Australian-Vietnamese adoptees ongoing search for family 50 years on from the Vietnam War
Australian-Vietnamese adoptees ongoing search for family 50 years on from the Vietnam War
Published 29 April 2025, 9:31 am
As the world marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon and end of the Vietnam War, a group of adoptees who were taken out of the country prior to 1975, are racing against time to find the mothers they were separated from. An event spearheaded by Australian-Vietnamese adoptees saw a group embark on a bike ride to raise money for elderly Vietnamese residents and spread awareness of their ongoing search for family.
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The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
No Australians believed dead in Air India plane crash
No Australian citizens or residents are believed to have been in a plane crash that killed more than 240 people in India's west. The aviation disaster in the city of Ahmedabad was the worst the world has seen in a decade. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia's thoughts were with all those affected by the crash. "I know I speak for all Australians when I say this is heartbreaking," she told reporters on Friday. "I had a message exchange with (External Affairs Minister) Dr Jaishankar, expressing the condolences of Australians to him. "We also think of our good friends in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. It is a devastating and distressing day for these two countries and many others." More than 200 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but authorities say some of those may be people killed on the ground. The aircraft passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of those, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India's latest advice. Senator Wong said she had not been advised that any Australians were on board but diplomatic staff were closely engaging with Indian authorities. "We've not had any anyone reach out for consular assistance. Obviously, we stand ready to provide support to Australians as required," she said. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai were following up with local authorities to determine whether there were any Australians on board, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the disaster was devastating. "In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected," he posted on the social media platform X. The Air India plane was heading to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed just minutes after take-off. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area, crashing onto a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour. Only one passenger survived the crash, Air India confirmed. Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," 40-year-old survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. "It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. "I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me." with Reuters No Australian citizens or residents are believed to have been in a plane crash that killed more than 240 people in India's west. The aviation disaster in the city of Ahmedabad was the worst the world has seen in a decade. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia's thoughts were with all those affected by the crash. "I know I speak for all Australians when I say this is heartbreaking," she told reporters on Friday. "I had a message exchange with (External Affairs Minister) Dr Jaishankar, expressing the condolences of Australians to him. "We also think of our good friends in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. It is a devastating and distressing day for these two countries and many others." More than 200 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but authorities say some of those may be people killed on the ground. The aircraft passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of those, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India's latest advice. Senator Wong said she had not been advised that any Australians were on board but diplomatic staff were closely engaging with Indian authorities. "We've not had any anyone reach out for consular assistance. Obviously, we stand ready to provide support to Australians as required," she said. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai were following up with local authorities to determine whether there were any Australians on board, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the disaster was devastating. "In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected," he posted on the social media platform X. The Air India plane was heading to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed just minutes after take-off. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area, crashing onto a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour. Only one passenger survived the crash, Air India confirmed. Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," 40-year-old survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. "It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. "I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me." with Reuters No Australian citizens or residents are believed to have been in a plane crash that killed more than 240 people in India's west. The aviation disaster in the city of Ahmedabad was the worst the world has seen in a decade. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia's thoughts were with all those affected by the crash. "I know I speak for all Australians when I say this is heartbreaking," she told reporters on Friday. "I had a message exchange with (External Affairs Minister) Dr Jaishankar, expressing the condolences of Australians to him. "We also think of our good friends in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. It is a devastating and distressing day for these two countries and many others." More than 200 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but authorities say some of those may be people killed on the ground. The aircraft passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of those, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India's latest advice. Senator Wong said she had not been advised that any Australians were on board but diplomatic staff were closely engaging with Indian authorities. "We've not had any anyone reach out for consular assistance. Obviously, we stand ready to provide support to Australians as required," she said. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai were following up with local authorities to determine whether there were any Australians on board, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the disaster was devastating. "In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected," he posted on the social media platform X. The Air India plane was heading to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed just minutes after take-off. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area, crashing onto a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour. Only one passenger survived the crash, Air India confirmed. Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," 40-year-old survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. "It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. "I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me." with Reuters No Australian citizens or residents are believed to have been in a plane crash that killed more than 240 people in India's west. The aviation disaster in the city of Ahmedabad was the worst the world has seen in a decade. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia's thoughts were with all those affected by the crash. "I know I speak for all Australians when I say this is heartbreaking," she told reporters on Friday. "I had a message exchange with (External Affairs Minister) Dr Jaishankar, expressing the condolences of Australians to him. "We also think of our good friends in the United Kingdom and in many other countries. It is a devastating and distressing day for these two countries and many others." More than 200 bodies have been recovered from the crash site, but authorities say some of those may be people killed on the ground. The aircraft passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Of those, 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India's latest advice. Senator Wong said she had not been advised that any Australians were on board but diplomatic staff were closely engaging with Indian authorities. "We've not had any anyone reach out for consular assistance. Obviously, we stand ready to provide support to Australians as required," she said. The Australian High Commission in New Delhi and the Consulate-General in Mumbai were following up with local authorities to determine whether there were any Australians on board, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the disaster was devastating. "In this time of tragedy, Australia's thoughts are with everyone affected," he posted on the social media platform X. The Air India plane was heading to London's Gatwick Airport when it crashed just minutes after take-off. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner came down in a residential area, crashing onto a medical college hostel outside the airport during lunch hour. Only one passenger survived the crash, Air India confirmed. Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed," 40-year-old survivor Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times from his hospital bed. "It all happened so quickly. When I got up, there were bodies all around me. "I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me." with Reuters
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Australian airline Captain Byron Bailey details why he believes 'pilot error' the reason behind crash of Air India Flight 171
An experienced Australian airline captain has explained why he believes pilot error is to blame for the crash of Air India Flight 171 which has left hundreds of people dead. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner departed Ahmedabad airport, in India's north-west, on Thursday but came down in a densely populated neighbourhood seconds later. Footage showed the 11-year-old aircraft slowly descending about 15 seconds after lifting from the runway before it hit a medical college hostel and exploded into flames. Speaking to Sky News Australia, former commercial pilot Captain Byron Bailey said pilot error was "highly likely" the cause of the crash after he watched the video. He pointed to a "remarkable" part of the clip which showed the landing gear was still down, despite the plane reaching 190 metres in the air, according to Flightradar24. Captain Bailey said pilots are in constant communication during the takeoff process and when the required speed is reached for takeoff, they pull back on the yoke. "And the pilot flying will say 'gear up' and that's it for that moment. That occurs at a couple of hundred feet. So why, it's 600 feet, the undercarriage is still down means they haven't selected the gear," he told Sky News. "The other thing that's remarkable is it appears the flap, which is the high lift devices that enables you to fly slower, they appear not to be down. "Now, you can't take off without flap." Captain Bailey suggested it was around this time a fatal error was made. "But my own suspicion is that when the pilot flying called for gear up, the other pilot inadvertently grabbed the flap lever and pushed it through to zero," he said. "And once you've done that, immediately you're in a deep stall and at 600 feet you cannot recover. There's not enough height even though the engines are at full power." The Dreamliner had been labelled as the safest plane up until the crash of Air India. The 787-8 had not been in a fatal incident since its introduction. It is one of the most advanced jets and was brought into service in 2011, with Boeing selling more than 2,500 of the model to airlines, including 47 to Air India. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has offered his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and has spoken to Air India's chairman to offer his "full support". He was due to attend an air show in Paris, but cancelled his appearance. The company was last year plagued with a series of incidents around the world involving its aircraft. Boeing shares fell about 4.2 per cent after the crash. India's Aircraft Accident Bureau Investigation has started a formal investigation. The National Transport Safety Board said a team of US investigators will be flown over to India to support local authorities to find the exact cause which led to the fatal incident. British Air Accidents Investigation Branch has also offered its assistance. Air India on Friday confirmed 241 of the 242 passengers and crew were killed. It said there were 230 passengers and 12 crew on board, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, one Canadian, and seven Portuguese nationals. The sole survivor has been named as Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, a British-Indian national who was assigned seat 11A, according to officials and media on the ground. Police have taped off the scene at the site of the crash. Medical technicians transported blue boxes, which contained human remains, to be forensically tested to confirm their identity as most bodies were badly burnt.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
'I didn't see the point': why more Aussie students are leaving school early
Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early. She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path. Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney. "Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said. "It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier." Ms Valentine is not alone. More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish. The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services. In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent. The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023. The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training. The second group was more cause for concern. "What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons. "And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said. They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these. "Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said. "And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors." Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school. "Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said. Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy. "Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said. "They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students." Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards. And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school. But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE. "At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said. "But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things." Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early. She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path. Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney. "Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said. "It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier." Ms Valentine is not alone. More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish. The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services. In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent. The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023. The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training. The second group was more cause for concern. "What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons. "And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said. They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these. "Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said. "And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors." Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school. "Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said. Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy. "Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said. "They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students." Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards. And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school. But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE. "At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said. "But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things." Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early. She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path. Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney. "Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said. "It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier." Ms Valentine is not alone. More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish. The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services. In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent. The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023. The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training. The second group was more cause for concern. "What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons. "And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said. They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these. "Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said. "And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors." Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school. "Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said. Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy. "Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said. "They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students." Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards. And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school. But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE. "At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said. "But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things." Riley Valentine has never regretted leaving school early. She now works full time in a childcare centre looking after and educating three- and four-year-olds, something she knew from early high school was her career path. Ms Valentine, 21, left school at the end of year 11 and got her qualifications at TAFE in Sydney. "Me sitting through things that don't interest me at all - I didn't see the point to follow through if I knew what I wanted to do," she said. "It was easier access [than university] in the way that I could get in and do it earlier." Ms Valentine is not alone. More than 20 per cent of all Australian students drop out before the end of year 12 - and the rate is higher at government schools where one in four don't finish. The proportion of children completing high school has been steadily declining in Australia over the past 10 years, with some variation, according to the latest Productivity Commission Report on Government Services. In 2017, the retention rate for full time students in years 10 to 12 was 83.3 per cent. By 2024, that had dropped to 79.9 per cent. The same year the retention rate at public schools was 74.3 per cent, down from 79.8 per cent seven years earlier, although a slight increase since 2023. The head of research and advocacy at The Smith Family, Anne Hampshire, said there were two groups of early leavers and the first had positive post-school experiences, with a clear career pathway through apprenticeships and other vocational training. The second group was more cause for concern. "What's happening to them is they're being pushed out of school, in inverted commas, for a range of reasons. "And that could be they've had poor literacy and numeracy, they're not doing very well academically; they start to fall behind, they can't catch up," she said. They could even be bullied, have mental health problems, complex home lives - or a combination of these. "Some of them, they can't see the purpose in completing year 12," Ms Hampshire said. "And so, for them, they end up drifting out of school by these much more negative factors." Ms Hampshire said there was a strong link between finishing year 12 and positive work and study outcomes post-school. "Their engagement in post-school employment, education, training is much more precarious and uncertain, which is not good for them individually, but it's also not good for us as a nation," she said. Having ready access to dedicated careers advice in school was increasingly important as the skills needed for jobs became more sophisticated in a rapidly-changing, knowledge-based economy. "Many young people across the country aren't getting that high quality career support," Ms Hampshire said. "They might have one careers advisor for a large school of 1200 students." Efforts to lift literacy and numeracy levels at a primary school level were also crucial after the latest NAPLAN results showed about one in three students fell short of basic standards. And Ms Hampshire said children from poorer backgrounds and regional areas needed additional assistance to stay in school. But for Riley Valentine, there are no regrets - and even her parents eventually warmed to the idea of her quitting school in favour of TAFE. "At the start, because I mentioned it very early, they weren't on board with it," Ms Valentine said. "But later down the track, I think they realised how much I actually didn't belong in school, or they realised how much I wanted to do other things."
