Australian PM Howard Arrives in Bali
Australian Prime Minister John Howard arrived on Bali on Friday
(27/7) , where he will meet with the Indonesian president
and open an Australian-funded eye clinic. Howard is to hold
talks with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will fly
to the island from South Korea where he has paid an official
visit this week. “I look forward to reviewing with President
Yudhoyono the full range of our existing cooperative activities,
including important areas such as security, counter-terrorism
and transnational crime,” Howard said in a statement
from the Australian embassy. Howard said that also up for
discussion would be a recommendation made by the two countries’
trade ministers to conduct a feasibility study into a bilateral
free trade agreement. “I am keen to explore how (our
trading relationship) can be further strengthened,”
he added. Australia’s trade minister visited Indonesia,
the world’s fourth most populous nation, last month.
Howard then opened the Australia-Bali Memorial Eye Centre,
which is part of memorial assistance provided by Australia
in the wake of the October 2002 terrorist attack that claimed
the lives of 88 Australians, and then paid an official visit
to the new Australian Consular General Office in Renon. (July
27th 2007, AFP)
Kuta Karnival V to Begin in September
The fifth Kuta Karnival will commence on September 1st and
run until the 9th of September according to the organizers
of the annual event. The Kuta Karnival is a “Community”
and “Recovery” initiative of the Kuta Small Business
Association (KSBA) for BALI and it is officially endorsed
by the Government of BALI, Chamber of Commerce (KADIN) BALI,
Bali Tourism Board (BTB). The Kuta Karnival is supported by
the local authorities Camat KUTA, Kelurahan Kuta & Legian
& Seminyak, LPM Kuta & Legian & Seminyak, and
the community representatives of the Villages of Kuta &
Legian & Seminyak. More information on this event can
be found on www.gokuta.com. (July 30th 2007, Denpost)
Toxic Bacteria Blamed for 10 Mysterious Deaths - Java
Toxic bacteria in a local delicacy most likely killed 10 Indonesians
who died mysteriously last month in a village on the densely-populated
island of Java, a senior health official said Wednesday (2/8).
The deadly illness, which has also sickened 23 others in Kanigoro
village in Central Java’s Magelang district since July
22, has puzzled authorities and caused panicking villagers
to flee the area. Almost all of the victims had eaten a cheap
local dish made from fermented soybean residue that was sold
by a street vendor on July 21, said I Nyoman Kandun, the health
ministry’s director-general for contagious disease control.
“There are indications that the victims died from a
toxin, and it is strongly believed that the toxin was bongkrekic
acid, produced by the bacterium Pseudomonas cocovenenans,”
he told AFP. Fourteen of those who became ill are still in
hospitals, he added. The delicacy, tempe gembus, is made from
soybean fibres left over from tofu production that are fermented
in banana leaves. The bacteria usually lives in fermented
coconut, and it was not immediately clear why the food was
infected, Kandun said. “It is still inconclusive, but
it is now very likely that the deaths were linked to the consumption
of tempe gembus,” he said. Kandun said that authorities
were still also studying whether the deadly toxin could have
come from heavy metal or chemicals polluting water in the
area. (August 2nd 2007, AFP))
Navy Helicopter Searching for Missing Tourist in Lombok
The Indonesian Navy has mobilized a helicopter to look for
Daniel Diaz Silva Frola, a tourist from Peru, who has been
missing while diving in Gili Layar waters, Sekotong Barat,
West Lombok District, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Province, last
July 31, 2007. “The BO helicopter from the Air Wing
of the Eastern Indonesian Fleet Command of the Navy is piloted
by First Lt. Moh Triwibowo and co-pilot First Lt. Gufron with
four crew member on board,” Head of the Information
Service of the Indonesian Navy’s Eastern Indonesian
Fleet Command Lt. Col, Toni Syaiful said here on Tuesday (7/8).
In addition to the helicopter, the Indonesian Navy has also
mobilized a high-speed patrol boat to search for the missing
tourist in Gili Layar waters. (August 8th 2007, Antara News)
More Tourists Head to Bali
New figures released by Indonesia’s Statistics Bureau
show that a big jump in the number of tourists visiting the
resort island of Bali is leading a revival in tourism for
the whole country. The bureau says Bali saw an increase of
more than a third during the first six months of the year
with almost 800,000 tourists entering Bali by air. Tourism
numbers for Jakarta fell slightly but overall the country
saw an increase of more than 12 per cent. Anecdotally, many
tourism operators in Bali say that much of the increase has
come from new business from Korea, Europe and the former Soviet
bloc rather than from traditional areas like Australia and
Japan. (August 2nd 2007, AFP)
Hundreds of Imported Products from China Removed from Sale
in Bali
Hundreds of cosmetic products that were found to contain prohibited
chemicals such as mercury, or were not licensed, or were found
not to the original products (copies) were confiscated from
the shelves of various outlets throughout Bali. Most were
found at cosmetic counters at the entrance to department stores
and shopping malls such as Tiara Dewata, Hardys and Ramayana
stores. Those products containing mercury were Chiumen Pearl
Cream. Copies or not licensed products were Macalana Skin
Cream, New Rody Special, Ponds Detox, SK infree Papaya, Ponds
Lipstick, Ponds powder, QL cream B, Olay Total Effect, Cameo
eye color, RDL Baby face, New Placenta, and RDL Whitening
treatment. Several brands of candy were also confiscated after
tests showed that they contained the prohibited preservative
“formalin”. White Rabbit, Classic Candy, Klamboy,
and Blackcurrent brands were found to contain formalin. (August
3rd 2007, Bali Post)
Total Lunar Eclipse in Indonesia on August 28th
The people in Indonesia will be able to see a total lunar
eclipse on Tuesday, August 28, 2007. “Unlike the previous
lunar eclipse, the upcoming lunar eclipse would be total,
as the entire moon will pass the earth`s shadow,” said
M. Taufik, Head of the Boscha Observatory in Lembang district,
as contacted by ANTARA News from Bandung on Monday (6/8).
