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Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Growth in Government Balance Sheet
The government's balance sheet has grown, according to the Treasury's latest investment statement. The report says the book-value of government assets has risen by $70 billion since 2013, and liabilities have risen by $23 billion. Treasury secretary Gabriel Makhlouf says the strength of the government books means our public finances are resilient in the face of adverse events. Treasury says they have stress-tested the resilience of the assets and liabilities and found they can cope reasonably well with a global economic downturn.Obama Arrives in New Zealand
Former President of the United States Barack Obama has arrived in New Zealand. The former president left Auckland Airport at 12:30am accompanied by police. Obama will be greeted with a pōwhiri tomorrow in auckland and is speaking at an invite-only NZ-US Council event that night. Obama's speaking fee is said to be $550,000. There will be no interviews, and media cannot report from inside the event. Obama was photographed boarding a helicopter this morning, on his way to play golf with former Prime Minister John Key.Stuff Launches Movie Screening Platform
Stuff has launched a new movie streaming site, Stuff Pix, to provide viewers access to a broad range of films and meet the gaps left by brick and mortar stores. The website is said to offer 600 movies including classics, new films and emphasises New Zealand made films. Stuff Pix differs from Netflix and Lightbox as users will not need to sign up for a monthly subscription. Viewers will be able to individually hire movies ranging in price from $1 to $6.95. This comes after Stuff's profit fell by nearly 25 percent last year.Worries That Safety Concerns Could Halt Driverless Cars
The author of a study on driverless cars has warned about over-regulation of the new technology. After the death of an American woman who collided with an autonomous vehicle, Michael Cameron has warned about a regulatory backlash. Cameron says the potential safety benefits of autonomous vehicles cannot be ignored. He told 95bFM “if there is a regulatory backlash which delays the introduction of drivers vehicles with all their safety advantages, that's likely to do more harm than good, in term of if it delays the safety benefits.”Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Under Fire
CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has been summoned by UK Parliamentary MPs to give evidence on personal data use. The request is for Zuckerberg to appear before a select committee investigating fake news. This comes as the Cambridge Analytica data breach revelations continue to unfold. The allegations against the group include illegally obtaining data and the manipulation of social media to influence elections. Whistleblower Christopher Wylie says Cambridge Analytica was able to access data from the entire friends list of anyone who took a quiz by This Is Your Digital Life. This is despite those friends not having given their permission.US Attempts to Limit Junk Food Labels in NAFTA Talks
The Trump administration is aiming to limit NAFTA members’ abilities to fight obesity rates. Mexican and Canadian officials are working on improving Mexico's steadily rising issue of obesity through colourful labelling and vivid warnings on foods with a high level of salt, sugar and fat. However reports from NAFTA talks show that US officials are seeking to support their domestic food and soft drink industry by limiting the ability of the three NAFTA states to add warning labels. The OECD says over the last 10 years obesity in Mexico has risen 3.3 percent and that it is a major health concern. Alexandra Jones, a lawyer at the George Institute for Global Health in Australia, says the current daily recommended intake labels are indecipherable and useless to consumers.Sarkozy Taken Into Police Custody
Former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy has been taken into police custody for questioning in relation to allegations that he accepted campaign funding from murdered leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi. The investigation of illicit funds was launched in 2013, though French media says this is the first time Sarkozy has been detained by police. During previous police questionings, Sarkozy denied any wrongdoing.Last Northern White Rhino Dies
The northern white rhino is on the brink of extinction after the last male was euthanised. The decision was made by the team in Kenya who have worked for years to save him. Sudan was 45 when he died and suffered from a string of infections in his old age that meant he struggled to stand. The only two that remain in the world are his daughter and granddaughter. The only way to stop extinction is the IVF process using preserved sperm. Sudan was the last northern white rhino born in the wild. Other rhino populations around the world are also at risk, largely due to poaching. About 30,000 rhinos from five species remain worldwide.Additional reporting by: Reuben Mclaren, Lillian Hanly and Sae Strang.
