Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Meth Smoking Residue "No Danger" to Tenants
A new government report has found there is "no risk" to tenants from drug smoking residue. This comes after tens of thousands of homes were needlessly tested for millions of dollars, with some demolished and left empty. The news also comes too late for hundreds of state housing tenants who were evicted as a result of tiny meth traces being discovered in their homes.
240 state homes are currently sitting needlessly empty, and would be put back into use within weeks, Housing Minister Phil Twyford said. Twyford has announced there will be new regulations for methamphetamine testing on houses. The testing industry has come under fire following a report from the Prime Minister's Chief Scientific Advisor, Peter Gluckman. The New Zealand Drug Foundation's Executive Director Ross Bell supports the Government's decision to update standards.Accusations of Bias in New Zealand Immigration System
Immigration New Zealand is being accused of targeting Indian applicants. An immigration adviser says new figures are at odds with previous assurances that Indian applicants are not being targeted by immigration officials. Figures show 14 percent of Indian applicants were rejected last year for the employer-assisted work visas, and 19 percent of declined essential skills work visas were those of Indian applicants. Arunima Dhingra, a director of Aims Global, said that an unofficial crackdown on Indian student applications has left genuine Indian applicants suffering. Immigration New Zealand says there has been no change to its assessments.Nursing a New Employment Deal
Members of New Zealand Nurses Organisation are disgruntled with the manner of the release of a revised employment conditions offer. The offer, which claimed to establish a $93,000 average salary for nurses was released to the public before it was presented formally to them. The Organising services manager of NZNO, Cee Payne believes that the manner of the release of the offer undermines the trust and negotiations between the NZNO and DHBs. Payne said in a release the figures were misleading to the public as they reflect an unrealistic representation of the way nurses are rostered and obscure the true pay changes for nursing staff. “The hypothetical $93,000 came from an example of a nurse working full time, with some overtime and significant weekend and night work. The reality is that the majority of nurses in this bracket are not full time and not working rostered shifts on top of this,” she said.Middlemore DHB Failure
Court papers show that Middlemore Hospital failed to pursue a multimillion dollar claim against construction firm Hawkins. The claim was lodged in 2012 for $12.3 million but was never actioned. The case was settled outside of court by the Counties Manukau District Health Board for a reduced $3 million in 2017. The cost filed was cut back to $6 million, but the actual bill is expected to be towards five times that. The local DHB reported that the amount filed was a severe under-estimation of what the repairs would cost, and prepared with little information or verification.Starbucks Making Racial Bias Moves
Starbucks in the United States has shut all 8,000 of its stores for racial bias training. Overnight, the coffee chain closed its doors for four hours which is estimated to cost approximately $29 million in lost sales. The move comes two months following an incident in Philadelphia where two African American men were detained by police after a store manager accused them of not leaving or purchasing anything. They were waiting for a business meeting. In the training, employees will participate in discussions and problem-solving sessions on identifying and avoiding bias in everyday situations.No More Plastic EU
The European Union is proposing to outlaw single-use plastic products in an attempt to reduce waste ending up in the ocean. The proposals are aimed at banning many common plastic items including straws, cotton buds, and cutlery. The EU estimates the ban will avoid 3.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions, prevent environmental damage equal to $36 billion by 2030, and save consumers $10 billion.America-China Relations Progress
The White House has taken new steps in its effort to reduce a $488 billion trade deficit with China. It has announced that it will impose a 25 percent tariff on $72 billion of Chinese goods containing industrially-significant technology. The tariffs will include goods related to the Made in China 2025 trade plan which are deemed to harm American Companies. President Trump believes that the new tariffs will make the trading relationship between the US and China more fair and reciprocal. The full list of imports that will be subject to the 25 perceny tariffs are due to be announced by June 15.Elections Touted For Libya
Libya’s rival factions have agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on 10th of December. The four militant groups met in Paris and agreed to take up the necessary laws by mid-September. Libya has been controlled by various armed groups since the toppling and killing of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.Another Gaza Attack
Factions of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have claimed joint responsibility for a shell attack on southern Israel. The actions of the Gaza Militant groups were responded to instantly by Israel with a wave of airstrikes across the Palestinian territory. Tensions have escalated along the border in recent weeks after a series of Palestinian protests against the anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Three soldiers and one civilian were injured on the Israeli side, but no fatalities have been reported.Additional reporting by: Harry Willis, Tu Natanahira and Oscar Perress.
