Monthly Archives: November 2015

Traffic chaos as burst water main floods Perth CBD

Agen Sabung Ayam

Posted November thirty, 2015 21:forty:03

A burst h2o primary in the centre of Perth has flooded the spot and slowed peak hour site visitors to a crawl.

H2o Company crews have shut down the main at the corner of William and Murray streets, which despatched h2o flooding over the street and footpaths.

The burst principal has triggered some injury to the highway surface and the bus lane has been closed to targeted traffic.

The southbound lane of William Avenue from Wellington Road to St Georges Terrace was closed.

Commuters had been getting requested by Principal Roads to keep away from the spot.

Subject areas: accidents—other, perth-6000


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‘Overflow areas’ in all WA hospitals, Health Department says

Agen Sabung Ayam

Updated November thirty, 2015 21:forty six:forty seven

Clients can be shunted into “overflow locations” at all Western Australian hospitals, the Health Department has verified, after an additional affected person claimed to have been stored in a gym space at Fiona Stanley Clinic.

The Overall health Minister has been below fireplace after pictures emerged of an elderly client who was moved into a makeshift location in the physiotherapy gym final Monday.

The Wellness Division has now verified a second client was positioned in what it described as an “above-census mattress”, following a lady came ahead saying she experienced also been positioned in the health club.

Speaking on Fairfax Radio, the lady explained she experienced been admitted to have a lap-band removed, but was put in the therapy location for twelve hours.

The lady, who gave her identify as Fiona, described what took place.

“I was truly taken out of the place I was in and set into a treatment area for above twelve several hours with no entertainment, no light, no other clients, no rest room and no bell,” she explained.

“I was also offered a handheld bell to ring, which no-1 ever came.

This is outrageous, this is absolutely Third Entire world, the Government should have been performing significantly much better than this with a flagship new healthcare facility that expenses the taxpayers $ two billion.

Opposition Chief Mark McGowan

“So I experienced to bodily unplug myself from the wall, get myself out into the hallway, and flag down consideration, actually.”

Soon after investigating the statements, the Health Office explained that about four:00am final Wednesday, a patient was positioned in an “in excess of-census bed” to make place for a individual from the hospital’s unexpected emergency section.

With no specifying the location, the Overall health Section stated in a assertion the area was adjacent to the ward and close to the workers foundation.

“There is obtain to the acceptable oxygen and suction, the patient was ready to walk to a lavatory that is inside of a brief distance and the individual was supplied with a hand bell,” the assertion explained.

“The patient was moved to the brief remain unit afterwards the very same working day.”

According to the division, individuals are moved to “overflow places” only as “a last resort”, and only then for quick time intervals, but it can take place in all WA hospitals.

“More than-census beds are utilised as mattress need continuously fluctuates through the working day as discharges and admissions get location,” the statement said.

“All WA hospitals have insurance policies and processes in place to control this increased desire for inpatient beds, which includes coordinated discharge preparing and use of overflow areas.

“Prior to shifting, every single affected person is meticulously assessed for suitability to be placed in the overflow region.

“Nurses rostered to overflow regions give the very same degree of patient care as that in a ward setting, which consists of regular affected person checking.”

Hames condemns hospital, rejects call to resign

Wellness Minister Kim Hames before mentioned the determination to area the initial individual in the gymnasium was “unacceptable”.

A report revealed by Information Company on Sunday explained the man, aged in his 70s and struggling acute renal failure, was retained in the fitness center for 8 several hours and provided a handbell to ring if he required support.

Dr Hames mentioned any sufferers at Fiona Stanley Hospital (FSH) who were with out a room must be transferred to Fremantle Healthcare facility.

Nonetheless he stated it was a structural problem to do with the reconfiguring of healthcare facility companies, fairly than a systemic one.

Dr Hames explained even when beds ended up unavailable at Fiona Stanley, medical doctors appeared reluctant to shift patients to the under-utilised Fremantle Medical center, which he explained may be element of the troubles of handling a substantial workload.

“It truly is further time that they’ve got to set into an previously occupied working day, but that’s what we have to do if we are heading to harmony across our program,” Dr Hames mentioned.

“It is no very good possessing in excess of-utilised beds in one location and under-utilised in one more.”

Dr Hames has flatly rejected Opposition promises that the incident was the latest in a string of failures in controlling the transition of services to FSH, and also dismissed phone calls for him to resign.

