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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ .Dunedin Rehab Centre Desperate for Funding
A Dunedin rehabilitation centre will run of out of money within the next two months without additional assistance. Dunedin's Moana House rehabilitates criminal offenders with histories of drug and alcohol abuse. Moana House was not been able to secure the funding needed to work past July. The centre currently houses 21 men, despite only being funded for only 17 and has a waiting list of 142.Franz Josef Tourism Booms, But Glacier Threatened
The Franz Josef glacier in the Southern Alps is likely to disappear during the lifespan of those born today. Climate change and warming temperatures has spurred the melt of the glacier, which lost 1.4km of its length in the past decade, the fastest rate of retreat ever recorded at the glacier. It is central to a multi-million dollar tourist industryControversial Fuel Tax Decided Today
Auckland Council will decide today if they will go ahead with regional fuel tax. The controversial plan will see the cost of fuel go up by 11 cents per litre by the end of July, generating $1.5 billion over the next decade. The council needs to vote in approval on how the money will be spent before public consultation goes ahead. Additional government legislation to allow the tax is making its way through parliament now.
National Party Leader Simon Bridges said his party would overturn Auckland's fuel tax should National win the next election. Bridges criticised the government's decision to go ahead with the fuel tax, claiming most Aucklanders didn't want the increase. Talking to the AM Show, Bridges called a fuel tax punishment for Auckland Council and the Government's lack of fiscal discipline. The previous National Government raised the fuel tax six times over the nine year period, by about 3 cents each time.Are Some Pesticides Killing Bees?
The New Zealand Environment Protection Agency will decide whether it will allow the use of pesticides believed to harm bees. A substance found in most insecticides has been shown in some studies to kill bees after they land on the flower. The review comes after the European Union voted a near total ban on the substance. EPA hazardous substance spokesperson said New Zealand used different practices to Europe, with the substance already heavily regulated. Bunnings Warehouse committed to no longer sell products containing the substance by the end of 2018 earlier this year.Fine Arts Students Protest Library Closure
Staff and Students have occupied the University of Auckland Fine Arts Library in protest of its proposed closure. An ongoing protest campaign has been going on since the closure was first proposed in early April. Fine Arts students claim there has been no consultation with them or the wider community on the effects the closure will have. The plan sees three libraries shut down and merged with the general library in order to cut costs. The University of Auckland said the closures are to do with the increasing availability of e-resources and outdatedness of old textbooksKorea Talks Peace
At a historic summit, Northern Korean and Southern Korean leaders announced they would be ending the Korean war and denuclearising their nations. Kim Jung Un was the first North Korean leader to step foot into South Korean territory since 1953 after shaking hands with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In. A South Korean spokesperson has announced that North Korea will close its Nuclear Test site in May. A spokesperson said that Kim Jong Un stated that the Punggye-ri site would be closed in May with foreign experts invited to watch. North Korea has not made public comments confirming or denying the announcement.Huge Funding for Conservation of Great Barrier Reef
The Australian Government has put forward AU$500 million to protect the Great Barrier Reef. A recent increase in coral bleaching damaged two-thirds of the reef that stretches from the northern tip of Queensland to Bunderburg down south. The coral bleaching is caused by rising sea temperatures and worsened by Crown of Thorns starfish that destroy the coral they feed on. Conservationists have welcomed the funding but have suggested that climate change needs to be a government focus. In 2015 the Australian government planned to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 27 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.Commemoration Causes Controversy
A proposed Captain Cook statue has divided public opinion in Australia.The statue to commemorate colonisers landing in 1770 has met opposition from the Aboriginal community. Aboriginal activist Pastor Ray Minniecon says the colonisation of Australia was an "unwanted invasion". The A$50 Million statue is proposed in Botany Bay, Sydney to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour ship landing in Australia.UK, Germany and France Back Iran Nuclear Deal
The leaders of the UK, France and Germany have agreed to move forward with the Iran nuclear deal. Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel decided that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was the best way to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. The leaders also agreed to discuss US President Donald Trump’s concerns about the deal, which he has called “insane”. Trump will make a decision whether to drop the deal in coming weeks.Additional reporting by Jemima Huston, Damian Rowe and Bailley Verry.
