All Recent Posts

National Indigenous Human Rights Awards recognize Aboriginal rights struggle in Australia
Australia

National Indigenous Human Rights Awards recognize Aboriginal rights struggle in Australia

— October 31, 2015 comments off
The National Indigenous Human Rights Awards (NIHRA), in its second year, was held again at NSW Parliament Wednesday evening in October. These truly national awards recognise and acknowledge the most important social justice struggle... Read more »
Minister Ayres with Vice Governor of Jakarta signing the MOU with NSW
Business

Australia and Indonesia sign agreement on Trade

— October 30, 2015 comments off
NSW and Jakarta Agreement to enhance trade in areas of Agriculture, Education, Technology, Infrastructure services NSW and the Jakarta Capital City Government have today renewed their long-standing Sister State Relationship by signing... Read more »
Australia's Social cohesion and multiculturalism stronger than ever
Australia

Australia’s Social cohesion is stronger than ever

— October 30, 2015 comments off
Eight year high for social cohesion in Australia The latest Scanlon-Monash Index of Social Cohesion report has confirmed that social cohesion in Australia is at an eight-year high. The Assistant Minister for... Read more »
Parramatta’s birthday will be celebrated in style on Saturday 7 November, with a host of tastes, activities and entertainment planned as part of Parramatta Day 2015.
Australia

Entertainment extravaganza planned for Parramatta Day 2015

— October 29, 2015 comments off
Parramatta Day 2015 to begin on Saturday 7 November Parramatta’s birthday will be celebrated in style on Saturday 7 November, with a host of tastes, activities and entertainment planned as part of ... Read more »
Opinion/Editorial

India.. This is not cricket nor sportsman spirit

— October 29, 2015 comments off
By Syed Nayyar Uddin Ahmad The Shiv Sena attack on Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) HQ at Mumbai, was a pre-planned scheme of the RAW controlled BJP government, which is proved by... Read more »
NSW Premier, Mike Baird, with top Australian actress, Cate Blanchett, at an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney.
Australia

Sydney Opera House turns #UNBlue to celebrate 70th anniversary

— October 28, 2015 comments off
SYDNEY (Australia) – The Sydney Opera House was one of the first buildings to light up the sky to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the United Nations and commemorate UN Day. More than... Read more »
Community

Introduction of EFT facility Pak Consulate Office Sydney: Abdul Aziz Uqaili

— October 28, 2015 comments off
Sydney, 28 October 2015:    The Consulate General of Pakistan Sydney is pleased to announce the introduction of Electronic Funds Transfer at Point of Sale (EFTPOS) facility, which will be operational by mid... Read more »
President Barack Obama meets with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Oval Office of the White House.
Opinion/Editorial

US-Pakistan tête-à-tête

— October 28, 2015 comments off
      By Yasmeen Aftab Ali On the invitation of the all-powerful US Prezzy, the not so powerful Pakistan Prezzy (aka prime minister) flew all the way to US to reinforce... Read more »
Culture

Halal Expo Australia 2016: Melbourne’s event moves from Jan 10 to April 3 – no change in Sydney’s event on April 10, 2016

— October 28, 2015 comments off
Sydney (Announcement from Halal Expo Australia by Sarwat Hassan): Some of the major sponsors of Halal Expo Australia and exhibitors have shown their unavailability to participate in Melbourne’s event of Halal Expo... Read more »
Sports

Dashmesh All Stars secure their position in MoneyGram Thunder Nation Cup Semi-Finals

— October 28, 2015 comments off
Sydney (Press Release from Thunder): Allen Singh (19), Sahibpreet Singh (24), Sulfiquar Salahuddin (24), Arpan Spahi (33) and Viren Singh (29) have secured the final positions at the Sydney Thunder Community Rookie... Read more »
Pakistani author, Kanza Javed was supposed to participate in Indian Literature Fest for the launch of her book ‘Ashes, Wine and Dust,' but her visa was denied at the last-minute by India.
South Asia

Pakistani author launches her Novel on Skype after India denied visa

— October 28, 2015 comments off
When a Pakistani author Kanza Javed was denied a visa to travel to India for her book launch. She didn’t lose hope. Kanza, with the help of her publisher, Aanchal Malhotras, co-ordinated a... Read more »
A powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude has shaken Himalayan region on 26 October 2015. The epicenter of the quake was reported to be in northeastern Afghanistan.
South Asia

Powerful earthquake of 7.5 magnitude shakes Pakistan, Afghanistan and India

— October 26, 2015 comments off
More than 200 dead, 1000 injured in Pakistan as powerful quake strikes Hindukush region Pakistan Meteorological Department say the magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1 ISLAMABAD (Pakistan) – A powerful earthquake measuring 7.5... Read more »
Opinion/Editorial

Mr. Modi from economic boost up to human calamity?

