Traditional culture ‘tedak siten’ was held at 245 day-old baby, indicating that the baby was ready to begin set foot on Earth to begin a successful and happy life. In the ritual ‘tedak siten’, the baby is led to step over a wide range of color sticky rice, as a symbol of the beginning of a life that begins from the darkness into the light, hoping the baby will be able to tread life well and capable to overcome obstacles and challenges it faces the future.

The cultural performances invite admiration of the guests who attended, including wife of Japanese Ambassador to Serbia, Mrs. Etsuko Tsunozaki, wife of Foreign Minister of Serbia, Mrs. Natasa Jeremic, Assistant Minister for Kosovo and Metohija, Mrs. Kruna Kalicanin, and the diplomatic circles and other business in Serbia. In remarks, chairman of the DWP Embassy in Belgrade, Ms. Iyah Samson argued that cultural performance ‘tedak siten’ is a fraction of a variety of traditional Indonesian culture will be further introduced to the public by the Embassy in Belgrade in Serbia. It is also expected, by knowing the culture of each country, will create understanding and closeness between the two countries, to strengthen the cords of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.

Guests who attended the event and the local media in Serbia, expressed their admiration and appreciation for the running the event. The procession tradition ‘tedak siten’ unique, inviting admiration and curiosity of the audience to be able to see more of the culture and traditions of Indonesia are in addition to unique and exciting, it also contains a deep philosophical meaning and in every tradition.

The Superjet 100 was the military aerospace company’s first foray into civilian aircraft, and the crash may scupper deals with three local airlines – Kartika, Sky Aviation and Queen Air – to procure at least 48 planes.

“Indonesians and Russians have always been friends,” Ivanov said on Friday during a press conference at Halim Perdanakusuma airport via an interpreter.

“When Indonesia struggled for independence, Russia was at your side and, at that time, we helped as much as that a nation could help,” Ivanov said.

The crash likely killed the 36 Indonesians, eight Russians, one US citizen and a Frenchman who were on board. The team dispatched to the crash site has found no survivors, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).

Mikhail Pogosyan, the president of United Aircraft Company (UAC), the company that built the plane, said he regretted the accident, adding that the company had intended to cooperate with state-owned PT Dirgantara Indonesia to manufacture some parts of the airplane domestically.

Meanwhile, Russian deputy trade minister of trade Yuri Slyusar confirmed that two airplanes were on the way to Indonesia with Russian experts to aid in the crash investigation.

“Forty Russian experts are on board the first plane while 37 Russians are on board the second,” Slyusar told reporters on Friday.

Separately, Transportation Minister E.E Mangindaan said that Indonesian officials would lead the investigation while the Russians would provide assistance.

Mangindaan added that the airplane’s flight-data recorder, the so-called black box, would be analyzed in Indonesia and would not be sent to Russia.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Malaysian Footwear Manufacturers Association (MFMA) and the Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) in Jakarta on Friday, the two associations agreed to cooperate rather than competing against each other to tap into the two countries’ growing shoe markets.

The MoU will facilitate an exchange of information between the footwear industries in the neighboring countries.

“The European market is very flat at the moment and we don’t expect this to change for the next three to five years,” MFMA president Tony Ting told The Jakarta Post prior to the signing of the agreement.

Indonesia is the world’s sixth largest country in terms of footwear consumption, trailing behind the US, China, India and Japan, Tony said.

“That is why we cannot neglect our neighboring country,” he said, adding that Indonesia’s growing middle class will further boost the nation’s already robust consumption.

Indonesia’s footwear market is worth Rp 25 trillion (US$2.7 billion) at the moment, according to Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo) chairman Eddy Widjanarko Widjanarko. He estimated that Malaysia’s footwear market amounted to a quarter of Indonesia’s market.

Widjanarko said Malaysian footwear entered Indonesia some 25 years ago, mainly through female footwear brands.

“There are currently 20 Malaysian brands in Indonesia, compared to only two Indonesian brands ‘Andre Valentino and Rotelli’ in Malaysia,” he said.

“Our footwear production outsourcing is inferior to Malaysia, as they manufacture their footwear in China. Moreover, Malaysia is targeting our higher-end footwear retail market, whereas Indonesia is more focused on mass footwear production,” he said.

