Readwrotes Blog

Housewife turned president: Megawati Sukarnoputri When she came to power in Indonesia in July 2001, Megawati Sukarnoputri took over a country beset by economic hardship and sectarian violence. At the end of her first term in office, many Indonesians have been left feeling that not much has changed. Megawati inherited the presidency from Abdurrahman Wahid in July 2001. As the daughter of former President Sukarno, she was revered by many in Indonesia as the answer to all their problems. But three years on, rampant corruption, soaring unemployment and the increasing threat from Islamic militants have done little to endear her to the Indonesian public. Megawati has achieved some successes - notably in improving political stability. She also won international acclaim when she attended a ceremony in East Timor in 2002, to mark its independence from Indonesia. But she has failed to make any lasting progress in the fight against corruption, and has rema...

Batik is generally thought of as the most quintessentially Indonesian textile. Motifs of flowers, twinning plants, leaves buds, flowers, birds, butterflies, fish, insects and geometric forms are rich in symbolic association and variety; there are about three thousand recorded batik patterns The patterns to be dyed into the the clothe are drawn with a canting , a wooden 'pen' fitted with a reservoir for hot, liquid wax. In batik workshops, circles of women sit working at clothes draped over frames, and periodically replenish their supply of wax by dipping their canting into a central vat. Some draw directly on the the cloth from memory; others wax over faint charcoal lines. This method of drawing patterns in wax on fine machine-woven cotton was practiced as a form of meditation by the female courtiers of Central Java; traditionally, batik tulis (tulis means 'write' in Indonesian) is produced by women. In the 19th century, the application of wa...

If you earn a thousand dollars per month, you should map out all the necessary expenses you will have to incur during the month such as payment for your house, food and transportation. What remains after you deduct your total expenses from your income is your savings. What you do with your savings will make a difference later on, when the need arises. Here are seven ways that you can use to change your daily lifestyle for more positive spending habits to achieve your saving objectives: Maintain a logbook. A log book is the place where you can list your income and expense account on a weekly or monthly schedule. Do more walking than driving. If you can reach your destination within ten minutes by car, consider leaving the car behind and walk instead. Or, use a bicycle if the destination is within 30 minutes by car. This helps promote blood circulation in your body and also reduces environmental pollution. Both alternatives offer savings on gasoline and parking fees . ...

Sleeping on a problem really can help solve it, say scientists who found a dreamy nap boosts creative powers. They tested whether "incubating" a problem allowed a flash of insight, and found it did, especially when people entered a phase of sleep known as REM. Volunteers who had entered REM or rapid eye movement sleep - when most dreams occur - were then better able to solve a new problem with lateral thinking. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has published the US work. In the morning of the test day, 77 volunteers were given a series of creative problems to solve and were told to mull over the problem until the afternoon either by resting but staying awake or by taking a nap monitored by the scientists. Compared with quiet rest and non-REM sleep, REM sleep increased the chances of success on the problem-solving task. The study at the University of California San Diego showed that the volunteers who entered REM during sleep improved their creative problem so...

By Luke Hunt Kuala Lumpur 10 June 2009 In Malaysia, authorities have increased border surveillance amid reports that people-smuggling is on the increase as more Afghans arrive seeking illegal passage to third countries like Australia. Afghans hoping to escape years of conflict in their home country are legally arriving in increasing numbers in Malaysia where most are automatically granted a three-month tourist visa. Once here, the dealings begin between local agents and Afghans prepared to spend up to $15,000 for a boat ride to Australia. The vessels are rickety, the trip dangerous, and customs officials at the other end are always unwelcoming towards illegal immigrants. source: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-06-10-voa23.cfm A Jakarta-based regional security analyst with Concord Consulting, Keith Loveard, says countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia have made a significant effort in dealing with the issue. But he says the problem needs to be tackled at the root causes in ...

