11:30 PM Saturday Feb 11, 2017
Almost 4000 homes in the Napier area are without power in what Unison the lines company is calling an ‘unplanned’ outage.
The areas affected are Tamatea, Tutira and Mokamoka Road.
Unison hopes to have the supply back on about 12.30am.
FEBRUARY 11 2017 – 7:52PM
Stephen Jeffery, Claudia Long
Canberrans sweltered through temperatures in the low 40s on Friday and Saturday with some cooler relief in sight as rain was forecast on Sunday.
The Bureau of Meteorology forecast a 60 per cent chance of rain to round out a stifling weekend, with a relatively balmy high of 32 degrees.
The slight relief will end two days of maximum temperatures above 40 degrees, the third time such a string has happened in Canberra since records began.
Canberra Airport’s weather station recorded a 41.1 degree peak at 2pm on Saturday, up from the 40.4 maximum on Friday.
That was not enough to beat the 42.2 degrees on Canberra’s hottest recorded day on February 1, 1968.
Across the border, NSW faced the “worst possible fire conditions” in its history with a “catastrophic” warning in place across large slabs of the state after a heatwave smashed temperature records on Saturday.
Rural Fire Service (RFS) Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons said the situation was as “bad as it gets” and warned it was set to get worse on Sunday when winds are expected to sweep through scorched parts of mid to northern NSW.
“To put it simply [the conditions] are off the old scale,” he said. “It is without precedent in NSW”. 
Commissioner Fitzsimmons said “catastrophic” fire ratings had been issued only once before in NSW – in 2013 – since national standardised ratings were introduced in 2009. Sunday’s catastrophic fire rating will stretch from Dubbo to Coonabarabran to Port Stephens, affecting the Central Ranges, North Western NSW and the Greater Hunter.
“This is an area three to five times larger than January 2013,” he said, when more than 140 fires were burnt across the state.
“[Any fire] will consume whatever is in its path.”
On Saturday afternoon, the RFS said 49 bushfires or grassfires were already burning across NSW, 17 of which were not contained but no loss of life or property had been recorded.
In the ACT, firefighters tended to at least two grass fires on Saturday, and a fiery car crash in the Parkes Way tunnel, all of which were extinguished quickly.
A total fire ban across the territory will remain in place until 11.59pm on Sunday.
Conditions are expected to ease from Monday to Wednesday.
Power problems plagued the capital on Saturday, with outages in parts of Monash, Wanniassa and Gungahlin. Residents have been asked to continue keeping their power usage to a minimum.
There was good news for bookworms, however, as Belconnen Library fixed the air conditioning problem that forced its closure on Friday afternoon. The library will open as usual on Sunday.
The forecast temperature drop will come as a relief to the city’s wildlife as well. At Tidbinbilla, rangers cooled off the native inhabitants with buckets of water.
National Zoo and Aquarium operations manager Renee Osterloh said their animal handlers provided a range of icy treats in the hot weather.
She said most of the animals slowed down and sought cool places to conserve energy and rest during hot summer days.
“We’ve got bloodsicles, fishicles and fruitsicles,” she said.
Temperatures are expected to rise again before the weekend, however, with forecast highs of 34 degrees on both Thursday and Friday.
– with Eryk Bagshaw, Megan Levy, Peter Hannam
Source : Canberra Times
Ten years ago, on February 10, 2007, Vladimir Putin delivered his landmark speech at a security conference in Munich, Germany. The “Munich speech” has since then become a program of Russia’s foreign policy.
Putin’s Munich speech produced a bombshell effect both during the summit and after it. Western media and politicians eventually assumed that “Russia was resuming the Cold War,” while Putin was a “dictator.”
However, ten years later, it appears that the picture of the world order, which Putin described in Munich, remains most viable today. During the speech, Putin stated that the era of the unipolar world was drawing to its end and suggested equal partnership of sovereign states in the multipolar world.
Russia was one of those sovereign states with its foreign political interests, Putin said. Yet, Western political elites strongly rejected the idea of sovereign Russia and its interests.
Ten years ago, Putin appeared not only as a designer of the new world order, but also a man, who paid attention of the whole world to objective laws of history.
