Chad's Deby says "in control" after rebel attack

By Moumine Ngarmbassa and Emmanuel Braun

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Chad's President Idriss Deby said on Wednesday his government was in total control of the country after beating back a rebel offensive in fighting which killed at least 100 civilians at the weekend.

Making his first public appearance since rebels attacked the capital N'Djamena on Saturday and besieged his presidential palace, Deby accused the president of neighboring Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, of backing the rebel offensive.

"We have total control of the situation, not only in the capital, but also the whole country," Deby, wearing military uniform, told a news conference at his palace in N'Djamena after meeting French Defense Minister Herve Morin.

Morin flew in to Chad to show French support for its former colony, where it has warplanes and more than 1,000 troops stationed. France initially said it was "neutral" as fighting raged at the weekend, but later threw its weight behind Deby.

The bodies of at least 100 civilians lay in N'Djamena's three main hospitals and as many as 700 more people were being treated for bullet wounds and injuries from mortar fire, Guilhem Molinie, head of mission for MSF-Brussels, told Reuters.

He said the death toll was likely to rise as Red Cross workers were still recovering bodies.

After obtaining U.N. Security Council support for Deby's government, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday his country could intervene if needed against the rebels, whom Chad says are supported by Sudan. Khartoum denies this.

Deby, who has fought off several rebel bids to end his 18-year rule in the central African oil producer, said he had not yet asked the French army to step in.

After meeting Morin, the former French-trained helicopter pilot said he could consider pardoning six French aid workers jailed by Chad for abducting children, if France requested it.

The members of charity Zoe's Ark were jailed in December for eight years for trying to fly 103 African children to Europe without permission. France's close relationship with Chad had already helped secure their transfer to a French jail and a pardon would be a further sign of mutual cooperation.

REBELS VOW RETURN

Rebel forces said they were still occupying positions "around N'Djamena" and vowed to fight any French intervention.

"If we are attacked, then we have the right to legitimately defend ourselves," rebel spokesman Ali Ordjo Hemchi said, urging France not to back a "failed regime".

He said rebel forces had routed early on Wednesday a column of pro-Deby "Toro-boro" Sudanese rebels north east of the capital, but there was no independent confirmation of this.

Deby's government said it had defeated its Chadian rebel foes, who had made a lightning advance last week from the eastern border with Sudan's war-torn Darfur region.

A second rebel spokesman, Abderamane Koullamalah, said an army helicopter was bombarding insurgents 100 km (62 miles) northeast of N'Djamena. But he added the rebels would return.

"We'll retake the offensive in a few days," he said.

The increased conflict has delayed the deployment of a 3,700-strong European Union peacekeeping force to east Chad to protect thousands of Sudanese refugees and displaced Chadians who have fled violence spilling over from Sudan's Darfur.

Relief officials said the unrest was blocking aid flights to more than half a million refugees and civilians in the east.

The British charity Save the Children called on the United Nations to organize urgent supply airlifts from neighboring Cameroon and Central African Republic.

"It has to happen within 48 hours," said Gareth Owen, Save the Children's Head of Emergencies. "Otherwise the humanitarian aid effort will start to unravel."

Tens of thousands of N'Djamena residents fled into Cameroon and Nigeria after the fighting, but hundreds started returning on Wednesday. A Chadian police officer with a megaphone told the crowd at the border: "Come back home. N'Djamena is at peace".

French warplanes have been flying reconnaissance missions over rebel positions and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on Wednesday that a rebel force of between 100 and 200 vehicles was still somewhere east of the capital.

Source : reuters.com

Maya Soetoro, Senjata Rahasia Barack Obama

Oleh A Jafar M. Sidik

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Sepanjang sejarah pemilihan Presiden Amerika Serikat (AS), baru sekarang nama Indonesia sangat kerap disebut oleh media massa setempat.

Selasa (5/2), nama Indonesia disebut lagi secara luas setelah Barack Obama menang dalam pemungutan suara pemilih Partai Demokrat di Indonesia, kaukus suara di luar negeri yang sekarang menjadi salah satu yang amat menarik untuk diberitakan.

Barack Obama-lah, calon Presiden AS dari Partai Demokrat, yang membuat Indonesia tiba-tiba begitu dekat dengan AS.

Keterikatan Obama dan Indonesia bahkan lebih pekat dari yang diperkirakan setelah pemberitaan mengenai peran dan identitas adik perempuannya yang berdarah Jawa, Indonesia, Maya Soetoro Ng, semakin luas.

Sebelumnya, orang Indonesia lebih mengenal Obama hanya sebagai seorang AS yang menghabiskan sebagian masa kecilnya di Indonesia. Kini, pengetahuan itu bertambah dengan kepopuleran Maya Soetoro.

Ayah kandung Obama yang bernama Barack Hussein Obama adalah seorang Afrika berkewargnegaraan Kenya, sedangkan ayah kandung Maya adalah Lolo Soetoro, pria Jawa Timur tulen. Baik ayah kandung maupun ayah tiri Obama menganut keyakinan Islam.

Obama dan Maya beribu sama, seorang perempuan kulit putih bernama Stanley Ann Dunham.

Selama ini orang AS mengenal Michelle Obama, istri Obama, sebagai orang kuat di balik kampanye kecalonpresidenan dan karir politik Obama.

Tapi, setelah kampanye itu memasuki babak terpanasnya, orang AS mulai ingin mengenal lebih dekat sosok Obama, terutama keluarganya.

"...(selain Michelle) ada dua lagi senjata rahasia Barack Obama, yakni kakak perempuannya Auma Obama dan adik perempuannya Maya Soetoro Ng," tulis Amy Argetsinger dan Roxanne Roberts dari Washington Post (22/1).

Kedua wartawati The Post itu menyebutkan, aset politik terbesar Obama adalah tradisi multikultur yang ada dalam keluarganya. Tradisi itu dikembangkan oleh para perempuan di sekitar Obama, mulai ibunya sampai Maya Soetoro.

Begitu besarnya peran perempuan terhadap Obama tercermin dari perangai dan sikapnya yang lembut. Hampir semua orang terdekatnya adalah perempuan. Lima perempuan menjadi kekuatan inti pribadi Barack Obama, yaitu Michelle, ibundanya yang almarhum, sang nenek, Maya, dan Auma.

Keluarga Obama yang unik, karena berkomposisi ras warna-warni, sungguh menarik perhatian banyak orang di AS.

Auma adalah asli keturunan Kenya. Ibunda Auma adalah istri pertama dari Barack Obama Sr. Sedangkan, Maya, membawa darah campuran Asia (Jawa, Indonesia).

Saudara-saudara Obama yang lain hidup tenteram di Iowa, New Hampshire, dan jauh dari publikasi media, sehingga menyembunyikan keunikan keluarga Obama yang sesungguhnya merangsang apresiasi publik AS itu.

Meski berbeda ayah, mereka selalu berdekatan dan berkomunikasi sangat rekat, khususnya hubungan antara Maya dengan Obama.

