The Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial museum has denounced a political spot by Poland's ruling party that uses the theme of the Nazi German extermination camp to discourage participation in an upcoming anti-government march. The state-run museum attacked “instrumentalization of the tragedy” of the 1.1 million people who were murdered at the site during World War II, arguing that it is an insult to their memory. “It is a sad, painful and unacceptable manifestation of the moral and intellectual corruption of the public debate,” the state museum said. The 14-second video published Wednesday by the Law and Justice party shows images of the former death camp, including the notorious “Arbeit Macht Frei” gate, and the words: “Do you really want to walk under this slogan?” The reference is to a now-deleted tweet from journalist Tomasz Lis, who claimed that President Andrzej Duda and ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski deserve to go to prison. He published the tweet amid a heated debate over a law passed by the party lawmakers and signed by Duda that is viewed by the U.S., the European Union and many Polish critics as anti-democratic. “There will be a chamber for Duda and Kaczor,” the tweet said, using a nickname for Kaczynski. He used the Polish word ”komora,” which can be simply a dark cell or chamber but which many in Poland associate with the gas chambers used by Germans in mass murder during the war. Lis has since deleted the tweet and apologized. "It is obvious that I was thinking of a cell, but I should have foreseen that people of ill will would adopt an absurd interpretation. I hope that Mr. Duda and Mr. Kaczynski will pay for their crimes against democracy, but on a human level I wish them health and long life,” Lis said. “I never wished death on anyone.” President Duda weighed in with a tweet that implied criticism of the party that supports him. “The memory of the victims of German crimes in Auschwitz is sacred and inviolable; the tragedy of millions of victims cannot be used in political struggle; this is an unworthy act," he said. The purported aim of the new law is to create a commission to investigate Russian influences in Poland. But critics fear that it will be misused ahead of fall elections to target opponents, in particular opposition leader Donald Tusk. They say the commission could be used by the ruling party to eliminate its opponents from public life for a decade. The law was approved this week by Duda, to widespread criticism in Poland and by the EU and the United States. Critics in Poland have informally dubbed it “Lex Tusk,” and its passage has energized the political opposition. Tusk plans to lead a large anti-government march on Sunday in Warsaw, the capital. The march is to be held on the 34th anniversary of the first partly free elections in Poland after decades of communism, on June 4, 1989. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Poland's president approves law on Russia's influence that could target opposition Migrants with children stuck at Poland's border wall; activists say Belarus won't let them turn back Ukraine soccer league set for a title-deciding game in a remarkable, war-hit season

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The Ukrainian military continues to hold its ground in the face of Russia’s relentless assault on the eastern city of Avdiivka, Volodymyr Zelensky, as the battle intensified for a third day. Russia has moved a large armoured column of three battalions, including some 2,000 troops, dozens of armoured vehicles and jets into the northern flank of the Avdiivka front for what has been described as the biggest military offensive in months. The Ukrainian forces said they repelled more than 20 attacks by the Russian army in Avdiivka and the surrounding regions in the past 24 hours, in what was described as a blow to Moscow’s attempts to use the offensive to show the tide of the war turning in its favour. Mr Zelensky said: “Avdiivka. We are holding our ground. It is Ukrainian courage and unity that will determine how this war will end. We must all remember this.” Municipal officials said the Russian attacks were relentless and the enemy was attacking from all sides. Vitaliy Barabash, head of the city military administration, told Ukrainian television: "The enemy does not stop storming, they come from all directions." Ukrainian Special Operations Forces said Kyiv’s troops had "foiled the plans of the crazed enemy, repelled all attacks and held their positions". Avdiivka holds significant strategic importance for Russia, serving as the crucial gateway to Donetsk, the primary communication hub within the occupied territories. To gain a foothold in occupied Donbas, the Kremlin aims to shift the front line away from Donetsk. In 2022, Russian forces initiated an offensive against Avdiivka, attempting to encircle the city deeply from both sides. This offensive was halted and the region has become a symbol of resistance, holding out against Russian troops ever since. "On average, there are 50-60 instances of intense shelling with artillery and rockets targeting the town," said Mr Barabash. "As for military positions, they get hit at least 500-600 times a day." Oleksandr Shtupun, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern group of forces, said Russia saw Avdiivka as an opportunity to win a significant victory and "turn the tide of fighting". "Today the capture or encirclement of Avdiivka is probably the most it can achieve at this stage," he said. Geolocated footage of the area showed Russia had advanced in some villages southwest and northwest of Avdiivka this week, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), an American non-profit research group and think-tank. Around 64 clashes have been reported in the last 24 hours involving 4 missile attacks, 65 airstrikes and around 54 attacks using multiple launch rocket systems on Ukrainian troops and various settlements, the general staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in an update on Facebook. In the latest overnight attacks, Russia intensified strikes on Danube River ports in the southern Odesa region that have become Kyiv’s main route for food exports since Moscow quit a deal allowing shipments via the Black Sea in July. A military spokesperson said Russia had hit a grain storage facility in the Odesa region and some grain had been damaged but did not say how much. It comes amid fears that Moscow will intensify attacks on power infrastructure to freeze Ukrainians as winter sets in in the repeat of events from last winter. Read More IOC bans Russian Olympic Committee for including annexed Ukraine territories French police probe ‘poisoning’ of TV journalist who denounced Putin’s war live on air Ukraine-Russia war – live: IOC bans Russian Olympic Committee for including annexed territories The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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