LONDON: Britain’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) on Wednesday called on YouTube to remove videos from its online platform of a hoax video call to defense minister Ben Wallace, which they said had been doctored by the Russian state.
Wallace last week ordered an inquiry after an impostor claiming to be the Ukrainian prime minister was able to contact him. Wallace said he ended the 10-minute call when he became suspicious about the “misleading” questions he was being asked.
Several clips of the video have subsequently appeared online, showing Wallace speaking from the back of a moving vehicle while he is asked about a range of issues including nuclear weapons and NATO.
“We are calling on YouTube to help us support Ukraine by taking down videos doctored by the Russian state and disseminated to try and sap the morale of a people fighting for their freedom,” the MoD said on Twitter.
The department posted a longer letter calling on YouTube, the world’s most used streaming video service, to remove or at least block access to the videos in line with the Google-owned company’s March 11 decision to block access to channels associated with Russian state-funded media.
It detailed two objections with the video relating to NLAW anti-tank missiles sent from Britain to Ukraine.
“The doctored clip asserts that the UK’s supply of NLAWS to Ukraine have “often failed.” Our NLAWS have not failed, this is factually incorrect,” the MoD said.
Secondly, speaking about the supply of those weapons, Wallace says “We’ve got more coming, we’re running out of our own.” However the MoD said this was factually incorrect: “We have no supply shortages.”
The MoD did not detail exactly how the videos had been manipulated, but said that in their “modified and edited” form they could be used by the Russian state to support its actions in Ukraine.
“I am confident you would not wish to be a conduit for Russian propaganda or be in any way associated with the potential consequences of this type of media manipulation,” the letter said.
UK calls on YouTube to take down videos ‘doctored’ by Russia
https://arab.news/ggf2r
UK calls on YouTube to take down videos ‘doctored’ by Russia
- Wallace last week ordered an inquiry after an impostor claiming to be the Ukrainian prime minister was able to contact him
- The department posted a longer letter calling on YouTube to remove or at least block access to the videos
Gems of Arabia magazine launched to spotlight talents shaping Saudi Arabia’s evolving cultural landscape
- The publication features established and emerging talents elevating the region across design, fashion, art, tech, music, architecture and media
- Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel seeks to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences
DUBAI: When Saudi fashion designer Hatem Alakeel interviewed Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud before her appointment as Saudi ambassador to the US, the longtime advocate of women’s empowerment made a powerful prediction: “I look forward to the day that the Saudi woman is no longer the story but rather a phenomenal achievement.”
That moment would become the foundation for Gems of Arabia, an arts and culture audio-visual podcast that spotlights the creative talents shaping the landscape of Saudi Arabia and the broader region.
Over six years, Gems of Arabia has documented the sweeping transformation of the Kingdom’s art and culture scene, and is now evolving into a full-fledged magazine.
“It started off as a column I used to write, and from there, it turned into a podcast. Now it is growing into a magazine,” Dubai-based Alakeel, the magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, told Arab News ahead of the launch of the digital publication on Thursday.
Besides spotlighting celebrated regional artists, Alakeel said Gems of Arabia is in search of the “hidden gems” elevating the region across design, fashion, art, tech, music, architecture and media.
The magazine serves as a platform for talented, authentic creatives and tech entrepreneurs unable to articulate their work “because they don’t have the public relations or capacity to promote themselves even through social media.”
Alakeel added: “Our job is to identify all these authentic people; you don’t have to be famous, you just have to be authentic, and have a great story to tell.”
The digital publication offers a dynamic blend of short-form podcasts, coverage of regional cultural events, in-depth features and editorials, long-form interviews and artist profiles — spotlighting both celebrated and emerging talents. This is complemented by social media vox pops and bite-sized coverage of art events across the region.
Alakeel, who also runs Authenticite, a consulting and creative production agency connecting creators and brands who want to understand Saudi culture, said the magazine content is “carefully curated” to feature topics and personalities that resonate in the region.
What differentiates Gems of Arabia, he said, is its story of continuity and substance amassed over the years that has captured the evolution of the wider regional landscape.
“The website represents an archive of nearly 150 articles compiled through years of podcasts and long-form conversations that show continuity and depth changes,” he said.
“So, it’s an evolution and it’s another home for all our content and our community.”
Growing up in France, Alakeel said his mission started early on when he felt the need to represent his Saudi culture “in a way where it can hold its own internationally.”
Through his first brand, Toby, he sought to bring the traditional thobe into modern designs and introduce it to the luxury fashion world. This mission was accomplished when his thobe designs were placed alongside global labels such as Harvey Nichols, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada.
What began as a personal design mission would soon expand into a broader platform to champion Saudi talent.
“I was articulating my culture through fashion and it just felt natural to do that through the incredible people that the region has,” Alakeel said, adding that the magazine aims to highlight the richness of the Kingdom, and wider modern Arab culture to global audiences.
“Art is such a great way of learning about a culture and a country,” he said.
On the ground in Saudi Arabia, the publication hosts GEMS Forum, a series of live cultural gatherings that bring together prominent artistic figures for in-depth conversations later transformed into podcast episodes recorded with a live audience.
Alakeel said the print edition of Gems of Arabia will debut in March, designed as a collectible coffee-table quarterly distributed across the Gulf.
He envisions the platform growing into a long-term cultural record.
“It's a Saudi-centric magazine, but the idea is to make it inclusive to the region and everyone authentic has a seat at the table,” said Alakeel.
