Zimbabwe`s Mugabe in Singapore for medical check, report

Harare (ANTARA News/AFP) - Zimbabwe`s President Robert Mugabe has flown to Singapore for a medical check-up, his seventh journey to see doctors in the Asian city-state this year, an independent weekly newspaper reported Sunday.

"He went for a review following an eye operation he had earlier on. He will be back tomorrow (Sunday)," information minister Webster Shamhu was quoted as saying in The Standard weekly newspaper.

Mugabe, 87, who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, has prostate cancer, according to US diplomatic cables released by the whistle-blower website WikiLeaks.

The leaked cable alleged that Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono told the then-US ambassador James McGee in 2008 that Mugabe has prostate cancer that has metastasized and "that will cause his death in three to five years."

"According to Gono, Mugabe`s doctor recommended he cut back on his activities," the leaked cable said.

Gono has denied the WikiLeaks report.

Mugabe has not commented on the WikiLeaks reports, but in the past he has scoffed at reports that his health is deteriorating.

The veteran ruler is in a coalition government with his long-time rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, after 2008 elections failed violently. Mugabe has already been nominated by his ZANU-PF party as its presidential candidate in elections, expected possibly next year. (*)

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Forty-two foreigners being held at Ambon immigration detention center

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - The Immigration Detention Center in Ambon, Maluku, is holding 42 foreigners for illegally working in Maluku waters.

"The 42 foreigners were generally working illegally in Maluku waters from their base in Tual, Southeast Maluku," head of Amon`s immigration office, Enang Supriyadi, here on Monday.

Thirty-nine of the foreigners were from Cambodia and three from Thailand.

Enang said some of them had turned themselves in at the office while the others were caught.

Enang said he did not know why they came to Ambon but what was clear was they came after they had problems in Tual.

He said it was not easy to tackle foreigners in Ambon because after they were deported others would come and be caught again and so the detention center was never empty.

Enang said the Cambodian embassy had said it would send staff to Ambon to see directly its citizens` conditions.

"Let them see for themselves their conditions and talk with the detainees to make sure that their are Cambodian citizens," Enang said.

Enang said the immigration office meanwhile was still trying to deport the three Thai citizens.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/F001)

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RI govt intensifying HIV/AIDS eradication efforts to achieve MDG target

Yogyakarta (ANTARA News) - Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono said the government was intensifying its efforts to fight HIV/AIDS in the regions to achieve the MDG (Millennium Development Goals) target.

The role of the people in tackling the HIV/AIDS problem must be increased to make the effort more effective, the minister said here on Monday in his opening speech at the Fourth National Meeting of AIDS 2011 being held from October 3 to 6, 2011.

Up to June 2011, the number of people infected with HIV reached 66,693, and the there were around 26,500 AIDS cases.

The five regions with the highest number of AIDS cases at present are Jakarta, East Java, West Java, Papua, and Bali. The highest number of HIV patients are found in Jakarta, East Java, Papua, Bali, and Central Java.

The National Meeting on AIDS is a large forum of discussions for various stakeholders to review the situation of the disease epidemic.

The fifth meeting will review HIV/AIDS control programs during the past five years since the issuance of the Presidential regulation 75/2006, the country`s progress in trying to achieve the MDGs target to combat HIV/AIDS by 2015, and the plans in the next five years.

The meeting is being participated in by 1,500 people representing among other things the government, the AIDS Control Commission, donor institutions, NGOs, and civil society.

Earlier this year, Minister Agung Laksono had said the handling of HIV/AIDS spread in Indonesia needs to be improved.

"There are three indicators on the effort to eradicate HIV/AIDS that need to be improved namely the use of condom in risky locations such as port and prostitution complexes, the percentage of teenagers aged 15 years above having an adequate knowledge about HIV/AIDS and the percentage of regional government which actively conducted programs to eradicate HIV/AIDS spreading in their area," said the minister.

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Batik industry development in line with women`s empowerment

Pekalongan, Central Java (ANTARA News) - The efforts being made to develop the batik industry in Indonesia is in line with women`s empowerment and welfare, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono said here on Monday.

The first lady made the statement in her speech at the commemoration of National Batik Day at the Jetayu square in Pekalongan city, Central Java.

"Batik industry`s development is in line with women`s empowerment and welfare," the first lady said, adding that involvement of women`s employment in the batik industry was very high because the majority of batik makers were women.

