Monthly Archives: February 2022

Explained: The end of MPhil; why has DU killed the degree? – The Indian Express

Posted: February 1, 2022 at 2:35 am

Delhi University has officially notified that it would be scrapping its MPhil programme from the coming academic year (2022-23), in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), which mandates this.

When and how did DUs decision come?

The decision to scrap MPhil was first recommended by a 42-member High Powered Committee chaired by the then Acting Vice-Chancellor and consisting of several high officials in August last year.

In the minutes of its meeting dated August 18, the Committee said, The existing M.Phil. Programme was recommended to be discontinued from the academic year 2022-23 in line with the NEP 2020.

The recommendations were adopted and the decision finally taken in a marathon meeting of the Academic Council (AC) in the same month. There were 16 dissents, but the proposal was passed. Subsequently, DUs Executive Council (EC) gave its go ahead.

The decision was notified on January 27, when the office of the Chairperson Research Council said, In the light of E.C. Resolution No. 8 dated 31.08.2021, the existing MPhil Programme run by various Departments of the University of Delhi will be discontinued from the Academic Year 2022-2023 in line with the NEP 2020.

What does the NEP say about MPhil?

The National Education Policy document simply states that the MPhil programme should be discontinued. The document does not provide a reason or rationale.

HEIs will have the flexibility to offer different designs of Masters programmes: (a) there may be a 2-year programme with the second year devoted entirely to research for those who have completed the 3-year Bachelors programme; (b) for students completing a 4-year Bachelor s programme with Research, there could be a 1-year Masters programme; and (c) there may be an integrated 5-year Bachelors/Masters programme. Undertaking a Ph.D. shall require either a Masters degree or a 4-year Bachelors degree with Research. The M.Phil. programme shall be discontinued, the NEP states.

Will the current batch of MPhil students be affected by the decision?

The decision to scrap the MPhil programme will only be implemented in the 2022-23 academic session, and will not affect the current batch, said a senior official.

Why will it affect them? There is nothing like that. Their course will continue as it is. This decision will only mean that no new MPhil students will be taken in the coming year, he said.

Is there a problem with scrapping MPhil?

Some teachers have pointed out that the MPhil is a shorter research degree, which gave them exposure to research work.

The MPhil course, over several generations, has played an important role in DU and other Indian universities in developing research aptitude through robust course work and introduction to higher research. It has been a degree by itself separate from and above the Masters degree. It is extremely unfortunate that the NEP 2020 discontinues MPhil, AC member Mithuraaj Dhusiya, who teaches English at Hansraj College, said.

Democratic Teachers Federation (DTF) secretary Abha Dev Habib said, As opposed to PhD, MPhil is a short-term research degree for students which provided them an exposure to research work and added to their CVs. Social scientists believe that students with MPhil did better in their PhDs.

This degree is being discontinued not because of any organic need of the system but because of NEP 2020, which is all about widening the gap between have and have nots Students with disadvantageous backgrounds, especially women, looked up to MPhil as a research degree they could afford before going towards teaching jobs.

Prof Ayesha Kidwai of Jawaharlal Nehru University, which decided to scrap MPhil before DU, pointed to a question of gender.

The MPhil is often the only research degree that women (as well as other disadvantaged sections) can pursue PhD degrees require an investment of time and a loss of earnings that patriarchal society lets only a few afford and the need for its immediate abolition is difficult to fathom. Unless the NEP is keen to push women out of higher education, why must a degree programme that has proved its usefulness in furthering research in the social sciences and humanities, which imposes no extra demands or costs on infrastructure or teaching resources, and has ensured greater participation of women, need to be eliminated? she said.

What do DU officials feel about the scrapping of MPhil?

While the university has said it is scrapping the MPhil programme, it has not officially put out any statement on the relevance or irrelevance of the programme. However, officials largely feel the decision is correct.

See, it is not possible to implement the NEP and not scrap MPhil. We have to adopt this provision too if we are saying we will implement the NEP from the coming academic year. We cannot pick and choose, an official said.

