Masterful Wiesberger Wins The CIMB Niaga Indonesia Masters

Bernd Wiesberger of Austria sealed a dramatic win at the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters with a five-under-par 67 to defeat a persistent Ernie Els of South Africa by one-shot on Sunday.

Wiesberger won his second title in Asia courtesy of some exquisite ball striking as he totalled 15-under-par 273 at the US$750,000 Asian Tour event which was staged at the majestic Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

Els, the reigning Open Championship winner, settled for second place after carding 68 while overnight leader Daisuke Kataoka of Japan claimed third place with a round of 70 to finish on 275. Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand was a further three shots back in fourth after registering 69.

The towering Wiesberger, whose coach Philippe De Busschere is based in Indonesia, credited his acute iron play for his victory and dedicated the win to his grandfather who passed away a year ago.

“I was struggling in the beginning after my birdie on one. But at the turn I got a bit of momentum going because I was confident with my ball striking,” said Wiesberger, who finished seventh last year and went on to win in Korea.

He made the turn in 34 but tightened his grip on the third edition of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters with an eagle three on the 12^th hole.

“It was good to hole the eagle and it was nice that Ernie (also eagled the same hole) stayed in touch. He wouldn’t let go and that’s why he is such a great champion. It was a good time to do that and it got my round going,” he smiled.

Els, ranked 24^th in the world, was one-over after five holes but put on a battling display with birdies on six and nine followed by an eagle three on 12 which he putted from 30 feet from the fringe. He birdied the last to finish sole second.

“I played and fought hard. I wasn’t quite at my best but had a good time. I didn’t hit my iron shots close enough especially at the start. I was one over through five holes and had to battle back all the time,” said Els.

“A win would have been unbelievable but second is not all that bad. This has given me something and it shows my game is going in the right direction. I’m starting to feel really good about my game.”

The South African tipped his hat to Wiesberger, who he played with in the opening two days and on the final round. “I think Bernd played better than all of us. I played with him for three rounds and I think he deserves to win.”

Kataoka, who has never led in a tournament before, felt nervous on the first tee but managed to pull-off his best performance since turning professional in 2007. His third place result matched his career’s best on the Asian Tour at the 2011 Taiwan Masters.

“I’m not disappointed with how I played this week. I played very well and hit a lot of good shots. When we teed off, I felt very nervous but I told myself not to be nervous and to try and concentrate on my game. I didn’t sleep very well last night!” he smiled.

He hopes the experience of playing with multiple Major champion Els will provide him with the impetus to lead him to a first victory on the region’s premier Tour which is celebrating its 10^th season this year.

“I had a good experience this week. I led for the first time in a tournament and it was fantastic to play with Bernd Wiesberger and Ernie Els. If I can continue to keep up with this consistency then I think my first win will come very soon,” said the 24-year-old.

Pak Arwin Rasyid, President Director of CIMB Niaga was delighted with the third staging of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters as it has grown into Indonesia’s most prestigious golfing event.

“When CIMB Niaga became the title sponsor to the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters in 2012, we wanted to be part of an event that is the nation’s most prestigious. I stand here today proudly to say, we have achieved our goal. Thanks to the support of the other event partners and of course, you, the golfing fans, we see the end of yet another fantastic edition of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. We have certainly seen golf at it’s finest over the past four days and Congratulations to Wiesberger for his spectacular win today. It was an exciting finish and you certainly earned yourself the title of the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Master 2013!”

Scores after round 4 of the CIMB NIAGA Indonesian Masters being played at the par 72, 7340 Yards Royale Jakarta GC course (a- denotes amateur):

273 – Bernd WIESBERGER (AUT) 67-72-67-67.

274 – Ernie ELS (RSA) 68-70-68-68.

275 – Daisuke KATAOKA (JPN) 70-69-66-70.

278 – Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 69-65-75-69.

280 – Angelo QUE (PHI) 70-70-70-70, Ryan MCCARTHY (AUS) 70-70-70-70, MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 72-69-68-71.

281 – Unho PARK (AUS) 68-72-70-71, HWANG Inn-choon (KOR) 66-74-70-71, Jake HIGGINBOTTOM (AUS) 69-69-71-72, Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 71-69-69-72.

282 – Anthony KANG (USA) 73-71-69-69, Scott BARR (AUS) 68-68-75-71, Gunn CHAROENKUL (THA) 69-72-70-71, Jason KNUTZON (USA) 68-74-69-71, Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 69-68-73-72, HUNG Chien-yao (TPE) 70-68-70-74, Richard T. LEE (CAN) 72-68-67-75.

283 – Rikard KARLBERG (SWE) 73-71-70-69, Iain STEEL (MAS) 70-73-70-70, Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 73-70-69-71, Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA) 68-74-69-72.

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President Receives Delegation from Jordan in Cikeas

Delegation of the Ministry of Endowments and Shrine Affairs Jordan, which consisted of Prof. Dr. Abdul Salam Abbadi, former Minister of Endowments and Islamic affairs sanctuaries Jordan, and Prof. Dr. Abdullah Musa, Yarmuk University Rector, accompanied by Ambassador to Jordan, Teguh Ward has paid a courtesy call to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was accompanied by State Secretary, Sudi Silalahi in the President’s private residence in Cikeas, Bogor.

Delegation of Jordan is in Jakarta to attend a series of events fatherly International Seminar on Islamic Civilization and Peace held by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which was held in April 23 to 25 2013.

Prof. Abbadi, as Chairman of the Delegation of Jordan and the special envoy of King Abdullah II, King delivered a letter of invitation to the President to make a state visit to Jordan.

The meeting also discussed a plan granting honorary degrees in political science from Yarmouk University Jordan to the President for his services to lead the largest Muslim country in the world and the role of active participation in creating world peace, citing his statement. Dr. Abdullah Musa, Rector of the University of Yarmouk, in a press conference after the meeting.

President Yudhoyono welcomed the invitation of King Abdullah II to make a state visit and expressed his willingness to accept an honorary degree Honoris Causa that was intended.

source: kemlu.go.id

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Indonesia protests the opening of Free West Papua office in Oxford

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | World | Sun, May 05 2013, 3:40 PM

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The government of Indonesia has issued a statement strongly objecting to the opening of the so-called Free West Papua office in Oxford on April 28. The Indonesian government has
asked its UK counterpart to be consistent in its policy of not supporting any action related to the separatist movement in Papua and West Papua.

“Indonesia’s ambassador in London has relayed the government’s position on the matter to the UK government,” said Indonesia Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

The same disapproval has been sent to the British Embassy in Jakarta.

The government stated that the opening of the office was clearly contrary to the good mutual relations between Indonesia and the UK.

As such, the opening of the office was felt to be contradictory to the position taken by the British government, which has acknowledged the territorial integrity of Indonesia. The new office also opposed the international community’s view that firmly acknowledged the territorial integrity of Indonesia with West Papua included as an integral part, said the release.

“This development is a reflection of the desperation among separatists in dealing with that reality,” Marty said.

The office has been opened by the Free West Papua campaign, which is led by British-based Papuan exile Benny Wenda, as well as with the support of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP).

The IPWP was launched in Britain's House of Commons on October 15, 2008, and is chaired by British politician Andrew Smith, a Labor Party
legislator.