— October 23, 2015 comments off
By Syed Atiq ul Hassan; The root cause of the partition of India and creation of Pakistan was the continuous denial of the rights of the Indian Muslims by some extremist elements... Read more »
Muslims and Jews sharing meal together in Hummus cafe in Israel.
Middle East

Hummus Restaurant offers discount to Jews and Arabs who dine together

— October 23, 2015 comments off
Share Hummus for Peace A restaurant near the coastal city of Netanya in Israel recently started offering 50 percent off each plate of the chickpea paste at tables seating Jews and Arabs... Read more »
Brazilian natives of the Pareci tribe dance before playing head football with a hand-made ball, during the first day of the International Games of Indigenous Peoples, in Cuiaba, state of Mato Grosso, on November 10, 2013. AFP PHOTO / Christophe SimonCHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP/Getty Images http://epaper.pakobserver.net/201507/07/back.php http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=276512 http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=275113 http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=275638 EXHIBITION TO REMEMBER ONE OF CUBA’S BEST ARTISTS 60th anniversary of Pak-Cuban diplomatic ties Thursday, October 22, 2015 - Islamabad—The new custodian of the Cuban embassy, Jesús Zenén Buergo Concepción, Ambassador of the Republic Cuba in Pakistan, Wednesday, received the elites of the town, diplomats and art aficionados at the exhibition of the works of Cuban artists. According to Zenén Buergo the day was important for three reasons; it marked the National Culture Day of the Republic of Cuba, 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Cuba and was featured in the memory of great Cuban singer Sara Gonzalez. One could see a large number of diplomats taking interest in 30 engravings by Cuban artists put on display at the embassy. The title of the exhibition should have been ‘30 engravings by 30 artists’ quipped a guest, however another standing nearby said it was very thoughtful of Zenén Buergo to name the exhibition after a great Brazilian star Sara Gonzalez. “For the first time in Pakistan works of 30 Cuban artists was put on display,” said she. Ambassador Sara Gonzalez too made a reference to this earlier in his speech saying such a magnificent collection has never been displayed before at the Embassy of Cuba. Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed was the guest at the evening. Most of the art pieces were lithographic, some Xylographic and a couple of them were calligraphic. Visitors also took interest in Silkscreen printing work. The titles of the engravings were also wistfully chosen like “Si me Pides el pescado” or “If you ask me the Fish,” “Canto del Amor y la Vida” or “Singing of Love and Life,” Cancion de Acero” or “Song of Heart of Steel”, “La mona de Sara” or “The Monkey Sara” and “Ofrendo” or “I offer”. Here one must compliment the staff and officials of the embassy in briefing the guests about each piece of art and engraving. Though this is the exhibition first of its kind, yet one hopes and wishes it will not be the last as Pakistani art lovers find many common aspects in the artworks of the artists of the two countries, remarked an art lover while talking to Pakistan Observer. Cuban art is derived from the roots and rituals of its peoples so does Pakistan’s and I see no reason this does not find its prominent place in our local art world and the credit for this will go to the Cuban ambassador, he further said. An exhibition showcasing a Cuban art collection was organised at the residence of the Swiss Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission Roger Kull on Saturday. Titled “Archivos Babalú”, the exhibition comprised over 70 small and medium silk screen prints produced by various Cuban artists who were trained under contemporary Cuban artist Liudmila Lopez Dominguez. “I’m very happy to be the first one to bring Cuban art to Pakistan,” said Dominguez, adding that through the exhibition, she aimed to bridge cultures and explore the potential for exchange opportunities from both countries. Dominguez’s work also featured in the exhibition among the 40 Cuban artists who have presented silk-screen printing, an old Chinese art technique prepared manually. “Whatever you see here has been produced in my workshop,” said Dominguez, who is the owner and director of her studio-gallery “Bablú Ayé” in Havana, Cuba. Using solid, bold and bright colours, the art pieces were quirky and vibrant with a mix of themes, layers and subjects. There was a recurring element of women’s feet clad in richly-detailed and elaborately-ornamented footwear, painted toe-nails with intermittent props such as guitars, the Cuban flag, eyes, blank slates and black-and-white spirals. The talented young Cuban artist Liudmila López Domínguez is an example of that. Her inspiration is women’s shoes, and they have been the theme of a countless number of works that she has exhibited in many countries. “Shoes reflect my interest in continuing my discourse about gender, which involves what I can symbolically depict. This allows me to make connections between my own personal history and the collective one that are related to glamour, classes, comfort, and even states of mind.” López is a graduate of the José Joaquin Tejada School of Fine Arts in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba. She devoted the initial years of her career to painting, and especially to engraving, and believes that as one of the most complete techniques, it gave her a strong background. López has exhibited her work in many solo and collective shoes in Cuba and abroad inlcuding Spain (2001), United States (2002), Greece. This young artist has won many awards and mentions for her outstanding work Compositora, Cuban singer and guitarist Cuban Singer songwriter Sara González, member of the Movimiento de la Nueva Trova (Cuban New Song Movement) Singer-songwriter Sara Gonzalez, one of the original voices of the New Cuban Song Movement, has died in Havana, official media reported. She died in Havana, Cuba in 2012 at the age of 60. The Cuban newspaper Granma published an article entitled “Sara will always be the voice of victory”, which described her as one of the paradigmatic voices of the Cuban New Song Movement over the past 50 years.
World

