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All you need to know about the world this morning, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Weed Kingpin Promises Kiwi Jobs
Colorado's biggest weed dealer, ex-pat Kiwi John Lord, promises thousands of jobs for New Zealand if the drug is legalised here. Lord is the chief executive of LivWell Enlightened Health in Colorado, and he believes legalisation of marijuana is the way forward for his former country.
Lord stated that legislation would create thousands of good-paying jobs, a boon to commercial real estate, and even increased tourism.
In 2016, total sales of weed in Colorado amounted to US$1.3 billion.
LivWell has over 600 full-time staff and Lord promises similar numbers would apply to New Zealand if marijuana was legalised here.Lawyer Argues Teina Pora Was "Massively Short-Changed"
A Wellington court was told that Teina Pora's compensation for unlawful imprisonment works out at an hourly rate of less than the minimum wage.
Pora's lawyers were in the High Court in Wellington yesterday seeking a review of his compensation.
One of Pora's lawyers, Gerard McCoy QC, argued yesterday that not adjusting Pora's compensation for inflation was "both unlawful and unreasonable", and that Pora had been "massively short-changed".
Pora spent 19-and-a-half years in jail after he was wrongfully convicted of raping and murdering Susan Burdett. The convictions were overturned in 2015.Plan to Raise Sea Lion Numbers Released
The Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary industries have released a Sea Lion Threat Management Plan, aiming to halt the decline of the New Zealand sea lion population within five years.
The population has declined by 35 percent in the past 15 years, with less than 12,000 sea lions remaining in the wild.
The decline in sea lions is caused by entanglement in fishing gear, competition for prey with fisheries, and bacterial infections.
The plan will initially focus on reducing sea lion pup mortality rates, and researching the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on sea lions.
The ultimate goal of the plan is to see the NZ sea lion status switch from "Nationally Critical" to "Not Threatened".Macron Proposes To Overhaul French Government
French President Emmanuel Macron announced he wants to cut the number of French Members of Parliament by a third.
In a speech addressing Congress at the Palace of Versailles on Monday, President Macron said the staff cuts will make for a more efficient government.
In Macron's speech, he also said the European Union had "lost its way" in the past 10 years, with the only solution being to administer a "new generation of leaders".
The cuts would reduce the number of National Assembly members from 577 to 385.
If the proposed changes do not take place within a year, Macron said he will take the decision to a referendum.Saudi Arabia Extends Qatar's Deadline
Qatar has been given an extra 48 hours by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states to accept a list of demands or face further sanctions.
The initial deadline for Qatar to agree to the group's 13 demands, including shutting down the Al Jazeera news network, expired yesterday.
The four countries severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar one month ago, accusing the country of supporting terrorism and of being an ally of Iran.
Doha denies the charges and will submit its formal response in a letter delivered to Kuwait on Monday.German Bus Crash Kills 18 People
Eighteen people have died in a bus accident in the Southern German state of Bavaria.
Germany police said the tour bus collided with a truck and burst into flames on the A9 motorway in the northern part of the state.
The cause of the fire is unknown, with traffic reportedly having been moving slowly at the time.
There were 46 passengers, aged 66 to 81, and two drivers on the bus heading to Lake Garda in Italy. Thirty others on the bus were injured.Reporting by Adel Abied, Momoko Burgess and Hannah Ross.
LOCAL NEWS
Colorado's biggest weed dealer, ex-pat Kiwi John Lord, promises thousands of jobs for New Zealand if the drug is legalised here. Lord is the chief executive of LivWell Enlightened Health in Colorado, and he believes legalisation of marijuana is the way forward for his former country.
Lord stated that legislation would create thousands of good-paying jobs, a boon to commercial real estate, and even increased tourism.
In 2016, total sales of weed in Colorado amounted to US$1.3 billion.
LivWell has over 600 full-time staff and Lord promises similar numbers would apply to New Zealand if marijuana was legalised here.Lawyer Argues Teina Pora Was "Massively Short-Changed"
A Wellington court was told that Teina Pora's compensation for unlawful imprisonment works out at an hourly rate of less than the minimum wage.
Pora's lawyers were in the High Court in Wellington yesterday seeking a review of his compensation.
One of Pora's lawyers, Gerard McCoy QC, argued yesterday that not adjusting Pora's compensation for inflation was "both unlawful and unreasonable", and that Pora had been "massively short-changed".
Pora spent 19-and-a-half years in jail after he was wrongfully convicted of raping and murdering Susan Burdett. The convictions were overturned in 2015.
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The Department of Conservation and the Ministry for Primary industries have released a Sea Lion Threat Management Plan, aiming to halt the decline of the New Zealand sea lion population within five years.
The population has declined by 35 percent in the past 15 years, with less than 12,000 sea lions remaining in the wild.
The decline in sea lions is caused by entanglement in fishing gear, competition for prey with fisheries, and bacterial infections.
The plan will initially focus on reducing sea lion pup mortality rates, and researching the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on sea lions.
The ultimate goal of the plan is to see the NZ sea lion status switch from "Nationally Critical" to "Not Threatened".
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
French President Emmanuel Macron announced he wants to cut the number of French Members of Parliament by a third.
In a speech addressing Congress at the Palace of Versailles on Monday, President Macron said the staff cuts will make for a more efficient government.
In Macron's speech, he also said the European Union had "lost its way" in the past 10 years, with the only solution being to administer a "new generation of leaders".
The cuts would reduce the number of National Assembly members from 577 to 385.
If the proposed changes do not take place within a year, Macron said he will take the decision to a referendum.Saudi Arabia Extends Qatar's Deadline
Qatar has been given an extra 48 hours by Saudi Arabia and three other Arab states to accept a list of demands or face further sanctions.
The initial deadline for Qatar to agree to the group's 13 demands, including shutting down the Al Jazeera news network, expired yesterday.
The four countries severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar one month ago, accusing the country of supporting terrorism and of being an ally of Iran.
Doha denies the charges and will submit its formal response in a letter delivered to Kuwait on Monday.German Bus Crash Kills 18 People
Eighteen people have died in a bus accident in the Southern German state of Bavaria.
Germany police said the tour bus collided with a truck and burst into flames on the A9 motorway in the northern part of the state.
The cause of the fire is unknown, with traffic reportedly having been moving slowly at the time.
There were 46 passengers, aged 66 to 81, and two drivers on the bus heading to Lake Garda in Italy. Thirty others on the bus were injured.Reporting by Adel Abied, Momoko Burgess and Hannah Ross.