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Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Volume 16 / Issue 09<br />
READY TO<br />
SELL YOUR<br />
BUSINESS?<br />
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APPLAUSE ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS<br />
AN ELLIPSIS ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTION<br />
PRODUCED BY SAMEER NAIR, DEEPAK SEGAL, TANUJ GARG, ATUL KASBEKAR AND SWATI IYER CHAWLA<br />
ADAPTED STORY AND SCREENPLAY BY SUPROTIM SENGUPTA AND EISHA A CHOPRA<br />
DIALOGUE BY SUPROTIM SENGUPTA, AMRITA BAGCHI AND EISHA A CHOPRA<br />
A WALLET<br />
RAVI BAJPAI<br />
FULL OF<br />
CASH<br />
Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong>, 28, builds tech<br />
company worth millions<br />
“I am creating the next financial<br />
institution of the world.”<br />
Devrath Soni is hardly the tech<br />
entrepreneur I was expecting to meet.<br />
All of 28, the man has launched a<br />
micro-investment app that allows users<br />
to buy gold with as little as `1.<br />
Sugar Wallet, which first launched<br />
in 2022, expanded this year into the<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> and Turkish markets. It’s valued<br />
at $20m USD, approximately.<br />
Devrath is sporting jeans paired<br />
with two t-shirts (a half-sleeve over a<br />
full-sleeve) as he extends his arm to<br />
greet me, exuding the demeanour of an<br />
undergrad student.<br />
“The point is to cut through the clutter<br />
in the investment space. How can<br />
we simplify this for those who aren’t<br />
inclined to investing?” says Devrath,<br />
with an accent heavily <strong>Indian</strong> for<br />
someone who moved to New Zealand at<br />
just seven years old.<br />
• Continued on Page 6<br />
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 3<br />
Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> drives broken car after<br />
robbery as police fail to show up<br />
URJITA BHARDWAJ<br />
A<br />
Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> bodybuilder<br />
and fitness trainer feels<br />
"hopeless" about the police<br />
taking any action after her car was<br />
broken into on Monday.<br />
Namrata Rai is "shaken" after<br />
her car windows were smashed<br />
outside a gym and her purse<br />
stolen in the early hours of <strong>May</strong><br />
20, 20<strong>24</strong>.<br />
Not just that, she tried to reach<br />
the police for help over the phone<br />
twice, but her calls were queued<br />
up for a response for nearly an<br />
hour.<br />
Rai had only just wrapped up<br />
her early morning training session<br />
at City Fitness Three Kings when<br />
she saw the co-driver’s window of<br />
her parked<br />
“It was about 5.15 am. All my<br />
belongings were strewn on the<br />
road, and my purse had been<br />
stolen. I lost my driver’s license<br />
and all my cards, including<br />
debit, credit and gift cards,” says<br />
Namrata. Hours after the robbery,<br />
she posted on social media, “I<br />
was a victim of a crime, and it's<br />
been a challenging experience. It<br />
RAVI BAJPAI<br />
has left me feeling shaken<br />
and vulnerable, but I’m trying<br />
to process everything and take<br />
things one step at a time.”<br />
“I was a victim of a<br />
crime, and it's been a<br />
challenging experience.<br />
It has left me feeling<br />
shaken and vulnerable,<br />
but I’m trying to<br />
process everything and<br />
take things one step at<br />
a time.” Namrata Rai<br />
But the robbery was seemingly<br />
not the end of her ordeal. Soon<br />
after discovering the break-in, she<br />
called the police from the<br />
parking lot.<br />
“First, I was placed on hold for<br />
15 minutes. I disconnected the<br />
call because I was panicking.<br />
I called the police again and<br />
was put on hold for at least 45<br />
minutes. I then decided to drive<br />
back home with my broken car."<br />
Namrata trains at CityFitness<br />
Three Kings every day between<br />
3 am and 5 am and also runs her<br />
own fitness studio, Family Fitness,<br />
in Mount Roskill. The incident<br />
Three strikes could become<br />
no strikes, warn dairy owners<br />
occurred on Monday during her<br />
training session from 4.45 am<br />
to 5.15 am.<br />
She says she is disappointed<br />
by the lack of police response<br />
despite calling twice and being<br />
put on hold for nearly an hour.<br />
"It was very dark when the<br />
incident happened, and the first<br />
thing that came to my mind was<br />
contacting the police. But there<br />
was no response for so long.<br />
"Finally, when I got in touch<br />
with the police, they gave me a<br />
complaint registration number.<br />
Now my husband and I are waiting<br />
for details and will follow<br />
up," she says.<br />
The car is insured, Namrata<br />
says, but she is more concerned<br />
about her safety and the safety<br />
of others who might face similar<br />
situations in the future.<br />
"I usually park in a safe spot,<br />
and the place I go for personal<br />
training…it has a lot of homeless<br />
people roaming around. I make<br />
sure my car is always locked<br />
properly."<br />
"Yesterday, I received a formal<br />
email from the police about my<br />
complaint. That is all."<br />
Namrata also emphasises the<br />
importance of having enough<br />
CCTV cameras in the city to<br />
provide evidence if such incidents<br />
occur. She says her own studio,<br />
Family Fitness in Mount Roskill,<br />
is very secure and equipped with<br />
CCTV cameras.<br />
"I hope individuals and<br />
businesses can see my post<br />
and share it. If businesses have<br />
CCTV cameras that can show<br />
what happened, please report<br />
to the police with file number<br />
<strong>24</strong>0520/9779. I hope the culprit<br />
can be caught.”<br />
Small business owners are<br />
warning the three strikes<br />
law the government is<br />
reinstating is too weak and could<br />
easily end up being a “no strikes”<br />
law.<br />
Last month, the National-led<br />
government said it will bring back<br />
the three-stage system that the<br />
Labour government axed on the<br />
grounds it disproportionately<br />
affected Maori and prevented<br />
judges from taking individual<br />
circumstances into account.<br />
The system–first introduced<br />
by National and ACT in 2010–<br />
required judges to hand down the<br />
maximum sentence if an offender<br />
is convicted of three qualifying<br />
offences. Small business owners,<br />
already riled by rising retail crime,<br />
are picking on a provision in the<br />
revised version that requires<br />
three strikes to be applied only to<br />
sentences more than <strong>24</strong> months.<br />
“All we see is something that<br />
sounds good but will give criminals<br />
a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Chair<br />
of the Dairy and Business Owners<br />
Group Incorporated Sunny<br />
Kaushal said on <strong>May</strong> 21.<br />
“The government doesn’t<br />
seem to grasp that there are two<br />
sentences. There’s a starting<br />
point sentence but then there’s<br />
the end point after the judge<br />
considers discounts. So, what<br />
sentence does the government<br />
actually mean?”<br />
Kaushal says business<br />
owners are also peeved at a new<br />
provision that allows judges to<br />
have discretion where a strike is<br />
“manifestly unjust”.<br />
That, he says, leaves a lot of<br />
room for discretion, and therefore<br />
casts doubts over achieving what<br />
he describes as real consequences<br />
for actions.<br />
“We’ll tell you what is manifestly<br />
unjust. That’s 298 thefts and 17<br />
burglaries every day last year<br />
in a record year for retail crime.<br />
Something that officials, judges<br />
and, sadly now, ministers don’t<br />
want to face up to.”<br />
Kaushal points to an incident<br />
this February to illustrate his<br />
frustration. “In February, a person<br />
was finally sent to prison but<br />
only after 105 convictions over<br />
many years including ‘intensive<br />
supervision for burglary’. They<br />
got 14 months.”<br />
The dairy owners association<br />
is now calling on the coalition<br />
government to toughen Three<br />
Strikes 2.0.<br />
“In Opposition, the new<br />
government talked a great game<br />
so we’re guttered to see Three<br />
Strikes 2.0 turn into no strikes,”<br />
says Kaushal.<br />
He says the small businesses<br />
his group represents want that –<br />
1. After the first strike, the second<br />
strike to be for any crime,<br />
with the final third strike upon<br />
conviction where the starting<br />
point sentence is <strong>24</strong> months or<br />
more<br />
2. It includes all burglary offences,<br />
not just aggravated burglary.<br />
Homes and home businesses<br />
like dairies or farms are the<br />
most personal of spaces. With<br />
dairies and farms, there is<br />
greater risk a burglary could go<br />
wrong. This crime needs to be<br />
treated seriously.<br />
3. The “manifestly unjust”<br />
exception is removed. This<br />
will make it almost impossible<br />
to land a third strike. With<br />
<strong>24</strong>-month starting point<br />
sentence for the third-strike,<br />
the bar is set higher while the<br />
Royal prerogative of Mercy<br />
exists for true miscarriages of<br />
justice<br />
4. “Attempted murder” is added<br />
to a proposal that those who<br />
commit murder at second or<br />
third strike go down for an<br />
appropriately lengthy nonparole<br />
period<br />
5. All ‘strikes’ to those who were<br />
on them before the old law<br />
was repealed are reinstated,<br />
and only apply new strike(s)<br />
to crimes committed after this<br />
new law comes into effect.
4<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Top of the world: 53-year-old<br />
Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> scales Mt Everest<br />
URJITA BHARDWAJ<br />
This fifty-three-year-old<br />
Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong>'s journey to<br />
the top of the world stands<br />
as a testament to the power of<br />
perseverance and passion.<br />
On <strong>May</strong> 19, 20<strong>24</strong>, at 8:37 am,<br />
Malkiat Singh achieved a lifelong<br />
dream by "reaching the summit<br />
of Mount Everest." Singh, who<br />
resides and works in Auckland,<br />
migrated from Fatehgarh Sahib,<br />
Punjab, in 1998 and has always<br />
been known for his athleticism.<br />
“I did it,” Malkiat told his family<br />
in Auckland during an emotional<br />
phone call. His brother, Pargat<br />
Singh, expressed the family's<br />
mixed emotions, saying, “We<br />
were relieved and elated at<br />
the same time by my brother’s<br />
achievement.”<br />
Malkiat's family claims that<br />
he scaled Mount Everest "all the<br />
way to the top", standing at an<br />
elevation of 8,849 meters.<br />
A senior member of the<br />
Supreme Sikh Society for 25<br />
years, Malkiat Singh is a graduate<br />
of Punjab Agricultural University,<br />
Ludhiana. He had a promising<br />
career in Mumbai, India as a<br />
manager at the Oil and Natural<br />
Gas Corporation (ONGC) but<br />
chose to relocate due to his<br />
dissatisfaction with city's train<br />
services.<br />
“My brother did not like the train<br />
services in Mumbai, so he decided<br />
to move,” Pargat Singh quipped.<br />
Malkiat's family describes him<br />
as a bright academic achiever and<br />
an exceptional sportsman.<br />
His inspiration to climb Everest<br />
came from meeting Sir Edmund<br />
Hillary, the famed New Zealand<br />
mountaineer who, along with<br />
Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, first<br />
reached Everest’s summit in 1953.<br />
In addition to mountaineering,<br />
Malkiat has a background in<br />
hockey, having played for various<br />
clubs in Auckland before retiring<br />
a few years ago. However, his<br />
passion for sports never waned. “I<br />
“I did it,” Malkiat told<br />
his family in Auckland<br />
during an emotional<br />
phone call. His<br />
brother, Pargat Singh,<br />
expressed the family's<br />
mixed emotions,<br />
saying, “We were<br />
relieved and elated at<br />
the same time by my<br />
brother’s achievement.”<br />
guess he picked up a new hobby,”<br />
Malkiat’s elder son Mansimrit told<br />
The <strong>Indian</strong> Weekender.<br />
Mansimrit Singh, a second<br />
lieutenant in the New Zealand<br />
Army, played a crucial role in his<br />
father's achievement.<br />
“I helped my father with<br />
physical training for about a<br />
year,” he said. Malkiat underwent<br />
rigorous training, focusing on core<br />
strength, cardiovascular health,<br />
and hypoxic training with his<br />
coach, Walter.<br />
Altitude training, also known<br />
as hypoxic training or low oxygen<br />
training, involves exercising in,<br />
living in or otherwise breathing<br />
oxygen-reduced air.<br />
This specialised training<br />
mimicked the low-oxygen<br />
conditions of high altitudes.<br />
Additionally, Malkiat practiced<br />
yoga to enhance his physical and<br />
mental resilience.<br />
Last year, Malkiat participated<br />
in the 14 Peaks Expedition, a highaltitude<br />
sports company and one<br />
of the world’s largest expedition<br />
organisers for mountains above<br />
8,000 meters, including the 14<br />
Peaks and Seven Summits.<br />
Initially, Malkiat’s family was<br />
apprehensive about his decision<br />
to climb Everest due to the risks<br />
involved. “No one was willingly<br />
happy about his decision,”<br />
Pargat Singh said. However,<br />
Mansimrit had unwavering faith<br />
in his father’s capabilities and<br />
strengths.<br />
Currently, Malkiat is recovering<br />
at a monastery after his<br />
successful ascent. His journey to<br />
recovery has been smooth, and he<br />
is expected to return to his family<br />
in June.<br />
As for what lies ahead, Malkiat<br />
plans to focus on recovery and<br />
inspiring younger generations<br />
to pursue their passions and<br />
embrace hard work. “Firstly to<br />
recover and inspire younger<br />
generations to go for their<br />
passions and love for hard work,”<br />
his son said.<br />
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 5<br />
New to NZ job market? Here is how<br />
Auckland Malayali Samajam can help<br />
URJITA BHARDWAJ<br />
For a first-time job seeker in<br />
New Zealand, the process<br />
can be overwhelming,<br />
with numerous interviews and<br />
unfamiliar rules.<br />
To aid in this transition, the<br />
Auckland Malayali Samajam is<br />
hosting a seminar specifically for<br />
South Asian professionals, inviting<br />
all new South Asian immigrants to<br />
attend.<br />
Scheduled for 15th June 20<strong>24</strong>,<br />
the seminar aims to empower<br />
South Asian immigrants who<br />
may be facing obstacles in their<br />
journey to find employment.<br />
Leading the seminar will be<br />
Mahesh Murlidhar, an alumnus<br />
of the University of Auckland<br />
with a career in management and<br />
strategy consulting.<br />
Murlidhar will provide insights<br />
to job seekers on navigating the<br />
New Zealand job market and an<br />
attempt to integrate into kiwiculture.<br />
In addition to this seminar, the<br />
association helps Malayalees in<br />
Auckland build connections, form<br />
friendships, and gain a deeper<br />
understanding of their community.<br />
The Auckland Malayali<br />
Samajam (AMS), established in<br />
1999, is dedicated to promoting,<br />
preserving, and nurturing the<br />
unique cultural and linguistic<br />
heritage of the Malayalee<br />
community. It also aims<br />
to foster connections<br />
and friendships among<br />
Malayalees in Auckland<br />
and across New Zealand,<br />
enriching the country's<br />
diverse cultural fabric<br />
with the best Malayalee<br />
traditions. The organisation<br />
also offers Malayalam<br />
classes to ensure the<br />
younger generation of the<br />
diaspora remains connected<br />
to their mother tongue.<br />
AMS’s primary objectives<br />
include fostering friendship<br />
and unity among New<br />
Zealand societies, aiding the<br />
integration of community<br />
members into the broader<br />
New Zealand society, and<br />
