Everything you need to know today curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Parsley Costs Dunedin Woman Her Job
A cafe worker has sought justice after being fired for 'incorrect' chopping of parsley. Karen Smith was confronted by her boss at the police cafe in Dunedin and promptly dismissed the following day after a case of incorrect herb cutting. Her employer, McCreanor, cites allegations of serious misconduct and deliberate disregard of health and safety in a letter of dismissal he sent to Smith. The court found Smith had a valid personal grievance against her employer and awarded her nearly $10,000 for loss of wage, including compensation for humiliation and loss of dignityForgotten Battle of Ruapekapeka Burial Site Revealed
After more than 170 years, the lost mass grave of 12 British soldiers from Aotearoa's first major battlefield has been discovered in Northland. The soldiers died during the Battle of Ruapekapeka on 11 January 1846, during the attack on Ruapekapeka Pa near Kawakawa. Archaeologist Jono Carpenter has spent years researching the location of the graves and the identities of the men and says the discovery is internationally significant. Members from local iwi Ngāpuhi were present during the excavation, along with Hare Paraha, a descendant of one of the battle chiefs.Recommendation for Child Killings Register Challenged
Coroner Wallace Bain has recommended a register to monitor all children in light of two recent brutal killings of New Zealand children. The suggested register would monitor children's involvement in social services and their safety. Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft will not support the coroner's suggestion and states that these incidents should be avoided through strengthening agencies such as Well Child Tamariki Ora. 95bFM spoke to Becroft who says it is best to explore alternatives. “I’m not saying [Bain’s] idea is the wrong one wrong I’m just saying that for the moment we need to be careful to avoid reinventing the wheel and there are existing options open to us with existing initiatives that we could develop better in the first instance,” Becroft said. 94 children have died since the killing of Nia Glassie ten years ago. Coroner Wallace Bain is recommending a children's register in light of his investigation on the killing of three-year-old Moko Rangitoheriri. The register would monitor all New Zealand children to track their involvement with social services and general vulnerability. Becroft believes more investment in government and community agencies would help to resolve the issue.Chocolate Factory Workers Last Day
The Dunedin Cadbury factory will farewell the first large batch of workers today. Approximately 160 seasonal workers who work from May to December are leaving, with 80 permanent staff due to have their last day next Friday. When the factory closes next March, 200 additional employees will lose their jobs. Site Manager Judith Mair says seasonal workers are not entitled to redundancy compensation but will receive a final payment.Is There a Flaw in Labour's Financial Plans?
The National Party has used the opening of the government books as evidence that Labour has a sizeable fiscal hole. National Party finance spokesperson Steven Joyce says it’s clear how tight finances will be for the new government during the next few years. Where as Labour has said the government books show they can live up to their coalition and election promises. Last night Parliament went into urgency to get the government's $5.5 billion families package. Steven Joyce adds that they are arguing over very small stuff, like $350,000 forKids Can, because the budget is so stretched.Rohingya Deaths by Myanmar Estimates at 7,000, But Could be Higher
According to new findings by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), nearly 7,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed in Myanmar since the crackdown that began in early August. This contradicts Mynamar officials claim that the death toll is 400. Dr Sidney Wong, medical doctor for MSF said, "The number of deaths are likely to be an underestimation, as we have not surveyed all refugee settlements in Bangladesh." This follows a deal between Myanmar and Bangladesh for the return of Rohingya refugees back to Rakhine, a deal that has been heavily criticised worldwide. Myanmar maintains the reports of mass murder and rape are fabrications.The Death of the Free Internet?
The United States Federal Communications Commission has voted today to repeal Net Neutrality protections. The rules were imposed two years ago under the Obama Administration to prevent Internet providers from selectively throttling or blocking internet traffic. They also prevented ISPs from charging for access to particular content and so-called 'fast lanes'. Many opponents to Net-neutrality repeal argue that ISPs will prioritise their own content over their competitors. This comes after reports of millions of fake anti-net neutrality submissions to the FCC and accusations that the administration ignored millions of pro-net neutrality comments.Syrian Peace Talks Not Looking Good
After the eighth round of failed peace talks, Bashar Al Jaafari says, the chief negotiator of Syria has pointed to Saudi Arabia and the United Nations as the cause of failed attempts to end the country's civil war that has waged since 2011. Bashar al-Jaafari has said the Syrian opposition, who is supported by Saudi Arabia, has set the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a requirement for discussions. This dashes hopes of progress as there will be "no direct talks" between the opposition and Assad government, says Al-Jaafari. Al-Jaafari also criticised Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special envoy for Syria, for saying Russian President Vladimir Putin should convince President al-Assad to hold new elections, thereby compromising his neutral position as mediator in the talks.Denmark Opens a New Use for Cryptocurrencies
Denmark has looked into using blockchain technology for humanitarian aid donation purposes. This may be set to become the first country to use cryptocurrencies for transferring funds to struggling countries. Blockchain is a system that allows faster and safer money transactions which can allow funds to be placed into projects for development aid in third world countries. Marianna Haahr of Sustainia says "crypto and crisis is a perfect match, aid organisations will undeniably be able to respond more quickly using blockchain based digital money". Some countries like India are experimenting with blockchain to fight corruption when distributing land rights.Reporting by Reuben McLaren, Ollie Powell and Jean Bell.
