Sri Lanka's Kushil Gunasekera, helped rebuild&nbsp;a village which was decimated by a tsunami with his " Foundation of goodness". When he returned to Seenigama in Sri Lanka's Galle district days after it was wiped out by a massive tsunami on December&nbsp;26, 2004, he got to work.

Houses had collapsed, bodies floated in the seawater that had invaded inland, and one in four residents of the community of about 1,200 people had been killed by the deadliest tsunami to sweep across the Indian Ocean in decades.

Gunasekera had dreamed of helping the villagers long before the deadly tsunami almost wiped it off the map.

December 26 will mark the 15th anniversary of the deadly tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, which was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island.

In an exclusive interview with WION, Kushil Gunasekera, who helped breathe life back into the village with the help of cricket stars like Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara, told his story.

WION:&nbsp;How has been your journey to rehabilitate and turning the tide, now that it's been 15 years since the disaster?&nbsp;

Gunasekera:&nbsp;When I recall that tragic occurrence, I myself had to encounter those&nbsp;furious waves and had to overcome that setback and turn into a blessing, especially with the worldwide compassion we received from countless donors to powers of destructions has been absolutely astounding, to say the least. But we have never given up, stayed positive, looked ahead and did the best possible to have this amazing outcome of a beautiful facility by way of a community model that now serves 28,000 beneficiaries across the island. Not only in the village we were ruined in the rubble but also across the country serving over 400 villages making rural disadvantage communities excel in life greatly as we move on.&nbsp;When we do best, we experience best.

WION: Big cricketing names of your time seem to have rallied to bring this village that you picked to build as a model village, can you tell us something about it?

Gunasekera: I must say that Muthai Muralidharan actually went alongside me to establish the foundation of goodness being the champion that he is. It is such a lovely gesture on his part to consent, to join the foundation of goodness in 1999 way back 20 years ago. And then, of course, legendary other cricketers, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold who joined in at the same time I cannot forget. All of the other six&nbsp;trustees on board who have worked equally hard. &nbsp;But having said that, it is always an advantage to have cricketers from all around the world and their campaign goes a long way in trying to support the foundation of goodness. Create that kind of attraction to serve rural communities to become better than they use to be and provide those opportunities and all of the facilities we are blessed with. They have done so many different campaigns in the last 20 years of working together with me. I can not emphasise adequately enough their role, especially Murali leading from the forefront very very caring and humane that he is along with the rest of the cricketers.

WION:&nbsp;Post this natural tragedy Sri Lanka recently was struck with terror; Easter attacks giving once again a jolt to Sri Lankan tourism which is kind of mainstay. Do you think that the efforts you made are pushed backwards after such attacks?

Gunasekera: Yes, the terror attack that unfortunately caused havoc on the April 21,&nbsp;had set a huge impact on the foundation of goodness as we strive to generate sustainable income to become self-sustainable which is one of our goals into the future and you know 60 cricket teams from overseas, especially from England and Australia come and play cricket annually in our village and lots of sports tourism, community aid tourism, individual volunteers, corporate companies that come out to our village experiencing bliss of volunteering and doing other engagements to add value to the work we do. So, we had 24 cancellations this year of such sports tours and many community groups coming to work with us to elevate rural disadvantaged communities. It has been a setback but these are the one that you expect since nothing is permanent in life. &nbsp;We have to serve 28,000 beneficiaries. I must say that we have actually strategised avenues that bring us revenues that help us in serving humanity. Sport is an integral part of FOG. We never give up and learn other lessons from all the adversities. Adversity sometimes and many times bring blessings. Yes, things happen and then we look forward to making them work again.

Sri Lanka's Kushil Gunasekera, helped rebuild a village which was decimated by a tsunami with his " Foundation of goodness". When he returned to Seenigama in Sri Lanka's Galle district days after it was wiped out by a massive tsunami on December 26, 2004, he got to work.

Sri Lanka's Kushil Gunasekera, helped rebuild a village which was decimated by a tsunami with his " Foundation of goodness". When he returned to Seenigama in Sri Lanka's Galle district days after it was wiped out by a massive tsunami on December 26, 2004, he got to work. Houses had collapsed, bodies floated in the seawater that had invaded inland, and one in four residents of the community of about 1,200 people had been killed by the deadliest tsunami to sweep across the Indian Ocean in decades. Gunasekera had dreamed of helping the villagers long before the deadly tsunami almost wiped it off the map. December 26 will mark the 15th anniversary of the deadly tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, which was triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island. In an exclusive interview with WION, Kushil Gunasekera, who helped breathe life back into the village with the help of cricket stars like Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara, told his story. WION: How has been your journey to rehabilitate and turning the tide, now that it's been 15 years since the disaster? Gunasekera: When I recall that tragic occurrence, I myself had to encounter those furious waves and had to overcome that setback and turn into a blessing, especially with the worldwide compassion we received from countless donors to powers of destructions has been absolutely astounding, to say the least. But we have never given up, stayed positive, looked ahead and did the best possible to have this amazing outcome of a beautiful facility by way of a community model that now serves 28,000 beneficiaries across the island. Not only in the village we were ruined in the rubble but also across the country serving over 400 villages making rural disadvantage communities excel in life greatly as we move on. When we do best, we experience best. WION: Big cricketing names of your time seem to have rallied to bring this village that you picked to build as a model village, can you tell us something about it? Gunasekera: I must say that Muthai Muralidharan actually went alongside me to establish the foundation of goodness being the champion that he is. It is such a lovely gesture on his part to consent, to join the foundation of goodness in 1999 way back 20 years ago. And then, of course, legendary other cricketers, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Russel Arnold who joined in at the same time I cannot forget. All of the other six trustees on board who have worked equally hard. But having said that, it is always an advantage to have cricketers from all around the world and their campaign goes a long way in trying to support the foundation of goodness. Create that kind of attraction to serve rural communities to become better than they use to be and provide those opportunities and all of the facilities we are blessed with. They have done so many different campaigns in the last 20 years of working together with me. I can not emphasise adequately enough their role, especially Murali leading from the forefront very very caring and humane that he is along with the rest of the cricketers. WION: Post this natural tragedy Sri Lanka recently was struck with terror; Easter attacks giving once again a jolt to Sri Lankan tourism which is kind of mainstay. Do you think that the efforts you made are pushed backwards after such attacks? Gunasekera: Yes, the terror attack that unfortunately caused havoc on the April 21, had set a huge impact on the foundation of goodness as we strive to generate sustainable income to become self-sustainable which is one of our goals into the future and you know 60 cricket teams from overseas, especially from England and Australia come and play cricket annually in our village and lots of sports tourism, community aid tourism, individual volunteers, corporate companies that come out to our village experiencing bliss of volunteering and doing other engagements to add value to the work we do. So, we had 24 cancellations this year of such sports tours and many community groups coming to work with us to elevate rural disadvantaged communities. It has been a setback but these are the one that you expect since nothing is permanent in life. We have to serve 28,000 beneficiaries. I must say that we have actually strategised avenues that bring us revenues that help us in serving humanity. Sport is an integral part of FOG. We never give up and learn other lessons from all the adversities. Adversity sometimes and many times bring blessings. Yes, things happen and then we look forward to making them work again.

WION interviews Kushil Gunasekera, man who breathed life back into Sri Lankan village after tsunami

A six-year-old girl has proved that "if you can dream it, you can do it" as her charity song on brain tumor has gained the number one spot in the Amazon download chart.&nbsp;

Lyra Cole, from&nbsp;Somerset in the United Kingdom, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, but she did not let this deadly disease hinder her dream to raise money for a charity dedicated to the research of brain tumors.&nbsp;

Recently, Cole's recording of the Christmas classic 'When A Child is Born', surpassed 'Stormzy' to reach the top spot in the Amazon download chart.

In an exclusive interview with WION, Lyra's father Dan cole and aunt Jessie Hawkes, shared how little Lyra was so fond of singing and dancing when she was just only one-year-old.

"From very young, probably, maybe around one or two. She had always loved music. She always sings along music. She has always enjoyed and loved it", said father Dan Coles.

Lyra was just five months old when she underwent emergency surgery. Within months Lyra was struggling to see and underwent a second procedure a year later which restored her sight. Her parents Dan Cole and Ellie Hawkes were horrified to learn that brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

"Brain tumor research is a charity that funds research in brain tumors right from the beginning of the diagnosis. We chose them because only one percent of the fund is actually in the UK dedicated to brain tumors. So it's very low considering actually only 22 per cent of the people survive them. So it's really very close to our heart and we hope that we can change this in the future and get more funding," said aunt Jessie.

When asked if Lyra knows about what she had gone through, father Dan said that she knows about it and completely understands it.

On asked why they chose "When a child is born",&nbsp;aunt Jessie said, "I think we chose the track because this has been our favorite Christmas track. Also, it just resonates kind of feel that we go, when a child is born like that, you know this horrible tragic that happened. So this really resonates that and it's a really beautiful Christmas song."

Being proud of her daughter, father Dan was amazed by the kind of response that he received after the release of the song.

"I feel really proud. It's amazing to see what she has done in such a short phase of time. I am really proud."

"It's been absolutely crazy. We have had lots of news and radio. It's gone absolutely crazy. It is really amazing, big and we haven't expected it," added Dan.

A six-year-old girl has proved that "if you can dream it, you can do it" as her charity song on brain tumor has gained the number one spot in the Amazon download chart.

