Photo by James Borrowdale
Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Chlöe Swarbrick’s Medicinal Cannabis Bill Voted Down
The Green MP’s Bill was defeated yesterday at its first hurdle, losing the first reading vote 47 votes to 73. The bill was one of two before parliament this week—the government’s own, sightly more conservative bill creates a legal defence for terminal patients using cannabis, and framework for legal growing and prescription of the drug which aims to fix supply problems within two years. Swarbrick’s bill would have allowed patients with a prescription to grow their own. Every National MP voted against the bill, including Chris Bishop, who had previously announced on Twitter he would be voting for the Bill.Ardern Aims to Halve Child Poverty
The government has unveiled its goal to more than halve child poverty. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the goal was to reduce the proportion of children in low-income households from roughly 15 percent of all children, to 5 percent, within the next 10 years. Ardern admitted it's an ambitious target, but said it would make a substantial difference. The Prime Minister also unveiled plans for a framework that would make people and wellbeing a measure of the country's economic success, as opposed to the current measure, Gross Domestic Profit.Glaciers are Melting
Researchers at Otago University are worried about the effect warmer temperatures are having on ice fields in the South Island. The team of researchers have been studying the Gardens of Eden and Allah ice fields, near Mt Cook National Park. They found that the ice fields act as water towers, feeding our largest rivers. Rain currently provides main input to the rivers, but that could all change with warmer temperatures, meaning glaciers contribute to water levels too. Dr Nicholas Cullen said the massive melt-off of snow usually provides a protective layer above the ice fields. Losing that snow could mean a mass loss of New Zealand's glaciers, which also meant increased risk to trampers from rockfalls and landslides in the regional park.International Education Cracking Down on Student Visas
The international education sector is cracking down on international students’ ability to get a job and permanent residency. Official advice to the Immigration Minister indicates some international students use the student visa scheme to get residency rather than a good education. The Labour policy is working on reducing work rights for study below degree level and on low level courses. Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand chairperson Craig Musson says the government needs to recognise the difference between low-quality qualifications and low-level courses. Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont said international students are doing this because this is how the scheme has been marketed to them. McClymont says students are feeling conned, as pathways to employment were what education agents and the government had been promoting.Long Live Elephants
Hong Kong lawmakers voted to ban the trade in ivory with sales completely stopping in 2021. Ivory from elephant tusks has been traded in Hong Kong for more than 150 years and it is the world's largest ivory market. Traders will be forced to dispose of their stock by 2021. Under the new law, offenders will be fined HKD 10 million, which is double the present amount; or imprisoned for ten years instead of the current two. Some activists think the time-frame is too long, pointing out African elephants are still being killed for their tusks in high numbers.Eye Care for All in Rwanda
Rwanda is moving to provide eye care for its entire population. The government partnered with organisation Vision for a Nation and trained more than 3,000 eye care nurses. The nurses are visiting Rwanda's 15,000 villages. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Dr Jennifer Yip said 34 percent of Rwanda's population could benefit from some form of eye care. Yip says the impact of this initiative between Vision for a Nation and Rwanda has been enormous. The next country Vision for a Nation is planned to partner with is Ghana.Enormous Bomb Found in Hong Kong
Hong Kong police have announced a mass evacuation after a construction worker found a 450kg bomb under the city area of Wan Chai. Over 4000 people were evacuated from buildings on the Hong Kong harbour in Wan Chai yesterday afternoon. This is the second wartime bomb found in a number of days. The last bomb, defused on Saturday, was of a similar size. The bombs were remnants of World War II, and had been dropped by American bombers during the Second World War. Authorities say, if the bomb exploded, the force could affect the surrounding area within 200 metres, with fragments flying as far as 2,000 metres. The 450 kg bomb isn't the biggest found in the area in recent years. In 2014, a 902 kg bomb was found underground and 2000 people were evacuated.Additional reporting: Leah Garcia-Purves, Darashpreet Johal, Lillian Hanly
LOCAL NEWS
The Green MP’s Bill was defeated yesterday at its first hurdle, losing the first reading vote 47 votes to 73. The bill was one of two before parliament this week—the government’s own, sightly more conservative bill creates a legal defence for terminal patients using cannabis, and framework for legal growing and prescription of the drug which aims to fix supply problems within two years. Swarbrick’s bill would have allowed patients with a prescription to grow their own. Every National MP voted against the bill, including Chris Bishop, who had previously announced on Twitter he would be voting for the Bill.Ardern Aims to Halve Child Poverty
The government has unveiled its goal to more than halve child poverty. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the goal was to reduce the proportion of children in low-income households from roughly 15 percent of all children, to 5 percent, within the next 10 years. Ardern admitted it's an ambitious target, but said it would make a substantial difference. The Prime Minister also unveiled plans for a framework that would make people and wellbeing a measure of the country's economic success, as opposed to the current measure, Gross Domestic Profit.
