Suarez's sponsorship to be reviewed

Suarez has been banned twice before for biting during club games.

Suarez's sponsorship is to be reviewed

A company that sponsors the Uruguayan football star, Luis Suarez, says it's reviewing their relationship, after he appeared to bite an Italian player during a World Cup match on Tuesday.

The governing body of world football, FIFA, has opened disciplinary proceedings against Suarez, which could result in a lengthy ban.The betting firm, 888poker, said it wouldn't tolerate unsporting behaviour.

The player says he was pushed and that situations like that happened on the pitch. He has been banned twice before for biting during club games.

Spanish princess to face charges

The sister of the newly-crowned King Felipe of Spain has been formally named as a suspect in a corruption investigation, paving the way for a criminal trial.

Princess Cristina is accused of tax fraud and money-laundering.

The judge leading the probe believes she knew about the allegedly fraudulent activities of her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, who is accused of embezzling millions of euros of public funds.

The ruling is one of the last stages before a trial although the couple will be able to appeal against today's decision.

A BBC correspondent in Madrid says it's a major embarrassment to the new king as he tries to restore the flagging credibility of the Spanish royal family.

Greste 'devastated' by court verdict

Greste 'devastated' by court verdict

Peter Greste -one of the three Al-Jazeera journalists jailed in Egypt this week- has said he is devastated and outraged by the verdict.

He said the trial had been an attempt to use the court to intimidate and silence critical voices in the media.In a statement issued by his brothers, who visited him in prison in Cairo, he said prosecutors had failed to provide a single piece of concrete evidence to support claims that he and his colleagues were guilty of spreading false news.

Mr Greste, Mohammed Fahmy and Baher Mohammed were given seven-year prison sentences on Monday, sparking an international outcry.

Thai general denies coup was planned

One of Thailand's most senior generals has denied that last month's military coup was planned in advance.

In a BBC interview, Lieutenant General Chatchalerm Chalermsukh rejected claims from a key political supporter of the coup that the military had been preparing for months to take over.

He said the detention of politicians, academics and activists was designed to give people time to cool off after a period of turmoil.

The general promised that a reconciliation process would start soon and denied that there was a climate of fear in Thailand.

A Malaysian diplomat charged with sexual assault

A Malaysian diplomat charged in New Zealand

 

This general view shows the exterior wall of the High Commission of Malaysia building in Wellington.

The Malaysian foreign ministry has confirmed that one of its diplomats has been charged with sexual assault in New Zealand.

A military officer at the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington, Mohammed Rizalman Bin Ismail, is alleged to have used his diplomatic immunity to leave the country.

The prime minister of New Zealand, John Key, said a request for the officer to be returned to face trial in New Zealand had been rejected.

Malaysia denies this, saying Mr Rizalman was recalled with New Zealand's consent, and his conduct will be investigated

Cameroon to investigate an alleged match-fixing

Cameroon's football authorities say they will investigate alleged match-fixing during their team's World Cup campaign in Brazil.

Attention will focus on a game against Croatia, which Cameroon lost 4-0 after having a player sent off in the first half. The investigation follows allegations in a German newspaper by a convicted match-fixer from Singapore.

More than half of the Guantanamo detainees to be transferred

More than half of the Guantanamo detainees to be transferred

The official in charge of overseeing the closure of the United States' controversial Guantanamo Bay prison facility expects more than half of the remaining detainees to be transferred within months.

He said Guantanamo's existence weakened national security, damaged relations with allies and was exorbitantly expensive.Clifford Sloan, the US Special Envoy for Guantanamo Closure told the BBC that substantial progress had been made on repatriating or resettling 78 of the 149 terrorism suspects, and the case for closing the camp was compelling.

National action plan is called for

A British parliamentary committee has described the failure to tackle female genital mutilation in the UK as a 'national scandal' and is calling for a national action plan.

The politicians want vulnerable girls to be protected by court orders and medical professionals to conduct regular physical examinations of those considered at risk of what they describe as an extreme form of child abuse.

Although FGM was outlawed in Britain in 1985, only one prosecution has taken place and it is estimated that 65,000 girls across the country could be in danger of mutilation.

Indonesia axes bikinis for 2013 Miss World pageant

Indonesia axes bikinis for 2013 Miss World pageant


Miss world pageant: This Aug. 18, 2012 file photo shows newly-crowned Miss World Yu Wenxia, of China, after she won the Miss World 2012 beauty pageant at the Ordos Stadium Arena in inner Mongolia, China. Miss World has axed the famed bikinis from this year's pageant in Indonesia, replacing the skimpy swimsuits with conservative beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hard-line Muslim groups, organizers said Thursday. All of the more than 130 contestants will be required to wear Bali's traditional long sarongs instead of the sexy bikinis that are historically part of the competition, said Adjie S. Soeratmadjie of the RCTI, the official broadcaster and local organizer. (AP/Andy Wong)Miss world pageant: This Aug. 18, 2012 file photo shows newly-crowned Miss World Yu Wenxia, of China, after she won the Miss World 2012 beauty pageant at the Ordos Stadium Arena in inner Mongolia, China. Miss World has axed the famed bikinis from this year's pageant in Indonesia, replacing the skimpy swimsuits with conservative beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hard-line Muslim groups, organizers said Thursday. All of the more than 130 contestants will be required to wear Bali's traditional long sarongs instead of the sexy bikinis that are historically part of the competition, said Adjie S. Soeratmadjie of the RCTI, the official broadcaster and local organizer. (AP/Andy Wong)



Miss World has axed the famed bikinis from this year's pageant in Indonesia, replacing the skimpy swimsuits with conservative beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hard-line Muslim groups, organizers said Thursday.