conducting activities aligned<br />
with these goals. The society<br />
Ranjna Patel to receive business honour<br />
RNZ<br />
Ranjna Patel, co-founder of New<br />
Zealand's largest private primary<br />
healthcare network Tamaki Health<br />
and a well-known philanthropist, is poised to<br />
be inducted into the New Zealand Business<br />
Hall of Fame this year.<br />
According to the award citation, Tamaki<br />
Health has impacted more than 300,000<br />
patients through 50 clinics nationwide as<br />
well as on digital platform Bettr.<br />
"Her notable contributions extend to<br />
founding Gandhi Nivas, an innovative<br />
family harm prevention program delivering<br />
significant social returns," the citation said.<br />
"Awarded the QSM and ONZM for her<br />
charitable efforts, Ranjna also serves as<br />
a Trustee for the Swaminarayan Temple,<br />
promoting extensive community and social<br />
services. Her leadership in healthcare<br />
and social welfare has made her a pivotal<br />
figure in fostering community well-being<br />
and equity."<br />
Established in 1994 by Young Enterprise,<br />
the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame has<br />
honoured more than 200 individuals who<br />
have made a significant contribution to the<br />
economic and social development of the<br />
country over the past three decades.<br />
The annual event celebrates its 30th<br />
anniversary on 11 September, with Rod<br />
Duke, Sir Mark Dunajtschik, Sir Owen Glenn,<br />
Todd Heller, Diane Foreman and Sir Ian<br />
Taylor also being inducted into the Business<br />
Hall of Fame.<br />
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi named new ambassador<br />
of Breast Cancer Foundation<br />
Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi, a former list MP<br />
for the National Party and the country's firstever<br />
India-born lawmaker, has been named<br />
ambassador of Breast Cancer Foundation<br />
New Zealand.<br />
"After witnessing the impact of breast<br />
cancer on my loved ones, I have come to<br />
realise the importance of educating people<br />
and providing support for those who need<br />
it," Bakshi said.<br />
"Unfortunately, cultural stigmas and a<br />
lack of awareness is still preventing timely<br />
diagnosis and treatment. By engaging with<br />
the <strong>Indian</strong> community, we can dispel myths,<br />
promote regular breast screening and offer<br />
culturally sensitive support."<br />
Ah-Leen Rayner, chief executive of Breast<br />
Cancer Foundation NZ, said it was important<br />
for the charity to reach more Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong>s<br />
about the importance of early screening.<br />
"Asian women in New Zealand are getting<br />
breast cancer at a younger age than other<br />
ethnic groups, and also have the lowest<br />
breast screening participation rates. So,<br />
there's a lot we must do to ensure more<br />
Asian women survive breast cancer."<br />
Breast cancer is the most common<br />
female cancer in New Zealand, with around<br />
3,500 women diagnosed with the disease<br />
every year.<br />
is committed to educating the<br />
younger generation about rich<br />
Malayalee culture and language,<br />
helping them grow as responsible<br />
citizens. AMS organises cultural<br />
functions and promotes solidarity<br />
with other cultural organisations<br />
within New Zealand and beyond.<br />
It emphasises promoting family<br />
values among its members and<br />
the wider New Zealand society<br />
and educates members about the<br />
dangers of family violence, drug<br />
abuse, and alcohol dependence.<br />
AMS also partakes in<br />
development programmes aimed<br />
at the welfare and well-being<br />
of the New Zealand community,<br />
promotes health education among<br />
its communities, and assists in<br />
settling new immigrants to New<br />
Zealand.<br />
The organisation encourages<br />
sports and cultural activities,<br />
collects necessary funds from<br />
members and the community<br />
to achieve its objectives, and<br />
acquires and manages properties<br />
to further its goals.<br />
The primary mission of AMS<br />
is to promote the interests of the<br />
organisation and its members<br />
within the broader community,<br />
striving to make a difference<br />
by educating the public and<br />
expanding its reach.<br />
The AGM of AMS annually<br />
elects the Executive Committee.<br />
The current executive committee<br />
comprises:<br />
• Robin K Babu - President<br />
• Mebin John - Secretary<br />
• Libi Jacob - Vice President<br />
• Divya Vijay - Joint Secretary<br />
• Lesley Corray - Treasurer<br />
• Aby Joseph - Executive<br />
Member<br />
• Vinu Mani - Executive Member<br />
• Daisy Sujo - Executive Member<br />
• Shiji Joby - Executive Member<br />
• Jaimon Menachery - Executive<br />
Member<br />
• Sana Ram - Area<br />
Representative<br />
• Abhinand Paul - Area<br />
Representative<br />
• Gopal Nair - Area<br />
Representative<br />
• Joyal Jose - Area<br />
Representative<br />
One of the largest events<br />
organised by the Auckland<br />
Malayali Samajam is the Onam<br />
Celebration, attracting over<br />
1,200 community members<br />
annually. Additionally, AMS hosts<br />
celebrations for Christmas,<br />
Easter, Vishu, and Eid each year,<br />
showcasing the unity in diversity<br />
within the organisation. The<br />
annual Kalotsavam cultural<br />
performance competition for<br />
children and various sports<br />
events further engage the wider<br />
Malayalee community in New<br />
Zealand.<br />
This year marks the 25th<br />
anniversary of AMS, and in<br />
celebration, the organisation plans<br />
to host a mega event that will<br />
highlight the unique contributions<br />
and vibrant culture of the<br />
Auckland Malayali Samajam.
6<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
How to become a cop in NZ<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
In a move to strengthen its<br />
workforce and better mirror the<br />
diverse communities it serves,<br />
the New Zealand Police hosted<br />
an ethnic recruitment drive on<br />
<strong>May</strong> 18, 20<strong>24</strong>. This initiative aims<br />
to augment the number of police<br />
officers nationwide.<br />
"The National government<br />
announced 500 additional police<br />
officers for New Zealanders. My<br />
team, Police Ethnic Service Team,<br />
is dedicated and has joined forces<br />
with the Police Recruitment Team<br />
to achieve the government's goal,"<br />
Constable Terry Lin of Counties<br />
Manukau Police told The <strong>Indian</strong><br />
Weekender. The Police Ethnic<br />
Service Team has collaborated<br />
with the Police Recruitment Team<br />
to boost the representation of<br />
ethnic backgrounds within the<br />
force.<br />
"Our intent is to increase<br />
the number of police officers,<br />
particularly from ethnic<br />
backgrounds, in our organisation.<br />
We need to diversify our police<br />
members, and that's why we are<br />
reaching out to communities<br />
and their leaders," added<br />
Constable Lin. The recruitment<br />
drive aims to enhance the<br />
engagement of diverse<br />
ethnic communities with the<br />
• Continued from Page 1<br />
Sugar Wallet’s journey began in<br />
2022 in New Zealand.<br />
The first iteration of the app<br />
offered users the ability to put<br />
aside as little as $1 while also<br />
keeping the investment<br />
choices simple.<br />
“We realised complexity was a<br />
big barrier keeping newbies away<br />
from investing in the market.<br />
Our solution was to offer them<br />
not just a low threshold for the<br />
amount invested but also just<br />
three investment choices.”<br />
The app has since pivoted from<br />
investing in markets.<br />
Now users get to buy<br />
gold instead of stocks, an<br />
option Devrath feels sits rather<br />
well with the conventional <strong>Indian</strong><br />
wisdom of investing in gold.<br />
“When I look back at my<br />
journey, I have always tried to find<br />
ways to empower people.” Sugar<br />
Wallet is not his first rodeo.<br />
Devrath was fresh out of<br />
college and out shopping for a<br />
good suit when he realised he<br />
couldn’t afford any good ones on<br />
the market.<br />
“It was so expensive! Later in<br />
India I had one made that was the<br />
same quality for only a fraction of<br />
the cost. I was like, surely it won’t<br />
cost so much for it to be shipped<br />
to New Zealand.”<br />
He returned to Auckland<br />
and opened his first venture, a<br />
custom-tailoring business. The<br />
plan was simple. Take customer<br />
measurements here and get the<br />
suit stitched back in India.<br />
“It worked like magic.<br />
Customers began coming in by<br />
"Language barriers<br />
often create anxiety<br />
and uncertainty for our<br />
ethnic communities.<br />
When they see officers<br />
of their own kind, they<br />
open up and are willing<br />
to talk more, which<br />
may result in solving<br />
crimes and increasing<br />
police trust and<br />
confidence."<br />
word of mouth. I didn’t realise it<br />
then but what really satisfied me<br />
was the happiness on their face<br />
at having worn a world-class suit<br />
at an affordable price.”<br />
That business lasted a good<br />
four years until the Covid-19<br />
pandemic, when he sold it off and<br />
began searching for his next big<br />
idea. This one came to him<br />
closer home.<br />
“One day, a relative told me<br />
New Zealand Police.<br />
"Every time I dealt with an<br />
incident involving my Chinese<br />
community, they felt a sense of<br />
relief as they could talk to someone<br />
in their own language," shared<br />
Constable Lin.<br />
"Language barriers often create<br />
anxiety and uncertainty for our<br />
ethnic communities.<br />
"When they see officers of<br />
their own kind, they open up and<br />
are willing to talk more, which<br />
may result in solving crimes<br />
and increasing police trust and<br />
confidence," he added.<br />
To achieve this, the Police<br />
Ethnic Service team will host one<br />
she had her savings sitting in the<br />
bank. She said investing it was<br />
too complex and risky. It might<br />
not seem like much today, but<br />
that stirred me up.”<br />
He toyed with the premise of a<br />
product to educate people about<br />
investing, an idea that led him to<br />
his mentor–a tech entreprenuer<br />
in his 30s.<br />
Mahesh Muralidhar flashes a<br />
disarming smile as he turns to<br />
recruitment seminar per month,<br />
focusing on different ethnicities<br />
each time. The upcoming seminar<br />
in June will target the Chinese<br />
community, although the sessions<br />
are open to everyone.<br />
Feedback from various ethnic<br />
communities regarding the<br />
recruitment drive has been<br />
overwhelmingly positive.<br />
"They welcome the police<br />
recruitment drive, which<br />
demonstrates that the police<br />
value our community," said<br />
Constable Lin.<br />
Successful candidates will<br />
undergo training as constabulary<br />
recruits at the Royal New<br />
Zealand Police College (RNZPC).<br />
The training program lasts<br />
approximately five months, during<br />
which candidates reside at the<br />
college. However, they are allowed<br />
to travel home during study breaks<br />
or weekends. Moreover, recruits<br />
receive payment during the<br />
training period.<br />
The criteria for selection and<br />
further details can be found on<br />
the website newcops.govt.nz or by<br />
attending one of the recruitment<br />
seminars.<br />
This recruitment drive represents<br />
a significant step towards a more<br />
inclusive and diverse police force,<br />
reflecting the multicultural fabric<br />
of New Zealand's society.<br />
'Sugar Wallet is the next financial<br />
institution of the future': Devrath Soni<br />
Mahesh Muralidhar/ Photo: Supplied<br />
“It worked like magic.<br />
Customers began<br />
coming in by word of<br />
mouth. I didn’t realise<br />
it then but what really<br />
satisfied me was the<br />
happiness on their<br />
face at having worn a<br />
world-class suit at an<br />
affordable price.”<br />
me. The soft-spoken Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong><br />
is hosting us at his place in<br />
Ponsonby for this meeting on a<br />
sunny Friday morning.<br />
Mahesh wears many hats.<br />
He struck gold as a founding<br />
member of Canva, the popular<br />
web graphic designing app.<br />
More recently, he came a<br />
close second as a National Party<br />
candidate from Auckland CBD<br />
in Election 2023, giving Green’s<br />
Chloe Swarbrick a run for her<br />
money. Over the last three years,<br />
Mahesh has put his heart and<br />
soul into building Phase One<br />
Ventures, an early-stage founder<br />
community supporting young<br />
Kiwi entrepreneurs.<br />
“When I first met Devrath, I<br />
saw a young man brimming with<br />
passion. He truly wanted to make<br />
a difference, he believed in<br />
his mission.”<br />
Mahesh worked with Devrath<br />
to chisel his idea and helped him<br />
launch Sugar Wallet in 2022.<br />
“He is at the cusp of exploding<br />
on the global stage,” Mahesh<br />
says of his protege, his eyes<br />
giving away a hint of pride.<br />
Devrath is no less excited about<br />
what the future holds for him.<br />
“Sugar Wallet is the next financial<br />
institution of the future.<br />
"We will be expanding the<br />
product soon to also offer lending<br />
services against your gold<br />
assets."<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Meet India's<br />
first space<br />
tourist, Gopi<br />
Thotakura<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> expatriate Gopi<br />
Thotakura has made history<br />
by becoming the first <strong>Indian</strong><br />
space tourist and the second<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> to venture into space,<br />
participating in Amazon founder<br />
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin NS-<br />
25 mission. The Blue Origin<br />
successfully completed its<br />
seventh human spaceflight<br />
and the 25th flight for the New<br />
Shepard program on Sunday.<br />
Born in Andhra Pradesh, Gopi<br />
Thotakura was among the six<br />
crew members on this mission.<br />
The astronaut crew included<br />
Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron,<br />
Kenneth L. Hess, Carol Schaller,<br />
and former Air Force Captain<br />
Ed Dwight, who was selected<br />
by President John F. Kennedy<br />
in 1961 as the nation's first<br />
black astronaut candidate but<br />
never had the opportunity to<br />
fly, according to Blue Origin's<br />
official website.<br />
The New Shepard program<br />
has now flown 37 people into<br />
space, including the latest crew.<br />
Phil Joyce, Senior Vice President<br />
of New Shepard, expressed<br />
gratitude, saying, "A big thank<br />
you to our astronaut customers<br />
for the opportunity to provide<br />
this life-changing experience.<br />
Each of you are pioneers helping<br />
to advance our mission to build<br />
a road to space for the benefit of<br />
Earth."<br />
Last month, in an exclusive<br />
interview with ANI, Thotakura<br />
discussed his lifelong dream<br />
and passion for flying, as well<br />
as the mission's commitment<br />
to protecting Mother Earth. He<br />
highlighted how space tourism<br />
can open new avenues and<br />
make space more accessible<br />
and affordable for civilians.<br />
Reflecting on his feelings,<br />
Thotakura said, "I can't express<br />
my feelings right now because<br />
it is something that is not in the<br />
urban dictionary. It is something<br />
I take with me. I always tell<br />
people that right from when you<br />
are born till the time you leave,<br />
you wake up and want to see the<br />
sky, want to take a breath, but I<br />
want to have this opportunity<br />
to do the reverse, to go up there<br />
and see down here.<br />
Movies do a fantastic job, but<br />
to see what the naked eye can<br />
see, you have to do that yourself.<br />
The whole excitement is<br />
about looking back and seeing<br />
what's going on without being<br />
documented or seen through<br />
someone else's eyes."
