Final Draft 12 November 2021

12NOVEMBER2021 • VOL 13 ISSUE 36
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2 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, November 12, 2021
The Indian Weekender
No word yet on NZ vax certificates
for people fully vaxed in India
IWK Exclusive
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH &
DEV NADKARNI
As the New Zealand government
implements its Covid-19 protection
framework starting off with the traffic
light system, it is simultaneously considering
options to lower restrictions and put in place
protocols as it proceeds toward opening
its international borders. However, several
questions as regards international travel remain
unanswered at this point in time.
The government is still working on both
its digital domestic and international vaccine
certificate/ vaccine passport, with the domestic
certificate due for launch sometime this month.
According to the official Covid-19 website,
from late November 2021, everyone in NZ
will be able to access a digital vaccination
certificate.
New Zealanders will be required to use the
certificates in the same way as Covid-19 Tracer
App. Under the Government’s new traffic
light system, it would be required to scan the
QR codes on the vaccine certificates almost
everywhere one goes – be it events, restaurants
or retail stores.
But there is no word yet from the government
if its Ministry of Health will issue vaccine
certificates to incoming residents who have
been double vaccinated while overseas.
When Indian Weekender queried the
Ministry of Health on how people who got
their vaccine overseas would get their vaccine
certificate, it responded saying the process and
procedures surrounding how overseas Covid-19
vaccination can be recorded in NZ’s Covid-19
Immunisation Register (CIR) as well as who is
eligible for a NZ-issued Covid-19 vaccination
certificate are still being worked out.
Decision expected ‘in due
course’
A ministry spokesperson said, “As Covid-19
India, NZ Foreign Ministers discuss pandemic, travel, climate change
DEV NADKARNI
Dr S Jaishankar, India’s Minister of
External Affairs and Nanaia Nahuta,
New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Minister
discussed Covid-19, international travel
resumption, mutual recognition of vaccine
passports, the return of stranded residents and
climate change, among other topics, in a virtual
meeting on Friday night NZ time.
Speaking to the Indian Weekender after the
meeting, India’s High Commissioner in New
Zealand Muktesh Pardeshi said that besides
these topics which were discussed in the main,
there were broad discussions on a number
of other bilateral matters throughout the
45-minute-long meeting. Both Mr Pardeshi and
his counterpart in India, NZ High Commissioner
in New Delhi, David Pine, attended.
Dr Jaishankar reiterated Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s intervention at the G20
summit, where he said that the key to post-
Covid recovery was the resumption of
international travel.
He said that the world now acknowledges
that it is safe for double vaccinated people to
travel internationally.
He also said that it was desirable that both
countries mutually recognise each other’s
vaccine certificates.
[Double vaccinated travellers from India can
vaccination programmes roll out globally we
are aware that many returning New Zealanders
may have received their Covid-19 vaccinations
overseas.
We understand that many people are keen
for the vaccinations to be entered into their
personal health record and be recognised in
the national vaccination tally and that some
are asking about whether they may be able
to be issued with a New Zealand Covid-19
vaccination certificate for international travel,
or the domestic vaccination certificate when
these becomes available later this month.
“There are several issues to work through to
determine how overseas Covid-19 vaccination
can be recorded in New Zealand’s Covid-19
Immunisation Register (CIR).
This includes what form of proof of prior
vaccination would be required, who would
check that documentation, who would enter it
into the CIR, and what the policy rules will be
for who is eligible for a New Zealand-issued
Covid-19 vaccination certificate. Officials are
working through these issues and decisions on
the appropriate policies and processes will be
made in due course.”
Sources at the Indian High Commission in
Wellington told Indian Weekender that High
Commission officials were in touch with the
undertake quarantine free travel
to most of the European Union,
the United Kingdom and the
United States. India already has a
digital QRcoded vaccine certificate
for its double vaccinated citizens].
Matters relating to stranded people owing
to long border closures was also discussed.
Referring to the meeting, Dr Jaishankar later
tweeted, “Discussed the predicament of those
stranded by travel restrictions. Resumption
of travel is central to economic and social
recovery.”
New Zealand’s response to the points
relating to international travel and the opening
of borders hinged on the country achieving 90
per cent vaccination levels.
Minister Nanaia Mahuta later tweeted,
"Discussed
the
predicament of those
stranded by travel
restrictions. Resumption
of travel is central to
economic and social
recovery."
Ministry of Health and were providing all
information and consultation regarding the
vaccine and certification regime in India to help
facilitate its decision of travellers coming in
from India.
The High Commission is also working
toward the NZ government reviewing India’s
continued inclusion in the “high risk” countries
list. The United Kingdom, the United States and
most of Europe are accepting fully vaccinated
Indian travellers into their countries without
quarantine and with full recognition of digital,
QR-coded vaccine certificates issued by the
Government of India.
Uncertainty a cause of stress
The uncertainty is causing anxiety and stress
to those who got vaccinated abroad and have
now travelled to NZ or are in the process of
doing so. Rajpreet Singh, an Indian national
who got both doses of Covishield (The
AstraZeneca vaccine brand manufactured by
Serum Institute of India (SII)), while he was
visiting India recently, He got his first dose on
18 June and the second on 19 July 2021. He
has certificates of both his doses, issued by the
Government of India. And he travelled back to
NZ on 24 September.
Now, with the vaccination certificates soon to
“Great korero with my Indian
counterpart @DrSJaishankar
yesterday. Aotearoa New Zealand
remains committed to closer
cooperation across all spheres of the
New Zealand-India relationship.”
Dr Jaishankar said India was on track to
produce five billion doses of the Covid-19
vaccine and to become a reliable and affordable
source of vaccines to the world.
He said he looked forward to working with
New Zealand in making vaccines available to
Pacific Island nations going forward.
Dr Jaishankar referred to his visit to Glasgow
for the COP26 summit. He said while India had
set the year 2070 as its Zero Carbon target, it
was actively working on increasing share of
developing and using non-fossil and renewable
be a necessity in NZ, Rajpreet is unsure about
how he would get his. “I am fully vaccinated
but didn’t get jabbed in NZ. So how will I get
my vaccine certificate?
The vaccine I got Covishield is acceptable by
the NZ government but I don’t know how the
vaccine certificate thing will work for someone
like me who got Covid-19 vaccine overseas. I
am quite stressed about it,” says the 38-yearold.
He adds, “I have already informed my GP
about my vaccine and sent them my certificates
to update in my record. But I don’t know when
and how will I get my vaccine certificate in
NZ.”
It may be noted that if you are not a NZ
citizen, you need to be fully vaccinated for
Covid-19 before flying to New Zealand as of 1
November 2021.
This means that you need to have had a full
course of a Covid-19 vaccine that is accepted
at the border for entry into NZ. Vaccines
accepted at the border are not necessarily NZ
government approved vaccines for use in NZ.
So far, Pfizer is the Covid-19 vaccine approved
by Cabinet for use in NZ. Moreover, you need
to have had the last dose at least 14 days before
you arrive in NZ.
If you have been fully vaccinated you will
need a digital vaccine passport or another
form of document from a government health
authority or approval authority confirming you
have had a full Covid-19 vaccine course.
If you cannot be vaccinated for medical
reasons, you must have an electronic or paper
medical certificate from a medical practitioner
that says you cannot be vaccinated for medical
reasons.
If you have an exemption, you must have an
electronic paper copy of the exemption letter
from the Director-General of Health.
Even if you are vaccinated, you still need to
have a negative pre-departure test result and
stay in MIQ — unless you are exempt. Starting
mid-November, the quarantine period is being
reduced to seven days from the current 14.
energy sources.
Access to finance and alternative technologies
was key to success in combating climate
change, he said. He invited New Zealand to be
part of these alternative initiatives especially
in the Indo Pacific, working with vulnerable
Pacific Islands.
[India has been part of the International Solar
Alliance since 2015 with France as co-sponsor.
It is an alliance to promote solar technologies
worldwide, increasing solar energy capacity of
several countries.
India is also part of CDRI, Coalition of
Disaster Resistant Infrastructure that promotes
and help build adaptation and resilience projects
against climate change and natural disasters.]
This was the second virtual call between the
two foreign ministers, Mr Pardeshi told The
Indian Weekender.
There was a plan for a personal meeting in
New York on the margins of the United Nations
General Assembly earlier this year, but Minister
Mahuta did not travel to that meeting.
Dr Jaishankar had also been in close
touch with then Foreign Minister Winston
Peters in the previous government,
Mr Pardeshi said.
Both ministers agreed on mutual
visits to the two countries when border
settings are appropriate.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 3
‘I am surprised India
is still considered a
very high-risk country’
Green Party member of Parliament Ricardo Menéndez March talks to Indian
Weekender about gaps in the One-Off resident visa, the traffic light system
and why India should not be considered a high-risk country, among others.
IWK Exclusive
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
Ricardo Menendez March, Member of Parliament as
well as Immigration spokesperson for the Green Party,
believes that a review is required with regards to the
countries that are still considered very high risk, including
India. “I am surprised that some countries particularly India
are still considered very high risk. We can absolutely change
how we treat people from countries like India. Also, our border
exemption settings are really discriminatory based on country of
origin and have nothing to do with public health.”
March, who has been a Parliamentarian since 2020, says
treating certain countries as high risk is ‘racial’. He adds, “Why
have we treated people from the UK for example very different
from people from India when both have had a lot of Covid and
both have families and ties with NZ?
“I believe a review of the countries that are currently considered
high risk should happen, and that should be based on genuine
public health grounds and should not be a ‘racialised decision’.
When countries like the United States and the United Kingdom
were having record levels of infections, we never sought to pose
a similar level of restriction on people coming from there.”
One-off visa policy flawed
Another issue that Ricardo is currently campaigning for is to
expand the eligibility criteria of the recently announced One-Off
Residence visa policy.
“We fought for many months to get a residency to people
here. Though we are happy that it has finally happened but
unfortunately the policy process was really rushed. And because
of that many people who clearly should have been included have
been excluded, such as healthcare workers who are on a student
visa, partners of temporary visa holders and those stuck offshore,
among others.
“The government should have thought about them. If the
community would have been consulted, no doubt that these
concerns would have come out. It is a shame that we have to fight
for a review of something that we were initially very excited
about,” says March, who migrated to NZ from Tijuana, Baja
California, Mexico.
On being asked, what amendments does he wish to see in the
One-off resident visa, he says, “There should be grant residency
to people who are here and those who are offshore, have visas
are qualified. After doing that, we can surely talk about the future
settings. The government should expand the eligibility criteria to
include all visa types who would have met the requirement and
expand the scarce list. We will keep fighting for it as it would
give certainty to hundreds and thousands of migrants who are
now in limbo. I am concerned about people who are thinking that
they have to go back because of the impact.”
Traffic light system ‘rushed’
The government has recently announced the new traffic light
system, which will replace the current alert level system to
protect Kiwis from Covid-19 once the country hits 90 per cent
vaccination rates in every region.
“It was pretty rushed and risky. There are many communities
including Pacifica, Maori and migrants who have low vaccination
rates in certain age group and that should be considered.”
Another major problem that people who want to come to NZ
are facing is getting a MIQ spot and there is no doubt that it has
become a task to get one, and now the National Party is even
asking to remove the requirement of MIQ at all.
“We have been fighting that MIQ allocation should be based
on needs. We should have an allocation for humanitarian needs,
especially for family reunification. Why can’t we have it if this
government can do it for business and entertainment groups?
Also, I do feel that people who are offshore should be prioritised
for a home isolation trial. This lottery system of getting a MIQ
slot is not equitable, and throwing everyone in the same lottery
does not address the issue of equity,” he said.
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4 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, November 12, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Immigration policy disconnected from
infrastructure and housing supply
PRITI GARUDE-KASTURE
Pre-pandemic rates of immigration are
unsustainable if governments are unable
to build infrastructure support needed
to settle people in the community, says the
Productivity Commission.
In its preliminary findings and
recommendations released this week, the
Productivity Commission highlights the lack of
a long-term immigration strategy for failure in
planning infrastructure and housing to support
an ageing as well as an increasing population.
