Voice of America
New Ebola Strain Blamed for Killing 16 in Uganda
By Alisha Ryu
Nairobi
30 November 2007
Health officials in Uganda say they have identified a strain of the deadly Ebola virus as the likely killer of at least 16 people in the west of the country since late August. But as VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi, officials are baffled and worried by what they believe is a new strain of the hemorrhagic fever.
The director general of Uganda's health services, Dr. Sam Zaramba, tells VOA that scientists in South Africa and the United States conducted numerous laboratory tests to determine the cause of the deaths across 14 villages in the western district of Bundibugyo.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-11-30-voa27.cfm
The Jakarta Post
UN chief wants Bali climate change conference to launch negotiations for new accords
UNITED NATIONS (AP): Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants the two-week U.N. climate conference that starts next week to launch negotiations for a new post-Kyoto accord, the U.N. said Thursday.
Ban will fly to the Indonesian resort island to attend the last three days of the conference, which runs from Dec. 3-14, U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said.
"He feels we need a breakthrough in Bali as a critical first step," she said. "If we are to meet the challenge of global warming, we need a new and comprehensive agreement that all nations can embrace."
Ban does not expect world leaders to reach a new global agreement to succeed the 1997 Kyoto accord to combat global warming which expires in 2012, Montas said.
But Ban expects the meeting of parties to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change "to agree to an agenda of issues and set a timetable for reaching such an accord, before the Kyoto protocol expires," she said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/climate/index.php?menu=stories&detail=5
Global, regional warming to blame for Jakarta floods
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung
Jakarta's regular floods can be partially blamed on global and regional warming, a scientist has said.
"This will get worse in the years to come. It has been estimated that by 2050, 25 percent of Jakarta will be inundated," said Armi Susandi, a climate change expert at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on Wednesday.
He added that poor city planning, bad zoning systems and a lack of infrastructure were contributing to the problem.
Armi has studied flooding in Jakarta since 2005. He received his Ph.D on climate change in 2004 from the University of Hamburg, Germany.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/climate/index.php?menu=stories&detail=4
Planet's future at stake as delegates gather in Bali for climate conference
BALI(AP): The future of the planet may be at stake.
Delegates from 190 countries gather on the resort island of Bali over the next two weeks to try to head off a scientific forecast of catastrophic floods and droughts, melting ice caps, disappearing coastlines and deadly heat waves.
As they begin negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012, they will largely tinker with and test phrasings and nuance. Some words - "commitments," "binding," "voluntary" - could set off storms of argument before the conference ends Dec. 14.
But that is to be expected when drawing together nations rich and poor with very different political and historical backgrounds, said Achim Steiner, executive director of the U.N. Environmental Program, adding that the main thing is that dialogue is taking place.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071201120853&irec=2
Israel cancels plan to attend Bali climate change conference
TEL AVIV (Antara): Environmental Protection Minister Gideon Ezra has announced Israel would not be officially represented at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Bali next month.
Ezra, who was earlier scheduled to head an Israeli delegation to Indonesia, said he had decided to cancel the trip due to the high security costs.
Environmental organizations blasted Ezra for his decision.
"This is the most important conference on the environmental issue preoccupying the world," said Tzipi Isar-Itzik, director of the Israel Union for Environmental Defense.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071124171636&irec=57
Two commercial ferries hit coral reef
Hasrul, The Jakarta Post, Kendari
Two commercial ferries plunged into the coral reef around the Pulau Hari coast in South Konawe regency, Southeast Sulawesi, on Friday, forcing the evacuation of more than 400 passengers.
About 450 passengers on the two ferries, which provided a daily service from the South Sulawesi capital of Kendari to the port of Bau Bau, were left shocked after the accident.
The Sagori Ekspres and the MV SuperJet 15 crashed into the coral reef at the same time about 15 miles from Kendari port at 8 a.m.
