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News of Zealand

News of Zealand: Wellington to Become a Bilingual City

Plus Christchurch weighs up chlorinated water alternatives and sea ice melting in Antarctica.
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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ .

LOCAL NEWS

Wellington/Pōneke Becomes Bilingual
Wellington has adopted a Te Reo policy to become a bilingual city by 2040. The Te Tauihu policy was voted in unanimously by the council and will result in the implementation of Te Reo around the Wellington area. The council has voted in favour of bilingual signs, renaming and dual naming of places, as well as celebrating Māori New Year Matariki instead of Guy Fawkes. Mayor Justin Lester celebrated the launch with a bilingual speech. Local iwi have supported the move, having granted the name Te Ngākau (the heart) for the Civic Square. Lester adds Te Tauihu is an acknowledgment of the mana of Māori culture and values.

New Study Shows Antarctic Sea Ice Shelves Melting Faster
A recent international study shows the drastic impact of ocean swells on Antarctic ice shelves. Typically, sea ice protects the shelves from the Southern Ocean's swells. Climate change induced melting of protective sea ice causing the shelves to be exposed. University of Otago Professor, Vernon Squire, say the disintegration of the shelves changes the nature of the ocean. Squire told 95bfm “When you release an ice shelf you are releasing a lot of fresh water, so the salinity of the ocean will change and that will affect the local ecology. It does change the nature of the ocean.” Squire adds the currents and thermal properties will also experience changes.

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Christchurch Considers Chlorinated Water Situation
Christchurch City Council are weighing their options on how to solve their water chlorination issue. The council started adding chlorine to their water supply in March after concerns were raised by the Havelock North contamination crisis. The crisis revealed that city wells were at risk of contamination during flooding and chlorination was the best immediate solution. The Council’s programme manager of water supply says the council wants to rely heavily on above ground pump stations to secure the supply, although it could be timely, taking up to 12 months. The council approved $21m in April to convert wellheads from underground to overground, although that price could increase by $19m for more wells that were not covered in a report. Strategy expert Helen Beaumont says ultra-violet radiation and ozone treatment are also being considered.

New Zealand First Leader Backs Shane Jones’ Attacks on Fonterra
Winston Peters has joined fellow NZ First MP in attacking Fonterra. Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones criticised Fonterra’s recent losses, calling for a restructuring. Soon to be acting Prime Minister, Winston Peters stands by Jones's comments, and says they were made in a "professional capacity". Jones claims his statements were made as personal opinion, meaning he will not be facing consequences from Ardern. He had previously been disciplined for slamming Air New Zealand in March.

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Prisoners Planting to Celebrate Matariki
Auckland prisoners helped supply 35,000 trees that will be planted this morning to celebrate the start of Matariki. The event coincides with the Mayors' million trees program and enlisted the help of the Department of Corrections to cultivate native seedlings. David Grear, Manager of Industries at Auckland Prison told 95bfm there are two nurseries at the prison in Paremoremo where native seedlings are cultivated, and offenders being managed in the community help with the planting. “They [the prisoners] love it because it gives them an opportunity to learn new skills,” Grear said. “Some have gone out and got jobs in the horticulture industry.” Corrections have contributed 120,000 native plants and trees to the project this season, and 52,000 have been made available to be planted from July onwards.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US Anti-Narcotic Efforts in Afghanistan Called a Failure
Opium production in Afghanistan hit a record high last year despite almost two decades of American counter-narcotic intervention in the country. Since its invasion in 2001, the US has spent $8.6b in Afghanistan on efforts to diminish poppy cultivation. In 2017, opium production in Afghanistan was 64 percent higher than in 2016 and the highest amount counted since 2002. Last years production was enough to produce 900 tons of export quality heroin. A US-government watchdog has called the counternarcotics a failure, as Afghanistan still remains the largest producer of opium worldwide. Money from the sale of the plant goes toward supporting insurgent Taliban forces in Afghanistan.

Trump Foundation Sued by New York state
New York's Attorney General has announced the state will sue the Trump Foundation for extensive lawbreaking. The President and his children Ivanka, Donald Jr and Eric are also being targeted in a suit that aims to dissolve the entire foundation. The Attorney General Barbara Underwood says Trump illegally instructed the foundation to provide support to his presidential campaign by using the foundation's funds for promotion. The suit is the culmination of a two-year investigation and will prevent Trump and his children from serving on the boards of any New York-based charities.

Climate Goals Expected to be Exceeded by 2040
The UN says the climate change goal set in Paris will be exceeded by 2040. According to the report, the strict target ceiling of a temperature increase of 1.5℃ will be reached by around 2040. With a 1.5℃ increase, sea levels would rise about ten centimeters. This goal, along with a more lenient 2℃ increase was set in the Paris Agreement of 2015. The agreement was signed by nearly 200 countries but suffered when Trump withdrew to focus on US fossil fuels. The report encourages drastic shifts towards renewable energy to avoid the 1.5℃ increase, as well as governmental action to decrease carbon levels in the air.

Humans Provoking Nocturnal Behaviour from Mammals
A new study published in the journal Science has concluded that mammals are becoming more nocturnal in response to human disturbance. The study, which looked at 62 species worldwide, found that when humans were nearby, mammals spent less time being active during the day. Animals do not seem to distinguish between whether humans are a direct threat or not, but may be equally influenced by noise or light pollution and food availability. The findings parallel a discovery made earlier this year that mammals only made a switch to daytime activity after the dinosaurs went extinct.

UNSC calls Emergency Meeting Over Yemen
The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency session today over an imminent humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The session has been called as a Saudi-led military assault on the coastal city of Hudaida stretches into its second day. The air and ground offensive is the biggest battle yet in the three-year war between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates coalition. The Hudaida port serves as the entry point for 70 percent of imports into Yemen. The UN had been trying to avoid the attack due to worries it would further prevent access to food, water and medicine to a country already on the brink of famine.

Additional reporting by Harry Willistt, Angus Coker Grant and Ella Christensen