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UAE stuns New Zealand with Muhammad Waseem’s 55

UAE were 44/2 at the end of the powerplay thanks to Vriitya Aravind’s 21-ball 25, but Waseem was yet to take charge at that point of time….reports Asian Lite News

Skipper Muhammad Waseem led from the front with a 29-ball 55 as UAE scripted a stunning win over New Zealand in the second T20I here on Saturday to level the three-match series.

After restricting the Black Caps to 142/8 with Aayan Afzal Khan claiming 3-20 and Muhammad Jawadullah taking 2-16, the hosts rode on a superb knock by their skipper to 144/5 in 15.4 overs to win by two wickets with 26bballs to spare.

Waseem started off in a cautious manner, getting to 16 off 13 balls before going berserk. The opener slammed four fours and three sixes and raced to his fifty off just 27 balls as UAE made a strong start in pursuit of 143.

UAE were 44/2 at the end of the powerplay thanks to Vriitya Aravind’s 21-ball 25, but Waseem was yet to take charge at that point of time.

In the first over after Power-play, Waseem started to show more intent, smashing Mitchell Santner down the ground for a four and then hammering a six off Kyle Jamieson in the next over. He hit a four and a six off Cole McConchie before hoisting Santner for a six to get to his fifty off a mere 27 balls.

Waseem fell soon after his fifty, but the opening wasn’t quite enough for New Zealand to put pressure on the hosts.

Asif Khan played a mature hand in the company of Basil Hameed as the duo put on a stand that further frustrated the Kiwis. While UAE weren’t still marching to a win, that changed in the 15th over when Asif Khan hit James Neesham for two fours.

He followed it up with a six off Tim Southee in the first ball next over to put UAE on the brink of a memorable win. Two more fours followed as UAE celebrated a remarkable win, their first T20I win over a Test-playing nation other than Ireland and Afghanistan.

Earlier, New Zealand once again lost early wickets as Tim Seifert fell in the third over and Aayan Khan picked up the wickets of Mitchell Santner, promoted to No.3, and Dane Cleaver off back-to-back deliveries.

Mark Chapman stood tall for the visitors even as the UAE bowlers chipped away at the other end. Chapman made 63 off 46 balls and was only dismissed in the final over, but aside from Neesham’s 17-ball 21, he hardly found any support.

The par total of 142, their lowest against a non-Test playing nation, wasn’t quite enough to put off a spirited UAE side.

Brief scores:

New Zealand 142/8 in 20 overs (Mark Chapman  63; Aayan Afzal Khan 3-20, Muhammad Jawadullah 2-16) lost to United Arab Emirates 144/2 in 15.4 overs (Muhammad Waseem 55, Asif Khan 48 not out; Tim Southee 1-32). by 2 wickets.

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India and New Zealand review bilateral engagements

Regional and multilateral matters, including India’s Presidency of the G-20, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, Commonwealth and UN were discussed…reports Asian Lite News

India and New Zealand, sharing cordial bilateral relations, expressed satisfaction at the enhanced engagement between the two countries during their fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations in Wellington on Saturday.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, during the FOCs, the two countries reviewed their wide-ranging bilateral relations, including political, economic, trade, defence, education, science, and technology, as well as people-people links and cultural cooperation.

Regional and multilateral matters, including India’s Presidency of the G-20, Indo-Pacific, ASEAN, Commonwealth and UN were discussed, the MEA said.

The two sides noted the huge potential in trade and economic sectors and agreed to further promote G2G and B2B interactions. They appreciated the several business events planned both in India and New Zealand, the Ministry added.

At the FOC, while India was led by Secretary East in the MEA, Saurabh Kumar, New Zealand side was represented by Deborah Geels, Deputy Secretary, Americas and Asia Group.

Both sides also appreciated the importance of FOC and agreed to hold them on a regular basis. The next FOC will be held in India on mutually convenient dates.

As per the MEA, during his visit to Wellington, Secretary East Saurabh Kumar also held bilateral meetings with New Zealand’s Chief Executive and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Chris Seed and Secretary of Defence Andrew Bridgman.

