Latest news with #WorldService
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Syria government says women must wear burkinis at public beaches
Syria's Islamist-led interim government has decreed that women must wear burkinis - a swimsuit that covers the body except for the face, hands and feet - or other "decent" clothes at public beaches and swimming pools. The regulations, issued by the tourism ministry, were "aimed at enhancing public safety standards and preserving public decency", Syrian state news channel Al-Ikhbariyah al-Suriyah reported. Private beaches, clubs and pools, as well as hotels with more than four stars, are exempt, the directive said. Women often dress modestly on public beaches in Syria, but some women do opt for more Western styles of swimwear. The new government previously pledged to govern inclusively. Under the new directive, beachgoers and visitors to public pools must wear "more modest swimwear", specifying "the burkini or swimming clothes that cover more of the body". The decree added that women should wear a cover-up or loose clothing over their swimwear when they move between swimming areas. "Travelling in swimwear outside the beach without appropriate cover is prohibited," it said. Men should also wear a shirt when they are not swimming, and are not allowed to be bare-chested outside swimming areas. The statement said "normal Western swimwear" was generally allowed in exempted places "within the limits of public taste". More generally, people should wear loose clothing that covers the shoulders and knees and "avoid transparent and tight clothing", the decree added. The directive did not say whether those who fail to follow the rules would be penalised or how the rules would be enforced. But it did say lifeguards and supervisors would be appointed to monitor compliance on beaches. It also included other safety regulations around pools and beaches. Reacting to the new rule, one woman from Idlib in the north-west of the country told the BBC's World Service that, while she could see both sides of the argument, "I do think there is a positive to this, from a moral and respectful point of view". Celine said: "Some people and families don't feel comfortable seeing or wearing too much exposed skin and I believe that is a valid perspective." But another woman, Rita, who lives in the capital, Damascus, said she was "not comfortable" with the new rule, "especially as we are not used to such laws". "In the coastal area, different ladies from different religions all have been going there and until now, we wore what we wanted," she said. "Religious people could avoid those in bikinis. But this law makes us scared of where to go." She added: "We have no problem with the burkini itself, but it's a problem with the concept that the government are controlling this." In December last year, Islamist rebel forces led by Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime, bringing years of civil war to an end. Since then, al-Sharaa, now the country's interim president, has promised to run the country in an inclusive way. In an interview with the BBC shortly after he took power, he said he believed in education for women and denied that he wanted to turn Syria into a version of Afghanistan - which has severely curtailed women's rights. In March, Sharaa signed a constitutional declaration covering a five-year transitional period. The document said Islam was the religion of the president, as the previous constitution did, and Islamic jurisprudence was "the main source of legislation", rather than "a main source". The declaration also guaranteed women's rights, freedom of expression and media freedom. Rubio warns Syria could be weeks away from 'full-scale civil war' Trump expected to meet Syrian leader after announcing he will lift sanctions
The Guardian
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Cuts to BBC World Service funding would ‘make us less safe', MPs tell ministers
Hours before Rachel Reeves stood up to deliver her budget last year, government officials were still in tense negotiations with bosses at the BBC over how much the World Service would be given. The amount they were haggling over was relatively small – just £5.5m out of a total budget of £400m. But BBC chiefs warned the government that if the cuts were imposed on them, they would have to close several language stations in parts of the world where the Russians already hold influence. Doing so would be a gift to Moscow, they added. The argument worked, and the BBC got the extra cash it was asking for. But executives at the corporation worry that their appeal to Britain's soft power might not prove so effective this time, especially in light of the government's recent cuts to the aid budget. 'The government is asking the World Service to model cuts that would definitely mean having to close important parts of the service,' said one person familiar with the negotiations. 'The BBC's lobbying worked last time, but this round is proving harder.' The Guardian recently revealed the government had asked the World Service to model two scenarios: one where their funding remains the same in cash terms; and one where it would be cut by 2% each year in cash terms. Each scenario would see the budget fall behind inflation, and could mean it ends up to £70m short of what its bosses believe it needs. Jonathan Munro, the global director of the BBC, said: 'When it comes to international impact and influence, the BBC World Service is the UK's most powerful asset. 'While we currently deliver news in 42 languages to over 400m people every week, at the greatest value for money compared to other international news providers, we are ambitious about going further to provide independent news where there is a vital need.' The service is just one institution promoting Britain's soft power abroad, but it is arguably the most powerful, reaching 450m people a week, according to the broadcaster's own figures. When pollsters asked people from around the world about various British exports and organisations, the BBC came out well ahead of any other, with nearly 80% having heard of it and nearly 50% saying it made them feel more positively about the UK. In comparison, only about 55% had heard of the monarchy, and only 25% said it made them view the UK more favourably. According to the same research, which the BBC commissioned, the organisation is also the most trusted of any global news outlet, ahead of CNN, Al Jazeera and Sky News. Jonathan McClory, the managing partner at Sanctuary Counsel and an expert on soft power, said: 'It's a gratuitous accident of history that we have the BBC World Service. You couldn't recreate it if you were starting from scratch, but it enables us to shape a global information landscape and promote British values, such as a free press, transparency and broad support for human rights.' Ministers