A six-year-old girl has proved that "if you can dream it, you can do it" as her charity song on brain tumor has gained the number one spot in the Amazon download chart. Lyra Cole, from Somerset in the United Kingdom, was diagnosed with a brain tumor, but she did not let this deadly disease hinder her dream to raise money for a charity dedicated to the research of brain tumors. Recently, Cole's recording of the Christmas classic 'When A Child is Born', surpassed 'Stormzy' to reach the top spot in the Amazon download chart. In an exclusive interview with WION, Lyra's father Dan cole and aunt Jessie Hawkes, shared how little Lyra was so fond of singing and dancing when she was just only one-year-old. "From very young, probably, maybe around one or two. She had always loved music. She always sings along music. She has always enjoyed and loved it", said father Dan Coles. Lyra was just five months old when she underwent emergency surgery. Within months Lyra was struggling to see and underwent a second procedure a year later which restored her sight. Her parents Dan Cole and Ellie Hawkes were horrified to learn that brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. "Brain tumor research is a charity that funds research in brain tumors right from the beginning of the diagnosis. We chose them because only one percent of the fund is actually in the UK dedicated to brain tumors. So it's very low considering actually only 22 per cent of the people survive them. So it's really very close to our heart and we hope that we can change this in the future and get more funding," said aunt Jessie. When asked if Lyra knows about what she had gone through, father Dan said that she knows about it and completely understands it. On asked why they chose "When a child is born", aunt Jessie said, "I think we chose the track because this has been our favorite Christmas track. Also, it just resonates kind of feel that we go, when a child is born like that, you know this horrible tragic that happened. So this really resonates that and it's a really beautiful Christmas song." Being proud of her daughter, father Dan was amazed by the kind of response that he received after the release of the song. "I feel really proud. It's amazing to see what she has done in such a short phase of time. I am really proud." "It's been absolutely crazy. We have had lots of news and radio. It's gone absolutely crazy. It is really amazing, big and we haven't expected it," added Dan.

Exclusive: Family of six-year-old singing sensation speaks to WION

'I am now happy to what has happened to me as I can raise such a big and personal issue' - says Veronika Didusenko, a former Miss Ukraine who was stripped of her crown when the organisers of the Miss World pageant banned her for being a mother to a 5-year-old kid. She has now launched legal action against the contest, demanding a rule change.

In an exclusive interview with WION, Veronika spoke about she was shocked after being dethroned due to such rules.

WION: Tell us about your story, your win? Were you surprised when you were disqualified?

Veronika: I was Ms Ukriane and 3 days later I was disqualified because I am a mother. First of all, I was shocked when I won, and then when I was disqualified, I was shocked again as it was very humiliating and insulting for me. It was a big thing. It was shocking.

WION:&nbsp;How did you think of legal action against Miss World? What was the reaction in your home country about it?

Veronika:&nbsp;The rules are so outdated, old fashioned, ridiculous and I still don't believe those rules. I think mothers are being sidelined, so we sent a letter to the Miss World organization, it's Head Office is located in London. But we did not get any response from them. Now we are going to file a complaint to the UK Human rights commission. We hope that they will react and change the rules.

If you ask me about support, then I got a lot of support for my social media. Every day I got hundreds of messages from people all around the world. (Indonesia, India, Turkey, South America, France). So huge international support.

WION:&nbsp;You are a beautiful, intelligent successful woman, why would you want to be a part of such an archaic institution?

Veronika:&nbsp;I believe that if the competition is inclusive it can be a perfect platform to develop your charity costs like it was in my case. I wanted to develop my charity project. Beauty pageants can help empower women and break gender stereotypes. It empowers contestants. But there are maybe some countries, where people don't want married women or women with kids to take part. But there is no base to discriminate someone. This is discrimination.

WION:&nbsp;What is your message to mothers?

Veronika:&nbsp;I want mothers to understand that they can achieve any of their dreams. They can pursue any of the goals. In the 21st century, women are successfully balancing their careers in parenting and nothing can stop them from it. So, I want them to believe in themselves.

I am now happy with what has happened to me as I can raise such a big and personal issue nowadays. If you open my Instagram page..you will see so many messages from mothers,&nbsp;from many countries who think that being a mummy cannot help them in developing their careers. I was crying after reading those messages for weeks because it is so heartbreaking. I want them to believe that women can do anything and Miss World should allow them to participate.

As I am a fashion model, I worked with the biggest fashion houses and there are all size models -- mothers, pregnant mothers.

WION: Your son is 5 years old..is he aware?. How does he react?

Veronika:&nbsp;Let me think...he knows that I do a lot of charity for sure. I cannot tell him the whole story as it's not finished yet. He feels mum's a good girl. She is doing a lot of charity. He supports me.

WION: How long do you intend to push the campaign?

Veronika:&nbsp;Until the rules are changed. I am sure that sooner or later, it is going to happen anyway. I believe that one day they will be challenged and changed.

'I am now happy to what has happened to me as I can raise such a big and personal issue' - says Veronika Didusenko, a former Miss Ukraine who was stripped of her crown when the organisers of the Miss World pageant banned her for being a mother to a 5-year-old kid.

'I am now happy to what has happened to me as I can raise such a big and personal issue' - says Veronika Didusenko, a former Miss Ukraine who was stripped of her crown when the organisers of the Miss World pageant banned her for being a mother to a 5-year-old kid. She has now launched legal action against the contest, demanding a rule change. In an exclusive interview with WION, Veronika spoke about she was shocked after being dethroned due to such rules. WION: Tell us about your story, your win? Were you surprised when you were disqualified? Veronika: I was Ms Ukriane and 3 days later I was disqualified because I am a mother. First of all, I was shocked when I won, and then when I was disqualified, I was shocked again as it was very humiliating and insulting for me. It was a big thing. It was shocking. WION: How did you think of legal action against Miss World? What was the reaction in your home country about it? Veronika: The rules are so outdated, old fashioned, ridiculous and I still don't believe those rules. I think mothers are being sidelined, so we sent a letter to the Miss World organization, it's Head Office is located in London. But we did not get any response from them. Now we are going to file a complaint to the UK Human rights commission. We hope that they will react and change the rules. If you ask me about support, then I got a lot of support for my social media. Every day I got hundreds of messages from people all around the world. (Indonesia, India, Turkey, South America, France). So huge international support. WION: You are a beautiful, intelligent successful woman, why would you want to be a part of such an archaic institution? Veronika: I believe that if the competition is inclusive it can be a perfect platform to develop your charity costs like it was in my case. I wanted to develop my charity project. Beauty pageants can help empower women and break gender stereotypes. It empowers contestants. But there are maybe some countries, where people don't want married women or women with kids to take part. But there is no base to discriminate someone. This is discrimination. WION: What is your message to mothers? Veronika: I want mothers to understand that they can achieve any of their dreams. They can pursue any of the goals. In the 21st century, women are successfully balancing their careers in parenting and nothing can stop them from it. So, I want them to believe in themselves. I am now happy with what has happened to me as I can raise such a big and personal issue nowadays. If you open my Instagram page..you will see so many messages from mothers, from many countries who think that being a mummy cannot help them in developing their careers. I was crying after reading those messages for weeks because it is so heartbreaking. I want them to believe that women can do anything and Miss World should allow them to participate. As I am a fashion model, I worked with the biggest fashion houses and there are all size models -- mothers, pregnant mothers. WION: Your son is 5 years old..is he aware?. How does he react? Veronika: Let me think...he knows that I do a lot of charity for sure. I cannot tell him the whole story as it's not finished yet. He feels mum's a good girl. She is doing a lot of charity. He supports me. WION: How long do you intend to push the campaign? Veronika: Until the rules are changed. I am sure that sooner or later, it is going to happen anyway. I believe that one day they will be challenged and changed.

'One day rules will change’, says ex Ms Ukraine to WION as she takes legal action against Miss World pageant

The famous bellows of “Order!” by former British parliamentary Speaker John Bercow has gone viral after its remix version by Belgian dance musician Michael Schack.

Speaking to WION, Micheal told how he came up with such an idea.

"With any music track, always look for some kind of vocal hook which sounds positive or ironic to make listeners connect more with the music. So I sometimes experiment with quotes and vocals I can find online, and as I'm also interested in worldwide news and especially news from Europe, I stumbled upon John Bercow's exquisite English and his famous "Oooorrrrderrrr" just after the UK referendum on Brexit, now more than 3 years ago", said Schack.

When asked why only Bercow, Schack said, "I find him to be a real vocal artist actually. When he speaks, it's with so much confidence and clarity and rich vocabulary. And without him probably realising, he's very musical too, as his words always have great rhythm and tonality. So when I started experimenting with his quotes on top of music, I discovered I could do it in any music tempo and music key as his vocals keep on standing out. Even when you have louder music underneath, his pronunciation stays so strong and understandable."

Schack believes that Bercow is the most Rock and Roll figure in the whole Brexit Saga, "I wouldn't call him a hero&nbsp;just yet like a Superman&nbsp;or Spiderman, but he is certainly the most rock 'and' roll figure in this whole saga. During the debates, he called parliament members by name and character when they were misbehaving. And while doing so, the charismatic sound of his voice became the sound of Brexit in general, even now that he stepped down everyone still talks more about him than about any of those three prime ministers of these three&nbsp;past Brexit years''.

When asked if Speaker Bercow has heard&nbsp;the remix, Schack replied, "We did hear that he has seen it and liked it. I cannot imagine he didn't check it out yet as so many in the UK have been sharing it on their social media as well, tagging him along. Mister Bercow does have a sense of humour and as no one of his entourage has contacted me directly yet, I guess silence is sort of an approval. The ultimate would be to meet him in person, thank him for the inspiration while hearing him speak for real and then have our picture taken, just the three of us: John Bercow, myself and the #SpeakerJohn puppet in the middle. How epic would that be!"

