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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Fisheries Investigation Uncovers Hoki Hoax
A new report has revealed that some of the country’s biggest fisheries have been under-reporting their hoki catch, sometimes by hundreds of tonnes. The report was leaked from a 2011 Ministry of Fisheries investigation, and specifically singles out Sanford and Talley’s as being the two worst offending fisheries in the country. The report claimed that Talley’s alone had under reported by nearly 800 tonnes of fish in 2011. The report also criticised the companies for their practice of grinding some of their fish into fishmeal before counting and weighing them. This is a practice commonly used by companies trying to get rid of fish of an illegal size, since it becomes impossible to size them after they are ground down. It was said that as much as 2000 tonnes of fish were disposed of in this way during the season. A spokesperson for Stuart Nash, the current Fisheries Minister, is denying any knowledge of the report, as it predated his appointment as minister.New Zealand Won’t Be Smokefree by 2025
New Zealand won't hit the 2025 Smokefree goal according to health sector leaders. Māori Public Health chief executive, Lance Norman told a select committee that the five percent target won't be reached. Norman said that 35 percent of Māori smoke along with 25 percent of Pasifika and 12 percent of other ethnicities. Suggestions made at the select committee included making cigarettes illegal by 2025, along with an aggressive supply reduction strategy.National Party Challenges Labour Government’s Kiwibuild Scheme
The National Party have challenged the Labour government over the affordability of their KiwiBuild scheme. The scheme aimed to build over 100,000 new homes, half of which are to be constructed in Auckland. It would allow first time home buyers to purchase their own home at $600,000. That figure has since risen to $650,000, a price that some mortgage brokers say would be crippling for people with less than a six figure combined income. The National party's Judith Collins quizzed Housing Minister, Phil Twyford in parliament yesterday over the rising costs of the scheme. Treasury forecasts halved the early economic impact of the scheme, to $2.5 billion over five years. Twyford criticised the Treasury saying they were disconnected from reality.Kapiti Coast Councillor Has Penis Measured in Sexual Assault Case
A Kāpiti Coast Councillor found guilty of sexual assault believes he has been set up. David Scott was accused of rubbing his genitals against a female staff member in April last year. In the proceedings, Scott argued that he did not rub his genitals against the woman, and it was his wallet or phone. Scott's GP was then asked to measure the length of his penis with a wooden ruler. The female staff member said what she felt was about four or five inches. Scott's wallet was about four and a half inches long. Scott says the accusation was politically motivated, because he opposed council projects and the euthanisation of the council dog Beau. Kāpiti Coast District Council chief executive Wayne Maxwell, says they do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour by anyone in the council.Labour Will Not Commit To Legalising Marijuana
The Prime Minister will not commit to legalising marijuana even if the New Zealand public votes for a non-binding referendum. The referendum is currently in the early days of drafting. At present, politicians are debating to hold the vote in the next general election in 2020. Some politicians do not want the marijuana debate to take over the general election and are arguing for it to be held in 2019. The deal the Labour Party made with the Green Party was that a referendum would held, but the law would not change if the public voted in favour.Possible Sonic Attacks in Guangzhou
US Embassy staff in Guangzhou have reported symptoms consistent with a sonic attack. One staff member experienced "subtle vague and abnormal sensations of sound and pressure". A former Chinese diplomat experienced similar symptoms late last year, and was consequently diagnosed with a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. The symptoms are also said to be similar to those experienced by US and Canadian diplomats in Cuba last year. Sonic attacks are carried out by speakers at a low, sometimes inaudible frequency for prolonged periods causing permanent hearing loss or concussions.Ukrainian President Paid to Meet Trump
Two unnamed sources in Kiev have claimed that Donald Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, received almost half a million dollars in return for organising a meeting between Trump and the Ukrainian president. They say that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko paid Michael Cohen around US$400,000 to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Trump shortly after he was inaugurated. The sources said that it was important to Poroshenko that he spoke to Trump before Vladmir Putin did, and that the payment had been in part to ensure this. US law only allows registered representatives to organise meetings between the White House and foreign dignitaries, meaning that Cohen could face serious legal repercussions if the claims are proven to be true. Cohen is already under investigation for gifting illegal campaign donations to pornstar Stormy Daniels. Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump, has come forward to corroborate the source's claims. Avenatti says that his investigation into Trump showed several suspicious transaction reports had been sent from Trump's bank to the US Treasury. These reports were for suspicious payments received from "Ukrainian Interests".Palestine Joins the Chemical Weapons Convention