A parliamentary committee report last 7 days levelled severe criticism at the State Federal government over how solutions have been managed during the commissioning of FSH.

The State Opposition is using this fresh case to renew its phone for the Wellness Minister to step down.

Opposition Chief Mark McGowan mentioned if the woman’s claims ended up true, it was unacceptable and the Well being Minister necessary to go.

“This is outrageous, this is completely 3rd Entire world. The Govt need to have been doing far greater than this with a flagship new medical center that expenses the taxpayers $ 2 billion,” he said.

Matters: wellness, healthcare-facilities, perth-6000

Very first posted November 30, 2015 21:41:sixteen


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Chris Cairns found not guilty of perjury, perverting course of justice

Agen Sabung Ayam

Current December 01, 2015 00:24:05

Previous New Zealand cricket all-rounder Chris Cairns has been located not responsible of perjury and perverting the program of justice.

The jury at the Southwark crown court docket returned a not-responsible verdict on Monday night time, ending a 9-7 days trial subsequent a 10-hour deliberation.

“It really is been Hell for the final five or so years, and in certain the last few of a long time,” he explained exterior courtroom.

“I feel I’ve been via the mill and appear out the other facet and [I am] just a really pleased male. I believe reputationally, I am fully scorched. Burnt totally. But it has not stopped me and it won’t stop me.”

Despite currently being cleared of the fees, he stated his involvement in cricket appeared to be more than.

“I never know what cricket holds for me but I’m just satisfied for my father and mother that they can keep their heads large in New Zealand,” he mentioned.

“I consider it would be a fairly challenging environment to go back into. There is certainly been a whole lot of hurt accomplished and which is regrettable and unhappy.”

Cairns’ co-defendant and law firm Andrew Fitch-Holland was also cleared of a perjury charge.

In 2012, Cairns successfully sued Indian businessman Lalit Modi, then chairman of the Indian Leading League, more than a tweet that said Cairns experienced been associated in match repairing.

Cairns was accused of lying below oath for the duration of the libel scenario, when he told the court that he experienced “never ever” cheated at cricket and would not ponder doing so.

That assertion experienced been contradicted by other people, such as his previous New Zealand teammates Brendon McCullum and Lou Vincent, who was banned for existence previous 12 months from all cricket soon after admitting to match-fixing in online games in England.

Vincent told the courtroom Cairns had tried to persuade him to just take portion in cheating.

McCullum had thorough how he rebuffed ways by Cairns to be concerned in a “business proposition”.

Cairns advised the court he may have utilised that phrase, but would have been referring to endorsements and sponsorship possibilities.

“I will not feel folks ended up there with destructive intent but I just consider we’re talking a prolonged time in the past,” Cairns stated.

“There have been really only a couple of folks who had that assertion.”

Cairns performed in sixty two Assessments for the Black Caps and 215 one-day internationals between 1989 and 2006.

Subjects: cricket, activity, england, new-zealand, pacific

Initial posted November 30, 2015 21:56:11


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Perth Lord Mayor denies threatening to quit

Agen Sabung Ayam

Posted November thirty, 2015 22:forty:28

The Perth Lord Mayor has denied she threatened to resign, regardless of the Local Authorities Minister saying she experienced signalled intentions to do so on Friday.

Lisa Scaffidi has declined to comment to the ABC since it revealed she had threatened to give up the part after currently being informed she confronted additional inquiry by the Division of Regional Authorities.

Ms Scaffidi was re-elected as Lord Mayor for a third expression previous thirty day period, in spite of the launch of a damning corruption report that criticised her failure to declare tens of thousands of pounds in travel gifts.

The ABC understands Ms Scaffidi had prepared to announce her resignation late very last 7 days soon after being informed the office would have to keep on its scrutiny of her vacation and gifts.

Nonetheless she instructed Channel nine this was not correct.

“No, I have not threatened to give up,” she explained.

“All I’m stating is I just feel that it is been dragging on long enough, and I would just like to clearly get on with doing the work and be in a position to just transfer forward.”

The Corruption and Criminal offense Fee (CCC) report found Ms Scaffidi engaged in severe misconduct by not disclosing a $ US36,000 ($ 49,533) all-expenses paid out journey to the Beijing Olympics from miner BHP Billiton in 2008, as nicely as other undeclared vacation.

