Back To The Future

Back To The Future

`PLUS CA change, plus c'est la meme chose', `The more things change, the more they remain the same.'

The irony of having to go back forty years, to one's technological roots, so that one can move forward into the next decade of silicon chip manufacturing, is a powerful and recent illustration of this well known French saying.

Took twenty years

It took almost twenty years after Shockley, Bardeen and Brattain of Bell Labs, co-invented the point contact transistor in December 1947, for architecture of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor or CMOS transistor to become an industry standard: A bedrock semiconductor (usually silicon) substrate where the current flowed; on top of this, a metal oxide (usually silicon dioxide) dielectric which served as an insulator and finally on top of that, a metallic `gate' which turns the device on and off, processing the ones and zeroes that are fundamental to computer calculations.

Quite soon, the metal of the gate (the `M' in MOS) was replaced by non metallic poly-silicon, and so things remained for the next four decades, while chip makers squeezed more and more transistors on every slab of silicon, reducing the gap between active components to 130, 90 and 65 nanometres. (A nanometre is a billionth of a metre).

This has been the state of semiconductor art — till today.

The next logical step in the incredible shrinking saga of chip-making is a fabrication tolerance of 45 nanometres and here a roadblock appears. As the Senior Vice President (Digital Enterprise) explained to me on the sidelines of the Intel Developer Forum in Beijing last week, "the whole industry is having to struggle at 45 nm.

"The Silicon dioxide we have used to make the gate dielectric for 40 years now, has become so thin — as little as 1.2 nanometers thick — that current leakage through the dielectric becomes unacceptably high leading to unnecessary heat loss and waste of energy."

Intel's response has been to take a fresh look at the fundamental way transistors have always been made.

Their engineers found better insulating properties — by a factor of 10 — in a class of materials called `high k' dielectric (`k' is what engineers call the dielectric constant).

They replaced silicon dioxide with hafnium, a rare earth element with atomic number 72 in the Periodic Table, and a material that is used in the control rods of nuclear reactors.

Metallic combo

They found that hafnium could not be made to work with poly silicon gate electrodes and decided to put the 'M' back into MOS. They came up with a metallic combo for the gate material (the exact combination is a secret).

At any rate, reworking the transistor with a high-k dielectric and returning to its roots in a metallic gate has helped Intel make a successful transition to 45 nanometer fabrication with a 20 per cent increase in the drive current and a five fold decrease in leakage.

The result, they can cram twice as many transistors on the 45 nm slab as they could at 65 nm. And cut switching power consumption by a third.

Radically different

The new processor family based on this radically different way of manufacturing transistors is being called `Penryn'— and it will ensure that Moore's Law (which predicted a doubling of transistors on a chip and consequent computational power, every 24 months) lives on.

Dr Moore himself has characterised it as the biggest change in transistor technology since the introduction of poly silicate gate MOS in the late 1960s.

At Beijing, I saw production wafers, 300 mm in diameter, containing thousands of the new 45 nm Penryn class chips — every chip now housing a billion transistors.

By year end, Intel plans to roll out dual and quad core (that is two and four processor cores to a chip) microprocessors in the new 45 nm process, in all three segments: server, desktop and portable PCs.

Prototype machines fuelled by these chips were up and working at the IDF. Intel had struck out into the future by a canny step back to the metallic origins of the transistor.

It is unrealistic to expect that Intel will remain alone for long, while getting past this significant obstacle in the long history of semiconductor manufacturing.

Competitors like AMD, Infineon, Freescale, Sony, Toshiba all have their own technology trails to get to 45 nm and beyond. IBM, has announced its own high-k metal gate technology that should reach the fabs in 2008.

`Garam hawa'

Texas Instruments has also said it has a high-k solution that it will be realising this year. Clearly `Back to the Future' is the way the semiconductor `garam hawa' is blowing this year.

Forty five nanometre technology and the consequent ability to put over a billion active components on every chip, will possibly kick start the tera scale computing initiatives of various players.

Intel's Indian engineers contributed nearly half the effort that went into its recently announced `teraflop on a chip' concept processor with 80 cores on board. Sometimes seeing is the only way to believing.

Just 46 watts

At the Beijing event, I saw Nitin Borkar, Head of Intel's Terascale project, put a machine fuelled by the 80-core chip through its paces — live. As the `flop' meter crossed the 1 tera flop (that is a trillion floating point operations a second) marker, the chip was drawing just 46 watts — less than a light bulb!

At 1.5 teraflops, the energy consumed was 93 watts and finally in a final burst of speed, Nitin had the computer cross the magic 2 tera flop mark dissipating less than 192 watts.

Did they say one teraflop on a chip? So yesterday! Already a month later, it looks more like two.


India's 1857 revisited through literature

India's 1857 revisited through literature

New Delhi: The voice of Prince Mirza Muhammad Feroze Shah, a cousin of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, was loud and clear when he declared war against the British in 1857.

"I do now proclaim a sacred war and exhort all, according to the tenets of their religion, to exert themselves. We shall certainly conquer the English," he had said in a proclamation.

This proclamation and many other orders passed by different rulers across the country, calling for a united war against the British, will now be available in a book to be published by the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). To celebrate 150 years of the First War of Independence, the ICHR is bringing out the book in English, Hindi and Urdu. The orders, which were preserved in various archives have been collected and compiled by experts, ICHR Member Secretary P.K. Shukla said.
Christian preacher attacked in India

Christian preacher attacked in India

JAIPUR: Masked youth attacked and seriously injured a Christian preacher and went on the rampage in his house in the neighbourhood of the official residence of the Rajasthan Chief Minister here on Sunday afternoon. Walter Massey has been admitted to the emergency ward of the Sawai Man Singh Medical College Hospital here. Authorities there termed his condition stable. No arrest has been made so far.


Mr. Massey runs a small congregation, `Masihi Sanghti,' from his middleclass residence at Nandpuri Bazar. The intruders, numbering 15-20, used sticks and whatever came in handy to attack Mr. Masseyin the presence of his wife and child.

His wife Joyce told this correspondent that initially three persons came seeking to meet her husband. When the door was opened, they engaged the preacher in a conversation and in no time started assaulting him. And more men, covering their faces, joined in the attack.

As the attackers dragged a profusely bleeding Massey out of the house, a neighbour Samuel Roberts, who was passing by, rushed to the Sodala police station, half km away.

Ms. Joyce and the child were not hurt though the intruders broke plastic chairs, utensils and furniture.

— Photo: PTI

The image of the bleeding missionary.

Mr. Roberts said there were around 25 men, who covered their faces and were wielding sticks, outside Mr. Massey's residence.

Assailants on video

Additional Superintendent of Police (South) Subhash Vishnoi said the police were trying to identify the persons spotted on a video on the incident telecast by some TV channels. A case has been registered.

The Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind condemned the attack.

Congress general secretary Ashok Gehlot termed it a "very serious matter" and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits.

"Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers have once again taken law into their own hands in the name of stopping religious conversions in the State and this is condemnable." CPI (M) State secretary Vasudev said, "The Chief Minister and the Home Minister should take the responsibility for the attack," which occurred in the Civil Lines locality."Hardly four days ago did workers of the BJP-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarti Parishad attempt to attack the CPI (M) State headquarters on Hatwara Road, he alleged.

Engineer Mohammed Saleem, new president of the State Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, said the attack put a question mark on the very existence of a government in the State.
Cops allow human trafficking (??)

Cops allow human trafficking (??)

HYDERABAD: An internal analysis by the Special Branch done sometime ago, which is gathering dust, threw up startling facts, including how officers circumvent procedures to let fraudsters through.

Further, agents have easy access to immigration desks and 'tainted' officers continue to be on duty clearing passengers. The top brass was aware of these lapses much before the present human smuggling came to light. But they chose not to act. Some immigration officers — usually of SI rank — cleared passengers without valid documents even after being warned.

Despite this, superiors took no serious action against the errant officers. Official sources said it was almost a year ago that an FIR was lodged for the first time against four officers — inspector A Venkataramana and SIs Mallikarjun Choudhary, Mohd Nayeem and Ananthaiah — for clearing passengers without valid documents.

The four officers landed in trouble when about 20 passengers cleared by immigration were confronted by ACP (immigration) Narasimha Reddy in the departure lounge as they waited for a flight to Kuwait. It was detected that they had been cleared without ECNR and also possessed no work papers. Usually, it is only after deportation that the lapse gets exposed. But here a surprise check brought out the scandalous operations at the immigration wing. All the policemen in question are now out of the immigration wing and the Special Branch and are posted elsewhere.

"They surrendered themselves before court and are fighting the case," an officer of the Begumpet police station said. But many other SIs continue their practices for obvious reasons. According to the internal analysis, five instances of passengers being cleared with fake documents have been recorded against the name of another SI.

These errant officers and staff appear to have clear knowledge of agents behind human trafficking but are seldom or never questioned in investigations.

"The human trafficking racket involves agents who cannot be traced easily," said Begumpet inspector J Subbarami Reddy. Such statements may sound credible but even when there are leads they are not pursued.

For instance, in the case of a Gujarati woman Vidhi Patel caught trying to go to the US on a fictitious identity, a man believed to be an agent was in an inspector's chamber at the immigration counter. But he beat a hasty retreat when he saw the woman was in trouble. The incident highlights how easy it is for unauthorised persons to enter the immigration area.

