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The Jakarta Post News Channel
Updated: 1 hour 12 min ago
Tangguh to start supplying LNG to Lampung
The Tangguh plant in West Papua, operated by BP Berau Ltd, has
begun supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the floating storage and
re-gasification unit (FSRU) owned by state-owned gas distributor PT
Perusahaan Gas Negara (PGN) off the coast of Lampung, South Sumatra.
Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) acting head J.Widjonarko said in a release in Jakarta on Sunday that on July 1, the agency approved the inaugural shipping of the LNG cargo.
“We have approved the signing of the free-on-board LNG sale and purchase agreement and the confirmation notice between Tangguh and PGN over the selling of one cargo of LNG to the FSRU Lampung,” he said, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Widjonarko said the inaugural shipment was one of five planned to be delivered to the FSRU in Lampung from Tangguh in 2014.
The inaugural shipment has a volume of 3.32 million British thermal units (mmbtu) and will be used for commissioning the FSRU Lampung.
As many as 14 shipments of LNG will be delivered to the FSRU Lampung in 2015. The gas from the FSRU in Lampung will be used to meet gas demands in the electricity and industrial sectors in the west part of Java; it will be connected via the South Sumatra - West Java (SSWJ) pipelines.
In the future, the FSRU in Lampung will also supply gas to meet demands in Sumatra. “This shows commitment in the upstream oil and gas industry to meet domestic gas demands,” said Widjonarko.
He said Tangguh had also supplied two of the four LNG shipments slated to be sent to state fertilizer company PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda (PIM) in 2014, using a swap mechanism with the Arun plant in Aceh to deliver the cargo.
In 2014, domestic allocation of natural gas reached 54 percent of total production, with the remaining 46 percent sold as exports. (ebf)
Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) acting head J.Widjonarko said in a release in Jakarta on Sunday that on July 1, the agency approved the inaugural shipping of the LNG cargo.
“We have approved the signing of the free-on-board LNG sale and purchase agreement and the confirmation notice between Tangguh and PGN over the selling of one cargo of LNG to the FSRU Lampung,” he said, as quoted by Antara news agency.
Widjonarko said the inaugural shipment was one of five planned to be delivered to the FSRU in Lampung from Tangguh in 2014.
The inaugural shipment has a volume of 3.32 million British thermal units (mmbtu) and will be used for commissioning the FSRU Lampung.
As many as 14 shipments of LNG will be delivered to the FSRU Lampung in 2015. The gas from the FSRU in Lampung will be used to meet gas demands in the electricity and industrial sectors in the west part of Java; it will be connected via the South Sumatra - West Java (SSWJ) pipelines.
In the future, the FSRU in Lampung will also supply gas to meet demands in Sumatra. “This shows commitment in the upstream oil and gas industry to meet domestic gas demands,” said Widjonarko.
He said Tangguh had also supplied two of the four LNG shipments slated to be sent to state fertilizer company PT Pupuk Iskandar Muda (PIM) in 2014, using a swap mechanism with the Arun plant in Aceh to deliver the cargo.
In 2014, domestic allocation of natural gas reached 54 percent of total production, with the remaining 46 percent sold as exports. (ebf)
Categories: Indonesian News
Indonesians in Egypt turn out to vote
Indonesian citizens living in Egypt, mostly students,
enthusiastically exercised their right to vote in the 2014 presidential
election at a polling event held at the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo, on
Saturday.
“I intentionally came to the [embassy] to cast my vote and I think all college students were excited to do so as well,” Azia, a student from Central Java, said as quoted by Antara at the event.
Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Nurfaizi Suwandi said he was proud of the enthusiasm shown by the Indonesian citizens in Egypt exercising their constitutional right.
“Such enthusiasm reflects their concern for the better future for this nation,” said Nurfaizi.
Nine polling stations were provide inside the embassy compound in downtown Cairo. Moreover, 20 buses were deployed to transport voters in Cairo. Balloting was held from 3 p.m. through midnight local time, on Saturday.
The Overseas Final Voter List (DPTLN) for Egypt shows 3,308 registered voters. Of that total, nearly 500 living outside of Cairo voted via drop-box or mail-in ballot. Drop-boxes were placed in Alexandria, Mansourah, Port Said, Samanud, Sharm El Sheikh, Tafahna, Tanta and Zagazig. The vote count will be held together with those from the domestic voting in Indonesia on July 9. (ebf)
“I intentionally came to the [embassy] to cast my vote and I think all college students were excited to do so as well,” Azia, a student from Central Java, said as quoted by Antara at the event.
Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Nurfaizi Suwandi said he was proud of the enthusiasm shown by the Indonesian citizens in Egypt exercising their constitutional right.
“Such enthusiasm reflects their concern for the better future for this nation,” said Nurfaizi.
Nine polling stations were provide inside the embassy compound in downtown Cairo. Moreover, 20 buses were deployed to transport voters in Cairo. Balloting was held from 3 p.m. through midnight local time, on Saturday.
The Overseas Final Voter List (DPTLN) for Egypt shows 3,308 registered voters. Of that total, nearly 500 living outside of Cairo voted via drop-box or mail-in ballot. Drop-boxes were placed in Alexandria, Mansourah, Port Said, Samanud, Sharm El Sheikh, Tafahna, Tanta and Zagazig. The vote count will be held together with those from the domestic voting in Indonesia on July 9. (ebf)
Categories: Indonesian News
Exit polls show Jokowi victory overseas
Exit polls at voting stations abroad are showing the Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo-Jusuf Kalla presidential ticket is ahead in the overseas
vote.
“I hope it is indicative of what the result will be in the domestic voting,” Jokowi was quoted as saying by Antara after the fifth and final presidential debate at Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta, early on Sunday.
Jokowi-Kalla campaign spokesman Anies Baswedan said volunteers had conducted exit polling at each voting station all over the world.
“We got the result from our volunteers monitoring the election. I’m happy and Insya Allah [God willing] I will forward this message to all Indonesians, so that those who watched the balloting and vote-counting processes can carefully examine the results,” said Anies.
He expressed hope the result would be a bellwether for domestic voting on July 9.
“People living abroad usually can see through everything calmly. Results of the overseas election have proven that those who see through everything calmly and rationally will choose Pak Jokowi. Hopefully, this will also happen here,” said Anies.
Separately, the General Elections Commission (KPU) could not verify Jokowi-Kalla’s victory in overseas voting, saying the Overseas Elections Committee (PPLN) had yet to count the votes. The overseas vote-counting will be conducted at the same time as the domestic vote is counted. The KPU said, however, that the exit polls were likely accurate.
A Constitutional Court ruling allows results of surveys, quick counts or exit polls to be released at any time. (ebf)
“I hope it is indicative of what the result will be in the domestic voting,” Jokowi was quoted as saying by Antara after the fifth and final presidential debate at Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta, early on Sunday.
Jokowi-Kalla campaign spokesman Anies Baswedan said volunteers had conducted exit polling at each voting station all over the world.
“We got the result from our volunteers monitoring the election. I’m happy and Insya Allah [God willing] I will forward this message to all Indonesians, so that those who watched the balloting and vote-counting processes can carefully examine the results,” said Anies.
He expressed hope the result would be a bellwether for domestic voting on July 9.
“People living abroad usually can see through everything calmly. Results of the overseas election have proven that those who see through everything calmly and rationally will choose Pak Jokowi. Hopefully, this will also happen here,” said Anies.
Separately, the General Elections Commission (KPU) could not verify Jokowi-Kalla’s victory in overseas voting, saying the Overseas Elections Committee (PPLN) had yet to count the votes. The overseas vote-counting will be conducted at the same time as the domestic vote is counted. The KPU said, however, that the exit polls were likely accurate.
A Constitutional Court ruling allows results of surveys, quick counts or exit polls to be released at any time. (ebf)
Categories: Indonesian News
View Point: A few reasons to be proud of my nation
Voters will know on Wednesday evening, based on quick counts,
whether their ticket of choice will lead the country. But I dare to bet
that no significant violent protests will follow the July 9 presidential
election.
Of course that is not to say that the die-hard supporters of the losing pair will be disappointed, but they will not waste much of their energy defying the victor of the “fiesta of democracy”. The public will accept the winners no matter how bitter or painful the results of judgment day are for them.
It is very boring for me to hear the same old song from the lips of the “highly educated” — both Indonesians and foreigners alike — that the majority of Indonesians are not ready for democracy because they lack education and live in poverty.
Wrong! Baseless! We, Indonesians, have proved to the world four times since 1999 that only a tiny fraction of the population is pushing against democracy. They may be small in number but are, of course, very powerful and have little respect for democracy if it runs counter to their ego.
This small group of elites, thirsty for self-entitled control, desire a democratic system that will guarantee them the freedom to exploit the public and plunder our natural resources, all to satisfy their endless hunger. They think they are God-appointed envoys, with the “right” to do whatever they like. They think they are the supreme holders of the nation’s sovereignty and the rest should behave as their — often unpaid — servants.
To make my position clear, I am from a working class background. My late father was a former elementary school teacher and my mother was just a peasant.
Don’t worry, I will not talk about certain presidential candidate here, because legally campaign activities are prohibited from July 6 up to July 9.
Indonesia is the third-largest democracy after India and the United States. We were able to win this accolade in less than a decade. We may have the right to elect our leaders but we must acknowledge that local elections are still far from ideal.
Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation, and as a Catholic, I firmly believe that the most of my Muslim compatriots are moderate and tolerant. Isn’t it an amazing achievement for a nation that was a dictatorship for 53 years?
It is true that certain serious problems — corruption, rule of law, clean governance — are yet to be fully routed out. We also still have to follow up on the Constitutional right of freedom of religion in some parts of the country and protection of minorities, there are also threats of terrorism and radicalism. You can add more to the list, and I may agree with you, but you should remember that these problems are purely the problems of my country.
Indonesians were only able to exercise full democracy in the legislative election on June 7, 1999: one year after we forced Soeharto to end his 32-year dictatorship on May 21, 1998. From independence, Aug. 17, 1945, until 1998, the country was ruled by two dictators: Sukarno and Soeharto. All elections during their rule were highly fabricated, although some historians argue there was a democratic election in 1955 (the only election under Sukarno).
In 1999, international observers like the Carter Foundation and international media organizations like CNN, covered the elections. Many analysts and thinkers from top domestic universities shared the international community concern that riots would erupt after the elections because “Indonesians knew nothing about freedom and democracy”.
How wrong they were!
After Soeharto’s fall, many academics predicted that Indonesia would fall apart — the balkanization of Indonesia. They eloquently came up with a very convincing scenario that Indonesia was doomed for the same fate of the former Soviet Union country of Yugoslavia. It was true that there were difficulties in Aceh, Maluku, Poso in Sulawesi, and in Papua. But yet, here we are today and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia still exists.
The first ever direct-presidential election was held in Indonesia in 2004. It is a popular voting system. Even many of the much more advanced countries like Japan now are behind us in this regard.
In 2009, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won a landslide victory, securing his second term. The retired general was Indonesia’s first directly elected leader. Both the 2004 and 2009 legislative and presidential elections were peaceful and democratic.
In the legislative election this year, voters punished political parties, whose images had been sullied by high-profile corruption cases over the last five years.
Indonesia is a great nation thanks to the public’s wholehearted acceptance that we are headed in the right direction toward a fully-fledged democracy.
We still have a long road fraught with challenges ahead.
The writer is senior managing editor at The Jakarta Post.
Of course that is not to say that the die-hard supporters of the losing pair will be disappointed, but they will not waste much of their energy defying the victor of the “fiesta of democracy”. The public will accept the winners no matter how bitter or painful the results of judgment day are for them.
