World
Iran lodges protest with FIFA over US Soccer flag post
Iranian soccer federation slams ‘unprofessional act’ as US soccer physique makes use of modified flag in social media posts.
Iran’s soccer federation says it has lodged a criticism to FIFA over the removing of the phrase “Allah” from the Islamic Republic’s flag on social media posts by its counterpart in america, forward of an upcoming World Cup sport between the 2 nations.
“In an unprofessional act, the Instagram web page of the US soccer federation eliminated the Allah image from the Iranian flag,” state information company IRNA reported on Sunday.
“The Iran Soccer Federation despatched an e mail to FIFA to demand it problem a critical warning to the US federation,” it added.
There was no fast public response from world soccer’s governing physique to the reported criticism, which got here because the US prepares to face Iran in a decisive World Cup match on Tuesday — a fixture already burdened by the many years of enmity between the nations.
The US and Iran lower diplomatic relations in 1980.
Present of ‘assist’ for Iran protests
The US Soccer Federation (USSF) mentioned in a press release on Sunday morning it had determined to forego the official flag on social media accounts in a present of solidarity with the “girls in Iran preventing for fundamental human rights” within the wake of the loss of life of 22-year-old Iranian girl Mahsa Amini in police custody.
The Islamic Republic’s flag consists of three horizontal bands in pink, white and inexperienced with the phrase “Allah” showing in stylised script within the center.
The Twitter account of the US males’s group displayed a banner with the squad’s matches within the group stage, with the Iranian flag solely bearing its inexperienced, white and pink colors. The identical was seen in a publish on its Fb and Instagram accounts laying out the purpose totals to date in its group.
By Sunday afternoon, the conventional flag with the symbol had been restored within the Twitter banner, and the Fb and Instagram posts with the altered flag had been eliminated.
“We wished to indicate our assist for the ladies in Iran with our graphic for twenty-four hours,” the federation mentioned.
The United Nations says greater than 300 folks have been killed amid a crackdown on the protests which erupted within the wake of Amini’s loss of life in September, and a few 14,000 have been arrested, together with youngsters. Iran has accused the US and different international states of fomenting the demonstrations, with out offering proof.
Eagerly awaited rematch
Iran’s Tasnim information company mentioned on Twitter that the US group had “breached the FIFA constitution, for which a 10-game suspension is the suitable penalty”.
The US group “ought to be kicked out” of the World Cup, it added.
By posting a distorted picture of the flag of the Islamic Republic of #Iran on its official account, the #US soccer group breached the @FIFAcom constitution, for which a 10-game suspension is the suitable penalty.
Staff #USA ought to be kicked out of the #WorldCup2022 pic.twitter.com/c8I4i4z3Tv— Tasnim Information Company (@Tasnimnews_EN) November 27, 2022
It’s not anticipated that FIFA will take any such motion.
In the meantime, the 2 nations’ prospects on the pitch on the World Cup stay finely posed.
Iran’s dramatic 2-0 win over Wales and the US group’s tense goalless stalemate in opposition to England on Friday arrange a tantalising closing spherical of Group B matches.
England, sitting prime with 4 factors, face the underside aspect Wales, which means the Iran-United States contest will resolve which group goes by way of to the spherical of 16.
The eagerly awaited assembly is a rematch of the 1998 World Cup group stage contest, dubbed the “mom of all video games”, which Iran received 2-1. In a symbolic second earlier than that match at Lyon’s Stade Gerland, the Iranian gamers gave white roses, an emblem of peace within the nation, to their American opponents.
World
Beyoncé NFL Halftime Show Will Be Available to Rewatch on Netflix as a Stand-Alone Special
UPDATE, 12/25, 4:30 p.m. PT: Netflix said it will provide on-demand access to the full halftime performance of “Beyoncé Bowl” as a stand-alone special “later this week.” The 20-minute spectacle — her first live TV performance in four years — featured Post Malone, Shaboozey and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter to debut tracks from “Cowboy Carter” for the first time in a live setting.
EARLIER:
Beyoncé will light up the Houston night on Christmas with a halftime performance during the Ravens-Texans game on Netflix. To watch it, you’ll have to tune in live on Dec. 25 — otherwise, you’ll have only a few hours to catch the replay on Netflix.
Queen Bey’s Xmas performance will feature her first live performances of songs from “Cowboy Carter.” She’ll take the stage in her hometown during halftime of the Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans matchup at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Netflix, as part of its accelerating push into live sports, snagged global rights to the NFL’s two Christmas Day 2024 games: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers (starting at 1 p.m. ET), followed by the Ravens-Texans game (4:30 p.m. ET).
Under Netflix’s agreement with the NFL, in the U.S., the two Christmas games expire three hours after the livestream ends (meaning Beyoncé’s performance and the Ravens-Texans game will no longer be available to rewatch on Netflix as of around 11 p.m. ET). Outside the U.S., the games expire on Netflix 24 hours after the livestream ends. The NFL livestreams will include ad breaks, even for Netflix subscribers on no-ads plans.
