Image via Greenpeace
Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by bFM and VICE NZ.Greenpeace Protesters Get Court Date
Greenpeace's New Zealand executive director will face trial next April under the Anadarko Amendment, a 2013 change to the Crown Minerals Act which introduced new limits to protests at sea. Dr Russel Norman, along with Sara Howell, are charged with protesting offshore seismic oil testing by entering the water to protest exploration ship The Amazon Warrior. The Former Greens party co-leader said the law neglects the coastal environment and protects oil interests. Norman spoke with bFM News and said "What the government wanted to do was to essentially criminalise people trying to stabilise the climate in order to protect oil companies trying to destabilise the climate so it's a completely insane law that does the exact opposite of what we need to do if we want to save ourselves from catastrophic climate change." Norman added the law represents a limiting of legitimate protest. They believe what they did was unlawful, "we are pleading not guilty, yes we did get in the water in front of that ship, but we were doing it for the greater good in order to protect humanity because those ships are trying to accelerate catastrophic climate change." Norman believes it is unlikely they will be punished to the full extent of the law.Government Needs to Step up On Homelessness, Says Lifewise
Advocacy group Lifewise is saying political parties should do more to end homelessness. As part of world homeless day next Tuesday, the group will hold events in Rotorua and Auckland. Housing Coordinator Donna Jean Tairi said political parties need to do more than just talk. Tairi spoke with bFM News and said "it was cool that every political party showed interest and said that they have policies to address homelessness but hey, look, it comes down to action." Tairi adds that the most important issue is to build more houses.Tributes for Iwi Leader Lewis Moeau
Iwi leader kaumatua Lewis Moeau died yesterday at the age of 79. Moeau was a Companion of the Queens service order and started the Department of Māori Affairs. He was also kaumātua for the New Zealand Governor General and cultural advisor to John Key. Minister for Māori Development Te Ururoa Flavell says first and foremost he was a man of his people and New Zealand had lost a tōhunga and dedicated servant.Teachers Prepare for Pay Rise Fight
The Educational Institute told primary school teachers to prepare for the industrial battle of their lives. Members of the Post Primary Teachers Association have been urged to demand for an immediate 5 percent pay rise. There has been talk of strikes among teachers, though the unions have a long way to go in beginning negotiations with the Education Ministry. The last time teachers were on strike was in 2010, when secondary school teachers fought for a 4 percent pay rise. They ended up accepting a 1.6 percent increase for two years after the Christchurch earthquake allegedly made their demands untenable.Christchurch CTV Building Charges Imminent
The police have announced that the decision of whether to lay charges over the collapse of Christchurch's CTV building is near. The office block collapsed during the February 2011 earthquake and left 115 people dead. Major faults with the buildings design were found by an earthquakes royal commission. Detective Superintendent Peter Read says police will now weigh up legal advice before making a final decision and adds they continue to be very appreciative of the patience of the victims families. The decision of whether to lay charges has been delayed multiple times.Indian Farmers Bury Themselves in Protest
Hundreds of farmers in India have buried themselves in pits as a protest against government acquisition of their land. The Farmers have been holding the protest for 18 days Near Jaipur in Rajasthan. The leader of the protest, Nagender Shekhawat, told Al Jazeera that "nearly 5,000 families, including farmers, are going to be affected by the acquisition". He added that the farmers do not want to give up their land as they use it for agriculture and animals and the Government wants to destroy their source of income. According to the Indian Express, The protesters are against the acquisition of 540 acres of land for a housing project and They say the compensation that is offered is not enough.Vanuatu Refugee State Unclear
Thousands of people have been evacuated from Ambae, but the details of their current state is unclear. The Vanuatu island, Ambae is currently in a state of emergency following the threat of volcanic eruption. At least 3,000 people have been relocated to the safety of two outer islands; Pentecost and Maewo for almost a week now. The Vanuatu National Disaster Management office's Noel Stevens said the situation on the two islands is still unclear. Stevens adds "there is a plan to deploy some people to go to Maewo and Pentecost to assess their situation and report back."Spanish Court Bans Session on Catalan Independence
The Spanish Constitutional Court has suspended the regional Catalan parliament's session on Monday, where the results from the recent independence referendum were due to be discussed. The Catalan government has yet to react, but is understood to be meeting to discuss its response to the Court's ban. It has previously ignored the constitutional court's rulings, including its order to suspend the referendum itself. Hundreds of people were injured during the referendum as the Spanish Police tried to stop it from happening. They raided polling stations, beating voters and firing rubber bullets at crowds.Shrine Attacked in Pakistan
A Shrine in Pakistan's Islamabad has been attacked by a suicide bomber leaving at least 18 people dead. A local police officer said the attacker was intercepted at the shrines main entrance, and detonated some steps away from the gate. The same shrine was previously attacked in 2005, which left 35 people dead. No one has yet claimed responsibility for this attack.Farm Animals Should Be Feeding on Algae and Insects, Says WWF
The World Wildlife fund has said the development of alternatives to farmed animal feed is needed to stop biodiversity loss. According to environmental campaigners, farm animals could be fed on algae and insects to potentially help prevent water and energy waste as well as reduce deforestation. A WWF Report found that growing and capturing feed for farm animals is an inefficient use of the world's resources. Although algae and insects are significantly more effective to capture and cultivate, the current feed for farm animals is far more nutritional.Reporting byReuben McLaren, Ollie Powell and Lillian Hanly
LOCAL NEWS
Greenpeace's New Zealand executive director will face trial next April under the Anadarko Amendment, a 2013 change to the Crown Minerals Act which introduced new limits to protests at sea. Dr Russel Norman, along with Sara Howell, are charged with protesting offshore seismic oil testing by entering the water to protest exploration ship The Amazon Warrior. The Former Greens party co-leader said the law neglects the coastal environment and protects oil interests. Norman spoke with bFM News and said "What the government wanted to do was to essentially criminalise people trying to stabilise the climate in order to protect oil companies trying to destabilise the climate so it's a completely insane law that does the exact opposite of what we need to do if we want to save ourselves from catastrophic climate change." Norman added the law represents a limiting of legitimate protest. They believe what they did was unlawful, "we are pleading not guilty, yes we did get in the water in front of that ship, but we were doing it for the greater good in order to protect humanity because those ships are trying to accelerate catastrophic climate change." Norman believes it is unlikely they will be punished to the full extent of the law.Government Needs to Step up On Homelessness, Says Lifewise
Advocacy group Lifewise is saying political parties should do more to end homelessness. As part of world homeless day next Tuesday, the group will hold events in Rotorua and Auckland. Housing Coordinator Donna Jean Tairi said political parties need to do more than just talk. Tairi spoke with bFM News and said "it was cool that every political party showed interest and said that they have policies to address homelessness but hey, look, it comes down to action." Tairi adds that the most important issue is to build more houses.
