Three killed in East Java weapons factory explosion

Three people were killed in an explosion at a weapons production factory run by state arms maker PT Pindad in Turen, Malang regency, East Java, last night.

The three were identified as Tri Nurhuda (27), Muchlis Usman (22), and Sandi (22), kompas.com reported

Usman and Sandi died at RSSA Hospital in Malang four hours after being admitted to the hospital for serious injuries. By Wednesday evening, all the three bodies were still kept at the hospital for autopsy.

Three other people sustained light injury in the explosion. Several military officials are scheduled to inspect the scene of explosion on Thursday. A forensic team from the East Java provincial police will soon look into the cause of the explosion which also destroyed the building.

The plant is jointly operated by PT Pindad and state-owned explosives maker PT Dahana. The three dead victims were making detonators when the explosion occurred.




South Korean ruling party upset in vote

South Korea's ruling party won the key Seoul mayoral poll but suffered upsets in several other crucial races in local elections held amid tensions over North Korea's alleged torpedoing of a navy ship, officials said Thursday.

Before Wednesday's vote, opinion polls and analysts said outrage over the ship's sinking, which killed 46 South Korean sailors in March, would give a boost to the conservative ruling Grand National Party, which favors a tough North Korea policy.

Pre-election public surveys had suggested Lee's party would win nine of the 16 key races.

But with 99 percent of votes counted early Thursday, President Lee Myung-bak's party won only five of the 16 key mayoral and gubernatorial posts. Its chief rival, the liberal Democratic Party, obtained eight. The remaining three posts were shared by a small opposition party and two independent candidates.

An analysis piece in Thursday's mass-circulation Chosun Ilbo newspaper said the sinking of the Cheonan had whipped up anti-North Korea sentiment, but many conservative voters didn't bother to vote. The Dong-a Ilbo, another major newspaper, said the resulting crisis appeared to have calmed down in the days before the election.

In the Seoul race, the ruling party incumbent and a potential presidential aspirant, Oh Se-hoon, narrowly defeated the Democratic Party's Han Myung-sook, the nation's first female prime minister under the government of former President Roh Moo-hyun. The race had been too close to call and Oh was declared the winner more than 10 hours after ballot counting started.

"I'll accept today's victory with a humble position that I had almost lost," Oh said, according to Yonhap news agency.

Indonesia's door is open for Obama

Indonesia's strategic importance is of growing interest to the jousting superpowers of the US and China a ' and it wants friends The US defence secretary, Robert Gates, has announced an end to the 11-year ban on contacts with Indonesia's Kopassus.

(filtered story or of the story can be located online)

Finance Asia Best Companies in Asia awards in Jakarta

Leading executives joined us for a lunch at the Shangri-La hotel in Jakarta on July 21 to celebrate the Indonesian winners of our 10th annual Best Companies in Asia poll; more than 80 people from 21 companies attended.

Many thanks go to Credit Suisse for once again sponsoring the event this year. The awards were announced by our publisher Jonathan Hirst and presented by Rizal Gozali, managing director and co-head of Indonesian investment banking at Credit Suisse.

The winners were selected by polling investors and analysts across the region. Astra International was again dominant and named the overall Best Managed Company. It also placed first in the categories for Best Corporate Governance, Best Corporate Social Responsibility, Best Investor Relations and Most Committed to a Strong Dividend Policy.

However, the 2010 poll was notable for a number of new winners in the various categories. AKR Corporindo and Sorni Agro Asia came in at ranks eight and nine respectively for Best Investor Relations, and the Best Mid-Cap and Small-Cap categories saw numerous new entries, including Ciputra Development, Bakrie Telekom, Panin Securitas, Lautan Luas & Multi Indocitra. The Astra group was further recognised with two subsidiary companies making an appearance for the first time in the poll: Astra Agro Lestari placed joint eighth among companies Most Committed to a Strong Dividend Policy and Astra Otoparts ranked as the best Mid-Cap.

Indonesia's Sympathy For Japan



Metro TV in collaboration with the Association of Japan Alumnae (Persada), Plaza Indonesia Realty, and the MNC Group, held a charity night for Japan "Indonesia's Sympathy For Japan" at our Cendrawasih Room, Saturday, April 9.

