The annual Shobha Yatra procession for Krishna Janmashtami, organised by Shri Ram Mandir took place in Southall on Sunday. The procession was led by a chariot and folk dancers. High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami visited the Ram Mandir during the event and observed the festivities. He interacted with organisers and participants of the procession celebrating Lord Krishna's birth. In a speech, the High Commissioner shared an inspiring message on unity, saying "The notion that we may have journeys that start in different places but the journey is one, is common to all our religions." MP Virendra Sharma also attended the event, highlighting its role in bringing together the community. The message of harmony was conveyed on Shree Krishna's appearance day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make a brief visit to Indonesia on September 7 to attend the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit in Jakarta. Modi will return to Delhi the same evening. This will be the first ASEAN-India Summit since relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. The focus will be on reviewing cooperation in areas like maritime security, cyber security and digital economy. Launching a new maritime security initiative is expected to be a key outcome. The summits have been rescheduled to facilitate Modi's early return ahead of the G20 Summit in Delhi. Modi won't hold bilateral meetings due to his tight schedule. The visit highlights India's Act East policy and shared vision with ASEAN for the Indo-Pacific.

India strongly dismissed comments by UN human rights experts expressing alarm over alleged abuses in Manipur as "unwarranted and misleading". In a note verbale, India's UN mission asserted the situation in Manipur is peaceful and stable. It said the government is committed to protecting human rights. The experts had raised concerns over reports of sexual violence, killings and displacement targeting women and girls. India expressed disappointment the experts released the statement without waiting for India's response. It reiterated its commitment to rule of law and human rights protections in Manipur. India hoped the experts would be more objective and refrain from irrelevant comments in future.

A stretch of highway in California has been named after Ronil Singh, a 33-year-old Indian-American police officer who was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop on Christmas night in 2018. The suspected drunk driver who killed Singh was later apprehended. The "Corporal Ronil Singh Memorial Highway" sign was unveiled last week at a ceremony attended by Singh's family and local officials. Singh was originally from Fiji and worked for the Modesto and Turlock police departments before joining the Newman Police Department, where he served until his death. The California legislature passed a resolution in 2019 to name part of Highway 33 after Singh to honour his service and sacrifice. The highway marker stands as a tribute to the fallen officer.

India could participate in an upcoming trilateral summit between Israel, Greece and Cyprus, according to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. He said Greece is interested in partnering with India on natural gas exports and that India may be invited to the summit expected next year. The Israel-Greece-Cyprus alliance expressed commitment to expanding the 3+1 format to include other countries like India. A Cyprus government statement said the nations remain open to welcoming like-minded parties to create synergies benefitting the region. The leaders are keen to promote energy cooperation with India through projects linking electrical and gas infrastructure. (Image courtesy: ANI)

Police in England probing the murder of Indian-origin delivery driver Aurman in Shrewsbury have charged a fifth man of Indian descent, Sukhmandeep Singh. The 23-year-old was arrested in Peterborough and charged with the murder. Earlier, four Indian-origin men– Arshdeep Singh, 24, Jagdeep Singh, 22, Shivdeep Singh, 26, and Manjot Singh, 24 were charged over the fatal attack. Police said the killing was not a robbery gone wrong as the suspects and victim knew each other. The victim Aurman's family issued a statement saying no words could explain the tragedy's impact.

The annual Shobha Yatra procession for Krishna Janmashtami, organised by Shri Ram Mandir took place in Southall on Sunday. The procession was led by a chariot and folk dancers. High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami visited the Ram Mandir during the event and observed the festivities. He interacted with organisers and participants of the procession celebrating Lord Krishna's birth. In a speech, the High Commissioner shared an inspiring message on unity, saying "The notion that we may have journeys that start in different places but the journey is one, is common to all our religions." MP Virendra Sharma also attended the event, highlighting its role in bringing together the community. The Shobha Yatra was organised to spread harmony on Krishna's appearance day.

India made its mark at the recent Embassy Festival held in The Hague, Netherlands. India's stall proved hugely popular, drawing large crowds eager to appreciate and experience Indian handicrafts, fabrics, food, millets and Ayurvedic products on display. The Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, also visited the India stall. Energetic Garba dancers in colorful costumes lit up the Creative Arena stage, transporting the audience to the land of Gujarat. With vibrant cultural showcases and diverse offerings, India emerged as one of the most sought-after country participants at the global Embassy Festival.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is highly likely to miss the G20 summit being held in Delhi next week. Instead, Premier Li Qiang will represent China at the gathering of leaders from the world's major economies. This follows Russian President Vladimir Putin informing India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will not attend in person due to needing to concentrate on Russia's military operation in Ukraine. Xi Jinping's expected absence means the leaders of two major G20 nations will not participate in discussions on pressing global issues.

US President Joe Biden will travel to India on September 7th ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bilateral talks on September 8th before attending the G20 Summit on September 9th-10th. The White House announced that Biden will commend Modi's G20 leadership and reaffirm US commitment to the G20. Key G20 agenda items include tackling climate change, mitigating economic impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war, and increasing multilateral development banks' capacity to alleviate poverty. Biden will also confirm the US will host the G20 summit in 2026. The India visit underscores strengthening US-India ties.