BBC WORLD

#Spotify #BBCNews Spotify is raising the price of its single-account premium plan for the first time since 2011, while the prices of other plans will also increase. In the UK subscriptions will rise by £1 a month, to £10.99 for an individual plan, £14.99 for a premium duo plan and £17.99 for a family plan. The price of a student plan remains unchanged at £5.99. The move follows other streaming services which have also increased subscription costs.

#Greece #Wildfires #BBCNews Two people are believed to have been onboard a plane which has crashed while fighting wildfires on the island of Evia in Greece. A Greek air force plane, with two air force pilots on board, were responding to an area of the island when the crash happened, a fire service spokesperson told the BBC. Meanwhile, repatriation flights have been put on for tourists evacuated from the island of Rhodes.

#Crypto #BBCNews A cryptocurrency project described as being "dystopian" has been launched by AI entrepreneur Sam Altman. Worldcoin gives people digital coins in exchange for a scan of their eyeballs. In sites around the world thousands of people queued to gaze into silver orbs on day one of the project's full launch. Mr Altman, the chief executive of Open AI which built chat bot ChatGPT says he hopes the initiative will help confirm if someone is a human or a robot.

#BBCNews #Yemen Yemen's long running conflict is grinding on and children remain in the firing line. Government-aligned forces, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, have been fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels who control Sanaa and much of the west of the country. The conflict has taken a heavy toll on the population, especially women and children. 11,300 children have been killed or maimed in nine years of war in the Arab world's poorest country, the UN said. The civil war has created a major humanitarian crisis.

#Israel #BBCNews Israeli police clashed with crowds of protesters at night after parliament adopted a highly controversial law to limit the Supreme Court's powers. The measure - part of a big reform package - will prevent the court from overruling government actions it considers unreasonable. Police in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv used water cannons to disperse protesters blocking highways. Critics have said the hard-right government's reforms threaten Israeli democracy.

#BBCNews #Snapchat #CountyLines Snapchat has said using its platform to buy or sell drugs was illegal and it proactively moderates content to detect and prevent any dealing. But minutes after opening a Snapchat account pretending to be a 15-year-old girl, BBC reporter Charanpreet Khaira was amazed at what she saw. This is what BBC Wales found during their investigation.

Many millionaires live in the Democratic Republic of Congo, one of the world's poorest countries. This film depicts some of those who have made fortunes amid the chaos, including musicians, mining bosses, entrepreneurs and preachers. The DRC is rich in raw materials, but only a few profit from its natural resources. While 60% of Congo's inhabitants live on less than $1.25 per day, businessmen, artists, former rebel leaders and evangelists are reaping the rewards of economic growth. In the capital, Kinshasa, these new rich live in safe and luxurious enclaves, while children toil in coltan mines in the eastern part of the country. Fally Ipupa has made his money with music. Others rely on their business acumen, like Patricia Nzolantima, who founded a taxi company and aims to give more opportunities to women. With 3,000 mine workers, Cooperamma is the largest employer in North Kivu, in the east of the DRC. Managing director Robert Seninga says his coltan mines are extremely well-run, yet safety standards are poor. Coltan, a globally coveted mineral, is used in cell phones and other devices. It’s both a blessing and a curse for the Congo. It makes some rich, but for others it means death. The region still suffers from ethnic and factional conflicts, with money from illegal coltan smuggling financing new violence. It’s a vicious cycle.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #reporter Still a teen but already a mom to several kids: Every year in Brazil, almost 500,000 girls under 20 give birth – more than in most other countries. Vitória became a mother at the age of 15. Now at 17, she’s pregnant with her second child. She lives with her boyfriend Eduardo in a favela in the north of Rio de Janeiro. Money is tight and their apartment is small. There are drug deals happening right outside their front door. Heavily armed dealers stand on every corner. It's a very different world from the Rio of Sugarloaf Mountain and picturesque beaches. But Vitória and Eduardo want to make it work. Social workers and doctors at the Dara Institute are helping guide them along the difficult path. A report by Bianca Kopsch. #documentary #dwdocumentary #reporter #brazil

#Heatwaves #Climate #bbcnews Why is it getting hotter? What is the highest temperature ever recorded? And what do cow burps have to do with the warming atmosphere? RuPaul’s Drag Race star Cheryl Hole asks BBC meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker key questions about heatwaves and the climate crisis. This video is part of Flip the Script, a series where celebrities interview BBC journalists about today’s big issues.

#GeorgeAlagiah #BBCNews George Alagiah, one of the BBC's longest-serving and most respected journalists, has died at 67, nine years after being diagnosed with cancer. A statement from his agent said he "died peacefully today, surrounded by his family and loved ones". "George was deeply loved by everybody who knew him, whether it was a friend, a colleague or a member of the public. George was a fixture on British TV news for more than three decades, presenting the BBC News at Six for the past 20 years. Before that, he was an award-winning foreign correspondent, reporting from countries ranging from Rwanda to Iraq.

