The Indian Weekender 05 November, 2021

Jaggi 

Navi 

Insurance Adviser 

Principal 

128 1823 

022 

navi@vsureu.co.nz 

05NOVEMBER2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 35 

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Friday, November 05, 2021 

The Indian Weekender 

Does govt want critical 

healthcare workers to leave NZ? 

This is the question most healthcare workers who have been left 

out of the One-off resident visa are asking this government 

IWK Exclusive 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

The much-awaited news of a Oneoff 

Residence Visa has delighted 

165,000 immigrants who are eligible 

for this pathway. 

But at the same time, it has brought 

frustration, stress and trauma to many who 

have been left out primarily because of holding 

a visa which is not in the eligible list category 

for this policy. 

While the new visa is aimed at 

acknowledging the contribution of those who 

are skilled, settled and are working in the scarce 

industry, many contend that the new policy is 

nothing but unfair. 

One such category is of those healthcare 

workers who did their bit by contributing 

during the Covid 19 pandemic but have been 

excluded in this new policy. 

Here are stories of those healthcare workers, 

who are left feeling abandoned by this 

government despite working relentlessly in 

the pandemic, as told to the Indian Weekender. 

These stories scream unfairness, inequality and 

unjust behaviour of the Government toward 

them while drafting this policy. 

Neeti (name changed on request) a 25-yearold 

Covid swabber/ Covid Vaccinator, who 

despite meeting all the three criteria of 

Settled, Skilled and Scarce, is not eligible for 

the One-off Visa as she is currently holding 

a student visa. 

She says, “I am a Covid Vaccinator and 

Covid Swabber. I am working as a critical 

health worker fulltime while being on a student 

visa. During the latest Level 4, I used to start 

swabbing at 6 am because due to long queues 

of cars (around 300) outside our medical centre. 

I, along with my other colleagues, worked from 

early morning till late.” 

Neeti believes that the government should 

appreciate the effort of every critical health 

worker, and the policy should be amended. She 

says, “Despite the risk involved in taking covid 

swabs, I have done the job due to my empathy 

and responsibility toward the government. 

The government should also think about 

health care workers. 

"The immigration decision must be 

amended else it will create a poor image of NZ 

immigration for future upcoming international 

students as well as those who want to work in 

healthcare. The government should act fairly.” 

‘I will never advise people to 

come to NZ’ 

Another such story is that of Rohan (name 

changed on request) who is currently working 

as a Mental Health Support Worker since 

January 2020. 

He says, “I came on a partner of a student 

visa from India along with my wife and two 

kids (aged three and six). I completed my study 

of New Zealand Health and Wellbeing (Level 

4) from Open Polytechnic on the job while 

working fulltime in pandemic to be eligible for 

the Skilled migrant Category. 

"Both of us have been working to serve 

the country during the lockdown as essential 

workers and putting our kids lives at risk during 

Covid-19.” 

Rohan, who has already lodged his Expression 

of Interest for Skilled Migrant Category in 

February 2021 and is earning the median wage 

but the fact that he is on partnership ship is the 

reason for his ineligibility and he says he is 

disappointed and disheartened. 

He says, “The 30 September announcement 

has left us very disappointed and disheartened. 

The Honourable Immigration Minister 

decides the applicants who will be granted 

Critical Purpose Visitor Visa (Long Term) 

and able to come to NZ before 31 July 2022 

are eligible for this category but what about 

those who are already working full time in the 

critical healthcare sector in NZ and meet the 

required eligibility criteria not able to apply 

under this category? 

Currently, it seems like the government does 

not need Critical Health Care Worker and is 

forcing us to leave the country by excluding us. 

Rohan feels abandoned by the government 

and has even made up his mind to move to 

another country and has already started looking 

for jobs. 

He says, “I am already on the hunt for the 

job in Australia and Canada. I will leave the 

country immediately once I secure a job and 

will never advise people to move to NZ. I can’t 

wait for the next 36 months to get residency as 

we do not know what would the SMC criteria 

looks like in future. I need to think about my 

family and their mental health issues.” 

‘Discriminated, ignored, cheated’ 

Teresa Wo, a student visa holder who 

immigrated from China before September 

2018, and is working as a healthcare worker. 

Sharing her story, the 33-year-old says, “I am a 

student undertaking my healthcare course since 

May 2021 and will graduate in February 2022. 

I arrived in NZ before Sep. 

2018 and have stayed here more than 1000 

days.Before and during the lockdown, I worked 

in the primary industry on an essential work 

visa from July 2019 to March 2021. 

Currently, as a healthcare worker, I am 

trying my best to provide healthcare services 

to patients in the hospital, despite knowing the 

risks involved. 

An emotional Wo who feels “discriminated, 

ignored and cheated by the government” says, 

“It’s the government who encouraged us to 

" 

Moreover, NZ is 

begging for critical 

healthcare workers from 

overseas but unfairly 

excluding (from one-off 

resident visa) those who 

are already here and 

contributing by working 

at the most vulnerable 

position during these 

challenging times. This 

administration is a joke 

and liar 

obtain more EOI points and skills. We decided 

to go back to study to improve our skills, which 

totally comply with what the government said. 

"However, it seems that my life’s biggest 

mistake is to go back to study to upskill myself. 

The government abandoned us in this one-off 

residency program despite my contributions to 

this country. 

"Moreover, NZ is begging for critical 

healthcare workers from overseas but unfairly 

excluding (from one-off resident visa) those 

who are already here and contributing by 

working at the most vulnerable position during 

these challenging times. This administration is 

a joke and liar.” 

These stories are just the tip of the iceberg 

as regards the healthcare workers who got left 

out from the one-off residence visa despite 

doing their contribution to the front line 

during the pandemic. 

When contacted, the Minister of Immigration 

Kris Faafoi had recently told Indian Weekender 

that eligibility for the 2021 Resident visa is 

reasonably broad and could provide a pathway 

to residence for around 165,000 people. 

Where people are not eligible for the oneoff 

resident visa, there may be other options 

towards residence available to them.” 

This indicated that the government has no 

plan to expand the eligibility criteria for the 

one-off residence visa. 

‘Expand eligibility criteria’ 

Political parties including National Party, 

Green Party as well as ACT party are already 

calling the government to expand the eligibility 

criteria of the One-off Residence Visa. 

Ricardo Menéndez March, Green Party’s 

Immigration spokesperson, says leaving 

migrants out just because of their visa type fails 

to provide certainty to migrants. 

“The Greens are calling for an expansion of 

the one-off residency visa eligibility. We believe 

there should be clear and achievable pathways 

for all migrants to gain residency, including 

transparent and honest communication with 

temporary visa holders to enable their transition 

to permanent residence. 

Leaving migrants out because they happen 

to be on the wrong visa fails to meet the 

supposed intent of the Government to grant 

certainty to migrants. 

Many of our healthcare workers went on a 

study visa because they had not been able to 

find a realistic pathway to residency before the 

one-off residency announcement. 

Some migrants have told me they went to 

study to upskill and be able to meet the wage 

requirements to be considered “skilled” by 

INZ. We are calling the Minister to listen to the 

many migrants rightfully calling for a review of 

the one-off residency visa settings.” 

Immigration expert Tuariki Delamere 

Even immigration experts opine that 

excluding people because of their visa type, 

especially those working in healthcare, is 

illogical and irrational. Immigration expert 

Tuariki Delamere says, “I totally sympathise 

with them (healthcare workers) in their 

frustration, disappointment and even anger at 

missing out. 

My sympathies are especially for those on 

partnership work visas working in healthcare. I 

also have great sympathy for those who accepted 

the challenge of the Minister of Immigration, 

the challenge of INZ, the challenge of the 

Government to those people who went back to 

upgrade their qualifications so that they meet 

the criteria for the skilled migrant category. 

"For those people, it is like being kicked 

in the teeth. And excluding these people 

does not make sense. It is illogical and 

irrational. Someone should query the Minister 

on these specifics.”

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 05, 2021 

NEW ZEALAND 3 

GPs, healthcare workers gear 

up for home isolation cases 

IWK Exclusive 

PRITI GARUDE KASTURE 

If vaccination rates are high, most New 

Zealanders who get Covid-19 will not need 

hospital level care and will safely be able to 

be cared for at home, or in a community facility, 

said a Ministry of Health spokesperson to The 

Indian Weekender. 

As NZ moves from an elimination to a 

suppression strategy, under the home isolation 

model, people who test positive for Covid-19, 

are allowed to isolate at home, on a caseby-case 

basis, and dependent on their home 

situation. The criteria for home isolation 

takes into consideration a number of factors, 

including their ability to self-isolate, keep away 

from others, access to internet access and home 

supplies. 

A safe and proven approach overseas, the 

Ministry spokesperson said, “This will enable 

people and their whānau to safely remain in 

their homes if appropriate and where they are 

well set up to do so. These people and their 

whānau will be effectively supported by health 

and welfare services.” 

Currently in metro Auckland, the Northern 

Region Health Coordination Centre (NRHCC) 

is supporting 1115 individuals to isolate at 

home. 

For these cases, clinical support may be 

provided by their GP, or other suitable lead 

health professional, depending on their 

situation. 

Healthcare professionals and academics 

across the country, however report feelings 

of fatigue and pressure in this unknown and 

uncertain landscape. 

Dr Primla Khar, General Practitioner at the 

Papakura East Medical Centre said, “General 

Practice is already under tremendous pressure 

of providing care for patients with chronic 

conditions. There are more senior GPs in the 

community and many now work part time as 

well, because of high demand on our physical 

and mental wellbeing.” 

Despite this, she says, GPs are accepting this 

additional responsibility of caring for those who 

are isolating at home, as she then questions, “If 

we don’t, then who will?” 

“Since last 18 months, we have had to change 

our working schedule with zero scope of 

margin for error. A fulfilling profession which 

is naturally demanding, has definitely taken 

its toll on the emotional and physical health of 

those practising it,” she adds. 

A statement echoed by many in the 

Nurses are a highly skilled 

workforce and have risen to 

ever-increasing demands, 

but they are already 

burnt out and seriously 

understaffed. Meanwhile 

our health system is not 

adequate to meet the 

demands of Covid, which is 

only just beginning to have 

an impact." 

nursing profession as reported in February 

this year, where nurses at Managed Isolation 

and Quarantine facilities reported feeling 

tremendous pressure due to on-going staffing 

and pay issues. 

New Zealand Nurses Organisation 

Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku, in a statement 

last month said “Nurses are a highly skilled 

workforce and have risen to ever-increasing 

demands, but they are already burnt out and 

seriously understaffed. Meanwhile our health 

system is not adequate to meet the demands of 

Covid, which is only just beginning to have an 

impact.” 

Dr Khar adds that doctors around the country 

do maintain high levels of professionalism, 

but at times, emotions do play up. She said, 

“General practice is a teamwork. We have our 

Receptionist, Practice manager, Practice nurses 

and doctors. These are human beings who too 

are affected by the impact of Covid.” 

Dr Lynn McBain, Associate Professor, Head 

of Department of Primary Health Care & 

General Practice at the University of Otago in 

Wellington agrees with the level of fatigue faced 

by front line staff, especially as they anticipate 

the challenges of the next few months. 

Both Dr Khar and Dr McBain are cautiously 

positive over the practical aspect of home 

isolations. 

“Any legislation, guideline is as good as how 

people adapt and follow it. Home isolation has 

its challenges. COVID is highly contagious. 

If one family member is affected, high level 

of discipline is required by the whole whanau 

too,” said Dr Khar. 

Dr McBain said that many people will 

manage well in this situation, but extra support 

may be needed to those in crowded households 

or with poor health literacy. She said, “It will 

be really important to have their local or known 

GP practice involved to be able to help patients 

link in with support services.” 

The Ministry of Health spokesperson said 

with increasing vaccination rates, many people 

will not need any additional support – simply a 

periodic check in. 

Mild Covid-19 symptoms can be managed 

with fluids, rest, paracetamol or similar 

analgesic. For those who do need support with 

home isolation, the ministry is developing 

services to help them through home isolation. 

The spokesperson said, “The Ministry is 

developing a system that means the GP does 

not have to supervise every case, with many 

requiring GP involvement only at the time of 

diagnosis. We want GPs to be able to focus 

on the health needs of their patients with more 

complex issues.” 

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4 NEW ZEALAND 



One-off resident visa a 

mixed bag, say experts 

IWK Exclusive 

NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH 

On 29 October, a month after the big 

announcement of a One-off visa, the 

much-awaited details of the policy were 

made public by Immigration New Zealand. 

The One-off resident visa will put some 

165,000 migrants on the fast track to residency. 

To be eligible for this visa, the applicant needs 

to be in New Zealand on 29 September 2021 

and the date the application is made and must 

meet either of the three criteria (Settled, Skilled 

or Scarce) and hold any eligible visa listed on 

the policy. The application will open in two 

phases – Phase One: 1 December 2021 and 

Phase two: 1 March 2022, and closes on 31 

July 2022. 

While the news has been welcomed by those 

eligible, many are upset because they have been 

rendered ineligible owing to the visa type they 

hold despite meeting the other criteria. 

Indian Weekender spoke to experts to know 

their views on the recently released new policy. 

Read on as they reveal the good and not-sogood 

aspects about policy. 

Due to the policy 

allowing only those on 

the eligible visa to apply, 

student visa holders, 

including those pursuing 

Master or PhD degrees, 

will still miss out under the 

policy even after working 

full time and contributing to 

NZ for a long time. 

marriages are customary, there is some 

disappointment as spouses cannot be included 

if a couple has not lived together for 12 months. 

Those in that situation will need to plan what 

they need to do after residence to secure a visa 

for their spouse to come to NZ. 

visa include the removal of the requirement to 

submit a police clearance and medical certificate 

and the inclusion of dependent children of 25 

years of age. 

Moreover, Dependent Children above 25 

years can submit applications on their own if 

they are in NZ without paying an additional fee. 

The fact that consistent contract work history 

will be considered is also a good move. 