The office opening was attended by Andrew Smith, the Lord Mayor of Oxford Mohd Niaz Abbasi, former Oxford mayor Elise Benjamin and Benny Wenda. (asw/dic)

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Jokowi hands over his Metallica guitar to KPK

Sita W.Dewi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Mon, May 06 2013, 5:19 PM

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Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo on Monday reported and handed over a guitar given to him by American heavy metal band Metallica to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to avoid a potential violation of the Corruption Law.
Metallica’s bass player Robert Trujillo gave the Ibanez bass guitar to the governor through promoter Jonathan Liu who planned to hold a Metallica concert in Jakarta later this year.
Trujillo hand wrote a personal message on the guitar, saying “Giving back! To Jokowi. Keep playing that cool funky bass."
Jokowi denied the guitar was a gratuity for the expedition of the concert permit issuance.
"It is like when a leader of another country pays a visit and gives me a souvenir. All good concerts should be approved […] because why not?" he said.
KPK gratuities director Giri Supradiono said everything given to a public official was potentially a gratuity.
"However, I have not yet decided whether the guitar was a form of a repayment," Giri told The Jakarta Post.
He added that the KPK would return the guitar to the governor once they determined that the guitar was not proven as compensation. (ebf)

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Discourse: Balance key to Bali trade talks

Linda Yulisman, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya | Headlines | Mon, May 06 2013, 8:31 AM

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Paper Edition | Page: 3

Indonesia will host the 9th World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference in Bali, which many members view will be a decisive moment for the world governing body and the Doha development agenda that it endorsed more than a decade ago. The Jakarta Post’s Linda Yulisman talked to WTO deputy director general Alejandro Jara about the preparations for the meeting and also other trade issues on the sidelines of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers’ meeting in Surabaya recently. Here are the excerpts:

Question: There are concerns that progress on the draft deal for the Bali meeting has been very slow and Pascal Lamy (WTO director general) recently called for “a change in mindset” for Bali to succeed and also for an acceleration in the negotiations. What are the main sticking points that have hampered the talks so far?

Answer: To prepare for an agreement, you have to first define what it is that you are going to negotiate and make a list of items to put on the table. Then, you have to make proposals and write the texts that are to be negotiated. There’s another phase when you have to decide if you have a divergence of views. This takes time. So just think of how many weeks we have for Bali, not that many, and by now, it should have been clear what is going to be negotiated.

What is clear is that it could be trade facilitation, which is one big item. On the one side there are the legal obligations to trade facilitation. On the other side, there are the capacity building and assistance that developing countries will receive to the extent that they need it to implement obligations. So, there is a balance between one and the other and you have to achieve that balance, and place trust that the assistance will be there. That’s being worked out. It requires custom officials and others. But it also requires a certain time, more political influence and the like.

There are other issues in agriculture and tariff administration that are being worked out. There’s another proposal on the table by the group of G-33, particularly by India, on food security. That’s more controversial. Some countries feel that this proposal is a step back, weakening the discipline we negotiated in the Uruguay Round. That’s the big item on which there are strong views. That’s also holding back everything because what happened with trade facilitation is linked with what is happening here.

Could you elaborate on why the agriculture issue has become controversial?

For Bali, the agriculture issue has several elements. One is food security to the extent that countries are allowed to stockpile and that means subsidizing agriculture, when other countries don’t think they should go in this direction as it could have a weakening effect on them. So that means more clarity, more political understanding. That’s why Pascal Lamy has said “You have to change your mind set. You have to engage more if you want deliverables in Bali to succeed.”

How should this “change of mind set” take place?

First, people have to come round to the thinking that there’s a need for deliverables in Bali. Secondly, you can have deliverables on things where it is possible to reach a consensus. The members must determine this and not continue this game forever. They have to decide the upturn side and whether what is acceptable and non-acceptable are satisfactorily balanced.

So they must focus on issues where most members agree, but pull out of issues where many members cannot agree?

Yes, unless the issue in question is so important for you that you don’t care about the rest.

What are the concrete actions that WTO members should take to progress the talks?

First of all, members are engaging with one another and some members are taking the initiative to arrange meetings with senior officials to discuss things on a higher political level, but we have to work faster.

What are the chances of trade facilitation, agriculture and LDC packages serving as early harvests for the Bali meeting?

So far, these areas are issues that many members think have a good chance of being delivered in Bali. But there’s one area, agriculture, which is more controversial. A controversial area in agriculture is stockpiling.

In its outlook on global trade released recently, the WTO said world trade will remain low, growing at 3.3 percent this year, with the risk of protectionism remains. What can the WTO do to reduce or avert continuing protectionism?

The members must apply measures. On the one hand, they have to engage with one another and they have to say: “I don’t like the measure you’re applying and we will challenge it to dispute settlement,” if they consider it legal. Then settle with members in terms of how they are impacted by the measure.

On the other hand, the secretariat collects measures. We put it in black and white. We report every six months, detailing our measures that have been applied — restrictive measures as well as trade liberalization measures — so that members are aware of what’s happening. We provide information and analysis, but it’s up to the members to react to the measures that affect them negatively.

When global trade returns to a normal level, will the risks of protectionism decline?

I think that with economic recovery and more jobs, there will be less fear that jobs will be lost, and more acceptance of the fact that there is more competition. I expect governments will be less pressured to apply restrictions.

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Consumers to enjoy ATM interbank transfer

Tassia Sipahutar, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Mon, May 06 2013, 8:37 AM

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Paper Edition | Page: 3

Banking customers will be able to enjoy full interbank transfer services at any automated teller machine (ATM) starting from July with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between three local interbank network providers, according to a Bank Indonesia (BI) executive.

The three companies — PT Artajasa Pembayaran Elektronis (provider of ATM Bersama network), PT Rintis Sejahtera (Prima) and PT Daya Network Lestari (ALTO) — are scheduled to sign the MoU in Jakarta on May 6.

Under the MoU, Artajasa, Rintis and Daya agree to integrate their networks, so ATM cardholders can transfer money to different banks.

According to BI executive director of accounting and payment systems Boedi Armanto, the MoU is the first of several phases of partnership between the local interbank networks.

“The central bank encourages the companies to prioritize the interbank transfer service because apparently it is the most preferred service by customers when they use ATMs. We can proceed with other services after that,” he said recently.

BI data on debit card usage shows that, since 2007, the transfer service transaction value has consistently been higher than those for other uses. In February 2013, transfer service grew 28.8 percent to Rp 142.37 trillion (US$14.62 billion) from a year before.

It made up for 52.7 percent of the total debit card transaction value in February, followed by cash withdrawal with 43.9 percent and shopping with 3.4 percent.

As of February 2013, there were 74.37 million ATM and debit cards in Indonesia, according to BI.

The February data from Artajasa, Rintis and Daya shows similar results in terms of transfer and cash withdrawal services. Artajasa recorded that transfer and cash withdrawal accounted for 71 percent and 29 percent, respectively.

Rintis reported that transfer accounted for 87 percent and cash withdrawal stood at 13 percent. Meanwhile, according to Daya, the transfer service made up for 75 percent and cash withdrawal contributed to 25 percent.

Boedi said that the integration of services in July was expected to assist customers with money transfers because the traffic of money transfers was generally high entering the fasting month of Ramadan, which this year falls in July.

Currently, Artajasa’s ATM Bersama is adopted by 81 banks, ranging from state-owned banks (Bank Mandiri, BNI, BRI) to foreign banks (HSBC, Citibank, Rabobank). Rintis’s Prima is popularly associated with BCA even though it also partners with other banks, such as Bukopin and Permata Bank. Meanwhile, Daya’s membership comprises several banks, such as Panin Bank.

The bank’s adoption of a certain interbank network is not exclusive as banks can also use some other systems. Permata and Mandiri are two examples of banks that adopt more than one system. Permata uses ATM Bersama, Prima and ALTO while Mandiri uses ATM Bersama and Prima.

Besides the aforementioned companies, there are three other interbank network providers in Indonesia: PT Mastercard Indonesia with its Cirrus network, PT Union Pay Indonesia with CUP and PT Visa Worldwide Indonesia with Plus.

Mandiri senior vice president for electronic banking Rico Usthavia Frans said that the bank welcomed the network integration as it would provide Mandiri with wider business coverage. However, it has not decided whether or not it will keep both interbank services.

Mandiri currently has 10,985 ATMs, and between 10 million and 11 million ATM and debit cards. In the first quarter of 2013, its average ATM transaction volume stood at 218.1 million, while the transaction value amounted to Rp 179.3 trillion.

