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Australian rapper L-Fresh The Lion’s account banned in India after allegedly ‘Divisive & Hateful’ tweets

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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L-Fresh The Lion; Picture Source: Twitter @LFRESHTHELION
L-Fresh The Lion; Picture Source: Twitter @LFRESHTHELION

Manish Kumar (Name changed on request) is an international student and aspiring singer in Melbourne.

He told The Australia Today, “I have been a follower of L-Fresh The Lion’s work ever since I have come to Australia five years back, but his tweets glorifying terrorists and rapists is the lowest point for an artist.”

“My father was just 17 years old when my grandfather and two uncles were killed by Khalistani terrorists in a village near Bhatinda (City in the Indian state of Punjab), I can’t explain the pain in my father’s eyes when he talks about it,” said Mr Kumar.

Earlier, Twitter has restricted four accounts within the Indian jurisdiction. One of the accounts is of Australian hip-hop artist L-Fresh The Lion.

According to data from the US-based collaborative archive Lumen Database this is done in compliance with the legal request made by the Indian government.

In a statement reported by Indian media, a Twitter spokesperson said that when it receives a valid legal request, it reviews them under both the Twitter Rules and local law.

“@LFRESHTHELION`s account has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand,” read the message on the rapper`s account.

The Indian-Australian rapper has been supporting farmers protesting against the new farm laws in India.

He has also been writing on social media platforms and posted several updates about the protests on Twitter.

Besides, Twitter has taken action on three more accounts that also includes Indian-Canadian singer Jazzy B.

These accounts have been “geo-restricted” which means anyone living out of India can see and access the accounts.

In a statement, a Twitter spokesperson said;

“If the content violates Twitter’s Rules, the content will be removed from the service. In all cases, we notify the account holder directly so they`re aware that we`ve received a legal order pertaining to the account.”

Before withholding the accounts in India Twitter had notified the account holders about the action which is taken after a legal request by the government of India.

A highly placed Indian official in the know-how of the issue (who doesn’t want to be named) told The Australia Today, “We are seeing a kind of nexus between groups wanting to circulate ‘divisive and hateful’ messages using social influencers.”

“What happened in Punjab in the 1980s was our collective suffering, terrorists killed and raped thousands of Hindus and Sikhs and security forces also did atrocities which can not be denied, but these people using it to spread hate will not be tolerated,” She added.

Manish Kumar says, “L-Fresh the Lion’s tweets are restricted in India but what about people like me who are here and can see them.”

“I feel really scared to say anything openly about this my family has also told me not to discuss our sufferings for fear of my safety,” added Mr Kumar.

Note: The Australia Today have written to Mr L-Fresh The Lion for his comments on the issue. If we hear back from him, the story will be updated.

Besides COVID-19, India is also fighting with vulture journalists, who are spreading more panic and despair than pandemic

By
Bureau Report
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Picture Source: ScreenShot Twitter @BarkhaDutt
Picture Source: ScreenShot Twitter @BarkhaDutt

No one, I repeat, no one should die due to lack of medical care. Every death is painful and heart-wrenching, even if the country’s medical system is overburdened and doctors are toiling hard to save the Covid-19 patients amid an unprecedented surge of cases in the second wave. Then, there are journalists and reporters, toxic ones, who rub salt into India’s wounds by manipulating national tragedy to carry out their agenda against the state. They go on to the extent of distorting certain facts of truth to make them look valid and convincing. 

They used COVID tragedy as a propaganda tool.

It is said whoever controls the media, controls the mind of people, or they try to. Second wave of Covid-19—which is more deadly and devastating than its first wave in India, because of its regional mutant variant in it—came as a golden opportunity for left leaning vulture media men to shame, defame and humiliate India on international platforms. And they grabbed the opportunity to sell the human tragedy for their vested interest. 

NEW YORK POST used a photo of a gas leakage incident in May 2020.

To sensationalize the deadly second wave of Covid-19 in India, NEW YORK POST used a heart-wrenching picture—which had an unconscious woman lying on the street, while another woman, appeared to be her daughter, trying to wake her up—to show the tragedy of the second wave of Covid-19. What is shocking is that the picture is of the Gas Leakage incident, which took place at LG Polymer chemical plant in a village in Visakhapatnam on 7 May 2020. NEW YORK POST ran the story with a misleading picture under the headline of “COVID surge swallowing people in India, the footage shows people dead in streets” on 26 April 2021. It is to be recalled the unfortunate incident had led to Gas leakage causing breathing problems to people over a radius of 3 KM in the surrounding area. 

However, when NY POST was slammed by netizens, they changed the feature image, but the article and headline remained the same. Why did NEW YORK POST go into overdrive to sell tragedy in India by using fake pictures? Do they wait for tragedy in India to manipulate as a propaganda machine?

Tragedy was used as a commodity.

British American Media Company, Getty Images is selling images of grim Hindu Funeral pyres lit ablaze in a crematorium to sensationalize non-Indian readers. Any media group can buy the largest size picture for Rs. 23,000. Be it Indian photojournalists or non-Indian photographers both are clicking; both are making money out of the pandemic by clicking photos at crematorium denying dignity at the tragic death of Covid-19 victims.

Check your self by clicking the following link: https://www.gettyimages.in/photos/covid-19-delhi-funeral?phrase=covid-19%20delhi%20funeral&sort=mostpopular

There have even aerial shots of the crematorium. Did the photographer fly drones over the crematorium to click pictures? Is flying drones over crematorium permitted? The Guardian used the same aerial shot of the crematorium, which created a huge amount of buzz in international media. (We are not using that picture to say loud and clear pictures of final rites are personal and no one should be allowed to broadcast them.)    

Barkha Dutt didn’t spare even her father’s death for her propaganda.

If vultures are assembling at a place, dead bodies are scattered nearby. How can Barkha Dutt be far from the crematorium? She reported from the cremation ground in Surat on 19 April. What can be a better place than a cremation ground to create a ghastly and ghostly picture of death, despair and distress! Who can be better cunning than Barkha Dutt to amplify macabre elements of cremation ground!

Then, Barkha Dutt’s old father succumbed to Covid-19, unfortunately. But, the grieving daughter used every word to describe her father’s death to suit her propaganda. Selection of words is enough to influence readers deeply—My father’s last words, I am choking, treat me. 

What Barkha Dutt didn’t remind her audience and the CNN reporter that he was admitted to a premier hospital, Medanta hospital, and he was being treated by a group of best doctors. Even after being treated by the best doctors, the last words of Barkha Dutt’s father was, “treat me, I am choking.” Does it sound sane? Also, only Barkha Dutt can tell how she was allowed in ICU, where her father was admitted, to listen to his last words.   

Barkha Dutt is a perfect example of vulture media, who can use her father’s death to spin propaganda. Dear Barkha Dutt, your father was being treated by a group of best doctors in the best hospital, Medanta. Nevertheless, his last words were, “I am choking, treat me.” Then, who should have treated him? What about those who are struggling even to get a bed in hospital?

There is an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 positive cases in India. Medical facilities and infrastructure are overwhelmed. For a patient, it is a battle to get admitted to the hospital. However, India’s health infrastructures are working day and night to save as many patients as they can. The job of the media is to raise constructive criticism. But, media is creating a wave of panic even among those who are not suffering from Covid-19.

UPDATE from The Australia Today: After the Opinion article made ripples in India and around the world, Ms Barkha Dutt accused us of being “trolls” of the right-wing and fake website on social media.
We replied to her, “We don’t care who you support or oppose in your reports with other media outlets, but calling us right-wing trolls is insane. Looks like you can’t handle criticism well.”
In case we get some more details we shall put them here.

Author: Manisha Inamdar
This opinion article was first published on www.trunicle.com, We have republished it with kind permission from the author.
Disclaimer: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing images utilized within the text. The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Australia Today News nor its partners assume any responsibility for them.

Labor announces $8.5 million for Hindu school funding in multicultural heartland

By
Pallavi Jain
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Image Source; The Australia Today
Image Source; The Australia Today

Education Minister Jason Clare has announced that Labour will allocate 8.5 million dollars to build Australia’s first Hindu School.

If re-elected, Labor will support the creation of a primary school in Oakville, located in Sydney’s rapidly growing North-West corridor, aimed at serving the educational and cultural needs of the nation’s third-largest religious group.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Education Minister Jason Clare during a community event in Harris Park—home to the highest proportion of Indian-Australians in the country.

Flanked by Parramatta MP Andrew Charlton and members of the Hindu community, Minister Clare described the commitment as a step toward inclusive education and greater multicultural representation.

“The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future and investing in the first ever Hindu school in Australia,” said Minister Clare.

“Hinduism is Australia’s fastest growing major religion, and the Hindu community plays an important role in the multicultural country we live in today.

This new school will give parents in West and North-West Sydney the option to send their children to a school that incorporates their faith and culture.”

The proposed school will be operated by the Hindu Education and Cultural Centre and will follow the New South Wales curriculum, with additional teachings on Hindu traditions, culture, and philosophy. The Hindu Council of Australia, which represents over 100 Hindu organisations across the country, has thrown its full support behind the initiative.

“This election commitment is not just about bricks and mortar. It’s about giving choice to thousands of families who want their children educated in an environment that respects and reflects their cultural values,”

said Andrew Charlton MP.

The funding announcement by Labor follows a previous verbal commitment by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during Holi celebrations last month at the Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct in Kemps Creek, where he first publicly endorsed the concept of a Hindu school. However, at the time, no specific monetary allocation had been made.

Prime Minister Albanese announces support for the Hindu School

The promise also comes just weeks after Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced that a Dutton-led Coalition Government would match the same $8.5 million commitment, should it win the upcoming election. Dutton announced during his visit to the same Mandir, where he also met with His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of the BAPS Swaminarayan movement.

The bipartisan support reflects the growing political recognition of the Hindu community’s contribution to Australia’s multicultural fabric. With over 680,000 Hindus now living in Australia—making it the fastest-growing major religion—there is a growing demand for education that integrates cultural heritage with academic excellence.

While both major parties have now formally backed the project, questions remain around the timeline and delivery framework. Labor clarified that the school’s funding, if granted, will adhere to the Commonwealth Grants Rules and Principles, and will complement funds already raised by the community and other stakeholders for land and initial development.

As the federal election campaign heats up, the battle for multicultural votes—particularly in electorates like Parramatta, Greenway, and Chifley with significant South Asian populations—has intensified.

Regardless of the electoral outcome, Australia appears to be on the cusp of a historic educational milestone that may open the door for more culturally representative schools across the country.

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India surpasses China in Australian student visa grants

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: International students (Source: CANVA)

In a historic shift, India has overtaken China to become the leading country for Australian student visa approvals in February 2025.

According to recent data, more than 2,734 Indian students received visas to study in Australia, up from 2,398 in January. By the end of February, over 5,000 visas had been granted to Indian students, positioning India as the top source of international students in Australia.

This development marks a significant change in global education trends, as China has long dominated student visa issuance to Australia. While China started the year with 3,573 student visas issued in January, India’s rapid growth signals a shift in student mobility patterns and Australia’s increasing appeal among Indian learners.

The rise in Indian student enrolments is attributed to a combination of factors, including Australia’s high-quality education system, robust career prospects, and vibrant campus life. Popular fields of study among Indian students include IT, engineering, business, and healthcare.

Additionally, Australian universities and the government have introduced targeted initiatives such as scholarships, student exchange programs, and streamlined visa processes. These efforts have made Australia a more attractive destination for Indian students seeking international education opportunities.

The Premier of South Australia recently visited India to promote educational opportunities, accompanied by university chancellors and vice-chancellors from Flinders University and the University of Adelaide. Their discussions emphasised research collaborations and academic exchange, further strengthening India-Australia ties in the education sector.

By September 2023, approximately 122,391 Indian students were studying in Australia, making India the second-largest source of international students. With the latest surge in visa approvals, experts predict that India will maintain its strong presence in Australian universities.

Despite this upward trend, last year the Australian government has announced plans to cap new overseas student admissions at 270,000 for the 2025 calendar year.

Albanese governmnet’s policy aims to address housing market pressures and maintain stability in the job market. The cap follows other restrictive measures, including increased visa fees and stricter assessment criteria, which have led to rising rejection rates for international students.

The proposed cap has sparked concerns among Indian students and education stakeholders, with many viewing it as a barrier to access. Recent data suggests that while applications from Indian students have increased, visa rejections have also surged due to policy changes introduced in 2023.

As Australia remains a top destination for higher education, Indian students are expected to continue seeking opportunities despite evolving immigration policies. Experts advise prospective students to apply early and consider public universities for better admission prospects.

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‘Do not take this sign’: Election campaign heats up as Liberals hit back at Teal candidate

By
Bureau Report
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Image: “Monique, please DO NOT take this sign!” (Source: X)

It appears that the battle for Kooyong, Victoria, has escalated into a signage war, with the Liberal Party blanketing the electorate with campaign signs urging independent MP Monique Ryan to leave them alone.

“Monique, please DO NOT take this sign!” the new posters read (as well as posted on X)— a pointed response after Dr Ryan’s husband, Peter Jordan, was allegedly caught on camera removing a Liberal campaign sign.

It is reported that more than 200 of these new signs have now been put up across Hawthorn, Hawthorn East, and Camberwell, making the Liberal message impossible to miss.

Dr Ryan has since apologised, saying the removal of Liberal sign “should not have happened” and that any concerns about signage should be taken to the local council. Jordan also reportedly issued an apology, calling his actions “a mistake.”

These incidents have now only heightened tensions in the tightly contested race, with polling showing Ryan holding a slim 51-49 lead over Liberal challenger Amelia Hamer.

It remains to be seen whether Hamer can reclaim Kooyong, a once rock-solid Liberal seat that Dr Ryan wrested from former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in a historic teal wave three years ago.

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Dutton signals potential funding cuts to ABC as Coalition targets ‘wasteful’ spending

By
Bureau Report
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File image: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (Source: X)

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has hinted at potential cuts to ABC funding, arguing the broadcaster’s services in major cities are not adequately supporting Australians in regional and outer metropolitan areas.

In an exclusive interview with Sky News, Dutton said the ABC could play a bigger role in regional communities but questioned the need for its strong presence in Sydney and Melbourne. While he did not commit to specific cuts, he indicated funding should be directed toward “rewarding excellence” and eliminating waste.

Dutton’s comments come as the Coalition builds its policy platform in response to Australia’s soaring national debt, projected to exceed $1 trillion. He has also flagged broader public service reductions, including cuts to back-office jobs in the health and education departments and potential changes to National Disability Insurance Scheme funding.

The Opposition Leader has already pledged to scrap Labor’s $20 billion Rewiring the Nation Fund, the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, and $16 billion in production tax credits for minerals and green hydrogen. He has also suggested reversing the hiring of 41,000 public servants, which he claims could save $7 billion annually.

With the federal election set for May 3, the debate over public sector spending and national debt has become a key battleground, as both major parties seek to balance fiscal responsibility with essential services.

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India’s envoy reaffirm commitment to Fiji-India relations in meeting with PM Rabuka

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Fiji's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka with India's High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta (Source: Facebook - Fiji Government)

Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sitiveni Rabuka, welcomed the High Commissioner of India to Fiji, Suneet Mehta, during a courtesy call at his office this afternoon.

The meeting underscored the enduring partnership between Fiji and India, with discussions centred on expanding bilateral cooperation across key sectors, including healthcare, renewable energy, information technology, skills development, and agriculture. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fostering deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges.

Image: Fiji’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka with India’s High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta (Source: Facebook – Fiji Government)

Prime Minister Rabuka congratulated High Commissioner Mehta on his new diplomatic role and highlighted the 55-year history of diplomatic ties between the two nations. He reiterated the Fiji Government’s commitment to furthering collaboration with India to drive economic growth and development.

A key highlight of the discussions was India’s support for the construction of a 100-bed Super Speciality Hospital in Fiji—one of the largest development projects in the Pacific. Announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 2023 Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) III Summit, the hospital is set to be a game-changer in addressing healthcare challenges in Fiji and the broader region.

Image: Fiji’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sitiveni Rabuka with India’s High Commissioner to Fiji Suneet Mehta (Source: Facebook – Fiji Government)

High Commissioner Mehta expressed his enthusiasm for strengthening India-Fiji relations, noting that the partnership holds immense potential. He emphasised India’s commitment to aligning its development assistance with Fiji’s national priorities, ensuring sustainable growth and progress.

As Fiji and India celebrate 55 years of diplomatic ties, both leaders recognised the deep-rooted historical and cultural connections that continue to shape their relationship. With a shared vision for prosperity, the two nations look forward to expanding cooperation in both traditional and emerging sectors.

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Baggage handler charged over alleged stunt inside plane turbine at Sydney Airport

By
Bureau Report
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Representative image: Baggage handler (Source: CANVA)

A former baggage handler is set to face Downing Centre Local Court on 2 April 2025 after allegedly filming himself inside a plane turbine at Sydney Airport and posting the footage on social media.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched an investigation after Sydney Airport officials raised concerns about the video, which showed a man inside the turbine of a stationary aircraft in a restricted airside security zone.

AFP Sydney Airport Police Commander Detective Acting Superintendent Davina Copelin said airports were no place for social media stunts, especially by those entrusted with access.

“The AFP remains committed to the safety and security of all major Australian airports, irrespective of the crime type,” Det A/Supt Copelin said.

“Airside security zones are highly regulated and secure areas, and the AFP will not tolerate breaches which may compromise the safe operations of the airport, no matter how harmless they may seem.”

Police allege that in January 2025, the 23-year-old from southern Sydney used his position to gain access to the area, where he removed his clothing and posed inside the turbine before uploading the footage online.

Investigators interviewed the man at the AFP’s Sydney Airport station in February and searched his devices, uncovering six videos linked to the incident. He was later issued with a court attendance notice to face charges, including:

  • One count of threatening aviation security, contrary to regulation 9.01 of the Aviation Transport Security Regulations (Cth), carrying a maximum penalty of a $15,500 fine.
  • One count of failing to display a red Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) in a restricted zone, contrary to regulation 3.03, which carries a maximum penalty of a $1,650 fine.

Sydney Airport’s Head of Security, Graham White, reinforced the airport’s strict stance on safety.

“Sydney Airport has a zero-tolerance policy for unsafe behaviour, and we treat all reports of potential safety breaches seriously,” he said.

“The safety of passengers, airport staff and airport operations is our top priority, and we have stringent protocols in place to uphold all safety policies. We commend the swift response by the AFP and will continue to work closely with them to ensure the highest standards of safety are maintained for passengers, staff and visitors.”

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Jetstar flight to Melbourne forced to turn back after woman tries to open plane door mid-air

By
Bureau Report
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Image: Jetstar flight forced to turn back after passenger tries to open plane door mid-air (Source: Screenshot - X)

A Jetstar flight from Bali to Melbourne was forced to turn around mid-air after a passenger attempted to open an aircraft door in what fellow travellers described as a “nightmare” ordeal.

Flight JQ-34 departed Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport at 8:40 pm local time on Monday, carrying more than 200 passengers. About two hours into the journey, as the plane cruised at 33,000 feet over the Indian Ocean, a woman reportedly tugged at an emergency exit, trying to open it.

Jetstar confirmed the incident, saying the flight had to return to Bali due to the passenger’s disruptive behaviour. “The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we thank them for the way they responded to the situation,” a spokesperson told news.com.au.

“This sort of unacceptable behaviour will never be tolerated on our flights.”

Upon landing back in Denpasar, local authorities removed the woman from the aircraft. The flight was subsequently cancelled, and passengers were booked onto an alternative service.

One passenger, who shared his experience on Instagram, called it an “absolute nightmare.”

“Two hours in, a lady tried opening the emergency door because she wanted to get off mid-air. We had to turn around and land back in Bali for her to get arrested. There were 260 angry and scared passengers.”

A video recorded on board captured the captain explaining the “unpleasant situation” to passengers.

“A lady at the back of the aircraft tried to physically open the door and lifted the handle. We got a door warning … the safest course of action was to return.”

Another fellow passenger later revealed the woman’s bizarre motivation—she allegedly wanted a reclining seat. “Turns out she was unhappy and wanted to sit somewhere else,” She said.

“So she decided to try and open the door, which triggered something to do with the emergency slide. It was a big panic, very, very scary.”

Passengers said an off-duty police officer stepped in to pull the woman away from the door before crew intervened. The airline reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on disruptive behaviour, stressing that safety remains its top priority.

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Trump slaps 10% tariff on all Australian goods, Albanese considering WTO action

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image Source- X @SimoLove and @Potus
Image Source- X @SimoLove and @Potus

Australia has been hit with a sweeping 10% tariff on all exports to the United States, after President Donald Trump confirmed the move in his highly anticipated ‘Liberation Day’ speech.

The US president, standing beside a board listing countries and their supposed tariff rates, claimed Australia imposed a 10% tariff on US goods and accused it of “currency manipulation and other trade barriers.” In response, he announced a blanket 10% reciprocal tariff on all Australian imports.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slammed the move as “unwarranted” and signalled that his government may take the United States to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the decision. “We are prepared for all possibilities,” he said, while reaffirming Australia’s commitment to free and fair trade.

At a press conference today, Prime Minister Albanese reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting Australian jobs, industry, consumers, and values. He described the newly imposed tariffs as “unwarranted but not unexpected,” emphasising that while other nations may be hit harder, Australia is well-prepared to navigate the challenges.

“These are uncertain times – but all Australians can be certain of this: we will always stand up for Australian jobs, Australian industry, Australian consumers and Australian values.”

The tariffs mark a sharp escalation in trade tensions between the two allies. Under the 2005 US-Australia Free Trade Agreement, both countries had committed to tariff-free trade. Australia currently imposes zero tariffs on American goods, making Trump’s claims of unfair trade barriers highly contentious.

Trump also cited Australia’s long-standing ban on US beef imports—introduced in 2003 due to concerns over mad cow disease—as justification for the tariffs.

The Albanese government is now weighing its response, with Trade Minister Don Farrell in urgent talks with industry leaders. Analysts warn that the tariffs could hit key Australian exports such as beef, pharmaceuticals, and precious minerals, with billions of dollars at stake.

While Australia could challenge the move through the WTO or the US-Australia trade agreement’s dispute mechanism, it remains unclear whether the Trump administration would engage in negotiations or comply with any rulings.

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CII’s Young Indians in Australia to explore bilateral business opportunities

By
Pallavi Jain
-

A delegation of Indian Startsups and SME businesses representing Young Indians (Yi) chapter of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) is in Australia to explore bilateral business opportunities. This is also an opportunity for Australian businesses and investors to understand investment and collaboration options in India which is the fastest growing major economy in the world.

This is a pan India multi-sector delegation ranging from Manufacturing, Education, Agriculture, AI & Data, Chemicals, Energy, Real Estate and Health & Wellness sectors. The Consulate General of India in Sydney in collaboration with the Australia India Business Council hosted the delegation where the emphasis was on finding business synergies and outcomes between Australia and India.

The Consul General of India in Sydney Dr S. Janakiraman, Head of Chancery at CGI, Nirav Sutariya, Australia India Business Council (AIBC) NSW President and National Associate Chair Irfan Malik, Former AIBC Chair Dipen Rughani and AIBC Make in India Chapter Chair, Vish Vishwanathan were also present at the event offering their insights.

Irfan Malik
Dipen Rughani
Vish Vishwanathan
Dr S. Janakiraman

The delegation includes the following businesspersons:

Monil Parikh

Monil Parikh, is Director at Parikh Infracon. He has played a crucial role in developing the land investment and industrial liaison & transaction arm in his company and setting up a private equity fund. His has been consistently involved in helping both local and multinational businesses to identify lucrative real estate investments in accordance with their business requirements and growth verticals.

Monil is also the chair of Yi International Engagement and Bilaterals and a G20 Sherpa for India 2025.

Monil Parikh speaking exclusively to The Australia Today

Nishit Sood

Nishit is the Co-Chair of Yi International Engagement and has over 16 years of entrepreneurial and industry experience in starting out, leading and scaling businesses that provide innovative and effective solutions in the intersection of technology and services. As the co-founder and chief flow officer of BYLD Group, he manage the strategy, operations, and growth of the group, which serves Fortune 500 companies.

Priyanka Sridhar

Priyanka Sridhar is assisting her family-owned business conglomerate, S.V.S Group of firms which is into manufacturing & trading of inorganic chemicals catering to various industries. The conglomerate is also into trading of organic chemicals in the field of surfactants, retail petroleum dealerships in and around Mysore, Micro-financing, Infrastructure development projects, housing projects, in-house construction, and property management under the banner Srija Ventures.

Spoorti Kabbur Pawar

Kabbur Architects is a premier architectural consultancy firm based in India, specializing in architecture, interior design, turnkey construction, and turnkey interior projects. Founded by Architect Spoorti Kabbur, the firm is dedicated to innovation, sustainability, and creating transformative spaces. With a strong portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and institutional projects, we offer end-to-end solutions that seamlessly integrate functionality and aesthetics. Our approach focuses on client-centric designs, efficient execution, and superior quality.

Harsha vardhanan Ramesh

Harsha vardhanan Ramesh is Director at Sri Maha Ganapathy Group (SMG) which is a machining and engineering solutions provider based in Coimbatore. Established in 1998, the company has grown into a multi-division enterprise, specializing in precision machined components for the pump, motor, machine tools and general engineering industries. SMG has a battery of CNC machines and advanced automation, including gantry robots and robotic cell for consistent and efficient production. SMG serves major clients like Aquasub Engineering, LMW, and Texmo Industries, offering precision, cost-effectiveness, and reliability. Their mission is to provide high-quality cutting edge machined components at competitive costs, ensuring long-term partnerships through consistency and innovation.

Aditya Sharma

Aditya Sharma is the Managing Director of S R Ferro Alloys, India’s 5th largest manganese producer, and SINAI Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., an emerging pharmaceuticals manufacturing venture. With extensive experience in industrial operations and strategic leadership, he has been instrumental in driving growth, efficiency, and innovation across his companies. He is spearheading the development of SINAI Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., managing financial structuring, infrastructure planning, and strategic partnerships.

Pooja Shree Chouksey

Pooja Shree Chouksey is a dynamic leader in education, industry, and social entrepreneurship. As the Executive Director of the LNCT Group which is based in Bhopal, she has been instrumental in enhancing academic standards, fostering innovation, and introducing industry-driven programs. Under her leadership, LNCT has expanded its reach, focusing on skill development, research, and holistic student growth. Beyond education, she is actively involved in the agro-industrial sector, overseeing businesses in sugar production, ethanol manufacturing, and related enterprises. As a social entrepreneur, she founded the Kalakunj Foundation, which empowers women and underprivileged communities through education, vocational training, and livelihood programs.

Balaji Easwaramurthy

Balaji Easwaramurthy is Director at Torqon. Torqon is a leading provider of high-performance customized motors, catering to diverse industries such as electric vehicles, marine applications, industrial automation, and renewable energy solutions. With a commitment to precision engineering, innovation, and sustainability, they design and manufacture motors that deliver efficiency, reliability, and durability. Headquarteres in Coimbatore, their expertise spans across Brushless DC (BLDC) motors, Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM), and high-torque and high frequency industrial motors, offering tailored solutions to meet the unique demands of OEMs worldwide.

Jansher Singh

Jansher Singh is a business development professional focused on sourcing and distributing innovative agricultural technologies to enhance crop yields and soil quality. A graduate of Singapore Management University, he has experience working with modern farms and agritech innovators in Singapore. At Natsu Enterprises, Jansher is leading efforts to introduce cutting-edge, organic agri-inputs and technologies to farmers across Punjab, Himachal, and Haryana.

Kvulo Lorin

Kvulo Lorin is serving as Chairman of The Nagaland Industrial Development Corporation (NIDC), a public sector undertaking under the Government of Nagaland.  He is also the Chairman and Director of Tetso College, a leading higher education institution in the state.  His entrepreneurial ventures include Associate Partner roles at Sapient Finserv Pvt Ltd, specializing in financial investment advisory, and Desert Board, a company focused on environmentally safe wood substitutes for construction and furniture.  Furthermore, he is a partner in Morung Tech Services Pvt Ltd, which provides educational management software.

Nirav Sutariya receiving memento by Yi on behalf of CGI

Yeshpal Sharma

Yeshpal Sharma is the CEO of Genext Inc. and brings expertise in Industrial & Corporate Real Estate, having worked on highstake projects involving land deals, regulatory approvals and policy implementations across India and international markets like Dubai. He has done executive programs from IIM Ahmedabad and Harvard Business School-USA. Genext Inc. was brought into existence by him to provide expert services in the real estate industry for potentally safer clients investment and growth in the right direction.

Sankesh Kothari

Sankesh Kothari, is spearheading Sree Venkateswara Jeweller’s  pan India expansion. He is an alumnus from SRM Institute of technology, Chennai . He joined his family business at the age of 21 and has already spent nearly 8 years in the business. His dream is to make Sree Venkateswara Jewellers the world’s largest silver company specialising in handcrafted silverware, silver legchain  and transform the unorganised Indian silver industry.

Manpreet Kaur

Manpreet Kaur is the Co-founder of Novo Elixir Inc., a company specializing in innovative health and wellness solutions. With a strong background in web design and digital strategy, she plays a key role in shaping the company’s online presence and brand identity. Her expertise in user experience (UX) design, digital marketing, and business development has been instrumental in driving Novo Elixir’s growth. Passionate about technology and entrepreneurship, Manpreet is dedicated to creating impactful digital solutions that enhance customer engagement and business success.

Rajesh Damerla

Rajesh Damerla is an entrepreneur, business strategist, and startup mentor with over 30+ years in FMCG family business, 13+ years in the global Oil & Gas industry, and 8+ years in startup ecosystem and E-commerce. Also assists Indian companies expand globally while supporting international businesses to enter India. An avid traveler, explored 25+ countries across four continents, gaining diverse cultural and business insights.

Sadaf Mehdi

Sadaf Mehdi is a Monash University alum with expertise in data strategy, governance, and product development. With a strong background in leveraging data-driven insights for business growth she has worked across various sectors to drive innovation and efficiency. As an active member of Young Indians (YI), she is passionate about fostering collaboration, leadership, and global partnerships to create meaningful impact.

Vikram Rajesh

Vikram Rajesh is a Chartered Accountant (~CPA), Entrepreneur, and Investor with a global vision and focuses on building strong relationships with clients. He believes in creating sustainable solutions that focus on the long-term goals and aspirations of his clients. Vikram’s experience as an entrepreneur and investor allows him to identify new opportunities and create innovative solutions. He is dedicated to helping businesses, investors, and individuals achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

Pavan Bhangadia

Pavan Bhangadia is the Managing Director of Swastik Oleochems Limited, a company that has been at the forefront of innovation in the oleochemical industry for over  50 years. With an MBA from  the  University  of  Technology,  Sydney,  and an  M.Com from Osmania University, Pavan brings a blend of  international  experience and strategic insight to his role.

Sakshi Mishra

As the Managing Director of MK Enterprises, a key player in the hospitality management sector, Sakshi oversees the operations and strategic growth of multiple hospitality properties in Bhopal. With a strong focus on customer experience, business ethics, and corporate governance, she ensure that her establishments align with global standards in hospitality.

Phaniram Nagarjunakonda

Phaniram Nagarjunakonda is a serial entrepreneur with investments in healthcare and real estate. He is also social entrepreneur, focusing on promoting the art, craft, and weaving clusters of Andhra Pradesh. Additionally, he has served as a branding partner for the state, helping to showcase Indian art and craft globally. As a consultant and mentor for Atal incubation centers, he supports social startups. He is eager to explore opportunities to strengthen the India-Australia bond, particularly in the realms of art and culture.

Mintu

Mintu is a web designer at Novo Elixir INC, specializing in creating visually appealing and user-friendly digital experiences. With a keen eye for design and a strong understanding of modern web technologies, he plays a crucial role in developing responsive and innovative websites that align with the company’s vision.

The delegation also includes Sakshi Aggarwal who is Manager with the Reserve Bank of India and Sandeep Chauhan the Yi Mission Manager for the Yi Business Delegation to Australia.

India’s EV ambitions accelerate with $600M move for stake in Australian lithium projects

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Representative Image generated by AI tools
Representative Image generated by AI tools

India is making a strategic push to secure vital resources for its electric vehicle (EV) industry by pursuing a 20% stake in two Australian lithium projects owned by Chilean mining giant SQM. The proposed $600 million deal involves a consortium of Indian state-owned enterprises, including Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), Coal India, Oil India, and ONGC Videsh.

The Mount Holland and Andover lithium projects, located in Western Australia, are key assets within SQM’s operations, positioning it as one of the world’s largest lithium producers. India’s growing focus on lithium supply reflects its ambitions to become a major player in the global EV market, which is heavily reliant on the metal for battery production.

The country has been rapidly expanding its EV sector, with electric vehicles accounting for a growing share of new car sales. Government initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable transportation have further accelerated this growth. With sales expected to double in 2025, ensuring a steady supply of lithium is crucial to maintaining this momentum.

Representative Image generated by AI tools

The Indian consortium has begun initial due diligence on the projects and is reportedly in the process of selecting a mergers and acquisitions adviser to support the transaction. The move is part of India’s broader strategy to secure critical minerals from resource-rich countries, which also includes partnerships with nations like Argentina and Chile. KABIL, in particular, has been active in exploring global lithium assets, having recently entered into a $24 million exploration deal for lithium blocks in Argentina.

If the negotiations are successful, the acquisition would mark one of India’s most significant overseas investments in the lithium sector. It would also enhance the country’s ability to meet the surging demand for EV batteries, reducing its reliance on imports and strengthening its energy security.

This deal is expected to have far-reaching implications, not only for India’s EV ambitions but also for the broader geopolitical landscape of critical mineral supply chains. As the world shifts towards clean energy, competition for resources like lithium will continue to intensify, making partnerships like this one increasingly strategic.

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Coalition’s housing reform plan targets APRA to tackle home ownership crisis

By
Bureau Report
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Image-Source-Liberal-Party-Handout
Image-Source-Liberal-Party-Handout

In a bid to address Australia’s growing housing affordability crisis, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has announced a sweeping reform plan to reshape the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA).

The proposed changes, if implemented under a Coalition government, would reduce the serviceability buffer on home loans and adjust capital treatments for loans backed by Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). While the Coalition claims these measures will boost homeownership, critics are questioning the plan’s potential impact on financial stability and its broader economic consequences.

Dutton argues that Labor’s current financial policies are blocking Australians from achieving the dream of home ownership. A key aspect of the proposed reform is to mandate APRA to consider the impact of its regulations on housing access, particularly for first-home buyers. The Opposition leader highlighted that the existing 3 per cent serviceability buffer, which was introduced to guard against interest rate hikes, has become a barrier to borrowers despite the current cash rate exceeding four per cent.

“The system should support aspiration, not entrench inequality,” Dutton said, criticising the rigidity of financial regulations. He argued that the Coalition’s approach would unlock opportunities for homebuyers without compromising financial stability.

However, financial experts have raised concerns that lowering serviceability buffers may expose both borrowers and lenders to greater risk in a volatile economic environment. Historically, buffers have played a crucial role in ensuring borrowers can withstand future interest rate increases and economic shocks.

The Coalition also proposes changes to LMI-backed loans, stating that Australians without financial support from family face unjustly higher borrowing costs. By adjusting the capital treatment of these loans, the Coalition believes it will level the playing field for those without access to generational wealth.

“This is not about compromising APRA’s independence,” Dutton insisted.

“It’s about ensuring that regulators also support broader economic objectives, like fair access to finance.”

Yet, industry leaders have warned that reducing risk-based capital requirements could undermine the financial resilience of lenders, potentially destabilising the housing market in the long run.

Beyond financial regulation, the Coalition’s housing plan encompasses a range of measures, including increasing housing supply, reducing migration to align with housing availability, and funding essential infrastructure. Notably, Dutton also proposed a two-year ban on foreign investors and temporary residents purchasing existing homes, arguing it would free up supply for local buyers.

“We will boost housing supply by removing barriers to construction and cutting unnecessary red tape,” Dutton stated, pledging to restore the Australian Building and Construction Commission to counter alleged union corruption that he claims has inflated building costs.

While the plan includes commitments to support older women and first-home buyers by allowing superannuation savings to be used for housing deposits, concerns remain about the long-term impact on retirement savings.

Labor has dismissed the plan as a short-term political stunt, arguing that it lacks genuine structural reform to address housing affordability. Minister Julie Collins criticised the Coalition’s approach, stating that focusing on deregulation without comprehensive supply-side reforms would fail to deliver sustainable housing solutions.

“Labor is investing in building new homes and supporting renters, while the Coalition is proposing risky financial deregulation that could destabilise our economy,”

Collins said.

As the federal election approaches, Dutton’s housing reform proposal will likely remain a key battleground issue. While it appeals to aspiring homeowners frustrated by the current market, the broader economic risks and opposition from financial regulators could prove significant hurdles to its implementation.

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China’s Pacific Play: A critical look at its growing influence in the Cook Islands

By
Contributing Author
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China Cook Island pact; Image Source- Canva
China Cook Island pact; Image Source- Canva

Over the past two decades, China has steadily increased its presence in the Pacific region, with the Cook Islands emerging as a prominent case study. While Beijing touts its engagement as a win–win developmental partnership, closer scrutiny reveals a strategy riddled with hidden risks for the Cook Islands. The relationship, which formally began in 1997, has evolved into an intricate web of diplomatic, economic, and security engagements that could undermine the island nation’s sovereignty, strain its environment, and complicate the geopolitical landscape for traditional allies like the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.