Moreover, this (the scrapping of MPhil) is a good thing. Now students dont need to do that extra 1.5-2 years of research work. They can directly go from MA to PhD, and complete their education faster. It benefits the students, the official said.

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Explained: The end of MPhil; why has DU killed the degree? - The Indian Express

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These Heroes Demolish the Clich of the Conformist ’50s – The Daily Beast

Posted: at 2:35 am

How did the boring, conformist 50s lead to the cultural upheavals of the 60s? Civil rights, LGBTQ rights, womens rights, the environmental movementall emerged full-blown in the 60s but, according to journalist and historian James R. Gaines in his new book, The Fifties: An Underground History, all had their origins in the sometimes little known struggles of the previous decade.

It seemed to me history just doesnt work that way, its not usually defined by decades, Gaines told The Daily Beast. Why did a period so well known for conformity lead to one known for the opposite? So I started looking for the roots of that outburst in the 1950s, and found people who gave me a different idea of how change happens. It occurred to me that people who are change makers in a time so difficult to do that deserve some acknowledgment.

Gaines book isnt a broad overview, but more an up close and personal look at the lives and careers of activists who recognized various societal problems and fought them. Some are well known, like murdered civil rights pioneer Medgar Evers or author Rachel Carson, whose book Silent Spring warned about the effect of pesticides on the environment. Others, like Harry Hay, an organizer of the Mattachine Society, the first gay rights group, and Norbert Wiener, a pioneer in the study of thinking machines and their effect on humans and the natural world and the man who coined the term cybernetics, have been nearly forgotten over time. But all had one thing in common: the courage to stand out from the conformist crowd and address issues that had been swept under the table.

There is a clarity about these issues that arose from intimate problems within themselves, says Gaines of these forerunners. All these people were very stubborn, and flawed, and unique as individuals. They were all intimately affected by the causes they took on. It was out of their personal struggles that they got the courage to begin change.

If theres one of these activists Gaines admires more than any other, its, Pauli Murray a light-skinned, gay Black woman who helped found the National Organization for Women, and believed that discrimination based on race, class and gender were all connected. She began with such a burden, says Gaines, her autobiography is painful to read sometimes, the assault on her for her light skin, and societys assault on her for her confusion about her gender. The fact she was the only woman in her class at Howard University Law School, was discriminated against and wound up first in her class. And she came out with a law school thesis that helped Thurgood Marshall make his argument in Brown vs. Board of Education. Its a great story of courage against long odds.

Also a great story of courage is the Black World War II veterans who came home to a world of racism and helped jump-start the civil rights movement. Medgar Evers and Anzie Moore of the Mississippi NAACP, Hosea Williams of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Floyd McKissick of the Congress on Racial Equality, James Forman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, and more, men who, says Gaines in his book, believed that non-violence without the support of armed resistance to racist violence amounted to surrender.

But, Gaines told The Daily Beast, theres a reason why the military backgrounds of these men, who were familiar with weaponryEvers carried a .45 with him when he traveled and slept with a shotgun at the foot of his bedseems to have taken a historical backseat to the non-violent protests of the era. The character of the non-violent movement predominated, he says, and it was almost an image-making problem. The idea that Blacks would revolt with arms I think would have inflamed the American public. It was a tactic of the Martin Luther King movement not to emphasize that, despite the fact that Kings home was on occasion an armory.

Gaines feels the environmental movement has not accomplished what it needs to, and civil rights is still a work in progress."

The Fifties also includes the little known story of President Harry Truman and his support of civil rights. It seems Truman was angered by two high-profile cases of World War II veterans who returned home to racist violenceIsaac Woodard, blinded by a white cop when he didnt address him as sir, and George Dorsey, murdered by a white mob for protecting his brother-in-law after an altercation with his landlord. Truman responded to these outrages by naming a commission to analyze the problems in the South, and gave support to its final agenda, which included anti-lynching legislation, abolition of the poll tax and laws to ensure equal access to housing, education, and health care. When an old friend castigated him for this, Truman responded that the main difficulty with the South is that they are living 80 years behind the times and the sooner they come out of it the better it will be for the country and themselves.

