Algerians protest, boycott presidential vote

In a UN Security Council briefing, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said the streets in Iraq could "boil over" if political leaders were unable to end a political stalemate that has gripped the country for over seven months.

We take a look at some of the independent features in the sidebar sections of the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Olivia Salazar-Winspear tells us about Philippe Faucon’s "Les Harkis", which is screening in the Director's Fortnight selection. Set in 1959, it shines a light on the Algerian men who were enlisted to fight for the French Army in units known as Harkis and explores the repercussions they faced as a newly independent Algeria emerged from a deeply traumatic war of independence.

During Algeria's war of independence, thousands of people were arrested by the French authorities, never to return home. While many are believed to have died in custody or have been assassinated by French forces, families of those missing grapple with the lack of closure. 60 years on, historians continue to investigate the disappearances and families still hope to learn more about the fate of their loved ones.

On the 60th anniversary of Algerian independence, we take a look at the French exhibitions paying tribute to Algeria's freedom and exploring the two countries' shared history. In Marseille, the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations has dedicated an exhibit to resistance icon Emir Abdelkader, the religious-turned-military leader who led the struggle against France's colonial invasion.

German officials have expressed fears that a worst-case winter of energy problems could prompt an extremist backlash. How bad things get may depend on how well they manage the crisis – in policy and perception.

The number of victims of wildfires in Algeria has risen to 26 from eight reported earlier, the country's interior minister said on Wednesday

At least 38 people have died in devastating wildfires that have ripped through Algeria's eastern mountains. More than 800 hectares of forest and almost 2,000 hectares of woodland have been destroyed in blazes this month alone. Algeria's prime minister has defended the government's response to the blazes.

Iran has come under pressure since the 22-year-old woman died in police custody. Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, meanwhile, decried the West's "double standards" on women's rights.

Iran has been shaken by violent mass protests after a young woman dies while in police custody, having been detained for not properly wearing a headscarf. Annette Young talks to Sussan Tahmasebi, a women's rights activist and Iranian specialist.

China is sticking to a zero-Covid strategy to stamp out virus clusters, but harsh lockdowns have battered the economy. The government mouthpiece has called on Beijing to stay the course.

Violence ensued after prison transfers of gang leaders in Ecuador's capital, Quito. Riots left at least 10 people dead.

The regime's brutal treatment of protesters and lack of reliable sources make social networks an indispensable medium of passing on information from the streets.