require 'xml'

html = <<-HTML
<TR>
  <TD BGCOLOR="#f9f0b0">
    <% options = {:controller => "partners/regions", :region => 'africa'} -%>
  </TD>
</TR>
<TR>
  <TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">
    <A HREF = "/fsl/INTL/main.pl?ctry=BJ&lang=en&nav=1"><IMG SRC = "/fsl/INTLGIFS/BJflag.gif" HEIGHT="13" WIDTH="20" ALT="* " BORDER="1"> Benin</A>
  </td>
</TR>
HTML

doc = XML::Parser.string(html, XML::Parser::Options::NOERROR)
p doc.parse

/usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/libxml-ruby-1.1.3/lib/libxml/parser.rb:83:in `base_uri=': wrong argument type Fixnum (expected String) (TypeError)
	from /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/libxml-ruby-1.1.3/lib/libxml/parser.rb:83:in `string'
	from xml_test.rb:16