Vol 2, Issue 12, Aug 1-15, 2022
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Smriti Irani meets President Murmu amid ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark row My election shows poor can not only dream but also fulfill them in India: Prez Murmu - Page 3
Janaki Thevar: the inspiring life story of an INA soldier - Page 5
Defence Ministry clears arms procurement worth Rs 28,732cr for Army - Page 7
Monkeypox cases in US rise to 3,487 - Page 9
New Delhi, July 29 (IANS): Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday met President Droupadi Murmu amid controversy over Congress floor leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s ‘Rashtrapatni’ remark. “Smt Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs along with Dr Mahendra Munjpara, MoS for Women & Child Development and Shri John Barla, MoS for Minority Affairs, called on President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” said Rashtrapati Bhavan in a tweet.
woman from a poor family who created history is being continuously demeaned by the Congress,” Irani said. She alleged that the Congress has been maliciously targeting President Murmu ever since the BJP-led NDA named her its Presidential candidate. Irani said: “She was called a puppet and a symbol of evil by Congress leaders. The attacks do not seem to stop even after her election to the highest constitutional office of the country.
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk In a bid to reduce the dangers of any domestic spread of the foot-andmouth disease (FMD), the Albanese government has ordered that parcels from China and Indonesia be checked in mail centres. This is a part of extraordinary biosecurity measures that are essential given the experience during Covid-19 pandemic worldwide. While the Opposition in Australia has not been able to build a consensus on the issue whether Australia should close the border with Indonesia, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt was opposed to any preemptory border closure because it could provoke trade reprisals from the country’s near neighbour. Guardian Australia reported that Watt said the government had not taken the step of shutting the border with Indonesia because the science didn’t necessitate such a measure. Moreover local agricultural producers were against such a move and thought that would be “a disproportionately drastic measure to take”. According to Guardian Australia Watt elaborated on the reasons not to take such a drastic step saying, “There are 70 countries around the world that have foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks at the moment and we’ve never shut the borders to any of them, so it’s unclear why we would do that now.” “We never shut the borders when the UK had an outbreak in 2001. We haven’t shut the borders for any of the countries that had outbreaks while the former government was in office – whether that be Vietnam,
Murray Watt China, India, South Africa and a whole bunch of others, he told Guardian Australia. Watt made it clear that “the biosecurity advice is the current risk doesn’t demand that. It would be a massive blow to our trade and diplomatic relationship with Indonesia which is not justified by the level of risk.” He further said, “The reason farm leaders don’t support it is Indonesia is our largest market for live cattle and wheat exports, it’s our third to fifth-biggest market for a whole range of agricultural products, and I think we are kidding ourselves if we think we could close our borders – which would have a huge economic cost to Indonesia – and they wouldn’t consider taking action themselves. That could be a massive own goal for Australia’s agricultural industry.” But contrary to the Albanese government’s stand, the Liberal leader, Peter Dutton, asked the government to shut Australia’s border to Indonesia, till it is understood that the outbreak of this disease is under control”
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Albanese for legal status Covid-19: Infections and death rates in Australia among world’s highest per capita to carbon reduction target
Guru Purnima celebrated - Page 12
Prof Michael Toole By Indian Abroad Newsdesk s the fight against Covid-19 continues throughout the world, Australia has shown some worrying signs given the fact that the country has reported the third highest cases and death rates in the world per capita during the past week, and if experts are to be believed the numbers are worsening. According to the latest data more than 12,625 Australians have died with Covid, and more than 5,000 are in hospital with the virus, including 159 in intensive care. Analysing the situation Professor Mike Toole, an epidemiologist from
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Sabyasachi’s Couture Show 2022 Page 20
Taking a tough stand, Irani has sought Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s apology in the Lok Sabha. After meeting the President, Irani tweeted: “Had the privilege of calling upon the Honourable President of India Droupadi Murmu Ji along with MOS @DrMunjparaBJP Ji & @johnbarlabjp Ji.” The Congress and BJP are at loggerheads over the issue with both sides attacking each other since Thursday. Irani, on Thursday, demanded an apology from Congress to the President and the country. “A tribal
Foot-and-mouth disease: Govt orders checking of parcels; border with Indonesia to remain open for now
the Burnet Institute, said Australia was probably in the worst phase of the pandemic. He underscored the fact that ninety-five per cent of reported cases were reported in 2022. Professor Toole research showed that Australia had some of the highest COVID-19-related numbers per capita. Public urged to wear masks Though authorities in Australia have asked the public to wear masks in high-risk settings such as aged care, hospitals and public transport, it may not be enough, feels Professor Toole. He points out that a number of countries in Europe still have stronger mask mandates than Australia, and they have a lot higher compliance. Professor Toole argument is that there is a lack of clear signals on mask-wearing and other precautionary measures which is leading to confusion among the Australians. Besides he says that “the other thing they must do is get boosters. Two doses are not enough.” But Chief Medical Officer Paul
Kelly says that he has released a statement in which the advice is clear — people should wear masks in crowded indoor environments beyond their homes. Health workers feel the heat Meanwhile health workers are having a tough time dealing with the situation and are under a lot of stress. As is evident across the world, an overburdened healthcare system is putting enormous pressure on doctors and nurses. About the condition of health workers Kylie Ward, the chief executive of the Australian College of Nursing, said she was very concerned. “It’s not only their physical health but their emotional health and mental health and wellbeing I’m concerned about,” she said. Asking for empathy for health workers she said, “We don’t have enough nurses, and those that we do have must be well over exhausted now. So, please be patient, be kind, wear masks, wash hands and practice really good infection-control measures to minimise the spread of this infection.”
