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Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
Volume 16 / Issue 10<br />
Read • Watch • Engage<br />
www.iwk.co.nz /indianweekendernz /indianweekender<br />
Luxury Event and Wedding planners<br />
+64 22 122 4801 | info@omevents.co.nz | www.omevents.co.nz<br />
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20B Hoskins Avenue, Hillsborough, Auckland 1042 | info@insuresecure.co.nz<br />
Movie<br />
Masala<br />
Saris, sequins, spice:<br />
Kiwi-Indian's Bollywood<br />
touch unites cultures<br />
MAYANK KUMAR<br />
As Kiwi-Indians, our love<br />
for Bollywood runs deep.<br />
Whether it's a movie<br />
night featuring classics like<br />
"Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" or "Dilwale<br />
Dulhania Le Jayenge," a karaoke<br />
session, or a Bollywood dance<br />
party, these moments help us<br />
stay connected to our roots.<br />
Bollywood is ingrained in our<br />
identity, a bond that every person<br />
of Indian origin will always<br />
relate to.<br />
A Kiwi-Indian entrepreneur,<br />
Anju Desai, has truly caught<br />
the pulse of this enduring love<br />
for Bollywood. Anju is making<br />
dreams come true for Bollywood<br />
enthusiasts by offering a range<br />
of party and event packages,<br />
including decoration pieces<br />
tailored to fit any party theme.<br />
Whether you're looking to spice<br />
up your next corporate event<br />
with a beautiful South Asian<br />
theme or planning a Bollywoodinspired<br />
celebration for a private<br />
function, Anju is the go-to<br />
person for all your decorative<br />
needs.<br />
DIRECTED BY SHARAN SHARMA<br />
PRODUCED BY KARAN JOHAR, ZEE STUDIOS, HIROO YASH JOHAR & APOORVA MEHTA<br />
WRITTEN BY NIKHIL MEHROTRA & SHARAN SHARMA<br />
IN CINEMAS<br />
NOW<br />
A ZEE STUDIOS WORLDWIDE RELEASE
2<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
National unveils<br />
Budget 2024, keeps<br />
tax cut promises<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
CRAIG MCCULLOCH/RNZ<br />
National has kept its tax cut promise in the<br />
Coalition's debut Budget, laying out a relief package<br />
largely in line with the 'Back Pocket Boost' it<br />
campaigned on during the election.<br />
Much attention had focused on the teased tax relief in the<br />
lead up to today's reveal, with many economists calling for<br />
it to be scaled back or more gradually phased in.<br />
Unveiling her first Budget this afternoon, Finance Minister<br />
Nicola Willis declared: "I have kept my pledge".<br />
Willis described the near $15b tax cut package as "fully<br />
funded" over four years, pointing to $23b in savings across<br />
the public sector over the same time.<br />
The government expected to borrow an extra $12b during<br />
that same period.<br />
Asked why she pushed ahead with tax cuts rather than<br />
reducing debt, Willis said doing otherwise would have<br />
meant breaking their commitment to New Zealanders: We<br />
chose not to do that.<br />
Willis characterised her first Budget as a "clean-up job"<br />
which delivered on key coalition promises.<br />
"This Budget wont fix all of New Zealand's economic<br />
challenges on its own and there is much more to do, but it<br />
does show what is possible with care and discipline."<br />
'Back Pocket Boost' is back<br />
The Budget documents stated 1.9 million households<br />
would benefit from the overall relief package by an average<br />
of $30 a week. Households with children would benefit by<br />
$39 a week on average.<br />
*The competition is valid until 30 June 2024. Refer to mitre10.co.nz/win50 for more details.<br />
Terms and conditions apply.<br />
This table includes tax cuts from both the income tax<br />
bracket adjustment and IETC, but not the In-Work Working<br />
For Families change.<br />
A minimum wage worker could expect about $12.50 a<br />
week, while superannuitants would take home just $4.50 a<br />
week.<br />
The key plank of the policy was an adjustment to income<br />
brackets, with tax rates remaining the same but the<br />
thresholds where they kicked in increasing.<br />
The Independent Earner Tax Credit is also being<br />
expanded, with the upper limit for eligibility rising from an<br />
income of $48,000 to $70,000, with amounts reducing from<br />
$66,000+ instead of $44,000+.<br />
National campaigned on enacting these changes at 1<br />
July, but the start date has been pushed back four weeks<br />
after advice from Inland Revenue to allow payroll providers<br />
more time.<br />
The in-work tax credit will also go up by up to $25 a week<br />
from 31 July. National had campaigned on that kicking in<br />
from 1 April.<br />
The relief package also includes a childcare payment for<br />
low-and-middle-income households as already announced<br />
by Willis in March.<br />
The original 'Back Pocket Boost' policy included an<br />
increase to Working for Families, but that promise was<br />
discarded during coalition negotiations.<br />
During those negotiations, National also agreed to<br />
consider whether ACT's idea of a flatter tax system could<br />
be incorporated "subject to no earner being worse off than<br />
under its plan.<br />
Willis said ACTs idea of reducing the number of tax rates<br />
had a lot of merit but was not possible this year or this<br />
term: It remains, however, an idea for the future.<br />
The overall policy is costed at $3.7b a year which Willis<br />
said was fully-funded through specified savings and<br />
revenue initiatives.<br />
Nip and tuck<br />
Willis said a line-by-line review of government spending<br />
had identified an average $5.86b a year across 240 savings<br />
and revenue initiatives.<br />
That included a baseline savings exercise across<br />
government departments which had raised more than $1.5b<br />
a year.<br />
Most departments met or came close to their savings<br />
target of 6.5 percent or 7.5 percent with the notable<br />
exceptions of the Defence Force, Police, and the Ministries<br />
of Foreign Affairs and Justice.<br />
The Ministry of Housing significantly exceeded its<br />
savings goal of $109m, instead cutting its baseline by<br />
$391m.<br />
Initiatives in line for a funding shave include the NZ<br />
Symphony Orchestra, the Human Rights Commission, the<br />
Major Events Fund, and the Climate Change Commission.<br />
The Warmer Kiwi Homes scheme is also being scaled<br />
back with the end of subsidies for hot water heating and an<br />
outreach programme to target hard-to-reach households.<br />
Some savings have been recouped by shifting the firstyear<br />
of Fees Free to the final year of study, taxing online<br />
casino operators, and increasing immigration fees.<br />
Savings and reprioritisations will be a business-as-usual<br />
activity for all ministers so that we can put the books back<br />
in order, Willis said.<br />
Not all promises kept<br />
During the campaign, National pledged to give Pharmac<br />
an extra $70m a year over four years in ring-fenced funding<br />
to target 13 specific cancers.<br />
We regret that it hasn't been possible in this Budget, Willis<br />
said.<br />
She pointed to the major investment required in Pharmac<br />
and cited difficulties with the promise, given it would result<br />
in a significant shift to Pharmac's operating model.<br />
Regardless, Willis said the coalition remained committed<br />
to following through on its commitment in future Budgets.<br />
"We are determined to deliver it and we will."<br />
-
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
NEW ZEALAND 3<br />
'I am really delighted that people<br />
are respecting my culture'<br />
• Continued from Page 1<br />
As the founder and Creative Director<br />
of Bollywood Party in New Zealand,<br />
Anju has served the Kiwi community<br />
with authentic Indian cultural experiences<br />
for the last 14 years. Her services include<br />
a themed Bollywood party setup, a lavish<br />
costume hire, authentic catering and<br />
entertainment, including music and dance.<br />
“Though I’ve turned this business into a<br />
lifestyle, I don’t run it in a money-minded<br />
way,” says Anju.<br />
“I am really delighted that people are<br />
respecting my culture, understanding it,<br />
and dressing up properly. I feel privileged to<br />
have this opportunity.”<br />
Hailing from Mumbai, Maharashtra, Anju<br />
grew up in a culturally rich Brahmin family.<br />
She draws inspiration from Kiwi people<br />
when selecting Bollywood costumes,<br />
understanding their preferences for colours<br />
and styles. She imports around 100<br />
costumes on each trip to India, spending<br />
hours choosing and then bringing them<br />
back to New Zealand for display and hire.<br />
Her most demanded costume colours<br />
are baby pinks and royal blues.<br />
As a Mumbaiker, Anju keeps up with<br />
trends and is currently loving her golden<br />
sequence saree look.<br />
She has launched six new Bollywood<br />
Party packages catering to various events,<br />
from corporate celebrations to birthday<br />
bashes and simple at-home Friday Night<br />
parties.<br />
Depending on the size of the party,<br />
packages range from photo booths, props,<br />
and posters, to catering, live DJs, MCs, and<br />
henna artists. Costume deliveries start<br />
from $12, and costumes range from $35-<br />
$160. Anju also offers saree draping for<br />
novice Kiwis who don’t know how to wear<br />
a saree, and her efforts have been greatly<br />
appreciated.<br />
Based in Auckland, Anju's love for art and<br />
her craft translated into her work when she<br />
moved to New Zealand in 2000.<br />
“I had many different jobs when I first<br />
migrated. I owned an art gallery and<br />
taught dance and painting classes across<br />
Auckland. But as a single mother, it was<br />
hard to survive as simply an artist.”<br />
Anju’s introduction of Bollywood as<br />
a business idea happened accidentally<br />
whilst teaching a painting class. She had<br />
the chance to delve deeper into Bollywood<br />
dancing. This opportunity turned into a<br />
party business within 6 months.<br />
Her love for theatre and performance,<br />
combined with a keen interest in movies,<br />
led her to teach additional dance classes.<br />
Her life took a turn after one of these<br />
classes led to her being asked to host a hen<br />
party. A hen party, or bachelorette party, is a<br />
social gathering for a bride-to-be alongside<br />
her closest female friends.<br />
After the success of her first hen party, a<br />
close friend suggested incorporating Indian<br />
costumes into future events. A week later,<br />
the Unitec Institute of Technology in Mt<br />
Albert called her to host a team-building<br />
event, which was also successful. Thus,<br />
Bollywood Party in New Zealand was born.<br />
Anju found the only available web<br />
domain with that name at the time and<br />
stuck to it. Her business now includes four<br />
extensions: decor, catering, costume hire,<br />
and entertainment.<br />
In July 2009, Anju created the Bollywood<br />
Costume Hire Studio with just four<br />
costumes and twenty scarves. Today,<br />
her studio houses more than a thousand<br />
costumes.<br />
“By the end of the first year of my<br />
business, I was hosting large corporate<br />
events that asked me for catering, decor,<br />
costumes; everything. So I had to expand<br />
quickly, making decorations by myself,<br />
creating Indian-style artwork like Mandala<br />
patterns on canvases and elephant<br />
paintings for events.”<br />
Anju once spent 30-40 hours creating<br />
decorations for a particularly large<br />
corporate event. She also started her<br />
catering department twenty years ago<br />
while living in Hamilton. Supporting her<br />
son and slowly building her business,<br />
she catered for over 80-100 people with<br />
various food options for events on her own<br />
until the business grew. Now she has a<br />
great team working with her.<br />
During COVID-19, Anju taught online<br />
Indian cooking, dancing, and painting<br />
classes. She also utilised her marketing<br />
degree to teach people marketing online.<br />
Today, with over 350 followers under the<br />
“I had many different<br />
jobs when I first<br />
migrated. I owned an art<br />
gallery and taught dance<br />
and painting classes<br />
across Auckland. But as<br />
a single mother, it was<br />
hard to survive as simply<br />
an artist.” Anju Desai<br />
Anju Desai<br />
username ‘Bollywood Costume Hire’ across<br />
Facebook and Instagram, she continues to<br />
create content for her followers, promoting<br />
her brand.<br />
Once the COVID-19 restrictions lessened,<br />
Anju introduced "Bubble Parties" for<br />
people who wanted to host events with<br />
close contacts in their homes. Despite the<br />
challenges, her business has bounced back,<br />
with her phone buzzing with event inquiries<br />
as soon as the lockdown ended.<br />
From its modest beginnings, her studio's<br />
popularity has soared, becoming an awardwinning<br />
costume studio. Anju’s business<br />
has won several Best Costume honours<br />
both domestically and abroad. Anju is now<br />
looking forward to hosting plenty of winter<br />
parties this upcoming season.<br />
Thousands of residents leave Auckland's central suburbs: Census<br />
Aucklanders are leaving the<br />
inner city to settle down<br />
on the fringes, according<br />
to the latest census data.<br />
Thousands of residents have<br />
left the central suburbs in the<br />
past five years, while Papakura<br />
and Upper Harbour have seen<br />
enormous growth.<br />
Auckland's overall population<br />
grew by just 5.4 percent since<br />
2018, a far cry from the 11 percent<br />
increase between 2013 and<br />
2018. Stats NZ principal analyst<br />
Rosemary Goodyear said there<br />
were several factors that could<br />
have taken the wind out of the city<br />
of sails.<br />
"Population growth has<br />
slowed... there's been a lot<br />
happening: Covid, closed borders,<br />
and we've had fewer international<br />
students," she said.<br />
Central suburbs were hit the<br />
hardest, experiencing negative<br />
growth for the first time in more<br />
than a decade.<br />
The Waitematā local board<br />
area - which included the CBD<br />
- dropped by 1.6 percent from<br />
82,866 residents in 2018 to<br />
81,546 in 2023. The Albert-Eden<br />
area dropped by 2 percent from<br />
98,622 to 96,630.<br />
"Particularly Waitematā and<br />
Albert-Eden have declined in<br />
population, and we noticed<br />
that some of the local boards<br />
on the periphery of Auckland,<br />
particularly Upper Harbour and<br />
Papakura, have increased by over<br />
20 percent," Goodyear said.<br />
"The information we've got here<br />
does suggest that living on the<br />
fringes of Auckland is something<br />
that Aucklanders are moving<br />
towards."<br />
City Centre Residents Group<br />
spokesperson Antony Phillips<br />
said families were leaving the<br />
city centre because there was not<br />
space to raise their kids.<br />
"There's a number of people<br />
who have left who have not been<br />
able to raise their families here,"<br />
he said.<br />
"We had a couple who had<br />
children and it was difficult for<br />
them... there's not the right<br />
infrastructure for families<br />
particularly around schooling."<br />
He said the CBD lacked the<br />
amenities that many families<br />
needed.<br />
"I think it just comes back to all<br />
those wonderful things we expect<br />
to see: schools, pre-schools,<br />
parks... we're seeing an increase<br />
of those but we don't have<br />
enough."<br />
After 20 years of city living,<br />
Phillips said he was in it for the<br />
long haul - but many only lived in<br />
the CBD short-term.<br />
"It's a forever home for me,<br />
however I appreciate that for<br />
many people it isn't," he said.<br />
"It's much better than it used<br />
to be. We're starting to see<br />
better street lighting, better<br />
streetscaping, all of those things<br />
are improving but we're still not<br />
quite there."<br />
Waitematā councillor Mike Lee<br />
said the census was a bad look<br />
for Auckland Council, which had<br />
been desperate to grow the CBD.<br />
"[It's] contrary to what the<br />
council's stated strategic policy<br />
is: to bring people into the innercity,"<br />
he said.
