Monday June 27, 2011

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Brad Dubbelman

Making headlines:

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde appeared poised to become the head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week despite a strong challenge to Europe's traditional hold on the job. An informal survey by Reuters of voting countries indicated Lagarde would easily get the majority consensus needed over Mexico's central bank governor Agustin Carstens to become the next managing director of the global lender. The IMF's 24-strong board of member countries will hold a straw poll on Monday to determine whether either candidate has a clear majority.

Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir told Chinese media the impending split of his country's south risked triggering "time bombs", but said his government's bond with China would not be shaken by Beijing's courting of the secessionist south. He made the comments in interviews published on Monday, the day he begins a State visit to China, his powerful patron and a major buyer of Sudanese crude oil. Beijing has been building ties with the emerging State in southern Sudan but continues to be one of the major supporters of Bashir, who faces indictment from the ICC over war crimes charges stemming from long-running fighting in the Darfur region.

The Second-Hand Goods Act which is expected to be fully implemented on January 1, would include several controlled metals and would regulate dealers to combat trade in stolen goods, such as copper cables. The legislation would require all scrap metal dealers engaging in recycling of any controlled metals to be registered as a recycler, in addition to being registered as a second hand goods dealer, Second Hand Goods Forum coordinator Justine Bezuidenhout said. Sentencing for being in possession of stolen goods would be decided in court, while some offences would result in imprisonment. Failure to register could result in up to ten years imprisonment, and stopping trade without notifying authorities could result in up to three years imprisonment.

Also making headlines:
South Africa has told Swaziland it will only agree to a financial bailout of its tiny landlocked neighbour if it brings the curtain down on Africa's last absolute monarchy, Swazi dissidents said.
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is the historical choice of the Libyan people and cannot be moved aside, his government said on Sunday.
And, having forced a dramatic U-turn over constitutional changes, the rivals and critics of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade are set to intensify their campaign to block him from standing in next year's election.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today.