The event was held as a form of support regarding the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country as well as sympathy and concern for the people of Indonesia to the Japanese people. A total of 1400 invited guests and community leaders gathered at the Lobby to enjoy dinner - served by in house Catering Services - before entering the Room, among others were students, the Japanese Ambassador for Indonesia HE Mr. Kojiro Shiojiri and Madam, Advisory Council Persada Mr. Ginanjar Kartasasmita, and CEO of Media Group, Mr. Surya Paloh.

Entertainments by Sadao Watanabe, Titi DJ, Ruth Sahanaya, Dira Sugandi and more as well as Japanese art performances were staged in one and a half hour show which was broadcast live on Metro TV (one of Indonesian TV station).

Two days before this event was held, Legendary artists from Japan, Kitaro, was held a concert in Jakarta themed "Pray For Japan - Pray For Better World", located at the Plenary Hall of Jakarta Convention Center on Thursday, April 7.

The concert was part of his world concert tour 2011 which was promoted by Velvet Production and the ESQ Way 165.

Sources : 1 and 2

Indonesian Government Pursuing Diplomacy to Free The Hostages

Since Wednesday (March 16th 2011), one of Indonesian cargo ship (Sinar Kudus) was being hijacked by the Somali pirates.

Indonesia is opting to stick to diplomacy and negotiations, and is refraining from a rescue mission, in an attempt to free 20 Indonesian sailors held hostage by Somali pirates.

“All options are possible, but we prioritized [the hostages’] safety,” Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Agus Suhartono said in Jakarta on Monday.

He added that India had offered to assist in a rescue mission, but the government decided against it from fears it would instead threaten the safety of the hostages.

The government decided in the meantime to do as the captain of the seized, Indonesian-flagged vessel, Sinar Kudus, had requested and pursue diplomatic measures, Agus said.

He refused to comment on whether or not the TNI had sent a rescue mission into Somali waters, where the ship and crew were taken hostage en route from Indonesia to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to deliver ferronickel belonging to state mining company PT Aneka Tambang.

“The TNI is continuously following the development of the situation, but there are things I cannot share,” Agus said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Separately, Indonesian Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said that, so far, the government could only negotiate with the pirates through the ship owner, local shipping company PT Samudera Indonesia.

He also said negotiations were still revolving around the ransom amount, with the pirates demanding US$3.5 million to free the hostages in the latest development.

Djoko said the ransom would be covered by an insurance company as the ship was insured.

“But, that doesn’t mean the government is putting off our responsibility. The government will continue to work hard to help rescue the ship in Somalia,” he said at a press conference in the Presidential Office in Jakarta.

Djoko added that the government was preparing “other options” if the negotiations failed, but refused to specify.

He also said among the negotiation problems were the pirates’ “moods”, which could impact their demands in exchange for the hostages’ freedom.

“We deal with a syndicate, a mafia, a very organized group of people. We don’t know their moods because we can only communicate via radio and email.”

Djoko said President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had ordered that the negotiations be carried out “smartly and carefully” during a recent meeting on the issue with the defense minister and the State Intelligence Agency head, among others.

He added that the ship owner had gathered the hostages’ families in Jakarta and informed them of the developments in the situation, including the conditions of the crew, to ease their worries.

Meanwhile, Samudera Indonesia vice president director David Batubara said the Somali pirates were also holding hostages of 10 other ships in addition to the Sinar Kudus.

He said it could take up to 150 days to free the hostages, citing the experiences of other shipping companies whose vessels had been held hostage by Somali pirates.

“Sixty days are the quickest. The pirates have currently held the Sinar Kudus for 27 days,” he said.

Source : The Jakarta Post

Skarang pada udah lepas pake uang tebusan. Kapalnya nerusin ke Belanda, tapi awaknya dipulangkan ke Indonesia...'

Indonesians Fly Abroad to Avoid Hollywood Boycott *Including myself *

The ongoing foreign film boycott fiasco has led some moviegoers to go above and beyond to satisfy their addiction.

The standoff between the tax department and the Motion Picture Association over levies on imported films has dragged on for months, leaving Indonesian viewers in the dark when it comes to the latest Hollywood releases.