4<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Covid cases, rules,<br />
and free stuff: What<br />
you need to know<br />
KATIE KENNY/RNZ<br />
Heading into winter,<br />
Covid-19 is making<br />
headlines thanks to new<br />
variants and an increase in case<br />
numbers.<br />
Virus levels in wastewater were<br />
the highest they've been since<br />
December, 2022, according to<br />
national surveillance data for the<br />
week ending 19 May. And close<br />
to 40 people a day were being<br />
admitted to hospital with the<br />
disease.<br />
Earlier this month, we looked<br />
at the rise of a subset of variants<br />
referred to as "FLiRT". Descended<br />
from JN.1, these new lineages<br />
accounted for just over 40 percent<br />
of all Covid viruses sequenced<br />
from waterwater, according to the<br />
latest Environmental Science and<br />
Research (ESR) data.<br />
Ahead of Budget 2024, let's<br />
recap what we know about Covid<br />
restrictions, vaccines, tests, and<br />
more.<br />
Mandates, restrictions, and<br />
free stuff<br />
Government vaccine mandates<br />
are long gone. They were<br />
scrapped in September, 2022.<br />
The remaining Covid mandates<br />
were dropped last year, meaning it<br />
is no longer a legal requirement to<br />
self-isolate after a positive test.<br />
Free rapid antigen tests<br />
(RATs) for at-home testing will<br />
be available from participating<br />
pharmacies and RAT collection<br />
sites until 30 June, Health New<br />
Zealand Te Whatu Ora announced<br />
in January. RNZ has heard from<br />
people around the country who<br />
said they were already struggling<br />
to find tests. RNZ called several<br />
pharmacies: Some had stock<br />
while others had run out.<br />
Polymerase chain reaction<br />
(PCR) tests are used in some<br />
situations by health professionals.<br />
Results are generally more<br />
accurate than for RATs but take<br />
two to five days. There has been<br />
no indication those will not<br />
continue, because they are an<br />
important part of infection control<br />
in healthcare settings.<br />
At this point, some are asking:<br />
Do the tests still work? Yes,<br />
experts have told RNZ. PCR tests<br />
and RATs work in different ways<br />
and the former are more sensitive.<br />
But overall, the new subvariants<br />
seem to be detected as well as<br />
their predecessors with current<br />
diagnostics.<br />
Medical masks were free for<br />
everyone until the end of February<br />
this year. Special P2/N95 masks<br />
remain free for people at higher<br />
risk of getting very sick until 30<br />
June, 2024. (You can get them<br />
when you pick up RATs).<br />
Covid antiviral medicines, that<br />
can help reduce the amount of<br />
virus in your body so you don't get<br />
as sick, are also freely available<br />
to people with a range of risk<br />
factors relating to age, ethnicity,<br />
vaccination status, and underlying<br />
health conditions.<br />
Covid vaccination is available<br />
and free for everyone aged 5 and<br />
over, while additional doses or<br />
boosters are available and free<br />
for people over the age of 30.<br />
(Some younger people can have<br />
additional doses, but eligibility<br />
criteria apply).<br />
What can we expect from Budget<br />
2024?<br />
Hopefully, some answers. Right<br />
now, the country's long-term<br />
Covid strategy is unclear.<br />
It is unclear whether the supply<br />
of free RATs and masks will be<br />
extended beyond the mid-year<br />
deadline. And whether vaccines<br />
will remain free for everyone.<br />
Initially, Covid vaccines and<br />
treatments were paid for from<br />
a separate fund provided by<br />
the government. But from 1<br />
July, 2023, the budget for them<br />
was added to the combined<br />
pharmaceutical budget; a pot of<br />
about $1.5 billion.<br />
Now, Covid vaccines and<br />
treatments need to be prioritised<br />
against all the other medicines,<br />
medical devices, vaccines, and<br />
related products funded for New<br />
Zealanders.<br />
While the Covid vaccines do<br />
not necessarily stop someone<br />
becoming infected, they remain<br />
good protection against severe<br />
illness and death from the<br />
disease.<br />
The Public Health<br />
Communication Centre Aotearoa<br />
has also called for government<br />
action in response to the threat<br />
of long Covid, when the effects<br />
of the virus last longer than 12<br />
weeks.<br />
When asked for insight, a<br />
spokesperson from Health<br />
Minister Shane Reti's office<br />
only said: "The government's<br />
investment in health will be part<br />
of Budget 2024, announced on<br />
Thursday."<br />
Self-isolation rules<br />
Te Whatu Ora still recommends<br />
taking a test if you have Covid<br />
symptoms. And if you test<br />
positive, it is recommended you<br />
isolate for five days and update<br />
My Health Record so you can<br />
easily access help and support if<br />
needed.<br />
What if someone in your<br />
household tests positive? If you<br />
have spent at least eight hours<br />
with them in the same home,<br />
while the person was infectious,<br />
you are recommended to stay at<br />
home and do a RAT. Even if you<br />
test negative, if symptoms persist,<br />
stay at home and test again<br />
after 24 and 48 hours. Isolate if<br />
necessary.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
NEW ZEALAND 5<br />
Asian communities lead NZ's<br />
population growth<br />
RNZ<br />
New Zealand's burgeoning Asian<br />
population is making up a hefty<br />
chunk of the country's overall<br />
population growth, according to the 2023<br />
Census results released by Stats NZ on<br />
Wednesday.<br />
The latest data shows that an additional<br />
153,978 people now identify themselves<br />
as Asian compared to the 2018 Census,<br />
more than half of the roughly 295,000 extra<br />
people added to New Zealand's population<br />
over the same period.<br />
New Zealand's Asian population now<br />
totals 861,576 people, or 17.3 percent of<br />
the country's population.<br />
The Census shows that New Zealand is<br />
more diverse than ever.<br />
Those who identify as European or<br />
Pākehā comprise 67.8 percent, Māori 17.8<br />
percent, Asian 17.3 percent, Pasifika 8.9<br />
percent and those from other backgrounds,<br />
including Middle Eastern, Latin American<br />
and African, make up 3 percent.<br />
Although those who identify as European<br />
remain the largest ethnic group in the<br />
country, all other ethnicities increased their<br />
share of the total population.<br />
Those who identify as Asian make up<br />
the largest increase among non-European<br />
ethnicities.<br />
The Asian ethnic group's population in<br />
2018 was 707,598, which represented an<br />
increase of 235,890 over the 2013 Census'<br />
tally of 471,708.<br />
Latest statistics show that the<br />
percentage growth has fallen from the 50<br />
percent figure recorded between 2013 and<br />
2018 to just 21.8 percent over the most<br />
recent five years.<br />
The Auckland region has cemented its<br />
position as the preferred destination for<br />
Asian New Zealanders.<br />
A total of 307,230 people who identify as<br />
Asians lived in New Zealand's largest city in<br />
2013, a number that increased to 442,674 in<br />
2018 and now stands at 518,178.<br />
In the Wellington region, 79,314 people<br />
Qatar Airways named best<br />
airline 2024, surpassing Air NZ<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
Qatar Airways has been awarded the<br />
title of the world's best airline for 2024<br />
by AirlineRatings.com, surpassing<br />
last year's top airline, Air New Zealand. The<br />
latter dropped to fourth place this year, with<br />
Korean Air and Cathay Pacific securing<br />
second and third places, respectively.<br />
Despite this ranking change, Air New<br />
Zealand was still honoured for having the<br />
best economy class in the world.<br />
"Qatar Airways led in numerous key areas<br />
in our analysis, though the competition was<br />
very close among the top 10," said Geoffrey<br />
Thomas, editor-in-chief of AirlineRatings.<br />
com. "Passenger reviews particularly<br />
favoured Qatar Airways, highlighting its<br />
consistent and high standard of service."<br />
AirlineRatings.com, an Australiabased<br />
aviation safety and product rating<br />
agency, bases its annual Airline Excellence<br />
Awards on a comprehensive evaluation<br />
by five editors. The assessment combines<br />
major safety and government audits with 12<br />
key criteria, including fleet age, passenger<br />
reviews, profitability, safety rating, product<br />
rating, innovation, and future fleet orders.<br />
Air New Zealand has traditionally fared<br />
better in AirlineRatings.com's awards<br />
compared to those of Skytrax, where it<br />
ranked 19th last year. Skytrax's 2024 awards<br />
will be announced in late June.<br />
Other notable winners of the AirlineRatings.<br />
com 2024 Airline Excellence Awards include:<br />
• Qatar Airways: Best Business Class and<br />
Best Catering<br />
• Emirates: Best Premium Economy and<br />
Best In-Flight Entertainment<br />
• Air New Zealand: Best Long-Haul Airline<br />
(Australia/Pacific Region)<br />
• Singapore Airlines: Best First Class<br />
• Virgin Australia: Best Cabin Crew<br />
• Qantas: Best Lounges<br />
Etihad Airways: Best Environmental Airline<br />
Name Change<br />
Mandeep Kaur w/o of Ashwani Singh and<br />
Mother of Levindeep Singh, residing at<br />
1/14 Paton Avenue, Papatoetoe, changed<br />
the name of my minor son from Levindeep<br />
Singh to Levindeep Singh Sidhu.Henceforth,<br />
he will be known as Levindeep Singh Sidhu<br />
for all purposes.<br />
identify as Asian, while 86,430 identify as<br />
Asian in the Canterbury region - the second<br />
highest in New Zealand.<br />
Waikato, with Hamilton as its biggest city,<br />
completes the top four regions that boast<br />
the largest Asian populations in the country.<br />
According to the latest Census data,<br />
60,792 Asian New Zealanders call Waikato<br />
their home.<br />
In Auckland, the Howick local board<br />
topped the list of people in the area who<br />
identify as Asian, with 80,565 living there.<br />
Next on the list is the Henderson-Massey<br />
12 – 23 JUNE Q THEATRE<br />
BOOK indianink.co.nz<br />
local board with 39,546 persons of Asian<br />
descent, closely followed by the Upper<br />
Harbour local board with 34,983.<br />
In terms of age group bifurcation, 98,967<br />
people of Asian descent fall with the 30- to<br />
34-year-old age group, closely followed<br />
by 95,664 in the 35- to 39-year-old age<br />
bracket.<br />
Other ethnicities<br />
Among other ethnicities, the country's<br />
present population include 887,493 people<br />
who identify as Māori, 442,632 people who<br />
identify as Pacific and 92,760 people who<br />
identify as Middle Eastern, Latin American<br />
or African.<br />
Overall, the resident population of New<br />
Zealand grew by 294,168 people between<br />
the 2018 and 2023 to a total of 4,993,923<br />
people.<br />
However, population growth slowed to 6.3<br />
percent between 2018 and 2023, down from<br />
a growth rate of 10.8 percent - or 457,707<br />
people - between 2013 and 2018.<br />
"The first release of data is a welcome<br />
milestone in the delivery of the 2023<br />
Census," said Mark Sowden, government<br />
statistician and chief executive of Stats NZ.<br />
"The data we have released will enable<br />
local authorities, iwi and hapū, community<br />
organisations and the people of Aotearoa<br />
New Zealand to incorporate Census data<br />
into their decision-making about the<br />
infrastructure and services needed by<br />
communities across the country."
