News Broadcasting
BBC staff strike disrupts live shows
MUMBAI: Thousands of journalists and technicians of British Broadcasting Corp had taken part in a 24-hour long work stoppage. The strike, staged to protest the broadcaster’s plan to cut about 4,000 jobs, disrupted some live news shows.
The shows suffered included Today Show on Radio 4. Instead of the live news between 8:30 am and 9 am, BBC News 24 had a recorded program featuring interviews with two members of 1980s British rock band Duran Duran, known for such songs as Hungry Like the Wolf.’
The BBC2 television station was unaffected, as were the children’s TV channels, said a BBC spokesman. Radio 2 and Radio 3 had live news broadcasts at the top of the hour, as usual, he said.
A BBC statement posted on its official website said, “Industrial action will not remove the need for further consultation or the need for the BBC to implement changes, which will enable us to put more money into improved programs and services.”
It also added, that the BBC believes the best way forward is for unions to return to the table.
In addition to the 24-hour strike, a further 48-hour strike is planned from 31 May to 1 June. Employees are represented by three unions: the National Union of Journalists, Amicus and Bectu, the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union.
The BBC had announced plans to eliminate 3,780 jobs, partly through outsourcing and the sale of some units, as it prepares for renewal of its 10-year royal charter. BBC director general Mark Thompson sighted that the cutbacks are needed to save money for reinvestment in new types of digital media.
A statement posted on the union’s website National Union of Journalists secretary general Jeremy Dear said, “We knew this strike would be big and get massive backing from staff, but the effect it is having on programming is even greater than expected.”
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 to spotlight India’s global rise
PM Modi keynotes two-day event on 27–28 February in New Delhi with ministers, diplomats and icons.
MUMBAI: India’s rise isn’t just making headlines, it’s headlining its own summit, and this time the guest list reads like a global power playlist. News18 Network will host the Rising Bharat Summit 2026, a high-powered thought-leadership forum anchored around the theme “Spotlighting Bharat’s Rise: Driven by Strength Within.” The two-day event kicks off on 27 February 2026 at 10:00 AM in New Delhi, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, strategists, innovators, and cultural icons for conversations that aim to define India’s confident, self-assured role on the world stage.
Prime minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address, setting the tone for discussions on economic momentum, geopolitical positioning, and long-term aspirations for the decade ahead.
The ministerial lineup includes Piyush Goyal (Commerce and Industry), Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & IT), Jyotiraditya M. Scindia (Communications & Development of North Eastern Region), and Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta.
Global diplomacy and strategic voices feature former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo, ex-UK Chief of defence staff general Sir Nick Carter, former US commerce secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez, and ambassadors from Norway (May-Elin Stener), Germany (Philipp Ackermann), and Sweden (Jan Thesleff).
Industry, innovation, and economic perspectives come from veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems Founder & CEO Dr Vishal Sikka, and Deeptech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati.
Defence, technology, and thought leadership include Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, Apple expert Patrick McGee, military aviation historian Tom Cooper, and defence scholar Adrian Fontanellaz.
Culture, sports, and popular influence bring actor-MP Kangana Ranaut, Olympic medallists Saina Nehwal and PR Sreejesh, cricketers Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Mithali Raj, plus film stars Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
Broadcast live across News18 Network channels, CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, and streaming platforms from 10:00 am on both days, the summit aims to move beyond headlines and shape deeper narratives around policy, leadership, and innovation at a decisive moment for India’s global trajectory.
In a world watching Bharat’s next moves, this gathering isn’t just talk, it’s the opening scene of a story that’s already rewriting the script.
