Everything you need to know about the world this morning, curated by 95bFM and VICE NZ.Final Election Results Released After Special Votes Counted
Two weeks after polling day, the special votes have been counted and the final results of New Zealand's general election released. The National Party has lost two seats, bringing its total to 56. Two parties benefited from this loss—Labour and Greens both gained a seat each, increasing their representation in parliament to 46 and eight MPs respectively. This year's turnout is the highest for a general election since 2005, with 79.8 percent of enrolled electors casting a vote. Despite their gain, the Labour/Green block still needs New Zealand First's nine seats to govern. Coalition negotiations kicked off yesterday, with National and Labour both meeting separately with Winston Peters. The NZ First leader said yesterday's meetings were very constructive. Peters says NZ First is considering all possible arrangements in forming the new government and is on track to meet the self-imposed deadline of Thursday to make a decision.Tertiary Education Enrolment Falls
Ministry of Education figures show New Zealand tertiary enrolments have reached their lowest point in more than a decade. 353,000 domestic students were enrolled last year, a drop of 70,000 since 2009. The fall in participation has occurred across all age groups, but is most significant among those over 40. Jonathan Gee, president of the Union of Students' Associations, attributes the drop in enrolments to the rising cost of living and lack of financial support.Holding Young People in Jail is Dangerous, Says Children's Commissioner
New Zealand's Children Commissioner is calling for an end to the incarceration of minors. Judge Andrew Becroft says the imprisonment of young people is psychologically dangerous, presenting high risks of self-harm or even suicide. Last week a 13-year-old boy was held in a police cell with several adults. The commissioner adds that, in general, this practice should be considered unacceptable. His concerns were already raised last year at the United Nations in Geneva, when New Zealand was last examined by the organisation. Under the Oranga Tamariki Act, children can only be held by the police if they are charged with an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years.New Australian Anti-Terror Law Allows Children as Young as 10 to Be Detained
The Australian government has proposed a new anti-terror law that could see children as young as 10 detained without charge for up to a fortnight. The plan to hold suspected terrorists was agreed to on Thursday by federal, state and territory leaders. However, at the time leaders did not detail that the law would apply to children. The law council has criticised the move, called it an "extraordinarily draconian" measure. Justice Minister Michael Keenan has defended the proposed law saying it is necessary in the current situation because Islamic State specialises in recruiting children.Thousands Take to the Streets in Catalonia
On Sunday the Spanish Prime Minister announced he is prepared to suspend Catalonia's autonomy to stop the state from splitting from the rest of Spain. The statement spurred hundreds of thousands of people to protest in the streets in a rally organised by the region's main pro-unity organisation, Societat Civil Catalana. The recent Catalonia independence referendum showed that 90 percent of participants voted for independence with almost 8 percent voting against while 2 percent of ballot cards were left blank. The Catalan president is set to appear in parliament on Tuesday to report on the current political situation and to put the referendum results to MPs.White Nationalists Return to Charlottesville
White nationalist protesters have returned to the US town of Charlottesville, two months after violent protests. Over the weekend, 40-50 people attended a small rally in Emancipation Park by the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. The torch-lit rally was organised by far-right figure Richard Spencer with attendees chanting "the south will rise again" and "Russia is our friend". Charlottesville Mayor, Mike Singers has criticised the gathering, saying town officials are looking at legal ways to prevent further events.Hurricane Nate Weakens but Alabama Threats Remain
Hurricane Nate is weakening rapidly after making landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi over the weekend. Storm surge warnings have been lifted in some areas, but weather officials say danger remains in Alabama and western Florida. US President Donald Trump has issued an emergency declaration for Louisiana, allowing the state to seek federal help with preparation and possible relief efforts. Hurricane Nate has already killed at least 25 people in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras.Reporting by Alessandra Nixon, Jean Bell and Lisa Boudet.
LOCAL NEWS
Two weeks after polling day, the special votes have been counted and the final results of New Zealand's general election released. The National Party has lost two seats, bringing its total to 56. Two parties benefited from this loss—Labour and Greens both gained a seat each, increasing their representation in parliament to 46 and eight MPs respectively. This year's turnout is the highest for a general election since 2005, with 79.8 percent of enrolled electors casting a vote. Despite their gain, the Labour/Green block still needs New Zealand First's nine seats to govern. Coalition negotiations kicked off yesterday, with National and Labour both meeting separately with Winston Peters. The NZ First leader said yesterday's meetings were very constructive. Peters says NZ First is considering all possible arrangements in forming the new government and is on track to meet the self-imposed deadline of Thursday to make a decision.Tertiary Education Enrolment Falls
Ministry of Education figures show New Zealand tertiary enrolments have reached their lowest point in more than a decade. 353,000 domestic students were enrolled last year, a drop of 70,000 since 2009. The fall in participation has occurred across all age groups, but is most significant among those over 40. Jonathan Gee, president of the Union of Students' Associations, attributes the drop in enrolments to the rising cost of living and lack of financial support.
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New Zealand's Children Commissioner is calling for an end to the incarceration of minors. Judge Andrew Becroft says the imprisonment of young people is psychologically dangerous, presenting high risks of self-harm or even suicide. Last week a 13-year-old boy was held in a police cell with several adults. The commissioner adds that, in general, this practice should be considered unacceptable. His concerns were already raised last year at the United Nations in Geneva, when New Zealand was last examined by the organisation. Under the Oranga Tamariki Act, children can only be held by the police if they are charged with an offence carrying a maximum penalty of 14 years.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
The Australian government has proposed a new anti-terror law that could see children as young as 10 detained without charge for up to a fortnight. The plan to hold suspected terrorists was agreed to on Thursday by federal, state and territory leaders. However, at the time leaders did not detail that the law would apply to children. The law council has criticised the move, called it an "extraordinarily draconian" measure. Justice Minister Michael Keenan has defended the proposed law saying it is necessary in the current situation because Islamic State specialises in recruiting children.Thousands Take to the Streets in Catalonia
On Sunday the Spanish Prime Minister announced he is prepared to suspend Catalonia's autonomy to stop the state from splitting from the rest of Spain. The statement spurred hundreds of thousands of people to protest in the streets in a rally organised by the region's main pro-unity organisation, Societat Civil Catalana. The recent Catalonia independence referendum showed that 90 percent of participants voted for independence with almost 8 percent voting against while 2 percent of ballot cards were left blank. The Catalan president is set to appear in parliament on Tuesday to report on the current political situation and to put the referendum results to MPs.White Nationalists Return to Charlottesville
White nationalist protesters have returned to the US town of Charlottesville, two months after violent protests. Over the weekend, 40-50 people attended a small rally in Emancipation Park by the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee. The torch-lit rally was organised by far-right figure Richard Spencer with attendees chanting "the south will rise again" and "Russia is our friend". Charlottesville Mayor, Mike Singers has criticised the gathering, saying town officials are looking at legal ways to prevent further events.Hurricane Nate Weakens but Alabama Threats Remain
Hurricane Nate is weakening rapidly after making landfall in Louisiana and Mississippi over the weekend. Storm surge warnings have been lifted in some areas, but weather officials say danger remains in Alabama and western Florida. US President Donald Trump has issued an emergency declaration for Louisiana, allowing the state to seek federal help with preparation and possible relief efforts. Hurricane Nate has already killed at least 25 people in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Honduras.Reporting by Alessandra Nixon, Jean Bell and Lisa Boudet.