W p k t and w p k t h d one Norwich at 89 point one w e t w f m Stamford at 88.5 w.r.i. Southampton at 91.3 w a I see Springfield at 91.9 and w when p.r. Dot org. B.b.c. World Service it's 7 hours g.m.t. Welcome to Weekend with Julia more. Coming up in the program antigovernment protests in several cities in Iran we'll hear about some of the possible causes of what Rouhani government has done is to actually pursue a lot of the very same neo liberal economic policies that also has created a lot of economic discontent Also a look back at the phenomenal rise of Emmanuelle macro and can comic political satire change the behavior of politicians only does that express will in my experience you launches the boil with me for the whole program I to get to Mandra Harkness writer broadcaster and comedian and Robin Lawrence British photojournalist and that's all here on this edition of Weekend. Now the World News. This is the b.b.c. News with Mick Kelly they write me and all Thor's is divert supporters to turn out for nationwide rallies today after 2 days of anti-government protests over corruption and living standards the events come as United States warns Iran that the world is watching its response to the arm rest of the past 2 days so hell Nazarene reports rallies are due to take place in Iran on Saturday to come in rate the 8th anniversary of 2009 demonstrations held in support of the den conservative government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today's rallies which are supported by Iranian officials take place after 2 days of protests in several major cities of Iran against rising prices which soon turned into a general outcry against clerical rule and government policies there have also been causing the social media for more on to government protests today European security sources have told the Reuters news agency that Russian tankers are recently supplied fuel to North Korea in breach of United Nations sanctions the owner of one of the ships denied smuggling oil to North Korea so Philo is in Seoul according to t.v. Senior European security sources quoted by the roaches these agency Russian vessels transferred oil to North Korean tankers it's the on at least 3 occasions in October and November the unnamed sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of vessels operating out of Russian Far East imports from the Pacific one of them said there was no evidence that the Russian authorities were aware sanctions were being breached young young relies on imported oil to keep its struggling economy functioning and to feel its missile and nuclear programs the Us Defense Secretary James Mattis is said he expects to see an American diplomatic presence on the ground in Syria in areas retaken from Islamic state fighters General Mattis said operations in Syria would shift from offensive terrain seizing as he put it to focus on stabilization there are 2 nations cultural and educational. Organization says has received notice from Israel of its intent to follow the United States and withdraw from UNESCO on Sunday both countries were unhappy with the series if you Nascar resolutions one of them referred to Israel as the occupying power in Jerusalem funeral president performed in Egypt for the 8 Coptic Christians killed by a gunman of the church and a Christian own shop in hell one south of the capital Cairo a Muslim policeman was also killed the Islamic state group said it carried out the attack over the past year more than $100.00 Christians are being killed in Egypt the B.B.C.'s Hanon Russell in Cairo says the government is aware of the risk to religious minorities in the. Fight Kerry. And the because it was a. Christian for tensions in general during the year and. This is the world news from the b.b.c. The United Nations secretary general has congratulated the former footballer George we're on his win in the Liberian presidential elections and Tony Harris also commended vice president Joseph for conceding he said the conclusion of free and fair elections confirmed Liberia's March towards lasting peace and stability but he said challenges lay ahead that would require unity of purpose by the president elect and all political stakeholders more than $200.00 proven writers including the Nobel Prize winning author Mario Vargas yourself have signed a letter condemning the president's decision to pardon the former leader Alberto Fujimori President Kaczynski pardoned him last Sunday on health grounds the 79 year old was initially admitted to hospital with the heart complaint Mr Fujimori is Dr Hunter I could Naga said he would stay to be treated for gastric problems. Under Mordecai a lot of the vermin circulating that he will leave the whole. So there is no to stars date and that remain so until a new era for Israel there are no visits because we want him to be Tom Peruvian and particularly those of us that are concerned with the health of President for story after rejection this perverse unsuitable bias that causes the type of sentiment they are strange in rugby star Karmichael Hunt has been charged with possessing drugs after police allegedly found him in Brisbane on Saturday with the white powder rugby Australia says it launched an investigation. And the Beatles drama ringer stars to receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth one of the highest honors she can bestow his award announced in the New Years on this list comes 20 years after his fellow Beatle Paul McCartney was knighted the sole surviving member of the Bee Gees' Perry good will also receive a knighthood and the internationally renowned former ballerina Darcey Bussell there comes a day and that's the latest b.b.c. News. It's 6 minutes past 7 g.m.t. Welcome to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service with me Julia more of her coming up a little later plans for a new u.s. Version of a classic British satirical comedy featuring political figures as puppets who can this man be talking about Brown he's our eyes there's a sort of white bit this is he's got glasses on that's because he did have when he was under the tanning machine again I mean that artificial orange is turning and sprayed on to protect his eyes you put your glasses on and that's why it's white Ronnie's and you'll get the answer