Latest news with #Warsaw
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Polish priest 'burns homeless man alive in the street after attacking him with an axe after row over finding victim somewhere to live'
A Polish priest is alleged to have slashed a homeless man in the head with an axe before setting him on fire while he was still alive and leaving him to die on the side of the road. The priest, only identified as Miroslaw M. in line with Polish privacy rules, is believed to have clashed with victim Anatol Cz. while driving near Grójec late on Thursday before attacking him and fleeing the scene. Aneta Góźdź, a spokesperson for the Radom District Prosecutor's Office, said the priest, 60, struck the victim with an axe 'several times', doused him in flammable liquid and set him on fire before driving away. A cyclist found the victim, 68, still alive and engulfed in flames before calling for help, Góźdź said in the most recent statement, published on Saturday. Four fire brigade teams, police and an ambulance were mobilised to help save the man, Polish channel TVP 3 reported. Despite their efforts, the victim died. Officers received a report of a man on fire in the village of Lasopole in the Chynów commune south of Warsaw on Thursday at around 10pm, arriving to discover the body. 'An autopsy showed that the victim suffered burns covering 80 per cent of his body and head injuries caused by a sharp-edged heavy object,' Góźdź said, adding: 'The victim died as a result of burns and head injuries.' The priest was arrested on Friday and subsequently charged with 'murder with particular cruelty'. He is being detained ahead of a trial and faces 15 years to life behind bars. Officers from the District Police Headquarters in Grójec and the Provincial Police Headquarters in Radom carried out a search and an examination of the rectory premises before the victim's vehicle was secured for further examination. The priest admitted to the crime and discussed his relationship to the victim and his motives, according to the prosecutor. When questioned, he did not deny that he and his friend of 20 years had traveled in their car to Lasopole, where they discussed the victim's accommodation and its location. 'The victim demanded the provision of this accommodation,' Góźdź said. 'The two men were bound by a donation agreement, under which Mirosław M. committed to providing lifetime assistance and care for the victim.' The argument was said to concern 'the choice of a place for the homeless man to live', the Polska Agencja Prasowa news agency reported. The District Court in Grójec on Saturday ordered the pretrial detention of the man for three months on suspicion of murder. Warsaw Archbishop Adrian Galbas on Saturday requested the Holy See to dismiss the priest from the priesthood, the highest penalty in canon law for a cleric. In a statement to the archdiocese on Friday, Galbas asked for Catholics to pray for the victim and his loved ones. The archbishop said he was 'devastated' by the crime and pledged to cooperate with investigators. He asked for forgiveness for this 'horrible crime' in a statement read during Sunday Mass in his archdiocese, adding: 'As Bishop of the Church of Warsaw, I feel morally responsible for what is happening in this church, both good and bad.' 'I am devastated and shocked by the news that one of my priests brutally murdered a poor and homeless person. 'I have no words of comfort for you today, much less an explanation or justification.' The Vatican did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jennifer Lopez Praised For Soldiering On After On-Stage Wardrobe Malfunction
Jennifer Lopez chose to lean into the unpredictable over the weekend when she suffered a wardrobe malfunction live on stage. On Friday night, J-Lo was performing in Warsaw, Poland, where she was surprised by her backing band and fans with an impromptu rendition of Happy Birthday To You, to commemorate her turning 56 a day earlier. Unfortunately, as she made her way back on stage, it seemed she got ready in a bit of a hurry, as she lost her skirt in the process. After laughing off the wardrobe malfunction – which left her standing in front of the crowd in her stage undergarments – she eventually gave up on trying to reattach the skirt, seemingly throwing it off stage as she continued with the show. Clips of the incident quickly began doing the rounds online, with the Love Don't Cost A Thing singer receiving praise from fans for handling the incident like a pro… 'I'm glad that they reinforced that costume,' she quipped. 'And I'm glad I had underwear on!' Jen is currently in the middle of her limited Up All Night tour, which has so far taken her to territories as varied as Spain, Hungary, Romania and Turkey, with shows still scheduled in Abu Dhabi, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the coming weeks. During her tour, the two-time Grammy nominee has been premiering new material, including a song that appears to allude to her very public divorce from ex-husband Ben Affleck. The last two years have seen Jennifer taking a number of both personal and professional knocks, including her split from her Oscar-winning ex and a muted response to her album This Is Me… Now and its accompanying visual album. During a conversation in Interview magazine, she said the situation 'was like my whole fucking world exploded', explaining: 'It feels lonely, unfamiliar, scary. It feels sad. It feels desperate. 'But when you sit in those feelings and go, 'These things are not going to kill me', it's like actually, I am capable of joy and happiness all by myself.' READ MORE: Ben Affleck Gets Reflective About Relationship With Jennifer Lopez Following Their Divorce Jennifer Lopez Delivers Impassioned Takedown Of Donald Trump After Comedian's Racist Remark At Rally Jennifer Lopez Expertly Handles Interviewer's Awkward Joke About Her Age