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 7<br />
Fiji-<strong>Indian</strong> parents suffering in debt<br />
after crash claims son's life<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
An <strong>Indian</strong> family of five who<br />
migrated from Fiji to New<br />
Zealand to build a better<br />
future had their dreams shattered<br />
when their son, the family’s<br />
primary earner, was killed in a<br />
fatal car crash caused by a drunk<br />
driver.<br />
An apprentice diesel mechanic,<br />
who had previously been<br />
convicted of drink driving, is now<br />
facing severe consequences after<br />
a tragic incident that resulted in<br />
the death of a young man, New<br />
Zealand Herald reported. Jack<br />
Isaac Halliday, 26, had after-work<br />
drinks before getting behind the<br />
wheel and crashing, causing the<br />
death of <strong>24</strong>-year-old Sahil Prasad.<br />
In a similar pattern, Halliday,<br />
who worked at J Swap<br />
Contracting in Matamata, had<br />
been caught by police for drink<br />
driving in March last year.<br />
However, just four months later, he<br />
repeated his reckless behaviour,<br />
this time with fatal consequences.<br />
On the evening of July 21,<br />
Halliday finished work at 5:53<br />
PM and joined his colleagues for<br />
drinks at their workshop.<br />
CCTV footage captured him<br />
consuming five drinks before<br />
leaving in his work ute at 8:15<br />
PM to head to a local pub, where<br />
he continued drinking with<br />
Parents of Sahil Prasad. Photo / Mike Scott: NZ Herald<br />
workmates.<br />
Despite warnings from a coworker<br />
who suggested he stay<br />
the night due to his apparent<br />
intoxication, Halliday chose to<br />
drive to Hamilton.<br />
At 11:19 PM, as he approached<br />
Newstead on State Highway 26,<br />
his vehicle crossed the centre<br />
line, colliding with Prasad’s car.<br />
Prasad, who was returning home<br />
to Eureka, died at the scene from<br />
severe brain and head injuries.<br />
Halliday, who sustained minor<br />
injuries, was found to have a<br />
blood alcohol level of 144mg per<br />
100ml, nearly three times the<br />
legal limit. In court, he admitted to<br />
drinking but claimed he thought<br />
he was under the limit.<br />
Prasad’s family has been<br />
left heartbroken and financially<br />
strained. His parents, Rajesh and<br />
Ashima, are struggling with the<br />
loss of their only son and the<br />
substantial costs associated with<br />
his funeral.<br />
They are now planning to move<br />
away from the crash site, which is<br />
painfully close to their home.<br />
Rajesh expressed frustration<br />
over Halliday's actions and the<br />
legal outcome. “What he did was<br />
“What he did was<br />
not an accident. An<br />
accident is when<br />
something goes wrong<br />
with your vehicle, but<br />
drink driving is not an<br />
accident,”<br />
not an accident. An accident is<br />
when something goes wrong with<br />
your vehicle, but drink driving is<br />
not an accident,” he said.<br />
The couple has become fearful<br />
of driving, with Rajesh now doing<br />
all the driving for the family.<br />
Sahil Prasad, described as<br />
a self-taught mechanic with a<br />
passion for fixing vehicles, had<br />
been out celebrating a friend’s<br />
birthday on the night of the<br />
crash. His death has left a void<br />
in his family’s life, particularly<br />
for his mother, Ashima, who<br />
visits a memorial site for her son<br />
regularly.<br />
Halliday has admitted to a<br />
charge of drink driving causing<br />
death and is due to be sentenced<br />
in August. Prasad's family<br />
continues to grapple with their<br />
grief and the financial burden left<br />
by his untimely death.<br />
The community has rallied<br />
around the Prasad family, with the<br />
owner of the property where the<br />
crash occurred allowing them to<br />
build a memorial for Sahil. Despite<br />
this support, the pain of their loss<br />
remains overwhelming.<br />
The parents found themselves<br />
approximately $30,000 in debt<br />
due to expenses related to his<br />
death, including funeral costs and<br />
ongoing cultural memorial events.<br />
Sahil is also survived by his two<br />
sisters, Seenal, 28, and Shyla, 12.<br />
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8<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Kiwi-<strong>Indian</strong> left frustrated by<br />
police silence following assault RNZ<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Reserve Bank<br />
holds official cash<br />
rate at 5.5pc<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
The manager of a Ponsonby<br />
petrol station, Ronark<br />
Patel, 28, was left<br />
frustrated after an assault at<br />
work when police reportedly<br />
failed to respond to calls for<br />
help from his rescuer, off-duty<br />
paramedic Alice Tolich, The New<br />
Zealand Herald reported.<br />
The incident occurred two<br />
weeks ago at the BP 2go in<br />
Jervois Rd.<br />
Patel, working alone as night<br />
manager, was approached by<br />
a man he describes as "highly<br />
agitated" who asked to use the<br />
bathroom.<br />
CCTV footage shows the<br />
man leaving the bathroom and<br />
launching an unprovoked attack<br />
on Patel, repeatedly punching<br />
him.<br />
Patel tried to defend himself,<br />
but it was Tolich who intervened.<br />
Off-duty and on her way back<br />
to her car after dinner with<br />
her husband, Tolich heard the<br />
commotion and came to Patel's<br />
Ronark Patel, the night manager at BP 2GO on Jervois Rd. He was viciously assaulted and<br />
worried he could lose his right eye. Photo / Michael Craig/ NZ Herald<br />
aid. Despite feeling frightened,<br />
Tolich confronted the attacker,<br />
who eventually fled the scene in<br />
his car.<br />
Patel attempted to call the<br />
police but was hindered by his<br />
injuries. Tolich made two calls to<br />
111 for help, requesting both an<br />
ambulance and police assistance.<br />
However, neither emergency<br />
service responded to their calls.<br />
Following the attack, Patel<br />
expressed his frustration, stating,<br />
"Why call the police when they<br />
don't turn up? ... Does someone<br />
have to die before they take<br />
any notice?" The petrol station<br />
owner, known as Kumar, rushed<br />
to the scene upon hearing of the<br />
incident.<br />
After waiting for 50 minutes<br />
with no response from first<br />
responders, Tolich suggested<br />
Kumar drive Patel to the hospital<br />
himself.<br />
Inspector Wayne Kitcher<br />
of Auckland City West Police<br />
explained that at the time of the<br />
incident, units in the area were<br />
attending other priority incidents,<br />
and the victim had already been<br />
transported to the hospital<br />
when police attempted to make<br />
contact.<br />
Patel, who suffered fractures to<br />
his orbital bone, is still awaiting<br />
an eye operation and an update<br />
from the police regarding the<br />
attacker.<br />
His attacker, an 18-year-old<br />
man, has since been arrested<br />
and charged with wounding with<br />
intent to cause grievous bodily<br />
harm and threatening to kill.<br />
He is expected to appear in<br />
the Auckland District Court next<br />
week.<br />
The Reserve Bank has held the<br />
official cash rate at 5.5 percent<br />
The Reserve Bank has held<br />
the official cash rate unchanged at 5.5<br />
percent for the seventh consecutive<br />
meeting. The central bank said the<br />
economy has slowed, unemployment<br />
was rising, and acknowledged<br />
household budgets were under<br />
pressure .<br />
"While weaker capacity pressures<br />
and an easing labour market are<br />
reducing domestic inflation, this<br />
decline is tempered by sectors of the<br />
economy that are less sensitive to<br />
interest rates," the monetary policy<br />
committee said in a statement.<br />
"These near-term factors include,<br />
for example, higher dwelling rents,<br />
insurance costs, council rates,<br />
and other domestic services price<br />
inflation. A slow decline in domestic<br />
inflation poses a risk to inflation<br />
expectations."<br />
It said annual consumer price<br />
inflation remained above the 1 to 3<br />
percent target band, and monetary<br />
policy needed to remain restrictive<br />
to ensure inflation returned to target<br />
within a reasonable timeframe.<br />
Why are homeowners rushing to sell houses?<br />
SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ<br />
Interest rates might have<br />
peaked but the mortgage<br />
pain is not over yet, and<br />
there is likely more of an impact<br />
felt in the housing market,<br />
commentators say.<br />
The Reserve Bank is expected<br />
to keep the official cash rate on<br />
hold at 5.5 percent on Wednesday<br />
and most forecasts are for it not<br />
to drop until the end of the year.<br />
Higher interest rates have been<br />
blamed for a significant fall in<br />
house values.<br />
While the market drop has now<br />
largely stopped, prices are still<br />
well down on their peak - about<br />
15 percent by the Real Estate<br />
Institute's (REINZ) measure.<br />
That is putting pressure on<br />
people who bought in recent years<br />
and now face both higher interest<br />
rates and softer values.<br />
Corelogic data showed that 7.1<br />
percent of homes that changed<br />
hands in the first quarter of this<br />
year sold for less than they had<br />
been bought for.<br />
The median hold period of those<br />
that made a loss was 2.4 years.<br />
The median loss was $50,000.<br />
Chief property economist<br />
Kelvin Davidson said about 4<br />
percent of property resales had<br />
been owned for two years or less,<br />
compared to 9 percent in the first<br />
quarter of 2020.<br />
"I suspect that rather than<br />
financial strain showing though<br />
- although there will clearly be<br />
some, I think this probably just<br />
reflects the changed market - you<br />
could hold short prior to Covid<br />
and make a solid capital gain; in<br />
the past few years you don't want<br />
to hold short as capital gains have<br />
been flatter."<br />
He said while homeowners had<br />
adjusted relatively well to higher<br />
mortgage rates so far, the process<br />
was not over yet.<br />
Economists say there are signs of increased stress in the housing market. File photo. Photo: Supplied/ Dan Bailey<br />
"I suspect that rather<br />
than financial strain<br />
showing though -<br />
although there will<br />
clearly be some, I<br />
think this probably just<br />
reflects the changed<br />
market - you could<br />
hold short prior to<br />
Covid and make a<br />
solid capital gain; in<br />
the past few years<br />
you don't want to<br />
hold short as capital<br />
gains have been<br />
flatter." Chief property<br />
economist Kelvin<br />
Davidson<br />
"Not everyone has priced up to<br />
7 percent yet, and now we've got<br />
the extra pressure on job losses<br />
coming through. I'm not sure this<br />
will trigger a wave of of financial<br />
stress - not least because banks<br />
are strongly willing to help<br />
people through - and nobody is<br />
expecting a huge blowout in the<br />
unemployment rate. But it's still a<br />
risk to watch, and another reason<br />
to think this housing 'upturn' will<br />
remain slow and patchy."<br />
He said mortgagee sale rates<br />
were still relatively low.<br />
Infometrics chief forecaster<br />
Gareth Kiernan said there were<br />
signs of increased stress in the<br />
housing market.<br />
The number of houses for sale<br />
on Realestate.co.nz was up 23<br />
percent since July last year, to its<br />
highest level since 2015.<br />
"The biggest lifts have been<br />
in Wellington and Wairarapa -<br />
up 43 percent and 35 percent<br />
respectively, as the spectre of<br />
public sector job cuts has hung<br />
over the lower North Island.<br />
Other regions with increases of<br />
30 percent or more over the same<br />
period are Auckland, Bay of Plenty,<br />
and Coromandel - areas where<br />
affordability metrics remain<br />
highly stretched given the current<br />
combination of house prices and<br />
mortgage rates."<br />
He said it could not be argued<br />
the sellers were coming back<br />
to the market because their<br />
prospects for sale had improved.<br />
"After a 3 percent lift between<br />
April and July last year, REINZ's<br />
house price index has gone<br />
sideways over the last six months.<br />
Instead, higher numbers of new<br />
listings and the increased stock<br />
of property for sale suggest that<br />
more people are struggling with<br />
larger mortgage payments, and<br />
looking to unload property before<br />
the bank sells it from under them.<br />
This inference is consistent<br />
with Reserve Bank data showing<br />
that the proportions of nonperforming<br />
and overdue mortgage<br />
lending have trended upwards<br />
since mid-2022 and are now at<br />
their highest levels since 2013.<br />
"Anecdotally, the extra bite from<br />
increased mortgage rates over<br />
the last six months has come<br />
as highly indebted households<br />
have burned through their cash<br />
reserves and are struggling to<br />
meet their increased payments,<br />
with mortgage rates of 6.5 percent<br />
or over.<br />
"Some homeowners or investors<br />
will previously have been able to<br />
put cash aside while they were on<br />
lower fixed mortgage rates."<br />
He said only people who were<br />
coming off one-year fixes were<br />
able to access a rate that was<br />
lower than they had previously<br />
had, and only then if they were<br />
willing to take a longer term.<br />
But almost 70 percent of new<br />
lending is being done at terms of<br />
six or 12 months.<br />
Property investor and coach<br />
Steve Goodey said he had seen<br />
a number of people buying<br />
houses from people taking a big<br />
loss. "Some are really feeling the<br />
interest rates."<br />
He said some developers were<br />
probably under pressure because<br />
it was possible to buy new-build<br />
homes at prices below what it<br />
would cost to build them.<br />
Kiwibank chief economist<br />
Jarrod Kerr said there were still<br />
about 15 percent of households<br />
who had not rolled off the Covid<br />
low interest rates at all.<br />
New Corelogic data shows<br />
the number of transactions<br />
by "movers" shifting from one<br />
owner-occupied house to another<br />
has increased 27 percent.<br />
First-home buyers' market<br />
share dropped to 25 percent and<br />
investors with mortgages were<br />
about 20 percent to 21 percent of<br />