The bank gained Rp 286 billion in income from transfer and retail transactions, up 17.2 percent from the first quarter of 2012.

Similar to Rico, Permata executive vice president for transaction banking Rudy Tandjung said that Permata had not taken any decision regarding its membership within the three local switching companies. “There will be a separate business calculation for that,” he said in a telephone interview.

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In rare appearance, Murakami talks about new book

The Associated Press, Kyoto | World | Mon, May 06 2013, 7:16 PM

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Japanese author Haruki Murakami says his latest novel was a new experiment and grew longer than expected as he developed a desire to expand on side characters while writing.
The latest novel by one of Japan's most respected and popular novelists, "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of His Pilgrimage," has sold more than 1 million copies a week since it went on sale last month.
Murakami said in a rare public appearance Monday that the novel reflected his deep interest in real people and relationships rather than something implicit.
The novel is about a man who was suddenly cut off by his close friends and the process of healing from that.
Murakami's internationally known works include "Norwegian Wood" and "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle."

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British government respects RI’s territorial integrity: UK ambassador

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Mon, May 06 2013, 7:19 PM

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The British Ambassador to Indonesia, Mark Canning, reiterated on Monday the position of the British government respecting the territorial integrity of Indonesia, and did not support calls for Papuan independence.
"We regard West Papua as being part of Indonesia. That has always been our view, and this recent development does nothing to change that," Canning said as quoted by Antara news agency.
He was summoned by Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa, on Monday, following the opening of a Free West Papua office in Oxford, on April 28.
“The minister conveyed to me in clear terms the strong concern of the Indonesian government on the opening of a Free West Papua office in Oxford,” said Canning after the meeting.
During the meeting, Canning explained to Marty that the British government recognized the sensitivity of the issue for Indonesia.
"We also support the efforts of the Presidential Delivery Unit [UKP4] who are addressing the problems of West Papua and hope to see it enjoy the same level of peace, stability and prosperity as the other parts of this nation. I made these points to Papua Governor Lukas Enembe when we met last week," said Canning.
“We believe that the Indonesian government is genuinely committed to addressing the problems in that region and hope that the efforts will bear fruit," he added.
The Indonesian government has asked its UK counterpart to be consistent in its policy of not supporting any actions related to the separatist movement in Papua and West Papua.
The office has been opened by the Free West Papua campaign, which is led by British-based Papuan exile Benny Wenda, with the support of the International Parliamentarians for West Papua (IPWP) group. (asw/ebf)

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10 Supreme Court justices retire

Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Wed, May 01 2013, 3:29 PM

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The Supreme Court apparently needs to do some headhunting in order to fill the vacant posts left by 10 justices, all of whom retired on Wednesday. They are Abdul Kadir Mappong; Djoko Sarwoko;
Paulus E. Lotulung; Atja Sondjaja; Mieke Komar; Imam Harjadi; Dirwoto; Mansur Kertayasa; Ahmad Sukardja, and Rehngena Purba.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Hatta Ali said at the joint retirement ceremony that these justices, the majority of whom had served on the bench for 40 years, deserved the honor as they had given their utmost contribution to the development of Indonesia’s judicial system.

The court now has 51 justices out of the total 60 as stipulated by the law.

"They delivered important rulings that set benchmarks in the the judiciary's history," he said.
"Although you have retired, that does not mean you can no longer contribute to the judiciary. We still need your skills," he added. (dic)

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E. Kalimantan barge explosion kills 4

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Thu, May 02 2013, 6:24 AM

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The National Police confirmed on Wednesday that four people were killed when a barge exploded near a port belonging to coal mining firm PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) in Sangatta, East Kalimantan, on Monday.
National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said that the Sahoya 3 barge exploded soon after 3,200 tons of fuel had been unloaded on Monday evening.
"The flames from the barge spread to a Arya Candara tug boat that was beside it. In seconds, the tug boat exploded," he said.
The multiple explosions claimed the lives of four workers on the barge -- Galih, Feri, Fauzi and Yuda -- and injured five people on the tug boat.
"We are still searching for one tug boat passenger called Sutrisno," Agus said.
East Kalimatan Police, Kutai Timur Police and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) joined forces to find Sutrisno.
Agus said that police were coordinating with PT KPC to determine the cause of the incident.

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Mozilla: UK spyware company hijacking our brand

Raphael Satter, The Associated Press, London | World | Thu, May 02 2013, 6:28 AM

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The maker of one of the Internet's most popular browsers is taking on one of the world's best-known purveyors of surveillance software, accusing a British company of hijacking the Mozilla brand to camouflage its espionage products.
The Mozilla Foundation — responsible for the Firefox browser — said late Tuesday that Gamma International Ltd. was passing off its FinFisher spy software as a Firefox product to avoid detection. Mozilla described the tactic as abusive.
"We are sending Gamma, the FinFisher parent company, a cease and desist letter demanding that these practices be stopped immediately," Mozilla executive Alex Fowler said in a statement from the company, based in Mountain View, California.
Gamma, based in Andover, England, did not respond to seven emails. The company has ignored repeated questions from The Associated Press for more than a month.
Gamma's FinFisher is one of many corporate-made viruses which have attracted scrutiny after the wave of Arab revolutions exposed the high-tech tools used by repressive regimes to stifle dissent. FinFisher — which can log keystrokes, record Skype calls, and turn webcams and cellphones into improvised surveillance devices — drew particular attention after a sales pitch for the spyware was discovered in an Egyptian state security building in 2011.
Citizen Lab, a research group based at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs, has since linked FinFisher to servers in 36 countries and found the virus hidden in documents including news updates from Bahrain and photographs of Ethiopian opposition figures. In a report published late Tuesday, Citizen Lab said that it had also found a FinFisher sample hiding in a document about Malaysia's upcoming general election.
Citizen Lab's Morgan Marquis-Boire said the evidence fell short of proving that FinFisher was being used by one government or another, but said its dispersal hinted at the global reach of espionage programs.
"It really shows the ubiquity of this type of software," he said.
That ubiquity has already given Gamma a public relations headache. In March, the company was identified as one of five "corporate enemies of the Internet" by journalists' lobbying group Reporters Without Borders. Earlier this month the rights group Privacy International sued the British government over allegations that Gamma had illegally exported its surveillance technology — an accusation the company has denied.
A British legal expert said Mozilla's intervention could spell new trouble for Gamma.
The fake Firefox information attached to the FinFisher software was "deliberately designed to be read and mislead," said Simon Ayrton, a partner at specialist intellectual property law firm Powell Gilbert. He predicted that Mozilla would have a strong case if it sought an injunction against the spyware maker.
"I'd be surprised if FinFisher attracted much sympathy from the court," he said.
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Online:
Mozilla: http://www.mozilla.org/
Citizen Lab's report: https://citizenlab.org/2013/04/for-their-eyes-only-2/
Gamma Group: https://www.gammagroup.com/
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Raphael Satter can be reached at: http://raphae.li/twitter

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Bayern Munich lines up CL final with Dortmund

Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press, Barcelona | Sports | Thu, May 02 2013, 6:58 AM