It is very boring for me to hear the same old song from the lips of the “highly educated” — both Indonesians and foreigners alike — that the majority of Indonesians are not ready for democracy because they lack education and live in poverty.
Wrong! Baseless! We, Indonesians, have proved to the world four times since 1999 that only a tiny fraction of the population is pushing against democracy. They may be small in number but are, of course, very powerful and have little respect for democracy if it runs counter to their ego.
This small group of elites, thirsty for self-entitled control, desire a democratic system that will guarantee them the freedom to exploit the public and plunder our natural resources, all to satisfy their endless hunger. They think they are God-appointed envoys, with the “right” to do whatever they like. They think they are the supreme holders of the nation’s sovereignty and the rest should behave as their — often unpaid — servants.
To make my position clear, I am from a working class background. My late father was a former elementary school teacher and my mother was just a peasant.
Don’t worry, I will not talk about certain presidential candidate here, because legally campaign activities are prohibited from July 6 up to July 9.
Indonesia is the third-largest democracy after India and the United States. We were able to win this accolade in less than a decade. We may have the right to elect our leaders but we must acknowledge that local elections are still far from ideal.
Indonesia is the largest Muslim-majority nation, and as a Catholic, I firmly believe that the most of my Muslim compatriots are moderate and tolerant. Isn’t it an amazing achievement for a nation that was a dictatorship for 53 years?
It is true that certain serious problems — corruption, rule of law, clean governance — are yet to be fully routed out. We also still have to follow up on the Constitutional right of freedom of religion in some parts of the country and protection of minorities, there are also threats of terrorism and radicalism. You can add more to the list, and I may agree with you, but you should remember that these problems are purely the problems of my country.
Indonesians were only able to exercise full democracy in the legislative election on June 7, 1999: one year after we forced Soeharto to end his 32-year dictatorship on May 21, 1998. From independence, Aug. 17, 1945, until 1998, the country was ruled by two dictators: Sukarno and Soeharto. All elections during their rule were highly fabricated, although some historians argue there was a democratic election in 1955 (the only election under Sukarno).
In 1999, international observers like the Carter Foundation and international media organizations like CNN, covered the elections. Many analysts and thinkers from top domestic universities shared the international community concern that riots would erupt after the elections because “Indonesians knew nothing about freedom and democracy”.
How wrong they were!
After Soeharto’s fall, many academics predicted that Indonesia would fall apart — the balkanization of Indonesia. They eloquently came up with a very convincing scenario that Indonesia was doomed for the same fate of the former Soviet Union country of Yugoslavia. It was true that there were difficulties in Aceh, Maluku, Poso in Sulawesi, and in Papua. But yet, here we are today and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia still exists.
The first ever direct-presidential election was held in Indonesia in 2004. It is a popular voting system. Even many of the much more advanced countries like Japan now are behind us in this regard.
In 2009, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won a landslide victory, securing his second term. The retired general was Indonesia’s first directly elected leader. Both the 2004 and 2009 legislative and presidential elections were peaceful and democratic.
In the legislative election this year, voters punished political parties, whose images had been sullied by high-profile corruption cases over the last five years.
Indonesia is a great nation thanks to the public’s wholehearted acceptance that we are headed in the right direction toward a fully-fledged democracy.
We still have a long road fraught with challenges ahead.
The writer is senior managing editor at The Jakarta Post.
Categories: Indonesian News
Being an annoying person is a crime now, as it should be
Every day, I spring out of bed at six in the morning intending to spread sweetness and light all day. And then idiots happen.
You know the feeling. One moment you’re Mother Teresa and then you’re Shiva, the destroyer of worlds.
Example: Mr X (not his real name) was two hours late for dinner. When we finally started eating, he said: “This meat’s overcooked.”
Now, answer honestly: Would it not be totally morally justified to use the steak knife I was holding to remove this person from the human gene pool?
Lucky for me there was good news in the newspaper the following morning. Governments around the world are making it an actual crime to be an annoying person. Someone has been reading my thoughts again (probably those NSA people).
There are now 5,000 laws on annoying behavior in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported. Many are in New York municipal ordinances, which is weird, since loads of annoying people live there, including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Tyra “Next Top Model” Banks. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes a citizen’s arrest. “Tyra Banks, you are under arrest for being incredibly annoying for 20 seasons.” That should be good for eight-to-ten without parole.
In most Asian countries, being annoying is not illegal (which is obvious from looking at Asian leaders) except in the Philippines, where “unjustly vexatious” behavior is an offense. In most Asian countries, if people are being annoying, police stomp around waving sticks and everybody flees.
A law against being annoying in public was recently approved by the British House of Commons and sent to the House of Lords, which vetoed it. This was no surprise since Lords themselves are horribly annoying, with their castles and silly titles. (For example, does “Lord Privy Seal” means what it says, which is “Lord Toilet Sea-Mammal”?)
The aptly-named Lord Dear explained that there was a whole category of people who are perceived as annoying, but are actually key elements of a healthy society, such as political demonstrators, street preachers, carol singers and nudists. I reluctantly admit he’s got a point there, since his list sounds remarkably like the cast of a typical dinner party at my place.
Yet rather than ditching the whole law, they should have criminalized only extreme cases of being annoying. Some folk are annoying on a global scale (Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Lance Armstrong, Miley Cyrus, Dennis Rodman, etc).
But for me, the most irritating are folk who those are consistently annoying in a low-level way, and thus cannot be justifiably killed with a steak knife.
One guy I know posts Facebook updates saying things like: “Here I am, back in an armchair at the airport first class lounge, which is like a second home to me now. I would be much happier at the airport noodle shop.”
And I want to scream at him in capital letters: “Well why don’t you go to the airport noodle shop then instead of paying a year of my salary to fly first class?” But instead, my revenge is to scroll up without pressing “like”. Take that.
Pretty pathetic but that’s all we have these days.
The writer is a columnist and journalist.
You know the feeling. One moment you’re Mother Teresa and then you’re Shiva, the destroyer of worlds.
Example: Mr X (not his real name) was two hours late for dinner. When we finally started eating, he said: “This meat’s overcooked.”
Now, answer honestly: Would it not be totally morally justified to use the steak knife I was holding to remove this person from the human gene pool?
Lucky for me there was good news in the newspaper the following morning. Governments around the world are making it an actual crime to be an annoying person. Someone has been reading my thoughts again (probably those NSA people).
There are now 5,000 laws on annoying behavior in the US, the Wall Street Journal reported. Many are in New York municipal ordinances, which is weird, since loads of annoying people live there, including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Tyra “Next Top Model” Banks. It’s only a matter of time before someone makes a citizen’s arrest. “Tyra Banks, you are under arrest for being incredibly annoying for 20 seasons.” That should be good for eight-to-ten without parole.
In most Asian countries, being annoying is not illegal (which is obvious from looking at Asian leaders) except in the Philippines, where “unjustly vexatious” behavior is an offense. In most Asian countries, if people are being annoying, police stomp around waving sticks and everybody flees.
A law against being annoying in public was recently approved by the British House of Commons and sent to the House of Lords, which vetoed it. This was no surprise since Lords themselves are horribly annoying, with their castles and silly titles. (For example, does “Lord Privy Seal” means what it says, which is “Lord Toilet Sea-Mammal”?)
The aptly-named Lord Dear explained that there was a whole category of people who are perceived as annoying, but are actually key elements of a healthy society, such as political demonstrators, street preachers, carol singers and nudists. I reluctantly admit he’s got a point there, since his list sounds remarkably like the cast of a typical dinner party at my place.
Yet rather than ditching the whole law, they should have criminalized only extreme cases of being annoying. Some folk are annoying on a global scale (Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Lance Armstrong, Miley Cyrus, Dennis Rodman, etc).
But for me, the most irritating are folk who those are consistently annoying in a low-level way, and thus cannot be justifiably killed with a steak knife.
One guy I know posts Facebook updates saying things like: “Here I am, back in an armchair at the airport first class lounge, which is like a second home to me now. I would be much happier at the airport noodle shop.”
And I want to scream at him in capital letters: “Well why don’t you go to the airport noodle shop then instead of paying a year of my salary to fly first class?” But instead, my revenge is to scroll up without pressing “like”. Take that.
Pretty pathetic but that’s all we have these days.
The writer is a columnist and journalist.
Categories: Indonesian News
Jakarta cosplayers sport swords, sailor suits
Rogue’s gallery: Cosplayers, or “costume
players” inspired by Japanese manga comics and anime cartoons, wait to
participate in a cosplay competition at Gandaria City mall in Kebayoran
Lama, Central Jakarta, on Saturday. (JP/ALZ)
Aditya Christian said that when he was younger, he had wanted to be a “Kamen Rider”, a TV show character. Fast forward a quarter century, and a special event on Saturday gave him that very opportunity.
For a costume display (cosplay) competition at Gandaria City in South Jakarta on Saturday, Aditya, wore a grasshopper mask and armor, and carried a long sword.
Created by Shotaro Ishinomori, Kamen Rider, better known as Masked Rider, is based on a tokusatsu, or a live-action drama originating from a Japanese comic book manga.
“I always imagined I would be able to spread world peace in this costume,” said Aditya, who is from Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.
Aditya was one of dozens wearing superhero attire for the contest, which required competitors to perform in front of judges, for example, presenting a choreographed light saber battle for those that had come as characters from Star Wars.
The event, organized by travel firm and exhibition organizer Panorama Live, was a supplemental event to the Star Trek Exhibition, which runs from May 31 to July 13.
Panorama general manager Esther Maulana said that the cosplay competition facilitated creative expression and offered a safe environment for those that wanted to emulate the characters they saw on television.
“There are 70 people participating,” Esther told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Esther said the competitors mostly came from various superhero communities, such as the Indo StarTrek community, the Indo-HarryPotter community and the Tokusatsu community.
“There are around 15 communities participating in this event,” she said.
Aditya said that he was a member of the Tokusatsu community, which is for fans of superhero series.
“On Facebook, the Tokusatsu community has more than 500 members in Indonesia,” he said.
He said his costume was made from foam, a popular material among cosplay enthusiasts, which he purchased at Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta. “I made this costume without any help.”
Similar to Aditya, Desi Sumardji made her Hogwarts school uniform, from the Harry Potter franchise, by herself.
“I made this robe alone. I spent around Rp 300,000 [US$25.26] on fabric,” said the 30-year-old woman from Pulomas, East Jakarta.
Different from Aditya and Desi, there were also participants who bought original costumes.
Edo, a self-proclaimed fanatic fan of Star Wars, bought his light saber from the US.
He said that he had no problem spending a large amount of money to buy costumes and accessories.
“I bought this light saber for Rp 1.5 million last year online,” he said.
Cosplay first appeared in Japan around a decade ago before spreading to all corners of the world.
In Indonesia, cosplay first became popular in Bandung, West Java, in 2004. (alz)
Aditya Christian said that when he was younger, he had wanted to be a “Kamen Rider”, a TV show character. Fast forward a quarter century, and a special event on Saturday gave him that very opportunity.
For a costume display (cosplay) competition at Gandaria City in South Jakarta on Saturday, Aditya, wore a grasshopper mask and armor, and carried a long sword.
Created by Shotaro Ishinomori, Kamen Rider, better known as Masked Rider, is based on a tokusatsu, or a live-action drama originating from a Japanese comic book manga.
“I always imagined I would be able to spread world peace in this costume,” said Aditya, who is from Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.
Aditya was one of dozens wearing superhero attire for the contest, which required competitors to perform in front of judges, for example, presenting a choreographed light saber battle for those that had come as characters from Star Wars.
