Paradise of Jellyfish lake, Kakaban Island Indonesia's

Kakaban Island has been nominated as a world heritage zone for its four exceptional species of jellyfish.

The island is like the figure “9”, with an atoll or ring-shaped coral in the north and a lagoon inside the circle, which nearby people call Lake Kakaban.

Lake Kakaban contains brackish water with marine biota already undergoing evolution while being trapped inside, producing species different in nature and physical features from those found in the sea. Among them is transparent-body jellyfish (Aurelia aurita), and another lovelier jellyfish the size of the index finger (Tripedalia cystophora).

The one as big as a fist, like a brownish blue incandescent lamp (Martigias papua), is more dominant in number. Along with the three jellyfish species is Cassiopeia ornata, which has become the trademark of Kakaban Island.

What distinguishes these endemic species from those in the open sea is the loss of their stinging capacity. Of the four, Kakaban’s prized Cassiopeia has a unique habit of swimming upside down, with its tentacles facing upward.

There are eight fish species in Lake Kakaban, four notable ones are serinding (Apogon lateralis), puntang (Exyrias puntang), coral fry (Antherinomorus endrachtensis) and needle fish (Zenarchopterus dispar). Rhizopoda roots on the bank of the lake are also found to bear Halimeda and Caulepa algae, resembling small green grapes. Kakaban is thus virtually the last bastion of marine biota in the zone protected from invasion by an ever growing population.

Arif Hadianto, an underwater photographer from Berau Coal Diving Club, mentioned several points on Kakaban Island called Barracuda Point, The Drift, Cabbage Patch, The Wall, Blue Light Cave, The Plateau, Rainbow Run, Diver’s Delight and The North Face.

“The names indicate the different underwater panoramas of various types of diving locations on the island. The animals in this lake produce more colorful lights when it’s getting darker,” he said.

Endemic species: Kakaban Island is home to a few endemic species of jellyfish. Courtesy of Arif Hadianto/Berau Coal Diving ClubResearch conducted by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in 2004 showed such islands as Maratua, Derawan, Sangalaki and Kakaban were at least home to 444 species of hard coral, 872 species of endemic fish and stingless jellyfish, in the waters of Berau regency. Besides, the largest green turtles in Southeast Asia also lay eggs on the islands.

Kakaban, itself covering 774.2 hectares, belongs to the island group of Derawan. Unlike Derawan with a population of over 4,000 and Maratua with 3,000 Bajo people, Kakaban is uninhabited. Europeans dub the Bajo ethnics sea gypsies or sea nomads. Kakaban in the Bajo tongue means embracing.

dive with jellyfish

It takes 45 minutes from Derawan to Kakaban by speedboat with a capacity of 15 people, costing three times as much as sailing by fishing boat with 4 passengers, which can be hired at only Rp 400,000 for the same distance.


Apart from developing marine tourism on Maratua and Derawan Islands, the Berau regency administration, East Kalimantan, supported by Berau Coal, a coal mining company, is also boosting tourism on Kakaban Island.

Two speedboats sailed rapidly, leaving Maratua Island where The Amazing Derawan Archipelago Underwater Photo Contest was held with photographers from Japan, Australia and other countries participating on March 5-9.

East Kalimantan Deputy Governor Farid Wadjdy and several staff members were apparently stunned by two dolphins leaping around, as if trying to compete with the speedboat.

“After watching underwater photos presenting beautiful submarine panoramas, the view observed from aboard the speedboat is also thrilling with the two dolphins going along,” he pointed out.

East Kalimantan, according to Farid, is not only the second largest province in Indonesia with an area of 245,000 square kilometers or about 11 percent of the country’s territory, but also has marine potential as its major asset.

Map of  Kakaban

It takes 45 minutes from Derawan to Kakaban by speedboat with a capacity of 15 people, costing three times as much as sailing by fishing boat with 4 passengers, which can be hired at only Rp 400,000 for the same distance.

Before reaching the jellyfish lake, Farid and his team had to walk up steps and go down a bank stretching along 120 meters, with the sounds of birds coming from thickets of mangroves on both sides, of the species of tanjang (Bruguiera), apiapi (Avicennia), and pidada (Sonneratia).

Empty island: Several tourists sit in a resort on nearby Maratua Island, the nearest island to Kakaban Island. JP/Indra HarsaputraBerau Regent Makmur expected the provincial administration and central government to build an airport on Maratua Island. With the airport, he hoped the transportation of tourists from Balikpapan to Maratua would be expedited.

Berau Coal spokesman Bintoro Prabowo said Kakaban as an asset of the Berau administration should have its ecosystem conserved. The company has undertaken some activities such as supporting the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) program for the conservation of coral reefs as well as the protection of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata).

A marine expert from Canada, Thomas Tomascik, once called Kakaban a paradise of biological resources in Indonesia. Besides in Micronesia and Philippine islands, brackish water lagoons in the world can also be found on this island. Quote from Jakarta Post

Samsung Galaxy S3 Review

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 is the phone of the moment for good reason, says Matt Warman

Samsung Galaxy S3

By Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor 

Price:
From £27 per month on a two year contract 

Samsung Galaxy S3 features at a glance

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 phone has been much promoted – it is, after all, the device that will compete with Apple’s iPhone 5, and carries in many ways all Google’s best hope for its Android operating system.

I had some time with the device before it was released, and now, the day before it launches, I’ve been able to spend several days living with it. Although there are some niggles, I like it now even more than I did before.