6<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
RUSSELL PALMER/RNZ<br />
With visa fees expected<br />
to rise, Immigration<br />
Minister Erica Stanford<br />
is refusing to explain where the<br />
government will find $100 million<br />
a year in Immigration system<br />
savings.<br />
The minister has confirmed she<br />
has completed consultation with<br />
specific interest groups and plans<br />
to take a paper to Cabinet on visa<br />
fee increases soon.<br />
But National promised to<br />
recoup at least $119m a year from<br />
Immigration ahead of the election<br />
and - with the minister's office<br />
saying under $20m a year in<br />
Crown funding is currently spent<br />
on processing - questions remain<br />
over where the remaining money<br />
would come from.<br />
The party's tax policy unveiled<br />
in August proposed to make visa<br />
processing "largely user pays<br />
and no more than 90 percent of<br />
Australia's equivalent cost".<br />
Their fiscal plan in September<br />
expected this to be able to save<br />
$492m over the four years from<br />
2024/25, with annual savings of<br />
$119m increasing to $127m by<br />
2027/28.<br />
Post-election, in December's<br />
mini-Budget, Finance Minister<br />
Nicola Willis signalled "further<br />
work underway to put New<br />
Zealand on a firmer financial<br />
footing" including "enabling full<br />
cost-recovery for immigration<br />
visa processing".<br />
Immigration Minister Erica<br />
Stanford's office was asked<br />
to provide the total spent on<br />
subsidising visa costs, and<br />
confirmed the Crown spent just<br />
$19.549m subsidising visas<br />
annually.<br />
These included Skilled Migrant<br />
Category, RSE scheme, Pacific<br />
Access Category and Samoan<br />
Quota, and visitor visas.<br />
"The Crown funding was<br />
provided in the 2022 fee and<br />
levy review so visas remain<br />
competitively priced with<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
comparable countries (Australia),<br />
to support economic recovery<br />
from COVID-19, and to recognise<br />
the government's commitment<br />
to support Pacific resilience and<br />
economic development," the<br />
minister's office said.<br />
RNZ asked if the government<br />
remained committed to the<br />
savings set out in the fiscal plan,<br />
and the policy of keeping New<br />
Zealand's visa fees at or below<br />
90 percent of Australia's.<br />
A report by Newsroom in<br />
August estimated bringing fees<br />
to 90 percent of Australia's would<br />
see partner visa fees increase<br />
from under $3000 to more than<br />
$8500.<br />
Other fee increases were less<br />
dramatic, with post-study work<br />
visas increasing from $700 to<br />
$1856, fee-paying students' visa<br />
costs rising from $375 to $660,<br />
while skilled migrant and working<br />
holiday visas would remain the<br />
same.<br />
Stanford refused to be<br />
interviewed on the matter, but<br />
in a written response revealed<br />
a shift towards prioritising cost<br />
recovery over and above the 90<br />
percent benchmark.<br />
"Where feasible, the objective is<br />
that visa charges remain within<br />
90 percent of Australia's charges<br />
while ensuring that costs are fully<br />
recovered," she said.<br />
She did not say whether the<br />
government remained committed<br />
to the savings outlined in<br />
National's fiscal plan.<br />
Meanwhile, an Official<br />
Information Act Response to<br />
RNZ shows Cabinet was also<br />
expected to make decisions about<br />
a proposed "Immigration (Fiscal<br />
Sustainability) Bill" by 11 March.<br />
Some further information about<br />
the proposed bill was redacted<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Questions over visa fee increases<br />
as minister eyes savings<br />
under an Official Information Act<br />
clause providing protection for<br />
advice related to ministerial or<br />
Cabinet decision-making until<br />
those decisions had been made.<br />
This would be followed by the<br />
Ministry of Business, Innovation<br />
and Employment providing<br />
options for the scope and<br />
timeframes of the bill.<br />
Stanford's response to RNZ<br />
this week confirmed targeted<br />
consultation had been completed<br />
on changes to visa fee and levy<br />
rates.<br />
"The government is committed<br />
to improving the immigration<br />
funding system to ensure it is<br />
more efficient, self-funding, and<br />
sustainable," she said.<br />
"This work supports the<br />
government's priority to deliver<br />
effective and fiscally sustainable<br />
public services. My officials have<br />
consulted with key immigration<br />
system stakeholders on proposed<br />
fee and levy rates that will help us<br />
achieve this.<br />
"The feedback from these<br />
stakeholders will be considered<br />
as we make decisions on what a<br />
sustainable immigration funding<br />
model will look like. I will have<br />
more to say on this soon."<br />
The minister is expecting to<br />
take a paper to Cabinet in the<br />
coming weeks.<br />
Other National Party policies<br />
announced ahead of the election<br />
included a plan to offer fasttracking<br />
for visa processing for<br />
a fee, including for incoming<br />
international students.<br />
Announcing that policy in<br />
September, then-opposition<br />
leader Christopher Luxon - now<br />
the prime minister - said the<br />
international student market<br />
should be a strong part of helping<br />
New Zealand "rediscover growth".<br />
One in six post-cyclone recovery visa workers overstaying in NZ<br />
GILL BONNETT/RNZ<br />
Immigration figures show<br />
one in six workers who came<br />
into the country on the post-<br />
Cyclone Recovery Visa are now<br />
overstaying.<br />
Only 72 people who got a sixmonth<br />
recovery visa after the<br />
extreme weather events have<br />
returned home.<br />
More than 1200 people arrived<br />
to work in jobs connected to the<br />
recovery effort since last year's<br />
Cyclone Gabrielle and Auckland<br />
floods, on a fees-free visa.<br />
By last month, half were on<br />
a different visa and 177 were<br />
unlawfully in the country.<br />
The government had wanted<br />
to quickly attract the likes of<br />
engineers, insurance assessors<br />
and heavy machine operators,<br />
but many were less qualified, with<br />
labourers and cleaners topping<br />
the jobs that were filled.<br />
Immigration New Zealand (INZ)<br />
told its minister, Erica Stanford,<br />
in a recent briefing there was<br />
a high rate of "non-genuine,<br />
fraudulent" applications, with 40<br />
percent of them rejected.<br />
"The Crown funding was provided in the 2022 fee<br />
and levy review so visas remain competitively<br />
priced with comparable countries (Australia),<br />
to support economic recovery from COVID-19,<br />
and to recognise the government's commitment<br />
to support Pacific resilience and economic<br />
development." Stanford's office<br />
Although it was a similar fraud<br />
to the ones involving accredited<br />
employer work visas, it was<br />
different - employers did not<br />
have to be accredited, and the<br />
$700-$750 visa fee was waived<br />
if an application was successful,<br />
paid for by the government.<br />
Immigration advisers warned of<br />
adverts in some countries that<br />
marketed it as a free, open work<br />
visa.<br />
YouTube videos abounded,<br />
pointing out no English language<br />
tests were required and<br />
suggesting applicants could get<br />
permanent residence after two<br />
years. Allegations emerged of<br />
agents charging $30,000 for a job<br />
and visa package.<br />
Although the visa was closed<br />
to new applicants in September,<br />
existing recovery workers were<br />
able to get a three-month<br />
extension, with applications for<br />
that closing next month.<br />
Government-funded visas<br />
Government papers from last<br />
September, when the decision to<br />
close the visa category was taken,<br />
showed uptake for the recovery<br />
visa exceeded expectations, and<br />
"agreed funding for refunds has<br />
been exhausted".<br />
The Crown had set aside<br />
funding for 1000 successful<br />
applicants - but 1600 were<br />
eventually approved, including<br />
those who got visa renewals and<br />
255 people who did not end up<br />
coming to New Zealand at all -<br />
and more money had to be found.<br />
"Uptake for the visa has<br />
focussed on lower skilled roles<br />
and there is evidence of fraud and<br />
exploitation across the category,"<br />
said one report.<br />
"Throughout April [2023],<br />
there was growing evidence that<br />
the Recovery Visa was being<br />
deliberately used by organised<br />
operations to target vulnerable<br />
potential migrants not normally<br />
able to obtain a work visa. People<br />
have been paying and turning<br />
up for non-existent jobs, and<br />
INZ is currently declining over<br />
80 percent of new applications<br />
received. These migrants are also<br />
unlikely to meet requirements to<br />
stay in New Zealand longer-term,<br />
including as part of the rebuild<br />
workforce."<br />
A briefing to Stanford last<br />
month lays out the figures of what<br />
has happened to the 1236 people<br />
who did arrive on recovery visas,<br />
including half (615) who now have<br />
a different visa, 336 on an interim<br />
visa (waiting for a visa decision)<br />
and the 177 overstayers.<br />
"MBIE's<br />
immigration<br />
compliance team will continue<br />
to contact unlawful individuals<br />
where possible," INZ chief<br />
operating officer Stephen<br />
Vaughan said.<br />
"In many cases inaccurate<br />
or incomplete information was<br />
provided during the Recovery<br />
Visa application process, which<br />
makes it difficult for immigration<br />
compliance to make contact.<br />
Further work to identify contact<br />
details for New Zealand-based<br />
applicants and third parties is<br />
underway."<br />
INZ's latest overstayer<br />
estimate, from 2017, indicated<br />
14,000 migrants remained in<br />
New Zealand without a valid visa,<br />
with 60 percent previously on a<br />
visitor visa. Citizens of Tonga,<br />
Samoa, China and India were the<br />
most common nationalities of<br />
overstayers.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
NEW ZEALAND 7<br />
Indian restaurant owners<br />
fined $99K for exploiting<br />
immigrant workers<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
Three immigrant workers at<br />
Chilli India restaurant, who<br />
were paid less than $8 per<br />
hour and not compensated for all<br />
their working hours, faced threats<br />
of deportation unless they paid<br />
$30,000 to their employers, New<br />
Zealand Herald reported.<br />
This extortion came to light<br />
when one employee reported the<br />
issue to the Ministry of Business,<br />
Innovation and Employment<br />
(MBIE), leading to an investigation<br />
that uncovered corruption<br />
and exploitation at the Indian<br />
restaurant in Hamilton.<br />
The Employment Relations<br />
Authority has now ruled in favour<br />
of the employees.<br />
JDfoods, trading as Chilli India<br />
in Dinsdale and owned by Jayant<br />
and Deepti Kaushal, has since<br />
closed.<br />
According to a recent decision,<br />
the MBIE inspector's claim,<br />
backed by extensive evidence,<br />
revealed that JDfoods coerced<br />
employees into making payments<br />
under the threat of losing their<br />
jobs and their right to remain in<br />
New Zealand.<br />
The investigation found that<br />
some employees were paid as<br />
little as $7.68 per hour, were not<br />
compensated for all hours worked,<br />
and were never paid for public<br />
holidays.<br />
One scheme involved employee<br />
Diksha Diksha, who was promised<br />
support for her residence<br />
application in exchange for a<br />
$30,000 payment.<br />
The Kaushals attempted to<br />
obscure these payments by<br />
transferring money to their<br />
parents in India and then to<br />
an associate, Amit Seth, who<br />
transferred it back to them.<br />
The Kaushals defended<br />
themselves by alleging a<br />
conspiracy against them,<br />
spending nine days crossexamining<br />
the inspector’s<br />
witnesses.<br />
However, their defence was<br />
undermined when Deepti Kaushal<br />
admitted to fabricating evidence<br />
and coercing other witnesses to<br />
lie. The presiding officer, Loftus,<br />
described the Kaushals' testimony<br />
Official ruled<br />
against JDfoods,<br />
finding them guilty<br />
of employment law<br />
breaches, including<br />
failing to pay<br />
minimum wages,<br />
holiday pay and<br />
annual leave.<br />
as "bald assertions" and noted<br />
their witnesses were "doing<br />
nothing but lying."<br />
Loftus ruled against JDfoods,<br />
finding them guilty of several<br />
employment law breaches,<br />
including failing to pay minimum<br />
wages, holiday pay, and annual<br />
leave. The penalties included:<br />
• JDfoods must pay $18,496.38<br />
for unpaid minimum wages,<br />
public holidays, and annual<br />
holiday pay.<br />
• JDfoods must pay $42,323.04<br />
for premiums received from<br />
employees.<br />
• JDfoods must pay $7,387.71 in<br />
interest on the owed amounts.<br />
• JDfoods must pay $21,000 in<br />
penalties and breaches to the<br />
inspector.<br />
• Jayant and Deepti Kaushal<br />
must pay a combined $10,500<br />
in penalties and breaches to<br />
the inspector.<br />
The ruling marks a significant<br />
victory for the exploited workers<br />
and highlights the ongoing issue<br />
of workplace exploitation among<br />
immigrant employees in New<br />
Zealand.<br />
Man dragged by car<br />
after woman cons him<br />
on FB marketplace<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
A<br />
man sustained injuries<br />
after being dragged 30<br />
metres by a vehicle during<br />
a scuffle with a woman attempting<br />
to steal his iPhone in a Facebook<br />
Marketplace scam.<br />
It emerged that Hamilton<br />
woman, Lian Hunia, had no<br />
intention of paying the agreed<br />
$1000 for the iPhone 13, The New<br />
Zealand Herald reported.<br />
Hunia appeared in the Hamilton<br />
District Court today, where<br />
she confessed to a charge of<br />
aggravated robbery and unrelated<br />
driving offences.<br />