activity, a low level compared to<br />
history.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 9
10<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
How can NZ be a 'rockstar' economy again?<br />
SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ<br />
New Zealand should aspire<br />
to become a "rockstar"<br />
economy again, but it will<br />
take some work to get there.<br />
That is according to HSBC<br />
chief economist for Australia<br />
and NZ Paul Bloxham, who made<br />
headlines a decade ago when he<br />
said New Zealand would be the<br />
"rockstar economy of 2014".<br />
But now he says times are<br />
tough and the picture is a lot<br />
different.<br />
"I described it as a rockstar 10<br />
years ago when lots of things<br />
were going in a positive direction,"<br />
he said.<br />
"You were a big exporter of<br />
dairy and meat products, getting<br />
a big influx of tourists promoting<br />
growth as well."<br />
Now, rockstar status was<br />
something the country would have<br />
to aspire to, he said. Households<br />
in particular had borne the brunt<br />
of getting the economy in balance<br />
again post-Covid.<br />
All the focus of battling inflation<br />
had gone on denting demand, but<br />
policy-makers would also need<br />
to work on improving the supply<br />
side of the economy to beat the<br />
country's inflation problem, he<br />
said.<br />
There needed to be a focus on<br />
looking for the things that New<br />
Zealand did best to grow the<br />
Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone<br />
economy, he said.<br />
"A clearer focus on what the<br />
growth engines are and how to<br />
best make use of those to grow<br />
the economy. Deregulation ought<br />
to play a role, making labour<br />
markets as flexible as possible<br />
ought to play a role."<br />
He said times were tough for<br />
New Zealand, with unemployment<br />
rising, the economy tipping into<br />
recession and four of the past five<br />
GDP updates showing declines.<br />
Bloxham said that situation had<br />
been created because when New<br />
Zealand emerged from lockdowns,<br />
demand picked up, but the supply<br />
side of the economy was not<br />
ready to deliver enough goods and<br />
services to meet that demand.<br />
"What you had was a big<br />
pickup in inflation, policy makers<br />
responded, central banks<br />
responded by lifting interest rates.<br />
"The Reserve Bank has lifted its<br />
policy rate by 525 basis points…<br />
it was one of the earliest central<br />
"A clearer focus on<br />
what the growth<br />
engines are and how<br />
to best make use of<br />
those to grow the<br />
economy. Deregulation<br />
ought to play a role,<br />
making labour markets<br />
as flexible as possible<br />
ought to play a role."<br />
banks to lift interest rates.<br />
The intention was to lift interest<br />
rates, slow down the economy<br />
and get inflation to come back<br />
to target. In doing that they've<br />
delivered a recession."<br />
Higher interest rates were<br />
weighing on households, he said.<br />
The impact of that could be seen<br />
in consumption figures, which had<br />
been weak and falling over the<br />
past year.<br />
He said it had not necessarily<br />
had to be that way.<br />
"A better way to get inflation<br />
to come down would be at the<br />
same time to be seeing a large<br />
improvement on the supply side<br />
- not just weakened demand but<br />
an improvement in supply. Some<br />
countries have had that. America<br />
has had quite a large pickup in<br />
productivity which has helped to<br />
bring inflation down."<br />
He said New Zealand's supply<br />
response had been "dismal"<br />
compared to the rest of the world.<br />
"Inflation has been coming<br />
down very, very slowly.. Inflation<br />
isn't yet back where the Reserve<br />
Bank needs it to be."<br />
He said the biggest risk to<br />
the economy was that inflation<br />
continued to persist and remained<br />
sticky at elevated levels. That<br />
would mean a longer period of<br />
weak demand could be seen to be<br />
needed.<br />
"It's a really tough spot to be<br />
in. The Reserve Bank has lifted<br />
interest rates to get inflation to<br />
come down and it has pushed<br />
the economy into a downturn but<br />
you've still got inflation that's<br />
sticky and elevated."<br />
He said he did not expect the<br />
Reserve Bank to be able to lower<br />
the cash rate until the end of the<br />
year.<br />
"We think ahead of Christmas<br />
there might be a bit of rate relief<br />
coming through."<br />
He said improving productivity<br />
and flexibility of the supply side<br />
of the economy would be a big<br />
question for the upcoming Budget<br />
to address.<br />
"Are the policy settings going<br />
to help to improve the supply side<br />
of the economy? Will there be<br />
measures taken by Government<br />
that aim at lifting productivity?<br />
That's what ought to be in focus…<br />
The Reserve Bank has lifted a<br />
lot and that has had a big effect<br />
on slowing down consumers but<br />
it still hasn't got inflation down<br />
quickly."<br />
New Zealand's closed borders<br />
had been very disruptive to supply,<br />
he said.<br />
"The first thing that happened<br />
[when borders reopened] was a<br />
net outflow and that tightened<br />
the labour market even more…<br />
that has gummed up the supply<br />
side of the economy. Even<br />
with a weakening in demand<br />
and slowdown in the economy<br />
overall."<br />
Mindfulness &<br />
Meditation<br />
Mindfulness 10 am-11am<br />
Facilitated by Parvin Kapila, Author & Health<br />
Promotion Coordinator with East Health<br />
Trust.<br />
Science of Mindful Breathing<br />
Practice & Conversation<br />
Meditation 11am-noon<br />
Facilitated by Sister Devi, Experienced<br />
Meditation Practitioner<br />
Overcoming challenges with courage<br />
through meditation<br />
Friday 31 <strong>May</strong><br />
Howick Local Board Room<br />
Pakuranga Library Building, 7 Aylesbury Street, Pakuranga<br />
To register:<br />
Email settlement.pakuranga@cab.org.nz or<br />
Call 09 5768331
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 11<br />
New Zealand economy may be<br />
in worse shape than you think<br />
SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ<br />
New Zealand's economy<br />
is going through an<br />
undeniable downturn.<br />
Unemployment is up, gross<br />
domestic product (GDP) is<br />
down and sentiment has fallen<br />
significantly.<br />
But economists warn that the<br />
situation may be worse than the<br />
headline figures indicate.<br />
Here are five things that could<br />
show that the economy is in worse<br />
shape than you think.<br />
GDP per capita<br />
Gross domestic product (GDP) has<br />
recorded four slight contractions<br />
in the last five quarters - perhaps<br />
indicating we've had a soft<br />
landing as the brakes went on the<br />
economy.<br />
But what those figures do not<br />
show is the extent of the population<br />
increase over that same period.<br />
The country has had a record<br />
influx of migrants so on a per<br />
capita basis, GDP was down 2<br />
percent in December compared to<br />
September, and 2.8 percent over<br />
the year to December.<br />
"Had we not seen the increase in<br />
migration we've seen, the nominal<br />
numbers would be a lot worse,"<br />
Jarrod Kerr, chief economist at<br />
Kiwibank, said. Kim Mundy, a<br />
senior economist at ASB, said<br />
she expected GDP per capita to<br />
continue declining until early to<br />
mid-2025. "The New Zealand<br />
economy would be in a pretty deep<br />
recession right now if it wasn't for<br />
record high immigration."<br />
Spending data<br />
In April, the value of electronic card<br />
transactions was down 0.4 percent<br />
on April in the retail industries and<br />
down 0.7 percent in core retail<br />
industries.<br />
Mundy said retail activity was<br />
another indicator of weakness.<br />
"It's been flat to falling… But<br />
with high inflation and high<br />
population growth if that spending<br />
is flat to lower it shows how much<br />
households are pulling back on<br />
their consumption."<br />
Kerr said retail sales numbers<br />
had shown nine contractions in a<br />
row.<br />
"People are spending less<br />
because they've been hit hard by<br />
inflation and higher interest rates.<br />
The dollar amount of spending is<br />
slightly higher but because we've<br />
had so much inflation, when you<br />
deflate it for price increases,<br />
people are getting less.<br />
"They are spending more but<br />
getting less in volume. That<br />
highlights the weakness."<br />
Non-tradeable inflation<br />
Tradeable inflation (that's the<br />
type that is influenced by global<br />
factors) has come down much<br />
more quickly than domestic<br />
inflation.<br />
The problem is that it is domestic<br />
inflation that the Reserve Bank can<br />
hope to influence.<br />
"The worry there is that the<br />
economy feels bad," Infometrics<br />
chief executive Brad Olsen said.<br />
"Everyone says the economy<br />
feels bad. Pricing pressures are<br />
not reflecting that enough."<br />
He said normally when there was<br />
not as much spending, businesses<br />
would not put up their prices as<br />
much.<br />
"But businesses are still putting<br />
up prices."<br />
He said factors such as local<br />
government rates, rent and<br />
insurance were particularly sticky.<br />
"If the Reserve Bank has to<br />
get inflation back to 2 percent,<br />
it almost does imply they might<br />
have to hit or keep the pressure on<br />
longer so you squeeze all the other<br />
parts of the economy more so the<br />
average number gets down to 2<br />
percent."<br />
The Reserve Bank hinted at that<br />
on Wednesday, when it indicated a<br />
hike still remained a possibility if<br />
inflation did not fall as expected.<br />
Financial stress<br />
The number of consumers behind<br />
on credit payments reached<br />
463,000 in March, up 6000 on the<br />
month before.<br />
That is equal to 12.7 percent of<br />
the "credit active" population.<br />
Just under 1.5 percent of<br />
mortgages were in arrears.<br />
Businesses were also being<br />
liquidated at a faster rate - the<br />
230 companies put into liquidation<br />
during March was the highest<br />
number since March 2015.<br />
ANZ chief economist Sharon<br />
Zollner said it was important to<br />
put these data points in historical<br />
context because they were still low<br />
compared to periods such as the<br />
Global Financial Crisis.<br />
"That's not to say there is no<br />
stress out there, we can see that<br />
in financial hardship withdrawals,<br />
foodbanks."<br />
Unemployment was still low<br />
but many people who were<br />
working were still financially<br />
stressed, she said. The impact<br />
was also being primarily felt by<br />
younger generations who had not<br />
experienced a downturn before,<br />
and lower-skilled workers who<br />
were facing more competition<br />
from migrant workers.<br />
"The fact that the migration wave<br />
has been so enormous and lowskilled,<br />
its impact on the labour<br />
market is going to be particularly<br />
brutal for the lower-skilled end."<br />
NZ Council of Trade Unions<br />
economist Craig Renney said<br />
NEET figures - representing young<br />
people who are not in employment,<br />
education or training - were<br />
particularly concerning.<br />
In the March 20<strong>24</strong> quarter, the<br />
seasonally adjusted proportion<br />
of people aged 15 to <strong>24</strong> years old<br />
who were NEET was 12.4 percent.<br />
It was 10.9 percent a year earlier.<br />
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK<br />
"Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our<br />
imaginations, our possibilities become limitless."<br />
– Jamie Paolinetti<br />
Editorial<br />
Emergency response<br />
failures putting<br />
community at risk<br />
Recent events in Auckland reveal a troubling trend in the responsiveness and<br />
effectiveness of emergency services in handling violent incidents, a problem<br />
that could have far-reaching consequences on community safety and trust in<br />
law enforcement. The incidents, as reported, showcase significant delays and lack of<br />
police action, which not only undermines public trust but also raises critical questions<br />
about the adequacy of current security measures and law enforcement in New Zealand’s<br />
largest city.<br />
These fears are exacerbated by regular news reports of the flight of trained police<br />
personnel overseas, especially to Australia, for better wages and working conditions.<br />
Police union negotiations with the coalition government have come a cropper and there<br />
is a growing public perception of a disaffected police force.<br />
The last few days have seen reports of insufficient police response to violent crime<br />
involving retail workers in Auckland, further emphasising the severity of the situation.<br />
A notable incident involved the violent attack on a Kiwi <strong>Indian</strong> gas station attendant in<br />
Ponsonby, where the lack of a timely police and emergency services response left the<br />
larger community feeling vulnerable and neglected, to speak nothing of the victim and<br />
the owner of the business.<br />
Similarly, a woman’s car was broken into, and when she tried calling emergency<br />
services, she was unable to get through for the better part of an hour.<br />
These cases add to the growing list of crimes that are not being adequately addressed,<br />
reinforcing the public’s perception of a failing criminal justice system in terms of<br />
responsiveness and effectiveness.<br />
These incidents underline the critical need for a systematic overhaul of how emergency<br />
services respond to crime. There is no gainsaying that he safety of citizens should be<br />
the utmost priority for the government and the authorities. The repeated failures call<br />
for an urgent reassessment of resource allocation, emergency response protocols, and<br />
community policing strategies to restore confidence in the system designed to protect<br />
and serve the community.<br />
In another recent alarming instance, a jewellery store in Manurewa was the target of<br />
a smash-and-grab robbery by six masked robbers armed with hammers and machetes,<br />
yet the response from the authorities was notably insufficient.<br />
In yet another one, the owner of a vape store in Papatoetoe decided to close down<br />
his business after repeated robberies, the last of which involved a threat at gunpoint,<br />