The famous bellows of “Order!” by former British parliamentary Speaker John Bercow has gone viral after its remix version by Belgian dance musician Michael Schack.

The famous bellows of “Order!” by former British parliamentary Speaker John Bercow has gone viral after its remix version by Belgian dance musician Michael Schack. Speaking to WION, Micheal told how he came up with such an idea. "With any music track, always look for some kind of vocal hook which sounds positive or ironic to make listeners connect more with the music. So I sometimes experiment with quotes and vocals I can find online, and as I'm also interested in worldwide news and especially news from Europe, I stumbled upon John Bercow's exquisite English and his famous "Oooorrrrderrrr" just after the UK referendum on Brexit, now more than 3 years ago", said Schack. When asked why only Bercow, Schack said, "I find him to be a real vocal artist actually. When he speaks, it's with so much confidence and clarity and rich vocabulary. And without him probably realising, he's very musical too, as his words always have great rhythm and tonality. So when I started experimenting with his quotes on top of music, I discovered I could do it in any music tempo and music key as his vocals keep on standing out. Even when you have louder music underneath, his pronunciation stays so strong and understandable." Schack believes that Bercow is the most Rock and Roll figure in the whole Brexit Saga, "I wouldn't call him a hero just yet like a Superman or Spiderman, but he is certainly the most rock 'and' roll figure in this whole saga. During the debates, he called parliament members by name and character when they were misbehaving. And while doing so, the charismatic sound of his voice became the sound of Brexit in general, even now that he stepped down everyone still talks more about him than about any of those three prime ministers of these three past Brexit years''. When asked if Speaker Bercow has heard the remix, Schack replied, "We did hear that he has seen it and liked it. I cannot imagine he didn't check it out yet as so many in the UK have been sharing it on their social media as well, tagging him along. Mister Bercow does have a sense of humour and as no one of his entourage has contacted me directly yet, I guess silence is sort of an approval. The ultimate would be to meet him in person, thank him for the inspiration while hearing him speak for real and then have our picture taken, just the three of us: John Bercow, myself and the #SpeakerJohn puppet in the middle. How epic would that be!"

Bercow's 'order' cruises from UK parliament to top of Belgian charts after remix by Michael Schack

Jailed Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize after being put forward by a group of Norwegian and Canadian politicians.

Jailed Saudi women's rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul has been nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize after being put forward by a group of Norwegian and Canadian politicians. Loujain was arrested during a crackdown on May 15, 2018, where she was protesting along with a dozen other women's rights activists. The women protesters had long campaigned for ending a ban on women driving cars. The case has drawn global criticism following last year’s murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents inside the kingdom’s Istanbul consulate. In an interview with WION, Walid al-Hathloul, brother of Loujain spoke on how he feels on hearing such news and also shared details of the complete crackdown. Having lost hope with the government's response and help on the matter, Walid hopes his sister is released soon. Here is the full excerpt of the conversation- WION- How do you feel after hearing that your sister has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize? Can you let us know what's the latest in her case? WALID- There’s no news in Loujain’s case. MBS said in 60 minutes that he will personally investigate the torture but so far we haven’t heard any news about initiating an investigation on torture. As to the peace prize, I heard it from the news and I hope it’s real. Also, It’s hard to tell because they're unpredictable and not transparent at all. WION -Your sister has been put behind bars. Why? Can you describe how it all began and why it happened? WALID- At the beginning when she was arrested as part of the crackdown on May 15, 2018, we did not know why she was arrested. Local media immediately published that she was a traitor and was working with a foreign power. During her detention, they did not charge her with anything until the trial which started after ten months. After reading the charge sheet, we found out that most of the charges are related to her human rights activism. One of the charges that she is facing is applying for a job at the UN. So clearly there is no consistency between what they said at the beginning and for what they officially charged her. As to why she was arrested, it is difficult to know but I would say that there’s an abuse of power. WION- Who were the other activists involved? How many of them are still behind bars and what has been the development in their release so far? WALID- As there’s a lack of transparency in the legal system, it’s difficult to answer the question accurately but I would assume that there are four other women in jail, not including men. In the beginning, they started a trial but all of a sudden after the third session they stopped the whole trial and nobody knows why they did that. Also, nobody knows if they will resume the trial anytime in the future. WION-Loujain al-Hathloul has rejected a proposal to secure her release from prison in exchange for a video statement denying she was tortured in custody. Can you briefly describe your statement? WALID- I don’t have any position in that matter as each option has a consequence and it makes it hard to decide which option I should pick. But regardless of my position, it is Loujain who should decide what is best for her. I believe that they went too far by asking a video release to deny the torture. WION-You can appeal to any international body or anyone that you wish to. Did you try this before? WALID- I prefer not to answer this question. WION- What is your grievance with the government and Who do you wish to appeal to and why? WALID- We have been contacting the government since day one. We sent countless letters to the government but got no response. Unfortunately, we are now in a position where we have lost hope that the government would cooperate with us. WION- Have you ever tried reaching Donald Trump/ United States as it is Saudi's important ally as well. WALID- I prefer not to answer this question. WION- What do you want for your sister now? WALID- All I want is to see Loujain free.

I hope news is real: Brother of Saudi women's rights activist on her being contender for Nobel Peace Prize

This is a story about a woman married in Qatar royalty.

Born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Hend Faisal Al Qassemi is an Emirati businesswoman and mother who has now turned to social media to fight her legal battle to get her son's custody.&nbsp;

Married and amicably separated with Prince Al Thani in 2006, Al Qassemi is now seeking justice for her son through social media platforms after exhausting all other options.&nbsp;

Speaking to WION, Hend Faisal Al Qassemi shared her struggles of the legal battle with Qatar government.

Here are excerpts of the conversation:

WION:&nbsp;Can you please introduce yourself to our readers&nbsp;on and inform about your parentage and who were you married to.

Hend Faisal Al Qassemi: My name is Hend Faisal Al Qassemi which means the most precious of your treasures. My father is a medical doctor. His name is doctor Faizal and mother was a school principal in Emirates.

I was married to Prince Al Thani in 2006 but later&nbsp;separated amicably. I thought it was an amicable separation.

He had said that if you wanted to leave me, you will have no rights.&nbsp;I agreed and surrendered everything to him, the furniture, cars, and house which was part of the dowry given to him during the wedding. &nbsp;

I was more interested in starting a new life and moving back to Emirates because, after separation, you leave a huge piece of you behind. You leave the piece that is damaged and&nbsp;allow your heart to grow again.

I left Emirates with my son and started a new life. My son was in school and I started working. I was happy;&nbsp;but unfortunately, the father showed up in school one day and picked up our son and left the country on the same day.

WION: Where are you currently located at and what is your demand?

Hend Faisal Al Qassemi: I lived in Emirates but came to Qatar for court cases. Currently, I live in Doha and I&nbsp;have decided that I will not leave until I have my son accompanying me. So I am here since July 1, 2019.

The court here has declared that my son can temporarily live under my custody until the final declaration of divorce which by the way has been dragging for years.

Divorce cases do not drag for so long; they don't take more than six months to a year. My case was an exception;&nbsp;when I went to the family court, the judge was shocked and declared temporary custody on the same day.

WION: Where are you seeking asylum and why?

Hend F Al Qassimi: I am not just seeking asylum. I have a diplomatic Emirati passport.

I have my family owned property around the world. My situation is very delicate because it can be only handled by the Qatari government which has been unresponsive to any of my demands.

I have been personally contacted by the Prime Minister as well but nothing has been done so far. I even contacted Prime Minister himself on WhatsApp and he promised to solve my problems but haven't done anything.

I need a passport for my son to take him out of Qatar.&nbsp;

There is a law in Qatar that a foreign mother has no right over his child. She has no rights to choose her school or medical hospital even.

WION: You are fighting this custody battle legally since 2017 and came out with a video appeal just now, what made you wait so long?

Hend F Al Qassimi:

The reason it took me a long time to turn to social media is that I am a Princess. It is very hard for a Princess to turn to social media and ask support. Also because We are raised to live diplomatically, to never angry anyone. I may be a very outgoing person but I am very shy.

But when it came to my son's health and future. I could not stay silent anymore.

For the first two years, I was thinking my son was living a comfortable life; but he contacted me four months ago and complained about how he is locked up at home.&nbsp;

When I was granted visitation to see him, the father raised a demand in court against me that If I don't go back and live with him as a wife, I won't be able to see my son. I agreed in a final attempt to be with my child... but it was a trap!&nbsp;

The next day, in the morning, the judge received a letter from my husband to drop the custody which I think was a joke. Why would I come back to you if I lose my child? I left you for so many reasons! The only thing I came back to you was for my child. Hence the equation was cancelled.&nbsp;

My son was not living with his father in the last few years. He was living with his aunts. One is 69-years and the other was younger. They did not have the love that a child needs. One of them locked him in the room while the other is out of the house for the whole day. My son is not allowed to go to school. He has nobody to play with. They took away his laptop and mobile also. 
&nbsp;

This is a story about a woman married in Qatar royalty. Born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Hend Faisal Al Qassemi is an Emirati businesswoman and mother who has now turned to social media to fight her legal battle to get her son's custody.