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Iwi leader kaumatua Lewis Moeau died yesterday at the age of 79. Moeau was a Companion of the Queens service order and started the Department of Māori Affairs. He was also kaumātua for the New Zealand Governor General and cultural advisor to John Key. Minister for Māori Development Te Ururoa Flavell says first and foremost he was a man of his people and New Zealand had lost a tōhunga and dedicated servant.Teachers Prepare for Pay Rise Fight
The Educational Institute told primary school teachers to prepare for the industrial battle of their lives. Members of the Post Primary Teachers Association have been urged to demand for an immediate 5 percent pay rise. There has been talk of strikes among teachers, though the unions have a long way to go in beginning negotiations with the Education Ministry. The last time teachers were on strike was in 2010, when secondary school teachers fought for a 4 percent pay rise. They ended up accepting a 1.6 percent increase for two years after the Christchurch earthquake allegedly made their demands untenable.Christchurch CTV Building Charges Imminent
The police have announced that the decision of whether to lay charges over the collapse of Christchurch's CTV building is near. The office block collapsed during the February 2011 earthquake and left 115 people dead. Major faults with the buildings design were found by an earthquakes royal commission. Detective Superintendent Peter Read says police will now weigh up legal advice before making a final decision and adds they continue to be very appreciative of the patience of the victims families. The decision of whether to lay charges has been delayed multiple times.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Hundreds of farmers in India have buried themselves in pits as a protest against government acquisition of their land. The Farmers have been holding the protest for 18 days Near Jaipur in Rajasthan. The leader of the protest, Nagender Shekhawat, told Al Jazeera that "nearly 5,000 families, including farmers, are going to be affected by the acquisition". He added that the farmers do not want to give up their land as they use it for agriculture and animals and the Government wants to destroy their source of income. According to the Indian Express, The protesters are against the acquisition of 540 acres of land for a housing project and They say the compensation that is offered is not enough.Vanuatu Refugee State Unclear
Thousands of people have been evacuated from Ambae, but the details of their current state is unclear. The Vanuatu island, Ambae is currently in a state of emergency following the threat of volcanic eruption. At least 3,000 people have been relocated to the safety of two outer islands; Pentecost and Maewo for almost a week now. The Vanuatu National Disaster Management office's Noel Stevens said the situation on the two islands is still unclear. Stevens adds "there is a plan to deploy some people to go to Maewo and Pentecost to assess their situation and report back."Spanish Court Bans Session on Catalan Independence
The Spanish Constitutional Court has suspended the regional Catalan parliament's session on Monday, where the results from the recent independence referendum were due to be discussed. The Catalan government has yet to react, but is understood to be meeting to discuss its response to the Court's ban. It has previously ignored the constitutional court's rulings, including its order to suspend the referendum itself. Hundreds of people were injured during the referendum as the Spanish Police tried to stop it from happening. They raided polling stations, beating voters and firing rubber bullets at crowds.Shrine Attacked in Pakistan
A Shrine in Pakistan's Islamabad has been attacked by a suicide bomber leaving at least 18 people dead. A local police officer said the attacker was intercepted at the shrines main entrance, and detonated some steps away from the gate. The same shrine was previously attacked in 2005, which left 35 people dead. No one has yet claimed responsibility for this attack.Farm Animals Should Be Feeding on Algae and Insects, Says WWF
The World Wildlife fund has said the development of alternatives to farmed animal feed is needed to stop biodiversity loss. According to environmental campaigners, farm animals could be fed on algae and insects to potentially help prevent water and energy waste as well as reduce deforestation. A WWF Report found that growing and capturing feed for farm animals is an inefficient use of the world's resources. Although algae and insects are significantly more effective to capture and cultivate, the current feed for farm animals is far more nutritional.Reporting byReuben McLaren, Ollie Powell and Lillian Hanly