Earth Hour Aims for Hope in Darkened World

The full moon rises behind the statue of Mahathma Gandhi in Hyderabad on March 19, 2011. Full Moons vary in size because of the oval shape of the Moons orbit. It is an ellipse with one side (perigee) about 50,000 km closer to Earth than the other (apogee). Nearby perigee moons are about 14 percent bigger and 30 percent brighter than lesser moons that occur on the apogee side of the Moons orbit. According to US Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. The full Moon of March 19 occurs less than one hour away from perigeea near-perfect coincidence that happens only 18 years or so.

Lights will go out around the world Saturday with hundreds of millions of people set to take part in the Earth Hour climate change campaign, which this year will also mark Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.
From across the Pacific, to Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, iconic landmarks such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, New York’s Empire State building and the Eiffel Tower in Paris will go dark.
“Earth Hour is like a New Year’s Eve,” Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley told AFP from the group’s Sydney office.
“It’s meant to be a celebration — it’s a bit different this year because of the Japan stuff — but it’s meant to be about hope and the future.”
Ridley said in Sydney and other cities, some Earth Hour events would hold a minute’s silence to mark the devastating 9.0-magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami in Japan this month that left more than 25,000 people dead or missing.
The disaster followed a deadly earthquake in New Zealand’s Christchurch and massive floods in Australia in January, which devastated thousands of homes and ruined crops and infrastructure.
“It’s been a bad start to the year, and I guess it’s an opportunity to take a moment and think about that,” Ridley said, adding that the campaign had a different focus in every location and not all events would mention Japan’s catastrophe.
The Earth Hour movement, which aims to raise awareness about climate change by switching off lights for 60 minutes, hopes to bring people together to think about what they can do to reduce harmful carbon pollution blamed for rising temperatures.
Environmental group WWF International helped initiate Earth Hour in Sydney in 2007, and by 2010 the energy-saving event had grown to engage hundreds of millions of people in 4,616 cities and 128 countries and territories.
“We didn’t imagine right at the beginning... it would be on the scale that it is now,” said Ridley.
“And the fact that it is so cross-cultural, beyond borders and race and religion,” he added, saying the event would never have grown so successfully without social networking sites such as Facebook.
This year organisers are focussing on connecting people online so they can inspire each other to go beyond the hour and make commitments to help the environment in their daily lives.
To do this they have created an online platform connected to the 14 top social media sites around the world, including Facebook and Twitter, which people will be easily able to access from mobile phones. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week backed Earth Hour.
“Earth Hour has become a special symbol of the determination of so many people to make a difference,” said Gillard, who is facing stiff opposition to her plan to introduce a tax on carbon pollution in Australia.
Ridley said that despite the growth of the event, which organisers said was the largest voluntary action ever witnessed in 2010, the ideals of the global movement had not changed.
“When we first started this we were trying to effectively take the temperature, we were trying to prove or see whether, contrary to some commentators, whether or nor people cared (about climate change),” he said.
“I think there is a massive consensus for action, not just on climate change.
“The idea of this is not to engage in the ’why we can’t do anything’ debate but absolutely talk about what can be done.” The first lights going off Saturday will be in Fiji and New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, before cities and landmarks around the world follow suit.
Other iconic structures due to go dark include the Sydney Opera House, Indonesia’s National Monument, London’s Eye and Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue.

Indonesia Claims to be Ready to Deal with Coup

Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the government was prepared to deal with any party trying to stage a coup by military or non-military means.
"If a coup really happens, we are ready to cope with it with military power," Purnomo said on the sidelines of an international defense dialog here on Wednesday.
He said he had never received a report about a number of retired army generals seeking to topple the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with the help of an Islamic hardline group.
"We (the government) have never heard about it. We have never received reports about anybody planning a coup," he said.
But he also said the government would keep monitoring developments in the field and use its security apparatus to check the truth of the foreign media’s report. Purnomo said if the coup report was true, the government would deal with the plotters with military power.
"For now, the government will not take any action until all detailed data and information about the issue have been collected," he said.
Al-Jazeera television station recently reported that a number of retired three-star generals in Indonesia had been behind the recent anti-Ahmadiyah campaign and violence against followers of the small Islamic sect. It said the generals secretly supported the hardline group because they had the same goal, namely unseating President Yudhoyono from power.
"They have come just to give support," chief of the Islam Reform Movement, Chep Hernawan, said according to Al Jazeera on Tuesday. "They said the jihad must continue. We must not stop until the liar steps down," he said.
Chep said the retired generals approached him at the end of January or around a month before violence against Ahmadiyah followers in Cikeusik, Pandeglang, Banten. He said the generals were fed up with all the lies President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s government had been telling the people.
"The three-star generals asked what issue would be used to topple President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The Century case has failed. Perhaps the Ahmadiyah issue," he said.
Based on his confession,. Al Jazeera journalist Step Vassen said the generals supported the hardline Islamic group. They considered Yudhoyono to be too weak and reformist.

Why Sleep is The Key to Success

 It is one of our most basic functions, as important as the in and out of our breath. Our need for sleep is primal, yet the pace of life means it's often pushed to the periphery, sacrificed at the altar of work, friends, study and fun.
But now science is beginning to show that getting the right amount of sleep might be the key to making the rest of our lives run more smoothly.
Increasingly, research is indicating that the quality and quantity of our sleep affects every part of our lives, from success in work and school to our likelihood of developing problems such as obesity or mental illness.
Writing in the journal Frontiers in Neurology last year, American researchers highlighted the growing body of research confirming that students who have insomnia, inadequate sleep, daytime sleepiness, irregular sleep patterns or poor sleep quality do not perform as well in school as others.
Many sleep researchers now advocate the introduction of staggered start times for older high-school students - one of the most under-slept groups in society after shift workers.
But the most cutting edge of sleep research is beginning to show it seems also to be linked to mental illness.
Nicholas Glozier is at the forefront of such research in his work as a professor of psychiatry and sleep research at the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney.
He says lack of sleep is one of the most common problems for which people seek help from GPs, with about one-third of women and one-quarter of men saying they have trouble falling or staying asleep.
The average Australian sleeps for about 8¼ hours a day - much less than that and you may not be getting enough. The average sleep period for a teenager is about seven hours. People who get six hours or less a night are at risk of illnesses such as bipolar disorder, anxiety and panic disorder.
Professor Glozier published research late last year that followed 20,000 people aged 17 to 24 for a year. It found those who slept less than five hours a night were three times more likely than normal sleepers to become psychologically distressed.
A big question for researchers is whether sleep deprivation is a cause or effect of mental illness.
"One of the real issues with sleep research at the moment is it is a bit like where psychiatry was 15 years ago," he says. "We really don't know whether [improving sleep] is going to impact on other health outcomes."
In the next 15 years - provided research is well funded by governments and universities - Glozier says we will be on our way to finding some of the answers.
One researcher who has conducted an Australian-first trial into sleep and teenagers is Amanda Gamble, a psychologist and research fellow with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
For many of the teenagers Dr Gamble sees, sleep has become a stressful part of life. It causes fights with parents and absences from school. One patient's parents were so desperate, they would spray their child with water in the mornings to force them up.
"For most of these teenagers, falling asleep and staying asleep has made them feel incredibly out of control and it's quite a frightening thing," she says. "If you can't control a basic bodily process that happens every single day, there's no escaping it."
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Her research, unpublished, has shown that through a four-session program using cognitive behavioural therapy, not only were patients getting to sleep earlier and sleeping longer, they also became less depressed and anxious. She is recruiting teenagers for a larger version of the study.
For some, sleep is as simple as rolling into bed and snoring within minutes. But those who lie awake for hours can attest to the way sleep deprivation can creep into every crevice of life. But now science is catching up and beginning to reveal the intricate connections between how we sleep and how we live.
INSOMNIA CAUSES:
Medical
* Obstructive sleep apnoea
* Narcolepsy
* Drug or alcohol addiction
* Restless legs syndrome
* Depression and anxiety disorders
* Neurological conditions — dementia, Parkinson's
* Hormone changes — menstruation, menopause
Behavioural or social
* Increased working hours
* Shift work
* Major life event — divorce, bereavement, job loss
* Jet lag
* Poor "sleep hygiene" — irregular sleeping times, caffeine before bed, inadequate exercise