While these are some of the positive 

changes made in policy to simplify the 

application processing, it is unclear what role 

ANZSCO plays in meeting the requirement of 

a scarce list. 

Also, there is no flexibility on dates in settled 

criteria which means if you first arrive on 30 

September 2018, you will not qualify in settled 

criteria. Similarly, temporary visa holders who 

got stuck overseas due to border closure will not 

qualify, even after living in NZ for more than 

three years, if they do not meet the requirement 

of 821 days in the last three years. 

Due to the policy allowing only those 

on the eligible visa to apply, student visa 

holders, including those pursuing Master 

or PhD degrees, will still miss out under 

the policy even after working full time and 

contributing to NZ for a long time. 

Similarly, qualified Doctors on Working 

Holiday visas will also miss out. 

Aaron Martin, 

Immigration lawyer: 

I think it is a good policy and takes account 

of Covid disruption to businesses and the flowon 

impact on wages in a considered manner. It 

is good that children who have turned 25 years 

during the pandemic can be included and that 

they can enter NZ after the grant of residence if 

they are currently offshore. 

The transportability within the new system 

whereby people who may have qualified 

based on a job under the Scarce list can apply 

under the Skilled criteria if there has been a 

subsequent change in circumstances since 29 

September and vice versa is excellent. 

The simplified medical and police clearance 

aspects will also be welcome news. 

Some stringent rules that have been designed 

defeat those who must apply in phase 2 from 

applying in the phase 1 group in December 

2021. The rules are unequivocal – people who 

try to game the system in this way will get 

declined. 

Even though Immigration NZ wanted this to 

be a simple and quick process, but there is a 

capacity for applications to be declined based 

on ‘insufficient evidence’ of criteria being met. 

The scarce lists still leave some ambiguity 

as everything is classed by occupation and 

by reference to an occupation title. It has the 

potential to drag people back to the difficult 

arguments around consistency with ANZSCO 

descriptions. 

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There are huge gaps in the policy. 

Immigration NZ has clearly learnt nothing 

from their previous failures in policy drafting. 

There are a lot of unanswered questions, 

vague definitions and an absence of guidance 

and certainty regarding eligibility. The same 

problems that existed before regarding failures 

in policy drafting will inevitably recur, and 

in the absence of new staff being hired and 

trained, we can expect anomalies, appeals, 

loopholes, inconsistencies and inconsistent 

decision making. 

The government had the opportunity to fix 

a problem with simple, direct and consistent 

policy drafting but have instead reverted to type 

through inconsistent, vague and contradictory 

policy drafting. 

Madhu Behl, Immigration Adviser 

The positive changes in the newly announced 

Ricardo Menéndez March, Green 

Party Immigration Spokesperson 

Upon first impression, it’s very much a mixed 

bag. Overall the criteria settings remain deeply 

unfair, but I am pleased to see a move towards 

removing the ableist acceptable standards 

of health requirements for many applicants 

and moving towards not requiring people to 

go through the arduous process of obtaining 

overseas police certificates. It is also good to 

see that if you have already submitted a Skilled 

Migrant Category Expression of Interest or 

Residence from Work application, you will 

only have to pay the difference between what 

you have already paid and the cost of the 2021 

Resident Visa. 

However, it is upsetting that no clear efforts 

have been made to support split migrant 

families due to the stringent living together 

requirements. Also, there is a lack of clarity 

of how casual workers will be included in the 

visa. Moreover, applications will be paused 

if applicants go overseas, which is again a 

deterrent for the many desperate families who 

have been apart for years. 

We are still fighting to expand the eligibility 

criteria. It is a political decision Minister Faafoi 

needs to make, and we will continue supporting 

the grassroots efforts of campaigners to fix our 

immigration system.


NEW ZEALAND 5 

NZ-Fiji Business Council 

hosts first virtual AGM 

IWK BUREAU 

The New Zealand Fiji Business Council 

(NZFBC) held its first virtual Annual 

General Meeting on Friday 29 October. 

The meeting was well attended with just on 40 

members and guests in attendance virtually. 

The council inducted five new executives 

to join the executive committee for the 2021- 

22 year. They joined existing executives who 

made the decision to continue to represent as an 

executive committee member. 

The continuing members include Chandar 

Sen, re-elected as President, Arti Chand (Vice 

President), Mike Hamilton, Dev Nadkarni, 

Brett Jenkins, Jeffery Nathan, Neel Pillay, 

Mark Plant and Bhaskar Sharma. 

Matt Freeman, Kevin Malpas, Jackie Nassau, 

Paula ter Brake, Terence O’Neill-Joyce have 

joined the executive for 2021-22. 

At the conclusion of the AGM both the 

New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, 

His Excellency Mr. Jonathan Curr and 

Trade Commissioner, Pacific, Mr. David 

Dewar jointly provided an on-the-ground 

and economic update in Fiji to the members. 

H.E. Jonathan Curr concludes his tenure as 

High Commissioner in early December with 

Charlotte Darlow appointed as the new New 

Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji. 

Formed in 1987, NZFBC maintains an active 

link and communications between businesses in 

New Zealand and Fiji. The Council is one of the 

most active business council in New Zealand, 

having withstood the effects of changing times, 

events and the political landscape. 

NZFBC is a membership based organisation 

with members throughout New Zealand. 

Outgoing New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, 

Jonathan Curr 

Members come from a variety of industry 

sectors including individual consultants, SMEs, 

New Zealand’s largest companies as well as 

multi-billion dollar turnover companies listed 

on the New York Stock Exchange. 

The Council has a sister organisation based 

in Fiji, the Fiji New Zealand Business Council 

(FNZBC). Both organisations collaborate on a 

number of events including business missions 

and joint annual conferences. Collectively the 

Councils boast a membership of approximately 

over 200. Both Councils are recognised by 

their respective governments as the body 

representing business in their respective 

countries. 

Both Councils provide business networking 

and advocacy for the members. The NZFBC is 

very active, with networking events, Ministerial 

meetings and regular newsletter updates. 

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6 NEW ZEALAND 



Rashtriya Ekta Diwas observed 

in Wellington, Auckland 

IWK BUREAU 

The High Commission of India 

in New Zealand celebrated 

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas 

(National Unity Day) at the High 

Commission’s offices in Wellington 

on 27 October. 

The day marks the birth anniversary 

of Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, 

independent India’s first Deputy 

Prime Minister and Home Minister 

– who was endearingly known 

as Sardar Patel – which falls 

on 31 October. 

This year’s observance of the 

day was special, as it is part of the 

yearlong global celebrations of the 

seventy-fifth anniversary of India’s 

independence, termed Azaadi ka 

Amrit Mahotsav. 

A small group of Indian community 

leaders and association heads was 

hosted by the High Commission to 

pay tributes to the great contributions 

of Sardar Patel, most significant 

being the amalgamation of some 

565 Princely States into the newly 

formed Union of India following 

independence in 1947. 

The event, which was held with 

all Alert Level 2 protocols in place, 

saw several guests pay tributes to 

Sardar Patel and the importance of 

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas. 

Indian High Commissioner Muktesh Pardeshi and Honorary Consul in Wellington and Auckland, respectively. 

This year’s observance of the 

day was special, as it is part of 

the yearlong global celebrations 

of the seventy-fifth anniversary 

of India’s independence, termed 

Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. 

The common refrain was that the 

message of unity is the demand of the 

hour and urged everyone to follow 

Sardar Patel’s vision of oneness 

and unity in achieving the goal of 

universal peace and wellbeing. 

High Commissioner Muktesh 

Pardeshi interacted with all the 

community leaders and listened 

to their ideas and views, and 

acknowledged the presence of the 

strong and vibrant Indian diaspora in 

New Zealand, also appreciating their 

role in cementing the relationship 

between India and New Zealand. 

A similar function to celebrate 

Rashtriya Ekta Diwas was held in 

Auckland at the Mahatma Gandhi 

Centre on Sunday, 31 October. 

Honorary Consul of India Bhav 

Dhillon paid floral tributes and lit the 

ceremonial lamp in front of an image 

of Sardar Patel. 

The country’s first Deputy Prime 

Minister 1947 till his passing 

in 1950, he oversaw India’s 

transformation into a republic on 26 

January 1950, celebrated every year 

as Republic Day. 

He was an Indian barrister 

and a senior leader of the Indian 

National Congress who played 

a leading role in the country’s 

struggle for independence and 

guided its integration into a united, 

independent nation. 

Psardar atel was born in Nadiad, 

Kheda district, Gujarat. 

A successful lawyer, he was 

one of Mahatma Gandhi’s earliest 

political lieutenants. 

He was appointed as the 49th 

President of Indian National 

Congress, organising the party for 

elections in 1934 and 1937 while 

promoting the Quit India Movement. 

His commitment to national 

integration in the newly 

independent country was total and 

uncompromising, earning him the 

sobriquet ‘Iron Man of India’. 

The Statue of Unity, the world’s 

tallest statue, was dedicated to 

him on 31 October 2018 and 

is approximately 182 metres 

(597 ft) in height. 

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‘Opera On The Harbour’ to debut on 

Auckland’s waterfront in February 

IWK BUREAU 

Auckland’s iconic Wynyard Wharf will 

play host to the first-ever Opera on 

the Harbour, an evening of music and 

entertainment set against the backdrop of the 

stunning Waitematā Harbour and City Lights on 

Valentine’s Weekend 2022. 

Audiences will experience a concert 

performance of the famous, crowd-pleasing 

musical Carousel in an open-air setting on the 

Auckland waterfront across three nights in 

February, with performances by some of New 

Zealand’s best operatic talent alongside and 

household names in music and entertainment. 

High-quality food and beverages will be on 

offer, with a spectacular fireworks display to 

conclude the evening. 

Described by TIME magazine as “the best 

musical of the 20th century”, Rodgers & 

Hammerstein’s classic musical features the 

anthems ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ and ‘If I 

Loved You’. 

NZ Opera General Director Thomas de 

Mallet Burgess says, “This will be a spectacular 

experience for audiences – a first-of-its-kind 

opera event on Waitematā Harbour with a 

purpose-built stage and seating area. Broadway 

will meet opera in a world-class outdoor setting 

at the height of summer’s long, warm evenings, 

introducing what we expect will become a 

favourite annual show in the Auckland summer 

events calendar.” 

Auckland Unlimited’s Head of Major and 

Business Events, Richard Clarke, says new, 

innovative events are important for Auckland’s 

visitor economy. 

“This event represents a fantastic opportunity 

for people to enjoy a weekend and a unique 

cultural experience in Tāmaki Makaurau. 

There is no better way to do that than to bring 

together some of the finest singers, musicians 

and creatives in the country for a spectacular 

production right on the water, against the 

backdrop of the city. 

“This is a fantastic example of what can 

be achieved with collaboration across the 

Auckland Council whānau and with innovative 

event partners. We are very proud to be able to 

support New Zealand and Auckland’s artistic 

and cultural talent while showcasing our city’s 

beautiful settings,” Clarke says. 

Opera on the Harbour is presented by 

MediaWorks, NZ Opera, Oceania (NW Group) 

and The Show Biz with support from Auckland 

Unlimited.


NEW ZEALAND 7 

Countdown proposes 

to require all team to 

be vaccinated 

IWK BUREAU 

In a move designed to further 

protect the health and safety 

of its team, Countdown has 

announced a proposal to require all 

roles across the business to be fully 

vaccinated against COVID-19 by 10 

January 2022. 

This proposal has come about as 

all of Aotearoa continues to respond 

to the more transmissible Delta 

variant of the COVID-19 virus and 

would apply to all Countdown 

team, regardless of their role or 

location of work. 

Countdown’s Director 

of Health, Safety and 

Wellbeing, Kiri Hannifin 

says the proposed requirement 

is seen as an important next 

step as the country adapts to the 

evolving COVID-19 situation and 

alert level systems. 

“Since March last year, we’ve had 

a number of incredibly robust health 

and safety measures in place across 

our business to help keep our team and 

our customers safe from COVID-19. 

However, with the Delta variant in 

our communities and the move away 

from an elimination strategy, it’s 

clear to us that we need to look at the 

further measures available to us to 

"As 

an 

essential service, 

supermarkets will 

be one of the very few 

places where proof of 

vaccination will not be a 

requirement of entry 

for the general 

public." 

keep our 

team safe. 

“ A s 

essential 

an 

s e r v i c e , 

supermarkets will be one of the 

very few places where proof of 

vaccination will not be a requirement 

of entry for the general public. That 

has the potential to pose a significant 

health and safety risk to our team 

and, as an employer, we must reduce 

that risk as much as we can. 

“The medical science is 

unequivocal - being vaccinated 

significantly reduces the risk of 

people contracting COVID-19 in the 

first place, from passing it on and 

from being hospitalised or becoming 

seriously ill from the virus. Our team 

members are our whānau and we 

want to make their workplace as safe 

as we can.” 

Countdown will undergo a 

consultation period with its team 

to understand any concerns they 

may have regarding the proposal, 

to gather feedback and to connect 

anyone who may be vaccine hesitant 

with independent health providers 

before making any final decision 

about its proposed policy. 

Kiwis can now own their 

own place on the Internet 

IWK BUREAU 

The majority of us don’t own 

anything on the internet, 

we simply use it as a way 

of accessing products and services, 

visiting websites and finding 

information. We create accounts, 

store our information and network 

or communicate with each other. Our 

personalised usernames and unique 

passwords give us a sense that it’s 

within our control, but it’s not. 

To solve this problem and give 

Kiwis their privacy back, Houm 

Technology has launched ‘Houm’, 

an innovative product that enables 

everyone to truly own a private space 

on the internet. 

“Three companies own 97 percent 

of all the data on the internet, 

including yours,” says Bijaei Jayaraj, 

Founder CEO of Houm Technology. 

“Houm enables you to own a truly 

private space on the internet and 

create your own small personal 

network - the Inner Circle. 

"Only those you allow to be a part 

of your Inner Circle can connect with 

you at your Houm – providing true 

approved communications access. 

A mobile number or email address 

can lead to unsolicited contact, but 

at Houm, you control who can access 

you,” he explains. “If you think your 

data is currently private, you’re 

wrong.” 

