The strength of protests shaking Iran was unclear on Thursday after a week of unrest that killed at least 21 people.

A criminal investigation has been launched into breaches of hygiene at a cheese factory after footage of bare-chested workers bathing in vats of milk went viral on the internet.

The United Nations chief has said his organisation's report into the use of chemical weapons in Syria is "indisputable".

Fears grew of a foreign-fed arms race in Syria as European Union countries decided they could provide weapons to the rebels and Russia disclosed that it has signed a contract to provide Syria with sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles.

Russia has responded to a European Union move to lift its arms embargo for Syrian rebels by considering giving president Bashar Assad more high-powered missiles – raising the prospect of a new foreign-fed arms race in the Middle East.