South Africa opposes cluster-bomb ban

<p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GakK2nEMJYJr7SOiMwaPz-qN1PWdxCCxiyhrtdjUb9tpcfqRt30w3OtAJswPBTUISngYuqUagHN1b0cn1ftUgCfOGrJfDPuM1aRCIv5EKF0DlK_-q-TZzON1wcv0e9SMfOhzy0Fsfqs/s1600-h/Cluster_Bombs.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250482209432317378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GakK2nEMJYJr7SOiMwaPz-qN1PWdxCCxiyhrtdjUb9tpcfqRt30w3OtAJswPBTUISngYuqUagHN1b0cn1ftUgCfOGrJfDPuM1aRCIv5EKF0DlK_-q-TZzON1wcv0e9SMfOhzy0Fsfqs/s400/Cluster_Bombs.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The hypocrisy of the South African government again stunned the world. No, it’s not that President Mbeki has failed to lift a finger to influence the despot Robert Mugabe in neighbouring Zimbabwe. Nor is it his continuing ludicrous attitude the HIV/AIDS.<br /><br />It’s South Africa’s refusal to support a ban on cluster bombs. Cluster bombs are deadly weapons deployed from aircraft and helicopters. The bombs release hundreds of smaller bomblets or grenades.<br /><br />They open in mid-air and scatter over a large area, often causing large numbers of civilian casualties. Often the bomblets don’t go off and lay in the ground until an unsuspecting person steps on one. </span></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><p align="center"><br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><em>(Below, victims of cluster bombs. </em><em>What's the problem,asks the South African government?)</em></span></span> </span><br /></p></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250482670636029490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6q5-KGJ5AH8OHHvw4a5Ddx6xPDBDJqtUw7o1OXM6ITAux9VKaI4pIk-9p-o_mXzY1PDhZU4PHyGZugawfGeEEhGLUrfmpJb5x_khRG3NEzxXhntWW_2wX1tGIGuQY2Os4tE3NHc1M24Y/s400/cluster-b-victims.jpg" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" />Norway launched an international treaty last year to prohibit cluster bombs by 2008; 84 governments participated in the process including over half of the world's stockpilers and half of the producers. <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">The four outstanding non-signatories are the US, South Africa, Israel and Russia.</span></strong><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDiirXH0UBIrFP8vU1WFoLkxBwhkNq7yMiBMjrjXXkhohXwDpUUCklJlacv2imJ0sRz5BdXVAB_OV6aRyL20zG3hbzvQfsefyt4GwXRNCO7tUgUx0ZS891njBQTMnHRTqHT6FhJx0eRM/s1600-h/cluster-bomb-victim.bmp"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250482834258470914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIDiirXH0UBIrFP8vU1WFoLkxBwhkNq7yMiBMjrjXXkhohXwDpUUCklJlacv2imJ0sRz5BdXVAB_OV6aRyL20zG3hbzvQfsefyt4GwXRNCO7tUgUx0ZS891njBQTMnHRTqHT6FhJx0eRM/s400/cluster-bomb-victim.bmp" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;">At a meeting in Zambia, <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">South Africa was the only country of 39 African countries on cluster bombs to oppose a blanket ban prohibiting the manufacture and use of the deadly bombs.</span></strong><br /><br />The main purpose of the meeting was for Africa to unite before negotiations over a global ban on cluster bombs started at the May in Dublin.<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdgeGmKtepKquEfS9GgyS0PMos2PbxKShrnFZzb4we7atP1D0z8OFqptAlWET8-EHQmrHxWO8fLDq1ihfmgeK4EiTxUwWPPWwH7QsOZwZnlwa6PFh5bwKh8xObn9odJzcPjSbhpkAq00/s1600-h/cluster_bomb.jpg"><span style="font-size:130%;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250483260852106162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdgeGmKtepKquEfS9GgyS0PMos2PbxKShrnFZzb4we7atP1D0z8OFqptAlWET8-EHQmrHxWO8fLDq1ihfmgeK4EiTxUwWPPWwH7QsOZwZnlwa6PFh5bwKh8xObn9odJzcPjSbhpkAq00/s200/cluster_bomb.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" /></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />South Africa again made a fool of itself by insisting that not all cluster bombs are deadly and that bombs with a “98% reliability rate” are legitimate weapons of war. And what was behind this bizarre refusal? Money, of course. South Africa and Egypt are the only two manufacturers of cluster bombs on the African continent.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><em>See news article </em></span><a class="l" href="http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-04-04-sa-opposes-cluster-bomb-ban" onmousedown="return clk(this.href,'','','res','2','&sig2=qdGU7WB6k8R88mIePLecbA')"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><em>SA opposes cluster-bomb ban - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart ...</em></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:85%;"><em><br /></em></span><p></p>

South Africa opposes cluster-bomb ban

The hypocrisy of the South African government again stunned the world. No, it’s not that President Mbeki has failed to lift a finger to infl...