#Russia #Ukraine #BBCNews Russia has accused Ukraine of being behind a drone attack that damaged at least two buildings in the capital Moscow early on Monday morning. The Russian defence ministry said two drones were "suppressed and crashed", adding that there were no casualties. Russia's state-owned Tass news agency reported that one drone fell close to the defence ministry. Ukrainian officials are yet to comment, but they rarely claim responsibility for attacks inside Russia.

#Ryanair #Aviation #BBCNews Europe's biggest airline, Ryanair, has revealed after tax profits of €663 million ($737 million) for the three months till the end of June 2023. The figure is higher than the company's profits pre-pandemic, for the same period. It follows the likes of easyJet also posting profits of $263 million last week. However, Ryanair has had to reduce passenger forecasts for the rest of the year due to production delays of new planes by Boeing.

#Rhodes #Corfu #BBCNews Wildfires on Rhodes have forced 19,000 people to be evacuated from homes and holiday accommodation. Flights are due to land on the Greek island later on Monday to bring back stranded holidaymakers. Tourists have been sleeping at the airport, makeshift rescue centres and on the street, after the flames threatened holiday resorts. At least three hotels have been destroyed in the dense forest area of Kiotari on the east of the island. Another evacuation order was issued for parts of Corfu, some 1,027km (670 miles) miles away, on Sunday evening.

#Twitter #ElonMusk #BBCNews Twitter owner Elon Musk has said he wants to get rid of the Twitter bird logo, and replace it with an "X". However, Mr Musk also has a history of making statements that fail to happen or are not serious. Mr Musk, who has changed the name of the business to X Corp, said the replacement "should have been done a long time ago". The move follows a Tweet on Sunday by Musk saying: "And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds."

#dwdocumentary #russia #documentary Reports from within Russian society have become a rare thing lately. This documentary provides profound insights into the private lives of families whose menfolk are fighting in a war that can’t be described as such. It’s a conflict that’s driven by propaganda. "Pro-War / Anti-War - Voices Inside Russia" shows unpublished footage from a nation that’s become far less accessible to foreign media since Russian troops invaded Ukraine. The families interviewed in the documentary live in the regions of Tver and Pskov in northwestern Russia. They have been dragged into a war that -- according to Russian state propaganda -- cannot be described as such. These families have sent their sons, brothers and husbands to fight in what is being officially described as a "fratricidal struggle with another Slavic people”. Their motivations vary: in some cases, they are financial and in others, ideological. Upon returning from the front, or between deployments, the soldiers relate their terrible experiences as part of the "military special operations.” Their mission, as presented to them by Putin, was the liberation of a populace supposedly repressed by the fascist regime of Ukraine. But on the ground, it quickly became apparent that the ‘mission’ was propaganda, and a lie. In addition, the army’s inadequate preparation soon became clear to the Russian soldiers. They also witnessed war crimes committed against Ukrainian civilians, carried out on the orders of their superiors. The soldiers return from the frontline shocked and plagued with doubts over the legitimacy of Russia’s presence in Ukraine and how the war will end. "Frankly, I think we’re losing," is the disillusioned view of a young soldier returning home to the garrison town of Pskov. While some admit to the failures of the Putin regime, others find justifications for this entrenched conflict and remain under the influence of the official propaganda machine. The documentary reveals a Russian society gripped by an identity crisis. The filmmaker has been following the fortunes of the families since 24 February, the start of the Russian invasion. For security reasons, the author must remain anonymous. #documentary #dwdocumentary #russia

#turkey #dwdocumentary #erdoğan President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been in power for 20 years. Turkey has become increasingly autocratic under his rule, his critics are persecuted. We travel through Erdoğan’s Turkey, meeting both supporters and opponents of the head of state. The devastating earthquake on February 6 that killed around 45,000 people has damaged Erdoğan’s reputation. His government is accused of mismanaging the disaster and, above all, of allowing corruption in the construction sector. Thousands of homes were built by crooked developers who paid little attention to safety standards. Yet the president still enjoys a lot of support in the country, in spite of the corruption, high inflation and his autocratic leadership style. Erdoğan’s policies are a combination of economic liberalism, Islamism and nationalism and he appeals to many Turks’ patriotism and religious sentiments. Long claiming to be a Muslim democrat, he has gradually Islamized Turkey, in spite of its secular constitution. In order to remain unchallenged in his rule, Erdoğan has largely suppressed press freedom. According to Reporters Without Borders, Turkey is one of the most repressive countries in the world for journalists. #documentary #dwdocumentary #turkey #türkiye #erdoğan #erdogan

#Rhodes #Greece #BBCNews Thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes after wildfires engulfed large parts of the island. Greece's fire service told the BBC it apologises for what it called "a mess" on the island, warning that the situation could worsen due to weather.

