Wednesday, August 19, 2009
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Megan Wait.
Making headlines:
Following the release of statistics indicating that South Africa remains stuck in a recession, with a 3% quarter-on-quarter contraction in gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, economists are hopeful that the third quarter will produce a smaller contraction. The 3% contraction in GDP was an improvement on the 6,4% quarter-on-quarter contraction recorded in the first quarter of the year.
The struggling manufacturing sector continues to contribute to the contraction, recording a smaller 10,9% quarter-on-quarter contraction in the second quarter. On the other hand, monthly mining data has suggested a stronger rebound than the 5,5% growth for the mining and quarrying industry recorded in the second quarter of the year.
Rand Merchant Bank chief economist Ettienne le Roux says that GDP data should record a small positive quarter-on-quarter annualised figure in the fourth quarter, which will hopefully be the start of more good news for the country.

US President Barack Obama says that he sees encouraging signs of a softening of Israel's resistance to his call for a freeze on settlement building in the occupied West Bank.
However, Obama says that there has been "movement in the right direction" after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Washington. Mubarak's visit comes as the Obama administration has been pushing moderate Arab States to take steps that could encourage Israel to freeze settlement building on Palestinian territory.
Mubarak, however, says that Arab States will only take a more active role in supporting the peace process once Israelis and Palestinians begin direct negotiations.

South Africa's three biggest opposition parties have urged President Jacob Zuma to reconsider his nomination for Chief Justice and give the job to Deputy Chief Justice Dikgang Moseneke.
In a joint statement, the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Congress of the People (Cope) and the Independent Democrats (ID) said that Moseneke was "a more suitable candidate" and a "wise and humble jurist" with a fierce commitment to the independence of the judiciary.
The three parties have accused Zuma of failing to consult them before making public his nomination of Constitutional Court Judge Sandile Ngcobo for the post earlier this month. For this reason, the parties have put out a public statement rather than communicating their concern to the President in private.

Also making headlines:
The African National Congress (ANC) complains to the press ombudsman about articles in the Sunday Times and the City Press that illustrate an "abuse of press freedom".
A recent survey by TNS Research Studies shows that President Jacob Zuma's approval ratings are up.
A cross party committee has recommended the postponement of elections in Guinea until 2010.
And, Judge Johann Kriegler says that the independence of South Africa's judiciary should not be sacrificed in the name of transformation.

That's a roundup of news making headlines today.