to that question a little later with me throughout the program to Madrid Harkness writer broadcaster and comedian Robin Lawrence of British photo journalist and author more from them a little later but 1st this hour we'll take a look at the anti-government demonstrations in Iran. Really began on Thursday and of now reportedly spread to several major cities large numbers of people turned out in Masha and Rashed which are both in the north of the country and come and shot in the West with smaller protests elsewhere Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah How many has condemned the protests Trita Parsi president of the National Iranian American Council that's a think tank based in Washington told me that the protests were to begin with at least stirred up by conservative groups what started off in. Here is increasingly to be an effort by hardliners in that city and as you know that is the home city of the conservative candidate that ran against Irani earlier this year to create some problems for the Rouhani government but they quickly lost control precisely because of the fact that there is such a degree of frustration in the society right. Now about primarily the economic policies of the Rouhani government and is that consistent across the various geographical areas where this is happening that seems to be one of the consistent threats but it's one of the very few consistent threads because when you look at many of the slogans that have been aired in various places there's a significant variety it is not at all the way in 2009 where it was very clear that this was about the election there was at least in the beginning a clear sense of who was the leader of the movement this is much much more organic and in many ways disorganized but in terms of who ultimately it's aimed at you think it's more aimed at Mr Rouhani than it is for example at the supreme leader you know it's a mixture of a lot of frustration and some of it is clearly targeting the Rouhani government because of their Konami policies some of it is more directed at the regime as a whole which then goes of course to the supreme leader I think it's important to understand that what Rouhani government has done in trying to get the Iranian economy back into shape is to actually pursue a lot of the very same neo liberal economic policies that also has created a lot of economic discontent and exile he in Europe and elsewhere within that economic picture of course is spending on foreign policy and there are some protesters on that who are saying that money should be spent at home instead there certainly are and that is not an unusual slogan to hear a lot of it from demonstrations and protests in Iran but at the same time it does contradict the picture of numerous polls that have been conducted by outside organizations who have seen that their opposition to these policies has significantly reduced in the last couple of years precisely because of the fighting . Against ISIS how much of a challenge is this for the Western media in terms of trying to cover it accurately and give us a sense of why it's happening and indeed the scale of what's happening I think is a challenge but I think more than anything else the bigger challenge is that there is a tendency particularly in the United States perhaps less so in Europe to make this about some American policy essentially if you follow what's going on the conversation on Twitter etc It's immediately turned into a political football here in Washington in which the Trump administration is taking a position expressing support for these protests and trying to distinguish itself from the way the Obama administration handled the 2009 protests but the bottom line is this is not about the United States people are not going out there protesting whether the whole Trump insertion of work to support him or not support and not about what then for Mr Rouhani what can he do now to try and stop these protests Well I think there's a lot of folks that are hoping that the government takes a lot of these grievances more seriously than they have so far even within the reformist and others who have been supporting go honey from the very outset there has been a significant draw that have been very very on comfortable with the neo liberal economic policies that he would be pursuing and I think this should be a warning to the Iranian government that while he did score a tremendous amount of political goodwill by securing a nuclear deal the aftermath of that and the economic prosperity that was promised has not come through that was treated pasi from the National Iranian American Council think tank in Washington there are expectations of further rallies at least in Tehran in the next few hours and as they happen you'll hear more about them here on the b.b.c. World Service. Now as I mentioned I have to guess with me throughout the program to Mandra Harkness here writer broadcaster comedian and Robin Lawrence British photo journalist and author a word to them both about current work to Mandra I mentioned your broadcasting work at the start of the program I want to focus on one particular program that you worked on which you co-present indeed on the b.b.c. Called future proofing. We're going to play a little clip 1st and then you can give us a sense of what's actually going on so let's have a listen to that before we talk to some sort of Tamil in front of me. Since I'm all through and the Moscow. Talk coming from will go. Right away from. Our house sooner it's a good. It's. Awfully. Suspicious . Feel to be sitting there. With them wishing. Free by going on now the main voice we're hearing there is your co presenter Leo Johnson That's right and what what is he experiencing at that my well they took us both to a virtual reality center where we could be attacked by zombies and fight back and I think this is really canny on the producer's part because as you hear Leo who is a big curly hippie was very upset at having to defend himself against these virtual zombies whereas I quite relished the moral lack of ambiguity where these at the zombies they're trying to kill me and they're not real whereas those most simple they were not real and so I find it quite liberating to be able to fight back against these virtual