City plans crackdown on `cart people'

2009-08-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

Nowhere to go: Wawan, 35, sits beside his “mobile home” in Menteng, Central Jakarta. Wawan is one of the city’s many “cartmen” facing the brunt of a crackdown on homeless people launched by the administration ahead of Ramadan.

On a sidewalk in the upmarket suburb of Menteng, Central Jakarta, a woman sitting down next to a leaning cart that serves as a mobile home for her husband and herself, scraped plastic lids off used water cups using a piece of a broken glass. Next to her was a clear plastic bag full of plastic cups she had already cleaned.

"*The plastic cups* need to have the plastic covers removed or we get paid less," said the woman's husband, Wawan.

Wawan and his wife live on the street. They collect trash from garbage bins from houses around Menteng, separating plastics, cardboard and paper, which they later sell to waste tauke (middlemen who collect recyclable waste) who sell it to recycling plants.

The couple play a crucial part in the city's traditional waste management system, whereby residents do not separate their waste before throwing it away.

However, the city administration objects to these people's nomadic lifestyle of sleeping on sidewalks under invisible stars in the Jakarta night sky.

With the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan approaching in late August, municipalities are cracking down on homeless people living out of carts.

The city administration has plans to crack down on people with social welfare problems in 53 areas around the city, before and during Ramadan. The Jakarta Social Welfare Agency estimated that a surge of homeless and beggars would enter the city as Ramadan approached. During Ramadan and up to Idul Fitri day, Muslims commonly give out alms to the poor.

According to the agency, in a month they could net more than 2,000 homeless people from the streets.

West Jakarta administration has started to intensify its crackdown on "cartmen", a term used to refer to homeless trash pickers. Public order officers would sweep through areas such as Cilandak and Kemang in South Jakarta, Tomang in West Jakarta, and around Indonesia Miniature Park in East Jakarta, arresting those it saw violating public order.

"I get scared," Wawan said of the crackdown. Wawan, 35, acknowledged that a lot of people from cities outside Jakarta had come to the capital in hope of getting zakat (alms) from Jakartans.

"I see a lot of new faces every time Ramadan approaches," he said. Wawan himself is not a seasonal trash picker in Jakarta. He has lived in Jakarta since he ran away from his hometown in Bojonegoro, East Java, when he was 14.

During Ramadan, a lot of people donate food for sahur *food to break the fast at dawn* and during fast-breaking times at dusk each day. "But, not only that, a lot of people donate money for zakat as well," he said.

During the month-long fast leading up to Idul Fitri, Wawan could receive up to Rp 300,000 (US$27) from passing cars.

Under the 2007 bylaw on public order, the city administration bans people from giving money to beggars. It advises the public to channel their alms instead to trusted aid organizations. The bylaw regulates that giving money to beggars is punishable with six months' imprisonment and maximum fines of Rp 20 million. Those caught receiving alms on the street would be sent to the Social Institution in Kedoya, West Jakarta.

Public order officers had twice arrested and put Wawan into the Social Institution in Kedoya. "They arrested me and released me a week later when Idul Fitri was approaching. The second time I stayed there for 10 days," Wawan said.

Once Wawan was separated from his wife for weeks after public order officers arrested her. The administration then sent her, along with others, to regional Java. "She was sent to Comal. If you say you were from Central Java, they will send you to Comal, even if that's not your town," Wawan said.

Wawan said in the Kedoya shelter, the arrested beggars would sometimes be in the same cells as other petty criminals.

"A friend of mine was beaten up by fellow inmates because he did not want to give them money," he said, adding that the officers locked up a wide range of people, from 3-in-1 jockeys who used to be thugs, to homeless people and sex workers.

Advocacy group Urban Poor Consortium head Wardah Hafidz said arresting trash pickers violated their rights as citizens whose mobility and work was guaranteed under the 1945 Constitution.

"Forcing them back to their hometowns without offering alternative work would not solve the problem. They will be back," she said.

"The government should provide housing for them if they do not want people living in carts," she said, suggesting that the administration provide healthy shelters, priced reasonably, for circular migrants.

Attacks looming as Noordin remains free

2009-08-13T22:39:00.000-07:00

Guess who?: On Wednesday, National Police spokesman Nanan Soekarna shows journalists a photograph of (the late) Ibrohim, the man shot dead by the counterterror squad during a raid of a terrorist hideout in Temanggung, Central Java, on Aug. 8. The body was initially suspected to have been that of terror leader Noordin M. Top.

Police officially confirmed Wednesday that Noordin M. Top, the nation's most wanted terrorist, was still alive and kicking, highlighting that the threat of bombing attacks from Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) could escalate, with Noordin still leading the group and dozens of new recruits across Java available
to help him.

A DNA test conducted by the police revealed the man shot dead in Temanggung, Central Java, last Saturday was Ibrohim, a florist at both JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in Jakarta, and is suspected to be the inside man on the suicide bombings at then two luxury hotels last month.

National police spokesman Nanan Soekarna said the police believed Noordin was still in Indonesia and expected him to keep on trying to launch attacks.

“The assumption is that he will keep on doing so.”

Noordin, who formed a violent wing of the JI militant network, is believed to have planned last month’s near-simultaneous attack on the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which killed nine people and wounded 53.

He is blamed for several attacks, including the JW Marriott in Jakarta in 2003, the Australian Embassy in Jakarta in 2004 and Bali in 2005.

Later on Wednesday, North Bogor Police raided a house in Cimahpar subdistrict following a tip-off from locals. They found chemical substances allegedly needed to make bombs. Police claimed the sub-stances were similar to those found at a house in Jatiasih, Bekasi, last Saturday.

Intelligence and terror experts have been quick to warn that the country would face an escalation of threats with Noordin on the loose.

“The fact that Noordin is still at large means there’s still a possibility of his group mounting other attacks in the future,” Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group told Reuters.

“I think it’s got to be still the number one priority of the police to find out where he is and find out who else was involved in the planning of these attacks.”

Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert based in Singapore said news that Top remained on the run would probably elevate his stature further among radical Islamic groups in the region.

Mardigu, a psychologist who often got involved in the questioning process toward terrorist suspects, also warned the police to act quicker as he learned Noordin and his group would start recruiting in this kind of situation.

“I have learned from other terrorist suspects that Noordin would usually start recruiting after he
manages to escape police raids. Therefore the police should be able to act faster in tracking down Noordin’s whereabouts.”

Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the police vowed to intensify their search for terrorists who were still out there.

“God willing, we will be able to arrest not only Noordin M. Top but also several others who have played important roles in the recent bombings,” he said.

He said the police had also pursued two others terrorists who were identified only as SZ and SJ. Beforehand, Bambang said that SJ was pursued because he was the one who recruited the suicide bombers who blasted the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels.

Intelligence expert Dino Chrisbon once said in the raid aftermath, Noordin's sidekicks usually brought him to several safe houses in West Java.

“But it is done after Noordin’s sidekicks have created a diversion to trick the police. Thus, if they want to bring Noordin to West Java, then usually the sidekicks create a rumor that Noordin was brought to East Java with the hope that the police would go to the east side.”

Transfer Rumours And Round-Up: August 13-14

2009-08-13T22:38:00.001-07:00

Surprisingly, Hull City are topping the transfer charts this afternoon; the Premier League side have completed a double-signing and have designs on a high profile third.

Celta Vigo have sold Kamel Ghilas to the Tigers for a fee of around €2.2 million while the Ireland international, Stephen Hunt, has joined from Reading.

The KC Stadium side are also in the running for Real Madrid's Alvaro Negredo, although the Spaniard is keen to listen for a potential offer from Roma before deciding his fate.

Wesley Sneijder is ready to block any attempt to lever him out of the Bernabeu; the Dutchman is not keen on leaving Madrid, despite a lucrative offer from Aston Villa.

His team-mate and compatriot, Royston Drenthe, is reportedly on the radar of AC Milan, meanwhile.

A man who has played for both of those sides, David Beckham, has admitted that he could return to the Premier League before retiring. In a similar vein, Samuel Eto'o has stated that he could return to Barcelona upon completion of his Inter contract.

The Italian champions are prepared to go as high as €25m in their pursuit of Yoann Gourcuff too.

Lazio are leading the chase for Diego Lugano, along with Fiorentina, but could be set to wave goodbye to two strikers. Goran Pandev is said to be in contact with Zenit St. Petersburg over a move while the agent of Stephen Makinwa has confirmed that his client is moving on this summer.

The Viola, meanwhile, could sell Zdravko Kuzmanovic to Sevilla; he is displeased with the arrival of Cristiano Zanetti.

Elsewhere in Serie A, Udinese are set to loan Fabian Orellana to Boca Juniors.

In Spain, various press sources are at odds over their predictions on the future of Cesc Fabregas. Whether or not he will remain with Arsenal is as yet, unknown.

Atletico Madrid are said to be seeking the services of Ajax's Gregory van der Wiel while Malaga have thrown their name in the hat for Mateja Kezman of PSG.

Fellow Serbian, Nemanja Matic, has claimed that Chelsea are closing in on a £5m deal with his club, MFK Kosice.

The Pensioners have again loaned Michael Mancienne to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the young defender has apparently signed a new deal at Stamford Bridge. Also, Nicolas Anelka has admitted that he is eager to begin talks over a new deal with the Blues.

Arsenal target, Brede Hangeland, has confirmed that he is likely to remain with Fulham and the Gunners have also pulled the plug on their interest in Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh.

Arsene Wenger's side are also in competition with rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of the Crystal Palace prodigy, Victor Moses.

Mark Hughes has declared that his interest in Joleon Lescott remains; Manchester City have already seen two bids for the Everton defender rebuffed.

Meanwhile, Afonso Alves could join Benfica, according to his agent.

Finally, an intriguing piece of news from the Bundesliga. Hoffenheim have released summer signing Prince Tagoe after allegedly detecting a heart problem. However, the Ghana international is preparing a law suit against his former employers for 'infringement of human rights'.

David Suazo All Geared Up For New Season At Inter

2009-08-13T22:36:00.001-07:00

Inter striker David Suazo knows that his role in the team will be that of a reserve, but that does not seem to bother him too much.

In fact, Suazo is very motivated after spending the previous year on loan at Benfica, where he managed just four goals.

"Being part of Inter's squad already gives me motivations to continue to train well," declared the Honduran player to fcinternews.it.

"I know what my role will be, but I intend to give my contribution to the squad. [Coach Jose] Mourinho gave me a good impression; few coaches have his charisma."

During his firs season at Inter, in 2007-08, the 30-year-old player made 27 Serie A appearances, scoring eight goals.

Suarez made a name for himself at Cagliari between 1999 and 2007, scoring a total of 94 goals in 255 league games.

Sydney FC Sign Blacktown City Demons' Ray Miller To National Youth League Side

2009-08-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

With 'Version 5' of the A-League underway, Sydney FC’s main focus is on the team’s first home outing of the season against Adelaide United this Sunday, but the club is also continuing the process of rebuilding the side that will defend the National Youth League title in 2009-10.

The Sky Blues today added another player to their roster, with Blacktown City Demons midfielder Ray Miller becoming the club’s 10th NYL acquisition.

“I was here last year training a bit with them and just hearing the stories from the lads, they were kind of semi living the life of a professional footballer and I’m just glad I’ve got my chance,” said the 19-year-old after finalising the move yesterday.

“I’ve played [NSW] Premier League and now playing National Youth League. I just want to try and play as many games as I can and if I perform and get half a sniff, I’ll do whatever I can to take the next step up.”

This year’s junior Sky Blues will bear little resemblance to the team that took the title last season, but the next generation is confident it can continue the legacy.

“The boys last year were just enormous, you can tell – they got five first team contracts,” said Miller. “We just want to get stuck into it and if we can do half the job they did last year then we’re going to go well. We’re just keen to get started.”

The young midfielder is excited about the opportunity he’s received at Sydney FC and is keen to follow in the footsteps of young stars like Kofi Danning and Brendan Gan.

“You play six or seven games and then all of a sudden they give you a chance in the first team. If you take your chance, who knows what can happen. There’s opportunity there and something to strive for so it’s great,” he explained.

“I’ve wanted it since I was young. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be a professional footballer so I’ve just got to keep working hard and hopefully it will pay off.”

Sydney FC are set begin their National Youth League defence in early September.

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal 'Mature Enough' To Win The Title

2009-08-13T22:34:00.002-07:00

Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has declared that his notoriously youthful side is "mature enough" to claim the Premier League crown this season.

With Manchester City spending big and with the gradual but marked improvement of Aston Villa and Everton over the past few seasons, pundits and punters alike are tipping the Gunners to vacate the top four this term.

However, Wenger is confident that his fresh-faced squad can compete, and even best, the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in the coming campaign.

He said in The Sun, "To talk of winning the league is an audacious statement but I built this team and I want to deliver with this team. At 22 or 23 a team is mature enough to deliver."

There was considerable speculation earlier in the year that the French tactician should ship at Ashburton Grove and man the helm at Real Madrid.

However, despite the lure of bossing the second coming of Florentino Perez's Galacticos, Wenger's devotion to his long-term scheme in London proved decisive.

"I felt if I left I would have in some way betrayed my beliefs. It was nothing to do with Real Madrid, it was about Arsenal," he said.

"I knew what Real were about to do but I have a project here that I started four years ago. I could not leave at this stage of their development."

Singapore Coach Radojko Avramovic Happy With China Performance From Weakened Team

2009-08-13T22:34:00.001-07:00

Singapore national coach Radojko Avramovic was pleased with the manner his charges coped with a litany of injuries in their National Day Challenge clash with China.

The match finished 1-1 at the end of regulation time, before China prevailed in the penalty shootout by a 4-3 margin.

Despite the defeat, the Lions had a competent outing considering they were unable to field a full-strength side, with Lionel Lewis, Fahrudin Mustafic, Shi Jiayi and team captain Indra Sahdan Daud among the most notable absentees.

The remaining players stepped up to the plate as they held off China, leaving Avramovic happy with what their attitude towards the clash.

“We were a little handicapped for this game because we could not put all our best players into it,” he told the media in the post-match press conference.

“Because of the many injuries we had, this was not the team that we really wanted to play. But we must always try to cope with what we have, and that is actually what we’ve done.

“Some players have done well today, and I am generally satisfied. I am happy with the attitude the substitutes showed; some of them are still not fully fit, but at least they are trying, and that is encouraging.

“We missed some opportunities to score a second goal in the second half, and even though we tried to change a few things, it didn’t succeed and we lost on penalties. But sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

Julio Cruz Still Reliving Lazio’s Italian Super Cup Victory Over Inter

2009-08-13T22:33:00.000-07:00

Julio Cruz was released from Inter earlier in the summer, and consequently was picked up on a free transfer by Lazio, with whom he has already won a piece of silverware.

The Biancocelesti edged the Nerazzurri 2-1 in the Supercoppa Italiana on August 8, a match that is played between the winners of the Coppa Italia and the Serie A champions of the previous season.

Cruz was thrilled to be a part of that victory with his new club, and he is looking forward to what lies ahead for him with the capital club.

“I am pleased to have been greeted so warmly by many of the Lazio fans,” Cruz was quoted as saying by Corriere dello Sport.

“I am feeling very good, and I have been working hard to get myself in the best physical condition for the new season.

“The victory over Inter? Incredible things happen in our lives, and winning the Scudetto with Inter, and then the Supercup with Lazio, is not something that everyone has done before.

“For me, winning in Beijing was not a revenge thing; however, I was just pleased to celebrate with my new team.

“I have repeatedly wished the fans, the coach and my former team-mates well for the future.

“But for now, my fate lies here with Lazio.”

Celtic Striker Scott McDonald Poised For Arsenal Clash

2009-08-13T22:32:00.004-07:00

Last year's Scottish Premier League runners-up may have been written off by the critics already on a European level, but Scott McDonald believes that the home advantage of Celtic Park is enough to overcome any opposition.

"When have you ever seen Celtic going into a game at home thinking they can't win?" Sky Sports quote the Aussie as saying.

"It's the same with the supporters. We have seen massive teams come to Celtic Park and we have over-turned them.

"Hopefully we can do that once more against a quality Arsenal side and we can make it a night like the nights against AC Milan and Manchester United and go into the second game with a win under our belts.

"That's the aim and hopefully we can do that. The closer the game comes, the more belief people have. We have a strong belief in our squad that we can do it."

Despite the Australia international's optimism ahead of the clash with the Gunners, McDonald has taken on board Arsenal's trouncing of Old Firm rivals Rangers in this year's Emirates Cup.

"We have seen that already in the Emirates Cup with the boy [Jack] Wilshere who played against Rangers and was phenomenal. They've got other threats as well," he added.

"There are a lot of players who have gone but Arsene Wenger is a very good manager and he knows what he's doing.

"He wouldn't have let his players go if he didn't think believe the players he's got there now would step in and do a more than adequate job."

Exclusive: Celtic Scout India's Sunil Chhetri Though Trial Unlikely

2009-08-13T22:32:00.003-07:00

The Dempo player, who has only just recovered from his ankle injury, scored the first half penalty against Santboia FC, a third division Spanish club, which was the difference between the two sides.

While the head scout of Celtic saw Chhetri on Monday, another talent inspector was present when India played Santboia FC.

It is too early however to even claim that the Scottish giants are after Chhetri.

Speaking to Goal.com, Chhetri’s agent, Yogesh Joshee said, "I'm waiting to get feedback from Celtic, whose head scout saw him on Monday.

"Another scout came to watch the game (against Santboia), I'll let you know the outcome when I know."

Chhetri has returned to return to India from Barcelona along with the rest of the squad. The team will set up a camp in Gurgaon from August 12 in preparation for the Nehru Cup which kicks off a week later.

The tournament ends on August 31, the final day of the European summer transfer deadline, hence making the possibility of a trial, if the club are indeed interested, very slim.

Manchester City Offer Barcelona Star Lionel Messi Blank Cheque - Report

2009-08-13T22:32:00.001-07:00

According to Marca, cash-rich Manchester City have not given up on signing Lionel Messi and are interested in capturing him at all costs.

The Argentina international is currently in talks with Barcelona over a new contract and City have used that situation to renew their interest in the gifted footballer.

It is believed the Premier League club have approached Messi's agent to let the player know of their interest, having handed the 22-year-old a blank cheque, in effect asking him to name his price.

This is not the first time that City have expressed an interest in Messi. In the winter transfer window, they were ready to pay his release clause, set at €150 million, and offer him €12 million per season after tax.

Messi rejected the approach and it is understood City's new attempt will receive a similarly short shrift as he is happy at the Camp Nou and wants to stay in a team that can challenge on all fronts.

Barcelona Have A Week To Do Cesc Fabregas Deal With Arsenal – Report

2009-08-13T22:30:00.002-07:00

Barcelona have been given the green light to make an approach to Arsenal for Cesc Fabregas, according to a report.

The Blaugrana have set their sights on re-signing the midfielder who left them to join the Gunners six years ago, and believe that they have just a week to put a deal in place.

Arsenal take on Celtic in the Champions League qualifiers on August 18, and the Catalan giants want to tempt manager Arsene Wenger into selling before then to stop Fabregas from playing and therefore becoming cup-tied.

If he does appear in the first leg of the European encounter, Barca will be forced to forget about signing him, so an offer is due to be made this week, El Mundo Deportivo believe.

A phone call to the representatives of the playmaker saw Barcelona encouraged to make a move. They were supposedly told that Cesc would like the idea of returning to the Blaugrana if Arsenal could be persuaded.

But Wenger is unlikely to willingly let another key player go after a summer that has already seen him lose Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure.

A fee of €40 million or €50m will be required to give Barcelona a chance of signing the playmaker, especially as Wenger is not interested in the likes of Eidur Gudjohnsen in part exchange.

Indonesia: Sriwijaya Give Up Bambang Pamungkas Chase

2009-08-13T22:30:00.001-07:00

Sriwijaya FC have ended their hopes of signing Indonesian international striker Bambang Pamungkas ahead of the new Indonesian Super League season.

The Copa Dji Sam Soe 2009 champions admitted that they failed to reach a mutual understanding with the Persija Jakarta front man.

Hendri Zainuddin from Sriwijaya FC said that the decision to stop the negotiation was made after Bambang failed to come to an agreement and seemed to be prolonging the discussion.

“We have already stopped the negotiation. There is still no final word from Bambang and we have to realise that the dateline to submit our final line-up is quite soon,” said Hendri.

