News of Zealand: Tony Veitch Dropped From New TV Show

Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.

Tony Veitch Dropped From Sky
Domestic-violence convicted broadcaster Tony Veitch has pulled out from his new slot on a SKY TV show. The choice of Veitch, who broke his former partner’s back in several places in a brutal domestic assault, sparked controversy and stern messages from anti-violence against women groups. Veitch has now left the lineup of what he described as a “hard-hitting current affairs show”.

Child Poverty Linked to Bad Teenage Health
A study by Auckland University has linked child poverty with bad health in teenagers. The study monitored nearly 20,000 New Zealand high school students between 2007 and 2012. 95bFM spoke with Associate Professor Simon Denny, who says family conditions are an important factor in young people's mental health. “The link to mental health is more uncertain, but quite interesting and obviously, one probable mechanism, is through family stress, when families are worried about having enough money for food then that places stress on the family and the family is an important context for teenagers mental health.” The study found 40 percent of students didn’t have enough food. Denny said child poverty has seen a dramatic increase in recent years. “Child poverty or children and teenagers being impacted by socio-economic insecurity is actually increasing markedly just from 2007 to 2012. We don’t have any more recent data than that… but I would be guessing that this is just continuing to get worse with the increase in housing pressures and that sort of thing.”

Teachers Restrain Students More Than Expected
New figures show teachers use physical force to restrain students up to 130 times a month. This comes following the introduction of a new rule where teachers must notify the ministry of any incident where physical force is used to restrain a student. The majority of incidents come from primary schools, in situations where the pupil is at risk of harming themselves or others. The Ministry of Education's deputy secretary Katrina Casey has said physical restraint is a serious intervention and should only be used as a last resort. Casey said about ten per cent of the incidents are sent through to the ministry to be followed up upon.

Amazon Warrior Set To Survey Taranaki Bight
Greenpeace is calling on the government to send seismic blasting ship the Amazon Warrior away after it entered South Taranaki waters. The ship is the largest of its kind in the world and has entered the waters to search for oil on behalf of Austrian Oil company, OMV. The ship will spend three months surveying & blasting the South Taranaki Bight, an area which is home to endangered marine animals, including the blue whale. Greenpeace spokesperson Kate Simcock has said if climate change is our generation's nuclear-free moment, and stopping nuclear ships meant going nuclear free, then taking action on climate change means stopping oil ships.

Shhhhh, You Can’t Say That
Saudi Arabia's new counter-terrorism law has been denounced by Human Rights Watch, which says it enables authorities to silence critics. The new law includes punishment of up to 10 years in prison for insulting the crown prince and king of Saudi Arabia and incorporates the death penalty for other acts of so-called 'terrorism'. Human Rights Watch's Middle East Director Sarah Whitson said, "Saudi authorities are already methodically silencing and locking away peaceful critics on spurious charges." According to Human Rights Watch, definitions of terrorism in the new law include 'disturbing public order', 'shaking the security of the community' and 'suspending the basic laws of governance'.

Rohingya Can’t Catch a Break
The Foreign Minister of Myanmar has confirmed a deal between Bangladesh and Myanmar permitting the return of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees. After a crackdown by military forces, the Rohingya refugees took refuge in the border town of Cox's Bazar. Al Jazeera journalist Scott Heidler says the agreement shows progress in the crisis and was the result of international pressure on Myanmar. However, Rohingya activists have pointed to the lack of detail in the deal regarding how refugees will be repatriated and if they will be allowed to return to their original villages. 300 refugees a day will be allowed re-entry into Myanmar, meaning it could take up to 20 years to repatriate all refugees.

Mugabe Granted Pension Package
The Former President of Zimbabwe and his wife have been granted immunity from military prosecution in exchange for his resignation. The President held office over Zimbabwe for 37 years, was particularly criticised for serious mismanagement of Zimbabwe's economy. After he fired then-Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa, it was believed Mugabe's wife, Grace Mugabe would succeed him. Mugabe, who was the oldest president in the world at 93 has told negotiators he wanted to die in Zimbabwe and had no plans to live in exile. In addition to immunity, the former president is set to receive a retirement package with a pension, housing, holiday and transport allowance.

Disappearance of Submarine Crew Described as ‘Abnormal’
Hopes for the survival of the Argentine submarine crew that went missing nine days ago are faltering after reports of a possible explosion. The conditions, detected at the same time as the submarine went missing has been described by An Argentine Navy spokesperson as "abnormal", "violent" and "consistent with an explosion" The abnormal sound was reportedly detected by nuclear watchdog sensors in an area where Argentina's continental shelf drops from a depth of 200 to 5000 metres. News of the suspected explosion was received critically by families of the missing sailors, with some accusing the navy of raising false hopes and lying to them.

Help For Libyan Migrants Come from Rwanda
Rwanda has offered refuge to 30,000 African refugees and migrants in Libya, many of whom are trapped in slavery-like conditions. Hundreds of thousands of Africans travel through Libya en route to Europe, and many are held by smugglers and forced to work for menial pay or nothing at all. The offer comes in the midst of a video released by CNN showing men being sold off as farm labourers. The Rwandan foreign ministry points to the country's own history, saying the country cannot "remain silent when human beings are being mistreated and auctioned off like cattle."

Slovenia's Prime Minister Could Face Impeachment
Slovenia's right wing opposition party is trying to impeach Prime Minister Miro Cerar following the Prime Minister's support for a Syrian refugee who faces deportation. Cerar is one of the few liberal leaders in Central and Eastern Europe. The calls for dismissal follow Cerar's offer to grant immigrant Ahmad Shamieh residency. Shamieh is seen as an example of successful refugee integration, having arrived in the country two years ago and learnt the language. Government sources say Cerar has enough support in parliament to dismiss the notion.

Progress Made in Cairo Reconciliation Talks
Palestinian factions lead by the two political parties Fatah and Hamas have agreed to general elections as a part of reconciliation talks held in Egypt. The meeting in Cairo is mainly focused implementing the 2011 Cairo agreement between the parties. It is hoped that the talks will end the 10-year political rift between the parties. Fatah's National Relations Commissioner, Azzam al-Ahmad says that the Palestinian Authority would need arrangements to manage the Gaza Strip. The deal is expected to see both Hamas and Fatah parties form a government which will appoint the prime minister and ministerial positions.

Additional reporting by Reuben McLaren, Ollie Powell, Jean Bell, Lillian Hanley