"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."
"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)
.

The headquarters of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in 
Jakarta. (BeritaSatu Photo)
"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Why the World, Including Indonesia, Would Be a Better Place if Women Were in Charge

Jakarta Globe, Henri Lois, August 25, 2012

Related articles

Steven Pinker wrote that over history, women have been a pacifying force. Traditional war is a man’s game: tribal women never band together to raid neighboring villages.

As mothers, women maintain peaceful conditions in which to nurture their offspring and ensure that their genes survive into the next generation.

“Women hold up half the sky,” in the words of the Chinese proverb, yet that’s mostly an aspiration; in the real world, women are uneducated marginalized.

In the 19th century, the paramount moral challenge was slavery. In the 20th century, it was totalitarianism. Today, it is the aggression against women around the world: sex trafficking, acid attacks, rape and so forth.

In 1988, one study found that 39,000 baby girls died annually in China because parents did not give them the same medical care that boys received.  

In India, a “bride burning” takes place approximately every two hours, to punish a woman for an inadequate dowry or to eliminate her so a man can remarry, according to various reports.

In addition, ultrasound machines have allowed pregnant women to find out the sex of the fetus — and then get an abortion if it is female.

In reality, women have helped make the world a better place for us all. Nearly 82 percent of jobs lost during the economic global slowdown have belonged to men, while most of the new jobs have gone to women. 

Former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan has said, “If there is one lesson we in the United Nations have learned over the years, it is that investing in women is the most productive strategy a country can pursue in order to raise economic productivity, improve nutrition and health, and educate the next generation.” 

When economist Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, he made it clear that it was women who made up the bulk of the poor but ambitious small-business owners, lifting their communities out of poverty with their entrepreneurship. Women are behind many of the primary drivers of social change.

The little secret of global poverty is that some of the most wretched suffering is caused by unwise spending by men. The poorest families in the world spend approximately 10 times as much (20 percent of their incomes on average) on a combination of alcohol, prostitution, candy, sugary drinks and lavish feasts as they do on educating their children (2 percent).

One way to reallocate family expenditures is to put more money in the hands of women. A series of studies has found that when women hold assets or gain incomes, family money is more likely to be spent on nutrition, medicine and housing, and consequently children are healthier.

In the United States, women earn 78 cents to a man’s dollar. Unlike men, however, women are more willing to take risks on smaller or new organizations they believe have a strong vision for change. Studies show women volunteer more than men. Women are the single most important market opportunity for changing the world.

In some parts of Indonesia, sadly, women are still considered second-class citizens. This can be seen from the remuneration levels for women at most companies, with men generally receiving higher pay.

In Indonesian politics, there have been initiatives to give women more representation in the House of Representatives, but no political party has achieved the 30 percent allotment.

More than 25 years ago, the futurist John Naisbitt talked about the future of the world. That was a time when Japanese companies were in the ascendancy, developing assets around the world.

At that time, Naisbitt had predicted that the United States would regain economic dominance simply because the country empowered its women to be economically productive.

In Japan, women have limited leadership or sway in the economy, politics and social development.

Research from sociological studies to the latest in brain science shows that above all, women value connection and community. For women, it’s not about “me,” it’s about “we.” That means women are less concerned about the pecking order and more committed to keeping harmony in the coop.

The heart of a woman is making the country spin. Women do more than just give birth. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women were created in the image of God and they are a complete and beautiful creation.  

Women have four times as many brain cells, or neurons, connecting the right and left sides of their brain, according to scientific reports.

Women can focus on more than one problem at a time and frequently prefer to solve problems through multiple activities at a time. Nation-building will progress tremendously and we will have a better life when women rule the world. At least some believe so, though men may shake their heads. 

Henri Lois is a teacher for hearing-impaired and autistic children in Jakarta

World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
(EPA Photo/ Bagus Indahono)


"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration LecturesGod / CreatorReligions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Based in Greece, Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to built Africa to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) 

Friday, August 24, 2012

Indonesia’s Sri Mulyani on Forbes’ Most Powerful Women List for Fourth Time

The Jakarta Globe, August 24, 2012

World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani Indrawati. (EPA Photo/
Bagus Indahono)
    
Related articles

Forbes has once again included World Bank managing director Sri Mulyani Indrawati on its World’s Most Powerful Women list.