The 20-year-old discovered the<br />
phone on Marketplace and began<br />
messaging the victim using her<br />
grandmother’s Facebook account<br />
on December 5 of last year.<br />
They agreed to meet at St Paul’s<br />
Collegiate School, where Hunia<br />
indicated she would be in a red<br />
Nissan.The victim arrived at the<br />
school at 5:30 pm and approached<br />
the passenger side of the vehicle,<br />
where Hunia was seated, while<br />
her female accomplice was in the<br />
driver’s seat. After asking to see<br />
the phone, the victim handed it<br />
over to Hunia and her accomplice,<br />
who both examined it.<br />
When the victim attempted<br />
to retrieve the phone, Hunia’s<br />
accomplice put the vehicle in drive<br />
and started moving forward. The<br />
victim tried to hold onto the phone<br />
and was dragged along the road as<br />
the vehicle sped away.<br />
As the car moved, Hunia tried to<br />
push the victim while pulling the<br />
phone from his grip and instructing<br />
her accomplice to drive.<br />
The victim was dragged for<br />
about 30 metres before falling<br />
from the vehicle and hitting the<br />
ground.<br />
He suffered severe scrapes<br />
and abrasions to the right side<br />
of his body from being dragged.<br />
Additionally, he fractured his right<br />
clavicle (collarbone) and struck the<br />
back of his head, causing swelling<br />
and bleeding.<br />
In a police interview, Hunia<br />
claimed she intended to pay for<br />
the phone using cash savings and<br />
money from selling an iPad. She<br />
alleged that the victim “grabbed<br />
her aggressively, and she did not<br />
like that,” prompting her to tell her<br />
friend to drive. She still had the<br />
phone when arrested.<br />
On March 1 of this year, at 6:15<br />
pm, Hunia was in the driver's seat<br />
of the same red Nissan on Ann St,<br />
Hamilton.<br />
Police were called to a family<br />
harm incident, and as they<br />
approached her vehicle, she<br />
started it and began revving the<br />
engine. After being informed she<br />
was under arrest, officers pepper<br />
sprayed her through an open<br />
window, and she sped off along a<br />
grass verge.<br />
About 10 minutes later, officers<br />
spotted her on Sandwich Rd, and<br />
after a 500-metre pursuit, police<br />
abandoned the chase.v<br />
Today, Hunia admitted to charges<br />
of aggravated robbery, failing to<br />
stop, escaping police custody, and<br />
driving while disqualified.<br />
Judge Tini Clark convicted her<br />
and remanded her on further bail<br />
for sentencing in September.<br />
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8<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
NEW ZEALAND<br />
FELIX WALTON/RNZ<br />
Criminals in Auckland's<br />
city centre are harassing<br />
staff, stealing and scaring<br />
customers away, business<br />
owners say.<br />
One restaurateur is making his<br />
staff walk to their cars in groups<br />
over safety concerns, while<br />
another is calling for more police<br />
patrols.<br />
Michael Dearth owns two<br />
restaurants in Auckland's city<br />
centre: The Grove in St Patrick's<br />
Square and Baduzzi in Wynyard<br />
Quarter.<br />
He said both had seen a spike in<br />
crime in recent months.<br />
"We have had some of our staff,<br />
as they walk to their car, their<br />
purse was taken from them and<br />
the person just ran off," he said.<br />
"I've had people try to break in,<br />
smash the doors and do a lot of<br />
damage ... grab some things and<br />
take off again."<br />
Dearth said the situation had<br />
got out of hand.<br />
"I have 65 to 70 staff. I'm<br />
concerned at many levels. I'm<br />
concerned about my employees,<br />
my customers coming into the<br />
city, and as a father, I'm concerned<br />
about my kids," he said.<br />
"I don't know what the answer<br />
is but I do know that it's getting<br />
worse."<br />
He said staff walked in groups<br />
A<br />
coroner has called for the<br />
nation's ambulance service<br />
to lobby the government<br />
for increased funding after a man<br />
helplessly watched his wife die<br />
despite making five emergency<br />
calls to 111. His son also called,<br />
reporting that his mother was not<br />
breathing.<br />
St John Ambulance Service<br />
has been advised to review<br />
its emergency call-handling<br />
processes, particularly to improve<br />
communication with callers who<br />
do not speak English as their first<br />
language.<br />
New call-to-action<br />
These recommendations<br />
are part of a coroner’s findings<br />
released late last year, following<br />
an inquiry into the July 2021 death<br />
of Solofua Sharon Tapuvae in<br />
Auckland.<br />
Tapuvae, aged 54, died at home<br />
from an acute heart condition.<br />
Despite her husband’s repeated<br />
calls for an ambulance, he was<br />
informed that no ambulances<br />
were available. The call was only<br />
escalated to a priority response<br />
when their son reported that she<br />
had stopped breathing.<br />
Coroner Janet Anderson<br />
expressed deep concern over the<br />
situation. “I am very mindful of<br />
the desperate situation Makarafu<br />
[the husband] found himself in,<br />
to avoid being targeted.<br />
"If we have one of our female<br />
managers and they're closing up<br />
we make sure they go to their car<br />
in groups," he said.<br />
"We're really conscious when<br />
we're closing up the restaurant,<br />
we have our security protocols<br />
that we follow. For our city to grow<br />
we need to do something about<br />
this crime."<br />
On Fort Street, Ima Cuisine<br />
owner Yael Shochat worried that<br />
her once-bustling restaurant<br />
would not survive. "I'm concerned<br />
about our survival and crime and<br />
safety is just one of the reasons<br />
our businesses are dying," she<br />
said.<br />
"Parking, the cones... it's all just<br />
piling up."<br />
Shochat said there was<br />
little reason for people to visit<br />
Auckland's CBD.<br />
"People never liked coming into<br />
the city even when times were<br />
calling repeatedly for emergency<br />
assistance while his wife was<br />
dying, and being told that there<br />
was no ambulance available,” she<br />
stated in her findings.<br />
She noted the severe and<br />
distressing impacts of insufficient<br />
ambulance resources. In a<br />
separate incident in April this year,<br />
an elderly woman in Rangiora<br />
died after a 70-minute wait for an<br />
ambulance, despite her husband’s<br />
calls for help.<br />
Deputy Health and Disability<br />
Commissioner Dr. Vanessa<br />
Caldwell recently criticised<br />
an ambulance call-handler<br />
for incorrectly classifying and<br />
recording triage information in<br />
2020, leading to the death of a<br />
teenage girl suffering an asthma<br />
attack due to a 28-minute delay in<br />
ambulance arrival.<br />
In response to these tragic<br />
good," she said.<br />
"Now times are bad. The parking<br />
is expensive, the city isn't safe,<br />
there's cones everywhere, there's<br />
less happening in the city and<br />
people aren't working in the city<br />
as much."For the year ending<br />
June, business association Heart<br />
of the City spent $1.3 million on<br />
security patrols throughout the<br />
CBD.<br />
Heart of the City chief executive<br />
Viv Beck said it deterred criminals<br />
and gave business owners peace<br />
of mind.<br />
"Having people walking<br />
around, patrolling, engaging with<br />
businesses ... that does make a<br />
difference," she said.<br />
"They escalate to police<br />
when necessary and they work<br />
alongside others like the council's<br />
CityWatch service which we partfund."<br />
Police v security guards<br />
But Shochat said the patrols<br />
events, both the government<br />
and St John Ambulance Service<br />
have acknowledged the need for<br />
improvements. Steps have been<br />
taken, including increased funding<br />
to address resource and workload<br />
issues.<br />
New Zealand’s ambulance<br />
service is funded by Te Whatu<br />
Ora - Health New Zealand and<br />
ACC, covering approximately<br />
82 percent of its $380 million<br />
annual cost. The remaining funds<br />
come from donations and a $98<br />
charge for patients transported by<br />
ambulance.<br />
At the time of Tapuvae’s death,<br />
the ambulance service was<br />
under extreme pressure, with<br />
all available units committed to<br />
other patients. Tapuvae suffered<br />
a hemopericardium caused by<br />
a tear in her aorta, with obesity<br />
being a contributing factor.<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
Auckland city crime 'getting<br />
worse', businesses fear for survival<br />
were a double-edged sword.<br />
"I had a guy sitting in my<br />
restaurant disturbing the<br />
customers ... he was vaping and<br />
he was off his face and wouldn't<br />
leave," she said.<br />
"The guards were there, and<br />
normally the police would come<br />
but because they knew the guards<br />
were there they didn't come.<br />
Police are busy and they think 'Oh<br />
it's okay, the guards are there,' but<br />
the guards couldn't get rid of him<br />
because they're not police."<br />
Dearth hoped Budget 2024<br />
would include funding for more<br />
police officers in the CBD.<br />
"I'd like to see more of a<br />
presence of police officers [in]<br />
these spots that we know are<br />
trouble, as a deterrent," he said.<br />
Beck agreed.<br />
"We definitely want to see a<br />
commitment to more police, and<br />
we'd like to see a commitment for<br />
a downtown police station," she<br />
said.<br />
"There needs to be a specialist<br />
approach to mental health and<br />
addiction. [The government has]<br />
already indicated that they're keen<br />
to see that, but we would certainly<br />
like to see what is going to happen<br />
and when."<br />
She said businesses in central<br />
Auckland would be watching<br />
closely when the government<br />
unveiled its budget on Thursday,<br />
30 May.<br />
Husband helpless as wife dies<br />
despite six ambulance calls<br />
On July 29, 2021, Tapuvae<br />
collapsed at home just after 6 pm.<br />
Her husband, who had just arrived<br />
home and was outside with their<br />
puppy, rushed inside upon hearing<br />
her call out. Finding her on the<br />
lounge floor rubbing her chest, he<br />
immediately called 111.<br />
Despite describing her<br />
symptoms as a “sore stomach”<br />
and noting she had almost fainted,<br />
the first call-taker advised it might<br />
take “up to several hours” for an<br />
ambulance to arrive. Her husband<br />
was asked if he could take her to<br />
the hospital himself, but he was<br />
unable to lift her.<br />
After multiple calls, the situation<br />
escalated when their son reported<br />
she had stopped breathing. CPR<br />
instructions were given, and<br />
a paramedic ambulance was<br />
dispatched, but Tapuvae could not<br />
be revived upon arrival.<br />
Dr. Gary Clearwater, Chief<br />
Medical Advisor to the Coronial<br />
Service, stated that Tapuvae’s<br />
condition required prompt surgery,<br />
and her chances of survival<br />
were slim even under optimal<br />
circumstances. He also noted<br />
that language barriers might have<br />
impacted the communication<br />
during emergency calls.<br />
The coroner expressed concern<br />
over the lack of ambulance<br />
availability and highlighted the<br />
need for St John to reflect on<br />
their service aspects related to<br />
Tapuvae’s care.<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Car owners<br />
cancel<br />
insurance<br />
as cost of<br />
living bites<br />
SUSAN EDMUNDS/RNZ<br />
Whangārei woman<br />
Courtney Kitto is<br />
feeling the pain of<br />
rising costs.<br />
As well as having to spend an<br />
extra $100 a week on groceries,<br />
increases in the cost of things<br />
like insurance are hitting hard.<br />
"I've had to cancel my car<br />
insurance. Fuel is a huge impact,<br />
being rural, too."<br />
She said being left without<br />
insurance was a concern.<br />
"It will definitely be something<br />
I'll reinstate when we can afford<br />
to but unfortunately something<br />
has to give with the winter<br />
months here and the power bill<br />
increasing."<br />
Another woman, Sammy,<br />
said she had let some of her<br />
insurance cover lapse, too.<br />
"Our caravan went up $45 a<br />
fortnight… insurance is getting<br />
stupid. But the only alternative is<br />
no insurance. They don't make it<br />
cheaper if you do ask."<br />
Justin Lim, chief executive of<br />
comparison site Quashed, said<br />
the rate of increase in insurance<br />
premiums was accelerating.<br />
Premiums for insurance<br />
policies quoted on the site<br />
were up 40 percent for both<br />
comprehensive and third-party<br />
car insurance and up 25 percent<br />
for house and contents, yearon-year,<br />
he said.<br />
The average annual cost of<br />
a comprehensive policy for a<br />
$20,000 vehicle was $1309 this<br />
year. For third-party fire and<br />
theft cover, it was $500.<br />
Consumer data found an<br />
increase of 38 percent in car<br />
insurance premiums between<br />
2021 and October 2023.<br />
Insurance Council data shows<br />
there was $3.1 billion paid in<br />
premiums for motor insurance<br />
in 2023, up from $2.7b the year<br />
before and $2.25b in 2019.<br />
Lim said insurers' costs<br />
were probably going up, driving<br />
premiums. But shopping around<br />
could save money, he said.<br />
"Between $300 and $600<br />
[a year] is the average price<br />
difference we're finding between<br />
insurers for the same car."<br />
A spokesperson for the<br />
Insurance Council said there<br />
were a number of factors having<br />
an impact.<br />
"These include later model<br />
cars that have more technology<br />
in them which make them more<br />
costly to fix, higher claims due<br />
to vehicles damaged or lost to<br />
last year's flooding and cyclone<br />
events, the cost of inflation on<br />
repairs and the state of New<br />
Zealand's roads and its impact<br />
on cars. These are all flowing<br />
through into premiums.<br />
"People should take the<br />
opportunity to contact their<br />
insurer to see what options are<br />
available such as looking at their<br />
excess or other policy settings,<br />
while also shopping around."
