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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Increase in Salvation Army Christmas Support Expected
As demand for food parcels and help covering holiday costs rises, The Salvation Army is expecting to help more than 17,000 New Zealanders in need this Christmas. Mangere Budgeting and Family Support says rough surveying shows the average amount of money struggling families have available for food after paying bills and rent has halved in the last 12 months, from $83 to just $40. More than 10,000 food parcels were handed out between July and September—an 8 percent increase on the previous quarter and a 13 percent jump on the same time last year. The Salvation Army’s Pam Waugh says people can donate in a Countdown food bin or under the K-Mart wishing tree, which launches today.Obesity Still Huge in New Zealand
Nearly a third of New Zealanders are obese, according to the annual Ministry of Health survey. More than a million adults and a 100,000 children around the country are believed to be dangerously overweight. These figures are on the rise for the sixth consecutive year, and academics are not surprised. Otago University Professor of Medicine, Jim Mann, told RNZ more has to be done to improve the environment causing obesity. Mann says healthy eating in school needs to become the norm, and fruit and vegetables should be cheaper, as high obesity rates are often linked to low socioeconomic areas.Pike River Families Handed Keys to the Mine Gate
Sunday marked the seventh anniversary of the Pike River mine disaster, and the first under a new government that has raised the possibility of re-entering the mine. Minister of Justice Andrew Little, who is responsible for re-entry, visited the site along with families of the 29 deceased. Little handed the key for the main gate to the families of the deceased as a symbolic gesture that the new government is committed to re-entering the mine and retrieving the bodies. This week family members will meet with MBIE officials to outline a re-entry plan and Little is due to discuss re-entry proposals with Cabinet today.Auckland’s Trees are Dying
Mature trees in Auckland are dying at an alarming rate, with activist and environmental groups estimating up to 30 percent of adult trees have been cut down or died out in the past five years. Urban Tree Alliance NZ Organiser Aprilanne Bonar told 95bFM changes to the Resource Management Act are largely to blame for the decline in tree numbers. “We are faced in Auckland with a very serious situation. The Resource Management Act was changed four years ago, and took away our tree protection. [Since then] Auckland has lost almost 30 percent of its canopy,” Bonar said.Government Announces New Youth Advisory Group
A new Youth Advisory Group has been announced by the government to help inform education policy. Made up of students aged 14-18, the group will discuss topics including wellbeing and preparation for careers, with their recommendations passed on to the Ministry of Education. 95bFM spoke with Minister of Education Chris Hipkins, who says the group will provide a much needed voice in the policy-making process for young people who are affected most by the decisions. “I’ve been concerned for some time that young people’s voices aren’t heard in the decisions that we make,” Hipkins told 95bFM. “If you look at the forthcoming review of NCEA, the people who are going through that system, who have experienced going through that system…their opinions are vitally important if we’re going to make the right kind of decision.” Hipkins says the students comprising the group were selected from a range of backgrounds to ensure a representative panel.AI is Already Changing the Job Landscape
Artificial and emotional intelligence are rapidly changing the landscape of jobs, a nanotechnology scientist is warning. The programming of emotionally intelligent robots will change the landscape of jobs because of their capacity to perform service jobs. Michelle Dickinson, who tours her science show around schools in New Zealand, says coding in robots has now advanced so they can perform more than just low-level communication jobs. “We have artificial intelligence lawyers now. IBM’s Ross is a lawyer that is replacing bankruptcy law lawyers.” Other robots, like IBM’s Watson Oncology, were capable of giving a cancer diagnosis or reading several medical journals in a day, Dickinson told 95bFM. She says it is important to nurture an understanding of coding in children, so they are prepared for what the future of work will look like.Associate Transport Minister to Tackle Road Death Toll
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter is calling for an urgent review after this year's road toll exceeded 2016's. Three people lost their lives this weekend, taking 2017's toll to 329, compared to 328 for the whole of last year. Genter will meet with officials from the police, the Ministry of Transport and the NZTA tomorrow. They will discuss what can be implemented in a short period to save as many lives as possible. Genter says safety projects could have more priority now than expensive new roads or highways. The Associate Transport Minister announced on Twitter that safety will be a major priority in transport policy and funding.Mugabe Fired By Party
Zimbabwe's ruling party is firing Robert Mugabe as its leader. The party is giving the 93-year-old president until noon today, local time, to step down, or face impeachment. Mugabe already refused to step down last week, after an attempted military takeover. Zimbabwe's Parliament re-convenes on Tuesday, and intends to launch impeachment procedures if Mugabe has not yet resigned. Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans took part in street protests on Saturday, demonstrating against the president.Britain Prepares to Submit Brexit Proposal to EU
Britain will submit proposals on how to settle its split with the European Union before an EU summit next month. Finance minister Philip Hammond said he will have to find room within tight constraints in Britain's budget to help Prime Minister Theresa May convince voters that the Conservative government is tackling domestic problems at the same time as negotiating its exit from the EU. The EU told Prime Minister Theresa May there was more work to be done to unlock the Brexit talks, repeating the early-December deadline for her to produce Britain’s opening offer on the financial settlement.Search for Missing Submarine
An Argentinian navy submarine is still missing in the South Atlantic, and a storm yesterday complicated the searches. Authorities are working to verify that recent satellite calls came from the vessel, where 44 crew members are hoped to still be alive. US airplanes, as well as boats and aircraft from Argentina, Britain, Chile and Brazil are joining their forces to scan the sea. Waves of eight meters and winds up to 40 knots were making the search difficult.Additional reporting by Lisa Boudet, Jean Bell, Leonard Powell.
