Category Archives: New Zealand

Immigration NZ has closed down an avenue opened by a court last week last week for Afghans trapped there after the Taliban came into power to get a visa.

People boarding a defence force plane at Hamid Karzai International Airport earlier this year after the Taliban came into power. Photo: NZ Defence Force

The High Court ruled Immigration NZ was wrong to deny exceptions to grant them visas, based on humanitarian grounds existing in their home country.

But Immigration NZ has now issued instructions to re-close this avenue.

Read the document here

"A humanitarian crisis occurring outside of New Zealand is not relevant to the determination of a request to travel to New Zealand," it said last night in an internal circular.

Sue Moroney Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

Community Law Centres Aotearoa was not surprised.

"It is cynical but it's not unexpected," said chief executive Sue Moroney.

They had rushed through visa applications last week to get in ahead of this, she said.

The immigration changes, which apply from yesterday, also alter the "humanitarian" exception for getting a critical purpose visa, to "compassionate" grounds.

"When determining whether an applicant meets the compassionate entry requirements, factors that are not considered relevant include whether ... the applicant has been affected by a humanitarian crisis occurring outside of New Zealand," Immigration NZ said.

These "compassionate" grounds were less clear and not as well understood internationally, Moroney said.

The speed of Immigration NZ's response to the court ruling was ironic, she said.

"It's interesting to us to note that Immigration New Zealand can act with pace and haste when it suits them.

"We have had really sensible proposals in front of them for years ... and they have been telling us they don't have the policy capacity to actually do that simple piece of work, yet here almost overnight they could do the policy work to support this change."

A second avenue, also won in court last week, for refugee family support visas, remains open.

Immigration NZ was ordered to restart processing these, for applications lodged before Covid-19 restrictions closed the border.

Moroney said so far two out of at least 70 Afghans their centres represent have got a visa in recent days this way.

These two are the Afghan applicants named in the court case. Their identities are suppressed.

"We expect the others to follow," Moroney said.

Read more here:

Immigration blocks pathway for at-risk Afghans to settle in New Zealand - RNZ

Jerome Delay/AP

A new coronavirus variant has been detected in South Africa that scientists say is a concern because of its high number of mutations and rapid spread among young people in Gauteng, South Africa. (File photo)

An infectious diseases expert believes the country is well placed to detect and respond to any cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

The World Health Organisation declared the new variant to be "of concern" and New Zealand has banned travel from nine southern African countries.

Omicron was first reported to the WHO from South Africa on 24 November, and has since been identified in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong, Israel, Germany, the UK, Italy and the Czech Republic.

The WHO said the variant had a large number of mutations, and early evidence suggested a possible increased risk of reinfection.

READ MORE:* Omicron variant of Covid-19 has unusual but mild symptoms, doctor who raised alarm says* Covid-19: Why it's called Omicron, and everything else you need to know about the new variant* Australian government introduces bans on Africa travel over new Omicron Covid-19 variant* Omicron variant: What is the new Covid-19 strain in South Africa?* Covid-19: South African scientists detect new virus variant amid spike, added to UK travel red list

Massey University professor Nigel French said not much was known about Omicron yet, but he was optimistic vaccines may still protect against the new variant

"There's no evidence to date to suggest that vaccination, particularly if you've had two doses, would not protect against this new variant or any other new variant, but we just don't know," he said.

"And it will become more and more apparent, particularly if it does spread to other countries with higher vaccination rates."

French said sequencing technology should pick up any cases at the border and the country was well-placed to detect and respond to any cases of the Omicron Covid-19 variant.

In Saturdays Covid-19 update, the Ministry of Health said it was monitoring the Omicron variant.

"This particular strain is in its infancy and as with any emerging developments to do with Covid-19 we are closely watching and monitoring evidence and countries' responses," the Ministry said in its statement.

"We will advise on any potential impacts for New Zealand, noting that we remain in a good position to minimise the impact of any new variants with isolation and routine testing of international arrivals."

Gary McLean from the London Metropolitan University said laboratories would be carrying out tests to see exactly what threat the variant poses.

He said considering the make-up of the new variant, and the speed with which it is spreading, it was right to be cautious.

