Final Draft

Friday, 31 May 2024 

Volume 16 / Issue 10 

Read • Watch • Engage 

www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekendernz /indianweekender 

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Movie 

Masala 

Saris, sequins, spice: 

Kiwi-Indian's Bollywood 

touch unites cultures 

MAYANK KUMAR 

As Kiwi-Indians, our love 

for Bollywood runs deep. 

Whether it's a movie 

night featuring classics like 

"Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" or "Dilwale 

Dulhania Le Jayenge," a karaoke 

session, or a Bollywood dance 

party, these moments help us 

stay connected to our roots. 

Bollywood is ingrained in our 

identity, a bond that every person 

of Indian origin will always 

relate to. 

A Kiwi-Indian entrepreneur, 

Anju Desai, has truly caught 

the pulse of this enduring love 

for Bollywood. Anju is making 

dreams come true for Bollywood 

enthusiasts by offering a range 

of party and event packages, 

including decoration pieces 

tailored to fit any party theme. 

Whether you're looking to spice 

up your next corporate event 

with a beautiful South Asian 

theme or planning a Bollywoodinspired 

celebration for a private 

function, Anju is the go-to 

person for all your decorative 

needs. 

DIRECTED BY SHARAN SHARMA 

PRODUCED BY KARAN JOHAR, ZEE STUDIOS, HIROO YASH JOHAR & APOORVA MEHTA 

WRITTEN BY NIKHIL MEHROTRA & SHARAN SHARMA 

IN CINEMAS 

NOW 

A ZEE STUDIOS WORLDWIDE RELEASE

2 

NEW ZEALAND 

National unveils 

Budget 2024, keeps 

tax cut promises 


Read online www.iwk.co.nz 

CRAIG MCCULLOCH/RNZ 

National has kept its tax cut promise in the 

Coalition's debut Budget, laying out a relief package 

largely in line with the 'Back Pocket Boost' it 

campaigned on during the election. 

Much attention had focused on the teased tax relief in the 

lead up to today's reveal, with many economists calling for 

it to be scaled back or more gradually phased in. 

Unveiling her first Budget this afternoon, Finance Minister 

Nicola Willis declared: "I have kept my pledge". 

Willis described the near $15b tax cut package as "fully 

funded" over four years, pointing to $23b in savings across 

the public sector over the same time. 

The government expected to borrow an extra $12b during 

that same period. 

Asked why she pushed ahead with tax cuts rather than 

reducing debt, Willis said doing otherwise would have 

meant breaking their commitment to New Zealanders: We 

chose not to do that. 

Willis characterised her first Budget as a "clean-up job" 

which delivered on key coalition promises. 

"This Budget wont fix all of New Zealand's economic 

challenges on its own and there is much more to do, but it 

does show what is possible with care and discipline." 

'Back Pocket Boost' is back 

The Budget documents stated 1.9 million households 

would benefit from the overall relief package by an average 

of $30 a week. Households with children would benefit by 

$39 a week on average. 

*The competition is valid until 30 June 2024. Refer to mitre10.co.nz/win50 for more details. 

Terms and conditions apply. 

This table includes tax cuts from both the income tax 

bracket adjustment and IETC, but not the In-Work Working 

For Families change. 

A minimum wage worker could expect about $12.50 a 

week, while superannuitants would take home just $4.50 a 

week. 

The key plank of the policy was an adjustment to income 

brackets, with tax rates remaining the same but the 

thresholds where they kicked in increasing. 

The Independent Earner Tax Credit is also being 

expanded, with the upper limit for eligibility rising from an 

income of $48,000 to $70,000, with amounts reducing from 

$66,000+ instead of $44,000+. 

National campaigned on enacting these changes at 1 

July, but the start date has been pushed back four weeks 

after advice from Inland Revenue to allow payroll providers 

more time. 

The in-work tax credit will also go up by up to $25 a week 

from 31 July. National had campaigned on that kicking in 

from 1 April. 

The relief package also includes a childcare payment for 

low-and-middle-income households as already announced 

by Willis in March. 

The original 'Back Pocket Boost' policy included an 

increase to Working for Families, but that promise was 

discarded during coalition negotiations. 

During those negotiations, National also agreed to 

consider whether ACT's idea of a flatter tax system could 

be incorporated "subject to no earner being worse off than 

under its plan. 

Willis said ACTs idea of reducing the number of tax rates 

had a lot of merit but was not possible this year or this 

term: It remains, however, an idea for the future. 

The overall policy is costed at $3.7b a year which Willis 

said was fully-funded through specified savings and 

revenue initiatives. 

Nip and tuck 

Willis said a line-by-line review of government spending 

had identified an average $5.86b a year across 240 savings 

and revenue initiatives. 

That included a baseline savings exercise across 

government departments which had raised more than $1.5b 

a year. 

Most departments met or came close to their savings 

target of 6.5 percent or 7.5 percent with the notable 

exceptions of the Defence Force, Police, and the Ministries 

of Foreign Affairs and Justice. 

The Ministry of Housing significantly exceeded its 

savings goal of $109m, instead cutting its baseline by 

$391m. 

Initiatives in line for a funding shave include the NZ 

Symphony Orchestra, the Human Rights Commission, the 

Major Events Fund, and the Climate Change Commission. 

The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme is also being scaled 

back with the end of subsidies for hot water heating and an 

outreach programme to target hard-to-reach households. 

Some savings have been recouped by shifting the firstyear 

of Fees Free to the final year of study, taxing online 

casino operators, and increasing immigration fees. 

Savings and reprioritisations will be a business-as-usual 

activity for all ministers so that we can put the books back 

in order, Willis said. 

Not all promises kept 

During the campaign, National pledged to give Pharmac 

an extra $70m a year over four years in ring-fenced funding 

to target 13 specific cancers. 

We regret that it hasn't been possible in this Budget, Willis 

said. 

She pointed to the major investment required in Pharmac 

and cited difficulties with the promise, given it would result 

in a significant shift to Pharmac's operating model. 

Regardless, Willis said the coalition remained committed 

to following through on its commitment in future Budgets. 

"We are determined to deliver it and we will." 

-

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

'I am really delighted that people 

are respecting my culture' 

• Continued from Page 1 

As the founder and Creative Director 

of Bollywood Party in New Zealand, 

Anju has served the Kiwi community 

with authentic Indian cultural experiences 

for the last 14 years. Her services include 

a themed Bollywood party setup, a lavish 

costume hire, authentic catering and 

entertainment, including music and dance. 

“Though I’ve turned this business into a 

lifestyle, I don’t run it in a money-minded 

way,” says Anju. 

“I am really delighted that people are 

respecting my culture, understanding it, 

and dressing up properly. I feel privileged to 

have this opportunity.” 

Hailing from Mumbai, Maharashtra, Anju 

grew up in a culturally rich Brahmin family. 

She draws inspiration from Kiwi people 

when selecting Bollywood costumes, 

understanding their preferences for colours 

and styles. She imports around 100 

costumes on each trip to India, spending 

hours choosing and then bringing them 

back to New Zealand for display and hire. 

Her most demanded costume colours 

are baby pinks and royal blues. 

As a Mumbaiker, Anju keeps up with 

trends and is currently loving her golden 

sequence saree look. 

She has launched six new Bollywood 

Party packages catering to various events, 

from corporate celebrations to birthday 

bashes and simple at-home Friday Night 

parties. 

Depending on the size of the party, 

packages range from photo booths, props, 

and posters, to catering, live DJs, MCs, and 

henna artists. Costume deliveries start 

from $12, and costumes range from $35- 

$160. Anju also offers saree draping for 

novice Kiwis who don’t know how to wear 

a saree, and her efforts have been greatly 

appreciated. 

Based in Auckland, Anju's love for art and 

her craft translated into her work when she 

moved to New Zealand in 2000. 

“I had many different jobs when I first 

migrated. I owned an art gallery and 

taught dance and painting classes across 

Auckland. But as a single mother, it was 

hard to survive as simply an artist.” 

Anju’s introduction of Bollywood as 

a business idea happened accidentally 

whilst teaching a painting class. She had 

the chance to delve deeper into Bollywood 

dancing. This opportunity turned into a 

party business within 6 months. 

Her love for theatre and performance, 

combined with a keen interest in movies, 

led her to teach additional dance classes. 

Her life took a turn after one of these 

classes led to her being asked to host a hen 

party. A hen party, or bachelorette party, is a 

social gathering for a bride-to-be alongside 

her closest female friends. 

After the success of her first hen party, a 

close friend suggested incorporating Indian 

costumes into future events. A week later, 

the Unitec Institute of Technology in Mt 

Albert called her to host a team-building 

event, which was also successful. Thus, 

Bollywood Party in New Zealand was born. 

Anju found the only available web 

domain with that name at the time and 

stuck to it. Her business now includes four 

extensions: decor, catering, costume hire, 

and entertainment. 

In July 2009, Anju created the Bollywood 

Costume Hire Studio with just four 

costumes and twenty scarves. Today, 

her studio houses more than a thousand 

costumes. 

“By the end of the first year of my 

business, I was hosting large corporate 

events that asked me for catering, decor, 

costumes; everything. So I had to expand 

quickly, making decorations by myself, 

creating Indian-style artwork like Mandala 

patterns on canvases and elephant 

paintings for events.” 

Anju once spent 30-40 hours creating 

decorations for a particularly large 

corporate event. She also started her 

catering department twenty years ago 

while living in Hamilton. Supporting her 

son and slowly building her business, 

she catered for over 80-100 people with 

various food options for events on her own 

until the business grew. Now she has a 

great team working with her. 

During COVID-19, Anju taught online 

Indian cooking, dancing, and painting 

classes. She also utilised her marketing 

degree to teach people marketing online. 

Today, with over 350 followers under the 

“I had many different 

jobs when I first 

migrated. I owned an art 

gallery and taught dance 

and painting classes 

across Auckland. But as 

a single mother, it was 

hard to survive as simply 

an artist.” Anju Desai 

Anju Desai 

username ‘Bollywood Costume Hire’ across 

Facebook and Instagram, she continues to 

create content for her followers, promoting 

her brand. 

Once the COVID-19 restrictions lessened, 

Anju introduced "Bubble Parties" for 

people who wanted to host events with 

close contacts in their homes. Despite the 

challenges, her business has bounced back, 

with her phone buzzing with event inquiries 

as soon as the lockdown ended. 

From its modest beginnings, her studio's 

popularity has soared, becoming an awardwinning 

costume studio. Anju’s business 

has won several Best Costume honours 

both domestically and abroad. Anju is now 

looking forward to hosting plenty of winter 

parties this upcoming season. 

Thousands of residents leave Auckland's central suburbs: Census 

Aucklanders are leaving the 

inner city to settle down 

on the fringes, according 

to the latest census data. 

Thousands of residents have 

left the central suburbs in the 

past five years, while Papakura 

and Upper Harbour have seen 

enormous growth. 

Auckland's overall population 

grew by just 5.4 percent since 

2018, a far cry from the 11 percent 

increase between 2013 and 

2018. Stats NZ principal analyst 

Rosemary Goodyear said there 

were several factors that could 

have taken the wind out of the city 

of sails. 

"Population growth has 

slowed... there's been a lot 

happening: Covid, closed borders, 

and we've had fewer international 

students," she said. 

Central suburbs were hit the 

hardest, experiencing negative 

growth for the first time in more 

than a decade. 

The Waitematā local board 

area - which included the CBD 

- dropped by 1.6 percent from 

82,866 residents in 2018 to 

81,546 in 2023. The Albert-Eden 

area dropped by 2 percent from 

98,622 to 96,630. 

"Particularly Waitematā and 

Albert-Eden have declined in 

population, and we noticed 

that some of the local boards 

on the periphery of Auckland, 

particularly Upper Harbour and 

Papakura, have increased by over 

20 percent," Goodyear said. 

"The information we've got here 

does suggest that living on the 

fringes of Auckland is something 

that Aucklanders are moving 

towards." 

