We will stand with o ukrainian friends. However long it takes today, i am proud to announce a new Security Assistance package. And now its the time to keep trying to help the ukrainians to face down the invader to provide ukraine with more weapons, ammunition, and equipment that it forces are using so effectively on the battlefield. This is a moment to stay the course and to signal again to our ukrainian fence. We stay by your side as long as it takes ukraine can. When you quain must win, a new crane will weigh also on the day beaten, abducted kilt, women and girls in iran refuse to be silenced by authorities violently cracking down on their protest. Movement. Garnering respects and solidarity around the world, the hands of the redeem of them were lost in iran is stained with blood. Neither history, no allah or god almighty will forgive you for the crimes against humanity that youre committing against your own citizens. Ah, they will be with russia forever said kremlin spokesperson. Dmitri pess coughed a day, as letterman. Putin signed into law, his illegal annexation of parts of ukraine. Roughly the size of portugal, the ukrainian president begs to differ. His forces continued to liberate settlements and formerly occupied areas, pushing Russian Troops into a hasty retreat on the day, put and tried to change the facts on paper. Keith changed them on the ground, claiming major breakthroughs in 2 of the annex territories. Her son and the south and the husk and the east foot view, the ukrainian flag going up again in a recaptured village in the hawk eve region risky for just one of many places back under ukrainian control. As a result of recent advances, the blue and yellow flag is also back flying overhead here in the strategic eastern city of lemon as locals q for aid ukrainian troops re took the key hub in the dynette screeching over the weekend. Just hours after rushes, president putin announced the illegal annexation of the whole region. Signs of the fierce battle fought here recently, as well as the months of Russian Occupation are everywhere. With Russian Troops forced to retreat here and across the south and east. And with a chaotic military mobilization sparking widespread criticism, putin said that changes will be made to the conscription rules for students, bella. But despite all the recent setbacks, moscow hasnt lost its power to strike far beyond the front lines. As residents of this city, just 85 kilometers south of keith were reminded on wednesday. Do you prefer work up to a buzzing sound . A woke up but i heard that sounds getting closer and closer. One of sibley and some wind in my house it exploded. According to officials, at least 6 so called kamikaze drone struck buildings, including an army base in the area, injuring one person. While moscow has ramped up its use of suicide, drones, which keep claims or iranian made since september wednesdays attack was the closest theyve come to the ukrainian capital light of the most recent developments, the European Union has agreed to impose new sanctions on russia. These will include a cap on the price of russian oil exports. The Security Threat from russia is also on the table at a meeting of members of the European Parliament in strasbourg. The u Commission President has told emma peas, that Member States need to step up the security of their Energy Infrastructure was enough on the line also said that you is now ready to discuss a price cap on gas as prices sore, and winter approaches. Oh, our correspondent max santa followed the session at the European Parliament today and send us his assessment the European Parliament this time around has not adopted a final position on russias aggression against ukraine yet. But from following the debates of the plenary, it seems evident that across political groups and across party lines, there is an understanding that russians claims to ukraine are illegal. They are null and voided. They dont change any facts on the ground. Theyre having some very strong statements by me piece some took to the stage to the podium, to call russia a terrorist state. Now the common understanding seems to be that sanctions are needed. Some political groups have been asking for more. In addition to that, the conservative block, for example, has been calling for weapons deliveries from countries like germany and france to send tanks to ukraine. The left, on the other hand, has been asking to reopen diplomatic channels in addition to sanctions. But bottom line here is that the European Parliament and the you say that russias claims to ukraine, this annexation is illegal and should not be tolerated. Oh, moving on to iran where there has been no let up in the Anti Government protests that have been sweeping the country. The death of 22 year old martha. I mean, after being arrested by the morality, police has sparked the biggest public challenge to irans clerical leaders. And over a decade, dozens of protesters have been killed by security forces, all for demanding basic rights. There. Defiance and the face of the brutal crack down is being met with solidarity around the world. Powers ha, these universities to lose in it on our chanting women, life and freedom. Its a slogan that stretching the hearts of many white, including members of the European Parliament. The hands of the redeem of them were lost in iran, is stained with blood. Neither historian or a law or god almighty will forgive you for the crimes against humanity that youre committing against your own citizens. Until the women of your on off we, we are going to stand with you gian via as id one them lies, freedom friend, star flag, Juliette Bernard shuttle, to extending their support with this symbolic act. Oh, in it, on the clerical leadership, faith, restaurant, enemies are behind the and the government demonstrations. These people have taken to the streets to support it on supreme liter, ayatollah hominy, and the countries strict dress court. Oh, he job was the excuse of our enemies to destroy our unity the