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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.There's Something in the Water
The council is urging Aucklanders to avoid hitting the beach for the next day or two, after it was found that more than 60 of Auckland's beaches may be contaminated by sewage. 'Red Flags' were placed over popular destinations including Mission Bay, Milord Beach and Mairangi Bay, after three days of continual rain caused sewage to work its way into storm water drains, which in turn made their way out to the sea. This week marks the third time Milford Beach has been flagged since December. In response to growing calls for sewage reform, Mayor Phil Goff has proposed a 10-year plan, which will involve spending $7 billion on Auckland's water system.Afghanistan Claims Investigated
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is asking the attorney general to look into claims made in the book Hit & Run. Authored by Jon Stephenson and Nicky Hager, the book alleges that 15 civilians were killed and six injured during a raid by the NZ defence force in Afghanistan in 2010. The previous National government blocked any independent inquiry, claiming that there was no evidence of war crimes. The United Nations has asked the government for more information relating to the raids.Executive Pay Rises to be Checked
A government-backed bill aimed at reigning in pay increases for executives of Crown Entities is set to enter Parliament this week. The move comes after Adrian Orr, chief of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, saw his pay rise from $831,00 to $1 million last year. Prime Minister Ardern says the bill is intended to make the remuneration process more accountable and transparent. In turn, she believes, this will increase the public's confidence in Crown owned entities. The bill, if passed, will mean that the consent of the State Service Commissioner must be gained before a Crown Entity hires or rewards any executive.CPTTP Under Fire Again
Professor Jane Kelsey says the government has gone back on its opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now labeled the Comprehensive and Progressive TPP, supporters argue the new deal has sufficient protections. Professor Kelsey told 95bFM she disagrees: “The government has been suggesting that the agreement New Zealand First and Labour and the Greens all oppose is changed sufficiently and we will be explaining the reasons why that's not true.” Kelsey said the nature of these deals means they inevitably benefit multinational corporations.Cyclone Gita Upgraded to Category 5
Met Service Fiji has announced that Cyclone Gita is on its way to being upgraded to a category five storm, the highest possible category for a cyclone. Graham Kenna from Tonga's National Emergency Services Office said that there are New Zealand and Australian emergency supplies on standby. He added that there is a lot of damage and debris in Tonga's capital city, Nuku'alofa. While the emergency services are receiving hundreds of calls for help, so far it has been too dangerous for anyone to go out into the cyclone.Oxfam Deputy Resigns Amid Controversy
Deputy Chief Executive of Oxfam, Penny Lawrence, has resigned due to further discoveries in the use of sex workers by one of its staff. It was uncovered that Oxfam was aware of Roland van Hauwermeiren’s use of sex workers when he was promoted to a senior position in Haiti. Penny Lawrence admits to knowing about the misconduct of Mr van Hauwermeiren but denies there was a cover up. Lawrence adds that she is "ashamed" and takes full responsibility. Oxfam is now meeting with the International Development Secretary to prevent its 34 million pounds of UK government funding from being cut.Facebook Privacy Settings Breach German Law
A regional court in Berlin has found that Facebook's default privacy settings and use of personal data are against German consumer law. It was stated that Facebook failed to inform users of their privacy and data policies, and does not meet the legal requirement for informed consent. In particular, the court noted that the smartphone version of Facebook automatically broadcasts users' location and personal data to advertising companies, despite giving no official notice that it does so. The decision was passed in mid-January, but has only been made available to the public as of yesterday. Since the ruling, Facebook has promised to overhaul its privacy settings in an effort to make them more transparent.Bitcoin Laundering Rife
Europol says that there is currently between $6-$8 billion being laundered through cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin by criminals. Europol’s director Rob Wainwright, says the rate of growth is concerning. Bitcoin is not regulated by any central authority, but by many anonymous computers worldwide. This makes it and other cryptocurrencies attractive to criminals as transactions are extremely difficult to track. Furthermore, private accounts, or ‘wallets’, cannot be frozen and are hard to identify by governments or banks. Wainwright adds that this makes it very difficult for police to track crime through online currencies, and those who run Bitcoin need to aid police in tracing crime that uses their currency.Israel, Iran and Syria Clash
Iran, Israel and Syria have all found themselves embroiled in an ongoing war of tit-for-tat attacks, after the Israeli-Syrian border saw a surge in conflict. The attacks began on Saturday, when Israel shot down an unmanned aerial drone in its airspace, which it claimed was Iranian. Syria claimed that the drones were being used by ISIS fighters, but Israel's chief military spokesperson said they held Iran directly accountable for the intrusion. Israel then bombed a target near Syria's capital city, Damascus, which it claimed was an Iranian military base. In response, Syria brought down an Israeli jet-fighter in a barrage of anti-air missiles. The conflict marks the first time that Syria and Israel have officially clashed since the Six Day War of 1967, despite claims by Syria that Israel has been involved in similar incidents in the past. The surge in fighting also points to the growing divide between Israel and Iran, which continue to butt heads over Iran's ongoing support for the Hezbollah.Additional reporting: Reuben McLaren, Grace Watson, Daniel Meech
LOCAL NEWS
The council is urging Aucklanders to avoid hitting the beach for the next day or two, after it was found that more than 60 of Auckland's beaches may be contaminated by sewage. 'Red Flags' were placed over popular destinations including Mission Bay, Milord Beach and Mairangi Bay, after three days of continual rain caused sewage to work its way into storm water drains, which in turn made their way out to the sea. This week marks the third time Milford Beach has been flagged since December. In response to growing calls for sewage reform, Mayor Phil Goff has proposed a 10-year plan, which will involve spending $7 billion on Auckland's water system.Afghanistan Claims Investigated
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is asking the attorney general to look into claims made in the book Hit & Run. Authored by Jon Stephenson and Nicky Hager, the book alleges that 15 civilians were killed and six injured during a raid by the NZ defence force in Afghanistan in 2010. The previous National government blocked any independent inquiry, claiming that there was no evidence of war crimes. The United Nations has asked the government for more information relating to the raids.