A few years ago there was a proposal that all immigration-related cases should be transferred to the Central Crime Station, the detective department of the city police. But till date nothing has been done.

"We are asking our officers to be strict. But as we see sometimes there are instances where passengers with improper documents get cleared," ACP Vinay Kumar of the immigration wing said. Source

Nusantara Poly-Urethane 70


The Indonesian designed and built NDL-40 Ground to Ground Multi Launcher 2.75", Rocket System has been designed and is in the process of testing. This devices used as FFAR 2.75" Multi-Launch Rocket System. The FFAR 2.75 " rocket system is a ground-to-ground weapon system designed to support infantry units in the field. Each system is comprised of 4 modules, each containing 5 rockets (a total of 20 rockets in a system). The modules may be used independently of each other or in any combination with any other module.

This provides many useful configurations for the support of field infantry units. The NDL-40 system operator is approximately 15 meters away from the actual launchers and may adjust the fire control system to variety of different settings. The firing time (0.1 to 9.9 seconds interval) as well as the mode of launch (single, ripple or salvo firing) may be determined by the field operator.

FFAR 2.75" (70 mm or 2.75") rockets motors are manufactured by the flow forming process. The first batch underwater dynamic testing was successfully done in June 1985. This was the last test required in work frame of certification testing. This dynamic test was a success and since then the flowformed tubes were used in production of the FFAR. By using the rocket launcher [also called LAU 97] that has 40 launching tubes and enables "single" or "ripple" firing, the rocket can be fired within 6 seconds each. The impact pattern for such firing is 200 m x 300 m. The rocket launcher it self can go through a 360° azimuth position and has a maximum elevation of 50°. Its unladen weight is 365 kg.; with 40 rockets fitted with the FZ-71 warhead, it weights 935 kg. For firing the rockets one must reckon upon an interval of 150 msec with a "ripple" firing. Its high mobility and firing power make it a highly effective weapon. By using the MK-40 motor, its range is about 6,000 m. and when used with FZ-68 motor its range is about 8,000 m.

NPU-70 (Nusantara Poly-Urethane 70) is developed by IPTN at the stage of technological integration, while prior to this, during the stage of licensing, the factory manufactured FFAR 2.75" and SUT. Rockets with a surface-to-surface launching system and/or 70 mm caliber, NPU-70, will be produced by IPTN are already on a stage of research qualification and installed component development testing. The serial production was scheduled to take place in 1994/1995.
Tibet, Ladakh And The Book

Tibet, Ladakh And The Book

The story of how Ataullah, a Ladakhi Muslim, actually became a Pakistani diplomat is told in a new book, Islam in Tibet and the Illustrated Narrative Tibetan Caravans, by Abdul Wahid Radhu (1997, Fons Vitae, $27.95), Wahid is Ataullah's cousin. This book has a foreword by the Dalai Lama and is edited by Gray Henry.

Wahid's direct interaction with Tibet began when he was studying at Aligarh Muslim University in 1940. His uncle, Khwaja Abdul Aziz, who had his business in Lhasa, invited Wahid to spend his summer holidays that year in Tibet. The two months that Wahid spent in Lhasa were a turning point in his life making him "rediscover my true homeland". The real change in Wahid's life took place when his uncle invited him to join the Ladakh Lochak (tributary) mission that was heading for Lhasa from Leh in the autumn of 1942. The Lochak mission was established in the 17th century following a treaty between the Ladakhi and Tibetan rulers.

After the Lochak fulfilled its mission Wahid stayed back in Lhasa to help his uncle in the family business which included the possibly only cinema "theatre" in Tibet. The cinema projector had been imported from India and permission for the theatre had been received from the Tibetan government through the good offices of Chensel Kunphel la, an official who was a favourite of the 13th Dalai Lama. I remember Tibetans from Lhasa talking about seeing classic Hindi feature films like "Awara" in the past and it must have been this theatre which screened them.

A change in the family's business strategy had Wahid relocating to the border town of Kalimpong in India. Around that time, his cousin, Ataullah, joined the family business in Lhasa. Some time later, Wahid accompanied a Tibetan friend to China with the hope of business prospects. Instead of any commerce, he found himself thrust in Sino-Tibetan politics, including becoming a virtual prisoner of the Mongolian & Tibetan Affairs Commission. After over a year in China Wahid finally escaped; he flew to Eastern Turkestan and from there crossed over-land to the newly-created Pakistan.

In Pakistan, Wahid was approached by the Pakistani government to serve in its Foreign Service. He rejected the offer and opted to go back to Kalimpong in India to reunite with his family. Wahid's 1ove for Tibet appears to have played a big role in his decision. "I was afraid that -this would prevent me from seeing Tibet again," he says in his book.

Soon after Wahid returned to Ka1impong, his cousin Ataullah came out of Tibet. Ataullah informed Wahid about his desire to seek a new vocation and the negative response he had received from his feelers sent to the Indian government. Wahid informed Ataullah about the Pakistani Government's offer to him and Ataullah decided to try Pakistan. The Pakistanis welcomed Ataullah. That is how a Ladakhi Muslim became a Pakistani diplomat. Ataullah first served in the Pakistani mission in Calcutta and rose up in the service, eventually retiring after having served as ambassador to a few countries, including Nepal.

This book on Muslims in Tibet is a fascinating reading for everyone interested in understanding how a "minority" religion could co-exist peacefully in a pre- dominantly Buddhist society.
Lhasa-Khazis or Tibetan-Muslims

Lhasa-Khazis or Tibetan-Muslims

A person is called a Tibetan Muslim, or in Tibetan, a "Lhasa-Khazi", sometimes, "Beoba-Khazi" one who or whose family lived in Tibet. The mother tongue being Tibetan and culturally integrated with the main Tibetan Buddhist society. Ethnically, most of the TM families belong to the Tibeto-mongoloid stock. All TMs are believers of Islam (Sunni sect) and this is the sole difference between the two communities. The TM, referred in this work is to be differentiated with the Chinese Muslims, known as Hui, Habalingkas and the Ladakhi-Muslims of Tibet.

The latter two have their own separate identity, culture, and origin. However, the Ladakhi-Muslims and the TMs have many things in common, but the difference in some major areas remains. On the other hand, the TMs as a community can be classified into three sub-groups: (i) of the Kashmiri origin, (ii) the Singba-Khazis and the (iii) the last group who trace their origin from Central Asia. The first group forms the majority and has traces of "kashmiri" features; the second group was originally the prisoners of the Zorawar Singh army, converted to Islam in Tibet and gradually found itself after marrying Tibetan wives, assimilating in the TM society. The origins of the last group are not as clear as the first two groups and it is not so easy to link up their ancestry with any Central Asian country, historically speaking.

SIZE AND LOCATION:
Roughly, 350 families are scattered in Srinagar(JK,India), Darjeeling-Kalimpong region(WB,India), Kathmandu, Nepal, Saudi Arabia and some continue to live in Lhasa and Shigatse, Tibet.

ORIGINS AND BIRTH:
This community as it has come to become a definite community today may not have been so in the past. The formation of this community as it is today may have been a late phenomenon, as late as the early seventeenth century during the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Different scholars have suggested presence of Muslims in Tibet as early as the eighth century through interaction with the Arab countries (Barthold, Encyclopedia of Islam, Masood Butt, Tibetan Bulletin). It was only from the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama that the formation of this loosely knit community started becoming cohesive as well as the flow of more Kashmiri merchants in Tibet grew more in number and settling down.

LIFE IN TIBET:
The majority of these people lived in and around the Barkhor, Lhasa; some in Shigatse and some in Tsetang. Practically, all of them were doing brisk business in bringing consumer goods from Calcutta, India and offloading Tibetan wool in Kalimpong. While in Tibet, they had shops selling consumer goods as well specializing in making of Tibetan dress and hats.

Although being pious practitioners of Islam, they were well integrated with the main Tibetan society and considered Tibet and anything Tibetan to be their own. In the sphere of Tibetan literature and music, their contributions are widely recognized. Similarly, spoken Lhasa-dialect Tibetan is another area where the TMs have specialized.

They celebrated their Muslim festivals in a Tibetan manner. Marriage rites were strictly as per Islamic law but were followed by such gaiety and merrymaking that was typical Tibetan. For instance, a marriage was to be followed by a three-day picnicking. Islamic prohibitions like liquor were strictly observed.

They were subject to the jurisdiction of Tibetan law, but the "Poonch", their own Committee head of which was called "Khazi Pompo", adjudicated trivial matters. They recognized and were loyal to the Dalai Lamas as their sovereign head.

Whatever Kashmiri connections the settlers had were completely lost soon after their settlement in Tibet and there was no-looking back. They had adopted the new country as their homeland. But when the political events in the form of Chinese intrusions from 1950 to 1960 took place, it not only destroyed the Tibetan nation and culture but also came as a rude shock for this community. Like everyone, the members of this community also left Tibet and found refuge in India. Those who could not make it continued to languish under Chinese oppression and suffered a great deal.

