A South African court has blocked the government from buying 11 million female condoms from China, saying they are too small.
The finance ministry had awarded a contract to a firm called Siqamba Medical, which planned to buy the Phoenurse condoms from China, reports AFP, quoting the Beeld newspaper.
A rival firm, Sekunjalo Investments Corporation, turned to the High Court in Pretoria after losing the bid, arguing that their condoms were 20 per cent larger than the Chinese ones.
Judge Sulet Potterill blocked the deal with Siqamba, ruling that the condoms were too small, made from the wrong material, and were not approved by the World Health Organisation, the paper said.
Source: Agencies
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Elly Tran Ha, The Hottest Vietnamese Girl
ELLY TRÂN HÀ | THE HOTTEST VIETNAMESE GIRL
Biography
Name : Elly Kim Hong a.k.a Elly Trân Hà
Real Name : Tran Thi Kim Hong
Nationality : Vietnam
Birthday : June 08, 1987 (22 years old @ 2009)
Birthplace : Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Height : 5'6" (168 cm)
Weight : 104 lbs (47 kg)
Measurements (inches): 35-23-35
Measurements (cm): 88-58-90
Elly Trân Hà grew up in Ho Chi Minh City and like many of us, her progression toward adulthood was more awkward, self-conscious and flat-out stressful than it was natural. According to her, she "developed" early and significantly, which led her to
change her wardrobe to draw less attention to herself and try to proceed as a regular teenager in high school. Always the supporter, Elly Trân Hà's mother pushed her into other activities at school, like singing and public speaking, to give her the confidence that she could do as she pleased without fear or shame.
While her mother's support wound up giving Elly Trân Hà an interest in singing, it did only so much to alleviate her concerns about her body. At a certain point, shame gave way to confidence, especially when she began to consider the ways that Vietnam's pop culture was changing around her.
Elly Trân Hà Invades The Internet
Once conservative by North American standards, Vietnamese web sites were now featuring so-called "hot girls," beauties who were using their own pictures to carve out entertainment careers. Chief among them was Thuy Top (coined by the locals as "The Vietnamese Paris Hilton"), who added two picture sets to her little-known blog and suddenly got MMA modeling opportunities and a television acting role.
With this in mind, Elly Tran Ha chose a similar path when modeling prospects approached her. Legend has it that she had a blog, but the simple truth is that the posting of her picture sets in the fall of 2009 on the popular photo site Flickr created near-instant pandemonium. Though the sets were strictly PG-13 in nature and ranged from classy indoor shots to bright outdoor photos, everyone wanted a piece of Elly Tran Ha's big smile and her formidable clothed figure.
Elly Trân Hà The Singer
Now the unofficial tour guide for Vietnam, Elly Trân Hà was an internet picture fixture, but she was careful to set her limits and expand her horizons. In the weeks following her pop culture invasion, she stated that posing for overtly sexy pictures or stripping all the way down was not part of her game plan. She did not want to be objectified. Instead, she continued modeling, but also pursued opportunities in singing. Now with a modeling deal with a plane company and Vietnamese television talent show victory to show off, the next phase of Elly Trân Hà's journey through the entertainment galaxy is well underway.
Sexiness
A woman like Elly Trân Hà could no doubt increase tourism rates in Vietnam for those men who find her attractive, but depending on who you talk to, she could be as old as 26 or as young as 16! Like some women out there, maybe this means that Elly Trân Hà is sometimes prone to lying about her age, or maybe this means that she sits alone atop the Celebrity Jailbait Throne that was most recently occupied by those notorious Olsen Twins. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, her blood type is A.
Since her pictures went public, there has been a concentrated effort by bloggers, pundits and everyone else with significant time on their hands to unearth more information about who she really is. In true Hollywood tradition, there are just as many rumors as there are facts, starting with the possibility that she has left Vietnam for Philadelphia or that she is working as a model on the MMA circuit. While the former might be true… or just wishful thinking on the part of a lonely blogger, we can tell you that the latter is incorrect. The Vietnamese model in MMA gear who is making the rounds "as Elly Trân Hà" is merely one of her brilliantly named mentors, Thuy Top.
