LEAD STORIES
Vol 2, Issue 8, June 1-15, 2022
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Famed Punjabi singer Coming of Labor govt will further Moosewala shot dead boost Australia-India ties Kashmir and the sin of silence - Page 5
Modi meet industry leaders in Japan, invites them to invest in India- Page 13
Hackers hit top crypto websites amid crypto meltdown - Page 14
Chandigarh, May 29 (IANS) In less than 24 hours after his security was curtailed by the government, singer-turned-actor-politician Sidhu Moosewala, with a huge fan base running into millions, was shot dead by gangsters close to his ancestral village in Mansa in Punjab in broad daylight on Sunday, police said. He was 29 years old. He was on the wheel in Mahindra Thar SUV when the assailants, believed to be 10-12, fired more than 20 rounds at point-blank range at the singer and his two friends, who got grievous injuries. Moosewala got seven-eight bullets. It is learnt that AK-47 assault rifle was used in the crime as its shells were recovered from the crime scene. Moosewala was taken to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. The civil surgeon at Mansa
hospital said Moosewala was brought dead, while the two others were referred to another hospital for treatment. The incident happened a day after Punjab Police ordered the withdrawal of security of more than 420 people, including former legislators, Jathedars of two Takhts, heads of deras and police officers. Two of his four gunmen were withdrawn with the new government order. Moosewala was without security when the crime happened. Also he was travelling in a vehicle that was not bullet proof. Normally, he used his bullet-proof Toyota Fortuner for commuting, police said. Leaving behind his celebrated tag of a top Punjabi rap singer with fans across the globe, Moosewala, belonging to native Moosa village, made his electoral debut as a Congress candidate from Mansa for the February 20 Assembly polls. Moosewala, who was often caught on the wrong side of the law but broke several records, did not mind in singing couplets of his songs and posing for countless selfies with the electorate, largely first-timers, during his campaigning. Many of his songs featured in the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 charts. With assets of Rs 7.87 crore as per his nomination affidavit, the singer-turned-politician, who loved to ride on an open jeep, was facing
By IndianAbroad Newsdesk
With the coming of the Labor government to power, the ties between Australia and India are likely to grow stronger. There is a good reason to believe so given the new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s tweets following his meeting with the Indian Prime Minister on the sidelines of the Quad Summit. Albanese had tweeted, “Warmly welcomed my meeting with @narendramodi for an engaging discussion on Australia and India’s full strategic and economic agenda, including on clean energy technology. AustraliaIndia ties have never been closer.” Modi also tweeted after meeting Albanese. “India’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia is robust and benefits not only the
people of our nations but also the world,” Modi tweeted after his meeting with Albanese. “Was delighted to meet PM @AlboMP and take stock of bilateral ties. We discussed ways to add even greater momentum across key sectors.” Earlier before the May 21 election, as Labor leader Albanese assured the Indian community of a closer economic ties and trade with India. During one of his election campaigns Albanese had addressed the Hindu Council of Australia in western Sydney, saying his government would strengthen the IndianAustralian economic dialogue and support India in joining APEC and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. "We certainly would continue to support the comprehensive economic dialogue agreement. We think that it isn't comprehensive enough," Albanese had said.. While supporting an IndianAustralian economic dialogue meeting every year, Albanese had highlighted that "the relationship between Australia and India has only been one that strengthens both of our economies going forward." The recent announcement of $3.5 million funding for 'Australia India House' in Brisbane after the Albanese Labor Government is elected is a boost to the ties between Australia and India. Albanese also emphasized the
aspirations of multicultural communities saying, "We need to continue to provide opportunity. To make sure we go forward (and) as we go forward, we remain a country of aspiration and a land of opportunity." Following the meeting of Australian and Indian Prime Ministers recently on the sidelines of the Quad summit Modi welcomed it as “fruitful discussions” as the two leaders “affirmed their desire to continue the positive momentum in the bilateral relationship”, according to the Indian Prime Minister’s Office. Since Australia’s policy towards China is unlikely to see any major shift, India provides a viable alternative to augment Australia’s interests in Asia. The inking of the historic bi-lateral trade agreement between the two countries under the previous Australian government, which has been supported by the Labor government as well, is a step towards taking Australia-India ties to a new dimension. Moreover Prime Minister Albanese is no stranger to India. “PM Albanese has travelled to India as a backpacker in 1991 and also led a parliamentary delegation in 2018. He is no stranger to India. During the 2018 visit he had campaigned that he was committed to deepen IndiaAustralia, people to people links,” tweeted Barry O’Farrell, Australia’s High Commissioner to India.
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5 reason to buy daimonds - Page 16
Combating climate change Labor govt’s first priority By IndianAbroad Newsdesk
Nails Trend For 2022 - Page 17
Girls trip to Switzerland? Try these experiences - Page 20
While analysts discuss many factors that brought about victory for the Labor government in the May 21 Federal elections, promises made by Anthony Albanese’s party may be one of the key factors. Albanese had made many promises, most important being greater representation for women and indigenous people, his assertions of ensuring ‘full employment’, upscaling health access and combating climate change. Among these promises, the one on climate change seems to be the most challenging one. This is evident from the fact that the Albanese government has laid emphasis on climate change diplomacy as its priority.