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Metro staff in R31m land scam

<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMXPSVDmpmiVAgehkesfr_oVNxg5OtFcBo6x6ebdj1JnDuEER8Iha-Av3gVPDDC3-kIDrIpInbO17s4E2mmoG_C44LrY2b6brRZuNOmdiTUF1VJovVvU130Hns2flVTwf8nwwN5kv-Jo/s1600-h/meyersdal+nature+estate.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250452241390551778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMXPSVDmpmiVAgehkesfr_oVNxg5OtFcBo6x6ebdj1JnDuEER8Iha-Av3gVPDDC3-kIDrIpInbO17s4E2mmoG_C44LrY2b6brRZuNOmdiTUF1VJovVvU130Hns2flVTwf8nwwN5kv-Jo/s400/meyersdal+nature+estate.jpg" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:78%;color:#ff0000;"><em>Meyersdal Nature Estate</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">Ekurhuleni metro officials have sold themselves dozens of parcels of municipal land in dodgy deals since 2004 that cost ratepayers millions.</span></strong><br /><br />Reports on an independent investigation into the deals were handed to an Ekurhuleni council meeting in Germiston on Thursday. Discussion was deferred until next week.<br /><br />The metro may have lost "a minimum of R31-million" on land deals in the Meyersdal nature area alone, metro manager Patrick Flusk said in a summary of the reports.<br /><br />"This can be considered irregular expenditure," he said, which must therefore be reported to the Auditor-General, the Treasury and the police.<br /><br />The metro is paying R7,5-million to try to unscramble the deals<br /><br />Flusk has started disciplinary action against municipal officials, and three have resigned. Another three who were implicated also resigned.<br /><br />In 2006, an anonymous tip-off to the national anti-corruption hotline warned authorities to take a closer look at a land swop in which the metro traded land in Meyersdal for farmland from a developer.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoyTw2BtCIX5bVJeYdvx4Y6OKfR4bEX0zzNf-E12k3IOvGC5FaosyVOPzXsRwPCFGEZq6s7ru5dWZ-5QeF5ZJ9pdB8Z3A-VCz9yYIy_CHw7rEm7Z_9ZRWKwqBCCQkx7DW1-2ooaqeSuI/s1600-h/Meyersdal%2520-%2520logo.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250459932587744242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoyTw2BtCIX5bVJeYdvx4Y6OKfR4bEX0zzNf-E12k3IOvGC5FaosyVOPzXsRwPCFGEZq6s7ru5dWZ-5QeF5ZJ9pdB8Z3A-VCz9yYIy_CHw7rEm7Z_9ZRWKwqBCCQkx7DW1-2ooaqeSuI/s400/Meyersdal%2520-%2520logo.gif" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" /></a>The developer later turned the land he got from the municipality into the Meyersdal Nature Estate, and the tip-off noted that the land Ekurhuleni handed over was grossly undervalued.<br /><br />In August last year, Flusk hired Pasco Risk Management to investigate.<br /><br />Flusk said there was "a concerted attempt to frustrate the process, which includes intimidation and threats" to him.<br /><br />Pasco reported that: </span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></p></span><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Since July 2004, the metro's land alienation policy was not in line with the law. Since then the metro has alienated at least 1 330 erven with a minimum value of R202-million. This includes 306 transactions, worth at least R77-million, which need "thorough investigation".<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">A metro councillor and 162 municipal officials bought some of the land, losing the metro at least R35,5-million in just three of these deals.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">There was "poor, negligent or incompetent administration" and "evidence of large-scale, systematic non-compliance" with metro policies.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprL-Kzjao0uVWnJsMUSw5CbLRmybVn2M316rRaFsQ5nm4mcrIb3LvPkKG-_LJur26JE8z6B9uoE7b3KI5-XKlOiPJTCO3w7xp5EtW9z6YjjtBbq1y-LkDoQlmJ0cVPwSij_AUqK5mq-k/s1600-h/Meyersdal_Nature_Estate.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250460672703217378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjprL-Kzjao0uVWnJsMUSw5CbLRmybVn2M316rRaFsQ5nm4mcrIb3LvPkKG-_LJur26JE8z6B9uoE7b3KI5-XKlOiPJTCO3w7xp5EtW9z6YjjtBbq1y-LkDoQlmJ0cVPwSij_AUqK5mq-k/s400/Meyersdal_Nature_Estate.jpg" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" /></a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiVQZND26rGmUI4WR3VtRJRKR-264bb1LqcmsKGyj5laGY4kNPNnou3ovbamW_gD5stEbGu740QOsmV7XbD1YD00oiP06XbV1YxfVigp-eB2b6S8Sz_MKXlG_n7uqcRVdEnmrtKcEJLVA/s1600-h/Meyersdal_Nature_Estate.jpg"></a>The metro's corporate affairs portfolio committee, chaired by councillor Mahomed Akoon and including councillor Neil Diamond, who benefited from some deals, decided what land to sell, while the sales were done by the metro's legal and administrative services department.<br /><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Officials and councillors used their positions to "manipulate and abuse" the system to get development rights over land in Meyersdal.<br /></span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:130%;">Pasco recommended action against some councillors and officials, possible criminal prosecutions and an overhaul of the land development process. </span></p>