The event, organized by travel firm and exhibition organizer Panorama Live, was a supplemental event to the Star Trek Exhibition, which runs from May 31 to July 13.
Panorama general manager Esther Maulana said that the cosplay competition facilitated creative expression and offered a safe environment for those that wanted to emulate the characters they saw on television.
“There are 70 people participating,” Esther told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Esther said the competitors mostly came from various superhero communities, such as the Indo StarTrek community, the Indo-HarryPotter community and the Tokusatsu community.
“There are around 15 communities participating in this event,” she said.
Aditya said that he was a member of the Tokusatsu community, which is for fans of superhero series.
“On Facebook, the Tokusatsu community has more than 500 members in Indonesia,” he said.
He said his costume was made from foam, a popular material among cosplay enthusiasts, which he purchased at Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta. “I made this costume without any help.”
Similar to Aditya, Desi Sumardji made her Hogwarts school uniform, from the Harry Potter franchise, by herself.
“I made this robe alone. I spent around Rp 300,000 [US$25.26] on fabric,” said the 30-year-old woman from Pulomas, East Jakarta.
Different from Aditya and Desi, there were also participants who bought original costumes.
Edo, a self-proclaimed fanatic fan of Star Wars, bought his light saber from the US.
He said that he had no problem spending a large amount of money to buy costumes and accessories.
“I bought this light saber for Rp 1.5 million last year online,” he said.
Cosplay first appeared in Japan around a decade ago before spreading to all corners of the world.
In Indonesia, cosplay first became popular in Bandung, West Java, in 2004. (alz)
Categories: Indonesian News
High voter turnout in UK, says ambassador
More than 1,135 Indonesian citizens in the UK turned out to vote
in the 2014 presidential election at three polling stations in London,
on Saturday, an ambassador said.
“I saw that the enthusiasm of Indonesian people to participate in the election was very high,” Indonesian Ambassador to Great Britain and Ireland Hamzah Thayeb said as quoted by Antara in London. He said the turnout showed the growing awareness of Indonesians living in the UK about their right to vote.
Starting at 10 a.m. local time Saturday, Indonesian citizens from all over the UK came to London to vote. Additionally, as many as 100 Indonesian short-term visitors to the UK turned out to vote, including former state-owned enterprises minister Mustafa Abubakar. Mustafa, who is Bank BRI deputy commissioner, was in London to attend a conference.
Development and Finance Supervision Agency (BPKP) deputy chairman for accounting division Gatot Darmasto, who was attending an international auditor congress in London, as well as Tourism and Creative Economy Deputy Minister Sapta Nirwandar and wife Kuntari Nirwandar in town for the start of the Tour de France in Leeds, cast their ballots at polling stations provided by the Overseas Elections Committee (PPLN) in the UK.
Kartika Soekarnoputri, daughter of first Indonesian president Sukarno, cast her ballot at the polling station (TPS) 01 in the Indonesian Embassy in London. “I participated in the election for a better Indonesia,” she told Antara.
PPLN London chairman Masao Sinulingga said many Indonesian citizens who were not yet registered wanted to vote. He said the PPLN allowed voters to cast their ballots although they did not have the A5 form (provided for voters who want to cast their vote in a location different from the polling station they were assigned according to the final voter list).
“As long as they brought an ID proving Indonesian citizenship, such as passport or resident identity card [KTP], we could allow them to vote,” said Masao. (ebf)
“I saw that the enthusiasm of Indonesian people to participate in the election was very high,” Indonesian Ambassador to Great Britain and Ireland Hamzah Thayeb said as quoted by Antara in London. He said the turnout showed the growing awareness of Indonesians living in the UK about their right to vote.
Starting at 10 a.m. local time Saturday, Indonesian citizens from all over the UK came to London to vote. Additionally, as many as 100 Indonesian short-term visitors to the UK turned out to vote, including former state-owned enterprises minister Mustafa Abubakar. Mustafa, who is Bank BRI deputy commissioner, was in London to attend a conference.
Development and Finance Supervision Agency (BPKP) deputy chairman for accounting division Gatot Darmasto, who was attending an international auditor congress in London, as well as Tourism and Creative Economy Deputy Minister Sapta Nirwandar and wife Kuntari Nirwandar in town for the start of the Tour de France in Leeds, cast their ballots at polling stations provided by the Overseas Elections Committee (PPLN) in the UK.
Kartika Soekarnoputri, daughter of first Indonesian president Sukarno, cast her ballot at the polling station (TPS) 01 in the Indonesian Embassy in London. “I participated in the election for a better Indonesia,” she told Antara.
PPLN London chairman Masao Sinulingga said many Indonesian citizens who were not yet registered wanted to vote. He said the PPLN allowed voters to cast their ballots although they did not have the A5 form (provided for voters who want to cast their vote in a location different from the polling station they were assigned according to the final voter list).
“As long as they brought an ID proving Indonesian citizenship, such as passport or resident identity card [KTP], we could allow them to vote,” said Masao. (ebf)
Categories: Indonesian News
Candidates talk green cities, cattle
The Joko "Jokowi" Widodo-Jusuf Kalla and Prabowo Subianto-Hatta
Rajasa presidential tickets fired questions back and forth on the
environment and food security during the final presidential debate at
the Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta on Saturday.
During the question-and-answer segment of the debate, Hatta asked presidential candidate Jokowi and his running mate Kalla whether they thought cities should strive to receive the Kalpataru environmental award.
In response, Jokowi acknowledged that the Kalpataru was a good award, but it would be better if cities received financial incentives instead of just a trophy to push the development of sustainable cities.
"If they receive an incentive then they will have even more motivation to further develop what they have already achieved," he said.
Hatta then asked why it was that Jakarta and Surakarta, the cities Jokowi had been governor and mayor in respectively, had not received the Kalpataru award.
Kalla then corrected Hatta by saying that cities don’t receive the Kalpataru, but are only eligible fore the Adipura environmental award for cleanliness and green awareness. Jokowi added that Surakarta had received a Green City award from the Environment Ministry.
The Jokowi-Kalla ticket then in turn asked the Prabowo and Hatta what their policy would be on beef imports.
Prabowo said that during the month of Ramadhan, it was normal that food prices rose. However, Prabowo said that what was most important was for the government to help increase the capacity of ranchers to increase the number of domestically raised cattle.
"We must make the distribution process from cattle sources in Indonesia easier. However, sometimes distributing cattle from NTT [East Nusa Tenggara] is trickier than receiving cattle from Australia," he said.
Jokowi responded by saying that he believed cattle ranches should be more focused on giving cattle to villages, and consolidating cattle ranches in one area.
"This is so it will be easier to check and control them, and all our farmers should be involved in this program. We can get fertilizer from there, and we can also develop bio-energy from manure. Furthermore, in the long term we will have a stock of live cattle for times of need," he said.
Prabowo said that he partially agreed but emphasized the need for Indonesia-born cattle. The debate was broadcast live on Kompas TV and TVRI. (fss)
During the question-and-answer segment of the debate, Hatta asked presidential candidate Jokowi and his running mate Kalla whether they thought cities should strive to receive the Kalpataru environmental award.
In response, Jokowi acknowledged that the Kalpataru was a good award, but it would be better if cities received financial incentives instead of just a trophy to push the development of sustainable cities.
"If they receive an incentive then they will have even more motivation to further develop what they have already achieved," he said.
Hatta then asked why it was that Jakarta and Surakarta, the cities Jokowi had been governor and mayor in respectively, had not received the Kalpataru award.
Kalla then corrected Hatta by saying that cities don’t receive the Kalpataru, but are only eligible fore the Adipura environmental award for cleanliness and green awareness. Jokowi added that Surakarta had received a Green City award from the Environment Ministry.
The Jokowi-Kalla ticket then in turn asked the Prabowo and Hatta what their policy would be on beef imports.
Prabowo said that during the month of Ramadhan, it was normal that food prices rose. However, Prabowo said that what was most important was for the government to help increase the capacity of ranchers to increase the number of domestically raised cattle.
"We must make the distribution process from cattle sources in Indonesia easier. However, sometimes distributing cattle from NTT [East Nusa Tenggara] is trickier than receiving cattle from Australia," he said.
Jokowi responded by saying that he believed cattle ranches should be more focused on giving cattle to villages, and consolidating cattle ranches in one area.
"This is so it will be easier to check and control them, and all our farmers should be involved in this program. We can get fertilizer from there, and we can also develop bio-energy from manure. Furthermore, in the long term we will have a stock of live cattle for times of need," he said.
Prabowo said that he partially agreed but emphasized the need for Indonesia-born cattle. The debate was broadcast live on Kompas TV and TVRI. (fss)
Categories: Indonesian News
Prabowo at loss, Jokowi in command
V for victory: Presidential candidate Joko
“Jokowi” Widodo gives a salam dua jari, or victory salute, as he speaks
to a crowd of tens of thousands of supporters at his last rally of the
campaign period at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on
Saturday. (Reuters/Beawiharta)
Presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Saturday evening spoke like a man who was prepared to lead the nation should he come out victorious in the July 9 presidential election.
His running mate, Jusuf Kalla, also demonstrated his role as an effective deputy to assist the leader in executing his vision and facing the public.
Meanwhile, Prabowo Subianto was often at a loss and it was very clear that he was struggling to control his temper, especially when he was cornered with questions from Jokowi and Kalla. His running mate, Hatta Rajasa, even posed a question with the intent of embarrassing Jokowi that backfired on him.
“We have so many ideas, visions and missions, but they were not implemented. We have made so many promises, but there was no realization. Do not just focus on making plans, think of implementation,” Jokowi answered when Prabowo pressured him to answer his question on the need to massively expand rice fields.
In response to a question from the moderator on environmental protection, the non-active Jakarta governor emphasized that people were waiting for a government that took action, not one that only issued normative and development programs.
“We can no longer just spout theories. Do not just be bombastic, our shortcoming now is in realization, we already made so many plans. The important thing is to implement [the plans and programs],” said Jokowi.
The fifth and final round of live TV debates saw participation from both presidential candidate pairs and was moderated by Sudharto P. Hadi, rector of the Semarang-based Diponegoro University.
Prabowo reiterated his ambitious plan to develop 2 million hectares of land to ensure a sustainable rice supply for the country.
Prabowo said the biggest farming problem Indonesia faced was that it was losing 60,000 hectares of farmland a year to real estate and factories. Citing data from the Agriculture Ministry, he said that for next year alone, the country needed at least 730,000 hectares of additional land to cover the loss.
The retired three-star general then explained that his government would introduce new types of fertilizers to boost agriculture production. He believed that new fertilizer introduction alone would be able to increase rice production by 40 percent.
“We are using outdated fertilizers,” said Prabowo.
When asked about his plan to boost oil and gas production and explore renewable energy sources, both Prabowo and Hatta emphasized the importance of the upstream industry.
Hatta said that Prabowo would honor the existing oil and gas contracts but would try to renegotiate the contracts.
“We need to boost oil exploration... It is important for us to exploit old oil wells [...] Save energy,” said the former coordinating economic minister.
Jokowi said the country had abundant energy resources, but needed strong commitment and political will to explore new energy resources. He said he would prioritize the massive conversion to natural gas, including for transportation and household needs in cities across the country.
“Our energy supply is abundant. Fuel oils should be converted to gas to reduce dependency on fuel oil,” said Jokowi.
Kalla then added, “We must change our energy [strategy]. We must improve the system. We already converted to gas in the kitchen and then in transportation.”
Hatta made a big blunder when he tried to embarrass Jokowi on his achievements as the mayor of Surakarta and governor of Jakarta. But he wrongly asked Jokowi why the two cities failed to win the Kalpataru Environment Award under his leadership. He should have referred to the Adipura Environmental Awards.
