Sinar Mas Faces Sanction from Industry Body

Sinar Mas Faces Sanction from Industry Body

An industry body for sustainable palm oil on Thursday accused Indonesian giant Sinar Mas of breaching its principles, and warned that it could face expulsion. Sinar Mas Agro Resources and Technology (SMART) has been struggling to repair its image after Greenpeace alleged the Indonesian firm was devastating rainforests and habitats for endangered species like orangutans.

The name-and-shame campaign by the environmental group has led several foreign buyers to cancel major contracts, but SMART said last month that an audit it had commissioned had cleared it of the charges. In a rare public censure, the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) — an industry group of producers, environmental groups and food companies — said it had found “serious non-compliance” on the firm’s part.

“The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil takes all infringements of its Code of Conduct and Principles and Criteria very seriously,” the Kuala Lumpur-based RSPO said in a statement on its website.

“Members who have been found to not be in compliance and who continue to be in non-compliance with the RSPO regulations could ultimately face sanctions, including the suspension and, eventually, the termination of their membership of the RSPO.”

The industry group said SMART was found to have failed to “work towards implementation and certification of the RSPO Principles and Criteria”.

The RSPO was formed in 2004 to establish stringent social and environmental criteria including a ban on clearing forests in order to plant the crop. SMART, the Indonesian palm oil unit of its Singapore-listed parent company Golden Agri Resources (GAR) and part of the Sinar Mas agri-industry empire, commissioned the audit in February after Greenpeace made the claims.

The environmental watchdog accuses SMART of widespread forest destruction, including clearing primary forests and peatland. SMART — part of the Singapore-listed Sinar Mas agribusiness group — has said it should not be blamed for the destruction of Borneo’s forests and that the allegations are “largely unfounded”. GAR has lost major clients including Unilever, Kraft and Nestle in the resulting furore.

Indonesia is the biggest producer of palm oil, which is used in everything from biscuits to cosmetics, but environmentalists say plantations are driving deforestation blamed for habitat loss and producing greenhouse gases.

Privatization in Indonesia Remains Uncertain

Privatization in Indonesia Remains Uncertain

Plans to privatize Indonesia’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have existed for years but they appear not easy to implement. Each time State Enterprises Minister Mustafa Abubakar appears in parliament for working meetings, the issue comes up and is in a fierce debate. Facing members of the House of Representatives last week, again, he confirmed that some state owned enterprises were deemed ready to release their shares to the public.

The companies include steel-maker PT Krakatau Steel, national flag-carrier PT Garuda Indonesia, PT Bank Mandiri and PT Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI). The privatization of those companies, he said, will generate IDR30 trillion-35 trillion in cash should they all be put on the privatization list and release their shares this year.

"The figure does not yet include several smaller companies, like Sarana Karya, Primissima, and Paper Padalarang," he said at a working meeting with the House’s Commission VI. The House approved all privatization plans except for Bank Mandiri and BNI.

"For Bank Mandiri and BNI, we expect to obtain the House’s approval in October. Thus, the privatization process can run as expected," added Mustafa. Rapidly balanced with the usual nationalistic whistles, the government has been warned against recklessly privatizing state-state-owned enterprises.

"We at the House hope the privatization will prioritize investment from within," House Commission III member Bambang Soesatyo said last Monday.

Responding to the question of how the House views the drive for SOEs privatization , the Golkar politician said the program needed to be scrutinized closely considering that it is part of IMF’s Structure Adjustment Program for Indonesia, prescribed back in 1997.

"This program has been rejected by many strata of the people," Soesatyo said and he warned the government against privatizing companies which are of strategic importance such as those in the plantation and banking sectors.

The resilience of the national economy must not be weakened by the privatization of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), much less make the country dependent on foreign financing sources, Soesatyo emphasized.

Ross H. McLeod, an economic researcher with the Australian National University (ANU), in his study of Indonesia’s privatization drive, noted that privatization idea came to prominence as a result of the economic crisis that commenced in Indonesia shortly after the unexpected float of the Thai baht in July 1997.

It was included as one of the policies to which the government committed itself as a condition for the provision of financial assistance by the IMF in November 1997 (GOI 1997). The rationale for this was rather vague.