highlighting a pattern of escalating violence and inadequate preventive measures by<br />
local police. Last week, premier mobile services provider OneNZ (formerly Vodafone)<br />
announced it would close down its downtown Auckland store because staff felt unsafe<br />
in the area. Other employers in downtown Auckland are increasingly allowing their<br />
employees to work from home pending their tenancies coming up for renewal which<br />
they plan not to renew. Retailers have complained to the government to urgently address<br />
the dire situation as customer footfalls taper off because of the perception of growing<br />
unsafe conditions in the CBD.<br />
These incidents, indicative of a broader inability to effectively manage and respond to<br />
crime, could potentially drive community members to consider taking matters into their<br />
own hands, thereby increasing the risk of vigilantism.<br />
When people feel unprotected and see no recourse in the formal justice system, they<br />
might feel compelled to defend themselves and their property, leading to an even more<br />
lawless environment.<br />
The slow or non-existent responses to these violent crimes are part of a larger narrative<br />
of frustration among residents with the National Party-led government’s inability to<br />
uphold its promises on reducing crime, as articulated by local business owners who feel<br />
let down by the lack of action following such incidents.<br />
Given this situation, it is crucial for community members to engage proactively with<br />
local law enforcement to voice their concerns and push for tangible improvements in<br />
police responsiveness and effectiveness.<br />
This could include attending community meetings, participating in local government,<br />
and collaborating with neighbourhood watch programmes to ensure a collective and<br />
coordinated approach to safety.<br />
However, it is equally important for the government and law enforcement agencies to<br />
take immediate steps to restore public trust.<br />
This could involve increasing police presence in high-risk areas, improving response<br />
times to emergency calls, and implementing more robust measures to deter and manage<br />
criminal activities effectively.<br />
Ultimately, while the rise in crime and the apparent ineffectiveness of current responses<br />
are alarming, the solution does not lie in vigilantism but rather in a concerted effort from<br />
both the community and the government to rebuild a responsive and trustworthy system<br />
that can ensure the safety and security of all citizens.<br />
That, sadly, appears to an uphill task, as things stand in New Zealand today.<br />
IN FOCUS : Picture of the week<br />
Children take a bath to get relief from the scorching sun on a hot summer day, in Patna on<br />
Wednesday. (ANI Photo)<br />
25 <strong>May</strong> 1861<br />
The Press goes to press<br />
This week in New Zealand’s history<br />
The first edition, published from a cottage in Montreal Street, Christchurch, was a six-page<br />
tabloid which sold for sixpence (equivalent to about $3.20 in 2020).<br />
25 <strong>May</strong> 1978<br />
Bastion Point protesters evicted<br />
Police and army personnel removed 222 people from Bastion Point, above Auckland’s<br />
Waitematā Harbour, ending an occupation that had lasted 506 days. Local iwi Ngāti<br />
Whātua were protesting against the loss of land in the Ōrākei block, which had once been<br />
declared ‘absolutely inalienable’.<br />
25 <strong>May</strong> 1992<br />
First episode of Shortland Street goes to air<br />
‘<br />
You’re not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata.’ This politically incorrect rebuke of new staffer<br />
Dr Hone Ropata (Temuera Morrison) by Shortland Street clinic’s director of nursing Carrie<br />
Burton (Lisa Crittenden) was an early hint that this would be no orthodox medical drama<br />
series.<br />
26 <strong>May</strong> 1879<br />
Parihaka ploughing campaign begins<br />
Under the leadership of Te Whiti-o-Rongomai and Tohu Kākahi, Parihaka Māori began a<br />
ploughing campaign in protest against European settlement on land confiscated from<br />
Māori.<br />
29 <strong>May</strong> 1905<br />
World’s first state-run maternity hospital opens<br />
At the beginning of the 20th century, the quality of midwives varied from caring and<br />
competent to dirty and dangerous. As Assistant Inspector of Hospitals, Grace Neill had<br />
seen first-hand the harm done by poor midwifery. She wanted to improve the standard of<br />
care for mothers and babies.<br />
29 <strong>May</strong> 1947<br />
Mabel Howard becomes first female Cabinet minister<br />
First elected to Parliament for Christchurch East in a by-election in February 1943, Mabel<br />
Howard became a high-profile and sometimes flamboyant minister in the first two Labour<br />
governments.<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> Weekender : Volume 16 - Issue 9<br />
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited<br />
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the views of the team at the <strong>Indian</strong> Weekender<br />
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
NEW ZEALAND 13<br />
Men abused worshipper before<br />
Mosque attack: Inquest hears<br />
TIM BROWN/RNZ<br />
A<br />
worshipper at Al Noor Mosque was<br />
trapped in a room and verbally<br />
abused before the Christchurch<br />
terror attacks.<br />
The inquest into the deaths of the 51<br />
worshippers murdered on 15 March 2019<br />
was this morning played an audio recording<br />
of Imam Gamal Fouda which detailed the<br />
incident.<br />
Gamal Fouda described how two people<br />
came to the mosque and verbally abused a<br />
worshipper.<br />
"They were saying 'go back to your<br />
country' and they were very rude. They<br />
locked [the worshipper] in the kitchen and<br />
shouted at him," Fouda said.<br />
It was reported to police.<br />
"We report it that they are dangerous with<br />
the police and the police kept saying they<br />
can't do nothing and if they come back just<br />
ask them to leave."<br />
A volunteer at the mosque, who cannot be<br />
identified, had been giving evidence to the<br />
inquest this morning.<br />
The recording was played to him during<br />
questioning from Wendy Aldred, the counsel<br />
assisting the coroner.<br />
The witness said he remembered the two<br />
men were drunk and came into the mosque<br />
on a weekend night.<br />
He could not recall if they broke into the<br />
mosque or just walked in.<br />
Later, during questioning from another<br />
lawyer, the witness said such verbal<br />
abuse, directed at the Muslim community,<br />
"happens all the time".<br />
Deputy Chief Coroner Brigitte Windley<br />
was hearing evidence on an emergency<br />
Imam Gamal Fouda gives evidence to the coronial hearing last October. Photo: Pool / Iain McGregor / The Press<br />
door in the mosque's main prayer room<br />
which failed to open during the attack.<br />
Why the door failed to open and the<br />
regulatory regime surrounding emergency<br />
exits are being scrutinised during the twoweek<br />
hearing.<br />
The door's failure to open potentially<br />
contributed to the deaths of 11 people.<br />
Fouda's statement included a claim<br />
that the emergency exit door in Al Noor<br />
Mosque's main prayer room was damaged<br />
"They were saying 'go<br />
back to your country' and<br />
they were very rude. They<br />
locked [the worshipper] in<br />
the kitchen and shouted<br />
at him." Gamal Founda<br />
during a robbery.<br />
"He [the offender] actually broke the door<br />
that didn't open [on 15 March 2019], so he<br />
used probably leverage to open the door<br />
and the frame got bent and when the police<br />
came, they suggested this lock is easy to be<br />
opened from outside with a screwdriver, so<br />
they need to replace it," Fouda said.<br />
"I reported it to the management and<br />
this is how they probably started fixing the<br />
door."<br />
The inquest yesterday saw photos which<br />
demonstrated damage to the lock's strike<br />
plate.<br />
The inquest also heard the door was old<br />
and a mechanical lock, which kept it shut,<br />
could be a "little tricky" to operate.<br />
When the gunman entered Al Noor<br />
Mosque, worshippers rushed for the door<br />
but could not open the lock and as a result,<br />
the glass in the bottom pane was smashed<br />
and some worshippers crawled out.<br />
Gopichand<br />
Hinduja tops in<br />
UK's rich list for<br />
six years in a row<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
Gopichand Hinduja, the esteemed<br />
Chairperson of the Hinduja Group,<br />
has once again claimed the pinnacle<br />
position in the prestigious Sunday Times<br />
Rich List, an annual ranking that meticulously<br />
evaluates the wealth of the 1,000 most<br />
affluent individuals or families residing<br />
in the United Kingdom. This remarkable<br />
achievement marks the sixth successive year<br />
that the Hinduja family has clinched the title<br />
of Britain's wealthiest, as reported by the<br />
Mirror.<br />
The ascent of Hinduja's wealth by<br />
approximately £2.196 billion in 20<strong>24</strong> has<br />
propelled his total assets to a staggering<br />
£37.196 billion, solidifying his status as a titan<br />
in the realm of business and finance.<br />
Gopichand Hinduja, affectionately known as<br />
'GP' within business circles, was born in 1940<br />
and presently serves as the Chairman of both<br />
the Hinduja Group and Hinduja Automotive<br />
Ltd, UK. The Hinduja Group stands as a<br />
multinational conglomerate with diverse<br />
interests spanning trucks, lubricants, banking,<br />
and cable television.<br />
Originating from India's Sindh region,<br />
Gopichand Hinduja is the second son of<br />
Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, the visionary<br />
patriarch who laid the foundation of the family<br />
enterprise in 1914. Renowned for his pivotal<br />
role in the transformation of the business<br />
from a regional trading venture to a globally<br />
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14<br />
INDIA<br />
What lies ahead for<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> operations<br />
at Iran port<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
India and Iran are eyeing the<br />
next steps for implementing<br />
their long-term agreement for<br />
<strong>Indian</strong> operations at Chabahar<br />
port, including acquisition of<br />
equipment and steps to increase<br />
the use of the facility for transshipment<br />
of goods to destinations<br />
such as Russia, people familiar<br />
with the matter said.<br />
The two countries inked the 10-<br />
year pact on operations at Shahid<br />
Beheshti terminal of Chabahar<br />
port in Tehran on <strong>May</strong> 13. Besides<br />
a commitment to invest $120<br />
million to acquire equipment for<br />
port operations, India offered a<br />
credit window of $250 million for<br />
developing infrastructure around<br />
the deep-sea port in the Gulf of<br />
Oman.<br />
A focus area for both sides<br />
now will be the acquisition of<br />
equipment and machinery that<br />
can boost operations at Shahid<br />
Beheshti terminal, which is<br />
operated by a subsidiary of Staterun<br />
India Global Ports Limited<br />
(IGPL), the people cited above<br />
said on condition of anonymity.<br />
These efforts have been hampered<br />
in the past by US sanctions on<br />
Iran, they said. The <strong>Indian</strong> side<br />
will procure equipment such as<br />
mobile harbor cranes, rail mounted<br />
quay cranes, rubber tyred gantry<br />
cranes, reach stackers, forklifts<br />
and pneumatic unloaders as part<br />
of its commitment to invest $120<br />
million. This amount includes<br />
an initial <strong>Indian</strong> commitment<br />
to invest $85 million when the<br />
original framework agreement on<br />
Chabahar was signed in 2016.<br />
“Iran has a lot of experience<br />
in dealing with sanctions and<br />
it is capable of coming up with<br />
customised solutions that will<br />
help joint efforts by both countries<br />
to acquire equipment,” one of the<br />
people cited above said.<br />
The two sides are also looking<br />
at the possibility of making greater<br />
use of Chabahar port for moving<br />
goods between India and Russia,<br />
the people said. “Chabahar port<br />
is all about the trans-shipment of<br />
goods and if one talks of transshipment,<br />
Russia is one of the<br />
most important destinations,” a<br />
second person said.<br />
Iranian ambassador<br />
Iraj Elahi said the<br />
immediate priority for<br />
Iran is ensuring that<br />
both sides take steps<br />
to enhance the volume<br />
of cargo handled by<br />
the port.<br />
“Steps must be taken<br />
to bring in heavy equipment such<br />
as cranes. Simultaneously, more<br />
cargo from India must be pushed<br />
towards Chabahar.<br />
India must be committed to<br />
making greater use of Chabahar<br />
for transit, instead of other Iranian<br />
ports such as Bandar Abbas or<br />
Khorramshahr,” Elahi told the<br />
media.<br />
“Simultaneously, both sides<br />
have to implement other projects<br />
to enhance the infrastructure, such<br />
as connecting Chabahar to the<br />
railway network,” he said.<br />
The long-term agreement<br />
was signed after protracted<br />
negotiations between the two sides<br />
to address differences on several<br />
issues, including the crucial matter<br />
“Simultaneously,<br />
both sides have to<br />
implement other<br />
projects to enhance the<br />
infrastructure, such as<br />
connecting Chabahar to<br />
the railway network<br />
Entry into force of BIMSTEC charter<br />
expected to bolster regional cooperation<br />
The charter of the Bay<br />
of Bengal Initiative for<br />
Multi-Sectoral Technical<br />
and Economic Cooperation<br />
(BIMSTEC), which has come into<br />
force, is expected to give a fillip<br />
to India’s efforts to bolster its<br />
position as a key grouping in the<br />
region.<br />
External affairs minister S<br />
Jaishankar hailed the entry into<br />
force of the BIMSTEC charter<br />
on Wednesday, saying the<br />
development reaffirms India’s<br />
commitment to a prosperous,<br />
peaceful and sustainable<br />
neighbourhood.<br />
“It is achieved by building<br />
on our shared history, culture,<br />
vision and mutual respect for<br />
each other. BIMSTEC reflects the<br />
synthesis of our Neighbourhood<br />
First and Act East policies!” he<br />
said in a post on X.<br />
The BIMSTEC charter, which<br />