Through the MoU, Widjanarko hopes that the number of Indonesian footwear brands in Malaysia will increase to 10, citing ‘Mario Minardi and Gino Mariani’ as brands that are looking to enter Malaysia’s market this year. “It is about time we push our local brands in Malaysia,” he said.

Indonesia now only exports 1 percent of their footwear to Malaysia, compared to 45 percent to Europe and 30 percent to the US, Widjanarko said

In a bid to further diversify export markets, Aprisindo plans to sign MoU’s with China, Taiwan and South Korea this year.

Aprisindo signed an MoU three months ago with the US regarding footwear trade. This is the first time for the MFMA to sign a MoU facilitating partnership for footwear industries with another country.

Indonesia’s footwear exports topped $3,3 billion last year, up 32 percent from $2.5 billion in 2010.

Aprisindo targeted modest export growth of 10 percent this year on the back of ongoing economic crisis in Europe; significantly lower than last year’s growth of 32 percent.

Agung Subamia, general manager of the Biasa label, said the European and US crisis, which has affected the industry “as it is affecting other industries on the island”, would not spell doom for the island’s fashion industry.

“The market is shifting, given that Asia’s economy, as well as Australia’s, is strengthening,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Biasa experienced a 10 percent rise both in revenue and production last year. The brand currently stocks around 15,000 items for women and men at its main store in Seminyak, the island’s dapper quarter.

Similarly, Made de Coney, the creative director behind the Lily Jean brand, said last year “was actually a good year for us”, as Indonesians and Australians assumed the role as its prime customers.

Data from the Bali Tourism Agency shows that the number of foreign tourists rose 10.5 percent to 2.7 million people last year, from the 2.4 million recorded in 2010. Australians accounted for 28.6 percent, the highest proportion of tourists, followed by Chinese and Japanese.

“Our revenues grew by a stable average of 10-15 percent each year,” said de Coney, who launched the brand in 2004 after years in the fashion industry.

Lily Jean sells women’s clothing at up to US$350, according to prices listed on its website. The brand manufactures around 12,000 pieces annually.

In addition to setting up stores in Bali, certain brands have set foot in Jakarta, the country’s trend-smitten capital. The modish area of Kemang, South Jakarta, has been Biasa’s choice to establish its presence in the capital.

Agung noted that the clientèle in Jakarta, which contributed 20 percent to overall revenues, tends to be homogeneous compared to the mixed bag of tourists in Bali.

Besides keeping up the domestic market, the Bali-based fashion designers have been able to maintain export levels as well.

Lily Jean, which exports to 12 countries including Japan and Brazil, have seen wholesale exports steadily rising by around 10-15 percent, de Coney said, “European crisis or not.”

“Our percentage of sales traffic is 80 percent domestic and 20 percent exports,” de Coney said.

Growth in previous years has spurred Balinese designers to raise their growth expectations by at least two percent higher than last year’s. However, brands still remain prudent about the crisis, which continues to cloud Europe and the US.

“One of our main customers are the Europeans. So yes, it might be possible that [the crisis] will affect us this year. We will have to wait for the high season to be sure,” de Coney said.

Yet, there is another tendency that Bali-based designers have to watch out for: The trend of abandoning the island’s unique style.

Agung said the thriving growth of Bali’s fashion industry has reached overwhelming levels — to the point that local designers were copying Western fashion.

“This retains very little of the original identity of the island,” he told the Post, adding that this kind of copying left Bali “too weak to be a fashion hub”.

Biasa sources 80 percent of materials locally, with the remaining 20 percent imported.

Emma-Lee Lovett, the head of marketing at the Beachgold label, said that Balinese designers “have made inroads” to establishing themselves on the international scene, and the island would eventually attain a “fashion-hub” status.

“There are probably 30 or more world-class labels that produce their brand from Bali now, and this number will steadily increase based on what the local industry can offer, in terms of handicraft skills,” she told the Post.

Her brand incorporates local elements, such as traditional fabrics and prints, into its designs.

She added that foreign tourists have given designers a global customer base and altered the perception of Bali as a summer island to that as a resort destination, and thus, giving rise to “resort fashion”.

“Eventually, through the promotion of the unique skills in the industries present in the island, Bali may reach the fashion-hub status,” she said.

