India News - August 1-15, 2021

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

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Tokyo Olympics Games commence in a low-key manner

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Weightlifter Mirabai wins silver on a gloomy day for India in Tokyo

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Tokyo, July 23 (IANS): Applying high-end technologies, including virtual and augmented reality, and merging that with traditional Japanese motifs, the organising committee of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games put together an opening ceremony that lacked the glitz and glamour of previous editions but was apt for the current situation of a world ravaged by the Coronavirus pandemic.

Continued on Page 3

Australian women break world record to win 4X100m freestyle relay gold

Tokyo, July 24 (IANS): Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu provided the silver lining on a day when some of the most talented Indian shooters, including pistol

marksman Saurabh Chaudhary and rifle ace Elavenil Valarivan, flattered to deceive on the first full day of competitions at the Tokyo Olympics here.

Continued on Page 3

Support for Australian

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Tokyo, July 25 (IANS): Australia beat their own world record to win the women's 4X100m freestyle relay gold at the Tokyo Olympics Games here on July 25.

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Canberra, July 19 (IANS): A new Student Visas I SkilledTouching Visas I Tourist Visas home in three minutes polls has revealed that support and 29.69 seconds, the team for the Australian government Temporary Graduate Visas I Business -- Bronte Campbell, Meg Migration has fallen to its lowest level in Harris, Emma McKeon and Cate two years amid coronavirus Campbell -- sliced 0.36 seconds Family stream Visas I Partner Visa Specialist I Sponsored Visas lockdowns in the country's two off the previous world record. biggest cities.

Job Ready I Skill Assessments I AAT Canada came secondrepresentation in 3:32.78 and the United States took the bronze in 3:32.81. China finished seventh in an Asian record time of 3:34.76.

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According to the latest Newspoll, which was published on July 25 night, the governing Coalition trails the opposition Labor Party 47-53 on a two-party preferred

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basis, reports Xinhua news agency.

It represents the Coalition's worst electoral position in the current term of government.

The poll found that voter satisfaction with Prime Minister Scott Morrison's handling of the coronavirus pandemic has fallen nine points since late June to 52 Continued on Page 3

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

Islamic Council Of Queensland holds dinner event for community leaders

First heritage site from Telangana gets muchawaited UNESCO tag

EDITORIAL TEAM Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman Dr Ashutosh Misra, Editor-in-Chief Ms Priyadarshini Rana, Bureau Chief, Victoria Ms Apoorva Raghubanshi, Bureau Chief, ACT EDITORIAL BOARD Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, Queensland University of Technology Ms Audrey Courty, Griffith University Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India INDIA NEWS TV Mr Karthik Pratap Singh, News Director Mr. Agastya Yeturi, Cinematographer Mr Nishit Chandan, Special Correspondent WRITERS Mr Devashish Chakraborty Ms Deepika Banerjee Mr Rabindra Mukherji

WORLD THIS WEEK

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Olympics 2032 coming to the “deserving” Brisbane city

Why are Cubans Rallying? - Vaibhavi Nagar

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Page 22 ASEAN and India: Charting the New Asian century

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Editorial Swimming: Australia’s Titmus beats WR holder Ledecky for 400m freestyle gold

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

COVER STORIES

Australian women break world record Tokyo Olympics Games commence in a low-key manner to win 4X100m freestyle relay gold Photo Courtesy: The Gaurdian

claimed the women's 400m individual medley title and burst into tears after winning in four minutes and 32.08 seconds.

Emma Weyant (4:32.76) and Hali Flickinger (4:34.90), both from the United States, took the silver and the bronze respectively.

Rio Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungaria finished fifth in 4:35.98.

Continued from Page 1 Ahmed Hafnaoui won Tunisia's first gold at the Tokyo Olympics in men's swimming 400m freestyle. The 18-year-old pushed Australia's Jack Mcloughlin to second in the final sprint,

becoming an Olympic champion in his first appearance in three minutes and 43.36 seconds, 0.16 second ahead of the Aussie.

Kieran Smith won a bronze for the United States in 3:43.94.

Japanese swimmer Yui Ohashi

American swimmer Chase Kalisz touched home first in four minutes and 09.42 seconds to clinch gold in the men's 400m individual medley. This is the first swimming gold for Team USA in Tokyo.

Kalisz' compatriot Jay Litherland finished second in 4:10.28.

Australia's Brendon Smith took the bronze 0.1 second behind Litherland.

Weightlifter Mirabai wins silver on a gloomy day for India in Tokyo Continued from Page 1 Manipur's 26-year-old Mirabai exorcised the ghost of the 2016 Rio Olympics with a total lift of 202kg -- 87kg in snatch and 115kg in clean and jerk - to clinch India's second medal in weightlifting after Karnam Malleswari's bronze in the 69kg category at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. It was a big performance by Mirabai who had failed to lift weights in three attempts in clean and jerk in 2016.

With the silver at the Olympics, Mirabai has now won medals in the Commonwealth Games, Asian Championships, and World Championships.

On a day when 19-year-old ace 10m air pistol shooter Chaudhary qualified for the finals at No. 1 spot, raising hopes of a gold medal, he lost touch in the finals to finish seventh, while compatriot Abhishek Verma couldn't make the eight-shooter final, ending 17th.

The Indian men's hockey team,

after a sedate beginning in Pool A, when they conceded a goal, rallied against New Zealand to win 3-2. The women's hockey team, however, left the fans disappointed after matching World No 1 the Netherlands for the entire first half before slumping to 1-5 defeat in their opening Pool A match.

Indian tennis ace Sumit Nagal, who was a last-minute entry to the Olympics after slots were created due to pull-outs by top players, defeated 2018 Jakarta Asian Games champion, Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 to advance, while table tennis player Manika Batra -- after losing the round-of-16 mixed doubles match partnering Achanta Sharath Kamal to Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-Ju and Cheng I-Cheng 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 -- came back strongly to beat Ukraine's 20th seed Margaryta Pesotska. She is now the first Indian woman paddler to win a round at the Olympics since 1992.

Indian shuttlers had a mixed day

with the men's doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy defeating the higherranked Chinese Taipei pair of Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin 21-16, 16-21, 27-25 in their first Group A match, while the country's hope in men's singles, B Sai Praneeth, suffered a shock loss against Misha Zilberman of Israel in his first Group D match.

There was disappointment for 2010 Asian Games gold-medallist boxer Vikas Krishan who was eliminated in the first round

by Japanese upstart Sewonrets Quincy Mensah Okazawa in the 69kg category.

The lone Indian judoka at the Games, Shushila Devi Likmabam, bowed out in the opening round, pinned by Hungarian stalwart Eva Csernoviczki in the round of 32, while rowers, Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh, too had a forgettable outing as the pair finished fifth in the lightweight men's double sculls heats on July 24.

Support for Australian govt slumps to 2-yr low Photo Courtesy: IANS

Continued from Page 1 per cent, down from a high of 85 per cent in April 2020.

It was conducted as millions of Australians in the Greater Sydney area and the state of Victoria were in lockdown in response to outbreaks of the Delta strain.

Confidence in the federal government's management of the vaccine rollout fell below 50 per cent for the first time, with just 40 per cent of respondents saying they were satisfied.

As of July 26 morning, 35.4 per

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cent of Australian adults had received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose and 13.6 per cent were fully vaccinated.

Newspoll revealed that overall satisfaction with Morrison fell from 55 to 51 per cent while the portion of respondents dissatisfied rose to 45 per cent.

However, Labor leader Anthony Albanese failed to capitalise on the dip in Morrison's popularity, with his own satisfaction rating among 1,506 participants in the poll falling 2 per cent.

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Continued from Page 1 The usual razzmatazz and razzledazzle and pyrotechnics caused by laser and high-intensity sound were replaced by the clever interplay of light, sound, and shadows with softer music.

Postponed by one year due to the pandemic, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games finally opened on July 23 night at Tokyo's Olympic Stadium behind closed doors, adding a new chapter in the history of the Olympic Games.

Led by six-time world champion and London Olympic bronze medallist boxer MC Mary Kom and men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh, the Indian contingent made a subdued entry, as the 21st group in the march past, with less than 30 representing the full contingent of over 200.

There was no cheering, screaming, and clapping by the huge crowd that usually fills the stadium for ceremonies of this magnitude and stature because the fans are banned from the entire Olympics. However, the athletes did not seem to mind as they got ready to represent their respective countries.

The biggest sporting event on the planet is being held exactly one year later than originally planned due to the postponement caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only about 950 people, including officials and reporters, were allowed into the 68,000-capacity venue to watch the opening ceremony. But perhaps for the first time in Olympic history, billions of the audience members enjoyed the show more than the very limited number of Olympic family members present in the stadium, Xinhua reported.

It has been almost eight years since Japanese people celebrated the return of the Olympic Games after the 1964 Olympics, but the journey to this point was full of challenges.

On March 24, 2020, Japan's then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee

(IOC) president Thomas Bach agreed to delay the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics by one year due to Covid-19, four days after the Olympic flame, which was lit up in Olympia, Greece without spectators, arrived in Japan.

Sixteen months later, the coronavirus is still threatening the Games, with Tokyo put under its fourth state of emergency for the duration of the entire Olympic Games. On July 22, Tokyo 2020 organisers reported 12 new positive Covid-19 cases related to the Olympics, including two infected foreign athletes in the athletes' village, bringing the total number of Olympics-linked cases to 87 since July 1.

Consequently, the majority of the venues barred spectators from entering, with cheers and chants from previous Games to be put in place as part of the IOC's digital engagement campaign to ensure athletes won't feel alone.

It wasn't until late July 22 night that the organisers confirmed the opening ceremony would stick to its original programs following the firing of ceremony director Kentaro Kobayashi after a joke about the Holocaust he made in 1998 resurfaced.

Yet, against all odds, a virtual seed under the surface of the Olympic Stadium sprouted out of the ground after intensive struggles displayed by its human representation inside the arena, starting a countdown that led to the eventual start of the spectacle.

IOC president Thomas Bach said earlier at a press conference that the Olympic Games are capable of "getting the entire world together in one peaceful competition, to have athletes in one country, in one city, in one Olympic village, competing against each other but living together because they are under the same rules."

The Tokyo Olympic Games, attracting 11,000 athletes from 206 delegations and the refugee team, will run through August 8.

Greetings from Hope you are keeping well as we all fight hard to get out of the shadows of Covid-19.

On the 15th of August, India is celebrating its 74th Independence Day, which will also be celebrated in Australia across the 700,000 strong Indian community. In Queensland, over 60,000 strong Indian diaspora is looking forward to this day and we thought of exploring in advance if you would like to reach out to them with your customised greetings on this occasion.

You can have a full page ($800), half page ($500) or a quarter page ($350) congratulatory flyer published in our issue on 16th August.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

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Major Indian IT companies converge at Springfield City Group Australia India Technology Summit decade and there is a tremendous opportunity for Australian engineers, software developers and innovators to be part of this growth and bring their own expertise to Australia. Australia is where these companies want to be, but they are also being courted by other developing nations. The opportunity is for Australia to show that it is the best place for these organisations to establish and grow.”

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“India is already one of the fastest growing economies and is the third largest contributor to global growth. Over the next twenty years, India will require access to goods and services, which Australia is well positioned to supply, and IT tends to be a critical component of facilitating the supply of these goods and services. The Australian Government has taken steps to prepare for the strategic relationship investment and move to ensure access to a market that over the next twenty years will offer tremendous growth opportunities for both Australia and India.

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Ashok Mysore, Chair of AIBC’s Information and Communications Technology and Digital Chapter said: “Indian technology companies have embraced Australia. It has proven a great place for them to access local talent and build a base of knowledge workers.

These companies are projecting significant growth over the next

The Australia India Technology Summit was attended by leaders from industry and government including several Members of Parliament. Major Indian IT companies in attendance included TCS, InfoSys, HCL, Wipro, Tech Mahindra, among others.

Speakers included Peter Varghese AO, who led the India Economic Strategy to 2035; and Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, who led the Australia Economic Strategy.

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Luxury, lifestyle, location — welcome to Dress Circle

Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

Nine tourists killed in Himachal landslide

Photo Courtesy: The Hindu

NEWS FROM INDIA

First heritage site from Telangana gets muchawaited UNESCO tag Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Sikar, and a woman from Jaipur.

Deepa Sharma, 34, of Jaipur, was posting some beautiful pictures on her social media accounts a few hours before her sudden death, which has left her followers shocked.

Shimla/Jaipur, July 25 (IANS): At least nine tourists, including four from Rajasthan, were killed and three others seriously injured in a rockslide in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district on July 25, the police said.

The tourists were on the way from Sangla to Chitkul, a popular tourist spot some 250 km from Shimla, when the boulders fell on their vehicle, killing nine on the spot.

A video of the disaster showing massive boulders sliding off the hilltop and damaging a bailey bridge and a portion of the highway has gone viral.

Superintendent of Police S.R. Rana said the rescue operation was on and the road has been closed for the traffic. Nearly 50 vehicles were stranded on the road stretch.

Two of the injured have been referred to a nearby hospital.

Eyewitnesses said the administration had a tough time extricating the victims from the boulders.

People in the area began rescue operations even before local authorities reached the spot.

The deceased include three of a family hailing from Rajasthan's

The victims also included Maya Devi Biyani, 55, from Sikar's Bajaj Road (near Maheshwari Dharamshala), her son Anurag Biyani (35) and daughter Richa Biyani (25). Anurag was working as a Company Secretary in Mumbai, where the entire family lived, though they had a house in Sikar too.

The three had just come from Sikar two days back, though Anurag's father had stayed back there and his elder sister had gone back to Mumbai.

Expressing grief over the accident, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur asked local authorities to speed up the rescue work and provide relief to the next of kin of each of those killed and injured.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the deaths and announced an exgratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those injured.

Pegasus row: Rahul demands Shah's resignation, SC probe against Modi

Photo Courtesy: Business Standard

used it politically. "They have used it in Karnataka, they have used it to scuttle probes, they have used it against the Supreme Court and against all the institutions of this country," he alleged.

Targeting the government, Rahul Gandhi said, "The only word for this is treason. There is no other word for this."

"And this has to be investigated and the Home Minister has to resign," the Congress leader demanded.

New Delhi, July 23 (IANS): Upping the ante against the government, former Congress Chief Rahul Gandhi on July 23 described Pegasus as a weapon and demanded resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He also demanded a Supreme Court probe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the media outside Parliament, Rahul Gandhi said, "Pegasus is classified by the Israeli State as a weapon and that weapon is supposed to be used against the terrorist. The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Union Home Minister have used this weapon against the Indian State and against our institutions."

He alleged that the government

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He also accused the Prime Minister of using this (Pegasus) weapon against the people of the country and also to scuttle the probe of the Rafale fighter jet deal.

The Congress leader also said that "they tapped my phone". "This is not about my privacy, not about the privacy of Rahul Gandhi. I am an opposition leader and I raise public issues. This is an attack on that. This is an attack on the voice of the people," he said.

He said: "A judicial enquiry and SC enquiry should be ordered on Narendra Modi because no one else can authorise Pegasus. This authorisation can only be done by the Prime Minister and the Home Minister."

The alleged snooping issue has triggered a stormy start to the

Monsoon Session after a global collaborative investigative project revealed that Israeli company NSO Groups' Pegasus spyware was targeted over 300 mobile phone numbers in India, including that of two ministers in the Narendra Modi government, three Opposition leaders, constitutional authority, several journalist and business persons.

It snowballed on July 20 after it came to the fore that in July 2019, phone numbers of Karnataka's then Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara and the personal secretaries of then Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, were selected as possible targets for surveillance.

The Congress on July 19 accused the government of "treason" and held Shah responsible for the snooping and hacking of phones of journalists, judges and politicians, and demanded a probe.

BJP leader and former IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned the credentials of those behind the story as well as its timing, coming a day before Parliament's Monsoon Session that began on July 19, as he accused the opposition party of hitting a "new low" in making baseless allegations.

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Hyderabad, July 25 (IANS): The UNESCO World Heritage site status to Ramappa temple has come as the first global recognition of the rich spiritual and cultural heritage of Telangana, India's youngest state.

Also known as Rudreswara temple, this Kakatiyan architectural marvel is located at Palampet in Mulugu district near Warangal, about 200 km from Hyderabad.

"Today, because of a historic decision taken at the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, Ramappa temple now belongs to the whole world, to the entire humanity.

I congratulate the people of Palampet," India's representative at the online session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) said, expressing excitement over the inclusion of the temple among the list of World Heritage sites.

Seventeen countries including Russia, Oman, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Spain, Thailand, Hungary, Ethiopia and China described Ramappa as an outstanding heritage site and a manifestation of the master of human geniuses at the session.

Ramappa temple is the 39th site in India and the first in Telangana to get the coveted tag.

This comes as the first major success of Telangana to get global recognition for its cultural heritage after attaining statehood seven years ago.

It was in 2014 that Ramappa temple was nominated for the inscription. A team of UNESCO officials had inspected the temple in 2019.

Last year, it was one of the global sites nominated for the coveted tag but the WHC meeting could not take place due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Ramappa Temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva. The presiding deity here is Ramalingeswara Swamy. The temple became famous with the name of sculptor Ramappa who executed the work for 40 years.

The temple complexes of Kakatiyas have a distinct style, technology and decoration

exhibiting the influence of the Kakatiyan sculptor. The Ramappa temple is a manifestation of this and often stands as a testimony to the Kakatiyan creative genius.

The temple stands on a 6 feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors.

The sculptural art and decoration specific to the time and Kakatiyan Empire have an outstanding universal value. The distinct style of Kakatiyas for the gateways to temple complexes, unique only to this region, confirm the highly evolved proportions of aesthetics in temple and town gateways in South India.

European merchants and travelers were mesmerized by the beauty of the temple and one such traveler had remarked that the temple was the "brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan".

According to B.V. Papa Rao of Kakatiya Heritage Trust, which led the effort to get UNESCO tag, India had reached 24 countries to inscribe Ramappa temple as a World Heritage site. The countries were presented with documents to show the importance of the site.

The Telangana government had also taken steps to conform to the demands made by the WHC in their agenda papers.

Two days ago, the state government announced that it is initiating formation of a management committee at the state level and Palampet Special Development Authority at the local level for adequate legal protection to the temple and to ensure regulated development by appropriately zoning areas near the temple.

Minister for Tourism and Culture V. Srinivas Goud stated that these steps will ensure that serenity and natural beauty of the surroundings of the temple are maintained. He announced that two temples near Ramappa will also be brought under the jurisdiction of Ramappa temple property as recommended by the International Council on Monuments and Sites.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

NEWS FROM INDIA

India's progress not possible without BSP's Ram temple outing irks Muslims in UP growth in NE: Home Minister Photo Courtesy: IANS

irritants so that the region's peace and development are speeded-up.

He said that after the signing of the Bodoland peace accord in January last year, the government has already fulfilled the 90 per cent of the conditions of the agreement.

Guwahati, July 25 (IANS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on July 25 said that without the development of the northeastern region, India's growth would not be complete.

He noted that for the first time since Independence, there are five Central ministers, including two of cabinet rank, from the region and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the northeast 35 times in six years showing how much he values it.

"At the instructions of the Prime Minister, one Central minister visits the northeastern states once in every 15 days," the Home Minister said after launching various projects including laying the foundation stone of the 430bed Tamulpur Medical College and Hospital in the Bodoland Territorial Region in western Assam.

Addressing the function at the famous Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra here, Shah said that

rejecting false propaganda, people of Assam voted for the BJP-led government for the second time as they wanted development and rejected "aatankwad" (insurgency) and "andolan" (agitation) in the state.

"BJP governments in Tripura and Manipur resolved many longpending issues and problems including resettlement of the Reang tribal migrants (from Mizoram) and other ethnic troubles. Now there is no road blockade and high price rise of essentials, including cooking gas, in Manipur."

The Home Minister on July 25 evening inaugurated the Radio Therapy Block and dedicated to the people the new LINAC machine in the state cancer institute in Guwahati to provide better and free of cost treatment to cancer patients.

Shah said that the Prime Minister, as he loved the northeastern states, cleared all roadblocks and

Reiterating the Union Government's commitment for protecting and preserving Assam's language, its heritage, and glorious culture, the Home Minister said that the language, dialects, cuisine, and cultural traditions of Assam and the northeast are India's jewels and the government would safeguard these.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, in his speech, said that in the six decades after Independence, there were only six medical colleges in Assam. "However, the BJP-led government after coming to power initiated steps for setting up of 23 new medical colleges, out of which few are completed while many are in various stages of implementation process," he said.

The Union Home Minister also handed over financial assistance to 100 selected beneficiaries of 'Prarthana' scheme under which the state government provides Rs 1 lakh to the next of kin of 5,114 Covid deceased.

Sarma said that the state government, in a bid to provide succour to Covid victims' families, especially those who lost their family members, initiated the Chief Minister's Sishu Sewa Achoni, the Chief Minister's Widow Support Scheme, and the 'Prarthana' scheme.

Snoopgate charges baseless; Congress a rudderless boat: BJP President Photo Courtesy: IANS

Panaji, July 25 (IANS): BJP national President J.P. Nadda on July 25 termed the accusations of snoopgate against the Central government as baseless, and said that they are being raised by an issueless opposition.

Nadda also described the Congress under Rahul Gandhi (without directly naming the Congress leader) as a "rudderless boat" under a sailor who does not know which way the wind is

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is a rudderless boat and the sailor does not know which side to sail.

This is the situation with the Congress. He does not even know which way the wind is blowing," Nadda said.

blowing.

"It is baseless. It is issueless and as I have said, the opposition led by the Congress has got no issue to raise that is related to the people. Therefore, they raise such issues," Nadda said during a press conference here, when asked to react to the accusations of illegal surveillance on politicians, activists, journalists using the Pegasus spyware.

"From Delhi to Goa, the Congress

When asked about the repeated disruptions of Parliament impacting the business of the country's apex legislative body, Nadda said: "As far as the Parliament is concerned, we are ready for all kinds of discussions.

But the Congress and the opposition are so issueless that they do not know what to do.

"But people know that despite such antics, the productivity of the Parliament has broken all records under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dynamic leadership. Both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, the business undertaken has broken all records. We will keep working.

They (opposition) will walk their own path. They have no issues for discussion," Nadda said.

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Lucknow, July 25 (IANS): The Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) efforts to win over Brahmins and playing the Hindutva card with visits to Ayodhya and the Ram temple, may end up backfiring on its strategy for a comeback in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections next year.

BSP MP Satish Chandra Mishra, who began the Brahmin conclaves from Ayodhya, has apparently struck discordant notes in the minority community.

When Mishra came on stage in Ayodhya, chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' filled the air. The BSP leader began his campaign with visits to the Ram Janambhoomi and Hanuman Garhi temples and went on to say that the former would be built when the BSP comes to power.

This was the first time that any BSP leader had flaunted his Hindu leanings on the party platform.

"The BSP has shown us that it is no different from the BJP. The party agenda was out in the open in Ayodhya when cries of 'Jai Shri Ram' were chanted from the dais and Satish Chandra Mishra did not stop them. Moreover, he promised to speed up Ram temple. Is this the 2022 agenda of the BSP?" asked Mohd Qais, a BSP leader from Ambedkar Nagar.

BSP's Muslim legislators are

equally upset with the party's new 'misadventure'.

"We do not know who has convinced Behenji (Mayawati) to play the Hindu card like this but it will cost us dearly in the elections.

Our cadres still recall the slogan 'Mile Mulayam-Kanshi Ram, hawa mein ud gaye Jai Shri Ram' and now this sudden affinity for Ram?" he queried.

Rebel BSP MLA Aslam Raini said: "The BSP is inching towards its doom. After decades of wooing Dalits, the party has suddenly become a subsidiary of the BJP." The BSP has already lost its prominent OBC leaders. The expulsion of senior leaders like Lalji Varma and Ram Achal Rajbhar, both of whom wielded considerable influence over their communities, has depleted the party's base among OBCs. As of now, the BSP has no OBC face to flaunt in the elections.

"As it is, the party has negligible representation of OBCs and Muslims in the power hierarchy.

The party is led by Brahmins in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Reviving the Bhaichara committee will not serve any purpose unless we have leaders who wield influence over their own communities," admitted a party functionary.

66% schools, 60% anganwadi centres receive tap water supply New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): In less than ten months since the launch of the campaign, tap water has been made available in 66 per cent schools and 60 per cent anganwadi centres across the country, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has informed.

Nine states and one Union Territory have 100 per cent provision of clean tap water supply in all schools, ashramshalas and anganwadi centres, despite Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown.

To ensure clean tap water supply to children in schools, anganwadi centres and ashramshalas (residential schools) for their wellbeing and better health, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2020 launched a campaign to make provision of tap water supply in these institutions.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti said, "In less than ten months since the launch of this campaign, tap water has been made available in 6.85 lakh (66 per cent) schools, 6.80 lakh (60 per cent) anganwadi centres and 2.36 lakh (69 per cent) Gram Panchayats and Community Healthcare Centres (CHCs) for drinking and cooking mid-day meal, 6.18 lakh schools have tap water in toilets/urinals and 7.52 lakh schools have tap water for hand washing facility."

In Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, and UT of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, provision of clean tap water supply in all schools, ashramshalas and anganwadi centres have been made, despite Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown resulting in repeated disruptions, the ministry said.

To ensure safe tap water to children, on September 29, 2020, Prime Minister Modi appealed to all States and UTs, to reach every school and anganwadi centre with tap water connection on priority basis.

On October 2, 2020, a 100-day campaign was launched by Union Jal Shakti Minister, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to bring awareness and a sense of urgency to provide clean drinking water to children across the country.

To ensure water availability and treatment of used water, in 91.9 thousand schools, rain water harvesting and in 1.05 lakh schools, grey water management systems have been put in place.

This will not only boost the water availability but also create awareness among children and inspire them to learn water management in their growing stage.

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Videos show Afghan civilians being NSW sees slight drop tortured, murdered by Taliban in daily Covid cases New Delhi, July 16 (IANS): The Afghanistan Embassy in Australia has released a series of videos which appear to show appalling atrocities committed by the Taliban as the militant group intensifies its campaign to take control of the country, ABC reported.

The Embassy said it has collected the recordings from several parts of Afghanistan, which have recently fallen back under Taliban control as Western forces withdraw from the conflict-hit nation.

The deeply distressing videos show civilians being beaten, tortured and murdered.

Two separate clips show Afghan civilians -- who the Embassy said are civil servants working for the government of Afghanistan -- being beheaded by the Taliban, the report said.

One video shows Afghan soldiers surrendering and then being shot and killed by men who appear to be Taliban fighters.

Another video shows a man -apparently a civilian -- being subjected to brutal torture in a public square, while a fifth video

shows a woman being whipped

by Taliban soldiers for breaking "modesty" laws.

The Embassy also provided photos showing the dead bodies of three people which it has identified as Afghan civil servants.

In a statement, the Embassy said the videos showed "the extreme violence, heartbreaking atrocities, and the horrible war crimes committed by the Taliban in the areas where they have recently entered".

The Embassy said the videos and photos proved that the Taliban remained wedded to its "distorted interpretation of Islamic Sharia".