entered into force on <strong>May</strong> 20,<br />
articulates the long-term vision<br />
and priorities of the member<br />
states – Bangladesh, Bhutan,<br />
India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka<br />
and Thailand – and establishes<br />
the legal and institutional<br />
framework for cooperation in the<br />
region.<br />
The charter also confers legal<br />
personality on the grouping,<br />
enables the admission of new<br />
members and observers, and<br />
enables the conclusion of<br />
agreements with countries<br />
or sub-regional, regional and<br />
international organisations and<br />
institutions.<br />
The development is a<br />
“significant milestone” and<br />
Jaishankar hailed the entry into force of the BIMSTEC charter,<br />
saying the development reaffirms India’s commitment to a<br />
prosperous and sustainable neighbourhood<br />
provides a framework for<br />
meaningful cooperation and<br />
The BIMSTEC charter, which entered into<br />
force on <strong>May</strong> 20, articulates the long-term<br />
vision and priorities of the member states<br />
(Facebook/BimstecInDhaka)<br />
“It is achieved by<br />
building on our shared<br />
history, culture, vision<br />
and mutual respect for<br />
each other. BIMSTEC<br />
reflects the synthesis<br />
of our Neighbourhood<br />
First and Act East<br />
policies!”<br />
deeper integration of the Bay of<br />
Bengal region, external affairs<br />
ministry spokesperson Randhir<br />
Jaiswal said in a post on X.<br />
The BIMSTEC charter was<br />
signed and adopted during the<br />
fifth summit of the grouping in<br />
Colombo, Sri Lanka, in March<br />
2022.<br />
With the endorsement of the<br />
charter by Nepal’s Parliament in<br />
April this year, all member states<br />
completed the ratification of the<br />
foundational document and the<br />
charter came into force.<br />
The adoption and coming<br />
into force of the charter is<br />
a testament to the shared<br />
commitment of member states<br />
to promote regional cooperation<br />
in key sectors such as security,<br />
connectivity, trade, agriculture,<br />
environment, science and<br />
technology, agriculture and<br />
people-to-people contacts.<br />
The seven members of<br />
BIMSTEC are home to nearly 22%<br />
of the global population and have<br />
a combined GDP of $3.6 trillion.<br />
With cooperation under the<br />
South Asian Association for<br />
Regional Cooperation (Saarc)<br />
having stalled because of<br />
differences between India and<br />
Pakistan, New Delhi has sought<br />
to bolster regional cooperation<br />
under BIMSTEC and BBIN, which<br />
includes Bangladesh, Bhutan,<br />
India and Nepal.<br />
of resolution of disputes.<br />
The people cited above said<br />
a provision on international<br />
arbitration, which was part of the<br />
original framework agreement,<br />
was included in the long-term<br />
pact. The Iranian side had initially<br />
opposed its inclusion in the<br />
agreement.<br />
“We have a good agreement<br />
but there can be obstacles in its<br />
implementation because of the<br />
sanctions,” a third person said.<br />
Hours after the India-Iran<br />
agreement was signed, the US<br />
state department warned that<br />
all entities considering business<br />
deals with Iran faced the “potential<br />
risk of sanctions”. The US also said<br />
there was no exemption from its<br />
sanctions for the India-Iran pact.<br />
India to<br />
participate in<br />
G-7, Ukraine<br />
peace summits:<br />
PM Modi<br />
India will participate in all<br />
important summits that<br />
promote the agenda of global<br />
peace, security and development,<br />
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has<br />
said while referring to invitations<br />
to him to attend the G-7 meeting<br />
and the Ukraine peace summit<br />
next month.<br />
In an interview to PTI, the prime<br />
minister said India will “resonate<br />
the voice of the Global South” at<br />
these summits to shape the global<br />
discourse and advance the vision<br />
for human centric development<br />
and a prosperous and peaceful<br />
world.“The level of participation<br />
will be the factor of timing, logistics<br />
and parallel commitments,” Modi<br />
said in response to a question on<br />
whether he will be attending the<br />
two multilateral gatherings.<br />
Italy is hosting the G-7 Summit<br />
meeting from June 13-15, while<br />
the Ukraine peace summit will<br />
be held in Switzerland from June<br />
15-16. Modi said the invitations<br />
extended to India to attend the<br />
summits were an acknowledgment<br />
of its significance and contribution<br />
to international affairs.<br />
“These reflect the robust<br />
global engagement that we have<br />
in keeping with our philosophy<br />
of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam<br />
(the world is one family),” the<br />
prime minister said. “India will<br />
be participating in all important<br />
summits that promote the agenda<br />
of global peace, security and<br />
development,” Modi said.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
WORLD 15<br />
Sherpa scales Mt Everest<br />
A<br />
Nepali sherpa guide scaled<br />
the summit of Mount<br />
Everest for a record 30th<br />
time on <strong>May</strong> 22, an official said,<br />
while two climbers went missing<br />
while descending from the world’s<br />
tallest peak.<br />
Ordinary climbers are known<br />
to take several days to climb the<br />
summit of Everest, and it is very<br />
rare for mountaineers to make<br />
multiple ascents in a short time.<br />
Mr Kami Rita Sherpa, 54,<br />
reached the 8,849-metre peak by<br />
the traditional southeast ridge<br />
route, Nepali tourism official Khim<br />
Lal Gautam said.<br />
Mr Kami Rita had climbed the<br />
peak for the 29th time on <strong>May</strong> 12.<br />
He “broke his own record ... this<br />
marks his 30th ascent to the top<br />
of the world,” Mr Gautam, chief<br />
of the expedition monitoring and<br />
facilitation field office at the base<br />
camp, said in a post on social<br />
media website X.<br />
Nepal tourism officials said a<br />
Mr Kami Rita Sherpa reached the<br />
8,849-metre peak by the traditional<br />
southeast ridge route. Photo: REUTERS<br />
Nepali Kami Rita Sherpa on the summit of<br />
Mount Everest during his 28th summit on<br />
<strong>May</strong> 23. Photo: REUTERS<br />
British climber and a Nepali guide<br />
have been missing since <strong>May</strong> 21,<br />
after they slipped and fell near the<br />
South Summit in the mountain’s<br />
“death zone” where oxygen is<br />
very sparse.<br />
They were on the way down<br />
after having reached the summit.<br />
Mr Kami Rita first climbed<br />
Everest in 1994, and has done so<br />
almost every year since, except<br />
for three years when authorities<br />
closed the mountain for<br />
various reasons.<br />
Early on <strong>May</strong> 22, officials said<br />
they were waiting for more details<br />
of Mr Kami Rita’s climb.<br />
Another sherpa climber has<br />
climbed Everest 27 times, the<br />
most summits after Mr Kami Rita.<br />
Mountain climbing is a key<br />
tourism activity, source of revenue<br />
and employment in Nepal, home<br />
to eight of the world’s 14<br />
highest peaks.<br />
Russia starts exercise to simulate<br />
launch of tactical nuclear weapons<br />
Russian forces have started<br />
the first stage of exercises<br />
ordered by President<br />
Vladimir Putin to simulate<br />
preparation for the launch of<br />
tactical nuclear weapons, the<br />
Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.<br />
Moscow has linked the<br />
exercises to what it calls<br />
"militant statements" by Western<br />
officials, including French<br />
President Emmanuel Macron,<br />
which it said created security<br />
threats for Russia.<br />
Nuclear analysts say the<br />
exercises are designed as a<br />
warning signal by Putin to deter<br />
the West from wading more deeply<br />
into the war in Ukraine. Western<br />
countries have provided weapons<br />
and intelligence to Kyiv but have<br />
refrained from sending troops.<br />
The Defence Ministry said the<br />
first stage of the exercise involved<br />
Iskander and Kinzhal missiles.<br />
It is aimed at ensuring that<br />
units and equipment are ready for<br />
"the combat use of non-strategic<br />
nuclear weapons to respond<br />
and unconditionally ensure the<br />
territorial integrity and sovereignty<br />
of the Russian state in response<br />
to provocative statements and<br />
threats of individual Western<br />
officials against the Russian<br />
Federation", the ministry said.<br />
The drills involve missile forces<br />
in Russia's Southern Military<br />
District, which lies adjacent to<br />
Ukraine and also includes parts of<br />
Ireland, Norway and Spain recognise Palestinian state<br />
Ireland, Norway and Spain said in<br />
coordinated announcements on<br />
Wednesday that they will recognise<br />
a Palestinian state amid the tensions<br />
created by the Israel-Hamas conflict, with<br />
the leadership of these countries saying<br />
they expect more European states to take a<br />
similar step.<br />
The formal recognition of Palestine as<br />
a state by Ireland, Norway and Spain will<br />
take effect on <strong>May</strong> 28. A statement from the<br />
Russian troops load an Iskander missile as part of drills on 21 <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong>. Photo: (Russian<br />
Defense Ministry Press Service via AP<br />
Ukraine that Russia now controls.<br />
Belarus, where Russia said last<br />
year it was deploying tactical<br />
nuclear weapons, will also be<br />
involved, the two countries<br />
have said.<br />
Tactical, or non-strategic,<br />
nuclear weapons are less powerful<br />
than the strategic arms designed<br />
to wipe out whole enemy cities,<br />
but they nevertheless have vast<br />
destructive potential.<br />
Some Western analysts believe<br />
non-strategic nuclear weapons<br />
have acquired greater importance<br />
in Moscow's thinking since the<br />
start of the war in Ukraine, where<br />
its conventional forces struggled<br />
in the first two years.<br />
In theory, the use of such a<br />
weapon could deliver a stunning<br />
Norwegian foreign ministry said a “number<br />
of other like-minded European countries will<br />
also formally recognise Palestine on that<br />
same date”.<br />
“The Norwegian government has decided<br />
that Norway will recognise Palestine as a<br />
state.<br />
In the midst of a war, with tens of<br />
thousands killed and injured, we must keep<br />
alive the only alternative that offers a political<br />
solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike:<br />
shock to the West without<br />
necessarily triggering a full-blown<br />
nuclear war, though the risk of<br />
triggering a cycle of escalation<br />
would be huge.<br />
Russia has about 1558 nonstrategic<br />
nuclear warheads,<br />
according to the Federation of<br />
American Scientists, although<br />
there is uncertainty about exact<br />
figures. They are controlled by the<br />
Russian Defence Ministry's 12th<br />
Main Directorate, known as 12th<br />
GUMO.<br />
The ministry said troops were<br />
practising obtaining "special<br />
ammunition" - meaning nuclear<br />
warheads - for Iskander missiles,<br />
equipping launch vehicles with<br />
them and "covertly advancing<br />
to the designated position in<br />
preparation for missile launches".<br />
It said aviation units were also<br />
practising the fitting of special<br />
warheads to Kinzhal hypersonic<br />
missiles, and flying into<br />
designated patrol areas.<br />
Video released by the<br />
ministry showed missiles being<br />
transported in a convoy of military<br />
vehicles and placed in position<br />
ready for firing.<br />
"The exercises are, obviously, a<br />
signal in response to discussion of<br />
NATO countries' troops in Ukraine.<br />
The most important features<br />
are advance announcement and<br />
visibility," Nikolai Sokov, a former<br />
Soviet and Russian arms control<br />
official, told Reuters.<br />
Western militaries will be<br />
watching the exercises closely<br />
and seeking to draw conclusions<br />
about how much warning time<br />
they would have if Russia deployed<br />
such weapons for real, he said.<br />
"The involvement of 12th<br />
GUMO can produce insights<br />
into how much time the release<br />
of warheads takes, how well<br />
detectable, how much warning,"<br />
said Sokov, a senior fellow at the<br />
Vienna Center for Disarmament<br />
and Non-Proliferation.<br />
The involvement of Kinzhal,<br />
he said, was "a new element I<br />
did not expect to see", although<br />
there was no doubt about its<br />
capability to carry both nuclear<br />
and conventional warheads.<br />
- Reuters<br />
Two states, living side by side, in peace and<br />
security,” Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas<br />
Gahr Støre said at an event in Oslo.<br />
Minutes later, Spanish Prime Minister<br />
Pedro Sánchez announced in Parliament in<br />
Madrid that his country too would recognise<br />
a Palestinian state.<br />
“The time has come to move from words<br />
to action,” he said. He made it clear the<br />
decision was not being made against Israel<br />
or the Jews or in favour of Hamas.<br />
TikTok to<br />
lay off up<br />
to 1,000<br />
operation and<br />
marketing<br />
employees<br />
as US ban<br />
looms<br />
TikTok announced laying<br />
off its employees upto<br />
1,000 employees around<br />
the world.<br />
On Tuesday The<br />
Information disclosed this in<br />
a report citing several staff<br />
members. This is quite a shift<br />
in the company’s practices<br />
as it commonly sought to<br />
address its crises in phases –<br />
specifically, through stages of<br />
cost reductions.<br />
ByteDance, the owner of<br />
TikTok, is planning to do this<br />
in today’s tough climate after<br />
the recent legislation passed in<br />
the US.<br />
President Joe Biden’s recent<br />
signing of a House bill that<br />
prohibits TikTok’s operation in<br />
the United States unless sold to<br />
an American company has put<br />
ByteDance in a tight spot.<br />
ByteDance has initiated legal<br />
action against the US federal<br />
government in response to the<br />
ban. The company argues that<br />
the prohibition infringes upon<br />
the First Amendment rights of<br />
American TikTok users.<br />
ByteDance has been adamant<br />
about not selling TikTok or<br />
its proprietary algorithm.<br />
However, current reports<br />
from The Information suggest<br />
