian ally Hamas at the start of the Gaza war. Hezbollah and Amal still retain influence politically, appointing Shi'ite ministers to cabinet and holding the Shi'ite seats in parliament. But for the first time in years, they do not hold a "blocking third" of cabinet, enabling them to veto government decisions in the past. Hezbollah retains strong support among the Shi'ite community in Lebanon, but calls for its disarmament across the rest of society have grown. Solve the daily Crossword
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hezbollah vows to keep arms, says Lebanon's disarmament plan serves Israel
BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group on Friday vowed not to disarm, saying last week's decision by the national government to remove the Iran-backed group's weapons by the end of the year serves Israel's interests. Naim Kassem said the government's decision to remove 'the defensive weapons of the resistance, its people and Lebanon during an aggression' facilitates the killing of 'resistance fighters and their families and evict them from their land and homes.' He said the government should have instead 'spread its authority and evicted Israel from Lebanon.' Speaking in a televised speech to mark a Shiite religious event, he added 'the government is serving the Israeli project.' Kassem added if the ongoing crisis leads to an internal conflict, the government is to blame. He noted that Hezbollah and its Shiite ally, the Amal movement, did not to ask their supporters to protest in the streets to give way for more discussions. The Amal movement was one of the main armed groups in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and is now a powerful political party led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri. But, he said if a decision is taken to protest in the streets, protesters 'will be all over Lebanon and head to the U.S. embassy.' He did not elaborate. Hezbollah's weapons have been a major dividing point in Lebanon with some groups that are opposed to Hezbollah saying only the state should be allowed to have arms. The Lebanese government voted last week for a U.S.-backed plan to disarm Hezbollah by the end of the year and implement a ceasefire with Israel. The small Mediterranean country has been under international pressure to get Hezbollah to lay down its arms since the 14-month war with Israel that ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November. However, the Hezbollah leader said his group will only discuss a national defense strategy over its weapons once Israel withdraws from Lebanon and stops its almost daily airstrikes that have killed scores of Hezbollah members since the war's end. 'The resistance will not hand over its weapons as the aggression continues and occupation remains,' Kassem said, adding that the group will fight a long battle if needed. The Israel-Hezbollah war weakened the Iran-backed group and left much of its military and political leadership dead. The war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon, displaced over 1 million and caused destruction that the World Bank said will cost $11 billion in reconstruction.
