September 11, 2014.
For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Pimani Baloyi.
Making headlines:

Unctad says trade focus must shift to stimulating domestic demand.

Dozens of people join a hunger strike for the release of Egyptian political prisoners.

And, Government outlines its gains in the fight against State corruption following probes by the Special Investigating Unit.

Given the insufficiency of global demand, it is highly unlikely that international trade alone will be able to kick-start economic growth, a new United Nations Conference on Trade and Development report argues.

The Trade and Development Report 2014 notes that, six years after the onset of the global financial crisis, international trade remains “lackluster”, with merchandise trade having grown at around 2% in volumes in the first few months of 2014. This rate remains below the growth of global output.

In the two decades preceding the crisis, global trade in goods and services expanded more than twice as fast as global output at yearly averages of 6.8% and 3% respectively. During that period, the share of exports and imports of goods and services in gross domestic product (or GDP) “virtually doubled”, from around 13% to 27% for developed countries, and from 20% to close to 40% in developing countries.

The report has been published as South Africa’s current account deficit widened to 6.2% of GDP in the second quarter, owing substantially to a fall in exports as a result of a five-month platinum-sector strike. It also comes as government seeks to stimulate exports as part of an agenda to narrow the deficit and spur industrialisation.

Dozens of Egyptians have begun a hunger strike to demand the release of activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, a symbol of the 2011 uprising, and others they say are being unfairly detained in an effort to crush new-found freedoms.

An Egyptian court sentenced 33-year-old Abdel Fattah, a leading figure in the revolt that toppled Hosni Mubarak, to 15 years in jail in June for violating a law that seeks to curtail protests.

Twenty-four others were also sentenced to 15 years in jail on similar charges, though only Abdel Fattah and two others are currently behind bars.

The three in jail have been on hunger strike since August 18.

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said this week that government had made “great” progress in countering corruption within State institutions. He noted that President Jacob Zuma had, since 2009, signed 36 proclamations authorising the Special Investigating Unit to probe departments and entities in the three spheres of government as well as State-owned enterprises.

Commenting in his capacity as chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Information and Publicity, he told a media briefing that this was a clear demonstration of government’s efforts to root out corruption.

He said this further gives effect to government’s commitment to deal with corruption as a priority. Government reiterated that it won’t tolerate any form of corruption and won’t hesitate to act where it appears, he noted.

Since 2009, nine reports had been completed and submitted to the Presidency, while 27 investigations were still ongoing.

According to Radebe, the reports indicated that progress was being made in the fight against corruption within the public service, while the actions taken should serve as a deterrent to other officials.

Also making headlines:

Oscar Pistorius arrives for his murder trial judgment day.

Five opposition parties have come together to submit a motion of no confidence in National Assembly Speaker Baleka Mbete.

And, Sierra Leone has cut its 2014 economic growth forecast to 7% or 8% as an Ebola outbreak cripples business in the iron ore-exporting West African country.

Also on Polity:

Don’t miss the latest political analysis by Aubrey Matshiqi on the spy tapes and what they mean for politics in South Africa.

Catch up on all the latest speeches and statements by logging on to Polity.org.za.

Don’t forget to follow Polity on Twitter [@PolityZA]

That’s a roundup of news making headlines.