Since the inception of formal diplomatic relations in 1997, the Cook Islands has witnessed an accelerated pace of cooperation with China. High-profile meetings – including those involving former Prime Minister Henry Puna in 2013 and renewed discussions in 2014 and again in 2024 – laid the groundwork for Beijing’s strategic blueprint in the Pacific.

The signing of a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in February this year by Prime Minister Mark Brown marks a definitive pivot towards deeper cooperation. On paper, this agreement offers promising avenues for trade, investment, and enhanced connectivity across sectors such as tourism, ocean science, aquaculture, agriculture, infrastructure, and climate resilience. However, the benefits touted by Chinese diplomacy come at a steep and potentially dangerous price.

One of the most pressing concerns is the looming threat of debt dependency. The Cook Islands’ engagement with China often involves low-interest loans with extended repayment periods, ostensibly providing much-needed financial relief and development capital. Yet, beneath these attractive terms lies a potential trap: as the Cook Islands become increasingly reliant on Chinese funding, it risks compromising its fiscal sovereignty.

This predicament is reminiscent of the infamous Hambantota Port deal in Sri Lanka, where an inability to service Chinese loans resulted in a 99-year lease of a strategically important port to Beijing. Such debt-trap diplomacy, if replicated in the Cook Islands, would not only diminish local control over vital infrastructure but also transform the small island nation into a pawn in Beijing’s broader strategic contest in the Pacific.

The implications of this growing dependency extend far beyond fiscal concerns. As Chinese contractors, materials, and economic influence permeate local industries, there is mounting evidence that the Cook Islands’ ability to set and enforce independent development policies is increasingly compromised.

Critics argue that as Beijing’s influence deepens, so does its capacity to steer local policies in directions that serve its broader geopolitical interests. The risk is that the Cook Islands, a sovereign entity with its unique cultural and political identity, could be coerced into aligning its strategic priorities with those of a global power whose interests are often at odds with democratic principles and regional stability.

While Chinese investments promise a boost in infrastructure and economic development, they also bring with them substantial environmental risks. The focus on blue economy sectors—such as marine economic cooperation parks, deep-sea fishing bases, and aquaculture—raises serious concerns over the long-term sustainability of the Cook Islands’ marine ecosystem.

Intensive exploitation of marine resources not only threatens local biodiversity but also jeopardizes the livelihoods of communities that depend on fishing and related industries. As seen in other regions where overfishing and unsustainable practices have taken hold, the ecological consequences could be irreversible, ultimately undermining the very economic benefits that Chinese investments purport to deliver.

Beyond the economic and environmental dimensions, the security implications of China’s expanding influence in the Cook Islands cannot be overstated. Beijing’s approach to the Pacific is not purely economic; it is underpinned by a calculated effort to increase its strategic foothold in regions critical to its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Cook Islands, along with other Pacific nations, are increasingly viewed as arenas where Chinese private security companies (PSCs) and indirect military aids can operate with relative impunity. This strategy allows China to safeguard its investments and project power without overtly committing its military forces. Such an arrangement not only heightens tensions with regional security players like the United States, Australia, and New Zealand but also destabilizes the traditional security architecture that has long underpinned peace and stability in the Pacific.

The Cook Islands’ predicament is part of a broader pattern observed in the Pacific. A stark example is the Solomon Islands’ diplomatic pivot from Taiwan to China. Since realigning its foreign policy, the Solomon Islands has seen a rapid increase in Chinese influence, with corresponding shifts in local governance and regional security alignments. The Solomon Islands case serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting how diplomatic realignments can open the door to foreign influence that extends far beyond economic assistance. The potential for similar developments in the Cook Islands raises serious concerns for traditional allies and regional security stakeholders who view China’s growing presence with increasing alarm.

The ramifications of a China-dominated Cook Islands extend well beyond the island’s borders. For the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, the deepening strategic partnership between Beijing and the Cook Islands represents a direct challenge to the existing order in the Pacific. Increased Chinese investments and the subsequent militarization of economic initiatives could lead to a shift in the balance of power, undermining the strategic interests of Western allies in a region that is becoming ever more critical in global geopolitics. The broader implication is a reshaping of regional dynamics, where economic coercion and military posturing could escalate into tensions that destabilize not only the Pacific but also have far-reaching impacts on global security.

The current trajectory of the Cook Islands’ relationship with China places the nation at a critical crossroads. On one hand, the promise of economic growth, improved infrastructure, and enhanced regional connectivity appears attractive, especially given the constraints of limited domestic resources and investment capital. On the other hand, the heavy reliance on Chinese loans and investments risks entangling the Cook Islands in a web of dependency that could erode its sovereign decision-making power, compromise environmental integrity, and expose it to the volatile currents of global geopolitics.

Critics argue that the Cook Islands, like many small island nations, may be unwittingly trading long-term sovereignty for short-term economic gains. The strategic partnership, rather than being a balanced exchange, may well serve as a conduit for Beijing’s broader ambitions—a calculated effort to extend its influence into one of the world’s most strategically significant regions.

The stakes are high: while China enjoys immediate benefits in the form of increased access to critical maritime resources and potential military footholds, the Cook Islands and its traditional allies risk being drawn into a geopolitical struggle that could have dire consequences for regional stability.

The challenge for the Cook Islands, therefore, lies in navigating these treacherous waters without surrendering its national sovereignty. The Cook Islands must leverage its unique position to forge a path that supports sustainable growth while preserving its cultural and political integrity. This requires a recalibration of its foreign policy, one that is not overly reliant on any single power, but rather embraces a multipolar approach that mitigates risks and secures long-term prosperity.

The deepening relationship between China and the Cook Islands is emblematic of a broader trend in which economic investments mask strategic ambitions. While Beijing’s promises of growth and development may offer temporary relief and infrastructural benefits, the long-term implications—ranging from fiscal dependency and erosion of sovereignty to environmental degradation and heightened regional tensions—are cause for serious concern.

As the Cook Islands stands at this strategic crossroads, it is incumbent upon its leaders and the international community to critically assess the true cost of this partnership. Failure to do so could set a dangerous precedent, where short-term economic gains pave the way for long-term geopolitical vulnerability, not only for the Cook Islands but for the broader Pacific region and its traditional allies.

In an era marked by rapid geopolitical shifts, the Cook Islands’ experience serves as a stark reminder of the perils that small nations face when caught in the crosshairs of great power rivalry. It is a call to action for policymakers to ensure that development is not sacrificed at the altar of strategic opportunism, and that true sovereignty is preserved in the face of overwhelming external pressures.

Author: Deepayan Sinha is a senior correspondent with India Blooms News Service (IBNS) and can be reached at deepayan.s95@gmail.com

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Albanese pitches pay hike as vote bait in Victorian hostile territory as Greens and Liberals close in

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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PM Anthony ALbanese in Werribee, Victoria; Image Source- Labor Handout
PM Anthony ALbanese in Werribee, Victoria; Image Source- Labor Handout

​Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has commenced campaigning in Victoria, a pivotal battleground state, emphasizing Labor’s commitment to advocating for wage increases for low-paid workers. Arriving Tuesday afternoon, Albanese aims to bolster support in key Victorian electorates ahead of the upcoming federal election. ​

Victoria, historically a Labor stronghold, presents challenges as the party contends with both Liberal opponents in suburban areas and the Greens in inner-city districts. The seat of Wills, once held by former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, is under particular scrutiny. Former Victorian Greens leader Samantha Ratnam is contesting the seat, seeking to capitalise on progressive voters and constituents dissatisfied with Labor’s stance on international issues. ​

In a strategic move to address cost-of-living concerns, Albanese announced that Labor would support a real wage increase for Australia’s low-paid workers. While this is not a binding policy, Labor plans to submit a recommendation to the Fair Work Commission advocating for an “economically sustainable real wage increase” for award and minimum wage workers.

The campaign also highlights infrastructure projects, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton proposing an additional $1.5 billion for the Melbourne Airport Rail Link. Dutton criticised the state Labor government’s Suburban Rail Loop project, labelling it as unrealistic and economically unviable.

Recent polls indicate a decline in support for the Victorian Labor Party, with voter dissatisfaction linked to issues such as housing affordability and infrastructure planning. This sentiment poses a challenge for the federal Labor campaign in the state. ​

As the election approaches, both major parties are intensifying efforts in Victoria, recognising its critical role in determining the federal election outcome. Labor’s focus on wage growth and cost-of-living relief aims to resonate with voters amid economic pressures.

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Pages torn from Ramayan in alleged sacrilege at Fiji Hindu temple

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Pages torn off from holy Ramayan in an alleged case of sacrilege in Labasa (Source: Vunicuicui Shiv Mandir - Facebook)

The Vunicuicui Shiv Mandir in Fiji’s Labasa has reported an alleged act of sacrilege at their place of worship, where pages from the holy Ramayan were torn.

In a statement on social media, the temple strongly condemned the act, calling for respect and understanding across faiths.

Image: Vunicuicui Shiv Mandir (Source: Vunicuicui Shiv Mandir – Facebook)

The temple’s statement read.

“The devotees of Vunicuicui Shiv Mandir pray for the lost souls who have conspired and done this shameful deed. May you find peace, wisdom, and the humility to recognize the sacred in what others hold dear.”

Emphasising the importance of religious texts, the temple noted that scriptures like the Ramayana, Bible, Quran, and Gita serve as sources of wisdom and spiritual solace for millions.

“When you disrespect these texts, you aren’t just attacking paper and ink—you’re wounding the hearts of those who find meaning, hope, and divine connection in them.”

Image: Pages torn off from holy Ramayan in an alleged case of sacrilege in Labasa (Source: Vunicuicui Shiv Mandir – Facebook)

While affirming the right to free expression, the temple urged individuals to use that freedom responsibly, advocating for dialogue over desecration.

“If you disagree with a religion, engage in dialogue. If you seek change, educate rather than desecrate.”

The temple’s call for peace comes as the Hindu community observes Ram Navami, a festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ram.

Authorities have been notified, and local media has sent questions to the Fiji Police Force regarding the incident.

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RBA holds rates at 4.10% as inflation eases, but economic uncertainty looms

By
Bureau Report
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Interest Rate - Image Source; CANVA
Interest Rate - Image Source; CANVA

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has announced that it will keep the cash rate target steady at 4.10% and maintain the interest rate on Exchange Settlement balances at 4.0%. ​

This decision follows a 25 basis point reduction in February, marking the first rate cut since late 2020.

Inflation has significantly declined since its peak in 2022, indicating that previous interest rate hikes have effectively balanced aggregate demand and supply. Recent data suggests that underlying inflation continues to ease, aligning with forecasts from the February Statement on Monetary Policy.

However, the RBA Board emphasised the need for confidence that this downward trend will persist to sustainably return inflation to the midpoint of the target range.

The labour market remains tight, with low rates of underutilisation despite a slight employment decline in February. Business surveys indicate that labour availability continues to be a constraint across various sectors. While wage pressures have eased more than anticipated, productivity growth has not improved, resulting in high unit labour costs.

Private domestic demand shows signs of recovery, with real household incomes increasing and some financial stress indicators easing. Nonetheless, certain businesses report challenges in passing cost increases to consumers due to weak demand. ​

The RBA Board remains vigilant regarding international developments, particularly recent tariff announcements from the United States, which have impacted global confidence. The potential expansion of tariffs or retaliatory measures could adversely affect global economic activity. The Board noted that monetary policy is well-positioned to respond if such international events materially influence Australian economic activity and inflation. ​

The RBA Board’s primary objective is to sustainably return inflation to the target range. While acknowledging the progress made, the Board remains cautious about the economic outlook, citing uncertainties in domestic activity, inflation trends, and global developments. Future monetary policy decisions will be guided by ongoing data assessments, with close attention to global economic conditions, financial markets, domestic demand, and labour market trends. ​

The Board reiterated its commitment to taking necessary actions to achieve its inflation targets, emphasising the importance of maintaining longer-term inflation expectations within the target range

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Trump deports 17 dangerous gang members, including alleged child rapists, to El Salvador

By
Bureau Report
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Criminals deported by USA; Image Source; Screenshot of a video on social media X
Criminals deported by USA; Image Source; Screenshot of a video on social media X

El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele has confirmed the deportation of 17 dangerous criminals, including high-profile members of the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gangs, following a joint military operation with the United States.

In a social media post, Bukele shared a video showing the men being escorted off a US Air Force plane and into maximum-security prison cells in El Salvador. He noted that all of the deportees were confirmed murderers, with six identified as child rapists, framing the operation as a significant step in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

The group of deportees, which included both Salvadoran and Venezuelan nationals, were flown to El Salvador as part of a broader US effort to combat gang violence linked to these notorious organisations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the operation as a “successful counter-terrorism” measure, emphasising that the deportees were “murderers and rapists.” However, the operation has sparked controversy, especially as it continues despite legal challenges.

A federal judge in Washington, DC, James Boasberg, recently ruled to temporarily halt deportations under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law historically used in wartime. The judge’s decision was prompted by concerns that deportees were being denied their right to contest their deportations in court.

While the US Department of Homeland Security and the Trump administration have argued that the deportations are justified to protect public safety, the legal dispute remains unresolved. This has led to a tense standoff between the US government’s law enforcement objectives and the rights of the individuals being deported.

Despite the court order, the deportation of the 17 gang members proceeded. White House officials have argued that these individuals had final orders of removal, and their deportations were carried out in line with established immigration laws. The deportees, many of whom had been held at Guantanamo Bay, were allegedly part of violent gangs involved in widespread criminal activities, including homicide and sexual assault.

President Donald Trump has also weighed in, expressing gratitude toward Bukele for his cooperation in accepting deportees, many of whom had entered the US illegally under the previous administration. Trump praised the operation in a statement, thanking the Salvadoran government for “giving these criminals such a wonderful place to live.”

This comment drew a sharp contrast with the criticism of the Biden administration’s immigration policies, with Trump framing the deportations as part of a broader effort to safeguard American communities from transnational criminal organisations.

Salvadoran officials confirmed that their country had agreed to accept the deportees in exchange for $6 million in financial assistance, raising questions about the broader implications of such deportation agreements. While some family members of the deported individuals have denied that their relatives have gang ties, the US and El Salvador governments maintain that these criminals are dangerous offenders who pose a threat to both nations’ safety.

The situation also highlights ongoing tensions within US immigration policy. Recently, the Department of Defense sought intervention from the US Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that temporarily blocked the deportation of Venezuelan nationals under the same law. The legal wrangling has sparked debate over the balance between national security interests and the rights of migrants. With the next hearing on the case scheduled for later this week, the outcome remains uncertain, but it is clear that the deportation of gang members remains a deeply contentious issue.

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Qantas expands partnership as the official overseas tour partner for Aussie cricket teams

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Qantas and Cricket Australia partner- Image Source- Qantas handout
Qantas and Cricket Australia partner- Image Source- Qantas handout

Qantas has announced an expanded three-year agreement with Cricket Australia (CA), strengthening its role as the official airline partner while becoming the overseas tour partner for both the men’s and women’s national cricket teams.

As part of the deal, Qantas will debut its branding on the women’s team shirts and training apparel for overseas matches from July 2025. The partnership marks a significant milestone for women’s cricket, which has seen growing participation and success in recent years.

Qantas has been the official airline partner for Cricket Australia since 2011, and this renewal further cements their longstanding relationship. The new deal also ensures the Australian cricket teams will continue to fly with Qantas, supporting the team’s domestic and international travel needs through to at least 2028.

Catriona Larritt, Qantas’ Chief Customer and Digital Officer, expressed pride in supporting the national sport and particularly women’s cricket.

“We look forward to continuing our long innings with Cricket Australia,”

she said.

Cricket Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ed Sanders, welcomed the extended partnership, noting the importance of Qantas’ role in the team’s travel logistics.

“It’s fitting that this announcement coincides with the release of the 2025-26 international schedule, where Qantas will take players and fans to 11 destinations across Australia,”

he said.

This move highlights Qantas’ commitment to supporting Australian cricket on the global stage, including the upcoming ICC World Test Championship Final and tours to the West Indies later this year.

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With Operation Silverwhere Victoria Police cracks down on office cutlery crime

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Representative image generated by AI tools

Victoria Police has announced a sharp new approach to tackling a growing scourge in shared office kitchens across the state—cutlery hoarders.

Taskforce Silverwhere is set to target the insidious wave of workplace crime spreading through Victoria’s office buildings: workers with poor shared-space etiquette.

Communal cutlery drawers are overflowing with butter knives, while staff side-eye their colleagues, ready to pounce on anyone wielding a remotely useful utensil. The first operation, led by Forkensics, aims to address the alarming rise in salads being eaten with soup spoons and protein yoghurts consumed with butter knives.

Future crackdowns will target office offenders who:
➡️ Don’t clean the toastie maker
➡️ Leave meal prep to rot in the communal fridge
➡️ Eat tuna salad or reheated broccoli in an open-plan office
➡️ Say “stopping all stations!” in the lift

A stolen cutlery amnesty will be held until 12 pm today.

Detective Inspector Mike Crowavè issued a stern warning:

“If you’re hoarding Anko’s finest forks and teaspoons at your desk, consider yourself on notice. We’ve had enough, petty cash has had enough, and we make no apologies for enforcing public forking decency.”

“This is one of the most significant, coordinated and proactive moves towards organised cutlery drawers this state has seen. I expect immediate results.”

To the few who clean their cutlery after use and the unsung heroes who manage the shared dishwasher—may the fork be with you.

Disclaimer:
This article is intended purely for entertainment purposes as part of an April Fool’s Day celebration. The events, characters, and quotes in this story are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. We hope it brought a smile to your face! 😊

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Melbourne West leads population boom as overseas migration fuels growth across Australia

By
Bureau Report
-
Population Growth Australia; Image Source- CANVA

Australia’s capital cities have experienced a substantial population surge, with Melbourne leading the growth, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). In the 2023-24 financial year, Melbourne added 142,600 people, surpassing all other cities. Sydney followed closely, recording an increase of 107,500 residents.

Perth and Brisbane also saw significant growth, with each city adding around 73,000 people. Perth recorded the highest growth rate at 3.1%, while Melbourne and Brisbane experienced a 2.7% increase. The overall population boost was largely driven by overseas migration, contributing to 373,000 of the total increase. Natural population growth, through births exceeding deaths, added 89,500 people.

Melbourne’s west emerged as one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. Suburbs like Fraser Rise-Plumpton and Rockbank-Mount Cottrell saw more than 4,000 new residents each. With its affordable housing, improved infrastructure, and ongoing urban development projects, the western suburbs have become a magnet for new migrants and young families.

Local councils have expressed concerns about the pressure on public services and infrastructure as growth accelerates. Calls for increased funding to expand schools, hospitals, and transport networks are mounting, with residents demanding faster responses from policymakers.

Other Australian cities also experienced notable population growth. Sydney saw a substantial increase of 107,500 people, though it faced a net loss from internal migration as more people moved to other states. However, it remained a key destination for international arrivals.

Perth and Brisbane benefited from both overseas migration and internal migration. Perth’s population grew by 3.1%, the fastest rate among the capital cities, while Brisbane maintained a strong 2.7% growth.

Population Growth Australia; Image Source- CANVA
Population Growth Australia; Image Source- CANVA

In regional Australia, populations surged in areas like Caloundra West-Baringa in Queensland, which added 2,500 residents. Canberra’s outer northern suburb of Taylor recorded the highest national growth rate at 29%, while nearby Googong in New South Wales saw a 16% increase.

Experts predict that migration will continue to fuel growth in capital cities and regional hubs, particularly in areas offering affordable housing and employment opportunities. However, balancing this growth with adequate infrastructure development remains a significant challenge.

The next ABS update on regional population trends is scheduled for release on March 31, 2026. Until then, city planners and policymakers will closely monitor the effects of ongoing migration and urban expansion across Australia.

Australia’s evolving population landscape is a testament to its enduring appeal as a destination for migrants, providing both opportunities and challenges for communities nationwide.

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Coalition pledges $10M for weather radar to protect flood-hit Queensland communities

By
AMIT SARWAL
-
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals Leader David Littleproud; Image-Source-Supplied-Liberal-Party-handout
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals Leader David Littleproud; Image-Source-Supplied-Liberal-Party-handout

A new $10 million weather radar will be installed in Central Queensland under a Coalition government, aiming to improve forecasting for remote communities and graziers battling extreme weather.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the funding would restore confidence in the Bureau of Meteorology’s (BoM) forecasts, particularly in a region devastated by recent floods.

“The Coalition knows that a new weather radar is of critical importance for communities and businesses in Central Queensland,” Dutton said.

“This is yet another reflection that a Dutton-Littleproud Government would once again prioritise the needs of regional Australians after the neglect of the Albanese Government.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals Leader David Littleproud; Image-Source-Supplied-Liberal-Party-handout

He criticised the current government for failing to act sooner, arguing that their priorities lay elsewhere. “The need for a weather radar in Central Queensland is not new. The Albanese Government could have acted at any time over the last three years, but they have been busy focusing on harvesting Greens votes and inner-city issues like the Voice rather than responding to the needs of this regional community.”

Nationals Leader David Littleproud echoed these concerns, stressing that better forecasting tools could save lives.

“The community has called for a new radar near Quilpie, and we will deliver it,”

he said.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton; Image-Source-Supplied-Liberal-Party-handout

“In recent days, I’ve heard first-hand harrowing stories of survival. If families had been given more notice, they would have had time to get to safety. Instead, some have been forced to fight for their lives. That’s why this is important.”

Littleproud also highlighted the new Fodder Taskforce, established to help get feed to stranded cattle, but said improved forecasting would allow graziers to prepare before disaster strikes.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and Nationals Leader David Littleproud; Image-Source-Supplied-Liberal-Party-handout

Shadow Environment Minister Jonno Duniam said the radar would restore trust in BoM’s ability to provide accurate data. “Regional communities, including graziers, need accurate weather data to make the right decisions, or else they are flying blind,” he said.

The announcement forms part of the Coalition’s broader strategy to support regional Australia, with Dutton vowing to “get our country back on track.”

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Albanese slams Dutton’s ‘delulu’ economics, touts Labor’s long-term plan

By
AMIT SARWAL
-
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Bundaberg Ginger Beer plant (Source: X)

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has reaffirmed Labor’s commitment to nation-building, cost-of-living relief, and supporting Australian-made products, while taking aim at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s economic policies.

“Australians have achieved a lot together over the past few years. Now is a time for building, not for cutting or wrecking. Only Labor has a plan to build Australia’s future,” he posted on social media.

Watch on TikTok

Albanese highlighted Labor’s investment in community spaces, announcing plans to rebuild Bega Memorial Pool, led by Kristy McBain. “From pools to parks, we’ll keep investing right across the country,” he added.

Championing Australian-made products, the Prime Minister also unveiled a new ‘Buy Australian’ campaign to boost local industries and jobs, urging shoppers to look for the green and gold logo. “When we make it here, we all benefit,” he said, using Bundaberg Ginger Beer as an example of a homegrown success story.

Additionally, Albanese has vowed to crack down on supermarket price gouging, stating,

“Being ripped off at the checkout isn’t fair – and we’ll always have your back.”

Earlier in an interview with ABC Radio Sydney, Albanese defended Labor’s fiscal policies against Dutton’s economic claims, referencing a popular TikTok phrase:

“I do think that Peter Dutton is delusional if he speaks about fiscal policy and deficits, given that he left deficits of $78 billion that we turned into a surplus,” he said.

Albanese criticised the Coalition’s proposal to halve the fuel excise for 12 months, arguing it was a short-term fix rather than a structural economic change. He emphasised that Labor’s tax cuts have already passed Parliament, providing long-term relief to all taxpayers.

“What we’ve done is put more money in your listeners’ pockets right now. An average, with the result of this top-up, will be worth two and a half thousand dollars a year,” he told host Craig Reucassel.

With the election approaching, the debate over cost-of-living relief and economic management is set to intensify, with both sides vying for voter confidence in the months ahead.

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NSW man jailed for four years for grooming a UK teen via social media

By
Bureau Report
-
Image: NSW man jailed for four years for grooming a UK teen via social media (Source: AFP)

An Illawarra man has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison after attempting to groom a teenage boy in the United Kingdom through social media. He will be eligible for release on 15 August 2026.

The 62-year-old was sentenced at the Downing Centre District Court on 28 March 2025 after pleading guilty to six charges in November last year.

His arrest in February 2024 was the result of a coordinated international effort, sparked when the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received a report from the agency’s London Post about an Australian man allegedly involved in online child sexual exploitation.

AFP Child Protection Operations officers apprehended the man at a property in Lake Heights, near Wollongong. A search of his home uncovered child abuse material and records of online communication with the boy stored on a computer.

Police said the man used social media to engage with who he believed was a 14-year-old boy in the UK, grooming him for sexual activity and transmitting child abuse material.

Detective Acting Inspector Emmanuel Tsardoulias said the case underscored the strength of international collaboration in tackling child exploitation.

“Our common goal is to protect children wherever they live and to ensure anyone who tries to harm them is identified and brought before the courts.”

The man was charged with multiple offences, including failing to comply with reporting obligations under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 (NSW), which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. He also faced four counts of using a carriage service to access child abuse material and one count of possessing or controlling such material, offences under the Criminal Code (Cth) that each carry a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.

“The AFP has strong working relationships with international partners, and this investigation shows how effective law enforcement cooperation is when identifying offenders in different parts of the world,” Detective Acting Inspector Tsardoulias said.

“We are committed to stopping any Australian who wishes to exploit the innocence of children—either living in their community or on the other side of the world—to fulfil their own selfish desires.”

The AFP and its partners continue to work to prevent child exploitation and abuse, with the ACCCE leading a national approach to combatting these crimes.

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Budgeting for Innovation: How Australia and India are shaping their economic futures

By
Contributing Author
-
Image Source- Supplied

Australia just released its federal budget, laying out a proposed roadmap ahead of a national election. India’s Union Budget, tabled last month, comes from a government now in its third consecutive term — and builds on years of momentum in digital transformation and inclusive innovation.

In a world defined by economic shifts, climate urgency, and accelerating technology, how nations allocate capital to innovation, infrastructure, and capability is telling. These two budgets, read side by side, offer a glimpse into how Australia and India are writing their next chapter.

Image Source: Supplied

As someone who has had a front-row seat to the evolving relationship between India and Australia through my role as Convenor of the Australia India Chamber of Commerce (AICC) Tech & Innovation National Industry Group, and as Director of The Big LEAP Accelerator, I’ve seen the potential for cross-border economic and innovation alignment grow stronger every year.

The 2025–26 federal budgets presented by both countries are not just routine fiscal documents; they are a declaration of how each nation intends to navigate the decade ahead.

Budget Signals at a Glance

Theme🇦🇺 Australia🇮🇳 India
Innovation Funding$1.5B Innovation Fund, $2B CEFC boost₹10,000 cr Deep Tech Fund (~AUD 1.8B)
Climate & Clean Tech$13.7B tax incentives, $750M green metals, $1B Green Iron FundBio-manufacturing policy, EV battery relief
Capital AccessNo startup mention, indirect via investor reformsAngel tax abolished, FoF expanded, MSME micro-credit
Talent & EducationFree TAFE, uni reform ($2.5B)PM Fellowships, Digital India skilling
Frontier Tech FocusNot detailedAI Safety Institute, Quantum, Geospatial Missions
Productivity Reform$900M National Productivity Fund; SME procurement target (35%)Ease of doing business, manufacturing support

Australia’s budget is a strategic play for long-term competitiveness. While it lacks specific measures targeted at startups or early-stage innovation, it sets a structural foundation for economic resilience and green industrial leadership. The government has proposed a $1.5 billion Future Made in Australia Innovation Fund, alongside a $2 billion expansion of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

Image Source: Supplied

A $13.7 billion commitment in legislated production tax incentives for hydrogen and critical minerals, $750 million earmarked for green metals, and a $1 billion Green Iron Investment Fund underscore the country’s ambition to decarbonise heavy industry. Add to that the $900 million National Productivity Fund and a new SME procurement target of 35% on contracts up to $20 million, and the message is clear: this is a budget about building capacity, not headlines.

India’s Union Budget continues a multi-year momentum to deepen its innovation economy. From the abolition of the angel tax for early-stage investors that will ease access to capital for startups to the ₹10,000 crore (~AUD 1.8B) Deep Tech Fund of Funds, the country is not only expanding funding options but simplifying the rules of engagement for entrepreneurs.

Pm Anthony Albanese: Image Source: Supplied

Credit guarantee schemes, a dedicated scheme for first-time entrepreneurs, and support for MSMEs, including micro-credit, reflect a model of inclusive innovation. Meanwhile, institutional initiatives like the AI Safety Institute, National Quantum Mission, and the National Geospatial Mission signal intent to lead in frontier technologies.

India’s green agenda is also evolving. Bio-manufacturing incentives, EV battery duty relief, and expansion of its national gene bank show a systemic approach to sustainability that encompasses agriculture, mobility, and energy.

India and Australia aren’t on parallel tracks — but they are facing in the same direction. One is leveraging scale and digital momentum; the other, stability and reform. India’s budget moves fast and broad; Australia’s moves deep and deliberate.

The common thread? A clear focus on economic sovereignty, future-proofed industries, and innovation as a core lever of national strategy.

Image Source: Supplied

For the Indian diaspora living and working in Australia, this is more than fiscal policy. These budgets influence the industries we work in, the investments we make, and the collaborations we foster across borders. Whether you’re in tech, education, research, or advanced manufacturing, this is a moment to reflect on how interconnected these two economies have become.

India’s domestic innovation runway is stronger than ever. For entrepreneurs seeking to scale globally, Australia offers a strategic landing zone. With its research depth, export readiness, and appetite for clean, high-impact technology, it remains a compelling market for Indian ventures in sectors like climate tech, agrifood, health, and advanced manufacturing.

The corridor is open. The opportunity is mutual.

Jasmine Batra with High Commissioner of India to Australia Gopal Baglay; Image Source: Supplied

Budgets may be annual, but their impact is immediate and signals are generational. In reading these two documents side by side, the most important takeaway isn’t what was spent — it’s what is being built.

India and Australia may be writing different chapters, but they’re part of the same story: one where innovation isn’t an outcome, but a national instrument.

Author: Jasmine Batra is the Director of The Big LEAP Accelerator, supporting cross-border innovation between Australia and India, helping startups with international market expansion.

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Rohit and Kohli return to Australia! Check if they’re coming to your city for India’s thrilling T20I and ODI clashes

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
-
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli; Image Source- BCCI
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli; Image Source- BCCI

Cricket fans across Australia are in for an exhilarating season as international matches are set to be played in 11 cities and 14 venues for the first time in 17 years. The highly anticipated 2025-26 season will witness a thrilling lineup, including the iconic NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes Series, an eight-game men’s white-ball series against India, and a multi-format women’s series featuring day-night matches.

Image Source- BCCI

Australia’s cricketing ties with India will be further strengthened with a blockbuster men’s white-ball series featuring the first-ever five-match T20I series between the two cricketing powerhouses. Starting October 29, the series will see matches across Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane.

The Ashes rivalry will begin with the Test at Perth Stadium from November 21 to 25. Cricket lovers will witness the first-ever day-night Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, followed by a historic Christmas Test at Adelaide Oval. The traditional Boxing Day Test at the MCG and the New Year’s Test at the SCG will conclude the series. Australia, led by Pat Cummins, will face Ben Stokes’ England in their bid to retain the coveted Ashes trophy.

Image Source- BCCI

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming season, emphasising the diverse locations and opportunities for fans to experience live cricket.

“We are thrilled to bring international cricket to 11 cities and 14 venues, celebrating the sport’s nationwide appeal. With historic rivalries like the Ashes and the intensity of the India series, this season promises unmatched excitement,”

Greenberg said.

The Indian women’s team will also embark on a multi-format tour, including the first day-night Test at the revamped WACA Ground in Perth from March 6 to 9. Marquee T20I matches will also be hosted at the SCG, Manuka Oval, and Adelaide Oval, continuing the momentum from last season’s successful Women’s Ashes Series.

International cricket will return to the Northern Territory for the first time in 17 years with the men’s T20I series against South Africa. Marrara Stadium in Darwin will host the opening two matches on August 10 and 12, followed by games in Cairns and Mackay. The scenic Great Barrier Reef Arena will also host ODIs, providing a tropical backdrop for the early-season clashes.

Image Source- BCCI

Fans eager to secure their seats can register for the pre-sale beginning on June 3, 2025, with general public tickets available from June 13.

As anticipation builds, the cricket season is set to capture the hearts of fans, promising unforgettable moments and fierce competition. Whether it’s the historic Ashes battles, the electric India series, or the celebration of women’s cricket, Australia is poised to witness a cricketing spectacle like never before.

2025-26 International Schedule 

Men’s T20I Series v South Africa 
Sunday, August 10: Marrara Stadium, Darwin (N)
Tuesday August 12: Marrara Stadium, Darwin, (N)
Saturday, August 16: Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, (N)
 
Men’s ODI Series v South Africa 
Tuesday, August 19: Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, (D/N)
Friday, August 22: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, (D/N)
Sunday, August 24: Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, (D/N)
 
Men’s ODI Series v India
Sunday, October 19: Perth Stadium, Perth, (D/N)
Thursday, October 23: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, (D/N)
Saturday, October 25: SCG, Sydney, (D/N)
 
Men’s T20I Series v India
Wednesday, October 29: Manuka Oval, Canberra, (N)
Friday, October 31: MCG, Melbourne, (N)
Sunday, November 2: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, (N)
Thursday, November 6: Gold Coast Stadium, Gold Coast, (N)
Saturday, November 8: The Gabba, Brisbane, (N)
 
NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes 
21-25 November: West Test, Perth Stadium, Perth
4-8 December: Day-Night Test, The Gabba, Brisbane
17-21 December: Christmas Test, Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
26-30 December: Boxing Day Test, MCG, Melbourne
4-8 January: Pink Test, SCG, Sydney
 
Women’s T20I Series v India
Sunday, February 15: SCG, Sydney, (N)
Thursday, February 19: Manuka Oval, Canberra, (N)
Saturday, February 21: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, (N)
 
Women’s ODI Series v India
Tuesday, February 24: Allan Border Field, Brisbane, (D/N)
Friday, February 27: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, (D/N)
Sunday March 1: CitiPower Centre, Melbourne, (D/N)
 
Women’s Test v India
March 6-9: WACA Ground, Perth (D/N)

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Labor calls itself the underdog despite polls showing Albanese gaining edge over Dutton

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
-
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton at campaign trail- Image Source- Supplied
Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton at campaign trail- Image Source- Supplied

As the nation approaches the federal election scheduled for May 3, 2025, recent polls indicate a narrow lead for the Labor Party over the Coalition. Despite this, senior Labor figures are positioning the party as the underdog in the electoral race.​

The latest Newspoll, published by The Australian, shows Labor ahead with a 51% to 49% advantage on a two-party preferred basis, marking a two-point gain for Labor over the past three weeks.

Labor’s primary vote has risen to 33%, while the Coalition’s has declined to 37%. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s approval rating has improved to 43%, though he maintains a net negative approval rating of minus nine.

In contrast, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s approval has declined to a net negative of minus 18. Albanese has also extended his lead as the preferred prime minister, holding an 11-point margin over Dutton. ​

Other polls echo similar trends. A YouGov MRP poll suggests Labor is on track to win 75 seats, just one short of a majority, while the Coalition is projected to secure 60 seats. The Resolve Political Monitor poll indicates a 50-50 split between the two major parties but shows Albanese leading as the preferred prime minister over Dutton by 42% to 33%. ​

Despite these figures, Labor leaders are framing their campaign with an underdog narrative. This strategic positioning aims to mobilise their base and caution against complacency among supporters. Political analysts suggest that portraying the party as an underdog can be an effective tactic to galvanise voter turnout and maintain campaign momentum.​

As the election campaign unfolds, both major parties are intensifying their efforts to address key voter concerns, including the cost of living, housing affordability, and economic stability. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Labor’s underdog strategy resonates with the electorate and influences the election outcome.

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High Commission of India launches ‘What’s On!’, an app for Indian international students in Sydney and Canberra

By
Contributing Author
-

By Pallavi Jain and Nikhar Budhadev

The Indian High Commission has launched ‘What’s On!’ a resource designed to support both current and incoming Indian international students studying at Universities in Sydney and Canberra.

It brings together trusted information from official and community sources, including the Consulate General of India (CGI) in Sydney, The High Commission of India (HCI) in Canberra, Indian student associations and cultural groups and Australian federal and state government websites.

Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay launching the app in Canberra (Pic: Nikhar Budhadev)

What’s On! has information on various subjects including Student Visa & Documentation, Medical Care & Emergency, Driving in Australia, Accomodation & Housing, Banking & Finance and others.

The app was launched by the Indian High Commissioner to Australia, Gopal Baglay, at the ‘YUVA GALA 2025’ in Canberra.

This Indian-Australian youth event included networking and a panel discussion and a chance to connect with professionals from government, industry, education, and community sectors for youngsters.

(Pics: Nikhar Budhadev)

It also showcased a mix of traditional performances, career related talks and entertainment with fun, food and celebration.

