BBC gets £20 million boost from UK govt

The one-time payment will be used to support English-language broadcasting and “counter disinformation”

The British government has announced a lavish one-off payment to state-funded broadcaster the BBC. The money, which is worth £20 million ($24.13 million), will be allocated to the broadcaster over the next two years, the UK Foreign Office said on Monday.

The package comes within the framework of the so-called Integrated Review, a program document envisioning ‘Global Britain’ and originally adopted under former PM Boris Johnson. The money is set to be funneled to all 42 language services of the BBC World Service and will be used to “support English-language broadcasting,” as well as to “counter disinformation,” the foreign office explained, implying the funds will be specifically used to counter Russia.

“The refreshed Integrated Review concludes that democracies like the UK must go further to out-cooperate and out-compete states that are driving instability. Developments over the past year, particularly the conflict in Ukraine, have shown the importance of being able to counter the hostile use of disinformation and tackle the spread of harmful state narratives,” it said.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly praised the decision, hailing the BBC as “the world’s most trusted international broadcaster,” as well as a “vital” tool “in the fight against the spread of disinformation around the world.”

“This funding will ensure people across the globe continue to have access to accurate, high-quality journalism,” Cleverly asserted.

The state-funded broadcaster received a similar lump sum payment back in 2021, with the same proclaimed goal of battling purported fake news. Back then, however, the payment was more than twice as modest as the new one, with ‘only’ £8 million allocated at the time to “tackle harmful disinformation, challenge inaccurate reporting around the world and improve digital engagement.”

https://www.rt.com/news/572922-bbc-state-funding-boost/

Zelensky backs expulsion of Christian monks

Ukraine’s leader believes seizing the historic Kiev Pechersk Lavra will strengthen “spiritual independence”

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has endorsed the order to expel monks of the canonical Orthodox church from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, insinuating they were agents of Russia. Moscow has called on all Christian churches, as well as the UN and other international organizations, to respond to the “outrageous” decision.

“This week there is also a move to strengthen our spiritual independence,” Zelensky said in a weekly address to the nation on Sunday evening. “We will not allow the terrorist state any opportunity to manipulate the spirituality of our people, to destroy our holy sites – our Lavras – or to steal valuables from them.”

He also claimed the steps his government was undertaking were “completely legal” and had the full support of the Ukrainian public.

On Friday, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture notified the monks they had until March 29 to vacate the monastery, claiming they had violated the 2013 agreement under which the state allowed them to administer the national historic preserve. Founded in 1051, the Pechersk Lavra (‘Monastery of the Caves’) is considered the most prominent Orthodox Christian site in Ukraine.

Kiev has already expelled the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) from two of the cathedrals above the monastery. Within days of that decision, in early January, the government-created Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was allowed to hold services on the premises.

The UOC monks will “not carry out the order” to leave, the abbot of the monastery said on Monday. The head of the church, Metropolitan Kliment, had called Friday’s note the personal opinion of a Ministry of Culture official, with no legal standing. The UOC remains in communion with the Russian Orthodox Church, but has declared itself independent and condemned the Russian “invasion” to remain in the Ukrainian government’s good graces.

Kiev’s move to expel the monks is “unacceptable” and “absolutely unprecedented,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “We believe that the world community should respond accordingly to such an outrageous decision.”

On Saturday, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church compared the eviction to the expulsion of Orthodox clergy under Communism. Such a move would “lead to a violation of the rights of millions of Ukrainian Orthodox faithful,” said Patriarch Kirill, in a letter sent to the UN, the heads of other Orthodox churches, Pope Francis of Rome, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Coptic Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, and others.

https://www.rt.com/russia/572918-zelensky-kiev-pechersk-lavra-takeover/

Kiev’s Regime Foils Dialogue About Creation Of A Safety Zone In Zaporozhye

Once again, the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev makes it clear that it is not willing to engage in humanitarian projects to contain the damage generated by the conflict. According to a recent report by local authorities of the reintegrated Zaporozhye oblast, the Ukrainian government maintains its stance of boycotting any possible dialogue for the creation of a safety area around the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP).

As a result, there is a constant situation of insecurity, with the possibility of a nuclear disaster in the region at any time. In a recent interview with a top Russian media outlet, Vladimir Rogov, a senior official in Zaporozhye’s regional administration, warned about Ukraine’s policy of thwarting humanitarian projects focused on creating a protected security zone around the local nuclear power plant. According to Rogov, the Ukrainians refuse to give any guarantees that they will actually stop the bombings against the ZNPP, which obviously prevents any agreement from being reached.

Rogov explains that two factors are essential in order to effectively guarantee the security of the ZNPP: 1- banning any type of bombing by Ukrainian armed forces both in Zaporozhye and in the neighboring town of Energodar; 2- recognize Russia’s right to protect the region. Indeed, as it is a liberated territory, already reintegrated into the Russian Federation through a legal referendum, its protection is up to the Russian armed forces.

The Ukrainians, however, use the supposed intention of “protecting” the ZNPP as a political tool and bargaining power: they only accept to stop the bombings if there is a withdrawal on the part of Moscow’s troops. As the popular will to join the Russian Federation is proved, obviously the Russian government cannot allow the Zaporozhye oblast to return to being dominated by the forces of the neo-Nazi regime. Therefore, there is an absolute failure to conclude negotiations.

“The regime of [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky foils any progress in creating a security zone around the ZNPP, refusing to give any guarantees to prevent the shelling of the nuclear power plant and its satellite city Energodar. The plant’s safety is guaranteed by two components: the absence of shelling by the militants of the Ukrainian armed forces and the proper protection provided by the Russian national guard”, Vladimir Rogov said during the interview.

The statement from local authorities in Zaporozhye comes a few days after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov denounced the same problem, also reporting a lack of neutrality on the part of UN officials in the attempt to negotiate the agreement. Lavrov pointed out that when he visited Kiev UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres showed support for the unilateral demands made by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, thus disrespecting the neutrality required by the organization’s Charter.

https://southfront.org/kievs-regime-foils-dialogue-about-creation-of-a-safety-zone-in-zaporozhye/