“We will not answer the question because you asked the wrong question,” Kalla rebuked Hatta.
Both Jokowi and Kalla teased the coalition members of Prabowo, because many of them were implicated in various graft cases centering on the haj fund,Koran procurement, oil imports and beef imports.
“None of our coalition members were involved such corruption,” said Kalla. (tjs, dyl)
Key points of the debate
Prabowo Subianto - Hatta Rajasa
• Food resilience: Food is a basic need. The government needs to ensure the availability of food by providing affordable and diversified foods.
• Energy sovereignty: We must improve gas and oil production while at the same time, reduce imports. Also, we need to develop renewable energy. We should respect the existing contracts while renegotiations take place. We also need to improve the proven reserve and develop the old oil wells
• Environment: Environmental damage is partly due to the huge population. We are seeing 5 million babies born every year. They need food. We need to raise environmental awareness. Sustainable development is a priority for us.
• Meat prices: Food-price increases during Ramadhan, including the price of meat, are a national problem. Indonesia produces lots of cattle, but transporting cattle from West Nusa Tenggara to Jakarta is more expensive than bringing cattle from Australia.
• Kleptocracy: We know about vote-buying practices. But we let the law enforcers deal with the thieves. As a nation, we have weaknesses. If there is a government that signs a contract that disadvantages the people, I think we need to do some self-contemplation.
• Forest degradation: We must engage people in conservation efforts. We need to also improve the monitoring of illegal logging and illegal mining. Severe punishments should be handed down to those who violate the law.
Joko “Jokowi” Widodo - Jusuf Kalla
• Food resilience: We need to survey the market before production begins. Farmers are told to grow papayas, but where is the market? We also need to develop the so-called post-harvest industry. The key to solving this problem is having good intentions and good will.
• Energy sovereignty: We have enormous sources of energy, such as gas, oil and geothermal energy. We must continue to convert oil into gas. We need to develop infrastructure for gas distribution.
• Food imports: Energy is very crucial. We are in a crisis because of the huge volume of imports. We must improve productivity by developing quality seeds, good irrigation infrastructure.
• Development: We must strike a balance between economic development, people’s welfare and environmental conservation. They must be developed simultaneously.
• Green environment: The Kalpataru Award given by the government is good. I think the award should be given in another form. The people must be given incentives to encourage their participation in conservation.
• Farmland: We need additional farmland. But, we must first find the water for irrigation. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.
Presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Saturday evening spoke like a man who was prepared to lead the nation should he come out victorious in the July 9 presidential election.
His running mate, Jusuf Kalla, also demonstrated his role as an effective deputy to assist the leader in executing his vision and facing the public.
Meanwhile, Prabowo Subianto was often at a loss and it was very clear that he was struggling to control his temper, especially when he was cornered with questions from Jokowi and Kalla. His running mate, Hatta Rajasa, even posed a question with the intent of embarrassing Jokowi that backfired on him.
“We have so many ideas, visions and missions, but they were not implemented. We have made so many promises, but there was no realization. Do not just focus on making plans, think of implementation,” Jokowi answered when Prabowo pressured him to answer his question on the need to massively expand rice fields.
In response to a question from the moderator on environmental protection, the non-active Jakarta governor emphasized that people were waiting for a government that took action, not one that only issued normative and development programs.
“We can no longer just spout theories. Do not just be bombastic, our shortcoming now is in realization, we already made so many plans. The important thing is to implement [the plans and programs],” said Jokowi.
The fifth and final round of live TV debates saw participation from both presidential candidate pairs and was moderated by Sudharto P. Hadi, rector of the Semarang-based Diponegoro University.
Prabowo reiterated his ambitious plan to develop 2 million hectares of land to ensure a sustainable rice supply for the country.
Prabowo said the biggest farming problem Indonesia faced was that it was losing 60,000 hectares of farmland a year to real estate and factories. Citing data from the Agriculture Ministry, he said that for next year alone, the country needed at least 730,000 hectares of additional land to cover the loss.
The retired three-star general then explained that his government would introduce new types of fertilizers to boost agriculture production. He believed that new fertilizer introduction alone would be able to increase rice production by 40 percent.
“We are using outdated fertilizers,” said Prabowo.
When asked about his plan to boost oil and gas production and explore renewable energy sources, both Prabowo and Hatta emphasized the importance of the upstream industry.
Hatta said that Prabowo would honor the existing oil and gas contracts but would try to renegotiate the contracts.
“We need to boost oil exploration... It is important for us to exploit old oil wells [...] Save energy,” said the former coordinating economic minister.
Jokowi said the country had abundant energy resources, but needed strong commitment and political will to explore new energy resources. He said he would prioritize the massive conversion to natural gas, including for transportation and household needs in cities across the country.
“Our energy supply is abundant. Fuel oils should be converted to gas to reduce dependency on fuel oil,” said Jokowi.
Kalla then added, “We must change our energy [strategy]. We must improve the system. We already converted to gas in the kitchen and then in transportation.”
Hatta made a big blunder when he tried to embarrass Jokowi on his achievements as the mayor of Surakarta and governor of Jakarta. But he wrongly asked Jokowi why the two cities failed to win the Kalpataru Environment Award under his leadership. He should have referred to the Adipura Environmental Awards.
“We will not answer the question because you asked the wrong question,” Kalla rebuked Hatta.
Both Jokowi and Kalla teased the coalition members of Prabowo, because many of them were implicated in various graft cases centering on the haj fund,Koran procurement, oil imports and beef imports.
“None of our coalition members were involved such corruption,” said Kalla. (tjs, dyl)
Key points of the debate
Prabowo Subianto - Hatta Rajasa
• Food resilience: Food is a basic need. The government needs to ensure the availability of food by providing affordable and diversified foods.
• Energy sovereignty: We must improve gas and oil production while at the same time, reduce imports. Also, we need to develop renewable energy. We should respect the existing contracts while renegotiations take place. We also need to improve the proven reserve and develop the old oil wells
• Environment: Environmental damage is partly due to the huge population. We are seeing 5 million babies born every year. They need food. We need to raise environmental awareness. Sustainable development is a priority for us.
• Meat prices: Food-price increases during Ramadhan, including the price of meat, are a national problem. Indonesia produces lots of cattle, but transporting cattle from West Nusa Tenggara to Jakarta is more expensive than bringing cattle from Australia.
• Kleptocracy: We know about vote-buying practices. But we let the law enforcers deal with the thieves. As a nation, we have weaknesses. If there is a government that signs a contract that disadvantages the people, I think we need to do some self-contemplation.
• Forest degradation: We must engage people in conservation efforts. We need to also improve the monitoring of illegal logging and illegal mining. Severe punishments should be handed down to those who violate the law.
Joko “Jokowi” Widodo - Jusuf Kalla
• Food resilience: We need to survey the market before production begins. Farmers are told to grow papayas, but where is the market? We also need to develop the so-called post-harvest industry. The key to solving this problem is having good intentions and good will.
• Energy sovereignty: We have enormous sources of energy, such as gas, oil and geothermal energy. We must continue to convert oil into gas. We need to develop infrastructure for gas distribution.
• Food imports: Energy is very crucial. We are in a crisis because of the huge volume of imports. We must improve productivity by developing quality seeds, good irrigation infrastructure.
• Development: We must strike a balance between economic development, people’s welfare and environmental conservation. They must be developed simultaneously.
• Green environment: The Kalpataru Award given by the government is good. I think the award should be given in another form. The people must be given incentives to encourage their participation in conservation.
• Farmland: We need additional farmland. But, we must first find the water for irrigation. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past.
Categories: Indonesian News
As rumors of Prabowo reunion swirl, Jokowi rocks stadium
Showdown: Presidential debate moderator Sudharto
P. Hadi (center) is flanked by presidential candidates and their
running mates Hatta Rajasa (left) and Prabowo Subianto (second left) and
Joko Widodo (second right) and Jusuf Kalla at their fifth and final
debate at the Bidakara Hotel in Tebet, South Jakarta, on Saturday.
(JP/DON)
The hopes of supporters of Gerindra Party presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto to witness the candidate reunite with ex-wife Siti Hediati “Titiek” Hariyadi were dashed on Saturday with no confirmation available that a ceremony had taken place to retie the knot.
Speculation had been mounting for days that the former couple would remarry, especially after the two publicly appeared together during recent presidential debates and on the campaign trail.
Media reports said that Sandiaga Uno, a campaigner for the Prabowo-Hatta Rajasa camp, had confirmed that a ceremony would take place at Istiqlal Mosque on Saturday.
Tempo.co reported that a security guard had received word on Saturday that Prabowo would visit the mosque, however he did not show up.
Text messages also circulated saying: “The marriage procession between Prabowo and Titiek Soeharto at Istiqlal Mosque will air live on tvOne and RCTI at 9 a.m. today. Enjoy the show.”
Prabowo Media Center coordinator Budi Purnomo Karjodihardjo said that he had not received any official information about the ceremony, let alone plans to televise the event nationally.
“Regarding the marriage of Pak Prabowo and Mbak Titiek at Istiqlal, we can say that there is no official information to date,” Budi said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
While the Prabowo-Hatta camp was busy responding to rumors about family matters, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received the rock star treatment as he took the stage at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Jokowi’s appearance marked his last outdoor campaign event as beginning Sunday, the country officially enters the cooling-off period.
In his speech to a full-capacity stadium, Jokowi read text from what he billed “Maklumat from Jokowi-JK” (Order from Jokowi-JK).
In the speech, Jokowi expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support and called on his supporters to guard against possible violations and vote-rigging on election day.
“I have never been this proud before and I am very proud of all of you who have worked so hard to make changes in Indonesia. You are all making history,” he said.
Jokowi called on his supporters, particularly the younger generation, to play an active role in the July 9 election.
“The younger generation will determine the future of this country. We are one step closer now,” he said.
Jokowi also promised that, should he be elected, he would work hard every day to fulfill people’s expectations.
Prior to his speech, some of the biggest names in the country’s music scene delivered rousing performances.
Some of the performers, namely rock and roll band Slank, guitar legend Ian Antono and other performers such as /Rif, Yovie and the Nuno, Kahitna, Oppie Andaresta, Kartika Jahja, JFlow, Kill the DJ, Edo Kondologit, encouraged the audience to vote for Jokowi on July 9.
Filmmaker Mira Lesmana said that artists, performers and creative workers behind the show had voluntarily teamed up for the Salam Dua Jari, or Two Finger Salute, concert to support Jokowi and Kalla, in the belief that their administration would pay more attention to the creative industry.
“We know that he will let the art scene thrive because we are all aware of his fondness of the arts. He goes to music concerts, he goes to Srimulat [famous comedy group] gigs and he mentions the creative industry in his programs. Creative workers wish to have a president who appreciates art,” Mira said.
Separately, the Democratic Party reiterated its support for the Prabowo-Hatta ticket, using the last day of the campaign “to remind” all of its members and supporters across the country to cast their ballots for the pair.
The message was conveyed by the party’s executive chairman, Syariefuddin “Syarief” Hasan, at a press conference on Saturday.
When asked about the actual stance of party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Syarief only said that he never openly declared his support for Prabowo.
“He is the President and must stand by all groups in Indonesia. And as an individual, declaring support means casting a vote at a polling station ”. (tjs)
The hopes of supporters of Gerindra Party presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto to witness the candidate reunite with ex-wife Siti Hediati “Titiek” Hariyadi were dashed on Saturday with no confirmation available that a ceremony had taken place to retie the knot.
Speculation had been mounting for days that the former couple would remarry, especially after the two publicly appeared together during recent presidential debates and on the campaign trail.
