MCCQ March 2024 Vol1 Issue1

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Guterres condemns killing of over 100 around food convoy in Gaza

United Nations, March 1 (IANS)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday condemned the killing of more than 100 people in incidents in northern Gaza and repeated his demands for a ceasefire, his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

On the day Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that the death toll crossed the 30,000 mark since Israel’s attacks began on October 8, 104 people were killed and more than 700 injured in the incidents around a food convoy in the Gaza City area, according to the Palestine news agency, Wafa.

The agency said that according to medical sources, Israeli troops had opened fire with heavy machine guns at people

waiting for trucks laden with humanitarian assistance for distribution.

“The Secretary-General condemns the incident today in northern Gaza in which more than a hundred people were reportedly killed or injured while seeking life-saving aid,” Dujarric said.

He added that Guterres “is appalled by the tragic human toll of the conflict in Gaza, in which more than 30,000

continued on pg. 2

Germany beat Netherlands to qualify for Paris Olympics in women’s football

Germany secured a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics women’s football event with a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League’s third-place play-off.

Klara Buhl and Lea Schuller struck second-half goals to give Germany victory in Heerenveen and, with it, the bronze medal and Europe’s third berth in the Olympic women’s football tournament alongside Spain and hosts

France.

The third-place play-off in the Nations League was the last chance for the two teams to qualify for Paris 2024. Spain captured a ticket last Friday by defeating the Netherlands 3-0 in Seville in the semifinals of the tournament, while France, already assured an Olympic spot as the host, beat Germany 2-1.

Following this win, Germany joins Spain, who clinched the Nations League title by defeating France 2-0, and the host nation France, as the three European representatives in the Olympic women’s football tournament.

Germany have participated in five of the seven Olympic

women’s football tournaments. They won gold in 2016 at Rio Olympics (but did not qualify to defend the title in 2021) and also took bronze in 2000, 2004 and 2008.

A total of 12 teams will play in the women’s football tournament at the 2024 Games. Matches will be played in Bordeaux, Decines, Marseille, Nantes, Nice, Paris (with the final at Parc des Princes) and Saint-Etienne.

Also qualified so far are defending champions Canada, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand and four-time winners the United States, with two teams from Africa to be decided in April.

Sunil Bharti Mittal conferred honorary knighthood by King Charles III

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS)

Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has become the first Indian citizen to be awarded a honorary knighthood by the United Kingdom.

He has been made Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE), by King Charles III “for services to UK and India business relations”.

The KBE is among the highest honours conferred by the British sovereign to civilians. It is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals.

Sunil Bharti Mittal said: “I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition

from His Majesty, King Charles. UK and India have historical relations, which are now entering a new era of increased cooperation and collaboration.”

“I remain committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations. I am thankful to the Government of UK, whose support and keen attention to the needs of business has been critical in making the country an attractive investment destination.”

In 2007, Sunil Mittal was bestowed the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, awarded to individuals for demonstrating distinguished services of high order.

Prince Harry loses appeal over personal security downgrade while in UK

London, Feb 29 (PNA)

LONDON – Prince Harry has lost his High Court challenge against the British government regarding the level of security protection he received while in the United Kingdom.

According to the British media, the legal battle stemmed from a decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status after he stepped back from his role as a “working royal.”

Despite efforts by his legal team to contest the ruling, arguing unfairness in the decision-making process, the High Court ultimately upheld the government’s stance.

The Home Office, responsible for security arrangements, maintained that Prince Harry’s security would be

determined on a case-by-case basis, with bespoke arrangements tailored specifically to him rather than automatic provisions granted to full-time working royals.

During the legal proceedings held in December, much of the discussion surrounding security arrangements for senior figures was conducted in private.

The ruling concluded on Wednesday that there was no unlawfulness in the decision to downgrade Prince Harry’s security status.

The court found the decision rational and devoid of procedural unfairness, affirming the government’s position. (Anadolu)

Jaishankar’s Korea visit: A further step to enhance ties with diaspora

Tel Aviv, Feb 1 (IANS)

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS)

Continuing with his endeavours to further cement India’s relations with its diaspora, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to meet the small but significant Indian community in the Republic of Korea as he begins his first visit to Seoul on March 5.

While one is well aware of the Korea-based Indian actor Anupam Tripathi who became a household name after ‘Squid Games’, the nation is home to around 15,000 Indians with many professionals contributing to the country’s IT, shipping, and automobile sectors.

Some other notable Indian names in the country include Aria, originally named Gauthami, a member of a global K-pop girl group called X:IN.

The visit of EAM Jaishankar, who has always thanked and praised the diaspora while calling them ambassadors of India, comes at a time when a significant number of Indians are choosing the nation as a study-abroad destination.

According to recent MEA estimates, more than 1,300 Indian students are studying in South Korea and a large number of them are pursuing post-graduate and Ph.D programmes, mostly in pure sciences.

With popular education destinations like the UK and Canada tightening immigration rules, many Indian students are considering Korea owing to its quality education, affordable tuition fees, and the cost of living.

For instance, a Korean D-2 Student Visa permits working up to 20 hours per week and after graduation, students can apply for a D-10 visa and start looking for jobs.

In September last year, Minister Lim Sang Woo (Deputy Head of Mission), Embassy of the Republic of Korea, said Korea is keen on more students, researchers, and highly skilled workers, and aims to attract 3,00,000 international students by 2027.

The two countries were also continued on pg. 2

The Hague Feb 29 (IANS)

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Guterres condemns killing of over 100 around food convoy in Gaza

... continued from page 1

people have now reportedly been killed and more than 70,000 injured. Tragically, an unknown number of people lie under rubble”.

His statement did not name Israel in the attack, and Dujarric explained to reporters that the UN did not as yet have direct knowledge of what happened, but he said that acts of violence caused the incident.

UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Turk called the killings in Gaza, “carnage”.

“There appear to be no bounds to -- no words to capture -- the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in

Gaza,” he said in Geneva at a meeting on Occupied Palestine Territories.

While denouncing the 10/7 Hamas attack on Israel as “profoundly traumatising and totally unjustifiable,” he also condemned “the brutality of the Israeli response” which resulted in “the unprecedented level of killing and maiming of civilians in Gaza, including UN staff and journalists”.

Turk said, “Since early October, over 100,000 people have been killed or wounded. Let me repeat that: about one in every 20 children, women, and men, are now dead or wounded.”

When Israel launched its

counterattack for the Hamas assault, it ordered the people in northern Gaza to move south, which most did while several Palestinians were trapped in the northern areas where Israeli troops have launched ground, air and sea attacks.

Meanwhile talking to reporters in Washington, US President Joe Biden conceded that the Thursday incidents complicated the negotiations for freeing hostages held by Hamas.

But he refused to take a stand on the incidents, saying, “We’re checking that out right now. But there’s two competing versions of what happened. I don’t have an answer yet.”

Israel said that its forces opened fire on a crowd that advanced on them menacingly, but asserted that dozens were killed in a melee by being trampled or run over by trucks.

Stung by growing opposition to Biden’s support for Israel -- manifest this week by more than 100,000 protest votes in the Democratic Party primary in Michigan -- the US was recalibrating its position, renewing calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and asking Israel to be mindful of civilians.

ABC News reported that according to administration officials, the US was considering airdropping aid to Gaza.

The latest mass killings has raised the tension in region with Saudi Arabia and Jordan issuing strong condemnations.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and they agreed “to press for the protection of civilians consistent with international humanitarian law,” the US State Department said.

They agreed to continue “efforts to secure the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and establish a humanitarian pause in the conflict in Gaza,” the department added.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

Jaishankar’s Korea visit: A further step to enhance ties with diaspora

... continued from page 1

exploring a new migration agreement last year to ensure easier mobility for professionals of the two countries across a range of areas including technology and automobiles.

With EAM Jaishankar co-chairing the 10th India - Republic of Korea Joint

Commission Meeting with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul, it is likely that these issues will come up for discussion.

The meeting is expected to comprehensively review the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and explore avenues for further strengthening it.

According to an MEA release, the meeting will also provide an opportunity for the two sides to exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

The Indian community was also addressed by Prime

Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the nation in 2019 where he said that the main basis for India-Korea relations is “people-to-people contact”.

Extolling the Indian community in the Republic, PM Modi had said that they not

only celebrate Holi, Diwali, Baisakhi and other Indian festivals but also involve their Korean friends in it.

“The blood flowing in the people of Korea also has part of India,” the PM had said amid claps and cheers.

Taiwan Imagery Exhibition: Bridging Cultures Through Art

Brisbane, Feb 17 (MCCQ

Newsdesk, WAMCI Media Release)

In a celebration of cultural exchange and artistic collaboration, the Queensland Taiwan Centre buzzed with excitement as the 2024 Taiwan Culture Festival kicked off with the grand opening of the Taiwan Imagery Exhibition.

President Susan Yang delivered a stirring speech, setting the stage for an event that showcased the fusion of Taiwanese and Australian artistic talent.

“Today, we gather to celebrate the rich tapestry of Taiwanese and Australian artistry,” remarked President Yang in

her address, emphasizing the exhibition’s role in fostering understanding and unity. With works from 15 talented artists on display, the exhibition served as a testament to the power of cultural exchange, echoing the festival’s theme of joy, unity, and celebration of heritage.

The event, flawlessly orchestrated by MC Edward Lin, commenced with a warm welcome to guests from various sectors of society, including politicians, diplomats, community leaders, and artists.

Among the distinguished attendees were representatives from the Order of Australia, highlighting the significance

of the exhibition on both a national and international scale.

Throughout the morning, speeches from notable figures such as Melody Chen, William Fan (DirectorGeneral of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane), and local parliament members Minister Peter Russo MP, Minister James Martin MP, and Steven Huong underscored the importance of cultural diplomacy and artistic expression in strengthening bilateral relations.

However, the true stars of the event were the participating artists, whose diverse perspectives and creative vision breathed life

into the exhibition. From Margaret Lin to Joyce Chen, each artist’s contribution added depth and vibrancy to the showcase, sparking dialogue and reflection among attendees.

Following President Yang’s address, guests gathered for group photos before immersing themselves in the visual feast of the Taiwan Imagery Exhibition. Guided by the artists themselves, attendees explored the intricate brushstrokes and captivating narratives woven into each artwork, gaining insight into the shared cultural heritage of Taiwan and Australia. As the morning drew to a close, certificates of

appreciation were presented, symbolizing the gratitude and recognition bestowed upon the artists and contributors. With light refreshments served, guests continued to mingle and exchange ideas, solidifying friendships that transcended borders and cultures.

In the words of President Susan Yang, “May this festival inspire a continued exchange of ideas, fostering friendships that transcend borders.” The Taiwan Imagery Exhibition stands as a testament to the enduring power of art to bridge divides and unite communities, embodying the spirit of cultural diplomacy and collaboration.

SANCAI Fine Arts Association Celebrates Chinese New Year

Brisbane, Feb 9, (MCCQ News Desk, Sancai Fine Arts Association media release)

In the first month of the Chinese Lunar New Year, San Cai Fine Arts International Association along with the overseas Chinese community continues to hold New Year celebrations. There were dragon and lion dances, gatherings with fellow villagers to jointly wish all the best, good fortune, good luck to the family and friends. The Year of the Dragon brings good luck to all for the year

ahead. Dragon in Chinese mythology is the symbol of power, success, intellect, and good fortune. The Sancai Fine Arts International Association wishes everyone around the world happiness and warm feelings for the new year.

The President of San Cai Fine Arts; Leanne Wang at the occasion sent her greetings to everyone, *Wishing you all a joyful Lunar New Year of the Dragon! May this auspicious year bring you abundant blessings, good fortune, and

prosperity. May the dragon’s energy ignite your spirit and inspire you to achieve great success in all your endeavours.”

Sancai Fine Arts Association also organised a sumptuous dinner on 9 th of February evening for celebrating the new year. On this occasion

Leanne Wang emphasised the significance of the new year dinner by saying “ On this earth, we are like a big family. We all eat New Year’s Eve dinner together and congratulate each other, recognizing the achievements one has had during the Year gone by.” She wishes everyone happiness, good health, safety and joy!.”

2024 Taiwan Culture Festival Celebrates Young Artists: Lantern Painting Competition Awards

Brisbane, Feb 24 (MCCQ Newsdesk)

Sunnybank Plaza’s Hoyts Cinema foyer was adorned with the vibrant hues of lantern paintings as it hosted the prestigious 2024 Lantern Painting Competition Award Ceremony on Saturday, February 24th. The event, a highlight of the annual Taiwan Culture Festival, brought together esteemed guests, community leaders, and, most importantly, the talented winners of the competition.

President Susan Yang of World Arts & Multi Culture Inc. (WAMCI) expressed her delight at witnessing the remarkable talent of all

artists. In her address, she emphasised the importance of nurturing creativity and encouraged the young artists to continue sharing their unique perspectives with the world. The ceremony, emceed by Edward Lin, CEO of the Australia Taiwan Culture Foundation Ltd., commenced with an acknowledgment of the country, followed by warm welcomes to the distinguished guests. Among the notable attendees were Melody Chen, Founding President of WAMCI, and a lineup of diplomats, elected representatives, community leaders, and advocates,

each contributing to the rich cultural tapestry celebrated at the event.

The speeches, including addresses by William Fan, Director-General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane, Senator Paul Scarr, and Queensland Parliament Members Peter Russo and James Martin, underscored the significance of cultural exchange and artistic expression in fostering international understanding and cooperation.

A highlight of the ceremony was President Susan Yang’s heartfelt speech, where she

expressed gratitude to all involved, from the talented young artists to the esteemed panel of judges and sponsors whose support made the event possible.

Following the speeches, the much-anticipated moment arrived as the award winners were announced and presented with their well-deserved accolades. The ceremony also saw the recognition of teachers and schools whose guidance played a pivotal role in nurturing the students’ talents. The event concluded with a group photo capturing the

jubilant spirit of the occasion, followed by a light refreshment session, allowing attendees to mingle and celebrate the achievements of the budding artists.

As the lanterns illuminated the venue, it was evident that beyond the strokes of paint lay a deeper message of unity, diversity, and the transformative power of art—a message resonating brightly at the heart of the Taiwan Culture Festival.

Chinese New Year 2024 Celebrations in Brisbane: The Year of the Dragon

The Chinese Lunar New Year is a much awaited festival by the East Asian community in Brisbane. It is a day of getting together with families , enjoying the delicious food, making lanterns and exchanging the red packet.

Every year is dedicated to an animal. This year is the year of the dragon. The Dragon is a symbol of Good luck and properity.

East Asian Organisations in Brisbane celebrate the Lunar New Year in Pomp and Galore. The Sunnybank Plaza and surrounding area is decorated with red lanterns and dragon images. The

Plaza hosted many events celebrating the Lunar New Year . Dragon dances were the favorites of all during this time.

One such celebration at the Sunnybank Plaza organised at the landmark restaurant was hosted by the Taiwanese Community. Brisbane boasts of a huge Taiwanese community nearly 11,974 out of which 62% are Australian Citizens and 38% are non-Citizens. 42% are males where as 57% are females. Taiwanese are family oriented, hence the chinesse lunar celebration becomes a huge festival for all to come together and enjoy as one big family.

The celebration at the

Landmark Restaurant was attended by Taiwan’s Chief Representative to Australia Mr. Douglas Hsu and Director General of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Brisbane Mr. William Hou-Lu Fan. Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Lady Mayoress Nina Schrinner also graced the occasion at the Lunar New Year Dinner.

The New Year dinner celebrations were a good mix of community representation. Many Community leaders of various different community organisations from various countries also attended this function and enjoyed the festivities, the sumptuos food , music and dances.

Other organisations around Brisbane also celebrated the Lunar New Year. Especially the Lions Club of Brisbane, Premier’s Office celebrations of Chinese Lunar New Year Dinner at the Convention Center, Celebrations of Chinese New Year at Fortitude Valley in Brisbane is the biggest celebration for the community which is held in the open space of the fortitude Valley Mall area.

Vietnamese Community also Celebrate the Chinese New year in their own way. In Brisbane they also organised a dinner function for the community to celebrate the New Year. New Year is always a happy

2024-02-04 Chinese Year Gala Celebrations at Brisbane City Hall hosted by QLD Chinese United Council (QCUC) & Australia China Cultural & EconomicPromotion Association (ACCEP)

time where old is replacing the new. It is the beginning of another year ahead to explore, flourish and fulfill your passion and ambitions. It is also the beginning to come together again to grow together in harmony.