According to Jayaraj, the current 

solutions for privacy are grossly 

inadequate and do not provide true 

privacy. Technology giants continue 

to access everyone’s private data 

as the General Data Protection 

Regulation (GDPR) and others do 

not solve for privacy. 

Regulations, T&Cs, fines and 

penalties do not actually prevent 

access of private data, and any 

privacy solution without payment 

don’t work. 

Houm has changed this. 

Like our home in the physical 

world serves as a private place for 

each one of us, a digital houm is a 

private place on the internet for 

us, where instead of furniture and 

belongings, we can keep all our 

important digital assets safe – files, 

contacts, messages, pictures, notes, 

videos, documents, chats, digital 

interactions and all kinds of other 

digital possessions. No one else can 

come in, access or see what’s inside 

your digital houm. 

Houm Technology is a technology 

start-up based in Singapore with a 

vision to bring digital privacy back to 

consumers, by creating the concept 

of private, individual ownership of 

the internet. 

Houm Technology is co-founded 

and privately funded by Bijaei 

Jayaraj, Priya Jayarajan, Siddharth 

Sood and Smita Chadha, and is 

the second joint venture between 

these co-founders. The first venture 

was acquired for more than USD 

100million. 

पानी हमारी परवाह करता है, 

आइए पानी का परवाह करें

8 NEW ZEALAND 

Unemployment at record 

low but wage rise doesn’t 

keep up with inflation 

IWK BUREAU 

Unemployment has fallen 

to its lowest level on 

record and matching 

where it was in December 2007, 

according to Stas NZ. 

Stats NZ figures show the 

unemployment rate fell to 3.4 

percent in the September quarter 

from 4 percent in the June quarter, 

down 18,000 to 98,000 classed 

out of work. The last time it 

was under 100,000 was in the 

September 2008 quarter. 

Employment rose by 54,000 in 

the quarter, with women accounting 

for 39,000 of that. The employment 

rate for women was 64.6 percent, 

the highest rate ever recorded for 

women. The total number of people 

in work is now 115,000 above where 

it was in the December 2019 quarter 

before COVID. 

NZ’s employment rate is now 

the third highest in the OECD. 

On comparable measures, NZ’s 

3.4 percent unemployment 

rate stands against 4.6 

percent in Australia, 4.5 

percent in the United 

Kingdom, 5.1 percent 

in the United States and 

7.2 percent in Canada. 

The OECD average 

is 6.0 percent. 

The average hourly 

wage rose 3.5 percent to 

$35.25 an hour. 

“We recognise in particular prior 

to the Delta outbreak that some 

sectors were facing labour shortages. 

The Government is committed to 

addressing this through tweaks to 

immigration settings such as the 

rollover of working holiday visas and 

other short term visas. The one-off 



NZ workforce to benefit with new mental wellness app 

IWK BUREAU 

New Zealand based Alan 

Cox has been described as 

“a mental health changemaker 

on a mission to change the 

narrative around mental health and 

help millions of people achieve 

mental fitness.” 

With the launch of the groundbreaking 

mental wellness app, 

EverYellow, he is already helping 

individuals around the country and 

across the globe. 

Now, Cox is turning his attention 

to workplace stress and burnout, 

giving employers a truly effective 

tool to ensure a healthy, happy staff 

and increased workplace wellbeing. 

It isn’t just a great business 

idea. Cox truly has an insider’s 

understanding of how devastating 

setbacks – whether personal or 

professional – can be to an individual. 

A serially successful entrepreneur 

who suffered through decades of 

poor mental health, he shares how 

in spite of all his success, he also 

lived through a lot of major crashes 

residence pathway 

also provides 

certainty 

for up to 

165,000 to 

migrants 

a n d 

business,” 

Finance 

Minister Grant 

Robertson said. 

The Council of 

Trade Unions (CTU) has 

welcomed this development. CTU’s 

Economist and Director of Policy 

Craig Renney said, “One of the areas 

that the CTU has been concerned 

about in the recent data is the large 

number of New Zealanders who want 

more work but can’t get it. 97,000 

“This 

is welcome 

but shows that there 

is some way to go before 

we can state that we have 

reached full employment. Low 

unemployment, strong GDP 

growth, should be driving 

wages and the real incomes 

of New Zealanders 

workers higher 

- any one of which might have been 

crushing. He admits that he “hit rock 

bottom multiple times” - and even 

made numerous attempts on his own 

life. But every time, he’s managed 

to bounce back - with an incredible 

story of resilience and recovery from 

which we can all learn. 

Today, Alan believes that a 

thriving mindset is accessible to all 

of us, and it’s far easier to get than 

New Zealanders are underemployed, 

a fall of 11,000 since last quarter. 

“This is welcome but shows that 

there is some way to go before we 

can state that we have reached full 

employment. Low unemployment, 

strong GDP growth, should be 

driving wages and the real incomes 

of New Zealanders workers higher.” 

However, that does not appear 

to be the case as the latest Labour 

Cost Index released on November 

3 indicate: wages are up only 2.4 

percent for the year, while the cost of 

living is up 4.9 percent. 

Meanwhile the government’s 

coffers have swollen by a record 

$98 billion with has been the biggest 

beneficiary of the inflation with GST, 

business and personal taxes. 

we might realize. And now, thanks to 

his hard work, - ‘there’s an app for 

that!’ His extensive background in 

design thinking, problem solving and 

business paired with his traumatic 

past, repeated challenges, and his 

new found passion for neuroscience 

and positive psychology gave Alan a 

unique perspective. 

With this rare mix of talents, and 

extensive research, he created the 

Landlord to pay after child falls 

ill due to substandard housing 

IWK BUREAU 

A 

Christchurch 

landlord 

has been ordered to pay 

$38,626.12 after a Tenancy 

Tribunal hearing found multiple 

breaches that resulted in a child living 

at the home being diagnosed with 

rheumatic heart disease, following 

action taken by MBIE’s Tenancy 

Compliance and Investigations Team 

(TCIT). 

Landlords Anne and Roger 

Stocker, now residing in Australia, 

were found to have breached the 

Residential Tenancies Act 1986 

(RTA) by failing to maintain the 

property in respect of health and 

safety matters, failing to complete 

general maintenance, failing to 

appoint an agent while not residing 

in New Zealand, not lodging bonds, 

and not complying with smoke 

alarm requirements and insulation 

statement requirements. 

These breaches related to a 

Christchurch rental property housing 

a vulnerable Pasifika family over a 

number of years. 

The substandard conditions of 

the property are believed to have 

significantly contributed to a child 

developing rheumatic heart disease 

which will have a continuous impact 

on their life. The conditions affected 

the family in many ways including 

rooms being unusable due to their 

condition and tenants’ possessions 

having to be destroyed due to mould 

and dampness. 

Tenancy Compliance and 

Investigations National Manager 

Steve Watson said that the evidence 

of harm from the poor condition 

of the property shows landlords 

demonstrated deliberate wilful noncompliance. 

“There is no justification for the 

poor behaviour of the landlords, 

which amounted to serious 

exploitation. The landlords were 

ground-breaking EverYellow. 

“Whenever we hear or talk about 

mental health, it’s generally focussed 

on poor mental health. But the 

problem is that most people who 

have sub-optimal mental health don’t 

even realise it. 

"They just see themselves as being 

‘normal’ and this is just the way life 

is. So I want to change that, I want 

to help people see that their lives can 

aware of the condition of the 

property yet failed to take any steps 

to prevent harm to the occupants and 

showed no concern for the serious 

health implications on the young 

child living in the house. 

“The most concerning thing about 

this case is the length of time the 

tenants had to live in a substandard 

property which severely impacted 

their health and that of their young 

child, as well as their daily lives.” 

" 

The most concerning 

thing about this 

case is the length of 

time the tenants had to 

live in a substandard 

property which severely 

impacted their health 

and that of their young 

child, as well as their 

daily lives. 

The Tenancy Tribunal found that 

the landlords were aware of the 

breaches of the RTA that they had 

committed and continued to manage 

the tenancy in an unacceptable 

manner, without engaging or 

showing any willingness to remedy 

any of the harm and health problems 

they caused the tenants.. 

The tenancy was referred to TCIT 

by the Christchurch City Council 

(CCC). CCC had conducted their 

own investigation initiated by a 

Canterbury DHB referral, as a child 

who had been living at the property 

had been admitted to hospital due to 

their health condition. 

The Tenancy Tribunal finding 

states that a Senior Environmental 

Health Officer from CCC concluded 

that the premises were so affected 

by mould and damp as to be 

uninhabitable, and that on a scale 

of 1 to 10 where 10 was the worst 

measure, the premises were at level 

9 for inhabitability. 

be better, wherever they are mentally 

right now.” 

EverYellow is like no other 

wellness app on the market, It truly 

gives organizations a valuable lens 

into the wellbeing of their executives 

and workers in ways that truly 

unlock every human’s potential and 

maximizes business results across 

industries. 

Achieving genuine results 

is at the heart of everything 

the team at EverYellow does. 

“As a social enterprise, we’re not 

doing this to make money, we’re 

doing this to shift the wellbeing of 

millions of people around the world. 

If EverYellow didn’t produce solid 

results then we’d stop doing it. But 

it really works - and we’re so proud 

of that.” 

EverYellow is available at 

no cost from both Google Play 

and Apple App Store. The free 

version of the app is very 

comprehensive and is Cox’s 

way of making positive 

mental wellbeing accessible to 

anyone regardless of ability to pay.


NEW ZEALAND 9 

NZ research to help business 

adopt 3D printing wins award 

IWK BUREAU 

Police warn of 

IRD phone scam 

University of Auckland research into 

how companies can use 3D printing 

properly, to add value and improve 

lives, has won a leading global award against 

competition from the US, UK and Europe. 

The researchers, from the Creative Design 

and Additive Manufacturing Lab based in the 

Faculty of Engineering, won the Academic 

Research Team category of the 2021 3D 

Printing Industry Awards. 

“This is a huge booster for the whole 

team,” says CDAM Lab team lead Professor 

Olaf Diegel, from the Department of 

Mechanical Engineering. 

“It demonstrates that our research is being 

recognised and appreciated by the 3D printing 

community from around the world.” 

The awards are the largest in the additive 

manufacturing sector; winners are decided by 

public vote and this year more than 140,000 

votes were cast across the award categories. 

“The voters are real users and companies that 

use 3D printing to make our lives better. Their 

support is a great indicator that the work we are 

doing is the right work we should be doing,” 

says Professor Diegel. 

There were 10 team nominations in the 

research team category of the awards including 

Harvard University’s Lewis Lab, Aston 

University’s Meso-brain project (UK), the 

Manufacturing Technology Center’s Digital 

Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing 

facilities for UK aerospace and Northeastern 

University’s DAPS lab in the US. 

The focus of the research that won the 

CDAM Lab team members (from left to right): Dr Juan Schutte, Innovative Manufacturing and Materials 

Programme Co-ordinator Claire Barnsley, Professor Olaf Diegel and Simon Chan. Photo: Supplied. 

I 

f not used properly, 3D 

printing becomes a slow 

and expensive way of 

manufacturing. It must add 

value that is high enough 

to overcome significant 

costs. And adding that value 

through good design practices 

is exactly the area we are most 

specialised in, 

award for the CDAM Lab team is on helping 

companies adopt 3D printing (or additive 

manufacturing as it is also known) for the right 

applications and with the right design. 

“If not used properly, 3D printing becomes a 

slow and expensive way of manufacturing. 

"It must add value that is high enough to 

overcome significant costs. 

"And adding that value through good design 

practices is exactly the area we are most 

specialised in,” says Professor Diegel. 

He predicts a future where 3D printing is 

used to automate many of the design processes 

behind the technologies. 

“This will help users who may only know 

how to design for conventional manufacturing 

to quickly adopt the whole range of technologies 

and add true value to what they do. 

“As this level of automation increases, we 

will see more and more companies adopting the 

technologies for real production. 

"In fact, it could get to the point where 

companies who do not actively adopt and 

understand all advanced manufacturing 

technologies, including 3D printing, become 

disadvantaged.” 

Police want to warn people to be wary of 

another phone scam circulating at the 

moment. 

In this case callers receive a call from 

someone claiming to be the Inland Revenue 

Department who then attempts to obtain the 

victim’s credit card information. 

The phone number the scammers use is a 

New Zealand number, however it’s likely the 

offender is offshore. 

These kinds of scams run constantly and 

while most people will not respond or buy into 

them, some people are more vulnerable. 

We urge people to have conversations with 

vulnerable or elderly family members, to help 

ensure they are aware of the tactics often used 

by scammers and don’t become victims. 

Please remember that government agencies 

will never contact you out of the blue and ask 

for your password, credit card or bank details. 

Police’s message on scams like this is simple 

– do not engage with anyone on the phone if 

you think you are being scammed – hang up 

immediately and report the incident. 

If you are in doubt as to a caller’s legitimacy, 

ask if you can call them back, or just hang up. 

Anyone who believes they are a victim of 

a scam, in person, over the phone or online, 

should immediately report it to their bank, and 

then to their local Police. 

Smart money choices made simple. 

We’ll help you find the sweetest mortgage deal whether it’s your first home or 

investment property, and arrange the best insurance to suit your needs. 

Mortgage services 

Home loans 

Construction loans 

Refinances and restructures 

Top ups & debt consolidation 

Commercial & Business loans 

Insurance 

Life, Trauma 

Medical/Health 

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Business 

Income Protection 

Call us today 

0800 21 22 23 

86 Highbrook Drive, 

Level East 1, Tamaki, 3/53 Cavendish Auckland Drive 2103 

Manukau

10 NEW ZEALAND 



‘This campaign is the 

biggest we’ve created 

for Indian media... the 

first in Hindi’ 

IWK BUREAU 

A 

quarter of a million Kiwis claim 

Indian descent and are one of 

the fastest growing ethnicities in 

New Zealand. A recent report put their 

contribution to the NZ economy at $10 billion 

and counting. Kiwi Indians form part of 

nearly every sphere of activity in NZ – from 

information technology, health, academics 

and the sciences to management, governance, 

politics – and business. 

