The Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky issued a proclamation declaring September 3rd as 'Sanatan Dharma Day' in the city during a major Hindu temple event. Spiritual leaders like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar attended along with officials like the Deputy Mayor. The proclamation recognizes the positive impact of the Hindu community in Louisville and beyond. Swami Chidanand emphasized the importance of bringing spirituality into daily life. Sadhvi Bhagawati highlighted the intersection of science and spirituality in Hinduism. The Deputy Mayor presented honorary citizenship certificates to Sri Sri and Swami Chidanand. Also 2024 onwards,NYC will have Diwali as public school holiday, it is noted that there are more than 600,000 Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists across New York City who celebrate Diwali. (Image courtesy: New India Abroad)

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed encouragement regarding enhanced collaboration between India and the UK in financial services. She stated the UK conveyed willingness to expand its presence in GIFT City IFSC and build a robust FinTech partnership. Sitharaman said she is pleased with the tangible progress made through the India-UK financial partnership forum for public and private sector dialogue. She highlighted the forum's evolution into a leading platform across the financial sector. Sitharaman's remarks indicate deepening financial ties between the two countries, with the UK aiming to increase investment in India's finance hub and collaborate on emerging technologies like FinTech. The strengthening cooperation is a boost for India's financial sector.

ACG Prem Sagar, the Consul General of India in Durban, attended a medical camp organized by the Ramakrishna Mission of South Africa on September 10, 2023 in Phoenix. He appreciated the humanitarian mission of providing free medical care and assistance to underprivileged people in the community. The medical camp embodied the spirit of 'One World One Health' and 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - the ideals of universal brotherhood and welfare embraced by India.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi met reporters in Brussels on Friday morning [CLICK the link to watch the press conference]. Earlier on Thursday, he held closed-door meetings with some Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in Brussels. This marked the start of his three-nation European tour. During the meetings, the human rights situation in Manipur was one of the topics of discussion. This follows a July resolution adopted by the European Parliament entitled 'India, the situation in Manipur.' Gandhi's visit to Brussels was not listed on the official parliamentary agenda. Sources from the Opposition party described the discussions as successful.

The High Commission of India in London hosted the first ever UK Defence Alumni of India Meet on September 6, 2023. High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami praised the efforts of the alumni group, who announced the formation of the UK Defence Alumni of India Association at the event. The Alumni association aims to bring together British officers who have studied, trained, or worked in India over the years. By forming an alumni network, they hope to strengthen defence ties and cooperation between the two countries as a part of the 'Living Bridge'. [Photo courtesy: HCI London]

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)