Sampai sekarang Maya yang tumbuh besar bersama Obama di Indonesia dan Hawaii tetap mengenang masa kecil yang indah bersama sang abang. Berjam-jam ngobrol di telepon, menjadi tempat berkeluhkesah tatkala dibelit frustasi dan dirundung bingung, atau sebagai pelindung yang kadang terkesan protektif.

"Dia membantuku menentukan pilihan," kata Maya kepada Chicago Sun Times edisi 9 September 2007.

Maya yang sering dikira orang Latin atau hispanik itu sekarang telah menjadi istri pria Kanada keturunan Cina, Konrad Ng. Mereka dikarunia anak perempuan berusia 3 tahun bernama Suhaila.

Maya memeroleh gelar PhD dari Universitas Hawaii, dan sekarang mengajar pada sebuah sekolah di Honolulu, sedangkan suaminya adalah PhD ilmu politik yang aktif dalam kampanye kepresidenan Obama.

"Apakah anda akan berkampanye untuk kakak anda?" tanya wartawati New York Times, Deborah Solomon, dalam satu wawancara dengam Maya pada 20 Januari 2008.

Maya menjawab antusiastis, "Ya."

"Di bemper mobil ku ada stiker bertuliskan, `1-20-09. End of an Error` (Akhir bagi Kekeliruan)," kata Maya.

Kombinasi angka 1-20-09 merujuk pada waktu pelaksanaan pemungutan suara untuk pemilihan Presiden AS pada 20 Januari 2009, sedangkan maksud kalimat "akhir dari kekeliruan" adalah bahwa kemenangan si abang menjadi Presiden AS akan mengakhiri kekeliruan bangsa AS, karena telah memilih rezim yang salah.

Bersama para selebritis top, seperti Robert de Niro dan Oprah Winfrey, Maya kini aktif berkampanye bagi pencalonan Obama sebagai kandidat Presiden AS dari Partai Demokrat dan presiden kulit hitam pertama AS.

"Kukira hal terpenting yang bisa kulakukan sekarang adalah membagi alasan dengan orang-orang mengapa saya tergerak mendukung kampanye presidensial Obama, bahkan jika dia bukan abang ku," kata Maya.

Kepada New York Times, Maya menerangkan nilai-nilai moral dan kemanusiaan yang bersemayam dalam keluarganya, terutama setelah ditanam oleh sang ibu. Nilai-nilai keluarga ini pula yang merasuki pikiran, pandangan, dan prilaku Obama.

Maya menyebut ibunya sebagai seorang agnostik (masih mempertanyakan keberadaan Tuhan dan konsep Ketuhanan), tetapi sang ibu pula yang mengajarkan kebaikan-kebaikan ajaran spiritual.

"Mama kerap menghadiahi kami buku-buku bagus, Injil, Kitab Hindu Upanishad, Budhisme, dan Tao Te Ching. Beliau menginginkan kami meyakini bahwa setiap orang mempunyai sesuatu yang indah untuk disumbangkan kepada dunia," kata Maya.

"Anda tak menyebut-nyebut Al Quran? Anda khawatir kalau menyebut Islam akan mengundang kampanye hitam yang memburukkan citra politik kakak anda?" tanya Deborah.

Maya yang mengaku secara filosifis Budhis menjawab, ibunya tak mengajarkan banyak hal soal Al Quran, namun keluarga kerap membacanya, bahkan setiap pagi mereka mendengarkan lantunan ayat suci Al Quran selama di Indonesia.

Maya menolak kekhawatiran identitas keislaman yang menempel ketat pada keluarganya --terutama ayah kandung dan ayah tirinya-- akan mencederai citra Obama.

"Aku tidak menyangkal Islam. Aku kira sangatlah penting untuk diketahui bahwa kami memiliki pemahaman yang lebih baik tentang Islam. Tapi, akan sangat salah jika itu dihubung-hubungkan dengan abang ku karena ia berkeyakinan Kristen sejak 20 tahun lalu," kata Maya.

Maya mengungkapkan, pesan keberagaman, kebersamaan, cinta, dan sikap saling menghormati yang diajarkan ibunya kepada mereka telah membuat mereka tumbuh sebagai anak-anak yang menoleransi perbedaan dan bercita-cita demi toleransi itu.

Keluarga mereka, bahkan dinilai sangat melambangkan keragaman AS.

"Saya adalah wujud dari kebijakan luar negeri dan kekuatan Amerika. Jika nanti anda kabarkan pada orang-orang bahwa `Kita mempunyai presiden yang neneknya tinggal di satu gubuk di pinggir Danau Victoria dan mempunyai adik setengah Indonesia yang menikahi seorang Cina Kanada,` maka orang-orang akan menilai si presiden adalah orang yang akan lebih memahami apa yang dihadapi rakyat dan negerinya. Dan, mereka benar," kata Obama kepada New York Times edisi 4 November 2007.

Tak hanya soal keberpihakan pada kaum terpinggirkan, Obama juga menjadi salah seorang kandidat presiden yang lebih bisa menawarkan cara kreatif dalam pendekatan internasional AS yang lebih ramah dan dialogis.

Obama yang dikenal santun berperilaku dan berucap akan menjadi bekal dalam membangun dialog antar-bangsa yang lebih terbuka, berderajat, dan saling menoleransi.

Selama ini pendekatan internasional AS pimpinan Presiden George Bush yang agresif penuh retorika keras dan anti dialog telah membuat AS keliru untuk kemudian gagal membina hubungan baik dengan dunia.

Untuk alasan mengakhiri kekeliruan ini pula Maya Soetoro menyebut Obama sebagai yang tertepat untuk rakyat AS. Namun, banyak pihak tentunya berkomentar, "Kita lihat saja nanti." (*)

Sumber : antara.co.id

Kapal Turki Terbakar di Lepas Pantai Kroasia

Zagreb (ANTARA News)- Sebuah kapal barang Turki terbakar dekat wilayah perairan Kroasia, Rabu dan kemungkinan tenggelam, tetapi semua awak dan penumpang telah diselamatkan, kata para pejabat maritim Kroasia.

Kementerian kelautan dan transpor Kroasia mengatakan musibah itu terjadi 13 mil laut barat kota Rovinj, Laut Adriatik.

Buritan kapal itu hancur seluruhnya sementara haluannya masih terbakar," kata kementerian itu dalam sebuah pernyataan.

Pernyataan itu mengatakan kapal yang panjangnya 193 meter itu "Und Adriyatik" sedang dalam perjalanan dari Istanbul menuju Trieste dan mengangkut "200 truk dan lima ton bahan berbahaya".

Seorang pejabat urusan darurat lokal mengatakan kargo itu termasuk truk-truk. Pejabat itu mengatakan pesawat-pesawat pemadam kebakaran Kroasia berusaha memadamkan api tetapi kapal itu tidak bisa ditolong.