LIFE IN INDIA:
Once in India, the Indian Government came forwarded and included the members of this community in Indian citizenship status on the basis of their Kashmiri ancestry. The Jammu & Kashmir State Government also took the initiative and housed them in camps and later in make- shift houses. The Government in Exile of His Holiness also remained in constant touch and offered assistance wherever feasible. His Holiness also visited paid a visit to their colony in 1975.

By Bai Fazulla
Abu Dhabi Donates 10m Euros to Restore French Palace

Abu Dhabi Donates 10m Euros to Restore French Palace

29 April 2007

PARIS — The Abu Dhabi government will provide funds for restoration of the famous Chateau de Fontainebleau in France, according to an agreement signed here yesterday.

Under the directives of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and instructions by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Shaikh Sultan bin Tahnoun, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Culture and Heritage Authority (ADCH), and Chairman, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (Adta), the agreement was signed to provide a sum of 10 million euros for renovating the historical palace.

French Culture Minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, ADCH deputy chairman Zaki Nusaibah, Adta’s Director-General Mubarak Hamad Al Muhairi and UAE Ambassador to France Saif Sultan Al Ariani were present at the agreement signing ceremony.

According to the agreement, the Napoleon III Theatre shall be renamed Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan Theatre in appreciation of his contribution and support to culture. A plaque bearing the name of Shaikh Khalifa was unveiled after the ceremony.

“The initiative of Shaikh Khalifa to restore the historical palace is his gift to France in recognition of the cultural and enlightenment roles it plays across the world and in the Middle East in particular," Shaikh Sultan bin Tahnoun said.

“This agreement is a proof of the deep-rooted cultural and tourism relations between the UAE and France. We consider it as an additional pillar of out bilateral relations. This agreement will open new horizons for cultural, tourism and scientific cooperation,” he added.

“Chateau de Fontainebleau is not only one of the landmarks of French history and heritage, it is a universal human legacy that has to be preserved," remarked Zaki Nusaibah.

“Shaikh Khalifa’s initiative is part of a long history of cooperation between France and the UAE and is set to be followed by other cultural partnership," he added.
Donnedieu expressed gratitude to Shaikh Khalifa for his interest and generous patronage of efforts to preserve the French heritage.
India woman imprisoned by in-laws for 15 years

India woman imprisoned by in-laws for 15 years

Reuters
29 April 2007


KOLKATA, India - Police in India have rescued a 40-year-old woman who was imprisoned by her in-laws in a dingy room for 15 years because she could not pay enough dowry.

Police said the woman, Madhavi Das, was naked and locked in the room when policemen broke in with help from neighbours on Saturday.

‘She was admitted in a mental asylum as years of solitary confinement has taken a toll on her sanity,’ Siddhi Nath Gupta, a senior police officer, said on Sunday.

Three members of the family, including her husband, were arrested.

The most common reported form of domestic violence in India is dowry-related, where women are abused and beaten and even killed by their in-laws for not bestowing enough gifts or money to their husbands or their families at the time of marriage.
Myanmar to crack down on Indian rebel bases

Myanmar to crack down on Indian rebel bases

27 Apr, 2007

GUWAHATI: Myanmar is set to begin a military offensive following New Delhi's request to crack down on rebel bases. New Delhi had asked Mayanmar to evict Indian separatists from its soil, said Indian officials said on Friday.

“The Myanmar army has promised to step up the fight against militants from our northeast states based in their country,” an Indian Army commander said on condition of anonymity.

Myanmar's decision to crack down on Indian rebel bases was made by Brigadier General Tin Maung Ohn who was leading an 18-member Myanmarese army delegation to India.

The Myanmar team, during the last five days, held extensive meetings with India's army and paramilitary commanders in the northeastern states of Nagaland and Assam.

“This is the first breakthrough, with Myanmar deciding to take proactive action against those (Indian militants) that already exist in their country,” Paramjit Singh, director general of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force engaged in anti-insurgency operations in the northeast, told reporters.

New Delhi has mounted pressure on Yangon to launch a military offensive against Indian militant groups – mainly the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the United National Liberation Front (UNLF).

The ULFA, a rebel group fighting for an independent homeland in Assam, is on the run since the Indian Army launched a crackdown in January after the group killed 80 people.

“The ULFA militants have sneaked into bases in Myanmar. If the military junta there launches an operation, it would be easier for us to deal with militancy here,” the commander said.

At least five major militant groups from India's northeast, where numerous tribal and ethnic groups are fighting for greater autonomy or independence, have training camps in the dense jungles of Sagaing in northern Myanmar.

“There are at least 20,000 guerrilla fighters in Myanmar belonging to various groups of the northeast,” said Kughalo Mulatonu, a rebel leader of the S S Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K).

The NSCN-K, a rebel group fighting for an independent tribal homeland in Nagaland, operates out of Myanmar with the outfit's general headquarters located in Sagaing.

Myanmar had earlier pledged that the junta would not let Indian rebels operate from its soil. The country last year launched a military operation against the NSCN-K, killing at least a dozen rebels and overrunning several of their bases.

India and Myanmar share a 1,640-km long unfenced border, allowing militants from the northeast to use the adjoining country as a springboard to carry out hit-and-run guerrilla strikes on Indian soldiers.

The rebels say they are seeking to protect their ethnic identities and allege that the central government has exploited the resources in the region rich with mineral, tea, timber and oil.

Over 50,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in the northeast since India's independence in 1947.
51 % of Vietnamese Students Have Premarital Sex

51 % of Vietnamese Students Have Premarital Sex

University survey finds 51 % of students have premarital sex

Over 57 percent of Vietnamese university students are “unwilling to learn”, 51 percent have premarital sex, and nearly 31 percent watch pornography, a recent survey found.

The results of the survey done at over 30 universities and junior colleges were released by the Central Committee of Ideology at a conference in Hanoi Thursday to discuss Students’ Lives Nationwide.

Of the 57 percent unwilling to learn, many ‘beg’ their teachers for pass and others cheat in exams.

Half the students pay lip service to political subjects and Marxism-Leninism, both compulsory at tertiary level.

Over 16 percent think watching pornography has no negative effects.

Over 37 percent use drugs, play cards, and gamble for money, all illegal acts in Vietnam.

Dr Duong Tu Dam of the Institute for Youth, said such living styles were the inevitable flipside of the market economy and the spread of the Internet besides inadequate monitoring by schools and families.

Schools focused more on book learning rather than training in ethics, he added.

Reported by Vu Tho - Translated by A.N.O.N
Indonesia releases 21 Vietnam fishermen held for trespassing

Indonesia releases 21 Vietnam fishermen held for trespassing

Indonesia allowed 21 Vietnamese fishermen it had detained for allegedly straying into its territorial waters to fly home Friday.

This is the second such repatriation by Indonesia this year after it returned 108 people last February.

The Vietnamese embassy in Indonesia said it were working with local agencies to repatriate a further 200 Vietnamese fishermen detained around the country.

Nine Vietnamese vessels with 57 fishermen on board were nabbed in Indonesian waters last month.

The boats, from Phuoc Tinh commune in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, 120km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, were reportedly detained by the Indonesian navy March 16 as they were illegally entering territorial waters.

The Ba Ria-Vung Tau administration has sent a note to the Indonesian consulate in HCM City seeking the release of these fishermen.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ratified a law last month on the continental shelf boundary between Indonesia and Vietnam, which was passed by the House of Representatives in February.

The two countries reached agreement on the delineation of the continental shelf in 2003.

Source: TTXVN – Translated by Thu Thuy
Vietnam’s First Wind Power Plant

Vietnam’s First Wind Power Plant

Southern island to house Vietnam’s first wind power plant

A Swiss corporation has recently won the license to build Vietnam’s first wind power plant on Con Dao island of the coast of Ba Ria Vung Tau Province, reported local authorities.

The Aerogie.plus corporation will build a US$19 million 6MW wind power plant at Chim Chim Cape.

The provincial authorities said they are considering asking the partner to construct a second plant on the island’s Ca Map (shark) cape after completing the initial project.

Now, electricity provided for the archipelago with a population of around 5,000 habitants is generated from a 3MW diesel power plant.

Besides the two wind power plants, Con Dao plans to build two more electricity plants – one gas, one coal.

Situated at about 185km southeast of Vung Tau and 230km from Ho Chi Minh City, Con Dao is an archipelago of 16 islands.

Source: Saigon Giai Phong
Vietnam Robot Contest

Vietnam Robot Contest

Vietnam student robot contest begins

The Vietnam Robot Contest 2007 opened Monday with over 400 teams with the winner to represent the country at the upcoming Asia Pacific region contest.

Regional preliminary competitions will be held for 250 teams in the north, 130 in the south, and 50 in the central region, with the final round slated for Hanoi next June.

Vietnam is set to host the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union’s (ABU) Robot Contest this year. Also scheduled to be held in Hanoi, in August, the event will be themed Halong Bay Discovery.

Last year the Ho Chi Minh City-based Polytechnic University’s BKPro team won the ABU Robocon in Malaysia.

Vietnam had also won the first ABU Robocon held in 2002 in Tokyo and repeated the feat two years later in the Republic of Korea.

Source: Tuoi Tre – Translated by Tuong Nhi
A New Shade of Slavery

A New Shade of Slavery

As the country—along with the rest of the world, save for the United States—observes Labor Day on Tuesday, unions of every ideological stripe are set to press for higher wages. However, abysmal pay is not the only cross that millions of Filipino workers must bear.