News.com.au
18 hours ago
- News.com.au
'This is no vacation': young Poles do summer army bootcamp
Sweating and out of breath, young Poles throw grenades and practise evacuating the wounded at a training ground outside Warsaw. Instead of relaxing at the beach, they have chosen to do army drills over the summer holidays. Nearly 10,000 men and women have volunteered for the month-long, paid "Vacation with the Army" programme, which the defence ministry launched to promote military service among young people as Poland beefs up its security. The EU and NATO member -- which borders Belarus, Russia and Ukraine -- has been strengthening its defensive assets since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 out of fear that it could be next. "The training includes shooting and tactics classes, field studies, and general air defence," said lieutenant Patrycja Adamska, spokeswoman for the army's 10th Car Regiment, one of the units involved in the programme. "The recruits have an opportunity to experience the discipline of soldier life," she told AFP. The participants, most of them 18 to 20 years old, spend 27 days in a unit, after which they are awarded a rank and can continue service or become part of the reserve personnel. Michal Piekut, a master's student in international security, was surprised by the rigour of the drills. Sporting camouflage paint and in full uniform, the 29-year-old was barely standing from the exertion. "This is no vacation, it's intensive military training. I thought I wouldn't make it," he told AFP after dragging a heavy munition chest across many metres of sandy terrain. "Nobody fainted yet, but the day is young," he deadpanned. Lieutenant Michal Gelej from the army recruitment office said the programme "constitutes a wonderful alternative to summer jobs", as a payout of 1,400 euros awaits those who complete it. Goran Meredith, a 19-year-old American studies student at the University of Warsaw, said the money and summer timing allowed him to participate, otherwise he "wouldn't have time to be here". The ongoing war in Ukraine was another incentive. Piekut said he was considering a future military career: "I want to become a reserve soldier, and if need be, serve my homeland." - Learning from Ukraine - Just after Russia's Ukraine invasion, Poland adopted a homeland security law that included the goal of "enlarging military personnel". It also updated its voluntary conscription programme in 2022 with an eye towards increasing the army reserve. It drew nearly 90,000 candidates over the years 2023 and 2024. The defence ministry launched the "Vacation with the Army" programme last year, along with exercises in schools and weekend boot camps for civilians, promoted by a large-scale social media campaign. "The Ukrainian example teaches us that the professional army gets used up in about a year" if it cannot draw on adequate reserves, said Bartosz Marczuk, a Sobieski Institute expert who co-authored a report on the idea of introducing mandatory military training in Poland. "We are the largest country on NATO's eastern flank, and its keystone of security," he added. Marczuk said that any reintroduction of mandatory army service -- which Poland ended in 2009 -- would need to be preceded by voluntary programs. "That's why all initiatives of this sort have to be supported," he told AFP. In March, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that by 2027, Poland will expand its voluntary military training program to accommodate 100,000 recruits per year, in order to create "an army of reservists". Piekut doubted whether his compatriots were up to the task. "Most adults could not handle it. There are very high requirements, physically, psychologically, and in terms of discipline," he said. str/amj/gv
Arab News
18 hours ago
- Arab News
'This is no vacation': young Poles do summer army bootcamp
