Skating in Afghanistan, image courtesy of Skateistan.
Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by bFM and VICE NZ.Skateboarding 4 Peace
A professor from Waikato University says skateboarding, surfing and other action sports play a vital role in community building, social development and peacemaking across the globe. Associate Professor Holly Thorpe has been researching parkour in Gaza, skateboarding in Afghanistan and action sport in New Orleans, finding a vast improvement in resilience as a result of the activities. She says there is a common misconception that people in these zones are victims, when they are actually creative, resourceful and can make life better for themselves and others. More than 200 organisations around the world are now utilising the peacemaking benefits of action sports.Phil Goff is a Bit Iffy About Māori Seats
Auckland Council may lose its chance to create a Māori seatwith Mayor Phil Goff preferring not to act. It is understood Mr Goff believes the question of Māori seats should be left up to central government, which is why he will tick the "do nothing" box in a vote later today. However, associate professor of Māori Studies at Auckland University, Ann Sullivan says it would be nice to see the council make a moral decision to ensure that Māori voices are heard. Māori currently make up 11 percent of the Auckland population.Silver Scrolls Time
The 52nd Annual Silver Scroll Awards are set to take place in Dunedin tonight, the first time they've been held in the city. Among the finalists are Bic Runga, Nadia Reid, Lorde, Chelsea Jade and Aldous Harding. Another award presented tonight is the APRA Maioha Award which recognises contemporary Māori songwriting. The three finalists for the Maioha Award are Northland thrash metal band, Alien Weaponry, soul-folk singer, Maisey Rika and kapa haka tutor, Kingi Kiriona.Structural Faults Rife in NZ Buildings
A New Zealand building surveyor has expressed serious concerns over hidden and dangerous building faults which he says are "very common". Thomas Wutzler, who runs Wellington survey firm Helfen said his team has found apartment complexes with heavily rotten walls, poorly bolted exterior panels and even an apartment block not bolted to their foundations. He said these problems are far more common than people think and legal action against the faulty buildings did not get enough publicity.Pro-Isis Militants Putting the Philippines Booming Outsourcing Industry at Risk
ISIS-influenced attacks in the Philippines are proving damaging not only for civilians, but for the country's greater economy and worrying economists worldwide. The four-month long attacks are reported to be the most significant terrorist event in Southeast Asia in 15 years, targeting jails and hospitals, prompting President Duterte to place the state of Mindanao under martial law. The country's outsourcing industry contributes over $10 billion to the economy. The industry is largely made up of call centres that carry out functions for overseas companies like accounting, medical and legal transcription, software design, animation and architecture. However, the attacks have unnerved potential foreign investors, putting the country's outsourcing industry in jeopardy.Trump Proposes Tax Cuts
Donald Trump has proposed tax cuts on individuals and companies in the US. The proposal is set to double the threshold of personal income that is tax free. The reforms are also set to increase tax credits to families with children and couples who work. Corporate tax is also set to change, seeing the federal level tax cut from 35 percent to 20 percent. The Trump administration is adamant that the tax plan is set to benefit middle class families, but congressional leaders are still highly sceptical.Ryanair Cancels
Irish airline Ryanair has announced another round of flight cancellations, affecting 400,000 customers. This is the second wave of cancellations which the airline has put down to a rostering mess-up. The 18,000 affected flights were meant to take place between November and March, and customers have been offered a refund or a place on another flight. This comes after the carrier announced they were planning to cancel up to 50 flights a day until the end of October, affecting 315,000 people.Absent Former Thai Prime Minister Given Five-Year Prison Sentence
Yingluck Shinawatra was handed the term by Thailand's Supreme Court after being found guilty of "negligence" in overseeing a rice subsidy while she was prime minister. She is believed to have fled overseas last month before a scheduled court date. The head of the military government Prayuth Chan-ocha said "spies" had told him where she was but declined to reveal her location.Twitter Experiments with Tweets Allowing 280 Characters
The social media giant is doubling the 140-character limit for a small number of users in a trial. The company said it wants to allow "every person around the world to easily express themselves."Reporting by India Essuah, Katie Doyle, Jennifer-Rose Tamati and Leah Garcia-Purves
LOCAL NEWS
A professor from Waikato University says skateboarding, surfing and other action sports play a vital role in community building, social development and peacemaking across the globe. Associate Professor Holly Thorpe has been researching parkour in Gaza, skateboarding in Afghanistan and action sport in New Orleans, finding a vast improvement in resilience as a result of the activities. She says there is a common misconception that people in these zones are victims, when they are actually creative, resourceful and can make life better for themselves and others. More than 200 organisations around the world are now utilising the peacemaking benefits of action sports.Phil Goff is a Bit Iffy About Māori Seats
Auckland Council may lose its chance to create a Māori seatwith Mayor Phil Goff preferring not to act. It is understood Mr Goff believes the question of Māori seats should be left up to central government, which is why he will tick the "do nothing" box in a vote later today. However, associate professor of Māori Studies at Auckland University, Ann Sullivan says it would be nice to see the council make a moral decision to ensure that Māori voices are heard. Māori currently make up 11 percent of the Auckland population.