Trumans liberal stance, says Gaines, came from his experiences as an officer in World War I. It angered him, the reception black veterans got when they came home. He did things no president had ever done before. He acted on his convictions.

Despite the courage and convictions of all the people in the book, Gaines admits the various issues they addressed have succeeded or failed to varying degrees. Although not enough, he sees the most progress in the gay and womens movements, thanks in part to a generation coming up now that is far more egalitarian in terms of gender than previous generations.

But Gaines feels the environmental movement has not accomplished what it needs to, and civil rights is still a work in progress. The initiative preventing people of color from voting, how could that be? The fact the Supreme Court has done nothing to stop it is sickening.

And yet, Gaines feels that readers of The Fifties should get the feeling that there is progress, and even when you think its least likely, there are people who will stand up and make the argument for change and eventually be supported by our Constitution, and their demonstration of courage and farsightedness.

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At the heart of justiceMaya Angelou – The Medium

Posted: at 2:35 am

Its difficult to grasp that the Civil Rights Movement occurred only within the last 100 years, and that the painfully unjust stories, agonies, and triumphs of Black people are not historical but present. And while we, as a society, are late in appreciating those who deserve to be appreciated, the U.S. government has decided to commemorate Maya Angelou, a Black female poet, singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist, by minting her face on the quarter.

Maya Angelou lived a life of extraordinary strength and intelligence. She was the first female Black director in Hollywood. She fought alongside Martin Luther King Jr. until his assassination, after being politically awakened by his moving speeches. She aided his civil right organisation, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, by collecting funds through staging a revue. Angelou was also a companion of Malcolm X. The two developed the Organization of Afro-American Unity. She continued to inspire countless lives even after passing in 2014.

Angelou advocated for racial justice, inaugurated Bill Clinton, fought for same-sex marriage, and she was the only female editor of a newspaper, The Arab Observer. She fought for economic justice by demanding fair wages for workers and the abolition of poverty. Angelous writing was comprised of her experiences in regard to childhood trauma, sexual assault and racism. She wrote her own narrative; one that shows the beauty, intelligence and wit of both women and Black people. While her stories are painful, it is necessary that the young and old are acquainted with them and their messages. They depict a harsh reality of what Black people had to face, and still must face. Her writing is a continuous reminder of American societys deeply evil past.

Now, she is featured on the U.S. quarter with arms wide open. I cant think of a better pose for her than one that shows how free, brave, and unapologetic she was in doing the right thing. Angelou is the first of many in the American Women Quarters Program. The effort will also commemorate physicist and first woman astronaut Sally Ride, as well as the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller. The magnitude of the importance of these women, including Angelou, can be seen in the line of individuals featured on coins prior. It was all white men, and many of them were slave owners. It is time to strike out the names of all those who erased the Black narrative and create an environment where only those who deserve the appreciation receive it.

Angelous honesty and expertise in writing and art is essential in inspiring all ages. The power of language can turn the most ignorant hearts into empathizers. The beauty of art is that it shows different perspectives, it strengthens our will for change, and is one of the greatest weapons at our disposal.

While some may argue that this commemoration on a coin seems insignificant, this is no small feat in the battle for racial justice. All progression is good progression. As a Middle Eastern Muslim woman who finds inspiration in writing, I look at Maya Angelou and see a woman who pushed the barriers forced upon her, on a literary, artistic, and social level. She took control of her future, but her work isnt over. Racial injustice, ethnic cleansing, poverty, and prejudicethese are all things still prevalent within our society. Keeping her legacy alive empowers change.

Maya Angelou was a pivotal inspiration to women and Black people within the U.S. and outside of its borders. She pushed the boundaries of the rigid frameworks presented to her within the art world, and she executed her art to perfection. Maya Angelou risked her life for the sake of justice and truth. Truth remains consistent, and prevalent, and that which she fought for will always live longer than any of us will. She will remain the heart of justice.

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New Zealands Catholic church admits 14% of clergy have been accused of abuse since 1950 – The Guardian

Posted: at 2:32 am

New Zealands Catholic church has admitted that 14% of its diocesan clergy have been accused of abusing children and adults since 1950.

