Georgia’s ‘foreign agent’ law: BBC News Review

'Foreign agent law' passed in Georgia. Thousands protest.

This is News Review from BBC

Learning English, where we help you understand news headlines in English.

I'm Neil, and I'm Georgie.

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you need to talk about this story.

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  Georgia's parliament has passed

a new, so called 'foreign agent law'. It would mean

media and non-governmental organisations which receive more than twenty percent

of their funding from abroad will have to be registered and monitored.

Comparisons have been made with Russian laws which the Kremlin

has used to control its critics. Protesters worry civil rights

and Georgia's chances of joining the European Union will be threatened.

You've been looking at the headlines, Georgie.

What's the vocabulary that people need to understand this news story in English?

We have 'sounds alarm', 'green lights',

and 'stand off'.

This is News Review from BBC Learning English.

Let's look at our first headline.

This one is from CNBC. US sounds alarm as thousands in

Georgia's capital protest Kremlin style foreign influence.

So this headline is about the protests in Georgia

about this 'foreign agent law'.

The U S sounds the alarm. In the headline,

it just says 'sounds alarm' because we drop 'the' often in headlines,

but we're looking at 'sound the alarm', which contains 'sound' and 'alarm'.

Two nouns we know, but together

here they are acting as a verb. What can you tell us?

Yes, so 'sound' as a noun is a noise.

So 'sound' as a verb means to cause the sound to start.

Sound the alarm means to cause the alarm sound.

Now, these words are often seen together as a combination.

Sound the alarm.

So are we saying, Georgie,

the U S literally caused an alarm to make a sound?

No, so we can use this literally.

So imagine there's a fire.

We can sound the alarm, and that makes a real noise to alert people.

But here in this story,

it's used metaphorically.

It means to warn people about something. The U S are warning people

that the law is not a good development, in their opinion.

So other examples.

Environmental campaigners have for many years, been sounding the alarm

about the cutting down of rainforests.

They have been warning us about the dangers.

This word 'alarm', though, Georgie. How else can we use it?

Well also in the headlines around this news story,

I've seen the adjective 'alarmed'. In the news

it says the U S and Europe are alarmed, and it's another way of saying 'worried'.

So they are worried about the future of democracy in Georgia.

Let's look at that again.

Let's have a look at our next headline.

This one is from France 24. Threats against NGO leaders

multiply as Georgia green lights

Russian law for final vote.

Now this headline was published just before this vote was finally approved,

and it's about the difficulties

that NGOs, that's non-governmental organisations, might face

now that this law has been passed.

We are looking at 'green lights', and Georgie when we talk about green lights,

I think about driving and traffic. Is that useful?

Yes, it is useful here. So that is green light as a noun.

It's the light that you can see. But here,

it's used as a verb: "Georgian government green lights the law",

and it means they're saying yes to the law.

They are giving permission for it to be approved.

Yes, now in your everyday life,

perhaps you're a student.

You've got an idea for a university project,

but you need your professor to approve it.

You need to ask your professor to green light your idea.

Now, Georgie. Is there any other form of words

we can use around this expression?

Yes, so it's actually more common to say,

'give the green light' or an alternative is 'give the go ahead'.

For example, if I want to take some time off to go on holiday,

my boss has to give me the green light or give me the go ahead

and it means he gives me permission to go on holiday.

OK, let's look at that again.

Let's look at our next headline.

This one's from the Financial Times

An ominous stand off in Georgia.

This headline is about the clashes between security forces

and protesters in Georgia about this 'foreign agent law'.

It contains the word 'ominous', which is used

when we are describing something bad

that's likely to happen.

But we're interested in 'stand-off'.

It contains 'stand', which is familiar -

I am standing now -

But what does 'stand-off' mean?

So, 'stand' is a verb here.

'Stand-off' is a noun.

It's where two opponents want different things, and they can't agree.

So it comes from physically standing opposite someone you do not agree

with. The protesters and the police are in a physical stand-off.

They are opposite each other.

If we are arguing.

We could be in a literal stand-off.

But what about metaphorically?

Yes, it can also be used metaphorically, so the protesters and the government are

in a stand-off, and obviously they are not standing opposite each other.

It's metaphorical. It's figurative.

They both want different things, and they are unlikely to agree.

Are there any other useful things to know about stand-off?

Yes, we have a couple of similar words which both have this idea

of being stuck.

First, we have 'deadlock', which is when you can't reach an agreement.

We have stalemate, and that's when neither side can win.

We do often see this in chess.

OK, let's look at that again.

We've had 'sounds the alarm'-

warns people. 'green lights' - gives permission.

And 'stand-off' - a situation where opposing sides

can't agree.

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