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi watched from the sideline as Bayern Munich completed its dismantling of the Spanish side with a 3-0 win on Wednesday, lining up the first all-German Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.
With its all-time leading scorer out after he aggravated a right hamstring injury, Barcelona failed to seriously threaten Bayern's goal — much less an epic comeback after its 4-0 first-leg defeat.
Bayern, meanwhile, humbled a team that has been the envy of European football for a second time in only nine days.
"I think it is a terrific performance, it is a little bit of history," Bayern forward Arjen Robben said. "If we perform like this, against a team who have dominated Europe for the past five years, who have so much quality, it is amazing."
After the visitors had toyed with Barcelona in the first half, Robben finally opened the scoring in the 49th minute before Barcelona's Gerard Pique added an own goal in the 72nd. Thomas Mueller headed in Bayern's third goal just four minutes later, as Barcelona slumped to its first home loss in European competition since 2009.
Four-time winner Bayern will face Dortmund in the final on May 25 at Wembley Stadium.
Besides Messi, Barcelona was also without four other first-choice players. But the glaring truth is that even with several Spanish internationals on the pitch Bayern, was once again the better side.
And after this tie, it's clear that the power has shifted away from Camp Nou further east.
Pique described it as one of his club's "worst nights," adding that even Messi wouldn't have made a difference.
"It isn't pleasant living through a situation like this," Pique said. "In the first half, we really tried but when they scored the first we were left feeling down. We have to congratulate Bayern who were superior.
"The fact that Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, did not play was a factor — but I do not think his participation tonight would have changed things all that much."
While fellow Spanish side Real Madrid won 2-0 on Tuesday to almost reverse a 4-1 first-leg loss to Dortmund, Barcelona didn't even come close and definitely didn't bow out of Europe's top-tier competition gracefully.
Instead, its second stinging defeat to the newly-crowned German champions will surely open a period of reflection in the club, despite being on course to win the Spanish league title. The Catalan side has been seriously outclassed for the first time since a trophy-laden era started in 2008 under the guidance of former coach Pep Guardiola, who will take over as Bayern coach next season.
After these performances, Guardiola will have a tough time matching the job Jupp Heynckes has done this season.
"When the draw came out and we were paired with Barcelona, I would never have imagined that we would win 4-0 and then 3-0 at the Camp Nou," Heynckes said. "Barcelona is a fantastic team. Today it had personnel problems, when Messi plays it is very different. However, we played a game at a very high level for 90 minutes."
Bayern lost last year's final at home to Chelsea in a penalty shootout. It also reached the 2010 final, but went down 2-0 to Inter Milan.
"I believe any team in the world would have trouble playing us because we are a unified group with clear objectives," Heynckes said. "We have won the league, are in the (German) Cup final, and in the final of the Champions League after we lost last season due to some very bad luck."
Cracks had already appeared in Barcelona's reign, which had seen it win the European Cup three times in the last seven years, during the round of 16 with a 2-0 loss at AC Milan, before Messi dug down and scored twice to help secure a 4-0 win.
"He's the worst player for us to lose," said Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez. "Practically all the passes in the last three quarters of the pitch are for him."
Since injuring his leg on April 2, Messi's only start had been against Bayern. He had missed three games and come off the bench in two more, including last Saturday's Spanish league game at Athletic Bilbao where he scored one goal and set up another.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said that Messi had felt "something" in his leg in the final minutes of the game in Bilbao, and that he had decided before the match that it wasn't worth exposing Messi to greater injury.
"We trained today but he wasn't comfortable, and we decided that if we were going to risk him it would be at the end," Vilanova said.
Having failed to complete that last pass in the first 45 minutes, Bayern finally converted just after halftime when Robben received the ball on the right flank, cut back to his left to shake off Adriano, and curled one of his trademark left-footed shots over the outstretched Victor Valdes and into the far side of the net.
Bayern then pressed its advantage and quickly turned a win into humbling of Barcelona.
Pique added to the home side's misery when he kneed Frank Ribery's cross into his own net in an attempt to clear.
Mueller then netted his third goal of the series when Ribery picked him out at the far post to head home his cross over Valdes.

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Dozens of Indonesians on death row

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Thu, May 02 2013, 7:25 AM

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Executive director of Migrant CARE Anis Hidayah said there were 420 Indonesian workers abroad who were facing the death penalty.
Of that number 99 workers had been given the death sentence and two have been executed, Anis said, as quoted by tribunnews.com.
At the current time, five Indonesian female domestic workers -- Satinah, Siti Zaenab, Tuti Tursilawati, Aminah and Darmawati -- are on death row in Saudi Arabia.
Anis said that the country could no longer effectively help the workers since the disbandment of the migrant workers task force early last year.

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Around the world, angry workers unite on May Day

Mehmet Guzel and Suzan Fraser, The Associated Press, Istanbul | World | Thu, May 02 2013, 7:29 AM

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Workers around the world united in anger during May Day rallies Wednesday — from fury in Europe over austerity measures that have cut wages, reduced benefits and eliminated many jobs altogether, to rage in Asia over relentlessly low pay, the rising cost of living and hideous working conditions that have left hundreds dead in recent months.
In protests, strikes and other demonstrations held in cities across the planet, activists lashed out at political and business leaders they allege have ignored workers' voices or enriched themselves at the expense of laborers. In some places, the demonstrations turned violent, with activists clashing with police.
Many nations have been struggling with economic downturns for several years now, and workplace disasters in developing countries are nothing new, but the intensity of some of Wednesday's gatherings suggested workers' frustrations have grown especially acute, with many demanding immediate action to address their concerns.
The anger was painfully evident in Bangladesh, where the collapse last week of an illegally built eight-story facility housing multiple garment factories killed more than 400 in a Dhaka suburb. The building collapse followed a garment factory fire in November that killed 112 people in the country, and it has increased the pressure on the global garment industry to improve working conditions.
A loud procession of thousands of workers wound through central Dhaka on Wednesday. Many waved the national flag and demanded the death penalty for the now-detained owner of the doomed building. From a loudspeaker on the back of a truck, a participant spoke for the throngs gathered: "My brother has died. My sister has died. Their blood will not be valueless."
The Bangladesh tragedy drew a denunciation from Pope Francis during a private Mass at the Vatican. He blasted what he called the "slave" wages of those who died, many of whom were being buried Wednesday as other bodies were still being pulled from the rubble. Francis criticized the focus on "balance books" and personal profit that he said are tied to the failure to pay workers fair wages.
In Greece and Spain, increasing numbers of people are losing their jobs as governments grappling with a debt crisis have been cutting spending, raising taxes and pursuing other stinging austerity measures. Both countries have unemployment rates hovering just above 27 percent.
Unions in Greece held a May Day strike that brought ferry and train services to a halt, and organized peaceful protest marches through central Athens. The country, which nearly went bankrupt in 2010, is now in its sixth year of a deep recession and is dependent on international bailout loans.
While the austerity drive has succeeded in reducing high budget deficits, it has been at a huge cost: under the terms of its latest loan disbursement, Athens has agreed to sack about 15,000 civil servants through 2014.
"We are here to send a message to ... those in power in Europe, that we will continue our struggle against unfair, open-ended policies that are destroying millions of jobs on a national and European level," said Kostas Tsikrikas, leader of Greek public sector labor union ADEDY.
More than 100,000 Spaniards infuriated by austerity measures and economic recession took to the streets of some 80 cities in trade union-organized rallies Wednesday, with the largest protests in Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao.
Under banners reading "Fight for your rights," union leaders Ignacio Fernandez Toxo of Workers Commissions and Candido Mendez of the General Workers Union called on the government to reverse its austerity drive and urged politicians to agree an all-party economic plan aimed at creating jobs.
Francisco Moreno, an unemployed bookkeeper, scoffed at Spanish leaders' calls on the public to be patient. "You can only be patient if you have savings, money in the bank," the 47-year-old said. "You can't be patient if you have no income and kids to feed."
May Day events in Turkey turned violent when some demonstrators, angered at a government ban on a symbolic rally point, hurled stones, gasoline bombs and fireworks at riot police. Security forces used water cannon and tear gas to prevent crowds from accessing Taksim Square, and Istanbul Governor Huseyin Avni Mutlu said 22 police officers and at least three passersby were injured. More than 72 demonstrators were arrested.
The square is the city's main hub and is undergoing a major facelift. Authorities banned celebrations at Taksim this year, citing construction safety risks, and partially suspended public transport services to prevent large gatherings there. But trade unions had vowed to mark May Day in Taksim, which has symbolic importance because dozens of protesters were killed there in 1977 when unidentified gunmen opened fire on May Day celebrators.
"Taksim is our sacred venue. Open it up to the workers!" demanded Kani Beko, leader of a major labor union confederation.
Boos and whistles from protesters forced Danish Prime Minister Thorning-Schmidt to halt her May Day speech to thousands at the gathering in Aarhus, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Copenhagen. Some believe that she has been leaning too far to the right to uphold the goals of her leftist Social Democratic Party. As she was walking to her car, a man squirted her with a water pistol. Police spokesman Carsten Dahl said police had detained the 23-year-old man, but the premier was not injured.
Swedish police said seven people were arrested and five were injured as counter-demonstrators tried to interrupt a May Day parade by right-wing extremists in the southern city of Jonkoping. Police spokesman Goran Gunnarsson said 60 others were briefly detained as officers tried to keep the two sides apart.
In Indonesia, the world's fourth-most populous country, tens of thousands of workers rallied for higher pay and other demands. Some also carried banners reading: "Sentence corruptors to death and seize their properties" to protest a proposal for the government to slash fuel subsidies that have kept the country's pump prices among the cheapest in the region.
In the Philippines, an estimated 8,000 workers marched in Manila to also demand better pay and regular jobs instead of contractual work. Some rallied outside the U.S. Embassy, torching a wooden painting stamped with the words "low wages" and "union busting" that depicted Philippine President Benigno Aquino III as a lackey of President Barack Obama.
More than 10,000 Taiwanese protested a government plan to cut pension payouts to solve worsening fiscal problems, saying it reflects a government policy to bolster economic growth at the expense of workers' benefits. Analysts say poor income levels have forced many young Taiwanese to share housing with their parents and delay marriages.
And in Cambodia, more than 5,000 garment workers marched in Phnom Penh, demanding better working conditions and a salary increase from $80 to $150 a month. About a half million people work in the country's $4.6 billion garment industry, which makes brand name clothes for many U.S. and European retailers.
In Mexico, public school teachers who have blocked highways and battled police in recent months marched peacefully Wednesday in Mexico City and the southern city of Chilpancingo, hoping to block an education reform law that introduces teacher evaluations and diminishes the power of unions in hiring decisions.
"Not here, not there, the reform shall not pass anywhere!" the marchers chanted.
In his May 1 speech, President Enrique Pena Nieto promised new effort to produce more salaried jobs, noting that two-thirds of Mexicans have no benefits and low wages.
In Havana, tens of thousands of Cubans joined the communist nation's traditional May Day march in the Plaza of the Revolution. This year's edition was dedicated to Cuba's ally, the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Cuban President Raul Castro attended the event, but did not speak.
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Associated Press writers Margie Mason and Ali Kotarumalos in Jakarta, Indonesia; Teresa Cerojano in Manila, Philippines; Annie Huang in Taipei, Taiwan; Sopheng Cheang in Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Heather Tan in Singapore; Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong; and Chris Blake and Farid Hossain in Savar, Bangladesh, Nicholas Paphitis in Athens, Karl Ritter in Stockholm, Harold Heckle in Madrid, Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Andrea Rodriguez in Havana and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report.