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Thank Cricket Australia, hope BCCI will support us the way they do our men’s team: Afghan cricketer Firooza Amiri

By
Pallavi Jain
-
Firooza Amiri, Afghanistan National Cricket Team Player

Afghanistan Women National Cricket Team player Firooza Amiri is currently residing in Australia. She and her other team mates had to leave Afghanistan after the extremist group Taliban took over the country in 2021. In an exclusive interview Firooza shares her journey with The Australia Today’s Editor Pallavi Jain.

1) Tell us about your journey. When did you first pick up the bat and when did you decide to pursue cricket professionally?

I first picked up a cricket bat at the age of 15. Cricket had always been a part of my family’s life, especially with my older sister being a passionate fan. She was always watching the game, and I often wondered what made it so popular. The moment I held a bat in my hands, I immediately fell in love with the sport. From that moment, cricket became a central part of my life. By the time I was 17, I was fortunate enough to receive a national team contract, and from then on, I was committed to pursuing it professionally.

2) How challenging was it to pursue your dream, and how did you overcome the obstacles?

Cricket in Afghanistan is traditionally a male-dominated sport, and there were very few women playing. However, seeing that other countries had both men’s and women’s teams inspired me to represent my country. My journey was filled with challenges, as it is never easy for women to play cricket in Afghanistan. Despite the difficulties, my motivation remained strong: I wanted to represent my country on the international stage and show the world that Afghan women have the ability to compete at the highest levels, given the opportunity.

3) What happened after the Taliban’s takeover, and when did you move to Australia? What has your experience been like, and have you received support to continue playing cricket?

When the Taliban took over Afghanistan, I was living in Herat, and the entire country was in a state of fear. We were uncertain whether the Taliban would seize control at any moment, but we held onto a small hope that Afghanistan wouldn’t fall. Unfortunately, when Herat fell, my family and I moved to Kabul. During our time there, we faced many challenges, including constantly relocating to avoid detection by the Taliban. After 30 days in Kabul, we were granted visas to Australia. The most challenging part of the journey was traveling through Taliban-controlled checkpoints to reach Pakistan, but we managed to make it through. Once we arrived in Pakistan, we stayed for a few weeks before finally reaching Australia.

In terms of support, we’ve received incredible assistance from Australia, especially from four amazing women—Emma Staples, Mel Jones, Catherine Ordway, and Olivia Thorton—who played a key role in securing our visas. Since arriving, they’ve provided continuous support, and in terms of cricket, Cricket Australia playes a huge role of leadership in ensuring that we have the resources and opportunities to continue playing and really grateful for everything they have done. 

4) The Afghan women’s team has appealed to the ICC to set up a refugee team. Has there been any progress on that front?

Since arriving in Australia, we’ve sent several letters to the ICC, but unfortunately, we’ve yet to receive a response. The ICC, as one of the largest governing bodies in cricket, seems to be overlooking the fact that Afghanistan is the only full member nation without a women’s team. This is due to the current political situation, but despite these challenges, we continue to play cricket as a team here in Australia, and we remain hopeful for change.

5) What do you think the ICC can do at this stage to support the Afghan women’s team?

The situation for Afghan women and girls is dire, and we need more support than ever. We urge the ICC to stop remaining silent on issues of gender apartheid and equality in Afghanistan. This is the moment for the governing body to take a stand. We are asking the ICC to recognize us either as a national team or as a refugee team, so we can represent our country. We seek the same level of funding and support that the men’s team receives.

6) While there were calls to boycott Afghanistan’s men’s team, you have stated that boycotting the men’s team is not the solution. Could you elaborate on your perspective?

Boycotting the men’s team would not directly impact our situation. Our focus is on finding a solution for our team, not creating more problems. Countries like Australia and the UK have the influence and power to engage with the ICC and work toward a solution for us. It’s the ICC’s responsibility to ensure we have equal opportunities, just as other teams do.

7) You recently played an exhibition match in Melbourne on 30th January as part of an Afghanistan XI. How did it feel to step onto the field again?

Playing for Afghanistan and representing my country has always been my dream. That exhibition match was historic for us, and it brought a wave of emotions—pride, joy, and even a bit of nostalgia. To represent Afghanistan for the first time in this way was truly special. The support we received from the Australian community and my friends, who came out to cheer for us with Afghan flags, made the experience unforgettable. It was a powerful moment for Afghan women, and we stood united, showing the world what we stand for.

Afghanistan Cricket team; Picture Source: ACB Media
Afghanistan Men’s Cricket team; Picture Source: ACB Media Octber 2021

8) The Afghanistan men’s team has received a lot of support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the years, with many players participating in the IPL. Has the women’s team received any support from the BCCI, and is there anything they can do to help?

Unfortunately, we have not received any support from the BCCI. However, the BCCI is one of the most influential and powerful cricket boards globally, and we would love to see them extend their support to the women’s team as well. If the BCCI can provide opportunities for the men’s team, we hope they will consider doing the same for the women, offering us a platform like the WIPL to showcase our talent.

9) What is the source of your and your team’s strength? How do you remain positive despite going through such adversities, and what do you look forward to in the future?

The ongoing struggles of women and girls in Afghanistan are a constant source of motivation for us. We have the privilege and platform to raise our voices for gender equality. We are here to represent our nation and fight for our rights, and we feel incredibly fortunate to be able to speak out on behalf of those who can’t. After our exhibition match on 30th January, we launched a fundraising platform called “Pitch Our Future” to garner global support. We hope people from around the world will donate and help us continue our mission to fight for gender equality. Every contribution helps us give a voice to girls not just in Afghanistan, but worldwide, so that every girl can have the right to pick up a bat and ball and pursue the sport she loves. Every donation is an investment in a brighter, more equal future for women in sport.

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Myanmar and Thailand tremble as devastating earthquake leaves trail of destruction

By
Bureau Report
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Powerful earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand; Image Source; The Australia Today
Powerful earthquake in Bangkok, Thailand; Image Source; The Australia Today

A devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Southeast Asia on March 28, 2025, causing significant destruction across Myanmar and Thailand. With its epicenter near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, the quake resulted in hundreds of fatalities and widespread damage, with fears that the death toll could rise further as rescue operations continue.

According to reports from The Guardian, the earthquake has claimed the lives of at least 144 people and left over 700 injured in Myanmar. Religious structures, including mosques and temples, were among the buildings reduced to rubble. Mandalay and nearby regions experienced the worst destruction, overwhelming local emergency response teams. Rescue workers are racing against time to locate survivors trapped beneath the debris.

In neighboring Thailand, the quake’s tremors were strongly felt in the capital city of Bangkok, approximately 1,020 kilometers from the epicenter. As reported by AP News, a 30-story building under construction in the Chatuchak district collapsed, resulting in at least ten fatalities. Dozens of workers remain trapped, with rescue teams working tirelessly to extricate survivors.

The disaster has severely disrupted life in Bangkok. Rail systems have been suspended, and traffic congestion has paralyzed the city as residents evacuated from swaying buildings. Similar tremors were felt across other parts of Southeast Asia, including India and China.

Following the catastrophe, Myanmar’s military government declared a state of emergency and issued an appeal for international assistance. The United Nations promptly allocated $5 million for relief efforts. Additionally, China and other nations have extended humanitarian aid to assist with recovery operations.

The earthquake has compounded Myanmar’s existing challenges, including ongoing political conflict and economic instability. As communities deal with the loss of homes and infrastructure, relief operations face logistical difficulties. Emergency response teams continue to provide aid, but the destruction’s full scope is still being assessed.

In Thailand, authorities have launched investigations into the structural integrity of other buildings in the region. Concerns over further aftershocks remain, as seismologists monitor seismic activity in the days ahead.

This tragedy has drawn attention to the importance of regional disaster preparedness and resilient infrastructure. As the affected communities mourn their losses, international aid organisations and governments are working together to provide relief and facilitate recovery.

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Can Peter Dutton flip Labor voters to rewrite electoral history? It might just work

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Contributing Author
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Leader of opposition Peter Dutton- Image Source- Facebook Peter Dutton
Leader of opposition Peter Dutton- Image Source- Facebook Peter Dutton

By Mark Kenny

They are neither as leafy nor as affluent as much of the Liberal heartland, but Peter Dutton believes the outer ring-roads of Australia’s capitals provide the most direct route to power. He has been telling his MPs these once-safe Labor-voting suburbs are where the 2025 election can be won.

From the moment the Queenslander assumed control of the Liberal Party in 2022, he was intent on this suburbs-first strategy, even if it seemed historically unlikely and involved repositioning his formerly business-loyal party as the new tribune of the working class. As he told Minerals Week in September 2023:

The Liberal Party is the party of the worker. The Labor Party has become the party of the inner city elite and Greens.

This has been Dutton’s long game. It’s an outsider approach reminiscent of what US President Donald Trump had achieved with disaffected blue-collar Democratic supporters in the United States, and what Boris Johnson managed by turning British Labour supporters in England’s de-industrialised north into Brexiteers and then Conservative voters.

A political gamble

It was not the obvious play, but it may prove the right one.

After a tumultuous period in which the Liberals had cycled through three prime ministers and ignored a clear public clamour for policy modernisation on women, anti-corruption and climate change, the Morrison government had been bundled from office.

Morrison hadn’t merely failed to attract disengaged undecideds in the middle-ground, but had haemorrhaged engaged constituents from some of Australia’s safest Liberal postcodes.

Nineteen seats came off the Coalition tally in that election, yet Labor’s gain was only nine.

Something fundamental had happened. Six new centrist independents now sat in Liberal heartland seats – all of them professional women.

Numerically, they formed a kind of electoral Swiss Guard around the new Labor government’s otherwise weak primary vote and thin (two-seat) parliamentary majority.

In a sharp visual contrast to the Coalition parties, women made up around half of Anthony Albanese’s new Labor government and he moved to prioritise the very things on which the Coalition had steadfastly refused to budge – including meaningful constitutional recognition of First Peoples.

Albanese, it seemed, had tuned in to the zeitgeist. He would even go on to break a 102-year record a year later, becoming the first PM to increase his majority by taking a set off the opposition in a byelection. One more urban jewel shifted out of the Liberals’ column.

Dutton, however, never blinked.

His first press conference as leader in 2022 had been notable for the absence of the usual mea culpa – a suitably contrite acknowledgement that he’d heard the message from erstwhile Liberals who had abandoned their party for more progressive community independents.

Instead, Dutton confidently responded that the 2025 election would be decided not in these comfortable seats but in the further-flung parts of Australia’s cities where people make long commutes to work and struggle to find adequate childcare and other services. https://www.youtube.com/embed/VRF5qM4nLok?wmode=transparent&start=0

It was a bold strategy because it meant targeting seats with healthy Labor margins. Canberra insiders wondered privately if this was brave or simply delusional. Some concluded it could only work as a two-election strategy.

Many asked where a net gain of 19 seats would come from if not through the recovery of most or all of what became known as the “teal” seats?

Yet the combative Liberal continued to focus on prising suburbanites away from Labor with a relentless campaign emphasising the rising cost-of-living under Labor.

Three years later and even accounting for the first interest rate cut in over four years, it is Dutton’s strategy that has looked the more attuned to the electoral zeitgeist.

So much so that he goes into this election with a realistic chance of breaking another longstanding electoral record: that of replacing a first-term government.

This hasn’t been done federally since the Great Depression took out the Scullin Labor government of 1929-1931.

It’s all about geography

While only votes in ballot boxes will tell, the Coalition’s rebounding support appears to have come from the outer mortgage belt, just as he predicted.

These voters absorb their political news sporadically via social media feeds, soft breakfast interviews, and car-radio snippets.

These are media where Dutton’s crisp sound-bite messaging around cost-of-living pressures has simply been sharper and more resonant than Labor’s.

And it is by this means that these voters may have picked up that a Dutton government would seek to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes, stop new migrants from buying property (a policy first ridiculed as inconsequential by Labor and since copied), and cut petrol excise, temporarily taking around $14 off the price of a tank of fuel.

These voters may have noticed Dutton’s campaign against the supermarket duopoly, which includes the option of forced divestiture for so-called “price-gouging”.

Recently, he added insurance conglomerates to that divestment hit-list.

And they might have heard his dramatic nuclear “solution” to high energy costs and emissions (in reality, devilishly complex and expensive).

On top of these, semi-engaged voters might recall Dutton’s culture-war topics for which he has regularly received generous media minutes, including:

  • his opposition to what he called “the Canberra Voice”
  • his defence of Australia Day
  • his refusal to stand in front of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
  • his oft-made claim that a Greens-Teals-Labor preoccupation with progressive issues has left the cost-of-living crisis unaddressed.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=SkH4IqmyH3c%3Fwmode%3Dtransparent%26start%3D0

Beyond such rhetoric, Dutton has had little to say in detailed policy terms. But will that matter? However comprehensive, Labor’s list of legislated achievements has, arguably, achieved even less purchase in the electoral mind.

Polls taken as the election campaign neared showed Dutton’s Coalition was well-placed to win seats from Labor in suburban and outer-suburban areas of Perth, Melbourne, and Sydney, as well as regional seats in the NSW Central Coast.

These include seats such as Tangney and Bullwinkel in outer Perth; McEwen and Chisolm in suburban Melbourne, and as many as seven seats in NSW – mostly on the periphery of Sydney or in the industrial Hunter Valley region.

There may be other seats to move also. Liberal sources say they like their chances in Goldstein, currently held by the Teal, Zoe Daniel. And with a recent conservative turn in the Northern Territory election to the CLP, seats like the ultra-marginal Lingiari and the numerically safer Solomon could also be in play.

A YouGov MRP poll reported by the ABC on February 16 put Dutton’s chances of securing an outright majority after the election at 20%.

It measured the Coalition’s two-party-preferred support at 51.1% over Labor on 48.9%. That represents a swing towards the Coalition of 3.2%. But it is where the swing occurs that matters most.

Seat-by-seat assessment of the YouGov results suggested the Coalition would be likely to win about 73 seats (median), with a lower estimate of 65 and an upper estimate of 80, if a federal election was held today.

The same modelling indicates Labor would go backwards, holding about 66 seats in the next parliament, with a lower estimate of 59 and an upper estimate of 72. This is just one, albeit unusually large poll, but it will concern Albanese that even on its upper margin of Labor seat holds, he would not retain a majority.

Of course, the campaign can change things and already, the delayed start caused by Cyclone Alfred introduced further variables in the form of a federal budget, replete with income tax cuts.

A succession of polls conducted through March point to a Labor recovery with a Redbridge poll of 2,007 respondents, taken over March 3–11 putting Labor ahead 51%–49%. The same poll however showed a majority of people worry that the country is heading in the wrong direction.

The final contest

In political circles, people talk about momentum in campaigns, and say things like “the trend is our friend”. If true, that electoral amity has leaned decisively towards Dutton for the past year, and only recently to Labor.

But caution is always advised. Election counts invariably throw up oddities – swings being more (or less) marked in one state compared to others, and seats retained (or lost) against a broader national trend on the night.

Such surprises give the lie to the concept of uniform swings and makes prediction of a final seat count more difficult.

If the polling consensus is broadly correct – rather than being the result of herding – and the source of Dutton’s rising support is former Labor suburbs, the question is, will those vote gains materialise at sufficient scale to translate into seat gains?

If so, this election could redraw the political map and require new thinking about major party voting bases, policies and strategies into the future.

The final outcome seems likely to turn on three things:

  1. Dutton’s ability to stay on message about the cost-of-living through the campaign when others in his team, buoyed by Trump’s war on wokeness, want to raise tendentious social issues.
  2. Albanese’s effectiveness in convincing wayward Labor voters that Labor has in fact delivered, that the economy has turned the corner, and that Dutton’s comparative toughness is code for budget cuts that would hit them hardest.
  3. Unforeseen events – at home or abroad.

The Liberal leader is surprisingly well-placed. But remember, he is coming from a long way back.

Author: Mark Kenny, Professor, Australian Studies Institute, Australian National University

Disclaimer: This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Steve Waugh joins Centre for Australia-India Relations Advisory Board

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh AO has been appointed to the Centre for Australia-India Relations Advisory Board, further strengthening the cultural and economic ties between the two nations.

The Centre for Australia-India Relations works collaboratively across government, industry, academia, and community sectors to build mutual understanding and promote opportunities through the Australia-India economic partnership. The Advisory Board plays a crucial role in shaping the Centre’s strategic priorities, spanning areas like business, arts, education, health, science, technology, and sport.

Waugh’s appointment comes as former board member Adam Gilchrist AM steps down, with the Centre acknowledging his valuable contributions since its establishment. Gilchrist’s dedication to the Australia-India relationship has significantly enriched bilateral understanding, particularly in the field of sports diplomacy.

The cricketing legend has long been an advocate for Australia-India ties, both on and off the field. His philanthropic initiatives through the Steve Waugh Foundation have supported children with rare diseases for over 20 years. Additionally, his recently published photography book, The Spirit of Cricket: India, captures the essence of the sport’s profound cultural significance in India.

The Centre’s leadership welcomed Waugh’s appointment, acknowledging his deep ties to India and his extensive contributions to the community. His involvement is expected to enhance the Centre’s ongoing initiatives in facilitating collaboration between Australian and Indian businesses, supporting cultural exchanges, and unlocking economic opportunities.

With India and Australia continuing to expand their partnership under the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), Waugh’s appointment signals a strong commitment to nurturing the multifaceted relationship. His legacy in cricket, combined with his philanthropic efforts and cultural appreciation, will undoubtedly contribute to the Centre’s mission of fostering greater understanding and collaboration.

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Mother pleads with Federal Government to change maternity leave laws after baby Priya’s death

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AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Baby Priya was born prematurely at 24 weeks and 6 days. Tragically, she passed away six weeks later due to a condition unrelated to her prematurity (Source: Change.org)

A mother’s fight for justice has sparked a campaign to protect parents who experience the tragic loss of an infant.

After her baby Priya passed away just six weeks after birth, the petition starter, a mother from Australia, found her approved maternity leave was retroactively cancelled, replaced with only one month of personal leave—barely enough to cover the six weeks her baby was alive. While her husband, who is a public servant under the NSW industrial system, retained his full paternity leave, Priya’s mother was forced back to work prematurely.

Devastated by this unfair treatment, she is now calling on the Federal Government to make it illegal for employers to cancel maternity leave in the event of an infant’s death or stillbirth, ensuring grieving parents are given the time they need to mourn.

“Don’t cancel maternity leave for women who experience infant death, or still birth.”

In her heartfelt petition, shared on Change.org, Priya’s mother shared her painful experience: “My daughter Priya was born prematurely at 24 weeks and 6 days. She tragically passed away six weeks later due to a condition unrelated to her prematurity.

“Just a week after her death, I informed my employer of her passing, only to have my maternity leave cancelled and replaced with just one month of personal leave—less than the six weeks my baby was alive.”

Fair Work Australia and Services Australia websites confirm that, legally, employers can cancel paid maternity leave in these circumstances, although unpaid leave remains protected.

Priya’s mother is determined to change the law, arguing that humane workplace laws, such as those providing paid paternity leave for her husband, should be extended to the federal industrial relations system.

“We are calling on the Federal Australian government to make it illegal for employers to cancel paid maternity leave which had been approved, in the event of infant death or still birth.”

She believes the current laws leave grieving parents without the necessary support and calls for action from the Australian Government to ensure no parent is denied the time they need to grieve the loss of a child.

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Dream, desire, or delusion? The muse in literature

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Contributing Author
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Representtaive image: Dream (Source: CANVA)

By Prakhar Shukla

What is it that stirs the artist to create? Is it a whisper from an unseen force, a fleeting image, a dream half-remembered? The muse—mystical, human, or entirely imaginary—has long stood at the threshold of inspiration, inviting the artist into the sacred space of creation. But is the muse truly a necessity, or is it simply a convenient myth, a poetic justification for the inexplicable process of artistic birth? And if the muse exists, how much control does it exert over the final work? Do we shape our muses, or do they shape us?

Ancient poets did not hesitate to call upon the divine. Homer, in The Iliad, does not begin of his own accord—he invokes: “Sing, O Muse, of the wrath of Achilles…” This is no humble request; it is a declaration that the poet is merely the instrument, the voice through which a greater force speaks. The Renaissance saw a shift—the muse was no longer a distant goddess but a mortal woman, inspiring devotion and despair in equal measure. Dante’s Beatrice, Petrarch’s Laura—these muses became flesh, their influence not diminished but deepened, more personal, more haunting.

Yet, can the artist not create without them? T. S. Eliot, in Tradition and the Individual Talent, argues that the artist is not merely a passive recipient but an active force: “The poet’s mind is a receptacle for seizing and storing up numberless feelings, phrases, images, which remain there until all the particles unite to form a new compound.” If the muse is anything, it is a collection of those stored impressions—a reflection rather than an architect, a spark rather than the fire itself.

Whether real or imagined, the muse leaves fingerprints upon the work. Shakespeare’s sonnets, especially those addressed to the Fair Youth, are love letters to inspiration itself: “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The muse is more than subject; it is the very lifeblood of the poem, the force that compels it into being. Edgar Allan Poe’s Annabel Lee does not merely recall lost love—it makes the muse immortal, woven into the very structure of grief and beauty: “But we loved with a love that was more than love…”

But is this devotion to the muse a form of surrender? Percy Bysshe Shelley, in A Defence of Poetry, describes poets as “the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” Yet, if poets legislate, who writes their laws? The muse, or something else? Can one write without longing? Can one paint without a vision? Can art be born without the ache of inspiration?

The modern artist, perhaps, no longer looks outward for a muse but inward. Virginia Woolf, in A Room of One’s Own, challenges the very idea that the muse must be external, noting that history has often denied women the right to create, casting them instead as inspiration rather than artist. “For most of history, Anonymous was a woman.” If the muse was once a necessary force, must it still be? Or has the artist become their own muse, drawing from the depths of memory, experience, and the inexhaustible well of self?

This shift marks not the disappearance of the muse but its transformation. The act of creation is no longer seen as a divine bestowal but as a process of self-exploration and reinvention. Sylvia Plath, in Ariel, does not wait for an external muse to visit; she wrenches inspiration from her own existence, her struggles, her psyche. The tortured genius no longer looks to a distant beloved but to the depths of their own mind, mining personal experience, pain, and triumph for art. The confessional poets—Plath, Anne Sexton, Robert Lowell—turn the gaze inward, exposing the muse not as a separate entity but as an inextricable part of the self.

Even in fiction, the muse is no longer a passive presence. In Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled, inspiration is a labyrinth, an ever-shifting enigma within the artist’s mind rather than an external figure to be worshipped. Borges, in The Aleph, presents a poet in search of infinite vision, only to find that true creation is not given—it is perceived. Italo Calvino, in If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, turns the reader into the muse, suggesting that inspiration is not dictated but interactive.

In this landscape, the artist does not await divine intervention; they seize it. The muse is no longer the ethereal whisper but the voice in one’s own head, the echoes of past influences, the stories yet untold. If the muse has died, it has also been reborn—fragmented, internalized, multiplied. It is no longer an entity apart but an inseparable shadow of the artist.

Rainer Maria Rilke, in Letters to a Young Poet, advises: “Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write…” Perhaps this is the only certainty: the muse, whether divine or mortal, external or internal, is but a reflection of the artist’s own need to create. It is not the source of art but the shape we give to longing, the face we assign to inspiration’s fleeting touch. If the muse exists, it is not a goddess upon a pedestal, nor a lover lost to time, but something even more elusive—something found in the very act of creation itself.

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Greens’ ‘Temu Trump’ swipe on Dutton sparks fiery exchange, Speaker intervenes

By
AMIT SARWAL
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File image: US President Donald Trump and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton (Source: X)

This week in Parliament featured everything from smelly fish to the federal budget, as politicians ramped up their attacks ahead of the May 3 election. With the official announcement of the election date, the battle lines have been drawn—the Coalition is pledging cheaper petrol, the Albanese Government is promising permanent tax cuts, and the Greens are resorting to cheap political stunts.

During a heated Question Time, Greens MP Stephen Bates, a relatively unknown representative from the Brisbane electorate, took aim at the Prime Minister over reports of a potential visit by US President Donald Trump. However, his question carried a thinly veiled swipe at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton:

“My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, why would you invite Donald Trump to Australia when you have a Temu Trump sitting right next to you?”

The Speaker immediately ruled the question out of order.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responded by reaffirming Australia’s diplomatic ties with the US, “Australia has a long-standing relationship with the United States. It’s been an important ally since the Second World War.”

“President Trump was elected by the American people last October. We respect democratic outcomes in Australia. It’s something that I’m very proud of—that we have orderly transitions of power, and we had that between when Mr Morrison lost the election.”

The “Temu Trump” sledge wasn’t new. Last November, Labor MP Andrew Charlton made a similar comparison, posting on Facebook:

“Peter Dutton is just a Temu Donald Trump. He’s trying to copy Trump’s style, but it’s all knock-off politics—off-brand and missing the quality Australians deserve. Australians want real leadership, not cheap imported imitations.”

Meanwhile a few days back, Today host Sylvia Jeffreys put the question directly to Dutton, asking what he thought about being labelled a cut-price Trump.

President Trump’s has announced an that initiative offers a USD 5 million (AUD 7.89 million) pathway to US citizenship, replacing a long-standing investor visa program. Dutton too has hinted at reinstating Australia’s scrapped “golden ticket” visa for wealthy investors, echoing Trump’s newly announced “Trump Gold Card” scheme.

Speaking at a Liberal Party fundraiser, Dutton suggested the visa could return, stating,

“I think we’ll bring it back… whether we do it before the election or look at a different design, we’ll have to consider all of that.”

With just a few more weeks to go before Australians cast their votes, the gloves are well and truly off.

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USP Journalism and Fiji Media Association collaborate to strengthen industry, address challenges, and enhance education

By
Contributing Author
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Image: The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme and representatives from the Fiji Media Association held a productive roundtable meeting (Source: Supplied)

By Monika Singh

On 14 March, the University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme and representatives from the Fiji Media Association held a productive roundtable meeting, focusing on strengthening industry collaboration, enhancing the journalism curriculum, and supporting the media sector.

USP Journalism Programme Coordinator, Associate Professor Shailendra Singh, led the discussions in conjunction with editors, which included Fiji Media Association President and Fiji Sun Publisher Rosi Doviverata; The Fiji Times Editor-in-Chief Fred Wesley; Islands Business Managing Editor Samantha Magick; Mai TV Director Stanley Simpson; Communications Fiji Ltd News Director Vijay Narayan; and Fiji TV senior journalist Stella Taoi. Also present were USP Journalism Students Association President Riya Bhagwan, Associate Professor in Economics Dr. Baljeet Singh, and Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal, whose organisation is working in the areas of media, democracy, elections, and social cohesion, among others.

Besides training and research, the discussions focused on joint projects, organising events such as World Press Freedom Day, joint workshops, conferences, and support for the Fiji National Media Awards.

The discussions also highlighted the critical shortage of resources and equipment—both at the journalism school and in the industry. This was regarded as a major handicap, especially in the multimedia age, and it was crucial to improve resources for multimedia journalism and incorporate AI into the curriculum.

Image: The University of the South Pacific’s Journalism Programme and representatives from the Fiji Media Association held a productive roundtable meeting (Source: Supplied)

The meeting also covered the recently released “State of the Media: Pacific Region, 2025 Report” by the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme. Based on research in 12 Pacific Island countries, the report highlighted the perilous state of the Pacific media sector. The Fiji editors concurred with this finding, stating that the sector was indeed in trouble and had yet to fully recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the lifting of Fiji’s draconian media act was welcomed, the sector still faced major obstacles, especially financial ones. The assistance from international donor agencies was appreciated, but their primary focus was on training and development. However, what the media sector really needed was equipment and other forms of direct financial support—not just from foreign donor countries but also from national governments.

Proportionally, support for the media sector was significantly lower than that for other sectors, such as the military, despite widespread plaudits and recognition of the media’s critical role in a democracy and the high expectations placed upon it.

The Fiji government’s allocation of public service broadcasting funds to Fiji’s three major broadcasters helped level the playing field somewhat. However, the media sector as a whole still needed support, including tax breaks, duty-free concessions, and other incentives to make the industry more financially viable and to ensure its survival and longevity.

Some of these issues are expected to be discussed in more detail when editors address journalism students in a panel discussion on “The Challenges and Opportunities for Fijian Media and Journalism in the Post-Media Industry Development Act Era.”

The meeting expressed appreciation for the media industry’s critical support in the training and development of student journalists over the decades through mentoring, internships, sponsoring awards at the annual USP Journalism Awards night, and printing and distributing the student newspaper, Wansolwara, free of charge by the Fiji Sun and later The Fiji Times. The Fiji media industry is one of the most developed in the region and it wasn’t just helping develop student journalists from Fiji, but from the region as a whole.

The efforts of USP Journalism in advancing journalism scholarship in the region were also acknowledged. This included research and analysis of Fiji’s Media Industry Development Act, which is informing media policy in Fiji, as well as other publications that provide a deeper understanding of the structural weaknesses and challenges in the Pacific media sector.

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May 3 election: Victoria holds key as swing seats become make-or-break for Albanese government

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Image-Source-Screenshots-of-videos

Australians are set to cast their votes in a federal election on May 3, following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement after meeting with Governor-General Sam Mostyn. This initiates a five-week campaign during which all 150 seats in the House of Representatives and 40 of the 76 Senate seats will be contested. ​

The election is poised to be a closely contested race between the incumbent center-left Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Albanese, and the opposition center-right Coalition, headed by Peter Dutton.

Key issues anticipated to dominate the campaign include the rising cost of living, housing affordability, and energy policies. Both major parties have outlined differing approaches to address these challenges, with Labor emphasising economic recovery plans and renewable energy initiatives. At the same time, the Coalition proposes public sector cuts and advocates for nuclear power and additional gas-fired generation. ​

Victoria emerges as a critical battleground in this election, with several marginal seats that could determine the overall outcome. Labor faces significant challenges in retaining key electorates such as Chisholm, Corangamite, and Dunkley, where slim margins make them highly competitive. In Chisholm, for instance, Labor MP Carina Garland is defending her seat against former Liberal MP Katie Allen, with boundary adjustments further tightening the contest. ​

The Coalition aims to capitalise on perceived vulnerabilities within the Labor Party in Victoria. Recent reports suggest that Labor’s brand in the state is under strain, with internal critiques highlighting challenges in governance and public perception. Economic concerns, particularly related to cost-of-living pressures and housing affordability, are prominent issues that both parties will need to address to sway Victorian voters. ​

Additionally, the rise of independent candidates and minor parties adds complexity to the electoral landscape. The so-called “teal” independents, while often championed for their stance on climate action and political integrity, have increasingly faced criticism for aligning with far-left agendas that can sow division within multicultural communities.

Their positions on contentious social issues have at times alienated voters from diverse backgrounds who value cultural cohesion and community harmony. Furthermore, their selective advocacy and reluctance to address issues of religious freedom and community safety have raised concerns about their true commitment to representing all constituents.

As the election approaches, many in Victoria are questioning whether the teals’ policies genuinely serve the interests of their multicultural electorates or merely echo the ideological agendas of their affluent, progressive supporters.

Recent polls suggest a tight contest, with neither major party expected to secure an outright majority, potentially leading to a minority government. This scenario underscores the significant influence that independent candidates and minor parties may wield in the formation of the next government.

The campaign will also traverse key battleground seats across New South Wales, where marginal electorates could determine the election’s outcome. PM and the Opposition leader both are expected to focus their efforts on these regions to sway undecided voters.

As the nation prepares for this pivotal election, voters are encouraged to engage with the campaign, assess the policies presented, and participate actively in shaping Australia’s future direction.

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Albanese government fails Hindu community: No funds in budget for promised ‘school’ in Sydney

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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PM-Anthony-Albanese-and-Hindu-School-Image-Source-Canva-and-The-Australia-Today-
PM-Anthony-Albanese-and-Hindu-School-Image-Source-Canva-and-The-Australia-Today-

​The Australian Hindu community has expressed profound disappointment following the release of the 2025–26 Federal Budget, which lacks specific funding allocations for the establishment of a Hindu school and omits dedicated support for enhancing the security of Hindu temples, despite assurance from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese less than two weeks ago.​

During the Holi celebrations, Prime Minister Albanese announced his government’s support for the creation of Australia’s first Hindu school. He emphasised the importance of providing Hindu children with an educational environment guided by Hindu culture, acknowledging the integral role of the Hindu community in Australia. ​

Education Minister Jason Clare echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significant growth of the Hindu population in Australia, which numbers over 684,000 individuals. He stated that it was time to realise the community’s vision of establishing a dedicated Hindu school.

Despite these commitments, the recent Federal Budget does not include any financial provisions for the proposed Hindu school. This omission has left many community members feeling overlooked, especially given the government’s allocation of funds to other religious and multicultural initiatives.

For instance, the budget commits $60.4 million to enhance security at Jewish community sites and support for the Muslim community to uplift the security of places of significance. $15 million for the Aspire Performance Centre to establish a centralised sports and education hub, alongside $20 million has been allocated over four years to support projects that meet African-Australian community needs.

Additionally, $2.2 million has been committed to redevelop the Museum of Chinese Australian History in Melbourne and the Golden Dragon Museum in Bendigo.

Yet no such allocation has been made to support the long-standing calls for a Hindu school or security measures for Temples that continue to face targeted vandalism across the country.

Young Hindu Community leader Vasihnavi voiced the community’s frustration, stating, It’s disheartening to see that the Hindu school funding was not announced in the budget. As an Australian Hindu, I would like to see the government support us to create a collaborative educational space/ platform for Hindus to learn about their faith whilst also growing to become contributing citizens of this country.”

“I think it’s high time the Hindu community is also given an equal opportunity (as other faiths have been provided with) to establish a Hindu school that can impart beautiful values and teachings to future generations,”

She added.

Melbourne-based Biren Joshi told The Australia Today, “The Hindu community is asking for a very small amount compared to what has been and is being given to established schools of other faiths.”

“Every year this school is delayed, thousands of Hindu children are being deprived of their right to learn about their faith, a right everyone else has.”

The absence of dedicated funding for Hindu temples is particularly concerning given the increasing incidents of vandalism and security threats they have faced in recent years. Community leaders have been advocating for financial assistance to implement necessary security measures to protect these places of worship.​

The Australia Today enquired of Education Minister Jason Clare on his promise and Prime Minister Albanese’s announcement.

Education Minister Jason Clare at Sri Durga Devi Hindu Temple in Regents Park

Minister Clare summed it up by replying,

“We will have more to say in coming weeks.”

The Hindu community’s aspirations for a dedicated school have been longstanding, with the Hindu Education and Cultural Centre having purchased land in Sydney’s north-west for this purpose. The proposed school aims to integrate the New South Wales curriculum with core Hindu teachings, fostering a holistic educational environment that promotes both Australian values and Hindu principles.​

Hindu Council of Australia member Surinder Jain told The Australia Today, “PM had announced that his government would provide funding support for the first Hindu school in Western Sydney. We contacted his office to point us to this item in the budget.”

“We have been assured by the Education Minister’s office that there will be a further announcement about the timing and amount of funding support during subsequent election announcements. We are waiting for that announcement.”

The lack of financial commitment in the Federal Budget has cast uncertainty over the project’s future and raised questions about the re-elected Albanese government’s dedication to supporting the educational and cultural needs of Australia’s diverse communities.

Community leaders are calling for the government to honour its promises and provide equitable support to ensure the preservation and promotion of Hindu culture and education in Australia.

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Palestinians revolt against Hamas rule, call militant leadership ‘Hamas terrorists’

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Gaza protest against Hamas; Image Source- The Australia Today
Gaza protest against Hamas; Image Source- The Australia Today

Significant protests erupted across the Gaza Strip, marking a rare and notable public dissent against Hamas, the governing authority in the region. These demonstrations were primarily driven by widespread exhaustion from the ongoing conflict with Israel, which has resulted in severe humanitarian crises and substantial loss of life.​

On March 25, hundreds to thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in northern Gaza, particularly in Beit Lahia, chanting slogans such as “Hamas out” and “Hamas terrorists.”

Gaza protest against Hamas; Image Source- The Australia Today

Protesters waved white flags and held banners demanding an end to the war and calling for peace. Similar demonstrations occurred in the Jabalia refugee camp and Khan Yunis, where participants burned tyres and voiced their frustration over the dire living conditions. ​

Gaza protest against Hamas; Image Source- The Australia Today

The following day, March 26, protests continued in areas like Beit Lahia and the Shijaiyah neighbourhood of Gaza City. Demonstrators reiterated their demands for Hamas to relinquish power and for the cessation of hostilities with Israel. These protests are particularly significant given Hamas’s history of suppressing dissent within the territory. ​

Gaza protest against Hamas; Image Source- The Australia Today

The resurgence of conflict has led to devastating consequences for Gaza’s civilian population. The health ministry reported over 50,000 Palestinian deaths since the war began in October 2023, with infrastructure heavily damaged and the majority of the two million residents displaced. The humanitarian situation remains dire, with limited access to essential services and supplies.