City Centre Residents Group 

spokesperson Antony Phillips 

said families were leaving the 

city centre because there was not 

space to raise their kids. 

"There's a number of people 

who have left who have not been 

able to raise their families here," 

he said. 

"We had a couple who had 

children and it was difficult for 

them... there's not the right 

infrastructure for families 

particularly around schooling." 

He said the CBD lacked the 

amenities that many families 

needed. 

"I think it just comes back to all 

those wonderful things we expect 

to see: schools, pre-schools, 

parks... we're seeing an increase 

of those but we don't have 

enough." 

After 20 years of city living, 

Phillips said he was in it for the 

long haul - but many only lived in 

the CBD short-term. 

"It's a forever home for me, 

however I appreciate that for 

many people it isn't," he said. 

"It's much better than it used 

to be. We're starting to see 

better street lighting, better 

streetscaping, all of those things 

are improving but we're still not 

quite there." 

Waitematā councillor Mike Lee 

said the census was a bad look 

for Auckland Council, which had 

been desperate to grow the CBD. 

"[It's] contrary to what the 

council's stated strategic policy 

is: to bring people into the innercity," 

he said.

4 

NEW ZEALAND 



Covid cases, rules, 

and free stuff: What 

you need to know 

KATIE KENNY/RNZ 

Heading into winter, 

Covid-19 is making 

headlines thanks to new 

variants and an increase in case 

numbers. 

Virus levels in wastewater were 

the highest they've been since 

December, 2022, according to 

national surveillance data for the 

week ending 19 May. And close 

to 40 people a day were being 

admitted to hospital with the 

disease. 

Earlier this month, we looked 

at the rise of a subset of variants 

referred to as "FLiRT". Descended 

from JN.1, these new lineages 

accounted for just over 40 percent 

of all Covid viruses sequenced 

from waterwater, according to the 

latest Environmental Science and 

Research (ESR) data. 

Ahead of Budget 2024, let's 

recap what we know about Covid 

restrictions, vaccines, tests, and 

more. 

Mandates, restrictions, and 

free stuff 

Government vaccine mandates 

are long gone. They were 

scrapped in September, 2022. 

The remaining Covid mandates 

were dropped last year, meaning it 

is no longer a legal requirement to 

self-isolate after a positive test. 

Free rapid antigen tests 

(RATs) for at-home testing will 

be available from participating 

pharmacies and RAT collection 

sites until 30 June, Health New 

Zealand Te Whatu Ora announced 

in January. RNZ has heard from 

people around the country who 

said they were already struggling 

to find tests. RNZ called several 

pharmacies: Some had stock 

while others had run out. 

Polymerase chain reaction 

(PCR) tests are used in some 

situations by health professionals. 

Results are generally more 

accurate than for RATs but take 

two to five days. There has been 

no indication those will not 

continue, because they are an 

important part of infection control 

in healthcare settings. 

At this point, some are asking: 

Do the tests still work? Yes, 

experts have told RNZ. PCR tests 

and RATs work in different ways 

and the former are more sensitive. 

But overall, the new subvariants 

seem to be detected as well as 

their predecessors with current 

diagnostics. 

Medical masks were free for 

everyone until the end of February 

this year. Special P2/N95 masks 

remain free for people at higher 

risk of getting very sick until 30 

June, 2024. (You can get them 

when you pick up RATs). 

Covid antiviral medicines, that 

can help reduce the amount of 

virus in your body so you don't get 

as sick, are also freely available 

to people with a range of risk 

factors relating to age, ethnicity, 

vaccination status, and underlying 

health conditions. 

Covid vaccination is available 

and free for everyone aged 5 and 

over, while additional doses or 

boosters are available and free 

for people over the age of 30. 

(Some younger people can have 

additional doses, but eligibility 

criteria apply). 

What can we expect from Budget 

2024? 

Hopefully, some answers. Right 

now, the country's long-term 

Covid strategy is unclear. 

It is unclear whether the supply 

of free RATs and masks will be 

extended beyond the mid-year 

deadline. And whether vaccines 

will remain free for everyone. 

Initially, Covid vaccines and 

treatments were paid for from 

a separate fund provided by 

the government. But from 1 

July, 2023, the budget for them 

was added to the combined 

pharmaceutical budget; a pot of 

about $1.5 billion. 

Now, Covid vaccines and 

treatments need to be prioritised 

against all the other medicines, 

medical devices, vaccines, and 

related products funded for New 

Zealanders. 

While the Covid vaccines do 

not necessarily stop someone 

becoming infected, they remain 

good protection against severe 

illness and death from the 

disease. 

The Public Health 

Communication Centre Aotearoa 

has also called for government 

action in response to the threat 

of long Covid, when the effects 

of the virus last longer than 12 

weeks. 

When asked for insight, a 

spokesperson from Health 

Minister Shane Reti's office 

only said: "The government's 

investment in health will be part 

of Budget 2024, announced on 

Thursday." 

Self-isolation rules 

Te Whatu Ora still recommends 

taking a test if you have Covid 

symptoms. And if you test 

positive, it is recommended you 

isolate for five days and update 

My Health Record so you can 

easily access help and support if 

needed. 

What if someone in your 

household tests positive? If you 

have spent at least eight hours 

with them in the same home, 

while the person was infectious, 

you are recommended to stay at 

home and do a RAT. Even if you 

test negative, if symptoms persist, 

stay at home and test again 

after 24 and 48 hours. Isolate if 

necessary.


NEW ZEALAND 5 

Asian communities lead NZ's 

population growth 

RNZ 

New Zealand's burgeoning Asian 

population is making up a hefty 

chunk of the country's overall 

population growth, according to the 2023 

Census results released by Stats NZ on 

Wednesday. 

The latest data shows that an additional 

153,978 people now identify themselves 

as Asian compared to the 2018 Census, 

more than half of the roughly 295,000 extra 

people added to New Zealand's population 

over the same period. 

New Zealand's Asian population now 

totals 861,576 people, or 17.3 percent of 

the country's population. 

The Census shows that New Zealand is 

more diverse than ever. 

Those who identify as European or 

Pākehā comprise 67.8 percent, Māori 17.8 

percent, Asian 17.3 percent, Pasifika 8.9 

percent and those from other backgrounds, 

including Middle Eastern, Latin American 

and African, make up 3 percent. 

Although those who identify as European 

remain the largest ethnic group in the 

country, all other ethnicities increased their 

share of the total population. 

Those who identify as Asian make up 

the largest increase among non-European 

ethnicities. 

The Asian ethnic group's population in 

2018 was 707,598, which represented an 

increase of 235,890 over the 2013 Census' 

tally of 471,708. 

Latest statistics show that the 

percentage growth has fallen from the 50 

percent figure recorded between 2013 and 

2018 to just 21.8 percent over the most 

recent five years. 

The Auckland region has cemented its 

position as the preferred destination for 

Asian New Zealanders. 

A total of 307,230 people who identify as 

Asians lived in New Zealand's largest city in 

2013, a number that increased to 442,674 in 

2018 and now stands at 518,178. 

In the Wellington region, 79,314 people 

Qatar Airways named best 

airline 2024, surpassing Air NZ 

IWK BUREAU 

Qatar Airways has been awarded the 

title of the world's best airline for 2024 

by AirlineRatings.com, surpassing 

last year's top airline, Air New Zealand. The 

latter dropped to fourth place this year, with 

Korean Air and Cathay Pacific securing 

second and third places, respectively. 

Despite this ranking change, Air New 

Zealand was still honoured for having the 

best economy class in the world. 

"Qatar Airways led in numerous key areas 

in our analysis, though the competition was 

very close among the top 10," said Geoffrey 

Thomas, editor-in-chief of AirlineRatings. 

com. "Passenger reviews particularly 

favoured Qatar Airways, highlighting its 

consistent and high standard of service." 

AirlineRatings.com, an Australiabased 

aviation safety and product rating 

agency, bases its annual Airline Excellence 

Awards on a comprehensive evaluation 

by five editors. The assessment combines 

major safety and government audits with 12 

key criteria, including fleet age, passenger 

reviews, profitability, safety rating, product 

rating, innovation, and future fleet orders. 

Air New Zealand has traditionally fared 

better in AirlineRatings.com's awards 

compared to those of Skytrax, where it 

ranked 19th last year. Skytrax's 2024 awards 

will be announced in late June. 

Other notable winners of the AirlineRatings. 

com 2024 Airline Excellence Awards include: 

• Qatar Airways: Best Business Class and 

Best Catering 

• Emirates: Best Premium Economy and 

Best In-Flight Entertainment 

• Air New Zealand: Best Long-Haul Airline 

(Australia/Pacific Region) 

• Singapore Airlines: Best First Class 

• Virgin Australia: Best Cabin Crew 

• Qantas: Best Lounges 

Etihad Airways: Best Environmental Airline 

Name Change 

Mandeep Kaur w/o of Ashwani Singh and 

Mother of Levindeep Singh, residing at 

1/14 Paton Avenue, Papatoetoe, changed 

the name of my minor son from Levindeep 

Singh to Levindeep Singh Sidhu.Henceforth, 

he will be known as Levindeep Singh Sidhu 

for all purposes. 

identify as Asian, while 86,430 identify as 

Asian in the Canterbury region - the second 

highest in New Zealand. 

Waikato, with Hamilton as its biggest city, 

completes the top four regions that boast 

the largest Asian populations in the country. 

According to the latest Census data, 

60,792 Asian New Zealanders call Waikato 

their home. 

In Auckland, the Howick local board 

topped the list of people in the area who 

identify as Asian, with 80,565 living there. 

Next on the list is the Henderson-Massey 

12 – 23 JUNE Q THEATRE 

BOOK indianink.co.nz 

local board with 39,546 persons of Asian 

descent, closely followed by the Upper 

Harbour local board with 34,983. 

In terms of age group bifurcation, 98,967 

people of Asian descent fall with the 30- to 

34-year-old age group, closely followed 

by 95,664 in the 35- to 39-year-old age 

bracket. 

Other ethnicities 

Among other ethnicities, the country's 

present population include 887,493 people 

who identify as Māori, 442,632 people who 

identify as Pacific and 92,760 people who 

identify as Middle Eastern, Latin American 

or African. 

Overall, the resident population of New 

Zealand grew by 294,168 people between 

the 2018 and 2023 to a total of 4,993,923 

people. 

However, population growth slowed to 6.3 

percent between 2018 and 2023, down from 

a growth rate of 10.8 percent - or 457,707 

people - between 2013 and 2018. 

"The first release of data is a welcome 

milestone in the delivery of the 2023 

Census," said Mark Sowden, government 

statistician and chief executive of Stats NZ. 

"The data we have released will enable 

local authorities, iwi and hapū, community 

organisations and the people of Aotearoa 

New Zealand to incorporate Census data 

into their decision-making about the 

infrastructure and services needed by 

communities across the country."

6 

NEW ZEALAND 

RUSSELL PALMER/RNZ 

With visa fees expected 

to rise, Immigration 

Minister Erica Stanford 

is refusing to explain where the 

government will find $100 million 

a year in Immigration system 

savings. 

The minister has confirmed she 

has completed consultation with 

specific interest groups and plans 

to take a paper to Cabinet on visa 

fee increases soon. 

But National promised to 

recoup at least $119m a year from 

Immigration ahead of the election 

and - with the minister's office 

saying under $20m a year in 

Crown funding is currently spent 

on processing - questions remain 

over where the remaining money 

would come from. 

The party's tax policy unveiled 

in August proposed to make visa 

processing "largely user pays 

and no more than 90 percent of 

Australia's equivalent cost". 

Their fiscal plan in September 

expected this to be able to save 

$492m over the four years from 

2024/25, with annual savings of 

$119m increasing to $127m by 

2027/28. 

Post-election, in December's 

mini-Budget, Finance Minister 

Nicola Willis signalled "further 

work underway to put New 

Zealand on a firmer financial 

footing" including "enabling full 

cost-recovery for immigration 

visa processing". 