In April this year, the Government asked
the New Zealand Productivity Commission,
an independent Crown entity to advise on
immigration policies that are fit for New
Zealand’s future.
The Commission took a long term view
of 10−30 year to think about what NZ’s
immigration system should try to achieve,
and how it can best do that. It looked at
what skills may be needed in the future, how
to inculcate Te Ao Maori principles to the
immigration system, along with a wider view
on wellbeing factors, such as housing and
infrastructure development.
The findings reveals that high number of
permanent resident and temporary migrants
have contributed to New Zealand’s rapid
population growth over the past decade.
This population growth has added pressure
on public infrastructure such as roads,
hospitals, schools.
Dr Nana, Chair of the Productivity
Commission said, “New Zealand has struggled
for a long time to absorb and accommodate
more people well. Infrastructure and housing
supply has not kept up with population growth,
creating pressures that affect the wellbeing of
both migrants and New Zealanders.”
The immigration policy’s disconnect from
other policy areas, such as housing has meant
that migration and population numbers have
grown ahead of the stock and flow of public
infrastructure, contributing to burdens for the
wider community, states the report.
“To ensure immigration contributes to the
productivity and wellbeing of New Zealanders,
governments need to build the assets and
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To ensure immigration
contributes to the
productivity and wellbeing of
New Zealanders, governments
need to build the assets and
infrastructure needed to
support a growing population,
in preparation for the number
of new residents, ahead of time
Contact for
free assessment
infrastructure needed to support a growing
population, in preparation for the number of
new residents, ahead of time,” Dr Nana said.
The Commission has recommended a
number of changes to ensure that future
immigration settings are better connected to
other government objectives.
It says that governments should be obliged to
publicly state their objectives and priorities for
immigration, and the steps it will take to ensure
public investment matches need.
Immigration an election issue
The report also highlights that immigration
is being used as an election issue by various
political parties due to lack of clarity on longterm
immigration strategy.
“It means that the main vehicle for expressing
concerns about immigration is through the
election process, which has historically meant
IWK BUREAU
A
hospitality business has issued an open
invitation to the Prime Minister to see
for herself, the wringer that businesses in
Auckland and Waikato are being put through.
“It’s nice to be praised for our sacrifice but it feels as
like we are being sacrificed.
"That’s why I want to invite the Prime Minister
to visit my business when she’s in Auckland later
this week,” says Sunny Kaushal, chair of the Dairy
and Business Owners Group, who also owns the
Shakespeare in Central Auckland.
“Having tuned in at 4pm I am confused and many
Kiwis will be as well. Aucklanders will be allowed to
leave Auckland for their Christmas holidays all over
New Zealand, irrespective of case numbers, but the
rest of New Zealand won’t be allowed into Auckland?
“Maybe the Prime Minister can also explain
why Auckland Council was given $60 million
to support businesses that’s really, $60m for
consultants and accountants.
“We’d rather see that $60m put into practical
incentives like free parking and a UK-style ‘Eat Out
to Help Out,’ which helped hospitality and retail
businesses there to recover.
“$60 million could buy, for example, 300,000
worth of $100 meal vouchers to support hospitality
along with three hours’ worth of free parking for
over two million visitors to get shoppers back for
our sector and retail.
“The public has had months of having the bejesus
that some political parties have campaigned
on immigration policy. This can lead to policy
responses that are blunt or narrowly focused,
and which do not necessarily serve the longterm
interests of the community as a whole”,
says the report.
The Commission also recommends the
Government to remove visa conditions that tie
a migrant to a specific employer.
“These conditions make migrants more
vulnerable to exploitation and limit the ability
of migrants to find jobs that best meet their
skills and experience,” said Dr Nana.
In an interview with Indian Weekender in
September, Dr Nana spoke extensively on the
topic of migrant exploitation wherein he said
that when it comes to migrant exploitation,
there’s a question of obligation.
“If we are to invite migrants into our country,
what obligations do we have, and that’s a very
hot topic which we will be tackling”, he said.
The findings suggest that the number of
temporary migrant visas with pathways to
residence should be linked to the number of
residence visas on offer.
Dr Nana said that “large queues for
residency have left many migrants in flux and
unable to settle.
"The mismatch between migrant expectations
and the reality of residence falls well short
of manaakitanga, and is not good for our
international reputation as global competition
for some skilled migrants intensifies”
The Commission seeks further feedback
on these proposals till 24 December 2021,
with a view to present the final report
and recommendations to the Government
in April 2022.
You can make your submissions here -
www.productivity.govt.nz/have-your-say/
make-a-submission/
PM asked to visit hospitality
businesses in Auckland
scared out of them by Covid-19, so public transport
will not be that attractive for many.
“What’s also now the difference between school
students sitting in a classroom all day and a fully
vaccinated customer being served by a fully vaccinated
hospitality worker?
“Talking of that where is the Covid-19 passport
certificate app?
“All efforts must be put into getting customers back
into the shops and cafes in Waikato and Auckland
and that starts by listening to business owners,” Mr
Kaushal said.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 5
Salesforce, NZ agency collaborate
to create skilled developers
PRITI GARUDE-KASTURE
With a vision to address the chronic
talent shortage faced by the
tech industry, New Zealand’s
first tech career accelerator, Mission Ready
has collaborated with Silicon Valley giant,
Salesforce, to create 300 skilled entry-level
developers over the next 12 months.
Mission Ready Co-founder, Diana Sharma
told Indian Weekender that a significant skills
shortage in the tech industry, globally and
nationally is hampering NZ’s economic
growth.
She said, “Instead of developing
strong local talent, we currently
rely on immigration to bridge
the digital skills gap. The tech
industry has been soaring since
Covid growing at 11.4 per cent.
Each tech sector job creates five
new jobs in other industries. But
for it to continue soaring, we need
the talent.”
According to this year’s NZ Tech Digital
Skills Forum, the industry needs 4000 to 5000
new tech professionals each year. Salesforce
and its ecosystem of partners anticipate creating
26,000 new jobs in New Zealand by 2026.
A number of reasons highlight this shortage
of talent within the industry.
According to the latest Technology
Investment Network (TIN) Report released
this month, the TIN200 companies, which
are the country’s top 200, revenue earning,
high-tech companies, recorded $10B in export
Charity
promotes Hindi,
multiculturism
in Southland
IWK BUREAU
"The
collaboration
represents a win for
candidates looking for
tech-industry employment,
a win for employers looking
for new talent and a win for
Salesforce to scale a
high growth
organisation."
revenue from nearly $14B in
combined revenue.
The report, which quantifies
the economic significance of
New Zealand’s globally focused
technology industry showed that the
tech sector is growing in maturity.
TIN founder and managing director
Greg Shanahan said that despite the challenges
of COVID-19 over the past year, many TIN200
companies have shown resilience, creativity
and innovation to achieve unprecedented
investment opportunities and record growth.
“This is hugely significant for our economy
in terms of the increasing demand for
skilled talent, growth in productivity and
the major changes of capital flows into tech
opportunities,” he said.
Data published in May this year in the
The Southland Migrant Walking
Together Organisation
and Multilingual "In
and Activity Centre response to
Charitable Trust demand, SMWTO
(SMWTO) , formerly are looking to The charity recently celebrated the Karvachauth
known as Southland increase the frequency event
Hindi School is of this programme
a community-led to three days per initiative that provides social and cultural support
to new migrants living week.” in Invercargill and across rural Southland.
“SMWTO is a registered charity trust that began four years ago with a
Saturday Hindi language school. While running the school the trustees identified needs in the wider
Southland community to have better immersion and integration of migrants and former refugees in
the community,” Himani Mishra Galbraith Director and Chair of the charity says.
SMWTO currently runs three programmes with more in development, all aiming to support and
strengthen the wellbeing and social connection of new migrants and social cohesion within the
migrant communities of Invercargill.
The Saturday Hindi Language and Culture School for Hindi speaking children, youth and adults
in the Southland area; the Mixing Bowl, a Sunday afternoon peer support programme that connects
new and more established migrants to New Zealand (NZ) from a broad range of ethnic communities.
“These include migrant women from Thailand, Korea, Philippines, China, Indonesia, Afghanistan,
Iran, India and Sri-Lanka and The Southland Migrant Support Playgroup, currently running twice
a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 3-4 hours,” Mishra Galbraith says.
“In response to demand, SMWTO are looking to increase the frequency of this programme to
three days per week.”
SMWTO is looking to enhance its social and cultural support to migrant and former refugee
whānau by piloting three new programmes, including a Youth Space; dance and wellness school
holiday workshops for women, children and youth; and a digital access programme for the elderly.
These new programmes have been developed to address the particular needs of migrants and former
refugees across different age-groups.
“As migrants themselves and through their continuous engagement with new migrants and their
families, the Trustees of SMWTO are aware of the challenges and concerns faced by migrants in
Southland,” Mishra Galbraith says.
‘Investor’s Guide to the New Zealand
Technology Sector’, echoed Greg’s comments,
showcasing record amounts of capital being
invested in tech companies in the past year.
Investment in early stage start-ups has
increased 48% in the past 12 months, with
$160m invested in tech start-ups by angels and
venture funds.
A direct result of this is observed in the hiring
boom within the market.
Technology companies are on a hiring spree,
using benefits to lure skilled talent, as job
seeker continue to jump ship and countries in
search of better pay.
Intermediate and senior talent are currently
the most highly sought after by countries all
over the world, says Sharma.
“With borders closed it is far more important
to develop local talent, especially diverse
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and indigenous talent to ensure we stay
competitive,” Sharma said.
She adds that the lack of experience having
worked on in-demand technical skills is one of
the reasons for this skill shortage.
Diana along with her Co-founder, Alan Kan
addresses this gap through their accelerator
programmes that equip student to launch their
tech careers in three to six months as opposed
to an expensive three year degree.
“The tech industry offers diverse roles but
not all require a university education, and
ongoing industry-based learning is crucial. A
number of NZ career-changers don’t want to do
a three year degree to retrain and certainly don’t
want to take on any more debt than required”,
she adds.
“In the last three years, Mission Ready has
trained over 300 candidates in fast growing
roles such as software development, UX Design
and Data Analysis”, Diana says.
Following their 10 – 20 week accelerator
courses, students are placed for up to 10 weeks
with tech employers such as 2 Degrees, Kordia,
Dacreed and more, where they work on actual
projects as part of their training.
Sharma said by tailoring the use of its
signature accelerator courses, they recognised
that they could be a part of the solution to
combat the tech skills shortage faced by
organisations like Salesforce.
“The collaboration represents a win
for candidates looking for tech-industry
employment, a win for employers looking for
new talent and a win for Salesforce to scale a
high growth organisation.”
Oliver Pereira
Financial Adviser
Mob: 021 66 77 92
Email: oliver.pereira@opminsurance.co.nz
For further information about us, please refer to https://www.opminsurance.co.nz
OPM Insurance Services Limited (FSP117285), trading as OPM Insurance Services Limited
holds a licence issued by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) to provide financial advice.

6 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, November 12, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Experts pick surge in property
demand with One-off visa
With over 165,000 new migrants
becoming NZ residents over the
next year, there is expectation
that demand will grow
IWK Exclusive
NAVDEEP KAUR MARWAH
The One-off resident visa,
which was announced by the
government recently, is all
set to provide up to 165,000 eligible
migrants and their families with the
certainty of New Zealand residence
over the next year. It is the most
generous entitlement to residency in
NZ history.
However, the fact that some
165,000 people will most
likely become NZ residents by
next year is bound to have an
impact on the country’s already
overheated housing market.
It may be noted that migrants
without residency can’t presently
buy property in NZ.
Investing in property also has
a cultural significance especially
for Indians and it won’t be an
exaggeration to say that buying a
house will be a priority for lthousands
of Indian migrants after gaining their
One-off residency.