LewisLee OAM, an eminent leader and Architect says, “This year, we are celebrating 2024 Year of Dragon’s Chinese New Year. I totally enjoyed the hospitality from all the various community organisations hosting the festival in Brisbane. I also got the opportunity to see lots of Chinese Lion and Dragon Dance performances. Wishing all to have a prosperous New Year and good health.”

QLD

2024-02-10 Chinese New Year Celebrations hosted by Brisbane North Chinese Association at Seafood Town, Woody Point

Photo Credit: UPOC

2024-02-14 CNY Celebrations hosted by Commonwealth Bank Australia at Brisbane City Hall

Photo Credit: UPOC

Photo Credit: Paul Luo

Brisbane, Feb 26 (MCCQ Newsdesk)

2024-02-17 CNY Celebrations at Golden Lane Restaurant hosted by Australian Dongbei Chinese Association QLD

Photo Credit: Paul Luo

2024-02-17 CNY Celebration Dinner hosted by Lions Club of Brisbane Chinese at Landmark Restaurant Sunnybank

Photo Credit: Event Photography Service

2024-02-22 CNY Reception hosted by Premier of QLD at Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Photo Credit: Kirkland Photography

2024-02-24 CNY Celebrations at Gold Coast hosted by Australian National Chinese Women’s Federation

Photo Credit: Robin Sun

Radio 4 EB celebrates International Women’s Day 2024

Brisbane, Feb 24, (MCCQ News Desk)

Radio 4 EB a Multicultural Ethnic community radio broadcast organisation every year celebrates the Women’s day at the radio station. Irene Tavutavu, is one of those inspiring women in our city of brisbane who never fails to organise this event. She meticulously plans the meal and cooks most of the dishes herself for such celebrations. It was a delight to taste the different cuisines from all over the world. A complete

potpourie of cuisines representing the different ethnicities of women present in the hall. .

There were community leaders, radio presenters, announcers, program convenors and wonderful speakers who shared their heartfelt stories of success with other women present at the event. It was a good networking day.

Cr. Vicky Howard graced the occasion. Her speech

inspired and motivated many to work for the council. Irene also spoke about why it is necessary to nominate women for the Order of Australia.

In the day an age of digital Technology the mental health of women has become a concern post COVID. Pushpa Vaghela informed the ladies present about her organisation and the work she does in the area of Women’s mental health and abuse program SAGE Safe at All

Ages - everybody is entitled to Respect & suffer No form of Abuse! Suzanne Dang had the most touching emotional story. She shared her lived experience with mental health and her journey towards becoming a motivational speaker.

Every women in her life some point of time goes through supression, abuse, and depression. How you cope with these situations determines

your path to lead a healthy happy life.

As women we must appreciate eachother, help eachother and support eachother. The International Women’s Day celebration at 4EB became a safe space for many women that day who mixed mingled and shared their stories. A true celebration of achievements and battles we as women fight for.

ECCQ celebrates International Women’s Day 2024

Brisbane, Feb 27 (MCCQ News Desk, ECCQ Media Release)

The 2024 International Women’s Day breakfast, hosted by the Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ)’s Women’s Ethnic Network (WEN) will be held again in the picturesque Victoria Park on Friday 8th March from 7:00am, for a 7:20am start.

This year, the theme is:

Count Her In: Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress.

Join hundreds of multicultural women for an illuminating breakfast set to recognise the valuable contribution of women to Queensland,

uplift women in our community, and celebrate emerging leaders! We will be announcing the winners of the ECCQ Advancing Women Scholarships: the Cleo Xynias Multicultural Woman of the Year scholarship, and the Emerging Professional scholarship.

We have Three amazing guest speakers: Naa Anang, Juliana Mantilla, and Hon Minister Shannon Fentiman! And Sara Shams will be our MC.

Don’t miss out on hearing these important stories! Be prepared to join in our raffle and win some incredible

prizes!

Come along, be counted and connect with our wonderful WEN women!

Register at: https://events. humanitix.com/international-women-s-day-breakfast-b9bc8lhv

PRESENTS

Theme: “INSPIRE INCLU SION ”

Supporting our Local Hero

Saturday 9 March 2024 from 6.00pm - 10.00pm

Belmont Sevice s Bowls Club, 20 Narracott Street, Carina

An evening full of fun, laughter, entertainment and surprises . Bring along with your families and friends. It will be a wonderful opportunity to join hands together, celebrate and dance.

Enjoy a 3 course dinner - - - veg and no n veg. Tickets $30.00pp

Contact: Lila Prat ap 0431648802 Kanya Pradhan: 0432 243 719 (Co-Ordinato r) Ordinato

Kirti Raniga Raniga: 0412 333 221 Bimla Na rayan: 0497 077 461 :

Eminent Person’s Oration session on “China Factor in the AustraliaIndia Relationship” in Brisbane

Brisbane, Feb 12 (MCCQ

Newsdesk) by Amrita Deshpande

The Institute for Australia India Engagement hosted an Eminent Person’s Oration session on “China Factor in the Australia-India Relationship” in Brisbane. Prof. Srikanth Kondapalli, the Dean of School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University delivered the lecture.

Dr. Ashutosh Misra President of the IAIE introducing Dr. Kondapalli, said, “Prof. Kondapalli, is a former JNU/SIS batchmate, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses colleague with who I have worked closely over the years, and have admired his deep China

and international security expertise.” Dr. Mishra Invited Prof. Kondapalli to Brisbane especially for this lecture, he further said. “Dr. Kondapalli is one of the few Mandarin speaking scholars in India, he delivered a very insightful and enriching dialogue for our audience. He had accompanied the Foreign Minister Dr S. Jaishankar to Perth for a dialogue, and very kindly agreed to come and deliver the oration at the Institute”.

In his lecture, Dr. Kondpalli highlighted insights about the Australia-China relationship and touched up the impact and comparison with Australia-India Relationship. He says, “China’s ambitions of “occupying the centre stage” by 2049 is creating ripples across the board.”

He also highlighted that the Australian Investments in China have increased, in 2021 to $9.1 billion, where as China’s investments increased to $46 billion in 2021 with the preferred sectors being the mining industries, service industries and the infrastructures. But China restricts travel to Australia through its Approved Destination status calling it weaponisation of the tourism sector.

“With China’s “Go Out Policy in 2002 its footprint abroad increased-providing economic opportunities but security concerns to Australia and India on weaponisation of trade, FDI, and Tourism.” He further said in comparison with India that the shared values of constitutional democracy, free press,

civil society participation makes the India- Australia relationship respectful, robust, and long term. Explaining the Australia-India Trade relationship he says it was a mutual appreciation in 1990, a rollercoaster in 2000 onwards, and in 2009 onwards it has been an upswing.

Australia has a huge impact on its trade and economic performance because of the bilateral trade between China as well as that with India. The China-India disputes also affect Australia. Moreover, China is a largest trading partner for both Australia and India. Hence the triangular relationship will be a major concern in 2024 for the trade relationships between the three countries.

Prof. Kondapalli’s research and insights of China’s behaviour currently reassured the audience that there is hope for the relationships to improve. Prof. Kondapalli was also asked if he would travel to China currently to which he replied saying that he has done three trips already to China starting from January this year.

Community leaders present at the orator forum were extremely happy to learn China’s trade policies and Australia-China relationship from Prof. Kondapalli. Many were not aware of the history as well as the current trends. More such forums need to be organised and definitely must be made available for the community to join.

Miles Government to support Mossman workers, farmers and community

Brisbane, Feb 29 (MCCQ Newsdesk, Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

The Miles Government is backing Far North Queensland canegrowers and community with a $12.1 million support package Mossman Mill was placed into voluntary administration in November

Funding to either assist potential buyers in taking over the Mossman Mill, or help the community transition away from dependence on the facility.

The Miles Labor Government is providing a $12.1 million support package to support Mossman mill workers, farmers and the community.

The financial support is earmarked to either assist a potential buyer for the Mossman Mill, or to help the community transition away

from dependence on the facility.

The state will also seek matched funding from the Commonwealth Government.

The new $12.1 million package was agreed to during community cabinet in Cairns on Wednesday.

It comes after the Mossman Mill was placed into voluntary administration in November, despite the Queensland Labor Government providing $22 million in support to Far Northern Milling in 2019 and the Federal Government providing $25.9 million.

Quotes attribute to Premier

Steven Miles:

“We know the Mossman Mill has played a pivotal role in shaping the town, livelihoods

and culture of the communities around it.

“What we also know is that the viability of the mill has tenuous a number of years.

“Our Government has heard calls from the community, which is why we made the decision to support the Mossman community again, this time with a $12.1 million support package.

“This package is different from the support we have given the mill operators in the past. If a viable buyer isn’t found, the money will be spent helping workers, farmers and the auxiliary businesses transition away from their dependents on sugar milling.

“By doing this, the Queensland Labor

Government is helping to provide this important regional community with more opportunities and a brighter future.”

Cook MP Cynthia Lui reacted by saying:

“We remain committed to working with the Mossman community.

“Of course, we would like to see the mill continue operations but our government is committed ensuring our workers, farmers and wider community are supported, whatever the outcome.”

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner informed that:

“Mossman growers invest a

Advisory Council giving small business a say

Brisbane, Feb 29 (MCCQ Newsdesk, Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

The Queensland Small Business Advisory Council (QSBAC) is encouraging small business owners to have their say.

The Advisory Council is looking for up to ten small business owners to advise the Miles Government on growing small businesses in Queensland.

The QSBAC was reinvigorated in 2021, delivering

on a Queensland Labor Government election commitment and the $140 million Big Plans for Small Business Strategy.

The Queensland Small Business Advisory Council is looking for regional small business owners with diverse backgrounds from various industries to join the Council.

Chaired by Small Business Minister Lance McCallum, the Council includes the Small Business

Commissioner, Business Chamber Queensland and up to ten small business owners.

Terms of current members of the Advisory Council expire at the end of March.

Expressions of Interest in joining the Queensland Small Business Advisory Council are at: https://desbt.qld.gov. au/qsbac

The Miles Government’s Big Plans for Small Business Strategy is investing almost

$27.9 million this year in grants and one-on-one support like the Small Business Wellness initiative. Small Business Minister Lance McCallum says that:

“Small business is the engine room of the Queensland economy with more than 473,000 enterprises representing just over 97 per cent of all businesses in the state.

“We are a government that listens to Queenslanders, and the Ministerial Advisory Council is a critical forum

lot in their crop each year and we know they need certainty that they don’t leave that in ground.

“A well run, maintained and financially viable mill is essential to make sure this cane is refined into sugar.

“After supporting the Mossman Mill operators financially in 2019, it was disappointing to see it had once again gone into voluntary administration.

“That’s why our Government has decided to support the Mossman community with a $12.1 million transition program which will help mill workers, farmers and the community reduce their dependence on the mill.”

where small business owners from around Queensland can share their skills, experience and knowledge directly with the Miles Government.

“It’s imperative that the Advisory Council is an active voice for helping small business to thrive and create more good local jobs for Queenslanders.

“I would like to thank the current members of the Council for their hard work and valuable contributions during their tenure.”

Varroa mite detected but not ‘destructor’ species that hit NSW

Brisbane, Feb 29 (MCCQ Newsdesk, Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

Mite detected in surveillance hives at Port of Brisbane Movement control order within 10km radius of detection site

Biosecurity Queensland conducting ongoing tracing and surveillance

A single varroa mite has been found in a sentinel beehive at the Port of Brisbane after a routine inspection by Biosecurity Queensland.

Diagnostic testing has confirmed the mite is Varroa jacobsoni – not Varroa destructor.

Secondary testing is now being conducted to determine if the mite is carrying any exotic viruses of honeybees or if any other exotic bee pests are present.

Biosecurity Queensland is undertaking tracing activities to identify the potential source and likelihood of spread.

Surveillance is being conducted in conjunction with the Queensland bee industry and the Australian Government to determine if there are any more varroa mites in the surrounding area.

As a precautionary measure, a movement control order (MCO) is now in place to prevent any potential spread.

Movement restrictions apply to all beekeepers who have hives in or have had hives in the surrounding localities to the Port of Brisbane within the past 90 days.

Restrictions apply to the movement of bees, bee hives,

bee products and used bee keeping equipment.

Both Varroa jacobsoni and Varroa destructor are classified as prohibited matter under the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014. If found or suspected, they must be reported immediately to Biosecurity Queensland.

Beekeepers must also notify Biosecurity Queensland of any hive movements in or out of the movement control area or any bees bought or sold in the last 90 days.

Report varroa mite to Biosecurity Queensland online or by calling 13 25 23.

Biosecurity Queensland is contacting registered beekeepers inside that zone, but anyone unsure of what the control order requires of

them is urged to contact the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23 before moving any items.

Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner says:

“Any new incursion of varroa mites is concerning, even if this particular detection is Varroa jacobsoni rather than Varroa destructor,” Mr Furner said.

“Incidents like this one are why these surveillance hives are in key sites like the Port of Brisbane. This shows that our biosecurity systems are working, and the importance of early surveillance so we can respond swiftly.”

“Queensland is no stranger to a Varroa jacobosni incursions

and has successfully eradicated this pest in Townsville in 2016, 2019, and 2020.”

“It is vital that beekeepers abide by the control order restrictions and follow the advice of Biosecurity Queensland.”

The Queensland Beekeepers Association president Jacob Stevens reacts:

“The Queensland Beekeepers’ Association Inc is in position and ready to provide meaningful support to our impacted beekeepers in the movement control zones,” Mr Stevens further said.

“In recent years we’ve provided our expertise and technical knowledge to Biosecurity Queensland to deliver successful eradications of mites detected in Queensland.

Wind farm doubles in size to deliver clean power to the equivalent of 312,000 homes

Brisbane, Feb 27 (MCCQ Newsdesk, Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

Miles Government to double major wind farm project in southwest Wambo Stage 2 set to contribute to cheaper power bills for Queensland household and businesses Project to deliver clean energy to the equivalent of more than 300,000 homes, support local jobs and economy

The Miles Government has today committed to almost doubling Wambo Wind farm in Queensland’s southwest, adding enough generation to the overall project to power the equivalent of 312,000 homes with renewable energy once complete.

The Queensland Labor

Government has previously committed to a 42 wind turbine farm out in Jandowae, however today’s announcement will see the project doubling, with a further 41 turbines to be added to the site.

Thanks to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, and renewable energy projects including Wambo Stages 1 and 2, households are set to save about $150 each year by 2032, while small businesses will see a reduction of around $1,495 off their annual power bills.

Additionally, wholesale prices will decrease by approximately 15% by 2040 thanks to Queensland’s plan to transition to renewable

energy.

Doubling the size of Wambo means the facility will generate 506MW of energy by 2026, with the 83 turbines towering 247m up in the air.

The wind farm, which features some of the largest onshore wind turbines in the nation, will contribute to Queensland’s targets 70% renewables by 2032.

The project will boost the local economy, with about 200 direct construction jobs, and up to 500 more indirect jobs during the multi-year build.

Foundations for the first wind turbines on Stage One are now underway, while construction of Stage Two

is expected to commence in mid-2024.

Commercial operation of Stage 1 is set for 2025, while stage 2 is set for 2026, with the project expected to create an additional 8 ongoing jobs.

The project is being delivered in partnership between publicly owned energy company, Stanwell Corporation, and global sustainable developers, Cubico.

Under the venture, Stanwell will own 50 per cent of the energy produced, and will purchase the rest of the power from Cubico under a 15-year agreement.

Wambo Wind Farm stages 1 and 2 are backed by a $455

million investment from the Miles Government’s Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund for Stanwell’s share in the project.

Minister of Energy and Clean Economy Jobs says, “The Miles Government is getting the balance right – ensuring energy is cheaper, cleaner, and more secure, while protecting and creating more jobs in more industries.” he further said that “Queensland has been the world leader in rooftop solar, are now we are building world-class wind power thanks to partnerships between publicly owned energy companies like Stanwell, and world-renowned clean energy company Cubico Sustainable Investments.”

