Flooding tests 'Jakarta's Obama'

Jakarta (Djakarta News - BBC News)- They call him Jakarta's Obama. Joko Widodo was elected governor of Jakarta in September last year thanks to overwhelming support from the city's urban poor and middle classes.

Hugely popular with young people, many in Indonesia's capital believe he is able to do no wrong - that he is a cut above other Indonesian politicians, because of his humble and clean reputation.

Previously the governor of Solo, a far smaller city than Jakarta, Mr Widodo campaigned on a pro-people platform, promising Jakarta residents that he could bring real change to their beleaguered city.

But just 100 days in to the job, he has already had to face his first big test. On 17 January, swathes of dirty brown floodwaters engulfed many parts of Jakarta after heavy torrential rains caused dams to burst and rivers to overflow.

To date, at least 20 people have died because of the flooding, which has caused millions of dollars worth of damage to homes and businesses.

The floods highlighted the basic infrastructure issues Jakarta has been grappling for decades.

Jakarta residents are looking to their hero, Mr Widodo, to prove that he is up to the job of governing their city.

"I have declared a state of emergency for Jakarta until 27 January," he said on national television, in response to the disaster.

"We need to take steps that haven't been taken before, like building deep tunnels and a big dam, because this is the capital city. "

Courtesy calls

Mr Widodo has high expectations to meet, particularly from among Jakarta's urban poor.

In the slum neighbourhood of Kampung Pulo, one of the areas of Jakarta which is regularly affected by floods, young children wade through the muddy water to get home from school.

Mothers carry many of the smaller children on their backs, worried about the waterborne diseases the flooding could bring.

Residents here say that floodwaters often reach 2-3m (6-9ft), engulfing their homes, destroying their belongings, and threatening their lives and livelihoods.

But many are feeling more hopeful now that Joko Widodo, known popularly here as Jokowi, someone they helped to put in to office, is in power.

Suhendra, a resident of 30 years, says his home and business - a small convenience shop - are regularly flooded.

He has complained that in the past it was only the poor areas that get flooded - the richer, posher parts of town are spared.

But he is hoping that with Mr Widodo in power, things will be better.

"He's already been here to visit us four times, during these floods," Suhendra said.

"He's very nice to the people - he is not like the old governors. Jokowi cares about us, the poor people. He's introduced subsidised healthcare and education for us, we didn't have that before."

To be sure, Mr Widodo has already made some significant achievements during his short time in office. But he is also very aware of the need to show that he is working hard - something he alluded to during a recent interview with the BBC.

"Support from the people is very important," he said in response to a question about his regular visits to the poorer parts of Jakarta.

"This is public participation, so when I ask them [residents of slums] what they need, they say: 'Governor, I need this, Governor, I want this'. I think that it's important to make these discussions and dialogues, so people feel like we are giving good attention to their problems."

But the new governor's critics say he needs to spend less time paying courtesy visits and more time fixing Jakarta's problems.

"It's time for a reality check," said Ary Hermawan, a deputy editor of the Jakarta Post.

Mr Hermawan was a fan of the new governor in the lead-up to the election, championing Mr Widodo's pro-people platforms.

But he says he is now disappointed with the lack of progress on many of Mr Widodo's promises.

"He needs to do more," Mr Hermawan said. "We don't need a governor who just shows the people that he cares. We want a governor who can really convince us that 'I am capable, that I can solve this' - in the long term at least. That's the problem with Jokowi."

'A simple man'

Mr Widodo's job is certainly not an enviable one. It is not just annual floods that he has to deal with. A daily part of life in Jakarta is battling through the city's world-famous traffic jams - one of the reasons why the Indonesian capital has earned the moniker of being one of the most un-liveable cities on the planet.

But in the last week, after what his detractors said was far too much unnecessary dithering, the new governor announced plans to build a mass rapid transport system - a solution he hopes will fix many of the issues with traffic in this city.

It's only one of the many measures he must take to infuse the citizens of Jakarta with confidence, and convince them that he is a leader who can make a difference.

Mr Widodo is seen as a clean politician - a man who listens to the people. He is often compared to US President Barack Obama, not just because of his tall and lanky frame, but because of his ability to empathise with the common man.

"I am no Obama, I am just a simple man," he chuckles when asked about the comparison. But he becomes more serious when asked about the burden of being so popular.

