News Broadcasting
BBC Television News celebrates 50th anniversary
MUMBAI: BBC Television News turned 50 today. The Beeb stated that since the Television News unit launched, it has maintained its core commitment to strong, impartial, distinctive journalism covering events both in the UK and across the globe.
It is responsible for the two BBC news channels BBC World and BBC News 24. BBC World launched in 1991. The latter channel launched in the UK seven years ago. BBC Television News generates over 18,000 hours of programming originate from every year. That means an average of almost 50 hours of output every day. Over the past five decades major news stories it has covered included the landing of man on the moon in 1969, the assassination of John F Kennedy, the Vietnam war and the ongoing war in Iraq. The first news bulletin in 1954 had dealt with the Indo China truce talks.
Another landmark happened in 1964. That year it launched the first news bulletin for the deaf. Television News now belongs to the wider stable of BBC News. It claims to be the largest broadcast news operation in the world with more than 2,000 journalists and over 40 newsgathering bureaux. The majority of them are overseas.
BBC News director Richard Sambrook noted, “BBC Television News has been there for moments of great historical change such as the fall of communism and the end of apartheid as well as tragic stories. We cannot know what the future will bring but what is paramount is that BBC Television News continues to uphold its core values, always seeking to act in the public interest.”
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.
