Multicultural News Australia Oct 2022 Vol 1, Issue 2

Multicultural Festival

MOSAIC Multicultural Festival 2022 was orga nized on 18 September at Roma Street Parklands.

The

The MOSAIC Multicultural Festival celebrates the rich cultural contributions all of the multicultural communities that contribute to the multicultural

ethos of Queensland through dance, music, spoken word po etry and storytelling, visual arts and crafts, children’s and family activities and delectable foods and cooking demonstrations.

Speaking about the festival, Dr Ram Mohan, who is the chairman of India News Group said,

“Today I attended the MOSAIC Multicultural Festival at Roma Street Parkland. What a fantastic day dedicated to celebrating diverse multicultural communi ties. and sharing the rich culture, music, dance, and food from around the world. Thanks, team

African Communities Council of South Australia organizes Unmasked Africa Festival 2022

The African Communities Council of South Australia(ACCSA) organized the 2022 Unmasked Africa Festival on 24 September at Victoria Square, Adelaide.

The 2022 Unmasked Africa Festival is a flagship event of the African Communities Council of South Australia. The Festival provided an opportunity to share with Australia the diverse and vibrant African cultures through arts, traditional and contemporary performances,

drumming classes, authentic African food and information about African South Australians. It was also an opportunity for the public in general in Australia to make friends with Africa and enjoy the vibrancy, colour and tastes of Africa and its unique contribution to the multicultural Adelaide. The day became unforgettable as it offered an experience of exciting performances, crafts and tasty authentic food.

continued on pg. 14

Crucial bridge linking Crimea to Russia hit by huge explosion

away, took place at around 6 a.m. on Saturday morning while a train was crossing the bridge, although it was not immediately clear what caused it.

Some images appeared to show a second fire at some distance from the main blaze.

Later images also appeared to show part of road bridge that runs parallel with the train tracks had collapsed, The Guardian reported.

Multicultural Australia Christine Castley CEO and Giri Sivaraman Chair Multicultural Australia, staff, and volunteers for organiz ing such a wonderful event.”

Also Multicultural Australia’s MOSAIC has been included in the Serenades program as

part of the Brisbane Festival in 2022. Brisbane Serenades is the beating heart of the festival and MOSAIC’s vibrant contribution of multicultural performers offers an exciting celebration of Brisbane’s diversity.

Death toll from Thai childcare centre attack rises to 38

Kiev, Oct 8 (IANS) The Kerch bridge from Russia to Crimea, a hated symbol of the Kremlins occupation of the southern Ukrainian peninsula, was hit by a massive explosion on Saturday on the span that carries railway traffic.

Images from the bridge showed a fiercely burning fire engulfing at least two railway carriages from a train on the bridge, accompanied by a vast column of black smoke, The Guardian reported.

The explosion, which witnesses said could be heard kilometres

The bridge is both highly symbolic to Russia and an important logistical supply route for Russian forces in Crimea and in southern Russian-occupied Ukraine.

The Russian news service TASS said a fuel tanker was involved.

“According to preliminary data, a fuel tank (railroad) car has been

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Bangkok, Oct 7 (IANS) The death toll

a

Medical body honours three Indian-origin doctors in Australia

Sydney, Oct 7 (IANS) Three Indian-origin doctors were recently felicitated by the South Australian Indian Medical Association (SAIMA) in recogni tion of their contributions to the field of medicine.

Associate professor Anupam Datta Gupta received SAIMA’s President’s award in recognition of his research in rehabilitation medicine. He is currently the head of the general rehabilitation unit at Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

Datta Gupta is a recipient of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) scholarship and also the Clinical Research Scholar certificate from the Harvard Medical School.

Jaya Pathi received her award for her work as the longest-serving female practitioner - a total of 53 years, including 47 years in Australia. Pathi obtained her MBBS from the Osmania University in Hyderabad in 1967 and started working at a public hospital while pursuing

continued on pg. 12

childcare

Ram

Harpreet Bhagrath

Banerjee

Maharashtra Mandal Perth organizes Ganesh Festival 2022

Maharashtra Mandal Perth celebrated Ganesh Festival 2022 at Perth, Western Australia on 3-4 September. Yaz Mubarakai MLA, Sam Lim MP, Consulate General of India, PerthCounsel General of India Amarjeet Singh Takhi, Dr Jags MLA,Indian Society of Western Australia President Satish Nair, andCouncillor of Radford Ward, City of Armadale Keyur Kamdar were among the guests present at the event. The Office of Multicultural Interests and Lottery west were support ing this event.

The celebrations began on September 3 with Ganesh arrival procession which was with dhol tasha and followed by the idol’s Prath isthapana. Morning Aarti was followed by Atharvashirsha recital and Mahaprasad distribu tion. A multicultural programme was organized later. The evening saw Aarti being performed and Mahaprasad distribution for the evening.

On September 4, morning Aarti was followed by a cultural programme and Mahaprasad distribution. A multicultural programme was also organized. This was followed by Ganesh departure procession with dholtasha and Ganesh Visarjan.

About his experience at the event Yaz Mubarakai MLA said, “I was honoured to represent the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests, Dr. Tony Buti MLA, at Maharashtra Mandal Perth 2022 Ganesh Festival. I was joined by some WA Labor colleagues in the new

member for Tangney Sam Lim MP, and the Member for Riverton Dr Jags MLA as well as a number of dignitaries from the Indian community in WA. As some of you may know, I’m from the town of Dahanu, just outside Mumbai in Maharashtra state, so it was a great night with lots of joy.”He thanked Maharashtra Mandal Perth for putting the event together and to all who attended.

Ganesh Festival is an annual event and one of the most im portant festivals that celebrates Lord Ganesha by worshipping the deityevery year in India. The communal festival lasts for 10 days and ends with the Ganesh Visarjan.

The festival was started by freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak in 1894 with a small idol.Todayit has become a major social festival and tourist attraction focusing on the community worship of Lord Ganesha, who is said to remove all obstacles and bring luck to his devotees.

Maharashtra Mandal of Perth (MMP) was incorporated on January 1, 2000 as a non-profit organization. The goal of MMP is to serve the cultural and social needs of Maharashtrian community in Perth, Western Australia. The mission of the organization is to promote, preserve, and cherish the Maharashtrian culture, their beliefs and traditions. It offers a platform for the Maharashtrians to participate, socialize and build a community together.

Ravishing Fashionistas Fashion Show organized

The Brisbane Ravishing Fashionistas Fashion Show 2022 was organized recently, at Old Government House, Queensland.

The 2022 Spring Themed show

such was made a success with beautiful garments and perfectly fit the theme.The runway was a colourful explosion of elegance, innovation and fun with positive feedback coming from the

guests.

The mission of Ravishing Fashionistas is to create the legacy to empower women. They are setting a new standard where

any woman can be a model in their own right and own their confidence irrespective of body types, background and beliefs. Their vision is to help the

average women from disparate cultural backgrounds to reach their maximum potential and find their uniqueness to be a better version of themselves.

‘African Village’ Youth and Community space opens in Moorooka

The Queensland African Communities Council(QACC) andthe African Youth Support Council (AYSC) officially opened the ‘African Village’ Youth and Community space in Moorooka

on 10th September.

This center provides a unique space of cultural and social significance, connections, identity, trust, safety, belonging, and also a space that their key specialist mainstream partner

agencies and organisations could utilise to effectively engage, build positive relationships and deliver specifically targeted support services to young people and families where they feel safe, embraced, valued and in control

of their decisions.

This is the vision of the QACC to embed the system in the grassroots communities char acterized by social complexities and distrust of the institutions

and system. The ‘African Village’ center in Moorooka is open to young people, families and individual community groups from all cultural backgrounds.

breakfast meeting organised

The African Professionals of Australia - Queensland held the APA leaders’break fast meeting in partnership with the @Social Policy Group

presented with Dinesh Palipana. This was an event curated as an engaging session with industry leaders and professionals with networking opportunities.

$23000 laddu auction at Melbourne’s Ganesh Festival

Community Leaders’ Dinner focuses on mental issues of CALD

Multicultural Australia and the Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma co-hosted a Community Leaders’ Dinner at their Brisbane community space recently.

Focused on mental health issues in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, a panel discussion with thought leaders from World Wellness Group, Transcultural Mental Health and StandBy - Support after Suicide explored a wide range of topics.

The panel of experts shared

advice and perspectives on how the stigma of mental health can be overcome in CALD communities, how young people can be better equipped with the tools and resources to cope with mental health issues and the impact of prolonged refugee status on the mental health of individuals. Through robust conversations about mental health and wellbeing with key community, healthcare and government leaders, improved mental health supportcan be providedto the refugee, migrant and asylum seeker communities.

MCCGC seeks feedback for membership program

MulticulturalCommunities Council Gold Coast (MCCGC) brought together a small group of its members to give feedback and input into their membership program and how they can improve. A meal together was organizedand networking endeavours with community organisations and individuals

with an interest in the diverse Gold Coast communitywere also initiated on the occasion. All attendees were given the op portunity to express themselves and they are looking forward to their next meeting. One can join as an MCCGC member, by apply at https://bit.ly/3fsO0Ym. Membership related queries can be emailed at mccgc.com.au.

Australia

Alludu Indian Students organised a grand Ganesh Mahotsav celebration recently, in which a laddu auction raised $23000 for the organizers. The celebration was attended by thousands of devotees from Melbourne and other places from across Australia. For the occasion of Ganesh Utsav, a majestic five-foot eco-friendly idol of Ganapathi, specially made in Hyderabad, was installed.

The Ganesh Mahotsav celebration began with Ganesh puja and a special arathi. Lord Ganesh’s idol was decorated

with rich adornments, artistic décor, lavish flowers, and fruit garlands. Rituals and Archana were performed during the day, and shlokas and Ganesha mantras were chanted by the priest. As part of the celebration Ayyapa Seva Samithi Melbourne performed Ganesh Bhajans.

Entertainment and dhol perfor mances continued all through the day amidst a spiritual fervor. More than a thousand devotees and visitors participated in the celebrations. The organizers conducted laddu auction at the Ganesh immersion.

The auction raised $23000which

was won by Malik, Phani, Siddu family and Abhilash friends. Speaking about the celebration organizers Pallavi and Charan said, “This is the most incredible Ganapati Chaturthi celebration in Southeast Melbourne. I feel spiritually uplifted when attending these celebrations. The vibrant ambience with colour, festive spirit and coming togeth er of the community is incredi ble. My special thanks to Carina Garland, MP for Chisholm, Julian Hill MP For Bruce, Meng Heang Tak MP, State Labour Member of Parliament for Clarinda.”

