Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Albanese begins India tour, plays Holi in Gujarat

Albanese begins India tour, plays Holi in Gujarat

AUSTRALIAN prime minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday (8) paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi during his visit to the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad and played Holi in Gujarat’s capital on the first day of his trip to India.

Albanese, who is on a four-day trip to India, was welcomed at the airport by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, who also accompanied the visiting leader during the Ashram tour.

Though it was not mandatory for visitors to remove footwear while walking on the open ground of the Ashram, the Australian leader did so out of respect for Mahatma Gandhi and the iconic place, said Ashram trustee Kartikeya Sarabhai.

Sarabhai and other trustees gifted to the visiting leader a book written by Australian author Thomas Weber on Mahatma Gandhi's historic salt march.

The Ashram gifted another book depicting Gandhi’s life in Ahmedabad from 1915 to 1930, and a replica of 'charkha', or spinning wheel, to Albanese, who spent nearly 20 minutes on the premises.

In the visitor's book, the Australian leader wrote that Mahatma Gandhi's values and philosophy still inspire the entire world.

Late on Wednesday evening, Albanese celebrated Holi at Raj Bhavan. He was welcomed by governor Acharya Devvrat and Patel at Raj Bhavan by applying colour on his face as a mark of Holi celebrations, said a state government release.

The Australian leader posted photos from the event on Twitter and wrote, "Honoured to celebrate Holi in Ahmedabad, India. Holi's message of renewal through the triumph of good over evil is an enduring reminder for all of us."

"No matter what your faith is or where you've come from - we celebrate and value what unites us," he said in another post.

Speaking at the event, Albanese said though it is his first official visit as the prime minister, he came to India as a youngster way back in 1991 and stayed in the country for six weeks.

Separately, the visiting leader announced his country and the Indian government have finalised the Australia-India Education Qualification Recognition Mechanism.

Albanese made the announcement at a programme where it was officially announced that Australia's Deakin University would set up an international campus at GIFT City in Gandhinagar.

"The new mechanism means that if you are an Indian student who is studying or have studied in Australia, your hard-earned degree will be recognised when you return home. Or if you are a member of Australia's very large Indian diaspora - 500,000 and growing - you will feel more confident that your Indian qualification will be recognised in Australia,” Albanese said.

He also announced the launch of a new scholarship - Maitri - for Indian students to study in Australia for up to four years.

(PTI)

More For You

british-muslims-iStock

The study noted that this identification was not due to any doctrinal obligation but was influenced by the perception that many Muslims do not feel fully accepted as British. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Majority of British Muslims identify by faith first, study finds

A STUDY by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life (IIFL) has found that most British Muslims identify primarily with their religion rather than their nationality.

The research, based on a survey of 815 British Muslim adults by Whitestone Insight, revealed that 71 per cent of respondents identified as Muslim first, while 27 per cent identified as British, English, or Scottish first.

Keep ReadingShow less
Car Tax Changes: EV Owners Now Required to Pay for the First Time

Owners of electric vehicles registered on or after 1 April 2025 will pay £10 for the first year, followed by the standard VED rate of £195 from the second year. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Car tax changes take effect: EV owners to pay for first time

FROM today, 1 April 2025, electric cars, vans, and motorcycles in the UK will be subject to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time.

The change, introduced in the 2022 Autumn Statement by former Conservative Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, aims to make motoring taxation fairer.

Keep ReadingShow less
scotland-minimum-wages-iStock

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will receive an annual pay increase of £1,400 in real terms. (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

Wage increase takes effect for thousands of workers in Scotland

HUNDREDS of thousands of workers in Scotland will see a pay increase as new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect from Tuesday.

The changes will benefit approximately 220,000 people, according to STV News.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk-energy-bill-iStock

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased (Representational image: iStock)

iStock

April bill increases put financial strain on single parents

A RANGE of essential household bills are increasing from April, with Citizens Advice warning that single parents will be among the hardest hit.

Water bills, energy prices, and council tax are rising, while the minimum wage has also increased, BBC reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools
Stephen Graham and Owen Cooper in 'Adolescence'
Netflix

Netflix drama Adolescence to be screened in UK schools

THE NETFLIX drama Adolescence will be shown in UK secondary schools as part of efforts to address harmful online influences on young boys, officials announced on Monday.

The show has sparked debate over the impact of toxic and misogynistic content on the internet. Prime minister Keir Starmer met the show's creators, charities, and young people at Downing Street, calling the initiative an important step in starting discussions about the content teenagers are exposed to online.

Keep ReadingShow less