Reading between the lines, the reasoning seems to have been that since private capital was fleeing the country it was necessary to persuade the markets that henceforth the government would pay greater attention to microeconomic reform as a precondition for the return of rapid growth, he said.

Among other things, this would require SOEs-previously used as instruments for the distribution of patronage by way of artificially high buying prices, artificially low selling prices, privileged access to jobs and cheap loans or even grants-to be divested.

Presidential order

Against such an enigmatic atmosphere with regard to the privatization plans came the order from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that ministers must do a thorough evaluation of all SOEs by 2013. He made clear his stance of the matter when speaking at the opening of the Indonesia Business-BUMN Expo and Conference (IBBEX) 2010, in Jakarta, Thursday.

"From ministers, especially the coordinating economic minister and the state enterprises minister, I want an incisive evaluation within three years. If SOEs are still inefficient, not productive, and not profitable and with no prospects, something will have to be done," President Yudhoyono said.

Towards getting that done, he added, the ministers could merge, reform, restructure or even liquidate the companies. Indonesia currently has 141 state-owned enterprises operating in various sectors. State firms booked Rp 45.3 trillion in net profit during the first half of this year, an 18.26 percent increase from Rp 38.3 trillion in the same period last year.

Economist Faisal Basri of University of Indonesia recently said that SOEs were mostly inefficient and this bleak condition has been due to corruption.

"SOEs will remain a cashcow to ruling politicians and their cronies because our election costs are unusually high. No one can offer subtle loyalty in the form of campaign funding other than SOE executives, who are also vying to remain in power," he said.

Cases of corruption in SOEs are becoming more sophisticated, Faisal said, with numerous proxies making the graft less apparent to the public.

Why Should Indonesia Still Expect Obama's Visit?

Why Should Indonesia Still Expect Obama's Visit?

President of the United States Barack Obama is expected to come to Indonesia before the end of 2010 after he has earlier canceled his two previous planned visits, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said.

"In his opening speech at the UN General Assembly this morning, one of Obama’s statements contained an announcement that he would visit Indonesia in the near future," Marty told the press here on Thursday or early Wednesday in Indonesia.

The foreign affairs minister made the statement during a press conference led by Vice President Boediono which was also attended by Head of the Indonesian Capital Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM), Gita Wirjawan, Chief of the Presidential Working Unit for Development Control and Supervision (UKP4) Kuntoro Mangkusubroto and Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal.

"Obama’s planned visit to Indonesia would be as part of his tour of a number of countries like India," Marty said.

Although Obama has canceled his two previous visits, Indonesia would prepare everything based on the standing procedures for his coming visit. Marty said that Obama’s planned visit indicated that Indonesia remained an important and a priority country to visit for the United States.

Asked on the certainty of Obama’s visit to Indonesia, Marty diplomatically said he could not ascertain whether or not the plan would be canceled again.

"I have no idea what would happen in the coming several months, where a plan cannot be realized. But we will remain to prepare for his planned visit," the foreign minister said.

Obama has canceled his plan visit to Indonesia on March 23, 2010 over a health bill issue. He again canceled his planned visit on July 13-19 due to an environmental problem offshore Lousiana as a result of an oil spill in the gulf of Mexico.

Plane Engulfed by Fire at Indonesian Air Show

Plane Engulfed by Fire at Indonesian Air Show

A pilot was seriously injured when he crashed a plane while performing a low-altitude stunt at an air show in Indonesia on Friday, officials and witnesses said.

Thousands of people including children from local kindergartens watched on in horror as the Super Decathlon plane smashed into the ground and burst into flames at Husein Sastranegara Air Base in Bandung city.

“The pilot failed to control the aircraft during an aerobatic manoeuvre at low altitude. The plane hit the ground and caught fire,” Air Force spokesman Bambang Samudro told AFP. The single-prop plane belonged to the Indonesian Aero Sports Federation and the pilot, Alexander Supeli, had won second place at an international aerobatics championship in Australia in 1997.

“The pilot is in intensive care at a hospital with serious injuries.”

The pilot — the only person aboard the single-engine aircraft — was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, said Asni Wati, the spokesman for the city of Bandung’s international airport. No one on the ground was injured.

Gasps rang out from the crowd of spectators — many of them elementary school students — as the plane burst into flames. The accident occurred on the second day of an air show celebrating the 200th anniversary of Bandung, located 120 kilometers southeast of the capital, Jakarta.

