• Host nation has one-in-five rate of HIV/Aids among adults
• Plea for an extra billion condoms before football fans descend

Britain is to give 42m condoms to South Africa in response to a request for an extra billion as part of an HIV prevention drive before the World Cup, the government will announce today.

The request for British help in stockpiling sufficient condoms for the expected influx of thousands of football supporters in three months’ time was made during President Jacob Zuma’s recent visit to the UK to meet the Queen.

“Obviously there’s a big focus on the World Cup coming up and a huge increase in the number of people coming into South Africa,” said the international development minister, Gareth Thomas, who will announce the £1m funding today at an emergency summit in London on HIV prevention and treatment. “The South Africans have identified themselves the need to get more condoms in place. South Africa specifically asked for British assistance and we are responding to that request.” He pointed out that the fans would inevitably spill over into neighbouring African countries with high HIV rates, which would also need to take precautions.

The South African government estimates that up to half a million visitors could travel to the country, raising fears of a rise in prostitution and sex trafficking from neighbouring countries and eastern Europe, and creating a potential HIV timebomb.

Last week South Africa’s Central Drug Authority warned that 40,000 prostitutes were expected to arrive for the month-long tournament.

South Africa is embroiled in a struggle to combat the world’s biggest HIV caseload and to convince its population of the importance of safe sex.

The South African health minister, Aaron Motsoaledi, expressed concern that the message was being ignored because people believe HIV can now be easily treated.

“President [Jacob] Zuma made two far-reaching statements on World Aids Day,” Motsoaledi said. “He made a strong statement about prevention and a strong statement about treatment regimes, but after World Aids Day South Africans were only talking about the one.

“That’s what is worrying me. I am saying treatment must only come after prevention … We are worried that South Africans seem to be thinking that we have arrived.”

The Department for International Development (DfID) is keen to support the South African government because of the leadership it has shown recently on HIV. On World Aids Day in December last year, the South Africans announced bold plans to improve access to HIV treatment, particularly for pregnant women and young children, as part of a fresh political will to tackle HIV and Aids. Now the attention is turning to preventing new infections.

Some 450m male condoms are distributed in South Africa every year but, with 16 million sexually active men and one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world, there are never enough.

The DfID will today host an emergency meeting in London to try to stop the fight against HIV and Aids from running into the sand. Five years ago, the G8 pledged universal access to treatment and prevention by 2010. About 4 million people in poor countries are now on antiretroviral drugs to keep them alive, but more than 8 million still urgently need them. More than 33 million people live with HIV around the world and a further 2.5 million people became newly infected last year.

The Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which channels money from donor countries into disease-fighting programmes designed and carried out by developing countries themselves, said that an estimated 4.9 million lives have been saved since it was set up in 2002.

It predicted that, if efforts continue, mother-to-child transmission of HIV in childbirth could be eliminated by 2015, TB could be halved and malaria effectively eliminated from many countries. But its funding is now under threat.

“This report clearly shows the world’s investments are making a difference,” said Michel Sidibé, executive director of UNAids.

“However, Aids is not over in any part of the world and, without a fully funded Global Fund, our shared dream of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support could become our worst nightmare – putting the lives of millions of people currently on treatment in jeopardy and millions of pregnant women … not able to protect their babies from becoming infected.”

HIV nation

An estimated 5.7 million South Africans are living with HIV, about one in every five adults. There are about 1,400 new HIV infections and nearly 1,000 Aids deaths every day. Television adverts ask viewers to “imagine the possibility of an HIV-free generation” by being cautious. But condom use is still far from a social norm.

Critics accuse South Africa’s leadership of undermining the fight with denialism and hypocrisy. Former president Thabo Mbeki’s unwillingness to act has been blamed for the premature deaths of 300,000 people.

President Jacob Zuma, while being tried on charges of raping an HIV-positive family friend in 2006, was ridiculed for testifying he took a shower after sex to lower the risk. He was acquitted of rape. Earlier this year he again did not use a condom when having sex with the daughter of a family friend, who subsequently gave birth to his 20th child.

Fisher Stevens, The Cove Movie, realtvfilms coverage of the Kat Kramer's screening of “Films That Change The World” at Bronson Studios Hollywood. Distributed by Tubemogul.

