Andres Iniesta retires from international football after Spain's World Cup exit

Andres Iniesta, the midfielder who gave La Roja the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final, has announced his retirement from international football following Spain's exit against Russia. This announcement came in as a confirmation as he had said in May that he would likely retire after the World Cup, later saying that he couldn't rule out a return. Iniesta's final kick for Spain was a goal against Russia at the penalty shootout in the last 16 game on Sunday. Host nation Russia took the day as Spain lost 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout.

Fernando Hierro, manager of Spain's national team described Iniesta as "one of the greatest players in our history". "The way he played on the pitch when he substituted on was like he was playing in his first cap and I want to thank him whole-heartedly," he asserted. Iniesta played all 3 games of the group stage with Spain full time but came in as a replacement at the 67th minute in the knockout game against Russia. He wasn't disgruntled with the coach's decision to leave him out of the starting XI. "I don't feel hard done by. The coach takes decisions whether you agree with them or not," he said. “The coach understood that it was better that way." Iniesta's former team-mate Cesc Fabregas was a pundit for BBC's coverage of the match was very surprised by the coach's decision though, as he said, "It's a big surprise. I think in the 15 years I've been following him, this is the second time I can remember him being dropped in a big game."

The Spain and Barcelona legend, 34, has scored 13 goals for the Spanish national team in his eminent 131-cap career with Spain. Iniesta is Spain's fourth most capped player, behind Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Xavi Hernandez. The playmaker has won 96 games with Spain, drawn 15 and lost just 15. He was part of Spain's 'golden generation' that won the European championships in 2008 and 2012, and the World Cup in 2010.

Iniesta left Barcelona at the end of last season, after an illustrious career at the Catalan club. He won nine league titles and four Champions Leagues with Barcelona, 32 trophies overall and made 674 senior appearances with the club. Iniesta was named in the UEFA Euro All-time XI announced in 2016.

Iniesta spoke at a post-match interview, telling reporters he had hoped for a better ending. "It was my last game with the national team, a wonderful story ends here, even if not as I hoped." Sometimes the endings are not as one dreams." "Overall, it is surely the saddest day of my career." "There is relief. The players are there. The important thing is to find the way to success again. It is not easy, it is more complicated than it seems, but the national team will continue." "It's a difficult time, we've already experienced it in the past, and we've proven ourselves good at going beyond things, we've always stood up to the circumstances and, even if I hoped for a better ending, we have to accept that football is this also"

Iniesta has signed a two year deal with Japanese club Vissel Kobe, after a 22 year journey with Barcelona. The club is owned by the owners of Rakuten - main shirt sponsors of Barcelona. Iniesta has retired from football as one of the most influential players of his era.

Princess Qajar - The Revolutionary Persian Princess

Zahra Khanom Tadj es-Saltaneh commonly referred to as Princess Qajar was a princess and memoirist of the Qajar Dynasty. Princess Tadj was one of the best known daughters of the Persian king, Naser al-Din Shah Qajar who ruled Persia from 1848 to May 1896. The Persian princess was born on February 4, 1883 and died on January 25, 1936, in Tehran, at the age of 52. Princess Qajar revolutionized beauty standards with her full look and ragged unibrow, and her unmistakably evident mustache. She was a true epitome of beauty at her time. Princess Qajar was declared a symbol of beauty in Persia and was coveted by many men. Thousands of men wanted to marry her, 13 of whom committed suicide upon being rejected by the princess. Princess Qajar eventually married Amir Hussein Khan Shoja'-al Saltaneh and had they had four children - two boys and two girls. They later got divorced in 1907 after enduring an unloving arranged marriage - she married Khan when she was 13. The princess argued f

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The finger-cutting tradition of Indonesia's Dani tribe

The death of a loved one is always an extremely painful thing to bear, and people of different cultures grieve in diverse ways, some more unique than others. A typically unique way of grieving is that of the Dani (an Indonesian tribe). Finger-cutting is a fundamental part of grieving for women of the Dani tribe, and pertains to their women only. According to The Globe and Mail, an estimated 250,000 Dani tribe members live in a town named Wamena, in the extremely remote central highland area of Papua Province. Wamena is only accessible by plane. Upon the death of a loved one, the top joint of one of a woman's fingers would be amputated, and smear ashes and clay across their faces. Prior to amputation, a string would be firmly tied to the upper half of the woman's finger for 30 minutes, to cause numbness. This was to reduce the pain from amputating the tip. In most cases, the responsibility of cutting off the top joint of the finger is assigned to one of the woman's

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