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Police arrest 6 separatists in Papua

The Jakarta Post, Jayapura | Archipelago | Thu, May 02 2013, 7:59 AM

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While people all over the world commemorated May 1 as a day for workers, residents in Papua celebrated on Wednesday the integration of Papua province into Indonesia.
In Jayapura, residents celebrated the integration of Papua into Indonesia by holding a float parade while introducing national heroes from Papua: Frans Kaisipeo, Marthen Indey, Silas Papare and Elieser Yan Bonai.
The police, however, arrested six people in Ibdi village in Biak regency for commemorating the day as Papua's annexation by Indonesia and raising the Morning Star flag of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM).
"The six people were arrested because they were flying the banned flag," Papua Police chief spokesman Sr. Comr. I Gede Sumerta Jaya said in Jayapura.
Some 50 other people were provoking the crowd to secede from Indonesia, he said. Sumerta added that when police were trying to disperse the crowd, they tried to seize firearms from the officers. The police were forced to fire warning shots.
In Sorong, West Papua, one soldier was injured when security officers tried to break up a crowd commemorating the annexation. The crowd refused to disperse and instead attacked security personnel using sharp weapons.

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Two night trains to Bogor, Bekasi to be axed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:05 AM

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State-owned train operator PT KAI will axe two late-night commuter trains serving the Jakarta-Bogor and Jakarta-Bekasi routes starting from Wednesday.
The axed services are the 11:25 p.m. train from Kota station in West Jakarta to Bekasi and the 12:25 a.m. from Kota to Bogor.
The spokesman for PT KAI's Banten, West Java and Jakarta office, Sukendar Mulya, said the services were being scrapped because few commuters used them.
"We're scrapping the services because the trains are almost empty," he said on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com.
Sukendar said the company would add two new services at 4:43 p.m. and 4:36 p.m. for trains departing from Jatinegara station in East Jakarta to Bogor, and Kota to Bogor, respectively.

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Casablanca elevated road to finish in June

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Jakarta | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:08 AM

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Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo says that the administration will resume the much-delayed construction of the elevated section of the road between Kampung Melayu in East Jakarta and Tanah Abang in Central Jakarta, spanning Casablanca, South Jakarta.
He said on Wednesday that he had agreed to the demands of construction company PT Istana Karya for payment of outstanding funds to finish the project, initiated by his predecessor Fauzi Bowo in 2010.
"I have asked the company whether it is able to finish the project. It said yes, so I just told them to get on with it," he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.
PT Istana Karya was unable to finish the 700-meter road section as the city administration had not paid the funds.
The city administration suspended the Rp 900 billion (US$92.65 million) project for evaluation because it was behind schedule.
Jokowi said the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) could still continue auditing the project according to procedures while the contractor worked on the overpass.
"We want all [the construction process] finished fast. It will be complete on June 29," he said.

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Mandiri Tunas to issue Rp 1.25 t bonds

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:12 AM

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PT Mandiri Tunas Finance (MTF), a subsidiary of Bank Mandiri, plans to issue bonds worth Rp 1.25 trillion (US$128.6 million) within the next two years to boost its automotive credit financing,
MTF will sell a maximum of Rp 500 billion debt papers this year that will be divided into two series; those that would mature in three years (A series) and those that would mature in four years (B series). The debt papers have been granted idAA (double A) rating from domestic rating agency PT Pemeringkat Efek Indonesia (Pefindo).
The company appointed PT Mandiri Sekuritas as the underwriter for the bond issuance, the bonds will be offered on May 30 and 31. The debt papers are scheduled to be listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) on June 7.
Managing director of investment banking at PT Mandiri Sekuritas, Iman Rachman, said on Wednesday that the coupon rate for the A series bond would be between 7.35 and 8.15 percent per year and 7.4 and 8.2 percent per year for the B series.
MTF booked Rp 2.5 trillion in new lending in the first quarter of this year -- mostly for automobile purchases -- a 47 percent increase from the same period last year. Its target is to provide Rp 12 trillion in new lending by the year end.

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SMGR pays Rp 2.18 trillion in dividend

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:15 AM

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State owned cement producer - PT Semen Indonesia Tbk (SMGR) will pay dividends worth Rp 2.18 trillion -- at Rp 368 per share -- amounting about 45 percent of the company's 2012 net profits of Rp 4.85 trillion.
SMGR president director Dwi Soetjipto said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the 2012 dividends, which rose by 11 percent from Rp 331 paid last year, would be paid to shareholders in June.
Semen Indonesia, formerly Semen Gresik, booked total revenues of Rp 19.6 trillion in 2012, a rise of 19.7 percent from Rp 16.38 trillion in 2011.
"Our sales volume rose by 14.7 percent to 22.55 million tons in 2012 from 19.72 million tons in 2011," he told reporters after an annual shareholders meeting. He said that with such sales volume SMGR's market share in the domestic cement market reached 41 percent.
This year, the company expects total sales would further increase to 28 million tons.