Cultural festivities mark International Pashtun Culture Day celebrations

The International Pashtun Culture Day was organized at Sun PAC Brisbaneon September 25. It was organized by Awami National Party Australia (ANP).Musical extravaganza, dance and other festivities, especially perfor mance by famous Pashto singer Karan Khan, and other programs marked the occasion.

The International Pashtun Culture Day celebration was at tended by Member of Parliament of Queensland James Martin, Jon Raven - Councillor for Division 5, Lewis Lee OAM,and other dignitaries and guests. General Secretary ANP Australia Irshad Khan, Vice President Sohail Khan and Deputy General Secretary Ishaq Khan welcomed the dignitaries and the guests.

Earlier in the month, International Pashtoon Culture Day was organized at Sydney on September 23. New South Wales legislator Paul Lynch, ANP President Kamala Khan, General Secretary Irshad Khan, Deputy General Secretary Ishaq Khan, Secretary Finance Misbah Siddiqui, Secretary Culture Rizwan Khan, Election

Juma Khan and Nangial attended the celebration. Later, International Pashtun Culture Day was also organized in Melbourne on September 30. Member Australian Federal Parliament Julian Hill and Member Victoria Parliament Tain Kin attended the International Pakhtoon Culture Day celebration in Melbourne. Central President of ANP Australia Kamla Khan MianKhel, General Secretary Irshad Khan, Secretary Culture Rizwan Khan and President of Victoria State Taimoor Ali Khan met Australian Labour Party candidates who attended the event. Australian Labour Party candidates appre ciated the initiative of the ANP in organizing the International

Pashtun Culture Day highlighting Pashtun culture. Besides dance and music Pashtun Cultural Fashion Show was also organized at International Pashtun Culture Day in Melbourne. The Fashion Show was organised by ‘GFN Fashion. The show director was PRAD (@ prad_vats) who is a Bollywood actor and fashion model and has done many fashion shows, music videos, films and webseries.

It was for the first time in Australia Pashtun Culture Day was celebrated in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. Pashtun culture emphasises tribal and family relations, as well as customary norms known as Pashtunwali.

Youth urged to become competitive

Multicultural Australia’s

MY Vision Project team at MOSAIC invited youth to join in their Chill Out Zone. It was a bid so that the youth become competitive in a giant lawn game, relax with their mates or take part in the MOSAIC treasure hunt to win a prize.

Multicultural Australia seeks support for Australia’s cricket team

With the Australian Men’s Cricket Team being all ready to defend their title as the ICC T20 World Cup is coming to Australia in October, Multicultural Australia wants people to be a part of SQUAD Australia.

According to them, the best way one can support the team is by joining the free and official Facebook group which already boasts of 2k+ members.

Multicultural Australia is in partnership with ICC T20 World Cup.

African percussion drums to win your heart

Have you ever taken part in a drumming circle? If not, then join Tichawona Noble Mashawa for his Tribal Voices drum circle workshop and learn how to play African percussion drums, while embracing tribal song and dance. Originally from Zimbabwe, Tichawona is an imaginative and captivating African musician who now calls Brisbane home. He’ll have you moving to the beat of your own drum in no time. He is an emotive Zimbabwean musician who is fluent on many instruments. Tichawona has a passion for the traditional Zimbabwe instrument, the Mbira. His performances are warm and exciting. With story and song you will travel on a journey through Africa’s musical landscapes. Culture, traditions and contemporized and music all togetherwill lift your spirit and

warm your heart.

Tichawona is available for cultural exchange performances,

schools as well as festivals and events.

Multicultural Australia partners with Oz Harvest to serve the hungry

Australian citizenship ceremony to be held

MOSAIC Multicultural Festival will host an Australian citizenship ceremony where 50 people from 21 different national ities will take the pledge to become Australian citizens.

Multicultural Australia is passionate about creating an inclusive community for new Queenslanders from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Multicultural Australia at the fore front of child protection & welfare

Multicultural Australia has said that it supports National Child Protection Week and their message is that every child, in every community, needs a fair go. Multicultural Australia is deeply committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people who access their services and premises. It has further said that it recognises that children and young people have diverse needs, and they provide a safe, welcoming, and friendly environment. According to Multicultural Australia, their board of directors, staff and volunteers ensure that all children and young people are

treated with dignity, respect and understanding at all times, regardless of their age, eth nicity, religion, ability, gender, sexual orientation or economic circumstances.

Moreover, Multicultural Australia’s Unaccompanied Minors Program promotes wellbeing, independence, belonging, and quality of life for unaccompanied minors. This service is delivered through providing culturally appropriate support to children and young people through methods that are trauma-informed, nurtures aspiration, promotes indepen dent living skills, and supports connection with family, peers, and communities.

Multicultural Australia has partnered with food rescue organisation Oz Harvest for a number of years to deliver food boxes to some of the most vulnerable families. Powered by volunteers, boxes of surplus food from donor supermarkets, restaurants,

hotels, and airlines are packed each Wednesday and gifted to families across Brisbane, Ipswich, and Logan. The recipients of these deliveries are families who experience compounding vulnerabilities, leaving them without access to income support, and in some

case no visa, work rights or Medicare. Many do not have employment to sustain them selves and their families. This service provides much-needed support for families with limited options, and fosters connection between clients and community volunteers.

Grand Central Floral Parade marks the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers

Multicultural

Australia’s the Grand Central Floral Parade at the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers was organized recently. Led by CEO Christine Castley, and featuring the larger-than-life sculptures of visual artist, Dr Farvard in Daliri, passionate youth, community leaders and its staff were honoured to represent their clients and communities, and have had an impact in Toowoomba.

Multicultural Australia’s Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP), Settlement Engagement Transition Support

(SETS) and community education programs help create welcome, inclusion and belonging for our

refugee and migrant communi ties in Toowoomba.

MOSAIC Multicultural Choir formed

The

Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) and Multicultural Australia have joined forces to create the MOSAIC Multicultural Choir, bringing together individuals from diverse cultural back grounds to rehearse, learn more about each other’s cultures, and spread joy through song.

At MOSAIC, one has the oppor tunity to join in the action and sing along with other Brisbanites

keen to express themselves through song.

Under Choir Director Yani Mills, the Mosaic Choir will take up performance oppor tunities throughout the year at key QPAC and Multicultural Australia events, including the Multicultural Australia Christmas Celebration, Songs of Hope and Healing, MOSAIC festival and more.

Traineeship program for unemployed migrants & university graduates launched

The ECCQ Traineeship Program (BASE) Seeking

Expression of Interest was started recently. This program will assist unemployed but professionally qualified migrants and university graduates by providing training in business administration skills through delivery of a Certificate I in business administration and paid work placement in local

Queensland businesses.

To be eligible one must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident (includes humanitarian entrants), temporary resident with the necessary visa and work permits on the pathway to permanent residency or a New Zealand citizen; unemployed or need support to secure more stable employment.

BASE is set to commence 3

October 2022 and will include 19 weeks paid work placement.

For more information and to confirm one’s eligibility, one can contact Zack on 0426 290 038 or email zacks@eccq.com.au

This program is funded by the Queensland Government through its Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.

ECCQ launches online learning hub

The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) has announced recently that their training and workshops, a core element of their work, have now been developed into an online learning hub.The online learning hub was launched over zoom on 15 September.

The online learning hub will strengthen the ability of the

ECCQ to deliver and reach out to more members.It is pertinent to state that the online learning hub is an endeavour to complement the ECCQ’s face- to- face learning, butthe former willnot replace the latter.

The launch included sneakpeaks into the courses available, a presentation on how to navigate the content and details on how to access the hub.

ECCQ’s Bright Future Program lauded

Members of ECCQ met Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development. Di Farmer MP, recently.

Double Ninth Festival organized

currently on his traineeship, said he was very grateful and happy to have the opportunity to improve his skills and to gain Australia work experience.

ECCQ’s Program Manager Zack Sohrabi said, “We are so grateful for the opportunity to deliver these Skilling Queenslanders for Work funded training programs, they support migrants to gain the confidence, skills and connec tions to employers to boost their careers in Australia.”

Double

Ninth Festival was organized at Landmark Restaurant Sunnybank. It was hosted by QLD Tianjin Friendship Association. Tianjin Friendship Association QLD INC is a Queensland based organization.

The Double Ninth Festival, also known as Chongyang Festival, is held on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. It is also known as the Senior Citizens’ Festival.

According to the book Yi Jing, the number 6 is for the Yin character while the number 9 is considered to be for the Yang character. So, on the ninth day of the ninth lu nar month, both day and month are Yang characters. Therefore, the festival was named the Double Ninth Festival.In ancient times, people believed that the double ninth day was a day for celebration.As folk people during ancient times had the tradition

of climbing a mountain on that day, the Chongyang Festival is also called the Height Ascending Festival. The Chongyang Festival also has other names, such as the Chrysanthemum Festival.

On the Double Ninth Festival, people celebrate perform many activities such as enjoying the chrysanthemum, inserting Zhuyu, eating Chongyang cakes, and drinking chrysanthemum wine, among others.

The minister met with trainees and students from ECCQ’s Bright Future Program who are study ing Certificate I in Business, including a 19-week paid work placement, and Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing). Sharing his experience of the program Arif, an Afghan national

Goodwill Cup 2022 organized MOSAIC 2022

The Goodwill Cup 2022, a Goodwill T20 Cricket, was organized with success recently. The Goodwill Cup 2022 got off to a beautiful start at the Home of Cricket Allan Border Field on 17th September.

The Australian Cricket Legend Ryan Harris joined the teams and did the toss. The toss was pre ceded by an‘Acknowledgement

to the Country’ given by Adrian Coolwell. His son Jake Coolwell won the Best Batsman Award, which he revived from another Australian Cricket Legend Carl Rackemann. Last year he was adjudged the Man of the Match.

The team of the Institute for Australia India engagement and India News worked relentless to

make this event a grand success.

Besides the multicultural com munity organisations, IAIE, QPS, community and political leaders, sponsors, and volunteers sup ported the Goodwill T20 Cricket match. Former Australian Test cricketer Matthew Hayden’s 74 runs in 35 balls was the highlight of the match.

on fire at one of the sections of the Crimean bridge, shipping arches aren’t damaged, said Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to the Russian occupation head of the Crimea.

Another Moscow-appointed

its

official said: “A cistern carriage is burning with fuel on one of the bridge sections. Shipping arches aren’t affected. Too early to talk about reasons and consequences. Work is under way to put out the fire.”

