Pretoria - Reducing poverty among children and the youth can contribute towards the reduction of intergenerational transmitted poverty, says Deputy Minister of Social Development Bathabile Dlamini.

"We believe that education can play an important role in the long-term towards the fight against intergenerational poverty," Dlamini said on Wednesday at Inkandla.

She was addressing the Independent Development Trust 2nd Annual Development Week Dialogue themed "Breaking the Cycle of Intergenerational Transmitted Poverty: From Rhetoric to Practice".

The dialogue aimed to engage stakeholders on the issue of poverty and its impact on the livelihoods of people, from generation to generation.

In an effort to stop intergenerational poverty, Dlamini noted that government has developed a strategy to increase the number of youth in education, employment and training by 2014/15.

"This is because young people are viewed as our valued human resources, who must be assisted to find the necessary space of participation in the economy and the labour market.

"We must show confidence and invest in them because they constitute the future of our country by highlighting that the ability of children cannot be determined by their family backgrounds," she said.

In fighting poverty, government has implemented the War on Poverty Campaign, which has already taken off across the country.

Through this initiative, government is targeting the poorest households in a bid to assist each of them overcome the hardships of poverty. – BuaNews

Pretoria – By the end of the 2010/2011 financial year, 74 926 people infected with HIV and AIDS in Limpopo will have access to ART treatment.

Tabling the provincial health budget of R10.5 billion, MEC for Health and Social Development Miriam Segabutla announced that access to ART sites will be increased from 66 to 106, targeting 74 926 people.

The department will also be implementing new guidelines on management of patients with HIV and AIDS, as from 1 April 2010.

This follows the announcement by President Jacob Zuma during World AIDS Day that all HIV positive pregnant women with a CD4 count less than 350 will start taking ARVs irrespective of AIDS defining symptoms.

“Children born of HIV positive women will also be put on ARVs and will be reviewed on a six-monthly basis,” Segabutla said, adding that all health facilities were currently providing PMTCT dual therapy.

In strengthening the referral system and improve the TB cure rate, Segabutla announced that the department will implement the Tracer Team Project to work with communities.

“HIV counselling and testing has been provided to 87 percent of the registered TB patients and this number will continue to increase,” she said.

The budget for TB MDR services has been increased from R71 million to R145 million.

In a bid to reduce infant and child mortality rate, Segabutla reiterated the department’s commitment to reduce the rate through preventative measures and continues to implement the Expanded Program on Immunization.

“The plan is to increase the current coverage from 83.5 percent to 90 percent,” she said, while encouraging mothers and communities to bring children to health facilities for immunisation. - BuaNews

Competition for the 2010 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (ADDC) is set to be higher than ever, with more than 100 entries for the event so far.

The cross-country motorsport spectacular, which, for the second consecutive year will be totally staged across Abu Dhabi, will run from March 28 – April 1.

Organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the event is the season-opening round of both the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship.

Entry to the 2010 ADDC is open to cars and trucks complying with FIA T1, T2 and T4 technical regulations, as well as motorcyclists and quads running under FIM auspices.

The event, backed by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), is further strengthening Abu Dhabi’s tourism, major event and motor sport credentials. These were also recently boosted by news that - pending FIA approval - the emirate will host Rally Abu Dhabi, a World Rally Championship (WRC) candidate event later this year.

ADDC competitors will face two days of documentation and scrutineering (March 25-26) before a Super Special Stage (March 27), which decides the starting order. Competitors then brave five days in the Liwa Desert and the Moreeb area of the Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali), the world’s largest uninterrupted sand mass boasting some of its highest dunes.

“This emirate has some of the world’s most stunning desert terrain and event officials are working tirelessly to leverage this in finalising an ambitious and challenging route,” said Ahmed Hussein, Deputy Director General of Tourism Operations, ADTA.

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA Vice President, President of ATCUAE and Chairman of the 2010 ADCC Organising Committee, confirmed several top international teams and GCC drivers are expected at this year’s event.