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Timah Q1 profits fall 51% on lower deliveries

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:21 AM

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State-owned tin miner PT Timah recorded lower first quarter (Q1) profits due to a reduction in sales.
The company's QI net profit booked was Rp 102.8 billion; a decline of around 51 percent compared to Rp 207.7 billion in the same period of last year.
The company reported lower revenue -- of around 30 percent --during the January to March period from Rp 2.17 trillion in 2012 to Rp 1.53 trillion in Q1 this year. The revenue decline was attributed to lower refined tin sales volume; 5,820 metric tons during the first three months of 2013, a year on year decline of around 35 percent from 9,022 metric tons.
The company's average selling price stood at $23.910 per metric tons, an increase of 4 percent compared to $23,101 in the first quarter of 2012.

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PTPP says new contracts may exceed target

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Business | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:25 AM

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State-owned construction firm PT Pembangunan Permian (PTPP) expects its new contracts this year will exceed its initial target of Rp 19.7 trillion (US$2.03 billion) as there has been a significant increase in new contracts in the first quarter (Q1) of this year, a senior executive from the company said.
Engineering and marketing director from PTPP I Wayan Karioka said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the company would likely exceed the target for new contracts as it achieved more than expected in the January - March period.
The company secured Rp 4.7 trillion from new contracts in Q1 this year, a 176.5 percent year on year increase from Rp 1.7 trillion. The company projected to reach up to Rp 24 trillion in new contracts or 21.83 percent up from the initial target.
PTPP currently has several construction and procurement projects, such as a steam-power plant in Tanjung Uncang, Batam, worth Rp 1.1 trillion; a toll road connecting Cikampek-Palimanan worth Rp 454 billion; an apron at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport worth Rp 641 billion; JW Marriot hotel, Jakarta, worth Rp 159 billion; St Morritz Mall, Jakarta worth Rp 260 billion; and a railway in Palembang, South Sumatra worth Rp 210 billion.

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Indonesian women rule world gliding

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sports | Thu, May 02 2013, 8:27 AM

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Indonesia dominated the women's category at the opening series of the Para Gliding Accuracy World Cup by taking the top three spots at the event that concluded over the weekend in Painan, West Sumatra.
Lis Andriana took top standing by scoring the least points,24, followed by Ifa Kurniawati (57) and Nofrica Yanti (96). Nunnanapat Phuchong of Thailand and Tamara Kostic of Serbia came in fourth and fifth, respectively, according to a press release.
On the other hand, fellow Indonesian men were denied a place in the top three with Dede Nisbah and Ardi Kurniawan having to settle with fourth and fifth, respectively. Goran Djurkovic of Serbia won the men's competition by scoring 5 points. Finishing in second place was Matjaz Feraric of Slovenia (6), followed by Tanapat Luangiam of Thailand (9).
Sixty gliders from 10 countries -- Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and China -- participated in the event.
The second series will be held in Thailand, May 2-5. Portugal, Serbia and Romania are set to host the other three series while Malaysia will host the finals.

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Bayern Munich lines up CL final with Dortmund

Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press, Barcelona | Sports | Thu, May 02 2013, 6:58 AM

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Barcelona star Lionel Messi watched from the sideline as Bayern Munich completed its dismantling of the Spanish side with a 3-0 win on Wednesday, lining up the first all-German Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.
With its all-time leading scorer out after he aggravated a right hamstring injury, Barcelona failed to seriously threaten Bayern's goal — much less an epic comeback after its 4-0 first-leg defeat.
Bayern, meanwhile, humbled a team that has been the envy of European football for a second time in only nine days.
"I think it is a terrific performance, it is a little bit of history," Bayern forward Arjen Robben said. "If we perform like this, against a team who have dominated Europe for the past five years, who have so much quality, it is amazing."
After the visitors had toyed with Barcelona in the first half, Robben finally opened the scoring in the 49th minute before Barcelona's Gerard Pique added an own goal in the 72nd. Thomas Mueller headed in Bayern's third goal just four minutes later, as Barcelona slumped to its first home loss in European competition since 2009.
Four-time winner Bayern will face Dortmund in the final on May 25 at Wembley Stadium.
Besides Messi, Barcelona was also without four other first-choice players. But the glaring truth is that even with several Spanish internationals on the pitch Bayern, was once again the better side.
And after this tie, it's clear that the power has shifted away from Camp Nou further east.
Pique described it as one of his club's "worst nights," adding that even Messi wouldn't have made a difference.
"It isn't pleasant living through a situation like this," Pique said. "In the first half, we really tried but when they scored the first we were left feeling down. We have to congratulate Bayern who were superior.
"The fact that Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, did not play was a factor — but I do not think his participation tonight would have changed things all that much."
While fellow Spanish side Real Madrid won 2-0 on Tuesday to almost reverse a 4-1 first-leg loss to Dortmund, Barcelona didn't even come close and definitely didn't bow out of Europe's top-tier competition gracefully.
Instead, its second stinging defeat to the newly-crowned German champions will surely open a period of reflection in the club, despite being on course to win the Spanish league title. The Catalan side has been seriously outclassed for the first time since a trophy-laden era started in 2008 under the guidance of former coach Pep Guardiola, who will take over as Bayern coach next season.
After these performances, Guardiola will have a tough time matching the job Jupp Heynckes has done this season.
"When the draw came out and we were paired with Barcelona, I would never have imagined that we would win 4-0 and then 3-0 at the Camp Nou," Heynckes said. "Barcelona is a fantastic team. Today it had personnel problems, when Messi plays it is very different. However, we played a game at a very high level for 90 minutes."
Bayern lost last year's final at home to Chelsea in a penalty shootout. It also reached the 2010 final, but went down 2-0 to Inter Milan.
"I believe any team in the world would have trouble playing us because we are a unified group with clear objectives," Heynckes said. "We have won the league, are in the (German) Cup final, and in the final of the Champions League after we lost last season due to some very bad luck."
Cracks had already appeared in Barcelona's reign, which had seen it win the European Cup three times in the last seven years, during the round of 16 with a 2-0 loss at AC Milan, before Messi dug down and scored twice to help secure a 4-0 win.
"He's the worst player for us to lose," said Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez. "Practically all the passes in the last three quarters of the pitch are for him."
Since injuring his leg on April 2, Messi's only start had been against Bayern. He had missed three games and come off the bench in two more, including last Saturday's Spanish league game at Athletic Bilbao where he scored one goal and set up another.
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova said that Messi had felt "something" in his leg in the final minutes of the game in Bilbao, and that he had decided before the match that it wasn't worth exposing Messi to greater injury.
"We trained today but he wasn't comfortable, and we decided that if we were going to risk him it would be at the end," Vilanova said.
Having failed to complete that last pass in the first 45 minutes, Bayern finally converted just after halftime when Robben received the ball on the right flank, cut back to his left to shake off Adriano, and curled one of his trademark left-footed shots over the outstretched Victor Valdes and into the far side of the net.
Bayern then pressed its advantage and quickly turned a win into humbling of Barcelona.
Pique added to the home side's misery when he kneed Frank Ribery's cross into his own net in an attempt to clear.
Mueller then netted his third goal of the series when Ribery picked him out at the far post to head home his cross over Valdes.

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Aceh’s controversial flag is legal, Constitutional Court chief says

Ina Parlina, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Wed, May 01 2013, 8:13 AM

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Banda brothers: Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah (left), member of the House of Representatives Nasir Djamil (center) and Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar make merry after a meeting on the implementation of the Special Autonomy Law for Aceh at the court headquarters on Tuesday. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

Constitutional Court chief Akil Mochtar said on Tuesday there was no need to fret about Aceh’s official flag, which resembles the flag of the now-defunct separatist group, the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

Akil, a former Golkar Party lawmaker, said the use of the GAM symbol as Aceh’s provincial flag was in line with the 1945 Constitution. “The Constitution stipulates that our national standard is the red-and-white flag. However, it also recognizes special regions, such as Papua and Yogyakarta,” he said, adding that Aceh had the right to use regional symbols, including a flag, insignia and hymn as stipulated by Law No. 11/2006 on Aceh Government.