Kiwi marketers have recognised the value 

and vibrancy that Kiwi Indians bring to the 

growing diversity of life in Aotearoa New 

Zealand. 

In recent times, there has been a steady 

growth in communication and messaging 

directed specifically at the Kiwi Indian 

customer. 

Indian Weekender recently caught up with 

Jules Lloyd-Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, 

Mitre 10, to find out how one of NZ’s most 

recognised and respected brands sees the Kiwi 

Indian market, having embarked on a Hindi 

campaign in the Indian weekender coinciding 

with Diwali. 

Is this the first time that Mitre 10 targeted 

a campaign at the Indian diaspora in NZ 

through an Indian media channel like Indian 

Weekender? How and Why did Mitre 

WHO approves India Covid 

vaccine for emergency use 

RNZ 

The World Health Organisation 

(WHO) has granted approval 

for emergency use to India’s 

government-backed Covid-19 vaccine, 

Covaxin. 

The vaccine was approved in India in 

January while the third phase of clinical 

trials was still under way, sparking some 

concern and criticism. 

Bharat Biotech, which makes the 

vaccine, has since published data 

suggesting 78 percent efficacy. 

The WHO said in a tweet it believed the 

benefits far outweighed the risks. 

Some experts had pointed to a fast-track 

approval and incomplete data, but the 

firm’s chairman, Dr Krishna Ella, said the 

vaccine was “200% safe”. 

The WHO’s expert panel, which 

authorises emergency approvals, had asked 

for more data last month while examining 

the application Bharat Biotech had filed in 

July. 

The vaccine was recommended for use 

in two doses, with a dose interval of four 

weeks, in all age groups 18 and above 

Covaxin had 78% efficacy against Covid 

19 of any severity, 14 or more days after 

the second dose, and is extremely suitable 

for low- and middle-income countries due 

to easy storage requirements 

Available data on vaccination of 

pregnant women with the vaccine are 

10 arrive at this decision? 

We recognise that New Zealand’s 

population dynamic has evolved significantly 

in the last few years, particularly in our urban 

areas. Our store teams are reflective of the 

diversity within their communities, as our 

customers, and it’s important to us to recognise 

and embrace the many cultures that make 

Aotearoa such a great place to live. We believe 

it’s important to connect with our customers, 

new and existing, in the places and media they 

prefer. We’ve been producing content and 

promotions specific to different audiences for 

some time and, while its early days, we’re also 

broadening our language capabilities. 

This campaign is the biggest we’ve created 

for Indian media channels and the first time 

we’ve communicated with Indian customers 

in Hindi. It’s an exciting milestone. 

Given that most Indians are quite 

comfortable with their knowledge of English, 

what was the reason for choosing Hindi in the 

messaging? 

We wanted to acknowledge the importance 

of Diwali by respectfully adopting Hindi to 

communicate with Kiwi Indian communities 

at this special time. 

Has Mitre 10 had ethnically-focused 

campaigns before ethnic events or festivals? 

We’ve been celebrating events, festivals 

and occasions that are meaningful to our 

insufficient to assess vaccine safety or 

efficacy in pregnancy 

The approval will also be a relief 

to the tens of millions of Indians who 

have received the vaccine - India has 

administered more than 105 million 

Covaxin doses so far - and a fillip for 

Bharat Biotech. 

Covishield, the Indian-made version of 

Astrazeneca, remains the most popular in 

India, accounting for most of India’s 810 

million innoculations. 

It has been approved by the WHO, but 

was recognised by the UK only after a 

refusal to do so sparked anger in India. 

India has so far fully vaccinated more 

than 253 million people - about a quarter 

of its eligible population. 

And some 653 million people - about 

70percent - have had at least one dose of a 

Covid vaccine so far. 

From our family to yours. 

Brighten your Diwali with us. 

mitre10.co.nz 

customers for some time, although Covid has 

brought challenges and disruption this year 

and last. Diwali is obviously a very important 

cultural event for the Indian community, 

and we wanted to recognise that. We’ve also 

celebrated Chinese New Year, Matariki and Te 

Wiki o Te Reo Māori this year. 

How important do you see Kiwi Indians as a 

customer segment for tailored advertising and 

Urdu-Hindi Association elect new team 

IWK NEWSDESK/ SYED MUJEEB 

Auckland based Urdu Hindi Cultural 

Association of New Zealand, an 

organisation that promotes amity among 

communities of the Indian subcontinent and respect 

for Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi languages, has picked 

a new team of officials for 2022-23. 

Roopa Suchdev QSM, known for her oratory in 

both languages and her Roopa Aur Aap Charitable 

Trust that counsels victims of family violence, was 

re-elected to the post of President. She will steer the 

destiny of the Association for two years. 

Along with her, many other champions of 

community social welfare were also chosen for 

a two-year term, ensuring greater stability and 

consistency 

Among them were M A Haq (Vice-President), 

Mujeeb Syed Hyderabadi (General Secretary), 

Tahseen Sultana (Treasurer), Ghouse Majeed 

(Events Manager), Roshni Chadha (Women’s 

Affairs) and Patrick Bennett (Media). 

The Meeting held in West Auckland on 1 

November also chose an Executive Committee 

comprising Shiv Bhagirath, Nafees Akhtar, Suman 

Kapoor , Mohammed Sharique, Mohd Ayub Khan, 

Sachin Kumar and Inderjeet Bajwa. Many of 

the officials retained their post of previous years 

unopposed. Ex- Member of Parliament Kanwaljeet 

Singh Bakshi will continue as the Patron of the 

Association. 

Mr Hyderabadi said that the Association has been 

conducting regular classes in Urdu and Hindi for 

younger members of various communities and for 

the benefit of language enthusiasts in Auckland. 

“The Association provides a great opportunity for 

people to learn and improve their Urdu and Hindi 

languages and the understanding of the respective 

Jules Lloyd-Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, 

Mitre 10 

promotions going forward? 

The Kiwi Indian community is very 

important to us. We are working to develop 

content and promotions tailored to many 

different audiences, but it’s important we get it 

right so we’re trying new approaches, testing 

and learning, and asking our customers for 

feedback to help us improve. We want to be 

relevant and we want them to know we’re with 

them all the way on their DIY journey. 

All of our customer segments are growing... 

Many Kiwi of different ethnicities and 

backgrounds have embraced DIY and 

gardening, especially since the pandemic 

began. Some are beginners, some are DIY 

winners – regardless of skill level, we’re 

looking to inspire all our customers to love 

where they live, work and play. 

literature and encourages critical thinking. These 

classes can benefit people to interact in these 

languages,” he said. 

He said that the Association also conducts 

Mushaira, Kavi Sammelan and Sham-E-Ghazal 

programmes every year to preserve and promote 

culture and heritage. 

Ghouse Majeed said that this year’s event will 

be held on Saturday, 29 January 2022, at Fickling 

Convention Centre, 546 Mount Albert Road, Three 

Kings. 

“This event is free for all and the highlight would 

be sessions in Urdu and Hindu poetry, the release 

of our Literary Magazine, ‘Dhanak New Zealand 

2021’ and dinner,” he said. 

Mr Majeed said that as well as people from the 

literary world, the annual event will be attended by 

Members of Parliament and community leaders. 

We expect more than 250 men and women. This 

Programme is growing in stature,” he said.


FEATURES 11 

AVINASH SEN 

It is official. Facebook is now called Meta. 

To be clear though, it is only the company 

that changed its name, the social media 

platform is still called Facebook. 

Which makes sense, since at this point, 

Facebook has become a household name, like 

Coke or iPhone. 

So basically, Facebook is owned by 

Meta, kind of like how Google is owned by 

lphabet Inc. 

By now, everyone has heard or seen the news 

about the name change. Which is why I have 

decided to focus on something else. 

As you might know, the word Meta 

comes from the word Metaverse; something 

Facebook’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, is quite 

excited about and has been hyping up quite a 

bit. However, that brings up the question: what 

is the Metaverse? 

Why is it important? And why is it so 

important to Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook? 

Let’s look into it. 

The Metaverse 

The Metaverse is a concept, it includes 

combining almost all the aspects of the 

internet, like social media, augmented reality, 

virtual reality, online gaming and even 

cryptocurrencies, and letting all users interact 

with it virtually or maybe even through 

augmented reality. 

The metaverse is supposed to be a shared 

virtual network that people can access through 

the internet. 

It’s like the online or digital twin of the real 

world, maybe even an extension of it. Real life 

locations like an office building or a property, 

are all replicated in the Metaverse. 

The term was first used in the book ‘Snow 

What is Facebook’s Metaverse? 

Crash,’ written by sci-fi writer Neal Stephenson. 

In it, people had avatars who interacted with 

each other in a 3D virtual world. 

Other works of fiction that had concepts of 

a metaverse in some form are Neuromancer, 

Ready Player One and the Matrix trilogy. 

So far, one of the closest things we have 

gotten to something like a real life metaverse 

are online platforms like VR-Chat, MMORPGs 

(Massively Multiple Online Roleplaying 

Games) like World-of-Warcraft, The Elder 

Scrolls Online, Roblox, Final Fantasy XIV 

online and Augmented Reality platforms like 

Pokemon GO. 

The only reason why these platforms can’t 

be considered a proper Metaverse is either 

because they do not support Virtual reality or 

Augmented reality, because they must limit the 

amount of users who can enter a server, and they 

sometimes need to shut down for maintenance. 

A true metaverse however, is not supposed to 

have any such restrictions. 

The Metaverse can be considered the next 

step in digital technology, just like how the 

internet followed networked computers, and 

how the mobile internet (accessing the internet 

via mobile technology like a smartphone) 

followed the use of laptops and computers. 

At present, there are still some problems that 

are preventing the Metaverse from becoming a 

reality, like: 

• Resources. We currently do not possess 

enough resources to create a persistent 

digital twin of the real world. 

• VR sets. Most VR sets cost a lot of money, 

and as such not everyone can own them like 

they would a computer or a smartphone. 

Plus, while the technology has made great 

strides, it’s still in its infancy. 

• AR capabilities. Similar to virtual reality, 

augmented reality technology is still in 

its infancy. It too has made great strides 

(Pokemon Go is a fine example) but it still 

isn’t enough to make a true Metaverse yet. 

Now you might be asking yourselves, if 

we are still facing these limitations, why is 

Facebook pushing it so hard? 

Where does (the former) 

Facebook come into all of this? 

Mark Zuckerberg has invested heavily in 

VR and AR technology, and has directed a fifth 

of the company’s employees to working on it. 

The company had acquired Oculus - a company 

that specialises in virtual reality technologies 

- in 2014, and it has put considerable effort 

in developing VR headsets, AR glasses and 

wristband technologies. 

It also plans on investing even more money 

($50 million) with organisations that will help 

create the Metaverse 

Why? It may be because of how many people 

use their services. 

Right now, the company has billions of users 

in their various platforms (Facebook, Instagram 

and WhatsApp). The pandemic has been a time 

of reckoning, where the use of social media 

platforms has skyrocketed. 

Once the Metaverse does take off, more 

and more people will start using it, so Mark 

Zuckerberg probably wants to make sure they 

have a headstart in this. 

It is risky though, the company is already 

facing heavy criticism in terms of being 

harmful to the youth, and there is no way to 

say for certain that the company will succeed or 

persist in the years to come. 

So, are you ready to live, work and play in 

the virtual world? 

One thing is for sure, Mark Zuckerberg is 

willing to take the risk and wants to make sure 

that they are on top when the future catches up 

to the present. 

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Editorial 

Why not a 

philosophical 

approach to 

climate change? 

In the run up to COP26 in Glasgow, a hard-hitting viral video showed a straight-outof-Jurassic-Park 

Tyrannosaurus Rex lumbering towards the world’s most exalted 

podium in the United Nations’ Assembly Hall. 

Having asked a startled human if he was OK, T. Rex proceeds to deliver a sobering 

speech to the assembled world leaders about how climate change is leading to another 

round of extinctions. 

“At least we had a meteor to blame,” T. Rex said. However, we have only ourselves to 

blame. Scientists say we’re ominously close to the doomsday clock’s apocalyptic final 

dong. We will return to T. rex a little later in this piece. 

The rate at which species in our own neck of the woods here in New Zealand are 

disappearing while habitats are being destroyed by human activity at alarming rates 

lend credence to the growing belief that we are well into the sixth mass extinction. 

As you read this, representatives from nearly 200 countries including New Zealand 

and India are attending the COP26 summit in Glasgow (31 October-12 November). 

Scientists, environmental activists, politicians and an entire generation of young people 

believe that the event will be an important and decisive opportunity for concrete efforts 

to achieve the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement – the most important of which is to 

limit anthropogenic global warming to 1.5 degrees by the turn of the century. 

The signs however are far from encouraging, notwithstanding the great naturalist 

Sir David Attenborough’s diehard but charmingly infectious optimism both on our TV 

screen and at Glasgow. 

The rate at which humanity is spewing air pollutants, mainly greenhouse gases, into 

the atmosphere, we are in line to reach that target as early as in the next decade or 

two, which will leave a shrunken, severely waterlogged world for our children and 

grandchildren. 

Which is why children have turned out in such great numbers from all over the 

world at the Glasgow summit. These kids have been delivering soul-stirring speeches, 

impromptu and straight from 

the heart many times, imploring world leaders to do whatever it takes to rein in 

carbon emissions so that they can inherit a better world left so utterly degraded by the 

past couple of generations in pursuit of unbridled growth driven by little more than 

capitalist greed. 

The T. Rex video is a metaphor in more ways than one: It’s like a real extinct dinosaur 

talking to a roomful of leaders asking them not to think and act like dinosaurs (at least 

as depicted by Hollywood), destroying and eating everything in their path. It’s time 

leaders gave up their dinosaur-like approach to dealing with climate change. 

The climate crisis is a direct result of what happens when an incredibly weak and 

defenceless mammal evolves an exceedingly well-developed brain capable of great 

intelligence and an incredible capacity for conceptualisation. 