Media reports said that Sandiaga Uno, a campaigner for the Prabowo-Hatta Rajasa camp, had confirmed that a ceremony would take place at Istiqlal Mosque on Saturday.
Tempo.co reported that a security guard had received word on Saturday that Prabowo would visit the mosque, however he did not show up.
Text messages also circulated saying: “The marriage procession between Prabowo and Titiek Soeharto at Istiqlal Mosque will air live on tvOne and RCTI at 9 a.m. today. Enjoy the show.”
Prabowo Media Center coordinator Budi Purnomo Karjodihardjo said that he had not received any official information about the ceremony, let alone plans to televise the event nationally.
“Regarding the marriage of Pak Prabowo and Mbak Titiek at Istiqlal, we can say that there is no official information to date,” Budi said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
While the Prabowo-Hatta camp was busy responding to rumors about family matters, Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received the rock star treatment as he took the stage at Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta.
Jokowi’s appearance marked his last outdoor campaign event as beginning Sunday, the country officially enters the cooling-off period.
In his speech to a full-capacity stadium, Jokowi read text from what he billed “Maklumat from Jokowi-JK” (Order from Jokowi-JK).
In the speech, Jokowi expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support and called on his supporters to guard against possible violations and vote-rigging on election day.
“I have never been this proud before and I am very proud of all of you who have worked so hard to make changes in Indonesia. You are all making history,” he said.
Jokowi called on his supporters, particularly the younger generation, to play an active role in the July 9 election.
“The younger generation will determine the future of this country. We are one step closer now,” he said.
Jokowi also promised that, should he be elected, he would work hard every day to fulfill people’s expectations.
Prior to his speech, some of the biggest names in the country’s music scene delivered rousing performances.
Some of the performers, namely rock and roll band Slank, guitar legend Ian Antono and other performers such as /Rif, Yovie and the Nuno, Kahitna, Oppie Andaresta, Kartika Jahja, JFlow, Kill the DJ, Edo Kondologit, encouraged the audience to vote for Jokowi on July 9.
Filmmaker Mira Lesmana said that artists, performers and creative workers behind the show had voluntarily teamed up for the Salam Dua Jari, or Two Finger Salute, concert to support Jokowi and Kalla, in the belief that their administration would pay more attention to the creative industry.
“We know that he will let the art scene thrive because we are all aware of his fondness of the arts. He goes to music concerts, he goes to Srimulat [famous comedy group] gigs and he mentions the creative industry in his programs. Creative workers wish to have a president who appreciates art,” Mira said.
Separately, the Democratic Party reiterated its support for the Prabowo-Hatta ticket, using the last day of the campaign “to remind” all of its members and supporters across the country to cast their ballots for the pair.
The message was conveyed by the party’s executive chairman, Syariefuddin “Syarief” Hasan, at a press conference on Saturday.
When asked about the actual stance of party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Syarief only said that he never openly declared his support for Prabowo.
“He is the President and must stand by all groups in Indonesia. And as an individual, declaring support means casting a vote at a polling station ”. (tjs)
Categories: Indonesian News
Outsider groups ‘indifferent’ to presidential election
Some marginalized groups in Bandung, West Java, have said they
will opt out of voting in the upcoming presidential election on July 9.
Suhendar, head of the Wyata Guna Bandung Alumni Association, an alumni association for a social institution for the visually challenged, said neither ticket had shown concern for the rights of the disabled.
“This is not about ideology, but more about the issue of rights. We believe that not participating is a form of participation,” he said.
Suhendar made his remarks during a discussion themed “Marginalized Communities in the 2014 Presidential Election” at the office of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Bandung on Friday evening.
He cited the recent legislative election, where Braille ballots were not available for the visually challenged, resulting in them having to receive voting assistance.
“Braille ballots and the template are now available [for the election], but no candidate supports our right to be independent. Why should we bother to cast our votes?” Suhendar said.
Ayu, an activist with transgender community Srikandi Pasundan, said the General Elections Commission (KPU) never touched on transgender issues during the familiarization programs for the election.
“We have never heard a vision and mission statement related to the struggles of our community,” she said.
Negative stigma and discrimination against transgender people, she said, were still big issues, especially with regard to employment. She said it was hard for the public to acknowledge transgender people without judging their appearance.
Karmala Wardhani from Rumah Cemara, a community that assists people living with HIV/AIDS and drugs, echoed her sentiments, saying that members were not enthusiastic about the election because the central government had failed to help them overcome work-related obstacles.
“People with HIV/AIDS can still serve the public, but we often face challenges in health screenings. We cannot deny our condition, but this does not mean that we should be rejected in the working world,” he said.
Meanwhile, preparations in Central Java were not in full swing as the province still lacks a huge number of ballots.
Data from the Central Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) said that 167,368 ballots were still needed in several regencies and cities.
Central Java KPUD head Joko Purnomo said Banyumas regency, for example, needed 72,600 ballots, while Kudus regency lacked 1,300.
He said of the 35 regencies and cities in Central Java, only eight had sufficient ballots: Blora, Jepara, Wonosobo, Magelang, Boyolali, Pekalongan, Magelang city and Tegal city.
Central Java, home to some 36 million people, needs 28,048,652 ballots. To date, only 27,891,065 million ballots have been received.
Joko said that thousands of the ballots that had been received were damaged. “We spotted around 8,000 damaged ballots,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Suharso, a member of the Banyumas KPUD, said his commission had sent some members to get additional ballots from the Central Java KPUD.
Suhendar, head of the Wyata Guna Bandung Alumni Association, an alumni association for a social institution for the visually challenged, said neither ticket had shown concern for the rights of the disabled.
“This is not about ideology, but more about the issue of rights. We believe that not participating is a form of participation,” he said.
Suhendar made his remarks during a discussion themed “Marginalized Communities in the 2014 Presidential Election” at the office of the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI) in Bandung on Friday evening.
He cited the recent legislative election, where Braille ballots were not available for the visually challenged, resulting in them having to receive voting assistance.
“Braille ballots and the template are now available [for the election], but no candidate supports our right to be independent. Why should we bother to cast our votes?” Suhendar said.
Ayu, an activist with transgender community Srikandi Pasundan, said the General Elections Commission (KPU) never touched on transgender issues during the familiarization programs for the election.
“We have never heard a vision and mission statement related to the struggles of our community,” she said.
Negative stigma and discrimination against transgender people, she said, were still big issues, especially with regard to employment. She said it was hard for the public to acknowledge transgender people without judging their appearance.
Karmala Wardhani from Rumah Cemara, a community that assists people living with HIV/AIDS and drugs, echoed her sentiments, saying that members were not enthusiastic about the election because the central government had failed to help them overcome work-related obstacles.
“People with HIV/AIDS can still serve the public, but we often face challenges in health screenings. We cannot deny our condition, but this does not mean that we should be rejected in the working world,” he said.
Meanwhile, preparations in Central Java were not in full swing as the province still lacks a huge number of ballots.
Data from the Central Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) said that 167,368 ballots were still needed in several regencies and cities.
Central Java KPUD head Joko Purnomo said Banyumas regency, for example, needed 72,600 ballots, while Kudus regency lacked 1,300.
He said of the 35 regencies and cities in Central Java, only eight had sufficient ballots: Blora, Jepara, Wonosobo, Magelang, Boyolali, Pekalongan, Magelang city and Tegal city.
Central Java, home to some 36 million people, needs 28,048,652 ballots. To date, only 27,891,065 million ballots have been received.
Joko said that thousands of the ballots that had been received were damaged. “We spotted around 8,000 damaged ballots,” he told reporters on Thursday.
Suharso, a member of the Banyumas KPUD, said his commission had sent some members to get additional ballots from the Central Java KPUD.
Categories: Indonesian News
Candidates talk about balancing economy, social issues and environment
Presidential candidates Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Prabowo Subianto
both answered a question on how they would balance economic growth,
social issues and environmental protection posed by moderator University
of Diponegoro rector Sudharto P. Hadi during the final presidential
debate, broadcast live on Kompas TV and TVRI.
Jokowi answered first, saying balancing these three issues was critical.
"The three must run parallel to one another so that we all get the benefits of them," he said at the Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta on Saturday.
He said Indonesia’s forests, rivers and coral reefs were damaged because the government had been too committed to chasing economic growth without protecting the environment.
"[We must protect the environment] because we will hand it over to our grandchildren. We can no longer just make theories, we must apply what we already know and do it. We must take action," he said.
Running mate Jusuf Kalla added that technology must also be developed to help preserve the environment.
Rival Prabowo answered by focusing on education, saying that it would lead to a “multi-channel” that would help balance the three sectors.
He emphasized that every year Indonesia added 5 million people and there needed to be investment to teach them to respect the environment because more people meant more mouths to feed, which in turn damages the environment.
"Education must be invested in so that everyone understands the importance of economic growth and environmental conservation," he said. (fss)
Jokowi answered first, saying balancing these three issues was critical.
"The three must run parallel to one another so that we all get the benefits of them," he said at the Bidakara Hotel in Jakarta on Saturday.
He said Indonesia’s forests, rivers and coral reefs were damaged because the government had been too committed to chasing economic growth without protecting the environment.
"[We must protect the environment] because we will hand it over to our grandchildren. We can no longer just make theories, we must apply what we already know and do it. We must take action," he said.
Running mate Jusuf Kalla added that technology must also be developed to help preserve the environment.
Rival Prabowo answered by focusing on education, saying that it would lead to a “multi-channel” that would help balance the three sectors.
He emphasized that every year Indonesia added 5 million people and there needed to be investment to teach them to respect the environment because more people meant more mouths to feed, which in turn damages the environment.
"Education must be invested in so that everyone understands the importance of economic growth and environmental conservation," he said. (fss)
Categories: Indonesian News
Candidates face off in final debate
The Joko "Jokowi" Widodo-Jusuf Kalla and Prabowo Subianto-Hatta
Rajasa clashed in the final presidential debate at the Bidakara Hotel in
Jakarta, on Saturday.
The debate was moderated by University of Diponegoro rector Sudharto P. Hadi and focused on food security, energy and the environment. It was broadcast live on Kompas TV and TVRI at 8:50 p.m., 20 minutes later than originally scheduled.
In the debate, vice presidential candidate Hatta emphasized his ticket’s commitment to providing enough food for the nation.
"Food is a basic human right […] prices must be affordable and it must be accessible to the community," he said.
Furthermore, he said if elected Prabowo-Hatta would free the country of its reliance on food imports.
On energy, Hatta said the pair would focus on oil, gas and developing renewable energy sources. The former coordinating economic minister also spoke about sustainable development, and that Prabowo-Hatta would work to combat climate change, improve conservation efforts and boosting the quality of water, air and soil.
Rival vice presidential candidate Kalla said that he and Jokowi would increase food production by providing seeds and improving irrigation.
On energy, he said if elected, Jokowi-Kalla would focus on boosting natural gas production for use in expanded public transportation in order to improve the productivity of energy.
Kalla also talked about protecting forests and adding 1 million hectares of rice fields. (fss)
The debate was moderated by University of Diponegoro rector Sudharto P. Hadi and focused on food security, energy and the environment. It was broadcast live on Kompas TV and TVRI at 8:50 p.m., 20 minutes later than originally scheduled.
In the debate, vice presidential candidate Hatta emphasized his ticket’s commitment to providing enough food for the nation.
"Food is a basic human right […] prices must be affordable and it must be accessible to the community," he said.
Furthermore, he said if elected Prabowo-Hatta would free the country of its reliance on food imports.
On energy, Hatta said the pair would focus on oil, gas and developing renewable energy sources. The former coordinating economic minister also spoke about sustainable development, and that Prabowo-Hatta would work to combat climate change, improve conservation efforts and boosting the quality of water, air and soil.