“Furthermore, his asking price is a bit much where he wants us to meet his current pay packet which is US $130,000 a year. We have our own policy of paying national players. And our offer is definitely above the US $100,000 annually.”

Following the breakdown of talks with Bambang, Sriwijaya are now focussing their attention on signing a big-name Asian player instead.

Real Madrid To Include Wesley Sneijder & Arjen Robben In Franck Ribery Deal - Report

2009-08-13T22:26:00.001-07:00

Real Madrid are considering offering cash plus the services of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben to Bayern Munich in order to land superstar Franck Ribery, according to a report in Marca.

The France international has been the subject of a prolonged transfer saga and his future at the Allianz Arena appears to be anything but decided.

Real Madrid have allegedly not given up on signing Ribery and are preparing to include two of their Dutch players in order to make the deal happen.

Both Sneijder and Robben are part of coach Manuel Pellegrini's plans, but Real Madrid will not think twice before letting them go if an interesting opportunity arises.

The Spanish paper claims that Rafael van der Vaart is also a possibility, but that Bayern's preferences lean towards the other two Holland internationals.

It is believed Real would also put €30 million on the table, making for a total bid that surpasses the €60m mark and nears the €80m Bayern asked for Ribery earlier in the summer.

Cesc Fabregas' Father Doubts Arsenal Exit

2009-08-13T22:25:00.002-07:00

There have been reports linking Cesc Fabregas with a transfer to Barcelona after the Catalan club publicly admitted their desire to have the 22-year-old back in their ranks.

But the player's father, Francesc Fabregas, has now guaranteed the Spain international is fully committed to the Gunners.

"Honestly, I think this signing by Barca will not be produced," he told COM Radio.

"Evidently, the football world is crazy and you never know, but today I think Cesc will stay at Arsenal. He is super committed to Arsenal and he is really eager to do things there.

"If the day comes [when Cesc moves to Barcelona] then it will come, but as a professional and out of respect for Arsenal, where he has always been very well treated, he cannot say anything about these rumours."

Nevertheless, Francesc admitted that his son has strong feelings for Barcelona, the club he left in 2003 for the North London outfit.

"Cesc is Catalan and a cule, and obviously he takes that with him all the time, but he gives it all for Arsenal, regardless of that feeling," he noted.

Liverpool Must Win Premier League; 'No Problem' Beating Chelsea & Manchester United - Fernando Torres

2009-08-13T22:25:00.001-07:00

Fernando Torres has opined that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, not Chelsea or Manchester United, will be Liverpool's biggest obstacles in the Premier League this season.

While the Reds boasted near-perfect record against their fellow 'Big Four' teams last term - the only blemish being a classic 4-4 draw against Arsenal - it was against less threatening opposition that they came undone.

Indeed, it was at Spurs that Rafael Benitez's men suffered the first of their two league losses in 2008-09, and they travel to White Hart Lane to kick off the new campaign this weekend.

Thus, Torres is especially concerned with getting off on the right foot against the Lilywhites, and is confident that he and his team-mates can deal with the Blues and the Red Devils when that time comes.

"We have no problem beating Manchester United or Chelsea but it is games like Sunday's at Tottenham where we need to show our real title intentions," the striker said, according to The Sun.

"Tottenham is not an easy place to go but these are games we must be winning if this is to finally be our year."

Liverpool came up just short in their bid for a maiden Premier League crown last term, allowing Man United to equal the Merseyside club's record of 18 English championships.

Last season was one of considerable progress for the Anfield giants, and Torres reckons the team as a whole will better off for having taken part in a true title fight.

"I am not thinking can we win the title, I am thinking we have to win the title," he said.

"We came so close last season but for many of the players it was their first time experiencing the pressure of a Premier League title race."

Inter Signing Eto'o Does Not Rule Out Future Barcelona Return

2009-08-13T22:24:00.002-07:00

Inter striker Samuel Eto'o scored on his official debut for the club, a 2-1 loss to Lazio in the Supercoppa Italiana, but he claims he is settling in well in the city of Milan.

"I'm already happy with how things are going at Inter, even if we're not 100 percent," he told the Corriere dello Sport.

"Already the impression I had playing in the Supercup is that things are very positive. We dominated the match, creating many opportunities."

The 28-year-old then discussed his relationships with new coach Jose Mourinho and strike partner Diego Milito.

"The coach I like a lot, I intend to give my maximum as soon as possible in order to thank him," he continued.

"There was a great feeling and an excellent link-up with Milito. Our understanding is already very good and can only improve."

Eto'o came to the Nerazzurri as part of the deal that sent Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona - and he admits he would consider going back to the Blaugrana in the future.

"I was always well in Barcelona and one day I may return to play for that great club, but now I am at Inter, where I already feel at ease after just a short period of time," he concluded.

Rafa Benitez: Aquilani Has Better Killer Pass Than Xabi Alonso & We Want To Sign A Forward

2009-08-13T22:24:00.001-07:00

Liverpool have signed Alberto Aquilani from Roma in the wake of Xabi Alonso's move to Real Madrid, and Reds gaffer Rafael Benitez is only too keen to hype the Italian midfielder.

"For the final pass, Aquilani has more accuracy than Xabi," Benitez told a press conference.

"We tried very hard to keep Xabi, but he made it clear he wanted to go and we have to defend Liverpool. We are professionals. He had a fantastic year, but he wanted to go."

However, many keen followers of the Anfield giants are worried about Aquilani's fitness - something which doesn't overly concern ‘Rafa’.

"We know he had some problems with his ankle, but the doctors analysed him and I am 100 per cent sure he will do well here," he said.

Looking over his shoulder at this season's potential breakthrough side - free-spending Manchester City - Benitez believes that the money Liverpool have spent is justified, and that more needs to go on another attacking option as soon as possible.

"Man City are spending money; we had to bring in quality, and [Glen] Johnson is a good player," he said of 'Pool's new right-back. "We will now look for someone to help [Fernando] Torres and [Steven] Gerrard.

"The idea of winning the Premier League every year is hard. City are doing really well because they are signing players with Premier League quality, so they will be a threat to us and Manchester United."

Looking forward to his side's first league game against Tottenham Hotspur, the boss hopes that his injury doubts recover in time, and is aware that former Reds, Peter Crouch and Robbie Keane, will be keen to haunt him.

"Gerrard is OK and Martin Skrtel is working hard. We have to be ready for the first game,” he said.

"Crouch and Keane are good players and good luck to them... but not when they play against us!

"Tottenham are a good team and Harry [Redknapp, Spurs boss] has done a good job. They, Aston Villa and City will be tough this season. We want to win things, but we have to start with Tottenham and three points."

Cannavaro ‘Honoured’ To Break Maldini’s Appearance Record For Italy

2009-08-13T22:23:00.004-07:00

Italy travelled to Basel to take on Switzerland in an international friendly match on Wednesday night, a game which ended in a goalless draw.

The night marked a special occasion for the captain of the Azzurri, Fabio Cannavaro, who surpassed Paolo Maldini’s record for most appearances made for the Italian national team.

Cannavaro played his 127th match for his country against the Swiss, and despite the underwhelming result, he felt honoured to better the mark set by Maldini.

“It’s a great honour to wear this shirt just once, and it is a dream for everyone, from early on in their childhood,” Cannavaro explained to Rai.

“It is a great honour to have passed a man like Paolo Maldini, who was, and still is, a true example to many who love this game.

“For me, records are there to be beaten, so I’m sure that this will happen again in the future. Again though, it’s a great honour, and I know now that I have an even greater responsibility for my country.”

The Azzurri captain concluded the interview by making a few comments regarding the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

He continued, “Firstly we have to qualify, then I feel the inclusion of some younger players will be crucial to us defending the World Cup.

“If we play at our very best, then I don’t think there’s any team out there that can beat us.”

Argentina's Delayed Football Season To Start On August 21

2009-08-13T22:23:00.003-07:00

Argentina's delayed football season will finally get underway on August 21, after being put on hold because several top first division clubs are in serious debt.

The Argentine Apertura Championship had originally been schedule to begin on Friday, but was delayed because of financial trouble. Several of the country's top clubs are in debt, and are owing to AFA and their own players.

AFA president Julio Grondona claimed that seven first division clubs - including Argentine giants Boca Juniors and River Plate - will need to pay their players before the season can begin.

In order to solve the problem, the Argentine government proposed paying the clubs $154 million for the rights to televise the entire season, but this would mean that first they would have to break the pending contract with Grupo Clarin and Torneos y Competencias (TyC Sports), which has existed since 1991.

TyC had announced that AFA would risk a multimillion-dollar lawsuit if they broke the existing contract. On Tuesday it was controversially broken, but AFA didn't give any ground as to who might broadcast the rights.

But despite the financial problems associated with the league, almost all of the clubs have continued to reinforce their squads in an attempt to be competitive when the championship finally begins.

A number of Argentine clubs will also participate in the Copa Sudamericana this season, South America's second-tier club competition after the Copa Libertadores.

One of them, Argentina's most popular club, Boca, have struggled to make ends meet for several months now, but although they sold two key players in Rodrigo Palacio and Fabian Vargas this season, they replaced them with players of the quality of Gary Medel and Federico Insua.

Their main rivals, teams like River, San Lorenzo, Racing Club and Independiente continue to buy players, even if they know that in the future they may not be able to afford them.

One of the main reasons why Argentine clubs are struggling is the recession in Europe. Argentine clubs are selling less players, and this really hurts them because they have become dependent of this income.

Barcelona Target Bruno Alves Coy Over Porto Future

2009-08-13T22:23:00.001-07:00

Bruno Alves has been linked with a move to Barcelona all summer as the Catalan club are understood to be in the market for an experienced centre-back.

After failing in their attempts to sign Shakhtar Donetsk's Dmytro Chygrynskiy, Alves is reportedly high on Barcelona's shortlist, along with Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany.

And while Alves, a starter for Portugal in yesterday's friendly fixture with Liechtenstein, confirmed to be content with life at Porto, he has refused to rule out a new challenge for economical reasons.

"I have a contract with FC Porto, I have said everything I had to say," he told TVI after Portugal's match.

"I am ambitious and any person would like to improve their living conditions."

Alves, who is a product of Porto's youth ranks, has a €30 million buy-out clause attached to his contract.

Report: Inter Ready To Spend €25 Million On Bordeaux Star Gourcuff

2009-08-13T22:22:00.002-07:00

After Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder ruled out a move to Inter, the Italians are continuing with other options, including Bordeaux midfielder Yoann Gourcuff.

The Frenchman was the 'Player of the Season' in 2008-09 in Ligue 1, leading the club to the title, and has begun this season on a high note, scoring a brace against Lens.

The Nerazzurri are ready to spend €25 million on the French international, nearly double the price Bordeaux spent to keep him at the Stade Chaban Delmas this summer, according to Le Parisien.

On Wednesday, les Girondins president Jean-Louis Triaud had already denied that Gourcuff would be leaving, saying 'he will not move,' but president Massimo Moratti is hoping a substantial offer will change his mind.

Should the move occur, it would be a chance for the 23-year-old to prove himself in Serie A after he received little playing time at AC Milan from 2006 to 2008.

OFFICIAL: Stephen Hunt Joins Hull City From Reading

2009-08-13T22:22:00.001-07:00

Hull City today officially signed Republic of Ireland international winger Stephen Hunt from Reading on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, with the player moving to the KC Stadium on the same day that Kamel Ghilas also joined City, this time from Spanish outfit Celta Vigo.

Hunt was pleased to have made a return to the Premier League, after a close season filled with speculation about his future.

"I'm delighted. It's been a long summer for me," he told Sky Sports News. "Anxious, but that's the kind of guy I am; I want to get things done. But [I'm] delighted to be here now and looking forward to it."

The player was "100%" pleased to have made an instant return to the Premier League, adding, "It's unfortunate it's not with Reading and I wish them all the best.

"They've been exceptional for me over the last four years, so thanks very much and we move on.

"It's an exciting league and I can't wait. Obviously, Manchester City have chased things up with all of their signings. It makes an extra thing with the likes of Everton and Aston Villa who have finished fifth and sixth in the last few years.

"So the league table doesn't lie, Man City have go to climb above them them before they get in the top four. That'll be hard enough.

"Our battle is to try and get as many points as we can. To enjoy the experience. It's the place to be and a short career so you've got to make the most of it and I'm looking forward to the next few games."

Flavio Roma: Milan Is A Top Level Team

2009-08-13T22:21:00.002-07:00

New Milan goalkeeper Flavio Roma is ready to rise to the challenge and claim the first team place as the season gets underway.

Roma is also confident that the negative results obtained by the Rossoneri throughout the pre-season do not reflect the true value of the team and that they will manage to bounce back when the official games begin.

"I followed Milan's pre-season and I would define it as eventful; a bit for the continuous movements the team had to do and a bit for the results obtained during the friendly games," declared the former Monaco player to Milan Channel.

"I spoke with the players and this is a top level team. The players are aiming high. The team is strong, we have nothing to worry about.

"I know that it will be a battle between me and [Marco] Storari, because [Christian] Abbiati is still injured and [Nelson] Dida has some problems, but then it will be the coach to decide."

The 35-year-old spent the last eight years playing in France with Monaco, earning a total of 247 league appearances as well as three caps for the Italian national team.

Inter Will Rotate Squad In TIM Trophy - Jose Mourinho

2009-08-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

On August 14, Inter will take part in the annual TIM Trofeo pre-season tournament, along with Juventus and Milan at the Stadio Adriatio in Pescara.

The three teams play every year, facing off in three 45 minute matches to prepare for the upcoming Serie A. However, coach Jose Mourinho has indicated many of his international stars will not take part.

"I must say the many national team matches will not allow me to work with the complete team in Pescara," he explained an interview with Inter Channel.

"After being in China [for the Italian Supercup], many players have been around the world from Moscow to Beijing, and therefore deserve a rest."

Instead, 'the Special One' is hoping to give some of his fringe players a chance to prove their worth.

"It will be an opportunity to give some space to the younger players, to compare them with our major rivals, and for those who did not play in the Supercup. For example, [Marco] Materazzi, [Walter] Samuel, [Patrick] Vieira, Mancini and Quaresma," he concluded.

Liverpool Midfielder Riera Dedicates Goal To Late Daniel Jarque

2009-08-13T22:20:00.002-07:00

Liverpool midfielder Albert Riera has dedicated his international strike for Spain this week to the memory of the late Espanyol player Daniel Jarque.

Jarque, a former team-mate of Riera's at the Catalan outfit, passed away unexpectedly after suffering a heart attack after a training session. He was just 26 years old.

Spain has been in mourning this week as the nation pays it's last respects to the centre-back.

The Liverpool winger scored in Spain's 3-2 victory over Macedonia on Wednesday night and told the Reds' official website, "My goal is for Dani, for his family, and for everyone associated with Espanyol.

"It was a goal that meant a lot, over and above the result. For me it was very important due to the desire that I had to score in this game. I can assure that this goal came from the soul.

"I wasn't only thinking [about scoring], but that's that I was hoping for. I've thought a lot about Dani and about scoring a goal for him."

The entire national squad paid their respect to Jarque before the friendly by donning shirts bearing Jarque's name and squad number prior to a minute's applause in his honour.

The defender's tragic death came just one month after he had been named captain for the upcoming season.

Barcelona Set To Make Emmanuel Eboue Bid - Report

2009-08-13T22:20:00.001-07:00

Barcelona are considering testing Arsenal's patience with a bid for defender Emmanuel Eboue after a decision was made that the right-back position needs strengthening.

Already linked with a move for Cesc Fabregas, the initial contact with the Gunners could be made by the Blaugrana for a different player, according to Radio Montecarlo.

Daniel Alves is the first choice player on the right side of Pep Guardiola's back four, but technical secretary Txiki Begiristain thinks that he needs strong competition.

While Carles Puyol can move across to cover, Barca do not have a player that would only be employed to play there and believe that Eboue could fill the role.

Having been linked with AC Milan and Fiorentina already this summer, the Catalan outfit believe that the Ivory Coast international would not take much persuading to leave.

Also, he is not assured of a place in Arsene Wenger's team and a bid of around €10 million could see the London club willing to do business.

Are the Bakries Set to Bail Out of Their Newmont Bid?

2009-08-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Analysts on Thursday said that the Bakrie group may now be less willing to team up with three local governments in West Nusa Tenggara to purchase 10 percent of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara after the central government confirmed that it would exercise an option to buy a 14 percent stake in the miner.

Based on a $3.52 billion valuation of NNT, a 10 percent interest would be worth $352 million.

Observers said the Bakrie group had hoped that it and the local administrations would purchase the entire 31 percent stake in the firm that US-based Newmont Mining is required to divest, on the way to acquiring a controlling 51 percent position.

With the central government exercising its buy-in option, it will be harder for the Bakrie group to raise the money needed to take over the company, they said, especially if Jakarta goes ahead with its stated plan to give 14 percent to state coal miner PT Antam, in conjunction with state asset management company PIP.

“It would not be so interesting for the Bakrie group if they only ended up getting a 10 percent share of NNT,” said Edwin Sinaga, president director of brokerage firm PT Finacorporindo Nusa. “This would effectively render them a silent partner in the mine, and that is not the Bakries’ business style.

“I think they would then pull out of the partnership with the local governments,” he said.

Bakrie and three West Nusa Tenggara local administrations had aimed to purchase the entire 31 percent that the miner must divest by 2010, including 14 percent for 2008 and 2009, and another 7 percent for 2010.

The local governments have already secured the backing of the House of Representatives to purchase the 31 percent interest up to 2010, in conjunction with Bakrie unit PT Multicapital.

Reacting to the decision on Thursday, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zainal Majdi said that he hoped the central government would rethink its decision and give the local administrations a larger share of NNT. West Nusa Tenggara Province is one of the local governments that has teamed up with Multicapital.

“We hope that we will end up with the central government’s option, as it would be the best solution for the government,” he said. “Under the deal with Multicapital, we were to take 31 percent so as to benefit the local community.”

Edwin said that if Bakrie held a 31 percent stake, it would be easy for them to then raise more money in the markets to purchase a controlling 51 percent position.

“We all know that when the Bakries make investments, they prefer to use loans rather than their own money,” Edwin said. “And with 10 percent, no lender would be interested in helping them.”

Market trader Bayburs Alfaris said that the Bakrie group’s financial position could also be hampering its plan to acquire the stake.

“From a business point of view, if you buy a 51 percent majority share of a company, you don’t have to use your own money, but this is not the case if you only own 10 percent,” Bayburs said, adding that it was debt that had driven the Bakrie group’s expansion.

But Yanuar Rizky, an independent market observer, said the Bakries could find another way to realize their plans for Newmont. “Let’s see how Antam and the government treat this stake,” he said. “If they use it as an asset and try to increase its value, I’d support them.” However, if the government planned to hold an initial public offering for the company, “then Bakrie could still sneak in,” he said.

“It may not be ‘game over’ for the Bakries just yet.”

Siege Coverage Like Reality TV: Analysts

2009-08-13T22:16:00.004-07:00

An Indonesian police officer guards the house where the Temanggung shootout took place. Analysts gave the media low marks for their coverage of the raid.

“Inaccurate,” “speculative” and “little different from reality TV” are how media experts and analysts are describing the intense television coverage of the police siege on a terrorist hideaway in rural Central Java over the weekend .

Iwan Awaluddin Yusuf, a media lecturer from the Indonesian Islamic University in Yogyakarta, said the coverage was a form of sensationalized reporting based only on media assumptions and an over-dramatization of the event.

“It was an exaggeration,” Iwan said. “There was really no need to broadcast it nonstop like a reality show as there were other important news to report.”

He said the media’s incorrect announcement that the suspect shot during the siege was terror mastermind Noordin M Top was based purely on speculation and not on good journalistic practices.

Such failure to verify essential facts, he said, had also been a feature of the extensive reporting on the police manhunt for the terrorists responsible for the July 17 bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels .

He cited as an example an interview with the mother of suspected terrorist Maruto Jati Sulistiyono. The interview, he said, was turned into a cheap melodrama as scenes of the mother crying were repeatedly aired.

Media analyst and former journalist Arya Gunawan said that media reports on the bombings and manhunt too often verged on glorifying the terrorists.

“Media people need to come up with a proper format that prevents their reporting from degenerating into glorification,” Arya said, adding that while the excessive coverage was justified as informing the public, the real objective was more likely increased ratings.

He said that the public depended on the media for balanced news feeds and that it was up to the media to strive for a higher degree of objectivity and self-regulation.

