News Broadcasting
BBC plans extensive coverage of Pakistan elections
NEW DELHI: The BBC is planning a series of special programmes and exclusive interviews and news stories for its television, radio and online services to cover this week’s elections in Pakistan.
BBC World’s Lyse Doucet will be joining Zaffar Abbas, the organisation’s Islamabad correspondent, to anchor live election special editions of Asia Today which will carry the results live. The BBC South Asia Correspondent Adam Mynott will be reporting, with Pakistan-based correspondent Susannah Price, from across the country. The former Delhi Bureau Chief Mike Wooldridge is returning to his old patch to lead the BBC World Service’s radio and on-line coverage. The BBC operation is the biggest of any foreign broadcaster in the country, according to an official statement from BBC here.
It will be offering unrivalled reports and analysis on the poll, the results and the consequences for a country trying to prove its democratic credentials.
Among the special reports compiled by the BBC’s team are an exclusive report on the government’s attempts to control the Tribal areas, the rise of the Islamic parties, the impact of the Afghan war on the country’s stability, the task ahead for President Musharraf and the claims by opposition groups that the polls are neither truly free or fair.
The BBC’s South Asia Bureau Editor Paul Danahar, in a statement said: “The scale of our operation dwarfs that of any other foreign broadcaster in the region. Yet again we are deploying more people and covering more issues than any of our competitors which reflects our much greater commitment to covering the region’s big news stories on the ground, as they happen. Our audience in South Asia trusts the BBC on these big occasions and we are determined to continue to deliver the region’s best international news service.”
BBC World will show on Asia Today, the daily current affairs programme, a special report on the Election in Pakistan on Thursday 10 October at 7 am, 8 am, 9 am IST and on the same times on Friday 11 October, the release said.
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.