The church released the figures at the request of the royal commission on abuse in care, set up in 2018 by prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who said the country needed to confront a dark chapter in its history, and later expanded it to include churches and other faith-based institutions.

An interim report by the commission in December found up to a quarter of a million children, young people and vulnerable adults were physically and sexually abused in New Zealands faith-based and state care institutions from the 1960s to early 2000s.

Te Rp Tautoko, the group that coordinates church engagement with the royal commission, sought and examined records from the countrys six Catholic dioceses and from 43 Catholic religious congregations (also known as religious institutes, orders or associations). The research included records of 428 Catholic parishes, 370 Catholic schools and 67 other care institutions.

The allegations of abuse captured physical, sexual, and emotional or psychological abuse, and neglect. A failure to act on reports and facilitating abuse were also included.

The extent of the allegations of abuse in the church in Aotearoa New Zealand had not been collated before now, said Catherine Fyfe, the chair of Te Rp Tautoko.

The Information Gathering Project was a major exercise involving dozens of people over two years, including searching paper files dating back 70 years in hundreds of places.

The findings found that since 1950, 1,350 children and 164 adults reported suffering abuse, with the age of a further 167 not established by the research. Of the 1,680, almost half (835) were reports alleging sexual harm against a child and 80% of all reports were related to children. Of the total, 687 relate to educational facilities, 425 to residential care, 228 to parishes and 122 to other locations, and the rest were at unidentified locations.

Allegations were made against: 14% of Catholic diocesan clergy, who worked for a bishop and not a congregation, 8% of male congregational members (brothers or priests) and 3% of female congregation members (sisters or nuns). Most of the abuse reported happened in the 1960s and 1970s, with 75% occurring before 1990.

Te Rp Tautoko said that the records will not represent all abuse that has happened in the care of the Catholic church, as the research covers only recorded reports alleging abuse.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap) said the actual scale of abuse was likely to be much higher based on the information it has from its members as high as twelvefold, given data indicating about only one in 12 have reported [abuse] in regions across New Zealand.

The church has simply released what information it has recorded and this should not be seen as a comprehensive listing of all abuse that has occurred. The actual scale of sexual abuse is very difficult to measure.

Snap said while the church acknowledges that harm was done, there has been no substantial change in the churchs own internal training methods and culture. In the handling of abuse complaints, its investigative processes are based on the balance of probabilities and are not complainant centred.

The statistics were horrifying and something the church was deeply ashamed of, said Cardinal John Dew, the president of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference.

I am grateful that so much work has been done in researching the details and making them public.

As we continue to respond to the royal commission into abuse and we build a safer church for everyone, I firmly hope that facts like these will help us to face the sad reality. The church will learn from this and affirm its commitment to the work of safeguarding.

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Confident, optimistic, anxious: New Zealand readers tell us how they feel about Omicron – The Guardian

Posted: at 2:32 am

This week we asked Guardian New Zealand readers about the arrival of Omicron and how they are feeling and preparing. Hundreds of New Zealanders wrote in, about their hopes and anxieties, preparations and frustrations, confidence and worries.

The country has spent almost two years relatively sheltered from the pandemics worst effects, and many said they felt some trepidation at the prospect of widespread Covid, and the threat it could pose to the countrys small health system, as well as its immunocompromised or under-vaccinated communities. Some were concerned about divisions the pandemic had produced: between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, those inside the border and those locked out.

But many also expressed a sense of relief and inevitability and a sense that the timing was as good as it may ever be for Aotearoa to fall back into step with the rest of the world. Some have been long separated from their families, and found consolation in the prospect of reopening borders. And many felt quietly confident, bolstered by the countrys results so far. New Zealand had weathered each stage of the pandemic before, they said, and they trusted both the government and fellow New Zealanders to meet the next challenge.

This is a small sampling of the comments.