All of the more than 130 contestants will be required to wear Bali's traditional long sarongs instead of the sexy bikinis that are historically part of the competition, said Adjie S. Soeratmadjie of the RCTI, the official broadcaster and local organizer.

Parts of the pageant will take place on the resort island of Bali and the final round will be held Sept. 28 near the capital, Jakarta. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country.

"There will no bikini in this year's Miss World pageant to respect our traditional customs and values," Soeratmadjie said, adding that the London-based Miss World Organization is on board with the decision.

"This is a sensitive issue in Indonesia. We have discussed it since last year and they have agreed," he said.

The chairwoman of the Miss World Organization, Julia Morley, confirmed that none of the 137 contestants would wear a bikini.

"Indonesia is designing for us a very beautiful one-piece beachwear, and I'm very happy with them," she told The Associated Press by phone from London, adding that the pageant will include a special beachwear fashion show.

"I don't think Indonesia is the only country that has that culture," Morley said. "But we like to work in the manner respectful to every country, and I cannot see why when you go to somebody's country you should not behave respectfully."

The pageant began in the 1950s, and the first winner was crowned in a two-piece bathing suit.

Soeratmadjie said the sarong would be made creatively and designed specifically for the event.

Controversy over the pageant has been mounting in Indonesia, which has a reputation as a tolerant, pluralist society that respects freedom of expression.

Clerics of the Indonesian Council of Ulema, or MUI, said they would send a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to demand that the beauty pageant be canceled.

"That contest is just an excuse to show women's body parts that should remain covered," said Mukri Aji, a prominent cleric from West Java province's MUI branch. "It's against Islamic teachings."

Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, a hard-line Islamic group, said it planned to stage a protest and called for the competition to be moved elsewhere.

Most Muslims in Indonesia, a secular country of 240 million people, are moderate, but a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.

They have pushed through controversial laws — including an anti-pornography bill — and have been known to attack anything perceived as blasphemous, from transvestites and bars to "deviant" religious sects.

Lady Gaga was forced to cancel her sold-out concert in Indonesia in May following threats by Islamic hard-liners, who called her a "devil worshipper." Jennifer Lopez toned down her sexy outfits and dance moves during a show in Jakarta last December.

PKS Politician Misbakhun Supports Jokowi

Misbakhun, a Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician, paid a visit to the residence of Surakarta Mayor Joko Widodo or Jokowi on Wednesday, September 5. In addition to expressing hospitality, Misbakhun, who has been implicated in the Bank Century scandal, openly stated his support for the host, Joko Widodo, in the coming Jakarta gubernatorial race.

Misbakhun said that many PKS members supported Jokowi as Jakarta governor. However, not many members are open about their support because the PKS officially supports candidates Fauzi Bowo and Nachrowi Ramli.

“I support Jokowi because during his time as Solo mayor he managed to implement programs that are well accepted by the community and therefore, he gained public sympathy,” said Misbakhun on Wednesday, September 5. “Therefore, if Jokowi is elected [as Jakarta governor], I would like to leave my people in his hands; Jokowi will be leading a large number of people of various religions.”

Indigenous Community Proposes Indigenization of Development

The Indonesian government is preparing a vision framework and principles for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The development agenda was one of the most important resolutions from the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil last June. In addition, a substitute for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which will expire in 2015, is also being prepared.

“The president has assigned us to formulate it [the agenda],” said Kuntoro Mangkusubroto, director of the presidential executive division on Development Monitoring and Control (UKP4), on Thursday, September 6, during a workshop entitled: “Indonesia and Post-2015 Development Agenda”.

Kuntoro added that since last week his division has invited international academics for a discussion and seminar. These academics include: Nobel-prize winner in economics Eric Maskin, and scientist and leading economist Kaushik Basu. In addition there was also green economy advocate Pavan Sukhdev and Sabina Alkire from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.

Development Master Plan Ignores Environmental Aspects

United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) special advisor Pavan Sukhdev has proposed three factors that could accommodate a green economy in Indonesia. Firstly, by boosting natural capital by increasing productivity of small-scale enterprises, implementing the REDD+ (Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) program, providing assistance in fisheries and coral reef conservation.

“Secondly, by improving urban areas where human capital is a ‘growth machine’ for green economy,” said Sukhdev when addressing the audience and a workshop entitled: “Indonesia and Post-2015 Development Agenda” that was held on 5-6 September in Jakarta. Thirdly, according to Sukhdev, the business sector must be improved through micro policy reforms.

Sukhdev, a green economy advocate, also discussed the role or corporations. Each year, corporations generate 60 percent of the global GDP. However, according to the author of Corporation 2020, today’s business practices have left ecological marks on more than 50 percent of the earth’s bio-capacity.

Therefore, through his book, Sukhdev suggested that policy reforms must encourage the business sector to support a green economy. Corporation 2020, said Sukhdev, is not only to generate financial capital for shareholders but also generates human, social and natural capital for the general population.

History of the civil engineering profession

Engineering has been an aspect of life since the beginnings of human existence. The earliest practices of Civil engineering may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon a nomadic existence, thus causing a need for the construction of shelter. During this time,transportation became increasingly important leading to the development of the wheel and sailing.

Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil engineering and architecture, and the term engineer andarchitect were mainly geographical variations referring to the same person, often used interchangeably.[7] The construction of Pyramids in Egypt (circa 2700-2500 BC) might be considered the first instances of large structure constructions. Other ancient historic civil engineering constructions include the Parthenon by Iktinos in Ancient Greece(447-438 BC), the Appian Way by Roman engineers (c. 312 BC), the Great Wall of China by General Meng T'ien under orders from Ch'in Emperor Shih Huang Ti (c. 220 BC)[6] and the stupas constructed in ancient Sri Lanka like theJetavanaramaya and the extensive irrigation works in Anuradhapura. The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulae, harbours, bridges, dams and roads.
The Archimedes screw was operated by hand and could raise water efficiently.

In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to incorporate all things civilian as opposed to military engineering.[5] The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton who constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse.[4][6] In 1771 Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some technical meetings, it was little more than a social society.

In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London, and in 1820 the eminent engineer Thomas Telford became its first president. The institution received a Royal Charter in 1828, formally recognising civil engineering as a profession. Its charter defined civil engineering as:

the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man, as the means of production and of traffic in states, both for external and internal trade, as applied in the construction of roads, bridges, aqueducts, canals, river navigation and docks for internal intercourse and exchange, and in the construction of ports, harbours, moles, breakwaters and lighthouses, and in the art of navigation by artificial power for the purposes of commerce, and in the construction and application of machinery, and in the drainage of cities and towns.[8]

The first private college to teach Civil Engineering in the United States was Norwich University founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge.[9] The first degree in Civil Engineering in the United States was awarded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835.[10] The first such degree to be awarded to a woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora Stanton Blatch in 1905.[11]

Levingston Liftboats

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About Us

The Levingston family has been involved with the shipbuilding industry since the 1850s in the United States. Samuel L. Levingston was born in 1832 and moved to the United States from Ireland in 1846. While in Florida, his first job was a ship carpenter. In 1852, he married Asenatha Moore. In the late 1850s, the Levingston family moved to the area near what is now the city of Orange, Texas and established a shipyard on the Sabine River. Samuel Levingston served the Confederate forces during the Civil War as a ship carpenter and a blockade runner.

After the war, he returned to Orange and began another shipyard, building paddle wheel boats for hauling cotton and farm products on the Sabine River between Orange and Logansport, Louisiana. Upon his retirement, his son, "Captain George" Levingston took over the business and developed it into the Levingston Shipbuilding Company. The shipyard continued to build vessels of all types for both the commercial market and the government. When the offshore oil and gas market developed in the 1950s, Levingston was in the forefront, developing and building many of the early designs. Levingston was the only United States builder of all types of offshore drilling rigs. With the growth of the offshore rig building business, Levingston Shipbuilding Company established Far East Levingston Shipbuilding ("FELS"). FELS has grown into what today is Keppel FELS, a world recognized shipbuilder.

As we focus on the future, we are founded on our experiences and the principles on which we believe and understand - shipbuilding. Over the decades of shipbuilding by the Levingston family, we are concentrated on the offshore oil and gas industry. Specifically, our attention is on the larger, classed Liftboat market with enhanced capabilities. We have assembled a world-class team of designers, engineers, builders and operators to bring the world offshore oil and gas industry the latest in our self-elevating, self-propelled, multi-purpose vessels.

Our alliance partners are the leaders in the liftboat industry. Simply, no other company has more experience in the design, building and operations of liftboats than Levingston and their alliance partners.

Decades of experience in the liftboat industry have honed our skills in centering on those variables that produce a highly versatile, efficient vessel. Our vessel designs use proven, time-tested jacking systems and cranes - integral components of the liftboat. We emphasize those features that we believe based on our experience contribute to the overall operational efficiency of the vessels, i.e., increased deck area and deck load capacity, enhanced maneuverability, larger personnel quarters capacity, and increased leg lengths.

We have essentially two approaches to liftboat design. It is our belief that the future of liftboat design, building and operations will center on enhanced capabilities. From the early days of liftboats in the 1950s to the present, liftboat capabilities and capacities have increased significantly. The first approach to liftboat design revolves around traditional liftboat services with capacities for essentially everything except drilling and work-over services. The second approach focuses on making the liftboat an even more versatile offshore service vessel by adding the capacity to drilling and work-over. This second approach, we refer to as our Enhanced Class (or "E" Class). Although, there are certain job specific applications that the first, traditional design is sufficient, we believe that the future is in E Class liftboats. This will provide a highly versatile, efficient vessel.

"Levingston and Their Alliance Partners"
Levingston and their alliance partners form a team of the most experienced designers, builders, and operators in the liftboat industry. Our combined backgrounds and experience is unsurpassed in the offshore liftboat industry. Although, we are founded on experiences in the United States Gulf of Mexico, our focus is international. We simply want to bring our liftboats to the world offshore markets.

Chris John Fights Japanese Challenger

WBA Fly-weight Super Champion Chris John is to face Japanese boxer Shoji Kimora in a title fight at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on May 5, a spokesman of his promotor said.

Chris’s opponent is 34 years old and has an orthodox boxing style, Fathan Rangkuti, media and promotion officer of Mahkota Promotions, said here Tuesday. At the same time and venue, IBO Asia Pacific fly-weight champion Daud Yordan would be fighting Philippine boxer Ramie Laput, he said.

"Daud’s opponent is 33 years old and also has an orthodox boxing style. He descended to bantam weight," Fathan said.

The contracts on Chris John’s and Daud Yordan’s matches had already been signed and what they now had to do was preparing themselves for the upcoming fights, he said. "Late February Chris John will leave for Australia to train at Herry’s Gym in Perth under supervision of his trainer Craig Christian."