Committed film buffs Johannes Prayudhi and Ratna Dewi flew to neighboring countries over the weekend to catch up on what they’ve been missing

Johannes, a 30-year-old who works in finance in Jakarta, flew out to Kuala Lumpur early on Saturday morning with a couple of friends, and returned very late on Saturday night.

“Before the film boycott, I used to go to the cinema regularly, around twice a week,” he said. Now he has to get his big-screen thrills overseas.

Johannes arranged his trip to the Malaysian capital carefully so he wouldn’t have to pay for accommodation. He and his friends went to see “Kung Fu Panda 2” and “Fast Five,” the fifth installment of the “Fast and Furious” series.

The weekend before that, he flew to Singapore for a movie marathon to see “Thor,” “Insidious” and the long-awaited “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.” To kill time between the midnight show and the first flight back to Jakarta, he and his friends went to the 24-hour casino at Marina Bay Sands instead of looking for a hotel.

“It is saddening to see all our money become income for neighboring countries,” he said.

And trips like these aren’t cheap. Plane tickets to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore can cost upward of Rp 500,000 ($60) each way, not including food, accommodation and, of course, movie tickets. Even so, loyal film fans are willing to spend the cash to see new releases on the big screen.

Ratna Dewi, a 29-year-old editor for a film and technology magazine, said she usually went to the theater three or four times a week. While her friends spend their money on clothes, shoes and the latest gadgets, Ratna’s main hobby is discovering new films. She said films were her escape from the stress of work and the rest of the daily routine.

“Films keep me sane,” she said. “For me, my mental health is much more important than money.”

That’s why she was willing to break the bank to fly to Singapore over the weekend to catch showings of “Thor,” “Fast Five,” “Priest,” “Dylan Dog: Dead of Night” and the new “Pirates.”

According to Ratna, at least 20 percent of the audience watching “Thor” at Singapore’s Lido Cineplex during her visit appeared to be Indonesian visitors.

To cut accommodation costs, Ratna stayed in a youth hostel in Singapore’s Little India area. Including the cost of the plane tickets, hostel room, meals and cinema tickets, she spent around Rp 2 million for the weekend.

“That’s probably equal to the amount I saved by not going to the cinema for three months,” she said.

Ratna found she was able to catch up on all the films she’d missed in just a couple of days.

“I like Singapore because they stick to their schedule,” she said. “When they announce on the Web that they are playing a film, they will show it, without delays or anything.”

Another thing she noticed about Singapore’s cinemas is the four-week life span for movies — when big theaters stop showing a new release, smaller cinemas then have their turn to show them for a few more weeks.

“That means I don’t have to go abroad every week just to watch films,” Ratna said.

Anticipating a prolonged standoff between the tax department and the MPA, Ratna has already booked tickets for the last weekends of June and July to make sure she can catch all of Hollywood’s summer blockbusters.

Johannes is more optimistic, and tends to book his trips only a week in advance.

“I want this import crisis resolved as quickly as possible,” he said. “Everybody loses in this matter.”

Indonesia’s pirated DVD vendors may disagree — they have reportedly enjoyed a 50 percent jump in demand since the boycott started.

At the same time, the local cinema industry has reported a 60 percent drop in income, according to Djonny Sjafruddin, head of the Indonesian Cinema Companies Union (GPBSI).

Without the staple Hollywood blockbusters, cinemas have had to rely on B-grade horror flicks, Southeast Asian imports, independent films and the odd rerun to fill cinemas.

Dian Sunardi, head of marketing at Blitzmegaplex, said the cinema chain suffered a decline of around 15 percent to 20 percent in ticket sales this season compared to the same period last year.

Serious movie buffs, it seems, have found a good reason to renew their passports.

With the summer school holiday season on its way, the world of cinema is getting ready for the much-anticipated sequels “X-Men: First Class,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.”

As a huge fan of the Harry Potter series, Ratna practically has her bags packed and ready to go.

“The Harry Potter finale is crucial because I’ve been keeping up with all the films for seven years,” she said. “I’d just about cry tears of blood if I didn’t get to watch it.” ---- Yeah me too

Source : The Jakarta Globe

Sorry I haven't been updating as I should.

Indonesian president officially installs brother-in-law as Army chief
June 30, 2011

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially installed his brother-in-law Lt. Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo as the new chief of the Indonesian Army at the State Palace on Thursday.

