Asian #Football Confederation says Iran is still set to play at the #WorldCup, In a social media post last week in reaction to comments from U.S. President Donald Trump, Iran’s national soccer team said “no one can exclude” it from playing in the global tournament.

On Monday, Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said the sport’s continental governing body has heard nothing to suggest Iran won’t contest the World Cup.

“They are our member. We want them to play,” he told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur, where the AFC is based. “As far as we know, Iran is playing.

“It’s a very emotional moment, everybody is saying a lot of things. At the end of the day, it’s the (Iran soccer) federation who should decide if they’re playing and, as for today, the federation … has told us that they’re going to the World Cup.”

Trump had posted on social media that the Iranian team was welcome at the World Cup despite the ongoing war with Iran but that “I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”

Iran is set to play all three of its World Cup group games in the U.S., which is co-hosting the tournament with Mexico and Canada.

The regional war has put doubt on Iran’s ability to fulfill its World Cup entry, and sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told state TV last week that the current circumstances meant it was not possible to play.

But the Iran team’s riposte on Instagram confirmed it still wants to participate, and pointed out that the tournament is run by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, not Trump or the U.S.

Iran is scheduled to play in Inglewood, California, against New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21, before finishing group play in Seattle against Egypt on June 27.

Iran is a power in Asian soccer, ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and has qualified for its fourth straight World Cup edition.

Before the World Cup, Iranian soccer officials are due to attend FIFA’s annual congress on April 30 in Vancouver. The Iranian federation was unable to attend meetings in Atlanta last week to help teams prepare for the 48-nation tournament.

#ISS implementation partners need to survive the transition to commercial #LEO destinations .

The International Space Station has been a hub for human space exploration and research for over two decades, but its operational life is nearing its end, projected around 2030. As focus shifts to commercial platforms developed by companies like Axiom Space, Blue Origin, Sierra Space, Vast, Voyager and others, the ISS implementation partner community — the experts who have supported ISS operations for decades — faces both challenges and opportunities. Ensuring their survival during this transition is vital for sustaining space exploration momentum, preserving expertise and driving innovation in the commercial space era.

The ISS implementation partner community, of which I’m a member, comprises diverse entities — small and medium-sized companies, engineers, and scientists — who design experiments, build and operate hardware, manage logistics and analyze data in the ISS’s unique microgravity environment. Their specialized skills have fueled breakthroughs in fields like medicine, materials science and Earth observation, making them a cornerstone of the ISS’s success. It’s critical that this resource is preserved and not lost in the shuffle as commercial space stations replace the ISS.

#DUBAI, November 24. A shooting incident occurred in the vicinity of the Israel’s Embassy in Amman, the capital of Jordan, Al Arabiya television reports.

Adjacent streets are blocked by security forces, the TV channel said. Ambulance cars are going to the incident scene. Authorities warned local residents to stay at home and close all the windows, the TV channel reported, citing Jordan’s mass media.