LOCAL NEWS
A new government report has found there is "no risk" to tenants from drug smoking residue. This comes after tens of thousands of homes were needlessly tested for millions of dollars, with some demolished and left empty. The news also comes too late for hundreds of state housing tenants who were evicted as a result of tiny meth traces being discovered in their homes.
240 state homes are currently sitting needlessly empty, and would be put back into use within weeks, Housing Minister Phil Twyford said. Twyford has announced there will be new regulations for methamphetamine testing on houses. The testing industry has come under fire following a report from the Prime Minister's Chief Scientific Advisor, Peter Gluckman. The New Zealand Drug Foundation's Executive Director Ross Bell supports the Government's decision to update standards.Accusations of Bias in New Zealand Immigration System
Immigration New Zealand is being accused of targeting Indian applicants. An immigration adviser says new figures are at odds with previous assurances that Indian applicants are not being targeted by immigration officials. Figures show 14 percent of Indian applicants were rejected last year for the employer-assisted work visas, and 19 percent of declined essential skills work visas were those of Indian applicants. Arunima Dhingra, a director of Aims Global, said that an unofficial crackdown on Indian student applications has left genuine Indian applicants suffering. Immigration New Zealand says there has been no change to its assessments.
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Members of New Zealand Nurses Organisation are disgruntled with the manner of the release of a revised employment conditions offer. The offer, which claimed to establish a $93,000 average salary for nurses was released to the public before it was presented formally to them. The Organising services manager of NZNO, Cee Payne believes that the manner of the release of the offer undermines the trust and negotiations between the NZNO and DHBs. Payne said in a release the figures were misleading to the public as they reflect an unrealistic representation of the way nurses are rostered and obscure the true pay changes for nursing staff. “The hypothetical $93,000 came from an example of a nurse working full time, with some overtime and significant weekend and night work. The reality is that the majority of nurses in this bracket are not full time and not working rostered shifts on top of this,” she said.Middlemore DHB Failure
Court papers show that Middlemore Hospital failed to pursue a multimillion dollar claim against construction firm Hawkins. The claim was lodged in 2012 for $12.3 million but was never actioned. The case was settled outside of court by the Counties Manukau District Health Board for a reduced $3 million in 2017. The cost filed was cut back to $6 million, but the actual bill is expected to be towards five times that. The local DHB reported that the amount filed was a severe under-estimation of what the repairs would cost, and prepared with little information or verification.
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Starbucks in the United States has shut all 8,000 of its stores for racial bias training. Overnight, the coffee chain closed its doors for four hours which is estimated to cost approximately $29 million in lost sales. The move comes two months following an incident in Philadelphia where two African American men were detained by police after a store manager accused them of not leaving or purchasing anything. They were waiting for a business meeting. In the training, employees will participate in discussions and problem-solving sessions on identifying and avoiding bias in everyday situations.No More Plastic EU
The European Union is proposing to outlaw single-use plastic products in an attempt to reduce waste ending up in the ocean. The proposals are aimed at banning many common plastic items including straws, cotton buds, and cutlery. The EU estimates the ban will avoid 3.4 million tonnes of carbon emissions, prevent environmental damage equal to $36 billion by 2030, and save consumers $10 billion.America-China Relations Progress
The White House has taken new steps in its effort to reduce a $488 billion trade deficit with China. It has announced that it will impose a 25 percent tariff on $72 billion of Chinese goods containing industrially-significant technology. The tariffs will include goods related to the Made in China 2025 trade plan which are deemed to harm American Companies. President Trump believes that the new tariffs will make the trading relationship between the US and China more fair and reciprocal. The full list of imports that will be subject to the 25 perceny tariffs are due to be announced by June 15.Elections Touted For Libya
Libya’s rival factions have agreed to hold parliamentary and presidential elections on 10th of December. The four militant groups met in Paris and agreed to take up the necessary laws by mid-September. Libya has been controlled by various armed groups since the toppling and killing of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.Another Gaza Attack
Factions of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad have claimed joint responsibility for a shell attack on southern Israel. The actions of the Gaza Militant groups were responded to instantly by Israel with a wave of airstrikes across the Palestinian territory. Tensions have escalated along the border in recent weeks after a series of Palestinian protests against the anniversary of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. Three soldiers and one civilian were injured on the Israeli side, but no fatalities have been reported.Additional reporting by: Harry Willis, Tu Natanahira and Oscar Perress.