NZ just hasnt suffered the kind of personalised trauma happening overseas, and summer makes a lot of people shrug at the prospect of doom. The not knowing how it will play out is almost as bad as the anticipation of personal and societal harm; how vulnerable ARE we as a population? How will our mental health _ not great at the best of times weather the compound stressors? Crossing all the fingers at the moment.Kelly, writer and photographer, Dunedin

I think we are all feeling a sense of trepidation and worry. Throughout the pandemic we have watched what has happened overseas whilst keeping the virus at bay for two years. Now we face the inevitable that Omicron is here and we can no longer keep Covid at bay. There is the worry for the health system, our communities, particularly those who are vulnerable or immunocompromised. You cant help but think: I am going to get Covid now, will it be OK? Will my family be OK? Here in NZ, we just havent had to deal with huge case numbers and deaths, nor are we in the mindset of just accepting those numbers. And currently it feels like we are just waiting for it all to begin.Saffron Dunlop, 46, Auckland, marketing

I want to stop being frightened and put the whole ghastly business behind me whilst, at the same time, observing reasonable restrictions to keep the vulnerable safe. Recently the reality of Omicron in the community has given me the impression that we will all get the virus at some stage, but vaccinations provide protection against severe infection. I am respecting the science, I have had my booster, now bring it on!Mari Bennett, 73, north of Auckland

I am worried about Omicron, but accepting that the outbreak is coming. All my whnau have been vaccinated, and are where eligible boosted. I mask up with an N95, track my movements on the Covid app, cut out attending or holding larger events, and have gone or go virtual where I can Just trying not to be a dick! Kia kaha, Aotearoa: he eke waka noa we are all in the same canoe.Sam Young, 59, Nelson lecturer

I think resignation mostly. We all knew Omicron would break through eventually. As an asthmatic, yes I feel a degree of trepidation, but I got the vaccination, and Ive had the booster, and Im pretty consistent with mask-wearing. So really, from now on its a case of suck it and see. I am profoundly grateful to not be sent back into lockdown though At least with vaccination I can live a pretty normal life now.Elizabeth Revel, 71, cardiac nurse

The government has done a fine job in keeping deaths to a mere 50 or so. They have generated great confidence. Omicron may be different in its transmissibility but New Zealanders will, I think, rise to the challenge Our vaccine situation is amazingly good and that will help too. No sweat.Dave Smith, 75, lawyer, Wellington

I think that the silver lining of reaching this stage is the change it will bring to border settings. There are so many families affected by the border restrictions. I have a friend whose dad [overseas] died last year I sat with her while she watched his live-streamed funeral and had to grieve without her family. It probably doesnt seem much in the scale of things, but I have a cousins wedding to go to in the UK in June and its really important to me that my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews can see us and our kids. That time when theyre little goes so fast.Fiona Macdonald, civil servant, Wellington

I cant help feeling that New Zealand is about to be surprised in a very unpleasant way by the reality of Covids exponential spread Im very concerned. I feel New Zealand is about to experience albeit maybe without the large numbers of deaths due to Omicrons milder nature what the rest of the world had in 2020. That is, huge disruption to supply chains, working life, and massive social anxiety.Tom Hawkins, 32, maths and statistics teacher

This feels inevitable. We couldnt keep Covid-19 out for ever. We know the drill. Masks, hand washing, physical distancing, using the Covid-19 app, and keeping up with the vaccine and booster. I feel prepared. I am hoping for the best. Hoping Omicron is mild. Hoping it increases our immunity. Hoping we all stay safe and healthy.Nicki Frances, 53, science technical writer, Lower Hutt

I feel safe in the hands of such capable leadership, and a community that by and large understands the need for individual action to serve the greater societal good. Kiwis are, despite a tiny but vocal proportion extremely proud of how we defeated Covid with lockdown, then defeated Delta with lockdown, and now with 94% of adults double vaxxed feel we are ready to face Omicron without a lockdown.

As for how I am coping with the red traffic light? Well, for the majority its really little different to how weve lived in non lockdown times Doing my part to help the country basically involves missing a beer festival and not going to the cricket. We are so very fortunate here and send our aroha (love) to all people whose countries who have been less fortunate, and arguably less well led.Dan Hanid, 46, Palmerston North

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New Zealand Open scrapped over COVID travel restrictions – Reuters

Posted: at 2:32 am

Feb 1 (Reuters) - The New Zealand Open golf championship has been cancelled for the second year running, due to ongoing travel restrictions to protect the country from the pandemic, the organisers said on Tuesday.