However, video footage taken from the road span appeared to show fires burning fiercely in several railway trucks along the length of the train, numbering at least half a dozen with the train stationary on the bridge, The Guardian reported.

The railway span is part of a pair of parallel bridges, crossing the Kerch Strait linking Krasnodar in Russia and Crimea, which was built by Russia after its invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Some 19-km long, the road bridge was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, with the railway bridge opening two years later.

Mosaic Multicultural Festival showcased

lineup of

Palestinian, Polynesian, Persian, Colombian and many more on

September at Roma Street Parklands.

Over 35 performances at Mosaic Festival

Crucial bridge linking Crimea to Russia hit by huge explosion

10-Year celebration of Shandong Association organised

The

Moon Festival Carnival hosted

Global Village Festival organized

The Multicultural Communities Council Gold Coast (MCCGC)

Youth Advisory Group member

Adam, along with CAMS officer Candice and Community Programs Manager Jess,

attended Multicultural Families Organisation Inc’s annual Global Village Festival recently. The day was filled with music, dance and food from all over the world. It was a display of the diversity on the Gold Coast.

Moon Festival Carnival was hosted by Australia QLD Shandong Association recently at Brittain

Park, 168 Troughton Road, Coopers Plains QLD. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival

or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture.

Anniversary Celebration of Australia

QLD Shandong Association was organized recently at

SunPAC. The celebration dinner was hosted at Landmark Restaurant, Sunnybank.

Prayers for Queen Elizabeth II

Prayers for the late Queen Elizabeth II was organized by Fiji Senior Citizens Association of QLDat Multicultural Hub

Multi-Faith

Annerley, Queensland. Queen Elizabeth II passed away recently at the age of 96 years, after 70 years of reign.

Kayo Sports announce Hindi and Afrikaans commentary for 2022 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup

Kayo Sports has today announced select matches of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup will offer commentary in Hindi and Afrikaans languages LIVE and on-demand on Kayo, bringing together a world-class team of international broadcasters.

Cricket icons and former play ers for India Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan, Harbhajan Singh and Aakash Chopra will lead Kayo’s Hindi commentary team, alongside fan-favourite Indian cricket commentator Jatin Sapru and former assistant coach to the Indian cricket team Sanjay Bangar.

The Afrikaans commentary team will be led by South African cricketing household name Jeremy Fredericks, sports presenter Johnny Davids and former South African cricketers Gerhardus Liebenberg, Henry Davids, Fanie De Villiers, Johan Van De Wath, Shafiek Abrahams and Morne Van Wyk.

Kayo Marketing Director Kim McConnie said: “Kayo is about

providing the best experience possible to our 1.3 million customers.

“We know the World Cup has a large multicultural audience, so we are thrilled to provide more options for fans to enjoy this great sporting event, that begins in just over two weeks, with the addition of Hindi and Afrikaans commentary.”

Kayo will offer Hindi com mentary for 10 key fixtures and Afrikaans commentary for eight key fixtures during the World Cup, with both options available for semi-finals and finals spectaculars.

Fox Cricket General Manager Matthew Weiss said: “Fox Cricket delivers world class coverage every summer, and we

are proud to further strengthen our offering for this year’s ICC T20 World Cup with commen tary in additional languages.

“The broadcast teams that we have brought together to deliver the Hindi and Afrikaans commentary through our international partners Star (India) and SuperSport (South Africa) are second to none, and we look forward to hearing their unique analysis in their own languages.”

Kayo subscribers can access the Hindi and Afrikaans language feeds via their dedicated tiles in the Match Centres in-app for selected games during the ICC T20 World Cup. Fixtures that will feature the new linguistic commentary offerings include –

Date Stage Fixture Time Location

Sat Oct 22 Super 12 New Zealand vs Australia 6:00pm SCG, Sydney

Sun Oct 23 Super 12 India vs Pakistan 7:00pm MCG, Melbourne

Thu Oct 27 Super 12 India vs Group A Runner-Up 6:00pm SCG, Sydney

Sun Oct 30 Super 12 India vs South Africa 7:00pm Perth Stadium

Wed Nov 2 Super 12 India vs Bangladesh 6:30pm Adelaide Oval

Thu Nov 3 Super 12 Pakistan vs South Africa 7:00pm SCG, Sydney

Sun Nov 6 Super 12 India vs Group B Winner 7:00pm MCG, Melbourne

Wed Nov 9 Finals SEMI-FINAL ONE 7:00pm SCG, Sydney

Thu Nov 10 Finals SEMI-FINAL TWO 6:30pm Adelaide Oval

Sun Nov 13 Finals FINAL 7:00pm MCG, Melbourne

Afrikaans Commentary

Date Stage Fixture Time Location

Mon Oct 24 Super 12 South Africa vs Group B Winner 7:00pm Bellerive Oval, Hobart

Thu Oct 27 Super 12 South Africa vs Bangladesh 2:00pm SCG, Sydney

Sun Oct 30 Super 12 India vs South Africa 7:00pm Perth Stadium

Thu Nov 3 Super 12 Pakistan vs South Africa 7:00pm SCG, Sydney

Sun Nov 6 Super 12 South Africa vs Group A Runner-Up 10:30am Adelaide Oval

Wed Nov 9 Finals SEMI-FINAL ONE 7:00pm SCG, Sydney

Thu Nov 10 Finals

SEMI-FINAL TWO 6:30pm Adelaide Oval

Sun Nov 13 Finals FINAL 7:00pm MCG, Melbourne

Watch every match of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup live and on demand on Kayo Sports from October 16 to November 13.

New to Kayo? Start your 14-day free trial today at www.kayosports.com.au and start streaming instantly

Death toll from Thai childcare centre attack rises to 38

quoted National Police Chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat as saying at a press conference late Thursday.

He was supposed to face trial on drugs charge in court on Friday, he added.

When the attacker entered the childcare centre on Thursday afternoon, he was suspected to be under the influence of drugs and stress due to the upcoming trial, according to Damrongsak.

The number of the victims included the shooter and his family members, who were found dead in his residence, the police chief said, without mentioning the number of the injured in the incident.

“About the horrifying incident, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the families of the dead and injured,” Thai

Prayut will head to Nong Bua Lamphu on Friday in support of the family of the victims, and he has ordered the provision of psychological counseling ser vices to the people concerned, acting government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said.

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn, together with the Queen, are also expected to visit the community.

TV footage showed ambulances and families of the victims gathering outside the centre after the incident.

“I cannot see my child’s face,” cried a man, who lost his pregnant wife in the incident, as a video showed the heartbroken man crying on the ground at the scene.

falling to the ground.

The shooter broke the window in as the door was locked, and she succeeded in fleeing the scene, she said.

Suwit Chanwon, deputy pro vincial governor, said: “We are making sure that all the injured and the family members of the victims are well treated.”

According to Anucha, the family of the deceased will get a compensation of 200,000 baht ($5,360) per person.

On Friday morning, parents gathered outside the building on Friday morning, weeping and clutching their children’s favourite toys, while others showed up to pay their respects. Flags across the country are flying at half-mast.

The attacker has been identified

as a former police officer who was arrested early this year

drug allegations

dismissed from his post

Prime Minister Prayut Chano-cha wrote on social media, adding that he has ordered the national police chief to “fasttrack an investigation”.

He and his wife, a teacher at the centre, were expecting a baby next month.

A woman working at the centre told local media that they were having lunch when she heard sounds and saw the injured

Thursday’s attack comes less than a month after an army officer shot dead two of his colleagues at a base in Bangkok. In 2020 a soldier killed 29 people and injured dozens more in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima.

Thailand’s Nong Bua Lamphu province has increased to 38, most of them children, local authorities said.

continued from pg. 1 Medical body honours three Indian-origin doctors in Australia

dentists, allied health profes sionals, medical students, and international medical graduates based in Adelaide, South Australia.

As of 2021, Indians have overtaken Chinese and New Zealand-born immigrants, numbering over 780,000.

specialist training in paediatrics simultaneously.

SAIMA also honoured resident medical officer Rahul Malhotra, who mentored first-year students and acted as an inves tigator in a few medical research projects. With a keen interest in anesthesia, he participates in the

management of peri-operative patients.

The award function, held after a year’s gap due to Covid, was attended by over four hundred invitees.

SAIMA, according to its website, is a member-based organisation of medical practitioners,

Their numbers doubled during 1996-2006, quadrupled during 2006-2020, and were Australia’s fastest growing diaspora community in 2020, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 census.

Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has even established a Global Talent Officer for South Asia, eying India as a source of global talent.

Gandhi Peace Symposium 2022 held

Mahatma Gandhi Peace Symposium 2022 event was held at NSW Parliament to mark the 153rd

birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi this year.

Dignitaries who attended the event included Consulate

General of India in Sydney, Mr Manish Gupta and his wife, Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Seniors Hon.

Mark Coure MP, Government MLC Leader Scott Farlow MLC and NSW Labor Representative Jason Yat-Sen Li.

African Communities Council of South Australia organizes Unmasked Africa Festival 2022

The Festival also featured the very best of African dance, singing from a range of African communities and an array of music from both traditional and contemporary artists of all ages. The highlight were Over 8 different food stalls from across the African Continent, live music performances, craft, face

paintings and jumping castle for kids, colourful costumes

Moreover, the Unmasked Festival is for all the families to enjoy.

In that regard, Victoria Square was a perfect setting for the Festival as the venue offered an easy access to buses, trams and central marketplaces.

The Festival was supported by

a large number of guests and speakers through supportive words and actions for African South Australians, especially Zoe Bettison MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Tourism, Jing Lee MLC, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Showdown Minister for Multicultural

Affairs, Shadow Minister for Tourism and Communities, Judge RaufTsoulio, Patron of the African Communities Council of SA and Chair of Australian Migrant Resource Centre.

The Festival was also supported by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, the government of South Australia,

Australian Migrant Resource Centre, Adelaide City Council, Crime stoppers SA and STTARS. Alsothe Festival Management Committee, Unmasked Festival Director Deng Enock, master of ceremonies Miss Africa South Australia 2021 and all volunteers worked relentlessly to make the Festival successful.

Philadelphia apologises for experiments on African-American inmates

Thursday.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney also issued a statement, saying that “the historical impact and trauma of this practice of medical racism has extended for generations”.

“Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse,” Kenney added.

“We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words.”

Africa’s petroleum producers back OPEC+ production cut

Lagos, Oct 7 (IANS) The African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO) has announced that it supports the recent decision by the OPEC and some non-OPEC oil-producing countries to cut overall oil production by two million barrels per day.