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Researchers at Otago University are worried about the effect warmer temperatures are having on ice fields in the South Island. The team of researchers have been studying the Gardens of Eden and Allah ice fields, near Mt Cook National Park. They found that the ice fields act as water towers, feeding our largest rivers. Rain currently provides main input to the rivers, but that could all change with warmer temperatures, meaning glaciers contribute to water levels too. Dr Nicholas Cullen said the massive melt-off of snow usually provides a protective layer above the ice fields. Losing that snow could mean a mass loss of New Zealand's glaciers, which also meant increased risk to trampers from rockfalls and landslides in the regional park.International Education Cracking Down on Student Visas
The international education sector is cracking down on international students’ ability to get a job and permanent residency. Official advice to the Immigration Minister indicates some international students use the student visa scheme to get residency rather than a good education. The Labour policy is working on reducing work rights for study below degree level and on low level courses. Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand chairperson Craig Musson says the government needs to recognise the difference between low-quality qualifications and low-level courses. Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont said international students are doing this because this is how the scheme has been marketed to them. McClymont says students are feeling conned, as pathways to employment were what education agents and the government had been promoting.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Hong Kong lawmakers voted to ban the trade in ivory with sales completely stopping in 2021. Ivory from elephant tusks has been traded in Hong Kong for more than 150 years and it is the world's largest ivory market. Traders will be forced to dispose of their stock by 2021. Under the new law, offenders will be fined HKD 10 million, which is double the present amount; or imprisoned for ten years instead of the current two. Some activists think the time-frame is too long, pointing out African elephants are still being killed for their tusks in high numbers.Eye Care for All in Rwanda
Rwanda is moving to provide eye care for its entire population. The government partnered with organisation Vision for a Nation and trained more than 3,000 eye care nurses. The nurses are visiting Rwanda's 15,000 villages. The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine’s Dr Jennifer Yip said 34 percent of Rwanda's population could benefit from some form of eye care. Yip says the impact of this initiative between Vision for a Nation and Rwanda has been enormous. The next country Vision for a Nation is planned to partner with is Ghana.Enormous Bomb Found in Hong Kong
Hong Kong police have announced a mass evacuation after a construction worker found a 450kg bomb under the city area of Wan Chai. Over 4000 people were evacuated from buildings on the Hong Kong harbour in Wan Chai yesterday afternoon. This is the second wartime bomb found in a number of days. The last bomb, defused on Saturday, was of a similar size. The bombs were remnants of World War II, and had been dropped by American bombers during the Second World War. Authorities say, if the bomb exploded, the force could affect the surrounding area within 200 metres, with fragments flying as far as 2,000 metres. The 450 kg bomb isn't the biggest found in the area in recent years. In 2014, a 902 kg bomb was found underground and 2000 people were evacuated.Additional reporting: Leah Garcia-Purves, Darashpreet Johal, Lillian Hanly