Fourth International Punjabi Conference to be held…

Eight months after his tragic death, the remains of thirty-two-year-old former international student Bikram Lama are finally being prepared for repatriation to his family in Makwanpur, Nepal. Bikram, who had been sleeping rough near Sydney’s Hyde Park, passed away unobserved in December, prompting widespread public outrage and intense scrutiny over the systemic failures that leave non-residents trapped in homelessness. Following months of agonising waiting for his grieving seventy-one-year-old mother, Seti Maya Lama, the New South Wales coroner has released his body to a Sydney funeral service, allowing the family the opportunity to perform his final rites. The prolonged delay in returning Bikram’s body was initially prolonged by mandatory DNA verification procedures, but persistent backlogs within the New South Wales coronial system extended the ordeal for months after testing was completed. Legal experts and former judicial officials have highlighted the incident as evidence of flaws within the state’s coronial framework, citing a lack of dedicated police investigative units and poor inter-agency coordination. With financial assistance provided by community organisations, international students, and the Nepalese government, Bikram’s family is preparing to receive his remains, while frontline advocates continue to push for a formal inquest to address the underlying homelessness crisis.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a central figure in Pyongyang’s foreign policy, has launched a fierce verbal attack against the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) following calls for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula. In an official statement published by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), she condemned the position adopted at last week’s annual ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila as “stupid and foolish”, dismissing regional hopes for nuclear disarmament as an outdated delusion. The dispute was triggered by the release of the ASEAN Regional Forum chair’s statement, in which foreign ministers from across the Indo-Pacific region expressed grave concern over North Korea’s continued development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. The joint declaration urged compliance with relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and called for international dialogue to achieve lasting peace and stability through a peaceful, denuclearised peninsula. Kim Yo Jong expressed strong dissatisfaction with the bloc, accusing ASEAN of displaying an undisguised hostile attitude and acting as a hired mouthpiece for the United States. She argued that adhering to the concept of denuclearisation represents a complete failure of strategic logic, stating that the objective has lost all meaning both conceptually and practically. She further accused the regional body of ignoring North Korea’s national constitution, which was updated in 2023 to formally enshrine its status as a nuclear-armed state. Pyongyang has maintained for years that its nuclear arsenal serves as an essential deterrence mechanism to protect national sovereignty, despite facing heavy international sanctions and prohibitions from the UN Security Council. Reaffirming the regime’s stance that its nuclear capabilities represent a “line of no retreat”, Kim Yo Jong emphasised that North Korea’s nuclear status is final and completely irreversible, adding that its arsenal will continue to be updated steadily without pause regardless of external pressure or diplomatic rhetoric.

Authorities have issued a flash flood warning for New York City, parts of New Jersey and western Long Island as heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and strong winds swept across the region, raising the threat of widespread flooding and travel disruptions. Weather officials warned that intense downpours could quickly overwhelm drainage systems, flood roads and affect low-lying areas. The flash flood warning remained in effect through Monday morning, while a broader flood watch was issued for New York City and northern and central New Jersey until the evening. Forecasters also declared a First Alert Weather Day, citing an elevated risk of flash flooding and severe thunderstorms. Moist and humid air moving into the region is expected to produce rainfall rates of one to three inches per hour, with total rainfall forecast between one and three inches. Some isolated locations could receive even higher amounts, significantly increasing the risk of flooding. In response to the severe weather threat, New York City Emergency Management activated its Flash Flood Emergency Plan. City crews were deployed to clear storm drains and catch basins in flood-prone neighbourhoods, while emergency teams were placed on standby to respond to flooded streets, fallen trees and stranded motorists. Officials warned that severe thunderstorms could also generate damaging wind gusts, increasing the possibility of power outages and hazardous driving conditions throughout the day. Meanwhile, a High Surf Advisory was issued for beaches south of New York City and across Long Island, where waves were expected to reach between six and ten feet. Authorities also warned of a high risk of dangerous rip currents and urged residents and visitors to stay out of the water until conditions improve. Temperatures were expected to remain in the low 80s under mostly cloudy skies. Weather experts forecast that storm activity would gradually weaken by Monday night, bringing an improvement in conditions.