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Everything you need to know this morning curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.No Pests Could Be Good For Humans As Well As Wildlife
The Predator Free 2050 campaign hopes the extermination of pests in New Zealand will lead to benefits for human health. The campaign hopes to prevent the spread of diseases such as salmonella, toxoplasma, giardia and campylobacter by controlling the rising population of rodents. bFM News talked to public health researcher Mary McIntyre, who attributes the spread of disease to predators such as rats and possums. The extermination of pests will prevent the establishment of new diseases coming from overseas, she says. “While the rat populations are high, those animals are at risk of forming a reservoir in these temporarily dense populations for any diseases that might be transmitted or bought to New Zealand by people who are travelling." In New Zealand, rats carry infections that can spread to humans through contact with animals or contaminated food and water.Bunnings Bans Pesticides That Kill Bees
Bunnings Warehouse stores have banned a pesticide that is thought to harm bees. Overseas studies suggest chemicals called neonicotinoids, can kill bees after they land on or have taken nectar from a sprayed flower. New Zealand stores will stop selling the pesticide by the end of the year, and the move will also apply to stores in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Victoria University professor of ecology and entomology Phil Lester has said the ban will likely have little impact, as many large scale farmers still use the pesticide.New Zealand Soft Drinks Even Sweeter Than We ThinkA study has found soft drinks in New Zealand contain more sugar than elsewhere in the world. The study carried out by the University of Waikato compared serving size and nutritional content of non alcoholic beverages in New Zealand, Canada, the UK and USA. Lead author Lynne Chepulis says the average soda in New Zealand has up to five or six teaspoons of sugar, compared to three or four teaspoons in the United Kingdom. Factors such as the use of sugar tax have helped in the United Kingdom to keep levels down. Chepulis has said “New Zealand is lagging in the sugar tax department, especially as a country with the third highest obesity rate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).”Does Euthanasia Contradict Traditional Māori Values?
Questions are being raised about David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill aligning with Maori values. After being drawn from the ballot last year, the bill passed its first reading in December. However, Reverend Chris Huriwai is questioning Maori MP's on their support of the bill over Twitter. He has said euthanasia could affect traditional practices like tangi. However, Green Party MP, Marama Davidson, said her taha Maori and values helped her decision to back the bill.A Potentially Stressful day for Thousands of New Zealand Teens
NCEA results have been published this morning for thousands of nervous Kiwi teens. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority have uploaded more than 600,000 NCEA results for 168,000 students. The results include those for a controversial level one maths exam that asked the same question twice, worded exactly the same. There is expected to be a review into the New Zealand education system this year, potentially changing the way NCEA examinations take place next year.A Step Back for Journalistic Freedom in the Philippines
The Philippine Government is taking steps to shut down an independent news site that is known to publish overly critical stories of President Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission revoked the registration of Rappler, Claiming Violations of foreign ownership—a move which is being called "an attack on press freedom and democracy". While the SEC is under the President, this is the first time the agency has invoked the closure of a media company. SEC has said Rappler used a "Deceptive Scheme" in running the company. Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, expressed the very political nature of this move. "This is the last part of the kind of harassment journalists have had in the last year or so" she adds. In a press conference, Duterte spokesperson, Harry Roque, denies that the decision was an "attack on press freedom" and cites the issue is about the compliance of 100 percent Filipino ownership and management of media.Norwegian Oil Companies Treading on Thin Ice
Norwegian oil companies have been given the all clear by the Oslo District court to drill on Arctic land despite protests. Greenpeace NZ have described the decision as disappointing, but still see positives in the movement to prevent future oil fracking. bFM News had a chat with Greenpeace Campaigner, Amanda Larsson, who said Norway's lack of action on the environment is dissatisfying. “The oil industry is the most important industry in Norway, it’s got a lot of influence in power over the Norwegian government. The reality is that there is no longer any place for oil and gas given what we know about its effect on climate change.” Larsson is campaigning for organisations and countries to try new methods of energy consumption for a safer environment.35 Dead Following Attack in Baghdad
A double suicide bombing in Tayaran Square in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, has left at least 35 dead. BBC Arab affairs editor, Sebastian Usher, said the attack was designed to maximise casualties with one bomb after another. It is the second attack in the last three days. After Iraq's government reclaimed territory last month, the frequency of attacks has been declining.Turkey Sized Dinosaur Fossil Discovered in Australia
Scientists have identified a new dinosaur, ten years after a volunteer prospector found its fossil in Victoria's south west. The turkey-sized herbivore's bones were discovered in 113-million-year-old rocks and is believed to have lived in the Australian-Antarctic rift valley. Dr Herne of University's School of Biological Sciences says "It's taken quite a while to work out what exactly the skeleton is." The new dinosaur has been named the Diluvicursor Pickeringi after the late Dave Pickering who was the Museum of Victoria's Collection manager for vertebrate palaeontology.Oil Spill in East China
An oil spill from an Iranian tanker in the East China Sea has Chinese ships racing to clean up before severe damage to marine life. The tanker caught fire after a collision while carrying 136,000 tonnes of ultra-light crude oil from Iran. Officials say all its 32 crew members are dead after the Sanchi oil tanker sank on Sunday. The tank left a 120 sq km oil slick, made up of heavy fuel used to power the vessel. This fuel is different to black crude commonly seen in oil spills and is considerably more explosive. BBC's China correspondent, Robin Brant, has said the oil slick has more than doubled in size since Sunday with the main concern being the environmental impact with potentially devastating damage to marine life. The cause of the collision is unknown and the clean up operation is underway.Reporting by Harry Willis, Grace Watson and Ollie Powell.