Immigration Minister Erica 

Stanford's office was asked 

to provide the total spent on 

subsidising visa costs, and 

confirmed the Crown spent just 

$19.549m subsidising visas 

annually. 

These included Skilled Migrant 

Category, RSE scheme, Pacific 

Access Category and Samoan 

Quota, and visitor visas. 

"The Crown funding was 

provided in the 2022 fee and 

levy review so visas remain 

competitively priced with 


comparable countries (Australia), 

to support economic recovery 

from COVID-19, and to recognise 

the government's commitment 

to support Pacific resilience and 

economic development," the 

minister's office said. 

RNZ asked if the government 

remained committed to the 

savings set out in the fiscal plan, 

and the policy of keeping New 

Zealand's visa fees at or below 

90 percent of Australia's. 

A report by Newsroom in 

August estimated bringing fees 

to 90 percent of Australia's would 

see partner visa fees increase 

from under $3000 to more than 

$8500. 

Other fee increases were less 

dramatic, with post-study work 

visas increasing from $700 to 

$1856, fee-paying students' visa 

costs rising from $375 to $660, 

while skilled migrant and working 

holiday visas would remain the 

same. 

Stanford refused to be 

interviewed on the matter, but 

in a written response revealed 

a shift towards prioritising cost 

recovery over and above the 90 

percent benchmark. 

"Where feasible, the objective is 

that visa charges remain within 

90 percent of Australia's charges 

while ensuring that costs are fully 

recovered," she said. 

She did not say whether the 

government remained committed 

to the savings outlined in 

National's fiscal plan. 

Meanwhile, an Official 

Information Act Response to 

RNZ shows Cabinet was also 

expected to make decisions about 

a proposed "Immigration (Fiscal 

Sustainability) Bill" by 11 March. 

Some further information about 

the proposed bill was redacted 


Questions over visa fee increases 

as minister eyes savings 

under an Official Information Act 

clause providing protection for 

advice related to ministerial or 

Cabinet decision-making until 

those decisions had been made. 

This would be followed by the 

Ministry of Business, Innovation 

and Employment providing 

options for the scope and 

timeframes of the bill. 

Stanford's response to RNZ 

this week confirmed targeted 

consultation had been completed 

on changes to visa fee and levy 

rates. 

"The government is committed 

to improving the immigration 

funding system to ensure it is 

more efficient, self-funding, and 

sustainable," she said. 

"This work supports the 

government's priority to deliver 

effective and fiscally sustainable 

public services. My officials have 

consulted with key immigration 

system stakeholders on proposed 

fee and levy rates that will help us 

achieve this. 

"The feedback from these 

stakeholders will be considered 

as we make decisions on what a 

sustainable immigration funding 

model will look like. I will have 

more to say on this soon." 

The minister is expecting to 

take a paper to Cabinet in the 

coming weeks. 

Other National Party policies 

announced ahead of the election 

included a plan to offer fasttracking 

for visa processing for 

a fee, including for incoming 

international students. 

Announcing that policy in 

September, then-opposition 

leader Christopher Luxon - now 

the prime minister - said the 

international student market 

should be a strong part of helping 

New Zealand "rediscover growth". 

One in six post-cyclone recovery visa workers overstaying in NZ 

GILL BONNETT/RNZ 

Immigration figures show 

one in six workers who came 

into the country on the post- 

Cyclone Recovery Visa are now 

overstaying. 

Only 72 people who got a sixmonth 

recovery visa after the 

extreme weather events have 

returned home. 

More than 1200 people arrived 

to work in jobs connected to the 

recovery effort since last year's 

Cyclone Gabrielle and Auckland 

floods, on a fees-free visa. 

By last month, half were on 

a different visa and 177 were 

unlawfully in the country. 

The government had wanted 

to quickly attract the likes of 

engineers, insurance assessors 

and heavy machine operators, 

but many were less qualified, with 

labourers and cleaners topping 

the jobs that were filled. 

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) 

told its minister, Erica Stanford, 

in a recent briefing there was 

a high rate of "non-genuine, 

fraudulent" applications, with 40 

percent of them rejected. 

"The Crown funding was provided in the 2022 fee 

and levy review so visas remain competitively 

priced with comparable countries (Australia), 

to support economic recovery from COVID-19, 

and to recognise the government's commitment 

to support Pacific resilience and economic 

development." Stanford's office 

Although it was a similar fraud 

to the ones involving accredited 

employer work visas, it was 

different - employers did not 

have to be accredited, and the 

$700-$750 visa fee was waived 

if an application was successful, 

paid for by the government. 

Immigration advisers warned of 

adverts in some countries that 

marketed it as a free, open work 

visa. 

YouTube videos abounded, 

pointing out no English language 

tests were required and 

suggesting applicants could get 

permanent residence after two 

years. Allegations emerged of 

agents charging $30,000 for a job 

and visa package. 

Although the visa was closed 

to new applicants in September, 

existing recovery workers were 

able to get a three-month 

extension, with applications for 

that closing next month. 

Government-funded visas 

Government papers from last 

September, when the decision to 

close the visa category was taken, 

showed uptake for the recovery 

visa exceeded expectations, and 

"agreed funding for refunds has 

been exhausted". 

The Crown had set aside 

funding for 1000 successful 

applicants - but 1600 were 

eventually approved, including 

those who got visa renewals and 

255 people who did not end up 

coming to New Zealand at all - 

and more money had to be found. 

"Uptake for the visa has 

focussed on lower skilled roles 

and there is evidence of fraud and 

exploitation across the category," 

said one report. 

"Throughout April [2023], 

there was growing evidence that 

the Recovery Visa was being 

deliberately used by organised 

operations to target vulnerable 

potential migrants not normally 

able to obtain a work visa. People 

have been paying and turning 

up for non-existent jobs, and 

INZ is currently declining over 

80 percent of new applications 

received. These migrants are also 

unlikely to meet requirements to 

stay in New Zealand longer-term, 

including as part of the rebuild 

workforce." 

A briefing to Stanford last 

month lays out the figures of what 

has happened to the 1236 people 

who did arrive on recovery visas, 

including half (615) who now have 

a different visa, 336 on an interim 

visa (waiting for a visa decision) 

and the 177 overstayers. 

"MBIE's 

immigration 

compliance team will continue 

to contact unlawful individuals 

where possible," INZ chief 

operating officer Stephen 

Vaughan said. 

"In many cases inaccurate 

or incomplete information was 

provided during the Recovery 

Visa application process, which 

makes it difficult for immigration 

compliance to make contact. 

Further work to identify contact 

details for New Zealand-based 

applicants and third parties is 

underway." 

INZ's latest overstayer 

estimate, from 2017, indicated 

14,000 migrants remained in 

New Zealand without a valid visa, 

with 60 percent previously on a 

visitor visa. Citizens of Tonga, 

Samoa, China and India were the 

most common nationalities of 

overstayers.


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Indian restaurant owners 

fined $99K for exploiting 

immigrant workers 

IWK BUREAU 

Three immigrant workers at 

Chilli India restaurant, who 

were paid less than $8 per 

hour and not compensated for all 

their working hours, faced threats 

of deportation unless they paid 

$30,000 to their employers, New 

Zealand Herald reported. 

This extortion came to light 

when one employee reported the 

issue to the Ministry of Business, 

Innovation and Employment 

(MBIE), leading to an investigation 

that uncovered corruption 

and exploitation at the Indian 

restaurant in Hamilton. 

The Employment Relations 

Authority has now ruled in favour 

of the employees. 

JDfoods, trading as Chilli India 

in Dinsdale and owned by Jayant 

and Deepti Kaushal, has since 

closed. 

According to a recent decision, 

the MBIE inspector's claim, 

backed by extensive evidence, 

revealed that JDfoods coerced 

employees into making payments 

under the threat of losing their 

jobs and their right to remain in 

New Zealand. 

The investigation found that 

some employees were paid as 

little as $7.68 per hour, were not 

compensated for all hours worked, 

and were never paid for public 

holidays. 

One scheme involved employee 

Diksha Diksha, who was promised 

support for her residence 

application in exchange for a 

$30,000 payment. 

The Kaushals attempted to 

obscure these payments by 

transferring money to their 

parents in India and then to 

an associate, Amit Seth, who 

transferred it back to them. 

The Kaushals defended 

themselves by alleging a 

conspiracy against them, 

spending nine days crossexamining 

the inspector’s 

witnesses. 

However, their defence was 

undermined when Deepti Kaushal 

admitted to fabricating evidence 

and coercing other witnesses to 

lie. The presiding officer, Loftus, 

described the Kaushals' testimony 

Official ruled 

against JDfoods, 

finding them guilty 

of employment law 

breaches, including 

failing to pay 

minimum wages, 

holiday pay and 

annual leave. 

as "bald assertions" and noted 

their witnesses were "doing 

nothing but lying." 

Loftus ruled against JDfoods, 

finding them guilty of several 

employment law breaches, 

including failing to pay minimum 

wages, holiday pay, and annual 

leave. The penalties included: 

• JDfoods must pay $18,496.38 

for unpaid minimum wages, 

public holidays, and annual 

holiday pay. 

• JDfoods must pay $42,323.04 

for premiums received from 

employees. 

• JDfoods must pay $7,387.71 in 

interest on the owed amounts. 

• JDfoods must pay $21,000 in 

penalties and breaches to the 

inspector. 

• Jayant and Deepti Kaushal 

must pay a combined $10,500 

in penalties and breaches to 

the inspector. 

The ruling marks a significant 

victory for the exploited workers 

and highlights the ongoing issue 

of workplace exploitation among 

immigrant employees in New 

Zealand. 

Man dragged by car 

after woman cons him 

on FB marketplace 

IWK BUREAU 

A 

man sustained injuries 

after being dragged 30 

metres by a vehicle during 

a scuffle with a woman attempting 

to steal his iPhone in a Facebook 

Marketplace scam. 

It emerged that Hamilton 

woman, Lian Hunia, had no 

intention of paying the agreed 

$1000 for the iPhone 13, The New 

Zealand Herald reported. 

Hunia appeared in the Hamilton 

District Court today, where 

she confessed to a charge of 

aggravated robbery and unrelated 

driving offences. 

The 20-year-old discovered the 

phone on Marketplace and began 

messaging the victim using her 

grandmother’s Facebook account 

on December 5 of last year. 

They agreed to meet at St Paul’s 

Collegiate School, where Hunia 

indicated she would be in a red 

Nissan.The victim arrived at the 

school at 5:30 pm and approached 

the passenger side of the vehicle, 

where Hunia was seated, while 

her female accomplice was in the 

driver’s seat. After asking to see 

the phone, the victim handed it 

over to Hunia and her accomplice, 

who both examined it. 

When the victim attempted 

to retrieve the phone, Hunia’s 

accomplice put the vehicle in drive 

and started moving forward. The 

victim tried to hold onto the phone 

and was dragged along the road as 

the vehicle sped away. 

As the car moved, Hunia tried to 

push the victim while pulling the 

phone from his grip and instructing 

her accomplice to drive. 

The victim was dragged for 

about 30 metres before falling 

from the vehicle and hitting the 

ground. 

He suffered severe scrapes 

and abrasions to the right side 

of his body from being dragged. 

Additionally, he fractured his right 

clavicle (collarbone) and struck the 

back of his head, causing swelling 

and bleeding. 

In a police interview, Hunia 

claimed she intended to pay for 

the phone using cash savings and 

money from selling an iPad. She 

alleged that the victim “grabbed 

her aggressively, and she did not 

like that,” prompting her to tell her 

friend to drive. She still had the 

phone when arrested. 

On March 1 of this year, at 6:15 

pm, Hunia was in the driver's seat 

of the same red Nissan on Ann St, 

Hamilton. 

Police were called to a family 

harm incident, and as they 

approached her vehicle, she 

started it and began revving the 

engine. After being informed she 

was under arrest, officers pepper 

sprayed her through an open 

window, and she sped off along a 

grass verge. 