This is a story about a woman married in Qatar royalty. Born in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, Hend Faisal Al Qassemi is an Emirati businesswoman and mother who has now turned to social media to fight her legal battle to get her son's custody. Married and amicably separated with Prince Al Thani in 2006, Al Qassemi is now seeking justice for her son through social media platforms after exhausting all other options. Speaking to WION, Hend Faisal Al Qassemi shared her struggles of the legal battle with Qatar government. Here are excerpts of the conversation: WION: Can you please introduce yourself to our readers on and inform about your parentage and who were you married to. Hend Faisal Al Qassemi: My name is Hend Faisal Al Qassemi which means the most precious of your treasures. My father is a medical doctor. His name is doctor Faizal and mother was a school principal in Emirates. I was married to Prince Al Thani in 2006 but later separated amicably. I thought it was an amicable separation. He had said that if you wanted to leave me, you will have no rights. I agreed and surrendered everything to him, the furniture, cars, and house which was part of the dowry given to him during the wedding. I was more interested in starting a new life and moving back to Emirates because, after separation, you leave a huge piece of you behind. You leave the piece that is damaged and allow your heart to grow again. I left Emirates with my son and started a new life. My son was in school and I started working. I was happy; but unfortunately, the father showed up in school one day and picked up our son and left the country on the same day. WION: Where are you currently located at and what is your demand? Hend Faisal Al Qassemi: I lived in Emirates but came to Qatar for court cases. Currently, I live in Doha and I have decided that I will not leave until I have my son accompanying me. So I am here since July 1, 2019. The court here has declared that my son can temporarily live under my custody until the final declaration of divorce which by the way has been dragging for years. Divorce cases do not drag for so long; they don't take more than six months to a year. My case was an exception; when I went to the family court, the judge was shocked and declared temporary custody on the same day. WION: Where are you seeking asylum and why? Hend F Al Qassimi: I am not just seeking asylum. I have a diplomatic Emirati passport. I have my family owned property around the world. My situation is very delicate because it can be only handled by the Qatari government which has been unresponsive to any of my demands. I have been personally contacted by the Prime Minister as well but nothing has been done so far. I even contacted Prime Minister himself on WhatsApp and he promised to solve my problems but haven't done anything. I need a passport for my son to take him out of Qatar. There is a law in Qatar that a foreign mother has no right over his child. She has no rights to choose her school or medical hospital even. WION: You are fighting this custody battle legally since 2017 and came out with a video appeal just now, what made you wait so long? Hend F Al Qassimi: The reason it took me a long time to turn to social media is that I am a Princess. It is very hard for a Princess to turn to social media and ask support. Also because We are raised to live diplomatically, to never angry anyone. I may be a very outgoing person but I am very shy. But when it came to my son's health and future. I could not stay silent anymore. For the first two years, I was thinking my son was living a comfortable life; but he contacted me four months ago and complained about how he is locked up at home. When I was granted visitation to see him, the father raised a demand in court against me that If I don't go back and live with him as a wife, I won't be able to see my son. I agreed in a final attempt to be with my child... but it was a trap! The next day, in the morning, the judge received a letter from my husband to drop the custody which I think was a joke. Why would I come back to you if I lose my child? I left you for so many reasons! The only thing I came back to you was for my child. Hence the equation was cancelled. My son was not living with his father in the last few years. He was living with his aunts. One is 69-years and the other was younger. They did not have the love that a child needs. One of them locked him in the room while the other is out of the house for the whole day. My son is not allowed to go to school. He has nobody to play with. They took away his laptop and mobile also.

Will not leave Qatar until I have my son accompanying me, says Emirati Princess on her custody battle

Licypriya Kangujam, a child wonder has shocked the world after she became the youngest "climate activist". The seven-year-old&nbsp;began raising her voice about the need for immediate action to combat climate change and disaster risks reduction. She has been invited to 16 countries as part of her movement.

Kangujam&nbsp;is&nbsp;also an official participant and youngest delegate out of 8,000 participants from 196 countries at&nbsp;COP14 which is underway&nbsp;till September 13. After this, she will be travelling to Angola on September 16.

Licypriya often referred to as "India's Greta Thunberg"&nbsp;has been recently awarded the prestigious "World Children Peace Prize 2019"&nbsp;from Global Peace Index - Institute for Economics &amp; Peace (IEP), in the Maldives.

Speaking to WION, Licypriya shared her journey from the Maldives to Manipur and also spoke about climate change.

Here are excerpts of the conversation:

WION: What made you speak up for issues like climate at such a young age?

Licypriya Kangujam: I see people suffering and dying because of earthquake, flood, landslide, etc. My heart feels sorrow for people who cannot help themselves when disaster strikes. I cry when I see children losing their parents. My country has met disasters like earthquake, flood, landslide, etc. These are all the impact of climate change.

WION: You are often referred to as "India's Greta Thunberg", is it true? How do you feel on being compared to another international climate activist?

Licypriya Kangujam: Yes it is true. People call me "Greta of India, but truly I am Licypriya of India".

WION: Can you tell us more about your journey? How did you start?

Licypriya Kangujam: My father is my motivation. I have attended many international programs and conferences on disaster and climate change. I have heard many stories about children losing their parents or people becoming homeless due to danger of disasters. This is how I have started my journey.

WION: What efforts did you make so far? And also about the government to act on climate change?

Licypriya Kangujam: I have planted hundreds of trees. I am cleaning the seas and rivers with my supporters in various countries. And I am telling people to plant millions of trees by travelling to various countries for my child movement. I am creating awareness to the people not to throw garbages and plastics in the river, seas or oceans or anywhere. If they cut even small trees or big trees then they should plant thousands of trees. I am also recycling plastics. And also I am telling the world to recycle the plastics, newspapers or cans or anything. But they are not recycling. I will tell again and again even they do not listen to us.

WION: Are you also going to New York for UNGA?

Licypriya Kangujam: Not sure. Because I have to go to my school and I have to do my homework. If I am not studying then how my brain could be smart! I am attending lots of programs because I love them and they love me. But the adults, the seniors said they don’t care about our future. They also should care for our future as we care for them.

WION: What else are you planning to do?

Licypriya Kangujam: I will campaign more on climate change and I will try to grow millions of trees. And also I will travel from one place to another to plant more trees. I will go to the Parliament to tell Mr Modi and our MPs to pass the climate change law as soon as possible.

Licypriya Kangujam, a child wonder has shocked the world after she became the youngest "climate activist". The seven-year-old began raising her voice about the need for immediate action to combat climate change and disaster risks reduction.

Licypriya Kangujam, a child wonder has shocked the world after she became the youngest "climate activist". The seven-year-old began raising her voice about the need for immediate action to combat climate change and disaster risks reduction. She has been invited to 16 countries as part of her movement. Kangujam is also an official participant and youngest delegate out of 8,000 participants from 196 countries at COP14 which is underway till September 13. After this, she will be travelling to Angola on September 16. Licypriya often referred to as "India's Greta Thunberg" has been recently awarded the prestigious "World Children Peace Prize 2019" from Global Peace Index - Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), in the Maldives. Speaking to WION, Licypriya shared her journey from the Maldives to Manipur and also spoke about climate change. Here are excerpts of the conversation: WION: What made you speak up for issues like climate at such a young age? Licypriya Kangujam: I see people suffering and dying because of earthquake, flood, landslide, etc. My heart feels sorrow for people who cannot help themselves when disaster strikes. I cry when I see children losing their parents. My country has met disasters like earthquake, flood, landslide, etc. These are all the impact of climate change. WION: You are often referred to as "India's Greta Thunberg", is it true? How do you feel on being compared to another international climate activist? Licypriya Kangujam: Yes it is true. People call me "Greta of India, but truly I am Licypriya of India". WION: Can you tell us more about your journey? How did you start? Licypriya Kangujam: My father is my motivation. I have attended many international programs and conferences on disaster and climate change. I have heard many stories about children losing their parents or people becoming homeless due to danger of disasters. This is how I have started my journey. WION: What efforts did you make so far? And also about the government to act on climate change? Licypriya Kangujam: I have planted hundreds of trees. I am cleaning the seas and rivers with my supporters in various countries. And I am telling people to plant millions of trees by travelling to various countries for my child movement. I am creating awareness to the people not to throw garbages and plastics in the river, seas or oceans or anywhere. If they cut even small trees or big trees then they should plant thousands of trees. I am also recycling plastics. And also I am telling the world to recycle the plastics, newspapers or cans or anything. But they are not recycling. I will tell again and again even they do not listen to us. WION: Are you also going to New York for UNGA? Licypriya Kangujam: Not sure. Because I have to go to my school and I have to do my homework. If I am not studying then how my brain could be smart! I am attending lots of programs because I love them and they love me. But the adults, the seniors said they don’t care about our future. They also should care for our future as we care for them. WION: What else are you planning to do? Licypriya Kangujam: I will campaign more on climate change and I will try to grow millions of trees. And also I will travel from one place to another to plant more trees. I will go to the Parliament to tell Mr Modi and our MPs to pass the climate change law as soon as possible.

Meet 'India's Greta Thunberg': Seven-year-old Licypriya Kangujam from Manipur

Priyam Chatterjee became the first Indian chef to be conferred with the distinction of Chevalier de I'Ordre du Merite Agricole, also known as the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler on Monday.

Chatterjee, 30, is the first and youngest Indian chef to be conferred with the honour, which comes in recognition of his contribution to reinventing the gastronomic scene here. Born into a Bengali family, his love for food and cooking is natural.

"Being an Indian, receiving such honour in itself is a proud moment for me. This award is given to honour agriculturalists who contributed in French cuisine and products," said Chatterjee to WION.

When asked about from where his masterful plating,&nbsp;eccentric cooking style and his creative dishes drew from, he said that that his love for cooking happened out of sheer passion and inclination towards art, to begin with.