It is one of our most basic functions, as important as the in and out of our breath. Our need for sleep is primal, yet the pace of life means it's often pushed to the periphery, sacrificed at the altar of work, friends, study and fun.
But now science is beginning to show that getting the right amount of sleep might be the key to making the rest of our lives run more smoothly.
Increasingly, research is indicating that the quality and quantity of our sleep affects every part of our lives, from success in work and school to our likelihood of developing problems such as obesity or mental illness.
Writing in the journal Frontiers in Neurology last year, American researchers highlighted the growing body of research confirming that students who have insomnia, inadequate sleep, daytime sleepiness, irregular sleep patterns or poor sleep quality do not perform as well in school as others.
Many sleep researchers now advocate the introduction of staggered start times for older high-school students - one of the most under-slept groups in society after shift workers.
But the most cutting edge of sleep research is beginning to show it seems also to be linked to mental illness.
Nicholas Glozier is at the forefront of such research in his work as a professor of psychiatry and sleep research at the Brain and Mind Research Institute at the University of Sydney.
He says lack of sleep is one of the most common problems for which people seek help from GPs, with about one-third of women and one-quarter of men saying they have trouble falling or staying asleep.
The average Australian sleeps for about 8¼ hours a day - much less than that and you may not be getting enough. The average sleep period for a teenager is about seven hours. People who get six hours or less a night are at risk of illnesses such as bipolar disorder, anxiety and panic disorder.
Professor Glozier published research late last year that followed 20,000 people aged 17 to 24 for a year. It found those who slept less than five hours a night were three times more likely than normal sleepers to become psychologically distressed.
A big question for researchers is whether sleep deprivation is a cause or effect of mental illness.
"One of the real issues with sleep research at the moment is it is a bit like where psychiatry was 15 years ago," he says. "We really don't know whether [improving sleep] is going to impact on other health outcomes."
In the next 15 years - provided research is well funded by governments and universities - Glozier says we will be on our way to finding some of the answers.
One researcher who has conducted an Australian-first trial into sleep and teenagers is Amanda Gamble, a psychologist and research fellow with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research.
For many of the teenagers Dr Gamble sees, sleep has become a stressful part of life. It causes fights with parents and absences from school. One patient's parents were so desperate, they would spray their child with water in the mornings to force them up.
"For most of these teenagers, falling asleep and staying asleep has made them feel incredibly out of control and it's quite a frightening thing," she says. "If you can't control a basic bodily process that happens every single day, there's no escaping it."
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. Her research, unpublished, has shown that through a four-session program using cognitive behavioural therapy, not only were patients getting to sleep earlier and sleeping longer, they also became less depressed and anxious. She is recruiting teenagers for a larger version of the study.
For some, sleep is as simple as rolling into bed and snoring within minutes. But those who lie awake for hours can attest to the way sleep deprivation can creep into every crevice of life. But now science is catching up and beginning to reveal the intricate connections between how we sleep and how we live.
INSOMNIA CAUSES:
Medical
* Obstructive sleep apnoea
* Narcolepsy
* Drug or alcohol addiction
* Restless legs syndrome
* Depression and anxiety disorders
* Neurological conditions — dementia, Parkinson's
* Hormone changes — menstruation, menopause
Behavioural or social
* Increased working hours
* Shift work
* Major life event — divorce, bereavement, job loss
* Jet lag
* Poor "sleep hygiene" — irregular sleeping times, caffeine before bed, inadequate exercise

Coup Attempt Masterminded by Indonesian Generals Denied

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto said there was no such thing as a coup attempt, masterminded by several generals.
"I indeed have heard of the information since ten days ago but there is no such thing," he said here Wednesday on the sidelines of the Jakarta International Defense Dialog (JIDD).
Djoko said Indonesia has been within the corridors of democracy corridor. "It is not that we have already developed democracy in our country," he said.
He stated the stages of democracy had been determined and regulated in laws. According to agreements further stages would be done along with the House of Representatives through political platforms, he said.
"Let us just follow the stages. Our democracy is leading to maturity. So, if we still find shortcomings here and there that is a mere part of the process," he said.
"This means," Djoko said "there have been laws and political processes as stages of democracy that have agreed upon in the framework of reform. We all know it, so let us just follow it," he said.
Al Jazeera television station reported on Tuesday that a number of retired three-star generals had been behind campaign against Ahmadiyah and the violence against members of the small Islamic sect recently.
The generals had secretly supported a hard-line organization because of their common goal of toppling the present government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who they considered too weak and too reformist.

Decree on Sunda Strait Bridge Project Expected in April

A presidential decree on the Sunda Strait bridge project is expected to be issued in April, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Hatta Rajasa said.
"It is hoped the decree will be finalized next month," he said at the presidential office here on Wednesday after accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in a meeting with board members of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin).
He stated the draft decree had long been discussed and passed the stages of discussion and therefore it was hoped it could be finished soon.
"If the draft is finished we will then harmonize it with the ministry of justice and then it will be referred to the President. Unless corrections are needed the draft after that will be considered final," he said. According to Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, ministers had been asked to discuss the draft for a week.
"Hopefully, in the next two weeks it will be signed. The instruction just now is that it must be done quickly. The Presidential decree among others regulates the executing authorities and methods for appointing the management later or investors," he said.
The construction of the bridge is scheduled to be started in 2014 and finished in less than 10 years.

The Korean Company to Invest in Indonesia's Petrochemical Industry

South Korean retail company Lotte Group plans to invest around US$5 billion in the Indonesian petrochemical industry, a minister said. The company was currently looking for a suitable location for its production facility to produce raw materials for petrochemical industry, Mohamad Suleman Hidayat said here on Wednesday.
"It is in the process of choosing Merak (Banten) or Tuban (East Java) as the location (for its production facility)," he said.
He said if the company realized its investment plan in Indonesia this year, the country would have naphta and condensate plants in the next five years. According to him, the government was making an effort to attract investors to build oil refineries capable of producing raw materials for the petrochemical industry such as naphta and condensate to meet rising demand from the chemical industry.
Lotte Group consists of over 60 business units employing 60,000 people engaged in such diverse industries as candy manufacturing, beverages, hotels, fast food, retail, financial services, heavy chemicals, electronics, information technology, construction, publishing, and entertainment.
Lotte has major operations by Shin Kyuk-Ho’s family located in Japan and South Korea with businesses in China, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, the United States, Russia, the Philippines and Poland.

Indonesia MUST Learn This from Japan

Now you see it...: This stretch of the Great Kanto highway was wrecked by deep chasms in the March 11 earthquake - but was repaired in just six days

It's a great concern for Jakartans if they find damaged highways or even toll roads because of poor construction that they need to be repaired over and over using people's tax.

A great lesson offered by Japan to the world is they can survive from the recent catastrophe as they realize a good will is always needed to develop its people before they develop their country - a precious lesson that Indonesia should take to combat corruption rattling and hampering its development.
The picture of gaping chasms in a Japanese highway demonstrated the power of the March 11 earthquake. Now the astonishing speed of reconstruction is being used to highlight the nation’s ability to get back on its feet.
Work began on March 17 and six days later the cratered section of the Great Kanto Highway in Naka was as good as new. It was ready to re-open to traffic last night.
Many workers returned to their jobs the day after the quake and subsequent tsunami and some businesses in the worst-hit regions have already reopened.
The Japanese recovery has prompted some investors, including American Warren Buffett, one of the world’s richest men, to declare that the disaster which has left 23,000 dead or missing represents a ‘buying opportunity’ in the money markets.
Meanwhile, mothers in Tokyo were warned yesterday not to give tap water to their babies.
Cars with loudspeakers toured the streets of the capital after levels of radiation from the damaged nuclear plant at Fukushima, nearly 150 miles away, reached more than twice the safety level for children aged a year or less.
Supermarkets were quickly emptied of bottled water in many parts of the city. Parents were also told to ensure that milk was not from cows in the Fukushima district.
Tokyo residents said they had growing concerns about radiation.
‘If they’re saying it’s harmful for children because their bodies are smaller and dangerous iodine can accumulate in their thyroid glands, we can understand that,’ said 29-year-old department store worker Yasuke Harade.
‘But can we really believe it when they say that it’s OK for adults to drink the water? Can we cook our rice in tap water, can we drink tea, coffee? They’re telling us we can, but what is the truth?’
To add to the fears, two strong earthquakes shook the devastated east coast yesterday, and black smoke billowed once again from the crippled plant. The ‘Fukushima Fifty’, the team of courageous employees working inside the plant, and firemen spraying water on the complex were ordered to evacuate immediately.
It was not known when efforts to restore the plant’s cooling mechanism would be restarted. The scare followed reports that small amounts of radiation had travelled as far as Iceland.

"Best Port Welcome" Awarded to Bali's Benoa Port

PT Pelabuhan Indonesia III, Benoa branch, Bali, has received a "Best Port Welcome 2010" award from "Dream World Cruise Destination" magazine which is based in London, a spokesman said.
The magazine had presented the award to a representative of Indonesia’s tourism and culture ministry, Sapta Nirwandar, at the Seatrade Cruise Shipping Convention 2011 that was held at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Florida, on March 16, 2011, said Iwan Sabatini,general manager of PT Pelabuahan Indonesia III’s Benoa branch, said here Monday.
"We are grateful we have received the award as the best port. the award will be a motivation to further improve services at the largest sea port on the island ," Iwan said.
He added, the awards was evidence that Benoa port had already gained international trust and met world standards as port of call for cruise ships.
"We always provide international standard services to cruise ships which anchor at Benoa port," Iwan said.
Iwan said, to increase tourist visits to Bali by cruise ships, the company was continuing to improve the facilities and infrastructures at the port.
"We are gradually improving the facilities and infrastructure supporting the pier, so the service will be better in welcoming the cruise ships’ arrivals in Bali," Iwan added.
He noted, according to a schedule obtained from the various cruise ship companies abroad, at least 140 cruise ships in 2011 will visit Indonesia.
"We are targeting 40 units of the number of cruise ship visits to Indonesia will stop in Benoa port," Iwan hoped.

Indonesia's Tuna Exports to Japan Down 50 Percent

This photograph taken on February 24, 2011 shows fishermen unloading freshly caught juvenile tuna at Bitung town fishport in North Sulawesi province. Bitung is one of the major fish port in Sulawesi island. Fishing is a thriving industry in Indonesia an archipelago of 17,000 islands. 

Indonesia’s tuna exports to Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, dropped by around 50 percent in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami which devastated the eastern coast of Japan last March 11, 2011.

"Our (tuna) exports to Japan dropped by around 50 percent," the marine affairs and fisheries ministry’s director general fishery product marketing and management, Victor Nikijuluw, said here Monday.
Indonesia usually exported 300 tons of tune per week to Tokyo, but last the the export volume was just 150 tons, he said. The country exports big eye and swordfish tuna to Tokyo.
Meanwhile, tuna exports to Nagoya and Osaka run normally because the two regions are not affected by the natural disaster. "Exports to Nagoya and Osaka are not affected," he said.
Earlier the ministry’s secretary general, Gellwyn Jusuf, had said that the Japan earthquake and subsequent tsunami had affected Indonesia’s fishery products exports to Japan, especially tuna and shrimp. The shrimp exports to Japan in the future might reach only one third of the usual shrimp export volume, he said last Thursday.
Indonesia would look for alternative countries of destination such as the European Union, the United States and China, as their demands for shrimp have increased, he said.