Waami, passenger on the MV Superjet 15, said that he heard and felt a hard crash on the ship's side.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071201.A07&irec=6
Strong quake jolts western Indonesia
JAKARTA (AP): A powerful earthquake struck westernIndonesia on Saturday, geological agencies said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
The tremor had a preliminary magnitude of 6.2 and was centered 100 kilometers from Sibolga, North Sumatra province, the U.S. Geological Survey. It struck 35 kilometers beneath the earth's surface. It earlier put the magnitude at 6.1.
The Indonesian geological agency put the quake's strength at 6.3 and said it hit at a depth of 18 kilometers. The agency did not issue a tsunami warning because the quake was too close to the coast line, said local meteorologist Ali Imron. (**)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071201102101&irec=4
Quake jolts West Sumatra
PADANG (Antara): A 5.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the western coast of West Sumatra province at 7.05 a.m. Thursday.
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency spokesman Nasrul said the epicenter was located 63 km Southwest of Muko Muko regency in Bengkulu province, at a depth of 10 km below sea level.
He said no casualties and or damage from the tremor had been reported but that it had been felt by many residents in Pesisir Selatan, Padang and Mentawi isles regencies.
The agency has recorded at least 18 tremblors with a magnitude of 5 and higher, all of which it said had occurred in the province and surrounding regions during November. (**)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071129110824&irec=23
Strong earthquake shakes Sumatra
JAKARTA (JP): A strong earthquake rocked Sumatra early Sunday, forcing residents to flee their homes.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The temblor, which measured 6.2 on the Richter Scale, was centered 28 kilometers from Bengkulu, Suhardjono, an official at the Geophysics and Meteorology Agency, said.
People in the region felt the tremor for around 30 seconds in the region, El-Shinta radio reported.(***)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071125154747&irec=50
Powerful quake hits Aceh
BANDA ACEH (Antara): A powerful earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale jolted the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam provincial capital Banda Aceh and the west coast of the province around 6 a.m. Friday.
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency spokesman Nyakmu Yasir said the agency had yet to receive any reports of casualties or damages.
Nyakmu said the epicenter was located around 113 kilometers southwest of Banda Aceh, at a depth of 16 kilometers.
He said the quake was felt by people in Banda Aceh, West Aceh and Aceh Jaya districts.
Aceh has been jolted by series of temblors following a powerful undersea 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in December 2004, which killed at least 200,000 people and left thousands more missing. (**)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071123101436&irec=66
Thousands evacuated as the Philippines, Vietnam brace for powerful typhoons
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Officials stepped up the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from coastal villages and riversides Friday as a powerful typhoon stalled off the eastern Philippines.
Typhoon Mitag was "stationary" 200 kilometers east of the island province of Catanduanes in the Bicol region, said Prisco Nilo, the head of the country's weather bureau. The storm was packing winds of 175 kph and gusts of 210 kph.
Nilo told President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials that the typhoon "appears to have not moved," making it difficult to predict its direction. But he said "the most logical" direction the storm would take was toward Bicol, making landfall Saturday on Catanduanes.
He warned of storm surges and a rise in the sea level in areas directly affected by the typhoon and heavy rains and strong winds elsewhere.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071123204226&irec=59
Asian leaders focus on climate change
SINGAPORE (AP): Asian countries including some of the world's biggest polluters - China, India and Australia - opened a summit Wednesday to pledge new protections against the devastation of climate change and global warming.
Japan was expected to announce a major initiative to help keep Asia green.
The one-day East Asia Summit was being held a day after contentious debate over military-ruled Myanmar, which overshadowed the announcement of a landmark charter to eventually turn Southeast Asia into an EU-style economic bloc.
The summit includes the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, plus China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
The debate over the human rights crisis in Myanmar was set aside as the leaders of the 16 countries filed into a conference room at a luxury hotel in downtown Singapore.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071121111415&irec=75
WHO official says Asia should remain alert for bird flu, but some countries unprepared
TOKYO (AP): Some Asian countries have yet to devise a plan on how to respond to a bird flu outbreak, a disease that continues to be a threat for the whole region, a World Health Organization health official warned Saturday.
Preparedness in some Asian developing countries remains inadequate, said Dr. Shigeru Omi, western Pacific director of the World Health Organization.
