Tag: BBC

  • ‘No to War’: Thousands of Russian citizens protest against their government for the Ukraine invasion

    ‘No to War’: Thousands of Russian citizens protest against their government for the Ukraine invasion

    Protests are taking place across Russia in different cities against the invasion of Ukraine by the Russians on Thursday.

    Most of the people were seen chanting “No to War” and raising slogans against the invasion. Thousands of Russians gathered on Thursday night to show a strong reaction against their own government.

    The protestor is holding a placard that says, “No To War”. This man is standing at Pushkinskaya Square on Thursday night in Moscow

    While talking with Al-Jazeera, one of the young protestors said, “I have no words, it’s just disgusting,” she added, “What is there to say? We feel powerlessness, anguish.”

    Several journalists, reporters, media figures, and independent media outlets, including the BBC, have signed a petition against the Russian military operation.

    Government workers of the municipal department from different cities of Russia signed a letter to the citizens of Russia, urging the citizens not to participate in the operation or stay silent.

    “We, the deputies elected by the people, unreservedly condemn the attack of the Russian army on Ukraine,” read the letter.

    The letter further added that the military operation is an atrocity that cannot be justified at any cost.

    Protestors raised slogans against their President, Putin.

    “Putin is a killer! Putin is the shame of Russia!” they shouted. “Ukraine! Ukraine!”, reports Al-Jazeera.

    Some were chanting and clapping in support of Ukraine as well in the protest.

    “Ukraine is not our enemy!”

    Police have arrested thousands of protestors who were taking part in the demonstrations against the invasion.

    After months of tensions with Ukraine, and its western allies, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale military operation by sea, land, and air on Thursday.

  • Miracle baby delivered by passenger during flight to Uganda

    Miracle baby delivered by passenger during flight to Uganda

    A Canadian doctor helped a woman deliver a baby during an overnight flight to Uganda. The mother, a migrant worker who was on her way home was about to deliver her first child on the plane to Uganda from Saudi Arabia , when the Qatar Airways staff asked if there was a doctor on board.

    Dr. Ayesha Khatib, a professor at the University of Toronto, sprang into action when she answered an urgent appeal on Qatar Airways’ intercom for a medical professional.

    The baby, named ‘Miracle Ayesha’ after Dr Khatib, was born healthy, despite being early at 35 weeks.

    “I see a crowd of people gathered around the patient,” Dr Khatib told BBC. At this point, she was wondering if someone was having a heart attack.

    “As I got closer, I see this woman lying on the seat with her head toward the aisle and feet towards the window. And the baby was coming out!”

    Dr Khatib was helped by two other passengers, an oncology nurse and a pediatrician. She said that the baby was crying “robustly”. After she quickly checked the baby, she passed her on to the pediatrician for further checks.

    “I looked at the baby, and she was stable, and I looked at the mom and she was OK,” said Dr Khatib.

    “So I was like, ‘Congratulations it’s a girl.’ Then the entire plane started clapping and cheering and was like ‘Oh right, I’m on a plane and everybody is watching this.’”

    “The best part of the story is that she decided to name the baby after me,” says Dr Khatib.

  • Woman abandons newborn baby in airplane toilet bin

    Woman abandons newborn baby in airplane toilet bin

    A 20-year-old woman from Madagascar abandoned her newborn baby in the rubbish bin of an Air Mauritius flight. The plane initially took off from Madagascar and arrived at Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport, Mauritius on January 1.

    The airport officers found the baby during routine custom checks of the plane. They immediately moved the baby to the hospital for medical treatment and after an initial checkup, the baby was found to be healthy.

    The authority arrested the woman who initially refused to accept that the baby was hers. However, she had to take a medical examination which confirmed that she has delivered the baby.

    She is currently under police observation at the hospital.

    The woman and baby are said to be doing fine according to media reports, BBC

    The Malagasy woman came to Mauritius on a two-year permit work visa and according to reports, she will be questioned after being discharged from the hospital. Police will charge her with abandoning her baby.

