Iran has been chosen to chair the UN Human Rights Council 2023 Social Forum despite the massive repression of its citizens. Iranian activists note unprecedented pressure on civil society.

The Swiss embassy has sparked anger by decrying executions of Iranian protesters on Twitter. Tehran said the tweet also showed "a fake flag" of pre-revolutionary Iran.

Like many European countries, Belgium has been witnessing a crisis in its asylum system for several months. With its welcome centres and public services stretched to breaking point, NGOs are now sounding the alarm. They say more resources are needed to help process the many unaccompanied minors arriving in Belgium, with three quarters coming from Afghanistan.

  Iran and Afghanistan are locked in a long-standing dispute over the sharing of water from the Helmand River. Clashes broke out recently along the border.

Food prices have almost doubled within a year, and increasing numbers of retired people are falling below the poverty line. Meanwhile, the government continues to invest heavily in the arms industry.

A renowned Iranian filmmaker who's now based in France says it's very important for her to make films that tell the truth about her childhood and life inside Iran. Sepideh Farsi says she is able to give an independent view as to what happens in the country, unlike filmmakers who still live there. She spoke to us on Perspective about her latest film "La Sirène", or "The Siren". The animated feature tells the story of a teenage boy named Omid at the start of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, during the siege of the city of Abadan.

Iran has resumed patrols by the so-called "morality police" to enforce its hijab law, which requires women to cover their hair and wear loose clothing in public.

With its ban on alcohol, Iran is treading a path that the United States tried and later abandoned as a failure. Is it worth the cost?

Iran's government has declared a national holiday Wednesday and Thursday as the country smolders under ever-higher temperatures. The situation in the south is especially dire and compounded by pollution and sandstorms.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency has warned dissident Iranian activists about the threat of cyber espionage against them. The hackers work by gaining the trust of their targets.

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.

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.