u. S. And israel are the root of all this unrest just because they cannot fight us. They are trying to attack us by creating internal problems. But the Anti Government protests it on show no sign of letting a full weeks on directly to speak to you, posted online, appears to show female students heckling a member to feed on spastic force that much fear it, but a military organization is blamed for the violent correct, dont on the demonstrations that of myself many has clearly exposed the fort lines that exist islam, the country, and that on the billing this to brutally crush any opposition that challenges. Its bubble. Lets bring an additive resign. Shes a human rights researcher and writer focused on iran miss for is unwelcome to the day you have extensively studied womens Rights Movements in iran, in that context. Where do you place the current protests . Yes, thank you. I think that the womens Rights Movement in iran, that is, and basically its over a 100 years old. So its that i see that it was meant that we see today at the streets, the protest as a continuation of many years of resistance and struggling against that discriminatory policies of the public. But also a continuation of the protest movements against the government. A violation of multiplicity of rights. And weve seen that in terms of protest in 2017, 2080, in terms of womens participation. You see women in many protests in contemporary iran and the quite actively. So, but i think its being so gender and womens rights not only being about womens rights, but being so intertwined with the political and grievances and political demands, the entire nation is unique. So for example, in their revolution, women were present a 979, but may say that there are no such gender demands from that previous previous a government. Would you say that women taking the lead in this protest movement is a sign of a greater shift in Iranian Society . I think that women taking the lead in that process is a sign of iran that iranian peoples maturity. So women and people that reach the point that they do not think that freedom is attainable without womens rights and women feeling the fines in iran. And that to womens rights is not attainable under a 100 islam. So therefore, womens rights and freedom and along with other rights social, economic and civil Political Rights have come together on this street with women at the center of it. Demanding for essentially what i think is a Better Future and more dignified future. And also highlight the role of the use alongside it is very dangerous for those participating in the protests to publicly talk about their part in the movement and the repression theyve suffered at the hands of the authorities. Youre in portugal, but i bet youre in touch with a lot of people back home. Would you mind telling us what youre hearing from friends and activists in or on . Yes, i am mostly in off. Is that the ordinary people who before and for example on my social media, ive never seen them putting anything political remotely political you know, even posting, for example, like a letter that they have received from the court to attend as a result of having it. And that the protest or they lunch leaf, you know, posting Anti Government slogans and, and so on whenever they have access to the very limited internet accident particular very difficult situation because the Iranian Regime is not only addressing people who are in the streets, theyre actually going after people that they consider maybe influential in the expansion of these programs, whether theyre journalist authors activities and so on and they arrest them from home. So for example, i know a few activists personally who are currently in jail and nobody knows of their exact whereabouts. This is currently a leaderless movement, is that an advantage or disadvantage . I will say its yet to be seen, but it has its pros and cons. What i think is, is as so, so hopeful about this movement is that its so grass. So its so organic and i think thats what makes it a bit powerful, very collective in a way in terms of its not having to leave. My worry is because of that very systematic and systemic repression and violence against the people against the use of lethal or even if there was a lead there. Maybe there could be more strategy on whats next. But at the same time, i feel that we have to trust those incredible Young Leaders on the ground and just trust that they are be very strategic about what theyre doing and that they know better than what their next moves will be. And to honor and respect, whatever it is that they will do next, for example, that they can to focus on too. Right. I think there is a lot of wisdom behind that, and thats leadership just may not be individual base leadership. Its more like a collective Grassroots Level leave. How important is it for this Grassroots Movement that it be covered by the media around the world . I think critical is absolutely critical because my, the way i talk about that is that why is this a good public shutting down the internet restricting the internet so seriously. And so the, the early, every time there is a protest in iraq because they dont want the world to know because they want to be able to kill people without the world knowing about it. And so they dont want the world to watch. And when the world watches, i think it does in the long run, give some level of protection to the individuals. Why raising their lives. Some, i mean at least that there is a little bit of fear. And then in the, you know, that the, what theyre doing will have consequences. But also, you know, iranian women use and the right people really want to be hired by the world because they, they dont think that theyre going to ever be hurt by their own them. And so if the world here, perhaps places like the un and i dont my multilateral organization, countries like germany, good things more seriously about holding this. I make republic, syria accountable for human rights researcher as a present on the protest in iran. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Ah tough on a sand now where women too are refusing to be silent despite mounting repression and violence from the ruling taliban since the militants return to power. They have turned afghanistan into the worlds only country where girls are forbidden from attending secondary school, solely because they are girls. But even studying where its allowed is dangerous for young women. Last week, a private Education Center and cobble was blown up by a suicide bomber. Nobody has claimed the attack that according to the un left over 50 people dead, most of them girls and women of the has are a minority. The women who took to the streets over the bombing demanding security freedom and equal rights faced yet more violence. Dozens of young women standing up for their roy to be better protected and to heaven education taliban officials wheeled sticks to break up the crowd than gum fires heard and the women scramble in panic. The protests were in response to a bomb attack on a private Education Center. In kabul, a suicide bomber blew himself up in the womens section of agenda. Segregated hall was students were preparing for University Entrance exams. Most of the victims were girls and young women who belong to the minority has ara community 19 year old. Why here was in the classroom when the attack happened. 2 of her friends and the teacher were killed. She managed to escape. She says she wont be intimidated. Mortalities get that. The only thing we have is education. Education is our weapon and they want to take this weapon from us. I am, i want to study law and management and diplomacy because i want to be an influential politician buddy. Thats it because like why . Yeah. Oh melbourne in also had big ambitions. Now have photos in her school books are all her family have left of her. Bless you can get my daughter used to joke with me and say, and i will study until one day i become president or a lawyer and served the people of afghanistan let their phone, but she was martyred. Are you done while his napkin . Oh my vanity was one of the young women killed in the attack. Her family prey at her grave. And her sister vows that she wont give up welcoming of really worried. It is hard for us. All the schools are closed for girls of that. Oh, by sure how that it is, you know, this is very painful, but we will continue with the lessons and we will never give up or stop. And i asked him, we didnt, i dont bellanca up of even brutal attacks like this one havent crushed the resolve of Young African women to keep up their fight for an education. Lets keep talking about these brave young women and bring in sima samar and shes a veteran human rights activist. She served as the minister of Womens Affairs in afghanistan after the overthrow of the taliban. Shes also headed the independent afghanistan human rights commission. Welcome miss them where its a pleasure. Lets start by talking about that a tac last week. It was the bloodiest since the taliban take over last here. Whats your reaction as an advocate for womens rights and a member of the has are a community . Well i think its still for genocide, its not the new one, its not the only one. I just thought it would be the last one. But if you see that it was last year such a big explosion in front of the school. Then some of the girls who survived survived that back in 2021. They would tell them this one. This shows how one of these people are. And then 1st, because this is secondly because of their birth. And because they are getting education, can you imagine and any people should be punished because theyre getting education. And unfortunately, as is it, the son is the only country that the officially could find on birds education from 7 to 12th grade. The telephone, trying to violently crush the protests that followed the attack, but the women dont seem to be deterred. Where does that fearlessness come from . Well i think that if you see, after the government collapse last year, the only people who are on the street or the woman, i mean they were in my number. But it, it shows that the, they want to do this and they want freedom and they want work and they want their right to be recognized. And, and so this time with the, the killing of very and not so much going on than our region. And the protests in a on actually we keep saying that maybe they are 5, i mean class by them. And they doubt that they have impact on each other. And that it shows that the people are really and women particularly, are really tired of everything from the public life. And the from the lives that they have is, is this a sign you think that despite all their efforts and how a bond wont be able to undo all the advancements of the past 20 years. And ive kind of done i think they tried everything and they tried to silence woman. But the, i believe that we of course to the complaint and say that we have lost a lot everything almost 2 years. Youve been the last 20 years. But i think this is the sign that they cannot take the knowledge from that. And they cannot really impose the restriction on freedoms and rights of the people who would boost tatty with terrorizing people. And that is a good time that is a hope for the future of the country. And i think its, i feel i salute that my sisters in upon is on. And also in that on who really take the risk and coming up for, for human rights and for the quality inn for them in our region. You now live in the united states. How are you keeping up the fight for, for womens rights in your home country . Well i think i believe that if we need to continue and continue this struggle i, if this is not the 1st time that we can do for g, i was referred you for 17 years and talk to them. And i continued to help on education and health or whatever, i could give them knowledge. And i believe that not giving knowledge is the most strongest tool to fight for in equality and fight for rights and for either men or any country, including in my country. So i think i