The two most striking things about the S3 are its enormous, gorgeous screen and its surprising – by which I mean adequate – battery life. HTC’s rival One X has an excellent screen too, but I prefer the 4.8” version from Samsung. Although it’s based on slightly older technology (Pentile Amoled rather than Super Amoled Plus), that detail shouldn’t get in the way.

In terms of battery, the 2,100mAh batter was the first I’ve used that was able to get me through a whole day, unplugged from about 7am to 11pm, albeit using WiFi rather than the network for much of that time. To do this in such a slim package is probably the S3’s biggest yet least glamorous feature.

Pick up the S3, and the first thing that strikes you is that it’s made of plastic – unlike the iPhone 4S, the S3 does not quite have that weighty feel, and some users will feel that makes it seem relatively cheap. It’s an issue of personal preference, but it’s not one that bothers me. The phone feels very solid, and I’ve not yet managed to scratch its glossy white plastic. The Pebble Blue model, which is very dark blue, is likely to be even less susceptible to that problem because of its metal-effect finish. Rounded corners make it easy enough to reach the top of the phone’s screen even when using it one handed, although people with small hands may struggle. I certainly wouldn’t want a bigger device to use as a phone. The popular Samsung Galaxy Note, however, suggests many people do.

The 8.55mm slim body features a volume button on one side and the power button on the other. But you can also wake up the phone with one of the S3’s flagship new features, S-Voice. This lets you control the phone with your voice, so you can record a phrase to wake up the phone, and four others to make it do other things – take a picture, for instance. In use I found this gimmick increasingly temperamental, but it is a fine demonstration of how voice interaction is going to play a bigger role. Samsung’s currently has more possibilities than Apple’s Siri on the iPhone, but I’ve found Siri to be slightly more consistent in performance. Either way, this is not a technology I’d yet consider ready for everyday use. Apple even calls Siri a beta product.

Once the phone is awake, again it’s the screen that is consistently striking. Instantly responsive in a way that many Android phones still struggle to be, it sits on top of a quad-core processor that is so powerful it can even play a video in a window on screen. This feature feels like it was built to show off the power of the phone rather than for a real use, but it certainly does the former very effectively.

Performance loading web pages is almost instant, and running apps, such as the exclusive Flipboard for Android, the phone is probably the first I’ve used where you almost forget that you’re using a phone rather than a fully fledged computer. Images taken with the excellent, 8MP camera load quickly, for instance, and scrolling through them is fast as well.

That camera is much improved from the S2, although its face detection seems to be in need of a software update. Some reviewers have found problems with focusing in video mode, but I didn’t experience anything major myself.

The front-facing camera, meanwhile, is also used to detect when the phone is being looked at – that ‘Smart Stay’ feature stops the phone’s display from dimming when it’s in use. Although not completely perfect, this is an excellent addition that should become a standard feature on all new smartphones, patent wars not withstanding.

Another similar new feature is ‘Direct Call’ – if you’re looking at a contact, simply picking up the phone and putting it to your face will initiate a call. It’s useful, it works and again it feels like a future standard idea. S-Beam builds on Android’s Beam technology to send phones from one device to another, and it too feels like it’s setting a new, basic standard.

The overall interface on the S3 will be familiar to users of the 20million-selling S2, but it adds important extra features. Holding the home button now brings up the task manager while double-tapping it brings up S-Voice. Where the Galaxy Nexus dispenses with a menu button, retaining it on the S3 makes for easier access to useful features.

Perhaps the best example of these is the option to hide apps from the main menu; that means users can lose but not erase the apps that Samsung insists on installing, such as Video Hub, if they don’t use them enough. That's a small but lovely option.

Indeed, it’s that Samsung tendency to add a host of features that some users may suggest makes the S3 feel bloated – as I’ve used it, that has not been my experience. Almost all the new features, from Smart Stay to Buddy Photo Share, that sends camera images to the people in them, feel useful. Those that aren't, you can hide. Why the torch is labelled 'assistive light', however, is anybdoy's guess.

Performance that, to be honest, feels like it does not yet have the software to properly test it, a gorgeous, huge screen and good, clever additions make the S3 feel, to me, like the best Android phone on the market. HTC’s One X comes very close, but even iPhone users should take a look at Samsung’s latest, greatest offering.
 
Specifications:
 
Screen:
4.8” Super Amoled HD display
Storage:
16/32/64GB depending on model, plus expandable MicroSD card
Cloud storage:
50GB Dropbox for two years
Colour:
Pebble blue or marble white
Battery:
2,100mAh (wireless charging optional extra)
Camera:
8MP rear; 1.9 MP front
Resolution:
720 x 1280 px (306ppi)
RAM:
1GB
Dimensions:
136.6 x 70.6 x 8.55 mm
Weight:
133g
Operating System:
Android 4.0.4
Processor:
Exynos 4 Quad (1.4GHz)

Shouryya Ray cracked puzzles set by Sir Isaac Newton that have baffled mathematicians for more than 350 years

Shouryya Ray has been hailed a genius after working out the problems set by Sir Isaac Newton

Dailymail report: A 16-year-old has managed to crack puzzles which have baffled the world of maths for more than 350 years.

Shouryya Ray has been hailed a genius after working out the problems set by Sir Isaac Newton.

The schoolboy, from Dresden, Germany, solved two fundamental particle dynamics theories which physicists have previously been able to calculate only by using powerful computers.

