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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Study: Time With Nature Can Prevent Asthma
A study from Massey University has found that children who grow up exposed to nature are less likely to develop asthma than those that aren’t. Children exposed to native plants were the least likely to develop asthma out of all the children in the study. The study followed 50,000 children until they were 18. Researchers were unable to find out if early or late exposure to native plants was the most likely to prevent the disease. In New Zealand, 15 percent of children have asthma.Māori Suicide Rate ‘Alarming’, Says Report
A new report shows that Māori youth suicide is reaching an alarming rate. The Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee's most recent report found that Māori children are more likely to kill themselves, and are doing it younger than their Pākehā counterparts. In the age bracket 10-14 years, 60 percent of the children committing suicide were Māori between 2012 and 2016. Committee member Felicity Dumble says there were many factors that caused Māori overrepresentation in suicide statistics, including socio-economic status and institutional racism. Suicide support group Nati for Life Trust manager Tuta Ngarimu says parents needed to talk to their children about their problems and make sure they are comfortable talking about it.Clinton: NZ Needs to Act on Chinese influence
Hillary Clinton warns that Chinese political influence in New Zealand must be taken seriously. Speaking at an event in Auckland on Monday night, the former United States Secretary of State says Chinese efforts to gain political power and influence policy decisions in New Zealand is just getting started. She added foreign interference in domestic politics is an ongoing problem, not just in the United States. The 2016 presidential candidate also says the consequences of China's decision to abolish term limits will have global significance.Putin Takes on Fourth Term
Vladimir Putin has been sworn in for a fourth term as Russian president. Riot police confronted protesters in Moscow and other Russian cities, arresting 1000 people, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He was banned from standing against Putin in the election in March, after allegations of embezzlement. The Russian opposition says Putin is undermining democracy in Russia by keeping out genuine opposition parties out of parliament and replacing them with his allies. Putin is re-elected after winning more than 76 percent of the vote in the election.Cambridge Analytica Accused of Withholding Data
Cambridge Analytica is being ordered by the UK's data protection watchdog to hand over all the information it has on US citizen David Carroll. Carroll has started legal proceedings requesting a complete copy of all the data the company has on him. This is his second attempt to collect the personal information the company has on him, as he believes the first set of data he was sent is incomplete. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says the company has so far been uncooperative in his case. Cambridge Analytica has repeatedly denied they have done anything wrong in collecting the personal data of millions of Facebook users. The company is in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings which they are blaming on "media coverage".NSW Spends to Protect Koalas
Australia is spending money to ensure that koala bears, one of their most iconic creatures, are protected. The New South Wales government has put $35 million toward protecting koalas, whose population has dropped 26 percent over the past two decades. The decline in the koala population has been blamed on habitat loss, dog attacks, and climate change. The money will be used on forest reserves, building a hospital for injured and sick animals, and making adjustments to popular roadkill spots.Tourism Emissions Top Out
An Australian study has found the tourism industry contributes around three times more carbon emissions than previously estimated. The study found that tourism produces 8 percent of the world's carbon emissions instead of the previously estimated 2.5 to 3 percent. The tourism industry is currently worth US$7 trillion and employs 10 percent of the world's workers. The World Travel and Tourism Council says that the tourism industry's efforts to reduce emissions have been successful. WTTC's director of research, Rochelle Turner, says that it is unfair to say that the tourism industry has not done anything about its environmental impact.Additional reporting by Leonard Powell, Grace Watson, Justin Wong
LOCAL NEWS
A study from Massey University has found that children who grow up exposed to nature are less likely to develop asthma than those that aren’t. Children exposed to native plants were the least likely to develop asthma out of all the children in the study. The study followed 50,000 children until they were 18. Researchers were unable to find out if early or late exposure to native plants was the most likely to prevent the disease. In New Zealand, 15 percent of children have asthma.Māori Suicide Rate ‘Alarming’, Says Report
A new report shows that Māori youth suicide is reaching an alarming rate. The Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee's most recent report found that Māori children are more likely to kill themselves, and are doing it younger than their Pākehā counterparts. In the age bracket 10-14 years, 60 percent of the children committing suicide were Māori between 2012 and 2016. Committee member Felicity Dumble says there were many factors that caused Māori overrepresentation in suicide statistics, including socio-economic status and institutional racism. Suicide support group Nati for Life Trust manager Tuta Ngarimu says parents needed to talk to their children about their problems and make sure they are comfortable talking about it.
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Hillary Clinton warns that Chinese political influence in New Zealand must be taken seriously. Speaking at an event in Auckland on Monday night, the former United States Secretary of State says Chinese efforts to gain political power and influence policy decisions in New Zealand is just getting started. She added foreign interference in domestic politics is an ongoing problem, not just in the United States. The 2016 presidential candidate also says the consequences of China's decision to abolish term limits will have global significance.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Vladimir Putin has been sworn in for a fourth term as Russian president. Riot police confronted protesters in Moscow and other Russian cities, arresting 1000 people, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny. He was banned from standing against Putin in the election in March, after allegations of embezzlement. The Russian opposition says Putin is undermining democracy in Russia by keeping out genuine opposition parties out of parliament and replacing them with his allies. Putin is re-elected after winning more than 76 percent of the vote in the election.Cambridge Analytica Accused of Withholding Data
Cambridge Analytica is being ordered by the UK's data protection watchdog to hand over all the information it has on US citizen David Carroll. Carroll has started legal proceedings requesting a complete copy of all the data the company has on him. This is his second attempt to collect the personal information the company has on him, as he believes the first set of data he was sent is incomplete. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham says the company has so far been uncooperative in his case. Cambridge Analytica has repeatedly denied they have done anything wrong in collecting the personal data of millions of Facebook users. The company is in the middle of bankruptcy proceedings which they are blaming on "media coverage".NSW Spends to Protect Koalas
Australia is spending money to ensure that koala bears, one of their most iconic creatures, are protected. The New South Wales government has put $35 million toward protecting koalas, whose population has dropped 26 percent over the past two decades. The decline in the koala population has been blamed on habitat loss, dog attacks, and climate change. The money will be used on forest reserves, building a hospital for injured and sick animals, and making adjustments to popular roadkill spots.Tourism Emissions Top Out
An Australian study has found the tourism industry contributes around three times more carbon emissions than previously estimated. The study found that tourism produces 8 percent of the world's carbon emissions instead of the previously estimated 2.5 to 3 percent. The tourism industry is currently worth US$7 trillion and employs 10 percent of the world's workers. The World Travel and Tourism Council says that the tourism industry's efforts to reduce emissions have been successful. WTTC's director of research, Rochelle Turner, says that it is unfair to say that the tourism industry has not done anything about its environmental impact.Additional reporting by Leonard Powell, Grace Watson, Justin Wong