In the coming weeks, one of the most trusted independent news sources for Iranians faces the prospect of going silent.
Radio Farda, a nearly three-decade old US-funded Persian-language broadcaster, is expected by its own staff to shut down following budget cuts ordered by President Donald Trump. The move, which is part of broader reductions to US-funded overseas media, could also result in Voice of America Persian and other foreign-language outlets either closed down or significantly scaled back.
The closure would be a major victory for the Iranian regime, analysts have told The National. Tehran has long sought to jam or block Radio Farda's broadcasts, which promote a liberal, pro-democracy agenda that challenges the regime's narrative.
Mr Trump, a heavy critic of the Iranian regime, has pursued a policy of "maximum pressure" to weaken it. However, slashing funding for Persian-language media – one of the few sources of independent information for Iranians – appears to contradict this strategy, and could hand the Iranian regime an unexpected win.
"It has been a dream of the leaders in Iran to see Radio Farda gone," said Omid Memarian, an Iran expert at DAWN, a Washington-based think tank that focuses on US policy in the Middle East. "I'm sure the propaganda machine in the Islamic Republic would never have thought this day could come."
Accessible and popular
Turning on Radio Farda is one of the first things that Mr Memarian, who lives in the US, does in the morning – as do his family and friends back in Iran, he said. "I wake up and see what's the reading of Radio Farda about what's happening in the US and Europe," he said.
Funded by the US Congress, Radio Farda – which in Persian means radio tomorrow – was launched in 2002 as part of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which has operated since the 1940s from Prague. It is overseen by the US Agency for Global Media, which had its funding cut on March 14 to "the minimum required by law" by Mr Trump, as part of efforts to curb government spending. Its budget is estimated at $142 million a year.
RFE/RL has sued the Trump administration to challenge the funding cut, but its chief executive, Stephen Capus, told NPR this week that it was now living off its savings. "We're going to have to take some pretty drastic actions in the not too distant future," he said.
The loss of high-quality independent media would be particularly harmful to the Iranian public, where trust in national media is low, analysis shows. The Dutch think tank Gamaan, which specialises in studying Iranians' social and political thinking, found in 2023 that only 20 per cent of Iranians use state television as a source of information, while around 40 per cent trust Radio Farda and Voice of America Persian. Iran International, Manoto and BBC Persian, which are all broadcast from outside Iran, are among the favourite media channels for the Iranian public.
Today, Radio Farda has 4.5 million followers on Instagram – social media is one of the Iranian public's favourite ways of accessing information, but it is heavily censored. This figure suggests deep penetration into Iran, said Mohammed Ghaedi, a lecturer at George Washington University's department of political science.
"The platform is highly active, boasting over 118,000 posts on Instagram and a strong presence on other platforms like Telegram," Mr Ghaedi said. "Its format provides an alternative for those unable to access satellite TV, such as BBC Persian, making it accessible to drivers and workers. In terms of content, Radio Farda focuses on democratic values, freedom and human rights, covering stories that state-controlled media ignore and giving a platform to individuals who might otherwise struggle to have their voices heard."
Radio Farda has been a particular target for the Iranian government. In 2008, an Iranian court sentenced one of its journalists, Parnaz Azima, for her "anti-revolutionary" work. At the time, she was told that her problems would be solved if she quit Radio Farda, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Radio Farda's managers said that Iran spent "millions of dollars annually" to jam the station's signals and disable its website, while also launching an intimidation campaign against its 40-person staff, the newspaper wrote. The National has reached out to RFE/RL for comment. Radio Farda journalists said they were not authorised to speak due to the sensitivity of the situation.
Lives at risk
Should they lose their jobs and their Czech work permits, many Iranian Radio Farda journalists may be at risk of persecution if they have to return to Iran, said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at Crisis group said. "This really puts the lives of some of these individuals at risk", Mr Vaez said. "If you were the Islamic Republic, you couldn't have dreamt of a situation in which the US would shoot itself in the foot by ... dismantling democracy-promoting institutions overnight."
Shutting Radio Farda down will not "leave Iranians in the dark all of a sudden", but its absence will make it harder for Iranians to access information about what is happening in the world, said Mr Vaez. "Radio Farda was particularly popular because it also had a major entertainment element attached to it," he said.
Gutting Radio Farda and its parent company, RFE/RL, is not a question of cost for the US, Mr Memarian argued. It's part of an ideological war against anything that is perceived as liberal and anti-Trump. "The truth is that weakening these publications is not a Democrat or a liberal agenda – it's a global agenda to fight authoritarian regimes," Mr Memarian said.
The bottom line is that the Trump administration may not care about fighting the Iranian regime with soft power. "We have not seen a deliberate plan to accompany maximum pressure, which is a coercive economic approach, with a soft approach as well" towards Tehran, Mr Vaez said. "Because there is no strategy, I would not be surprised if opportunism determines who gets funded in the future."
The setbacks to RFE/RL have caused concern in the Czech Republic. The country's Minister for European Affairs, Martin Dvorak, this week raised the issue in Brussels, where he gathered signatures from nine other EU countries in support of finding alternative funding. In a statement, they cited the station's role "in providing independent, unbiased and fact-based information to citizens, particularly in regions where freedom of the press is under threat."
But the bloc's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, appeared doubtful the EU could replace US funding. "We have a lot of organisations who are coming with the same request to us," she said on Monday. "This is the task [on] our side; to see what we can do."
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
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EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Directed by: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Joel Fry
4/5
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
-2013: 10,000-tonne meteor burns up over the southern Urals region of Russia, releasing a pressure blast and flash that left over 1600 people injured.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
Company%20Profile
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Results
STAGE
1 . Filippo Ganna (Ineos) - 0:13:56
2. Stefan Bissegger (Education-Nippo) - 0:00:14
3. Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:21
4. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 0:00:24
5. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) - 0:00:30
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) - 4:00:05
2. Joao Almeida (QuickStep) - 0:00:05
3. Mattia Cattaneo (QuickStep) - 0:00:18
4. Chris Harper (Jumbo-Visma) - 0:00:33
5. Adam Yates (Ineos) - 0:00:39
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