Over the recent ten years, we have seen hysterical and bloody attempts of the “center of power” of the unipolar world to retain its supremacy. At the same time, we could also see the power and authority of the unipolar world flow away through fingers like sand.
To date, all have recognized the existence of two world systems. The first one is the “exceptional” one, in which the USA acts as the undisputed supremacist. The second one is the multipolar system, in which there are many decision-making centers, with Russia being one of those centers. Yet, Russia is not a supremacist nation in this system, but rather “one of the first among other equal patners.”
Russia can resort to using weapons only for defensive or protective purposes, to protect civilian populations. As for the United States, it seems that the country has entirely forgotten during the presidency of Barack Obama that there is such a thing as “soft power.” Instead, the USA was promoting its interests only via color revolutions or bloody military invasions and bombings.
Naturally, the number of countries attracted to Russia’s vision of the world order has been growing steadily. Even Russia’s historical, political and ideological rivals prefer to step out of the world order in which the USA is the only “exceptional” supremacist. The brightest example to it is the UK’s Brexit.
The most striking aspect about all this is that even the USA no longer wants to be the world’s No.1 supremacist. At least, we can say so about those Americans who voted for Donald Trump. He wants to make America great again by turning his back on the role of the USA as the “world policeman.”
As we can see, the USA has been going through withdrawals. We can see it in many protests against the policy of Donald Trump. There are many people in America who do not seem to be able to understand that the “ivory tower” that they have been building on the blood of other peoples for years could tumble down so quickly.
Source : Pravda
SPD-Kanzlerkandidat
SPD-Kanzlerhoffnung Martin Schulz bekommt kräftigen Gegenwind: Die Union fordert Aufklärung über fragwürdige Gehaltszahlungen an einen engen Mitarbeiter. Die Sozialdemokraten wittern eine “Schmutzkampagne”.
Finanzminister Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) hat Martin Schulz im Interview mit dem SPIEGEL vorgeworfen, der SPD-Kanzlerkandidat betreibe Stimmungsmache wie in den USA Donald Trump. Die Sozialdemokraten schießen zurück: Parteivize Ralf Stegner warf Schäuble “Angstbeißen” vor. Offenbar herrsche beim politischen Gegner “nackte Panik, wenn jetzt schon die Führungsriege der Union gegen Martin Schulz losholzt”. SPD-Generalsekretärin Katarina Barley warf der Union eine gezielte Schmutzkampagne vor. CDU-Abgeordnete würden “9 Seiten Gerüchte gegen Martin Schulz an Journalisten verteilen”, twitterte sie.
Fragwürdige Zuschläge
Und nachdem der SPIEGEL gemeldet hat, dass der Martin-Schulz-Vertraute Markus Engels vom EU-Parlament fragwürdige Zuschläge erhielt, fordern Unionspolitiker nun Aufklärung. Sie werde sich dafür einsetzen, “dass diese und andere Enthüllungen gewissenhaft untersucht werden”, sagte Inge Gräßle (CDU), Haushaltskontrolleurin im Europaparlament der britischen “Sunday Times”.
Auch CSU-Generalsekretär Andreas Scheuer attackierte Schulz. “Wer als Präsident seine Amtsprivilegien für den Wahlkampf nutzt und seine engen Vetrauten üppig auf Staatskosten versorgt, ist ein unglaubwürdiger Kandidat fürs Kanzleramt”, schreibt Scheuer auf Facebook.
CDU-Generalsekretär Peter Tauber warf Schulz Doppelmoral vor: “Kandidat Schulz inszeniert sich als angebliches Sprachrohr des kleinen Mannes und Kämpfer für mehr Gerechtigkeit – versorgt aber seine Mitarbeiter auf Kosten der hart arbeitenden Leute”, sagte Tauber den Zeitungen der Funke-Mediengruppe.
Wie der SPIEGEL in seiner aktuellen Ausgabe berichtet, hatte Schulz’ Wahlkampfmanager Engels als Angestellter im Europaparlament von einem fragwürdigen vertraglichen Arrangement profitiert. Engels, der mit Dienstort Brüssel angestellt war, arbeitete für Schulz von 2012 an überwiegend im Berliner Informationsbüro.