Suspected pirates have hijacked an oil-tanker carrying 945,000 barrels (135,000 metric tonnes) of crude oil destined for Indonesia in the Arabian Sea off Oman, news agencies and Indonesian officials said on Friday.

The vessel, M/T SMYRNI, a Liberian flagged tanker, is owned by a Greek company. It lost contact with Dynacom Tankers Management, which manages the vessel, on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Jakarta time. There has so far been no demand for ransom issued.

“The Liberian-flagged Tanker, the M/T SMYRNI, is carrying a cargo of 135000 MT of crude oil,” Reuters reported from Nairobi, quoting the manager of Dynacom.

At the time of the attack, the tanker, which began its journey in Turkey, was heading toward Somali waters, a notoriously vulnerable area for pirate attacks. It was the first attack in more than a year in the Horn of Africa.

Meanwhile, Indonesian officials confirmed on Friday that the crude oil on the M/T SMYRNI oil tanker had been ordered by Indonesia from Azerbaijan, a major oil producer in the South Caucasus. The oil’s market price is more than US$130 million.

State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina said it had not suffered any financial loss from the attack on M/T SMYRNI, which was destined for its oil refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

Pertamina’s senior vice president (shipping) Suhartoko confirmed that the tanker did not belong to Pertamina.

“Pertamina didn’t suffer any losses but we will have to purchase the crude oil again,” Suhartoko told Antara news agency.

Based on the oil purchase contract, Suhartoko said Pertamina would only have paid after the delivery.

“The payment [for the oil] was due to be made only after the tanker reached Balikpapan. Therefore, we didn’t suffer any losses,” he said.

Azerbaijan has become a major crude supplier to Indonesia in recent years. Indonesia bought $1.76 billion of crude oil from Azerbaijan in 2011, a huge jump from $894.73 million in 2010. Oil imports from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, were just $98.47 million in 2007. Pertamina’s subsidiary Petral buys crude oil from Azerbaijan’s state oil and gas company Socar. Both Petral and Socar have offices in Singapore.

“Azerbaijan is one of the biggest suppliers of crude oil to Indonesia after Saudi Arabia,” Azerbaijan Ambassador to Indonesia Tamerlan Karayev told The Jakarta Post recently.

In 2011, according to the Central Statistics Agency, Azerbaijan ranked second-biggest crude oil supplier

to Indonesia after Saudi Arabia, which sold $4.47 billion worth of oil to Jakarta.

Meanwhile, State-owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan was surprised after hearing the news from reporters on Friday. “I will immediately study the situation. I would like to know what has happened,” Dahlan told detik.com.

The nationalities of the tanker’s crew as well as its assailants remain unclear. According to the International Maritime Organization, Somali pirates are currently holding 17 ships and close to 300 crew members.

Jamsostek’s director of services Djoko Sungkono said on Saturday that Sihombing had been registered with Jamsostek since 1992 and the last monthly payment reported to Jamsostek was Rp 19,939,000.

“According to the 1992 Social Security Program Law, Sihombing is entitled to 4,800 percent of his monthly salary plus funeral costs of Rp 21 million and old-age benefits. The compensation will be handed over to his wife or his eldest son or daughter any time the recipients are available,” Djoko said.

He added that 14 others, including two senior executives of state-owned Pelita Air Service, two journalists of TransTV and three employees of PT Sky Aviation, who were also aboard the ill-fated Russian aircraft would also receive occupational-accident payments from Jamsostek.

He also said Jamsostek was open to any other victims taking an active part in the social security programs. He added the company was still checking on any other victims entitled to the occupational-accident compensation.

Djoko added Jamsostek’s management and staff conveyed their deepest condolences to the victims’ relatives.

“In recent talks with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon we agreed we are not yet satisfied with the development of nuclear weapons reduction. It has to do not only with security but also safety, as has been experienced by Japan,” Indonesia`s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at a press conference before leaving for working visits in China and South Korea here on Thursday.

President Yudhoyono will also attend a summit on nuclear safety in Seoul on March 26 to 27.

“Our younger generation must not be haunted (by nuclear threats). Nuclear energy must be used for the benefit of life,” he said.

During the summit, President Yudhoyono is scheduled to deliver a speech on issues, including nuclear security-safety communications and national measures, as well as international cooperation to enhance nuclear security, including future international commitments.