When in the ring with Shoji Kimora, Chris John who is nicknamed The Dragon would be defending his title for the 16th time.

Astra International Splits Shares

Publicly listed diversified group PT Astra International Tbk (ASII) is planning to split the nominal value of its shares under a 1:10 ratio.

The proposal for stock split would be brought to an extraordinary meeting of the company’s shareholders in April or May for approval, Astra International Corporate Secretary Gita Tiffany Boer said during a public expose here on Tuesday. By splitting the shares, retail investors could afford to buy them and the company could increase the liquidity of its shares in the stock exchange, he said.

Last year, Astra International posted a net profit of Rp17.8 trillion, up 24 percent from Rp14.4 trillion the year before. The company plans to set aside part of its profit last year to pay a dividend of Rp1,380 per share.

PT Astra International currently controls 53.8 percent of the country’s automobile market. In the January-November 2011 period Astra International sold 438,111 units, more than a half of domestic car sales which reached 813,856 units, making it the country’s biggest retailer.

Indonesia, Algeria Agree to Strengthen Investment Cooperation

The Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) and the Algerian National Investment Development Agency (ANDA) have signed a much-awaited Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the investment sector.

"The MoU between the two investment coordinating agencies is the fruit of a longstanding process they have explored since a few years ago," Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Indonesian to Algeria Ahmad Niam Salim said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

The MoU was expected to enhance bilateral cooperation in economic and investment fields in support of the two nations’ welfare, he said. "Thank God, the MoU could be signed after a long process. This is the first MoU during my term of office as an extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of Indonesian to Algeria and I hope this MoU will be followed by other MoUs."

The MoU was signed by BKPM Deputy Chief Achmad Kurniadi and ANDI Secretary General Khoiar Djouada on the sidelines of an expert meeting forum between the two countries at Mitsaq Hotel, Algeria, on Monday. Also present at the signing ceremony were Indonesian Ambassador to Algeria Ahmad Niam Salim, and head of the Indonesian delegation Roni P. Yulianto who is also the foreign ministry’s director for the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Algerian side was represented by director for Asia at the foreign ministry Naceur Boucherit and a number of ANDI officials. Achmad Kurnia expressed hope the MoU would soon be followed up on by taking practical steps to mutually explore the possibility of business and investment cooperation in a more real way.

"This MoU is good news for Indonesian businessmen wishing to expand their businesses in Algeria. We hope that the two agencies will follow up on the MoU by taking technical steps in the investment field."

You CAN Live Forever...

Forget expensive lotions and potions – the key to becoming immortal could be found in flatworms, scientists say. The worms, which live in lakes and ponds, hold the remarkable ability to regenerate time and time again – effectively living forever.

If one is cut in half, the head portion grows a tail and the tail portion grows a head. Cut it into 20 pieces and 20 new worms, each an exact copy of the first, are created.

This has been exploited by Nottingham University scientists who have created a colony of more than 20,000 worms, all from one original, whose bodies and organs do not appear to age.

They are confident a single worm which did not divide would live forever – unless it catches an infection or another illness. Researcher Dr Aziz Aboobaker said: ‘In my opinion, they are immortal.’

It is hoped that the research will help develop treatments that allow humans to stay fit and healthy long into old age. The experiments focused on Schmidtea mediterranea, a relative of an African parasite which can be found under stones and rocks in British ponds.

The flatworm has a simple brain – or concentration of nerve cells – in its head, which can be regenerated by stem cells found elsewhere in the body. In contrast, an earthworm would die if cut in two.

One strain of Schmidtea mediterranea reproduces without sex, simply by splitting itself in half and creating two copies, growing new muscles, skin, guts and even an entire brain in the process.

To speed up nature, the scientists cut the worms with a razor blade. Dr Aboobaker said: ‘You take one and wait until it is seven to ten days old and you cut it. The tail grows into a new head and the head grows into a new tail. A big one can be cut into ten to 20 pieces.’

By doing this for four years, they have generated around 20,000 copies of one original worm. The longest survived around a year before succumbing to infection. Most worms live just a few days.

Key to the flatworms’ immortality are telomeres – tiny biological clocks that cap the ends of chromosomes. Normally, they get shorter with time, stopping cells from dividing and renewing and causing the body to age.

But in the flatworm, the telomeres stay intact, allowing cells to divide many times and stopping ageing in its tracks. Dr Aboobaker and colleague Dr Thomas Tan have pinpointed the gene that allows them to do this, the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports.

The researchers said: ‘The next goals for us are to understand the mechanisms in more detail and understand more about how you evolve an immortal animal.’

Knowing more about how the worms safely do this could help stem cell scientists achieve their Holy Grail – the growth of new hearts, livers or brain cells in a dish. It could also speed the development of drugs that stave off many of the diseases of old age.

Douglas Kell, of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which part-funded the study, said: ‘This research contributes to our fundamental understanding of some of the processes involved in ageing and build strong foundations for improving health and potentially longevity in other organisms, including humans.’

Iran to Hold Culture Week in Jakarta

Iran to Hold Culture Week in Jakarta

The Iranian embassy in Jakarta is to stage an Iranian culture week on March 7-13, the country’s top diplomat said.

"We will hold this program to acquaint the Indonesian public with the culture of the Islamic Republic of Iran," Iranian Ambassador to Indonesia Mahmoud Farazandeh said here Tuesday.

The event would be opened at the National Museum and also include the screening of Iranian films at the Usmar Ismail building. He said now was the right time to show Iranian films as one such film titled "A Separation" had won acclaim at the 84th Academy Awards festival in the foreign films category.