Intelligence helps create tools and the gift of conceptualisation the ability to tell 

stories and create beliefs. 

It is this combination of the two that has led to this weak, defenceless mammal gaining 

supremacy over its environment, destroying everything in its path in pursuit of a story 

of success, acquisition and consumption that it has created through the concept of 

capitalism, where the sole yardstick of so-called success is selfishly cornering resources 

for oneself at the expense of the greater good of others. 

Fortunately, the young people who have turned up at Glasgow are not turned on by 

the ostentatious consumption of the capitalism-fuelled boomer generation. They well 

know that they are dealing with a more dire and immediate situation that threatens their 

world, their wellbeing, their livelihood – their life itself. 

Assets, money, acquisitions are less important for them than creating a better world for 

themselves with the right fundamentals – like simply striving for a cleaner environment. 

There is enough in the world and in nature to fully support every human’s need but 

there is never enough to satisfy human greed. 

Knowing that and being aware of it at all times is a strong enough of a cornerstone to 

build all policy and strategy toward building an equitable world. That would be a well 

worth trying bottom-up approach to sticking to the 1.5 degree limit. 

Thought of the week 

"Nature has given us all the pieces required 

to achieve exceptional wellness and health, 

but has left it to us to put these pieces 

together.”—Diane McLaren 

5 November - 11 November 2021 

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu 

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This week in New Zealand’s history 

Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 35 

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

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

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

the views of the team at the Indian Weekender 

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

Printed at Horton Media, Auckland 

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and 

sun 

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and 

sun 

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and 

showers 

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Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved. 

A few 

morning 

showers 

21° 

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6 November 1908 

Last spike completes North Island main trunk railway 

A few 

morning 

showers 

26° 

17° 

Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward ceremonially opened the North Island main trunk railway 

line by driving home a final polished silver spike at Manganuioteao, between National Park 

and Ohākune. 


The Acheron arrives to survey New Zealand waters 

The paddle-wheel sloop was one of the first steamships in New Zealand waters. Under the 

command of Captain John Lort Stokes, Acheron surveyed the coastlines of Cook Strait and 

the South Island until March 1851. 


Public Service Act passed into law 

The Public Service Act was passed into law, creating a framework for New Zealand’s 

bureaucracy that was to endure until 1988. 


Last unclimbed face of Aoraki/Mt Cook conquered 

Long-haired Christchurch mountaineers John Glasgow and Peter Gough became the first 

people known to have scaled the 2000-m Caroline Face of Aoraki/Mt Cook. They declared 

it a ‘triumph for the hippies’. 


New Zealand Centennial Exhibition opens 

More than 2.6 million people visited the New Zealand Centennial Exhibition, which ran for 

six months at Rongotai, Wellington. It was the centrepiece of the centennial of the signing 

of the Treaty of the Waitangi. 


Cook observes transit of Mercury 

James Cook helped his astronomer Charles Green observe the transit of Mercury at Te 

Whanganui-o-Hei (Mercury Bay), Coromandel Peninsula. 


White New Zealand policy introduced 

New Zealand’s immigration policy in the early 20th century was strongly influenced by 

racial ideology.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 05, 2021 FIJI 13 

Bainimarama reassures UK of Fiji’s 

readiness to welcome visitors 

IWK BUREAU 

We are ready to welcome 

people back to our shores 

and we are entirely 

confident in our ability to manage the 

risk associated with quarantine-free 

travel. 

This was the reassurance made 

by the Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe 

Bainimarama while officiating at the 

Reset Fiji Tourism programme in 

Glasgow, Scotland Friday. 

Prime Minister Bainimarama said 

we are in an excellent position to 

reopen our borders. 

“With the lives and livelihoods of 

our people at stake, we vaccinated 

more of our population over a faster 

timeline than almost any other 

country. 86% of adults in Fiji are 

fully vaccinated and 96% have one 

dose, making us the safest we have 

Fiji PM Voreqe Bainimarama urges world leaders to deliver on the Hope of Glasgow 

to stay within 1.5. Picture: Twitter/PSIDS 

been since the pandemic began,” he 

said. 

“From 1 December, Fiji will be 

welcoming visitors from an exclusive 

list of travel partner countries and 

yes, that list include the United 

Kingdom. Fully vaccinated travellers 

who have spent at least ten days here 

in the UK can arrive to the airport 

with a recent negative PCR test result 

and then hop on the plane to Fiji. 

“Upon arrival, they can head 

straight to the hotel they have booked 

and enjoy all of the amenities on-site. 

We’ll require an additional Day 2 

test, as you do here in the UK, before 

they are granted free reign of travel 

safe areas in Fiji. We’ve made the 

best of Fiji available to our visitors, 

the best of our beaches, our reefs, our 

forests, and waterfalls. It will all be 

open.” 

“The Fiji Airways team have been 

awaiting this day for months and 

they are more than ready to fly you 

safely to our shores,” he said. 

“They have the highest possible 

SKYTRAX 5-Star COVID-19 

Airline Safety Rating and the 

Diamond certification by the Airline 

Passenger Experience Association 

or APEX to show for it. Our hotels 

are ready and our people’s renowned 

hospitality is as wonderful as you 

have heard or remember.” 

The Prime Minister is in Glasgow 

to attend the climate negotiations 

at COP26 - a meeting that could be 

our last, best chance to drive serious 

action to stop the abuse that has 

changed the climate and, in turn, 

devastated our island communities. 

Eight of 671 Fiji Covid dead were fully vaccinated, obesity played a big role 

FIJI VILLAGE 

Eight of the 671 people who died from 

COVID-19 in Fiji were fully vaccinated. 

Fiji’s Permanent Secretary for Health, 

Doctor James Fong says this comes to 1.2% of the 

total deaths. 

He said the ministry continues to monitor the 

success rate of vaccination as assessments show 

hospitalisations, severe cases and deaths from 

COVID-19 have dropped as vaccination rates went 

up. Doctor Fong said it is also important for people 

to work on getting fit as obesity played a big role 

in the eight fully vaccinated people that have died. 

He says we have to be mindful of this as the 

third wave will be from breakthrough infections 

meaning people getting COVID-19 even after they 

have been vaccinated. 

Doctor Fong also says it would be the height 

of stupidity for the Health Ministry to reduce the 

COVID-19 testing just to match the narrative of 

opening the borders. 

He says they worked off the number of 

hospitalisations, deaths and the fact that we have 

good vaccination coverage. 

The Permanent Secretary says it also makes 

sense that they can’t hold the whole country down 

because a small group of people do not wish to get 

vaccinated. 

PM pushes for $100B 

climate funding 

The world’s climate 

commitment cannot be 

complete without larger 

nations coming through on the $100 

billion funding. Prime Minister 

Voreqe Bainimarama has told global 

leaders at COP26 in Scotland that 

adaption funding is vital to the 

survival of low-lying islands and 

future generations. 

He also says events like COP, 

designed to address the threat of 

climate change cannot be squandered 

away for the benefit of nations who 

have taken no action to reduce their 

carbon footprint. 

“We Pacific nations have not 

travelled to the other end of the world 

to watch our future sacrificed at the 

altar of appeasement of the world’s 

worst emitters. The existence of our 

low-lying neighbours is not on the 

negotiating table. 1.5 is alive, it is 

possible.” Bainimarama adds the 

target of limiting global warming to 

1.5 degrees is achievable if leaders 

show determination. 

“Humanity does not lack the 

resources, technology projects or 

innovative potential to achieve it. 

All that is missing is the courage 

to act, the courage to choose 

our grandchildren’s future over 

shareholder greed and corporate 

carbon-driven interest.” 

He has called on the world 

to summon the will to secure a 

commitment that will begin a cleaner, 

greener and bluer revolution. 

The PM has numerous other 

engagements later tonight, including 

at the launch of infrastructure for 

resilient island states. 

Fiji Airways progresses first female as widebody aircraft captain 

Captain Seini Koroitamana Cornish becomes first female A330 Captain for Fiji’s National Airline 

Fiji Airways has announced the 

promotion of its first ever female to 

command a widebody aircraft. Captain 

Seini Koroitamana Cornish has progressed as a 

Fiji Airways A330 aircraft Captain, becoming 

the first female in the National Airline’s 70- 

year history to do so. 

Captain Koroitamana Cornish was both 

excited and humbled at this achievement: 

“Achieving the command position on the 

A330 is really just the beginning of this new 

journey. I look forward to the challenges that 

come with commanding a wide-body aircraft.” 

Captain Koroitamana Cornish started her 

qualification process for command in March 

2021, undertaking the required simulator 

sessions at the Fiji Airways Aviation Academy 

under the guidance of Fiji Airways’ highly 

qualified Check and Training Captains. S 

he undertook her required ‘line’ checks 

over 18 sectors on the Fiji Airways A330 

aircraft. She is now qualified as to be Pilotin-Command 

for the Airbus A330-200 and 

Airbus A330-300 aircraft types in the Fiji 

Airways widebody fleet. 

Captain Koroitamana Cornish thanked 

her family for their support. She also paid 

tribute to her late father, the late Mr Jone 

Koroitamana, who was a former CEO of the 

Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji CAAF: “My 

father naturally was my biggest inspiration 

because of his aviation background, 

experience and understanding. 

My mother provided the much-needed push 

in my early years. 

"She is a wise and strong woman whose 

strength and guiding hand has always inspired 

our family to push through life’s challenges. 

And as the youngest in my family, my older 

siblings have been my greatest support in my 

journey.” 

Fiji Airways Managing Director and CEO, 

Mr Andre Viljoen congratulated Captain 

Koroitamana Cornish on her accomplishment: 

“This is a proud day for all of us at Fiji Airways. 

Progressing any Fijian into a command 

position of any aircraft is special, but having 

our first female Captain of a widebody aircraft 

is historic and remarkable. 

Captain Seini Koroitamana Cornish’s 

promotion to A330 command is a trailblazing 

achievement for women in aviation, not just in 

Fiji but the South Pacific as well. 

"Already a highly accomplished 

pilot, Captain Seini continues to shatter 

" 

This is just reward for 

Captain Koroitamana 

Cornish’s perseverance. 

She has rose through the 

ranks as a First Officer on 

the narrowbody aircraft 

and now becomes our first 

widebody aircraft captain. 

She has most definitely 

earned it. We can provide 

all the training and all 

the opportunities but 

ultimately it’s up to the 

individual on how to they 

take those opportunities." 

the glass ceiling.” 

Mr Viljoen added: “We’re able to progress 

qualification and training of our highly capable 

Fijian pilots right here at home because the 

Full Flight Simulators and facilities at the Fiji 

Airways Aviation Academy. 

Without the Academy and its Simulators, 

we would have to send Seini and other 

pilots abroad, which would be logistically 

next to impossible given the border 

restrictions in place. 

"We are obviously delighted that the 

Academy is already contributing to milestone 

achievements like this one for Captain 

Koroitamana Cornish. 

What a statement for gender equality 

and what a great message! It’s a 

momentous occasion.” 

Fiji Airways Chief Pilot and Executive 

Manager Flight Operations, Captain Aaron 

Dean said: “This is just reward for Captain 

Koroitamana Cornish’s perseverance. 

"She has rose through the ranks as a First 

Officer on the narrowbody aircraft and now 

becomes our first widebody aircraft captain. 

She has most definitely earned it. 

"We can provide all the training and all 

the opportunities but ultimately it’s up to 

the individual on how to they take those 

opportunities.” 

Captain Koroitamana Cornish has been with 

Fiji Airways for 16 years, starting in 2005 

as a Second Officer on the Boeing 747-400 

aircraft. Over the years, she has progressed 

to a First Officer on the Boeing 737, Boeing 

767 and Airbus A330 aircraft. She has 

recently been Captain on the narrowbody 

Boeing 737 aircraft.

14 NEW ZEALAND 



History being made with world’s 

first vaccine against Malaria 

BY AVINASH SEN 

Mosquitoes are one of the most 

annoying pests this world has to 

offer. They whine in your ears, feed 

on your blood and leave itchy welts. 

And if all that wasn’t bad enough, they are 

also carriers/spreaders of disease, one of them 

being the life threatening Malaria. 

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites 

that are transmitted through mosquito bites. 

In 2019, it is estimated that there were 229 

million cases of the disease worldwide, and 

409,000 deaths caused due to it. Children 

who are 5 years and under, are most 

vulnerable to the disease. 

The malaria parasite can fool our immune 

system time and again and not allow it to make 

antibodies against the disease. It also has a 

lifecycle that is only half in humans and the rest 

in the mosquito. That is what made it so hard to 

make an effective vaccine against it. 

Although it is a problem worldwide, a 

disproportionately large portion of malaria 

cases happen in Africa. 

Thankfully, Malaria is preventable and 

curable; however many who are affected by 

it do not have access to the proper services 

needed to treat it. 

But that might change soon. After nearly a 

century of trying, humanity has finally created 

a vaccine against malaria. 

The vaccine - called RTS,S - is unique not 

only because it is the first vaccine against 

malaria, it is the first vaccine that works against 

a parasite. 

The WHO Director- 

General, Dr Tedros 

Adhanom Ghebreyesus 

said, “This is a historic 

moment. The longawaited 

malaria 

vaccine for children is a 

breakthrough for science, 

child health and malaria control.” 

"This 

is a historic 

moment. The 

long-awaited malaria 

vaccine for children is a 

breakthrough for 

science, child health 

and malaria 

control." 

RTS,S was proven to be effective six 

years ago. It underwent a pilot immunisation 

programme to test it out in Malawi, 

Kenya and Ghana. 

In the words of the Director-General, this 

vaccine, “could save tens of thousands of 

young lives each year.” 

The BBC reported that the Ghana trial was 

piloted by Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, who 

was in charge of assessing the feasibility of 

mass-vaccination. The doctor is very familiar 

with malaria, having contracted it many times 

when he was a child. 

He told the BBC, “It is quite an exciting 

moment for us; with large scale vaccination I 

believe the malaria toll will be reduced to the 

barest minimum.” 