nonexistent zombies and in the context of the program as I understand it this is telling you a little bit about what technology will inform us about our understanding of sin Well that was it was it was about the future of sin. The idea that if you can do things in a virtual environment that aren't real and therefore have no real consequences does that constitute a sin and I felt just the same way as you might go to an opera and people killing each other and you feel this this kind of sense of release of bad feelings that you wouldn't want to interact in real life you can do that in a virtual environment and it liberates you and I think is really telling by the way while we were recording this and I was waving my controller around at my virtual reality goggles I accidentally clicked the producer on the here while he was recording and I was mortified I felt terrible that I'd hit this poor man rather gently with a plastic controller whereas I had no compunction about killing virtual zombies so I think that proves that I do have a moral compass that distinguish real from virtual actions but then I met somebody in the program who disagreed you had a different point of view no really on this saying what it will be to me the the Buddhist chaplain at mit who said no you've actually if you if you indulge this part of yourself that likes violent seem to get zombies you're actually cultivating a bad part of yourself whereas it's not just enough to think about the consequences of your actions you should actually think about the part of yourself that you cultivate which is interesting in the context of the argument about whether video games and violent films etc influence our behavior this is the thing is the I still think that we're quite good at distinguishing real from imaginary in terms of outcomes but this idea that you yourself are a kind of something that you should cultivate and make better was a new a new angle for me Robineau you're working on a book at the moment and this is a social and cultural overview of the history of the coconut as it is. Which sounds a bit odd doesn't it all I can see from your expression what it does a little but then the more I read as I have in front of me here the more I realize that there is an awful lot to explore there is the coconut 1st came to an interest in I think supporting the early explorers particularly those who were exploring south of the equator they loaded their ships with green coconuts Rincon as the coconuts that you get coconut water from which we might try they say. Yes they also coconuts. Are full of nutrients and. So together. In the in the young coconuts the water stays very fresh for a long time and it stays sterile sides ideal on long voyages when you run out of water and then the older coconuts produce very valuable neutrons so ideal for food so that sustained a lot of the early explorers. Particularly the other in fascinating aspect or not is if you mix husk with some vegetable oils it provides an ideal coltan agent caulking is when you fill out the gaps between the ship's planks and chips always lead. And so they tended to take his hands on board who knew about Cole King with coke not ask. You mention particular water yeah which as you rightly hinted we might taste not simply for the pure enjoyment of it or indulgence of it into matter you have some I think you know I've never tried it before but this is become remarkably popular in recent times when it it has not just in parts of the world where the coconuts exist but all over the world writes a new health drink and it has taken off and have to take clear care in the you can protect in London. Eye I think it's all to do with some very smart marketing I'm not sure laid out what I think it might be I think there's very little hard evidence that Coconut water is any better for us in ordinary water it certainly has potassium in it has 30 minute but you can't drink all full lot to. Absorb enough potassium and sodium to do any good in the time allowed to matter take a little sample if you will it save lives I met my 1st taste. Tell us what you think be honest. It's been wrongly convinced I have to say I know I mean I quite like the taste of coke not big fan of coke ice cream. It's not it's not flavored enough. It's taste like drinking water out of something that I have. To suppose is exactly what a good. I was doubtful in advance actually preferred it but liked it more than I thought I would but anyway I think the jury's out but clearly the idea and the historical elements and all the other parts of what you discussed Robyn will you hope make for a good book. I do feel you confident that he will we share your confidence It's 19 minutes past 7 g.m.t. You're listening to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service. A reminder of our main news thousands of government supporters are expected to rally in the Iranian capital Tehran a day off to opposition protests across the country and security sources cited by the Reuters News Agency say Russian fuel tank has breached United Nations sanctions designed to curb North Korea's nuclear program now time for the sport Colum Harrison is with us starting with tennis Colum Novak Djokovic could miss the Australian Open it could indeed the former world number one was forced to postpone his long awaited comeback on Friday hasn't played since been knocked out of Wimbledon because of an elbow injury and Djokovic just jumps number 12 in the world in the 6 months since then he was due to play in the World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi but was forced to pull out yesterday because of further pain in his elbow now the Australian Open the 1st major of the it gets underway just over 2 weeks from now so he's running out of time to be fit for that he must be it out for now but better news of Andy Murray who's been worn out of action since Wimbledon Yes Yes He's also been out of action since then he's been out with a hip injury and during that time he took to 16 in the world he actually took Djokovic his place in Abu Dhabi and played a one sec shootout against Spain's your perch at practice to goose Now Murray lost the match or the set $62.00 but he least he was pleased to be back on court again you know it felt better as a one