Support for Queensland seniors returns in 2024

Brisbane, Feb 27 (MCCQ Newsdesk,Ministerial Media Statement Media Release)

Popular Seniors Expos and Seniors Savings Pop-Ups will return in 2024 to provide information and support for older Queenslanders about how to access up to $1.8 billion in concessions

The events provide information on the wide range of concessions and savings available to seniors to help ease cost-of-living pressures

Since 2021, more than 16,000 seniors have attended one of the events

Older Queenslanders are invited to join the more than 16,000 people who have already attended a Seniors Expo or Seniors Savings Popup in the past three years to find out more about available concessions that can help ease

the cost of living.

The Queensland Government concessions for older people include:

$1,072 off power, through the $700 cost-of-living energy rebate in 2023-24 for pensioners, veterans, seniors card holders and other vulnerable households, in addition to their existing annual $372 rebate.

up to 50 per cent off Translink bus, train and ferry services. up to 50 per cent off vehicle registration for pensioners, seniors and veterans, reducing registration from $360.60 to $180.30 for a 4-cylinder vehicle.

$479 Medical Cooling and Heating Electricity Concession Scheme for eligible concession card holders.

Free glasses every two years under the Spectacle Supply Scheme. The Queensland Government today hosted the first Seniors Expo for 2024 at the Logan Diggers Services Club.

In addition to sharing information on potential savings, the expos also give seniors advice on how to stay safe at home and in the community and provide an opportunity for older people to connect with local services and programs that support them.

Seniors Savings pop-up events also return in 2024 –starting at Westfield centres at:

Westfield Northlakes on Monday 11 March

Westfield Chermside on Tuesday 12 March

Westfield Garden City on Wednesday 13 March

Westfield Carindale on Thursday 14 March

Westfield Coomera on Friday 15 March. These pop-up events enable older people to meet faceto-face with a Queensland Government cards and concessions specialist.

The expos and pop-up events support seniors to sign up for a Queensland Seniors Card and get access to information on other savings, concessions and rebates.

Last year, 12 Seniors Expos were held across the state from Toowoomba to Thursday Island. There were also 16 Seniors Savings Pop-Ups in places like Gympie, Caboolture, throughout Western Queensland and at the Brisbane EKKA.

More Expos and Seniors savings pop-ups are scheduled in 2024.

Minister for Seniors Charis Mullen says in regards to seniors

“We know many seniors are feeling the increased cost of living,”

“These expos and pop-ups focus on what seniors can receive from the government to ease some of those pressures.

“They’re an opportunity to hear first-hand from seniors about what is important to them and to make sure they know about concessions available to them.

“Seniors can save money on a range of goods and services, including electricity, medical aids, public transport and vehicle registration.

MCCQ Member contests election this March

Brisbane, Feb 26 (MCCQ Newsdesk)

Ashwina Gotame is a member of the Multicultural Community Connect Queensland Inc. She supports the Arts, the media, and women who are passionate about Arts and the media.

Multicutural Community Connect Queensland Inc members congratulate her for the launch of her campaign and wish her all the best for the upcoming elections.

Ashwina is contesting for the Councillor Postition of the Macgregor Ward. If you live in MacGregor we urge you to register for voting and support her.

Ashwina is a passionate community activist, an accomplished educator and a corporate professional who loves living on Brisbane’s vibrant multicultural Southside with her family.

Ashwina’s vision for Macgregor Ward is a caring multicultural community that works together to support every part of our beautiful and diverse population. She understands that when people show respect for one another and work together, great things can be achieved. Like many children of migrants and working people, Ashwina’s family taught her the value of hard work and education. This led Ashwina to pursue a career in teaching,

so she could pass on her experiences.

Ashwina is dedicated to making everyone feel a part of our beautiful MacGregor community, celebrating every individual and unique parts of our lively and exciting suburb.

Ashwina will make a difference by standing up for MacGregor, by being a strong voice for residents who knows the issues and fights for them. She will advocate for better local services, better infrastructure, and better public spaces for our community. Ashwina will be the champion that our community deserves. https://queenslandlabor.org/ ashwina-gotame/

First Nations voices key to closing the gap

Brisbane, Feb 15 (MCCQ

Newsdesk) Media Release from Reconciliation Australia website Partnerships and action on First Nations peoples advice are key to closing the gap.

Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine has warmly welcomed the Prime Minister’s renewed commitment to reconciliation and treaty-making during his speech to parliament this morning.

She acknowledged his admission that a new approach is needed after only 11 out of 19 socio- economic outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are improving and only four are on track to meet agreed targets.

“This is profoundly disappointing but not surprising given the Productivity Commission’s recent review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap which found successive Governments had continued to adopt a ‘we know best” attitude and a “disregard” for the advice of First Nations communities and organisations,” Ms Mundine said.

“Governments must fundamentally reform the way they engage with First Nations peoples and value our lived experiences and expertise.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander peoples and organisations must lead the design and implementation of the close the gap strategy if the targets are to be met.

“It is a positive sign that the Prime Minister has listened to long-standing calls from the First Nations childcare sector and will appoint a National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children,” she said.

Ms Mundine said that one of the key lessons learned by the reconciliation movement over the past decades is that relationships, respect, and listening were preconditions

Migrant communities vital for reconciliation

Brisbane, Feb 16 (MCCQ Newsdesk) Media Release

MCCGC website

As part of a concerted effort to lift engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse communities Reconciliation Australia promoted reconciliation, truth telling and justice for First Nations peoples at the National Multicultural Festival Feb 18th weekend.

The reconciliation stall, jointly hosted by the ACT Reconciliation Council and Reconciliation Australia featured posters and other resources in ten major Australian languages other than English.

Arabic, Greek, Italian, simplified and traditional

Chinese, Korean, Punjabi, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese are all featured in the translated resources for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2024 and background information on reconciliation and NRW.

The National Reconciliation Week theme for 2024, Now More Than Ever, is a reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will —and must —continue.

Reconciliation Australia

CEO, Karen Mundine, said that polling in the lead up to last year’s Voice referendum indicated higher levels of support for the Voice in

migrant communities but also a higher level of undecided voters and people unsure of the issues.

“It is clear that while migrant communities have a high empathy and nascent support for reconciliation and justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, there is also less information available in the languages spoken by these communities,” she said.

“The support for the Voice from 120 peak ethnic groups and the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia was an indication of the views of many non-Anglo Australians but we need to build deeper relationships

for success.

“At the heart of reconciliation is the need to build respectful relationships and listen to, and act on, the opinions, advice and expertise of First Nations people.

“Our Reconciliation Action Plan partners know this truth; that developing trusting relationships, that respecting First Nations peoples and cultures and acting on their expert opinions makes for better outcomes.

“Across Australia companies, sporting clubs and codes, cultural institutions and

with all communities to improve understanding of Australia’s history and the need for First Nations’ cultures and rights to be respected.”

Ms Mundine thanked the leaders of Australia’s migrant communities for their ongoing support and pledged that Reconciliation Australia would continue to focus on working with Australia’s diverse migrant communities.

“Now more than ever, the work continues. In treaty making, in truth-telling, in understanding our history, in education, and in tackling racism. We need connection. We need respect. We need

thousands of schools are experiencing the benefits that come from respect and reconciliation.”

“Acting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander expert advice works and if we are to build a just and reconciled country, Governments must learn this truth,” said Ms Mundine.

Reconciliation Australia’s national survey, the Australian Reconciliation Barometer, found that most Australians agree that more should be done by governments to close the gap across health, education, justice, and employment.

action. And we need change,” said Ms Mundine. “Now more than ever, we need reconciliation.”

Just over half of Australians were either born overseas or have at least one migrant parent. And nearly a quarter of Australians speak a language other than English at home.

The current resources are available for download from: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/ national-reconciliation-week/ translated-resources/ Article taken from https:// www.mccgc.org.au/empowering-careers-through-our-resume-writing-and-interview-preparation-session/

Grants now open to support social connections among older Queenslanders

Brisbane, Feb 27 (MCCQ

Newsdesk) Media Release Charis Mullen office

Organisations are invited to apply for grants that strengthen older Queenslanders social connections to each other and to their community

A total of $12.5 million funding is available over five years from 2024–25

Last year 79,000 older Queenslanders across 25 local government areas engaged in Senior Social Isolation Services funded programs Applications are now open for organisations across the state to apply for a share of $2.5 million each year between 2024–25 and 2028–29 in grants aimed at preventing older Queenslanders from becoming socially isolated.

Organisations of all sizes that can help older Queenslanders

to feel more connected, supported and active within their communities are encouraged to apply.

Funding is also available for an organisation to act as a peak body to coordinate the Seniors Social Isolation Program and provide advice to government.

Queensland’s population of older people is growing, especially in regional and rural communities.

Applications are particularly sought from organisations in places where limited services are available for older Queenslanders to improve social connections, and from community-controlled organisations supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander older peoples across the state.

Social isolation among older people can have a profound impact on their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. It can lower a person’s quality of life, increase feelings of loneliness and worsen existing health conditions.

Seniors social isolation services can help improve outcomes for older people by supporting them to connect with others and their communities.

The new funding is in addition to an existing $20.5 million investment over five years that currently supports 42 existing providers of Seniors Social Isolation Services across 25 Queensland local government areas.

Minister for Seniors Charis Mullen feels:

“I was honoured to join older Queenslanders on the Gold Coast this month to see first-hand the benefits that a seniors social isolation program brings.

“I know many of the organisations that may apply will be small not-for-profit operations, often run by volunteers and well established in their communities.

“Giving them financial support will enable them to provide practical and crucial support for seniors at risk of experiencing social isolation.

“We value the incredible contributions older Queenslanders make to our state and their wellbeing is

one of our highest priorities.”of summer.

Seniors Social Isolation Services are designed for older people aged 60 years and over and First Nations peoples aged 50 years and over who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing social isolation.

For further information on seniors social isolation programs or to apply for a grant, visit https://www.qld.gov.au/ seniors-social-isolation-grants

50 glorious years of a satellite town: Navi Mumbai

Mumbai, Feb 21 by

Prachi Merchant (Urban Planner)

What was conceived as a satellite and twin town of Mumbai with an agenda to decongest Mumbai, has today achieved a status of an independent well planned green city with some of the most successful experiments. After 50 glorious years of its evolution, Navi Mumbai (New Mumbai) has lessons for urban professionals towards systematic planning. It has 7 self-sustaining nodes, affordable housing provision for all sections of society, one-of-the-first kinds in transit oriented development around railway stations, adequate open spaces, holding ponds, state-of-the-art physical and social infrastructure, etc. which was mainly possible because of the greenfield status of land available for planning.

As stated in the article

‘Social well-being through open space planning: The Navi Mumbai case study’ published in the Question of Cities, 2024, the open space hierarchy, quality and quantity provision in Navi Mumbai is 3.9 sq.mt per person per capita, which is higher compared to most of the other Indian cities and also some national and international cities. This provision is ensured through accessible gardens, playgrounds, theme gardens, avenues, green connectors, open parks along the streets, stadiums, green and blue connectors, around the water bodies, green buffer areas along highway, railway line, nallas, lakes, below high tension wires, catchment areas, along mangrove parks, etc.The open spaces has become an important aspect for the social well being of its citizens as also an environmental and a climate resilient

factor. The green cover reduces the urban heat effect and helps in flood resistance. According to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.7, one aspect mentions that having sufficient public space allows cities and regions to function efficiently and equitably as it gives opportunities to people to meet and recreate. Access to open public space improves the quality of life of a citizen and prepares the city against the flood-like situation. The provision of open space for recreational and physical activities also reflects in the social and mental well being, the planning and development of which offers a template for other Indian cities as one of the best practices.

Besides open spaces, housing provision for all strata of the society was done by the Government which opened up opportunities for buying houses at an affordable rate. From lower middle class, middle class and higher class, police quarters, Government colonies, artist colony with home cum studio units, high end housing, etc., all provisions allowed mixed use development. Sector planning ensured provision of mixed use land use with residential, market, recreational and open spaces planning. All this together contributes to a high Liveability index of a city. One such example of green buffer area development on land below the high tension wires that runs along the entire Navi Mumbai is a model that can be replicated in any part of the world. An example of policy implementation laid down by the authority and maintained by the residential community, contributing to the social welfare and greening.

As per the article Navi Mumbai Residential Colony Stops Encroachment, Turns Barren Land Into Green Wonder, published in The Better India in 2020, describes how in the late 1990’s, a group of citizens of Sector 9 in Belapur of Navi Mumbai realised that the barren land adjoining their complex was being encroached upon and that the only way to save that land was to stop any kind of construction. Measuring nearly one hectare, this decision to green the land gave way to the founding of the CBS resident’s Agro Society, a residents’ association committed to environment friendliness and conservation of the sensitive ecosystem in that area.

The primary aim of the Society, fondly called Agro Garden, is to keep the open land free from encroachments, and develop it as a green area. Under this broad umbrella of greening, the Agro garden has explored many concepts. They first terraced the land to prevent soil erosion due to the heavy rainway of the monsoons. They followed it up with sinking a natural open well, created a pumping arrangement and laid a network of pipes for irrigation. After this, they planted gardens and other arrangements resulting in a vast expanse of a vegetable farm through organic methods, a relaxing Senior citizens park, and a lush playground for younger residents which was later used for crops due to high demand in organic crop produce. The vegetable garden grows crops throughout the year and sells its fresh organic produce to the residents as well as neighbouring areas.Most of the crops are grown through

trial and error by the local residents, especially by the retired army of senior citizens. Today, there is a large variety of crops including exclusive articles such as herbs, saplings, leaves, flowers, festival based natural produce, medicinal plants and fruits besides seasonal vegetables. The Agro garden holds its vegetable sale twice a week and is managed through online groups where they take orders as well as for delivery coordination.

As per The Better India article, the Botanical Garden & Butterfly Park (BG & BFP) came in the second phase of development and was developed on an extended land on the eastern side with a similar purpose, i.e. to save it from being encroached by the adjoining colony for car parking. The Agro garden volunteers started planting a variety of host and nectar plants required for the butterfly park. They soon realised that the park could also be developed into a botanical garden, and combined the work for both.

From planting saplings, digging pits, filling dump areas, to making paved pathways from waste tiles, building small bridges over small streams, the BG & BFP has come a long way. It has turned 10 years old this year and even today it relentlessly works towards protecting nature, providing opportunity for people to interact with nature, supporting educational activity and is a source of material for consumers. Through continued voluntary efforts, the BG & BFP has grown into an extremely green expanse full of butterflies and a variety of plants.

For some, it is a peaceful green lush oasis in the midst of urban chaos, for others it’s a daily stress buster and for some others it is a recreation. For butterfly and birding enthusiasts, it is a haven to simply sit by the lotus pond for hours and spot a variety of birds and butterflies.

Agro garden has managed to create a complete ecosystem by this effort by creating this biodiverse area on a barren land. Today the Agro garden houses a variety of 250 types of trees, shrubs and other plants, attracting around 25 to 30 species of birds, 30 to 40 varieties of butterflies and innumerous insects.

There are many events conducted by the volunteers at the Agro garden towards environment protection awareness such as nature trails, school educational trips, childrens workshops, yearly springtime celebration fair, etc. There are also collaborations with other organisations towards sustainable practices including reducing waste. One such effort is that of collecting plastic waste from the Navi Mumbai residents on a monthly basis and recycling them into products such as garden benches which are placed in the garden itself. Started with a dual purpose to protect the land from encroachment and to maintain greenery, Agro garden has evolved well and strives to maintain and improve by engaging more people. While it continues to do urban farming and helps in spreading environmental awareness through creative programs, the real success would be in institutionalising its working as a sustainable model to make it irreversible practice and to be replicated in other places.

Minister Vasu engages in bilateral discussions in NZ

Fiji, Feb 16 (MCCQ Newsdesk)

Media Release Fiji Gov.

The Minister for iTaukei Affairs, Culture, Heritage & Arts, Hon. Ifereimi Vasu engaged in separate bilateral discussions with New Zealand’s Minister for Māori Development, the Hon. Tama Potaka, and the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, the Hon. Shane Jones.

In these meetings, Minister Vasu emphasised the significance of Fiji’s bilateral ties with New Zealand and highlighted the necessity of enhancing these relations through various proposed initiatives that were brought up for discussion. The discussions led to tangible outcomes, which will be pursued further

under arrangements that are beneficial for both parties.

Following these meetings, Minister Vasu and his delegation held consultations with the Waitangi Tribunal, the Māori Land Court, and the office of Māori Crown Relations.

