Henry Balogun's blog with latest news, insights, articles and opinions across politics, media, entertainment and more
The Nobel Peace Prize was on Friday awarded to imprisoned rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi, honoured for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran. Mohammadi’s award comes after a wave of protests that swept Iran after the death in custody a year ago of a young Iranian Kurd, Mahsa Amini, arrested for violating Iran’s […]
Iran’s parliament has passed a controversial bill that would increase prison terms and fines for women and girls who break its strict dress code. Those dressed “inappropriately” face up to 10 years in jail under the bill, for which a three-year “trial” was agreed. It still needs to be approved by the Guardian Council to […]
Crowds of Iranian football fans gave Cristiano Ronaldo an excited welcome on Monday as his Saudi team arrived in Tehran for the first home-and-away club tie since the two countries resumed diplomatic relations. Fans chanted the name of the Portuguese five-time world player of the year as he arrived with his Al Nassr teammates to […]
Five Americans jailed for years in Iran and widely regarded as hostages are on their way home to the United States. The last pieces in a controversial swap mediated by Qatar fell into place when $6bn (£4.8bn) of Iranian funds held in South Korea reached banks in Doha. It triggered the departure of the four […]
The mysterious poisonings of schoolgirls in Iran that started in November has resulted in 13,000 suspected cases, including 100 children who were still being treated in hospitals. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, citing government figures. The poisonings had roiled the country and sparked new protests last week. Iran’s government assumes the attacks were […]
More than 100 school girls were poisoned in Iran on Wednesday in what some have speculated is an attempt to “close all schools, especially girls’ schools” in the country. In the northern city of Ardabil, students of seven girls’ schools were exposed to gas fumes, sending 108 people to the hospital, according to the Tasnim […]