Farazandeh said Iran’s cinematography had recently elicited praise from the world as it had produced quality films based on fresh ideas and free from sex scenes. "Indonesia-Iran relations date back to thousands of years ago as proven by the discovery of an ancient grave stone bearing an inscription in the Persian language."

In the literary field, especially in Malay literature, there also was Iranian influence as about 400 Persian words had become part of Bahasa Indonesia part of which were still being used today, he said. Indonesian poets such as Sanusi Pane and Amir Hamzah had turned out works with strong Persian cultural influences.

"The Iranian revolution was a cultural revolution and we want to spread it throughout the world," he said. Apart from the cultural week, there would also be seminars on Iran at a number of universities in Jakarta, the ambassador said.

Indonesia and Iran had in the past also engaged in cultural exchanges such as an Indonesian culture week in Iran and an Iranian calligraphy exhibition in Jakarta, Farazandeh said.

Nasa Identifies New Asteroid Threat Which 'Could Hit Earth'

Nasa Identifies New Asteroid Threat Which 'Could Hit Earth'

It is 460ft wide and soaring through space - on a possible collision course with Earth. Nasa has identified a new asteroid threat to our planet and calculated that it could potentially impact on February 5th 2040.

The 2011 AG5 has already attracted the concern of the UN Action Team on near-Earth objects, which has begun discussing ways to divert it. They have put the odds of it hitting us at one in 625, though that could change nearer the time.

Were the rock to land on a city it could cause millions of deaths, although mankind would live through it. The asteroid which wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago was nine miles wide, compared to 460ft for the 2011 AG5.

Scientists have not yet been able to work out much more about it than its size as they have only been able to observe it for half its orbit. But between 2013 and 2016 they will be able to monitor from the ground and will make a more detailed assessment.

In 2023 the rock will make a ‘keyhole pass’ of Earth, which is an area it passes through on the orbit before it would hit Earth. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, this will will be within a mere 0.02 astronomical units of our planet, or 1.86 million miles.

According to NASA, amongst the ways of deflecting it are putting a probe onto the rock and using the extra gravity the craft generates to steer the asteroid away over millions of light years.

Another option would be sending a probe into it so the impact would have the same effect. Nuclear weapons have also been discussed, but this would create a shower of rocks instead of just one.

There are roughly 19,000 such 'mid-sized' asteroids within 120 million miles of Earth, according to Nasa's latest sky-scans. Mid-sized refers to asteroids in a size range between 330 and 3,300 feet wide, which could destroy a city-sized area were they to hit Earth.

NASA's latest scan used the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE and took two infrared scans of the entire celestial sky in a series of infrared photos between January 2010 and February 2011.

Much of the world’s attention on asteroids has been on the Aphophis asteroid, which is the size of two and a half football fields and is predicted to pass close to Earth in 2036. If the forecasts are true it will come within 18,300 miles of Earth’s surface and will be visible from most of Europe, Africa and Asia

In recent years it has not just been asteroids that have threatened Earth - falling satellites have also caused problems too. In October Germany's Roentgen satellite X-Ray telescope entered a 12,500mph death dive and split up into around 30 huge chunks when it was deliberated crash landed.

Experts however had no idea where it landed and could only say somewhere South of Berlin and North of Wellington in New Zealand. The odds of being hit by one of the pieces was put at 2,000 to one, more likely than getting a hole in one in golf, though no injuries were reported.

Spirited Traveller Fruity Cocktail Infusions in Jakarta

Spirited Traveller Fruity Cocktail Infusions in Jakarta

Welcome to Jakarta, also known as the “Big Durian.” Although you’re unlikely to find the notoriously stinky durian in many drinks in the Indonesian capital, expect refreshing cocktails that make the most of other tropical fruits, such as mango, lychee, even the cantaloupe-like rockmelon.

“Over the past few years, Jakarta has seen a boom in its drinking culture, especially among young people,” says Hanny Wahyuni of The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Mega Kuningan.

While a cold beer, particularly Bintang, is the classic unwind after a long work week, the growing number of bars across Jakarta also do a brisk business in spirits. Local cocktail menus reveal a sweet-tooth for candy flavoured vodka martinis, rum or cachaca cocktails dosed with kafir lime or tropical fruits.

Ritz Carlton’s 8 Lounge (http://bit.ly/n9xtJy) has an entire drinks menu section dedicated to Mojito variations; another to Caipirinha concoctions. Wahyuni’s drink-stop recommendations for business travellers include Cork & Screw (http://www.corknscrew.biz/), a restaurant and bar located inside a wine shop, and Potato Head (http://ptthead.com/jakarta/) at Pacific Place Mall.

The latter serves Western-style comfort food accompanied by cocktails such as the Pistachio Rockmelon Martini (vodka, melon liqueur and fresh rockmelon, topped with pistachio foam). He also notes newcomer Otel Lobby (http://otellobby.com/), a gastropub in the Annex Building of Epicentrum Kuningan.

At the end of the day, Wahyuni likes Social House (http://socialhouse.asia/) at Harvey Nichols in Grand Indonesia Mall.During the day, the space serves tea to office workers, but in the evening the windows fold back to invite cooling evening breezes and panoramic views of the Jakarta skyline.

The same team that runs Social House also owns the VIP-happy Dragonfly (http://www.ismaya.com/dragonfly/), where celebrities mix with expats and execs to dance all night, fuelled by rum cocktails. Loewy (http://www.loewyjakarta.com/) in Mega Kuningan, near The Ritz-Carlton, also gets a nod from Wahyuni.