It also found she had “failed in her responsibilities” by not disclosing the reward in her annual return, together with tickets to the 2009 Leeuwin Live performance from BHP and accommodation for the 2008 Broome Cup, which she acknowledged from residence administration organization Hawaiian Investments.

The Broome hospitality consisted of a few nights’ accommodation at the exclusive Cable Seaside Club Vacation resort and Spa.

Ms Scaffidi later voted to approve a $ 180,000 grant to a consortium that incorporated Hawaiian Investments for a CBD feasibility review.

Minister urged Ms Scaffidi to adhere it out

Mr Simpson explained he only grew to become informed on Friday that Ms Scaffidi had signalled ideas to resign, and urged her to keep on in the position.

“I am entirely supportive of the Lord Mayor,” he explained.

“The Lord Mayor is undertaking a fantastic job at promoting the City of Perth. I have no causes why she are unable to carry on that job whilst the investigation from the department’s taking place.”

The Section of Local Authorities has been investigating the CCC report to decide no matter whether any disciplinary action is warranted.

The ABC has been advised the office experienced educated Ms Scaffidi that a new investigation would be released due to the fact it could not depend on the details received by the CCC.

Mr Simpson has denied it was a “new inquiry”, but did concede there had been difficulties with details sharing in between agencies.

He also verified that need to Ms Scaffidi stop, it would conclude the departmental probe and any possible penalty she may well confront.

If she does resign, Deputy Lord Mayor James Limnios would turn out to be the acting lord mayor in advance of a new election getting held.

Ms Scaffidi was sacked from the Neighborhood Govt Specifications Panel in the wake of the CCC report.

Topics: neighborhood-authorities, perth-6000


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Shorten calls for ambitious targets as Paris climate talks get underway

Agen Sabung Ayam

Up-to-date December 01, 2015 00:04:fifty nine

Opposition Chief Bill Shorten has referred to as for formidable local climate targets to be set as entire world leaders obtain in Paris for the United Nations Weather Convention.

Mr Shorten spoke to Lateline from Paris as the talks got underway and explained nations that did not consider powerful action would be increasingly isolated.

“The whole explanation for this Paris convention is since local weather change is obtaining worse and worse results on our atmosphere and even much more importantly, on our economic climate,” he said.

“So nations who believe that they will not require to adjust, I think will get isolated in the potential in trade and other arrangements between nations.”

French president Francois Hollande officially opened the summit by telling globe leaders that the “hope of all of humanity rests on your shoulders”.

Mr Shorten stated he would be attending a amount of conferences although he was in Paris.

“I will be assembly with ideally leaders from the Pacific Island nations. They really do depend on Australia as being a big brother in the best feeling of the phrase for standing up for their worries,” he mentioned.

“I’m seeking forward to speaking with companies. There is a whole lot of personal sector desire in the choices that will be manufactured at Paris, and the conclusions that nations make.

“See, if a nation like Australia sets ambitious targets, what will come about is that we can then stimulate the non-public sector to action in and aid deliver the solutions from technology to trade opportunities to expenditure in renewable vitality.”

Shorten states ‘Turnbull enjoying in traffic’

Very last week Mr Shorten announced Labor’s new weather policy with an emissions reduction goal of 45 for each cent on 2005 stages by 2030.

He rejected recommendations a carbon cost beneath the proposal could be as large as $ two hundred a tonne.

“It truly is just comprehensive garbage,” he said.

He stated the weather modify debate had been 1 of the much more toxic concerns in politics and that it would have been easy for Labor to just give bipartisan assist to the Government’s “ridiculously reduced targets”.

“Malcolm Turnbull’s caught. He’s caught in the middle of the street on this. He’s enjoying in the site visitors,” he said.

“On one hand he had to in buy to become the chief of the Liberal Party, signal up to Tony Abbott’s local climate alter policies, with their ridiculously low targets. On the other hand he ought to at minimum be honest with folks and acknowledge the effects of modify.”

He explained the value of not performing on local climate change was as well higher.

“The real truth of the subject is that if sea ranges increase, property will turn out to be, and infrastructure in Australia will turn out to be a great deal a lot more expensive,” he mentioned.

“We are going to have a lot more drought. We will have more intense temperature activities. So there’s a massive expense in not performing.”

