Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.
LOCAL NEWS
Conservation Protection Sealed with New Government
Conservation land will not be mined under the new government. Forest and Bird New Zealand have been campaigning on this issue for around a decade. bFM News spoke with Chief Executive Kevin Hague, who said while his primary concern was environmental protection, the announcement was more than just a victory for nature: “There was very substantial economic risk by doing things like open cast coal mining on conservation lands. So there are economic gains from breathing life into that brand and living up to the brand that we sell ourselves to the world on.” But the mining industry says it has been blindsided by the decision to block projects that dig up scenic wilderness. Chris Baker of industry group Strattera warned the decision could interfere with other government policy that pushes for economic development in local regions. The Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage said the policy on conservation has been long established and should not have come as a surprise. “New Zealanders expect our protected lands to be places where nature can thrive, they don’t expect bulldozers and diggers digging up land that is protected for conservation,” she said.
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Airbnb Crackdown in Queenstown
Queenstown District Council has proposed restricting short-term-letting in residential areas to 28 days per year. The restriction reflects the council’s concern about the housing shortage in the area, as well as the community’s desire to prevent their neighbourhoods from becoming commercial accommodation operations. The Queenstown district Mayor Jim Boult said the proposal does not target permanent residents who want to rent out their home while they’re on holiday, instead it targets absentee owners who are buying homes to let short-term on sites such as Airbnb. The previous restriction of 90 days was not strictly enforced and led to around 2,700 houses being removed from the long term market. Airbnb is strongly opposed to the proposed restrictions, and has said they conflict with the rights of the home owners. The council hopes that if the proposal is enforced more homes will enter the long term rental market.
Teachers Can’t Grab Children Any More
Teachers want more training about how to deal with violent children without breaching new rules about the use of physical force in schools. The Ministry of Education introduced the new restraint rules earlier this year, that emphasise teachers using de-escalation techniques to calm violent situations, and keep physical restraint as the very last resort. Teachers union president Lynda Stuart said access to training on the new rules needs to be provided to teachers. Stuart added that the rules should be reviewed, as a strict interpretation of them meant more trivial situations such as holding a child back from their mother must be reported. Principals Federation president Whetu Cormick said physical force is a difficult topic for many teachers, and with the new regulations more teachers will hold back as they are uncertain whether they can intervene under the new rules.
TPP “Down to the Wire”: Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the Trans Pacific Partnership talks are “down to the wire”. Japan previously announced that the TPP countries have agreed in principle, though Canada replied in disagreement. Prime Minister Ardern is joined at the APEC summit in Vietnam by trade minister David Parker, who is hoping to drop provisions on the ability of foreign corporations to sue governments in private tribunals. Ardern has said that if the TPP deal isn’t concluded today, she doubts it can be done.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Netherlands Rates of Euthanasia Skyrocket
Demand for Euthanasia in the Netherlands has reached an all time high since its legalisation in 2002. The number of those euthanised is set to exceed 7,000 this year—a 67 percent rise since 2012 with 18,000 euthanasia requests made this year alone. Steven Pleiter, the director of the country’s only specialist euthanasia clinic, has called it the “end of a taboo on killing patients who want to die”. Meanwhile in New Zealand, the End of Life Choice Bill, submitted by ACT’s David Seymour, is likely to have a conscious vote within the next six months.
The Rich are Getting Richer
The combined wealth of Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Warren Buffett totals around $248 billion, more than the combined wealth of 160 million people in the United States. The Institute for Policy Studies says the growing gap between rich and poor is creating a “moral crisis”. The Billionaire Bonanza, a report co-written by Chuck Collins, says Trump’s tax change proposal would “exacerbate existing wealth disparities”. The report adds that the “billionaire class” is pulling apart from the everyone else at a faster rate than ever recorded, and such extreme levels of concentrated wealth has not been seen since a century ago. Report co-author Josh Hoxie said such a concentration of wealth, while so many people were struggling was not just bad economics, it was a moral crisis.
Floods and Landslides Strike Colombia
Flooding in southwest Colombia has caused a mudslide killing nine people and leaving 19 missing. The Paila River burst its banks near the town of Corinto in the Gauca department on Tuesday with water, mud and debris devastating the surrounding streets and homes. Corinto Mayor Edward Fernando Garcia said six blocks of the town, home to 32,000 people, were affected by the mudslide. Local media reports indicated 37 homes are destroyed, with that number likely to increase. Heavy machinery is being used to help residents and police rescuers clear the debris from the area. Residents have been evacuated as a precaution against continued rains and flooding.
Trump Suddenly Warms Up to China
The US president heaped praise on Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping Thursday during a two-day trip to the country. “My feeling toward you is an incredibly warm one,” Trump said, adding that he would no longer “blame” China for its trade surplus—long a point of contention—appearing instead to point the finger at his own government.
Iran Arrested Dozens of Dual Nationals
Over the past two years, authorities in Iran have arrested at least 30 dual nationals, perhaps double the figure previously revealed. Those detained are reportedly often used for leverage in international negotiations and held on flimsy espionage-related pretences.
Syria Recaptures Key ISIS Stronghold
Syrian government troops took down a critical ISIS stronghold this week, cutting off a route the group relied on for travel between Syria and Iraq. Now that the eastern territory, Bukamal, is in regime hands, ISIS forces only have a few remaining power centres in the country.
Reporting by Reuben McLaren, Ollie Powell, Jemima Huston.