"The Taliban's behaviour clearly indicates their vision and ambition for the return of an Emirate with no difference whatsoever from the 90s. Basic human rights are not a matter of concern to them," it said.

According to the report, Rodger Shanahan from the Lowy Institute said the Afghan Embassy in Canberra was intent on undermining the Taliban's attempt to present itself as a more modern and responsible political

entity.

"The Afghan government is trying to make the point that Taliban 2.0 is the same as Taliban 1.0," he said.

"They want to counter Taliban messaging. One of the things the Taliban want is legitimacy, and the Taliban are putting forward the line that they're not the same as before, that they've changed.

Afghanistan's government is trying to court diplomatic support, and make sure that regional governments which are comfortable with the Taliban taking power, or which loosely tie themselves to the Taliban, are also tied to these atrocities," he added.

Shanahan said that it isn't yet clear if Afghan diplomatic missions in other countries are taking similar steps.

"What will be interesting to see is if this is part of a broader campaign by the Afghan government -- whether this effort has been directed from Kabul to try and begin a concerted information campaign across the world," he said.

Pfizer vaccine provisionally approved for Australians aged 12-15

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Canberra, July 23 (IANS): Australia's medical regulator on July 23 provisionally approved Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years.

Health Minister Greg Hunt announced that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has ruled that the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is safe for the age group, reports Xinhua news agency.

It makes it the first coronavirus vaccine approved for individuals younger than 16 in Australia.

Up until now, the Pfizer vaccine had only been approved for use in

Australia for people aged 16 years and above.

vulnerable children were "well advanced".

In a statement, the TGA said the decision to approve the vaccine for the age group was made after careful evaluation of clinical studies.

"What is more likely, the early advice I have, is that they will fast track vaccines for 12-15 year-olds for the immunocompromised children, or those with underlying health conditions, and then they'll review the incoming data over the course of the next month on the general population," he told the media.

"Provisional approval for use in the 12-15 years age group has been made following careful evaluation of the available data supporting safety and efficacy, including clinical studies with adolescents 12 to 15 years of age," it said.

"The decision has been made on the basis of short term efficacy and safety data. Continued approval depends on the evidence of longer term efficacy and safety from ongoing clinical trials and post-market assessment."

Hunt said that conversations with the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) about rolling out vaccines to

So far there have been about 10.6 million coronavirus vaccine doses administered in Australia.

Approximately 36 per cent of the adult population have received one vaccine dose and 14.9 per cent are fully inoculated.

Since the onset of the pandemic, there have been a total of 32,427 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Australia, while the death toll stood at 915.

Covid-19: Half of Australians in lockdown again Canberra, July 21 (IANS): Anger is growing in Australia as 13 million people -- about half the nation's population, endure fresh lockdowns to deal with the Covid-19 outbreaks. Many people have expressed frustration at being back in the highly policed lockdowns 18 months into the pandemic.

A third state, South Australia, joined Victoria and parts of New South Wales in lockdown on July 20. Fewer than 14 per cent of Australians are vaccinated -

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the worst rating among OECD nations, the BBC reported.

Australia's two biggest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, are among places facing uncertainty over when to re-open.

Re-openings in the UK and the US have increased pressure on the federal government.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been heavily criticised over the slow vaccination rate, but has resisted calls to apologise.

"No country has got their

pandemic response 100 per cent.

I think Australians understand that," he told reporters on July 21.

He again cited Australia's success in keeping overall infections well below many nations. It has recorded 915 deaths.

Morrison noted that the UK had seen over 90 deaths in a single day on July 20.

But Labor frontbencher Jim Chalmers said: "This is a prime minister who hides while people hurt."

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Sydney, July 25 (IANS): Australia's most populous state of New South Wales on July 25 saw a slight drop in the daily Covid-19 cases with two new deaths recorded.

According to the state health department, 141 new locally acquired cases were recorded recently, out of a record of 102,233 coronavirus tests reported during the same period, reports Xinhua news agency.

The state also recorded two Covid-related deaths -- a woman in her late 30s and a woman in her 70s, both with no pre-existing conditions -- which took the total fatality tally in the state during the current outbreak to eight.

At the same time, there are

currently 141 people in hospital with Covid-19, among which 60 people are under the age of 55 and 28 people are under the age of 35.

"If anybody thinks this is a disease just affecting older people, please think again," said NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian As for the anti-lockdown protest in Sydney on July 24, NSW Police Force said on July 25 that two men have been charged with allegedly striking a police horse.

Officers attached to the Strike Force have also been working throughout the night to identify those involved in the protest and further arrests are expected to be made.

'Flying doctors' to deliver vaccines to remote Australians Photo Courtesy: IANS

to some 500 vaccine clinics between now and the end of the year."

As of July 17, about 10 million Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered in Australia.

Canberra, July 18 (IANS): The Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) has been enlisted to inoculate thousands of Australians against Covid-19 in remote areas, a top official said on July 18 .

Frank Quinlan, RFDS federation executive director, said the service has administered about 5,121 coronavirus vaccines since being brought in by governments to accelerate the rollout in remote communities, reports Xinhua news agency.

Of those vaccines, it was estimated that about 45 per cent were for Indigenous Australians.

"Early on in the pandemic we identified a whole number of communities across Australia where the RFDS is either one of or the primary source of health care," he said.

"So we're now providing vaccine clinics to those remote and often small communities.

"We're expecting on the back of the plans we've worked up to be delivering some 50,000 vaccines

"At our current pace of roughly 956,674 doses a week, we can expect to reach the 40 million doses needed to fully vaccinate Australia's adult population in late February 2022," according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The RFDS, a non-profit organisation, received A$38.8 million in funding from the federal government to join the vaccine rollout.

It has been tasked with delivering doses to remote medical centres, deploying support staff and supplying health care staff to administer jabs.

"The remoteness of some communities has been both their protection but also their risk because we know that those communities are often protected by distance but at the same time they experience poorer health by distance," Quinlan said.

"We know if Covid was to get into communities the impact would be devastating."

As of July 18, there have been 31,771 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Australia ,according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

The death toll stood at 913.

Until recently, Australia had been largely praised for its strategy of border closures, quarantine programmes and snap lockdowns.

Residents must not leave their homes except for grocery shopping, exercise and other essential reasons.

But the highly contagious Delta variant has challenged these defences in the past month.

There are fears Sydney's lockdown could extend into September, after modelling showed the city may be months from eliminating cases.

The outbreak in Sydney Australia's largest city - has infected more than 1,500 people.

Officials reported 110 new cases on July 21, despite the city's fourth week of lockdown.

South Australians endured seven days at home after five cases of the Delta variant were found.

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Australian unemployment falls to decade low Canberra, July 15 (IANS): Australia's unemployment rate fell to 4.9 per cent in June from 5.1 per cent in May, the lowest level in about a decade, according to the labour force data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on July 15.

It marks the eighth consecutive month that the rate has fallen and the lowest unemployment figure since December 2010 despite that Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria state, spent early June in a coronavirus lockdown, reports Xinhua news agency.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the data was a testament to the "resilience" of the Australian

economy.

"It doesn't, however, take into account the New South Wales (NSW) lockdown -- a reminder of the challenging days ahead," he said.

NSW on July 14announced to extension of the lockdown on Greater Sydney and surrounding areas for at least another two weeks.

The number of unemployed Australians actively looking to work fell to about 679,000 in June compared to a peak of 1 million in July 2020.

Youth unemployment dropped half a percentage point to 10.2 per cent, which was 1.4 percentage

points below the rate at the start of the pandemic.

However, the total number of hours worked by Australians fell by 1.8 per cent in June from May. "Hours worked data continues to provide the best indicator of the extent of labour market impacts from lockdowns," Bjorn Jarvis, head of labour statistics at the ABS, said in a statement.

NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Hospitality sector upset over NZ's travel bubble suspension with Aus

"Hours worked in Victoria fell by 8.4 per cent in June, compared with a 0.3 per cent fall in employment. This highlights the extent to which people in Victoria had reduced hours or no work through the lockdown, without necessarily losing their jobs."

Protests in Sydney against lockdown

Sydney, July 24 (IANS): Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters gathered in Australia's largest city of Sydney on July 24 amid a deteriorating Covid-19 situation in the country.

New South Wales (NSW) Police Force accused the protest activity as being unauthorised and said a high-visibility policing operation was launched in response to it, reports Xinhua news agency.

The protesters marched towards the downtown through the suburb of Haymarket, which

had just moments earlier been declared a virus hotspot by the state's health department, according to a report by national broadcaster ABC.

"Officers from across the Central Metropolitan Region, assisted by specialist resources, were deployed. So far during the operation, a number of people have been arrested," NSW Police Force said in a statement on July 24 afternoon.

Australia's most populous state of NSW, with Sydney as the capital

city, recorded on July 24 a new high of 163 new locally acquired cases of Covid-19, a jump from the previous day's 136.

Among the new local cases, 45 cases were locally transmitted while the source of infection for 76 cases is under investigation.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard urged residents, particularly in southwestern Sydney, to abide by the stay-athome rules as state police issued 246 penalty notices in 24 hours for people breaching restrictions.

'MasterChef Australia' winner Justin Narayan marries girlfriend of two years

Wellington, July 24 (IANS): New Zealand's eight-week suspension in the travel bubble with Australia has had an immediate impact on the country's hospitality sector.

Hospitality New Zealand Chief Executive Julie White said the suspension's impacts on the hospitality and accommodation sectors are being felt immediately, Xinhua news agency.

"Hospitality operators' first priority is the safety of their people, community and 'whanau' (family). Balancing the health risk and economic impacts comes at a cost to the hospitality and accommodation industry," said White.

Quarantine free travel from all Australian states and territories

to New Zealand is being suspended as the Covid-19 situation in Australia worsens.

From 11.59 p.m. July 23, Australians were no longer able to enter New Zealand quarantinefree.

This will be in place for at least the next eight weeks.

"I am also concerned with the toll this is having on people in the industry, and the onset of Covidfatigue," White said.

Peter and Susanne Wood, who run a restaurant and a boutique conference facility in Methven, a town in the Canterbury region, said they received their first cancellation from booked Australian guests.

Majority of Australian Muslims face discrimination: Report Canberra, July 19 (IANS): A new human rights report on July 19 revealed that majority of Muslims in Australia have experienced discrimination.

his fellow MasterChef 2021 alums Pete Campbell, Brent Draper, Minoli De Silva and Amir Manoly.

Canberra, July 20 (IANS): Within days of winning the cooking reality show "MasterChef Australia" season 13, Justin Narayan married his girlfriend of two years, Esther Smoothy.

In an interview with the magazine, Narayan shared that the couple wanted children "straight away" and that with his $250,000 prize money from the show he planned to buy property.

This comes after he initially said in an interview with news.com that he was looking to invest his cash after he updated his kitchen at home.

Narayan was declared winner of the show during its filming back in May and the 27-year-old youth pastor married Smoothy just days after the taping, reports dailymail. co.uk. According to the magazine Woman's Day, Narayan exchanged vows with Esther in Perth.

"I need to get some more work done in the kitchen and go from there. I'll try and make some smart investments, and I'll start to create some online content. But I need experience in the kitchen to work towards opening up my own place," he said at that time.

Narayan branded the event above his win, calling it "the best day of my entire life".

Narayan said he wasn't in a rush to open his own restaurants, adding that the idea was "on the cards for sure".

The ceremony was attended by

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Narayan was elated after taking the top prize, beating fellow finalists Kishwar Chowdhury and Pete Campbell.

"I feel incredibly honoured and humbled to have that title and to be able to win this competition,'' the stunned cook said on the night. I'm genuinely going to take a week to process this and let it sink in, and then I'll, like, write you an email, let you know how I feel," he said, congratulating Chowdhury and Campbell. He also thanked his parents.

According to the report published by the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), 80 per cent of the Muslims in the country have faced prejudice or discrimination, reports Xinhua news agency.

Half of 1,000 respondents to the survey said they were discriminated against by law enforcement and 48 per cent said they were targeted in workplaces or while looking for work.

One in every four said they were too scared to speak up when they, or someone they knew, experienced discrimination.

The winner needed to be reminded by judge Jock Zonfrillo to thank his fiancée, who was standing right beside him during the finale.

Zaahir Edries, a Sydney-based Islamic lawyer who migrated to Australia from South Africa at the age of five, said he noticed an increase in discrimination towards Muslim Australians in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks.

"You are so incredibly beautiful, and I love you very much, and I'm sorry for not planning the wedding for the last six months, but I think I can pay for it now," he quipped.

"Attitudes towards my faith and

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"Around September 11 things changed for me quite significantly," he was quoted by multicultural state broadcaster SBS on July 19.

my identity changed in the public sphere, so that made it difficult to interact the same way I did before.

"As a young adult at the time, I struggled to reconcile my identity as a Muslim and also as someone who was being asked to explain the events of some horrible criminals on the other side of the world, which wasn't something we'd experienced previously," he added.

Despite the high level of Islamophobia uncovered by the survey, 63 per cent of participants said they believed Australia was a welcoming country and 74 per cent said they felt Australian.

Chin Tan, Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner, said it was time for the federal government to establish an antiracism framework.

"We believe there is a strong and powerful need for us to have a coordinated national strategy that works on many fronts to actively counter racism and discrimination at the various levels that they occur and it brings me to this advocacy that we are now putting forward to the commission about implementing a national anti-racism framework," he said.

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Australia promises Olympics of highest standard as Brisbane wins bid Photo Courtesy: IANS

Sydney, July 21 (IANS): The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) applauded the success of Brisbane's bid for the 2032 Summer Olympic Games and promised a Games to "serve Olympic ideals".

In a statement on July 21, the AOC thanked the members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for their decision to award Brisbane, capital city in the state of Queensland and the country's third largest city, the right to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032.

The successful bid also makes Brisbane the third Australian city hosting Olympic Games, following Sydney in 2000 and Melbourne in 1956.

AOC president John Coates said

Brisbane, Queensland and all Australians stand ready to deliver an Olympic and Paralympic Games that will repay the trust shown by members that Australia can deliver the world's greatest sporting event to the very highest standard, reports Xinhua.

"This is a very proud day for Australia, make no mistake. I thank the IOC members for their confidence. Brisbane 2032 is genuinely committed to serving the ideals of the Olympic movement," he said.

"The Olympic Games in Brisbane will be in the most diligent, grateful and enthusiastic hands.

And I make this commitment to the athletes of the world - we will provide you with an unforgettable experience," he added.

With Brisbane as the host city, the Games are scheduled to take place in zones across Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast, and are expected to bring great benefits to the local economy.

NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Brisbane wins bid to host 2032 Olympics

Photo Courtesy: Facebook

"We know from the independent financial analyses that a benefit of 8.1 billion Australian dollars for Queensland and 17.61 billion Australian dollars for Australia is projected. We have talked about the Games becoming a catalyst for much needed infrastructure and the jobs and tourism that will flow to all of Queensland and beyond," Coates said.

He said the 4.941 billion Australian dollars it will cost to put the event on will be offset by a contribution from the IOC plus sponsorship and ticket sales. The Games will be cost neutral from an operational perspective.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, "It's a historic day not just for Brisbane and Queensland, but for the entire country."

"It also marks an important leap forward for Australia as we look toward major events that lock in economic growth and social benefits that will echo for years to come."

Tokyo, July 21 (IANS): The Australian city of Brisbane won the right to host the 2032 Summer Olympics in a vote at the 138th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) here on July 21, two days before the opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020.

Australia has already hosted the Olympics twice, in Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

In 2017, the IOC awarded the 2024 Games to Paris and the 2028

Olympics to Los Angeles, reports Xinhua.

In February, 2021, the IOC said that Brisbane was the preferred candidate to host the 2032 Games.

However, Qatar reiterated its desire to host the 2032 Games despite the IOC handing the preferred tag to Brisbane.

On June 10, the IOC's 15-strong executive board approved Brisbane as the single candidate for election.

History made as 2032 Olympics secured for Queensland

Photo Courtesy: The Journal Times

Morrison Government had backed the bid every step of the way and preparations for the event would now trigger considerable growth and investment.

“We will see Brisbane and Queensland deliver an Olympic and Paralympic Games which are affordable, beneficial and sustainable for Queensland and Australia,” Minister Colbeck said.

Canberra, July 21: Australia will host the Olympics for the third time and Paralympics for the second time after Brisbane and South East Queensland on July 21 secured the 2032 Games.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said securing the Games was a coup for the nation.

“It’s a historic day not just for Brisbane and Queensland, but for the entire country,” the Prime Minister said.

“Only global cities can secure the Olympic Games – so this is fitting recognition for Brisbane’s standing across our region and the world.

“It also marks an important leap forward for Australia as we look toward major events that lock in economic growth and social benefits that will echo for years to come.

“We know the impact on Sydney

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more than two decades ago was transformative. We can now expect a repeat for Brisbane and communities across Queensland.

“It’s a proud day for Queenslanders and Australians everywhere.”

Minister Richard Colbeck said securing the biggest sporting event in the world offered a tantalising goal to any young Australian who dared to dream big.

“If you think of the young sports fans sitting at home today who aspire to be an Olympian – they now have something tangible to aim for – a chance to compete on home soil in just over a decade.

“It’s a huge opportunity. We saw it in 2000 when Cathy Freeman and so many others performed so brilliantly and inspired a new generation of sports stars.”

Minister Colbeck said the

“In the coming years investment in infrastructure will continue to ensure transport and venues are not just fit for the purpose of the Games but support future growth in the region and remain shining examples of Australia’s success in staging some of the most important global events.

“Hosting the 2032 Games sets us working towards a common purpose, from those in the heart of the action in Brisbane, to people across South East Queensland and beyond.

“It will reinforce unity, health and wellbeing and celebrate Australia’s enduring love of sport.”

KPMG has estimated economic and social benefits at $8.1 billion for Queensland and $17.6 billion for Australia.

Ted O’Brien, who has served as the Prime Minister’s representative for the Queensland bid, said hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games will see “a decade-long runway paved in green and gold all the way to

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2032”.

“Hosting the 2032 Olympics will not only inject billions into the economy, it will also create around 120,000 new jobs, including 90,000 jobs for Queenslanders,” Mr O’Brien said.

“Local companies and businesses right across Queensland should take the opportunities which will come over the next decade to contribute to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Olympics and Paralympics will be the crowning achievement in Australian sport, but well before the Olympic torch is lit there are other top tier events coming to Australia.

“From next year, we will see many of the world’s best competing right here in Australia in a range of sports, including, potentially, 4 of the top 5 largest sporting competitions in the world,” he said.

“For Queenslanders, this is our moment and it’s now up to us to make the most of it.

2022

“We’ve just won the right to host the biggest show on earth right here on home soil, but this is far larger than two weeks of sport,” said Mr O’Brien. “It’s about two decades of transformation that only an Olympic and Paralympic Games can unleash – a decade in the lead up to the Games, and a decade beyond.”

World Athletics Cross Country Championships

“As the Games approach, Queensland will be wellpositioned to host training camps and Olympic teams as they arrive and acclimatise prior to the start of competition and in the years before the Games.

“Construction, services, retail and hospitality will all be winners, and then there are the social benefits from health and wellbeing, social inclusion and improved accessibility for people with a disability.”

Minister Colbeck said the

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup FIBA Women’s World Cup

UCI Road World Championships VIRTUS Oceania Asia Games (for athletes with an intellectual impairment) 2023 World Transplant Games FIFA Women’s World Cup 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships 2026 UCI BMX World Championships 2027 Netball World Cup Rugby World Cup (decision pending) 2032 Olympic Games Paralympic Games

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Queensland gets ready for plastics ban Brisbane, July 24: With just over a month to go, businesses across Queensland are getting ready for Queensland’s ban of single-use plastics.

Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the Palaszczuk Government was teaming up with Australia’s peak retail body the National Retail Association (NRA) as well as the Boomerang Alliance for a travelling roadshow to make sure businesses and community groups were ready for the shift to more sustainable products.

“Half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once, ending up in landfill and harming our environment,” Minister Scanlon said.

“Banning single-use plastics adds to our record $1.4 billion investment to protect the environment and create jobs as part of our COVID-19 economic recovery, as well as the hugely successful Containers for Change Program.

“We’ve already seen the enormous benefits of the lightweight singleuse plastic shopping bag ban, with surveys showing a 70 per cent reduction in all plastic bag litter since the bag ban began in 2018.

“As our economy and jobs recover from the impacts of COVID-19 thanks to our economic recovery plan, so too will our environment with the ban of even more singleuse plastics.

The September 1 ban includes single-use plastic items such as straws, stirrers, cutlery, plates and unenclosed bowls, as well as expanded polystyrene cups and takeaway containers.

“The ban prevents plastic items being supplied in Queensland regardless of whether they are

free with your meal or sold in packets in party supply stores.

And there will be exemptions for particular organisations, to ensure that Queenslanders with disability or healthcare needs can continue to access necessary items.

Visiting retailers at the Mount Ommaney Shopping with Mount Ommaney MP Jess Pugh, Minister Scanlon said many business owners were already sourcing alternative products as needed.

“Japanice & Cluck Cluck at 8 Street in Brisbane’s west have already started using innovative palm leaf plates and wooden bento boxes.

“From industry and government to community groups and Queenslanders as a whole, we’re ready to trash our single-use plastic habits.”

The National Retail Association (NRA) has been appointed to engage and educate businesses, including visits to up to 7500 businesses across the state, and running a telephone hotline so that businesses can call for advice on banned items and suitable alternative products.

The business hotline number is 1800 844 946 and website is www. qldplasticsban.com.au National Retail Association CEO Dominique Lamb said many retailers have been proactive in sustainability efforts and have been moving away from “singleuse” plastics, such as straws, cutlery and other items.

“Queensland businesses are already transitioning to comply with the ban and we encourage consumers to support them by bringing reusables, thinking about whether you need straws or cutlery, or just understanding

that tableware items we offer will be a little different now,” Ms Lamb said.

“The NRA supports these initiatives to improve environmental impacts from single-use plastics and has worked hard with government and industry to ensure these laws are nationally consistent, fair for all retailers, are carefully considered and researched, and are realistic.

“I am pleased that Queensland’s new laws have taken our views on board and businesses will work to ensure their success.”

Queensland Manager of Boomerang Alliance, Toby Hutcheon, said Boomerang Alliance was running forums throughout Queensland, on behalf of the Queensland Government, to help prepare businesses and the community for the upcoming single-use plastic ban.

“We are conducting these forums to answer questions on what items are included in the ban, what alternative products can be used, and how individual businesses and the community can adapt to comply with the ban,” Mr Hutcheon said.

“Forums are held in the evenings and consist of a 30-minute presentation and a Q&A session.

“Importantly, the forums will also include explanations on practices to avoid and reduce single-use plastics in specific scenarios, such as at sausage sizzles and sports events.

“These forums complement the programs Boomerang Alliance runs that support the reduction in single-use plastics, including our Plastic Free Places in Townsville, Cairns and Noosa.”

Queensland exporters urged to apply now for awards glory Brisbane, July 26: Queensland exporters are being encouraged to showcase their efforts over the past year by applying for the Premier of Queensland’s Export Awards 2021.

The prestigious awards are back this year after a hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Premier and Minister for Trade Annastacia Palaszczuk said, despite the challenges of the past 18 months, the awards were committed to celebrating and elevating Queensland exporters.

“Our exporters have shown they are resilient, innovative and optimistic – even in these very unpredictable and difficult trading times,” the Premier said.

“They’ve had ups and downs

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like the rest of us due to the global pandemic, but they have overcome many obstacles.

have included small and large exporters from all over Queensland,” she said.

“They are a critical part of Queensland’s Economic Recovery Plan and probably all deserve an award.”

“There are separate categories for the Small Business Award, Regional Exporter Award and Emerging Exporter Award, so regardless of your size, location or level of experience, it’s really worth submitting an application.”

Queensland companies can apply now in 13 categories from agribusiness to creative industries, with entries closing on 6 August.

Judging is by a panel of experienced business leaders from across industry, with winners named at an Awards night in Brisbane in October.

The Premier said every Queensland exporter should consider entering.

“Past finalists and winners

NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Cross River Rail tunnels halfway there as machines pass under King George Square

Brisbane, July 26: Cross River Rail’s tunnel boring machines are now more than halfway through their mammoth task of excavating twin tunnels beneath the Brisbane River and CBD.

The project’s two 1350-tonne Tunnel Boring Machines are already two kilometres into their roughly four-kilometre journey from Woolloongabba to the project’s northern exit point at Normanby.

Meanwhile, two 115-tonne roadheaders have progressed more than 500 metres along their almost 900 metre journey south from Woolloongabba to the new Boggo Road station.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced the milestone at King George Square in the Brisbane CBD, where TBM Else has already made her way directly beneath the inner-city landmark, with TBM Merle following not far behind.

“Cross River Rail will be a critical part of our transport task for the 2032 Olympic Games,” Mr Bailey said.

“This is a project that is 100 per cent funded by the Palaszczuk Government and the progress we’ve made so far has given us a handy head start on building the infrastructure that will carry spectators to key venues like the Gabba and the new indoor arena planned at Roma Street.

“To have these mega machines already more than halfway through excavating the project’s twin tunnels is a huge milestone.

“While Cross River Rail’s progress might be obvious above ground, many people might not realise the sheer scale of work taking place beneath our feet.

“The project team is at King George Square to give passersby a sense of the work taking place below ground to build this transformational project.

“The TBMs will break through at Roma Street in coming weeks before emerging at Normanby near the RNA showgrounds, while

Mr Bailey said the construction below ground was a tangible example of the economic benefits of Cross River Rail, which was injecting more than $4 million a day into the economy.

“More than 2900 workers are currently employed on Cross River Rail and more than 1350 Queensland businesses have benefited from the project so far,” he said.

“This project is providing employment opportunities and an economic boost right when our state needs it the most.”

Cross River Rail tunnelling fast facts: The two TBMs are named in honour of two ground-breaking Queensland women – trailblazing engineer Else Shepherd AM and pioneering feminist Merle Thornton AM. Each TBM weighs 1,350 tonnes and is 165 metres long.

A crew of up to 15 people work in a TBM at any one time.

TBMs work at a rate of 20 to 30 metres per day.

TBMs excavate the bulk (about 3.8km) of Cross River Rail’s 5.9km of twin tunnels.

115-tonne roadheaders excavate the rest of the tunnels, including the station caverns and almost 900-metres of twin tunnels between Woolloongabba and Boggo Road.

The TBMs will install over 25,000 concrete segments weighing 4.2 tonnes each along the tunnel walls as they go At their deepest points, the tunnels are 58 metres below the surface at Kangaroo Point, and 42 metres below the Brisbane River Each TBM is fully equipped with crew facilities, offices and toilets The TBMs will generate 315,000 cubic metres of spoil, and the roadheaders will generate 86,000 cubic metres of spoil as they make way for the twin Cross River Rail tunnels.

New mobile phone/seatbelt cameras rolled out Brisbane, July 26: Roadside cameras that detect drivers illegally using mobile phones and not wearing a seatbelt will start appearing on Queensland roads from July 26.

Queensland winners in each of the 13 categories gain automatic entry to the Australian Export & Investment Awards, held by Austrade in November.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the fixed and portable cameras would operate on urban and regional roads.

