In Germany, the interior minister, some regional governments, and refugee organizations want Iranian asylum seekers to be exempt from deportation. But the conservative opposition argues that criminals must be sent back.

For decades, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups have sought refuge in neighbouring Iraq. But in recent weeks, they have been targeted by dozens of missile and drone attacks launched by Tehran. Authorities there accuse them of supporting anti-government protests that have swept across Iran since the death in police custody of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

UN experts say the number of people who need help has jumped by 65 million compared to last year, bringing the total count to a staggering 339 million worldwide.

It is still unclear whether the squad could be set up again under a new mandate. The death of a young woman arrested by the "morality police" for improperly wearing a hijab sparked months of protests in Iran.

Shops closed in several Iranian cities after activists called for a general strike. Meanwhile, Iranian authorities said that protesters' sentences will be "carried out swiftly."

There is uncertainty over reports suggesting the notorious vice squad has been shut down. In any case, authorities have other powerful means of monitoring behavior and issuing punishment.

Hundreds of people in New York have taken part in protest organised by French photographer and street artist JR against the Iranian regime.

Jina Mahsa Amini's death in Iran sparked the country's biggest wave of protests in decades. Her family talks to DW and Der Spiegel about her life, her dreams and her death.

A three-day general strike is taking place in Iran this week. It's a show of defiance, as the anti-regime protest movement approaches its three-month mark with no sign of abating. On Monday, the strike was observed in dozens of Iranian cities, from the capital Tehran to Isfahan, Tabriz and the Kurdish regions.

Two weeks after the COP27 wrapped up in Egypt, negotiators are meeting in Montreal, Canada for a UN summit focused on biodiversity. Countries will be setting their targets to protect the world's ecosystems, with the goal of coming up with a Paris-style agreement. It comes as the planet is facing a sixth mass extinction event – one that, as Australian ecologist Mark Burgman explains, humans are responsible for – both because of how and what we consume and how quickly we do so. He joined us for Perspective.

Iran has executed a prisoner convicted for a crime allegedly committed during the ongoing nationwide protests. Students vow to continue demonstrations and demand change.