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News of Zealand

News of Zealand: University of Auckland Closes Libraries

Plus HIV rates are finally dropping, and cocaine in waterways harms eels.
Students at a sit-in at Elam School of Fine Arts Library. Image via Twitter.

Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ .

LOCAL NEWS

UoA Library Closures Confirmed
The University of Auckland has confirmed the closure of its specialist libraries. Despite ongoing protests by students and staff, the Architecture, Music and Dance, and the Elam Fine Arts libraries will all be closed and relocated to the general library, resulting in the loss of forty-five jobs, important resources, and community spaces. Students rallied in corridors outside the Dean of Creative Arts and Industries' office yesterday during the confirmation. AUSA President Anna Cusack says the university's highest academic board was excluded from advising on the educational importance of libraries. The University's Vice-Chancellor Stuart McCutcheon claims it is a financially-focused move.

HIV diagnoses dropping
For the first time since 2011, the number of annual HIV diagnoses in New Zealand has fallen. AIDS Foundation NZ’s Chief Executive Director Dr Jason Myers told 95bFM he is optimistic but cautious because there are not yet steady statistics to support the trend. Myers says Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a drug proven to prevent HIV-negative people contracting, has the potential to support a continuing downward trend. “We managed to achieve that drop without public funding of PrEP,” Myers says, “So now that we’ve got public funding of PrEP we can scale up implementation and make it available to those who need it—meaning the potential for better results in 2018 is significant.”

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Growing Support to Split Kaikoura
A suggestion to divide Kaikoura amongst its neighbouring districts has again found support amongst those concerned with the district's financial situation. The Kaikoura District Council is considering a 17 percent rate raise yearly for the next two years to pay for earthquake damage, ageing infrastructure of roads, bridges and sewage systems. The district, home to only 2,800 ratepayers, has also been supplying funds for tourist infrastructure, which supporters of the idea argue does not always help Kaikoura citizens themselves. Councillor Derrick Milton says the most obvious solution would be for Kaikoura to be divided between Marlborough and Hurunui Districts.

Study Predicts Rise in Strokes
A new study from the University of Otago predicts stroke rates in New Zealand are likely to increase by 40 percent in the next ten years. Currently, the cost of strokes nationally is estimated at $700 million. A growing and ageing population is largely the reason behind the estimate of an increase from 9,000 to 12,000 strokes per year. In New Zealand, the biggest risk factors are high blood pressure, high body mass index, smoking, and a diet low in fruit and vegetables. The study highlights the need for greater stroke prevention initiatives, public awareness campaigns and improved hospital planning.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Cocaine in Waterways Harms Eels
Newly published research from Europe found that cocaine flushed into rivers causes eels to become hyperactive and to suffer from impaired gills, hormonal changes and muscle wastage. The study focused on an endangered species of river eel, whose long migrations to the oceans to reproduce could be impacted by the tiny concentration of cocaine now ubiquitous in European waterways. Eels still showed increased cortisol levels and damaged muscles even after going through rehab, during which they spent ten days in clean waters. Polluted rivers worldwide, especially surrounding urban areas, have been shown to contain not just cocaine, but also THC, morphine, MDMA, pesticides, heavy metals and antibiotics.

China Bans John Oliver
Comedian John Oliver has been banned from Chinese social media, following his mocking and criticism of Chinese human rights and censorship. Chinese President Xi Jinpeng was mocked and criticised by Oliver on his show Last Week Tonight. Oliver directed criticisms at the removal of presidential terms, as well as the increasing restrictions on Uighurs, a Muslim minority. Oliver likened the current Chinese crackdown on human rights to Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Israeli First Lady Charged with Fraud
Sara Netanyahu, wife of the Israeli Prime Minister, has been charged with fraud. She is charged with misusing state funds for catering services, at a total cost of just over $145,000. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing and her lawyers describe the situation as absurd. However, the Jerusalem District Attorney's Office says the indictment was decided after reviewing all evidence and weighing the circumstances of the case. Netanyahu also faces charges of a breach of trust of following the police inquiry.

Change in Migrant Family Policy Fails to Help Already-Split Families
Activists say Donald Trump’s reversal on migrant family separations does little to help the thousands of children already affected. Co-ordinator for organisation Border-Angels Hugo Castro says, "We have to change the perception Donald Trump is injecting into common Americans that migrants are less than human.” Melania Trump made an unannounced visit to a detention centre in Texas, meeting with children and seeking assurances they are being properly cared for. The fate of the families affected still remains unknown.

Koko, the Famous Gorilla Dies at 46
Koko the western lowland gorilla, famous for having mastered American Sign Language and capable of understanding 2,000 English words, has died at age 46 in California. Koko was one of a small number of primates who could understand and use sign language. She was important for raising awareness about the threats of logging and poaching to her species in their native habitat in central Africa. Koko was featured in many documentaries and was on the cover of National Geographic twice. She was known for her affection for kittens and for expressing her thoughts and feelings through creating paintings, which she would always give names using sign language.

Additional reporting by Jennifer-Rose Tamati, Angus Coker Grant and Ella Christensen.