on obviously a little bit slow at the start in Roberto's one of the best players in the world and. You know when you haven't competed for a long time. Takes time to get back up to that sort of pace and I start to feel a bit better towards the end. But yeah I need to need to keep improving for sure from tennis to cricket the 4th Test between Australia and England in Melbourne that's ended in a draw you know within the last hour or so will strike 263 for 4 in the 2nd innings leading by 99 when the into the last hour of the day that's when the 2 captains called it the day the Australian skipper Steve Smith 102 not out at the end that's just $23.00 Test century obviously wouldn't it would have liked to have won the game but obviously coming here today it was really an option for us was just a bad grinding it out and trying to bat the dyad in place does a bit of a there in place for authority it played a different route the way normally plays better for 160 balls raised 30 odd in and did a terrific job to get a stand at last and now just 2 wickets fell all day I wonder what the captains then said about the pitch Yeah very critical of it the this much started when she used a of course in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne is one of the highlights of the Australian summer said both captains were disappointed with the pitch said it wasn't really can choose to cheer for choosing a result either way Steve Smith in that interview you had a bit of that said it needed to be it will cross always is the thought of the England captain Joe Root he's obviously a very fat we know offer in the balls much at all no case and no spin I think if we play in that final 4 days it be exactly the same set. Of our control we know we did everything we could and you know we've got to take pride in that and make sure that we turn up to Sydney and back up this performance and get a win on this yesterday still lead the series 3 nil so they've won the Ashes already one test to go not match that mention the final Test in Sydney starts on Thursday column thank you Colum Harrison with the sport has a television spin off you might want to watch an American style spitting image the series which originally ran on the U.K.'s Independent central television channel in the 1980 s. And ninety's used puppets. Satirized public figures the former us President Ronald Reagan the U.K.'s then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the royal family were favorites The puppets were the creation of 2 illustrators and sculptors Peter Fluck and Roger law were now the u.s. Broadcaster n.b.c. Is interested in an up to date version the American president Donald Trump's puppet has already been made and is perched in a glass case in a gallery in nor age in eastern England where Roger has a retrospective show Becky Milligan went to meeting the full week you could tell me trumped up it can we just go and revisit some of the other ones which I can see here and seeing them for real is quite actually quite startling it. Was a moment 25 years old were in better shape than the ones just a life to be made one of these you know so. I was in charge of shouting really yeah as we had so many puppets to make but yes Peter Fluck and I made. This particular style of caricature and then we had a team for very young people that we exploited the show broke us on Central t.v. One best is going to and was watched by millions he is their take on business in the House of Commons proud. To see him teach. That I am not a puppet I was to me the only ones I have a like the ones that functioned really well because he was a good puppet cheers on every week but we must have made. 6 satchels until we got one function properly he said President about that. Britain of rollback interest hedge for a reason now she's old. From furniture to trump regional he can't stand either of them says there are similarities between then and now. Satire is a healthy response so we're now walking. Down a pretty good job. Now around he's I guess there's a sort of white bit this is. Because he did when he was under the machine. That artificial orange is turning and sprayed on to protect. And that's why it's white. And look good just think it's the main thing was the mace to teach it to become difficult to know where to stop because we were meant to be gross. Fairly disgusting and rude it's very difficult. Nowhere near disgusting enough as it. Is he just you know kind of any entity like a businessman he has a very small hand. You know there's no I don't know I mean I really don't know if I decided. What you actually do because he actually does here almost every day with this stupid. Satirizing himself and I moved very heavily in fact I took furniture shop. Owners one of the largest one reason in the United States it's interesting. I don't do anything for Russia I've done nothing for Russia if you there's a question. You know it's going to get you if you stick at it you know shake. Not a bad person satire I mean the purpose of satire you kind of think oh maybe it's a check on power maybe it's a way of reminding those people in politics you know. People are watching the piece we're going to change a few things unfortunately we didn't. We were naive enough to think that we could be read it it. All it does at its best. Well in my experience it launches the boil every so often and I just didn't I didn't keep everything that's why we can do this show yeah but when you keep it on and you keep it I keep it in full see containers Yeah in the fence. Where they are the river. Is much much higher than the land Cheers 3 meters hard and I'm hoping one day I'll be a flood that washes all of it away into the North Sea and you don't have to think and I don't have to think about it. Roger law with that Becky Milligan interesting observation Robyn on how limited the effect of satire can be from him do you think he's right I think it probably is I don't I don't think he's ever going to change the way politicians behave but I do think satires are useful. For us because we can have we can have a go at our politicians for carousel of course through through the puppets and I probably. Prevents us from throwing things at radios and televisions when. They don't wire is sounding about one thing I