Kementerian itu mengatakan 22 awak kapal itu dan sembilan penumpang semuanya telah diselamatkan oleh sebuah kapal Yunani yang melintasi lokasi itu dan sedang dalam perjalanan ke Venesia, demikian Reuters.(*)


Sumber : antara.co.id

Tornadoes rip through South, killing 27

ATKINS, Ark. (AP) -- Authorities went door-to-door trying to find additional victims of tornadoes that killed at least 27 people, ripped the roof off a shopping mall and blew apart warehouses as they tore across four states.
The dead included 13 people in Tennessee, 11 in Arkansas, and a mother and father who died in Kentucky with their adult daughter. Those killed in Arkansas included another set of parents, who died with their 11-year-old in Atkins, about 60 miles northwest of Little Rock.
The family died from trauma when the storm their home "took a direct hit" from the storm, Pope County Coroner Leonard Krout said.
"Neighbors and friends who were there said, 'There used to be a home there,'" Krout said.
The twisters, which also slammed Mississippi, were part of a line of storms that raged across the nation's midsection at the end of the Super Tuesday primaries in several states. As the extent of the damage quickly became clear, candidates including Hillary Rodham Clinton, Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee paused in their victory speeches to remember the victims.
Northeast of Nashville, Tenn., a spectacular fire erupted at a natural gas pumping station northeast of Nashville that authorities said could have been damaged by the storms. An undetermined number of people were reported dead.
Eight students were trapped in a battered dormitory at Union University in Jackson, Tenn., until they were finally freed.
Well after nightfall Tuesday, would-be rescuers went through shattered homes in Atkins, a town of 3,000 near the Arkansas River. Around them, power lines snaked along streets and a deep-orange pickup truck rested on its side. A navy blue Mustang with a demolished front end was marked with spray paint to show it had been searched.
Outside one damaged home, horses whinnied in the darkness, looking up only when a flashlight reached their eyes. A ranch home stood unscathed across the street from a concrete slab that had supported the house where the family of three died.
Gov. Mike Beebe planned to tour Atkins on Wednesday.
In Memphis, high winds collapsed the roof of a Sears store at a mall. Debris that included bricks and air conditioning units was scattered on the parking lot, where about two dozen vehicles were damaged.
A few people north of the mall took shelter under a bridge and were washed away, but they were pulled out of the Wolf River with only scrapes, said Steve Cole of the Memphis Police Department.
In Mississippi, Desoto County Sheriff's Department Cmdr. Steve Atkinson said a twister shredded warehouses in an industrial park in the city of Southaven, just south of Memphis.
"It ripped the warehouses apart. The best way to describe it is it looks like a bomb went off," Atkinson said.
The power was knocked out briefly at a Little Rock convention hall that hosted a watch party for Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor seeking the GOP nomination for president.
"While we hope tonight is a time for us to celebrate election results, we are reminded that nothing is as important as the lives of these fellow Arkansans, and our hearts go out to their families," Huckabee said.
At the W.J. Matthews Civic Center in Atkins, a shelter was empty except for American Red Cross volunteers and a single touch-screen voting machine. The civic center had hosted an election precinct earlier Tuesday. Traffic was snarled on nearby Interstate 40, with tractor-trailers on their sides.
Officials do not know what started a fire at the Columbia Gulf Natural Gas pumping station near Green Grove, about 40 miles from Nashville. The blaze could be seen in the night sky for miles around, with flames shooting "400, 500 feet in the air," said Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Donnie Smith.
The couple killed with their adult daughter were in their mobile home near Greenville in western Kentucky when a tornado went through their trailer park.
On Jan. 8, tornadoes were reported in Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Two died in the Missouri storms.

Source : AP

NASA clears space shuttle for liftoff Thursday

By Irene Klotz
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA managers on Tuesday cleared space shuttle Atlantis for liftoff in two days on a mission to deliver Europe's first permanent space laboratory to the International Space Station.
Launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida is scheduled for 2:45 p.m. EST (1945 GMT) on Thursday.
Meteorologists are predicting a cold front will be moving through the area, possibly causing rain and clouds that would prohibit the launch. The chance conditions would be suitable for liftoff was 40 percent, Air Force meteorologists said on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, mission managers were optimistic about getting the first shuttle launch of the year under way.
"The team feels like we're in a very good place to go fly on Thursday," said LeRoy Cain, the head of NASA's shuttle mission management team.
"We're all thinking that Thursday's the day -- regardless of what the weather guy might tell ya," added launch director Doug Lyons.
Atlantis was scheduled to deliver Europe's Columbus module in December but the mission was delayed when problems surfaced with a shuttle emergency engine cutoff system.
The delay will cut short the time available for European astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will be staying aboard the space station after Atlantis' departure, to get Columbus set up before the next shuttle arrives in March with his replacement.
Eyharts' planned 12- to 13-week stay likely will be cut to just six or seven weeks, said Alan Thirkettle, European Space Agency's space station program manager.
"It's been compressed (but) we've also taken account that the crew that's currently onboard there is just performing out of their socks," he said. "They're doing incredible work at a rate that the dreamers wouldn't have come up with, let alone the planners."
"We're kind of hoping that that will rub off on the shuttle crew," he added.
NASA plans to quickly follow Columbus' launch with the first flight for Japan's Kibo complex.
In all, the agency plans to take a sizable bite this year out of the 13 remaining missions on the shuttle's roster before the fleet is retired in 2010. In addition to 12 space station construction and resupply flights, NASA plans a mission in August or September to service the Hubble Space Telescope.
(Editing by Jim Loney and Todd Eastham)

Source : reuters.com

Britney Spears said drugged and controlled by manager

By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Britney Spears has been "drugged" by her self-styled manager in a bid to take control of her home, life and finances, the troubled pop star's mother charged in court documents made public on Tuesday.
Lynne Spears, in a sworn declaration submitted to the court to obtain a temporary restraining order against Sam Lutfi, paints a disturbing picture of her 26-year-old daughter as confused, numbed by drugs and virtually held captive by her sometime-manager.
The Grammy-winning superstar has been hospitalized since last week for a mental evaluation, and a Los Angeles judge has appointed a psychiatrist to determine if she is capable of understanding the legal proceedings around her.
The restraining order against Lutfi, which was granted by the same judge, forbids him from contacting Spears in any way.
"Mr. Lutfi drugged Britney. He has cut Britney's home phone line and removed her cell-phone chargers. He yells at her. He claims to control everything -- Britney's business manager, her attorneys and security guards at the gate," Lynne Spears wrote in the declaration.
She describes arriving at her daughter's Los Angeles home on January 28, days before she was forcibly hospitalized, finding Lutfi was in charge and the entertainer confused.
"Britney ... became very agitated and could not stop moving," Lynne Spears wrote in the court papers.
"She cleaned the house. She changed her clothes many times. She also changed her dogs' clothes many times. Britney spoke to me in a tone and with the level of understanding of a very young girl," she said.