"Being Jakarta governor - yes it gives me headaches sometimes but I still have fun," he said. "I must work from morning to the next morning if I have to, to show the people that I am working. That's what they want to see from me."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21137613 By Karishma Vaswani

Photo source: http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65430000/jpg/_65430634_jak.jpg

121 Indonesians in Sendai to be relocated to Tokyo

Jakata (Djakarta News - ANTARA News) - As many as 121 Indonesians who live in one of Japan`s earthquake affected areas, Sendai, will be relocated to Tokyo soon, Foreign Affairs Minister Marty Natalegawa said here on Sunday.

"The 121 Indonesians are expected to leave from Sendai and arrive in Tokyo on Monday evening," the minister said, adding that most of the evacuees are students comprising 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women.

However, the minister said the time frame of the arrival of the evacuees in Tokyo was depending upon the situation in the field. He also said after arriving in Tokyo, the 121 Indonesians would stay in the Indonesian School in the city while waiting for evacuation process back to Indonesia.

"Hopefully the evacuation process to Jakarta will be started on Tuesday," said the minister.

Earlier, Japan`s Police Agency stated the death toll from a killer earthquake and tsunami that flattened Japan`s northeast coast was nearing 900, police said Sunday.

The National Police Agency said 688 people are confirmed dead and 642 missing, with 1,570 injured in the disaster Friday afternoon.

The national police figure did not include a separate death toll in the city of Sendai, according to the police that said at least 200 and up to 300 bodies had been found on the shoreline.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan`s right-hand man and top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano, earlier said it was believed more than 1,000 people had died.

Amid a mass rescue effort there were grim updates indicating severe loss of life along the hard-hit east coast of Honshu island, where the monster waves destroyed or damaged more than 12,250 homes and other buildings.

At least 2,400 houses were hit by the tsunami, while more than 100 houses had been burned, police said, adding that there were 60 landslides.

 

Source: antaranews.com

Obama visit to proceed despite volcanic ash concerns

Jakarta (RRI News – Djakarta News)- Obama will visit Jakarta as scheduled despite concern that volcanic ashes from Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta could dash the plan, a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.

Yudhoyono`s special aide for international affairs, Teuku Faizasyah made the statement here Monday in response to reports that seven international airlines on Sunday (Nov 7) cancelled their flights to Jakarta`s Soekarno-Hatta international airport citing concern that volcanic ashes from Mt Merapi could endanger aircraft engines. "We haven`t heard any news about Obama`s visit being canceled. Therefore, preparations for his arrivel in Jakarta are still on," Teuku Faizasyah said here on Monday.

During his two-day visit in Jakarta, Obama is scheduled to meet with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, witness the signing of an Indonesia-US Comprehensive Partnership Agreement (CPA), visit Istiqlal mosque in Central Jakarta and give general lecture at the Univeristy of Indonesia.

A total of 10.232 police personnel will be deployed to secure Obama`s visit in Jakarta. President Obama`s visit to Indonesia will be part of his 10-day Asian tour and takes place after he has been to India and before he goes to South Korea for the G-20 summit and Japan for an APEC meeting.

A White House official said that US President Barack Obama`s visit to Asia would underscore his Asia strategy of renewed engagement.

US engagement in Asia is "founded upon our core alliances in the region, and of course South Korea and Japan are at the top of that list," Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, told reporters at a briefing on the visit. He said the visit to Indonesia was meant to "deepen partnership with emerging powers," adding that Obama would deliver a speech there on his outreach effort to the Muslim world on Nov. 10.

Due to a variety of reasons, Obama had postponed visits to Indonesia three times, which had somewhat angered the Southeast Asian country which construed it as a sign of "lack of respect." In September, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono did not attend a summit between the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in New York, citing "domestic reasons."

Even so , Rhodes stressed Indonesia`s importance to the US as the largest Muslim-majority country and the biggest economy in ASEAN, saying it was the intersection of a lot of key American interests. "We see this as a partnership that is very important to the future of American interests in Asia and the world," he said.

Obama`s visit to Indonesia and the speech he plans to deliver there were designed to continue his efforts to improve America`s tarnished image in the Muslim world.ant.elf

Source: rri.co.id

Foto: bbc.co.uk

US 'closes in on Google hackers'

(BBC News)-Investigators say they are closing in on the source of the cyber attacks that hit a number of US companies, including Google, according to reports.

The Financial Times suggests that US officials have tracked the author of the code used to attack the company.

