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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Jacinda Ardern Pushes Again to Help Manus Island
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has offered more aid to the Manus Island refugees, after another meeting with Malcolm Turnbull last night. New Zealand will put $3 million towards the stranded refugees, who currently have no food or water. Speaking in Manila at the East Asia Summit last night, Ardern put her offer to take 150 of the refugees to Turnbull again. The Australian Senate has now passed a motion that "calls on Prime Minister Turnbull to accept New Zealand's offer", which was first made in 2013. The $3 million will go towards the refugees and aid agencies who will help them.Foreign Property Speculators Attempt to Beat Incoming Law
A large Chinese real estate website is launching a marketing campaign to encourage foreign speculation in the New Zealand property market before the upcoming ban. Juwai, which boasts more than two million Chinese-speaking users, expects the impending policy to prompt an increase in interest over the next month. Jane Lu, Juwai's head of Australia and New Zealand, says the ban may also prompt overseas buyers to focus on new builds. The government expects the foreign buyer legislation to be introduced before Christmas, taking effect early next year.Government Reckons With Housing Dramas
The government is disputing a prediction from the Reserve Bank that the Kiwibuild programme will lead to a significant drop in the number of builds in the private sector. The government plans to build 100,000 affordable houses over the next 10 years through the programme, but the Reserve Bank says the increase could result in a corresponding fall in private construction. Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford says because Kiwibuild focuses on building homes that the private sector is not delivering, any potential offset will not be significant. Meanwhile, the government is debating a bill to improve the quality of rental homes. According to Child Poverty Action Group, over 40,000 children a year are hospitalised with preventable illnesses caused by substandard housing. National Children's Rights Advocacy Manager for UNICEF NZ Dr Prudence Stone told bFM although the bill makes positive steps, more needs to be done. Dr Stone says the organisation has called for mandatory Warrant of Fitnesses in rental homes in Aotearoa.Beached As
A stranded orca has been refloated in Marlborough, after 24 hours of care from Department of Conservation staff and volunteers. Medics monitored the orca overnight, but it eventually took the help of 25 New Zealand, American, Canadian and Australian army personnel to refloat the whale at Marfells beach. The armies were in the area for a training exercise, and they dug a 20 metre long trench in order to put the orca back out to sea.Results Today For Australia’s Same-Sex Marriage Survey
Australia can expect results from the same sex marriage postal survey vote today. The announcement will be made live from 12 PM New Zealand time. If a yes vote, it’s likely the two competing same sex marriage bills will start their journey through the senate tomorrow. Prime Minister Turnbull and the Australian Labor Party support a bill that will exempt religious ministers and celebrants from being involved in weddings. Several conservative lawmakers released an opposing draft gay marriage bill on Monday, that would wind back anti–discrimination laws, protecting individuals who would want to boycott gay weddings, and allowing registrars to deny giving marriage licenses to gay couples. If “Yes”, Turnbull say he is hoping gay marriage will be legal by Christmas, with weddings by January. If the results show a “No” vote, Turnbull says the issue will be off the table.$1.5m for Water Safety
Water Safety New Zealand has invested over $1.5m dollars in programmes and schools across New Zealand to help ensure children’s safety in water. Chief Executive Jonty Mills says a lack of education in schools sparked plans for the organisation invest in water safety. Mills told bFM the New Zealand Council of Educational Research found that only a quarter of 2,000 schools surveyed in 2016 delivered adequate water-safety education. Drownbase recorded 78 preventable drowning deaths in New Zealand last year.Solomon Islands Gets a New PM
The Solomon Islands Government will elect a new Prime Minister this morning. The former Government is confident they will retain power after a majority of MPs chose to oust Manasseh Sogavare in a vote of no confidence last week. Several opposition MPs have joined the Sogavare camp, backing Small Malaita MP Rick Hou to replace him. Sogavare was near the end of his third term as Prime Minister when he was voted out, despite making reshuffles to stave off a vote against him. Central Guadalcanal MP Peter Shanel said the group behind Mr Hou was intact and supportive of Sogavare policy, and are hoping to stabilise the government if he is elected.Iran-Iraq Earthquake Toll Rises
The death toll of Sunday's Iran-Iraq earthquake has risen as relief efforts recover bodies buried in the rubble. A state of emergency has been declared in Iraq while assessment of the aftermath continues. Of the at least 530 dead and 7,817 injured, the majority are Iranian. Tremors have continued in the very seismically active territory, and now more than 70,000 emergency shelters are needed.Myanmar Military Claims It Did Nothing Wrong
