Wednesday January 19, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Megan Wait

Making headlines:

The State law adviser has presented Members of Parliament with more than 60 pages of suggested further changes to the Protection of Information Bill as they held their first deliberations on the controversial legislation in the new year. Wrangling over the Bill, widely viewed as an attempt to increase State secrecy, is expected to continue for some time, though according to the Parliamentary programme the draft law is meant to be finalised this week. Cecil Burgess, chairperson of the ad hoc committee processing the Bill, refused to pronounce on the time needed to finish the job. He said that he had been forced to draft a tight schedule as the life span of the committee expires soon, but could request to have it extended yet again.

Former scientific adviser to the British government, Sir David King said that science and technology will have to be regeared to meet global challenges, and that this would require overcoming a technological and institutional inertia which existed. Speaking at a lecture at Wits University in Johannesburg, King reiterated that “science, technology and engineering took us to major industrial revolution, and now we need a smart, green, advanced manufacturing sector, to take us to the next revolution”.
He noted that while climate change was the biggest challenge facing humankind since the industrial revolution, it also presented the biggest opportunity. “We have got to turn this whole thing on its head, and take advantage of this opportunity presented us.”

According to the United Nations (UN), rising infrastructure investment and agricultural productivity, and a growing demand for Africa's exports will help the continent's economy expand by 5% in 2011 and 5,1% in 2012. Falling exports and weak commodity prices slowed the continent's growth to 2,3% in 2009, but improving global trade enabled Africa to rebound to 4,7% in 2010, says a UN World Economic Situation and Prospects report launched in Ethiopia. "The recovery of global trade and the strong economic rebound in East Asia is supported by a strong rebound in Africa's commodity exports," the UN said. "Increased government spending on infrastructure, strong performance of the agricultural sector and new inflows of foreign investments in extractive industries underpinned strong growth in domestic demand," the report added.

Also making headlines:

Tunisia's new coalition government hit trouble on Tuesday, when four Ministers quit and an opposition party threatened to walk out, undermining efforts to restore stability and end unrest on the streets.
The Department of Human Settlements will move a total of R463-million in grant funding from KwaZulu-Natal and the Free State to provinces that have met their delivery targets.
And, talks to end the Côte d’Ivoire’s postelection standoff remain in deadlock, with no sign Laurent Gbagbo will agree to step down as President.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today