#dwdocumentary #gender #documentary "At last I feel at home in my body!" These are Robin’s first words after the mastectomy, a complex operation to remove female breasts. "A total liberation," says Robin, who is clearly over the moon. Not that the flat chest now means Robin is a man, for Robin is "agender”. "I’ve decided I’d rather be seen as a man instead of a woman, but I don’t have a gender, there’s no neutral, no third, I simply have no gender,” says Robin. That’s why Robin is choosing not to use pronouns: "he”, "his” or "him” are all out of the question. Robin’s childhood and youth was punctuated with the realization: I’m not like the others. But for a long time, Robin didn’t know what to do. The breakthrough came at the age of 22. For the first time, Robin met young people identifying as trans or non-binary at a queer gathering. And Robin knew straightaway: I’m like them. Robin’s parents, best friend and partner all reacted positively to the coming-out. For the partner, it soon becomes clear: His love for Robin is for the person, the gender is irrelevant. The two remain a couple. Right from the outset, Robin took him along on this personal journey of adjustment. First the hormone treatment, which gives Robin a deep voice, facial and body hair, then the mastectomy. "For me, my body and my soul, I’ve definitely arrived, but in society not yet,” says Robin. Awareness and understanding for people who are trans still needs to improve, Robin adds. Robin works as a volunteer in workshops to inform students and trainees about queer people. "I’ll continue to fight to be accepted as I am, so that I can be this way,” says Robin. #documentary #dwdocumentary #gender

#Spain #BBCNews Spain is going to the polls in a general election that offers a choice of two starkly contrasting visions. Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez has been Prime Minister since 2018, and he hopes the government's social reforms and its handling of a strongly performing economy will win over voters. But his party has been lagging in polls behind the conservative People's Party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who may end up needing far-right support. This is the first Spanish general election of modern times held in the searing heat of mid-summer, when many Spaniards are on holiday.

#dwdocumentary #documentary #pakistan Comedy in Pakistan has always been a male-dominated space. Men are allowed to crack jokes, show off, or be crude. Enter female comedians. They get cast as mothers, daughters or mothers-in-law – rather than playing individuals, women are limited to caricatures. Amtul wants to change this, which is why she has joined the Khawatoons group. “Khawatoons” is a play on the Urdu word for women, “khawateen”, and “cartoons”. In the group, all the roles are played by women, who carefully test the boundaries of what can be said in Pakistan’s comedy clubs. The performers feel that challenging topics, including sexual violence, abortion and gender relations, have their place in comedy. A report by Vanessa Juercke. #documentary #dwdocumentary #reporter #pakistan

#dwdocumentary #documentary #india Sex work is a way of life for thousands of women in marginalized communities in certain parts of rural India. For many, it is the only way to make money - also due to the Indian caste system and centuries-old prejudices which make it difficult for the families to escape poverty. But winds of change are blowing. In certain Indian villages, sex work is, in a sense, inherited. Mothers and grandmothers have already worked in the same trade. In the past, they mostly belonged to ethnic groups that worked mainly as performers. The British colonial power criminalized them, and to this day it is especially difficult for the men of these ethnic groups to find regular jobs. Therefore, the female members of the family are often the breadwinners. They are the ones who take out loans, build houses, make important decisions, which is otherwise rare in India. Our reporters Akanksha Saxena and Neerat Kaur looked around the villages - and found signs of hope: The young generation is trying to leave this sad tradition behind and fight for better education and rights.

#rosequartz #dwdocumentary #documentary Jade for courage, amethyst to improve concentration and rose quartz for love. Social media influencers are driving demand for quartz and gemstones. But these pretty materials are mined under questionable conditions in the Global South. Does rose quartz combat stress? In the beauty industry, gemstones have been an integral part of the product range for years. Various companies tout their rose quartz products‘ "natural" healing powers, claiming they will help customers recuperate from their stressful everyday lives and reconnect with nature. But while people in Europe turn to these stones for beauty and healing, the gemstones bring anything but wellbeing for the workers across the globe who are mining them. From the European beauty industry to middlemen in Asia to the mining regions: Nadja Mitzkat gets to the bottom of the esoteric gemstone production chain. The reporter finds that many of the beauty products originate in Madagascar. She travels to the African island state to talk to local people about their working conditions.

#VICENews #News Young adults are shunning college and moving to Los Angeles to make some bank off of the hottest social media platform.

#ClimateChange #Heatwave #BBCNews A series of climate records on temperature, ocean heat, and Antarctic sea ice have alarmed some scientists who have said their speed and timing is unprecedented. Dangerous heatwaves in Europe could break further records, the UN has said. It is hard to immediately link these events to climate change because weather - and oceans - are so complex. Studies are underway, but scientists already fear some worst-case scenarios are unfolding.

#BBCNews #Archaeology #HistoryPlease The Tartessos were an advanced Bronze Age society that flourished in the Iberian Peninsula in southern Spain around 3,000 years ago. But 500 years later, the civilisation vanished mysteriously. Now new research is investigating how and why the Tartessos disappeared.