The bistro-style restaurant offers a menu of (exclusively vodka) martinis and the city’s largest selection of single malt whiskeys. Once you’ve sampled your way through these bars, you’re ready for Bir Pletok, Jakarta’s iconic restorative libation.

RECIPE: BIR PLETOK

Courtesy of Hanny Wahyuni, The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta. This non-alcoholic herbal libation is said to ward off a host of ills, from flu to high cholesterol. Dating back to the colonial period, the drink is indeed named after beer - few locals could afford the beer drunk by Dutch colonists, and opted to brew their own “bir” using local herbs and spices.

As for the word “pletok”, depending on who you ask, it either mimics the sound of cardamom pods cracking open in boiling water, or it’s the sound made when shaking together all the ingredients: “Pletok, pletok, pletok.”

2 litres water
350 grams ginger, peeled and sliced
6 pieces clove
1 piece cinnamon Bark, about 5 centimetres long
3 cardamom (cardamom) pods
5 stalks lemongrass
25 grams secang wood (a plant native to Indonesia )
1/2 nutmeg
500 grams white sugar
Salt
3 pandan leaves
5 lime leaves

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the remaining ingredients, lower the heat, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid into a jar and allow to cool, then cap tightly. Discard solids.

Although bir pletok can be drunk hot, most people prefer to drink it served refreshingly cold. Keeps for one week, refrigerated.

DOJ Compares Apple and Publishers to Big Oil in Ebooks Case Read more: http://paidcontent.org/2012/08/23/doj-compares-apple-and-publishers-to-big-oil-in-ebooks-case/#ixzz24hlStFCD

In its response to recent filings from Apple, publishers and booksellers on its proposed ebook settlement with three publishers, the Department of Justice addresses few specific complaints (PDF; full filing embedded below). Rather, citing the “unmistakable consumer harm that has resulted from the conspiracy in this case,” the DOJ calls on Judge Denise Cote to approve the settlement without a hearing.

Last week, attorney Bob Kohn and the Authors Guild sought permission to act as “friends of the court” in the proposed settlement and filed amicus briefs. We have not yet seen a filing from Judge Cote granting their requests, but both parties are listed as “amicus” on the docket report, along with Barnes & Noble and the American Booksellers Association. However, the DOJ does not respond to Kohn or the Authors Guild in its response.

The DOJ shoots down the argument that ebooks are different from print books but doesn’t elaborate on why they are the same (and doesn’t respond to the criticism that it has failed to take interrelated markets, like those for e-readers, into account). Rather, it says, “Railroads, publishers, lawyers, construction engineers, health care providers, and oil companies are just some of the voices that have raised cries against ‘ruinous competition’ over the decades,” and publishers should not be granted special treatment.

(MORE: Why Wall Street Loves Apple and Google as Facebook and Friends Fail)

Response to Apple

Last week, Apple argued that the DOJ’s proposed settlement, which it has not joined, affects its interests by forcing it to tear up existing contracts. As such, Apple says it’s entitled to a trial before the settlement is approved. The DOJ says Apple “is not entitled to preclude the United States and Apple’s co-defendants from obtaining the immediate benefits of their settlements, as it is well established that the United States ‘need not prove its underlying allegations in a Tunney Act proceeding.’” (The Tunney Act relates to anti-trust proceedings).

The DOJ claims that “in reality, what troubles Apple is that the decree returns pricing discretion not just to Apple, but also to its retail competitors.”

Response to Penguin

Last week, Penguin argued that the DOJ has not proven that ebook prices across the board rose under agency pricing. Penguin, which along with Macmillan is holding out against the settlement, also provided evidence showing that even prior to agency, Amazon priced many of its new titles above $9.99.

(MORE: Best Buy Can’t Stop the Bleeding)

The DOJ does not respond to this specific point, but rather presents charts (chart 1-PDF, chart 2-PDF) showing that “Penguin did indeed raise its prices as soon as it gained power to do so. “In four weeks spanning the time when Penguin took retail pricing power from Amazon, the average price for a Penguin e-book sold through Amazon increased 17 percent, and the average price for a Penguin ‘new release’ e-book sold through Amazon increased 21 percent.” Here are the DOJ’s charts (1, 2) andaccompanying methodology.

Penguin had argued that the DOJ should turn over all of its research on ebook pricing, since that research is apparently the basis for its conclusion that ebook prices rose across the board under agency pricing. The DOJ refuses, citing case law: “There is simply no basis for Penguin’s assertion that the United States must produce internal economic analyses to support its settlement.”

Response to Macmillan

Macmillan echoed Penguin’s demand for the DOJ’s research on ebook pricing and also asked the DOJ to show, as required by antitrust law, that the settlement would not result in Amazon gaining a monopoly. The DOJ responds by saying that there is no evidence that the settlement would result in Amazon gaining a monopoly because of “competition from established companies such as B&N, Google, Apple, and Sony.”

The DOJ says “the recently announced investment by Microsoft in B&N’s e-book business, and Sony’s release of a new e-reader, do not reflect any reluctance on the part of sophisticated companies to expand their sales of e-books.”

(MORE: 10 Questions for Dan Quayle)

Response to the ABA and Barnes & Noble

In their amicus brief, the booksellers argued that the number of public comments against the proposed settlement vastly outweighed the number of comments in favor of the settlement. The DOJ responds that “it is not unprecedented for parties to oppose a settlement because they have a stake in an anticompetitive status quo,” and claims “the majority of the comments received opposing the decree did not come from those seeking to represent the public interest, but rather from those that benefited from the conspiracy and that have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.”

