Due to the limited number of visas available to their delegation, Iran says they intend to boycott Friday’s 2026 World Cup draw in the US.
Iran’s delegation has received four visas from the US, but none for Mehdi Taj, the country’s football federation, according to the Tehran Times.
Taj claimed to have spoken with Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, about the matter.
In an interview with Iranian television on Thursday, Taj stated, “We are evaluating our options, which will depend on the circumstances and the timing.”
We will make the necessary decision as soon as possible, and we keep in touch with the Iranian foreign ministry and other authorities.
No one will attend the event unless all visas are issued, according to the executive committee of the Iranian Football Federation.
On Friday, December 5th, at 17:00 GMT (12:00 local time), the draw is scheduled to take place in Washington, DC.
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Iran are now qualified for their fourth successive World Cup finals.
For political and security reasons, the US, Canada and Mexico, which are co-hosting the 2026 tournament, have long-standing strict visa restrictions on Iranians.
In an effort to reduce security threats, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order in June banning citizens from 12 nations from entering the country.
Although the executive order is supposed to exempt athletes and coaches traveling to the World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, Iran is one of the nations that are affected by the ban.
Taj said, “It seems to us that the situation has become politicized.” The situation is completely politicized and we informed the Fifa president, Mr. Infantino, that they have taken a political stand.
After her 2023 divorce, Race Across the World’s Anita Rani says she is “having a good time” with new beau Alex Lavery.
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Anita Rani has opened up about her new relationship(Image: BBC)
Countryfile star Anita Rani says she doesn’t want to “jinx” her new relationship as she admits she would consider tying the knot with her new boyfriend. Anita, 48, split from ex-husband Bhupi Rehal in 2023.
She admitted to finding her new boyfriend Alex Lavery “fun and fit” as well as a “beautiful soul” last year when she went public with him. Attending festivals like Green Man and Glastonbury together, Alex and Anita rekindled their musical passion.
And this year the couple plan to spend Christmas together, although Anita admits they will have an “open-door policy” for their friends. Speaking to Fabulous magazine, she says she wants to “do something wild and spread some good vibes”.
When questioned about the possibility of a second wedding, Anita replies that the couple are “having a nice time.” She continued, “You know, when you meet someone who is vibrant and you think, “Alright, it’s on.
We’re having a good time, I promise not to jinx it. We’ll see if. [I’m not sure how I feel about getting married once more.] I don’t believe I should adhere to any rules.
Anita, who starred alongside her father in Celebrity Race Across the World, claims she is currently in “rad space.” She claims that having a life on her own is “incredibly important” for women, and that this is how she describes it.
She has previously discussed the “dark year” following her marriage’s breakdown. She told Woman magazine, “It’s been a very dark, very traumatic year. I’ll just be taking a moment to reflect on what I have.
Following the split, she admitted that she felt like her life was a ” blank slate “.
She continued, “I feel like I’ve entered a place I’ve never, ever expected to be.” I’m in unknown territory. Do you know what I’m an Asian woman who lives alone and doesn’t have any children? I adore it! I feel really good about having a blank slate in front of me.
Anita acknowledges that getting divorced as a Punjabi woman wasn’t simple, despite the fact that the couple simply sat at odds with one another.
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She acknowledges that divorced women are frequently viewed as “pariahs” and claims that it is viewed as “quite a big deal.”
Since the split, Anita claims that she has received numerous compliments from other women. The Women’s Hour presenter acknowledges that more and more of her own guests have been “challenging social norms.”
In a quick and coordinated response to the resumptive communal violence in Usmanu Village, Karim Lamido Local Government Area of Taraba State, troops from the Nigerian Army neutralized four armed militia members and recovered weapons.
According to reliable information, the operation came after long-standing land disputes between the Shomo and Wurkun communities.
Property was destroyed, including houses, as a result of the conflict escalated into armed clashes. 6 Brigade immediately dispatched forces to restore order and stop further deterioration in security conditions.
According to a statement released on Sunday, a spokesman for the 6 Brigade, lieutenant Umar Mohammed, a public relations officer for the Nigerian Army, reports that when the troops arrived in the area, armed assailants were erupting from the Fadama axis. Four of the attackers were neutralized by the soldiers during a brief but intense exchange that ended.
Read more about how police in Kogi saved five kidnapping victims.
Three Dane guns, one made of AK-47 rifles, twenty-five rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, twenty-five rounds of ammunition, and two motorcycles were recovered as a result of subsequent exploitation of the area.
One Nigerian Police Force (NPF) employee who was found operating alongside the armed militia was detained in a development that highlights the complexity of the conflict.
He is currently being looked into further and subjected to profiling to determine his level of involvement.
Brigadier General Kingsley Chidiebere Uwa, the commander of 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation Whirl Stroke, commended the soldiers for their swift action, bravery, and adhering to professional engagement standards. He reaffirmed the Brigade’s will to eradicate criminal elements from Taraba State and maintain operational momentum in all spheres of responsibility.
Brigadier General Uwa reaped the Brigade’s unwavering commitment to restoring lasting peace and stability to the people of Karim Lamido and Taraba State as a whole.
He urged people to embrace peaceful coexistence and continue to support security forces with reliable, timely information.
As stability is gradually being restored, the Nigerian Army urged residents to remain calm and uphold the law.
President Isaac Herzog has requested a formal pardon from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing long-running corruption cases.
The President’s Office is aware that this request is unusual and has significant implications. The president will take the request seriously and sincerely after receiving all relevant opinions, Herzog’s office said in a statement on Sunday.
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In addition to allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, Netanyahu faces three additional cases of corruption in 2019. He denies the accusations and enters a not-guilty plea.
