News of Zealand: Should Dental Care Be Free?

Everything you need to know about the world today, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.

Hamilton Dairy Owners Ask for Cigarette Vending Machines
Cigarettes are becoming a major cause of concern for store owners. After a string of cigarette-related robberies, dairy owners in Hamilton are pleading for the Government to fund tobacco vending machines. In Auckland, tobacco-fuelled violence is also on the rise, with machete and hammer-armed robberies in the last week. Minister of Police Stuart Nash says the government was not considering providing cigarette machines. Shop owners are on their own to install better security systems, with no subsidies provided by the government.

Push For Subsidised Dental Care
The New Zealand Dental Association says more needs to be done to ensure those living in low-socioeconomic areas receive the dental care they require. The association says that the high price of dental care meant that many were unable to afford it. In response, the association has called for the government to increase the scope of its subsidies. At the moment, subsidies are available only in emergency situations—but the association is asking for these to be extended to regular dental check-ups and cleans. A Consumer NZ survey found that Auckland was the cheapest place in the country to receive a dental exam and clean, at $226.

Air New Zealand Cuts Regional Flights
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones has warned Air New Zealand to stop shutting down regional flights. He said while Air New Zealand are adept at movement between New Zealand's cities, it is irresponsible to ignore the provinces. Air New Zealand has stopped flights to Kaitaia and are in the process of ending flights to the Kapiti Coast. The government still owns a large part of Air New Zealand. Air NZ's regional affairs manager, Ian Collier did not want to respond.

Ardern May Be Cracking Down on Oil
Jacinda Ardern has revealed that the government may not be making any new block offers this year. A 'block offer' is an annual exploration permit which is issued by the government to potential oil investors. The offer, which must be run past iwi and hapu communities first, allows investors to then mine for oil and fossil fuels in designated areas. However, following an anti-fuel petition which was given to the Prime Minister yesterday, questions have arisen as to whether or not Ardern intends to grant any block offers this year. Ardern said this morning that the government, while committed to maintaining current block offers, would be considering whether it was necessary to create any new offers this year.

Indonesian President Arrives In NZ
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has welcomed Indonesian President Joko Widodo to New Zealand. Widodo arrived early yesterday morning and has since attended a series of confidential talks. Ardern says that the talks have mainly focused on improving the economic relationship between the two countries, but she plans to discuss human rights issues with Widodo further down the line. Widodo's government has been criticised by human rights groups for its handling of protesters from the Free West Papua Movement, as well as for its persecution of Christians and the LGBT+ community.

Facebook Shares Drop After Facebook Shares Personal Info
Facebook shares have dropped dramatically, as the social network faces questions from US and British politicians about its privacy rules. Facebook is in hot water after reports detailing how Cambridge Analytica, which is credited with helping Donald Trump win the US election, acquired and used Facebook's customer information. Shares for the social media giant fell close to 8 percent in afternoon trading in New York. The company is accused of failing to properly inform users that their profile information may have been obtained and kept by Cambridge Analytica, who allegedly used the data to sway voters.

Self-Driving Cars Suspended After Killing a Woman in Arizona

Uber is

suspending all testing of self-driving cars

after a woman was killed yesterday in Arizona.

The car contained a driver but was in autonomous mode and struck the woman who was crossing a pedestrian crossing. The woman reportedly died later at the hospital from injuries. Uber is ceasing all tests of self-driving cars in Pittsburg, Phoenix, San Francisco and Toronto. This is the first death Uber has had from a self-driving car in the United States.

United Kingdom Announces Brexit Transition Agreement
The United Kingdom has struck a deal with the European Union on the terms of the Brexit transition period. The agreement states that the transition period will last 21 months, beginning March next year. Under the agreement, any EU citizens entering the UK during this time will receive the same rights as those who had arrived before Brexit began. The agreement also contains an emergency 'backstop' provision, which is aimed at preventing a hard border from developing in Ireland. Should a hard land border look inevitable, the backstop provision would avoid this by creating a new customs border between the UK and Ireland.

Vladimir Putin Returns to Office In Wholly Predictable Election
Vladimir Putin is claiming to be open to "constructive" dialogue, after securing his fourth term as president of Russia. At a meeting with the seven defeated candidates, he said his main goal was economic growth. Putin continues to deny an "arms race", despite releasing a video earlier this month which appears to show Russian missiles striking the US state of Florida. He is claiming to have plans to cut defence funding as well as stating that Russia needs to strengthen its defences. Golos, an independent election monitoring group, says that there have been many irregularities in this election’s polls.

New Caledonia May Become Independent
New Caledonia has announced plans to have an independence referendum on November 4. If New Caledonia votes for independence they will be the first French territory since Vanuatu in 1980 to declare independence from France. Independence has been a source of contention in the country for decades, with several violent clashes in the mid-1980s between independence seekers and police. The French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he hopes New Caledonia will remain French.

Philippines Moves Closer to Legalising Divorce
The Philippines' lower house of Congress has passed a divorce billon the third reading, moving them closer to legalisation of separation. The bill passed despite opposition from President Rodrigo Duterte, who had his own marriage legally annulled. For divorce to become legal in the Philippines the Senate has to pass a bill in favour, and even then Duterte could still use his veto to strike it down. The Philippines and Vatican City are the only places on earth where divorce is illegal.

Additional reporting by Leonard Powell, Grace Watson, Daniel Meech