Matters: weather-change, atmosphere, federal-govt, alp, invoice-shorten, australia, france

1st posted November thirty, 2015 22:45:forty four


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Porter reaches out to Senate crossbench on family tax changes

Agen Sabung Ayam

Current December 01, 2015 01:01:16

The Federal Govt says it is ready to further compromise with the Senate crossbench in order to pass the remainder of its prepared changes to household tax rewards.

The Senate last night time passed a monthly bill to scrap Family Tax Gain (FTB) Component B for couples, as soon as their youngest youngster turns 13.

The present age restrict is 18 for those young adults who finish substantial college, and sixteen for individuals who do not.

Labor supported the monthly bill, but opposes the remainder of the Government’s plan.

Nonetheless, Social Companies Minister Christian Porter will reintroduce over $ four billion of other cost savings to Parliament on Wednesday, and is searching to the crossbench for assist.

“We are in the artwork of the achievable below,” Mr Porter advised AM.

I’ve listened and engaged and experimented with to perform out what approaches we can modify issues, and other issues we’ve acquired on our books to try out and safe passage by way of the Senate

Social Providers Minister Christian Porter

“I might rather have a save compromised but in fact have a prospect of passing by way of Parliament, which signifies we really get reforms to youngster care, than be doctrinaire about it all and be unwilling to compromise, so compromise it is.”

The Government will get rid of about $ 70 million in personal savings by exempting grandparent and fantastic-grandparent carers, and solitary mothers and fathers over the age of 60 from modifications to FTB Part B.

Mr Porter mentioned those exemptions ended up becoming proposed soon after preliminary discussions with some senators.

“In my discussions with the crossbench, I’ve not set the weighty on and experimented with to get an answer ‘yes or no’ right now,” Mr Porter advised AM.

“But I have listened and engaged and experimented with to work out what ways we can modify items, and other things we’ve obtained on our publications to try out and protected passage by way of the Senate.”

Phone for other kinship carers to be provided in revised legislation

The bulk of the proposed cost savings come from phasing out supplement payments to family tax advantage recipients, which the Minister argued ended up no more time required.

“These payments ended up meant to allow men and women to pay out off debts that were currently being occasioned again in 2004 when we had been in substantial surplus,” Mr Porter explained.

“Money owed have stabilised and we are now spending cash, in circumstances in which we are in deficit, to families, to pay money owed which, overwhelmingly, they no lengthier accrue.”

But Labor’s spokeswoman for communities and carers, Claire Moore, told the Senate that the additional payments were vital to low income families’ budgets.

“These amounts of funds truly make a real difference in the survival budgets of men and women raising children,” Senator Moore explained.

The Greens have also opposed the changes, and have explained they will not be voting for the revised legislation.

Spokeswoman Rachel Siewert advised the Senate that the Govt should also exclude other family-primarily based carers from the proposed adjustments.

“Even though I am really delighted that they are last but not least having to pay attention to grandparent carers — because for so lengthy they have overlooked them — they now appear to forget there’s kinship carers, foster carers, but in specific kinship carers,” she mentioned.

“Grandparent carers are actually less in amount than other kinship carers.”

Mr Porter told AM it had not been lifted with him prior to, but he would take into account Senator Siewert’s considerations.

“I’m not positive how many folks discover as kinship carers, or in fact no matter whether you will find a very good evaluate of formally determining by way of the method. I’m happy to look at any suggestion,” he stated.

Subjects: federal-authorities, federal government-and-politics, welfare, neighborhood-and-modern society, australia

Very first posted December 01, 2015 00:fifty six:07


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Turkey will not apologise for downing Russian fighter jet, PM says

Agen Sabung Ayam

Posted December 01, 2015 00:58:33

Turkey will not apologise for downing a Russian fighter jet on the Syrian border, but Moscow should reconsider retaliatory sanctions, Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu says.

“Safety of our airspace, our border is not only a correct but a duty for my govt and no Turkish leading or president … will apologise [for] doing our obligation,” Mr Davutoglu told a joint press convention with NATO head Jens Stoltenberg at the alliance’s headquarters.

Mr Davutoglu extra that “we hope Russia will rethink these actions in both our passions”, referring to the sanctions that Moscow imposed soon after the taking pictures down of the jet final 7 days.

“If the Russian facet needs to chat, we are all set if they want a lot more data, we are prepared if they want to normalise relations, we are prepared to speak,” he said.

Mr Davutoglu produced the announcement after Russian president Vladimir Putin rejected an invitation to meet up with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of the Paris world-wide climate conference.

