Cultural reporting on Iran — music, film, literature and art, sport, diaspora life, and the censorship that shapes all of it — collected from independent English-language outlets.
(260615) -- LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Iran's head coach Amir Ghalenoei (R) and player Mehdi Taremi attend a press conference at Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, the United States, on June 14, 2026.
(260615) -- LOS ANGELES, June 15, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Payam Niazmand of Iran attends a training session at Carson Sports Park in Los Angeles, the United States, on June 14, 2026.
Tijuana [Mexico], June 15 (ANI): Iran's national football team reached the United States, arriving at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday ahead of their FIFA World Cup opener against New Zealand scheduled for Monday. Earlier, Iran football team received a rousing send-off from fans as they left their Tijuana base camp.
The Iranian government has always used the national team to project soft power. That puts players and fans who oppose the regime in a tough spot.
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry praised Iran’s rich civilizational and intellectual heritage during a visit to the mausoleum of Avicenna in the western city of Hamedan.
New Jersey [US], June 14 (ANI): Egypt will not display the seven stars representing their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) titles on their jerseys during the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), reported ESPN. The Pharaohs traditionally wear seven stars above their national-team crest to commemorate their record seven continental championships.
(260614) -- ILOCOS SUR PROVINCE, June 14, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Ayda Valinezhad of Iran tries to save the ball during the classification match between Iran and the Philippines at the 2026 AVC Women's Cup in Ilocos Sur Province, the Philippines, on June 14, 2026.
Israel to install statue of Indian Maratha king as gesture of friendship Submitted by Shraddha Joshi on Fri, 06/12/2026 - 12:55 The Israeli consul shared his aim to increase awareness of Indian history among the Israeli public According to the statement by the Israeli Consul General Yaniv Revach (centre), the announcement was to mark the anniversary of the coronation of Shivaji in 1674, marking the establishment of the Maratha empire (X) Off The Israeli consulate in Mumbai announced plans to install a statue of Indian Maratha ruler Shivaji in a major Israeli city, following a meeting between the consul general and the chief minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra last week. “India & Israel are ancient civilisations and are proud of each other's history,” the consulate stated in a post on X revealing the initiative. The 17th-century Indian king, referred to by his title of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, has recently been recast by Indian Hindu right-wing groups as a founding icon of Hindu nationalism and armed opposition to Muslim rule, although scholars have contested this reading as ahistoric.
Bulgaria Defeat Iran 3? 0 as Blengini Praises Serve and Block Bulgaria's men earned their first win of the tournament with the straight-sets success over Iran in their second match of the opening VNL leg in Brazil. The team now holds one win and one loss as they prepare to face Argentina next.
(260612) -- ILOCOS SUR PROVINCE, June 12, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Players of Iran celebrate after scoring a point during the pool B match between Iran and China's Hong Kong at the 2026 AVC Women's Cup in Ilocos Sur Province, the Philippines, on June 12, 2026.
World Cup 2026: Ranking some of the best kits from the Middle East and North Africa Submitted by Imene Guiza on Thu, 06/11/2026 - 10:40 A look at five of the best kits from MENA countries competing at this year's tournament Morocco scores highly (Puma) Off The World Cup is finally here, and while there may be plenty of problems surrounding this year's tournament, fans everywhere are hoping, as always, to see some incredible performances on the field. With the world's eyes fixed on the competition for the next five weeks, we've taken a look at some of the best and worst kits representing five of the eight countries from the Middle East and North Africa. Some countries kept things simple.
World Cup 2026: Five players from the Middle East to watch out for Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 06/09/2026 - 09:00 One moment. That’s all a player needs to cement their legend and live on in folklore Morocco's Achraf Hakimi looks on from the substitutes bench at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat on 29 December 2025 (AFP/Gabriel Bouys) Off Players, coaches, and supporters from every corner of the world are descending on Mexico, Canada and the United States as the minutes tick down to the 2026 World Cup . This year, there are 48 nations chasing glory, with a record eight countries representing the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Iran tops in registered international table tennis coaches: Official TEHRAN (Iran News) Speaking to IRNA on Tuesday, Mehrdad Ali-Qardashi pointed to Iran’s ranking in the coaching by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), saying that with a total of 1,105 coaches, the country could manage to achieve the first place in the world. He said that Iran […] The post Iran tops in registered international table tennis coaches: Official appeared first on Iran News Daily .
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