The pilot studies have provided the WHO 

with the following findings. 

Delivery of the vaccine is feasible, even in 

the context of the pandemic. 

It has a strong safety profile, with over 

2.3 million doses given to date across 

three African countries. 

It is cost effective. 

It shows a 30% reduction in severe 

malaria cases. 

There has been no impact on other health 

seeking behaviours among families who 

have been vaccinated, including using 

bednets, other vaccines for children, or health 

visits for febrile illness. 

There is a downside however. Unlike most 

childhood vaccines, RTS,S requires a series 

of four shots given to children from the age of 

five months. And it is 40% effective, after all 

4 doses. 

Also, the vaccine won’t be used outside 

of Africa, as there are different variants of 

the parasite that the vaccine cannot protect 

against. It is only effective against Plasmodium 

falciparum as of now. 

Despite this, it is a cause for celebration as 

this is an important first step towards saving the 

lives of many from Malaria. 

The vaccine was developed by the 

pharmaceutical company GSK, and is the 

result of 30 years of work. Funding for its 

development was provided by The Bill 

& Melinda Gates Foundation between 

2001 and 2015. 

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NEW ZEALAND 

Over a ton of colour to be used at 

Krishna Holi 2021 event in Kumeu 

The Indian Weekender Friday, February 12, 2021 11 

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD 

T 

he biggest Holi event in the country 

on Sunday, February 14 at ISKCON 

Temple in Kumeu will put over one 

ton of colours for 10,000 visitors to play with 

celebrating the annual Hindu festival. 

Holi is one of the most popular and widely 

celebrated festivals for the Indian community 

after Diwali that is celebrated by the diaspora 

and the adjoining communities across the globe. 

The annual festival of colour falls on March 

28-29 this year, and the religious element of the 

festival signifies the triumph of good over evil. 

It is observed a the end of winter and advent of 

spring month (in the Indian subcontinent), and 

spiritual part of the festival starts with Holika 

Dahan (burning demon Holika) also known as 

Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi. 

In its 9th year, Krishna Holi event at the 

iconic Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West 

Auckland attracts thousands of people from all 

walks of life, different ethnicities and faiths to 

be a part of a colourful and joyous event. 

Speaking with the Indian Weekender, 

Krishna Chandra from the temple said they are 

excited to see the festive season of Holi back 

after a gloomy year of Covid-19 in the country. 

“Holi at the Krishna Temple is one of the 

most vibrant events in our calendar- we see 

families dressed white clothing visi the temple 

and then dance and drench in dry and wet 

colours from noon till early evening,” Krishna 

Chandra, secretary and spokesperson of Hare 

Krishna Temple said. 

The temple spread over 100 acres start the 

free event at 11 a.m. and will have stalls that 

distribute at least ten to 12 colours, and there 

will also be watercolours for the visitors. 

A giant LED screen is also installed on the 

stage with a DJ and live music for the attendees 

to dance and have fun. 

“It’s a family-friendly- tobacco and alcoholfree 

event. People of all ages can have fun as 

there will be colour stalls, water stations, food 

stalls, changing rooms, showering stations for 

people drenched in colour,” Mr Chandra said. 

He added tha the temple stocks colours to be sanitisers are in place for people, arrangements 

used at the festival at least 2-3 years at a time. for children activities, so that everyone gets to 

The temple will be used over a ton of colour at enjoy the even to its fullest. 

the event both in its dry form and with water. “We have volunteers, security to usher 

“We have given 200 kgs of colour to fire vehicles to park in the appropriate places, 

brigade who will mix it in their water tank manage the oncoming and returning traffic, 

and then splash it on the visitors at different and make sure visitors feel comfortable at the 

intervals. 

event,” Mr Chandra added. 

“Since this year’s event coincides with The event organisers have appealed the 

Valentine’s Day, we have kept valentine theme visitors to come in white dress as colours tend event like previous years will be high octane, 

gifts and gift station too at the venue for the to exhibit its vibrancy on white clothing, get full of energy and good vibes,” Mr Chandra 

public to celebrate the occasion there,” Mr spare clothing to change after playing with added. 

Chandra added. 

colour and food and water arrangements have ISKCON Temple is located on 1229 

Mr Chandra says all arrangements in been made a the venue. 

Coatesville-Riverhead Highway, Kumeu, West 

terms of Covid QR Code scanning and hand “Hol is always a fun event and Krishna Holi Auckland, and the event starts at noon to 5 p.m. 

Hare Krishna temple to host ‘Saatvik food festival’ 

RIZWAN MOHAMMAD 

T 

he Hare Krishna Temple in Kumeu, West Auckland 

is hosting its annual food festival event on Saturday, 

February 13, for the community. 

More than 3000 people are expected to attend the event 

where they will be served saatvik vegetarian food, tour the 

temple premises and have a relaxing family-fun day. 

“Our Hare Krishna Food Festival is very popular amongs the 

wider Kiwi community in Auckland, people from all faiths and 

ethnicities come to the temple, take a tour of the place knowing 

about the deities, the ISKCON establishment, its works for the 

community and have snacks and food during the day,” Krishna 

Chandra, secretary and spokesperson for Hare Krishna temple 

told the Indian Weekender. 

The event is said to be quiet, and exhibit a relaxing 

environment where people get to meet new people, make 

friends, experience the calmness being with nature, have 

Saatvik (pure) vegetarian food and have good family day. 

“This event is happening just one day before our most 

popular Krishna Holi event which is will be loud, full of energy, 

playfulness, music and dance,” Mr Chandra added. 

The events will start at 2 p.m. and end at seven in the evening. 

Besides the food festival, Krishna Temple organises lunch 

event every Sunday at its premises where 300-400 people 

come, chant mantras, meditate, spend some time with nature 

and dine with the community members. 

“It is a soothing atmosphere at the temple, chanting mantras 

with the community, knowing more about the religion, what 

can they do a the temple and how can they make a difference in 

the community by serving others and the less privileged. 

“There are also children’s activities 

organised so that they engage themselves 

and also have a good time at the temple,” Mr 

Chandra said.


INDIA 15 

India, Israel, UAE and US 

creating a new economic forum 

IWK Exclusive 

AVINASH SEN 

What do India, Israel, UAE and 

USA have in common? 

The four countries have decided to 

create a new economic forum, one 

where the new ‘quad’ will cooperate 

for the benefit of each other’s economic future. 

This will include exploring ideas for projects 

involving joint infrastructures in transportation, 

maritime security, Big Data, technology, trade 

and of course economics. 

During a five-day visit to Israel, India’s 

external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar 

accompanied his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid 

on a virtual meeting with US Secretary of State, 

Antony Blinken and United Arab Emirates 

Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed 

Al Nahyan held on 18th October 2021. 

During the course of the meeting, the four 

leaders exchanged their views regarding 

concerns in the region. 

After the meeting, minister Jaishankar 

tweeted out the following, “A fruitful first 

meeting with Israeli APM and FM Yair Lapid, 

UAE FM Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al 

Nahyan and US Secretary of State Antony 

Blinken this evening. Discussed working 

together more closely on economic growth and 

global issues. Agreed on expeditious followup.” 

A joint statement at the end of the meeting 

stated that the leaders have decided that they 

would each appoint senior-level professionals 

into a joint working group who would put 

together different options for cooperation in 

the areas that were discussed. 

Minister Yair Lapid said this after the 

Modi says India targets net zero emissions by 2070 

India’s prime minister on Monday used the 

COP26 climate talks to announce 2070 as 

the target for his country to reach net zero 

carbon emissions, two decades beyond what 

scientists say is needed to avert catastrophic 

climate impacts. 

Narendra Modi defended India, however, as 

having stuck to its climate pledges “in spirit and 

letter” and noted that his country contained 17% 

of the world’s population but was responsible 

for only 5% of global emissions. 

Modi told other world leaders that India 

would increase the share of renewables in its 

energy mix from about 38% last year to 50% 

by 2030. 

A COP official welcomed the 2030 pledge 

but expressed surprise at the 2070 goal, 

which is beyond China’s net zero target of 

2060. The official, who spoke on condition of 

anonymity, said there was hope India might 

meeting, “Around this virtual table, there 

is a unique set of capabilities, knowledge 

and experience that can be used to create the 

network that we all want to see created.” 

“I think the word we’re looking for here 

is synergy, because this is what we’re going 

to try and create starting with this meeting. 

Synergy that will help us work together on 

infrastructure, digital infrastructure, transport, 

maritime security and other things that 

preoccupy us all.” 

He also added, “The key to success is how 

quickly can we move from ‘government-togovernment’ 

to ‘business-to-business.’ How 

quickly can we turn this into a working process 

that will put boots on the ground, changing 

infrastructure around the world.” 

Minister Jaishankar cited the fight against 

the Coronavirus as an example of the benefits 

such cooperation could have. 

He said, “I think it is very clear that on 

the big issues of our times we all think very 

similarly and what would be helpful would be 

if we could agree on some practical things to 

work upon.” 

bring 2070 forward. Only last week, India, 

currently the world’s third-biggest emitter of 

greenhouse gases after China and the United 

States, rejected calls to announce a net zero 

carbon emissions target. 

It said it was more important for the world to 

lay out credible pathways to reduce emissions. 

The United States, Britain and the European 

USA’s Blinken reportedly said, “I think that 

is what this gathering is about. Sitting here in 

Washington, I can say very simply that with 

Israel, the UAE and India, we have three of 

our most strategic partners. And given so many 

overlapping interests – energy, climate, trade, 

regional security – this seems like a really 

interesting and good idea to try and use this 

new format. And by bringing friends together 

in new ways, we are making these partnerships 

even greater than the sum of their parts.” 

UAE’s Al Nahyan thanked Blinken and 

Lapid for “proposing the idea” of creating 

the forum. He said that businesses would be 

surprised at the opportunities this would bring 

and should keep an eye out for how the trading 

community responds. “Minister Jaishankar 

is an old friend, I could say, but also India 

and UAE have such a strong and diverse 

relationship,” Al Nahyan said. 

This is a big step for the four countries and 

could bring about major changes in the world’s 

economic environment in the future. We shall 

have to wait and see what this new forum will 

bring, and the possibilities are immense. 

Union have set a target date of 2050 to reach 

net zero, by which point they will only emit 

an amount of greenhouse gases that can be 

absorbed by forests, crops, soils and nascent 

“carbon capture technology”. 

China and Saudi Arabia have both set 

targets of 2060, but critics say these are largely 

meaningless without tangible action now. 

Scientists say the world needs to halve global 

emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 

to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. 

In his speech, Modi also called for a global 

push to adopt sustainable lifestyles. 

“Instead of mindless and destructive 

consumption we need mindful and deliberate 

utilisation,” he said, citing consumer choices in 

areas from packaging to diet. 

“These choices, made by billions of people, 

can take the fight against climate change one 

step further,” he said. 

Indian-origin UK minister 

behind bringing world to 

limit global warming 

The man behind bringing nearly all 200 

nations into a common cause -- to adapt 

to the effects of climate change and 

limit the rise in average global temperature to 

1.5 C as required by the 2015 Paris Agreement 

-- is an Indian-origin UK minister. 

Born to Hindu parents in Agra and moving 

to the UK in 1972, Alok Sharma was appointed 

President for COP26, the 26th United Nations 

Climate Change Conference, on January 8. 

\Since then Sharma has been on his toes, 

travelling across the globe to set the agenda for 

the summit. 

This year COP is being held under the 

presidency of the UK and is being hosted in 

Glasgow from October 31 to November 12. 

This is the largest event of its type that the 

UK has ever hosted. The climate talks bring 

together heads of state, climate experts and 

campaigners to agree to coordinated action to 

tackle climate change. 

At the climate summit, which began amidst a 

series of reports and studies warning that urgent 

action is needed to keep the Paris Agreement’s 

goal of limiting global average temperature 

increases to 1.5 C within reach, Britain will 

be leading the formal negotiations and will 

have oversight of the overall COP package and 

vision, including political declarations. 

Climate negotiators told IANS it would 

have been a big task for Sharma, who has been 

working closely with the backing of the Prime 

Minister to get countries to commit to new 

pledges to tackle the climate crisis, to enable the 

developing countries that require technological 

and financial support so they can leapfrog 

the dirty development path and increase their 

resilience to climate impacts. 

Prior to entering Parliament, Sharma 

qualified as a chartered accountant with 

Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte, and then worked 

for 16 years in banking. 

Sharma was in New Delhi in August for 

discussions with ministers and leaders from 

industry and civil society on collaboration on 

climate action. 

At that time, Sharma, who holds the post of 

minister of state at the UK Cabinet Office, said 

India had a vital role to demonstrate renewed 

action under the Paris Agreement. 

“India’s leadership, including through 

the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and 

Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure 

(CDRI), is hugely important as we look to build 

global resilience ahead of COP26 and beyond,” 

he had said 

India’s Oct exports rise over 42%, imports over 62% 

India’s merchandise exports in October rose 

to $35.47 billion, higher by 42.33 per cent 

on a year-on-year basis, preliminary data 

showed on Monday. 

Exports in October 2020 had stood at 

$24.92 billion. According to data furnished 

by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, 

in comparison to October 2019, last month’s 

exports rose by 35.21 per cent. 

“India’s merchandise exports in October 

2021 were at $35.47 billion, an increase of 

42.33 per cent over $24.92 billion in October 

2020 and an increase of 35.21 per cent over 

$26.23 billion in October 2019.” 

“Value of non-petroleum exports in October 

2021 was $30.27 billion, registering a positive 

growth of 29.63 per cent over non-petroleum 

exports of $23.35 billion in October 2020 

and a positive growth of 32.84 per cent over 

non-petroleum exports of $22.79 billion 

in October 2019.” Besides, value of nonpetroleum 

and non-gems and jewellery exports 

in October 2021 registered a positive growth 

of 27.54 per cent to $26.05 billion over nonpetroleum 

and non-gems and jewellery 

exports of $20.43 billion in October 2020. 