New Zealand's borders have been shut to foreigners since March 2020. The government pushed back plans for a phased reopening from mid-January to the end of February out of concern about a potential Omicron outbreak, as in neighbouring Australia.

"We have done everything within our power to make this event happen," tournament chairman John Hart said on the event's website.

Register

"However, with the current government restrictions in place, running an event that includes 250 players, 250 caddies, 500 volunteers, nearly 100 tournament staff and officials, plus numerous contractors, as well (as) spectators, is just not possible."

The organisers had announced in December that the championship, part of the PGA Tour Australasia, would go ahead.

It had been scheduled to take place from March 31-April 3 at the Millbrook Resort near Queenstown on the country's South Island. The three leading players would have won direct entry into the prestigious 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.

As of Sunday, New Zealand, had reported 15,910 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 52 deaths since the pandemic first struck. read more

Register

Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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BUZZ New Zealand King Salmon hits record low on subdued FY22 guidance – Reuters

Posted: at 2:32 am

** Shares of New Zealand's Salmon supplier (NZK.NZ) plunge as much as 16.5% to NZ$1.010, their lowest decline since debut in Oct. 2016

** NZK slashes its FY22 EBITDA to a revised range of NZ$6.5 mln ($4.27 mln)- NZ$7.5 mln from a previous forecast of NZ$10.5 mln - NZ$12.5 mln

** Co says warm seawater temperatures due to the heat of summer is leading to higher than expected sea farm morality, NZK has put measures in place to mitigate these risks by adjusting the farm model

Register

** Adds that these setbacks will "seriously" impact co's FY22 results and reduce harvest for FY23

** Shares on track for their biggest intraday pct loss since Mar. 2020

** More than 94,800 shares change hands as compared with the 30-day average volume of ~35,500 shares

** Stock down 12.3% as of last close, so far this year

($1 = 1.5216 New Zealand dollars)

Register

Reporting by Roushni Nair in Bengluru

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Kiwis set to learn more about how NZ will ‘reconnect’ with the rest of the world – Stuff.co.nz

Posted: at 2:32 am

New Zealanders are set to learn more this week about how Aotearoa will reconnect with the rest of the world.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson confirmed that Cabinet has had discussions about reconnecting New Zealand.

On Thursday, the prime minister will give a speech outlining our plans to reconnect New Zealand with the world, he said at a post-Cabinet news conference on Tuesday.

Following the update, Robertson was asked by media whether Cabinet had made a decision on New Zealand's border specifically. The deputy prime minister didnt delve into the ins and outs of the Cabinet meeting and exactly what was discussed, but did say: There will be a speech on Thursday on reconnecting New Zealand and as you would expect, we discussed [at Cabinet] all aspects of the Omicron response.

READ MORE:* Charlotte Bellis offered MIQ spot, earlier Covid-19 Response Ministers statement 'incredibly disrespectful* Covid-19: Government lays out three-stage plan to handle Omicron outbreak * Covid-19: Border restrictions shouldn't lift until Omicron wave passes - experts* Covid-19: Chris Hipkins says 'significant' border changes are possible in first half of this year* MIQ, the dark shadow across New Zealand that has to lift* MBIE considered new pregnancy emergency MIQ allocation criteria, decided against making changes* Getting through: How Kiwis are prepping for Omicron

Bevan Read/Stuff

The PM is expected to outline the Governments plans to reconnect New Zealand with the world on Thursday. (File photo)

Speaking to Stuff last month, Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said there may be significant changes to the borders in the first half of 2022.

Despite delays and a vague timeframe, New Zealand is still on course to move to a self-isolation model where there is no longer a reliance on MIQ but where people are asked to stay at home to be sure theyre not infectious.

In November last year, the Government announced New Zealand citizens and residents from Australia could return without MIQ from January 17, and those citizens and residents from all other countries from February 14. April 30 was the date mooted for reopening borders to vaccinated foreign nationals.