Queenslanders are in with a great chance at the national awards, with the reigning Australian Exporter of the Year the Brisbane-based global design firm Populous.

“Our message has been direct and simple: just put your phone away," Mr Bailey said.

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the roadheaders will reach Boggo Road by the end of 2021 as well.”

"In 2020, 23 people lost their lives and 1475 were hospitalised because of distracted driving," Mr

Bailey said.

"43 people died and 187 were hospitalised because they were not wearing a seatbelt.

"These deaths and injuries could have been prevented.”

Mr Bailey said drivers doing the wrong thing needed to change their dangerous behaviour before penalties were issued.

"Until 31 October, those caught by the cameras will not be fined,” he said.

“Instead, they will receive a warning letter advising them that they’ve been caught.

“From 1 November all bets are off.

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INDIA NEWS

NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Islamic Council Of Queensland holds dinner event for community leaders

I

slamic Council Of Queensland (ICQ) held a Community Leaders Dinner with the theme ‘The Other Side of Covid”, which was well attended by Queensland dignitaries along with the community leaders in at SunPAC

in Sunnybank, Brisbane, on July 30.

“It was a pleasure being the keynote speaker, representing Mental Health Foundation Australia - Queensland (MFHA)

on mental health and the stigma around it,” the ICQ President Habib Jamal, who also functions as the ambassador of Mental Health Foundation Australia (MHFA) said.

The event also served as the

platform to acknowledge and appreciate the good work being done by all those who go unnoticed despite constantly and consistently contributing to Queensland multicultural communities.

Among those present were Hon Leanne Linard, Cameron Dick MP, Senator Paul Scarr, aboriginal community elder Aunty Peggy Tidyman, India News publisher Dr Ram Mohan, Pushpinder Oberoi, Surendra Prasad.

Luxury, lifestyle, location — welcome to Dress Circle Located in the heart of one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, Brookwater is Brisbane’s best kept secret for luxury living. Crafted around the Greg Norman designed golf course, Brookwater provides a rare combination of prestige golf-side living and natural bushland beauty.

With over 800 families already calling Brookwater home, we are pleased to introduce the next stage of this exclusive community — your own architecturally designed piece of paradise — Dress Circle.

We welcome you to experience Brisbane’s best kept secret when it comes to luxury living, and choose from our leading architectural collaborators to design your dream home — with all architectural fees complimentary with your Dress Circle land purchase.

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Life on Brookwater’s Dress Circle is within 10 minutes of everything you need — commuter rail to the city, private and public schools, childcare centres, a university, a private hospital, shopping centres and a thriving commercial precinct.

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INDIA NEWS

Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

ADVERTORIAL

Hypocrisy of banks, insurance chiefs exposed at coalface

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n the last week of July, banking and insurance executives dialled in to Canberra to explain why they think wiping out thousands of Australian jobs and our secondbiggest export industry is a perfectly reasonable thing for them to do.

They used clever words to tell the vitally important Federal Parliamentary Inquiry into the Prudential Regulation of Australia’s Export industries that we should all indeed feel good about businesses closing, families losing their main source of income, house prices falling and shops shutting in regional cities and towns.

No matter how they spin it, the facts remain the same Australian banks and insurers are withdrawing support from Australia’s second most valuable export, coal, in the name of trying to greenwash their ESG (environment, social and governance) performance. Unless something is done to reverse this trend it will cost Australian families, towns, state revenues in NSW and Queensland and the whole Australian economy dearly.

In their submissions to the inquiry, banks and insurers make flawed arguments to justify withdrawing finance from the resources sector and businesses that support it and either refusing to insure them or increasing premiums to the point they become unaffordable. Such as: it is a free market; they must act in their own best interests and in the interests of their shareholders; international financiers will step in to fill the gap created by their withdrawal; and banks and insurers have no choice in these matters but are being forced into these positions by external pressures on their businesses such as the expectations of their investors and customers and the markets upon which they depend.

However, all of these are untrue.

In the case of banks, it is not a free market. They enjoy generous protections paid for by the Australian taxpayer such as the deposit guarantee scheme. It is not in the interests of their investors. The long-term viability of their business depends on the health of the Australian economy.

Killing our energy export industries like coal and gas will damage our economy and balance of trade. International financiers will not step in as they typically require a local partner to work with before they will consider an investment as documented in other submissions to the inquiry.

Banks have chosen to interpret the need to decrease global carbon dioxide emissions over time as simply stopping Australia’s fossil fuel use and exports. This is an unsophisticated response that fails to consider the need to decrease global emissions while at the same time acknowledging the right of people in the developing

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world to live without poverty.

Our banks and insurance companies are run by intelligent and educated people. Therefore, it is disappointing they have adopted such a simplistic approach. A more sophisticated approach would consider carbon intensity of all industries and would support a realistic transition to reduce carbon intensity and would prioritise actions that have a measurable positive impact on overall global carbon emissions.

to the Australian economy and their investors, simply to avoid embarrassment and social shaming. They call it stakeholder engagement. That’s not what I

would call it.

If banking and insurance executives are so keen to engage with their stakeholders they

should come out to Clermont, Mackay, Moranbah or Singleton and do some engagement with the people whose livelihoods their decisions are endangering.

Why turn a blind eye to those out-of-season cherries sitting on supermarket shelves that are flown halfway round the world?

Why ignore the fact that removing high-quality Australian coal from the market will only see it replaced by lower quality coals from other nations at the expense of Australian jobs?

Why also refuse to finance and insure the coal industry while at the same time partaking in the enormous economic benefits the industry creates for our nation?

Why such an inconsistent and unsophisticated approach?

Why not eschew all money generated from the coal and gas industries? Refuse the mortgage repayments from coal industry employees, refuse to insure the four-wheel drives and rental properties, refuse the credit card fees, close the branches in Brisbane, Mackay, Moranbah and the Hunter Valley, say thanks but no thanks to insuring and financing Queensland and NSW government schools, hospitals and roads – all paid for by coal royalties?

Why then do the banking and insurance sector take such an unsophisticated approach? The clues can be seen on the websites of foreign-funded anti-fossil fuel activists like Market Forces and the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. Here the clever campaign machines of these anti-free market organisations show themselves.

Their campaigns create maximum shame, discomfort and embarrassment for company executives and directors to force them to acquiesce to the activists’ desires – rule out coal and gas, refuse to insure coal, set the bar so high that small and medium sized businesses can’t meet it and are priced out of the market therefore increasing the overall cost base for Australian industries making them uncompetitive.

How do bank and insurance directors and executives react to these email, social media and shareholder activism campaigns?

Unfortunately, not with the considered long-term view that we might expect from Australia’s corporate leaders.

All too often they choose to capitulate to activist demands despite them having no overall environmental benefit and being detrimental in the long-term

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NEWS FROM VICTORIA

Celebrating the impact of women in resources Top students recognised

Director and principal consultant Laura Chibnall was awarded the Exceptional Woman in Resources Award for her work at Ensolve

July 22, 2021: The outstanding contribution of women in the resources industry has been celebrated through the Victorian Women in Resources Awards.

Hosted by the Minerals Council of Australia and supported by the AusIMM Women in Mining Network Victoria, the awards recognise individual achievement and company efforts to increase gender diversity across mining

operations, within corporate offices and across the mining equipment, technology, and services sector. Minister for Resources Jaclyn Symes attended the virtual awards ceremony on July 21 night and presented this year’s awards. Director and principal consultant Laura Chibnall was awarded the Exceptional Woman in Resources Award for her work at Ensolve.

She has worked extensively in the exploration and mining industry across Australia, including over half of her career working on operational mine sites. Yan Lim joined Stawell Gold Mines in 2019 and has become the Health and Safety Environment and Community Advisor. Her leadership role includes responsibility for the Mines’ bioreactor, which contributes to the company’s rehabilitation activities – earning her the Exceptional Young Woman in Resources Award.

Elisabeth Viklund has been named this year’s Outstanding Trade

Operator or Technician for her work for Mandalay Resources.

A highly skilled underground operator, Elisabeth initially began work with Costerfield as a truck driver, and soon obtained licences supporting her career growth.

Nikki Hartrey has been awarded the Gender Diversity Champion award for her work at Fosterville Gold Mine encouraging a more diverse intake of apprentices and trainees and developing a more inclusive recruitment process for women, mature age and indigenous jobseekers. She developed the Gender Equity Consultation Kick-Off (GECKO) program, which has significantly improved outcomes for female employees at Fosterville. Each winner will be a category finalist in the Women in Resources National Awards to be held in September. The Victorian Women in Resources Awards are an important step toward greater workplace gender equality and a more vibrant and successful sector.

in Premier’s VCE Awards July 31,2021: Victoria’s best performing VCE students have been recognised with Premier’s VCE Awards, celebrating their outstanding efforts and achievements in their final year of schooling amidst the challenges of 2020. Minister for Education James Merlino congratulated the high-achieving students, which include a young musician with her sights set on the world stage, a creative designer who won a competition creating an outfit she designed for vision-impaired teenagers, and a profoundly deaf student now studying to become a teacher for deaf children. A total of 297 Victorian students received 323 awards across 90 subjects, including 297 Study Awards, 23 Top All-Round VCE High Achiever Awards and three Top International Student Awards. The Top All-Round VCE

High Achiever awards recognise those students who achieved study scores of 46 or higher out of 50 in at least five VCE subjects, while Study Awards recognise the best performers in individual VCE subjects. The Andrews Labor Government is delivering on its promise to build the Education State so that every Victorian student can get a great education.

The Labor Government’s $60.2 million investment Student Excellence Program is equipping schools with the resources, tools and professional learning opportunities needed to support high-ability students. Every government school now has a high-ability practice leader to coordinate their school’s participation in these programs and to support their high-ability students.

Applications open for Victorian government announces support Victoria Export Awards package for small and medium business July 28,2021: A new jointly funded package from the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments will give Victorian small and medium businesses the extra support and confidence they need to recover from the recent lockdown. The new Victorian Business Support Package will deliver an additional $400 million in support to thousands of businesses, with funding to be split 50/50 between the Commonwealth and Victorian Government. The package includes a new $85 million Small Business COVID Hardship Fund and $156 million Business Continuity Fund, as well as delivering support for commercial tenants and landlords. It will also build on Victorian Government support for licenced hospitality and alpine venues, with $70 million for the Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund 2021 and $9.8 million for Alpine Business Support. The programs

will be administered by the Victorian Government. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Victorian businesses had borne the brunt of the heavy cost of lockdowns that kept the state and Australia safe. “Together we can and we will recover from this,” the Prime Minister said. “We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again.

“Last year, Victoria and our nation faced heavy blows from COVID, but with the right support in place our economy and businesses came back strongly and a million people returned to work. “We will continue to do what is necessary to support Victorian businesses as we face the evolving challenges of COVID-19.” The Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews said, “This package is all about jobs – protecting and growing jobs to support Victoria’s economic recovery.” “With this funding we’ll continue driving jobs and economic recovery here in

Victoria, and for the nation.”

The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said the Morrison Government supported Victorians during the crisis and will continue to support them to the end of this crisis.

“Having battled five lockdowns Victorian businesses have been amongst the hardest hit in the nation,” the Treasurer said. “No amount of support can make up for what business owners have experienced over the last year and half, but this latest package will support them as they reopen after this latest lockdown.” The Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas said, “We’re supporting Victorian businesses each step of the way as we continue to fight this pandemic.” “We know small businesses have been doing it tough and this new fund will give them the support they need to recover.” Five key elements make up the support package to help businesses deal with restrictions.

July 20, 2021: Due to the current level of community transmission of coronavirus in Victoria from the recent New South Wales (NSW) incursions, the current lockdown was extended and travel to Victoria using Red Zone Permits was temporarily paused, to ensure that the Delta outbreak is run to ground. Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has declared that the current restrictions in Victoria would remain in place in order to stamp out this Delta variant and keep Victorians safe.

Just recently, the Delta variant made its way into Victoria from NSW and since then, the state’s contact tracers have worked around the clock to contain this virus but now there are still 85 active cases and more than 15,000 primary close contacts

in quarantine in more than 250 exposure sites stretching from Phillip Island to the Mallee; and daily cases in double figures. This is how quickly the Delta variant is moving – faster than anything Victoria’s public health experts have seen before. It means limiting movement for a longer period so contact tracers can get ahead of the virus, instead of just keeping pace with it. The lockdown continued till July 27, 2021. There were only five reasons to leave home: getting the food and the supplies needed, exercising for up to two hours, care or caregiving, work or education if it couldn’t be done from home, or to get vaccinated at the nearest possible location.

Shopping and exercise must be done within 5kms of one’s home

or the nearest location. It also means face masks remained mandatory indoors (not at home) and outdoors unless an exception was applied – this included all workplaces, and secondary schools. Minor changes were made to the Authorised Premises and Authorised Worker List to include services that operate solely outdoors where physical distancing could be maintained at all times, pet grooming mobile services and pamphlet delivery services.. In welcome news for many families, from Wednesday 21 July more students with disability were able to return to on-site learning. Where a parent or carer indicates that a student with a disability cannot learn from home due to vulnerability or family stress, the school must provide

July 20, 2021: Applications are now open for the 2021 Governor of Victoria Export Awards, which acknowledge and reward the state's most innovative exporters.

The prestigious awards, now in their 42nd year, span 13 categories including Victorian Exporter of the Year and the Victorian Women in International Business Award. Governor of Victoria, the Honourable Linda Dessau AC, is patron of the awards and has long championed Victoria’s worldleading exporters. Businesses recognised through the Victorian awards will progress through to the national finals and compete against other state and territory winners from across the country, with companies receiving national recognition for their international

success. Last year’s Governor of Victoria Export Awards winners included Care Essentials, E2 Language, Ego Pharmaceuticals, Gekko Systems, Greyscan Australia, Hosico Engineering Group, Marand Precision Engineering, Planet Innovation and Senetas. To support exporters impacted by the global pandemic, the Victoria Government has provided $15.7 million through the Export Recovery Package to connect Victorian businesses to international markets. Victoria’s network of international trade offices is the largest of any Australian state or territory, strengthening our global ties in key markets. Exports play a critical role in supporting Victoria’s economy, contributing over $45 billion to the economy and helping to support over 330,000 jobs throughout the state. Applications for the 2021 Governor of Victoria Export Awards close on Friday, 6 August 2021.

Extended lockdown and stronger borders for safety

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on-site learning for that student.

This change applies to students enrolled in specialist schools and students with a disability enrolled in mainstream schools. Since the beginning of the second wave in Sydney, the Victorian Government has supported around 10,000 Victorians to return home from orange and red zone areas and health authorities have provided clear warnings that Victorians in NSW should get home as quickly as possible because of the escalating situation there. Given how fast the cases have spread, it is clear a further incursion of the Delta strain cases from interstate would potentially cause the lockdown to last even longer and threaten our ability to ease restrictions. Due to the serious and persistent nature of the risk

in NSW, we cannot continue to have hundreds of people coming to Victoria from the red zone every day. For this reason, the Chief Health Officer temporarily paused the issuing of Red Zone Permits from 11:59pm on Tuesday 20 July – pending a further review. Victorian residents in red zones now require an exemption to enter the state – and these will only be granted in exceptional circumstances. If people enter Victoria from New South Wales without an exemption, they will be put on a return flight or placed in 14 days mandatory quarantine under the COVID-19 Quarantine Victoria (CQV) program. Fines of $5,452 may be imposed if a person is found to have entered Victoria from a red zone without a permit.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

Blinken addresses civil society leaders in India visit Photo Courtesy: IANS

democracies are works in progress. As friends we talk about that."

Attendees included religious leaders such as Geshe Dorji Damdul of New Delhi's Tibet House, a cultural centre of the Dalai Lama.

In his New Delhi meetings, Blinken is expected to raise India's human rights record as well as a recent religion-based citizenship law widely seen as discriminatory towards Muslims, as per reports.

Ahead of Blinken's visit, India's Ministry of External Affairs said the country was proud of its pluralistic traditions and happy to discuss the issue with the top US diplomat.

Blinken is scheduled to have talks with the Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar later on Wednesday.

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commenced his India visit with an address to civil society leaders.

Speaking to a group of civil society leaders at a New Delhi hotel, Blinken said that the relationship between the US and India was "one of the most important in the world".

"The Indian people and the American people believe in human dignity and equality of opportunity, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms including freedom of religion and belief... these are the fundamental tenets of democracies like ours," he said, Al Jazeera reported.

"And of course, both of our

"Discussions will focus on regional and global issues of mutual interest -- including recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indo-Pacific region, Afghanistan and cooperation at the UN," the foreign ministry said.

Both sides will discuss the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban is rapidly expanding the territory it controls in the wake of a US troop withdrawal.

At a time of democratic recession, its vital that US, India stand together: Blinken Photo Courtesy: IANS

India," Blinken said.

"Later today, I'll have a chance to see Prime Minister Modi, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, an old friend and colleague. We'll talk about many of the critical issues our countries are working on together, from Covid-19 to climate change, defense, mutual security, trade and investment, education, energy, science, technology. The list goes on and on," Blinken said.

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS): "At a time of rising global threats to democracy and international freedoms -- we talk about a democratic recession -- it's vital that we two world leading democracies continue to stand together in support of these ideals," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said here on Wednesday.

how we organize and provide the resources to respond to emergencies. And we've seen people and organizations come together throughout Covid-19 in creative and incredibly generous ways, and civil society is also where we're able to build meaningful connections across our social, religious, and cultural differences," Blinken said.

On the first day of his visit to India, Blinken while addressing civil society representatives said, "Here in India, that includes the free media, independent courts, a vibrant and free and fair electoral system -- the largest expression of free political will by citizens anywhere in the world."

"In short, if we want to make our democracies more open, more inclusive, more resilient, more equitable, we need a vibrant civil society," he added.

"When you put it all together, the relationship between our countries is one of the most important in the world. And I think that's because not only is it a relationship between governments when we're working between our governments, but critically it's through relationships between the Indian and the American people. We're connected in so many different ways -- business ties, university ties, religious and spiritual ties, and of course, millions of family ties," Blinken said.

"And I'm really here to underscore the importance of the relationships between our countries, to try to deepen our ties and extend our cooperation.

I think it's hard to find countries with more -- who do more together in more different areas than with the United States and

Attendees included religious leaders such as Geshe Dorji Damdul of New Delhi's Tibet House, a cultural centre of the Dalai Lama.

"We also know that successful democracies include thriving civil societies. That's how citizens become more fully engaged in the life of their communities. It's

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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken commenced his India visit with an address to civil society leaders.

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WORLD NEWS

Taliban using Pakistani madrasas to recruit fighters New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Afghanistan is now squarely blaming Pakistan for supporting the Taliban insurgency with the topmost officials attacking Pakistan's links with terror in quick succession.

the Special Operations Command Center in Kabul, Ghani said that the Taliban has "deep ties" with Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and the group wants Afghanistan "to become a haven for insurgents".

Afghanistan National Security Advisor Hamdullah Mohib fired another salvo at Pakistan, as he said that as many as 15,000 militants could enter Afghanistan from Pakistan to fight the Afghan forces.

A video has been doing rounds on social media shows Pakistani militias crossed the zero point of the Durand Line at Spin Boldak.

Local reports say the Pakistani military has fired hundreds of rockets across the Durand crossing, killing and wounding dozens of people.

Mohib said Pakistan has been a safe haven for the Taliban and that the group has been using Pakistani madrasas to recruit fighters.

"Every year, the Taliban were defeated in Afghanistan but they had an opportunity to recuperate, to re-recruit people from Madrasas in Pakistan and bring them back the next year.

"This year, we estimate that 10,000 fighters have come in from Pakistani madrasas to fight in Afghanistan this fighting season and intelligence shows that there could be as many as 15,000 more new recruits coming towards Afghanistan," Mohib said.

"The Taliban have had safe havens in Pakistan... throughout this period they enjoyed their leaders living there at peace and in Pakistan, their injured were treated in Pakistani hospitals, they had military and emotional support and financial support from elements within the Pakistani military establishment and it continues to be the case," he added.

Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani too slammed Pakistan. On a visit to

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh recently posted the photo of the signing of the Instrument of Surrender in Dhaka in 1971 on Twitter and said Afghanistan does not and will not ever have such a picture.

"Dear Pak Twitter attackers, Taliban and terrorism won't heal the trauma of this picture. Find other ways," VP Saleh wrote. "Yes, yesterday I flinched for a fraction of a second as a rocket flew above and landed a few meters away," he wrote.

In the 1971 war, following which Bangladesh was created, Pakistan had to publicly surrender to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini, which was the largest military surrender after World War 2.

Pakistan's General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered and signed the Instrument of Surrender on December 16 in Dhaka after a 13day war.

Saleh has been tweeting about Pakistan Army supporting Taiban in the Spin Boldak area.

Afghan airstrikes kill more than 35 Taliban militants Photo Courtesy: Ommcom Tv

reports Xinhua news agency.

A weapon cache of the militant group was also destroyed during the attacks, the statement added.

The Taliban controls at least six districts in Helmand province.

Meanwhile in Badakhshan province, the fighter planes struck a Taliban gathering in Argo district, according to an army statement.

Kabul, July 26 (IANS): Airstrikes in the Afghan provinces of Helmand and Badakhshan provinces killed more than 35 Taliban militants amid the escalating violence in the wartorn country, according to defence officials.

In a statement on July 25, the Defence Ministry said that fighter jets targeted Taliban hideouts and positions in parts of Helmand's Nad Ali and Sangin districts,

In the sorties, a large number of arms and ammunition including an anti-aircraft gun were also destroyed, the statement said, adding that no security personnel or civilians were harmed during the air raids.

The Afghan forces earlier claimed killing 81 militants in Kaldar and Chamtal districts of Balkh province on July 24.

Fighting has intensified in Afghanistan since early May when the US-led coalition forces began withdrawal from the war-torn country.

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Govt officials world over among 1.4K WhatsApp users targeted in 2019 Washington, July 24: Senior government officials from across the world, including individuals in high national security positions who are "allies of the US", were targeted by governments using the NSO Group spyware in a 2019 attack against 1,400 WhatsApp users, according to the messaging apps Chief Executive Officer, The Guardian reported.

WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart disclosed the new details about individuals who were targeted in the attack after revelations by the Pegasus Project, a collaboration of 17 media organisations which investigated NSO, the Israeli company that sells its powerful surveillance software to government clients around the world.

Cathcart said that he saw parallels between the attack against WhatsApp users in 2019, which is now the subject of a lawsuit brought by WhatsApp against NSO, and reports about a massive data leak which are at the centre of the Pegasus Project.

"The reporting matches what we saw in the attack we defeated two years ago, it is very consistent with what we were loud about then," Cathcart said in an interview with The Guardian.

In addition to the "senior government officials", WhatsApp found that journalists and human rights activists were targeted in the 2019 attack against its users. Many of the targets in the WhatsApp case, he said, had "no

business being under surveillance in any way, shape, or form", the report said.

"This should be a wake-up call for security on the internet … mobile phones are either safe for everyone or they are not safe for everyone," he said.

As per the report, Cathcart questioned NSO's claim that the figure was in itself "exaggerated", saying that WhatsApp had recorded an attack against 1,400 users over a two-week period in 2019.

"That tells us that over a longer period of time, over a multi-year period of time, the numbers of people being attacked are very high," he said, adding: "That's why we felt it was so important to raise the concern around this."

When WhatsApp says it believes its users were "targeted", it means the company has evidence that an NSO server attempted to install malware on a user's device, The Guardian said.

When WhatsApp announced two years ago that its users had been targeted by the NSO malware, it said 100 of the 1,400 targets were journalists, human rights defenders and activists. The users were targeted through a WhatsApp vulnerability that was later fixed.

As per the report, Cathcart said he had discussed the 2019 attack against WhatsApp users with governments around the world.

He also praised the recent moves

"I hope that Apple will start taking that approach too. Be loud, join in. It's not enough to say, most of our users don't need to worry about this. It's not enough to say ‘oh this is only thousands or tens of thousands of victims'," Cathcart was quoted as saying.

"If this is affecting journalists all around the world, this is affecting human rights defenders all around the world, that affects us all. And if anyone's phone is not secure that means everyone's phone is not secure," he added.

He also called on governments to help create accountability for spyware makers, the report said.

The Guardian reported that WhatsApp had launched its lawsuit against NSO in late 2019, claiming that the Israeli company was responsible for sending malware to WhatsApp users' phones.

A judge in the case pointed out that the underlying facts in the case -- that malicious code owned by NSO was sent through WhatsApp's service -- did not appear to be disputed. Instead, the lawsuit revolved around whether NSO's "sovereign customers" were to blame, or the company itself, the report said.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

leaders to commit to net-zero by mid-century, present more ambitious 2030 national climate plans and deliver on concrete policies and actions aligned with a net-zero future, including no new coal after 2021, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and agreeing to a minimum international carbon pricing floor as proposed by the International Monetary Fund.

crisis and by markets, investors and industry who require certainty that a net-zero climateresilient future is inevitable," he said.

"The world urgently needs a clear and unambiguous commitment to the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris Agreement from all G20 nations.

There is no pathway to this goal without the leadership of the G20," he said in a statement at the G20 ministerial meeting on environment, climate and energy, Xinhua reported.

Science shows that in order to meet this ambitious, yet achievable goal, the world must achieve carbon neutrality before 2050 and cut dangerous greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 from 2010 levels.

But the world is way off track, said Guterres.

"This signal is desperately needed by the billions of people already on the front lines of the climate

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With less than 100 days left before the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Scotland, he urged all G20 and other

Massive wildfire erupts in Turkey

Photo Courtesy: IANS

by Microsoft and others in the technology industry who are speaking out about the dangers of malware, and called on Apple -- whose phones are vulnerable to malware infections -- to adopt their approach, according to the report.

UN chief rallies for leadership of G20 on climate action

United Nations, July 26 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on July 26 called for leadership of the Group of 20 (G20) on global climate action.

WORLD NEWS

The Group of Seven and other developed countries must also deliver on a credible solidarity package of support for developing countries, including meeting the $100-billion goal, increasing adaptation and resilience support to at least 50 percent of total climate finance and getting public and multilateral development banks to significantly align their climate portfolios to meet the needs of developing countries, he said.

Guterres said he intended to use the opportunity of the upcoming UN General Assembly high-level session to bring leaders together to reach a political understanding on these critical elements of the package needed for Glasgow.

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Ankara, July 29 (IANS): A massive wildfire erupted in four different locations in Turkey's southern province of Antalya, a popular destination for foreign tourists, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Bekir Pakdemirli said.

"Unfortunately, wind conditions, low humidity and other factors are helping the fire spread.

There are all kinds of reasons for fuelling the fire right now," the Minister told reporters in Antalya's Manavgat district on Wednesday.

Winds of up to 50 km an hour were fanning the flames and the smoke affected 53 people,

Pakdemirli said, adding that an investigation has been launched to find out the cause of the blaze, reports Xinhua news agency.

TV footage showed fire fighters are dumping water from helicopters on the burning buildings, but the flames have not been under control yet.

Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes as the forest fire is fanned by strong winds.

