Adimaryanto on SEO

Mengatasi error parse HTML Syntax Highlighter

2010-08-31T01:54:00.001+07:00

Artikel ini lanjutan dari artikel sebelumnya di Cara membuat Syntax Highlighter.

Kli ini saya akan membahas dan berbagi cara mengatasi error kode pada prase HTML. Kode nya antara lain seperti ini
<html> <body> <link> dan sebagainya.
Untuk membuat kode tersebut tampil di blogspot caranya lumayan mudah. cukup mengunjungi website ini http://www.blogcrowds.com/resources/parse_html.php Copy kode html anda, lalu kli parse. lalu isikan kode tersebut di kotak Syntax Highlighter. gampang khan..... silahkan mencoba

Cara membuat Syntax Highlighter

2010-08-29T12:33:00.016+07:00

Hai.... akhirnya bisa juga menulis artikel ini, sbenernya dah direncanakan dari minggu kemarin mo nulis yang ginian. Berhubung minggu lalu sibuk ngerjain web online store. jadi baru sekarang bisa nulisnya....OK kita mulai aja

Sesuai judulnya "Cara membuat Syntax Highlighter".
Mari kita belajar membuatnya. cara nya ya gampang2 susah, tapi kalo udah terbiasa ntar lama lama bisa.....ckckckck..... ( Sok Pinter MODE : ON )
ini Langkah demi langkahnya :

Buka akun blgospot anda.
Langsung menuju / buka menu " rancangan" klo yg mke bahasa ingris.... apa ya... "templates" kalo ngga salah...... sorry boss lupa....
Udah brada di element halaman, trus klik menu "Edit HTML". nah... dsitu keliatan kode2 dan bahasa orang planet coding. hihihihihi.......
Edit template. jangan lupa centang box Expand Template Widget
Copy dan paste code di bawah ini diantara #tag : <head> dan </head>

<script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shCore.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushCpp.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushCSharp.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushCss.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushDelphi.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushJava.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushJScript.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'hhttp://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushPhp.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushPython.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushSql.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushVb.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushXml.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><script src="'http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date/shBrushRuby.js'" type="'text/javascript'"></script><br /><br />
Lalu sisipkan kode dibawah ini sebelum #tag : </body>

<br /><script language="'javascript'"> <br />function start() { <br />dp.SyntaxHighlighter.BloggerMode(); <br />dp.SyntaxHighlighter.HighlightAll('code', true, true, false, 1, false); <br />} <br />window.onload = start; <br /></script> <br />
Langkah selanjutnya adalah memangil code javasript yg sudah disisipkan di template. caranya cukup sederhana, tinggal klik menu --> posting-->entri baru lalu sisipkan kode ini

<br /><textarea name="code" class="c#" cols="60" rows="10"><br />... Isikan kode disini ...<br /></textarea><br />
Kalo saya seh pnya kbiasaan "lebih cepat lebih baik" jadi cukup menyisipkan kode script diatas di menu pengaturan / setting -->fomat--> #template entry. dikotak itu disipin kode script tadi, dengan demikian ngga perlu ngetik lagi. karena kode script tadi otomatis tampil di #new post atau #artikel baru.
Selesai. trus kasih koment di blog gwa ya....

Note :

Backup terlebih dahulu file template blogspot anda. Saya tidak bertanggung jawab jika anda salah hapus.
Silahkan baca dan pelajari cara ini, jangan biasakan copy paste. gunakan gaya bahasa anda sendiri jika anda ingin menulis artkel seperti ini.
Kode diambil dari googlecode : http://sites.google.com/site/trikblograka/date

Membuat auto redirect Page

2010-08-24T08:46:00.012+07:00

Dah lama ngga ngetik neh...krena bbrapa hal yang tidak dapat saya sebutkan, sehingga menyebabkan alexa page view websit web designer jakarta menlonjak lbih dari 2 Juta. heran khan. dah deh, jangan difikirkan. skrang saya mo brbagi ilmu, bagaimana cara membuat auto redirect page. Bgini caranya :

Caranya ngga ribet & ngga sulit ckkckckck.... sok pinter mode : ON
Untuk membuat page scara otomatis redirect ke url yang kita ingin kan, adalah denfan menambahkan teks

Yang disisipkan diantara atau sebelum tag > berikut adalah contoh file html nya penuh dengan kepala dan kaki ( kambing kale ehheehehe)

Untuk demo Online nya bisa diliat disini : jasa pembuatan website
Klo dah baca, silahkan dicoba, yg perlu diganti, silahkan diganti... lbh baik lagi klo ngasih koment

RI, Norway continue talks on gas emission reduction

2010-08-14T19:12:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian and Norway governments will discuss the continuation of the one-billion-dollar gas emission reduction loan, a minister said.

"Yesterday`s meeting with the Norwegian ambassador in Indonesia was relating with the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Plus cooperation and on August 18-19 an envoy from Norway will come to further discussthe matter," said Indonesian Economic Coordinating Minister Hatta Rajasa here Friday.

The discussion was about the first loan disbursement of 30 million U.S. dollars now in preparation for realization in 2014.

"The first phase withdrawal was supposed to be 200 million US dollars, but it was finally agreed at 30 million US dollars, and we will make gradual withdrawals up to one billion US dollars," he said.

Besides loan terms and conditions discussions also covered appointing provinces for the pilot project, establishment of a consultative group and a credible and internationally standard financial institution.

In the Letter of Intent (LoI) signed on May 26, 2010 it is mentioned that the 200 million US dollars funding instrument will begin to be implemented in 2011 by the Norway government.

The document also mentioned about the launching of the Provincial REDD Plus pilot project which will start in January 2011, and to be continued in the second province in 2012.

As the LoI follow-up, the government will set up three supporting institutions namely financial institutions, MRV (measurement, reporting and verification) agency, and the REDD Plus agency.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1281748356/ri-norway-continue-talks-on-gas-emission-reduction

Bulog: Kenaikan Harga Dipicu Konsumsi Beras Premium

2010-08-14T19:09:00.000+07:00

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - Direktur Utama Perum Bulog Sutarto Alimoeso menilai kenaikan harga beras selama beberapa pekan terakhir ini dipicu oleh peningkatan konsumsi masyarakat akan beras kelas premium.

"Awalnya, kenaikan harga beras hanya terjadi di kelas premium. Ini yang mengakibatkan harga beras kelas medium tertarik ke atas," katanya di sela-sela inspeksi mendadak bersama para menteri di Pasar Wonokromo, Surabaya, Sabtu.

Saat ini, harga beras kelas premium, seperti Mentik dan Bengawan, di Surabaya sekitar Rp7.800,00 perkilogram, sedangkan medium, seperti IR-64, sekitar Rp6.800,00.

Di Jawa Timur, tingkat konsumsi beras kelas premium mencapai 40 persen sehingga wajar harga beras terus bergerak naik.

Namun, Sutarto menjamin kenaikan itu tidak akan berlangsung lama. "Harusnya Agustus ini harga sudah normal, karena sebagian daerah sudah panen," katanya.

Selain itu, upaya untuk menormalkan harga beras juga dilakukan dengan mempercepat penyaluran beras untuk rakyat miskin (raskin).

"Penyaluran bulan Agustus ini sekaligus untuk dua bulan, yakni Agustus dan September karena waktunya berdekatan dengan Lebaran," katanya.

Bulan ini, Bulog sendiri telah menyiapkan raskin sebanyak 530 ribu ton untuk penyaluran Agustus-September 2010.

Senada dengan itu, Kepala Divre Perum Bulog Jatim Agusdien Farid menambahkan setiap bulan pihaknya menyalurkan 46 ribu ton raksin untuk 3,079 juta rumah tangga miskin.

"Karena ada kebijakan percepatan penyaluran raskin ini, maka kami nanti harus menyiapkan 92 ribu ton," katanya.

Sementara itu, Direktur Jenderal Perdagangan Dalam Negeri Kementerian Perdagangan, Subagyo, mengatakan kenaikan harga kebutuhan pokok saat ini sudah tidak seekstrim menjelang bulan puasa.

"Pada awal-awal puasa, harga masih naik-turun, akan tetapi tidak seekstrim menjelang bulan puasa," katanya.

Pada awal bulan puasa, tingkat konsumsi masyarakat naik sekitar 15 persen. Kenaikan akan terjadi lagi hingga mencapai 20-30 persen menjelang Lebaran.

Kenaikan tertinggi, sebut dia, adalah harga daging sapi, sedangkan cabai sudah mulai mengalami penurunan hingga level Rp20.000,00 perkilogram.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1281781504/bulog-kenaikan-harga-dipicu-konsumsi-beras-premium

Hillary Clinton Sampaikan Selamat Berpuasa

2010-08-12T11:29:00.002+07:00

New York (ANTARA News) - Menteri Luar Negeri Amerika Serikat Hillary Clinton menyampaikan ucapan selamat kepada kalangan masyarakat Muslim dalam menjalankan ibadah puasa di bulan Ramadan tahun ini.

Hillary juga mengungkapkan niatnya untuk berbuka puasa bersama dengan para diplomat asing di Washington, DC.

"Saya, mewakili Departemen Luar Negeri Amerika Serikat, mengucapkan selamat menjalani bulan Ramadan bagi masyarakat Muslim di seluruh dunia," kata Hillary dalam pernyataan yang dirilis pada Rabu.

Dalam pandangannya, menteri yang baru saja menikahkan puteri hasil perkawinannya dengan mantan Presiden Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, itu melihat bahwa Ramadan merupakan saat yang tepat untuk berbagi dan melakukan perenungan.

"Setiap harinya, para warga Muslim Amerika memberikan sumbangan yang berarti kepada negara kami dan jutaan warga akan menghormati bulan ini dengan kegiatan berbagi kepada masyarakatnya," ujar Hillary.

Ia mengungkapkan bahwa bersama sejumlah diplomat dari kedutaan-kedutaan asing di Washington DC, dirinya akan menjadi tuan rumah acara buka puasa bersama (Iftar).

Tidak hanya kalangan Muslim, Iftar itu juga akan dihadiri oleh kalangan non-Muslim dengan tujuan "untuk bersatu dan menunjukkan kesamaan yang kita miliki dalam hal nilai-nilai, kepercayaan dan kontribusi pada tahun sebelumnya".

Hillary mengatakan, acara buka puasa bersama itu juga ditujukan untuk memberikan penghormaan kepada para pemuda Muslim Amerika yang menyumbangkan semangat dan tenaga mereka dalam membangun masa depan AS.

"Para pengusaha muda ini, akademisi, pemimpin agama serta juga para warga muda Muslim di seluruh dunia merupakan pemimpin era baru yang dipenuhi dengan rasa saling menghargai dan kerjasama di antara warga dunia," imbuhnya.

Sebagian besar masyarakat muslim yang berada di Amerika, termasuk para warga Indonesia, mulai menjalankan ibadah puasa Ramadan tahun 2010 pada hari Rabu.

Pengumuman jatuhnya awal bulan Ramadan 1431 pada hari Rabu (11/8) itu antara lain diumumkan oleh Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA), juga oleh Masjid Al Hikmah --satu-satunya masjid yang dikelola masyarat Indonesia di New York.

Sebagian kalangan lagi di AS mempercayai bahwa Kamis (12/8) sebagai awal Ramadan.

Tidak ada data resmi yang menunjukkan jumlah populasi Muslim di AS karena sensus AS tidak memasukkan aspek agama dalam daftar catatan sensus.

Namun Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) memperkirakan bahwa jumlah warga muslim di Amerika Serikat dalam tahun 2010 mencapai 7 juta orang.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1281586037/hillary-clinton-sampaikan-selamat-berpuasa

Air Force Two Gulingkan Pesawat Lain, Biden Selamat

2010-08-12T11:27:00.002+07:00

Washington (ANTARA News) - Pesawat resmi Wapres AS Joe Biden menggulingkan pesawat lain saat lepas landas, Rabu, dalam kecelakaan yang tidak menyebabkan korban, kata Angkatan Udara AS.

Pesawat kepresidenan yang dijuluki Air Force Two tersebut membawa Biden beserta istri, Jill, saat bergerak perlahan sebelum lepas landas dari Bandara West Hampton, negara bagian New York, 120 kilometer sebelah timur kota New York, sebagaimana dikutip dari AFP.

"Pesawat 757 itu mengakibatkan pesawat Piper Cub, yang berada berdekatan dengan area parkir Air Force Two, terangkat hingga menyebabkan sayap kiri Piper Cub rusak," demikian pernyataan Angkatan Udara.

"Wapres AS berada dalam penerbangan, tidak ada korban dan tidak ada orang dalam Piper Cub."

Boeing C-32, versi khusus dari 757, membawa keluarga Biden kembali ke Washington setelah berlibur bersama rekannya selama dua pekan di Hamptons, tempat berlibur musim panas yang terkenal bagi warga New York kalangan atas dan terletak di bagian timur New York, Long Island.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1281582182/air-force-two-gulingkan-pesawat-lain-biden-selamat

President orders prompt action to help LPG blast victims

2010-08-10T23:29:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said victims of LPG canister blasts should be given medical help immediately.

"Victims (of gas cylinder blasts) must be helped immediately. It would be a humanitarian act," he said when chairing a plenary cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat here Tuesday.

The head of state also ordered every three kilogram gas canister and its regulator to be checked to ensure its safe use.

"I want every gas canister and its regulator to be in safe and in good condition. Please check it one by one. Don`t just take a sample," he said.

To inspect and check every three-kilogram-gas cylinder in the country, a bigger number of field officers was needed, he said.

At a working cabinet meeting in Bogor, West Java, last week, President Yudhoyono had also instructed related authorities to take further measures to resolve the unpredictable LPG explosions.

"I have asked related ministries and parties, including the state oil company, Pertamina, to take additional steps soon," he said.

President Yudhoyono also touched on the illegal LPG injection by irresponsible people.

In dealing with this problem, the head of state proposed that the LPG aroma should be made more smelly to enable gas stove users to detect leaked LPG cylinders.

President Yudhoyono also underlined the importance of public awareness campaigns by using "secure gas use" posters.

Since the government began implementing its kerosene-LPG conversion plan in 2007, at least 45 million packages of gas stoves and three-kilogram gas cylinders had been distributed to the people.

Since then, LPG canister explosions had increased in various parts of Indonesia.
In West Jakarta, for instance, 13 LPG canister blasts had occurred over the past seven months of 2010.

The accidents had caused 14 people to sustain serious burns and nine others light ones, Head of the West Jakarta fire brigade`s operational unit, Endang Choiruddin, said.

"The gas canister blasts that happened in Tanjung Duren Selatan, Grogol, Petamburan neighborhood on July 25, 2010 had caused the biggest number of victims so far," he said.

The three-kilogram gas cylinder explosions wounded ten people and damaged a house rented by a chicken porridge seller in the West Jakarta slum area, he said.

As the result of the three-kilogram gas canister-related blasts in Indonesia, an NGO activist had urged the government to issue a moratorium on the use of canisters of this type.

Chairman of the Sabang-Merauke Circle (SMS) Syahganda Nainggolan said the moratorium would accelerate efforts to withdraw three-kilogram canisters from market.

The government had to realize that unpredictable Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) blasts mostly involved three-kilogram canisters, he said.

Therefore, the government could not ignore the high risks the people were exposed to at any time, he said.

In response to deadly gas canister blasts occurring in various parts of Indonesia over the past months, the government had promised to withdraw all damaged and poor quality gas canisters.

By July 2010, the government had reportedly taken a million LPG canisters from the market to be then replaced with the good ones.

Besides that, the government was also committed to conducting door-to-door and community-to-community socialization programs so that gas stove users could understand the safest way of using LPG.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1281434815/president-orders-prompt-action-to-help-lpg-blast-victims

A migrant worker gone missing since 2006

2010-08-10T23:27:00.000+07:00

Garut, West Java (ANTARA News) - An Indonesian migrant worker hailing from Limbangan subdistrict, Garut regency, West Java, supposed to be employed as housemaid in Malaysia, had gone missing since she left Indonesia in 2006.

"There was no news from my neighbor since she left her howntown," said Siti Hazar (35), a victim of rough-handing by her employers in Malaysia, said in Garut Monday.

And the recruiting agency, PT Mangga Dua, was no longer operating, so that the family of the missing woman did not know who else to ask.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1281408344/a-migrant-worker-gone-missing-since-2006

Four policemen killed in Baghdad clashes: officials

2010-08-08T23:26:00.000+07:00

Baghdad (ANTARA News/AFP) - A fierce gunbattle in a Sunni neighbourhood of the Iraqi capital on Saturday saw four policemen killed and 10 people wounded, including eight police, said an interior ministry official.

The clashes broke out about 2:00 am (2300 GMT) in Saidiyah, a stronghold of Al-Qaeda in southern Baghdad during the worst years of Iraq`s insurgency after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

They occurred after a man whose car was stolen traced it to a nearby house and informed the police who came under fire when they arrived, the official said.

"There was an exchange of fire from 2:00 am until dawn and four policemen were killed," he said. "Ten people, including eight policemen, were injured."

One wounded policemen who spoke to AFP from Yarmuk hospital in western Baghdad said a car bomb, a homemade bomb, a grenade, a silenced pistol and a rocket-propelled grenade were recovered during the clashes

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1281216870/four-policemen-killed-in-baghdad-clashes-officials

Two Saudi border guards die in clash with smugglers

2010-08-08T23:25:00.000+07:00

Riyadh (ANTARA News/Reuters) - Drug smugglers shot dead two Saudi border guards in a clash along Saudi Arabia`s restive border with Yemen, official Saudi media reported on Saturday.

The clash along a porous border that has seen conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemeni Shi`ite rebels, took place near the Majaza border post in the southern Saudi province of Asir on Friday, the official SPA news agency said.

"Border patrols on a routine reconnaissance operation spotted a group of 15 smugglers who were trying to cross the border for the purpose of trafficking," SPA quoted a border command spokesman as saying.

"When they were warned to retreat to where they came from, they started shooting from several locations."

The smugglers eventually retreated but the spokesman did not say if there were any casualties among them.

Saudi authorities seized 500 kg (1,100 pounds) of hashish after the clash.

The agency also reported that border officers have seized 408 kg of the same drug over the past three days in the southern Jazan province, which also borders Yemen.

Saudi Arabia was drawn into a conflict last year with Yemeni Shi`ite rebels along the border, but Saudi officials use the term "infiltrators" to refer to those rebels.

Tensions between government forces and Yemeni Houthi Shi`ite rebels have returned to the northern part of Yemen, where the border with Saudi Arabia lies, after Yemeni authorities agreed to a truce with the Houthis in February.

The truce helped halt a conflict that has raged on and off since 2004 and displaced 350,000 people.

But instability still threatens Yemen, including from al Qaeda and southern separatist rebels.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1281200272/two-saudi-border-guards-die-in-clash-with-smugglers

Tourist pay higher entrace fees for Unesco heritage sites

2010-08-06T23:24:00.000+07:00

Beijing (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Wang Ye, a 27-year-old Beijinger, ordered flight tickets and hotel reservations on Thursday for her coming vacation destination - the China Danxia Landform, recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"I moved my plans for Danxia two months ahead", she told China Daily, as "prices and the numbers of tourists might increase soon."

Indeed, in recent months, she noted, ticket prices have "skyrocketed" at other newly named UNESCO sites.

She pointed to entrance fees at Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan province, which had increased from 108 yuan ($16) to 220 yuan, as just one example.

Some say it is worth the price. "The first-class scenery deserves first-class prices," Huang Dawei, director of the management committee of Danxia Mountain, was quoted by a Guangzhou-based Information Times as saying on Thursday.

"The cost will increase regarding a series of protection actions," he added.
The ticket price for Danxia Mountain is now 100 yuan for an adult, and 120 yuan on holidays - 50 percent less than the price in some World Cultural Heritage in China, Huang said.

Huang added that discounts for local residents could be available in the future, although he declined to offer further details.

Nestled in the Songshan Mountain of Central China`s Henan province, the historic architectural complex of the Shaolin Temple was also added to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list on Saturday.

The ticket price of Shaolin Temple, the home of Chinese kungfu and Zen Buddhism, will remain the same, according to a local official.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1281093303/tourist-pay-higher-entrace-fees-for-unesco-heritage-sites

Meeting reviews MDGs and agree on Jakarta Declaration

2010-08-06T23:23:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Ministers reviewing Asia and Pacific Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Jakarta on Wednesday agreed to the Jakarta Declaration.

The Declaration, according to the foreign ministry in Jakarta, carried a review on the current political situation in the Asia and Pacific region, both on the successes and obstacles in reaching the MDGs.

It also carried further action plans in the countries in regions underlining the importance of regional financial stability, financial support including government development assistance, the different needs of the countries in the region, and closer cooperation in the region with international institutions and the private sector.

In his closing address at the two-day meeting, August 3 and 4, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty M Natalegawa underlined the importance of the ministerial meeting as part of the regional effort to ensure national commitments and international cooperation in poverty eradication, meeting rights for education, and development in the sector of health, and environmental protection.

The foreign minister also underlined the important role played by the Asia and Pacific countries in the global achievement of the MDGs, up to a joint action plan in facing challenges and problems.

In the meeting, the participants had an exchange of views on the latest situation in the region, especially with regard to the many challenges and opportunities in meeting the MDGs in 2015.

In this context, the countries in the Asia Pacific region also strengthen their commitment to increase their cooperation in facing the various challenges in the region, including by way of innovative funding and regional cooperation.

Besides being attended by ministers and government high officials the meeting was also attended by international and regional resource persons as well as representatives from public and private organizations.

On the sidelines of the meeting -- attended by the foreign ministers and the relevant ministers from 30 countries in the Asia and Pacific region, high government officials from 20 G-20 member countries, and partner countries as well as representatives of various international organizations-- had also signed a commitment on the Indonesian private sector in meeting the MDGs.

The results of the meeting are expected to also give an added value to the process and results of the UN conference in New York on September 20 to 22, and the G-20 summit in November 2010 in Seoul.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280941205/meeting-reviews-mdgs-and-agree-on-jakarta-declaration

RI, Malaysia to sign new MoU on migrant workers

2010-08-04T23:22:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said Indonesia and Malaysia would sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Indonesian migrant workers in the neighboring country by mid August 2010.

"Some of the subject matters of the MoU were settled during meetings with Malaysian representatives last month. The only problem left now is about the cost of sending Indonesian workers to Malaysia," said the minister here on Tuesday.

Previously, Indonesia had objected to the Malaysian government`s proposal to set the transportation costs for migrant workers from Medan, Jakarta and Kalimantan at the same amount.

The salary of the workers was also among the tough issues during the negotiations as the Malaysian government proposed 500 Ringgit per month and Indonesia insisted it should not be less than 800 Ringgit.

Muhaimin did not say whether both sides had agreed on the two subject matters. However, he said Indonesia and Malaysia were committed to sign the MoU as soon as possible at the latest by August this year.

Last June 2009 Indonesia freezed its supply of maids to Malaysia following some cases of maid abuse and lack of benefits, absence of a minimum monthly salary and no provision for day-offs.

Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta last May 18 signed a Letter of Intent to give a new dimension to the employment of domestic workers in Malaysia and the two countries agreed on revised terms to be included in a new MoU scheduled to be signed at the latest in July 2010.

However, due to the tough going in the negotiations on several issues, the July time frame could not be kept.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280879251/ri-malaysia-to-sign-new-mou-on-migrant-workers

Japan approves UN sanctions on Iran

2010-08-04T23:21:00.000+07:00

Tokyo (ANTARA News/AFP) - Japan imposed sanctions against Iran over its contentious nuclear programme on Tuesday in line with a UN resolution and said it plans to announce additional punitive measures later this month.

The cabinet of Prime Minister Naoto Kan announced the steps as the US State Department`s special adviser for non-proliferation and arms control Robert Einhorn was headed for Tokyo as part of an East Asian tour.

The measures include an asset freeze on 40 Iranian entities and one individual suspected of being involved in nuclear and missile development.

The UN Security Council in June slapped its fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment work, part of a nuclear programme which many nations fear masks a drive for nuclear weapons.