think that it's valuable in that sense and I also wonder I mean with your comedy hat on can comedians say things about politicians that for example a journalist cannot or maybe pose a question that a journalist kind of I think less definite the role of satire is to go that bit further and say why not I actually going to take this seriously and I'm really give extreme but it but I think it is difficult these days it's difficult to satirize when real events can seem so absurd and I slightly worry that. Political says I grew up in an era where we actually had respect for politicians and it was a way of kind of knocking them off their pet a store at least throwing things from the bottom of the pedestal but now we have a little respect for politicians arguably too little respect for politicians of every cynical about them and so mocking them doesn't really seem to take us beyond what we think anyway I guess today Robin Lawrence and to Mandra talk to us more from them in our final hour your with weekend from the b.b.c. World Service. Distribution of the b.b.c. World Service in the u.s. Is made possible by American Public Media producer and distributor of award winning public radio content engaging audiences creating meaningful experiences and fostering conversations proud to deliver the highest quality of most respected global news a b.b.c. World Service because global times call for global perspectives a.p.m. American Public Media. It's $730.00 g.m.t. This is weekend from the b.b.c. World Service Still to come from May to December how is President macro fared since becoming French president has this year seen a revival of interest in feminism and if so what's changed and the woman stepping back from an active role in British politics at the age of 95 That's all here on Weekend with me Julia more of. Our summary of world news. B.b.c. News with Kelly pro-government rallies has taken place in Iran after 2 days of anti-government protests of a corruption and living standards they all thought his supporters to turn out in force the rally in terror and the events have been organized to mark the 8th anniversary of the suppression of massive street protests 2 senior European security sources have told the Reuters news agency that Russian tankers a recently supplied fuel to North Korea by ship to ship transfers in breach of u.n. Sanctions the owner of one of the ships denied it the South Korean authorities have been questioning the crew of a Hong Kong registered vessel impounded in November on suspicion of a similar transfer the Us Defense Secretary James Mattis said he expects to see an American diplomatic presence on the ground in Syria in areas retaken from Islamic state fighters General Mattis said operations in Syria would shift from offensive terrains easing as he put it to focus on stabilization he did not specify when this would happen there are 2 nations cultural and educational organization says it's received a formal notice from Israel saying it is withdrawing from UNESCO on Sunday like the us which has also pulled out Israel is unhappy with some UNESCO resolutions one of them referred to Israel as the occupying power in Jerusalem the Nobel Prize winning author Mario Vargas Yasser is among more than $200.00 Peruvian writers who have signed a letter condemning President Kaczynski his decision to pardon the former leader Alberto Fujimori they call the move irresponsible the Australian rugby star comical hunt has been charged with possessing drugs after police allegedly found him in Brisbane on Saturday with a white powder and the Beatles drama Ringo Starr is to be knighted by Queen Elizabeth his award comes 20 years after his fellow Beatle Paul McCartney became a night a.b.c. News. You're listening to the b.b.c. World Service so I'm Julia Morricone with weekend and coming up later this hour a political view side a chance to hear again interview with one of Britain's most venerated and outspoken politicians the 95 year old Baroness Trumpington she tells us why among other things she stuck 2 fingers up at a government colleague in the House of Lords I was here is Lord Cain because already the deal with mean in Parliament and women the benches in the ruled and I was damned if I was going to let him get away with that and that's why I did this suffice to say she didn't get him let him get away with it you will hear more on that subject in the next half hour with me throughout the program to Mandra Harkness writer broadcaster and comedian Robin Lawrence British photo journalist and author you've got contributions to a forthcoming radio series to mandate on how to make economics and economic issues accessible Well it's not really about that it is a comedy economics a hybrid Simon Evans goes to market and he says it's still the only radio 4 comedy economic series but they were doing it upset on social media really wanted me to come and talk about it data and then they realised of course in the modern world data runs through everything so they basically back for the whole series starts down in the 50 and it harks back to the book that you wrote about well exactly the big data does size matter where I went popular accessible book. Because paperback early this year which entailed writing an entirely new chapter because it changes so fast how challenging was it to make that subject matter as accessible as you were trying to make good it was challenging because I think there are some important principles overeats that affect the way that it has an effect throughout our lives. So things which are secretly statistical principles but I knew that if I started saying this statistical principle is important all the people who'd be in front of my school would stop reading so I smuggled the made in the guise of a kind of history of the people who came up with the ideas so people like John girl who 1st went through the death tables in London and said oh look have you seen how death numbers of deaths vary or don't vary from year to year which really was the the origin of looking at having an average a decade of a constant death rates that would vary slightly but still fundamentally remain assigned but it's much easier if you read about a person and your history. But when we talk about one ongoing project of yours