The excessive coverage attracted the attention of the National Police. Its chief, Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, summoned broadcasting executives from 10 Jakarta-based television stations to the police headquarters on Tuesday.

“The aggressive reporting on terrorism drew public complaints and this was probably used as a pretext by the police to warn the media,” Arya said.

While he said he objected to the police warning the media, he was disappointed that the warning did not come from the media itself. “The media have to acknowledge that their coverage of the siege was wrong,” Arya said.

The media frenzy over the police siege apparently began when Qatar-based Al Jazeera news network reported that a man believed to be Noordin was in the besieged house in Beji village.

Step Vaessen, the Al Jazeera journalist in Indonesia who reported the story, said that no media outlet would miss the opportunity to cover such blockade or announce information it regarded as coming from sound sources.

Atmakusuma Astraatmaja, the former chief of the Press Council, said it was important that media remained skeptical of tip-offs until they were thoroughly verified.

“Even if journalists have seen the news subject themselves, they still have to verify it with other sources,” he said.

SBY Calls For Indonesian Terror Fight to Continue

2009-08-13T22:16:00.003-07:00

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono condemned acts of terrorism and urged for the nation to continue its fight during his speech at a House of Representatives General Assembly on Friday to commemorate upcoming Independence Day celebrations.

Yudhoyono said that the recent acts of terror, such as the July 17 bombing of two hotels in Jakarta, followed a new “trend.”

The latest acts of terrorism were directed at the terrorists’ own country, including their president, Yudhoyono said.

He gave credit to the National Police for their relentless efforts in the fight against terrorism, adding that the nation must not be defeated.

“To all Indonesian people, let’s unite to fight terrorism. Let’s protect our young people from extreme and misleading thoughts,” Yudhoyono said. “Help the authorities by providing information about the terrorists who hide among us.”

The president acknowledged that some of the main triggers of terrorism are poverty, lack of education and social injustice.

“That’s why the purpose of our development is to fight poverty. Our strategy is a double-edged sword, to unroot the causes of terrorism and to fight terrorism at any time, anywhere,” he said.

In the middle of his speech, Yudhoyono asked the audience to excuse him while he drank some water. “The president is also human,” he said in response to chuckles from the audience.

Azyumardi Azra, a history professor at Syarif Hidayatullah National Islamic University in Jakarta, told Metro TV that the president’s speech was “relatively good and represented almost all topics.”

However, Azra said the president elaborated too much on some subjects, such as his description of Indonesia’s future international role. There were also subjects that the president failed to address, he said.

“He should have mentioned and given credit for the legislative and presidential elections, which were conducted in peace. Even though there were disputes, the government showed their goodwill by taking the disputes to the Constitutional Court,” Azra said.

Does Noordin Top Wear a Burka to Escape Detection?

2009-08-13T22:16:00.001-07:00

Indonesia’s most wanted terrorist, Noordin M Top, may escape detection by disguising himself as a woman wearing an Islamic burka, a former head of Jemaah Islamiyah said during a book launch on Thursday.

Nasir Abbas, who now assists police with their inquiries, made the comments in East Jakarta during the launch of his third book titled “Memberantas Terorisme, Memburu Noordin M Top” (“Fighting Terrorism and the Hunt for Noordin M Top”).

“Noordin keeps ahead of his pursuer by constantly moving from one place to another,” Nasir said. “He takes advantage of people’s friendly nature, sometimes he wears a veil or a burka and he has married local women.”

Nasir’s books about JI are widely referenced by counterterrorism experts because of his background.

He was one of Noordin M Top’s former instructors at the Hudaibiyah terrorist camp in the Southern Philippines. His sister was married to Mukhlas, one of the Bali bombing masterminds, who was executed last year.

Nowadays Nasir actively assists the Indonesian police in an attempt to persuade his former JI “colleagues” to change their hard-line ways.

“I have expressed my objections and I am not worried about that. Noordin and his followers are not mujahideen [Muslim warriors]. All he has done is give Islam a bad name,” he said, adding that suicide bombers and others killed by the police in raids were also not mujahideen.

Nasir, a Malaysian, said Noordin could be very persuasive. “I have known him since 1996, he has the charisma to convince people to help him and to recruit suicide bombers,” he said.

Asked about who might be funding Noordin, so he could easily survive to hide and run, Nasir said, “I don’t know exactly but he may be get foreign funding.”

Badminton Power Couple Keeps Rolling

2009-08-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

If Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir must end their partnership, they plan to do so in style.

In what is likely their last tournament together, the world’s No. 2 mixed doubles pair stayed on course for a world championship hat trick after beating Malaysia’s Koo Kien Keat and Ng Hui Lin 21-15, 21-19 on Thursday.

Though the match lasted just 30 minutes, Koo and Ng made the Indonesians work for their third-round victory in Hyderabad, India, pulling level at 15 in the first game and erasing an 18-13 deficit in Game 2 to tie it at 19.

“That was really a hard match because we played on the same level,” Nova said. “But finally we held our nerve and played better to win the match.”

Prior to the championship, 32-year-old Nova asked the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI) to find another partner for Liliyana, 24, saying he was too old to continue playing at the highest level. The PBSI nominated Fran Kurniawan (24), Muhammad Rijal (23) and Tantowi Ahmad (21) to be Liliyana’s next partner.

For now, there is history to be made. Winning a third consecutive world title would put Nova and Liliyana in rare company, with only Chinese women’s doubles pair Gao Ling and Huang Sui the only other three-time world champion in the same division.

Nova and Liliyana will meet either Poland’s Robert Mateusiak and Nadiezda Kostiuczyk or Diju Valiyaveetil and Jwala Gutta of India in today’s quarterfinals. “The quality of play by our opponents was better today than it will be tomorrow, but we still have to focus on every point,” Nova told the Jakarta Globe.

Indonesia’s other mixed doubles entry, Devin Lahardi Fitriawan and Lita Nurlita, ended its world championship run after losing 21-9, 21-9 to seventh-seeded Danes Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl.

“We couldn’t escape from their pressure and made lots of unnecessary mistakes. We found it hard to attack them, so we lost,” Devin said.

Malaysia’s Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari ended Indonesia’s hopes for a men’s doubles title with a 21-14, 21-17 defeat of Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki and Rian Sukmawan. The last Indonesian women’s singles shuttler, Maria Kristin Yulianti, was also sent packing after a 21-13, 21-14 loss to No. 8 seed Pi Hongyan of France.

Shendy Puspa Irawati and Meiliana Jauhari bowed out of women’s doubles with a 21-16, 21-14 loss to sixth-seeded Chinese Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli.

Men’s singles play stayed strong as Taufik Hidayat beat No. 9 seed Hsieh Yu Hsing of Taiwan 21-15, 21-19 to reach the quarterfinals, and Simon Santoso halted Kenichi Tago’s surprising run with a 21-10, 21-12 victory.

Sony Dwi Kuncoro was playing at press time, as were Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii.

Indonesian Shuttlers Receive First Dose of Defeat

2009-08-13T22:13:00.002-07:00

After a good two days, Indonesia endured its first casualties at the Badminton World Championship in Hyderabad, India.

Adrianti Firdasari was the first to depart, losing 21-17, 21-8 to women’s singles No. 7 seed Lu Lan of China during Wednesday’s second round.

Bona Septano and Mohammad Ahsan followed suit, losing 22-24, 21-10, 21-9 to China’s Guo Zhendong and Xu Chen in men’s doubles.

That loss left Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki and Rian Sukmawan as Indonesia’s last hope in men’s doubles. Yonathan and Rian cruised into the round of 16 by dispatching Ukraine’s Valeriy Atrashchenkov and Georgiy Natarov 21-6, 21-6 in 15 minutes.

Maria Kristin Yulianti stayed alive in women’s singles, beating No. 15 seed Lianne Tan of Belgium 21-11, 21-11 to set up a third-round match against eighth-seeded Pi Hongyan of France.

Men’s singles set the pace for Indonesia, led by Sony Dwi Kuncoro’s 21-12, 21-13 defeat of Poland’s Przemyslaw Wacha.

“I think I played better than yesterday. I just have to focus in every match,” the 2007 runner-up told the Jakarta Globe. “[Wacha] has a good smash, so I didn’t give him many high balls and drew him to play in front of the net.”

Sony will face either No. 15 seed Chetan Anand of India or Stillian Makarski of Bulgaria in the third round.

“If I meet Anand, it will be a tough match because he’ll get all the support he needs. But I know I can beat him,” Sony said.

Fourth-seeded Taufik Hidayat did not work up much of a sweat during his second-round match, beating Mathieu Lo Ying Ping of France 21-17, 21-15 in 30 minutes.

“[Lo] was a better opponent than my first one [Christian Boesiger of Switzerland], so the match was tougher,” Taufik told state-run news agency Antara. “But I know that it will get harder each day so I have to keep playing at my best from the start.”

The 2005 world champion will play ninth-seeded Hsieh Yu Hsing of Taiwan, who narrowly avoided an upset bid by Hong Kong’s Ng Wei before winning 24-22, 20-22, 21-18.

Simon Santoso, meanwhile, had a much harder time than his two compatriots. It took the 13th seed almost an hour to oust Singapore’s Derek Wong Zi Liang 21-13, 19-21, 21-16.

“I lost control of the match in the second game and made many mistakes,” Simon said.

Simon now faces Japan’s Kenichi Tago, who defeated Marc Zwiebler of Germany, 21-15, 21-10. Tago stunned the field when he ousted Danish No. 7 seed Joachim Persson in the opening round.

In late action, Shendy Puspa Irawati and Meiliana Jauhari outlasted Malaysia’s Fong Chew Yen and Mooi Hing Yau 14-21, 21-13, 21-18 in women’s doubles. They next face No. 6 seeds Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli of China.

Nitya Krishinda Maheswari and Greysia Polii went to three sets against Shizuka Matsuo and Mami Naito of Japan, winning Game 2 21-15 after losing the first 21-19. Their match ended after press time.

Persipura Adds Another Twist to Copa Kerfuffle

2009-08-13T22:13:00.001-07:00

More than one month after downing tools during the Copa Indonesia final, Persipura Jayapura’s saga keeps getting stranger.

The Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) appeals committee met on Wednesday to consider Persipura’s appeal against the penalties it received for abandoning the match, but chairman Rusdi Taher said no decision was imminent.

“We haven’t reached a decision on Persipura’s case as not all committee members attended the meeting,” Rusdi said on Wednesday. He also said he had read Persipura’s appeal letter, and the committee would meet again on Saturday.

In the meantime, Persipura chairman Manase Robert Kambu filed a lawsuit in South Jakarta court on Wednesday. Among the defendants named in the suit were the PSSI, league body PT Liga Indonesia, PSSI chairman Nurdin Halid, PTLI CEO Joko Driyono and match referee Purwanto.

The suit asks for Rp 5 billion ($505,000) in material losses and Rp 10 billion in other damages.

Lawyer Pieter Ell said the suit hinged on three key points, the first of which was the selection of Palembang, South Sumatra, and the Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium — home of Sriwijaya FC, Persipura’s opponent — to host the final.

“The PSSI and [PTLI] appointed Palembang as the match venue under sponsor pressure,” Pieter said. “There was also a problem with the appointed referee. According to FIFA regulations, there’s an age restriction for referees to control a match. We found out that the 46-year-old Purwanto had reached that age limit.”

Rusdi said Persipura was pursuing the wrong path.

“I don’t think they understand FIFA and PSSI statues, as the statues state clearly that any football-related dispute will be resolved internally,” he said.

Persipura, the Indonesian Super League champion, was banned from the Copa Indonesia for one year after abandoning the final against Sriwijaya, which it lost 4-1, on June 28.

It must pay back all match fees and prize money from the competition. It stands to lose up to Rp 1.6 billion in fines, match fees and bonuses.

Persib Wants To Recreate Budi, Gonzales Partnership

2009-08-13T22:11:00.001-07:00

After missing out on national team and Persija Jakarta star Bambang Pamungkas, Persib Bandung now has its sights on striker Budi Sudarsono.

Budi, out of a club after his loan to Sriwijaya FC ended and Persik Kediri declined to renew his contract, met with Persib officials on Wednesday at the home of Umuh Muhtar, in Sumedang, West Java.

“ We’ve been in talks since last week, and coach Jaya Hartono also wanted him to be in the team,” Umuh, the president director of Persib’s management company, PT Persib Bandung Bermartabat, told the club’s Web site.

“I was the one who approached him first as I heard that he was interested in joining Persib. It wasn’t that hard to persuade him to come to Bandung.”

Umuh did not reveal details of the transfer but said Budi would sign his contract, like all other Persib players, on Sept. 10.

However, Budi denied a deal had been reached.

“We’re still in talks. I have yet to agree on anything,” he said on Thursday. “But yes, I am interested in joining Persib. That’s all I can say right now.”

The 29-year-old struggled for much of last season. He scored four goals for Persik in the first half of the season before the club encountered financial difficulties and loaned him to Sriwijaya.

But Budi’s woes continued there and he only scored one league goal and two in the Copa Indonesia for Sriwijaya.

If Budi joins Persib, he will rejoin long-time strike partner Cristian Gonzales, who also left Persik midway through last season.

Budi’s assists helped Gonzales score 14 goals for Persik last season before both of them left. Gonzales continued his goal-scoring spree at Persib and ended the season as joint top scorer in the ISL with 28 goals alongside Persipura Jayapura’s Boaz Solossa.

Sriwijaya coach Rahmad Darmawan, meanwhile, is still on the hunt for a top class striker.

The two-time defending Copa Indonesia champion has just two strikers — Keith Kayamba Gumbs and Rahmat Rivai — and he says he is sounding out interest from Budi, Bambang and Talaohu Abdul Mushafri.

“I’m still communicating with the three of them because they have yet to decide where they will play next season,” he said on Thursday. “I need another good striker because I want to use Poci [Rahmat’s nickname] more as an attacking midfielder.”

Elsewhere in the ISL, PSM Makassar could lose another key defender. After Rahmat Latief moved to Premier Division club Persiram Raja Ampat, the club announced Djayusman Triasdi had been placed on the transfer list with a Rp 350 million ($35,350) price tag after the player expressed a wish to leave.

Bandung Club Turns Down Offer of Cash From Fans

2009-08-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

Persib's fans have offered to come to the club's rescue.

In response to its fans’ gesture of goodwill, Persib Bandung has said thanks but no thanks.

Members of the Vikings fan club, an organization of the West Java football team’s supporters, offered to shell out money from their own pockets to alleviate Persib’s budget woes.

Persib had considered withdrawing from the 2009-10 Super League season after the Bandung government decided to stop financing the team.

But Umuh Muhtar, Persib’s former manager who resigned in 2008, returned to the club, established the management company PT Persib Bandung Bermartabat and pledged Rp 10 billion ($1 million) to the team.

Indra Bigwanto, an official of the Vikings fan club, said the group didn’t think Umuh’s budget proposal was enough. Persib, which finished third last season, spent Rp 25.6 billion last year on players’ wages and operational costs.

“We understand the club’s problems and we want to help Persib by donating our own money,” Indra said on Monday. “We have 60,000 members around West Java and they’ve all agreed to help Persib’s cause.”

Indra said members would be asked to make a minimum contribution of Rp 15,000, which means the club could raise up to Rp 900 million. While Vikings said the money would be delivered straight to Persib’s management, Indra said he was aware that turning over the money wasn’t going be that easy, citing the possible ownership issues that could crop up.

“Our lawyer will examine all the options and legal aspects of our initiative,” Indra said. “We have also sought the assistance a public accounting firm to audit [Persib] every three months.”

Umuh said the complexities of such a proposal were not lost on him. “We talked with [the Vikings] about their plan but we have yet to decide on the matter,” Umuh told the Persib Web site. “We think their initiative could be a source of problems in the future.”

Umuh added that fans could help Persib in other ways, citing PBB’s introduction of a membership card with an annual membership cost of Rp 100,000. Cardholders are eligible for discounts at selected stores and also life insurance.

Regarding Persib’s finances, Umuh said supporters need not worry because PBB was talking to insurance group BNI Life about becoming the team’s main sponsor. “The sponsorship amount would be around Rp 30 billion per year. I hope we will reach a deal soon,” he said.

Indonesian National Football Squad Call-Ups Revives Row With Clubs

2009-08-13T22:08:00.000-07:00

Indonesian clubs’ second-class status seems all but confirmed.

Football authorities refused to budge from their plan to sequester Indonesia’s internationals after the National Team Body (BTN) announced the squad list for its seven-week training camp on Wednesday.

Players called up to the camp, which opens on Sept. 25 in Bali, will not be allowed to play for their clubs until after 2011 Asian Cup qualifiers against Kuwait on Nov. 14 and 18. The new Indonesian Super League season is scheduled to begin on Oct. 4 or 11.

Sriwijaya FC was the hardest hit by the call-ups. The two-time defending Copa Indonesia champion stands to lose six players for the first quarter of the season, a fact which left coach Rahmad Darmawan none too happy.

“As far as I know, there’s an article in the PSSI regulations that states clubs have the right to propose match postponements if more than two players get national call-ups,” Rahmad said on Wednesday.

“The BTN should hold the camp in the off-season until October. When the league starts, players go back to their clubs, and they will gather again a few days prior to the match.”

According to rules set by world football governing body FIFA, players can join their national team as late as four days prior to a FIFA-sanctioned match.

Sriwijaya goalkeeper Ferry Rotinsulu, defenders Charis Yulianto, Isnan Ali and Muhammad Nasuha, and midfielders Ponaryo Astaman and Arif Suyono were included in coach Benny Dollo’s 25-player list.

Even more concerning for the clubs is the possibility of the BTN extending the camp until January should Indonesia improve its chances of qualifying for the Asian Cup.

Such a move would rule out the league’s top players for the first half of the season.

Rahmad was not alone in his opinion, with Super League champion Persipura Jayapura echoing those concerns. The Black Pearls stand to lose defender Ricardo Salampessy, midfielder Ian Louis Kabes and striker Boaz Solossa.

Persipura assistant manager Anton Imbenay said the club was reluctant to release its players for an extended training camp.

“Please think logically. Who pays the players? This decision puts the players in a difficult situation,” Anton said. “If they have to join a camp and can’t play for their club, will the PSSI give compensation to the club?”

Anton suggested the Indonesian Football Asssociation (PSSI) consider rearranging the Super League schedule, but Indonesian League Body (BLI) CEO Joko Driyono said that was not an option.

“We want a well organized schedule, and we want the league to end on time,” Joko said on Wednesday. “The league has to finish before the 2010 World Cup starts, so we can’t accommodate any more schedule changes.”

Joko also restated the BLI’s intention to prevent players who receive call-ups from turning out for their clubs. All players must be verified by the BLI before they can compete in Indonesia.

“We believe this is the best policy for the country’s sake,” BTN chief Rahim Soekasah said.

National team squad:

Goalkeeper: Dian Agus Prasetyo (Pelita Jaya), Markus Harison (no club), Ferry Rotinsulu (Sriwijaya FC)

Defender: Charis Yulianto (Sriwijaya), Ricardo Salampessy (Persipura Jayapura), Maman Abdurrahman (Persib Bandung), Djayusman Triasdi (PSM Makassar), Rachmat Latief (PSM), Muhammad Ridwan (Pelita), Ismed Sofyan (Persija Jakarta), Isnan Ali (Sriwijaya), Muhammad Nasuha (Sriwijaya), Nova Arianto (Persib)

Midfielder: Firman Utina (Pelita), Ponaryo Astaman (Sriwijaya), Muhammad Ilham (Persija), Arif Suyono (Sriwijaya), Ian Louis Kabes (Persipura), Syamsul Bachri (PSM), Hariono (Persib), Eka Ramdani (Persib)

Striker: Talaohu Abdul Mushafry (Persiba Balikpapan), Saktiawan Sinaga (Persik Kediri), Boaz Solossa (Persipura), Bambang Pamungkas (Persija)

C. Jakarta’s ‘humane’ evictions

2009-08-13T22:02:00.002-07:00

In a bid to practice humane relocations and boost the local economy, Central Jakarta’s Senen district head Hidayatullah plans to once again provide a place for booksellers in Kwitang.

Kwitang area was once Jakarta’s traditional book market before the city administration evicted around 300 vendors there a year ago to ease traffic congestions. The administration moved some vendors to the fourth floor of Proyek Senen, while others were moved to Jakarta City Center (JaCC) in Waduk Melati.

“The vendors complained there were not many customers there,” Hidayatullah said Wednesday.

