LOCAL NEWS
University of Auckland Students Disaffiliate Pro-Life Group
University of Auckland students have voted to disaffiliate a pro-life group from the student union. Over 2700 students voted in the referendum, with 1600 voting to disaffiliate ProLife Auckland club and clubs with "similar ideologies." The move is largely symbolic, with the group still able to set up up stalls, participate in club week, and receive funding. The group has survived several attempts by students to disaffiliate it since its inception in 2010, but this was the first successful one.
Councils Criticise Labour's Tourist Tax
Councils have criticised Labour's $25 tourist tax for lacking detail regarding how the money will be spent. Labour has said $9 million of the $75 million raised would go to high-demand areas like Queenstown, with a further $27 million set aside for infrastructure. Westland District Mayor Bruce Smith says he is worried the regions will miss out on much of the infrastructure funding if it is contested across New Zealand. He added that if the money was focused on areas of the greatest need that would be a "great thing", but that more detail was needed.
Investigations Launched into Peters' Leak
An investigation into who leaked information about New Zealand First leader Winston Peters' superannuation overpayments has been announced. Both the Ministry of Social Development and Inland Revenue Department (IRD) have launched investigations following Peters' complaint to the Privacy Commissioner. Peters told media he believed IRD were responsible for the breach, but former Minister of Revenue Peter Dunne said he would be "astounded" if the leak was from them. Privacy Commissioner John Edwards said a breach regarding tax information could result in criminal prosecution and compensation.
More and More Kiwis Heading Overseas
The number of New Zealanders holidaying internationally has nearly quadrupled over the past 30 years. Peter Dolan from Statistics New Zealand said the increase was due to more New Zealanders travelling to Australia, China, and the United Kingdom. Both China and the United Kingdom now receive over 100,000 Kiwi visitors a year. However, Australia continues to be the top overseas destination, with 1.2 million people making the trip in the July 2017 year. These trans-Tasman travellers make up nearly 44 percent of all overseas departures.
INTERNATIONAL
At Least Five Killed by Hurricane in Texas
At least five people died, and more than 1200 needed rescue in Galveston County alone in the immediate aftermath of "catastrophic" flooding brought on by Hurricane Harvey in southern Texas. Around 50,000 more people in southwest Houston's Fort Bend County were ordered to evacuate their homes Sunday, while officials in surrounding areas continued to urge people to leave for safety. The National Weather Service predicted the Houston area could receive 50 inches of rain before storms recede later this week, a record, and a sign that more devastation was coming.—AP/The Houston Chronicle/The New York Times
At Least 13 Killed in Car Bomb Attack in Afghanistan
At least 13 people were killed and at least a dozen others injured when a car bomb exploded in Afghanistan's Helmand Province on Sunday night. A suicide bomber detonated a device in a car next to a convoy of army vehicles in the district of Nawa. The Taliban claimed to have carried out the attack.—AFP
Iraqi Forces Clear ISIS from City of Tal Afar
Iraqi government forces have pushed ISIS out of Tal Afar, one of the extremist group's last strongholds in the country. Fighting remains in al-Ayadiya, an area just outside the city, according to the military. Soldiers proclaimed victory in the centre of Tal Afar on Sunday and were seen removing ISIS flags.—Reuters
Reporting by Lachlan Balfour, Jack Marshall and Alessandra Nixon.