"There's a staggering number of new mutations in spike that have never been seen before and that also corresponds to sharing mutations with other variants that we know about well, so it's really worrying," he said.

He said work was underway to see if vaccines needed to be adjusted.

The head of the South African Medical Association told the BBC that the cases found so far in South Africa - where only about 24 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated - were not severe, but said investigations into the variant were still at a very early stage.

"The patients are mostly complaining about a sore body and tiredness, extreme tiredness and we see it in the younger generation, it's not the older people... We're not talking about patients that might go straight to a hospital and be admitted," Dr Angelique Coetzee said.

South Africa has also complained it was being punished instead of applauded for discovering the concerning new variant, the BBC reported.

A statement from the South African foreign ministry strongly criticised the travel bans.

"Excellent science should be applauded and not punished," it said.

The bans were "akin to punishing South Africa for its advanced genomic sequencing and the ability to detect new variants quicker".

The statement added that the reaction had been completely different when new variants were discovered elsewhere in the world.

The UK, Australia, Japan, India and Canada have all announced new measures for travellers from Southern African countries.

See the article here:

New Zealand well-placed to detect and contain new Omicron Covid variant - expert - Stuff.co.nz

New Zealand arm-wrestlers are stepping out from behind the pub table and hoping to raise awareness of the sport. VICKI ANDERSON reports.

The strong men stand across the table from each other and lock eyes, mentally sizing each other up.

Observers nudge each other knowingly. Some flex their biceps awaiting their turn at the table.

A few days earlier, Christchurch medical student Mark Makin had met a stranger on an app and invited him to this super match, held at a suburban football clubrooms on a warm Saturday morning.

With all eyes on the table, the arm-wrestling begins. Faces contort from smiles to grimaces as forearms teeter back and forth before a winner is declared.

READ MORE:* Why Kumail Nanjiani feels 'very uncomfortable' talking about his body* The gentle man behind 'The Beast' Maateiwarangi Heta-Morris* Joost van der Westhuizen and Jonah Lomu - friendship borne from rugby's ultimate rivalry

Referee Makin has enthusiastically been helping to organise events for the 40-odd members of the Christchurch Arm-Wrestling Club.

The sport is growing in popularity in New Zealand. At this event competitors from Dunedin compete alongside their Christchurch counterparts.

For training, arm-wrestlers use custom equipment towels, karate belts and more. The exercises range from strength and conditioning to table sparring time and specifically targeted exercises fingers, forearms, biceps and pronation.

These exercises consist of small movements.

There's an app, Armbet, explains Makin. You can look up people in your area who are serious arm-wrestlers and connect that way. This year there was a point where we were getting a new member every week, and now were up around 30 to 40.

Having just finished his first year in the sport, Makin is considered a newbie.

Its a cool sport to get into, he said. Theres a lot to learn on the technical side. I enjoy the combination of the fact you can use technique to outsmart and beat people who are stronger than you. I also enjoy the community.

Arm-wrestling is something of a hobby for Makin as he finishes his hospital placements, recently working in both the intensive care unit and emergency departments.

Mark Makin, centre, referees at an arm-wrestling event held by the Christchurch Arm-Wrestling Club.

The club has a varied demographic, he said. Our oldest club member is around 50 and our youngest is Felix who just turned 18. He started at 15 or 16.

Left arm or right?

Most people train with both.

Josh Roussel, a member of the Christchurch club for four years, said the sport had been underground for a while in New Zealand but had recently experienced a surge in popularity.

Its a good year for the sport. Its a sport rather than just something you do with your mates on a Friday night when youre having a few beers, Roussel said.

Supplied

Competitive arm-wrestling is increasing in popularity.

On the world arm-wrestling stage, New Zealand is a baby.

Other countries have been arm-wrestling a lot longer and have quite a storied history, whereas New Zealand is just scratching the surface.

Anton van der Westhuizen, president of the New Zealand Arm-Wrestling Federation, founded in 2013, said there are clubs throughout the country.

New Zealand belongs to WAF (World Arm-Wrestling Federation) and a world championship event is held each year. New Zealand could not attend the championships in Romania this year because of Covid-19.

There has been a recent boom due to social media and YouTubers creating content with high-profile matches, van der Westhuizen said.