His solutions mean that scientists can now calculate the flight path of a thrown ball and then predict how it will hit and bounce off a wall.

Shouryya only came across the problems during a school trip to Dresden University where professors claimed they were uncrackable.

'I just asked myself, 'Why not?',' explained Shouryya.

'I think it was just schoolboy naivety. I didn't believe there couldn't be a solution,' he added.

Modest Shouryya began solving complicated equations as a six year old but says he's no genius.

'There are other things at school I wish I was better at - football for one,' he said.
For years Shouryya has enjoyed what he calls 'intrinsic beauty' of maths.

When he was young, his father, an engineer, began testing his brain by setting him arithmetic problems.

After arriving from Calcutta four years ago without knowing any German, Shouryya is now fluent in the language.

His intelligence was quickly noted in class and he was pushed up two years in school - he is currently sitting his exams early.

Modestly Shouryya has pointed out he has weak points as a mathematician, and says he is not as competent in sport.

FUI Said: 'Christians Should be Upset With Gaga'

"Lady Gaga"

The Islamic People’s Forum (FUI) — a unit of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) — said on Tuesday that Indonesian Christians should be upset with Lady Gaga, and opposed to her upcoming concert in Jakarta because she often wears Christian symbols “inappropriately.”

FUI spokesman Munarman compared the debate in Indonesia with the Philippines, where Catholic youth protested against the concert.

“Lady Gaga wore the cross on her genitals. Many of her songs are insulting to Christian beliefs. I wonder why we are the ones that are attacked when opposing her,” Munarman said.

Munarman said the Lady Gaga concert was an exploitation of people who did not understand global capitalism. “People who oppose it still have a healthy mind to reject a fool industry like this,” Munarman said. “This is clearly exploitation.”

Munarman made his statement following a meeting with the House Commission III to clarify the reasons behind the FUI’s objection toward the concert, and to urge the House to support their objections.

He said that he did not believe that the promoter, Big Daddy, would abide with the law by adjusting the concert to adhere to Indonesian culture.

“Lady Gaga refused to be regulated by the Philippines,” he said. “Lady gaga said she was not a [Filipino] and therefore did not have to comply with Philippine law. We should not believe the statements of someone who can not be trusted.”

While some hardline Islamist groups opposed the June 3 concert, the Indonesian Council of Churches said last week that the show should be allowed because it represented freedom of expression.

“Don’t teach our young generation pseudo-formality by wearing good outfits, but being bad on the inside,” Gomar Gultom, secretary general of the Indonesian Council of Churches (PGI), said responding to complaints about Lady Gaga’s wardrobe.

Ask The Atheists, Christians, Shiites and Ahmadis: Indonesia Is No Model for Muslim Democracy

peace was existing ... when we were to accept the difference

It is fashionable these days for Western leaders to praise Indonesia as a model Muslim democracy. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said: “If you want to know whether Islam, democracy, modernity and women’s rights can coexist, go to Indonesia.” And last month Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, lauded Indonesia for showing that “religion and democracy need not be in conflict.”

Tell that to Asia Lumbantoruan, a Christian elder whose congregation outside Jakarta has recently had two of its partially built churches burned down by Islamist militants. He was stabbed by these extremists while defending a third site from attack in September 2010.

This week in Geneva, the United Nations is reviewing Indonesia’s human rights record. It should call on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to crack down on extremists and protect minorities. While Indonesia has made great strides in consolidating a stable, democratic government after five decades of authoritarian rule, the country is by no means a bastion of tolerance.

The rights of religious and ethnic minorities are routinely trampled. While the Constitution protects religious freedom, regulations against blasphemy and proselytizing are often used to prosecute atheists, Bahais, Christians, Shiites, Sufis and members of the Ahmadiyah faith, a minority Muslim sect. By 2010, Indonesia had over 150 religiously motivated regulations restricting minorities’ rights.

In 2006, Yudhoyono, in a new decree on “religious harmony,” tightened criteria for building a house of worship. The decree is enforced only on religious minorities — often when Islamists pressure local officials not to authorize the construction of Christian churches or to harass and intimidate those worshiping in “illegal” churches, which lack official registration. More than 400 such churches have been closed since Yudhoyono took office in 2004.

Although the government has cracked down on Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Qaeda affiliate that has bombed hotels, bars and embassies, it has not intervened to stop other Islamist militants who regularly commit less-publicized crimes against religious minorities. Yudhoyono’s government is reluctant to take them on because it rules Indonesia in a coalition with intolerant Islamist political parties. He has courted conservative Islamist elements, even granting them key cabinet positions, which emboldens Islamic extremists to use violence against minorities.

In August 2011, for example, Muslim militants burned down three Christian churches on Sumatra. No one was charged and officials have prevented the congregations from rebuilding their churches. And on the outskirts of Jakarta, two municipalities have refused to obey Supreme Court orders to reopen two sealed churches; Yudhoyono claimed he had no authority to intervene.

In June 2008, the Yudhoyono administration issued a decree requiring the Ahmadiyah sect to “stop spreading interpretations and activities that deviate from the principal teachings of Islam.” The government said the decree was necessary to prevent violence against the sect, but local governments used the decree to write even stricter regulations. Muslim militants, who consider the Ahmadiyah heretics, then forcibly shut down more than 30 Ahmadiyah mosques.