Pramono, the younger brother of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, replaced Gen. George. Toisutta.

A number of politicians, including Cabinet ministers, People Consultative Council speaker Taufik Kiemas, House of Represenatives speaker Alie Marzuki and legislator Eddie Baskoro, the youngest son of Yudhoyono, also attended the event.

Pramono is the younger brother of First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, daughter of Sarwo Edhie Wibowo, one of the Indonesia's most famous generals and commander of RPKAD, the nation's first special forces unit.
Yudhoyono - ineligible to run for a third term under the Constitution - has repeatedly said that he was not grooming any member of his family as a successor.

The Palace also dismissed the speculations, saying that the appointment had nothing to do with Pramono's relationship to Yudhoyono.
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said that Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Agus Suhartono had proposed Pramono's appointment to the President. "(The decision) was made through proper procedures."

Previously, Agus said the Indonesian army's Council for High-Ranking Promotions and Duty Rotation (Wanjakti) had evaluated candidates based on professionalism, experience and seniority. "Don't think that family ties to the President is linked to (the decision)."

Source: The Jakarta Post

Seorang WNI awak kapal "Costa Concordia" masih dirawat

Seorang Warga Negara Indonesia yang menjadi awak kapal pesiar "Costa Concordia", Nyoman Juniarta, urung dipulangkan karena masih harus mendapat perawatan di Rumah Sakit Santa Maria Alle Scotte, Siena, Italia.

"Nyoman Juniarta masih mendapat perawatan dan belum bisa ditentukan kapan bisa pulang ke Tanah Air," ujar Kepala Fungsi Penerangan Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia di Roma, Musurifun Lajawa, melalui surat elektronik yang diterima ANTARA, Jumat.

Namun, KBRI sudah memfasilitasi teman dekat Nyoman Juniarta, Citra Dewi I Gusti Ayu Putu, untuk menjenguknya di rumah sakit. Citra diharapkan akan menyampaikan kondisi Juniarta secara langsung kepada keluarganya di Bali,kata Musurifun Lajawa.

"Citra akan kembali ke tanah air pada Jumat(20/1) menggunakan Thai Air TG945 dari Roma pukul 13.30 waktu setempat dan dijadwalkan tiba di Denpasar Sabtu(21/1) pukul 14.15," kata lelaki yang akrab disapa Mus itu.

Sedangkan 169 awak kapal asal Indonesia lainnya, mulai dipulangkan sejak Kamis (19/1). Kepulangan para awak kapal tersebut, dibagi dalam delapan kelompok terbang (kloter) dan dipulangkan dalam jangka waktu tiga hari.

"Ada delapan kloter yakni tujuan Bali, Makassar, Jakarta, Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, Palembang, dan Medan," tambah dia.

Perusahaan kapal "Costa Concordia", Costa Crociere SpA yang berkantor pusat di Genoa, Italia, telah membayarkan gaji awak kapal dalam bentuk tunai pada Rabu (18/1) dan sisanya akan ditransfer melalui bank selambat-lambatnya dalam waktu sebulan.

Selain itu, pihak perusahaan juga akan memberikan prioritas kepada ABK Indonesia yang berminat untuk kembali bekerja.

"KBRI Roma akan memantau keseluruhan proses penanganan ABK WNI pada Costa Concordia hingga pasca pemulangan para ABK ke Indonesia sebagai bentuk kepedulian dan bantuan maksimal dalam perlindungan WNI di luar negeri," ujar Mus.

Dalam kecelakaan kapal pesiar di lepas pantai Tuscan, Italia, sebanyak 170 WNI yang bekerja sebagai awak Kapal Costa Concordia berhasil diidentifikasi KBRI Roma.

KBRI di Roma juga membantu WNI yang selamat dalam peristiwa itu untuk membuatkan Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor (SPLP) karena banyak di antaranya kehilangan paspor.

Kapal Pesiar Costa Concordia Jumat malam (13/1) menabrak karang hingga mengakibatkan lambung kapal robek sepanjang 70 meter. Kapal tersebut setengah tenggelam di perairan dangkal di dekat Pulau Giglio, sebuah tempat wisata yang berada 25 kilometer di lepas pantai Italia barat itu.