Pope's Portugal trip a bid to move beyond scandal

Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up a trip to Portugal on Friday with an appeal to spread the faith, capping a pilgrimage marked by an explicit admission of church guilt in the clerical abuse scandal with a fresh bid to move beyond the crisis.

Benedict celebrated Mass on Friday in the northern city of Porto, his final stop in a four-day trip designed to boost the faithful in a country that is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic but where only about 20 percent of the people regularly go to church. Portugal's north is its most conservative, staunchly Catholic region, and Benedict came to pay tribute to efforts by the local bishop to make the church stronger presence in the country.

"We must get over the temptation of limiting ourselves with what we have, or think we have as surely ours," Benedict said. "How much time has been lost, how much work has been pushed back because we didn't pay attention to this?"

Authorities were preparing for 15,000-200,000 to attend Friday's Mass, celebrated in front of city hall with Porto's main avenue filled with flag-waving faithful shouting "Viva o papa!" On Thursday, some 400,000 pilgrims turned out for the spiritual highlight of Benedict's trip, a Mass in the famous shrine city of Fatima on the anniversary of the day when three shepherd children reported visions of the Virgin.

Benedict dealt with the scandal head-on en route to Portugal, telling reporters on board the papal plane that the crisis was caused by the "sins within the church," his most explicit admission of Church culpability to date. But Benedict moved on to other issues during his various speeches and homilies, which touched on the increasing secularization of Europe and the need to uphold traditional church teaching on key matters of life and family.

In Fatima, Benedict called abortion and same-sex marriage some of the most "insidious and dangerous" threats facing the world today. Vatican officials cast the turnout in Fatima as evidence that Benedict had turned a page in weathering the abuse scandal, which has dogged him for months.

One issue Benedict didn't address at length in any of his speeches or homilies was the European financial crisis and the crippling effect it is having in Portugal. During his visit, Prime Minister Jose Socrates announced tax hikes in a bid to allay market fears about its high level of debt.

The crisis is being felt acutely in Porto, known for its production of Portugal's famous sweet port wine but perhaps more importantly as the hub of the country's industrial north. Its traditional manufacturing sector, especially textiles and footgear, has declined over the past 20 years, putting many out of work.

The plight of Portugal's low-paid blue-collar workers - Portugal's minimum monthly wage, earned by more than 300,000 people, is euro475 - is expected to worsen with the new austerity measures designed to reduce the state debt.

Benedict made a few vague references to the tough times, but only explicitly referred to the financial crisis in comments to reporters on the first day in which he renewed his call for a more ethics-based world financial order.

Porto Archbishop Manuel Clemente referred to the economic difficulties in his welcome to the pontiff Friday, saying the the church was "urgently" being called on to provide charity to the needy.

Terrorists' weapons from the Philippines, police say

Terrorists' weapons from the Philippines, police say

National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said Friday the rifles and bullets seized from terrorist suspects arrested recently were mostly smuggled from the Philippines.

"One of the suspects had been assigned to take 21 rifles from Mindanao, the Philippines, but we arrested him before he left," Bambang told the press.

The police's counterterrorism squad has arrested 58 suspects and killed 13 others across the country since January this year.

The latest raid was conducted on Thursday at a battery shop in Sukoharjo, Central Java, where the squad nabbed three suspects.

The police claimed many of the suspects had undergone training in Mindanao, home to Muslim separatist rebels in the Catholic-predominantly Philippines.

House officially endorses Bambang Hendarso new National Police Chief

House officially endorses Bambang Hendarso new National Police Chief

The House of Representatives decided to endorse Comr. Gen Bambang Hendarso Danuri as the National Police chief at a plenary session Wednesday following a positive result of a House fit and proper test Monday.

House Speaker Agung Laksono said he hoped the new police chief would carry out the National Police Law with full responsibility.

The House will send the test result to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono so that the President can install Bambang Hendarso as soon as possible.

Earlier in the session, chairman of House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, Trimedya Panjaitan, said all House factions accepted Bambang Hendarso, who is currently the head of the National Police detectives unit, as the new National Police chief to replace retiring Gen. Sutanto. (dre)

Terrorist suspects targeted independence day ceremony: Police

Terrorist suspects targeted independence day ceremony: Police

The National Police has revealed that terrorist suspects in its custody planned to assassinate President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and other high-ranking officials during an independence day ceremony at the State Palace scheduled for Aug. 17, and then immediately declare the nation a sharia state.

