Category: June 15, 2013 Issue

Migrant workers who are abused and exploited by their bosses can complain to the authorities without the fear of being deported, under a new policy of the Government. An Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Circular, issued on June 10, invites victims of workplace exploitation to provide details of their plight to its officials. Such whistle blowers will be assured of ‘amnesty’…

We are happy to announce that Mai Chen, one of the most distinguished barristers and solicitors of the country, will be the Master of Ceremonies at the Indian Newslink Sir Anand Satyanand Lecture, scheduled to be held from 630 pm at Stamford Plaza Hotel in Auckland on Monday, July 29, 2013. She is the Managing Partner (and a Founding Partner)…

Chaitanya Dhoke did his parents, peers, brother and sister proud when he graduated from the New Zealand Army in Wellington on May 29. “It was one of the greatest and most memorable moments in our lives,” his parents Abhay and Varsha Dhoke, currently resident in Melbourne, Australia, said. The Graduation Parade was held at the Waiouru Military Camp, attended by…

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse has discounted media reports which said that thousands of migrants parents were stranded in New Zealand following the departure of their children overseas. New Zealand Herald and Otago Daily Times had reported in their May 31 issue that thousands of elderly migrant parents, sponsored by their children under the Family Unification Scheme were obliged to look…

Former New Zealand resident and Sikh community leader Manpreet Singh walked free on May 30, 2013 after an Indian court dropped the charges brought against him earlier by the Police. He was arrested under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) Act on March 24, 2013 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi soon after his arrival with his family…

While official investigations of the Philippine Coast Guard shooting of an unarmed Taiwanese fishing boat in May 2013 proceed apace, the geo-political implications of the incident are already emerging. The first implication is that the Philippine Government has acted precipitously and violently, casting suspicion on its ability to manage its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and interface with its neighbours sensitively.…

Collins English dictionary says that ‘Kocs’ is a village in Hungary, where the first horse-drawn carriages were built during the 14th century. It is therefore easy to see how we quickly adopted the habit of describing this kind of travel as ‘Kocs-ing.’ But in Hungarian pronunciation, things come out a bit differently to what we are used to in English,…

Keeping in touch with family and friends across the Tasman just got a lot easier for 2degrees customers who can now call and text Australia on their mobiles at no extra cost. From June 7, 2013, all 2degrees Pay Monthly and Prepay Plus Combo customers can use their included minutes and ‘All You Need’ texts to call any landline or…

Although local government elections, scheduled to be held on October 12, are yet to gain momentum, a teenager has fired the first salvo with a promise to ‘change for the better and to make things happen.’ University of Auckland student Shail Kaushal, who is set to contest for the Puketapapa (Mt Roskill) Local Board as a City Vision candidate, says…