Indian Weekender spoke to real
estate experts to find out how the
property market is expected to
change once migrants who had
been locked out of the market
IWK BUREAU
Foreign Affairs Minister
Nanaia Mahuta leaves New
Zealand this week on an
international programme to advance
Aotearoa New Zealand’s interests
on a range of issues, including our
Covid-19 response and recovery and
engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
This is the first international visit
of a New Zealand Foreign Minister
since Covid-19 broke out across the
globe. Nanaia Mahuta will visit six
countries, host Te Aratini at Expo
2020, as well as meet with seven
foreign ministers and a range of
international representatives.
“New Zealand enjoys wideranging
relationships with many
countries, and this trip is an
opportunity to strengthen those ties
and ensure Aotearoa New Zealand’s
unique perspectives are understood
and taken into account in key
capitals,” said Nanaia Mahuta.
“I am looking forward to meeting
some of my counterparts in person,
following a year of virtual meetings
and online engagements.”
The first stop is Sydney to meet
through not having residency will
now enter it and whether it will
increase pressure on the housing
market as more people will be
competing to purchase homes.
Renu Sharma of Ray White
believes that the demand for houses
will definitely increase with the Oneoff
resident visas coming through
because there will be an increase
in the number of buyers
"There
will be a lot of
demand for houses.
The prices are sure to
keep going up, but it may
not be as crazy as what
we have experienced
with pre-approved
finance entering the
real estate market
from 2022 onward.
She says, “There
will be a lot of
demand for houses.
The prices are sure
to keep going up, but it
may not be as crazy as what
we have experienced recently or
in the past year.
"Most of these migrants have
been in NZ for years but were
just waiting for their residency
before taking a plunge into
the property market.”
She points out that Indians
particularly like to play safe
with their investments and for
them, it is also a cultural thing to
invest in real estate.
“There is no denying that owning
your own home in this country is
recently or in the
past year."
Australian Foreign Minister Marise
Payne, followed by a transit in
Singapore which will include a
meeting with Foreign Minister
Vivian Balakrishnan. Minister
Mahuta will then travel to Jakarta
where the Minister will meet her
Indonesia counterpart, Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi, and
separately meet with the ASEAN
Secretary General, reinforcing the
value Aotearoa New Zealand places
on our partnership with ASEAN.
Minister Mahuta then travels to
the United Arab Emirates to support
New Zealand’s exhibition at Expo
2020, and to host Te Aratini (Festival
of Indigenous and Tribal Ideas),
and meet with UAE counterpart
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed. The
festival is New Zealand’s single
most important event at Expo 2020
in Dubai.
“Expo2020 provides a significant
platform to demonstrate our
indigenous values and trade
opportunities on the world stage.
My visit also offers the opportunity
to further deepen our strong bilateral
relationship with the UAE which
is critical for our connectivity and
one of the biggest
achievements in
terms of security
as well as social
status for any Indian
immigrant,” she says.
Peter Thompson of Barfoot &
Thompson is of a different opinion
and maintains that though the Oneoff
residency programme will see
some impact on the housing market
but not as large as many are thinking.
He says, “Many of these people
who will benefit from One-off
residence are spread throughout
the country so no one market is
going to get the benefit.
"Secondly, many of these are
on low incomes so will struggle to
finance a property and some of those
that want to invest may need to sell
Foreign Affairs Minister Mahuta
begins first international visit
supply chains and an important
partner for Aotearoa New Zealand
in the Middle East region,” Minister
Mahuta said.
The Minister will then travel to
Doha with New Zealand’s Special
"
My visit also offers
the opportunity
to further deepen
our strong bilateral
relationship with the
UAE which is critical
for our connectivity and
supply chains and an
important partner for
Aotearoa New Zealand
in the Middle East
region
Representative to Afghanistan
to meet her Qatari counterpart
Sheik Al-Thani and thank him for
Qatar’s support of New Zealand’s
Afghan evacuation.
“The Qatari Government has been
generous in supporting departures
from Afghanistan and is continuing
to play an important role. My visit
will allow me to formally recognise
and thank them for this support,”
their homes overseas before they will
be able to buy.
"For those who will be fortunate
to buy a property will spread
themselves where their work is
based and that will increase sales
for a short period but not affect
prices in a big way.”
Even though there will be an
increase in demands of houses
but experts feel that since lots of
development is already happening
across NZ and particularly in
Auckland, this demand can be met to
an extent.
VK Verma of Harcourts, says,
“With a lot of development already
happening in Auckland and a lot of
development potential properties
sold in 2021, we may be able to meet
the increased demand to an extent.
Nanaia Mahuta said.
The Minister will then travel
to Washington DC and Ottawa to
reaffirm Aotearoa New Zealand’s
strong friendship with the United
States and Canada.
She will hold meetings with US
Secretary of State Antony Blinken
and newly-appointed Canadian
Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly.
"But at the same time, with the
major banks imposing restrictions
like LVR, debt to income ratio and
increasing the mortgage interest
rates, we may not see the property
prices rising in the same proportion
as it has in the last 12-18 months.
“However, it is almost impossible
to predict the real estate market
because there is umpteen number of
factors, domestic and international,
which affect the movement of the
real estate market.
"My recommendation to first home
buyers is to buy as soon as they can
as the prices have never gone down
when you compare the prices in
terms of two decades.
"It is always better to pay your own
mortgage than to pay your landlord’s
mortgage.”
The Foreign Minister leaves on
Thursday 11 November.
Nanaia Mahuta and her delegation
of two have been fully vaccinated
and will comply with any host
government Covid-19 restrictions
and testing requirements.
Upon return to New Zealand on
28 November, they will complete
the required MIQ period.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 7
India way
ahead of NZ
in climate
initiatives
IWK Exclusive
DEV NADKARNI
In the latest Climate Change Performance
Index (CCPI) that monitors climate
protection performance of 57 countries and
the European Union, India ranks an impressive
tenth, far ahead of New Zealand that comes in
at 35 and Australia nearly at the bottom of the
pile at 58, just ahead of Saudi Arabia at 63.
Interestingly, no country has been able to
achieve the first three spots this year, the list
starting with Denmark at number four. In effect,
then, India ranks seventh.
Published every year since 2005, the CCPI
is an independent monitoring tool for tracking
climate protection performance of countries.
The tool enables transparency in international
climate politics and comparability of the
climate protection efforts and progress of the 57
individual countries and the European Union
that it lists.
These countries account for about 92
percent emissions of global greenhouse gases,
abbreviated as GHG.
The annual results are compiled involving
some 400 national experts evaluating their
countries’ most recent national and international
climate policies and initiatives.
The tool measures the countries in four
categories — GHG emissions, renewable
energy, energy use and climate policy. By
the high ranking it has received, India has
done better than New Zealand with progress
in these areas.
The CCPI is distributed to key media
worldwide, sparking debates in climate circles
in every country and globally.
CCPI is therefore a powerful index to
hold governments accountable “for their
responsibility to act on the climate crisis, to
inform the process of raising climate ambition,
and to stimulate a race to the top in climate
action,” according to the CCPI website.
India excels to claim #10 spot
“India’s performance was rated high
in the GHG Emissions, Energy Use, and
Climate Policy categories, and medium in
Renewable Energy.
"The subcontinent is already on track to
meet its 2030 emissions target (which is
compatible with a well-below-2°C scenario),
close to achieving its Nationally Determined
Contribution (NDC) target of a 40% share for
non-fossil fuel installed power capacity by
2030, and on course for a targeted 33–35%
reduction in energy intensity by the same year,”
the report says.
Despite India’s overall high performance,
experts argue that the country should set the net
zero target for 2050 and leverage its domestic
success on renewables and emissions intensity
into international initiatives. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi, however, said that India had
set a 2070 target for net zero.
Indian experts who have agreed to be
mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI
are Ranjan Panda (Combat Climate Change
Network); Sanjay Vashist (CAN South Asia);
Shruti Neelakantan (Dublin City University);
Srinivas Krishnaswamy (Vasudha Foundation).
New Zealand dropped seven
points to 35
“New Zealand continues to rate low in
the GHG Emissions category and high in
Renewable Energy. In the Energy Use category,
however, the country improves to medium,
while Climate Policy decreases to low,” the
report says.
“New Zealand has adopted a legally binding
net zero emissions target (excluding biogenic
methane) for 2050, through its Climate Change
Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019,
which experts evaluate as a strong policy. This
amendment to the Act introduced no policies for
cutting emissions, but instead set a framework.
"Nevertheless, appropriate measures to
fully reach this 2050 goal are not in place. In
particular, the biogenic methane emissions
resulting from agriculture are addressed
separately under the Act.”
The report says New Zealand’s measures
do not go far enough and records experts’
criticism: “The CCPI experts demand a more
ambitious target for this sector to make a
1.5°C-compatible pathway possible, especially
because agriculture accounts for about 48% of
national GHG emissions (excluding land use,
land use change, and forestry).
Moreover, the already insufficient emissions
targets lack implementation, and the country
The most visited
Indian news website in New Zealand
For online advertising options, email at
sales@indianweekender.co.nz
"
The country’s main
instrument for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions is
an emissions trading scheme.
Experts criticise the price
ceiling as unreasonably low
and criticise the agriculture
sector’s exclusion."
relies on reforestation to accomplish its goals.
“The country’s main instrument for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions is an emissions
trading scheme. Experts criticise the price
ceiling as unreasonably low and criticise the
agriculture sector’s exclusion.”
The experts additionally note that New
Zealand should proactively support indigenous
people’s rights in international and national
climate policy.
New Zealand experts who agreed to be
mentioned as contributors for this year’s
CCPI are Amanda Larsson, Genevieve Toop
(Greenpeace NZ); WWF-NZ; David Tong (Oil
Change International); Lawyers for Climate
Action New Zealand Inc.
Australia scores poorly
The experts have described Australia’s
international standing has having been
damaged by climate denialism by politicians,
refusal to increase ambition, and refusal
to recommit to international green finance
mechanisms (accompanying a very low rating
for the International Climate Policy indicator).
Australia has fallen behind its allies and its
inaction even attracted public criticism in the
run-up to COP26.
The country receives ratings of very low for
its performance in every CCPI category: GHG
Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use,
and Climate Policy.
India and high rankers can’t rest
on their oars
“Even greater efforts and actions by
governments are needed to set the world on
track to keep global warming well below
a 2°C increase. Even better, 1.5°C,” the
report rightly says.
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Website: www.macroaccounting.co.nz

8 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, November 12, 2021
Go beyond Bollywood with
The Indian Weekender
Indian movies at NZIFF
BY PRITI GARUDE KASTURE
Experience the vibrant lights of traditional and
contemporary Indian culture at this year’s, Whānau
Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival, airing
in 12 cities across New Zealand.
Featuring seven Indian films of contemporary filmmakers
from the region and beyond, the festival brings together an
eclectic collection of movies, that portray stories about India’s
natural world and urban sprawl to political history juxtaposed
with a modern social fabric, stories of personal transformation
and artful expressionism to sober reportage.
3 Indian movies that you can still watch at the New Zealand
International Film Festival
Godavari, directed
by Nikhil Mahajan
Wellington: November 18, 130pm at Penthouse Cinema;
November 21 at 330pm at Penthouse Cinema
https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/wellington/godavari/
A Night of Knowing Nothing,
directed by Payal Kapadia
Writing With Fire 2021, directed by Rintu
Thomas, Sushmit Ghosh
The story of a fearless journalist devoted to exposing injustice
is well-tread cinematic ground, yet it feels as fresh and riveting
as ever in Writing with Fire, the debut feature from co-directors
Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas.
Every month Nishikant walks through his town of Nashik,
collecting rent for his family of landowners.
Each repetition of the cycle only intensifies his bitterness and
anger towards his tenants, his parents, his daughter, and the river
that runs through the centre of Nashik, the Godavari.
Just as his anger threatens to boil over, his family is confronted
with a series of tragedies and revelations that shift their lives and
their world into clearer focus.
RNZ/ IWK BUREAU
Tuvalu, one of the world’s smallest
nations and one that is most at risk
by sea level rise is looking at legal
measures to ensure it retains ownership of its
maritime zones and recognition as a country
even if it is completely submerged due to
climate change.