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
NEW ZEALAND 9<br />
Hundreds experienced international<br />
nurses jobless amid shortage<br />
BLESSEN TOM/RNZ<br />
Hundreds of experienced<br />
international nurses from<br />
India who are registered<br />
to work in New Zealand are<br />
reportedly struggling to find jobs<br />
amid a nursing shortage.<br />
The nurses, mostly from<br />
southern India, are recent<br />
graduates of the Competence<br />
Assessment Programme<br />
(CAP), a mandatory course the<br />
Nursing Council formerly asked<br />
internationally qualified nurses to<br />
complete before working in New<br />
Zealand.<br />
In December, the Nursing<br />
Council announced that migrants<br />
from countries other than the<br />
US, UK, Ireland, Singapore,<br />
and the Canadian provinces of<br />
British Columbia and Ontario<br />
would need to pass an Objective<br />
Structured Clinical Examination<br />
(OSCE) before working in the<br />
country's healthcare sector.<br />
The new assessment,<br />
consisting of both theoretical and<br />
clinical components, replaced the<br />
CAP pathway.<br />
However, internationally<br />
qualified nurses who had signed<br />
up for a six- to eight-week CAP<br />
course at Nursing Councilaccredited<br />
providers before 4<br />
December were still allowed to be<br />
registered via the CAP pathway -<br />
even if the course was undertaken<br />
during this calendar year.<br />
As a result, hundreds of these<br />
registered nurses now find<br />
themselves in a bind after failing<br />
to secure employment despite<br />
graduating from the CAP course.<br />
At the same time, Te Whatu Ora<br />
data obtained by the New Zealand<br />
Nurses Organisation (NZNO)<br />
revealed that more than a quarter<br />
of nursing shifts in hospitals fell<br />
short of staffing targets in the<br />
year leading up to 31 December.<br />
Many of the nurses who<br />
are struggling to secure work<br />
relocated to New Zealand on a<br />
one-year visitor visa to complete<br />
the CAP requirements.<br />
"I came to New Zealand with<br />
many dreams, but the situation is<br />
really bad," said Litty Liju, a nurse<br />
with 12 years of experience in the<br />
Middle East.<br />
Liju arrived in Palmerston North<br />
on a visitor visa to begin a CAP<br />
course on 18 February.<br />
Saju Cherian is a nurse at Palmerston North<br />
Hospital. Photo: Supplied<br />
"I've applied for more than 500<br />
positions, including hospitals and<br />
aged care facilities across both<br />
the North and South islands," she<br />
said.<br />
Liju said potential employers<br />
had declined to sponsor her and,<br />
without a work visa, she was<br />
stuck in limbo.<br />
She came to New Zealand with<br />
her husband and two children<br />
aged five and 10, making life<br />
especially difficult.<br />
"I cannot send my kids to<br />
school and my husband, who is an<br />
experienced accountant, is unable<br />
to work without a proper visa," Liju<br />
said.<br />
Previously employed at the<br />
Ministry of Health in Kuwait, Liju<br />
said surviving in New Zealand<br />
without a job was terrifying.<br />
"I anticipated a short waiting<br />
period between finishing the<br />
CAP and finding a job, but I never<br />
thought it would take this long,"<br />
she said.<br />
Akhil Venugopal has<br />
encountered similar obstacles,<br />
with potential employers refusing<br />
to offer him work while he is on a<br />
visitor visa.<br />
Venugopal, who worked as a<br />
surgical nurse for nine years in<br />
the Indian city of Bengaluru, also<br />
moved to Palmerston North to<br />
participate in a CAP course.<br />
"I've applied for more than 400<br />
jobs after finishing the CAP in<br />
March," Venugopal said.<br />
He said employers were not<br />
willing to sponsor him for work<br />
while on a visitor visa.<br />
Venugopal holds a one-year<br />
visitor visa but can only stay for<br />
six months at a time after entering<br />
New Zealand.<br />
"I'm not in a position to buy<br />
a ticket home and come back<br />
again," he said.<br />
Venugopal has spent about<br />
$35,000 on CAP fees, travel<br />
costs and living expenses in New<br />
Zealand in his bid to secure work.<br />
Although employers have<br />
offered Venugopal casual or parttime<br />
contracts, he is unable to<br />
accept them due to his visitor visa<br />
status.<br />
"The biggest challenge for us is<br />
the lack of a visa, so we request<br />
the authorities to consider giving<br />
us at least a short-term job search<br />
visa," Venugopal said.<br />
Saju Cherian, a nurse at<br />
Palmerston North Hospital<br />
and a member of the nurses'<br />
organization board, said nurses<br />
did not anticipate being without<br />
work for four or five months after<br />
completing a CAP course.<br />
Cherian conducted an informal<br />
survey through social media,<br />
which revealed that over 400<br />
nurses were affected similarly in<br />
the lower North Island.<br />
"I think there will be at least<br />
1,000 nurses without jobs after<br />
their registration in New Zealand<br />
right now, if we include the whole<br />
country, and more are on the way,"<br />
he said.<br />
Cherian said it was common for<br />
Indian nurses to enter the country<br />
on visitor visas to participate in<br />
the CAP course.<br />
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NEW ZEALAND<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Elder abuse rampant among<br />
Indian, Chinese migrants in NZ<br />
IWK BUREAU<br />
A<br />
disturbing trend has<br />
emerged among some<br />
elderly migrants in<br />
New Zealand, who are being<br />
abandoned, financially exploited,<br />
and even physically assaulted by<br />
their own families.<br />
This alarming issue has<br />
been brought to light by a<br />
charity dedicated to supporting<br />
senior citizens in South Asian<br />
communities, The New Zealand<br />
Herald reported.<br />
Recent research indicates that<br />
elder abuse is rampant within<br />
Asian communities, with nearly<br />
half of older Indians and a third of<br />
Chinese seniors aged 65 and over<br />
reporting victimisation.<br />
Jeet Suchdev, chairman of<br />
Bhartiya Samaj, a charitable trust,<br />
shared heartbreaking stories of<br />
elder abuse within the Indian<br />
community, often perpetrated by<br />
family members.<br />
"Elder abuse is an epidemic that<br />
is widespread and rampant, but so<br />
hidden that the real level of abuse<br />
may never be known," Suchdev<br />
said. Bhartiya Samaj has handled<br />
"dozens of cases" over the past<br />
few years, with at least two cases<br />
each month. One such case<br />
involved an elderly couple who<br />
moved from India to help raise<br />
their grandchildren. Speaking<br />
little English and in their 80s,<br />
they trusted their daughter and<br />
son-in-law with their finances.<br />
After a hospital stay, they returned<br />
home to find their bank accounts<br />
drained.<br />
"Never in their wildest<br />
imagination did they ever think<br />
their daughter, 'their own flesh and<br />
"Never in their wildest<br />
imagination did<br />
they ever think their<br />
daughter, 'their own<br />
flesh and blood', would<br />
'rob them' of all their<br />
money." Jeet Suchdev<br />
blood,' would 'rob them' of all their<br />
money," Suchdev explained.<br />
In another case, a housewife in<br />
her 70s moved to New Zealand<br />
after her husband passed away.<br />
Invited by her son, she was later<br />
kicked out and abandoned on the<br />
street when his business failed.<br />
Suchdev noted that in many<br />
instances, elderly victims did not<br />
want to involve the police or file<br />
official complaints. "They come<br />
from cultures that are not used<br />
to making complaints and won't<br />
make a report because they feel it<br />
is a loss of face."<br />
Te Tari Kaumātua, the Office<br />
for Seniors, estimates that one in<br />
ten older people in New Zealand<br />
experience elder abuse, though<br />
most cases go unreported.<br />
A new study, Belonging as<br />
an Ageing Asian, by emeritus<br />
professor of diversity Edwina<br />
Pio from AUT University, found<br />
that elder abuse remains hidden<br />
due to a reluctance to complain.<br />
About 96 per cent of cases went<br />
unreported.<br />
Pio's research, which included<br />
interviews with high-level<br />
managers and focus groups<br />
from Chinese, Indian, and South<br />
Korean communities, revealed<br />
that financial, verbal, and physical<br />
abuse are common.<br />
"In all three communities, there<br />
is financial, verbal, and physical<br />
abuse with regret, grief, and<br />
hopelessness etched in the DNA<br />
of those experiencing abuse," Pio<br />
said.<br />
The study found that many<br />
elderly Asians faced financial<br />
abuse when living with their<br />
children, who often took their<br />
superannuation money and bank<br />
cards. One Chinese participant<br />
shared that her friend, unable<br />
to drive or speak English, relied<br />
on her children, who eventually<br />
resented and mistreated her.<br />
The report also highlighted<br />
the significant barriers faced<br />
by elderly migrants, including<br />
language isolation, fearfulness,<br />
and resistance to care.<br />
"It is unfortunate that elder<br />
abuse is mostly among family<br />
members but also sometimes<br />
perpetuated by those who provide<br />
care for elders," a manager noted.<br />
The study called for an<br />
ethnic strategy for ageing<br />
Asians, emphasising the need<br />
for linguistically and culturally<br />
appropriate healthcare,<br />
independent living facilities, and<br />
comprehensive support services.<br />
For those seeking help, Asian<br />
Family Services offers support in<br />
multiple languages, and several<br />
helplines are available, including<br />
Lifeline, the Suicide Crisis Helpline,<br />
and the Depression Helpline.<br />
Where to get help<br />
• Asian Family Services: 0800<br />
862 342 Monday to Friday 9am<br />
to 8pm or text 832 Monday to<br />
Friday 9am - 5pm. Languages<br />
spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese,<br />
Korean, Vietnamese, Thai,<br />
Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati,<br />
Marathi and English.<br />
• Need to Talk? Free call or text<br />
1737 any time to speak to a<br />
trained Lifeline: 0800 543 354<br />
or text HELP to 4357<br />
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508<br />
828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO<br />
(24/7). This is a service for<br />
people who may be thinking<br />
about suicide, or those who<br />
are concerned about family or<br />
friends.<br />
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Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
NEW ZEALAND 11
QUOTE OF THE WEEK<br />
"All dreams are within reach. All you have to do is<br />
keep moving towards them."<br />
—Viola Davis, American actress<br />
Editorial<br />
IN FOCUS : Picture of the week<br />
Willis walks the<br />
talk – but it’s<br />
on a tight rope<br />
In a climate of continuing economic turbulence, New Zealand’s Budget 2024,<br />
presented by Finance Minister Nicola Willis, reflects a balancing act of competing<br />
priorities and promises. As the coalition government’s inaugural budget, it attempts<br />
to address the immediate economic challenges while trying to stay true to its election<br />
pledges.<br />
The backdrop of this budget is a tapestry of fiscal stressors: the lingering impacts of<br />
the Covid-19 pandemic, the burdens of previous governmental borrowings, a persistent<br />
cost of living crisis, and high interest rates. In this context, delivering on the promise of<br />
tax cuts was a bold, if controversial, move.<br />
The highlight of Budget 2024 is the introduction of tax relief, offering an average Kiwi<br />
$102 every fortnight in tax savings.<br />
This move aims to ease the financial pressure on households. However, given the<br />
government’s current deficit and economic constraints this may exacerbate fiscal<br />
challenges in the long run, especially by failing to rein in inflation at best or at worst,<br />
end up exacerbating it.<br />
The government insists that it will fund the cuts from savings, which remains to be<br />
seen. Yet, it is borrowing $12 billion, attracting savage criticism from the Opposition. It<br />
seems as though the government was fully committed to delivering its election promise<br />
of tax cuts as a crucial relief for struggling families.<br />
Healthcare, education, and crime prevention have seen increased allocations,<br />
reflecting the government’s focus on essential public services, and dispelling the<br />
growing perception in recent weeks that it was intent on cutting essential services to<br />
save money.<br />
Healthcare funding includes significant boosts for hospital infrastructure and mental<br />
health services.<br />
In education, the government has prioritised early childhood education and additional<br />
resources for schools, aiming to improve outcomes and accessibility across the board.<br />
The increased budget for crime prevention underscores a commitment to enhancing<br />
public safety amid heightened concerns by adding 500 new police staff.<br />
Despite these positive steps, the budget lacks a long-term vision, particularly in<br />
addressing New Zealand’s significant infrastructure deficit, estimated at $100 billion.<br />
The allocation of only $7 billion for infrastructure development is insufficient to address<br />
the critical needs of the country’s aging and inadequate infrastructure.<br />
Infrastructure development is crucial not just for immediate job creation and economic<br />
stimulus, but also for long-term productivity and growth, which New Zealand finds itself<br />
at the bottom of the OECD pecking order.<br />
The minimal investment in this area could hinder future economic prospects and<br />
affect the very public services the budget aims to bolster.<br />
A notable aspect of this budget is its approach to reducing new spending by finding<br />
savings within existing operational budgets.<br />
The government has identified $7.4 billion in savings by cutting or reducing funding<br />
for various programmes, including free early childhood education for two-year-olds and<br />
the Climate Emergency Response Fund.<br />
This strategy of reallocation rather than new spending is an attempt to curb the fiscal<br />
deficit and demonstrate fiscal responsibility.<br />
However, it risks undermining vital initiatives and may not fully address the underlying<br />
economic issues.<br />
The economic forecasts accompanying the budget paint a sobering picture. Economic<br />
growth is expected to average just 1.5 per cent over the next two years, with high interest<br />
rates continuing to suppress household and business spending.<br />
The unemployment rate is projected to rise, peaking at 5.2 per cent by early 2025,<br />
which will further strain public finances and social services.<br />
Net migration, higher than expected, has partially alleviated labour shortages but also<br />
contributed to domestic inflation and higher house prices, complicating the economic<br />
landscape further.<br />
The government’s goal of returning to a budget surplus by 2027 remains a daunting<br />
challenge, especially with the smaller-than-expected surplus forecasts and the high<br />
costs of servicing debt.<br />
Budget 2024 represents an attempt to walk a fine line between immediate relief and<br />
long-term fiscal responsibility.<br />
The government has tried to ‘walk the talk’ by adhering to its promise of tax cuts<br />
and focusing on healthcare, education, and public safety. However, it risks stumbling<br />
by not adequately addressing long-term infrastructure needs and relying heavily on<br />
reallocation rather than new investment.<br />
The success of this budget will depend on its implementation and the government’s<br />
ability to adapt to the evolving economic conditions.<br />
An aerial view of the Kutuk River in Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park that looks like<br />
orange paint spilling into the clear blue water. Ken Hill/National Park Service<br />
This week in New Zealand’s history<br />
30 May 1901<br />
New Zealand turns down federation with Australia<br />
A<br />
10-man Royal Commission reported unanimously that New Zealand should not become<br />
a state of the new Commonwealth of Australia. Although New Zealand had participated in<br />
Australian colonial conferences since the 1860s, federation only became a serious prospect<br />
following the decision to unite Australia’s six colonies in 1899.<br />
30 May 1959<br />
Auckland harbour bridge opens<br />
New Zealand’s best-known bridge opened after four years of construction.The need for<br />
better transport links between Auckland city and the North Shore had long been the<br />
subject of inquiry and agitation.<br />
30 May 1996<br />
New honours system established<br />
A<br />
New Zealand Royal Honours System was established with the institution of the New<br />
Zealand Order of Merit, which replaced the various British State Orders of Chivalry. From<br />
1848 to 1975 New Zealand had shared in the British honours system.<br />
31 May 1916<br />
HMS New Zealand fights at Jutland<br />
In the misty North Sea on the last day of May 1916, 250 warships from Britain’s Royal Navy<br />
and Germany’s High Seas Fleet clashed in the First World War’s greatest and bloodiest sea<br />
battle.<br />
1 June 1960<br />
New Zealand's first official TV broadcast<br />
Broadcast from Shortland St in central Auckland, New Zealand’s first official television<br />
transmission began at 7.30 p.m. The first night’s broadcast lasted just three hours and<br />
could only be seen in Auckland. It included an episode of The adventures of Robin Hood, a live<br />
interview with a visiting British ballerina and a performance by the Howard Morrison Quartet.<br />
2 June 1917<br />
New Zealand steamer captured by the Wolf<br />
The steamer Wairuna, en route from Auckland to San Francisco, was captured by the<br />
German raider SMS Wolf and later sunk near the Kermadec Islands. The crew was taken<br />
prisoner.<br />
Indian Weekender : Volume 16 - Issue 10<br />
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14<br />
INDIA<br />
Indian woman<br />
peacekeeper<br />
Major Radhika<br />
Sen receives UN<br />
military gender<br />
advocate award<br />
Indian woman peacekeeper<br />