The flames reached residential areas, but there was nothing to worry about in tourism areas, Manavgat Mayor Sukru Sozen said.

International Criminal Court probing war crimes by Taliban New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Taliban forces that have taken control of districts in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province have detained hundreds of residents whom they accuse of association with the government.

Human Rights Watch said the Taliban have reportedly killed some detainees, including relatives of provincial government officials and members of the police and army.

The watchdog body said that after Taliban forces took control of Kandahar's Spin Boldak border crossing with Pakistan on July 8, 2021, and the Spin Boldak district center on July 16, they conducted searches to identify residents who have worked for the local government or security forces.

Taliban forces that control areas around Kandahar city have carried out similar searches and have evicted some residents.

Taliban have taken more than 300 people into custody and have detained them in unidentified locations.

"There are grave concerns that Taliban forces in Kandahar may commit further atrocities to retaliate against the government and security forces," said Patricia Gossman, Associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Taliban leaders have denied responsibility for any abuses, but growing evidence of expulsions, arbitrary detentions, and killings in areas under their control are raising fears among the population."

The International Criminal Court is currently investigating allegations of war crimes and serious human rights abuses by all parties to the conflict, including the Taliban. Taliban

commanders who knew or should have known about abuses by forces under their control and took no action to prevent or stop them are culpable as a matter of command responsibility.

"The UN, US, and other countries engaged in the peace talks should urgently call on the Taliban leadership to stop these killings and other abuses," Gossman said.

At Spin-Boldak, the Afghan officials found the dead bodies of over 100 civilians -- while the fate of the around 300 civilians abducted was not known.

The Taliban have told members of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), including police who have been the principal security force in Kandahar, to register with them to receive letters guaranteeing their safety, a local activist reported.

Those who registered are required to report to the Taliban once a month. Taliban forces have gone to the homes of some ANDSF members who had registered, taken them into custody, and killed an unknown number of them. In one case, on July 9, the Taliban shot and killed a man named Nangiyali, in front of family members. He was a resident of Sarposa, Kandahar, who had previously worked with the police.

Media reported that on July 19, Taliban forces shot and killed two sons of a provincial council member, Fida Mohammad, who had reportedly had a close relationship with the late Kandahar police chief, General Abdul Raziq whom the Taliban killed in 2018.

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INDIA NEWS

EDUCATION

India News-JGU-IAIE SMART program JGU has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with Australia-based INDIA NEWS and Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE) to create opportunities for students to undertake internships in Australia.

With INDIA NEWS and IAIE students will participate in the Student Mentoring and Research Training (SMART) program over a period of 1-2 months. As a part of the internship students design, edit and publish this page which contains commentaries by them on issues which they deem relevant for Australia-India relations.

Page Editor: Ms. Anushka Saxena, Lady Sri Ram College (graduate), New Delhi Associate Page Editor: Ms. Vaibhavi Nagar, JGU Commentators: Mr Dhruv Kumar Jha, Ms. Harshita Calla, Ms. Sumedha Maheshwari, Ms. Sri C. Khyati Reddy, Mr. Shivam Shukla and Ms. Tanya Goel ( JGU students and graduates)

Australia’s food culture

Harshita Calla

T

o understand Australia’s food culture, we need to take a quick look at its history. Before Australia became a settlement, aboriginals inhabited the continent, and they survived by consuming native plants and animals - a unique huntergatherer diet called bush tucker.

The food habits of the settlers were influenced by the tastes of the British and Irish migrants.

Chinese influence was introduced during the Australian gold rush, with food becoming more diverse due to the post-war immigration.

After the World War I, immigrants brought influences from South Asia, the Mediterranean and East Asia. Cut to the Australian cuisine of the 21st century, which is influenced by globalisation, has had a long history of evolving tastes and flavours. It is accompanied with the rising popularity of international restaurants and fast-food chains.

The most popular meat in Australia is chicken, with the average Australian consuming around 47 kgs of chicken every year. Another common meat is lamb, with it being used in many cuts – chops and shanks being the most popular ones. Lamb is a popular dish that is served for Sunday Roasts and barbecues.

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Along with food, Australia has had a distinct coffee culture from the beginning of the 20th century. An interesting thing to note about the coffee culture of Australia is that the international coffee chains like Starbucks have a small market share, while the native brands of Australia, like The Coffee Club and Zarraffas Coffee, are much more popular.

One explanation for this can be that Australia harboured an independent, entrenched coffee culture, and the American brands entered the Australian market late.

The fact that Australians are foodies with historical food traditions, is no secret. A famous Australian bread that dates back to the 1920s is the fairy bread, and is commonly served at children’s birthday parties. There also exist regional foods like YoYo biscuits and Balfours frog cakes. Popular desserts in Australia are the pavlova and various meringuebased desserts. The lamington cake, which is made from two squares of a butter or sponge cake and coated with an outer layer of chocolate and desiccated coconut, is also a popular dish.

Clearly, Australian food makes the country a hotspot for food-lovers from around the world!

New Quad, new stakes: The US-Pak-Uzbek-Afghan era

Anushka Saxena

O

n 16 July, 2021 the United States President Joe biden announced the formation of a new Quad among the US, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Strategically, the move aims to keep interregional trade routes alive, and the Afghani peace process going, even though the withdrawal of US troops is being rapidly executed. “The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing. Recognizing the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes, the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties,” said an official US press release.

Clearly, there exists a lot to unpack here, considering this move shows the US inability to fully move out of its Afghani stronghold, knowing that border security and trade with Central Asia will prove to be a major earner for the Americans. At the same time, the non-involvement of India in the new Quad signals a slight shift away from the goals of “peace” and “trade stability,” and I’d like to demonstrate why.

It is a known fact that Afghanistan is central to connectivity between the Central Asian Republics (CARs)— Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and South Asia. The country is now under the politico-military grip of the Taliban, a body that is becoming increasingly aggressive with the closure of US military bases, claiming to have 85% of Afghanistan under its control.

In this light, the stakeholders to the Afghani peace process are not just the Afghani government and Taliban itself, but also the more violent local militias that historically opposed Talibanirule and fought the organisation in the 1990s, the US, of course, and the surrounding nations like the CARs, Pakistan, India, and Iran. All these nations are becoming calmer and friendlier in their approach to the Taliban - an unprecedented move away from most of their foreign policies - especially India’s and Uzbekistan’s, both of which did not recognise Taliban at one point, and now for the sake of peace and prosperity of the region, have come back on the negotiating table. Two other “superpower” stakeholders are

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China and Russia, both having their own stakes in the region.

Historically, Russia has been a dominant aggressor and trader in the CARs and Afghanistan and China, on the other hand, is becoming the biggest marketshare-holder, especially in terms of trade in Central Asia. But it’s not just these nations that are altering their policies, but non-state actors too. In a recent statement, a senior Taliban official stated, “We care about the oppression of Muslims, be it in Palestine, in Myanmar, or in China, and we care about the oppression of non-Muslims anywhere in the world. But what we are not going to do is interfere in China’s internal affairs.” The new Taliban stance is going to make the China-Taliban relations more workable than before.

China offered to train young Afghan soldiers in China (statement of the Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan, September 2018), and has also engaged Afghanistan in several strategic Belt and Road projects such as the ‘Sino-Afghanistan Special Railway Transportation Project’ (focused mainly on North Afghanistan), the ‘Fibre Optic network’ project linking China with the Wakhan border, and even the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Not only this, China has also extended more than US $70 million in military and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan since 2016. In this context the Quad can be seen as a countervailing rival force to increasing Chinese influence in the region. The Russiadominated Collective Security Treaty Organization, which also maintains peacekeeping and peacebuilding in the region, also needs to realign its strategic priorities. Uzbekistan, which shares a 90-mile border with Afghanistan, withdrew from the CSTO in 2012, in a bid to boost ties with the US and to take a first step in lowering Russian dominance among the CARs. In this light, it’s no surprise that Uzbekistan has found a new friend in the US through the Quad, and while the country is still hesitant to welcome Afghani refugees and military personnel, it is actively playing a peacemaker in Afghanistan.

Russia too has the Afghani Opium trade up its sleeves. On 8 July, 2021 the consultations of the Russian Special Presidential Representative for Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov, with a delegation from the Taliban’s political

office, released a statement, “... the Taliban is firmly determined to ward off the threat of ISIS in Afghanistan and eradicate drug production in the country after the end of the civil war.” This may be acceptable to stakeholders like Russia, the US, and India, even though the cessation of trade may not come immediately. This new understanding may help Taliban strengthen its image in the eyes of Russians with whom they have had a difficult relationship.

India’s involvement in the new Quad, even if in an observerlike mandate, similar to the Old Quad plus, is essential, if President Biden’s statements on the New Quad is to be actioned upon successfully. India is an important stakeholder in Afghanistan, having invested millions in Afghanistan for post-conflict reconstruction and peacebuilding including, the Indo-Afghan Friendship Dam for US $290 million, the new Afghani parliament for US $90 million, and the Delaram-Zaranj Highway in Afghanistan, connecting Afghanistan to the Chabahar port in Iran, costing India US $135 million. India also realises that given its enduring presence and investment in Afghanistan and support to intra-Afghan peace talks, it needs to remain plugged in the restive region.

India and Russia too are together working on operationalising the International North-South Transport Corridor. The IranAfghanistan connectivity too is significant, considering it’s the only trade project that stays clear of Pakistan or China in the region.

To conclude, the New Quad signals a new era in the Afghan peace process, which remains prisoner to Pakistan’s support to Taliban. CSTO can help enable a more peaceful transition in Afghanistan in collaboration with the New Quad. India’s involvement as a strategic, trade and peacebuilding partner is critical as well. Similarly, the central Asian republics CARs too will have to keep a vigilant eye to ensure that that troubles in Afghanistan do not spill over into their territories.

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Why are Cubans rallying?

Vaibhavi Nagar

T

he small island nation of Cuba, with a population of about 11 million people, erupted into protests beginning July 11th, 2021, over food and medicine shortages. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the economic crisis in Cuba and the Cuban economy contracted by 11% in 2020. On July 14, 2021 in a speech to address these protests, the current Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel partly blamed the US embargo against Cuba for the economic crisis in the country today. Thousands of Cubans attended a rally in Havana on July 17, to denounce the US blockade and show support for the current administration. But the Diaz-Canel administration played down the US embargo and is instead taking steps to better the economic conditions of the country. These steps indicate his plans to further liberalize the economy to mitigate the effects of the economic crisis. For example, this year the Cuban government eradicated the dual currency system, reduced subsidies for state-run enterprises allowing the private sector to expand, and lifted the tariffs on food and medicine imports.

There is an ongoing debate about whether what’s currently happening in the country is a product of the contentious US embargo on Cuba or of the 60 years of socialist failures.

Progressive US Congressmen such as Bernie Sanders have blamed the blockade for hurting the Cuban economy and have called for an end to it.

Meanwhile, conservatives such as Marco Rubio have claimed that the Cuban economic crisis is a product of its ineffective governance structure. Previously, the Obama administration had provided some relief to Cuba by easing the US sanctions against it and had promised to bring in more tourists to the Island. The Trump administration reversed these changes, furthering the Cuban endeavour to end the embargo.

To understand the current crisis

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let us have a quick look at the history. The US had won Cuba along with Puerto Rico and the Philippines from Spain, following Spanish-American War of 1898.

The US then imposed the Platt Amendment on Cuba and by 1950, corporate America became a major controller of Cuba’s sugar production, telephonic and electric services, and public railways. In 1959, anti-imperialist revolutionists led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara overthrew the US-backed military dictatorship in Cuba, under Fulgencio Batista. The new socialist regime nationalized Cuban resources and managed to reduce the American corporate influence. However, the US remained strongly opposed to Fidel’s model of governance and took several steps to destabilize Cuba. On April 6, 1960, for example, the then Deputy to Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs released a memorandum explicitly stating, “every possible means should be

undertaken promptly to weaken the economic life of Cuba,” to oppose Fidel’s communist regime.

The US continues to justify this embargo with the explanation that it came into existence because of the fear of a Cold War, even though it ended 25 years ago.

Sumedha Maheshwari

damage to the reef due to climate change and extensive coral bleaching that needs immediate attention. However, climate change antagonists have steadily refused to buy the climate change narrative and have blamed politics behind the global warming. There is a background of toxic politics that has been overshadowing the science, but not what this group thinks it is.

After the blockade was imposed on Cuba in 1960, its exports fell from a staggering 60% to merely 5% in 1961. It has been estimated that the blockade has cost the country more than $130 billion over the last 60 years. This blockade is considered unlawful under the international law. As reported by Branco Marcetic, “A blockade — distinct from an embargo, by including imports and trying to coerce third-party countries — is a method of war that, under international law, is meant to only take place during armed conflict.” Scholars of law argue that the US blockade on Cuba is a serious violation of international law, because it seeks the change in government. For 29

consecutive years, the UN General Assembly has resolved to end the Cuban blockade, with 184 of 195 countries voting against it. The only two countries that voted in favour of continuing the blockade were the US and Israel. Moreover, the US role in interfering with the island of Cuba is not just restricted to the blockade. Big media houses and western press have played a significant role in spreading misinformation and highlighting the recent Cuban protests. Multiple media outlets incorrectly used a picture of a pro-government rally with thousands of Cubans to describe it as an anti-government protests.

So the question arises what have these protests achieved? The anti-government rallies have been successful in pressurizing the Diaz-Canel government to take several steps to liberalize the economy, such as easing custom restrictions, reducing subsidies for state-owned businesses, and removing the dual currency system. The pro-government rallies, on the other hand, have shed a light on the cruel and antihumanitarian consequences of the illegal blockade.

EDUCATION As one of the only five countries in the world running a communist model of governance, the socioeconomic success of Cuba can demonstrate a viable alternative to the current capitalismoriented model of governance imposed largely by the Global North. The western press increasingly depicts socialism as a threat to the US-led world order despite the fact that smaller, developing nations have witnessed growth under it. In fact, Cuba had one of the lowest COVID-related death rates in Latin America, largely credited to its community-based medical system. This is not to say that Cuba has a near-perfect model of governance, and the country does have internal political issues that need to be addressed and resolved. Cuba faces severe economic problems, but these problems to a large extenthave been exacerbated by the US blockade, and more recently, by the COVID-19 pandemic. So, for how long can the political outlook of a regime be an alibi for the unlawful blockade? Cuba deserves a chance to rid itself of the US interference.

Australia’s climate crisis is raging B

efore COVID-19 even existed, the Australian bushfires were making headlines. The Black Wednesday of 2019-20 claimed the lives of hundreds, and vastly ravaged large tracts of green cover and forests. A state of disaster was declared, and the armed forces were called in to deal with the inferno and damage.

Although seasonal bushfires are common in Australia, never has the country seen fires of this intensity. For many climate change activists and scientists, the increasing temperature of the country was to blame. Eighteen months later, extreme rainfall on the east coast led to widespread flooding and forced thousands to evacuate. A 2018 “State of the Climate” report by the Australian government's Bureau of Meteorology revealed an increase in heat by just over one degree celsius since 1910.

According to a 2021 U.N. report, Australia was ranked last in its response to climate change among 70 U.N. members. It ranked among the top three for exported greenhouse gases, among the top ten for per-capita fossil fuel, and second-worst for carbon pricing scores. It is clearly not a good mix. Australia is not doing enough to offset its contribution to the climate crisis. The country recently narrowly avoided an "in danger" rating for the Great Barrier Reef. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre had put forth a recommendation on the basis of Australian scientific experts analyzing the reef's state of health. There has been significant

Their main point of contention against moving to clean energy is that fossil fuel industries in Australia are an essential source of jobs. This is seen as affordable energy that businesses need to retain their competitive edge. Climate action is seen as something that comes with a considerable price and is unnecessary. This narrative is highly damaging because while Australia is the biggest culprit of greenhouse gas emissions, it is also the one that is most affected by it. The bushfires may cost over A$103 billion in property damage and economic losses, according to economists. Eastern Australia floods this year led to higher food prices, crop loss, as well as heavy infrastructure and property damage. Meanwhile, the pandemic also ate into Australia's economy.

The proposal to get Australia back on track is through a ‘gas led recovery.’ At the same time, other countries are on a different path and have pledged to net-zero emissions. Recently, the European Union, ahead of the COP26 United Nations climate summit in November, shared its carbon border tax. China also revealed its carbon trading scheme. Even Japan, which is Australia's most significant customer for coal

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and gas, has said that it will decrease the use of the two in its energy production. So, Australia will have to change its policies because international pressure is very likely to increase in this direction. Businesses in Australia will be impacted instead of being competitive if policies don't follow a similar trend. The Treasury's 2021 Intergenerational Report said that the export earnings from the emissions-intensive commodities would fall as other countries intensify climate action.

Even its domestic businesses have started outsourcing. Australian Ethical has said that it might be forced to invest more in offshore companies because there is a lack of opportunities to fund clean energy in Australia. This is the country's original "deepgreen" fund manager. Australia still has not pledged to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Netzero emissions mean balancing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said the country will "get there as soon as we possibly can." But according to the International Energy Agency's "Net Zero by 2050" roadmap report, Australia is currently on no path to net-zero emissions.

By 2030, it is slated to emit only 7% less than 2020. By the time Australia gets there, it will cook itself alive by its own hand.

In the last few years, 80% of Australian voters have said that they care deeply about climate change and think more should be done to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In May 2021, students across Australia took to the streets for the School Strike 4

Climate. Increasingly, Australia's citizens want climate justice.

The lack of federal policies or climate action at the Centre has led to states and territories taking matters into their own hands. They are committed to net zero emissions by 2050 and have invested heavily in clean energy and renewable energy. For instance, in New South Wales, an energy bill was passed to build the world's largest battery for energy storage. The diverging views on climate change have led to a divide in the political arena between the Centre and States. Australia needs to catch up with its own people as well as the international arena. It should come up with a comprehensive climate policy to follow. Action, not hesitation, should be the mindset of the government going forward.

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INDIA NEWS

EDITORIAL

Post-COVID-19 Australia- Potential for Australian METS in India India education diplomacy I Shri Khyati Reddy

and Australia qualifies well in these aspects. With a growing ease of travel, and policies being student-friendly, Indian aspirants will feel encouraged to travel to Australia. Many students who could not travel due to COVID-19 in the year 2020 due to lockdown-induced restrictions, are expected to consider Australian universities, as a preferred destination for a variety of courses, such as business and management, engineering, data science and analytics, and also vocational training.

Dhruv Jha

I

ndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Australia in the 2014 and said that India-Australia have a “a natural partnership arising from our shared values and aspirations.” He highlighted the 3Es —economy, energy and education—and remarked that India sees Australia as a partner in every area of its national priority.

The India-Australia education diplomacy is a very important engagement that can act as a bridge between both the two nations. The Australian Department of Education, Skills and Employment data shows that there are 525,892 international students in Australia as of May 2021 as compared to May 2020, though there has been a decrease of 17% in Indian students’ enrolment. Australia expects to increase post the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indians account for the second highest number of international students in Australia (18%), right after China (29%). Education remains the flagship sector for the Australian Economy, after resources and Indian students form a significant component of it.

It is being anticipated that postpandemic, Indian students will look at Australia again as one of the attractive options to pursue graduate, post-graduate, higher degree and vocational education.

From their pandemic experience, students are now, more than ever, focusing on those countries which have a better living and health standards, for their education,

Not just for the Indian, but also for international students, Australia has become one of the favorite destinations, as students who are there on a valid student visa can work part-time up to 20 hours per week, which is lifted during vacations (Christmas, Easter, and summer break) giving them an added impetus, as many students rely on educational loans to fund their studies and living.

They can manage living and other expenses, and the provision to work in Australia post-degree, for 2-4 years depending on their degrees, is an added attraction.

Australia has a flexible citizenship law and permanent residency (PR) regime for students who are aspiring to settle in the country after their finishing their studies.

Many Indian students and parents in the past have been concerned about the hate and racial crime incidents in Australia. In the year 2012, these crimes were at their peak, but now, at a consequence of a series of regulatory, legal and law and order measures the Australian government has been able to curb such incidents. The students are much at mental peace and so are their parents.

During the Virtual Summit of June 2020 both prime ministers had highlighted the importance of educational ties and PM Modi had thanked his counterpart Scott Morrison for taking good care of the Indian students during the pandemic. Education, therefore, is a potent bridge between the two countries and post-COVID-19 ties are expected to get deeper and stronger with Indian students playing a major role in it.

ndia-Australia economic engagement has been expanding, which has led to a positive impact on bilateral trade.

The report ‘An India Economic Strategy to 2035’, released by the Australian government in 2018, mentioned mining and resources as one of the leading sectors for India and Australia’s economic engagement, and it came as a proposition for Australian businesses to capture and expand into the vast Indian market.

With Australia being a globally recognised market leader in Mining equipment, technology and services (METS), and India producing most of its power through coal, it seems only natural that the countries would want to collaborate and expand their relations in the METS industry. Recently, through the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade)—Real Time Instruments (RTI), a Queensland-based METS company—took notice of the

vast opportunities in the Indian mining sector and decided to look for opportunities in the Indian market.

RTI develops analysers which monitor the quality of minerals and ores in real time, and has scored major success in India, including a contract with one of India’s largest power companies, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) to install 18 analysers and 5 power plants across the country. This contract was signed with the aim of using the technology to reduce air pollution in India’s major cities. Sanchit Oberoi, the RTI Asia-Pacific regional sales manager, analysing the huge potential for RTI and its products in India, stated how this technology would aid Indian companies in monitoring their coal quality and in reducing pollutants, thereby minimising air pollution. He stated that the India-Australia mining industry has experienced major growth recently, with Indian

mining companies revising their tendering processes in order to ease the process for overseas METS companies to pitch their businesses.

The success of RTI in India depicts India’s promising potential and sets an example for the success of other Australian and global METS companies looking to expand their businesses into India.

With Austrade working closely with consultants, engineers and contractors from India’s mining industry, the India-Australia METS partnership is bound to be energized in the future.

Multilateralism in Australian foreign policy Shivam Shukla

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ar from being a passive regional actor as imagined by some, Australia over the years has been a proactive player whose motives and actions have helped shape global and regional architecture in ways more intimate than much of the existing scholarship on multilateralism and Australian foreign policy has hitherto acknowledged. Over the years, key concerns of Australian foreign policy have revolved around free trade, counterterrorism, refugee settlement, economic co-operation with Asia, and mitigating stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia has always emphasized its commitment to multilateralism and regionalism, as well as to strong bilateral relations with its allies. Australia has benefited enormously from a colossal multilateral program which has been sustained for over 50 years. Australia’s contributions to multilateralism in world politics have differed from leader to leader in terms of their

aims for and approaches to multilateralism.

Due to its role in multilateral initiatives, Australia has been described as a “middle power” par excellence. Australia has had a history of initiatingand supporting important regional and global projects and has been very active in international organizations like the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Nations. It has also maintained very strongties with New Zealand, with whom it has long-standing ties dating back to the 1800s, and has steadfastly allied with ASEAN. Along with alongstanding alliance withthe United States, Australia has in recent decades, also sought to strengthen its relationship with Asian countries, making it the focus of the country’s chain of diplomatic missions. Australia also understands the vocabulary of economic reform.

Evidently, none of this guarantees complete success and much of it can be overwhelmed by events outside the borders of Australia,

and beyond its control. Ultimately the security and prosperity of Australia and the region will depend on the collective capacity to both understand and shape the forces which are redrawing our economic and strategic maps.

The strengths of multilater­al diplomacy in dealing with global challenges seem obvious. It not only offers better opportunities for dealing with complex tasks, it is also able to legitimise the results achieved and thus tends to make them more sustainable, having emerged from joint strategies. This is particularly true if participation is considered representative, i.e. if all important interests and positions are represented.

When Law becomes a vehicle for continued criminality Tanya Goel

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he age of criminal responsibility is understood in law as the age when a person can face criminal charges because it is considered that the individual in question is old enough to be held accountable for their actions.

International law, such as in the Convention of the Rights of the Child, defines that this age should be 14, yet under Australian law, the age has remained as 10 years despite immense lobbying for reform. On 8 July, 2021, as part of the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review, conducted quinquennially,

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Australia was confronted with this discrepancy in the form of a recommendation made in a UN hearing supported by 30 member states, to raise the age to 14. It was dismissed by the Australian UN Representative, emphasising that this was a state-issue and could not be reformed by international eventualities.

This decision, on the outset, seems curious considering that as recently as May 2021, around 50 Australian parties consisting of children’s research institutes, medial associations and legal centres lobbied against it, citing its adverse impact on the

development of the children, with evidence of their imprisonment only encouraging reoffending of the law. However, it becomes especially questionable when considering the fact that UN reports have shown this law to disproportionately impact indigenous children, with one stating that as many as 80% of the 10-year-olds imprisoned in 2020 were indigenous/Australian aboriginals.

As the Black Lives Matter protests in the USA have shown us, law and criminality is often not as objective as it seems,

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because there is an inherent bias in the system itself which is foundationally geared against a community, based on decades of racism and persecution. Research has shown that indigenous youth’ s criminal behaviours are often rooted in unresolved intergenerational trauma.

Holding a deviation against a child who hasn’t had the opportunity to grow or learn from their mistakes through no commonsensible fault of their own, seems highly unfair.

Amnesty International reports have also highlighted that such early imprisonment of indigenous children only serves to trap

them in a cycle of reoffending, prolonging their run-ins with the justice system due to their trauma remaining unaddressed.

It further inflicts emotional harm, which discourages children from being educated and making friends, among other things – which in turn means that their criminalisation is fruitless. While the lowered age of criminal responsibility is perceived to be an action to deter crime, it seems that it operates only to perpetuate a cycle of racism and breed criminality in a generation that could, with legal reformation, grow away from it.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

WORLD THIS WEEK Contributed by the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

cultural rights, and freedom of religious belief. It also showed development in the region from 1955 to 2020 when "GDP soared from 1.2 billion yuan to 1.4 trillion yuan."

Compiled by Joeana Cera Matthews, Udbhav Krishna P, Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Sukanya Bali, Sourina Bej and Avishka Ashok

Japan: Strengthens Trans-Pacific Partnership with Australia

Europe: EU’s climate package amidst the rains and floods

Photo Courtesy: Reuters

What happened?

Photo Courtesy: Voice of America

What happened?

On 15 July, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated about the flood situation in Germany: "... there is a dramatic increase in such unusual weather phenomena and we have to contend with this."

On 16 July, she said: "My thoughts are with you, ... will do everything under the most difficult conditions to save lives, alleviate dangers and to relieve distress."

The torrential rains and floods have hit Germany and Belgium the hardest. It has claimed at least 143 lives in Germany and 27 in Belgium, while hundreds remain missing. It has been attributed to be Germany's worst natural disaster in half a century as power and communications remain cut in several regions across the country. Showing the direness of the situation, France's national weather service said that two months of average rain had fallen in two days. The Netherlands also remains on alert, taking precautionary measures against potential floods.

On 14 July, the European Commission announced its 'Fit for 55' package as Europe experiences scorching temperatures and floods over the past few weeks.

The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "It is our generational task... [to secure] the wellbeing of not only our generation, but of our children and grandchildren.