Leading American Universities' Expo in Six Indonesian Cities

A number of leading American universities planned to hold education exhibitions in six major cities in Indonesia from March 26 to April 3, 2011. The event will be held by ACCESS Education Beyond, an independent international education assistance program under the auspices of Putera Sampoerna Foundation (PSF).
"We wish to introduce leading American universities to students in Indonesia," Director of ACCESS Education Beyond Brook Ross said here Monday.
The American universities included the University of North Texas, Michigan State University, University of Hawaii, University of Arkansas, and Ohio State University. The exhibition will be started in Denpasar on March 26, in Surabaya on March 28, Balikpapan on March 29, Palembang on March 31, Medan on April 1), and in Jakarta on April 3. Brook Ross said 7,000 Indonesians are studying in the US.
"The number of Indonesian students in the US is only second to those in Southeast Asia after Thailand," Brook.
He had a commitment to bridge Indonesian students with higher learning institutions abroad by way of integrated approaches to schools, exhibitions, education discussions, and assistance programs. During the exhibition, the students could get information and consultations with university representatives. Presentations and seminars would also be held, he said.
"Representatives of the American universities will also meet their counterparts in the cities where the exhibitions are held to discuss cooperation opportunities," Brook Ross said.

Indonesia Govt Decides to Keep Tripoli Embassy Functioning

Air attacks: An RAF Tornado GR4 leaves a trail of heat haze as it takes off from RAF Marham, in Norfolk yesterday

The Indonesian government has decided to keep its embassy in Tripoli open to serve Indonesian nationals who are possibly still in Libya, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.
"We have reported to the President that in essence our embassy will remain open although the number of staff has been reduced," Marty said at the presidential palace here on Monday.
The Indonesian ambassador to Libya Ibnu Said, according to Marty, had reported that 20 out of the 24 Indonesian nationals at the embassy had left for Tunisia on Monday.
"The group consists of nine embassy staff and 11 migrant workers so that only four people are left at our embassy and these four will keep the mission functioning to serve Indonesians who might need protection," he said. The four staff members remaining at the embassy were two diplomats, including the ambassador and two local staff.
"We will continue evaluating. Our staff is authorized to immediately close the embassy if conditions worsen as they are the ones who could give the best evaluation of the situation," he said.
The minister said several countries had already closed their embassies in Tripoli or stopped their activity due to increasing tension in the oil exporting country.
"Today, the staffs of the Vietnamese and Indian embassies also left the country. Most foreign embassies in Tripoli have closed. To my knowledge, only the Philippine and Indonesian embassies are still open although their staffs have been cut," he said.
Overall, Marty stated, a total of 839 Indonesian nationals in Libya had so far been evacuated to Tunisia.

Twitter Turns Five as Site Registers 200Million Users

Phenomenon: One of Twitters 200million users posts a tweet. The website started life on March 21, 2006

'Inviting coworkers'. Two words. Not spectacular.

Yet, as the first ever Twitter message – made five years ago today – those two words sparked a revolution in internet communication. It took three years to pass the billion-tweet mark. Now it posts that many every week.
Since co-founder Jack Dorsey posted it on March 21, 2006, Twitter has registered nearly 200million users. Dorsey has spent the last few days tweeting a timeline of sorts, sharing what he was doing just before the big launch.
On Sunday, he wrote : '5 yrs ago today, the eve of launching twttr to the company. Moving from @Biz, @florian & me, to all of our peers using it. Nervous. #twttr'
He needn't have worried. The site, which invites people to say 'what's happening' in 140 characters or fewer, was initially dismissed as a platform of very little value.
Now, it is an internet giant and even its sternest critics would be hard-pressed to dismiss its significance. Since its launch, Twitter has played a role in a wide range of headline-making events, from the Egyptian revolution to Charlie Sheen's battle with CBS.
Its use was springboarded in 2008, with Barack Obama’s apt post-election tweet: 'We just made history. All of this happened because you gave your time, talent and passion. All of this happened because of you. Thanks'.
Since then, the website has become uses by nearly every politician, who quickly saw its value. After its role in organising the 2009 Iranian protests against the country's disputed election, an adviser to George Bush suggested the site should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
It has also become a business tool, with many major companies now using accounts to advertise deals and encourage word-of-mouth marketing. It is often where news first emerges.
Michael Jackson's death in 2009 was first posted on Twitter by showbiz website TMZ. Also, Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement on it and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station used it to post incredible pictures at the press of a button.
Twitter's importance in communication was made plain during the moments after Japan's earthquake and tsunami this month. Twitter says it set a record of 6,939 tweets per second immediately after the 9.0-magnitude quake struck on March 11, and 177 million tweets went out as the day wore on.
'As much fun as we were having, there was always in the back of our heads the idea of the potential of something important coming from it,' Biz Stone, one of Twitter's founding members, told The Independent.
'Even if we didn't say it out loud and talk about it. Because we were just getting started and we really had no place saying anything like that.'
Despite operating at a loss for most of 2010, the company, which now integrates advertisements with its website, is valued at up to $10billion and employs more than 400 people.

Korean Consortium Buys 90 Pct Stake in Indonesia Coal Mine

A barge, transporting coal from Berau Coal, sails during an open-sea transhipment in Berau district in Indonesias East Kalimantan province August 17, 2010. The coal will be exported to Japan, China and other Asian countries, Berau Coals spokesman said on Tuesday. Indonesia is the worlds biggest thermal coal exporter. Picture taken August 17, 2010.

A South Korean consortium has acquired a 90% stake in a 244 million-ton Indonesian coal mine for $84.15 million, the Korea Resource Corp., or Kores said Tuesday.
Kores will invest $36.46 million in the coal mine, with production planned to start in 2013, the state-run resources company said in a statement.

PT PAL Delivers Warship to Defense Ministry

State-owned shipbuilder PT PAL on Monday handed over a warship, the KRI Banda Aceh, to the defense ministry to support the Indonesian navy’s operations. The warship was handed over symbolically by the company’s president director, Harsusanto, to Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro at the company’s general engine division here on Monday.
The event was witnessed by state enterprises minister Mustafa Abubakar, defense forces commander Admiral Agus Suhartono, navy chief of staff Admiral Soeparno and members of the House of Representatives’ Commission I (defense affairs). The 125-meter-long landing platform dock ship was designed specially as a military ship capable of carrying troops, combat and tactical vehicles and helicopters.
Before being handed over the ship had already undergone a series of test sailing from March 2 to 8 to see its performance and also a navigational inspection on March 14.
"All the targets set according to contracts tested have been met. Some capabilities have even surpassed targets such as the ship’s speed set in the contract at 15 knots but in the test the ship could sail up to 15.2 knot. This proves that the domestically produced ship could be relied upon and give pride," Harsusanto said.
State enterprises minister Mustafa Abubakar meanwhile expresed hope that the good relations between PT PAL and the ministry of defense and the navy could be continuously maintained and increased through development of main weapon system equipment or inputs given to PT PAL for improvement of the company’s future performance.
Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro said the ship was needed by the navy "not only for carrying out its combat duty but also for other activities including humanitarian missions. Every year the navy (TNI-AL) conducts humanitarian mission Bhaskara Jaya," he said.
Since 1980 PT PAL has already built more than 200 ships of various kinds and measures. With regard to trading vessels the company has been able to build up to 50,000 DWT ships while it has also been able to build warships ordered by the navy.
With regard to speed patrol boats PT PAL has been able to produce various kinds and versions of the boat starting from 14-meter long up to 57 meter long boats. KRI Banda Aceh is the fourth warship of LDP version produced by PT PAL. The company has partnered with Daewoo International Corporation for building the ship.

Three of Indonesia's Dragons are Missing

Images from the release of young 10-month old Komodo dragons to the quarantine enclosure after their hatching process in the Surabaya zoo, Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia, Dec.21, 2010

Three young Komodo dragons have gone missing from a zoo in Indonesia, a spokesman said Tuesday, warning that the lost lizards were dangerous and fast on their feet.
The missing reptiles, which measured 50 centimetres (20 inches) to a metre long, were each around one year old and disappeared from their cage early this month, Surabaya zoo spokesman Agus Supangkat told AFP.
“We’re worried if the Komodo dragons escaped. They’re dangerous. Young Komodos like the ones missing love to climb trees and can move very fast.” The zoo has more than 50 of the giant lizards and trees in the cage had been trimmed to prevent any of the remaining animals escaping, Supangkat added.
“They could have been eaten by predators, stolen or escaped. The zookeepers have said they didn’t take them. The police are still investigating.” Until recently Komodo dragons were believed to hunt with a “bite and wait” strategy using toxic bacteria in their saliva to weaken or kill their prey, before descending in numbers to feast.
But in 2005 researchers found that dragons’ jaws are armed with highly sophisticated poison glands that can cause paralysis, spasms and shock through haemorrhaging.The world’s largest monitor lizard, Komodos can grow up to three metres (10 feet) long and weigh up to 140 kilograms (310 pounds). They are unique to a small group of islands in eastern Indonesia.

Infiniti to Challenge BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz

A new luxury brand is on the way to Australia with hopes of upsetting the establishment. BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus will soon have a new challenger in Australia from Nissan.

