Outgoing BBC World Service director Liliane Landor has warned the organisation “cannot be overtaken by better-resourced competitors” in a speech urging proper resourcing for the service.

Speaking at one of a series of events spotlighting the work of the World Service Landor said the BBC “cannot afford to be left behind through economic necessity” as Russia and China step up investment in their foreign-facing media efforts.

Landor’s speech led into a series of presentations about the World Service’s use of open-source intelligence techniques to investigate stories overseas, touching on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chinese involvement in Africa and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.