Connect with us

Published

on

Iran and Egypt have complained after FIFA scheduled a World Cup match between the two nations in Seattle to coincide with the city’s LGBTQ+ Pride festival.

Seattle’s PrideFest 2026, which organisers say regularly sees more than 200,000 participants, takes place on 27 and 28 June – immediately following the match.

Local organisers have said the 26 June game at the Seattle Stadium will include a “once-in-a-lifetime moment to showcase and celebrate LGBTQIA+ communities in Washington”.

Iran players pose for a team group photo before a match against North Korea in June 2025. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Iran players pose for a team group photo before a match against North Korea in June 2025. Pic: Reuters

In Iran, where gay couples can face the death penalty, the president of Iran’s Football Federation, Mehdi Taj, condemned the decision to use Seattle as a venue and the timing of the match.

Mr Taj told Iranian state TV: “Both Egypt and we have objected, because this is an unreasonable and illogical move that essentially signals support for a particular group, and we must definitely address this point.”

He said Iran would bring up the issue at a FIFA Council meeting in Qatar next week.

The Egypt players line up during the national anthems before the match against Jordan. Pic: Reuters
Image:
The Egypt players line up during the national anthems before the match against Jordan. Pic: Reuters

The football federation in Egypt, where Human Rights Watch says people from LGBTQ+ communities face persecution, said in a statement that it had written to FIFA “categorically rejecting any activities related to supporting homosexuality during the match between the Egyptian national team and Iran.”

More from World

The letter also stated: “Information had circulated indicating the local organising committee’s decision and plans to hold some activities related to supporting homosexuality during that match” and the federation “completely rejects such activities, which directly contradict the cultural, religious and social values in the region, especially in Arab and Islamic societies”.

The Seattle Pride festival takes place in late June, attracting hundreds of thousands of people every year, like in 2023. File pic: AP
Image:
The Seattle Pride festival takes place in late June, attracting hundreds of thousands of people every year, like in 2023. File pic: AP

In Seattle, the local organising committee said it was “moving forward as planned with our community programming outside the stadium during Pride weekend and throughout the tournament,” having already promoted an art contest ahead of the match.

Read more:
Man charged with racially abusing Antoine Semenyo

Steven Hutton: Three men and one woman jailed over ‘frenzied’ Dundee murder

It added: “We get to show the world that in Seattle, everyone is welcome.”

Seattle PrideFest has been organised in the city since 2007 by a nonprofit group which designated the 26 June match for celebration before FIFA carried out the World Cup draw on Friday.

On Saturday, FIFA announced the Egypt-Iran game had been allocated to Seattle instead of Vancouver, where the teams’ group rivals Belgium and New Zealand will play at the same time.

FIFA has been asked for a comment.

Continue Reading

World

Hero who tackled and disarmed Bondi Beach gunman is Sydney fruit shop owner

Published

on

By

Hero who tackled and disarmed Bondi Beach gunman is Sydney fruit shop owner

A bystander hailed a hero after he tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen in the Bondi Beach shooting is a shop owner.

The man, named by a relative as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed, was seen in a video running up to the attacker from behind and then grabbing the shotgun from his hands before pointing the weapon back at him.

The footage then showed the terrorist heading towards a bridge where another gunman was located, while the bystander placed the gun beside a tree.

Ahmed al Ahmed (in a white T-shirt) is seen in a video running up to a gunman from behind
Image:
Ahmed al Ahmed (in a white T-shirt) is seen in a video running up to a gunman from behind

Mr Ahmed then wrestles with the attacker
Image:
Mr Ahmed then wrestles with the attacker

Live updates on Sydney shooting

Mr Ahmed, who was wearing a white T-shirt, was shot twice in the incident and was due to have surgery, his cousin, Mustafa, has revealed.

In a video on 7News, Mr Ahmed appeared to have a bloodied arm and hand, and was helped by other people near the scene in the Australian city.

At least 11 people were killed and 29 others injured in the attack when two gunmen opened fire from a bridge on crowds at a Jewish event around 6pm local time on Sunday evening.

More than 1,000 people had been at the gathering which was celebrating the festival of Hanukkah.

Mr Ahmed manages to get the gun off the terrorist
Image:
Mr Ahmed manages to get the gun off the terrorist

The bystander then points the weapon at the attacker who moves away towards a bridge
Image:
The bystander then points the weapon at the attacker who moves away towards a bridge

A gunman was killed and another was in a critical condition following the shooting.

One of the suspects was 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

His driver’s licence says he lives in Bonnyrigg, a suburb of Sydney. The identity of the other suspected attacker is not known.