Washington, Oct 7 (IANS) The US city of Philadelphia issued a formal apology for experiments conducted on African-American inmates at a prison decades ago.

From the 1950s to the 1970s, inmates of Holmesburg Prison were intentionally exposed to pharmaceuticals, viruses, fungus, asbestos, and even dioxin, a component of Agent Orange.

The vast majority of those

subjected to this wide range of experimentation were AfricanAmerican men, many of them illiterate, awaiting prosecution, and attempting to save enough money to make bail, Xinhua news agency reported.

“This is yet another tragic example of disgraceful and unethical practices of medical experimentation on people of colour throughout our country’s history,” the city said on

The experiments were conduct ed by University of Pennsylvania researcher Albert Kligman, a long-standing faculty member in the Department of Dermatology before his death in 2010.

The university’s school of medicine in 2021 apologised “for the pain Kligman’s work caused to incarcerated individuals, their families, and our broader community”.

Somali leaders condemn suicide bomb attacks as death toll hits 15

“Their brutal acts will never distract us from rising against them,” he added and vowed to step up anti-terror operations in the region.

HirShabelle, Health Minister and Deputy Governor for the Hiiraan region, were among those killed in the attack which has also been condemned by the UN.

In his statement, the Prime Minister who chaired an emergency security meeting following the blasts condemned the attacks which he said are aimed at derailing efforts to pacify Somalia.

Omar Farouk Ibrahim, the APPO Secretary General, said on Thursday in a statement reach ing Xinhua that it is “a decision well taken”, as he believes “it is the right thing to do to save the industry and also to ensure that there is stability for today and tomorrow”.

“Every country has a responsi bility to protect the interests of its citizens, and if by reducing production, they see it as serving their best interests, so be it. When developed countries make decisions, they don’t sit and think about how they are going to affect developing countries. The interests of their citizens are paramount,” Ibrahim added.

The statement said the decision by OPEC was made following the

OPEC and non-OPEC ministerial meeting on Wednesday, noting it would reduce overall production by two million barrels per day starting from November, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said the adjustment was being made in light of the uncertainty that surrounds the global economy and oil market outlooks and the need to enhance the long-term guidance for the oil market.

Kenya to receive nearly 1.46 mn foreign tourists in 2022

Mogadishu, Oct 4 (IANS) Somali leaders have condemned the twin suicide bomb blasts in the central Somali town of Beledwyene where at least 15 people were killed and 26 others wounded.

In separate statements on Monday, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre directed security agencies to step up anti-terrorism measures to ensure security in the country, Xinhua news agency reported. Mohamud also sent his condolences to the families and relatives of the Somali citizens who lost their lives in the blasts that targeted local officials at Lamagalay base which is HirShabelle regional adminis tration headquarters. He wished the wounded quick recovery and directed the government

to provide immediate medical assistance to those whose health conditions are critical.

The President’s statement came as the death toll rose to 15 in the twin suicide bombs that rocked Beledweyne local administration premises, the interim adminis trative town of Hirshabelle state in central Somalia. The police and witnesses who declined to be named said the death toll could rise as some of the wounded are in critical condition.

“The first explosion was a car laden with explosives driven by a suicide bomber that hit the first security gate of the presidential buildings, followed by another blast loaded on a truck not much far from the residential home of Hirshabelle state Vice-President inside Lamagalaay compound, “Ali Jeyte Osman, Governor of Hiran region told journalists.

“This attack is a proof of how the terrorist groups are still hungry for the bloodshed of the Somali people, and they want to dis courage the people who stood up for their lives. The blood of our precious people that they shed every day will not be spared,” Abdi said.

The latest attacks came barely two days after the killing of senior al-Shabab leader Abdullahi Nadir by government and international partner forces on Saturday during an operation in the Middle Juba region.

The government forces have conducted several operations in Beledweyne in recent days against the al-Shabab terror group, liberating more than 40 villages and killing more than 200 militants.

Event organized to inform Ukrainians about resettlement

The Ukrainian Community of Queensland organized an event ‘What is Hromada?’ to provide Ukrainians who are new to Australia with helpful information to navigate their resettlement journey.

Many Ukrainian migrants attended the event to connect with leaders in the community.

The Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) of Multicultural Australia has helped many Ukrainians find their place in communities across Queensland through holistic support services and networks with key commu nity partners.

Nairobi, Oct 6 (IANS) Kenya has forecast to receive nearly 1.46 million foreign tourists in 2022, up from 870,000 recorded in 2021 amid the post-Covid-19 economic recovery.

Najib Balala, Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife said on Wednesday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the tourism sector revenues are expected to expand from 146 billion shillings ($1.2 billion) posted in 2021 to $2.19 billion this year.

“Kenya as a tourism destination is quickly on its way to recovery as a result of value addition to tourism experiences as well as diversification of offerings,” Balala added during the opening of the 12th edition of Magical Kenya Tourism Expo.

Tourism is one of the leading sources of foreign exchange for the East African country. He said that the tourism expo, which

is the largest East and Central African travel trade show, brought together more than 200 exhibitors and 160 buyers from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas, Xinhua news agency reported.

He revealed that Kenya has built on efforts to ensure that tourism experiences are not only safe and enjoyable for visitors, but also sustainable and profitable for stakeholders in the industry.

Betty Radier, CEO of the stateowned marketing body, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB), said that the tourism expo is part of Kenya’s efforts to revitalise tourism as it focuses on Africa and other emerging markets.

“We are delighted to have the event return to in-person after two years. Last year we held the event virtually to ensure that the sector did not lose out on any opportunities,” she added.

Step-to-Work program for job seekers organised

Multicultural Australia organized the Step-to-Work program recently for members who have started new jobs and for those who have their interviews coming up.

Through an eight-week job preparation course, the culturally and linguistically diverse jobseekers develop the confidence and work ready skills to start exciting new chapters in their lives.

The Step-to-work was a program delivered by the employment team from Multicultural Australia at Redbank Plains Community Centre. The team supported 9

community members throughout the process of becoming job ready, applying for a job and navigating the interview process.

Of the 9 participants7 are now employed and 2 of them were interview-ready.

SKorean, US, Japanese nuclear envoys condemn NKorea’s missile provocation

reported.

The two sides called on the North to immediately cease its provocations and condemned the latest salvo of ballistic missiles as a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, the ministry said in a statement.

The South Korean envoy held separate phone talks with his Japanese counterpart Takehiro Funakoshi.

N.Korea fires IRBM over Japan: S.Korean military

Seoul, Oct 6 (IANS) Top South Korean, US and Japanese nuclear envoys strongly denounced North Korea’s recent back-toback missile provocations during their phone talks on Thursday.

Kim Gunn, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, and his

American counterpart, Sung Kim, voiced “serious concerns” over Pyongyang’s test-firing of two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) earlier in the day. The provocation came two days after the launch of an intermedi ate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan, Yonhap news agency

The three officials agreed to step up bilateral and trilateral cooperation to respond sternly against the North’s nuclear and missile threats, it added.

Concerns have also been growing that Pyongyang could conduct another nuclear test in the near future.

SKorea, US, Japan hold joint naval drills in East Sea involving Reagan carrier group

destroyer, were mobilised, Yonhap news agency reported quoting the Seoul’s military.

They simulated scenarios of North Korean ballistic missile launches and focused on detecting, tracking and inter cepting them by sharing target information, it said.

Seoul, Oct 4 (IANS) North Korea fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan on Tuesday in its first launch of an IRBM in eight months, according to South Korea’s military.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it detected the launch from Mupyong-ri in the northern province of Jagang at 7:23 a.m. and that the missile flew some 4,500 kilometres at an apogee of around 970 km at a top speed of Mach 17.

The missile flew past Japan, they said, adding that the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the US are conducting a detailed analysis to verify the specifics of the missile.

Pyongyang last fired an IRBM in January. The Hwasong 12-type missile flew some 800 kilometres at a top altitude of 2,000 km.

In a statement over the launch, the US Indo-Pacific Command called on the North to refrain from further “unlawful and destabilising” acts.

“While we have assessed that this event does not pose a threat to U.S. personnel, or territory, or to our allies, we will continue to monitor the situation,” the command said. “The U.S. commitments to the defense of Japan and the ROK remain ironclad.”

ROK stands for South Korea’s official name, the Republic of Korea.

Given its flight distance, Tuesday’s missile appears to have been fired at a standard angle -in contrast to the North’s earlier launch of an IRBM on a lofted trajectory, observers said.

Seoul, Oct 6 (IANS) South Korea, the United States and Japan staged another joint naval exercise in the East Sea on Thursday with a focus on countering nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

the international waters of the sea hours after North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul’s military said. Several warships, including South Korea’s King Sejong the Great destroyer, the USS Benfold destroyer belonging to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group, and Japan’s Chokai

The three countries held combined maritime drills in the East Sea on September 30 involving the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in a show of force against the North’s continued provocations.

It was redeployed to the waters Wednesday in response to the North’s firing of an intermedi ate-range ballistic missile over Japan the previous day.

China interested in importing donkeys from Pakistan

maintained that China was a big market for exporting meat.

Dinesh Kumar, a member of the standing committee, said that China is asking Pakistan to export donkeys as well as dogs, Geo News reported.

the committee that due to the prevalence of lumpy skin disease among animals, their import from Afghanistan has been temporarily banned.

“The series of North Korea’s ballistic missile provocations will further strengthen deterrence and the response capabilities of the South Korea-U.S. alliance and only deepen the North’s isolation from the international community,” the JCS conveyed in a correspondence with Yonhap, a South Korean news agency. It also condemned the launch as an act of “significant” prov ocation that undermines peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community, and a “clear” breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

The IRBM puts the US territory of Guam within range in a reminder that it poses threats far beyond the peninsula.

The North launched one shortrange ballistic missile (SRBM) on September 25, then two last Wednesday, another two the following day and two on Saturday.

The string of the North’s missile launches raised questions over the efficacy of the deterrence efforts by South Korea and the U.S.

Islamabad, Oct 4 (IANS)

Officials of Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce told the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce that China is inter ested in importing donkeys from Pakistan, Geo News reported.

During the briefing, officials

Upon this, Senator Abdul Qadir said that the Chinese ambassa dor has talked about exporting meat from Pakistan several times. Pouring in his suggestion, Senator Mirza Muhammad Afridi said that since animals are comparatively cheaper in Afghanistan, Pakistan can import them from there and then export the meat to China, Geo News reported.

However, the officials of the commerce ministry informed

Aside from the topic of exporting animals, the standing committee expressed its concerns over the withdrawal of electricity subsidy given to five export sectors. In response to that, commerce ministry officials said that the issue has been raised before the Ministry of Finance to revert the subsidy as the export sectors are facing various difficulties.