say they understand this. Jenny Chapman, the international development minister, told the Guardian: 'The World Service do tremendous work, work that nobody else can do … They are soft power, an absolute gold standard resource. We respect that.' But supporters of the organisation fear that budgetary pressure has left its influence on the wane. In 2014, the coalition government stopped funding the world service, leaving the BBC to pay for it purely out of the licence fee. Two years later the government restored some direct funding, which was ringfenced for certain language services, but at a much lower level. Most of the service's £400m budget still comes from licence fee money – a situation the director general, Tim Davie, has warned is not sustainable, especially when domestic operations are being cut. Both scenarios that the government has asked BBC bosses to draw up for the World Service would involve closing certain parts of it. While it will not shut down operations in entire countries, BBC insiders say they are likely to have to close certain foreign language services where there are relatively few people who speak that language. Those services in places close to Russia – which corporation bosses warned last year would be closed if more money was not forthcoming – are once more on the chopping block. The problem with closing operations, even those with relatively small audiences, is that it can give Russia and China a perfect opportunity to push their own propaganda. When the BBC ended its long-wave BBC Arabic radio service in Lebanon, for example, Russian-backed media took over that exact frequency and began broadcasting on it instead. And on the day that thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah all simultaneously exploded in Lebanon, BBC monitors said they picked up what Davie later called 'unchallenged [Russian] propaganda' on that station. The BBC's research has found that its trust level was largely unchanged from four years ago at 78%. Trust in both Russia Today and China Global Television Network had jumped however, from 59% to 71% and from 62% to 70%, respectively. Last week Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative chair of the culture, media and sport select committee, wrote to cabinet ministers warning: 'Without sufficient resources, it could lead to more situations where the world service withdraws or reduces its services and Russian state media fills the vacuum, as in Lebanon. 'Ahead of the spending review, I invite you to reassure us that the government is not seeking to make a 2% cut to its funding of the World Service, at a time when it is vital to our strategic priorities, and that the government will not require cuts that will lead to the BBC having to close one or more language services.' Such arguments have worked with Reeves and her officials in the past. But the chancellor is hemmed in like never before, having already promised major funding increases for defence, the health service and local transport. Dinenage said: 'Ministers have told us that the world service bolsters UK security. Cutting its funding now would undoubtably make us all less safe.' A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'Despite a tough fiscal situation, we continue to back the World Service, providing a large uplift of £32.6m this year alone, taking our total funding to £137m. 'The work they do as an independent and trusted broadcaster is highly valued by this government, as our continued financial support shows.'
Times
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Times
Let's give BBC World Service the funding its power deserves
The BBC is many things to many people, from its revered children's and educational programming to the wonders of the natural world, with Sir David Attenborough a trusted guide. In the UK, we are fortunate to have a healthy creative industries and media sector that thrives on the talents of our nation and represents all corners of the country. But how much value does the BBC have internationally? It is a question the government appears to be taking seriously. In January it launched the Soft Power Council with the aim of boosting economic growth and security. • BBC World Service cuts 'leave gap for Russia and China' A central part of the UK's soft power is the BBC World Service, which operates in 42 languages — 43 if you count the recently announced BBC News Polska offer — and delivers independent news to hundreds of millions of people every hour of the day. During decades of drawn-out and bloody wars, through prolonged periods of enforced isolation, the BBC World Service has a history of providing information for those desperately in need. And it's still doing it today, launching urgent services in recent times in countries facing unimaginable horror. Notable interventions include extended broadcasts for Ukraine as the war erupted, a radio service in Sudan as civil combat ensued and enhanced services for Myanmar after the devastating earthquake. And yet among the geopolitical friction and cultural chasms that underlie global conflicts and catastrophes, a more pernicious threat has taken hold. Earlier this year, the latest Global Risks Report published by the World Economic Forum registered disinformation and misinformation as the most prominent risk facing the world. Disinformation drives doubt, division and destabilisation by playing on our insecurities. It has the power to enrage, to shock and to provoke. In the modern world, disinformation is everywhere, fuelled by self-interested states and turbo-charged by artificial intelligence. • Maga propaganda takeover looms for silenced Voice of America In a febrile climate, this can have devastating results. But there is hope. In Nigeria, misinformation that President Tinubu had forged his university documents led to significant unrest until the BBC debunked the claims, calming the situation. In Pakistan, a viral video with more than 400,000 views on X claimed to show an explosion caused by a Pakistani response to hostilities with India over Kashmir. In fact, the images were from the 2020 Beirut port explosion in Lebanon. The BBC's teams used fact-checking, data analysis and video verification to either debunk the content or at least give it more context. Countering disinformation and providing verified, independent news is what makes the BBC World Service the most trusted international news provider in the world. Recent research also found that it is the most well-recognised British cultural export, alongside our world-beating universities, first-class film industry and the Premier League. The organisation drives a favourable attitude towards the UK and also notably increases the likelihood of its audience wanting to invest here. That's not bad for a product the government terms 'soft power'. Let us hope that next week's spending review settlement for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office includes additional resources to restore some of the lost funding to this great British asset. Lord Blunkett was home secretary between 2001 and 2004
