The banning of the Chinese state television broadcaster from Britain has a delivered a strong message that state propaganda will not be tolerated in the UK, leading media experts said.
The decision by television regulator the Office of Communications (Ofcom) makes it possible that other state sponsored broadcasters could be targeted, such as Russia Today.
With the election of US President Joe Biden, there is greater appetite in Britain to speak out against state-sponsored channels that release questionable news highly partial to their countries.
Following endless pro-Chinese government reporting, Ofcom acted decisively to shut down CGTN on Thursday after its investigation found that the network was editorially controlled by the Chinese Communist party.
"This was a precise complaint on the basis of which Ofcom could legitimately and meticulously conclude that CGTN did not have the editorial independence which licensees require in the UK," leading media commentator Prof Tim Luckhurst told The National. "It's very clear that China is a surveillance state beyond George Orwell's imaginings and this was an egregious breach of licence. Britain is not seeking to be confrontational but it has retaliated effectively."
The CGTN channel has also been accused of forcing people, including human rights activists, to make confessions on air, reading from scripts provided by the Chinese authorities.
Ofcom’s finding is damaging to China’s state television broadcaster, which had planned to use London as a base to launch major international news operations.
British broadcasting laws require the body that holds the broadcast licence to have control over broadcasts, but CGTN’s licence holder, Star China Media Limited, does not have editorial responsibility for its content. Ofcom therefore ruled it cannot retain the licence.
The move was welcomed by former foreign minister Tobias Ellwood, MP, a strong critic of China’s undermining of the international rules-based system.
"What we've witnessed is China advancing its ability to communicate well beyond the region, so it's really good to see the authorities taking a more robust stance on China as it tries to rewrite international norms and standards," he told The National. "If this is your diet of news that you're receiving you're only going to get China's view of the world and China's interpretation. Freedom of the press is so important that it cannot be controlled by the state in the way that we see it with China."
His views were echoed by Prof Luckhurst, of Durham University, who while praising the great history and culture of the Chinese people labelled their government “a totalitarian regime, which has extraordinarily committed ambitions to extend its power and to assert itself in the world”.
The former editor of The Scotsman newspaper added: "There is widespread rejoicing amongst journalists and democrats throughout the rest of the world to see Britain actually sticking to its principles and applying a sensible approach to those who seek to abuse the values of Western democracy, to exploit our liberalism and to impose their poison on us."
Ofcom revoked the licence of the Iranian state broadcaster Press TV in 2012 for breaching the Communications Act after it found the channel had editorial oversight from Tehran, again in breach of broadcasting licence rules in the UK.
However, in 2017 Ofcom cleared Al Jazeera of anti-Semitism and breaching impartiality rules after the channel made an undercover investigation that found an Israeli embassy official plotting to “take down” British MPs seen as unfriendly towards Israel.
It is not known yet if Ofcom, following the China ruling, is set to take a closer look at the Russia Today channel broadcast from London for its alleged ties to Moscow.
“Russia Today has shown that if it has editorial independence then the editor is a very determined supporter of Vladimir Putin,” said Prof Luckhurst. “It’s entirely unlikely to genuinely have any such independence and I would not be remotely surprised if Ofcom moves against it as well, as Russia Today remains on air despite multiple breaches.”
It is understood that Ofcom has previously looked at RT’s fitness to hold a licence but, although it accepts that the station is funded by the Russian state, the licence holder, TV Novosti, is not controlled by a political party.
Ofcom would not comment on whether RT will be investigated further.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
MATCH INFO
Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The years Ramadan fell in May
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RIVER%20SPIRIT
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
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The low down
Producers: Uniglobe Entertainment & Vision Films
Director: Namrata Singh Gujral
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark
Rating: 2/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
more from Janine di Giovanni
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