The standing committee rec ommended that the government resolve the issue of electricity subsidy to the export industry as soon as possible.

S.Korean Prez Yoon’s approval rating drops after hot mic incident

The exercise involving the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier strike group opened in Seoul, Oct 3 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s approval rating fell for the first time in four weeks after his remarks caught on a hot mic in

New York caused an uproar here, a survey showed on Monday.

In the poll of 2,522 voters conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Friday last week, 31.2 per cent positively assessed Yoon’s job performance, down 3.4 percentage points from the previous week, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon’s disapproval rating was 66 per cent, up 3.8 percentage points.

The drop could be attributable to the hot mic controversy and Yoon’s accusation of media ma nipulation after he came under fire for using vulgar words in private remarks to aides caught

on a hot mic during his trip to New York last month, according to Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter.

Though the recording of Yoon’s remarks was not clear due to noise, many thought that he used foul language while talking about US Congress and US President Joe Biden. Yoon’s office rejected the claim, saying he was referring to South Korea’s opposition-controlled National Assembly and did not mention US Congress or Biden.

The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 per cent confidence level.

Soon after the launch, JCS Chairman Gen. Kim Seung-kyum and Gen. Paul LaCamera, the commander of the South KoreaUS Combined Forces Command, had virtual consultations and reaffirmed that they would solidify the allies’ combined defense posture against “any North Korean threats and provocations,” according to the JCS.

The allies have recently ramped up their rhetoric against Pyongyang and held a naval exercise involving the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier. They also resumed the Extended Deterrence Strategy and Consultation Group (EDSCG) session last month after a nearly five-year hiatus.

Analysts said the North’s recent provocations indicate it has been doubling on its major weapons development schemes, including developing a tactical nuclear warhead mountable on shortrange ballistic missiles.

Chinese aircraft intruded into S.Korea’s air defense zone more than 70 times in 2021

Seoul, Oct Oct 3 (IANS) Dozens of Chinese and Russian warplanes entered South Korea’s air defense identification zone (KADIZ) last year, a document showed Monday.

In a document submitted to the National Assembly, South Korea’s defense ministry said that the number of times Chinese mili tary aircraft entered the KADIZ surpassed 70 last year, similar to that of the previous year.

The number of entries by Russian aircraft into KADIZ has exceeded 10 times since 2017, while topping 20 times in 2019.

Japanese warplanes entered the overlapping South Korean and Japanese air defense zones an average of 500 times per year after giving prior notice, according to the document. The air defense zone was first drawn in 1951 by the U.S. Air Force during the 1950-53 Korean War to prevent air clashes between nations surrounding the Korean Peninsula. The area is not territorial airspace but is zoned off to request foreign planes identify themselves to prevent accidental clashes.

Lahore, Oct 4 (IANS) Pakistan’s Prime Pinister, Shehbaz Sharif, has accused the former premier Imran Khan of being the “the biggest liar on the face of the earth” and injecting poison into society to “dangerously polarise the electorate” after he was toppled from power earlier this year, The Guardian reported.

Speaking in his first interview from Pakistan since he took over as Prime Minister in April, Sharif, 70, spoke unsparingly of the “damage” that Khan, the former cricket superstar who ruled Pakistan from 2018, had

done to the country in both domestic and foreign affairs.

Sharif, who is the younger brother of the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and part of one of Pakistan’s most powerful political dynasties, called Khan “a liar and a cheat” whose policies had left the economy in ruins, The Guardian reported.

He accused Khan, who ran on an anti-corruption manifesto, of conducting the country’s affairs to suit his own personal agenda “in a manner which can be only described as the most

inexperienced, self-centred, egotistical, immature politician in the history of this country.”

Sharif said the leaked audios were “an irrefutable endorse ment that he [Khan] is the biggest liar on the face of the earth. I’m not saying this with a sense of glee but a sense of embarrassment and concern.

My country’s image has been been damaged hugely by these lies told out of mean personal interest.”

Sharif, who has always worked with the military establishment, acknowledged that he faced significant challenges ruling Pakistan while Khan was mobil ising on the streets. Several of the economic decisions made by Sharif’s government, such as raising fuel taxes, have proved very unpopular.

“Never before was I concerned about our country’s future,” said Sharif. “Imran Khan has injected infinite amount of poison in this society and made it hugely polarised as never before...he is distorting facts and creating hate,” The Guardian reported.

Sri Lanka keeps interest rates unchanged

Colombo, Oct 6 (IANS) Sri Lanka’s central bank decided to maintain the Standing Deposit Facility Rate (SDFR) and the Standing Lending Facility Rate (SLFR) at their current levels of 14.50 per cent and 15.50 per cent, respectively.

The central bank announced on Thursday that it arrived at this decision after considering the latest macroeconomic condi tions, expected developments, and macroeconomic projections, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said it noted the present tight monetary conditions, the reducing pace of inflation, and both domestic and global factors have helped the country stabilise.

The current fiscal policies are complementing the monetary policy and are helping to mitigate any build-up of aggregate demand pressures, it said.

The central bank expects the country’s headline inflation to drop to 4 to 6 percent over the medium term.

Islamabad, Oct 3 (IANS) The death toll from this season’s monsoon rain and flood since mid-June has risen to around 1,695 along with 12,865 others injured in Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said.

According to a report released by the NDMA on Sunday, 630 children and 340 women were among those who lost their lives in separate rain or flood-related accidents in the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

The country’s southern Sindh province was the worst-hit region where 759 people were killed, followed by southwest Balochistan and northwest

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces which reported 336 and 307 deaths, respectively.

Moreover, 2,045,349 houses were destroyed and 1,162,122 livestock perished in different parts of Pakistan, the report said.

Around 33,046,329 people and 84 districts have been affected by the flood, it added.

The report further added that 13,254.49 km-long roads and 440 bridges have been damaged throughout the season. Rescue and relief operations by the NDMA, other government organizations, volunteers and non-government organisations were underway in the flood-hit areas.

Death toll of Afghanistan’s suicide blast soars to 53: UNAMA

Kabul, Oct 4 (IANS) The death toll of a suicide blast on the western edge of Kabul city has reached 53, said the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

“Further rise in casualties from Friday’s classroom bombing in Hazara quarter of Kabul: 53 killed, at least 46 girls and young women, 110 injured. Our human rights team continues documenting the crime,” the

UN mission here tweeted on Monday.

A suicide explosion rocked an education centre in a neighbour hood of western Kabul on Friday morning where a large number of students were preparing for an exam, Xinhua news agency reported.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Pakistan PM says rival Imran Khan is ‘biggest liar on earth’

Nearly 1,700 people killed in Pakistan’s monsoon rain, flood

French energy sobriety plan to switch off Paris monuments at night

of Paris Anne Hidalgo, during a presentation of the “energy sobriety plan” of Paris.

“It is important to show that everywhere, including this monument... which we symboli cally light up in green when there are important moments for the climate, will also participate.”

An earlier switch-off time for the lights on the “Iron Lady”, built by engineer Gustave Eiffel 133 years ago, will lead to energy savings of 4 per cent, Hidalgo added.

Tower, the city’s museums, and the city halls for Paris’ boroughs (arrondissements).

According to the city of Paris, this will save nearly 10 million euros ($9 million).

The goal of the “energy sobriety plan” of Paris is to reduce the city’s consumption by 10 per cent, the equivalent of the energy consumption of 226 schools, Hidalgo explained.

buildings such as the Pharo, the Major, the Longchamp Palace and the Opera will be switched off earlier from the end of the month.

The city of Lille (Hauts-deFrance) has already implemented such measures. According to a statement from the city hall, they represent annual savings of around 170,000 kWh of energy consumption.

anywhere else in France. Shopkeepers are stepping up against this decision.

In Paris, the famous Christmas illuminations on the ChampsElysees will also be significantly reduced.

Paris, Sep 24 (IANS) The lights on the Eiffel Tower will be switched off at 11.45 p.m. from this week onwards, in a bid to save electricity due to the energy crisis.

Other major monuments in the French capital, such as the Paris City Hall, the Saint-Jacques Tower and the city’s museums will no longer be lit from 10 p.m., reports Xinhua news agency.

“The City of Light will remain the City of Light,” emphasized mayor

According to the Eiffel Tower’s operating company, the annual night-time energy consumption of the “Iron Lady” amounts to 6.7 gigawatt hours, or about the equivalent of the energy consumption of a town of 3,000 people.

The monument attracts six million visitors per year.

Meanwhile, the ornamental lighting on the facades and monuments of the capital will be switched off at 10 p.m. from this Friday.

This includes the City Hall, which is usually illuminated until 1 a.m., the Saint-Jacques

She also called on the state to take similar action for national monuments, and for the owners of private monuments to take steps in the same direction.

Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak announced on September 17 that the Louvre pyramid and the facade of the Palace of Versailles would be switched off earlier to save energy.

However, she said that although symbolic measures were important to raise awareness, they are not enough.

Other major French cities are also committed to energy sobriety.

In Marseille (Provence-AlpesCote d’Azur region), emblematic

Hungary adopts new laws to gain EU funds

In September, the European Commission (EC) proposed suspending 7.5 billion euros ($7.4 billion) in financing for Hungary, until the implementation of anti-corruption reforms from the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Budapest needs to inform the EC by November 19 about the implementation of the promised changes.

In Strasbourg, where the famous Christmas market attracts over two million visitors each year, the city hall faces the challenge of ensuring energy sobriety while preserving the spirit of the event.

“We are working on the whole project, so that it is coherent. We are thinking about illuminations but also about the 300 chalets which consume a lot of energy,” deputy mayor of Strasbourg Guillaume Lisbsig told the regional press.

Due to a decree on March 31, heating the outdoors of bars and restaurants and all outdoor public spaces will no longer be allowed at the Strasbourg Christmas market this year, or

The committee which organizes the festivities on “the most beautiful avenue in the world” said that it wanted to “signifi cantly” reduce the Christmas illuminations and the lighting of windows.

“The Champs-Elysees ought to participate collectively and in solidarity with the efforts asked of the French,” the committee said.

“This must not compromise the cultural, tourist, commercial, economic outreach of the Champs-Elysees or the aesthetic and playful quality of walks on the avenue during festive periods.”

France, like many other European countries, is facing an energy crisis this winter.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has already announced that rolling blackouts are possible.

Polish FM signs diplomatic note to Germany on WWII reparations

Warsaw, Oct 4 (IANS) Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau has signed a diplomatic note outlining his country’s demands for reparations from Germany for the damage caused during World War Two.

