29 January 2000 Media Statement

NZ to give $500,000 towards India earthquake relief

Cabinet today agreed that New Zealand will make a contribution of $500,000 towards relief efforts following the catastrophic weekend earthquake in India, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Phil Goff announced today.

The earthquake has been called the worst ever disaster in India, with a reported death toll of over 20,000 and many more missing and injured. Many villages have been almost totally destroyed with serious damage to services throughout the state.

"The grant reflects the magnitude of the disaster and also acknowledges the close links between New Zealand and the state of Gudjarat from which many Indian families in this country originally migrated from. The Government has already sent a message of sympathy and condolences to the Indian Prime Minister, on behalf of all New Zealanders."

The funds come from the New Zealand Official Development Assistance Programme's disaster relief allocation.

At this stage no reports had been received of any New Zealanders being involved in the disaster, but the New Zealand Embassy in New Delhi was still seeking to confirm this.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>