‘Catastrophic’ fire conditions scorch Australia…Read full details

This screen-grab from video footage taken from a New South Wales (NSW) Rural Fire Service aircraft and released by the NSW Rural Fire Service on February 12, 2017 shows a bushfire near Leadville in New South Wales. Eastern Australia was bracing for severe "off the scale" fire conditions on February 12 as it baked in a heatwave that has broken temperature records and sparked dire warnings from authorities.<br />Handout / New South Wales Rural Fire Service / AFP

Eastern Australia endured severe “off the scale” fire conditions Sunday amid a record-breaking heatwave that sparked dire warnings from authorities.

While bushfires are common in Australia’s arid summer, climate change has pushed up land and sea temperatures and led to more extremely hot days and severe fire seasons.

“The conditions for Sunday are the worst possible conditions when it comes to fire danger ratings,” New South Wales (NSW) state Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons told reporters Friday.

“They are catastrophic, they are labelled catastrophic for a reason, they are rare, they are infrequent, and to put it simply, they are off the old conventional scale.

“It’s not another summer’s day. It’s not another bad fire weather day. This is as bad as it gets in these circumstances.” Fitzsimmons said Sunday afternoon several homes may have been lost in bushfires across the state.

Some 2,500 firefighters were battling more than 80 blazes in NSW, with 32 “not contained”, the Rural Fire Service said.

The organisation added that a person from a fire at Boggabri, a small town in northwestern NSW some 470 kilometres (292 miles) from Sydney, was flown to the harbour city after suffering burns.

Further north in Queensland, the Bureau of Meteorology said Sunday numerous February temperature records were being broken across the state as the mercury soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Temperature records were also breached across NSW on Saturday, the weather bureau said. Cooler conditions were forecast to come through later Sunday.

Australia has warmed by approximately 1.0 C since 1910, according to the biannual State of the Climate report from the Bureau of Meteorology and national science body CSIRO released in October.

The number of days each year that post temperatures of more than 35C was increasing in recent decades except in northern Australia, the report said. Meanwhile, rainfall has reduced by 19 percent between May to July in southwestern Australia since 1970.

“Black Saturday”, the worst firestorm in recent years, devastated the southern state of Victoria in 2009, razing thousands of homes and killing 173 people.

South Africa introduces $260 monthly minimum wage…Read full details

PHOTO; AFP

South Africa will introduce a national minimum wage of 3,500 rand (261 dollars) per month in 2018, Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Thursday, following protracted negotiations between the government and labour unions.

Supporters of a minimum wage say it can stimulate growth as workers can spend more, as well as reducing inequality.

Critics say it could lead to increased unemployment as employers will be unable to afford higher wage bills.

Credit ratings agencies have said agreeing a minimum wage would help Africa’s most industrialised economy hold onto its investment-grade rating by stabilising the labour market and reducing the number of strikes.

“The balance we have sought to strike is that it must not be too low, so that it doesn’t affect the lowest paid workers, but not too high that it leads to massive job losses,” Ramaphosa told a news conference.

Ramaphosa said the national minimum wage, which equates to 20 rand (1.50 dollars) per hour, would come into effect in May 2018.

Businesses that are unable to afford the minimum wage would be permitted to apply for an exemption of up to 12 months, Ramaphosa said.

The Treasury had also thrown its political weight behind the policy initiative.

Chief economist at Nedbank Dennis Dykes said the agreement was a sign of an improving relationship between labour, business and government, but warned that its implementation needed to be monitored.

“It is by no means certain this will lead to job creation.

“It needs to be watched carefully for any negative effects,” Dykes said.

US envoy eyes cuts to UN peacekeeping…Read full details

UN peacekeepers. PHOTO: AFP

Washington’s new UN envoy Nikki Haley is putting in motion a far-reaching review of UN peacekeeping that is likely to lead to closures and downsizing of missions, according to diplomats.

Haley took up her post with a vow to overhaul the United Nations and “do away” with what she termed as “obsolete” activities amid fresh clamor in Washington over US funding for the world body.

During one-on-one meetings with Security Council ambassadors this week, the new US envoy raised peacekeeping as a priority for cuts, zeroing in on the UN’s flagship enterprise, according to three diplomats with knowledge of the discussions.