As per the data, India’s merchandise imports 

last month increased by 62.49 per cent to 

$55.37 billion over $34.07 billion in October 

2020 and an increase of 45.76 per cent over 

$37.99 billion in October 2019. 

“Value of non-petroleum imports was $40.94 

billion in October 2021 with a positive growth 

of 45.82 per cent over non-petroleum imports 

of $28.07 billion in October 2020 and a positive 

growth of 44.87 per cent over non-petroleum 

imports of $28.26 billion in October 2019.” 

“Value of non-oil, non-GJ (gold, silver & 

precious metals) imports was $32.42 billion in 

October 2021 with a positive growth of 39.29 

per cent over non-oil and non-GJ imports of 

$23.27 billion in October 2020 and a positive 

growth of 30.72 per cent over non-oil and non- 

GJ imports of $24.8 billion in October 2019.” 

Consequently, trade deficit last month rose 

by 117.38 per cent YoY to $19.90 billion from 

$9.15 billion while it increased by 69.29 per 

cent when compared to $11.75 billion reported 

for October 2019. ICRA’s Chief Economist 

Aditi Nayar said: “The merchandise trade 

deficit compressed only modestly to $19.9 

billion in October 2021, from the recordhigh 

$22.6 billion in September 2021, with a 

heartening sequential uptick in non-oil exports, 

accompanied by a decline in oil imports after 

the spike seen in the previous month.

16 

TIME OUT 

Friday, November 05, 2021 The Indian Weekender 

CROSSWORD FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

NO: 90 

ACROSS------------, 

1) Life of_ (carefree 

existence) 

6) Flat-bottomed open boat 

11) "Shogun" sash 

14) Apparently amazed 

15) Country of over 1 billion 

16) Car tracking digits (abbr.) 

17) Gain experience 

20) Doubter's outbursts 

21) Like most NBA players 

22) Calorie-rich pastry 

23) 67.5 degrees, on a compass 

24) Retail center 

25) Fence repairer 

26) Bronco catcher 

28) Deafening noise 

29) Find in a mine 

30) Hole in your head 

34) Bums of documentaries 

35) Provider of wide-angle 

shots 

KEEP WATCH 

37) One way to get the gravy 

38) Former or previous 

39) Affectionate utterance 

40) Cape_ (cottage style) 

41) Olympic prize 

45) Greyhound alternative 

4 7) Crossing the Atlantic 

50) Day before a holiday 

51) Dutch shoe 

52) "_ go bragh" 

53) Hai ry jungle creatures 

54) Maryland state flowers 

57) Be in pain 

58) Model of perfection 

59) "Beetle Bailey" character 

60) "2001" mainframe 

61) From Oslo, e.g. 

62) More likely 

28th February 

DOWN 

1) "Friends" female 

2) Big lizard 

3) Woodworker's machines 

4) Classic poetry 

5) Japanese currency 

6) Twine fiber 

7) Bell sound 

8) Short poem (var.) 

9) "Fee_ foe furn" 

10) Enrich 

11) Goes too far 

12) Marsh heron 

13) "Psst!" follower 

18) Airport stat. 

19) Billion years 

24) Cow sounds 

25) Prefix meaning "one thousandth" 

27) Quick cut 

28) Attempt to lose weight 

31) Prepared Bond's martini 

32) Work the bar 

33) "The Catcher in the _" 

34) Santa's seat? 

35) Gridiron game 

36) Mme. Bovary 

37) Hom of Africa nation 

39) "Rock the_" (The Clash hit) 

40) Birch tree spike 

42) Make an exit 

43) Exact retribution 

44) Not as great 

46) Legendary elephant eater 

4 7) Vicinities 

48) Move like a crab 

49) Coast Guard officer (abbr.) 

52) You right now, theme-wise 

53) " ... and make it fast!" 

55) Tokyo, long ago 

56) Place with a president 

ANSWERS CROSSWORD NO: 90 

FreeDailyCrosswords.com 

ACROSS------------, 

1) Life of_ (carefree 

existence) 

6) Flat-bottomed open boat 

11) "Shogun" sash 

14) Apparently amazed 

15) Country of over 1 billion 

16) Car tracking digits (abbr.) 

17) Gain experience 

20) Doubter's outbursts 

21) Like most NBA players 

22) Calorie-rich pastry 

23) 67.5 degrees, on a compass 

24) Retail center 

25) Fence repairer 

26) Bronco catcher 

28) Deafening noise 

29) Find in a mine 

30) Hole in your head 

34) Bums of documentaries 

35) Provider of wide-angle 

shots 

KEEP WATCH 

1R 21 3L 4E S y 

1A G A 

1i: u T 

,.. A 

N 

AB 

LA 

I L 

,.. A L 

58 

1 

37) One way to get the gravy 

38) Former or previous 

39) Affectionate utterance 

40) Cape_ (cottage style) 

41) Olympic prize 

45) Greyhound alternative 

47) Crossing the Atlantic 

50) Day before a holiday 

51) Dutch shoe 

52) "_ go bragh" 

53) Hai ry jungle creatures 

54) Maryland state flowers 

57) Be in pain 

58) Model of perfection 

59) "Beetle Bailey" character 

60) "2001" mainframe 

61) From Oslo, e.g. 

62) More likely 

N 

E 

------- 

D E A 

6 

N OR s 

HITORI NO: 90 

I N 

T H 

T E 

E R 

N E 

s lJ SAN s 

5 

SARGE 

6 

hP TE R 

28th February 

DOWN 

1) "Friends" female 

2) Big lizard 

3) Woodworker's machines 

4) Classic poetry 

5) Japanese currency 

6) Twine fiber 

7) Bell sound 

8) Short poem (var.) 

9) "Fee_ foe furn" 

10) Enrich 

11) Goes too far 

12) Marsh heron 

13) "Psst!" follower 

18) Airport stat. 

19) Billion years 

24) Cow sounds 

25) Prefix meaning "one thousandth" 

27) Quick cut 

28) Attempt to lose weight 

31) Prepared Bond's martini 

32) Work the bar 

33) "The Catcher in the _" 

34) Santa's seat? 

35) Gridiron game 

36) Mme. Bovary 

37) Hom of Africa nation 

39) "Rock the_" (The Clash hit) 

40) Birch tree spike 

42) Make an exit 

43) Exact retribution 

44) Not as great 

46) Legendary elephant eater 

47) Vicinities 

48) Move like a crab 

49) Coast Guard officer (abbr.) 

52) You right now, theme-wise 

53) "... and make it fast!" 

55) Tokyo, long ago 

56) Place with a president 

Eliminate numbers until there are no duplicates in any row or 

column. Eliminate numbers by marking them in Black. You are 

not allowed to have two Black squares touching horizontally or 

vertically (diagonally is ok). Any White square can be reached 

from any other (i.e. they are connected). 

SUDOKU SOLUSIONS AND ANSWERS NO: 90 

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 

1. Which planet has the most moons? 

Saturn 

2. What part of a plant conducts 

photosynthesis? Leaf 

3. How many elements are in the periodic 

table? 118 

4. Where is the smallest bone in the 

human body located? Ear 

5. How many hearts does an octopus 

have?3 

05 November to 11 December 2921 | By Manisha Koushik 

ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20) 

You are likely to remain in control of whatever 

you are involved in. Misunderstandings 

threaten to colour your mind, if you take them 

to heart. Solemnising the wedding of a sibling 

or child cannot be ruled out. A property matter, 

pending for long, will proceed smoothly and get 

your dream house registered in your name. You 

may visit someone who had been very close to you in childhood. 

Celebratory mood prevails at home and will prove infectious! 

Lucky No.: 2 / Lucky Colour: Electric Blue 

6. Who discovered penicillin? Alexander 

Fleming 

7. Queen Elizabeth II is the longest 

reigning monarch of the UK, followed 

by Queen Victoria – but who is third? 

George III 

8. Which two houses were involved in the 

War of the Roses? York, Lancaster 

9. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, 

beheaded, survived – who was Henry 

VIII’s last wife? Catherine Parr 

10. Which year did the European Union 

first introduce the Euro as currency? 

1999 

11. What is the capital of Bulgaria? Sofia 

12. What is the capital of New Zealand? 

Wellington 

13. Beirut is the capital of which country? 

Lebanon 

14. What is the capital of Canada? Ottawa 

Manisha Koushik is a practicing astrologer, tarot card reader, numerologist, vastu and 

fengshui consultant based in India with a global presence through the online channels. She is 

available for consultations online as well. E-mail her at support@askmanisha.com or contact 

at +91-11-26449898 Mobile/Whatsapp: +91-9716145644 • www.askmanisha.com 

LEO (JUL21-AUG 20) 

You are likely to enjoy the company of your loved 

ones. Yoga and meditation promise to counter 

moodiness, so go for it. Innovative ideas at work 

are likely to win the week for you. You will 

remain on solid ground, as far as academics are 

concerned. Profits increase for those pursuing a 

business venture. Don’t be too trusting of anyone on the romantic 

front. Those driving will be better off avoiding heavy traffic.Lucky 

No.:5/ Lucky Colour: Olive Green 

15. Hanoi is the capital of which country? 

Vietnam 

16. What is the capital of Argentina? 

Buenos Aries 

17. The capital of Iceland is? Reykjavik 

18. Slovakia’s capital is? Bratislava 

19. What’s the capital of Belgium? 

Brussels 

20. What is the capital of Brazil? Brasilia 

SAGITTARIUS (NOV 23-DEC 21) 

Someone who is close to you may seek your 

support. Those awaiting exam results can expect 

to do well. An award or recognition awaits 

those in the media industry. Money will pose 

no problems despite your splurging! You will be 

able to convince the family on your ideas and get 

full support. Person you are in love with will offer you something 

you just can’t refuse! A break in your busy schedule will be most 

welcome. Lucky No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Magenta 

TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20) 

This week you had been waiting for has finally 

arrived, so look your best. Getting tied up in holy 

matrimony is strongly indicated in your stars. 

Other commitments may not allow you to devote 

full time at work, so delegate what you cannot 

carry out. Something may prove a drain on your 

finances, but little you can do about it. Your near 

and dear ones may compel you to change your plans, so get set for a 

rollicking time! Lucky No.: 9 / Lucky Colour: Maroon 

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21) 

This proves to be a special week for you on 

the social front. Something that you have 

accomplished on the academic front will come 

in for praise. You are likely to enjoy good rapport 

with everyone on the professional front, due to 

your helpful attitude. Domestic harmony prevails 

and will give you an opportunity to let your hair 

down. Promising investment opportunities come your way on the 

financial front. A physical activity will keep you fit. Lucky No.:11 

/ Lucky Colour: Purple 

CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20) 

The events unfolding week may leave you beaming 

and smiling from ear to ear! You will manage to 

impress one and all by your planning and eye for 

detail. People will extend a helping hand, even 

without your asking for it. Attending or organising 

a wedding or function is on the cards. You will 

manage to get the paperwork completed for acquiring property. 

Financial stability can only come, if you start cutting corners. 

Keep up your exercise regimen. Lucky No:8 / Lucky Colour: 

Dark Grey 

VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23) 

This week has finally dawned when you need to 

look your best. You are likely to be surrounded 

by friends your well wishers. A few surprises are 

in store for you on the social front. You are likely 

to impress everyone around you by your quick 

wit and mild manners. Wedding for the eligible 

is indicated and will be a gala affair. Much sharing and caring is 

foreseen on the romantic front. Health remains excellent. Lucky 

No.: 3 / Lucky Colour: Lemon 

LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23) 

You will be on the right lines, as far as making 

a choice is concerned. Going on a vacation 

with family will prove immensely exciting. 

Neglecting professional or academic front may 

prove most unfavourable. You can be ticked off 

for your extravagant ways. Your weakness for 

junk food is likely to tell on your health. Someone you are attracted 

to is likely to make the first move. Your interfering nature is likely 

to upset friends. Lucky No.: 22 / Lucky Colour: Turquoise 

SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22) 

An opportunity to meet your near and dear ones 

may present itself. You are likely to reorganise 

yourself at work. Completing a challenging 

task successfully will add to your professional 

reputation. Family will be more than responsive 

to your needs. Monetary condition is likely to 

improve for some. An outing with friends and family is in the 

pipeline. You may show the right path to someone going wayward. 

Expect total bliss on the romantic front. Lucky No.: 8 / Lucky 

Colour: Dark Blue 

CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21) 

This is the time to go all out for something you 

want desperately to achieve. You can expect 

an excellent time with family on a vacation. 

Shopping for exotic things will be fun. You will 

enjoy spending time with loved ones. Your talents 

are likely to be recognised at work. Romantic 

bonds are set to become stronger through your 

own efforts. A change in eating habits is required to remain 

energetic. You may pick up an interesting hobby. Lucky No.: 1 / 

Lucky Colour: Crimson 

AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19) 

You may have to keep someone at an arm’s length, 

if you want to retain your peace of mind. Those 

in the upper tax bracket will need to manage their 

finances well. Finding a superior in good mood 

can encourage you to project your request. A lot 

of wedding-related activities will soon happen on 

the domestic front. You will win over lover by your gift of the gab. 

A chance to accompany someone on a journey is possible. Lucky 

No.:9 / Lucky Colour: Red 

PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20) 

Something you have started will need your time and 

energy for completion. Hurdles on the professional 

front cannot be ruled out. You will be able to reap 

rich dividends in an overseas investment. Spouse 

can feel burdened and may not appear his or her 

happy self. An office love can distract you and 

make you lag behind at work. Those travelling abroad will need 

to be careful of their belongings. Don’t rake up the past under any 

pretext. Lucky No.:4 / Lucky Colour: Indigo


FEATURES 17 

FASHION AND BEAUTY 

Accessories for your 

spring and summer 

FOZIA YUSUF 

Accessories give more importance 

to your style and preferences. They 

also offer unlimited opportunities for 

clothes, helping you to look the best. Clothes 

take up more space physically in your closet 

and clothes, but accessories are important 

details to complete each appearance. 

WHY FASHION ACCESSORIES 

ARE IMPORTANT? 

Fashion accessories are perfect to enhance 

your look on every occasion. 

