Lebanon, Israel, Palestine...I vote for peace. Lasting peace. All parties may ache and pain, but no one will win alone. It has to be JOINT. Working together.

I join the peace-seeking world in calling on Israel to stop its military bombardments of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to allow humanitarian activities/operations as demanded by international laws. Israel should cease fire, now.

I call on the militias in Lebanon and Palestine to cease their attacks on Israel right away.

All sides should allow for the immediate kick-in of political/diplomatic negotiations towards an international-law resolution of all the causes and effects of this long-running problem.

There is no other alternative.

I hope to God that the news report about alleged graft in Ekiti State of Nigeria is not true. I, like many others who believe in the new generation, will be disappointed and depressed. Not for the first time, alright, but for the high premium we place on the young, dynamic and populist Ayo Fayose - Their ACTION Governor.

Not even the worst critic can deny the transformation he has brought to the sleepy state in such a short time - from May 2003, to be precise.

I had grown to like him and to add him to the small team of performers in the land of looters, heartless leaders and visionless administrators. If this report ever gets proven in court, it will be sad. Very sad.

Dear Ayo, I pray not.

Maybe we can't avoid crisis, but we can avoid carnage...especially the kind now going on in the Middle East. Why is it cheaper or more approriate to "rebuild" than to "avoid" this time? How do we redeem the world from needless hate? Query.

International politics is harming itself....and us all.

May our leaders repent.

Make no mistake about it, South Africa is core host of FIFA World Cup 2010. Africa is continental host. South Africa will give the football family a great rainbow time. Africa will boost the mundial like never before.

Remember the old saying, "Something new is always coming out of Africa"? Bet...This time, you will spin in utter wonderment because here is The Cradle of Humankind. Here is home to all. It will be fun, football and Afrifest!

Oh yes, this is AFRICA!

Fast-forward to four years' time....Welcome to 2010!!!

Israel, Lebanon Palestine.....The world bleeds.

Who can possibly benefit from this open-ended mayhem? None, I believe.

Immediate cease-fire, please. Then, no matter the odds, an international buffer-enforcement force must be deployed and empowered by the UN Security Council. And that must be for both the UN-recognised borders and in furtherance of lasting peace engagements between Israel and the two other states, simultaneously.

The UN must ACT promptly; otherwise, lasting damage will set in, and the future will be set in insurmountable HATE. World leaders are on trial here...not Israel, not Lebanon, not Palestine!

World leaders cannot sleep well while the Middle East boils. Israel is virtually at war on two fronts now: Palestine and Lebanon. Just how these altercations will end or be resolved is unclear. And we must worry.

Let's get the hostages released promptly. Let's prevail on Israel to stop its military actions. Let's not wait a day. The world has the capacity and the necessity to do both...NOW.

Not acting in good faith, and in good time, will escalate things and create a horrifying chasm in the region. Plus it will worsen the oil & gas spiralling prices, as well as the attendant energy costs. Poor countries are already reeling from these developments....how long can they hold out?
Then the waste of human lives on all sides, and the extensive destructions worth billions of Dollars. Finally, trust may never return between the parties. Dear Lord, where is this leading?

Without an enduring and peaceful resolution soon, the highly parroted "war on terror" will be a pipe-dream! The G8 Meeting in Russia this weekend is surely the place to kick-start a timely intervention.

Congratulations to the Last Four the World Cup Finals...Germany 2006! You are all winners. My plea is that you guys will play Saturday and Sunday in the highest traditions of the Mundial. Please, give us a family sport. And make the world proud of The Beautiful Game. Hurray!

Goodluck, folks....And may the Pecking Order be right.

Chancellor Angela Merkel should please bring her motherly instincts and touch to help organise, and sanitise, the G8...Men's Club. What a pleasure to see a Breaking Face to the boredom of all these years!

Hahaha!!!

No matter what their officials wish or say, I like the fact that Presidents Bush and Putin are friends. No matter how it is read and misread, I like the way they get along. It is good for them, and better for the world. I want to see China in that loop, fast!

So, as they huddle in Russia from this weekend, let George tell his buddy to sort out the issues of racism that make the news too often these days, and may Vladimir coach his pal on coming to the BBC for "Have Your Say".

These guys should look into their both eyes and say, "heck, let's settle Iraq, Iran, North Korea and the Israel/Palestine issues, NOW!". May the future applaud.