https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2017-11/beehive-red-og_0.png speech to Tourism Industry Aotearoa annual summit Te Papa,  Wellington Introduction Nau mai, haere mai Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, Ka nui te mihi, ki a koutou. Thank you Tourism Industry Aotearoa for hosting today’s Summit. In particular, my acknowledgements to TIA Chair Gráinne Troute and Chief Executive Chris Roberts. You have been proactive and adaptable in organising this Summit despite the uncertainties of COVID-19, and there is a high quality line-up of expert speakers today.  It is my greatest pleasure to be able to speak to you today in my new role as not only the Minister of Tourism, but also as Minister for Small Business, and Minister for Economic Development and Regional Economic Development. The synergies that exist between these three portfolios are significant They will enable me to work with the tourism sector within the context of the broader national and regional economy. About me In the ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Malinda-Pushpakumara.jpg Malinda Pushpakumara Source:Sundayobserver Malinda Pushpakumara the left arm leg spinner has been the most prolific scalp hunter in domestic cricket in recent years and the 33-year-old bowler is now the world’s second highest wicket taker in first class cricket in the last decade, according to the Australian based Testat Cricket database. According to statistics released, from 2010 to 2019/2020 season Pushpakumara who plays for the Colombo Cricket Club (CCC) has picked up 667 wickets to become the world’s second highest wicket taker during that period. New Zealand spinner Jeethan Patel is ahead of Pushpakumara with 695 wickets but he has played 93 more games than the Sri Lankan. Pushpakumara is the main spinner of the Premier league champion side CCC and has played four Test matches and captured 14 wickets. He has played in only two ODIs. However he has vast experience having played 139 first class matches and ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/113032/eight_col_Post-Cab-9Nov-4.jpg?1605497968 Masks will be mandatory on all domestic flights in New Zealand, as well as public transport in Auckland, from Thursday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins have been speaking after Cabinet met today to discuss whether to make masks mandatory and the exact settings for it. Hipkins says masks will be required to be worn on all public transport within Auckland, and travelling in and out of the city, and all domestic flights around the country from Thursday this week. School buses will be exempt as well as children under the age of 12, and people with a disability or condition that makes wearing a mask unsuitable, he says. Taxi and uber drivers in Auckland will need to wear masks, but passengers will not need to wear masks and they will not be required to enforce the rules. Instead, police can be brought in as ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/87205/eight_col_124052003_l.jpg?1567996412 The meat industry is waiting with bated breath to find out if there is any truth that New Zealand meat is linked to a coolstore in China where Covid-19 has been found on packaging. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says yesterday they were told that there had been positive Covid-19 tests from packaging of beef from Argentina. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Reuters has reported the virus was found on beef and tripe products in a storage facility containing shipments from Argentina, Brazil and New Zealand. The virus was apparently found on more than 3500 products in the eastern Chinese city of Jinan, in Shandong province. Apart from saying where the products originated, Chinese authorities have not named the companies that shipped them. New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade it had not been informed officially by Chinese authorities, and officials were trying to find the origin and veracity ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ron-Silva3.jpg Member since:1985what keep you motivated?Cricket, Swimming, and being a StKilda AFL supporter Hobbies and Interests:Music, Collected 80’s 12″ Vinyl Records, Mobile DJ for private functions, and swimming at the World Masters representing Australia in the future How has attending the gym helped you in life?Keeps me fit, socialising with friends, helped with the recovery after my spinal operation, and taking part in Aussie Masters National Swimming Championships Why did you originally join the gym?To keep fit and healthy What do you enjoy most at the gym?Swimming and using the latest gym equipment, and because it is the best gym in Melbourne, Good life has everything to offer One quote you live by? “Enjoy life to the fullest” Ron swam in the following events For Malvern Marlins Masters swimming, Victoria Australia 1. 25 M Freestyle2. 50 M Freestyle3. 25 M Backstroke4. 50 M Backstroke5. 100 M Backstroke6. 200 M Backstroke7. ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/113038/eight_col_masks_%282%29.jpg?1605502810 Aucklanders appear to be broadly in support of new mandatory mask-wearing rules the Prime Minister announced today. Photo: RNZ / Liu Chen Masks will be mandatory on most public transport in Auckland and all domestic flights around the country from midnight Wednesday after Cabinet met to discuss the move today. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced the move this afternoon. Travel on public transport in and out of Auckland will also be covered, but children under 12 and school buses will be exempt. Taxi and ride share drivers will be required to wear masks, but not their passengers. Many people in the city centre today were wearing a mask, after a community case was announced last week. Those who did not have a mask on said they had one handy, and would wear it where physical distancing was harder. On Queen Street in Auckland ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/100661/eight_col_200423_NGAI-TAHU-TOURISM_02.jpg?1587607553 Ngāi Tahu’s commercial operations have suffered a staggering loss of over $25.6 million after the Covid-19 pandemic hammered its extensive tourism operations. The Ngāi Tahu’ Tourism building. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon It’s a far cry from the $37m profit Ngāi Tahu Holdings made in the financial year prior. The biggest loses were in Ngāi Tahu Tourism ($6.5m) and its mānuka honey venture, Oha Honey ($21.6m). “We have not been immune to the effects of the Covid-19 response and like businesses all over the world we are grappling with the fallout,” Ngāi Tahu Holdings chairperson Mark Tume said. “With the borders closed and the country in lockdown, we were forced to act quickly and temporarily pause 10 of our 11 Ngāi Tahu Tourism businesses, which had a major impact on revenue and forced a significant restructure of our operations.” In regards to the huge losses of Oha Honey, the ...

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2017-11/beehive-red-og_0.png Masks will need to be worn on all public transport in Auckland and in and out of Auckland and on domestic flights throughout the country from this Thursday, Minister for COVID-19 Response Chris Hipkins said today. “I will be issuing an Order under the COVID-19 Response Act requiring the wearing of face coverings on all public transport into, out of and through the Auckland region, including for taxi and Uber drivers, and on all New Zealand passenger flights. This will come into force at 11.59pm on Wednesday 18 November,” Chris Hipkins said. “Adding mask wearing to the toolbox of measures against the virus is a sensible precaution and the time is right to make the move. “As we learn more about the virus and continue to strengthen our test, trace and isolate processes and border measures, modelling is now telling us that we’re at the stage of having the ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/The-journey-of-a-SL-Neurologist-e1605454408779.jpg Source:Worldneurologyonline Born and raised in what I describe as “the jungle,” my life started in one of the remotest parts of Sri Lanka: a village called Kirioruwa-Bandarawela in the central mountainous area. Electricity, hot water, television, and telephone were all miles away from us at the time. I fondly recall days spent reading in the shade of a tree in the rice fields that surrounded my family home — the place where sky and earth met, almost kissing each other daily. The mountains were covered with a layer of lush tea bushes. Our home sat on the top of one of these mountains. As a young boy, I would spend hours reading my favourite magazine, the Mihira, a children’s weekly. Fast forward several decades. I am now the director of stroke services, neuroscience research unit, director of academic affairs, and director of international affairs at a leading public health service ...