Palestine has officially joined the Chemical Weapons Convention, according to a statement by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The organisation is the official UN body in charge of implementing a 1993 convention aimed at the prevention of stockpiling and using chemical weapons. Nearly every state in the world has signed and ratified the convention and only four have not, including Egypt, North Korea, and South Sudan. Israel has signed the treaty but not formally agreed to it.Achieving Climate Change Target Will Save the World $30 Trillion
A new economic analysis shows hitting the toughest climate change target will save the world $30 trillion in damages. The target which was set in the global Paris Agreement, will be more effective than cutting carbon emissions. The research, published by the journal Nature, showed most nations would benefit economically from keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, above pre-industrial levels. The biggest winners would be the Middle East, which are threatened with extreme heat waves beyond the limit of human survival. The research used data from the last 50 years to show with rising temperatures, GDP and other economic measures fall in most countries. This also impacts labour productivity, agricultural output and health.US to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights
Israel wants the Trump administration to recognise its sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is plateau between Israel and Syria, about 1,200 square km. This move will be seen as a follow up on the US exit from the international nuclear deal with Iran, and President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Up until 1967, the Golan Heights were a part of Syria. In 1981, Israel annexed the territory which was not recognised internationally. Russia, Damascus's big power ally, has insisted Syria's territory should be restored. The matter is now under discussion by the US administration and Congress.Hamburg to Ban Diesel Cars
Hamburg will be the first German city to ban diesel cars to improve air quality, impacting 214,000 cars. Nearly 2km of the Stresemannstraße highway will be closed to older diesel trucks. Public transport buses and drivers who live on the affected routes will be exempt from the ban. Hamburg authorities have installed signposts showing alternate routes. However critics of the ban have warned that this will only create higher emission levels in other parts of the city. Hamburg, is one of 80 German cities where nitrogen dioxide levels exceed the European Commission's threshold of 40 microgram per cubic metre. The ban takes place from May 31.Additional reporting: Darashpreet Johal, Daniel Meech and Leah Garcia-Purves
A new report has revealed that some of the country’s biggest fisheries have been under-reporting their hoki catch, sometimes by hundreds of tonnes. The report was leaked from a 2011 Ministry of Fisheries investigation, and specifically singles out Sanford and Talley’s as being the two worst offending fisheries in the country. The report claimed that Talley’s alone had under reported by nearly 800 tonnes of fish in 2011. The report also criticised the companies for their practice of grinding some of their fish into fishmeal before counting and weighing them. This is a practice commonly used by companies trying to get rid of fish of an illegal size, since it becomes impossible to size them after they are ground down. It was said that as much as 2000 tonnes of fish were disposed of in this way during the season. A spokesperson for Stuart Nash, the current Fisheries Minister, is denying any knowledge of the report, as it predated his appointment as minister.
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New Zealand won't hit the 2025 Smokefree goal according to health sector leaders. Māori Public Health chief executive, Lance Norman told a select committee that the five percent target won't be reached. Norman said that 35 percent of Māori smoke along with 25 percent of Pasifika and 12 percent of other ethnicities. Suggestions made at the select committee included making cigarettes illegal by 2025, along with an aggressive supply reduction strategy.National Party Challenges Labour Government’s Kiwibuild Scheme
The National Party have challenged the Labour government over the affordability of their KiwiBuild scheme. The scheme aimed to build over 100,000 new homes, half of which are to be constructed in Auckland. It would allow first time home buyers to purchase their own home at $600,000. That figure has since risen to $650,000, a price that some mortgage brokers say would be crippling for people with less than a six figure combined income. The National party's Judith Collins quizzed Housing Minister, Phil Twyford in parliament yesterday over the rising costs of the scheme. Treasury forecasts halved the early economic impact of the scheme, to $2.5 billion over five years. Twyford criticised the Treasury saying they were disconnected from reality.Kapiti Coast Councillor Has Penis Measured in Sexual Assault Case
A Kāpiti Coast Councillor found guilty of sexual assault believes he has been set up. David Scott was accused of rubbing his genitals against a female staff member in April last year. In the proceedings, Scott argued that he did not rub his genitals against the woman, and it was his wallet or phone. Scott's GP was then asked to measure the length of his penis with a wooden ruler. The female staff member said what she felt was about four or five inches. Scott's wallet was about four and a half inches long. Scott says the accusation was politically motivated, because he opposed council projects and the euthanisation of the council dog Beau. Kāpiti Coast District Council chief executive Wayne Maxwell, says they do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour by anyone in the council.