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A government-backed bill aimed at reigning in pay increases for executives of Crown Entities is set to enter Parliament this week. The move comes after Adrian Orr, chief of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, saw his pay rise from $831,00 to $1 million last year. Prime Minister Ardern says the bill is intended to make the remuneration process more accountable and transparent. In turn, she believes, this will increase the public's confidence in Crown owned entities. The bill, if passed, will mean that the consent of the State Service Commissioner must be gained before a Crown Entity hires or rewards any executive.CPTTP Under Fire Again
Professor Jane Kelsey says the government has gone back on its opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Now labeled the Comprehensive and Progressive TPP, supporters argue the new deal has sufficient protections. Professor Kelsey told 95bFM she disagrees: “The government has been suggesting that the agreement New Zealand First and Labour and the Greens all oppose is changed sufficiently and we will be explaining the reasons why that's not true.” Kelsey said the nature of these deals means they inevitably benefit multinational corporations.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Met Service Fiji has announced that Cyclone Gita is on its way to being upgraded to a category five storm, the highest possible category for a cyclone. Graham Kenna from Tonga's National Emergency Services Office said that there are New Zealand and Australian emergency supplies on standby. He added that there is a lot of damage and debris in Tonga's capital city, Nuku'alofa. While the emergency services are receiving hundreds of calls for help, so far it has been too dangerous for anyone to go out into the cyclone.Oxfam Deputy Resigns Amid Controversy
Deputy Chief Executive of Oxfam, Penny Lawrence, has resigned due to further discoveries in the use of sex workers by one of its staff. It was uncovered that Oxfam was aware of Roland van Hauwermeiren’s use of sex workers when he was promoted to a senior position in Haiti. Penny Lawrence admits to knowing about the misconduct of Mr van Hauwermeiren but denies there was a cover up. Lawrence adds that she is "ashamed" and takes full responsibility. Oxfam is now meeting with the International Development Secretary to prevent its 34 million pounds of UK government funding from being cut.Facebook Privacy Settings Breach German Law
A regional court in Berlin has found that Facebook's default privacy settings and use of personal data are against German consumer law. It was stated that Facebook failed to inform users of their privacy and data policies, and does not meet the legal requirement for informed consent. In particular, the court noted that the smartphone version of Facebook automatically broadcasts users' location and personal data to advertising companies, despite giving no official notice that it does so. The decision was passed in mid-January, but has only been made available to the public as of yesterday. Since the ruling, Facebook has promised to overhaul its privacy settings in an effort to make them more transparent.Bitcoin Laundering Rife
Europol says that there is currently between $6-$8 billion being laundered through cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin by criminals. Europol’s director Rob Wainwright, says the rate of growth is concerning. Bitcoin is not regulated by any central authority, but by many anonymous computers worldwide. This makes it and other cryptocurrencies attractive to criminals as transactions are extremely difficult to track. Furthermore, private accounts, or ‘wallets’, cannot be frozen and are hard to identify by governments or banks. Wainwright adds that this makes it very difficult for police to track crime through online currencies, and those who run Bitcoin need to aid police in tracing crime that uses their currency.Israel, Iran and Syria Clash
Iran, Israel and Syria have all found themselves embroiled in an ongoing war of tit-for-tat attacks, after the Israeli-Syrian border saw a surge in conflict. The attacks began on Saturday, when Israel shot down an unmanned aerial drone in its airspace, which it claimed was Iranian. Syria claimed that the drones were being used by ISIS fighters, but Israel's chief military spokesperson said they held Iran directly accountable for the intrusion. Israel then bombed a target near Syria's capital city, Damascus, which it claimed was an Iranian military base. In response, Syria brought down an Israeli jet-fighter in a barrage of anti-air missiles. The conflict marks the first time that Syria and Israel have officially clashed since the Six Day War of 1967, despite claims by Syria that Israel has been involved in similar incidents in the past. The surge in fighting also points to the growing divide between Israel and Iran, which continue to butt heads over Iran's ongoing support for the Hezbollah.Additional reporting: Reuben McLaren, Grace Watson, Daniel Meech