The Foreign Minister Simon Kofe said
Tuvalu is looking to the future and preparing
for the worst case scenario, where their lands
disappear and their people must leave.
“We will not stand idly by as the water rises
around us. We are not just talking in Tuvalu; we
are mobilising collective action at home, in our
region, and on the international stage to secure
our future,” he said.
This includes pursuing legal avenues to
ensure Tuvalu’s existing maritime boundaries
remain intact and the country will still be
“
One of the year’s most electrifying debuts – and winner
of the best documentary award at Cannes – Payal
Kapadia’s hybrid feature A Night of Knowing Nothing is a
fever dream of impossible love tied to a broader reflection on
contemporary India.
Structured around letters from an unseen protagonist, L,
directed to her estranged lover, K, Kapadia’s film is at once grand
and contained, weaving fragments of a romance and moments
of domestic life with handheld documentary footage captured
around the country over several years.
In this fervent cinétract on love and revolt, which doubles
as a love letter to cinema itself, essayistic and epistolary forms
suffuse the burnished, chiaroscuro images with both yearning
and introspection.
Utilizing a variety of formats and formal approaches in service
of an entrancing, cohesive whole, the film offers a rich and
sensual interplay between sound and image that heightens its
atmospheric textures.
The dialectic of presence and absence fuels the paradoxical
conundrum of capturing the flow of history, while the
fitting leitmotif of dancing courses through the film with
unbridled energy.
Wellington: November 13, 11am at Light House Cuba; November
16, 4pm at Lighthouse Cuba
Tuvalu’s foreign minister did his COP26 statement like no other by speaking behind a podium at sea,
standing in knee-deep water. He made his speech at sea to address rising sea levels affecting Pacific
nations, such as Tuvalu. The recording was shot by public broadcaster TVBC. Photo: (Photo by EyePress
News / EyePress via AFP)
recognised as sovereign even if its land
territory is lost.
Kofe made a virtual address at a side event at
COP26 saying Tuvalu is living with the realities
of climate change and sea level rise.
“We cannot wait for speeches when the sea is
The award-winning documentary tells the story of the women
behind India’s only all-female news network, Khabar Lahariya,
or ‘Waves of News’.
The film follows unflinching chief reporter Meera Devi and
her team as, having kept the newspaper going for 14 years, they
begin a transition from print to digital in a determined effort to
move with the times.
Christchurch: November 19, 2:30pm at Lumiere
Cinemas, Bernhardt
Dunedin: November 17, 10:45am at Rialto Cinemas, Dunedin
https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/wellington/a-night-ofknowing-nothing/
Tuvalu minister makes speech in knee-deep water
https://www.nziff.co.nz/2021/wellington/writing-withfire/
NZIFF has worked with partner venues and cinemas around
the country to be able to present the festival under the new Alert
Levels requirements in 12 towns and cities.
Due to level 3 restrictions, Auckland Edition of the festival
was cancelled.
"
We will not stand idly by
as the water rises around
us. We are not just talking in
Tuvalu; we are mobilising
collective action at home,
in our region, and on the
international stage to secure
our future
rising around us all the time. Climate mobility
must come to the forefront; we must take bold,
alternative action today to secure tomorrow,”
he said.
Tuvalu lies to the North of New Zealand
about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It
is made of three reef islands and six atolls with
total land area of just 26 square kilometres.
At its highest, Tuvalu is only 4.6 metres
above sea level. It is estimated that a sea level
rise of 20-40 centimetres in the next 100 years
could make Tuvalu uninhabitable.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
NEW ZEALAND 9
IWK BUREAU/ SCOOP
Stranded Kiwis overseas should be able
to return home for Christmas and selfisolate
from mid-December if they
are fully vaccinated and tested, according to
Auckland Airport’s outgoing Chief Executive
Adrian Littlewood.
Littlewood, who steps down from his role
at Auckland Airport this week, said there was
no longer any logic in forcing fully vaccinated
Kiwis with pre-departure testing into quarantine
facilities, as the science no longer supported it.
He called on the government to decide on the
matter now, giving the aviation industry time
to prepare.
“The Government has stated that vaccinations
are our ticket to an unrestricted summer
holiday, yet fully vaccinated and tested Kiwis
remain stuck offshore, kept apart from family
and friends over Christmas,” Littlewood said.
“Some of our most prominent scientific
experts have come out and said this week that
the risk they present is low and better use could
be made of our scarce MIQ facilities.
“And we’ve also seen Air New Zealand
announce new domestic safety protections
this week, meaning only fully vaccinated or
Covid-19-negative people will be able to fly
from mid-December.
“The time has come for the grief and inequity
caused by these restrictions to end, allowing
Kiwis to return, reunite with their families and
isolate at home if they are fully vaccinated with
pre-departure testing.
"The Government needs to make this a
priority now.”
Mr Littlewood said New Zealand was
lagging behind the rest of the developed
world with ongoing restrictions for
No end in sight for stranded Kiwis
inbound Kiwi travellers.
“Citizens in countries like Australia, Canada,
the United States and the United Kingdom are
now travelling more freely yet our country
remains shut off with no certainty.
"Australians are going to be able to return
home for Christmas in most states with either
no isolation or home isolation. Why can’t New
Zealanders do the same?”
A date needed now for future
border re-opening
Mr Littlewood said the time has also come
for the Government to announce when the
border will open up in the new year.
“We understand the Government does plan
to relax the border restrictions in the new
The time has come for the
grief and inequity caused
by these restrictions to end,
allowing Kiwis to return, reunite
with their families and isolate at
home if they are fully vaccinated
with pre-departure testing. The
Government needs to make this a
priority now.
year. They need to provide clarity and say
so officially now. If the Government can’t
make this commitment now as New Zealand
approaches 90% fully vaccinated then when
will this be possible?
“You can’t just flick a switch and turn back
on an international air network.
"Our airline contacts have told us that
recommissioning a plane and preparing its
supporting crew from hibernation could take
three months.
"Airlines lock in their flight schedules a
long" way in advance and planning for late
2022 and early 2023 is happening now right
across the industry.
“Major foreign airlines have told us they
need more certainty in order to confirm the
timing of their return to New Zealand.
“This could have significant implications for
our trading nation and the high-value imports
and exports we rely upon.
"It may also create the ongoing need for
taxpayer-funded cargo subsidies, which
ultimately won’t be enough to keep airlines
flying here.
“Our vaccination rates are high and they
will continue to climb. We are urging the
Government to make a commitment now to
when the border will open up to fully vaccinated
travellers with pre-departure testing.”
29 international carriers operated passenger
services at Auckland Airport prior to the
pandemic, with 12 currently remaining.
Kiwis could fly to 45 destinations from
Auckland prior to the pandemic, with 20
destinations now remaining.
In September 2019, 267,804 Kiwis returned
to New Zealand (pre-COVID). In September
2020, 7,263 Kiwis returned to New Zealand. In
September 2021, 3,857 Kiwi’s returned to New
Zealand, 99% down on September 2019 levels
(pre-COVID).
Source: Stats NZ
Auckland Indian Association Inc.

10 NEW ZEALAND
Friday, November 12, 2021
The Indian Weekender
Staff at MIQ hotels report increased
violence, aggression from guests
KATIE TODD, RNZ
Staff in MIQ hotels are being told not to
walk alone - and getting security escorts
to visit certain guests - because of an
increased risk of violence.
Their unions say they’re being lashed out at,
and abused through the hotel phones.
A health and safety report presented to the
board of Counties Manukau DHB yesterday
noted the MIQ hotels were housing a higher
rate of people with substance dependence and
other social issues.
It said there were now fewer health staff
supporting them, as resources pulled from
health boards around the country in September
go back to their own work areas.
The remainder were reporting more violence
and aggression from guests.
“Just lately, in the last month or so, they’ve
had people who’ve made them feel quite
frightened and angry,” said Shanna Reeder
from Unite Union, which represents MIQ
hospitality workers.
She said that cohort of staff don’t have
to interact with guests in person, but they
were fielding tricky phone calls from people
requesting deliveries to their rooms, then
swearing and threatening them.
“Some of the requests are not reasonable,
or its not possible to help the guest with that
particular issue - then unfortunately, the guests
can become quite abusive towards the staff
members,” she said.
“It’s worth bearing in mind that these are
Court invalidates Auckland Council’s
accommodation targeted rate
IWK BUREAU / HOSPITALITYNZ
The Court of Appeal ruling that the
Auckland Council’s Accommodation
Provider Targeted Rate funding for
tourism (APTR) was invalid and should be
overturned is great news, says Hospitality NZ
Chief Executive Julie White.
Hospitality NZ has acknowledged and
congratulated the group of hotel owners who
challenged the Auckland Council’s APTR
funding for tourism, after a High Court decision
made 12 months ago was overturned today.
“This ruling comes at a vital time for an
industry suffering greatly as a result of extended
lockdowns in the city.
"
Operators continue to suffer
greatly, with many still on
their knees, and the recovery
will be long. For some it will
be three to five years before
they get back to where they
were before Covid, so we need
solutions, and fast
“This will put smiles on a lot of
accommodation business owner’s faces that
haven’t had a lot to smile about for 18 months,”
Hospitality NZ said in a media release.
“It’s significant and not just for Auckland
businesses. Accommodation providers and
other industries across the country will also
breathing a sigh of relief because this had the
potential to be picked up by other councils.”
As reflected in numerous submissions to
Auckland Council and initial consultations
Hospitality NZ members were extensively
engaged in over the past five years, that
the mechanism for raising funds for
tourism in Auckland was not fair to the
"
They’re people who don’t
wish to be there, and in
part they’re people who
are there through difficult
circumstances. A high
proportion of them are in there
because they’re contacts of
people or because they’re,
alternatively, positive
themselves.
hospitality workers, hotel workers. They’re
used to dealing with people who might be
difficult. But this is a whole other level where
people are actually feeling frightened and quite
intimidated by some of these guests.”
accommodation sector.
There were very limited benefits for
operators, the court has recognised.
This now turns the issue of funding for
tourism back on to the Government.
“Councils were forced to look at this targeted
rate to fund tourism in their cities because the
industry was so underfunded.
“Now the rates issue is off the table, central
government will need to step up and look at
how our once-biggest money earner can come
back from Covid and rebuild with a fair funding
mechanism both industry and the government
are part of.
“It’s imperative the industry is involved in
the design of the funding mechanism to bring
back tourism back to pre-Covid levels and
stronger.
“Operators continue to suffer greatly, with
many still on their knees, and the recovery will
be long. For some it will be three to five years
before they get back to where they were before
Covid, so we need solutions, and fast,” the
media release said.
Last month it emerged some guests had
been directing violence at their surrounds, with
five rooms damaged at the Jet Park Quarantine
Hotel. One had several appliances broken, a
curtain rail ripped down and holes left in the
window and door.
Nurses Society director David Wills said an
increase in people being moved abruptly into
MIQ was at the root of the issue.
Unlike returnees, he said they couldn’t spend
weeks or months preparing for their stay.
“They’re people who don’t wish to be there,
and in part they’re people who are there through
difficult circumstances. A high proportion
of them are in there because they’re contacts
of people or because they’re, alternatively,
positive themselves. And many of them are
Thousands of
DHB workers
yet to receive
first Covid-19
vaccine dose
ROWAN QUINN, RNZ
About 4000 district health board workers
have not yet been vaccinated, just a few
days before the no jab no job deadline.
By Tuesday, all DHB staff must have had
at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine or they
will be stood down unless they have a medical
exemption.
DHBs said 95 percent of the roughly 80,000
people who work for them across the country
had had at least one shot.
But that meant there were still thousands
unvaccinated in an already stretched workforce.
They included both clinical and
non-clinical staff.
DHB spokesperson Rosemary Clements said
they were talking with those not yet vaccinated.
anti-vaxxers - they wouldn’t be in there if they
had been vaccinated in the first place. They
have some of the aggressive behaviour we are
seeing,” he said.