India is New Zealand’s 11th largest two-way trading partner with total two-way trade valued at $1.55 billion during 2121. While India imports logs, forestry products, wood pulp, wool and fruits and nuts from New Zealand, its export basket to the island nation consists of pharmaceuticals, precious metals and gems, textiles and motor vehicles, non-knitted apparel and accessories.

India-New Zealand Business Council (INZBC) and New Zealand- India Trade Alliance (NZITA) are the two prominent organizations working to promote India-New Zealand trade and investment relations.

The ‘India-New Zealand Business Summit’ organized by INZBC in partnership with the Indian High Commission is its annual flagship event drawing participation from the highest level of leadership in government, business and academia from both countries to deliberate on ways and means of strengthening bilateral trade and investment.

All major Indian IT companies are present in New Zealand. Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and New India Assurance have commercial operations in New Zealand. Indian IT giant HCI, which already has a significant presence in New Zealand, opened a delivery centre in Hamilton to service Fonterra, one of the world’s biggest dairy cooperatives. In 2020, it won $ 20 million annual contract from Fonterra.

In October 2020, Tech Mahindra announced the acquisition of Melbourne based consulting company Tnzing Ltd for $ 29.5 million. In October 2016, Zindia Limited (the largest exporter of New Zealand logs to India) signed a MoU with Adani Port and SEZ Limited to promote a Timber Industrial Park at Mundra Port in Gujarat.

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New Zealand to bridge gender pay gap

Over 1 mn sanitary product packs delivered to schools in NZ this yr

This move is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to make New Zealand an equitable and desirable place for people to live, work, and do business…reports Asian Lite News

The New Zealand government continues to close the gender pay gap by further promoting pay transparency, Minister for Women Jan Tinetti said on Friday.

Around 900 entities nationwide with more than 250 employees will be required to publicly report their gender pay gap, and after four years, this will increase to almost 2,700 entities with more than 100 workers, Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying.

“The reality is that women have different experiences in the workplace than men, and change is needed,” Tinetti said, adding that requiring companies to publish their gender pay gap will encourage them to address the drivers of those gaps and increase transparency for workers.

This move is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to make New Zealand an equitable and desirable place for people to live, work, and do business, she said.

The Minister noted that New Zealand needs to stay in line with international standards to attract highly skilled women.

Associate Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Priyanca Radhakrishnan said the government will also explore the inclusion of ethnicity in pay gap reporting as Maori, Pacific peoples and other ethnic groups often face the compounding impact of both gender and ethnic pay gaps.

ALSO READ: New Zealand, Australia PMs meet, celebrate close ties

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New Zealand, Australia PMs meet, celebrate close ties

It was the fifth time the two Prime Ministers met in seven months….reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese met here on Wednesday for their first annual Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting and the celebration of several anniversaries.

The meeting took place as both countries celebrate the 40th anniversary of Closer Economic Relations (CER), the 50th anniversary of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, and the 80th anniversary of diplomatic representation, said a New Zealand government statement.

“It was great to meet again with Prime Minister Albanese to celebrate our closest international relationship, mark this special year of anniversaries and work towards an even better future,” Xinhua news agency quoted Hipkins as saying.

It was the fifth time the two Prime Ministers met in seven months.

The Australia-New Zealand Leaders’ Meeting is their annual opportunity to “assess and set priorities for the relationship for the following year”, Hipkins said.

Wednesday saw an agreement to put together a joint Australia-New Zealand expert group, with a clear deadline of 12 months, to “scope initiatives to move closer towards seamless travel across the Tasman”, the statement said.

Measures would be adopted to help trans-Tasman businesses and tourism with a simplified border, without compromising security, it said, adding the expert group will report back by the end of June 2024.

The two sides also discussed issues of economic cooperation, trade, and climate change, among others.

ALSO READ: New Zealand inks FTA with EU

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New Zealand inks FTA with EU

The FTA will increase New Zealand’s exports to the EU by up to NZ$1.8 billion per year by 2035…reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand and the European Union (EU) have signed a ground-breaking Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that will provide “significant new trade access” to the country’s fourth-largest trading partner, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Monday.

The FTA will increase New Zealand’s exports to the EU by up to NZ$1.8 billion per year by 2035, Xinhua news agency quoted Hipkins as saying.