To keep batik as a cultural asset in Indonesia, Ani said the love of batik should be inculcated from an early age in the younger generation.

"Let us continue to encourage our young women to intensively produce batik and be able to market it," the first lady said.

Ani Yudhoyono and her entourage arrived in Pekalongan on Monday morning aboard a special train from Jakarta to attend the National Batik Day observation function.

Her entourage was made up of Madame Herawati Boediono as the United Indonesia Cabinet Wives Solidarity (SIKIB) chairwoman, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, and Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu.

National Batik Day is commemorated every October 2 and this year it is centered at Jetayu square in Pekalongan, Central Java.

Besides attending the National Batik Day, the First Lady and entourage will also visit a batik exhibition, batik museum, and the Pesindon batik tourism village.

According to Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, Indonesian batik products are better than those imported from China and Malaysia.

"Our handmade batik products are better than those from China and Malaysia because they had been printed. Therefore we don`t have to worry about imported batiks," Wacik said.

The culture and tourism minister noted that his office would continue to promote Indonesian handmade batik products other countries to make Indonesia best known as home of batiks.
(Uu.O001/HAJM/F001)

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Indonesia wins two titles

Samarinda, E Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Indonesia won two titles at the 2011 Indonesia Open Gold Grandprix at the Palaran Stadium Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Sunday.

The first was grabbed from the men`s singles after all- Indonesian finals between Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka against Tommy Sugiarto.

Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka, beat eighth-seeded Tommy Sugiarto the seventh seed in straight sets, 21-16, 21-17

Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka advanced to the finals after overthrowing his compatriot Alamsyah Yunus in rubber sets, 24-22, 20-22 and 21-13.

Meanwhile, in the semifinals Tommy Sugiarto beat this tournament`s second seed Taufik Hidayat in two straights 21-10, 21-15.

The men`s doubles title will be most probably won by Indonesia on Sunday night after Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septiano defeated Japan`s men`s doubles, Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa, who is seeded fifth in this tournament.

The first seed of the tournament, Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septiano managed to advance to the finals following a WO (walkover) by fifth-seeded men`s doubles from Chinese Taipei Fang Chieh Min-Lee Sheng Mu.

Hiroyuki Endo - Kenichi Hayakawa success to enter the finals after defeating Indonesians Yohannes Rendy Sugiarto and Afiat Yuris Wirawan in the semi-finals straight sets, 21-16-21-18. (*)

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Rescue workers evacuate six bodies from crashed Casa plane

Bahorok, North Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Rescue workers evacuated six bodies from the Casa 212 plane that crashed in Bahorok, Langkat, North Sumatra, and flew them to Turangin field in North Sumatra district of Langkat on Sunday.

The six victims packed in body-bags and flown by Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters arrived in Turangin, Bahorok, Langkat District at 12.20 pm local time on Sunday, Antara learned here.

The six victims, five adults and a child, were then brought to the Adam Malik hospital in Medan, capital city of North Sumatra province, for identification.

The Casa 212-200 plane with 18 people on board including its crew went down in a Bohorok jungle when it was flying from Medan to Kutacane, Southeast Aceh, Thursday morning (Sept.29)

The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) set up four teams to locate and evacuate the plane crash victims.

All the passengers of the Casa 212-200 plane were found dead, National Search and Rescue Team`s Operational and Training Director Vice Marshal Sunarbowo Sandi said here on Saturday.
(Uu.B00/H-NG)

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Malaysia to start security law reforms next week

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News/AFP) - Malaysia will move to abolish two minor security laws next week but wait to scrap the tougher Internal Security Act (ISA) until next year, the prime minister said.

Prime Minister Najib Razak pledged last month to abolish the dreaded ISA, which allows indefinite detention without trial, and reform other laws which opposition leaders and activists have long criticised as outdated and cruel.

Najib said late Friday that he would table motions in Parliament next week to scrap two laws which restrict criminal suspects` movements and allow for them to be exiled.

"Whatever we can speed up, we speed up," Najib was quoted as saying by the national news agency Bernama as saying.

"This indicates that we have a comprehensive agenda to make Malaysia not only developed economically but also to be on par with other nations which practise the so-called modern progressive democracy," he said.