“On UN reform, I think there is a particular interest in peacekeeping,” said a Security Council diplomat.

Haley is setting up a mission-by-mission review of all 16 peace operations and is “relatively skeptical” of the value and efficiency of many of the blue-helmet deployments, said the diplomat, who spoke on background.

A senior Security Council diplomat told AFP that peacekeeping reform was “a priority” for the new US ambassador “who wants to work closely with key partners on the issue in the coming weeks.”

While the United States has few soldiers serving as peacekeepers, it is by far the biggest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping, providing nearly 29 percent of the $7.9 billion budget for this year.

During hearings at the US Senate last month, Haley made clear she was seeking to bring the US share of funding for peacekeeping to below 25 percent and said other countries should step in to shoulder the burden.

“We have to start encouraging other countries to have skin in the game,” she said.

No list has been drawn up of missions that are to be axed, but diplomats said UN missions in Haiti and Liberia are probably headed for a rapid shutdown.

– Get it settled and get out –

The last remaining UN peacekeepers in Ivory Coast will pull out in June while the Security Council renewed the UNMIL mission in Liberia until March 2018 with the understanding that this would be the final year.

UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous is traveling to Haiti next week to carry out an assessment that could pave the way for a closure.

For now, diplomats are welcoming the US scrutiny and agree that while some missions are operating in difficult political environments — Haiti, Cyprus or Kosovo for example — there is no major threat of conflict in those areas.

At the Senate hearing, Haley questioned the decision to send peacekeepers to South Sudan, citing opposition from President Salva Kiir’s government, even though some 200,000 civilians are sheltering in UN bases.

There should be clear exit strategies, she argued, and new missions should be authorized only if there is a “secure base to start with.”

“Our goal should be to go in, keep the peace, get it settled and get out,” she said.

– China steps in? –

The peacekeeping review could have serious implications for stability in Africa. Nine of the UN’s 16 peacekeeping missions are deployed on the continent.

US de-funding could open up the door for China — the second largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping and Africa’s number one trading partner — to bolter its role.

China’s share of the UN peacekeeping budget now stands at 10.3 percent followed by Japan (9.7 percent), Germany (6.4 percent), France (6.3 percent) and Britain (5.8 percent).

The biggest and most costly mission is the 22,000-strong MONUSCO force in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has been deployed for 18 years and has an annual budget of $1.2 billion that some say could be downsized.

The joint UN-African Union mission in Sudan’s Darfur region (UNAMID) is singled out as a costly and ineffective operation because it has been repeatedly blocked by the Sudanese government.

But analyst Aditi Gorur said funding cuts to UN missions in South Sudan, DR Congo, the Central African Republic and Mali “would likely be a death sentence for thousands of people, and would undo a huge amount of progress toward peace deals.”

“The bottom line is that UN peacekeeping is a bargain for the US government,” said Gorur, director of the Protecting Civilians in Conflict Program at the Washington-based Stimson Center.

“It advances the national interest by promoting peace and stability at a fraction of the cost of what the US would have to spend on its own.”

Premier League top 10 January transfers…See full details

Gabriel Jesus has signed for Manchester City from Brazilian club Palmeiras for £27m. Photograph: Victoria Haydn/Manchester City FC/Press Association<br />

The 10 biggest incoming Premier League transfers of the January transfer window after Tuesday’s final day of player trading (*denotes fee as reported by British media):

Gabriel Jesus
Palmeiras (BRA) to Manchester City, £27 million* ($33.6 million, 31.3 million euros)

Jesus, 19, agreed to join City last year, but did not formally complete his transfer until earlier this month. The highly rated Brazil forward has made two City appearances to date and registered his first assist in Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup win at Crystal Palace.

Morgan Schneiderlin
Manchester United to Everton, £20 million rising to £24 million

After being frozen out by Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, Schneiderlin moved to Everton on a four-and-a-half-year deal. The move reunited the 27-year-old France international with Ronald Koeman, who was formerly his manager at Southampton.

Wilfred Ndidi
Genk (BEL) to Leicester City, £15 million*

Champions Leicester signed Nigeria international Ndidi, 20, in the hope of plugging the gap left by N’Golo Kante’s departure to Chelsea last year. “He’s an impressive player with a big future,” said manager Claudio Ranieri.