Few details are available for Beyoncé’s Christmas halftime show, but according to Netflix she is expected to bring along some “special guests” who are featured on “Cowboy Carter.” She’s a veteran of two Super Bowls: Beyoncé was the halftime performer for the 2013 game in New Orleans, which featured a Destiny’s Child reunion; and in 2016, she sang “Formation” when Coldplay was the headliner act.
On Christmas Day, Netflix’s pregame coverage will kick off at 11 a.m. ET, from NFL Network’s studios in L.A. and Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The streamer has tapped Mariah Carey to deliver a recorded performance of her record-breaking holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” before both of the day’s two games.
If you missed the window for Netflix’s NFL livestreams, you still have the chance to catch the reruns. As it stands right now, NFL Network is scheduled to re-air Ravens-Texans on Wednesday, Dec. 25, at 11:30 p.m. ET and Thursday, Dec. 26, at 5 a.m. ET. The channel will re-air Chiefs-Steelers on Dec. 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET and Dec. 26 at 2 a.m. ET. There is the possibility for additional re-airs but portions of the NFL Network’s programming schedule are still being determined. In addition, replays of both games will be available with NFL+ Premium ($14.99/month) in the U.S. and via DAZN internationally.
Note also that the two Netflix Christmas Day games will air on broadcast TV in the competing teams’ local markets and will be available live on U.S. mobile devices with an NFL+ subscription.
World
Zelenskyy lambastes Putin over Christmas strikes: 'What could be more inhumane?'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy excoriated Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday for launching attacks against energy infrastructure on Christmas Day.
Zelenskyy suggested the attacks were “inhumane,” but said they would not ruin Christmas.
“Today, Putin deliberately chose Christmas for an attack. What could be more inhumane? Over 70 missiles, including ballistic ones, and more than a hundred attack drones. The targets are our energy infrastructure. They continue to fight for a blackout in Ukraine,” he declared in a post on X.
The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged a “massive strike” on its part, saying it hit energy facilities that supported Ukraine’s “military-industrial complex,” Reuters reported.
“The aim of the strike was achieved. All facilities have been hit,” the ministry said.
RUSSIA BATTERS UKRAINE POWER GRID AMID RISING CONCERN PUTIN COULD ORDER BALLISTIC MISSILE ATTACK THIS WEEKEND
Strikes against Ukrainian fuel and energy sources involved 78 air, ground and sea-launched missiles, in addition to 106 Shaheds and other kinds of drones, Ukraine’s air force claimed, according to The Associated Press.
“Unfortunately, there have been hits. As of now, there are power outages in several regions. Power engineers are working to restore power supply as soon as possible,” Zelenskyy noted.
Still, the Ukrainian leader declared that “Russian evil will not break Ukraine and will not spoil Christmas.”
US CITIZEN IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA GIVEN NEW 15-YEAR SENTENCE IN WAKE OF ESPIONAGE CONVICTION
The U.S. has provided billions of dollars’ worth of aid to help Ukraine fight the Russian onslaught that erupted in 2022, but Americans and their congressional representatives have been divided regarding whether the U.S. should continue supplying aid to Ukraine.
President-elect Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, has called for a cease-fire and negotiations.
TRUMP MEETS WITH MACRON, ZELENSKYY AHEAD OF NOTRE DAME REOPENING CEREMONY IN PARIS
CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In a post on Truth Social this month, Trump declared that “Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness. They have ridiculously lost 400,000 soldiers, and many more civilians. There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
World
Five journalists killed in Israeli strike near Gaza hospital
Journalists from Al-Quds Today were covering events at al-Awda Hospital when their vehicle was struck.
Five journalists have been killed in an Israeli strike in the vicinity of a hospital in central Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities and media reports.
The journalists from the Al-Quds Today channel were covering events near al-Awda Hospital, located in the Nuseirat refugee camp, when their broadcasting van was hit by an Israeli air strike, Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif reported early on Thursday morning.
Footage from the scene circulating on social media shows a vehicle engulfed in flames.
A screenshot taken from a video of the white-coloured van shows the word “press” in large red lettering across the back of the vehicle.
The deceased journalists have been named as Fadi Hassouna, Ibrahim al-Sheikh Ali, Mohammed al-Ladah, Faisal Abu al-Qumsan and Ayman al-Jadi.
Al Jazeera’s Anas al-Sharif said that Ayman al-Jadi had been waiting for his wife in front of the hospital while she was in labour to give birth to their first child.
Breaking: Five journalists lost their lives after their vehicle was incinerated in an Israeli airstrike targeting the broadcasting van of “Al-Quds Today” channel while covering events near Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/oiAmxgZwO5
— أنس الشريف Anas Al-Sharif (@AnasAlSharif0) December 26, 2024
Civil defence teams retrieved the bodies of the victims and extinguished a fire at the scene, the Quds News Network said.
There was no immediate comment from Israeli authorities.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) earlier this month condemned Israel’s killing of four Palestinian journalists in the space of a week, calling on the international community to hold the country accountable for its attacks against the media.
At least 141 journalists have been killed in Israel’s war in Gaza since October 7, 2023, according to the CPJ.
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