"It all began with cooking for friends and family and then of course with Park Hyatt Hyderabad with chef Jan Claude. After 10 years, I feel that I was born to do this", said Chatterjee.

Currently, he is serving as the head chef at Jaan Restaurant Yacht in France. Before this, he was the head chef of Rooh (Group of Indian Chef Sijan Sarkar) and Qla in New Delhi.

Having realised that cooking can be a game-changer in his life at the age of 21, Chatterjee said, "I was 21 years old when I first found that cooking is what can be a turning point in my life, I redefine dishes and now do not look back.

"I mean you worked hard for it and now after achieving it, you feel great, but I don't wear these things and these moments to my skin," claimed Chatterjee.

Receiving immense love from the audience of both the countries (India and France ), for his cooking, Chatterjee believes that "There is no difference in the love for my beloved France and India, yet they are little refined and subtle."

When asked how does he want to represent Indian Cuisines in foreign places, Chatterjee said, "I wish to blend these two magnificent cuisines (with Indian spices and French techniques).''

Priyam Chatterjee became the first Indian chef to be conferred with the distinction of Chevalier de I'Ordre du Merite Agricole, also known as the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler on Monday.

Priyam Chatterjee became the first Indian chef to be conferred with the distinction of Chevalier de I'Ordre du Merite Agricole, also known as the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Ambassador to India, Alexandre Ziegler on Monday. Chatterjee, 30, is the first and youngest Indian chef to be conferred with the honour, which comes in recognition of his contribution to reinventing the gastronomic scene here. Born into a Bengali family, his love for food and cooking is natural. "Being an Indian, receiving such honour in itself is a proud moment for me. This award is given to honour agriculturalists who contributed in French cuisine and products," said Chatterjee to WION. When asked about from where his masterful plating, eccentric cooking style and his creative dishes drew from, he said that that his love for cooking happened out of sheer passion and inclination towards art, to begin with. "It all began with cooking for friends and family and then of course with Park Hyatt Hyderabad with chef Jan Claude. After 10 years, I feel that I was born to do this", said Chatterjee. Currently, he is serving as the head chef at Jaan Restaurant Yacht in France. Before this, he was the head chef of Rooh (Group of Indian Chef Sijan Sarkar) and Qla in New Delhi. Having realised that cooking can be a game-changer in his life at the age of 21, Chatterjee said, "I was 21 years old when I first found that cooking is what can be a turning point in my life, I redefine dishes and now do not look back. "I mean you worked hard for it and now after achieving it, you feel great, but I don't wear these things and these moments to my skin," claimed Chatterjee. Receiving immense love from the audience of both the countries (India and France ), for his cooking, Chatterjee believes that "There is no difference in the love for my beloved France and India, yet they are little refined and subtle." When asked how does he want to represent Indian Cuisines in foreign places, Chatterjee said, "I wish to blend these two magnificent cuisines (with Indian spices and French techniques).''

It is a proud moment for me: Indian chef Priyam Chatterjee on receiving French honour

Exclusively speaking to WION, Tania Joya briefs her story from a core jihadist to a deradicalisation activist.

Born in 1984 near London to a Muslim-Bangladeshi family, Joya grew up confronted by racism and the struggles of integration.&nbsp;

She was radicalised at age 17, after the September 11 terror attacks in New York.

"We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism with an organisation through workshops for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course", Tania said.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

WION - Do you think that ISIS will get dismantled ever as there are reports of their regrouping in Syria again? There are reports also of them expanding to other regions in Asia.

Tania Joya - They have been dismantled but they can regroup and they have a plan for that. They are not going to stop their agenda and are waiting to regroup. I know that they are growing in the Philippines and also in Afghanistan. I don't know much about their growth in Asia or India.

WION - Can you tell us something about your background and where are you living now? Also, about your story of transition from a ranking ISIS member to now a deradicalisation activist?

Tania Joya - I was a British Bengali, grew up in England and when I was 17-18, I was radicalised and became a Muslim fundamentalist and after September 11, I got married at 19 to my ex-husband John Georgelas (Yahya al-Bahrumi). We travelled together. We were married for about 10 years, but the marriage was dysfunctional and wasn't perfect. I have four children with him. I wanted to leave the marriage as it was very difficult.

I did not have the right to divorce, I did not have the permission to leave the house without his permission. Before I was married, I did not realise how tough my life would be. Once I got married, I was pretty much stuck. 10 years later in 2013, we were in Turkey, my ex-husband took us across the border where I informed US authorities that I need to get away from my ex-husband as I was afraid for the life of my children. I crossed the border back to Turkey and I returned to US and currently living in Dallas.

WION - How do you think your story evolution as a woman and independent thinker should now be heard?

Tania Joya - I think that I can be a good role model for lost kids,&nbsp;lot of teenagers growing in the west, having an identity crisis and mental breakdown. They turn to a coping mechanism through drugs or religion or something else.

They aren't given counselling as well.&nbsp;I would like to show young people to not give up on life as I did. When I decided to be a Muslim fundamentalist, I gave up my will power and my rights as a human being. I did it subconsciously and did not realise what I was doing. So I would like to speak up and help other young girls to encourage that you can have spiritual power. You have to work at this life as we do not have any other evidence that the other life that we are going to have would be real or not. So, we would focus on this life and should not give up easily. Because if you work on it, you can get better. I was labelled as former extremist, I was not extremist as I did not use violence. But I was definitely fundamentalist. So my story alone can show a lot of girls, and I know other women who are stuck in marriage can't get out. But when they see how I managed, it gives them some hope. I want to help others who were like me feeling helpless. I want to get them out of domestic abuses and get them rebuild themselves and find them who they were.

WION - From a hardcore jihadist to de-radicalisation activist, how have people around you accepted you? If you come across women leading on the same path as you did, what are you going to say to them?

Tania Joya - Well, I am in America and in America, people are very different from England. Since I am in America, it was the American values that changed my ideology. Like I did not know about the constitutional bill of rights when I was growing in the UK. I learned about the value system in the US. I understood that it is better than Islam, being in America, I was not afraid of questioning of religion. I had the freedom to do that. I did not have the Muslim community that would tell me that I was weak or I was not a good Muslim. It really changed my life. A lot of extremism has to do with the environment. If a person is in that environment, they also think the same way. So once you put that individual out and put them into a different space, they can adjust and start learning and becoming something new.

I hope to break these toxic environments and want to dismantle them. We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism that way. At least in the West, we are going to start it with America first and then the West. I also work for an organisation, which prevents violent extremism programming and conduct workshops which is for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course which breaks up all the stages when people radicalised.&nbsp;The workshop is free and we are going to the therapist and will help individuals from extremism the prisons are more terrible. We want to break that delusion and we want to bring them back into reality. It is hard as it has been for myself because I had to go through the other mental breakdown and had to realise how wrong I was.

WION - You are often referred to as "First lady of ISIS", how do you come up with such taglines and how did you felt on knowing this after you were completely out of such things?

Tania Joya - Yes, well that's a terrible name. But all those names like "ISIS bride", and all these labels are terrible. I was married to the highest-ranking American in ISIS and he was the commander. He enjoyed ISIS but I separated from him and came to America. But those names are in self a headline I guess. But I am not an ISIS bride. I was a fundamentalist and married to extremist and finally got out with my children.&nbsp;

You have to accept and do not need to question. Because if you are questioning, you are sinning. Part of my de-radicalisation was educating myself. I was always interested in psychology, philosophy and different religion of the middle east before Islam. Every woman deserves better as they are not property. No one is property. Women and children have equal rights as men do.

WION - What events manipulated you and made you close to radicalisation?

Tania Joya - Well, first my children, when I came to America I already came to the acceptance that Islam is not perfect. I got to stop pretending, after having children, I really did not want my children to be like their dad or their dad's friends for the way they use to treat their women. I wanted to see my children live life and help people rather than destroying it. Because extremists do not want to save the world or environment and are not concerned. They are irresponsible&nbsp;and I do not want to see the end of my children. I do not want to be parents like you see the Kurdish camps separating children every day was fear, natural materialist fear and I could not switch off that voice that I want to make my children feel safe. I see woman brainwashed to a different level.

WION - What is the one message that you want to give out to all the women out there?

Tania Joya - My message to women is to aim high and don't settle for less. Educate yourself and do not depend upon anyone. You should know that you are worthy.

Exclusively speaking to WION, Tania Joya briefs her story from a core jihadist to a deradicalisation activist. Born in 1984 near London to a Muslim-Bangladeshi family, Joya grew up confronted by racism and the struggles of integration.