But a motion to scrap the ISA would only be tabled in Parliament next March as the government is still drafting two other laws to replace that legislation and prevent criminal acts and violence, Najib said.

His aide confirmed Saturday that the government would aim to pass motions to repeal the Banishment Act and the Restricted Residence Act in the next Parliament sitting, which begins Monday and ends in December.

Najib made a surprise announcement as part of his Malaysia Day speech on September 15 that several security laws would be reformed, a promise that came with snap polls widely expected to be called well before their 2013 due date.

Activists have long criticised the decades-old ISA and other laws, which have been used to detain terror suspects and alleged human traffickers but also opposition politicians and activists.

They say those guilty of crimes should be charged in court and not held indefinitely.
(U.S008/B009)

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South Sumatra`s 355 would-be hajj pilgrims off to Medina

Palembang, S. Sumatra (ANTARA News) - South Sumatra governor H Alex Noerdin on Sunday here saw off a total of 355 would-be hajj pilgrims from South Sumatra province leaving for Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The governor asked the provincial would-be hajj pilgrims to keep their health during their stay in Saudi Arabia, so that they can concentrate on the hajj pilgrimage as the fifth pillar of Islam.

"The main purpose of performing the hajj pilgrimage is to improve faith and devotion (to the God Almighty)," Alex Noerdin reminded the would-be pilgrims.

According to him, the provincial government gave financial assistance in the form of transportation fee worth one million rupiah to each of the would-be hajj pilgrims.
(T.U005/Uu.B003/H-NG)

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Senior Haqqani leader captured in Afghanistan: NATO

Kabul (ANTARA News/Xinhua-OANA) - A senior leader of the Haqqani network has been arrested in Afghanistan by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the military alliance said in a statement released Saturday (Oct. 1).

"A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured the senior Haqqani network leader in Afghanistan during a security operation in Jani Khel district, Paktiya province Tuesday," according to the statement.

"Security forces detained Haji Mali Khan, the uncle of Siraj and Badruddin Haqqani and the senior Haqqani commander in Afghanistan. He was one of the highest ranking members of the Haqqani network and a revered elder of the Haqqani clan, the statement said.

Mali Khan, according to the statement, moved forces from Pakistan to Afghanistan to conduct terrorist activity. Jalaluddin Haqqani consistently placed Mali Khan in positions of high importance.

In the past year, Haji Mali Khan established a militant camp in Mangal tribal lands in Paktiya province, coordinated the transfer of money for insurgents operations, and facilitated the acquisition of supplies, the statement asserted.

"Although he was heavily armed during the operation that led to his capture, Mali Khan submitted to the security force without incident or resistance," the statement contended.

"The Haqqani network and its safe havens remain a top priority for Afghan and coalition forces. Security forces have conducted more than 500 operations so far in 2011 in an effort to disrupt the Haqqani network leadership, resulting in the death of 20 network facilitators and the capture of nearly 300 insurgent leaders and 1,300 suspected Haqqani insurgents," the ISAF statement said.

The arrest of Mali Khan took place in the wake of accusation by Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the U.S. Joint Chief of Staff, who described the Haqqani network as "a veritable arm" of Pakistan `s intelligence service, last week.

Founded by Mawlawi Jalaludin Haqqani, the father of Sirajudin Haqqani, the Haqqani network is the military wing of the Taliban outfit and has been operating in Afghan capital Kabul and eastern Afghan provinces along the border with Pakistan`s tribal areas.

"The capture of Haji Mali Khan marks a significant milestone in the disruption of the Haqqani network," the ISAF statement said.

Taliban militants have yet to make comment.
(U.H-AK)

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Lawmaker commends govt for intending to renegotiate mining contracts

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Legislator Kemal Aziz Stambeol of House Commission XI on financial affairs has expressed appreciation for the government`s efforts to renegotiate its contracts with mining companies in the country.

"The fact that about 65 percent of the number of mining companies has agreed in principle to renegotiate their contracts is in itself an achievement. We hope that all mining firms operating in Indonesia, including Freeport and Newmont, will be cooperative and agree to renegotiate their contracts," Kemal said here on Saturday.

Currently, the government continues to make its efforts to renegotiate the contracts of all mining firms in Indonesia, which cover the acreage of operation areas, divestment, environment management, royalty and the obligation of using domestic services as required by Law No. 4 / 2009 on mining.