The Predator Free 2050 campaign hopes the extermination of pests in New Zealand will lead to benefits for human health. The campaign hopes to prevent the spread of diseases such as salmonella, toxoplasma, giardia and campylobacter by controlling the rising population of rodents. bFM News talked to public health researcher Mary McIntyre, who attributes the spread of disease to predators such as rats and possums. The extermination of pests will prevent the establishment of new diseases coming from overseas, she says. “While the rat populations are high, those animals are at risk of forming a reservoir in these temporarily dense populations for any diseases that might be transmitted or bought to New Zealand by people who are travelling." In New Zealand, rats carry infections that can spread to humans through contact with animals or contaminated food and water.
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Bunnings Warehouse stores have banned a pesticide that is thought to harm bees. Overseas studies suggest chemicals called neonicotinoids, can kill bees after they land on or have taken nectar from a sprayed flower. New Zealand stores will stop selling the pesticide by the end of the year, and the move will also apply to stores in Australia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. Victoria University professor of ecology and entomology Phil Lester has said the ban will likely have little impact, as many large scale farmers still use the pesticide.New Zealand Soft Drinks Even Sweeter Than We ThinkA study has found soft drinks in New Zealand contain more sugar than elsewhere in the world. The study carried out by the University of Waikato compared serving size and nutritional content of non alcoholic beverages in New Zealand, Canada, the UK and USA. Lead author Lynne Chepulis says the average soda in New Zealand has up to five or six teaspoons of sugar, compared to three or four teaspoons in the United Kingdom. Factors such as the use of sugar tax have helped in the United Kingdom to keep levels down. Chepulis has said “New Zealand is lagging in the sugar tax department, especially as a country with the third highest obesity rate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).”Does Euthanasia Contradict Traditional Māori Values?
Questions are being raised about David Seymour's End of Life Choice Bill aligning with Maori values. After being drawn from the ballot last year, the bill passed its first reading in December. However, Reverend Chris Huriwai is questioning Maori MP's on their support of the bill over Twitter. He has said euthanasia could affect traditional practices like tangi. However, Green Party MP, Marama Davidson, said her taha Maori and values helped her decision to back the bill.
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NCEA results have been published this morning for thousands of nervous Kiwi teens. The New Zealand Qualifications Authority have uploaded more than 600,000 NCEA results for 168,000 students. The results include those for a controversial level one maths exam that asked the same question twice, worded exactly the same. There is expected to be a review into the New Zealand education system this year, potentially changing the way NCEA examinations take place next year.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Philippine Government is taking steps to shut down an independent news site that is known to publish overly critical stories of President Rodrigo Duterte. The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission revoked the registration of Rappler, Claiming Violations of foreign ownership—a move which is being called "an attack on press freedom and democracy". While the SEC is under the President, this is the first time the agency has invoked the closure of a media company. SEC has said Rappler used a "Deceptive Scheme" in running the company. Maria Ressa, CEO of Rappler, expressed the very political nature of this move. "This is the last part of the kind of harassment journalists have had in the last year or so" she adds. In a press conference, Duterte spokesperson, Harry Roque, denies that the decision was an "attack on press freedom" and cites the issue is about the compliance of 100 percent Filipino ownership and management of media.Norwegian Oil Companies Treading on Thin Ice
Norwegian oil companies have been given the all clear by the Oslo District court to drill on Arctic land despite protests. Greenpeace NZ have described the decision as disappointing, but still see positives in the movement to prevent future oil fracking. bFM News had a chat with Greenpeace Campaigner, Amanda Larsson, who said Norway's lack of action on the environment is dissatisfying. “The oil industry is the most important industry in Norway, it’s got a lot of influence in power over the Norwegian government. The reality is that there is no longer any place for oil and gas given what we know about its effect on climate change.” Larsson is campaigning for organisations and countries to try new methods of energy consumption for a safer environment.35 Dead Following Attack in Baghdad
A double suicide bombing in Tayaran Square in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, has left at least 35 dead. BBC Arab affairs editor, Sebastian Usher, said the attack was designed to maximise casualties with one bomb after another. It is the second attack in the last three days. After Iraq's government reclaimed territory last month, the frequency of attacks has been declining.Turkey Sized Dinosaur Fossil Discovered in Australia
Scientists have identified a new dinosaur, ten years after a volunteer prospector found its fossil in Victoria's south west. The turkey-sized herbivore's bones were discovered in 113-million-year-old rocks and is believed to have lived in the Australian-Antarctic rift valley. Dr Herne of University's School of Biological Sciences says "It's taken quite a while to work out what exactly the skeleton is." The new dinosaur has been named the Diluvicursor Pickeringi after the late Dave Pickering who was the Museum of Victoria's Collection manager for vertebrate palaeontology.Oil Spill in East China
An oil spill from an Iranian tanker in the East China Sea has Chinese ships racing to clean up before severe damage to marine life. The tanker caught fire after a collision while carrying 136,000 tonnes of ultra-light crude oil from Iran. Officials say all its 32 crew members are dead after the Sanchi oil tanker sank on Sunday. The tank left a 120 sq km oil slick, made up of heavy fuel used to power the vessel. This fuel is different to black crude commonly seen in oil spills and is considerably more explosive. BBC's China correspondent, Robin Brant, has said the oil slick has more than doubled in size since Sunday with the main concern being the environmental impact with potentially devastating damage to marine life. The cause of the collision is unknown and the clean up operation is underway.Reporting by Harry Willis, Grace Watson and Ollie Powell.