Tag Archives: Asia

BBC World Service expands with 11 new Asian and African languages.

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BBC World Service will begin broadcasting in 11 additional Asian and African languages and will boost content aimed at its Russian audience in its biggest expansion since the 1940s, the BBC said on Wednesday.

The World Service started out in 1932 as a radio channel for English speakers in the British empire, but has morphed over the decades into a highly respected global provider of news and quality programmes in English and dozens of other languages.

The expansion is a result of a major funding injection announced by the government last year as part of a drive to boost Britain’s “soft power”.

“This is a historic day for the BBC, as we announce the biggest expansion of the World Service since the 1940s,” said BBC Director General Tony Hall. “The BBC World Service is a jewel in the crown – for the BBC and for Britain.”

The additional African languages will be Afaan Oromo, spoken in Ethiopia and other countries, Amharic, also a major Ethiopian language, Tigrinya, the main language of Eritrea, and Nigerian languages Igbo, Yoruba and Pidgin, which are also spoken in other West African countries.

The World Service will also add Indian languages Gujarati, Marathi and Telugu, as well as Punjabi which is widely spoken in Pakistan and parts of India, and Korean, spoken in both North and South Korea.

The BBC will also extend its news bulletins in Russian, with regionalised versions for surrounding countries, add regional programming in Arabic and short-wave and medium-wave radio programmes aimed at audiences in the Korean peninsula.

“Through war, revolution and global change, people around the world have relied on the World Service for independent, trusted, impartial news,” said Fran Unsworth, director of the World Service.

Hall has set a target for the BBC to reach 500 million people worldwide by its centenary in 2022.

Oil Prices Rise In Asia As Output Meeting Approaches

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Oil prices bounced Friday, with Brent climbing back above $40, as traders digested falling US output ahead of a producers’ meeting this month to discuss a proposed output freeze.

US production fell for the 10th time in 11 weeks, to 9.0 million barrels per day in the week through April 1, the lowest level since November 2014, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration.

Commercial crude stockpiles in the world’s top oil consumer also dropped, indicating stronger demand.

At around 0720 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for May delivery climbed $1.03, or 2.76 percent, to $38.29 and Brent crude for June was up 83 cents, or 2.10 percent, at $40.26.

Prices retreated Thursday following a five percent rally the previous day in reaction to the decline in US inventories.

But traders are setting their sights on the April 17 meeting in Doha among crude producers led by Russia and Saudi Arabia to discuss measures to stabilise prices, including an output freeze at January 2016 levels.

There have been conflicting signals on whether such an agreement would be reached.

Saudi Arabia has said it will only agree to limits if others followed suit, while Iran said it is still ramping up production after Western economic sanctions were lifted only in January.

“Unfortunately, history is against anything (concrete) coming out of the Doha meeting,” analyst David Lennox of Fat Prophets in Sydney told AFP.

“But a lot of OPEC countries are feeling great economic pain, which might give them the impetus to take some positive action in cutting production,” he said.

Credit: Guardian

19 Nigerians Attempt Smuggling Drugs To Asia Despite Death Sentence– NDLEA

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has said it saved 20 people from the death penalty in Asia by preventing them from smuggling drugs out of Nigeria. In a statement Thursday, the agency said since January 2014, 19 Nigerians and a Ghanaian have been arrested in Nigerian airports attempting to smuggle 106,914 kilogrammes of narcotics.

“Sixteen of the suspects were apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos while four others including a Ghanaian were caught at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu,” said Ahmadu Giade, NDLEA’s Chairman.

“Their final destinations are Malaysia, China and Thailand where drug trafficking is punishable by death.”

On Tuesday, four Nigerians were among eight people executed by Indonesian authorities over drug-related offences. While commiserating with the deceased families, the NDLEA urged relevant authorities to intensify anti-drug abuse campaign efforts. “I sincerely sympathise with the families of the executed drug convicts,” Mr. Giade said.

“This is a moment of sober reflection on the illicit activities of drug trafficking syndicates. This brings to the fore the bigger picture of those in foreign prisons, those arrested here and others preparing to smuggle drugs.

“It is a wake-up call for stakeholders to step up their counter-narcotics efforts. Apart from drug trafficking being a criminal act, narcotic smuggling poses a serious threat to public health and safety.”

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