Rival vice presidential candidate Kalla said that he and Jokowi would increase food production by providing seeds and improving irrigation.
On energy, he said if elected, Jokowi-Kalla would focus on boosting natural gas production for use in expanded public transportation in order to improve the productivity of energy.
Kalla also talked about protecting forests and adding 1 million hectares of rice fields. (fss)
Categories: Indonesian News
Candidates declare position on food, energy and environment
Presidential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and running mate
Jusuf Kalla squared off against Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa as both
tickets clarified their positions on food, energy and the environment in
the final television debate before the July 9 presidential election.
Jokowi said that in order to help strengthen the agricultural sector, the government must help farmers with equipment and more importantly by providing markets for their goods.
"The government can tell farmers to plant papaya, melons and watermelons, but where is the market? If farmers are supervised and given seeds, then they can produce anything. Don't underestimate farmers," he said during the debate at the Bidakara Hotel, Jakarta, on Saturday, broadcast on Kompas TV and TVRI.
The on-leave Jakarta governor said there was no shortage of plans for how to develop the country’s agriculture – what was lacking was implementation.
"Our farmers are ready, our land is fertile, we just need to want it, we just need the intention," he said.
When the moderator, University of Diponegoro rector Sudharto P. Hadi, asked Prabowo-Hatta about what they would do in anticipation of climate change, Prabowo also discussed agriculture.
"Every year we lose around 60,000 hectares of farmland […] that has been turned into real estate," Prabowo said.
He added that his ticket would take two measures to help the country’s agricultural sector: improve and diversify fertilizer and adding 2 million hectares of farmland. (fss)
Jokowi said that in order to help strengthen the agricultural sector, the government must help farmers with equipment and more importantly by providing markets for their goods.
"The government can tell farmers to plant papaya, melons and watermelons, but where is the market? If farmers are supervised and given seeds, then they can produce anything. Don't underestimate farmers," he said during the debate at the Bidakara Hotel, Jakarta, on Saturday, broadcast on Kompas TV and TVRI.
The on-leave Jakarta governor said there was no shortage of plans for how to develop the country’s agriculture – what was lacking was implementation.
"Our farmers are ready, our land is fertile, we just need to want it, we just need the intention," he said.
When the moderator, University of Diponegoro rector Sudharto P. Hadi, asked Prabowo-Hatta about what they would do in anticipation of climate change, Prabowo also discussed agriculture.
"Every year we lose around 60,000 hectares of farmland […] that has been turned into real estate," Prabowo said.
He added that his ticket would take two measures to help the country’s agricultural sector: improve and diversify fertilizer and adding 2 million hectares of farmland. (fss)
Categories: Indonesian News
Video purportedly shows extremist leader in Iraq
A man purporting to be the leader of the Sunni extremist group
that has declared an Islamic state in territory it controls in Iraq and
Syria has made what would be his first public appearance, delivering a
sermon at a mosque in Iraq's second-largest city, according to a video
posted online Saturday.
The 21-minute video that is said to show Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State group, was reportedly filmed on Friday at the Great Mosque in the northern city of Mosul. It was released on at least two websites known to be used by the organization and bore the logo of its media arm, but it was not possible to independently verify whether the person shown was indeed al-Baghdadi.
There are only a few known photographs of al-Baghdadi, an ambitious Iraqi militant believed to be in his early 40s with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. Since taking the reins of the group in 2010, he has transformed it from a local branch of al-Qaida into an independent transnational military force, positioning himself as perhaps the pre-eminent figure in the global jihadi community.
Al-Baghdadi's purported appearance in Mosul, a city of some 2 million that the militants seized last month, came five days after his group declared the establishment of an Islamic state, or caliphate, in the territories it seized in Iraq and Syria. The group proclaimed al-Baghdadi the leader of its state and demanded that all Muslims pledge allegiance to him.
In the video, the man said to be al-Baghdadi says that "the mujahedeen have been rewarded victory by God after years of jihad, and they were able to achieve their aim and hurried to announce the caliphate and choose the Imam," referring to the leader.
"It is a burden to accept this responsibility to be in charge of you," he adds. "I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God."
Speaking in classical Arabic with little emotion, he outlines a vision that emphasizes holy war, the implementation of a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and the philosophy that the establishment of an Islamic caliphate is a duty incumbent on all Muslims.
He is dressed in black robes and a black turban — a sign that he claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad. He has dark eyes, thick eyebrows and a full black beard with streaks of gray on the sides.
At the beginning of the video, the man purported to be al-Baghdadi slowly climbs the mosque's pulpit one step at a time. Then the call to prayer is made as he cleans his teeth with a miswak, a special type of stick that devout Muslims use to clean their teeth and freshen their breath.
The camera pans away at one point to show several dozen men and boys standing for prayer in the mosque, and a black flag of the Islamic State group hangs along one wall. One man stands guard, with a gun holster under his arm.
Aymenn al-Tamimi, an expert on militant factions in Syria and Iraq, said al-Baghdadi has come under some criticism since unilaterally declaring the establishment of a caliphate, in part for not appearing before the people.
"He had declared himself caliph, he couldn't hide away. He had to make an appearance at some time," al-Tamimi said. Traditionally, a Muslim ruler is expected to live among the people, and to preach the sermon before communal Friday prayers.
The brazenness of his purported appearance — nearly unheard of among the most prominent global jihad figures — before dozens of people, and issued on a video only a day after its occurrence, suggested the Islamic State's confidence in their rule of Mosul.
"The fact that he has done this without any consequences in Mosul's biggest mosque is a sign of (the Islamic State group's) power within the city," said al-Tamimi. He said it would likely boost the morale of al-Baghdadi's fighters, and deal a blow to the group's rivals.
A senior Iraqi intelligence official said that after an initial analysis the man in the video is believed to indeed be al-Baghdadi. The official said the arrival of a large convoy in Mosul around midday Friday coincided with the blocking of cellular networks in the area. He says the cellular signal returned after the convoy departed.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
A Mosul resident confirmed that mobile networks were down around the time of Friday prayers, and then returned a few hours later. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety.
Another aspect of the rule al-Baghdadi envisions was made clear in a series of images that emerged online late Saturday showing the destruction of at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory his group controls.
The 21 photographs posted on a website that frequently carries official statements from the Islamic State extremist group document the destruction in Mosul and the town of Tal Afar. Some of the photos show bulldozers plowing through walls, while others show explosives demolishing the buildings in a cloud of smoke and rubble.
Residents from both Mosul and Tal Afar confirmed the destruction of the sites.
Sunni extremists consider Shiites Muslims heretics, and the veneration of saints apostasy.
Also Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki removed the chief of the army's ground forces and the head of the federal police from their posts as part of his promised shake-up in the security forces following their near collapse in the face of the militant surge.
Military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said al-Maliki signed the papers to retire Lt. Gen. Ali Ghaidan, commander of the army's ground forces, and Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Kaabi, the chief of the federal police. Al-Moussawi said both men leave their jobs with their pensions. No replacements have been named.
___
Hadid reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report. (**)
The 21-minute video that is said to show Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State group, was reportedly filmed on Friday at the Great Mosque in the northern city of Mosul. It was released on at least two websites known to be used by the organization and bore the logo of its media arm, but it was not possible to independently verify whether the person shown was indeed al-Baghdadi.
There are only a few known photographs of al-Baghdadi, an ambitious Iraqi militant believed to be in his early 40s with a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head. Since taking the reins of the group in 2010, he has transformed it from a local branch of al-Qaida into an independent transnational military force, positioning himself as perhaps the pre-eminent figure in the global jihadi community.
Al-Baghdadi's purported appearance in Mosul, a city of some 2 million that the militants seized last month, came five days after his group declared the establishment of an Islamic state, or caliphate, in the territories it seized in Iraq and Syria. The group proclaimed al-Baghdadi the leader of its state and demanded that all Muslims pledge allegiance to him.
In the video, the man said to be al-Baghdadi says that "the mujahedeen have been rewarded victory by God after years of jihad, and they were able to achieve their aim and hurried to announce the caliphate and choose the Imam," referring to the leader.
"It is a burden to accept this responsibility to be in charge of you," he adds. "I am not better than you or more virtuous than you. If you see me on the right path, help me. If you see me on the wrong path, advise me and halt me. And obey me as far as I obey God."
Speaking in classical Arabic with little emotion, he outlines a vision that emphasizes holy war, the implementation of a strict interpretation of Islamic law, and the philosophy that the establishment of an Islamic caliphate is a duty incumbent on all Muslims.
He is dressed in black robes and a black turban — a sign that he claims descent from the Prophet Muhammad. He has dark eyes, thick eyebrows and a full black beard with streaks of gray on the sides.
At the beginning of the video, the man purported to be al-Baghdadi slowly climbs the mosque's pulpit one step at a time. Then the call to prayer is made as he cleans his teeth with a miswak, a special type of stick that devout Muslims use to clean their teeth and freshen their breath.
The camera pans away at one point to show several dozen men and boys standing for prayer in the mosque, and a black flag of the Islamic State group hangs along one wall. One man stands guard, with a gun holster under his arm.
Aymenn al-Tamimi, an expert on militant factions in Syria and Iraq, said al-Baghdadi has come under some criticism since unilaterally declaring the establishment of a caliphate, in part for not appearing before the people.
"He had declared himself caliph, he couldn't hide away. He had to make an appearance at some time," al-Tamimi said. Traditionally, a Muslim ruler is expected to live among the people, and to preach the sermon before communal Friday prayers.
The brazenness of his purported appearance — nearly unheard of among the most prominent global jihad figures — before dozens of people, and issued on a video only a day after its occurrence, suggested the Islamic State's confidence in their rule of Mosul.
"The fact that he has done this without any consequences in Mosul's biggest mosque is a sign of (the Islamic State group's) power within the city," said al-Tamimi. He said it would likely boost the morale of al-Baghdadi's fighters, and deal a blow to the group's rivals.
A senior Iraqi intelligence official said that after an initial analysis the man in the video is believed to indeed be al-Baghdadi. The official said the arrival of a large convoy in Mosul around midday Friday coincided with the blocking of cellular networks in the area. He says the cellular signal returned after the convoy departed.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
A Mosul resident confirmed that mobile networks were down around the time of Friday prayers, and then returned a few hours later. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of fears for his safety.
Another aspect of the rule al-Baghdadi envisions was made clear in a series of images that emerged online late Saturday showing the destruction of at least 10 ancient shrines and Shiite mosques in territory his group controls.
The 21 photographs posted on a website that frequently carries official statements from the Islamic State extremist group document the destruction in Mosul and the town of Tal Afar. Some of the photos show bulldozers plowing through walls, while others show explosives demolishing the buildings in a cloud of smoke and rubble.
Residents from both Mosul and Tal Afar confirmed the destruction of the sites.
Sunni extremists consider Shiites Muslims heretics, and the veneration of saints apostasy.
Also Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki removed the chief of the army's ground forces and the head of the federal police from their posts as part of his promised shake-up in the security forces following their near collapse in the face of the militant surge.
Military spokesman Lt. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi said al-Maliki signed the papers to retire Lt. Gen. Ali Ghaidan, commander of the army's ground forces, and Lt. Gen. Mohsen al-Kaabi, the chief of the federal police. Al-Moussawi said both men leave their jobs with their pensions. No replacements have been named.
___
Hadid reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report. (**)
Categories: Indonesian News
Palestinian teen burned to death, autopsy shows
An autopsy showed an Arab teenager who Palestinians say was
killed in a revenge attack was burned to death, officials said Saturday,
while Palestinian militants fired two rockets toward a major southern
city deeper into Israel than any other attack in the current round of
violence.