in the last half an hour another I think is a look at the way pictures inform and influence the political process and what are you driving at. The 1st thing to understand about pictures is that we digest them very differently to the way we digest words we tend to judge those pictures for he quickly. And then respond to them emotionally we tend to be much slower in digesting words and we tend to respond to words rather most horribly so pictures have an enormous immediate power. I mean you remember the the appalling pitch of the young Syrian boy washed up on a. Turkish beach which did elicit an enormous response. However I think those sort of pictures are rare and it's it's pretty unusual for a news picture to have any lasting I think any lasting political influence. And that that's a shame really and I think it's also difficult in that. Politicians these days they can't afford to trip up in front of cameras now I was going to let that about that because you know if you will there is a photo journalist and no doubt that politician especially if this pro this is a high profile politician will have a gaggle of people around him or her to make sure that what is presented is as good as it can be and you don't want to fall into line with that you. Know you don't and of course the political minders have become very wise to what cameramen can do these days not in defense politics as extremely difficult to photograph. And that means that we photographers are always on the lookout for the unusual but the unusual might not put that politician a particularly good light. It's my view that although photographers are bound to take that picture I'm not sure that it's. Not down to an editor to ask him or herself is this picture in line with what's going on with them oh yes only if a politician is unpopular you don't want that politician necessarily as an editor to appear on the front page of a newspaper looking particularly engaging because it doesn't fit with the general narrative is that that's actually right but I think it's more dangerous when it works the other way I remember a week or so ago a picture of Damian Green in his car former senior figure in the u.k. Government until he had to resign I should point out indeed so the picture unfortunately for him made him look like everybody's evil uncle now that fitted perfectly with the news story of the day but I don't think it's right that photographers should be commenting photographers are reporters with cameras and it's not our job to make comment and I think catching a picture of a baton politician in a particularly poor light. Is is perverting the political process. And I feel that we're not doing a decent job and we do that interesting 738 g.m.t. You're listening to Weekend this month a leading u.s. Dictionary named to feminism as its word of 2017 following a surge in online searches Merriam Webster said interest in the term was driven by women's marches new television shows and films on women's issues and the string of news stories on sexual assault and harassment claims also if you McBain is a writer and journalist based in New York and in this essay for weekend she gives us her take on this year's revival of interest in federal feminism feminism taught me that the past in this play. Tical and 2017 was a year more than any other that I took politics personally in the weeks after Donald Trump's inauguration I often stead down of my swollen belly and felt sick and that my baby girl would be born into a country whose president had bragged about graping women and had been elected anyway my daughter arrived in much and I marveled at the to him a nation with which he bruited from milk can grip my finger and then slowly learn to hold her head up to propel herself forward to stand tall in the knees allegations of sexual abuse and harassment built up against Hollywood filmmakers and a list actors politicians and t.v. Personalities media chiefs and tech C.E.O.'s and I found myself worrying when would someone fess make my daughter feel small just because she's a girl when what had gender 1st make her. First make her scared how can I prepare for the sexist jokes and gripes that women have had to laugh off and shake off and the incidents we just can't how can I teach my daughter when to be fearless and when to trust her fair. Bad knees piled on bad knees and then a sense began to emerge that we may be reaching a tipping point men like the Hollywood film Michael Harvey Weinstein his alleged who raped Nestle to the large number of women over decades once felt invulnerable now finally they are being brought to reckoning Weinstein has been fired and disgraced and is under criminal investigation and it seems almost every day another powerful man is toppled over sexual abuse allegations and another victim finds the courage to come forward. On Twitter millions have said stories of sexual harassment under the hash tag meaty revealing the extent of the problem but also new willingness to speak out the balance of power is shifting the fear in secrecy that has protected predatory men for years is lifting people can no longer be relied on to look the other way. For many women 2017 was a year of bitter disappointments but also of activism the women's marches against Trump's presidency were among the largest in American history spanning 50 states and inspiring demonstrations of solidarity across the globe Merriam Webster said feminism was the most looked up word in its online dictionary this year I now realize they cannot prepare my daughter for womanhood alone something that is terrifying but that also inspires hope she will say much to the generations of courageous activists who came before her and to those who are developing an interest in feminism Now here this year Googled the word and found something they may have always sense that had never before articulated that men and women deserve to be treated as equals and that in 2017 they still are not before I became a mother the future felt like a distant land now it feels so close to the thoughts of Sophie my brain to Madrid you see 2017 is a learn Mark year for feminism I'm almost sure I do really as it was very interesting to pick up all the things that she expressed there were really about fear and hope and they