In their book, Labor-Only Contracting in a Cabo Economy, Rod P. Kapunan and Rhodora DG Kapunan offer a comprehensive analysis of what the authors call a “new shade of slavery.”


Labor-only contracting started out as an ingenious method for hiring messengers, janitors and watchmen from employment agencies that specialize in supplying such types of manpower. Nowadays, the practice has become pervasive.

The Kapunans point out that in every mode of labor activity—from electricians, utility personnel, accountants, office clerks and secretaries, computer programmers and encoders, lawyers, press agents and even managers—specialized agencies are now in place to instantly supply the manpower skills sought by every type of employer.

Businesses that have tapped into this scheme—which the authors call “employer-beneficiaries”—profit from services rendered by agency-supplied workers, but minus the liability for the consequences of employer-employee relations.

The hiring of workers through employment agencies was previously confined to blue-collar workers. Today, white-collar workers and even executives have been brought within the controlled market of labor-only contractors, albeit under such euphemisms as labor specialists or technical consultants.

As “a new shade of slavery,” labor-only contracting has become the most convenient tool used by employers to circumvent the constitutional right of workers to security of tenure, to prevent workers from forming unions for their own welfare and protection as well as for collective bargaining, to deny workers accumulated benefits arising from long years of service and to peg wages to the barest minimum, which all too often is also violated by labor-only contractors.

Labor-only contracting arose from flaws in Philippine labor laws that for years have even been encouraged by the government. It has, according to the Kapunans, aggravated the exploitation of the country’s workers.

Before, direct-hire employees worked to produce goods more valuable than the wages they were paid. Now, employment agencies—which only give workers their job assignments—routinely take an additional cut from the income of the workers they “rent out.” Such cuts are justified as monthly premiums contained in contracts that workers have no option but to sign if they wish to get a job.

As the authors put it: “This means an additional parasite has been created, which role [labor-only contractors] play that is no different from the slave traders of the past.”

The interest of labor-only contractors is not the welfare of the workers they rent out, but the commissions they earn from leased labor. Contracted workers are doubly exploited because labor-only contractors get their share, not from the surplus value earned by their business clients, but from the contracted workers who are forced to accept low wages if they wish to remain employed under conditions not even Karl Marx anticipated.

Rod is a newspaper columnist and labor relations consultant. His wife Rhodora is an accountant-lawyer and associate dean of the College of Law of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Although the authors propose constructive solutions to the problem of labor-only contracting, they dispute the prevailing notion that labor-only contracting is the only tool the country can use to remain competitive in the international market. They suggest an alternative that they say would not only eradicate the problem, but also allow the Philippines to regain its economic competitiveness.

Labor-Only Contracting in a Cabo Economy was formally launched last week by C&E Publishing Inc. in time for Labor Day. It could not have come at a more appropriate time.

Labor-only contracting has allowed scores of business and industries to grow by leaps and bounds. It has generated mind-boggling fortunes for labor contractors and, more so, for their clients in commerce and industry.

Among the country’s Top 1000 corporations are companies that saw their profit margins swell as their labor costs shrank. In sharp contrast, millions of Filipinos who can only get jobs through labor-only contractors remain underpaid and face seasonal joblessness.

This is one of those crucial issues that the politicians running in the May 14 election have carefully avoided. After all, their biggest contributors are businessmen who rely on labor-only contracting to generate the kind of wealth their workers can only dream of.

Labor-Only Contracting in a Cabo Economy is listed on the Internet by AllBookstores, the biggest source of books in cyberspace. Out of 4,173 books on contracts listed on eBay, the book was in the top 20.

By Dan Mariano
Turkey to boost trade with Asia

Turkey to boost trade with Asia

Turkey, one of the world's largest exporters and among the world's top 20 economies, says that it wants to dramatically increase trade with Thailand and the 10 Asean countries over the next couple of years.

"Trade with the Asia Pacific countries stands at about $23 billion, or a mere 3% of our overall global trade, and to me this is small. We need to grow this," said Kursad Tuzmen, Turkey's Minister of State for Foreign Trade.

In 2006, Turkey's global trade rose to more than $250 billion; it aims to see trade flows rise to $1 trillion by 2023. The country is still in the process of seeking approval to join the 25-member European Union.

Turkey's gross domestic product stood at $423 billion in 2006, with exports in the year expected to reach $100 billion.

"The centre of gravity for the world is shifting from the west to east in every aspect from investments to capital, and Turkey can be a channel for this flow," Mr Tuzmen said.

As part of its effort to play a greater role in the region, he said the country would also like to negotiate free trade agreements with Asean countries. But it can only do so once the country's entry into the EU is sorted out.

"Trade with the Asia Pacific region could grow 10 times the current level in the next few years," he says. It was necessary to increase trade since Asia Pacific is growing at around 8-9% annually, similar to Turkey at 7%, he said.

His government set a target to boost global exports to $500 billion and imports to $600 billion by 2023. Mr Tuzmen hopes that increased trade with Asia Pacific countries would play a vital role in achieving these targets.

In 2005, 27.4% of the world's total exports and 24.7% of the world's total imports were from the Asia-Pacific region.

Turkey exported $3 billion to the region last year, while importing $20 billion worth of goods.

"We need to balance these trade figures, and we want to increase the contribution from the region to the overall trade data," Mr Tuzmen said, citing his government's efforts to boost trade with neighbouring countries when it came to power in 2002. Turkey's neighbours now account for nearly 30% of its trade volume, up from a mere 3% five years ago.

"This is the kind of success we are looking for from Asia-Pacific countries as well. You invest in us and we will invest in you," he said.

"What we aim for is not just to sing songs with you, but to dance with you as well."

By bridging the gap between the two regions, he said, the barriers to trade would be removed. In addition, with a highly skilled labour market and nearly 70% of the population under the age of 30, Turkey is ripe for Thai companies to invest.

"We will hold trade fairs, exhibitions and all that we can do in our capacity to try to sell our products," he said. "If we have been successful in penetrating the EU market, then why not the Asia Pacific market?"

One of the biggest problems faced by Turkish companies is the higher tariff barriers imposed by countries in the region, while Turkey imposes a mere 3.6% average tariff for imports.

"We have been trying to clear these issues up and that is why we had a special agreement with China, where we were witnessing a very wide trade deficit. We were importing $9 billion worth of goods, while exporting a mere $700 million," Mr Tuzmen said.

He said his country's strength was in fields such as chemicals, automotive parts and components, iron and steel, textiles, garments, sanitaryware, marble and tiles. Asia-Pacific countries could import these goods from Turkey, he said.

Textiles account for about $20 billion in exports; auto parts and components $15 billion; and iron and steel, electrical appliances and chemicals each account for $9 billion.

Turkey sees 60% of its GDP arising from foreign trade and hopes to enter the EU by 2010. It is not offering any tax incentives for investors, but offers lower electricity charges and land rights benefits to promote certain underdeveloped regions in the country. All these changes have helped attract investment flows.

"Until 2001, total FDI (foreign direct investment) into Turkey stood at a mere $1.1 billion for the decade. But from 2001 it has picked up, and in 2006 alone it stood at $20.6 billion, and better still in the first quarter of 2007 during which we have seen $12 billion FDI inflows," said Tuncer Kayalar, Undersecretary for Foreign Trade. In 2005, FDI was $9.8 billion, more than triple the $2.8 billion in 2004.

All this has helped Turkey achieve GDP growth that rivals the rates seen in the robust Asian region. The country's economy grew about 6% in 2006, 7.5% in 2005, and 9.9% in 2004. This year, the ministers expect the country to see a growth rate of about 7%.

As a result, Turkey is positioning itself as a springboard for companies to enter the lucrative EU and the oil-rich Middle Eastern market.

The EU has a combined GDP of nearly $15 trillion and a population close to 650 million people; the Russian Federation has 144 million people and GDP of $766 billion; and the Middle East has a combined population of 311 million and an oil-fuelled GDP of $1.3 trillion.
Nissan's New Plan in Jakarta

Nissan's New Plan in Jakarta

The third-largest carmaker in Japan, Nissan Motor, introduced the latest version of its Grand Livina multipurpose vehicle (MPV) in Jakarta last week, further adding to the already tight competition in Indonesia's MPV market.

The new car, which is assembled by Nissan's local subsidiary, Nissan Motor Indonesia (NMI), is designed for the local market.

"MPVs are the most suitable vehicles for the Indonesian market," said Gunadi Sindhuwinata, president director of Indomobil, a licensed Nissan agent.

"City cars are not so attractive due to their limited capacity, while sedans are vulnerable to floods. Therefore, we came up with an MPV that offers extra capacity and retains the prestige of a sedan, while still being able to go through the floods," he said during a ceremony to mark the launch of the seven-seat Grand Livina.

Nissan also plans to start exporting the new MPV, which is assembled at NMI's plant east of Jakarta, in the near future.

"Nissan plans to export Grand Livinas to other Asean countries, like Malaysia and Thailand, as soon as possible," Gunad said.

Meanwhile, Nissan chief operating officer Toshiyuki Shiga said at the ceremony that Indonesia was the company's second-biggest MPV market after China.