Gaza protest against Hamas; Image Source- The Australia Today

These unprecedented protests underscore the growing frustration among Gazans towards Hamas’s governance and the ongoing conflict, highlighting a desperate call for peace and improved living conditions in the region.​

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Canada’s India hoax revealed as Liberals purge Hindu MP Chandra Arya for standing up to Khalistani divisive agenda

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Three-term Liberal MP Chandra Arya with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Source: X)

In a shocking turn of events, the Liberal party ousted three-term Liberal MP Chandra Arya from the party’s leadership race and revoked his nomination for re-election in Ottawa Nepean. The decision, shrouded in secrecy, has been justified by incredibly vague allegations of foreign interference linked to India— Arya has not taken this attack lightly!

Arya took to X to criticise the Liberals’ decision, reiterating his stance and sharing his statement issued to The Globe and Mail. He strongly denied the allegations, highlighting that his only ‘crime’ was advocating for Hindu Canadians and opposing Khalistani extremism: “As a Member of Parliament, I have engaged with numerous diplomats and heads of government, both in Canada and internationally. Not once have I sought—nor been required to seek—permission from the government to do so,” Arya stated.

“At no point did former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau or any cabinet minister raise concerns about my meetings or public statements.”

It appears that now the Liberal Party’s hypocrisy on foreign interference has reached new heights. The so-called justification? Alleged ties to India—an accusation that reeks of political vendetta rather than national security concerns.

According to a report by The Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources with top-secret clearance, Arya allegedly had not informed the Canadian government about his trip to India last year, where he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This meeting, the Liberals now claim, is enough to label him a foreign agent. Yet, the same Liberal’s have turned a blind eye to actual foreign interference threats from China and Pakistan as exposed in multiple intelligence leaks.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, neither the Canadian government nor the Liberal Party has provided specific reasons for blocking Arya’s leadership bid or candidacy. CSIS reportedly briefed the government about Indian-origin Arya’s alleged ties to India, but crucially, the intelligence agency did not advise the Liberals to take action against him. The decision was made solely by the party’s leadership—a move that raises questions about political motivations rather than genuine security risks.

Sources claim that party officials, who received a general briefing on foreign interference, found inconsistencies in Arya’s responses to a confidential questionnaire. However, no concrete evidence has been presented to back these claims, making the entire episode look like a politically motivated purge.

The Liberals’ double standards are on full display. While Arya is punished for merely meeting Indian officials, Liberal Party continues to welcome pro-Khalistani figures who openly call for the breakup of India and spread divisive agenda within Indian diaspora in North America. Canada’s foreign policy under Trudeau has been an exercise in appeasement—kowtowing to extremist elements for votes while alienating a key democratic partner like India.

In fact, Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has expressed deep disappointment over the strained ties between Canada and India, attributing the deterioration to growing influence from Khalistan separatists within the Liberal Party.

Speaking at the NXT Conclave in New Delhi on 28 February, Harper said he was “heartbroken” by the worsening relations and suggested that pro-Khalistan activists had infiltrated Canada’s governing party.

“Frankly, I have been heartbroken to watch the steady deterioration of this relationship under my successor. I don’t think I entirely understand why that is.”

As Canada heads into the April 28 elections, this episode underscores the political desperation within the Liberal ranks. With Arya’s ouster, the message is clear—defending Hindu Canadians and standing against extremism is a punishable offence under Liberal rule.

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Dutton’s fuel excise cut upstages Labor’s tax pitch and brings Coalition back into game

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
-
Image Source- CANVA and The Australia Today
Image Source- CANVA and The Australia Today

In a strategic move to address Australia’s escalating cost-of-living crisis, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has unveiled a proposal to halve the fuel excise for 12 months if the Coalition is elected. This initiative aims to provide immediate financial relief to Australian households grappling with rising expenses.

The proposed policy would reduce the fuel excise from 50.8 cents to 25.4 cents per litre, potentially saving households with one vehicle approximately $700 to $750 annually. The measure is projected to cost about $6 billion in foregone revenue. ​

This announcement comes on the heels of the Albanese government’s introduction of a two-phase tax cut plan, which offers modest relief to taxpayers over the coming years. Treasurer Jim Chalmers detailed that taxpayers would save up to $268 on their tax bills in 2026-27 and up to $536 every year thereafter under Labor’s proposal.

Dutton’s fuel excise cut proposal has sparked a renewed debate on the most effective strategies to alleviate financial pressures on Australians. Critics argue that such a temporary measure may not provide sustainable relief and could complicate the Reserve Bank’s efforts to manage inflation and interest rates.

In response, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has questioned the efficacy of the Coalition’s plan, suggesting that it mirrors previous short-term measures and lacks a comprehensive approach to long-term economic challenges. ​

As the election approaches, the contrasting economic policies of the major parties have become a focal point for voters. The Coalition’s emphasis on immediate cost-of-living relief through fuel excise cuts stands in contrast to Labor’s strategy of phased tax reductions aimed at providing sustained financial benefits over time.​

This policy divergence underscores the broader debate on balancing short-term assistance with long-term economic stability, a key consideration for Australians navigating the current financial landscape.​

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Criminals targetting international students with fake ‘side-hustle’ jobs to launder money

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Representative image: Job advertisement and interview (Source: CANVA)

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has warned that criminals are targeting local and international university students with fake ‘side-hustle’ job ads, tricking them into laundering money or handing over their identities.

As the new university year begins, the AFP anticipates a rise in deceptive online job advertisements offering easy money for seemingly legitimate tasks. However, these scams often have devastating consequences, including financial loss, identity theft, and even criminal charges.

One of the most common scams involves criminals recruiting students as ‘money mules.’ In this scheme, illicit funds are deposited into a student’s bank account, and they are directed to transfer the money elsewhere in exchange for a commission. Unwittingly, these students become involved in money laundering—a serious criminal offence carrying penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment in Australia.

AFP Commander of Cybercrime Operations Graeme Marshall urged students to be vigilant.

“Fake job scams can pose devastating consequences for victims, such as visa cancellations and imprisonment,” he said.

“Imagine moving to another country to build your career and future, only to have it all taken away because you were scammed by criminals to help them move their dirty money around.”

The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) has identified criminal networks offering international students an average of $1,000 per month plus commission for these employment scams. The most vulnerable are financially struggling students, particularly those with limited knowledge of Australian laws or English as a second language.

ANZ’s Head of Financial Crime Threat Management, Milan Gigovic, said banks were actively working to detect and shut down these fraudulent activities.

“We recognise the serious risks money mule accounts pose and are committed to actively combating this threat,” he said.

“That’s why we’ve designed dynamic algorithms targeting mule activity and are collaborating with our banking peers and public-private partnerships, including the AFP’s JPC3 team, to investigate, report, and shut down these accounts.”

CommBank General Manager of Group Fraud, James Roberts, emphasised that education is key to preventing scams.

“If something sounds too good to be true, it often is,” he warned.

“At CBA, we have seen customer scam losses reduce by 70 per cent over the last two years. Protecting Australians requires ongoing collaboration across industries, and we believe education is critical in keeping our communities safe and making Australia less attractive to scammers.”

Westpac’s Head of Fraud Prevention, Ben Young, echoed these concerns, urging students to remain alert.

“I urge everyone to stay vigilant,” he said.

“Whether criminals have fraudulently accessed an account or tricked an unsuspecting customer into getting involved, we are focused on identifying, investigating, and shutting down these illegitimate accounts to prevent further harm.”

Scammers also use deceptive tactics, such as advertising ‘side-hustle’ gigs requiring minimal effort, like liking social media posts or reviewing products. In some cases, victims are asked to invest their own money first, with promises of higher commissions later—only to be left empty-handed.

Another recruitment tactic involves criminals posing as legitimate companies or recruiters on social media, gaming sites, and messaging platforms. Some even pay students to recruit their peers on campus.

“If you are applying for work in Australia, no job offer should require payment from you before you are hired,” Cmdr Marshall warned.

“If there’s no interview process, the job description seems vague, or you are offered money to move funds around, walk away. Remember, if you are coming to Australia for tertiary studies, this is your future—don’t let criminals steal it away from you.”

How to protect yourself from job scams:

  • Research job offers by contacting companies directly using official contact details.
  • Be cautious of vague job descriptions and unrealistic salaries.
  • Never share banking or personal details with unknown individuals.
  • Legitimate employers never ask for upfront payments.
  • Avoid job offers promising large sums for minimal work.
  • Never allow someone to use or ‘borrow’ your bank account.
  • Trust your instincts—if something feels off, reject the offer.

What to do if you’ve been scammed:

  • Cease all communication with the scammer.
  • Contact your bank immediately if you’ve transferred money or notice unusual account activity.
  • Report scams to police at www.cyber.gov.au and ScamWatch.
  • Report fraudulent social media job ads to the platform.
  • Strengthen account security by using strong passphrases and enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • If your identity has been compromised, contact IDCARE for support.
  • If you need help, contact Lifeline (13 11 14) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) for 24/7 support services.

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What makes a good search engine? These 4 models can help you use search in the age of AI

By
Contributing Author
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Representative image: Search engine (Source: CANVA)

By Simon Coghlan, Damiano Spina, Falk Scholer, and Hui Chia

Every day, users ask search engines millions of questions. The information we receive can shape our opinions and behaviour.

We are often not aware of their influence, but internet search tools sort and rank web content when responding to our queries. This can certainly help us learn more things. But search tools can also return low-quality information and even misinformation.

Recently, large language models (LLMs) have entered the search scene. While LLMs are not search engines, commercial web search engines have started to include LLM-based artificial intelligence (AI) features into their products. Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s Overviews are examples of this trend.

AI-enhanced search is marketed as convenient. But, together with other changes in the nature of search over the last decades, it raises the question: what is a good search engine?

Our new paper, published in AI and Ethics, explores this. To make the possibilities clearer, we imagine four search tool models: Customer Servant, Librarian, Journalist and Teacher. These models reflect design elements in search tools and are loosely based on matching human roles.

The four models of search tools

Customer Servant

Workers in customer service give people the things they request. If someone asks for a “burger and fries”, they don’t query whether the request is good for the person, or whether they might really be after something else.

The search model we call Customer Servant is somewhat like the first computer-aided information retrieval systems introduced in the 1950s. These returned sets of unranked documents matching a Boolean query – using simple logical rules to define relationships between keywords (e.g. “cats NOT dogs”).

Librarian

As the name suggests, this model somewhat resembles human librarians. Librarian also provides content that people request, but it doesn’t always take queries at face value.

Instead, it aims for “relevance” by inferring user intentions from contextual information such as location, time or the history of user interactions. Classic web search engines of the late 1990s and early 2000s that rank results and provide a list of resources – think early Google – sit in this category.

Journalist

Journalists go beyond librarians. While often responding to what people want to know, journalists carefully curate that information, at times weeding out falsehoods and canvassing various public viewpoints.

Journalists aim to make people better informed. The Journalist search model does something similar. It may customise the presentation of results by providing additional information, or by diversifying search results to give a more balanced list of viewpoints or perspectives.

Teacher

Human teachers, like journalists, aim at giving accurate information. However, they may exercise even more control: teachers may strenuously debunk erroneous information, while pointing learners to the very best expert sources, including lesser-known ones. They may even refuse to expand on claims they deem false or superficial.

LLM-based conversational search systems such as Copilot or Gemini may play a roughly similar role. By providing a synthesised response to a prompt, they exercise more control over presented information than classic web search engines.

They may also try to explicitly discredit problematic views on topics such as health, politics, the environment or history. They might reply with “I can’t promote misinformation” or “This topic requires nuance”. Some LLMs convey a strong “opinion” on what is genuine knowledge and what is unedifying.

No search model is best

We argue each search tool model has strengths and drawbacks.

The Customer Servant is highly explainable: every result can be directly tied to keywords in your query. But this precision also limits the system, as it can’t grasp broader or deeper information needs beyond the exact terms used.

The Librarian model uses additional signals like data about clicks to return content more aligned with what users are really looking for. The catch is these systems may introduce bias. Even with the best intentions, choices about relevance and data sources can reflect underlying value judgements.

The Journalist model shifts the focus toward helping users understand topics, from science to world events, more fully. It aims to present factual information and various perspectives in balanced ways.

This approach is especially useful in moments of crisis – like a global pandemic – where countering misinformation is critical. But there’s a trade-off: tweaking search results for social good raises concerns about user autonomy. It may feel paternalistic, and could open the door to broader content interventions.

The Teacher model is even more interventionist. It guides users towards what it “judges” to be good information, while criticising or discouraging access to content it deems harmful or false. This can promote learning and critical thinking.

But filtering or downranking content can also limit choice, and raises red flags if the “teacher” – whether algorithm or AI – is biased or simply wrong. Current language models often have built-in “guardrails” to align with human values, but these are imperfect. LLMs can also hallucinate plausible-sounding nonsense, or avoid offering perspectives we might actually want to hear.

Staying vigilant is key

We might prefer different models for different purposes. For example, since teacher-like LLMs synthesise and analyse vast amounts of web material, we may sometimes want their more opinionated perspective on a topic, such as on good books, world events or nutrition.

Yet sometimes we may wish to explore specific and verifiable sources about a topic for ourselves. We may also prefer search tools to downrank some content – conspiracy theories, for example.

LLMs make mistakes and can mislead with confidence. As these models become more central to search, we need to stay aware of their drawbacks, and demand transparency and accountability from tech companies on how information is delivered.

Striking the right balance with search engine design and selection is no easy task. Too much control risks eroding individual choice and autonomy, while too little could leave harms unchecked.

Our four ethical models offer a starting point for robust discussion. Further interdisciplinary research is crucial to define when and how search engines can be used ethically and responsibly.

Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne; Damiano Spina, Senior Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies, RMIT University; Falk Scholer, Professor of Information Access and Retrieval, RMIT University, and Hui Chia, PhD Candidate in Law, The University of Melbourne

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Victoria smashes tourism spending record with $40 billion boost, Indian visitors lead the way

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Image Source- Indian Australians
Image Source- Indian Australians

Victoria’s booming tourism industry has hit a new milestone, with visitors spending a record-breaking $40 billion across the state in 2023 — a figure that has not only boosted jobs but reaffirmed the state’s status as Australia’s events and cultural capital.

The Victoria Government is celebrating the figures released by Tourism Research Australia’s National Visitor Survey and International Visitor Survey, saying the 5.8 per cent increase in tourism spending over the past year is largely driven by international visitors, especially from India and China.

Image Source: X/Twitter @Steve_Dimo

Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said the record figures reflect the government’s strategic focus on major events and international ties. “It’s no wonder people want to come to Victoria – there is so much to see and do across the state,” Minister Dimopoulos said.

“These events support local communities, create thousands of jobs and showcase our state to millions around the world.”

Leading the charge were Indian visitors, with 223,000 arrivals who spent 12.4 million nights in Victoria, contributing an impressive $714 million to the state’s economy. That’s significantly higher than Indian visitor spending in NSW ($496 million) and Queensland ($230 million).

The spike in Indian tourism follows Premier Jacinta Allan’s recent visit to India, which focused on deepening ties in tourism, education, and sport. The Boxing Day Test against India and the Pro Kabaddi League’s Melbourne Raid drew massive crowds, reinforcing Victoria’s position as the destination of choice for Indian tourists.

China remains the top international market by spend, with $2.7 billion – up 52 per cent from 2023 – far outpacing the national average of 33 per cent growth.

Regional Victoria is also reaping the rewards. International visitors spent $645 million outside Melbourne – a 36 per cent increase – helped by the Labor Government’s Regional Events Fund, which continues to back major tourism drivers like the Matildas v Chinese Taipei match, Grampians Grape Escape, and Comedy in the Vines.

Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements credited the state’s distinct brand and proactive international engagement.

Image: Pro Kabaddi All Stars faced off against Australia’s Aussie Raiders (Source: Tim Watts MP – X)

“We are a destination of choice for visitors across the world and Australia. Our focus on international markets – particularly India – is reaping rewards,” he said.

“We’re proud to continue supporting growth through tourism initiatives like the Indian inbound trade missions and major events like cricket and Kabaddi.”

With new direct flights from Los Angeles and January marking the busiest month ever at Melbourne Airport, 2025 is shaping up to break even more records. The Australian Open and Formula 1 Grand Prix have already brought tens of thousands of international fans to the city.

Victoria’s message is clear: whether it’s cricket, cuisine, culture or countryside – the world is welcome, and the world is coming.

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Penny Wong and Tim Watts slam Dutton’s foreign policy for India blindspot in mocking video

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: (Left) Opposition ledaer Peter Dutton at Lowy Institute (Source: X) and (Right) Senator Penny Wong and Assistant Minister Tim Watts with Labor party colleagues (Source: Instagram video screenshot)

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Assistant Minister Tim Watts have aimed at Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s foreign policy vision, mocking his omission of India from his major foreign policy address earlier this month.

Wong posted on social media,

“How did Peter Dutton ignore one of Australia’s most important relationships in his ‘major foreign policy speech’? We can’t risk Peter Dutton taking Australia backwards.”

Indian-origin Senator Varun Ghosh also weighed in on Peter Dutton’s foreign policy address, noting the glaring omission of India and the broader South Asian region.

“Astonishingly, Mr Dutton failed to mention India even once — not South Asia, not the subcontinent — in a speech outlining Australia’s global priorities,” Senator Ghosh remarked.

Earlier in a speech at the Lowy Institute, Dutton outlined his vision for Australia’s global role, focusing on a firm foreign policy, stronger defence, and safeguarding essential services. He condemned the growing threats of Russian imperialism, Iranian-backed terrorism, and China’s military assertiveness, calling for “strong, clear-sighted, and values-driven leadership” to ensure national security and prosperity.

Dutton also stressed the need for Australia to prioritise self-reliance and resilience in national security, pushing for urgent investment in defence capabilities. He argued that Australia must not rely solely on its allies in times of crisis. Despite reaffirming support for Ukraine and criticising the Albanese Government’s handling of the conflict, Dutton also pointed out shortcomings in Australia’s foreign policy on Israel, China, and defence matters, accusing the government of undermining relations with Israel.

Assistant Foreign Minister Tim Watts, who represents one of Australia’s most multicultural electorates with a significant Indian sub-continent community, criticised the Liberal Party’s inconsistent stance on India and the region.

He recalled a past incident where a Liberal cabinet minister openly mocked a Hindu practice in Parliament — an episode that deeply hurt the Hindu Australian community.

“From mocking Hindu religious practises to now completely omitting India, the Quad, and the entire South Asian region from a major foreign policy speech — it shows the Liberals have not only forgotten the diaspora but also abandoned strategic vision,”

Watts said.

Before Minister Wong released the video, Assistant Minister Tim Watts highlighted that Australia’s economic, strategic, and community ties with India are at an all-time high under the Labor government.

Watts remarked,

“Which makes it all the more extraordinary that Peter Dutton didn’t mention India once in his Foreign Policy ‘vision speech’ today.”

Senator Wong, who met with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar multiple times last year, highlighted the Albanese Government’s work to enhance ties with India. She stressed the central role of the Australia-India partnership in maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.

Senator Wong also announced funding for cyber and critical technology projects under the Australia-India partnership and revealed plans for a First Nations Business Mission to India next year, promoting new commercial opportunities.

Dutton’s omission of India from his foreign policy speech has ignited further debate about the future direction of Australia’s international relations under a potential Coalition government.

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Australian foreign aid budget rises to $5.1 billion: Do you know who are we helping?

By
Contributing Author
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Image: Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers delivers the 2025 Federal Budget (Source: Screenshot - YouTube/AUSParliamentLive)

By Stephen Howes

Australia’s foreign aid (Official Development Assistance or ODA) for 2025-26 is budgeted at $5.097 billion, a 2.7% increase over the 2024-25 aid budget of $4.961 billion. With inflation projected at 3%, there is a tiny year-on-year decline in real aid.

https://public.tableau.com/views/2025AidbudgetFigure1/Sheet1?:embed=y&:sid=&:redirect=auth&:display_count=n&:origin=viz_share_link

Labor plans to continue to increase aid, if re-elected, by about 2.5% a year for the next decade. In a context in which many countries are cutting aid, holding the aid program steady may seem like a victory. However, even after other countries have cut their aid, Australia will remain one of the stingiest OECD donors. There are still very few in the “0.2 club”, those donors who give 0.2% or less of their Gross National Income (GNI) as foreign aid. Australia joined that club in 2022-23. In 2023-24, our aid/GNI ratio fell to 0.19%, and this year it will fall to 0.18%.

Among traditional OECD donors, only two were in the 0.2 club in 2023: Greece and Portugal. Now we will be joined by the US (a former member of the 0.2 club, which briefly exited as a result of the Ukraine war but now, thanks to Elon Musk, will be joining again). However, other aid cutters will remain out of the club even after they have slashed their aid. For example, the UK has said it is reducing its aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI.

And not all countries are cutting. Korea is rapidly expanding its foreign aid. A decade ago, Australia’s ODA was twice Korea’s. In 2022, they were equal. In 2025, Korea’s aid program will be about 50% bigger than Australia’s.

Australia’s sectoral and country allocations are stable. The aid budget makes the bold claim that Australia is “reprioritising our development investments to bolster support to our region”. But this is more spin than substance. The increase is marginal. Aid to Asia and the Pacific as a share of total aid increases from 73.5% in 2024-25 to 74.4% in 2025-26.

While funding to some UN agencies has been cut, other global commitments have been increased. Australia’s latest three-year contribution to IDA, the World Bank’s concessional arm, which was decided on last year but was only made public with the budget, is $660 million, significantly up on the previous $488 million commitment made in 2021-22.

On the aid quality side, we rang the alarm bell a couple of years ago on the gap between project performance as recorded by project managers during the life of the project and project performance as recorded by independent checkers at the end of the project. That gap or disconnect, which was as big as 30 percentage points just a couple of years ago, has now fallen to only five percentage points. Has the aid portfolio quality really improved by as much as this suggests? Or have the final checks become easier to pass?

One of the biggest themes of Australia’s 2023 development policy is localisation, or what was called “country ownership” back in the glory days of the 2005 Paris Declaration. Although it is not one of DFAT’s localisation indicators, arguably transferring funds to partner governments, for example through budget support, is one of the best ways to support locally-led development. This boomed during COVID, and seemed to hold up in 2022-23, but fell last year. It is now back at 6.6% of the aid program, down from its pandemic high of 8-9%. There is talk in the aid budget of $75 million a year for the next four years for budget support to the Pacific, but that is not a lot of money.

Taking a longer-term view, what strikes one is the lack of change in how the aid program is delivered. The next and final graph looks at how aid was delivered in 2010 with how it is delivered today: three-year averages are used to avoid volatility. Then, as now, almost 40% of the aid program went to the multilateral aid system. The big winners have been commercial suppliers whose share of the aid program has increased from 15% to 25%. Those extra 10 percentage points has come at the expense of other government departments (six percentage points), NGOs (two percentage points), universities (also two points).

If DFAT is serious about localisation, I would suggest two targets: funds to partner governments and funds to partner-country NGOs. (One could also aim to increase funds to local contractors, but arguably they should compete with international companies in a competitive market.) Unfortunately the former, as showed, has declined, and the latter — funds to partner-country NGOs — is not being measured.

To end on a positive note, if you want to see a practical example of how localisation can work, read this brief just put out by BRAC, Bangladesh’s and the world’s largest NGO, on the core funding DFAT has been providing the organisation since 2011. Or listen to our latest Devpolicy Talks podcast with the BRAC CEO. According to the brief, “Australia broke new ground with the partnership, which equipped the people closest to the challenges with flexible, long-term core funding, and the trust that they knew best how to use it.” Now that’s effective aid.

Note: Devpol’s Australian Aid Tracker has been updated with the new budget numbers.

Disclosure: This research was undertaken with the support of the Gates Foundation. The views are those of the author only.

Contributing Author: Stephen Howes is Director of the Development Policy Centre and Professor of Economics at the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University.

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Albanese government bids for votes with ‘top-up’ tax cuts for all

By
Contributing Author
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Image: Treasurer Jim Chalmers with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Finance Senator Katy Gallagher (Source: X)

BY Michelle Grattan

Tax cuts are the centrepiece of the Albanese government’s cost-of-living budget bid for re-election in May. The surprise tax measures mean taxpayers will receive an extra tax cut of up to A$268 from July 1 next year and up to $536 every year from July 1 2027.

Delivering his fourth budget on Tuesday night, Treasurer Jim Chalmers described the tax relief as “modest”. It will cost the budget $3 billion in 2026-27, $6.7 billion in 2027-28 and just over $17 billion over the forward estimates.

From July 1 2026 the 16% tax rate – which applies to taxable income between $18,201 and $45,000 – will be reduced to 15%. From July 1 2027, this will be further reduced to 14%.

The opposition immediately declared a fight over tax, saying it would oppose the budget tax cuts.

Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor declared the Coalition would not support the budget tax changes, saying they “do nothing to address the collapse in living standards under Labor.”

“Seventy cents a day, in a year’s time, is not going to help address the financial stress Australian families are currently under. This is an election bribe by a weak prime minister,” Taylor said.

While cost of living is at the heart of the budget, apart from the tax changes, almost all the other measures have been announced. These include about $8.5 billion to strengthen Medicare (mostly to boost bulk billing) and $150 per household to extend energy relief until the end of the year. The government has also previously announced measures on cheaper medicines and improved access to childcare.

The opposition has so far refused to say what a Coalition government would do on tax. It will now be under pressure to quickly produce a counter tax policy for the election, which is likely to be called this weekend.

Chalmers presented a cautiously optimistic picture on the economy, while stressing the uncertain international times ahead.

“Our economy is turning the corner,” he said. “This budget is our plan for a new generation of prosperity in a new world of uncertainty.”

“It’s a plan to help finish the fight against inflation [and] rebuild living standards.”

After delivering two budget surpluses, this budget has deficits for the foreseeable future.

This financial year’s deficit is estimated at $27.6 billion, rising to $42.1 billion in 2025-26 (in the December 2024 update it was expected to be $46.9 billion). The cumulative deficits across the forward estimates reach $179.5 billion.

The budget predicts 335,000 in net migration in 2024-25, which is a fall of 100,000 from the previous year. It projects 260,000 for 2025-26.

Chalmers described the global economy as “volatile and unpredictable” with “storm clouds” gathering. “Trade disruptions are rising China’s growth is slowing, war is still raging in Europe and a ceasefire in the Middle East is breaking down,” he told parliament.

“Treasury expects the global economy to grow 3.25% for the next three years, its slowest since the 1990s. It’s already forecasting the two biggest economies in the world will slow next year – with risks weighing more heavily on both,” he said.

Chalmers said Australia was “neither uniquely impacted nor immune” from the international pressures. “But we are among the best placed to navigate them.”

Australia’s economic growth is forecast to increase from 1.5% this financial year to 2.5% in 2026-27, with the private sector “resuming its rightful place as the main driver of this growth.”

Unemployment is projected to peak at 4.25%, lower than previously anticipated. Employment and real wage growth will be stronger and inflation was coming down faster, Chalmers said.

“Treasury now expects inflation to be sustainably back in the [2%-3%] target band six months earlier than anticipated,” he said. “The worst is now behind us and the economy is heading in the right direction.”

Chalmers told his Tuesday afternoon conference the budget is a “story of Australian exceptionalism”.

He called the tax cuts “top-up tax cuts” that built on the recalibrated stage 3 tax cuts. He claimed the average household with two earners would save $15,000 over four years through a combination of all these tax cuts and energy bill relief.

Tax revenue from cigarettes has fallen to a 14-year low as many of the nation’s remaining smokers turn to the black market. The government expects to receive $7.1 billion in tobacco excise over the coming financial year, down from the record $16.3 billion in 2019–20.

Chalmers said the government would abolish “non-compete” clauses for most workers. “Non-competes are holding too many Australians back from switching to better, higher-paying jobs,” he said.

“More than three million Australians are captured by these clauses, including childcare workers, construction workers and hairdressers.”

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry attacked the budget, saying it “lacks strategy and vision”.

ACCI chief executive Andrew McKellar said: “This is a budget which seems preoccupied with the short term, lacking a longer-term strategy to drive stronger economic growth by strengthening productivity and competitiveness.”

Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Thousands in Fiji’s Vanua Levu to get high-speed internet

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AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Fiji's Prime Minister and Minister for Public Enterprises Sitiveni Rabuka (Source: Fiji Government - Facebook)

Thousands of Fijians in Vanua Levu will now enjoy high-speed internet and improved digital connectivity following the launch of Telecom Fiji’s Fibre Optic Extension Project.

According to a statement, the initiative strengthens Fiji’s telecommunications infrastructure, driving economic growth and expanding access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and business opportunities in the Northern Division.

Image: Fiji’s Prime Minister and Minister for Public Enterprises Sitiveni Rabuka (Source: Fiji Government – Facebook)

Fiji’s Prime Minister and Minister for Public Enterprises, Sitiveni Rabuka, emphasised the importance of reliable communication for economic progress, education, and disaster resilience.

“This marks a milestone for the people of Vanua Levu and for Telecom, Fiji’s backbone network capacity provider, in reinforcing high-speed, resilient, and scalable connectivity between Savusavu and Labasa,” said Rabuka. “It’s a giant leap forward in our shared vision for a more connected and prosperous Fiji.”

Image: Fiji’s Prime Minister and Minister for Public Enterprises Sitiveni Rabuka at the launch event (Source: Fiji Government – Facebook)

The $10 million fibre optic expansion is part of Telecom Fiji’s five-year investment plan to enhance the nation’s digital infrastructure. The Prime Minister commended Telecom Fiji and its partners for their leadership in delivering this vital project.

Rabuka also urged Fijians to use digital connectivity responsibly to support the country’s development.

Image: Members of Telecom Fiji (Source: Fiji Government – Facebook)

The project will be rolled out in two phases: the first covering the fibre route from Labasa to Seaqaqa, and the second extending from Seaqaqa to the Savusavu Cable Landing Station.

This development underscores the Coalition Government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that even the most remote communities have access to the opportunities of the digital age.

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Melbourne café owner charged in $400K money laundering probe

By
Bureau Report
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Image: VIC woman charged over alleged money laundering linked to luxury watches, gold bullion and cash (Source: AFP)

A Melbourne woman has been charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) as part of a major money laundering investigation that uncovered luxury watches, gold bullion, and cash worth nearly $400,000.

The 43-year-old was arrested at her Braybrook home on 24 March, 2025 and appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court.

Police allege she used a café, which she opened in mid-2022, to funnel illicit funds while blending them with legitimate earnings.

AFP Detective Inspector Rick Briggs said financial crime fuels further illegal activity, and authorities are committed to disrupting such operations.

“Financial gain is a common motivation for criminals, and the AFP is working tirelessly to hold offenders to account and ensure they do not enjoy lavish lifestyles at the expense of the community or reinvest tainted wealth into other illicit ventures,” Det Insp Briggs said.

“The AFP will ensure people lawfully justify the assets they accumulate.”

Investigators claim the woman made 40 cash deposits under $10,000 between July 2022 and November 2023, a tactic designed to evade mandatory reporting under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006.

A raid on her home in September 2023 led to the seizure of four luxury watches valued at $250,000, more than $32,000 in cash, and 680 grams of gold bullion worth approximately $112,000. Officers also confiscated encrypted mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, handwritten notes referencing cryptocurrency, and property-related documents.

The woman faces multiple charges, including:

  • Engaging in conduct involving proceeds of crime exceeding $100,000, carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment.
  • Structuring transactions to avoid reporting requirements, which carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
  • Failing to comply with an AFP order under the Crimes Act, punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Further AFP inquiries allegedly revealed that the woman’s declared income was significantly lower than her accumulated wealth, raising suspicions of financial misconduct.

The charges stem from a broader AFP investigation into drug and money laundering activities in Victoria. In June 2022, police charged a 33-year-old St Albans man—allegedly connected to the woman—with drug and proceeds-of-crime offences. His case remains before the courts.

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Trump defends Signal slip-up after journalist accidentally added to Yemen Houthi war chat

By
AMIT SARWAL
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File image: US President Donald Trump (Source: X)

US President Donald Trump has downplayed concerns over a major security blunder after a top White House adviser mistakenly included a journalist in a confidential group chat discussing military operations.

National Security Council head Michael Waltz inadvertently added Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a Signal chat, where officials were planning a strike on Yemen’s Houthi rebels earlier this month.

The mishap has sparked alarm in Washington, raising questions about the security of classified information and the use of commercial messaging apps for sensitive discussions.

However, Trump dismissed the error, telling NBC News, “Michael Waltz has learned a lesson, and he’s a good man.” He described the incident as a “glitch” that had “no impact at all” on what he called a “perfectly successful” operation.

Pressed on how Goldberg was added to the chat, Trump suggested a staffer was responsible, saying,

“It was one of Michael’s people on the phone. A staffer had his number on there.”

Despite widespread criticism, Trump defended Waltz, arguing he should not apologise.

“I think he’s doing his best. It’s equipment and technology that’s not perfect, and probably he won’t be using it again, at least not in the very near future.”

The incident has led to intense scrutiny from lawmakers, with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee grilling intelligence officials over whether classified details were exposed.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe insisted that no sensitive information was shared but struggled to recall specifics. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff condemned the White House’s handling of the blunder, saying,

“There’s been no apology, no recognition of the gravity of this error.”

Senator Mark Warner warned that such incidents erode trust with US allies, particularly within the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which includes Australia, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.

Meanwhile, cybersecurity experts have questioned why Signal—an app praised for encryption but not designed for government use—was used for high-level military discussions.

While Trump’s team has gone on the offensive, attacking Goldberg and dismissing media scrutiny as a distraction, cybersecurity analysts argue the breach underscores the dangers of casual digital communication in national security matters.

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Point Cook hit-run horror: 9-year-old survives crash, Can you help Police identify this Mazda CX3?

By
Bureau Report
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Hit-run at point cook: Image Source: Victoria Police
Hit-run at point cook: Image Source: Victoria Police

Victoria Police are intensifying their search for the driver involved in a hit-and-run incident that occurred on March 11 in Point Cook, which left a nine-year-old boy with minor injuries.

The incident took place around 6:15 p.m. on Parkwood Drive when the child was struck by a grey SUV, believed to be similar to a Mazda CX3. ​

CCTV footage released by authorities shows the boy running into the street and being struck by the vehicle. After the collision, the boy managed to stand up and move to safety, while the SUV briefly stopped before driving away.

A pedestrian walking a dog is also seen approaching the scene as the vehicle departs.

Sergeant Matthew Ryan expressed astonishment at the driver’s decision to leave the scene.

“We understand that accidents happen, but I think a reasonable person would have stopped to make sure the child was OK.”

Sergeant Ryan urged the driver to come forward, emphasising, “I would urge them to come into the police station and speak to me about it; there is nothing that we can’t resolve.” ​

The boy sustained minor injuries and is expected to recover fully. However, the incident has raised community concerns about pedestrian safety and driver responsibility in residential areas.​

Investigators are appealing to the public for assistance. Anyone who witnessed the incident, possesses dashcam footage, or has information about the vehicle or driver involved is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

As the investigation continues, authorities are hopeful that community cooperation will lead to the identification of the driver and provide closure for the affected family

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AIBC unites industry leaders to forge future of advanced manufacturing and critical minerals supply chain

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Melbourne played host to a bilateral engagement this week as the Australia India Business Council (AIBC) hosted the “Passage to India – Shaping Future Partnerships: Opportunities for Australian Businesses with the Make in India Initiative.”

The high-impact forum, jointly delivered by the AIBC Make with India Industry Chapter and AIBC Victoria, was held with the backing of the Consulate General of India in Melbourne.

AIBC National Chair, Deepak-Raj Gupta OAM, emphasised the council’s long-standing efforts to strengthen trade links.

“Passage to India is more than a business forum – it’s a bridge for our shared future. Australian businesses now have a front-row seat to India’s growth story, and AIBC is here to guide that journey.”

Designed to align with India’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ initiative and Australia’s growing trade aspirations, the event explored concrete partnership opportunities across critical sectors including Critical Minerals, Smart Manufacturing, and Aerospace Technologies. It reinforced the strong bilateral frameworks under the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), as well as Victoria’s increasing engagement with India.

In his keynote, Dr Sushil Kumar, Consul General of India, Melbourne, said,

“The India-Australia relationship is entering a golden era, where trade, technology, and trust are at the forefront. Initiatives like these create the environment for real outcomes across both economies.”

The event saw powerful insights from leaders across academia, business, and government, including Tim Thomas (CEO, Centre for Australia-India Relations), Prof Veena Sahajwalla (UNSW), and several tech and industry experts and Invest India.

Louise McGrath Head of Industry Development and Policy at Australian Industry Group highlighted the urgency of value-added supply chains.

“Australia cannot just be the quarry of the world. The future lies in processing and advanced manufacturing – and India is a natural partner in this journey,” she said. She also emphasised the importance of policy alignment and standards harmonisation to facilitate smoother collaboration.

Chair of the Make with India Chapter, Narasimhan Viswanathan talked about the right timing and stressed saying no better time than now.

“The momentum is undeniable. We are seeing real interest and collaboration potential in advanced manufacturing and critical supply chains.”

A standout segment of the “Passage to India” forum was the engaging panel discussion on Critical Minerals, Advanced Manufacturing, and Aerospace, masterfully moderated by Mr Mohan Yellishetty from the Australia India Critical Minerals Research Hub, who set the stage by emphasising the urgency for collaborative innovation.

“India and Australia are uniquely placed to build a secure, ethical and sustainable critical minerals supply chain. The question is not ‘if’, but ‘how fast we can move’,”

he said.

The session delved into how bilateral collaboration can unlock untapped potential across these high-impact sectors, especially with India’s growing demand for clean energy materials and Australia’s mineral-rich capabilities.

