Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday arrived in Singapore to deepen strategic partnership with the Southeast Asian country at the invitation of his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong after wrapping his visit to Brunei.

During the two-day visit, the Prime Minister will connect with three generations of Singapore’s leadership, officials in New Delhi said.

In his fifth official trip to Singapore, the Prime Minister will receive an official welcome at the Parliament House on September 5 and call on President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

In a post on X, PM Modi said: “Landed in Singapore. Looking forward to the various meetings aimed at boosting the India-Singapore friendship. India’s reforms and the talent of our Yuva Shakti makes our nation an ideal investment destination. We also look forward to closer cultural ties.”

This visit comes days after Singapore PM Wong took over and PM Modi began his third term as Prime Minister.

Ahead of his departure, PM Modi on his social media handle X, had said, “I look forward to my discussions to deepen our Strategic Partnership with Singapore, particularly in new and emerging areas of advanced manufacturing, digitalization, and sustainable development.”

PM Modi, who last visited Singapore in 2018, is accompanied by Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and other government officials.

“The leaders will review the progress of India-Singapore Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement said ahead of his departure for Brunei and Singapore.

PM Modi would call on Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong. Singapore PM Wong and Lee will host PM Modi to separate meals.

PM Modi will also meet with Singaporean business leaders and interact with those in the country’s semiconductor ecosystem.

This visit will build synergies in semiconductor ecosystems of Singapore and India. Both PMs will visit a semiconductor manufacturing facility, officials said.

They said MoUs will be signed for cooperation in manpower skilling in the semiconductor sector.

From skilling centres to training and recruitment by Singapore firms, this will help India’s youth with better skills and opportunities, officials added. 

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang  Punia on Wednesday met Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi amid speculation over entering election fray from Haryana on Congress tickets.

The 30-year-old Phogat is expected to contest the Julana seat currently held by the Jannayak Janta Party’s Amarjeet Dhanda. Punia, who is also 30, will defend the Congress’ Badli seat.

The two wrestlers also met Congress general secretary in charge of organisation KC Venugopal today. However, after meeting the wrestlers, Congress leader Venugopal refused to speak on speculation of the two joining Congress and contesting the upcoming Haryana Assembly election on Congress tickets scheduled for October 5 this year.

Senior Congress leader Venugopal told reporters, “This meeting was not regarding contesting any election.”

Phogat and Punia made headlines last year after leading protests against former wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Singh, who faces charges of sexual assault and intimidation.

AICC in-charge for Haryana Deepak Babaria, after the Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Monday in Delhi, said that it would soon become clear whether Phogat is contesting the Haryana Assembly elections.

According to Congress, the party has engaged in discussions regarding the potential of the two individuals contesting in the upcoming elections, and these deliberations are ongoing.

A Congress leader mentioned on Wednesday, “Certain aspects require clarification. Conversations are underway, and the public will soon be apprised of whether the two candidates will indeed participate in the elections.”

On August 31, the Election Commission of India postponed the polling day for Haryana from October 1 to October 5, 2024, and accordingly counting day for Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana Assembly elections from October 4 to October 8, 2024.

The ECI said that the decision was taken to honour both the voting rights and the traditions of the Bishnoi community, which has upheld a centuries-old practice of participating in the Asoj Amavasya festival celebration in remembrance of their Guru Jambheshwar.

In an unfortunate incident, two women pilgrims died while a girl sustained severe injuries in a landslide on Vaishno Devi yatra route in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district on Monday. 

Officials asserted that the landslide struck near Panchi, around 3km from Bhawan at around 2.35 pm, and a portion of an overhead iron structure was also damaged in the incident. The victims were en route to the shrine when they were trapped beneath the iron structure as a result of the landslide, the officials added.

Vishesh Paul Mahajan, Deputy commissioner cited preliminary reports, and confirmed that two women had died, and a girl was critically injured in the incident. He added that senior police and civil administration officers quickly rushed to the scene, and further details are awaited.

After the landslide, a rescue operation was launched immediately, and the movement of pilgrims on the track was suspended. This incident follows nearly a year after a tragic stampede at the shrine on New Year’s Day in 2022, which left 12 pilgrims dead and 16 others injured.

In view of the landslide, movement on the route has been temporarily suspended, and the concerned officials have been directed to clear the route. Furthermore, the administration has urged pilgrims to practice caution during the yatra and proceed while considering the condition of the route.

Every year, millions of devotees visit the Vaishno Devi Temple. Earlier in 2023, the temple witnessed a record number of visitors. Notably, 2023 saw the highest number of devotees, with 9.35 million visiting the temple.

As per official data, 9.35 million people visited the Vaishno Devi Temple located on the Trikuta Hills in the Reasi district of Jammu. The previous record was in 2013, with 9.324 million devotees. The Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Anshul Garg, mentioned that this was the highest number of pilgrims in the last ten years, with 9.35 million visiting the temple.