This year there has been an increase in club members from the Polynesian community and university students.

Pulling as arm-wrestling is also known is one sport where age is an advantage.

You can continue arm-wrestling until you are quite old. We call it old man strength, Roussel said.

You get a build-up of strength in your tendons, so you get a lot stronger as you get older. To really reach your peak with that it takes up to six years of training to really get that arm-wrestling strength.

New Zealands oldest arm-wrestler, Levan Kavtaradze, is in his 70s.

Levan is the first New Zealander to have won a medal at the World Championships, van der Westhuizen said.

He achieved this in 2019, Romania, for the senior grand master, category right arm, bronze.

Western countries tend to associate arm-wrestling as a pub sport, he said, whereas in the Eastern Block you can become a household name.

He describes John Brzenk as the G.O.A.T. of arm-wrestling. Theres even a movie about him its called Pulling John.

New Zealand has only a handful of female arm wrestlers.

Our best female arm wrestlers are Ngareta Barbarich and Tracy Barbarich, van der Westhuizen said.

They come from a Tug Of War background both have represented New Zealand in the battle against Australia and walked away with the gold.

Te Kea

Maateiwarangi Heta-Morris has claimed his eighth straight New Zealand heavy weight championship at the National Arm Wrestling Competition held in Gisborne, the first time the competition has been outside of Auckland. (First published July 2018).

Top arm-wrestlers have hands, wrists, and arms like steel once it is set, it will not bend, van der Westhuizen said.

But good technique can beat pure strength.

Any strong athlete will know the name Larry Wheels he is a powerhouse, and he has thrown himself into arm-wrestling for the last two years, van der Westuizen said.

It was an eye-opener for novices and viewers to see this powerhouse of a mountain getting beaten by an experienced arm-wrestler weighing up to 50kg lighter than him. The point is you have to be well-rounded.

At the Christchurch club meeting on this particular Saturday morning, as the arm-wrestlers compete on specially designed tables, there are many high-fives of joy and some handshakes of defeat.

Win or lose, you shake hands, and its a lot of fun, Makin said.

Read more here:

Biceps and buddies: Kiwi arm-wrestlers share their secrets - Stuff.co.nz

Experience some of New Zealand's most iconic backcountry landscapes in half the time. Photo / Abel Tasman Aqua Taxi

When DoC's booking system for the Great Walks season opens every year, trampers line up virtually to snag their spot but being an early bird doesn't offer any guarantees. This year, for example, 6700 customers had booked online within 30 minutes of slots opening for the Milford, Heaphy and Rakiura Tracks, with the Milford Track selling out in its usual record time.

If you didn't get your desired dates this year or if you simply don't have the time to tackle a Great Walk in its entirety don't despair. Portions of nearly all the Great Walks can be experienced as half-day or full-day adventures. Best of all, you won't have to sleep in a hut or schlep your stuff but you'll still get to experience some of New Zealand's most iconic backcountry landscapes. Let's just call them "the Great Shortcuts of New Zealand".

The shortcuts: Bark Bay to Anchorage or Bark Bay to Awaroa Bay

Known for its crystal blue waters and golden sands, the Abel Tasman Track is one of the easiest Great Walks to tackle in sections, thanks to water taxis.

One of the most-loved sections of the track runs between Anchorage and Bark Bay, starting from the park's southern entrance (Marahua). Catch the Abel Tasman AquaTaxi to Bark Bay, then spend a half-day walking back to Anchorage for your pick-up. Highlights include the 47m-long suspension Falls River bridge, and Cleopatra's Pools, where you can slide down a moss-lined natural waterslide into crystal clear pools.

From the northern end of the park (Ttaranui), take the water taxi to Bark Bay and walk to Awaroa, where the taxi will pick you up. The walk only takes about three hours but it's best to budget enough time for a leisurely lunch on Awaroa Lodge's patio.

The Shortcuts: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing or the Taranaki Falls Walk

Possibly the only shortcut more famous than its four-day counterpart is the Tongariro Crossing. Over roughly eight hours, trampers climb through a dramatic volcanic landscape of steaming vents and vividly coloured high-alpine lakes. At 19.4km, it's widely considered one of the best one-day walks in the country, if not the world. You'll need a somewhat flexible schedule to tackle it though, as the weather can be fickle even in the summer months.