Tech entrepreneur Preetham A. Akula of AKULA Tech opened the discussion with an industry perspective, stating, “Startups are nimble and ready to scale – especially in critical technologies.”

“With India’s push for self-reliance and Australia’s tech talent, we can build future-facing solutions together.”

Warren Wickman, CEO of Metallicum Minerals Corporation (MMC) spoke about commercial opportunities and on-the-ground challenges. “India’s industrial ambition is matched by its scale – but infrastructure and regulatory clarity will be key.”

“Australian companies must look beyond exports to co-developing tech with Indian partners in aerospace and defence sectors,”

Wickman added.

UNSW’s Mark Sterbic brought an academic lens to the discussion, advocating for innovation ecosystems. “Universities can be the conduit between research and real-world applications. Joint centres for aerospace innovation are not only possible, they’re needed,” he noted, urging industry and government to invest in bilateral R&D.

Chris Bevan, Executive Chair of Metallicum Minerals Corporation (MMC), added,

“India’s scale, coupled with Australia’s raw materials and technical know-how, can drive unprecedented growth across aerospace and clean energy industries.”

Moderator Yellishetty summarised the session with optimism, saying, “The synergies are not theoretical – they’re real. With clear policy and industry momentum, Australia and India can become global leaders in the sustainable supply of critical minerals and cutting-edge technologies.”

And let’s not forget — this was a lunch-on event, so naturally, the networking was matched by some top-notch noshing. Delegates enjoyed not just being intellectually enriched but also being well-fed, proving once again that good ideas flow best when paired with great food.

The noon was seamlessly steered by Kiren Chitkara, Company Secretary of AIBC, whose poised and professional emceeing ensured the forum maintained its engaging rhythm throughout. Her role was pivotal in guiding the dialogue between industry leaders, policymakers, and academics, contributing to the event’s overall success and clarity of purpose.

In her closing address, Radhika Kanhai, President of the AIBC Victoria Chapter, expressed heartfelt gratitude to all dignitaries, speakers, and stakeholders.

“This event reflects what AIBC stands for — forging meaningful partnerships. Our success today is a testimony to what collaboration between state, industry, and diaspora can achieve,”

she said.

Ms Kanhai’s remarks reinforced the importance of continued cooperation between Australia and India and the critical role AIBC plays in nurturing these bilateral business relationships.

As Australia and India deepen their economic and strategic ties, forums like ‘Passage to India’ are key in shaping an inclusive, innovation-driven trade future. The AIBC reaffirmed its commitment to facilitating ongoing dialogue, business development, and investment aligned with mutual growth goals.

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Budget bottom line: Albanese’s pre-election promises and their impact

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image Source- X:Twitter Jim Chalmers
Image Source- X:Twitter Jim Chalmers

As we approach the federal election, the government is going to unveil a budget packed with significant funding commitments across healthcare, education, housing, and national security. These measures aim to address cost-of-living pressures while strengthening key industries and infrastructure.

Healthcare: Boosting Medicare, Urgent Care Clinics, and Cheaper Medicines

The government is increasing Medicare payments, with standard consultation fees rising based on location—from $42.85 to $69.56 in metropolitan areas and up to $86.91 in remote regions. A total of $5.4 billion has already been allocated to this measure.

An additional $644 million will fund 50 new bulk-billed urgent care clinics, expected to open by mid-2026. Once operational, 80% of Australians will be within a 20-minute drive of one of these facilities.

Image Source- X:Twitter Jim Chalmers

To lower prescription costs, the government has allocated $689 million over four years to reduce the cost of most Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) medicines. If re-elected, four out of five medications will be capped at $25 per script, down from $31.60—a change expected to save Australians $200 million per year. Pensioners will continue paying $7.70, with this price locked until 2030.

Additionally, $573 million is set aside for women’s health, focusing on reproductive health and menopause support.

Education: HECS-HELP Debt Reduction and Free TAFE Places

The government is delivering a 20% reduction in HECS-HELP debts, meaning a graduate with an average debt of $27,600 will have $5,520 removed from their loan. This, combined with changes to repayment thresholds, will cost the budget over $500 million.

To boost vocational education, 100,000 fee-free TAFE places will be offered annually, with a commitment to making the scheme permanent nationwide.

Housing: Social Housing and the ‘Help to Buy’ Scheme

With Australia’s housing crisis deepening, the government has committed $9.2 billion over a decade to increase social and affordable housing.

The “Help to Buy” scheme will allow homebuyers to co-purchase a property with the government, reducing their mortgage and deposit requirements. Under this scheme, the government would own 30% of an existing home or 40% of a new build, which buyers can gradually buy out. The expansion of this scheme will cost an extra $800 million, bringing total funding to $6.3 billion.

Image Source- X: Twitter Jim Chalmers

Childcare: Expanded Subsidies and New Centres

From January next year, all families earning under $533,280 will be eligible for three days of subsidised childcare per week, regardless of work or study commitments. The activity test requirement, introduced in 2018, has been scrapped.

In its first full year, 66,700 families will benefit from this guarantee, with 100,000 more qualifying for additional care hours. The government is also creating a $1 billion fund to construct 160 new childcare centres in high-demand areas.

Cyclone Alfred Recovery: Disaster Relief Funding

The economic impact of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which devastated southeast Queensland and northern NSW in March, is projected to shave 0.25% off GDP for the first quarter of 2025. The clean-up alone will cost $1.2 billion, adding to the $11.6 billion already earmarked for disaster recovery.

Aviation: Potential Government Takeover of Regional Express (Rex)

The government is prepared to buy out Regional Express (Rex) if administrators fail to secure a buyer by the June deadline. After entering voluntary administration in July 2024, Rex received $80 million in government assistance and later became government-owned in January 2025 after Canberra acquired $50 million of its debt. If no private buyer emerges, Rex would be the first nationally owned airline in three decades.

Industry and Infrastructure: Green Aluminium, Steel, and Highway Upgrades

A $2 billion production credit scheme aims to establish a green aluminium industry, incentivising manufacturers to use renewable energy.

The government is also investing $2.4 billion to support Whyalla Steelworks, which entered administration in early 2025.

Infrastructure funding includes $7.2 billion for Bruce Highway upgrades in Queensland, with 80% of costs covered by federal funds.

US Tariffs and Economic Impact

Former US President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Australian steel and aluminium, taking effect on 1 April, will cost Australia’s economy an estimated $3 billion (0.1% of GDP) by 2030. The government is considering further “Made in Australia” policies to counteract these economic pressures.

Defence and National Security: AUKUS, Long-Range Missiles, and Spy Agencies

The budget includes an extra $10.6 billion for defence over four years, bringing forward $1 billion in new spending.

Key measures include:
• $650 million to stockpile long-range missiles
• $272 million for Australian-made military radars
• $262 million for AUKUS submarine supply chains
• $45 million for intelligence and spy agencies

Beer Tax Freeze: A Win for Brewers and Hospitality

In a move aimed at supporting small businesses, the government will freeze draught beer excise indexation for two years from August, costing the budget $200 million. Tax relief measures will also benefit Australian brewers, distillers, and winemakers.

Election Timing and Legislative Uncertainty

The government is prioritising the $150 energy bill relief package, aiming to pass it through parliament this week. However, many of the budget’s larger commitments will depend on re-election, with the latest possible date for the election call being 14 April.

If re-elected, these policies could significantly shape Australia’s economic landscape. However, if the opposition wins, an alternative budget approach may emerge, making this election one of the most financially consequential in years.

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Ministers Don Farrell and Piyush Goyal discuss further collaboration to deepen economic ties between Australia and India

By
Pallavi Jain
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Image Source- Supplied
Image Source- Supplied

Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell and India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal discussed manufacturing opportunities and advancements under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. Additionally, they discussed investment avenues and sectors for further collaboration to deepen economic ties.

Minister Goyal, during his last visit to Australia in September 2024 had told The Australia Today that the aim should be to have $500 billion bilateral trade between the two countries by 2030.

During Mr Goyal’s visit Invest India and Austrade signed an MoU to enhance investment relations, promote trade, support businesses, and foster economic growth.

More recently the Albanese Government unveiled A New Roadmap for Australia’s Economic Engagement with India, a strategic plan aimed at maximising trade opportunities, boosting businesses, securing supply chains, and creating jobs.

To support this, Australia is investing $16 million in a Trade and Investment Accelerator Fund and an additional $4 million in the Maitri Grants program to strengthen ties.

The initiative comes at a pivotal time, as India’s economy is on track to become the world’s third largest by 2030, offering enormous untapped potential for Australian trade and investment.

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Sunita Kotnala named 2025 Canberra Citizen of the Year for empowering women through trade skills

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Sunita Kotnala, CEO of Women’s Shed Canberra, receiving 2025 Canberra Citizen of the Year Award from ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr (Source: Facebook)

Sunita Kotnala, the driving force behind Women’s Shed Canberra, has been named the 2025 Canberra Citizen of the Year in recognition of her work empowering hundreds of women with valuable trade skills.

Image: Sunita Kotnala, CEO of Women’s Shed Canberra (Source: Facebook – ACT Government)

ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr praised Sunita’s dedication, stating, “Under Ms Kotnala’s leadership, Women’s Shed Canberra has become a place where women of all backgrounds and abilities can meet, get inspired, develop new skills, create and build.”

“Not only has she inspired hundreds of women through her workshops, but she has also built a community that continues to grow.”

Image: Women’s Shed CEO Sunita Kotnala, left, and Robby McGarvey (Photo: Facebook – Women’s Shed Canberra)

Founded in 2020 by Sunita Kotnala and Robby McGarvey, Women’s Shed Canberra has provided hands-on workshops in home repair and maintenance, helping women develop essential skills while inspiring many to consider careers in construction and building trades.

The award is especially meaningful for Sunita, marking 25 years since she migrated from India to Australia as a skilled worker. With a Master’s in Social Work and a background in community development, she has combined her expertise with a passion for restoration to make a lasting impact.

Sunita has been actively involved in domestic violence and women’s empowerment work. Moving from Sydney to Canberra during the pandemic, she has led an initiative that has grown into a thriving, inclusive community focused on skill-building and mental well-being.

Reflecting on her journey, Sunita expressed her pride in receiving the award. “It showcases the role Women’s Sheds can play as social enterprises in the circular economy by exposing women to valuable skills in building trades and home repairs,” she said.

“I am delighted with the sense of joy and empowerment that women feel after learning to use power tools in a safe environment.”

Women from the age of 18 can participate in workshops that cover a range of practical skills, from building picture frames to installing and replacing door locks. Some original members remain active, while others move on after gaining the confidence and expertise they need.

Recognising the need to reach more women, Women’s Shed Canberra expanded in 2023 with a mobile service, reducing transport barriers and making the workshops more accessible. The initiative also received an ACT Social Enterprise grant, supporting its mission to equip women with practical skills that enhance their everyday lives.

Image: Women’s Shed CEO Sunita Kotnala (Photo: Facebook – Women’s Shed Canberra)

With a permanent home now established in Greenway, Women’s Shed Canberra is set to expand its impact even further. The overwhelming support from the community has driven its success, with ongoing interest from individuals and organisations keen to contribute.

The Canberra Citizen of the Year Award recognises individuals who have made a significant contribution to the community, fostering civic pride and positive change. Sunita’s efforts in championing women’s empowerment through trade skills have cemented her as a deserving recipient of this prestigious honour.

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Sydney landlord under fire for charging $190 a week for a mattress on the floor

By
Bureau Report
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Image: An advertisement on Facebook has caught the ire of Sydneysider, after a mattress on the floor, in a room shared by two other men put up for $190 per week (Source: Facebook)

A Sydney landlord has sparked outrage after advertising a single mattress on the floor in a shared room for $190 a week, highlighting the city’s deepening rental crisis.

The Facebook listing, posted last month, showed three neatly placed mattresses on the floor of an apartment on Sussex Street in central Sydney. The landlord indicated that two spots had already been taken, leaving one available for a third male tenant.

“1 second room share 3 boys … 1 spot left,” the ad read.

The rental offer required tenants to stay for a minimum of three months, pay two weeks’ rent in advance, and provide a two-week bond and key deposit. A small kitchen was also available for use.

Image: A small kitchen was also available for use (Source: Facebook)

The listing, which was first reported by The Daily Telegraph, drew strong reactions from renters, with many calling it “scary” and questioning how the space could be considered “fully furnished.”

The advertisement has since been removed, but it has reignited debate over Sydney’s skyrocketing rent prices and the lack of affordable housing.

While Australian tenancy laws do not have strict regulations on room-sharing arrangements, the Canadian National Occupancy Standard (CNOS), used as a guideline, states that no more than two people should share a bedroom and that single adults over 18 should have a separate room.

With Sydney renters struggling to secure suitable accommodation, cases like this highlight the extreme conditions some are forced to accept in order to find a place to live.

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Perth man first to be jailed under new counter-terrorism laws for posting Islamic State content

By
Bureau Report
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Representative image: Jial (Source: CANVA)

A 19-year-old West Australian man has become the first person in Australia to be convicted and sentenced for transmitting violent extremist material online, after pleading guilty to posting Islamic State content on social media.

The Perth District Court sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment today (20 March 2025) after he admitted to one count of transmitting violent extremist material online and one count of using a carriage service to cause offence. His sentence was backdated to 12 June 2024, the date of his arrest, and he will be eligible to apply for parole from 12 May 2026.

The convicted man pleaded guilty to:

  • One count of using a carriage service to transmit violent extremist material, contrary to section 474.45B of the Criminal Code (Cth).
  • One count of using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence, contrary to section 474.17 of the Criminal Code (Cth).

AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the swift action by WA JCTT investigators helped protect the community from potential threats.

“One of the goals of the WA JCTT is to keep the community safe by preventing anyone from advocating for attacks or harassment of others.”

Assistant Commissioner Nutt added:

“Islamic State distributes violent extremist material online to radicalise young people and encourage them to carry out attacks on its behalf. Sharing or accessing such material is an offence, and authorities will act swiftly when these crimes are detected.”

He urged the public to report any concerning online activity, emphasising that community vigilance plays a key role in preventing extremist threats.

The Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) launched an investigation in June 2024 after receiving reports of violent extremist content being shared via social media and encrypted messaging platforms.

Authorities found the man had shared Islamic State-produced videos depicting beheadings and other violence, as well as audio recordings encouraging acts of terror. He also engaged in online conversations expressing contempt towards individuals based on religion and ethnicity.

Investigators linked the man to the accounts and executed a search warrant at his home in Perth’s southern suburbs on 12 June 2024. Police seized a mobile phone, a knife, and a black balaclava—items that appeared in some of the extremist material he posted online.

The case marks the first conviction under new Commonwealth counter-terrorism laws introduced on 8 January 2024, which made transmitting violent extremist material online a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.

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New Zealand history prize celebrates legacy of Indian-origin scholar Sekhar Bandyopadhyay

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Prof. Sekhar Bandyopadhyay (Source: Victoria University of Wellington)

The New Zealand Historical Association (NZHA) has announced the establishment of the Sekhar Bandyopadhyay Prize, a prestigious biennial award recognising outstanding historical research by a New Zealand-based scholar in any field, excluding New Zealand history, published in a refereed journal.

The prize is named after Emeritus Prof. Sekhar Bandyopadhyay, an internationally renowned historian and expert in nationalism and caste in colonial and postcolonial India. He has held numerous leadership roles, including Director of the New Zealand India Research Institute (NZIRI) and Professor of Asian History at Victoria University of Wellington, where he has also served as Associate Dean (Research) and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Image: Prof. Sekhar Bandyopadhyay (Source: Asia Media Centre)

Reacting to the announcement, Prof. Bandyopadhyay expressed gratitude for the recognition, saying he feels humbled and honoured to receive such an award from his peers.

“I feel so humbled and honoured. I cannot think of any better award than this recognition by my peers. Thank you, NZHA and its Executive Committee.”

Prof. Bandyopadhyay, who joined Victoria University in 1992, has written seven books, edited or co-edited fourteen, and published over fifty book chapters and journal articles. His landmark works include Caste and Partition in Bengal: The Story of Dalit Refugees, 1946-1961 (2022), From Plassey to Partition and After: A History of Modern India (2015), and Caste, Protest and Identity in Colonial India (2011). His research has been instrumental in shaping the understanding of Indian migration, caste, and the Indian diaspora.

Prof. Bandyopadhyay’s influential book From Plassey to Partition has been translated into two languages, reprinted thirteen times, and is widely used as a university textbook on modern Indian history. He has also played a key role in non-political diplomacy, leading three New Zealand delegations to Indo-NZ meetings in New Delhi and Wellington.

Educated at Presidency College and the University of Calcutta, Prof. Bandyopadhyay has held visiting fellowships at the University of Chicago, Australian National University, National University of Singapore, and SOAS London, among others. He is also co-editor of the New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies and has played a key role in strengthening New Zealand-India academic ties through his work at NZIRI.

A Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi and an Inaugural Fellow of the New Zealand Academy of Humanities, he has received numerous accolades, including the Rabindra Smriti Puraskar (Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Prize) and a Marsden grant from the Royal Society of New Zealand.

The NZHA is currently accepting nominations for the Sekhar Bandyopadhyay Prize, along with five other history prizes. A shortlist of five entries for each category will be compiled after 1 April 2025, with winners to be announced at the 2025 NZHA Conference.

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Queensland secures record funding, paving way for full funding of all Australian public schools

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Minister for Education Jason Clare with school children (Source: X)

Queensland’s state schools are set to receive the biggest funding boost in their history, following the signing of a landmark agreement between the Albanese and Crisafulli governments.

The deal ensures that all public and state schools in Queensland will be on a path to full and fair funding, marking a key milestone in the nationwide Better and Fairer Schools Agreement.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking about the agreement, emphasised the long-term benefits for Australia’s education system:

“Building Australia’s future means investing in the next generation. Every dollar of this funding will go into helping children learn and participate in school. Education opens the doors of opportunity, and we want to widen them for every child in Australia.”

Under the Heads of Agreement signed today, the Commonwealth will increase its contribution to Queensland state schools by 5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), raising its share from 20 per cent to 25 per cent by 2034. This will inject an estimated $2.8 billion in additional funding over the next decade, paving the way for significant educational reforms.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli expressed pride in securing the deal, calling it a win for the state’s children. “We’re proud to have secured the biggest funding boost ever delivered to Queensland state schools, because that’s what our children deserve.”

“This funding will raise the bar in classrooms across Queensland, giving our students a world-class education and the support needed to succeed.”

The funding agreement comes with a clear stipulation: it is tied to meaningful reforms aimed at improving educational outcomes. These include early years literacy and numeracy checks, evidence-based teaching strategies, and targeted support for struggling students through small-group tutoring and mental health initiatives.

Minister for Education Jason Clare stressed the importance of ensuring that this funding brings tangible results: “This is real funding tied to real reforms to help students catch up, keep up, and finish school. It’s not a blank cheque. I want this money to get results.”

“It will help make sure every child gets a great start in life—what every parent wants, and what every Australian child deserves.”

Minister Clare added that the agreement marked a milestone for the entire nation, highlighting the government’s commitment to fixing public school funding: “All Australian public schools will be fully funded. We’ve just reached a $2.8 billion agreement to fix the funding of Queensland public schools. It means that every public school in every state and territory across the country is now on a path to full and fair funding.

“We are the first government to get this done.”

Clare pointed out that while non-government schools are currently funded at the level recommended by David Gonski, public schools have not been. “Public schools aren’t. This agreement fixes that. It is the biggest investment in public education by the Australian Government ever. But it is not a blank cheque. It is tied to reforms that we know work and will work, to help kids in our public schools reach their potential. This is going to change lives.”

Furthermore, the agreement includes ambitious targets to further improve Australia’s education system by 2030. These targets include reducing the number of students in the ‘Needs Additional Support’ category by 10 per cent, increasing high school graduation rates, and boosting student attendance to 91.4 per cent nationally. The agreement also aims to enhance teacher recruitment and retention, with a focus on reducing teacher workload.

Queensland Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek thanked both the federal government and his state counterparts for their collaborative efforts in securing the deal. “These agreements truly signify a fresh start for Queensland state schools,” he said.

“I will work with my department to put this money to best use in every aspect of our education system.”

With all Australian jurisdictions now signed on to the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, today’s deal marks a transformative moment for Queensland’s education system, ensuring that the next generation of students has the resources and support they need to thrive.

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Teen who assaulted Indian security guard granted bail; magistrate warns he’s lucky to avoid new laws

By
Bureau Report
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Image: The 20-year-old security guard from Melton South has been treated and discharged from the hospital following the attack (Source: Screenshot)

A 17-year-old accused of assaulting an Indian internaional student who worked as security guard at Bendigo Marketplace has been granted bail just hours before stricter laws took effect. The teen, who previously compared youth detention to “a hotel,” was warned by the magistrate that he was fortunate to avoid the new regulations.

The youth, alleged to be part of a gang that filmed violent attacks on innocent bystanders, appeared before the Children’s Court.

Image: The 20-year-old security guard from Melton South has been treated and discharged from the hospital following the attack (Source: Screenshot)

Magistrate Tryieu Huynh described the boy’s actions as “horrific,” stating that he allegedly carried out three serious attacks in one week, causing “significant physical, emotional, and psychological harm.”

Despite the severity of the charges, the court noted that the new bail laws, which passed after midnight on Friday, were not yet in force at the time of the hearing—approximately 12 hours later. Magistrate Huynh indicated that had the new laws been in place, or if the accused had been 18, a different outcome might have been likely.

Prosecutors argued against bail, stating that the teen had created a “climate of fear” in the Bendigo community.

The attack at Bendigo Marketplace, which took place in early March, allegedly involved a gang of nine youths who targeted a 20-year-old Indian international student from the Sikh community.

Image: The 20-year-old security guard from Melton South has been treated and discharged from the hospital following the attack (Source: Screenshot)

The guard had asked the group to leave for allegedly consuming alcohol and playing loud music before being punched, kicked, and dragged to the ground. Bystanders who attempted to intervene were also assaulted, according to police reports.

The case has sparked outrage within the community, particularly among Victoria’s security workforce. The security guard, who has since been discharged from the hospital, received widespread support from local community.

The court heard that the accused’s mother had “given up” on managing his behaviour. During his initial detention, the youth reportedly told her,

“This is great, it’s like a hotel room. I’m getting everything I need.”

Despite initial bail refusal, the teen was later deemed suitable for supervised release with the support of Youth Justice Services. He must comply with strict conditions, including staying with his mother, avoiding social media, drugs, and alcohol, and not entering Bendigo’s CBD or any shopping centre without supervision.

Image: The 20-year-old security guard from Melton South has been treated and discharged from the hospital following the attack (Source: Screenshot)

The attack has intensified calls for greater protection of security personnel, with industry leaders urging authorities to address growing risks. Recent incidents—including the alleged stabbing of a security guard in Melbourne’s north—have further fuelled concerns. In response, the Victorian government has pledged to review safety measures, with Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny stating,

“Our priority is ensuring the safety of the community.”

As the new bail laws take effect, community members and security workers alike are watching closely to see if stronger measures will make a difference.

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South Australia’s Premier in India to strengthen education, trade and flight links

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas (Source: X)

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has arrived in India on a trade mission, aiming to expand ties in international education and boost South Australia’s billion-dollar export market.

“I am committed to ensuring that we fully capitalise on every opportunity presented by the world’s fastest-growing major economy,” Malinauskas said before his departure.

India is already South Australia’s largest source of international students, and with the opening of the new Adelaide University next year, the Premier sees a prime opportunity to attract more students.

“This will provide a significant boost to our economy, community, and workforce.”

South Australia exports over $1 billion in goods to India, and Malinauskas believes there is room for further growth as demand for premium produce increases.

With the Indian community in South Australia continuing to grow, he is also exploring the possibility of direct flights between Adelaide and India to enhance trade, tourism, and people-to-people connections.

The Premier has been a strong critic of Federal Labor’s proposed student caps, calling them “bad policy” that would harm the economy, stifle research, and undermine the AUKUS deal.

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Canadian PM to run in Nepean after dropping three-term Hindu MP Chandra Arya

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and MP Chandra Arya (Source: X)

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to make his electoral debut in the upcoming federal election, contesting for the Nepean seat in the House of Commons.

This announcement follows the Liberal Party’s unexpected decision to revoke the candidacy of three-term MP Chandra Arya.

The ruling Liberal Party confirmed Carney’s candidacy for Nepean, a suburban riding in Ottawa, in a statement on Saturday. “We’re thrilled to announce that our Leader, Mark Carney, will be our candidate for Nepean in the next election,” the party stated, highlighting Carney’s deep ties to Ottawa, where he raised his family and built his career in public service.

Carney was sworn in as Canada’s 24th Prime Minister on March 14 and is looking forward to capitalise on the momentum generated by his recent leadership victory, replacing Justin Trudeau.

The Liberal Party’s decision to drop Chandra Arya has sparked controversy. Arya, who has represented Nepean since 2015, had already secured his nomination for the 2025 election before his candidacy was suddenly revoked. The party cited unspecified “new information” as the reason for the decision, but provided no further details.

Arya’s exclusion follows his earlier disqualification from the Liberal leadership race in January, a move he had criticised as raising “significant questions” about the legitimacy of the party’s internal processes. His removal from the Nepean contest has fuelled speculation about internal tensions within the Liberal ranks.

Despite his extensive background in finance—having served as Governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England—Carney has never before held elected office. His bid for Nepean will serve as his first real test in retail politics.

The Nepean riding also holds strategic importance, as it borders Carleton, where Poilievre is seeking re-election. A Carney victory in Nepean could provide a crucial boost for the Liberals, who are aiming to stave off Conservative gains in the province of Ontario.

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Pacific security leaders unite to strengthen regional cooperation

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Pacific launches first Regional Centre of Excellence under the Pacific Policing Initiative (Source: AFP)

Pacific heads of military, law enforcement, customs, and immigration gathered in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, from 18 to 20 March 2025 for the seventh Joint Heads of Pacific Security (JHoPS) meeting.

Established in 2019, JHoPS brings together 24 Pacific island jurisdictions, two observer countries, the United States and Japan, and seven regional organisations to address regional security challenges.

This year’s event, under the theme ‘Align and collaborate to advance our collective security’, was a pivotal opportunity for leaders to discuss innovative approaches to fostering greater collaboration and enhancing interoperability across the Pacific.

Image: Pacific Security Leaders Gather to Advance Regional Cooperation (Source: AFP)

The meeting aimed to find new ways for nations to work together effectively, particularly in maritime law enforcement and regional coordination, through practical exercises and expert exchanges.

Commander of the 1st (Australian) Division, Major General Ash Collingburn, representing the Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston, expressed his gratitude to Papua New Guinea for hosting the event and for their leadership.

“It’s in our shared interest to work together with increasing efficiency, developing more rapid and capable frameworks in support of a secure and resilient region.”

One key initiative discussed was the creation of a Regional Operations Deployment Framework, which aims to improve the practical coordination of regional responses to security threats. Participants also participated in tabletop exercises to enhance interagency collaboration, essential for tackling the emerging and complex security challenges the region faces.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw highlighted the multidimensional security challenges in the region, from traditional threats to emerging issues like cybercrime. “The AFP is committed to partnering with Pacific law enforcement partners through mutual resource-sharing initiatives and training,” he said, adding that the Pacific Police Support Group would provide a multinational police response capability to the region in times of need.

Australian Border Force Commissioner Gavan Reynolds noted the significance of JHoPS in fostering collaboration between agencies. “This type of information exchange between Pacific partners sets us up well to respond to emerging security challenges,” he stated, looking ahead to future discussions on strengthening the region’s security capabilities.

Image:Pacific launches first Regional Centre of Excellence under the Pacific Policing Initiative (Source: AFP)

A key milestone during the meeting was the official opening of the Pacific Policing Initiative’s (PPI) first Regional Centre of Excellence (RCOE) in Port Moresby. This training and development facility will provide police recruits and investigative training, marking the first of four planned RCOEs across the Pacific. Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary Deputy Commissioner Dr Philip Mitna and AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan led the opening ceremony on 21 March 2025.

Assistant Commissioner Ryan emphasised the importance of the RCOE in strengthening regional law enforcement. “The AFP is proud to be part of the official opening of the PPI’s first RCOE,” he said.

“Crime has no borders, and the collaboration boosted through this RCOE will continue to ensure law enforcement is enhanced through training and capability uplift.”

The Pacific Policing Initiative, an Australian-backed, Pacific-led initiative, is designed to support the region’s law enforcement agencies through specialised training, operational support, and the creation of centres of excellence. The PPI will empower Pacific nations to collectively respond to security challenges, including cross-border crime and natural disasters.

The RCOE will serve as a training hub, offering specialised courses developed and led by Pacific police to tackle regional challenges. The Australian Government has provided funding to support this initiative, reinforcing its commitment to strengthening the security capacities of the Pacific islands.

Image: AFP Assistant Commissioner Nigel Ryan led the opening ceremony on 21 March 2025 (Source: AFP)

“The PPI is ‘By the Pacific, For the Pacific’,” said Assistant Commissioner Ryan.

“This work shared between Pacific police partners is vital for enhancing the security of communities across the region and for collectively countering evolving regional security threats.”

The Pacific Policing Initiative encompasses three key pillars: Regional Centres of Excellence, the Pacific Police Support Group (PPSG), and the Pacific Policing Development and Coordination Hub. Each centre will enhance policing capabilities through training in priority areas such as recruit training, investigations, and forensic operations.

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‘Every woman’s worst nightmare’: Police hunt man after attempted kidnapping in Melbourne’s west

By
Bureau Report
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Image: Attempt to kidnap a woman as she walked home in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west (Source: 7News screenshot)

Police are urgently appealing for public help to identify a young man who attempted to kidnap a woman as she walked home in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west.

Detectives from the Westgate Sexual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team (SOCIT) say the incident occurred around 9:15pm on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) when the 20-year-old woman had just stepped off a bus near the intersection of Thames Boulevard and Melpomene Boulevard.

As she walked along Thames Boulevard, an unknown male came up behind her, grabbed her around the chest, and tried to drag her towards the road.

The woman managed to break free and screamed, forcing the attacker to flee towards Harmony Drive.

Image: Attempt to kidnap a woman as she walked home in Tarneit, in Melbourne’s west (Source: 7News screenshot)

Detective Sergeant Sean Nicholson described the terrifying ordeal as “every woman’s worst nightmare.”

“She was very brave in her reactions, and very quick and prompt, which no doubt saved her from anything further bad happening.”

CCTV footage of the incident has been released, showing the moment the man grabbed the victim before she fought him off.

Police said the suspect is believed to be between 16 and 20 years old, around 160-165cm tall, with a slim build and short dark hair.

Authorities are particularly keen to speak with the driver of a dark-coloured four-wheel drive seen in the area at the time.

Police have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an anonymous tip online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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Renewables are cheap, So why isn’t your power bill falling?

By
Contributing Author
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Representative image: Solar (Source: CANVA)

By Tony Wood

Power prices are set to go up again even though renewables now account for 40% of the electricity in Australia’s main grid – close to quadruple the clean power we had just 15 years ago. How can that be, given renewables are the cheapest form of newly built power generation?

This is a fair question. As Australia heads for a federal election campaign likely to focus on the rising cost of living, many of us are wondering when, exactly, cheap renewables will bring cheap power.

The simple answer is – not yet. While solar and wind farms produce power at remarkably low cost, they need to be built where it’s sunny or windy. Our existing transmission lines link gas and coal power stations to cities. Connecting renewables to the grid requires expensive new transmission lines, as well as storage for when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining.

Notably, Victoria’s mooted price increase of 0.7% was much lower than other states, which would be as high as 8.9% in parts of New South Wales. This is due to Victoria’s influx of renewables – and good connections to other states. Because Victoria can draw cheap wind from South Australia, hydroelectricity from Tasmania or coal power from New South Wales through a good transmission line network, it has kept wholesale prices the lowest in the national energy market since 2020.

While it was foolish for the Albanese government to promise more renewables would lower power bills by a specific amount, the path we are on is still the right one.

That’s because most of our coal plants are near the end of their life. Breakdowns are more common and reliability is dropping. Building new coal plants would be expensive too. New gas would be pricier still. And the Coalition’s nuclear plan would be both very expensive and arrive sometime in the 2040s, far too late to help.

Renewables are cheap, building a better grid is not

The reason solar is so cheap and wind not too far behind is because there is no fuel. There’s no need to keep pipelines of gas flowing or trainloads of coal arriving to be burned.

But sun and wind are intermittent. During clear sunny days, the National Energy Market can get so much solar that power prices actually turn negative. Similarly, long windy periods can drive down power prices. But when the sun goes down and the wind stops, we still need power.

This is why grid planners want to be able to draw on renewable sources from a wide range of locations. If it’s not windy on land, there will always be wind at sea. To connect these new sources to the grid, though, requires another 10,000 kilometres of high voltage transmission lines to add to our existing 40,000 km. These are expensive and cost blowouts have become common. In some areas, strong objections from rural residents are adding years of delay and extra cost.

So while the cost of generating power from renewables is very low, we have underestimated the cost of getting this power to markets as well as ensuring the power can be “firmed”. Firming is when electricity from variable renewable sources is turned into a commodity able to be turned on or off as needed and is generally done by storing power in pumped hydro schemes or in grid-scale batteries.

In fact, the cost of transmission and firming is broadly offsetting the lower input costs from renewables.

Does this mean the renewable path was wrong?

At both federal and state levels, Labor ministers have made an error in claiming renewables would directly translate to lower power prices.

But consider the counterpoint. Let’s say the Coalition gets in, rips up plans for offshore wind zones and puts the renewable transition on ice. What happens then?

Our coal plants would continue to age, leading to more frequent breakdowns and unreliable power, especially during summer peak demand. Gas is so expensive as to be a last resort. Nuclear would be far in the future. What would be left? Quite likely, expensive retrofits of existing coal plants.

If we stick to the path of the green energy transition, we should expect power price rises to moderate. With more interconnections and transmission lines, we can accommodate more clean power from more sources, reducing the chance of price spikes and adding vital resilience to the grid. If an extreme weather event takes out one transmission line, power can still flow from others.

Storing electricity will be a game-changer

Until now, storing electricity at scale for later use hasn’t been possible. That means grid operators have to constantly match supply and demand. To cope with peak demand, such as a heatwave over summer, we have very expensive gas peaking plants which sit idle nearly all the time.

Solar has only made the challenge harder, as we get floods of solar at peak times and nothing in the evening when we use most of our power. Our coal plants do not deal well with being turned off and on to accommodate solar floods.

The good news is, storage is solving most of these problems. Being able to keep hours or even days of power stored in batteries or in elevated reservoirs at hydroelectric plants gives authorities much more flexibility in how they match supply and demand.

We will never see power “too cheap to meter”, as advocates once said of the nuclear industry. But over time, we should see price rises ease.

For our leaders and energy authorities, this is a tricky time. They must ensure our large-scale transmission line interconnectors actually get built, juggle the flood of renewables, ensure storage comes online, manage the exit of coal plants and try not to affect power prices. Pretty straightforward.

Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Peter Dutton Pledges $8.5 Million to Support Australia’s First Hindu School

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton ata BAPS Temple- Image Source; The Australia Today
Opposition leader Peter Dutton ata BAPS Temple- Image Source; The Australia Today

In a commitment to faith-based education and multicultural inclusivity, the federal Opposition has pledged up to $8.5 million to establish Australia’s first Hindu school, should the Coalition form government following the upcoming federal election.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton announced during a visit to the BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir and Cultural Precinct, which coincided with the visit of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj.

The announcement was met with enthusiastic support from the Hindu Education and Cultural Group, who recently held meetings with Shadow Ministers Michaelia Cash, Sarah Henderson, and Jason Wood, who have formally backed the proposal.

“This announcement reaffirms the Coalition’s support for faith-based education and community-led initiatives,” said Mr Dutton.

“The 684,000-strong Hindu community in Australia makes an enormous contribution to our multicultural character. Supporting the establishment of a Hindu school is a long-overdue recognition of the community’s vision.”

“This is a moment of pride and progress for the Hindu community,” said a spokesperson for the Hindu Council of Australia.

“A Hindu school will not only preserve our rich cultural and spiritual heritage but also provide our children with the tools to thrive in modern Australia.”

The school will follow a similar model to other independent faith-based institutions, integrating Hindu values, language, and cultural teachings with the Australian curriculum. It aims to provide a comprehensive and inclusive education that respects both academic standards and cultural identity.

“We are not just building a school; we are building a future where Australian values and Hindu philosophy can coexist in harmony, inspiring generations to come,”

the spokesperson added.

Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson described the proposal as a response to longstanding calls from the Hindu community:

“It is only fair that Hindu children have access to the same faith-based educational opportunities as other religious groups. This school will foster academic growth while nurturing cultural heritage.”

Echoing the sentiment, Shadow Multicultural Affairs Minister Jason Wood added, “Hinduism is one of the fastest-growing religions in Australia. The community support for a Hindu school has become increasingly clear.”

“This initiative will ensure Hindu children receive an education that celebrates both Australian values and their cultural identity,”

added Wood.

The Hindu Council of Australia, which has been advocating for the project for over a decade, welcomed the announcement. Under the plan, an initial $850,000 will be allocated to fund a business case assessing the school’s feasibility, costs, and ideal location. A further $7.65 million is set aside for capital expenditure, pending the successful completion of the feasibility study.