Released on Thursday, the magazine’s 2012 edition of the list placed the former finance minister of Indonesia at number 72, down from her 65th place ranking last year.

This is the fourth time Sri Mulyani has been present on the list. Forbes first included her on it in 2008, ranking her 23rd. She was mentioned again in 2009, although her ranking dropped considerably to 72nd.

Sri Mulyani, 49, served as the Indonesian finance minister from 2005 to 2010. She started serving as one of the three managing directors of the World Bank during May of 2010.

“The most senior woman” at the bank — as Forbes referred to her — oversees its operations  in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.

“Indrawati’s ongoing attention at the World Bank to middle-income countries such as Indonesia and the BRIC nations as a source of power and needed reform draws from her experiences as the Indonesian Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2010,” Forbes has commented.

The magazine also wrote that, “while minister, Indrawati cut Indonesia’s debt in half and helped the reserves reach an all time high of $50 billion."

Forbes’ 2012 list of the World’s Most Powerful Women once again placed German Canchellor Angela Merkel at the top for the second year in a row.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton placed second, followed by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, making the top three spots unchanged from last year.

The Top Ten list reads as follows:
.
1. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
2. Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State of the US
3. Dilma Roussef, President of Brazil
4. Melinda Gates, Co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
5. Jill Abramson, Executive Editor of New York Times Co.
6. Sonia Gandhi, President of Indian National Congress, India
7. Michelle Obama, First Lady of the US
8. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
9. Janet Napolitano, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security of the US
10. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook

Thursday, August 23, 2012

German cabinet passes new house rules for banks

Deutsche Welle, 22 August 2012



Bankers take risks and cash-in while the general public covers the cost. A new law should stop that from happening, the German government has promised. It could make doing business more expensive for banks.

G20 states all agree, the losses from risk-taking banks should no longer be a burden for taxpayers. In order to make that possible, the German cabinet decided on a new "basic order" Wednesday (22.08.2012). The guidelines came from Brussels and run to around 1,000 pages. While the contents continue to be haggled over in minute detail in capital cities throughout Europe, the German cabinet is already taking steps to implement the regulations. It wanted to send a clear signal, according to the Finance Ministry in Berlin. The new law will come into effect at the beginning of 2013.

German credit institutes will now have to raise their core capital quotas – that's capital not tied to risks such as credit or financial investments – to seven percent by the end of 2018. Up until now, it was just two percent. One lesson from the global banking crisis was that a large security buffer for possible losses should be created. If a bank fails to meet the minimum quota, bonus payments and dividend payouts must be approved by German financial market regulator BaFin. For 29 globally operating, so-called "system relevant" banks, the European Banking Authority (EBA) has already stipulated a net equity of at least nine percent. Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank belong to that group.

Stiff penalties

The law drawn up by the German government also states that banks must not break the upper limit for debt and must guarantee their liquidity. The goal is for them to remain solvent even if crisis hits. New security standards, more stringent monitoring, increased transparency and harsher sanctions through the banking regulators should rein in excessive risk-taking on the part of credit institutes, the costs of which are carried by taxpayers. As such, a bank that breaks the rules could face fines twice as high as the possible returns on a risky deal. In addition, banking executives can lose their accreditation and, in extreme cases, banks can even be shut down. 

Feeling the pressure: Finance
Minister Wolfgang Schäuble
The new regulations stem from a resolution that the governors of the central bank and leaders of the regulatory authorities from 27 of the most important industrial and developing countries agreed to in the Swiss city of Basel in September 2010. The agreement is known as Basel III. The European Union created a detailed package of rules and regulations in May 2012, the details of which are still being negotiated between the European Council, the European Parliament and the EU Commission. Above all, the issue is how far individual countries can stray from the regulations.

Feeling the pressure

Germany hopes to have the new law ready to be implemented by the end of the year. It is just one of about 40 proposed laws that Berlin hopes will better regulate the financial sector.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble has warned time is running out, since Europeans committed to implement the new house rules for banks before January 1, 2013. He hoped "that the partners in Brussels also feel the sense of urgency."