The United States, European Union, Canada and Australia have also announced additional sanctions, which have been opposed by Russia and China, now Iran`s closest trading partner, with major energy interests in the country.

Japan is also considering its own additional sanctions, the top government spokesman Yoshito Sengoku said.

"The government will push ahead with studying measures our country should take so that we will have a conclusion as soon as possible, by the end of August," Chief Cabinet Secretary Sengoku told a press conference.

"We believe we need to address the issue sternly to reach a diplomatic, peaceful solution," he said.

European foreign ministers last week adopted measures targeting Iran`s oil and gas industries, going beyond the latest UN sanctions.

The EU measures include a ban on the sale of technology and services to Iran`s energy sector, hitting activities in refining, liquefied natural gas, exploration and production, and a ban on investments in the energy sector.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280826975/japan-approves-un-sanctions-on-iran

Aquino asks Filipinos` help in fight against graft

2010-08-02T23:19:00.000+07:00

Manila (ANTARA News/Reuters) - President Benigno Aquino III asked Filipinos on Sunday to help him fight the corruption that has dogged previous governments and become one of the major obstacles to developing the economy of their poor Southeast
Asian nation.

Aquino was speaking at the first anniversary of the death of his mother, former president Corazon Aquino, who is regarded in the country as a democracy heroine.

We can only end poverty if we fight corruption, and this is where everyone has a major role to play," Aquino said at a Catholic religious service attended by his family, the cabinet and hundreds of supporters, many clad in yellow, the signature colour of his mother.

"It can be done in simple ways, by showing common courtesy to strangers, by paying taxes, by following traffic rules and by disposing of our waste properly.

"We can do even more by reporting any wrongdoing that might be brought to our attention. Let us challenge ourselves and our leaders to brave the straight path," he said.

Aquino was a congressman and a senator when his mother, who was president from 1986 to 1992, died of colon cancer a year ago. Her death sparked an outpouring of emotions that helped him win the presidential elections in May.

Aquino, who took office on June 30, has pledged to fix a large budget deficit, endemic corruption, widespread poverty and two long-running insurgencies by Maoist and Muslim rebels.

After two administrations dogged by allegations of corruption and mismanagement, he also faced an enormous weight of public expectation for him to deliver, which could prove to be a burden given his reforms will take time to produce results.

In his first State of the Nation address in late July, he said the government would create a business and investor-friendly environment to attract funds needed to improve infrastructure.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280689807/aquino-asks-filipinos-help-in-fight-against-graft

Two mine accidents in China leave 17 dead

2010-08-02T23:18:00.000+07:00

Taiyuan/Harbin (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - The death toll in an explosion at a coal mine in Linfen City of north China`s Shanxi Province early Saturday has risen to 17 after another two bodies were found, local authorities said.

The blast at Liugou Coal Mine of Yicheng County also left 104 persons injured, seven of them seriously, as of 11 p.m. Saturday, said Wang Jianshe, head of the county`s People`s Hospital, where all the injured were admitted.

All the injured are in stable condition, Wang said.

Basic search and rescue work is over, said a senior official of Yangquan Coal Industry (Group) Co. Ltd, which owns the mine. The official said that the blast took place in the dormitory area, where most of buildings were destroyed by the powerful explosion.

A miner surnamed Zhang told Xinhua that families of many miners had come to live here because the children were currently on their summer vacation.

But officials so far have not disclosed how many children and women had died during the accident.

Zhang said he saw a couple died after huge stones fell on them in a dormitory room.
Initial investigation showed that the blast was caused by explosives hidden illegally in the area, and a suspect has been detained by the police, the official said.

A further Investigation into the cause of the blast is underway.

Also on Saturday, 24 people were trapped in a flooded coal mine in northeast China`s Jixi City, Heilongjiang Province.

The city government said the accident at Hengxinyuan Mine took place at around 5 p.m. Saturday. No further detail is available immediately.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280654539/two-mine-accidents-in-china-leave-17-dead

Bomb explodes in Bangkok, seriously wounding man

2010-07-30T23:17:00.000+07:00

Bangkok (ANTARA News/Reuters) - A bomb exploded in Bangkok early on Friday, seriously wounding a man and stoking fears of civil unrest following a deadly blast five days ago and violent anti-government protests in April and May.

The government denounced the blast as an attempt to damage its attempts to maintain public order following the prolonged unrest earlier this year. An opposition leader said the incident was aimed at discrediting anti-government activists.

Police said a grenade tied with an oiled rubber band and wrapped in a garbage bag exploded at about 2 a.m. (1900 GMT Thursday) in an alley near Victory Monument, a transportation hub usually choked with traffic and surrounded by hospitals,
military compounds and nightclubs.

"I do not want to speculate on the cause at this point and whether it`s politically motivated or an attempt to stir chaos," said Metropolitan Police Chief Lieutenant General Santarn Chayanond.

No group took responsibility for the attack which followed a blast that killed one person and wounded 10 on Sunday in a shopping district occupied by tens of thousands of "red shirt" protesters for seven weeks until a May 19 army crackdown.

Jatuporn Prompan, an anti-government protest leader, condemned the attack, which wounded a garbage collector. "We condemn anyone who carried out such act of cowardice in an attempt to discredit the opposition," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thugsuban said whoever carried it out was using violence to "make the government look like it`s not in control of the situation".

Several workers in the area said they believed the attack was brought on by a local dispute over illegal parking by taxi vans and was not politically motivated.

STATE OF EMERGENCY

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva lifted a state of emergency in six provinces on Thursday, but said the special security law would remain in place in 10 others, including Bangkok.

The emergency decree has been in force since April, giving security forces broad powers to deal with anti-government protests which spiralled into the worst political violence in modern Thai history when demonstrators clashed with troops in
April and May, leaving 90 people dead and at least 1,800 wounded.

Sunday`s bomb exploded shortly after polls closed in a Bangkok by-election in which a ruling party politician narrowly defeated a jailed red shirt anti-government protest leader representing the opposition.

The state of emergency bans political gatherings of more than five people and gives the government powers to impose curfew and censor media and detain suspects without charge for 30 days.

Voters in the north and northeast, hotbeds of anti-government activists, broadly support former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 and is
wanted on terror charges for his alleged role in orchestrating the May riots.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280472238/bomb-explodes-in-bangkok-seriously-wounding-man

Australia tightens sanctions on Iran

2010-07-30T23:15:00.000+07:00

Sydney (ANTARA News/AFP) - Australia Thursday tightened its sanctions on Iran in a fresh bid to convince Tehran to allay international concerns over its nuclear drive.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said the new measures target more than 100 Iranian groups and companies, and restrict Australian business dealings with the country`s oil and gas sector.

"In adopting this package, Australia stands at the forefront of international community efforts to have Iran meet its international obligations in relation to its nuclear program, one of the most serious security challenges facing the international community," he said.

The measures also include a ban on trading weapons and items which could be used for nuclear, chemical or biological arms or missiles.

They follow this month`s new United Nations Security Council resolution against Iran and fresh sanctions announced by the European Union and Canada.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280408295/australia-tightens-sanctions-on-iran

Passenger jet crashes in Pakistan, 152 on board

2010-07-28T23:14:00.000+07:00

Islamabad (ANTARA News/Reuters) - A commercial Pakistani passenger plane with 152 people on board crashed in bad weather in hills near the capital, Islamabad, on Wednesday, officials said.

Five bodies had been recovered from the crash site in the forested Margalla hills near the city, an official said.

The jet, belonging to private airliner Airblue, lost contact with the control room of the Islamabad International Airport at 0443 GMT while flying from the southern port city of Karachi.

"We have sent fire engines to the site, so far five dead bodies have ben recovered," Imtiaz Elahi, chairman of the Capital Development Authority, told reporters.

The plane was carrying 146 passengers and six crewmen.

"We are gathering information. We have no more details," said Mubarik Shah, a spokesman for the state-run Civil Aviation Authority.

A thick blanket of cloud and smoke could be seen rising from the heavily wooded crash site. A helicopter hovered overhead and flames licked at trees and what appeared to be wreckage from the plane, television pictures showed.

"It was raining. I saw the plane flying very low from the window of my office," witness Khadim Hussain said.

Pakistan`s AAJ television showed columns of smoke billowing from the ground.

Rescue workers were making their way on foot with some difficulty through the difficult terrain.

The military said it had sent three helicopters to the site and troops had also been moved there.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani ordered authorities to control the fire immediately and rescue passengers.

Reports said there had been heavy monsoon rains in the area for at least a couple of days.

Airblue began operations in 2004 with a fleet of Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft, the company said on its website (www.airblue.com).

Forty-five people were killed when a passenger plane belonging to Pakistan International Airlines crashed near the central city of Multan in 2006.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280311305/passenger-jet-crashes-in-pakistan-152-on-board

Government takes care of national press in Azerbaijan

2010-07-28T23:11:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News/AzerTAc) - On July 21 and 22, President of Azerbaijan signed a whole package of the orders, concerning strengthening of material base of mass-media and social protection of journalists.

As many as 32 newspapers and 8 news agencies of the country were allocated 20 thousand and 10 thousand AZN (or about 25 thousand and 13 thousand dollars), accordingly, as lump sum financial assistance, and there was no any selectivity: the money greater part of which will go on the hardware equipment of editions, was granted equally both to pro-government media bodies, and the oppositional mass media, criticizing the authorities on a daily basis.

Perhaps, the decision of the President on allocation of five million AZN from the reserve fund on building of an apartment house for journalists aroused the greatest pleasure in media community.

Many mark the swiftness of acceptance of this decision: the question on housing problems has been raised in the morning at the meeting of the head of state with members of the Board of Press Council and some hours later Ilham Aliyev signed the order, having allocated the impressive sum for house building.

Rewarding of 92 journalists with the high states awards for merits in development of the national press became not a less pleasant event, and in this case there was no discrimination: awarding list included not only employees of the pro-governmental editions, but also the journalists working in independent and oppositional mass-media.

The free press in Azerbaijan rapidly develops after the country regained its independence.

The holiday of the national press is, itself, the product of independence as it was marked at the initiative of the national leader Heydar Aliyev since 2000 in memory of the first newspaper in the Azerbaijani language "Ekinchi" (The Plowman), published in second half of XIX century.

The small statistics gives expressive representation about press development during the last years. In Azerbaijan, where a handful of newspapers and magazines were published in the Soviet period, now there are over 30 daily and 100 weekly newspapers representing interests of all social classes, eight republican and 14 regional TV channels.

The number of Internet users in the country exceeds 40 percent what testifies an openness of the modern Azerbaijan society.

At a beautiful two-storied residence located in one of the foregrounds of Baku ? the new office of the Press Council, which opened its doors on the occasion of the anniversary of the national press, a meeting of President Ilham Aliyev with members of the Board of this independent structure playing the role of a link between the society and mass media took place.

This is not, in itself, ordinary enough phenomenon - face to face conversation of the head of the country with representatives of media about their troubles ? a real rarity even in the countries with centuries-old democratic traditions.

At the meeting, the President has responded to the crucial issues of the modern national press, beginning from professionalism and responsibility of journalists to their social protection. The head of the state promised personal support in solution of the advertising questions, adoption of law on defamation and fighting against ?racket journalism? causing serious damage to image of the country`s mass-media.

All this can possibly be regarded as, to a certain extent, a message, in particular, to a number of the international organizations, which in their reports at times write about problems ostensibly available in Azerbaijan between the state and mass-media.

But celebrating of anniversary of the national press has demonstrated that the government has a serious and attentive attitude to media is interested in formation of the independent and strong press in the country as important public institution, and national interests of Azerbaijan are the main criterion for it as much as in all spheres.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1280235893/government-takes-care-of-national-press-in-azerbaijan

BNI Danai Pembangunan Tangcity Mall

2010-07-26T05:57:00.000+07:00

Tangerang (ANTARA News) - Untuk mempercepat pembangunan Tangcity (Tangerang City) Mall yang saat ini pembangunan strukturnya sudah mencapai 60 persen, PT. Pancakarya Griyatama menggandeng Bank BNI untuk memberikan dukungan berupa falisitas pendanaan untuk pembangunan Tangcity Mall.

Vice Predisident Director PT Pancakarya Griyatama, Ian Wisan, MBA di Tangerang Minggu (25/) mengatakan, fasilitas pinjaman ini merupakan nilai tambah lainnya yang kami berikan untuk memanjakan para pembeli shop atau counter Tangcity Mall, sebelumnya kami meluncurkan layanan purna jual buy back guarantee 100 persen.

Menurutnya, pendanaan dari BNI ini untuk memberi dukungan kepada PT Pancakarya Griyatama yang telah berkomitmen akan menyelesaikan pembangunan tepat waktu untuk mengejar pembukaan Tangcity Mall pada pertengahan 2011.

Sementara itu, BNI memberikan fasilitas pinjaman sebesar Rp 300 miliar dengan masa pengembalian selama enam tahun. Pendanaan PT Pancakarya Griyatama sendiri, sebelumnya ditopang oleh modal sendiri dan modal dari konsumen (pre selling).

Selain didukung oleh Bank BNI, pengembang Tangcity Mall juga memperoleh dukungan dari PT Pembangunan Perumahan (PP) (Persero) untuk menghasilkan produk property PT Pancakarya Griyatama yang berkualitas.

"Kualitas property kami memiliki kualitas yang bagus, bisa dibandingkan dengan property yang ada di Indonesia, karena beton yang kami pake berasal dari BUMN/Persero" kata Direktur Utama PT Pancakarya Griyatama, Yogi Yogaswara.

Tak heran jika 70 persen dari unit shop dan ditawarkan pengembang telah diserbu oleh para pengusahan dan pedagang.

Sambung Ian, karena ini merupakan bisnis jangka panjang, kami berikan kenyaman pada konsumen. Seperti yang telah dilakukan pada pembanguna ruko disekitar Mall, konsumen mendapatkan keuntungan minimal 60 persen, bahkan ada yang sampai 120 persen atas kenaikan harga.

"Setelah konsumen puas dengan kami, dikemudian hari, penjualan untuk proyek kami selanjutnya akan lebih mudah, karena mereka akan menceritakan pengalamannya menjadi konsumen kami," ucap Ian.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1280093652/bni-danai-pembangunan-tangcity-mall

Festival Lima Gunung Dibuka Dengan Sesaji di Kayangan Suroloyo

2010-07-26T05:55:00.000+07:00

Batara Surya seakan ingin mengintip mereka yang berarak secara takzim menghadap Batara Guru di Suroloyo, puncak tertinggi Pegunungan Menoreh, di perbatasan antara Kabupaten Magelang, Jawa Tengah dan Kulon Progo, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta.

Berbicaralah dewa itu menghaturkan permintaan kepada Batara Bayu supaya meniupkan kabut tebal penyelimut tempat yang dalam dunia pewayangan disebut sebagai kayangan itu.

Angin yang berarak di puncak perbukitan itu pun memberi kesempatan sekejap kepada Sang Surya untuk mengintip seniman petani Komunitas Lima Gunung (KLG) Magelang yang sedang menggelar sesaji pembuka Festival Lima Gunung (FLG) IX pada 2010.

Mereka yang mengenakan berbagai pakaian adat Jawa model petani dan properti lainnya secara kontemporer itu saling menunjukkan jarinya dan mendongakkan kepala ke arah matahari. Sang Surya mereka lihat telah berada di atas bukit itu tanpa memencarkan silaunya karena sinarnya tersaring oleh tipisnya kabut.

Matahari yang mereka lihat pagi itu tidak keluar dari cakrawala tetapi telah berdiri dengan gagah di balik kabut tipis. Benda penyinar jagat raya itu seakan bergantung di langit di atas bukit, bagaikan bulan berwarna putih yang enggan masuk peraduannya.

Puluhan pasang kaki melangkah menaiki secara tekun ratusan tangga Suroloyo hingga puncaknya di ketinggian sekitar 900 meter dari permukaan air laut. Pagi terasa dingin menyapa perjalanan tirakat mereka. Terpaan kabut dan gemuruh tiupan angin mengiring langkah pasti mereka dipimpin oleh pemimpin tertinggi KLG, Sutanto Mendut.

Belasan orang dengan baju ala Jawa motif lurik, celana congklang warna hitam, berbalut kain motif batik di pinggang dan bertutup kepala "iket", serta properti selempang kain putih, melangkah sambil mengusung bentangan kain warna kuning sepanjang sekitar 20 meter, menuju puncak kayangan itu.

Denting beberapa lonceng besi berwarna kuning emas dan berukir indah itu sesekali dikebas sejumlah seniman lainnya. Suaranya menembus gemuruh sapaan angin. Suara engahan napas para petirakat tak terdengar saat mereka bertekun menjalani prosesi pembuka festival tahunan yang pada 2010 dipusatkan di kawasan Pegunungan Menoreh itu.

Ismanto, seniman lereng Gunung Merapi berjalan perlahan membawa "ancak" (ayaman bambu) 15 meter persegi berisi sesaji antara lain ingkung, jajan pasar, bunga mawar merah dan putih, aneka buah dan sayuran, serta puluhan batang dupa dengan ujung berwarna merah sebagai tanda bara menyala.

Diletakkannya sesaji itu di bawah arca batu Dewa Syiwa setinggi satu meter yang dalam dunia wayang dikenal sebagai Batara Guru di puncak Suroloyo itu.

Iringan tembang Jawa dilantunkan petinggi Padepokan "Tjipto Boedojo Tutup Ngisor" lereng Merapi, Sitras Anjlin. Seorang lelaki tua namun bertubuh kekar berasal dari Gunung Merbabu, Cipto, sambil memegang cobek berisi kembang mawar merah putih, berdiri di samping patung Batara Guru dengan mulut terlihat berkomat-kamit, seakan meluncurkan darasan doa melalui "Ritus Ondo Gunung".

"Kami menghaturkan sesaji," kata Ismanto lirih sambil bersila di depan Batara Guru.

Angin kembali terasa bergerak lebih cepat, tetesan embun pagi menerpa para petirakat itu seakan menjadi simbol berkat para dewa bagi mereka untuk perhelatan seni dan budaya selama seminggu, hingga 1 Agustus 2010.

Matahari seakan kembali bersembunyi di balik kabut tebal itu. Puluhan seniman petani itu serasa berdiam diri di tengah kabut putih puncak kayangan, tak terdengar sekecap pun suara, suasana terasa sunyi dan lengang. Hanya mereka dengan alam gunungnya

"Ini perjumpaan tak terduga, pertemuan antarmanusia bersahaja yang selalu menggali ketulusan dan cinta kasih dengan alamnya," kata Sutanto ketika merefleksikan tentang FLG IX bertema "Satrio Sudro (Ngulandoro)" itu.

Suroloyo dalam dunia pewayangan sebagai tempat bersemayam Batara Guru, dewa tertinggi pewayangan, seolah menjadi tempat seniman KLG sejenak merefleksikan perjalanan kebudayaan mereka di kawasan lereng Gunung Merapi, Merbabu, Andong, Sumbing, dan Pegunungan Menoreh.

Mereka, katanya, menemukan kesadaran tertinggi betapa sembilan tahun terakhir kehidupan sederhana sebagai petani desa dan gunung di Magelang. Mereka secara intensif bertekun dengan seni budaya dan alam sosial pertanian telah menempatkan diri dalam peta perubahan kebudayaan Indonesia.

Nama "Lima Gunung" telah identik dengan ketenaran mereka sebagai seniman petani. Kiprah dan tuangan karya mereka dalam bentuk pementasan seni tradisional, kontemporer, dan kolaborasi tak hanya sebatas lokal, namun menembus secara indah, cerdas, menakjubkan, dan mandiri di berbagai pusat kota besar.

Karya gerak tari, lantunan sastra tembang, musik tradisional dan kontemporer, serta performa kolaborasi seni mereka pada berbagai kegiatan baik di tingkat lokal, nasional maupun internasional mengusung kritik sosial atas peristiwa kemanusiaan. Mereka menyuguhkannya secara kultural dan dalam nuansa damai.

Ketua Panitia FLG IX, Riyadi, menjelaskan tentang tema "Sudro Satrio (Ngulandoro)" untuk perhelatan seniman KLG mulai 25 Juli hingga 1 Agustus 2010 itu.

Kata "Sudro" sebagai kesadaran atas mereka sebagai golongan petani yang identik dengan masyarakat bawah, "Satrio" untuk menyebut mereka yang rendah itu namun ternyata berjiwa kesatria, sedangkan "Ngulandoro" sebagai perjalanan petualangan mereka selama menebarkan nilai kebudayaan bagi kepentingan kemajuan peradaban dan kemanusiaan.

"Perjalanan kebudayaan kami adalah perjalanan nilai," kata Riyadi yang juga pimpinan komunitas seniman petani Merbabu itu.

Untuk memulai festival itu, katanya, mereka yang bersahaja sebagai petani itu dengan sikap kesatria, memberanikan diri berpetualang spiritual ke puncak kayangan guna menyampaikan doa dan refleksinya, di Suroloyo, tempat bersemayam dewa tertinggi.

Sitras yang komunitasnya di Merapi berbasis kesenian wayang orang itu mengatakan, "Suroloyo" berasal dari dua kata yakni "Suro" berarti berani dan "Loyo" berarti mati.

"Kehadiran kami secara kultural di Suroloyo ini, simbolisasi tekat kami, seniman petani lima gunung untuk kukuh bersikap kesatria, berani memperjuangkan nilai-nilai kemanusiaan hingga puncak tertinggi kehidupan, dengan jalan gerakan kebudayaan," katanya.

Mereka kemudian menuruni puncak Suroyolo untuk berpindah ke puncak bukit lainnya, Sariloyo, di dusun yang sama, Dusun Keceme, Desa Gerbosari, Kecamatan Samigaluh, Kabupaten Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta.

Komunitas setempat yang tergabung dalam Peguyuban Kesenian Gunung Sari, Desa Gergosari pimpinan Kemat, didampingi juru kunci Suroloyo, Parji, menyambut puluhan seniman lima gunung yang sedang mengenyam kelegaan nurani itu turun dari kayangan Suroloyo. Sambutan mereka itu dalam bentuk suguhan tarian tradisional jatilan.

Kemeriahan di Sariloyo terkesan menyeruak ketika seniman petani KLG itu menimpali dengan kolaborasi secara spontan berupa performa wayang golek oleh Jono, Ipang, dan Cipto Purnomo, teatrikal melukis apel oleh Dedy Paw, performa gerak oleh Sitras Anjilin dengan anggota komunitasnya "Tjipto Boedojo Tutup Ngisor", performa olah dukun Merbau oleh Cipto, dan tarian barong kontemporer oleh Ismanto dengan grup teaternya, "Gadung Mlati".

Setelah turun dari kayangan Suroloyo itu, KLG bakal melanjutkan agenda festival tahunan mereka antara lain melalui pameran instalasi "Karma Rasa" di Dusun Ngampel, Desa Sengi, Kecamatan Dukun, Kabupaten Magelang, di lereng barat Gunung Merapi, pergelaran "Lengger Lima Gunung" oleh komunitas seniman petani "Cahyo Budoyo Sumbing" pimpinan Sumarno di Desa Krandegan, Desa Sukomakmur, Kecamatan Kajoran, Kabupaten Magelang, di lereng Gunung Sumbing".

Selain itu pentas tradisi "Kuda Kepang Papat" oleh komunitas seniman Mantran, Kecamatan Ngablak, Kabupaten Magelang, di lereng Gunung Andong, pimpinan Supadi, performa teater tenang menembus dini hari bertajuk "Sungai Malam" yang dimainkan secara kolaboratif oleh seniman "Gadung Mlati" dengan penari Muntilan, Waskito, dan pertunjukkan silaturahim berbagai kelompok seniman petani KLG di kawasan Candi Mendut, Kabupaten Magelang.

"Kami mengandalkan kekuatan pikiran, idealisme, inspirasi, suara nurani desa dan gunung, serta diperkaya dengan ide-ide tentang ruang dan waktu. Intinya, ini festival tentang kemandirian manusia," kata Sutanto.