About 10 minutes later, officers 

spotted her on Sandwich Rd, and 

after a 500-metre pursuit, police 

abandoned the chase.v 

Today, Hunia admitted to charges 

of aggravated robbery, failing to 

stop, escaping police custody, and 

driving while disqualified. 

Judge Tini Clark convicted her 

and remanded her on further bail 

for sentencing in September. 

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8 

IWK BUREAU 

NEW ZEALAND 

FELIX WALTON/RNZ 

Criminals in Auckland's 

city centre are harassing 

staff, stealing and scaring 

customers away, business 

owners say. 

One restaurateur is making his 

staff walk to their cars in groups 

over safety concerns, while 

another is calling for more police 

patrols. 

Michael Dearth owns two 

restaurants in Auckland's city 

centre: The Grove in St Patrick's 

Square and Baduzzi in Wynyard 

Quarter. 

He said both had seen a spike in 

crime in recent months. 

"We have had some of our staff, 

as they walk to their car, their 

purse was taken from them and 

the person just ran off," he said. 

"I've had people try to break in, 

smash the doors and do a lot of 

damage ... grab some things and 

take off again." 

Dearth said the situation had 

got out of hand. 

"I have 65 to 70 staff. I'm 

concerned at many levels. I'm 

concerned about my employees, 

my customers coming into the 

city, and as a father, I'm concerned 

about my kids," he said. 

"I don't know what the answer 

is but I do know that it's getting 

worse." 

He said staff walked in groups 

A 

coroner has called for the 

nation's ambulance service 

to lobby the government 

for increased funding after a man 

helplessly watched his wife die 

despite making five emergency 

calls to 111. His son also called, 

reporting that his mother was not 

breathing. 

St John Ambulance Service 

has been advised to review 

its emergency call-handling 

processes, particularly to improve 

communication with callers who 

do not speak English as their first 

language. 

New call-to-action 

These recommendations 

are part of a coroner’s findings 

released late last year, following 

an inquiry into the July 2021 death 

of Solofua Sharon Tapuvae in 

Auckland. 

Tapuvae, aged 54, died at home 

from an acute heart condition. 

Despite her husband’s repeated 

calls for an ambulance, he was 

informed that no ambulances 

were available. The call was only 

escalated to a priority response 

when their son reported that she 

had stopped breathing. 

Coroner Janet Anderson 

expressed deep concern over the 

situation. “I am very mindful of 

the desperate situation Makarafu 

[the husband] found himself in, 

to avoid being targeted. 

"If we have one of our female 

managers and they're closing up 

we make sure they go to their car 

in groups," he said. 

"We're really conscious when 

we're closing up the restaurant, 

we have our security protocols 

that we follow. For our city to grow 

we need to do something about 

this crime." 

On Fort Street, Ima Cuisine 

owner Yael Shochat worried that 

her once-bustling restaurant 

would not survive. "I'm concerned 

about our survival and crime and 

safety is just one of the reasons 

our businesses are dying," she 

said. 

"Parking, the cones... it's all just 

piling up." 

Shochat said there was 

little reason for people to visit 

Auckland's CBD. 

"People never liked coming into 

the city even when times were 

calling repeatedly for emergency 

assistance while his wife was 

dying, and being told that there 

was no ambulance available,” she 

stated in her findings. 

She noted the severe and 

distressing impacts of insufficient 

ambulance resources. In a 

separate incident in April this year, 

an elderly woman in Rangiora 

died after a 70-minute wait for an 

ambulance, despite her husband’s 

calls for help. 

Deputy Health and Disability 

Commissioner Dr. Vanessa 

Caldwell recently criticised 

an ambulance call-handler 

for incorrectly classifying and 

recording triage information in 

2020, leading to the death of a 

teenage girl suffering an asthma 

attack due to a 28-minute delay in 

ambulance arrival. 

In response to these tragic 

good," she said. 

"Now times are bad. The parking 

is expensive, the city isn't safe, 

there's cones everywhere, there's 

less happening in the city and 

people aren't working in the city 

as much."For the year ending 

June, business association Heart 

of the City spent $1.3 million on 

security patrols throughout the 

CBD. 

Heart of the City chief executive 

Viv Beck said it deterred criminals 

and gave business owners peace 

of mind. 

"Having people walking 

around, patrolling, engaging with 

businesses ... that does make a 

difference," she said. 

"They escalate to police 

when necessary and they work 

alongside others like the council's 

CityWatch service which we partfund." 

Police v security guards 

But Shochat said the patrols 

events, both the government 

and St John Ambulance Service 

have acknowledged the need for 

improvements. Steps have been 

taken, including increased funding 

to address resource and workload 

issues. 

New Zealand’s ambulance 

service is funded by Te Whatu 

Ora - Health New Zealand and 

ACC, covering approximately 

82 percent of its $380 million 

annual cost. The remaining funds 

come from donations and a $98 

charge for patients transported by 

ambulance. 

At the time of Tapuvae’s death, 

the ambulance service was 

under extreme pressure, with 

all available units committed to 

other patients. Tapuvae suffered 

a hemopericardium caused by 

a tear in her aorta, with obesity 

being a contributing factor. 


Auckland city crime 'getting 

worse', businesses fear for survival 

were a double-edged sword. 

"I had a guy sitting in my 

restaurant disturbing the 

customers ... he was vaping and 

he was off his face and wouldn't 

leave," she said. 

"The guards were there, and 

normally the police would come 

but because they knew the guards 

were there they didn't come. 

Police are busy and they think 'Oh 

it's okay, the guards are there,' but 

the guards couldn't get rid of him 

because they're not police." 

Dearth hoped Budget 2024 

would include funding for more 

police officers in the CBD. 

"I'd like to see more of a 

presence of police officers [in] 

these spots that we know are 

trouble, as a deterrent," he said. 

Beck agreed. 

"We definitely want to see a 

commitment to more police, and 

we'd like to see a commitment for 

a downtown police station," she 

said. 

"There needs to be a specialist 

approach to mental health and 

addiction. [The government has] 

already indicated that they're keen 

to see that, but we would certainly 

like to see what is going to happen 

and when." 

She said businesses in central 

Auckland would be watching 

closely when the government 

unveiled its budget on Thursday, 

30 May. 

Husband helpless as wife dies 

despite six ambulance calls 

On July 29, 2021, Tapuvae 

collapsed at home just after 6 pm. 

Her husband, who had just arrived 

home and was outside with their 

puppy, rushed inside upon hearing 

her call out. Finding her on the 

lounge floor rubbing her chest, he 

immediately called 111. 

Despite describing her 

symptoms as a “sore stomach” 

and noting she had almost fainted, 

the first call-taker advised it might 

take “up to several hours” for an 

ambulance to arrive. Her husband 

was asked if he could take her to 

the hospital himself, but he was 

unable to lift her. 

After multiple calls, the situation 

escalated when their son reported 

she had stopped breathing. CPR 

instructions were given, and 

a paramedic ambulance was 

dispatched, but Tapuvae could not 

be revived upon arrival. 

Dr. Gary Clearwater, Chief 

Medical Advisor to the Coronial 

Service, stated that Tapuvae’s 

condition required prompt surgery, 

and her chances of survival 

were slim even under optimal 

circumstances. He also noted 

that language barriers might have 

impacted the communication 

during emergency calls. 

The coroner expressed concern 

over the lack of ambulance 

availability and highlighted the 

need for St John to reflect on 

their service aspects related to 

Tapuvae’s care. 


Car owners 

cancel 

insurance 

as cost of 

living bites 

SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ 

Whangārei woman 

Courtney Kitto is 

feeling the pain of 

rising costs. 

As well as having to spend an 

extra $100 a week on groceries, 

increases in the cost of things 

like insurance are hitting hard. 

"I've had to cancel my car 

insurance. Fuel is a huge impact, 

being rural, too." 

She said being left without 

insurance was a concern. 

"It will definitely be something 

I'll reinstate when we can afford 

to but unfortunately something 

has to give with the winter 

months here and the power bill 

increasing." 

Another woman, Sammy, 

said she had let some of her 

insurance cover lapse, too. 

"Our caravan went up $45 a 

fortnight… insurance is getting 

stupid. But the only alternative is 

no insurance. They don't make it 

cheaper if you do ask." 

Justin Lim, chief executive of 

comparison site Quashed, said 

the rate of increase in insurance 

premiums was accelerating. 

Premiums for insurance 

policies quoted on the site 

were up 40 percent for both 

comprehensive and third-party 

car insurance and up 25 percent 

for house and contents, yearon-year, 

he said. 

The average annual cost of 

a comprehensive policy for a 

$20,000 vehicle was $1309 this 

year. For third-party fire and 

theft cover, it was $500. 

Consumer data found an 

increase of 38 percent in car 

insurance premiums between 

2021 and October 2023. 

Insurance Council data shows 

there was $3.1 billion paid in 

premiums for motor insurance 

in 2023, up from $2.7b the year 

before and $2.25b in 2019. 

Lim said insurers' costs 

were probably going up, driving 

premiums. But shopping around 

could save money, he said. 

"Between $300 and $600 

[a year] is the average price 

difference we're finding between 

insurers for the same car." 

A spokesperson for the 

Insurance Council said there 

were a number of factors having 

an impact. 

"These include later model 

cars that have more technology 

in them which make them more 

costly to fix, higher claims due 

to vehicles damaged or lost to 

last year's flooding and cyclone 

events, the cost of inflation on 

repairs and the state of New 

Zealand's roads and its impact 

on cars. These are all flowing 

through into premiums. 

"People should take the 

opportunity to contact their 

insurer to see what options are 

available such as looking at their 

excess or other policy settings, 

while also shopping around."


NEW ZEALAND 9 

Hundreds experienced international 

nurses jobless amid shortage 

BLESSEN TOM/RNZ 

Hundreds of experienced 

international nurses from 

India who are registered 

to work in New Zealand are 

reportedly struggling to find jobs 

amid a nursing shortage. 

The nurses, mostly from 

southern India, are recent 

graduates of the Competence 

Assessment Programme 

(CAP), a mandatory course the 

Nursing Council formerly asked 

internationally qualified nurses to 

complete before working in New 

Zealand. 

In December, the Nursing 

Council announced that migrants 

from countries other than the 

US, UK, Ireland, Singapore, 

and the Canadian provinces of 

British Columbia and Ontario 

would need to pass an Objective 

Structured Clinical Examination 

(OSCE) before working in the 

country's healthcare sector. 

The new assessment, 

consisting of both theoretical and 

clinical components, replaced the 

CAP pathway. 

However, internationally 

qualified nurses who had signed 

up for a six- to eight-week CAP 

course at Nursing Councilaccredited 

providers before 4 

December were still allowed to be 

registered via the CAP pathway - 

even if the course was undertaken 

during this calendar year. 

As a result, hundreds of these 

registered nurses now find 

themselves in a bind after failing 

to secure employment despite 

graduating from the CAP course. 

At the same time, Te Whatu Ora 

data obtained by the New Zealand 

Nurses Organisation (NZNO) 

revealed that more than a quarter 

of nursing shifts in hospitals fell 

short of staffing targets in the 

year leading up to 31 December. 

Many of the nurses who 

are struggling to secure work 

relocated to New Zealand on a 

one-year visitor visa to complete 

the CAP requirements. 

"I came to New Zealand with 

many dreams, but the situation is 

really bad," said Litty Liju, a nurse 

with 12 years of experience in the 

Middle East. 

Liju arrived in Palmerston North 

on a visitor visa to begin a CAP 

course on 18 February. 

Saju Cherian is a nurse at Palmerston North 

Hospital. Photo: Supplied 

"I've applied for more than 500 

positions, including hospitals and 

aged care facilities across both 

the North and South islands," she 

said. 

Liju said potential employers 

had declined to sponsor her and, 

without a work visa, she was 

stuck in limbo. 

She came to New Zealand with 

her husband and two children 

aged five and 10, making life 

especially difficult. 