However, New Zealand Nurses Organisation
organiser Sharleen Rapoto said it was “really
shocking” to learn violence against nurses
had continued, having first became a problem
months ago.
She said there had already been many “quite
concerning” cases of violence against nurses.
“They’ve been shouted at, sworn at, they’ve
been spat at, kicked, punched, grabbed
aggressively and just hurled abuse [at], called
names. I know some of our members have
experienced some racist comments,” she said.
Rapoto said MIQ health and safety
representatives and wellness advisers had been
appointed to combat the increased violence.
Yesterday’s report to the Counties Manukau
District Health Board set out further changes.
It said health staff had been “informed not to
walk the floors alone” and each day they were
getting a list of persons of interest or ‘POIs’ in
the hotel, to watch out for.
They “must be escorted by an AVSEC or
other security person when checking the vital
signs, or other face-to-face interactions with a
POI,” it said.
The report said more staff were being
recruited and rosters “managed”.
Police said they had also deployed more staff
at MIQ hotels in recent weeks in response to
the Delta outbreak, but it wasn’t in response to
increased violence.
They expected people would keep getting a
shot throughout the week, she said.
Because there was such a high rate of
vaccination, patient care would not suffer and
DHBs would manage any gaps caused by
people being stood down, she said.
But some in the workforce worried there
would be an impact in areas where they were
already short-staffed.
The lowest vaccination rates were in the Bay
of Plenty and the West Coast at 93 percent.
The highest were in South Canterbury and
the three Auckland DHBs at 98 percent.
Waitematā DHB had the most doublevaxxed
workforce at 96 percent, with
Auckland, Counties Manukau and Lakes just
behind on 95 percent.
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The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021 FIJI 11
Fiji reopens international borders
RNZ
Fiji has reopened its
international borders after
Covid-19 closed them almost
two years ago.
From today, only fully vaccinated
diplomats, returning Fijian residents,
permit holders and those approved
by the Covid-19 Risk Mitigation
Taskforce will be allowed in.
Prime Minister Frank
Bainimarama said fully vaccinated
tourists from travel partners including
New Zealand, Australia, the UK
and the United States can enter
Fiji from 1 December.
Nadi International Airport in
New Zealand will be providing
sufficient doses of Pfizer vaccines
to fully vaccinate our eligible
population between the ages of 12 and 14.
Aotearoa New Zealand is sharing Pfizer
vaccines with Fiji to help protect children
against COVID-19.
A first consignment of the doses and
consumables was handed over to the Ministry
of Health yesterday to support the vaccination
rollout for children in this age category.
The thawed doses were carefully transported
in an Air New Zealand commercial flight at an
ambient temperature of 2-8 degrees Celsius.
The joint planning efforts of New Zealand
and Fiji Health Ministries will enable the safe
Fiji. Photo: Supplied/Fiji Airports
Fiji’s Health Ministry said the
quarantine protocols to support
international travel have been
“adjusted to take into account the
increasing protection gained by
having fully vaccinated persons
Fiji receives first batch of
Pfizer vaccine from NZ
and effective distribution of Pfizer vaccines
from as early as November 15th.
High Commissioner, Jonathan Curr
says the donation will further support the
excellent work Fiji is doing in its vaccination
programme.
Curr adds with close to one-third of Fiji’s
population under the age of 18 and therefore
not eligible to receive an AstraZeneca
vaccination, the donation of Pfizer vaccine will
make a tangible contribution to vaccination
rates and COVID-19 resilience in Fiji.
Since the start of the outbreak in April, New
Zealand has supported Fiji respond to its most
acute needs by providing NZ$40 million in
emergency fiscal crisis financing, 100,000
travelling with other vaccinated
persons to highly vaccinated
destinations.”
“This will involve less stringent
conditions with more priority given
to the testing protocols that ensure
early identification and isolation
of positive travellers,” said Health
Secretary James Fong.
“From the 11th of November,
we will be transitioning Border
Quarantine Protocols to Border
Risk Reduction Protocol for all
travellers coming in from Travel
Partner Countries.
“This will involve a three-day
stay in a hotel with a test to be
done on day 2. A negative result
will allow for discharge into the
community on day 3.
"From the 11th of November,
incoming travel will be restricted
to diplomats, returning residents,
permit holders and those
AstraZeneca doses, medical personnel
support, as well as over NZ$22 million in
approved by the Covid-19 Risk
Mitigation Taskforce.
“Our Border Risk Reduction
Protocol Processes will be trailed
during this time and further refined in
preparation for December 1st when
tourists can start arriving in Fiji,” Dr
Fong said.
Approvals to home quarantine will
be extremely limited during this pilot
phase, he said.
Dr Fong said changes to domestic
travel quarantine protocols will
be announced on Friday once the
vaccination coverage data in Vanua
Levu and some of the maritime
islands are received by the ministry.
Aotearoa New Zealand is proud to share Pfizer vaccines with Fiji to help protect 12-14 year olds against
#COVID19. A first consignment of Pfizer vaccines arrived on an Air New Zealand flight yesterday. The
vaccines will be rolled out as early as next week. New Zealand continues to work hand in hand with Fiji
as it builds resilience against the pandemic.
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civil society partners.
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Editorial
Three Strikes law
repeal will not
keep Kiwis safe
The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on politics, statecraft and management
that has become increasingly popular around management schools and corporate
boardrooms in recent times across the world.
In one of its chapters concerning the places, kingdoms and regimes one must avoid
living in, the Sanskrit treatise says, “In a country where citizens have no fear of being
punished for their wrong doings one should never stay or live in such a country.”
[Chanakya niti 1.11].
It is no surprise that the government’s repeal of the Three Strikes law is being met with
such vehement criticism from across the political spectrum, businesses and organisations
like the Sensible Sentencing Trust.
The repeal will effectively remove any semblance of fear and deterrence among repeat
violent offenders in New Zealand. It will not keep Kiwis safe.
The Three Strikes law came into effect in 2010 as a legal tool to strongly deter repeat
violent and sexual offending in New Zealand. The law, which was introduced during the
National Party government was widely welcomed by New Zealanders tired and fearful of
rising violent crime around the country.
The announcement of the repeal of this law this week by Justice Minister Kris Faafoi is
a slap in the face of all victims of violent crime and sexual offending perpetrated against
them. Every right thinking and law abiding New Zealander will be appalled at this repeal
of such an important law.
The government’s argument is that the law has not worked and is unjust because it has
the potential to impose disproportionately harsh sentencing and punishment. It says that
other jurisdictions have dropped this law because of these concerns. Try telling that to
the hundreds of victims whose lives have been changed for the worse – who have been
permanently scarred physically and psychologically.
The law applies to serious violent and sexual offences and is employed to deter the
most serious of repeat offenders from creating new victims. “The simple fact is this law
is working – serious, recidivist, and violent criminals cannot reoffend if they are locked
up,” says the Sensible Sentencing Trust.
The government points to a handful of cases where sentencing might have been harsher
after the third strike. But that is no reason to repeal a law that is such a strong deterrent.
In fact, only 18 individuals have been sentenced to a Third Strike, which accounts for just
one percent of people sentenced in New Zealand courts.
The average number of convictions for these individuals is a whopping 74. More than
90 percent of these have been assessed at high risk of reoffending.
It is this sort of hardened criminal that will be emboldened by the repeal of this law.
And on the flip side, it will leave victims of these violent offenders in utter disbelief,
disappointment and a loss of faith in the ability of the government and its law-and-order
machinery to protect them.
At a time when not a week passes without the news media reporting more than a couple
of violent crimes around the country, mostly involving the use of firearms, often in broad
daylight in public places, the government needs to send the strongest signals to criminals
and would-be offenders.
By repealing this law, the government has done the exact opposite – it has effectively
emboldened repeat offenders.
Repeat violent offending is rife in New Zealand. Ask any dairy owner or retail outlet
operator like liquor stores especially in Auckland. Many will tell you they have simply
stopped registering complaints because it doesn’t help stop the offending. Owners in fact
end up wasting a lot of their productive time behind such pursuits to no effect.
Add to that the swelling gang numbers since this government came into power (not
entirely its fault because of their forced import from Australia under its controversial
501 legislation), and you have a law-and-order scenario that could potentially prove
progressively concerning.
Going by the growing media reports of violent crime involving firearms and weapons
in the past few weeks, the straws are clearly in the wind.
The repeal of the Three Strikes Law is yet another instance of this government getting
increasingly out of touch with New Zealand’s ground realities.
Thought of the week
"Thinking should become your capital
asset, no matter whatever ups and
downs you come across in your life."
–A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
12 November - 18 November 2021
Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
22°
15°
On-and-off
rain and
drizzle
19°
13°
This week in New Zealand’s history
Indian Weekender : Volume 13 Issue 36
Publisher: Kiwi Media Publishing Limited
Editor: Dev Nadkarni | dev@indianweekender.co.nz
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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
Clouds
and
sun
19°
14°
13 November 1896
Mount Tongariro erupts
Clouds
and
sun
20°
14°
Clouds
and
showers
20°
14°
Copyright 2020. Kiwi Media Publishing Limited. All Rights Reserved.
A few
morning
showers
21°
15°
A few
morning
showers
26°
17°
At 12.40 p.m. on 13 November 1896, Te Maari, a crater at the northern end of the Tongariro
range, erupted spectacularly. It continued to erupt sporadically for nearly a year.
14 November 1973
DPB legislation enacted
The passage of the Social Security Amendment Act introduced the Domestic Purposes
Benefit (DPB) to New Zealand’s social welfare system.
15 November 1861
First issue of Otago Daily Times published
Dunedin became the first New Zealand town with a daily newspaper when the first issue of
the Otago Daily Times was published.
16 November 1840
New Zealand officially becomes British colony
New Zealand officially became a separate colony within the British Empire, severing its
link to New South Wales. North, South and Stewart islands were to be known respectively
as the provinces of New Ulster, New Munster and New Leinster.
17 November 1925
New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition
opens
Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson opened Dunedin’s New Zealand and South Seas
International Exhibition in November 1925. By the time the exhibition closed in May
1926, it had attracted over 3.2 million visitors, more than double New Zealand’s total population
at the time.
18 November 1874
Cospatrick fire kills 470
En route to Auckland laden with immigrants, the Cospatrick caught fire and sank off South
Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Although the tragedy happened far from New Zealand, it has
been described as this country’s worst civil disaster.
19 November 2010
Pike River mine explosion kills 29
The Pike River underground coal mine is located in the rugged Paparoa Range, on the West
Coast of the South Island. The mine workings were reached via a 2.3-km-long tunnel that
intersected with the Brunner coal seam.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021 FIJI 13
Dr Fong clarifies COVID-19 test methods
ahead of international border opening
“It will be the height of stupidity for us to
reduce the amount of testing just to match
the narrative of trying to open the border.”
The Ministry of Health and Medical Services
has clarified that the ministry did not reduce or
change its testing method to fit the narrative of
opening international borders.
Permanent Secretary Dr James Fong on
Tuesday said members of the public had asked
him if he had been trying to right size the
number of testing just so Fiji could open its
borders.
“I have to say that will be a foolish thing for
me to do,” Dr Fong said.
“It will be the height of stupidity for us to
reduce the amount of testing just to match the
narrative of trying to open the border.”
Dr Fong said the ministry does not test to
quantify the case for the public.
“We don’t test so that we show that this is
PM Bainimarama
says developed
nations are
failing us
how big the problem is,” he said.
“That’s not our mandate, our mandate is just
to test so that we can fix our response.”
Developed nations are failing us.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama
said this while speaking at the
‘Partnership for Island Resilience Sharing
Solutions in the Great Ocean States’ yesterday
as the climate conference heads into its second
and final week.
“They are the ones with the resources and the
technology to make a difference, yet they have
left potential for clean energy and adaptation
on the table by missing their 100 billion pledge
for two years running,” Mr Bainimarama said.
Mr Bainimarama made it clear that the
Pacific’s intention at the climate negotiation
table is purely a “fight for survival”.
