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The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Terror Attack in Christchurch on March 15 has delivered a comprehensive report that will form the basis of a significant work programme to make New Zealand a safer and ultimately, I hope, a more cohesive country.
United Kingdom rolled out the first coronavirus vaccines to the public on Tuesday, making it the first country to inoculate people with a treatment that went through full testing. Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, made history as the world’s first person to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine outside of trial conditions. The vaccine was approved by the U.K. drug regulator last week.
Tenancy Services reminds all landlords to prepare now for the upcoming Healthy Homes Standards deadline, particularly landlords of boarding houses whose properties must be fully compliant with the standards by 1 July 2021.
A new community service organisation, Migrant United Council Inc. was launched amidst a galaxy of community and political leaders and representatives from range of religious and business organisations on Saturday 3rd October at Women Care Trust Hall in Papatoetoe, Auckland.
Additional measures coming into effect on Monday will boost our defence against COVID-19 entering New Zealand through the air border, Health Minister Chris Hipkins said today.
International Older Persons Day is a chance to think about the individual older New Zealanders we know and to confront ageism, Seniors Minister Tracey Martin said this week.
Three people have been arrested following a long-running investigation by Counties Manukau CIB into the importation and distribution of opium-based products into New Zealand from India. An investigation was launched after information was received late last year relating to the sale and supply of Kamini, which contains the Class B controlled drug opium.
International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) is a volunteer-based NGO working in 111 countries including New Zealand dedicated to the implementation of peace and cessation of war. IPYG is an affiliate of Heavenly Culture World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL) that was founded on May 25th, 2013 in South Korea.
At Alert Level 2 in Auckland gatherings will continue to be limited to 10 people. Funerals and tangihana will be limited to 50 people, and have to meet other conditions set by the Ministry of Health. Outside Auckland, gatherings such as church services and social events will continue to be limited to 100 people. You shouldn’t participate in any gatherings if you have COVID-19 symptoms or if you need to be in isolation for any reason.
Health Minister Chris Hipkins says wearing a face covering on public transport is the right thing do and will help keep New Zealanders safe from COVID-19.
The Government has allocated significant extra funding, in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars, to access a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine as soon as it becomes available.
Eligible businesses can apply for a two-week wage subsidy of up to $1,171.60 per worker from this week to help cover wages as part of the Government’s plan to protect jobs and support the economy.
Changes to simplify and expand the Business Finance Guarantee Scheme will allow banks to make more loans available under the Government’s 80% guarantee.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has named Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. Biden in a release on Wednesday noted, “The first Black and Indian American woman to represent California in the United States Senate, Kamala Harris grew up believing in the promise of America and fighting to make sure that promise is fulfilled for all Americans
Auckland region moved to Alert Level 3 at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August 2020. All regions in New Zealand, except for the Auckland region, moved to Alert Level 2 at 12 noon on Wednesday 12 August 2020.
In line with Auckland’s move to Alert Level 3, Auckland Council has closed all of its community facilities, effective immediately. This includes all playgrounds and other facilities within our parks, like park benches and basketball courts, as well as non-essential services such as libraries, pools and leisure centres, service centres, visitor centres, our network of community venues and our early childhood education centres.
The earlier announced dates for #Vandebharatflightsphase5 flights from New Zealand on 8th & 13th August 2020 are being postponed by few days. The revised dates will be announced as and when finalised. The approx. economy class airfare from Auckland to Delhi may be around NZ$2480.
Stats NZ said on Wednesday that New Zealand’s unemployment rate in the June quarter – which includes the period the economy was in lockdown – was 4%, down from 4.2% in March. This compares to the Treasury’s Budget forecast for the unemployment rate to hit 8.3% in June. New Zealand’s 4% unemployment rate compares to 7.4% in Australia, 11.1% in the US and 12.3% in Canada. The OECD average is 8.4%.
On the coming Wednesday, August 5, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya, India.
The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in a speech delivered at the NZ-China Business Summit, which was attended by over 500 delegates, in Auckland on Monday, called out China on recent developments including “Hong Kong’s new security law, the situation of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang province, and Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organisation”.
The hunt is on for the best exponents of Indian cuisine, crafts and performance to take part in this year’s Auckland Diwali Festival, which is due to be celebrated on October 31, and November 1, 2020.
Ekta, a Wellington-based charity will start distributing prepared and pre-packed vegetarian meals on a weekly basis in Porirua from July 18. In addition to the pre-packed food, there will also be breads from Pandoro bakery, which Ekta collects under its food rescue program.
After a massive food distribution drive during various alert levels, the Supreme Sikh Society of New Zealand is now gearing up to distribute over 2,000 blankets on Sunday, July 19, at 2pm.
In a speech delivered in Parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined a “plan in the event we have a new case of community transmission of COVID-19 in New Zealand,” she said. We present the relevant excerpts. Full text can be read here www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/next-steps-covid-response
Telugu Association of South Island (TASI) has joined hands with several other Telugu associations across the globe and is part of an online mega event "World Telugu Culture Fest" (initiated by TANA-USA) to be held on 24, 25 and 26 July 2020.
Wellington Mutamizh Sangam (WMS) - which aims to promote the South Indian culture in Wellington region through Tamil language, music and drama; and Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of Tamil Sangam Inc (ANTS) - which is a national level federation comprising of Tamil Societies or Tamil Sangams in New Zealand, have called on the local Tamil talent to participate in the International Film and Music Festival 2020.
A major five-year study by Massey University, which was presented at the Parliament this week, has revealed that Gandhi Nivas’ interventionist model, where it works directly with perpetrators of family violence, was able to prevent almost 60 percent of the men who have taken part in the programme from reoffending.
A central Government partnership with Queenstown will help unlock around $300 million of projects in the township and create about 320 direct jobs, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last week.
The plasma extracted from the blood will be used to research and develop convalescent plasma therapy, one of the most promising experimental treatments of the virus so far. Found in the blood of people who have recovered from Covid-19, convalescent plasma is known to help in decreasing the death rate of infected people in intensive care who are unresponsive to other treatments.
New Zealand has joined a global initiative that aims to enable all countries to access a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced on Wednesday.