The Japanese car maker today confirmed it plans to sell a range of sedans, coupes and SUVs under its US-focused luxury brand Infiniti from around September 2012.
As part of a global expansion that now reaches more than 40 countries beyond its volume-selling US market, Infiniti ‘‘will not be a niche player’’ and take on established luxury brands in terms of price and specification. Three models will be initially sold in three stand-alone dealerships in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The luxury marque that outsold Audi in the US last year says it differs from its competitors — including Toyota’s own luxury brand Lexus — by offering ‘‘aggressive, modern and edgy vehicle design’’, ‘‘inexcusably sporty driving dynamics’’ and a ‘‘boutique, hotel-type customer experience’’ akin to the attentive Japanese hospitality philosophy.
The three initial models include a BMW 3-Series-sized G37 coupe and convertible, an Audi A6/BMW 5-Series-sized ‘M’ large car and the uniquely styled FX crossover SUV hero, about the size of a BMW X5.
Engine choices comprise a 175kW/550Nm 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6, a 235kW/360Nm 3.7-litre petrol V6 (borrowed from Nissan’s 370Z sports car) and a range-topping 5.0-litre petrol V8 producing 290kW and 500Nm of torque. All will be mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Infiniti Cars Australia general manager Kevin Snell was tight-lipped about prices at the brand’s pre-launch event this week, other than to say that Infiniti cars ‘‘will not be the cheapest luxury brand’’ and that they will be better equipped than European competitors. He also quashed any suggestion that Infiniti would follow the Lexus value-packed business model of leaving no features to the options list.
‘‘Infiniti customers are ‘quiet rebels’. They’re rebellious of the mainstream and are typically looking for something different,’’ says Snell.
‘‘They’re more of an individualist-type customer who are passionate about design and technology. They are early adopters and risk-takers and don’t like traditional conservative status and want to stand out from the crowd,’’ he says.
‘‘They might even be tired of an Audi, BMW or Mercedes their neighbour drives’’.
Infiniti arrives in a notoriously tough Australian luxury car market that rewards history and longevity. It took Audi years to crack the Mercedes-Benz and BMW juggernaut that accounted for the majority of luxury sales.
More recently Lexus has seen its market share drop. Despite 2010 growth of 11.8 per cent the brand’s sales were down about 20 per cent on only a few years earlier.
And it was only last year that Cadillac reversed its decision to re-enter the Australian market following the global financial crisis.

Indonesian Ex-Minister Jailed for Graft

An Indonesian court Tuesday sentenced a former government minister to 20 months in jail for corruption and ordered him to pay a IDR50 million ($6,000) fine.
Former Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah had bypassed the tender process and directly appointed suppliers of imported cattle, sewing machines and sarongs meant for victims of natural disasters, the court heard.
“The defendant Bachtiar Chamsyah has been proven legally and convincingly to have carried out an act of corruption,“ chief judge Tjokorda told the anticorruption court in Jakarta.
“He is sentenced to one year and eight months in jail,“ he said.
Chamsyah's sentence was lower than the three years demanded by prosecutors. Indonesia scored 2.8 out of 10 in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index for 2010, ranking it 110th out of 178 countries.

Indonesia to Sell Global Bonds to Three Countries

Indonesia is ready to offer bonds to the international market namely to Switzerland, Britain and the United State to raise funds to cover its budget deficit.
"Their governments have confirmed. That is no longer a problem. But we still have yet to see market conditions. In general they view positively on Indonesian conditions," the acting chief of the Fiscal Policy Agency, Bambang Brodjonegoro, said here on Monday.
He said after roadshows the three countries also gave appreciation to Indonesia’s capability in dealing with inflation and maintaining its national resilience.
"We are updating our financing plan for the next year. The challenge might be more about inflation which we are now still discussing and then sustainability of the budget. But overall it is positive. They are ready to enter," he said.
The issuance of the global bonds will follow the financing plans that have been put in the 2011 budget and is for supporting the issuance of state debentures.
"It will be done in line with the 2011 budget plans. Some have been issued for domestic markets. In the future the focus will also be on the domestic market. This one is for covering the balance," he said.
Bambang assured the issuance of the global bonds would not clash with the Japanese plan to increase debts for rehabilitating that country recently hit by earthquake and tsunami.
"With regard to Japan I believed they could be self-reliance. What we see now is the market conditions which are still following Japan. Therefore our roadshow is non-deal in nature and no decision is made," he said.
He said the bonds to be issued have a long-term tenure as most investors prefer that. Moreover now when the bond market potential is promising and relatively good in terms of market demand.
"The market potential is big. I believe they all see Indonesia’s performance is good. Ours is also relatively good in terms of demand compared to that offered by rivals that have the same tenure. It is not a problem. What we need to see now is how is the market in general," he said.
Bambang could not as yet tell about the indicative target to be achieved saying it was under the authority of the Directorate General of Debt Management.
"I do not know. That is under the authority of Rahmat (the director general of debt management). I could not tell ahead of him," he said.
The government has already named three securities namely JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank and UBS to offer the bond which is expected to be issued in the first semester this year.

Bilateral Meeting between SBY and Xanana

 Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (R) drives East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao (L) in a golf cart during the latters visit to the presidential palace in Jakarta on March 22, 2011. Gusmao and Yudhoyono discussed bilateral issues between the two countries.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Timor Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao held a bilateral meeting at Merdeka Palace here Tuesday.
PM Xanana is on a visit in Indonesia from March 22 to 25. He arrived at the Merdeka Palace at 11 am Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB), and the bilateral meeting began at 11.15 am.
Presidential special staff in charge of international relations Teuku Faizasyah said that following the bilateral meeting, the two leaders would witness the signing of five memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
Yudhoyono on the occasion was accompanied by Defense Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro, Marine Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, Transportation Minister Freddy Numberi, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu, National Education Minister Muhammad Nuh, Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam and National Defense Forces (TNI) Chief Admiral Agus Suhartono.
Members of Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao’s delegation include Foreign Minister Zacarias da Costa, Economic and Development Minister Joao Goncalves, Infrastructure Minister Pedro Lay da Silva, Tourism, Trade and Industry Minister Gil Alves, Agriculture and Fishery Minister Mariano Assanami Sabino, Commander of The Timor Leste Armed Forces Major General Taur Matan Ruak and Timor Leste Ambassador to Indonesia Manuel Serrano.
On March 23, Xanana will attend an international convention on defense in Jakarta. Jakarta International Defense Dialogue (JIDD) is a International Conference which will be participated in by defense delegations from over 30 countries including heads of state, defense ministers and also chiefs of staff.
JIDD organized by the Ministry of Defense and the Indonesian Defense University (IDU) will be held at the Jakarta Convention Center from March 23 to 25, 2011. Timor Leste, formerly known as East Timor, declared its independence on May 20, 2002, following a United Nations sponsored referendum in 1999, which the people of Timor Leste voted in favor of independence and separated from Indonesia.

Japan Seeks More Indonesian Energy Supplies

Japan has asked Indonesia for additional oil and gas supplies after its electricity generating capacity was severely reduced by a series of blasts and fires at a quake-crippled nuclear plant.      Emergencies workers are scrambling to try and cool overheating reactors at Fukushima Daiichi plant in an effort to avert possible nuclear fallout. The plant has been hit by a series of blasts and fires since last week’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
More than 16,000 people have been killed or listed as missing. Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Makiko Kikuta traveled to Jakarta for talks with Indonesian Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa.
"I ask Hatta so that the Indonesian government could give additional energy or liquefied gas and oil to Japan," she was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying. Hatta said the Japanese did not specify the amount but confirmed that Indonesia would come forward.

Coffee Beans Buying Guide

For centuries, coffee has been one of the most beloved drinks worldwide. Whether in a coffee shop, a restaurant or at home, People around the world drink it and enjoy it. Coffee has many varieties and tastes. One drink of coffee does not always resemble another.

Coffee beans make a huge difference when it comes to the taste of coffee. Good quality beans are the first and most important step to achieving a great quality drink. But with so many varieties on offer, it might be a daunting experience to make your selection. That’s why while choosing coffee beans you should have at least a basic knowledge about the subject and make sure your supplier is a professional and only offers good quality ingredients.

The main types of coffee beans come from Coffea Arabica and Coffea Robusta. Coffea Arabica is considered a higher quality ingredient, but Robusta may also produce a decent drink. Other species like Coffea Liberica and Coffea Stenophylla are less commercially successful.

Another important factor to consider when buying beans is their geographic origin. Coffea Arabica growing in India may produce a totally different flavor than the ones raised in Central America. Even within those regions you may find “sub-regions” that will produce various flavors. So consult your supplier as to the source of the ingredients and their respective flavors.

The roasting process is also a very important influencer on the ingredients’ quality. While you can find good commercial coffee beans, artisanal coffee roasters produce the best quality ones. Blends potentially produce better flavors.

Once you have established the source and types of coffee beans that you want to buy make sure you follow these steps, which will help you ensure you buy good quality ingredients:

1.Predetermine what kind of flavor you enjoy: mild or full-bodied, floral-tasting, nutty or winy, and so on, and select the products accordingly

2.Buy freshly roasted beans, for the best quality drink

3.Smell them Good quality beans look and smell appetizing

4.Taste before you make your purchase You can tell which ingredients taste well even in their “raw” shape

5.Check whether they are broken or splintered “Damaged” ingredients will also damage the quality of the drink they make

Paying attention to the advice offered in this article will help you make a better, more educated purchase when you start your journey towards the best coffee for you. However, there is nothing better than experimenting. After you try a few types of beans, from various sources and roasters, you will eventually land on the one best suited for you.

