King warns of ‘dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism’ as he pays tribute to Holocaust survivors
The King has warned of the “dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism” and met with Holocaust survivors on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
During a visit to the Jewish Community Centre of Krakow – which he opened in 2008 – King Charles said Holocaust Memorial Day “is a moment when we recall the depths to which humanity can sink when evil is allowed to flourish”.
The King then joined survivors and other dignitaries at Auschwitz, marking the first time that a serving British monarch has visited the concentration camp where more than a million people were murdered at the hands of the Nazi regime.
Pic: Reuters
Before he laid a candle as the UK’s representative at the ceremony, three Holocaust survivors shared their stories, with Tova Friedman saying she felt it was “normal” that “as a Jewish child they all had to die”.
Janina Iwanska also said: “It is difficult to calculate all the people killed here.”
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Survivors recount Auschwitz horrors
Pic: PA
Kate, the Princess of Wales, will also join Prince William at a Holocaust commemoration ceremony in London later on Monday.
The royals will pay their respects alongside Sir Keir Starmer and hear survivors and campaigners speak.
King Charles arriving at Krakow Airport, in Balice, Poland. Pic: PA
‘Remembering the evils of the past remains vital’
Speaking in Krakow earlier on Monday, the King said: “In a world that remains full of turmoil and strife, and has witnessed the dangerous re-emergence of antisemitism, there can be no more important message.
“As the number of Holocaust survivors regrettably diminishes with the passage of time, the responsibility of remembrance rests far heavier on our shoulders and on those of generations yet unborn.
“The act of remembering the evils of the past remains a vital task, and in so doing, we inform our present and shape our future.
“Here in Krakow, from the ashes of the Holocaust, the Jewish community has been reborn.”
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Survivors mark liberation from Auschwitz 80 years ago
‘My mother sacrificed herself for me’
The King went on to say there is “no greater symbol” of that rebirth than the centre he was speaking at.
“In a post-Holocaust world, projects such as this, this centre, is how we recover our faith in humanity,” he said.
“They also show us there is much work still to be done,” he said, adding that it’s important not just to remember the past, “but to use it to inspire us to build a kinder and more compassionate world for future generations”.
“This remains the sacred task of us all,” he added.
Later, the King joined world leaders like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Auschwitz, as those who lived through the Holocaust shared their stories of survival.
Pic: Reuters
‘I remember watching children driven to their deaths’
Survivor Janina Iwanska said that while the camp was originally for political prisoners, in March 1942, “the operators of the camp started building gas chambers and the crematorium”.
“It was no longer a POW camp, a Soviet camp – this is when the killing machine started its operation,” she added.
“It is difficult to calculate all the people killed here.”
Fellow survivor Tova Friedman also told those in attendance: “I remember as a five-year-old child watching from my hiding place as all my little friends were rounded up and driven to their deaths while the heartbreaking cries of their parents fell on deaf ears.
“After all the children were gone and the courtyard was empty – I thought ‘am I the only Jewish child left in the world?'”
She recalled that while held in Auschwitz, she “was being beaten mercilessly by a guard for fidgeting” after “not being able to stand still for hours,” as she looked into her mother’s eyes.
“She was pleading with me ‘don’t cry’. And I didn’t. At five I had the rebellion in me that I would not let them know the pain they are inflicting on me,” Ms Friedman added.
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Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman: ‘Very few of us are left’
More than a million people were murdered at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp during the Second World War, most of whom were Jews but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and other nationalities.
Six million Jewish men, women and children died during the Holocaust.
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‘I lost 41 members of my family’
Commemorations at the former death camp began earlier when Poland’s President Andrzej Duda joined Auschwitz survivors laying wreaths and candles at the site.
Their tributes were left at a reconstruction of the Death Wall, the site where several thousand people, mainly Polish political prisoners, were executed.
In a speech, Mr Duda said “we Poles are the guardians of memory today” and had a duty to maintain the life stories of the survivors.
Immigration was the first thing on the government’s agenda to kick off the first week back from recess, and they wanted you to know it.
The home secretary gave an update to the House, announcing a shakeup of family reunion rules for asylum seekers, even before some backbenchers had made it back to parliament from their break.
Facing criticism for being on the back foot after a summer of protest outside asylum hotels, they were keen to defend their record and get back on track – but is it too late?
It’s a clear nod to the political void Reform UK has seized on while the prime minister has been on holiday.
Last week, Nigel Farage unveiled his party’s mass deportation policy – though the issue of women and children still seems to be worked out.
But perhaps none of that matters as voters overwhelmingly believe Reform cares about this issue – and as Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, pointed out on Monday, voters have lost confidence in the government somewhat to solve what many see as an immigration crisis on their doorstep.
So it’s clear the strategy has changed from the government.