Spurce : http://antaranews.com/berita/1280087842/festival-lima-gunung-dibuka-dengan-sesaji-di-kayangan-suroloyo

Komunitas Fotografi Angkat Nilai Budaya Yang Hilang

2010-07-25T05:54:00.000+07:00

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Komunitas Fotografi "Sebelah Mata" menggelar pameran bertajuk "Kelangan Alon-alon" di Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta, 24-30 Juli 2010, untuk mengangkat beragam tradisi dan nilai yang mulai hilang dari budaya masyarakat Yogyakarta.

"Kelangan Alon-alon artinya kehilangan secara pelan-pelan. Maksudnya, banyak nilai budaya di Yogyakarta yang secara perlahan mulai ditinggalkan masyarakat, tanpa mereka disadari. Padahal, Yogyakarta merupakan kota budaya," kata ketua panitia pameran ini, Haryo Sastomo Sejati, di Yogyakarta, Minggu.

Ia mengatakan tradisi dan nilai yang mulai hilang dari Yogyakarta di antaranya adalah sejumlah permainan tradisional, kesenian srandul, kuda lumping, maupun nilai-nilai budaya yang bukan benda.

"Misalnya kuda lumping yang dulunya adalah tarian sakral, tetapi sekarang justru dimainkan di pinggir-pinggir jalan demi mendapatkan uang," katanya.

Contoh lainnya, menurut Haryo, dapat terlihat dari kecenderungan anak-anak sekarang yang lebih senang bermain "play station", dan mereka jarang berkumpul dengan teman-teman sebayanya, sehingga cenderung individual. "Hal tersebut tidak baik untuk perkembangan mental anak," katanya.

Menurut dia, pameran ini bertujuan mengingatkan masyarakat bahwa nilai-nilai budaya itu masih ada, meskipun memang tidak bisa menandingi perubahan zaman.

Ia mengatakan pameran tersebut juga merupakan sentilan ringan kepada masyarakat Yogyakarta yang sedikit demi sedikit berubah menjadi masyarakat yang individual.

Pada pameran ini ditampilkan 15 foto karya 14 juru foto, 10 orang di antaranya merupakan fotografer dari Komunitas "Sebelah Mata".

Empat fotografer lainnya adalah wartawan foto maupun fotografer yang sudah punya nama di Yogyakarta, yaitu Himawan, Edial Rusli, Pamungkas, serta Wawan H Prabowo.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1280086079/komunitas-fotografi-angkat-nilai-budaya-yang-hilang

Akupuntur Dipilih Untuk Obati Panyakit Menahun, Tingkatkan IQ

2010-07-25T05:53:00.000+07:00

Banyuwangi (ANTARA News) - Warga Banyuwangi, Jawa Timur, mulai melirik metode pengobatan akupuntur karena biayanya lebih murah, juga diyakini lebih manjur untuk mengobati penyakit menahun.

Tony S. Suhargo, seorang akupunturis Banyuwangi Kepada ANTARA, Minggu, menjelaskan, pasien yang datang ke tempat praktiknya terus bertambah setiap bulannya.

"Mereka pada umumnya pasien yang menderita asam urat, migran dan sakit lambung," katanya.

Kenaikan animo masyarakat menjalani pengobatan asal daratan China itu mencapai 10 persen dari rata-rata 250 orang pasien yang dalam setiap bulannya. Mereka mengaku sangat cocok berobat dengan metode pengobatan akupuntur. Bahkan, dalam satu kali kunjungan sudah merasakan manfaatnya.

Seperti yang pernah dialami pasiennya yang menderita sakit lambung bertahun-tahun dan sudah menjalani pengobatan medis umum. "Ternyata baru satu kali mendapat pelayanan sudah merasakan manfaatnya. Ini diutarakan ketika melakukan kunjungan yang kedua kalinya," ujar Toni.

Tony yang juga seorang dokter itu, menjelaskan ketertarikan pasien berobat dengan metode akupuntur adalah biayanya yang cukup murah, bahkan bila dibandingkan dengan pengobatan medis umum biayanya bisa ditekan hingga 50 persen.

Ia yang mendalami metode pengobatan akupuntur sejak tahun 1995 lalu dengan berguru langsung di negeri tirai bambu. Hasilnya diluar dugaan karena selama kurang lebih 15 tahun menekuni metode pengobatan tersebut sudah banyak pasien penyakit kronis yang ia sembuhkan, seperti penyakit diabetes dan asma. Bahkan, Tony juga mengaku pernah mengobati seorang wanita yang sudah 20 tahun tidak hamil.

Metode pengobatan akupuntur, kata Tony, hanya mencoba merangsang titik akupuntur supaya terjadi keseimbangan antara "YIN" yang merupakan unsur - unsur berpengaruh negatif dengan "YAN" yang merupakan unsur - unsur dalam tubuh yang membawa pengaruh positif. "Manusia sakit karena telah terjadi ketidakseimbangan antara hal yang negatif dengan positif. Karena itu metode pengobatan akupuntur hanya berupaya menyeimbangkan dua unsur yang saling berlawan tersebut," ungkap Tony.

Adapun sarana pengobatan akupuntur, meliputi jarum tradisional, tekanan, aquapuntur ("suntik"), moxa ("sejenis rokok") dan laser.

Dari sekian sarana tersebut, lanjut Tony, ia menggunakan aquapuntur bagi pasien - pasienya yang dewasa, sedang bagi pasiennya yang masih anak - anak menggunakan laser karena biasanya mereka takut ketika melihat jarum suntik.

Selain itu metode laser ini juga digunakan untuk perawatan kecantikan dan pelangsing tubuh.

Menurut Tony, sebagian besar pasien yang berobat adalah penderita asam urat yang mencapai 30 persen dari total pasien yang berobat. Sedang yang masih anak - anak adalah mereka yang mengalami ketertinggalan mental serta mereka yang ingin meningkatkan "IQ" atau ukuran kemampuan intelektual, analisis, logika dan rasio seseorang.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1280084333/akupuntur-dipilih-untuk-obati-panyakit-menahun-tingkatkan-iq

Pilkada Depok Gagal Munculkan Figur Baru

2010-07-23T05:51:00.000+07:00

Depok (ANTARA News) - Mantan bakal calon wakil wali kota Depok, PDIP, Ali Fahmi Al-Habsyi mengatakan pilkada Depok gagal memunculkan figur baru, karena elit politisi muda masih tidak percaya diri merumuskan gerbong baru yang ditawarkan kepada masyarakat Depok.

"Saya membaca romantisme pertarungan tahun 2005 akan terulang lagi dalam pilkada ini. Figur lama pilkada 2005 akan kembali "menjajal hoki-nya" sebagai wali kota dalam pilkada sekarang," kata Ali Fahmi, di Depok, Minggu.

Keempat pasangan tersebut yang telah resmi mendaftar ke KPU Kota Depok adalah Yuyun Wira Saputra-Pradi Supriatna (Yudistira), Gagah Sunu Sumantri-Derry Drajat, Badrul Kamal-Supriyanto (BK-Pri) dan Nurmahmudi Ismail-Idris Abdul Shomad (Nur Berkhidmad).

Ia mengatakan jika mengunakan bahasa Bung Karno tahun 60-an Nefo and old nefo yang menampilkan citra new fashion (selera baru) ditengah-tengah tawaran munculnya kandidat old fashion (selera lama).

"Yang dibutuhkan PDI-P sekarang bukan sekedar rekemondasi, tapi kebersamaan dan soliditas yang memunculkan militansi untuk mencapai kemenangan," katanya.

Ali Fahmi mengatakan dirinya dipanggil DPP PDIP untuk memberikan analisa-analisa peta kekuatan di Depok berdasarkan demografi politik.

Menurut dia, masyarakat Depok 60 persen merupakan penglaju (berangkat pagi pulang malam) dan banyaknya migrasi pasangan-pasangan muda pemilih "berpendidikan" yang tinggal di perumahan-perumahan Depok 5 tahun terakhir.

Kedua, realitas di Depok munculnya "titik didih" Golkar dan Demokrat, dan PDI-P yang tercerai-berai. Ketiga, pertarungan pilkada terfokus pada 3 (tiga) kutub Old Fashion yang tampil kembali, maka menjaga soliditas diperlukan adanya "operasi by pass" untuk menurunkan "titik didih".

"Yang menarik bagi pemilih adalah menggabungkan figure dan koalisi kekuatan partai tengah parlemen menjadi kekuatan sigfinikan," jelasnya.

Untuk itu kata Ali Fahmi atas pertimbangan keluarga dan demi kebesaran partai minggu lalu secara resmi saya memutuskan mundur sebagai bakal calon wakil wali kota Depok dari PDIP Perjuangan, sejak minggu lalu.

"Mudurnya saya untuk memberi ruang yang luas bagi para kandidat balon wali kota dan wakil wali kota untuk melakukan analisa diri dan politik lebih jernih, akselerasi, kompromi dan komunikasi," katanya.

Dikatakannya setelah mundurnya saya, DPP menunggu kompromi-kompromi para kandidit tersebut. Tapi semua tergantung dari kemauan, kemampuan, dan jam terbang para balon dalam membaca situasi realita, menganalisa kekuatan dan bermanuver politik.

"Saya pribadi memutuskan kembali ke-'laptop' dalam keseharian saya sebagai analis saham dan investasi untuk beberapa lembaga keuangan," kata mantan caleg nomor 1 DPR RI tersebut.

Ia mengharapkan gaya berpolitik "tiang listrik" tidak digunakan, mereka harus luwes dan dapat membedakan lawan taktis atau strategis dan "teman taktis-strategis" baik dalam level mendapatkan rekomendasi maupun dalam level pertarungan di pilkada Oktober nanti," katanya.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1280083650/pilkada-depok-gagal-munculkan-figur-baru

Konser Ari Lasso di Kudus Berjalan Aman

2010-07-23T05:46:00.002+07:00

Kudus (ANTARA News) - Konser musik Ari Lasso dan grup musik d`Bagindas di Stadion Wergu Kudus, Jateng, Minggu petang, berjalan aman dan tidak ada keributan antarpenonton, meskipun jumlah yang hadir mencapai ribuan orang.

Konser musik "gratis segalanya" (Gila) yang disponsori PT XL Axiata (XL) itu, dimulai sekitar pukul 15.30 WIB, diawali dengan suara vokalis d`Bagindas Bian yang memiliki nama lengkap Benny Rianto mampu menyihir ribuan penonton untuk ikut melantunkan lagu yang berjudul C.I.N.T.A, yang saat ini masuk dalam nominasi nomor satu di acara musik salah satu stasiun televisi di Tanah Air.

Meskipun ratusan personel keamanan dari Polres Kudus dikerahkan untuk mengamankan jalannya konser, sejumlah penonton masih ada yang nekat melemparkan botol bekas air mineral ke penonton yang lain.

Akhirnya, aksi saling lempar botol air mineralpun tak terelakkan, sehingga penonton berulang kali diperingkatkan untuk tidak mengulangi aksi tak terpuji tersebut.

Saat Ari Lasso tampil di panggung usai penampilan d`Bagindas, ribuan penonton langsung menyambutnya dengan tepuk tangan di atas sesuai lagu pertama yang dilantunkan pemilik nama lengkap Ari Bernardus Lasso, yakni "Mengejar Matahari".

Hingga Ari Lasso menyanyikan lagu ke delapan berjudul "Hampa", sekaligus sebagai penutup konser, ribuan penonton tetap santun dan tidak ada lagi aksi saling lempar botol air mineral bekas maupun sandal bekas.

Kabag Ops Polres Kudus, AKP Yanu Wartono mengatakan, jumlah personel keamanan yang dikerahkan pada konser hari ini (25/7), sekitar 300-an personel.

Masing-masing petugas, kata dia, ditempatkan di sejumlah titik strategis untuk mengantisipasi kemungkinan terjadinya aksi keributan ataupun aksi kejahatan yang dimungkinkan terjadi.

"Hingga konser berakhir, tidak terjadi keributan dan konser berlangsung aman dan terkendali," ucapnya.

Terkait dengan sejumlah penonton yang digelandang petugas keluar dari kerumunan penonton yang berada di depan panggung konser, kata dia, beberapa penonton tersebut diduga terpengaruh minuman keras, sehingga harus ditarik keluar dari kerumunan penonton untuk menghindari kemungkinan terjadinya keributan dengan penonton lain.

"Hal ini, hanya tindakan antisipasi agar tidak terjadi keributan," ujarnya.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1280072331/konser-ari-lasso-di-kudus-berjalan-aman

RI appointed chief of 2011 SEANWFZ commission

2010-07-21T07:04:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia has been appointed chairman of the session of the Commission for Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) in 2011.

Indonesia`s chairmanship of the SEANWFZ Commission will be effective as of January 2011, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

Indonesia was appointed to the post at a meeting of SEANWFZ Commission held as part of ASEAN ministerial meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, also attended by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto.

At the meeting of the SEANWFZ Commission on Monday, foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to step up efforts to implement Plan of Action for the SEANWFZ Treaty, including continuing consultations with nuclear weapon states to see their views and support SEANWFZ.

By considering the positive results of the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in April 2010 and the Review Conference of the Parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty in May 2010, the ASEAN foreign ministers agreed to enhance coordination at multilateral forums on the issues relevant to ASEAN and the implementation of SEANWFZ Treaty.

The SEANWFZ treaty, signed by all ASEAN members in 1995 and coming into force in 1997, expresses the region`s desire to contribute towards general and complete nuclear disarmament and the promotion of international peace and security.

Minister Djoko Suyanto and Miniter Marty Natalegawa also attended the 4th session of the ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC) Council.

The sessions were chaired by Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem and attended by all ASEAN foreign ministers. Vietnam is currently a rotating ASEAN chairman. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279650358/ri-appointed-chief-of-2011-seanwfz-commission

Vietnamese PM calls on ASEAN to boost regional cooperation

2010-07-21T07:03:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called on Southeast Asian countries to take concrete steps in boosting cooperation in the region.

The Vietnamese PM made the call when opening the 43rd ASEAN foreign ministers meeting (AMM) in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Tuesday.

He also called on ASEAN member countries to boost cooperation in a wider regional working framework.

ASEAN, he added, also need to contribute actively to joint effors of the international community.

"I hope the foreign ministers will intensify in discussing and cooperation effectively with the sectoral ministers and the relevant partners in dealing the challenges," he said.

He underlined a number of challenges faced by Southeast Asian countries including the financial and economic crisis, climate change, natural disasters, pandemic, and declining natural resources.

While mentioning a number of significant achievements ASEAN had made, the Vietnamese PM said there were still so many things to be done by the ASEAN community.

He also underlined a number of other issues in urgent need of attention of the region including maintaining peace and security in Southeast Asia.

Vietnam is now the ASEAN alternate chairman. ASEAN groups Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

The Indonesian delegation at the meeting is headed by Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa and the Political, Legal and Security affairs Coordinating Minister.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279649497/vietnamese-pm-calls-on-asean-to-boost-regional-cooperation

Bomber attacks British firm in N.Iraq, 4 killed

2010-07-19T07:02:00.000+07:00

Mosul, Iraq (ANTARA News/Reuters) - A suicide car bomber ploughed into a convoy carrying employees of a British company in northern Iraq on Monday, killing four of them and wounding five Iraqi civilians, Iraqi security officials said.

The suicide bomber targeted the last vehicle of the convoy in restive Mosul, a dangerous city where al Qaeda remains active, and the force of the blast threw the armoured vehicle 40 metres into a ravine, killing everyone inside, police said.

"I saw the other members of the convoy bring out four dead foreign civilians from the smashed car. One of them was beheaded," an Iraqi military officer, asking not to be named, said by telephone from the site of the attack in northern Mosul.

Iraqi officials said the firm was a British construction company but its name was not immediately known and there was no independent confirmation. The British embassy had no immediate information on the incident.

The nationality of the dead foreigners was not immediately known.

Mosul is on the front line of a longstanding feud between Iraq`s Arabs and minority Kurds over land, power and oil wealth.

The region is also a hub for Sunni Islamist insurgents, and the U.S. military, which will end combat operations on Aug. 31, sees Mosul as al Qaeda`s last urban stronghold in Iraq.

Iraq is on high alert for insurgent attacks after a March 7 national election produced no clear winner and left the country adrift in political uncertainty.

Overall violence has dropped sharply since the height of sectarian carnage in 2006-7. But bombings and killings continue daily.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279537109/bomber-attacks-british-firm-in-niraq-4-killed

US may send envoy Richardson to Pyongyang

2010-07-19T07:00:00.000+07:00

Seoul (ANTARA/AFP) - A South Korean newspaper said Monday that US President Barack Obama may send an envoy to North Korea to break the impasse in relations.

Obama is considering allowing New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson -- a veteran troubleshooter with the North -- to accept an invitation to visit Pyongyang, according to the JoongAng Ilbo and its English-language sister paper JoongAng Daily.

The JoongAng Daily, quoting "multiple diplomatic sources" in Seoul, said Han Song-Ryol, deputy North Korean ambassador to the United Nations, invited Richardson in May to discuss issues including the sinking of a South Korean warship.

South Korea`s foreign ministry declined comment.

But spokesman Kim Young-Sun called for caution over any such visit while countermeasures are being discussed for the sinking. "We understand the US government shares the same position," he said.

Tensions have risen since South Korea and the United tates, citing the findings of a multinational investigation, accused the North of torpedoing a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, near the tense sea border in March.

The North denies involvement and says a UN Security Council statement on July 9 -- which condemned the attack without specifying the culprit -- vindicated it.

After the UN statement it reiterated conditional willingness to return to stalled six-party nuclear disarmament talks.

"I`m aware that the North Korean side told Richardson it is willing to consider expressing regrets or making an ameliorating statement about the Cheonan incident if he visits Pyongyang," the JoongAng Daily quoted one source as saying.

"The North Korean government is seeking a chance to turn around the situation through Richardson since it`s been driven into a corner after the Cheonan attack."

The paper quoted the source as saying the communist state`s tactics resemble its handling of the case of two detained US journalists. They were freed last August after former US President Bill Clinton visited Pyongyang.

The source said Richardson had told the White House he strongly wants to visit Pyongyang, but South Korea believed this was premature until the North admits involvement in the sinking.

Since the UN statement, the source said, "the Obama government is now taking a forward-looking position and it recently informed the South Korean government that `It`s hard to continuously block Richardson`s Pyongyang visit`."

The last US official to visit Pyongyang was Stephen Bosworth, special representative for North Korea policy, who went there last December.

Richardson has visited Pyongyang numerous times. In 1996 he negotiated the release of an American who swam across a border river and was jailed for spying.

In 2007 he discussed the repatriation of the remains of US soldiers who fought in the Korean War.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279527333/us-may-send-envoy-richardson-to-pyongyang

ASEAN foreign ministers to convene 43rd meeting

2010-07-17T06:59:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - ASEAN foreign ministers are to meet for the 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) in Hanoi, from July 19 to 23, according to Jakarta-based ASEAN Secretariat.

With the focus of the world on East Asia, the AMM and related meetings with ASEAN`s Dialogue Partners represented a testimony to the central role played by the region in the regional architecture, Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr Surin Pitsuwan said as quoted on the Secretariat` website.

Dr Surin also said that the meetings demonstrated Vietnam`s steering role as the Chair of ASEAN in the region`s ongoing efforts in integration and in making ASEAN more recognised internationally.

The series of meetings will also see the convening of the Post Ministerial Conferences, where the ASEAN Ministers meet their counterparts from ASEAN Dialogue Partners, and the 17th ASEAN Regional Forum.

Discussions on ASEAN community building, the regional architecture and the implementation of the ASEAN Charter are all expected to feature on the agenda of the AMM on 19-20 July, the ASEAN Secretariat said on its website.

The five-year Work Plan of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) is also expected to be approved.

At the PMCs, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers will meet their counterparts from the Plus Three Countries (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea), in addition to Australia, Canada, the European Union, India, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.

Among other topics, they will be discussing dialogue partnership commemorative
Summits in the coming two years.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279372282/asean-foreign-ministers-to-convene-43rd-meeting

First car bomb hits police in Mexican murder capital

2010-07-17T06:58:00.000+07:00

Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (ANTARA News/AFP) - Suspected drug gang members who attacked a police convoy this week used a mobile phone-triggered car bomb packed with C4 explosives, the army said Friday, confirming the first such strike in Ciudad Juarez.

The attack left four people dead: two policemen, a paramedic and a doctor, according to General Eduardo Zarate, commander of the Fifth Military Zone.

Zarate confirmed Thursday`s attack was the first car bombing in Ciudad Juarez, known as Mexico`s murder capital for the deadly rivalry between the Juarez and Sinaloa drug cartels. It sits across El Paso, Texas, and is a major drug-trafficking crossroads.

"Residue from 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of an explosive known as C4 and the remnants of a mobile telephone device were found," he told reporters.

The general also said it was the first car bombing in Mexico directed at the police force.

Despite the high-profile bombing, Attorney General Arturo Chavez insisted Mexico`s drug cartels were not involved in terrorism.

"We don`t have any evidence in the country of narcoterrorism as it has occurred in other countries," he told reporters, adding that the objective of the car bombing was "not to destabilize the state but to frighten society."

Zarate said police were investigating how the explosive-packed car was able to ram a convoy of three police vehicles, but that evidence on hand indicated the bomb was triggered with a call from a mobile phone.

He also said two police officers and a paramedic were killed in the initial car bombing, which set all the vehicles on fire and also damaged nearby buildings.

When rescue crews arrived on scene, a second explosion killed a doctor, he added without clarifying whether the second blast was intentional or accidental.

The city`s public security ministry said the attack was retaliation for the capture of Jesus Armando Acosta, a leader of La Linea gang, the armed wing of the city`s notorious Juarez cartel.

Acosta allegedly had taken part "in at least 25 executions of Sinaloa cartel members," the ministry said in a statement.

Ciudad Juarez is at the heart of Mexico`s drug violence, which has sharply increased since President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown on organized crime after taking office at the end of 2006, setting off new turf wars.

Police have reported more than 1,500 murders in Ciudad Juarez since January 1.

More than 7,000 people have died across Mexico in drug-related attacks this year alone, and almost 25,000 have died in the past three and a half years, according to official figures released by the attorney general`s office on Friday.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279341411/first-car-bomb-hits-police-in-mexican-murder-capital

A top celebrity detained over sex tape video

2010-07-15T18:46:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian famous actress Luna Maya was arrested in the National Police Headquarters here Wednesday evening for being considered not cooperative in the porn video case.

"The Police have detained Luna because she is considered not cooperative," Senior Commissioner Marwoto Soeto, a police spokesman, said here Thursday.

She was detained at the Police Headquarters` Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) jail on Wednesday (July 14) at around 10 pm local time.

"Luna is arrested because she is strongly suspected being involved in the making of porn video recordings with Ariel," Marwoto Seoto said.

The police earlier named actresses Luna Maya and Cut Tari suspects in the sensational porn video case.

"Luna and Cut Tari have been named suspects but we think there is no need to detain them," Bareskrim Chief General Commissioner Ito Sumardi said recently (July 9).

The two women are suspected of having involvement in the making of sex videos with popular Peterpan pop band vocalist Nasril Irham alias Ariel.

The police had earlier named Ariel a suspect and have held him at the Bareskrim jail since June 22, 2010.

Cut Tari and Luna Maya on Thursday (July 8) offered apologies to the public but this did not change their status as suspects in the case.

The police had also carried out a scientific crime investigation on the three celebrities in which their physical characteristics were compared with those of the actors in the porn video scenes.

The circulation of the video clips via the internet and individual cellphone cameras among the public created a national uproar as the actors looked like Ariel, Luna Mata and Cut Tari.

Last June, the National Police`s chief detective, Commissioner General Ito Sumardi, said the police had asked Luna and Ariel about the process of the filming and why the video could spread. But Ito did not explain who had made the film and uploaded it on the internet, and for what purpose.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279180273/a-top-celebrity-detained-over-sex-tape-video

Police guard bus shelters to anticipate sexual harassment

2010-07-15T18:45:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Metro Jaya Police has mobilized its personnel to guard a number of busway shelters to anticipate sexual harassment against female passengers.

"The Metro Jaya Police personnel were spread to crowded bus-way shelters to anticipate such cases," Metro Jaya Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar said here on Thursday.

He said bus-way shelters guarded by the police are located along the the corridor I, II, and III.