He said he is not afraid to call out bigger
nations who lack the courage or the wisdom to
do what must be done.
He added it’s particularly crucial for the
G20 nations who have chosen the right course
to urge their counterparts to join the “wave of
support” towards climate action.
Mr Bainimarama said any nation that is at
COP26 fighting for coal or other fossil fuels,
should be condemned for it.
“Among others, the USA is woefully short
of paying its fair share of climate finance. Now
we – those most vulnerable – are told to suck it
up and wait until 2023.”
He also highlighted Fiji’s dedication to
building climate resilience through a groundbreaking
Climate Change Act.
The newly-passed Act has legallyempowered
Fiji to become net-zero,
harness nature-based solutions, fortify
Fiji’s infrastructure, and hold the private
sector accountable, while also unlocking its
innovative potential.
Former President of the United States,
Barack Obama, while delivering his opening
remarks, emphasised the importance of
promoting island resilience.
He added that the 2015 climate talks had
been crucial to the resulting Paris Agreement,
which commits countries to hold the rise in the
“When we were in the containment phase,
we needed to see the size of the problem so that
we could work on our response.
average global temperature to ‘well below’ 2
degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
“I am an island kid. I have been shaped by
my experience growing up in Hawaii. While I
was President, I was proud of the work that we
did to work with island nations that are most
vulnerable to changing climate. We have to act
now to help with adaptation and resilience,”
said the former President.
am an island kid. I have
I been shaped by my
experience growing up
in Hawaii. While I was
President, I was proud of the
work that we did to work
with island nations that are
most vulnerable to changing
climate. We have to act now
to help with adaptation and
resilience,
Mr Bainimarama at the roundtable
discussion also highlighted the Pacific and
more so, Fiji’s climate action strategies.
“Pacific nations have collectively agreed to
a declaration to preserve the sovereignty of our
waters even if landmasses are lost entirely, Fiji
has a trust fund for relocation that finances the
movement of communities and infrastructure
to higher ground and we have offered refuge to
the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu in the event
their nations are lost to the rising seas,” he said.
“Today, no nation can claim inaction out
of ignorance. We have known about this
threat for decades, and the most recent IPCC
report has put a mountain of evidence behind
the experiences my people have lived and
confirmed our worst fears.”
India-Fiji relationship marked during cultural night
An enthralling cultural programme
by students of Swami Vivekananda
Cultural Centre and ethnic dance
groups highlighted the rich heritage of India
and Fiji.
India’s High Commissioner to Fiji, HEPS
Karthigeyan with Acting Prime Minister of the
Republic of Fiji, Inia Seruiratu.
As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,
celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence,
the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre at the
High Commission of India in Suva organised a
Diwali Cultural Night on November 6, 2021 at
the Civic Centre in Suva.
The Acting Prime Minister of the Republic
of Fiji, Inia Seruiratu graced the occasion as
chief guest. In his speech, he highlighted the
strong relationship between India and Fiji and
congratulated the Government of India on its
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama while
speaking at the ‘Partnership for Island Resilience
Sharing Solutions in the Great Ocean States’.
Picture: FIJIAN GOVERNMENT
celebration of 75 years of Independence, Azadi
Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
In his remarks, the High Commissioner,
HEPS Karthigeyan expressed his sincere
gratitude to all frontline workers who risked
their lives to overcome the COVID-19
pandemic. He also highlighted the significance
of the festival of Diwali which is celebrated as
one of the major festivals of India.
The event was attended by around 200
guests including Speaker of Parliament, Chief
Justice of Fiji, Ministers, Assistant Ministers,
Permanent Secretaries, Members of Diplomatic
Corps and prominent members of the Indian
diaspora.
An enthralling cultural programme by
students of Swami Vivekananda Cultural
Centre and ethnic dance groups highlighted the
rich heritage of India and Fiji.
“When we went into the mitigation phase, we
needed to look for the person with the problem
and screen around that person.
“So obviously the number of tests then
dropped because we were looking for the
human being that was tested. That’s the reason
the number of tests dropped.”
Safe to open border?
He said to determine if it was safe to open
the borders, the ministry studied the number of
hospitalisations, the number of deaths, and the
fact that there was good vaccination coverage.
“But the fact that we have a very few
unvaccinated, has made it safer for us to open
the borders,” Dr Fong said.
He said it made sense that they cannot hold
the country down because a small number of
people did not wish to be vaccinated.
“There will be a lot more suffering happening
if we don’t move forward.”
IFRC reaffirms
support for Fiji
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama meets the
IFRC's secretary general Jagan Chapagain.
Picture: FIJIAN GOVERNMENT
The International Federation of Red Cross
and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
have pledged greater partnership in
the advancement of humanitarian needs and
services in Fiji in future.
This was made known at a bilateral meeting
held yesterday between Prime Minister Voreqe
Bainimarama and the IFRC’s secretary general
Jagan Chapagain along the margins of COP26.
Mr Bainimarama updated Mr Chapagain on
the challenges and actions taken by the Pacific
island nations to tackle the climate crisis and
Fiji’s priorities at COP26.
He emphasised that such comprehensive
partnerships were crucial in building back
better during these unprecedented and
challenging times.
Mr Bainimarama said Fiji looked forward
to potential cooperation opportunities with
IFRC in the areas of disaster preparedness and
climate resilience, adding that the pandemic
has challenged the global community to restrategise
and be innovative as we work towards
our sustainable socio-economic recovery.
In response Mr Chapagain,affirmed IFRC’s
greater support for Fiji.
Founded in Paris, France in 1919, IFRC is
the world’s largest humanitarian network,
works globally to help 160 million people
every year with and in support of 192-member
National Societies.
IFRC has assisted Fiji through the Fiji
Red Cross Society which is recognised by
Government as a voluntary relief organisation
that provides voluntary assistance to
those in need.

14
INDIA
Friday, November 12, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Modi shows will, way
to tackle climate
change: Commonwealth
Secretary General
The whole Commonwealth will work together, harder and
smarter to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement,
an international treaty on the climate crisis aiming to
radically reduce carbon emissions.
And India is an intrinsic partner in this challenge. It is the
largest member of the Commonwealth and Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has shown that there is a will and there is a way.
"We will work together," Commonwealth Secretary General,
Patricia Scotland, whose birthplace Caribbean island suffered
tremendously when it was struck by a hurricane in 2017, told
the media.
She is in this Scottish city to convince world leaders gather for
COP26 -- the 2021 edition of the UN Annual Climate Change
Conference -- to renew and strengthen commitments to the 2015
Paris Agreement goal of keeping warming to 1.5 degree Celsius
within reach. On mobilising finance for Commonwealth nations
to cope with the impacts of climate change by building longlasting
resilience and livelihood adaptation, she told IANS the
climate finance is one of the most critical elements leaders are
discussing at this climate summit COP26 in Glasgow.
"Many countries have enormous ambitions to tackle the climate
crisis, through plans to phase out fossil fuels and transition
to clean energy, develop climate-resilient infrastructure and
transform key sectors such as agriculture to be more sustainable.
"But financing is required to deliver any of these strategies
successfully," the Secretary General was clear in saying.
"More than 10 years ago at COP15, it was agreed that
developed countries should provide US$100 billion each year
to help developing countries adapt to climate change and cut
their own emissions. "However, according to the latest figures
India, Israel to jointly develop
dual use tech for defence
India and Israel signed an
agreement on Tuesday for
development of dual use
technologies in the defence sector.
India's Defence Research
and Development Organisation
(DRDO) and Israel's Directorate
of Defence Research and
Development (DDR&D), have
entered into the agreement to
promote innovation and accelerated
research and development in startups
and MSMEs of both countries
for the advancement of dual use
technologies, a statement said.
The agreement was signed
between DRDO Chairman, G
Satheesh Reddy and DDR&D head,
Brig Gen Dr Daniel Gold (retd).
The Indian Defence Ministry said
that it is a tangible demonstration
of the growing Indo-Israeli
technological cooperation.
Under the agreement, start-ups
and industry of both countries
will work together to bring out
next generation technologies
and products in the areas such
as drones, robotics, artificial
intelligence, quantum technology,
photonics, biosensing, brainmachine
interface, energy storage,
wearable devices, natural language
processing and others, it said in the
statement.
Products and technologies will
be customised to meet unique
requirements of both the countries.
The development efforts will be
jointly funded by the DRDO and the
DDR&D, it added.
The technologies developed under
bilateral innovation agreement will
be available to both countries for
their domestic applications and the
development efforts will be jointly
funded by the DRDO and the
DDR&D, the ministry said.
To enhance bilateral defence
cooperation between both the
countries, formulation of a task
force was announced last month,
during the 15th joint working group
meeting in Tel Aviv.
The meeting was co-chaired by
Indian Defence Secretary Ajay
Kumar and the Director General of
Israel's Defence Ministry, Maj Gen
Amir Eshel (retd).
The joint working group is the
apex body of both countries' Defence
Ministries to comprehensively
review and guide all aspects of
cooperation in this sector.
The two sides had reviewed
the progress made in military
engagements including exercises
and industry cooperation.
from the OECD just under $80 billion of this has been raised in
2019, so we are clearly off-target and it is frankly not enough for
the climate action needed to keep global temperature rise to 1.5
degrees."
She candidly said the developed nations must deliver on their
promises, not only to achieve results on the ground, but as a
matter of trust.
The reality is the current processes to access some of these
international climate funds are quite difficult and arduous for
capacity-constrained small states.
This is why the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access
Hub was created in 2015 -- it places highly skilled advisers in
government departments to build capacity and support them in
developing robust, successful funding proposals.
To date, the hub has helped countries secure about $44 million
in climate finance for six countries, with projects worth US$750
million in the pipeline, she said.
Do you think vulnerability should be the core basis for
allocation of climate finance, the Secretary General replied:
"Vulnerability should certainly be taken into account when
deploying finance to developing nations. Some nations are more
vulnerable than others to the impacts of climate change, due to
structural aspects beyond their control such as geography or
location. In fact, this is the lived reality of many small island
nations.
"My own birthplace, Dominica, suffered tremendously when
it was struck by Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed the
equivalent of 226 per cent of its annual GDP overnight."
Recognising the devastation, the Commonwealth Secretariat
is developing a Universal Vulnerability Index (UVI) that
assesses how vulnerable or resilient developing countries are
to economic, socio-political and environmental shocks, such as
climate change, which could influence how much international
finance they can access.
According to the Secretary General, the climate change is the
defining global challenge of "our times, now exacerbated by the
Covid-19 pandemic".
It is both an existential threat and a threat multiplier, amplifying
existing social, political and economic inequalities. No nation is
left untouched by this phenomenon and all levels and sectors of
society are affected, though some are more vulnerable.
Indian origin scientist named primary contributor
to invention of Moderna's Covid vaccine
A
scientist
of Indian origin has
been identified by Moderna
as the primary contributor to
its Covid-19 vaccine.
A filing by the company for its
patent application for the coronavirus
vaccine using the revolutionary RNA
technique listed Pune-educated
bioinformatics scientist Mihir
Metkar as the "first named inventor",
a designation that usually recognises
the primary contributor to the
invention.
He is also listed as one of the
inventors in two other Covid-19
vaccine patent applications by
Moderna to the US Patent Office.
Moderna's is of the new class
of vaccines that use what is called
messenger RNA (mRNA) that cause
the body to create some proteins
similar to that in the Covid-19 virus
and trigger the body's immune
system to make antibodies that will
fight the coronavirus if it invades the
body. (Conventional vaccines use
either dead viruses or parts of them
or a modified version of the gene of a
different virus.)
Metkar's identification as the "first
named inventor" is in the document
filed by Moderna to dispute the US
government's National Institutes
of Health (NIH) assertion that its
scientists should also be credited
as inventors of the vaccine, which
was developed in collaboration with
it and with $1.53 billion provided
by the administration of former
President Donald Trump under the
Operation Warp Speed programme
to quickly produce vaccines.
Vladimir Presnyak and Guillaume
Stewart-Jones are listed after him in
the original application for the patent.
