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Journalist Who Interviewed Taliban Spokesman Fears For Her Life

Journalist Who Interviewed Taliban Spokesman Fears For Her Life

Journalist who interviewed Taliban spokesman fears for her life, flees Afghanistan

An Afghanistan female journalist, Beheshta Arghand, who made history in the country by conducting a ground-breaking interview with a Taliban spokesman on August 17, has fled the country because “she is afraid the militant group will kill her.”

Arghand became an instant sensation with the interview on TOLONews in the wake of the Taliban taking control of Kabul, two days after she interviewed Malala Yousafzai, the activist from Pakistan, who survived being shot in the head in a 2012 Taliban assassination attempt.

The first interview is believed to be the first time a member of the Taliban had been interviewed live on TV by a woman, while the second was described as the first time Malala had ever been interviewed on Afghan television.

While the appearance of Arghand and other women on the channel has been commonplace in recent years, as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, questions were raised whether women would continue to be allowed to work in the media.

After successfully escaping from the country on Tuesday, Arghand told the CNN she fled out of fear amid reports of Taliban abuse against women.

Arghand said that while her interview was challenging, she did it for the women of Afghanistan, knowing that resistance to their regime must start somewhere.

“If we stay in our houses or don’t go to our offices, they will say the ladies don’t want to work, but I said to myself, ‘start working.’

“And I said to the Taliban member, ‘We want our rights. We want to work. We want — we must — be in society. This is our right.”

Earlier this month, Beheshta Arghand (pictured left) made history in the country by conducting an interview with a Taliban spokesperson on TOLONews in the wake of the Taliban taking control of Kabul

“I left the country because, like millions of people, I fear the Taliban.’

Saad Mohseni, the owner of TOLONews, said that Arghand’s case was indicative of the situation in the country now that the militant group are in control.

“Almost all our well known reporters and journalists have left,” he told CNN. “We have been working like crazy to replace them with new people. We have the twin challenge of getting people out because they feel unsafe, and keeping the operation going,” he added.

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Peru’s ex President Alberto Fujimori dies after battle with cancer

Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, 86, died on Wednesday, September 11, after battling cancer.

His daughter announced the news in a post on X.

“After a long battle with cancer, our father, Alberto Fujimori, has just passed away to meet the Lord. We ask those who loved him to accompany us with a prayer for the eternal rest of his soul. Thank you so much, Dad!” Keiko Fujimori wrote, adding her name and those of her three siblings: Hiro, Sachie and Kenji.

Fujimori died in the Peruvian capital Lima nine months after having regained his freedom.

The former agronomist, who governed Peru between 1990 and 2000, suffered a number of medical complications since he entered prison in 2007.

In 2009, he was convicted of kidnap and murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison for corruption and human rights violations including being the indirect author of the massacres in the Barrios Altos and La Cantuta, where 25 were killed.

His time in office was marked by widespread human rights abuses.

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Abiodun’s Policies Impacting Lives, Says Pastor Bakare

The Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos, Pastor Tunde Bakare.

The Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Lagos Pastor Tunde Bakare, has described Governor Dapo Abiodun as a visionary leader whose policies and programmes are impacting positively on the lives of the people.
Bakare, who stated this in an interview with newsmen after a private meeting with the governor at his Oke-Mosan office in Abeokuta, said Prince Abiodun has executed many projects that could be verified by all and sundry.
He said: “To be honest with you, this is my first time in five years of coming here. When I entered today, I felt like a transformation had taken place here because I am familiar with this environment.
“As I was looking at the environment, I called the governor and asked him what happened. It is not magic or rocket science, but there is a lot of transformation that has taken place compared to what it used to be in the past.
“Perhaps the governor just decided that this state must be a centre of excellence, and he has made it so,” he noted.
The Cleric stressed that what he has seen and heard about the government is an indication that the state is making progress under Governor Abiodun.
“When one government goes, another one comes in. We can see what the governor is doing and the fingerprint of a visionary leader. The governor has raised the standard, and his successor would have no choice but to build on it to continually move the state forward.
“Some of the things I have heard is that salaries are paid on time, meritocracy is being put in place. If you do what is right, who is wrong and what is right will leave you alone. When the people themselves see a leader who is selfless, they definitely will support,” Bakare added.
Pastor Bakare, who hinted of his desire to relocate back to the state as a result of the impressive performance of the governor and peaceful atmosphere, emphasized that “nobody would want to be in an environment that is hostile.”

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Sudan Fighting: Over 300 Persons Killed, Says WHO

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says no fewer than 330 people have been killed due to fighting in the capital Khartoum and several other states, including Darfur States.

The UN health agency on Thursday also said no fewer than 3,200 have been injured in Sudan since a military power struggle between the Sudanese armed forces and a paramilitary group sparked violent clashes six days ago.

“The situation in Sudan is increasingly concerning and heart breaking,” WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, wrote in a statement posted on his official Twitter account.

Ghebreyesus condemned all loss of life, especially attacks on civilians and healthcare.

He expressed deep concern over reports of forces occupying health facilities, underlining that attacks on healthcare are a flagrant violation of international law.

“The lack of safe access, of electricity, food, water, personnel and the diminishing medical supplies are making it nearly impossible for many health facilities to function at the exact time when there are thousands injured in need of urgent care,” he said.

Ghebreyesus urged the sides to respect the truce so that people can seek refuge or healthcare, or access food, water and medicine.

Similarly, the head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also called on the parties to respect their international obligations to protect boys and girls from harm and to ensure humanitarians can quickly reach children in need.

“Five days of intense hostilities in Sudan, and four failed ceasefires, have already taken a devastating toll on the country’s children,” UNICEF Director, Catherine Russell, said in a statement.

“If the violence does not stop, this toll will only increase.”

She said at least nine children have reportedly been killed, and more than 50 reportedly injured as hostilities continued in Khartoum, the Darfur states and North Kordofan, though insecurity makes it difficult to collect and verify information.

“We have received reports of children sheltering in schools and care centres while fighting rages around them, of children’s hospitals forced to evacuate as shelling moves closer, and hospitals, health centres and other critical infrastructure damaged or destroyed, limiting access to essential and lifesaving care and medicine,” she added.

Russell said the crisis has disrupted critical-life saving care for an estimated 50,000 children suffering from acute malnutrition, who need ongoing round-the-clock care.

“The fighting also puts at risk the cold chain in Sudan, including over $40 million worth of vaccines and insulin, due to the breaks in the power supply and the inability to restock generators with fuel,” she added.

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