Iran's national team exited the World Cup in the group stage, yet two Iranians may still command Sunday's final: an exiled violinist on the halftime stage and the referee tipped for the whistle. Neither arrives representing the Islamic Republic.
Against erasure: The artists preserving south Lebanon’s stories Submitted by Rita Kabalan on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 14:16 Beit Beirut holds an exhibition where villages are remembered through photography, film and personal archives Rawan Mazeh documents the story of Muhammad Saeed (pictured) and his elderly parents who were detained and tortured in the notorious Israeli-run Khiam prison in south Lebanon in 1998 (Rita Kabalan/MEE) Off On the intersection of Independence Street and Damascus Street sits Beit Beirut, a museum stoically standing, part preserved by its original architecture and part shaped by the restoration work needed after Lebanon’s 1975–1990 civil war. Originally a residential building known as the Barakat building, or the Yellow House, it later became a strategic location for snipers overlooking the crossroads on what was then the Green Line during the conflict. The building, once a witness to war, is now a museum space where people share stories and others come to experience them.
How the World Cup brought out the best and worst of America Submitted by Joseph Fahim on Tue, 07/14/2026 - 09:10 Football's message has always been rooted in egalitarianism, but our writer says the US has left a very noticeable mark on the world's most popular sporting event Mostafa Ziko celebrates scoring Egypt's second goal during the 2026 World Cup round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt in Atlanta on 7 July (AFP) Off Since Trump’s second coming, I have tried to avoid discussing politics with my Arab- American family. In previous Middle East Eye articles , I chronicled my family’s conservative politics, which often stood at odds with their views on Gaza - a wholehearted embrace of Trumpism and an accompanying disdain for non-white immigration - despite being of Arab immigrant origin themselves. Over the past 15 months, however, I have sensed a shift among some relatives, ranging from embarrassed scepticism to outright dismissal of Trump’s handling of both the economy and foreign policy.
Her best-known work, “Women Without Men,” was longlisted for the International Booker Prize this year.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian officials reviewed the latest arrangements for this year's Arbaeen pilgrimage during a meeting on Monday, with the Foreign Ministry pledging full diplomatic and consular support to facilitate services for Iranian pilgrims.
World Cup 2026: Muslim footballers challenge Europe's identity debate Submitted by Bassil Mikdadi on Mon, 07/13/2026 - 08:35 From Lamine Yamal to Yasin Ayari and Cape Verde's converts, a new generation of footballers is challenging the notion that Islam is somehow foreign to Europe Spain's Lamine Yamal celebrates by performing the sujood (prostration) after scoring his first goal at the 2026 World Cup on 21 June 2026 (Claudia Greco/Reuters) Off For decades, Islam has been a political lightning rod in Europe. But on football's biggest stage, a new generation of footballers are demonstrating that the faith is very much a part of the continent's fabric. There are an estimated two billion Muslims worldwide, making up roughly a quarter of the global population.
New Delhi [India], July 13 (ANI): The Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) has extended head coach Amir Ghalenoei's contract until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, backing the experienced tactician to lead Team Melli into the continental showpiece despite their group-stage exit at the FIFA World Cup 2026, as reported by Reuters.
For young Iranians, cafes are a refuge -- a safe place to mingle and unwind in a country where social freedoms are restricted. I like going to cafes because you see all kinds of people with different personalities, yet they're all socializing in the same place, Ainaz, a 19-year-old woman who lives in the capital, Tehran, told RFE/RLs Radio Farda.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The national physics Olympiad team of the Islamic Republic of Iran won three gold and two silver medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad.
New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): Cultural Counsellor at the Iran Embassy in India F Faridasr on Friday expressed gratitude towards India for its support during the funeral ceremony of slain former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling it a show of 'our centuries-old civilizational relationship with India. ' Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt. Gen.
World Cup 2026: How Fifa is publicly endorsing US imperialism Submitted by Coll McCail on Thu, 07/09/2026 - 16:37 In return for transforming the tournament into a show of Trumpian theatre, football's governing body expects to extract record revenues Fifa president Gianni Infantino is pictured in Washington, DC, on 19 February 2026 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP) On Last Friday, Egypt ’s national football team made history. The Pharaohs narrowly dispatched Australia to become the second Arab nation to reach the 2026 World Cup round of 16. Draped in the Palestinian flag, Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan dedicated his squad’s victory to the people of Gaza , many of whom watched live amid the rubble.
(260709) -- BEIRUT, July 9, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Photo taken on July 8, 2026 shows a mass gathering to commemorate Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Beirut's southern suburbs, Lebanon.
Is the British empire widely taught in British schools? The data says no Submitted by Imran Mulla on Thu, 07/09/2026 - 14:15 Recent criticism of remarks by Green Party leader Zack Polanski and historian William Dalrymple saw a resurgence in the debate on imperial history in the UK education system A statue of Robert Clive, the 1st Baron Clive, better known as Clive of India, is pictured on Whitehall in central London on 11 June 2020 (AFP) Off “And what should they know of England who only England know? ” That was the question famously posed by Indian-born writer Rudyard Kipling in his 1891 poem “The English Flag”.
World Cup 2026: Arab teams offer a master class in grace and solidarity Submitted by Mostafa Mohamed on Wed, 07/08/2026 - 20:12 From offering sweets to stadium staff, to speaking out on Palestine, squads from across the region are leaving their mark on football's biggest stage Moroccan team captain Achraf Hakimi celebrates after winning the 2026 World Cup round-of-16 match against Canada at Houston Stadium on 4 July 2026 (Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP) On As we head into the quarterfinals of the Fifa World Cup 2026, Morocco carries the flag and the hopes of not just a whole nation, but a continent and a region. This has been a historic tournament for many reasons. For the first time, eight Arab teams qualified for the World Cup: Algeria , Egypt , Iraq , Jordan , Morocco, Qatar , Saudi Arabia and Tunisia .
Hundreds of people cheered for Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, in the match against Argentina.
Abdi Latif Dahir, a Middle East correspondent for The Times, explains the messages behind recurring symbols at the dayslong funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran [Iran], July 7 (ANI): Iran's national football team took a dig at the United States following Belgium's thumping 4-1 victory over the hosts in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16, sharing an Instagram Story after the match on Tuesday (IST).
World Cup 2026: Internet revels in Belgium's crushing of USA Submitted by Imene Guiza on Tue, 07/07/2026 - 12:00 From jokes about calls from the White House to viral Trump memes, the elimination of the US became one of the internet's favourite moments of the World Cup Belgium's Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the Fifa World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on 6 July 2026 in Seattle, Washington (Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP) Off Belgium beat the United States 4-1 on Monday, knocking out the World Cup host at the last 16 stage, and unleashing a torrent of jokes across social media. Just 24 hours earlier, Fifa had been engulfed in criticism for delaying USA striker Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match suspension for receiving a red card following intervention from President Donald Trump. The global football body has insisted that the decision to delay Balogun’s suspension was made independently , and was not due to phone calls from Washington.
The revered writer and political exile’s publisher says her ‘legacy in literary history can’t be compared to anyone else’s’ Shahrnush Parsipur, the celebrated Iranian writer whose subversive works of feminist fiction saw her repeatedly imprisoned, has died aged 80. The second woman to ever publish a book in Iran, Parsipur excoriated the country’s patriarchal culture in novels including Women Without Men and Touba and the Meaning of Night. She was imprisoned four times, under the Shah and then the Islamic Republic.
PNN Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 6: H. E. Saeid Reza MosayebMotlagh, Consul General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Mumbai, accompanied by Mr.