LOCAL NEWS
The government's balance sheet has grown, according to the Treasury's latest investment statement. The report says the book-value of government assets has risen by $70 billion since 2013, and liabilities have risen by $23 billion. Treasury secretary Gabriel Makhlouf says the strength of the government books means our public finances are resilient in the face of adverse events. Treasury says they have stress-tested the resilience of the assets and liabilities and found they can cope reasonably well with a global economic downturn.Obama Arrives in New Zealand
Former President of the United States Barack Obama has arrived in New Zealand. The former president left Auckland Airport at 12:30am accompanied by police. Obama will be greeted with a pōwhiri tomorrow in auckland and is speaking at an invite-only NZ-US Council event that night. Obama's speaking fee is said to be $550,000. There will be no interviews, and media cannot report from inside the event. Obama was photographed boarding a helicopter this morning, on his way to play golf with former Prime Minister John Key.
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Stuff has launched a new movie streaming site, Stuff Pix, to provide viewers access to a broad range of films and meet the gaps left by brick and mortar stores. The website is said to offer 600 movies including classics, new films and emphasises New Zealand made films. Stuff Pix differs from Netflix and Lightbox as users will not need to sign up for a monthly subscription. Viewers will be able to individually hire movies ranging in price from $1 to $6.95. This comes after Stuff's profit fell by nearly 25 percent last year.Worries That Safety Concerns Could Halt Driverless Cars
The author of a study on driverless cars has warned about over-regulation of the new technology. After the death of an American woman who collided with an autonomous vehicle, Michael Cameron has warned about a regulatory backlash. Cameron says the potential safety benefits of autonomous vehicles cannot be ignored. He told 95bFM “if there is a regulatory backlash which delays the introduction of drivers vehicles with all their safety advantages, that's likely to do more harm than good, in term of if it delays the safety benefits.”
INTERNATIONAL
CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has been summoned by UK Parliamentary MPs to give evidence on personal data use. The request is for Zuckerberg to appear before a select committee investigating fake news. This comes as the Cambridge Analytica data breach revelations continue to unfold. The allegations against the group include illegally obtaining data and the manipulation of social media to influence elections. Whistleblower Christopher Wylie says Cambridge Analytica was able to access data from the entire friends list of anyone who took a quiz by This Is Your Digital Life. This is despite those friends not having given their permission.US Attempts to Limit Junk Food Labels in NAFTA Talks
The Trump administration is aiming to limit NAFTA members’ abilities to fight obesity rates. Mexican and Canadian officials are working on improving Mexico's steadily rising issue of obesity through colourful labelling and vivid warnings on foods with a high level of salt, sugar and fat. However reports from NAFTA talks show that US officials are seeking to support their domestic food and soft drink industry by limiting the ability of the three NAFTA states to add warning labels. The OECD says over the last 10 years obesity in Mexico has risen 3.3 percent and that it is a major health concern. Alexandra Jones, a lawyer at the George Institute for Global Health in Australia, says the current daily recommended intake labels are indecipherable and useless to consumers.Sarkozy Taken Into Police Custody
Former President of France Nicolas Sarkozy has been taken into police custody for questioning in relation to allegations that he accepted campaign funding from murdered leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi. The investigation of illicit funds was launched in 2013, though French media says this is the first time Sarkozy has been detained by police. During previous police questionings, Sarkozy denied any wrongdoing.Last Northern White Rhino Dies
The northern white rhino is on the brink of extinction after the last male was euthanised. The decision was made by the team in Kenya who have worked for years to save him. Sudan was 45 when he died and suffered from a string of infections in his old age that meant he struggled to stand. The only two that remain in the world are his daughter and granddaughter. The only way to stop extinction is the IVF process using preserved sperm. Sudan was the last northern white rhino born in the wild. Other rhino populations around the world are also at risk, largely due to poaching. About 30,000 rhinos from five species remain worldwide.Additional reporting by: Reuben Mclaren, Lillian Hanly and Sae Strang.