"Testimonies from the suspects and seized evidence disclosed that they had chosen that option to assassinate the President," National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said at a press conference Friday.

He said terrorists planned to announce publicly that Indonesia was no longer a democratic state and would became a Sharia nation immediately after the President was killed.

Bambang said the alleged terrorists had decided to attack the President at his palace on that day after learning that his personal security guards would not be carrying live rounds in their firearms.

So far this year, the police's antiterrorist task force, called Detachment 88, has killed 13 terrorist suspects and arrested 52 others.

The latest in these raids saw the police arrest three suspects at a battery shop in Sukoharjo, Central Java.

Mulyani: I'll always be back to Indonesia

Mulyani: I'll always be back to Indonesia

Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani, who will soon serve as a managing director of the World Bank, said Friday that she would never leave Indonesia.

“I'll always be back to Indonesia. During my stay overseas for a period of time, what I'll do will be for the sake of Indonesia,” she said at a ceremony of the groundbreaking for the construction of Central Java and Yogyakarta directorate general of customs and excise building in Semarang.

Giving reasons behind her remarks, Mulyani said, “Because here is my home.”

For Mulyani working at the World Bank was only a matter of different place and function.

“The new job constitutes her private struggle to develop Indonesia. I hope that what I'll do will be the best for Indonesia because I believe God has determined all human plans,” she said.

Thai govt warns of violence if protests persist

Thai govt warns of violence if protests persist

Thailand's government warned protesters Saturday that more violence could erupt if the entrenched demonstrations that have paralyzed areas of the capital for nearly two months did not end soon.

The warning came in the wake of double nighttime attacks that killed two policemen and wounded 13 people, denting hopes that a reconciliation plan offered by the government last week would resolve the crisis peacefully.

Government spokesman Panithan Wattanayagorn said that if the so-called Red Shirts didn't end their occupation of Bangkok's prime commercial district "some people who don't wish to see reconciliation take place may take this opportunity to launch another attack."

He described the unknown assailants responsible for several attacks in the capital as "ill-intentioned people who used terror to try to ruin the conciliatory atmosphere." Violence tied to the protest - including clashes between demonstrators and security forces - has killed 29 people and wounded nearly 1,000.

On Friday, protest leaders had signaled they generally agreed with the reconciliation plan and might soon end the protracted demonstrations. Protest leaders denied Red Shirt involvement in the attacks and urged security forces be withdrawn from the streets, noting they only served as "lightning rods" for those trying to provoke violence.

They also indicated their occupation would continue while they sought a deal with the government, saying the two were not mutually exclusive.

"No matter who and whatever is trying to obstruct us, we will carry on our protest (in central Bangkok)," Weng Tojirakarn, a protest leader, said Saturday.

The protesters say they agree in principle with a proposal by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve Parliament and hold new polls - their key demands - but want more specific details and assurance that Abhisit has the full support of his coalition partners and other political actors.

"One mouth speaks of reconciliation while the other 99 mouths keep talking about cracking down," Weng said.

He called on the government to revoke emergency decrees that give the military powers to restore order and that ban public gatherings.

As Weng spoke, a long column of pickup trucks loaded with protesters arrived from northeastern Thailand to reinforce the Red Shirt "occupation zone."

"At the moment, we are waiting for more clarity from the Red Shirts. If they agree in principle (with the reconciliation plan), they must end the protest. They have to make the decision soon," the government spokesman said in a telephone interview.

Late Friday night,the relative calm that had prevailed for several days was broken by more violence near where grenades exploded on April 22 and killed one person and wounded dozens. The area, a short distance from the Red Shirt encampment, is guarded by many police and soldiers.

A witness, Decha Phoonpanang, said either a mall explosive or gunshots whizzed past him, shattering the glass storefront of a bank and hitting two policemen - one in the stomach - and a man in the leg.

Slightly more than two hours later, about three explosions could be heard in an adjacent street that fronts a park, with police officers saying they believed them to be grenades.

The official Erawan Emergency Center on Saturday said two policemen were killed. Most of those wounded were believed to be police.