"I cannot send my kids to 

school and my husband, who is an 

experienced accountant, is unable 

to work without a proper visa," Liju 

said. 

Previously employed at the 

Ministry of Health in Kuwait, Liju 

said surviving in New Zealand 

without a job was terrifying. 

"I anticipated a short waiting 

period between finishing the 

CAP and finding a job, but I never 

thought it would take this long," 

she said. 

Akhil Venugopal has 

encountered similar obstacles, 

with potential employers refusing 

to offer him work while he is on a 

visitor visa. 

Venugopal, who worked as a 

surgical nurse for nine years in 

the Indian city of Bengaluru, also 

moved to Palmerston North to 

participate in a CAP course. 

"I've applied for more than 400 

jobs after finishing the CAP in 

March," Venugopal said. 

He said employers were not 

willing to sponsor him for work 

while on a visitor visa. 

Venugopal holds a one-year 

visitor visa but can only stay for 

six months at a time after entering 

New Zealand. 

"I'm not in a position to buy 

a ticket home and come back 

again," he said. 

Venugopal has spent about 

$35,000 on CAP fees, travel 

costs and living expenses in New 

Zealand in his bid to secure work. 

Although employers have 

offered Venugopal casual or parttime 

contracts, he is unable to 

accept them due to his visitor visa 

status. 

"The biggest challenge for us is 

the lack of a visa, so we request 

the authorities to consider giving 

us at least a short-term job search 

visa," Venugopal said. 

Saju Cherian, a nurse at 

Palmerston North Hospital 

and a member of the nurses' 

organization board, said nurses 

did not anticipate being without 

work for four or five months after 

completing a CAP course. 

Cherian conducted an informal 

survey through social media, 

which revealed that over 400 

nurses were affected similarly in 

the lower North Island. 

"I think there will be at least 

1,000 nurses without jobs after 

their registration in New Zealand 

right now, if we include the whole 

country, and more are on the way," 

he said. 

Cherian said it was common for 

Indian nurses to enter the country 

on visitor visas to participate in 

the CAP course. 

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NEW ZEALAND 



Elder abuse rampant among 

Indian, Chinese migrants in NZ 

IWK BUREAU 

A 

disturbing trend has 

emerged among some 

elderly migrants in 

New Zealand, who are being 

abandoned, financially exploited, 

and even physically assaulted by 

their own families. 

This alarming issue has 

been brought to light by a 

charity dedicated to supporting 

senior citizens in South Asian 

communities, The New Zealand 

Herald reported. 

Recent research indicates that 

elder abuse is rampant within 

Asian communities, with nearly 

half of older Indians and a third of 

Chinese seniors aged 65 and over 

reporting victimisation. 

Jeet Suchdev, chairman of 

Bhartiya Samaj, a charitable trust, 

shared heartbreaking stories of 

elder abuse within the Indian 

community, often perpetrated by 

family members. 

"Elder abuse is an epidemic that 

is widespread and rampant, but so 

hidden that the real level of abuse 

may never be known," Suchdev 

said. Bhartiya Samaj has handled 

"dozens of cases" over the past 

few years, with at least two cases 

each month. One such case 

involved an elderly couple who 

moved from India to help raise 

their grandchildren. Speaking 

little English and in their 80s, 

they trusted their daughter and 

son-in-law with their finances. 

After a hospital stay, they returned 

home to find their bank accounts 

drained. 

"Never in their wildest 

imagination did they ever think 

their daughter, 'their own flesh and 

"Never in their wildest 

imagination did 

they ever think their 

daughter, 'their own 

flesh and blood', would 

'rob them' of all their 

money." Jeet Suchdev 

blood,' would 'rob them' of all their 

money," Suchdev explained. 

In another case, a housewife in 

her 70s moved to New Zealand 

after her husband passed away. 

Invited by her son, she was later 

kicked out and abandoned on the 

street when his business failed. 

Suchdev noted that in many 

instances, elderly victims did not 

want to involve the police or file 

official complaints. "They come 

from cultures that are not used 

to making complaints and won't 

make a report because they feel it 

is a loss of face." 

Te Tari Kaumātua, the Office 

for Seniors, estimates that one in 

ten older people in New Zealand 

experience elder abuse, though 

most cases go unreported. 

A new study, Belonging as 

an Ageing Asian, by emeritus 

professor of diversity Edwina 

Pio from AUT University, found 

that elder abuse remains hidden 

due to a reluctance to complain. 

About 96 per cent of cases went 

unreported. 

Pio's research, which included 

interviews with high-level 

managers and focus groups 

from Chinese, Indian, and South 

Korean communities, revealed 

that financial, verbal, and physical 

abuse are common. 

"In all three communities, there 

is financial, verbal, and physical 

abuse with regret, grief, and 

hopelessness etched in the DNA 

of those experiencing abuse," Pio 

said. 

The study found that many 

elderly Asians faced financial 

abuse when living with their 

children, who often took their 

superannuation money and bank 

cards. One Chinese participant 

shared that her friend, unable 

to drive or speak English, relied 

on her children, who eventually 

resented and mistreated her. 

The report also highlighted 

the significant barriers faced 

by elderly migrants, including 

language isolation, fearfulness, 

and resistance to care. 

"It is unfortunate that elder 

abuse is mostly among family 

members but also sometimes 

perpetuated by those who provide 

care for elders," a manager noted. 

The study called for an 

ethnic strategy for ageing 

Asians, emphasising the need 

for linguistically and culturally 

appropriate healthcare, 

independent living facilities, and 

comprehensive support services. 

For those seeking help, Asian 

Family Services offers support in 

multiple languages, and several 

helplines are available, including 

Lifeline, the Suicide Crisis Helpline, 

and the Depression Helpline. 

Where to get help 

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Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, 

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Marathi and English. 

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 

1737 any time to speak to a 

trained Lifeline: 0800 543 354 

or text HELP to 4357 

• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 

828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO 

(24/7). This is a service for 

people who may be thinking 

about suicide, or those who 

are concerned about family or 

friends. 

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NEW ZEALAND 11

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 

"All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is 

keep moving towards them." 

—Viola Davis, American actress 

Editorial 

IN FOCUS : Picture of the week 

Willis walks the 

talk – but it’s 

on a tight rope 

In a climate of continuing economic turbulence, New Zealand’s Budget 2024, 

presented by Finance Minister Nicola Willis, reflects a balancing act of competing 

priorities and promises. As the coalition government’s inaugural budget, it attempts 

to address the immediate economic challenges while trying to stay true to its election 

pledges. 

The backdrop of this budget is a tapestry of fiscal stressors: the lingering impacts of 

the Covid-19 pandemic, the burdens of previous governmental borrowings, a persistent 

cost of living crisis, and high interest rates. In this context, delivering on the promise of 

tax cuts was a bold, if controversial, move. 

The highlight of Budget 2024 is the introduction of tax relief, offering an average Kiwi 

$102 every fortnight in tax savings. 

This move aims to ease the financial pressure on households. However, given the 

government’s current deficit and economic constraints this may exacerbate fiscal 

challenges in the long run, especially by failing to rein in inflation at best or at worst, 

end up exacerbating it. 

The government insists that it will fund the cuts from savings, which remains to be 

seen. Yet, it is borrowing $12 billion, attracting savage criticism from the Opposition. It 

seems as though the government was fully committed to delivering its election promise 

of tax cuts as a crucial relief for struggling families. 

Healthcare, education, and crime prevention have seen increased allocations, 

reflecting the government’s focus on essential public services, and dispelling the 

growing perception in recent weeks that it was intent on cutting essential services to 

save money. 

Healthcare funding includes significant boosts for hospital infrastructure and mental 

health services. 

In education, the government has prioritised early childhood education and additional 

resources for schools, aiming to improve outcomes and accessibility across the board. 

The increased budget for crime prevention underscores a commitment to enhancing 

public safety amid heightened concerns by adding 500 new police staff. 

Despite these positive steps, the budget lacks a long-term vision, particularly in 

addressing New Zealand’s significant infrastructure deficit, estimated at $100 billion. 

The allocation of only $7 billion for infrastructure development is insufficient to address 

the critical needs of the country’s aging and inadequate infrastructure. 

Infrastructure development is crucial not just for immediate job creation and economic 

stimulus, but also for long-term productivity and growth, which New Zealand finds itself 

at the bottom of the OECD pecking order. 

The minimal investment in this area could hinder future economic prospects and 

affect the very public services the budget aims to bolster. 

A notable aspect of this budget is its approach to reducing new spending by finding 

savings within existing operational budgets. 

The government has identified $7.4 billion in savings by cutting or reducing funding 

for various programmes, including free early childhood education for two-year-olds and 

the Climate Emergency Response Fund. 

This strategy of reallocation rather than new spending is an attempt to curb the fiscal 

deficit and demonstrate fiscal responsibility. 

However, it risks undermining vital initiatives and may not fully address the underlying 

economic issues. 

The economic forecasts accompanying the budget paint a sobering picture. Economic 

growth is expected to average just 1.5 per cent over the next two years, with high interest 

rates continuing to suppress household and business spending. 

The unemployment rate is projected to rise, peaking at 5.2 per cent by early 2025, 

which will further strain public finances and social services. 

Net migration, higher than expected, has partially alleviated labour shortages but also 

contributed to domestic inflation and higher house prices, complicating the economic 

landscape further. 

The government’s goal of returning to a budget surplus by 2027 remains a daunting 

challenge, especially with the smaller-than-expected surplus forecasts and the high 

costs of servicing debt. 

Budget 2024 represents an attempt to walk a fine line between immediate relief and 

long-term fiscal responsibility. 

The government has tried to ‘walk the talk’ by adhering to its promise of tax cuts 

and focusing on healthcare, education, and public safety. However, it risks stumbling 

by not adequately addressing long-term infrastructure needs and relying heavily on 

reallocation rather than new investment. 

The success of this budget will depend on its implementation and the government’s 

ability to adapt to the evolving economic conditions. 

An aerial view of the Kutuk River in Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park that looks like 

orange paint spilling into the clear blue water. Ken Hill/National Park Service 

This week in New Zealand’s history 

30 May 1901 

New Zealand turns down federation with Australia 

A 

10-man Royal Commission reported unanimously that New Zealand should not become 

a state of the new Commonwealth of Australia. Although New Zealand had participated in 

Australian colonial conferences since the 1860s, federation only became a serious prospect 

following the decision to unite Australia’s six colonies in 1899. 

30 May 1959 

Auckland harbour bridge opens 

New Zealand’s best-known bridge opened after four years of construction.The need for 

better transport links between Auckland city and the North Shore had long been the 

subject of inquiry and agitation. 

30 May 1996 

New honours system established 

A 

New Zealand Royal Honours System was established with the institution of the New 

Zealand Order of Merit, which replaced the various British State Orders of Chivalry. From 

1848 to 1975 New Zealand had shared in the British honours system. 

31 May 1916 

HMS New Zealand fights at Jutland 

In the misty North Sea on the last day of May 1916, 250 warships from Britain’s Royal Navy 

and Germany’s High Seas Fleet clashed in the First World War’s greatest and bloodiest sea 

battle. 

1 June 1960 

New Zealand's first official TV broadcast 

Broadcast from Shortland St in central Auckland, New Zealand’s first official television 

transmission began at 7.30 p.m. The first night’s broadcast lasted just three hours and 

could only be seen in Auckland. It included an episode of The adventures of Robin Hood, a live 

interview with a visiting British ballerina and a performance by the Howard Morrison Quartet. 

2 June 1917 

New Zealand steamer captured by the Wolf 

The steamer Wairuna, en route from Auckland to San Francisco, was captured by the 

German raider SMS Wolf and later sunk near the Kermadec Islands. The crew was taken 

prisoner. 