The actual competitive action will get underway with a timed Super Special Stage in the UAE capital on the morning of March 27.

The outcome of the short off-road section, expected to attract thousands of motorsport enthusiasts, will determine the starting order for the event’s all-important first desert leg on March 28. This leg starts from Al Dhafrah plateau giving competitors an immediate introduction to the variations of terrain that they will face over the coming days, to a finish deep in the emirate’s remote desert.

A non-competitive liaison section will then guide teams to the first overnight halt at Moreeb Hill, near Liwa, where the rally will be based for the next four days, at a specially-prepared desert bivouac.

Legs two, three and four will feature demanding loop stages around Moreeb Hill, across somewhat challenging tracks, winding desert trails and the region’s notorious towering sand dunes.

Each stage will be divided by passage controls and route waypoints, said Sulayem, as competitors thread their way through the legendary Rub Al-Khali made famous by British explorer Wilfrid Thesiger.

The fifth and final leg will take place on April 1, with teams tackling a new desert section between Liwa to the event’s finish in Abu Dhabi city.

The UAE’s premier off-road event was the brainchild of Sulayem in 1991 and has been a FIA World Cup round since 1993. The rally has been managed by ATCUAE since 2006.

ADCC has traditionally attracted a host of partners and in 2010 these include Nissan, Adnoc and Explorer publishing.

Reliable sources report that at least six Jumma tribal people were killed, and hundreds of houses burnt to the ground, in an attack by soldiers and settlers on tribal villages in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh on Saturday. The attacks took place in the Sajek region, where tensions have been rising since Bengali settlers, supported by the army, have been expanding their settlements on Jumma land.

Local reports state that soldiers shot indiscriminately at Jumma villagers after one soldier was injured during clashes. Many other Jummas were hurt. Settlers, aided by the security forces, set fire to, and destroyed, five villages, consisting of at least 200 houses. A Buddhist temple and a church have also been burnt down. Thousands of Jummas have fled to the jungle to escape from the soldiers and settlers.

The local administration has imposed an order known as section 144, which prohibits the assembly of five or more people and the holding of public meetings. This is hampering the Jumma’s efforts to establish the whereabouts of missing people and to confirm the numbers killed. Two bullet-ridden bodies have been recovered (those of Mr Lakkhi Bijoy Chakma (40) and Ms Buddhapati Chakma (36)), but tribal leaders report that the army has removed the bodies of several other Jummas who were killed during the incident.

Hundreds of thousands of settlers have been moved into the Hill Tracts over the last sixty years, in a policy supported by successive governments, displacing the eleven Jumma tribes and subjecting them to violent repression.

In 1997 the government and the Jummas signed a peace accord that committed the government to removing military camps from the region and to ending the theft of Jumma land by settlers and the army. The accord offered hope, but military camps remain in the Hill Tracts and violence and land grabbing continue.

Survival International’s director, Stephen Corry said, ‘This horrific incident is just the latest in a long line of brutal attacks on the Jumma tribal people. They have been killed, tortured and raped, and their lands stolen, for far too long. We call on the government of Bangladesh to put an end to army violence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and to withdraw the army camps, as promised in the peace accord. Those responsible for this atrocity must be brought to justice.’ source Survival International

Survival International welcomes the news that the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is selling its shares in Vedanta Resources due to concerns over the company's human rights record. Two other shareholders, the Marlborough Ethical Fund and Millfield House Foundation, have also sold their shares.

Survival is campaigning for all shareholders to pull out of the company, and has been lobbying the Rowntree Trust since July 2009.

The news is just the latest in a string of PR disasters for Vedanta. Last week Amnesty International released a report slamming the company for 'failing to respect the human rights' of the Dongria Kondh tribe of Orissa, India, on whose sacred mountain it plans to build a bauxite mine. The previous week the Church of England also sold its shares, saying, 'We are not satisfied that Vedanta has shown, or is likely in future to show, the level of respect for human rights and local communities that we expect…’

The British and Norwegian governments have both condemned the project, and Martin Currie Investments has also disinvested following pressure from Survival International. The BP Pension Fund has reduced its shareholding over similar concerns.

