Wednesday December 14, 2011
From Creamer Media in Johannesburg I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

International legal practice Norton Rose Group reports that it advised 15 of the 28 project developers identified as preferred bidders in the first round of tendering under South Africa’s programme to procure 3 725 MW of renewable energy capacity from independent power producers. A team from the group’s Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, London and Dubai offices supported three of the eight wind projects named, ten of the 18 solar photovoltaic projects and both of the concentrated solar power projects identified as preferred bidders. Global head of energy Simon Currie attributed the success to the scale of its energy practice, which comprises 19 partners specialising in banking and finance, construction, projects and renewables, and is supported by some 40 lawyers.

Lack of transparency during vote count in the Democratic Republic of Congo's elections, undermined the credibility of results in which incumbent Joseph Kabila was declared winner, the European Union's (EU) observer mission said. Kabila, who won 49% of the vote, has dismissed concerns over irregularities and corruption. The observer mission of the 27-nation EU said that a chaotic compilation process, coupled with the fact that observers were not allowed to witness certain crucial stages undermined "the confidence and credibility of the results announced".

Canada became the first country to announce it would withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, dealing a symbolic blow to the already troubled global treaty. Environment Minister Peter Kent broke the news on his return from talks in Durban, where countries agreed to extend Kyoto for five years and hammer out a new deal forcing all big polluters for the first time to limit greenhouse-gas emissions. Canada, a major energy producer, which critics complain is becoming a climate renegade, has long complained Kyoto is unworkable precisely because it excludes so many significant emitters.

Also making headlines:

An outbreak of fighting south of the Libyan capital which killed at least four people stopped yesterday after local elders agreed a ceasefire.

And, polling stations opened today for the second round of an Egyptian Parliamentary election with Islamists looking to cement gains achieved in the first stage of voting last month.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.