The paper says the alleged hacker is a Chinese "freelance security consultant in his 30s" who had published extracts of the attack code on the web.

The attacks led Google to announce that it may pull out of China entirely.

The attacks allegedly hit more than 30 companies. Google said they had targeted the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

The hackers had used a security hole in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser to launch the attacks. The hole has since been patched.

The FT says that the alleged hacker posted pieces of the program to a hacker's forum and that Chinese officials had "special access" to the code.

"If he wants to do the research he's good at, he has to toe the line now and again," the paper quoted a single, unnamed government researcher as saying.

The news comes after reports linked two Chinese schools to the attacks.

Reports suggested that the source of the strikes had been traced to Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Lanxiang School, a large vocational training centre in Jinan.

Both schools deny any involvement.

Source:news.bbc.co.uk 

Foto: i.bnet.com 

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Critically endangered Sumatra rhino expecting calf

Jakarta(BBC)-Conservationists in Indonesia have announced a breakthrough in their efforts to save the critically endangered Sumatran rhino.

They say an eight-year-old female in a Sumatra wildlife reserve is due to give birth to a calf in May.

The calf will be the fourth Sumatran rhino to be born in captivity, and the first in Indonesia.

The number of Sumatran rhinos has halved in the past 15 years. There are now an estimated 200 in the wild.

Widodo Ramono, of the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia, said it had been "very, very good news" when an ultrasound scan had revealed Ratu was carrying a calf.

Ratu's mate, Andalas, was born in Cincinnati Zoo in the US in 2001 and moved to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary at the age of six.

Solitary animals

It is believed that when the two first met, Andalas chased Ratu, who was born in the wild, and fought with her, leaving her with serious injuries.

The smallest of the world's five rhinoceros species, the two-horned, hairy, forest dwelling Sumatran rhinos are solitary animals, often only approaching each other to mate.

The BBC's Karishma Vaswani in Jakarta says the rhinos have long been the target of poachers who seem them as valuable prizes.

There is a long-held belief their horns have medicinal properties, especially in traditional Asian medicine, says our correspondent.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk



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Jakarta, Timor Leste to cooperate in small enterprises development

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia and neighboring Timor Leste have formed a Joint Coordination Committee responsible for development of cooperatives, small and medium enterprises (CSMEs)in the two countries.

"The Joint Coordination Committee`s function is discussing and developing cooperation possibilities in the cooperatives, small and medium enterprises sector that can lead to the conclusion of pertinent accords," Cooperatives,d Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Sjarifuddin Hasan here on Wednesday.

He said the committee was formed on the basis of a joint agreement of the two countries on development of cooperatives, small and medium enterprises.

Sjarifuddin said the Joint Coordination Committee would be tasked to coordinate and monitor the implementation of follow-up programs and to consider the issues from the joint interest related to Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (KUKM) between the tow countries.

"The Committee will then periodically report to the related ministers who are responsible in the KUKM development," Sjarifuddin said.

He added that the Committee would meet once a year either in Indonesia or Timor Leste.

Earlier in the day here, Sjarifuddin and Timor Leste Minister for Economy and Development Joao Mendes Goncalves signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in cooperatives and small and medium enterprises.

The cooperation would among other things cover information exchange on KUKM development policy program, national and international trade promotion, special exhibitions, trade cooperation, and creation of business partnership.

It also covers various KUKM opportunities to participate in trainings on managerial skills in technical field, and formal education on cooperative management field.

Both parties would also support each other to facilitate bilateral symposiums, seminars, conferences, workshops, and KUKM representative meetings, besides facilitating and supporting KUKMs to open market access in the two countries and other potential countries.


Source: antaranews.com

China gives first response to Google threat

Jakarta(BBC News)-China has said that foreign internet firms are welcome to do business there "according to the law".

The statement, from Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu, is Beijing's first response to Google's threat to stop filtering content in China. Google said cyber-attacks originating in China aimed at rights activists, and increased web censorship, might force it to end its China operations.

Ms Jiang insisted the internet was "open" in China. Google announced late on Tuesday that it was no longer willing to censor its Chinese search engine - google.cn.

The search engine said it would hold talks with the government in the coming weeks to look at operating an unfiltered search engine within the law in the country, though no changes to filtering have yet been made.