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk Prime Minister Albanese is determined to have a greenhouse gas reduction target having the sanctity of a law. This is precisely why Australia’s Parliament sat recently for the first time since May elections to thrash out a legal strength behind the target. The legislation would compel Australia to reduce its emissions by 43% below 2005 levels by the end of the decade. The situation in the Parliament is such that while Prime Minster Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party holds a narrow majority in the House, it requires the support of senators from outside government ranks to get the bill passed in the upper chamber. While the Greens want Australia to reduce its emissions by 75% by 2030, the conservative coalition that was in power for nine years until the May 21 election, is steadfast on its 2015 Paris commitment to reduce emissions by between 26% and 28%.
it is not immune to any of these despite the best efforts of the country’s government. Interestingly, Australian inflation has increased despite all measures to stymie it, according to new data released recently. This will keep the central bank on its toes and it might hike interest rates for a fourth consecutive month. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics data, inflation in the year through June was 6.1%, up from 5.1% in the year through March. Compare it with the last calendar year when inflation only rose by 3.5%. Predictions are rife that the Reserve Bank of Australia will lift the cash rate by half a percentage point to 1.85% at its August 2 meeting. To put the whole thing into
perspective, the bank had already made rises of that size in its July and June meetings. In more precise terms, the rate rose by a quarter of a percentage point in May, which was the first rate hike in more than 11 years. What is more to the story is that Treasurer Jim Chalmers has warned Australians that inflation would rise further. “We are not surprised to see inflation north of 6%, but it’s still confronting,” Chalmers said. “Inflation is high and rising. It will get tougher before it starts to ease,” he added. Experts in March had predicted that Australia’s gross debt as a share of the economy would peak in mid-2025 at 44.9%, or 1.117 trillion Australian dollars ($773.2 billion).
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk
PM Albanese In this regard Albanese says voters and business groups favour his government’s 43% target. “Our policy is well thought through. It was announced, it was campaigned upon, indeed, it received a mandate,”Albanese said. Some of the Greens’ demands including the one saying that the bill would state that any target was a floor, not a ceiling and that there would be no reduction in the government‘s ambition, has the Continue on Page no. 5
Finally US wakes up, sends As inflation rises, hike in interest rates inevitable delegation to Solomon Islands Twitter says whole business will close due to account blocking orders, K’taka HC issues notice to Centre Page 25
By Indian Abroad Newsdesk t is almost as if the world has not had enough. First the pandemic wrecked economies throughout the world, and while it has not ended yet, here is the raging RussiaUkraine war, which is showing no signs of ending anytime soon. With shortages mounting everywhere, inflationary pressures are bound to build up and Australia has shown
I Priyanka won’t sing with Nick, but acting together on the cards - Page 30
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With China spreading its footprints in Solomon Islands, the US has also woken up to the Chinese threat and is sending a high-profile diplomatic delegation to visit the Solomon Islands. Led by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and including Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, the trip, according to the U.S. State Department, is to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. This provides an opportunity for the diplomats to meet with Solomon Islands officials to “highlight the enduring relationship” between the two nations. Recently, the U.S. and several Pacific nations had expressed deep concern
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Caroline Kennedy about the security pact the Solomon Islands signed with China in April, which could result in a military buildup in the region. This trip will also highlight the reopening of the U.S. embassy in the capital, Honiara, which is part of Continue on Page no. 5
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