  • United States and Russia ready to talk

    United States and Russia ready to talk

    Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed tensions with the west over growing concerns about troop buildup on its border near Ukraine, reports BBC.

    The Russian president wanted quick surety on the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) to stem the crisis.

    “The ball is in their court, they have to give us some response,” Putin said at his annual press conference.

    The United States (US) warned of sanctions if Putin does not refrain from his actions.

    Ukraine security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to its borders, and the US has threatened Putin with sanctions “like none he’s ever seen” if Ukraine comes under attack.

    Russia wanted Nato to give up all military action in Eastern Europe.

    “It’s you who must give us guarantees, and give them immediately, now,” Putin said on Thursday, stressing that military measures were not his preferred choice.

    United Kingdom (UK) Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she welcomed the fact that Moscow had “signalled it is willing to enter talks in January”, but warned any Russian attack would be met with sanctions that would hit Russia’s economy.

  • Extraordinary embryo of dinosaur discovered in China

    A 66 million year old embryo has been discovered in Ganzhou in southern China, reports the BBC.

    The embryo has been titled “Baby Yingliang”.

    Researcher Dr Fion Waisum Ma said it is “the best dinosaur embryo ever found in history”.

    Surprisingly, it resembles the embryos of modern birds. It is known to be in a coiled state similar to a bird about to be hatched.

    “This indicates that such behaviour in modern birds first evolved and originated among their dinosaur ancestors,” Dr Ma told the AFP news agency.

    Paleontologist Prof Steve Brusatte, who was also part of the research team, tweeted that it was “one of the most stunning dinosaur fossils” he had ever seen, and that the embryo was on the brink of hatching.

    Baby Yingliang length is 10.6in (27cm) in all and it stays inside a 6.7 inch-long egg at the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in China.

    The egg was discovered in the year 2000 and was kept in storage for ten years.

    Researchers were surprised to find that the embryo had something inside.

    The baby dinosaur embryo was folded inside a rock and researchers are making an effort to further analyse the fossil of this skeleton.

  • ‘Govt is going to ensure Pakistani citizens are safe without blood being spilt on either side’: Moeed Yusuf on BBC HARDtalk

    ‘Govt is going to ensure Pakistani citizens are safe without blood being spilt on either side’: Moeed Yusuf on BBC HARDtalk

    National Security Adviser (NSA) to the Prime Minister, Dr Moeed Yusuf, while giving an interview to BBC host Stephen John Sackur on BBC HARDtalk said that the state’s job is not to kill another Pakistani.

    “We are going to try our level best to ensure that Pakistani citizens are safe without any more blood being spilt on either side.” The NSA’s comments come in reference to the Pakistan government’s talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    “How secure is Pakistan after the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan?”: Sackur

    Sackur questioned Yusuf on how secure Pakistan is after the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan.

    “Frankly it depends on how responsibly the international community plays the future. Pakistan was not behind anything. There was a policy employed by the United States (US) and others who are in Afghanistan. That was always a failing policy. The only country that kept saying that you will not find a military solution to this problem was Pakistan and our advice was not heeded.”

    “We kept saying negotiate from a position of strength, we weren’t listened to, we were blamed and scape-goated and the result is in front of you,” added Yusuf.

    “We heard the worried voices of the Supreme Court when they were grilling PM Khan,” Sackur

    “Pakistanis are very worried. We heard the worried voices of the Supreme Court when they were grilling PM Khan on what was going on under these negotiations with the Taliban,” responded Sackur and further added that during the grilling of the premier, one of the judges alluded to the 2014 terrible atrocity where the TTP attacked the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar and killed more than 130 children and questioned PM Khan whether the government was about to sign a documented defeat with those who killed these children, and are we going to surrender once again.