Stephen Corry, Survival's director, said today, 'It is really encouraging to see shareholders taking indigenous rights seriously and refusing to bankroll Vedanta's activities. They have found that 'engagement' with the company is fruitless: Vedanta is clearly determined to mine the Dongria Kondh's sacred mountain. Vedanta is fast becoming the most controversial mining company in the world - controversy that ethical investors would be well advised to distance themselves from.' source [URL="http://www.survivalinternational.org"]Survivor International
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Washington - In his first State of the Union Address on Wednesday night US President Barack Obama said his country will have all of US combat troops out of Iraq by the end of August.

Obama said he promised to end the unpopular war as a presidential candidate in 2008, and that is what he is doing as president.

"We will have all of our combat troops out of Iraq by the end of this August ... make no mistake, this war is ending, and all of our troops are coming home," he said speaking from Capitol Hill.

He also promised to support the Iraqi government as Iraqis hold crucial parliamentary elections in March. He said the administration will continue to partner with Iraqis to "promote regional peace and prosperity."

As the war in Iraq is winding down, Obama said the US is increasing troop level in Afghanistan and training of Afghan Security Forces so they can begin to take the lead in July 2011, so that US troops can begin to come home that time.

He acknowledged that "there will be difficult days ahead," and the US will help "reward good governance, reduce corruption" in Afghanistan.

He said an international meeting on Afghanistan will take place Thursday in London, during which allies and partners will come together to reaffirm their commitment.

The President also said he would continue financial reform to fight against excessive speculation that could send the US economy into a new crisis.

"I am not interested in punishing banks, I’m interested in protecting our economy,” he said, while noting that a strong, healthy financial market makes it possible for businesses to access credit and create new jobs.

"It channels the savings of families into investments that raise incomes. But that can only happen if we guard against the same recklessness that nearly brought down our entire economy."

He also vowed he would veto any finance bill that does not contain "real reform."

"The House has already passed financial reform with many of these changes. And the lobbyists are already trying to kill it," he told lawmakers at the Capitol Hill.

"Well, we cannot let them win this fight. And if the bill that ends up on my desk does not meet the test of real reform, I will send it back."

Focusing on healthcare, Obama reiterated his commitment to healthcare overhaul efforts despite recent setbacks.

"The approach we've taken would protect every American from the worst practices of the insurance industry. It would give small businesses and uninsured Americans a chance to choose an affordable health care plan in a competitive market".

He promised he would not "walk away" from needy Americans although healthcare overhaul, one of his top domestic legislative priorities, is now caught in a deadlock.

Obama also admitted that he should be blamed for not explaining his healthcare plan more clearly to the American people given the complex nature of this issue.

"This is a complex issue, and the longer it was debated, the more skeptical people became," he said. - BuaNews-Xinhua

South Africa is the sixth best country in the world to live in, according to expatriates based here. This was revealed in a massive global survey commissioned by global finance house HSBC Bank International. The study was conducted by UK-based research company FreshMinds. Results were released in late November 2009.

Over 3 100 expats, from more than 30 industries and living in 50 countries on four continents, took part in the study earlier in the year.

Titled Expat Experience, it sought to determine the challenges people encountered when living and working away from home, and also aimed to differentiate between the expat experience in various countries and on various continents, in comparison with home.

In the end, 26 countries made the rankings. South Africa came in behind the top five of Canada, Australia, Thailand, Singapore and Bahrain.

As an expat favourite, the country eclipsed highly developed nations such as the US, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium and the UK, as well as other emerging nations including Brazil, Mexico, China and India.

Quality of life

The survey is one of three reports released under HSBC's annual Expat Explorer series of studies. The other two studies are the Expat Economics and Offshore Offspring reports.

