MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITY CONNECT QUEENSLAND MONTHLY PUBLICATION
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Website: mccq.org.au Email: info@mccq.org.au
Aug 2025 - Vol 3, Issue 5
Multicultural Fashion Show lights up Brisbane Empowering Migrants Expo unites communities at Brisbane City Hall City Hall with diversity and innovation
Brisbane, August 3 (MCCQ Newsdesk) Brisbane City Hall came alive with colour, culture, and
creativity as Multicultural Community Connect Queensland Inc. (MCCQ) hosted the inaugural 2025 Multicultural Fashion Show on August 3, under the bold theme: Reimagining Multicultural Belonging and Innovation. The event delivered more than just fashion—it delivered a message. Through dazzling displays of traditional and contemporary attire, dynamic live performances, storytelling, and cutting-edge
technology, the show celebrated the rich multicultural identity of Queensland while reimagining a future rooted in inclusion and shared belonging. The grand venue transformed into a cultural mosaic, where models, designers, and artists from a wide array of cultural backgrounds, age groups, abilities, and lived experiences took centre stage. From uplifting continued on pg. 8
Brisbane, August 4 (MCCQ Newsdesk) Brisbane City Hall and King George Square came alive
on August 3 as Bhartiya Samaj hosted the landmark
The measure affects roughly 35 per cent of Brazil's exports to the United States, though key products such as energy products and certain minerals were excluded. Brazil's Chamber of Foreign Trade approved a proposal on Monday to begin a formal consultation with the WTO, the first step in a dispute settlement process. The chamber's council of ministers forwarded the decision to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who will determine "how and when" to present the complaint to the trade body. Vice President Geraldo Alckmin said that Brazil is working to reduce the new tariff's
agribusiness representatives to coordinate strategies. The government will also continue talks with affected sectors, reports Xinhua news agency. Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said Brazil remains open to dialogue but will not accept an unequal partnership. "We won't engage with the US as a colony or satellite -- we're a sovereign nation," Haddad told BandNews in an interview. He called the tariff hike "excessive" and "unreasonable," but said there is room to build a positive bilateral agenda, particularly in areas like critical minerals, technology and data infrastructure.
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Russian volcano sends ash Brazil to challenge US tariffs at WTO, mulls relief package plume 10-km high in Kamchatka on Wednesday. impact and has already met with
Moscow, Aug 5 (IANS) Klyuchevskoy volcano in Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula ejected an ash plume reaching 7 kilometres above sea
level on Tuesday, with the cloud drifting southeast toward the Pacific Ocean, local authorities reported. "There are no settlements in the path of the ash cloud, and no ash fallout has been recorded in populated areas. No registered tourist groups are currently in the vicinity of the volcano," the Kamchatka branch of the Ministry of Emergency Situations said on its Telegram channel. The volcano has been assigned an orange aviation colour code, indicating a high likelihood of ash emissions and potential hazards to aviation. continued on pg. 3
Brasilia, Aug 5 (IANS) Brazil is preparing to formally challenge the newly imposed US tariffs at the World Trade Organization (WTO) while keeping the door open to negotiations, officials said. The move comes after US President Donald Trump announced a 50 per cent tariff on a range of Brazilian exports, including coffee, beef and petrochemicals, set to take effect
Visa applicants may be required to post bond of up to $15,000 to enter US
Washington, Aug 5 (IANS) The US State Department is set to roll out a pilot program that may require foreign nationals seeking business or tourism visas to post a bond of up to 15,000 US dollars
to enter the United States, according to a preview of a bond notice posted on the Federal Register website. Under the 12-month "visa bond pilot program," consular officers could require certain business and tourist visa applicants to post guarantee bonds of 5,000 U.S. dollars, 10,000 dollars or 15,000 dollars, according to the notice set to be officially published on Tuesday. The program will take effect 15
days after the notice is officially published. The bonds may be required for travellers from countries that the State Department identifies as having high rates of visa overstays, or deficient screening and vetting information, said the notice. The notice did not name the countries affected, but said the list will be released online at least 15 days before it takes effect, continued on pg. 3
Thailand-Cambodia talks on positive track, says Malaysian defence chief
Kuala Lumpur, Aug 5 (IANS) Thailand and Cambodia have expressed strong commitments www.mccq.org.au
to end conflict in secretariat-level discussions, Malaysia's Chief of Defence Forces General Mohd Nizam Jaffar said. The talks, scheduled from August 4 to 6 ahead of an extraordinary General Border Committee (GBC) meeting on August 7, will also cover the terms of reference for establishing an ASEAN defense attaché monitoring team, Mohd Nizam said on Monday. "They (Thailand and Cambodia) are now discussing the prerequisites for the team's deployment. If all goes well, we are expecting a very positive resolution by this Thursday," he told reporters after
meeting with both secretariat heads. He said that Malaysia is only acting as a facilitator ahead of the extraordinary meeting, Xinhua news agecny reported. Meanwhile, a Cambodian defence ministry spokesperson said on Monday that Thai soldiers entered Cambodian territory, deploying barbed wire, despite strong objection from Cambodian armed forces. Defense Ministry's Undersecretary of State and spokesperson Lt. Gen. Maly continued on pg. 3
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South Korea to resume inter-Korean projects when contact with North is reestablished: Minister
Seoul, Aug 4 (IANS) South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Monday the government plans to resume using the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund for humanitarian projects in North Korea once bilateral contact is restored, marking a potential thaw in the long-frozen inter-Korean relations. “It is shocking that none of the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund was executed last year,” Chung said during a meeting with the NGO Council for Inter-Korean Cooperation. He expressed concern over the halt in engagement and emphasised the need for renewed collaboration through peaceful and humanitarian channels. The fund, established in 1991, supports economic cooperation as well as social and cultural exchanges between the two Koreas. It has historically served as a key financial mechanism for facilitating dialogue and goodwill on the peninsula. Its budget peaked at 439.7 billion won
(US$317.4 million) in 2007 but has since sharply declined amid North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile provocations and the resulting diplomatic tensions. The most recent use of the fund was in 2023, when 900 million won was allocated to a child nutrition programme. However, broader initiatives have remained stalled due to strained ties and lack of formal communication channels. Chung recently approved revisions to ministry guidelines governing declarations of contact with North Koreans. Under the new rules, South Korean nationals may freely engage with North Koreans, as long as they report the contact in advance. The new guidelines are part of efforts to increase transparency while fostering greater flexibility in civil society-led interactions. “Just report it and meet them freely,” Chung said, encouraging civic groups to play a more active role in improving frosty inter-Korean relations and paving the way for future cooperation. In response, Choi Chang-nam, Vice Chairman of the NGO Council, said the eased restrictions were a relief for activists who have long sought more autonomy in humanitarian outreach, Yonhap news agency reported.
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