Da sein vertraglicher Dienstort jedoch Brüssel war, konnte Engels einen steuerfreien Auslandszuschlag geltend machen. Das bedeutet ein Plus von monatlich 840 Euro auf sein Grundgehalt in Höhe von 5200 Euro. Wegen der Einstufung von Brüssel als Dienstort konnte Engels seine Anwesenheit in Berlin zudem als Dienstreise abrechnen. Laut internen Unterlagen war Engels allein 2012 ganze 273 Tage dort auf Dienstreise, was ihm zusätzlich 16.621,47 Euro einbrachte.
Regelmäßige Flüge im Privatjet
Darüber hinaus versuchte Schulz über Jahre hinweg, seinem Berliner Statthalter eine der begehrten EU-Beamtenstellen zu verschaffen. Dies belegen interne E-Mails, aus denen der SPIEGEL zitiert. 2014 sollte Engels offenbar zum Leiter der “Media Intelligence Unit” aufsteigen. “Der Präsident selbst hat mir gestern Abend gesagt, wie wichtig ihm das Verfahren ist”, schrieb ein Mitarbeiter der EU-Personalverwaltung am 27. Februar 2014 an seine Kollegen. “Wir müssen das jetzt machen”, heißt es darin weiter.
Engels und SPD wollten dazu nicht Stellung nehmen. Das Europaparlament betonte, die Ausschreibung der Beamtenstelle hätte nicht zu Schulz’ Aufgaben gehört. Engels könne Dienstreisen geltend machen, wie jeder andere Angestellte auch.
Für Sonntag hat die britische “Sunday Times” weitere Veröffentlichungen über das “System Schulz” im Europaparlament angekündigt. In dem Artikel, den der SPIEGEL vorab einsehen konnte, geht es um die äußert aufwendige Amtsführung des jetzigen SPD-Kanzlerkandidaten. Unter anderem soll Schulz regelmäßig Privatflieger genutzt haben, beispielsweise bei einem Trip von Straßburg nach Berlin im Februar 2015. Das Ziel war die SPD-Jahresauftaktklausur in Nauen. Die Fluglisten liegen dem SPIEGEL vor.
Die Haushaltskontrolleure im Parlament versuchen seit 2014 aufzuklären, ob Schulz im Europawahlkampf Privilegien als Präsident für parteipolitische Zwecke genutzt habe.
Der Spiegel
Desde 2012 que há uma tendência de decréscimo no número de interrupções voluntárias da gravidez, o que estará relacionado com um maior acesso ao planeamento familiar
Quando ligou para a Associação para o Planeamento da Família, Ana, 32 anos, casada e com um filho de 6, estava desesperada. Elisabete Fernandes, a psicóloga que atendeu o telefone, recorda que a mulher “nunca imaginou ter um teste positivo e não desejar uma gravidez”. Tinha “o pensamento mágico de que não engravidava”, porque tinha tido um pós-parto complicado e relações sexuais esporádicas. “Queria saber o que fazer, qual era o processo para a interrupção da gravidez, se tinha de ser vista pela médica de família”.
Casos como este são frequentes. “Dez anos depois do referendo, muitas pessoas desconhecem como é que é o acesso a uma primeira consulta”, diz a técnica da equipa de atendimento da APF. É essa uma das razões para contactarem a associação. “Querem saber o que têm de fazer, se têm de ir ao centro de saúde ou se podem ir diretamente ao hospital. Temem que a confidencialidade não seja salvaguardada”.
Duarte Vilar, diretor executivo da APF, reforça que “há muito desconhecimento sobre os direitos e procedimentos práticos”. Há um “período curto”, em que “é preciso agir rapidamente” e “há muitas mulheres que, de facto, não sabem o o que fazer, porque nunca passaram pela situação”. É também por isso, explica, que a APF defende um alargamento das 10 para as 12 semanas (a contar desde a última menstruação) do prazo legal para a IVG a pedido da mulher.
O diretor executivo da APF diz que “há situações em que as mulheres ficam de fora do prazo da lei”, razão pela qual “algumas continuam a ir a Espanha interromper a gravidez”. Para combater o problema da falta de informação, Duarte Vilar considera que seria importante criar “um ponto focal sobre IVG em cada Agrupamento de centros de saúde, uma forma de “aumentar o acesso à informação”.