Friday, August 17, 2012

Two Indonesian Anti-Corruption Judges Caught Red-Handed Receiving Bribes

Jakarta Globe, Ezra Sihite, August 17, 2012

Related articles

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) caught two anti-corruption court judges red-handed as they were allegedly receiving bribes in the Central Java town of Semarang on Friday.

The two judges were identified only as K. M., a female judge with the Semarang Anti-Corruption Court, and H. K., a male judge with the Pontianak Anti-Corruption Court.

The judges were arrested while receiving at least Rp 100 million ($10,500) from an alleged middleman identified as S. D. in the parking lot of the Semarang District Court.

“We caught red-handed three persons [including S. D.] and are now questioning them,” KPK deputy chief Bambang Widjojanto said on Friday, adding that the KPK cooperated with the Supreme Court in making the arrest.

The bribery is allegedly related to an investigation into a graft case implicating a senior local official.

Supreme Court Deputy Chief Djoko Sarwoko said it would evaluate the work of the two anti-corruption courts following the arrest.

“This incident gives bad name to the institutions, the anti-corruption courts, while they’re actually tasked with heavy responsibilities,” Djoko said.



Thursday, August 16, 2012

Indonesia president says corruption threatens economic growth

Reuters, by Olivia Rondonuwu, Jakarta, Aug 16, 2012

Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono talks during a news
 conference with Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard (not pictured) at the 
Northern Territory Parliament House in Darwin July 3, 2012. (Credit: 
Reuters/Daniel Hartley-Allen/Pool)

(Reuters) - Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Thursday corruption is on the rise, even in parliament, in his most explicit comments yet on a scourge that he warned threatened economic growth in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Corruption is widely seen as holding back the economy and Yudhoyono has been criticized for letting the fight against it slow as he comes towards the end of his second five-year term.

A series of corruption scandals have rocked the president's Democrat Party, weakening it in advance of elections in 2014 when Yudhoyono will step down.

"The drum of war on corruption should not dissipate. Corruption should be completely eradicated," Yudhoyono said in a speech to parliament ahead of the country's Independence Day anniversary.

"I have to admit there are still many perpetrators of corruption even in the government, parliament, regional representatives and among law enforcers," Yudhoyono said.

There are few estimates of how much corruption costs Indonesia but watchdog groups say it is prevalent in the civil service, police and judicial system and that it adds to business costs in part by weakening confidence in the rule of law.

Despite rampant graft, resource-rich Indonesia has become a favorite of emerging market investors because of its large domestic market as the world's fourth most populous country, rising middle class, relatively stable fiscal framework and low levels of public debt.

Economic growth picked up to a stronger-than-expected 6.4 percent last quarter, defying a global downturn because of domestic consumption and investment.

Yudhoyono's wide-ranging speech ahead of Independence Day was the latest in a series to touch on corruption.

He said cooperation between the anti-graft body the KPK, the Supreme Court, police and the Attorney General's office was paramount in fighting corruption.

Yudhoyono said the government must provide a safe legal environment for investors if it is to promote economic growth, as well as removing hurdles to investment and promoting infrastructure growth.

One analyst said he was skeptical that the speech signaled any real stiffening of government resolve on corruption.

"This speech is normative because if you say such things you have to show concrete examples. The president mentions extraordinary action to face corruption but there is no realization on the ground," said Donal Fariz of Indonesia Corruption Watch, a graft watchdog.

Europe's economic crisis also provided a threat to growth in Indonesia, and that the government needed to cautiously give a fiscal stimulus, though he did not give any details, Yudhoyono said.

Economists say the government needs to spend more to overhaul infrastructure to drive long-term growth, though central government spending usually falls below target because of corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency.

(Additional reporting by Aditya Suharmoko, Adriana Nina Kusuma and Rieka Rahadiana; Writing by Matthew Bigg; Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)



Uncle Sam is listening in

RNW, 14 August 2012,

 (Yammer/Floris Oostenveld)

The American administration is able to access communications between Dutch civil servants, according to the Nederlands Dagblad.

Government agencies in the Netherlands make wide scale use of the enterprise social network Yammer for internal communication. But all the data gathered by the California-based company falls under US anti-terror laws and can thus be accessed by American officials.

Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld, who is active in EU policy affecting internet privacy, commented that the problem affects all companies and institutions that also do business with America. She cited the example of a US company which produces Dutch passports, meaning the fingerprints of Dutch citizens are available via the anti-terror laws. “Europe must say to the US: this far and no further. This is our jurisdiction” commented the politician to broadcaster BNR, “We must respect each other and not go rummaging about in each other's data.”

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Chinese companies pull out of U.S. stock markets

CBS News, August 14, 2012 

(MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)
(AP) BEIJING - Just a few years after Chinese companies lined up to sell shares on Wall Street, a growing number are reversing course and pulling out of U.S. exchanges.

This week, Focus Media Holding Ltd., announced a $3.5 billion plan to buy back its U.S.-traded shares and take the Shanghai-based advertising company private.

Smaller companies also are withdrawing from U.S. exchanges. A state bank has provided $1 billion in loans to help them move to domestic exchanges.

The withdrawals follow accusations of improper accounting by some companies and a deadlock between Beijing and Washington over whether U.S. regulators can oversee their China-based auditors.

Some Chinese companies say they are pulling out of U.S. markets because a low share price fails to reflect the strength of their business.



Friday, August 10, 2012

German companies push for anti-corruption convention

Deutsche Welle, 9 Aug 2012



More than 30 leading German businesses have asked Berlin to ratify an international anti-corruption convention. The companies say keeping out of the convention hurts Germany's business reputation abroad.

Since it got off the ground nine years ago, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (CAC) has been signed by 160 countries. The agreement commits nations to take action against corrupt officials and members of parliament within their own borders. The convention also calls on signatories to work on fighting corruption on an international level together. 

Head of business want more action
from the German parliament
Several countries have refrained from signing on. These include Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria - and Germany. Berlin's abstention from ratifying the convention has spurred the heads of more than 30 German companies to action.

The executives wrote a letter to the heads of every political party represented in the German parliament. That includes the ruling coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU), the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the Free Democrats (FDP) along with opposition Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and the Left Party. Leaders from the German private sector are calling on the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, to sign onto CAC as soon as possible.

"The failure to ratify hurts the reputation of German businesses," the letter said. Some of the biggest names in German industry signed the document, including the heads of Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank and Allianz, electronics powerhouse Siemens, Deutsche Telekom, carmaker Daimler, industrial gas company Linde, pharmaceutical giant Bayer, energy provider Eon, and retail chain Metro.

The value of compliance 

Pauthner says ratifying CAC
could pay dividends
Jürgen Pauthner, an expert in compliance and corruption at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, attributed the industry leaders' letter to worldwide changes in how value has been calculated over recent years. The technical meaning of compliance refers to how much companies adhere to agreed-upon rules.

"The credibility of companies, individuals and entire countries in relation to agreed-upon rules - upon compliance - has an enormous economic value," Pauthner told DW.

He added that parliamentarians' abstaining from bribes is an important part of compliance.

"A democratic country like Germany has to have overall international credibility and should not needlessly make itself subject to criticism," the letter said.

It went on to say CAC's anti-corruption rules would help German companies when doing business in other countries.

Anti-corruption organization Transparency International welcomed the German business leaders' letter.

"It's a good thing that they have signed up for something Transparency has supported for years: that the elements of the offense of bribing a member of parliament finally be sensibly tightened in Germany so that Germany can ratify this important international convention," said Christian Homburg, director of the organization's German office. "

Some wonder if Germany is a good example for the rest of the world
when it comes to transparency

German anti-corruption rules inadequate

Germany actually signed CAC when it was introduced nine years ago, but ratification has stalled in parliament. The reason is that CAC would require clear and meaningful punishments for elected officials found guilty of accepting bribes.

Parliamentarians' buying or selling of votes is only punished as a statutory offense in Germany. Moreover, that only covers voting in plenary sessions of the Bundestag or in committee meetings.

German corruption law does not cover advice parliamentarians give in party working groups. Up until now, if a member is bribed in order to influence a vote in a working group it would not be illegal.

Humborg said he suspects German parliamentarians are holding back from ratifying CAC is to protect themselves, which sends a an embarrassing signal to the international community.

"How can you credibly tell Afghanistan to fight corruption in order to keep receiving German development money," he said, "if you yourself do not ratify this convention?"