Tariff savings on New Zealand exports are NZ$100 million from day one of the agreement entering into force, the highest immediate tariff saving delivered by any New Zealand FTA, he said, adding that is around three times the immediate savings from the FTA between New Zealand and Britain.

This will add billions every year to New Zealand’s GDP, the Prime Minister noted.

Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor said the NZ-EU FTA will cut costs and support exporters to grow and diversify their trade.

It will provide new opportunities for New Zealand exporters of products such as kiwifruit, seafood, onions, honey, wine, butter, cheese, beef and sheep meat, O’Connor said, adding this new access will help to accelerate New Zealand’s post-Covid and post-Cyclone Gabrielle recovery.

Based on current trade figures, New Zealand will have the opportunity through combined FTA and World Trade Organization quotas to provide up to 60 per cent of the EU’s butter imports, up from 14 per cent currently, the Minister said.

New Zealand cheeses could also make up 15 per cent of the EU’s imported cheeses, up from 0.5 per cent currently, he said.

The NZ-EU FTA includes ambitious sustainable trade outcomes in a range of areas, including climate change, labour rights, women’s economic empowerment, environmentally harmful fisheries and fossil fuel subsidies, O’Connor said.

It is anticipated that the NZ-EU FTA will enter into force in the first half of 2024, once both parties complete the final required legal steps.

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NZ gives 11 million dollars funding to support Afghan

More than two-thirds of the Afghan population now requiring assistance, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said…reports Asian Lite News

The New Zealand government on Thursday announced another round of support to Afghanistan, providing a further NZ$11 million ($6 million) in funding to support the UN’s response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

More than two-thirds of the Afghan population now requiring assistance, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said.

Vulnerable communities in Afghanistan are experiencing record levels of food insecurity and are in desperate need of health services, clean water, and education, Xinhua news agency quoted Mahuta as saying.

The funding will support UN agencies to provide essential assistance to the Afghan people, taking New Zealand’s support for Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover in August 2021 to NZ$24 million, the Minister said.

ALSO READ-New Zealand to sign NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement

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New Zealand to sign NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement

New Zealand will also sign the Horizon Europe Association Agreement…reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will travel to Brussels on Friday to witness the signing of an Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU).

The FTA will deliver immediate tariff savings on New Zealand exports to the EU of about NZ$100 million ($61 million) a year when it enters into force, Hipkins said on Tuesday.

Modelling suggests exports to the EU will increase by up to NZ$1.8 billion per annum and add up to NZ$1.4 billion to New Zealand’s GDP per year once fully implemented.

“This is an important milestone towards entry into force of this high-quality and historic free trade agreement,” Hipkins said.

New Zealand will also sign the Horizon Europe Association Agreement.

Horizon Europe is the EU’s main research and innovation framework and funding platform, Hipkins said, adding that it is also the largest multilateral research program in the world.

Associating with Horizon Europe will provide new opportunities for New Zealand scientists to collaborate with European partners on research to address major global challenges such as climate change, energy and health, he said.

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New Zealand announces ban on plastic bags

This round of the national ban targets single-use and hard-to-recycle items, which was expected to stop 150 million produce bags from ending up in landfills each year…reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand’s major supermarkets have been preparing for the second phase of the national plastics ban starting from Saturday, which will see the phase-out of more single-use plastics.

The second round will ban plastic produce bags and stickers, plates, bowls, cutlery, and straws, the Ministry for Environment said on Friday.

Those plastics will be taken off the shelves from Saturday, with businesses to be possibly fined up to NZ$100,000 ($60,853) if they do not comply.

This round of the national ban targets single-use and hard-to-recycle items, which was expected to stop 150 million produce bags from ending up in landfills each year, according to the Ministry for Environment.

Last October, single-use plastic cotton buds, drink stirrers and most plastic meat trays were banned from sale or manufacture in the first phase-out.

“Stopping the sale of these plastic products will reduce waste to landfill, improve our recycling systems and encourage reusable or environmentally responsible alternatives,” Environment Minister David Parker said last September.

On average, every year each New Zealander sends about 750 kg of waste to landfill. Some products can’t be recycled and are unnecessary, Parker said.

