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Bare-breasted virgins compete for Swaziland king Mon Sep 1, 2008 1:02pm EDT By Phakamisa Ndzamela LUDZIDZINI ROYAL VILLAGE, Swaziland (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of bare-breasted virgins competed for Swaziland King Mswati III's eye on Monday in a traditional Reed Dance. Walking through the dense crowds in a leopard skin loin cloth, Sub-Saharan Africa's last absolute monarch was expected to choose his 14th wife. Critics say Mswati, who has courted controversy for his lavish lifestyle while two thirds of his subjects live in poverty, sets a bad example by encouraging polygamy and teenage sex in a country where about 40 percent of adults live with HIV. Some of the women did not seem to mind, hoping to escape from the southern African nation's hardships for the easy life. "I came here to dance. I wish the king would have chosen me because it's nice at the king's place. The wives live a nice life," said Tenene Dlamini, 16, in a traditional brown skirt. "Everything is done for them. They don't work. They earn." The Reed Dance has been a big date on the Swaziland cultural calendar since Mswati began the ceremony in 1999. But he may not be as relaxed this year among the throngs of young half-naked women. They are critical of plans to hold next weekend's celebrations of the king's 40th birthday in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of Swaziland's independence from Britain. Still, some of Swaziland's women came to the Ludzidzini Royal Village to show their admiration for the monarch. "I respect the king and I respect my culture," said Nontobeko Sdidlamini, 16, carrying a shield made of animal skin and wearing an orange bracelet which read "Sex Can Wait". Some said they would not want to be part of a polygamous arrangement with the king and were taking part in the ceremony to prove their virginity. Others fear they lost out. "My sister is the king's tenth wife. I don't think he can choose me because he has already chosen my sister," said Zandisile Ntentesa, a 21-year-old prison employee. The king, flanked by bodyguards with pistols and sticks, may face pressure from emboldened critics. But he can take comfort from the wealth which wins him tributes and songs at the reed ceremony. Last month, Forbes magazine listed him as the 15th-richest monarch in the world. He was the only African on the list. During the reed festivities, one of the king's wives drove up in a fancy BMW. Policemen told people to look the other way. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Giles Elgood) http://www.reuters.com/article/newsO...48259220080901 nsfw http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/50000-...5302561711.html http://www.theage.com.au/ffximage/2005/08/...eb__430x282.jpg

Just caught this movie last weekend.. I think it is pretty good.. Teared.. Some issues are really very real and faced by us sillyporeans. I am surprised some of the parts that mocked the govt are not snipped. Anyone else watched it?

Singapore: Convict Shortage Halts Singapore Prison Project Foreign 2008-08-08 14:40 SINGAPORE: Singapore has shut down construction of two prisons partly because the city-state's aging population isn't producing enough criminals, its prisons director said in remarks published Friday (8 Aug). Ng Joo Hee said work on two of the four prisons of the Singapore $1 billion (US$718 million) Changi Prison Complex was halted after the country's inmate population fell to a 10-year low of 11,768 last year. "In an aging population, you generally see a lower crime rate," Ng was quoted as saying in the Straits Times newspaper. He could not be reached on Friday. Singapore has some of the stiffest penalties for crime in the world, including cane lashes and death by hanging for some drug offenses. It also has one of the lowest birth rates, and the government is trying to encourage couples to have more children. Its crime rate fell to 696 incidents per 100,000 people last year from 974 in 1997. The paper said fewer repeat offenders and less drug abuse has helped thin the prison population. About a quarter of inmates released in 2005 returned within two years, while about half went back to prison in 1998. Ng credited prison education and work-study programs for the falling recidivism rate, the newspaper said. Drug rehabilitation centers housed 451 patients last year, down from 5,508 in 1997. Courts are also more hesitant to send offenders to prison, choosing other punishments such as probation instead, the paper said. (AP) http://www.mysinchew.com/node/14779 deh... not enterprising at all. mebbe they consider upgrading them to hostel like Hotel 81. can roleplay machiam warden and prisoner.. sure attract plenty of holiday makers

Man bedridden after road accident awarded $1.5m in damages By Selina Lum A 33-YEAR-OLD MAN, left incapacitated and mentally disabled after a road accident seven years ago, has been awarded $1.5 million by the High Court, believed to be one of the highest for personal injury claims here. But his 54-year-old mother believes that her son should get more money. 'I'm not satisfied,' Madam Ramiah Naragatha Vally told The Straits Times on Thursday in between sobs on Thursday. 'My son's life is gone.' Mr Ramesh Ayakanno, a former lorry driver who held a blackbelt in taekwondo, is now unable to move or talk and requires life-long medication for epileptic seizures. He spends most of his day in bed and is moved to a reclining chair for a couple of hours a day, said Madam Vally. He cannot feed himself and has to wear adult diapers. Mr Ramesh is entitled to get 95 per cent of the award, as well as interest and legal costs. This is because in 2002, the driver of the van that crashed into Mr Ramesh had agreed to take 95 per cent of the blame for causing the accident on the Kranji Expressway on March 9, 2001. The payout will be made by the van driver's insurers. Mr Ramesh had been hit after he stopped his lorry along the road shoulder to check a noise coming from the back of the vehicle. Then 26 years old and due to get married, he was flung to the ground and suffered serious head injuries. http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/...ory_214058.html