Australian Treasurer Chris Bowen will meet with members of the Nepali Australian community later today, following the tragic loss of 36 Australians in a recent disaster that has left families and the broader community devastated. Bowen emphasized that every rescued or found person is a relief, but the ongoing uncertainty for the missing underscores the emotional toll on both Australians and Nepali Australians. He also confirmed that Australia will continue to provide any support requested by the Nepalese government, while expressing concern over a recent missile test that violated airspace without prior notice, a move that raised sovereignty and safety issues for Pacific nations. The meeting aims to offer solidarity and discuss how best to assist those affected by the tragedy.
Follow the day’s news live.Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast‘Gut-wrenching’: Bowen to meet with Nepali community todayChris Bowen said he would meet members of the Nepali Australian community later today.Every person who’s been rescued or found is a relief to their family and to the broader Australian community. But of course, we still have 36 Australians who are missing and unaccounted for, which is just gut-wrenching for all Australians and for the Nepalese Australian community in particular, whom I’m spending time with later today.But all I can say is that we’re continuing to send any support that the Nepalese government asked for.I think that leaders in the Pacific were deeply concerned: one, that a missile test was done without permission of the countries whose airspace it had travelled through, and two, that there was no notice of the said missile test. So I think it’s both. It is a concern about sovereignty and safety, and one that Australia fully backs. It’s a pretty strong statement, Sally, and one that Australia played a role in crafting. Continue reading...