The Israeli military said its "Iron Dome" defense system intercepted the rockets that were aimed at Beersheba. The military also said at least 29 other rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel over the weekend. It said it had retaliated with airstrikes on militant sites in Gaza.
Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters spread early Saturday from Jerusalem to Arab towns in northern Israel as hundreds of people took to the streets and threw rocks and fire bombs at officers who responded with tear gas and stun grenades, police said.
Palestinian Attorney General Abdelghani al-Owaiwi said he received initial autopsy results from a Palestinian doctor who was present at the autopsy in Tel Aviv. He said it shows that 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdeir, whose death has sparked large protests in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, suffered burns on "90 percent of his body."
"The results show he was breathing while on fire and died from burns and their consequences," al-Owaiwi said.
His account provided the first details of the preliminary findings to be made public. The Israeli Health Ministry could not be reached for comment.
The autopsy found evidence that Abu Khdeir had breathed in the flames as burns were found inside his body, in his lungs, bronchial tubes and his throat, al-Owaiwi said.
He also said the young man had suffered wounds on the right side of his head apparently from impact with a rock or another hard object.
Abu Khdeir's charred body was found in a forest Wednesday after he was seized near his home. Palestinians immediately accused Israeli extremists of killing him to avenge the deaths of three Israeli teens who had been abducted and killed in the West Bank. Israeli police said an investigation is still underway and they have not yet determined who killed the boy or why.
Israeli leaders have widely condemned the killing of the Palestinian youth, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed those responsible would be brought to justice.
Palestinians took to the streets in protests after news of the boy's death on Wednesday and clashed with police in east Jerusalem. Riots erupted in east Jerusalem Friday as thousands of Palestinians massed for the boy's burial.
Near the town of Qalansawe, protesters also pulled over a car driven by an Israeli Jew on Saturday, pulled him out and set the vehicle on fire, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. The driver was not injured. Several other Israeli cars were also torched, she said. Dozens of protesters were arrested across the country throughout the day.
Protests subsided by noon but resumed in the evening with violent demonstrations in several Arab towns in the north of the country, police said.
Israel's public security minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, visited areas of friction and said police would display "zero tolerance" toward those "who take the law into their own hands and harm innocent people."
Israeli Arabs, unlike Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, hold citizenship rights. But they often face discrimination and mostly identify with the Palestinians. Even so, violent riots like these are rare.
Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem also used an electric saw to damage the light rail that connects the heavily Arab populated eastern sector of the city with the mostly Jewish West, Samri said.
President Shimon Peres spoke with Arab leaders Saturday night in Israel urging calm. "We must unite to prevent tragedies and loss of life. Together we can lower the flames and protect the innocent people, he said.
The chaos began after three Israeli teenagers, one of whom was a U.S. citizen, were abducted in the West Bank on June 12, sparking a huge manhunt that ended with the gruesome discovery of their bodies earlier this week.
In a separate incident, relatives told The Associated Press that Abu Khdeir's 15-year-old cousin Tariq, a U.S. citizen who goes to school in Florida, was beaten by police during clashes on Thursday ahead of the funeral. The U.S. Consulate had no immediate comment on the report.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the U.S. Department of State to demand that Israel immediately release Khdeir.
In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said an official from the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem had visited Khdeir on Saturday.
"We are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody and strongly condemn any excessive use of force," the spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said in a statement released Saturday. "We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force."
She also expressed concern about "the increasing violent incidents" and urged Israelis and Palestinians "to take steps to restore calm and prevent harm to innocents."
Khdeir's parents, Suha and Salah, said Tariq was detained but had been treated at an Israeli hospital. They released photos showing his face swollen and badly bruised.
Samri, the Israeli police spokeswoman, said that Tariq Abu Khdeir had resisted arrest and attacked police officers. He was detained with a slingshot in his possession used to hurl stones at police, along with six other protesters, including some armed with knives, she said, adding that several officers were hurt in that specific protest, one of many that day.
Tariq's father said he witnessed his son's arrest and insisted the boy was not involved in the violence.
Amateur video of what he said was the beating aired on a local television station, and he said he could recognize his son from his clothing.
The channel that aired it, Palestine Today, is funded by Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, a militant group that has carried out suicide bombings and other attacks aimed at civilians.
Other footage shows uniformed men dragging someone on the ground.
The face of the person cannot be seen in either video, and the circumstances leading up to the beating are not shown.
Israel's justice ministry said an investigation had been opened over the footage.
The rocket fire on Beersheba Saturday was the first since 2012, which came during intense fighting between Israel and Gaza militants.
Israel launched a massive crackdown on the Islamic militant group Hamas after the abduction of the Israeli teens, while retaliatory Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes intensified. The military says Palestinian militants have fired more than 150 rockets at southern Israel, and it has responded with airstrikes on more than 70 targets in Gaza.
___
Associated Press journalist Yousur Alhlou in Jerusalem contributed to this report. (**)
The Israeli military said its "Iron Dome" defense system intercepted the rockets that were aimed at Beersheba. The military also said at least 29 other rockets and mortars were fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel over the weekend. It said it had retaliated with airstrikes on militant sites in Gaza.
Clashes between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters spread early Saturday from Jerusalem to Arab towns in northern Israel as hundreds of people took to the streets and threw rocks and fire bombs at officers who responded with tear gas and stun grenades, police said.
Palestinian Attorney General Abdelghani al-Owaiwi said he received initial autopsy results from a Palestinian doctor who was present at the autopsy in Tel Aviv. He said it shows that 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdeir, whose death has sparked large protests in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, suffered burns on "90 percent of his body."
"The results show he was breathing while on fire and died from burns and their consequences," al-Owaiwi said.
His account provided the first details of the preliminary findings to be made public. The Israeli Health Ministry could not be reached for comment.
The autopsy found evidence that Abu Khdeir had breathed in the flames as burns were found inside his body, in his lungs, bronchial tubes and his throat, al-Owaiwi said.
He also said the young man had suffered wounds on the right side of his head apparently from impact with a rock or another hard object.
Abu Khdeir's charred body was found in a forest Wednesday after he was seized near his home. Palestinians immediately accused Israeli extremists of killing him to avenge the deaths of three Israeli teens who had been abducted and killed in the West Bank. Israeli police said an investigation is still underway and they have not yet determined who killed the boy or why.
Israeli leaders have widely condemned the killing of the Palestinian youth, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed those responsible would be brought to justice.
Palestinians took to the streets in protests after news of the boy's death on Wednesday and clashed with police in east Jerusalem. Riots erupted in east Jerusalem Friday as thousands of Palestinians massed for the boy's burial.
Near the town of Qalansawe, protesters also pulled over a car driven by an Israeli Jew on Saturday, pulled him out and set the vehicle on fire, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. The driver was not injured. Several other Israeli cars were also torched, she said. Dozens of protesters were arrested across the country throughout the day.
Protests subsided by noon but resumed in the evening with violent demonstrations in several Arab towns in the north of the country, police said.
Israel's public security minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, visited areas of friction and said police would display "zero tolerance" toward those "who take the law into their own hands and harm innocent people."
Israeli Arabs, unlike Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, hold citizenship rights. But they often face discrimination and mostly identify with the Palestinians. Even so, violent riots like these are rare.
Palestinian protesters in Jerusalem also used an electric saw to damage the light rail that connects the heavily Arab populated eastern sector of the city with the mostly Jewish West, Samri said.
President Shimon Peres spoke with Arab leaders Saturday night in Israel urging calm. "We must unite to prevent tragedies and loss of life. Together we can lower the flames and protect the innocent people, he said.
The chaos began after three Israeli teenagers, one of whom was a U.S. citizen, were abducted in the West Bank on June 12, sparking a huge manhunt that ended with the gruesome discovery of their bodies earlier this week.
In a separate incident, relatives told The Associated Press that Abu Khdeir's 15-year-old cousin Tariq, a U.S. citizen who goes to school in Florida, was beaten by police during clashes on Thursday ahead of the funeral. The U.S. Consulate had no immediate comment on the report.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on the U.S. Department of State to demand that Israel immediately release Khdeir.
In Washington, a State Department spokesperson said an official from the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem had visited Khdeir on Saturday.
"We are profoundly troubled by reports that he was severely beaten while in police custody and strongly condemn any excessive use of force," the spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said in a statement released Saturday. "We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force."
She also expressed concern about "the increasing violent incidents" and urged Israelis and Palestinians "to take steps to restore calm and prevent harm to innocents."
Khdeir's parents, Suha and Salah, said Tariq was detained but had been treated at an Israeli hospital. They released photos showing his face swollen and badly bruised.
Samri, the Israeli police spokeswoman, said that Tariq Abu Khdeir had resisted arrest and attacked police officers. He was detained with a slingshot in his possession used to hurl stones at police, along with six other protesters, including some armed with knives, she said, adding that several officers were hurt in that specific protest, one of many that day.
Tariq's father said he witnessed his son's arrest and insisted the boy was not involved in the violence.
Amateur video of what he said was the beating aired on a local television station, and he said he could recognize his son from his clothing.
The channel that aired it, Palestine Today, is funded by Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad, a militant group that has carried out suicide bombings and other attacks aimed at civilians.
Other footage shows uniformed men dragging someone on the ground.
The face of the person cannot be seen in either video, and the circumstances leading up to the beating are not shown.
Israel's justice ministry said an investigation had been opened over the footage.
The rocket fire on Beersheba Saturday was the first since 2012, which came during intense fighting between Israel and Gaza militants.
Israel launched a massive crackdown on the Islamic militant group Hamas after the abduction of the Israeli teens, while retaliatory Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes intensified. The military says Palestinian militants have fired more than 150 rockets at southern Israel, and it has responded with airstrikes on more than 70 targets in Gaza.
___
Associated Press journalist Yousur Alhlou in Jerusalem contributed to this report. (**)
Categories: Indonesian News
Montoya wins 1st IndyCar pole at Pocono Raceway
Juan Pablo Montoya had a two-lap average of 223.871 mph (360.27
kph) at Pocono Raceway for his first IndyCar Series pole position on
Saturday.
Driving for Team Penske in his open-wheel return after seven years in NASCAR, the Colombian knocked off Penske teammate Will Power on the final qualifying run.
"I feel at home in the car now," he said.
Montoya won a Pocono pole in NASCAR in August 2012. He also won 14 open-wheel poles in CART in 1999-2000.
Carlos Munoz joined Montoya and points leader Power on the front row. Takuma Sato, Marco Andretti and James Hinchcliffe completed the second row.
Montoya had the good fortune of going out last after one driver after another took a turn atop the leaderboard. Helio Castroneves, Andretti, Sato and Power all set the one-lap track record and held the provisional pole. Montoya snagged it when it counted.
Power and Castroneves are 1-2 in the standings for Roger Penske. Montoya is fifth and climbing fast after three straight top 10s.
"He's brought a lot of good stuff to the team, from the very beginning, actually," Power said. "The experience of all three of us is really helping push the cars in the right direction. The beauty about driving for Penske is that you've got the resources to develop what you want."
Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will start ninth. Hunter-Reay is the only driver who can win the open-wheel series' Triple Crown. Pocono and Fontana join the Indianapolis 500 as the three races that use three-wide starts, run 500 miles and award double points.
Defending Pocono winner Scott Dixon will start 15th.
The reigning series champion has a reversal of fortune over the final races. He's stuck well behind Power in ninth in the standings. Dixon has only one podium finish and was 19th and 18th in last weekend's Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader.
Time is running short for Dixon to make a serious push at a fourth career IndyCar championship.