Budapest, Oct 4 (IANS) The Hungarian parliament adopted the first batch of two laws in order to gain access to billions of EU funds blocked over rule of law concerns.

The first one, passed by a large majority, enables citizens to turn directly to a court if they think that the prosecutor’s office is not willing to initiate a probe for corruption.

The second strengthens the transparency of the legislative process by demanding public dialogue and consultation being conducted before the adoption of a law.

Another law on setting up an “independent authority” to oversee the use of EU funds is scheduled to be adopted on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

So far, the Hungarian govern ment has made 17 promises in order to unblock EU funds allocated to Hungary.

If Budapest gives adequate answers to the EC in November, the Hungarian government would also have a shot to get the green light from the EC on 5.8 billion euros ($5.7 billion) of the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds.

Russian nuclear military train is seen on the move

warmongering Russian president or constitute a precursor to large scale nuclear drills.

In a report published on September 1, the government of Poland estimated the country’s human and material war losses at 1.3 trillion euros ($1.27 trillion).

However, the German govern ment has said that the issue was closed as Poland waived its right to war reparations in 1953, Xinhua news agency reported. Rau told reporters on Monday that the diplomatic note expresses his belief that “both sides should undertake imme diate steps towards the lasting, comprehensive and final legal and material regulation of the effects of the German aggression and occupation of 1939-1945”. One day before his scheduled meeting with his visiting German

counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, in Warsaw on Tuesday, the Polish Foreign MInister also said that Germany’s payment of the reparations would “allow the building of Polish-German relations upon justice and truth.”

“Initialisation of a diplomatic note regarding the settlement of the aftermath of the attack on Poland and the German occu pation in 1939-1945 is another important step towards justice and summary of our common past,” Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Monday.

Greece open to Mitsotakis-Erdogan meeting in Prague: Spokesperson

Footage of a huge freight train moving specialist military equipment associated with a nuclear-arms wielding division of Russia’s Defence Ministry has been spot ted on the move, prompting fears of an escalation in the conflict from President Vladimir Putin’s forces, the media reported.

London, Oct 3 (IANS)

designed to allow its occupants to operate effectively in the face of sustained infantry attacks.

Such advanced military hardware, the likes of which have scarcely been deployed on the frontlines in Ukraine, reportedly belong to the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian MoD.

It comes as NATO warned member states that Russia’s state-of-the-art Belgorod nucle ar submarine has left its White Sea base, while key Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov said Russia’s military should use ‘low-yield nuclear weapons’ to turn the tide of the war in Ukraine, Daily Mail reported.

Muzyka said the movement of heavy military hardware belong ing to nuke-wielding units does not necessarily mean that Russia is preparing to deploy a nuclear weapon in Ukraine.

A series of BPM-97 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and other military vehicles were seen travelling through central Russia in a clip posted on the Telegram messaging app by pro-Russian channel Rybar on Sunday, Daily Mail reported.

The APCs are thought to have been upgraded with more capable turrets, reinforced ambush and mine-proof armour and an air purification system

This specialist division is dedicated to the storage, mainte nance and provision of weapons to the likes of the Strategic Rocket Forces, a Russian military branch that controls nuclear missiles and forms a key part of Putin’s nuclear programme, Daily Mail reported.

Military analyst Konrad Musyka claimed the deployment of such units could signal a coming es calation in the conflict from the

But he did suggest it could be a ‘signal to the West that Moscow is escalating’ the conflict, adding that Russia’s Strategic Rocket Forces (RVSN) are known to undergo extensive training drills in autumn.

The RVSN is a branch of Russia’s armed forces that constitutes a cornerstone of the nation’s nuclear defence and deterrence programme, which is the largest and most advanced in the world, Daily Mail reported.

Athens, Oct 4 (IANS) Greece is open to a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Prague, Czech Republic, later this week, Greek government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said in Greek capital Athens. Turkey is one of the non-EU countries invited to attend an informal meeting of EU heads of state and government

scheduled to be hosted in Prague on October 7 by the Czech EU Council Presidency.

Relations between Greece and Turkey have long been tense over a series of issues, including maritime and energy disputes in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, Xinhua news agency reported.

Lately, the two sides have exchanged strong remarks over a number of incidents.

Stampede at football match in Indonesia, death toll reaches 174

of Indonesian football”.

Violence at football matches is not new in Indonesia, and Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya are long-time rivals.

Persebaya Surabaya fans were banned from buying tickets for the game because of fears of clashes.

Indonesia launches fact-finding team to probe deadly football stampede

Jakarta, Oct 2 (IANS) At least 174 people have died and 180 others are injured in a stampede at a football match in Indonesia’s Malang in East Java province, Indonesian Police said on Sunday.

The incident took place after police tear-gassed supporters who invaded the pitch late on Saturday evening, BBC reported.

It is one of the world’s worst stadium disasters after local team Arema FC lost 2-3 to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya in East Java.

The country’s Chief Security Minister said that spectators exceeded the stadium’s 38,000 capacity by around 4,000, BBC reported.

President Joko Widodo has ordered that all matches in Indonesia’s top league must be stopped until an investigation is done.

Videos show fans running on to the pitch after the final whistle.

Police then fired tear gas, leading to a crowd stampede and cases of suffocation, said

Nico Afinta, Police Chief in East Java.

“It had gotten anarchic. They started attacking officers, they damaged cars,” he said, adding that two police officers were among the deceased.

“We would like to convey that not all of them were anarchic. Only about 3,000 who entered the pitch,” he said.

Fleeing fans “went out to one point at the exit. Then there was a build-up, in the process of accumulation, there was shortness of breath, lack of oxygen”, he added.

Videos on social media show fans clambering over fences to escape. Separate videos appear to show lifeless bodies on the floor.

FIFA, the world’s governing football body, states that no “crowd control gas” should be carried or used by stewards or police at matches.

The Indonesian football associ ation (PSSI) said it had launched an investigation, adding that the incident had “tarnished the face

But Chief Security Minister Mahfud MD posted on Instagram that 42,000 tickets had been sold for the match at the Kanjuruhan stadium.

President Widodo called for this to be the “last soccer tragedy in the nation” after ordering that all Liga 1 games should be paused pending an investigation.

The stampede is the latest in a long line of disasters at stadiums.

In 1964, a total of 320 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured during a stampede at a Peru-Argentina Olympic qualifier in Lima.

In 1985, 39 people died and 600 were hurt at the Heysel stadium in Brussels, Belgium, when fans were crushed against a wall that then collapsed during the European Cup final between Liverpool (England) and Juventus (Italy).

In the UK, a crush developed at the Hillsborough stadium in Sheffield, resulting in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans attending the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.

Vietnam reports its first monkeypox case

Minh City, the patient fell ill on September 18 while travelling in Dubai with symptoms of fever, fatigue, chills, muscle aches, headache and a cough, as well as red and itchy bumps on her arms, body and face, before returning to Vietnam on September 22, state media cited the Ministry on Monday as reporting.

isolation, treatment and genetic sequencing. She is currently in stable condition with no fever, according to the report.

Jakarta, Oct 4 (IANS) Indonesian authorities have formed an independent fact-finding team to investigate Saturday’s deadly stampede that occurred after a football match in East Java province, Coordinating Minister of Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said Monday.

The minister, who leads the fact-finding team, told a virtual press conference that the team was assigned directly by President Joko Widodo to find out the causes of the stampede which killed 125 people and injured at least 320 others, and who would be responsible for the incident.

“This team will work for a maximum of one month ahead.

All results and recommenda tions will be directly reported to the president,” Mahfud said.

The team members consisted of officials from relevant ministries and government institutions, professional football organisa tions, observers, academics and mass media, he said.

Besides establishing the team,

Widodo had also instructed the country’s police and military institutions to respectively probe their officers and soldiers who were allegedly involved in causing the stampede, Mahfud said.

According to local reports, the Indonesian Police have been under fire by the public as many believe that the stampede happened after the police fired tear gas at the crowds, sparking panic among spectators and a stampede at one of the stadi um’s exits.

“In three days, the National Police must impose disciplinary measures towards its regional structural officers assigned in the area where the incident occurred. The police must also immediately name suspects of all possible perpetrators,” Mahfud said.

“Meanwhile, the Indonesian military must impose sanctions and probe all of its soldiers who are proven to have done unnec essary measures that triggered the stampede,” he added.

Hanoi, Oct 4 (IANS) Vietnam’s Health Ministry has said that a 35-year-old woman had been diagnosed with monkeypox, who became the first case of monkeypox detected in the Southeast Asian country.

A resident in southern Ho Chi

On September 23, she was admitted to Tu Du hospital in the city and transferred to the Municipal Hospital of Dermato Venereology, where she was isolated, Xinhua news agency reported.

Two days later, the patient tested positive for monkeypox and was transferred to the Municipal Hospital for Tropical Diseases for further

According to the Vietnamese Prime Minister’s recent dispatch about preventing monkeypox and the health Ministry’s guidance, localities have been requested to inten sify the monitoring of possible transmissions at border gates and health clinics, and hold training sessions for their healthcare staff.

When a positive case of mon keypox is detected, the locality involved is required to carry out contact tracing and quarantine to prevent the epidemic from spreading in the community, state media reported.

Philippines, US hold joint military drills

South Korean troops are taking part as observers, he added.

This year’s exercise, running at various training sites in Metro Manila, throughout the main Luzon island and in Palawan province, will focus on “curbing transnational crime, count er-terrorism, and performing other non-traditional security roles,” Valencia added at the opening ceremony.

Manila, Oct 4 (IANS) More than 3,000 Philippine and US troops started a series of joint military drills to sharpen their “interoperability in conducting combined tactical readiness”.

Acting Philippine Navy chief

Rear Admiral Bernard Valencia said 630 Philippine troops, mainly from the marines, and 2,550 US marine soldiers are participating in the 12-day annual exercises, dubbed KAMANDAG 6. Japanese and

Rear Admiral Derek Trinque, Exercise Director on the US side, said coastal defence, amphibious operations and live-fire training will be in cluded in this year’s exercises, Xinhua news agency reported.

6.4 magnitude quake jolts western Indonesia

Jakarta, Sep 24 (IANS) A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia’s western province of Aceh on Saturday

morning, the country’s mete orology and geophysics agency said.

Malaysia ratifies CPTPP trade agreement

government, with the imple mentation of the agreement presenting huge benefits that outweigh any potential costs, the Ministry added in a state ment on Wednesday.