Exclusively speaking to WION, Tania Joya briefs her story from a core jihadist to a deradicalisation activist. Born in 1984 near London to a Muslim-Bangladeshi family, Joya grew up confronted by racism and the struggles of integration. She was radicalised at age 17, after the September 11 terror attacks in New York. "We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism with an organisation through workshops for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course", Tania said. Edited excerpts of the interview: WION - Do you think that ISIS will get dismantled ever as there are reports of their regrouping in Syria again? There are reports also of them expanding to other regions in Asia. Tania Joya - They have been dismantled but they can regroup and they have a plan for that. They are not going to stop their agenda and are waiting to regroup. I know that they are growing in the Philippines and also in Afghanistan. I don't know much about their growth in Asia or India. WION - Can you tell us something about your background and where are you living now? Also, about your story of transition from a ranking ISIS member to now a deradicalisation activist? Tania Joya - I was a British Bengali, grew up in England and when I was 17-18, I was radicalised and became a Muslim fundamentalist and after September 11, I got married at 19 to my ex-husband John Georgelas (Yahya al-Bahrumi). We travelled together. We were married for about 10 years, but the marriage was dysfunctional and wasn't perfect. I have four children with him. I wanted to leave the marriage as it was very difficult. I did not have the right to divorce, I did not have the permission to leave the house without his permission. Before I was married, I did not realise how tough my life would be. Once I got married, I was pretty much stuck. 10 years later in 2013, we were in Turkey, my ex-husband took us across the border where I informed US authorities that I need to get away from my ex-husband as I was afraid for the life of my children. I crossed the border back to Turkey and I returned to US and currently living in Dallas. WION - How do you think your story evolution as a woman and independent thinker should now be heard? Tania Joya - I think that I can be a good role model for lost kids, lot of teenagers growing in the west, having an identity crisis and mental breakdown. They turn to a coping mechanism through drugs or religion or something else. They aren't given counselling as well. I would like to show young people to not give up on life as I did. When I decided to be a Muslim fundamentalist, I gave up my will power and my rights as a human being. I did it subconsciously and did not realise what I was doing. So I would like to speak up and help other young girls to encourage that you can have spiritual power. You have to work at this life as we do not have any other evidence that the other life that we are going to have would be real or not. So, we would focus on this life and should not give up easily. Because if you work on it, you can get better. I was labelled as former extremist, I was not extremist as I did not use violence. But I was definitely fundamentalist. So my story alone can show a lot of girls, and I know other women who are stuck in marriage can't get out. But when they see how I managed, it gives them some hope. I want to help others who were like me feeling helpless. I want to get them out of domestic abuses and get them rebuild themselves and find them who they were. WION - From a hardcore jihadist to de-radicalisation activist, how have people around you accepted you? If you come across women leading on the same path as you did, what are you going to say to them? Tania Joya - Well, I am in America and in America, people are very different from England. Since I am in America, it was the American values that changed my ideology. Like I did not know about the constitutional bill of rights when I was growing in the UK. I learned about the value system in the US. I understood that it is better than Islam, being in America, I was not afraid of questioning of religion. I had the freedom to do that. I did not have the Muslim community that would tell me that I was weak or I was not a good Muslim. It really changed my life. A lot of extremism has to do with the environment. If a person is in that environment, they also think the same way. So once you put that individual out and put them into a different space, they can adjust and start learning and becoming something new. I hope to break these toxic environments and want to dismantle them. We are working towards ending Islamic terrorism that way. At least in the West, we are going to start it with America first and then the West. I also work for an organisation, which prevents violent extremism programming and conduct workshops which is for parents, teachers and police officers or anyone who wants to take this course which breaks up all the stages when people radicalised. The workshop is free and we are going to the therapist and will help individuals from extremism the prisons are more terrible. We want to break that delusion and we want to bring them back into reality. It is hard as it has been for myself because I had to go through the other mental breakdown and had to realise how wrong I was. WION - You are often referred to as "First lady of ISIS", how do you come up with such taglines and how did you felt on knowing this after you were completely out of such things? Tania Joya - Yes, well that's a terrible name. But all those names like "ISIS bride", and all these labels are terrible. I was married to the highest-ranking American in ISIS and he was the commander. He enjoyed ISIS but I separated from him and came to America. But those names are in self a headline I guess. But I am not an ISIS bride. I was a fundamentalist and married to extremist and finally got out with my children. You have to accept and do not need to question. Because if you are questioning, you are sinning. Part of my de-radicalisation was educating myself. I was always interested in psychology, philosophy and different religion of the middle east before Islam. Every woman deserves better as they are not property. No one is property. Women and children have equal rights as men do. WION - What events manipulated you and made you close to radicalisation? Tania Joya - Well, first my children, when I came to America I already came to the acceptance that Islam is not perfect. I got to stop pretending, after having children, I really did not want my children to be like their dad or their dad's friends for the way they use to treat their women. I wanted to see my children live life and help people rather than destroying it. Because extremists do not want to save the world or environment and are not concerned. They are irresponsible and I do not want to see the end of my children. I do not want to be parents like you see the Kurdish camps separating children every day was fear, natural materialist fear and I could not switch off that voice that I want to make my children feel safe. I see woman brainwashed to a different level. WION - What is the one message that you want to give out to all the women out there? Tania Joya - My message to women is to aim high and don't settle for less. Educate yourself and do not depend upon anyone. You should know that you are worthy.

'I can be good role model for those having identity crisis and mental breakdown', says ISIS first lady to WION

Padma Shri awardee and renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik added another feather in his cap by bagging the award of People's choice prize in Boston. Pattnaik, the sole performer who represented India and Asia in the championship, in an interview to WION said, that the audience did not vote for him but voted against the ongoing effects of environmental deterioration and dangerous plastic pollution.&nbsp;

In his sculpture themed, 'Stop Plastic Pollution, Save Our Ocean’, Pattnaik emphasized on the importance of saving our climate and planet from Pollution and plastic.

The festival was started from July 26 and ended on July 28 2019. Including India, there were fifteen sculptors participated from around the World in this festival. Apart from Sudarsan, Belgium got sculptor's choice and Canada got the jury's choice Prize.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I have won the People's Choice Prize at USA for My SandArt on Plastic Pollution with message, "Save our Ocean " in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Boston?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Boston</a> International SandArt Championship/ Festival 2019. <a href="https://t.co/JfF7kqXcxE">pic.twitter.com/JfF7kqXcxE</a>
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) <a href="https://twitter.com/sudarsansand/status/1155316846423412736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Describing his sculpture ,Pattnaik said it took him two and a half days to sculpt a turtle caught in a plastic bag and a fish with plastic trash such as slippers, bottles and glass inside its body, showing how plastic is so dangerous for ocean and aquatic animals and how humans are also getting impacted by polluted waterways as they consume food from the sea and rivers.

<img alt="Sudarsan Pattnaik" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="10be2d41-5d04-4263-b5ae-2e52fe83ac53" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20%281%29_27.jpg" />

Receiving a huge positive response from all around the world through his sand art, he said that 'I was mesmerized by the response that I got from the people there who came to see my sand art from such distances, and so his award is for all the people who voted me in a foreign country".

When asked about why he chose environment theme on the competition, Pattnaik said, " I have been trying making my sculpture on environment theme because I want people to understand that we all should start thinking about our environment from a very young age, as my sand art would go one day but the message would remain eternal."

Hosted by non-profit organisation Revere Beach Partnership, the festival, now in its 16th year, ran from July 26-28 and was attended by close to a million people. On receiving congratulatory messages from around the world, Pattnaik also a Guinness Book of World record holder said that "At the end, I was very happy in holding the award with my Indian flag ".

Padma Shri awardee and renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik added another feather in his cap by bagging the award of People's choice prize in Boston. Pattnaik, the sole performer who represented India and Asia in the championship, in an interview to WION said, that the audience did not vote for him but voted against the ongoing effects of environmental deterioration and dangerous plastic pollution.

Padma Shri awardee and renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik added another feather in his cap by bagging the award of People's choice prize in Boston. Pattnaik, the sole performer who represented India and Asia in the championship, in an interview to WION said, that the audience did not vote for him but voted against the ongoing effects of environmental deterioration and dangerous plastic pollution. In his sculpture themed, 'Stop Plastic Pollution, Save Our Ocean’, Pattnaik emphasized on the importance of saving our climate and planet from Pollution and plastic. The festival was started from July 26 and ended on July 28 2019. Including India, there were fifteen sculptors participated from around the World in this festival. Apart from Sudarsan, Belgium got sculptor's choice and Canada got the jury's choice Prize. I have won the People's Choice Prize at USA for My SandArt on Plastic Pollution with message, "Save our Ocean " in #Boston International SandArt Championship/ Festival 2019. pic.twitter.com/JfF7kqXcxE — Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) July 28, 2019 × Describing his sculpture ,Pattnaik said it took him two and a half days to sculpt a turtle caught in a plastic bag and a fish with plastic trash such as slippers, bottles and glass inside its body, showing how plastic is so dangerous for ocean and aquatic animals and how humans are also getting impacted by polluted waterways as they consume food from the sea and rivers. Receiving a huge positive response from all around the world through his sand art, he said that 'I was mesmerized by the response that I got from the people there who came to see my sand art from such distances, and so his award is for all the people who voted me in a foreign country". When asked about why he chose environment theme on the competition, Pattnaik said, " I have been trying making my sculpture on environment theme because I want people to understand that we all should start thinking about our environment from a very young age, as my sand art would go one day but the message would remain eternal." Hosted by non-profit organisation Revere Beach Partnership, the festival, now in its 16th year, ran from July 26-28 and was attended by close to a million people. On receiving congratulatory messages from around the world, Pattnaik also a Guinness Book of World record holder said that "At the end, I was very happy in holding the award with my Indian flag ".

Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik wins People's choice award in US, says people voted against plastic pollution

Born on August 14 in Kuala Lumpiur, Malaysia, Nor "Phoenix" Diana cuts an unusual figure by taking on hefty male opponents inside a wrestling ring which is not an ordinary task to pull up in a Muslim dominated place.

At the tender age of 14, she fell in love with wrestling after playing wrestling video games with her brother. She then started watching WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and decided to pursue the sport.

She followed Malaysia Pro Wrestling on social media, and after a year of contemplating, she finally decided to give it a try and approached Shaukat, the co-founder and head coach of Malaysia Pro Wrestling to train under him.