Read more: http://paidcontent.org/2012/08/23/doj-compares-apple-and-publishers-to-big-oil-in-ebooks-case/#ixzz24hlsOJim

Former health minister passes away

Former Health Minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih passed away at the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta at 11:41 a.m.

Deputy Health Minister Ali Ghufron Mukti said that Endang's death followed a severe deterioration in her condition on Tuesday. She had been undergoing treatment for lung cancer since April 20.

Endang, 57, resigned from her position last week due to her illness.

Endang was appointed health minister in 2009. In October 2010, she revealed her illness to the public, which drew concerns about her ability to perform her duties.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to pay his condolences at the Health Ministry.

“[She died] at 11:41 a.m. We’ll take her body home to Duren Sawit [South Jakarta] in two hours,” Endang’s widower Reanny Mamahit told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

Graft Convict Bahasyim Returns Rp 67B to State

Supreme Court official M. Adi Toegarisman said that a total of Rp. 67 billion belonging to corruption and money laundering convict Bahasyim Assifie is scheduled to be transferred to the state's account at BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia) tomorrow, Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

The Supreme Court panel of judges consisting of Leopold Hutagalung dan M.S. Lumme as ad hoc members and Djoko Sarwoko as presiding judge handed down a six-year prison sentence - each for corruption and money laundering - to Bahasyim on Oct. 31, 2011. The Supreme Court by its ruling rectified the single verdict handed down by the Jakarta High Court for two cases.

Adi said that the South Jakarta District Court would execute the verdict by confiscating Bahasyim's wealth amounting to Rp. 60.82 billion and US$681,140. He explained that the execution process of transferring the evidence deposited at the BRI account of Jakarta Prosecutors’ Office to the BNI account of South Jakarta District Court was hampered by the huge amounts of money involved.

Bahasyim was convicted of laundering money worth Rp. 64 billion. He was indicted after Center of Financial Transaction Reporting and Analysis found suspicious transactions for a total of Rp. 963 billion in six accounts belonging to his wife and two children.

In addition, a former Taxation Directorate employee was also convicted for receiving bribe of Rp. 1 billion from a taxpayer when he was serving as Head of Inspection and Investigation Jakarta. He is being held at the Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

Nazaruddin Promises Wife Neneng will Surrender to KPK

Graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin has promised the Antigraft Commission (KPK) in writing that his wife Neneng Sri Wahyuni, a graft suspect in a separate case, will return to Indonesia provided she would not be detained.

“We are still sorting it out with the KPK,” said Junimart Girsang, a lawyer for both Neneng and Nazaruddin, when contacted on Tuesday, May 1, 2012. He said the letter was a sign indicating his client's willingness to cooperate. “To make it clear, what they want is Neneng's statement. Law should not be enforced by breaking the law.”

KPK confirmed receipt of Nazaruddin's letter requesting to keep Neneng under house arrest only upon her return to Indonesia. "The management is reviewing the letter,” said KPK spokesperson Johan Budi S.P., at his office this evening. He said his institution had not reached a conclusion because all five leaders need to agree on it.

Neneng has been a fugitive since August 20, 2011, before she officially became a suspect in the power generator graft case involving Ministry of Labor and Transmigration. She and Nazaruddin are alleged to have pocketed Rp. 2.2 billion from that project alone. KPK said it has information that Neneng is in Malaysia, but has no authority to apprehend her.

Down Payment in Home Loans to Rise 30 Pct

Bank Indonesia made a figure that with the implementation of 30 percent down payment increment, customers will put off buying house within the next seven to 10 months.

“There will be a delay for probably around 7-10 months. However, there won’t be any significant decline in house purchase,” said Deputy Director of the Directorate of Research and Regulation of Bank Indonesia, Yunita Resmi Sari, on Wednesday.

Yunita said that given the 30% raise, banks are expected to provide an attractive offer to customers in interest rates and services.

“With the increase of down payment, banks will get qualified customers. Therefore, banks are expected to be able to provide agreeable strategies for the customers, such as by providing competitive interest rates,” she said.

Yunita also explained that almost 77 percent of the public is known to have taken home loans (KPR) by using banking credit financing services, while the rest is paid in cash.

To date, based on BI’s data as of January 2012, home loans have grown by 43.04 percent while auto loans have grown by 29.33 percent. With the total credit of 23.72 percent, from the view of NPL (non-performing loans), home loans have reached 2.12 percent and auto loans of 1.00 percent.

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Amnesty International Calls for National Police Evaluation

Amnesty International has requested the Indonesian government confirm that all murder reports are free from law enforcement interference and are not motivated by police attacks. The reports should also be investigated by an independent institution, which announces the finding to the public, Amnesty said.

“Amnesty International calls for an evaluation by the Indonesian government over the tactics used by the police in their arrest and maintenance of public order to ensure they comply with international standards,” said Amnesty International Indonesia campaigner Josef Benedict in a press release on Wednesday.

Josef said that Amnesty suspects the Indonesian police is guilty of abusing its power. Josef added that the Indonesian police have shot, beaten, and killed people without considering accountability. Over recent months, the police have attracted criticism for repeatedly shooting and attacking civilians involved in peaceful protests and land disputes.

Historic Ship To Transport Bontang Gas

PT Badak NGL Bontang of East Kalimantan will transport liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Jakarta using a 35 year old LNG tanker named Aquarius. “The same tank transported LNG to Osaka, Japan in 1977,” said President Director of PT Badak NGL Sutopo on Wednesday, April 25, 2012.

