MULTICULTURAL NEWS AUSTRALIA
MONTHLY PUBLICATION
Website: mcna.org.au Email: info@mcna.org.au
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September 2023 - Vol 1, Issue 10
Singapore’s Deputy PM discusses bilateral ties with PM Albanese
Australian undergraduates visit Fiji to understand Indo-Pacific Canberra, May 18 (MCNA Newsdesk) o build understanding of the Indo- Pacific in Australia, the Australian Government is supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region. Eight students from University of the Sunshine Coast HighPerformance Sports Program were recently in Fiji for a two-week study tour supported by the New Colombo Plan mobility grant. The students had the opportunity to learn about Fijian culture through sport and build relationships with Fijian athletes, sports
T Canberra, June 2 (MCNA Newsdesk) ingapore’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong met with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his first official visit to Singapore for the 8th Annual Leaders’ Meeting recently. The Deputy Prime Minister Wong
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met Albanese on behalf of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is recovering from Covid. In a Facebook post Singapore’s Deputy PM wrote, “I last met PM Albanese in 2017, during his visit to Singapore for the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship.” continued on pg. 9
science and education students and coaching administrators. A highlight was meeting the mighty Fijiana Drua – two-time
champions of the Super W Rugby Competition. Fiji’s participation in the Super Rugby Competition continued on pg. 16
Iconic Luminous Lantern Zelensky describes Ukraine dam breach as Parade illuminates Queensland ‘environmental bomb of mass destruction’ as it welcomes new inhabitants Kiev, June 8 (IANS) As fears loom
Brisbane, June 9 (MCNA Newsdesk) ueenslanders were all decked up to get back to the celebratory mood as the Luminous Lantern Parade showcased the very best of all it had. Luminous Lantern Parade is in its 16th year, and Multicultural Australia, the
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group that organises the event, has been welcoming migrants and refugees in Brisbane and Australia for 25 years now. The event is being recognized as one of Queensland’s largest welcome events mesmerizing Queenslanders with its use of light in a manner which symbolizes hope and creates an
continued on pg. 14
Canada to host assembly of 185 nations to address climate change
Ottawa, June 6 (IANS) As the world experiences the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, Canada continues to show leadership in advancing environmental action at home and around the world www.mcna.org
by bringing diverse partners together to find solutions for a healthy planet. Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific continued on pg. 9
over an ecological catastrophe due to the breaching of a major dam in southern Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that “Russian terrorists have detonated an environmental bomb of mass destruction”. In a social media post on Wednesday, the President said: “The whole world knows about this Russian war crime, the crime of ecocide -- the deliberate destruction of the dam and other structures of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant by the Russian occupiers. “In fact, Russian terrorists have detonated an environmental bomb of mass destruction.” The breach of the dam and the subsequent destruction of a hydro-electric power plant in the Russian-controlled Nova Kakhovka region in the early
hours of Tuesday, led to mass evacuations as water levels downstream rapidly increased. Officials have said that 30 towns and villages along the river have been flooded and nearly 2,000 homes have been submerged in the city of Kherson -- the region’s capital controlled by Ukraine. Of the 30 flooded towns and villages, 20 are controlled by
Ukraine and 10 are occupied by Russia. Kiev and Moscow have traded accusations over the dam’s destruction, without providing concrete proof that the other is culpable. It is not yet clear whether the dam was deliberately attacked or whether the breach was the result of structural failure. continued on pg. 9
S.Korea, 4 others elected non-permanent members of UN Security Council
United Nations, June 7 (IANS) South Korea, Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia were elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for a two-year term. The newly elected members will take up their new responsibilities on January 1, 2024, and serve till December 31, 2025, Xinhua news agency reported. South Korea, Algeria, Guyana, and Sierra Leone were running unopposed on Tuesday. Slovenia and Belarus contended the one seat for Eastern Europe. The five newly elected members will replace the outgoing non-permanent members of Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates. A candidate must obtain the support of two-thirds of the UN member states present and voting at the General Assembly
session in order to secure a non-permanent seat on the Security Council, regardless of whether the candidacy is contested or not. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 member states are present and voting. Member states that
abstain are considered not voting. In Tuesday’s voting, Guyana won the support of all member states that were present and voting, with 191 votes. Sierra Leone won 188 votes, Algeria won 184 votes, and the Republic of Korea won 180 votes, according to results
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