Europe is ready to lead the way."

What does it mean?

Europe seems to have taken the first step in a long road. The proposed climate package is nothing short of transformational, given its scale and impact range.

However, questions on the practicality of the package and its ability to curb the adverse effects of climate change loom large.

The SCO Summit: The call to end violence in Afghanistan

What happened?

On 14 July, foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member

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Lebanon: Deepening political crisis

states held the fourth meeting of the SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The joint statement said: "We condemn the ongoing violence and terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, whose victims are civilians and representatives of State authorities, and call for their early cessation. We note that the activity of international terrorist organizations remains a key factor of instability in that country." It read: "As friendly neighbors and important partners of Afghanistan, the SCO Member States are interested in making the country peaceful, stable and prosperous, and reaffirm their respect for the traditions and culture of all peoples inhabiting Afghanistan. We urge all parties involved in the conflict in Afghanistan to refrain from the use of force and actions that could lead to destabilization and unpredictable consequences in areas along Afghanistan's borders with SCO Member States."

Additionally, the foreign ministers in their speeches raised concerns over the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and cautioned the resurgence of international terrorist forces in the country.

They also call for firmly advancing the political settlement for the Afghan issue and for the SCO to play a key role in achieving peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

The meeting was also attended by the SCO Secretary-General, the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional AntiTerrorist Structure of the SCO, and the Afghan Foreign Minister, who attended the meeting specially to provide updates on the situation in Afghanistan.

What does it mean?

First, the space for SCO in Afghanistan. With the situation in Afghanistan changing, the SCO could become a regional forum to address the Afghan problem, given the proximity the group has to the region. Second, the SCO needs a unified Afghan strategy.

Given that there exist several disagreements between SCO members on several important matters related to Afghanistan, the organization would have to redraw its strategy amid the recent developments in Afghanistan. The failure to do so would lead to regional power politics paving the way for proxy wars and instability in the region.

On 15 July, Lebanon Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri stepped down after failing to form a government over the past eight months. Hariri resigned, following a brief meeting with President Aoun at Baabda Palace.

Aoun accused Hariri of having already decided to step down prior to their meeting. According to Al Jazeera, the President's office said, "Hariri rejected any amendments related to changes in ministries, their sectarian distribution, and the names associated with them."

On the same day, during an interview with Lebanon's Al Jadeed TV, Hariri said he selected his candidates based on their expertise and their ability to reform the economy, but Aoun did not. Following Hariri's step down, his supporters took to the street and there were few clashes with Lebanese soldiers. The Lebanese pound hit a new alltime low exceeding USD 21,000.

Reuters reported: French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Lebanese leaders seemed unable to find a solution to the crisis that they had created, calling the failure to form a cabinet another terrible incident. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hariri's decision was "disappointing" and urged Lebanese leaders to put aside their differences and form a government.

What does it mean?

Prime Minister Hassan Diab is staying in a caretaker capacity. A parliamentary election is due to be held next May; some believe the political vacuum will continue till then. With no candidate in place to replace Hariri, Lebanon's sectarian-based political system has been thrust into a period of further uncertainty. The continuation of a political vacuum will also impact Lebanon's ability to bring international aid to manage the economy.

ALSO IN NEWS

China: State Council Information releases White paper on Human Rights progress in Xinjiang On 14 July, Beijing's State Council Information released a white paper document, "Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang" detailing the human rights progress of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region since 2016. According to Global Times, the document introduces seven fields of rights such as civil rights, political rights, economic and

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On 15 July, Japan and Australia agreed to promote the TransPacific Partnership and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to channelize the pandemic hit economy. Japan's Economy, Trade and Industry Minister and Australia's minister for trade, tourism and investment in the meeting reaffirmed cooperation for 'Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.' As per the joint statement released after the meeting, "Ministers were united in their commitment to free and fair trade as foundational principles and to the objectives and strengthening of the rulesbased multilateral trading system."

Australia: Condemns EU's proposed carbon border tariffs On 15 July, Australia's ruling coalition condemned the EU proposed carbon border tariff.

Canberra showed concerns that "other nations might follow." The Strait Times reported: "Australia's Trade Minister Dan Tehan said the EU's policy was designed to raise revenue rather than reduce emissions and risked breaching global trade rules." He also said: "We think it would be much better to incentivize countries to deal with emissions reduction, rather than penalizing them."

India: ISRO conducts third hot test of liquid propellant On 15 July, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) conducted the third longduration test of the liquid propellant Vikas engine for the country's first manned mission to space 'Gaganyaan program.' The space agency said the test was conducted for the core L110 liquid stage of the human-rated GSLV MkIII vehicle as part of the engine qualification requirements for the program. The engine was fired for 240 seconds at ISRO Propulsion Complex facility Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

Afghanistan: The US to evacuate the Afghan interpreters On 15 July, the Biden administration said, the US is prepared for the evacuation flights for Afghan interpreters and translators. According to the White House, Operation Allies Refuge flights from Afghanistan will be available for special immigrant visa applicants. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "The reason that we are taking these steps is because these are courageous individuals."

He added, "We want to make sure we recognize and value the role they've played over the last several years." According to the State Department, the US embassy in Kabul has issued "299 immigrant visas in March, 356

WORLD THIS WEEK in April and 619 in May." The US Federal government recorded 2,500 immigrant visa approval since January.

South Africa: Ex-President's arrests stir violence and instability

On 16 July, the death toll in South Africa reached 212, with 100 fatalities in the last 24 hours.

On the same day, President Cyril Ramaphosa claimed that the riots were pre-planned and deployed over 25,000 armed forces personnel to control the situation in the country. More than 180 people died in KwaZuluNatal, the city where the violence originated when ex-President Jacob Zuma was arrested. The initial protests against the arrests gradually transformed into violent looting and destruction of public property. Although the government has denied the food shortage, the riots have led to a disruption of supply chains as protestors continue attacking major roadways and modes of transport.

The US: President Biden blames Facebook and social media for

Photo Courtesy: The White House

the failure of vaccination goal On 16 July, US president Joe Biden claimed that misinformation spread by social media platforms such as Facebook are responsible for the failure of the US in successfully achieving the goal of vaccinating 70 per cent of the American population by 4 July.

He said: "They're killing people.

The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they're killing people." However, Facebook also reacted to the statement and explained that over 85 per cent of its users have already been vaccinated or intend to do so. The company spokesperson said: "President Biden's goal was for 70 per cent of Americans to be vaccinated by 4 July. Facebook is not the reason his goal was missed."

About the authors Joeana Cera Matthews and Udbhav Krishna P are research interns in the School of Conflict and Security Studies at the National Institute of Advanced Studies. Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Sukanya Bali and Avishka Ashok are Research Associates at NIAS. Sourina Bej is a PhD scholar from the University of Bonn.

The report has been modified

by India News due to space considerations.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

EDITORIAL

Olympics 2032 coming Yesterday Tibet! Today India! Tomorrow Ceylon? to the “deserving” Brisbane city T

By K. Vigneswaran

Photo Courtesy: IANS

he relationship between the Chinese and Tamil people date back to the Han dynasty in the second century BC. There had been cultural and trade relationships between the two peoples since then.

During the Tamil Pallava rule in south India, Bodhidharma Thero visited China in the year 527 AD, and introduced Zen (Dhyanamarga) Buddhism. He also introduced martial arts or Kung Futo China. Before he left for China from Kanchipuram, he visited Tiriyai in Trincomalee which then was another Centre of Tamil Mahayana Buddhism.

Other Tamil Buddhist monks, Gunavarman and Vajrabodhi had also visited Tiriyai prior to their undertaking visits to China.

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1 July was a historic day when out of the 80 Indian Olympic Committee (IOC) members, three abstained, five voted “no” and 72 voted “yes”, granting the hosting rights to Brisbane, the capital of the Sunshine State of Queensland, Australia. The large crowd that had gathered at the South Bank in Brisbane — including former Olympian Nat Cook, Sports Minister Stirling Hinchcliffe, Education Minister Grace Grace among others, Brisbane City Councillors, local artists, community leaders and enthusiastic locals — jumped in unison with joy, as soon as the news broke out and fireworks lit the majestic Brisbane skyline.

People choked with emotions, clapping and hugging each other celebrating the historic success for Brisbane and South East Queensland. Frankly speaking, the feeling of Brisbane becoming the third city after Melbourne (1956) and Sydney (2000) to be bestowed upon this honor is still sinking in.

An ecstatic Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that it was a “coup for the nation”, and a “historic day not just for Brisbane and Queensland, but for the entire country”. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk from Japan also said that it was a “historic day and all Queenslanders can be proud of this historic moment”.

Brisbane’s Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner who had accompanied the Premier and Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates to Tokyo said this was the “best opportunity that our city, our region and our state has had in generations.” Thomas Bach, President of IOC backing the IOC’s decision said that “Brisbane was a deserving host city”.

What seems to have clicked Brisbane the deal was the successful hosting of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, the high-profile 2014

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G-20 Summit, previous hosting experience in 1956 and 2000, and above all the efficient handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Throw into the mix, the existing sports facilities and venues, public transport network and infrastructure, law and order apparatus, flora and fauna, tropical climate and Australia’s global reputation as a sport loving nation.

It will be fair to posit that the success has come after years of planning wherein the three levels of the government — federal, state and council worked in unison to back the bid at every step.

It is now being anticipated that the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics will transform Brisbane’s destiny just as the Sydney Olympics did after the 2000 Games. Federal Minister Richard Colebeck said that the Games will be held in an “affordable, beneficial and sustainable manner for Queensland and Australia”.

In the run up to the Games several international sporting events will be held to upgrade Brisbane’s current infrastructure and capabilities to organise the Olympics 2032 in a grand manner.

KPMG’s estimate suggests that the Games will yield $8.1 billion for Queensland and $17.6 billion for the federal exchequer in terms of economic and social benefits. Ted O’ Brien, the Prime Minister’s representative backing the bid says the Games will give an enormous boost to ‘construction, services, retail and hospitality sectors in Queensland and further augment the social benefits, health and wellbeing, social inclusion and accessibility for people with a disability’.

In sum, Brisbane 2032 Games will change the city’s and State’s fortunes for time memorial. And cherry on the cake — from 2032 onwards Brisbane will earn the tag of an Olympic city!

In the 8th century AD, the Tang Dynasty forged a military alliance with the Pallava King Nandivarman II to protect China from Tibetan expansionism.

The Chinese people and their rulers had always valued selfpreservation and were against expansionism. The Great Wall of China was symbolic of that doctrine.

In the year 1409, a Chinese Admiral erected a stone tablet in Galle harbour to signify the visit of the Chinese Navy to Lanka. The tablet was only in Chinese, Tamil and Persian. These languages were, then and now, recognized as three of the oldest living languages of the world. Such was the relationship that the cultured Chinese people had with the cultured Tamil people in the past. But things changed after the People's Republic of China (PRC) was established in China in 1949.

A prophetical question asked 60 years ago It was June 1962. The army of the PRC had intruded past India's northern border and begun a war. We, the undergraduates belonging to the Faculties of Engineering and Science in the Colombo Campus of the University of Ceylon were agitated. The Colombo Campus housed only these two Faculties.

The Medical Faculty was in Maradana and the other faculties were in Peradeniya.

The undergraduates were invited to meet at the College House on Thurston Road, it being the 'common room' of the students.

Many acrimonious speeches were made. It was pointed out that the government of the PRC was a hegemonic and expansionist government. It had annexed the peaceful Buddhist country of Tibet in 1959. It had expelled the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and political head of that country and had begun a process of cultural genocide. Now, the PRC army had walked into northern India and attacked unsuspecting Indian soldiers and butchered them with bayonets.

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A resolution was passed at that meeting to the effect that the undergraduates of both faculties would undertake a protest march to the Chinese Embassy on Turret Road, demanding withdrawal of its troops behind the international border.

The resolution was carried with more than two hundred undergraduates voting in favour and around ten voting against.

These were the pro-communist undergraduates who wrongly understood the proposed protest march as a protest against the doctrine of communism.

Protest march against China

We fashioned several placards, the most popular one being "Yesterday Tibet! Today India!

Tomorrow Ceylon?". There were other placards which called for the Chinese to quit Indian Territory; Indians are our Kith and Kin, and so on. We obtained permission from the Cinnamon Gardens Police and commenced the protest march from College House. When we reached the Chinese Embassy and began shouting slogans, a group of thugs appeared suddenly from nowhere and attacked us with wooden clubs. Around thirty students were injured, of whom seven had to undergo treatment at the nearby Colombo General Hospital. In the same manner as the thugs appeared, they suddenly disappeared, probably into the Embassy building.

The student leadership, which included me, decided that we should not disperse, but march along Turret Road, Flower Road and Thurston Road to the Residence of the Indian High Commissioner. In any case, India House was in the neighbourhood of College House.

Expression of Solidarity with India Outside India House, we shouted slogans expressing solidarity with India. Thereupon the High Commissioner B.K. Kapur invited the leadership of the protesting undergraduates, three in number, which included me, into the premises and to his residence.

We expressed solidarity with India on this issue. The High Commissioner thanked us profusely for our active support of India. He told us that the event would be reported to the Indian government headed by Jawaharlal Nehru. Thereupon the protestors dispersed to College House and thence to their residences.

True nature of PRC During the Second World War, the Republic of China was led by Chiang Kai-shek who helped the Allies to win the War. However, Mao Zedong ousted Chiang Kai-shek in 1949 and forced him out to Taiwan with his followers.

However, the establishment in Taiwan under Chiang Kaishek was recognized by the United Nations as the legitimate

government of China, despite the fact that the vast majority of the Chinese was under Mao. Since the majority of the Chinese people were under the PRC of Mao, the Indian government led

by Jawaharlal Nehru supported the claim of the PRC under Mao to be recognized as the legitimate government of China. In spite of such a favourable position taken

by India, in 1962, the government of the PRC decided to attack India on her northern border. Recall the earlier sacking of Tibet by the PRC. Unfortunately, at that stage, liberal India took up the position that Tibet was an autonomous State, but subject to Chinese suzerainty.

Thus Nehru had followed a policy of non-confrontation with the PRC and was confident that China would never attack India.

However he was disappointed.

The politics of the PRC had no morality. The intentions of the PRC were not understood

by Nehru. The PRC's ambition was expansionism followed by hegemonic subjugation of other nations.

A disappointed Nehru visits Ceylon In October of that year, Prime Minister of Ceylon Sirimavo Bandaranaike invited Nehru to visit Colombo, which he readily obliged. During that visit, the undergraduates of the Faculties of Engineering and Science invited Nehru to address a gathering of the students at King George's Hall. He gladly accepted our invitation. I was one of the student leaders who received Nehru when he arrived for the meeting. During the course of his speech, he expressed disappointment with the PRC, both in respect of Tibet and India.

PRC targets Sri Lanka (Ceylon) The current political leadership of Sri Lanka has leased out the Colombo Port City to the PRC. Earlier the Hambantota Harbour was similarly leased out to them.The Sri Lankan political leadership had not understood the Expansionist motive of the PRC. This should have been clear to any intelligent person when Tibet was annexed in 1959.

Expansionist governments never support self-determination of people.

Agents of the PRC have conveyed promises that if the Tamils of Sri Lanka would support Chinese enterprises in the North and East, the PRC would create Tamil Continued on Page 23

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INDIA NEWS

Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

SPECIAL FEATURE

We can make next 30 years the best in India's history: Mukesh Ambani New Delhi, July 24 (IANS): "I am supremely hopeful and confident about the Rise of New India. I can see that the spirit of India is more resurgent than ever before", Mukesh Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) wrote in Times of India.

Ambani said India and the world changed dramatically at the beginning of the 1990s.

Communist Soviet Union collapsed. The cold war ended.

And India embarked on a bold new path of economic reforms.

"Thirty years later, the global order is changing fundamentally yet again. The speed, scale and substance of this change are unprecedented, even unpredictable. Yet, one thing is absolutely predictable: India's time has come", Ambani said.

"Destiny and Drive is making the 21st century's favourite nation ready for a great leap forward.

India stands at the doorstep of prosperity that is both significant and inclusive, and of delivering all-round human development through the democratic route.

With faith in our potential, confidence in our collective capabilities, and unity in action, we can exceed the world's expectations," Ambani wrote.

"My source of optimism is our recent past. In 1991, India showed foresight and courage in changing both the direction and determinants of its economy.

These reforms liberated India's entrepreneurial energy and inaugurated an era of fast-paced growth", Ambani said.

Ambani said the results are for all to see. India's GDP of $266 billion in 1991 has grown by over ten times. India's economy has become the fifth largest in the world. Poverty rates have halved, despite the population having risen from 880 million to 1.38 billion. Key infrastructure has improved beyond recognition.

Our expressways, airports and ports are now world-class, and so are many of our industries and services. "No young Indian today would believe that people had to wait for years to get a telephone or a gas connection, or that businesses had to seek government's permission to buy a Continued from Page 22 Eelam for them. This promise has been conveyed to former and current Tamil Members of Parliament. Tamil journalists and journalist-politicians are being wooed by the PRC agents.

The Tamil political leadership which had mastered the 'art of rhetoric' was urged by a stupid section of the Tamil Diaspora to blindly support Velupillai Prabakaran in his war against

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Photo Courtesy: IANS

computer", Ambani said.

"India transformed from an economy of scarcity in 1991 into an economy of sufficiency in 2021.

Now, India has to transform itself into an economy of sustainable abundance and equitable prosperity for all by 2051. In India, equity will be at the heart of our collective prosperity", Ambani said.

"With our accomplishments over the past three decades, we have earned the right to dream big.

What can be a greater dream than to be able to celebrate the centenary of our independence in 2047 by making India one of the world's three wealthiest nations, on par with America and China? Is it too tall an ambition to pursue? No. My visionary father Dhirubhai Ambani, who was one of the earliest advocates of economic liberalisation in the 1980s, used to tell me - 'To think small is unbecoming of an Indian", Ambani said.

How can we realise this ambition?

By following our own unique Indian and atmanirbhar model of wealth creation, while cooperating with, and learning all the right lessons from, the rest of the world. Ambani has presented five broad ideas.

First, so far economic reforms have benefited Indians unevenly.

The disparity is neither acceptable nor sustainable.

Therefore, the Indian model of development should focus on creating wealth for the people at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Our greatest advantage lies in India's continent-sized domestic market, which is still largely untapped. Our economy will begin to witness miraculous growth when we create a middle class of one billion people with rising incomes. In demographic terms, this will amount to adding all of the USA and Europe combined to the current size of the Indian market. When so many people are enabled to fulfil their aspirations for a better life, they will set in motion a virtuous cycle of consumption and production.

This will cause an exponential rise in young entrepreneurs, including women entrepreneurs.

Investors and businesses from Devolution of Powers and against India. The net result for the Tamils has been the migration of 1.5 million Tamils from Sri Lanka.

The Tamils have now become a politically powerless people.

We should recall the original Chinese doctrine of selfpreservation. Regardless of the mistake made by the Sinhala leadership, the Tamils should be able to recognize the PRC as Expansionist and Hegemonic. Let

around the world will want to participate in this humongous India Opportunity.

the surest way to create a better India and a more equal India for every Indian.

To achieve this might have seemed impossible in the past.

Not so now.

Third, to turn these exciting possibilities into realities, India should become a nation of innovators. Traditionally, India has been highly innovative in low-tech activities. Now we have to replicate this prowess using hi-tech tools so that they become facilitators of faster growth. Innovation will help our entrepreneurs provide highquality, yet extremely affordable, services and solutions to meet India's needs. The same can also be offered to export markets, where they will fetch higher value.

Wealth will thus migrate from developed countries to India. Of course, a critical requirement to achieve this goal is rapid reskilling of our workforce and reforms in our education system to make our children and youth future-ready. Specifically, we must expeditiously build worldclass universities and research centres and also upgrade existing institutions to serve India's 21st century needs.

Hence, my second idea. This is the age of technological disruption and acceleration. The world will witness more changes over the next 30 years than seen in the previous 300 years. After losing out in the first two Industrial Revolutions, and catching up on the third, India now has an opportunity to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution. By speedily deploying its technologies, our entrepreneurs can achieve quantum increases in productivity and efficiency. This will transform not only our large industries and services, but also agriculture, MSMEs, construction, renewable energy, arts and crafts, etc. These are precisely the areas with the highest potential to create large-scale employment, which is India's most pressing need. These technologies can help us achieve quality, affordability and equity in education, healthcare and housing at scale - a dire necessity since our population is expected to rise to 1.64 billion by 2050. They also have the power to reverse degradation of the environment and make it safe for all. In short, technology-led development is

us not forget that the PRC stabbed Nehru in the back sixty years ago, and has committed cultural genocide in Tibet prior to that.

(The writer is former secretary to the Chief Minister, North-East Province, Sri Lanka; Former senior advisor to the Chief Minister, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka; Former MP; and President of Akhila Ilankai Tamil Mahasabha. The views expressed are personal)

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Fourth, we need to change our understanding of wealth and the ways to pursue it and bring it in alignment with India's ancient wisdom rooted in the primacy of empathy. For too long, we have been measuring wealth only in personal and financial terms. We have neglected the truth that India's true wealth lies in achieving 'Education for All', 'Health for All', 'Employment for All', 'Good Housing for All', 'Environmental Safety for All', 'Sports, Culture and Arts for All' and 'Opportunities for SelfDevelopment for All' - in short, 'Happiness for All'. To attain these redefined parameters of prosperity, we have to bring care and empathy to the core of everything we do in business and

society.

Furthermore, our concept of prosperity of the people has to be extended to the prosperity of our planet. After all, India is called upon to play a leading role in realising the daunting 2050 Climate Action goals. Therefore, at Reliance our newest and most ambitious business initiative is aimed at offering 'Affordable Green Energy' solutions to India and the global market.

Fifth, the Indian model of wealth creation requires reconceptualization of entrepreneurship itself.

Tomorrow's successful businesses will be partnerships and platforms, which promote both healthy competition and fruitful collaboration. Moreover, running enterprises of the future cannot be a solo play. Ambani said at Reliance, we see it is orchestration of professionals and employees with an 'ownership mindset', joined by partners, and investors, all working for the common goal of what Mahatma Gandhi called 'Antyodaya' (welfare and wellbeing of the last man).

"Having begun my own business career when India was still in the pre-reforms era, I am supremely hopeful and confident about the Rise of New India. I can see that the spirit of India is more resurgent than ever before", Ambani said.

"Let us accelerate our nation's forward march with positivity, purpose and passion. True, the road ahead is not easy. But let us not be deterred by unexpected and temporary problems, such as the pandemic, or distracted by unimportant issues that dissipate our energies. We have the opportunity, also a responsibility towards our children and youth, to make the next thirty years the best ever in independent India's history", Ambani added.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

MAKE IN INDIA

ASEAN and India: Charting the New Asian century Asia. This program provided cash grants and other support to the top 60 innovators shortlisted.

Specifically, they were eligible for: 3 months of weekly, exclusive, live weekly training Templates to help your business thrive Weekly group office hours to discuss how to apply the new concepts to your business

By Strategic Investment Research Unit (SIRU)

introduced the following 10 new PLI schemes in November 2020:

or over half a century, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, has been among the most successful intergovernmental organisations, not just in the developing world, but across the globe. In upholding the economic interests and representing the social traditions and cultures of the 650 million people of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, this 10-member organisation has shone the path in unique regional cooperation. India, a leading power in the region with a robust business environment and flourishing populace, is a strong partner for the ASEAN bloc in Asia.

March 2020

F

India’s foreign policy cornerstone ‘Act East Policy’ launched in 2014, gave increased momentum to this partnership and emphasised greater integration through improved connectivity, and commercial and cultural ties.

With over two billion inhabitants who constitute more than a quarter of the global population, India and ASEAN hold the promise of a future where growth and prosperity abound. Their booming domestic markets, growing middle classes, strong skilled workforce of over a billion people, and business friendly policies hold tremendous potential for global investors keen to explore the surge of youth-led economic growth. By capitalising on the opportunities that India and ASEAN collectively offer, investors can unleash a brewing Asian future of integration, cooperation and economic success.

In analysing these inherent factors, this report presents to investors a sectoral outlook on how the India-ASEAN relationship can be leveraged for global business opportunities.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes Hon'ble Finance Minister, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an outlay of INR 1.97 Lakh Crores for the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Schemes across 13 key sectors, to create national manufacturing champions and generate employment opportunities for the country’s youth. In addition to the three schemes announced earlier in March 2020, GoI has further

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Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates (DIs) and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs): Department of Pharmaceuticals Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Manufacturing of Medical Devices: Department of Pharmaceuticals November 2020: Electronic/Technology Products: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Pharmaceuticals drugs: Department of Pharmaceuticals Telecom & Networking Products: Department of Telecommunications Food Products: Ministry of Food Processing Industries

Weekly networking sessions to connect with and learn from other land restoration entrepreneurs in the accelerator Opportunity to apply for one of 15 Land Accelerator Investment Packs These Land Accelerator Investment Packs were granted to the top 15 innovators in the cohort and included support such as: A 3,000 EURO Innovation Grant An investment coaching meeting with a Land Accelerator organizer to develop an investment and innovation grant plan A 90-minute group mentorship session with members of the Land Accelerator mentor network An opportunity to present a 3-minute business pitch at the Land Accelerator Demo Day, an event that brings together the 15 grant recipients and business and social investors from across South Asia

High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

AGNIi remains committed to furthering innovations for sustainability and granting the best of India’s innovators the opportunity to obtain the support they need to truly make an impact in meeting the country’s reforestation goals.

Automobiles & Auto Components: Department of Heavy Industry

OPPORTUNITIES IN STATES TRIPURA

Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery: Department of Heavy Industry

Largest producer of bamboo in North-Eastern India

White Goods (ACs & LED): Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles: Ministry of Textiles Specialty Steel: Ministry of Steel Accelerating sustainability

By AGNIi Among the challenges societies face pertaining to sustainable development and the environment, restoration and reforestation of land remain among the most demanding.

These impact various aspects of the environment including soil erosion, pollution levels, and resource availability.

While restoring the natural ecosystem of prior deforested land is an attractive prospect for sustainability, in practice a considerable degree of finesse is required to ensure that the restoration process is able to create a sustainable ecosystem.

To further this objective, AGNIi and Startup India partnered with World Resources Institute India (WRI India) as well as AIC Sangam to launch the second cohort of the Land Accelerator for South

Tripura ranks #2 in Export Preparedness Index 2020 under Himalayan states category.

Tripura is primarily an agrarian State, with about 42% of the population depending on agriculture and allied activities.

Rice is the major crop in the State. The climate of the State is suitable for a variety of horticultural/ plantation crops, including pineapple, jackfruit, tea, rubber, bamboo etc. The productivity level of food grain and rice in Tripura are 30% and 24% respectively more than all India levels. The yield of potato per hectare of land in Tripura is the highest in the NorthEastern region. The state is also a surplus producer of certified HYV paddy and mustard seeds, it has a seed replacement rate (SRR) of 33% for HYV paddy and 50% for mustard.