LOCAL NEWS
As demand for food parcels and help covering holiday costs rises, The Salvation Army is expecting to help more than 17,000 New Zealanders in need this Christmas. Mangere Budgeting and Family Support says rough surveying shows the average amount of money struggling families have available for food after paying bills and rent has halved in the last 12 months, from $83 to just $40. More than 10,000 food parcels were handed out between July and September—an 8 percent increase on the previous quarter and a 13 percent jump on the same time last year. The Salvation Army’s Pam Waugh says people can donate in a Countdown food bin or under the K-Mart wishing tree, which launches today.Obesity Still Huge in New Zealand
Nearly a third of New Zealanders are obese, according to the annual Ministry of Health survey. More than a million adults and a 100,000 children around the country are believed to be dangerously overweight. These figures are on the rise for the sixth consecutive year, and academics are not surprised. Otago University Professor of Medicine, Jim Mann, told RNZ more has to be done to improve the environment causing obesity. Mann says healthy eating in school needs to become the norm, and fruit and vegetables should be cheaper, as high obesity rates are often linked to low socioeconomic areas.
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Sunday marked the seventh anniversary of the Pike River mine disaster, and the first under a new government that has raised the possibility of re-entering the mine. Minister of Justice Andrew Little, who is responsible for re-entry, visited the site along with families of the 29 deceased. Little handed the key for the main gate to the families of the deceased as a symbolic gesture that the new government is committed to re-entering the mine and retrieving the bodies. This week family members will meet with MBIE officials to outline a re-entry plan and Little is due to discuss re-entry proposals with Cabinet today.Auckland’s Trees are Dying
Mature trees in Auckland are dying at an alarming rate, with activist and environmental groups estimating up to 30 percent of adult trees have been cut down or died out in the past five years. Urban Tree Alliance NZ Organiser Aprilanne Bonar told 95bFM changes to the Resource Management Act are largely to blame for the decline in tree numbers. “We are faced in Auckland with a very serious situation. The Resource Management Act was changed four years ago, and took away our tree protection. [Since then] Auckland has lost almost 30 percent of its canopy,” Bonar said.Government Announces New Youth Advisory Group
A new Youth Advisory Group has been announced by the government to help inform education policy. Made up of students aged 14-18, the group will discuss topics including wellbeing and preparation for careers, with their recommendations passed on to the Ministry of Education. 95bFM spoke with Minister of Education Chris Hipkins, who says the group will provide a much needed voice in the policy-making process for young people who are affected most by the decisions. “I’ve been concerned for some time that young people’s voices aren’t heard in the decisions that we make,” Hipkins told 95bFM. “If you look at the forthcoming review of NCEA, the people who are going through that system, who have experienced going through that system…their opinions are vitally important if we’re going to make the right kind of decision.” Hipkins says the students comprising the group were selected from a range of backgrounds to ensure a representative panel.
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Artificial and emotional intelligence are rapidly changing the landscape of jobs, a nanotechnology scientist is warning. The programming of emotionally intelligent robots will change the landscape of jobs because of their capacity to perform service jobs. Michelle Dickinson, who tours her science show around schools in New Zealand, says coding in robots has now advanced so they can perform more than just low-level communication jobs. “We have artificial intelligence lawyers now. IBM’s Ross is a lawyer that is replacing bankruptcy law lawyers.” Other robots, like IBM’s Watson Oncology, were capable of giving a cancer diagnosis or reading several medical journals in a day, Dickinson told 95bFM. She says it is important to nurture an understanding of coding in children, so they are prepared for what the future of work will look like.Associate Transport Minister to Tackle Road Death Toll
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter is calling for an urgent review after this year's road toll exceeded 2016's. Three people lost their lives this weekend, taking 2017's toll to 329, compared to 328 for the whole of last year. Genter will meet with officials from the police, the Ministry of Transport and the NZTA tomorrow. They will discuss what can be implemented in a short period to save as many lives as possible. Genter says safety projects could have more priority now than expensive new roads or highways. The Associate Transport Minister announced on Twitter that safety will be a major priority in transport policy and funding.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Zimbabwe's ruling party is firing Robert Mugabe as its leader. The party is giving the 93-year-old president until noon today, local time, to step down, or face impeachment. Mugabe already refused to step down last week, after an attempted military takeover. Zimbabwe's Parliament re-convenes on Tuesday, and intends to launch impeachment procedures if Mugabe has not yet resigned. Tens of thousands of Zimbabweans took part in street protests on Saturday, demonstrating against the president.Britain Prepares to Submit Brexit Proposal to EU
Britain will submit proposals on how to settle its split with the European Union before an EU summit next month. Finance minister Philip Hammond said he will have to find room within tight constraints in Britain's budget to help Prime Minister Theresa May convince voters that the Conservative government is tackling domestic problems at the same time as negotiating its exit from the EU. The EU told Prime Minister Theresa May there was more work to be done to unlock the Brexit talks, repeating the early-December deadline for her to produce Britain’s opening offer on the financial settlement.Search for Missing Submarine
An Argentinian navy submarine is still missing in the South Atlantic, and a storm yesterday complicated the searches. Authorities are working to verify that recent satellite calls came from the vessel, where 44 crew members are hoped to still be alive. US airplanes, as well as boats and aircraft from Argentina, Britain, Chile and Brazil are joining their forces to scan the sea. Waves of eight meters and winds up to 40 knots were making the search difficult.Additional reporting by Lisa Boudet, Jean Bell, Leonard Powell.