President Yudhoyono said Indonesia is one of 59 countries that would participate in the summit.

He added that Indonesia`s participation is considered timely because the country, at the recent East Asia Summit in Bali, had voiced the need for preventing the development of nuclear weapons and in favor of nuclear disarmament.

Regarding bilateral relations between Indonesia and South Korea, President Yudhoyono noted that cooperation between the two countries continues growing and so the coming bilateral meeting between the two countries` leaders would be used to increase further cooperation.

President Yudhoyono, while in South Korea, is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with President Lee Myung-bak and meet with South Korean businesses.

Also, President Yudhoyono and President Lee are scheduled to witness the signing of two Memorandum of Understanding on Comprehensive Energy Cooperation and on Transportation.

President Yudhoyono`s special aide for foreign affairs, Teuku Faizasyah, meanwhile said President Yudhoyono`s visit to China and South Korea would further strengthen the relations and cooperation between Indonesia and the two countries.

He explained that the visit was also expected to promote the realization of various cooperation agreements found in strategic partnership agreements between Indonesia and the two countries.

Faizasyah also said President Yudhoyono`s visit to Hong Kong was expected to open a larger market for the country`s products and attract more investment and tourists to Indonesia.

President Yudhoyono, accompanied by First Lady Any Yudhoyono, left the country at 10am on Thursday and is scheduled to return home on March 29.

“We have classified 24 out of 32 companies in Bali and Nusa Tenggara in the red category,” said Minister of Environment Balthasar Kambuaya in Denpasar on Thursday.

He noted that the red category companies (18 in Bali, 5 in West Nusa Tenggara and 1 in East Tenggara) have not been following the regulations of the Environment Article.

“We will organize an environmental management coaching program for the 18 companies in Bali, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy,” said Kambuaya.

The 18 red category companies in Bali are operating in the hotel and tourism industry.

According to Kambuaya, this is ironic as the environment quality index in Bali is the highest in Indonesia at 99.65 points.

A fish canning company at Jembrana, in Bali, and a mining company in East Nusa Tenggara have been in the black category since 2010.

Companies that do not regulate environmental management and cause environmental damage and pollution are classified in the black category.

Kambuaya also pointed out the Ministry of Environment has threatened to revoke the license of the fish canning company in Bali.

“We have given them the deadline of July 2012 to revise their waste management system; we will revoke their license if they do not comply within the given time frame,” he added.

According to data from the Ministry of Environment, 49 out of the 1,200 companies in Indonesia are in the black category and most of them are in the mining and palm farming industries.

The Ministry of Environment will keep evaluating the feasibility of waste and environmental management systems and their impact on the communities near the locations of companies.

The bomb is said to have damaged a number of glass windows at the Indonesian embassy in Paris, and similar damage has also been reported from the surrounding areas of the blast, Tene Said.

The incident is now under investigation by the local police, and the main target of the blast is still uncertain.

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa is reported to have communicated with the Indonesian envoy in Paris and asked the embassy`s staff and Indonesian citizens to be more vigilant.

The Indonesian embassy in Paris has also been asked to monitor all the Indonesian citizens in France.

Sourec : antaranews.com

Stasiun Ijo (IJ) is a railway station which lies on the west Stasiun Gombong. Administratively, the station is located in the Village Bumiagung, subdistrict Rowokele, Kebumen Regency. In addition to as station crossing, the other function is as a railway tunnel controller (called a terowongan Ijo) which located on the east side of this station.

Management station located at an altitude of +25 m above sea level, under Regional Operations 5 Purwokerto. The station was built in the mid 1880s rarely visited by train. the station has three rail lines.

• Stasiun Malang Kotalama (1879)

Stasiun Malang Kotalama (MLK) is a railway station which lies on the Subdistrict Sukun, Malang. The station is at an altitude of +429 m above sea level are located in Operations Area 8 Surabaya. This station is a train station most southern which is in the city of Malang, and the oldest, built in 1879.

Addition of the name “Kotalama” is intended to distinguish the Stasiun Malang Kotabaru which was built later.
From the station Malang Kotalama there branching rails leading to the Pertamina depot.