But he added that bus-way management company Transjakarta planned to place police personnel at every bus-way corridor.

Boy said he would also coordinate with Jakarta Transportation Office and Civil Service Police Unit to do so.

He said Metro Jaya Police has also asked Transjakarta to place hidden camera at every bus-way shelter to monitor the passengers` misbehavior.

"It is necessary to place hidden camera at every bus-way shelter
as an evidence to simplify legal process against the perpetrators of sexual harassment," Boy said.

The idea to have the bus-way shelters guarded by the police came up following a sexual harassment perpetrated by a man identified by his initial as NA to a college female student identified as TS when she traveled by a bus-way on Tuesday, July 13, 2010.

Earlier on July 5, 2010 similar incident also happened to a woman identified as DN as she was traveling on a bus-way from Kota to Pulogadung. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279177909/police-guard-bus-shelters-to-anticipate-sexual-harassment

Menlu: Pusat Pencari Suaka Masih Harus Dibicarakan

2010-07-15T18:43:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Menteri Luar Negeri RI Marty Natalegawa mengatakan bahwa masih terlalu dini untuk berkomentar mengenai pusat pencari suaka regional dan masih membutuhkan pembicaraan lebih lanjut.

"Pembicaraan masih perlu dilanjutkan karena kami tidak terfokus dengan pusat pencari suaka regional saja, tetapi kami memiliki pandangan yang lebih luas, yaitu pandangan dalam kerangka kerja regional (regional framework)," kata Menlu RI bersama Menteri Luar Negeri dan Perdagangan Australia Stephen Smith setelah pertemuan bilateral kedua menteri di Jakarta, Kamis.

Marty Natalegawa menyampaikan kedua negara mencoba untuk membangun kerangka kerja regional, termasuk pendekatan regional dalam menangani masalah penyeludupan manusia dan perdagangan manusia.

"Alasan kami membangun pusat pencari suaka regional untuk mengurangi insentif atau dorongan untuk melakukan penyeludupan manusia dan perdagangan manusia," kata Menludag Australia Stephen Smith dalam kunjungan yang keenam kalinya ke Indonesia.

Ia menyatakan penting untuk membangun pusat pencari suaka regional, namun masih belum memiliki kesepakatan antara negara transit dan negara tujuan.

"Kebijakan in tidak akan berjalan tanpa dukungan dari kawasan, atau dukungan dari UNHCR," tegasnya.

Ia pun setuju dengan Marty, menyatakan bahwa pembicaraan masih berada pada tahap awal dan akan dibahas lebih mendalam pada minggu-minggu mendatang.

Dalam kabinet pemerintah PM Julia Gillard, Stephen Smith menjabat dua kementerian, kementerian luar negeri dan perdagangan, dan kunjungan kali ini merupakan pertama kalinya saat menjabat sebagai menteri perdagangan.

Kunjungan Menlu Australia kali ini memiliki jadwal yang penuh, antara lain menghadiri peresmian sekolah Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negeri, di Balaraja, Banten, Kamis pagi, kemudian pertemuan bilateral dengan Menlu RI, lalu setelah makan siang di Kementerian Luar Negeri, Stephen melanjutkan pertemuan bilateral dengan Menteri Perdagangan RI Mari Elka Pangestu.

Diskusi dengan Menlu Marty Natalegawa berkisar masalah transnasional, seperti penyeludupan manusia dan perdagangan manusia, masalah ekstradisi, masalah perlindungan konsuler dan masalah pencemaran minyak, yaitu masalah tumpahan minyak dari kilang minyak Montara milik Australia hingga Celah Timor di selatan laut Indonesia.

Stephen Smith, yang tiba pada Rabu malam, dijadwalkan kembali ke negaranya malam ini.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1279189110/menlu-pusat-pencari-suaka-masih-harus-dibicarakan

President: RI`s last three elections quite democratic

2010-07-13T15:53:00.002+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s last three general elections -- in 1999, 2004, and 2009 -- did reflect universal democracy values, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Tuesday.

Speaking at the opening of the 7th Conference of Asian Constitutional Court Judges at the State Palace, the President said Indonesia would continue to improve the quality of its elections by learning from other countries` experience.

He told the congress` participants from 26 countries, Indonesia adhered not only to the values of universal democracy but also to its own local values.

For a general election to produce a democratic life and legal supremacy, the head of state said, there should be an election law and clear rules of the game.

He added a permanent election law to protect the basic rights of the people should also be publicized widely in order to be understood by all people in the country.

The conference from July 12-15, 2010 is a forum for the participants to exchange experience and information on the handling of constitutional cases or the best state practices in the respective countries.

The conference is participated in not only by representatives from Asia but also from other countries. This year`s event discusses the development of election laws.

During the conference, leaders of Constitutional Courts from seven countries in Asia would form an association which aims to promote human rights protection, democracy, implementation of laws, constitutional court`s independence and also exchange of information among the members.

The Conference of Asian Constitutional Court Judges was first held in Jakarta in September 2003, and held once a year afterward.

Later the conference was held in Bangkok, Thailand in 2004, then in Jiaanbatar, Mongolia, and the fourth was held in Manila in 2006, and in Seoul, South Korea in 2007, and again in Jiaanbatar in 2009.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279006481/president-ris-last-three-elections-quite-democratic

Police still looking for French tourist lost in Aceh mountain

2010-07-13T15:52:00.000+07:00

Takengon, Aceh province (ANTARA News) - Police is still looking for French tourist Guery Laurent (37) who may have been lost in Mount Ujen, Aceh Tengah district, several days ago.

Central Chief Police Chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Edwin Rahmat Adikusumo, said here on Tuesday 30 police personnel, a group of emergency rescue team and several local people had been on the search of the French tourist near mount Ujen area. However, they could yet find Laurent yet.

Laurent went into the mount Ujen forest accompanied by two guides Joko and M Gade. However, after two days Joko lost track of Laurent. Joko finally managed to get out of the forest but he was very exhausted and sick.

"Now Joko has recovered and willing to help the rescuers to search for Laurent," Edwin said.

"He never reported himself to the local authorities," Edwin said adding that the police knew Laurent`s identity from a passport he left at his hotel in Takengon.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1279001684/police-still-looking-for-french-tourist-lost-in-aceh-mountain

Batik, Media Tradisional untuk Pesan Global

2010-07-10T08:36:00.004+07:00

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Batik bisa menjadi media yang menyuarakan gagasan maupun ajakan untuk mencintai lingkungan, kata pelukis Bagus "Gonk" Prabowo ketika menggelar pameran karyanya berupa batik kontemporer bertajuk "Respect to the Earth", di Yogyakarta, akhir pekan ini.

"Sejak dulu batik dibuat dengan motif-motif yang penuh makna. Misalnya batik kawung bercorak gabah dan intan melambangkan status sosial pemakainya. Sedangkan dalam pameran ini, motif batik yang saya lukis menyuarakan ajakan menghormati alam," katanya.

Ia mengatakan ide pameran ini didasari keinginan menyuarakan pesan untuk mencintai alam dengan menggunakan media tradisional.

"Saat ini ajakan mencintai alam sudah menjadi isu global, dan melalui pameran itu, saya ingin menyuarakan isu global tersebut melalui media yang mewakili tradisi Jawa yaitu batik," katanya.

Bagus menilai kepopuleran batik saat ini mengandung sebuah ironi. Batik yang sedang populer itu kebanyakan batik cap maupun batik cetak yang hanya mengandalkan nilai artistik, tanpa menyuarakan suatu gagasan. "Oleh karena itu, saya ingin menyuarakannya lagi," katanya.

Pada pameran batik kontemporer yang digelar di Via Via Traveller Cafe Yogyakarta ini, ia ingin menjaring wisatawan terutama wisatawan mancanegara. "Saya sengaja memilih tempat ini, karena selalu ramai dikunjungi wisatawan asing," katanya.

Melalui pameran itu, dirinya juga bermaksud memperkenalkan batik kontemporer kepada para wisatawan mancanegara.

Sebanyak 25 karya dipajang pada pameran yang berlangsung satu bulan yaitu dari 4 Juli sampai 4 Agustus 2010 itu.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1278713856/batik-media-tradisional-untuk-pesan-global

President hopes RI can help restore glory of Islam

2010-07-10T08:36:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed hope that Indonesia can be in the vanguard of the restoration of the glory of Islamic civilization.

Speaking at a function to commemorate "Isra Mi`raj- 1431-H" (one of Almighty God`s commandments to the Prophet Muhammad) here on Friday evening, the President said Indonesia as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world should be able to contribute to the restoration of the glory of Islamic civilization such as existed in the 14th century.

"Other Muslim countries in the world also hope our country will become a leader in the development of Islamic civilazation in the 21st century," the president said.

Yudhoyono said the Islamic civilazation is actually part of the pinnacle of human civilazation that can walk hand in hand peacefully with other peoples` civilizations.
"We should play an active role and act to contribute to the development of the Islamic world. In addition, Indonesian Muslims as well as their fellow Muslims in other countries should actively contribute to the development of science and world civilization," he said.

The head of state said further that Islamic teaching also carry values and behavior-oriented culture, having creative and innovative outlooks which later can spawn an advanced and knowledgeable society.

"We should inherit the noble values and culture of Islamic civilization," the president said.

In the meantime, the rector of the Islamic higher learning institute "Universitas Islam Negeri Malik Maulana Ibrahim Malang", Imam Suprayogo, in his speech at the function stressed the importance of integrating science and religious teachings in a bid to build smart human beings with strong personalities.

According to him, the integration of science and religious teachings was the only way to eradicate the diseases of corruption, collusion and nepotism. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278702917/president-hopes-ri-can-help-restore-glory-of-islam

FAO provides access to statistical data free

2010-07-10T08:34:00.000+07:00

London (ANTARA News) - The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) provides free statistical data by way of FAO Statistical Batabase to evey interested person, while in the past a person could have access to data by way of the FAO Statistical Database which could be obtained free for certain and limited data.

Agriculture Attache at the Indonesian embassy in Rome Erizal Sodikin told Antara`s London correspondent Friday that the information was obtained from FAO saying that FOASTATE can now be accessed.

He said FAOSTAT is the most complete statistical database in the world when it comes to food, agriculture, animal husbandry, forestry and fisheries.

In the meantime, Asistant to the FAO Director General Hafez Ghanem, in charge of Social and Economic Development, said freedom in access to statistical data of the FAO is very important as an instrument in overcoming poverty, promoting sustainable development, and overcoming hunger.

Ghanem hoped economic experts, planners, and policy makers throughout the world will be using the available data well.

In the meantime, Director of the Statistic Division of FAO Pietro Gennari said FAOSTAT is a very handy and useful instrument to see where hunder takes place, understanding hunger, and what is needed to overcome hunger.

FAOSTAT also contains data on agricultural and food production, the use of fertilizers and pesticides, shipping food aid, forestry and food production, irrigation and the use of water, the use of land, world population trends, trading of agricultural products, use of agricultural machinery (agricultural mechanisation) and others.

FAOSTAT provides data in three languages, namely English, French, and Spanish, in the form of tables, graphics, and can be obtained in Excel program format.

It is easily accessed by entering the keyford of FAOSTAT, and those trying to make the access will enter their website, and can choose the access of their choice, Dr. Erizal Sodikin said. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278702814/fao-provides-access-to-statistical-data-free

No need for President himself to clarify attorney`s status

2010-07-09T08:32:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono does not need personally to clarify the legitimacy of Hedarman Supandji`s position as Attorney General, presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said here on Friday.

He said Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi`s recent statement affirming the legitimacy of Hendarman`s status as Attorney General was enough to represent the government`s official stance on the issue.

"It has already been clarified by the minister/state secretary. The explanation is the government`s official stance. So the minister/state secretary`s statement is the government`s response. There is nothing wrong with it and therefore there is no need for the President to give an explanation," he said.

Julian said the President had asked for clarification about the case to the minister/state secretary and he had been given an explaination like what he had told to the mass media.

"So indeed there are view differences. The President certainly is aware of it," he said.

He said the President had only asked for the clarification of the attorney general`s status recently being questioned by former justice minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who had been named suspect in a corruption case.

About Yusril`s legal case, he said, the President did not say anything because he did not wish to interfere in it.

"The President` stance in relation with the law enforcement issue is obvious that it must be dealt with immediately, transparently, measuredly, with credibility, fairly and proportionately," he said.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278690331/no-need-for-president-himself-to-clarify-attorneys-status

Quake hits Lampung

2010-07-09T08:31:00.001+07:00

Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA News) - An earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale shook Lampung province on Friday but there was no immediate report of casualties or material damage.

The epicenter of the quake which struck at 05.13 p.m. was in the sea 47 km southwest of Kalianda, South Lampung, at a depth of 10 km, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said in its website on Friday.

The quake was not significant enough to trigger a tsunami, it said(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278687836/quake-hits-lampung

Britain to hand control of violent Afghan area to US: report

2010-07-07T08:29:00.000+07:00

London (ANTARA News/AFP) - British troops are to withdraw from one of the deadliest areas of southern Afghanistan where its forces have suffered heavy casualties, and hand control to the United States, reports said Wednesday.

British servicemen will be pulled out of Sangin district in the north of Helmand province, the Guardian newspaper and the BBC reported. US forces, who now outnumber British troops in Helmand, will then be put in charge.

Of 312 British service personnel to have died in Afghanistan since operations began there in 2001, around a third were killed in Sangin.

The area is particularly dangerous because it contains a patchwork of rival tribes and is a major centre for the country`s opium-growing trade.

British Defence Secretary Liam Fox was expected to announce later Wednesday that the country`s forces will refocus their efforts on Helmand`s central belt, leaving the north and south to the US, said the reports.

It is understood the withdrawal of British troops, which number about 1,000 in Sangin, will not begin for several months.

The decision followed Britain handing over command in Helmand to an American general last month.

It also came as President Barack Obama`s troop surge pumps greater numbers of US forces into Helmand -- there are now some 20,000 American marines in the province.

Britain`s Ministry of Defence refused to confirm the reports. A spokesman said: "Any changes to force lay down affecting UK personnel will be announced in the usual way."

While policymakers will strive to present the changes as simply a reorganisation of international forces in the province, observers voiced fears the move could be seen as a retreat and used as propaganda by the Taliban.

"People will assume... that this is preparing the ground for the eventual withdrawal in 2015 and it is bound, of course, to be interpreted in that way by the Taliban," said former Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell.

He added that people would think back to events in Basra, Iraq, "where the moving of British troops was somehow presented as if they had created some kind of retreat."

Britain has 8,000 servicemen in Helmand province, the lion`s share of the their 9,500 forces in Afghanistan, which are part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

Britain is the second largest contributor of forces to the Afghan war effort after the US.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278482270/britain-to-hand-control-of-violent-afghan-area-to-us-report

Australian defence minister to quit cabinet after polls

2010-07-07T08:25:00.000+07:00

Sydney (ANTARA News/AFP) - Australia`s Defence Minister John Faulkner on Wednesday said he would quit the cabinet after coming elections, but denied his decision was prompted by last month`s abrupt change of prime minister.

Faulkner, a Labor Party heavyweight and a known ally of ousted leader Kevin Rudd, said he had always intended to step down after the government`s first term to encourage younger talent.

"Inevitably some will suggest that the recent change in our party`s leadership is responsible for my decision," he told reporters. "I can`t say strongly enough that any such speculation is just plain wrong."

Faulkner said new Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who deposed Rudd in a shock party coup, had persuaded him to contest his Senate seat in a bid to remain in parliament.
"Julia Gillard has my absolute support," he said.

"I was unstinting in my efforts to see Kevin Rudd elected prime minister three years ago and no one will work harder than me for the government`s re-election under Julia`s leadership."

Rudd made Faulkner defence minister in June last year after Joel Fitzgibbon stepped down.

Faulkner was famously caught unawares during last month`s rapid leadership challenge when he admitted knowing nothing about the drama unfolding behind the scenes in Canberra.

"It might be on the ABC news, but it`s also news to me," Faulkner said during a TV interview in the midst of the coup.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278481735/australian-defence-minister-to-quit-cabinet-after-polls

Turkey to cut ties unless Israel apologises over Gaza raid

2010-07-05T08:24:00.000+07:00

Ankara (ANTARA News/AFP) - Turkey will sever diplomatic ties with Israel unless it apologises over the commando raid on an aid convoy to Gaza in which nine Turks died, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying Monday.

"Relations will be broken" unless Israel apologises or accepts the conclusions of an international inquiry into the May 31 attack on the aid convoy bound for Gaza, he told Monday`s edition of the Hurriyet newspaper.

Turkey has until now called for an international probe into the raid but in a break with that position, Davutoglu did not reject the creation of Israel`s own commission to investigate the raid.

"If this commission concludes that the raid was unjust and if they apologise, that will be sufficient," he said, although he insisted that Turkey wanted compensation from the Jewish state.

The foreign minister also said that Turkey had closed its airspace to all Israeli military flights in reaction to the raid.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278322435/turkey-to-cut-ties-unless-israel-apologises-over-gaza-raid

First activist murdered under new Phillipine leader

2010-07-05T08:23:00.001+07:00

Manila (ANTARA News/AFP) - Gunmen killed an activist in the Philippines on Monday, police said, the first suspected politically motivated murder under the watch of President Benigno Aquino`s new government.

Village council member Fernando Baldomero, an area coordinator for the leftist Bayan Muna (Nation First) group was shot in the head and neck as he was taking his children to school in the central island of Panay, police added.

"He is the first activist killed in five days into the new Aquino administration," Bayan Muna said in a statement.

The militant group held the military responsible for the murder, linking it to the killings of other leftists in recent years.

"Mr Aquino must send a clear message to state security forces that these killings have to end and perpetrators will be prosecuted, heads must roll in the armed forces," Bayan Muna said.

Last week, Aquino`s newly-appointed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima vowed to put an end to the extra-judicial killings that have been widely criticised by other governments and human rights groups.

Local rights group Karapatan has said over 900 activists who were critical of government, including students and labour leaders, have been killed in the past nine years.

The assassinations are normally carried out by gunmen on motorcycles.

In its annual report on human rights worldwide in March, the US State Department cited such killings in the Philippines during the tenure of then-president Gloria Arroyo.
It mentioned "arbitrary, unlawful, and extrajudicial killings by elements of the security services and political killings, including killings of journalists, by a variety of actors".

In 2007, the UN`s special rapporteur on extra-judicial killings, Philip Alston, and a Philippine government fact finding mission blamed the military for many of the extra-judicial killings. The military has consistently denied the accusations.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278321442/first-activist-murdered-under-new-phillipine-leader

Wiranto against giving TNI voting right

2010-07-04T10:37:00.002+07:00

Banda Aceh (ANTARA News) - Former National Defense Forces (TNI) commander Wiranto said the time had not yet come for the military to exercise its voting right because Indonesian politics still lacked "stability."

"The TNI now had better focus on their national defense tasks and not be swayed by the discourse (to allow them to vote)," he said here Saturday (July 3).

Wiranto, a retired four-star general who is now chairman of the People`s Conscience (Hanura) Party, said if the idea to let TNI members exercise their voting right was pushed through, "more bad than good things will result."

He said, having spent most of his lifetime in the military, he had a good knowledge of what the TNI needed and he could therefore say the voting right was certainly not an urgent TNI need.

"Indonesian politics now have yet to reach a sufficient degree of stability because most of the country`s politicians are still immature in their thinking as evident from the fact that many of them can still not accept differences of opinion," he said.

"Political differences easily lead to enmities. In such a situation, what is going to happen if the TNI again gets involved in politics. There will then be reason to fear we may become so fragmented as to threaten national unity and integrity," he said.

Wiranto deplored the fact that many quarters had issued statements encouraging the TNI to reenter practical politics by launching the discourse to give servicemen the right to vote in general elections.

Politicians and TNI leaders should stop recklessly encouraging the defense forces to get involved in practical politics, he said.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278212919/wiranto-against-giving-tni-voting-right

Menbudpar Berangkatkan Kapal "Spirit of Majapahit"

2010-07-04T10:34:00.005+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Menteri Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata (Menbudpar), Jero Wacik, memberangkatkan pelayaran ekspedisi kapal "The Spirit of Majapahit" dari Marina Batavia, Jakarta Utara, Minggu.

"Pelayaran ekspedisi Kapal Spirit of Majapahit ini mencerminkan semangat kebaharian bangsa Indonesia yang terus menggelora. Semangat bahari ini menjadi karakter bangsa Indonesia," kata Jero Wacik.

Kapal "Spirit of Majapahit" itu merupakan hasil rekontruksi (replika) kapal dagang pada zaman Majapahit yang disadur dari relief yang ada di Candi Borobudur.

Kapal itu selanjutnya akan melakukan ekspedisi ke 8 negara, yakni Brunei Darussalam, Filipina, Jepang, Cina, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapura, dan Malaysia.

Rekontruksi Kapal "Spirit of Majapahit" abad ke-13 M itu merupakan hasil rekomendasi dari seminar Mencari Bentuk Kapal Majapahit yang digelar komunitas Japan Majapahit Association (JPA), kelompok pengusaha di Jepang yang peduli terhadap sejarah dan kebudayaan Kekaisaran Majapahit, di Tokyo pada Maret 2009 maupun Lokakarya di Jakarta pada Juni 2009.

Komunitas JPA merupakan wadah untuk mengembangkan kerjasama dalam bentuk penelitian dan menggali lebih mendalam lagi sejarah Majapahit untuk dikagumi bangsa Indonesia maupun masyarakat internasional.

Menbudpar Jero Wacik mengharapkan ekspedisi Kapal Spririt of Majapahit dapat menggugah semangat anak bangsa untuk mengapresiasi spirit Majapahit yang telah diwariskan nenek moyang bangsa Indonesia dengan meninggalkan segala kebesaran dan kejayaannya agar dapat dinikmati, dihargai dan menjadi kebanggaan generasi muda sebagai bangsa Indonesia.

Kapal Spirit of Majapahit yang dibuat Sapardi bersama 15 perajin di Pantai Slopeng, Kecamatan Dasuk, Madura itu sangat khas karena bentuknya yang oval dengan kedua ujung melancip supaya dapat memecah ombak setinggi 5 meter.

Sebagai kapal tradisional terbesar di Indonesia dengan panjang 20 meter, lebar 4,5 meter, dan tinggi 2 meter, Spirit of Majapahit ini dibuat dari 28,63 kubik kayu jati tua dan kering dari Kabupaten Tuban dan Rembang dan bambu petung dan kayu pereng di daerah Sumenep.

Kapal itu memiliki dua kemudi dari kayu di buritan dan cadik pada kedua sisi yang berfungsi sebagai penyeimbang.

Layar dipasangkan pada tiang-tiang membentuk segitiga sama sisi dan buritan atau belakang kapal lebih tinggi dari haluan depan. Kapal juga dilengkapi fasilitas navigasi modern seperti GPS, Nav-Tex, dan Marine Radar.

Kapal "Spirit of Majapahit" dinakodai dua perwira Mayor (Laut) Eko Deni Hartono dan Risky Prayudi dengan kru tiga warga negara Jepang di antaranya Yoshiyuki Yamamoto dari JPA sebagai pimpinan ekspedisi, pemuda-pemudi Indonesia dari berbagai disiplin ilmu, serta lima anak buah kapal dari suku Bajo di Pulau Sapeken, Sumenep.

Rencananya setibanya kembali di Indonesia, Kapal "Spirit of Majapahit" akan menjadi koleksi museum dan obyek wisata.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1278212159/menbudpar-berangkatkan-kapal-spirit-of-majapahit

Australian ship transits In Kendari

2010-07-03T07:04:00.000+07:00

Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - Australian naval ship "Leeuwin" made a transit at the Kendari port in Southeast Sulawesi for six days.

The ship`s commander,Philip Hiaty, flanked by the chief of the naval base in Kendari, Col Yuwono, said to newsmen here on Friday their arrival in Kendari was for recreation and a rest after sailing from Papua New Guinea.

"However we will also use the opportunity to develop friendly relations and cooperation with the Indonesian navy especially the naval base in Kendari," he said.

He said he had chosen Kendari to berth because of the culture of the region which is still original as well as various tourist objects in the region.