Indian Weekender : Volume 16 - Issue 10 

Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited 

Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz 

General Manager: Ravi Bajpai | 020 441 2233 | ravi@indianweekender.co.nz 

Graphic Designer: Yashmin Chand | design@indianweekender.co.nz 

Accounts and Admin.: 09-2173623 | accounts@indianweekender.co.nz 

Senior Digital Producer: Urjita Bhardwaj | 021 952 246 | urjita@indianweekender.co.nz 

Views expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisher 

is not responsible for advertisers’ claims as appearing in the publication 

Views expressed in the articles are solely of the authors and do not in any way represent 

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

Kiwi Media Publishing Limited - 133A, Level 1, Onehunga Mall, Onehunga, Auckland. 

Printed at NZME, Auckland, New Zealand. 

Copyright ® 2022. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. 

Send your suggestions and feedback to editor@indianweekender.co.nz

14 

INDIA 

Indian woman 

peacekeeper 

Major Radhika 

Sen receives UN 

military gender 

advocate award 

Indian woman peacekeeper 

Major Radhika Sen, who 

served with the UN mission 

in Congo, honoured with the 

prestigious military gender 

advocate award by UN Secretary- 

General Antonio Guterres on May 

30, marking the International Day 

of UN Peacekeepers. 

Who is Major Radhika Sen? 

• Radhika Sen served with the 

United Nations Organisation 

Stabilisation Mission in 

the Democratic Republic 

of the Congo (MONUSCO) 

from March 2023 to April 

2024 as the Commander of 

MONUSCO’s engagement 

platoon for the Indian 

rapid deployment battalion 

(INDRDB). 

• Major Radhika Sen joined the 

Indian Army eight years ago. 

She graduated with a degree 

in biotechnology engineering 

and was pursuing her 

Master's degree at IIT Bombay 

when she decided to join the 

armed forces. 

• Sen was deployed to 

MONUSCO in March 2023 

as the engagement platoon 

commander with the Indian 

rapid deployment battalion. 

Lauding Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi's government, 

External Affairs Minister S 

Jaishankar said that it is under 

his leadership that the foreign 

policy of India has given fame to 

the nation, which has resulted 

in New Delhi gaining popularity 

across the globe. 

In an interaction with 

intellectuals during an event in 

Shimla, Jaishankar said, "Under the 

leadership of PM Modi, the foreign 

policy of India has given fame to 

our country and India is going to 

play the role of Vishvaguru in the 

near future..." 

He said that the nation continued 

to face complex problems on the 

India-China border for the last few 

years but is now "strengthening 

our borders" by building modern 

infrastructure, including China 

bordering Himachal Pradesh. 

"The Modi government 

has increased the budget for 

infrastructural development on the 

China border many fold enhancing 

it from Rs 3000cr to Rs 15000cr. We 

have done this along all districts 

across all China's bordering states 

building wide and all-weather 

roads and tunnels to reach the 

borders," Jaishankar said. 

Highlighting the geopolitical 

She completed 

her tenure in April 

2024. Sen is the 

second Indian 

peacekeeper 

to receive this 

prestigious 

award, 

following 

Major Suman 

Gawani, who 

served with the 

UN Mission in South Sudan 

(UNMISS) and was honoured 

with the United Nations 

military gender advocate of 

the year award in 2019. 

• UN Secretary-General Antonio 

Guterres lauded Major Sen for 

her service and said she was 

a true leader and role model. 

"Her service was a true credit 

to the United Nations as a 

whole,” Guterres said. 

• Reacting to the development, 

Major Sen said, “This award 

is special to me as it gives 

recognition to the hard work 

put in by all the peacekeepers 

working in the challenging 

environment of DRC and 

giving their best to bring 

a positive change in the 

society.” 

"Gender-sensitive 

"Gendersensitive 

peacekeeping is 

everybody’s business 

– not just us women. 

Peace begins with all 

of us in our beautiful 

diversity!” 

issues that have gained attention 

in the present times, Jaishankar 

said, "When India decided to buy 

cheap Russian cruel oil during 

the beginning Ukraine-Russia 

war, we faced plenty of pressures 

from various quarters of the global 

geopolitical entities but we did not 

succumb to them." 

"Same pressure we had to face 

from China when we joined the 

Quad group but we chartered 

our own course which protected 

our interests and we succeeded. 

peacekeeping is everybody’s 

business – not just us, 

women. Peace begins with all of 

us in our beautiful diversity!” she 

added. 

Created by the office of military 

affairs within the department 

for peace operations (DPO) 

of the UN in 2016, the United 

Nations military gender advocate 

of the year award acknowledges 

the dedication and efforts of an 

individual military peacekeeper 

in promoting the principles of UN 

Security Council resolution 1325 

on Women, Peace, and Security. 

The awardee is selected from 

among candidates nominated 

by force commanders and 

heads of mission from all peace 

operations. 

India currently ranks as the 

11th largest contributor of 

women military peacekeepers to 

the United Nations. 

This all happened due to strong 

leadership provided by our Prime 

Minister Modi," he strongly 

asserted. 

Furthermore, Jaishankar also 

spoke at length on the ongoing 

general elections in India and 

said that the ten years of the Modi 

government has a credible record. 

"We are facing challenges from 

terrorism but we are responding 

to this. It is the responsibility of 

the people of the country to elect 

a stable government and it will 


India will discuss the new 

research station it wants to 

build in Antarctica at the 46th 

Antarctic Treaty Consultative 

Meeting (ATCM) being held in 

Kochi between May 20 and 30 . 

Over 350 researchers and officials 

from nearly 40 countries are 

expected to attend the meeting. 

“The Maitri research station built 

in 1989 is old and we wish to have a 

new station there. This is important 

for our research team. So we will 

discuss this proposal and seek 

approval from member states,” 

said M Ravichandran, secretary 

ministry of earth sciences (MoES). 

But, overall, the most important 

agenda of the meeting tracking 

climate change impacts, past 

climate assessments and better 

monitoring of climate impacts, he 

added. 

The meeting will also see 

the first-ever discussions on 

regulating tourism in Antarctica. 

“Tourism needs to regulated in 

Antarctica. India is driving discus 

Another issue that is likely to be 

discussed is giving consultative 

status to Canada and Belarus who 

can then have voting rights in the 

Treaty. 

Antarctic Treaty is a multilateral 

agreement of 56 Contracting 

Parties signed in 1959. 

India has been a Consultative 

Party to the Antarctic Treaty since 

1983 along with 28 other countries. 

“India has a crucial role in 

governing Antarctica’s scientific 

exploration and environmental 

protection. 

It has the right to propose and 

vote on decisions and resolutions 

made during the ATCM in matters of 


India to discuss new research 

station in Antarctica at Kerala 

climate meeting 

give a message to the world," said 

Jaishankar. 

The EAM said the people of 

this country have opportunities 

in different parts of the world in 

different sectors. In his more than 

four decades of career, he said, this 

was the first time, the diversity of 

India was introduced to the World. 

"It will help in boosting tourism, 

especially here in Himachal," the 

EAM said. 

administration, scientific research, 

environmental protection, and 

logistical cooperation. 

Further, it can establish research 

stations, conduct scientific 

programs and logistic operations, 

enforce environmental regulations 

and access scientific data and 

research findings shared by 

Antarctic Treaty members. 

The Contracting and Consultative 

Parties are responsible for 

compliance with the Antarctic 

Treaty, environment stewardship, 

promoting scientific research, and 

maintaining Antarctica as a zone 

of peace, free from military activity 

and territorial claims. 

The ATCM is administered 

through the Antarctic Treaty 

Secretariat headquartered in 

Argentina,” MoES said in a 

statement on May 21. 

“India, being a committed 

member of the Antarctic Treaty 

System, recognizes the pressing 

need to address the growing 

tourism activities in Antarctica 

and their potential impact on the 

continent’s fragile environment,” it 

added. 

Under leadership of PM Modi, foreign policy of India 

has given fame to our nation: EAM Jaishankar 

"The Modi government 

has increased 

the budget for 

infrastructural 

development on the 

China border many fold 

enhancing it from Rs 

3,000cr to Rs 15,000cr. 

We have done this 

along all districts 

across all China's 

bordering states 

building wide and allweather 

roads and 

tunnels to reach the 

borders," Jaishankar 

said. 

The minister also elaborated 

on the vibrant village programme 

to strengthen the infrastructure 

in bordering villages while an 

informal interaction with the 

journalists in Shimla. 

He further added that India has 

adopted a citizen-centric foreign 

policy, which has earned the 

support base in the UN. 

Jaishankar said that ten years of 

growth in India has improved the 

image of the country. 

"10 years ago, a lot of things 

were said about us. And people 

like me who used to go to other 

countries as a duty had to listen 

to a lot. But today, it is said that 

this is an India where every day 

30kms of highways and 14 km of 

railway tracks are built, where 8 

new airports and two new metro 

rails are built every year. Our image 

has improved because of the 

development on the ground. The 

transformation seen in the last 

10 years is the base of the Viksit 

Bharat. It is seen in the figures," 

Jaishankar said. 

"10 years ago, income tax payers 

were 3.5 crores. Today, there are 

more than eight crores. In the last 

10 years, there have been 6 crores 

more subscribers of Provident 

Fund," he added.


WORLD 15 

‘All eyes on Rafah’: 45 civilians killed 

in Israeli strike, triggers global outrage 

As many as 45 people, 

including children, were 

reportedly killed at a 

refugee camp in Rafah in the 

southern Gaza Strip in Israel's 

airstrike. 

The incident triggered a global 

outrage, with celebrities from 

across the world condemning 

Israel's action, as tensions 

continue to escalate in the Middle 

East. 

Most of the people killed in the 

Israeli airstrike were staying in 

tents at a refugee camp. 

The same area was hit 

by Israeli shelling days ago, 

triggering a massive fire in the 

shelter. The tent camp inferno has 

drawn widespread international 

outrage, including from some 

of Israel’s closest allies, over the 

military’s expanding offensive into 

Rafah. 

Israel's series of attacks against 

Rafah was launched on Sunday, 

hours after Hamas launched 

multiple rockets into Tel Aviv, 

most of which were intercepted 

by the country's intricate defence 

systems. 

Israel's airstrike in Rafah: Top 

updates 

Israel military's airstrikes and 

shelling near Rafah claimed 45 

South Africans vote 

in most competitive 

election since 

apartheid ended 

People in South Africa began 

voting on Wednesday in an 

election that could mark a 

big political shift if the governing 

African National Congress (ANC) 

party loses its majority as opinion 

polls suggest, Al Jazeera reported. 

Voters are electing nine 

provincial legislatures and a new 

national parliament, which will 

then choose the country's next 

president for the next five years. 

The election commission will 

announce the final results on 

Sunday. 

The ANC led by 66-year-old 

South African President Cyril 

Ramaphosa will have to seek one 

or more coalition partners to rule 

the country if it gets less than 50 

per cent of the national vote. The 

ANC has won six consecutive 

national elections since 1994. 

This would then mark the first 

time the ANC will be ruling in a 

Pakistan's former Prime 

Minister Nawaz Sharif on 

Tuesday admitted that 

Islamabad had "violated" an 

agreement with India in 1999, in 

an apparent reference to the Kargil 

war. Sharif made the remarks in 

a meeting of the PML-N general 

council that elected him president 

of the ruling party six years after he 

was disqualified by the country's 

Supreme Court. 

"On May 28, 1998, Pakistan 

carried out five nuclear tests. After 

that Vajpayee Saheb came here 

and made an agreement with us. 

But we violated that agreement... 

it was our fault," said Sharif as 

quoted by news agency PTI. 

coalition alliance government 

since it was catupulted into power 

at the end of with apartheid, 30 

years ago with Nelson Mandela at 

its helm. 

The country's largest 

opposition party is the centreright 

Democratic Alliance (DA) 

led by John Steenhusien that 

was formed by merging the 

Democratic party and the New 

National party. 

Other opposition parties include 

the far-left Economic Freedom 

Fighters (EFF), led by former ANC 

youth leader Julius Malema, and 

a new party, uMkhonto we Sizwe 

(MK), which is backed by former 

president Jacob Zuma 

A total of 70 parties and 

candidates are vying for 400 

seats in the National Assembly 

by voting under a proportional 

system. Parties on the national 

ballot will contest 200 of those 

The agreement with India that 

Sharif talked about was the "Lahore 

Declaration" signed between him 

civilian lives, Gaza's government 

officials confirmed on Tuesday. 