The CPTPP, which presently boasts 11 countries as its members, is currently growing to include more interested economies into the fold and has the potential to become a new rule book for future trade, it said.

chains, it said.

“The agreement allows Malaysian manufacturers to source raw materials from all CPTPP countries for purposes of fulfilling the ROO requirements and consequently, qualifying for reduction and elimination of import duties,” it added.

Attack on Thai pre-school claims 31 lives

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 6 (IANS)

Malaysia has officially ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the Ministry of International Trade and Industry said.

The ratification comes after years of detailed deliberation, extensive consultations and careful assessment by the

“With the eventual inclusion of more economies, particularly the UK and China into the CPTPP, Malaysian exporters will gain wider and deeper market access opportunities,” it added.

Among the benefits of the agreement cited by the Ministry are trade-facilitative rules of origin (ROO) that are designed to support modern business practices and further promote deeper integration of Malaysian businesses into regional supply

“As such, the CPTPP offers a more trade friendly approach vis-a-vis the ROO ecosystem, which in turn is expected to ease compliance by companies,” it said.

CPTPP members include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam, Xinhua news agency reported.

“As a bloc that advances regional economic integration, the CPTPP is also a testament to the significance of the multilateral trading system,” the statement added.

Marcos says Philippines ready to take lead in ASEAN peacekeeping amid global tensions

Philippines is ready to take the role in peacekeeping in Southeast Asia, emphasising the peacemaker role is good for the country’s interest and regional security.

During a media forum, Marcos on Wednesday night said the Philippines has a vital role in keeping peace, particularly amid geopolitical tensions in the region. “So we have a very important part to play in that because we have a great interest,” he added.

future challenges and enable the regional bloc to do more than it has accomplished, suggesting he will raise the issue at ASEAN meetings in November, Xinhua news agency reported. He said that ASEAN should try and push its member countries to present a united front and move it forward in order to make sure the group “has a function to do in the normal scheme of the geopolitics.”

Bangkok, Oct 6 (IANS) At least 31 people, including children and adults were killed on Thursday when a gunman opened fire at a pre-school in northeastern province of Thailand.

The attacker, a former police officer, is now on the run while the motive of the crime is

unclear, BBC reported. The former police officer, who had been recently dismissed, shot and stabbed the children and adults.

Mass shootings are rare in Thailand but in 2020, a soldier had killed 21 people in Nakhon Ratchasima.

COVID may hamper Cambodia’s journey toward upper-middle income country by 2030: PM

Phnom Penh, Oct 6 (IANS)

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said on Thursday that the COVID-19 pandemic may hinder Cambodia’s ambitious journey toward an upper-middle income country by 2030 and a high-in come country by 2050.

“In the last few years, with the spread of COVID-19, the journey toward these visions may be hampered,” he said during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Cambodia Outlook Conference, Xinhua news agency reported.

Manila, Oct 6 (IANS) Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has said that the

Marcos also stressed the need to strengthen the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to make it more responsive to

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Island nation Vanuatu calls for treaty to end fossil fuel era

Global Citizen Festival in Central Park.

In his speech, Vurobaravu said: “Every day we are experiencing more debilitating conse quences of the climate crisis.

New York, Sep 24 (IANS) The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu has called on other nations to join them in establishing a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a proposed international mech anism that aims to explicitly address the source of 86 per cent of CO2 emissions that cause climate change: fossil fuels.

Vanuatu President Nikenike Vurobaravu on Friday made the historic call on the floor of the UN General Assembly, making Vanuatu the first nation-state to call for an international mech anism to stop the expansion of all new fossil fuel projects, and manage a global just transition away from coal, oil and gas.

The President will also launch their call for a treaty to phase out fossil fuels on stage at the 2022

Fundamental human rights are being violated, and we are measuring climate change not in degrees of Celsius or tons of carbon, but in human lives. This emergency is of our own making. Our youth are terrified of the future world we are handing to them through expanding fossil fuel dependency, compromising intergenerational trust and equity.

“We call for the development of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to phase down coal, oil and gas production in line with 1.5 degrees Celsius, and enable a global just transition for every worker, community and nation with fossil fuel dependence.”

The call for a Fossil Fuel Treaty has already been endorsed by more than 65 cities and sub-na tional governments around the globe, including London, Lima, Los Angeles, Kolkata, Paris and the Hawaii State Legislature.

Recently the proposal has also been supported by the Vatican and the World Health Organization.

Significant momentum has built behind the proposal in recent

months and Vanuatu’s call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty is a pivotal step towards building formal diplomatic support for the proposal. Similar moments were pivotal in the legal pathway towards treaties to manage the threats of nuclear weapons and landmines. This historic call doubles down on Vanuatu’s commitment to climate action, following their submission earlier this month of one of the world’s most comprehensive climate targets under the UN.

Vanuatu has also been leading a campaign to have the International Court of Justice issue an opinion on climate justice and human rights, which paves the way for a new era of international climate policy focused on equity and justice and addressing the biggest drivers of the climate crisis -- coal, oil, and gas.

Vanuatu, an already carbon-neg ative country that absorbs more emissions than it produces, is rated the country most at risk of natural disasters, according to the UN.

Countries on the frontlines of this crisis have been calling for urgent, tangible action on climate as they face the impacts of climate change and sea level rise in real time.

He said in 2020, this deadly disease caused Cambodia’s economy to decline into the negative territory by 3.1 percent, which was the first negative growth over the last two decades.

In response, in addition to health measures, Hun Sen said the government launched the National Vaccination Campaign and built a strong herd immuni ty throughout the country.

“This achievement has allowed Cambodia to reopen the country fully and safely in all fields since Nov. 1, 2021, until today, and has made Cambodia’s economy recover gradually with resilience

and strength,” he said.

“As a result, Cambodia’s economy grew at a positive rate of 3 percent in 2021 ... and will likely continue to grow around 5 percent and 6 percent in 2022 and 2023, respectively,” he added.

Hun Sen said that to sustain the economy in the long run, the government will further invest in the fields of healthcare, social protection, human resource development, small and medium enterprises, digital technology, and green development, among others.

New Zealand FM sees opportunity to strengthen relationship with India

Wellington, Oct 6 (IANS) The visit to New Zealand by the Indian foreign minister provides an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the two countries in areas like people-to-people exchanges and climate action, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said on Thursday.

Mahuta met Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, Xinhua news agency reported.

“We discussed opportunities for expanding the relationship and cooperating on new areas, such as climate change and sustain able agriculture. We aspire to develop opportunities in the economic, cultural, technology and services sectors, and to strengthen people-to-people links,” Mahuta said.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between New Zealand and India.

Iran warns of ‘reciprocal response’ should EU continue ‘double-standard behaviour’

developments, bilateral ties and talks on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, according to state news media on Wednesday.

and killing of innocent people and police.

Tehran, Oct 6 (IANS) Iranian

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has slammed “meddlesome stances” by certain European officials regarding recent developments in Iran, warning of “effective and reciprocal” action if the EU continues its “double-standard behaviour”.

He made the remarks in a phone conversation with his Italian counterpart Luigi Di Maio, in which the two sides also discussed the latest international

Commenting on the death of 22-year-old Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, Amir-Abdollahian said that “we, based on our rules, show responsibility in dealing with the death of one of our children and are dissatisfied with the stances and interference of some European officials with regard to the recent events (in Iran)”.

He gave the assurance that Amini’s death is being inves tigated “carefully, justly and seriously”.

The Iranian Minister noted that Iran, with a firm and practical belief in democracy, has always paid due attention to its people’s peaceful demands, but “some foreign powers, organised elements and terrorists” have caused the peaceful protests to deviate from their right course and shift toward violence, riots

Turning to bilateral relations, Amir-Abdollahian said the two countries agreed on a new roadmap for developing ties during his recent trip to Rome, Xinhua news agency reported.

For his part, the Italian Minister said Rome attaches importance to its ties with Tehran, expressing strong support for Iran’s efforts to reach a lasting agreement on the revival of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Di Maio said Italy will continue its efforts to prepare the ground for the achievement of the nuclear agreement in the shortest possible time.

Stressing that his country respects Iran’s government and laws, the Italian Foreign Minister maintained that peaceful demands are different from unrest and terrorism and should be responded to differently.

Lebanon launches new UN-supported plan to reboot economy

Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), identified shortterm actions in three key sectors, namely agribusiness, tourism, and the digital economy, to “initiate recovery by rapidly generating employment oppor tunities and additional income,” said the ESCWA in a statement on Monday.

Dashti said that ESCWA would support the Ministry in con ducting analysis, developing key performance indicators (KPIs), engaging with stakeholders, and communicating strategically about the plan, Xinhua news agency reported.

Amman, Oct 4 (IANS) Jordan and Egypt have agreed to increase their exchange of expertise in the fields of mining, petrochemical industry, oil and natural gas, according to a statement by Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

During a virtual meeting on Monday, a technical committee of officials from the two coun tries also agreed to prepare a timetable to support each other’s scientific and technical needs to help develop natural resources, stimulate investments and boost

economies, Xinhua news agency reported.

Hassan Hiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Energy Affairs at Jordan’s Energy Ministry, highlighted a memo randum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two coun tries in June that encourages exchange of expertise in devel oping natural gas and improving public energy distribution. The MoU also encourages cooperation in training technical personnel in related sectors, Hiari said.

‘Iran frees Iranian-American on humanitarian grounds’

Beirut, Oct 4 (IANS) Lebanon’s Ministry of Economy and Trade has launched a UN-supported plan to reboot the country’s ailing economy.

The plan, with support from the United Nations Economic and

“Amid this challenging situation, we are looking to light a candle of hope. The plan presented today is subject to development, improvement and feedback. Still, most importantly, it is feasible,” Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade Amin Salam said at the project’s launching ceremony.

ESCWA Executive Secretary Rola

“Although fundamental reforms are crucial, the Lebanese people do not have the luxury to wait for longer-term results; they need quick wins,” she added.

According to ESCWA, the country’s GDP shrunk by 25 per cent in 2020 and 16.2 per cent in 2021. However, it projects positive growth for Lebanon in 2022.

Damascus, Oct 4 (IANS) The Syrian Foreign Ministry has held the Turkish forces responsible for cutting drinking water in the country’s northeastern city of Hasakah for two straight months.

The Turkish forces and the Turkey-backed rebels continued their “inhuman practices” by cutting the water supply in Hasakah for two months, causing thirst cases and the spread of dangerous illnesses, said the Ministry in a statement

on Monday.

“Syria condemns this crime and holds the Turkish government the responsibility for its repercussions,” it added.

