Google has claimed it will block local news in New Zealand if its government proceeds with new legislation that would force it to pay publishers for news.

New Zealand announced on Tuesday an increase in its International Visitor Conservation and Tourist Levy (IVL) to NZ$100 ($62) from NZ$35 ($22) starting from Oct. 1 to "ensure visitors contribute more to public services and high-quality experiences."

North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that a new hypersonic solid-fuel intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), the Hwasong-16B, was successfully tested.

A new study published last week in Nature Communications has claimed that the snow-covered area of the Juneau Icefield, which extends from Canada's British Columbia into southeast Alaska, is melting at an "incredibly worrying" rate.