The airstrikes were launched 

on Sunday, leaving hundreds of 

refugees with shrapnel and burn 

wounds. 

The attack by Israel came days 

after the International Court of 

Justice ordered the country to halt 

The country's 

largest opposition 

party is the 

centre-right 

Democratic 

Alliance (DA) 

led by John 

Steenhusien 

that was formed 

by merging the 

Democratic party 

and the New 

National party. 

and then Indian prime minister 

Atal Bihari Vajpayee on February 

21, 1999. The agreement aimed to 

its operation in Rafah, drawing 

global outrage and condemnation 

from its close allies. 

Israel, in its statement, called 

the loss of civilian life “a tragic 

accident”, and said that the 

massive fire in the refugee camp 

was not caused by the airstrikes 

alone. 

seats while the other 200 are 

divided between the nine regions 

and contested by parties and 

independent candidates. 

In provincial legislatures, the 

number of seats is determined 

on the basis of the size of the 

population in each of the nine 

provinces. 

For the first time, voters will 

receive three ballots instead of 

two. On each ballot, they will 

bring peace and stability between 

the two countries. But, just a few 

months later, Pakistani troops 

intruded into the Kargil district in 

Jammu and Kashmir, leading to 

the Kargil War. 

At the meeting of the PML-N 

general council, Sharif claimed 

how he carried out nuclear tests 

despite pressure from the United 

States and took a dig at ex-PM 

Imran Khan. 

"President Bill Clinton had 

offered Pakistan USD 5 billion to 

stop it from carrying out nuclear 

tests but I refused. Had (former 

prime minister) Imran Khan like a 

person been on my seat he would 

have accepted Clinton's offer," 

The Israeli military suggested 

Sunday's blaze in the tent camp 

may have been caused by 

secondary explosions, possibly 

from Palestinian militants' 

weapons. They said that Israeli 

munitions were “too small a 

source” to cause the fire. 

Soon after the airstrikes, 

millions of social media 

users including celebrities, 

sportspersons, actors and 

politicians, posted an image 

captioned ‘All eyes on Rafah’. 

The image showed shelter 

tents in Rafah, where are many as 

1.4 million civilians are seeking 

refuge. 

The strikes over the past few 

days have hit areas west of Rafah, 

where the military had not ordered 

civilians to evacuate. Israeli 

ground troops and tanks have 

been operating in eastern Rafah, 

in central parts of the city, and 

along the Gaza-Egypt border. 

have to choose one party or one 

candidate. 

Two ballots will be used to elect 

the National Assembly, and the 

third one will be for the election 

of members of the provincial 

legislature in each province. 

The ANC won 62.2 per cent 

share of the vote in the 2014 

national election, giving the party 

249 seats and a clear majority in 

the 400 seat parliament. (ANI) 

Nawaz Sharif admits Pakistan violated peace agreement with India in 1999 

Sharif said on a day when Pakistan 

marked the 26th anniversary of its 

first nuclear tests. 

Sharif claimed that former ISI 

chief Gen Zahirul Islam had played 

a role in toppling his government 

in 2017 to bring Imran Khan into 

power. 

"I ask Imran not to blame us 

(of being patronised by the army) 

and tell whether Gen Islam had 

talked about bringing the PTI into 

power," Sharif said and added 

Khan would sit at the feet of the 

military establishment. Sharif also 

accused the then chief justice of 

Pakistan Saqib Nisar of rem oving 

him from the office of the Prime 

Minister in 2017 on a false case.

16 

TIME OUT 

i FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

ACROSS----------- 

1) "Brian's Song" star James 

5) Comes out of one's skin 

10) Self-congratulatory 

14) Radius' comrade-in-arms? 

15) Youngest-ever Oscar 

winner 

16) Folkestone farewell 

17) "B 5!" "C 11!"? 

19) Took_ (snoozed) 

20) Downed 

21) Typing type 

22) Considers carefully 

24) "Emma" author Austen 

25) Hersey's bell town 

26) Place or site 

29) Transverse beam 

32) Itsy-bitsy bits 

33) "In_ tn1st" 

34) Recipe word 

35) Cravings 

36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes" 

O, O! 

1 2 3 

14 

17 

20 

26 27 28 

32 

35 

38 

41 42 

CROSSWORD 

37) Kid's "seat" on Santa 

38) Alternative to .net 

39) Less extroverted 

40) TV's "Cosmos" creator 

41) Author's explanation 

43) Yuletide songs 

44) Backup sounds 

45) Random sampling 

46) "Monkey Trial" teacher 

48) Seafood choice 

49) Josh 

52) Door section 

53) John Wayne character, 

larger-than-life? 

56) More than suggest 

57) Recording studio alert 

58) Water sport 

59) Some antique autos 

60) Family men 

61) Bud holder 

Richard Auer 

11 12 13 

7th June 

DOWN 

1) Island south of Florida 

2) Dismounted 

3) Archer or Heche 

4) Endless faultfinder 

5) Home of the John Deere 

headquarters 

6) Like beverages at barbecues 

7) A 1 Capp character 

8) Fielder's choice? 

9) Trooper's warning 

10) Wood-surface applications 

11) Tropical fruit dance? 

12) Great Salt Lake state 

13) Adjusts, as a spark plug 

18) Multicolored gems 

23) "_ on Down the Road" 

24) Traffic tangles 

25) Eagerness 

26)_ the land (how things stand) 

27) Alamogordo's county 

28) Kinshasa drum? 

29) Australian bush call 

30) Just right 

31) Wonderlands 

33) Southern breakfast dish 

36) Auto despair site? 

37) Marx or Benz 

39) Pirate's knife 

40) Town of many trials and hunts 

42) Plains homes 

43) Plays with crayons 

45) Lecterns 

46) Tim Duncan, for one 

47) Kind of package 

48) Cold spell 

49) Nautical mile 

50) Not going anywhere 

51) Condemn 

54) "Put_ Happy Face" 

55) Photo_ (media events) 

i FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

ACROSS----------- 

1) "Brian's Song" star James 

5) Comes out of one's skin 

10) Self-congratulatory 

14) Radius' comrade-in-arms? 

15) Youngest-ever Oscar 

winner 

16) Folkestone farewell 

17) "B 5!" "C 11!"? 

19) Took_ (snoozed) 

20) Downed 

21) Typing type 

22) Considers carefully 

24) "Emma" author Austen 

25) Hersey's bell town 

26) Place or site 

29) Transverse beam 

32) Itsy-bitsy bits 

33) "In_ tn1st" 

34) Recipe word 

35) Cravings 

36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes" 

O, O! 


CROSSWORD ANSWERS 

37) Kid's "seat" on Santa 

38) Alternative to .net 

39) Less extroverted 

40) TV's "Cosmos" creator 

41) Author's explanation 

43) Yuletide songs 

44) Backup sounds 

45) Random sampling 

46) "Monkey Trial" teacher 

48) Seafood choice 

49) Josh 

52) Door section 

53) John Wayne character, 

larger-than-life? 

56) More than suggest 

57) Recording studio alert 

58) Water sport 

59) Some antique autos 

60) Family men 

61) Bud holder 

1M l.1 1 b 

Richard Auer 

ATA 

N A p 

I G H 5 

0 

T 30 1 3e 

D D 

E E 

N 

7th June 

DOWN 

1) Island south of Florida 

2) Dismounted 

3) Archer or Heche 

4) Endless faultfinder 

5) Home of the John Deere 

headquarters 

6) Like beverages at barbecues 

7) A 1 Capp character 

8) Fielder's choice? 

9) Trooper's warning 

10) Wood-surface applications 

11) Tropical fruit dance? 

12) Great Salt Lake state 

13) Adjusts, as a spark plug 

18) Multicolored gems 

23) "_ on Down the Road" 

24) Traffic tangles 

25) Eagerness 

26)_ the land (how things stand) 

27) Alamogordo's county 

28) Kinshasa drum? 

29) Australian bush call 

30) Just right 

31) Wonderlands 

33) Southern breakfast dish 

36) Auto despair site? 

37) Marx or Benz 

39) Pirate's knife 

40) Town of many trials and hunts 

42) Plains homes 

43) Plays with crayons 

45) Lecterns 

46) Tim Duncan, for one 

47) Kind of package 

48) Cold spell 

49) Nautical mile 

50) Not going anywhere 

51) Condemn 

54) "Put_ Happy Face" 

55) Photo_ (media events) 


SUDOKU SOLUTIONS 

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Your Weekly Horoscope: 31 May - 06 June, 2024 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

You could get lucky early in the week with 

a windfall or with a flirtation, as love and 

money planet Venus hooks up with Jupiter, 

the planet of luck, in your zone of romance 

and finance. This is potentially a big thing, 

in a cosmic move that hasn’t occurred 

since 2012 and won’t happen again until 

2036. At the same time, a Full Moon hints at fulfilment 

around a media or travel issue or a situation linked to your 

spiritual side and soulfulness. 

.TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

Midweek is a special time for you this week, 

with a cosmic hook-up that happens only 

once every 12 years. Your ruling planet 

Venus joins Jupiter, the planet of luck, 

in your very own sign now so make the 

most of this cosmic connection that you 

won’t see or experience again until 2036, 

with acts of indulgence, pleasure, or even laziness (one of 

your sign’s guilty pleasures!) if the mood takes you down 

that route.. 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

Venus and Jupiter fill your mind with 

positive thoughts at the start of this week 

to set you up for even bigger and better 

things to come as the week progresses. 

This unusual cosmic alignment only 

occurs every 12 years, making it big news, 

so tune into any insights and hunches you 

get good vibes about around midweek as they could rock 

your world in a wonderful way. 

. CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

If you’ve been tuning into the cosmos over 

the past 12 months you’ll have noticed that 

your go-to crew have been more fun during 

this time, and that if you dared to reach for 

some big dreams you might very well have 

achieved them. It’s all due to hosting lucky 

planet Jupiter in your zone of friendships 

and ambitions. Venus meets Jupiter for a rare final embrace 

in your friendship zone this week. 

LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) 

As the week begins you get a final boost 

for your career from the presence of 

Venus and Jupiter hanging out together 

and bringing the potential for love, money, 

recognition and fun in your day job before 

both planets switch signs a little later in 

the week. This is a rare and rather fabulous 

cosmic combination that won’t be back to influence your 

career in the same way again until 2036. 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

All your recent hard work plus a little luck 

could pay off this week, thanks to Venus 

and Jupiter hooking up for the final time in 

your zone of knowledge, travel, adventure, 

publishing, spirituality and legal issues. 

You might have spent these past few 

months studying or training for the next step in your career 

in one or more of these areas, and if so the cosmos is on 

your side with the Sun, Venus and Jupiter leaving your zone 

of learning now to re-align in your career zone. 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

This week you’re blessed by your ruler 

Venus and the planet of luck, Jupiter, 

joining together to amp up power plays, 

commitments, finance and intimacy. 

Midweek brings a rare cosmic meet-up 

between these two planets, the kind that 

only happens once every 12 years, so 

make the most of some deep, almost uncannily intuitive 

connections you might encounter around this time. 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

You could have a magical moment this 

week with a lover, a would-be lover or a 

business partner as Venus embraces 

Jupiter in your relationships zone. This 

cosmic encounter between the two planets 

is a rarity so make the most of it as Venus 

and Jupiter in harmony could bring love, 

softness, romance, money, joy or luck to a partnership now, 

and even sworn enemies could be back on talking terms as 

a result of this astrological alliance.. 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

It’s all about relationships for you this week, 

and for some time to come too. The Sun 

moves into your partnership zone for a 

month-long stay as the week begins and 

pairing up either personally or professionally 

gets a cosmic boost as a result. You could 

have a touch of luck when it comes to your 

well-being and work routines around midweek, with love 

planet Venus embracing your ruling planet Jupiter in this 

zone, so a romance at the gym. 

