Safe sex ideas that raise eyebrows

(Mental Floss) -- Most people know that condoms prevent the spread of HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Unusual campaigns to promote condom use are being launched in places where condoms are less popular.

But in many parts of the world, condoms aren't very popular.

Here are five novel campaigns launched by nonprofit organizations and condom companies to encourage wider use.

1. A ring tone to remember

In India, people stigmatize condoms and refuse to wear them because they believe only prostitutes must use prophylactics. Leave it one of the world's richest men to find a solution -- the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation donated money for a national condom ring tone.

An a cappella group sings "Condom, Condom" -- in the style of doo-wop like the contagious pop song "Barbara Ann" -- when one receives a phone call.

Despite its bubblegum sound, officials hope that the people who have the condom ring tone appear smart and responsible.

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Since the ring tone's August launch, more than 60,000 people downloaded it. Yvonne MacPherson, country director of the BBC World Service Trust (which the Gates foundation funded), sums it up best when she said to the Associated Press: "A ring tone is a very public thing. It's a way to show you are a condom user and you don't have any issues with it."

Right, nothing attracts the amorous attention like announcing loudly that you have a condom.

2. Perks you right up

Ethiopians claim they hate condoms because the smell of latex sickens them. To combat the odor, DKT International, a United Sates nonprofit, created coffee condoms.

These dark brown condoms allegedly (I'm not testing the products) taste and smell like the favorite coffee of Ethiopia -- the macchiato, an espresso with cream and sugar.

One college student claimed the smell reminded him of the beauty of Ethiopian women (it's not clear if that's a compliment). These condoms bolster national identity because

Ethiopians claim to have invented coffee. DKT International also created flavored and scented condoms for Indonesia (durian fruit) and China (sweet corn).

Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria is a foreign affairs analyst who hosts "Fareed Zakaria: GPS" on CNN at 1 p.m. ET Sundays.

Fareed Zakaria says the president-elect won't have much time to celebrate his victory.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Trailing in the polls, Sen. John McCain will travel to seven states in one day as his presidential campaign enters its final hours, the Republican nominee's campaign manager announced Friday.

McCain will campaign in seven cities Monday, just one day before Election Day, Rick Davis said. The final list of cities has not been finalized, Davis said.

McCain and the Republican Party expect to outspend his Democratic rival, Sen. Barack Obama, by $10 million in the closing days of the campaign, Davis said.

The Republican nominee will not spend all of his final weekend campaigning on serious matters. McCain plans to make an appearance on "Saturday Night Live." He has appeared on the show before, but this weekend will be his first appearance this year.

Polls show that McCain is trailing Obama going into the final weekend of campaigning. A CNN poll of polls calculated Wednesday has Obama leading McCain 50 percent to 43 percent, with 7 percent unsure. The poll of polls is an average of eight national surveys.

In a sign that the Democrats were not going to sit on their lead, the Obama campaign announced Friday that it would begin airing ads in McCain's home state of Arizona.

CNN spoke to world affairs expert and author Fareed Zakaria about what the first order of business will be for whomever wins next week's election.

CNN: What will a president-elect do in the days following the election?

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Zakaria: We spoke with three former administration officials on our show this week: former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Reagan Chief of Staff Ken Duberstein and Carter National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski.

They all remarked that the days following the election need to be focused on putting a team together.

Both Sens. McCain and Obama probably have a list of names for the top Cabinet posts already, but once the election is done, whichever teams wins will need to quickly refocus on putting together an administration. There's not much time to celebrate and savor the win before duties call.

Australia denies residency for dad of boy with Down syndrome

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Thirteen-year-old Lukas Moeller has Down syndrome. His father is a doctor who came to Australia from Germany to help fill a shortage of physicians in rural communities.

Bernhard and Isabella Moeller and their son Lukas moved to Australia from Germany two years ago.

But now Australia has rejected Dr. Bernhard Moeller's application for residency, saying Lukas does not meet the "health requirement" and would pose a burden on taxpayers for his medical care, education and other services.

The case has provoked an outcry in the rural region of southeastern Victoria state, where Moeller is the only internal medicine specialist for a community of 54,000 people. Residents rallied outside Moeller's practice this week, demanding that the decision be overturned, and hundreds of Internet and radio complaints from across the country bombarded media outlets Friday.

Moeller vowed to fight the immigration department ruling.

"We like to live here, we have settled in well, we are welcomed by the community here, and we don't want to give up just because the federal government doesn't welcome my son," he said Friday.

The doctor has powerful supporters. Victoria Premier John Brumby has pledged to support the family's appeal, and federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said Friday that she would speak to the immigration minister about the case.

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Moeller moved to Australia two years ago with his wife, Isabella, their daughter, Sarah, 21, and sons Lukas and Felix, 17, to help fill a critical need for doctors in rural areas. They settled in Horsham, a town of 20,000 about 100 miles northwest of Melbourne.

