News Broadcasting
CNN boosts Africa coverage
MUMBAI: To bolster network coverage of Africa, CNN recently made two key appointments. Lagos, Nigeria, bureau chief Jeff Koinange assumes the newly-created role of Africa correspondent, and Alphonso Van Marsh, currently based in Istanbul, will transfer to Johannesburg as a video correspondent.
Koinange will lead CNN’s coverage of Africa, working bureaus in Johannesburg and Lagos as well as with the network’s partners across the continent. Van Marsh will develop and deliver compelling reports inside South Africa.
CNN Intl senior VP news gathering Tony Maddox said, “These two appointments underscore CNN’s on-going commitment to fully cover and report from the African continent. Jeff brings unrivaled knowledge to this role, who together with Alphonso, brings a heightened commitment, experience and enthusiasm to the job of reporting Africa to CNN’s global audiences.”
Koinange joined CNN in 2001 to report on news events throughout Africa and the Middle East. During his tenure, he has covered post-war insurgency, reconstruction and historic elections in Iraq and strife in Darfur, Sudan, which brought visits from then-US Secretary of State Colin Powell and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2004.
Van Marsh joined CNN in 1997 as a freelance correspondent and producer and currently serves as a video correspondent, one of the network’s reporters who shoot, write and edit their own material using the network’s unique laptop-based newsgathering system. In December 2003, Van Marsh shot exclusive footage of US troops celebrating upon their return from the capture of Saddam Hussein.
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.