In the deadliest attack, in West Java in February 2011, three Ahmadiyah men were killed. A court eventually prosecuted 12 militants for the crime, but handed down paltry sentences of only four to six months.

Yudhoyono has also failed to protect ethnic minorities who have peacefully called for independence in Papua and the Maluku Islands. During demonstrations in Papua on May 1, one protester was killed and 13 were arrested. And last October, the government brutally suppressed the Papuan People’s Congress, beating dozens and killing three people. While protesters were jailed and charged with treason, the police chief in charge of security that day was promoted.

Almost 100 people remain in prison for peacefully protesting. Dozens are ill, but the government has denied them proper treatment, claiming it lacks the money. Even the Suharto dictatorship allowed the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit political prisoners, yet the Yudhoyono government has banned the ICRC from working in Papua.

Instead of praising Indonesia, nations that support tolerance and free speech should publicly demand that Indonesia respect religious freedom, release political prisoners and lift restrictions on media and human rights groups in Papua.

Yudhoyono needs to take charge of this situation by revoking discriminatory regulations, demanding that his coalition partners respect the religious freedom of all minorities in word and in deed, and enforcing the constitutional protection of freedom of worship. He must also make it clear that Islamist hard-liners who commit or incite violence and the police who fail to protect the victims will be punished. Only then will Indonesia deserve Cameron and Clinton’s praise.

The New York Times

Andreas Harsono is a researcher for the Asia division at Human Rights Watch.

Sukhoi Victims Handed Over to Families During a Ceremony at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport

A man prays in front of a coffin containing the remains of a victim of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash

The remains of all 45 victims of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash were officially handed over to their families during a ceremony at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in East Jakarta on Wednesday.

The ceremony started at 10 a.m. and took place at the arrival terminal of the airport. Transportation Minister E. E. Mangindaan led the ceremony. Quote from thejakartaglobe.com.

A total of 45 coffins containing the victims’ remains, with funeral wreaths on top of them, were lined up at the terminal. Hundreds of people, mostly relatives of the victims, gathered to pay their respects.

After the ceremony, the remains of most victims were brought home by their family members for burial.

All the funeral-related costs will be covered by Trimarga Rekatama, the Indonesian representative of Russia’s Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, which manufactured the crashed Sukhoi plane, according to Trimarga technical consultant Indra Djani.

A total of 45 people, including eight Russians, one French citizen and one American, were onboard the plane when it crashed on the slope of Mount Salak in West Java on May 9, during a demonstration flight.

Most of the passengers were representatives of Indonesian airlines invited by Sukhoi to test the plane as part of its six-country Asian road show meant to lure prospective buyers.

An Elementary Cchool in Solo Receives Complaints for Book Depicting Prophet Muhammad

A page from the book "Interesting Stories of the Prophets' Childhood," which displays a blurred illustration of the Prophet Muhammad immediately following his birth. (JG Photo/Hangga Brata)

Solo, Central Java. An elementary school in Solo has received complaints for having books in its library which display pictures of the Prophet Muhammad, which is prohibited in Islam.

Some parents have filed complaints against SD Jamsaren to the Solo office of the Religious Affairs Ministry about the book, “Interesting Stories of the Prophets’ Childhood". quote from thejakartaglobe.com

The complainants also accused the Ministry of distributing the book to the school, as evidenced by stamps in the book identifying them as donations from the Ministry in 2011. But Ahmad Nasirin, the head of the Solo office of the Religious Affairs Ministry, denied that his office circulated the books to Solo schools.

“We also object to the pictures of Rasulullah [the prophet] in the book. But most of the content is all right, and there is nothing wrong with the stories. But we will definitely withdraw the copies,” Ahmad said in Solo on Wednesday. “They were not printed in Solo but in East Jakarta in 2010,” he added.

The book contains stories about the childhood of 11 prophets, including Muhammad. There are four rather blurred illustrations of him, including when Muhammad had just been born and when he herded a flock of sheep in the desert.

“We do need to intensively call on schools and Muslim parents to more selectively pick reading for students,” Ahmad added.

Muchus Budi Rahayu, one of the parents who complained about the book, said he learned of the pictures from his child, a student of the school.

“My child told me there were pictures of Prophet Muhammad,” Muchus said. “I thought it was a joke, but after I checked, apparently it’s true. I’ve asked the school to return the books to the Religious [Affairs] Ministry because the pictures are improper,” adding that his child told him there were more than 10 copies of the book in the library.

The school, meanwhile, said the book was among hundreds of copies of other books donated by the Religious Affairs Ministry.

A representative of the school, who refused to be named, admitted that the school had immediately put the books inside the library without first reading them.

FPI Buys 150 Tickets to Stop Lady Gaga Concert

A photo posted to an Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) member's Facebook page shows an FPI member holding a ticket to Lady Gaga's upcoming concert in Jakarta

Hard-line group the Islamic Defenders Front has purchased 150 tickets to upcoming Lady Gaga concert, which it will use to enter the venue and stop the show, a spokesman for the group said on Monday.

“The tickets are original, the price around Rp 400,000 [each],” FPI’s Bekasi chapter chairman Murhali said on Monday as quoted by thejakartaglobe.com.

Murhali had posted on his Facebook account a picture of an FPI member, wearing a turban and sunglasses to conceal his face, holding a ticket.

The photo’s caption said, “We have gotten Lady Gaga tickets, not to watch [the concert] but for us to enter. Whatever will be will be, we’re ready for the risk.”