Other activists who oppose the Red Shirts have denounced the government's peace offering as a capitulation and have demanded that Abhisit clear their encampments or step down.

With some factions on all sides opposing a settlement, it is difficult to pinpoint an obvious suspect in the new violence.

The standoff in Bangkok has hammered the economy, decimated the tourist industry and ground government machinery to a near halt.

Abhisit unveiled a proposal that included new elections on Nov. 14 - about a year before his term would end - if the protesters left their encampment. The Parliament must be dissolved at least 45 days before the elections.

But the date of the dissolution of Parliament has become a sticking point, with the Red Shirts insisting it be specified and Abhisit saying only it would happen in time for the November election, but possibly as early as September. No date would be fixed if the Red Shirts did not agree to the plan, the prime minister has said.

The timing is crucial because a key reshuffle of top military posts is scheduled for September, and the protesters don't want Abhisit at the helm then. It's not clear if a caretaker government, which would run the country after Parliament is dissolved, would be allowed to make the appointments.

The military holds tremendous power in Thailand, and the Red Shirts, who draw most of their supporters from the rural and urban poor, view Abhisit's government as the illegitimate product of back-room deals and military pressure on legislators.

The protest group includes supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted in a 2006 military coup following accusations of corruption and abuse of power.

Yudhoyono invited coalition partners on Thursday night

Yudhoyono invited coalition partners on Thursday night

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with leaders of coalition parties on Thursday night in order to mend relations between the parties and the government.

At the meeting the President formed a Coalition Parties Forum he directly chaired.

“I has been appointed to be in charge of the forum's daily activities,” Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who alto attended the meeting, said in Semarang as quoted by tempointeraktif.com on Friday.

Aburizal explained that there were several agreements reached during the meeting and one of them was about a different coalition concept.

If previously the coalition parties were asked only to help safeguard the government policies, in the new concept they will be asked to participate in setting the policies, he said. “They will be involved from the planning stage,” he said.

The President, Aburizal said, also explained that the forum was not intended to unify the coalition parties' opinions, but simply to deal only with crucial problems, which require common supports.

Before Mother's Day, African grannies meet on AIDS

Before Mother's Day, African grannies meet on AIDS

Eunice Vilakati is everybody's grandmother in her neighborhood.

Not only is she caring for her own two granddaughters orphaned last year, but a changing number of neighbors' children also come to the widow in this nation devastated by the AIDS epidemic.

"When you arrive at my place you can be mistaken that all these children are my children," she said as she joined grandmothers from across Africa days before Mother's Day to share advice and support.

The UN children's organization puts the number of orphans in this country of about 1 million at 100,000, largely due to AIDS and the virus that causes it. The UN says HIV prevalence in impoverished Swaziland is nearly 40 percent, the highest in the world.

Aylwen Dlamini, from a Swazi grandmother's group, said, "Grandmothers are forced to provide home-based care for the sick, they also support immediate neighbors in case of illness and HIV counseling."

The Stephen Lewis Foundation, named for and led by a former UN envoy for AIDS in Africa, provides money for housing and schooling for children orphaned by AIDS and helps people living with AIDS and HIV.

At an opening ceremony for the grandmothers' gathering, Elizabeth Rennie of Canada's Ubuntu Grand Women organization, said: "Canadian grandmothers are the voice of African women in Canada. We're here to learn from our African peers by listening, caring and learning, and won't rest until the African story is told."

She said the aim of the gathering in Swaziland on the eve of Mother's Day was to pay tribute to grandmothers and their courage in the face of the AIDS pandemic.

Swaziland's queen mother, Ntombi Twala, said at the opening ceremony that Swazi grandmothers were ready to learn from their counterparts from around the world about how to tackle HIV and AIDS.

Vilakati, the Swazi grandmother, was open and friendly at the gathering Friday, greeting strangers like friends.

She cooks and sells food and collects bottles for recycling to feed her family. She said she also has sought training at a clinic because so many of her neighbors rely on her for advice about AIDS. And some, she said, have died in her arms.

Deputy BI governor questioned over Century case

Deputy BI governor questioned over Century case

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators questioned on Wednesday deputy Bank Indonesia (BI) governor Ardhayadi Mitroatmodjo in connection with short-term liquidity support for Bank Century.