Major Radhika Sen, who<br />
served with the UN mission<br />
in Congo, honoured with the<br />
prestigious military gender<br />
advocate award by UN Secretary-<br />
General Antonio Guterres on May<br />
30, marking the International Day<br />
of UN Peacekeepers.<br />
Who is Major Radhika Sen?<br />
• Radhika Sen served with the<br />
United Nations Organisation<br />
Stabilisation Mission in<br />
the Democratic Republic<br />
of the Congo (MONUSCO)<br />
from March 2023 to April<br />
2024 as the Commander of<br />
MONUSCO’s engagement<br />
platoon for the Indian<br />
rapid deployment battalion<br />
(INDRDB).<br />
• Major Radhika Sen joined the<br />
Indian Army eight years ago.<br />
She graduated with a degree<br />
in biotechnology engineering<br />
and was pursuing her<br />
Master's degree at IIT Bombay<br />
when she decided to join the<br />
armed forces.<br />
• Sen was deployed to<br />
MONUSCO in March 2023<br />
as the engagement platoon<br />
commander with the Indian<br />
rapid deployment battalion.<br />
Lauding Prime Minister<br />
Narendra Modi's government,<br />
External Affairs Minister S<br />
Jaishankar said that it is under<br />
his leadership that the foreign<br />
policy of India has given fame to<br />
the nation, which has resulted<br />
in New Delhi gaining popularity<br />
across the globe.<br />
In an interaction with<br />
intellectuals during an event in<br />
Shimla, Jaishankar said, "Under the<br />
leadership of PM Modi, the foreign<br />
policy of India has given fame to<br />
our country and India is going to<br />
play the role of Vishvaguru in the<br />
near future..."<br />
He said that the nation continued<br />
to face complex problems on the<br />
India-China border for the last few<br />
years but is now "strengthening<br />
our borders" by building modern<br />
infrastructure, including China<br />
bordering Himachal Pradesh.<br />
"The Modi government<br />
has increased the budget for<br />
infrastructural development on the<br />
China border many fold enhancing<br />
it from Rs 3000cr to Rs 15000cr. We<br />
have done this along all districts<br />
across all China's bordering states<br />
building wide and all-weather<br />
roads and tunnels to reach the<br />
borders," Jaishankar said.<br />
Highlighting the geopolitical<br />
She completed<br />
her tenure in April<br />
2024. Sen is the<br />
second Indian<br />
peacekeeper<br />
to receive this<br />
prestigious<br />
award,<br />
following<br />
Major Suman<br />
Gawani, who<br />
served with the<br />
UN Mission in South Sudan<br />
(UNMISS) and was honoured<br />
with the United Nations<br />
military gender advocate of<br />
the year award in 2019.<br />
• UN Secretary-General Antonio<br />
Guterres lauded Major Sen for<br />
her service and said she was<br />
a true leader and role model.<br />
"Her service was a true credit<br />
to the United Nations as a<br />
whole,” Guterres said.<br />
• Reacting to the development,<br />
Major Sen said, “This award<br />
is special to me as it gives<br />
recognition to the hard work<br />
put in by all the peacekeepers<br />
working in the challenging<br />
environment of DRC and<br />
giving their best to bring<br />
a positive change in the<br />
society.”<br />
"Gender-sensitive<br />
"Gendersensitive<br />
peacekeeping is<br />
everybody’s business<br />
– not just us women.<br />
Peace begins with all<br />
of us in our beautiful<br />
diversity!”<br />
issues that have gained attention<br />
in the present times, Jaishankar<br />
said, "When India decided to buy<br />
cheap Russian cruel oil during<br />
the beginning Ukraine-Russia<br />
war, we faced plenty of pressures<br />
from various quarters of the global<br />
geopolitical entities but we did not<br />
succumb to them."<br />
"Same pressure we had to face<br />
from China when we joined the<br />
Quad group but we chartered<br />
our own course which protected<br />
our interests and we succeeded.<br />
peacekeeping is everybody’s<br />
business – not just us,<br />
women. Peace begins with all of<br />
us in our beautiful diversity!” she<br />
added.<br />
Created by the office of military<br />
affairs within the department<br />
for peace operations (DPO)<br />
of the UN in 2016, the United<br />
Nations military gender advocate<br />
of the year award acknowledges<br />
the dedication and efforts of an<br />
individual military peacekeeper<br />
in promoting the principles of UN<br />
Security Council resolution 1325<br />
on Women, Peace, and Security.<br />
The awardee is selected from<br />
among candidates nominated<br />
by force commanders and<br />
heads of mission from all peace<br />
operations.<br />
India currently ranks as the<br />
11th largest contributor of<br />
women military peacekeepers to<br />
the United Nations.<br />
This all happened due to strong<br />
leadership provided by our Prime<br />
Minister Modi," he strongly<br />
asserted.<br />
Furthermore, Jaishankar also<br />
spoke at length on the ongoing<br />
general elections in India and<br />
said that the ten years of the Modi<br />
government has a credible record.<br />
"We are facing challenges from<br />
terrorism but we are responding<br />
to this. It is the responsibility of<br />
the people of the country to elect<br />
a stable government and it will<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
India will discuss the new<br />
research station it wants to<br />
build in Antarctica at the 46th<br />
Antarctic Treaty Consultative<br />
Meeting (ATCM) being held in<br />
Kochi between May 20 and 30 .<br />
Over 350 researchers and officials<br />
from nearly 40 countries are<br />
expected to attend the meeting.<br />
“The Maitri research station built<br />
in 1989 is old and we wish to have a<br />
new station there. This is important<br />
for our research team. So we will<br />
discuss this proposal and seek<br />
approval from member states,”<br />
said M Ravichandran, secretary<br />
ministry of earth sciences (MoES).<br />
But, overall, the most important<br />
agenda of the meeting tracking<br />
climate change impacts, past<br />
climate assessments and better<br />
monitoring of climate impacts, he<br />
added.<br />
The meeting will also see<br />
the first-ever discussions on<br />
regulating tourism in Antarctica.<br />
“Tourism needs to regulated in<br />
Antarctica. India is driving discus<br />
Another issue that is likely to be<br />
discussed is giving consultative<br />
status to Canada and Belarus who<br />
can then have voting rights in the<br />
Treaty.<br />
Antarctic Treaty is a multilateral<br />
agreement of 56 Contracting<br />
Parties signed in 1959.<br />
India has been a Consultative<br />
Party to the Antarctic Treaty since<br />
1983 along with 28 other countries.<br />
“India has a crucial role in<br />
governing Antarctica’s scientific<br />
exploration and environmental<br />
protection.<br />
It has the right to propose and<br />
vote on decisions and resolutions<br />
made during the ATCM in matters of<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
India to discuss new research<br />
station in Antarctica at Kerala<br />
climate meeting<br />
give a message to the world," said<br />
Jaishankar.<br />
The EAM said the people of<br />
this country have opportunities<br />
in different parts of the world in<br />
different sectors. In his more than<br />
four decades of career, he said, this<br />
was the first time, the diversity of<br />
India was introduced to the World.<br />
"It will help in boosting tourism,<br />
especially here in Himachal," the<br />
EAM said.<br />
administration, scientific research,<br />
environmental protection, and<br />
logistical cooperation.<br />
Further, it can establish research<br />
stations, conduct scientific<br />
programs and logistic operations,<br />
enforce environmental regulations<br />
and access scientific data and<br />
research findings shared by<br />
Antarctic Treaty members.<br />
The Contracting and Consultative<br />
Parties are responsible for<br />
compliance with the Antarctic<br />
Treaty, environment stewardship,<br />
promoting scientific research, and<br />
maintaining Antarctica as a zone<br />
of peace, free from military activity<br />
and territorial claims.<br />
The ATCM is administered<br />
through the Antarctic Treaty<br />
Secretariat headquartered in<br />
Argentina,” MoES said in a<br />
statement on May 21.<br />
“India, being a committed<br />
member of the Antarctic Treaty<br />
System, recognizes the pressing<br />
need to address the growing<br />
tourism activities in Antarctica<br />
and their potential impact on the<br />
continent’s fragile environment,” it<br />
added.<br />
Under leadership of PM Modi, foreign policy of India<br />
has given fame to our nation: EAM Jaishankar<br />
"The Modi government<br />
has increased<br />
the budget for<br />
infrastructural<br />
development on the<br />
China border many fold<br />
enhancing it from Rs<br />
3,000cr to Rs 15,000cr.<br />
We have done this<br />
along all districts<br />
across all China's<br />
bordering states<br />
building wide and allweather<br />
roads and<br />
tunnels to reach the<br />
borders," Jaishankar<br />
said.<br />
The minister also elaborated<br />
on the vibrant village programme<br />
to strengthen the infrastructure<br />
in bordering villages while an<br />
informal interaction with the<br />
journalists in Shimla.<br />
He further added that India has<br />
adopted a citizen-centric foreign<br />
policy, which has earned the<br />
support base in the UN.<br />
Jaishankar said that ten years of<br />
growth in India has improved the<br />
image of the country.<br />
"10 years ago, a lot of things<br />
were said about us. And people<br />
like me who used to go to other<br />
countries as a duty had to listen<br />
to a lot. But today, it is said that<br />
this is an India where every day<br />
30kms of highways and 14 km of<br />
railway tracks are built, where 8<br />
new airports and two new metro<br />
rails are built every year. Our image<br />
has improved because of the<br />
development on the ground. The<br />
transformation seen in the last<br />
10 years is the base of the Viksit<br />
Bharat. It is seen in the figures,"<br />
Jaishankar said.<br />
"10 years ago, income tax payers<br />
were 3.5 crores. Today, there are<br />
more than eight crores. In the last<br />
10 years, there have been 6 crores<br />
more subscribers of Provident<br />
Fund," he added.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
WORLD 15<br />
‘All eyes on Rafah’: 45 civilians killed<br />
in Israeli strike, triggers global outrage<br />
As many as 45 people,<br />
including children, were<br />
reportedly killed at a<br />
refugee camp in Rafah in the<br />
southern Gaza Strip in Israel's<br />
airstrike.<br />
The incident triggered a global<br />
outrage, with celebrities from<br />
across the world condemning<br />
Israel's action, as tensions<br />
continue to escalate in the Middle<br />
East.<br />
Most of the people killed in the<br />
Israeli airstrike were staying in<br />
tents at a refugee camp.<br />
The same area was hit<br />
by Israeli shelling days ago,<br />
triggering a massive fire in the<br />
shelter. The tent camp inferno has<br />
drawn widespread international<br />
outrage, including from some<br />
of Israel’s closest allies, over the<br />
military’s expanding offensive into<br />
Rafah.<br />
Israel's series of attacks against<br />
Rafah was launched on Sunday,<br />
hours after Hamas launched<br />
multiple rockets into Tel Aviv,<br />
most of which were intercepted<br />
by the country's intricate defence<br />
systems.<br />
Israel's airstrike in Rafah: Top<br />
updates<br />
Israel military's airstrikes and<br />
shelling near Rafah claimed 45<br />
South Africans vote<br />
in most competitive<br />
election since<br />
apartheid ended<br />
People in South Africa began<br />
voting on Wednesday in an<br />
election that could mark a<br />
big political shift if the governing<br />
African National Congress (ANC)<br />
party loses its majority as opinion<br />
polls suggest, Al Jazeera reported.<br />
Voters are electing nine<br />
provincial legislatures and a new<br />
national parliament, which will<br />
then choose the country's next<br />
president for the next five years.<br />
The election commission will<br />
announce the final results on<br />
Sunday.<br />
The ANC led by 66-year-old<br />
South African President Cyril<br />
Ramaphosa will have to seek one<br />
or more coalition partners to rule<br />
the country if it gets less than 50<br />
per cent of the national vote. The<br />
ANC has won six consecutive<br />
national elections since 1994.<br />
This would then mark the first<br />
time the ANC will be ruling in a<br />
Pakistan's former Prime<br />
Minister Nawaz Sharif on<br />
Tuesday admitted that<br />
Islamabad had "violated" an<br />
agreement with India in 1999, in<br />
an apparent reference to the Kargil<br />
war. Sharif made the remarks in<br />
a meeting of the PML-N general<br />
council that elected him president<br />
of the ruling party six years after he<br />
was disqualified by the country's<br />
Supreme Court.<br />
"On May 28, 1998, Pakistan<br />
carried out five nuclear tests. After<br />
that Vajpayee Saheb came here<br />
and made an agreement with us.<br />
But we violated that agreement...<br />
it was our fault," said Sharif as<br />
quoted by news agency PTI.<br />
coalition alliance government<br />
since it was catupulted into power<br />
at the end of with apartheid, 30<br />
years ago with Nelson Mandela at<br />
its helm.<br />
The country's largest<br />
opposition party is the centreright<br />
Democratic Alliance (DA)<br />
led by John Steenhusien that<br />
was formed by merging the<br />
Democratic party and the New<br />
National party.<br />
Other opposition parties include<br />
the far-left Economic Freedom<br />
Fighters (EFF), led by former ANC<br />
youth leader Julius Malema, and<br />
a new party, uMkhonto we Sizwe<br />
(MK), which is backed by former<br />
president Jacob Zuma<br />
A total of 70 parties and<br />
candidates are vying for 400<br />
seats in the National Assembly<br />
by voting under a proportional<br />
system. Parties on the national<br />
ballot will contest 200 of those<br />
The agreement with India that<br />
Sharif talked about was the "Lahore<br />
Declaration" signed between him<br />
civilian lives, Gaza's government<br />
officials confirmed on Tuesday.<br />
The airstrikes were launched<br />
on Sunday, leaving hundreds of<br />
refugees with shrapnel and burn<br />
wounds.<br />
The attack by Israel came days<br />
after the International Court of<br />
Justice ordered the country to halt<br />
The country's<br />
largest opposition<br />
party is the<br />
centre-right<br />
Democratic<br />
Alliance (DA)<br />
led by John<br />
Steenhusien<br />
that was formed<br />
by merging the<br />
Democratic party<br />
and the New<br />
National party.<br />
and then Indian prime minister<br />
Atal Bihari Vajpayee on February<br />
21, 1999. The agreement aimed to<br />
its operation in Rafah, drawing<br />
global outrage and condemnation<br />
from its close allies.<br />
Israel, in its statement, called<br />
the loss of civilian life “a tragic<br />
accident”, and said that the<br />
massive fire in the refugee camp<br />
was not caused by the airstrikes<br />
alone.<br />
seats while the other 200 are<br />
divided between the nine regions<br />
and contested by parties and<br />
independent candidates.<br />
In provincial legislatures, the<br />
number of seats is determined<br />
on the basis of the size of the<br />
population in each of the nine<br />
provinces.<br />
For the first time, voters will<br />
receive three ballots instead of<br />
two. On each ballot, they will<br />
bring peace and stability between<br />
the two countries. But, just a few<br />
months later, Pakistani troops<br />
intruded into the Kargil district in<br />
Jammu and Kashmir, leading to<br />
the Kargil War.<br />
At the meeting of the PML-N<br />
general council, Sharif claimed<br />
how he carried out nuclear tests<br />
despite pressure from the United<br />
States and took a dig at ex-PM<br />
Imran Khan.<br />
"President Bill Clinton had<br />
offered Pakistan USD 5 billion to<br />
stop it from carrying out nuclear<br />
tests but I refused. Had (former<br />
prime minister) Imran Khan like a<br />
person been on my seat he would<br />
have accepted Clinton's offer,"<br />
The Israeli military suggested<br />
Sunday's blaze in the tent camp<br />
may have been caused by<br />
secondary explosions, possibly<br />
from Palestinian militants'<br />
weapons. They said that Israeli<br />
munitions were “too small a<br />
source” to cause the fire.<br />
Soon after the airstrikes,<br />
millions of social media<br />
users including celebrities,<br />
sportspersons, actors and<br />
politicians, posted an image<br />
captioned ‘All eyes on Rafah’.<br />
The image showed shelter<br />
tents in Rafah, where are many as<br />
1.4 million civilians are seeking<br />
refuge.<br />
The strikes over the past few<br />
days have hit areas west of Rafah,<br />
where the military had not ordered<br />
civilians to evacuate. Israeli<br />
ground troops and tanks have<br />
been operating in eastern Rafah,<br />
in central parts of the city, and<br />
along the Gaza-Egypt border.<br />
have to choose one party or one<br />
candidate.<br />
Two ballots will be used to elect<br />
the National Assembly, and the<br />
third one will be for the election<br />
of members of the provincial<br />
legislature in each province.<br />
The ANC won 62.2 per cent<br />
share of the vote in the 2014<br />
national election, giving the party<br />
249 seats and a clear majority in<br />
the 400 seat parliament. (ANI)<br />
Nawaz Sharif admits Pakistan violated peace agreement with India in 1999<br />
Sharif said on a day when Pakistan<br />
marked the 26th anniversary of its<br />
first nuclear tests.<br />
Sharif claimed that former ISI<br />
chief Gen Zahirul Islam had played<br />
a role in toppling his government<br />
in 2017 to bring Imran Khan into<br />
power.<br />
"I ask Imran not to blame us<br />
(of being patronised by the army)<br />
and tell whether Gen Islam had<br />
talked about bringing the PTI into<br />
power," Sharif said and added<br />
Khan would sit at the feet of the<br />
military establishment. Sharif also<br />
accused the then chief justice of<br />
Pakistan Saqib Nisar of rem oving<br />
him from the office of the Prime<br />
Minister in 2017 on a false case.