The Grand Livina, which comes in both manual and automatic models with 1,500cc and 1,800cc engines, sells for 138.5 million to 203.5 million rupiah (Bt530,00 to Bt778,000).

Shiga said he was optimistic Grand Livina sales would reach 12,000 units this year, or almost 60 per cent of Nissan's estimated total sales of 21,000 units.
Indonesia: Save Heaven For Dangerous International Pirate

Indonesia: Save Heaven For Dangerous International Pirate

Kuala Lumpur - Indonesian waters remain the most dangerous in the world, accounting for nearly a quarter of all pirate attacks in the first three months of the year, an international maritime watchdog said Wednesday.

Overall, however, attacks reported globally fell by nearly a third to 41 compared with the same period last year, the London-based International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said in a statement.


"Indonesia recorded nine incidents. Although it continues to top the table, Indonesia should be applauded for the pro-active efforts it has taken to tackle the problem," the IMB said.

Since last year, Indonesia has intensified sea patrols and seen attacks halve from 19 in the first quarter of 2006.

The maritime watchdog said while reported attacks declined globally, waters off Nigeria and Somalia "continue to give concern," IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said.

IMB said the number of attacks in Nigeria doubled to six coupled with violent attacks on seafarers, adding that 40 crew members have been taken hostage or kidnapped in the West African country.

"These have included a number of violent attacks against vessels and crew working in offshore oil installation where crew have been assaulted and abducted," it said.

The IMB urged seafarers in general to be on alert while in port since ports and anchorages were more prone to attacks.

"Balongan in Indonesia, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Lagos in Nigeria recorded four, three and four incidents respectively," it said.

Ships were also warned to sail 75 nautical miles from the Somali coastline. The IMB said the civil war made it difficult for local authorities to provide aid if a ship came under pirate attack.

Piracy in Southeast Asia's strategic Malacca Strait continued to decline with just two attacks in the first three months, it said, adding that attacks in Bangladesh had also fallen substantially to just two incidents compared with nine in the same period last year.

But the IMB last week nevertheless warned seafarers to remain on alert while sailing through the strait.

The three littoral states bordering the strait -- Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia -- have implemented several security measures, including coordinated air and sea patrols, to secure the vital waterway.

Half of the world's oil shipments travel through the strait.

Agence France Presse
Iranian;s Spare Parts Exports Up By 45%

Iranian;s Spare Parts Exports Up By 45%

The Islamic Republic of Iran exported cars and spare parts worth dlrs 399.217 million in the Iranian year to March 2007, indicating an increase of 45 percent compared to the figure for the previous year.

According to the public relation department of IRI's customs administration, the highest volume of spare parts was exported to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Russia, Azerbaijan Republic and Saudi Arabia.

In the said period, IRI exported spare parts worth dlrs 9.725m, dlrs 6.364m, dlrs 5.515m, dlrs 4.966m and dlrs 4.302m to UAE, France, Russia, Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia respectively.

The bulk of spare parts exported pertained to passenger cars valued at dlrs 186.662 million, showing 69.1 percent increase compared to the figure for the previous year.

It was followed by the export of tire and tube of heavy-duty vehicles.

IRI exported car spare parts, heavy-duty vehicles, and tire and tube worth of dlrs 101.322m, dlrs 97.027m and dlrs 14.206m in the year to March 2007, which indicates 44.1 percent and 21.6 percent increase and 4.4 percent decrease respectively compared to the figures for the same period last year. More
Indonesia clears US miner in pollution trial

Indonesia clears US miner in pollution trial

Manado, Indonesia - An Indonesian court cleared US mining giant Newmont of pollution on Tuesday, ending a legal battle that put the country's efforts to improve its standing among foreign investors at risk.

Prosecutors had wanted to jail company executive Richard Ness for three years in a high-profile pollution case closely watched by international business leaders as well as the Indonesian government.

Ness and the local unit of Newmont, the world's largest gold miner, had been charged with dumping tonnes of waste containing mercury and arsenic into Buyat Bay from its now defunct gold mine on Sulawesi island.

Ness and PT Newmont Minahasa Raya were also accused of sickening villagers and poisoning marine life with the waste released into the bay, around 2,300 kilometres (1,400 miles) northeast of Jakarta.

"We are very relieved," said Newmont Minahasa vice president Robert Gallagher told reporters.

"The people of Buyat Bay have suffered as a result of this accusation, and Rick Ness and his family have had an awful time," he said.

"I don't think any of us can understand what they have gone through. This is a relief."

Prosecutor Purwanta, who led the 20-month trial, said he would file an appeal within 14 days.

"They (the judges) only adopted the defence plea of the lawyer and dismissed what had been proven by the prosecutors," he said.

Ness was in the Manado provincial courtroom with his wife and son, who burst into tears when the verdict was read out.

About 100 environmentalists, gathered outside the court, started chanting against the decision as armed riot police stood guard. Another 100 villagers both supporting and opposing Newmont were also on hand for the decision.

"This is unjust, this is unjust," villager Janiah Ompi said.

"Today, the state should cry because the one who lost here is the state," said Rignolda Jamaluddin, who conducted a study of pollution around the bay.

Environmentalists had hoped the verdict would send a signal to companies operating in the resource-rich nation.

Head judge Ridwan Damanik told the court the "water of Buyat Bay was not contaminated with the tailings from PT Newmont."

"The defendant (Ness) is free from the charges of causing pollution and environmental damage."

Complaints from villagers living around the bay included headaches, skin rashes and tumours, which they blamed on the mine's tailings, prompting a police investigation and charges against Newmont in August 2005.

The company consistently denied the claims, saying it disposed of toxins safely and that levels of mercury and arsenic released were within acceptable levels.

Studies of the water around the bay have shown conflicting results. A World Health Organisation-backed report found no evidence of pollution, but government tests showed high levels of toxins.

Denver-based Newmont agreed last year to pay 30 million dollars in an out-of-court settlement in a civil lawsuit with the Indonesian government over the waste.

The deal, which did not see Newmont admit any wrongdoing, funds environmental monitoring and projects aimed at health, education and infrastructure in the area around the former mine. More

Agence France Presse
PFF Gets Iranian Coach

PFF Gets Iranian Coach

Iran's Football Federation (IRIFF) Secretary Mohammad Nabi Mehdi said that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to train Pakistani footballers.

He said that Football Federation will help Pakistani Football Federation (PFF) to promote soccer in Pakistan.

He assured PFF's President Makhdoom Sayed Faisal Saleh Hayat that Iran's youth team will visit Pakistan soon.

The climate of both Pakistan and Iran is similar but the game planand techniques of both teams are different and Pakistani footballers would learn a lot from Iranian way of playing as currently they are on top of FIFA world ranking (Asian zone)," he said .

Faisal Saleh Hayat visited the Islamic Republic of Iran at the invitation of his Iranian counterpart Dr Fatemeh Vaez-Javadi on behalf of their respective governments.

Lahore: A Hub of Cultural Activities

Lahore is the hub of cultural activities be it theatre, fine arts or festivals. Speaking of festivals one is reminded of the regular feature at Alhamra Art Centre, the puppet theatre for children going on for the last many years and every Sunday children enjoy this theatre and feel jubilant seeing puppets talking and dancing.

This theatre provides regular entertainment for children in Lahore. Unfortunately, in our country there is usually less entertainment for children as compared to the elders, but for the last five years Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop has been providing great opportunity to the youth by holding youth festivals in which educational institutions participate and conduct theatrical performances or musical concerts.

The recent and sixth youth festival by Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop at Lahore brought a fresh air of international participation as four countries — Croatia, Germany, India, United Kingdom — were invited to the festival. The Alhamra Cultural Complex was shining like a star with illuminations on festival night. Cool breeze, wonderful venue and exceptional performances turned the fair into a dreamy one.

A large number of youngsters were present at the inaugural ceremony of the festival.

Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool, an ardent fan of art and culture who has put a lot of effort to turn an otherwise static Lahore Arts Council into an active one, inaugurated the festival. A generous Governor announced Rs500,000 for winning teams as prize money to be given on the final day of the festival. The youngsters were excited to know that their labour would be rewarded as they would not only be given certificates and shields but also cash prize.

The Cultural Complex was looking colourful as different multi-colour stalls and camps were set up. Stalls had handicrafts and eatable items as well as camps were set up for performances. A large number of youngsters clad in colourful attire mostly informal were extremely excited. The festival attracted a good number of students from different educational institutions.

Different educational institutions staged wonderful performances at the festival

Aleena Pirzada the moving spirit behind the festival told this scribe that this year’s festival was just unprecedented. “The jury was the family ourselves but it was very difficult to judge this year because most of the performances were just wonderful”. There were guest jurists as well such as actor Salman Shahid and ace documentary producer Shirin Pasha.

A jubilant Pirzada said that last year there were only 18 awards but this year there were 30 awards for different categories “This award thing got us a positive vibe from the participants as they were very excited and happy”.

She was very hopeful about a larger participation in the festival next year when she said that she would be inviting 20 countries in the next festival. Throwing light on the over all productions of the festival the girl behind the festival seemed much inspired by Fankar theatre from Karachi. “They were just brilliant,” she declared. She said that earlier Lahore remained strong in every festival but this year Karachi and Islamabad had turned the tables adding that some of the artistes from Multan also inspired her a lot.