Ardhayadi said after eight hours of questioning the investigators grilled him about the facility worth Rp 689 billion that the central bank extended to the ailing bank in November 2008.

“[I was] clarified in general about the liquidity support,” he told reporters. He refused to go into details.

When asked why Bank Century was entitled to the facility, Ardhayadi refused to answer.

KPK also questioned Bank Century former owner Robert Tantular in relation to the same case. Robert said he answered 13 questions, mostly about the process of the bank’s application for the facility.

Robert said the facility was a result of a negotiation between BI and Bank Century board of directors, without his intervention.

However, Robert refused to unveil the persons responsible the most for the extension of the short-term loan. “I have no authority on that matter,” he said.

Previously the KPK had questioned a number of BI officials, including deputy governors Budi Mulya, Muliaman D. Hadad and Budi Rochadi.

Hollywood vs. The Volcano: Ash disrupts celebs

A volcanic cloud of ash hovering over Europe is causing quite a scene in Hollywood and beyond.

The ash spat out by an Icelandic volcano that has left thousands of air travelers stranded is also affecting celebrities, filmmakers, musicians and even pro-wrestlers.

With almost two-thirds of Europe's flights grounded, cancellations and postponements were popping up across the entertainment landscape on Saturday as Icelandic scientists warned that volcanic activity had increased and showed no sign of abating.

Organizers of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, tweeted that some acts were forced to pull out of the weekend event, including British rockers The Cribs and Bad Lieutenant, Scottish rockers Frightened Rabbit, and British dance trio Delphic. It also appears unlikely that British synth singer Gary Numan will make it to Coachella for his Sunday slot.

"The last thing I expected this morning when I woke up was to hear that volcanic ash might be preventing us from flying to America," Numan posted on his Web site. "At the moment, the very best British Airways are offering us, and this without any guarantee, is to put us on a Sunday flight that gets into Los Angeles in the afternoon on Sunday."

However, several performers from Europe scheduled to perform at Coachella were already across the Atlantic Ocean or had boarded planes before the volcanic cloud forced a rash of flight cancellations. Those included Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Gorillaz, Muse, Hot Chip, Fever Ray and Florence and the Machine.

Whitney Houston was forced to ditch a plane for a ferry across the Irish Sea to perform in Dublin. The R&B diva, currently in the middle of her "Nothing But Love" world tour, opted for the not-so-glamorous boat ride after no-fly orders shut down airports across Europe. Houston is scheduled to perform the first of three shows Saturday at the O2 arena in London.

Although scientists were indicating that travel chaos could extend into the upcoming week, New York's Tribeca Film Festival, which is set to begin Wednesday, had yet to receive any cancellations by late Friday. The festival will feature films from nearly 40 countries and several filmmakers from Europe had been planning to attend.

Worldwide press junkets for two of the summer season's most anticipated films - "Iron Man 2," starring Robert Downey Jr., and "Robin Hood," starring Russell Crowe - also were still scheduled as planned next weekend in London, according to studio officials.

Back in Hollywood, Saturday's blue-carpet world premiere of Disneynature's "Oceans," at the El Capitan Theatre was already prepared to hit bumpy waters. The film's French director, Jacques Cluzaud, and producers won't be attending the debut of their Disney documentary narrated by Pierce Brosnan and starring underwater creatures. They're stuck overseas.

Wife vows to replace jailed governor

The wife of Riau Islands governor Ismeth Abdullah announced her bid on Saturday for the province’s top executive post, citing her intention to “carry on development” in the region.

Aida Zulaikha Nasution declared her entry to the race in a function in Batam in the absence of her husband, who is being detained in Jakarta by the Corruption Eradication Commission for a graft case which implicates him.

“I am running for the gubernatorial post because of my concern about the continuity of development in Riau Islands,” Aida, a daughter of former Riau governor, told her supporters.

Aida, who was elected as a member of the Regional Representative Council for the second five-year term in the legislative elections last year, has picked provincial secretary Eddy Wijaya as her running mate. The ticket is supported by the Golkar Party.

Golkar chief adviser Akbar Tandjung said the province under Ismeth had reached an economic growth that exceeded the national mark.

“Aida knows well her husband’s leadership style, therefore she will be able to succeed him and lead the province to progress,” Akbar told Aida's supporters.