Other PVC and polystyrene food and beverage packaging will be banned from mid-2025, according to the three-year phase-out plan.

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New Zealand sees strong migration numbers

new zealand's flag

The government’s immigration re-balance has lifted pay requirements for migrant workers to ensure they are treated fairly, and requires advertising for New Zealand workers before a migrant worker is sought, he said…reports Asian Lite News

New Zealand witnessed a net migration gain of 72,300 in the year ending in April, marking six months of continued growth, the statistics department said on Tuesday.

There was a net gain of 98,400 non-New Zealand citizens in the cited period, Xinhua news agency quoted Stats NZ as saying.

The continued growth in net migration shows the government’s immigration rebalance is working as it tackles labour shortages, Immigration Minister Michael Wood said.

“We know many industries have been calling out for workers as the global labour shortage bites, and we want our immigration settings to be responsive to that, while still helping to deliver a more productive, high wage economy,” Wood said.

The government’s immigration rebalance has lifted pay requirements for migrant workers to ensure they are treated fairly, and requires advertising for New Zealand workers before a migrant worker is sought, he said.

“Ultimately we want to train as many New Zealanders to fill labour shortages as possible, but in the short term it has been necessary to rely more on migrant workers than we otherwise would to plug workforce gaps,” said the Minister.

This is a positive sign that New Zealand is getting the workers that its economy needs to thrive and grow, Wood said.

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India, New Zealand hold first round table joint meet

Both sides were unanimous on the need for having more government-to-industry dialogues for concrete mutual benefits….reports Asian Lite News

India and New Zealand had their first Round Table Joint Meeting with industry organisations from both nations on Thursday in New Delhi.

The meeting was co-chaired by the additional secretary, Department of Commerce, Government of India, Rajesh Agarwal and the High Commissioner of New Zealand in India, David Pine, the official release of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said. Looking at the current level of bilateral commerce between the two nations, both sides recognised the enormous potential in the India-New Zealand alliance and the need for further economic cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

It was a common understanding that there is a need to work beyond any free trade agreement and explore other areas where both can complement each other. The discussions also focused on taking forward the objectives of the Joint Trade Committee (JTC), formed under the Bilateral Trade Agreement of 1986, the official statement said.

In a brief statement, the New Zealand High Commissioner emphasized the importance of joint efforts while keeping in mind the principles of mutual benefit, proportionality, enabling trade, and collaboration with private sectors.

Some of the areas explored by him included the promotion of a Unified Payment Interface (UPI) system, carbon credit cooperation, economic cooperation through sectoral arrangements and working together on specific issues like the comprehensive proposal made by Zespri and prioritization of requests on non-tariff measures for bilateral gains to the businesses of both the sides.

The High Commissioner also informed that India New Zealand Business Council has brought out a report in April 2023 on “India New Zealand -Relationship ready for next phase”, reflecting feasible areas of cooperative activities for economic prosperity. He also emphasized increasing the air connectivity links between the two countries.

According to the official statement, Rajesh Agarwal mentioned strengthening the existing institutional mechanism for improving bilateral trade and emphasized on creation of a structure for working on cooperation and collaboration issues. This could include establishing a working group at the Joint Secretary level to work on specific identified issues and once the ideas and the corresponding co-operative activities are concretized, the same can be scaled up and finalized during the Joint Trade Committee meeting.

He stated that it would require a concerted effort from both sides and should take into account deliberations at G2G, B2B and G2B interactions.

Rajesh Agarwal emphasized the need for a proactive operational framework for mutual benefit by creating working groups which would feed to the Joint Trade Committee with concrete ideas and the solution thereof.

The Indian industry representative from services sectors like IT and ITeS, logistics and banking sector as well as manufacturing sectors namely food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobile, construction and power made useful interventions on the bilateral issues and the huge potential and ample opportunities available between both the economies which need to be nurtured through such interactions and actions thereof, the official press release stated.

The industry and industry associations from the New Zealand side, while calling it a significant moment in the economic relationship between the two countries, emphasized the need to speed up the activities and continue the dialogue in a more structured way like the present one.

Both sides were unanimous on the need for having more government-to-industry dialogues for concrete mutual benefits. (ANI)

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