Cost of living prices rising, tensions are up and the tide is high.

Hamilton is one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing cities, but it is also facing a cost-of-living crisis that is affecting many residents. Rental prices in Hamilton have soared in recent years, as demand for housing outstrips supply. According to Trade Me Property, the median weekly rent for a three-bedroom house in Hamilton was $550 in January 2023, up 10% from a year ago. This means that a typical family would need to spend more than 30% of their income on rent alone.

The high cost of housing is not the only challenge for Hamiltonians. The city is also feeling the impact of inflation, which reached 5.2% in December 2021, the highest rate in three decades. This means that everyday expenses such as food, transport, utilities and health care have become more expensive, putting pressure on household budgets. Some people are having to skip meals, cut back on essentials or borrow money to cope with the rising costs.

The government has announced some measures to help ease the cost-of-living crisis, such as increasing benefits and subsidies, raising the minimum wage and investing in public housing. However, these may not be enough to address the underlying issues of low wages, high taxes and limited supply of affordable housing. Hamilton needs more long-term solutions to ensure that its residents can enjoy a decent quality of life without being burdened by financial stress.

95th Academy awards went off with a Hitch, punching a comedian.

The 95th Academy Awards were held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. The ceremony was hosted by comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who made jokes about his previous controversies and apologised for them several times.

The big winner of the night was Everything Everywhere All at Once, a sci-fi comedy starring Michelle Yeoh as a ChineseAmerican woman who experiences multiple realities. The film won six Oscars, including best picture, best actress for Yeoh, best supporting actor for Ke Huy Quan (who played Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), best director for Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (the duo behind Swiss Army Man), and best original screenplay.

Other notable winners included Brendan Fraser, who made a comeback with his performance as an obese recluse in The Whale; Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, which won best animated feature; Navalny, a documentary about the Russian opposition leader who survived a poisoning attempt; and RRR, an Indian epic that won best original song for its catchy tune “Rise Roar Revolt”.

The ceremony also featured some surprises and snubs: All Quiet on the Western Front, a German remake of the classic war film, won four technical awards but lost best international feature film to another war film; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won only one award for best costume design despite being nominated for eight; Avatar: The Way of Water won best visual effects but was not nominated for any other category; and Top Gun: Maverick won best sound but was booed by some audience members who thought it was too loud.