At present, the process of contract renegotiation with PT Freeport Indonesia has been going on very toughly. "The one percent royalty that the government received based on the contract from Freeport is too small and not fair," he added.

Therefore, Kemal said, the royalty should be increased to observe the principle of fairness. " I think a fair increase would not harm Freeport," he added.(*)

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RI`s mixed doubles fail to advance to finals

Samarinda, E Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Indonesia`s mixed doubles Nova Widianto-Vita Marissa failed to advance to the finals of Indonesia Open Grandprix Gold 2011 at Palaran stadium here on Saturday after they had lost to China`s fourth-seeded Chen Xu-jin Ma in the semifinals.

Nova Widianto-Vita Marissa lost to the Chinese shuttlers 17-21, 21-16 and 13-21.

In the semifinals, Indonesia will only field men`s doubles Yohannes Rendy Sugiarto-Afiat Yuris Wirawan who will play with Japan`s seventh-seeded Hiroyuki Endo-Kenichi Hayakawa.

Meanwhile, Indonesia`s first-seeded men`s doubles Mohammad Ahsan-Bona Septano will advance to the finals after their opponents Chieh Min Fang-Sheng Mu Lee, China Taipe`s fifth-seed, have been declared walkover (WO).

In men`s singles, Indonesia looks set to emerge as a winner after four Indonesian shuttlers have advanced to the semi-finals. They are Taufik Hidayat, Tommy Sugiarto, Dionyius Hayom Rumbaka and Alamsyah Yunus.

Taufik Hidayat will play with Tommy Sugiarto in the semifinals while Dionyius Hayom Rumbaka will advance to the finals after beating Alamsyah Yunus 24-22, 20-22 and 21-13. (*)

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Bali bizmen worried about continuing economic slump in Europe

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Businessmen in Bali are worried about the absence of improvements in economic conditions in Europe as it might affect their handicraft exports.

"We are worried that the continuing economic slump in Europe will affect our exports to the region," Made Puspa, one of the businessmen and exporters of handicrafts, said here on Saturday.

He said the volume of shipments of handicraft products from Bali to Europe had started to drop.

But European tourists were still coming to the tourist island and certainly they would still make orders or directly buy handicrafts, he said.

According to the province`s industry and trade office, Bali`s non-oil/non-gas exports to Europe have started to decline.

Around 26 countries in Europe only purchased US$110.9 million worth of handicrafts and other non-oil/non-gas products from Bali in the period January-August this year, down 8.8 percent from US$121.7 million in the same period last year.

Shipments of various non-oil/non-gas products to Europe fluctuate but their biggest contribution to Bali`s foreign exchange income was in March 2010, namely US$19 million while the smallest was recorded in July at US$12 million.

European importers mostly order accessories like silver jewelry items with exotic designs which sold well in their countries. (*)

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Tommy Sugiarto beats Taufik Hidayat

Samarinda, E Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Tommy Sugiarto beat second-seeded Taufik Hidayat in the semifinals of Indonesia Open Grandprix Gold 2011 at Palaran Stadium in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, on Saturday.

Tommy Sugiarto who is ranked seventh in the tournament defeated Taufik Hidayat in 21-10, 21-15.

In the men`s single finals on Sunday (Oct 2), Tommy Sugiarto will play with his compatriot Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka who has earlier advanced to the finals after beating Alamsyah Yunus of Indonesia in 24-22, 20-22 and 21-13.

"I am satisfied with this achievement as I have for a long time dreamed of beating him (Taufik). In my three matches with Taufik Hidayat, only this time could I beat him," he said.

He said he would do his best to face Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka in the finals.

"The last time I played with him was last year in the quarterfinals of Indonesia Open Grandprix Gold 2010 when I lost to him," he said.(*)

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Kalla, Ralahalu awarded men of peace

Ambon, Maluku (ANTARA News) - World Assembly of Youth (WAY) has awarded men of peace to former Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu.

The award was given to Kalla and Ralahalu by WAY deputy chairman and Central Executive Council`s Chairman of the Indonesian Youth National Committee (KNPI) Ahmad Doli Kurnia here on Saturday in connection with World Youth Forum on Peace and Harmony.