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The Prime Minister will not commit to legalising marijuana even if the New Zealand public votes for a non-binding referendum. The referendum is currently in the early days of drafting. At present, politicians are debating to hold the vote in the next general election in 2020. Some politicians do not want the marijuana debate to take over the general election and are arguing for it to be held in 2019. The deal the Labour Party made with the Green Party was that a referendum would held, but the law would not change if the public voted in favour.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
US Embassy staff in Guangzhou have reported symptoms consistent with a sonic attack. One staff member experienced "subtle vague and abnormal sensations of sound and pressure". A former Chinese diplomat experienced similar symptoms late last year, and was consequently diagnosed with a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. The symptoms are also said to be similar to those experienced by US and Canadian diplomats in Cuba last year. Sonic attacks are carried out by speakers at a low, sometimes inaudible frequency for prolonged periods causing permanent hearing loss or concussions.Ukrainian President Paid to Meet Trump
Two unnamed sources in Kiev have claimed that Donald Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, received almost half a million dollars in return for organising a meeting between Trump and the Ukrainian president. They say that Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko paid Michael Cohen around US$400,000 to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Trump shortly after he was inaugurated. The sources said that it was important to Poroshenko that he spoke to Trump before Vladmir Putin did, and that the payment had been in part to ensure this. US law only allows registered representatives to organise meetings between the White House and foreign dignitaries, meaning that Cohen could face serious legal repercussions if the claims are proven to be true. Cohen is already under investigation for gifting illegal campaign donations to pornstar Stormy Daniels. Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump, has come forward to corroborate the source's claims. Avenatti says that his investigation into Trump showed several suspicious transaction reports had been sent from Trump's bank to the US Treasury. These reports were for suspicious payments received from "Ukrainian Interests".
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Palestine has officially joined the Chemical Weapons Convention, according to a statement by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The organisation is the official UN body in charge of implementing a 1993 convention aimed at the prevention of stockpiling and using chemical weapons. Nearly every state in the world has signed and ratified the convention and only four have not, including Egypt, North Korea, and South Sudan. Israel has signed the treaty but not formally agreed to it.Achieving Climate Change Target Will Save the World $30 Trillion
A new economic analysis shows hitting the toughest climate change target will save the world $30 trillion in damages. The target which was set in the global Paris Agreement, will be more effective than cutting carbon emissions. The research, published by the journal Nature, showed most nations would benefit economically from keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees celsius, above pre-industrial levels. The biggest winners would be the Middle East, which are threatened with extreme heat waves beyond the limit of human survival. The research used data from the last 50 years to show with rising temperatures, GDP and other economic measures fall in most countries. This also impacts labour productivity, agricultural output and health.US to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over Golan Heights
Israel wants the Trump administration to recognise its sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. The Golan Heights is plateau between Israel and Syria, about 1,200 square km. This move will be seen as a follow up on the US exit from the international nuclear deal with Iran, and President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Up until 1967, the Golan Heights were a part of Syria. In 1981, Israel annexed the territory which was not recognised internationally. Russia, Damascus's big power ally, has insisted Syria's territory should be restored. The matter is now under discussion by the US administration and Congress.Hamburg to Ban Diesel Cars
Hamburg will be the first German city to ban diesel cars to improve air quality, impacting 214,000 cars. Nearly 2km of the Stresemannstraße highway will be closed to older diesel trucks. Public transport buses and drivers who live on the affected routes will be exempt from the ban. Hamburg authorities have installed signposts showing alternate routes. However critics of the ban have warned that this will only create higher emission levels in other parts of the city. Hamburg, is one of 80 German cities where nitrogen dioxide levels exceed the European Commission's threshold of 40 microgram per cubic metre. The ban takes place from May 31.Additional reporting: Darashpreet Johal, Daniel Meech and Leah Garcia-Purves