"I wish to thank the people of Southeast Sulawesi and Kendari in particular for their hospitality in receiving us," he said.

Philip said the Leeuwin, manned by 65 crew, is a military ship. However the 10-year old ship is not a combat ship but an oceanographic or research ship belonging to the Australian Navy. Therefore it carries no military equipment, he said.

"Although this was the first for us (the crew)to be in Kendari this ship had ever made a transit here several years ago while on the same journey," he said.

Col Yuwono meanwhile said he had made welcoming preparations for the ship before.

"We led it when it entered the Kendari Bay which is narrow and winding so that no obstacles were met," he said.

According to plan the ship weighing 2,250 tons would leave for Australia on July 6.
One of the tourist objects to be visited by the crew is the Moramo waterfall.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1278082855/australian-ship-transits-in-kendari

Pensiunan Pamen Polri Tersangka Pembalakan Liar

2010-07-03T07:03:00.000+07:00

Makassar (ANTARA News) - AKBP (PURN) PL (60) menjadi tersangka dalam pembalakan liar (illegal logging) kayu hitam (eboni) atau sebanyak delapan kubik kayu ilegal setelah Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BBKSDA) melakukan penyidikan terhadapnya.

Kepala Seksi Perlindungan Pengawetan dan Perpetakan Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam (BBKSDA) Sulawesi Selatan, Faat Rudianto, di Makassar, Sabtu, membenarkan penetapan tersangka pembalakan liar itu.

"Sebelumnya kami sudah pernah memeriksanya sebagai saksi dalam kepemilikan kayu hitam itu dan kini dia sudah ditetapkan menjadi tersangka," katanya.

PL yang menjadi tenaga pendidik (gadik) di Sekolah Kepolisian Negara (SPN) Batua Makassar ditetapkan sebagai tersangka karena kepemilikan kayu ilegal sebanyak 238 batang kayu hitam (eboni) atau sebanyak delapan kubik kayu ilegal.

Selain PL yang dijadikan tersangka, pihaknya juga telah menetapkan Bah (30) sebagai tersangka. Bah sendiri tertangkap tangan saat mengangkut kayu ilegal itu dari daerah Malili, Luwu Timur (Lutim) Sulsel pada akhir Juni 2010.

Sebelumnya, ia mengaku jika penangkapan yang dilakukannya itu berdasarkan adanya informasi dari masyarakat dan Satuan Polisi Hutan Reaksi Cepat (SPORC) Brigade Anoa. Informasi mengenai adanya aktivitas bongkar muat ilegal itu kemudian ditindak lanjuti.

Hasilnya, BBKSDA berhasil mengamankan kayu yang masuk dalam hutan Konservasi dan Hutan Lindung. Dengan adanya aktivitas bongkar muat kayu ilegal itu, negara telah dirugikan sekitar Rp200 juta.

Menurutnya, kayu jenis olahan itu tidak mempunyai Surat Keterangan Sahnya Hasil Hutan (SKSHH) dan Faktur Angkutan Kayu Olahan (FAKO).

"Lantaran jenisnya kayu hitam dan hanya ada di hutan Konservasi dan Hutan Lindung makanya kami langsung mengamankannya," katanya.

Kayu yang bisa ditebang dan bisa memiliki izin, lanjutnya, hanyalah kayu yang diambil dari hutan produksi. Kayu hitam ini berasal dari daerah Malili, Kabupaten Luwu Timur, dengan tujuan Makassar untuk diolah menjadi meubel.

Karena tidak mengantongi dokumen kayu hitam, pelaku terancam dijerat dengan pasal 50 ayat 3 (h) dengan ancaman lima tahun penjara serta denda Rp1 miliar Undang Undang Nomor 41 Tahun 1999 tentang Kehutanan.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1278101539/pensiunan-pamen-polri-tersangka-pembalakan-liar

Malaysian deputy PM to give general lecture

2010-06-29T07:04:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Dato Haji Muhyiddin Haji Mohd Yassin will be delivering a general lecture at Universitas Indonesia on Tuesday.

Universitas Indonesia`s Communications Office chief Wishnu Juwono in his invitations said in Jakarta Monday that the general lecture will be themed "Enhancing Social Responsibility in Asia".

The program will be attended by Universitas Indonesia Rector Muhammad Anis, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Dato Syed Munsshe Afdzaruddin Hassan and 300 participants.

"The 300 participants are a combination of students, public institutions, academicians, social workers and activists," Vishnu said.

The general lecture initiated by the UI Student Executive Council is expected to bolster mutual understanding between the two countries in facing the dynamics of social and economics between the two countries in Southeast Asia and in Asia in general.

Not only that, the program was also aimed at generalizing views and perceptions between the two countries on global issues which may affect the condition of the countries in Southeast Asia and Asia in some time to come.

He said the activity will also encourage cooperation between the younger generation of the two countries, intellectuals, cultured people, and social workers of the two countries in many humanitarian projects.

Tan Sri Dato in his two-day visit to Indonesia had paid a courtesy clal on Vice President Boediono to discuss many things relating to the relations between the two countries.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1277761421/malaysian-deputy-pm-to-give-general-lecture

RI still has potential to attract investors

2010-06-29T07:02:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia still has a good chance of attracting foreign investors as world trade has been improving.

Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) for investment, transportation, information and telecommunication Chris Kanter said in Jakarta Monday that actually Indonesia has some special features which attracted foreign investors.

"World trade would soon be restored, and the Asian region may rise quicker, and Indonesia will have the positive utility of economic restoration. In the restoration process and afterward Indonesia would become increasingly interesting to foreign investors," he said.

He said that some of the pluses Indonesia has include in attracting foreign investment include the large population, the readily available work force and productivity would could still be further raised, the availability raw materials, political stability and the still wide space for market mechanism application.

Besides, he added, costs not having directly to do with economic activities have been increasing, in other words a good corporate governance is already in existence.

Direct foreign investment to the developing countries especially to Indonesia, he said, may be restored in the 2010-2014 period.

However, in the competition of direct foreign investment, Chris Kanter said, the developing countries need to be improve themselves.

In the meantime, the independent commissioner of PT Indosat Tbk also suggested to strengthen the domestic market, produce a conducive climate for investment and improve infrastructure to reduce fixed production cost.

To boost domestic investment, Chris reminded the government to give concrete support.

Several stimuli like tax and custom duty reforms, policy and implementation synchronization, and improvements in manpower and infrastructure sector, are all considered the `sugar` which the government needs to provide. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1277761344/ri-still-has-potential-to-attract-investors

Dolar Menguat

2010-06-29T07:01:00.002+07:00

London (ANTARA News) - Dolar AS menguat pada Senin, karena data pengeluaran konsumen Amerika Serikat yang keluar lebih kuat dari yang diperkirakan. Di sisi lain, pasar mata uang tetap waspada untuk tanda-tanda kambuh ke resesi, kata analis seperti dilaporkan AFP.

Euro merosot ke 1,2333 dolar dari 1,2381 dolar akhir perdagangan di New York pada Jumat. Terhadap mata uang Jepang, dolar sedikit berubah di 89,24 yen dari 89,23 yen pada Jumat.

Dolar terangkat setelah laporan pemerintah Amerika mengatakan pengeluaran konsumen Amerika sedikit naik pada Mei. Pertumbuhan pendapatan melambat dan tabungan meningkat sehingga memberikan kesan konsumen tetap berhati-hati di tengah tingginya pengangguran.

Departemen Perdagangan mengatakan pengeluaran konsumen naik 0,2 persen setelah flat pada April, sedikit lebih baik daripada peningkatan 0,1 persen yang diperkirakan oleh sebagian besar analis.

"Namun, tingkat tabungan pribadi naik menjadi empat persen, yang tertinggi sejak September tahun lalu menyatakan bahwa konsumen terus hati-hati," kata analis Michael Hewson dari CMC Markets.

Dengan pasar pada prospek untuk tanda-tanda jatuh kembali ke resesi, dia memperkirakan bahwa laporan-laporan data ekonomi akan mendorong pasar mata uang selama dalam seminggu "dengan fokus utama mungkin pada laporan pekerjaan AS Jumat ini."

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1277761751/dolar-menguat

Harga Minyak Merosot

2010-06-29T07:01:00.001+07:00

New York (ANTARA News) - Harga minyak jatuh pada Senin, karena badai tropis Alex tampaknya tidak menuju arah anjungan-anjungan di Teluk Meksiko. Hal ini mengurangi kekhawatiran pasokan.

Seperti dilaporkan AFP, kontrak berjangka utama New York, minyak mentah light sweet untuk pengiriman Agustus, ditutup di 78,25 dolar per barel, turun 61 sen dari Jumat.

Minyak mentah Brent North Sea di London untuk pengiriman Agustus turun 53 sen menjadi mantap pada 77,59 dolar.

Pasar terus mengawasi ketat pada Alex, badai besar pertama musim angin topan Atlantik.

"Badai tropis Alex kemungkinan besar tidak akan menjadi masalah bagi BP karena jalurnya jauh di selatan zona tumpahan minyak. Sekarang kita hanya berharap bahwa badai lain tidak berkembang," kata Phil Flynn dari PFG Best.

Dengan produksi rata-rata sebesar 1,7 juta barel minyak mentah per hari, Teluk Meksiko mencatat lebih dari 30 persen dari produksi minyak di Amerika Serikat, negara konsumen energi terbesar dunia.

Harga minyak melonjak minggu lalu karena pasar mengkhawatirkan potensi dampak Alex pada pasokan energi global dan operasi bencana yang terlibat dalam tumpahan minyak besar BP yang mendorong kontrak New York 2,35 dolar lebih tinggi pada Jumat.

"Harga naik dengan mantap pada akhir minggu setelah Alex, badai pertama musim 2010, berhembus," kata analis Christophe Barret dari Credit Agricole CIB.

"Sementara dampak badai tampak terbatas, badai bertindak sebagai pengingat potensi gangguan parah untuk musim angin topan mendatang."

Perusahaan minyak Shell dan ExxonMobil mengatakan pada Senin mereka telah mengevakuasi staf dari anjungan lepas pantai mereka di Teluk sebagai tindakan pencegahan.

Shell telah mengevakuasi 700 orang, hampir separuh dari staf yang bekerja pada anjungan di daerah tersebut, sementara ExxonMobil memindahkan personil yang tidak penting.

Chevron mengatakan tengah memantau situasi dan menekankan produksi tidak terpengaruh.

Menurut pihak otoritas cuaca AS, Alex diperkirakan dapat berkembang menjadi badai pada Selasa.

Harga minyak juga ditekan oleh kenaikan dolar terhadap euro, kata Jason Schenker dari Prestige Economic.

Unit AS yang lebih kuat membuat minyak yang dihargakan dalam dolar lebih mahal untuk pembeli yang menggunakan mata uang bersama oleh 16 negara Eropa.

Kepala Organisasi Negara Pengekspor Minyak (OPEC), Sekretaris Jenderal Abdalla Salem El-Badri, mengatakan selama akhir pekan bahwa harga minyak "nyaman" dan kartel tidak punya rencana untuk mengubah strategi produksinya.

Pada Senin kepala OPEC mendesak Amerika Serikat untuk mempertimbangkan kembali larangan pengeboran laut dalam segera setelah bencana tumpahan minyak di Teluk Meksiko.

"Kita tidak harus benar-benar melarang hal itu dan kita seharusnya tidak melompat ke kesimpulan tanpa studi serius," kata Sekjen OPEC Abdullah al-Badri setelah pertemuan dengan kepala energi Uni Eropa di Brussels.

Dia mengatakan, bisnis minyak memeriksa kembali metodenya setelah ledakan 20 April di rig yang disewa BP di lepas pantai Louisiana membunuh 11 pekerja, dan menyebabkan tumpahan minyak terburuk dalam sejarah Amerika.

BP mematok biaya tumpah kepada perusahaan tersebut hingga Senin pada 2,65 miliar dolar.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1277759818/harga-minyak-merosot

Kyrgyz unrest "systematic, well organised": HRW

2010-06-27T07:33:00.002+07:00

Bishkek (ANTARA News/AFP) - The deadly inter-ethnic violence in Kyrgyzstan this month was systematic and well-organised, Human Rights Watch said Saturday, urging an international inquiry into the unrest.

The New York-based watchdog also warned that the government`s decision to proceed with a referendum on a new constitution on Sunday risks sparking a resurgence of the violence between majority Kyrgyz and minority Uzbeks.

"Human Rights Watch research suggests that the violence, particularly the attacks on Uzbek neighborhoods, was systematic and, at least in some cases, well-organised," the group said.

It said that Uzbeks were accusing government forces of participating in the attacks on their neighbourhoods, recounting how armoured personnel carriers had been used to remove barricades in front of their neighbourhoods.

Local law enforcement officials had admitted that APCs had been used in the attacks but claimed however that the mobs had stolen weapons and military vehicles from nearby military bases, Human Rights Watch said.

HRW said it could not conclude whether Kyrgyz security forces were directly involved in the attacks based on the information collected so far but said the issue should be a key part of the investigation.

"There needs to be an international investigation to establish what happened, determine who was responsible, and ensure this kind of violence never happens again," said Ole Solvang, emergencies researcher at HRW.

The statement detailed how five days of violence erupted on June 10 when hundreds of Uzbeks gathered near a dormitory in the centre of the southern city of Osh.

"The Uzbek crowd torched several buildings, including a casino, and set fire to several cars.

"Violence escalated when rumours spread that people in the Uzbek crowd had raped a Kyrgyz girl in the dormitory, a rumour that turned out to be false," HRW said.

It warned that the government`s decision to proceed with the referendum and return tens of thousands of displaced people and refugees to "almost uninhabitable areas" threatens to make the situation "even more volatile".

"The interim government has not announced how it will ensure that refugees and individuals who lost their identification documents in the violence will be able to vote, raising concerns that the referendum will provoke new violence."

At least 264 people were killed in the clashes, according to the health ministry. But officials have admitted that many killed were not registered and have said the real death toll was probably much higher. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1277598409/kyrgyz-unrest-systematic-well-organised-hrw

Satu Rumah Rusak Akibat Gempa Tasikmalaya

2010-06-27T07:30:00.002+07:00

Tasikmalaya (ANTARA News) - Satu rumah rusak akibat gempa berkekuatan 6,3 skala Richter yang mengguncang wilayah Kabupaten Tasikmalaya, Jawa Barat, Sabtu pukul 16.50 WIB.

Petugas Radio Komuniasi Daerah Kabupaten Tasikmalaya Kamal mengatakan laporan mengenai kerusakan akibat gempa itu hingga pukul 22.00 WIB baru satu rumah.

"Belum ada laporan lagi, baru satu rumah yang dilaporkan rusak," katanya.

Rumah yang rusak tersebut milik keluarga Jajang (40) warga Kampung Pataruman RT 10 RW 02, Desa Parungponteng, Kecamatan Parungponteng, Kabupaten Tasikmalaya.

Kerusakan rumah itu di bagian atap teras berukuran 6x9 meter ambruk. Tidak ada korban jiwa dalam kejadian ini.

Sementara itu, di Kecamatan Cipatujah yakni kawasan pantai Tasikmalaya bagian selatan beberapa rumah dilaporkan dindingnya mengalami retak akibat gempa tersebut.

"Selain itu, beberapa genteng rumah warga di Kecamatan Cipatujah berjatuhan saat gempa mengguncang kawasan setempat," kata Camat Cipatujah Nazmudin Aziz.

Menurut dia, belum ada laporan yang rinci mengenai jumlah rumah warga di Kecamatan Cipatujah yang mengalami kerusakan.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1277569713/satu-rumah-rusak-akibat-gempa-tasikmalaya

Warga Malaysia: Tirulah RI Hormat Bendera

2010-06-27T07:25:00.003+07:00

VIVAnews - Seorang warga Malaysia mengaku iri ketika pergi ke Bandung Jawa Barat. Dia melihat bagaimana orang Indonesia dengan hormat memperlakukan benderanya, Sang Saka Merah Putih.

Dalam laman New Straits Times, 24 Juni 2010, Norman Fernandez menuliskan curahan hatinya yang berjudul, 'Perlakukan Bendera Kita Lebih Baik'.

"Baru-baru ini aku mengunjungi Bandung, Indonesia. Di sana aku mengamati penjaga keamanan di hotel yang kutinggali, mengibarkan bendera Indonesia pagi gari,

Saat matahari terbenam, penjaga itu menurunkan benderanya -- tak membiarkan bendera itu menyentuh tanah, lalu melipatnya dan menyerahkannya ke resepsionis. Hal itu juga kerap dilakukan di gedung-gedung pemerintah.

Aku juga diberi tahun, bahwa anak sekolah di Indonesia diajarkan tak hanya soal arti dari warna bendera -- merah dan putih, tapi juga sejarahnya, protokol dan etika mengibarkan bendera.

Selama lima hari aku di Bandung, aku tak pernah melihat bendera Indonesia compang-camping dan pudar warnanya.

Di sini, di Malaysia, pernahkan Anda melihat petugas keamanan di gedung-gedung pemerintah mengibarkan bendera 'Jalur Gemilang' atau bendera negara bagian?

Jika lain kali Anda ke Johor Bahru, lihatlah bendera Malaysia dan bendera Johor Bahru yang pudar berkibar di tiang bendera.

Aku juga sering melihat anak-anak berpakaian dengan motif bendera, 'Jalur Gemilang' yang dibuat dari potongan bendera Malaysia. Atau penyanyi baru, Sudirman Arshad yang memakai baju seperti itu. Dapatkan kita menjahit bendera dan dijadikan baju?

Minggu lalu aku berkendara dari Johor Bahru ke Kulai. Saat melewati gedung-gedung pemerintah, aku melihat bendera yang compang-camping dan kotor.

Yang paling hina, menurutku, ada yang memakai bendera Johor untuk membungkus pepaya di pohon.

Untuk mengibarkan bendera, baik 'Jalur Gemilang' maupun bendera Johor, misalnya, sudah ada aturannya. Namun tak ada yang mengindahkannya.

Sudah saatnya pemerintah mendidik masyarakat soal etika dan protokol memperlakukan bendera, termasuk pada bendera yang telah usang.

Seorang teman pernah bercerita, dia membakar benddera yang Malaysia yang telah usang dan menaburkan abunya di Laut Lido. Apakah 'kremasi' adalah cara yang benar?

Hanya tinggal dua bulan lagi kita merayakan kemerdekaan, saatnya untuk memperlakukan bendera kita dengan baik. Ganti bendera yang usang itu dengan yang baru dan gagah."

Source : http://id.news.yahoo.com/viva/20100625/tpl-warga-malaysia-tirulah-ri-hormat-ben-fa55e98.html

Timor Sea oil spill forcing NTT fishermen to migrate

2010-06-24T07:16:00.000+07:00

Kupang (ANTARA News) - Thousands of fishermen in Kupang`s Oesapa area are preparing to migrate to Bangka Belitung in Sumatra to find a new livelihood, a fishermen spokeman said.

They will migrate because their fish catches from the Timor Sea have declined drastically since the waters were polluted by an oil spill originating in Australian territory.

"Since the Timor Sea was polluted by an oil spill from a blowout in the Montara oil field on August 21, 2009, local fishermen`s fish catches have dwindled drastically. Now they are thinking of migrating to Bangka Belitung to build a new life," H Mustafa, chairman of the East Nusatenggara (NTT)`s Timor Sea Traditional Fishermen`s Alliance (Antralamor), told the press here Wednesday.

Some 3,500 fishermen grouped in Antralamor whose livelihoods had traditionally depended on fish from the Timor Sea had been affected by the oil spill following an explosion at an oil rig of PTTEP Australasia in the Montara oil field in the West Atlas Block in the Timor Sea, he said.

The fishermen had also pulled back most of the fish traps they had set in the sea along the Kupang coast because the contraptions no longer yielded the usual quantities of fish.

Meanwhile, an edible fat and oil biochemist at Nusa Cendana University (Undana), Dr Felix Rebhung, said the apparent pollution of the Timor Sea had forced deep sea fish in the waters to migrate to other waters.

"Deep-sea fishes are very sensitive to the conditions of their environment. If their environment or habitat is damaged or polluted, they will leave, and try to find a more friendly environment," he said."So, the fishermen`s complaint about minimal fish catches is quite logical," he added.

Rebhung who teaches at Undana`s faculty of agriculture said if a sea was contaminated by oil, oil condensate or lead, it would take many years for its ecology to return to normal.

Ferdi Tanoni, a local observer of Timor Sea affairs, said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should address the Timor Sea pollution problem with the same care and firmness as US President Barack Obama had shown toward the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from a British Petroleum (BP) rig.

"If Barack Obama demanded 20 billion US dollars in damages from BP, the operator of the Monatara oil field should pay about 15 billion US dollars to compensate the losses of fishermen in the western part of East Nusatenggara and the islands of Rote, Sabu and Sumba," he said.

Tanoni also urged the Australian government led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to disclose as soon as possible the results of its investigation into the Montara oil spill disaster.

The oil spill had caused thousands of fishermen and seeweed breeders in the western part of NTT to lose their source of living, making it "a humanitarian tragedy of huge proportions," Tanoni said. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1277325220/timor-sea-oil-spill-forcing-ntt-fishermen-to-migrate

Police chief assures anti-terror police capture Sonata

2010-06-24T07:14:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesian Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri ascertained that the Special Detachment-88 anti-terror police had arrested terror suspect Abdullah Sonata.

"Yes he is Abdullah Sonata," said Bambang Hendarso Danuri said here on Wednesday.

Besides Abdullah Sonata, the Detachment-88 anti-terror team of the Police Headquarters also arrested two other suspected terrorists, Agus and Sogir, while one other suspect was shot to death.

The Police chief said one police officer of the Densus-88 anti-terror squad was shot in the chest when the suspects were raided.

"God willing (the victim) is now in medical treatment," Bambang said.

Previously, the Densus-88 anti-terror team raided suspected terrorists in the Cungkrungan hamlet, Belang Wetan village, North Klaten sub-district, Klaten Regency, Central Java, on Wednesday night.

The suspected terrorist who was killed in the raid was Yuli Darsono.

Local resident Dwi Putranto said the alleged victim named Yuli had stayed in a rented room owned by Sukimin over the past four days.

Dwi, who is also a village security officer, said Yuli had a small body posture and rarely got out of his rented room. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1277325121/police-chief-assures-anti-terror-police-capture-sonata

Semua Cagub/cawagub Siap Mundur Jika Saat Memimpin Korup

2010-06-24T07:13:00.000+07:00

Padang (ANTARA News) - Lima atau semua calon gubernur/wakil gubernur (cagub/cawagub) yang akan bertarung dalam Pilkada Sumatera Barat (Sumbar) menyatakan siap mengundurkan diri dari jabatannya jika saat memimpin terbukti melakukan tindak pidana korupsi.

Pernyataan itu disampaikan lima cagub/cawagub dalam debat terbuka digelar KPU Sumbar dengan panelis Prof Dr Saldi Isra dan Prof Dr Eko Prasojo di Padang, Rabu malam.

Lima pasangan cagub/cawagub itu adalah, Ediwarman-Husni Hadi dicalonkan 24 partai kecil tergabung dalam Koalisi Partai Maju Bersama, Marlis Rahman-Aristo Munandar dicalonkan Partai Golkar, Fauzi Bahar-Yohannes Dahlan diusung koalisi Partai Amanat Nasional dengan Partai Persatuan Pembangunan.

Selanjutnya, pasangan Endang Irzal-Asrul Syukur dicalonkan Partai Demokrat didukung Partai Gerindra dan pasangan Irwan Prayitno-Muslim Kasim yang didaftarkan Koalisi PKS dan Hanura.

Dalam sambutannya dalam debat tersebut, ke lima pasangan menyatakan siap menghadapi apapun kemungkinan, jika dipercaya memimpin Sumbar lima tahun depan, termasuk meletakan jabatan jika terbukti secara hukum melakukan tindak pidana korupsi dan siap dihukum.

Masing-masing pasangan juga siap memberi pelayanan terbaik terhadap rakyat jika dipercaya sebagai pemimpin dengan memangkas birokrasi dan tidak akan ada nepotisme.