After two months of training, Diana made her debut as a replacement for a wrestler who did not show up for the show. And since then, there has been no looking back.

She initially wore a mask while wrestling and finally unmasked herself in 2018, much to the surprise of the fans. As of now, Diana is the world's first hijabi pro wrestler in the world, and she is inspiring more from all around the world to follow in her footsteps.

In an interview to WION's Ayushi Agarwal, she opened up about her journey which did not come up that easy.

Here is the full interview:

WION: Wrestling is all about muscled men, tall and athletic personality. How did you think that your 5:1ft frame could be a fit in a male-dominated sport?

Nor Diana: Why not? I have a passion, and I don't see any reason why I should not pursue it. My heart wants me to wrestle, and whatever size I might be, I do believe I can contribute in many different ways and forms to the pro wrestling industry to make up for the lack of the standard image.

WION: Why did you choose to disguise your identity under the name 'Phoenix'? Why did you think of not revealing your identity?

Nor Diana: For two reasons. I am not comfortable with outsiders knowing my true self, so I use my persona instead; it's similar to how writers use their pen name, and celebrities change their names to a different public name. Secondly, I wasn't sure how the world would react if I showed my true self - a hijabi girl beneath the mask. I was nervous, even scared at times.

WION: How did you manage in breaking the stereotype in a Muslim majority nation where it is unthinkable and difficult to come up with women pursuing wrestling as their career?

Nor Diana: I believe that I have the courage to do what I love, despite what everyone says what I can or cannot. I decided not to get pulled down by anyone and appreciate everyone who supports me.

WION: What kind of reaction did you get pre and post your wrestling events?

Nor Diana: Often times I am laughed at and looked down upon for my size, stature, and gender - but it will always change to applaud and adoration once they see what I'm capable of doing in the ring.

WION: Do you also aim to go to the WWE?

Nor Diana: I aim to make professional wrestling as my full time work. WWE could be one destination, but there are also plenty of other options like NJPW and AEW. However, even if I get to constantly perform in independent shows around the world, I'd be the happiest I've ever been.

WION: Who is your favourite wrestler?

Nor Diana: Sasha Banks from WWE. She is the one who inspired me and kindled the desire in me to become a pro wrestler.

WION: Do you want Malaysia and other nations to come up with more barrier-breakers like you?

Nor Diana: Most definitely. Girls should be brave, and go for what they want, fight for what they believe in, and do what they are most passionate about. Then only they will find true happiness and a sense of achievement.

WION: Wrestling is your passion. What is the other job that you do?

Nor Diana: I am currently working as a clinical assistant at a private hospital.

WION: One message that you would like to give to all the women and nations who still discriminate between male and female sports?

Nor Diana: The message that I want to give everyone is to be patient and follow your dreams, no matter what they are. Don't let anyone decide what you are going to do. Just follow your dream, even if it is about wrestling.

Born on August 14 in Kuala Lumpiur, Malaysia, Nor "Phoenix" Diana cuts an unusual figure by taking on hefty male opponents inside a wrestling ring which is not an ordinary task to pull up in a Muslim dominated place.

Born on August 14 in Kuala Lumpiur, Malaysia, Nor "Phoenix" Diana cuts an unusual figure by taking on hefty male opponents inside a wrestling ring which is not an ordinary task to pull up in a Muslim dominated place. At the tender age of 14, she fell in love with wrestling after playing wrestling video games with her brother. She then started watching WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and decided to pursue the sport. She followed Malaysia Pro Wrestling on social media, and after a year of contemplating, she finally decided to give it a try and approached Shaukat, the co-founder and head coach of Malaysia Pro Wrestling to train under him. After two months of training, Diana made her debut as a replacement for a wrestler who did not show up for the show. And since then, there has been no looking back. She initially wore a mask while wrestling and finally unmasked herself in 2018, much to the surprise of the fans. As of now, Diana is the world's first hijabi pro wrestler in the world, and she is inspiring more from all around the world to follow in her footsteps. In an interview to WION's Ayushi Agarwal, she opened up about her journey which did not come up that easy. Here is the full interview: WION: Wrestling is all about muscled men, tall and athletic personality. How did you think that your 5:1ft frame could be a fit in a male-dominated sport? Nor Diana: Why not? I have a passion, and I don't see any reason why I should not pursue it. My heart wants me to wrestle, and whatever size I might be, I do believe I can contribute in many different ways and forms to the pro wrestling industry to make up for the lack of the standard image. WION: Why did you choose to disguise your identity under the name 'Phoenix'? Why did you think of not revealing your identity? Nor Diana: For two reasons. I am not comfortable with outsiders knowing my true self, so I use my persona instead; it's similar to how writers use their pen name, and celebrities change their names to a different public name. Secondly, I wasn't sure how the world would react if I showed my true self - a hijabi girl beneath the mask. I was nervous, even scared at times. WION: How did you manage in breaking the stereotype in a Muslim majority nation where it is unthinkable and difficult to come up with women pursuing wrestling as their career? Nor Diana: I believe that I have the courage to do what I love, despite what everyone says what I can or cannot. I decided not to get pulled down by anyone and appreciate everyone who supports me. WION: What kind of reaction did you get pre and post your wrestling events? Nor Diana: Often times I am laughed at and looked down upon for my size, stature, and gender - but it will always change to applaud and adoration once they see what I'm capable of doing in the ring. WION: Do you also aim to go to the WWE? Nor Diana: I aim to make professional wrestling as my full time work. WWE could be one destination, but there are also plenty of other options like NJPW and AEW. However, even if I get to constantly perform in independent shows around the world, I'd be the happiest I've ever been. WION: Who is your favourite wrestler? Nor Diana: Sasha Banks from WWE. She is the one who inspired me and kindled the desire in me to become a pro wrestler. WION: Do you want Malaysia and other nations to come up with more barrier-breakers like you? Nor Diana: Most definitely. Girls should be brave, and go for what they want, fight for what they believe in, and do what they are most passionate about. Then only they will find true happiness and a sense of achievement. WION: Wrestling is your passion. What is the other job that you do? Nor Diana: I am currently working as a clinical assistant at a private hospital. WION: One message that you would like to give to all the women and nations who still discriminate between male and female sports? Nor Diana: The message that I want to give everyone is to be patient and follow your dreams, no matter what they are. Don't let anyone decide what you are going to do. Just follow your dream, even if it is about wrestling.

My heart wants to wrestle, whatever size I might be: World's first hijab-wearing pro wrestler Nor Diana to WION

Emphasising the importance of our natural blessings and holding the accountability towards every action we do, Aparna Kumar speaks to WION and says that she is really worried about what we as human beings are contributing to maintaining the natural vibrancy of our environment.&nbsp;

Aparna Kumar made headlines by scaling Mount Denali in Alaska, USA, and with this climb, she became the first( IPS) Officer and DIG in (ITBP) to climb North America’s highest peak and also the first IPS officer to complete the Seven Summits Challenge ( challenge of climbing highest point in each of the 7 continents.)

She also became the first woman IPS DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to complete the South Pole expedition.

In an interview with WION's Ayushi Agarwal, Aparna Kumar said that we should worry about what is happening around us and start doing it at a very young age to keep our mountains/glaciers protected.&nbsp;

Here are some excerpts of their conversations.&nbsp;

WION- As a passionate mountaineer, you must be holding a very special place for ice and snow. How do you feel about hearing and reading the studies predicting that the ice is melting at a very steady rate? What is your take on being to such places?

APARNA KUMAR- The drawback is completely visible. The places that I had visited is evidence of the fact that climate is changing and glaciers are receding at a very faster rate. But it depends on many factors. If you ask me about my experience, then I feel that I had seen many variations. For instance, when I went to Denali in late June, it was raining incessantly and snowing heavily. So it is all about variations. But yes, what we experience is because of the fact what we did in the past. The sudden change in climate is not an overnight variation, but it is our human activities that had led to such adversities and we must hold the onus.&nbsp;

Reading studies about climate change and coming across such news and data bothers me. As a mountaineer, I see effects everywhere. It is more visible now than it was before. &nbsp;You can see more rock pieces now. &nbsp;Even our guides who have been climbing for 15 years have themselves witnessed this drastic change. The ice is melting at such a faster rate. This is unfortunate.&nbsp;

WION- Climbers try hard to forge new routes to avoid litter and pollutants during climbing. Did you also witness litters and pollutants on your journey? What did you feel after witnessing such things?

APARNA KUMAR- My experience in witnessing such pollutants has been different in every mountain that I had scaled up. To me, Mount Denali has been one of the cleanest mountains that I have climbed so far. The National park service makes a lot of effort in keeping the mountain clean. Also, we have some set rules, like we get clean mountain camps in which we have to stick. They give us polythene covers which are inserted into these clean mountain camps, also known as CMC's, and once they fill up, we have to replace the polythene with a new one so that we can use that and these again will be brought down to the base camp and then out of the glacier. These are all biodegradable polythene covers and Everything is brought down and nothing is left on the mountains. So, this is a very strict rule and these park rangers of National Park service keeps on monitoring if we are sticking to the rules or not. Hence my experience in terms of cleanliness had been amazing on Denali.&nbsp; 
If you ask me what I felt in the other mountains then I must say that apart from the Himalayas, every other mountain is very particular about keeping it clean.&nbsp;

One way I suggest that we can contribute to keeping the pollutants/litters out is by government/association designing the policies and imposing strict rules to maintain the blessing that we have in such forms.&nbsp;

WION - Climbing mountains are hit from climate disruption and global warming issues making things harder and deteriorating the natural vibrancy. How do you see this and what do you suggest on such cases as the process is slow and visible to the eyes of scientists?