But then the rise of the Omicron variant delayed New Zealands phased border reopening, and some MIQ room releases were also paused. The MIQ delay was to help protect New Zealanders, and a focus was placed on getting booster rates up and immunising 5-to-11-year olds.

Last week, the Government outlined a three-stage plan to handle the Omicron outbreak.

STUFF

After going public with her struggle with MIQ, Charlotte Bellis has been offered a spot in a facility by the Government, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson says.

This week, New Zealand's MIQ system has been in the headlines again due to the case involving pregnant journalist Charlotte Bellis.

On Tuesday, Robertson confirmed she had been offered a spot in MIQ.

The case has been assessed, there is a place for her to return to New Zealand, we urge her to take it up, Robertson said at the post-Cabinet briefing.

Speaking about the MIQ system, Robertson told media that there are rules and criteria, and the MIQ process was put in place for a very good reason.

It has supported our public health response and avoided a number of deaths, but Robertson acknowledged that it doesnt make it easy for those at the other end of it trying to come home.

I have enormous sympathy for people in a number of different situations. One of the hardest things during Covid-19 has been the fact that people have not been able to come back for funerals, for weddings, for situations like the birth of children. Thats incredibly tough.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Cabinet has discussed plans around reconnecting NZ, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will give an update on Thursday.

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Historic events in New Zealand travel and tourism and how to celebrate them – New Zealand Herald

Posted: at 2:32 am

In our new column, Thomas Bywater looks at the month's noteworthy events that helped shape our country and its tourism industry

For lovers of travel, February has some lofty anniversaries. On February 5, 1911, brothers Leo and Vivian "Vee" Walsh took off on New Zealand's first controlled powered flight.

The Manurewa No. 1 took off from a park in Papakura, South Auckland. A short hop from the runway of today's airport, father Austin Walsh logged a flight distance of around 300m at an altitude just shy of a double-decker bus.

The Walsh family were a long way from chartering a flight for their next holiday. This didn't stop them establishing New Zealand's first flying school four years later. Nor did the fact that New Zealand was still without a runway. They set up the New Zealand Flying School Kohimarama from Mission Bay. With five Curtiss flying boats, they trained 1000 pilots over the Waitemat Harbour.

At the other end of the harbour, at MOTAT (the Museum of Transport and Technology), you can still see images of their craft and the trainee pilots. The slings and casts worn by the trainee pilots are testimony to the fact that the flying boats didn't have brakes. (motat.org.nz, admission $1019)

In the MOTAT Walsh library and Aviation Hall you'll meet the last flying boat in New Zealand, the TEAL Solent RMA Aranui. In the 1950s it flew the Coral Route to Fiji and the Cook Islands. A distance 10,000 times greater than the Walshes' original flight, though it did take more than 30 hours to get there.

For a taste of the seaplane experience and what those early pilots would have seen from Kohimarama, Auckland Seaplanes fly transfers and scenic flights over the Hauraki Gulf. (aucklandseaplanes.com, from $225)

February is the month that made New Zealand.

Kicking off with Waitangi Day, it's the closest thing the country has to a birthday.Crossing the bridge from Paihia to the Treaty Grounds is something of a pilgrimage for Kiwis, to visit the place the Treaty was agreed upon 180 years ago. (waitangi.org.nz, $30). For Kiwi history buffs, the Bay of Islands is a place steeped in events - ones not always true to the principles of Te Tiriti.

It's a great place to start. But in the spirit of "doing something new" to rediscover something old, where are the places to be this month?

February is full of things that unify us - taking English wickets, the beginnings of national pastimes and brave attempts to bridge the North and South Islands, in nothing but a bathing suit.