Article taken from https://www. fiji.gov.fj/Media-Centre/News/ MINISTER-VASU-ENGAGESIN-BILATERAL-DISCUSSIONSIN

New classrooms for Dreketi primary school students in Macuata

Fiji, Feb 20 (MCCQ Newsdesk)

Media Release Fiji Gov.

Learning under make shift tents for the past three years has come to an end for students of Dreketi Primary School in Macuata, following the commissioning of their state-of-the-art classrooms today (20.02.24).

It was an emotional moment for parents as they watched their children being escorted from the tents to their new learning center.

Dreketi Primary School’s head teacher Shalendra Vijay said the commissioning of the new classrooms would go down in history as a day to celebrate the dreams and aspirations of students.

Despite experiencing difficulties while learning in tents, Vijay said that the students did not let it deter them from pursuing their studies, as reflected in their academic achievements.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, National Development, Strategic Planning and Statistics Hon. Biman Prasad while officiating at the event highlighted the substantial assistance rendered by the Australian Government through the Vuvale Partnership, which funded the construction of the classrooms.

DPM Prasad said Fiji has benefitted from this bilateral relationship, providing much-needed aid during some of the major challenges

More

than 10,000 citizens to benefit from new Keiyasi

Fiji, Feb 15 (MCCQ Newsdesk)

Media Release Fiji Gov.

Keiyasi was filled with smiles today after the Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the new town project of Keiyasi.

The new town after its completion will benefit more than 10, 000 Fijians in the provinces of Nadroga, Navosa and in the Highlands of Ba.

Turaga ni Koro from Keiyasi village, Viliame Naliva could not contain his emotions as he spoke about the difficulties faced by those living in the Highlands as they travel in the wee hours in the morning to try to get to the nearest town.

“This has been a long time

town

coming and we thank the Government of the day for this new project.”

“Villagers travel for hours with their vegetables and crops trying to get to the nearest town in order to sell their goods.”

“With the new town opening soon we will not be having this issue and we have been dreaming about this for a long time.”

PM Rabuka highlighted such new towns like Keiyasi will open up jobs for the people of Navosa, ultimately leading to the improvement of their living standards.

“This welcome development speaks of the foresight and

generosity of the chiefs and people of Keiyasi, tikina o Namataku, and the landowning unit of Namoilevu, who have offered the support for this project by their decision to give up little more than 9 hectares of their land to be leased as the site of the new Keiyasi Town.”

Article taken from https://www. fiji.gov.fj/Media-Centre/News/ MORE-THAN-10,000-CITIZENSTO-BENEFIT-FROM-NEWKEIY

Wainilotulevu and Nasoqo infrastructure projects commissioned

heavy mud to reach their school.

that hit the country like COVID-19, and the rehabilitation programs implemented in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Winston and Yasa.

Australia’s High Commissioner to Fiji His Excellency Ewen McDonald said education was the cornerstone of development, power to education enables us to transform our lives, empower community and creates a world of possibilities.

“We know that investing in you is the best investment we can make to the future of Fiji,” Mr McDonald said.

The six classrooms and two abolition blocks were constructed at a cost of $2.9million.

It was an emotional day for the Villagers of Wainilotulevu and Nasoqo today (15.02.24) as the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Hon. Sakiasi Ditoka handed over 4 completed projects to the villagers.

These projects, ranging from footpaths to ecological purification systems as well as sanitary infrastructure were all praised and welcomed by the people of Wainilotulevu and Nasoqo as it was a big progress towards uplifting their livelihoods.

The highlight of the day was the official opening of the cement footpath linking both Wainilotulevu and Nasoqo providing convenient access for children from both villagers that attend Venuqa Primary School.

Minister Ditoka emphasized the positive impact this footpath would have on the daily lives of the villagers, particularly children who previously travelled through

“With this project, children will have the opportunity to attend school regularly, and our teachers are pleased to take on the responsibility of educating our youth.”

Recognizing the importance of clean water, the Minister introduced the Ecological Purification System (EPS) designed to provide safe drinking water to the residents of both villages.

“This initiative is an important move towards ensuring a healthy and sustainable environment for the communities.”

Addressing sanitary concerns, Minister Ditoka emphasized the installation of five flush toilets as a crucial infrastructure of improving village hygiene standards.

He stressed the importance of maintaining these facilities and urged the villagers to develop a village development plan to safeguard their newly commissioned infrastructures.

In addition, Minister Ditoka emphasized the importance of utilizing land resources effectively.

Encouraging villagers to engage in agricultural activities and explore investment opportunities, he highlighted the potential for economic and self-empowerment.

Recognizing the vulnerability of these communities to natural disasters, the Minister underscored the importance of disaster preparedness and urged villagers to remain vigilant and responsive to early warnings.

Following the official commissioning, Minister Ditoka engaged in Talanoa sessions with the villagers, through open dialogue to address their concerns and hopes for future development initiatives.

The commissioning of these projects was a collaborative effort between the Ministry and the local communities, showing the government’s commitment to improving the quality of life for all Fijians, particularly those in rural areas.

Fiji, Feb 15 (MCCQ Newsdesk) Media Release Fiji Gov.

Marcos says 3 deals to be inked during Australia visit

Manila, Feb 28 (PNA)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos MANILA – President

Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said three agreements aimed at enhancing the Philippines and Australia’s relations will be signed during his visit to the Australian capital Canberra.

“I anticipate an enhancement of the mutual understanding between the Philippines and Australia as we share a common vision not just for our bilateral relations, but for the peace and security of the region as well,” Marcos said in his pre-departure speech delivered at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

“I will also have the opportunity to expand our wide-ranging cooperation with Australia through the formalization and signing of three agreements,” he added. Marcos, however, did not elaborate on the agreements to be signed.

The President will be in Canberra as a “guest of government” upon the invitation of Australian GovernorGeneral David Hurley.

He is also set to address the Australian Parliament to discuss the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Marcos stressed that the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Australia “provides greater energy and optimism for closer cooperation that is mutually beneficial to both Filipinos and Australians”.

“Our engagement in the Parliament will also feature conversations with Australia’s legislative leadership who are vital partners in ensuring a favorable and enabling policy to our relations to continue its upward trajectory,” he said.

Marcos said he would also highlight the two countries’ improved defense and security tie, citing the success of Exercise Alon and the Maritime Cooperative Activity last year.

He also emphasized the need to discuss the expansion of collaboration with Australia in trade and investment in the coming years.

“After all, economic security is a vital component of national security,” Marcos said. “I hope to bring home with me a more robust, warmer, and closer Philippine-Australian relations.”

The President is also expected to hold separate meetings

with Australian senior officials to have “constructive discussions on defense and security, trade, investments, people-to-people exchanges, multilateral cooperation, and regional issues,” Malacañang earlier said.

The Philippines and Australia will celebrate the 78th anniversary of diplomatic relations in November this year.

Australia is the Philippines’ second largest partner in defense and security and one of only two bilateral partners with a status of Visiting Forces Agreement, aside from the United States.

As of 2022, around 408,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent call Australia their home, making them the fifth-largest migrant community in the country. (PNA)

Gov’t to defend PH maritime territory, help Filipino fisherfolk – PBBM

Manila, Feb 28 (PNA)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

MANILA – The government will continue defending the Philippines’ maritime territory and helping the Filipino fishermen, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said Wednesday.

Marcos issued the statement, in response to recent developments in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) where there is a reported presence of a Chinese warship and a notable surge in electronic communications disruptions affecting the Philippine vessels.

Speaking to reporters before flying to Canberra, Australia, Marcos said the current situation in the WPS is “worrisome”.

“Because there are two elements to that. One is that, dati Coast Guard lang ng China ang gumagalaw dun sa area natin, ngayon may Navy na, sumama pa ang mga fishing boat so nagbabago ang sitwasyon (before, it’s just the China’s Coast Guard being monitored in our area. Now, there’s the Navy and fishing boats so the situation is changing),” Marcos said.

Despite this, Marcos maintained that he would not relinquish any Philippine territory.

He also assured the Filipino fisherfolk of the government’s continued support.

“We will just really defend our maritime territory. We continue to support all our fishermen, our fisherfolk who make our living from this fishing grounds at patuloy naman natin tutulungan sila (and we will continue to help them),” Marcos said.

“So that’s the basic principle there, the fishers must be

allowed to fish in their traditional fishing grounds which belong in the maritime territory of the Philippines,” he added.

The Philippine Navy on Tuesday said it is determining the source of interference affecting electronics and communications equipment of Filipino ships in the WPS, following an increase in the incidents.

The PN also spotted a Chinese Navy warship, China Coast Guard vessels, and Chinese fishing boats in the Philippine waters. (PNA)

Gov’t allots higher budget for health facilities improvement – DBM

Manila, Feb 28 (PNA)

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos

MANILA – There is an increase in this year’s budget for the improvement of the health facilities in the country, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Wednesday.

In a statement, the DBM said around PHP28.58 billion has been allocated under the 2024 General Appropriations Act for the Department of Health’s implementation of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (DOH-HFEP).

The DBM said the amount is higher by 6.6 percent from the PHP26.81 billion earmarked in 2023.

Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the increased allotment is a testament to the strong commitment of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to healthcare reform. She emphasized that continued support for the HFEP is crucial in attaining Marcos’ dream to transform the country into a “Bagong Pilipinas” (New Philippines) where Filipinos have access to quality primary health care.

“As the President said in his last SONA, we are increasing our public health facilities both

in number and in capability. And so, we will ensure that this program will get a much-needed support,” Pangandaman said.

“Naintindihan po natin na maraming Pilipino ang umaasa sa mga pampublikong ospital at pagamutan (We understand that many Filipinos depend on public hospitals and centers), that’s why it’s important that our health facilities are prepared and equipped to cater to the needs of our kababayans (fellow countrymen),” she added.

The total allocation for the HFEP will be used for the construction, upgrading, or expansion of government healthcare facilities nationwide.

The budget will also be used for the purchase of hospital equipment and medical transport vehicles.

Under the program, Universal Health Care (UHC) sites and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAS) will be given priority.

The HFEP also aims to upgrade essential facilities for robust response measures to coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) and other future public health emergencies that may arise, equipping, and facilitating ongoing project construction. (PNA)

5 PNP colonels promoted to 1-star rank

Manila, Feb 28 (PNA)

By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan

MANILA – Five colonels of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have been promoted to brigadier generals, the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Wednesday.

Promoted to one-star rank were Colonels Florendo Gerdan Jr., Porfirio Calagan, Rolly Octavio, Bernard Yang and Rogelio Raymundo Jr., based on the memorandum issued by the DILG.

Meanwhile, 15 officers with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel were also promoted to Colonel -- Arnel Ramos, Michael John Mangahis, Vivian Paclibon, Joefel Siason, Susan Mangaldan, Sajid Mukaram, Nilo Texon, Joan Montero, Dexter Tinepac, Resty Valmores, Charlie Vete, Leo Mendoza, Paul Gamido, Jaime Barredo Jr. and Emerson Dante.

In January, the DILG assured that there would be no delay in the processing of promotions of third-level police officers.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom)

earlier passed a resolution mandating the completion of the processing of promotions for third-level police officers within 30 days after receipt of complete documentary requirements.

DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., also the chair of the Napolcom, said the promotion would further improve the morale of the personnel and inspire them to work relentlessly in fighting criminality, illegal drugs, corruption and in maintaining peace and order in their assigned jurisdictions. (PNA)

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

NGO in Mizoram holds demonstration against fencing along Myanmar border, scraping of FMR

The NGO Coordination Committee (NGOCC), a grouping of five major civil society organisations and student bodies in Mizoram, on Wednesday staged demonstration here to protest the Centre’s proposal to fence the India-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR).

NGOCC Chairman and Young Mizo Association President Lalhmachhuana said that the

proposed fencing along the India-Myanmar border would impact the trade and economy between the two countries.

“The FMR for many years facilitated cordial relations between the people living on both sides of the border as the people of either side of the boundaries are the same ethnic groups with similar tradition and culture. It also boosted the Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) government’s ‘Act East’ policy,” he told the media.

Addressing the gathering Lalhmachhuana said that Mizo people are strongly opposed to both the fencing and the scrapping of FMR, which enables people on either side of the border to travel 16 km into each other’s territory without a passport and visa.

The NGOCC Chairman observed that the proposed fencing alone would not curb the problems of smuggling of various drugs and arms besides infiltration.

“Despite fencing, smuggling and infiltration through the India-Bangladesh border did not stop,” he remarked and urged the Union government to find an alternative wayout to solve the border problem.

Referring to Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh’s support to both fencing and scrapping the FMR, Lalhmachhuana said they have no problem if the Manipur government agrees to the fencing along its border with Myanmar.

Lone Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram and senior Mizo National Front (MNF) leader K Vanlalvena and several MLAs from the ruling Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) and opposition parties, who stepped out of the ongoing budget session of the Assembly during the recess, took part in the protest demonstration.

Vanlalvena, in a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, had said that the erstwhile British government after arbitrarily demarcating the international border with Mizoram forcibly settled Mizo people in three countries -- India, East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), and Burma (now Myanmar). Some leaders of Myanmar, who took shelter in Mizoram,

also attended the protest event.

Earlier, the NGOCC had sent a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to reconsider the decision to scrap the FMR and fence the India-Myanmar border.

Chief Minister Lalduhoma, who earlier met Prime Minister, Union Home Minister and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and opposed both the fencing and the scrapping of FMR.

Lalduhoma, who is also the President of the ruling ZPM, had earlier on a number of occasions stated that his government strongly opposed the proposed fencing of the border and was keen to retain the FMR. After meeting the Union Home Minister for the second time earlier this month, he had expressed optimism that the Centre may not fence the Mizoram portion of the India-Myanmar border.

Four northeastern statesMizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh-share a 1,643-km-long border with Myanmar. The Mizos of Mizoram share ethnic, traditional and cultural ties with the Zo-Chin community of Myanmar.

Aizawl, Feb 21 (IANS)

Study shows sinusitis may raise risk of rheumatic disease by 40%

New York, Feb 28 (IANS)

People suffering from the common inflammatory condition sinusitis may be at 40 per cent risk of developing a subsequent diagnosis of rheumatic disease, particularly in the five to 10 years preceding the start of symptoms, finds a research.

Sinusitis refers to inflammation of the lining of the sinuses, the small, air-filled cavities behind the cheekbones and forehead.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and the Harvard Medical School in the US showed that a history of sinusitis was associated with a 40 per cent heightened risk of any new diagnosis of

rheumatic disease.

The strongest association was seen for systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases, such as antiphospholipid syndrome -seven-fold increased risk, and Sjogren’s syndrome -- more than double the risk.

Antiphospholipid syndrome is a blood clotting disorder, while Sjogren’s is a condition that affects the body’s production of fluids, such as spit and tears.

The findings, published in the open access journal RMD Open, also showed that acute sinusitis was associated with an 18 per cent heightened risk of seronegative rheumatoid

arthritis (symptoms but no detectable antibodies).

“Overall, these findings point towards a role for sinus inflammation in the presentation, and possibly pathogenesis, of rheumatic disease,” the researchers said.

“Bacterial pathogens, such as those involved in sinusitis, might have a role in rheumatic disease, added to which sinusitis is associated with speeding up artery hardening, lending extra weight to its potential inflammatory effects,” they explained.

rheumatic disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, antiphospholipid syndrome, and Sjogren’s syndrome; or vasculitis (blood vessel inflammation), such as giant cell arteritis (temporal artery inflammation) and polymyalgia rheumatica (muscle pain and stiffness).

Each of these patients (average age 63; two thirds women) was matched with 3 people (5187 in total) with no rheumatic disease, based on age at diagnosis and sex.

The results showed the risk was 70 per cent higher in the 5-10 years preceding symptom onset.

Frequency of sinusitis

episodes also increased the risk. For example, those experiencing 7 or more were nearly 5 times as likely to be diagnosed with systemic autoimmune disease, nearly 9 times as likely to be diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, and twice as likely to be diagnosed with vasculitis.

The team, however, noted that “this is an observational study, and therefore no definitive conclusions can be drawn about causal factors. And reverse causation, whereby the rheumatic diseases themselves increase the risk of sinusitis, can’t be ruled out”.

Injectable gluta for whitening not supported by DOH

MANILA – The Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday said it does not support the use of injectable glutathione for skin whitening.

“Injectable glutathione is approved by FDA (Food and Drug Administration) Philippines as an adjunct treatment in cisplatin chemotherapy. The FDA has not approved any injectable products for skin lightening,”

The study sample included 1,729 adults, newly diagnosed with a systemic autoimmune it said.