Dalam pernyataannya Cagub Irwan Prayitno menyimpulkan, hal penting akan dilakukannya jika terpilih adalah memberikan penjelasan pada setiap pegawai dan memberikan contoh seharusnya bertindak dan melayani masyarakat.

Sedangkan Cagub Endang Irzal mengatakan, langkah pertama dilakukannya adalah memperhatikan dan pahami kondisi birokrasi dan pegawai serta memerlukan pengawasan yang jelas, agar terhindar dari korupsi.

Cagub Fauzi Bahar menyebutkan, pelayanan publik diinginkan rakyat adalah mempercepat urusan birokrasi, termasuk dalam mendapat pendidikan, kesehatan dan kebutuhan ekonomi.

Sementara itu, Cagub Husni Hadi lebih menekankan pada kode etik PNS dan diperlukan perbaikan sistim birokrasi.

Cagub Marlis Rahman menyebutkan, pelayanan publik telah mempunyai pedomannya yang memerlukan kepastian, kepercayaan dan kesederhanaan.

Saat pembukaan debat, Ketua KPU Sumbar Marzul Veri menyebutkan, melalui debat cagub ini masyarakat dapat menentukan pilihannya, karena rakyat dapat mengetahui program dan mau dibawa kemana Sumbar ke depan jika salah salah satu calon terpilih pada Pilkada sumbar yang akan digelar 30 Juni 2010.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1277332972/semua-cagub-cawagub-siap-mundur-jika-saat-memimpin-korup

Evidence enough to name Ariel suspect: police chief

2010-06-22T20:57:00.002+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said police had collected enough evidence to name singer Muhammad Nazriel Irham alias Aril a suspect in a porn video case.

The police chief made the remarks after opening a seminar on national resilience here on Tuesday but he refused to disclose the evidence that had led police to name Ariel a suspect.

He neither mentioned the articles the police would use to charge Ariel but explained that investigators would look into the case based on the laws on anti-pornography, information and electronics transactions and public crimes.

"Investigators of course already looked into the aspects of violations and evidence (whether it was enough to name him)," the police chief said.

Earlier, police had officially named Peterpan vocalist Nazril Irham alias Ariel a suspect in a case of sex videos that circulated and caused an uproar in the public.
"Ariel has become a suspect and will be charged under the Law on Pornography," said Head of Criminal Investigation Department of of the Police Headquarters, Commissioner General Ito Sumardi said through his cellular telephone here on Tuesday.

Ito said the investigators had also detained Ariel since Tuesday at a cell of the Bareskrim.

He did not explained the chronology of naming him a suspect.
A steamy sex video involving a man looking like Ariel and a woman resembling artist Luna Maya as well as a video involving the same actor with another woman looking like artist Cut Tari, sparked uproar as they were circulated in the Internet.

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1277192862/evidence-enough-to-name-ariel-suspect-police-chief

Kadin: Penguatan Yuan Buat Daya Saing Produk

2010-06-20T20:55:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Ketua Komite Tetap Bidang UMKM (Usaha Menengah Kecil Mikro) KADIN, Sandiaga Uno, mengatakan penguatan Yuan berpotensi meningkatkan daya saing produk Indonesia.

"Mestinya bagus buat kita karena daya saing dari produk Indonesia bisa meningkat," ujarnya saat ditemui di Kantor Menko Perekonomian, Jakarta, Selasa.

Dengan adanya penguatan Yuan, katanya, berbagai produk China jadi lebih mahal, sehingga barang dan produk Indonesia dapat lebih bersaing.

Meski demikian, menurut dia, produksi ekspor Indonesia juga harus menyesuaikan karena selama ini terbebani biaya produksi yang terlalu tinggi.

"Biaya produksi yang selama ini tinggi, saya rasa harus disiasati," ujarnya.

Ia mengatakan penguatan Yuan dari segi fundamental merupakan suatu keharusan. "Dari segi fundamental, itu keniscayaan karena ekonominya kuat sekali. Jadi kita mesti sikapi kondisi itu," ujarnya.

Sebelumnya, Direktur Riset Ekonomi dan Kebijakan Moneter (DKM) Bank Indonesia, Perry Warjiyo, menilai penguatan mata uang China (Yuan) akan berdampak positif bagi perekonomian Indonesia terutama di sektor perdagangan.

"Dengan apresiasi Yuan yang lebih cepat dibanding rupiah itu tentu saja akan membuat barang China lebih mahal, sementara harga barang kita ke China lebih murah," ujarnya.

Dunia internasional terus menekan China agar merevaluasi yuan. Beijing bertahan dengan menyatakan bahwa penguatan mata uangnya tidak akan memecahkan berbagai permasalahan hilangnya pekerjaan di AS dan secara konsisten menolak tekanan terhadap masalah itu.

Seperti diketahui, Amerika Serikat dan juga beberapa negara lain menginginkan yuan direvaluasi. Menteri Keuangan Amerika Serikat, Timothy Geithner, pekan lalu mengatakan bahwa penolakan China merevaluasi mata uangnya telah menghalangi reformasi ekonomi global.

China menerapkan rezim nilai tukar mengambang terbatas mulai pertengahan 2005 dan dibekukan pada Juli 2008 pada posisi 6,83 Yuan per Dolar AS.

Tekanan internasional terhadap China semakin menguat dengan rencana dibahasnya kebijakan mata uang kontroversial China akan dibicarakan pada pertemuan puncak negara anggota Kelompok 20 (G20) di Toronto pada 26-27 Juni.(*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/berita/1277214113/kadin-penguatan-yuan-buat-daya-saing-produk

Over 100 dead or missing after heavy rains in China

2010-06-19T22:01:00.000+07:00

Shanghai (ANTARA News/Reuters) - Floods and landslides across southern China have killed at least 69 people and left 44 missing in a week, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

Torrential downpours triggered flash floods, inundated crops, disrupted traffic and telecommunications across southern China, forcing the evacuation of 493,000 people, it said.

Worst hit were the provinces of Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan and Guizhou, and the Guangxi autonomous region. The economic damage was put at 6.5 billion yuan ($952 million.

Only a few months ago, parts of the southwest were suffering from the worst drought in a century.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276949484/over-100-dead-or-missing-after-heavy-rains-in-china

Helicopter crash kills 2 in Argentina

2010-06-19T22:00:00.000+07:00

Buenos Aires (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Two people were killed on Friday when a helicopter of the Argentine TV channel C5N crashed in the capital city.

According to the C5N, the helicopter went down at 9:45 a.m. (1245 GMT) in the Vicente Lopez district of Buenos Aires, killing cameraman Fernando Gonzalez and pilot Enrique Miguel Villa on board.

The cameraman was filming a car accident at the time, which occurred early morning in the Sol Highway.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276918269/helicopter-crash-kills-2-in-argentina

Pengelola Bandara Juanda Pasrah Atas Bangunan Cito

2010-06-19T21:57:00.000+07:00

Surabaya (ANTARA News) - PT Angkasa Pura I selaku pengelola Bandar Udara (Bandara) Juanda hanya bisa pasrah terkait ketinggian bangunan mal "City of Tomorrow" (Cito) di Bundaran Waru, perbatasan Surabaya-Sidoarjo Jawa Timur.

"Kalau memang sudah ada izinnya, kami hanya bisa pasrah," kata General Manager PT Angkasa Pura I, Trikora Harjo, di Surabaya, Sabtu.

Ia hanya menyampaikan keluhan para pilot terkait gedung yang memiliki ketinggian 115 meter itu. "Tugas kami hanya menyampaikan keluhan para pilot kepada masyarakat," katanya.

Kalau ternyata Pemerintah Provinsi Jawa Timur telah mengeluarkan izin pembangunan gedung itu beberapa tahun lalu, maka Trikora mengaku tidak bisa berbuat banyak.

Sebelumnya, PT Angkasa Pura I mempersoalkan bangunan mal Cito. Keberadaan bangunan yang berjarak sekitar 8 kilometer dari Bandara Juanda itu dianggap mengganggu aktivitas penerbangan pesawat udara.

Sesuai peraturan, bangunan yang berdiri di dalam radius 15 kilometer dari bandara itu harus dengan ketinggian maksimal tidak boleh melebihi 90 meter, sedangkan mal Cito berketinggian 115 meter.

Komisi A DPRD Jatim mendukung protes Angkasa Pura karena berpotensi mengganggu kawasan keselamatan operasi penerbangan (KKOP), terutama bagi pesawat dari luar Pulau Jawa yang hendak mendarat di Bandara Juanda.

Di hadapan pimpinan dan anggota Komisi A, manajemen Cito menunjukkan izin pembangunan yang dikeluarkan Dinas Perhubungan dan Lalu Lintas Angkutan Jalan Jatim.

Surat izin itu ditandatangani Wakil Kepala Dishub LLAJ Jatim, Edy P. Sagala.

Sementara itu, pengamat transportasi dari Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya, Haryo Sulistyarso, menganggap, protes Angkasa Pura sudah basi.

Dia justru mempertanyakan mengapa baru dipersoalkan saat ini ketika bangunan mal tersebut sudah difungsikan.

"Mengapa protes tidak disampaikan sejak dari dulu, sebelum bangunan itu berdiri," katanya.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1276958400/pengelola-bandara-juanda-pasrah-atas-bangunan-cito

Taiwan targeting 30 percent Oof Indonesia`s computer market

2010-06-17T22:36:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Director of Taiwanese Trade Center Jakarta James Chen said his side had targeted to control 30 percent of Indonesia`s personal computer and notebook market share this year.

"I hope the market share of our production in Indonesia would reach 30 percent. I am convinced about that because three of our trademarks are included in the highest sale list," he said here on Thursday.

Taiwan`s notebook computer with trademark Acer topped the sale list in Indonesia.

Other Taiwanese products that have been well known in Indonesia include the trademarks Asus and BenQ.

Data in 2009 show that the sales of personal computer with trademark Acer reached 25 percent and notebooks 38 percent.

Chief of the Marketing Communication Department of PT Acer Indonesia Helmy Anam said that last year his company`s sales grew 60.9 percent if compared with that a year earlier.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276785792/taiwan-targeting-30-percent-oof-indonesias-computer-market

Penyelidikan Video Porno Dilimpahkan ke Mabes Polri

2010-06-17T22:34:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Kepolisian Daerah Metro Jakarta Raya melimpahkan seluruh proses penyelidikan kasus video porno mirip selebritis kepada Badan Reserse Kriminal Markas Besar Kepolisian Republik Indonesia.

"Penyelidikan video porno sudah dilimpahkan ke Mabes Polri semuanya, termasuk pelaku penyebarannya," kata Kepala Bidang Humas Polda Metro Jaya, Komisaris Besar Polisi Boy Rafli Amar di Jakarta, Kamis.

Boy mengatakan Polda Metro Jaya tetap menginstruksikan anggotanya merazia video porno termasuk rekaman asusila yang diduga mirip selebritis Indonesia.

Boy menuturkan Bareskrim Mabes Polri dan Polda Metro Jaya secara bersamaan menyelidiki peredaran video porno yang diduga melibatkan artis dan penyanyi terkenal ibukota.

Boy menyatakan Bareskrim Mabes Polri berwenang menangani kasus peredaran video asusila karena terdapat Unit Kejahatan Dunia Maya (Cyber Crime) pada Direktorat I Keamanan Trans Nasional.

Polda Metro Jaya awalnya menangani kasus peredaran video porno itu karena Ketua Lembaga Sosial Masyarakat Hukum Jamin Rakyat, Farhat Abbas melaporkan Luna Maya dan Nazril Irham alias Ariel terkait peredaran video asusila ke Sentra Pelayanan Kepolisian (SPK) Polda Metro Jaya, Senin (7/6).

Video adegan asusila itu terdiri dari dua bagian, yakni berdurasi sekitar 6 menit 49 detik dan 2 menit 30 detik.

Kemudian tidak lama berselang, video serupa yang diduga dilakukan Ariel dan pembawa acara, Cut Tari berdurasi sekitar 8 menit 45 detik beredar luas di masyarakat. (*)Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1276787906/penyelidikan-video-porno-dilimpahkan-ke-mabes-polri

UN development chief says Myanmar, Thailand face challenges

2010-06-16T18:19:00.000+07:00

Hanoi (ANTARA News/AFP) - Myanmar faces a tough task to eradicate extreme poverty and meet other global development goals, while political instability is holding back Thailand`s progress, the UN development chief says.

In an interview with AFP, Helen Clark also said Vietnam had "a pretty good story to tell" about its efforts to achieve the so-called Millennium Development Goals, but faces a major challenge from climate change and rising sea levels.

Clark said military-ruled Myanmar, with "huge poverty", will find it difficult to meet any of the eight development goals by the 2015 global target.

"It would be tough," Clark, administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said Tuesday on the sidelines of a conference.

The former New Zealand prime minister said Myanmar has the lowest foreign aid per capita of any developing country, and "political factors" restrict what the UNDP can do in Myanmar, "so it`s not so easy to make progress there at this time."

Myanmar, which has detained democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi for most of the past two decades, is under European Union and United States sanctions.

Neighbouring Thailand has made reasonable progress in tackling poverty, Clark said, but further development is being hindered by political tensions.

Outbreaks of violence in Bangkok during two months of anti-government protests from March until May killed 90 people, wounded nearly 1,900, and left the country deeply divided.

"Clearly, instability holds back a country`s development progress, and you end up punching below your weight when you could be punching to, or above, your weight," she said.

The unrest followed more than three years of political instability after the army seized power from then-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 bloodless coup.

"Things haven`t been stable since and I think what`s really needed is a national dialogue on how to move to elections which are seen as free and fair and people will accept the result," said Clark, who assumed her post in April last year.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called a September summit in New York to accelerate efforts toward reaching the 2015 development goals deadline.

Clark said Vietnam will be able to report good progress towards the goals of eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, and reducing child and maternal mortality.

The country has work to do to combat HIV/AIDS and add to the existing progress on access to water and basic sanitation, she said, while the environmental cost of old-style industrialisation also needs to be addressed.

But fast-growing Vietnam, which this year is set to attain "middle-income" status, faces a "huge challenge" from climate change, Clark said.

"And I believe that the government is acutely aware of this, aware now that Vietnam is one of the most exposed countries in the world to rising sea levels, intensity and frequency... of adverse weather events like typhoons," she said.

Vietnam is planning for a one-metre (3.3 feet) rise in sea levels by 2100, which would inundate about 31,000 square kilometres (12,400 square miles) of land -- an area about the size of Belgium -- unless dykes and drainage systems are strengthened, a UN discussion paper said in December.

It said the inundation threat is greatest in the Mekong Delta, the country`s main rice production area. Vietnam is the world`s second-biggest rice exporter.

If that land becomes unusable there are "serious implications" for the region, Clark said.

She spoke on the sidelines of a conference to review a pilot programme that aims to improve the coherence and effectiveness of UN assistance. Vietnam and Pakistan are among eight countries worldwide participating in the pilot which,the UN says, has hastened achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276684081/un-development-chief-says-myanmar-thailand-face-challenges

Ministry called on to increase its budget absorption capacity

2010-06-16T18:18:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - House Commission IV on maritime affairs called on the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) to increase its absorption capacity for the 2010 budget.

The appeal was made by Commission IV of the House of Representatives (DPR) during its hearing with the KKP on Tuesday.

Previously, the KKP secretary general, Syamsul Ma`arif said that the KKP`s absorption of its 2009 budget was 90.38 percent of its total budget of Rp3.548 trillion.

He said that the total budget realized up to December 2009 was Rp3.207 trillion, with the number working units reaching 423.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276675026/ministry-called-on-to-increase-its-budget-absorption-capacity

Thai pm says ready to dissolve house if all conditions met

2010-06-14T11:55:00.001+07:00

Bangkok (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Saturday told foreign media he was ready to dissolve the House of Representatives and hold a new general election if all conditions are met under the reconciliation roadmap he offered, the Thai News Agency (TNA) reported.

Abhisit offered a five-point reconciliation roadmap to resolve the country`s political crisis on May 3, promising to hold a new general election on Nov. 14 if conditions are met.

Abhisit also briefed foreign envoys and representatives of international organizations based in Thailand on the recent cricis.

"I think, the foreign envoys have understood the Thai government`s clarification during the briefing," Abhisit said after meeting with the foreign envoys and representatives of international organizations.

Abhisit said actually all foreign countries have wished to have good trade and investment relations. Hence, they have shared a view that "stability is important since it is the key to support the trades and investments," Abhisit said.

In a bid to boost the international confidence, during the briefing, Abhisit focused on three main points: measures in dealing with the recent anti-government rally, urgent steps after the end of the rally, and rehabilitation and reconciliation.

The government followed international standard in dealing with the violent movement of the anti-government protestors, with the total attempts to avoid losses and damage, Abhisit said.

Prior to the security operations to disperse the protestors, peace talks were already attempted by the Thai government, but these failed since the anti-government core leaders refused the talks, Abhisit said.

The death toll from a series of violent clashes between the protestors and troops from March 12 to May 19 reached 88 as some 1,885 others were wounded. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275252258/thai-pm-says-ready-to-dissolve-house-if-all-conditions-met

Tiny Japan party bolts pm`s coalition before poll

2010-06-14T11:54:00.000+07:00

Tokyo (ANTARA News/Reuters) - Japan`s tiny Social Democratic Party (SDP) decided on Sunday to leave the ruling coalition ahead of an election, as unpopular Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama faced calls to step down over broken campaign promises.

The departure of the SDP is a blow to Hatoyama, already seen by voters as a weak leader, damaging his Democratic Party`s chances of winning a majority in an upper house election expected in July, which it needs to pass bills smoothly.

It does not force the Democrats out of power since they
boast a massive majority in parliament`s more powerful lower house, but may distract from the government`s struggle to rein in debt while nurturing a fragile economic recovery.

"We decided to leave the coalition," SDP leader Mizuho
Fukushima told a news conference after regional party
executives met in a Tokyo hotel, adding that the reason was Hatoyama`s decision to abandon a pledge over a U.S. base.

"As the Social Democratic Party, we want to keep the
promises we make to the people."

On Friday, Hatoyama dismissed Fukushima from her cabinet post after she refused to sign off on a U.S.-Japan deal to move a U.S. Marine base on the southern island of Okinawa from a city centre to a less populous area.

But he urged her to keep her party in the ruling coalition.
Hatoyama had raised hopes of Okinawa residents during his successful election campaign last year that the Futenma base could be moved off the island.

Coalition and opposition parties called for Hatoyama to
resign for failing to keep his promise on Futenma or to meet a self-imposed, end-of-May deadline for finding a solution acceptable to all the parties.

PM vows to stay in place

He said on Saturday he would stay on. Some in his own party think he should step down, but time is short for replacing him ahead of the upper house poll, expected on July 11.

Hatoyama`s government is seen to have wobbled on a range of promises, from cash allowances for parents of young children to abolishing highway tolls, depressing voter support to just over 19 percent in a poll published by Kyodo news agency on Sunday.

"The prime minister said he was putting his job on the
line, so naturally, he should resign," said Yoshihisa Inoue, secretary-general of the opposition New Komeito party.

"I think that Futenma symbolises the problem with the
nature of the Hatoyama cabinet and politics, that they easily break promises with the people and apologise but take no responsibility."

Fukushima said there was no possibility of returning to the coalition, even if Hatoyama were to step down, because that would not change the U.S.-Japan agreement on moving the Futenma base.

But the SDP might continue to cooperate with the Democrats in the election campaign in some local areas, she added.

Some analysts say Hatoyama will in any case likely cling to his job until a party leadership election in September.

"I think Hatoyama will stay until September," said Gerry
Curtis, a professor at Columbia University. "They`re not going to do well in the election, but it is not clear how badly they are going to do," he said.

Much would depend, he said, on how many disillusioned
independent voters stayed at home on polling day.

"I think a lot of people may come out to vote to express
their disgust with the party." (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275251948/tiny-japan-party-bolts-pms-coalition-before-poll

Quake Hits Ternate

2010-06-13T21:07:00.000+07:00

Bandarlampung, Lampung (ANTARA News) - A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck the waters off the North Maluku provincial capital Ternate on Sunday morning but there was no immediate report of casualaties or material damage.

The quake was centered seven kilometers west of Ternate at a depth of 90 km, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) said in its website.
The temblor was not strong enough to cause a tsunami, it said.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276412379/quake-hits-ternate

World Bank provides PLN with us$750 million

2010-06-12T09:04:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The World Bank has approved a new investment of US$750 million for Indonesia to help increase the government`s and state power company PLN`s programs in the manpower and training sector, and regional administration investment programs.

World Bank country director for Indonesia Joachim Von Amsberg said in Jakarta that in the manpower sector, a US$30 million Additional Funding had been agreed to support efforts of bolstering PLN`s management by way of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

"In the present global economic era full of uncertainties, new investments are proof of self-confidence of and support to Indonesia. We are very proud to support the investment programs of the Indonesian government and PLN," he said.

PLN`s finance director Setio Anggoro Dewo said the ERP is an integrated information technological system which could help improve and increase the management of PLN`s human, material, and financial resources.

"The approved projects are to expand the ERP system to Sumatera and Sulawesi following the successful application in Jawa and Bali, which has raised managerial capabilities with the availability of accurate financial information enabling us to make decisions based on more accurate information," he said.

He also said that in the education sector, an additional funding of US$500 million has been approved to help fund and apply BOS-KITA (school operational assistance, improved knowledge for transparency and accountability) designed to bolster school-based management and public participation which would improve expenditures on education in Indonesia.

BOS-KITA is a program based on the success of the government`s BOS-program of raising the quality of education for children aged 7 to 15. The new loan brings the total World Bank funding for BOS-KITA to US$1.1 billion.

He said the latest was a new loan of US$220 million to increase regional administration accountability in the use of special allocation funds (DAK), which in 2010 reached Rp21.13 billion or 2.0 pct of the state budget. This project will receive back the current DAK grant for infrastructure projects based on the concrete results from the participating regional administrations which had been reported and verified.

The financial and development supervisory body (BPKP) verifies the development results. "A total of 81 regional administrations met the coditions to take part in this project," he said.(*)

Source: http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276303477/world-bank-provides-pln-with-us750-million

Kupang fishermen`s fleet to greet sea expedition from Britain

2010-06-12T09:03:00.001+07:00

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - Four westerners making a round-the-world boat journey in the Falisker Bounty Boat Expedition from Britain will be welcomed by hundreds of local fishermen`s boats on their approach to Kupang, a provincial tourism official said.

The foursome left Britain last April 28 on a voyage taking the same route as the 18th century British seafarer Captain Bligh did 221 years ago, Ubaldus Gogi, head of promotions at the East Nusatenggara (NTT) culture and tourism office, said here Friday.

He said the boat carrying the four men from Britain and Australia was now in waters south of Papua and expected to head to Kupang from the Tablolong coast next June 17 or 18.

If the expedition team was to approach Kupang from the south, the local fishermen would be directed to sail to the Tablolong coast to greet it there, and then escort it to Kupang`s Teddys beach, Gogi said.

The NTT tourism office had decided to give the special welcome as a gesture of respect for the team`s preparedness to make the long journey to Kupang where Captain Bligh once stayed, he said.

Bligh`s exploits were the subject of three Hollywood films, one of which was titled "The Bounty" with Mel Gibson acting as the British seafarer.

In the film, Kupang was repeatedly described as a land abounding in milk and honey, thus making Kupang favorably known to the world.

Gogi said 221 years ago Captain Bligh embarked on a journey from Britain to America and Australia. But on its way from America to Australia his ship was hit by a storm near Tahiti where he was forced to throw anchor to repair damage suffered by his vessel.

When, after a period of time, the repairs were completed, and Bligh ordered the resumption of the journey, many of the crew did not want to leave because they had become attached to the Tahitians. Bligh , however, forced them to board the ship and say goodbye to Tahiti. The crew continued to resent having to leave Tahiti and when the ship had reached the Tonga islands, their objection culminated in mutiny, The mutineers were able to overpower Bligh and a few crew members who had remained loyak to him , and eventually decided to get rid of them.

Bligh and 11 of his supporters were lowered on to the sea in a small boat and left to their own resources. It was then that Bligh told the others in the boat "Let us head to Kupang where there is plenty of milk and honey" and they eventually did reach Kupang although a few of them died on the way.