If the Crossing is closed due to weather, the 6km Taranaki Falls circuit is a good option to have up your sleeve. Starting from Whakapapa Village, you'll pass though alpine shrublands and ancient lava flows before arriving at the 20m-high Taranaki Falls. If you have extra time, you can also continue onwards to Tama Lakes, a favourite among locals. In total, the walk takes about two hours.

Want to see a bit of both? On Adrift Tongariro's guided half-day Volcanic Explorer Tour (from $215), trampers will get a taste of multiple sections of the Great Walk, with the option to do the full-day Tongariro Crossing if the mood strikes.

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The Shortcut: Mangapurua Landing to Pipiriki

The only one of the Great Walks that's not a walk at all, the full Whanganui River Journey usually takes five days by canoe or kayak. However, the half and full-day shortcuts are no less serene. You'll still manage to explore one of the most interesting sites along the river (the historic Bridge to Nowhere) and be challenged with tackling one of the most difficult rapids (the Autapu rapids, nicknamed the "50-50 rapids" because you have a 50 per cent chance of falling out).

On Whanganui River Adventure's "Onedayer Adventure" ($175 adults; $87.50 children aged 5 to 15), a jetboat will take you upstream from Pipiriki to Mangapurua Landing, the start of the 40-minute walk to the Bridge of Nowhere. Then, you'll have the rest of your day to paddle back the 32km to Pipiriki.

The Shortcuts: The Pororari River Track or Blackball to Barrytown

Get a taste for New Zealand's newest Great Walk on the 11km Punakaiki to Pororari loop, which takes about three hours to complete. Starting from the visitor centre at Punakaiki, the track follows the mountain bike entry/exit for the Paparoa Track, before crossing the Punakaiki River via footbridge. You can then follow the Pororari River Track downriver to the carpark, before walking the kilometre back to the visitor centre.

Feeling a bit more adventurous? Starting at the Blackball end of the track (the Smoke-ho carpark), you can spend the day hiking to the Ces Clark Hut. Although it's nearly 800m in elevation gain over 10km, the fact that the track is graded for mountain bikers works to trampers' advantage. Then, take the Croesus Track (a route most suitable for experienced outdoors people) down to Barrytown. Arrange a vehicle relocation with PaparoaGreatWalk.co.nz in advance, and your ride will be waiting for you at the bottom.

The Shortcut: Sandfly Point to Giants Gate Falls

Missed out on a Milford reservation? You're not the only one. The most popular of the Great Walks, it can be tricky to get a coveted spot on this track but luckily, a shortcut exists. With outfitter Fiordland OutdoorsCo., you can catch a boat to Sandfly Point and spend the next two hours walking to the 20m Giants Gate Falls. After a swim and picnic, return to Sandfly Point, where your boat will pick you back up ($50 adults; $25 children).

If that's not enough bragging rights, family-owned operator Trips & Tramps has a three-day guided package (adults $1175; children $1020), which includes one day on the Kepler (via helicopter), one day on the Milford (via boat) and one day on the Routeburn.

The Shortcut: Port William to Lee Bay

Like the Abel Tasman Great Walk, the parts of Stewart Island's Great Walk that run along the coastline can be done in sections with the help of a water taxi. For a satisfying half-day walk, we recommend hopping aboard a Rakiura Charters water taxi to Port William wharf and walking to Lee Bay.

The four-hour journey will take you past the former Mori Beach sawmill settlement, which operated from 1913 until 1931, onwards to Lee Bay. From there, you can book a taxi to collect you and take you back to Halfmoon Bay/Oban. Or you can walk the rest of the way back along the road, which takes an extra 90 minutes.

Check alert level restrictions, vaccine requirements and Ministry of Health advice before travel. covid19.govt.nz

Excerpt from:

Six shortcuts on New Zealand's Great Walks: Day hikes and taster trails - New Zealand Herald

Robyn Edie/Stuff

Graham and Glenise Hawkes will close Paddington Arms Restaurant at the end of December after 30 years. The restaurant was the only one in New Zealand to win the Beef and Lamb Excellence Awards 23 years in a row.