Murhali told detik.com that FPI was ready to stop the concert, but he stressed that FPI would not attack the audience. The only target was Lady Gaga and her crew, he said.

“Hopefully, the concert is canceled,” Murhali said. “We have sent a letter to Lady Gaga through our friends in Canada.

“We hope [the promoter] will return the money if the concert canceled.”

FPI has previously threatened to intercept Lady Gaga on her way from the airport if she dares set foot in Jakarta.

Indonesia : Gaga Brouhaha Proves That ‘hard-line groups’ Run This Country

 

The US pop diva Lady Gaga’s scheduled concert fiasco proves that certain hard-line groups have been successfully pushing local authorities to meet their demands, indirectly controlling the nation, a Muslim scholar says.

Rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University Komaruddin Hidayat told The Jakarta Post that certain groups within society had successfully influenced the government to intervene against Indonesian’s freedom of expression, adding that authorities should have protected it.

“This is a setback and a pathetic situation in which we find the public sphere where Indonesians should be able to express themselves without restraint in fact faces intervention from one community that has become a powerful force in this nation,” he said Wednesday morning.

He added that while hard-liner groups had pressured the authorities, several members of the government apparently had relented to their demands, saying that it was a “politically correct” move to do.

“This situation proves that there are fraudulent officials that have been using the hard-liner groups to further their own political interests,” he said.

Komaruddin was responding to the National Police’s refusal to issue permits to Lady Gaga’s Jakarta concert.
The Police claimed that the eccentric singer “does not resemble the country’s local culture.”

Lady Gaga is slated to perform at the Bung Karno Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta on June 3.
The singer, known for her pop songs such as “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance”, has sparked strong opposition from groups such as the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), Islam Defenders Front (FPI), United Development Party (PPP) and the Islamic People’s Forum (FUI).

MUI and FUI sent a letter to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono requesting him to consider rejecting the concert’s permit.

In 2007, American R&B diva Beyonce was scheduled to perform in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country, but the concert was cancelled because the sexy songster refused to abide by the nation’s so-called “decent” dress-code for women.

The Kuala Lumpur concert’s cancellation turned out to be Jakarta’s gain, because the diva decided to stop in the capital of the biggest Southeast Asian economy instead.

In 2012, however, it was Indonesia’s law enforcement agencies that denied issuing a permit for Gaga’s concert in Jakarta.

Komaruddin refused to comment on the changing situation but affirmed that the hard-liner groups were better off “fighting corruption practices” than disrupting Indonesians’ freedom of expression. (asa)

Wreckage of Russian Sukhoi Superjet 100 Plane Found in Indonesia

Happy atmosphere before flying

The wreckage of a Russian Sukhoi Superjet was found Thursday on the side of a dormant Indonesian volcano, a day after it disappeared during a demonstration flight with about 50 people aboard.

Authorities said a helicopter pilot spotted the debris of Russia's first post-Soviet civilian jet scattered over rocks and trees on the sheer face of Mount Salak outside the city of Bogor.

The twin-engine Superjet 100 vanished from radar screens south of Indonesia's capital Jakarta on Wednesday, 50 minutes into what was meant to be a short flight to show off its capabilities to prospective buyers.

Crash site

Initial efforts to locate the jet proved fruitless but the crew of an Indonesian Super Puma military helicopter discovered the crash scene after the search resumed at first light on Thursday, officials said.

They said rescuers were trying to get to the wreck by land and air, but that heavy fog was hampering visibility for helicopters and that reaching the crash site could take several hours by foot.

National rescue agency spokesman Gagah Prakoso said there was no sign so far of any survivors.
Devastated relatives of those aboard the ill-fated aircraft gathered at the Halim Perdanakusuma airport in Jakarta -- used for military and some commercial flights -- where the Sukhoi had taken off the day before.

Some wept quietly as friends tried to console them, while others sat in a state of shock, staring into the distance. Authorities took DNA samples to help in identification if remains are found.

Crash site

A teary-eyed Yenni Cipta, 38, recalled that when her father, an aviation worker, had bid farewell on Wednesday he had jokingly told her children: "Grandpa is going to a faraway place."

Those aboard the flight were mostly Indonesian aviation representatives, but also included eight Russians -- four of them crew and four Sukhoi employees -- plus an American and a Frenchman, officials said.

The Sukhoi Superjet, a new passenger aircraft, is crucial to Russia's hopes of becoming a major player in the modern aviation market, and a major accident would be the first disaster involving the type.

National search and rescue chief Daryatmo, who goes by one name, said the helicopter pilot had sighted the Sukhoi logo among the debris.

The mountainous Mount Salak region rises 6,500 feet (2,000 metres) above sea level, some 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of Jakarta. Indonesian officials have said the Sukhoi descended to about 6,000 feet shortly before it vanished.

The debris was found on the side of Mount Salak about 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) above sea level, said Lieutenant Colonel Mukhlis, a local military commander.

"We don't know how big it is, what part of the plane, and the condition of the passengers," he added.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told reporters that "all efforts must be made in this rescue operation... and the priority must be to save survivors, if any".

The demonstration flight was part of an Asian tour to promote the aircraft, which is a joint venture between Sukhoi and Italy's Alenia Aeronautica. It made its first commercial flight last year.

So far it is being flown by two airlines, Russia's Aeroflot and Armenia's Armavia, but orders have reportedly been confirmed with more, including Indonesia's Kartika Airlines and Sky Aviation.

