News Broadcasting
BBC launches internet soap opera for English learners
MUMBAI: BBC World Service is launching its first online soap opera aimed at English language learners around the world.
From 1 August, The Flatmates features a multi-cultural cast of young people who not only share a flat but also their everyday adventures studying, working, living and loving in the UK. Every week, visitors to the bbclearningenglish.com/flatmates site can read the latest drama from the flat, as well as listen to the episode online as many times at they like.
The drama enables listeners to learn at their own pace. It is fun, informative and highly interactive, with learners voting to decide what happens next to the flatmates. A language point from the episode is highlighted, so visitors to the site can tell the BBC what aspects of grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation they’d like to learn, and a quiz tests their new knowledge. The writer and producer of the series, Nuala O’Sullivan, created the new interactive drama to appeal to active learners who want to be in charge of their own learning. She says, “Online is a fantastic way of learning English because people can go at their own pace and interact with the web in a way they want to, at a time that suits them.
“We also know from experience that participation in learning helps make it fun and the more people participate, the more effective the learning. The Flatmates appeals to people who also want to learn English as it is lived and spoken, rather than as it is sometimes taught in more traditional text-books. It engages learners, enabling them to interact directly with the characters and to help shape the everyday life storylines through an online vote.”
The Flatmates is the first weekly, online drama produced by BBC Learning English which is a division of BBC World Service. BBC Learning English publishes free internet and radio resources for English language learners and teachers.
BBC Learning English has teams providing dedicated resources to learners in China and the Middle East, and also collaborates with the British Council on a website aimed at teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL).
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.
