News Broadcasting
BBC expands ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ show
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster BBC will expand its dance based reality show Strictly Come Dancing. The new season of the show kicks off on BBC One next month. Two extra weeks have been added to the show along with two more celebrities than last year. 14 stars will be paired with internationally renowned professional dancers in what is termed as the hottest competition of 2006. In India Sony airs a local version of the show.
The participants will include former Spice Girl Emma Bunton who is now a solo singer, actress Georgina Bouzova and cricketer Mark Ramprakash. Bunton will be dancing with Darren Bennett.
Bruce Forsyth and his co-host Tess Daly will once again return to present the show. Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli also return to judge the competitors’ performances.
Forsyth said, “The whole nation seems to have taken Strictly Come Dancing to its heart in a way that we could never have believed it would happen. I can’t wait to get back on screen with this wonderful show. Here’s to a great fourth series!”
“With a line-up like this, the new series is set to be bigger and better than ever before. Where else could you see a Spice Girl dancing alongside Jimmy Tarbuck?” adds Daly.
In a change to last year’s format, week one will witness boys dancing to stay in the competition whilst the girls entertain with a group Mambo. In the second week, the female celebrities will fight to stay in the competition, whilst the men kick back with a group West Coast Swing. From week three all couples will compete against each other performing either jive or tango.
The couples will be judged on the basis of public as well as studio voting, with the lowest-scoring couple leaving the competition.
As in previous series, all the proceeds from viewer voting will go towards BBC Children in Need which last year raised over £1.5 million.
Also returning is the daily sister show Strictly Come Dancing – It Takes Two with Claudia Winkleman on BBC Two. It features footage from rehearsals and training as well as interviews with the judges and the contestants. All the latest news and gossips on the training and the show can be found on the website, bbc.co.uk/strictlycomedancing.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