that the company is open to<br />
considering sales that exclude<br />
the algorithm. This potential<br />
shift in stance comes as the<br />
company faces unprecedented<br />
pressure from the US<br />
government.<br />
The layoffs are expected<br />
to predominantly impact<br />
the content and marketing<br />
departments, according to<br />
anonymous employees who<br />
spoke to the tech news outlet.<br />
Notifications regarding the<br />
job cuts are scheduled to be roll<br />
out late Wednesday and early<br />
Thursday.<br />
TikTok also plans to dissolve<br />
its global user operations team<br />
responsible for user support<br />
and communication.<br />
The remaining staff<br />
members from this team<br />
will be transitioned to other<br />
departments within the<br />
company, including trust and<br />
safety, marketing, content, and<br />
product teams.<br />
The Palestinian flag was raised in the courtyard outside<br />
Oslo City Hall on Wednesday morning in Oslo, Norway,<br />
(Reuters Photo)
16<br />
TIME OUT<br />
i FreeDailyCrosswords.com<br />
ACROSS-----------<br />
1) "Brian's Song" star James<br />
5) Comes out of one's skin<br />
10) Self-congratulatory<br />
14) Radius' comrade-in-arms?<br />
15) Youngest-ever Oscar<br />
winner<br />
16) Folkestone farewell<br />
17) "B 5!" "C 11!"?<br />
19) Took_ (snoozed)<br />
20) Downed<br />
21) Typing type<br />
22) Considers carefully<br />
<strong>24</strong>) "Emma" author Austen<br />
25) Hersey's bell town<br />
26) Place or site<br />
29) Transverse beam<br />
32) Itsy-bitsy bits<br />
33) "In_ tn1st"<br />
34) Recipe word<br />
35) Cravings<br />
36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes"<br />
O, O!<br />
1 2 3<br />
14<br />
17<br />
20<br />
26 27 28<br />
32<br />
35<br />
38<br />
41 42<br />
CROSSWORD<br />
37) Kid's "seat" on Santa<br />
38) Alternative to .net<br />
39) Less extroverted<br />
40) TV's "Cosmos" creator<br />
41) Author's explanation<br />
43) Yuletide songs<br />
44) Backup sounds<br />
45) Random sampling<br />
46) "Monkey Trial" teacher<br />
48) Seafood choice<br />
49) Josh<br />
52) Door section<br />
53) John Wayne character,<br />
larger-than-life?<br />
56) More than suggest<br />
57) Recording studio alert<br />
58) Water sport<br />
59) Some antique autos<br />
60) Family men<br />
61) Bud holder<br />
Richard Auer<br />
11 12 13<br />
7th June<br />
DOWN<br />
1) Island south of Florida<br />
2) Dismounted<br />
3) Archer or Heche<br />
4) Endless faultfinder<br />
5) Home of the John Deere<br />
headquarters<br />
6) Like beverages at barbecues<br />
7) A 1 Capp character<br />
8) Fielder's choice?<br />
9) Trooper's warning<br />
10) Wood-surface applications<br />
11) Tropical fruit dance?<br />
12) Great Salt Lake state<br />
13) Adjusts, as a spark plug<br />
18) Multicolored gems<br />
23) "_ on Down the Road"<br />
<strong>24</strong>) Traffic tangles<br />
25) Eagerness<br />
26)_ the land (how things stand)<br />
27) Alamogordo's county<br />
28) Kinshasa drum?<br />
29) Australian bush call<br />
30) Just right<br />
31) Wonderlands<br />
33) Southern breakfast dish<br />
36) Auto despair site?<br />
37) Marx or Benz<br />
39) Pirate's knife<br />
40) Town of many trials and hunts<br />
42) Plains homes<br />
43) Plays with crayons<br />
45) Lecterns<br />
46) Tim Duncan, for one<br />
47) Kind of package<br />
48) Cold spell<br />
49) Nautical mile<br />
50) Not going anywhere<br />
51) Condemn<br />
54) "Put_ Happy Face"<br />
55) Photo_ (media events)<br />
i FreeDailyCrosswords.com<br />
ACROSS-----------<br />
1) "Brian's Song" star James<br />
5) Comes out of one's skin<br />
10) Self-congratulatory<br />
14) Radius' comrade-in-arms?<br />
15) Youngest-ever Oscar<br />
winner<br />
16) Folkestone farewell<br />
17) "B 5!" "C 11!"?<br />
19) Took_ (snoozed)<br />
20) Downed<br />
21) Typing type<br />
22) Considers carefully<br />
<strong>24</strong>) "Emma" author Austen<br />
25) Hersey's bell town<br />
26) Place or site<br />
29) Transverse beam<br />
32) Itsy-bitsy bits<br />
33) "In_ tn1st"<br />
34) Recipe word<br />
35) Cravings<br />
36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes"<br />
O, O!<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
CROSSWORD ANSWERS<br />
37) Kid's "seat" on Santa<br />
38) Alternative to .net<br />
39) Less extroverted<br />
40) TV's "Cosmos" creator<br />
41) Author's explanation<br />
43) Yuletide songs<br />
44) Backup sounds<br />
45) Random sampling<br />
46) "Monkey Trial" teacher<br />
48) Seafood choice<br />
49) Josh<br />
52) Door section<br />
53) John Wayne character,<br />
larger-than-life?<br />
56) More than suggest<br />
57) Recording studio alert<br />
58) Water sport<br />
59) Some antique autos<br />
60) Family men<br />
61) Bud holder<br />
1M l.1 1 b<br />
Richard Auer<br />
ATA<br />
N A p<br />
I G H 5<br />
0<br />
T 30 1 3e<br />
D D<br />
E E<br />
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7th June<br />
DOWN<br />
1) Island south of Florida<br />
2) Dismounted<br />
3) Archer or Heche<br />
4) Endless faultfinder<br />
5) Home of the John Deere<br />
headquarters<br />
6) Like beverages at barbecues<br />
7) A 1 Capp character<br />
8) Fielder's choice?<br />
9) Trooper's warning<br />
10) Wood-surface applications<br />
11) Tropical fruit dance?<br />
12) Great Salt Lake state<br />
13) Adjusts, as a spark plug<br />
18) Multicolored gems<br />
23) "_ on Down the Road"<br />
<strong>24</strong>) Traffic tangles<br />
25) Eagerness<br />
26)_ the land (how things stand)<br />
27) Alamogordo's county<br />
28) Kinshasa drum?<br />
29) Australian bush call<br />
30) Just right<br />
31) Wonderlands<br />
33) Southern breakfast dish<br />
36) Auto despair site?<br />
37) Marx or Benz<br />
39) Pirate's knife<br />
40) Town of many trials and hunts<br />
42) Plains homes<br />
43) Plays with crayons<br />
45) Lecterns<br />
46) Tim Duncan, for one<br />
47) Kind of package<br />
48) Cold spell<br />
49) Nautical mile<br />
50) Not going anywhere<br />
51) Condemn<br />
54) "Put_ Happy Face"<br />
55) Photo_ (media events)<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS<br />
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Your Weekly Horoscope: <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> - 30 <strong>May</strong>, 20<strong>24</strong><br />
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20)<br />
You could get lucky early in the week with<br />
a windfall or with a flirtation, as love and<br />
money planet Venus hooks up with Jupiter,<br />
the planet of luck, in your zone of romance<br />
and finance. This is potentially a big thing,<br />
in a cosmic move that hasn’t occurred<br />
since 2012 and won’t happen again until<br />
2036. At the same time, a Full Moon hints at fulfilment<br />
around a media or travel issue or a situation linked to your<br />
spiritual side and soulfulness.<br />
.TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)<br />
Midweek is a special time for you this week,<br />
with a cosmic hook-up that happens only<br />
once every 12 years. Your ruling planet<br />
Venus joins Jupiter, the planet of luck,<br />
in your very own sign now so make the<br />
most of this cosmic connection that you<br />
won’t see or experience again until 2036,<br />
with acts of indulgence, pleasure, or even laziness (one of<br />
your sign’s guilty pleasures!) if the mood takes you down<br />
that route..<br />
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)<br />
Venus and Jupiter fill your mind with<br />
positive thoughts at the start of this week<br />
to set you up for even bigger and better<br />
things to come as the week progresses.<br />
This unusual cosmic alignment only<br />
occurs every 12 years, making it big news,<br />
so tune into any insights and hunches you<br />
get good vibes about around midweek as they could rock<br />
your world in a wonderful way.<br />
. CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20)<br />
If you’ve been tuning into the cosmos over<br />
the past 12 months you’ll have noticed that<br />
your go-to crew have been more fun during<br />
this time, and that if you dared to reach for<br />
some big dreams you might very well have<br />
achieved them. It’s all due to hosting lucky<br />
planet Jupiter in your zone of friendships<br />
and ambitions. Venus meets Jupiter for a rare final embrace<br />
in your friendship zone this week.<br />
LEO (JUL21-AUG 20)<br />
As the week begins you get a final boost<br />
for your career from the presence of<br />
Venus and Jupiter hanging out together<br />
and bringing the potential for love, money,<br />
recognition and fun in your day job before<br />
both planets switch signs a little later in<br />
the week. This is a rare and rather fabulous<br />
cosmic combination that won’t be back to influence your<br />
career in the same way again until 2036.<br />
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23)<br />
All your recent hard work plus a little luck<br />
could pay off this week, thanks to Venus<br />
and Jupiter hooking up for the final time in<br />
your zone of knowledge, travel, adventure,<br />
publishing, spirituality and legal issues.<br />
You might have spent these past few<br />
months studying or training for the next step in your career<br />
in one or more of these areas, and if so the cosmos is on<br />
your side with the Sun, Venus and Jupiter leaving your zone<br />
of learning now to re-align in your career zone.<br />
LIBRA (SEP <strong>24</strong>-OCT 23)<br />
This week you’re blessed by your ruler<br />
Venus and the planet of luck, Jupiter,<br />
joining together to amp up power plays,<br />
commitments, finance and intimacy.<br />
Midweek brings a rare cosmic meet-up<br />
between these two planets, the kind that<br />
only happens once every 12 years, so<br />
make the most of some deep, almost uncannily intuitive<br />
connections you might encounter around this time.<br />
SCORPIO (OCT <strong>24</strong>-NOV 22)<br />
You could have a magical moment this<br />
week with a lover, a would-be lover or a<br />
business partner as Venus embraces<br />
Jupiter in your relationships zone. This<br />
cosmic encounter between the two planets<br />
is a rarity so make the most of it as Venus<br />
and Jupiter in harmony could bring love,<br />
softness, romance, money, joy or luck to a partnership now,<br />
and even sworn enemies could be back on talking terms as<br />
a result of this astrological alliance..<br />
SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)<br />
It’s all about relationships for you this week,<br />
and for some time to come too. The Sun<br />
moves into your partnership zone for a<br />
month-long stay as the week begins and<br />
pairing up either personally or professionally<br />
gets a cosmic boost as a result. You could<br />
have a touch of luck when it comes to your<br />
well-being and work routines around midweek, with love<br />
planet Venus embracing your ruling planet Jupiter in this<br />
zone, so a romance at the gym.<br />
CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)<br />
Completing an assigned job will give you<br />
the edge at work. Discussing investment<br />
options with a financial expert will help you<br />
make the correct decision. Homemakers<br />
may be tempted to buy an appliance or<br />
gadget. Your fitness regime will benefit.<br />
Property investments may not get<br />
immediate results but promise big money at a later date. The<br />
desire for a change of scene may take you out on an exotic<br />
vacation.<br />
AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)<br />
You are likely to benefit immensely by<br />
making health your priority. Despite rising<br />
expenses, you will be able to remain fairly<br />
well off financially. You may have to seek<br />
alternatives if you are unable to accomplish<br />
something at work. Efforts on the academic<br />
front put in now will pay rich dividends later.<br />
People are likely to appreciate your upholding the family<br />
traditions. A chance to convert an official trip into a leisurely<br />
one may come to some.<br />
PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)<br />
An active lifestyle will help keep minor<br />
ailments at bay. You will manage to plan<br />
your expenses well to remain within the<br />
budget. Homemakers will need to be<br />
motivated to go in for cleaning and painting<br />
of the house. A promotion or increment is<br />
likely for some, especially those in the<br />
armed forces. Those travelling on a long journey will be able<br />
to find entertaining company en route.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
FEATURE 17<br />
Healthy snacks<br />
that can help<br />
you lose weight<br />
You may wonder if it’s possible to lose<br />
weight while not giving up snacks.<br />
If you choose healthy, whole-food<br />
options with a lot of protein and nutrients,<br />
snacks can be integral to weight loss. Some<br />
can even help keep you full throughout the<br />
day and limit your cravings for unhealthy<br />
foods.<br />
Mixed nuts<br />
Nuts are an ideal nutritious snack.<br />
They’re linked to a reduced risk of<br />
heart disease and may help prevent certain<br />
cancers, depression, and other illnesses.<br />
Despite being relatively high in fat, they<br />
are very filling. Several studies suggest that<br />
eating nuts in moderation can help you lose<br />
weight.<br />
Nuts provide the perfect balance of<br />
healthy fat, protein, and fiber. They contain<br />
180 calories in a 1-ounce (28-gram)<br />
serving, on average.<br />
Because they don’t require refrigeration,<br />
they’re perfect for taking on the go.<br />
Red bell pepper with guacamole<br />
Red bell peppers are extremely healthy.<br />
Although all bell peppers are<br />
nutritious, red varieties are particularly<br />
high in antioxidants like beta carotene,<br />
capsanthin, and quercetin.<br />
They’re are also rich in vitamin C. In fact,<br />
1 large red bell pepper contains over 300%<br />
of the daily value (DV) for this nutrient (7).<br />
Pairing 1 large red bell pepper with 3<br />
ounces (85 grams) of guacamole adds<br />
healthy fat and fiber while keeping this<br />
snack’s calorie count under 200.<br />
Greek yogurt and mixed berries<br />
Plain Greek yogurt and berries make a<br />
delicious, nutrient-dense snack.<br />
In addition to being a great source of<br />
calcium and potassium, Greek yogurt is<br />
also high in protein.<br />
Berries are one of the best sources of<br />
antioxidants around. Eat a mixture of<br />
differently colored berries to get an array of<br />
these powerful compounds.<br />
Combining 3.5<br />
ounces<br />
(100<br />
Healthy<br />