Elly Trân Hà's decision to post pictures of herself to win the internet's latest popularity contest is simple and ingenious. If you've got it, why not flaunt it? No doubt that Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson would concur.
Success
While it remains to be seen whether Elly Trân Hà's decision to let her body do the talking will bring her a career to do the walking, she's not breaking new ground. She's merely following a cultural Vietnamese trend that began in her native country, and she's making the most of it, while leaving a lot of lingering questions scattered about, like is she old enough to know what she's getting herself into? Age questions aside, Elly Tran Ha has career plans that extend beyond just picture posting. If she can market those skills with the same cleverness that she has displayed so far, then who knows what's in store?
Why Is She Famous?
Elly Trân Hà is a Vietnamese model who decided that showing pictures of herself and her "distinct neckline" might help the internet readership of her blog… the blog that no one seems to be able to find. She was right, as she's now gained a surprise following on the interwebs and a network of eager picture-sharers to give her some free publicity. Even with her sudden fame, most people outside of Vietnam don't know the slightest thing about her. Does the mystery surrounding Elly Trân Hà make people more curious? Sadly, yes.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Firefly to blink from budget to full-service under tie-up
News for today... no more tambang murah hehehhe..
Firefly to blink from budget to full-service under tie-up
By Lee Wei Lian
August 09, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — Travellers hoping for continued fare wars between Firefly and AirAsia will likely be disappointed after today’s announcement that the Malaysia Airlines (MAS) subsidiary will be redesigned as a full service regional carrier.
This was one of the outcomes of the strategic collaboration inked today between the government’s investment holding company Khazanah which controls MAS and unlisted Tune Air which controls AirAsia.
“Firefly’s resources would be refocused to launch a new regional full service airline operation,” said MAS chairman Tan Sri Mohd Nor Yusof.
The move renders AirAsia as Malaysia’s only major airline operating in the budget or value segment.
MAS had since last year used Firefly to compete against AirAsia, launching competitively priced flights from KL to East Malaysia and adopting the same low cost model such as charging for meals on board.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus
Curtin University of Technology Sarawak Campus
Curtin University Sarawak Campus is an off-shore campus of Curtin University, a university based in Perth, Western Australia. It provides local and international students with the opportunity to receive higher education in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Curtin's Sarawak campus is located in Miri, Sarawak. It is the first offshore campus of Curtin University of Technology and the first offshore campus set up in East Malaysia
The Sarawak State Government's invited Curtin to establish an international university in Sarawak. Curtin Sarawak's operations in Miri commenced in February 1999. In 2002, the new campus was built.
In November 1999, Curtin Sarawak was awarded the Multimedia Super Corridor status and was renewed in 2006.
The schools and divisions are:
Pre-University
School of Business
Department of Media, Culture & Communication
School of Engineering
Pre-University
Pre-university programs at Curtin's Sarawak campus have been designed to prepare students for university study. It can be divided into two parts which is the commerce and engineering courses.
School of Business
The School offers internationally recognized qualifications, accredited by international as well as national professional associations and governmental agencies.
Department of Media, Culture & Communication
The Department of Media, Culture & Communication was set up in 2009 and took over all teaching and research that was previously under the Department of Mass Communication. Mass Communication was originally set up in 2003, as part of the School of Business, and officially became a Department in 2006.
School of Engineering
The School of Engineering and Science at Curtin Sarawak was established in 2000. It offers a wide range of Engineering and Science courses. These include the four-year courses leading to a Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree in Chemical Engineering, Civil and Construction Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Systems Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering. The School also conducts three-year Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science, Life Sciences, Applied Geology and Geophysics, and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Systems and Networking. The school now offers doctoral and masters programs.
The School draws upon the experience and the knowledge of many local and foreign engineers and professionals to teach its students, so that the courses offered remain practice-oriented and relevant. Academics from the School are active in many areas of research and in consultancy activities through Curtin Consultancy Services.
