Afghan activist: Either we let them kill us or keep working

The sentencing of seven of Hong Kong’s most prominent pro-democracy campaigners for unlawful assembly will send a message not just to Hong Kong, but to Beijing and the rest of the world about whether there is still an independent judiciary, the former Democratic Party chairperson and legislator Emily Lau has said. “We would like to…

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is putting US President Joe Biden and America’s allies and partners to the test, Evelyn Farkas, a former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia has said. She told BBC World News the Russian leader was sabre-rattling and carrying out “very dangerous” deployments. “That, plus all the…

They were supposed to be the face of Afghanistan’s future – female cabin crew working for the national carrier, Ariana Airlines. Now, they have been told not to come back to work for the time being by their new bosses, the Taliban. Eleven of the women have come together to hide in an abandoned house,…

The Olympic Games gets under way this week in cities across Japan. But this year’s sporting event is like no other, because it’s being held in the middle of a global pandemic. People travelling to Tokyo to participate in or work on the Games are having to go through meticulous procedures. BBC reporter Mariko Oi…

Reality television show Married At First Sight Australia has become an unexpected success in the UK during the coronavirus lockdown. Despite originally airing in Australia in 2019, the series has had millions of viewers on the E4 television channel and its on-demand service during its recent UK broadcast. Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli, one of…

Protests, in Myanmar, also known as Burma, must continue until there is democracy and freedom, Hannah says. She told BBC World News many of the protesters were aged just 17 or 18. “I am scared,” she said. “But we still have to fight for the democracy we want. “Me and my fellow protesters will fight…