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) 

Completing an assigned job will give you 

the edge at work. Discussing investment 

options with a financial expert will help you 

make the correct decision. Homemakers 

may be tempted to buy an appliance or 

gadget. Your fitness regime will benefit. 

Property investments may not get 

immediate results but promise big money at a later date. The 

desire for a change of scene may take you out on an exotic 

vacation. 

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) 

You are likely to benefit immensely by 

making health your priority. Despite rising 

expenses, you will be able to remain fairly 

well off financially. You may have to seek 

alternatives if you are unable to accomplish 

something at work. Efforts on the academic 

front put in now will pay rich dividends later. 

People are likely to appreciate your upholding the family 

traditions. A chance to convert an official trip into a leisurely 

one may come to some. 

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) 

An active lifestyle will help keep minor 

ailments at bay. You will manage to plan 

your expenses well to remain within the 

budget. Homemakers will need to be 

motivated to go in for cleaning and painting 

of the house. A promotion or increment is 

likely for some, especially those in the 

armed forces. Those travelling on a long journey will be able 

to find entertaining company en route.


FEATURE 17 

Snack box ideas for kids for 5 days 

Feeding healthy, nutritious and wholesome 

meals is on the mind of every parent and 

the question that a parent always thinks 

about everyday is what to pack for school. 

Planning kids lunch boxes can be daunting and 

to help you make wholesome healthy breakfast 

we have planned a whole weeks menu plan. 

Some of the recipes included are High Protein 

Soya Idli Recipe, Sweet Corn, Methi & Tomato 

Rice Recipe, Penne Pasta Recipe In Spinach 

Pesto Sauce, Khara Bhath Recipe and Chole 

Pindi Recipe 

Monday 

High Protein Soya Idli & Tomato 

Onion Chutney 

High Protein Soya Idli Recipe are soft and 

delicious idlis. Making idlis is super simple 

if you have the batter ready. These idlis can be 

served with any chutney, sambar or podi. Pack 

it with tomato onion chutney in your kids lunch 

boxes. 

Kids Lunch 

Box Menu Plan: 

High protein soya idli, sweet 

corn methi & tomato rice 

Tuesday 

Sweet Corn, Methi & Tomato Rice & Homemade Yogurt 

A delicious mixed rice that is tossed with fresh methi leaves, tomatoes, sweet corn and 

flavoured with Indian Masala is a sure hit with kids. You can use left over rice to make 

this tasty rice dish. Pick and keep the methi leaves over the weekend and keep it in an 

airtight container. Pack Sweet Corn, Methi & Tomato Rice with homemade curd or any 

raita of your choice. 

Thursday 

Khara Bhath Recipe & Coconut Chutney 

Khara Bhath Recipe or Rava Bhath is a South Indian specialty that is quick to prepare. 

Some prep work that you can do is chop and keep the vegetables refrigerated in an airtight 

container the previous night. Grate the coconut for the chutney the previous night as well and 

keep it refrigerated. 

Wednesday 

Penne Pasta Recipe In Spinach Pesto Sauce & Fresh Fruit Bowl 

The Penne Pasta Recipe in Spinach Pesto is a healthy and creamy pasta recipe made 

from spinach and basil and tossed in a durum wheat penne pasta. You can boil the 

pasta the night before and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. Pick and keep the 

spinach leaves the previous night and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container. 

Pack along with seasonal fresh fruits to add more nutrition in your kids diet. 

Friday 

Chole Pindi & Zucchini Paratha 

Chole Pindi is a spicy tangy curry that can be packed along with any Indian bread or rice. 

You can pressure and keep the black chole the previous night itself. Make the dough for the 

Zucchini pratha the night before as well to help make cooking easier and less time consuming in 

the mornings.

18 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Anupam Kher 

praises Payal, Anasuya; says 

'unknown' Indians are getting 

'highest honours' at Cannes now 

Anupam Kher has spoken 

about content-driven 

films taking the spotlight. 

In an interview with News18 

Showsha, the veteran actor 

opened up about how 'unknown' 

people are now getting recognition 

as he gave the example of Delhi 

influencer Nancy Tyagi, who 

made a stunning red carpet debut 

at Cannes 2024. 

With All We Imagine As Light 

winning the Grand Prix at Cannes 

Film Festival 2024, Anupam 

also talked about recent films 

such as Kiran Rao's Laapata 

Ladies and Diljit Dosanjhstarrer 

Chamkila, that received 

praise for their storytelling and 

performances. Anupam said, 

“Content is very important 

nowadays. It always was, but now 

the audience is different. Look 

at what happened at Cannes – 

we have two unknown people 

(filmmaker Payal Kapadia and 

actor Anasuya Sengupta) 

getting the highest honours. It’s 

phenomenal." 

Speaking about Nancy Tyagi, 

the actor added, "A Delhi girl 

walked on the red carpet stitching 

her own dress. The world is open 

to creativity – it always was, but 

now India is open to creativity. 

What doesn’t touch heart doesn’t 

make an impact. You cannot 

dwarf the audience by making 

them feel smaller. They’re open 

to malls, they’re open to modern 

India, and big cinema – they are 

used to everything. You can’t now 

say, ‘Dekho hum apko Switzerland 

leke jaa rahe hai.’ Unke liye koi 

bahut badi baat nahi hai. Par 

content agar achha hua toh choti 

film bhi chalegi aur badi bhi (It's 

not a big thing to say 'Look, we 

are taking you to Switzerland'. 

If a small film is good, even it 

can work). I think, it’s the end of 

fakeness.” 

Payal Kapadia was honoured at 

the closing ceremony of the 77th 

edition of the Cannes Film Festival 

with Grand Prix, the second 

highest prize of the festival, for All 

We Imagine As Light. The moment 

was historic for Indian cinema. A 

day before the closing ceremony, 

the Un Certain Regard section 

awards were also announced. 

Two Indian films were in 

contention – Sandhya Suri's 

cop drama Santosh starring 

Shahana Goswami, and Bulgarian 

director Konstantin Bojanov's 

The Shameless. It was lead 

actor Anasuya Sengupta of 

The Shameless, who scripted 

history, becoming the first Indian 

actor to clinch an acting award. 

She was chosen as the Best 

Actress by the jury. 

Moreover, Sunflowers Were The 

First Ones To Know, a Kannada 

short film directed by FTII student 

Chidananda S Naik, was declared 

the winner of the La Cinef Award 

for Best Short Film. 

Moreover, Delhi-based fashion 

influencer Nancy Tyagi's red 

carpet look at Cannes Film 

Festival 2024 made headlines 

and even impressed actor 

Sonam Kapoor, who is known 

for her sartorial choices and 

many memorable Cannes red 

carpet appearances over the 

years. Recently, Sonam reshared 

Nancy's Instagram Reel, 

showcasing her elegant saree 

look. 



Nargis Fakhri thinks Sandeep 

Reddy Vanga's female characters 

in Animal were well drafted: 'They 

had the juiciest parts' 

Actor Nargis Fakhri has 

praised Sandeep Reddy 

Vanga's Animal, saying that 

the way the alpha energy for Ranbir 

Kapoor's character was explored 

"was truly impressive". Speaking 

with Filmfare, she said that the 

characters of female actors in 

Animal were "well drafted". 

Nargis talked about the directors 

she would want to collaborate with. 

They included Sandeep Reddy 

Vanga, Kabir Khan and Rajkumar 

Hirani among others. 

Talking about Animal, Nargis 

said, “I love how the character 

was sketched for Ranbir Kapoor in 

Animal. The way he explored 

alpha energy was truly impressive! 

And look at how well he drafted 

characters for even the females of 

his film. Even though they weren't 

'lead', they had the juiciest parts 

too!” 

She added, “Other than him, I feel 

Rajkumar Hirani’s films like Munna 

Bhai MBBS and Sanju are like a 

breath of fresh air that’s loaded 

with light-hearted moments and 

with the way his films strike a 

chord with the audience is truly 

admirable. 

Lastly, I’d also like to work with 

Kabir Khan and his thoughts on 

high-octane action films like Ek 

Tha Tiger. I admire his passion for 

storytelling and how it elevates 

every scene.” 

Animal is an action drama film 

directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga. 

The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anil 

Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika 

Mandanna and Triptii Dimri. 

Animal released in theatres in 

December 2023. 

It faced criticism for glorifying 

toxic masculinity and misogynistic 

scenes. The film broke several box 

office records for a Hindi film and 

grossed 917.82 crore worldwide. 

Many women like Manju Devi around us: 

Neena Gupta on her role in 'Panchayat' 

Mumbai, Veteran actor 

Neena Gupta says 

her role in the popular 

series "Panchayat" became a fanfavourite 

because there are many 

women like Manju Devi different 

parts of the country. 

In season three of the Prime 

Video show, Gupta returns as 

the effervescent Manju Devi, 

the Phulera village head in Uttar 

Pradesh. She is the village head 

on paper but it's her husband 

who is known as the 'Pradhan' 

and handles all the administrative 

responsibilities. 

"Characters are often inspired 

by real-life. There are still many 

women like Manju devi everywhere 

around us. She is very satisfied 

with her household things; she has 

no ambition. Pradhan is working 

on her behalf, people liked it and 

that’s how women in India do it in 

rural or urban places. So, women 

relate to me, to Manju devi," the 

actor told PTI in an interview. 

There are many progressive 

women in the country but on the 

screen, their onscreen portrayal 

is still not received well by the 

audiences, the actor said. 

"You can’t , they become 

vamps. Like, in my television 

show, ‘Khandaan’, I played the role 

of a progressive woman, and it 

became like a negative character. 

Bold characters don't work here 

. In movies, we see them as sati 

savirtri,” she said. 

Also featuring Jitendra Kumar, 

Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik, 

Chandan Roy, and Sanvikaa, 

“Panchayat” revolves around the 

daily issues faced by the residents 

of a fictional village in Uttar 

Pradesh. 

The comedy-drama first 

premiered in April 2020 and it’s 

second season came out in May 

2022 to positive reviews. 

Alia, Kareena, Varun extend support to Palestine after Israel's attack on Rafah 

Days after Israel's attack 

on Rafah, several A-list 

Bollywood celebrities have 

come out to show their solidarity 

with Palestine. 

These include Alia 

Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, and Varun 

Dhawan among others. 

Alia took to her Instagram 

Stories on Tuesday and re-shared 

a post by @themotherhoodhome 

which read, “All children deserve 

love. All children deserve safety. 

All children deserve peace. 

All children deserve life. And all 

mothers deserve to be able to give 

their children those things (red 

heart doodle).” Alia wrote in the 

caption, “#AllEyesOnRafah.” Alia 

and her actor-husband Ranbir 

Kapoor gave birth to daughter 

Raha Kapoor in November 2022. 

Alia's sister-in-law Kareena 

Kapoor also took to her Instagram 

Stories on Tuesday to re-share a 

post by the official Instagram 

handle of UNICEF, which Executive 

Director Catherine Russell 

condemning the killing of children 

and families in Rafah, calling the 

act “unconscionable.” 

Actor Varun Dhawan also took 

to his Instagram stories to share 

the “All Eyes on Rafah” image 

doing the rounds on social media 

in protest of Israel's latest attack. 

Other actors who joined them in 

solidarity included Madhuri Dixit, 

Triptii Dimri, Fatima Sana Shaikh, 

Samantha Prabhu, Dia Mirza, and 

Swara Bhasker. 

Israel-Palestine conflict 

Israeli shelling and airstrikes 

killed at least 37 people, most of 

them sheltering in tents, outside 

the southern Gaza city of Rafah 

overnight and on Tuesday — 

pummeling the same area where 

strikes triggered a deadly fire days 

earlier in a camp for displaced 

Palestinians. 

Israel's assault on Rafah, 

launched May 6, spurred more 

than 1 million people to flee the 

city, the U.N. agency helping 

Palestinian refugees said 

Tuesday.

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