Ahmad Doli Kurnia the award was given to Jusuf Kalla because the former vice president was considered an important figure who had a great contribution in peace process following the conflicts in Ambon, Maluku, Poso in Central Sulawesi, and Sampit in Central Kalimantan, and Nangroe Aceh Darusalam in Aceh.

And for Ralahalu, Doli said the former was a hard-working regional leader with a capability to overcome three-year sectarian conflicts in Maluku from 199-2002 and a communal clash in Ambon on September 11, 2011.

Doli said the men of peace award for Kalla and Ralahalu was the first from the World Assembly of Youth since the organization was established in 1943.

"This is the first ever award from WAY to former Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu," Doli said, adding that the organization would present the similar award to the world figures who contributed in various fields for peace and welfare of the community.

On Saturday, Governor Ralahalu officially opened the "World Youth Forum on Peace and Harmony" in Ambon.

Organized by the World Assembly of Youth (WAY), the two-day meeting is attended by around 100 members of the National Committee of Indonesian Youths (KNPI) and eight foreign youths representing Timor Leste, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Russia, and the Netherlands.

Ralahalu on the occasion expressed high appreciation to the KNPI central executive board and the World Assembly of Youth which had chosen Maluku as the event`s host.

The governor also welcomed the presence of foreign youths at the meeting to discuss concrete steps to maintain peace because he believed security conditions in Ambon were getting more conducive after a communal clash on September 11, 2011.

"I am very grateful for the presence of youths from Timor Leste, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Russia, and the Netherlands in Ambon. Your presence here shows that security in Maluku is quite conducive," Ralahalu said.
(O001)

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India test fires Agni-II missile

New Delhi (ANTARA News/IRNA-0ANA) - India`s nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface Agni-II ballistic missile, with a strike range of 2000 kms, was on Friday test-fired as part of user trial by the army from the Wheeler Island off Orissa coast.

The indigenously developed missile was fired by personnel of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the army from Launch Complex-IV of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at about 0930 hours IST (Indian Standard Time), PTI reported quoting defence sources as saying.

Agni-II, developed as one of the key weapon systems of country's nuclear deterrence program, is already under production and has been inducted in the Indian Armed Forces.

The two-stage solid fuel propelled Agni-II missile, developed by Advanced System Laboratory (ASL) and other DRDO laboratories, has a length of 20 metres, diameter of one metre and weighs around 17 tonnes, they said.

It is equipped with a special navigation system to achieve high degree of accuracy.

The system is also equipped with anti-ballistic defence counter measures.

It can be transported both by rail and road, they said.

The last trial scheduled on August 29 this year was aborted due to some technical problem, the sources said.

A user trial of the missile conducted on May 17 last year from the same base was successful.(*)

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Six injured in Islamabad hotel blast

Islamabad (ANTARA News) - Explosion in a four-storey hotel in Islamabad injured at least six people and destroyed one storey of the hotel building.

The blast happened at 11 p.m. in the Citi Hotel in the Blue Area where a lot of shops and restaurants are located.

A gas cylinder exploded on the top floor of a Pakistani hotel in Islamabad late Thursday, injuring three women and a child in a city always on guard against feared terror attacks, police said.

The explosion was in the vicinity of the venue where Pakistani political and military leadership were meeting in rare cross-party talks designed to close ranks against US pressure for action against the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Pakistan would not be pressured into doing more in the war on terror after stinging US rebukes accused Pakistan of involvement in recent attacks on the US embassy in Kabul and a NATO base in Afghanistan and demands that the government cut ties with the Haqqanis.

Islamabad is the most heavily protected city in Pakistan, a nuclear-armed Muslim state where routine suicide and bomb attacks largely concentrated in the northwest are blamed on local Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked militants.

Although bombings have targeted embassies, hotels and restaurants in the past, June saw the capital`s first suicide attack in nearly two years when a bomber blew himself up in a bank killing a security guard, IRNA reported.

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LG Display stresses localization in China

Hong Kong (ANTARA News) - South Korea`s LG Display Co. said Friday localization is a priority in its China business in order to further expand its presence in the world`s No. 2 economy.

"For LG Display, China is not a mere market" said Lee Bang-soo, LG Display`s vice-president of public affairs and public relations, in an interview with the Southern Daily, the official Guangdong Communist Party newspaper. "We want to truly integrate into China."

"Recently, we have been seeking to strengthen cooperation with local TV companies," he added.