Lynne Spears said Lutfi told her and a friend that he gave Britney Spears pills ground up in her food to keep her quiet and at one point he told her she had to take "10 pills a day" if she wanted to see her two young children.
The bitter custody battle between Spears and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, has been put on hold while she is hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center for her mental issues.
Her father, Jamie Spears, and attorney Andrew Wallete have been granted temporary control of her assets, including her house, pending further legal proceedings.
Spears, a former child star and chart-topping singer, has seen her personal life descend into turmoil since she filed for divorce from Federline in 2006, while in recent months Lutfi has become an almost constant presence in her life.
The Louisiana native was hospitalized in January for a mental evaluation after becoming badly agitated when Federline's representatives tried to retrieve the children.
(Editing by Steve Gorman)

Source : reuters.com

Heat and Suns discuss O'Neal-Marion switch: report

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns are discussing a trade to send Shaquille O'Neal to Phoenix in a swap deal involving Shawn Marion, the Miami Herald said on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old O'Neal, reportedly due to fly to Phoenix to have his injured hip examined, failed to make the All-Star team for the first time in 15 seasons with a career-low average of 14.2 points per game.
The powerful center, known as "The Diesel", has two years left on a five-year contract worth $20 million per year.
Miami president and coach Pat Riley refused to comment but Marion, a four-times All-Star, has reportedly agreed to the trade.
The forward is averaging 15.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game this season.
Guard Marcus Banks is also poised to join the Heat as part of the deal.

Source : reuters.com

Study links marijuana smoking to gum disease

By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Smoking marijuana, much like smoking tobacco, may increase a person's risk for gum disease that can lead to tooth loss, researchers said on Tuesday.
A study of 903 New Zealanders found that people who smoked marijuana frequently had triple the risk for severe gum disease and a 60 percent higher risk for a milder form of it compared to people who did not smoke the drug, also called cannabis.
People who smoked marijuana less frequently had a smaller increased risk for gum disease, the researchers said.
Gum or periodontal disease is an infection of the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth. In advanced stages, the gums and bone that support the teeth can become seriously damaged and the teeth can become loose, fall out or have to be removed.
"While it has been known for a few years that tobacco smoking is bad for the periodontal (gum) tissues, no one has investigated whether any other type of smoking is also a risk factor," W. Murray Thomson, a professor of dental public health at the University of Otago in New Zealand, said by e-mail.
"We suspected we would indeed find that cannabis smoking was a risk factor, but what surprised us was the strength of the relationship," added Thomson, who led the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
His team tracked a group of people in Dunedin, New Zealand, since their births in 1972 and 1973. They were age 32 when the researchers identified the "strong association" between marijuana use and gum disease.
The researchers defined heavy marijuana users as those who reported smoking it an average of 41 or more times annually between ages 18 and 32 -- almost once a week

Source : reuters.com

Many Indonesians cheer Obama in Democrat race

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The 2008 U.S. presidential election is being watched closely by millions around the world but few are more fired up than Indonesians, who can lay claim to Democratic hopeful Barack Obama as nearly one of their own.In the capital Jakarta where Obama, 46, spent part of his childhood, U.S. expatriates and Indonesians crowded around television sets on Wednesday to watch the results of nominating contests across 24 states thousands of miles away pouring in.At the end of the biggest day of U.S. presidential voting before the November election, Obama won 12 states to Clinton's eight in a hard-fought duel for the Democratic nomination.On the Republican side, John McCain won nine states but failed to knock out rivals Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney."I think it's exciting being in Indonesia at this time. A lot of Indonesians are fired up about Obama," said Barry Dols, 41, an Obama supporter and teacher based in Jakarta from New Jersey."They think he knows the region."The senator from Illinois spent part of his childhood in Indonesia after his American mother, Ann Dunham, married Muslim Indonesian Lolo Soetoro following the end of her marriage to Obama's Kenyan father.Soetoro brought his new family to Jakarta in 1967 when Obama was six. Four years later Obama left Jakarta to live with grandparents in Hawaii."I prefer Obama because he is from a minority. So far, there is no leader coming from a minority," said Samuel Moeloek, 28, a management graduate at Parahiyangan University in the West Java city of Bandung.In Asia, few events were organised for locals interested in watching the outcome of "Super Tuesday" live, since the final results came in the middle of the working day.Image Americans living overseas could vote at special polling booths set up in selected areas of their countries, or they cast ballots online -- for the first time ever.An estimated 6 million expatriates are eligible to vote.Democrats abroad can vote online through Feb 12 and 22 delegates representing them will go to the August convention in Denver."If this super Tuesday does not generate a clear leader, then going into the convention without a nominee ...That's hardly ever happened," said Lisa Lumbao, a member of Democrat party in Manila. "So if that happens, then our votes, our 22 delegates ...could make a difference. We're like the 51st state."Many expatriates who had gathered at the U.S. Ambassador's residence in Jakarta -- decked out with red, white and blue curtains -- hoped the eventual president, whether Democrat or Republican. would improve their nation's image in the regionand beyond."I think the president has to be incredibly internationally aware and bring global stability and improve relations and the image of the U.S.," said Richard Mau, a hotel marketing executive based in Jakarta, who is backing Obama."He needs think about how the U.S. is perceived. The U.S. is not perceived as well as it could be in this region."Jakarta has close security ties with Washington, but many policies of President George W. Bush's administration, particularly in the Middle East, are unpopular in the predominantly Muslim nation.Ari Bassin, a Clinton supporter, said he was just happy with the strong interest in the election."In a country where apathy runs so deep in politics, it's heartening to see this kind of passion," Bassin told Reuters."You have a lot of first-time voters, especially minority voters, and that can change the face of politics in the U.S." (*)


Source : antara.co.id

Clinton, McCain take early leads in voting

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton scored early "Super Tuesday" wins and Republican John McCain swept to three convincing victories as 24 U.S. states voted in contests that could help pick the presidential nominees of both parties.
Clinton and Obama took two states each in their hard-fought duel for the Democratic presidential nomination. Clinton won Oklahoma and Tennessee, while Obama won Georgia and his home state of Illinois.
McCain, an Arizona senator looking to score a knockout blow on rivals Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, rolled to easy wins in Connecticut, New Jersey and Illinois on the biggest day of U.S. presidential nominating contests ahead of November's election.
Huckabee, a Baptist preacher and former Arkansas governor, won in Alabama and at a convention in West Virginia. Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, won that state.
All three Republicans were running close in Georgia in early returns, with the result too close to call, U.S. television networks projected.
More than half the total delegates to the Democratic party convention in August and about 40 percent of the delegates to the Republican convention in September were up for grabs. The candidates battle for delegates who vote in those party conventions to pick their candidates for the November 4 election.
Economic worries -- plunging housing values, rising energy and food prices, jittery financial markets and new data showing a big contraction in the service sector -- have eclipsed the Iraq war as voters' top concern, opinion polls showed.
Clinton, a New York senator and former first lady, was battling a wave of momentum for Obama, an Illinois senator who would be the first black U.S. president. Obama has almost caught her in national polls and taken leads in several states taking part in the coast-to-coast voting.