Mr Erdogan experienced known as for experience-to-encounter talks with Mr Putin as Moscow and Ankara trade furious charge and counter-charge more than who was responsible for downing the plane.

Russia’s federal government on Monday laid out more information of retaliatory economic sanctions aimed at denting Turkey’s key tourism and agricultural sectors as Ankara said that it had returned the entire body of the pilot to Russia.

Moscow introduced it will halt fruit and vegetable imports from Turkey following Mr Putin signed a decree over the weekend banning charter flights and the sale of package deal holidays, and scrapping Russia’s visa-free regime with the country.

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev known as the moves a “first stage” as Moscow also said it would restrict Turkish transportation companies and tighten controls on construction contracts.

NATO chief Stoltenberg explained that even though Turkey experienced every single right to defend its airspace, the focus now had to be on keeping away from any escalation as the allies try to forge a typical front — perhaps including Russia — from Islamic State (IS) jihadist fighters in Syria and Iraq in the wake of the Paris attacks.

“I welcome Turkish initiatives to build contacts with Russia to de-escalate … it is critical to continue to be relaxed,” Mr Stoltenberg mentioned.

“I urge Russia to perform a constructive part in Syria by concentrating on IS, our frequent enemy,” he added, referring to criticisms by Western nations that Russia has been targeting non-IS opposition forces in Syria.

AFP

Subjects: unrest-conflict-and-war, planet-politics, authorities-and-politics, turkey, syrian-arab-republic, russian-federation


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1 in 10 teaching students fail numeracy, literacy exam

Agen Sabung Ayam

Posted December 01, 2015 01:09:32

Map: Australia

About 10 per cent of instructing students failed to fulfill needed expectations of literacy and numeracy, results from a trial examination display.

About 5,000 pupils sat the check, which is created to make certain educating graduates are in the leading thirty for each cent of Australians when it comes to literacy and numeracy.

Of the college students who took portion, 92 per cent passed the literacy test and 90 for each cent passed the numeracy take a look at.

The testing was executed in cash towns, as well as in Albury in New South Wales and Ballarat in Victoria.

If the benefits from the pilot research were replicated nationally, perhaps 1,800 training graduates final year would have failed to make the grade.

The take a look at will be obligatory from July next 12 months and pupils will have to move just before they can graduate and go on to work in a classroom.

Education and learning Minister Simon Birmingham suggests the findings justify the Government’s target on instructor high quality.

“Mother and father, principals, all stakeholders in school education and learning should have full self-assurance that graduates from our universities with instructing skills are amid some of the ideal and brightest in the land,” Senator Birmingham mentioned.

“We are truly placing it on the universities who are coaching our lecturers to make sure they have confidence in the abilities of instructors just before they graduate.

“We believe that it is fairly truthful and reasonable that universities, as the suppliers of training graduates, ought to be providing educating graduates that are of the maximum feasible common.”

From following yr, it will be up to universities to make a decision regardless of whether to set the take a look at as an entry necessity or to provide it during teaching instruction.

Matters: education and learning, teachers, australia, albury-2640, ballarat-3350


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Obama urges leaders to ‘rise to the moment’ on climate change

Agen Sabung Ayam

Up-to-date December 01, 2015 00:06:19

Obama speaks at Paris climate change summit Photo: Barack Obama claims the United States has embraced its accountability in tackling local climate modify. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)

US president Barack Obama has named on globe leaders to “increase to the moment” at the Paris local weather adjust summit to secure a potential for humanity.

Important details

  • Obama claims US has ‘responsibility’ to address local weather alter at Paris summit summit
  • China’s Xi Jinping says nations ought to be capable to seek their personal remedies to international warming
  • World leaders are underneath stress to keep away from the anti-climactic talks in Copenhagen in 2009
  • China and the US, the world’s greatest emitters, have pledged to cooperate and show management

More than a hundred and fifty planet leaders — which includes Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull — have arrived in Paris to go to the United Nations talks, armed with promises and accompanied by large anticipations as they appear to maintain again the Earth’s rising temperature.

Mr Obama said a growing risk of local climate alter could outline the contours of this century.

“As the leader of the world’s greatest economic system and the next greatest emitter … the United States of America not only recognises our part in producing this dilemma, we embrace our responsibility to do some thing about it,” he mentioned.

“[The] potential is one particular that we have the electricity to change right below right now, but only if we increase to this minute.”

