https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/117875/eight_col_200605_ASB-CHCH_01.jpg?1613948204 Better than expected economic conditions could see a hike in interest rates brought forward by 12 months. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon The ASB bank is forecasting the Reserve Bank (RBNZ) will start lifting the official cash rate from its current level of 0.25 percent as early as August next year, to 1.25 percent in 2024. The RBNZ has its first monetary policy meeting this Wednesday when it’s expected to keep the cash rate steady. Its chief economist Nick Tuffley said the Reserve Bank won’t increase rates until New Zealand opens its borders again. “At the moment we’ve got a fair chunk of the economy performing fairly well, but we have to remember the ongoing closure of the border is hurting our tourism sector and particular regions like Queenstown. “It’s also impacting the revenue we used to make from international students coming here to study. So really, until the ...

https://www.beehive.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2017-11/beehive-red-og_0.png The Minister of Justice has reaffirmed the Government’s urgent commitment, as stated in its 2020 Election Manifesto, to ban conversion practices in New Zealand by this time next year. “The Government has work underway to develop policy which will bring legislation to Parliament by the middle of this year and with the aim of having a ban passed into law by the end of this year, or by February 2022 – at the latest,” Minister of Justice Kris Faafoi said. “The fact that we are dealing with this issue in the first year of this term of Parliament clearly shows the level of priority it has in our legislative programme and shows our commitment to ban these cruel and damaging practices that can amount to coercion and mental abuse in the misguided belief that a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression needs to be treated or somehow ...

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https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news/255502/eight_col_IMG_1592.jpg?1613325926 There is hope a changed southern border for the Auckland level 3 lockdown will improve the flow of fresh fruit and vegetables to the city. A long line of cars stretches more than 1km at a border checkpoint at Mercer. Photo: RNZ / Kate Gregan Last August, the border split the larger Pukekohe growing area in two, which created delays for staff and produce moving between the level 3 and level 2 zones. Ruth Fairhall, Ministry of Primary Industries spokesperson, said the Auckland boundary had been slightly extended south to accommodate major growing and farming areas. Fairhall said this should ease some of the problems caused by the divide last year. Horticulture New Zealand’s chief executive Mike Chapman said the new borders showed some lessons were hopefully learned from the last lockdown. Chapman said it would take some time to test if the new border would work but there ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news/248510/eight_col_46307085_l.jpg?1605235515 Cabinet will this afternoon decide if Auckland can join the rest of the country at alert level 1. Cabinet will decide if Auckland can move to alert level 1 this afternoon. Photo: 123rf.com Their decision will be announced by the prime minister in Christchurch at 3pm. The region was plunged into a level 3 lockdown last Monday, following the discovery of three cases of Covid-19 in Papatoetoe. Four others in the community have since tested positive for the virus, but are all either close contacts of the original cases or household contacts linked to the original cases. As of Sunday, 125 close contacts have tested negative with three tests relating to a medical centre still outstanding. The Ministry of Health, however, said it is considered a low-risk exposure event. There are encouraging signs Auckland will move to alert level 1, with no new community cases identified over the weekend. ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Pradeep-Lakshantha.jpg Source:Dailynews The game of rugby is a highly body contact game. One needs to maintain a good physique and have supreme skills in handling the oval shaped ball. Pradeep Lakshantha was one of them who was a tower of strength in any side he played in the third row as an immaculate player, who also had kicking skills piloting his team to victory while taking part in school, club and at the national level. Pradeep was born in 1969 and had the rare honour of being a member of a family with two other brothers who locked horns in competitive rugby. His father was late N.T. Lalith Ananda and Hema de Alwis was his mother, both of them were very enthusiastic in observing their children excelling in sports. Pradeep’s other two younger brothers were Viraj Prashantha and Champika Nishantha who also handled the oval shaped ball from their younger ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/56244/eight_col_20180424-17498-38o3k6.jpg?1586990446 The Covid-19 pandemic could exacerbate “unacceptable” levels of poverty and inequity in New Zealand, the Salvation Army has warned. The Salvation Army distributed more than 113,000 parcels across the country – nearly twice the number handed out in 2019. Photo: RNZ / YouTube In its latest State of the Nation report, the Salvation Army said the “rapid increase” in 2020 of the number of children living in benefit-dependent households – up by 23,000 – is a sign child poverty rates may not decline but increase. Official statistics released last year, for the year ended June 2019, showed some improvement in child poverty rates across seven of the nine measures. However, Stats NZ said at the time the changes were not statistically significant. While new figures are due to be released next week, for the year ended June 2020, the Salvation Army said they would not show the full impact ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Wesley1.jpg Source:sundayobserver The Methodist Mission began in Ceylon in 1814, with the arrival of a team of missionaries sent by the British Conference. At the 150th anniversary in 1964, the Conference of the Methodist Church, Ceylon received its full autonomy. From the beginning, Education has had an important role. Schools were established in many places. Of the 177 Methodist schools in 1960, 175 schools were taken over by the Government that year. Only Wesley College, Colombo and Methodist College, Colombo remained under the ownership and administration of The Methodist Church. Wesley College Colombo, a leading, premier Christian boys’ school was founded on March 2, 1874 and named after John Wesley (1703–1791), the great Evangelist and Founder of the Methodist Church. Tradition has it that every year, the Double Blue Fraternity gather to celebrate the memory of the Founder of Wesley College the Rev. Daniel Henry Pereira – on Founder’s Day, ...

https://www.rnz.co.nz/assets/news_crops/116466/eight_col_copy.jpg?1611542755 Covid-19 could still easily slip the country’s safety net and cause another lockdown despite new managed isolation rules, a leading epidemiologist says. At the Pullman Hotel, changes were made to cut the risk of spread after three guests returned positive test results while out in the community last month. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook The Pullman began accepting returnees yesterday after a hiatus to allow an investigation and changes that saw an improvement in ventilation and reducing the movement of guests. Leading epidemiologist Nick Wilson, who is a long time critic of the way the facilities are being run, said the restrictions were inadequate. One, where guests had to book a 30-minute slot if they wanted to leave their room for exercise or a cigarette, was still too lax, he said. New Zealand should follow the example of Australia and several other countries where guests stayed in their rooms ...

https://www.elanka.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Muttiah-Muralitharan-1.jpg Muttiah Muralitharan Source:Dailynews Former legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan believes that cricketers should be mentally strong and should be in a good frame of mind before representing the country at the highest level. The 48-year-old spin wizard made these observations while delivering a motivational speech to the National players at the SSC in Maitland Place on Monday. “Without a proper mentality you can’t do anything on the field and you should develop your mentality first to perform well in this game,” he explained. “Even if we get the best coach, that is useless, if your mind is not in a good frame. The players should realise they are the ones who are playing in the middle. The change of cricket administration or appointing more committees is not the answer.” “There is no issue with the talent you all possess. We have plenty of options today like never before ...