As the Director of Partnership Development and Internal Programs for Whole Planet Foundation, Joy Peterson helps develop strategic partnerships and guides our Team Member Volunteer Program.

Two weeks ago Whole Planet Foundation announced our Changing The World, Together campaign to raise $1.5 million for 40,000 impoverished people living in communities around the globe where Whole Foods Market sources products. We are off to an excellent start with over $750,000 so far. Thank you! Don’t forget you have until March 31st to donate at our stores or online.

One of the heart-warming aspects of the fundraising side of things with Whole Planet Foundation is having the opportunity to partner with like-minded companies who are committed to planting seeds of prosperity around the world. Our Supplier Alliance for Microcredit was created with founding members Allegro Coffee Company, Back to Nature, Balance Bar, Celestial Seasonings, Earth’s Best, Ito En, Naked Juice, New Chapter, Seventh Generation, Stacy’s, Teas’ Tea and, of course, Whole Foods Market. Along with our newest member, Cascal, this alliance has pledged $1.2 million to support our microlending programs.

Getting the opportunity to meet and work with the people who make up these companies is a pleasure and a privilege. They are committed to supporting microcredit as an opportunity for poor women to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Just a quick refresher: microcredit is small loans – usually less than $200 – requiring no collateral or contract provided to the poor to create or expand home-based businesses such as neighborhood stores, weaving, sewing, raising chickens, pigs and cows, small-scale agriculture, pottery, artisan goods, prepared foods and many more.

For the last two years I’ve been working with Joe Browne and Susan Johnson, both with the sales team at Seventh Generation. (Who, by the way, is doing some great work regarding sustainable palm oil.) Joe says their inspiration to participate in the Supplier Alliance for Microcredit is due to “the tangible benefits of adopting a holistic approach to ending the cycle of women locked in persistent poverty. We believe that by employing these kinds of sustainable business practices today we will enable future generations to live better tomorrow. We incorporate social, economic, environmental and ethical factors into all of our organization’s business strategy, decision-making and daily operations. Whole Planet Foundation is a wonderful example of how we partner with other like-minded organizations.”

Last year, Susan traveled to Kenya to provide community service and witness the Whole Planet Foundation-supported microlending project in coffee-growing communities with microfinance institution partner Jamii Bora Trust. She explains, “On August 19th I traveled with the Jamii Bora Trust team to one of the new centers made possible by the Whole Planet Foundation grant in Nyeri. I met over 20 loan recipients and visited some of their businesses, met many of their children plus spent time with the incredible staff of the new center. They were so proud and appreciative that we visited and wanted us to bring back their big ‘Thank You’ to Whole Planet Foundation for the grant that made their program in the coffee producing North District of Kenya a reality. This was one of the highlights of my four-month sabbatical in Africa.”

It’s a highlight for me to see the outpouring of support – from Supplier Alliance partners to Whole Foods Market shoppers and team members. We are Changing the World, Together.

Former Bosnian Serb leader, accused of biggest mass murder in Europe since second world war, testifies to war crimes tribunal

Radovan Karadzic is testifying at the resumption of his genocide trial in The Hague – one of the largest cases on the former Yugoslavia to be brought to the United Nations war crimes tribunal.

The former Bosnian Serb leader, accused of the biggest mass murder in Europe since the second world war, denies two counts of genocide and nine other counts of murder, extermination, persecution, forced deportation and the seizing of 200 UN hostages.

His defence is that Bosnia’s Serbs were being persecuted and murdered by Muslims, while the west betrayed the Serbs by secretly violating a Balkans arms embargo to smuggle weapons to their enemies.

“I will defend that nation of ours and their cause that is just and holy,” Karadzic said in translated comments at the international criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). “We have a good case. We have good evidence and proof.”

Prosecutors say 64-year-old Karadzic orchestrated a campaign to destroy the Muslim and Croat communities in eastern Bosnia to create an ethnically pure Serbian state. He denies any guilt – although he refused to enter a formal plea – and could face life in prison if convicted.

The campaign included the 44-month siege of the capital, Sarajevo, and the torture and murder of hundreds of prisoners in detention camps, and culminated in the massacre of around 8,000 Muslim males in one week in July 1995.