Well-known Southland chef Graham Hawkes is stepping out of the kitchen the commercial one, that is with the admiration and respect of his peers for his passion and dedication to the industry.

Hawkes has been inducted into the Hospitality New Zealand Hall of Fame on the eve of his retirement an honour he said made him feel humbly proud.

It comes as he and wife Glenise announced on Tuesday that they had sold their Invercargill restaurant Paddington Arms, which would close in December.

The family have operated hospitality businesses in the city since 1990 when they opened the Orchid Cafe tea kiosk in Queens Park (now the Cheeky Llama) before opening Paddington Arms in 1992.

READ MORE:* Young Southland chefs learn about hero local produce* Southland's hero produce featured in food tourism campaign * Southern students get a taste of the international hospitality industry * Invercargill chef Graham Hawkes celebrates 50 years of hearty culinary memories

Hawkes career has been filled with highlights like being the first Kiwi-born and trained chef to represent New Zealand in the Culinary Olympics in 1984, serving as Chef de Mission, judging, and even overseeing the Culinary Olympic judges.

Ive been very blessed by the people Ive met and the way Ive been entertained around the world."

Today, Hawkes, now 70, is an industry voice as the Southland branch president for Hospitality New Zealand a role hell continue.

He is also fiercely passionate about training young chefs and will continue his work with Southland Boys High Schools pathways programme, along with promoting Southland through the Savour the South campaign.

Having knowledge is a good thing, but youve got to share it. Im not retiring from the industry.

Hawkes said he wouldnt have been able to do any of it without the support of his wife and children.

I couldnt have done the thing Ive done without Glenise to keep the home fires burning, he said.

She fell into the hospitality industry when the pair married and Glenise said for her the life had been all about the people".

Weve had a relationship with the people of Invercargill for a long time, she said.

Come January, theyre looking forward to relaxing and spending time with their eight grandchildren.

The last two years have been really hard, Glenise said, while Hawkes added: There's still a lot of wine I havent tried.

Read the original here:

Graham Hawkes inducted into New Zealand Hospitality Hall of Fame - Stuff.co.nz

Business

2 Dec, 2021 04:25 AM2 minutes to read

The 2020-2021 dairy season average milk payout was the second highest in 10 years. Photo / File

Cows in New Zealand's $37 billion dairy industry produced record milk volumes last season despite a fall in their numbers.

The latest annual NZ Dairy Statistics report from industry good organisation DairyNZ and Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) showed milking cows numbered 4.9 million - down from 4.92 million the previous season.

Yet the season posted a record total milk volume, total milksolids and per cow production, with 1.95 billion kgs of milksolids processed from the country's dairy farms.

The milksolids were contained in the total 21.7 billion litres of milk produced by the sector - up 560 million litres and 51 million kg on the previous season's processing.

The decrease in cow numbers was small at 0.36 per cent, but continued a trend of "more milk from fewer cows" as the industry focused on milking better cows and farming more sustainably, DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said.

Farmers were intent on developing more productive and efficient cows and farming systems with a lighter environmental footprint, he said.

Favourable weather conditions made grass grow well, and robust milk prices meant many farmers extended their 2020-2021 milking season.

The sector employs 50,000 Kiwis and was estimated to contribute $37b to the economy in 2020-2021, DairyNZ said.

Other key statistics from the new report:

Average milk production per cow was 397kg milksolids, a 3.1 per cent increase from 385kg last season and the highest on record. A total of 3.735 million cows were herd tested (76.2 per cent of cows) the highest on record. 3.497 million cows were mated to AB. The percentage of cows mated to AB was 71.3 per cent, which was higher than the previous season (70.8 per cent). 49.6 per cent of cows are Holstein-Friesian/Jersey crossbreed, a 0.5 per cent increase; 32.5 per cent are Holstein-Friesian; 8.2 per cent are Jersey; 0.4 per cent are Ayrshire; 9.3 per cent are other breeds. The average dairy cooperative payout of $7.75kg/milksolids was higher than the previous season ($7.20) and the second-highest average payout in the past 10 seasons.

1 Dec, 2021 10:30 PMQuick Read

Read the rest here:

New Zealand milk production up but cow numbers fall - New Zealand Herald

A Hauraki iwi is nervous for its unvaccinated whnau as the lights of the new Covid-19 management system switch on.