Snacking<br />
Guide<br />
Cucumber slices with hummus<br />
grams) of plain, full-fat Greek yogurt<br />
with 1/2 cup (50 grams) of mixed berries<br />
provides about 10 grams of protein and<br />
under 150 calories.<br />
Cottage cheese with flax seeds<br />
and cinnamon<br />
Cottage cheese, flax seeds,<br />
and cinnamon each have impressive<br />
health benefits. Together, they›re incredibly<br />
healthy.Cottage cheese is high in protein<br />
and very filling, and full-fat varieties<br />
boast conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty<br />
acid linked to health benefits. Flax seeds<br />
are beneficial for weight loss and blood<br />
sugar control. They may also reduce breast<br />
cancer risk. Cinnamon helps lower blood<br />
sugar and may improve gut health.<br />
Celery sticks with cream cheese<br />
Celery sticks with cream cheese are a<br />
classic low-carb, filling snack.<br />
Celery contains luteolin, an antioxidant<br />
that reduces inflammation and may help<br />
prevent cancer. Five small celery sticks<br />
with 2 ounces (60 grams) of cream cheese<br />
harbors fewer than 200 calories.<br />
Dark chocolate and almonds<br />
Dark chocolate and almonds make a rich,<br />
satisfying, and portable snack.<br />
Dark chocolate is loaded with flavanols<br />
that may lower blood pressure and reduce<br />
heart disease risk, provided the chocolate<br />
contains at least 70% cocoa solids.<br />
Almonds are high in heart-healthy<br />
monounsaturated fat and have<br />
beneficial effects on blood<br />
sugar control. Studies<br />
also show that they can<br />
reduce appetite and<br />
help you lose weight.<br />
Both dark<br />
chocolate and<br />
almonds are high<br />
in magnesium.<br />
One ounce (30<br />
grams) of each<br />
provides about<br />
300 calories in<br />
total, depending<br />
on cocoa<br />
content.<br />
Cucumber and hummus go well together.<br />
Cucumbers contain cucurbitacin<br />
E, a compound that may have anticancer<br />
effects. Hummus is made from chickpeas,<br />
olive oil, and garlic, which reduce<br />
inflammation and may improve heart<br />
health.One cup (52 grams) of sliced<br />
cucumbers dipped in 3.5 ounces (100<br />
grams) of hummus has about 180 calories.<br />
Hard-boiled eggs<br />
Eggs are one of the healthiest and<br />
most weight-loss-friendly foods you<br />
can eat.They pack plenty of protein, as well<br />
as vitamins K2 and B12.<br />
Eggs are incredibly filling and may reduce<br />
the number of calories you eat for many<br />
hours, which should help you lose weight.<br />
Although their high cholesterol<br />
content gave them a bad reputation for<br />
years, more recent studies suggest that<br />
moderate egg intake doesn’t have any<br />
effect on your risk of heart disease.<br />
Two large, hard-boiled eggs contain<br />
about 140 calories and 13 grams of protein.<br />
Baby carrots with blue cheese<br />
dressing<br />
Carrots are among the best sources of<br />
carotenoids, including beta carotene,<br />
which your body can convert into vitamin A.<br />
The carotenoids in carrots may reduce<br />
your risk of cancer, heart disease, and<br />
cataracts.<br />
It’s a good idea to pair carrots with a<br />
creamy salad dressing or dip because fat<br />
increases your absorption of carotenoids.<br />
A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of baby<br />
carrots with 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of<br />
blue cheese dressing provides about 200<br />
calories.<br />
Whey protein shake<br />
Awhey protein shake is a good snack<br />
when you need something substantial<br />
until your next meal. Studies show that<br />
whey protein can help you gain muscle, lose<br />
fat, and improve body composition.<br />
Many great whey protein supplements<br />
are available online. Look for types without<br />
added sugar. Here’s a recipe for a shake<br />
that contains about 150–200 calories and<br />
20–25 grams of protein, depending on the<br />
type of protein powder used.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
• 8 ounces (225 ml) of unsweetened<br />
almond milk<br />
• 1 scoop (30 grams) of whey powder<br />
• A pinch of stevia or other healthy<br />
sweetener, if desired<br />
• 1/2 cup (140 grams) of crushed ice<br />
• For this recipe, combine all ingredients<br />
in a blender and process until smooth.<br />
Spicy avocado<br />
Avocados are among the most nutritious<br />
and satisfying foods on the planet.<br />
Studies show that they can help lower<br />
LDL (bad) cholesterol, improve symptoms<br />
of arthritis, and protect your skin<br />
from sun damage.<br />
What’s more, avocados are high<br />
in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and<br />
monounsaturated fat. Sprinkle half a<br />
medium avocado with salt and a dash of<br />
cayenne pepper for a savory, filling snack<br />
with around 130 calories.
18<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Raveena Tandon:<br />
Friday, <strong>24</strong> <strong>May</strong> 20<strong>24</strong><br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
South works 'effortlessly' on a low<br />
budget as compared to Bollywood<br />
Actress Raveena Tandon who has<br />
worked across several industries<br />
recently pointed out the difference<br />
between Hindi and South cinema.<br />
Not just Bollywood, Raveena Tandon<br />
has given proof of her skills in several<br />
other film industries. Recently while<br />
speaking to Rajshri Unplugged, the actress<br />
revealed that a major difference she found<br />
between South and Hindi cinema was<br />
their crew deployment calculations which<br />
varied drastically. While discussing the<br />
same, Raveena Tandon recalled how South<br />
cinema’s limited budget didn’t make them<br />
lack anything but only made them more<br />
efficient and mindful of their resources.<br />
Taqdeerwala also starred Venkatesh and<br />
was bankrolled by a Hyderabad-based<br />
10 best old Hindi comedy movies that are a laugh-riot<br />
Bollywood has a rich history boasting<br />
thousands of mega hits. Among them<br />
are some old Hindi comedy movies<br />
that became cult classics. Take a look!<br />
Among the many movies made every year<br />
by the <strong>Indian</strong> film industry, only some end<br />
up becoming iconic and cult classics just<br />
like these 10 best old Bollywood comedy<br />
movies. In his article, we explore a handful<br />
of feature films of yesteryear that impacted<br />
the audience's minds.<br />
Padosan<br />
• Cast: Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu, Kishore<br />
Kumar, Mukri, Raj Kishore, Keshto<br />
Mukherjee<br />
• Director: Jyoti Swaroop<br />
• IMDB Rating: 8.1/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Musical/<br />
Romance<br />
• Release year: 1968<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video<br />
Padosan is a classic Bollywood comedy<br />
movie that has entertained the audience for<br />
ages. Be it our grandparents or the current<br />
generation of movie lovers, everyone has<br />
and should watch this entertaining feature<br />
once in their lifetime. Songs like Mere<br />
Samnewali Khidki Mein and Ek Chatur Naar<br />
Karke Sringar are as iconic as the film.<br />
Bawarchi<br />
• Cast: Rajesh Khanna, Jaya Bhaduri,<br />
Asrani, Harindranath Chattopadhyay,<br />
A.K. Hangal, Durga Khote, Manisha, Kali<br />
Banerjee, Usha Kiran, Raju Shrestha<br />
• Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee<br />
• IMDB Rating: 8.1/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Musical/Drama<br />
• Release year: 1972<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Sony Liv<br />
As the name suggests, Bawarchi revolves<br />
around a multi-talented household servant,<br />
employed by a dysfunctional household<br />
that has a reputation for not retaining house<br />
production house named Suresh<br />
Productions.<br />
“We shot five songs in Mauritius with<br />
a crew of only 9 people, no light men, no<br />
generators, no lights, nothing. They shot<br />
the songs with two baby lights and only<br />
reflectors, the ones with the silver foil.<br />
That’s how all the songs were shot and<br />
you look at the quality of those songs,” the<br />
49-year-old expressed in shock.<br />
A remake of the Telugu film Yamaleela,<br />
Taqdeerwala was directed by K<br />
Murali Mohana Rao and was shot by<br />
cinematographer K Ravindra Babu whom<br />
Raveena ‘can never forget’. Raveena went<br />
on to claim that the south crew “used to<br />
work so effortlessly and effectively on a low<br />
budget and did great work”.<br />
help due to their ill-treatment. However, this<br />
one surprisingly becomes their apple of the<br />
eye and even meddles in their family drama<br />
to resolve internal conflicts.<br />
Heeralal Pannalal<br />
• Cast: Shashi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor,<br />
Zeenat Aman, Neetu Singh, Premnath,<br />
Ranjeet, Ajit, Amjad Khan, Madan Puri,<br />
Kamini Kaushal<br />
• Director: Ashok Roy<br />
• IMDB Rating: 6.6/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/ Action<br />
• Release year: 1978<br />
• Where to watch: YouTube<br />
Heeralal Pannalal is a funny old Hindi<br />
movie about two boys who grow up together<br />
in an orphanage. They end up becoming<br />
best friends and even fall in love with two<br />
beautiful ladies in the quest to unearth<br />
some unknown secrets about their parents.<br />
Chupke Chupke<br />
• Cast: Dharmendra, Amitabh Bachchan,<br />
Sharmila Tagore, Jaya Bachchan, Om<br />
Prakash, Usha Kiran, David Abraham<br />
Cheulkar, Asrani, Keshto Mukherje<br />
• Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee<br />
• IMDB Rating: 8.3/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama<br />
• Release year: 1975<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video<br />
The audience saw Dharmendra and<br />
Amitabh Bachchan’s hit jodi in this old<br />
Hindi comedy movie Chupke Chupke.<br />
Their hilarious act together was highly<br />
appreciated by cinephiles who still revisit<br />
the film for an unlimited dose of laughter<br />
and entertainment.<br />
Further in the interview, the Mohra<br />
actress recalled shooting outdoors for a<br />
Hindu song, the makers deployed close to<br />
200 people which made her question the<br />
drastic difference. She recalled, “When I<br />
would shoot in Mumbai and we would go<br />
outdoors from here, to Switzerland or some<br />
other place, 200 people would go along.<br />
I used to say why do you need so many<br />
people when we can do all of this work with<br />
10 people?”.<br />
In the south, Raveena who featured in<br />
the blockbuster Kannada film KGF: Chapter<br />
2 is waiting for the release of its third<br />
instalment which is already announced.<br />
Last seen in Disney+ Hotstar’s legal drama<br />
Patna Shuklla, the actress will next be seen<br />
in Welcome To The Jungle and Ghudchadi.<br />
Bombay to Goa<br />
• Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Aruna Irani,<br />
Shatrughan Sinha, Nazir Hussain,<br />
Mehmood, Anwar Ali<br />
• Director: S. Ramanathan<br />
• IMDB Rating: 6.7/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Action<br />
• Release year: 1972<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video<br />
Next up in this list of best old Bollywood<br />
comedy movies is Bombay to Goa. The<br />
road comedy film showcases how a<br />
woman, who ran away from home, falls in<br />
love with her bodyguard trying to protect<br />
her from an armed henchman. Their road<br />
trip from Bombay to Goa with some of the<br />
entertaining bunch from the industry will<br />
take you on a fun comical ride.<br />
Pati Patni Aur Woh<br />
• Cast: Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha,<br />
Ranjeeta Kaur, Rishi Kapoor, Neetu<br />
Singh, Tina Munim, Parveen Babi<br />
• Director: BR Chopra<br />
• IMDB Rating: 7.0/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Romance<br />
• Release year: 1978<br />
• Where to watch: YouTube<br />
Seeta Aur Geeta<br />
• Cast: Hema Malini, Dharmendra,<br />
Sanjeev Kumar, Roopesh Kumar,<br />
Manorama, Satyen Kappu, Honey Irani,<br />
Pratima Devi<br />
• Director: Ramesh Sippy<br />
• IMDB Rating: 6.9/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama<br />
• Release year: 1972<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video<br />
Identical long-lost sisters who are<br />
opposites in nature intentionally exchange<br />
places to teach Seeta’s greedy and abusive<br />
aunt a lesson. While living different lives,<br />
they meet their lovers who fall for their<br />
original identities in Seeta Aur Geeta. Hema<br />
Malini plays a double role in this best old<br />
Bollywood comedy movie.<br />
Chachi 420<br />
• Cast: Kamal Haasan, Nassar, Tabu,<br />
Amrish Puri, Om Puri, Johnny Walker,<br />
Paresh Rawal, Rajendranath Zutshi,<br />
Ayesha Jhulka, Fatima Sana Shaikh<br />
• Director: Kamal Haasan<br />
• IMDB Rating: 7.4/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama<br />
• Release year: 1997<br />
• Where to watch: YouTube<br />
As a director and lead actor, Kamal<br />
Haasan did a magnificent job in Chachi 420.<br />
He plays the role of a desperate father who<br />
disguises himself as the child’s nanny to be<br />
with him.<br />
Kunwara Baap<br />
• Cast: Mehmood, Macky Ali, Vinod<br />
Mehra, Lalita Pawar, Nazir Hussain<br />
• Director: Mehmood<br />
• IMDB Rating: 7.2/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama<br />
• Release year: 1974<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video, Zee 5<br />
A kind-hearted poor rickshaw driver<br />
adopts a child and brings him up along<br />
with his son. But tragedy hits when the<br />
boy end becomes crippled as a result of<br />
polio infection. An interesting fact about<br />
this Hindi comedy movie is that Mehmood<br />
made the film to raise awareness of polio<br />
which had affected his son Macky Ali.<br />
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke<br />
• Cast: Aamir Khan, Juhi Chawla, Kunal<br />
Khemu, Baby Ashrafa<br />
• Director: Mahesh Bhatt<br />
• IMDB Rating: 7.3/10<br />
• Movie Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance<br />
• Release year: 1993<br />
• Where to watch: Prime Video<br />
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke is one of the best<br />
old Bollywood comedy movies of all time.<br />
It narrates how two lovers, who meet by<br />
fate, take care of the guy’s dead sister's<br />
mischievous kids and protect the family<br />
from a woman trying to break them apart.<br />
The movie also won a Nation Film Award.
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