Source : reuters.com

India buys Lockheed planes, US sees breakthrough

Washington (ANTARA News) - India has agreed to buy six Lockheed Martin Corp C-130J military transport planes in a breakthrough deal with the United States worth about $1 billion that opens a door to closer strategic ties, U.S. officials said on Tuesday.India and the U.S. signed an agreement on Jan. 31 for Lockheed to start delivering the four-engine Super Hercules turboprop aircraft in 2011, said Bruce Lemkin, who handles U.S. Air Force international affairs.The deal marks a major shift in weapons-buying policy by India, which for decades has relied heavily on Russian arms and transport aircraft.The United States has been eager to boost strategic ties with India as a hedge against China's military clout.Nicholas Burns, the No. 3 U.S. State Department official whose retirement was announced last month, wrote late last year that in reaching out to India, the United States was betting the planet's future lay in democracy and market economicsrather than "despotism and state planning," an apparent swipe at communist-ruled China."It really provides the centerpiece of a growing relationship between our two air forces," Lemkin, a deputy undersecretary of the Air Force who had been working on thematter for almost two years, told Reuters in a telephone interview.James Clad, deputy assistant U.S. secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia, said the deal dwarfed all U.S. defense sales to New Delhi since Indian independence from Britain in 1947."This kind of puts us in a new environment," he said in an interview. "With this sale, India is telling us it's ready to buy top-quality U.S. equipment on its merits.""It positions us to be in the Indian defense market for years to come," he said.Lemkin said the agreement provided for U.S. logistics support, training and spare parts as well as the aircraft.Indian airmen would start training in the U.S., probably in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2010, the year before deliveries start, he said.The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles government-to-government arms sales, notified Congress of the possible sale last May, putting its potential value at $1.06 billion if all options were exercised.Lockheed, the Pentagon's No. 1 supplier by sales, and Boeing Co, its next-biggest supplier, are bidding against Russian and European rivals for a potential $10.2 billion deal to sell the Indian air force 126 new multirole fighter aircraft.Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed said it was pleased to see the acquisition process moving forward in India."The C-130J Super Hercules will provide the Indian Air Force with a highly advanced, flexible platform that will meet the range of missions unique to India," said Cheryl Amerine, a company spokeswoman.Officials at the Indian embassy in Washington did not return phone calls seeking comment.


Source : antara.co.id

QTRAX V.2 Beta launches - sees 61,000 unique users per hour

New York, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - MIDEM CONFERENCE - QTRAX (www.QTRAX.com) - the world's first free and legal peer-to-peer music service announced that at today's V.2 Beta launch, its ground-breaking service had approximately 61,000 unique users per hour (between 7am and 1pm EST). This translates to approximately 1,464,000 unique users per day.QTRAX believes that a significant percentage of users were unable to access the site due to this massive demand and has now dramatically increased its download capacity."The response to the service is clearly unprecedented. We launched at MIDEM, the leading music industry conference, precisely because of the degree of support we have had and continue to enjoy from rights holders," said QTRAX President and CEO Allan Klepfisz."We believe the exact nature of that support will be publicly clarified within a very short time. As the world's first free and legal P2P service that has chosen to spend 4.5 years on licensing and not to violate IP rights, we have decided that we will provide activation keys shortly upon final execution of all pertinent contracts."In the meantime, users will be able to enjoy all other functionalities of the QTRAX browser including importing and playing their existing music, browsing the vast and rich content, purchasing artist merchandise and tickets, and, for the first time, enjoying a fully integrated browsing and music experience.The activation keys will enable users to experience full QTRAX V.2 Beta functionality, including search, download, access content, and play.QTRAX has created a dynamic new music distribution model that represents a paradigm shift in the way people consume music, how the industry can monetize their catalogs and how artists get paid.The application download is available immediately at www.QTRAX.com About QTRAX QTRAX (www.QTRAX.com) is the world's first legal and free peer-to-peer music service. Showcasing an innovative ad-supported downloading model that easily directs revenue back to artists and rights holders, QTRAX is the first P2P to be embraced widely by the music industry. QTRAX is a subsidiary of Brilliant Technologies Corporation (OTC: BLLN.PK), a publicly traded technology holding company.SOURCE QTRAXCONTACT: Justin Kazmark, +1-212-561-7466, justin.kazmark@morris-king.com, or Jennifer Moses, +1-315-212-4408, jennifer.moses@morris-king.com, both of The Morris + King Company; or Rich Schineller of Perception Management, +1-941-726-9090, rich@prmgt.com; or Shamin Abas of Shamin Abas PR, +1-561-366-1226, Shamin@shaminabaspr.com; or Deborah Gray of Big DGPR, +1-646-247-3094, +61(0)414-911-111, debjgray@hotmail.com/Web site: http://www.qtrax.com/


Source : antara.co.id

Malaysia Minta Pekerja Asing Melapor ke Polisi

Kuala Lumpur (ANTARA News) - Malaysia akan meminta seluruh pekerja asing di negeri itu untuk melaporkan diri ke kantor polisi terdekat, untuk memastikan mereka tidak terlibat kegiatan kriminal dan memudahkan pemantauan oleh aparat keamanan.Wakil Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri Fu Ah Kiow mengatakan kepada Berita Harian, Rabu, langkah itu diusulkan penduduk kawasan perumahan guna membantu mengurangi tingkat kriminal yang melibatkan pekerja asing di Malaysia."Ada penduduk mendakwa (menuduh,red) kehadiran pekerja asing dalam jumlah besar di kawasan perumahan menimbulkan masalah sosial serta kriminalitas," kata Fu Ah Kiow. "Jadi pendaftaran ke kantor polisi adalah langkah awal bagi memudahkan polisi melakukan pemantauan terhadap aktivitas mereka, selain mengetahui tempat tinggal serta pekerjaan mereka di kawasan terkait," katanya. "Dengan sistem itu, polisi dapat mengetahui lokasi mana banyak pekerja asing, terutama di kawasan perumahan dan kita akan memberi perhatian lebih di kawasan itu," kata Fu Ah Kiow. Ia akan mengajukan rencana itu kepada Departemen Dalam Negeri untuk membangun suatu sistem pemantauan dan penegakan hukum yang teratur dan baik. Jumlah pekerja asing di Malaysia mencapai lebih 2.6 juta orang, atau sekitar 10 persen dari jumlah total rakyat Malaysia. Berdasarkan, statistik imigrasi setempat tercatat rekrutmen pekerja asing bertambah 7,000 orang setiap bulan.Menurut data Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri Malaysia, sejak tahun 1999, porsi terbesar tenaga kerja asing di Malaysia beradal dari Indonesia.Dan pada 2006, pekerja asing asal Indonesia di negara itu mencapai 1,2 juta orang atau 64 persen dari total pekerja asing yang berjumlah sekitar 1,89 juta orang.(*)