An army inquiry came to the conclusion Myanmar's soldiers did not recently engage in a campaign of attacking, murdering, and raping Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The report blamed Rohingya militants for the violence that has consumed the region since August, which has been widely described as ethnic cleansing. Amnesty International accused the military of trying to “sweep serious violations against the Rohingya under the carpet.”Iraqi Kurds’ Secession Ruled Illegal
A court decision has overruled Iraqi Kurdistan's vote to secede from Baghdad. In September's independence referendum, Iraqi Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favour, defying Baghdad central government's ruling that the ballot was illegal. The independence vote was met with anger and threats of shutting off supplies by neighbouring authorities. The Supreme Federal Court ruled early in November that the no Iraqi province could secede. Kurdistan Regional Government said on Tuesday it would respect the declaration.Delhi’s Killer Smog Continues
A plan to use anti smog helicopters to combat Delhi's pollution problem has been unsuccessful due to too much smog. City authorities engaged a helicopter service to spray water over the haze, though administrators said they would be unable to help until the smog had cleared. Crop burning in neighbouring states combined with slow winds have caused air pollution levels in northern parts of India to rise to higher than 30 times World Health Organisation standards. Polash Mukherjee, air pollution researcher from the Centre for Science and Environment, says the city's residents are very aware of the dangers of breathing dense air matter. Environment minister Harsh Vardhan has urged residents to remain calm, fueling accusations the government aren't doing enough to solve the crisis.USA Probe into Russian Interferance Continues
Attorney-General Jeff Sessions says he now recalls discussion of Russian connections in Trump campaign meetings. Called on by the Judiciary Committee of the House, Sessions testified that he only remembered a meeting that George Papadopoulos attended after reading news reports about it. This follows Sessions having told Congress in October that nobody he knew in the Trump campaign had contacts with Russians. At the March 2016 meeting in question, Papadopoulos—who has been charged with lying to the FBI—raised his Russian ties and suggested that Trump and Putin meeting could be set up. Sessions testified that he was hazy on what Papadopoulos proposed, but he had discouraged communication with foreign governments when it was raised. Though The White House has played down Papadopoulos' role, saying he was a low level aide, this is not the only recent development in the US Russia Probe. President Trump's son has recently had to hand over his communication with WikiLeaks to congressional committees who are investigating.Additional reporting by Harry Willis, Mary-Margaret Slack and Reilly Hodson.
LOCAL NEWS
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has offered more aid to the Manus Island refugees, after another meeting with Malcolm Turnbull last night. New Zealand will put $3 million towards the stranded refugees, who currently have no food or water. Speaking in Manila at the East Asia Summit last night, Ardern put her offer to take 150 of the refugees to Turnbull again. The Australian Senate has now passed a motion that "calls on Prime Minister Turnbull to accept New Zealand's offer", which was first made in 2013. The $3 million will go towards the refugees and aid agencies who will help them.Foreign Property Speculators Attempt to Beat Incoming Law
A large Chinese real estate website is launching a marketing campaign to encourage foreign speculation in the New Zealand property market before the upcoming ban. Juwai, which boasts more than two million Chinese-speaking users, expects the impending policy to prompt an increase in interest over the next month. Jane Lu, Juwai's head of Australia and New Zealand, says the ban may also prompt overseas buyers to focus on new builds. The government expects the foreign buyer legislation to be introduced before Christmas, taking effect early next year.
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The government is disputing a prediction from the Reserve Bank that the Kiwibuild programme will lead to a significant drop in the number of builds in the private sector. The government plans to build 100,000 affordable houses over the next 10 years through the programme, but the Reserve Bank says the increase could result in a corresponding fall in private construction. Housing and Urban Development Minister Phil Twyford says because Kiwibuild focuses on building homes that the private sector is not delivering, any potential offset will not be significant. Meanwhile, the government is debating a bill to improve the quality of rental homes. According to Child Poverty Action Group, over 40,000 children a year are hospitalised with preventable illnesses caused by substandard housing. National Children's Rights Advocacy Manager for UNICEF NZ Dr Prudence Stone told bFM although the bill makes positive steps, more needs to be done. Dr Stone says the organisation has called for mandatory Warrant of Fitnesses in rental homes in Aotearoa.Beached As
A stranded orca has been refloated in Marlborough, after 24 hours of care from Department of Conservation staff and volunteers. Medics monitored the orca overnight, but it eventually took the help of 25 New Zealand, American, Canadian and Australian army personnel to refloat the whale at Marfells beach. The armies were in the area for a training exercise, and they dug a 20 metre long trench in order to put the orca back out to sea.