Herzog is requesting Netanyahu’s pardon in the circumstances that US President Donald Trump is pressing for. Trump earlier in November wrote to Herzog asking him to take the pardon into account.
In an address to the Israeli parliament in October, Trump had also urged Herzog to pardon Netanyahu.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is also looking into the Israeli prime minister. The ICC issued arrest warrants for former defense minister Yoav Gallant and Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza in November 2024.
After being accused of fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in three separate cases where he was accused of favoring wealthy political supporters, Netanyahu is the only sitting prime minister in Israeli history to go on trial.
He is accused of receiving nearly 700,000 shekels ($211, 832) in gifts from businessmen in the graft cases against him.
Herzog has the authority to pardon convicted criminals in unusual circumstances, despite the presidency of Israel’s largely ceremonial role.
However, Netanyahu’s trial, which started in 2020, is still unfinished.
Netanyahu claimed that the trial had divided the nation and that a pardon would bring back national harmony in a videotaped statement. He added that he finds it difficult to lead the nation because of the requirement that he appear in court three times per week.
Chris Tynan, a presenter on Radio Merseyside’s NatureWatch, passed away, his furious coworkers have revealed on X.
Environmentalist and television host Anno Brandreth paid his respects on social media in a moving tribute to his late coworker.
Chris Tynan, RIP, he wrote. Chris made a great effort to promote the things we love and care about the listeners by being a beloved and significant member of the Naturewatch team.
Chris’s coworker shared a festive photo of the team.
It’s a sad day for us all, they continued, along with a photo of Chris with the Naturewatch team, “He will be sadly missed and we will hopefully do something in a future broadcast.” Chris is wearing a wonderful penguin jumper to the left.
Up until 2023, Nature Watch was a regular feature on the BBC Radio Merseyside breakfast and weekend programs.
It frequently appeared as a segment on the well-known “Paul Beesley” program, which featured local experts Jeff Clarke of Anser Ecology and Richie the Ranger discussing local wildlife and gardening tips.
BBC Sounds and the BBC Merseyside Facebook page have access to archived episodes of the well-known Merseyside show.
Chris resigned as the RSPB Liverpool’s leader in April, despite his long-standing leadership.
The society wrote in a May message on their website that “we will forever be in Chris’ debt and the impact that he has had on both the group and the people of Merseyside as a whole cannot be understated.” Chris has influenced many people’s passions for birds and wildlife, inspiring us to appreciate nature in every way.
The group would like to thank Chris for his hard work over many years, they wrote in a now poignant message. There is still time to thank Chris in person since he will continue to lead the outdoor meetings through December! You will be greatly missed, but you can always be back.
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Rylan Clark, a presenter for Radio 2, joked about keeping Amazon in business with daily deliveries as he made an amusing admission about his online shopping habits.
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Rylan Clark joked he didn’t know “what was wrong” with himself as he made a confession about shopping(Image: GETTY)
Rylan Clark humorously questioned “what is wrong with me” after confessing his spending habits. The Radio 2 star quipped that he was single-handedly keeping “that A to Z place in business” due to his frequent online shopping.
Rylan admitted to purchasing a robot vacuum recently online, and this was revealed. The famous person also admits to using someone to clean his home after recently revealing his purchase of a “work-flat” in central London.
After telling the audience he wanted to purchase an intercom for the property, Rylan confessed to making the confession. He claimed, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I ordered a robot hoover yesterday when I had a cleaner with me.”
He continued to joke that he had a parcel box at his home to prevent him from missing his scheduled deliveries, saying, “I have one at my house because I pretty much do that every day.”
Rylan further disclosed that he also owns a robot lawnmower at his Essex home, which he has amusingly named in honour of a BBC icon. The star said: “I call him Alan Techmarsh. He’s a love, I love him. Honestly, I set him off and he does all the lines in the grass and makes it look nice. I love him. Alan Techmarsh, I love him, he’s my favourite pet.”
Rylan revealed to Hunger magazine in August that he had purchased his fourth home in central London, a “work-flat.” His mother Linda, who frequently appears on the star’s social media accounts, was the subject of his previous “fixer-upper” purchase.
He also owns a breathtaking five-bedroom mansion in Essex, where he records Celebrity Gogglebox alongside Linda. In fact, he credits the Channel 4 programme with inspiring him to transform his home in 2023, softening the previously minimalist interior.
He explained to House Beautiful that the choice came about as a result of a significant personal transformation. This is my second home, according to Ryan, 37. With just one color in every room in my first home, everything was white and everything was grey.
However, I put polished concrete floors on the house to make it look ultra-modern. But then I had a minor life change, and I went from cool white to warm white, silver to gold, greens, and all the while it’s all much warmer.
This isn’t the first time Rylan has opened up about the details of his residence. The Eurovision presenter also posted photographs of his home on Instagram earlier this year, giving fans a peek into his private sanctuary.
The former Celebrity Big Brother star discussed his diary room inspired by the reality show, and thoughtful design touches that enabled him to make the space his own. He revealed: “We all know how much I’m obsessed by Big Brother and I have nothing better to do with my time so I built a diary room. It’s quite like the diary room as well – which is exciting. Some people sell stuff on eBay from Big Brother – fair enough things are being thrown away but I think it’s naughty. They should put it in a museum or something.”
According to The Express, Rylan frequently posts photos of himself enjoying himself with his friends and family while also having a mirrored walk-in dressing room and impressive pool house. The luxurious space is enhanced and extended by the naturally lit space, which is decorated with white walls and grey tiles.
A gorgeous outdoor area, complete with a patio with cream outdoor sofas, a monochrome rug, and its own fire pit, are also available at the lavish property. Additionally, it is said to have a separate bar and party area.