'Holding statement'

At a regular foreign ministry news briefing, Ms Jiang said: "China like other countries administers the internet according to law. "China's internet is open, and the Chinese government encourages development of the internet." She was responding to a reporter's question on Google and US concerns about the business environment in China in light of Google's reported cyber-attacks. "Chinese law proscribes any form of hacking activity," she said.

When Google launched google.cn in 2006, it agreed to censor some search results - such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, Tibetan independence or Falun Gong - as required by the Chinese government.

The BBC's Chris Hogg in Shanghai says Ms Jiang's comments sound like a holding statement, until officials can have talks with Google. Google currently holds about one-third of the Chinese search market, far behind Chinese rival Baidu, which has more than 60%. China has more internet users - about 350 million - than any other country and provides a lucrative search engine market worth an estimated $1bn (£614m) last year.

It is difficult to see how the situation can be resolved, our correspondent says, with Google potentially losing its market share and the government reluctant to give up its right to control the internet.


'Don't be evil'

In a blog posted late on Tuesday, Google's chief legal officer David Drummond announced "A new approach to China". He said the accounts of dozens of US, China and Europe-based users of its Gmail service who are advocates of human rights in China had been "routinely accessed by third parties".

At least 20 other large companies from a wide range of businesses were similarly targeted, it added.
Google's decision to concede to China's demands on censorship in 2006 led to accusations it had betrayed its company motto - "don't be evil" - but Google argued it would be more damaging for civil liberties if it pulled out of China entirely.

Google's stance has drawn mixed reaction from China's internet community. Some have applauded what they see as a bold stand against the country's internet guardians while others expressed fears they would lose a valued source of news, despite it being censored.

Others saw the Google statement as a Chinese victory, saying that Google's withdrawal from the country would be no great loss, with Baidu providing almost all the same services as google.cn.

The state-run China Daily described Google's statement as designed to put pressure on the Chinese government.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk


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Obituary: Abdurrahman Wahid

Jakarta(BBC News)- Abdurrahman Wahid, who has died at the age of 69, was one of the most formidable and colourful figures in Indonesian political and religious life.

Wahid, or Gus Dur as he was also known, was born in Jombang, East Java in 1940, the first of five children in a prominent and politically active Muslim family.

His paternal grandfather was the founder of Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation, the Nahdlatul Ulama, or NU, while his father Wahid Hasyim would go on to be Indonesia's first minister of religious affairs.

The family moved to Jakarta in 1944 where Wahid attended school and was encouraged by his father to read non-Muslim books and newspapers to broaden his horizons.

Studies abroad

He returned to Jombang to attend Muslim school in 1959, where he began work as a teacher and later as a headmaster, and in 1963 received a scholarship to study at al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt.

He continued his studies in the Iraqi capital Baghdad and later in the Netherlands, and eventually returned to Indonesia in 1971, where he worked as a journalist and social commentator, and later as an academic.

In the late 1970s Wahid began to play an active role in the running of the NU - which draws its support of at least 30 million members from Muslims in the rural areas of Java - seeing himself as a reformer of the organisation.

At this time he also had his first political experience, campaigning for the United Development Party, PPP, a Muslim party which was formed as a result of a merger of four Muslim parties including NU.

He became chairman of NU in 1984, but consistently maintained that government should be secular and that faith is a personal matter.

'Kingmaker'

However his position as a moral leader was transformed following the dramatic fall of President Suharto in 1998.
In the ensuing unrest, some politicians made increasingly vocal calls for Islam to have an institutionalised role in the state.

Although health problems, especially poor eyesight, limited his effectiveness, Wahid's position as chairman of NU placed him in the role of "kingmaker" following Suharto's downfall.

Wahid and his supporters formed the National Awakening Party, PKB, and after months of prevarication over whether he would actually stand, Wahid was officially declared as presidential candidate in February 1999.

His election as president, in October 1999, came as a shock to many after Megawati Sukarnoputri's PDI-P party had emerged as the winner of Indonesia's parliamentary elections in June that year.

He was seen as a reformer and democrat as well as a man who could unite the country after the chaos surrounding the downfall of Suharto and his authoritarian regime.

Host of problems

But the transition to democracy was never going to be easy and President Wahid's honeymoon was short-lived.

He got off to a good start by curbing the influence of the military over his government.

Against great odds he succeeded in sacking the former armed forces chief and man accused of instigating the destruction of East Timor, General Wiranto.