Mori leaders have seen two close calls with Covid-19 cases in Hauraki, but with the move to the traffic light system at 11.59pm on Thursday, plans are being put in place to handle an outbreak.

Ngti Hei kaumtua Joe Davis said he was worried about the community and the pressure that Covid cases will place on health providers as the ability to keep Covid-19 out of the area becomes unrealistic.

Tom Lee/Stuff

Typical holiday traffic in Tairua the Hauraki region has long been a popular summer holiday spot.

Were absolutely scared as s..., and, if positive tests come back, what if we have to lock them all in here?

READ MORE:* Covid-19: Should we travel to areas with low vaccination rates this summer?* 'Don't come if you're not vaccinated' Whakat iwi urge holidaymakers to be responsible* Interislander introduces vaccine, testing requirements for passengers from December 15

Kelly Hodel/Stuff

Ngti Hei kaumtua Joe Davis is concerned about how unvaccinated whnau will cope as thousands visit Hauraki.

The iwi, theyre all on high alert. If youve got a cold, just stay home, its the least you can do.

The Hauraki region hosts more than 200,000 visitors over the holiday period, boosting its population tenfold over two months.

Thousands of people pack into campsites and, with Mori vaccination rates at a lower level than the general population, Davis was concerned the worst was yet to come.

It only takes one person to blow it apart, and its just around the corner. The statistics for Hauraki Mori are not good.

Around Whitianga we have a lot of artists, alternative lifestyles and anti-establishment, they have their rights. We have that dynamic, so that doesnt help.

Davis said the local GPs, Waikato District Health Board, public health organisations and Mori health providers were doing what they could to prepare for the swarm, but visitors needed to take responsibility for the consequences of their holiday travel.

With the borders going down, I dont know whats going to happen.

[Health providers] wont have the capacity or the capability. It will be a state of emergency.

In August, Coromandel residents set up a makeshift barricade at Manaia Bridge protect locals from visitors during alert level 4.

Davis said its possible roadblocks may be used again to close off the area by those who didnt want people to visit.

Christel Yardley/Stuff

Locals set up a roadblock just out of Coromandel stopping people coming in and out in August.

But Mori health provider Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki chief executive Riana Manuel said that was before their vaccination numbers had risen, and the traffic light system had been developed to protect the unvaccinated.

Manuels staff were preparing as they always do to support the influx of visitors, but she knew there were added complexities with Covid-19 this year.

Everybody, vaccinated or unvaccinated, you must make a clear plan for how you are going to move around, and you must be responsible about your choices for you and your whnau.

Supplied

Te Korowai Hauora o Hauraki chief executive Riana Manuel says health providers are preparing for an influx of visitors.

Understand where youre coming to theres one way in and one way out and there are limited services and infrastructure here.

Send your tips, story ideas and comments to poutiaki@stuff.co.nz

The coastal townships of Hauraki were wonderful places to holiday, Manuel said, but visitors needed to take extra precautions.

Any symptom is a symptom, dont just assume its a head cold, just get a test.

Manuel urged visitors to be prepared if they tested positive for Covid-19 and be mindful of the resources they had on their trip and at home if they needed to isolate.

Whether it was food or health supplies, make sure those items were readily available in the home and in the car, Manuel said.

Have a plan for how you will return home and, at home, make sure you have all the gear you need.

Excerpt from:

'Scared as' Hauraki iwi on high alert as New Zealand enters the traffic light system - Stuff.co.nz

Inspiration on wheels

Sir Women in the 21st century are still told that they cannot have both a career and a family. But women politicians in New Zealand are disproving such statements by showing there is little they cannot do. Recently, a Kiwi member of parliament, Julie Anne Genter, cycled to the hospital while in labour and gave birth to a baby girl. Previously, the prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, made history as the first world leader to attend a meeting of the United Nations general assembly with her baby in tow. While more needs to be done to change regressive mindsets, such exemplary acts are inspiring.

Sulagna Bose,Calcutta

Brain drain

Sir Human resources and intellectual power together make up the driving force behind a countrys progress. Even though India is rich in such resources, it has not been able to value the talents of its population. As a result, highly-skilled individuals are lured away by better-paying jobs outside India. The appointment of Parag Agrawal as the chief executive officer of Twitter is just one instance of this.