Spectator
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
The best radio at the moment is on the BBC World Service
Online viewings of Conclave increased threefold following the death of Pope Francis last month. At least some of the traffic was rumoured to have come from the Vatican itself. This raises many questions, but the most pertinent for me this week is, what did the cardinals think of the carpets? Do they really have coffee machines in their rooms like Tremblay? Minibars like Bellini? Their peace spoiled by the sounds of a lift shaft as in the case of long-suffering Lawrence? If any of these details passed you by, it's worth watching the film again. In fact, after listening to an interview with the production designer, to be broadcast on BBC World Service next week, you will feel positively compelled to do so. Suzie Davies, who also designed the sets for Mr Turner and Saltburn, clearly had fun. The idea behind giving Tremblay (John Lithgow) an espresso machine was apparently to rouse suspicions, ever so subtly, as to how he obtained such a luxury; he also has a larger room than the other cardinals. Bellini has a minibar because, well, he's played by Stanley Tucci. And Lawrence is just so forbearing. With 130 job cuts looming over the World Service – in spite of an unlikely injection of cash from the autumn budget – it's a good time to sing the praises of its documentary department. The World Service is not always the obvious channel to flip to for gripping factual content, but its current listings are actually more enticing than those for Radio 4. Forthcoming programmes that caught my eye this week include Print and Shoot: The Rise of 3D-Printed Guns, How Does Heat Affect Our Health?, The Future of the Alawites and of course Designing Conclave.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
BBC World Service to launch new offer in Polish
BBC World Service is expanding its trusted news offer with the launch of a pilot Polish-language news website, BBC News Polska – and its content on social channels. Going live from Tuesday 24 June 2025, the website will deliver independent and impartial news in text and video for Polish-speaking audiences. The new language offer will help counter a wave of disinformation in the region and provide news and analysis on areas audiences are seeking information on, including the ongoing wars and conflicts, health, climate change, and the cost of living. BBC News Polska content will be available via its social-media channels on Facebook and Instagram. The pilot language initiative will come from existing budgets and will be reviewed throughout its first year of operation. The BBC World Service's ability to respond to changing audience demands, launch further pilots and adapt to global challenges relies on the need for a long-term sustainable funding model. BBC News Polska will be the first new language offer from the BBC World Service produced with the help of AI translation technology. BBC News Polska will work innovatively to harness existing translation and transcription tools to bring the best of the BBC's journalism to new audiences. The translation of BBC reporting will always have human editorial oversight and, where used, will be clearly labelled. The curated content will complement regional angles and analysis produced by the team of Polish-speaking journalists. The platforms will also host content from BBC presenters Kasia Madera and Tomasz Schafernaker. The launch of BBC News Polska sees the BBC World Service working in a new way with a small, efficient team delivering both the AI-assisted translation of curated BBC reporting and original journalism. BBC News Polska will operate as a pilot. The BBC World Service has bold plans to pilot more non-English-language content where there is a demand for independent, impartial news as press freedom reduces globally and disinformation is rife. Global Director and Deputy CEO, BBC News, Jonathan Munro, says: 'Today, as we face a storm of disinformation and ever-growing attacks on media freedom, democracy and regional security, BBC News Polska is a major step towards serving more audiences around the world with content they can trust. 'This is part of a strategy that would see the BBC's global reach grow and advance the case for democratic values. But to do this, the BBC World Service would need a long-term sustainable funding arrangement to build on these foundations and to secure our global public service journalism for the future.' Deputy Global Director, BBC News, Fiona Crack, adds: 'Launching BBC News Polska, we are bringing together the most effective practices of working responsibly and innovatively with AI to reach Polish-speakers with the best of the BBC's global and regional journalism. Following successful trials and advances in translation services, we are able to launch a new offer alongside original stories and fresh angles from our excellent Polish-speaking team. We look forward to building an audience for whom this content will serve as a welcome and required source of trusted news and information.' The BBC is the most recognised international news brand in Poland (source: BBC Impact and Influence 2025 study), reaching around 5.1m people every week in the country – around a fifth of the country's adult population – with the BBC News TV channel, the BBC Studios global digital news platform as well as BBC World Service's content in English and other languages. BBC News Polska is the BBC's first new language offer from the BBC since BBC News Serbian was announced in March 2017. Notes The BBC has previously announced our intention to translate existing BBC News content into languages to make it available to a wider audience as noted here: An update on the BBC's plans for Generative AI (Gen AI) and how we plan to use AI tools responsibly About BBC World Service BBC World Service delivers news and current affairs around the world in 42 language services including English across a mix of video, audio, and online output. Mainly through the BBC World Service, the BBC reaches a weekly audience of 450m and is ranked first by global audiences for trust, reliability, and independence amongst international news providers. BBC Global Impact and Influence Research Recent research revealed that the BBC is unmatched internationally in driving favourable impressions of the UK and that the BBC is the country's most recognised cultural export internationally with 76% of influential audiences around the world having heard of BBC News – higher than any other British cultural export including British sports, films and universities. You can read the full research: Global Influence and Impact Research LN2