“If Bandung and Yogyakarta can have nice traditional book markets, why can’t Jakarta?”

Bandung’s Palasari is famous for its bookstall. In Yogyakarta the book market is called Shopping Centre.

He said he had shared the idea with the city administration Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Agency, and would have to wait whether it will be approved to be included in 2010 budget allocation.

Hidayatullah was speaking at a panel discussion, “Human Rights-based Development in Jakarta: Changing Slums into Green Areas”.

Central Jakarta Mayor Sylviana Murni said her office was moving to a more humane way of “tidying up the city”. She referred to evictions as “keeping order”.

“‘Eviction’ sounds like we’re trampling on human rights.”

Sylviana said her office warned the community that would be evicted a year before the execution.
“We use a 7-3-1 principle, in which people were given notification 7, 3 and a day before execution to give them time to dismantle their houses or stalls themselves.”

She said they did not relocate evictees, as they didn’t have the land.

Central Jakarta municipality assistant for economy and development Tihang Helmi said there needed to be a balance between the rights of people needing places to find a living and the rest of the public who need their space.

Despite the municipality’s claim on humane evictions, coordinator of Poor People’s Alliance Heru Suprapto said evictions in Jakarta were still tainted by human rights violation.

“In the field, there are lots of human rights violations, such as crime offences like sexual harassment.

“It’s important to remember in the constitution, citizens are guaranteed their rights to mobility and economic activity.”

He said Jakarta’s public order bylaw limits poor people’s economic activity and places for them to live.
“When citizens do not receive a proper living in their villages and seek livelihood in the city, how will the government address this problem?”

Heru said the city administration did not have land for the poor because most areas had been transformed into trade centers and residences.

“This is unfair for the poor.”

House of Representatives praises police terrorism bust

2009-08-13T22:02:00.001-07:00

The House of Representatives has expressed its appreciation for the terrorist raids and overall steps taken to curb terrorism taken by the National Police's counter-terrorist unit Special Detachment 88.

"Allow me, on behalf of the House of Representatives, to express deep appreciation for the performance of the anti-terror squad Detachment 88 for the successful series of pursuits, raids, detentions, and discoveries it made regarding Noordin M. Top and his accomplices, in Jatiasih (Bekasi, West Java) and Temanggung (Central Java)," House Speaker Agung Laksono said Friday. He conveyed these sentiments in a speech delivered during a plenary session attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other government officials

"(Detachment 88) has succesfully immobilized terrorists who targetted the JW Marriott and Ritz Carlton hetels and were conceiving of new and potentially deadlier bombing plots.''

Agung also called on the whole community to exhibit vigilance to terrorism.

"We must fight, unite, double our vigilance in the face of terror cells developing and growing in this region with ever heightening intensity," he said

JI gets 'big blow but still in the game'

2009-08-13T22:01:00.002-07:00

The Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terrorist group has been weakened following the police's series of raids and arrests, whether or not Noordin M. Top, the group's top recruiter and motivator, was killed during Saturday's siege, officers and observers have agreed.

However, most experts believe the police raid will only halt the group temporarily and, based on the group's excellent ability to recover and reorganize, it will be back in the game quickly.

"Noordin's death, if he has indeed been killed, will surely be a very big blow to JI. Even if he is not dead, police have severely damaged the group's cells," an expert from the University of Indonesia, Bantarto Bandoro, told The Jakarta Post here Sunday. Another expert, Dynno Chreesbon, agreed and said it would take at least a month for JI to regroup, whether or not Noordin was killed.

"JI members will lay low for a while, then they will regroup within a month or two. Their first priority will be to solidify the scattered cells and to evacuate the leaders, who are still at large, to places of safety as soon as possible," he said.

"JI, in its doctrine, has an agenda of at least one suicide bomb attack a year. JI laid low for about four years because its top bomb maker, Azahari, was killed, but now the group has found a new, proficient bomb maker," he said.

A man, suspected to be Noordin, was killed during a police raid on a house in a village in Temanggung, Central Java, on Saturday.

National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said Saturday that, although the police had yet to perform DNA tests to determine whether the man was Noordin, his men had almost wiped out the terrorists.

"We must be very careful as there are several other terrorists still on the run," he said.

However, Bantarto warned, the police should take into account that JI had been developing new young leaders and talent within its ranks.

"For example, one of the suicide bombers at the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels turns out to be an 18-year-old. JI's regeneration has already been making progress and Noordin's replacement will be appointed eventually," he added.

The teenager to whom Bantarto is referring is Dani Dwi Permana, a resident of Bogor, West Java. Dani's neighbors said he became friendly with a man named Saifuddin Jaelani in the months before he blew himself up. Saifuddin left the neighborhood about a month before Dani killed himself. Police have classified him as a terrorist fugitive.

Police have apprehended or killed several JI members affiliated with Noordin's cell to date. Amir Abdillah, the man who rented room 1808 at the JW Marriott, was arrested on Thursday. Police also arrested Yayan and Hendra for their alleged involvement in the hotel bombings. Yayan and Hendra were said to be the next in line to blow themselves up. The police killed two JI members, Air Setiawan and Eko Sarjono, during the raid in Jatiasih, Bekasi

Court rejects lawsuits from Megawati, Kalla

2009-08-13T22:01:00.001-07:00

The Constitutional Court unanimously dismissed on Wednesday the complaints of Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Jusuf Kalla over the July 8 election.

Both Megawati of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and Kalla of Golkar Party gave it
a final shot to push for a second round of the election, filing a lawsuit with the court immediately after election organizer, the General Elections Commission (KPU), declared Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s landslide victory with 60.8 percent of votes.

Presiding judge Mohammad Mahfud MD told a hearing at the court’s office in Jakarta that Megawati’s and Kalla’s claims that the commission had committed violations and fraud, in turn costing them a large number of votes “lack a legal basis”.

“We found no systematic, structural and massive violations on the General Elections Commission’s part. As a consequence, the election was not void or illegal.”

He also said the plaintiffs had failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove their allegations that the commission had manipulated the election result.

“[The commission] did commit various violations regarding the registration of eligible voters. However, the electoral roll fiasco did not significantly change the result of the election.”

Alleged criminal violations and other violations in the election could still be investigated but would not alter the result of the election, he added.

Kalla’s team had later filed a lawsuit calling for the election to be annulled after alleging that there were 47 million errors on the electoral roll including duplicate names.

It also said a decision to close 69,000 polling stations had prevented 34.5 million people from voting.

Megawati’s legal team had alleged that 28 million votes had been miscounted for a variety of reasons and incorrectly given to SBY, meaning a second voting round was required.

The court’s ruling, according to Refly Harun, an expert from of the Center for Electoral Reforms, “was appropriate”.

He said it was hard for the plaintiffs to prove their claims that there had been a discrepancy of millions of votes in the commission’s recap.

“To push for a second round, the votes for Yudhoyono, which reached 60.8 percent, must be reduced to 50 percent; that’s cutting 11 to 12 millions votes. To prove that, they had to present mountains of evidence, and even doing that does not make the evidence solid,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Based on the result issued by the commission, Megawati came second in the election with 26.79 percent of votes, while Kalla trailed behind with 12.41 percent.

“It’s also hard to prove if any violations or fraud conducted by the commission had affected the result,” Refly said.

He, however, added it was undeniable that the commission had committed violations in organizing the electoral roll, and that it had taken sides to some extent.

“But the violations were not massive. It’s exaggerating to say that the violations had been organized by a single power when we have three candidates competing in the election.

“The Constitutional Court, however, has no authority to sanction the commission. It’s the duty of the election watchdog, the police, the House of Representatives, or the president.”

The losing candidates’ decision to contest the election result, Refly said, was “extraordinary”.

“Election results are not supposed to be settled in court rooms; they must be settled through
the process of the elections themselves.

It's official: SBY finally declared the winner

2009-08-13T22:00:00.003-07:00

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono secured his re-election Wednesday after the Constitutional Court issued a verdict dismissing allegations of electoral fraud filed by the losing candidates.

However, as yet, losing hopefuls Megawati Soekarnoputri and Jusuf Kalla have not congratulated Yudhoyono on his re-election.

Both Megawati and Kalla conceded that they would accept the court's ruling.

The General Elections Commission (KPU), the defendant in the electoral fraud lawsuit filed separately by the campaign teams of Kalla and Megawati, hailed the court's decision, saying the commission could now focus on preparing the inauguration ceremony for Yudhoyono and his running mate Boediono in October.

"The ruling shows there is no evidence of the alleged electoral fraud or other violations during the presidential election," KPU member Andi Nurpati told reporters at the court.

"We now can focus on preparing for the ceremony to inaugurate the elected President and Vice President."

On July 25, the KPU officially declared Yudhoyono and Boediono, nominated by the Democratic Party, as winners of the July 8 election with 60.80 percent of the votes.

Megawati from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and her running mate Prabowo Subianto of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) came in a distant second with 26.79 percent.

Incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla of the Golkar Party and Wiranto from the People's Conscience Party (Hanura) could only garner 12.41 percent of the votes.

However, Megawati and Kalla accused the KPU of having rigged the election with about 28 million names incorrectly included on the electoral roll.

The court said that no evidence had been presented to support the allegations.

Constitutional Court chief, Mahfud MD, said the claim by the losing candidates that Yudhoyono had received additional votes while they had received less votes were also "legally baseless".

"The alleged criminal violations and other violations in the election can still be investigated but will not alter the result of the election," Mahfud told the hearing.

Short after the ruling, Megawati held a press conference at her house on Jl. Teuku Umar, also attended by Prabowo and PDI-P secretary-general, Pramono Anung.

"Though the verdict is not in line with our hopes, we can understand the court's verdict, with some reservations," Megawati, herself a former president, told reporters.

She admitted that the position of the Constitutional Court was vital to the country's legal system as it was the last "door" for anyone who wanted to struggle for better democracy in Indonesia.

A lawyer representing Megawati's team, Mohammad Assegaf said the court's decision was final and binding.

"Like it or not, it *the ruling* must be accepted," he told reporters.

Megawati and Prabowo asked hundreds of their supporters, who were disappointed with the ruling, to remain calm in response to the verdict and avoid violence.

Hundreds of Megawati's supporters, riding motorcycles and cars, marched to the court to hear the verdict directly. They unfurled banners that read "reject the election violations".

A lawyer for Kalla's team admitted that the team had to accept the court's ruling.

"We accept and respect the ruling. It is final," Chairuman Harahap, the head of Kalla's legal team, said.

"But many of the arguments raised by the court's judges remain in question."

Ibrohim played key role in Jakarta hotel bombings: Police

2009-08-13T22:00:00.001-07:00

The National Police on Wednesday said it was Ibrohim, not Indonesia's most-wanted fugitive Noordin M Top, who was shot dead during an overnight siege in Temanggung, Central Java, on Saturday.

Nevertheless, the police said, Ibrohim (alias "Boim") had played significant roles in the July 17 bombings of the J. W. Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in South Jakarta.

"We have checked the deceased's finger prints and matched his DNA with that of members of Ibrohim's family from Cilimus *in Kuningan, West Java*," RS Soekamto Police Hospital head Brig. Gen. Eddy Saparwoko told reporters at a press conference at the hospital.

"The result was positive. We are convinced the remains are those of Ibrohim, the missing florist."

Along with Ibrohim, Eddy said, police had also examined four other bodies - the remains of Air Setyawan, Eko Joko Sarjono, Dani Dwi Permana and Nana Ichwan Maulana. The last two were allegedly suicide bombers involved in the recent Jakarta hotel attacks.

National Police chief spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said police vowed to continue pursuing terrorists including Noordin.

"Noordin is still out there and therefore we are still facing the same threat as before. The fight against terrorism is still far from over," he said.

Previously it had been speculated that police had cornered Noordin during the Temanggung raid, although police' findings later suggested otherwise.

Commenting on this, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the police should be highly appreciated despite the fact that Noordin was still at large.

"I believe this is a good achievement even though it was not Noordin M. Top as reported in the news," Yudhoyono said at the presidential palace.

Investigations had revealed it was Ibrohim who organized the bombing preparation meetings, and who had organized to smuggle the bombs into the hotel, Nanan said.

"The meetings were always led by Noordin M. Top himself, but Ibrohim was the one who set up strategies, conducted thorough surveys of the locations and smuggled the bombs into the hotels," he said.

The first meeting had been held at a hotel in Kuningan on April 30, Nanan said.

Police investigations had also revealed that the bombs were smuggled into the Marriott just one day before the blast. The bombs were transported through the hotel's loading dock using a pick-up truck rented by Ibrohim.

Ibrohim was recruited in 2000 by Saifudin Zuhri, his brother-in-law, while he was working as a florist at the Hotel Mulia. In 2005, Ibrohim and Zuhri were inaugurated as members of Noordin's special forces, Nanan said.

"Ibrohim was also the one who suggested the *Marriott* should be targeted because he had seen that the area was often used by foreign businessmen," Nanan said.

Meanwhile in Kuningan, West Java, villagers of Samparo village where Ibrohim had lived refused to have him buried there on the grounds that he was a disgrace to the village, as well as the fact he was a migrant.

Nana Rukmana contributed to this story from Kuningan

Terror threat lurks, even if Noordin dead

2009-08-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

Officials are pointing out Indonesia's continued vulnerability to terrorist threats, as they try to play down speculation over whether terrorist Noordin M. Top really was killed in a raid in Temanggung, Central Java.

"Even if it's true that Noordin was killed in the raid last week, it doesn't change the fact that our country remains under serious threat of terrorism," head of counterterrorism desk at the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Insp. Gen. (ret) Ansyaad Mbai, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Noordin, the country's most wanted terrorist, is believed to be behind the July 17 bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in South Jakarta that killed nine people, including the suicide bombers, and injured 55 others.

The National Police are expected to announce Wednesday the identity of the suspect shot dead by the Detachment 88 counterterrorism squad in Temanggung on Saturday.

Mbai stressed the killing of one or two prominent suspects would not be enough to curb terrorism.

"What's important is to stop these people indoctrinating others into believing that blowing themselves up is a noble deed," he said.

"Killing Noordin won't give us a blanket solution, because there are dozens of people out there, I believe, who are willing and ready to replace Noordin at any time."

Mbai cited the death of Azahari Husin, an expert bomb maker killed during a police raid in Batu, Malang, in late 2005.

Azahari was believed to have been Noordin's longtime partner in a string of bombings in Indonesia.

Intelligence expert Dino Chrisbon concurred.

"Killing Noordin will only slow terrorist attacks, but his followers will soon gather once more and plan more attacks," he said.

He added recent raids across Java would significantly weaken terrorist cells.

"Air Setyawan and Eko Joko Sarjono, who were killed in the Jati Asih *Bekasi* raid, were among newly recruited bomb experts," he said.

"It will take at least two years before the group strikes back with new bomb experts."

Noordin is believed to have strong support in the areas of Serang, Kuningan, Cirebon, Cilacap, Wonosobo, Temanggung, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Lamongan, Malang and Pasuruan, where residents have offered him shelter, police said.

Mbai called for an amendment to the terror law to include the use of intelligence in attempts to prevent future threats of terrorism.

The live broadcast of the raid in Temanggung has drawn the ire of the police and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI), who called on the media not to "dramatize the situation".

"The media should have provided the police with information and help during the operation, instead of airing confusing assumptions," KPI chairman Sasa Djuarsa said after a meeting with police.

Blog captures city signs' honest mistakes

2009-08-13T21:58:00.001-07:00

Driving us ‘round the bend: Road signs, like other signs in Jakarta and across Indonesia, often use interpretations of or misspelled English words such as this one on Jl. Pesanggrahan Raya in West Jakarta (“ply. oper” refers to a “flyover”). The photo was taken Sunday. JP/Wendra Ajistyatama

The city's signs hold many linguistic mistakes that can make people laugh. Try reading the big banner in Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. Supposedly written in the English language, it says "Under Contraction: We Appologize For The Inconvenince". Or an advertisement for a waiter's job in a Chinese restaurant in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta using a mix of Indonesian and bad English: "Dicari wheathers" (possibly meant to be *Looking for waiters').

For blogger Regina Kencana these signs were both funny and intriguing and led to the creation of serasasekali.blogspot.com.

"SERASA is a blog that unravels the mysteries behind funny stuff that doesn't make sense and odd things that happens in daily life," the blog says. Regina started to collect humorous signs and post them on a blog two years ago.

"My cell phone memory was full of photos and I was wondering how to keep a record of them, when a friend suggested making a blog," she said recently.

So began her obsession to hunt for humorous signs. The signs include modified brand names, from rip-offs such as Topshot from the Topshop brand and the female version of Burger King, Burger Queen, to the creative fusion of brand names such as BossWay from Hugo Boss and the popular TransJakarta busway.

The blog became popular and in May this year, she released a book of her blog called Kepleset (Tripped).

The July issue of online magazine Karbonjournal.org, focused on humor in the city and featured Farid Rakun who deconstructed SERASA, attempting to analyze whether the blog derides or is only poking fun at its subjects.

"Presenting simple photos stamped with a huge watermark on a pink background, which clashes with the primary-color letters, it seems that SERASA was simply born absurd," Farid wrote in his essay.

Farid said SERASA separated its visual jokes into four categories: "Fake Merk" (fake brands), ridiculing copiers of well-known brands; Wrong tulisan (incorrect text) that tries to laugh at people's honest mistakes such as "Sepagetti", Hot Dok, or a stall named Kave Yayang; Cool Kampanye (Cool Campaigns) that focuses on advertisements with dubious connections, such as a supermarket that gives its customers a gift of five packets of noodles for every purchase of Rp 150.000 (US$13), and others.

Farid argued that the difference between people who could understand the humor behind the misspelling and the person that made the mistake, created a distance that made it possible for the former to laugh at the latter.

Karbonjournal editor and cultural observer Ardi Yunanto said the misspelling of English words could be exotic for people who understand and write English properly.

"We need to see beyond the actual signs. We can't just say the people who wrote them are stupid, we have to consider their access to education. In many ways, they are very creative," Ardi said.

Ardi said modification of brand names meant brands were so influential that their producers rode on their fame. "Some producers are not so confident with their own brands," he said.

For her blog, Regina used stuff her parents bought near her house. "They don't really know about brand names, so they buy them without knowing they are knockoffs," she said.

Regina said the blog was a personal outlet of things she thought funny. "There is stuff that can surprise you and make you laugh uncontrollably," she said.

Ardi said although laughing at other people's naivety was not very nice, the blog would at least serve as a record of the times.

Papua better protecting women against HIV/AIDS

2009-08-13T21:57:00.001-07:00

Papua has intensified its campaign promoting the use of female condoms, after reports emerged of an increase in HIV/AIDS infections among residents.

Papua HIV/AIDS Commission (KPA) chairman Constant Karma said his organization had worked with local NGOs and large corporations to distribute female condoms to more than 265,000 women.

Recipients had included women from high-risk groups including sex workers.

Mothers and housewives were targeted, because there had been an increase in HIV/AIDS infections among housewives over the past two years, Constant said at a press conference on the sidelines of the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), here Tuesday.

"We will continue working in the domestic sector as we do in entertainment centers and red-light districts - by promoting the use of female condoms.

"Otherwise the province will face an AIDS explosion within the immediate future," Constant said.

The KPA has no recent statistics on HIV/AIDS in Papua, but according a 2006 survey, 2.4 percent of the province's population of 2.2 million were HIV positive at that time.

Previous campaigns to promote safe sex had largely targeted sex industry workers, and subsequently now there was an increase of HIV infections among people outside that group, Constant said.

According to the same data, Papua had the second highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS, after West Java.

A number of observers have said that the real number of people living with HIV/AIDS was in fact higher than official data suggests, since many people were ashamed to admit they were living with HIV/AIDS.

Constant, who is also the former vice governor of Papua, thanked the provincial government and Governor Barnabas Suebu for their efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Constant said in Papua the gender gap was largely to blame for the spread of HIV/AIDS, because under Papua's feudal traditions men are allowed to do anything, including infecting women.

Alcoholism and unsafe sex among younger generations had also contributed to the spread, he said.

Victor C. Mambor, the coordinator of Stop AIDS Now! Papua group, which works to provide advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS, said the gender gap made it difficult for women, including housewives, to uphold their sexual rights.

"The weak promotion of women's rights leaves them with no bargaining power in facing men, and this has contributed to the increasing prevalence *of HIV/AIDS* among housewives.

"That is why we have started to involve men in our anti-AIDS campaign," he said.