Cisplatin is an antineoplastic agent to treat advanced cancer of the bladder, ovaries or testicles.

In a statement, the agency reiterated FDA Circular No. 2019-182, where it categorically stated that there are no published clinical trials that evaluated the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening.

On top of this, the DOH said there are no published guidelines for appropriate dosing regimens and duration of treatment.

The DOH reminded the public that once the FDA has approved a prescription drug for entry into the Philippine market, neither the DOH itself nor the FDA can regulate the practice of doctors who will be prescribing those drugs for their patients.

It said physicians are authorized by their license to practice medicine granted by the Professional Regulation Commission.

The FDA said injectable glutathione is sometimes even paired with intravenous Vitamin C, which puts a person at risk of getting kidney stones if his/her urine

is acidic.

According to the FDA, the side effects of the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening include toxic effects on the liver, kidneys and nervous system.

Also of concern is the possibility of Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a rare and serious disorder of the skin and mucous membranes that manifests in rashes, discolorations and blisters.

“Given that glutathione affects the production melanin (the pigment that gives the human skin, hair and eyes their color), there are theoretical concerns about the long term skin cancer risk,” it said.

“Other potential risks include transmission of infectious agents, such as HIV (human

immunodeficiency virus), hepatitis C and B. This is of particular concern when non-medical practitioner administers this treatment or done in a non-sterile facility,” it added.

Should a person think that injectable glutathione was wrongly prescribed by a physician, the DOH said the patients can consults a practicing lawyer or the Public Attorney’s Office for legal advice on matters such as medical negligence.

In cases of side effects due to the use of any drug, including injectable glutathione, the user is advised to seek medical attention immediately and report it to FDA at pharmacovigilance@fda.gov. ph or call the Center for Drug Regulation and Research at (02) 8809-5596. (PNA)

Manila, Feb 24 (PNA) By Joyce Ann L. Rocamora

Africa’s first Green Game Summit to be held in Nairobi

Nairobi, Feb 19 (IANS)

On the weekend of February 24, leaders from the video games industry, the UN and government representatives will meet in Nairobi for the inaugural Green Games Summit.

The summit takes place just before the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters, which will see heads of state and government.

More than 100 ministers from across the world gather in Nairobi. With 3.4 billion players across the world, the Green Games Summit aims to harness the power of gaming

to meet the needs of environmental sustainability.

Organised by the UNEPfacilitated Playing for the Planet Alliance and the Pan Africa Gaming Group (PAGG), the summit underscores the commitment of the growing industry commitments to environmental stewardship.

The two-day session will showcase projects such as the Green Game Jam, which this year will see 78 different games aiming to get one million people to take action in the real world.

It will also highlight some of the best-in-class studios making games in Africa,

including Usiku Games, Internet of Elephants and Mekon from Kenya and Sea Monster from South Africa.

“We are delighted to host the global gaming industry here in Nairobi for this important summit. With over a billion digital native youth coming online in Africa, the continent represents the future of gaming. Kenya already runs on 90 per cent renewable energy and has one of the cleanest gaming sectors globally, so it is the perfect place to start thinking about these questions,” said Jay Shapiro, Chairperson of the Pan Africa Gaming Group and host of the Nairobi Game Development Centre.

UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi set to address triple planetary crisis

In the backdrop of 2023 being the warmest year on record, with resultant heatwaves, storms and droughts causing havoc, heads of state and more than 5,000 representatives and leaders will gather in Nairobi in Kenya from Monday for the five-day sixth UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) to strengthen multilateral effort to address the planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste.

The Assembly, which usually meets biennially and sees visionaries from the business sector, governments, scientific institutions, and civil society, is the world’s top decision-making body on matters related to the environment and includes all 193 UN member states.

Observers told IANS that

there are 20 draft resolutions and two decisions on the table, among them a resolution on the metals and minerals issue.

“UNEA-VI will place particular focus on how stronger multilateralism can help us to do this,” said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen earlier this month.

“It will drive united, inclusive and multilateral action that addresses every strand of the triple planetary crisis as one indivisible challenge.”

In the run-up to the UNEA, aptly called “world’s parliament on the environment,” ministers and partners of the UNEP-convened Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) launched a Clean Air Flagship effort to provide a platform to boost regional coordination and private sector

Moroccan navy rescues 141 migrants off Atlantic coast

Rabat, Feb 19 (IANS)

The Moroccan Navy rescued 141 migrants from a flimsy boat off the Atlantic coast, the media reported, citing a statement from the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces.

All the migrants, including three women and two minors, were from sub-Saharan African countries. They were rescued in an operation that lasted 15 hours due to unfavourable weather conditions, according to the statement released on Sunday.

The migrants, who departed from the Mauritanian coast on February 10, intended to reach the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwestern Africa,

it added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

After their boat was stranded about 274 km off the port of Dakhla, the migrants sent a distress signal that was intercepted by Moroccan authorities.

The migrants were handed over to the Royal Gendarmerie for the usual administrative procedures after receiving necessary care, the statement said.

According to the official statistics, the Moroccan Army arrested about 87,000 undocumented migrants in 2023, most of whom were from sub-Saharan Africa.

engagement, data-led policy action, financing, science and advocacy.

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis will deliver his address at the opening of the high-level segment that will be held on February 29 and March 1.

The segment will consist of an opening plenary with statements by key dignitaries, national statements; three leadership dialogues, a multi-stakeholder dialogue, and a closing plenary meeting during which UNEA will take action on the draft Ministerial declaration as well as the draft resolutions and decisions.

India will be represented by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change’s Additional Secretary Naresh Pal Gangwar.

Government leaders plan to use the Assembly to renew calls for progress on the sustainable development goals, a global blueprint for protecting the planet and promoting prosperity. Just 15 per cent of the goals, which come due in 2030, are on track.

“We must find practical ways to advance the human rights to a healthy environment, which is crucial for sustainable development,” said Leila Benali, Morocco’s energy

businesses inked a landmark pact to prevent pollution from chemicals and waste.

“We know that when we protect the natural world, public health improves. When we focus on sustainable solutions to the climate crisis, our economies get stronger.”

Also on the agenda of the Assembly will be ways to tackle the dramatic increase of wasteful and fuel-intensive plastics, which is feeding the climate crisis.

More than 99 per cent of plastic is made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels, the substances responsible for 86 per cent of C02 emissions in the last decade. Plastic pollution reinforces the need for a binding plastics treaty as well as a fossil fuel treaty that can tackle the root cause of both the plastics pollution crisis and the climate crisis through phasing out oil, gas and coal production.

In 2022, the Assembly ended with countries agreeing to launch negotiations on a legally binding global instrument to end plastic pollution.

That was one in a recent string of ambitious international agreements on environment.

Last September, countries and

Two months later, at the UN Climate Change Conference, countries vowed for the first time to transition away from the fossil fuels that are superheating the earth and driving climate change.

Researchers find that if no action is taken, annual plastic production will rise 22 per cent between 2024 and 2050, and plastic pollution will jump 62 per cent between 2024 and 2050. By continuing with business as usual, the world would generate enough litter between 2010 and 2050 to cover the entire island of Manhattan with a 3.5-km-tall heap of plastic -- nearly 10 times the height of the Empire State Building.

With a strong UN plastics treaty that incorporates the right mix of nine plastic reduction policies, however, plastic pollution could be virtually eliminated in 2040 -- with the generation of mismanaged waste reduced by 89 per cent to a more manageable 10 million metric ton per year in 2040.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)

New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS)

transition minister and the President of UNEA-VI.

Japan releases 4th ocean discharge of Fukushima nuclear-tainted wastewater despite opposition

Tokyo, Feb 28 (IANS)

Japan on Wednesday started the fourth-round of release of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean.

Despite opposition from local fishermen, residents as well as backlash from the international community, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the plant’s operator, started discharging the radioactive wastewater at around 11:30 a.m. local time, Xinhua news agency reported.

Similar to the previous three rounds, about 7,800 tons of the wastewater, which still contains tritium, a radioactive substance, will be discharged over about 17 days.

Hit by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and an ensuing tsunami on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns that released radiation, resulting in a level-7 nuclear accident, the highest on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale.

The plant has been generating a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel in the reactor buildings, which are now being stored in tanks at the nuclear plant.Peninsula with weapons tests and harsh rhetoric in an election year for South Korea and the United States.

North launched a solid-fuel

China agrees to rollover Pakistan’s $2 bn debt on existing terms

Islamabad, Feb 28 (IANS)

China has agreed to rollover a $2 billion debt on existing terms after initially seeking a hike in price, as Pakistan’s policy to maintain foreign exchange reserves through deposits by three countries is becoming costly due to a 118 per cent surge in interest cost, a media report said.

An understanding has been reached with Beijing to further extend the repayment period of the $2 billion loan maturing on March 23 -- the Pakistan Day, The Express Tribune reported.

Sources said that China had initially asked to further increase the interest rate on the $2 billion debt. Pakistan is currently paying 7.1 per cent interest on the basis of the six-month Secured Overnight Finance Rate (SOFR) plus 1.715 per cent, the report said.

The officials said that China has informally communicated its decision to further extend the repayment period and the Finance Ministry is waiting for a formal response.

Pakistan’s interim Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar

had last month formally requested the Chinese government to rollover the maturing loans, according to officials, The Express Tribune reported.

Pakistan paid Rs 26.6 billion in interest in the last fiscal to China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE on the $9 billion deposits that these three nations placed with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the SBP balance sheet showed.

In the preceding year, the country had paid Rs 12.2 billion which jumped by 118 per cent within a year.

The authorities said that a major factor behind the 118 per cent increase in the interest cost was the currency devaluation in the previous fiscal, The Express Tribune reported.

The central bank’s gross official foreign exchange reserves stand at $8 billion.

Over the past one decade, Pakistan has adopted a policy to borrow from the regional countries during difficult economic times.

hypersonic missile into the East Sea on Jan. 14 in its first missile firing this year.

Pyongyang also claimed it had tested an underwater nuclear attack drone in protest of the latest joint military drills among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan earlier this month. (Yonhap)

Increasing med school admissions by 2,000 minimum necessary measure: South Korean President

Seoul, Feb 27 (IANS)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday said the government’s plan to raise the medical school enrollment quota by 2,000 is a “minimum necessary measure” aimed at addressing a shortage of doctors with no room for negotiation or compromise.

Trainee doctors protesting the plan staged a mass walkout for an eighth day Tuesday, with around 9,000 resident and intern doctors leaving their workplaces as of Monday, according to the government, Yonhap news agency reported.

The vacuum left patients scrambling to find available hospitals, while one woman in her 80s died after no emergency room would take her for nearly an hour.

“When the people are sick, if they are unable to receive timely and proper treatment, the state would not be fulfilling its constitutional duty,” Yoon said during a meeting on cooperation between the central and local governments, held at the former presidential compound of Cheong Wa Dae.

“Increasing the medical school quota by 2,000 is a minimum necessary measure needed to fulfill that constitutional duty of the state,” he said, citing a clause in the Constitution that stipulates the people’s right to receive health protection from the state and the state’s responsibility to provide it. “Our country currently faces a big shortage of doctors. In the near future, the situation will get more serious.”

Yoon said the medical reform policy is being pushed with an urgency that this is the last opportunity to save the people and local regions, referring to the government’s argument that more doctors are needed to work in essential medical fields, such as high-risk surgeries, pediatrics, obstetrics and emergency medicine, as well as in rural areas.

“This cannot and should not be a subject for negotiation or compromise,” he said.

Doctors’ groups have fiercely objected to the plan, saying an increase in medical school admissions will only lower the quality of education without addressing the underlying issues of low compensation and high medical malpractice risks in the fields in question.

“Staging collective action by taking the people’s health and lives hostage and threatening the people’s lives and safety is difficult to justify under any pretext,” Yoon said.

“Even if we raise the medical school quota now, the number of doctors will only start increasing 10 years later,” he added. “Until when and how do you want us to postpone this?”

Istanbul, Jan 3 (PNA)

PTI to stage countrywide protests against poll rigging in Pak

Islamabad, Jan 28 (IANS)

Rawalpindi, Feb 27 (IANS)

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday announced staging countrywide protests with participation from other political parties on March 2 against the alleged rigging in the Pakistan general elections held on February 8, a media report said.

PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub, who is also the party’s candidate for the Prime Minister’s post, made the announcement after meeting PTI founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail, The News reported.

Addressing a press conference in Rawalpindi, the politician lamented “large-scale”

rigging in the polls, saying the PTI would stage countrywide protests against the “rigging” in polls alongside other political parties, the report said.

“Our seats were stolen with just a stroke of pen. The people gave the mandate to the former PTI chairman. Nation’s mandate and our seats have been attacked,” Ayub said.

Ayub added that the party leaders have met the PTI founder, who is incarcerated at the prison, and he is “confident” of PTI’s stance.

Stating that the party would protest in courts and

assemblies, Ayub said, “Ours is the fight for truth.”

Meanwhile, speaking to the media outside the Adiala jail, PTI’s central leader Sher Afzal Marwat also said that Imran Khan has directed to stage protests across the country on Saturday, The News reported.

Consensus reached over Afghanistan issue despite Taliban’s absence: UN

chief

Doha, Feb 20 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that international representatives have reached consensus on some key issues concerning Afghanistan after a two-day meeting in Doha, but obstacles remain.

“We want an Afghanistan in peace, peace with itself and peace with its neighbours and able to assume the commitments and the international obligations of a sovereign state,” Guterres said on Monday at a press conference after the meeting.

However, Guterres pointed out that overcoming some obstacles is still necessary

to break the deadlock on the Afghanistan issue, Xinhua nedws agency reported.

On the one hand,

“Afghanistan remains with a government that is not recognised internationally and in many aspects not integrated into the global institutions and global economy,” he added.

On the other hand, there is a common international perception of deteriorating human rights, particularly for women and girls in the country, Guterres said.

The UN Chief added that a common roadmap must be developed to address the concerns of the international community and the Afghan

authorities.

The meeting, chaired by Guterres, was attended by representatives from more than 20 countries and international organisations, including China, Russia, and the US. Taliban, the de-facto authorities in Afghanistan, did not attend.

According to the UN Chief, the conditions set by Taliban authorities to attend the meeting were “not acceptable”.

“These conditions first of all denied us the right to talk to other representatives of the Afghan society and demanded a treatment that would, to a large extent, be similar to recognition,” Guterres said.

EAM Jaishankar says he

with strong PM’

Bengaluru, Feb 28 (IANS)

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said on Wednesday that he took a strong stance on buying Russian oil amid sanctions on Moscow during its conflict with Ukraine because he is the “minister of a strong government with a strong Prime Minister”.

EAM Jaishankar said this while speaking at the BVB College in Hubballi where he released a booklet on development works initiated by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi. Acknowledging that India was “under great pressure” from European nations who disapproved of its oil trade with Russia, he said that it was Prime Minister

Narendra Modi’s clear vision that helped at that time.

“We had a Prime Minister who was very clear -- that the interest of the Indian consumer will come first. People say you took a very strong stance. I took a very strong stand because I am a minister of a strong government with a strong Prime Minister,” the minister said.

In the past, EAM Jaishankar quipped that “India’s oil purchases are less than what Europe buys in an afternoon while retorting that New Delhi buying Russian oil should not be a concern for others”. Speaking to a German daily earlier this month, the minister reaffirmed

Indian Coast Guard ships arrive in Sri Lanka for training

Colombo, Feb 28 (IANS)

Indian Coast Guard ships Samarth, an Offshore Patrol Vessel and Abhinav, Fast Patrol Vessel, arrived at Southern port city of Galle for training and professional interaction, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said.

“The ships will visit Colombo from March 2 to 5 before departing the Island nation. The Commanding Officers of the Indian Coast Guard Ships, Deputy Inspector General P Pradeep Kumar and Commandant (JG) Prabhat Kumar will be calling on Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard and other senior officers,” the Indian High Commission said.

During the stay, the ships will undertake training for Sri Lanka Coast Guard on VBSS, Fire Fighting and Damage Control, Maritime Pollution Response and hold few other professional interactions.

Other activities such as yoga, beach cleaning and walkathon will also be held during the visit.

Additionally Passage Exercise

(PASSEX) is to be conducted with Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ship, on departure, off Galle and Colombo.

