News Broadcasting
Spongebob Squarepants bash to premier in Singapore
MUMBAI: Nickelodeon’s Spongebob Squarepants Bikini Bottom Bash is all set for a world premier at Singapore on 28 November 2003 after which it will be open to public from 29 November 2003.
The Spongebob Squarepants Bikini Bottom Bash is an interactive, energetic play-along live musical event that seeks to draw upon the inquisitive nature of kids of all ages. The mini bash is being touted as a larger than life experience with fun games and activities, catchy songs and dance and featuring live performances by Spongebob Squarepants and his friends.
The Nickelodeon show, which is being held at Suntec City, the largest mall in Singapore, is being promoted by Nickelodeon and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) jointly through a month long on-air campaign on Nickelodeon. It is pegged as the world’s first-ever mini live musical stage version of Spongebob Squarepants.
The Spongebob Singapore Swing contest, launched on 9 November, will see one lucky kid viewer from any of Nickelodeon Asia’s channels winning a 4 day/3 night holiday to Singapore for four. The prize package includes airfare, accommodation, a $1000 shopping voucher from Suntec City and an exclusive meet and greet with Spongebob on top of Suntec Tower 2 as well as free passes and admissions to some of Singapore’s major tourist destinations.
“We are delighted to have Spongebob and his friends come all the way from bikini Bottom to Singapore to perform in his very first musical show. I am sure that kids of all nationalities and ages will welcome him here and have a great and fun time with all the festivities and events around Christmas and end-of-year holidays,” says STB brand director Ken Low.
For the uninitiated, Spongebob Squarepants is Nickelodeon’s hit animated series, which features the adventures of an earnest and happy-go-lucky sea sponge. The series was first premiered in 1999 and has since beaten animation hits such as Pokemon, Powerpuff Girls and Scooby Doo to become the Number One kids’ television show in the United States for more than a year – as per a Nielsen Media Research report.
In India, the show airs all days in the 8 am morning slot with repeats at 2 pm on week days and 3 pm on weekends.
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.