LOCAL NEWS
A cafe worker has sought justice after being fired for 'incorrect' chopping of parsley. Karen Smith was confronted by her boss at the police cafe in Dunedin and promptly dismissed the following day after a case of incorrect herb cutting. Her employer, McCreanor, cites allegations of serious misconduct and deliberate disregard of health and safety in a letter of dismissal he sent to Smith. The court found Smith had a valid personal grievance against her employer and awarded her nearly $10,000 for loss of wage, including compensation for humiliation and loss of dignityForgotten Battle of Ruapekapeka Burial Site Revealed
After more than 170 years, the lost mass grave of 12 British soldiers from Aotearoa's first major battlefield has been discovered in Northland. The soldiers died during the Battle of Ruapekapeka on 11 January 1846, during the attack on Ruapekapeka Pa near Kawakawa. Archaeologist Jono Carpenter has spent years researching the location of the graves and the identities of the men and says the discovery is internationally significant. Members from local iwi Ngāpuhi were present during the excavation, along with Hare Paraha, a descendant of one of the battle chiefs.
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Coroner Wallace Bain has recommended a register to monitor all children in light of two recent brutal killings of New Zealand children. The suggested register would monitor children's involvement in social services and their safety. Children's Commissioner Andrew Becroft will not support the coroner's suggestion and states that these incidents should be avoided through strengthening agencies such as Well Child Tamariki Ora. 95bFM spoke to Becroft who says it is best to explore alternatives. “I’m not saying [Bain’s] idea is the wrong one wrong I’m just saying that for the moment we need to be careful to avoid reinventing the wheel and there are existing options open to us with existing initiatives that we could develop better in the first instance,” Becroft said. 94 children have died since the killing of Nia Glassie ten years ago. Coroner Wallace Bain is recommending a children's register in light of his investigation on the killing of three-year-old Moko Rangitoheriri. The register would monitor all New Zealand children to track their involvement with social services and general vulnerability. Becroft believes more investment in government and community agencies would help to resolve the issue.Chocolate Factory Workers Last Day
The Dunedin Cadbury factory will farewell the first large batch of workers today. Approximately 160 seasonal workers who work from May to December are leaving, with 80 permanent staff due to have their last day next Friday. When the factory closes next March, 200 additional employees will lose their jobs. Site Manager Judith Mair says seasonal workers are not entitled to redundancy compensation but will receive a final payment.
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The National Party has used the opening of the government books as evidence that Labour has a sizeable fiscal hole. National Party finance spokesperson Steven Joyce says it’s clear how tight finances will be for the new government during the next few years. Where as Labour has said the government books show they can live up to their coalition and election promises. Last night Parliament went into urgency to get the government's $5.5 billion families package. Steven Joyce adds that they are arguing over very small stuff, like $350,000 forKids Can, because the budget is so stretched.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
According to new findings by Doctors Without Borders (MSF), nearly 7,000 Rohingya Muslims have been killed in Myanmar since the crackdown that began in early August. This contradicts Mynamar officials claim that the death toll is 400. Dr Sidney Wong, medical doctor for MSF said, "The number of deaths are likely to be an underestimation, as we have not surveyed all refugee settlements in Bangladesh." This follows a deal between Myanmar and Bangladesh for the return of Rohingya refugees back to Rakhine, a deal that has been heavily criticised worldwide. Myanmar maintains the reports of mass murder and rape are fabrications.The Death of the Free Internet?
The United States Federal Communications Commission has voted today to repeal Net Neutrality protections. The rules were imposed two years ago under the Obama Administration to prevent Internet providers from selectively throttling or blocking internet traffic. They also prevented ISPs from charging for access to particular content and so-called 'fast lanes'. Many opponents to Net-neutrality repeal argue that ISPs will prioritise their own content over their competitors. This comes after reports of millions of fake anti-net neutrality submissions to the FCC and accusations that the administration ignored millions of pro-net neutrality comments.Syrian Peace Talks Not Looking Good
After the eighth round of failed peace talks, Bashar Al Jaafari says, the chief negotiator of Syria has pointed to Saudi Arabia and the United Nations as the cause of failed attempts to end the country's civil war that has waged since 2011. Bashar al-Jaafari has said the Syrian opposition, who is supported by Saudi Arabia, has set the removal of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a requirement for discussions. This dashes hopes of progress as there will be "no direct talks" between the opposition and Assad government, says Al-Jaafari. Al-Jaafari also criticised Staffan de Mistura, the UN Special envoy for Syria, for saying Russian President Vladimir Putin should convince President al-Assad to hold new elections, thereby compromising his neutral position as mediator in the talks.Denmark Opens a New Use for Cryptocurrencies
Denmark has looked into using blockchain technology for humanitarian aid donation purposes. This may be set to become the first country to use cryptocurrencies for transferring funds to struggling countries. Blockchain is a system that allows faster and safer money transactions which can allow funds to be placed into projects for development aid in third world countries. Marianna Haahr of Sustainia says "crypto and crisis is a perfect match, aid organisations will undeniably be able to respond more quickly using blockchain based digital money". Some countries like India are experimenting with blockchain to fight corruption when distributing land rights.Reporting by Reuben McLaren, Ollie Powell and Jean Bell.