Metro staff in R31m land scam

Meyersdal Nature Estate Ekurhuleni metro officials have sold themselves dozens of parcels of municipal land in dodgy deals since 2004 that c...

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與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 5 - 10

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjsEl30qhjH3GNJklKNVDD02hD-F74ymk9l1f8hkHpFzoM6QT1YctHVdWX03o0nl8WsZvE8tPFqs_o-dnl9uath0WUcijE_txahHguSI4m-7Kr0ql-KJDwDTBh-UZxcalf4bETh7RFVkw/s1600-h/poster.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249064018014046210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWjsEl30qhjH3GNJklKNVDD02hD-F74ymk9l1f8hkHpFzoM6QT1YctHVdWX03o0nl8WsZvE8tPFqs_o-dnl9uath0WUcijE_txahHguSI4m-7Kr0ql-KJDwDTBh-UZxcalf4bETh7RFVkw/s400/poster.jpg" style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" /></a><br />CAST:<br /><br />類型 敵友關係 <br /><br />編導 歐耀興、黃思遠、廖晉碩、黃偉賢 <br /><br />助理編導 尹之維、黃汝樂、李鳳明、黃立天 <br /><br />演出 郭晉安、鄭嘉穎、蒙嘉慧、商天娥、姚子羚、呂　珊、麥長青、蔡子健 <br /><br />集數 22 <br /><br />Synopsis (Credits: TVB)<br /><br />Time was served for a crime he did not commit.<br />After ten years, can he discover the truth behind his father’s murder?<br /><br />Cheung Sing Hei (Kevin Cheng) was sent to prison for murdering his stepfather. The witness of the case turns out to be his cousin Tong Lap Yeen (Roger Kwok). Ten years later, Sing Hei was released from prison. At that time, Lap Yeen has become one of the most famous people in the city. However, Sing Hei is left with nothing at all. Feeling suspicious about the case that took place ten years ago, he is desperate to find out the truth behind his stepfather’s death. As Sing Hei is close to digging out the truth, he puts himself in dangers that might lurk. While investigating the case, he meets reporter Lei Pui Ka (Yoyo Mung) , but he found out that she is Lap Yeen’s girlfriend. Later, he also discovers that Lap Yeen and his stepfather had quarrels in financial problems. This story is about how Sing Hei finds out the truth to the case and proves his innocence.<br /><br />一個秋風肅殺的晚上，身為懲教署督導員的張承希，忍不住內心的憤恨，拿起士巴拿向著繼父曾樹樑痛擊。事後警方根據公證行老闆唐立言﹝郭晉安飾﹞口供，在案發現場附近尋獲一把染了死者血漬和希指紋的士巴拿。證據確鑿下，希被判誤殺罪名成立，入獄13年。<br /><br />希身為前懲教員，鐵窗生涯比常人受多百倍之苦。而事實上，希跟表兄言情同手足，言為甚麼倒戈相向成為案中主要證人呢？另一方面，希打傷樑後，慌忙而逃，對丟棄士巴拿已印象模糊，在百思不得其解下，希決意出獄後找言查出真相。<br /><br />希萬料不到調查樑命案的真兇，直指希妹夫楊健業﹝蔡子健飾﹞。<br />案發當日張頌思﹝何綺雲飾﹞向兄長希哭訴被樑非禮，希一怒之下找樑晦氣，並發生衝突，希打傷樑後離開，其後樑被發現死亡。根據言的調查，當日思也向當時身為男友的業哭訴過被非禮之事，而業在案發的時間一直行蹤成謎。希向思查問之下，發現業果然大有可疑。希想不到因為想保護思，惹來牢獄之災。<br /><br />最令希為難是；自從與母親劉潔儀﹝商天娥飾﹞感情疏淡後，最關愛的就只有妹妹思一人。如今希若要得回清白，就得親手搗毁思現在的幸福家庭，希經不起思的哀求，決定不再追究，犧牲自己的前途，來成就妹妹的幸福。<br /><br />孑然一身的希，此時，重遇獄中當義工的利珮嘉﹝蒙嘉慧飾﹞。嘉8年前隨義工團體探訪監獄，輔導囚犯，其中一名輔導的對象就是希。希在獄中過著非人生活，特別難過，唯遇上嘉，猶如遇上黑暗中的陽光，心裡暗暗動情。希重遇嘉高興之際，駭然發現嘉不但名花有主，護花人竟是言。<br /><br />嘉也想不到男友言就是令希受牢獄之災的重要證人，基於同情與愧咎，嘉盡力幫助希建設新生。言也基於嘉的關係，主動提出請希來自己的公證行工作。其後，嘉不斷收到匿名信，信中指出一些言的奇怪事，暗示言並非表面的忠誠。