One of Bligh`s assistants who died, a sailor named Alphons, was buried in Kupang. One of the things the Felisker Bounty Boat Expedition members plan to do in Kupang is trying to find Alphons`s grave, Gogi said. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276302861/kupang-fishermens-fleet-to-greet-sea-expedition-from-britain

BI: 2010 inflation to reach about 5 pct

2010-06-12T09:01:00.000+07:00

Surabaya, E Java (ANTARA News) - A central bank official has predicted the on-year inflation rate is likely to match the bank`s forecast of 5, plus and minus 1, percent in 2010.

"The inflation rate forecast of 5 percent already includes the planned electricity tariff hike," Perry Warjiyo, Bank Indonesia (BI)`s director of economic research and monetary policies, said at a seminar on the latest economic developments here on Friday.

He said the inflation target for 2010 remained unchanged despite inflationary pressure in May caused by non-fundamental factors including volatile prices in the food sector.

"The inflationary pressure at the start of this year was caused by the rising prices of rice and in May by the rising prices of food seasonings such as red chili, and garlic," he said.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) said early this month the on-month inflation rate in May reached 0.29 percent, bringing year-on-year inflation rate to 4.16 percent.

"One of the factors pushing up the May inflation was the rising price of garlic. Much of national needs for garlic is supplied by China. Because of tight import policy the price of garlic rose, thereby affecting the inflation," he said.

Given the slight inflationary pressure, the on-year inflation would match the bank`s forecast of 5, plus and minus 1, percent, he said. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276303322/bi-2010-inflation-to-reach-about-5-pct

Actors in sex videos liable to criminal prosecution: police

2010-06-12T09:00:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Deputy Head of the National Police`s Public Relations Division Brig. Gen. Zainuri Lubis said the persons appearing in the sex videos currently circulating among the public could face multiple criminal charges.

"The actors in the videos can be charged based on penal clauses in three different laws," Zanuri said at the National Police Headquarters here on Friday.

He said the relevant penal clauses were contained in Law No. 11 / 2008 on Pornography carrying a penalty of 12 years in jail, Article 27 parapgraph 1 of the Law on Information and Electronic Transactions requiring a penalty of up to six years in jail and a fine of Rp1 billion, and Article 282 on immorality in the Criminal Code.

Zaenuri said the actors in the sex videos could be charged based on those articles because they were aware their immoral acts were being recorded and because of their negligence in keeping the videos from the public.

"It is quite possible, the videos have circulated widely among the public because of their negligence," the National Police spokesman said.

He said that adults should not have committed the acts because they were clearly of immoral nature.

Zainuri said that up to now the police still had no plan to summon the artists believed to be involved in the immoral deeds.

Previously, three sex videos with actors resembling male singer NI alias A and artist LM and a duration of about two minutes and six minutes had circulated among the public.

Not long thereafter, another sex video with a duration of about eight minutes with the male actor also looking like NI alias A and the female actor resembling artist CT was also available on the internet.

In the meantime, Information and Communications (Kemenkominfo) Ministry spokesman Gatot S. Dewa Broto said his ministry and the police had already identified the person responsible for the sex videos` publication.

The person was identified at 3 pm on Thursday.

Based on the internet protocol, the address of the sex video posting was also detected. The posting was done from different locations in Indonesia and possibly by more than one person.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276264942/actors-in-sex-videos-liable-to-criminal-prosecution-police

Anggota Polri Supiori Ikut Pilkada Calon Perseorangan

2010-06-12T08:59:00.000+07:00

Biak (ANTARA News) - Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU) Kabupaten Supiori tengah melakukan verifikasi berkas pencalonan anggota Satuan Polisi Air Polres Supiori AKP Yan Piet Pariaribo sebagai calon Bupati Supriori lewat jalur perseorangan dalam pilkada 13 September 2010.

Ketua KPU Supiori Albert Rumbekwan SH di Sorindiweri, Sabtu mengakui, tim kelompok kerja pendaftaran bupati dan wakil bupati sedang melakukan verfikasi berkas pencalonan pasangan perseorangan atas nama Yan Piet Pariaribo yang berpasangan dengan Herman Swom.

"KPU Supiori sedang melakukan verifikasi berkas pencalonan bupati dan wakil bupati jalur perseorangan," ucapnya.

Ia menyebutkan bahwa berkas pencalonan itu akan diverifikasi menyangkut dukungan calon bersangkutan, apakah memenuhi syarat atau tidak ?, ungkap Ketua KPU Albert Rumbekwan menanggapi pendaftaran calon bupati dan wakil bupati dari unsur Polri.

Sementara itu Kepala Polres Supiori AKBP Bonar Sitinjak SH ketika dikonfirmasi wartawan membenarkan adanya pencalonan anggotanya pada Pilkada Supiori 13 September 2010.

"Saya sudah mendapatkan laporan dari KPU dan Panwas tentang pendaftaran anggota Polri sebagai calon bupati. Namun, sampai sekarang saya belum menerima pengajuan izin bersangkutan," ungkap Kapolres AKBP Bonar Sitinjak.

Ia mengakui, sesuai prosedur aturan perundang-undangan, setiap anggota Polri yang akan ikut dalam pertarungan politik pilkada sebelumnya harus mengajukan permintaan pengunduran diri atau pensiun.

"Siapapun mencalonkan diri sebagai kepala daerah atau wakil bupati harus dihormati termasuk anggota Polri sekalipun, hanya saja sebelum mengikuti pilkada harus mengacu kepada aturan perundang-undangan yang berlaku, sehingga tidak merugikan kelembagaan Polri di tengah masyarakat," ujarnya.

Secara terpisah, Ketua Panitia Pengawas Pilkada Supiori Demianus Wompere SE mengatakan, pihaknya sejauh ini belum mendapatkan konfirmasi tentang surat pengunduran diri personel Polres atas nama AKP Yan Piet Pariaribo.

"Berdasarkan salah satu persyaratan pendaftaran pemilihan umum kepala daerah dan wakil kepala daerah, seseorang prajurit TNI/Polri jika ikut proses demokrasi pilkada harus mengajukan pengunduran diri. Ya Panwas akan mengecek berkas pendaftaran calon perseorangan dari anggota Polri," ungkap Ketua Panwas Demianus Wompere.

Hingga Jumat siang pendaftar pasangan bupati dan wkail bupati Supiori periode 2010-2015 terdapat lima pasangan, di antaranya AKP Yan Piet Pariaribo/Herman Swom (calon perseorangan), Dra Hulda Wanggober Imbir MM/Drs Tony Manufandu MSi (PDIP/Golkar), Julianus Mnusefer SSI MAP/Theodorus Kawer MSi (Koalisi Demokrat, Pelopor, PPP, Barnas).

Selain itu pasangan Drs Hendri Jan Rumkabu/Marinus Mariar SSos MKes (koalisi PAN, PDK, Barnas dan tiga parpol gurem) serta pasangan Drs Joseph Amsamsyum/Samuel (koalisi Hanura dan sembilan partai nonparlemen).

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1276302357/anggota-polri-supiori-ikut-pilkada-calon-perseorangan

Harga Cabai Merah di Palembang Naik

2010-06-12T08:58:00.000+07:00

Palembang (ANTARA News) - Harga cabai merah besar pada sejumlah pasar tradisional di Palembang, Sabtu tercatat Rp35 ribu per kilogram, atau mengalami kenaikan cukup tajam dibanding dengan harga sebelumnya Rp25 ribu/kg.

Menurut Nyonya Aini, pedagang di Pasar Kelurahan 7 Ulu, Palembang, naiknya harga cabai merah besar tersebut karena pasokan dari daerah sentra produksi berkurang, sementara permintaan konsumen stabil.

Menurut dia, cabai merah selain pasokan berkurang yang disertai harga tebus tinggi, juga harga di pasaran tidak bisa diprediksi karena bisa saja dalam sehari terjadi perubahan tergantung dengan kondisi pasokan dengan permintaan.

Catatan harga selengkapnya sebagai berikut:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Jenis Barang : Harga Sekarang : Dua Hari Lalu

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

- cabai merah besar/kg :Rp35 ribu :Rp25 ribu

- cabai rawit :Rp30 ribu :Rp25 ribu

- kool gepeng :Rp4.000,00 :Rp4.000,00

- kentang uk sedang :Rp3.000,00 :Rp3.000,00

- wortel tp daun :Rp3.000,00 :Rp3.000,00

- daun bawang :Rp10 ribu :Rp10 ribu
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1276302104/harga-cabai-merah-di-palembang-naik

One killed in PT Medco gas pipeline blowout

2010-06-10T05:52:00.001+07:00

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - A Sembatu Jaya villager of Bulang Tengah Suku Ulu subdistrict, Musi Rawas, S Sumatra, Yudi (21) was killed in a fire blowout of a gas pipeline of milik PT Medco E&P operating in the area.

Witnesses said Wednesday the fatal accident took place on Tuesday at 3 am, at a time when some villagers tried to steal crude oil being channeled from the exploration site to the collecting point, by damaging the pipeline.

But as the line was a gas pipeline, the result was a blowout coupled with an explosion which triggered a fire killing the villager and injuring some of his friends.

In the meantime, Senior Manager of Relations of PT Medco E&P, Aditya Mandala confirmed the accident and handed over the case to the police.

"PT Medco E&P Indonesia has coordinated with the relevant local administration authorities," he said.

He has also reported the accident to the upstream oil and gas supervisory agency (BP-MIGAS) to handle the case.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276098276/one-killed-in-pt-medco-gas-pipeline-blowout

Two former Bank Century stakeholders to be tried in absentia

2010-06-10T05:51:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A Jakarta court is on Thursday (June 10) to begin the trial in absentia of two foreigners who absconded with Rp13 trillion of state-owned money when they were a commissioner and shareholder in the failed Bank Century.

Public prosecutors had completed the dossiers on former Bank Century commissioner Rivat Ali Rijvi and former shareholder Hesham Al Warouq, and submitted the documents to the Central Jakarta District Court for trial beginning on Thursday, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said here Wednesday.

The two former Bank Century stakeholders had taken the money intended to bail out troubled Bank Century with them abroad, and were until now still at large. Therefore, they would be tried in absentia, Hendarman said.

Speaking at a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)`s Team Supervising the Legal Settlement of the Bank Century Bailout Scandal here, Hendarman said, after the foreigners had fled, his office had confiscated all their remaining asssets in Indonesia.

He also said, the two foreigners had once expressed their preparedness to return the money they had taken on condition they would not be prosecuted for corruption and money laundering.

"Of course, we refused to promise not to prosecute them," he said. One of the reasons for turning down the two foreigners` proposition was the fact that their cases were already being processed for trial in court.

The only thing the two former bankers could hope, if they returned the money, was that they would be given a lighter sentence by the court, Hendarman said at the meeting which was also attended by representatives of the Corruption Eradciation Commission (KPK) and the National Police.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276097972/two-former-bank-century-stakeholders-to-be-tried-in-absentia

Talisker bounty expedition expected in Kupang

2010-06-10T05:50:00.001+07:00

Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - A team of western adventurers making the Talisker Bounty Expedition in a wooden boat is expected to arrive in Teddys Beach, Kupang, NTT Province, on June 17 or 18, according to a local official.

The boat with four people on board are currently in southern Papua and had earlier been hampered by bad weather,Ubaldus Gogi, the NTT provincial tourism office`s promotion head, said here Wednesday.

"They use satellite communication and therefore it was quite easy to contact them. They were initially expected to arrive in Kupang on June 13, but due to bad weather they are expected to arrive on June 17 or 18," he said.

The expedition team left Britain on April 28 and was expected to spend 50 days on a journey like Captain Bligh made 221 years ago.

April 28, 2010 marks the 221st anniversary of the Mutiny on the Bounty, when Fletcher Christian cast William Bligh and 18 of his men adrift in a 23-ft open boat, which marked the beginning of one of the greatest open boat voyages in maritime history.

During the following seven weeks, Bligh and his men sailed over 3,700 nautical miles, in an overloaded boat, with little food or water and no charts, from Tonga to Kupang on Timor Island.

When they arrived in Kupang, one of the crew members named Nelson died and was buried in Kupang.

On that same day, in the same place, at the same time, Australian adventurer Don McIntyre, three other British crew, namely Christopher James Wilde, David Wayne Wilkinson and David Pryce, will relive Bligh`s nightmare, by attempting to sail the same voyage under similar conditions, no charts, no toilet paper, not enough food or water, in an 18th century traditional open timber whale boat.

McIntyre is not new to adventuring, but this challenge is like nothing he has experienced before, according to information available on the expedition`s website.

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276099072/talisker-bounty-expedition-expected-in-kupang

Japan needs 117 nurses from Indonesia

2010-06-09T16:28:00.000+07:00

Bandung, West Java (ANTARA News) - Japan needs 117 nurses from Indonesia in 2010 to work in various hospitals and nursing houses in the East Asia country, an envoy said.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kajiro Shiojiri made the statement in an opening ceremony of training course for would-be nurses and caregivers, at the Indonesian Education University (UPI), in Bandung, according to an e-mailed press release from the National Agency of Indonesian Manpower Protection and Placement, here, Wednesday.

The governments of Indonesia and Japan have signed Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA), stating, among other things, that Japan needs one thousand nurses to work in the country`s hospitals and caregivers to work in nursing houses.

The Japanese ambassador said his country would need more caregivers for nursing houses than nurses for hospitals as Japan`s population of old ages is increasing in line with the improvement in the people`s live expectancy rate.

Ambassador Shiojiri said his nation would need nurses until five years to come, and the cooperation problem would be evaluated.

The government of Japan hoped that scholarship providers such as The Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS) of Japan, would help better prepare intellectual and skills of Indonesia`s would-be nurses. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1276065111/japan-needs-117-nurses-from-indonesia

Istilah / singkatan dalam dunia Maya

2010-06-09T16:19:00.002+07:00

Hi..... mungkin ini dah sering dbahas.... saya hanya mo berbagi info aja sma yg blm tau, klo ada yg pernah / punya istilah yg blm saya sebuti, sebutin aja dsini ok....

Mulai dari mana ya, dari sini aja ah....

CMIIW = Correct Me If I'm Wrong = betulkan jika aku salah

IMHO = In My Humble Opinion = Menurut Pendapat (sederhanaku)

ASAP : As Soon As Possible = secepatnya saya bisa

BTW : By The Way = ngomong ngomong iki artine sebenere apa sih

FWIW : For What It's Worth = ini agak gak ngarti

FYI : For Your Information, or For Your Interest = informasi untuk kamu

OTF : On The Floor (laughing); writing is funny = ketawa ngakak

ROTFL : Rolling On the Floor Laughing; writing is very funny = ketawa ngakak sambil guling guling dilantai aneh

OIC : Oh, I see... = oh saya tahu

RSN : Real Soon Now = secepatnya

TIA : Thanks In Advance = terimakasih sekali

OOT = Out Of Topic = keluar dari topik yg dibicarakan

kebalikan dari

ITT = In The Topic = di dalam topik bahasan

AKA = Also Known As = dikenal juga .... = yg dikenal dgn nama = alias.

EMB: Enak Murah Bergizi

EMB2: Enak Murah Bergizi Banget

SGKC= Sego Kucing.....

BCDAJ= BECANDA AJE

MG=MUKE GILE

OMG=OH MY GODS

BMO=OH MY GODS CANDA AJE MUKE GILE

TTM = Teman tapi mesra...

DB = DiBanned

CPD = CaPe Deeeeeh

ABCD=Abri Bukan Cepak Doank

AWB = Asalamualaikum Warrohmatullohi Wabarokatoh

WWW = Wasalamualaikum Warohmatullohi Wabarokatoh

LOL = Laughing Out Loud (ketawa ngakak)

SPL = Sumpe Lu

EGPC = emang gue pikirin cuih2

q/a = question and answer

berikut yg sering digunakan dalam chat:

BRB = be right back = segera kembali

BBL = be back later = nanti akan kembali

NP = no problem = tidak apa-apa

WTF = what the f*** = APA??

BBIAF = be back in a flash = kembali sebentar lagi

TTFN = ta ta for now = dadaagghh!!

J/K = just kidding = hanya bercanda

WB = welcome back = selamat datang

RTFM = read the f***ing manual = BACA PETUNJUK!!!

GTG = got to go = mau offline karena mau pergi

GR8 = great = keren

AQ = aku

GW = gue

t4 = tempat

Source : http://www.adsense-id.com

Video mesum ariel peterpan vs luna maya & cut tari

2010-06-08T17:41:00.009+07:00

Rame amat yah media TV.... trutama infotaiment minggu ini... lgi pada ngobrolin video mesum ariel peterpan, Luna Maya, dan Cut Tari. Qta sebagai seorang blogger skaligus pencinta internet, jgn smpe ketinggalan. ayo kita ikutan bahas. tapi yg mau saya bahas ntu bukan videonya, melainkan taktik SEO. gambar mesum di bawah ini..... ups.... screenshoot SEO....^_*

Israel rejects international inquiry into flotilla raid

2010-06-07T09:21:00.000+07:00

Washington (ANTARA News/AFP) - Israel will not participate in any international investigation of its raid on a ship seeking to break a blockade on the Gaza Strip, Israel`s ambassador to Washington said Sunday.

"We are rejecting the idea of an international commission," Michael Oren told "Fox News Sunday."

"Israel is a democracy. Israel has the ability and the right to investigate itself, not to be investigated by any international board," he added.

The Israeli diplomat said his government was talking to President Barack Obama`s administration about "the way in which our inquiry will take place," but had no intention of acceding to demands by a number of governments for a independent inquiry into the May 31 raid, which left nine people dead.

The operation, in which Israeli naval commandos boarded a ship seeking to deliver aid to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, provoked global outrage, straining Israel`s relationship with Turkey.

Eight of those killed in the raid were Turkish citizens and the ninth was a joint US-Turkish citizen, prompting a furious response from Turkey`s government, which recalled its ambassador to Ankara.

The United States offered its condolences to the families of those killed, and has said it is looking into the circumstances of the American citizen`s death, but refrained from the strong criticism issued by other governments.

Oren said the incident had not strained Israel`s relations with the Obama administration.

"I`ll say personally throughout this entire episode, days of work with the administration, I never heard one word of criticism, not one rancorous comment at all," he said.

The raid drew renewed attention to Israel`s blockade of the Gaza Strip, which it says is necessary to prevent Hamas from obtaining material that can be used to make weapons.

The United Nations and Washington have called the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip intolerable, but Oren said there was no better alternative to the blockade.

"We are open to any ideas of how to somehow deal with the Gaza situation," he said. "We`re talking about Hamas here. We`re not talking about a peaceful organization."

Israel felt "sadness" over the deterioration of relations with Turkey, Oren said, but added the Jewish state would not accede to Ankara`s demand for an apology.

"We regret all the casualties in this incident... particularly the Israeli casualties," he said.

But, he added: "Israel will not apologize for taking the measures necessary to defend its citizens and... to defend the lives of our soldiers." (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275866846/israel-rejects-international-inquiry-into-flotilla-raid

Surya Fachri taken to hospital near Tel Aviv

2010-06-07T09:19:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A Jordanian ambulance has taken Surya Fachrizal, an Indonesian volunteer who suffered shot wounds in Israel`s May 31 attack on the aid ship Mavi Marmara, to a Haifa hospital near Tel Aviv, an Indonesian envoy said on Sunday.

"I reported to the foreign minister that 15 minutes ago the Jordanian ambulance carrying Surya Fachri arrived at the King Hussein Bridge Border Gate at 12.10 local time," Indonesian Ambassador to Jordan Zainul Bahar Noor said.

"I have three times talked with Dr. Hani Belkhous of Ramban Hospital in Haifa City near Tel Aviv who conducted an operation on Surya. He told me that Surya`s health condition is very good. He can sit, walk and defecate normally," he said.

He said he, along with 10 volunteers met with Surya for five minutes when he was removed to the ambulance owned by the King Hussein Medical City.

"Surya looked very fresh and could get on the ambulance. He only felt pain on the former wounds," he said.

Mavi Marmara was among of six ships attempting to ferry relief supplies to the Gaza Strip when it was attacked by the Israeli navy last Monday.

Twelve Indonesians were on board the ship. Reports from various sources said nine people were killed and more than 30 others injured in the attack.

The Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in its official website on Sunday five Indonesian volunteers who escaped the attack are scheduled to arrive at Soekarno-Hatta Airport on Monday.

Four of the volunteers will arrive at the airport at 3.15 p.m. by an Emirate flight, it said.

The four are H. Ferry Nur S.Si, chief of the Indonesian Committee for Palestinian Solidarity (KISPA), Muhendri Muchtar, KISPA deputy chief, Hardjito Warno, KISPA member, and Muhammad Yasin, TV One journalist. They will be accompanied by Indonesian Ambassador to Jordan Zaenul Bahar Noor.

Another Indonesian volunteer, Okvianto Baharudin, who suffers shot wounds will arrive at the airport at 1.15 p.m. by a Singapore Airline flight from Istanbul, Turkey. He will be accompanied by dr. Mustafa Uner Karacaoglu of Turkey and the Indonesian ambassador to Turkey.

Oktavianto has earlier been treated at Bagcilar Devlet Hastanesi hospital in Istanbul. Shortly after he arrives at the airport he will undergo a further medical checkup by a team of doctors from the health ministry.

Four volunteers of the Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) -- Nur Fitri Moeslim Taher (chief of MER-C team), and Arief Rachman, Abdillah Onim, and Nur Ikhwan Abadi, all MER-C team members-- are still in Amman. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275866597/surya-fachri-taken-to-hospital-near-tel-aviv

"Teror Negara" Israel Akan Terus Diperkarakan Turki

2010-06-07T09:18:00.001+07:00

Ankara (ANTARA News) - Perdana Menteri Turki, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ahad berikrar untuk memaksa Israel bertanggungjawab atas tindakan "teror negara" di Timur Tengah pada saat ribuan pemrotes menentang serangan mematikan terhadap kapal bantuan kemanusiaan menuju Gaza.

Operasi militer Israel, yang menewaskan sembilan warga Turki itu, menyeret hubungan kedua negara yang suatu ketika bersekutu kuat ke dalam krisis yang dalam, dengan kecaman keras Erdogan terhadap negara Yahudi itu.

Gaza "adalah peristiwa bersejarah bagi kami," kata Erdogan dalam pidato di hadapan massa di kota baratlaut, Bursa, yang beberapa bagiannya disiarkan oleh saluran berita CNN Turki.

"Sasaran kami adalah mereka yang memaksa warga Gaza hidup dalam penjara di udara terbuka ... Kami akan tetap bertahan sampai blokade terhadap Gaza dicabut, pembantaian reda dan teror negara di Timur Tengah harus dipertanggungjawabkan," katanya menambahkan.

Israel telah menutup Gaza dari semua jurusan, kecuali bantuan kemanusiaan penting, itupun jarang untuk menekan penguasa wilayah itu - gerakan Palestina Hamas - dengan dalih untuk menghentikan serangan-serangan roket ke daerah selatan negara Yahudi itu.

Turki memanggil duta besarnya untuk Tel Aviv dan membatalkan latihan militer gabungannya setelah serangan pekan lalu, seraya menuntut permintaan maaf secara resmi dari Israel.

Israel akan absen dari kesertaannya pada latihan kekuatan udara internasional yang menurut militer Turki Ahad, akan digelar di Turki tengah, 7-18 Juni yang diikuti pesawat-pesawat dari Amerika Serikat, Uni Emirat Arab, Italia, Spanyol dan NATO.

Ankara juga menyerukan dilakukan penyelidikan independen internasional terhadap serangan itu, yang menurut Erdogan, rencana tersebut dibahas dengan Sekjen Perserikatan Bangsa Bangsa (PBB) Ban Ki-moon dalam percakapan melalui telpon Sabtu.

Presiden Prancis Nicolas Sarkozy Ahad juga menandaskan perlunya suatu penyelidikan netral dan layak dipercaya atas serangan Israel terhadap misi bantuan kemanusiaan itu.

Dia mengatakan melalui telpon dengan Perdana Menteri Israel Benjamin Netanyahu dan memintanya menerima investigasi seperti itu, di mana Prancis bersedia ikut ambil bagian.