LG Display will continue to cooperate with Chinese TV makers and support them in growing to become global players.

"We started to include our three-dimensional technology in their products. We believe this is a good start," Lee said.

Currently, the world`s second-largest flat panel maker maintains a close relationship with China`s top five TV companies -- Skyworth Group, Konka Group, Hisense Group, Haier Group and Changhong Electronics Co, he said. Lee added that LG Display has been rapidly expanding its market share in China through such partnerships.

Earlier this year, LG Display introduced a 3-D display technology called a film patterned retarder (FPR) to spur Fresh demand for 3-D TV.

LG Display Co., which obtained approval from the Chinese government to build LCD factories last December, is expected to break ground this year on a facility in the southern city of Guangzhou, Yonhap reported.

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Governor,US envoy open Banda Aceh-Calang highway

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - US Ambassador to Indonesia Scot Marciel and Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf on Thursday opened the Banda Aceh-Calang west coast highway at a ribbon cutting ceremony on the Lambeso River Bridge.

According to US Embassy press release issued on Friday, the 150-km roadway, which cost US$280 million and was built through US and Indonesian cooperation, connects 74 villages to Banda Aceh, and makes travel faster, safer, and more affordable for people and businesses in Sumatra.

The Banda Aceh highway project was part of a US$430 million development assistance package for relief and recovery to assist devastated communities in Aceh after the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami, which resulted in the loss of 175,000 lives, left half a million people homeless and destroyed businesses.

The original roadway was destroyed by the December 2004 earthquake and tsunami, and disrupted travel and trade throughout the region.

As a major building block to redevelop the North Sumatran economy and improve quality of life, the United States, through USAID, partnered with the Indonesian government to rebuild and expand the west coast transportation corridor.

By connecting more than 70 villages with Banda Aceh, the new road will facilitate government and business travel and stimulate economic activity.

"The completion of this project has served as a catalyst for reinvestment and regional development," Ambassador Marciel said.

"Our partnership with the Government of Indonesia and the province of Aceh offers people here a fresh start toward a peaceful and prosperous future," Marciel said.

Now, farmers bringing produce from Calang have quicker access to larger Acehnese markets, and Lhoukseudu fishermen, who lost over 100 boats due to the tsunami, have a new route to revive lost trade along the coastline.

The United States, in partnership with the Indonesian government and the people of Aceh, will continue to support social and economic development in the region, including projects to improve maternal and child health, develop alternative energy resources, provide financing for entrepreneurs, and broaden opportunities for quality education.

(O001)

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RI assured of one champion`s title at Indonesia badminton open

Samarinda, East Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - Indonesia is now assured of a champion`s title with the victory of its men`s single player, Taufik Hidayat, over China`s Zhengming Wang at the quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open Grandprix Gold badminton tournament here on Friday.

Taufik beat Zhengming Wang in a straight set 21-17, 21-15.

With Taufik`s win, Indonesia will field four men`s single players in the semifinals on Saturday, namely Taufik, Tommy Sugiarto, Alamsyah Yunus and Dionysium Hayom Rumbaka.

Tommy Sugiarto advanced to the semifinals after beating Kwong Beng Chang of Malaysia 21-15, 21-19 while Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka defeated Takume Ueda of Japan 21-14, 21-16.

Alamsyah Yunus also qualified for the semifinals following his victory over Misbun Ramdan Mohme Misbun from Malaysia 21-16, 21-14.

Other semifinalists from Indonesia are Anneke Feinya Agustin and Nitya Krishinda Maheswari in the women`s doubles. They are to meet China`s eighth-seeded Bao Yixin/Qianxin Zhong.

Anneke Feinya/Nitya Krishinda won a spot in the semifinals after defeating compatriots Vita Marissa/Nadya Melati 21-13, 21-11.

Indonesian mixed doubles players Nova Widianto/Vita Marissa meanwhile would meet China`s fourth-seeded Chen Ju/Jin Wa in the semifinals.

In the men`s doubles event, Yohanes Rendy Sugiarto/Afiat Yuris Wirawan gained a place in the semifinals after subduing Yao Ha Ow/Wee King Tan of Malaysia 21-19, 21-17.

Yohanes Rendy Sugiarto/Afiat Yuris Wirawan will meet seventh-seeded from Japan Hiroyuki Endo/Kenichi Hayakawa. (*)

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