US grants visas to Iran World Cup footballers

In a historic diplomatic move, the United States has granted visas to the Iranian national football team ahead of the 2026 Men's World Cup, marking the first time a nation at war with a host country will be allowed to compete on U.S. soil. The decision, which came after intense lobbying by Iran and a last-minute green light from the U.S. State Department, underscores sport’s power to transcend geopolitical conflict—though challenges remain, including unresolved visa issues for some technical staff and concerns over security and political exploitation. Meanwhile, the case of British student Henry Novak’s murder has ignited a transatlantic political firestorm, with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance falsely linking the killing to mass migration, despite the killer being a British-born citizen. The UK government swiftly rejected the intervention, emphasizing that the Novak family does not want their tragedy weaponized for political gain. In space, astronauts on the International Space Station took emergency shelter due to air leaks in the Russian segment, highlighting aging infrastructure and ongoing international cooperation despite geopolitical tensions.