The ships will be open for visit by school children. The ships would host a reception onboard for guests from Sri Lanka including senior officials from defence hierarchy and civil administration.

“The visit of these Indian Coast Guard Ships will significantly aid in augmenting capabilities of Sri Lanka Coast Guard and personnel in order to efficiently address maritime security challenges in the region,” the High Commission said.

Indian Naval Ships and Submarines Kora, Kabra and Karanj had visited Colombo in past few months. Visits by Indian Navy and Coast Guard vessels to Sri Lanka aim to enhance camaraderie and interoperability between the two friendly neighbouring Navies, which is in keeping with India’s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) doctrine and ‘Neighbourhood First’.

is minister of a ‘strong govt

its friendly ties with Russia, saying that “Moscow never hurt New Delhi’s interests”.

The bilateral ties between the all-weather friends have been increasingly scrutinised ever since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out in February 2022.

Amid claps and cheers from the crowd, EAM Jaishankar further extolled PM Modi and said that it is “nice to be a foreign minister, but it is great to be PM Modi’s foreign minister”.

“The world looks at us. They marvel and ask what has changed in India. Many things have changed -- the easiest answer is PM Modi. All of us have changed along with him;

his vision, his leadership, his motivation. Because when a leader thinks big for the country, the country responds to it.”

The EAM visited Hubballi to

participate in the inauguration of a new building of AGMR Ayurvedic Medical College and Hospital and to lay the foundation for Padmavati Temple at Varur.

Any EU military presence in Ukraine set to escalate situation: Russian official

Moscow, Feb 29 (IANS)

The presence of Western troops in Ukraine in any form would lead to a “direct escalation” of the situation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said.

The Spokesperson added on Wednesday that with every new shipment of weapons, Western nations are already escalating the war, Xinhua news agency reported.

If the West decides to officially deploy troops to Ukraine or recruit mercenaries from European Union (EU) states, this would be a “direct

escalation,” she said.

Nonetheless, she also noted that “it was no secret” that military personnel from a number of NATO countries are already present in Ukraine and assisting the country’s armed forces in various ways.

During a conference in Paris on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that while there was no official consensus among European leaders, the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine “should not be ruled out”.

Macron also announced that a new coalition would be set up to supply Kiev with mediumand long-range weapons.

Visegrad Group not to send troops to Ukraine: PMs

The Visegrad Group (V4) countries are not planning to send troops to Ukraine, their Prime Ministers (PMs) said here.

Czech PM Petr Fiala, Poland’s Donald Tusk, Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Hungary’s Viktor Orban made the statement on Tuesday after a V4 leaders meeting, Xinhua news agency reported.

Despite their agreement on

Ukraine’s need for help, they are willing to offer assistance in different forms, Fiala said.

According to Fiala, the Czech Republic and Poland are providing military aid to Ukraine, while Hungary and Slovakia are willing to offer humanitarian and financial aid.

Fico called for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks

to solve the Ukraine crisis. Orban also called for peace talks as soon as possible.

Moreover, while the V4 members agreed not to change EU founding treaties, they reached a consensus to adjust common agricultural policy to reduce bureaucracy and regulation, Fiala told reporters.

Italy announces bilateral security deal with Ukraine

Rome, Feb 25 (IANS)

The Italian government has announced a bilateral support agreement with Ukraine ahead of the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ meeting under Italy’s presidency.

Both events were held on Saturday as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine reached its second anniversary.

The security partnership with a 10-year mandate between Rome and Kiev includes cooperation in defence, economy, infrastructure and energy, and humanitarian support, among other fields, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Italian media.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that security and support for Ukraine will be among the main priorities under the G7 mandate. She was among a small group of world leaders who travelled to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, to commemorate the second anniversary of the conflict.

“We reiterate the centrality of Ukraine to the agenda of Italy’s G7 presidency and 360 degrees of Italy’s assistance to Kiev, starting from reconstruction and in security matters,” Meloni said on Saturday from Antonov Airport near the Ukrainian capital, according to Italian

media reports.

In addition to Meloni, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attended the unusual G7 meeting outside the territory of the host country in person, with leaders from other members of the group -- the UK, France, Germany, Japan and the US -- participating via video link.

Other leaders in Kiev on Saturday included Ukrainian President Volodymyr

Zelensky, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) Council. The EU is a “non-enumerated member” of the G7.

The next meeting on the calendar under Italy’s G7 presidency is the minister-level gathering on industry and digital technology in the northern Italian cities of Verona and Trento on March 13-15.

The centrepiece of the Italian G7 presidency will be the summit of heads of state and government to be held in the southern Italian region of Apulia in June.

Football: Spain women look to add Nations League to World Cup, Olympic qualification

The Spanish and French women’s football teams play the final of the UEFA Women’s Nations League in the Estadio de la Cartuja in Seville on Wednesday night. Spain booked their place in the final on Friday with a comfortable 3-0 win over the Netherlands on the same ground, while the French beat Germany 2-1 to reach the final.

The semifinal win also means

that the Spanish assured their first-ever qualification for the Olympic Games, giving them the chance to add an Olympic medal to the World Cup that they won in the summer, while the French were already assured an Olympic place as hosts, reports Xinhua.

France coach Herve Renard is without Sandy Baltimore, who has been forced to withdraw from the squad due to a family issue. Vicky Becho, who was part of the

French World Cup squad, has been called up from the Under-23’s to replace her.

The big question mark for Spain is whether Alexia Putellas and Tere Abelleira will be able to play after both missed out on the semifinal place. Former Balon d’Or winner Alexia remains one of the stars of the Spain squad, although she has struggled with injuries over the past year.

Spain has done well without Alexia in recent matches, with coach Montse Tome overcoming initial doubts after she was named the replacement for Jorge Vilda, the World Cup-winning coach, who was sacked in the wake of the “Rubiales affair.”

That controversy saw the former President of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) sacked for his lewd gestures in the VIP box at the World Cup final and giving

an unsolicited kiss on the lips to Jenni Hermoso in the post-game celebrations.

Prague, Feb 28 (IANS)

Madrid, Feb 27 (IANS)

OUR TAKE

Racism and Women of Different Faith

Brisbane, March 1, 2024

When we hear the term Muslim, many will either step back and not indulge and others will have opinions that may be stereotypical, and racially biased. When we say “Multicultural Women”, again they are subjected to stereotypes and biases.

The physical appereances of the women are usually the first discriminating factor; at the gender level and then the ethnic level.

The second being the accent they carry even though they speak English fluently.

Multicutural Women often are dressed in their traditional attires and have accents to their speech. Some may not know or have a good level of English vocabulary. Hence they become easy targets for racial comments. Muslim women with their attires and accents especially become the victims of such biases.

It is not just with Muslim women these days but women of other faiths also feel that racial discrimination in their work places, public places, healthcare systems and schools.

Acording to the Human Rights Commission and the Challenging Racism Project Research confirms that “ 20 per cent of Australians surveyed had experienced racial discrimination in the form of race hate talk, and about 5 per cent had been attacked because of their race.

According to the Scanlon Foundation’s Mapping Social Cohesion survey in 2016, 20 per cent of Australians had experienced racial or religious discrimination during the past 12 months.”

The Racism Discrimination Act of 1975 clearly mentions that it is unlawful to discriminate any person living in Australia on the basis of race, color, descent or national or ethnic origin.

The act says “Racial discrimination to be unlawful

(1) It is unlawful for a person to do any act involving a distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of any human right or fundamental freedom in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.”

The person here is defined as both Male, Female and also

LGBTQ+

Yet, Racism in Australia exists even today and it has increased after COVID. Chinese women have been subjected to racism and racial slurs on streets of Australia during the COVID phases and beyond. African women are often stereotyped as being of refugee background, who are on government welfare schemes for their living. It is similar with Aboriginal Women who are often subjected to hate crimes and vilification. The failed Voice Referendum is an alarming occurence to rethink the racial discrimination policies and frameworks for Australia.

Various studies post pandemic have now looked at women racial discrimination. “Studies on pandemic racism’s effects on CALD people have focused on the poor (Bonilla-Silva, 2020; Laster Pirtle, 2020), including vulnerable international students (Berg and Farbenblum, 2020; Martin, 2020). The second ‘shadow pandemic’ lies in the issues women have faced since COVID-19 such as female international students’ economic constraints (Coffey et al., 2021), women of colour including Black women’s burden at home and at work (Laster Pirtle and Wright, 2021), single women’s isolation (Gao and Sai, 2020), sexual minority women (Riggle et al., 2021) and sex workers (Farley, 2020), as well as increased violence against women (Dlamini, 2021; Munir et al., 2021). Studies that address the intersection of pandemic racism and sexism are lacking (but see Laster Pirtle and Wright, 2021) and few have addressed the experiences of Asian women (but see Gao and Sai, 2021).”

All of the above studies have claimed that women of color experience racism and it is at varied levels from all strata. Despite these studies, and consultations by government and NGO’s studying the multicultural women’s voices, the racism has not reduced. Is that because we don’t want to change? or we don’t agree to the reseachers who have found evidences for racism. What more should then the government do to combat this monster? Many such questions have been left unanswered and no solutions have been implemented or provided. Does this mean that racism should be normalised and internalised?

As women, should we then keep silent and not do anything about it?

Article written by Amrita Deshpande (Associate Editor. MCCQ and New Media Artist)

West Asia faces faith-based politics

New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS by D. C. Pathak) (Abridged version)

The turn of events involving Iran’s cross-border missile attack on January 16 on the camps of Jaish-al Adl, a Sunni extremist organisation working out of Baluchistan demanding an independent Baluch nation and a retaliatory action of the same kind carried out by Pakistan on January 18 in the adjoining area of Iran - on the ground that supporters of the Salafi outfit operated from Iran as wellhave more than anything else, unravelled the rapidly rising militancy attributable to the growth of extremism in the Muslim world on one hand and the inevitable outbreak of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shiites resulting from it, on the other.

This has to be seen in the historical background of the basic divide within the faith that was traceable to the Kharijite revolt against Ali, the fourth Caliph - Kharijites were the precursors of Sunnism and their criticism of Caliph Ali was that the latter had started following his own Sharia practices in violation of Quran and the Hadis. What Sunnis found totally unacceptable was that Ali claimed to be the Imam of Muslims who had inherited ‘divine power’ too in addition to the temporal authority of the Caliph - this was in the eyes of the Kharijites the biggest ‘Shirk’ that ‘true’ Muslims could imagine. Those who stood by Ali were called Shiites.

It is not a surprise that ‘radicalisation’ pushed extremism further in the direction of advocacy of a return to ‘the golden period’ of Islam as it existed in its first fifty years with rigorous compliance with the fundamentals of the religion and even called for Jehad to restore the ‘political glory of Islam’. This has rekindled the hatred for Shiites - who were looked at by Sunni extremists as the ‘deviants’ of the faith.

In Islam, there is no distinction between religion and politics and it is therefore not difficult to understand that the recent political developments in the Middle East are impelled substantially by dictates of faith.

Sunni extremists, particularly the Islamic radicals, have been targeting Shiites in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and Syria - further destabilising the entire West Asia region that had already been in the midst of an ongoing conflict between the US-led West and the radical Islamic outfits like Taliban, Al Qaeda, Tehrik-eTaliban Pakistan and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) - not to forget West Africa’s

Boko Haram.

In the US-led ‘war on terror’ that followed 9/11, the first target of Americans was Afghanistan and then Iraq was attacked in 2003.

The first ultimately resulted in the expansion of Taliban and Al Qaeda while the attack on Iraq contributed to the emergence of ISIS and its competitive rise in the Iraq-Syria region. ISIS earned notoriety for its determined attacks on Shiites who commanded a good hold in the region.

In Pakistan, meanwhile, the ISI had lost no time in reaching out to the radical outfits on the quiet and manoeuvring them in order to get them to join in the cross-border terror offensive against India in Kashmir and elsewhere.

Pakistan knew it well that Islamic radicals looked upon the US as their first enemy - because of the historical legacy of the anti-British Wahhabi revolt of the 19th century - but in all likelihood, it drew strength from the fact that the US had given full credit to Pakistan for the success of the anti-Soviet armed campaign in Afghanistan and would therefore not mind Pak links with the radical outfits so long as this did not harm American interests. The US had also raised no opposition to the India-specific terror outfits like Hizbul Mujahideen(HuM), Saudifunded Lashkare Toiba (LeT) and Jaishe Mohammad (JeM) - all fostered and controlled by Pak ISI.

In the context of Iran-Pakistan relations, it is a fact that Iran accused Pak ISI as well as Saudi Arabia of supporting Jaish al Adl’s terror attacks on Iran’s security forces for their own vested political interests.

As India is fully aware of Pakistan using terror outfits as instruments of state policy, its response of aloofness towards the Iran-Pakistan conflict was rightly based on an understanding that a country like Iran had to ‘defend’ itself against any terror attack from across its borders.

Crosscurrents within the Islamic world are affecting the entire geopolitics of the present times. They feature the rise of radical Islam in the Muslim world, political alignments enjoyed by the US there, the resurgence of the sectarian divide between Sunnis and Shiites, the Chinese interactions with Islamic countries and the impact of the developing new Cold War between the US and China on the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The US-led ‘war on terror’ resulted in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda carving out the Pak-Afghan belt as their home ground and ISIS doing the same in the Iraq-Syria region. There was a competitive militancy between the two with ISIS getting known more for its determined attacks on Shiites in general and the Alawite regimes in Syria and Iraq in particular - the Alawite sect being an offshoot of Shiism.

Sunni radicals and fundamentalist Shiites like the Ayatollahs of Iran are totally inimical to each other but both are ideologically hostile to the US-led West as well and therefore prone to drifting towards China politically.

In the wake of the Iranian revolution, Iran severed all diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel reversing the situation that existed in the earlier pro-West Pahalavi regime.

Israel-Hamas conflict, sparked off by the terrorist attack of Hamas on Israel on October 7, has further queered the pitch for divisions in West Asia. Iran funded Hezbollah of Lebanon and supported Houthis of Yemen - both joining on the Hamas side in this conflict possibly because Israel was completely identified with the US and also because there was a history of Israel’s support for Baluchistan-based Zundallah that was known to be indulging in covert attacks on Iran-Jaish al Adl is Zundullah’s successor.

Further, Iran supports the Syrian government while Israel is backing the opposition in Syria. In Yemen also, Israel supports the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebel Houthis.

The drone attack said to have been launched by Shiite militants from Syria on Jordon-based US troops on January 28, resulting in the death of three American soldiers and injuries to many others, would further draw in the US in the Israel-Hamas conflict and particularly intensify the Iran-US confrontation because of the involvement of Iran-sponsored Shiite outfits in favour of Hamas.

A nuclear Israel and Iran with its ‘enrichment’ programme and the potential for going nuclear, are the two major players in West Asia and the discord between them affects the geopolitical scene in the region and beyond - particularly in a situation where the rival influences of the US and China were beginning to create a new Cold War on the horizon.

23 lakh Indian diaspora are reinforcing IndoCanadian relations: Jitendra Singh

New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS)

Twenty-three lakh Indian diaspora are reinforcing New Delhi-Ottawa relations and contributing to the development of both nations, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said as he met a high-level delegation on Wednesday.

Singh told Scott Moe, Premier of Saskatchewan province who was leading the delegation, that the presence of the Indian diaspora in the Canadian Parliament and the cabinet is a testimony of longstanding relations between the two countries.

Acknowledging the positive contributions made by the Indian community, the minister said they act as a bridge between the two nations as Canada is one of the most favoured destinations for Indian students for higher education.

Singh also mentioned PM Narendra Modi’s invitation to India’s diaspora to do research in India’s premier institutions and contribute to its progress under the VAIBHAV

fellowship programme.

Cooperation and collaboration in areas like Electric Vehicles, Cyber Physical System, Quantum Technologies, Future Manufacturing, Green Hydrogen Fuel, Deep Ocean Mining etc were also discussed, a Ministry of Science & technology release stated.

He told the delegation that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India established the ‘Anusandhan’ National Research Foundation.

The foundation prioritises research in areas of technology and science to foster and revitalise the innovation ecosystem with around 60-70 per cent participation of the private sector.

He also emphasised that the government is keen on opening arms to welcome non-governmental organisations to contribute to technology development and support them.

The meeting comes as India is keen to develop research collaborations with Canadian R&D institutions and technology collaborations with Canadian industries.