"We've got to go for race wins," Dixon said after qualifying. "There's no other way of looking at it."
Dixon might find Pocono Raceway as the perfect track to ignite a winning streak — he has done it before. Dixon was seventh in the standings last season headed into Pocono when he took the checkered flag as part of a Ganassi podium sweep. He swept the doubleheader at Toronto and his three-race winning streak catapulted him into championship contention. He'd win again at Houston and clinched his third title at Fontana.
"Right now, we're not as comfortable as we should be," he said. "We've probably been a little bit aggressive in some areas. A lot of mistakes. Even I've made some mistakes.
"That's racing. It goes your way sometimes and sometimes it doesn't." (**)
Driving for Team Penske in his open-wheel return after seven years in NASCAR, the Colombian knocked off Penske teammate Will Power on the final qualifying run.
"I feel at home in the car now," he said.
Montoya won a Pocono pole in NASCAR in August 2012. He also won 14 open-wheel poles in CART in 1999-2000.
Carlos Munoz joined Montoya and points leader Power on the front row. Takuma Sato, Marco Andretti and James Hinchcliffe completed the second row.
Montoya had the good fortune of going out last after one driver after another took a turn atop the leaderboard. Helio Castroneves, Andretti, Sato and Power all set the one-lap track record and held the provisional pole. Montoya snagged it when it counted.
Power and Castroneves are 1-2 in the standings for Roger Penske. Montoya is fifth and climbing fast after three straight top 10s.
"He's brought a lot of good stuff to the team, from the very beginning, actually," Power said. "The experience of all three of us is really helping push the cars in the right direction. The beauty about driving for Penske is that you've got the resources to develop what you want."
Indianapolis 500 champion Ryan Hunter-Reay will start ninth. Hunter-Reay is the only driver who can win the open-wheel series' Triple Crown. Pocono and Fontana join the Indianapolis 500 as the three races that use three-wide starts, run 500 miles and award double points.
Defending Pocono winner Scott Dixon will start 15th.
The reigning series champion has a reversal of fortune over the final races. He's stuck well behind Power in ninth in the standings. Dixon has only one podium finish and was 19th and 18th in last weekend's Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader.
Time is running short for Dixon to make a serious push at a fourth career IndyCar championship.
"We've got to go for race wins," Dixon said after qualifying. "There's no other way of looking at it."
Dixon might find Pocono Raceway as the perfect track to ignite a winning streak — he has done it before. Dixon was seventh in the standings last season headed into Pocono when he took the checkered flag as part of a Ganassi podium sweep. He swept the doubleheader at Toronto and his three-race winning streak catapulted him into championship contention. He'd win again at Houston and clinched his third title at Fontana.
"Right now, we're not as comfortable as we should be," he said. "We've probably been a little bit aggressive in some areas. A lot of mistakes. Even I've made some mistakes.
"That's racing. It goes your way sometimes and sometimes it doesn't." (**)
Categories: Indonesian News
Raul Castro: Economic changes must be gradual
President Raul Castro reiterated Saturday that Cuba's program of
reforms will remain cautious and gradual, despite recent disappointing
GDP numbers that show the country's already-struggling economy slowing.
Days after Cuba downgraded its 2014 economic growth forecast by nearly a percentage point, Castro told parliament during the first of its twice-annual regular sessions that the reforms "have great complexity but are advancing" at the necessary pace.
"This process, to be successful, must be conducted with the appropriate gradualness and be accompanied by the permanent control of different party and government structures at all levels," Castro said in a 25-minute speech.
"Gradualness is not a whim, much less a desire to delay the changes that we must make," he added. "On the contrary, it is about a need to ensure order and avoid gaps that would lead us directly to mistakes that distort the proposed objectives."
Foreign journalists were not allowed access to the one-day session at a convention center in western Havana. His comments were broadcast later on state TV.
Vice President Marino Murillo, Castro's reforms czar, said a nascent project to eliminate Cuba's unique dual currency system is continuing and warned islanders that monetary unification itself will not increase their purchasing power.
"For that to happen, we must produce more," Murillo said.
Cuba's economy minister announced at the end of June that officials were lowering their GDP growth expectations to 1.4 percent for the year, down from a previous forecast of 2.2 percent for 2014 and from 2.7 growth recorded last year.
Castro and other officials say the reforms do not amount to an embrace of capitalism, but are rather an "update" of Cuba's socialist model to survive in the 21st century global economy.
Cuba has decentralized state-owned enterprises, legalized home and used car sales and let hundreds of thousands of people open or work for small businesses in the private sector.
Parliament also considered a report Saturday from the comptroller's office on its attempts to root out corruption. No specifics were given on the nightly newscast.
Official media reported that Agriculture Minister Gustavo Rodriguez said Cuba's food imports have reached $2 billion a year, but the government believes the island could produce 60 percent of that.
Cuba's parliament typically meets twice a year, once in the summer and again in December. Lawmakers also called an extraordinary session this spring to approve a law that seeks to attract badly needed foreign investment.
___
Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi (**)
Days after Cuba downgraded its 2014 economic growth forecast by nearly a percentage point, Castro told parliament during the first of its twice-annual regular sessions that the reforms "have great complexity but are advancing" at the necessary pace.
"This process, to be successful, must be conducted with the appropriate gradualness and be accompanied by the permanent control of different party and government structures at all levels," Castro said in a 25-minute speech.
"Gradualness is not a whim, much less a desire to delay the changes that we must make," he added. "On the contrary, it is about a need to ensure order and avoid gaps that would lead us directly to mistakes that distort the proposed objectives."
Foreign journalists were not allowed access to the one-day session at a convention center in western Havana. His comments were broadcast later on state TV.
Vice President Marino Murillo, Castro's reforms czar, said a nascent project to eliminate Cuba's unique dual currency system is continuing and warned islanders that monetary unification itself will not increase their purchasing power.
"For that to happen, we must produce more," Murillo said.
Cuba's economy minister announced at the end of June that officials were lowering their GDP growth expectations to 1.4 percent for the year, down from a previous forecast of 2.2 percent for 2014 and from 2.7 growth recorded last year.
Castro and other officials say the reforms do not amount to an embrace of capitalism, but are rather an "update" of Cuba's socialist model to survive in the 21st century global economy.
Cuba has decentralized state-owned enterprises, legalized home and used car sales and let hundreds of thousands of people open or work for small businesses in the private sector.
Parliament also considered a report Saturday from the comptroller's office on its attempts to root out corruption. No specifics were given on the nightly newscast.
Official media reported that Agriculture Minister Gustavo Rodriguez said Cuba's food imports have reached $2 billion a year, but the government believes the island could produce 60 percent of that.
Cuba's parliament typically meets twice a year, once in the summer and again in December. Lawmakers also called an extraordinary session this spring to approve a law that seeks to attract badly needed foreign investment.
___
Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi (**)
Categories: Indonesian News
Van Persie's misses nearly cost Dutch at World Cup
On the same ground where Robin van Persie's spectacular diving
header earned him the nickname the Flying Dutchman, the Netherlands
striker fell flat against Costa Rica on Saturday.
Van Persie missed two chances from close range in stoppage time in a 0-0 draw before the Dutch prevailed 4-3 in penalty shootout to set up a World Cup semifinal match against Argentina.
"Those misses could have been very costly," Van Persie said. "But our win is all that matters now."
One of those chances was heart stopping.
The ball was crossed from the left, two Dutch players failed to get to it, and it fell to Van Persie close to the back post. He shot, but the ball hit a Costa Rican defender on the goal line, ricocheted from the crossbar and bounced out.
"It's bizarre," Van Persie said. "We had too many chances. You have to stay strong and focused in such circumstances. We had to work hard to win this game."
While Van Persie sputtered, teammate Arjen Robben was a constant threat against a dogged Costa Rica squad as he left behind a diving controversy surrounding the Netherlands' second-round victory over Mexico.
Van Persie and Robben both scored twice in Salvador in the 5-1 win over Spain at the start of the tournament and have three goals each so far. Van Persie's flying header looped over a stranded Iker Casillas on Spain's goal and ended up in the net — arguably the most spectacular goal so far in the tournament.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said the missed chances could have backfired, with Costa Rica nearly taking a lead in last minutes of extra time.
"I don't know how many opportunities we had in the game, but that goes to show that scoring a goal is crucial in the game of football," Van Gaal said. "If you miss so many opportunities, the opponent could walk away and beat you, out of nowhere." (**)
Van Persie missed two chances from close range in stoppage time in a 0-0 draw before the Dutch prevailed 4-3 in penalty shootout to set up a World Cup semifinal match against Argentina.
"Those misses could have been very costly," Van Persie said. "But our win is all that matters now."
One of those chances was heart stopping.
The ball was crossed from the left, two Dutch players failed to get to it, and it fell to Van Persie close to the back post. He shot, but the ball hit a Costa Rican defender on the goal line, ricocheted from the crossbar and bounced out.
"It's bizarre," Van Persie said. "We had too many chances. You have to stay strong and focused in such circumstances. We had to work hard to win this game."
While Van Persie sputtered, teammate Arjen Robben was a constant threat against a dogged Costa Rica squad as he left behind a diving controversy surrounding the Netherlands' second-round victory over Mexico.
Van Persie and Robben both scored twice in Salvador in the 5-1 win over Spain at the start of the tournament and have three goals each so far. Van Persie's flying header looped over a stranded Iker Casillas on Spain's goal and ended up in the net — arguably the most spectacular goal so far in the tournament.
Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said the missed chances could have backfired, with Costa Rica nearly taking a lead in last minutes of extra time.
"I don't know how many opportunities we had in the game, but that goes to show that scoring a goal is crucial in the game of football," Van Gaal said. "If you miss so many opportunities, the opponent could walk away and beat you, out of nowhere." (**)
Categories: Indonesian News
Netherlands beats Costa Rica in penalty shootout
Tim Krul came on as a substitute in the final minute of extra
time and then saved two penalties in a 4-3 shootout victory over Costa
Rica on Saturday, giving the Netherlands a spot in the World Cup
semifinals.
Krul saved spot kicks from Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana after the match had finished 0-0.
"We
had a lot of chances but it didn't go in," Krul said on Dutch
television. "Then I come in, stop two penalties and here we are."
In
another stroke of tactical genius at this year's World Cup, Netherlands
coach Louis van Gaal pulled Jasper Cillessen moments after the Ajax
goalkeeper had saved a shot from Marcos Urena in extra time.
"The trick is good," said Krul, who plays for Newcastle. "A lot of preparation went into it."
The Dutch team will next face Argentina in the semifinals on Wednesday in Sao Paulo.
Krul
looked super confident during the shootout at the Arena Fonte Nova,
saving the second and fifth penalties by diving to his left and sticking
out his hand.
When Krul stopped Ruiz's penalty, Cillessen, watching from the sideline, punched the air in celebration.
When
he saved the second to win the match, Cillessen out-sprinted the rest
of the bench to get to Krul, who was already being mobbed by jubilant
teammates who had watched from the halfway line.
Costa Rica
goalkeeper Keylor Navas had kept his team in the match with a string of
great saves in the first half and again in extra time. When Wesley
Sneijder twice beat him late in regulation and again in the second half
of extra time, the woodwork made the stop.
Sneijder hit the post
with a free kick in the 80th minute and sent a curling shot over Navas
and off the crossbar before the penalty shootout.
At the end,
however, Navas could not stop any of the four Dutch penalties as
veterans Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt all
scored.
The Krul substitution will only boost Van Gaal's
reputation as a coach who leaves nothing to chance and who has a golden
touch with replacements. And it kept his tenure with the Netherlands
alive for two more matches before he becomes the manager at Manchester
United next season. (*
 |
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