Metkar received his MSc degree
from the Institute of Bioinformatics
and Biotechnology at the Savitribai
Phule Pune University and worked
at the Indian Institute of Science
Education and Research (IISER)
in Pune as a project assistant
before coming to the United States,
according to his LinkedIn profile.
He did his PhD at the RNA
Therapeutics Institute at the
University of Massachusetts Medical
School in Worcester and worked
there as a post-doctoral fellow,
before joining Moderna in 2018, the
profile said.
In a separate patent filing,
Moderna listed Sunny Himansu, who
has an MBBS degree, as one of the
two inventors of the Betacoronavirus
Vaccine.
Moderna's vaccine is one of the
two main vaccines in the US and
about 164 million doses of it have
been given so far in the US, according
to the Centers for Disease Control.
In addition, millions of people
have been vaccinated in Europe and
elsewhere with the Moderna vaccine.
The other main vaccine used in
the US is the Pfizer-Biontech, which
was developed in Germany and uses
mRNA. A third vaccine from Johson
& Johnson is also used in the US.
It was developed by J&J's Jansen
Pharmaceutical, whose global head
of research and development is
Mathai Mammen.
The patent document naming
Metkar as the "first named inventor"
was filed on behalf of Moderna by
an intellectual property law firm
asserted that the three NIH scientists
who collaborated with them should
not be considered co-inventors as the
NIH has asked.
If the NIH scientists are recognised
as co-inventors, the NIH and the
government may be entitled to
receive a share of royalties from the
use of the patents and also be able to
allow others to make the vaccine.
An NGO, Public Citizen, has
pointed out in a letter to the head
of the NIH that co-ownership of
the patent "can empower the US
government to authorise" other
manufacturers around the world to
use some of the patents to make the
vaccine.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
FEATURES 15
Healthy cooking every day
Chicken Fingers
with curried ketchup
Ingredients
powder, the cumin and 1 teaspoon salt in a
• Nonstick cooking spray
shallow bowl. Mix the panko with 1/2 teaspoon
• 2 large eggs
curry powder in another bowl.
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• Dip the chicken strips in the egg mixture, letting
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
the excess drip off, then coat with the panko.
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
Place the chicken on the rack and mist all over
• Kosher salt
with cooking spray.
• 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• Bake until golden brown and cooked through,
• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (1 1/2 to 1 about 20 minutes.
3/4 pounds), cut into 1-inch-wide strips
• Meanwhile, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
in a large pot with a steamer rack or basket in
• 3/4 cup ketchup
place. Add the broccoli, cover and steam until
• Juice of 1 lime
crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Directions
• Mix the ketchup, lime juice and the remaining
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Set a rack on a 1/2 teaspoon curry powder in a small bowl.
baking sheet and mist with cooking spray. • Serve the chicken strips with the curried ketchup
• Whisk the eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon curry and broccoli.
Broccoli-Walnut Pesto with Pasta
Ingredients
• 2 Cornish game hens
(about 1 1/2 pounds
each), halved
• Kosher salt and freshly
ground pepper
• 3/4 cup low-sodium soy
sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 2-inch piece ginger,
peeled and sliced
• 2 small red chile peppers,
halved (remove seeds for
less heat)
• 1 bunch scallions
• 1 grapefruit, halved
• 1 medium head bok choy,
thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame
oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds,
toasted, for garnish
Lemon-garlic
shrimp and grits
Ingredients
processor; add the broccoli, basil,
• 1/3 cup walnut halves
broth, nutmeg, red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, if using, 3/4 teaspoon salt and the
plus a few sprigs, for garnish
lemon juice, and pulse until just
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
combined.
grapefruit; add to the pot.
• 1 1/2 cups chopped raw broccoli • Slowly drizzle in the oil through the
• Simmer, stirring occasionally,
florets and tender stems (about 4 feed tube with the processor running
until thick and syrupy, about
ounces)
and puree until a slightly chunky
20 minutes. Brush the hens
• 1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth sauce forms, scraping down the
with a few tablespoons of the
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg sides of the bowl as needed. Add 2
sauce and continue roasting
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, tablespoons of the cheese and pulse
until golden, about 8 more
optional
until incorporated.
minutes.
• Kosher salt
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of
• Peel and segment the remaining
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon (1 salted water according to the
grapefruit half and place in
tablespoon)
package directions. Drain, reserving Directions
a bowl.
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Preheat the oven to 425
• Thinly slice the remaining
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated • Toss the pasta with the pesto in the degrees F. Season the hens
scallions and mince the
Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano or dry pot or a mixing bowl, along with with salt and pepper and place
remaining chile pepper; add
grana padano cheese
some of the reserved cooking liquid. skin-side up in a roasting pan.
to the bowl along with the bok
• 10 ounces whole wheat or tri-color Add the remaining cooking liquid if Roast until the skin is slightly
choy, sesame oil, and salt and
fusilli
needed and additional salt to taste. crisp, about 25 minutes.
pepper to taste.
Directions
• Transfer the pasta to individual • Meanwhile, combine the soy
• Place half a hen on each plate.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees bowls and sprinkle with the sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar,
Stir any pan drippings into the
F. Spread the nuts out on a small remaining 1 tablespoon cheese. ginger, 1 chile pepper and 1/4
remaining sauce and drizzle
baking pan and toast lightly, about 5 Chop the remaining walnuts and cup water in a pot. Cut half of
over the top. Serve with the bok
minutes. Set aside to cool.
scatter on top. Garnish with basil the scallions into large pieces,
choy salad and garnish with
• Pulse together 1/4 cup of the leaves and serve.
and zest and juice half of the
sesame seeds.
walnuts and the garlic in a food
Spicy Kale and Corn Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 5 1/2 ounces frozen chopped kale (about 2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn
• 2 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• Four 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
• Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the kale, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring,
until the kale is softened and the garlic is fragrant, about 5
minutes.
Teriyaki Hens with Bok Choy
• Add the corn and cook, stirring, until warmed through, 2 to 3
minutes more.
• Transfer to a bowl to cool slightly, and then stir in the cheese.
• Insert a thin paring knife into the thickest part of the chicken
breast and cut down the side to make a 3-inch pocket. Repeat
with the remaining chicken breasts. Then evenly stuff with the
kale mixture.
Lighter Takes
& Easy Tips
Ingredients
• 3/4 cup instant grits
• Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp,
peeled and deveined, tails intact
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
(optional)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges
for serving
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped
fresh parsley
Directions
• Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a
medium saucepan over high heat,
covered. Uncover and slowly
whisk in the grits, 1 teaspoon salt
and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
• Reduce the heat to medium low
and cook, stirring occasionally,
until thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the Parmesan and 1
tablespoon butter.
• Remove from the heat and season
with salt and pepper.
• Cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, season the shrimp
with salt and pepper. Melt the
remaining 2 tablespoons butter in
a large skillet over medium-high
heat.
• Add the shrimp, garlic and
cayenne, if using, and cook,
tossing, until the shrimp are pink,
3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the
heat and add 2 tablespoons water,
the lemon juice and parsley; stir
to coat the shrimp with the sauce
and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the grits among shallow
bowls and top with the shrimp
and sauce.
• Serve with lemon wedges.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very
hot, 3 to 4 minutes. Rub the chicken breasts with the remaining
2 teaspoons oil and sprinkle with a total of 3/4 teaspoon salt
and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add all 4 chicken breasts to the skillet and cook until golden
brown, about 2 minutes. Then lower heat to medium. Continue
cooking, turning once halfway through, until just cooked
through, about 14 minutes more.
• Insert a small paring knife into the top of the chicken to test
for doneness. If any pink areas remain, cover the skillet and
continue to cook until opaque.
• Transfer the chicken and any bits of filling that fell into the
skillet onto 4 plates. Stir the broth and flour together in a small
bowl and then add to the skillet.
• Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove
from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and
pepper. Spoon the pan sauce over the chicken.

16 WORLD
Friday, November 12, 2021 The Indian Weekender
Australia's New South Wales
crosses 90% vaccination-mark
Health authorities in Australia's most
be opened to everyone, not just the fully
populous state, New South Wales
vaccinated. NSW reported 216 new locally
(NSW), said on Wednesday that the
acquired cases and three deaths in the 24 hours
long-awaited 90 per cent double-dose target for
its over-16 population had been passed.
Data showed that as of Monday, 90.1 per cent
of the state's residents aged 16 and over had
been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and 94
per cent had received at least one dose.
Domestically, NSW is second only to the
Australian Capital Territory (ACT) which hit
its 90 per cent target late last month.
our reopening, protects the vulnerable and gets
us closer to the magic 95 per cent -- when even
to 8.00 p.m. Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, cases in the state of Victoria
continued to hover around the 1,000-mark. The
state reported 1,003 new locally acquired cases
of Covid-19 and 14 related deaths in the 24
hours to midnight Tuesday.
Victoria is currently Australia's third-most
vaccinated state or territory with 84 per cent
of its over-12 residents having been fully
On Tuesday afternoon NSW Premier more restrictions ease," he tweeted.
vaccinated.
Dominic Perrottet praised the reaching of the
goal and called for one last push to 95 per cent
vaccinations across the state.
"Every extra vaccinated person strengthens
Once the state reaches a 95 per cent
vaccination rate, or by December 15, limits
for all gatherings would be removed, and
non-essential retail and dining venues would
Nationally, 81.09 per cent of all Australians
over-16 have been fully vaccinated, and 89.53
per cent have received at least one dose,
according to data updated on Tuesday.
Australians unsure
about foreign travel
despite easing of
border curbs
A
new
survey revealed on Tuesday that
despite easing of border restrictions,
Australians were unsure of travelling
overseas. The survey conducted by the
University of Queensland (UQ) showed that
only 51 per cent of Australians plan to visit
foreign destinations, reports Xinhua news
agency. About a third of those surveyed said
they would prefer to travel domestically while
16 percent said they would not be travelling
at all. Associate Professor Gabby Walters from
the UQ Business School said the "lukewarm"
responses differed to a survey that had been
conducted in April 2020, shortly after Australia
banned international flights.
"I was surprised by the findings but, then
again, I could understand the reasons for
them," she told Xinhua. On the one hand,
people may be champing at the bit to travel
again, but there are still a lot of indecisions and
12 nations pledge $413 mn for climate resilience at COP26
In a show of support for those most at
risk from climate change, 12 donor
governments on Tuesday pledged $413
million in new funding for the Least Developed
Countries Fund (LDCF) during the COP26
climate summit.
The LDCF, hosted by the Global Environment
Facility, is the only dedicated source of climate
resilience funds for the 46 Least Developed
Countries, which have contributed the least to
carbon emissions and face some of the highest
risks from the effects of climate change.
The pledges from Belgium, the Belgian
region of Walloonia, Canada, Denmark,
Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, the
quick policy changes, so there
remains a fair deal of uncertainty.
"Previously, people felt uncertain and
uneasy about the virus and this makes sense
because in April last year, no one knew what
was to come," Walters added. The Associate
Professor said this time people were reporting
more feelings of "restriction and frustration"
as well as being "slightly more scared and
anxious" than the earlier survey.
The survey also found that New Zealand and
Europe are the most popular destinations for
international flyers, while Australia's coastal
areas were the most favoured tourist spots for
Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US
were announced in Glasgow, where signatories
to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (COP26) are discussing ways to
close the climate finance gap and meet the
"Queensland
has low case
numbers, great coastal
locations and sunshine,
while New South Wales
and Victoria have been
front and centre of
negative Covid-19
publicity."
44 per cent of domestic travellers.
"Queensland is still perceived as being the
safest place to holiday, closely followed by
Western Australia and Tasmania," Walters
said.
"Queensland has low case numbers, great
coastal locations and sunshine, while
New South Wales and Victoria have
been front and centre of negative
Covid-19 publicity."
She said Australians were
placing "more emphasis on
vaccination status, Covid-19
numbers and hygiene standards
when planning travel".