The most interesting competition was the junior competition in which children from class three to class eight participated and believe it or not they staged six full fledged productions not to forget Bloomfield Hall School which performed very well.

Different schools and colleges gave some blue-ribbon performances at the festival, such as City School which staged Gal Niki Jaye; Marvi by Salmat ICAS School, NCA staged Threadmill, Indu Mitha students left audience captivated with classical dance,

Black Fish, an improvisational comedy troupe was highly appreciated for its performance. The bands which rocked the festivals were Orth, Omer and Salman, Orion, Lemon Fuzz, Drainage, Stranger, Brian Pilot, ACMS and Electric March. More
Foreign investment in Iran's oil up by 9.1%

Foreign investment in Iran's oil up by 9.1%

The amount of foreign investments made in the Islamic Republic of Iran's oil industry showed a 9.1 percent growth in the last Iranian calendar year (ended March 19), it was reported on Saturday.

Over dlrs 14.2 billion worth of foreign investments was made in the oil industry in the said period with the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) attracting most of the amount, said an special report on IRI oil industry.

It added that the NIORDC ranked first in attracting foreign investments in the said period with dlrs 951 million, showing a growth of 99.7 percent compared to the previous year.

IRI's oil industry consists of four major companies; the NIORDC, the National Gas Company (NIGC), the National Petrochemical Company (NPC) and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

During the said period, the report added, the NPC ranked second in attracting foreign investments with over dlrs 2.5 billion.

Meanwhile the amount of foreign investments made in the NIGC and NIOC respectively showed a five and 4.3 percent growth in the said period with the NIGC attracting more than dlrs 3.4 billion and the NIOC dlrs 7.2 billion.

The two companies respectively ranked third and fourth in attracting foreign investments in the said period, the report said.
Pardis Tepe, most ancient site in Middle East

Pardis Tepe, most ancient site in Middle East

Archeological excavations in Pardis Tepe prehistoric hill resulted in identifying the most ancient industrial site in the Middle East which dates back to 7000 years ago.

Archeologists believe that this prehistoric hill existed concurrent with Cheshmeh Ali region in Ray city, southern Tehran and northern and southern Sialk Tepe in Kashan.

With discovery of a large number of clay kilns and head spindles in this industrial site, the previous theory of Dr. Smith, head of the first archeology team in 7000-year-old historic site of Cheshmeh Ali hill, indicating that the red clays discovered in this area are hand made, has been rejected.

This new discovery has further revealed the secret about the technique which was implemented for making these unique red clays some 5000 years BC.

In an interview with CHN, Hassan Fazeli Nashli, director of Archeology Research Center and head of the excavation team in Pardis prehistoric site, who believes that the most ancient clay wheel belongs to this region said: "Three seasons of archeological excavations in Pardis prehistoric site, 80 percent of which has been destroyed due to activities of the brick factory, brought into light the unique importance of this prehistoric site and the necessity for reorganizing its situation and protecting it against possible damages."

Clay kilns, clay wheels, earthenware jars, and stone necklaces are among the most prominent discoveries in this historic site.

However Fazeli believes that the residential settlement area of this industrial site, which could have provided archeologists some invaluable information about people's life during 7000 years ago in this region, has already been demolished and changed into pieces of bricks.

According to Fazeli Nashli, although large parts of this 7000-year-old hill has been devastated due to neglect of authorities of the brick factory, it is not still too late to save the rest parts which have still remained for next generations.

Pointing out the importance for delimiting Pardis region, head of archeology team in Pardis added: "Archeology team has also succeeded in discovering a cemetery belonging to the Iron Age when they were conducting sounding works in the surface layer of the region, parts of which have been seriously damaged by bulldozers of the brick factory. This discovery shows that some unique historical evidence must have been laid beneath this region which can provide archeologists some invaluable information about the story of a secret civilization in this region during prehistoric periods."

Fazeli Nashli strongly believes that the only approach for saving this prehistoric site is changing it into a museum park, because in addition to its unique historical value, its soil has a high potential for breeding different kinds of trees and plants.

Mentioning that Varamin is a deprived region, Fazeli Nashli further expressed hope that with paying more attention to Pardis historic site and changing it into a tourism destination, the situation of the region would be greatly improved.

"For preserving the most ancient industrial site in the Middle East region, authorities of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), municipality and city council of Varamin should cooperate to save it with changing it into a park museum. The time has come to bring archeo-anthropology science into force through using prehistoric and historic sites as a bed for cultural development and providing public facilities for the people of region," added head of Archeology Research Center.

Pardis historical hill belongs to the fifth and sixth millennia BC and the remains of a Parthian fortress (248-224 AD) can be seen on the upper layer on this historical hill.

Cultural heritage experts strongly believe that the area has the potential to be turned into a museum park.

Last summer an international team consisted of experts from Lister University of Edinburgh, and University of Tehran conducted some excavations in the region which led into some valuable archeological discoveries.
Pomegranate Juice Has Health Benefits

Pomegranate Juice Has Health Benefits

The pomegranate fruit has been used for centuries in ancient cultures for medicinal purposes. The fruit has been shown to suppress inflammatory cell signaling proteins in colon and prostate cancer and also possesses other remarkable anti-tumor-promoting effects.

Researchers are adding to the list of cancer types for which pomegranates seem to halt growth. A recent study at the University of Wisconsin--Madison using a mouse model shows that consuming pomegranates could potentially help reduce the growth and spread of lung cancer cells or even prevent lung cancer from developing.

In a recent issue of Cancer Research, researchers led by Hasan Mukhtar, co-leader of the Cancer Chemoprevention Program of the University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, demonstrate that drinking pomegranate fruit extract helps slow the growth of lung cancer in mice, Science Daily says.

“Pomegranate fruit continues to show great promise,“ says Mukhtar, professor of dermatology at the School of Medicine and Public Health and a member of the Carbone Cancer Center. “We have earlier shown that pomegranate fruit contains very powerful skin and prostate cancer-fighting agents. These recent findings expand the possible health benefits of the fruit to the leading cause of cancer death in the country and worldwide: lung cancer.“

The key to the cancer-fighting capabilities of pomegranate lies in its abundance of antioxidants that have an anti-inflammatory effect. In fact, researchers say pomegranate juice has higher levels of antioxidants than do red wine and green tea, which have also been investigated for their potential cancer prevention effects.
Lung cancer has increased at alarming rates in the last decade, particularly because of trends in smoking. Lung cancer is now the most common cause of cancer death in the world, representing 28 percent of all cancer deaths. Physicians have found this cancer difficult to control with conventional therapeutic and surgical approaches, and the prognosis is poor with an overall five-year survival rate of 10-14 percent in the United States.

Researchers believe delaying the process of lung cancer development could be an important strategy to control this disease. Mukhtar says that the use of fruits and vegetables endowed with cancer-fighting properties is the best way to achieve this goal.
Barack Obama Piled Pressure on Hillary Clinton

Barack Obama Piled Pressure on Hillary Clinton

Senator Barack Obama piled pressure on Hillary Clinton over Iraq, as his Democratic presidential rival faced mounting scrutiny over her vote to authorise the war in 2002.

Obama questioned on Sunday how the New York Senator would make good on her vow to end what he is calling a "tragic" conflict that should never have been waged, as he fired up packed campaign rallies in Iowa and his hometown of Chicago.

Clinton, on the stump in New Hampshire in the fast moving opening skirmishes of the most open presidential election in 80 years, was meanwhile again taken to task by core Democratic activists over her position on Iraq.

Obama has put forward a plan to get US combat troops out of Iraq by March 31, 2008"I am not clear on how she would proceed at this point to wind down the war in a specific way," Obama, 45, told reporters when asked to critique Clinton's plans for ending the bloody US engagement during a campaign stop in Iowa.

"I know she has stated that she thinks the war should end by the start of the (next) president's first term ... beyond that though, how she wants to accomplish that, I am not clear, I would let her address those issues."

Obama, on a quest to become the first African-American US president, has put forward a plan to get US combat troops out of Iraq by March 31, 2008.

Clinton in Nashua, New Hampshire, where Obama will campaign today, was challenged by an identified guest at Democratic party who said her position on Iraq "doesn't fly".

She was also asked whether she should admit that her vote on Iraq was a mistake, as did another one of her rivals, defeated 2004 Democratic vice presidential pick John Edwards.
Aussy's Uranium Export To India

Aussy's Uranium Export To India

The opposition to uranium exports to India continues, even though the Australian Labor Party (ALP) has officially dumped its 25-year-old no-new-uranium-mines policy in annual conference.

The Australian Green Party chief Bob Brown on Sunday added to the raging debate on export of the crucial nuclear fuel to India by saying that India can attack Australia with bombs made from the Australian uranium.

"We're in an age where China's got rockets that can reach Sydney. India just fired a rocket that went 3000km. Double that and they will very shortly ... be able to reach Australia too and we're exporting uranium to them. It is daft, it is immoral, it is unnecessary," Bob Brown said.

While not much importance is attributed to maverick politician's remarks, observers are taking policy speeches at Labor Party's Sydney conference with much more seriousness. The Australian opposition party is expected to win the government in elections held later this year.