He also moved early on issues such as the liberalisation of Chinese cultural and religious expression and the release of political prisoners.

He explored trade relations with Israel and agreed a memorandum of understanding, albeit briefly, with the separatist movement in the Sumatran province of Aceh.

But he soon ran into a host of problems, some of them self-made.

Despite a flare-up of sectarian and separatist violence across the country, Mr Wahid embarked on a series of long trips abroad, seeming to ignore problems back home.

His style of leadership soon appeared erratic and unfocused and in particular without any emphasis on the critical issue of economic recovery.

Political isolation

But perhaps his most controversial move was the sacking of two senior ministers from the cabinet without any proper explanation.

This also exposed the weakness of his coalition government as the main parties on whose support he depended began to turn against him.

Wahid's presidency ultimately collapsed following unproven allegations of corruption. One of the allegations involved the theft of $4.1m from the national food agency by people claiming to be acting on his behalf.

He was impeached by the Indonesian parliament in July 2001, and replaced by his deputy, Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Less than two years after his election, he was a politically isolated man, whose inability to govern rendered him an almost pathetic figure who refused to leave the palace despite being replaced by parliament.

In recent years he had suffered several strokes, kidney problems and was nearly blind.

He remained an influential figure in Indonesian politics, and a staunch defender of secular politics and moderate Islam.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Muslim leaders welcome Vatican cardinal to grand mosque

Jakarta (indcatholicnews)- Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has paid a visit to the national Istiqlal mosque, the largest in Southeast Asia, during his first official trip to the country.

Cardinal Tauran, walking barefoot, was accompanied by Jesuit Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of Jakarta, Coadjutor Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo of Jakarta and Bandung Bishop Johannes Maria Trilaksyanta Pujasumarta, a member of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Several officials of the Indonesian Bishops' Conference also took part in the 25 November  visit.

The mosque's imam Kiai Hajj Syarifuddin Muhammad warmly welcomed the Catholics. "This mosque does not belong only to Muslims but all religious followers. They all are welcome here," he said.

The national mosque of Indonesia, which can hold more than 100,000 people, stands across the road from the Assumption Cathedral Church in Central Jakarta. The mosque's main rectangular prayer hall building is topped by a 45-meter-diametre spherical dome supported by 12 columns.

"This is the first time I feel a sincere atmosphere of neighborhood. It seems there is no gap between Muslims and Catholics," Cardinal Tauran said.

In an earlier visit to the cathedral, the cardinal said Muslims had lessons for Christians. "Muslims have a very strong spirituality. They wake up early in the morning to pray," he said. "Our young priests should follow this example ... waking up early in the morning to pray to start their daily activities."

He said it was vital for Catholics to take part in the lives of other communities.

"We, Catholics, must be witnesses to the surrounding communities. This is one of the meanings of interreligious dialogue. And to be witnesses, we need to have a deep spirituality," he said.

Nasaruddin Umar, director of the Religious Affairs Ministry's Directorate General for Muslim Community Guidance, told UCA News that he was impressed with Cardinal Tauran's visit to this mosque. "It means Christians can be at peace with Muslims," he said.

The mosque was designed by Protestant architect Frederich Silaban to celebrate independence. Istiqlal means "independence" in Arabic. The country's first president Soekarno broke ground on the site on 24 August 24, 1961. It took 17 years to build and
was opened by the country's second president Soeharto on  22 February 1978.

Cardinal Tauran arrived in Indonesia on 24 Novemebr and is expected to depart on 1 December. 

According to organizers, the trip aims to give the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue a better understanding of the religious situation in the country as well as help the Church forge better ties with other religious communities here.

On 26 November, the cardinal met with leaders of the Wahid Institute. The institute, founded by former president Abdurrahman Wahid, works to bring about a just and peaceful world by espousing a moderate and tolerant view of Islam.

On the same day, the cardinal met with leaders of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, the two largest Islamic organizations in Indonesia. He is also expected to meet with Hindu leaders in Bali and Muslim leaders in Makassar and Yogyakarta.

Source: indcatholicnews.com

Jakarta, London join forces against emissions

Jakarta (The Jakarta Post)-The British Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Joan Ruddock, and Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo launched a “British Embassy Act on Copenhagen” campaign on Wednesday.

Ruddock said the United Kingdom and Indonesia shared something in common when it came to understanding the impact of climate change and the two countries could work together.

“We can assist and share experience from local government and contribute to the global reduction of carbon emissions,” she said.