Saat kecelakaan terjadi, kapal yang memiliki panjang 290 meter itu sedang mengangkut lebih dari 4.200 penumpang dari 60 negara dan wilayah.

Source: Here

Since I have a plan to have GNFI thread, so I started now

Fastron Euro-Asia Ekspedisi I Indonesia

Jakarta - Sukses para duta bangsa menjalani perjalanan ekstrim melintasi benua Asia hingga Eropa, semakin membuktikan bahwa Indonesia sanggup bersaing dengan negara maju lainnya. Ekspedisi Fastron Europe Asia 2011 yang diawaki oleh 13 kru (12 pria dan 1 wanita), berhasil menunjukkan kepada dunia internasional bahwa produk buatan anak negeri memiliki kualitas yang tinggi.

Inilah yang terekam pada acara talkshow Kick Andy yang akan ditayangkan pada Jumat (10/2) malam pukul 21.30 WIB dan Minggu (12/2) sore jam 15.30 WIB. Sang presenter, Andy F Noya mengakui ekspedisi Jalur Sutra Marcopolo adalah yang pertama dilakukan Indonesia.

"Ini merupakan tim ekpedisi pertama dari Indonesia yang berhasil menempuh jarak tempuh sejauh 24.300 Km, melewati dua benua Asia dan Afrika melintasi 15 negara, dan lebih dari 40 kota di dua benua, Asia dan Eropa," tegas Andi saat rekaman tayangan Kick Andy yang membedah perjalanan tim Fastron Euro Asia, Rabu (25/1) lalu.

Para kru Tim Fastron menceritakan selama perjalanan menempuh kawasan tropis Indonesia dan Malaysia, banjir di Thailand, gurun pasir Taklimakan di Xinjiang, dan pegunungan bersalju sepanjang Kyrgiztan hingga Iran dengan suhu hingga 10 derajat Celsius di bawah nol.

Direktur Pemasaran dan Niaga Pertamina, Djaelani Sutomo yang hadir pada acara tersebut mengungkapkan ekspedisi ini sangat luar biasa. Tim bersama kendaraan harus memasuki termperatur yang ekstrim. Syukurlah berkat ditunjang pemakaian produk yang tepat dan berkualitas tinggi, segala macam tantangan bisa terlewati.

"Kalau dites di dalam mesin yang statis itu sudah biasa, tapi kalau dalam rangka off road yang demikian tinggi, itu baru betul-betul luar biasa. Artinya produksi dalam negeri itu tidak kalah dengan produk luar," jelas Djaelani.

Di ekspedisi tersebut tim mempercayakan pada oli Fastron Gold SAE SW 30 API SN. Inilah pelumas jenis sintetis (synthetic) dengan teknologi terkini. Tak mengherankan oli ini memperoleh sertifikasi approval dari BMW dan Mercedes-Benz berkat kemampuannya menjaga dan melindungi performa mesin.

Selama perjalanan tim ekspedisi menggati pelumas sebanyak tiga kali, yaitu 7.000 km pertama di Malaysia, China dan terakhir di Sofia, Bulgaria. Bahkan ada satu unit Fortuner yang dipaksa memakai Fastron Gold hingga 14.000 km.

Hasilnya?
Performa mesin tetap terjaga maksimal. Bahkan mekanik Toyota di Bulgaria mengatakan kepada tim ekspedisi bahwa kualitas oli yang akan diganti masih layak dipakai hingga 10.000 km lagi! (silahkan klik Fastron Gold bisa 24.000 km)

"Selama di sana tidak ada masalah dengan mesin, walaupun titik bekunya jauh sekalipun, mesin tetap masih normal. Pernah suatu malam turun salju dan titik ekstrimnya mencapai lebih dari minus 20, tetapi pagi-paginya mesin masih tetap bisa di start dengan normal," imbuh Team Leader Ekspedisi, Bucek Depp. (*)

source: -->

P.S:
sori kalo misalnya beritanya rada berbau promosi pertamina Agak susah juga cari source berita ini setelah mereka tayang di @KickAndyShow minggu kemaren. Tapi ini menunjukkan bahwa produk indonesia benar2 dapat diunggulkan!