Culture – War Watch

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Iranian star Parastoo Ahmadi reportedly sentenced to 74 lashes for singing without hijab
ByDeepa Parent June 18, 2026

Musicians and production team understood to be facing same punishment after livestream of patriotic songThe Iranian singer Parastoo Ahmadi and eight members of a production team, including musicians, have been reportedly sentenced to 74 lashes for perf…

Read More Iranian star Parastoo Ahmadi reportedly sentenced to 74 lashes for singing without hijab
Art and design | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Donald Trump | Europe | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Photography | UK news | US news | World news

The week around the world in 20 pictures
ByJim Powell June 12, 2026

Disorder in Belfast, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the Ebola outbreak, and the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalists Continue reading…

Read More The week around the world in 20 pictures
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Documentary films | Donald Trump | Festivals | Film | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Sheffield Doc/Fest | Syria | World news

‘I only had this father, and he’s gone’: Wafa Mustafa’s fight for truth and justice for Syria’s missing
ByAlexander Durie June 12, 2026

With more than 177,000 people forcibly disappeared since 2011, short doc Maybe Tomorrow captures ‘the violence of waiting’ experienced by familyWhen Wafa Mustafa was a child, she remembers her father playing the music of Umm Kulthum non-stop at home in…

Read More ‘I only had this father, and he’s gone’: Wafa Mustafa’s fight for truth and justice for Syria’s missing
Antisemitism | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Donald Trump | Film | Gaza | Helen Mirren | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | London | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | UK news | World news

Helen Mirren speaks out about being called ‘evil Zionist’ on the street in London
ByAndrew Pulver June 11, 2026

Responding to an incident in which she was verbally abused, the actor said that that ‘evil forces are rising everywhere’, as well as expressing support for MobLand co-star Tom HardyHelen Mirren has commented on being called an “evil Zionist bitch” whil…

Read More Helen Mirren speaks out about being called ‘evil Zionist’ on the street in London
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Books | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | History books | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices

Stolen Revolution by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati review – Iran’s recent history explained
ByDina Nayeri June 10, 2026

This account of the Islamic Republic and its discontents told via six contrasting lives should be required readingIt’s difficult in 2026 to talk about Iran without confronting a lot of crude certainty. The average non-Iranian gets their informatio…

Read More Stolen Revolution by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin and Yeganeh Torbati review – Iran’s recent history explained
Archaeology | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Heritage | Hezbollah | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Lebanon | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Refugees | World news

Israeli attack on Tyre in Lebanon kills eight as evacuation ordered for Christian quarter
ByWilliam Christou in Beirut June 9, 2026

People flee historic district of ancient city after airstrikes hit residential areas and damage archaeological sitesMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsrael has bombed the city of Tyre, killing eight and injuring at least 32 people, and struck dozens of…

Read More Israeli attack on Tyre in Lebanon kills eight as evacuation ordered for Christian quarter
Armenia | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Donald Trump | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Music | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Pop and rock | Saudi Arabia | Syria

‘You escape the slaughter. But there’s a long tail of sadness’: musician Bedouine on the strangeness of Arab life outside the Middle East
ByStevie Chick June 8, 2026

With roots in Armenia, Syria and Saudi Arabia, the singer-songwriter now lives in the US. But despite her Carole King-style sound, her homelands are never far from her mindThe title song to Azniv Korkejian’s fourth album as Bedouine, Neon Summer Skin, …

Read More ‘You escape the slaughter. But there’s a long tail of sadness’: musician Bedouine on the strangeness of Arab life outside the Middle East
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Bashar al-Assad | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Documentary films | Donald Trump | Film | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Syria | World news

My Memory Is Full of Ghosts review – deeply moving visual hymn for the bombed-out Syrian city of Homs
ByPhuong Le June 8, 2026

Anas Zawahri’s documentary lays heart-wrenching testimony over languorous shots of bullet-ridden ruins and deserted streetsThe western Syrian city of Homs is only a husk of its former self. Previously a major industrial centre, the region became a key …

Read More My Memory Is Full of Ghosts review – deeply moving visual hymn for the bombed-out Syrian city of Homs
Art and design | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Culture | Donald Trump | Europe | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Photography | UK news | US news | World news

The week around the world in 20 pictures
ByJim Powell June 5, 2026

Attacks on police in Southampton, Russian strikes in Kyiv, the Ebola outbreak and PSG win the Champions League – the past seven days as captured by the world’s leading photojournalistsWarning: this gallery contains images some readers may find distress…

Read More The week around the world in 20 pictures
AI (artificial intelligence) | Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Benjamin Netanyahu | Computing | Culture | Donald Trump | Film | Gaza | Iran | Iran's nuclear programme | Israel | Israel–Iran War | Middle East and north Africa | Nuclear weapons | Palestinian territories | Petrol prices | Technology | World news

‘The CGI would have cost millions. I spent $2,000.’ Is Dreams of Violets AI slop – or the future of film-making?
ByCath Clarke June 3, 2026

It should have taken years, but Ash Koosha made a drama about Iran’s anti-government protests in weeks – and now it’s the first AI-made movie to screen at a major film festival. It could transform indie film-making, claims the directorNext week a break…

Read More ‘The CGI would have cost millions. I spent $2,000.’ Is Dreams of Violets AI slop – or the future of film-making?