Naveed Akram, 24, was one of the suspects
Image:
Naveed Akram, 24, was one of the suspects

Mustafa said father-of-two Mr Ahmed, who owns a fruit shop in the Sydney suburb of Sutherland, did not have any experience with guns but was just walking past when he decided to step in.

He told 7News: “He’s in hospital and we don’t know exactly what’s going on inside.

“We do hope he will be fine. He’s a hero, 100%.”

Read more:
What we know about mass shooting

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

One of the suspected gunmen has been named as 24-year-old Naveed Akram.

The footage of the bystander’s actions spread quickly on social media as people praised the man for his bravery, saying his actions had potentially saved many lives.

“Australian hero (random civilian) wrestles gun off attacker and disarms him. Some people are brave and then some people are… whatever this is,” one person said on X, sharing the video.

“This Australian man saved countless lives by stripping the gun off one of the terrorists at Bondi beach. HERO,” another said.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales state, where Sydney is located, said it was the “most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen”.

“A man walking up to a gunman who had fired on the community and single-handedly disarming him, putting his own life at risk to save the lives of countless other people.”

“That man is a genuine hero, and I’ve got no doubt that there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” he added.

The country’s prime minister Anthony Albanese praised the actions of Australians who had “run towards danger in order to help others”.

“These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives,” he told a news conference.

Continue Reading

World

Photographer ‘locked eyes’ with gunman, as witness describes Bondi ‘warzone’

Published

on

By

Photographer 'locked eyes' with gunman, as witness describes Bondi 'warzone'

Messages were sweeping across Sydney within minutes of the attack at Bondi Beach.

Parents messaged their children and teenagers, who had been enjoying a late afternoon swim at Bondi.

Witnesses said police were on the scene quickly, and the streets of Sydney’s eastern suburbs were full of police cars and ambulances on their way to Bondi.

Follow live: 11 people killed at event celebrating Hanukkah

When we arrived, there were still dozens of people processing what had happened, and everywhere – shock.

Witnesses told us that when the gunfire started some people took cover in the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club. Once the threat was over, lifeguards helped the injured and used surfboards to carry them out.

Witnesses tell Sky's Nicole Johnston of Bondi 'warzone'
Image:
Witnesses tell Sky’s Nicole Johnston of Bondi ‘warzone’

Some people were clearly traumatised and provided graphic detail of witnessing the shooting and seeing people killed in front of them.

More on Bondi Beach Shooting

A photographer, Danny, was covering the Jewish holiday event.

Read more: What we know so far

He said he “locked eyes” with one of the gunmen, who then fired towards him. Danny said he was grazed by a bullet. He kept filming during the shooting, while taking cover.

Sam, from France, was working at Bondi. He went to the scene of the attack and saw almost a dozen people lying on the ground covered in blood. Sam described it as like a “war zone”.

Rabbi Lei Wolff, from Central Synagogue in Sydney, went to Bondi as soon as he heard about the mass shooting. A dear friend of his, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, was killed in the attack.

Rabbi Wolff has called on people around the world to stand with Australia’s Jewish community against terrorism.

Continue Reading

World

Israel says Hamas commander – who was one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attacks – killed in strike

Published

on

By

Israel says Hamas commander - who was one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attacks - killed in strike

A senior Hamas commander who was one of the architects of the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel has been killed in a strike on Gaza City, according to the country’s military.

Raed Saad was targeted in response to an attack by Hamas in which an explosive device injured two soldiers on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement.

It is the highest-profile killing of a senior Hamas figure since the Gaza ceasefire came into effect in October.

Gaza health authorities said the attack on a car in Gaza City killed five people and wounded at least 25 others, but there has been no confirmation from Hamas or medics that Saed was among the dead.

Raed Saed
Image:
Raed Saed

Hamas condemned the attack in a statement as a violation of the ceasefire agreement but stopped short of threatening retaliation.

An Israeli military official described Saed as a high-ranked Hamas member who helped establish and advance the group’s weapons production network.

“In recent months, he operated to re-establish Hamas’ capabilities and weapons manufacturing, a blatant violation of the ceasefire,” the official said.

More on Israel-hamas War

The 10 October ceasefire has enabled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to return to Gaza City’s ruins after a war that began after Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and seized 251 hostages in an attack on southern Israel.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 70,700 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health officials in Gaza.

Israel has pulled troops back from city positions, and aid flows have increased, but violence has not completely stopped.

Palestinian health authorities say Israeli forces have killed at least 386 people in strikes in Gaza since the truce, while Israel says three of its soldiers have been killed.

Continue Reading

Trending