The state has established rubber, food and bamboo parks to support existing and potential investors. The State has 5 Industrial Estates, 1 Industrial area, 4 Public Sector Undertakings, and 2 growth centres. Tripura has

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84% of its border common with the neighbouring country of Bangladesh. It is also the home for India's third international internet gateway (after Mumbai and Chennai).

in the country particularly in Automobiles, Pharmaceuticals & Food Processing due to its business friendly environment, conducive investment policies and simplified regulations.

UTTAR PRADESH

The State has witnessed a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.34 % (between FY 2011-12 and 2018-19) mainly due to the growth of the manufacturing sector which now contributes to more than 33 % of the State GSDP.

Longest road, rail and river network in India Uttar Pradesh is the fourth largest state in India in terms of land area. The state's population of 200 Mn is equivalent to the population of Brazil.

Uttar Pradesh, described as the heartland of India, falls under the influence area of the first two of India’s dedicated freight corridors – Western Corridor running between Delhi & Mumbai and Eastern Corridor running between Ludhiana and Kolkata, connecting it with remote parts of the country.

The State is amongst the most popular tourist destinations in India with the presence of Taj Mahal, Buddhist places of pilgrimage such as Sarnath and Kushinagar and prominent Hindu pilgrimage places such as Prayagraj and Varanasi. The state was ranked first and third in terms of domestic and foreign tourist arrival, respectively, in 2019.

Uttar Pradesh has several locally specialised business clusters such as sports items in Meerut, brassware in Moradabad, perfumes in Kannuaj, leather in Kanpur, shoes in Agra, embroidered sarees in Varanasi, carpet in Bhadohi, chikan work in Lucknow etc.

Uttar Pradesh is known as the food basket of India as it is a leading producer of several food items. It is also the top manufacturing destination in India contributing more than 8% of national manufacturing output.

The state is a leading electronic hardware exporter in the country and has also emerged as a key hub for IT/ ITeS and service sector including software, captive business process outsourcing (BPO) and R&D services.

UTTARAKHAND Come as a visitor, stay as an investor Uttarakhand is the most visited tourist destination amongst all hill stations in India. The state attracted close to 34.36 million domestic tourists and 0.13 million foreign tourists in 2017.

Uttarakhand located at the foothills of the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges is known for its pristine beauty and breath-taking locales.

While the State has always been acknowledged as a tourism hub due to its snow covered peaks, gushing rivers, verdant valleys, untouched forests & the presence of major religious destinations, the young State has also emerged as one of the major investment destinations for manufacturing

The State offers an unbeatable combination of single point clearances, competitive land prices in world class Industrial Estates, cheap power, clean water, highly skilled manpower, good law & order, proximity to National Capital Region with its huge consumer base as well as dedicated relationship managers for investors to guide them through their investment life cycle. Its world-renowned education system, wild-life sanctuaries, peaceful & friendly people provide an unmatched quality of life to its residents.

A majorly organic State, the 4 Agro-climatic conditions allow the production of off-season vegetables and the State has the highest production of Pear, Peach, Plum, & Apricot in the country.

The State is rich in Limestone and has a huge potential for value added Industries.

Uttarakhand is being developed as an ‘Energy State’ to tap the hydropower electric potential of over 25,000 MW, 76.85 percent of the capacity owned by the State utilities, with an installed capacity of 1876.89 MW as of 29th Feb 2020.

The State is striving to achieve its ambitious target of meeting 50% of its energy demand from renewable energy by 2023.

The state also offers tremendous opportunities in the Wellness & Tourism sector. In 2020, total tourist arrival in the State was over 39 million. Wellness is imbibed in Uttarakhand’s culture and it has the potential to emerge as the world’s “Wellness Destination”.

Uttarakhand has been consistently ranked amongst the top states in India by DPIIT in its assessment for ease of doing business. The State’s Investment promotion Agency (IPA) is adjudged as the “Top Performer” by Invest India, DPIIT, in the rankings for Investment promotion Agencies across 20 States in the Country. Moreover, Uttarakhand ranks #1 in Export Preparedness Index 2020 under Himalayan states category.

World Class Industrial Areas are developed by State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd (SIIDCUL).

SOURCE: Invest India, National Investment Promotion & Facilitation Agency, Government of India

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Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9

HEALTH

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 193.6 mn Covid vaccination coverage Washington, July 25 (IANS): The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 193.6 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.15 million and vaccinations soared to over 3.81 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on July 25 morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number of vaccine doses administered stood at 193,633,246, 4,151,311 and

3,815,028,866, respectively.

The US continues to be the worsthit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 34,426,844 and 610,833, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 31,332,159 cases.

The other worst-affected countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (19,670,534), France (6,041,146), Russia (6,025,698), the UK (5,694,163),

Turkey (5,574,997), Argentina (4,839,109), Colombia (4,716,798), Italy (4,312,673), Spain (4,280,429), Germany (3,761,869), Iran (3,664,286) and Indonesia (3,127,826), the CSSE figures showed.

The netizens asked the health body to investigate the US military biological lab to prevent a future epidemic, the Global Times reported on July 18.

The letter comes as China is subject to fresh rounds of scrutiny over alleged leak of SARS-CoV2, the virus causing Covid-19, from the country's infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).

The netizens posted the letter on its WeChat and Weibo platforms on July 17, which garnered half a million signatures within 24 hours. The open letter particularly noted the Fort Detrick lab, which stores the most deadly and infectious viruses in the world, including Ebola, smallpox, SARS, MERS, and the novel coronavirus.

The leak of any of them would cause severe danger to the world, the report said.

"But this lab has a notorious record on lab security. There have been scandals of anthrax bacterium from the lab being stolen, causing poisoning to many and even death. There was a leakage incident in the lab in the autumn of 2019 right before the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic, however, detailed information had been withheld by the US under excuses of national security," said the letter.

The USAMRIID was temporarily shut down in 2019 after a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) inspection.

Although this mysterious lab reported the reason for the closure as "ongoing infrastructure issues with wastewater decontamination," the explanation was not persuasive enough.

"What is more perplexing is that, when China allowed virologists from Western countries and

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (420,016), Mexico (237,954), Peru (195,243), Russia (150,583), the UK (129,416), Italy (127,942), Colombia (118,538), France (111,800) and Argentina (103,584).

even US mainstream media to visit the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the US has not opened the Fort Detrick lab, let alone shared the original data with countries including China that are independent from US geopolitical influence," the joint letter noted.

Further, the netizens stated that the US even purposely neglected and distorted the Chinese people's call to investigate the Fort Detrick lab -- referring to the questions raised in the letter as a "conspiracy theory," and at the same time, used untenable and flawed rumours to attack the WIV, said the open letter.

While, the WHO has already made their evaluation about the "Wuhan lab leak theory" during their trip to China, questions remain for other labs over whether the virus was leaked from them, Zeng Guang, former chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, was quoted as saying to the Global Times.

to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of Covid-19 vaccination throughout the country.

It also said that out of the people infected since the beginning of the pandemic, 3,05,43,138 have already recovered, including 39,972 on July 25. This constitutes an overall recovery rate of 97.36 per cent.

In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 549,448 fatalities.

Covid origins: Chinese netizens demand probe into US lab Beijing, July 19: Netizens in China have signed an open letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO), demanding it probe the shutdown of the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, Maryland, media reports said.

in India crosses 43 crore

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): India's cumulative Covid vaccine coverage has crossed the 43 crore mark, the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry announced on July 25.

Cumulatively, 43,31,50,864 doses have been administered through 52,72,431 sessions, the Ministry said in a statement, adding that 51,18,210 shots were administered on July 25.

Noting a new phase of universalisation of Covid-19 vaccination was commenced from June 21, it said that the government is committed

It said that India has reported 39,742 daily new cases, and less than 50,000 daily cases have been reported for 28 continuous days.

The number of active cases stands at 4,08,212, or 1.30 per cent of the total cases so far.

With substantially rampedup testing capacity across the country, a total of 17,18,756 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours. Cumulatively, India has conducted over 45.62 crore (45,62,89,567) tests so far, the statement said.

Weekly positivity rate is currently at 2.24 per cent and the daily positivity rate stands at 2.31 per cent - remaining below 3 per cent for 34 consecutive days, below 5 per cent for 48 consecutive days now, it said.

India records 39,361 new Covid cases, 416 deaths Photo Courtesy: IANS

China criticises WHO's plans to revisit Covid lab leak theory Beijing, July 22: China on July 22 accused the World Health Organisation of "arrogance" and a "disrespect for common sense" as it proposed a second phase investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, media reports said.

Zeng's comments follow the WHO circular to its member states detailing its proposed next steps to advance the second phase of its efforts to trace the origin of the pandemic, which includes audits of laboratories and markets in the city of Wuhan.

The WHO had, in March, concluded in a report that a laboratory leak was "extremely unlikely". Undermining the report, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently, stated that it was premature on the global health body's part to rule out a potential link between the Covid pandemic and a laboratory leak. He asked China to be more transparent on the issue of data sharing.

"No way" can Beijing accept an origin tracing study proposal which includes possible breach of laboratory protocols, he said, according to the Post.

In response, National Health Commission Deputy Minister Zeng Yixin stated that "clear conclusions from the first study should not be repeatedly investigated", the South China Morning Post reported.

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The proposed study "places the hypothesis that 'China's breach of laboratory protocols caused the virus to leak' as one of the research priorities," Zeng was quoted as saying.

Moreover, none of the staff or postgraduates at the infamous Wuhan Institute of Virology had been infected with the new coronavirus, he stated. There has also been no gain-of-function studies, referring to suggestions its research had made natural bat coronaviruses more infectious

among humans, he added.

"So where did the virus leak due to violation of laboratory protocols (theory) come from?" Zeng told a press conference. "This phase 2 study of origin tracing is both disrespectful to common sense and contrary to science in some aspects. There is no way that we accept such an origin tracing study proposal."

"For this point, I could sense the disrespect for common sense and the arrogance towards science that the programme reveals."

Ghebreyesus recently said that getting access to raw data had been a challenge for the international team that traveled to China earlier this year to investigate the source of the pandemic.

Scientists from across the world have also called for renewed investigations into the origins of the pandemic that has claimed millions of lives globally.

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New Delhi, July 26 (IANS): India on July 26 recorded 39,361 cases of Covid-19 and 416 deaths, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data showed.

The country now has 4,11,189 active cases and has witnessed a total of 4,20,967 deaths so far.

till date as the virus continued to infect less than one lakh people.

According to the health ministry data, a total of 43,51,96,001 Covid vaccine doses have been administered in India so far, including 18,99,874 between July 25 and July 26.

According to the government, a total of 35,968 people were discharged from hospitals and health centres, taking the total number of cured to 3,05,79,106

The total number of samples tested so far has reached 45,62,89,567 as of July 24, including 17,18,756 samples tested on July 24.

Beijing, July 26: The Chinese mainland on July 25 reported 40 new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases, including 39 in Jiangsu and one in Liaoning, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on July 26.

were reported in Yunnan, eight in Guangdong, five in Fujian, two each in Inner Mongolia and Henan, and one in Beijing, Xinhua reported.

Chinese mainland reports 40 new local Covid cases

Also reported were 36 new imported cases, of which 18

No new suspected cases or deaths related to Covid-19 were reported on July 25.

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Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9

BUSINESS & TRADE

‘LemonDuck’ crypto malware targeting Musk blames high import Windows, Linux systems: Microsoft duties as deterrent in launching Tesla in India New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Microsoft has warned customers about a new crypto mining malware that can steal credentials, remove security controls, spread via emails and ultimately drop more tools for human-operated activity.

Called 'LemonDuck', the crypto mining malware is targeting Windows and Linux systems, spreading via phishing emails, exploits, USB devices and brute force attacks in various countries, including India.

"LemonDuck's threat to enterprises is also in the fact that it's a cross-platform threat.

It's one of a few documented bot malware families that targets Linux systems as well as Windows devices," warned Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team.

It continues to use older vulnerabilities, which benefit the attackers at times when focus shifts to patching a popular vulnerability rather than investigating compromise.

"Notably, LemonDuck removes other attackers from a compromised device by getting rid of competing malware and preventing any new infections by patching the same vulnerabilities it used to gain access," said the company.

In the early years, LemonDuck targeted China heavily, but its operations have since expanded to include many other countries — the US, India, Russia, China, Germany, the UK, Korea, Canada, France, and Vietnam.

Because of this method of contact messaging, security controls that rely on determining if an email is sent from a suspicious sender don't apply.

On July 19, US President Joe Biden's administration finally came out publicly against China's involvement in cybercrimes, accusing it of running a massive global operation of "statesponsored activities" causing billions of dollars of losses to victims.

In a show of solidarity indicating the serious global repercussions, all the 30 NATO allies and the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan joined in indicting Beijing.

The script instructs the mailbox to send copies of a phishing message with preset messages and attachments to all contacts.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the US and its allies had "formally confirmed" that China's Ministry of State Security used the vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Exchange Server "in a massive cyber espionage operation that indiscriminately compromised thousands of computers and networks, mostly belonging to private sector victims".

New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): The Income Tax (I-T) Department has conducted a pan-India search operation on a prominent business group, which is involved in businesses in various sectors, including media, power, textiles and real estate, with a group turnover of more than Rs 6,000 crore per annum.

digital signature to the employer in good faith.

to the tune of Rs 2,200 crore has been found.

The enquiries have confirmed that these were fictitious transactions without any actual movement or delivery of goods, the Department said on its investigations.

The July 22 operation conducted under section 132 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, included 20 residential and 12 business premises spread over nine cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bhopal, Indore, Noida and Ahmedabad.

Some were found to be relatives, who had willingly and knowingly signed the papers but had no knowledge or control of the business activities of the companies, in which they were supposed to be directors and shareholders.

Such companies have been used for multiple purposes namely; booking bogus expenses and siphoning off the profits from listed companies, routing of funds so siphoned into their closely held companies to make investments, making of circular transactions.

The real estate entity of the group operating a Mall had been sanctioned a term loan of Rs 597 crore from a nationalised Bank.

The malware can quickly take advantage of news, events, or the release of new exploits to run effective campaigns.

This threat, however, does not just limit itself to new or popular vulnerabilities.

"Once inside a system with an Outlook mailbox, as part of its normal exploitation behaviour, LemonDuck attempts to run a script that utilises the credentials present on the device," the Microsoft team said.

I-T Dept conducts pan-India searches on renowned business group

The group has more than 100 companies including the holding and subsidiary firms.

During the search, it was found that they have been operating several companies in the names of their employees, which have been used for booking bogus expenses and routing of funds, a Finance Ministry statement said without naming the entity.

Reports indicated that the I-T department had conducted searches at offices of media entity Dainik Bhaskar in several locations across the country over alleged tax evasion on July 22.

Additional raids were also conducted in the office of Bharat Samachar, an Uttar Pradeshbased news channel the same day.

The I-T Department said that during the search, several employees, whose names were used as shareholders and directors, admitted that they were not aware of such companies and had given their Aadhaar card and

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For example, the nature of such bogus expenditures booked, vary from supply of manpower, transport, logistics and civil works and fictitious trade payables, the statement said.

The quantum of income escapement using this modus operandi, detected so far, amounts to Rs 700 crore spread over a period of six years.

However, the quantum may be more as the group has used multiple layers and investigations are being carried out to unravel the entire money trail.

Furthermore, these involve violation of S.2(76)(vi) of Companies Act and Clause 49 of Listing Agreement prescribed

by SEBI for listed companies.

Application of Benami Transaction Prohibition Act will also be examined.

Cyclical trading and transfer of funds among group companies engaged in unrelated businesses

Photo Courtesy: IANS

The tax effect and violation of other laws is being examined.

Out of this, an amount of Rs 408 crore has been diverted to a sister concern as loan at low interest rate of 1 per cent, the Finance Ministry statement said.

While the real estate company has been claiming expenses of interest from its taxable profit, it has been diverted for personal investments of the holding company, it added.

The listed media company does barter deals for advertisement revenues, whereby immovable properties are received in lieu of actual payments. Evidence has been found indicating cash receipts in respect of subsequent sale of such properties. This is under further examination, the Department said.

Evidence has been found which indicates receipt of on-money in cash, on sale of flats by the reality arm of the group. The same has been confirmed by two employees and a director of the company, the Department said.

The modus operandi as well as the corroborating documents

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New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that its electric vehicle (EV) company wants to launch cars in India, but the country's import duties on EVs are "highest in the world by far".

Replying to an Indian YouTuber on Twitter, who asked him to launch Tesla cars ASAP in India, Musk blamed high import rates in the country.

"We want to do so, but import duties are the highest in the world by far of any large country!" he wrote.

"Moreover, clean energy vehicles are treated the same as diesel or petrol, which does not seem entirely consistent with the climate goals of India," he added.

Last year, a report said that India has taken a slew of measures to promote the use of electric cars in the country.

The government slashed Goods

and Services Tax (GST) on electric vehicles to five per cent from earlier 12 per cent but to protect domestic automakers, it levies 125 per cent duty on imported vehicles.

"I'm told import duties are extremely high (up to 100 per cent), even for electric cars.

This would make our cars unaffordable," Musk earlier said while responding to a tweet from an Indian follower.

Close on the heels of the Union Budget providing tax relief for buying electric vehicles, the GST Council in its meeting last year in July cut the tax on electric vehicles (EV) from 12 per cent to 5 per cent, effective August 1, 2019.

The twin rate cuts are set to further boost the EV sector. The Budget, last year, had proposed an Income Tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on the loans taken to purchase electric vehicles.

China trying to paint abysmal outlook for Indian economy New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): In a scare-mongering exercise, the Chinese regime's mouthpiece is raising the spectre of a looming financial crisis for India

Global Times warned regional governments to be wary. "The 1997 Asian financial crisis started in Thailand. If a similar crisis happens to India, it would likely send the regional financial markets into an even more severe mess. Governments in the region need to act quickly to avert a deepening health and economic crisis," it said.

The Chinese mouthpiece, in an attempt to cloud India's prospects, said: "There are also growing concerns that once the Fed shifts monetary policy, India's economy may be trapped into a debt distress and facing shortage of the dollar."

The mouthpiece is known to have a pessimistic view of India and recently faulted India's have been found. The exact amount of out-of- books cash receipts are being quantified.

A total of 26 lockers were found in the residential premises of the promoters and key employees of the group, which are being

manufacturing sector.

It added that other ominous signs about its economic difficulties may also include findings that as many as 97 per cent of Indian households suffered a fall in income and the bearish performance of the Indian rupee this year.

The World Bank in June warned that South Asia risks suffering a financial crisis due to their vulnerability to growing levels of unsustainable debt. "As the region's biggest economy, India is particularly exposed to sovereign debt and funding risks, especially after the pandemic drove businesses to go bankrupt and left millions unemployed," it said.

China is trying to project a grim outlook as Global Times said "If the second wave of the virus has devastated India more deeply than anticipated, the long-term economic impact may be even more devastating". operated.

The voluminous material found during the search operations is being examined.

Searches are continuing and further investigations are in progress.

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INDIA NEWS

Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9

Students partake in research to help black-throated finch thrive where possible.

“The Oresome Minds Camp was an ideal way to get local Rockhampton and other Queensland students involved in the Project,” Ms Campbell said.

“The 16 hand-picked Year 11 and 12 professional pathway students designed digital solutions for use in research on the finch population around the Carmichael Mine in the Galilee Basin in Central Queensland,” Ms Campbell said.

Brisbane, July 21: In June, students from Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) schools throughout Queensland travelled to Rockhampton to partake in the 'Oresome Minds' research camp hosted by Central Queensland University (CQU) and Bravus, which was designed to uncover the habitual secrets of the blackthroated finch.

The students attended an Oresome Minds camp run by the QMEA—the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC)—and supported by Bravus Mining & Resources.

Head of Communications and Community for Adani Australia, Kate Campbell said it was a great opportunity for students to be able to be guided by experts from CQU and Bravus, along with QMEA staff.

“They designed an electronic bird feeder to capture data on the types of seeds the birds prefer and frequency of visits to the feeder.

“They also designed a 3D-printed water source for the finches using hydrological engineering principles. The students then used Global Information Systems to create, manage and analyse maps of data to locate food and water sources for the birds.

“It’s an excellent way for students to enhance their learning by taking their classroom work into the field to help with the real issue of supporting the local black-throated finch population.”

Kate Campbell said Rockhampton is an important community for the Carmichael Project, and Bravus was always looking for ways to give back

”Bravus has been studying the finch through research surveys for more than eight years to investigate their nesting, breeding and feeding habits as well as their movement patterns.

“The tasks that were set for the students was based on the actual research our own environment team are involved in on a daily basis, so it’s wonderful to give the students practical insight into environmental careers in mining,” Ms Campbell said.

As part of the environmental approval conditions for the Carmichael Mine, Bravus has developed a targeted management plan to protect the population of local finches and their habitat.

Bravus has created a conservation area at Moray Downs West to protect habitat for local flora and fauna. At more than 33,000 hectares in size, the conservation area is 126 times the size of the open cut mine area and is one of the largest privately managed conservation areas in Queensland.

Bravus has also signed an agreement with Indigenous company Woongal Environmental Services to manage blackthroated finch habitat on the nonmined areas and the conservation area.

India urges rich countries to act, experts seek more local action New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): India has pushed for stronger action by rich countries for bringing down per capita emissions at the G20 climate ministerial that concluded in Italy on July 24, but experts back home are sceptical and have demanded matching action on ground.

The G20 Energy and Climate Joint Ministerial Meeting 2021 was held under the Italian Presidency on July 22 and 23 at Naples, and saw Energy and Environment Ministers from the G20 nations deliberate upon the pressing issue.

The Indian delegation was represented by the Ministry of Power and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with the ministers participating virtually.

At the end, India issued a statement: "We have noted the pledges made by some countries to achieve 'Net Zero GHG emission' or carbon neutrality by or around mid-century. However, this may not be adequate in view of the fast-depleting available

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carbon space. Therefore, and keeping in view the legitimate need of developing countries to grow, we urge G20 countries to commit to bringing down per capita emission to global average by 2030."

Ahead of the the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) conference to be held at UK's Glasgow in November this year, this is India's stand against the developed, rich countries that occupy about 70 per cent of carbon space.

"India has always said that developed countries are changing the goal posts, they should cut their emissions more, India and BASIC countries (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) have been saying so since Copenhagen (COP15, the UNFCCC climate conference at Copenhagen in 2009). There has been no dramatic change in India's stand," think tank International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology (iForest) CEO Chandra Bhushan said.

Pointing out that India needs to recognise that the original grouping for BASIC doesn't hold any ground now, he said: "China alone now accounts for 1/3rd of the global emissions. It does not make sense for India to defend China. And because we are bracketed together, China is able to pass itself as a developing country. This is the biggest mistake we are making, this grouping of India and China together in climate negotiations is doing more harm to India than good."

"The post-Covid economic expansion in India relies heavily on fossil fuel expansion and leniency towards carbon emitting projects like coal-based power generation. Our commitment to address climate change should be our own commitment, rather than a reaction to, or in comparison to what other G20 countries are proposing," she added.

At the meet, Indian Environment, Forests and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav had underlined the need to

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ENERGY & RESOURCES

RIL set to produce natural gas from MJ field starting Q3FY23 Mumbai, July 25 (IANS): Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is likely to produce natural gas from the MJ field of the KG D6 block by the third quarter (OctoberDecember) of next fiscal.

The company, in an investor presentation, said that the first offshore installation campaign has been completed and the second offshore installation campaign will commence in November 2021.

Noting that drilling and completion of wells are underway and FPSO and Subsea Production System on track, the presentation said: "First gas expected by 3Q

FY23."

Regarding the performance of the oil and gas of the company, the presentation said that significant turnaround in the oil & gas business was witnessed with the start-up of a new production system in KG D6.

The Q1FY22 domestic production (RIL share) stood at 35.83 BCFE, almost at par with FY20 levels and the revenue was at 10-quarter high.

It added that three rounds of bidding have been completed for KG D6 gas and 18 MMSCMD of gas have been successfully contracted in the domestic market.

Will set new benchmarks for global climate ambition: India

New Delhi, July 23 (IANS): India remains steadfast in its commitments to join and lead efforts to combat climate change within the multilaterally agreed convention and its Paris Agreement, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said on July 23.

goalposts and setting new benchmarks for global climate ambition," he said, adding that "under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has exhibited exemplary resolve by achieving its pre-2020 voluntary commitment of reducing emission intensity".

Noting that the G20 must respond to the call of science for urgent global climate action in this decade, Yadav, who virtually led a delegation at the two-day G20 Energy and Climate Joint Ministerial Meeting which took place at Italy's Naples, underlined the need to cut absolute emissions rapidly while taking into account the Paris Agreement, which emphasised on respective historical responsibilities, delivery of promised climate finance and technologies at low cost keeping in perspective per capita emissions, differences in per capita GDP, and the unfinished agenda for sustainable development.

He cited the vision of the Prime Minister for installing 450 GW of renewable energy by 2030, enhanced ambition in biofuels, India's NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) and various other initiatives taken by India on Urban Climate Action, a release from the Ministry said.

He stressed that the common but differentiated responsibilities to combat climate change, as per respective capabilities and national circumstances, lies at the heart of the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement.

"We should not be shifting cut absolute emissions rapidly while taking into account the Paris Agreement, which emphasised on respective historical responsibilities, delivery of promised climate finance and technologies at low cost keeping in perspective per capita emissions, differences in per capita GDP, and the unfinished agenda for sustainable development.

Asserting that common but differentiated responsibilities to combat climate change, as per respective capabilities and national circumstances, lies at the heart of the UNFCCC & its Paris Agreement, Yadav said: "We should not be shifting goalposts and setting new benchmarks for global climate ambition."

Power and New and Renewable

"With increase in urbanisation, it is important to create and preserve green spaces and protect biodiversity in urban areas," he said, adding that India's Urban Climate Actions include the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework, the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, the Climate Centre for Cities, the Climate Smart Cities Alliance, the Climate Practitioners India Network, Urban Forestry, etc.

India also welcomed the G20 works on sustainable recovery, cities, financial flows, etc., the release added.

Energy Minister R.K. Singh apprised the delegates from the G20 countries of the significant progress made by India in meeting its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets while staying committed to meeting its climate goals under the Paris Agreement.

Against the targeted emission reduction of 33-35 per cent by 2030, India has already achieved emission reduction of 28 per cent over 2005 levels and at this pace, it is all set to exceed its NDC commitments before 2030, the meeting was informed.

NDCs are at the heart of the Paris Agreement which requires each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions.

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Israeli artists highlight India's influence in the 'holy land'

Photo Courtesy: IANS

ART & CULTURE

Bihar sculptor's unique way to honour PM Modi A

fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made several piggy banks in the form of his statues in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Jai Prakash, a sculptor, has showcased several such statues of PM Narendra Modi in his roadside shop. He claims that each of the statues has a capacity to store Rs 1 lakh in coins and currency notes.

T

he ties between India and Israel date back to several centuries and can be traced to ancient times. Art is one sphere which truly manifests the influence of these two regions and its people on each other and example of this, is the ongoing virtual group exhibition "Heat and Dust Between India and Zion".

A collaboration between India International Centre and the Embassy of Israel in New Delhi, the exhibition held till July 25.

