Indian Ambassador Abhishek Singh presents credentials to Benin Prez

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Abuja, July 11 (IANS) India’s Ambassador to Benin, Abhishek Singh, formally presented his Letter of Credence to Romuald Wadagni, President of Benin, at the Presidential Villa in Cotonou, the Indian High Commission to Nigeria stated on Saturday.

The High Commission said that Abhishek Singh formally presented his Letter of Credence as Ambassador of India to President Wadagni at the Presidential Villa in Cotonou on 10 July 2026. President Wadagni graciously received Singh and extended his congratulations and best wishes for the assumption of his duties.

Upon assuming his duties, Singh reiterated India’s commitment to further strengthening its partnership with Benin and expressed confidence in the continued advancement of bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors.

The High Commission added that it remains committed to fostering and strengthening the bilateral partnership between India and Benin in the days to come.

The High Commission in Abuja is concurrently accredited to Benin and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Ambassador also met with President Wadagni and discussed issues of bilateral importance. His tenure, it said, will further strengthen India-Benin ties.

On Thursday, Singh met Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Trade, who is in charge of African Integration, Industry, and the Promotion of Private Investment.

The High Commission wrote on X that Singh held productive discussions with Bakari on further expanding India–Benin bilateral cooperation, with a focus on enhancing trade and investment in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, digital payments, tourism, and other sectors of mutual interest.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations between the two countries.

–IANS

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Australian PM candidates campaign in country’s north four weeks out from election

Canberra, April 5 (IANS) Australia’s Prime Minister has announced additional support for communities affected by catastrophic flooding in the country’s northeast.

Anthony Albanese spent the eighth day of the campaign for the general election touring a vast area of the outback in the western part of the state of Queensland that has been inundated by flooding since late March.

The flooding in the sparsely-populated region, which is a major livestock farming area, is considered the worst since 1974 and has caused widespread damage as well as estimated losses of over 140,000 head of livestock.

Albanese on Saturday announced 105 million Australian dollars (63.4 million US dollars) in funding to rebuild fencing to protect livestock from feral pigs and dogs. The state government previously made disaster assistance grants worth up to 75,000 Australian dollars (45,314 US dollars) available for affected primary producers in the region.

Peter Dutton, leader of the opposition Coalition and Australia’s alternative prime minister, toured the region earlier in the election campaign, where he committed 10 million Australian dollars (6.04 million US dollars) in funding for a new weather radar — a pledge that has been matched by Albanese.

Asked on Saturday why he visited the region, which has long been a Coalition stronghold, if it does not serve him politically, Albanese said he wants to be Prime Minister “of all Australians”.

“I have a message for Queenslanders, which is: We have your back. We are with you, we will provide whatever support is necessary,” he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dutton also on Saturday partially walked back the Coalition’s plan to end work-from-home arrangements for federal public servants, saying it would only apply to those based in Canberra. The Coalition also plans to cut 41,000 public service jobs to reduce government spending.

Saturday marked four weeks until election day on May 3 and 17 days until early voting centres open across the country on April 22.

With voting in the election mandatory for all Australians aged 18 and over, early voting centres give people the option to avoid long queues to cast their ballot.

It has become increasingly popular in recent elections.

According to the Australian Electoral Commission, 8.41 million people voted early in the 2022 general election, either in person or by post, representing 47.7 per cent of the 17.6 million enrolled voters at the time.

–IANS

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May Chhathi Maiya’s blessings always illuminate your lives: PM Modi as festival concludes with rising sun

New Delhi, Oct 28 (IANS) As Chhath Puja concluded with the rising sun on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended heartfelt greetings to all devotees and fasting individuals, as well as to every countryman who participated in this sacred festival.

He further added that during this four-day ritual, we witnessed the divine manifestation of our grand tradition of Chhath Puja.

After four days of devotion and fasting, Chhath Puja concluded on Tuesday morning. The festival, observed every year after Diwali, is dedicated to expressing gratitude to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya for their blessings of health, wealth, and prosperity.

Taking to his social media platform X, the Prime Minister Modi said, “The auspicious conclusion of the great festival of Chhath came today with the morning offering of prayers to Lord Surya. During this four-day ritual, we witnessed the divine manifestation of our grand tradition of Chhath Puja. Heartfelt congratulations to all the devotees and fasting people, as well as to all our family members who were part of this sacred festival! May the infinite blessings of Chhathi Maiya always illuminate your lives.”

According to the Hindu calendar, Chhath Puja falls on the sixth day (Shashthi Tithi) of the Kartik month’s Shukla Paksha, usually occurring six days after Diwali. The celebration spans four days, beginning with Nahay Khay and concluding with Usha Arghya, the offering of prayers to the rising sun.

The festival commences with Nahay Khay (October 25), when devotees take a holy dip and prepare a simple meal. On the second day, Kharna (October 26), a day-long fast from morning to evening is observed and later concluded with offerings of rasiya (sweet porridge) and roti. The third day marks Sandhya Arghya, when the ‘nirjala vrat’ (fast without water) begins, continuing until the early hours of the fourth day (Usha Arghya).

Chhath Puja is believed to have originated in ancient times. According to legend, Lord Rama and Goddess Sita performed the first Chhath Puja after their return to Ayodhya to seek blessings from the Sun God for prosperity.

One of the most significant Hindu festivals, Chhath Puja, is primarily observed in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is also celebrated in parts of Nepal and among Indian communities worldwide.

Since early Tuesday morning, devotees have gathered at riverbanks to offer Usha Arghya. Images from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra show women standing in the cold water, immersed in devotion as the sun rises.

–IANS

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Snow covers nearly 80 per cent of Mongolia’s territory

Ulan Bator, Feb 3 (IANS) Approximately 80 per cent of Mongolia’s land is now blanketed in snow, the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring reported on Monday.

“As of January 31, about 80 per cent of the country’s total territory has been covered with snow of up to 60 cm thick,” the weather monitoring agency said in a statement.

Mongolia is known for its harsh winters, which are largely influenced by the Siberian high-pressure system.

Last winter, the Asian country experienced one of its most extreme cold spells in decades, with the highest record snowfall since 1975. Around 90 per cent of the territory was covered in snow up to 100 cm thick, triggering a severe dzud, a natural disaster unique to Mongolia, where extreme cold and heavy snow prevent livestock from accessing food, leading to mass animal fatalities.

The severe dzud last winter resulted in the loss of millions of livestock, dealing a heavy blow to the country’s herders and rural economy, Xinhua news agency reported.

Dzud, a Mongolian term, describes a catastrophic winter in which livestock perish due to frozen or snow-covered grazing lands, threatening the livelihoods of nomadic herders.

Last week, the Mongolian government stated that it has decided to stockpile at least 10,000 tonnes of livestock meat to ensure a steady supply for residents of the national capital during the spring season of 2025.

Relevant officials have been assigned to oversee the supply, distribution, sales, quality and safety of the reserved meat, according to a statement from the government’s press office on Wednesday.

During the harsh spring season, as nomadic livestock become lean and herders have fewer animals to sell, meat prices rise in urban areas, leading to potential shortages.

Ulan Bator is home to about half of Mongolia’s 3.5-million population, and livestock meat is the primary food consumed by Mongolians.

As one of the world’s last remaining nomadic nations, Mongolia had 57.6 million livestock at the end of 2024, according to the National Statistics Office.

–IANS

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