Akil made the statement following a meeting on Tuesday with Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah, regarding the matter, which had raised the hackles of political leaders in Jakarta.

Zaini said that the GAM flag was not meant to replace the republic’s red and white flag. “The flag is just to show a specialty of Aceh. There is nothing sinister about it. This is no different to flags in other special regions such as Yogyakarta, Ternate and Jakarta,” he said.

“We have no intention of seceding from Indonesia. We live in peaceful conditions under the Unitary Republic of Indonesia,” he said. “It is only a matter of differences in viewing the GAM flag. These are frictions that we do not need to worry about. We hope that we can find the wisest solution.”

The Aceh Provincial Legislative Council passed a local bylaw in late March making GAM’s flag as the provincial flag.

Aceh Deputy Governor Muzakir Manaf, a former GAM commander, said the flag was a symbol of the struggles and sacrifices of the Acehnese, and it was natural for it to become the province’s flag.

The central government rejected the flag as it violated Government Regulation No. 77/2007 on regional symbols, which stipulates that the design of a regional symbol and flag must not be in part, or as a whole, the same as the symbol and flag of any banned organizations or separatist movements within the Republic.

Akil assured the governor that use of the GAM symbol did not break any regulations, but acknowledged the reasons behind the government’s objection.

“The objection from the central government probably centers on the substance. This should be discussed thoroughly by the central government and the Aceh administration,” he said. “Let us just say that it might be considered a threat to the sovereignty of the country.”

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono has told the people of Aceh to abide by the law and only to fly the Indonesian flag.

The central government sent a letter to Aceh early this month asking for clarification within 15 days and to ensure that it did not run counter to the national laws.

The President also warned against a recurrence of the decades of armed insurgency launched by GAM.

Zaini argued that they actually had no deadline to reach the best solution as long as they were able to maintain a peaceful ambience, saying that he had tried to tell the people of Aceh to be patient.

The governor may meet with Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi again on Wednesday to seek pursue this “best solution”. The minister visited Banda Aceh recently to discuss the flag issue with the local government.

Separately on Tuesday, Gamawan said that the central government insisted Aceh would not fly a flag inspired by a former separatist movement.

“Tomorrow, there will be a solution; we will offer them a concept […] which does not resemble the GAM flag,” Gamawan said.

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Workers to take to the streets, airport on May Day

Ina Parlina and Yuliasri Perdani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Headlines | Tue, April 30 2013, 10:52 AM

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The country’s workers unions are set to stage rallies across Indonesia to commemorate Labor Day on May 1, with marches organized across the archipelago.

National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said his men were ready for the May Day rallies.

“It is an annual event, so it is important to keep it orderly,” he said on the sidelines of a meeting at the Presidential Palace complex on Monday. “So please keep it peaceful and orderly. [You] are allowed to express your aspirations, but don’t disturb the activities of other people.” He acknowledged that Jakarta would be “a priority”.

“Don’t worry about the blocking of toll roads by protesters; we all hope it won’t not occur,” he added.

Jakarta Traffic Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Sambodo Purnomo warned motorists to avoid the rally’s three checkpoints at the Presidential Palace and the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle both in Central Jakarta and the House of Representatives in South Jakarta.

“We will let the public know about traffic detours during the May Day event through the Traffic Management Center [TMC] website as well as through Twitter and Facebook. There will also be live radio broadcasts,” he said.

Thousands of workers in Tangerang regency are planning to block access to the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on May 1 to pressure President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

“We will not leave the airport until the president comes to talk with us,” said Mukhtar Guntur from the People Movement against Capitalism (Gerak) on Monday.

Gerak coordinator Koswara explained that their 13 demands included the elimination of the outsourcing system, the freedom of the workers’ association, better wages and for the government to decline requests from their employers to suspend the higher 2013 wages.

 “We are tired of holding rallies at the Presidential Palace without any reaction. Therefore, we will just stage a rally at the airport,” he said.

Depok Police coordinated with the unions about their May Day plans. Chief Sr. Comr. Achmad Kartiko said that the police would deploy 695 personnel to secure the event, while asking the unions not to target factories in Depok operating on that day.

Timur said that the President planned to meet with workers in Surabaya during the May Day event.

On Monday afternoon, Yudhoyono met with several figures that represented the unions, including chairman of the Confederation of Indonesian Workers Union (KSPI) Said Iqbal, Indonesian Labor Movement Council (MPBI) chairman Andi Gani and Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI) chairperson Nining Elitos.

“In short, we share the same commitment and interests,” Yudhoyono told the meeting. “I have often agreed that we want better workers welfare. It’s not fair: High economic growth, the industry is well developed, yet the workers see no progress.”

Yudhoyono urged protestors to keep the rallies peaceful.

Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, who also attended the dialogue, told the press that they had agreed to have a meeting ahead of May Day to share ideas.

“We talked about how to improve the social security provider [BPJS] as well as its regulations, the provincial minimum wage [UMP] and outsourcing,” Muhaimin said after the meeting.

Said Iqbal said Yudhoyono promised that “as long as the economy is growing, the workers would enjoy the wage. So let’s wait until it improves.” He also revealed that the President said May Day would be a national holiday next year. (tam)

Multa Fidrus and Yuli Tri Suwarni contributed to the article from Tangerang and Depok

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Police issue sketch of suspect in Aussie rape

KE Frans, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Headlines | Tue, April 30 2013, 10:54 AM

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North Kuta Police have completed a sketch of the male suspect who allegedly raped an Australian tourist before making away with her valuables at dawn on Saturday.

“The police artist constructed the sketch based on information provided by the victim,” North Kuta Police chief Adj. Comr. Reinhard Habonaran Nainggolan disclosed Monday.

“The victim remembered the face of the suspect quite clearly because he was not wearing a mask when the assault took place,” he said, adding that the sketch had been distributed to plainclothed detectives tasked with tracking down and apprehending the suspect.

The victim also provided the police with details of the suspect’s other features.

He is believed to be a thin dark-skinned local wearing a black T-shirt with black pants above the ankles, with straight black hair, 176 centimeters in height and around 35 years of age.

The victim, identified as 28-year-old LKT, was robbed and raped at Villa Damais on Jl. Bumbak, Banjar Anyar Kelod, Kerobokan district, North Kuta, Badung regency, where she and seven members of her family were
vacationing.

LKT and her family cut their holiday short and returned to Perth on Sunday, after she reported the case to the police and underwent a medical examination at Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar. She had been in Bali for the past week.

A medical examination confirmed LKT’s information on the sexual assault.

During the break-in early Saturday morning, at around 4 a.m., the suspect, according to LKT’s police report stole three iPads, two iPhones and Rp 1.5 million (US$154) in cash, valued overall at approximately Rp 47,500,000, before raping her.

The suspect carried a knife and a flashlight as he stood in front of LKT, while she was sleeping in her room.

LKT slept alone while other members of her family slept in the other three rooms in the villa.

Five witnesses, including a security officer, are being questioned by the police. The on-duty security officer, however, testified that he was not aware of the break-in.

The police have also secured the crime scene and a number of pieces of evidence, including worn clothing. Reinhard suspected that the crime was conducted by more than one person.

“We are now checking our list of known active criminals and recidivists. We believe that the perpetrators are Indonesian men.”

The rolling doors of the room where LKT was staying were not damaged, thus it is thought that the suspect easily entered through unlocked doors, after jumping from the wall surrounding the compound of the four-bedroom villa.

Reinhard said that the villa was guarded by a security officer 24 hours daily.

The police have not been informed on whether the villa was equipped with Closed Circuit Television (CCTV).

In the past, several female tourists had fallen victim to sexual assault during their stay on the resort island.

In mid-2010, police arrested Rudy Stenly Walawangko, a surf instructor for raping an intoxicated Australian woman.