Over 2,000 ethnic athletes to participate in World Indigenous Games in Brazil

— October 23, 2015 comments off
Participants arrive for first ‘indigenous Olympics’ from dozens of Brazilian ethnicities as well as from such far-flung nations as Ethiopia and New Zealand PALMAS, BRAZIL — World’s first “indigenous Olympics” kicked off... Read more »
Police outside the school in Trollhattan. Photo: EPA
Europe

Masked man with sword kills two at Sweden school

— October 23, 2015 comments off
A masked sword-wielding man has killed at least two people and wounded some others at a school in Sweden before being shot by police on Thursday, authorities said. One male teacher, 20, died... Read more »
Teenage student, who was arrested in Texas after taking a homemade clock to school, accepts scholarship offer in Doha
Middle East

US clock kid Ahmed is moving to Qatar to study

— October 23, 2015 comments off
Teenage student, who was arrested in Texas after taking a homemade clock to school, accepts scholarship offer in Doha The 14-year-old Muslim boy, Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested for bringing science project... Read more »
Opinion/Editorial

First Nations Treaty(ies), Sovereignty and an Australian Republic

— October 23, 2015 comments off
By Ghillar Michael Anderson Former PM Paul Keating’s foray back into Aboriginal politics (16 October 2015 Sydney Morning Herald article Paul Keating pushes ‘unfinished business’ of Indigenous treaty and republic) where he talks up... Read more »
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Leslie Williams
Community

Consultations begin for Aboriginal Centre of Excellence in Western Sydney

— October 22, 2015 comments off
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Leslie Williams has announced community consultations for the NSW Government’s $20 million Aboriginal Centre of Excellence in Western Sydney. Mrs Williams said a community forum will be held... Read more »
Communities Plus project to boost social and affordable housing in NSW
Community

Communities Plus project to boost social and affordable housing in NSW

— October 22, 2015 comments off
Minister for Social Housing Brad Hazzard today called for interest in delivering the new generation of world-class social, affordable and private housing in NSW. “Communities Plus is a new generation of integrated... Read more »
Artist Yadegar Asisi stunning Great Barrier Reef panoramic art installation at the Panometer in Germany. (Photo: Yadegar Asisi)
Australia

Panoramic artwork of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef mesmerizes visitors

— October 22, 2015 comments off
Artist creates stunning, immersive 360-degree art installation of Great Barrier Reef By Michael d’Estries (Mother Nature Network) Artist Yadegar Asisi, famous for his use of panoramic video and art, has brought the beauty... Read more »
Community

‘Such events contribute to increasing a better understanding of this growing industry’ says Naela Chohan on Halal Expo Australia

— October 22, 2015 comments off
In a message sent to the organisers of Halal Expo Australia, the High Commission of Pakistan to Canberra, Ms. Naela Chohan says the following; ‘I would like to convey my heartiest felicitations... Read more »
Opinion/Editorial

HALAL and Haram

— October 21, 2015 comments off
By Moulana Nazeer ul Hassan Thanvi; Halal (lawful) definition The term “Halal’’ means permitted or lawful in Islam, it describes anything that is permitted to use or engage in. They can be... Read more »
Community

Religious Scholar Nazeer ul Hassan Thanvi will manage religious affairs of Halal Expo Australia

— October 21, 2015 comments off
Sydney (Press Release from Halal Expo Australia); It is a great privilege for Halal Expo Australia that a well-known Australian religious scholar and Imam brother Nazeer ul Hassan Thanvi will manage the religious affairs and matters related to first... Read more »