Local News

January 7 2015

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Rounding off the Aquarius phase of the Suns journey this fortnight as we move into Pisces on the 19th Mercury moves into Aquarius on the 10th and Venus into Pisces on the 11th Neptune conjoins Chiron and the New Moon on the 14th along with the Sun marking a very profound and healing month After the latest of our Pluto square Saturn meetings this is welcome relief as we can now set in place some of the necessary changes the square provoked The long Mars retrograde finally turns direct in March at which time it will be apparent that we have been in a holding pattern with little action since December As I have mentioned previously Uranus moves into Aries in June and by July will be in opposition to Saturn and square to Pluto July and August promising to be potent months of intense change and emotional exchange Aries is always looking for a fight and by that time Uranus will be joined by Jupiter adding a larger than life agenda to all proceedings For now however Jupiter is working with Pluto to bring a compassionate overlay to the current transformative process and promoting Saturn to soften his hard edges a little As the Sun slides out of Aquarius and into Pisces to team up with Jupiter by months end the human heart strings will be plucked and asked to play a tender tune of unconditional love particularly if the world stage is set with natural catastrophes like HaitiNEW MOON 25 Aquarius 18 February 14 2010 1052 am

January 7, 2015

Jetstar Launches Cairns to Bali Route

Jetstar hopes to consolidate a pre-emptive strike against potential AirAsiaX Indonesia services Cairns-Bali by also launching services to the holiday destination from Townsville. The low-cost Qantas offshoot announced yesterday it would launch a three-times weekly service between Cairns and Bali from March 31. The move comes as AirAsiaX announced firm orders for 55 Airbus A330 neos amid rumors about new services to Australia. Jetstar Australia and New Zealand chief executive David Hall said Jetstar was delighted to be the first airline to the fly the Bali route. The airline also announced it would fly Melbourne-Wellington routes four times a week from March 30 and reinstate Gold-Coast-Perth flights from March 29 after market conditions improved enough to support a six-times weekly overnight services. (December 18th 2014)

Densus 88 Arrests Suspected Terrorist in East Java

Police anti-terror squad Densus 88 arrested a suspected terrorist, Toni, in Lamongan district, East Java, on Sunday (December 21). “He was on the wanted list for his role in planning and training led by Dulmatin in Jantho, Aceh,” Head of the Public Information Division of the National Police Headquarters Snr. Comsr. Agus Rianto said here on Monday (22/12). The suspected terrorist, who has many aliases such as Tony Sangaralo, Amir, Fadhil and Abu Sauqi, currently works as a chicken seller. He lives in the Lamongan district, East Java. He was arrested at the Bandeng three-way intersection in Glagah sub-district on Sunday at 8.15 p.m. local time. Rianto pointed out that Toni did not resist when the Densus 88 officers tried to catch him. Police are investigating his alleged involvement in terrorism networks, he said. In September 2014, Densus 88 arrested a terror suspect in Purworejo district, Central Java. (December 22nd 2014)

Almost 650 Indonesians Killed by Dengue Fever This Year

Dengue fever continues to pose a serious risk for Indonesians, with 641 people being killed by the mosquito-borne disease so far this year. The Health Ministry said on Friday that across the country, 71,668 cases of Dengue fever were recorded until mid-December, urging Indonesians to take action against the mosquitoes that spread the disease. People are advised to check areas around their house to make sure there are no areas of stagnant water, in which the Aedes mosquito breeds. Dengue fever is spread primarily by the Aedes aegypti mosquito and the number of cases usually spikes during the rainy season. The ministry also urges people to add larvicides to water containers that are difficult to keep clean, give the insects no places to hide (such as clothes hanging in a bedroom) and if necessary sleep under a mosquito net. The nation-wide number cases in Indonesia seems to be on the decline – as the government recorded 112,511 cases and 871 fatalities in 2013 – but in several areas the number is rising, including North Sumatra, Riau, West Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, Bali and Jakarta. (December 26th 2014)

Bali Struggles with Plastic Garbage

Along with an increase in the population and improved economic circumstances, Bali is struggling to cope with the growing amounts of waste. According to the latest data from Bali’s Department of Public Works (MPW), every day as much as 3,452 cubic meters of plastic waste is generated on the Island. The amount is equivalent to 1,150 garbage trucks filled, which if lined up would cover 4.6 kilometers. “The indicators are not good, all landfills are full and piles of plastic waste are accumulating everywhere. Bali is headed towards a serious crisis if the garbage situation is not addressed,” said Eka an active campaigner on social media through Facebook page Central Bali Recycling. “If the government does not intervene in the matter of this waste from upstream to downstream, the trash will be a latent danger for environmental sustainability in Bali,” he said. Ni Made Armadi, Technical Section Head of the Waste Treatment Unit said that landfills were already overloaded. “We can no longer rely solely on government waste reduction. Society needs to participate,” she said. Piles of garbage accumulating on the streets and beaches are a common sight, especially during the rainy season, but experts agree that the current provisions cannot cope with the massive volumes of trash that is generated throughout Bali. Denpasar is currently the highest producer of waste, followed by Buleleng (North Bali) and Gianyar. (December 26th 2014)

Australian Brothers Accused of Bali Attack Free

Two Australian brothers accused of glassing a local restaurateur in Bali after urinating in front of him while on a drunken night out have dodged a possible four years in jail after the victim revoked his report. Tim and Scott O’Hehir of Perth, in Western Australia, were taken into custody after they allegedly attacked Wayan Mudipa, who owns the Apa Kabar Restaurant in North Kuta on Friday night.The pair has apologized over the incident, saying they wanted to thank Wayan Mudipa for his “compassion”. “We would like to say that as a result of this matter we now consider ourselves friends and we would like to catch up next time we come to Bali,” he said. Mudipa, 35, told News Corp Australia he was working at the busy restaurant on Friday night, when he saw Scott, 32, urinate behind a temple near his eatery and younger brother Tim, 27, urinating inside a nearby shop owned by Mudipa, which is under renovation. (December 22nd 2014)