By Samaneh Aboutalebi

10th National Toy Festival to open in Tehran

TEHRAN- The 10th edition of the National Toy Festival is set to open on Wednesday evening, dedicating space for Iranian-made toys and the promotion of a culture of play, with free access for the public, Hamed Alamati, director of the Iran's Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (IIDCYA)has announced. 

By Faramarz Kouhpayeh

Manufacturing chaos: How Western and Israeli actors seek to hijack Iran's peaceful protests

TEHRAN – Protests are a natural and fundamental part of any society whose citizens care about their future and believe they can influence it. They are not a sign of systemic failure, but an indicator of civic health and the practice of free speech, assembly, and association. For Western states, their media, and their politicians, all of this holds true—except when the protests occur in Iran.

By Soheila Zarfam

Failure in June, rhetoric in December

Senior Iranian officials respond to Monday’s remarks by Trump and Netanyahu with warnings of consequences beyond expectation

TEHRAN – The constant glare of Western rhetoric does not leave Iran alone. For decades, the country has faced repeated threats of military strikes, claims about its nuclear ambitions, and warnings designed to keep the nation under pressure—both domestically and internationally.

Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, dies at 80

TEHRAN — Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a central figure in the nation’s politics for more than three decades, passed away on Tuesday at a hospital in Dhaka. She was believed to be 80. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she led, confirmed her death without disclosing a cause.

By staff writer 

Saudi ‘red line’ and UAE’s adventurism in Yemen

TEHRAN – Saudi Arabia has framed its national security as a “red line,” warning it will act decisively against any foreign military support for separatist groups in Yemen.

Somalia unites against Israel’s Somaliland recognition amid global backlash

TEHRAN – Israel’s unilateral recognition of Somaliland as an independent state has ignited outrage across Somalia and beyond, with furious protests denouncing the move as a dangerous violation of international law and a direct assault on Somali sovereignty. The announcement, made on December 26, marked the first time any country has formally recognized Somaliland, a breakaway region that declared independence in 1991 but has remained internationally unacknowledged.

By Sondoss Al Asaad 

Detention of Jordanian journalist Mohammad Faraj and erosion of free expression

BEIRUT—As 2025 draws to a close, the continued detention of Jordanian journalist and political writer Mohammad Faraj remains unresolved and deeply troubling.

Tractor, Malavan share the spoils in 2025/26 PGPL

TEHRAN – Tractor and Malavan shared the spoils in a goalless draw in Matchweek 15 of the 2025/26 Iran Persian Gulf Professional League (PGPL) on Tuesday.

Iranian exports to Oman hit $500m over 10 months

TEHRAN – Trade between Iran and Oman reached $1.35 billion in the first 10 months of 2025, up 24 percent from a year earlier, with Iranian exports accounting for $500 million of the total, Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information said.