He said that Aquarius was used for the first export of LNG in August 1, 1977. Now it will be used for domestic shipping of LNG to Jakarta Bay. PT Badak NGL began shipping abroad with 2 trains of LNG around the end of 70s. In the early 90s till now, Sutopo said, Pertamina's subsidiary company has an annual capacity of 22,5 million ton. “We have achieved 8,085 shipments as of April 21, 2012,” Sutopo said. All of these shipments were destined to buyer countries.

This time LNG will be sent to Jakarta Bay for a floating terminal project a floating storage regasification unit (FSRU). LNG Bontang has supplied 11.75 million metric tons LNG to West Java FSRU in the past 11 years. The new FSRU will be operated by PT Nusantara Regas.

The FSRU project in Jakarta Bay is to support government program to diversify energy to manage future energy challenges. With FSRU, Nusantara Regas can also explore other business potentials to make optimal use of the facility.

Minister Hatta: Subsidized Fuel Restriction Cannot Take Effect in May

Coordinating Minister for Economy Hatta Rajasa stressed that subsidized fuel restrictions cannot be enforced this May. “The issue has only been unravelled and discussed recently and is still being deliberated upon intensely. Later the Energy and Mineral Resources Minister (Jero Wacik) shall unveil the technical details and our President will listen. Afterwards, the implementation will need steps. So, it is not possible to enforce the policy as per 1 May," Hatta said at the Presidential office on Tuesday, 24 April 2012.

The subsidized fuel restriction, Hatta said, will be applied not only to private cars but also cars belonging to the state and state-owned companies' vehicles, and one of the possible measures was to use stickers. “We listen to all input given to us,” Hatta said.

The policy implementation will depend on the polling results to avoid the over quota use of subsidized fuel, earmarked at 40 million kiloliter for this year.

Hatta said there are targets the government plans to meet, in order to ensure preparedness toward enforcing the restrictions - for example, familiarization and the public's understanding of the policy and infrastructure. “A good idea has to be implementable. We want to walk the talk, not just talk.” he said.

"The meeting will formulate the implementation of APBNP (Revised State Budget) 2012, which still uses the assumption of RP. 1,500 price increase for subsidized fuel. We will not enforce price increase till end of June if the increase is not justified by Paragraph 6a of Article 7," Hatta detailed.

Without the price increase, the government has to implement a variety of strategies to maintain the growth at 6.5 percent and a healthy fiscal climate. "Without the increase, subsidies will swell and without control it will reach Rp. 340 trillion,” he added.

Workers to Go on Strike Again on May 1

Thousands of workers from various alliances in Tangerang declared their protests against cheap labor on May 1. The issue of cheap labour will be one of the major demands to improve welfare of the workers. “We deplore cheap labor practices,” announced Chairman of Karya Utama Workers Union Federation Koswara on Wednesday, April 25, 2012.

Koswara said their demands will be announced during the planned peace rally together with other labour organizations in Tangerang and Jakarta. They also reject labour outsourcing and press the government to protect its national assets and declare the Labor Day as a national holiday. "The government has to declare May Day as a national day because that is the victorious day of workers, and to show that Indonesia is moving forward from agrarian to industrialization," Koswara said. May 1 which falls on Tuesday is a normal working day in Indonesia.

Koswara also pledged that workers will maintain discipline during the May Day protest as the planned action has already been coordinated with police.

Around 5,000 workers from Tangerang will take to streets on the day. According to Chairman of Indonesian Metal Workers Union Federation of the Tangerang City and Regency, Riden Hatam Azis, the said number came from 80 work units based in Tangerang City and Regency, their point of meeting is established around Bitung toll road.

Indonesia Police Watch: Inafis a Waste

Indonesia Police Watch (IPC) head Neta S. Pane, says the implementation of the Inafis card project must be stopped for four reasons.

The first reason, according to Neta, is because Inafis, the finger print ID card, has no additional benefit than regular ID cards such as drivers’ licenses, passports and the planned e-ID card.

Neta also said the project, which has cost the state Rp43.2 billion, has not been transparent. The National Police, said Neta, never announced the winner of the project tender. In addition, Neta said the Inafis card system ‘criminalizes’ citizens because criminal records will be stored on the Inafis card.

Neta said that no more than 2 percent of 250 million Indonesian citizens have been involved in criminal acts. Furthermore, Neta also questioned the Inafis card system, which refers to the United States police system.

Power Out in 17 Jakarta Substations

Manager of state electricity company PLN for the Jakarta-Tangerang distribution Paranai Suhafsan, confirmed there were electrical problems in the Interbus Transformer (IBT) 500 Kv/150 at Gandul, Cinere, in South Jakarta yesterday.

The interference caused a disruption in the Muara Karang and Lontar generators, which led to power outages in 17 substations in Jakarta. “We are still unable to identify the cause of the disturbance,” Paranai told Tempo on Wednesday.

Paranai said the 17 substations would be manually restarted. The problematic substations include the Ketapang, Kebon Sirih, Karet Baru, Cengkareng, Budi Kemuliaan, AGP, Grogol, Kebon Jeruk, Karet Lama, Muara Karang, Petukangan, Danayasa, Senayan, Bintaro, Teluk Naga New Tangerang and Duri Kosambi substations. “The 17 substations are capable of generating 1,600 megawatts,” said Paranai.

Power was out in some vital locations due to the disruption in the 17 substations, including at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The power outage also caused some traffic lights to stop working, resulting in traffic congestion in central, west and south Jakarta.