Author: admin_fijitimes
A local volunteer who has made a profound impact on the lives of domestic violence victims and their children has been named Parramatta’s 2025 Citizen of the Year. Through her work with Temple of Humanity Inc, Bhumika Mayur Mhatre empowers domestic violence survivors to rebuild their lives by providing workshops on financial literacy, self-advocacy and job readiness to support resilience and healing while creating a more inclusive and compassionate community in Parramatta. Ms Mhatre said that being named Citizen of the Year was an incredible honour and recognition of the values she holds dear – compassion, inclusiveness and service. “To…
Wyndham City is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Wyndham Citizen and Young Citizen of the Year Awards. Wyndham City’s Mayor, Cr Mia Shaw, said the two awards recognised the outstanding contributions of two Wyndham City residents who, through their love of community and hard work, have made a valuable contribution to Wyndham. “We have two inspiring awardees who put community first, show the value of hard work and enjoy making Wyndham a better place through their efforts,” Cr Shaw said. Presenting the awards, Deputy Mayor Cr Josh Gilligan said the awardees were selfless. “They selflessly share their…
Excitement is in the air as Aussies have less than 36 hours to secure a ticket into tomorrow night’s $70 million Oz Lotto draw – the biggest jackpot offered by any Australian lottery game in 2025. It is anticipated thousands of entries per minute will be generated at lottery outlets and online tomorrow as players rush to grab a last-minute entry before the draw closes at 7.30pm AEST on Tuesday. The phenomenal $70 million prize marks the biggest Oz Lotto offer in more than a year and is the fourth biggest jackpot offered by Oz Lotto in the game’s 31-year…
The Department of Health is advising Victorians not to swim in public swimming pools for at least two weeks if they have had diarrhoea, as cases of cryptosporidiosis (‘crypto’) begin to increase across the state. There have been 87 cases of parasitic infection reported in Victoria so far this year. While cases typically increase in the warmer months, current figures are above the five-year average. It follows a record 2,349 crypto cases reported to the Department of Health in 2024, which was a 233 per cent increase on the previous year. Cryptosporidiosis can cause watery diarrhoea and stomach cramps for several weeks. People…
Rupi is celebrating 25 years as a dhol player in Australia. He leads Platinum Dholis, the nation’s longest running and most successful dhol company. Rupi’s musical journey began at 14 when he started learning the guitar. At 19, he discovered the dhol and knew in his heart it was his true passion. Growing up in England in the 1980s, he was inspired by live bands like Alaap and Apna Sangeet. A trip back to England became pivotal in his journey when he met musicians Aman Hayer and Sukshinder Shinda from his hometown. After jamming with them, Rupi was determined to bring the vibrant music…
INDIA’S REPUBLIC DAY Serendipitously, the 26th of January is an important day for both the people of Australia and India. In 1838, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the First Fleet’s landing at Sydney Cove and British settlement, a public holiday was first declared in the colony of New South Wales, which today, all Australian states and territories celebrate as Australia Day. In 1950, India’s Constitution came into force, formally establishing the republic of a new nation which had gained its independence less than three years earlier. Accordingly, for many Australians of Indian ancestry, the 26th of January is a…
INDIA REPUBLIC DAY 2025 Republic Day is an opportunity to celebrate 75 years of Indian independence and recognise the extraordinary achievements and success of modern India. It’s a chance for people of Indian heritage to honour their rich culture and reflect on India’s remarkable journey across more than seven decades since independence. For Australia’s diverse and vibrant Indian communities, this celebration is doubly special, coinciding as it does with Australia’s national day – a time to celebrate the strength of connection between our nations and people. Australia and India have never been closer, but we can do even more together.…
Western Sydney will become home to a new Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) production hub, thanks to an Albanese Government investment to commence the expansion of the network’s capacity and reach. The funding will support the development of a detailed business case and enable SBS to start work on finding a site to expand its news and current affairs, multilingual audio services and screen production. Establishing an SBS production presence in Western Sydney delivers on the Government’s commitment to boost the region’s arts and culture infrastructure, to improve equity of access to and participation in the arts, and brings to life…
Gia moved to Australia from Vietnam as an international student studying health. While she loves her course, she faced the challenges of adjusting to a new environment. “I really missed my family, and then through volunteering, I got to meet other international students from so many different backgrounds who were all feeling the same feelings,” she says. Gia volunteers at The Couch – an international student centre in Melbourne’s CBD. She first heard about the position at a conference and has been volunteering there for over a year. “I love connecting with people, that’s what keeps me coming back every…