Speaking of Canada and India relations, Moe said it has made great strides in recent years and has become truly multidimensional, spurred by a significant convergence of

interests, mutual goodwill, and exchanges.

He said the relationship has grown between India and Saskatchewan, especially after opening their office in Delhi, and strengthens their resolve to work with India and achieve collective growth.

After arriving in New Delhi on Tuesday, Moe met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who praised the Indians in Canada for serving as a bridge between the two nations.

“Appreciate PremierScott Moe’s strong support for our partnership and looking forward to deepening our cooperation,” Jaishankar said as he also shared a picture of the two leaders shaking hands.

“An important supplier of potash, lentils, and uranium. Saskatchewan’s Indian-origin community has truly been a bridge between us,” he added.

Saskatchewan is home to 15,660 Indians, according to the 2021 census, and from 2016 to 2021, immigrants from India made up 18.4 per cent of total immigrants moving into the province.

The province’s exports to India stand at more than $1 billion and roughly make up a third of Canada’s total exports to the country. In addition, the province also has a trade and investment office in New Delhi.

Self-immolation of US airman outside Israeli Embassy tragic: Pentagon

Washington, Feb 27 (PNA)

WASHINGTON – The deadly self-immolation of a US airman outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington over the weekend was “very tragic,” the Pentagon said Monday.

“It certainly is a tragic event. We do extend our condolences to the airman’s family,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters.

Aaron Bushnell, 25, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, set himself ablaze in front of Israel’s diplomatic mission Sunday afternoon in protest of its ongoing war in the besieged Gaza Strip, and US support for the offensive. He was taken to a hospital but died.

“I will no longer be complicit in genocide. I’m about to engage in an extreme act of protest, but compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers, it’s not extreme at all.

This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal,” Bushnell said in a video recording that chronicled the fatal protest.

Bushnell can repeatedly be heard shouting “Free Palestine!” as flames engulf him before he collapses to the ground.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is “following the situation,” Ryder said. Additional details are expected to be provided by the Air Force 24 hours after Bushnell’s family is notified.

An investigation remains underway.

Bushnell is the second known person in the US to have lit themselves on fire in protest of the war on Gaza.

Last December, a person set themself on fire outside the Israeli Consulate in Atlanta, Georgia in protest.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by Hamas, killing

Biden, Trump projected to win in presidential primaries in Michigan

Washington, Feb 28 (IANS)

US President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are projected to win in Democratic and Republican primaries in key swing state Michigan, as per media report.

Biden defeated Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips, his only opponent left in the Democratic primary, Xinhua news agency reported.

On the Republican side, Trump’s victory over former

US Ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley marks the fifth state the former president has swept in the primary.

The economy is the top issue for 31 per cent of Michigan voters, followed by immigration, threats to democracy, healthcare, housing affordability, education, crime, and abortion access, according to a new Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey.

more than 29,690 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas-led attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 percent of the territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe. (Anadolu)

A quarter of Gaza’s population one step away from famine: UN official

Tel Aviv, Feb 28 (IANS)

A senior aid official of a UN body has warned that a quarter of the population of the war-trodden Gaza is one step away from an imminent famine.

According to reports available from the United Nations’ aid agencies in Gaza, Rajesh Rajasingham, director of coordination for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has informed the UN Security Council on the danger awaiting the strip in the days to come.

The senior UN aid official has informed the Security Council that nearly, 5,76,000 people in the Gaza Strip are facing hunger and famine.

He has also warned that

widespread famine could be almost inevitable if proper action was not taken.

He said that one in six children under 2 years of age in northern Gaza is suffering from acute malnutrition.

The official added that all the 2.3 million people in the Palestinian enclave rely on “woefully inadequate” food aid to survive.

The World Food Programme (WFP) Deputy Executive Director, Carl Skau, told the 15-member council that it was ready to swiftly expand and scale-up the operations if there is a ceasefire agreement.

The WFP official has also informed that the risk of famine was being fueled by

the inability to bring critical food supplies into Gaza in sufficient quantities.

The UN official has also said that the operating conditions faced by the WFP staff on the ground was on almost impossible conditions.

Meanwhile, UN officials said that 75 ton of freight, 10 ambulances, food rations, 300 family tents, etc, had arrived in el-Arish airport in Egypt, near the Rafah crossing to Gaza.

Nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7 after the Hamas’s ravage in Southern Israel killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 people as hostages into the Gaza Strip.

Egypt to establish new refugee camp, field hospital in Gaza: Media

Cairo, Feb 28 (IANS)

Egypt is setting up a third refugee camp in the Gaza Strip and preparing a field hospital for Palestinians displaced by Israeli attacks, media reported.

The camp will be in northern Deir el-Balah province in central Gaza, a Egyptian TV channel said on Tuesday, citing a security source.

It said Egypt had already finished its second camp in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, with 400 tents, toilets,

water and electricity for up to 4,000 people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Egypt aims to help thousands of Palestinians who fled their homes amid Israeli air strikes and artillery fire, the source said.

Israel launched a major offensive against Hamas, the Islamist group that rules Gaza, after a Hamas raid across the border on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 Israelis and took more than 200 hostages.

Egyptian Air Forces also dropped 45 tonne of humanitarian aid, including food and medical supplies, to north and central Gaza, Al-Qahera News TV said.

The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has risen to 29,878 since October 7, 2023, the Hamasrun Health Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Israel says it is targeting Hamas militants and infrastructure, but many civilians have been killed or injured.

Severe food insecurity looming in Gaza: Red Cross chief

Gaza, Jan 28 (PNA)

WASHINGTON – The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Monday expressed concern over food security in the Gaza Strip.

“A severe food insecurity is looming in Gaza. The risk of hunger is increasing daily, as about 80 percent of the population already faces emergency or catastrophic acute food insecurity conditions,” Jagan Chapagain said on X.

Citing Palestine Red Crescent reports, Chapagain said more than a million children and elderly people in shelter centers suffer from the risk of dehydration, digestive and respiratory diseases, skin diseases and anemia.

“This is the harsh reality that people in Gaza face every day. I reiterate my call for safe and unhindered humanitarian access to facilitate the delivery of vital life-saving

humanitarian aid,” he said.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing at least 29,782 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85 percent of the territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. (Anadolu)

120 patients need evacuation from Nasser Hospital in Gaza’s Khan Younis: Ministry

Gaza, Feb 28 (IANS)

At least 120 patients needed to be evacuated from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said.

In a statement sent to Xinhua news agency, the Ministry said on Tuesday, “We need to evacuate more than 120 patients from Nasser Medical Complex to other hospitals to receive medical care,” citing the shutdown of various medical equipment due to Israeli strikes.

Nasser Hospital, the second-largest hospital in the strip, stopped operating after an Israeli military operation on February 14 following a week-long blockade, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israeli army announced on Sunday the end of its military operations at the hospital after arresting about 200 suspects in Hamas activities.

It also revealed that during the operation, unused medicines bearing the names of Israeli hostages were discovered.

Louis Vuitton announces collaboration with the city of Barcelona PH positions as shopping powerhouse in ASEAN

Louis Vuitton will showcase its Cruise 2025 fashion show in Barcelona on May 23, one of its multiple collaborative actions with the Catalan capital. These actions notably involve the organisation of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona, including the Louis Vuitton Cup qualifying session, to begin this Summer 2024.

Steeped in tradition and innovation – with the ‘Art of Travel’ at its core – the brand has staged shows across the globe at world-renowned locations and landmarks of architectural significance, paying homage to art and local culture. Previously, the Maison has held its Cruise shows at venues including John Lautner’s Bob & Dolores Hope Estate in Palm Springs, Oscar Niemeyer’s Contemporary Art Museum in Niterói, I.M. Pei’s Miho Museum near Kyoto, the Salk Institute in California, and Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore among others. The upcoming Cruise Fashion Show will take place in a location in Barcelona to be revealed at a later date.

The Maison’s latest stop in

the Catalan capital brings guests and viewers to a major cultural centre and tourist destination. Nestled on the border of the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is undoubtedly one of the most vibrant and dynamic destinations in Europe.

“It is an immense pleasure to collaborate with the city of Barcelona sharing common values with Louis Vuitton that are deeply anchored into a remarkable heritage and the passion for creativity. The upcoming Cruise fashion show, encapsulating Women’s Artistic Director Nicolas Ghesquière’s vision for the collection, as well as the upcoming Louis Vuitton Cup and the 37th America’s Cup will undoubtfully capture Louis Vuitton’s long-standing relationship with Barcelona and the Catalan region in the most ultimate way,” says Pietro Beccari, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton.

Along with the show, the brand will also celebrate the LV Cup and the 37th edition of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Barcelona with multiple events such as hospitality, an exhibition, and cultural activations with guests from around the world.

Additionally, the brand will launch its much-anticipated City Guide for Barcelona alongside a cultural pop-up kiosk and event. Barcelona and Louis Vuitton are also working on educational programmes to support creativity and design in the city.

The Maison’s relationship with Barcelona dates back to the beginning of the 20th century as the Maison played an active role at the 1929 Barcelona International Exhibition, bringing together industry, art, and innovation. Georges Vuitton (Louis Vuitton’s son) was a member of the jury and was also awarded a grand prize for his toiletry cases. Louis Vuitton opened its first store in Spain in the city of Barcelona in 1987 and now has two stores in the Catalan capital. Its footprint extends to the Catalonia region, well-known for its great leather savoir-faire tradition, where the Maison opened its first workshops in 1990 and now operates six leather goods ateliers in Catalunya employing over 1800 people.

IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in

Manila, Feb 16 By Kris

Crismundo

MANILA – A mall operator is positioning the Philippines as the next shopping hub in Southeast Asia as more luxury fashion brands become more interested in setting up shops in the country.

Ayala Malls vice president Maria Aurora Legarda told reporters on Thursday that eight to 10 luxury brands, including luxury heritage names, want to put up stores at the Greenbelt shopping complex in Makati City.

Legarda said most of these brands do not have a presence yet in the Philippines.

On luxury shopping, the Philippines will then be competing with Bangkok, Singapore and Vietnam in Southeast Asia, as well as Hong Kong and Japan in the region.

Some luxury fashion brands with stores at Greenbelt include Bvlgari, Fendi, Gucci, Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Prada, among others.

“We are quite surprised that all of them would like to expand,” she said. “Very frustrating on our part that we cannot accommodate more because of the limited spaces that we have. That’s why we

redeveloped.”

On Thursday, Ayala Malls announced that it is embarking on a PHP13-billion mall redevelopment for its flagship shopping centers —Glorietta, Greenbelt 2, Trinoma and Ayala Center Cebu.

Legarda said that according to the principals of these luxury brands, two of their top five buyers globally are Filipinos.

“Why not have them here?

They’re all knocking at our doors because they know the capacity of the Filipino,” she said.

She added that Greenbelt merchants have developed a big local clientele than foreign buyers in the shopping complex.

“The market here is definitely ready,” Legarda said.

Aside from local buyers, Greenbelt is also banking on tourist arrivals in the country.

With the mall revamp, Legarda said Greenbelt will have a good mix of international and Filipino brands that “have a global appeal.”

The reconstruction of Greenbelt 2 will start this first quarter of 2024 and will be fully completed by 2026. (PNA)

PM Modi flags off India’s biggest global textile event

The four-day event (Feb 2529) is a tapestry of tradition and technology, attracting, over 3,500 exhibitors, over 3,000 buyers from over 100 countries, PM Modi said flagging the Bharat Tex 2024 event. Addressing the event, PM Modi emphasised his 5F vision of Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign to take the sector ahead as it has a crucial role to play in creating large scale employment and making India a fully developed country (Viksit Bharat) in the next 25 years

It will help position India as a global powerhouse in textiles, showcasing its capabilities and generating momentum throughout the entire Indian

textiles ecosystem, he added.

Prime Minister Modi took a round to get a first-hand feel of the various textile products and cutting-edge technology being showcased at the event. The event has received an overwhelming response with leading global textile companies including Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Vero Moda, Coats, Toray, H&M, Gap, Target, Levis, Kohl’s, having confirmed their presence.

In addition, Business Delegations from key textiles hubs including US, UK, Australia, Belgium, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands and multilateral Organisations and Global textile associations are

also participating.

The four-day event covers over 22 lakh sq ft exhibition area spread across two venues at Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi in the national capital.

Being organised by a consortium of 11 Textile Export Promotion Councils and supported by the Ministry of Textiles, Bharat Tex is built on the twin pillars of trade and investment and with an overarching focus on sustainability and resilient supply chains.

Major Textiles States in the country including Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu,

Rajasthan and Karnataka are participating with dedicated pavilions and government representations.

The Bharat Tex exhibition features Apparel, Home Furnishings, Floor Coverings, Fibres, Yarns, Threads, Fabrics, Carpets, Silk, Textiles based Handicrafts, Technical Textiles and many more. It will also have a retail High Street focusing on India’s fashion retail market opportunities.

Other attractions of the show include dedicated pavilions on sustainability and recycling showcasing actual work done by individual industry as well as clusters like Panipat, Tirupur and Surat, an Indi-Haat showcasing

India’s traditional sector of Handicrafts and Handlooms, over 10 Fashion shows spread across 4 days on diverse themes ranging from Indian Textiles Heritage to sustainability and global designs.

Bharat Tex also features art demonstrations by master craftsmen, interactive fabric testing zones and product demonstrations and showcases global fashion trends.

A specially curated pavilion in Bharat Tex narrates the story of Indian textiles as an unbroken continuum – from the past to present to the future.

( This is an abridged version of the original article. )

New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANSlife)

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS)

A bespoke sanctuary amongst Himalayan serenity: Pemako, Bhutan

New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANSlife)

Synonymous with ‘hidden lotus-shaped land’, Pemako represents a world whose rich stories are inspired by the beyul - the remote sanctuary of the Himalayas.

The two stunning hotels - Pemako Thimphu and Pemako Punakha, promise to introduce one to the natural splendour of Bhutan known for its year-round pleasant weather, vibrant festive celebrations, and magnificent cultural history. These boutique luxury hotels are renowned for breathtaking views of the majestic Himalayan landscapes, intimate ambience, traditional Bhutanese cuisine, rejuvenating spa therapies, and myriad of nature activities with an essence of comfort. From opulent tents with private pools at Pemako Punakha to meticulously designed rooms and suites at Pemako Thimphu, every stay is a unique mix of traditional Bhutanese aesthetics, and modern comfort, ideal for a romantic escapade like no other. An idyllic destination to strengthen bonds and reconnect with oneself and your loved ones!

Here are four must-have experiences with your loved ones in the Land of the Thunder Dragon that vow to be an unforgettable, immersive experience amongst the Himalayas:

A Kaleidoscope of Culture, Colour and Heritage: Experience the festivities in Bhutan

Festivals are a grand affair in Bhutan, whether one plans to visit during spring or summer! One can experience the country’s rich cultural tapestry, through authentic experiences that unveil the kingdom’s traditions. Locals

and guests are welcome to attend these colourful and exciting events with special mask dance performances, songs and culinary delights – making it a fantastic affair. The Talo Tsechu which will take place from 17th to 19th March is a 3-day festival known for its mask dances.

In April, the Rhododendron festival from 13th – to 14th April – at Lamperi Botanical Park, 35 km from Thimphu will showcase different species of beautiful flowers that are in full bloom in their natural habitat along with local folk dances, cultural programs and exhibitions. Think enjoying delicious traditional dishes from the food stalls and shopping for souvenirs!

Besides, Pemako Thimphu hosts a special cultural programme each evening showcasing folk music and the sacred cham dance - lending a mesmerising glimpse into the local celebrations and religious feasts within the hotel. A distinct highlight is the opportunity to try out the traditional Bhutanese attires – The Gho (for men) and The Kira (for women), colourful dresses elegantly wrapped around the body and widely worn by the locals.

An amorous evening: Indulge in intimate dining experiences

At Pemako, one can embark on a gastronomic journey that transforms every dining experience into a cherished memory. Pemako’s skilled chefs have curated a distinctive menu celebrating the unique Bhutanese cuisine - incorporating fresh, local ingredients and catering to the most discerning palette. The exclusive dining experiences lie at the heart of the brand – and allow one to discover good food with good views in the lovely company of

near and dear ones. Pemako Thimphu offers scintillating dining and lounging options - enjoy a bespoke cocktail made with Bhutan’s exquisite local liquor offerings at Ara - a stylish, mood-lit bar or indulge in European, Continental delicacies at The Thongsel. Perfect settings for an intimate dining experience! At Pemako Punakha, one can discover the region’s most authentic flavours and indulgences served in a heritage setting at Alchemy House. The culinary journeys are enhanced with themed private dining nights – from a romantic sundowner at the banks of MoChuu River with handcrafted cocktails, to a lavish barbeque at the picnic deck under a starlit sky.