Jayapura Social Development Foundation (YPDM) director Tahi G. Butar-butar said his organization was working was encouraging the involvement of men in an effort to close the gender gap and dispel myths that HIV/AIDS was transmitted by women alone.

"The promotion of female condoms among sex workers and housewives will give women more bargaining power ... while simultaneously reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS," he said.

"The anti-AIDS campaign and sex education will also be included in the education curriculum at high schools and universities," Tahi said.

Noordin or not, the police should get two thumbs up

2009-08-13T21:56:00.002-07:00

The Temanggung saga, which ended with the death of a terrorist suspect believed to be Noordin M. Top, has shown once again the increasing ability of Indonesia's police force to combat terrorism. Combined with the shooting and capture of several other terrorist suspects in Jati Asih, Bekasi, it is clear the Indonesian police, especially the counterterror unit Detachment 88 (D88), deserve two thumbs up for its effort to eradicate threats.

The police should not be deterred by pessimistic or cynical views in some circles among the elite and wider society. Since the Bali bombing in October 2002, the Indonesian Police have come a long way and today D88 is one of the most capable counterterrorism units in the world.

Much has been achieved in the last seven years. Hundreds of suspected and convicted terrorists have been arrested and jailed in that period. We should not forget that one of the most dangerous terrorist leaders, Dr. Azahari Husin, was also killed by the D88 in November 2005.

The public should realize that the police need all the support they can get. No one can afford to be complacent. In combating terror, it is difficult to say when the war has been won, as the level of threat posed by terrorism goes up and down. Finding out where and when they could strike is a very difficult task.

We have learned how the terrorists, after more than four years since their last attack, managed to launch another bomb attack on July 17 this year. Instead of criticizing the police's work, the public would be better off reminding the police about the danger of complacency.

The achievements of the police also indicate that the direct involvement of the military in combating terrorism is not yet needed. It is true that Law No. 3/2003 regarding State Defense provides the basis for the military to also undertake counterterrorist efforts, and is one element of its operation besides war itself. However, the law does not clearly outline the conditions under which such a task should be carried out, or via what rules of engagement.

However, it is important to recognize that the military needs to maintain its counterterror capabilities. The fact that the Jati Asih terrorists planned to attack the residence of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono clearly suggests that the military should not be sidelined. The responsibility to protect the President and vice-president resides with the military. The possibility that the terrorists could attack vital and strategic targets should not be discounted as well.

The military need to get involved in the fight against terror, and for this reason there should be closer coordination between the police and the military. The precise nature of the military's role regarding terrorism should be regulated, and these two forces should not be pitted against one another. As stated recently by TNI Commander Gen. Djoko Santoso, cooperation between the police and the TNI has so far worked well. A clearer legal basis for closer coordination and cooperation between the two would certainly improve Indonesia's ability to deal with terrorist threats.

We all - government officials and the public - should also understand that counterterrorism is far more complex than just the use of force by security authorities against terrorists. Terror threats do not emerge from a vacuum. The root causes of the problem are complex and require a comprehensive strategy to address them. It also requires the far more difficult task of addressing social and economic conditions that could give rise to radicalism and terrorism. Here, the police should not be left alone. The government should speed up its efforts to deliver the promises of economic development and social justice. The public should also participate by, among others, developing a culture of vigilance and avoiding attitudes of indifference.

Without close cooperation among all elements of the nation, terrorism will be hard to defeat. Regardless of whether DNA tests show the body from the raid was in fact Noordin or not, the police need our full support. In the meantime, let us congratulate the Indonesian Police once again, and provide them with whatever support we can offer.

13 factories closed down for polluting river

2009-08-13T21:56:00.001-07:00

TANGERANG: The Tangerang Regency Environmental Agency (BLHD) said Monday it had suspended the operations of 13 factories located along the Cisadane riverbank, for allegedly polluting the river.

Agency head Odang Masduki said the factories had allegedly polluted the local environment with waste, and did not have environmental management scheme (UKL) or environmental monitoring scheme (UPL) permits.

Odang said the administration would revoke their permits should they fail to improve their waste treatment standards

S. Tangerang to shut down night spots earlier

2009-08-13T21:53:00.002-07:00

TANGERANG: The South Tangerang municipal administration will order all entertainment centers to close earlier during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Dadang Raharja, head of the local tourism, youth and sports office, said Tuesday a joint team had been formed to launch random checks and raids on night spots violating the regulation.

South Tangerang is home to 110 entertainment centers: 32 saunas and spas, 13 karaoke houses, 10 pool halls, 12 beauty salons, 14 massage parlors and 33 live music cafes.

House under tight security as Yudhoyono to give state address

2009-08-13T21:53:00.001-07:00

Security forces are tightly securing the House of Representatives complex at Senayan, South Jakarta, on Friday as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is scheduled to give a state address.

Security personnel checked incoming vehicles several times and only allowed vehicles with special passes to enter the House complex.

One Air Force helicopter was parked in the complex, Antara news agency reported.

The authorities deploy special security arrangement at the House following the police's recent uncovering of terrorists' plan to attack the President.

Yudhoyono is schedule to give his annual state address before outgoing lawmakers and invited guests at about 10.00 a.m.

Police want tougher laws against terrorism

2009-08-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

National police spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said here Thursday that Indonesia should have regulations that authorize security officials to apprehend and detain anyone who has colluded in any way with terrorist groups.

With the country’s most wanted terrorist, Noordin M. Top, still on the lose and dozens of his supporters across Java apparently able to keep him hidden, another bomb attack from his Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) faction remains a serious threat, he said.

Nana cited the fact that neighboring countries like Malaysia and Singapore, which have such strong laws, have managed to eradicate terrorism.

“The terrorists don't have the opportunity to live in their countries,” he said recently.

Both Malaysia and Singapore enact the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows their security officers to apprehend people they believed have links with terrorism.

Yogyakarta hospital treats two H1N1 suspect cases

2009-08-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Yogyakarta’s Dr. Sardjito Hospital is treating two Japanese students who are allegedly infected by the H1N1 virus.

The two students, identified as M and KH, are both 21 years old and living in the province while studying at the School of Economics of Gadjah Mada University.

The hospital's spokesperson Heru Trisno Nugroho said on Thursday that M had been admitted in hospital on Tuesday while KH was treated a day later.

“Both have a high fever and flu symptoms,” Heru said.

He added his hospital had taken and sent mucus samples to a Health Ministry laboratory in Jakarta.

“We are expecting test results within two days,” he said.

Sumardi, head of the provincial's team for H1N1 and H5N1, said doctors had given the students tamiflu hence their health had been getting better.

“They still have a fever, but not as high as the day they arrived here,” Sumardi.

The hospital has so far examined 36 H1N1 suspects, three of whom are currently being treated. The hospital is also looking after a 29-year-old Baciro resident who is suspected of being infected with the
H1N1 virus.

Indonesian shuttlers falling by the wayside

2009-08-13T21:50:00.002-07:00

Mixed doubles pair Nova Widianto and Liliyana Natsir advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Badminton Championships in Hyderabad, India, on Thursday, but the bulk of the Indonesian shuttlers exited early.

World No. 2 Nova/Liliyana beat Malaysian pair Kien Ket Koo and Hui Lin Ng 21-15, 21-19 in 29 minutes, according to www.tournamentsoftware.com.

Taufik Hidayat and Simon Santoso continued their march while Sony Dwi Kuncoro was still playing Chetan Anand as of press time.

Taufik, the 2005 world champion, needed 36 minutes to shut out world No. 9 Yu Hsing Hsieh of Taiwan 21-15, 21-19, while Simon got past Kenichi Tago of Japan 21-10, 21-12.
However, most of the Indonesian players fell out.

Mixed doubles pair Devin Lahardi Fitriawan and Lita Nurlita were brushed aside 21-19, 21-19 by Denmark’s Thomas Laybourn and Kamilla Rytter Juhl.

Men’s doubles pair Yonathan Suryatama Dasuki and Rian Sukmawan went down 21-14, 21-17 to Malaysia’s Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari.

Maria Kristin Yulianti also bowed out, losing 21-13, 21-14 to Pi Hongyan.

Women’s doubles pair Shendy Puspa Irawati and Meiliana Jauhari were ousted 21-16, 21-14 by China’s Ma Jin and Wang Xiaoli.

Indonesian athletes fired up for Malaysian trip

2009-08-13T21:50:00.001-07:00

Financial strains did not deter the enthusiasm of the Indonesian para contingent, made up of 38 differently abled (diffabled) athletes, as they set out to compete in the ASEAN Paragames in Kuala Lumpur.

The fifth edition of the games will run from Aug. 15 to 19.

“Unlike two years ago, when we received Rp 1.5 billion [US$150,000] in financial support for the event, this year we only received Rp 1,022,516,000 from KONI [National Sports Council],” contingent head Kusnan Ismukanto said Monday at a press conference.

“That’s why we can only send 38 athletes.”

He added the fund was also insufficient for a training program.

“Nonetheless, the athletes are highly enthusiastic about the event. They trained in their own hometowns,” Kusnan said.

The 55-strong Indonesian contingent — 38 athletes and 17 officials — will depart Wednesday from Surakarta, Central Java.

Kusnan lamented the government’s lack of support.

“I have to admit, we received minimum support from the government,” said Kusnan, who also headed the country’s team of five to last year’s Paralympic Games in Beijing.

“I hope these athletes won’t be marginalized further.”

Indonesia won 34 gold, 24 silver and 21 bronze medals in Bangkok two years ago to stay fourth among 11 countries in the region.

This year, Indonesia will take part in seven of 12 sports — athletics (nine athletes), swimming (8), weight lifting (4), badminton (6), chess (2), table tennis (7) and wheelchair tennis (2).

Indonesia is not competing in the wheelchair basketball, volley, bowling, goal ball or judo.

Acer smartphone anyone?

2009-08-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

If you're seeking a new smartphone in Indonesia, you might be considering a certain product from Nokia, Samsung, RIM or HTC - to name a few. But now there's another alternative worth trying: An Acer smartphone.

What?! Yes, that's right. Following a global launch in Barcelona earlier this year, Acer - the Taiwan-based company that is the third largest computer manufacturer in the world (by sales) after HP and Dell Inc. - is launching in Indonesia four smartphones called the Acer Tempo Smartphone Series. The devices will be distributed here through an agreement between the Acer Smart Handheld Business Group and PT Golden Victory Indonesia.

According to Kama Kahar, director of business development and strategic partnerships for the Smart Handheld Business Group, following the acquisition of ETEN and the creation of the Smart Handheld Business Group in 2008, the computer giant set out to demonstrate its commitment to providing mobile solutions across a range of products, from netbooks to smartphones.

"We are confident about entering the Indonesian market," he told The Jakarta Post at a dinner meeting in Jakarta last week.

"Acer smartphones will be offered through all Acer computer outlets here, so we can deliver high-quality after-sales service to our customers."

Targeting business-oriented and technology-savvy people, Acer Tempo smartphones run on the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system and are equipped with the new Acer UI 2.0. And especially for Indonesia's market, the smartphone comes with a pre-installed IDX Mobile application that enables you to monitor stock market movements on the go.

DX900: One device, two SIM cards

Acer claims the DX 900 (priced at Rp 6 million) is the world's first-dual SIM and dual-stand Windows Mobile smartphone supporting 3G and 2G networks. As well as addressing the needs of the many Indonesian consumers who have more than one SIM card, this capability is also ideal for frequent business travelers who can take advantage of it by using one SIM card for their home country and a local SIM when traveling abroad.

Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 for Pocket PC Phone Edition and Samsung S3C 6400 mobile processor (533 MHz), this device has 128 MB SDRAM for user applications and storage and a 256 MB flash memory for the operating system and embedded applications.

Its CMOS camera offers 3 mega pixels auto-focus with LED flash, up to 2048 x 1536 and VGA resolution fixed-focus front camera for video calls and a display with 2.8 inch VGA TFT LCD touch screen, 640 x 480 pixel resolution and 65,536 colors

X960: Compact and slim

Do you need more than one device to organize your life on the go? No, Acer says. Designed for people who expect everything from their phone, the sleek Acer X960 (Rp 5.5 million) is the quintessential all-purpose performer. Running on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, X960 is equipped with a Samsung SC3 6410 533 MHz Processor with one DRAM and 256 MB flash ROM, 128 MB SDRAM, and offers widget-based navigation, making it ideal for quick access to online needs.

The X960 comes with preloaded software including Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile, Microsoft Office Word Mobile, Microsoft Office Excel Mobile, Microsoft Office PowerPoint Mobile;, MSN Messenger, Microsoft Transcriber, Windows Media Player 10 and Microsoft Reader (depending on the region).

As for its camera, this device has a 3.2 mega pixels auto-focus CMOS camera - up to 2048 x 1536 resolution - and 0.3 mega pixels fixed-focus CMOS camera for video telephony usage. You can enjoy any pictures you take in its 2.8 inch, 640 x 480 (VGA), 65,536-color, TFT-LCD display.

F900: Instant access to the Net

The F900 (Rp 6.5 million) has a new easy-to-use touch keyboard and new user interface. Users can enjoy the pre-loaded Google services - having the Internet in your pocket. Running on genuine Windows Mobile 6.1, this device has HSDPA, HSUPA, GSM/EDGE, GPRS/EGPRS, WLAN and Bluetooth connection capability.

Its camera offers 3.2 mega pixel resolution with auto focus and display with a 3.8 inch WVGA TFT LCD touch screen, 480 x 800 pixel resolution, 65,536 colors. The device's multimedia features include pictures & videos, camera/camcorder, album, streaming player and media player.

M900: Secure management device

Don't worry about data security. This device looks to be aimed at the business user, boasting a full QWERTY keyboard - with a sliding physical keyboard, fingerprint sensor and also sporting a bunch of multimedia goodness. An embedded biometric fingerprint sensor - so you don't need passwords or logins - secures the device and simplifies password maintenance.

The M900 sports a 5 mega pixel auto-focus camera with flashlight, up to 2560 x 1920 resolution and a huge 3.8 inch 800x480 flush screen. Just like other smartphones, the M900 (Rp 6.5 million) allows access to all contacts and files through synchronization with a notebook or desktop computer.

Will these devices be able to compete in an open market such as Indonesia? There are many robust business-oriented phones out there - Nokia's ESeries, RIM's BlackBerry or Samsung's Omnia, for example - so it will be interesting to see how the computer giant deals with the smartphone market and users.

Indonesia launches digital TV, embarks on campaign to provide phone and Web

2009-08-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Indonesia is entering a new phase of information and communication technology (ICT), with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officiating Wednesday the migration of the country's television broadcasting system from analog to digital.

Information and Communications Minister Mohammad Nuh dubbed the migration the third phase in Indonesia's broadcasting system development, with the first occurring in 1962, when then president Sukarno officiated the country's premier TV broadcasting ahead of the Asian Games; and the second in 1976, when then president Soeharto launched the Palapa I telecommunication satellite.

"And this year, today, on the 101st anniversary of National Awakening Day, we enter the new phase: the digital TV system," Nuh said in his opening speech at the inauguration ceremony.

In digital TV technology, sound and images are converted into a digital format and compressed, taking up less space when transmitted than they needed in the old analog system. This allows more channels to be sent out.

Digital signals are picked up by standard aerials, satellite dishes or through cable.

The technology has considerably more benefits than the analog system, including resilience to interference, noise, fading and environmental changes; efficiency in bandwidth, network transmission, transmission power and power consumption; and capacity to fit several channels into one single frequency.

Digital broadcasting has been in experimental use here since January by state TV station TVRI and private broadcaster SCTV.

The government expects all broadcasters to migrate to the digital system by 2018.

People can still enjoy the free analog system until 2014, after which they must buy digital TV sets or equip their old TV sets with a separate set-top box to be able to receive digital TV programs.

Nuh said the set-top box would convert digital signals into sound and images, and allow concerned parties to see which programs or stations were being watched by viewers across the country.

Data from the Information and Communications Ministry shows there are about 40 million TV sets in Indonesia, viewed by more than 200 million people.

During Wednesday's ceremony, Yudhoyono also officiated the government's Universal Service Obligation (USO) program to provide nationwide phone and Internet connectivity.

Nuh said 31,000 of Indonesia's 72,000 subdistricts had yet to receive access to telecommunication facilities.

He added that in 2009, most of the deprived subdistricts would have access to phone and Internet connections; and that by mid 2010 they would all be connected.

"The government is strongly committed to resolving this *telecommunication infrastructure problem*," Nuh said.

"And along with settling problems with the availability *of ICT infrastructure and facilities*, the government has also issued a regulation to make telecommunication services affordable to the public."

The regulation included mobile phone rate cuts that helped turn Indonesia from being a country with most expensive mobile phone rates in Asia in 2005 into that with most affordable rates by 2008.

Primary students lack interest in natural sciences

2009-08-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

Unnatural chemistry: Participants focus on the non-organic chemical works at the eight National Science Olympiad at state senior high school SMA Negeri 70 in Jakarta on Wednesday. The olympiad was attended by 1,447 participants, consisting of 198 elementary school students, 297 junior high school students and 886 senior high school students

Eleven-year-old Ghina Ramadhani delighted in an experimental display at a science exhibition in Jakarta on Wednesday, jumping on and off a mat wired to a showerhead, turning it on and off in the process.

However, the sixth grader from a school in Tangerang, Banten, maintained that she did not “have much interest in the natural sciences”.

“I’m not that keen on studying nature; I get goose bumps whenever I see organs or bugs.”
She prefers the more “daunting” subjects, such as mathematics, because it “requires me to wrack my brains, which is fun”.

Ghina says she loves puzzles, and loves solving them even more. The natural sciences, she says, are less puzzling than mathematics.

The National Education Ministry has become concerned in recent years by the fact that fewer people are taking their university degrees in natural sciences, making it harder for Indonesia to compete globally in agriculture and other related sectors and raising concerns over the absence of competent people to maintain the country’s natural resources.

It seems, however, that the lack of interest in studying natural sciences actually starts early on. Ghina is not the only primary student to find little challenge in the natural sciences.

Steven Kasemetan from a school in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, says he dislikes the subject because “all I have to do is read the books and memorise them”.

“It’s no fun,” the sixth grader says, adding his school rarely allowed the students to experiment.

Slamet, a teacher from state elementary school SDN Menteng 02, said students were easily bored if the teachers were only giving them theories without showing them how the theories apply in their daily lives.

“When students can associate, for example, how water flows with their daily showers, they will understand better and faster,” he told The Jakarta Post.

The problem with teaching natural sciences these days, Slamet said, was that it included little creativity.

Teachers, he added, sometimes failed to provide a way for their students to see the fun side of the subject, whether by engaging them in experiments or playing games.

During his 12 years of teaching not only has he employed those two methods, but he also lets his students conduct small research projects.

Moreover, his method includes an interactive computer-based program that allows students to learn their lessons while playing games.

“Some of my students also build their own experiments using used materials,” said Slamet, who is also a counselor for his fellow teachers in the natural sciences.

He added he would also take his students on walks around the school complex, which has around 7,000 different kinds of plants growing.

On Wednesday, his school’s booth was rated the best, based on its creativity, display and interactivity, by a panel of judges at the exhibition“If the teachers are creative, the students will be too,” he said.

Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott ready to reopen soon: Association

2009-07-23T22:08:00.001-07:00

Less than a week after deadly twin bombings rocked the capital, international hotels are taking measures to salvage their business.

The Jakarta International Hotels Association (JIHA) said Wednesday the two bombed hotels, the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott in Mega Kuningan, South Jakarta, were ready to reopen soon.

JIHA chairman Poul Bitsch said at the media center at the Bellagio Mega Kuningan that the decision to stay in operation in Jakarta was a rational one.

He was quoted as saying by vivanews.com that business must go on and business players should not be afraid when faced with a tragedy like the bombings.

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik added the government had agreed to allocate Rp 94 billion (US$9.3 million) for the ministry's tourism recovery program.

Friday's bombings of the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott have spooked many tourists and business travelers from visiting Indonesia.

As of Sunday, the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association said 2,000 foreign tourists had cancelled their plans to visit Indonesia in August, due to security concerns.

The JIHA reported all five- and four-star hotels in Jakarta had seen an average 10 percent decline in occupancy rates since the bombings.

Hanny Wahyuni, the PR director at the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Central Jakarta, confirmed there had been a drop, saying the newly opened hotel had seen its occupancy rate fall from 35 to 25 percent.