The massacre, in the Srebrenica enclave, was the worst in Europe since the second world war.

In his opening statement last October, the prosecutor Alan Tieger said Karadzic “harnessed the forces of nationalism, hatred and fear to pursue his vision of an ethnically segregated Bosnia”.

Karadzic is the most important figure to be brought to trial since the former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who died of a heart attack in 2006 before his case was concluded.

As president of the breakaway Bosnian Serb state, Karadzic negotiated with diplomats, UN officials and peace envoys. He set the tone and pace of the 1992-95 Bosnian war, in which an estimated 100,000 people died.

First indicted in 1995, he eluded a Nato manhunt for more than a decade but was caught in Belgrade, where he had been living as a new-age philosopher, in July 2008.

Karadzic – who is representing himself despite his lack of legal training – has persistently attempted to stall the trial.

He argued that he did not have enough time to study more than 1m pages of trial documents – 415,000 pages submitted by the prosecution since October alone – and that he was denied enough funding from the tribunal to pay an adequate legal staff to research his defence.

On Friday, the three-judge tribunal dismissed his request to adjourn the trial until June after his two-day opening statement and ordered prosecutors to present their first witness on Wednesday.

Karadzic boycotted the opening of the trial four months ago, prompting the court to suspend the case.

The judges appointed a veteran British defence lawyer, Richard Harvey, to represent Karadzic if he was deemed to again be “obstructing” the proceedings.

Karadzic, who has refused to co-operate with Harvey, pleaded for a delay because he “could not benefit” from his court-appointed lawyer.

In Friday’s ruling, the judges said his refusal to collaborate with Harvey “is a decision made by him and for which he must therefore bear the consequences”.

The UN security council, which set up the tribunal in 1993, has ordered it not to open new cases. The tribunal has indicted 161 political and military officials, of which 40 cases are still continuing.

Two men are fugitives and could still be brought to trial in The Hague: Karadzic’s former top general, Ratko Mladic, and the Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic.

A scientist tries to solve world hunger only to see things go awry as food falls from the sky in abundance.

The Connell family, of New Hampshire, was videotaping the Sea World killer whale show moments before a trainer was killed.

Feb 24: Amateur video of killer whale killing trainer during live show at Sea World, while audience watches. The park was evacuated and immediately closed following the events.

The current economic crisis is not a failure of capitalism, but a failure of culture. Generation Zero explores the cultural roots of the global financial meltdown – beginning with the narcissism of the 1960's, spreading like a virus through the self-indulgent 90's, and exploding across the world in the present economic cataclysm. Generation Zero goes beneath the shallow media headlines and talking head sound bites to get to the source of today's economic nightmare. With a cutting edge style and haunting imagery, this must see documentary will change everything you thought you knew about Wall Street and Washington. Featuring experts, authors, and pundits from across the political spectrum, Generation Zero exposes the little told story of how the mindset of the baby boomers sowed the seeds of economic disaster that will be reaped by coming generations.

The King Koopa (Bowser, duh) starts a new plan: A fast food restaurant. What could be next? Just, watch it, it isn’t that bad. ——————————————– A “Super Mario World” cartoon episode, THE QUALITY OF ENCODING IS LOW, that is why the image looks that blurry.

DOWNLOAD LINK: tinyurl.com I deleted my old you tube account and made a new one. This video was first uploaded from my old account and since it was getting the most views out off all my videos, i re uploaded incase someone wanted to watch it Lyrics Down: No record deal, no dream fulfilled, no three minute video No catchy jingle, no big hit single playing on the radio Can make me happy enough Can make me feel the way you do You make me happy I wanna make You happy too You make me happy You make me happy No flashy cars, no movie stars, no man, woman, boy or girl No fancy things, no diamond rings, nothing in the whole wide world Chorus: Can make me happy Can make me feel the way You do You make me happy I want to make You happy too You make me happy You make me feel the way I do You make me happy I wish the whole world knew You too No I cannot count the ways You have made my life so blessed All I know is that You came and made beauty of my mess Said I cannot count the ways You have made my life so blessed All I know is that You came and made beauty of my mess