| | | | | | | Hello. Just over a year since anti-government protests erupted in Iran, following the death of a woman in police custody, an imprisoned woman has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her fight for human rights in the country. In the South China Sea, one of my colleagues has witnessed first-hand a close encounter between Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard ships. And our weekly quiz is ready to test your knowledge of the week's events. Scroll to the end for award-nominated funny animal pictures, if you need some levity. |
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| | | | Top of the agenda | | Nobel Peace Prize honours Iranian activist | | | | Ms Mohammadi is deputy head of the Defenders of Human Rights Center. Credit: Reuters |
| | The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi. Previously featured on the BBC's 100 Women list, Ms Mohammadi has been imprisoned in Iran at various points since 2010, having opposed the death penalty, and has been vocal about torture and use of sexualised violence against prisoners. She is currently being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, from where she documented abuses suffered by women incarcerated for taking part in the anti-government protests that swept Iran last September, following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody. In awarding the prize, the Norwegian Nobel committee said it wished to honour her fight for “human rights, freedom and democracy” in Iran and to recognise the efforts of the demonstrators who called for a change in Iran’s stance on women’s rights at great personal risk. | | • | Iranian protests: How the families of those killed in anti-government demonstrations say authorities prevent them from holding memorials. | | • | Prison dispatches: In December, Ms Mohammadi wrote to the BBC detailing the conditions suffered by the women detained for protesting the death of Mahsa Amini. | | • | All the winners: Explore coverage of this year's laureates on our Nobel Prize page. |
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| | | | | | World headlines | | • | Civilian casualties: As new details about the victims of a missile strike on the Ukrainian village of Hroza emerged, another attack targeted a residential building in the city of Kharkiv this morning, killing a 10-year-old boy. | | • | Above the law: Former President Donald Trump has asked a federal court to dismiss the election interference case against him, arguing his role entitled him to "absolute immunity". | | • | Presenter kidnap 'plot': A man has been charged with offences including soliciting to commit murder, over a suspected plot to kidnap UK daytime TV host Holly Willoughby. | | • | Behind bars: A drag queen in the Philippines has been arrested and faces up to 12 years in jail over a performance as Jesus Christ reciting the Lord's Prayer. | | • | Lunar luxury: Italian fashion house Prada will help Nasa design space suits for the 2025 Moon mission. |
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| | AT THE SCENE | South China Sea and Singapore | | Close encounters in the high seas | | The BBC has witnessed Chinese vessels blocking Filipino supply boats from accessing an outpost in the South China Sea. Tensions between the two countries are high after the Philippines cut China's barriers in disputed waters last month. | | | | Virma Simonette and Joel Guinto |
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| | Two Philippine Coast Guard ships were escorting the Filipino commercial boats, which carried supplies that are good for roughly one month. When the two countries' vessels encountered each other, the Chinese ships sent radio challenges to the Filipinos, asking them to leave. When the Philippine ships refused, the Chinese aligned themselves in a box shape to block them. The two Filipino commercial ships got past the blockade because of their small size, a strategy that has worked in recent months. But the two Philippine Coast Guard ships were too big to pass and at one point got within a few metres of the Chinese ships. |
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| | | | Beyond the headlines | | Mysteries of an ancient mass burial site | | | | Scientists estimate the presence of at least 500 graves. Credit: Abhayan GS |
| | When researchers embarked on excavating a mound of sandy soil near a remote village in the sparsely populated Kutch region, situated not far from Pakistan in India's western state of Gujarat, they could not fathom what laid in store for them. "When we began digging, we thought it was an ancient settlement. Within a week, we realised it was a cemetery," says Rajesh SV, an archaeologist with the University of Kerala, who led the search. | | | | |
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| | | | Something different | | The horror of possession | | Fifty years ago, The Exorcist created a cinema sensation that still resonates today. | | |
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| | | | And finally... | | To end on a light note after such bleak news, enjoy these images from the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. They are a selection of the finalists, with winners due to be announced on 23 November. I’d tell you which one is my favourite, but I just cannot make up my mind as they are all very good. |
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| | | | | | Future Planet | | Explore the wonders of our amazing planet. | | |
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– Sofia |
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