LOCAL NEWS
A Dunedin rehabilitation centre will run of out of money within the next two months without additional assistance. Dunedin's Moana House rehabilitates criminal offenders with histories of drug and alcohol abuse. Moana House was not been able to secure the funding needed to work past July. The centre currently houses 21 men, despite only being funded for only 17 and has a waiting list of 142.Franz Josef Tourism Booms, But Glacier Threatened
The Franz Josef glacier in the Southern Alps is likely to disappear during the lifespan of those born today. Climate change and warming temperatures has spurred the melt of the glacier, which lost 1.4km of its length in the past decade, the fastest rate of retreat ever recorded at the glacier. It is central to a multi-million dollar tourist industry
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Auckland Council will decide today if they will go ahead with regional fuel tax. The controversial plan will see the cost of fuel go up by 11 cents per litre by the end of July, generating $1.5 billion over the next decade. The council needs to vote in approval on how the money will be spent before public consultation goes ahead. Additional government legislation to allow the tax is making its way through parliament now.
National Party Leader Simon Bridges said his party would overturn Auckland's fuel tax should National win the next election. Bridges criticised the government's decision to go ahead with the fuel tax, claiming most Aucklanders didn't want the increase. Talking to the AM Show, Bridges called a fuel tax punishment for Auckland Council and the Government's lack of fiscal discipline. The previous National Government raised the fuel tax six times over the nine year period, by about 3 cents each time.Are Some Pesticides Killing Bees?
The New Zealand Environment Protection Agency will decide whether it will allow the use of pesticides believed to harm bees. A substance found in most insecticides has been shown in some studies to kill bees after they land on the flower. The review comes after the European Union voted a near total ban on the substance. EPA hazardous substance spokesperson said New Zealand used different practices to Europe, with the substance already heavily regulated. Bunnings Warehouse committed to no longer sell products containing the substance by the end of 2018 earlier this year.
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Staff and Students have occupied the University of Auckland Fine Arts Library in protest of its proposed closure. An ongoing protest campaign has been going on since the closure was first proposed in early April. Fine Arts students claim there has been no consultation with them or the wider community on the effects the closure will have. The plan sees three libraries shut down and merged with the general library in order to cut costs. The University of Auckland said the closures are to do with the increasing availability of e-resources and outdatedness of old textbooks
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
At a historic summit, Northern Korean and Southern Korean leaders announced they would be ending the Korean war and denuclearising their nations. Kim Jung Un was the first North Korean leader to step foot into South Korean territory since 1953 after shaking hands with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In. A South Korean spokesperson has announced that North Korea will close its Nuclear Test site in May. A spokesperson said that Kim Jong Un stated that the Punggye-ri site would be closed in May with foreign experts invited to watch. North Korea has not made public comments confirming or denying the announcement.Huge Funding for Conservation of Great Barrier Reef
The Australian Government has put forward AU$500 million to protect the Great Barrier Reef. A recent increase in coral bleaching damaged two-thirds of the reef that stretches from the northern tip of Queensland to Bunderburg down south. The coral bleaching is caused by rising sea temperatures and worsened by Crown of Thorns starfish that destroy the coral they feed on. Conservationists have welcomed the funding but have suggested that climate change needs to be a government focus. In 2015 the Australian government planned to cut greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 27 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.Commemoration Causes Controversy
A proposed Captain Cook statue has divided public opinion in Australia.The statue to commemorate colonisers landing in 1770 has met opposition from the Aboriginal community. Aboriginal activist Pastor Ray Minniecon says the colonisation of Australia was an "unwanted invasion". The A$50 Million statue is proposed in Botany Bay, Sydney to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Endeavour ship landing in Australia.UK, Germany and France Back Iran Nuclear Deal
The leaders of the UK, France and Germany have agreed to move forward with the Iran nuclear deal. Theresa May, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel decided that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was the best way to stop Iran developing nuclear weapons. The leaders also agreed to discuss US President Donald Trump’s concerns about the deal, which he has called “insane”. Trump will make a decision whether to drop the deal in coming weeks.Additional reporting by Jemima Huston, Damian Rowe and Bailley Verry.