“We welcome the support of Mr Peter Dutton and his colleagues. This announcement sends a strong message: that multicultural Australia includes and empowers the Hindu voice,” the spokesperson continued.

“We are ready to work with education authorities and community stakeholders to ensure the school upholds the highest standards while remaining deeply rooted in Hindu values.”

With more than 684,000 Hindus now living in Australia, the proposal for a dedicated faith-based school is not just timely, but a vital recognition of the growing community’s needs.

“This school will give Hindu children a sense of identity and belonging while fostering respect for all cultures and communities in Australia,” concluded the Hindu Council spokesperson.

Former Multicultural Affairs Minister Alex Hawke said “For years, successive governments have supported Christian, Islamic and Jewish schools – and rightly so. But it’s about time we extended that same recognition and respect to the Hindu community, which is now the third-largest religion in Australia.”

“Supporting a Hindu faith-based school is not just about education, it’s about preserving religion, culture, and identity. We will proudly stand with the Hindu community and support initiatives like these through temples and schools that foster cultural pride and belonging.”

The school is expected to offer Hindu philosophy, languages such as Sanskrit and Hindi, traditional arts and yoga while maintaining the academic rigour of the Australian curriculum.

In a joint statement, the Hindu Education and Cultural Group said the pledge marks “a historic moment for our community” and thanked the Coalition for its commitment to cultural and educational equity.

The Dutton-led Coalition said it looks forward to collaborating with the Hindu Council of Australia to bring this vision to life, supporting freedom of choice in education and strengthening Australia’s multicultural future.

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Australia slips, India rises but trails behind war-torn countries in World Happiness Rankings

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Representative image: Happiness (Source: CANVA)

Australia has slipped out of the top 10 happiest countries in the world, according to the latest World Happiness Report, ranking 11th in 2025. India, meanwhile, has climbed slightly to 118th place, though it remains behind several war-torn and economically struggling nations.

The report, released on the United Nations’ International Day of Happiness, highlights the role of caring and sharing in shaping people’s wellbeing.

India’s rise in the rankings, from 126 in 2024 to 118 in 2025, has sparked debate. While India scores well in social support, thanks to its strong community networks and tradition of multigenerational households, it ranks poorly on personal freedoms. The study suggests that a sense of agency and choice is crucial to happiness—something that remains a challenge in the world’s most populous democracy.

India’s ranking places it behind nations such as Venezuela, Rwanda, Pakistan and even war-torn Ukraine, raising questions about the methodology.

Prof. Anand Ranganathan’s reaction to India’s placement was scathing: “India is ranked 118 in the just-out World Happiness Report. Totalitarian Saudi Arabia is 32, inflation-wrecked Venezuela 82, destroyed Palestine 108, begging-bowl Pakistan 109, war-torn Ukraine 111.

“Modi has made us peaceful, safe, united, stable, but unhappy. He must resign.”

Finland has retained its title as the world’s happiest nation for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

In a surprising shift, Costa Rica and Mexico have broken into the top 10, ranking sixth and tenth, respectively, displacing countries like Switzerland and Canada, which once dominated the upper echelons of the list. The United States, which ranked 11th in 2012, has now fallen to its lowest-ever position at 24, while the UK sits just ahead at 23.

At the bottom of the list, Afghanistan remains the world’s unhappiest country, a position it has held since the Taliban’s return to power. Sierra Leone and Lebanon follow closely behind, reflecting the toll of economic instability and social unrest.

Source: https://worldhappiness.report/ed/2025/

The World Happiness Report bases its rankings on a three-year average of responses from over 100,000 people across 140 countries, using the Gallup World Poll’s Cantril Ladder, where individuals rate their lives on a scale from 0 to 10.

The report considers social support, freedom, generosity, income, and perceptions of corruption as key factors influencing happiness. This year’s findings reveal that people consistently underestimate the kindness of others, with data showing that wallets are returned far more often than expected. The report also underscores how acts of kindness—heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic—continue to impact happiness levels globally.

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Balochistan’s plight highlights the double standards of Australian politicians and activists on human rights

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Dr Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch human rights defender (Source: X)

Dr Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch human rights defender, was arrested by Pakistani police on 22 March 2025 during a peaceful sit-in protest in Quetta.

It is reported that for nearly 12 hours, her whereabouts remained unknown, and now Dr Blaoch along with her younger sister Mehran-e-Sareng, and two others are being held at Hudda District Prison in Quetta.

Image: Dr Mahrang Baloch, a prominent Baloch human rights defender (Source: X)

UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor, expressed deep concern over Dr Baloch’s arrest, highlighting the crackdown on Baloch Yakjehti Committee protesters in Quetta. She also urged immediate attention to the detention of Baloch human rights defenders in Balochistan.

Thousands of Baloch people have been forcibly disappeared, tortured, and executed by the state, yet their suffering is conveniently ignored. The hijacking of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan this week has once again drawn attention to the region’s long-running insurgency, highlighting the desperation of a people who have been denied justice for generations.

The Baloch people’s struggle for self-determination is not new. Since Balochistan’s forced annexation by Pakistan in 1948, the state has exploited its vast natural resources while keeping the province in crushing poverty. The region remains one of the most heavily militarized in Pakistan, with security forces routinely carrying out raids, abductions, and extrajudicial killings. Yet, despite this glaring evidence of systematic repression, the world remains silent.

Before being arrested, Dr Baloch’s call to the international community exposes the stark hypocrisy in global human rights advocacy. While Western governments, media, and activists are quick to denounce certain countries, they remain eerily silent on the decades-long atrocities committed by the Pakistan in Balochistan.

Selective activism has played a major role in this neglect. In Australia, certain politicians and advocacy groups are quick to condemn India for alleged human rights abuses, often parroting narratives pushed by Islamist and Khalistani elements with their own political agendas. These same groups, however, remain conspicuously silent on Pakistan’s crimes in Balochistan. Their outrage is not rooted in genuine human rights concerns but in geopolitical calculations. When human rights advocacy becomes selective, it loses credibility and exposes itself as little more than political propaganda.

The hijacking of the Jaffar Express by the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), as Mehrzaad Baluch argues, was not an isolated act of militancy but a symptom of Pakistan’s failed policies in Balochistan. Decades of political marginalization, economic exploitation, and brutal repression have pushed some Baloch groups to take up arms. The Pakistani state’s refusal to address Baloch grievances through dialogue has only fuelled further unrest.

Following the Jaffar Express hijacking, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Neil Hawkins swiftly condemned the incident, stating, “The Australian Government condemns the attack and hijacking of the #JaffarExpress Train in Balochistan province in Pakistan. We offer our deepest sympathies to all those affected. Australia stands with Pakistan at this difficult time.”

This statement was later echoed by Gemma Huggins, the newly appointed Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism. While terrorism should never be justified, it is crucial to ask: why do Australian officials find their voices only when Pakistan is under attack, yet remain silent when Pakistan commits egregious human rights violations in Balochistan?

Australia has provided aid to Balochistan through the Pakistani government, focusing on humanitarian relief, governance, gender equality, and development. Key initiatives include supporting Afghan refugees, improving education, and addressing malnutrition. Australia contributed $56.3 million (2010–2022) to a World Bank-administered fund for crisis recovery in border regions, including Balochistan. Aid programs have targeted maternal and child nutrition, infrastructure, and education. Despite bilateral aid ceasing in 2019-20, funding continues through global programs. Australia has committed AUD 39 million to fight malnutrition, addressing Balochistan’s severe stunting rates. Development aid has aimed to alleviate poverty, enhance economic opportunities, and improve health and education access. However, despite these efforts, Australia has never openly criticised Pakistan for its human rights violations in Balochistan or supported the region’s struggle against state oppression.

Image: A Baloch human rights defender (Source: X – Dr Mahrang Baloch)

In fact, Pakistan has effectively shielded itself from Australian scrutiny by leveraging its alliances, particularly with China, and framing its military operations in Balochistan under the guise of counterterrorism.

No wonder that Western governments, eager to maintain strategic ties with Pakistan, have chosen to overlook its repression of the Baloch people. This silence stands in stark contrast to the vocal support these same governments offer to other beleaguered ethnic groups. The double standards are glaring!

But ignoring Balochistan will not make the conflict disappear. Pakistan’s brutal military tactics have only deepened the crisis, creating a cycle of violence that will not end without meaningful intervention. Human rights organizations, international media, and policymakers must break their silence. Selective activism only serves to perpetuate oppression, and until Pakistan government and army are held accountable, the Baloch people’s suffering will continue unabated.

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Fiji grapples with rising racial discrimination as 100,000 Indo-Fijians have reportedly left the country

By
Bureau Report
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Image: [Left] Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal with Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Commissioner Alefina Vuki during the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Source: fijivillage) and [Right] Sitiveni Rabuka and Mahendra Chaudhry embrace at the reconciliation and thanksgiving church service on 14 May 2023 (Source: Fiji Government)

Fiji is grappling with increasing racial discrimination and inequality, prompting fears over the future of the nation’s social fabric.

It is reported that in the last few years, around 100,000 people, primarily Indo-Fijians, have left the country, raising alarms about the state of inclusion in the Pacific nation.

Image: Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal with Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Commissioner Alefina Vuki during the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Source: fijivillage)

Speaking at the 60th anniversary of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, Dialogue Fiji’s Executive Director, Nilesh Lal, shared this information and expressed his concerns about the deep sense of discontent driving this migration trend. Lal questioned whether Fiji can truly be considered a place where all its citizens feel valued and included.

Lal pointed out that Fiji ratified the convention in 1973, just three years after gaining independence, pledging its commitment to the principles of equality and dignity. However, he noted that the country’s journey has been marked by both progress and setbacks, with notable efforts towards inclusivity, but also instances of violence and restrictions faced by minorities.

The emigration of skilled and capable individuals has made the situation even more alarming, as Lal believes these departures represent a significant loss to the country. “The greatest resource any country has is not its land or natural wealth but its human resource,” he said.

Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission Commissioner Alefina Vuki acknowledged the country’s progress in upholding equality but highlighted that issues such as exclusion, stereotyping, and institutional bias still persist. She pointed out that new forms of discrimination continue to emerge, posing additional challenges to achieving a truly inclusive society.

As per reports, Vuki stressed that combating racial discrimination requires more than legal frameworks. It demands education, awareness, advocacy, and strong leadership. She called on Fijians to renew their commitment to building an inclusive society, as Dialogue Fiji and the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission continue their efforts to tackle these concerns through events like the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Image: Sitiveni Rabuka and Mahendra Chaudhry embrace at the reconciliation and thanksgiving church service on 14 May 2023 (Source: Fiji Government)

In a significant step towards healing historical racial divisions, Fiji’s political and religious leaders signed the ‘Forward Fiji Declaration’ in 2023, aiming to foster unity between the country’s two largest ethnic groups—the indigenous iTaukei and Indo-Fijians. The declaration seeks to move beyond the racial tensions and political upheavals caused by the coups of 1987 and 2000, which disproportionately targeted the Indo-Fijian community.

The 2023 event was marked by a series of emotional apologies, including a confession from Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who led the 1987 coup, and an apology from the Methodist Church, which had supported the coups. Both Rabuka and church leaders expressed deep regret for the harm caused, particularly to the Indo-Fijian community. Former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, on behalf of the Girmitiya descendants, accepted the apology, acknowledging the pain of the past while calling for further reconciliation. He also pointed out the ongoing poverty in the iTaukei community, suggesting the need for broader national apologies.

The declaration and apologies are seen as a crucial moment in Fiji’s path toward inclusivity, with leaders urging all Fijians to work together, celebrate diversity, and build a more unified future.

Image: Fijiian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Hon. Professor Biman Prasad (Source: Twitter)

Update: Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister Prof. Biman Prasad clarifies emigration trends – In response to discussions surrounding the emigration of Indo-Fijians, Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister, Prof. Biman Prasad, clarified that the data he presented in Parliament from 2016 to 2022 highlights that emigration did not cease under former Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama’s leadership but actually accelerated. Prof. Prasad stressed that while countries like Australia and New Zealand have a significant demand for labour, this does not imply that the emigration is driven solely by negative push factors from Fiji. He urged the importance of using accurate data when discussing these trends, cautioning against exaggerating the reasons behind the emigration patterns, as this could mislead the public debate.

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Albanese commits $44.6m to enhance intelligence capability to keep Australia safe

By
AMIT SARWAL
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File image: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Source: X)

The Albanese Government has reaffirmed its commitment to national security with a $44.6 million investment over four years to enhance intelligence capabilities, following the findings of the 2024 Independent Intelligence Review.

Commissioned in September 2023, the review was led by Dr Heather Smith PSM and Richard Maude to assess whether Australia’s intelligence agencies are well-positioned to protect the nation’s interests. Their unclassified report, released on 21 Mrach 2025, found that Australia’s National Intelligence Community is highly capable and performing effectively in safeguarding national security.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the review, emphasising the critical role of intelligence agencies in keeping Australians safe. “Our hardworking intelligence agencies are crucial in safeguarding Australia’s national security, and we have full confidence in their capacity,” he said.

“We will continue to invest in capability to ensure Australia’s intelligence community can deal with emerging threats and challenges.”

The review highlighted the agencies’ success in protecting Australia’s national interest but also recommended further investment to maintain high performance across key areas such as economic security, crisis preparedness, and open-source intelligence.

Building on the findings, the Government’s $44.6 million investment in the Office of National Intelligence will support the initial implementation of priority recommendations. This commitment is part of a broader increase in national security funding, with an additional $53 billion allocated since May 2022—bringing the total to $318 billion over four years from 2024-25, up from $265 billion over four years from 2021-22.

The 2024 review also noted the significant progress made since the last independent intelligence review in 2017, including the establishment of the National Intelligence Community and the creation of the Office of National Intelligence to lead and coordinate intelligence efforts.

While details of the specific recommendations will remain classified, in line with past independent intelligence reviews, the Government’s response underscores its ongoing commitment to ensuring Australia can effectively meet future security challenges.

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Passports, prosperity and problems: Vanuatu’s CBI scheme in the media

By
Contributing Author
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Representative image: Passport (Source: CANVA)

By Grant Walton and Henrietta McNeill 

In an era of increased geopolitical competition, there are growing calls for policy makers and citizens in Australia and New Zealand to improve their understanding of the Pacific Islands region.

Traditional media in both countries play an important role in this task. However, some are concerned that while media reporting on the region and its people has improved over the past few years (see here and here), it too often misrepresents the challenges, cultures, economies and politics of the Pacific Islands. This misunderstanding, some say, can lead to poor diplomatic relationships and foreign policy.

To better understand how western media frames the challenges faced by Pacific Island countries, in a recently published Geopolitics article, we examine the ways in which Australian and New Zealand media portray Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program – a scheme that legally allows people to purchase citizenship.

We focused on the portrayal of the CBI program because it encapsulates a paradox of development facing many Pacific island states. That is, on the one hand CBI is associated with crime, corruption and insecurity, which, given the rise of China in the region, are key concerns for Western donors. And it is true, these schemes can and do carry security and governance risks which may undermine state sovereignty and service delivery.

On the other hand, the scheme provides much-needed revenue for a country like Vanuatu, which is faced with frequent devastating natural disasters and limited ways to raise funds by other means. In 2022, the scheme contributed up to 50% of the Vanuatu government’s revenue, providing an economic buffer post-COVID and through a series of cyclones and earthquakes. This paradox means that while Western donors would likely much rather that Vanuatu scrapped its CBI program, successive governments have been unable or unwilling to do so due to the significant revenue it produces for the country. This continues to be the case, despite a recent downturn in revenue from the scheme.

Given this paradox, you might expect that media reporting on the CBI program evenly reflected both its benefits and drawbacks.

That’s not what we found.

In our analysis, we compiled a corpus of 71 media articles that were published between 2013 and mid-2023 from three key international media outlets: New Zealand’s public broadcaster RNZ, Australia’s public broadcaster ABC News and the Australian edition of independent British newspaper The Guardian. This timeframe captures initial discussions about the resurrection of the CBI programme in Vanuatu and more recent developments.

Through a discourse analysis, we found that most references in our corpus (almost two thirds of the 71 articles) to Vanuatu’s CBI scheme reflected Western concerns that we labelled the “security-governance nexus” (this included alarm about corruption, crime, security and other concerns about the scheme). Most prominent were articles about the Chinese clientele of the scheme, drawing on geopolitical fears in the West. Conversely, slightly more than one-fifth of references highlighted the counter-geopolitical narrative that mentioned the economic and development benefits of the scheme.

We also show how media reports that emphasise the security-governance nexus reflect historical and current day discourse about the Pacific Islands as a region of “fragile” states.

It is, of course, important that the media in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere reports on corruption, insecurity, money laundering and other problems in Vanuatu and across the region. CBI schemes can be subject to the types of abuses that are highlighted by the media. In an ideal world they wouldn’t exist.

But they do.

Indeed, around 60 countries in the world have golden passport or visa schemes that help governments raise money; the new US administration is currently considering introducing a new gold card visa which is slated to cost each applicant US$5 million and New Zealand has just expanded its golden visa scheme. In the Pacific, Nauru has just introduced its own CBI scheme and Solomon Islands is also considering one.

While there are genuine issues to address, particularly around due diligence, the media’s failure to explain the economic benefits of CBI creates a risk that the public and policymakers misunderstand why the scheme persists in Vanuatu.

Getting the balance right matters as media reporting can have very real consequences. Media reports in our corpus likely shaped the EU’s recent decision to revoke visa-free access for Vanuatu citizens to Europe and the UK’s similar decision in 2023. This month it has been reported that US president Donald Trump is looking to ban citizens from certain countries entering the US and those countries are currently listed under three categories. Vanuatu is said to appear on the yellow list, which means countries have 60 days to address deficiency concerns or risk being moved to a category with restrictions.

Given that, through Freedom of Information requests, we found that Australian and New Zealand officials are also influenced by such media, they too might become less willing to engage with, and strengthen oversight for, the scheme. They might also be dissuaded to work with the Vanuatu government to develop alternative income streams that are less likely to be subject to corruption, insecurity and illegality. We have previously argued that pushing to scrap this scheme without providing alterative income streams would be a mistake.

Of course, there are many sources of biased and partial reporting on the issues facing the Pacific island countries, particularly through social media and artificial intelligence. However, if traditional media is to better inform the Australian and New Zealand public and policy makers about the region, it would do well to provide a more informative and nuanced account of the challenges facing these countries and the creative, though flawed, ways they have sought to gain economic independence through schemes such as Vanuatu’s CBI.

Note: Read the full open source article “Passports, Prosperity and Problems: (Counter)geopolitical Narratives of Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Investment Scheme“ published by the journal Geopolitics.

Disclosure: This research was supported by the Pacific Research Program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The views are those of the authors only.

This article was first published in the Australian National University’s DevpolicyBlog and has been republished here with the kind permission of the editor(s). The Blog is run out of the Development Policy Centre housed in the Crawford School of Public Policy in the ANU College of Asia and the Pacific at The Australian National University.

Contributing Author(s): Grant Walton is an associate professor at the Development Policy Centre and the author of Anti-Corruption and its Discontents: Local, National and International Perspectives on Corruption in Papua New Guinea. Henrietta McNeill is a Research Fellow (Pacific security, geopolitics, regionalism) at the Department of Pacific Affairs at the ANU.

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Women’s sexual pleasure is still taboo – but the Kamasutra tells a different story

By
Contributing Author
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Representative image: Kamasutra (Source: CANVA)

By Sharha

For some people, the Kamasutra is little more than a name associated with condom brands, scented oils and chocolates shaped into erotic positions. In India, where sex remains a taboo subject, this ancient sex manual has often been reduced to merely a “dirty book”.

But beneath this narrow view lies a deeper message: the Kamasutra is a treatise on sexual autonomy, one that could be revolutionary for women.

In Indian society, women’s sexual pleasure is often invisible, buried beneath layers of cultural silence. Women are often taught to suppress their desires, their voices stifled by traditions that prioritise male needs. Yet, it was in this very country that the Kamasutra was written.

Composed in the ancient Sanskrit language in the 3rd century by the Indian philosopher Vatsyayana, the Kamasutra is more than a book about sexual positions. The word “kama” means love, sex, desire and pleasure, while “sutra” translates to a treatise. The text explores relationships, ethics and social norms. It offers a framework for mutual respect and understanding between partners.

In her 2016 book Redeeming the Kamasutra, scholar of Indian culture and society Wendy Doniger argues that Vatsyayana was an advocate of women’s pleasure as well as stressing their right to education and the freedom to express desire. Far from reinforcing male dominance, the Kamasutra originally emphasised the importance of mutual enjoyment and consent. It presents sex as a shared experience rather than a male conquest.

A black and white photo of Sir Richard Burton sitting down reading a book.
Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 – 1890). Rischgitz/Stringer/Wikimedia

The perception of the Kamasutra as a male-centred sex manual can be traced back to its first English translation by Sir Richard Burton in 1883.

Burton, a British soldier and explorer, omitted or altered passages that highlighted women’s autonomy. It shifted their role from active participants to passive recipients of male pleasure.

In contrast, scholars such as Ganesh Saili have argued that the Kamasutra originally depicted women as equal partners in intimacy. According to the text, women communicated their needs through gestures, emotions and words, ensuring that their pleasure was just as valued as men’s. Importantly, conversation played a central role in intimacy, reinforcing the necessity of a woman’s consent before having sex.

Despite this rich history, Indian society continues to largely suppress discussions around female sexuality. Indian sex educator and journalist Leeza Mangaldas argues that women’s sexual pleasure remains a taboo topic, policed by cultural expectations that dictate women must remain silent, subservient and sexually inactive before marriage.

Social scientist, Deepa Narayan, argues that this suppression begins at home. Girls are often taught to deny their own bodies and prioritise male desires.

The title page of Sir Richard Burton's translation of the Kama Sutra
The title page of the 1883 edition of Sir Richard Burton’s translation. Ms Sarah Welch/Wikimedia, CC BY

This control extends to patriarchal social norms that uphold virginity as a virtue for women while imposing no such expectation on men. Sex is framed as something women “give” rather than something they experience. Pleasure is seen as a right for males but merely an afterthought for females. Sex is for men but for women, it is only for producing babies.

Yet the Kamasutra itself tells a different story. In its original form, it described women as active participants in their pleasure and compared their sensuality to the delicacy of flowers – requiring care, attention and respect.

My own research explores “Kamasutra feminism”. This is the idea that this ancient text is not just about sex but about sexual autonomy. It challenges patriarchal norms by promoting women’s freedom to articulate their desires and take control of their pleasure. The Kamasutra rejects the notion that women’s sexuality should be regulated or repressed. Instead, it advocates for mutual satisfaction and consent.

Doniger describes the Kamasutra as a feminist text, citing its emphasis on women choosing their partners, expressing their desires freely and engaging in pleasurable sexual relationships. It recognises economic independence as a crucial factor in women’s sexual autonomy. Financial freedom is linked to the ability to make personal choices.

A ancient page featuring Sanskrit.
An original Kamasutra manuscript page preserved in the vaults of the Raghunath Temple in Jammu & Kashmir. Ms Sarah Welch/Wikimedia, CC BY

Patriarchy versus sexual liberty

Ultimately, the Kamasutra represents a clash between patriarchy – where women’s sexuality is controlled – and a vision of sexual liberty. It offers an alternative narrative, one where seduction is about mutual enjoyment rather than male domination. Its teachings encourage open discussions about intimacy, allowing women to reclaim their voices in relationships.

For more than a century, the Kamasutra has been misinterpreted, its radical message buried beneath layers of censorship and cultural shame. But if we look beyond its erotic reputation, we find a text that speaks to the importance of consent, equality and female agency.

Reclaiming the Kamasutra as a guide for sexual empowerment could help dismantle deeply ingrained taboos and reshape the conversation around women’s pleasure. In a world where female desire is still widely policed, this ancient manuscript reminds us that women’s pleasure is not a luxury, but a right.

Sharha, PhD Candidate in Kamasutra Feminism, Cardiff Metropolitan University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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“Hearts in Harmony” – Grand celestial wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in Australia

By
Pallavi Jain
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(Image: ChatGPT)

Chinmaya Mission Australia is organising “Hearts in Harmony – Shiva Vivah” – a unique and grand celestial wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati in Sydney.

The legend of the divine wedding will be narrated over four captivating evenings with interactive spiritual talks and cultural performances by local artists.

The Global Head of Chinmaya Mission Swami Swaroopananda will be the speaker at the event (25 -28 March 2025).  

He will be taking the audience on a journey that will unravel the profound depths of love, faith, devotion and provide his invaluable insights into the sanctity of marriage and family life. There will be a parallel children’s program for younger children. This is an event for the entire family.

According to Chinmaya Mission, it is a global movement dedicated to spiritual awakening, selfless service and cultural enrichment. The mission seeks to empower individuals of all ages to grow, serve and uplift society through profound Vedantic wisdom, dynamic study forums and impactful social initiatives. It is known worldwide for its Vedantic educational, cultural and charitable work in community upliftment.

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Celebrating her story: Women of Wyndham and MWOW mark International Women’s Day with purpose and pride at Victorian Parliament

By
Bureau Report
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International Women's Day Celebration at Parliament of Victoria Image-Source-Supplied-
International Women's Day Celebration at Parliament of Victoria Image-Source-Supplied-

The majestic halls of the Victorian Parliament echoed with celebration and purpose on Monday as community organisations Women of Wyndham (WOW), Multicultural Women of the World (MWOW), and Multicultural Consulting Services (MCS) jointly hosted a powerful International Women’s Day 2025 event under the theme: “Celebrating Migrant Women’s Contribution in Victoria’s Big Build.”

The event spotlighted the pivotal role migrant women have played in building Victoria’s infrastructure and workforce—while simultaneously advocating for support, recognition, and equality.

Minister for Women and Prevention of Family Violence, Natalie Hutchins, graced the occasion as Chief Guest and delivered a heartfelt keynote.

“We cannot talk about Victoria’s growth without acknowledging the women—particularly migrant women—who have contributed to it from the ground up,” said Minister Hutchins.

“WOW, MWOW, and MCS have been trailblazers in providing support to victims of family violence, offering a pathway to healing through employment, education and empowerment.”

Joining her were special guests Minister Natalie Suleyman, VMC Chair Viv Nguyen, and MP Luba Grigorovitch, all of whom underscored the urgency of gender equity and inclusive policies for migrant women.

“The resilience and resourcefulness of migrant women deserve not just celebration—but serious investment and structural support,”

said Viv Nguyen.

The celebration also honoured several community champions and organisations whose commitment to supporting survivors of family violence has had a meaningful impact. These changemakers have worked across sectors to connect survivors with housing, skills training, and career opportunities, making a tangible difference in the lives of hundreds of women.

No alternative text description for this image

At the heart of the movement stood Monica Sharma Raizada, whose leadership across WOW and MWOW was praised by many for mobilising grassroots efforts and securing strategic partnerships.

“Monica’s vision and commitment have transformed how we support migrant women in Victoria,” said a fellow community leader.

“Her work has redefined what true empowerment looks like.”

Former VMC Commissioner Sisay Dinku was also recognised for his long-standing contributions to settlement services, training and corporate engagement aimed at enabling newly arrived migrants to become self-reliant.

“This event wasn’t just a celebration—it was a statement,” said Monica Sharma Raizada.

“A statement that migrant women are not just participants in our society—they are leaders, builders, and changemakers.”

The event concluded with a renewed commitment from WOW, MWOW, and MCS to continue advocating for inclusive policies, economic opportunities, and a future free from violence for all women—regardless of background.

As International Women’s Day 2025 draws to a close, the message from the Victorian Parliament is clear: migrant women are central to Victoria’s progress—and their voices, stories and contributions must be at the forefront of every conversation on equity and empowerment.

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Manbir Rooprai, Richard Kennedy and Charlene Gatt charged over alleged $1m NDIS fraud

By
Bureau Report
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Image Source- Facebook

A married couple and their associate have been charged over a brazen $1 million fraud scheme targeting the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), following an extensive five-month investigation by NSW Police.

Manbir Rooprai, 32, along with Richard John Kennedy, 36 and his wife Charlene Gatt, 31 were arrested on Wednesday in connection to an alleged fraudulent operation involving fake invoices and unregistered support services on the state’s Mid North Coast.

Manbir Rooprai, 32, has also been charged with multiple alleged offences. Credit: Facebook

NSW Police allege that the trio operated an unregistered NDIS support provider, submitting fraudulent claims for services never rendered to vulnerable Australians. According to investigators, the accused exploited the NDIS framework to funnel money into personal accounts, fabricating services for individuals with disabilities.

The arrests followed coordinated raids across four properties — three in South West Rocks and Arakoon, and a fourth in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. Officers seized a trove of documents, records, and electronic storage devices believed to be linked to the elaborate scheme.

Image: Richard Kennedy, 36, and Charlene Gatt, 31, and anbir Rooprai, 32, has also been charged with multiple alleged offences (Credit: Facebook / Source: 7News)

Richard Kennedy faces the most serious charges, including three counts of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain, one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain a gain and dealing in the proceeds of an indictable crime amounting to more than $1 million.

Charlene Gatt was charged with one count of attempting to dishonestly obtain a financial gain, while Manbir Rooprai faced four counts of dishonestly intending to obtain a gain and two counts of attempted dishonesty.

Rooprai and Kennedy were refused bail and appeared before Kempsey Local Court on Thursday. Gatt, however, was granted strict conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in court on April 10.

Authorities have stressed the seriousness of the case, warning that any abuse of government support systems, particularly one designed to serve vulnerable members of the community, will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police have not ruled out further charges or arrests.

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Delhi High Court denies maintenance to Australian-educated wife, emphasises self-sufficiency

By
Bureau Report
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Delhi High Court; Image Source- CANVA and The Australia Today
Delhi High Court; Image Source- CANVA and The Australia Today

The Delhi High Court of India’s national capital New Delhi has denied interim maintenance to a woman holding a master’s degree from the University of Wollongong, Australia, underscoring that well-educated individuals with prior work experience should not remain unemployed solely to claim alimony from their spouses.​

The petitioner, who married in December 2019 and relocated to Singapore with her husband, returned to India in February 2021, alleging cruelty by her spouse and in-laws.

However, the evidence presented revealed her extensive qualifications, as she had previously worked as an Audit Associate at KPMG in Dubai and later as a Human Resources Manager in her father’s business. She also ventured into entrepreneurship by importing semi-precious jewellery. Despite her qualifications and experience, she sought interim maintenance from her estranged husband, asserting unemployment.​

Justice Chandra Dhari Singh, presiding over the case, remarked,

“A well-educated wife, with experience in a suitable gainful job, ought not to remain idle solely to gain maintenance from her husband.”

He stressed that Section 125 of the CrPC aims to ensure equality among spouses and provide protection, not to promote idleness. ​

An aspect of the case was the examination of a WhatsApp conversation between the petitioner and her mother. In this exchange, the mother advised her daughter against seeking employment, suggesting that doing so could jeopardise her alimony claims.

While the authenticity of this conversation is subject to verification during the trial, the court regarded it as prima facie evidence indicating a deliberate choice to remain unemployed to strengthen the maintenance claim. The timing of this discussion, occurring before the maintenance petition was filed, further implied an intentional strategy to remain jobless to bolster her case.​

The court concluded that the petitioner had not provided evidence of efforts to secure employment or resume her business activities.

Justice Singh remarked,

“The mere assertion of job-seeking, without corroborative evidence, is insufficient to establish genuine efforts at self-sufficiency.”

Consequently, the court upheld the family court’s earlier decision, denying interim maintenance to the petitioner.

This judgment underscores the judiciary’s stance that individuals with substantial qualifications and work experience are expected to seek employment actively and not rely solely on spousal support. It also highlights the importance of genuine efforts toward self-sufficiency in maintenance cases.

This ruling sets a precedent, emphasising that individuals with substantial education and work experience, such as degrees from esteemed institutions like the University of Wollongong, Australia, should utilise their skills for self-reliance instead of depending on spousal support.

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Former Canadian PM blames Khalistani interference in local politics for strained India ties

By
AMIT SARWAL
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File image: Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Source: X)

Former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has expressed deep disappointment over the strained ties between Canada and India, attributing the deterioration to growing influence from Khalistan separatists within the Liberal Party.

Speaking at the NXT Conclave in New Delhi on 28 February, Harper said he was “heartbroken” by the worsening relations and suggested that pro-Khalistan activists had infiltrated Canada’s governing party.

“Frankly, I have been heartbroken to watch the steady deterioration of this relationship under my successor. I don’t think I entirely understand why that is,” Harper remarked at the conference, where his comments were later posted online.

Relations between Ottawa and New Delhi have been in a deep freeze since late 2023, when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged without proof that Indian agents were linked to the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

The baseless accusations led to diplomatic expulsions and heightened tensions, with India denying any involvement and accusing Canada of harbouring extremists advocating for Khalistan.

While Harper did not weigh in on the specific allegations, he criticised Canada’s handling of the issue, arguing that the Trudeau government had prioritised ties with a “fringe minority” over broader India-Canada relations.

“In Canada, you have a right to be a Khalistani. It’s a democratic opinion,” Harper said.

“But it should not be infiltrating our governing party, and it should not be inhibiting good people-to-people relations between India and Canada.”

Harper, who has maintained close ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasised the importance of people-to-people connections between the two nations. He credited Modi’s government for not disrupting these ties despite the current diplomatic tensions.

“It is about time that all political parties and politicians in Canada made building those people-to-people ties the priority – and not the priority of building relations with Khalistanis.”

In 2019, after receiving an award from the Canada India Foundation, Harper had also emphasised his government’s policy of rejecting ties with Khalistan supporters and others seeking to import past conflicts to Canada, calling for this stance to continue.

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Sydney nurses legal team apply to have alleged Israeli threat video struck from evidence

By
Bureau Report
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Sydney Nurses- Image Source- Social media screen grab
Sydney Nurses- Image Source- Social media screen grab

Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir, two former nurses from Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, have sparked a national outcry following the emergence of a video showing them allegedly making violent threats towards Israeli patients.

The video, posted by Israeli influencer Max Veifer, shows the pair discussing their refusal to treat Israeli patients and even threatening to kill them.

Image: Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir in a video posted by Max Veifer (Source: TikTok screenshot)

On March 19, the two faced court for the first time, with both entering the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney under heavy security.

Supporters of Abu Lebdeh shielded her from cameras as she left, while Nadir appeared without comment. Neither defendant spoke during the brief court appearance, which was adjourned until May.

It is reported that Nadir’s lawyer, Zemarai Khatiz, announced plans to apply for the video to be excluded from the case, arguing that it was recorded without Nadir’s consent.

If successful, the move could significantly weaken the prosecution’s case, leaving little evidence to support the charges.

Image: Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir in a video posted by Max Veifer (Source: TikTok screenshot)

Abu Lebdeh, 26, faces charges including threatening violence to a group and using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence. Nadir, 27, has been charged with similar offences and possession of a prohibited drug.

The duo has been barred from practising as nurses by Australia’s health practitioner watchdog, with their registrations suspended by the NSW Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Both nurses remain on bail with strict conditions, including restrictions on social media use and leaving Australia. Their case is expected to be heard in the District Court, where they could face a jury trial and stiffer penalties.

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Dutton pledges major boost for Tasmania’s marine rescue and freight industry

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Opposition leader Peter Dutton in Tasmania (Source: X)

A future Dutton Coalition Government will commit $550,000 to upgrade the Ulverstone Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) facility, ensuring rescue teams have the resources they need to respond swiftly to emergencies and safeguard Tasmanians on the water.

The project, with a total estimated cost of $750,000, will allow the VMR unit to store their newly acquired vessel on-site, eliminating response delays caused by offsite storage. The Central Coast Council has already pledged $200,000 towards the upgrade.

Announcing the funding during a visit to Ulverstone, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton underscored the importance of investing in regional emergency services.

“The men and women of Tasmania’s Volunteer Marine Rescue dedicate their time and skills to saving lives. It is our responsibility to ensure they have the right infrastructure to do their job safely and effectively,” Mr Dutton said.

Criticising Labor’s track record in regional Tasmania, he emphasised the Coalition’s commitment to strengthening emergency services and supporting volunteers.

“Labor has failed to deliver for regional Tasmania. The Coalition, in contrast, is committed to strengthening emergency services, supporting volunteers, and ensuring communities like Ulverstone get the infrastructure they need.”

Liberal Party candidate for Braddon, Mal Hingston, echoed Dutton’s sentiments, highlighting the significance of the project for the local community.

“I’ve heard firsthand from local marine rescue volunteers, boaters, and emergency responders who are frustrated by the limitations of the current facility,” Mr Hingston said.

“When every second counts on the water, this upgrade will mean faster response times and ultimately more lives saved.”

The commitment to the Ulverstone Marine Rescue Facility is part of the Coalition’s broader strategy to invest in essential regional infrastructure. This extends to Tasmania’s freight and transport sector, with a $65 million pledge to strengthen the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme.

Dutton highlighted the challenges Tasmanian businesses face due to rising freight costs, announcing immediate relief and a comprehensive review of the scheme.

“For too long, rising costs have made it harder for Tasmanian producers to compete,” he said.

“Our plan will deliver immediate relief, conduct an independent review to ensure the scheme is fit for purpose, and support those who rely on the Bass Strait Passenger Vehicle Equalisation Scheme.”