Selamat Tahun Baru Imlek 2559

(Suara Merdeka) - Kamis, 7 Februari besok dicatat sebagai Tahun Baru Imlek 2559. Sudah beberapa tahun terakhir ini tahun baru China itu dikategorikan sebagai hari libur nasional. Bukan hanya kaum tionghwa saja yang bergembira, masyarakat kita secara keseluruhan bisa menerimanya dengan lega hati tanpa syakwasangka. Kenapa ? Karena realitas masyarakat kita memang beragam, satu dan lainnya diberikan kesempatan yang sama untuk mengekspresikannya. Kita tidak usah memutar jarum jam ke belakang karena di sana yang ada hanyalah catatan-catatan buruk. Sebaliknya, kita membuka lembaran baru yang lebih putih untuk kemudian kita isi dengan catatan-catatan penuh kegembiraan, kebaikan dan kebajikan.
Besok kita menyaksikan para sahabat, tetangga dekat dan jauh, dan juga kerabat merayakan hari penuh dengan kegembiraan itu. Ada kue keranjang yang nikmat dan lezat, ada pembagian angpao, ada pasar tiban, ada pernik-pernik lampion yang semuanya memberikan gambaran tentang kegembiraan. Seperti juga tahun baru yang lain, apakah tahun baru Masehi, Islam, atau pun Jawa selalu memunculkan harapan akan datangnya keadaan yang lebih baik dari sisi kehidupan masyarakat, melimpahnya rejeki, dan dijauhkannya dari masalah dan malapetaka. Datangnya tahun yang lebih baik bagi kehidupan di bumi dan langit tentu ditunggu oleh siapa pun.
Tahun Baru Imlek juga bernuansa seperti itu. Setiap individu yang merayakannya pastiklah akan memohon kepada Thian agar diberikan keselamatan dan dilimpahkan rejeki yang lebih baik dari tahun sebelumnya. Permohonan seperti itu akan selalu ada pada setiap individu berkesadaran yang merasa dirinya butuh akan kehadiran "kekuatan lain" yang bukan berasal dari dirinya. "Kekuatan lain" itulah yang dimohon bimbingannya agar manusia tidak terjerumus dan terjerat oleh masalah demi masalah, tetapi diberikan berkat agar terhindarkan marabahaya di samping diberikan kesentausaan hidup yang lebih baik. Itu sebabnya kenapa di saat Imlek, orang merasa perlu bergembira dan berbagi untuk sesama.
Berbagi kepada sesama bisa dalam banyak bentuk, apakah berbagi kue, angpao, makan bersama yang semuanya sebenarnya berpangkal pada kesadaran hidup bersama. Manusia berkesadaran seperti itulah manusia yang bijaksana. Sedangkan manusia bijaksana adalah manusia yang selain bisa melihat realita sejati dan dengan demikian memiliki pengetahuan sejati, juga kesadaran dan keyakinan sejati. Oleh sebab itu manusia harus berpengetahuan karena itulah yang akan membawanya pada kesadaran dan keyakinan sejati. Bentuk akhir dari kesadaran hidup bersama itu kemudian diwujudkan dengan amal kebaikan, berbagi kebajikan dan memahami keberadaan dalam masyarakat.
Amal kebaikan, berbagi kebajikan dan memahami keberadaan itu sebuah bentuk kesadaran yang bisa diaktualisasikan ke dalam keluarga kecil, keluarga besar, tetangga dan keluarga bangsa. Jika kesadaran seperti ini ada pada setiap individu dalam masyarakat, maka secara niscaya akan sumrambah dan mengejewantah dalam kehidupan bersama yang rukun, damai sekaligus sejahtera. Kehidupan tata, titi, tentrem karta tur raharja itu tidak bisa berdiri dengan bersandar pada egoisme yang diekpsresikan dalam sikap-sikap nggugu benere dhewe. Untuk itu, setiap kita perlu merasa terus mengasah diri agar hati nurani senantiasa menuntun kita pada kehidupan bersama.
Kita tentu berharap, Tahun Baru Imlek 2559 ini memberikan inspirasi baru dan segar untuk kehidupan bersama yang lebih baik. Kehidupan bersama yang terus dipersegar, diberi isi, dan diaktualisasikan secara konsisten akan memberikan dampak yang luar biasa dalam menjaga keutuhan rumah tangga besar yang bernama Indonesia. Kini kita dengan lega hati dan penuh kegembiraan bisa menyaksikan perayaan Imlek di berbagai sudut kota secara terbuka. Tidak ada lagi batasan dan syakwasangka. Dan, kita pun percaya mereka yang merayakan akan menggunakannya sebagai momentum untuk terus melakukan perbaikan diri pribadi dan masyarakatnya. Selamat Tahun Baru Imlek 2559.

How to untangle the politics of Super Tuesday primaries

By Linda Feldmann Mon Feb 4, 3:00 AM ET

Washington - For the past year, a large field of presidential candidates has lavished attention on just a few early primary and caucus states. Suddenly, on the eve of the biggest primary day in United States history, the calculus is reversed: A handful of candidates are competing in almost two dozen states, spread across the country.

The stakes going into Feb. 5, or "Tsunami Tuesday," could not be higher. In each party, 42 percent of the total delegates needed to secure the nomination are up for grabs. And the system for allocating delegates is even more complicated than that of the Electoral College, with delegates awarded mostly by congressional district. An important exception is the eight Republican contests that are winner-take-all by state.

Never before have the experts on each campaign who know the rules of delegate allocation in every state been so important. The scramble for delegates is on, district by district.

Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, for example, does not expect to win New York. "But do we expect to pick up delegates because we have a strong operation and a grass-roots following in places like Brooklyn and Harlem and the Bronx? Absolutely," says campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

Because none of the 22 Democratic states (and American Samoa) or their congressional districts are winner take all, both candidates have reason to compete in every state. District-level delegates are allocated proportionally to the outcome of the vote or caucus result in a congressional district, as long as a candidate reaches a 15 percent threshold, according to national party rules. Statewide delegates are also allocated proportionally.

Another variable is whether the contests are open or closed, whether only registered members of a party may take part. Open contests tend to benefit Obama and Sen. John McCain, who are better at attracting unaffiliated voters and voters from the other party.

Rules are simpler for Republicans. Some of Senator McCain's strongest states are winner take all, including his home state of Arizona, plus New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Delaware. Those five states alone account for 234 delegates, not including "superdelegates," giving McCain a cushion of delegates he can reasonably count on going into Tuesday.

For McCain's principal rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, most of his strongest states are not delegate-rich. With the exception of Mormon-dominated Utah, where he has a lock on the state's 33 delegates, other strong states, including Massachusetts, are not winner take all. Most of Mr. Romney's strong states are holding caucuses, with modest delegate counts and a range of rules on delegate allocation.

One state where Romney could cherry-pick some delegates is California, which awards delegates on a winner-take-all basis by congressional district. The trick there, analysts say, is to identify low-turnout Republican districts that are overwhelmingly Democratic and flood the few Republicans with mail.