In the previous year, a Swedish teenager reported that she was raped by an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver in Kuta.

While in 2002, the Japanese government threatened to issue a travel warning following an increasing number of sexual assaults targeting Japanese women.

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This odd world: Ghost train at 100 kilometers per hour

The Jakarta Post | Headlines | Tue, April 30 2013, 10:57 AM

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SEMARANG, Central Java: Railway workers at Poncol station could not believe their eyes when a locomotive, ready to draw a Jakarta-bound train at dawn on Sunday, moved off with the drivers nowhere to be seen on the roaring engine.

Panic reigned when nobody could run fast enough to catch the 3-year-old loco as it accelerated wildly westward.

The news came 15 minutes later, at 4:15 a.m, that the 80-ton engine had gone off the rails near Kaliwungu station in Kendal, 17 kilometers to the west. The engine crushed a goat pen, ploughed through fishponds and smashed the roofs of three houses before it plunged into a paddy field.

Two people were slightly injured by the flying tiles when the loco hit the lower part of their roof. Along the way, it passed through at least eight railway crossings and two substations at an estimated speed of 100 kilometers an hour.

Catastrophic incidents were avoided partly because the authorities in Semarang contacted their colleagues in Kendal who redirected the locomotive onto unused tracks, the Semarang chapter of KAI spokesman Surono said.

“Our technicians were doing last-minute preparatory checks when the loco started moving after the engine was switched on,” Surono said as quoted by tempo.co. “This is strange and we are investigating what went wrong.”

He said the tracks from Poncol to the west slope downward but why the unmanned engine accelerated so fast remained unknown.

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Four dead as police and protesters battle in South Sumatra

Yuliasri Perdani and Ansyor Idrus, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Palembang | Headlines | Wed, May 01 2013, 9:19 AM

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Inflamatory situation: Residents observe the wreckage of cars near Rupit Police precinct, Musi Rawas regency in South Sumatra on Tuesday. Four people were killed, police posts set on fire and cars destroyed after a protest calling for the formation of a new regency turned violent late on Monday. (Antara/Feny Selly)

The National Police say two senior generals have been sent to investigate the deadly clash on Tuesday between protesters and police officers in Musi Rawas, South Sumatra.

General Supervision Inspectorate chief Comr. Gen. Imam Sudjarwo and Internal Affairs Division (Propam) chief Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan will lead investigators probing the deaths of four civilians during a rally in favor of a new regency in the north of Musi Rawas.

National Police Insp. Gen. Suhardi Alius said that Musi Rawas Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Barly Ramadani and local officials moved to disperse the crowd, which started to gather on Monday evening and blocked the Trans-Sumatra Highway.

“They brought kecepek [homemade guns] and machetes. At around 9:30 p.m. on Monday night, the mob started throwing things at our personnel. Our members then started to react,” Suhardi said.

The situation continued to deteriorate, with demonstrators setting fire to two police cruisers at Rupit police station later in the evening.

A witness identifying himself as Eka said that the police fired shots as the protesters ran amok.

“The police fired shots until they ran out of bullets. And then the mob fought back.”

Four people reportedly died from gunshot wounds in the clash: Son, 35; Fadilah, 40; Suharto, 20; and Rinto, 18. Five police officers were injured.

Dozens of injured protesters were taken to Sobirin Hospital in nearby Lubuk Linggau for treatment.

Suhardi promised a thorough investigation of the deaths. “We will be transparent in investigating the case in order to find out who was involved in the clash.”

Tension remained high in Musi Rawas on Tuesday night, as protesters continued to block the highway, which connects major cities in Sumatra.

A representative of the South Sumatra Police said that five platoons from the provincial Police Mobile Brigade special operations unit had been deployed to the regency.

“We have not yet arrested any suspects, because we are still focusing on restoring order in the area around the Trans Sumatra Highway,” South Sumatra Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. R Djarot Padakova said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a representative of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said that the commission would launch its own investigation of the deaths.

Komnas HAM commissioner Nurcholis said that the commission would talk with local leaders and relevant institutions to discover the roots of violence.

Following the clash, South Sumatra Legislative Council (DPD) member Abdul Azis called on the House of Representatives to expedite creation of North Musi Rawas regency.

“The proposal was submitted three years ago. Now, we are just waiting for House Commission II to give its approval,” Abdul said. Commission II oversees regional autonomy, among other issues.

The House previously said that it could not approve the formation of a new regency following a moratorium issued by the Home Ministry that expires in 2015.

Azis said that formation of the district had been met by opposition from politicians who did not want to lose control of Suban IV, a region rich with natural gas.

Earlier this year, South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin stated that Suban IV was a concession of Musi Banyuasin regency.

Earlier in March, almost a hundred soldiers from a training center in Baturaja, Ogan Komering Ulu, attacked the police offices in connection with the killing of a soldier in January.

The assault was triggered by a false rumor that Brig. Wijaya, a traffic policeman who shot First Pvt. Heru Oktavianus, had been sentenced to five years in jail. In fact, the local police were still preparing the case dossier.

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Thai Thongchai looking for a win at Royale Golf Club

The Jakarta Post | Headlines | Wed, May 01 2013, 9:48 AM

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Tee talk: Thai golfer Thongchai Jaidee (left) and Brit Simon Dyson talk to the media during a press conference for the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013 at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club on Tuesday. The tournament, which features 150 golfers and US$750,000 in prizes, will take place from May 2 until May 5. (JP/R. Berto Wedhatama)

Asia’s top golfer, Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, is approaching the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters 2013, which runs from Thursday to Sunday, with optimism.

“I have a good chance to win this tournament. I’m going to try and win it,” Jaidee told reporters on Tuesday during a media conference at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, the tournament’s venue.

He went on to say that the key to his success thus far was his competitive nature.

“I always enter a tournament thinking I can win it,” said the recipient of three Order of Merit crowns and 13 career victories.

Thailand has produced some of the strongest golfers in the region.

At last year’s Indonesian Masters, Thaworn Wirachant finished second behind Lee Westwood of England. Thaworn is set to return to the Royale this year but Westwood is not on the list of some 150 participants, 20 of whom are Indonesian.

Thongchai said he looked forward to seeing how the young Thai golfers would perform at the competition as they all had shown promising improvements.

“They have been performing well at big events. You see them on the leaderboard almost every week. In the future, I hope to see more Thai players playing at major tournaments,” Thongchai said.

Thongchai and Thaworn are among some 20 Thai golfers taking part in the tournament.

Unlike Thongchai, Brit Simon Dyson said his confidence was a bit low after having been absent from tournaments much of last year.

“I took some time off because my wife gave birth to our first child. I had two really bad injuries as well so I missed all of the big tournaments,” said Dyson who topped the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2000.

He confirmed that his game was getting better and that his confidence was improving.

Commenting on the weather in Jakarta, he said that it would not be a problem. “If you prepare right and drink plenty of fluids, you will be alright. The heat is not too bad,” he said.

Thongchai and Dyson will be joined by other major champions such as Ernie Els, John Daly, Darren Clark, Michael Campbell and Bernd Wiesberger, whom will all be vying for the US$750,000 prize.

Indonesia will be spearheaded by Andik Mauludin, 2011 SEA Games silver medalist George Gandranata and Ian Andrew.

Both George and Ian turned pro only last year.

George said he was anxious about the challenge as he was going up against the world’s top golfers. He was hopeful that the event would make a positive impact on the development of Indonesian golf.

“It means a lot to play at home. I’m thankful that these guys are here. They will help show Indonesia to the world. They will show that Indonesia is a golfing destination and that we have fantastic courses here. It will be good for the game and for everyone.

“By having tournaments like this, the game of golf will grow and there will be more professional events because sponsors will be willing to come and say ‘Hey, this is a good emerging market.’”

The event also marks the beginning of the Amateur League series at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club, which serves as a qualifying field for the Indonesian Masters

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