Anti-government anger is mounting in southern Syria, where rare protests in the heartland of the minority Druze community are now into their second week. The protests were initially driven by surging inflation and the war-torn country's economic crisis, but have quickly shifted focus, with marchers now calling for the fall of the Assad government. The demonstrations are centered on a region that's largely stayed on the sidelines during more than a decade of civil war: the government-controlled province of Sweida. The protests were initially sparked by Assad's move to raise public sector salaries while scaling back fuel and gas subsidies. We take a closer look.
Read moreSyria protests spurred by economic misery stir memories of 2011 uprising
Meanwhile, activists have condemned the storming of a drag show in Lebanon by angry crowds of conservative Christians amid a wider escalation of anti-LGBT rhetoric. A drag show in the Lebanese capital was cut short last week when members of a far-right Christian group targeted the bar hosting the performance. The first Arab country to hold a Gay Pride week, Lebanon has generally been seen as a safe haven for LGBT people, but the incident comes amid an increase in attacks against the community and follows troubling remarks by high-level politicians and religious figures. It also comes as lawmakers in Iraq debate legislation that proposes the death penalty or life in prison for "homosexual relations". FRANCE 24's Thameen Al-Kheetan tells us more.
Finally, we take you to one of the world's most dangerous scuba diving sites. The former fishing village of Dahab in Egypt is a paradise for watersports enthusiasts on the Red Sea. But climate change and human activity are increasingly threatening one of the world's most prized coral reefs.