Mild quake hits North Sulawesi

An earthquake measuring 5.3 on Richter scale shook Melonguane in North Sulawesi at 5 p.m. Jakarta time on Saturday, but no damages or injuries were reported.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency located the epicenter of the quake in North Sulawesi waters at 43 kilometers southeast of Melonguane at a depth of 10 kilometers below the sea floor.

Earlier in the day another mild quake jolted the same town, but no tsunami warning was issued.

Susno denies accepting bribes from Gayus, Sjahril

Former National Police detective chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji has denied allegations that he received bribes from former tax official Gayus Tambunan and former diplomat Sjahril Djohan.

Susno’s lawyer Mohammad Assegaf said Saturday his client had never been in touch with the two people, who have been named suspects in an alleged case brokering mafia.

“I have clarified the matter to Pak Susno and the allegations are not true,” Assegaf said as quoted by Antara.

Susno is scheduled to face police investigators on Tuesday in connection with the case brokering practice after Gayus and Sjahril claimed to have given money to Susno.

Assegaf said both Gayus and Sjahril had intended to give Rp 500 million to his client, but never materialized.

The lawyer said his client would turn up for the questioning, unless he fell sick. “So far Pak Susno has no intention to skip the questioning,” Assegaf said.

Gayus stole public attention after Susno revealed last month that a number of police officers had allegedly fixed an investigation into the junior tax official, who amassed suspicious funds worth Rp 28 billion.

Eka inaugurated as neurosurgery professor

Brain surgery expert Eka Jullanta Wahjoepramono was installed on Saturday as a new professor at the Pelita Harapan University (UPH) in Karawaci, Tangerang.

Eka is the fourth professor at the private university.

In his speech he expressed concern about rampant aneurism cases in the country, which now reaches up to 27,000 each year mostly because Indonesian doctors and people tend to regard it as a common disease.

He said the disease remained a tough challenge for Indonesian neurosurgeons because its treatment takes a long time and costs a lot. Another problem is that not many hospitals are ready to conduct operations due to lack of specialists and facilities.

World Federation Neurosurgical Societies chairman Peter Black of Harvard School of Medicine was among prominent figures who witnessed Eka’s inauguration.

French airports closed until Monday morning

The Paris airports and about two dozen others in northern France will remain closed until at least Monday morning because of Iceland's volcanic ash cloud.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon ordered the closures extended until 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) Monday at Paris' Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports and others across the northern half of the country, from Nantes on the Atlantic to Lyon in the east.

The closures began Thursday. The French civil aviation authority said it would spread the shutdowns southward Saturday afternoon, to the airports at Grenoble in the Alps and Bordeaux in southwestern France.

A few select flights were allowed to take off and land from Paris on Friday, but thousands of others have been canceled.

Fillon held an emergency meeting with top transport, health and environment officials Saturday to discuss the highly unusual air traffic freeze.

He ordered regular monitoring of air quality in France and health measures linked to the ash, but said "there is currently no health risk, because of the high altitude and the dispersion of the particles" of grit.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said after Fillon's announcement Saturday that Sarkozy was still planning to fly Sunday to Poland for the state funeral of President Lech Kaczynski.

Gold medal winning students arrive home

A group of students from a senior high school in Serpong, Tangerang arrived home on Saturday after winning gold medals at the 17th International Conference of Young Scientists (ICYS) in Bali.

During the research project competition which was participated by hundreds of senior high school students from 13 countries, Indonesia was represented by two teams of Santa Laurensia senior high school in Serpong.
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The first team, comprising Florencia Vanya Vaniara and Evelyin Lee Wibowo presented their research titled “Study on the Effectiveness of Embryonic Cell from Chicken (psychotria rostrata) Egg & Mangosteen (garcinia mangostana) Peel Extract in Suppressing the Growth of Abnormal Cell Using in Vitro Culture”.

In their research, the students discovered that stem cell on chicken can control the growth of abnormal cell on cancer and the use of mangosteen peel extract that contains antioxidant can suppress the growth of abnormal cell.

“We hope the research can be used as an initial reference to find a method to cure cancer,” Florencia said upon arrival at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The second team, comprising Andreas Widy Purnomo and Aldo Vitus Wirawan, won a gold medal for designing a hydro power generator using a vertical turbine.

“This system suits rivers with slow current,” Andreas said.