But with so many states at stake on Tuesday, Romney will have a hard time using his well-honed organization to win the delegates he needs. McCain, following his victory in Florida, is winning the lion's share of key GOP endorsements.

At this point, "it's not an organization game, it's a momentum game," says GOP pollster Whit Ayres. "There's no way to be sufficiently organized in all the Super Tuesday states."

Even in Florida, Mr. Ayres notes, Romney had a far more sophisticated operation and spent far more money than McCain, but lost anyway. Still, Romney has gone forward with ad buys in key Feb. 5 states, spending a reported $2 million to $3 million, with $1 million in California alone. McCain has relied more on momentum and free media out of campaign appearances in the days preceding Feb. 5, though he is running some TV ads.

Democrats Obama and Clinton have raised far more than the leading Republicans and are spending more on television leading up to Feb. 5. Obama has spent more than $10 million in ads in most of the Feb. 5 states, as well as states holding primaries in the week after � a sign of confidence that he will remain competitive after Tsunami Tuesday. Obama raised a stunning $32 million in January; Clinton has reportedly spent $8 million on ads in 16 of the Feb. 5 states, but had not revealed her January fundraising.

One potential wrinkle out of Feb. 5, given the delegate-allocation rules, is the possibility of a candidate winning more votes in a primary or caucus than his or her main rival, but not winning as many delegates, as happened in the Nevada Democratic caucuses.

"You could have a bit of a disparity between the popular vote and the delegate count, but I think by and large it should be pretty reflective," says Rhodes Cook, a nonpartisan political analyst. "I would be surprised if you had many more examples like Nevada, but I could be wrong."

Registering Domain Names and Hosting

by: Sinta Makah

There are currently over 70 million registered Internet domain names across the globe according to Web Host Industry Review.

Jim Croce's famous song "I got A Name" may one day need to be changed to "I got a Cheap Domain Name" if current Internet growth rates remain the same. Today there are over 70 million registered Internet domain names across the globe.

While more and more businesses are taking advantage of the innovation and power offered by the Internet by registering domain names, an equal number of individual users are registering domain names as well. In fact, with the Internet becoming such an ubiquitous part of everyday life and commerce, one can imagine a day when every individual and every corporation will have domain names and hosting just as they do a social security number or corporate tax ID.

Cheap Domain name registration is on the rise as a result of the growing online community and more affordable domain names and hosting, and online services marketed and offered by companies such as the World's Largest Registrar - GoDaddy.com. According to the most recent Verisign reports, 8.5 million new domains registered were registered in the 3rd quarter of 2005, a 33% increase from 3rd quarter 2004 and a 94% increase from 3rd quarter 2003. Internet use worldwide reached the landmark number of 1 billion users in the 3rd quarter of 2005.

While some may have the perception that all the good cheap domain names are gone, the reality is that what we are seeing today is only the frost on the tip of the iceberg. It's still very much a buyer's market as far as online real estate goes. Years from now, those who have purchased and registered cheap domain names today - whether for business or personal use -- will look back at this time period as a golden opportunity to acquire the cheapest domain names of their choice and put their e-stake in the ground.

Part of the growth in cheap domain names is being fueled by small businesses such as an independent local grocer or dry cleaner that, by effectively establishing a presence on the Internet today, are building a foundation for their future while expanding their business reach and competing as never before. Companies like iPower.com, who provide the full spectrum of cheap domain names and hosting services, enable small businesses to establish a powerful site quickly and more affordably than ever.

ICANN, now performing the functions of previously U.S. government contracted entities, is responsible for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions.

Recently, the World's Largest Registrar - GoDaddy.com announced that it, too, had been named a Gold Certified member of the Microsoft Partner Program. Go Daddy provides a range of Microsoft-based hosting solutions, including three different shared hosting plans and several options for dedicated and virtual servers.


Source : www.articlecity.com

New Jeep Liberty Reviewed

By: Anthony Fontanelle


Chrysler has been facing the toughest problem that it has. Market share in the all-important United States auto market has been decreasing although their sales last year saw some improvements. Thus, the automaker has taken bold strides towards attracting more consumers into their dealerships.

One of the vehicles which the group has come out with to appease the car buying public is the 2008 Jeep Liberty which is offered in a variety of trim levels. Although the Jeep Liberty has achieved some level of success, the automaker decided to give the Liberty a facelift.

Carey Russ of The Auto Channel recently took a Jeep Liberty for a test drive. Russ said that he did not recognize the vehicle instantly. "This was because about the only thing not changed in and on the 2008 Liberty was the name. The new styling - now looking like a shrunken Commander - may be the most apparent attribute, but that's only the surface," said Russ.

According to him, the new Liberty is given a longer wheelbase. This change though did not affect the maneuverability of the vehicle. The additional length and width of the said vehicle said Russ does not make any considerable change if one will look at it on the outside. But he went on to say that the changes in the dimension of the vehicle affect the interior room greatly.

Being a Jeep, the Liberty is expected to be like its rugged brethren and this is what Russ had to say about that: "Biggest difference from the crossover competition? Being a Jeep, the Liberty is designed and built to go where the pavement ends. Two-wheel drive (to the rear wheels) is standard, but there are two optional four-wheel drive systems, the new Selec-Trac II full-time system and the Command-Trac part-time system."

The power of the 2008 Jeep Liberty comes from a V6 engine which produces as much as 210 horsepower. Russ had this to say: "An interesting 90-degree single overhead cam engine, it's essentially two-thirds of a Grand Cherokee V8 and uses a balance shaft to counteract the vibration inherent in that design. Internal enhancements have reduced noise and increased low-rpm torque."

And as consumers are becoming more and more concerned about the safety features of vehicles, the automaker has given the 2008 Jeep Liberty safety features which are designed to adequately protect its occupants in the unfortunate case of a collision. "The Liberty's passengers are protected by a sturdy unibody structure with front and rear crumple zones and side impact-protection beams," said Russ.

"Advanced-design multi-stage front and full-length side curtain airbags are standard in both models, as are four-wheel antilock disc brakes with rough road detection for better off-road functioning, brake assist, all-speed traction control, hill start assist, Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and Electronic Roll Mitigation systems (ERM), and a tire-pressure monitoring system." With those safety features, the Liberty can protect its occupants better than an Acura CL bumper bracket.

In conclusion, Russ said: "The Jeep Liberty provides a real-deal alternative to the common crossover in the mid-size SUV class."

For more information about your parts needs like Acura CL bumper bracket visit your trusted online source.

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.

Article Source: http://www.articlebiz.com/

Internet Advertising: The Greatness Of Banners

by: Todd Thomas

Banners are probably the most common form of advertising on the Internet today. The reason behind this has to do with their randomness and prevalence throughout the cyber highway. Banners are not intended for target audiences; instead, these flashing, animated, sound-generating eye-catchers are intended to simply throw the message out there in an endless array of locations for everyone—professionals and public—to see. In this way, the company that is advertising becomes known instantaneously, which is the purpose.