Outside pressure mounting

Germany's ruling coalition has argued CAC would infringe on parliamentarians' ability to represent their constituents.

"Nobody understands that," Pauthner said. "From both the legal and economic points of view, there is no argument not to make that a crime."

Humborg is disappointed in German
 anti-corruption policy
The German business leaders are trying to appeal to parliamentarians' conscience, writing, "Honest elected officials do not need to fear stricter regulations."

Humborg said the ruling parties' fear of tightening corruption law is unfounded. He said he cannot imagine stricter rules would bring about many investigations at the federal level.

"Strengthening [corruption law] primarily seems important on the local level," Humborg explained, "because municipal officials and local councils are bound under these statutes. That's where I could imagine where there might be irregularities."

In April, GRECO, the Council of Europe Group of States Against Corruption´, asked Germany to immediately tighten its corruption laws by the end of June. Nothing has happened since the deadline passed. GRECO is currently thinking of sending a commission to Berlin to increase the pressure on Germany.


Related Article:

"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) SoulsMidpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Loose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Paddle wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.) (Text version)

Monday, August 06, 2012

Indonesia's economy: Domestic demand boosts expansion

BBC News, 6 August 2012

Related Stories 

Strong domestic demand has been
 one of key drivers of growth in
Indonesia
Indonesia's economy grew more than expected in the second quarter as domestic consumption helped offset a decline in demand for exports.

The economy expanded by 6.4% during the three months, from a year earlier. Most analysts had expected a growth of 6.1%.

Economists said low interest rates, stable consumer price growth and strong consumer and business confidence had helped boost domestic demand.

Indonesia is South East Asia's largest economy.

"As per today's data, Indonesia remains one of the fastest growing, and perhaps more importantly, one of the most stable economies in Asia," said Taimur Baig, an economist with Deutsche Bank.

Olympics-Athletics-Choose trainers not guns, says Barrondo

Reuters, by Neil Maidment, LONDON, Sat Aug 4, 2012

Aug 4 (Reuters) - Erick Barrondo walked into Guatemala's history books on Saturday as its first Olympic medal winner and said he hoped the magic of the moment would help his countrymen back home pick up trainers in future instead of guns.

"It's well known that Guatemala has problems with guns and knives," Barrondo said after finishing second in the men's 20km race walk, which took in the sights of Buckingham Palace.

"I hope that this medal inspires the kids at home to put down guns and knives and pick up a pair of trainers instead. If they do that, I will be the happiest guy in the world."

The 21-year-old, whose parents were both middle distance runners, even broke away from journalists' questions to take a call from Guatemala's president, Otto Perez Molina.

"The president congratulated me on the first Olympic medal for the country. He told me that everyone had come out on the streets to celebrate the triumph," said Barrondo, who finished 11 seconds behind China's Chen Ding.

"It was a glorious day for me, but the glory is most of all for my country," he added.

In a day of firsts in London the race was won by Chen, who together with his third placed compatriot Wang Zhen were the first Chinese men to win an Olympic medal in a race walking event.

Barrondo, who finished 10th in last year's 20km race walk final at the world championships in Daegu, worked hard to stay in contention among a Chinese and Russian dominated leading pack before breaking away to split China's duo on the final stretch.

(Reporting by Neil Maidment; editing by Michael Holden)

Erick Barrondo of Guatemala as he crossed the finish
 line in London on Saturday. (Markus Schreiber/
Associated Press)

Related Article


Sunday, August 05, 2012

Pakistan police suspended after parading naked couple

BBC News, 4 August 2012

Pakistani Shahnaz Bibi was forced to parade naked in her village last year
  
Related Stories 

Several Pakistani police officers have been suspended after they were accused of parading a couple naked in public.

According to witnesses, police in the Sindh town of Gambat forced the man and woman to walk to the police station naked as punishment for trying to have sex outside marriage.

Mobile phone footage shows a naked man being beaten by police and a woman begging them to let her cover herself.

After a public outcry, officials suspended the officers involved.

The BBC's Shahzeb Jiliani says incidents of public dishonouring are not uncommon in Pakistan, but this incident is particularly shocking because it was carried out by police and filmed on mobile phones.