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‘Substantial reforms are needed now’
Gone are the bold slogans of “smashing the gangs” and instead, detail and policy was given on Monday. It was nothing new, but more substance on what the government has done and where they want to move to. Even controversially, reassessing their relationship with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
The biggest update though, was on their one-in-one-out policy agreement with France, which will now set to start returns later this month.
It’s finally hit home for the government that the public want proof not just rhetoric, and they want to know crucially when they will start to see change.
But the fightback, the reset, whatever the government wants to call it, will only make a difference once that finally starts to work.
Police are asking for help with an unsolved case, 52 years after the murder of a schoolboy in Belfast.
Brian McDermott was 10 when he disappeared from Ormeau Park on Sunday 2 September 1973. His remains were recovered from the River Lagan almost a week later.
Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Legacy Investigation Branch have given a timeline of events as part of their appeal.
Brian left his home on Well Street in the lower Woodstock Road area of east Belfast at around 12.30pm and failed to return for his Sunday dinner.
Detectives said he was last seen playing alone in the playground between 1pm and 3pm that afternoon.
His remains were recovered in the water, close to the Belfast Boat Club.
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River Lagan, where the remains of schoolboy Brian McDermott were recovered. Pic: PSNI handout/PA
A PSNI spokesperson said: “We are acutely aware of the pain and suffering that Brian’s family continue to feel, and our thoughts very much remain with the family at this time.
“Despite the passage of time, this murder case has never been closed and I am hopeful that someone may be able to provide information, no matter how small, which may open a new line of inquiry, or add a new dimension to information already available.
“It is also possible that someone who did not volunteer information at the time may be willing to speak with police now. Legacy Investigation Branch Detectives will consider all investigative opportunities as part of the review into Brian’s murder.”
The transfer window was a show of strength in a record-breaking summer across the Premier League.
The totaliser crept over £3bn in spending, with more than half of it flowing among the 20 clubs rather than having a redistributing effect across Europe.
The start of new Premier League TV deals – the biggest individual source of income being from Sky News’ parent company Comcast – provides certainty for the next four years, while rival leagues can struggle to sell rights.
And the feared threat from Saudi Arabia has not materialised. It is an attractive and lucrative destination for some players, but not yet the ultimate destination.
But the kingdom has still influenced this transfer window.
Alexander Isak has joined Liverpool. Pic: Reuters
Let’s start with Newcastle, four years into their ownership by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.
Having secured a return to the Champions League, bringing UEFA riches, this was the summer to grow rather than lose talent to rivals.
But the Premier League’s pecking order became clear when Alexander Isak pushed for a move to Liverpool and rejected bids that did not deter his ambitions.
Player power won out.
The 25-year-old striker was able to withdraw himself from the squad, miss the opening three matches of the season, and put out a statement claiming promises had been broken by the Magpies.
Read more: Isak completes £125m Liverpool move
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Will Liverpool’s spend equal success?
Liverpool ‘loading up on talent’
And so he held on until deadline day, biding his time, sitting it out, and standing firm. Newcastle folded, accepting £125m – £20m lower than their apparent valuation.
Breaking the British record fee was Liverpool’s American ownership flexing financial muscle like never before.
The Premier League champions allowed manager Arne Slot to build from a position of strength.
This was the second time they broke the record in this window after bringing in another forward, Florian Wirtz, in a £116m deal.
More than £400m in reinforcements arrived at Anfield in a matter of weeks.
Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow told Sky Sports: “Liverpool are making hay while the sun shines, going for it. Really loading up on talent.
“Other clubs should be fearful and respectful of the way [Fenway Sports Group] are running their club.”
Eberechi Eze (centre right), who left Palace for Arsenal this summer, celebrates winning the FA Cup final. Pic: PA
The Isak deal weakened their Champions League rivals from the North East after banking £57m from another club owned by the Public Investment Fund when Darwin Nunez was offloaded to Saudi.
And PIF funded Chelsea’s summer spending spree in less obvious ways.
The Blues did negotiate a £44m package with PIF-backed Al Nassr deal for Joao Felix, recouping the fee paid just a year earlier.
But then there was the £90m prize money collected for winning the new FIFA Club World Cup – a competition bankrolled by PIF subsidiaries.
Where does this leave Newcastle? Still spending around £250m.
Florian Wirtz joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen. Pic: AP
Players and Liverpool couldn’t get all their way this summer, with Marc Guehi forced to stay at Crystal Palace after the FA Cup winners failed to secure a replacement for the England centre-back.
The late drama was just the latest of the summer transfer window’s twists and turns.
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Both Arsenal and Manchester United also spent more than £200m each. The Gunners spent big in pursuit of a title that’s eluded them since 2004, while the Red Devils are just trying to get back into the Champions League.
It added up to a new record total outlay that comfortably eclipsed the previous Premier League record of £2.46bn from 2023.
The £3bn is more than the rest of Europe combined, showing both where the power is in world football and why the Premier League is the one the world wants to watch.
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