While Agrawals achievement is rightly being celebrated, it is time for introspection. The government must be asked why India is not being able to provide a suitable employment platform to its citizens?

Rajat Jain,Ujjain

Sir Indians are pioneers in information technology. The appointment of Parag Agrawal as the CEO of Twitter shows the potential and the growing influence of Indians in this sector. Agrawals accession to the top post at Twitter follows that of Satya Nadella at Microsoft, Sundar Pichai at Alphabet, Arvind Krishna at IBM, Shantanu Narayen at Adobe and so on. It will not be wrong to say that Silicon Valley will not run without Indians. One hopes that more Indians will soon establish the countrys dominance in the IT sector.

Jang Bahadur Singh,Jamshedpur

Toxic breath

Sir India observes National Pollution Control Day on December 2 in the memory of those who lost their lives in the disastrous Bhopal Gas tragedy. The main objective is to spread awareness about environmental pollution and its harmful effects. Air pollution is one of the key health and environmental concerns globally, resulting in nearly seven million deaths every year.

Worryingly, nine out of the ten most polluted cities in the world are in India as per the 2020 data. Rising urbanization, industrialization and associated anthropogenic activities are to blame for the poor air quality. The government cannot turn a blind eye to this problem. A strict implementation of rules is the need of the hour if air pollution is to be checked.

Krishna K. Vepakomma,Hyderabad

Bounce back

Sir It is heartening to see that the Indian economy, battered by Covid-19, has grown for the fourth consecutive quarter. The 8.4 per cent growth in July-September has offset the 7.4 per cent fall that the GDP saw last year in the same quarter during the peak of the lockdown. The latest figure shows that the economy has found its feet after a contraction, with employment-intensive sectors like hospitality and construction seeing upticks.

But economists have warned of several fault lines in this growth story. For instance, government investment has become the main driver of growth rather than private consumption. Rising inflationary pressures are also cause for concern.

M.R. Jayanthi,Mumbai

Raw deal

Sir There was a time when a job at a public sector bank was the most sought after one. Public bank employees have never shied away from challenges, be it nationalization, liberalization, computerization or opening of Jan Dhan accounts. Unfortunately, they have been given a raw deal when it comes to their pensions. While the salaries of the employees have been revised from time to time, pensions have not been revised since January 1, 1986. Pensioners of public sector banks should receive revised benefits like those of the Reserve Bank of India.

Brij B. Goyal,Ludhiana

Lost time

Sir The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance TestPostgraduate examination is usually held every year in January and counselling thereafter. But this year, owing to the governments policy missteps, candidates stand to lose one full year. The Centre wants to revisit quota for economically weaker sections; the next hearing on this matter in the Supreme Court is expected in January 2022. That is too late. The future of the aspirants must not be subjected to the whims of the Centre in this manner.

Sunil Chopra,Ludhiana

Sir The decision to halt the counselling for NEET-PG until the Supreme Court decides on the validity of the move to introduce reservation for EWSs and other backward classes in the all-India quota is costing the aspirants valuable time. In the meantime, government hospitals are functioning without an entire batch of doctors who are protesting against the States decision all this is happening amidst a pandemic when healthcare professionals are of utmost importance. The authorities must arrive at a consensus and expedite the counselling process at once.

Swati Biswas,Calcutta

Parting shot

Sir When the Omicron variant of Covid-19 was first identified in South Africa, the countrys scientists were quick to inform global health leaders of the new mutations they had found. Had China behaved in a similar fashion, the pandemic could have been avoided altogether. Yet, the African nation was rewarded with travel bans and other restrictions. This will not encourage transparent exchange of information, which is key to the fight against the virus. While precautions should be taken, the first step should be to help Africa battle the virus with vaccines and other medical supplies.

Instead of encouraging booster shots in developed countries, nations across the globe should be helped to vaccinate their citizens. That is the only way to break the chain of infections.

Aditya Banerjee,Gurgaon

See original here:

Letters to the Editor: New Zealand's women politicians are showing the way - Telegraph India

That has increased public scrutiny of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, whose ultra-easy monetary policy has been blamed for the current property market boom.