London, she added, like Jakarta, was built below sea level, forcing the government to build expensive infrastructure in order to create a flood barrier to protect the city.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned the world needs massive emissions cuts to reduce atmospheric CO2 concentration levels to prevent average global temperatures from rising by an additional 2 degrees Celsius.

Ruddock said the campaign would include stickers attached to the TransJakarta buses and bajaj (three wheeled taxis) to encourage people who use private cars to take public transportation.

“We all want to use cars, but if we can reduce our dependance on cars and use public transport, it will save energy and improve air quality,” she said.

She said the message was also spread in the UK because 42 percent of the country’s emissions are attributed to homes and personal transport.

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/

Six kangaroos arrive in Jakarta from Australia

Jakarta(ANTARAnews)- Six female grey kangaroos arrived in Jakarta on Saturday evening after a 18-hour flight from Perth, Australia.

 The Indonesian Safari Park (TSI) in Cisarua, Bogor, West Java province, received the animals from the Australian Zoo.

The kangaroos were accompanied by three Australian Zoo`s staff members, namely Dr Tim Potas, Lauire Pond and Kelsey, and were greeted by Cisarua TSI Director Tony Sumampau upon their arrival in Jakarta.

They would be placed in a quarantine area for a week for adaptation before they could be seen by the public, Tony Sumampau said.

TSI got the kangaroos based on a sister park cooperation agreement with the Australian Zoo several years ago when the Zoo was headed by Steve Irwin "Crocodile Hunter" and his wife Terri Raines.

The naturalist and television star Steve Irwin (44) died in a diving accident in far north Queensland in September 2009. Police said he was stung through the heart by a stingray while diving off Port Douglas.

"So, it was the Australian Zoo which recommended that Indonesia should get kangaroos," Sumampau said.

The six kangaroos are part of a total of 15 kangaroos to be given to Indonesia.

The Kangaroo is a common marsupial from the islands of Australia and New Guinea. However, scientists have also found a species of kangaroos in Papua, Indonesia.

There are 47 species of "roos." Kangaroos can hop up to 40 miles per hour (74 kph) and go over 30 feet (9 m) in one hop. These shy animals live about 6 years in the wild and up to 20 in captivity.

Most roos are nocturnal (active at night). Many roos are in danger of extinction, but they are also considered pests due to the way they damage crops. An adult male is called a buck, boomer or jack; an adult female is called a doe, flyer, roo, or jill. A baby is called a joey. A group of roos is called a mob.

Source: www.antaranews.com

Pope warns of 'new colonialism'

Jakarta(BBC News)- Pope Benedict has warned that a form of colonialism continues to blight Africa.

Opening a three-week synod of African bishops, he said political colonialism was over.
But he said the developed world continued to export materialism - which he called "toxic spiritual rubbish" - to the continent.
Almost 200 bishops from 53 African states have gathered to discuss how the Catholic Church can help resolve the continent's social injustices and wars.
The Pope says he will attend as many of the working sessions of the synod as possible, his other duties permitting.

African treasures

Unaccustomed rhythms of Africa filled the huge St Peter's Basilica in Rome, as Pope Benedict formally opened the special synod, reports the BBC's David Willey in Rome.
A choir from the Democratic Republic of Congo sang hymns in the Kikongo and Lingala languages, and prayers were also said in Swahili, Portuguese, Amharic, Hausa and Arabic.
Pope Benedict praised Africa's rich cultural and spiritual treasures, caling them a "spiritual lung" for the world.
But he said the continent was afflicted by an export of the "so-called 'first world'... [the] toxic spiritual rubbish" of materialism.
"In this context, the political colonialism is never finished," the Pope said.
He said Africa also suffered increasing religious fundamentalism, in the form of religious groups which "act on behalf of God" but "teach intolerance and violence".

'Talking shop'

The Pope said evangelisation was "urgent" in Africa - though the Catholic Church is already growing faster there than in any other part of the world, nearly trebling in size to 150 million followers over 30 years.
This will be the second synod of bishops organised at the Vatican to be devoted specifically to the problems of Africa.
The first took place in 1994 at the very moment when the Rwandan genocide was beginning, but turned out to be little more than a talking shop, our correspondent says.
Among the experts invited by the Pope to address the synod - which has only advisory powers - will be the former head of the joint UN/African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
A small number of women religious have also been invited to attend.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk