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Team Israel beats Nicaragua 3-1 after thrilling comeback in World Baseball Classic opener
MIAMI (JTA) — It was a familiar narrative: Israel, ever the underdog, was down and running out of time. Then, just when it seemed hopeless, they pulled off a thrilling comeback.
It wasn’t Purim, or Passover, or even Hanukkah. It was Team Israel’s opening game in the World Baseball Classic.
Israeli-American pitcher Dean Kremer, a member of the Baltimore Orioles, took the ball for Israel against Nicaragua Sunday in its first game of the World Cup-style tournament. Kremer kept the opposing bats quiet over four innings, striking out four while giving up three hits and one walk.
Nicaragua took the lead in the top of the fifth inning on a double from shortstop Steven Layton, who was then thrown out at third to end the inning.
Down 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Israel’s bats came alive at just the right time, first on a line-drive single from Toronto Blue Jays prospect Spencer Horwitz that brought pinch-runner Jakob Goldfarb in to score and tie the game.
Then, with two outs and the bases loaded, Philadelphia Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs, who was playing third base for Israel, lifted the ball to left field for a game-winning ground-rule double, bringing in two runners to make it 3-1.
The entire sequence came against Jonathan Loáisiga, a member of the New York Yankees and Nicaragua’s best pitcher.
Garrett Stubbs gives Team Israel its first lead of the game in the bottom of the 8th! #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/H4wjfoWwSQ
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 12, 2023
“Coming into this, I didn’t know what to really expect, this being my first time playing for Team Israel,” Horwitz said. “It’s living up to everything that people are saying. That environment we were just in was definitely electric.”
While the Nicaraguan fans clearly outnumbered Israel’s contingent in both numbers and volume at loanDepot Park, where the Miami Marlins play, there were Israeli flags flying in the stands. And after key plays for Team Israel, the Israeli pop song “Mahapecha Shel Simcha” (“A Revolution of Joy”) blasted from the speakers.
“Playing for Team Israel, anytime I get to put on that uniform is special for me,” said Kremer, who grew up speaking Hebrew and has spent time living in Israel. “It’s like another home. So every time I get to represent it’s one of the better feelings.”
“It’s like being at home” – @DJ_KREY6 is loving seeing Israeli flags in the stands and hearing Hebrew music at the ballpark. pic.twitter.com/tRzGKdarZ4
— Jacob Gurvis (@jacobgurvis) March 12, 2023
So how did Israel pull off the game-winning rally?
“I have no idea,” manager Ian Kinsler joked after the game. “I don’t know what happened there.”
He continued: “We put up some good at bats, we were fighting. That’s what I expect of my team, is to play all 27 outs and fight until the end. Today we were lucky enough to be on the right side.”
The victory was crucial for Israel for a number of reasons.
With stiff competition in Pool D — or the “pool of death,” as Stubbs called it — any win Israel can manage is critical. Only two teams will advance to the next round. Israel will play Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, in order, over the next three days.
The top four teams (out of five) in each pool will automatically qualify for the 2026 WBC, meaning even if Israel does not advance, finishing anywhere but last will secure a spot in the next tournament, without needing to compete in the qualifying round.
“When you’re playing one game [against each opponent], as opposed to a series, anything can happen,” Kinsler said. “The team understands that. It’s not necessarily the best team that wins the game, it’s the team that plays the best that day. So we have just as good a shot as anybody and we’re gonna give our best shot and try to make things interesting in Pool D.”
One of the ways Israel is giving its all is by being creative on defense. Israel has been alternating its two catchers, Stubbs and veteran Ryan Lavarnway, behind the plate, with the other playing third base — which neither has previously done professionally.
“I think anybody on this team is willing to do whatever we need to win a game in any situation, any position,” Stubbs said after the game. “Obviously, it’s very fresh for me. I’ve never played third base ever in my life, all the way dating back to I don’t know how long, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
So far, it’s worked. But with a formidable Puerto Rico team coming up Monday night, the games will only get harder from here.
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The post Team Israel beats Nicaragua 3-1 after thrilling comeback in World Baseball Classic opener appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Rights Groups Say At Least 25 Dead in Iran Protests
A man walks near an anti-US and anti-Israeli billboard displayed on a building in Tehran, Iran, Jan. 4, 2026. Photo: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
At least 25 people have been killed in Iran during the first nine days of protests that started in the bazaar of Tehran over the plunging value of the currency and soaring inflation, according to rights groups.
The authorities have acknowledged the economic hardships but accused networks linked to foreign powers of stoking the protests. On Tuesday, Iran‘s police chief vowed to “deal with the last of these rioters.”
The shopkeepers’ protest continued on Tuesday in the bazaar, with about 150 people focusing on economic demands, Iran‘s Fars news agency reported.
The protests have spread to some cities in western and southern Iran but do not match the scale of unrest that swept the nation in 2022-23 over the death of Mahsa Amini, who died in the custody of morality police for allegedly violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code.
However, even though smaller, these protests have quickly expanded from an economic focus to broader frustrations, with some protesters chanting against the country’s clerical rulers.
MORE THAN 1,000 ARRESTED, RIGHTS GROUPS SAY
Iran also remains under international pressure, with US President Donald Trump threatening on Friday to come to the aid of protesters if security forces fired on them. Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei vowed not to “yield to the enemy.”
Hengaw, a Kurdish Iranian rights group, put the death toll at 25, including four under 18. It said more than 1,000 had been arrested. HRANA, a network of rights activists, said at least 29 had been killed, including two law enforcement agents, in addition to 1,203 arrests, as of Jan. 5.
Reuters has not been able to independently verify the numbers. Iranian authorities have not given a death toll for protesters, but have said at least two members of the security services have died and more than a dozen have been injured.
Authorities have attempted to maintain a dual approach to the unrest, saying protests over the economy are legitimate and will be met by dialogue, while meeting some demonstrations with tear gas amid violent street confrontations.
The police chief, Ahmadreza Radan, was quoted on Tuesday by state media as saying they had drawn a distinction between protesters and what he called rioters, the latter facing arrests on site or following identification by intelligence units.
“I pledge that we will deal with the last of these rioters. It is still time for those who were deceived by foreign services to identify themselves and draw on the Islamic Republic’s greatness,” Radan said.
WITNESS REPORTS HEAVY POLICE PRESENCE
Fars said Tuesday’s gathering of shopkeepers on Saadi street in Tehran ended without “expanding the police’s presence.”
Mohammad, 63, a jewelry shop owner in the bazaar, told Reuters there was a heavy presence of riot police and plainclothes security forces inside and around the area.
“They were forcing shopkeepers who were on strike to open their shops. I did not see it myself, but I heard there were clashes outside the bazaar and police fired tear gas,” he told Reuters by phone. He declined to give his family name.
Footage shared on Telegram on Tuesday by Vahid Online, which posts videos of the protests to more than 650,000 followers, appeared to show dozens of security forces on motorbikes patrolling the street and the unidentified person who took the clip can be heard saying the security forces had fired tear gas.
Reuters confirmed that the video was filmed on Saadi street but could not verify the exact date when it was taken.
GOVERNMENT PROMISES REFORMS TO PROTECT PURCHASING POWER
President Masoud Pezeshkian has promised reforms to help stabilize the monetary and banking systems and protect purchasing power.
The government has announced a subsidy reform, removing preferential currency exchange rates for importers in favor of direct transfers to Iranians to boost their purchasing power for essential goods. The measure will come into force on Jan. 10.
The central bank chief was also replaced on Dec. 29.
The rial fell further to 1,489,500 on Tuesday, representing a 4% fall since the protests started.
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Fans Banned From Maccabi Tel Aviv, Real Madrid EuroLeague Game Over Security Concerns
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv players competing against FC Bayern in the EuroLeague. Photo: IMAGO/speedshot via Reuters Connect
Fans have been banned from attending the EuroLeague match between the Israeli basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv and their Spanish rivals Real Madrid on Thursday after authorities classified the match as “high risk,” Read Madrid announced on Monday.
“Following a meeting of the State Commission against Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Intolerance in Sport, which declared the game high-risk, Real Madrid is complying with the recommendation made by the National Police,” the team said in a released statement.
The game will be played behind closed doors at the Movistar Arena in Madrid, and the cost of any tickets purchased for the game will be refunded immediately and automatically to the purchaser. Season ticket holders will have their refunds credited toward their renewal for the next season. Maccabi Tel Aviv has not publicly commented on the move.
More than 250 organizations reportedly called for the match to be canceled because of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during its war against Hamas terrorists who orchestrated the deadly rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. A protest is scheduled to take place outside of Movistar Arena on Thursday.
A EuroLeague match between Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv at Palau Blaugrana arena on Tuesday will also take place without fans in attendance because of security concerns, it was announced in mid-December.
Several EuroLeague matches in other countries involving Maccabi Tel Aviv have also faced issues in the past. In January last year, a EuroLeague basketball game between Paris and Maccabi Tel Aviv was disrupted by stink bombs. In November, the Turkish team Fenerbahce relocated its home games against Maccabi and the fellow Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv from Istanbul to Munich because of security concerns. A game between Dubai and Hapoel Tel Aviv was also played behind closed doors in November in Sarajevo for security reasons.
In September, the Vuelta a Espana cycling race in Spain was repeatedly disrupted by demonstrators protesting Israel’s participation and organizers were forced to cut the race short and cancel the finale in Madrid.
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African Union Calls for Immediate Revocation of Somaliland’s Recognition by Israel
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar meets with Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi on Jan. 6, 2026. Photo: Screenshot
The African Union’s Political Affairs Peace and Security council called on Tuesday for the “immediate revocation” of Israel‘s recognition of Somaliland.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar visited Somaliland on Tuesday on a trip that was denounced by Somalia, 10 days after Israel formally recognized the self-declared republic as an independent and sovereign state.
“The [AU] Council strongly condemns, in the strongest terms, the unilateral recognition of the so-called ‘Republic of Somaliland’ by Israel,” it said in a post on X after a ministerial meeting.
Israel is the only country that has formally recognized Somaliland’s move to break away from Somalia, which described Israel‘s decision on recognition as an “unlawful step” and said Sa’ar’s visit was a “serious violation” of its sovereignty.
In a statement on X, Sa’ar said that he had held talks “on the full range of relations” with Somaliland’s president, Abdirahman Mohammed Abdullah, in the capital Hargeisa.
“We are determined to vigorously advance relations between Israel and Somaliland,” Sa’ar wrote on X, alongside images of him meeting the Somaliland leader at the presidential palace.
Somaliland’s information ministry earlier said on X that Sa’ar was leading a high-level delegation. It gave no further details, but a senior Somaliland official told Reuters before the meeting with the president that the Israeli foreign minister was expected to discuss ways to enhance bilateral ties.
Sa’ar said Abdullah had accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make an official visit to Israel.
Somalia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Sa’ar’s visit amounted to “unacceptable interference” in its internal affairs.
Abdullah said last month that Somaliland would join the Abraham Accords, a deal brokered by Washington in 2020 that saw Gulf states the United Arab Emirates — a close partner of Somaliland — and Bahrain establish ties with Israel.
In a statement on Facebook, Somaliland’s foreign ministry said: “Somaliland’s president thanked Israel and its citizens for their decision to recognize Somaliland, this will have a big influence on the economy and development of Somaliland.”
STRATEGIC LOCATION
Somaliland, once a British protectorate, has long sought formal recognition as an independent state although it has signed bilateral agreements with various governments on investments and security coordination.
Israel‘s decision to recognize Somaliland follows two years of strained ties with many of its closest partners over the war in Gaza and policies in the West Bank.
Netanyahu has said Israel will pursue cooperation in agriculture, health, technology, and the economy. Following his visit, Sa’ar said “local professionals” from Somaliland’s water sector would visit Israel in the coming months for training.
Somaliland lies in northwestern Somalia, shares land borders with Ethiopia and Djibouti, and sits across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, from where Iran-backed Houthis have launched missile and drones at Israel since October 2023, when the Gaza war began.
Omar Mahmood, a Somalia analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said Israeli engagement was probably driven by Somaliland’s strategic location but that security coordination was possible without Israeli military installations there.
Sa’ar said on Tuesday that mutual recognition and the establishment of diplomatic ties was not directed at anyone.
Somaliland has denied recognition allows for Israel to establish military bases there or for the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza. Israel has advocated for what Israeli officials describe as voluntary Palestinian migration from Gaza.