Acesso à saúde não é uniforme
Teresa Bombas, presidente da Sociedade Portuguesa da Contraceção, não tem dados que lhe permitam confirmar esta falta de informação, mas reconhece que “o acesso à saúde não é uniforme em todo o país”, pelo que aceita que “a acessibilidade à informação também possa não ser uniforme”. Sem esquecer “a população imigrante em Portugal”. “Se existe pouca informação temos então que todos trabalhar no sentido de promover a divulgação da informação”.
Elisabete Fernandes recorda um outro caso de uma jovem de 20 anos que ligou para a APF “muito aflita, muito desorganizada”. Queria interromper a gravidez, mas não queria que ninguém soubesse. Achava que teria de ficar internada e que isso a iria denunciar. “Foi um alívio enorme saber que seria em ambulatório. A maioria das mulheres não sabe este detalhe.”
Há casos em que não está a ser feito qualquer tipo de contraceção, outros em que é mal feita. “Falamos da vigilância e da importância de rever a contraceção”, conta a psicóloga. Elisabete diz que “ninguém faz um aborto de ânimo leve”. “É uma decisão difícil para a mulher, independentemente da circunstância”. Se há pessoas “muito seguras”, outras mostram-se mais “ambivalentes”. “Nós damos suporte, qualquer que seja a decisão”.
Decréscimo desde 2012
Rui Nogueira, presidente da Associação Portuguesa de Medicina Geral e Familiar, acredita que “a maior parte das vezes” não se coloca o problema da falta de informação sobre a IVG. Há “timings muito exigentes”, reconhece, mas “deve promover-se mais a consulta de planeamento familiar, do que como se faz uma IVG”. Dez anos após a despenalização, considera que Portugal está “no caminho certo”: “menos IVG, mais consultas de planeamento, menos complicações”. O grande salto “é mortalidade zero”.
As estatísticas de 2016 da Direção-Geral da Saúde ainda não estão disponíveis, mas os números de 2008 a 2015 mostram que há uma tendência de decréscimo no número de IVG desde 2012. Em 2015, foram realizadas 15.873 por vontade da mulher, o número mais baixo desde 2008.
Lisa Vicente, chefe da Divisão de Saúde Sexual, Reprodutiva, Infantil e Juvenil da DGS, diz que esta diminuição “é o resultado de anos de trabalho”. Por um lado, refere, “melhoraram os recursos para as mulheres que queriam realizar uma IG de forma segura”. Por outro, tem existido em Portugal “um reforço da preocupação com o planeamento familiar, não só das mulheres que fazem uma IG, mas em geral.” A responsável lembra que “desde 2005, uma grande parte dos métodos contracetivos são disponibilizados gratuitamente nos centros de saúde”.
O mais importante é, para Lisa Vicente, “o facto de as complicações ligadas ao aborto inseguro terem diminuído drasticamente”.
Segundo Teresa Bombas, a tendência verificada em Portugal é comum a outros países. “Primeiro parece haver um acréscimo, pois passa a haver registos e números e depois tem havido um decréscimo”. Em 10 anos, “tudo” mudou em Portugal: “O numero de IG tem diminuído e o uso de contraceção aumentado, o que significa que as mulheres não substituíram a contraceção pelo recurso ao aborto”. Está a ser feito um “trabalho efetivo”, mas é preciso “garantir condições de acessibilidade aos cuidados de saúde da mulher” em condições iguais “para toda a população”. Com ANA MAIA
Diário de Notícias
SANTIAGO — Patricio Bustos Streeter has taken charge of the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Drug and Alcohol Consumption (SENDA) as the new director of the National Service.
The new director, who is a Surgeon physician from the University of Chile, with a degree in Management and Leadership from the University of Santiago de Chile, was chosen by the nominee of the proposal proposed by the High Public Management Council.
President Michelle Bachelet also approved Dr. Streeter’ appointment earlier this week.
Dr. Streeter has a wide experience and trajectory in the public sector. He served as head of the Legal Medical Service (SML) between 2007 and 2016, a post in which he was also nominated after applying through the High Public Management System.
During his career, he has also served as Seremi for Health and Government in Antofagasta, director of the Health Service of Iquique, was chief of staff of the Undersecretariat of Health, responsible for Administration of the Health Programs Division, and in charge of Projects and Comprehensive Care of CONASIDA, among others.
