News of Zealand: Labour Offers First-Year Students Zero Fees in 2018

Labour Announces Free First-Year Tertiary Study
Labour has announced a plan for all first-year tertiary students to receive free education. This is the first step in a plan to give New Zealanders three years of free tertiary education and to increase the living-cost loan by $50. New Zealand Student Association President Jonathan Gee told bFM this would benefit students across the country. He said the plan would have the knock-on effect of improving the lives of graduates entering the workforce without debt. Critics remain sceptical of the new plan, claiming the policy will lay the burden on taxpayers instead. Gee disagreed, saying reducing debt levels would increase access to tertiary education for those who could not afford it. Gee also said the fulfilment of basic needs would likely improve academic performance across the country.

Teacher Shortages, Subjects Cuts, Schools in Crisis, Says
A survey by the Secondary Principals Association has found that lack of staff has caused one-in-five schools to ditch a subject. Twenty percent of principals in Auckland have had to increase class sizes because of the shortages, and over half of the respondents said the largest problems were in science and maths departments. Byron Bentley, principal of Auckland school Macleans College, said the school's staffing situation was the worst he had ever seen, adding that people needed a bigger incentive to become teachers. Auckland principals who took part in the survey listed increased pay as the most important thing the government could do to alleviate this problem.

Police to Be Investigated Over Handling of Todd Barclay Case
Ombudsman will investigate police over the Todd Barclay saga. Last year, police closed their investigation into Todd Barclay secretly recording his electorate secretary. The Independent Police Complaints Authority received complaints in June this year, but did not look into matters and said they were satisfied there was no misconduct. The investigation was reopened in June, following complaints over police handling and will be overseen Ombudsman Peter Boshier.

Winston Peters Claims He's the Victim of "Filthy Politics"
Winston Peters is considering his legal options as investigations into his superannuation overpayment details begin. Peters claimed he the was victim of "filthy politics", and believed National may have leaked the news in an attempt to destroy New Zealand First. Although ministers Paula Bennett and Anne Tolley were briefed on the overpayments by State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes, Prime Minister Bill English said the leak did not come from National. Ministerial Services, the Ministry of Social Development and Inland Revenue are looking into the handling of the information to ensure it was not leaked by a public servant. Labour leader Jacinda Ardern said she was concerned this would distract from the campaign, and that it fed the perception that dirty politics was rife.

UN Recommends Investigation Into Historic State Care Abuse
The United Nations has recommended an investigation into disability abuse endured in state care. Between 1950 and 1990, children and adults with disabilities suffered abuse while in state care. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination said they were alarmed by reports of abuse. The government aims to compensate victims, but the committee says this approach will not expose systemic problems that may have existed. The committee is also concerned by Bill English's proposal to set up military-style boot camps for young offenders. It says Māori and Pacific children are still more likely to be placed in state care, and that there must be an effective application of the "whānau first" policy to reduce the number placed in state care.

Hurricane Harvey Toll Climbs to at Least Nine
At least nine people have been killed in the flooding that has rocked the Gulf Coast of Texas since Hurricane Harvey made landfall Friday night. Officials warned that the death toll will likely continue to climb. The US Coast Guard and police have rescued more than 6,000 residents in the immediate Houston area, while some 7,000 people took shelter in the city's George R. Brown Convention Center Monday night. With heavy rains set to hit Louisiana, President Trump approved an "emergency conditions" declaration for the state. Trump will travel to Corpus Christi and Austin on Tuesday.

North Korea Fires Missile Over Japan
North Korea launched a ballistic missile over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido early Tuesday, sending it crashing into the Pacific Ocean. The missile caused Japanese authorities to issue alarms warning citizens to take cover. A senior government spokesman described it as "an unprecedented, serious, and grave threat to our nation."

Israel Claims Iran Is Trying to Develop Weapons in Syria
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Iran is attempting to escalate its weapons program by setting up missile-building facilities inside Syria and Lebanon. Netanyahu, who met the UN secretary general António Guterres Monday, said Iran aimed to manufacture "precision-guided missiles."

Sri Lankan Ambassador in South America Accused of War Crimes
Human rights advocates have launched a lawsuit against Sri Lanka's ambassador to six South American countries, Jagath Jayasuriya. The International Truth and Justice Project's lawsuit accuses Jayasuriya, a former general, of involvement with extrajudicial killings and torture during the 2009 civil war in Sri Lanka.

Reporting by Harry Willis, Mary-Margaret Slack.