Good enough to eat

We are all familiar with vegetable flowers in the form of Cauliflower, Broccoli and Artichokes, but other, more ornamental flowers have been used in the cuisine of cultures all over the world for thousands of years. The Romans were keen on them, as were the ancient Chinese, and European medieval writings talk about feasts of venison cooked with marigolds and violets in salads.

Using peppery Nasturtium flowers in salads and sweet, perfumed rose petals in desserts is quite well known, but did you also know:

• The young shoots of Hostas are good spinach alternative – Hostakopita is a Greek spinach pie made with hosta shoots and in Japan nori maki sushi is filled with parboiled hosta shoots marinated in soy sauce, sugar & salt. They can also be steamed like asparagus. Only use young shoots though as older leaves are too tough.

• Hemerocallis – Day Lily – the flowers and buds have a sweet nutty flavour and look pretty in salads. (Don’t use other types of lilies though as they are poisonous!)

• Violets & Pansies – the sweet, fragrant flowers can be used in salads, desserts and drinks and can be crystallised for cake decoration.

• Sunflowers – we all know you can eat the seeds, but did you know you can also eat the buds & petals? The petals have a bitter-sweet taste and can be used in salads. The unopened buds can be steamed and have a flavour similar to artichokes.

• Lilac – the flowers have a floral, slightly lemony flavour and can be used in salads.

• Honeysuckle – the flowers have a sweet honey flavour and can be used as a garnish for salads and desserts. (Don’t eat the berries though as they are poisonous).

• Fuchsias – the vibrant flowers look great as a garnish.

• Campanula – the narrow leaves make a sweet addition to salads.

• Yucca – the white flowers have a thick and crunchy texture and a sweet flavour. Be careful of the spines at the tips of the leaves when picking though!

• Typha – Reed Mace – the young shoots taste similar to water chestnuts and the rhizome can be eaten raw or cooked, or dried and ground into flour!

• Even the humble Daisies and Dandelions in your lawn can be picked and used as garnishes.

N.B. It’s fun to use some of these more unusual edible garden plants, but do be careful you are sure what they are, as so many of our common garden plants are in fact poisonous. If in doubt, leave it out!

Also, never use insecticides or chemicals on plants you may want to eat, and make sure you wash them carefully first – not least to get rid of the creepy-crawlies!

Congress, It's Like The Smell Coming From The Garbage Can

The Democrats in Congress and Obama are so intent on being right about health care that they got it passed even if it means many of them not being re-elected because of it. So, finally, at least some good might come of this.

Nancy Pelosi said recently about the health care bill, "We have to pass this bill so that you can find out what's in it." And Obama said the other day, "I haven't read the bill yet, but we need to pass it." This kind of makes you think Congress and Obama are like the Forrest Gumps of politicians saying, "Obamacare is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get."

When Nancy Pelosi became the Speaker of the House she said that this would be the most ethical Congress ever. But associating Congress with ethics is like associating Al Gore with charisma. There is actually an Ethics Committee in Congress and I'm assuming they are on the lookout for anyone there being ethical. So far they've found no one.

But a congressman trying to find ethics it's pretty much like a caveman trying to discover fire. It's something you've never seen before so you really don't know what it looks like. It compares to Tiger Wood discovering fidelity or Lady Gaga finding normalcy.

From many of the actions that Congress takes you'd think their collective IQs would have a hard time topping summer temperatures in Alaska. It makes you want to propose a reality show to the networks about Congress - Are You Smarter than Sandpaper? But the fact is that many of them are really intelligent people but when the mold was made for those people they forgot to provide space for that thing we talked about earlier in the article - ethics (but on Nancy Pelosi instead of ethics they put botox.)

Intelligence without ethics is how you get "brilliant" pieces of work like a stimulus package to spend your way of debt.

Let's just listen in on an interview with a Congressman that never made it to air (because the "ethics" committee wouldn't allow it):

Interviewer: What do you think is the biggest problem we face today, healthcare or unemployment?

Congressman: Neither one, it's being re-elected.

Interviewer: How is that a problem for the citizens of the United States?

Congressman: Oh, I didn't know we were talking about them. I thought we were talking about me. In that case I think the biggest problem is either steroid in sports or replacing the BCS system with a playoff in college football.

Interviewer: Why would those things be important to Congress?

Congressman: Well, first of all, Miss smarty pants interviewer, they are subjects where it makes Congress looks like we really care about something and so it makes us look good. And second it's something we can't really get in trouble for. Even though a lot of us take steroids and really, any type of drug you could imagine, legal or illegal, we aren't professional athletes, so it takes the limelight off of us and puts it somewhere else.

Interviewer: But how do those things fall under your jurisdiction?

Congressman: I guess you aren't listening. I already said it makes us look good and that is our biggest jurisdiction.

At that time a couple of Secret Service agent swept in and carted the interviewer off, never to be heard from again.

And with that said, it would be nice if we could just get rid of these guys by "unfriending" them in our Facebook accounts but at least we can vote them out in the next election.

Cartoon Humor Can Tickle Your Funny Bone

Didn't the world seem a lot better during Saturday morning cartoons? There was no school, no troubles and no homework worries as cartoon humor entertained us for hours. All it took was the favorite show, a bowl of corn flakes and a never ending smile. Somehow, the tradition faded in time but if you still like cartoons, you are in luck.

There are so many new options that you would be left confused. You can now enjoy cartoons on television shows, morning newspapers and the internet. Whenever you are lonely or sad, turn on your favorite cartoon and roll away in laughter. Remember that your responsibilities increase as you grow old, but the child inside you does not die. You can always bring that back by reading the morning Garfield strip or checking out the new SpongeBob show.

The comic strip in the newspapers was a favorite for most people as they grew up. What started out as a small strip has grown into a variety of world famous cartoons. You can probably remember Archies and Garfield. Now you can choose between a variety of cartoon strips from Calvin and Hobbes to The Wizard Of Id. If that is not enough, you can also catch your cartoons as television shows on morning channels. What can be better than bugs bunny outsmarting the hunter or the road runner defeating his smart enemies. You would laugh and laugh until you have tears in your eyes. From getting hit with anvils to blasting each other with cannons, it's a dream world of fun and laughter.

Cartoons have some of the funniest jokes and the wittiest punch lines. You can laugh at anything and anyone in cartoons. You could even make one yourself. Remember the bully who troubles you at school? Why not draw him as a fat slug and show him falling under a piano. That can surely bring a big grin to your face. Cartoon humor has been growing constantly.

If you are bored of the repeats on television, switch on your computer and log onto any cartoon site. You will hold your stomach, crying out in laughter as you see the funny range of cartoons. One year old talking babies or a family of idiots, all of them can make you laugh for hours. Books and movies, people and places, things and thoughts, all come alive with cartoons.

If you love cartoons, there is always something that you have never seen before. Starting from Mickey and the Disney Gang to Pokemon and SpongeBob, all are genius shows. If you feel you have watched them all, you can always watch exclusive clips or unreleased extras on the net. There is never a dull moment with the huge collection of cartoon pages and websites that is sure to make anyone laugh with pure fun. A bundle of laughs and memories of joy, cartoons keep being a part of our lives. It is up to you to enjoy the world of cartoon humor and always keep the laughs alive when you are feeling down.

And now I would like you to take a peek at some really funny stuff by going to this Kid-Friendly Website A top line resource on clean humor for young families with lots of things for kids to do.