South Africa was the only African country surveyed for the economics report, where it came 13th out of 26. The results of the Offshore Offspring report, which reveals the best place to raise a family away from home, are due out in early 2010.

The latest survey focused on the expat experience of mingling with local culture and society, and the increase or decrease in quality of life compared to the home country.

Expats rated their current locations according to 23 day-to-day criteria, including food, accommodation, entertainment, transport, banking, utilities, healthcare, working hours, family and social life, hobbies, and more.

They were also asked to rate the ease with which they were able to perform a variety of tasks, including finding accommodation for their families and schools for their children, learning the local language, making friends among local and expat communities, and arranging their finances, vehicles, utilities, and other essentials.

Friendly country

In addition to making the top 10 overall, South Africa scored highly in the categories of making local friends (2), organising schools (3), finding somewhere to live (3), social life (3), quality of life (3), and accommodation (4).

South Africa was the top-ranked country for hobbyists, as well as the top country for settling down, beating Thailand and Canada which took 2nd and 3rd place respectively. More than half of those questioned - 55% - have lived in South Africa for more than five years.

South Africa was rated among the top nations in terms of the ease with which expats integrated into local society, which covered factors such as setting up their bank accounts, learning the language, and arranging healthcare.

According to the report, in most countries new arrivals gravitate towards the expat community when seeking new friends. Notable exceptions are Brazil, where 94% of people easily made local friends; followed by South Africa and Canada (both 91%); and India and Russia (both 90%).

South Africa's worst score was 22 out of 26, in the transport category.

Most affordable

A global survey earlier last year named Johannesburg as the most affordable city in the world for foreigners.

Results of the Cost of Living survey, regarded as the world's most comprehensive study of this type, were released in March 2009.

Out of 143 cities on six continents, Johannesburg was found to be the cheapest, almost three times cheaper than the most expensive city, Tokyo.

The weakening of South Africa's currency, the rand, against the dollar is said to be responsible for Johannesburg replacing Asuncion in Paraguay as the least expensive location in 2009.

The final field of 32 teams for the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa was decided on Wednesday evening when five playoff ties were decided - one in Africa, three in Europe and one in South America.

The Final Draw to decide who plays who in the World Cup group matches takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 4 December, exactly six months before the tournament kicks off.

The television broadcast of the Final Draw is expected to reach more than 700-million football fans around the globe.
Algeria vs Egypt

Wednesday's African playoff became necessary after Egypt and Algeria finished level on points in African Group C, after the Pharaohs beat Algeria 2-0 in the final group game.

The playoff took place at a neutral venue, the Al-Merreikh Stadium in Omdurman, Sudan, with plenty of emotion to back up the high stakes after the previous encounter in Cairo, which had been marred by violence. Four Algerian players had been injured after stone-throwing Egyptian supporters attacked their bus. Egypt's Interior Ministry reported that 32 people - 20 Algerians and 12 Egyptians - had been injured.

In Omdurman, Antar Yahia decided the playoff tie with a 40th minute goal, when he blasted a deep cross by Karim Ziani into the back of the Egyptian net from close range.

The victory secured a third World Cup finals berth for Algeria. Previously, the Fennecs qualified for the 1982 and 1986 finals.
France vs Ireland

It took a controversial goal in extra time to settle the tie between France and Ireland and earn the French a place in South Africa next year.

Down by a goal after the first leg, Ireland levelled the aggregate score after 33 minutes when Robbie Keane netted at the Stade de France after being set up by Damien Duff.

In the 73rd minute, the Tottenham striker had a golden opportunity to put his side ahead when he was put clean through, with only goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to beat. But, instead of shooting, he tried to take the ball around Lloris and ended up taking the ball out of play.

French desperation was clear when Nicholas Anelka tried to win a penalty with a dive. It didn't come off, but Thierry Henry, in extra time, succeeded in fooling the referee to give France the valuable win.

Thirteen minutes into the extra period, Florent Malouda found Henry from a free kick. The striker twice used his hand to control the ball - he admitted as much after the contest - before passing to William Gallas, who headed home.

