World
Voting underway for New Zealand general elections
Wellington, Sep 23 (IANS) Voting was underway on Saturday for the New Zealandgeneral elections in which the ruling National Party has already emerged as a favourite but might need alliances to govern, the media reported.
Some 3.2 million citizens are registered to cast their ballots across 2,400 polling stations, reports Efe news.
Voting will conclude at 5 p.m. (local time), according to the New Zealand Election Commission.
The centre-right National party, which has been in power for nearly a decade and led by Prime Minister Bill English is being contested by the centre-left Labour Party led by Jacinda Ardern, the New Zealand First Party and the Greens.
The average in latest polls gave the National Party, which has been in power since 2008, 45.1 per cent of the possible votes and the Labour Party 37.2 per cent.
The two minor parties, which could be crucial for possible coalitions, the New Zealand First, polled 6.6 per cent, and the Green Party, 7.2 per cent, which places them above the 5 per cent required to be able to hold a seat in parliament, which elects the government.
According to this forecast, 55 of the 120 seats in the race would be held by the National Party, 46 by Labour, 9 by the Greens and 8 by New Zealand First.
One of the main concerns discussed during the election campaign was access to affordable housing as prices have risen by more than 30 per cent over the last three years, largely blamed on foreign investors, especially from China.
Other hot topics included immigration, with currently some 70,000 people arriving per year, income and capital gains taxes, health care costs, improvements in public transport and river pollution.
–IANS
ksk
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.