Gaddafi Vows Retaliation for Coalition Missile Strikes

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) launches a Tomahawk missile in support of Operation Odyssey Dawn on Saturday.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi says the Mediterranean has been turned into a battlefield after Western air strikes yesterday and says he has opened arms depots for his people to defend the country.
Gaddafi, in a brief audio message broadcast on state television, condemned the allied Western attacks on Libya as ‘‘barbaric, unjustified Crusaders’ aggression.’’
He vowed to retaliate with military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean, warning that the interests of Mediterranean and North African countries were now ‘‘in danger.’’
‘‘The Mediterranean region has become a real battlefield,’’ he said. ‘‘Arms depots have been opened and all the Libyan people are being armed’’ to defend the country against Western forces.
British, French and US forces earlier on Saturday launched strikes from the air and sea against Gaddafi’s forces under a UN Security Council resolution to impose a ceasefire in a month-long showdown between loyalists and rebels.
US and British forces fired a barrage of at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Libya against Gaddafi’s air defences, the US military said. France said it carried out an initial four air strikes.
US Admiral William Gortney told reporters yesterday that "earlier this afternoon over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from both US and British ships and submarines struck more than 20 integrated air defence systems and other air defence facilities ashore".
Reuters also reported Italian and Canadian forces were involved in the operation.
US President Barack Obama said he had authorised US military action. "Today, I authorised the armed forces of the United States to begin a limited military action in Libya," said Obama, who is in Brazil on an official visit.
"We must be clear: actions have consequences, and the writ of the international community must be enforced," he said, adding that the operation would not expand into US boots on the ground in Libya.
"As I said yesterday, we will not - I repeat - we will not deploy any US troops on the ground," he said.
"I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice, and it's not a choice that I make lightly.
"But we cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy, and when his forces step up their assault on cities like Benghazi and Misrata where innocent men and women face brutality and death at the hands of their own government."
Odyssey Dawn
The US operation -- named "Odyssey Dawn" -- followed initial missions by French warplanes, which carried out four air strikes on Saturday, destroying several armoured vehicles of Gaddafi forces.
Two US Navy destroyers and three US submarines are positioned in the Meditteranean near Libya, all of which are equipped with Tomahawk missiles. The Pentagon said a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles struck more than 20 targets, including surface-to-air sites, early warning sites, and communications facilities.
French warplanes also carried out four air strikes in Libya , destroying several armoured vehicles of forces loyal to Gaddafi, the French military said.
According to the army chief, a first strike took place around 1645 GMT (0345 AEDT Sunday) against "a Libyan vehicle clearly identified as belonging to pro-Gaddafi forces".
Within the next hour, French Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter jets conducted three other strikes, destroying armoured vehicles of the Libyan forces in the eastern region of Benghazi, the rebels' stronghold, the military said.
The operations are to continue through the night, the military said.
British in action
British forces are in action over Libya as part of a UN-sanctioned intervention to stop Gaddafi's forces, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Saturday.
"Tonight, British forces are in action over Libya. They are part of an international coalition that has come together to enforce the will of the United Nations and to protect the Libyan people," Cameron said.
He defended the action, saying it "is necessary, it is legal, and it is right."
"It is necessary because, with others, we should be trying to prevent him using his military against his own people.
"It is legal, because we have the backing of the United Nations Security Council and also of the Arab League and many others.
"And it is right because we believe we should not stand aside while this dictator murders his own people."
Cameron also praised the British armed forces as "the bravest of the brave".
The action came two days after a UN Security Council resolution authorised military action.
Tripoli bombed, claims media
Libyan media said Western warplanes bombed civilian targets in Tripoli, causing casualties, shortly after France's launch of the multinational air campaign against Gaddafi.
State television said hundreds of people had gathered at Bab al-Aziziyah, Gaddafi's Tripoli headquarters, and at the capital's international airport, ahead of the widely anticipated air strikes.
"Crowds are forming around the targets identified by France," the television reported, showing pictures of flag-waving people gathering to serve as human shields.
Last week, a highly placed French source referred to Bab al-Aziziya, a military air base in Sirte, east of the capital, and another in Sebha in the south as likely targets of a strike.
Russia's foreign ministry expressed regret over the armed intervention under UN Resolution 1973 "which was adopted in haste".
According to France's army chief, a first French air strike took place around 1645 GMT (0345 AEDT Sunday) against "a Libyan vehicle clearly identified as belonging to pro-Gaddafi forces".
Within the next hour, French Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighter jets conducted three other strikes, destroying armoured vehicles of the Libyan forces in the eastern region of Benghazi, the rebels' stronghold, the military said.
Gaddafi's response
Gaddafi said the Mediterranean has turned into a "real battlefield" after Western air strikes and opened arms depots for his people to defend the country.
In a brief audio message broadcast on state television, he condemned the allied Western attacks on Libya as "barbaric, unjustified Crusaders' aggression."
He vowed to retaliate with military and civilian targets in the Mediterranean, warning that the interests of Mediterranean and North African countries were now "in danger."
"The Mediterranean region has become a real battlefield," he said. "Arms depots have been opened and all the Libyan people are being armed" to defend the country against Western forces.

British Submarines Fire on Gaddafi's Forces

Prepared: F-18 fighters are parked at the NATO airbase in Aviano, Italy. International leaders have said Libya could face military action if it refuses to comply with UN resolution

The British military are in action over Libya tonight, David Cameron confirmed, as an international coalition opened fire against Gaddafi's air defences. The Prime Minister said 'what we are doing is necessary, legal and right' as he confirmed British military operations had begun.
Britain, the U.S., France, Canada and Italy were all launching strikes tonight according to U.S. sources in the biggest international military intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 Iraq war.
Coalition troops fired more than 110 cruise missiles at Libyan targets in 'only the first phase' of a multiphase operation, a senior U.S. military official said on Saturday.
Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, director of the U.S. military's Joint Staff, declined to discuss what the next phase of the operations would be. He said more than 20 sites had been targeted in coalition strikes so far.
A UK submarine is understood to have been stationed in the Mediterranean for some time without being detected. Mr Cameron said Colonel Gaddafi had stepped up his campaign against his people despite announcing a ceasefire.
The Prime Minister said 'we should not stand aside while a dictator murders his people' as reports suggested explosions had been heard in the capital Tripoli.
Speaking after a Cobra meeting in Downing Street, he said: 'We have all seen the appalling brutality that Colonel Gaddafi has meted out against his own people. And far from introducing the ceasefire he spoke about, he has actually stepped up the attacks and the brutality that we can all see.
'So what we are doing is necessary, it is legal, and it is right.
He added: 'Tonight, of course our thoughts should be with those in our armed services who are putting their lives at risk in order to save the lives of others. They are the bravest of the brave.
Up to 20 French planes were said to be patrolling the air above Libya enforcing the no-fly zone and had destroyed four Libyan tanks in air strikes. The U.S. Navy had fired Tomahawk missiles at coastal Libyan air defences from their submarines, according to reports.
The Chief of Defence Staff's strategic communications officer Major General John Lorimer said: 'I can confirm that British Armed Forces, as authorised by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, have participated in a co-ordinated strike against Libyan air defence systems.
'The UK has launched guided Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) from a Trafalgar Class submarine as part of a co-ordinated coalition plan to enforce the resolution.
'This is the first stage. UK and partner forces remain engaged in ongoing operations as we seek to ensure that Colonel Gaddafi and his forces understand that the international community will not stand by and watch them kill civilians.'
French Defence Ministry spokesman Thierry Burkhard said the first strike had been reported at around 4.45pm on a military vehicle.
Prime Minister David Cameron joined other world leaders - including representatives of several Arab states - at an emergency summit in Paris which agreed to deploy military aircraft to stop the assault on rebel stronghold Benghazi.
Colonel Gaddafi earlier flouted his own ceasefire and the UN resolution by continuing heavy artillery bombardment on the eastern city as tanks were reported in the streets.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced that his country's air force was operating in the skies over Libya, while further French fighters stood ready to target Gaddafi's tanks and armoured vehicles.
Mirage and Rafale fighters were patrolling the skies above Benghazi and could be used to target Libyan tanks as they shell civilian areas of the city.
It was not immediately clear how soon the RAF's Typhoon and Tornado fighters will go into action, although the Dutch Prime Minister was reported to have said that UK, U.S. and French planes could be deployed later today.
Despite a ceasefire announced yesterday by Gaddafi's regime, artillery fire at opposition-held cities Benghazi, Misrata and Ajdabiya continued today.
A Russian foreign ministry tonight said they 'regret' the military action being taken by the West. U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said they would support the international coalition - but would not deploy troops on the ground.
'The US will not deploy ground troops but there should be no mistaking our commitment to this effort,' she said.
'Colonel Gaddafi continues to defy the world and his attacks on civilians go on. As President Obama has said, we have every reason to fear that left unchecked, Gaddafi will commit unspeakable atrocities.
'We all recognise that further delay will only put more civilians at risk.'
She added: 'Let me be clear about the position of the US. We will support an international coalition as it takes all necessary measures to enforce the terms of Resolution 1973.'
A U.S. official said the Navy was planning a sea-launched missile attack from the Mediterranean against elements of Libya's coastal air defences.
The U.S. has submarines, destroyers, amphibious assault and landing ships in the vicinity. The rebel fighter shot down this morning was believed to have been hit by Gaddafi's forces, before crashing into the suburbs of Benghazi.
Residents said they had been under continuous bombardment since this morning. One person, identified only as Sam, told Sky News: 'We have been under continuous bombing since about six o'clock this morning. It was non-stop.'
She described shells hitting houses and cars in residential areas of the city. She added: 'Civilians are being attacked in Benghazi.'
Rebel leaders said Gaddafi's forces had entered the city as they hastily put up concrete barricades to defend their headquarters. Reports of skirmishes between loyalist forces and rebels have emerged, with claims that fighter jets have bombed the road to the airport.
The Libyan government has denied its forces were in action in Benghazi, and blamed rebels for trying to spark international military action in the country.
Angus MacSwan, a correspondent for Reuters, said: 'I saw the plane circle around, come out of the clouds, head towards an apparent target, and then it was hit and went straight down in flames and a huge billow of black smoke went up.
'It seems it was attacking the Benghazi military barracks.'
Initial reports stated the fighter jet belonged to Gaddafi's forces, but this was later denied by rebel leaders.
Explosions have been heard in the city since the early hours of the morning, with rebel fighters claiming hired mercenaries were beginning to infiltrate the city.Khalid Ahmed, a rebel fighter, said: 'They were 40 miles away yesterday, they are 12 miles away and they can be here in a half our to 90 minutes.'
A BBC correspondent also reported seeing tanks on the streets of Benghazi. Two mercenaries were killed in a firefight with opposition forces in the Benghazi suburbs.
The two men, in civilian clothes, were shot and killed and blood-soaked identity papers revealed they were Nigerian.
Libyan forces have insisted they were holding to a ceasefire announced yesterday and repeated an invitation for international observers to enter the country today to monitor it.
Deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'The ceasefire is real, credible and solid. We are willing to receive observes as soon as possible, even today.'
U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice last night said the Libyan leader was already in violation of the UN Security Council resolution 1973, passed on Thursday, which called for an immediate end to hostilities and authorised 'all necessary measures' short of foreign occupation to protect civilians.
She told CNN that Gaddafi would face 'swift and sure consequences including military action' if he ignored international demands.
Residents in the rebel-held city of Misrata said they faced heavy shelling yesterday - denied by Gaddafi's government - another breach of the broad-ranging UN resolution.
At least 38 people are believed to have been killed in the attack in Misrata. But Gaddafi condemned the resolution. He told Al Jazeera: 'This is blatant colonialism. It does not have any justification.
'This will have serious consequences on the Mediterranean and on Europe.'
Libya's oil ministry also urged Western firms which abandoned operations in the country at the outbreak of unrest last month to return, warning that contracts may otherwise be handed over to companies from countries such as China and India.
RAF fighter jets were deploying to the Mediterranean to join the international effort to protect Libya's people from aerial assault by Gaddafi's forces.
Neither the Ministry of Defence nor Downing Street would last night confirm whether any RAF planes had set off on their mission, codenamed Operation Ellamy, or where they would be based in the Mediterranean.
Mr Cameron yesterday said that Typhoons and Tornados, together with surveillance and air-to-air refuelling craft, would be ready to leave within hours.
Gerard Araud, French ambassador to the UN, said: 'So I guess that after this summit, I think that in the coming hours, I think we will got to launch the military intervention.'
President Obama has made it clear that any military action would aim to change conditions across the whole of Libya - rather than just in the rebel-held east.
He said: 'All attacks against civilians must stop. Gaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi, pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misrata and Zawiyah, and establish water, electricity and gas supplies to all areas.
'Humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach the people of Libya.
'Let me be clear, these terms are not negotiable. If Gaddafi does not comply... the resolution will be enforced through military action.'