The Chef’s Table offers an upscale private dining experience where one can see the chef at work, learn traditional cooking techniques, and enjoy great company and exceptional food and wine.

Rejuvenate, Revitalise and Reconnect: Exquisite wellness therapies in the heart of Bhutan

Pemako Punakha and Pemako Thimphu are an intimate haven for guests seeking a holistic escape for the mind, body and spirit - a decadent voyage where relaxation meets the poetry of togetherness. An array of activities across the hotels offers a great way to detox, and destress along with forging a stronger bond with loved ones amongst peaceful and tranquil spaces. One can unwind at The Lotus Realm spa which offers therapies centred on the ideas of re-establishing harmony and balance - drawing inspiration from Sowa-Riga, a traditional medicine practised in Bhutan. Amongst an array of offerings, the Bhutanese Hot Stone Bath is a unique

one - a nurturing ritual that offers a modern touch of spa therapy transcending conventional treatments.

Discover the charm of Bhutan: From guided adventure escapades to exploring the vibrant city

The enchanting landscapes in Bhutan rightfully cater to nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts seeking the extraordinary. Spread graciously across lush land, Pemako Punakha allows one to embark on a serene experience in the comfort of the hotel - seize the day by hosting a prayer flag, an auspicious activity believed to carry blessings and happiness, sign up for an archery lesson or a guided visit to the monasteries and dzongs. The centrally located Pemako Thimphu is a leisurely walk away from the bustling streets selling traditional handicrafts, and local dining restaurants or a hike away from the statue of Great Buddha Dordemna overlooking the capital city. One will be mesmerised by the very beautiful, unique and exotic Bhutanese architecture imbibed on every building, inspired by mythical stories and nature. Pemako seamlessly blends Bhutan’s rich culture, and authenticity with top-notch luxury and comfort, offering an idyllic romantic escape. An ideal destination for the ones who are

passionate about exploring the world hand in hand, offering love-filled experiences and cherishing unforgettable moments.

Essential travel requirements and policies for Bhutan:VISA policies, SDF fees and beyond Bhutan has a unique visa policy designed to preserve its cultural identity and environment. Indian citizens do not require a visa to enter Bhutan, however, they are required to obtain a permit to enter the country. The Department of Immigration issues the entry permit after checking the valid documents of the traveller. Visitors from India can apply for a permit but must hold an Indian passport or an Indian voter ID card. For Indian nationals under the age of 18, a passport or a birth certificate can be used to enter and they must be accompanied by a legal guardian. The SDF (Sustainable Development Fees) for Indian nationals (showing a valid Indian passport or Voter ID card) is Nu. 1,200 (or the equivalent amount in Indian rupees) per person, per night. Children aged between 6 years and who have not yet turned 12 are eligible to pay Nu./INR 600 per night. Children who have not yet turned 6 years old do not have to pay any SDF.

IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in

Charith Asalanka to lead Sri Lanka in first two T20Is vs Bangladesh

Colombo, Feb 28 (IANS)

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) have named a 17-member squad for the T20I leg of the upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Charith Asalanka will lead the side in the first two T20Is in the absence of regular captain Wanindu Hasaranga, who will serve a two-match ban for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct.

Hasaranga had accumulated three demerit points and a 50 per cent fine of match fee after the T20I series against Afghanistan.

The incident had taken place at the end of the third T20I

between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan in Dambulla when Hasaranga approached umpire Lyndon Hanibal to express criticism regarding a decision of a high full toss not called a no-ball, reports ICC.

In addition, opener Pathum Nissanka, who was originally selected in the squad, will not tour Bangladesh due to an injury sustained during the Afghanistan series and will be replaced by Avishka Fernando.

Squad: Wanindu Hasaranga (c), Charith Asalanka (vc), Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Angelo

Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Janith Perera, Dilshan Madushanka, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Akila Dananjaya, Binura Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Avishka Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay.

Schedule for the T20I Series: All games will be played in Sylhet

1st T20I: March 4

2nd T20I: March 6

3rd T20I: March 9

NADA hosts conference - “Road to Paris 2024: Championing Clean Sports and Uniting for Anti-Doping”

New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS)

With the Paris Olympic Games only a few months away, the National AntiDoping Agency (NADA), organised an anti-doping conference called “Road to Paris 2024: Championing Clean Sports and Uniting for Anti-Doping” Conference here on Friday to educate Indian sportspersons about the pitfalls of using prohibited substances.

On the occasion, Anurag Singh Thakur virtually inaugurated the Centre of Excellence for Nutritional Supplements Testing (CoENSTS) at the esteemed National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Acknowledged as an institution of national significance, NFSU’s cutting-edge facility stands as a beacon of innovation and expertise in forensic and cyber sciences. The event, organised at the India International Centre, New Delhi, serves as a pivotal platform for stakeholders from the sporting community to converge, deliberate, and strategize on key anti-doping initiatives in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics 2024.

In his compelling keynote

address, Anurag Singh Thakur emphasised the core principles of fair play, the spirit of competition, and the imperative of upholding integrity in sports. He applauded the dedication and resilience exhibited by Indian athletes and highlighted the pivotal role of NADA in fortifying the nation’s anti-doping framework.

He said, “Establishment of a Centre of Excellence for Nutritional Supplements Testing for Sportspersons aligns with the Ministry’s long-standing goal to develop nutritional supplement testing facilities in India.”

Union Minister Thakur further said that the theme “Road to Paris 2024” resonates deeply with our aspirations as a nation on the global sports stage. He added, “We have come a long way, and the journey has been marked by the dedication and hard work of our athletes who have consistently strived to bring glory to our country.” Highlighting the performance of Indian athletes he said that India’s performance at global mega events such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, and

Ajido wins PH’s first gold in Asian age group swimming tourney

Capas, Tarlac, Feb 29 By Jean Malanum CAPAS, Tarlac – Jamesray Mishael Ajido ruled the boys’ 12-14 100m butterfly event on Wednesday night to give the host Philippines its first gold medal in the 11th Asian Age Group Championships at the New Clark City Aquatics Center here.

The 15-year-old clocked 55.98 to erase the meet record of 56.36 set by Chinese Wang Yu Xiang in 2019.

Japan’s Yusei Nishiono also had a record-breaking performance of 56.05 to pocket the silver medal while Chinese Taipei’s Yung-Cheng Kan settled for the bronze medal in 56.79.

the 50m freestyle, with a time of 24.34 – a personal best and a national record – last Tuesday.

Japan’s Toya Hirata captured the gold medal in 23.21, a new meet record that broke the 24.03 time set by compatriot Yuga Takashima in 2019.

“This is special for me. I am proud to win a medal for the Philippines. I dedicate my victory to the Lord and my family,” he said after claiming his first medal.

other Championships, reflects the sheer resilience and talent that our athletes possess.

Praising the efforts of NADA, Thakur said “NADA’s relentless efforts in promoting clean sport and anti-doping measures have been praiseworthy. It has played a crucial role in educating athletes, conducting tests, and enforcing anti-doping rules and policies”.

The Union Minister Thakur also highlighted that AntiDoping efforts are integral to ensuring a fair and clean sporting environment, and the Government recognizes the pivotal role played by NADA in championing this cause.

He added, “The National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) also plays a crucial role in ensuring accurate and reliable testing procedures and the Government’s support, both in terms of budgetary allocations and infrastructural enhancements, will empower these bodies to carry out their responsibilities effectively.”

The Conference marked the occasion with the launch of a comprehensive publication, “Essential Insights & Facts on Nutritional Supplements”, aimed at providing athletes with valuable insights into

“I was expecting to win a medal, but I’m not sure what color. I’m happy that I won the gold,” Ajido said after pocketing his second medal in the tournament organized by the Philippine Aquatics, Inc. headed by Miko Vargas. Ajido, a Grade 8 student at the La Salle Greenhills, bagged the bronze medal in

nutritional standards and safety measures tailored for their well-being.

NADA unveiled “The Paris Pinnacle: NADA’s Guide to Ethical Sporting”, a definitive resource offering comprehensive guidelines for athletes preparing for the Paris Olympics 2024. This guide serves as a compass for athletes, empowering them to compete ethically and uphold the principles of fair play.

The conference witnessed participation from esteemed dignitaries, including senior government officials, representatives from national sports federations, industry

Ajido had a fruitful campaign in local and international tournaments last year, grabbing two silvers at the SEA Age Group Championships in Indonesia.

He won the 100m butterfly and 100m backstroke gold medals in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Season 99 and hauled five gold and one bronze medals at the Batang Pinoy National Championships. (PNA)

stakeholders, and media professionals. Their collective engagement and shared vision underscored India’s steadfast commitment to advocating for clean sports and fostering ethical competition on the global stage.

As the global sporting community converges on Paris for the 2024 Olympics, the “Road to Paris 2024” conference serves as a testament to India’s resolve to champion clean sports and unite against doping. With collaborative efforts and collective commitment, India reaffirms its position as a torchbearer of fair play, integrity, and ethical competition in sports.

Charith Asalanka to lead Sri Lanka in first two T20Is vs Bangladesh (Photo: ICC)

FIRST GOLD. Jamesray Mishael Ajido holds the Philippine flag after winning the boys’ 12-14 100m butterfly event in the 11th Asian Age Group Championships at the New Clark City Aquatics Center in Capas, Tarlac on Wednesday (Feb. 28, 2024). He clocked 55.98 to erase the meet record of 56.36 set by Chinese Wang Yu Xiang in 2019 and gave the Philippines its first gold. (PNA photo by Jean Malanum) Malanum)

‘Euphoria’ star Hunter Schafer arrested during pro-Palestine protest in US

Los Angeles, Feb 28 (IANS)

Actress Hunter Schafer, who is known for her work in the drama streaming series ‘Euphoria’, was taken into police custody for storming 30 Rock during the taping of US President Joe Biden’s ‘Late Night’ appearance.

The cops and sources said that she was booked along with 33 protesters, reports ‘New York Post’.

Sources have said that the actress was issued a summon for trespassing, after she participated in the protest. The protest was organised to demand a ceasefire in the

Israel-Palestine conflict.

As per ‘New York Post’, Schafer, who essays the role of ‘Jules’ in ‘Euphoria’, was photographed wearing a “Cease-fire now” t-shirt while she was escorted out by a New York City Police Department officer with her hands restrained behind her back.

She joined other protesters with the organisation “Jewish Voice for Peace” as they sat in the lobby of 30 Rock holding banners.

The banners read, “Jews to Biden: Stop arming genocide”

and “Lasting cease-fire,” according to videos posted to social media.

“No more weapons, no more war. Cease-fire is what we’re fighting for”, the group chanted along with: “Not in our name”.

Warner Music Group CEO bets big on MENA, signs up Nora Fatehi

Mumbai, Feb 28 (IANS)

Actress Nora Fatehi, who was recently seen in the Vidyut Jammwal-starrer film ‘Crakk’, has been welcomed by Robert Kyncl, the CEO of the Warner Music Group, after she inked the deal with the global record company.

The partnership will promote Nora’s global music career, working with teams in the US and across the world.

Nora is a part of his MENA (Middle East and North Africa) expansion plan.

Robert Kyncl, CEO, Warner Music Group, said: “Nora is an extraordinary talent, electric performer,

and cross-cultural superstar whose music reflects the rich diversity of her background. Her passion and ambition are infectious and we’re excited to help her reach new audiences, places, and heights across the globe.”

Nora will remain signed with T-Series for her Bollywood projects.

The actress, who is based in India, was born in Canada to a family of Moroccan heritage.

She went on to become the first Arab-African artist to hit one billion views on a single music video on YouTube.

Talking about the partnership,

Nora had earlier said: “I’ve enjoyed great success in my career so far, but this deal is a significant step forward in my musical journey, a new chapter in my international career! My ambition is to be a global music star and performer, connecting with fans all over the world. I want to use my diverse cultural background to create music and dance that brings everyone together! I’m excited to work with Warner Music to leverage their experience and expertise to help me fulfil this goal.”

Rebecca Ferguson fled set sobbing after ‘idiot’ actor screamed at her

Los Angeles, Feb 28 (IANS)

Actress Rebecca Ferguson, who is known for her work in ‘Mission Impossible’ films and ‘Dune’, shared that she fled a set in tears after her co-actor “screamed at” her.

The 40-year-old actress, who started her career as a teen in a Swedish soap opera, opened up about her trauma over the event on a new podcast, reports ‘Female First UK’.

Rebecca said the incident happened because of an “absolute idiot” actor and she’ll never act alongside again.

She said during an appearance on the ‘Reign with Josh Smith’ show, “I remember there was a moment and this human being was being so insecure and angry because this person couldn’t get the scenes out.”

Rebecca further mentioned,

“I think I was so vulnerable and uncomfortable that I got screamed at. But because this person was number one on a call sheet, there was no safety net for me. So no one had my back. And I would cry walking off set.”

As per ‘Female First UK’, Rebecca added the unnamed co-star -- who she confirmed was not Tom Cruise or Hugh Jackman, would also ask her questions such as: “You call yourself an actor?” and “This is what I have to work with?” in front of the cast and crew.

Rebecca added: “I stood there just breaking”.

She also opened up about how no senior bosses on the film came to her aid and she ended up standing up for herself a day after the actor’s tirade.

The actress told them, “You get off my set”.

Ariana Grande lashes out at hackers for leaking unreleased songs

Los Angeles, Feb 28 (IANS)

Singer-songwriter Ariana Grande has a message for people who leaked her music.

The singer recently spoke about some of her music from studio sessions with Grammy-winning producer Max Martin getting leaked on TikTok, including her song ‘Fantasize’, reports ‘People’ magazine.

She said on the Zach Sang Show, “Before I left for ‘Wicked’, the few studio sessions I did, which are all -- all -- over TikTok, thank you so much.”

Ariana then sent a message to the hackers: “I’ll see you in jail, literally.”

As per ‘People’, she explained that those songs were actually written for an unnamed TV show, not for her.

“So ‘Fantasize’ comes out -- ‘comes out’ -- crazy, was stolen. Comes out? Thieves, pirates, crooks, illegal. I’ll pay you more to put it away, to get it back,” she said with a laugh.

Ariana explained that the original version was “a parody of a 1990s girl group vibe”.

The singer then said that people had already heard them because hackers “stole them again.”

Ariana said: “They’re very different now -- so that’s exciting, too.”

When asked by Sang if she’s heard fan made songs using an artificial-intelligence-powered version of her own voice, she remained unimpressed: “Yes, what are we doing? Why? I hate it.”

Kanye West sued for ‘stealing’ Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’ for ‘Vultures’

She added: “I remember being so scared. I looked at this person and I said, ‘You can f*** off. I’m gonna work towards a tennis ball. I never want to see you again’.”

Rebecca added things calmed down after her confrontations, saying: “It was great from that moment, but it took so long for me to get to that.

Los Angeles, Feb 28 (IANS)

Controversy’s favourite child, rapper Kanye West has landed into another trouble. He is being taken to court by the late Donna Summer’s estate.

The late singer’s estate has alleged that he used a sample of the singer’s hit song without permission, reports ‘Mirror.co.uk’.

Kanye, Ty Dolla $ign, Ye’s record label, and more are allegedly being sued by the estate for using Donna’s 1977 song ‘I Feel Love’, according to legal documents.

The ‘Gold Digger’ rapper released his first album in his ‘Vultures 1’ compilation earlier this month. Donna’s estate claims that the album’s song ‘Good (Don’t Die)’ included vocals of the late

disco diva after the estate “explicitly denied” them permission, according to the suit.

As per ‘Mirror.co.uk’, Bruce Sudano is listed in the court documents the Executor of the Estate of Donna Summer. The document said he “seeks to protect Summer’s musical legacy that made her the undisputed ‘Queen of Disco’.”

“Sumer’s estate, however, wanted no association with West’s controversial history and specifically rejected West’s proposed use of Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’,” the suit reads.

The lawsuit goes on to state that Ye and Ty Dolla $ign, legal name Tyrone William Griffin Jr., “arrogantly and unilaterally decided they would simply steal” the song.