Ukraine vs Greece

Greece kept Ukraine out of the finals, despite playing away from home.

After playing to a goalless draw in Athens, the Greeks claimed a 1-0 win in Donetsk, thanks to a 31st minute goal by Dimitris Salpigidis.

The 2004 European champions, under coach Otto Rehhagel, will be contesting the finals for only the second time. Their first qualification was in the 1994 tournament in the USA when they lost all three of their pool games.

Rehhagel took charge of Greece in 2001 and it has been a very successful relationship. Not only has he twice led them to the European Championships finals, including the title, but now they're going to the World Cup again.

Slovenia vs Russia

Russia had looked well on their way to South Africa when they took a 2-0 lead over Slovenia in the first leg of their playoff in Moscow. The Slovenians, however, netted a late away goal to ensure a tight battle in the second leg and that late goal came back to haunt Guus Hiddink's charges.

On Wednesday evening, at Stadion Ljudski Vrt in Maribor, Slovenia ended the Russian dream when Zlatko Dedic struck for the home side in the 44th minute.
His strike levelled the aggregate score at 2-2, but the Slovenians advanced to the finals on away goals, thanks to Nejc Pecnik's strike in Moscow.

Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Portugal

Crowds at the World Cup will get to see 2008 Fifa World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo in action after Portugal qualified at the expense of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Leading 1-0 after their home game, the Portuguese won 1-0 again.

Midfielder Nani scored the all-important away goal, effectively meaning Bosnia-Herzogovina would need to net three unanswered goals to take victory. They couldn't find one as Portugal advanced 2-0 on aggregate.
Uruguay vs Costa Rica

Uruguay secured the final place in South Africa.

They entered their second leg match at home, in Montevideo, with a valuable away goal to their credit, after beating Costa Rica in San Jose in the first leg and, when substitute Sebastian Abreu found the back of the net 20 minutes from time, Uruguayan fans could begin to breathe more easily with a 2010 Fifa World Cup place seemingly all but sealed.

However, that changed only four minutes later when Walter Centeno pulled Costa Rica level to set up a tension-filled finish.

With time runnnig out, Alvaro Saborio came close to winning it for the Costa Ricans, but his shot hit the side-netting, leaving Uruguay, the two time World Cup winners (1930 and 1950), with a place in the finals for the first time since 2002.
QUALIFIERS
Asian Football Confederation

# Australia
# Japan
# Korea DPR
# Korea Republic

Confederation of African Football

# Algeria
# Cameroon
# Cote d'Ivoire
# Ghana
# Nigeria
# South Africa (hosts)

Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football

# Honduras
# Mexico
# United States

South American Football Confederation (Conmebol)
# Argentina
# Brazil
# Chile
# Paraguay
# Uruguay

Oceania Football Confederation

# New Zealand

Union of European Football Associations (Uefa)

# Denmark
# England
# France
# Germany
# Greece
# Italy
# Netherlands
# Portugal
# Serbia
# Slovakia
# Slovenia
# Spain
# Switzerland

source SAinfo

If countries in the southern Africa region are to achieve food security at household level amongst the rural poor, there is need for a broad range of interrelated policies and strategies that include infrastructure development, anticipating climate shocks, structural reforms to strengthen the resource base of poor smallholder farmers, promoting smallholder farmers organizations, increased government support in providing access to inputs such as fertilizer and seeds, and the establishment of strong partnerships between the different social sectors.

A policy brief just released by the Southern Africa Trust entitled Seeds of Plenty: How Boosting Smallholder Farming Can Ease Hunger and Reduce Poverty at the Household Level in Southern Africa, proposes that increased agricultural production for food security in poor households, should focus on smallholder farmers. Investments in improving smallholder farming usually result in greater poverty reduction and economic growth.

The policy brief highlights that although agricultural production is central to the southern African region’s development, it has not yet achieved the levels of production necessary to ensure food security for all, particularly for the poorest who make up about 40% of the region’s 249 million people.

