MUMBAI: BBC World News, a new dedicated news and information channel on YouTube, is now available to millions of internet users across the world.

Around 30 news clips, gathered from the BBC’s 58 international news bureaux and its 250 correspondents worldwide, are available every day.  Users can select which of the latest BBC breaking news stories they want – when they want.  They can also comment on clips, rate them and post their own video responses.

The first people to visit the channel are watching a wide range of news stories, say reports.  The top five ‘most watched’ news clips of the past week were, ‘Meles Zenawi on HARDtalk’, ‘Escaped Orangutan wreaks havoc’, ‘Cannes premiere for Ocean’s 13’, ‘Russian pro-gay rally arrests’ and ‘Tom Jones on HARDtalk’.

Michele Grant, senior vice president, BBC Global News Development says, “The BBC has more journalists in more places than any other broadcast news organisation in the world.  As part of our mission to find new ways to engage audiences around the world, we are delighted to be able to offer a dedicated BBC World News channel on YouTube that gives viewers the freedom to see our first-hand reporting whenever they want.”

The launch of the BBC World News channel, on the leading online video platform, is part of a non-exclusive partnership between the BBC, BBC Worldwide and YouTube to create BBC branded channels online, and is part of the BBC’s commitment to reach audiences in new ways.