"Some of our guests have postponed their visits to Jakarta since Friday's bombings," she told The Jakarta Post.

Adeza Hamzah, communications manager at the Hotel Mulia in Senayan, Central Jakarta, said that although it was doing business as usual, it was now running more careful security checks to ensure the safety of guests.

Ratna Idris, communications director at the Shangri-La Hotel, concurred, adding she hoped all guests would cooperate with the hotel's security services during checks.

"They have to understand that the security check is actually aimed at guaranteeing their safety and that of the entire hotel," she said.

Mega-Pro team refuse to sign election results

2009-07-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

Election witnesses from the Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto campaign team have announced they will refuse to sign the results of official vote counting in several cities, claiming electoral fraud.

Arif Wibowo, member of the campaign team tasked with overseeing vote counting nationally, said Monday witnesses who had observed the election in North Sumatera, Central Java, West Java and East Java, would reject the results.

“We suspect fraud has been committed and that problems with the electoral role benefited certain candidates,” Arif told tempointeraktif.com on Monday.

He added the Mega-Prabowo campaign team was scheduled to hold a meeting to discuss on the fraud and vote counting on Tuesday.

Member of the General Elections Commission (KPU) Andi Nurpati Baharuddin said the results of vote counting would not be affected by the rejections.

“The counting will be considered valid despite the rejections,” Andi said.

KPU member Sri Nuryanti said that the commission would begin counting votes on Wednesday and declared the winners of the election next Monday at the latest.

Bomb blast patients banned from talking to visitors

2009-07-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

The Jakarta Hospital has prohibited key witnesses in Friday's bomb blasts from talking to visitors including journalists.

"All patients injured in the bomb blasts can't be interviewed to help speed up their recovery," the hospital said in an announcement.

Kompas.com reported that police had tightened security to protect the patients because they held keys to identifying the bombers and further investigation.

The Jakarta Hospital is treating Deni Purwanto, Hendri L, Dikdik Achmad T and Andri Tirta, who are wounded in the bomb blasts.

Terrorists planned to blow up hotel room

2009-07-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

The terrorists who bombed the JW Marriott hotel in South Jakarta last week may have planned to blow up room 1808 of the US hotel chain before they changed their target, police say.

National Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said Thursday investigators found a timer in the room where the suicide bomber stayed before he launched the attack.

The bomb exploded in the Syailendra restaurant on the hotel’s ground floor.

"Based on the investigation, it was found that the timer was actually made to be used. Thus we suspect the terrorists had planned to blow up the room first," he said.

The police confirmed nine people were killed, including the two suicide bombers, in the attack on the JW Marriott and nearby Ritz-Carlton hotels last Friday. Six of the casualties were foreigners.

El Nino may cut output by 20 percent next year

2009-07-23T22:03:00.002-07:00

Next year's dry season combined with El Ni*o will threaten Indonesia's agricultural production, including that of palm oil, which may drop by up to 20 percent, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a palm oil workshop, the ministry of agriculture's director general in charge of plantations, Achmad Manggabarani, specified however that El Ni*o's impact on palm oil production might not be as strong as its effect on other agricultural products.

He said the impact would depend on the nature of El Ni*o.

"If it is extreme and causes dry weather for more than three months, then next year's production might be 20 percent below target.

"In the past, weather conditions have always influenced seasonal crops but not crops like palm oil. If the dry season starts in November or December this year, it will not impact this year's production of palm oil, but will start affecting palm oil production next year," he said.

In a separate interview, he told Bloomberg that a mild El Ni*o might crimp production by 5 percent or less. Indonesia's output may increase by 8 percent to 23.2 million tons next year, up from an estimated record 21.5 million tons this year, the ministry forecast on June 30.

El Ni*o weather patterns, caused by an increase of the water temperature in the tropical Pacific, can cause drought in parts of Asia. Since about 90 percent of the world's palm oil is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, lower outputs will support prices, which already surged 27 percent this year on Malaysia's derivatives exchange.

Malaysia, which forecast a record output of 18.3 million tons this year, may see production shrink by as much as 16 percent next year if El Ni*o occurs, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Bernard Dompok said July 16.

Joko Supriyono, the general secretary of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA), said improving the watering system of palm oil plantations was the best course of action to take to prepare for the impact of El Ni*o.

"But we can only minimize the impact. We cannot avoid it entirely. It is mainly because the amount of water we can store in our plantations is limited to a few months. El Ni*o will not only impact next year's production. It will also affect the production of the year after that, as El Ni*o will affect the growth of palm oil trees from the start of the dry season," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Quick resolution, or else... : Kadin

2009-07-23T22:03:00.001-07:00

Beefed up security: A police officer uses a giant CCTV to monitor activity at the entrance of a busy tourist spot in Denpasar, Bali, on Tuesday. Last week’s terrorist bombings in Jakarta have prompted Bali police to source another 27 CCTV units in addition to the existing 27 to improve surveillance. JP/ZUL TRIO ANGGONO

Last Friday’s bombings of two hotels in Jakarta did not impact heavily on businesses, but must be solved within a month to prevent a potential decline, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce (Kadin) said Tuesday.

“A quick solution to the case is key to ensuring long-term stability in the business climate,” Kadin chairman M.S. Hidayat said at a press conference at the Jakarta Media Crisis Center in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

“Therefore it is very important for both the police and the government to solve the case as soon as possible. They need to solve it within a month.”

He added the tourism sector was slowly feeling the fallout from the attacks. Occupancy rates in five-star international hotels have dropped in the last four days.

This is being felt too in Bali, the heart of the nation's tourist industry, where the American luxury liner Sun Princess cancelled its planned stop there that would have brought 2,000 tourists eager to spend.
Suar Tour president director Jro Gde Karang Suarsana confirmed the cancellation Tuesday.

“They're now on the way to Australia, rather than visiting Bali,” he said in Denpasar.

He added the cancellation had caused his company major losses.

Kadin's Hidayat said tourism would be the sector hit hardest by the bombings.

“The bombings didn't have any significant effect on the financial market, retail and export-based industries," he said.

"However, we still condemn them regardless of the lack of impact on investment and business.
“Indonesia is currently regarded as one of the top three most attractive countries to invest in. It would be a shame if our country dropped out of the elite circle because of terrorism."

Kadin deputy for investment affairs, Chris Kanter, said he believed the bombings would not have any significant impact on foreign direct investment, because most foreign investors had already considered security issues.

Kadin’s call for a quick investigation came as the police announced major progress after a four-day period of relative lull.

The police performed DNA tests Tuesday on M. Nasir and Tumini, the parents of the alleged suicide bomber identified only as N and the aliases Nur Said, Nur Hasdi or Nur Aziz.

“We've performed DNA tests on the family from Temanggung, Central Java," National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said at the Jakarta Media Crisis Center, as quoted by detik.com.

"They are the parents of the man named Nur Said. The results of the tests will be out within the next two or three days."

The suspect's parents and brother were picked up by police officers early Monday morning.
Also on Monday, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Sulistiyo refused to confirm Nur's real name or affiliations.

Reports abound that Nur, educated at the Ngruki Islamic boarding school in Surakarta, Central
Java, was indeed one of the suicide bombers.

Ngruki’s most prominent graduates have been involved in several suicide bombings in the past.

Dear SBY, many kids are suffering in your countr

2009-07-23T22:02:00.000-07:00

Indonesia is celebrating its very own Children's Day today - a day commonly associated with games, bright colors and laughter.

However, for some children, life is far from being rosy or filled with f*tes and fairs. Some of them are even forced to beseech the nation's top man to help them in their struggle to obtain justice.

"The children arrested for allegedly gambling at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will send letters to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono tomorrow," Dhoho A. Sastro, a director at the Community Legal Aid Center (LBHM) said Wednesday.

Back in May, the airport police arrested 10 children who were tossing coins in the airport to make ends meet and supplement their family incomes, on top of shoe-shining for a living after school.

Those children were then kept in a penitentiary center for almost a month after being roughly treated by the police. They are currently on trial and may be punishable with a prison sentence of up to five years.

"The trial process traumatizes them. They cried in court and their parents seldom accompanied them during the hearings because the families couldn't afford the transportation costs," Dhoho said.

He added the last trial forced them to miss a school day. The arrest already deprived them of one year of education because they missed the national examinations when confined in the penitentiary.

Christine Tambunan, the children's solicitor, said they sent a letter to Yudhoyono to remind the President that on Children's Day, many minors still suffered.

"In their letter, they describe the hard times they're going through," Christine said, "We hope SBY will take notice of this matter."

In 2002, legislators passed the children's protection law, which rules that children are entitled to educational and legal rights.

"However, the government has not taken into account the trauma suffered by children struggling to obtain justice," Dhoho said.

When it comes to dealing with children, the country's legal system often overlooks their rights, he said.

He gave the example of GA, a 14-year-old girl who was raped by a middle-aged man in Central Jakarta a few months ago, and fell pregnant as a result.

"We helped her parents track down the culprit and got as far as taking him to the Jakarta Police headquarters, but they *the police* released him overnight, stating there was not enough evidence," said Dhoho.

Twitterers raise Indonesia's voice post-bombings

2009-07-23T22:01:00.002-07:00

Last Friday's bombings in Jakarta have sparked a new movement on the web as Indonesian "Twitterers" rally behind the nation to internationally condemn terrorist acts that have once again rocked the nation.

Just three hours after the shocking attacks, Twitterers (people who send short messages or images via a free online social network) across the nation decorated their usernames with red and white, the colors of the Indonesian flag, and sent thousands of messages of support for Indonesia through the online network.

The messages flooding through Twitter were linked via the hashtag (jargon name for subject grouping) *indonesiaunite, which as of Tuesday night was still one of the top 10 most-viewed topics on Twitter along with Harry Potter, swine flu, *iranelection and Michael Jackson.

Blogger Budi Putra said Tuesday the hashtag *indonesiaunite was originally coined by Indonesia Twitterer @ifahmi (Twitterers use @ in front of their username).

"It's like a moral movement to show the world that Indonesia is responding against the bombings. And it is gaining more support and getting bigger," he said.

*indonesiaunite became the number one topic on Twitter following the bomb blasts, which seriously damaged the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in South Jakarta on July 17, killing 9 and injuring dozens.

Budi said Indonesian Twitterers had been outwardly expressing their pride in the nation since the blasts, focusing on its culture and natural beauty to try and detract from the fact terrorism had struck Indonesia once again.

Also, it was not mainstream media that first spread the news about the bomb attacks, but two Indonesian Twitterers.

@DanielTumiwa "tweeted" the breaking news as he witnessed the blasts, while @dregar, who was staying at the Ritz-Carlton, posted the first photo of the explosions.

The *indonesiaunite movement is not dissimilar to the hashtag *iranelection, where users updated news and expressed opinions surrounding the recent Iranian elections via Twitter.

"I think Twitterers start to become like the media. They spread information, check its accuracy and warn other users of falsities. They don't trust unclear facts," Budi added.

Shortly after Friday's blasts, rumors quickly circulated that there were a number of other bomb threats at various locations around the city, but Twitterers were able to quickly warn each other and others that the rumors were purely speculation.

The effort by Twitterers to restore Indonesia's image abroad comes as the government heightens security and continues searching for those behind the blast, with many blaming fugitive terror leader Noordin Mohammed Top for masterminding the attacks.

Golkar could join SBY's coalition, say party officials

2009-07-23T22:01:00.001-07:00

Golkar would rather join with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's coalition than be left out of power, party officials admitted Tuesday.

The official vote counts Tuesday from several provinces have confirmed unofficial quick counts held by several pollsters that Yudhoyono would win the July 8 presidential election with more than 60 percent of total votes, with Vice President and Golkar chairman Jusuf Kalla getting a mere 12 percent.

Golkar central board member Yorris Raweyai said the party would now very likely join the next government, unless it changed its ideology drastically at the upcoming national conference.

"Golkar must be consistent in its ideology to support the government, although it will remain critical of government policies," he said.

Asked about lobbying for Cabinet posts, Yorris said that was the concern of the president-elect and Golkar leaders.

He added there were now 220 regents and mayors, and seven governors in Golkar's ranks.

"So how can anyone say Golkar will not support the government?" he said.

Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) political analyst Lili Romli agreed it would most likely be difficult for Golkar to leave the government, having never been out of power since its inception.

Golkar is expected to hold its national caucus between Aug. 8 and 10, after the General Elections Commission (KPU) has announced the official results of the presidential election.

The national meeting will be held to choose Golkar's new chairman to replace the increasingly sidelined Jusuf Kalla.

Coordinating Minister for the People's Welfare Aburizal Bakrie and media magnate Surya Paloh are the strongest candidates for the post.

Golkar upstart Yuddy Chrisnandy has also announced his bid for the party's top seat.

With Aburizal looking increasingly like the odds-on favorite to replace Kalla, it becomes more likely the party will renew its coalition with Yudhoyono, said senior Golkar member Harry Azhar Azis.

Fahmi Idris, the industry minister and head of Kalla's presidential campaign team, also said recently that as a party that had spent all its time as a vital part of the government, Golkar would found it challenging and a little awkward to switch to becoming the opposition.

Golkar member Indra J. Piliang, however, insisted the planned national leadership meeting would focus on discussing the future of the Golkar for the period from 2009 to 2014, and would not just discuss whether to join with Yudhoyono.

"If the president-elect wishes to appoint members of the Golkar Party to his new Cabinet, that will be purely the business of the president-elect, not of the Golkar Party," he said.

He added there had been no internal Golkar discussions about sharing ministerial posts in the upcoming government.

"It's not viable to sacrifice the whole of the Golkar Party simply for the interests of certain people in the party who are seeking ministerial positions," Indra said.

"We should sell out Golkar for such seats."

Hatta Radjasa, the state secretary and head of Yudhoyono's campaign team, said the President was amenable to having Golkar join in.

School sends hundreds of quarantined students home

2009-07-23T21:56:00.002-07:00

An Islamic boarding school in Tangerang may have breached health regulations when it sent hundreds of its sick students home after they were quarantined on suspicion of having contracted the H1N1 virus.

An official at the Tangerang Health Agency said Wednesday the decision by the authorities at the Dar-Al Qolam Islamic boarding school to return the sick students to their parents had risked spreading the potential H1N1 strain further.

"By returning the sick students to their parents, the school has disrupted our procedures for handling a possible epidemic," Yuli Sunar Dewanti, the head of communicable disease prevention and environmental sanitation at the agency, told The Jakarta Post.

The boarding school could be charged with violating regulations on the containment of diseases, she said, because by placing the sick children in the vicinity of others, the chance of the virus spreading was increased dramatically.

"It seems that the school authorities do not understand the law on health and the law on endemic diseases. Their uncooperative attitude has also disturbed our procedures," she said. The agency had quarantined the sick students in an attempt to prevent direct contact with outsiders.

Last week, the boarding school began to return sick students who were quarantined by the agency to their parents, who live in many regions across the country, without any clear reason.

Abdul Aziz, the director for student affairs at the boarding school, said the school was simply following its own regulations.

"We have our own regulations, which have been applied since the boarding school was founded in 1968," Abdul told journalists Wednesday.

He said if students were ill, doctors at the school clinic would treat them. If however after two days they showed no sign of recovery, the school would contact the student's parents and ask them to pick up their children.

"That is our regulation and it also applies to the hundreds of students who fell ill with a fever last week. We sent them home to their parents," he said.

Aziz refused to confirm or deny Wednesday that students at the boarding school had been infected with the H1N1 virus because he had not received laboratory test results from the Tangerang Health Agency.

Saiful Bukhori, the secretary at the boarding school, said des-pite speculation from agency officials, the school had not sent the students home because they were suspected to be infected with the H1N1 virus.

"We need written evidence from the laboratory test results *to prove the students are infected*, not just provoking statements, which simply lead to panic among our students and their parents," he said.

MU/All-Star ticket refunds start Wednesday

2009-07-23T21:56:00.001-07:00

Ticket refunds following the cancellation of Manchester United's friendly against the Indonesian All-Star team begins today, the organizers announced Tuesday.

The refund will be divided into three categories, depending on how fans bought the tickets.

The first category, which will run from July 22 until Aug. 5, will allow refunds for those who booked the tickets at the Local Official Committee (LOC) for the MU Asia Tour, at Jl. Pintu I, Senayan.

"We've decided to divide the ticket refund mechanism into parts according to how people booked the tickets in the first place," LOC deputy chairman and spokesman Joko Driyono said at a press conference.

Fans can get a refund between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.

"Bear in mind they must bring the receipt and ID cards," Joko said.

"They will get back in full the amount printed on the ticket."

Joko added refunds in this category would total Rp 5-7 billion, from a total of Rp 23 billion.

MU canceled Monday's game in Jakarta after Friday's bombings of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels, which killed nine people and injured 50. The English champions were set to stay at the Ritz-Carlton.

Organizers are also reeling from the US$2 million fee paid to MU.

LOC chairman Agum Gumelar said they would recover the money.

"We hope to get it back to ease our financial burden," he said.

"We'll negotiate with MU next month after they complete their Asian tour on July 26."

MU's Asia Tour was set to cover Malaysia, Indonesia, China and South Korea. The team will now fly from Kuala Lumpur, where it played two friendlies, to China and Korea.

The second refund method will start on Aug. 5 for those who booked through cell phone operator 3, rajakarcis.com or the Aviatour agency.

The LOC will set up a Website, www.locrefund.com, where tickets buyers can get the refund transferred to them without having to come to the LOC office. That method will be detailed online on Aug. 5.

The LOC has not yet decided on a refund method for those in the third category, who got corporate tickets.

"We need to talk with the third parties first before we decide on the third category," Joko said.

Report: Liverpool Resume Pursuit Of Valencia's David Silva

2009-07-23T21:51:00.001-07:00

Rafa Benitez is hoping to use his connections at Valencia to bring David Silva to Liverpool.

Silva has been linked with a move away from the Mestalla all summer, although Valencia have consistently stated that they are not willing to sell their best players.

However, according to The Telegraph, Benitez believes that Los Che do have to raise some money, and with David Villa now unlikely to move, it is Silva who might have to be sold. Liverpool had earlier refused to pay Valencia's asking price of €29million for Silva, but they now believe they can land him at a reduced price.

Even if Valencia do agree to sell, The Reds will face another obstacle in the fact that Silva has always stated that he intends to remain in Spain, although Liverpool believe their large Spanish contingent can lure him to Anfield.

Rummenigge: Franck Ribery Does Not Have An Exit Clause With Bayern Munich

2009-07-23T21:50:00.002-07:00

Any hopes for potential buyers to make a quick smash-and-grab for Franck Ribery in the future have been dashed, after it was revealed that the Frenchman does not have a clause that will allow an easy exit from Bayern Munich in 2010.

The club's chairman, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, has rubbished off rumours that the Bavarian outfit have agreed to insert an agreement in Ribery’s contract that will permit him to leave next summer.

“No player of Bayern has such an exit clause. It’s not even open for discussion,” he roared during an interview with the German newspaper, TZ.

“If the money arrives, alternatives will be analysed. But there will never be a clause. Why should we leave that door open for everyone?

“The players must know with whom they have signed a contract. For that reason, we are not worried at all.”

But when asked if Ribery would pledge his commitment to Die Roten or if a release clause will be inserted into his current contract in the future, Rummenigge replied, “I cannot give a straight answer at the moment. It is not our custom to talk about contracts in public.”

Finally, the supremo reassured Bayern fans that the 26-year-old midfielder’s performance on the pitch will not be affected by the club’s refusal to let him leave.

He said, “He is a model professional with a good character who has never given us a problem. He is not the culprit here.”

Manchester City's Adebayor: Arsenal Needed The Money From My Transfer

2009-07-23T21:50:00.001-07:00

Emmanuel Adebayor has claimed that he left Arsenal because they needed the money, in addition to his unpopularity with the fans.

Adebayor recently joined Manchester City in a £25 million move and has been criticised by some of the Arsenal faithful, but he said it was not his decision.

He told The Daily Mail, "I came back from holiday and in my first training session they told me that they had accepted an offer for me.

"I asked Wenger why he wanted to sell me. I found out that Arsenal needed the money and that I was the target.

"I never wanted to leave.

"I’m happy they get their money and I hope they spend it well."

The Togolese striker then said he felt his criticism from the fans was unfair, continuing, "I scored 30 goals for Arsenal two seasons ago and it was not my fault that AC Milan, Barcelona or Real Madrid wanted to buy me.

"The way the fans turned against me was not nice. They didn’t turn on Cesc Fabregas when Barcelona showed interest in him.