Kicking around a track in the Fiordland National Park is as good a place as any. On February 23, 1904, a million hectares of Southland were set aside as the country's largest area for conservation and recreation. All the way from Milford Sound and Mitre Peak to the lighthouse at Puysegur Point, the park is home to three of New Zealand's Great Walks - The Kepler, Routeburn and Milford tracks. However - off the beaten track - the best way to fully immerse yourself in the sounds is on an overnight sailing. (fiordland.org.nz)

Happy Birthday Te Papa Tongarewa. On Valentine's Day - February 14 - The National Museum turns a youthful 24. It's a relatively new addition to the Wellington waterfront, especially compared to the collection of 2.4 million national taonga it contains - including a 137 million-year-old tooth of an iguanodon, the oldest object in the collections. (tepapa.govt.nz, free)

On the subject of places and events that unite Aotearoa. It's a short bowl down Kent Terrace to Wellington's Basin Reserve, site of New Zealand's first test cricket victory over England, on February 15, 1978. Future great Richard Hadlee took six English wickets for just 26 runs.

On sporting achievements that link our islands, February 4, 1975, saw Lynne Cox swim Cook Strait. It took the US swimmer a marathon 12 hours to make the crossing. On the anniversary of the historic swim, Fit & Abel are running a six-day swimming adventure into Fiordland, with transfers and accommodation aboard the PureSalt. For those just looking to "dip their toe" into open water swimming, E-ko Tours runs a dolphin swimming tour from Picton. (fitandabel.com from $5000pp; e-ko.nz from $180pp).

For more New Zealand travel ideas and inspiration, go to newzealand.com

Check traffic light settings, vaccine requirements and Ministry of Health advice before travel. covid19.govt.nz

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Historic events in New Zealand travel and tourism and how to celebrate them - New Zealand Herald

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New Zealand Red Cross mobilises Tonga relief effort – Tonga – ReliefWeb

Posted: at 2:32 am

New Zealand Red Cross has packed the first relief supplies to be sent to Tonga tomorrow and is gathering four technical experts to support the ongoing response.

After a thorough needs assessment, Tonga Red Cross Society has requested supplies including blankets, tarpaulins, masks, solar lanterns and kitchen sets and personnel to bolster the response effort.

The support package includes four Red Cross international delegates specialists highly trained in post-disaster logistics, operations, water and sanitation, and in financial management. At this stage, each delegate will work remotely from New Zealand for three months.

COVID-19 adds another layer of complexity to the response effort, says Vivienne Euini, Acting General Manager International. Tonga remains COVID-19 free and their Government has requested all support be contactless. So our delegates will, at least for now, work remotely from New Zealand.

New Zealand Red Cross will also be contributing to a global Red Cross fund that will provide financial assistance to those who have been displaced from their homes, or have an urgent need for food, water and other supplies.

In addition, New Zealand Red Cross plans to fund and supply a satellite communications platform which will provide communications in a box to support phone and internet connections, which have been severely affected across the Tongan islands.

While the focus is initially on the immediate welfare needs of people following a disaster, the scale of impacts across Tonga means it will be a significant response and recovery effort. Rebuilding homes, infrastructure and the economy is a complex undertaking and requires a long-term, highly-coordinated international effort, says Ms Euini.

More than 6,000 people and community groups have donated to the New Zealand Red Cross Pacific Tsunami Appeal and funds raised will enable the initial $730,000 in support to be provided to Tonga.

Our assistance of supplies and personnel has been made possible by the phenomenal response we have had to our appeal. People have been incredibly generous and that includes the many businesses that have worked hard to support our efforts, particularly Vodafone and our Disaster Response Alliance partners The Warehouse, Countdown and NZ Post.

The first transport of New Zealand Red Cross supplies will be airlifted to Tonga on the next NZDF relief flight due to leave Whenuapai on the morning of Tuesday 1 February 2022.

ENDS

For more information contact:

media.comms@redcross.org.nz

Ph 04 495 0139

Find out more about the International Delegate Programme

People can donate money to support those affected by the Tongan volcano eruption and tsunami by going to http://www.redcross.org.nz/donate/pacific-tsunami-appeal

About New Zealand Red Cross

The New Zealand Red Cross mission is to improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilising the power of humanity and enhancing community resilience.

The Red Cross Fundamental Principles guide everything that we do, whether we're helping people in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand or providing urgent relief in response to an international disaster. These seven principles unite the worldwide Red Cross Red Crescent Movement to help without discrimination those who suffer and by doing so contribute to peace in the world.

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New Zealand Red Cross mobilises Tonga relief effort - Tonga - ReliefWeb

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