Let’s You be more Expressive. 

Brings out your Personality to amplify and 

stamp who you are. 

Fashion accessories are your personal 

fashion stylist. 

Creates different looks for you. 

Saves you money as you can recycle them 

with different outfits 

And it’s always exciting and fun to create 

new looks. 

The trending accessories for 

spring & summer 

your eyes from harmful rays and what better 

way to do so. Tinted sunglasses are the perfect 

stylish way of doing so. So many new ranges 

can be found for men and women. 

Rings 

donation. Well sisters it is about time we use 

those bags as they have landed in fashion 

this summer. A total cool beach bag look, the 

fluorescent ones look great. 

BRACELETS MADE OF NATURAL 

STONE- FOR MEN 

Natural 

stone is a 

beautiful 

and durable 

material 

for beaded 

bracelets, and it 

comes in a wide variety 

of colours. You can swim with 

a natural 

stone bracelet without damaging it. Perfect 

for summer. 

Beaded bracelets have been very popular for 

quite a while now. 

The great thing about beaded bracelets is 

that you can wear just one if you want to go 

with a simple and subtle look, or you can mix 

and match yourself with a layered bracelet for 

a trendier and more eye-catching look. layered 

bracelets have been in recently, and by making 

sure that the beads are made of natural stone. 

Can be worn on any occasion. 

COTTON CANDY-COLORED BAGS 

Watches never go out of style. The style of the 

watch on your wrist tells other people a lot about 

your lifestyle. It is good to have a variety for 

every occasion. 

And what’s most appealing is a watch on a 

guy’s wrist. Go with a simplistic choice when 

buying watches for this spring/ summer season. 

It’s a must-have accessory for men. 

THICK CHAIN NECKLACES 

Men’s chains are gaining popularity each 

year. A chain comes in different styles and sizes 

what I like on guys is a and thinner longer one 

if you’re looking for something subtle, or if you 

want to create a statement can go with a thicker 

one for more volume. 

Silk Hair scarfs & headbands 

Chunky clay rings have been gracing the 

Instagram feeds lately and you can DIY your 

ring. These chunky babies stand out and add 

to the statement look for this summer. Try 

different colours this season. 

Net Bags 

I love handbags and it has been a hobby to 

collect different colours. 

The Theme for the season has been 

bubblegum pink, mint green, and lemon drop 

yellow. It will be a perfect addition to summer 

accessories. 

WATCHES 

Dark Brown Metallics 

Gold has always trended, but this year we 

wanted something more a little different than 

we got introduced to chocolate gold. 

These beauties are a must-have you can buy 

necklaces and earrings and bracelets in this 

tone and the look is very sleek and modern. 

If you felt gold was a bit gaudy for you. Then 

this is the tone for you. 

Tinted Sunglasses 

Summer is gracing us soon and it’s time to 

spend more time outdoors, you need to protect 

Remember 

going to do 

shopping at the 

cotton shop and you 

get that string bag, and the money goes for 

IF you have been wearing your 

hair in a bun or ponytail for the 

majority of Lockdown like me It is 

a norm for us right now ladies, we’re 

all doing it, but to make some effort to 

get that normal life feeling I have started 

using my scarfs to tie my hair. Luckily 

silk headbands and hair ties make it easy to 

accessorize with some added class. 

Pic Credits Instagram

18 ENTERTAINMENT 

Friday, November 05, 2021 The Indian Weekender 

Most popular movies on Netflix right now 

Venom 

a frightening adventure that forces him to 

confront the demons of his past. 

Joker 

Vivo 

Fresh out of college and starting her 

first job in New York, Alice (Dakota 

Johnson) splits from her longtime 

boyfriend to discover herself and to learn ‘How 

To Be Single’. Helping her along the way is her 

hilarious colleague Robin (Rebel Wilson) and 

her big sister Meg (Leslie Mann). 

The Water Man 

If you’re a Marvel Comics fan, then you’ll 

want to line up a viewing of Venom stat. It 

follows Eddie (Tom Hardy), a journalist who 

is investigating a company called the Life 

Foundation, whom he suspects is doing a series 

of illegal—and very deadly—human trials. 

The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf 

This psychological thriller based on the DC 

Comics character of the same name was 

one of the biggest movies of 2019—scoring 

11 Oscar nominations, winning Best Actor for 

Joaquin Phoenix. The plot goes like this: In 

1981 Gotham City, a struggling, mentally ill 

comic Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) battles to be seen, 

walking the streets seeking human connection. 

Sweet Girl 

This animated musical adventure featuring 

songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda 

(Hamilton and In the Heights) follows Vivo, 

a one-of-kind kinkajou (a rainforest “honey 

bear,” voiced by Miranda), who spends his 

days playing music to the crowds in a lively 

square with his beloved owner Andrés. Though 

they may not speak the same language, Vivo 

and Andrés are the perfect duo through their 

common love of music. 

How To Be Single 

Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) sets out on a quest 

to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) 

by searching for a mythic figure who possesses 

the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After 

enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, 

Jo, they journey together into the remote Wild 

Horse forest—but the deeper they venture, 

the stranger and more dangerous the forest 

becomes. 

Rocketman 

The world of The Witcher expands in this 

anime origin story: Before Geralt, there 

was his mentor Vesemir—a swashbuckling 

young witcher who escaped a life of poverty 

to slay monsters for coin. But when a strange 

new monster begins terrorising a politically 

fraught kingdom, Vesemir finds himself on 

Everyone’s favourite action man Jason 

Momoa is back with this action thriller that 

will get your heart racing. Sweet Girl follows 

devoted family man Ray Cooper, who vows 

justice against the pharmaceutical company 

responsible for pulling a potentially life-saving 

drug from the market just before his wife dies 

from cancer. 

Rocketman follows the life of one of the 

world’s greatest showmen, Elton John, from 

his early days performing rock music at empty 

pubs to the moment his world changed—when 

he met music manager John Reid and was 

catapulted to a world of fame and chaos. 

Most popular movies on Amazon Prime right now 

Jennifer's Body 

The Descent 

Cassius Clay, Eli Goree), Sam Cooke (Leslie 

Odom Jr.), and Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge) spent 

a night in a quiet Florida hotel room. 

Coming 2 America 

Regard prize and earned widespread acclaim 

as a robust and old-fashioned melodrama 

willingly rooted in the traditions of the Old 

Hollywood genre. 

The Neon Demon 

It took a decade and some change, 

but Jennifer’s Body is finally being 

vindicated as a cult classic and ahead-of-itstime 

horror-comedy thanks to the power of the 

internet (and, in all honesty, the rise of Megan 

Fox on social media). Which was far, far too 

long for this movie to get the credit it deserves. 

The Social Network 

Before Neil Marshall started directing 

action-packed episodes of your genre 

favs a la Game of Thrones and Westworld, 

the filmmaker delivered two of the great 

monster movies of the 21st century with Dog 

Soldiers and The Descent, the latter of which 

is destined to go down in the books as a horror 

classic of its time. 

Do you love Coming to America? Good 

news, so do the folk who made Coming 

2 America, the new sequel arriving exclusively 

on Amazon Prime Video this month. 

Invisible Life 

One Night in Miami 

The Social Network was already an 

exceptional, fascinating film when 

it arrived in 2010, but in the aftermath of 

Cambridge Analytica, “Pivot to Video,” and all 

the other society-changing scandals that have 

plagued Facebook in the decade since, now it’s 

an absolutely essential film. And it arguably 

plays better, hits harder, and grows ever more 

impressive with each passing year. 

Regina King makes a commanding 

directorial debut with One Night in Miami, 

an understated historical drama set during a 

meeting of extraordinary minds, when Malcolm 

X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Muhammad Ali (then 

Looking for a lush, sumptuous melodrama? 

Set your sights on Invisible Life, the new 

Amazon original that follows two close-knit 

sisters torn apart by life and the patriarchy in 

1950s Brazil. Invisible Life debuted at Cannes 

last year, where it took home the Un Certain 

N 

icholas Winding Refn certainly 

knows how to make a divisive movie. 

Like Only God Forgives before it, Refn’s Neon 

Demon was jeered at Cannes and met with 

split response from critics and moviegoers 

alike. That's not too surprising. It's explicit and 

nebulous, and seemingly dedicated to make the 

audience as uncomfortable as possible as often 

as possible. It's also staggeringly beautiful, but 

leave it to Refn to make a shallow movie about 

the pitfalls of being shallow.


FEATURES 19 

BREAST CANCER 

Test early for your protection 

POOJA BHATT (MIGRANT HEALTH 

GROUP, MBCHB III) 

Did you know breast cancer is the most 

common cancer in New Zealand 

women and the third most common 

cancer overall? Breast cancer affects 1 in 9 

women over their lifetime [1]. 

On average, 8 New Zealand women will 

be diagnosed with breast cancer today [1]. 

Most will live for five years or longer if the 

cancer is diagnosed early, but more than 600 

women die from it each year [1]. In India, 

162,468 new cases of breast cancer were 

identifiedin 2018 [2]. 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness 

Month, and I want to take this opportunity to 

spread awareness about breast cancer and to 

remind you that early detection is the best way 

to fight breastcancer. Breast cancer occurs when 

there are changes called mutation in genes that 

regulate breast cells development and growth, 

causing cells to divide abnormally [3]. 

As the number of cells increases, they 

form into a mass [3]. We don’t know what 

causes these mutations but, they could be 

caused by lifestyle or environmental factors. 

This includes, but is not limited to, UV light, 

smoking, and viral infection. 

Cancer can occur in the lobules, ducts, 

or the fatty tissue of the breast [3]. Lobules 

are milk-producing glands, while ducts are 

the channels that transport milk from the 

glands to the nipple [3]. 

The cancer cell is able to spread from 

the breast to other parts of the body via the 

lymphatic system orbloodstream. Symptoms of 

breast cancer include a breast lump, thickening 

of the tissue, inverted or crusty nipple, a bloodstained 

discharge from the nipple, breast pain, 

and changes in breast shape [1]. If you have any 

of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean 

you have breast cancer. A benign cyst (noncancerous 

fluid-filled sac within the breast), 

for example, can cause pain or a lump in your 

breast. With that being said, it is important to 

see your doctor have itchecked. 

Breast cancer can strike at any age, although 

it is most frequent in women aged 50 to 70 [1]. 

If you have a family history of breast cancer, 

you are at a higher risk [1]. Other risk factors 

for breast cancer include having a family 

history of breast cancer and a genetic risk such 

as BRCA1 BRCA2 gene mutations. 

Breast cancer can impact the lives of women 

in many ways. In the Indian context, a woman 

is traditionally expected to fulfil various roles 

in the family, including being a wife, mother, 

and mother-in-law, each with some significant 

responsibility in the family. However, the ability 

of the women to fully these responsibilities 

can be hindered during the course of breast 

cancer treatment [2]. Similar too the cancers, 

breast cancer canal so impact the entire family 

emotionally andfinancially. 

Despitebeing one of the most life-threatening 

diseases, breastcancerisoftenoverlooked back 

home. Cultural and religious concerns mean 

that women do not utilise health services, are 

hesitant to consult male doctors, neglect their 

health due to home responsibilities, and are 

over-reliant on other family members help. 

Even today, women do not discuss personal 

matters about their bodies with their husbands, 

fathers or brothers. All of these contribute to a 

delay in detection and diagnosis and, therefore, 

a low survival rate inIndia. In New Zealand, 

there is a national breast screening programme 

called BreastScreen Aotearoa. This programme 

offers womenaged 45-69 free screening 

mammogramse very two years to check for 

early signs of breast cancer in women. A 

mammogram is a safe, low dose x-ray of the 

breast that detects very small breast cancers 

before any signs or symptoms are noticed 

[4]. When cancer is detected early, there is 

a strong likelihood of less and successful 

treatment. This means, early detection through 

a mammogram can reduce the chance of dying 

from breast cancer. 

There is also a range of support services 

for women experiencing breast cancer, such 

as Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Cancer 

Society NZ, Breast Cancer Support NZ, 

and Shocking Pink. The Breast Cancer 

Foundation NZ has developed an app called 

‘PreCheck’,which allows women to use the 

irphone to ‘self-check’for signs o fbreast cancer 

[5]. When asymptom is found, the app notifies 

users via vibrations and pop-ups, prompting 

them to learn more about the symptom and to 

look for other signs[5]. 

The risk of breast cancer can be reduced 

by making diet changes, maintaining an 

active lifestyle, limiting alcoholic drinks and 

not smoking. Studies show that curcumin in 

turmeric and lignan in black til has anti-cancer 

effects, such as preventing the growth of breast 

cancer cells. Selenium found in sunflower seeds 

hasal so shown to be an important antioxidant 

to prevent breast cancer. Eating more fruits 

and vegetables, particularly cabbage, broccoli, 

carrots, and spinach, has many health benefits 

including, lowering the risk of breast cancer. 

Other fibre rich foods such as whole grain, 

nuts and oats help reduce the level of oestrogen, 

which is thought to be one of the causes of 

breast cancer. Undoubtedly, exercise is one 

of the best things you can do to stay healthy. 

Being physically active is associated with 

decreased breast cancer risk by regulating 

insulin and oestrogen. It is high time we 

raise more awareness about breast cancer 

and support women tol ower their risk of 

breast cancer, be screened and seek medical 

attention. I urge you to support this movement 

to help uplift women in need by reminding 

your loved ones to get mammograms, educate 

others about breast cancer risk factors and 

support/resources available, and reduce 

stigma through encouraging discussion about 

breast cancer. Together we can help protect 

womeneverywhere. 

Disclaimer: This article was written by 

a student doctor from the University of 

Auckland Migrant Health Group. The 

information and opinions expressed in the 

article are not a reflection of the Indian 

Weekender, University, our employers 

or any DHB. We hope that you find them 

useful. Always chat to your GP or specialist 

if you have any concerns. 

New Zealand to India 

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info@sehiontours.com 

www.sehiontours.com 

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From our family to yours. 

Brighten your Diwali with us. 

mitre10.co.nz

The Indian Weekender 05 November, 2021

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