In a separate study, Walters and
colleagues Associate Professor Sarah
Kelly, Thomas Magor and Ann Wallin also
investigated the behaviour and preferences
of travellers considering cruise holidays.
International cruise ships have been banned
from entering Australia since March 2020,
following an outbreak on the liner Ruby
Princess which led to more than 600 infections
and 28 deaths.
"Travellers are seeking smaller ships and
lower occupancy as well as better health and
medical facilities on board," Walters said.
India-US defence expo focuses on space, AI cooperation
Indian and US defence officials and business
people have focused on partnering in space
and Artificial Intelligence (AI) at a virtual
expo, according to the US Department of
Defence (DoD).
The Second Defense Technology and Trade
Initiative Industry Collaboration Forum (DICF)
Virtual Expo held on Monday "focused on
securing supply chains in critical sectors such as
semiconductors and partnering for innovation
in emerging domains, such as AI and space",
DoD Spokesperson Jessica Maxwell said.
Jesse Salazar, the US Deputy Assistant
Secretary of Defence for Industrial Policy,
and Anurag Bajpai, India's Joint Secretary for
Defence Industries, co-chaired the Expo held
in partnership with the US-India Strategic
Partnership Forum and the Society of Indian
Defence Manufacturers.
Maxwell said: "The DICF, a cornerstone of
the US-India Defence Technology and Trade
Initiative (DTTI), aims to deepen industrial
cooperation between the US and India by
identifying opportunities to jointly research,
develop, and produce warfighting capabilities."
Salazar was joined in the discussion by
Michael Vaccaro, the DoD acting Executive
Director for International Cooperation,
and senior executives from US and Indian
companies, she said.
As India and the US strengthen their strategic
cooperation, DTTI has assumed an important
role, which was reiterated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden at their
Washington summit in September.
In their joint statement after their meeting,
they called upon the government and private
stakeholders "to use the existing ecosystems
of innovation and entrepreneurship in defence
industries for co-development, co-production
and expanding mutual defence trade".
commitments made in the Paris Agreement in
2015.
"I am delighted at the strong show of support
to the Least Developed Countries Fund, which
stands alone as a source of support to the
world's most vulnerable countries. The pledges
made today will make an immediate difference
in the places where climate change risks are
most acute," an official statement quoting
GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel
Rodriguez said.
"We need to keep building on this support
to close the climate finance gap and meet the
Paris Agreement's goal to increase all countries'
resilience to the very serious challenges that
climate change will bring."
Nepal Army
chief embarks
on 4-day trip
to India
General Prabhu Ram Sharma, Nepal's
Chief of Army Staff, on Tuesday
embarked on a four-day visit to New
Delhi at the invitation of his Indian counterpart
General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
During his stay, General Sharma will meet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, National
Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S.
Jaishankar, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, as
well as the three service chiefs, according to the
Nepal Army.
On Tuesday, he will also be conferred the
honorary rank of General in the Indian Army,
a long-held tradition between the two armies.
It will be presented by Indian President Ram
Nath Kovind.
A similar title was conferred on General
Naravane when he visited Nepal in
November 2020.
The presentation of the title to the Army
Chiefs of the two nations remains as a unique
military tradition.
In an article published in the Tuesday's
edition of The Kathmandu Post, Nepal Army
spokesperson Brigadier General Santosh
Ballave Poudyal said: "The conferring of
honorary titles between the two armies is a
long-held tradition, but the visit encompasses
many other facets crucial for the relationship
between the two countries."
The visit comes at a time when Nepal's
foreign policy is under duress due to the
change in the global strategic environment,
Poudyal said.
"Nepal is struggling against the headwind
created by growing fissures in the India-China
relationship, opening way for a realignment of
the traditional strategic orientation.
"Furthermore, the bilateral relationship
between Nepal and India is also
going through a period of change.
"Thus, this visit should not be viewed as a mere
continuation of the symbolic tradition. Instead,
it should be seized upon as an opportunity for
constructive engagement to create a conducive
environment for addressing bilateral issues,"
the spokesperson added.
"The LDCF has a special place in the hearts
of Least Developed Countries, as it is the only
climate change adaptation fund that is designed
to meet our unique needs and priorities. We are
46 of the world's most vulnerable countries,
and the science indicates that our climate risk
exposure will only increase," said Sonam
Phuntsho Wangdi, Chair of the LDC Group at
the UN climate negotiations.
"Support from the LDCF enables us to take
action and prepare for trouble ahead. We are
pleased about the generous new contributions
to the LDCF announced today and sincerely
hope that additional donors will follow suit
given how meaningful this source of support is
to us."

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
WORLD 17
CROSSWORD FreeDailyCrosswords.com
NO: 91
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: 91
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: 91
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: 91
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
12 November to 17 November 2021 | By Manisha Koushik
ARIES (MAR 21-APR 20)
If you feel the need for change, this is a good time
to go ahead with it. Remain persistence if you
want the work to get done your way. Someone
may guide you in achieving total fitness by
introducing something new in your routine. You
can be caught with your guard down by a senior
at work and suffer the consequences. Failing to
qualify something important on the academic front is possible, if
you don’t put in adequate efforts. Lucky No.: 15 / Lucky Colour:
Peach
TAURUS (APR 21-MAY 20)
There are ways to put across your point, so don’t
be harsh with anyone. You may need to review
the choices available on the academic front, as
you don’t seem satisfied with the ones you have
opted. Don’t take anything that doesn’t seem right
to you, either at work or in your personal life. You
will need to take out time for something promised
to the family. Developments on the social front may disappoint you.
Lucky No.: 9 / Lucky Colour: Rosy Brown
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUN 21)
You will need to hold your own in the midst of
differing opinions. Impressing those who matter
is possible on the professional front. Something
positive is likely to happen on the academic front.
Romance is likely to blossom soon, as you manage
to find an ideal mate through online. Expect
someone to appease you on the social front for a favour. Health
remains good, as you keep yourself active. You can remain in a
confused state of mind over an issue that affects you personally.
Lucky No.:1 / Lucky Colour: Dark Turquoise
CANCER (JUN 22-JUL 20)
Your attempts to influence someone negatively
may not succeed, so don’t indulge in this. An issue
regarding property, hanging fire for long, is likely
to be resolved. Finding the right study circle may
pose a problem for some preparing for something
important on the academic front. Those expecting
money from may not get the asked for amount.
Health remains satisfactory. Forgive and forget the past can be your
new mantra at work. Lucky No.:7 / Lucky Colour: Magentay
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)
If you are in the habit of doing something your
way, be ready for some interruptions. This is a
good week to work towards enhancing your career
prospects, as things move favourably for you.
Someone’s guidance may prove a godsend on
the academic front and bail you out from a tight
situation. Spending quality time with family is indicated for some.
Travel plans for a break from the routine may be drawn up by some.
Lucky No.: 1 / Lucky Colour: Light Red
VIRGO (AUG 23-SEP 23)
It is not the right time to show all your cards, as
someone may take advantage of you. You can be
selected for a special honour on the professional
front. Your academic achievements are likely to
open many doors for you. You will be in a position
to demand a big pay packet and boost your
financial strength. Success is foreseen for those trying to come back
in shape. A romantic evening with partner is possible. Lucky No.:
4 / Lucky Colour: Turquoise
LIBRA (SEP 24-OCT 23)
Certain adjustments in your personal life may be
needed. Money comes to you from unexpected
sources and promises to buttress your bank
account. Rearranging the house is on the cards
for some homemakers and promises to provide
immense satisfaction. Some improvement
in health is foreseen for those feeling under the weather. It may
become difficult to cover you lapses at work, so remain mentally
present in whatever you do on the professional front. Love life
remains satisfactory. Lucky No.: 2 / Lucky Colour: Orange
SCORPIO (OCT 24-NOV 22)
You will need to get your priorities right, if you
want things to move in a timely manner. Your
luck turns for the better and make you achieve the
unachievable on the professional front! Things
falling into place on the academic front may
come as a big relief for some. Spouse may seem
unusually lovey-dovey, so expect your love life to rock! You may
take an elderly person under your care. Lucky No.: 3 / Lucky
Colour: Magenta
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)
Distractions and additional workload may make
your digress from what you want to accomplish.
You are likely to remain mentally preoccupied
and may not be able to do justice to the tasks at
hand. Achieving your aim on the academic front
may require taking personal pains, so get set
for putting in your bit. Health needs care. Family will appear most
responsive to your needs. Lucky No.: 8 / Lucky Colour: White
CAPRICORN (DEC 22-JAN 21)
Don’t waste your time and energy on someone
who is not prepared to listen to your advice. This
is a good time to showcase your talents at work,
as an important assignment may come your way.
Cutting corners and remaining conservative in
your spending will help in maintaining a healthy
bank account. Regular medication will be important in getting rid
of an ailment. Spouse may annoy you by not seeing your point of
view in a social situation. Lucky No.: 1 / Lucky Colour: Dark
Turquoisen
AQUARIUS (JAN 22-FEB 19)
Wedding bells may soon become a reality for the
eligible. You may feel spiritually uplifted, as you
become increasingly religious-minded. Mental
peace and tranquillity is yours for the asking. In
financial matters, you will remain a realist and
not get swayed by passing fancies. Keeping the
professional front in good order may become your
aim. Efforts on the academic front are certain to deliver positive
results. Homemakers will remain in control at home and ensure
everyone’s comfort. Lucky No.: 6 / Lucky Colour: Crimson
PISCES (FEB 20-MAR 20)
Wavering focus may harm your career interests.
Certain old issue swept under the carpet at work
may come back to haunt you, so retrieve and
tackle them now when you have the time. Keep
your expenses under check to enhance savings and
make your financial front stronger. Monotony on
the social front may get to you, so do something
exciting. Those facing the odds will steadily take control of a
current situation. Lucky No.: 5 / Lucky Colour: All Shades of
Green

18 ENTERTAINMENT
Friday, November 12, 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.

The Indian Weekender Friday, November 12, 2021
FEATURES 19
Technology
Fitbit rolls out ECG,
blood glucose
tracking tool
will also be
"We adding new Fitbit
audio and video
workouts, ranging from
bootcamp to mobility
work, and regularly
refreshing existing
content from popular
brands as part of 500+
fitness, mindfulness
and nutrition content
offered within the
service
Google-owned Fitbit on
Wednesday announced that
its users in the country will
now be able to use a new features
including blood glucose tracking tool
in the Fitbit app.
The company also said that Daily
Readiness Score is now available in
the Fitbit app for Premium members
with compatible devices.
It is an experience that uses proven
research and insights from your body
via your Fitbit device -- your activity,
heart rate variability (HRV over your
entire night's sleep) and recent sleep
patterns -- to help you determine if
you should work out or prioritise
recovery, it said.
"Daily Readiness is now available
in the Today dashboard of the Fitbit
app for Premium members with
Sense, Versa 3, Versa 2, Charge
5, Luxe or Inspire 2 devices," the
company said in a statement.
"Sense and Versa 3 users will also
be able see their score on-wrist," it
added.
According to the company, Charge
5 is their first tracker with an ondevice
electrocardiogram (ECG) app
which will allow users to assess heart
rhythm for atrial fibrillation on-wrist.
Simply hold your fingers to the
stainless-steel panels on the sides
of the device while being still for
30 seconds to receive a reading and
get deeper insights into your heart
health.
Fitbit users living with diabetes,
will be able to use a new blood
glucose tracking tool in the Fitbit
app to see how their glucose levels
change throughout the day and
react to other health metrics such as
physical activity, sleep and nutrition,
to help better manage their holistic
health all in one place.
The company also said that a
Premium membership offers multiple
benefits, including deeper insights
into your Health Metrics Dashboard,
Daily Readiness, Stress Management
and Sleep Scores
These components work together
to help you workout smarter, manage
your stress, sleep better and eat well.
"We will also be adding new Fitbit
audio and video workouts, ranging
from bootcamp to mobility work,
and regularly refreshing existing
content from popular brands as part
of 500+ fitness, mindfulness and
nutrition content offered within the
service," the company said.
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