June 19, 2012

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Reggie Sikhakhane

Making headlines:

The North West provincial government has spent more than R21-million purchasing 65 vehicles in preparation for the implementation of the National Health Insurance (or NHI).

Addressing journalists in Mahikeng, North West Health MEC Magome Masike says resources are needed to effectively implement the NHI, adding that Communities have complained about emergency medical rescue services’ response time.

The new fleet includes 31 ambulances, 18 mobile clinics, eight patient transporters, two dental trucks and six forensic pathology vehicles.

Israel is continuing with its crackdown on foreigners without permits, with the most recent nationals being migrants from Ivory Coast.

The announcement comes shortly after Israel launched weekly airlifts to send back South Sudanese, a small community in Israel compared to those from Sudan and Eritrea, who can more easily claim refugee status due to war and other hardships in their native lands.

The crackdown has focused on Africans who enter across the porous desert border with Egypt.

The leaders of Brics nations have agreed to boost cooperation within the group of five major emerging economies.

The meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the G20 summit, currently underway in Mexico, was attended by President Jacob Zuma, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Brics leaders have agreed that ensuring sufficient resources for the IMF is conducive to the international community's efforts to tackle the current major challenges in global economy and financing.

Also making headlines:

Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba has called for the nomination of suitable candidates to be added to a Department of Public Enterprises’ database of potential State-owned enterprises’ board directors.

And, the International Monetary Fund says it has raised $456-billion in new crisis-fighting money after 12 more countries, including Brics members China, Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa, pledged funding for an expanded IMF war chest.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.