are the law a lot of politics but I think politics that is founded baby and fear tends to be. Quite unconstructive and I think there's been some of that recently you know there have been crimes which are now coming to light and rightly be perceived but I do think with some conflation of just bad behavior or even just socially awkward situations with actual sexual assault I don't think that's necessarily a helpful thing for for we don't for human beings think I don't see an automatic assumption of guilt for example is it is a helpful thing was that we've been some criminal cases in the u.k. Which were very nearly miscarriages of justice and I think we need to keep a bit of a level head and remember that I mean the awful truth is your twice as likely to be murdered as a man then as a woman I think sometimes we can think that women are uniquely vulnerable in the world but they're not I mean there's been some great progress at Island are going to have a referendum about whether to give women access to abortion and in my view that that is something very concrete that will mean they're not going to be equal unless they can have control over whether they are pregnant or not and I think that kind of very tangible fight for equality is definitely something to celebrate Robyn I wonder if you share that view what you take out of you've heard from so human brain obviously the fact that feminism has been so widely searched for has made it to this Dictionary's word of the year where do you stand. At the year also saw the death of Johnny Hallyday arms looking into his memoir and when he was 17 he met his p.r. For the 1st time and they stumbled up close together and she ran her hand up his thigh and he ran off confused and upset a very curious. Role. Reverse. I thought so I think Baines essay was extremely moving particularly in her preparing hold her daughter. I agree with Tamara I don't think 2017 will be seen as a watershed. I think that. I think that women are going to have to behave or all the differently. And think about being a little less clumsy in the early stages of relationships. I think I mean I think those who. Occupy positions of power or authority and use those positions to gain sexual favors they they are the ones who are really letting. Us down so when she talked about the balance of power shifting Yeah she had a point she does yeah and you'd agree with that amount about this well yes but I think that is already happening I think it's a huge thing still be very easy will probably have to stop listening to anything because of that but I think as as women do move more into positions of power I think there will be more cases like that where men will say well you know I went to get interviewed to get this job and suddenly I was big propositioned by they were but it charge so I'm 46 g.m.t. a Chance now to hear again one of our favorite interviews on this program during the last year in October 1 of Britain's most popular members of the upper house of parliament the House of Lords retired on the day after her 95th birthday Baroness Trumpington helped Britain to win the 2nd World War by working at the code breaking center Bletchley Park before eventually entering a career in politics she took a seat in the House of Lords in 1980 and there she established her reputation for outspokenness a few years ago she went viral on the Internet when her 2 fingered gesture of rebuke directed at one of her colleagues in the Opera House was caught on camera Well I spoke to her shortly before her retirement and asked her 1st what she would miss most about the House of Lords and then ship it doesn't matter about the party as long as you like. And I like better in the opposition than I do in my head but I do have very good friends and. I am lucky if a everyone's on the other. And when you try and select particular memories of your time in the House of. Lourdes what stands out for you what difference do you think you've made over those years when I wouldn't ever be brave enough to set made any difference whatsoever but I have and all of the pleasure and that I've been able to say useful things I'd like to think you know sensible now technical things which people of forget when they're being there have the loot braid and their brains of 19 the. Really Needs a bit of Commons ends and I think that that's what I have read and when you say useful things and commonsense Can you point to particular examples where you think that has come from not at 9 o'clock in the morning. Would you like me to ask you that later. After I've had a good lunch. You've been in politics for many decades and when you entered it certainly you would have been only too well aware that you were a woman entering a predominantly male world I want to how much you think that's changed is still a male world but in a get on with people of debt and and I'm lucky I think that I got with most people Mark had when I do believe couldn't stand the sight of they will tell you then names. Now I was about to offer that offer opportunity to you but I sensed you were going to take me up on it you know. Margaret Thatcher How did you get on with Margaret Thatcher How do you rate the difference that she has made not just to the political world but also to women in politics. I got on well with and the thing about Margaret that her knee was that I was always able to be honest with you and she used me in the nicest possible way to give you the Tells says that if she wanted to launch 2 battleships I'd say Take tell with money and and she would then know what the reaction of the outside world would be and it would be very helpful. To get a reaction of an ordinary person do you think you change her mind over anything I would ever say that but I think I'm prepared mind to deal with other people and. They loved her she was a wonderful person I want to ask you about one particular incident in the House of Lords and you can probably guess which one I'm going to mention it was described in the press as the the 2 fingered salute to Lord King What's your recollection of that and the fuss that was made about it at the time well I was here is Cain because already the deed mood. Within in Parliament and women on the benches in the us real old and I was damned if I was going to let