At the Jakarta airport, Susan Sepang, 50, clutched a framed photograph of her 30-year-old daughter, an employee of Sky Aviation, as a worker inserted a cotton swab in her mouth for a DNA test.

Reports of the number on board varied, with local rescue officials saying the plane was carrying 46 people and Trimarga Rekatama, the company responsible for inviting the passengers, saying 50 were on board.

Juanda, a 41-year-old villager near Mount Salak, said he was feeding his chickens on Wednesday when he heard a roar overhead from a plane "moving unsteadily just slightly below the mountain summit".

"It was still way above the trees but veering left and right, and then it disappeared," he told AFP by telephone. "I heard a sound like firecrackers, but I couldn't see it anymore."

South Korea Found Smuggled Drug Capsules Containing The Dried, Powdered Flesh From Dead Babies

Capsules containing a powder of human infants

More than 17 thousand capsuleswere smuggled from China to South Korea. The capsules were believed to cure hard disease, but it turned out after investigation that the capsule is regarded as dangerous.

Indeed gruesome discovery camefrom China, the medical officer who is believed to smuggle corrupt lifeless baby was the result of abortion or newborn. Later, the bodies of small bodies were purchased and stored in a refrigerator of the perpetrator.

The next mode is more terrifying, as the perpetrator ofthis capsule makers to bring thebabies to the clinic and was placed in such a special oven for medical purposes. After drying out the skin of the corpse, thendestroy the perpetrators and memerosesnya into the capsule.

This capsule maker to mix the meat, which destroyed it with various ingredients. That meant that customs officers and the investigation, could not find the original material from this terrible capsule. Similarly, Newsits reported on Tuesday (08/05/2012).

The discovery of this fact has been established since August last year. But the South Korean customs continue to investigate to find strong evidence that thecontents of the capsule that contains meat baby is innocent.

China believed the Government knows this sale, and they were trying to stop the capsules are sold out the Bamboo Curtain country. But tens of thousands of packets successfully is to the South.

Chinese citizens are fond of alternative medicine, including eating rhino horn that was madeinto a powder. Historically, some of them still consume human placental blood vessels to improve blood circulation.

Now, the South Korean Customs increased their vigilance against the package of drugs carried by Chinese citizens. According to them, have 35 times the smuggling of a similar capsule occurred since August last year. 17 thousand capsules are successful in arresting the capsules compared to a power adder.

Through experiments performed by The San Francisco Times, 99.7 percent of the capsules that contain the remains of the human body. The test was also successfully determine the sex of the baby.

Wow, Mobile Porn Revenue To Reach Almost $1 Billion

 

Juniper Research’s latest report estimates that mobile adult content subscriptions will reach nearly $1 billion by 2015, led by increased growth in the smartphone and tablet markets, along with the availability of increasingly faster mobile data connections.

Quoted from BGR on Monday (05/07/2012), The firm states that tablets offer a “more engaging experience,” allowing users to see content in more detail and delivering more browsing options. The porn industry still faces many hurdles in emerging markets, however, due to the limitations of low-end smartphones, lack of viable payment methods and legal and social barriers.

North America and Western Europe are expected to account for over 70% of the total end-user mobile adult revenues, and the numbers of individual who use adult video chat services will more than triple by 2015, accounting for more than half of all mobile porn revenue.

Captain America Died When Contact His Wife Through Skype

Illustration

 

DALLAS (AP) — An Army nurse showed no alarm or discomfort before suddenly collapsing during a Skype video chat with his wife, who saw a bullet hole in a closet behind him, his family said Sunday.

Capt. Bruce Kevin Clark's family released a statement describing what his wife saw in the video feed recording her husband's death in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. It's not clear how the bullet hole got in the closet.

"Clark was suddenly knocked forward," the statement from the soldier's family said. "The closet behind him had a bullet hole in it. The other individuals, including a member of the military, who rushed to the home of CPT Clark's wife also saw the hole and agreed it was a bullet hole."

The statement says the Skype link remained open for two hours on April 30 as family and friends in the U.S. and Afghanistan tried to get Clark help.

"After two hours and many frantic phone calls by Mrs. Clark, two military personnel arrived in the room and appeared to check his pulse, but provided no details about his condition to his wife," the statement said.

In the statement, Susan Orellana-Clark said she was providing details of what she saw "to honor my husband and dispel the inaccurate information and supposition promulgated by other parties."

U.S. officials in Afghanistan referred questions to the Pentagon, which previously referred questions to the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, where Clark was assigned.

The Pentagon said previously that Clark's death remains under investigation.

Clarence Davis, spokesman for William Beaumont Army Medical Center, declined to comment on Clark's family's statement.

Clark, 43, grew up in Michigan and previously lived in Spencerport, N.Y., a suburb of Rochester, his wife's hometown. He joined the Army in 2006 and was stationed in Hawaii before he was assigned to the medical center in El Paso. He deployed to Afghanistan in March.

Clark's body was returned Thursday to Dover Air Force Base.

He is survived by his wife and two daughters, aged 3 and 9.

If You Want To See Komodo Dragons, Visit Their Original Habitat in NTT

Komodo Habitat

The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) administration has refused the central government’s recent plan to exchange its famous komodo dragons with China for endangered pandas, an official says.

NTT provincial secretary Frans Salem said on Thursday that the administration had pledged not to move the komodo dragons from their original habitat at Komodo National Park in West Manggarai on Flores to China, and was sure local residents would reject such plans. “The NTT administration and local residents will never grant such a request,” he said.