Source : Santiago Times
US media report Foreign Affairs Secretary and Trump advisor urged softening language
The relationship between Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray and Donald Trump’s son-in-law is close enough that they helped rewrite the United States president’s speech two weeks ago when he signed the executive order to begin construction of a border wall, say media reports.
CBS News and the Washington Post have reported that Videgaray persuaded Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, to soften the language in the speech because of the damage it might cause to relations between the two countries.
Videgaray, however, has denied the claim. “I never thought the day would come when I would use this phrase, but it applies now: FAKE NEWS,” he wrote on his Twitter account.
CBS News said that according to unnamed Mexican officials Videgaray was meeting with members of the administration in the White House the day Trump was to sign the order for the border wall when Kushner showed him a copy of the president’s speech.
The officials said Videgaray was horrified, and that Kushner suggested they rewrite it to make it less damaging. The two met with Trump in the Oval Office where they urged the president to soften the language about Mexico, and he agreed.
A White House official has since disputed that version of events. “This is not an accurate account of their meeting and they did not ‘rewrite’ portions of the speech,” he told CBS News.
In the end, softening the language was not enough to prevent an angry response in Mexico, which prompted President Enrique Peña Nieto to make a public broadcast that evening to reiterate that Mexico would not pay for a border wall.
That drew a sharp response the following morning from Trump, who suggested a summit scheduled for the following week should be canceled. Peña Nieto did just that, and ordered Videgaray to return home.
The Washington Post reported today that Videgaray and Kushner, who met through friends in the financial industry, have developed a personal bond.
“Videgaray has in his favor a close relationship with Jared, and that opens a direct channel of communication with Trump,” said Rafael Fernández de Castro, a professor at the ITAM university in Mexico City. Though, he added, “the son-in-law is not going to save us.”
Source : Mexico Daily News
The National Chairman of the leading opposition SDF party John Fru Ndi faced the press on the upcoming Silver Jubilee celebrations.
This was to kick-start activities to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Cameroon’s foremost opposition party, the Social Democratic Front, S.D.F., kick-started on May 16, 2015, in Yaounde with a press conference given by the National Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi.
Pressmen first learnt that the calendar of activities organised from May 16 to 26, 2015 will feature the party’s strong presence during the 43rd National Day march past, especially in Yaounde.
An ecumenical service will hold at the Bamenda Congress Hall on May 24, 2015 in support of victims of the war against Boko Haram.
Cultural and sporting activities, a conference-debate and a clean-up campaign will precede the launch of a publication entitled, “The Untold Story” on the creation of the S.D.F. The celebration will be climaxed on May 26, 2015 with a Grand Rally at the Bamenda Commercial Avenue.
Anchoring on the celebration’s theme, “The S.D.F: 25 Years in the Struggle for Democracy and Good Governance,” Ni John Fru Ndi, in his preliminary statement, attributed the party’s survival to the members’ unwavering belief in its ideology based on social justice and equal opportunities.
He stated the need for the party to continue its struggle because Cameroonians are still confronted with many of the economic, social and political problems that plagued the country when the party was launched.
“When we launched the party some 25 years ago, the prevailing social, economic and political environment was characterised by tribalism, nepotism, favoritism, chauvinism, corruption and embezzlement,” he said.
Nevertheless, Fru Ndi was full of hope. “It is our responsibility to build a nation. We are out to set on course a nation we can be proud of, given its potentials and prospects for a bright future,” he stated, adding that it is not about an office, or ministerial portfolio.
Caught in a cross-fire of questions from pressmen, Ni John Fru Ndi reiterated the party’s preference for a strong Federal State, united in its diversity with a prosperous economy and governed by inclusive institutions.
He reaffirmed the primordial importance of party discipline, assistance of families of party martyrs, election of the Chairman through primaries and the serious commitment to the ongoing reconciliation process.
Ni John Fru Ndi ended by reaffirming the party’s support to Cameroonian and Chadian Defence Forces engaged with heroism and courage in the war against Boko Haram.
Backed by executives of the party, the S.D.F. Chairman engaged in a verbal tussle with pressmen on burning issues that have characterised S.D.F’s drive to ascend to power.