身為記者的嘉，在追查中，查出寄匿名信的竟是希。嘉徘徊兩男之間，究竟誰是誰非？<br /><br />時娥遇交通意外逝世，希覺娥之死，與言有關，嘉亦覺事有蹊蹺，對言生疑心。言難接受嘉的變心，竟將嘉禁錮，以求解決雙方關係，希決以身犯險營救嘉，最終…… <br /><br /><strong>與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 10</strong><br /><br /><object height="351" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/NBV5MMWI6c44fd175a0429f70d8ada4040c22e07.6900443563.0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/NBV5MMWI6c44fd175a0429f70d8ada4040c22e07.6900443563.0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="432" height="351"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 9</strong><br /><br /><object height="351" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/28SJJAKW2befeb608f46b16b9ec1a1d87d1f661f.6900443471.0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/28SJJAKW2befeb608f46b16b9ec1a1d87d1f661f.6900443471.0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="432" height="351"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 8</strong><br /><br /><object height="351" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/2K9FX1HI6a48a011f8d09f0c999004cfe4fbdade.6900443569.0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/2K9FX1HI6a48a011f8d09f0c999004cfe4fbdade.6900443569.0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="432" height="351"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 7</strong><br /><br /><object height="351" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/YXOSCIR770b6ed9ddd25bf8bf04d165918bbf1ad.6900443611.0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/YXOSCIR770b6ed9ddd25bf8bf04d165918bbf1ad.6900443611.0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="432" height="351"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 6</strong><br /><br /><object height="351" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/8Z30JRO3e88f7e0b18839135eaca55445aca5a45.6900443775.0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/8Z30JRO3e88f7e0b18839135eaca55445aca5a45.6900443775.0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="432" height="351"></embed></object><br /><br /><strong>與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 5</strong><br /><br /><object height="351" width="432"><param name="movie" value="http://www.megavideo.com/v/1D0Y51V3f36d15b079d79dfb716e7edd03616438.6900443469.0"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.megavideo.com/v/1D0Y51V3f36d15b079d79dfb716e7edd03616438.6900443469.0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="432" height="351"></embed></object><br /><br /><em>Thanks and credits to Astro & Drmahkie</em>

與敵同行 Last One Standing Episode 5 - 10

CAST: 類型 敵友關係 編導 歐耀興、黃思遠、廖晉碩、黃偉賢 助理編導 尹之維、黃汝樂、李鳳明、黃立天 演出 郭晉安、鄭嘉穎、蒙嘉慧、商天娥、姚子羚、呂　珊、麥長青、蔡子健 集數 22 Synopsis (Credits: TVB) Time was served for a...

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