The banner may very well be the prelude to sucessfully target networking. When the banners provide a vast acknowledgement of a business’ existence, networking becomes easier and more successful because a wider variety of other business owners will have become more familiar with those who have previously launched the banner. The banner, then, is a form of dynamic introduction for new business ventures and a constant affirmation of already existing ones. All types of businesses use banners due to their “in-your-face” nature and the company recognition they provide during short-term and over long-term periods.

Banners are initiated through particular HTML or PHP hyperlink coding. The more elaborate ones, however, are launched through specialized software like Flash® and Java®, both of which are designed for extreme animation, video and audio presentations, some of which are unrestricted by Windows® framing, such as the Adobe™ logo which is activated everytime a PDF file opens. Some banners feature only color stills with lettering, while others include motion and sound. That’s the great thing about banners: they can be constructed to show anything, and they are growing more and more sophicated all the time.

Among the more popular banners circulating the Internet, many represent the more well-known companies that have been around for a while. This suggests that the larger businesses tend to employ such technical and dynamic means of advertising. Cost isn’t low, and it continues to rise. This includes: software, design and development, and sponsorship with other businesses who offer space on their sites to feature the banners. Pricing varies, but it is usually beyond the budget range of the typical small business. Therefore, the banner not only advertises the company and its particular marketing pitch, it also boasts its success.

There is also the constancy of the banner. Unlike, say, television commercials, this mode of advertising can run on and on, non-stop, day and night. Because of this, in conjunction with their prevalence throughout the Internet, business owners need not ever fear that their banner ads will be going unnoticed. Ongoing advertising is sure to incessantly increase traffic, keep the inflow steady, and promote current development in the businesses the banners represent.

In the end, banners are, due to their countless advantages, the best form of advertising for online business. As a matter of fact, their impact in their effects and efforts make their employment just short of a necessity to ensure success. New online business owners who aren’t sure how to introduce their ventures would be served best to use banners, which are flexibly ideal, despite their potentially high costs.

Source : www.articlecity.com

Mazda 16x: The Future of the Rotary Engine

By: Cody Miller


The Mazda RX2, Mazda RX3, Mazda RX4, Mazda RX7 and now Mazda RX8 are all examples of successful rotary engine sports cars. The New Mazda 16x Rotary Engine should further popularize this offbeat combustion engine which features (as rotaries always have) a compact design with an exceptional power-to-weight ratio all in just 1.6 Liters.

Mazda is calling this new rotary engine the "long-stroke rotary engine." As you may already know, the 13B rotary engine has a displacement of just 1300cc, which is 1.3 Liters. While the Mazda 16x has an engine displacement of 1600cc (800cc x 2), which is 1.6 Liters; and though they’ve made the 16x significantly larger than the 13B - it weighs less than a 13B. This is due to aluminum side housings, which Mazda says shouldn’t scare us.

Mazda’s aim here is "greater thermal efficiency" - which basically means, any car powered by the Mazda 16x is going to move like stink. Mazda says this [thermal efficiency] will increase torque at all engine speeds. (Rotary engines are notorious for having low torque, especially on the low-end.)

They’ve also added Direct Fuel Injection so you can expect the 16x to be considerably more economical compared to rotaries of the past. Harmful emissions will be greatly reduced as well and power should be slightly increased compared to common multi-point fuel injected rotaries such as the 13B. This should lean the fuel-air mixture out as well and may improve the rotaries nasty habit of flooding every time you move her down the street a block.

Mazda has done incredible things with their light and sporty 1.3 Liter 13B – just imagine what they can do with this new Mazda 16x! Better yet, just imagine what you could do with this new Mazda 16x rotary engine! Unfortunately, however, Mazda has yet to announce a production vehicle to carry the 16x. The closest we’ve gotten is the Mazda Taiki, a far-out prototype developed by Mazda under the "Nagare"(which is, Japanese for "flow") concept of design.

So when will we see this new rotary engine in action?

Many expected this new rotary engine to appear in the 2009 Mazda RX8, but when the cover was pulled off at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, we saw nothing but the Mazda 13B MSP Renesis engine beneath it’s glimmering hood.

To answer the question; your guess is as good as mine.

For More Information on the Mazda 16x, Mazda RX8, Mazda RX7 and more, visit: http://www.mazdarxnews.com/

Article Source: http://www.articlebiz.com/

Video Al-qaeda Tunjukan Penyesalan Polisi

28/01/08 01:25

Dubai (ANTARA News) - Sebuah kelompok di Irak yang terkait dengan Al-Qaeda mengeluarkan rekaman video Internet, Minggu, yang menunjukkan dua polisi sedang menyesali perbuatan mereka pada masa lalu dan menyerahkan senjata mereka kepada gerilyawan.

Video itu dan sebuah pernyataan yang mengatakan polisi-polisi itu "kembali ke barisan Islam" tampaknya menunjukkan perubahan taktik propaganda kelompok Negara Islam di Irak.

Rekaman-rekaman video sebelumnya kelompok itu seringkali menunjukkan aparat-aparat pemerintah yang ditangkap dan prajurit-prajurit yang ditembak mati setelah mereka mengaku bersalah atas tindakan-tindakan mereka.

Video terakhir itu menunjukkan dua orang yang tersenyum dan tidak ada gerilyawan bersenjata terlihat di dekat mereka seperti pada video-video sebelumnya. Kelompok itu tidak mengatakan apakah orang-orang itu ditangkap atau membelot atau bagaimana nasib mereka.

"Saya menolak kepolisian Irak, yang menjadi alat di tangan... pasukan salib dan kafir," kata seorang pria yang mengenakan jubah tradisional Arab yang mengidentifikasi dirinya sebagai Kolonel Ayad Ismail Muhaymid, dan mengatakan bahwa ia menjabat sebagai deputi kepala kepolisian di provinsi Diyala.

"Tindakan yang dilakukan terhadap saudara-saudara kami di penjara Kementerian Dalam Negeri tidak bisa diterima oleh Tuhan dan kemanusiaan," kata seorang pria satunya yang mengaku sebagai Mayor Hameed Hadi Hameed.

Video itu, yang menunjukkan kartu-kartu identitas kepolisian orang-orang itu, dipasang di sebuah situs berita utama yang biasanya digunakan oleh Al-Qaeda dan kelompok-kelompok gerilya yang lain.

Meski sayap Al-Qaeda Irak tetap menjadi pelopor dari kelompok-kelompok gerilya yang memerangi pasukan AS dan pemerintah Irak yang dipimpin orang Syiah, pejuang-pejuang mereka menghadapi perlawanan yang meningkat di daerah-daerah Sunni Irak dimana mereka beroperasi.

Peningkatan jumlah pasukan AS, semakin efisiennya pasukan keamanan Irak dan patroli-patroli di wilayah Sunni telah berhasil menurunkan tingkat kekerasaan dan jumlah kematian sipil dan prajurit AS dalam beberapa bulan terakhir ini. (*)