News Broadcasting
‘Mandela SOS’ global television concert in February
CAPE TOWN: Aids awareness concerts and events are the flavour of the yuletide season. The Mandela SOS Concert ,to be held on Robben’s Island in South Africa on 2 February 2003, will be broadcast globally on selected television networks.
The human rights concert aims at raising awareness and funds to fight the escalating human crisis that HIV/ Aids has become. The Mandela SOS concert, presented by EPOP Productions, (Education Powers Our Planet), will be staged within the walls of the maximum security prison on Robben Island in which Mandela spent 18 years of his prison term.
Tickets will be free and distributed by competition or lottery, details of which will be announced shortly. MSN, one of the sponsors of the live event, will host the Mandela MSN website (http://www.mandelasos.com), which will feature coverage of the live event. The concert line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.
Proceeds from the event will be distributed to The Nelson Mandela Foundation, UNAIDS (the joint UN programme on HIV/ Aids) the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Robben Island Museum.
The announcement of the launch event took place at the National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town. Mandela is being supported in this endeavour by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, media personality Oprah Winfrey, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson and Diesel President and Founder Renzo Rosso.
An official release stated that Africa has been hit harder by HIV/Aids than any other region of the world with more than 17 million succumbing to the disease and another 28.1 million infected with HIV. Currently there are 11 million Aids orphans in Africa and experts caution there may be more than 25 million by the end of this decade in the absence of concrete remedial action.
Meanwhile, A Time for Heroes initiative with Richard Gere is also scheduled to take place in Mumbai on 20 December.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