Curated by two well-known artists, Dr. Shimon Lev and Yael Margalit, whose works too are on display, the show is an amalgamation of diverse mediums and issues. It attempts to look at how Indian motifs and influences are depicted in Israeli art while finding out how India and its culture are revealed in artworks. Most participating artists are Israeli, some are descendants of Indian Jews, or have travelled and been in India, or are permanent Indian residents. Also included are Indians who have lived in Israel.

Works of two artists -- Motti Mizrachi and Liat Livni -immediately draw attention as one goes through the exhibition.

Titled as "Pioneer" and "The Goddess of Construction", they depict creation and creativity -- attributes that are worshipped in India in the form of Goddess Saraswati who represents knowledge, music, and art, and Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect.

"Pioneer" brings out the human element -- a bare torso, well-built man wearing work trousers and boots, with several hands, each holding a pick-axe while "The Goddess of Construction" is a female divine figure, again with many hands holding tools.

Agreeing with this, Lev tells India Narrative, "Motti Mizrachi's work is also critical and cynical.

Making the Zionist pioneer as an Indian God (Shiva) with many hands and 'bigger than life', who is destroying and recreating." About Livni's divine figure, he states: "The early Zionist pioneers are a

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kind of myth and Livni's works reflect a sense of humour. The artist 'replaces' the aspects of creation and construction using the Kibbutz soil as the basis for the sculptors."

Viewers also get a contemporary connect as they see exquisite black and white images by Tim Nachum Gidal, a pioneer of modern photojournalism, of Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Gidal visited India in 1940, and extensively covered the 53rd Session of the Indian National Congress in Ramgarh.

When asked as to how the two curators decided on the exhibits, Lev explains: "The works are not representing India in the sense how India looks or is represented but it is about transforming and interpreting 'Indian' ideas and influences. This was our guideline in choosing the works." On seeing the virtual show, you do get the feeling that both curators have done justice to their guideline.

Elaborating further, Lev adds, that all exhibits highlight the above guideline but in different ways. "Some are more direct like Dorit Lombroso photos of Bnei Menashe from Manipur and Mizoram who are immigrating to Israel. On other hand, Livni made sculptures as Indian Goddesses but as a 'Zionist' "building the Jewish country from the soil of a Kibbutz . Mizrachi's 'Pioneer' resemble Shiva as a 'Destroyer' and 'Builder', which is a critical approach. Maya Smira combined her art and dance cerography works with strong Indian classical music and dancing influences."

Smira's works are video installation "Praise" and "Move".

Another two artists who are bound to strike an instant chord with Indian viewers are Siona Benjamin and Jean Pierre-Weill.

Benjamin's "Find Home Series" vividly shows the influence of Indian motifs. "Benjamin through her unique art works focuses on question of identity and 'Finding Home' as a descendent of the ancient Bnei Israel Jewish community from India. In one

respect or another, all her works involve Indian influences and Jewish symbols and sources," informs Lev. According to Lev, her Lilith work is based on a mystical woman figure which appears in the Kabala -- the Jewish mystical literature. The blue female figure surrounded by flames, with an arrow struck to her body reminds one of Mahabharat's Draupadi, who emerged from the sacrifcial fire.

"The idea to develop statues of PM Narendra Modi came last year when he imposed Janata curfew during the first wave of Corona in March. He had taken such a decision to save the lives of our countrymen. I want to make people, especially children, talk about our great prime minister who is the best in the world," Jai Prakash said.

"Our prime minister is making all possible efforts to save money so that it would be used in the development of our country. The

idea of making piggy banks in his statues came from his particular ideology," Jai Prakash said.

Due to the popularity of PM Narendra Modi, several other artists have made his statues including a wax monument in London and a 100 feet tall temple in his name in Meerut.

Pradhan writes to Kisan Reddy for preservation of Swapneswar temple in Odisha

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Pierre-Weill's series "Evolve" -- watercolours on paper too have an Indian flavour. "This French-American-Israeli artist also interprets the Biblical fundamental stories of The Book of Genesis with what I call 'new age Eastern-Indian twist'," says Lev. Lev's own mixed media work "Back to the Sources (Ganga's Source) or How I almost became a Sadhu" too has an interesting back story which he shares with India Narrative. "In 1992 I travelled extensively for few months in the source of the Ganges. I was young and I played with the idea of becoming a Sadhu. This was a very strong period, but I was young -- so I took a selfportrait in one of the sources."

Lev has been to India more than 70 times and having studied Mahatma Gandhi has written the book "Soulmates", analysing the relationship between Gandhiji and Hermann Kallenbach, his friend and supporter.

Co-curator Margalit's mixed media works "Traces on Sand" too are stunning and eye-catching, showing different human faces on sand. It gives one the feeling that life, is ephemeral. Concurring with this observation, Lev states he "chose these works because for me it represents what I call 'Goa Culture', which is a unique phenomenon which has its impact also in Israel.

The show gives the viewers glimpse of how India and its culture reveals itself to different artists and how it is to open myriad interpretations depending on one's perspective.

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Bhubaneswar, July 28 (IANS): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Union Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy to take steps for the preservation of recently excavated ancient Swapneswar Mahadev temple in Odisha's Puri district.

The ruins of the ancient temple that may date back to the 6th-7th century have been discovered by a survey team of the Odisha chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). It could be one of the earliest temples of the post-Gupta period.

During a survey of Ratnachira valley and its mountains, the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had recently unearthed the ancient temple dating back to 6th-7th Century CE at Biropurusottampur village in Pipili tehsil of Puri district, Pradhan said.

Legend has said that Lord Rama drew Ratnachira river to quench Maa Sita's thirst, using her pearl ring to chart its

course. Ratnachira Valley is a gold-mine of ancient Kalingan monuments, most of which were undocumented up until recently.

The Swapneswar Mahadev temple of Lord Shiva, estimated to be 1,300-1,400 years old, is one of the best-preserved examples of early Kalingan architecture in the region, he mentioned.

"However, I am distressed to learn that the temple's structure is in a precarious state and in need of immediate preservation measures," said Pradhan.

Keeping in the immense historical, spiritual and sociocultural importance of the temple and heritage monuments in Ratnachira Valley, the Education Minister sought personal intervention of Reddy in directing Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to undertake all possible measures for preservation of this ancient temple and documentation and conservation of other heritage monuments in Ratnachira Valley.

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ART & CULTURE

Iskcon Brisbane’s Janmastami is back in 2021!

B

risbane’s largest Janmastami festival is set to attract devotees and guests from all around the city at the Croatian Club Brisbane Rocklea to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna.

On Tuesday 31st August, the Croatian Club Brisbane will be transformed into a spectacular arena enabling festival goers to experience the magic of Janmastami. From 5pm onwards visitors can look forward to an enthralling stage program with dramas, live music and dance; experience the cuisine of India; shop from the bazaar; and keep children entertained with fun and engaging activities.

“Due to Covid restrictions in 2020, Janmastami was mainly celebrated at people's homes, however since the restrictions have eased compared to last year, we can hold the event at the Croatian Community centre. Devotees can stay until the midnight arati ceremony celebrating the exact time of Lord Krishna’s birth,” explains festival organiser Rohan Sheth.

“With a bigger venue, and years of experience, we’ve started working earlier to make this festival even bigger and better than previous years,” Mr Sheth said.

For more than 5 years, the Janmastami organised by the Hare Krishna community has been headed and organised by the youth of the society. They bring innovation and dynamism to the traditional event - making it fun and appealing for people of all ages. From the decor, to the stage

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program, and even the different engaging activities - all aspects of the festival have a unique flavour.

The festival will begin at 5pm and go on until midnight - which is the exact time of the birth of Lord Krishna - in whose honour this festival is celebrated. The stage program will consist of live music, arati ceremonies, the abhishek (ceremonious bathing of the Lords), dramas and spiritual discourses. For those that want something more interactive - they can check out the many stalls on offer, grab a scrumptious bite or watch as their children engage in various fun activities at the kids stall.

“We’ve really tried hard to keep making the festival better than previous years - we want it to be an event that everyone looks forward to - not something that people are dragged along to come because of cultural obligations,” explains Jalaj Guwalani who has co-organised the festival for more than 3 years in a row.

“And we’ve begun to see that over the past few years - with increasing numbers, and more people attending the festival for longer periods of time. Guests are engaged with each aspect of the festival - and it’s great to see their enthusiasm and appreciation for the whole event,” comments Mr Guwalani.

Several dignitaries and prominent personalities have confirmed their attendance for this year’s Janmastami, lending their support to the Hare Krishna community and all its initiatives.

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WHAT’S ON

Date will be announced soon

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INDIA NEWS

Maha Governor releases book on post-Art 370 Kashmir

Photo Courtesy: IANS

Renowned Marathi litterateur Satish Kalsekar dies at 78

B

anker-turned-Marathi litterateur Satish Kalsekar - who was conferred the 2013 Sahitya Akademi Award for literature - passed away following a brief illness, a close associate said here on Saturday.

Kalsekar, 78, passed away due to old-age related issues at Pen in Raigad, and is survived by his wife Supriya, sons Viplav and Aditya.

Mumbai, July 21 (IANS): Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Wednesday expressed confidence that Jammu and Kashmir will once again reclaim its lost glory and become a 'heaven on earth'.

The Governor's comments came while releasing a book -'Kashmir Ki Kyari Mein Aag Ki Lapte Aakhir Kab Tak?' -- penned

by Kashmiri writer and social worker Beena Budki, at the Raj Bhavan here.

Budki's book makes references to the turbulence witnessed in Kashmir in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Koshyari said the contribution of Kashmir to Indian culture is vast and varied, adding that the works of Panini, Bharata Muni (Natya Sastra), Kalhana, Abhinavagupta and others are immortal, while Kashmiri Shaivism has enriched the cultural ethos of India.

He also complimented the author for popularising Hindi in nonHindi speaking regions of the country and for her social work, and felicitated 30 litterateurs and social workers on the occasion.

A magazine, 'Kashmir Sandesh', brought out by Kashmiri Hindi Sangam and edited by Budki was also released on the occasion in the presence of prominent personalities like Pandit Mahesh Acharya and Dinesh Barot.

Bloomsbury signs up with UK's New Frontier Publishing for children's book

BOOKS & LITERATURE

His cremation is likely to be held at Mulund in Mumbai this afternoon in the presence of his family, relatives and literary personalities, said his friend of many years in the banking industry Vishwas Utagi.

Born in Malvan, Sindhudurg, Kalsekar is largely credited with bringing the stories of legends like Ruskin Bond and Mahashweta Devi to Marathi audiences by translating their works for the local readers here, he added.

"A former officer with Bank of Baroda from 1965-2001, Kalsekar simultaneously bloomed in Marathi literature, and his poems and writings depicted the lives and travails of the ordinary lower-middle-class people and workers struggling for survival in a big metropolis like Mumbai," Utagi told IANS. Launching his literary career with a collection of poems "Indriyopanishad" (1971), he went on to bag the country's top literature award, the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for Marathi literature (2013) for his collection of essays, "Vachnaryachi Rojanishee".

Kalsekar's other collections of poetry/essays include 'Poems: For Lenin' (1977), 'Sakshat' (1982), 'Vilambit' (1997) and many others, which were translated in multiple Indian languages.

Obama, Springsteen to share 'American stories' in new book Photo Courtesy: IANS

Photo Courtesy: IANS

NFP fits in very well with our strengths in this market."

Launched in September 2012, Bloomsbury India upholds Bloomsbury Publishing's tradition of publishing books of the highest quality in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children's, Academic, Business, and Education by both Indian and international authors.

B

loomsbury Publishing India Private Ltd. has signed up with New Frontier Publishing (NFP), a leading publisher of the UK's primary school-age books, to exclusively represent the marketing and distribution of their titles in the Indian subcontinent.

Commenting on the tie-up, NFP Publishing Director Sophia Whitfield, said: "New Frontier is delighted to have partnered with Bloomsbury India. Known for their high-quality children's books they are the perfect distributor for our board books, picture books and middle grade fiction."

Bloomsbury India Managing Director Rajiv Beri said: "We are delighted to be partnering with New Frontier Publishing in marketing and distribution of their titles in the Indian subcontinent. The extremely attractive and high value list of

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Bloomsbury India's list includes writers such as Raj Kamal Jha, Shiv Khera, Shrabani Basu, Anil Menon, Amrita Shah, Anand Ranganathan, Ziya Us Salam, Nandita Iyer, Diksha Basu, Manimugdha Sharma, Yashwant Sinha, M.J. Akbar and Sandip Roy. Bloomsbury India's catalogue of authors also includes J.K. Rowling, Declan Walsh, Khaled Hosseini, Sarah J. Maas, Susanna Clarke, Lisa Taddeo, Mohammed Hanif, Elizabeth Gilbert and Kamila Shamsie; Nobel Prize winners Wole Soyinka, Nadine Gordimer and Patrick Modiano; Booker Prize winners Margaret Atwood, George Saunders and Howard Jacobson; Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Kolbert; Orange Prize winners Madeline Miller and Anne Michaels and cookery books by Michelin-starred chefs Anthony Bourdain, Heston Blumenthal, Vikas Khanna, Atul Kochhar and Raymond Blanc.

Bloomsbury India distributes both the UK and US Bloomsbury

imprints together with the popular and critically acclaimed Arden Shakespeare series.

A rigorous academic list focuses on Business, Economics and Management with experts in their field like Saurabh Mukherjea, Pavan Padaki, Gautam Parikh, Nitish Rai Gupta, Vasudev Murthy, Self-Help with Shiv Khera, Daniel Goleman, Sumit D. Chowdhury, Virender Kapoor, Mind, Body & Spirit with yoga maestro Baba Ramdev, Acharya Bal Krishna and Aisha Chowdhary.

An extended list of Topical Interest includes renowned personalities like Sheila Dixit, Markandey Katju, T.N. Hari, Udayan Mukherjee, Sreeram Sundar Chaulia, Pran Kurup, and Anoop Misra.

New Frontier was established in Australia in 2002 with the motto "to inspire, educate and uplift children". The UK list was launched in 2017, which includes Fiction and Picture Books. In 2019, NFP expanded into early years' titles with its Catch A Star imprint. By 2020 NFP added almost 100 new titles to its list.

NFP endeavours to introduce international authors and illustrators to the world stage by publishing books that children will want to read again and again in line with the belief "children deserve the best".

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A

n upcoming book titled 'Renegades: Born in the USA', which is a collection of candid, intimate, and entertaining conversations between Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States, and legendary musician Bruce Springsteen, will be published in October this year.

The two global icons also have a podcast by the same name.

The publication was announced in a statement by publisher Penguin Random House, which says the book "chronicles the conversation Obama and Springsteen began in Spotify's co-produced podcast of the same name, which is one of the the most listened-to podcast globally on the Spotify platform. During these intimate conversations, they share exclusive stories and ruminations about life, music, and their enduring love of America, with all its challenges and contradictions".

Published in an oversized, illustrated format, 'Renegades' will also feature rare photographs from the authors' personal collections and never-beforeseen archival material, including Springsteen's handwritten lyrics and Obama's annotated speeches, offering a compelling portrait of "two outsiders -- one Black and one white -- who have helped shape the American story".

Former US President Obama shares in the opening pages of the new title: "Over the years, what we've found is that we've got a shared sensibility. About work, about family, and about America.

In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that's given us both so much.

Trying to chronicle the stories of its people. Looking for a way to connect our own individual searches for meaning and truth and community with the larger story of America."

The two discuss a wide variety of topics, including marriage and fatherhood, race and masculinity, the lure of the open road and the call back to home, some of the most inspiring American heroes of all time, and music and explore "how our fractured country might begin to find its way back toward unity".

An English-language edition of 'Renegades' will be published in the United States and Canada by Penguin's imprint Crown, and in Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa by Viking. It will be published in a total of eight languages, said the publisher.

It is being published in partnership with Higher Ground founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.

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INDIA NEWS

Swimming: Australia's Titmus beats WR holder Ledecky for 400m freestyle gold Photo Courtesy: IANS

third 0.11 seconds behind Italy, thanks to a fastest 46.44-second split by Kyle Chalmers.

SPORTS

Australia Swimmer Emma McKeon Becomes First Female To Win Seven Medals At Single Olympics

Photo Courtesy: The Guardian

Rio Olympic champion Adam Peaty defended his title in men's 100m breaststroke here on July 26, winning the gold medal in 57.37 seconds.

The three-time world champion had a convincing lead over silver medallist Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands, who finished 0.63 seconds behind.

The bronze went to Italian Micolo Martinenghi. The 21-year-old touched home in 58.33.

Tokyo, July 26 (Xinhua): Australia's world champion Ariarne Titmus edged world record holder Kathleen Ledecky of the United States to claim gold in the women's 400m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympic Games here on July 26.

4:01.08, thanks to a 29.47-second final lap that saw her overtake Canadian Summer McIntosh.

The Aussie beat Ledecky to second in the last 100m, winning in an Olympic record time of three minutes and 56.69 seconds.

Rio Olympic champion Ledecky took silver in 3:57.36 and China's Li Bingjie bagged the bronze.

The team, comprising Rio champions Caeleb Dressel and Blake Pieroni, Bowen Becker and Zach Apple, enjoyed a safe lead and retained the title for Team USA.

Li set a new Asian record at

The United States triumphed in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, claiming gold in three minutes and 08.97 seconds, reports Xinhua.

Italy finished second in 3:10.11.

Australia surged from sixth to

Margaret MacNeil of Canada touched home first in 55.59 seconds to win the women's 100m butterfly gold.

Fresh from winning silver in women's 4x100m freestyle on July 26, the 2019 world champion edged China's Zhang Yufei by a close 0.05 seconds to win her maiden Olympic title.

Zhang, finishing first in the semifinals, settled for silver in 55.64 seconds. Australia's Emma McKeon, who finished eighth at 2016 Rio, took bronze 0.08 seconds further behind.

USA lose to France in men's Olympic basketball opener Photo Courtesy: The Athletic

the gap.

But France took everything to keep the opponents on the ground as the US did not have a double-digit lead until Holiday's 3-pointer put them 45-35 ahead with 49 seconds left in the second quarter.

Kevin Durant fell early into foul trouble as his team led 45-37 before the break. France closed the gap to 49-47 midway into the third quarter when Durant picked up his fourth foul.

Tokyo, July 26 (IANS): Defending champions the United States fell on their first test at Tokyo 2020 as they lost to France 83-76 in the men's basketball competition.

Damian Lillard made a foul when Team USA trailed 78-74 with 17 seconds to go, before France cruised to score three points to nail down the victory, reports Xinhua.

This was only the first loss for Team USA since the Athens 2004 Games. They now have a 138-6 record in Olympic history.

"I'm not surprised, I'm disappointed," said US coach Gregg Popovich. "There are lots of good teams in the world and the gap of talent between the teams

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and the US shrinks every year.

We're not consistent and we need to work and to get better."

Kevin Durant had 10 points and 1-from-6 from outside the paint, and Lillard had 11 for the US, who were led by Jrue Holiday's 18 points.

Evan Fournier had a game-high 28 points to carry the French to one of their biggest wins at the Olympics.

Rudy Gobert opened the scoring for France, who hung on for a 9-6 lead before the US took control of the game.

The Americans used a 13-2 run to take an 18-11 lead and tried to fly high with their typical solid defence and fast breaks to widen

Nando de Colo's 3-pointer gave France their first lead in over 20 minutes for 55-54. Despite only shooting 1-out-of-11 from behind the arc in the first half, France then buried three 3-pointers in a row to end the third quarter 62-56 ahead.

Tied on 63-63, Durant buried a technical free-throw, Holiday made a 3-pointer on the following possession and a running layup for a 6-point lead in favor of the U.S..

A

ustralia’s Emma McKeon won her seventh medal in Tokyo, a feat no other female swimmer has ever achieved at a single Olympics.

Emma McKeon made Olympic history Sunday in helping Australia upset two-time defending champions the United States to soar to the women’s 4x100m relay gold medal Sunday.

Their team of Kaylee McKeown, Chelsea Hodges, McKeon, and Cate Campbell touched in a new Olympic record 3mins 51.60secs ahead of the US in 3:51.73 and Canada in 3:52.60. It was McKeon’s seventh medal in Tokyo, a feat no other female swimmer has ever achieved at a

single Olympics.

Canada’s Kylie Masse was fastest through the opening backstroke leg before teenager Lydia Jacoby put the Americans in front following the breaststroke.

A blistering butterfly swim from McKeon closed the gap on the two teams, leaving veteran Campbell to produce a devastating final 100m to reel in US freestyler Abbey Weitzeil and win gold.

It was 27-year-old McKeon’s fourth gold in Tokyo to go with her three bronze, overtaking East German Kristin Otto’s six medalhaul in 1952 which was matched

by American Natalie Coughlin in 2008.

Tunisian Ahmed Hafnaoui wins men's 400m freestyle gold Photo Courtesy: Arab News

Tokyo, July 25 (IANS): Ahmed Hafnaoui won Tunisia's first gold at the Tokyo Olympic Games in the men's swimming 400m freestyle here on July 25.

Emma Weyant (4:32.76) and Hali Flickinger (4:34.90), both from the United States, took the silver and the bronze respectively.

Rio Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu of Hungaria finished fifth in 4:35.98.

But France chased back again when Fournier's 3-pointer and de Colo's two free-throws made it 78-74 for France with 21.8 seconds to go, setting themselves up to close out a famous win.

The 18-year-old pushed Australia's Jack Mcloughlin to second in the final sprint, becoming an Olympic champion in his first appearance in three minutes and 43.36 seconds, 0.16 second ahead of the Aussie.

"I want to thank my players," said France head coach Vincent Collet.

"They didn't give up. They had an amazing game. I don't want to use big words [to praise them], but they did some good shots at the end."

Kieran Smith won a bronze for the United States in 3:43.94.

Meanwhile, American swimmer Chase Kalisz touched home first in four minutes and 09.42 seconds to clinch gold in the men's 400m individual medley. This is the first swimming gold for Team USA in Tokyo.

Japanese swimmer Yui Ohashi claimed the women's 400m individual medley title and burst into tears after winning in four minutes and 32.08 seconds.

Kalisz' compatriot Jay Litherland finished second in 4:10.28.

Australia's Brendon Smith took the bronze 0.1 second behind Litherland.

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PV Sindhu beats He Bingjiao to win women's singles bronze Photo Courtesy: IANS

SPORTS

Olympic hockey: Brilliant India secure semifinal berth after four decades, to take on Belgium Photo Courtesy: IANS

clearly struggling with the drift, which led her to commit errors.

The one-way traffic continued as He was at the receiving end of Sindhu's powerful smashes.

The Chinese gave Sindhu time and space to hit her smashes, conceding a three-point lead at the interval.

Post the interval, He looked to make a comeback by winning three straight points to level at 11-11. But Sindhu bounced back with a down-the-line smash and then caught He by surprise with a last-minute turn of the wrist for a fantastic cross-court slice drop for a 14-11 lead.

Tokyo, Aug 1 (IANS): Indian shuttler PV Sindhu won the women's singles bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Sunday defeating China's He Bingjiao 21-13, 21-15 at the Musashino Forest Sports Plaza to add a second medal to India's tally at the Games.

With Sindhu's bronze, India have now equalled their tally of 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

It was Sindhu's second medal at the Olympics after she bagged a silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

She also became the first Indian woman to win two Olympics medals. Before her feat, wrestler Sushil Kumar was the only Indian to win two medals at successive Olympics.

Sindhu's first point in the match

came with a 22-shot rally running for 27 seconds. She rose to take a quick 4-0 lead before the lefthanded He levelled at 5-5. Sindhu stormed to a mid-game lead of 11-8 with a straight smash down the line.

Post the break, Sindhu started to dictate terms, snatching three points. The rallies were intense but Sindhu's aggressive play didn't wane. All of this, combined with her fierce power, clearly rattled He who lost the opening game in 23 minutes.

In the second game, Sindhu didn't loosen her grip. She continued to dominate her Chinese opponent and took an early 4-1 lead. He tried to claw back with long smashes and engaged Sindhu in net play. But the Chinese was

An unforced error by He gave Sindhu another point. But the Chinese won two points on the trot to bring the lead down to two points. Another rally followed, but it was sealed with a cross-court smash from Sindhu, who opened a three-point lead again.

He won a point but Sindhu forced the Chinese to commit an unforced error to go 19-15 up. Sindhu raced to 20 with another amazing smash. She then wrapped up the match with a scintillating cross-court smash and took the bronze medal by winning the second game 21-15.

For Sindhu, it has been a resounding campaign at the Olympics. She topped Group J and did not drop a single game in her winning matches except for the semifinal defeat to Tai Tzu Ying of Chinese Taipei.

But she recovered well to outclass He in straight games.

Olympics hockey: Indian women make historic entry into semifinals Photo Courtesy: IANS

whenever the Aussies got past them, goalkeeper Savita was there to save India as she pulled off at least seven brilliant saves to thwart the Hockeyroos.

The Indians attacked aggressively, defended stoutly and controlled the midfield that allowed them to enjoy possession in the first half.

Australia could not get into their rhythm early on and kept chasing the ball in the entire match.

Tokyo, Aug 2 (IANS): Taking inspiration from the men’s team that got into the medal rounds after a gap of four decades, Indian women’s hockey scripted a historic moment of their own by making their maiden entry into the semifinals at the Tokyo Olympic Games on Monday.

India defeated world No. 2 Australia 1-0 in the quarterfinals to storm into the last-four stage, marking their maiden entry into the medal round with a brilliant performance against a team that had dominated the tournament so

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far and was one of the favourites to win the gold medal.

Drag flicker Gurjit Kaur scored the all-important goal in the 22nd minute with a powerful flick that deflected off a defender’s stick into the goal.

The Indians then defended superbly and did not allow Australia, three-time gold medallists in the Olympics, to score in the entire second half with defenders Deep Grace Ekka, Udita and Gurjit Kaur and midfielder Monika, standing like a wall to guard the goal. And

India dominated the first half; they enjoyed more possession and also created better chances against an Australian team that had dominated Pool B with an allwin record in five matches.

They were not cowed down by the reputation of the world No. 2 team and stood toe-to-toe with the mighty Hockeyroos.

Australia earned the first chance when Ambrosia Malone struck the post off their first penalty corner.

The Indians too were unlucky not to take the lead in the first quarter as Sharmila’s shot at the far post came off the upright.

Vandana Katariya made a superb run to the left backline and sent

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Tokyo, Aug 1 (IANS): With a brilliant performance from a young team that lived like a family during the pandemic and played as a single unit in Tokyo, India made it to the medal round of the Olympic Games men’s hockey tournament after a gap of 41 years, beating Great Britain 3-1 in the quarterfinals on Sunday.

It was Super Sunday for India as the team coached by Australia’s Graham Reid rode on a scintillating performance by goalkeeper PR Sreejesh to outwit Great Britain in the fourth and final quarterfinal, setting up a last-four clash with reigning World Cup winners Belgium.

Australia take on Germany in the other semifinal.

Victory over Belgium will put India in the final for the first time since the 1980 Moscow Olympics when they beat Spain to win their eighth and last gold medal in Olympics hockey.

A defeat against Belgium will keep them in the hunt for the bronze medal.