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The 52nd Annual Silver Scroll Awards are set to take place in Dunedin tonight, the first time they've been held in the city. Among the finalists are Bic Runga, Nadia Reid, Lorde, Chelsea Jade and Aldous Harding. Another award presented tonight is the APRA Maioha Award which recognises contemporary Māori songwriting. The three finalists for the Maioha Award are Northland thrash metal band, Alien Weaponry, soul-folk singer, Maisey Rika and kapa haka tutor, Kingi Kiriona.Structural Faults Rife in NZ Buildings
A New Zealand building surveyor has expressed serious concerns over hidden and dangerous building faults which he says are "very common". Thomas Wutzler, who runs Wellington survey firm Helfen said his team has found apartment complexes with heavily rotten walls, poorly bolted exterior panels and even an apartment block not bolted to their foundations. He said these problems are far more common than people think and legal action against the faulty buildings did not get enough publicity.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
ISIS-influenced attacks in the Philippines are proving damaging not only for civilians, but for the country's greater economy and worrying economists worldwide. The four-month long attacks are reported to be the most significant terrorist event in Southeast Asia in 15 years, targeting jails and hospitals, prompting President Duterte to place the state of Mindanao under martial law. The country's outsourcing industry contributes over $10 billion to the economy. The industry is largely made up of call centres that carry out functions for overseas companies like accounting, medical and legal transcription, software design, animation and architecture. However, the attacks have unnerved potential foreign investors, putting the country's outsourcing industry in jeopardy.Trump Proposes Tax Cuts
Donald Trump has proposed tax cuts on individuals and companies in the US. The proposal is set to double the threshold of personal income that is tax free. The reforms are also set to increase tax credits to families with children and couples who work. Corporate tax is also set to change, seeing the federal level tax cut from 35 percent to 20 percent. The Trump administration is adamant that the tax plan is set to benefit middle class families, but congressional leaders are still highly sceptical.Ryanair Cancels
Irish airline Ryanair has announced another round of flight cancellations, affecting 400,000 customers. This is the second wave of cancellations which the airline has put down to a rostering mess-up. The 18,000 affected flights were meant to take place between November and March, and customers have been offered a refund or a place on another flight. This comes after the carrier announced they were planning to cancel up to 50 flights a day until the end of October, affecting 315,000 people.Absent Former Thai Prime Minister Given Five-Year Prison Sentence
Yingluck Shinawatra was handed the term by Thailand's Supreme Court after being found guilty of "negligence" in overseeing a rice subsidy while she was prime minister. She is believed to have fled overseas last month before a scheduled court date. The head of the military government Prayuth Chan-ocha said "spies" had told him where she was but declined to reveal her location.Twitter Experiments with Tweets Allowing 280 Characters
The social media giant is doubling the 140-character limit for a small number of users in a trial. The company said it wants to allow "every person around the world to easily express themselves."Reporting by India Essuah, Katie Doyle, Jennifer-Rose Tamati and Leah Garcia-Purves