News Broadcasting
BBC launches a kids magic reality hunt in the UK
MUMBAI: UK pubcaster the BBC’s kids chanel CBBC is launching a reality hunt to find The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
A boarding school set deep in the heart of the English countryside will become the home of magical adventure.
14 scholars will be picked from auditions taking place across the UK. The successful applicants are then whisked away to magic school where they will have 18 days of intense training by top professional magicians.
While the apprentices make the transformation from novice to magician, the children watching will also get to brush up on their own sorcery skills. In an accompanying series the magic mentors will give away some of their hottest secrets in step-by-step guides so children can learn how to perform magic tricks to amaze their family and friends at home.
The apprentices will be schooled in the history of magic and folklore, the latin for casting spells, chemistry, card tricks and also look after resident magic animals. As their knowledge and skills progress they will be taught the art of illusion.
At the end of each week, the children will compete, performing their magic in front of a live audience and the Sorcerer himself. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, being made for CBBC by independent production company Twenty Twenty, will be shown later this year.
CBBC creative director Anne Gilchrist said, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is going to be a great event for CBBC. Children of all ages are fascinated by magic and this show will inspire and amaze in equal measures.”
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.