"When a player plays well, clubs come in for him. The fans never understood that and I cannot understand why they went after me.

"I played my heart out for that club and gave it my best and the way the fans behaved towards me was not nice at all."

OFFICIAL: Real Madrid Re-Sign Esteban Granero; Parejo In Negotiations With Getafe

2009-07-23T21:49:00.002-07:00

Real Madrid have confirmed on their official website that they have reached an agreement to purchase Esteban Granero back from Getafe.

Los Blancos chose to exercise the €4 million buy-back clause on the 22-year-old, while the player himself has accepted the four-year contract on offer. He is expected to begin training with the squad as early as Friday morning.

Speaking to Spanish radio programmes ‘El Larguero’ and ‘El Mirador’ after the completion of the deal, Granero said, “Today has been somewhat complicated but it’s also a very happy day.

“Everything has already been resolved and I’m delighted with this opportunity because I’ve been looking forward to it ever since I found out about Madrid’s interest a week ago.

“Everything has happened very fast because there wasn’t much to negotiate. I wanted to return and there have been no problems. It has been a pleasant surprise.”

Granero then went to talk about training and playing alongside some of the biggest stars in the world as well as meeting up with old friends.

“I’m excited at the prospect of playing with everyone in this squad and reconnect with old friends. There are really great footballers here and I am anxious to get started," he said.

“I want to start training as soon as possible. I would be just another player in the group who wants to fight for a place in the team with all my dreams and desires as a Madridista and a canterano.

“I’ve always dreamed of coming back and fortunately, it has now materialised. Everything that happens from here on out depends on me. I’ve been wearing this shirt for 12 years and this opportunity came up, I just could not refuse.

“Last season, I had the chance to play at the Bernabeu with Getafe and it was something special. Now I would love to play here in white.”

Meanwhile, AS has reported that Madrid are negotiating with Getafe to send another former youth-team player, Dani Parejo, to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez, with a similar buy-back clause attached to the contract.

But Parejo has rejected the terms as he wants a more straightforward deal of a one-year loan with a purchase option for Geta.

Real Madrid Sporting Director Still Optimistic About Signing Liverpool's Xabi Alonso And Arbeloa

2009-07-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

Real Madrid's sporting director, Miguel Pardeza, says the club has not given up its pursuit of Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa, but concedes that it will not be easy to sign them.

The Alonso saga has dragged on with conflicting reports throughout the summer, and many see Madrid's recent signing of Esteban Granero as a sign that the club has given up on him.

However, speaking to Publico, Pardeza denied that was the case, saying, "We do not see him [Granero] as an alternative to Xabi Alonso, as he has other characteristics.

"The problem with Alonso is there are no alternatives, with the way football is evolving, the creative central midfielder is becoming fewer and fewer.

"Alonso is not a fad, there are just not may alternatives - not in the Americas or in Europe are their players who can perform his task."

Pardeza then conceded that negotiating with Liverpool has not been an easy task, continuing, "They stalled, from day one - the demands of Liverpool were beyond what Madrid was willing to pay and that is very difficult to understand.

"That is not the way to get things done, but I have not given up hope we can solve this.

"As I said I do not believe this [Alonso] will be an easy situation to solve, and I don't for one minute think that [Javier] Mascherano will be easier to move than Alonso."

Pardeza continued, "On Arbeloa, that is an option which - for the time being - has come to nothing.

"Liverpool do not really have the desire to let him go, even though he has just a year left on his contract.

"But there is a month to go in the market and anything can change, and I would not deny that we would very much like to have Arbeloa."

Sunderland Boss Steve Bruce Confirms Interest In Bordeaux Star Chamakh

2009-07-23T21:48:00.004-07:00

Despite the powers that be at Bordeaux dismissing Sunderland, the Black Cats believe they are in with a chance of signing Marouane Chamakh.

The striker has made his desire to leave Les Girondins this summer explicitly clear, but the club do not want to sell him to the Wearside club.

However, speaking to The Guardian, Steve Bruce expressed confidence that a deal could be arranged, saying, "Chamakh is a player I've liked for a long, long time.

"We have shown an interest and we'll see what develops with that. He is one of a few we are looking at and we will decide soon.

"Niall [Quinn, the Sunderland chairman] got back on Thursday and there will be high-level talks going on over the weekend, not just about him, but regarding other targets as well."

Bruce then hinted that a new signing was imminent, but did not reveal who it might be, continuing, "We've still got one or two irons in the fire like we've had for weeks.

"We're still trying and we're close, in particular, to one deal being done over the next couple of days. But, after what has happened this week with Peter Crouch, I don't want to say too much.

"That was a massive disappointment and you can never say 'yes', the deal is done, until everything has actually been done."

Jose Mourinho Is Delighted With Likely Samuel Eto'o Switch - Inter Chief Massimo Moratti

2009-07-23T21:48:00.003-07:00

Jose Mourinho is smiling with delight at Samuel Eto'o's proposed arrival, according to Inter president Massimo Moratti.

Mourinho has been informed that the Nerazzurri have agreed terms with Eto'o. All that remains for the deal to go through is for an official announcement from both clubs.

Moratti has confirmed the 'Special One' is happy with the way the move is heading. The chief also confirmed Aliaksandr Hleb is part of the deal.

"I was scared when I read the papers this morning," joked Moratti with the press.

"I am always in touch with Mourinho and he is happy to have Eto'o. Mourinho didn't think that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would leave.

"I would be happy for Eto'o to join Inter but nothing is official yet.

"Is Hleb part of the deal? Yes."

Inter will receive a reported €48 million plus Samuel Eto'o, and Hleb will arrive on a year-long loan in exchange for Ibrahimovic.

Eto'o is expected to sign a five-year deal worth €10.5m plus bonuses on Monday.

The Italians are waiting for Barcelona to resolve some minor details before the move can become official.

Liverpool Issue Xabi Alonso Bid Denial

2009-07-23T21:48:00.001-07:00

Liverpool have denied that they are close to agreeing a deal to sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid amid rumours that he missed the club's game against Thailand on Wednesday evening.

The Reds are locked in a struggle to keep hold of the midfield playmaker with manager Rafa Benitez insisting that the player can only leave if the Merseyside club's demands are met.

Alonso picked up an ankle injury before Liverpool's 1-1 draw in Bangkok and that led to rumours that Real Madrid had raised their bid a nd a transfer was imminent.

Instead, Liverpool have reiterated that Alonso was left out because of a knock and that no deal has been agreed.

"Xabi is with us in Singapore, and will train with the rest of the squad. He was injured ahead of the Thailand game, people can say what they like about that," a spokesman told the Press Association.

"And there has been no deal agreed with anyone for his transfer to anyone."

Real Madrid have made it clear that Alonso is their main target with new sporting director Pardeza claiming that he is one of a kind in an era where playmakers are rare.

Real Madrid And Barcelona On The Same Level As Italian Teams - Juventus Coach Ferrara

2009-07-23T21:47:00.000-07:00

There are only 24 hours left before the Peace Cup friendly tournament kicks off. One of several prestigious teams involved is Juventus, who face Sevilla tomorrow night.

Their new coach Ciro Ferrara and captain Alessandro Del Piero gave their thoughts on the tournament, among other things, in today's press conference.

"We have been working hard since July 9, it's an important tournament with teams of high level," Ferrara said. "Aside from our opponents, we have been working for a while to become a great team."

On new arrivals Felipe Melo and Diego, he said, "Melo just has to work hard to put himself on level terms with his team-mates, expectations are high for him as they are for Diego and [Fabio] Cannavaro.

"However, they should not be given too much responsibility, they are in their first year at Juve, aside from Cannavaro, so they could encounter some difficulties."

On tomorrow's opponents Sevilla, "Sevilla are a very good team, I know the players well because until recently a great friend like [Enzo] Maresca played there: they will be missing Luis Fabiano and [Frederic] Kanoute, but the others are just as strong."

If Juventus get past the group stage, they could meet Real Madrid, but the coach is not afraid of the Merengues.

"I'd like it if we met them, because it would mean we've done very well," he continued, "but I'd like to remind that before we get there we have two more games. Real Madrid and Barcelona are both very strong teams, but I consider them to be at the same level as others like Juve, Milan, Inter, Manchester United and I'm certainly forgetting others."

On the absence of midfielder Christian Poulsen, who's rumoured to be a step away from leaving the club, Ferrara said, "He was not called up for this tournament, the lad did a professional preparation, he has to consider many things, we are awaiting a decision by the club."

Del Piero then took his turn to speak and gave an update on his physical condition and his opinion on Zlatan Ibrahimovic's departure from Inter.

"In every match, even friendlies like these, there's the possibility to improve, I am giving everything," he said, "when I'm doing well I'm happy, but I also know I am far from being in my best form.

"As for Ibra, Inter and the Italian league have lost a great champion, but another like [Samuel] Eto'o arrived. They are certainly different, but both have exceptional qualities."

'Pinturicchio' then went on to talk about his team-mate David Trezeguet and his Real Madrid counterpart Raul.

"Seeing Trezeguet at Milan would be very strange. On Raul, my opinion remains the same, he is writing history pages for Real Madrid, I have a very high opinion of him and I think he will continue doing well."

€9: Korean Fans Pay The Price To Watch Manchester United Train

2009-07-23T21:46:00.002-07:00

Manchester United arrived in South Korea on Wednesday for the third match of their 2009 Asian tour.

Over seven thousand fans attended Manchester United's training session at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Thursday morning.

The session may have been open to the general public, but it was far from free.

For those with tickets to Friday evening’s exhibition match with K-League club FC Seoul, admission cost around €6.

Those without tickets had to pay around €9, which made watching Manchester United train for an hour more expensive than gaining admission to the average league match in South Korea.

According to the game’s organisers, Mast Entertainment, fans were charged in order to prevent too many attending.

“In 2007 [the last time the English champions visited Seoul] the people who attended were all connected to sponsors,” Mast spokesperson Liz Ha told Goal.com.

“This time we wanted to open it up to everybody. If it was free then we thought that there would be too many to control.”

Nicolas Anelka Admits He Is Feeling At Home With Chelsea

2009-07-23T21:46:00.001-07:00

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka, who has led a journeyman playing career having worn the colours of nine different clubs in the past 14 seasons, is finally feeling at home.

The striker, who was shunted out wide while partnering Didier Drogba in a three-pronged attack last season under Guus Hiddink, is quoted by This Is London as saying, "I am happy at Chelsea. I am very pleased about everything that is going on and also with things on the outside. I don't need to move.

"My last season here was pleasing. It's always good to score goals and more so to finish top scorer. So I'm glad to be here, to play for a big club like Chelsea and that I had a good season."

Tactical changes and formation alterations have already been mooted by new boss Carlo Ancelotti, who is believed to favour fielding two strikers. Anelka is looking forward to playing alongside Drogba, as opposed to slightly behind him.

He explained to London's Evening Standard, "When I first signed I thought I would play with Didier up front, but they only wanted to play one of us up front. It was a shame because we knew we could play together.

"When we play together, I look for him straight away when I have the ball. I want him to score and the same goes for him. When he has the ball he looks for me when I'm up front."

Last season's Golden Boot winner believes the club are capable of landing the Premier League and Champions League double next season.

"We are capable of winning both titles," he proclaimed. "Last season we couldn't do it but we will try to do it next season.

"Last year we conceded too many draws and lost games at home, this cost us the title."

Ronaldinho Determined To Leave His Mark On Milan’s Season

2009-07-23T21:45:00.002-07:00

With Kaka out of the picture, Milan President Silvio Berlusconi has pinned his hopes on Ronaldinho rediscovering his best form to become the Rossoneri’s new reference point.

And despite Milan losing 2-1 to Club America in a pre-season friendly yesterday, ‘Dinho’ is confident things are looking up for him and the team.

“I am slowly getting better, we always want to win, but it was not to be this time around,” the ex-Barcelona man told reporters in the post-match.

“After 15 days of work, I feel better and I am eager to keep down this path for the entire season.”

New boss Leonardo is trying out different systems during their tour of the USA and Ronaldinho confesses he prefers to be in the thick of play.

“I can play on the left, that’s not a problem,” he mused.

“The big difference is that I am more involved in the play by acting as a trequartista and it’s also more fun for me.

“I’m fine playing wherever Leonardo wants me to. I am determined to have a great season.”

Official: Barcelona Announce Keirrison Capture

2009-07-23T21:45:00.001-07:00

Keirrison has landed in Barcelona ahead of a medical as the Blaugrana's summer recruitment drive continues...

Barcelona have announced that they have agreed to sign Keirrison from Palmeiras and he will put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal after undergoing a medical on Friday, but he will go straight out on loan.

The Catalan outfit will pay €14 million up front for the 20-year-old striker with another €2 million due if and when he and the team achieve certain pre-set targets.

Keirrison arrived in Barcelona on Thursday and was due to have a photo shoot at the club's offices at Camp Nou before heading to a hotel ahead of a hectic Friday.

Coach Pep Guardiola has revealed that the young forward will not be a part of his squad for the 2009-10 campaign and will instead go on loan to another European club to gain experience.

“He’s very young and has some great statistics," the boss told Barca's official website.

"It’s difficult to find a goalscorer and the club has decided to sign him but in principle he’ll go out on loan. I will not be counting on him for this season."

Keirrison has accepted that he will not play for Barcelona in his first season in Europe, but believes that he is good enough to become a future star at Camp Nou.

Massimo Moratti Confirms Inter-Barcelona Talks Over Zlatan Ibrahimovic & Samuel Eto'o

2009-07-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

Talks over a swap deal have taken place...

Barcelona president Joan Laporta and director of football Txiki Begiristain are in Milan with the view of negotiating a deal with Inter for their ace Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The Swedish international has never fully committed his future to the Milanese giants and Laporta is attempting to prise the former Juventus star to his treble winning side.

After negotiations for Valencia hitman David Villa reportedly broke down, the Blaugrana patron claimed the club would be exploring other options and it seems one of them could be 'Ibracadabra'.

Earlier in the summer, reports also emerged that a swap deal between the two clubs that would see the ex-Ajax player move to the Catalan club and Samuel Eto'o move in the opposite direction was in place, but the transfer never materialised.

The two club's have been involved in a fair bit of activity with one another lately, as Barcelona have already confirmed they will be signing Inter left-back Maxwell for approximately €5 million and on Thursday stories emerged that the Serie A outfit were on the verge of taking Aliaksandr Hleb on-loan.

UPDATE: 00:30 CET: Inter president Massimo Moratti has admitted that he has met with Laporta to talk about a swap deal involving Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto'o.

"I have met Laporta. We spoke about Eto'o and Ibrahimovic," the oil tycoon stated.

Sky Sport Italia are claiming that Inter could sell Ibrahimovic to Barcelona for 40 million euros, plus Eto'o and Hleb.

Talking Point
Could this be Inter 2009-10?

Bayern Claim To Have Sold Lucio To Inter, Moratti Says Deal Not Official Yet

2009-07-16T20:11:00.002-07:00

Bayern Munich have confirmed Brazilian defender Lucio will join Inter on a three year deal, but Massimo Moratti is not so sure...

Inter president Massimo Moratti has shown a sign of hesitation on the club's capture of Lucio by claiming the deal is not official just yet as new questions surrounding the move arise.

Bayern Munich claimed the deal which saw the Brazilian join Inter was official via a statement on their official website. However, Moratti claims the move is not as good as done just yet. In addition, the chief appears to have ruled out the possibilities of signing Chelsea duo Ricardo Carvalho and Deco.

"The deal for Lucio is not definite and there is nothing official," Moratti told the club's official website.

"As far as I am aware, there is nothing definite. Would Lucio's arrival mean the end of Carvalho and Deco? Well, it seems clear that we cannot sign 40 players."

A statement on the German club's official website reads:

"After a trophy-laden five-year spell at Bayern, Brazil captain Lucio is leaving Munich to join Italian champions Inter.

"On Thursday, the centre-half and the FCB board of directors agreed to cancel the player’s contract ahead of its scheduled expiry on 30 June 2010.

"The 31-year-old, who will sign a three-year deal with the north Italian club coached by Jose Mourinho, moves for an undisclosed fee.

"Lucio switched to Bayern from Bayer Leverkusen in summer 2004. In the last five seasons, the Brazilian scored seven goals in 144 Bundesliga appearances for Munich. He was part of the league and cup double-winning sides in 2005, 2006 and 2008."

Although the statement does not disclose a fee, Sky Sport Italia claim Inter have paid the Germans €5million for the stopper but that could rise with bonuses related to how Inter get on in the Champions League.

In addition, it is said Fiorentina wanted Lucio, but they were only offering a two year deal. The move sees the chase for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho evaporate. Lucio is expected in Milan within the next few hours to undergo a medical and sign his new contract.

EXCLUSIVE: Inter Have Signed A Great Player In Lucio - Alessandro Altobelli

2009-07-16T20:11:00.001-07:00

Former Inter great Alessandro Altobelli has hailed the capture of Lucio after the champions wasted no time in instigating a move for the Brazilian international from Bayern Munich.

Altobelli, who played at the San Siro for 11 years, has shared his views with Goal.com in an exclsuive interview. The Italian believes his former side have pulled off a major coup, further underlining their strength in the process.

"It's a massive buy and a very important signing," Altobelli told Goal.com.

"He is a complete player and very strong when marking players. He has a great sense of anticipation. He is strong with his head and he is a super player."

Inter's defence is now water-tight, and Lucio represents the nut and bolt forging that Jose Mourinho demanded.

"Inter's defence was already strong, and now it will be exceptional. Thinking of Lucio playing alongside [Walter] Samuel makes me dream," added the Italian.

"The Nerazzurri have confirmed their stature as a club. They are never happy with what they have and they always look for even stronger champions."

Bayern Munich Will Report Real Madrid To FIFA - Uli Hoeness

2009-07-16T20:10:00.002-07:00

Franck Ribery's future at the Allianz Arena has been a fervent source of conjecture for the past weeks following reported interest from Real Madrid in the Frenchman's services, however, Bayern Munich claim that los Blancos have not done everything by the book and are ready to take the Spanish giants to FIFA.

Several Real Madrid figures have confirmed the club are looking to sign Ribery, indicating they have not given up on their pursuit of the midfielder, despite Bayern's unwillingness to sell.

Bayern Munich general director Uli Hoeness has now spoken of the club's anger at the continuing comments emerging from the Spanish club concerning their interest in Ribery.

"Real Madrid have lost their respect for us. If they continue like this we will report them to FIFA," Hoeness told AS.

"People like [Emilio] Butragueno or [Zinedine] Zidane are talking when they shouldn't because they are talking about a player who is contracted to us.

"The only ones that have legitimacy to talk are [president] Florentino Perez and [sporting director] Jorge Valdano."

Hoeness added that the only reason why he has not reported Real to FIFA yet is because of his "respect for Butragueno and Jose Luis Lopez Serrano".

Michael Owen Will Be A Success At Manchester United - Cristiano Ronaldo

2009-07-16T20:10:00.001-07:00

Speaking at a press conference today, Cristiano Ronaldo attested that, having given up the number 7 shirt at Old Trafford, Michael Owen is a good choice to fill the jersey.

"Michael Owen is an experienced player. He has played at the biggest clubs," the Portuguese winger said.

"He has everything to win at United. He is at a fantastic club and he is a great player. It was a good decision to give him the number seven."

Signed on a free transfer soon after the £80 million sale of Ronaldo this summer, the news of Owen joining the Red Devils came as a shock to fans and pundits alike.

Having sat out for the majority of last season at Newcastle United through injury, the United faithful will be poised and ready to judge their new number 7 - a Red Devils shirt that has been worn by the likes of George Best, Bryan Robson, David Beckham and Eric Cantona.

However, the worlds most expensive player doesn't believe that there will be a great deal of pressure on Owen.

"You don't have a lot of pressure just because you have the number seven. It was a good decision by United," Ronaldo concluded.

Stats Watch

In England
Michael Owen: 286 league matches, 144 goals (avg: 0.5 g/m)
Cristiano Ronaldo: 196 league matches, 84 goals (avg: 0.43 g/m)

In Spain
Michael Owen: 35 league matches, 13 goals (avg: 0.37 g/m)
Cristiano Ronaldo: ?

Carlos Tevez: I Rejected Real Madrid To Join Manchester City

2009-07-16T20:09:00.002-07:00

Carlos Tevez has revealed that he had the chance to sign for Real Madrid, but instead opted for Manchester City.

