Fear factor goes viral along with Coronavirus

Mehdi Yarrahi's latest song demanded that headscarves be made optional for women in Iran. An earlier song of his was a soundtrack to the 2022 protests over the death of Jina Mahsa Amini.

Iran has repeatedly targeted foreigners and jailed them for espionage. The European Union confirmed that a Swedish diplomat working for the EU has been held in Iran for more than 500 days.

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.

The voluntary agreement aimed to ease the burden on the southern EU border country. Germany's interior ministry has now paused it due to "high migratory pressure."

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.

Italy was attempting to transfer some 3,000 migrants from the island of Lampedusa to other parts of the country. The UN's refugee agency urged it to make haste.

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 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.