He said that the total lunar eclipse at the end of this month
could be watched by the people in Indonesia from 18:30 West
Indonesia Time. (19.30 Bali Time). This natural phenomenon
could be seen with the naked eye, he added. People wishing
to take a picture of this total lunar eclipse can use a single
lens reflect (SLR) camera. (August 6th 2007, Antara News)
Huge Fire Burns Out 3 Boats at Benoa Harbour
Three fishing vessels the KM Hiroyoshi, KM Chuang Ek, and
the KM Minatama were completely burned out when a fire started
on one of the vessels that was berthed at Benoa Harbor on
Monday (6/7). Huge clouds of black smoke filled the sky over
the Ngurah Rai Bypass as the three vessels burned beyond salvage.
No one was hurt in the blaze. The fire apparently started
when one of the crew was trying to start a generator (genset).
A spark from the motor ignited flammable fluids that were
stored adjacent to the machine. (August 7th 2007, Bali Post)
Sky Garden to Asked Turn down the Music
The Sky Garden restaurant has been asked to turn down the
volume of the music and enclose the entertainment area. Local
authorities said that while the music was not terribly loud,
that the Sky Garden was licensed as a restaurant and not a
live music / night club. For that reason the entertainment
areas of the venue should be enclose to be sure that the sound
of the music did not travel to neighboring facilities and
residential areas. Aside from the music issue, authorities
said that the existing name of the facility on the license
was “Frucha Café” and not “Sky Garden”.
(July 31st 2007, Denpost)
Indonesian Muslim Group Calls for Release of South Korean
Hostages
A major Muslim organization in Indonesia has called for the
release of 21 South Koreans being held hostage by the Taliban,
labeling their kidnapping “absolutely unjustifiable.”
Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the 30-million strong Muhammadiyah
group, said in a statement that the actions were “in
violation of Islamic principles and teaching and even undermine
the image of Islam and Muslims around the world.” It
said the Taliban’s actions were “in contradiction
to the universal principles of humanity.” “We
appeal to the Taliban to immediately release the South Korean
hostages unconditionally so that they can reunite with their
families,” the statement said. The 21 South Koreans
where captured by the hard-line Islamist militia in Afghanistan
three weeks ago. The Taliban have shot dead two other South
Koreans captured with them, and most of those remaining are
said to be ill. Muhammadiyah expressed its sympathies to the
family of the victims and asked for “god to give them
strength during this difficult time.” (August 3rd 2007,
AFP)
50,000 Runners in the Vitazone Bali 10K
Approximately fifty thousand runners took to the streets on
Sunday (29/7) for the annual Vitazone Bali 10K race which
started at the Ngurah Rai statue on the Nusa Dua Bypass and
finished at the Gates of the Nusa Dua Resort. The fastest
runner completed the course in 32.15 minutes.
Tsunami monument to cost Rp. 15 billion
The Aceh provincial government will proceed with construction
of a “tsunami monument” in the Lhoknga coast although
the project will cost up to Rp. 15 billion, Governor Irwandi
Yusuf said. “We will convince all parties of the importance
of historical interest to keep their memory that Aceh was
once hit by the ever biggest disaster of the 21st century,
namely December 26, 2004 tsunami,” he said here on Monday
(6/8). He made the remarks while accompanying chairman of
All Indonesian Provincial Administrations (APPSI) Sutiyoso
who came here to lay the cornerstone for the monument at Lhoknga
village some 17 west of Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh province.
Irwandi said APPSI had paid large attention to post-tsunami
rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. The monument was
built on 7.8 hectares of land adjecent to the coast swept
through by the December 26, 2004 tsunami that killed more
than 170,000 people, he said. He said the monument would be
equipped with public facilities, including mosque, relief
wall, audio visual room, office, souvenir shops and parking
lot.(August 6th 2007, Antara News)
China Bans Indonesian Fish Imports on Health Fears
China has banned imports of fish and other aquatic products
from Indonesia after finding heavy metals and drug residues
on many occasions, the government said on Friday (3/8).The
move takes effect immediately and all such goods which arrive
from Indonesia from now on will be sent back or destroyed,
the quality watchdog said in a statement on its Web site (www.aqsiq.gov.cn).
“It is to protect consumers’ health and safety,”
it said. It said mercury and cadmium had been found as well
as residues of banned drugs. The ban was described as temporary,
though the statement did not say when imports may resume.
The safety of Chinese food, drugs and other products has been
in the international spotlight following the death of animals
in the United States from tainted pet food and the recall
of toys made for Mattel because they contained excess lead.
But China has hit back by insisting the problem is limited
to a few cowboy operators, and that anyway it is a global
issue. In July, China suspended pork and poultry imports from
some U.S. suppliers after finding salmonella-contaminated
chicken and meat products with growth agents or other additives.
(August 3rd 2007, Reuters)