Indonesia Screens Japan Travellers for Radiation

Indonesia gave a preliminary all-clear Saturday after radiation-screening passengers arriving at Jakarta airport from Japan, which is battling to prevent leaks at a stricken nuclear power plant.
“The nuclear energy regulatory agency, with the airport’s management, started to carry out screenings on Tuesday,” Soekarno Hatta international airport official Frans Yoseph told AFP.
“Up until now we have not detected any sign of radiation,” Yoseph said adding that they will continue to conduct checks until the Japan’s nuclear crisis ends.
The team conducted screenings for passengers, crew members and luggage coming off direct flights from Japan, he said, adding that there were six flights to and from Tokyo and Narita every day.
A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on March 11 triggered a giant tsunami that flattened Japan’s northeast coast and killed 7,197, according to the latest police death toll, with almost 11,000 officially listed as missing.
Four of the six reactors at Fukushima No. 1 plant have been in danger of leaking dangerous amounts of radioactivity after an earthquake and tsunami led to a series of hydrogen explosions and fires at buildings housing the units.

"Old Players" Could Have been behind Jakarta Bomb Terror

Head of National Antiterror Agency (BNPT) Ansyaad Mbai said the bomb terror that had continuously rocked Jakarta this week could be the work of "old players".
"Considering the raw materials and bomb detonator (used in the ’book bomb’), I think it could be the work of old players." he told participants of a seminar on the book bomb issue here Saturday.
Ansyaad Mbai argued that the bombs planted inside books the terrorists had sent to a number of important people this week had generally the same types as those ever made before. Therefore, the acts of terrorism through the book bombs were likely done by old players who had been recruited by "new operators", he said.
The book bomb terrorists could be from the old group of late Imam Samudra or a group which had nothing to do with the old one. The bomb makers could also be individuals who were inspired by the previous acts of terrorism, he said adding that the police had to reveal the book bomb cases and bring all perpetrators to court.
Ansyaad Mbai also warned the people of being more careful with and alert to any suspicious package sent by the people that they did not know. "If the packages are sent by unknown people and the contents are suspicious, please immediately report to the police," he said.
A series of bomb threats have rocked some parts of Indonesia this week. On Tuesday, four packages containing books with bombs planted in them were sent to Ulil Abshar Abdalla, activist of the Islam Liberal Network, Goris Mere, the chief of the National Anti-Narcotics Agency, Yapto Soeryosumarno, the chief of the Pancasila Youth organization, and Ahmad Dhani, a musician.
Then, a plastic bag containing a bomb was also found in Cibubur, Bogor district. A Bank Central Asia (BCA) building at Serpong Road, Banten Province, also received a bomb threat on Friday.
On Saturday, a church at Titi Papan Road in Medan, North Sumatran province, also received a bomb threat. However, a bomb planted in a book in Jakarta on Tuesday exploded and injured three people.
Indonesia has been fighting terrorist cells in the country since the 2002 Bali bombings that claimed 202 lives, including 88 Australian holiday makers. Two years before the terrorists attacked the resort island of Bali, Indonesia was rocked by the Christmas eve bombings in 2000.
The latest bombing incident occurred in July 2009. At that time, two suicide bombers simultaneously attacked two luxurious hotels in South Jakarta, killing several people.

Indonesia Trying to Reduce Maternal Death Rate

Indonesia is trying to reduce maternal death rate from currently at 228 per 100,000 living births to 102 by 2015. Coordinating minister for people’s welfare Agung Laksono said here on Saturday "it must drop to 102 by 2015."
The minister said the rate of maternal deaths in the country was still very high and even the highest among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He said the government had been committed to reducing the rate in line with the Millennium Development Goals.
One of the efforts to realize the goal is preparing various health facilities especially for delivery processing. Besides preparing the facilities the government also tried to produce professional midwives that have skills in helping delivery, he said. The minister said he admitted that the number of such facilities and professional midwives was not big especially in the regions and small islands.
"In remote islands it could take days to get the facilities or professional midwives," he said. He stated the government would provide the budget for it with regard to reducing the rate of maternal deaths.

Indonesia to Raise ASEAN Member States' Assistance for Japan

The RI government is ready to raise assistance from ASEAN member states for post-disaster reconstruction for Japan due to the Indonesian chairmanship of ASEAN this year, said Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa here Saturday.
"One of RI’s concerns as ASEAN chair this year is about how to raise support from the member states in relation to the disasters that hit Japan," said Marty at his office here Saturday.
He said Indonesia, as ASEAN chairman in 2011, was responsible to encourage other member countries to help Japan not only in an emergency, but also to assist in restructuring the country after the 9-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11.
"Now is the time for Indonesia to show its capacity as ASEAN chair to collect assistance from the member states and also to encourage them to be proactive in helping Japan for its reconstruction," said the Minister here Saturday.
In relation to the disaster that hit Japan, the government of Indonesia had sent teams to Japan involving rapid reaction teams comprising 60 people, he said. The team would be sent to Japan in stages, he added.
"The first team of 15 people had arrived in Tokyo and we got information that they are now in Miyagi to help the Indonesians there," he said.
He also said that the focus of the team was to relocate the Indonesians as priority and also the peoples of the other ASEAN member states. Moreover, he said, RI would send 1.700 blankets to Japan tonight and another 10.000 blankets had already been sent.
Marty also urged the Indonesians who wanted to deliver relieve aid for Japanese to contact the Foreign Ministry for the sake of efficiency. "I hope the people who want to send humanitarian and relief aid will contact our ministry because the Japanese government needs assistance in many forms," he added.

Indonesia Issues Red Alert as Volcano Erupts

Indonesia issued a red alert Friday after Mount Karangetang on the island of Sulawesi erupted, sending lava and searing gas clouds down its slopes, a volcanologist said. “We raised the volcano’s status to the highest red alert level today at 5:45 pm (1045GMT) and ordered an evacuation in three villages on the slopes,” government volcanologist Surono told AFP.
He said that the 1,784-metre (5,850-foot) mountain on the sparsely-populated island off North Sulawesi oozed lava, heat clouds and debris reaching as far as 3,800 metres away down its slopes.
“The eruption is still going on and its current activity remains high,” he said.
“The main threat is heat clouds that will be fatal for people living in villages on the slope.” The volcano killed four people during an eruption in August 2010.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. The archipelago nation is home to 129 active volcanoes, including 21 on Java.

Obama to Gadhafi: Stop or Face Military Action

President Barack Obama makes a statement on Libya, Friday, March 18, 2011, in the East Room of the White House in Washington.

President Barack Obama demanded Friday that Moammar Gadhafi halt all military attacks on civilians and said that if the Libyan leader did not stand down the United States would join other nations in launching military action against him.
But the president also stressed the United States "is not going to deploy ground troops into Libya."
In a brief appearance at the White House, Obama said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would travel to Paris on Saturday to join allies in discussing next steps in Libya, where Gadhafi has pressed a brutal crackdown against rebels trying to end his 42-year reign.
Stressing that the United States was acting in concert with European allies and Arab nations, the president said, "Our goal is focused, our cause is just and our coalition is strong."
Obama's remarks came less than 24 hours after the United Nations Security Council voted to authorize military action — including a "no-fly zone" over Libya — to prevent the killing of civilians by Gadhafi's forces.
The president spoke with congressional leaders before his public statement, but an official said no request was made for formal congressional action.
Obama drew quick support from House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, a longtime critic of the war in Iraq.
"I commend the president for his leadership and prudence on how our nation will proceed in regards to Libya and work in concert with European and Arab allies to address the crisis," she said in a written statement.
At the White House, Obama said there should be no doubt about Gadhafi's intentions "because he has made them clear. Just yesterday, speaking of the city of Benghazi, a city of roughly 700,000, he threatened `we will have no mercy and no pity.' No mercy on his own citizens."
The president has been criticized by some U.S. lawmakers and others for not moving more forcefully while Gadhafi has regrouped in recent days and taken the offensive against the rebels. Obama said the United States and other nations have imposed sanctions on Libya, frozen assets of the leader and delivered humanitarian supplies to bordering countries to help ease the plight of thousands fleeing the fighting.
"Now, once more, Moammar Gadhafi has a choice," Obama said, listing what he said were non-negotiable conditions laid out by the U.N. Security Council.
"If Gadhafi does not comply, the international community will impose consequences, and the resolution will be enforced through military action," Obama said.
He did not specify what responsibilities would fall to the United States if military action is carried out against Gadhafi, but officials have said previously that American forces would help enforce a no-fly zone to prevent the Libyan leader from using his air force to bomb civilians.
The president made no reference to a Libya's declaration of an immediate cease-fire on Friday — a statement that a rebel spokesman said was fiction.
Instead, Obama listed a series of demands for Gadhafi, including the halting of all attacks against civilians, a stop to military action against Benghazi and other cities and permission for humanitarian supplies to reach the civilian population of the country.
"Let me be clear, these terms are not negotiable," he said.
"Our goal is focused, our cause is just, and our coalition is strong," the president said.
He emphasized that the United States was not acting alone but in concert with Britain, France and Arab countries he did not name.
"Change in the region will not and cannot be imposed by the United States or any foreign power. Ultimately, it will be driven by the people of the Arab world," he said.
The uprising against Gadhafi is only one of many struggles being played out in the region as long-time autocratic regimes come under pressure. Protests in Tunisia and Egypt have led to the ouster of long-time rulers, and there have been demonstrations in Yemen, Jordan and Bahrain. Protests erupted in at least three parts of Syria during the day Friday, according to state television and other source
Earlier, Clinton told reporters that Gadhafi must make "a very clear set of decisions" to halt violence against anti-government rebels.
Clinton said the U.S. had seen the reports of a cease-fire by the Libyan government, but she added that the American government was not going to be "impressed by words." She said the immediate objective of any intervention was to halt the violence against civilians, but insisted that the "final result of any negotiation would have to be the decision by Col. Gadhafi to leave."
The U.S. has ships and warplanes within striking distance of Libya, including submarines and surface ships armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles. If military action were to proceed, a first step likely would involve attacks on Libyan air defenses, including radar and surface-to-air missile sites along its Mediterranean coastline. That would allow aircraft enforcing a no-fly zone to maneuver with impunity.
The nearest U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise, was far to the east, in the Arabian Sea supporting air operations in Afghanistan. The Pentagon gave no indication that substantial additional firepower was being moved toward Libya, even as it focused on providing humanitarian relief in stricken northern Japan.
Britain, France and NATO were holding emergency meetings Friday on using military force to enforce a no-fly zone. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance was "completing its planning to be ready to take appropriate action in support of the U.N. resolution as part of the broad international effort."
Officials announced that the leaders of Britain, France and Germany and the chiefs of the United Nations and Arab League would join other world leaders for an emergency summit on Libya in Paris on Saturday.