it get away with there and that's why I did this and did you anticipate the reaction you got no because I never did remember the Eagle Eye of the camera yes it was it was on television and therefore on line afterwards I did they want to ask you about your background prior to going into politics because you worked at Bletchley Park code to breaking center during World War 2 How much did that work inform your politics they're often. I think it was incredibly useful we were terrible shifts. And we're all saying and there is one. In my mouth to me but which everybody has it be and. They didn't. Rear. Up they didn't. Baroness Trumpington breaking into song at 9 o'clock in the morning as was pointed out during that conversation and that was recorded back in October just before her 95th birthday when she decided to step down from a role in Britain's Upper House the House of Lords You're listening to the b.b.c. World Service I'm Julie Morgan with weekend. A reminder of the main news thousands of Iranians are marching in the capital Tehran in a show of support for the government after unrest sparked by opposition protest and security sources cited by the Reuters News Agency say Russian fuel tank has breached un sanctions designed to curb North Korea's nuclear program. Now in the Philippines one particular stretch of golden sand has become a hub not only for surface but for creative types who have rejected the $9.00 to $5.00 lifestyle of the mega city Tondo beach in La Union province is the place but now big business is moving in an international hotel chain is building a new resort and some locals say it's only a matter of time before their unique community is ruined Philippines correspondent Howard Johnson that reports. One thing about Manila and I'm for everyone not just Filipinos but you know foreigners for the traffic. You spend half your life and half an hour or so Miss Travel I cry before going to work because I don't want to go to work after years of working in the cool thing to business Ali to see need to cite. To pack up her life and move to Herb to become a serf instructor a year on she now lives by the sea juggles part time surf work with running an organic chocolate business she's in Manila to pick up supplies but is to return to the coast I want to go back to that world I discovered the surf. Beach. And it's just so. Simple living. In the province of La only and is a 5 hour drive north of Manila I wanted to see for myself why it's such a draw. So I'm here on condo be. Along sandy beach with. Us and some small hotels there around 50 or 60 beginner surfers with the local guys teaching them how to get onto their boards some forming off. First attempts let's. Speak to some people about why they've come to. Matej of Fabregas owns mad monkeys a popular burger bar hang out he says business grown since you've been here yes this is this is a spot this is good surf and this is going to buy energy and if. You look at the front of us is. One of the big draws to a lot Union is it breaks they are some of the best in the country and the reason why the 1st international surfers were drawn to Tondo in the 1960 s. . Nice to meet you. Here is. The. Key several 69 year old alky has the look of a man who spent most of his life in the sea he's in good shape seen us tanned and sporting a slicked back hair. Still of the rocker from the 1950 s. He grew up on the outskirts of Japan and worked in a surfboard factory after the death of his parents he decided to leave Japan and moved his Tondo for good a just teaching. Summer. Then just teaching. And then. Surfing getting there so a flourishing community of surfers backed by big spending weekend visitors from Manila could this special community be under threat. So just taking a stroll along a quiet stretch of the beach and come to a a new construction a new project that's going on there are 2 huge mounds of sand here and in front of it careen construction hoardings with big posters on the front they're advertising a hotel chain called waves a photo of a guy on a surfboard and it's his right the weight of a new life style revolution. But some people still need convincing Kamil pillion is a king so if the community here is different they were not all just business people who want to turn down your name to the next big travel destination and we have been working together to create small projects to preserve Ocean County and to keep the beach cleaner and to prevent big corporations from really just destroying the place because that's what we came here for we came to know a new one because he loved will not be here we love the client and we want we don't want to change and that we are you know just some extra money aren't sex or browbeating me it doesn't work that way anymore because I would like to send this young generation of creative and creeping or seemed to be because we see value in how do things more than one point in my coffee cup as Camille payoff from his toddler in the Philippines ending that report by Howard Johnston a Robin you've been to the Philippines recently but a contrasting part the one we've just heard about Yes Very much so but 1st of all I can well understand people wanting to get away from from Manila. I've been lucky to do a lot of travelling and I have never experienced traffic as bad as it is in Manila it's appalling they have pollution is appalling. Getting away to a certain beach sounds to me like very good sense at the same time I can well understand. Local people that are not wanting. To become a toast thinking of a must tourism because that's a 1st for you 2 to ruin a place but at the same time they do need to make some money in the Philippines for lies part cannot recall shut part indeed on coconuts and it's a lot as producer of coconuts. But it needs other income streams. If they can build on tourism that can only be good for the economy my guest today Robin Lawrence and to Mandra Harkness You're listening to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service a full bulletin of international news coming up in just over a minutes to. Snap Judgment from n.p.r. Your money your kids and the dog in your box are just going to have to wait. Until the story is over. Glynn Washington for Snap Judgment. Storytelling with the beat.