China’s president Xi Jinping has pledged to work with Mr Obama, but stated nations around the world need to be ready to look for their very own answers to global warming.

“It is essential to regard the variances between countries, specially developing countries,” he stated.

China is the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gasses on an complete basis, but the United States emits considerably more per capita.

The world’s two most significant carbon emitters, when on reverse sides on weather troubles, agreed in 2014 to jointly kick-start a changeover absent from fossil fuels, every single at their very own speed and in their possess way.

That partnership has been a balm for the main source of pressure that characterised prior talks, in which the creating globe argued that nations around the world that grew wealthy by industrialising on fossil fuels need to pay out the value of shifting all economies to a renewable vitality long term.

Statements of goodwill not adequate: Hollande

French president Mr Hollande, who opened the summit, stated that a offer to consider to keep any additional boost in global temperatures to underneath two levels Celsius necessary to be “common, differentiated and binding”, with richer countries contributing far more than poorer ones.

“I are unable to separate the combat with terrorism from the struggle in opposition to worldwide warming,” he said.

External Website link: ABC correspondent Lisa Millar at COP 21

“These are two big worldwide challenges we have to face up to, simply because we have to leave our kids a lot more than a planet freed of terror, we also owe them a world secured from catastrophes.”

Soon after decades of having difficulties negotiations marked by the failure of a earlier summit in Copenhagen 6 a long time in the past, some form of landmark settlement seems all but assured by mid-December.

Mr Hollande warned that there could not be a obscure agreement.

“To solve the climate disaster, great will, statements of intent are not adequate,” Mr Hollande said, telling planet leaders that the long term of humanity rested on their shoulders. “We are at breaking stage.”

Warnings from climate scientists, requires from activists and exhortations from religious leaders like Pope Francis, coupled with major developments in cleaner energy sources like photo voltaic energy, have all included to force to minimize the carbon emissions held liable for warming the world.

Most researchers say failure to agree on strong measures in Paris would doom the entire world to ever-hotter common temperatures, bringing with them deadlier storms, much more frequent droughts and growing sea levels as polar ice caps soften.

As the summit opened in Paris, the capitals of the world’s two most populous nations, China and India, had been blanketed in hazardous, choking smog, with regulators in Beijing asking factories to limit output and halting construction operate.

On the eve of the summit, hundreds of countless numbers of individuals from Australia to Paraguay joined the most significant day of local weather modify activism in historical past, telling entire world leaders there was “No Earth B” in the battle towards world-wide warming.

“This previous yr has been a turning point,” Christiana Figueres, the UN’s local climate main, instructed delegates.

Arriving in a sombre town exactly where protection has been tightened following Islamist militant assaults that killed one hundred thirty people on November 13, each and every leader will be allowed a short opening speech, just a few minutes lengthy.

Cooperation in between China and US vital, Xi states

At the commence of bilateral talks held on the sidelines of the Paris gathering, Mr Obama and Mr Xi pledged to perform jointly for a local weather alter settlement that guarantees a “lower carbon international economic climate” this century.

Mr Obama mentioned the two countries’ determination to make their own emissions-reduction pledges previous 12 months experienced aided drive other nations to stick to go well with.

US president Barack Obama shakes hands with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Image: US president Barack Obama shakes fingers with Chinese president Xi Jinping throughout their assembly. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)

“As the two largest economies in the world and the two biggest carbon emitters, we have equally identified that it is our obligation to take motion,” Mr Obama mentioned, with Mr Xi sitting following to him.

“Our management on this situation has been absolutely vital.”

Mr Xi mentioned the two international locations would operate side by side to make certain the Paris meeting achieved its objectives, and he noted that cooperation in between the United States and China at a time of numerous worldwide problems was essential.

“The world financial system is recovering gradually, terrorism is on the rise and local climate alter is a massive problem. There is far more instability and uncertainty in [the] global scenario,” Mr Xi stated via a translator.

Reuters

Subjects: local weather-modify, setting, activism-and-lobbying, planet-politics, weather, france

First posted November thirty, 2015 23:eleven:27


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China’s Xi to Make Rare Stop-off in Zimbabwe

Agen Sabung Ayam

China’s steadfast support for Africa gets a new viewing this week, with Chinese President Xi Jinping making a rare stop-off in Zimbabwe whose long-serving leader, Robert Mugabe, is largely shunned by the West.