During his visit, Dutton met with local business owners, including Grant and the team at Spreyton Cider Company, to discuss the challenges faced by Tasmanian producers.

“This investment will help ensure Tasmania remains competitive and connected to markets across Australia and beyond.”

The Coalition’s plan includes an immediate $3 million investment to review the Tasmanian Freight Equalisation Scheme within the first 100 days of government, while also delivering $62 million in interim assistance. This funding aims to address industry concerns regarding freight cost disadvantages and rising intermodal expenses.

Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Senator Bridget McKenzie, said the Coalition would work to modernise the scheme and cut red tape.

“This scheme was set up to ensure Tasmanian businesses could compete equally with mainlanders,” Senator McKenzie said.

“Over recent years, it hasn’t been working for Tasmanian businesses, and they are rightly frustrated. That’s why a Coalition Government will urgently address the issue through an independent review and fix this inequity once and for all.”

Ensuring Tasmania’s industries remain competitive is a key component of the Coalition’s broader economic plan, which Dutton said was focused on getting the country back on track and securing a strong future for regional Australia.

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Refugee Integration or Political PR? Albanese government’s refugee employment strategy questioned

By
Bureau Report
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Image Source: Facebook Jullian Hill

The Federal Government has announced a 12-month extension of the Economic Pathways to Refugee Integration (EPRI) program to help humanitarian migrants secure employment or start businesses sooner.

While the program has been praised for its ability to fast-track refugee participation in the workforce, questions remain about its long-term impact, sustainability, and the broader challenges facing Australia’s migration and employment systems.

The EPRI program initially launched as a two-year pilot, has provided funding to social enterprises with a track record of successfully helping refugees gain employment. These enterprises offer wraparound support, assisting refugees in overcoming language barriers, lack of local work experience, and systemic employment hurdles.

Image Source: Facebook Jullian Hill

The extension will fund EPRI until June 30, 2026, but critics argue this short-term funding commitment fails to provide stability for refugees or the businesses supporting them.

Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Julian Hill, defended the move, stating:

“This 12-month extension recognises the success of the EPRI program pilot, which supported hundreds of refugees to gain employment or build their own successful businesses in just two years.”

While the government touts EPRI’s success, the program’s 12-month extension raises concerns about whether the initiative is merely a temporary fix rather than a long-term solution to employment barriers faced by refugees.

  • Many refugees struggle to secure employment due to strict visa conditions, discrimination, and a lack of tailored support beyond initial settlement programs.
  • Refugee job seekers often find themselves in low-paid, insecure work due to limited recognition of overseas qualifications.
  • Social enterprises receiving grants have limited capacity, and a short-term funding extension does not guarantee lasting employment for refugees.

However, without additional long-term investment and reform, the EPRI extension does little to address the persistent unemployment and underemployment among refugees. The risk remains that, after the funding runs out, many refugees will once again find themselves struggling to enter the workforce.

A Proven Model, But Is It Scalable?

Huy Truong, Executive Chair and Co-Founder of Thrive Refugee Enterprise welcomed the funding but acknowledged the scale of the challenge:

“It’s terrific news the government is extending the EPRI program for another year to enable more refugees to productively participate in the Australian economy.”

Thrive Refugee Enterprise has helped over 4,000 refugees access business information, provided one-on-one consultations to 920, and supported the creation of 215 small businesses under EPRI funding. While these numbers are commendable, they barely scratch the surface of Australia’s growing refugee population, many of whom continue to face systemic employment challenges.

Will This Solve the Problem?

As economic participation is crucial for successful refugee integration, EPRI alone cannot fix the broader employment and settlement challenges facing humanitarian migrants. The government’s short-term funding cycle, coupled with a lack of clear long-term strategy, leaves refugees in limbo. Without a stronger commitment to permanent funding, structural employment reforms, and better recognition of refugee skills, the government risks repeating the cycle of temporary solutions with no lasting impact.

Refugee advocates and social enterprises have called for permanent funding for employment and business support programs rather than short-term extensions that leave participants uncertain about their futures.

With rising concerns over cost-of-living pressures and job security, the question remains: Is the Albanese Government truly committed to long-term refugee integration, or is this just another political band-aid to buy time?

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Three-time Canadian Hindu MP Chandra Arya dropped as candidate post Liberal leadership race tension

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Canadian Liberal MP Chandra Arya (Source: X)

Liberal MP Chandra Arya’s nomination to run for re-election in Nepean has been revoked, adding another twist to the party’s leadership shake-up.

The three-term MP, who has represented the Ottawa riding since 2015, was informed of the decision in a letter from national campaign director Andrew Bevan—just days before an expected election call.

Arya had already been nominated, but the party’s “green light committee” reportedly uncovered new information, prompting the campaign co-chair to recommend his disqualification. It is reported that Bevan did not disclose the nature of this information.

Sharing the news on social media, Arya called his time as an MP the “responsibility of my life.” While expressing disappointment, he said,

“It does not diminish the profound honour and privilege it has been to serve the people of Nepean — and all Canadians — since 2015.”

MP Chandra Arya dedicated his career to improving lives, with a focus on affordable housing, financial security for seniors and workers, and advancing Canada’s technological leadership. With a background in engineering and an MBA, he serves on parliamentary committees for international trade and industry.

Before politics, Arya was involved in economic development through Invest Ottawa and held leadership roles in various community and business organisations. His diverse professional experience spans engineering, finance, entrepreneurship, and investment advising.

This is not the first time Arya has been sidelined by his party. In January, the Liberals barred him from entering the leadership race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, a move Arya suggested raised “significant questions” about the race’s legitimacy.

With an election call expected as early as Sunday, Canada’s political landscape is facing increased scrutiny, particularly over concerns that both major parties are engaging in political pandering to Khalistani extremist factions.

Arya won re-election in Nepean in both the 2021 and 2019 Canadian federal elections. In 2021, he received 45.1% of the vote, slightly down from 45.9% in 2019. Arya has successfully retained his seat despite a small decline in his vote share, maintaining a strong lead over his competitors in both elections.

Arya’s removal has opened a potential seat for Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor with no prior political experience. It remains uncertain whether he will contest a riding in Ottawa, Toronto, or Edmonton. A final decision on whether the federal election will be held on April 28 or May 5 is still pending.

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“Know your history, because our history is yours too”: Fiji’s Deputy PM urges global recognition of Indian girmit history

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji Prof. Biman Prasad (Source: Facebook)

Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Prof. Biman Prasad, has urged the international community to formally recognise the history and struggles of indentured Indian labourers, or girmityas, by establishing an International Day on Girmit.

Speaking via Viber at the “Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Indian Diaspora: The Way Forward” conference at the University of Calcutta on 20 March, he called for global acknowledgment of their sacrifices and suffering.

Image: Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Prof. Biman Prasad, speaking via Viber at the “Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Indian Diaspora: The Way Forward” conference at the University of Calcutta on 20 March (Source: Facebook)

“For nearly a century, over a million Indians were shipped out from this very port and other colonial ports, including over 60,000 to Fiji,” Prof. Prasad told a distinguished audience that included West Bengal Governor Dr C.V. Ananda Bose and leading Indian academics.

“Their stories were buried, hidden in broad daylight. Today, as their descendants, we must reclaim and preserve their histories.”

Describing the brutal conditions under which Indians were taken to British colonies, Prof. Prasad challenged the long-standing narrative that indenture was voluntary. “I have not heard of one account of our ancestors voluntarily signing up for indenture,” he said.

“Yet, this was the story that was sold to us. It was not until Mahatma Gandhi’s journey to South Africa that India began to understand the full inhumanity of this system.”

Prof. Prasad praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent commitment to preserving girmit history through research, film, and education but stressed the need for further action. “As with slavery, the time for an International Day on Girmit has arrived,” he said.

“I encourage countries represented here to collectively work on this proposal within the United Nations framework.”

Beyond historical recognition, he called on businesses and institutions that profited from the indenture system to confront their past.

“To those who benefited from this dark chapter of history, my message is simple: Know your history, because our history is yours too.”

Highlighting the strengthening relationship between Fiji and India under the current Fijian government, Prof. Prasad noted high-level engagements and collaborations in health, education, and trade. He also spoke of the spiritual resilience of girmityas, who found solace in the Ramayan amidst their suffering.

“I cannot convey to all of you how much Ramayan meant to our ancestors in their ‘coolie lines’, on the plantations, and across the farms of colonial Fiji,” he said.

“When the reality of slavery sunk in, most of our families had not much else but their scriptures to fall back on. Hindu girmityas looked to the Ramayan.”

Image: Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Prof. Biman Prasad, at Ram Lalla Mandir in Ayodhyay (Source: Facebook)

In Lord Ram’s story, they saw a reflection of their own exile.

“The ‘kaala pani’ that they were forced to cross to reach Fiji became their own Ram seetu—a bridge they hoped to one day cross back. In my family’s case, this happened three generations later. I became the first in my family to make that return trip to India—a journey denied to my ancestors.”

For many girmityas, the Ramayan was their most cherished possession. “Colonial authorities made it next to impossible to bring Ramayan into the colony,” Prof. Prasad noted.

“We have all heard stories of Ramayan being seized and destroyed during the indentured period. This too is a part of our own history.”

Image: Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji Prof. Biman Prasad (Source: Facebook)

Communities came together to preserve their faith. “Whole villages collectively safeguarded the Ramayan. Our Ramayan Mandalis rotated from home to home each week, providing solace and strength,” he said.

“Elder girmityas comforted the newly arrived, using lessons from the Ramayan about endurance and the eventual victory of righteousness. When no one seemed to stand with girmityas, they had Lord Ram in their lives.”

Every week, their grandparents reflected on Lord Ram’s struggles and drew strength from them.

“Every anna saved was used to build pathshalas for their children. Every brutality they suffered, they knew Lord Ram and Sita Mata had suffered far worse.”

Image: India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar meeting with H.E. Ratu Wiliame Katonivere, President of Fiji in State House in Suva, 2023 (Source: X)

A century later, their descendants have become full citizens of an independent Fiji, contributing to its governance and prosperity. “Our government has taken our relationship with India to the next level. In the last two years, 16 ministers from Fiji have visited India, and External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar visited Fiji. Our Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka met Prime Minister Modi in Papua New Guinea, bestowing Fiji’s highest honour upon him. Her Excellency the President of India also made a historic visit to Fiji in 2024,” he said, highlighting ongoing collaborations in health, education, and other sectors.

Image: India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar meeting with Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka (Source: X)

Reflecting on his personal connection to the girmit legacy, Prof. Prasad shared the emotional significance of addressing the conference. “I often think about my grandparents. In their last days, they would have looked beyond the shores of Dreketi—my district in Fiji—wondering about their brothers and sisters in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, with whom they were denied contact,” he said.

“They went into their afterlife not knowing how their immediate family had fared. That sadness lives inside each of us to this day. We live with that as we must. That is our girmit.”

Image: Deputy Prime Minister of Fiji, Prof. Biman Prasad, speaking via Viber at the “Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Indian Diaspora: The Way Forward” conference at the University of Calcutta on 20 March (Source: Facebook)

He concluded by expressing the honour he felt addressing the gathering.

“As one of Fiji’s leaders, I have been given this greatest of honour to provide opening remarks at this important conference. I do so on behalf of my grandparents and on behalf of all one million-plus girmityas—on behalf of all who were denied that journey back home in their lifetimes.”

Prof. Prasad’s speech, despite being delivered remotely, struck a deep chord with the audience, reinforcing the urgency of preserving and honouring the girmitya legacy on a global stage.

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Premier Roger Cook Unveils New Cabinet to Shape the Future of Western Australia

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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WA Ministers: Image Source: Supplied
WA Ministers: Image Source: Supplied

Western Australia’s Premier Roger Cook has announced his new Cabinet, assembling a team of experienced and fresh faces to drive his government’s ambitious vision for the state. The newly formed Cabinet, featuring three new Ministers, will focus on economic diversification, renewable energy, manufacturing, and improved health infrastructure to ensure WA’s continued prosperity.

Premier Cook’s Bold Vision for WA

Premier Roger Cook reiterated his government’s commitment to strengthening WA’s economy, backing its resources industry, and diversifying into emerging sectors, including renewable energy.

“My new Cabinet team has the experience, energy, and talent to deliver for all Western Australians,” Cook stated.

“We will never stop working to repay the trust Western Australia has put in our Government.

My Government has a bold vision for Western Australia—one that builds a future made in WA, ensuring our state is a renewable energy powerhouse, creates more jobs, and invests in training skilled workers.”

The Cabinet includes Girrawheen MLA Meredith Hammat, Kingsley MLA Jessica Stojkovski, and Upper House MP Matthew Swinbourn as the latest additions to the executive team. These new Ministers will work alongside key figures, including Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti and Ministers Stephen Dawson, Jackie Jarvis, Paul Papalia, Dr Tony Buti, Simone McGurk, Amber-Jade Sanderson, John Carey, Don Punch, Reece Whitby, Sabine Winton, David Michael, and Hannah Beazley.

Daniel Pastorelli, the Member-elect for Landsdale, has been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier as well as Cabinet Secretary. Additionally, Divina D’Anna (MLA for Kimberley) and David Scaife (MLA for Cockburn) have been named as Parliamentary Secretaries to the Premier.

Cook Government Cabinet:

Hon Roger Cook MLAPremier; Minister for State Development; Trade and Investment; Economic Diversification
Hon Rita Saffioti MLADeputy Premier; Treasurer; Transport; Sport and Recreation
Hon Stephen Dawson MLCMinister for Regional Development; Ports; Science and Innovation; Medical Research; Kimberley
Hon Jackie Jarvis MLCMinister for Agriculture and Food; Fisheries; Forestry; Small Business; Mid West
Hon Paul Papalia MLAMinister for Emergency Services; Corrective Services; Defence Industries; Veterans; Racing and Gaming
Hon Dr Tony Buti MLAAttorney General; Minister for Commerce; Tertiary and International Education; Multicultural Interests
Hon Simone McGurk MLAMinister for Creative Industries; Heritage; Industrial Relations; Aged Care and Seniors; Women
Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson MLAMinister for Energy and Decarbonisation; Manufacturing; Skills and TAFE; Pilbara
Hon John Carey MLAMinister for Planning and Lands; Housing and Works; Health Infrastructure
Hon Don Punch MLAMinister for Aboriginal Affairs; Water; Climate Resilience; South West
Hon Reece Whitby MLAMinister for Police; Road Safety; Tourism; Great Southern
Hon Sabine Winton MLAMinister for Education; Early Childhood; Preventative Health; Wheatbelt
Hon David Michael MLAMinister for Mines and Petroleum; Finance; Electoral Affairs; Goldfields-Esperance; Leader of the House
Hon Hannah Beazley MLAMinister for Local Government; Disability Services; Volunteering; Youth; Gascoyne
Hon Jessica Stojkovski MLAChild Protection; Prevention of Family and Domestic Violence; Assisting the Minister for Transport; Peel
Hon Matthew Swinbourn MLCMinister for the Environment; Community Services; Homelessness
Hon Meredith Hammat MLAMinister for Health; Mental Health

Parliamentary Secretary

Daniel Pastorelli MLAParliamentary Secretary to the Premier; Cabinet Secretary
Divina D’Anna MLAParliamentary Secretary to the Premier
David Scaife MLAParliamentary Secretary to the Premier
Hon Samantha Rowe MLCParliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier
Yaz Mubarakai MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Dr Tony Buti
Hon Pierre Yang MLCParliamentary Secretary to Minister Meredith Hammat
Jodie Hanns MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson
Cassie Rowe MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Simone McGurk
Emily Hamilton MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Sabine Winton
Lisa O’Malley MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Stephen Dawson
Caitlin Collins MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Paul Papalia
Hon Dan Caddy MLCParliamentary Secretary to Minister Dr Tony Buti
Dr Katrina StrattonParliamentary Secretary to Minister John Carey
Kim Giddens MLAParliamentary Secretary to Minister Matthew Swinbourn

New and Strategic Portfolios for Key Sectors

The Cook Government has introduced new portfolios that align with its long-term plan for WA. These include:

  • Health Infrastructure – A dedicated focus on expanding WA’s healthcare system, including the Women’s and Babies Hospital project, emergency department upgrades, and regional hospital expansions.
  • Preventative Health – Aiming to reduce long-term demand on hospitals by focusing on proactive healthcare measures.
  • Aged Care and Seniors – Enhancing collaboration with the Commonwealth to ensure better-aged care services and ease pressure on hospitals.
  • Economic Diversification and Manufacturing – Strengthening WA’s position in global markets by investing in skills training, innovation, and local job creation.

Additionally, dedicated Ministers have been assigned to focus on regional communities, ensuring local jobs and infrastructure development remain a top priority.

Commitment to Renewable Energy and Housing

The state’s transition towards renewable energy and sustainable housing solutions will shape WA’s economic future. The Housing and Works portfolio will spearhead government-led building initiatives, while the Energy and Decarbonisation portfolio, led by Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson, will focus on WA’s commitment to renewable energy and exiting coal-fired power generation.

“In these globally uncertain times, my priority is to make the WA economy more resilient by establishing our State as a renewable energy powerhouse.”

“This will drive our commitment to exit coal-fired power generation, help our trading partners decarbonise, and ensure secure and affordable energy,”

said Cook.

The Cook Government has structured the Cabinet to align with its Made in WA vision, ensuring continued economic strength, innovation, and investment in public services.

“It is a vision that will deliver a strong, diversified economy by training highly skilled workers to make more things here, build more homes, and provide the services every Western Australian should have access to, no matter where they live in this great state,”

Cook affirmed.

With portfolios designed to target WA’s most pressing challenges, the newly formed Cook Cabinet is ready to get to work.

“It’s now time for my new Cabinet to get to work, to deliver for Western Australians, and to do what’s right for WA,” Cook concluded.

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Albanese slashes PBS script costs to $25, promises cheaper medicines for millions of Australians

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Prime mInister Albnaese at Medicare Urgent Care Clinic (Source: X)

Millions of Australians will soon pay no more than $25 for vital medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), with the Albanese Government delivering another major cost-of-living measure in next week’s Budget.

The move marks a more than 20 per cent reduction in the maximum price of PBS medicines, saving Australians over $200 million each year. It is the second major cut to medicine costs under the Labor Government, following the largest reduction in PBS history in 2023.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the initiative would help Australians manage everyday expenses while keeping inflation in check.

“My Government will continue to deliver cost-of-living relief for all Australians,” he said.

“Cheaper medicines is another way we are helping with the cost of living, while putting downward pressure on inflation – our number one focus.”

The last time PBS medicines cost no more than $25 was in 2004. From January 2026, Labor’s $689 million investment will ensure that four out of five PBS medicines are cheaper for Australians. Pensioners and concession cardholders will continue to benefit from the freeze on their PBS medicine costs, locked at $7.70 until 2030.

Health Minister Mark Butler said the policy would not only support household budgets but also improve health outcomes.

“The last time Australians paid no more than $25 for a PBS medicine was over 20 years ago. Cheaper medicines are good for the hip pocket and good for your health.”

He contrasted Labor’s commitment to lower medicine prices with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s past record as health minister.

Labor has already delivered a series of cost-cutting measures for medicines, including:

  • A 25 per cent reduction in the number of scripts needed before the PBS Safety Net kicks in (July 2022)
  • The largest cut to the cost of medicines in PBS history, lowering the maximum script price from $42.50 to $30 (January 2023)
  • 60-day prescriptions for Australians with ongoing health conditions (phased in from September 2023)
  • Freezing PBS co-payments to stop prices rising with inflation for the first time in 25 years (January 2025)

Albanese reinforced the Government’s commitment to affordable healthcare.

“With cheaper medicines, more free GP visits and a stronger Medicare, we say to Australians: we’ve got your back.”

Albanese has also announced a significant boost to healthcare access, with a commitment to increase bulk billing for all Australians. “We want more GPs to have signs like this out front – which is why we’re boosting bulk billing for all Australians,” he said.

Albanese also revealed plans to open 50 more free Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, building on the 87 already operating, ensuring that Australians can access the healthcare they need when they need it.

“With Labor, you’ll be able to see the GP for free.”

If re-elected, the Albanese Government will introduce legislation to bring the $25 PBS maximum script cost into effect from January 1, 2026.

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Pakistan spreads misinformation against India on Basmati rice claims in Australia and New Zealand

By
AMIT SARWAL
-
Representative image: Basmati Rice (Source: CANVA)

Pakistan media recently published reports allegedly claiming that India’s ownership claims for Basmati rice have been rejected in New Zealand and Australia and that Pakistan got recognition for its Basmati rice in these countries.

Highly placed sources in the Government of India told local media that these reports are false and misleading, propagated by ill-informed news channels in Pakistan.

The fact remains that India already holds a logo mark registration in New Zealand for Basmati, while Pakistan has no such registration. As for the remaining applications filed by India in New Zealand and Australia, these are still under consideration by the courts and tribunals in these countries. No registrations have been granted to Pakistan in either of these countries to date. Sources told local media in India that these cases regarding ownership claims on Basmati are still pending in New Zealand and Australia.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Exports Development Authority (APEDA), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Government of India, has been actively engaged in the protection and prosecution of its Basmati name and logo certification trademark applications in New Zealand and Australia. Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) has also filed objections to APEDA application for Basmati in Australia.

A senior APEDA official told Rural Voice that the matter is set for trial before the Federal Court of Australia in April 2025 regarding India’s application for Basmati name registration. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s objections to India’s claim over the Basmati trademark are pending with Australia’s Intellectual Property Office. Pakistan’s own application for Basmati registration is still at the examination stage in Australia. The APEDA official also rejected Pakistan media reports as false and incorrect.

In New Zealand, India already holds a logo mark registration valid until August 28, 2028. Pakistan, on the other hand, has no such registration in New Zealand. A hearing is scheduled in the New Zealand High Court this month on Pakistan’s claim to the name Basmati, while Pakistan’s application for the Basmati trademark in New Zealand’s Intellectual Property Office is also pending, said the APEDA official.

India has also applied for Geographical Indication (GI) protection for Basmati in the European Union (EU), a process that is still ongoing. In response, Pakistan has submitted its application, which India has formally objected to. India applied for the GI tag much before Pakistan, as India had an established GI law since 1999, whereas Pakistan enacted its GI law only in 2022. Notably, Pakistan’s application controversially includes regions like Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK) and Balochistan, where Basmati is not traditionally grown. India lodged a detailed protest against this misrepresentation in the EU last year.

The battle over Basmati ownership between India and Pakistan has persisted for years. A 2008 joint meeting between both nations initially proposed a cooperative GI application, recognizing 14 districts in Pakistan and seven states in India as Basmati-producing regions. However, due to strained relations, this plan was never implemented. India formally applied for the GI tag in the EU in 2018, but the application was put on hold. When Pakistan applied in 2022, the EU processed it on a fast track. Pakistan subsequently expanded its Basmati-producing districts from 14 to 44, including four districts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Since Pakistan does not have provisions for making GI applications public, India only learnt of these claims after Pakistan’s EU application was published for objections.

Basmati rice commands a premium in international markets, with prices significantly higher than non-Basmati varieties. India annually exports Basmati worth approximately AUD9 billion, making it one of the most valuable agricultural exports. With both countries competing for market dominance, the dispute over Basmati ownership has reached international forums and courts. India continues to actively defend its Basmati heritage through legal channels in multiple jurisdictions. The upcoming hearings in New Zealand and Australia, along with the EU’s pending decision on GI status, will be crucial in determining the future of Basmati’s global recognition and trade rights.

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Paper out, digital in: Australia’s travel declaration goes high-tech for Qantas at this airport

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Incoming passenger card; Image Source- CANVA and The Australia Today
Incoming passenger card; Image Source- CANVA and The Australia Today

From March 19, 2025, the Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) pilot program has expanded to include eligible passengers on all international Qantas flights arriving at Brisbane Airport (BNE).

This initiative, led by the Australian Border Force (ABF) in collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and Qantas, aims to modernise border processing by replacing the traditional paper-based Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) with a seamless digital alternative.

ABF Commissioner Gavan Reynolds hailed the expansion as a milestone in Australia’s efforts to integrate technology into its border security framework.

“The expansion of the Australian Travel Declaration pilot program marks a significant advancement in our mission to modernise border processes and enhance the traveller experience,”

Commissioner Reynolds said.

“The positive feedback so far has demonstrated a clear demand for a more efficient and user-friendly approach. As we prepare for global events like the 2032 Olympics, the ABF is committed to using technology to create a seamless travel experience while maintaining our high standards of security and compliance.”

The ATD pilot program initially launched on October 21, 2024, for single-passenger bookings on Qantas flights from New Zealand to Brisbane. Last week, the program expanded to flights from Los Angeles Airport (LAX), and with today’s update, it now applies to all Qantas international flights arriving at BNE, covering both single and multi-passenger bookings.

Deputy Secretary of Biosecurity at DAFF, Justine Saunders, highlighted the program’s effectiveness in improving efficiency while strengthening Australia’s biosecurity framework.

“We are excited to partner with the ABF and Qantas in this innovative approach to managing biosecurity risk at the border,” Saunders said.

“Trial findings so far have demonstrated a more seamless traveler experience while allowing biosecurity officers to increase their focus on detecting non-compliance and managing risky goods.”

Passengers using the ATD can complete their digital declaration via the Qantas app before departure, receiving a digital pass with a QR code. Upon arrival in Brisbane, they present the QR code to ABF officers for streamlined clearance.

Qantas Group Chief Customer and Digital Officer, Catriona Larritt, emphasised the airline’s commitment to enhancing the customer experience.

“We’ve received positive feedback following the first phase of the Australia Travel Declaration pilot, so we know our customers will be pleased about this expansion of the program to all international inbound flights to Brisbane,”

Larritt said.

Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff also welcomed the initiative, particularly with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon.

“We’re huge advocates at Brisbane Airport for modernising the border, so we’re excited to see the expansion of the digital arrival card program after such a successful pilot here last year,” de Graaff stated.

“With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and major tourism growth fast approaching, we must do all we can to make people’s journey to Brisbane smooth, and modernizing and digitizing the border is an essential part of that.”

Since the program’s inception, nearly 12,000 passengers have used the digital declaration system. Many participants have expressed their approval, with responses such as “It’s about time,” “It made my life easier; I wasn’t reaching for that pen,” and “It was awesome; I’m already out.”

The ATD pilot at Brisbane Airport is expected to provide valuable insights into future expansions, potentially extending to other airports and airlines in Australia.

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The next round in the US trade war has the potential to be more damaging for Australia

By
Contributing Author
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Representative image: Medicine (Source: CANVA)

By Felicity Deane

On April 2 the United States is set to implement a new wave of tariffs under its Fair and Reciprocal Trade Plan. Details of the plan that will impact all US trading partners are not yet known, but the US administration has suggested these tariffs will target any rules it considers “unfair”.

This means the April 2 tariffs may take aim at a range of Australian domestic policies, such as biosecurity rules that govern food imports, and the government’s Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

The size of the hit is uncertain. One report indicates a relatively modest tariff between 2% and 8% is being considered, below the 25% rate imposed on steel and aluminium on March 12. But it will apply to a much larger set of exports.

Australia and the US have been allies for over a century. The two nations celebrated a “century of mateship” in 2018. More formally, the two countries have a current free trade agreement, Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA).

The agreement was negotiated in good faith, and entered into force on January 1, 2005. It called for the elimination of tariffs between the two nations over time, and until now both parties have upheld their respective bargains. The so-called “reciprocal” tariff plan would breach that agreement.

What sectors are likely to be targeted?

The Trump reference to non-tariff barriers raises two main concerns for Australian products: meat and pharmaceuticals.

These exports to the US are worth about A$3.3 billion and $1.6 billion a year respectively. That’s about five times the total value of our steel and aluminium exports to the US.

In Australia, domestic beef products are subject to strict traceability rules. Similarly, imported beef has rigid biosecurity requirements as it is classified as a high-risk food.

This is because of the potential risk of mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy). This disease was detected in the US in 2002 and triggered an Australian ban on US beef products.

The ban was partially lifted in 2018, but some restrictions remain, which the US says are a barrier to trade. This was also raised by the Biden administration in a 2024 report on trade barriers.

The US cannot force Australia to change its laws on the basis of tariffs – but they can make products coming from Australian suppliers more expensive and therefore restrict market access to the US, which many Australian producers rely on.

A tariff on Australian-sourced beef products would also push up prices for American consumers. Trade Minister Don Farrell has warned the price of a McDonald’s burger may increase.

Medicines are also in the line of fire

Turning to pharmaceuticals, the Australian PBS has been a sticking point between US and Australian trade negotiators for the past 20 years.  

The PBS, which has been in place since 1948, ensures Australians have affordable access to essential medicines. It formed part of discussions during the free-trade negotiations and has been raised as a potential barrier to trade.

The US argues innovation and unfettered market access for American drug companies should be prioritised over Australia’s reference pricing arrangements. Reference pricing means medicines with similar outcomes should have similar pricing.

The reason the US has a problem with this scheme is because some of their companies are not able to charge higher prices for medicines.

Although these are the categories of most concern, there is no assurance the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” will be limited to beef and pharmaceuticals.

For instance, there are no barriers imposed on the import of wine into Australia. But there has been some concern tariffs could be introduced regardless.

Wine is often the target of trade wars and President Donald Trump has threatened the European Union with a 200% tariff on all wine and spirits entering the US. As Australian wine makers have only recently recovered from Chinese and Canadian tariffs, any US tariffs would deal a harsh blow to the industry.

An old clip of the former Republican President Ronald Reagan went viral this week, highlighting his quite different view:

Is there any avenue for appeal?

There is one thing that is clear about these tariffs. Their imposition will be in violation of both the WTO rules and the free-trade agreement.

Both have provisions to settle disputes and Australia does have options for filing complaints. However, the rule of law and existing norms of the international order do not appear to be persuasive to the Trump administration.

Despite this, it is important to note the US cannot force Australia to change its longstanding laws that protect consumers and ensure accessibility to medicines. This remains the choice of the Australian government.

If the tariffs are introduced in the range of 2% to 8%, there may not be a significant direct economic impact. But they will have other consequences. Trade negotiations, and international agreements, are largely based on goodwill. These acts of the US will erode much of what has been built up over the past century.

The downturn we are seeing in financial markets has so far been dismissed by the Trump administration as necessary. But if the correction turns into a crash, it may give President Trump pause. Given his lack of interest in negotiating, this may be the only thing that could change his mind.

Felicity Deane, Professor of Trade Law, Taxation and Climate Change, Queensland University of Technology

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Dutton pledges strong foreign policy in his speech, Watts criticises omission of Australia’s key partner, India

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Opposition Leader Peter Dutton at the Lowy Institute and Tim Watts, the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs (Source: X)

In an address at the Lowy Institute, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton outlined his vision for Australia’s role on the global stage, focusing on a firm foreign policy, stronger defence, and the protection of critical healthcare systems like the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Dutton condemned the growing threats of Russian imperialism, Iranian-backed terrorism, and China’s military assertiveness, warning that Australia needs “strong, clear-sighted, and values-driven leadership” to ensure national security and prosperity.

Dutton reaffirmed the need for a robust national security strategy, one that prioritises Australia’s self-reliance and resilience. He called for urgent investment in defence capabilities, warning that Australia must not rely solely on allies in times of crisis.

In his speech, Dutton also addressed Australia’s foreign policy approach, stressing that a Coalition Government would prioritise the national interest in all international dealings, making difficult yet necessary decisions for the country’s security.

While pledging ongoing support to Ukraine, Dutton criticised the Albanese Government for its lack of consistent and strategic action in the conflict, noting that Australia had failed to meet commitments like sending MRH-90 helicopters and tanks. He emphasised that Australia should focus on providing military equipment and humanitarian aid rather than committing troops to a European conflict, especially when European countries have not taken similar steps.

The opposition leader also criticised the Albanese Government’s foreign policy on Israel, China, and defence matters. He accused the government of undermining Australia’s relationship with Israel, citing its shift on Jerusalem’s recognition and calls for restraint after Hamas’s attacks. Dutton vowed to rebuild relations with Israel and halt funding to the UNRWA, which he accused of employing Hamas terrorists.

Dutton concluded that under his leadership, a Coalition Government would prioritise Australia’s best interests, particularly in security, international relations, and defence, reaffirming his belief in Australia’s greatness and pledging to safeguard the nation’s future and prosperity.

Meanwhile Tim Watts, the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, criticised Peter Dutton for omitting India from his foreign policy vision.

Watts emphasised, “Australia’s economic, strategic, and community connections with India have never been stronger or more important.”

“Which makes it all the more extraordinary that Peter Dutton didn’t mention India once in his Foreign Policy ‘vision speech’ today.”

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Kamala Sharma-Wing becomes first full-time Hindu Chaplain in Australian Navy

By
AMIT SARWAL
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Image: Kamala (Nayni) Sharma-Wing

Kamala (Nayni) Sharma-Wing has made history as the first full-time Hindu chaplain at HMAS Harman within the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Kamala completed her studies in Hindu theology at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies (2020–2024) and trained as a Hindu priest at Srimatham Vidyalaya (2020–2024).

Image: Kamala (Nayni) Sharma-Wing

Kamala officially transitioned from her previous position as a Maritime Logistics Officer to her new role as Hindu chaplain. Her appointment was endorsed by the Hindu member of the Religious Advisory Committee to the Services, reflecting a growing recognition of multi-faith approaches in military chaplaincy.

Sharma-Wing said in an interview:

“This ensures a relevant and inclusive service, offering spiritual guidance and strength to all, regardless of their faith.”

Chaplains in the ADF serve as wellness professionals, offering pastoral care, counselling, and guidance to personnel. Sharma-Wing emphasised that her role supports members in developing both professionally and personally.

To take on this historic position, Kamala underwent five years of rigorous training, including Pandita education, 500 hours of yoga instruction, a Master’s degree in Counselling, Hindu studies, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and Lifeline Crisis Support training.

Kamala aims to integrate widely accepted Hindu practices like yoga and meditation into her chaplaincy work, fostering a sense of unity and belonging among personnel.

Image: Kamala (Nayni) Sharma-Wing

Kamala’s journey to the Navy was unconventional. Originally from Nepal, she migrated to Australia at the age of 13. Encouraged by her father to attend a defence recruitment session, she initially considered joining the Air Force but changed her mind due to a fear of heights. A Navy recruitment video showcasing adventure and travel inspired her to enlist in 1995.

Despite initial cultural and personal challenges, she persevered. “I was the only brown member at that time,” she recalled, describing the experience of training in a predominantly white environment. Over time, she overcame obstacles with resilience, humour, and determination, embodying the famed bravery of her Nepali Gorkha heritage.

Image: Kamala (Nayni) Sharma-Wing

Beyond her naval duties, Kamala has played a significant role in humanitarian efforts. During the 2015 Nepal earthquake, she spearheaded a fundraising appeal that raised over $41,000 and gathered four tonnes of essential supplies for victims. Her contributions to diversity and inclusion in the Navy have also been widely recognised, including receiving the Gargi Award from the Hindu Council of Australia in 2019.

Married to a fellow Navy officer and a mother of two, Kamala acknowledges the challenges of balancing career and family life. In her new role as full-time chaplain, she will provide spiritual care, counselling, and Hindu ceremonies to all personnel.

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Pakistan-born man charged with alleged visa breaches in Melbourne

By
Bureau Report
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Representative image: Visa (Source: CANVA)

A 33-year-old Pakistan-born man has faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 19 March 2025 after being charged with allegedly failing to comply with his visa-mandated conditions.

Authorities located the man in Melbourne and charged him with breaching his Commonwealth visa conditions between 5 March and 19 March 2025.

It is alleged he failed to observe his residential curfew obligations and did not maintain his electronic monitoring device.

The man faces two charges under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth):

  • Failing to remain at a specified address (Section 76C)
  • Failing to wear a monitoring device (Section 76D)

Each offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and/or a $93,900 fine.

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Former PM Tony Abbott slams Khalistani extremism, says ‘no future for separatism’ in Australia

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Image Source- The Australia Today and ANI
Image Source- The Australia Today and ANI

Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has strongly rejected separatist movements and called for greater cooperation between Australia and India while addressing concerns over Khalistani extremism and anti-India activities in Australia.

In an interview with ANI, Abbott stated,

“There is no future for any separatism.

People who might be unhappy with the status quo should work within the system rather than engage in divisive and potentially violent activities against the modern democratic and pluralist India.”

Abbott emphasised the need for stronger Indo-Pacific partnerships, particularly in response to growing geopolitical tensions in the region. He reiterated that democracies must unite to uphold the rule of law and resist coercion and intimidation tactics, indirectly referring to China’s growing influence.

“I really want those ties between India and Australia to develop further,” Abbott stated.

“As long as China remains a Communist dictatorship, tensions will persist. It is important for all Indo-Pacific democracies to stand together—not against anyone, but in favour of the rule of law, peaceful co-existence, and against coercion and bullying.”

Abbott, a long-time advocate of the Quad partnership, credited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for shaping the strategic alliance between India, Australia, the US, and Japan. He described India as the ‘heart of the Quad’, highlighting its role in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.

“If it develops as it should, the Quad will be the most significant geopolitical development since NATO.

It is not against anyone but stands for democracy, the rule of law, and the rights of all nations to exist in peace without being bullied by aggressive neighbours,”

Abbott explained.