Australian affiliation
Curtin Sarawak offers identical degrees to those at the Curtin University main campus in Western Australia. Examinations for the degree programmes are set and moderated at Curtin's main campus in Perth to ensure that they meet and fulfill the academic standards. Academics from Perth visit the Curtin Sarawak campus on a regular basis for quality audit and for consultations on various issues ranging from assignments, projects, tasks and other assessments.
Long house of Sarawak
One of the most memorable experiences Sarawak has to offer is a visit to a longhouse, where you can observe a unique way of life and enjoy legendary Dayak hospitality. These thriving communities, whole villages under one roof, are not relics from the days of tribal warfare - they are the preferred way of life for a large percentage of Sarawak's rural people, particularly the Iban, the Bidayuh and the Orang Ulu.
Nowadays most longhouse dwellers are hard working farmers, and wear practical modern clothing for work and leisure. However, if you visit as part of an organized tour
group, they will take great pride in wearing their traditional costumes and regalia and performing elaborate dances and welcoming rituals for their visitors.
The long covered gallery that runs the length of an Iban longhouse is called the ruai, and this is where you will be greeted. A miring ceremony is frequently conducted to welcome visitors, where offerings of food and drink are presented to the local deities to ensure their good will. After the miring, guests will be invited to sample a glass of tuak, a potent local rice wine, and drink to everybody's good health.
Visitors are then entertained with traditional music, dances and games. After the locals have had their turn, the guests are expected to join in the fun. Anyone who refuses will soon find themselves dragged to their feet by the young ladies of the longhouse and forced to take part in the dancing.
After the entertainment is finished there are a number of options, depending on how adventurous you are. Some tour operators arrange for visitors to eat a traditional longhouse dinner with their host family and sleep on mattresses in the ruai, according to Iban tradition. Others may put their guests up in a simple guesthouse nearby, with more familiar cuisine prepared by the tour guide, who is always an accomplished cook. For lovers of luxury, a few 'longhouse resorts' are now operating, managed by professional hoteliers and serving international cuisine in resort style comfort.
Visitors who stay more than one night can get to see Iban culture at first hand, visiting the rice fields and pepper gardens, and learning how the Iban make use of the rainforest for all of their everyday needs. Some tours can last a week or more, with visits to a number of longhouses and a fair amount of jungle trekking. Second and subsequent evenings are more low-key, with visitors sitting in the ruai, drinking tuak or coffee and chatting with their hosts. The Iban are very sociable people, and many can speak English, so some fascinating conversations are guaranteed.
The journey to and from the longhouse is a very interesting and enjoyable experience. After a ride in an air-conditioned bus, a short trip in a traditional longboat introduces you to the pleasures of upriver travel. These narrow wooden craft are safe and very sturdy, and the Iban are expert boatman.
There are four main areas for visiting Iban longhouses - the Skrang River, the Lemanak River, Batang Ai, and the middle Rejang River. Most tour groups will generally visit the first three, which are half a day away from Kuching, whilst independent travellers usually opt for the Rejang area around the town of Kapit, a half day's travel from Sibu.
A few specialist operators also visit Orang Ulu longhouses deep in Sarawak's interior, where visitors are seldom seen, although these trips require quite a lot of time.
Another interesting possibility is a trek through the beautiful Bario Highlands, staying overnight in remote Kelabit longhouses. Visitors with little time to spare can visit a Bidayuh longhouse on a day trip from Kuching, or an Iban longhouse from Sibu or Miri. However, overnight stays are strongly recommended, to get the most from your visit.
Video Malaysia student robbed at London
Malaysian student, Asyraf Haziq attacked and robbed randomly in Barking,London. He was on his way to get some food for Iftar. He is now in Royal London Hospital with broken jaw, and broken tooth. He is undergoing operation soon. UMNO London on the way to visit him now. He lost his mobile phone, wallet. He is first year student from KAPLAN College - KU London
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