Moeller's temporary work visa is valid until 2010, but his application for permanent residence was rejected this week.

In its decision, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship cited Lukas' "existing medical condition," saying it was "likely to result in a significant and ongoing cost to the Australian community," according to a statement Thursday.

"This is not discrimination. A disability in itself is not grounds for failing the health requirement -- it is a question of the cost implications to the community," the statement said.

Moeller said immigration authorities did not take into account the family's ability to provide Lukas with the care he needs.

Sexual Harassment Bill to provide maximum protection to victims : Sherry Rehman

ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP): The Federal Minister for Women Development Ms Sherry Rehman chaired a consultation meeting with government officials and the members of the civil society to finalise the draft of the ‘Protection from Harassment Act 2008’. “Harassment at workplace is a very sensitive matter. Any legislation seeking to deal with the issue must incorporate the element of safety as well as ensure maximum assurance of justice to the victim,” said the Women Development Minister talking to the media after the meeting in Islamabad.

Ms Sherry Rehman pointed out that the purpose of her Ministry’s continued consultation with the Civil Society Organisation over the Bill is to ensure that the draft law is clear in its content and there is no room for any lapses to fail its objectives. “We have broadened the ambit of law, extending it to cover harassment against both women and men. Harassment is a common phenomenon at work, and men could be as much of a target as women are.”

The Federal Information Minister said that her stress on the protection factor in the legislation comes from her own experience of dealing with women who have been victims of gender harassment at workplace. “A woman finds her career as well as her reputation at stake when she takes an offence to sexual harassment. We want the legislation to provide maximum security to the complainant to encourage her/him to pursue the case at an official level. The victim must have an expanded range of choices in terms of authorities dealing with the complaint. We have therefore included an ‘Inquiry Commission’ as well as an Ombudsperson to ensure that there is an internal as well as an external setup to address the grievance.”

Ms Rehman said that the meeting also deliberated the finer details of the draft Bill. “There was extensive consultation on the language and the broader text of the draft Act. This is the first proposed legislation against sexual harassment, and we felt it was important to present the law in a manner that it reinforces the constitutional provisions of right to security and dignity to every citizen. Our constitution is very clear on all matters pertaining to human rights, including right to work and gender discrimination. Laws guided by constitutional principles can not only guarantee protection of rights, but also ensure the supremacy of the constitution.”

The Women Development Minister thanked the members of the civil society for their continued support to the government’s efforts for gender justice.

“We want to establish an environment where the government and civil society work with each other, and not ‘at’ each other, as the practice has been. Our government stands for human rights protection, supremacy of the constitution and a just society. We would continue to work in tandem with the civil society for our objectives, since there is an opportunity for our legislative and policy efforts to be strengthened by the civil society’s capacity for mass contacts and awareness-raising.”

Joystick gold for action shooter

The modern combat-themed first person shooter, Call of Duty 4, has emerged the clear winner at the 2008 Golden Joystick awards.
The game scooped "Ultimate Game of the Year", "Online Game of the Year" and "PC Game of the Year" awards.
The awards, now in their twenty-sixth year, are awarded in 16 categories, and are voted for by UK gamers.
Other winners included Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Super Smash Bros.
.
The two most prestigious British awards a video game can win are either a Bafta Video Game Award, or a Golden Joystick.
The Baftas are chosen by experts in the games industry but the Golden Joystick is voted on by the public, with 850,000 gamers voting for the 2008 awards.
Call of Duty 4 is a departure for the series. Previous editions were all set in World War II and this version has players taking on the dual role of an NCO in the SAS and a US Marine sergeant.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS
Nuts All-Nighter Award: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
The Sun Family Game of the Year: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
Bliss Handheld Game of the Year: Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
4Talent Mobile Game of the Year: Bejeweled 2
Mobile Game Pitch 2008: Tobias Rowe with Finders Keeper
Official Nintendo Magazine Game of the Year: Super Smash Bros
ESA PC Game of the Year: CoD 4: Modern Warfare
Activision/Blizzard Retailer of the Year: Play.com
Official Playstation Magazine High Definition PlayStation Game of the Year: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
BBC 1Xtra Soundtrack of the Year: Grand Theft Auto IV
Arvato Digital Services Xbox Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto IV
Edge Most Wanted Award: Fallout 3
GamesRadar.com Online Game of the Year: CoD 4: Modern Warfare
CVG.co.uk UK Developer of the Year : Rockstar North
E4.com Grand Master Flash Award: Stickman Madness
Play.com One To Watch: CoD: World at War
Future UK Publisher of the Year: Activision Blizzard
Virgin Media Ultimate Game of the Year: CoD 4: Modern Warfare