WARSAW: Sweating and out of breath, young Poles throw grenades and practice evacuating the wounded at a training ground outside Warsaw. Instead of relaxing at the beach, they have chosen to do army drills over the summer holidays. Nearly 10,000 men and women have volunteered for the month-long, paid 'Vacation with the Army' program, which the defense ministry launched to promote military service among young people as Poland beefs up its security. The EU and NATO member — which borders Belarus, Russia and Ukraine — has been strengthening its defensive assets since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 out of fear that it could be next. 'The training includes shooting and tactics classes, field studies, and general air defense,' said lieutenant Patrycja Adamska, spokeswoman for the army's 10th Car Regiment, one of the units involved in the program. 'The recruits have an opportunity to experience the discipline of soldier life,' she told AFP. The participants, most of them 18 to 20 years old, spend 27 days in a unit, after which they are awarded a rank and can continue service or become part of the reserve personnel. Michal Piekut, a master's student in international security, was surprised by the rigour of the drills. Sporting camouflage paint and in full uniform, the 29-year-old was barely standing from the exertion. 'This is no vacation, it's intensive military training. I thought I wouldn't make it,' he told AFP after dragging a heavy munition chest across many meters of sandy terrain. 'Nobody fainted yet, but the day is young,' he deadpanned. Lt. Michal Gelej from the army recruitment office said the program 'constitutes a wonderful alternative to summer jobs,' as a payout of 1,400 euros awaits those who complete it. Goran Meredith, a 19-year-old American studies student at the University of Warsaw, said the money and summer timing allowed him to participate, otherwise he 'wouldn't have time to be here.' The ongoing war in Ukraine was another incentive. Piekut said he was considering a future military career: 'I want to become a reserve soldier, and if need be, serve my homeland.' Just after Russia's Ukraine invasion, Poland adopted a homeland security law that included the goal of 'enlarging military personnel.' It also updated its voluntary conscription program in 2022 with an eye toward increasing the army reserve. It drew nearly 90,000 candidates over the years 2023 and 2024. The defense ministry launched the 'Vacation with the Army' program last year, along with exercises in schools and weekend boot camps for civilians, promoted by a large-scale social media campaign. 'The Ukrainian example teaches us that the professional army gets used up in about a year' if it cannot draw on adequate reserves, said Bartosz Marczuk, a Sobieski Institute expert who co-authored a report on the idea of introducing mandatory military training in Poland. 'We are the largest country on NATO's eastern flank, and its keystone of security,' he added. Marczuk said that any reintroduction of mandatory army service — which Poland ended in 2009 — would need to be preceded by voluntary programs. 'That's why all initiatives of this sort have to be supported,' he told AFP. In March, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that by 2027, Poland will expand its voluntary military training program to accommodate 100,000 recruits per year, in order to create 'an army of reservists.' Piekut doubted whether his compatriots were up to the task. 'Most adults could not handle it. There are very high requirements, physically, psychologically, and in terms of discipline,' he said. Meredith agreed: 'We're in our first week and 10 people have quit already, so it speaks for itself.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sam Smith's 'To Be Free' Brooklyn residency: Dates, where to buy tickets, prices and more
Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer Sam Smith has made New York City their adopted hometown, and this fall, they'll perform a twelve-night residency close to home in Brooklyn. Smith's run of shows will begin Oct. 8 and run through Oct. 31. Ahead of the run of shows, Smith will also release their new single, "To Be Free," from which the residency gets its name. Smith says of the new song, "I wrote it five years ago while writing my last album, Gloria, and then parked it because I knew it was not a song for that album. It was created during a time in my life where I became free within myself.' The To Be Free: New York City run of shows will be held at the Warsaw in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a performance space that holds just 1,000 people, ensuring that Smith's performances will be as intimate as possible. Tickets for Smith's Brooklyn residency will go on presale this Tuesday; here's everything you need to know about how to buy tickets for Sam Smith's To Be Free: New York City shows. When is Sam Smith's Brooklyn residency? Sam Smith will perform a limited twelve-night residency at the Warsaw in Brooklyn, New York, from Oct. 8-31, 2025. When do tickets for Sam Smith's shows go on sale? Tickets for Sam Smith's Brooklyn concert series will go on presale Tuesday, July 29 at 10 a.m. ET. (Sign up to be notified of presale details here.) The general onsale will begin on Friday, August 1, at 10 a.m. ET. Check Ticketmaster Sam Smith To Be Free: New York City ticket cost: Official Ticketmaster ticket prices for the 2025 Sam Smith Brooklyn residency have not yet become available, but tickets on StubHub are already on sale and start at $276 for general admission. Find tickets on StubHub Sam Smith To Be Free: New York City dates Sam Smith will perform twelve shows in Brooklyn on the following dates; all shows are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET. Wednesday, October 8 Friday, October 10 Saturday, October 11 Wednesday, October 15 Friday, October 17 Saturday, October 18 Tuesday, October 21 Wednesday, October 22 Friday, October 24 Wednesday, October 29 Thursday, October 30 Friday, October 31
