News Broadcasting
BBC to conduct poll on Britain’s best sitcom
MUMBAI: BBC Two kicks off the new year with a celebration of the best of British comedy presented by Jonathan Ross.
The show Britain’s Best Sitcom that launches on 10 January will run over the next three months. The debut episode will be a three hour extravaganza counting down the top 50 sitcoms, as voted for by the public in a first round viewer poll.
The show will first reveal the last 40 in a countdown from 50 to 11 and then the top 10 will be listed in alphabetical order after which a second round of voting will be launched. The BBC has stated that the list is a testament to the British talent for comedy and the voting process will be agonising.
Some of the contenders have had successful runs on Indian television as well. They include To The Manor Born, Drop The Dead Donkey, Blackadder, ‘Allo ‘Allo, Are You Being Served? In India, the last four have aired on Star World.
Ross will provide viewers with the definitive guide to the greatest sitcoms ever made using a combination of classic clips, unforgettable catch phrases, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and unseen footage revealed for the first time on British television. Following the launch, over the next ten Saturday nights, there will be in-depth one hour documentaries on each of the Top 10. It will be presented by British television celebrities doing some unusual things in the most unexpected places. Each of them will give revealing insights about each programme.
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.