Namun duta besar Israel untuk Washington, Michael Oren, mengatakan kepada program "Fox News Sunday" bahwa negaranya "bisa dan berhak untuk melakukan investigasi sendiri", tanpa partisipasi penyelidikan internasional lain.

Di Ankara, sekitar 6.000 sampai 7.000 orang berkumpul di bawah guyuran hujan, meneriakkan "Israel Terkutuk! Israel Pembunuh, minggat dari Timur Tengah!", kata seorang fotografer AFP.

Beberapa pemrotes membakar gambar Netanyahu sedangkan pada poster yang lain dia digambarkan sebagai perompak dengan pengait di tangan, disertai tulisan "Armada Kemanusiaan Lawan Perompak."

Di Istanbul, sekitar 1.000 orang menyeru pemerintah mengusir para diplomat israel.

Di Marokko polisi mengatakan 35.000 orang, termasuk menteri-menteri pemerintah, mengadakan aksi protes di ibu kota rabat di mana mereka menginjak-injak bendera Israel.

Di Lebanon, ratusan anggota sayap kiri membakar bendera Israel pada demonstrasi dekat kedutaan AS, sedangkan sekitar 3.500 orang, banyak yang mengenakan ikat kepala Palestina, berunjukrasa di kota Prancis utara, Lille.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1275874310/teror-negara-israel-akan-terus-diperkarakan-turki

President advised to have anti-graft leaders case "frozen"

2010-06-05T10:09:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - One of the options presented to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to save Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chiefs Bibit and Chandra from a court trial was "freezing" their case, the president`s special legal adviser said.

Denny Indrayana, special presidential aide for legal affairs, said he had presented several alternative ways to the president to prevent the two KPK leaders from being put on trial after a high court had rejected the Attorney General`s Office (AGO)`s appeal against a lower court`s ruling that they must be tried on charges of abuse of power and extortion.

One of the alternatives was "deponeering" (freezing) their case "in the public interest", a legal measure possible under the law on the functions of public prosecutors, he said.

If Bibit and Chandra became defendants in a court trial, they would under the law on KPK automatically be suspended from their posts and this would severely hamper the KPK`s work.

Denny made the statement at the presidential office when asked to comment on the high court`s decision to reject the AGO`s appeal against a Jakarta District Court pre-trial verdict invalidating an AGO decision to halt an investigation of Bibit and Chandra for alleged abuse of power and extortion in a corruption case involving businessman Anggoro Widjojo.

Freezing their case in the public interest was one of the alternative solutions and something within the power of the Attorney General to do, Denny said.

He said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono`s stance on the Bibit-Chandra case had remained the same as when it first became a national controversy, namely that it should be settled out of court and not affect the KPK`s performance.

Meanwhile, the AGO on Friday remained adamant that its decision to discontinue the investigation of Bibit and Chandra was correct. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275675728/president-advised-to-have-anti-graft-leaders-case-frozen

Thirty-eight groups stage rallies condemning Israel

2010-06-05T10:07:00.000+07:00

Bogor, W Java (ANTARA News) - Thirty-eight mass organizations in Bogor city staged rallies on Friday to condemn Israel`s recent attack on volunteers aboard the humanitarian ship Mavi Marmara.

The protesters also urged the Indonesian government and the international community to bring Israel to the international court.

"The Israeli attack is very uncivilized. We condemn Israel for the attack. We ask the Indonesian government to help the Palestinian people and urge the United Nations to bring Israel to the international court," Ahmad Hasyim, a member of the consultative council of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI)`s chapter in Bogor, said on the sidelines of the rallies.

Clad in white, hundreds of protesters converged on the Kujang monument with some of them carrying Palestinian flags and unfurling banners condemning Israel.

In their oration, the demonstrators said Israel had violated human rights by attacking volunteers.

"We must wage war on Israel," one of the demonstrators said.

The demonstrators said they no longer trusted the UN as the world`s supreme security council and accused the US as the world police of being unable to control Israel.
The demonstrators also set fire to a number of Israeli flags in show of sympathy with the Palestinian people.

"This is a manifestation of our sympathy with our brothers in Palestine. We must unite to support Palestine so as to create peace there," Ahmad said.(*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275675012/thirty-eight-groups-stage-rallies-condemning-israel

Sweden to open trade office in Jakarta

2010-06-02T08:32:00.001+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Swedish government has decided to open a trade representative office in Jakarta to expand cooperation between the two countries.

"Swedish Trade Office will be opened on August 1, as an indication of Swedish increasing interest in Indonesia," Swedish ambassador to Indonesia Ewa Polano said in Jakarta Tuesday.

He said the five staff members of the new trade office will closely cooperate with the Swedish embassy in Jakarta.

He also said that the 60 years of trade between Indonesia and Sweden will open more opportunities for cooperation in various sector.

The economic crisis in Greece, he said, will have an effect on European countries, including Sweden, but there is no need to worry about because the European Union will take the necessary safeguarding measures.

He also believed that Swedish investment in Indonesia would not be harmed.

Polano also believed the two countries would be able to further increase their cooperation in the economy, telecommunications, transportation and infrastructure development. (*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275429013/sweden-to-open-trade-office-in-jakarta

BI predicts 2011 exchange rates to decline

2010-06-02T08:30:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Bank Indonesia (BI) has predicted that the rupiah exchange rate next year will remain steady but with an inclination to depreciate compared to this year`s.

"BI predicts the rupiah exchange rate will range from 9,200 to 9,600 with an inclination for an upward bias," Acting Bank Indonesia Governor Darmin Nasution told a hearing with the House budgetary body in Jakarta Tuesday night.

He said under the prediction, the average assumption of the rupiah exchange rate used by the government ranges from Rp9,100 to Rp9,400 per US dollar, which is still realistic for use as basis for drawing up the 2011 State Budget.

He said the development of international commodity prices in 2011 will affect the domestic prices which are different from those of 2010 in which the inclination of international commodity prices to increase could still be offset by exchange rate inclinations.

"In this context, with the prospects of the exchange rate to decline in 2011, the impact of international commodity price hikes against domestic prices would be stronger," he said.

In the meantime, with regard to the 3-month SBI interest rate, Darmin said the assumption of the average 3-month SBI interest rate in 2011 may reach 6.5 to 7 percent, which is not too much different from the government`s estimates of 6.3 to 6.7 percent.

He said the increase, the average interest rate of SBI, had been made by already considering the improving economic prospects in 2011 followed by inclinations of the increase in pressure of the inflation.

"The prediction was also made as the developed countries may raise the interest rate of their monetary policy," he said. (*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275428600/bi-predicts-2011-exchange-rates-to-decline

Garuda restores flights to Europe

2010-05-31T09:52:00.000+07:00

London (ANTARA News) - A special dinner and performances by Ruth Sahanaya, Glenn Fredly, and pianist Sri Hanuraga, marked the restoration of national airline company Garuda Indonesia`s flights to the Netherlands.

New uniforms of stewardesses and stewards had also been designed by members of a a special team made up of Diyanti, Josephine (Obin) Komara, Irma, Diyanti and Ted Sulisto to be worn on the Garuda flights.

Minister Counsellor of the Indonesian embassy in The Hague Firdaus Dahlan told ANTARA`s London correspondent Sunday that the Indonesian embassy along with several Indonesian and Dutch media had a meeting at the Garuda Indonesia office at WTC building at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam for making preparations.

Senior General Manager for Asia, Europe and the Middle East Iswandi Said stated that the preparations were made starting several months ago including the opening of a Garuda Indonesia office at Schiphol last January manned by 14 employees including five station managers, three ticketing and reservation personnel, and four staff members.

Sixty percent of the seating capacity of the Amsterdam-Jakarta flight in June had been booked, and for July 89 percent of the seats had been booked.

Both flights from both points (Netherlands and Indonesia) will conduct a technical stop over in Dubai for an hour for refueling and the boarding of passengers from Dubai under Garuda`s 5th freedom flying rights for taking passengers in Dubai.

Last January Garuda had been received the "Four-Star Airline" citation from Sky Trax, a world independent institution making a judgment of flight service standards, placing Garuda at the same footing with other leading airline companies like Thai Airways, Korean Airlines, and Japan Airlines. (*)

Source : http://antaranews.com/en/news/1275250886/garuda-restores-flights-to-europe

Arema Tutup Super League dengan Kemenangan Besar

2010-05-31T09:50:00.003+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Arema sukses menutup Djarum Indonesia Super League (ISL) 2009/2010 dengan kemenangan besar 1-5 dari tuan rumah Persija di Gelora Bung Karno Jakarta, Minggu.

Gol kemenangan Arema dicetak oleh Esteban menit 7, Pierre Njanka menit 45, Roman Chemlo menit 66 dan 74, Noh Alamsyah menit 70. Gol balasan Persija dicetak Bambang Pamungkas menit 60.

Arema yang telah memastikan diri menjadi juara ISL 2009/2010 bermain tenang. Bola kaki dari ke kaki terus diperagakan guna menggempur pertahanan tim tuan rumah Persija Jakarta.

Hasilnya pada menit 7 gelandang Arema Esteban mampu menjebol gawang M. Yasir lewat tendangan bola mati setelah Noh Alamsyah dijatuhkan oleh penjaga gawang Persija.

Unggul 0-1 tidak membuat Akhmad Bustomi dan kawan-kawan mengendurkan serangan. Meski Persija juga memberikan perlawanan yang tidak kalah sengit melalui Bambang Pamungkas dan Emalue Serge.

Terus menekan anak asuh Robert Alberts mampu menggandakkan kedudukan menjadi 0-2 lewat tendangan pinalti Pierre Njanka pada menit 45.

Tendangan pinalti diperoleh setelah pemain belakang Persija Abanda Herman menyentuh bola dikotak terlarang dan wasit Oki Dwi Putra langsung menunjuk titik putih.

Keputusan wasit diternyata ditolak oleh Abada Herman. Keributan kecil terjadi sehingga wasit Oki Dwi Putra langsung memberikan kartu merah pada pemain yang bernomor punggung empat itu. Hingga babak pertama usai kedudukan tetap 0-2 untuk Arema.

Akibat kasus itu dan membludaknya penonton, pertandingan babak kedua terhenti beberapa menit. Setelah bisa dikondisika oleh panpel dan pihak keamanan pertandinganpun kembali digelar.

Arema mendapatkan dukungan sekitar 40 ribu suporter fanatiknya yaitu Aremania terus menekan Persija yang juga mendapatkan dukungan penuh dari Jak Mania.

Hilang Abanda Herman dan bermain 10 orang membuat pusing pelatih Benny Dolo. Agar mampu membendung serangan Arema mantan pelatih timnas itu menarik Agus Indra dan digantikan Leonard Tupamahu.

Pergantian pemain itu ternyata cukup ampuh. Persija berhasil memperkecil ketertinggalannya lewat Bambang Pamungkas pada menit 60.

Tak ingin terkejar Aremapun bangkit. Serangan demi serangan terus dilakukan. Hasilnya Roman Chemlo mampu menjebol gawang M. Yasir setelah mendapatkan umpan terukur dari M. Ridhuan pada menit 66 sehingga merubah kedudukan menjadi 1-3.

Unggul jumlah pemain benar-benar dimanfaatkan Arema. Empat menit berselang giliran Noh Alamsyah menambah pund-pundi gol sehingga menjadi 1-4 untuk Arema.

Pada menit 74, Roman Chemlo kembali menjebol gawang M. Yasir setelah mendapatkan umpan dari Dendi Santoso sehingga merubah kedudukan menjadi 1-5.

Tertinggal jauh membuat semangat tuan rumah mengendur. Terbukti hingga peluit panjang ditiup oleh wasit Oki Dwi Putra kedudukan tetap 1-5 untuk Arema Indonesia.

Kemenangan ini langsung dirayakan oleh puluhan ribu suporter Arema yang khusus dari Malang yang saat ini memadati stadion terbesar di Indonesia itu.

Source : http://antaranews.com/berita/1275217095/arema-tutup-super-league-dengan-kemenangan-besar

Blast fishing troubles C Sulawesi`s fishermen

2010-05-30T19:06:00.001+07:00

Mamuju, W Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The blast fishing activities in the waters of West Tapalang village, Central Sulawesi, had caused shortages of fish, a fisherman said.

As a result, lots of traditional fishermen, including himself, could no longer get fish easily, Rusdi, the fisherman, said here Saturday.

Rusdi said blast fishing operations in Central Sulawesi waters might have destroyed coral reefs that affected the fish population in the area.

Fishing net fishermen need to go further into the sea to catch fish, he said.

Sharing Rusdi`s deep concern, Isram said fishing net fishermen like himself had actually already warned fishermen using explosives in catching fish.

But they ignored the warnings athough they realized the bad impacts of fishing with explosives on the sustainability of coral reefs and fish resources, which finally caused other fishermen to suffer, he said.

Due to the danger of blast fishing, he called on the police to take stern action the perpetrators.

"If the blast fishing practitioners are left free, I am afraid the impacts will become worse," he said.

The blast fishing activities in various parts of Indonesia, including Central Sulawesi Province, have attracted world attention.

Endowed by nature with more than 50,000 square kilometers of coral reefs, Indonesia has been listed by the United Nations as a nation with the largest coral reef resources in the world, along with Australia and the Philippines.

According to the United Nations Environment Program World Conservation Monitoring Center (UNEP-WCMC)`s World Atlas of Coral Reefs (2001), Indonesia had 51,020 square kilometers of coral reefs or 17.95 percent of the world`s coral reefs.

This archipelagic nation topped the list , followed by Australia with 48,460 square kilometers, the Philippines (25,060), France (14,280), Papua New Guinea (13,840), Fiji (10,020), Maldives (8,920), Saudi Arabia (6,660), Marshall Islands (6,110) and India (5,790).

The benefits that Indonesia can get from its coral reefs are obvious because coral reefs are evidently the sources of food and income for a lot of people from fisheries and tourism and also sources of raw materials for medicines.

But the UNEC-WCMC has warned that activities, such as fishing using explosives, are seriously degrading coral reefs in various parts of the world, including in Indonesia.

The UN body`s warning is based on factual information collected over the years. Blast fishing itself has been practiced in Indonesia since World War II.

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275217832/blast-fishing-troubles-c-sulawesis-fishermen

Dubai companies to invest in Bogor

2010-05-30T19:04:00.000+07:00

London (ANTARA News) - Three companies in Dubai and Sharjah have expressed interest in investment in Bogor as revealed at a meeting with a Bogor regency delegation led by Bogor Regent Rahmat Yassin in Dubai.

Indonesian Consul General in Dubai Mansyur Pangeran flanked by Economic Counsellor Dede Achmad Rifai welcomed the business delegation from Bogor.

First Secretary for information, social and cultural affairs Yana Rudiyana told Antara`s London correspondent Friday that the meeting was the result of approaches by the Indonesian Consulate General in Dubai.

At the meeting with the three leading Dubai companies Al Badiya (Bristol), Moafaq Al Ghadah (MAG) Group of Companies and Thani Investments, produced several commitments.

Al Badiya (Bristol) runs an automotive business, producing car tyres, and was interested in taking over or cooperate in developing the tyre industry with PT. Elang Perdana Tyre Industry in Bogor or with other tyre manufacturers.

Al Badiya (Bristol) which has an office in Dubai, London and Baghdad, had been buying tens of thousands of car tyres each month from car tire producers in Indonesia and planned to raise the volume by 50 tousand each month for sale to Iraq and some other countries.

The Moafaq Al Ghadah (MAG) Group of companies operating various lines of business, including car tires and batteries, wished to take over car tire factories in Bogor or build new ones there.

MAG had already purchased car tires from several producers in Indonesia, and planned to take over car battery plants.

At the meeting, the Bogor delegation was received by Chairman of MAG Moafaq Ahamed Al Ghadah who had once visited Bogor.

Thani Investments which had explored gold, gas and oil mines in many African countries like Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, wished to invest in gold mines in Bogor, as offered by the Bogor delegation.

At the meeting, the Bogor delegation was received by Chief Executive Officer Rishard Camball and Chief Financial Officer Chew Khang Wee.

Rishard Camball, who had visited Indonesia several times to explore investment opportunities, said Thani Investments will make an investment if the Bogor administration was ready to become a partner by way of Bogor administrations` business companies.

After the Bogor administration established the company, Thani Investment will send a team to Bogor for a feasibility study and to estimate the economic value of gold mines in Bogor.(*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275219484/dubai-companies-to-invest-in-bogor

Singapore-Malaysia industrial estate affects Batam trade zone

2010-05-30T19:02:00.000+07:00

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - The industrial cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore could disadvantage the Batam, Bintan, Karimun Free Trade Zone (FTZ), a noted businessman said.

"The development of the Johor Bahru Iskandar Muda industrial zone by Singapore`s Temasek and Malayasia`s Khazanah would adversely affect Riau Islands free trade zone," Honorary Council Chairman of the Indonesian Businessmen Association (Apindo) for Riau Islands, Rudy Chua, said here on Sunday.

He said that Singapore`s investors who were disappointed with the FTZ of Batam, Bintan and Karimun, would make their investment in the Johor Bahru`s Iskandar Muda industrial zone.

Rudy, who is also secretary of Commission II of Riau Islands Legislative Assembly (DPRD), said that many would be investors from Singapore were initially interested in the in Batam, Bintan and Karimun economic policy developments.

Even, the Singapore prime minister was committed to assisting the development of Riau Islands` FTZ because geographically the three islands are close to that country.
But after one year, the FTZ has not yet developed well because it was hampered by overlapping regulations. Officials in the region were also confused to handle the various problems being faced by the special economic zone.

This conditions caused Singapore`s investors and those of other countries hesitate to make their investment in the Riau FTZ.

"The central government is still half-heated in developing the FTZ. Therefore, we are afraid that it would lose the momentum. After all, Malaysia and Singapore have developed a new industrial area," he said.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Datok Sri Moh Najib Tun Abdul Razak recently announced the cooperation in the development of the industrial area.

Malaysia set aside 217 hectares for Singapore to be cultivated by a joint venture firm established between the two countries. (*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275219329/singapore-malaysia-industrial-estate-affects-batam-trade-zone

Indonesia to build hospital in Gaza

2010-05-30T18:59:00.000+07:00

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia plans to build a hospital in Gaza worth Rp20 billion (more than US$2 million) to increase health facilities in the region, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said here on Saturday.

Sepaking at a joint press conference after meeting with visiting Pelestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Merdeka Palace here on Saturday, he said Indonesia was ready to give any kind of humanitarian aid needed by Palestine.

"We will build a hospital in Gaza worth Rp20 billion in the hope it will increase public health facilities in Gaza," he said.

Indonesia, he said, was also ready to continue to contribute to the development of capacity for the establishment of a free Palestinian state as it had been doing so far through a forum of Asian-African countries.

"I have also conveyed Indonesia`s readiness to become part of the peace process by playing the right role the Palestinian leadership wishes to," he said.

President Yudhoyono in a meeting lasting for around 30 minutes reaffirmed Indonesia`s commitment and support to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

"Indonesia has taken a stance and remained consistent with it namely fully supporting Palestinian indepedence believing that it would deliver true justice to the Palestinian people and also the world," he said.

President Abbas in the meeting briefed President Yudhoyono on the latest situation in Paliestine and the prospects of peace efforts now entering a new stage to settle the long conflict between Palestine and Israel.

In his statement after the press conference he expressed appreciation to and thanked Indonesia for having always supported the Palestinian people.

President Abbas on his second visit to Indonesia also expressed hope for the establishment of a free Palestinian state through a peace process supported by Arab countries and the international community.

He also expressed hope for reconciliation between Hamas and his group for the sake of the Palestinians.

At the end of the press conference President Abbas also expressed hope he could invite President Yudhoyono someday when the Palestinian state was realized so they could pray together at the Al Aqsa Mosque.

President Abbas`s delegation includes religious affairs minister Mahmoud SA Alhabash, the spokesman of the Palestinian National Authority, Nabil Go Aburudainah, presidential advisor for international affairs Abdallah HJ Alfrangi and three President Abbas`s advisors namely Adnan Nayef Abedlrahim, Mustafa Fayez Mustafa Abu Alrub and Majdi AM Khaldi.

President Yudhoyono at the meeting was flanked by coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs Djoko Suyanto, foreign minister Marty Natalegawa, minister/state secretary Sudi Silalahi, religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, health minister Endang Sedyaningsih and cabinet secretary Dipo Alam.

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275184193/indonesia-to-build-hospital-in-gaza

Thai pm says difficult to hold polls this year

2010-05-30T18:54:00.001+07:00

Bangkok (ANTARA News/Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Saturday that it would be difficult to hold elections this year, which is likely to infuriate anti-government protesters involved in deadly riots last week.

Abhisit had earlier offered to hold elections on Nov. 14, but took the offer off the table when it was rejected by the red-shirted protesters.

"Obviously, it`s a lot more difficult to hold elections by the end of the year," Abhisit said at a news conference, referring to the deepening social divides that led to the worst political violence in Thailand`s modern history.

He said peace had to be fully restored and a reconciliation plan needed to be implemented, but added polls would be held ahead of 2012, when his tenure ends.

"I haven`t ruled out early elections," he said. "It`s going
to take a while longer to establish the right kind of environment but elections will be before the end of my term.

"If we succeed in inviting and embracing all the stakeholders, including red shirts, the opposition, to our reconciliation programme and over the next few months we see government and parliament function smoothly, that would be the right kind of environment." The main demand of the protesters was that Abhisit quit and call new elections. They claim they have been disenfranchised by a Bangkok elite supported by the military.

The red shirts, who comprise mostly rural and urban poor, began street rallies in Bangkok in March, and later took over the heart of the commercial district of the city of 15 million people.

After a series of street battles, troops launched an assault on their fortified encampment last week and dispersed the red shirts, who set fire to almost 40 buildings as they retreated.

At least 88 people were killed and almost 2,000 injured in the clashes since March.

Earlier on Saturday, Abhisit announced that a night curfew in Bangkok and 23 provinces was being lifted because the situation was improving.

However, emergency laws will continue to be in place, he said. The laws give the army broad powers, allow authorities to suspend certain civil liberties, bans public gatherings of more than five people and stops media reporting news that "causes panic". (*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1275182244/thai-pm-says-difficult-to-hold-polls-this-year

Pengendara Keberatan Subsidi BBM Dihentikan

2010-05-30T18:53:00.003+07:00

Cianjur (ANTARA News) - Ribuan pemilik kendaraan sepeda motor di Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat, keberatan atas rencana pemerintah menghentikan atau membatasi subsidi bahan bakar minyak jenis premium bagi sepeda motor Agustus mendatang.

"Jika benar, pemerintah dalam hal ini kementrian ESDM akan mencabut subsidi BBM jenis premium bulan Agustus mendatang, kami menolak," kata Ketua Pengurus Persatuan Motor Cianjur (PPMC) Hidayat Mulyadi, Minggu.

Saat ini harga premium Rp4500 satu liter saja dirasakan sangat berat oleh pengguna sepeda motor yang kebanyakan pegawai swasta, pegawai negeri dan tukang ojek.

"Ini akan berimbas pada penghasilan tukang ojek karena pelanggan akan beralih ke angkutan kota yang ongkosnya pasti murah," ucapnya.

Tidak hanya itu, tuturnya, jika premium benar-benar dibatasi, akan berimbas pula pada harga sembilan bahan pokok (Sembako) yang otomatis akan melonjak naik.

"Ini harus diantisipasi pemerintah, jangan sampai dengan dalih beban APBN samakin tinggi, sehingga premium dibatasi, padahal pengendara sepeda motor kebanyakan dari golongan menengah ke bawah, sedangkan pemerintah sendiri memprogramkan pro rakyat," sesal Hidayat.

Sementara itu, Sekretaris Komisi I DPRD Cianjur, Muhammad Toha, meilai rencana itu pasti sangat memberatkan dan membebani masyarakat.

"Pemerintah seharusnya merumuskan kebijakan dengan alternatif lain yang tidak memberatkan dan membebani masyarakat," katanya. (*)

Source : http://www.antaranews.com/berita/1275219886/pengendara-keberatan-subsidi-bbm-dihentikan