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Australia can expect results from the same sex marriage postal survey vote today. The announcement will be made live from 12 PM New Zealand time. If a yes vote, it’s likely the two competing same sex marriage bills will start their journey through the senate tomorrow. Prime Minister Turnbull and the Australian Labor Party support a bill that will exempt religious ministers and celebrants from being involved in weddings. Several conservative lawmakers released an opposing draft gay marriage bill on Monday, that would wind back anti–discrimination laws, protecting individuals who would want to boycott gay weddings, and allowing registrars to deny giving marriage licenses to gay couples. If “Yes”, Turnbull say he is hoping gay marriage will be legal by Christmas, with weddings by January. If the results show a “No” vote, Turnbull says the issue will be off the table.$1.5m for Water Safety
Water Safety New Zealand has invested over $1.5m dollars in programmes and schools across New Zealand to help ensure children’s safety in water. Chief Executive Jonty Mills says a lack of education in schools sparked plans for the organisation invest in water safety. Mills told bFM the New Zealand Council of Educational Research found that only a quarter of 2,000 schools surveyed in 2016 delivered adequate water-safety education. Drownbase recorded 78 preventable drowning deaths in New Zealand last year.
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INTERNATIONAL
The Solomon Islands Government will elect a new Prime Minister this morning. The former Government is confident they will retain power after a majority of MPs chose to oust Manasseh Sogavare in a vote of no confidence last week. Several opposition MPs have joined the Sogavare camp, backing Small Malaita MP Rick Hou to replace him. Sogavare was near the end of his third term as Prime Minister when he was voted out, despite making reshuffles to stave off a vote against him. Central Guadalcanal MP Peter Shanel said the group behind Mr Hou was intact and supportive of Sogavare policy, and are hoping to stabilise the government if he is elected.Iran-Iraq Earthquake Toll Rises
The death toll of Sunday's Iran-Iraq earthquake has risen as relief efforts recover bodies buried in the rubble. A state of emergency has been declared in Iraq while assessment of the aftermath continues. Of the at least 530 dead and 7,817 injured, the majority are Iranian. Tremors have continued in the very seismically active territory, and now more than 70,000 emergency shelters are needed.Myanmar Military Claims It Did Nothing Wrong
An army inquiry came to the conclusion Myanmar's soldiers did not recently engage in a campaign of attacking, murdering, and raping Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The report blamed Rohingya militants for the violence that has consumed the region since August, which has been widely described as ethnic cleansing. Amnesty International accused the military of trying to “sweep serious violations against the Rohingya under the carpet.”Iraqi Kurds’ Secession Ruled Illegal
A court decision has overruled Iraqi Kurdistan's vote to secede from Baghdad. In September's independence referendum, Iraqi Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favour, defying Baghdad central government's ruling that the ballot was illegal. The independence vote was met with anger and threats of shutting off supplies by neighbouring authorities. The Supreme Federal Court ruled early in November that the no Iraqi province could secede. Kurdistan Regional Government said on Tuesday it would respect the declaration.Delhi’s Killer Smog Continues
A plan to use anti smog helicopters to combat Delhi's pollution problem has been unsuccessful due to too much smog. City authorities engaged a helicopter service to spray water over the haze, though administrators said they would be unable to help until the smog had cleared. Crop burning in neighbouring states combined with slow winds have caused air pollution levels in northern parts of India to rise to higher than 30 times World Health Organisation standards. Polash Mukherjee, air pollution researcher from the Centre for Science and Environment, says the city's residents are very aware of the dangers of breathing dense air matter. Environment minister Harsh Vardhan has urged residents to remain calm, fueling accusations the government aren't doing enough to solve the crisis.USA Probe into Russian Interferance Continues
Attorney-General Jeff Sessions says he now recalls discussion of Russian connections in Trump campaign meetings. Called on by the Judiciary Committee of the House, Sessions testified that he only remembered a meeting that George Papadopoulos attended after reading news reports about it. This follows Sessions having told Congress in October that nobody he knew in the Trump campaign had contacts with Russians. At the March 2016 meeting in question, Papadopoulos—who has been charged with lying to the FBI—raised his Russian ties and suggested that Trump and Putin meeting could be set up. Sessions testified that he was hazy on what Papadopoulos proposed, but he had discouraged communication with foreign governments when it was raised. Though The White House has played down Papadopoulos' role, saying he was a low level aide, this is not the only recent development in the US Russia Probe. President Trump's son has recently had to hand over his communication with WikiLeaks to congressional committees who are investigating.Additional reporting by Harry Willis, Mary-Margaret Slack and Reilly Hodson.