The Turkish forces have repeatedly cut-off water in Hasakah province to exert pressure on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which controls large swathes of the province, according to the Syrian government, Xinhua news agency reported.

73 dead as migrant boat capsizes near Syrian shore

Abdul-Rahman cited sources as saying on Friday that the boat carried between 100 to 150 people, noting that the original capacity of the boat was only enough for 30 people.

Damascus/Beirut, Sep 24 (IANS)

At least 73 people died from a boat that sank off the Syrian coast, the Syrian Health Ministry said.

Twenty others have been rescued and sent for medical treatment at the al-Basel hospital in the Syrian coastal city of Tartous after the boat sank in the Syrian waters, Health Minister Hassan al-Ghabbash said in a statement on Friday.

The boat set off from Lebanon on

Tuesday carrying illegal migrants of various nationalities to “unknown destinations,” Syrian General Director of Sea Ports Samer Kobrosly earlier said on Friday, citing testimonies from the survivors.

The latest casualties included 31 bodies found on Friday during an ongoing search and rescue mission launched by Syrian authorities, Kobrosly added.

Head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Rami

Lebanese, Syrians and other un identified nationalities were on the boat, the Britain-based war monitor revealed on Thursday, adding that the migrants’ initial destination was Cyprus, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to Lebanese Public Works and Transport Minister Ali Hamieh, the 20 rescued migrants are five Lebanese, 12 Syrians and three Palestinians.

Hamieh said in a statement that the Lebanese Red Cross is coordinating with the Syrian Red Crescent on bringing some of the victims’ bodies home.

ehran, Oct 3 (IANS) Iran released Baqer Namazi, a dual Iranian-American citizen, on humanitarian grounds, a senior Iranian judicial official said. Namazi, who was staying at his own home in Tehran, not in prison, for nearly four years because of his health problems, was allowed to leave Iran anytime he wants, Deputy Chief of the Iranian Judiciary Kazem Gharibabadi was quoted by official IRNA news agency as saying.

The ban on his leaving Iran was removed on Wednesday, following his repeated requests for continuing his medical treatment outside the country,

added Gharibabadi, also the secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights, Xinhua news agency reported.

Gharibabadi expressed the hope that Iranians in US prisons would also be released as soon as possible.

Baqer Namazi, 85, was found guilty in 2016 of “collaboration with a hostile government” and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He was released on medical grounds in 2018 before his case was concluded in 2020, with his sentence commuted to time served but he was still forbidden from leaving the country, according to Tehran Times daily.

Iran to receive $7 billion of its frozen assets

Tehran, Oct 3 (IANS) Negotiations have reportedly been held in recent times between Iran and the U.S. over Iran’s 7 billion dollars of frozen foreign exchange resources from South Korea which are on the verge of being released. However, Iran has not yet accepted the declared accounts for the transfer of the mentioned resources owing to banking con siderations and has introduced new accounts for this purpose, as reported by Tehran Times. This development comes in despite the fact that nuclear negotiations with the U.S. to

Syria accuses Turkey of cutting drinking water in Hasakah

Jordan, Egypt agree to increase cooperation in mining, petrochemicals, energy

lift sanctions on Iran have not yielded any results.

Indian National Car Racing Championship 2022 set to begin

Kumar, last year’s VW Polo Cup winner, and Jeet Jhabakh from Hyderabad, the 2019 VW Ameo Cup champion.

The Virtus is powered by a 1.5 litre TSi engine tweaked to put out 215hp and mated to a six-speed sequential gearbox.

The Virtus will go up against the modified Honda City Vtec from Race Concepts stable and driven by defending champion Arjun Balu from Coimbatore.

Lionel Messi says 2022 FIFA World Cup will be his last: Report

Buenos Aires (Argentina), Oct 6 (IANS) One of the most prolific footballers in the world, Lionel Messi has reportedly said that this year’s quadrangular tour nament in Qatar will be the final World Cup of his career.

The 35-year-old announced the news on his future with the Argentina national team on Thursday. Messi is set to play in his fifth World Cup in Qatar - he has scored six goals in the previous four editions of the tournament.

Chennai, Oct 7 (IANS) MRF Formula 2000, among the quickest racing cars in the country, will return to the MRF MMSC-Fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship after a two-season break as the first round of the 2022 season gets underway at the Madras International Circuit, here on October 8.

The two-litre single-seater will headline the compact, 10-race programme which also includes the MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios), Formula LGB 1300 and the three-tier saloon cars -- Indian Touring Cars, Indian Junior Touring Cars and the Super

Stock -- categories. The MRF F2000 will have a grid of nine youngsters for whom it will be the first race outing in this category. Spearheading the pack is Agra’s Shahan Ali Mohsin, winner of the MRF F1600 championship in 2021. All the nine drivers have graduated from karting and junior formula championships. As such, the competition is expected to be sharp.

Another notable development is the debut of Volkswagen Virtus GT car with two of them entered in the premier Indian Touring Cars category. They will be driven by Chennai’s Sandeep

The grid for the season-opener will comprise some 50 saloon cars and 30 single-seaters with a mix of young and experienced competitors besides a few female drivers. The grandstand for spectators is open for the weekend.

Race director and MMSC vice-president Vicky Chandhok said, “The 2022 season has had a slightly delayed start due to various reasons, but the number of entries has been encouraging. We are happy to have the MRF F2000 back in our midst after a two-season gap, besides to welcome the VW Virtus and also all the competitors.”

Michael Clarke blasts Australia selectors for picking Green ahead of Smith in game v West Indies

“This will be my last World Cup - for sure. The decision has been made,” he told Argentine journalist Sebastian Vignolo.

Messi led Argentina to Copa America Trophy in 2021 after 28 years and the South American giants are one of the favourites to win the Qatar World Cup.

The 35-year-old said that Argentina are always considered a candidate to win the trophy as they have a rich history.

“I don’t know if we are the favourite candidates, but Argentina is always a candidate because of history, because of what it means,” he said.

Four of those came in 2014 when the PSG star led Argentina to the final where they were beaten 1-0 by Germany after extra-time.

He may have missed out on winning silverware with his country then, but he finally got his hands on an international

trophy when he lifted the Copa America last year in Brazil. Messi’s record for Argentina stands at 90 goals in 164 games, making him the third-highest goalscorer ever in men’s international football behind Cristiano Ronaldo (117) and Iran’s Ali Daei (109).

Messi announced his retirement from international football in 2016 after losing in the Copa America final against Chile, but he quickly reversed his decision and has remained the captain of the team ever since.

The PSG forward has been in great form this year with both club and country. Argentina are currently enjoying a 35-game unbeaten streak which started way back in 2019.

Sydney, Oct 7 (IANS) Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has flayed his country’s selectors for including young allrounder Cameron Green, who is not in the 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, in the opening match of the two-match T20I series against the West Indies, while Steve Smith -- who is in the World Cup squad -- was not included in the playing XI. Australia won the opening match against the Caribbean side by three wickets in Gold Coast on Thursday with Green scoring just 14 as opener.

Clarke, a member of the ODI World Cup-winning side in 2007 who later led Australia’s victorious campaign at the 2015 event at home, indicated Cricket Australia’s (CA) selection was going awry ahead of the T20 World Cup at home.

In addition to Smith being dropped, skipper Aaron Finch,

who opens the batting, came in to bat at No.4. However, Finch later revealed following his fine half-century in a winning cause that it was his decision to drop down the order so Green could bat at the top.

Green recently caught the eye following two half centuries in the three-match T20I series in India.

The game against West Indies also saw Mitchell Marsh return to the setup only as a batter.

Marcus Stoinis will return for the three-match T20I series against England in Perth from October 9.

“My theory is this, Mitch Marsh wasn’t bowling so they had to pick Cameron Green over Steve Smith to give us an extra bowling option but what they’re (selectors) doing is shooting themselves in the foot at the moment,” Clarke was quoted as saying on the Big Sports Breakfast.

“The most important thing right now is we prepare for this World Cup... so Steve Smith’s form in Twenty20 cricket over the last couple of years hasn’t been as good as he would like. He’s got to play. He’s got to play and he’s got to own his role, is he going to bat 4, is he going to bat 3? You’ve got to let him play, so even it if it means you play one bowler short in these games, I still think you’ve got to allow your players to play,” added Clarke. Clarke added Australia need to back every single player in the World Cup squad. “I think they’re preparing for both scenarios. If Marcus Stoinis is fit, he’s in the World Cup squad ... If Stoinis is fit then Cameron Green can’t come into the squad, so that’s their plan A,” he said. “If Stoinis is not fit then Cameron Green will come into the squad, so they’re trying to have their cake and eat it -- OK while’s Stoinis isn’t playing get Cameron Green some cricket and bring him in but what they’re doing is burning Smithy (Steve Smith) by doing that because he’s not getting any cricket,” opined Clarke.

“(It looks as if) if Cameron Green is in the squad he will be in the starting XI. That tells me they’ve made a mistake,” he said. “They should have picked him in the squad. Again, with Mitch Marsh they want him to bat at number 3, so Smith is going to be the one to bat at number 4, let him play these games, let him play every game so he goes into the World Cup at his best. He will find a way to make runs, he’s too good a player in any format, especially at a World Cup,” added Clarke.

‘High-profile’ England cricketer facing racism charge: Report

London, Oct 6 (IANS) Racism in England cricket reared its head with another old case coming to light now of a high-profile England star calling his county teammate “P***” multiple times between 2014-16, prompting England and Wales Cricket Board to start an investigation into the matter, a media report said.

According to a report in the Daily Mail newspaper, the claims have been reported to the ECB and the report states their investi gation ‘started in the last three weeks and they are contacting witnesses’.

The player is alleged to have been ‘reprimanded by a wellknown senior player’ after using the slur during a game of football in training, the report claimed.

An ECB spokesman told the media: “We do not comment on who is or isn’t the subject of ECB investigations in situations such as this.”

The report did not name the ‘high-profile’ player nor the

victim of his racist behaviour. The latest allegations once again prove that the allegations made by Azeem Rafiq about the racist abuse he suffered during his time at Yorkshire were not related to one club or group of people and the problem is more deep-rooted.

The ECB have since Rafiq’s allegations charged a number of individuals over their involvement in the scandal and a Cricket Discipline Commission hearing is set to begin later this month. An investigation into allegations of racism at Essex remains ongoing, with three former players reporting they had been victims of racist abuse during their time at Chelmsford, said a report in mirror.co.uk.

Jahid Ahmed described Essex as “a white man’s world where brown people were outsiders”, while Maurice Chambers told the Cricketer that a fellow player had called him a “f***ing monkey” during his time at the club.