    “You should recognise the state of democracy in this country that the judge calls in the prime minister who goes gets grilled and now Stephen Sackur has the opportunity to ask me. That’s the state of democracy and I am proud of that,” responded Yusuf.

    “We have a consistent policy as a state to say that negotiation must happen from a position of strength and this is what we told the Americans and United Kingdom (UK).”

    “No military bases of China in Balochistan”: Yusuf

    Yusuf said there were no military bases of China in Balochistan, rather there were economic bases there where any country could invest.

    “Let me clarify that there are no military bases offered to China in Balochistan, including Gwadar. Yes, there are economic bases and the same was also offered to the United States, Russia, and the Middle East and we are open to all the countries,” the NSA said, adding, “CPEC is what, it is road infrastructure and energy infrastructure and anybody can come and invest there, we are not closed to anybody.”

    “Is Pakistan developing relations with China at the cost of its principles of supporting the rights of Muslims in the world?” Sackur

    Sackur asked whether Pakistan was developing relations with China at the cost of its principles of supporting the rights of Muslims in the world. “You raise your voice for Kashmiri Muslims but refuse to condemn the violation of human rights in a Chinese province,” the interviewer asked.

    Moeed said that Pakistan did not accept the Western version of human rights violations in Xinjiang province and if they have any concerns, they should talk to China. “We have relations of trust with China and our ambassador and other delegations from here also visited the Xinjiang province,” he said.

  • Afghan women make up half of BBC’s 100 women list for 2021

    The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has listed its 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2021.

    This year’s theme – ‘women who are hitting “reset”, playing their part to reinvent our world after the global pandemic has forced so many of us to reassess the way we live.’

    This list is devoted to half of the women from one country – Afghanistan. As recent episodes in the country have made headlines and left millions of Afghans questioning their future, rights groups have spoken up in fear that women freedom could be eroded for the foreseeable future under the Taliban.

    From women who work for girls’ education in Afghanistan to the women who portrayed Afghan women in the movies. The list includes:

    Some of the Afghan women on the list are anonymous.

    From women who work for girls’ education in Afghanistan to the women who portrayed Afghan women in the movies. The list includes:

    Pashtana Durrani- a teacher dedicated to innovation in education with a focus on girls’ rights. She has established schools in Kandahar.

    Razia Barakzai- since the Taliban she has been actively involved in marches in Kabul.

    Leena Alam- is renowned for her appearances in feminist television shows in Afghanistan.

    Sahar Fetrat- feminist activist Sahar Fetrat was a young refugee.

    Basira Paigham- working for LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan.

    Roya Sadat- first female director to emerge from the Taliban era in Afghanistan.

  • Former ‘party’ girl reveals how Islam ‘saved’ her, ‘men don’t bother me now’

    Former ‘party’ girl reveals how Islam ‘saved’ her, ‘men don’t bother me now’

    Persephone Rizvi, from England’s Huddersfield town has revealed to BBC how Islam “saved” her life. Rizvi started by explaining that she used to party a lot. “The party wouldn’t stop until four or five AM in the club.”

    She went on to add that she was struggling to see a purpose in her life and she wanted to do better for herself. “I was using alcohol as my coping mechanism and going through emotionally-draining experiences that I couldn’t really make sense of. I was struggling to see a purpose in my life and I wanted to do better for myself. I didn’t know what I was doing,” said Rizvi adding, “So I became a Muslim.”

    She then opened about her journey of becoming a Muslim. “One of my friends there, Haleemah, was Muslim. I did the Ramadan fast with her, and that was my first exposure to Islam. I wasn’t thinking about joining a religion at that point – it was more of a personal challenge. My ego was saying, ‘It’s 30 days of fasting, I can do that.’”

    “When I first fasted I was still partying and drinking, but my attitude started to change. I started having these moments of, ‘I am better than this, I’m worth more.’ That month of abstinence made me feel a sense of selflessness and gratitude, and gave me the self-care package I needed so desperately. That was my calling card to Islam.”