He compared the Quad’s potential to the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which has been one of the most critical security partnerships for over seven decades. Abbott urged Quad leaders to respect, contribute to, and develop the alliance into a significant force for peace and development in the coming decades.

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship global conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, Abbott praised India’s diplomatic influence and strategic leadership.

“This forum is a wonderful showcase for Indian soft power,” he said.

“It attracts some of the most significant leaders and thinkers from around the world, and I am here to listen, learn, and contribute where possible.”

Abbott did not shy away from taking a strong stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “vicious imperialist war” and emphasising that any peace deal must guarantee long-term security for Ukraine.

“Russia is the aggressor in Ukraine. The war must end on a just basis. If Ukrainians are expected to trade territory, it has to be for real security, guaranteed by serious troops from serious countries,”

While acknowledging India’s historical ties with Russia, Abbott expressed hope that New Delhi would eventually align with global democratic efforts to counter Moscow’s aggression.

Abbott has been a vocal supporter of stronger Australia-India ties, calling India one of Australia’s most crucial partners in trade, defence, and strategic cooperation. He has repeatedly advocated for deeper economic and security collaboration between the two nations, particularly amid global geopolitical uncertainties.

His comments come at a time when Australia is closely monitoring Khalistani extremism, which has led to concerns about escalating tensions within Indian diaspora communities in the country.

Abbott’s stance reinforces Australia’s commitment to India as a key ally in the Indo-Pacific and signals that the fight against separatism and extremism must be a joint effort to maintain peace and stability in the region.

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Air India and Air New Zealand join forces: Direct flights between India and NZ on the horizon

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Image Source: Supplied
Image Source: Supplied

Star Alliance partners Air New Zealand and Air India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance air connectivity between India and New Zealand, marking a significant step toward strengthening travel, tourism, and economic ties between the two nations.

The agreement, signed in Mumbai in the presence of New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other dignitaries, lays the groundwork for an expanded codeshare partnership and a potential direct service between the two countries by 2028.

Under the agreement, Air India and Air New Zealand will introduce a new codeshare partnership covering 16 routes connecting India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

This will provide passengers with more seamless travel options, allowing them to book itineraries that combine flights from both airlines. Travellers from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai will be able to fly on Air India to Sydney, Melbourne, or Singapore, where they can then connect to Air New Zealand-operated flights to Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, and Queenstown.

The partnership aims to simplify travel between the two countries, increase accessibility, and promote both nations as key tourism and business destinations.

A key highlight of the MoU is the commitment to exploring the introduction of a direct flight service between India and New Zealand by the end of 2028, subject to aircraft availability and government approvals. The prospect of a direct route would eliminate the need for stopovers and significantly cut travel time, making it easier for Indian travellers to visit New Zealand for tourism, education, and business. Given the rapid expansion of the Indian aviation market and the increasing number of outbound travellers, the move is seen as a strategic step to cater to growing demand.

Air New Zealand Chief Executive Greg Foran underscored the importance of the Indian market for the airline, calling it a key area for future growth.

“India represents a key growth market for Air New Zealand, and we are excited about the opportunity to enhance connectivity for travellers between our two countries.”

“This codeshare agreement is an important first step, offering more options for customers while we work to understand what a direct service could look like,” he said.

Foran also emphasised the broader significance of the Indian market to New Zealand, stating, “Today’s event underscores the significance of the Indian market to New Zealand, not only for tourism but also for strengthening business and education ties.”

“We are committed to working collaboratively to grow the travel market over the coming years, ensuring a strong foundation for a successful direct service by 2028.”

Air India’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Campbell Wilson, reaffirmed the airline’s commitment to expanding its global network through new and expanded codeshare agreements, particularly with its Star Alliance partners.

“As part of Air India’s ongoing transformation, we have been expanding our global network using our aircraft as well as through new or expanded codeshare agreements with other airlines, chiefly our Star Alliance partners,”

Wilson said.

He highlighted the significance of the partnership with Air New Zealand, adding, “We are delighted to be deepening our relationship with Air New Zealand, which follows the recent expansion of our codeshare partnerships with Lufthansa Group, Singapore Airlines, and All Nippon Airways.”

“This partnership will not only strengthen our presence and simplify customer journeys but also help us develop traffic so that, in time to come, we may viably operate a non-stop service between India and New Zealand, which we and Air New Zealand have committed to explore together with the respective authorities.”

The agreement is expected to enhance travel experiences while supporting trade, tourism, and economic growth. Currently, Air New Zealand passengers travelling between New Zealand and India rely on strong connectivity via Singapore Airlines, transiting through Singapore. The new codeshare agreement will introduce additional options, ensuring greater convenience for passengers while also laying the foundation for the potential direct route.

Tourism New Zealand has expressed strong support for the MoU, recognizing the immense potential of the Indian travel market. According to its research, 18 million people in key Indian cities such as New Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai are actively considering travelling to New Zealand.

More than 80,000 international travellers arrived from India last year, marking a 23 per cent increase compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. The long-term outlook is positive, with India identified as one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets. Indian travellers are particularly drawn to New Zealand’s scenic landscapes, cultural attractions, and famous film locations.

With India emerging as a major source market for tourism and business, this agreement between Air India and Air New Zealand is poised to drive growth in both sectors. The codeshare flights will be made available for booking progressively, subject to regulatory approvals. The aviation industry and travellers alike will be closely watching the next steps, as both airlines work towards making a direct India-New Zealand flight a reality in the coming years.

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Treasurer Chalmers promises ‘meaningful and substantial’ cost of living help in Tuesday’s budget

By
Contributing Author
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers:-Image-Source-Video-Grab
Treasurer Jim Chalmers:-Image-Source-Video-Grab

By Michelle Grattan

Next week’s budget will have cost-of-living assistance that will be meaningful and substantial but “responsible”, Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said.

In a Tuesday speech framing the budget, Chalmers said,

“It will be a responsible budget that helps with the cost of living, builds our future, and makes our economy more resilient in the new world of global uncertainty”.

He said the budget would have five major priorities:

  • helping the recovery and rebuild following Cyclone Alfred, for which it will provide $1.2 billion
  • helping with the cost of living and finishing the fight against inflation
  • strengthening Medicare and funding more urgent care clinics
  • putting money into every stage of education
  • making the economy more competitive and productive.

In the question-and-answer part of his appearance at the Queensland Media Club Chalmers refused to be drawn on whether the cost-of-living relief would include more help on power bills, as is widely expected.

He was also put on the spot about his future leadership ambitions, initially being asked whether, given federal Labor’s poor showing in Queensland, it would do better with a leader from that state.

After diverting the question with a joke and a vigorous defence of Anthony Albanese’s “practical pragmatism” and his appreciation of Queensland, he was asked directly, “So you don’t have aspirations to become a leader one day yourself?” “No”, he replied.

Chalmers is lowering expectations of extensive new initiatives being announced next Tuesday because big spending measures in health, education and infrastructure have been announced.

Screenshot

The budget will project deficits throughout the forward estimates. But Chalmers said the Treasury did not expect the bottom line this year or the coming years to be substantially changed from the mid-year update.

In the mid-year update release in December, Treasury said it expected the deficit this financial year to be $26.9 billion. The deficit was forecast to increase further next year to $46.9 billion, compared with $42.8 billion forecast in last year’s budget.

Chalmers sought to scotch incorrect predictions he said had been made.

“For example, some commentators have made wild and wide-of-the-mark predictions about big surges in revenue.

“Some wrongly predict the tax-to-GDP ratio will go up this year when Treasury expects it to be stable or even a bit down.

“Revenue upgrades have actually come off very significantly since the highs of October 2022.”

Chalmers argued the Australian economy “has turned a corner” but acknowledged “a new world of uncertainty” in which it was operating.

“The global economy is volatile and unpredictable.

“There’s a new US administration disrupting trade, a slowdown in China, war in eastern Europe and a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East, division and dissatisfaction around the world.

“Overnight, the OECD downgraded its growth expectations for next year and the year after.”

The OECD cut its forecasts for GDP growth to just 1.8% in 2026, down from an earlier forecast of 2.5%.

“Treasury forecasts in the Budget will have Chinese and American growth slowing to around 4.5 and 2 per cent next year, respectively.

“The forecasts for the US are the same as the mid-year update but the downside risks are weighing more heavily now.

“Unemployment is rising overseas from higher interest rates, and in the UK inflation is going up again.

“This is the global backdrop for the Budget.”

Chalmers repeated the government’s criticism of the US failure to grant an exemption from the steel and aluminium tariffs.

He said Treasury had modelled the impact of tariffs on our economy, both before the US election, and after the inauguration.

“Treasury estimates the direct hit to GDP from steel and aluminium tariffs would be less than 0.02 per cent by 2030. So the direct overall impacts on Australia should be manageable.

“But when you add in the indirect effects, the hit to GDP could be more like 0.1 per cent by 2030.

“In fact, over a range of scenarios, Treasury found the indirect GDP impacts of a trade war could be up to four times larger than the direct effects of tariffs on our economy.

“In a world of retaliation and escalation, the impacts of tariffs are amplified, they linger for longer, resulting in a bigger reduction in GDP and a bigger increase in prices.”

Author: Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Disclaimer: This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Trump delivers on promise: ‘Forgotten’ NASA Crew-9 astronauts, including Sunita Williams, return to Earth

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
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Image Source- The Australia Today
Image Source- The Australia Today

NASA Crew-9 astronauts Sunita Williams, Nick Hague, Butch Wilmore, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov have safely returned to Earth after spending more than nine months in space.

Their SpaceX Dragon capsule successfully splashed down off the coast of Tallahassee, Florida, on Wednesday, marking the end of a mission that was initially expected to last just a week but was extended due to technical delays.

An Emotional Return

The breathtaking homecoming saw the capsule greeted by an unexpected yet poetic welcome—a pod of dolphins swimming around it as it bobbed in the ocean waters. As per SpaceX protocols, a large rig aboard the recovery ship Megan lifted the capsule from the water, ensuring no fuel leaks or structural damage before opening the hatch.

Following the retrieval, astronauts were extracted on stretchers, a precautionary measure for all long-duration space travellers to help their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity. The recovery process was executed meticulously, with SpaceX engineers rinsing the spacecraft with fresh water to remove corrosive salt deposits from the ocean.

“Splashdown of Dragon confirmed—welcome back to Earth, Nick, Suni, Butch, and Aleks!”

SpaceX announced in a triumphant post on X.

First Words After Landing

As NASA mission control established communication with the astronauts post-splashdown, Nick Hague was the first to break the silence, his excitement unmistakable despite some static interference. “We’re grinning ear to ear,” Hague relayed, capturing the sheer relief and joy of the moment.

The Australia Today
The Australia Today
The Australia Today
The Australia Today

NASA commentator Sandra Jones, reporting from the control centre, described the scene:

“There’s just breathtaking views of a calm, glass-like ocean—a picture-perfect landing for Crew-9.”

Williams’ Homecoming Celebrated in India

In India, Sunita Williams’ safe return was met with celebrations, particularly in her ancestral village of Jhulasan, Gujarat, where locals performed aarti and offered prayers. Williams has long been a source of inspiration for Indian space enthusiasts, and her extended stay in space made her return even more significant.

Her cousin, Dinesh Rawal, had organised a Yagna in Ahmedabad the previous day, seeking blessings for her safe arrival. The celebrations reflected the immense pride and admiration that Williams continues to command across generations.

Prolonged Mission Due to Starliner Capsule Issues

Williams and Wilmore’s unexpectedly long stay aboard the International Space Station (ISS) was due to issues with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which had been slated to bring them home months earlier. Originally, their mission was meant to last only a week, but delays in Starliner’s readiness forced NASA to keep them aboard the ISS for safety reasons.

During their prolonged stay, media speculation intensified, with theories circulating that the astronauts had been “abandoned” or “stranded” in space. Both Williams and Wilmore refuted such claims, expressing confidence in NASA’s decisions.

“That’s been the narrative from day one: stranded, abandoned, stuck—and I get it, we both get it,” Wilmore said in a CNN interview in February.

“Help us change the narrative. Let’s change it to: prepared and committed despite what you’ve been hearing. That’s what we prefer.”

White House Reaction and Political Commentary

The astronauts’ return also became a talking point at the White House, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt crediting US President Donald Trump for their safe homecoming.

“President Trump promised to look out for the forgotten man and woman. At 5:57 PM ET tonight—promise made, promise kept!”

she declared in a post on X.

The statement sought to highlight Trump’s administration’s role in ensuring the return of the astronauts, though NASA officials have not made any such political statements regarding the mission.

What’s Next for Crew-9?

After their retrieval from the ocean, the astronauts were transported to the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston for further medical evaluations and re-acclimation protocols. NASA specialists will monitor their vital signs, balance, and muscle function, as astronauts returning from extended space missions often experience temporary dizziness, weakness, and bone density loss due to prolonged exposure to microgravity.

The astronauts will undergo weeks of rehabilitation before resuming normal activities, with continuous monitoring in the months ahead.

The Australia Today

The successful return of Crew-9 underscores the remarkable advancements in space travel while also revealing the unpredictable challenges of long-duration missions. For Sunita Williams, this return cements her legacy as one of NASA’s most experienced astronauts, and for NASA and SpaceX, it marks another triumph in their growing partnership.

The mission also raises questions about future crewed missions, particularly concerning delays and technical challenges associated with Boeing’s Starliner, which remains a work in progress.

The Australia Today

For now, however, the focus is on celebrating the astronauts’ safe return, and the world watches as Crew-9 readjusts to life back on Earth after an unforgettable nine-month odyssey in space.

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Albanese and Dutton pledge millions to rebuild firebombed Adass Israel Synagogue

By
AMIT SARWAL
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File image: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Ledaer Peter Dutton at the Adass Israel Synagogue (Source: X)

The Albanese Government has announced a multi-million-dollar commitment to restore Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue after it was targeted in a firebomb attack last December.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton have both pledged significant funding, reinforcing their stance against antisemitism in Australia.

Prime Minister Albanese condemned the attack, calling it a “crime of cowardice and prejudice” that aimed to silence the Jewish community.

“The rise of antisemitism is abhorrent, and there is no place for the kind of hate speech and attacks we have seen recently in our country.”

To support the synagogue’s restoration, the Albanese government has allocated $30 million for rebuilding efforts in Ripponlea, Victoria. An additional $1.2 million will be provided for security upgrades to the synagogue and community centre, set to reopen this year. This funding will be reflected in next week’s Budget.

The government had already provided $250,000 for the restoration of Torah Scrolls housed in the synagogue.

“There can be no place in Australia for antisemitism. We are taking action to stamp out this scourge,” the Prime Minister stated.

The Labor government has introduced several measures to combat antisemitism, including:

  • Establishing Operation Avalite with the AFP to counter antisemitic acts.
  • Imposing new counter-terrorism financing sanctions on Terrorgram.
  • Banning the Nazi salute and hate symbols with penalties of up to one year imprisonment and a $16,500 fine.
  • Criminalising doxxing, despite opposition from the Coalition.
  • Creating a national database to track antisemitic incidents.
  • Committing $25 million for improved security at Jewish sites, including schools, after the October 7 terrorist attacks.
  • Allocating $32.5 million for additional security at schools and synagogues.
  • Passing legislation to criminalise hate speech.
  • Announcing more than $100 million for countering violent extremism.

During a visit to the fire-damaged site, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton vowed to rebuild the synagogue “bigger and better” and pledged a $35 million commitment if the Coalition returns to government.

“We want to bring it back to life, much bigger and better than what it was. That is a symbolic response to those people who have hate in their hearts,” Dutton said alongside Liberal Goldstein candidate Tim Wilson.

Dutton also promised to:

  • Introduce laws to deport visa holders convicted of antisemitic crimes.
  • Establish a judicial inquiry into antisemitism at universities.
  • Provide $32.5 million to the Executive Council of Australian Jewry for security operations, including funding armed guards at schools and synagogues.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of December 6, 2024, has been deemed a likely act of terrorism by the Victorian and Australian Federal Police. Investigations are ongoing.

The Albanese government had already delivered emergency security funding following the attack, including support after a separate arson attack on a childcare centre in Randwick, Sydney, which was also vandalised with antisemitic graffiti.

The synagogue remains closed, but both major political parties have committed to its restoration, sending a strong message that Australia stands united against antisemitism.

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Melbourne’s Sruthy Saseendran sets Guinness World Record by identifying 95 airport codes in one minute

By
Bureau Report
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Image: Sruthy Saseendran

Sruthy Saseendran, a Melbourne resident originally from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, has secured a Guinness World Record for identifying an impressive 95 airport codes in just one minute.

This remarkable achievement, recognised on December 5, 2024, is a result of her dedication and love for aviation, combined with a passion for memorisation.

Image: Sruthy Saseendran

“The key is self-belief and dedication,” Sruthy said.

“I hope my achievement encourages others to chase their dreams, no matter the challenges.”

Image: Sruthy Saseendran attempting to create the record

Sruthy’s journey began in 2023 when she set out to memorise airport codes from around the world.

Initially able to recall about 30 codes per minute, she honed her skills through rigorous practice, even incorporating memorisation into her daily routine, such as cooking and commuting. Despite facing personal and professional challenges, including job loss and family setbacks, Sruthy remained committed to her goal.

Image: Sruthy Saseendran

Sruthy’s perseverance paid off after multiple applications and a stringent verification process. On December 5, 2024, she became the first person ever to hold the record for identifying the most airports by their IATA codes in one minute.

With the support of her family in Australia, especially her mother, Sruthy’s extraordinary feat exemplifies the power of passion and persistence.

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US intelligence chief accuses extremists of seeking “Islamist caliphate” in Bangladesh

By
Bureau Report
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Image: US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, with India's MEA Dr S. Jiashankar and Prof. Muhammad Yunus (Source: X)

US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has stated that Bangladesh remains a hotspot for the “persecution, killing, and abuse” of religious minorities.

Speaking to NDTV, Gabbard, who is in India, emphasised the US government’s deep concern over the alleged mistreatment of Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and other religious minorities in Bangladesh.

In her remarks, Gabbard also pointed to the rise of extremist elements, accusing them of aiming to establish an “Islamist caliphate” in Bangladesh. She said this threat posed a significant challenge for the US government, underlining President Donald Trump’s commitment to addressing the global threat of Islamist terrorism.

The US intelligence chief’s comments highlighted the ongoing concerns of the Trump administration regarding the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh and the country’s struggle with extremism. She further added that discussions with Bangladesh’s interim government, under President Yunus, were just beginning, with terrorism and religious persecution as major focus areas.

Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, swiftly rejected Gabbard’s remarks, labelling them as “misleading” and damaging to the country’s international reputation. The government stated that Gabbard’s statements, made during her visit to India, were not supported by any evidence or specific allegations, and unfairly painted Bangladesh with a broad, unfounded brush.

“The remarks are damaging to the image of Bangladesh, a nation whose traditional practice of Islam has been inclusive and peaceful,” the statement from the Chief Adviser’s office said. “We strongly condemn any efforts to link Bangladesh to the idea of an ‘Islamist caliphate,’” it continued, emphasising the country’s commitment to combating extremism through law enforcement and social reforms.

Despite the pushback from Bangladesh, Gabbard’s comments underscore the growing concerns within the US about religious intolerance and extremism in Bangladesh, reinforcing the Trump administration’s ongoing stance on combating Islamist terrorism globally.

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More women at work, fewer in power: India’s leadership divide

By
Contributing Author
-
Representative image: Job interview (Source: CANVA)

By Soumya Kashyap and Priyanka Tripathi

On March 8, 2025, International Women’s Day was commemorated globally, with several companies highlighting initiatives designed to foster gender inclusion and improve female representation in the workforce. Which led to positive trends particularly in India, where the female labour force participation rate increased from 19% in 2021 to 24% in 2023. In alignment with this progress, several Indian brands recently launched impactful campaigns to promote women’s leadership and empowerment. Infosys introduced the #ThriveAtInfosys campaign, which highlights initiatives to create a supportive environment for women in technology, Prega News’ #shecancarryboth addressed the prevalent issue of “mom guilt,” portraying a military officer as a mother and a defender of the nation. Additionally, the “She Directs Ads” collective was launched to amplify the voices of Indian female advertising directors, creating a platform where women in creative industries can feel seen, heard, and empowered. Even India Inc which is actively striving to transform workplaces by fostering inclusivity, diversity, and gender equality in an increasingly tech-driven environment, aims to create a distinctive “pink edge” for women.  

Despite such initiatives, the recent repeal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at the US federal level and a demand for the private sector to cease using DEI-based hiring preferences highlight the challenges and barriers to expanding women’s workforce participation. Research indicates that in India, women leaders’ governance styles are not necessarily marked by increased democratic tendencies or reduced confrontation when compared to their male counterparts. From a policy perspective, gendered expectations are often contradicted by women leaders who also adopt assertive or non-conciliatory strategies. These observations, raises critical questions: Are such instances an indication that these leaders are not considered as ‘real women’? Does this mean that women are unfit for power politics? Or do such cases call for a more critical look at gendered assumptions about leadership and conflict resolution? According to these observations, leadership behaviour is seen as “trans-gendered,” which means that a leader’s gender affects how their behavioural qualities seem. As a result, the meaning of leadership actions is viewed via the prism of socially imposed gender standards rather than being consistently perceived by various people.

In India women constitute 42% of new graduates, 24% entry-level professionals, 19 % as senior managers, 7.7% as board members and only 2.7% as board chair.  While campaigns promoting gender equity and awareness mark a step forward, they must be complemented by sustained structural reforms within organizations to drive meaningful and lasting change. Although India’s female workforce participation has seen slight growth, rising from 23.9% in 2016 to 26.8% in 2024, female representation at managerial levels has experienced a concerning decline, now standing at just 18.59%. The Quantum Hub, titled ‘Women in Leadership in Corporate India’, declared that the percentage of women in senior leadership roles increased from 16.6% in 2016 to 18.7% in 2023. Despite this modest progress, women remain underrepresented in key managerial roles. The same report, based on data from 100 million LinkedIn users, highlighted that in 2024, only 18.3% of senior leadership roles — including managerial positions and above — were occupied by women. At the entry level, 28.7% of the workforce is women, but this is much lower at the managerial level, 18.5%. Despite the ongoing efforts to increase gender diversity, the low representation of women in key managerial personnel (KMP) roles is still a testimony to the persistent challenges in achieving workplace equality. Women are presently 14.08% of KMP positions, which are important executive positions, such as CEOs, CFOs, and COOs. It reveals the barriers women face to break through the corporate glass ceiling.

This discrepancy arises from the “broken rung,” phenomenon which prevents women from advancing when they are just as competent as or even more qualified than males. 64% of middle-management women in India feel “stuck” in their positions. They attribute this to a lack of possibilities for professional advancement, sponsorship, and mentorship.

Although there have also been some beneficial developments brought about by legislative measures such as the Companies Act of 2013, which required listed companies to have at least one female director on their boards.  Multinational companies (MNCs) including Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are actively enhancing gender diversity by increasing the number of women in senior management positions. There are 1,760 GCCS in India and the focus is on higher value activities like services and Engineering Research & Development (ER&D).  The global roles in India have seen a significant growth in the last five years and more than 6,500 such positions have been created. Out of these, 1,100 leaders are women. Women are 6.7% of the workforce in the executive tier, 24.3% of mid-level positions which require 5-8 years of experience and 15.7% of the senior roles which require 9-12 years of experience.

The idea that males naturally have the agentic leadership qualities often linked to success, but women do not is reinforced by the practice of only enrolling women in gender-specific leadership programs. But according to McKinsey’s research, women exhibit the leadership behaviours that are most critical for meeting future business challenges—inspiration, participative decision making, setting expectations and rewards, people development, and role modelling—more often than men. These qualities are consistent with transformational and inclusive leadership styles that are the primary focus of Women’s Leadership Development Programs (WLDPs). To achieve real equity in leadership development, organizations must change the way people think about who needs these programs and why. Presenting WLDPs as a way of ‘fixing’ women perpetuates the leadership deficit discourse, which suggests that women are, in some way, unfit for leadership positions.  

Hiring, promotion, and compensation biases should also be addressed in the workplace and at the leadership level. It does not mean that one must be aggressive or divisive, but rather to build an environment of accountability. In the last five years, for instance, the percentage of women in leadership has risen by 14.3%, according to Anuprita Bhattacharya, the Head of Merck IT Centre (MITC) and IT Country Head for India.  Several women from India are now occupying senior international posts, steering strategic changes, controlling data and digital teams, and serving on the Group CIO leadership board.  Aditi Jha, Head of Legal and Government Affairs at LinkedIn India, said that the recent focus on ‘women-led development’ has led to coordinated attempts by policymakers and business leaders to tackle these issues.  On the same lines, Sirisha Voruganti, the CEO of Lloyds Technology Centre, highlighted the company’s policy on encouraging diversity in the workplace. With women being currently represented in the workforce at 36%, the company has set its sights on increasing this figure in the coming years.

In corporate India, efforts to achieve gender parity are still in progress. Women still struggle to achieve equal participation in senior positions and boardrooms, despite recent advancements. Even while regulations have helped increase the number of women working in the business sector, tokenism is still a problem. Through proactive diversity promotion and the development of a work environment that empowers and honours women, Indian businesses may unlock the potential of their workforce and achieve long-term success. Only through such tenacious efforts can the aim of gender equality be realized, and Women’s Day will truly turn into a celebration of the ongoing struggle for women’s rightful place in society.

Contributing Author(s): Soumya Kashyap teaches in UPES, Dehradun. Priyanka Tripathi teaches at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna.

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41-year-old man charged over alleged death threats and antisemitic abuse towards federal MP

By
Bureau Report
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Representative image: Court (Source: CANVA)

A 41-year-old Victorian man has been charged under the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Special Operation Avalite for allegedly making death threats and antisemitic comments to a Commonwealth Member of Parliament.

AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said Special Operation Avalite remains committed to investigating and tackling antisemitic threats, particularly against elected officials.

“Anyone engaging in this type of deplorable behaviour can expect a knock on the door and a swift date with the courts,” Assistant Commissioner Nutt said.

“No one—whether an elected representative or member of the public—should have to endure vile, villainous threats based on their race, religion, or ethnicity. We will not stand by and let antisemitism run rife through the Australian community.”

The man was charged on 18 March 2025 with:

  • One count of using a carriage service to menace (contrary to subsection 474.17 of the Criminal Code), carrying a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.
  • One count of threatening to cause serious harm to a Commonwealth public official (contrary to subsection 147.2(1) of the Criminal Code), carrying a maximum penalty of seven years’ imprisonment.

The AFP alleges the man used social media to repeatedly contact the MP between 7 January and 19 February 2025, making violent threats and antisemitic remarks.

A search warrant was executed at his home in Officer, Melbourne, today (18 March), where authorities seized an electronic device.

Under Special Operation Avalite, AFP officers and analysts continue to investigate offences related to:

  • Urging violence against groups
  • Advocating terrorism or genocide
  • Threats and harassment via carriage service
  • Unlawful display of prohibited symbols
  • Doxxing (sharing personal data to intimidate individuals)

The operation works alongside state and territory police but does not replicate their antisemitism investigations.

The man was granted bail and is scheduled to appear before Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 19 June 2025.

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Scientific misconduct is on the rise. But what exactly is it?

By
Contributing Author
-
Representative image: Science lab (Source: CANVA)

By Nham Tran

German anaesthesiologist Joachim Boldt has an unfortunate claim to fame. According to Retraction Watch, a public database of research retractions, he is the most retracted scientist of all time. To date, 220 of his roughly 400 published research papers have been retracted by academic journals.

Boldt may be a world leader, but he has plenty of competition. In 2023, more than 10,000 research papers were retracted globally – more than any previous year on record. According to a recent investigation by Nature, a disproportionate number of retracted papers over the past ten years have been written by authors affiliated with several hospitals, universities and research institutes in Asia.

Academic journals retract papers when they are concerned that the published data is faked, altered, or not “reproducible” (meaning it would yield the same results if analysed again).

Some errors are honest mistakes. However, the majority of retractions are associated with scientific misconduct.

But what exactly is scientific misconduct? And what can be done about it?

From fabrication to plagiarism

The National Health and Medical Research Council is Australia’s primary government agency for medical funding. It defines misconduct as breaches of the Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

In Australia, there are broadly eight recognised types of breaches. Research misconduct is the most severe.

These breaches may include failure to obtain ethics approval, plagiarism, data fabrication, falsification and misrepresentation.

This is what was behind many of Boldt’s retractions. He made up data for a large number of studies, which ultimately led to his dismissal from the Klinikum Ludwigshafen, a teaching hospital in Germany, in 2010.

In another case, China’s He Jiankui was sentenced to three years in prison in 2019 for creating the world’s first genetically edited babies using the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR. His crime was that he falsified documents to recruit couples for his research.

The “publish or perish” culture within academia fuels scientific misconduct. It puts pressure on academics to meet publication quotas. It also rewards them for greater research output, in the form of promotions, funding and recognition. And this can mean research quality is sacrificed for quantity.

Honest mistakes

But not all research misconduct is premeditated. Some is the result of honest mistakes made by scientists.

For example, Sergio Gonzalez, a young scientist at the Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier in France, mistakenly uploaded several wrong images to an academic paper and its supplementary material. This didn’t have any effect on the findings of the paper, which were based on the correct images.

But it still represented a case of image duplication and misrepresentation of data. This lead to the journal retracting the paper and launching an investigation. The investigation concluded the breach was unintentional and resulted from the pressures of academic research.

Fewer than 20% of all retractions are due to honest mistakes. Researchers usually contact the publisher to correct errors when they are detected, with no major consequences.

The need for a national oversight body

In many countries, an independent national body oversees research integrity.

In the United Kingdom, this body is known as the Committee on Research Integrity. It is responsible for improving research integrity and addressing misconduct cases. Similarly, in the United States, the Office of Research Integrity handles allegations of research misconduct.

In contrast, Australia lacks an independent body directly tasked with investigating research misconduct. There is a body known as the Australian Research Integrity Committee. But it only reviews the institutional procedures and governance of investigations to ensure they are conducted fairly and transparently – and with limited effectiveness. For example, last year it received 13 complaints, only five of which were investigated.

Instead Australia relies on a self-regulation model. This means each university and research institute aligns its own policy with the Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research. Although this code originated in medical research, its principles apply across all disciplines.

For example, in archaeology, falsifying an image or deliberately reporting inaccurate carbon dating results constitutes data fabrication. Another common breach is plagiarism, which can also be applied to all fields.

But self-governance on integrity matters is fraught with problems.

Investigations often lack transparency and are carried out internally, creating a conflict of interest. Often the investigative teams are under immense pressure to safeguard their institution’s reputation rather than uphold accountability.

A 2023 report by the Australia Institute called for the urgent establishment of an independent, government-funded research integrity watchdog.

The report recommended the watchdog have direct investigatory powers and that academic institutions be bound by its findings.

The report also recommended the watchdog should release its findings publicly, create whistleblower protections, establish a proper appeals process and allow people to directly raise complaints with it.

Research credibility is on the line

The consequences of inadequate oversight are already evident.

One of the biggest research integrity scandals in Australian history involved Ali Nazari, an engineer from Swinburne University. In 2022 an anonymous whistleblower alleged Nazari was part of an international research fraud cartel involving multiple teams.

Investigations cast doubt on the validity of the 287 papers Nazari and the other researchers had collectively published. The investigations uncovered numerous violations, including 71 instances of falsified results, plagiarism and duplication, and 208 instances of self-plagiarism.

Similarly, Mark Smyth, formerly of the Queensland Institute of Medical Research, fabricated research data to support grant applications and clinical trials. An independent inquiry concluded he used his reputation, status and authority to bully and intimidate junior colleagues.

If Australia had a independent research integrity body, there would be a clear governance structure and an established and transparent pathway for reporting breaches at a much earlier stage.

Timely intervention would help reduce further breaches through swift investigation and corrective action. Importantly, consistent governance across Australian institutions would help ensure fairness. It would also reduce bias and uphold the same standards across all misconduct cases.

The call for an independent research integrity watchdog is long overdue.

Only through impartial oversight can we uphold the values of scientific excellence, protect public trust, and foster a culture of accountability that strengthens the integrity of research for all Australians.

Nham Tran, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Toyah Cordingley murder trial hits roadblock as jury fails to convict Rajwinder Singh

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
-
Toyah Cordingley murder trial; Image Source- Facebook and supplied
Toyah Cordingley murder trial; Image Source- Facebook and supplied

The jury in the trial of Rajwinder Singh, accused of killing Cairns woman Toyah Cordingley, has been discharged after failing to reach a verdict. The Supreme Court in Cairns will now set a date for a retrial, prolonging the legal process in a case that has gripped Australia for over five years.

Singh, 40, pleaded not guilty to the murder of 24-year-old Cordingley, whose body was found on Wangetti Beach in October 2018. The court heard that she had suffered multiple stab wounds and her throat had been slashed before being buried in a shallow grave near a sand dune.

The jury entered its third day of deliberations but remained deadlocked. At midday, they informed Justice James Henry that no further questions or evidence would assist them in reaching a unanimous decision. Acknowledging their efforts, Justice Henry discharged the jury, stating that further delays in hearing the case “would be a sad thing for all concerned.”

The case will return to court next Wednesday for a mention hearing to determine the date of a retrial. Singh’s defence counsel, Angus Edwards KC, indicated that the accused might seek new legal representation for the second trial.

Toyah Cordingley, a health store worker and animal shelter volunteer, was reported missing on October 21, 2018, after she failed to return from walking her dog at Wangetti Beach, north of Cairns. Her body was discovered by her father, who had been searching the area. ​

Rajwinder Singh, a 40-year-old former nurse from Innisfail, was arrested in India in November 2022 and extradited to Australia to face charges of murder.

The trial, held at the Supreme Court in Cairns, spanned approximately three weeks. The prosecution’s case was primarily circumstantial, relying on evidence such as Singh’s sudden departure to India on the day Cordingley’s body was found, mobile phone records, and DNA evidence. Notably, there were no direct eyewitnesses to the crime. ​

Several individuals present at Wangetti Beach on the day of the incident testified, mentioning sightings of a suspicious man. However, none witnessed the actual crime or the subsequent burial of Cordingley’s body, which was located approximately 1.7 kilometres from the nearest car park.

Angus Edwards KC, representing Singh, indicated that his client might seek different legal representation for the forthcoming trial. ​

The inability to reach a verdict prolongs the anguish for Cordingley’s family and the broader Cairns community, who have been seeking closure since the tragic events of 2018. Members of Cordingley’s family declined to comment as they departed the courthouse following the jury’s discharge.

Image: [LEFT and BOTTOM RIGHT] Rajwinder Singh (Source: Queensland Police) / [TOP RIGHT] Image: Toyah Cordingley (Source: Facebook)

The Queensland Police Service, which led the original investigation, has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a thorough and just legal outcome. Meanwhile, Victoria Police is also undertaking an investigation into recent claims relating to Singh’s previous conduct.

As the legal system prepares for the next phase of the case, the community continues to seek closure in one of Australia’s most widely followed murder trials.

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Nepal opens new Consulate office in Victoria, strengthening bilateral ties and community support

By
JAI BHARADWAJ
-
Consulate of Nepal, Victoria- Image Source- Supplied
Consulate of Nepal, Victoria- Image Source- Supplied

The Nepalese community in Victoria celebrated a milestone with the inauguration of the Consulate of Nepal at Belair Avenue, Glenroy, VIC 3046. The new office is set to provide vital diplomatic services while reinforcing Nepal’s relationship with Australia, particularly in Victoria, which is home to a thriving Nepalese diaspora.

Consulate of Nepal, Victoria- Image Source- Supplied

Hon. Consul Nirajan Gauli expressed deep gratitude to the esteemed guests who attended the inauguration and flag-raising ceremony.

“This is a proud moment for Nepalese Australians in Victoria. The Consulate will not only serve our community but also act as a bridge to strengthen the cultural, economic, and diplomatic ties between Nepal and Australia,”

he said.

The ceremony was graced by Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP for Broadmeadows, Shesh Ghale, former President of NRNA ICC, Anil Pokhrel, President of NRNA Australia, and several distinguished guests from the Nepalese and Australian communities.

A New Chapter for Nepalese Australians

The establishment of the consulate comes as the Nepalese community in Victoria continues to grow significantly, contributing to various sectors, including education, business, and healthcare. The office will provide essential consular services such as passport renewals, legal assistance, and community outreach programs to support Nepalese citizens and migrants in Victoria.

In a moment of celebration, Aishwarya Kangsakar was honoured with the Young Australian Youth Award 2025, recognising her outstanding achievements and contributions to the community. Her recognition serves as an inspiration for young Nepalese Australians striving to make a difference in their fields.

Strengthening Nepal-Australia Relations

With this new diplomatic presence, Nepal and Australia look forward to fostering even deeper ties in trade, education, and cultural exchange. The Nepalese government sees the establishment of the consulate as a step towards greater engagement with the diaspora and enhancing bilateral cooperation.

Hon. Consul Nirajan Gauli and the Consulate of Nepal, Victoria, extended their heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended the event, emphasising that the overwhelming support from the community and dignitaries made the occasion truly special.

The opening of the Consulate of Nepal’s new office in Victoria marks a significant step forward for Nepalese Australians, promising greater support, stronger representation, and an enduring partnership between Nepal and Australia.

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