“The komodo is the province’s most precious asset. If you want to see komodo dragons, visit their original habitat,” Salem said.

Komodo National Park Indonesia

Northern Komodo Island Indonesia

Komodo Island

Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon

Komodo Dragon

During a visit to Beijing in April, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Chinese President Hu Jintao agreed to swap their iconic animals as a symbolic gesture marking the improved bilateral relationship between both countries.

The plan was later followed up in a meeting held between Vice President Boediono and China’s Vice Premier Hui Liangyu.

Salem said that the province would host the 2013 Sail Komodo with participants from more than 100 countries. “That is why moving komodo dragons from their natural habitat is not a good idea,” he said. (swd)

Obituary : Former Indonesiaan Health Minister Endang Sedyaningsih Dies

Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih

Former Indonesian former health minister Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih died on Wednesday.

“She died at 11:41 a.m. caused by her illness,” said Akmal Taher, director of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital. “She was in critical condition since last night.”

Akmal said her remains would be taken to the family’s house and the burial will be on Thursday.

Endang was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2010, one year after she was appointed to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s cabinet.

On Tuesday night, several ministers and politicians flocked to her bedside after Akmal said her condition was deteriorating.

Last week, Endang tendered her resignation from the cabinet. She has not been formally replaced. Her day-to-day duties are being handled by Deputy Health Minister Ali Ghufron.

Yudhoyono said Endang decided to resign so she could concentrate on treatment for her illness. She did not want her absence to serve as a distraction to the ministry.

Biographical data

Endang Rahayu Sedyaningsih
Minister of Health
In office October 22, 2009 – April 26, 2012
President	Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Preceded by	Siti Fadilah
Succeeded by	to be announced
Personal details
Born	February 1, 1955 Jakarta, Indonesia
Died	2 May 2012 (aged 57) Jakarta, Indonesia
Nationality	Indonesia
Spouse(s)	Dr. Reanny Mamahit, SpOG, MM
Children	Arinanda Wailan Mamahit Awandha Raspati Mamahit Rayinda Raumanen Mamahit
Alma mater	University of Indonesia Harvard School of Public Health
Profession	Physician

Career

Sedyaningsih began her career in 1979 as a clinician in the Jakarta Pertamina Hospital. She joined the public health service in 1980 and worked in remote areas as the Head of Waipare Health Center in East Nusa Tenggara for three years. In 1983, she moved to Jakarta and continued working in the public health service with the Jakarta Provincial Health Office. In 1997, she joined the National Institute of Health Research and Development (NIHRD) of the Indonesian Ministry of Health. She worked as a researcher in the Center of Disease Control Research and Program Development, NIHRD for more than a decade. For 6 months in 2001, she spent her time working with World Health Organization Headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland. She was appointed as the Director of the Center of Biomedical Research and Program Development, NIHRD in 2007. In October 2009, she was appointed as the Minister of Health of the Republic of Indonesia by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and joined his cabinet which is called the Second Unified Indonesia Cabinet. On April 26, 2012, she resigned from her position as Minister of Health due to health condition. She was suffering from lung cancer and passed away on May 2, 2012 at RSCM (Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital).

Video Koboy Palmerah : Army Confirms Soldier’s Involvement In Palmerah Incident

A two-minute video showing an armed-man hitting a civilian reportedly at a Kompas bus stop near Jl. Palmerah Selatan in Central Jakarta, has been circulating on YouTube. A witness said that the man, allegedly an army officer, fired two shots in the air.

Andri, one of the bystanders, said that the incident started when a white Vespa Piaggio motorcycle bumped into a dark green Toyota Avanza, which had an Indonesian Army license plate.

“The motorcyclist was trying to calm the car’s driver, but the latter refused and fired his pistol in the air two times,” Andri said as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that the armed-man, who was wearing a white shirt, also struck the other man’s helmet with a stick a couple of times, and other bystanders were unwilling to break up the fight.

He said that the two men argued for around 20 minutes before two military police officers came to separate them.

“The officers arrived on the scene in a white sedan. They broke up the fight and brought the armed-man with them,” he said.

A picture published on Youtube showed that the car’s license plate number was 1394-00.

The army spokesman confirm

Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Pandji Suko Hari Judho confirmed that an armed-man caught on camera hitting motorcyclist near a bus stop on Jl. Tentara Pelajar, Central Jakarta was indeed a soldier. He said the soldier had been detained by the Jakarta Military Police for questioning.

“We heavily regret the emotional stance that the soldier had taken during the incident. Right now, he is being questioned by the Jakarta Military Police,” Panji told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said that the incident was started by a motorcyclist who was annoyed by a Toyota Avanza with military license plate that bumped into his motorbike.

“The motorcyclist then angrily asked the car to stop and asked the driver, who turned out to be a soldier, to step outside,” he said.

Even further, he said that the motorcyclist provoked the soldier by saying that the latter had been arrogant while driving. Provoked by the motorcyclist, Panji added, the soldier then grabbed his gun and hit the motorcyclist several times before he was apprehended by military police personnel who happened to pass by that area.

“We have examined the gun and it turned out to be an air soft gun,” he said, downplaying the seriousness of the allegations.

Panji added that the soldier, who works at the army headquarters, was on his way to pick up his sick mother at the airport. 