    “My dad is Black British and went to (a Christian) church, and my mum wanted us to have a knowledge of faith, but they didn’t force it on us. There aren’t any practicing Muslims in my family,” she said while talking about her family. “My parents are super supportive – they’ve actually fasted with me a few times,” she said.

    She continued by saying that when she became a Muslim, she did not tell anyone until one day she went into her house with her headscarf on and said, “I’m Muslim now!”

    Her parents were shocked to see her in a headscarf but they were not unhappy.

    Rizvi then continued by talking how wearing a headscarf changed her life. “I feel more comfortable. I can get from A to B without anyone stopping me – the way I used to dress, I used to get stopped loads. On a ten-minute walk to uni, I got stopped about five times. Men now don’t bother me at all.”

    “That’s why I say Islam saved me, because now I know the best way for me to handle those dark times. I wouldn’t have coped this way, by praying and taking care of my mental health as well as physical, if it wasn’t for Islam,” said Rizvi while talking about how Islam saved her.

  • Ex-General’s son convicted of provoking rebellion in Army

    Ex-General’s son convicted of provoking rebellion in Army

    A military court has convicted the son of a retired major general of the Pakistan Army to a five year prison term for trying to incite anarchy in the army. He wrote a letter questioning the extension given to Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and demanded his resignation, reported BBC Urdu.

    BBC reports that Hassan Askari, son of Maj Gen (R) Zafar Mehdi Askari, a computer engineer by profession, was convicted under Section 131 of Pakistan Penal Code for criticising Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa’s extension in a letter to him. The conviction was served by the Field General Court Martial in Gujranwala Cantt.

    Askari was defended by a military officer deputed by the military court. The trial was conducted in July and he was shifted to the high-security prison in Sahiwal.

    Section 131 of the Pakistan Penal Code covers inciting army officers to treason. The First Investigation Report (FIR) charges Askari of criticising the army’s top command and senior officers to spread anarchy in the army at the behest of external enemies, reports BBC.

  • VIDEO: Heated argument between PTI’s Shahbaz Gill and anchor Kamran Shahid

    VIDEO: Heated argument between PTI’s Shahbaz Gill and anchor Kamran Shahid

    Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM), Dr Shahbaz Gill, alleged that anchorperson Kamran Shahid was asked to spread fake news and misquote facts about the United Kingdom’s (UK) court order to unfreeze Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif and his family’s bank accounts for lack of evidence of corruption and money laundering. A heated exchange took place between the two on Dunya News‘ programme, ‘On the Front with Kamran Shahid’.

    Gill started off by reading a few statements by Kamran Shahid and gave details of the statements, which as per him were fake news and were factually incorrect.

    Gill’s comments led to a heated exchange of words between Gill and Kamran.

    “Sir, no one can make me misquote statements, not the prime minister or Azhar Javed [UK-based journalist working for Dunya News],” replied Kamran Shahid.

    “You cannot say that I misquote my facts. I have been in journalism for the past 15 years. I am not indulging in any personal attacks against you and neither should you. No one can make me say things that are factually incorrect, not PM Imran Khan, not Shehbaz Sharif, no one,” added Shahid.

    “You are wrong here, no one has the courage to make me misquote my statements or facts. Refrain from doing this.”

    “Let the masses decide about your statements, seems like you are running for an election,” said Gill in response to Shahid’s answer.

    “I have the right to judge the prime minister, he is my PM as well. I supported him long before your [Shahbaz Gill] career as a politician started in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),” said Shahid.

    “You have a fascist regime, your party is monitoring everything, you all do one-sided reporting on Pakistan Television Network (PTV), there is no mention of the Opposition in their reporting. If you so highly support journalism why haven’t you made media independent from the information ministry,” said Shahid.

    Shahid added, “PM promised in my show that he will raise the standard of PTV like that of the BBC, now should I say the PM lied?”