Addressing Quad partners – India, the United States and Japan – Albanese stressed the importance of tackling climate change for national security, as it will build “a stronger and more resilient Indo-Pacific region”. Wong visited Fiji to provide development assistance to the region already reeling under the impact of climate change. However, Australia has to boost its national emissions reduction targets. The previous government’s climate target to reduce emissions 26-28% compared to 2005 levels was widely seen at home and overseas as an insufficient contribution to the goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degree Celsius. Labor has vowed to boost the 2030 target to a 43% reduction but it falls short of the 45% target the party pledged in the 2016 and 2019 elections. Moreover, this target is far behind those set by the Greens and teal independents. Australia’s climate policy record is not likely to improve if its reliance on being one of the world’s top fossil fuel exporters is not reduced. Morrison government had refused
to join a coalition of countries to phase out coal at last year’s UN climate summit. While Labor’s energy policy aims to reduce Australia’s reliance on coal, it has fallen short of committing itself to a phase-out. However the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report has found that keeping temperature rise to 2 degree Celsiusor below will require “cancellation of new coal power projects and accelerated retirement of existing coal plants”. One of the important reasons why the Australians have voted a new party to power is their message to the government that more frequent and severe, fire, flood, drought and intense heat events represent an immediate security threat. While neither of the two major parties envisaged that this election could turn out to be a climate election, the election results highlight that climate change was high on people’s agenda and influenced their pattern of voting. The new Labor government has to take affirmative steps on the matter of climate change to satisfy the electorate.
Last body found at crash site of Nepal plane Healthy Ingredients - Page 22
‘Dhaakad’ title song released in Varanasi, played on floating LED screen - Page 30
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Kathmandu, May 31 (IANS) The bodies of all the 22 people, including four Indians, who died in a plane crash in Nepal have been accounted for after the last one was found on Tuesday, the army said. "Last dead body has been recovered. Arranging to bring remaining 12 dead bodies from crash site to Kathmandu," Brigadier General
Narayan Silwal, spokesman of the Nepal Army, said in a tweet. Tara Air's 9 NAET twin-engine aircraft carrying 19 passengers and three crew members, flying from Pokhara to Jomsom had lost contact on Sunday morning, minutes after it took off. The Nepal Army found the crash site in a remote hilly area in Mustang district, where Jomson is located, on Monday morning with 21 bodies recovered and 10 airlifted to Kathmandu. A preliminary study has revealed that bad weather conditions caused the plane to crash. But the details will be probed by a five-member investigation team, Deo Chandra Lal Karn, spokesman of the Civil
Aviation Authority of Nepal, told Xinhua. The Indian nationals identified as Vaibhavi Banderkar, Ashok Kumar Tripathy, Dhanush Tripathy and Ritika Tripathy are believed to be from Pune. Likewise, seven members of a Nepalese family were also killed in the crash. According to the Nepal Army, the bodies were scattered over a 100-metre radius from the main impact point. The search for the plane began shortly after it lost contact on Sunday morning. But it could not be traced. It takes 20 minutes to reach Jomsom from Pokhara. But within 12 minutes of taking off, the aircraft lost contact.
/IndianAbroadNews
Labor govt’s bid to strengthen foreign policy initiatives By IndianAbroad Newsdesk
Australia has shown intent to strengthen its role overseas, besides boosting its domestic policies. This is evident from the new Labor government’s choice of Penny Wong as Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs. Wong is a strong Australian Labor Party leader with 20 years of parliamentary experience under her belt. She has also been the Opposition spokesperson on foreign affairs for the last four years. She is known to the international community as well. This will help her build rapport with international leaders paving the way for better appreciation of Australian policy abroad. Unlike in some other countries, foreign policy in Australia is without unnecessary politicization, which allows the country to forge strong relationships with partners in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. This was obvious during an election debate between Wong and former Foreign Minister Marise Payne in which the two leaders cutting across party lines calmly discuss important issues of state capability, budget, and leadership. Their debate also included a discussion on how Australia had managed its relationship with China. This implies that Australia’s foreign policy will continue to be the same as was pursued by the Morrison government. Australia will, therefore, still express its concerns over China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The militarization of the South China Sea, China’s security arrangements with the Solomon Islands, and the issues of cyber security and
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technology are likely to be raised by this government as these are areas that need to be dealt with effectively. Quad will feature prominently in China’s foreign policy initiatives and with it Australia’s focusing on ties with the US, India, and Japan. Australia’s voice in G20 is also going to be significant in the emerging international economic scenario. But Australia’s approach to foreign policy seems to be changing in a more subtle manner. When Albanese appointed Malaysia-born Penny Wong as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Prime Minister was sending a message across to the world that his government prioritizes Australia’s multiculturalism, brushing aside claims that Australia emphasizes only its English colonial history. Wong’s leadership is likely to give importance to the threat of climate change as was emphasized at the Quad Summit. Australia looks upon climate change as one of the biggest threats confronting the IndoPacific and it has been termed as a ‘security threat’ with much applause from the Indian Prime Minister since India itself has seen extreme weather conditions lately. Another aspect that is likely to improve is Australia’s approach to diplomacy under Wong. She has stressed on Australia’s intent to ‘listen because we care what the Pacific has to say’. This listening-first style of diplomacy will go beyond the Pacific and include relationships across Southeast Asia and other parts of the world.
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