Saturn's UFO Moons

UFO Pan is Saturns most inner moon, as seen in this illustration. It orbits within the Encke Gap in the planets A ring

They look more like flying-saucers than icy moons, but Pan and Atlas are two of Saturn's strangest satellites. Scientists have long been puzzled by how the oddly-shaped moons, which are only 20miles across, came to be.
Researchers based at the European Space Agency now think they have some answers after studying several years worth of cosmic images. They realised that 14 of Saturn's small moons had a very low density - about half that of water ice - and shapes that suggested they had grown out of the rings themselves.
However, they would have needed a jump start as it is not gravitationally possible for small particles to fuse together within the rings. Therefore, each moon would have started with a massive core that was a leftover from the original collisions that caused the rings.
Carolyn Porco from ESA, said: 'We think the only way these moons could have reached the sizes they are now, in the ring environment as we now know it to be, was to start off with a massive core to which the smaller, more porous ring particles could easily become bound.'
By this process, a moon will grow even if it is relatively close to Saturn. The result is a ring-region moon about two to three times the size of its dense ice core, covered with a thick shell of porous, icy ring material.
Simulations performed at Southwest Research Institute in 2010 suggest that Saturn originally had several large Titan-sized moons, which spiraled into the planet during its early history. As the final lost satellite neared Saturn, heating caused by the flexing of its shape and the planet's gravity would cause its ice to melt and rock sink to its centre.
Planetary tidal forces as it crossed the region of the current B ring would then have stripped material from its outer layers, creating the initial ice ring. Dr Robin Canup from the SwRI Planetary Science Directorate in Boulder, who led the study, said: 'The new model proposes that the rings are primordial, formed from the same events that left Titan as Saturn's sole large satellite,.
'The implication is that the rings and the Saturnian moons interior to and including Tethys share a coupled origin, and are the last remnants of a lost companion satellite to Titan.'
But how then to explain the strange ridges that give Pan and Atlas their unique shapes?
The answer, scientists suspect, lies in accretion discs, that are seen at all scales in the universe from planetary rings to galaxies. Essentially as the disc spins, forces cause the edges of the structure to flatten out and a bulge to form towards the centre.
'Our computer simulations show that the ridges must have accreted rapidly when Saturn's rings were thin, forming small accretion disks around the equators of Pan and Atlas,' said Sebastien Charnoz, from the University Paris-Diderot in France.

Indonesian Navy Catches Philippine Fishing Boat

The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) has caught a Philippine-flagged fishing boat for allegedly poaching fish in the Halmahera waters.
"Indonesian warship KRI Teluk Jakarta-541 nabbed the Philippine-flagged fishing boat of Pum Boat Liza Marie-8 type in the Halmahera waters," spokesman for the Indonesian Navy Commodore Tri Prasojo said here on Friday.
"When the TNI personnel aboard the KRI Teluk Jakarta checked their documents the crew members of the fishing boat could not produce required documents," he said.
The boat skippered by Felipe Villa Ver Lokoy had 13 crew members, all of them Filipinos, he said. The Indonesian warship later escorted all the crew members aboard the fishing boat to the Sorong naval base for questioning, he said.
At least 185 foreign ships were caught for illegally fishing in Indonesian waters in 2007 and 242 in 2008. Indonesia is estimated to lose Rp30 trillion per year because of fish poaching.
Prasojo further said the Indonesian Navy would continue to deploy its personnel in the sea and conduct air maritime patrols to provide a sense of security to any user of the Indonesian waters as well as to anticipate various external threats.

Xanana to Make Visit to Jakarta

East Timor Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao 

Prime Minister of Timor Leste Democratic Republic (RDTL) Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao is preparing an official visit to Jakarta from March 20 to 26, along with an entourage of 50 people.

"Xanana is scheduled to meet President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the ASEAN Secretary General," Antonio Ramos da Silva, Xanana Gusmao’s spokesman said in his an electric message to ANTARA Friday.
Xanana and his entourage will be leaving Dili on March 20 with an overnight transit in Denpasar, Bali, and proceed to Jakarta the following day. In the company of their foreign ministers, both Xanana and President Yudhoyono will on Thursday be discussing bilateral cooperation, and sign a memorandum of understanding on several agreements of mutual interest.
On the same day, Xanana will be meeting ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan for the discussion of a number of things, especially in relation to the RDTL’s plans to become permanent member of the regional association. Xanana on Tuesday afternoon was also scheduled to deliver a general lecture at the University of Indonesia (UI), and address an international defense dialogue at the Jakarta Convention Center on March 23.
"Xanana will be returning to Dili on March 26 also following a transit in Denpasar. This time his formal visit will bring along a very strategic mission for both his country and Indonesia, as well as for ASEAN," Antonio Ramos said.

Indonesia Sets 12 Models of Economic Cooperation

Indonesia has so far signed 12 comprehensive economic cooperation agreements with other countries aimed at increasing its foreign trade, a Trade Ministry official said.
The model of the 12 economic cooperation agreements was different from one another, Director of Bilateral Cooperation of the Directorate General of International Trade at the Trade Ministry Pradnyawati said here on Friday.
The economic cooperation agreements were signed with a number of countries including Japan, Australia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Chile, Turkey, Egypt and South Korea, as well as with European Union and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), she said.
"One of the 12 cooperation agreements comes in the form of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with Japan which began to take effect in July 2008," she said.
Two of the cooperation agreements were in the form of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), and two others Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), she said. The others came in the form of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).
"Only one of the cooperation agreements has not been signed, namely (comprehensive economic cooperation agreement) between Indonesia and European Union which is now under joint study group (JSG) status," she said.
She stated the increasingly fiercer competition had prompted countries in the world to adopt more strategic steps in establishing economic cooperation including signing comprehensive economic cooperation agreements.

Japan Quake Could Delay iPad 2

Customers try the latest Ipad 2 at the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in New York, March 11, 2011. 


Apple may face shortages of key components for its newly-released iPad 2 as a result of the earthquake in Japan, according to a report.
Several key components in the new version of Apple's popular iPad tablet PC come from Japan, including the battery and the flash memory used to store music and video on the device, according to research firm IHS iSuppli.
The iPad 2 battery, which IHS iSuppli said is "unusually thin", is manufactured by Apple Japan, an Apple subsidiary, and likely requires advanced manufacturing technologies that reside in the country.
"Logistical disruptions may mean that Apple could have difficulties obtaining this battery, and it may not be able to secure supply from an external, non-Japanese source," the report said.
Production at many Japanese manufacturing facilities has come to a halt following last week's 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami, which has left more than 5600 people dead and destroyed swaths of the country.
Toshiba, which is one of the companies that produces the NAND flash memory used in the iPad 2 according to IHS iSuppli's research, briefly shut down a flash memory manufacturing facility in Japan and warned it could face hurdles distributing its products.
Suppliers of other components whose factories weren't damaged are likely to be affected by logistical issues, such as difficulties procuring raw materials and shipping finished products, the report said.
Apple launched the iPad 2 in the United States last weekend to strong demand, with many stores selling out of the device and analysts estimating that the company sold 1 million units during the debut weekend.
The current wait time for an iPad ordered online is 4-5 weeks. Apple declined to say how that would be affected.
Earlier this week, Apple said it would delay the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan as "the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster". An Apple spokeswoman said the decision to delay sales had nothing to do with any component shortages.
Among the other iPad 2 components sourced from Japan listed in the IHS iSuppli report are a compass from AKM Semiconductor and DRAM memory produced by Elpida Memory. A touchscreen overlay glass is likely from Asahi Glass, IHS iSuppli said.
The report said that some of these components, particularly the flash and DRAM memory chips, could be procured from alternative suppliers.