China, Russia, Iran begin joint naval drills

The defense ministry in Taipei reported dozens of Chinese jets and 10 naval ships near Taiwan.

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.

Kim's days-long trip to Russia has led to concern that Pyongyang and Moscow are looking to expand military cooperation.

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.

There has been an instance of cooperation between the US and Russia with the docking of the Soyuz spacecraft at the ISS, amid tensions between Washington and Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine.

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.

Li Shangfu has not been seen in public since August 29. Insider sources reportedly said he is under investigation after China's military procurement unit ordered an internal "clean-up."

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 island's defense ministry said the number of Chinese military aircraft was a "recent high."

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.

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.