16<br />
TIME OUT<br />
i FreeDailyCrosswords.com<br />
ACROSS-----------<br />
1) "Brian's Song" star James<br />
5) Comes out of one's skin<br />
10) Self-congratulatory<br />
14) Radius' comrade-in-arms?<br />
15) Youngest-ever Oscar<br />
winner<br />
16) Folkestone farewell<br />
17) "B 5!" "C 11!"?<br />
19) Took_ (snoozed)<br />
20) Downed<br />
21) Typing type<br />
22) Considers carefully<br />
24) "Emma" author Austen<br />
25) Hersey's bell town<br />
26) Place or site<br />
29) Transverse beam<br />
32) Itsy-bitsy bits<br />
33) "In_ tn1st"<br />
34) Recipe word<br />
35) Cravings<br />
36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes"<br />
O, O!<br />
1 2 3<br />
14<br />
17<br />
20<br />
26 27 28<br />
32<br />
35<br />
38<br />
41 42<br />
CROSSWORD<br />
37) Kid's "seat" on Santa<br />
38) Alternative to .net<br />
39) Less extroverted<br />
40) TV's "Cosmos" creator<br />
41) Author's explanation<br />
43) Yuletide songs<br />
44) Backup sounds<br />
45) Random sampling<br />
46) "Monkey Trial" teacher<br />
48) Seafood choice<br />
49) Josh<br />
52) Door section<br />
53) John Wayne character,<br />
larger-than-life?<br />
56) More than suggest<br />
57) Recording studio alert<br />
58) Water sport<br />
59) Some antique autos<br />
60) Family men<br />
61) Bud holder<br />
Richard Auer<br />
11 12 13<br />
7th June<br />
DOWN<br />
1) Island south of Florida<br />
2) Dismounted<br />
3) Archer or Heche<br />
4) Endless faultfinder<br />
5) Home of the John Deere<br />
headquarters<br />
6) Like beverages at barbecues<br />
7) A 1 Capp character<br />
8) Fielder's choice?<br />
9) Trooper's warning<br />
10) Wood-surface applications<br />
11) Tropical fruit dance?<br />
12) Great Salt Lake state<br />
13) Adjusts, as a spark plug<br />
18) Multicolored gems<br />
23) "_ on Down the Road"<br />
24) Traffic tangles<br />
25) Eagerness<br />
26)_ the land (how things stand)<br />
27) Alamogordo's county<br />
28) Kinshasa drum?<br />
29) Australian bush call<br />
30) Just right<br />
31) Wonderlands<br />
33) Southern breakfast dish<br />
36) Auto despair site?<br />
37) Marx or Benz<br />
39) Pirate's knife<br />
40) Town of many trials and hunts<br />
42) Plains homes<br />
43) Plays with crayons<br />
45) Lecterns<br />
46) Tim Duncan, for one<br />
47) Kind of package<br />
48) Cold spell<br />
49) Nautical mile<br />
50) Not going anywhere<br />
51) Condemn<br />
54) "Put_ Happy Face"<br />
55) Photo_ (media events)<br />
i FreeDailyCrosswords.com<br />
ACROSS-----------<br />
1) "Brian's Song" star James<br />
5) Comes out of one's skin<br />
10) Self-congratulatory<br />
14) Radius' comrade-in-arms?<br />
15) Youngest-ever Oscar<br />
winner<br />
16) Folkestone farewell<br />
17) "B 5!" "C 11!"?<br />
19) Took_ (snoozed)<br />
20) Downed<br />
21) Typing type<br />
22) Considers carefully<br />
24) "Emma" author Austen<br />
25) Hersey's bell town<br />
26) Place or site<br />
29) Transverse beam<br />
32) Itsy-bitsy bits<br />
33) "In_ tn1st"<br />
34) Recipe word<br />
35) Cravings<br />
36) Emulate "Old Blue Eyes"<br />
O, O!<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
CROSSWORD ANSWERS<br />
37) Kid's "seat" on Santa<br />
38) Alternative to .net<br />
39) Less extroverted<br />
40) TV's "Cosmos" creator<br />
41) Author's explanation<br />
43) Yuletide songs<br />
44) Backup sounds<br />
45) Random sampling<br />
46) "Monkey Trial" teacher<br />
48) Seafood choice<br />
49) Josh<br />
52) Door section<br />
53) John Wayne character,<br />
larger-than-life?<br />
56) More than suggest<br />
57) Recording studio alert<br />
58) Water sport<br />
59) Some antique autos<br />
60) Family men<br />
61) Bud holder<br />
1M l.1 1 b<br />
Richard Auer<br />
ATA<br />
N A p<br />
I G H 5<br />
0<br />
T 30 1 3e<br />
D D<br />
E E<br />
N<br />
7th June<br />
DOWN<br />
1) Island south of Florida<br />
2) Dismounted<br />
3) Archer or Heche<br />
4) Endless faultfinder<br />
5) Home of the John Deere<br />
headquarters<br />
6) Like beverages at barbecues<br />
7) A 1 Capp character<br />
8) Fielder's choice?<br />
9) Trooper's warning<br />
10) Wood-surface applications<br />
11) Tropical fruit dance?<br />
12) Great Salt Lake state<br />
13) Adjusts, as a spark plug<br />
18) Multicolored gems<br />
23) "_ on Down the Road"<br />
24) Traffic tangles<br />
25) Eagerness<br />
26)_ the land (how things stand)<br />
27) Alamogordo's county<br />
28) Kinshasa drum?<br />
29) Australian bush call<br />
30) Just right<br />
31) Wonderlands<br />
33) Southern breakfast dish<br />
36) Auto despair site?<br />
37) Marx or Benz<br />
39) Pirate's knife<br />
40) Town of many trials and hunts<br />
42) Plains homes<br />
43) Plays with crayons<br />
45) Lecterns<br />
46) Tim Duncan, for one<br />
47) Kind of package<br />
48) Cold spell<br />
49) Nautical mile<br />
50) Not going anywhere<br />
51) Condemn<br />
54) "Put_ Happy Face"<br />
55) Photo_ (media events)<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
SUDOKU SOLUTIONS<br />
46 47<br />
52<br />
56<br />
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Your Weekly Horoscope: 31 May - 06 June, 2024<br />
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20)<br />
You could get lucky early in the week with<br />
a windfall or with a flirtation, as love and<br />
money planet Venus hooks up with Jupiter,<br />
the planet of luck, in your zone of romance<br />
and finance. This is potentially a big thing,<br />
in a cosmic move that hasn’t occurred<br />
since 2012 and won’t happen again until<br />
2036. At the same time, a Full Moon hints at fulfilment<br />
around a media or travel issue or a situation linked to your<br />
spiritual side and soulfulness.<br />
.TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)<br />
Midweek is a special time for you this week,<br />
with a cosmic hook-up that happens only<br />
once every 12 years. Your ruling planet<br />
Venus joins Jupiter, the planet of luck,<br />
in your very own sign now so make the<br />
most of this cosmic connection that you<br />
won’t see or experience again until 2036,<br />
with acts of indulgence, pleasure, or even laziness (one of<br />
your sign’s guilty pleasures!) if the mood takes you down<br />
that route..<br />
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)<br />
Venus and Jupiter fill your mind with<br />
positive thoughts at the start of this week<br />
to set you up for even bigger and better<br />
things to come as the week progresses.<br />
This unusual cosmic alignment only<br />
occurs every 12 years, making it big news,<br />
so tune into any insights and hunches you<br />
get good vibes about around midweek as they could rock<br />
your world in a wonderful way.<br />
. CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20)<br />
If you’ve been tuning into the cosmos over<br />
the past 12 months you’ll have noticed that<br />
your go-to crew have been more fun during<br />
this time, and that if you dared to reach for<br />
some big dreams you might very well have<br />
achieved them. It’s all due to hosting lucky<br />
planet Jupiter in your zone of friendships<br />
and ambitions. Venus meets Jupiter for a rare final embrace<br />
in your friendship zone this week.<br />
LEO (JUL21-AUG 20)<br />
As the week begins you get a final boost<br />
for your career from the presence of<br />
Venus and Jupiter hanging out together<br />
and bringing the potential for love, money,<br />
recognition and fun in your day job before<br />
both planets switch signs a little later in<br />
the week. This is a rare and rather fabulous<br />
cosmic combination that won’t be back to influence your<br />
career in the same way again until 2036.<br />
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23)<br />
All your recent hard work plus a little luck<br />
could pay off this week, thanks to Venus<br />
and Jupiter hooking up for the final time in<br />
your zone of knowledge, travel, adventure,<br />
publishing, spirituality and legal issues.<br />
You might have spent these past few<br />
months studying or training for the next step in your career<br />
in one or more of these areas, and if so the cosmos is on<br />
your side with the Sun, Venus and Jupiter leaving your zone<br />
of learning now to re-align in your career zone.<br />
LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23)<br />
This week you’re blessed by your ruler<br />
Venus and the planet of luck, Jupiter,<br />
joining together to amp up power plays,<br />
commitments, finance and intimacy.<br />
Midweek brings a rare cosmic meet-up<br />
between these two planets, the kind that<br />
only happens once every 12 years, so<br />
make the most of some deep, almost uncannily intuitive<br />
connections you might encounter around this time.<br />
SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22)<br />
You could have a magical moment this<br />
week with a lover, a would-be lover or a<br />
business partner as Venus embraces<br />
Jupiter in your relationships zone. This<br />
cosmic encounter between the two planets<br />
is a rarity so make the most of it as Venus<br />
and Jupiter in harmony could bring love,<br />
softness, romance, money, joy or luck to a partnership now,<br />
and even sworn enemies could be back on talking terms as<br />
a result of this astrological alliance..<br />
SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21)<br />
It’s all about relationships for you this week,<br />
and for some time to come too. The Sun<br />
moves into your partnership zone for a<br />
month-long stay as the week begins and<br />
pairing up either personally or professionally<br />
gets a cosmic boost as a result. You could<br />
have a touch of luck when it comes to your<br />
well-being and work routines around midweek, with love<br />
planet Venus embracing your ruling planet Jupiter in this<br />
zone, so a romance at the gym.<br />
CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)<br />
Completing an assigned job will give you<br />
the edge at work. Discussing investment<br />
options with a financial expert will help you<br />
make the correct decision. Homemakers<br />
may be tempted to buy an appliance or<br />
gadget. Your fitness regime will benefit.<br />
Property investments may not get<br />
immediate results but promise big money at a later date. The<br />
desire for a change of scene may take you out on an exotic<br />
vacation.<br />
AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)<br />
You are likely to benefit immensely by<br />
making health your priority. Despite rising<br />
expenses, you will be able to remain fairly<br />
well off financially. You may have to seek<br />
alternatives if you are unable to accomplish<br />
something at work. Efforts on the academic<br />
front put in now will pay rich dividends later.<br />
People are likely to appreciate your upholding the family<br />
traditions. A chance to convert an official trip into a leisurely<br />
one may come to some.<br />
PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)<br />
An active lifestyle will help keep minor<br />
ailments at bay. You will manage to plan<br />
your expenses well to remain within the<br />
budget. Homemakers will need to be<br />
motivated to go in for cleaning and painting<br />
of the house. A promotion or increment is<br />
likely for some, especially those in the<br />
armed forces. Those travelling on a long journey will be able<br />
to find entertaining company en route.
Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
FEATURE 17<br />
Snack box ideas for kids for 5 days<br />
Feeding healthy, nutritious and wholesome<br />
meals is on the mind of every parent and<br />
the question that a parent always thinks<br />
about everyday is what to pack for school.<br />
Planning kids lunch boxes can be daunting and<br />
to help you make wholesome healthy breakfast<br />
we have planned a whole weeks menu plan.<br />
Some of the recipes included are High Protein<br />
Soya Idli Recipe, Sweet Corn, Methi & Tomato<br />
Rice Recipe, Penne Pasta Recipe In Spinach<br />
Pesto Sauce, Khara Bhath Recipe and Chole<br />
Pindi Recipe<br />
Monday<br />
High Protein Soya Idli & Tomato<br />
Onion Chutney<br />
High Protein Soya Idli Recipe are soft and<br />
delicious idlis. Making idlis is super simple<br />
if you have the batter ready. These idlis can be<br />
served with any chutney, sambar or podi. Pack<br />
it with tomato onion chutney in your kids lunch<br />
boxes.<br />
Kids Lunch<br />
Box Menu Plan:<br />
High protein soya idli, sweet<br />
corn methi & tomato rice<br />
Tuesday<br />
Sweet Corn, Methi & Tomato Rice & Homemade Yogurt<br />
A delicious mixed rice that is tossed with fresh methi leaves, tomatoes, sweet corn and<br />
flavoured with Indian Masala is a sure hit with kids. You can use left over rice to make<br />
this tasty rice dish. Pick and keep the methi leaves over the weekend and keep it in an<br />
airtight container. Pack Sweet Corn, Methi & Tomato Rice with homemade curd or any<br />
raita of your choice.<br />
Thursday<br />
Khara Bhath Recipe & Coconut Chutney<br />
Khara Bhath Recipe or Rava Bhath is a South Indian specialty that is quick to prepare.<br />
Some prep work that you can do is chop and keep the vegetables refrigerated in an airtight<br />
container the previous night. Grate the coconut for the chutney the previous night as well and<br />
keep it refrigerated.<br />
Wednesday<br />
Penne Pasta Recipe In Spinach Pesto Sauce & Fresh Fruit Bowl<br />
The Penne Pasta Recipe in Spinach Pesto is a healthy and creamy pasta recipe made<br />
from spinach and basil and tossed in a durum wheat penne pasta. You can boil the<br />
pasta the night before and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. Pick and keep the<br />
spinach leaves the previous night and keep them refrigerated in an airtight container.<br />
Pack along with seasonal fresh fruits to add more nutrition in your kids diet.<br />
Friday<br />
Chole Pindi & Zucchini Paratha<br />
Chole Pindi is a spicy tangy curry that can be packed along with any Indian bread or rice.<br />
You can pressure and keep the black chole the previous night itself. Make the dough for the<br />
Zucchini pratha the night before as well to help make cooking easier and less time consuming in<br />
the mornings.
18<br />
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
Anupam Kher<br />
praises Payal, Anasuya; says<br />
'unknown' Indians are getting<br />
'highest honours' at Cannes now<br />
Anupam Kher has spoken<br />
about content-driven<br />
films taking the spotlight.<br />
In an interview with News18<br />
Showsha, the veteran actor<br />
opened up about how 'unknown'<br />
people are now getting recognition<br />
as he gave the example of Delhi<br />
influencer Nancy Tyagi, who<br />
made a stunning red carpet debut<br />
at Cannes 2024.<br />
With All We Imagine As Light<br />
winning the Grand Prix at Cannes<br />
Film Festival 2024, Anupam<br />
also talked about recent films<br />
such as Kiran Rao's Laapata<br />
Ladies and Diljit Dosanjhstarrer<br />
Chamkila, that received<br />
praise for their storytelling and<br />
performances. Anupam said,<br />
“Content is very important<br />
nowadays. It always was, but now<br />
the audience is different. Look<br />
at what happened at Cannes –<br />
we have two unknown people<br />
(filmmaker Payal Kapadia and<br />
actor Anasuya Sengupta)<br />
getting the highest honours. It’s<br />
phenomenal."<br />
Speaking about Nancy Tyagi,<br />
the actor added, "A Delhi girl<br />
walked on the red carpet stitching<br />
her own dress. The world is open<br />
to creativity – it always was, but<br />
now India is open to creativity.<br />
What doesn’t touch heart doesn’t<br />
make an impact. You cannot<br />
dwarf the audience by making<br />
them feel smaller. They’re open<br />
to malls, they’re open to modern<br />
India, and big cinema – they are<br />
used to everything. You can’t now<br />
say, ‘Dekho hum apko Switzerland<br />
leke jaa rahe hai.’ Unke liye koi<br />
bahut badi baat nahi hai. Par<br />
content agar achha hua toh choti<br />
film bhi chalegi aur badi bhi (It's<br />
not a big thing to say 'Look, we<br />
are taking you to Switzerland'.<br />
If a small film is good, even it<br />
can work). I think, it’s the end of<br />
fakeness.”<br />
Payal Kapadia was honoured at<br />
the closing ceremony of the 77th<br />
edition of the Cannes Film Festival<br />
with Grand Prix, the second<br />
highest prize of the festival, for All<br />
We Imagine As Light. The moment<br />
was historic for Indian cinema. A<br />
day before the closing ceremony,<br />
the Un Certain Regard section<br />
awards were also announced.<br />
Two Indian films were in<br />
contention – Sandhya Suri's<br />
cop drama Santosh starring<br />
Shahana Goswami, and Bulgarian<br />
director Konstantin Bojanov's<br />
The Shameless. It was lead<br />
actor Anasuya Sengupta of<br />
The Shameless, who scripted<br />
history, becoming the first Indian<br />
actor to clinch an acting award.<br />
She was chosen as the Best<br />
Actress by the jury.<br />
Moreover, Sunflowers Were The<br />
First Ones To Know, a Kannada<br />
short film directed by FTII student<br />
Chidananda S Naik, was declared<br />
the winner of the La Cinef Award<br />
for Best Short Film.<br />
Moreover, Delhi-based fashion<br />
influencer Nancy Tyagi's red<br />
carpet look at Cannes Film<br />
Festival 2024 made headlines<br />
and even impressed actor<br />
Sonam Kapoor, who is known<br />
for her sartorial choices and<br />
many memorable Cannes red<br />
carpet appearances over the<br />
years. Recently, Sonam reshared<br />
Nancy's Instagram Reel,<br />
showcasing her elegant saree<br />
look.<br />
Friday, 31 May 2024<br />
Read online www.iwk.co.nz<br />
Nargis Fakhri thinks Sandeep<br />
Reddy Vanga's female characters<br />
in Animal were well drafted: 'They<br />
had the juiciest parts'<br />
Actor Nargis Fakhri has<br />
praised Sandeep Reddy<br />
Vanga's Animal, saying that<br />
the way the alpha energy for Ranbir<br />
Kapoor's character was explored<br />
"was truly impressive". Speaking<br />
with Filmfare, she said that the<br />
characters of female actors in<br />
Animal were "well drafted".<br />
Nargis talked about the directors<br />
she would want to collaborate with.<br />
They included Sandeep Reddy<br />
Vanga, Kabir Khan and Rajkumar<br />
Hirani among others.<br />
Talking about Animal, Nargis<br />
said, “I love how the character<br />
was sketched for Ranbir Kapoor in<br />
Animal. The way he explored<br />
alpha energy was truly impressive!<br />
And look at how well he drafted<br />
characters for even the females of<br />
his film. Even though they weren't<br />
'lead', they had the juiciest parts<br />
too!”<br />
She added, “Other than him, I feel<br />
Rajkumar Hirani’s films like Munna<br />
Bhai MBBS and Sanju are like a<br />
breath of fresh air that’s loaded<br />
with light-hearted moments and<br />
with the way his films strike a<br />
chord with the audience is truly<br />
admirable.<br />
Lastly, I’d also like to work with<br />
Kabir Khan and his thoughts on<br />
high-octane action films like Ek<br />
Tha Tiger. I admire his passion for<br />
storytelling and how it elevates<br />
every scene.”<br />
Animal is an action drama film<br />
directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.<br />
The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anil<br />
Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Rashmika<br />
Mandanna and Triptii Dimri.<br />
Animal released in theatres in<br />
December 2023.<br />
It faced criticism for glorifying<br />
toxic masculinity and misogynistic<br />
scenes. The film broke several box<br />
office records for a Hindi film and<br />
grossed 917.82 crore worldwide.<br />
Many women like Manju Devi around us:<br />
Neena Gupta on her role in 'Panchayat'<br />
Mumbai, Veteran actor<br />
Neena Gupta says<br />
her role in the popular<br />
series "Panchayat" became a fanfavourite<br />
because there are many<br />
women like Manju Devi different<br />
parts of the country.<br />
In season three of the Prime<br />
Video show, Gupta returns as<br />
the effervescent Manju Devi,<br />
the Phulera village head in Uttar<br />
Pradesh. She is the village head<br />
on paper but it's her husband<br />
who is known as the 'Pradhan'<br />
and handles all the administrative<br />
responsibilities.<br />
"Characters are often inspired<br />
by real-life. There are still many<br />
women like Manju devi everywhere<br />
around us. She is very satisfied<br />
with her household things; she has<br />
no ambition. Pradhan is working<br />
on her behalf, people liked it and<br />
that’s how women in India do it in<br />
rural or urban places. So, women<br />
relate to me, to Manju devi," the<br />
actor told PTI in an interview.<br />
There are many progressive<br />
women in the country but on the<br />
screen, their onscreen portrayal<br />
is still not received well by the<br />
audiences, the actor said.<br />
"You can’t , they become<br />
vamps. Like, in my television<br />
show, ‘Khandaan’, I played the role<br />
of a progressive woman, and it<br />
became like a negative character.<br />
Bold characters don't work here<br />
. In movies, we see them as sati<br />
savirtri,” she said.<br />
Also featuring Jitendra Kumar,<br />
Raghubir Yadav, Faisal Malik,<br />
Chandan Roy, and Sanvikaa,<br />
“Panchayat” revolves around the<br />
daily issues faced by the residents<br />
of a fictional village in Uttar<br />
Pradesh.<br />
The comedy-drama first<br />
premiered in April 2020 and it’s<br />
second season came out in May<br />
2022 to positive reviews.<br />
Alia, Kareena, Varun extend support to Palestine after Israel's attack on Rafah<br />
Days after Israel's attack<br />
on Rafah, several A-list<br />
Bollywood celebrities have<br />
come out to show their solidarity<br />
with Palestine.<br />
These include Alia<br />
Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, and Varun<br />
Dhawan among others.<br />
Alia took to her Instagram<br />
Stories on Tuesday and re-shared<br />
a post by @themotherhoodhome<br />
which read, “All children deserve<br />
love. All children deserve safety.<br />
All children deserve peace.<br />
All children deserve life. And all<br />
mothers deserve to be able to give<br />
their children those things (red<br />
heart doodle).” Alia wrote in the<br />
caption, “#AllEyesOnRafah.” Alia<br />
and her actor-husband Ranbir<br />
Kapoor gave birth to daughter<br />
Raha Kapoor in November 2022.<br />
Alia's sister-in-law Kareena<br />
Kapoor also took to her Instagram<br />
Stories on Tuesday to re-share a<br />
post by the official Instagram<br />
handle of UNICEF, which Executive<br />
Director Catherine Russell<br />
condemning the killing of children<br />
and families in Rafah, calling the<br />
act “unconscionable.”<br />
Actor Varun Dhawan also took<br />
to his Instagram stories to share<br />
the “All Eyes on Rafah” image<br />
doing the rounds on social media<br />
in protest of Israel's latest attack.<br />
Other actors who joined them in<br />
solidarity included Madhuri Dixit,<br />
Triptii Dimri, Fatima Sana Shaikh,<br />
Samantha Prabhu, Dia Mirza, and<br />
Swara Bhasker.<br />
Israel-Palestine conflict<br />
Israeli shelling and airstrikes<br />
killed at least 37 people, most of<br />
them sheltering in tents, outside<br />
the southern Gaza city of Rafah<br />
overnight and on Tuesday —<br />
pummeling the same area where<br />
strikes triggered a deadly fire days<br />
earlier in a camp for displaced<br />
Palestinians.<br />
Israel's assault on Rafah,<br />
launched May 6, spurred more<br />
than 1 million people to flee the<br />
city, the U.N. agency helping<br />
Palestinian refugees said<br />
Tuesday.
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