Even measures introduced by the government have so far failed to cool the market, leaving new homeowners with ever-larger amounts of debt.

"House price rises remain insanely high, with housing market pressures still going berserk. The goal posts are moving further and further away from many potential homeowners," said Brad Olsen, senior economist at Infometrics in Wellington.

Home price increases were forecast to slow dramatically to 4.0 percent in 2022, a Reuters poll of 10 property market analysts taken Nov. 18-25 showed.

But further tightening from the RBNZ next year is expected to end the house price boom, leading to a 2.5 percent fall in 2023, according to the poll.

"FOMO (fear of missing out) is a common characterisation at the moment of the housing market's 'animal spirits'," said Sharon Zollner, chief economist at ANZ.

"Looking through the noise, we are convinced we are now past the peak of the current inflation cycle, but the pace of moderation from here remains very uncertain."

The housing crisis and the economic impact of COVID-19 have led to increased homelessness and fuelled inequality.

That poses a challenge to the Labour Party-led government of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who came to power in 2017 promising an end to the free run of property investors and the building of more affordable homes.

All but two respondents who answered an additional question said affordability would worsen over the next two to three years.

"For every step forward potential buyers take, the finish line advances 10 steps further away... affordability is unlikely to materially improve in the next few years, but might soon stop worsening quite so fast," said Infometrics' Olsen.

When asked what will have the biggest impact on house prices next year, all but one of seven property market analysts said higher interest rates or tighter monetary policy.

Six analysts who answered a follow-up question on how many basis points interest rates would have to rise by to significantly slow housing market activity gave a median forecast of 200, with predictions in a range of 75-300.

"New Zealand households are highly leveraged so it won't take much of an increase in interest rates to slow house prices significantly, particularly with macroprudential measures also being tightened," said Justin Fabo, senior economist at Macquarie.

Reuters

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Housing: New Zealand prices to calm next year before fall - poll - Newshub

Revenge will be in the back of the mind of every Pakistan cricketer when they face New Zealand in their second match of the ICC T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Tuesday.

3 teams were on Pakistan's target in this tournament - India, New Zealand and England. The Men in Green have already dealt with the first challenge by dishing out a thumping 10-wicket defeat on India and have the Black Caps in their sights next.

Babar Azam's side signalled their intent in the opening game and made history in Dubai by registering their maiden World Cup-win over arch-rivals India. They now face the same team which had backed out of the Pakistan tour in September citing security concerns.

That controversy left Pakistan cricket red-faced and even influenced England into withdrawing from their subsequent tour of the country.

The unfortunate episodes severely hampered Pakistan's preparations, something which they won't forget very easily and that might prompt Babar's team to deliver the same medicine to Kane Williamson's New Zealand which they did to India two nights ago.

We have not just come here to win against India, we have come here to win the World Cup, always remember that, Babar said after the match against India.

Kane Williamson expects 'right spirit' vs Pakistan

New Zealand skipper Williamson on the other hand, expects the "right spirit" to prevail when the teams clash on Tuesday.

"I know the team that were there were very much looking forward to the occasion and playing cricket over in Pakistan, and it was a real shame that it wasn't able to go ahead.

"But there are also a lot of good relations within the two teams. Over the years they've played a lot against each other, and a number of players have played with each other as well.

"I'm sure it'll be played in the right spirit, but no doubt Pakistan will be well supported, as they always are here in the UAE," Williamson said on Monday.

New Zealand have not had the best of build-ups to their campaign, having lost to Australia and England in the warm-ups. One of their main concerns is the fitness of skipper Kane Williamson, who is battling with elbow pain for a while now and head coach Gary Stead said the injury had flared up a bit in the game against Australia.

Williamson did not bat against England. The Black Caps have a world-class bowing attack but their batters need to step up. Despite the many concerns, they have a consistent record in ICC events and one can't rule them out for a place in the final four.

As the Sri Lanka-Bangladesh match suggested, the Sharjah pitch is changing its slow and low nature which was seen in the IPL and one can expect a good batting surface for game on Tuesday evening. (With PTI inputs)

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T20 World Cup: Confident Pakistan ready to seek revenge ...