• Stasiun Surabaya Kota (1878)

Stasiun Surabaya Kota (SB), which is popularly known as Stasiun Semut is located in the bongkaran, Pabean Cantikan, Surabaya. It lies north of Stasiun Surabaya Gubeng and also the final destination station in Surabaya city of south railway line that connects the island of Java, Yogyakarta and Surabaya with Bandung and Jakarta. Another important station in Surabaya was Pasar Turi Station that connect Surabaya to Semarang. New in the independence period, the Railway Bureau held a rail service between Jakarta and Surabaya Pasar Turi through Semarang.

Historically, Stasiun Surabaya Kota was built when the railway line Surabaya-Malang and Pasuruan initiated around 1870. The goal is to transport crops and plantations of rural East Java, especially from Malang, to the Port of Tanjung Perak which also built around the year. This building was inaugurated on May 16, 1878. With the increasing use of trains, on 11 November 1911, the station underwent expansion to its present form.

• Stasiun Purwosari (1875)

Stasiun Purwosari (PWS) is a railway station located on. Slamet Riyadi Road 502, Purwosari, Lawiyan, Surakarta. Station located at an altitude of +98 m above sea level is in the Regional Operations 6 Yogyakarta.

Stasiun Purwosari was built in 1875, and is the oldest station in Surakarta. Its construction handled by NISM. Stasiun Purwosari in the Mangkunegaran area.

Stasiun Solo Balapan (1873)

Stasiun Solo Balapan (code: SLO, +93 m) is the base station in Kestalan and Gilingan, Banjarsari, Surakarta which connects the city of Bandung, Jakarta, Surabaya and Semarang. This station was established by the railway network in the NIS-colonial 19th century (actually 1873)

• Stasiun Kedungjati (1873)

Stasiun Kedungjati (KEJ) is a railway station located in Kedungjati, Grobogan. The station located at an altitude of +36 m above sea level is in in Regional Operations 4 Semarang. Stasiun Kedungjati was inaugurated in May 21, 1873.

the station architecture is similar to William I in Ambarawa station, even the first operation of the railway line Ambarawa to Kedungjati, which was not operating in 1976. In 1907, Stasiun Kedungjati which was built of wood converted into stucco brick with platform constructed steel with roof of zinc as high as 14.65 cm.

• Stasiun Ambarawa (1873)

Ambarawa Railway Museum is a railway station which is now converted into a museum in Ambarawa, Central Java that has a complete trains which had triumphed of the day. One of the steam train with locomotive number B 2502 and B 2503 made ​​Maschinenfabriek Esslingen is still able to run the activity as a tourist railway. Serrated steam train that unique and one of three remaining in the world.

Two of them were in Switzerland and India. In addition to its collection was unique, it can still be witnessed various types of steam locomotives of series B, C, D to the largest type of CC (CC 5029, Schweizerische Lokomotiv und Maschinenfabrik) in the hall of museum.

• Stasiun Lempuyangan (1872)

Stasiun Lempuyangan (code: LPN, +114 m asl) is a railway station located in the city of Yogyakarta, is about 1 km to the east of the city’s main station, ie station Yogyakarta. The station was established on March 2, 1872.

serving the stop all Economy railway that cross Yogyakarta. along the Stasiun Lempuyangan rail that stretches from west to east is the border between sub ​​Gondokusuman in the north and Danurejan in the south.

• Stasiun Semarang Tawang (1868)

Stasiun Semarang Tawang (Code SMT) is a base station in Tanjung Mas, North Semarang, Semarang serving executives and business railway. the Economy Train   does not stop at this station.

This station is the oldest railway stations in Indonesia after Semarang Gudang and was inaugurated on July 19, 1868 for Semarang Tawang pathway to Tanggung. This pathway uses the width of 1435 mm. In 1873 this line was extended up to Stasiun Solo Balapan and continue to Stasiun Lempuyangan in Yogyakarta.

• Stasiun Semarang Gudang / Tambaksari (1864)

This station was built on June 16, 1864 which was inaugurated by the Governor-General Baron van de Beele Sloet. For the operation of this route, the Dutch government appointed Spoorweg Nederlandsch Indische Maatschappij (NIS), one of the NIS headquarters, now known as Building Sewu Lawang.

And precisely on August 10, 1867 a train drove for the first time at this station.