It is the first time that India have reached the semifinal of Olympic hockey competition since 1972 when they won a bronze in Munich as there were no semifinals played in Moscow, with the top-two teams in the preliminary league making it to the gold-medal match while the team that finished third and fourth contested for bronze.

Forwards Dilpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Hardik Singh scored for India while Sam Ward reduced the margin off an indirect penalty corner.

But India have to thank their defenders and goalkeeper Sreejesh for the victory as they in a pullback to Lalremsiami who had positioned herself near the far post. However, her deflection came off the post as the two teams went into the first-quarter break goalless.

The Indians started aggressively and did not allow the Aussie forwards, who have been rampant in the group stage, many chances.

They defended well and in numbers, especially Deep Grace Ekka and Monika were solid and brilliant as they cut down many Australian moves.

Goalkeeper Savita was rock solid and pulled off a number of good

absorbed the pressure from Great Britain -- especially in the fourth quarter when skipper Manpreet Singh was shown the yellow card for a desperate tackle -- and thwarted repeated attempts from the British forwards.

Earlier, India started off well and went into the lead in the seventh minute after Great Britain had earned the first penalty corner of the match in the third minute.

Amit Rohidas rushed forward to cut down the space, which did not allow the rivals to take a clear shot.

India took control of the first quarter and scored when Dilpreet capitalised on a superb move and pass by Gurjant to slam the ball past the goalkeeper.

India dictated the pace, dominated the midfield, and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh stood like a rock, denying the British goals off penalty corners as well as their forward Sam Ward, who looked threatening on a couple of occasions.

Sreejesh was the best Indian player in the first half as she denied the British forwards on several occasions.

Gurjant Singh made it 2-0 in the second quarter with another superb field goal, his third in the Tokyo Olympics so far.

Great Britain picked up the tempo in the second quarter and created a number of chances, always looking to Sam Ward to provide the final push towards the goal.

But with the Indian defence, manned by Amit Rohidas, Rupinderpal Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Sumit blocking, tackling and thwarting the rivals, Great Britain found the going tough. saves.

The second quarter changed the complexion of the match as the Indians went into the lead, leaving Australia frustrated.

India earned a penalty corner in the 21st minute of the match and went ahead, increasing the pressure on the Hockeyroos.

Drag flicker Gurjit Kaur, who had failed to score a single direct goal despite a bag full of chances, struck for India, her dragflick getting deflected from a defender’s stick and looping over goalkeeper Rachael Ann Lynch’s outstretched leg into the goal.

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

TRAVEL

66 percent Indians want to travel to destinations that are a drive away

A third of Indian travellers (33 percent ) would like to spend time travelling and working ‘anywhere’ in different locations, in a postpandemic world.

About two-thirds (62 percent ) of respondents say they would opt for off-peak times of the year to travel.

I

ndians are looking at travel in newer ways and exploring flexible, nearby travel and travel to work remotely, according to new YouGov research* conducted in May 2021.

The survey showed that 43 percent of Indians would like to travel this year when able to (66 percent to destinations that are a drive away) and are excited about visiting new places with loved ones, relaxing in nature, enjoying offbeat destinations and sharing their experiences and recommendations with others.

A third would like to spend time travelling and working in different locations.

Here are top trends from the latest survey:

Looking forward to traveling: While the timeline for travel recovery depends on a number of external factors such as vaccination coverage, Indians continue to be eager to get back to travelling and connecting with new people and places The survey showed that 43 percent would expect or plan to travel in the year and 66 percent would consider trips that are within driving distance More than a third of respondents (36 percent ) would like to travel and explore new places with loved ones. About eight in ten (78 percent ) said they would like to be closer to their family in order to receive or provide support Flexible living and working:

Hosted travel catering to desire for flexibility and unique experiences: Seven in ten (69 percent ) respondents are interested in unique accommodations when they travel next (formats such as heritage homes, havelis, farm stays and villas), and a third (35 percent ) say that they are very likely to stay in unique accommodations when they travel next GenZ (70 percent ) and Millennials (73 percent ), who comprise a large pool of current and future travelers, are leading this trend.

We expect a travel rebound unlike anything we have seen before, and we've made it easy for anyone who wants to host and take advantage of the coming travel surge. Half

of new listings globally that were both activated and booked in early 2021 got a reservation request within four days, and for the year ending April 30, 2021, the average annual earnings per Homes Host who has welcomed at least one guest on Airbnb was about US$9,600.

Nature travel continues to inspire: Nature travel continues to be preferred by four in ten (40 percent ) respondents.

Hill stations seem to be a popular choice, with 44 percent of Indian residents wanting to visit destinations such as Manali, Mussoorie, Nainital, Ooty, Munnar, Coorg, and Kashmir.

The beaches of Goa, Kerala, and Pondicherry are also sought-after destinations for Indian travelers (38 percent ).

In addition, Gen Z (25 percent ) and Millennials (23 percent ) hope to explore offbeat travel to new destinations such as visiting a wildlife reserve, when they travel next, compared with Baby Boomers

Photo Courtesy: Pexel

Capturing travel experiences and sharing them with loved ones: Thinking about ways they can remember their trip, six in ten (59 percent ) Indian residents hoping to embark on a holiday say they will take pictures as a way of remembering their trip, with close to half (47 percent ) saying they will share stories with loved ones.

Commenting on these trends, Amanpreet Bajaj, General Manager - Airbnb India, Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, said, “As many of us think of travelling again, stepping out the door will be about spending quality time with loved ones and creating new memories in unique destinations nearby or in nature.

It will also be about exploring more flexible ways to live and work in a new world. Reflecting these preferences in India and around the world, Airbnb recently launched more than 100 upgrades that include new ways for customers to discover unique nearby destinations and easier ways to sign up to be a host on Airbnb.”

Liverpool loses UNESCO World Heritage tag T

Photo Courtesy: Parrot Tv

he ongoing 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, being held in China's Fuzhou and online, has decided to delete the United Kingdom property 'Liverpool -- Maritime Mercantile City' from UNESCO's World Heritage List, "due to the irreversible loss of attributes conveying the outstanding universal value of the property", UNESCO said in a statement on Wednesday.

Liverpool's historic centre and docklands were inscribed for bearing witness to the development of one of the world's major trading centres in the 18th and 19th centuries. The site also illustrated pioneering developments in modern dock technology, transport systems and port management.

It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2004 and on the List of World Heritage in Danger

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in 2012 following concerns about the "proposed development of Liverpool Waters", said UNESCO. "The project has since gone ahead along with other developments both inside the site and in its buffer zone. The Committee considers that these constructions are detrimental to the site's authenticity and integrity," it added.

There have been pleas by arts and cultural organisations in the area for the site to stay on the List.

"Any deletion from the World Heritage List is a loss to the international community and to the internationally shared values and commitments under the World Heritage Convention," said the UN's cultural body.

After the Elbe Valley in Dresden (Germany) and the Arabian Oryx Sanctuary (Oman), Liverpool is the third property to lose its World Heritage status.

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TRAVEL

Sustainable travel practices Photo Courtesy: Pexel

you can also bring it home with you – helping you become more sustainable in your day-to-day life.

Book virtuous activities that give back to the community

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he Lockdown has been hard in many ways with travellers itching to get out and explore again. This pause has led us to reflect on our impact on the environment and local communities for when we do start taking trips again. According to Booking.com's 2021 Sustainable Travel Report, 88 percent of respondents revealed that it has encouraged them to travel more sustainably in the future and 75 percent of Indian travellers believe that people have to act now to save the planet for future generations.

Luckily, making sustainable choices has become easier and more affordable than one expects.

There are many simple ways we can limit our environmental impact, and better support and engage with local communities during our upcoming trips. To help make it easier for everyone to travel more sustainably, Booking.com shares 7 handy tips to create a positive impact on your next trip, when it is safe to do so again.

Choose a sustainable accommodation option Picking a more sustainable place to stay for your next trip is a great place to start - and it doesn't necessarily mean spending a lot of money. There are plenty of sustainable options for every budget and taste. In fact, 98 percent of Indian travellers from say that they want to stay in a sustainable accommodation in the upcoming year. One of the easiest ways to confidently book a more sustainable property is to check and see if it has an established

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eco-label or third-party sustainability certification. There are numerous, reputable thirdparty sustainability certifications that properties can work towards and achieve.

Get off the beaten track The pandemic has influenced 72 percent of Indian travelers to avoid popular destinations and attractions to ensure they aren’t contributing to overcrowding.

Being mindful when choosing your next trip can help reduce over tourism, which can be a major issue for fragile environments, ecosystems and local communities. Consider travelling to lesser-known destinations or a location just outside a busy sightseeing area.

Alternatively travel during offpeak seasons when there are fewer other visitors.

Bye Bye, plastic!

Limiting single-use plastic is arguably one of the greatest environmental challenges we face. With an estimated 91 percent of plastic not being recycled, most of it ends up either in the ocean or landfills. Many properties have taken numerous steps to either reduce or eliminate single-use plastics from their operations, but travellers can also take simple steps like using reusable water bottles instead of buying plastic bottles of water while on vacation or packing your own reusable toiletry bottles with your favorite products from home. An alternative to single-use plastic are steel water bottles which are more durable and can be used for years. This will not only reduce your consumption on holiday but

When planning activities for your trip, look for tour companies that give back to and empower the local community, and also engage in ethical tourism practices. According to Booking. com’s recent report* respect for the local community is high on the list of Indian travellers with 74 percent wanting to have authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture when they travel, and 91 percent mentioning that increasing cultural understanding and preservation of cultural heritage is crucial. By supporting these companies, local communities can directly and equally benefit from the travel industry.

Pick up one item of rubbish when you leave A good rule of thumb for travelling more sustainably, is to try and leave the places you visit better than when you found them.

A simple way to do this is to pick up a discarded item of rubbish that isn't yours when you leave- a small but important step in taking care of our environment. And every action counts – just picking up one piece of plastic on a beach means one less piece ending up in the sea.

Buy Locally When you travel, one of the best ways to support the local economy and limit your carbon footprint is to shop locally and eat food from street vendors or restaurants that use sustainably sourced produce. Avoid eating at popular fast-food chains that usually import produce from all across the globe and eat in local restaurants that likely use local produce instead. And if you’re cooking for yourself, try to

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purchase from local markets, too.

This is also in line with the Indian traveller sentiment where 74 percent of Indian travellers want to have authentic experiences that are representative of the local culture when they travel.

Bring good habits with you on vacation Many are already conscious at home about turning off the lights when we are not using them, or being careful about when and how high we use the airconditioning. However, 59 percent of Indian travellers believe it's harder to make sustainable choices on vacation. A sustainable first step could be as simple as remembering to carry those mindful habits from home along

when you travel. While switching over to LED light fixtures or having keycard controlled power in the room aren’t things you can control as a guest, travellers can ensure they switch off the lights when they step out of their room, reuse their towels or forego daily linen changes and being more mindful of the length of the showers they take.

No matter whether you’re already a superstar sustainable traveller or just looking for a few tips to be a little more mindful during your next trip, there is always a next step to take. This can ultimately make travel that’s truly beneficial to the planet, the places we love to visit and the people who live there, the norm.

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INDIA NEWS

Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

WHAT’S ON

Centre for Sports Law, Business & Governance

Student Mentoring & Research Training (SMART) Program Distinguished Oration on

Bush to Baggy Green: by

Matthew Hayden AM Former Australian Cricketer 09:20 AM - 09:40 AM

ProfESSOR (Dr.) C. Raj Kumar

Dr. Ashutosh Misra

Vice Chancellor O.P. Jindal Global University

CEO, Institute for Australia India Engagement (IAIE)

WELCOME ADDRESS 09:00 AM - 09:10 AM

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 09:10 AM - 09:20 AM

MONDAY

9 AUG 2021

ProfESSOR ShauN STAR Associate Professor & Associate Dean Jindal Global Law School VOTE OF THANKS 09:40 AM - 09:45 AM MODERATOR

9:00 AM (IST) - 9:45 AM (IST) 1:30 PM (AEST) - 2:15 PM (AEST)

RSVP: cias@ jgu.edu.in

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Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

INDIA NEWS

Pooja Hegde: With every industry, reason of nervousness changes

Photo Courtesy: Instagram

ENTERTAINMENT

Rashami Desai: I have changed as a person after 'Bigg Boss'

Photo Courtesy: Instagram

with Hindi and Tamil industry, Pooja says: "With 'Cirkus' and 'Kabhie Eid Kabhi Diwali', I feel that I have so much to show to the Hindi audience of who I am and that is something, which is making me nervous. With Tamil, the nervousness if very different because it's a new market for me and now I am going back after many years. So, the nervousness is different."

She also feels that coming from a non-filmy background affects how she looks at every film.

"When you come from a nonfilmy background, the whole thing is whatever film you have, becomes like a golden treasure.

It's like you have found treasure and you need to make the most of the role you have been given in the film and hope that it helps you in capturing people's attention.

Unfortunately, I am a classic example of an over thinker but I think nervous energy is good," shares the actress.

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ctress Pooja Hegde currently has projects announced and rolling in the Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industries. The actress says that being part of big budget films and high expectations from fans make her nervous. However, her reasons to feel jittery change with every industry.

In Bollywood, Pooja will be seen alongside superstar Salman Khan in "Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali" and with Ranveer Singh in "Cirkus". In Tollywood, she has "Radhe Shyam" alongside Prabhas and in Tamil, the actress will be seen with Vijay in "Beast".

Talking to IANS about how she deals with these expectations which come with taking big leaps with her choice of films,

the actress says: "Does it make me nervous? Yes. I think with every industry my reason of nervousness changes. With Telugu now, with 'Radhe Shyam', my role is fantastic. There is a lot of scope for me. So, with Telugu I want to know how the audience thinks I perform. So, my nervousness is that I give my heart and soul into my performance for this film."

The actress, who made her film debut with Tamil film "Mugamoodi" (2012), eventually went on to give many blockbusters in Telugu films too.

She made her Hindi debut with director Ashutosh Gowariker's "Mohenjo Daro".

Further elaborating on what kind of nervousness she feels

From Allu Arjun, Mahesh Babu, Akshay Kumar to now Salman Khan and Vijay, Pooja has worked with the most bankable actor in the film industries across India.

Does having popular co-stars affect her craft?

"I think it would affect my craft because a lot of acting is reacting.

So, when they bring in their years of experience, it kind of helps me understand my craft more, it helps me may be perform better," she says.

"It's also about learning other things, which are not directly related to acting like tips about the way they lead their lives. For me, it's always about learning something new, besides acting also. So, it's always been a mix of everything and it has made me a better actor for sure."

Tamannaah shoots special dance number for 'Ghani' A Photo Courtesy: Instagram

ctress Tamannaah Bhatia will be seen in a special dance sequence in the upcoming boxing drama film "Ghani" starring Varun Tej. She calls it fun working with the Telugu star.

elevision actress Rashami Desai, who gained immense popularity after participating in the reality show "Bigg Boss 13" in 2019, says she has changed as a person after the show.

"Life has not changed after 'Bigg Boss'. I have changed as a person, but for good. I'm more content and happier with myself. I've understood about self love. I've realised that I'm a person who loves people around her. I enjoyed a lot being on the show," Rashami told IANS. The actress made her digital debut with the latest web series "Tandoor".

Revealing details of her character in the series, Rashami said: "The name of my character is Palak who is an independent, fearless and strong minded woman. Since college only they knew each other and apparently the guy was in love with her and then she fell in love with him."

"There are situations in the story and it is difficult to decide who is right and who is wrong. At the end some will feel it's the wife, some will feel it is the husband, while some will feel the main culprit is somebody else!" the actress informed, leaving viewers in suspense.

Talking about the same, Tamannaah said: "Working with Varun Tej is always great fun, and I am looking forward to shooting the dance number. The song is really catchy and has an interesting place in the narrative."

The choreographer duo Shazia Samji and Piyush Bhagat will choreograph the number.

Opening up on what inspired the series, the actress shared: "The story is of the time when I was a child. At that time I didn't even know what is tandoor. It is about the Tandoor kaand but there have been changes in the story. It's very beautifully directed by Nivedita (Basu) and the co-actors were really good."

"Ghani" is written and directed

by Kiran Korrapati and also stars Bollywood actress Saiee M. Manjrekar.

Tamannaah will also be seen playing Varun Tej's sister-in-law in the upcoming Telugu film "F3".

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How was the experience of working with her co-star Tanuj Virwani?

"He is amazing! More than the acting, his detailing work is so good. Every character that he is doing, he works in details for them. Every scene has come out beautifully, when there is love, that is hate, there is anger, everything is looking very real. He has learnt a little bit of direction also, so his point of view is always interesting! I have learnt a lot of things from him technically also," replied the actress.

Taking part in a dark and intense story like "Tandoor", did leave an impact on her mentally, admits Rashami.

"When we were shooting the gunshot scene, I didn't speak to anybody after that for two days because I kept thinking about her. The mentality becomes very different when you are playing somebody else and you are not like that. It was very disturbing that you love somebody so much and then that someone will shoot you!" she said.

With Rashami venturing into the digital space after gaining popularity on television, any plans of trying luck in Bollywood?

"I will. I had an opportunity before also but I had my commitments.

When I am committed to something, I am very much dedicated. I'm not saying no to it, nobody will say no. It depends on the subject and the director," she said.

Helmed by Nivedita Basu, "Tandoor" streams on Ullu App.

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Raima Sen: Unfair to blame an actor for project's failure

ENTERTAINMENT

Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif resume shooting for 'Tiger 3' Photo Courtesy: Instagram

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Photo Courtesy: Instagram

ctress Raima Sen says it is unfair to blame an actor for a project's failure because it is teamwork and everyone is responsible.

"I think it is unfair to blame just an actor for a project's failure or success because I think it is teamwork. Everyone is responsible, not only the actor.

We read a script but we don't know how it will eventually turn out," Raima told IANS. Raima, whose recent work includes the web-series "The Last Hour", says everything boils down to teamwork.

"We don't know how it will be shot. We just read a script we want to do the role but the rest of it is not really up to us. Of Course, we can have a bit of a say but it is teamwork. You can't just blame even the director or anyone individually for that matter," the actress said.

Raima, who is the daughter of veteran star Moon Moon Sen added: "The audiences keep evolving so it depends on the audience what they will like and what they don't. Some films which are shown are ahead of their times, they wouldn't do well now, probably they will do well later."

Raima will next be seen in the upcoming OTT show "Maia.

Urvashi Rautela: I have learned Tamil fluently

Photo Courtesy: Instagram

sports car.

Urvashi told IANS: "This film is very special to me as it's my Tamil debut film which is also multilingual and it's going to be releasing in all the major languages like Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada."

Mumbai, July 22 (IANS): Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif have commenced shooting for the spy thriller 'Tiger 3', which was put on hold due to the pandemic.

"The new schedule of 'Tiger 3' has started today in Yash Raj Films Studios. It is a closely guarded set and one can expect no picture to leak from here. Salman and Katrina's fitness will be tested in this schedule as well as the extensive overseas schedule that is set to start from mid-August," a source said.

The source added that Salman is building a physique that he has never carried off before.

"Salman teased his physique in Tiger 3 on his social media and it is evident that he is building the best body that he has ever showcased on screen. Katrina, on the other hand, has been keeping

an extremely low profile with hardly any revelation of how good she is looking currently. There's a reason to this also," said the trade source.

The trade source added: "She has worked like a beast to be her fittest best and people will have to wait to see her fittest best on screen when 'Tiger 3' is set to release!"

The source revealed that the film's director Maneesh Sharma has planned some "jaw-dropping" and "hugely risky action sequences".

"Tiger 3" is the third part of the spy thriller franchise starring Salman Khan with Katrina Kaif.

The first installment "Ek Tha Tiger" directed by Kabir Khan released in 2012. The second "Tiger Zinda Hai" released in 2017 and was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

Nidhhi Agerwal's dream comes true after being directed by Farah Khan Photo Courtesy: Instagram

Talking about her character, Urvashi said that she will be seen essaying the role of a microbiologist.

"Additionally, I also appear in the film as an IITIAN and Microbiologist conducting a study. I am totally excited about this second schedule because this is the first time I have properly shot it in Chennai after the first schedule occurred in Himachal Pradesh," the 27-year-old actress said.

She added: "The directors Jerald Arockiam and Joseph D sami with whom I am currently working with are truly special to me as they have supported me throughout. They have also worked with Amitabh Bachchan and Ajit Kumar."

She calls the yet-untitled film as a "perfect launchpad" for her in Tamil Cinema.

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ctress Urvashi Rautela is leaving no stones unturned for her Tamil debut film. She says she has even learned the language and shared that the yet-untitled movie will always hold a special

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place in her heart.

Urvashi on Monday had shared a glimpse from the shoot of her upcoming film on Instagram, where she could be seen coming out of a luxury yellow coloured

"Furthermore, I have learned Tamil fluently and continue to practice it. Throughout my life, this film will always hold a special place in my heart," she concluded.

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ctress Nidhhi Agerwal will soon be seen with actor Sonu Sood in a music video, directed by Farah Khan. The actress is thrilled with the opportunity of working with the choreographer-director.

The song is being shot in Punjab and will see Sonu play the character of a farmer becoming a cop.

Sharing her excitement, Nidhhi tells IANS: "I had a great time shooting for the song with Farah Ma'am and Sonu Sir. It is always a dream for any actor to be

choreographed by Farah Khan but I was in for a double treat since she was directing it as well."

For Nidhhi, being directed by Farah is also very special because it was the latter's directorial 'Om Shanti Om', which nudged the "iShankarSmart" actress in the direction of acting.

"I had a blast while shooting for it, considering I watched 'Om shanti Om' and knew I wanted to be an actor! I can't wait for you all to see it," says Nidhhi.

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INDIA NEWS

Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

Richa Chadha: Always wanted to work with Tigmanshu Dhulia R

Photo Courtesy: Instagram

icha Chadha will be seen in the upcoming project "The Six Suspects", directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia. The actress says she has wanted to work with the filmmaker since forever.

ENTERTAINMENT

Bhumi: Tried to use social media to spread awareness about climate conservation Photo Courtesy: Instagram

averted. We are still seeing forest wildfires, flash floods, polar caps melting happening around us."

She stressed that climate change needs to be taken seriously.

"We have accelerated it to levels of heavy repercussions and there seems no stopping. Flash floods, drought, forest fires, disease outbreaks, mass extinction we have seen it all. Our basic behaviour needs to change towards this global crisis," she said.

Richa, who is all set to impress with her role as an investigative officer in the web series, was elated to have collaborated with Dhulia.

"I have wanted to work with Tigmanshu Dhulia since forever.

And this opportunity to work with him is really an opportunity that I wouldn't have missed. The book from which the show is adapted is so amazing and even the cast is so wonderful," Richa said.

The actress added: "It's been great to be working on the show, the shoot is on and I'm playing an investigative officer, my character has so many layers which makes it a very rewarding experience for me to be playing this part".

The murder mystery series, which also stars Pratik Gandhi, is an adaptation of author Vikas Swarup's 2008 novel of the same name.

This will be the first time Richa will be seen collaborating with the "Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story" star Pratik.

"The Six Suspects" will stream on Disney+ Hotstar.

Raashii Khanna 'excited and nervous' for her 'Rudra' shoot Photo Courtesy: Instagram

The actress is single-mindedly trying to raise awareness in India about the severe impact of climate change.

Mumbai, July 28 (IANS): Actress and environmentalist Bhumi Pednekar on World Nature Conservation Day on Wednesday, shared that she has tried to use social media as a tool to reach out to as many people as she can and find new ways to reach out to the youth to spread awareness about conservation.

Bhumi said: "With all the focus on Covid-19 and restarting the world, we have to realise that climate change is happening as we speak.

Yes, the entire attention has gone to the coronavirus pandemic as it should have but I'm hoping that the pressing issue of climate change hasn't taken a backseat with governments."

Bhumi is deeply concerned about extreme weather conditions that are affecting people across the world.

The 32-year-old actress said: "The pandemic has given us time to recalibrate, reset ourselves and our outlook towards the environment. We must pay heed to what is happening around us at all times. Even though mother nature got some time to heal, the looming danger has not yet been

She said: "We were taught about planet conservation and the impact it would have in the future.

But for us, the future felt like some 400 years later. But that's not the truth, it's now. Effective and sustainable resources definitely will be the game changer for us."

The actress added: "I, as a conscious Indian citizen, have tried to use social media as a tool to reach out to as many people as I can and find new ways to reach out to the youth to spread awareness about climate conservation. We all will need to be climate warriors and constantly do what we can."

Bhumi said that through her initiative, Climate Warrior, she has happened to meet and come across "genius minds" who are working tirelessly to bring about a change at their own personal level.

She added: "And that is the key.

We really need to come forward and speak up for the world leaders, policy makers to take action."

On the work front, Bhumi will be seen in "Badhaai Do" and "Raksha Bandhan".

Greetings from

Hope you are keeping well as we all fight hard to get out of the shadows of Covid-19.

On the 15th of August, India is celebrating its 74th Independence Day, which will also be celebrated in Australia across the 700,000 strong Indian community. In Queensland, over 60,000 strong Indian diaspora is looking forward to this day and we thought of exploring in advance if you would like to reach out to them with your customised greetings on this occasion.

M

umbai, July 28 (IANS) Actress Raashii Khanna, known for her work in Telugu films, has started shooting for the Hindi webseries 'Rudra: The Edge of Darkness'. She is thrilled to finally start the shoot here.

Directed by Rajesh Mapuskar, 'Rudra- The Edge of Darkness'

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also stars Ajay Devgn, Atul Kulkarni, Esha Deol, Ashwini Kalsekar and Ashish Vidyarthi.

The web show is the Indian adaptation of the British show 'Luther'.

Talking about starting the shoot, Raashii tells IANS: "I am really excited and nervous at the same

time. It's something I am really looking forward to."

Besides this, Raashii will be seen in Raj and D.K.'s next webseries alongside Shahid Kapoor, Tamil films 'Aranmanai 3', 'Methavi', Telugu film 'Thank You', and Malayalam film 'Bhramam'.

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You can have a full page ($800), half page ($500) or a quarter page ($350) congratulatory flyer published in our issue on 16th August.

If this interests you, please shoot an email to us at info@ indianews.com.au.

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INDIA NEWS

Luxury, lifestyle, location — welcome to Dress Circle

Aug 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 27

Located in the heart of one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, Brookwater is Brisbane’s best kept secret for luxury living. Crafted around the Greg Norman designed golf course, Brookwater provides a rare combination of prestige golf-side living and natural bushland beauty.

With over 800 families already calling Brookwater home, we are pleased to introduce the next stage of this exclusive community — your own architecturally designed piece of paradise — Dress Circle.

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We welcome you to experience Brisbane’s best kept secret when it comes to luxury living, and choose from our leading architectural collaborators to design your dream home — with all architectural fees complimentary with your Dress Circle land purchase.

READY TO BUILD ON LARGE PREMIUM HOMESITES FROM $566,000

Life on Brookwater’s Dress Circle is within 10 minutes of everything you need — commuter rail to the city, private and public schools, childcare centres, a university, a private hospital, shopping centres and a thriving commercial precinct.

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