The Zimbabwe visit, on Tuesday, starts a five-day trip for Mr. Xi that includes a summit in South Africa with African leaders and that is expected to feature promises of more Chinese investment and development assistance.

Mr. Xi’s visit will be closely watched by analysts and foreign investors as an indicator of China’s policy intentions toward African economies, after a slowdown in growth raised questions that Beijing could significantly downscale its hefty investment on the continent.

China is Africa’s top trade partner, exchanging $ 222 billion of goods and resources with the continent last year, though that trade is under pressure from the slowdown in the Chinese economy. Chinese firms are building roads and railways across the continent, often in exchange for resources like half of the 1.8 million barrels of oil Angola pumps each day.

The roughly $ 1 billion in tobacco and nickel Zimbabwe sells to China each year is just a fraction of that sweeping enterprise,

Yet Beijing has fostered close ties to Mr. Mugabe as U.S. and European powers have criticized the undemocratic means he has used to hold power for 35 years. For Beijing, the relationship has meant the chance to access Zimbabwe’s natural resources and secure deals for the country’s state-owned firms, while for Mr. Mugabe, the ties provide a sorely needed economic boost.

Mr. Mugabe, who overthrew Zimbabwe’s white-minority government with the help of aid from China, has in recent years accepted $ 1.5 billion in Chinese loans and made the yuan currency legal tender, efforts to prop up his country’s weak economy, which for years has been beset by rampant inflation.

China’s Xinhua News Agency says Beijing invested more in Zimbabwe in 2013 than any other African country: $ 601 million in projects. When Mr. Xi arrives at Harare’s airport, he will travel on a refurbished road that will carry him to the State House veranda where Mr. Mugabe receives guests flanked by stuffed lions and leopards.

“Mugabe is an old friend of China,” said Deborah Brautigam, who directs the China Africa Research Initiative at Johns Hopkins University-SAIS. Such ties have prompted some politicians and analysts to criticize China for bolstering authoritarian regimes in its push to access African resources and markets.

Still, Mr. Xi is the first Chinese president to visit Zimbabwe since 1996. Ms. Brautigam said that during his visit, Mr. Xi is likely to try to glean some insight into who will succeed Mr. Mugabe whenever the 91-year-old president dies or steps down.

“Change is going to be happening and going to be happening fairly soon,” she said.

Though the workings of Mr. Mugabe’s Zanu-PF are nearly opaque as those of Mr. Xi’s Communist Party, politicians in Zimbabwe say Mr. Mugabe’s wife Grace may be angling to succeed him. That could spark a power struggle against longtime lieutenants like Vice President and former defense minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

On Wednesday, Mr. Xi is scheduled to fly south to neighboring South Africa for meetings with President Jacob Zuma and the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation.

Ahead of the forum, Chinese and South African firms announced $ 930 million worth of investments in steel, energy, pharmaceutical and other sectors.

Many of the investments are in industries where China suffers a glut in capacity and would like to export some of excess production to foreign markets.

Chinese officials say they want to broaden their African ties to take advantage of the continent’s booming ranks of young, relatively low-paid workers in addition to its abundant stores of oil, diamonds and coal.

“China will export advanced industrial production capacity to African countries,” Vice Commerce Minister Qian Keming said last week. While Chinese-African trade has flourished for years, Chinese money still remains a fraction of overall foreign investment in the continent.

China has already backed projects to make shoes in Ethiopia and televisions in Cape Town. “Labor and production capacity, these are things that Africa has that China needs,” said Tang Xiaoyang, an assistant professor who studies China-Africa relations at Tsinghua University.

But this year has also posed the greatest test yet to China and Africa’s decadelong love affair. China’s slowing economy has dragged Africa’s expected expansion down to 3.8% this year, from 5% in 2014.

Waning demand in the world’s No. 2 economy for commodities like oil and copper have pushed down prices and wrecked the finances of countries like Angola and Zambia that rely on their export.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said in November that Chinese investment in Africa dropped 40% in the first six months of this year.

Still, many economists doubt those trials will convince countries like South Africa and Zimbabwe to rethink their long-term bet on China’s largess.

“South Africa has this urge to please the Chinese and to see the Chinese developmental model as almost perfect,” said Mzukisi Qobo, a political scientist and former director in South Africa’s trade ministry.

Write to Te-Ping Chen at te-ping.chen@wsj.com and Patrick McGroarty at patrick.mcgroarty@wsj.com


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