The reasons that smallholder farming remains underdeveloped are identified in the policy brief as lack of access to land, inefficient agricultural management systems, lack of technological advancement, lack of adequate inputs for food production, and poor infrastructure, among others.

The policy brief recommends that the many challenges relating to the agricultural sector can be addressed through policies that enhance the role of the state in strengthening agricultural systems, with a focus on poverty.

Jennifer Chiriga, coordinator for civil society capability at the Southern Africa Trust said: “Malawi is a great example of how government intervention prioritized smallholder farmers to overcome chronic hunger and achieve national food security. The government introduced a new agricultural growth policy focused on giving subsidized inputs to smallholder farmers. The subsidies have led to a significant boost in production to the extent that Malawi has been exporting surplus staple grains to countries facing a deficit within the southern Africa region.”

The policy brief further recommends developing transport networks that link production in rural areas with markets in urban areas to support smallholder farmers to become more productive by having easier access to bigger markets and facilitating better access to farming inputs such as fertilizer and seeds.

The policy brief calls on governments in southern Africa to invest in the management and development of water resources, including irrigation infrastructure and technologies. As smallholder farmers rely on rain-fed agriculture, the policy brief stresses the significance of an early warning system to proactively anticipate rainfall decline and to feed this information to smallholder farmers. This could include information on input markets, pricing and food availability.

Only 5% of the land area of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is classified as arable land, but just 45% of the arable land is cultivated. And only 4.48% of the cultivated land is irrigated, according to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) statistics.

The Southern Africa Trust is an independent non-profit agency that supports deeper and wider regional engagement to overcome poverty in southern Africa. source [URL="http://www.southernafricatrust.org"]SouthernAfricaTrust
[/URL]
Click here for the full version of the policy brief.

Formula One fans are packing their bags for Singapore to witness the latest battle in the war between Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button as they go head to head for the championship. International currency exchange experts ICE, asks travellers to consider taking a combination of local currency, Sterling or US currency and travellers cheques to ensure they can enjoy all Singapore has to offer.

Singapore – the city where East meets West:

• The local currency is the Singapore Dollar however you can also use the unofficial Brunei Dollar. With free next day home delivery on orders of £400 or more and a new Guaranteed Saturday delivery service for those working Monday to Friday, ICE is currently offering 2.2123 Singapore Dollars to the Pound (rate as at 3pm 22/09/09)
• Although credit cards are widely accepted, you are likely to be charged for using them abroad so it’s worth loading some holiday money on an ICE prepaid card to help manage the holiday budget.
• Major shopping centres and department stores are easy to come by in the shape of sleek, vibrant retail areas around the city and they will also accept Sterling and US Dollars.
• The Singapore GP is the world’s only F1 night race, promising high speed action through the city’s streets on 25-27 September.
• The Singapore GP circuit is the place of last years infamous Renault ‘crash’ involving Nelson Piquet Jnr that has since resulted in the resignation of Flavio Briatore.
• Singapore offers a mix of Chinese, Indian and Malaysian cultures, making it the gateway to the Far East.
• The blend of cultures in Singapore is reflected in the world class food, whether it’s sampling the tempting street vendors or dining in chic restaurants.
• The adventurous can dive with sharks or head inland to hike through tropical forests

“Singapore is a dynamic city, offering a melting pot of Asian history, against a glittering backdrop of Western-style commerce, making it an exciting destination for F1 fans,” says Andrew Hamilton, Head of Marketing for ICE. “We advise UK travellers to take Sterling travellers cheques, as well as cash in Singapore Dollars which they can book in advance via http://www.iceplc.com, ensuring they get best rates and avoid extra charges at ATMs abroad.”

Anyone travelling to Singapore can simply log on to http://www.iceplc.com to order foreign currency with competitive rates and no commission. The Singapore Grand Prix offers a heady mix of night racing, dining, parties and shopping and promises to be a season highlight.