More 100.000 Worker Plan to Participate in May Day "May 1st, 2012" Rallies in Jakarta

With tens of thousands of workers across the country set use May Day protests today to demand better wages, business leaders and economists say any rise in pay must be matched by an improvement in productivity.

Citing increasing living costs, labor unions are rallying for higher pay and a halt to some outsourcing practices.

Data from the International Labor Organization shows that Indonesian workers are among the region’s lowest paid.

While ILO data for 2009 showed the average monthly wage to be at $432 in China, $282.80 in Thailand and $685.70 in Malaysia, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) placed Indonesia’s figure at $127.80. That had risen to $135.80 by 2011.

“We oppose the low wage policy in Indonesia,” Said Iqbal, president of the Indonesian Trade Union Confederation (KSPI), said in Jakarta on Monday.

Iqbal said that as many as 100,000 workers from manufacturing plants in Greater Jakarta — including in Tangerang, Bekasi, Bogor and Depok — would take part in a May Day march in the capital. The rally will pass the National Monument (Monas), the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, Tugu Tani, Salemba and Tugu Proklamasi, all in Central Jakarta, he said. Rallies will also take place in other major Indonesian cities, he added.

Jakarta Traffic Police have prepared some alternative traffic routes to anticipate mass rallies in the capital on May Day, which falls on Tuesday.

Bekasi-based labor activist Obon Tabroni said on Sunday that some 35,000 workers from Bekasi would join the May Day rallies in Jakarta.

An additional 100,000 workers, from unions like the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI) and the Federation of Indonesian Metal Workers’ Union (FPSMI), plan to join the rallies as well.

Chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI), Said Iqbal, said that the protesters would represent up to 170 million workers across Indonesia.

Students and human rights activists have also pledged to participate in Tuesday's rallies.

1. State Palace: 

A. Traffic from Jl. Hayam Wuruk will be rerouted through;
1) Jl. Suryo Parnoto - Cideng - Tanah Abang
2) Jl. Ir. H. Juanda - Jl. Veteran/Jl. Kathedral
B. Traffic from Thamrin will be rerouted through:
1) Jl. KH Wahid Hasyim/Jl. Kebon Sirih - Jl. Cideng Barat - Jl. Suryopranoto
2) Jl. Kebon Sirih/MMS - Jl. M Ridwan Rais - Jl. MMT - Jl. Perwira
3) Jl. Budi Kemuliaan - Jl. Tanah Abang Timur - Jl. Abdul Muis

2. Hotel Indonesia traffic circle: 

A. Traffic from Jl. Jend Sudirman will be rerouted through: Jl. Teluk Betung - Jl. Kebon Kacang or Dukuh atas - Jl. Kendal
B. Traffic from Jl. Jend Sudirman will be rerouted through: Dukuh Atas - Tn. Abang - Jl. Galunggung.

3. House of Representatives: 

A. Traffic from Semanggi will be rerouted through: Semanggi - Jl. Gerbang Pemuda - Jl. Gelora - Jl. Gelora 1/Jl. Palmerah Utara.
B. Traffic from Jl. Sisinga Mangaraja/Jl. Sudirman will be rerouted through: Jl. Asia Afrika/Jl. Pintu 1 Senayan - Jl. Asia Afrika - Jl. Gelora - Jl. Gelora 1/Jl. Palmerah Utara.
C. Traffic from Jl. S. Parman will be rerouted through: Jl. Pejompongan - Jl. Penjernihan/Jl. Gelora 1.

4. The Bung Karno sports complex will be used as a parking area for an estimated 2,500 buses

After Calling Indonesia “Some Random Country", Justin Bieber Says He Loves Indonesia

Following a storm of criticism after calling Indonesia “some random country", pop star Justin Bieber said on Monday that he loves Indonesia.

“One rumor I won’t stand for is saying what me and my fans have isn’t real", he tweeted on his Twitter account @justinbieber. “Indonesia I see you. I love you. I love all my fans. #fact”

He also tweeted, “You can’t break us. All the lies and rumors in the world can’t phase us. This is #family".

Bieber was heavily criticized by Indonesian fans, musicians and radio DJs, after his statement at the Supperclub in London about his new album, “Believe".


“I was in some random country,” Bieber began, as his manager Scott “Scooter” Braun, interjected: “Indonesia".

“I recorded it in a studio,” Bieber said. “Some little place. They didn’t know what they were doing".
On Saturday, Indonesian pop singer Syahrini demanded Bieber apologize to Indonesian fans.

On her Twitter account, Syahrini, who has nearly 500,000 followers, tweeted, “Justin Bieber has to apologize to Indonesian people".

Amid the criticism, a radio station in Medan, North Sumatra, decided to ban Bieber’s songs.

Frina, a radio station administrator, told the Jakarta Globe on Monday that the reason behind banning his songs was nationalism.

“We temporarily banned him until the end of April", Frina said. “We don’t know yet whether to extend it or not",

Frina said the radio station did not demand an apology as Syahrina had, but wanted to express its opinion regarding Bieber’s statement.

“However, he has posted something admitting Indonesia in his Twitter", Frina said.

His latest tweets have prompted positive reactions from Indonesian fans.

Twitter account @JbieberofIndo wrote, “I cried when I saw Justin tweeted something about Indonesia. Beliebers Indonesia Loves Justin Bieber".

Another big fan club with the Twitter account @JbeeIndonesia had a similar reaction.

“Indonesia Loves Justin Bieber. We never leave him because we are true beliebers".