German tapped to head Iran trade vehicle pulls out after Israel comments

Families of killed activists are under pressure as authorities crack down on any sign of protest a year after the death of a young woman in police custody sparked an Iran-wide civil disobedience movement.

A major exhibition at the Festival of Photojournalism, the Visa pour L’Image, in Perpignan in southwest France is currently showcasing the power of women as Iran continues to clamp down on women's rights. A year ago, Iranian woman Mahsa Amini was arrested by the religious morality police for not wearing a hijab. Amini was beaten and later died as a result of police brutality, sparking widespread women-led protests in Iran. Journalist Ghazal Golshiri, who coproduced the exhibition, speaks to FRANCE 24.

Israel's Supreme Court has opened the first case examining the legality of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s controversial judicial overhaul, lurching towards a showdown with the nation’s far-right government. The latter has split Israel in two ever since it announced plans to reform the country’s judicial system, which would see the Supreme Court weakened.

A year ago, the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini triggered an unprecedented protest movement in Iran against the authorities of the Islamic Republic. Women led demonstrations questioning the wearing of the hijab, which has since become the symbol of defiance against the oppressive government. Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran’s last shah, spoke to FRANCE 24 about it.

The death of a young Kurdish-Iranian woman last year in police custody sparked nationwide protests against Iran's ruling regime, followed by an ongoing deadly crackdown. A year later, Iranian women remain defiant.

Brussels has slammed Tehran's decision to remove accreditation from several members of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Reports have suggested the move affected eight inspectors, all from Germany and France.

The talks took place over Saturday and Sunday, as the diplomats try to seek common ground over thorny issues such as Taiwan. The meeting may pave the way for Presidents Biden and Xi to meet in the near future.

The morality police are back in the streets and the surveillance has increased. The regime is also set to bring in new laws for the wearing of hijbs. Under these proposals, the punishment as well as associated costs of violations have been included, such as ban on internet usage and ban on travel.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is due to meet Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev and counterpart Sergei Lavrov. The visit is meant to lay the groundwork for a possible Putin visit to Beijing next month.

Iran and Afghanistan have reportedly extended the cooperation between their intelligence services. Repeated terrorist attacks in Iran have exposed shortcomings in Iran's security agencies.

This week, five US citizens freed from prison in Iran were able to embrace their loved ones back home. Under the deal brokered by Qatar, five Iranians detained in the United States were also released. The agreement included the unfreezing of nearly $6 billion in Iranian assets. So is the deal a sign of warming ties between Washington and Tehran? We put the question to David Smith, Washington bureau chief for the Guardian.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was optimistic about the prospect of reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia, even as the peace pact still faces major hurdles.