Source : Cameroon Daily Net
Dans le nord du Cameroun, les djihadistes de Boko Haram continuent les attaques suicides, en représailles aux frappes de la force régionale. Il se passe rarement une semaine sans que le groupe ne fasse sauter des bombes. Pour protéger les communautés, le Cameroun renforce les capacités des groupes locaux d’autodéfense qui aident les militaires. Moki Edwin Kindzeka, correspondant de VOA Afrique au Cameroun est parti à leur rencontre.
A Mora, près de la frontière nigériane, les 200 recrues du groupe d’auto-défense sont accueillies en musique. Midjiyawa Bakari, gouverneur de la région du Grand Nord a fait le déplacement. Il dit qu’ils sont plus déterminés que jamais à éradiquer les attentats suicides dans leur localité.
Le gouverneur a équipé la milice d’autodéfense de Mora, de motos, bicyclettes, détecteurs de métaux. Il leur a aussi fourni de l’argent.
Dale Paul dirige le groupe.Il sont sont plus déterminés que jamais à éradiquer les attentats suicides dans leur localité, dit-il.
Il n’empêche, beaucoup se demandent jusqu’ou pourra-t-on compter sur les milices. L’an dernier, des membres de groupes d’autodéfense, soupçonnés d’être des infiltres ont été arrêtés. Pour les autorités, ces groupes d’autodéfense font un travail indispensable qui sauve des vies. Ils connaissent le terrain et partagent des renseignements avec les militaires.
Ce soir, un vent fort souffle sur le village.
Quatre-vingt vigiles armés de machettes, d’arcs, de flèches, de couteaux et de lances sont réunis pour prendre la relève. L’armée protège la frontière et le groupe d’auto-défense s’assure qu’aucun étranger n’entre dans le village.
Kaadil Ousmanou, explique que les miliciens sont dotés de téléphones cellulaires pour prévenir les militaires des qu’ils voient des suspects. D’apres lui, ils se sacrifient pour le bien-être de leur village.
Joseph Manaouda affirme que grâce aux vigiles, la population peut dormir la nuit. Chef du village de Mora, il rappel que si les groupes d’autodéfense ne peuvent pas avoir d’armes, ils ont tout de meme réussi à arrêter plusieurs attaques.
Lorsque les miliciens arrêtent des suspects qui tentent d’entrer au Cameroun, ils s’empressent d’informer les chefs traditionnels nigérians de l’autre cote de la frontiere. Joseph Manaouda ajoute que les miliciens communiquent également avec les groupes nigérians d’auto-défense.
Des dizaines de miliciens ont été tues dans le Nord du Cameroun. Sali Ali Mahamat a échappé de justesse à la mort. Age de 44 ans, il avait été affecté aux îles du lac Tchad avec ses deux frères.
Il raconte que deux combattants de Boko Haram, armes aux poings, les ont forcés à naviguer à travers le lac Tchad vers un village du Cameroun.
D’après Sali, ses deux frères ont attaqué le terroriste et l’armée est venue à la rescousse. Il s’en est tiré avec une balle dans la main droite et a été soigné gratuitement dans un hôpital public.
Daily News Cameroon
Numbers are trending upwards but still below those of 2014
Migrants bed down in a shelter.
After several months of respite the number of children and teenagers attempting and failing to cross the Mexico-U.S. border illegally is once again on the rise.
According to a report published in late January by Conapo, the National Population Council, measures intended to contain and deter unaccompanied minors traveling to the United States have failed.
Instead, those measures have had the unwanted effect of forcing the migrants to seek more dangerous routes that expose them further to the exploitation by human traffickers.
Conapo’s report quoted U.S. Border Patrol figures, which indicated that between October 2015 and August 2016, 54,000 unaccompanied undocumented children and teenagers were detained at the border, a sharp increase over the less than 40,000 detained during the previous year.
While the trend is on the rise, current figures are still below the more than 68,000 reported during 2014.
The document explained that the increase has been fueled largely by Central Americans.
Most of them are fleeing El Salvador, continued Conapo, “in direct relation to the increase in violence experienced in that country.”
Most minors, both Central American and Mexican, favor crossing the border throughTexas. Arizona and California have also detected unaccompanied minor migrants, but to a lesser degree.
Source : Milenio
TV TOTAL 