APARNA KUMAR - See, we need to be very serious towards protecting our environment at a very young age. In India, we lack behind many countries in terms of cleanliness and keeping natural gifts secure. Hence we need to do this right from the very basic level to the advanced. For example, even if is our own house, we try pushing the garbage towards our neighborhood without understanding the fact that the process would be coming back to us. So we need to be very conscious and should start becoming a responsible citizen. This is I believe should begin by targeting young people who very well know how to take care of their things. Also, our education in some forms should include serious issues in the environment.&nbsp;

WION - In recent days, Everest and Nanda Devi have quite been in news. Be it for the bottlenecks in the peaks, body retrieval and plucking tonnes of garbage. What will you say about the traffic management?&nbsp;

APARNA KUMAR - Adventure has now been very popular. Everyone wants to climb Everest and peaks. But we need to understand that not everyone can climb mountains. You need to be very serious about it. The traffic that has been on Everest is a very serious issue. It is because every year on Everest, there is an unlimited number of people scaling up who are inexperienced, not acclimatize to the weather conditions and are not serious about mountaineering. This results in their illness and also death. The extreme weather conditions on any mountain do not favour everyone resulting in getting them back, alive or dead which is not at all an easy nut to crack. So, we need to come up with strictest rules to avoid bottlenecks and adversities.&nbsp;

Nanda Devi is again not so crowded. Very few people climb it because it is a very tough peak. The recent news that had come up was a freak accident and a natural calamity of an avalanche that killed all climbers.&nbsp; 
The only way to reduce such calamities is by following rules and reducing human activities.&nbsp;

WION- You had recently made headlines by becoming the first IPS officer to reach the South Pole and now by scaling seven summits. Tell us more about your journey and how did you think of doing such arduous take?&nbsp;

APARNA KUMAR- Yes, it was a very gradual and step by step process. I first started climbing smaller mountains like Kilimanjaro and then taking up to the higher. The journey started in 2013 when I was posted as the Commander of 9th battalion PAC. It used to take care of high altitudes of Uttarakhand along the Indo-Tibetan border. People used to tell me about their adventurous stories and their experiences on walking on snow and pulling their sledge full of luggage. It made me curious about attempting it.&nbsp;

While my training began in 2013 when I did a basic mountaineering course from Manali. I was adjudged with A-grade, which made it possible for me to pursue an advanced mountaineering course which I completed in July 2014. The course made me eligible for expeditions. Shortly after, my training began. I knew I had to be physically and mentally strong as the task demands a lot of vigor. So before climbing up Everest, I had already climbed 7-8 peaks and then I thought of doing the Seven Summits.&nbsp;

WION- How did you feel after unfurling the Indian Flag once you completed your seven summits? One message that you want to give?&nbsp;

APARNA KUMAR- It was a big sense of relief because since past years, I have been trying hard to complete it but the extreme weather conditions sent me back home. This time I did it before the scheduled time. &nbsp;So in the end, it was very relieving and also I was happy in becoming the first one/Indian among my group of climbers to get it done in a foreign country.&nbsp;

One message that I want to give is to hold the onus of our deeds. We should start taking our biodiversity very seriously otherwise one day, everything around us will perish! 
&nbsp;

Emphasising the importance of our natural blessings and holding the accountability towards every action we do, Aparna Kumar speaks to WION and says that she is really worried about what we as human beings are contributing to maintaining the natural vibrancy of our environment.

Emphasising the importance of our natural blessings and holding the accountability towards every action we do, Aparna Kumar speaks to WION and says that she is really worried about what we as human beings are contributing to maintaining the natural vibrancy of our environment. Aparna Kumar made headlines by scaling Mount Denali in Alaska, USA, and with this climb, she became the first( IPS) Officer and DIG in (ITBP) to climb North America’s highest peak and also the first IPS officer to complete the Seven Summits Challenge ( challenge of climbing highest point in each of the 7 continents.) She also became the first woman IPS DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to complete the South Pole expedition. In an interview with WION's Ayushi Agarwal, Aparna Kumar said that we should worry about what is happening around us and start doing it at a very young age to keep our mountains/glaciers protected. Here are some excerpts of their conversations. WION- As a passionate mountaineer, you must be holding a very special place for ice and snow. How do you feel about hearing and reading the studies predicting that the ice is melting at a very steady rate? What is your take on being to such places? APARNA KUMAR- The drawback is completely visible. The places that I had visited is evidence of the fact that climate is changing and glaciers are receding at a very faster rate. But it depends on many factors. If you ask me about my experience, then I feel that I had seen many variations. For instance, when I went to Denali in late June, it was raining incessantly and snowing heavily. So it is all about variations. But yes, what we experience is because of the fact what we did in the past. The sudden change in climate is not an overnight variation, but it is our human activities that had led to such adversities and we must hold the onus. Reading studies about climate change and coming across such news and data bothers me. As a mountaineer, I see effects everywhere. It is more visible now than it was before. You can see more rock pieces now. Even our guides who have been climbing for 15 years have themselves witnessed this drastic change. The ice is melting at such a faster rate. This is unfortunate. WION- Climbers try hard to forge new routes to avoid litter and pollutants during climbing. Did you also witness litters and pollutants on your journey? What did you feel after witnessing such things? APARNA KUMAR- My experience in witnessing such pollutants has been different in every mountain that I had scaled up. To me, Mount Denali has been one of the cleanest mountains that I have climbed so far. The National park service makes a lot of effort in keeping the mountain clean. Also, we have some set rules, like we get clean mountain camps in which we have to stick. They give us polythene covers which are inserted into these clean mountain camps, also known as CMC's, and once they fill up, we have to replace the polythene with a new one so that we can use that and these again will be brought down to the base camp and then out of the glacier. These are all biodegradable polythene covers and Everything is brought down and nothing is left on the mountains. So, this is a very strict rule and these park rangers of National Park service keeps on monitoring if we are sticking to the rules or not. Hence my experience in terms of cleanliness had been amazing on Denali. If you ask me what I felt in the other mountains then I must say that apart from the Himalayas, every other mountain is very particular about keeping it clean. One way I suggest that we can contribute to keeping the pollutants/litters out is by government/association designing the policies and imposing strict rules to maintain the blessing that we have in such forms. WION - Climbing mountains are hit from climate disruption and global warming issues making things harder and deteriorating the natural vibrancy. How do you see this and what do you suggest on such cases as the process is slow and visible to the eyes of scientists? APARNA KUMAR - See, we need to be very serious towards protecting our environment at a very young age. In India, we lack behind many countries in terms of cleanliness and keeping natural gifts secure. Hence we need to do this right from the very basic level to the advanced. For example, even if is our own house, we try pushing the garbage towards our neighborhood without understanding the fact that the process would be coming back to us. So we need to be very conscious and should start becoming a responsible citizen. This is I believe should begin by targeting young people who very well know how to take care of their things. Also, our education in some forms should include serious issues in the environment. WION - In recent days, Everest and Nanda Devi have quite been in news. Be it for the bottlenecks in the peaks, body retrieval and plucking tonnes of garbage. What will you say about the traffic management? APARNA KUMAR - Adventure has now been very popular. Everyone wants to climb Everest and peaks. But we need to understand that not everyone can climb mountains. You need to be very serious about it. The traffic that has been on Everest is a very serious issue. It is because every year on Everest, there is an unlimited number of people scaling up who are inexperienced, not acclimatize to the weather conditions and are not serious about mountaineering. This results in their illness and also death. The extreme weather conditions on any mountain do not favour everyone resulting in getting them back, alive or dead which is not at all an easy nut to crack. So, we need to come up with strictest rules to avoid bottlenecks and adversities. Nanda Devi is again not so crowded. Very few people climb it because it is a very tough peak. The recent news that had come up was a freak accident and a natural calamity of an avalanche that killed all climbers. The only way to reduce such calamities is by following rules and reducing human activities. WION- You had recently made headlines by becoming the first IPS officer to reach the South Pole and now by scaling seven summits. Tell us more about your journey and how did you think of doing such arduous take? APARNA KUMAR- Yes, it was a very gradual and step by step process. I first started climbing smaller mountains like Kilimanjaro and then taking up to the higher. The journey started in 2013 when I was posted as the Commander of 9th battalion PAC. It used to take care of high altitudes of Uttarakhand along the Indo-Tibetan border. People used to tell me about their adventurous stories and their experiences on walking on snow and pulling their sledge full of luggage. It made me curious about attempting it. While my training began in 2013 when I did a basic mountaineering course from Manali. I was adjudged with A-grade, which made it possible for me to pursue an advanced mountaineering course which I completed in July 2014. The course made me eligible for expeditions. Shortly after, my training began. I knew I had to be physically and mentally strong as the task demands a lot of vigor. So before climbing up Everest, I had already climbed 7-8 peaks and then I thought of doing the Seven Summits. WION- How did you feel after unfurling the Indian Flag once you completed your seven summits? One message that you want to give? APARNA KUMAR- It was a big sense of relief because since past years, I have been trying hard to complete it but the extreme weather conditions sent me back home. This time I did it before the scheduled time. So in the end, it was very relieving and also I was happy in becoming the first one/Indian among my group of climbers to get it done in a foreign country. One message that I want to give is to hold the onus of our deeds. We should start taking our biodiversity very seriously otherwise one day, everything around us will perish!

Take biodiversity seriously otherwise one day everything will perish: Aparna Kumar, first IPS officer to complete 7 summits challenge to WION

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Ayushi Agarwal

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.