After his loan deal at Manchester United ended, Tevez was free to negotiate with any club, and Los Merengues were keen to snap him up.

However, speaking to The Nation during Man City's pre-season tour to South Africa, Tevez explained that the Citizens were always his first choice.

"Real made an offer but there was no agreement," he said.

"There were talks about deals and agreements but in the end it was only City. They showed lots of interest in me and are intent on growing and signing big players.

"I am sad to leave United but I am excited to join City.

"I'm thinking about the future and I will grow with this club."

Real Madrid Experiment With Raul & Benzema Up Top, Cristiano Ronaldo On The Wing

2009-07-16T20:09:00.001-07:00

Real Madrid have intensified their pre-season preparations in Ireland ahead of their much anticipated friendly with Shamrock Rovers on July 20.

Coach Manuel Pellegrini has been putting his superstars through their paces over the past few work-out sessions, but yesterday he finally lined-up his Galacticos for a training match in the evening as he gave a glimpse of the possible first XI.

According to Marca, veteran striker Raul and Karim Benzema led the attack while Cristiano Ronaldo, who had admitted he wouldn’t mind being utilised as a second forward, occupied his favourite right-wing slot.

Several players were missing from training, though, namely Wesley Sneijder, Miguel Palanca, Mahamadou Diarra and Ruud van Nistelrooy, with the latter two now both in the final stretches of rehabilitation following knee surgery last year.

Pellegrini has reduced the intensity of the sessions as he focuses on ball movement, touches and pressure. He will resume a triple session on Friday with a programme at 08:00, 11:30 and 18:30.

Ronaldo And Corinthians Set For Vietnam Visit - Report

2009-07-16T20:08:00.001-07:00

The three-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Ronaldo, might be heading to Vietnam at the end of the year for an exhibition match with his club, Corinthians.

Nguyen Trong Hy, the chairman of the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF), said that he had spoken to the Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam, Joao Mendonca Lima Neto, of the possibility in a recent meeting.

Trong Hy had also requested the Brazilian Embassy and the Brazilian Ministry of Sports to convey the VFF’s invitation to Brazilian legend Pele.

The Brazilian Sports Ministry has since informed VFF that Corinthians are willing to come to Vietnam to play a friendly match against the Vietnamese national squad, as part of an activity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Vietnam-Brazil diplomatic relationship.

Trong Hy indicated that the friendly game could take place in late November, with the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi a possibility.

Corithians won the Sao Paulo state championship two months ago and recently claimed the Copa do Brasil.

Ronaldo returned to Brazil this year after 14 seasons in European football with PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Inter, Real Madrid and Milan.

Milan To Swoop For Inter’s Amantino Mancini – Report

2009-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Rossoneri could be set to make a move for the winger, according to the latest reports.

It is well known that Milan are desperate to sign an attacker this summer, after failing to make any significant additions on the transfer front to this point, following the departure of their former superstar Kaka to Real Madrid.

With their interest in Sevilla’s Luis Fabiano seemingly going nowhere, the Rossoneri have turned their attentions to a player from their neighbouring rivals Inter, in Amantino Mancini.

The former Roma man is all but certain to leave the Nerazzurri in the coming weeks, after just one season with the club, following his controversial move from the Italian capital.

According to Corriere dello Sport, Mancini would be an ideal addition to the Milan squad, as he would be the perfect replacement for the likes of Ronaldinho and Pato in Leonardo’s set-up that he will employ.

For now these reports remain rumours, as neither club are yet to comment on the speculation, however the claims do go on to suggest that the Rossoneri will consider acquiring the player on loan for the coming season, with the option to purchase him outright after its completion.

Police bomb squad combs hotel after explosion

2009-07-16T20:02:00.002-07:00

A team of the Jakarta Police Bomb Squad has entered Ritz-Carlton hotel and combed the building following two sequential explosion at the hotel and JW Marriot hotel in Mega Kuningan business district in Jakarta.

The police's Mobile Brigade and Anti-terror squads have also closed the area. Tens of ambulances and fire trucks were deployed to the area.

South Jakarta police Sr. Comr. Firman Bundi confirmed that four people were killed in the blasts at the neighboring hotels in the upscale neighborhood.

Tens of injured victims, including severak foreigners were taken to Jakarta Hospital, Medistra Hospital and Metropolitan Medical Center (MMC) Hospital near the area.

The facade of the Ritz-Carlton hotel was blown off in one of the blasts Friday morning. Another explosion hit the neighboring Marriott hotel.

First explosion reportedly occurred at Ritz-Carlton hotel at around 8 a.m., followed by a second explosion at Marriot hotel minutes later. Witnesses said the second explosion was louder.

The Marriott hotel was attacked in 2003, when 12 died. Southeast Asian terror network Jamaah Islamiyah was blamed on that blast.

Police: Bombs at Jakarta hotels kill 4 foreigners

2009-07-16T20:02:00.001-07:00

A police official says bombs at two luxury hotels in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta have killed four foreigners.

South Jakarta police Col. Firman Bundi told The Associated Press that their bodies have been taken to a hospital.

Tens of injured victims were reportedly being evacuated. Some of the victims were taken to Jakarta Hospital near the area.

Police bomb and anti-terror squads have deployed to curb the area.

The facade of the Ritz-Carlton hotel was blown off in one of the blasts Friday morning. Another explosion hit the neighboring Marriott hotel.

First explosion reportedly occurred at Ritz-Carlton hotel at around 8 a.m., followed by a second explosion at Marriot hotel minutes later. Witnesses said the second explosion was louder.

Bombs explode at 2 hotels in Jakarta

2009-07-16T20:01:00.002-07:00

Explosions hit two hotels in Mega Kuningan, Jakarta on Friday morning. Tens of injured victims were reportedly being evacuated.

Metro TV news channel reported four people were killed in the incident.

Some of the victims were taken to Jakarta hospital.

Hundreds of police officer immediately deployed and curbed the area.

The facade of the Ritz-Carlton hotel was blown off in one blast Friday morning. Another explosion hit the Marriott hotel.

First explosion reportedly occurred at Ritz-Carlton hotel at around 8 a.m., followed by a second explosion at Marriot hotel minutes later. Witnesses said the second explosion was louder.

Indonesian team in high spirits for Red Devils

2009-07-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

Despite lacking in preparation, with only two warm-up matches, the Indonesia All-Star squad is enthusiastic about its next game, against English champion Manchester United, the team's coach said Wednesday.

"The players are currently in high spirits for the Man. U. game," coach Benny Selvianus Dollo told The Jakarta Post in Jakarta.

"We hope they will be a match for the visitors."

The friendly will be played Monday at Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta. The Indonesian stopover is part of the Red Devils' Asian tour, which also includes China, South Korea and Malaysia.

"It will be a great experience to be in the team playing against Man. U.," said Fery Rotinsulu, the Sriwijaya FC goalkeeper.

"Not everyone gets to do this, so we'll do our best for our country."

Next week's game will be only the second visit to Indonesia by a Manchester United team. The 1975 match ended in a goalless draw.

When asked about the squad's chance of scoring against Sir Alex Ferguson's squad, Benny, who has the task of polishing the national team for the 2011 Asian Cup pre-qualification championship, said, "It's possible; the ball is round."

After taking on a relatively minor team in their first game, the All-Star team faced the African Selection All-Stars, made up of African players in the Indonesian Super League.

Boaz Salossa scored two goals and Bambang Pamungkas contributed one in the team's 3-0 win.

Benny said there would be no more warm-up games.

"We'll just have regular exercises in the morning and afternoon to hone the team's strategy," he said.

He added he had prepared a counterattack strategy under the playing format of 4-2-3-1, or a possible 3-5-2 scheme.

The Indonesian All-Stars members, comprising 21 players, have been formed based on text message polling conducted between April and July, and will be officially announced Thursday.

Boaz and Bambang look likely to top the poll. Others include Budi Sudarsono, Eka Ramdani, Syamsul Chaerudin, Ponaryo Astaman, Charis Yulianto, Maman Abdurahman, Isnan Ali, Ricardo Salampessy and Fery Rotinsulu.

Benny said there would be no changes in the lineup.

The 96-strong entourage will arrive at Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport on Saturday night for the four-day visit.

Indonesian All Stars can’t wait for Red Devils

2009-07-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Having played only two tryout matches, the Indonesia All Stars squad is filled with enthusiasm ahead of an international friendly against English champions Manchester United on Monday.

“The players are currently in high spirits. Hopefully they will be able to match the visitors,” national coach Benny Selvianus Dollo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The Indonesian junior team, spearheaded by Andi Lala and Anjas Asmara, held the Red Devils to a goalless draw at the Bung Karno Stadium in 1975.

When asked about his team’s chances to score in the upcoming match, Benny, who is preparing the national squad for the 2011 Asian Cup qualifying round, said: “Everything is possible as the ball is round.”

Benny said there would be no more warm-up match.

“We just have regular exercises in the morning and afternoon to hone the team’s strategy.”

The national team is expected to attempt a counter attack formation of 4-2-3-1 or 3-5-2 against Wayne Rooney and company.

The Indonesian All Stars beat and the Army’s non-professional side PSAD and the African Selection team 3-0 in their warm-ups on Saturday and Tuesday respectively.

The 21-strong team line-up was selected in a poll by text messages between April 15 and July 10, which saw strikers Boaz Salossa and Bambang Pamungkas secure the most votes.

Indonesia beaten by New Zealand in Davis Cup

2009-07-16T19:58:00.002-07:00

JAKARTA: Indonesia's men's tennis team lost to New Zealand after two days of competition in Group 2 Asia-Oceania's semifinal match of the Davis Cup, which ended Saturday in Hamilton, New Zealand.

The pairing of Christopher Benjamin Rungkat and I Ketut Nesa Arta failed to avoid the hosts' 3-0 whitewash after they went down 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (4), 4-6 to G.D. Jones and Dan King-Turner at Perry Arena Stadium on Saturday.

On Friday, Indonesia was 2-0 down after Sunu Wahyu Trijati and Christopher lost their singles matches respectively to King-Turner 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 and to Jones 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. Indonesia will remain in Group 2 while New Zealand advances to third round playoffs.

Indonesia gears up for El Nino attack

2009-07-16T19:58:00.001-07:00

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says Indonesia is expecting El Nino to hit its eastern regions by the end of the year and that the government has been preparing anticipative measures to tackle the impacts of the periodic but anomalous climatic phenomenon.

Speaking after a limited Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Office on Thursday afternoon, Yudhoyono said El Nino was predicted to hit the country by the end of the year and or early next year.

“Today I met with ministers and state officials in charge of the issue and discussed El Nino’s possible impacts on our food supply and resilience,” Yudhoyono told the press.

He said the government, through the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), would continually monitor the development of El Nino, and was ready with several measures to secure food supplies if the warm ocean current attacked.

The measures include advancing the planting period and developing drought-resistent paddy seeds, and ensuring that dams and irrigation systems across the country function well.

“And if El Nino indeed strikes, we have marshes that, once dried up, can be used as paddy fields,” said the President, who has a PhD in Agricultural Economics.
He said wetlands that could be potentially used as paddy fields during dry season amounted to 1.8 million hectares; spreading across Lampung, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.

“I have seen examples how these drying wetlands are used as paddy fields in the regions.”

He said he had also ordered Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono to dispatch agriculture extension workers to accompany and provide counseling services for farmers during the expected hard times.

Indonesia to boost police at Freeport mine

2009-07-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Indonesia is deploying police special forces to end a wave of deadly shootings at the world's largest gold mine run by U.S.-based Freeport in the remote Indonesian province of Papua, a police official said Thursday.

A wave of attacks since Saturday along a road to the mine has marked the worst violence to hit Freeport's operations in the restive province since the murder of three teachers, including two Americans, in August 2002.

At least 15 people, most of them police officers, have been killed or wounded along the 40-mile (65-kilometer) road from Freeport's sprawling Grasberg mining complex to the mountain mining town of Timika.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak said "we have decided to increase enforcement measures to restore security."

Police "special forces" would be sent, along with army soldiers, but he did not say how many.

Mindo Pangaribuan, a spokesman for the Indonesian subsidiary of Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc., said the road has been declared off limits to Freeport workers - numbering around 20,000 excluding on site family members - because of "security reasons."

It was unclear how long the travel ban would last, but the company said it would not affect its business operations.

On Wednesday, five police officers were injured by gunfire and taken to a Freeport-owned hospital, raising the number of wounded to 12, Papua's chief detective, Bambang Rudi, said Thursday.

They were shot in the stomach, hand and thigh when "they were sprayed with bullets," Ishak said, adding that they were all now in stable condition.

Since Saturday, the assailants have shot and killed a 29-year-old Australian and a Freeport security guard, while a policeman fell to his death in a ravine as he sought cover.

Investigators said they still do not know who is behind the shooting spree, but that the ammunition is standard military and police issue.

The manhunt for the perpetrators will be joined by the special forced and military reinforcements with "certain targets," Ishak said.

Authorities initially blamed the ambushes on Papuan separatists with the Free Papua Movement, OPM, who have waged a low-level insurgency for 40 years. But official statements now refer to "an armed group" of professional marksmen.

Several analysts have suggested that the violence is likely the result of a long-standing rivalry between paramilitary police units and soldiers competing for control of illegal multimillion-dollar protection and gold mining businesses around Freeport.

Indonesian Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono asked people to refrain from speculating on police rivalry in comments to the Jakarta Foreign Correspondent's Club Wednesday. However, he said that "rouge elements" in the military might have a hand in the unrest.

"My own suspicion is there are criminal groups from within and outside Papua who have seen this as a lucrative business and it may be a battle over access," he said, estimating that illegal gold mining at the edges of Freeport's mining complex could earn a miner up to $3,500 per month - more than three times a minimum wage salary in Indonesia.

Papua, a desperately poor mountain province, lies some 2,100 miles (3,400 kilometers) east of the capital, Jakarta. Since Arizona-based Freeport opened its operations under the U.S.-backed Suharto dictatorship various opponents have targeted its activities.

The province, known as West Papua during Indonesia's Dutch colonization, was gradually transferred to Indonesian rule in the 1960s after a stage-managed vote by community leaders. A highly militarized zone, it is off limits to foreign journalists.

Many local activists are resentful because Freeport earns billions of dollars in profit from Papua's natural resources while the people remain overwhelmingly poor.

World Cup Bid 2018: Indonesia

2009-07-04T21:22:00.001-07:00

Think of the countries that have hosted World Cups in the past and you'll soon find yourself contemplating some of the legendary names from football history. Brazil, England, Germany, Italy, Argentina… the list goes on, but can you imagine that same list featuring Indonesia? If FIFA's committee of representatives decide to take a more adventurous and imaginative line, you might just find them on it in the years to come.

It's only been seven years since the World Cup first decamped on the Asian continent and if truth be known Indonesia may be overlooked in favour of near neighbours Japan for 2018. That said, many may find it an affront to return to Japan again so soon, so it’s possible Indonesia will benefit from playing the novelty card.

As it is, Indonesia can rely on rather more than just novelty to convince their doubters. Its population of 235 million are football mad and television audiences regularly top everything else on offer. It has one of the fastest growing football markets in the world, and the Indonesian Super League (Indonesia's top flight football competition) is expanding more and more with every passing year.

If FIFA wanted to ride the wave of outright passion and enthusiasm for the game over there, the 2018 World Cup might be the best excuse to do so. There are, however, many question marks hanging over key aspects of Indonesia's bid which FIFA will need some assurances over.

Stadia
As far as stadia are concerned, there are only three of any note which could be used if a World Cup had to be held in Indonesia tomorrow. The government-owned Bung Karno Stadium (left) in Jakarta is where the national team play. It has a capacity of 88,000 and was the setting for the Final of the 2007 Asian Cup competition. Elsewhere there's the 60,000-seater Palaran Stadium in Samarinda where local team Persisam plays, plus the multi-use Sriwijaya Jakabaring Stadium in Palembang which can seat 40,000.

Many other stadia in Indonesia have capacities between 25,000 and 30,000 and some of these will be upgraded to meet FIFA's minimum limit of 40,000. In addition, many venues have a running track which the world governing body generally frowns upon and would like to see used only sparingly.

So once the existing stadia are upgraded and the new ones are built, Indonesia will have a decent selection of venues available for the tournament, but with so much work to do to turn them into the finished article, FIFA's bid committee will need a lot of convincing that such a huge project can be completed on time.

Transport
Of course it's all very well having the stadia, but what if you can't travel easily between them? Here lies another issue for the Indonesian bid. Made up of over 17,500 islands, the country relies heavily on air travel to shuttle anyone affluent enough in and out of the country and between any of its major cities. Here, however, Indonesia is well set up with 161 airports and an extensive domestic airline network. What isn't so impressive, though, is the fact that Indonesia has one of the worst air travel safety records in the world. Hardly inspiring, you'll no doubt agree.

Elsewhere, the only decent rail facilities can be found on Java and Sumatra and all the motorways are tolled - not that that'll be a concern as the cost of privately owning a car makes them a rarity on Indonesia's roads.

Passenger ships run regularly between the islands and the best way to get from A to B is undoubtedly by bus but when half the world descends on this place for a World Cup, you have to wonder whether the existing transport infrastructure will be able to cope.

Dishonesty and devastation
Aside from the stadia and transport issues are some altogether more sinister concerns. Indonesia, like several other south-east Asian countries, has a problem with corruption that infiltrates various aspects of everyday life such as politics, economics and, specifically, football.

Anyone hoping to make a living from coaching can expect to be frustrated and put off reaching any level of greatness. Many of the people that run football in Indonesia are administrating the sport to their own financial benefit, as has been reported by foreigners that have witnessed this first-hand.

Peter Butler (left), a former West Ham player and coach in Asia was recently quoted as saying: “I myself am owed over $45,000 by my ex-club, Persiba Balikapapan, and over 50 players are presently fighting their cases with FIFPro at FIFA to receive what they are owed.

“There is no protection for coaches and players, and sadly many club officials manipulate the system for their own personal gain, sack coaches and players at will and refuse to pay what is owed on their contracts. The Indonesian FA turn a blind eye."

Whether FIFA choose to turn a blind eye remains to be seen, but the spectre of terrorism is one issue that you can be sure they won’t dismiss. In 2002, the island of Bali was rocked by a bomb explosion which killed 202 people and injured a further 209. The bombing was said to be the work of a violent Islamist group and though several people were convicted, a second incident three years later resulted in 20 more people dying from the work of three suicide bombers.

Indonesia has witnessed several other bombing incidents over the years that may or may not have been carried out by the same terrorist organisation, and security has naturally been stepped up to counter this threat. Only a sustained period of calm, however, will assure FIFA that a World Cup can forge a more peaceful path if it arrives in nine years time.

Summary
Let’s not delude ourselves then. Indonesia is without question the rank outsider of all the bidding nations for the 2018 World Cup, and though it isn’t a complete impossibility that the competition will be held there, it is difficult to look beyond the negative issues that need to be resolved.

Yet Indonesia have cleared the first hurdle on the road to hosting glory: believing that they have a right to be ambitious and to submit a bid in the first place. They know that on the football map they are a small entity with an incredibly low profile, but that needn’t always be the case. They are a nation of football-loving people and their appetite for the game deserves to be recognised. FIFA’s body of decision makers will certainly be quick to acknowledge that fact, but the less-palatable realities of Indonesia’s bid will be probably prove a little too hard to swallow.

Manchester United love Asia

2009-07-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Manchester United are doing everything they can to promote their Asian partnerships, and the players involved are giving it just the half-assed effort you might expect.

In the video above, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs, and company are in a classroom learning a bit of Bahasia Indonesia ahead of their upcoming trip. I’m not exactly sure what phrases they’re learning, but I’m going to assume it’s something about exploiting the Asian market.

Next up is a promotional video for United’s “official destination partner” Seoul, South Korea…

Here the players couldn’t be bothered to do more than write down a single, generic descriptor of the city. I don’t know about you, but when I see Giggs holding a whiteboard that says Seoul is…fantastic! I have to all but restrain myself from stealing a credit card and buying plan tickets immediately.

My favorite, though, was the team’s fitness coach (did Fergie back out at the last minute?), who says Seoul is…24 hours! What does that mean? That the city exists on the same daily time schedule as the rest of the world? That’s good to know. Or maybe he’s trying to say that the city’s like some kind of a convenience store that never closes. If so, I can’t wait to go there just to buy a sandwich and a bottle of water when I’m too drunk to see straight.

TOP NEWS CENTER