"There have been outbreaks of bird flu among birds in many countries. It's not something you can just pick up on one country as being threatened," Omi said in an interview with The Associated Press.
It was important for countries to improve the quality of sanitation for the general public and livestock, as well as to report incidents to authorities promptly, Omi said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071124185158&irec=54
Philippines' Arroyo to make state visit to Spain, travel to France and Britain
MANILA (AP): Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was set to fly Saturday to Europe, where she will make a state visit to Spain and travel to France and Britain, officials said.
Arroyo's state visit to Spain - which comes after a failed attempt to trigger a "people power" revolt against her - is the first by a Philippine leader in 45 years. The last Philippine president to make a state visit there was Arroyo's father, Diosdado Macagapal, in 1962, a statement issued by her office said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071201160907&irec=0
US pledges US$8 million for AIDS in RI
JAKARTA (Antara): The US government will allocate US$8 million dollars per year to help Indonesia deal with HIV/AIDS, a press statement from the US embassy said Friday.
The statement said that the money would be allocated for HIV/AIDS programs in 79 priority regencies in seven provinces -- Papua, North Sumatra, East Java, Jakarta, Riau Islands, West Java and Central Java.
According to the statement, the money is part of the president's emergency fund for dealing with AIDS both through preventive action, such as behavioral change, and providing medication and services to infected people.
Indonesia has around 210.000 HIV/AIDS cases, according to official figures, with 5,500 having died of AIDS so far. (**)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071201110041&irec=3
UN delegation wants peacekeeping mission in East Timor extended
DILI, East Timor (AP): A U.N. delegation will recommended that the United Nations extend its peacekeeping mission in troubled East Timor when it runs out next year, an official said Friday.
"East Timor still needs a lot of international assistance," South Africa's ambassador to the U.N. Security Council, Dumisani Kumalo, said in the capital of Dili after meeting political leaders during a weeklong visit.
The U.N. oversaw East Timor's transition to independence in 2002 after the former Portuguese colony's bloody split from Indonesia in 1999. It had been winding down its operations when violence flaredagain last year.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20071130200641&irec=6
Crude futures drop to lowest level in a month on OPEC supply expectations, falling demand
NEW YORK (AP): Crude oil prices dipped to their lowest levels in more than a month Friday, falling below $89 a barrel as investors sold amid signs of weakening demand and expectations that OPEC will boost production next week.
The slide in oil may mean consumers will see relief at the pump soon, analysts said. Gasoline and heating oil futures also dropped.
It was quite a turnaround for crude, which began the week pushing $100 a barrel but ended it by falling to its lowest levels since Oct. 25.
Light, sweet crude for January delivery fell $2.30 to settle at $88.71 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude prices are more than $10 below Monday's high of $99.11 a barrel and the all-time high of $99.29 a barrel set last week. Prices continued falling Friday after the Nymex closed, dropping as low as $88.45 in electronic trading.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillbus.asp?fileid=20071201115346&irec=0
Circle-line train to ease traffic jam
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An innercity circle train was launched Friday to ease traffic congestion in the capital.
The air-conditioned cars, which run on the Ciliwung Blue Line and can carry up to 400 passengers per trip from Manggarai, South Jakarta, are expected to encourage commuters to leave their automobiles at home.
"(Governor) Fauzi Bowo proposed the idea of operating the train to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, saying it could help solve the traffic problem," Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal told reporters after officiating the launch ceremony.
State-owned railway company PT Kareta Api has prepared 32 cars for the new line, but currently only four are in use due to a lack of drivers.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071201.@02&irec=1
Regions told to get serious in HIV/AIDS fight
Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The National Aids Commission has asked regional administrations nationwide to pay serious attention to efforts to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"We are facing difficulties convincing the regional administrations to implement the HIV/AIDS prevention programs because most of them are yet to see AIDS as a serious threat," the commission's program deputy Sri Kusyuniati told a conference Friday.
"We will do more lobbying of regional administrations so that they will allocate a larger part of the budget and implement the prevention programs."
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20071201.A04&irec=3
continued...