Last year, several men were arrested for stripping a middle aged woman naked and parading her round the village as punishment for her son allegedly having an affair with a woman in their family.

Shahnaz Bibi told the BBC at the time that her life had been ruined by the ordeal, and she could never go home.

'Deeply scarred'

The footage of this latest incident shows the man, Mumtaz Mirbahar, being pushed around and abused by police officers on his property.

He is then forced to walk naked to the police station, alongside his alleged partner, as a large crowd looks on.

Mr Mirbahar said he has been "deeply scarred" by the incident. He has been released on bail, but the woman involved is still in detention.

Local police said they took action in response to several public complaints against Mr Mirbahar, who has been reportedly holding drink and dance parties during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Neighbours confirmed to the BBC that there had been an issue, but said the police did not have the right to humiliate anyone in that manner.

Pakistani activists say unless stern action is taken against the officers involved, police abuses of their power are unlikely to end here.



Saturday, August 04, 2012

Chevron Pacific Indonesia in Hot Water Over Toxic Cleanup

Jakarta Globe, Rangga Prakoso | August 04, 2012

Related articles

A local subsidiary of oil giant Chevron could be in legal trouble over toxic leaks at a former drilling sites in Riau that it has allegedly failed to clean up despite an agreement with the government.

Test results on soil samples taken from a site formerly run by Chevron Pacific Indonesia indicate that prosecutors have a case, the Attorney General’s Office said on Friday.

Andhi Nirwanto, the assistant attorney general for special crimes, said sample results from the Duri site in Riau came back “positive” for traces of pollutants.

“We’re not saying that the bioremediation project that CPI was supposed to carry out was fictitious, but what is clear is that the lab results support the prosecutors’ case,” he said.

The AGO has accused CPI and its subcontractors of causing $23.4 million in state losses by appointing unqualified contractors to carry out the work of rehabilitating the Duri site.

The project was intended to normalize soil contaminated with toxic substances from CPI’s oil drilling.

CPI contracted the project to Green Planet Indonesia and Sumi Gita Jaya.

The work was to be paid for on a cost-recovery basis, meaning that CPI would be reimbursed the full $23.4 million cost of the work by upstream oil and gas regulator BPMigas.

Investigators, acting on tips from the public, say they believe the work was never completed. Instead, they allege, someone pocketed the money from BPMigas without first conducting the agreed-upon work.

CPI says the design and application of the bioremediation technology used in the project was evaluated and approved by the regulator and the Environment Ministry.

BPMigas denies it has paid the recovery cost, saying the project was not finished and it would be years before it was completed.

Prosecutors, however, are pursuing the case on the assumption that money has been paid to CPI for work that was not properly done. Andhi said that investigators from the AGO were working with auditors to determine the exact losses allegedly suffered by the state.

The AGO has named seven people as suspects, including five from CPI and one each from Green Planet and Sumi Gita.


A logo of Chevron Pacific Indonesia.
(Antara Photo)  

Friday, August 03, 2012

Kupang suspended secretary gets 2.5 years in prison for corruption

The Jakarta Post, Yemris Fointuna, Archipelago, August 03 2012

Habde Adrianus Dami: (Tribunnews/
Pos Kupang.com)
Suspended Kupang regional secretary Habde Adrianus Dami was sentenced to two years in prison after judges found him guilty of corruption in the 2008 procurement of fishing ships that caused Rp 261 million (US$27,526) in state losses.

“The defendant is guilty of causing state losses and is therefore sentenced to two years in prison and Rp 100 million in fines. The defendant can serve an additional three months in prison should he be unable to pay the fine,” presiding judge Fery Haryanta said, reading the verdict at the Kupang Corruption Court on Friday.

The judge went on saying that the defendant was guilty of enriching himself and other people or a corporation.

The graft took place when Habde was in office as head of the Maritime and Fisheries Agency, and was in charge of a Rp 1.37 billion budget to procure seven fishing ships.

The sentence was lower than the four-and-a-half year prison term and Rp 200 million in fines demanded by the prosecutors.

In a separate trial, a panel of judges sentenced director of CV. Harapan Baik Ishak Teddy Tanoni, a company appointed to realize the procurement project, to a two-and-a-half year prison term. (iwa)