Manolo Gabbiadini
Napoli (ITA) to Southampton, £14 million*

Southampton were the biggest movers on transfer deadline day, shelling out around £14 million to sign 25-year-old Gabbiadini from Napoli. The former Sampdoria striker, capped six times by Italy, signed a four-and-a-half-year deal.

Patrick van Aanholt
Sunderland to Crystal Palace, £14 million*

Former Chelsea defender Van Aanholt, 26, joined Palace from relegation rivals Sunderland on a four-and-a-half-year contract. The Dutchman played an important role as Sunderland avoided relegation under new Palace manager Sam Allardyce last season.

Robbie Brady
Norwich City to Burnley, £13 million*

Burnley broke their transfer record as the deadline loomed with a swoop for former Manchester United youngster Brady. The 25-year-old Republic of Ireland international, who can play in any position on the left flank, penned a three-and-a-half year deal at Turf Moor.

Saido Berahino
West Bromwich Albion to Stoke City, £12 million rising to £15 million

After 18 months of stagnation at The Hawthorns, Berahino finally secured the move he has long coveted. The 23-year-old England Under-21, who last played in September, will hope to recapture the form that saw him finish as West Brom’s top scorer in the 2014-15 season with 20 goals.

Jeff Schlupp
Leicester City to Crystal Palace, £12 million

Ghana winger Schlupp, made 24 appearances as Leicester won the league last season, but decided to find pastures new after falling down the pecking order. He made an inauspicious home debut, an attack of cramp allowing Seamus Coleman to earn Everton a 1-0 win with a late strike.

Ademola Lookman
Charlton Athletic to Everton, £11 million*

Lookman, 19, became the most expensive player in the history of England’s third tier when he left League One Charlton for Goodison Park on a four-and-a-half-year deal. The England Under-20 international had a dream debut, scoring a late goal in a 4-0 rout of Manchester City.

Robert Snodgrass
Hull City to West Ham United, £10.2 million

To the evident disappointment of incoming Hull manager Marco Silva, top scorer Snodgrass was allowed to join West Ham on a three-and-a-half-year contract. The Scotland international, who is expected to take over set-piece duties from the departed Dimitri Payet, said he had joined a club with “real ambition”.

WATCH VIDEO: Shane Eagle x Big Star – Top Floor

Top Floor is the second collaborative single between Shane Eagle & Big Star. The charismatic song by Shane Eagle & Big Star is ‘…Wavy, wavy, wavy, wavy, (aye)… dripping off the sauces and the gravy’.

The colorful music video was shot in a calm community in SA. Watch the clip and enjoy below…

President Muhammadu Buhari praises Nigerian media

Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari, currently on a short vacation in the UK, has saluted the Nigerian media for performing its duties diligently.
The President, who made his position known on his Twitter handle, @MBuhari, on Sunday in London, said he was always in touch with news from home.
President Buhari, whose picture was also posted in the tweet, specifically named Channels TV as one of his favourite Television stations.

He said: “Wherever I am, I keep up with news from home. Channels TV is one of my favorites. I’m proud of what the Nigerian media are achieving.’’
The post has, therefore, dispelled the insinuation about the President’s health conditions.
The Presidential spokespersons on Saturday night in Abuja described as ”evil rumours” the social media reports on President Muhammadu Buhari’s health conditions.
Meanwhile, many Nigerians have taken to twitter and Facebook to castigate the mischief makers.
One of the post on Facebook said: “Godly for mouth, devilish at heart…how on earth could anyone use death as a mischief tool? It is only God the almighty that giveth life and HE alone has the power to taketh same life.”
“For those spreading wicked and evil rumour about death of a soul, they should know that; they themselves don’t know when, where and in which circumstances they will perish.
“They can wish PMB death thousand times and have fun; the same God that created them from drop of sperm to their miserable state is watching them. Long live Nigeria and good Nigerian people, long live PMB!”
President Buhari left Abuja for the United Kingdom on Thursday on a short leave, which is part of his annual vacation.
He is expected to resume work on Feb. 6, 2017.

Buhari praises Nigerian media