By Luke Hunt Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia 18 June 2009 Scientists and environmentalists have stepped up efforts to save what is left of Borneo's rain forests and wilderness areas. New research suggests carbon trading could offer the next solution. Experts calls on Indonesia, Malaysia protect the natural habitat Animal activists dressed as orangutans demonstrate against palm oil plantation development in Jakarta, Indonesia (File) A new study in Conservation Letters says that selling carbon credits linked to Indonesian rain forests on Borneo could prove just as profitable as clearing the land for palm oil plantations. Plantation companies in Indonesia and Malaysia, which share most of Borneo island, produce 87 percent of the world's palm oil. They have come under fire for causing to deforestation, which threatens populations of rare animals such as orangutans, elephants, rhinoceros and clouded leopards. Oscar Venter, a conservationist biologist and the study's lead author, ...

By VOA News 22 June 2009 Officials in the Philippines say a 49-year-old woman with swine influenza A-H1N1 has died - the first death in that country related to the virus. Health authorities say the woman died Friday from heart failure that was aggravated by severe pneumonia. They said throat swabs collected after her death revealed she had the swine flu virus as well. Filipino family wears protective masks against swine flu in East Avenue hospital compound in Quezon City, Philippines, 22 Jun 2009 But Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque said health authorities cannot conclude the woman's death was due to the virus. This particular strain of influenza is a new virus that has shown itself to be very contagious, spreading easily among people, and from one country to another. The World Health Organization earlier this month declared an influenza pandemic for the first time in more than 40 years, as cases of the swine flu continue to spread worldwide. The WHO says ...

By VOA News 23 June 2009 The new U.S. commander in Afghanistan says he will sharply restrict the use of air strikes in an effort to reduce civilian casualties in the fight against Taliban militants. General Stanley McChrystal has told The New York Times newspaper that in most cases, air strikes will only be used in Afghanistan to prevent U.S. and other coalition troops from being overrun by adversaries. The tactic is part of the Obama administration's new strategy to tackle an increasingly deadly insurgency that has spread from Afghanistan into neighboring Pakistan. Civilian casualties in counter-insurgency operations have hurt U.S. and NATO efforts to win the support of local Afghans, and turned some in support of the militants. Afghan leaders have pressed for months for foreign troops to end air strikes and nighttime house raids, which are frequently blamed for civilian deaths. A U.S. military spokesman, Rear Adm. Greg Smith is quoted by the Associated Press as say...

By David Gollust Washington 22 June 2009 Senior Obama administration officials on Monday defended U.S. handling of the Iranian election crisis amid criticism that President Barack Obama has not been forceful enough on the issue. The White House said it has seen no justice in Iran's crackdown on protesters after the president's weekend call for an end to violence by Tehran authorities. Administration officials are reiterating their call for a fair and non-violent resolution of the Iranian election conflict, while stressing their determination not to allow Tehran to make the United States a "foil" for the country's political conflict. The administration has taken a measured approach to the crisis, although President Obama stepped up the level of U.S. rhetoric on Saturday amid televised scenes of chaos on Tehran's streets. He called on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its people and to respect universal rights of as...

By Edward Yeranian Cairo 22 June 2009 Witnesses say Iranian riot police have fired tear gas to break up a new opposition rally in the centre of the capital Tehran, hours after a stern warning to protesters. According to eyewitness reports, Iranian police Monday attacked hundred of demonstrators attending an opposition rally in a Tehran square with tear gas. In this photograph posted on the Internet, an Iranian woman wears a mask near an anti-government protest in Tehran, Iran, 20 Jun 2009 Demonstrators had gathered on Haft-e Tir Square despite the warning from Iran's Revolutionary Guards against holding unapproved rallies. Earlier, defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi urged his supporters to continue demonstrating, but "with restraint." "The country belongs to you," Mr. Mousavi told supporters on his Web site Kalam, adding that "it is your right to protest lies and fraud," in reference to disputed election results which ga...