Senator Chris Evans, Labor's energy spokesman has made it abundantly clear that Labor government would not sell uranium to India as the South-Asian country has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He has also criticized the ruling Liberals for considering India in its list of uranium export destination countries.

In his speech, titled "Labor and Uranium - an Evolution", Evans has also opposed the idea of a domestic nuclear power industry.

While the head of the opposition Kevin Rudd was making announcement about the much-anticipated u-turn uranium mining policy in the Sydney conference, the Liberal Prime Minister John Howard was busy announcing establishment of 25 nuclear power plants in Australia.

While observers are battling to fathom the logic behind Labor u-turn on mining of the yellowcake and continuing opposition to indigenous nuclear industry, they are expressing empathy for the Indian case to buy Australian uranium.

The usage of polluting Australian coal by the booming Indian economy is also causing concern down under. The sale of uranium to 'world's largest democracy and a potential strategic counterbalance to China' is also being advocated by some quarters for these reasons. More
Without the greenhouse effect we would be freezing at minus 18 degrees

Without the greenhouse effect we would be freezing at minus 18 degrees

The so-called greenhouse effect of the earth's atmosphere is vital: a layer of air enveloping the planet lets about 70 percent of incoming sun rays pass through, but retains a large part of the heat reflected by the Earth's surface.

This effect makes sure that the planet always has a comfortable median temperature of 15 degrees Celsius. Without the greenhouse effect we would be freezing at minus 18 degrees.

The greenhouse effect is caused by certain traces of gases in the atmosphere that let short-wave radiation, such as sunlight pass through easily, but holds back long-wave heat radiation.

Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O, known as laughing gas) are among the main greenhouse gases after steam.

Since the beginning of industrialization, these gases, especially CO2, have been entering the atmosphere in large amounts through the burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.

Agriculture is another source of greenhouse gases.

With more intensive farming practices, deforestation, increasing numbers of cars on our roads, rising industrial production in developed countries and the industrialization of developing nations, the situation is getting worse by the day.

As humans produce more greenhouse gases, the atmosphere absorbs more heat, causing global warming and changing the Earth's climate.

Some visible effects of global warming are melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and worsening weather conditions such as heat waves and stronger storms.

CO2, methane and nitrous oxide make up nearly 90 percent of man- made greenhouse gases, says the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO). With the emission of those gases, humans increase the natural greenhouse effect.

Compared to measurements taken around 1750 - before industrialization - figures at the end of 2005 had increased as follows: Carbon dioxide up 35.4 per cent, nitrous oxide up by 18.2 per cent and methane up by 154.7 per cent

The average CO2 concentration in 2005 was 379.1 ppm (parts per million particles of air). The average for methane was 1.78 ppm, for nitrous oxide 0.32 ppm. At the beginning of industrialization, the CO2 concentration stood at 280 ppm. More
Khushwant Singh: Reading the mind of the bigot

Khushwant Singh: Reading the mind of the bigot

There is something loathsome about racial and religious bigotry. While racism has abated in recent years, religious fanaticism has taken an upward swing and assumed medieval proportions. The phenomenon is more evident in the Islamic world than in the Christian and the Hindu because Muslims have lost their past glory and are desperately trying to regain it. One section that is in a majority is trying to modernise themselves while the other believes that their salvation lies in reviving Shariat laws, as they are prescribed in the Koran and sayings of Prophet Mohammed with their draconian code of punishments: lopping of errant limbs, beheading men found guilty, stoning to death women caught in adultery. Such are the followers of Osama bin Laden, his Al-Qaida and the Taliban. They provide a lot of anti-Muslim ammunition to the western media and the Hindu-owned press in India.

I have done my best to understand the Muslim bigots’ point of view but without much success because there is very little written to explain it. I was, therefore, very eager to read Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Penguin Viking). I had good reasons to do so; I had read his first novel Moth Smoke and gave it a favourite review; he is a Lahoria (from Lahore), so am I and would in all probability still be living there but for the partition of 1947. He is a product of Princeton University. I taught at Princeton long before he was born. I was fascinated by the way he described his own conversion from an Americanised Pakistani, a topper in his studies, holding a highly lucrative job in a prestigious consultancy firm and in love with a rich, beautiful Princtinian, who he is interested to marry. All this is detailed in felicitous prose, shorn of adjectives that Indian and Pakistani writers are prone to use in excess. The change is dramatic. He is on an assignment in Manila. He has done his job to the complete satisfaction of his employers and is packing up to return to New York. His TV is on. He sees the New York Trade Centre being rammed by a passenger plane and Pentagon in Washington being bombed. Instead of being appalled by the magnitude of death and destruction caused by these criminal acts committed in a country to which he owes so much, he says to himself: “Serves you Yankees right.” He feels a sense of pride at the precision with which the operations were carried out by Muslims who are ready to give up their lives for the cause of Islam. He justifies their actions as something Americans deserved to get for their arrogance and meddling in affairs of Muslim countries. He stops shaving and starts growing a beard. On arrival at New York he is subjected to body search and questioning by Immigration officials while his colleagues are let in without fuss — for no better reasons than that he bears a Muslim name and sports a beard.

He becomes a split personality. His mind is no longer in his work. His girlfriend is in a psychiatric clinic and no longer keen to marry him. On his next assignment in Chile he leaves his job unfinished and knows he will be sacked. But his mind is made up on hearing one word Jaan Nisaar — life sacrificer. They were a kind of suicide squad formed of young Christian slaves and trained as bodyguards of the Sultans of Turkey. So much as he owes to America, he returns to Lahore, takes up a job as a lecturer and becomes leader of the anti-American agitators.

The story is related to an American tourist he takes out to dinner in a dhaba in old Anarkali when all vehicular traffic is stopped at sunset and the ancient bazaar becomes one long colourfully lit eatery. It is a well-told story but I could not find any cogent arguments justifying his conversion from rationalism to fundamentalism.

No punctuation

Am I right in believing that none of our languages have ever used punctuation marks: no commas, colons, semi-colons, exclamation marks or even full stops? Why? And why has not any of our bhasha writers ever suggested that it is time we introduced them in languages recognised by our Constitution. We do not have to manufacture them; just take the whole lot from European languages and adapt them for our own purposes.

In many of our ancient scriptures even words were joined together with one line running from left to right across the pages. I recall having to battle with them when first inducted to read the Granth Sahib as a child. It not only made reading difficult but also led to confusion of meanings. It was said that a curse was placed on anyone who separated the words. It was only in the 1920s that scholars took courage and new editions of the scriptures with words separated were published. But to this day the only punctuation mark is a full stop in the form of a straight line like the letter ‘I’ and two ‘II’ at the end of every hymn.

Punctuation marks are important. If wrongly placed, they can change the meaning of the sentence. Rightly placed they help the reader in understanding what the writer wants to say. I wish some writer of eminence like Gurudev Rabindra Nath Tagore or Munshi Prem Chand or Allama Iqbal had taken the initiative in this direction. It is something our Sahitya Akademi and regional language academies could put on the top of their agendas and relegate giving awards to authors and translators as of lesser importance.

Satyamev Jayatey

A judge took his car for repair to his mechanic who was running his workshop in a rented house. On seeing the landlord abusing the car mechanic, he intervened.
Landlord: This mechanic is a liar and I don’t lie except in the courts.

Judge: Why so? Landlord: If I tell the truth, I would lose my case.

(Contributed by Vikram Singh, New Delhi)
APJ Abdul Kalam About His Second Term

APJ Abdul Kalam About His Second Term

Ask President APJ Abdul Kalam whether he will seek a second term and he offers you lunch to keep quiet!

Kalam, talking to reporters on board the special plane on which he returned from a state visit to Greece, faced many loaded questions from journalists on whether he would contest the presidential elections again.

"Please confine you questions to the European Parliament and Greece," said the 75-year-old Kalam with a smile, as anxious scribes tried every method possible to make him comment on the issue.

But Kalam only wanted questions on his address to the European Parliament, the first by any Indian leader, and his trip to Greece, a state visit that came after a gap of 12 years.

Questions on the nuclear issue, satellites and other matters were put to Kalam, but the scientist-President seemed to be aware just what the scribes were aiming at.

After Kalam gave details of issues discussed by him during meetings in the European Parliament, the reporters made one last effort to elicit a comment from him on contesting for a second term.

The witty Kalam had something better in store. "Air India has prepared a very good lunch (which is) ready for you and it's getting cold," he quipped as he walked to his chamber in the aircraft, leaving the media delegation dumbfounded.

While going to Strasbourg on April 24, Kalam had indicated that he was not averse to a second term in office but did not give a direct reply to questions on this issue.

"What I am saying is...That anyone coming to this post has to always keep the nation bigger than himself or herself ...For me the nation has always been bigger than myself and it will continue to remain so," he had then said.

Sources close to Kalam said he would like to continue if a political consensus on his candidature was arrived at.

"Economic development of the nation is the focus of my life. Whatever profession I am in, finally it should lead to that," he had said in reference to a question about various surveys and opinion polls favouring a second term for him.

Kalam, on his return journey, ducked a similar question about the aim of his life, saying he had no targets and would continue to contribute to making India a developed and happy nation wherever he was and whatever he was doing.

Source: Hindustantimes.com
Chip Flight From Kuala Lumpur To Aceh

Chip Flight From Kuala Lumpur To Aceh

Budget airline AirAsia will start Kuala Lumpur-Banda Aceh flights next month.

Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said he was informed of the service by the airlines’ chief executive officer, Datuk Tony Fernandes, recently.

The minister said he had also asked Penang-based Firefly, the country’s second low-cost carrier, to look into the feasibility of operating Penang-Banda Aceh, Penang-Medan and Penang-Lhok Seumawe flights.

“I will continue discussions with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) managing director Idris Jala for the national carrier to operate direct flights from Penang to Banda Aceh, Medan and Lhok Seumawe,” he told Malaysian and Indonesian journalists after launching the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 promotion here.

Tengku Adnan is in Indonesia on a three-day visit to Medan and Banda Aceh to promote the Visit Malaysia Year campaign and to woo more Indonesians, especially from north Sumatra, to visit Malaysia.

On the absence of a Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex at Aceh Airport, Tengku Adnan hopes the matter would be resolved soon by the Acehnese authorities.

On the VMY 2007 promotion in Banda Aceh, Tengku Adnan said it will further strengthen Malaysia-Aceh ties.

Meanwhile, Aceh deputy governor Muhammad Nazar, who was also present at the press conference, said efforts are underway to provide CIQ facilities at the airport. More
Indonesian Dramas in RTM of Malaysia

Indonesian Dramas in RTM of Malaysia

27 Mar 2007
BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, TUES: THE Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) keeps a check on the broadcast of foreign serial dramas, and Indonesian serial dramas only take up three per cent of its weekly air time, Deputy Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.

Ahmad Zahid was replying to a question from Datuk Rosli Mat Hasan (BN-Dungun) who had wanted to know the number and titles of the Indonesian serial dramas broadcast by RTM last year and the rationale for broadcasting serial dramas from abroad.

He said RTM broadcast only four serial dramas from Indonesia last year, and they were “Romantika Shanghai” (of 62 episodes), “Malam Kundang” (65 episodes) “Hikmah” (60 episodes) and “Kenapa Ada Cinta?” (23 episodes).

All these dramas were broadcast one after the other from April to December, and took up air time of one hour a day from Monday to Friday.
The Lake Toba Watershed

The Lake Toba Watershed

The Lake Toba watershed has a vegetation cover, which protects it from erosion. The ecological fact is that the more forest there is, the more water escapes into the air by evapotranspiration. The question is whether this moisture will ever return as rain to the Lake Toba area? If the Renun River catchment area were effectively reforested, it would deliver less water to the river and to Lake Toba. Reforestation is not an answer, but it helps to maintain the forest-based natural services and livelihoods in the area.

As said in the article, the Renun River diversion may not be sufficient to increase Lake Toba's water level or to save the Renun hydroelectric and PLTA Asahan projects. From the beginning, the efficient capacity of Lake Toba (i.e. the difference between the maximum level of the lake and its minimum level multiplied by the lake's surface area) before PLTA Asahan started operation was 2.86 km3. This allowed a water flow from the lake of only 90.7 m3 per second, and a reduction in the lake's water level by some 2.5 meters. However, the efficient capacity of the lake has decreased since PLTA Asahan started to operate the regulating dams in 1982. The level of Lake Toba and the flow of the Asahan River leading from the lake is controlled by these dams.

Statistics, which began in 1954, show the reduced rainfall in the region has significantly decreased the amount of water flowing into the lake. The reduced net inflow, high water evaporation rate from the lake surface and the uncertain hydrological assumptions in the PLTA Asahan planning has lead to water being released at a higher rate than the net inflow. The chances of increasing the level of the lake without a drastic increase in regional rainfall, or a drastic reduction in the amount of water released by PLTA Asahan, are limited.

The representative of the Lake Toba Heritage Foundation stated in the beginning of the article there was still enough time to save the Renun Hydroelectric Project. What about trying to raise Lake Toba's water level? What is really needed to save Lake Toba, the world's largest crater lake, from deterioration? In the first place the threats must be known. The major threats are the release of lake water by PLTA Asahan at a higher rate than the net inflow, thus lowering the water level, discharge of waste waters, chemicals used in agriculture, dumping of waste and garbage, oil spills, exotic fish introductions affecting existing fish populations, increasing cage fish farming and excess growth of water hyacinths.

MW Labuhan Angin

Indonesia launches China-financed power projects
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The Indonesian government has launched the construction of two power plants in North Sumatra financed by several export financing institutions from China, a report said Friday.

The first power project is the 2x115 MW Labuhan Angin coal- fired power plant, located in Central Tapanuli regency. The construction cost is estimated at more than 201 million U.S. dollars.

PT Cimex, a joint venture between local firms and Chinese companies, has been selected as the contractor of the project, which is expected to be completed in 2008, reported The Jakarta Post newspaper.

The second project is the 2x90 MW Asahan I hydro power plant in Toba Samosir regency. Financing for the project will come from the state budget and a Chinese investor.

China-based Huan Gian Engineering Corporation and Indonesia's PT Basra Daya Sentranusa will act as the developer of the 250 million dollars project, which is slated for completion in 2009.

The two power plants were part of the mega projects launched Thursday by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The mega projects also include an electricity interconnection facility, and a fisheries and agribusiness project, which are expected to help turn the province into a center of manufacturing, services and agribusiness activities.

"The central government is supporting the construction of economic infrastructure facilities in North Sumatra, with the hope that the province can become the main driver of economic activities in Sumatra," Susilo said during his visit to the provincial capital of Medan.

Source: Xinhua

Tapanuli And Development

After being left isolated and undeveloped for 61 years, the five districts in North Tapanuli regency in North Sumatra are catching up with the rest of the country.

The PT Toba Pulp Lestari company recently donated Rp 1.8 billion to North Tapanuli, part of an annual community development assistance grant is gives to eight regencies in North Sumatra.

The Tarutung, Sipoholon, Garoga, Pagaran and Parmonangan districts have used the money to construct roads and bridges, as well as education and irrigation facilities.

Jonson Ritonga, a village chief in Garoga, said the residents were grateful for the new roads and bridges. Farmers had found bringing their harvests into town difficult as they had to rely on horses.

"It's hard for me to describe how hard it was for farmers to carry their harvests, like rice, coffee, rubber and corn, from the village to the city since there was no road and the forest was thick. It took days from our village to get to our destination," Jonson told The Jakarta Post.

He said it took residents of Sihulambu, on the border of North Tapanuli and South Tapanuli regencies, a three-day round trip to reach Garoga market, where they sold their harvests and bought basic goods.

"We hope the government will continue development here. This is the first time we have experienced development since the country's independence 61 years ago," he said.

North Tapanuli and the other seven regencies in North Sumatra that receive the annual donation from the company, Dairi, Humbang Hasundutan, Pakpak Bharat, Samosir, Simalungun, South Tapanuli and Toba Samosir, contain 14 districts and 255,162 people. The area was once called the province's "map of poverty".

Former North Tapanuli mayor R.E. Nainggolan, who now heads the province's development planning agency, said many parts of the regency were still untouched by development and because of its limited infrastructure it was still regarded as poor.

"Besides North Tapanuli, there are still six other regencies where development is moving at slow pace due to poor infrastructure," he said, adding that these were Central Tapanuli, Dairi, Nias, Pakpak Bharat, Samosir and South Nias.

Lambertus Siregar, a representative of Toba Pulp Lestari, said the company set aside 1 percent of its net pulp sales annually to assist development in the region.

He said the other seven regencies had also received Rp 1.8 billion for the 2003-2005 period and that as of 2005, the company had distributed a total of 18.2 billion to the eight regencies.

Developments bring Tapanuli districts out of isolation

National News - December 04, 2006

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

[Mendirikan RT/RW Net] Arsitektur

Alternatif Arsitektur RT/RW Net


Tulisan rekan Michael Sunggiardi (michael@batutulis.com) di KOMPAS beberapa waktu lalu tentang RT/RW net tampaknya cukup membuat gempar dunia persilatan Internet. Pola fikir konvensional, bahwa Internet hanya berupa ISP & WARNET menjadi terusik. Tidak pernah terpikir sebelumnya bahwa sebuah kompleks perumahan, sebuah kompleks perkantoran dll dapat dihubungan satu sama lain & men-share akses Internet yang sama.

Pola pembiayaannya sederhana, tetangga kita ikut menshare biaya akses ke Internet yang kita sewa 24 jam. Jadi misalnya, untuk akses ke Internet kita menyewa leased line Telkom 64Kbps seharga Rp. 4 juta / bulan, maka jika ada 20 tetangga yang ikut menggunakan akses tersebut; biaya per tetangga menjadi sekitar Rp. 200.000 / bulan untuk akses Internet 24 jam / hari. Sangat murah di bandingkan dengan biaya pulsa telkom yang biasanya kita keluarkan untuk Internet.

Tulisan singkat ini akan membahas sebuah alternatif arsitektur RT/RW-net yang sudah di operasikan sendiri oleh penulis di rumah. Topologi jaringan yang dibangun tampak seperti pada gambar.

Secara umum sebetulnya teknologi yang digunakan tidak berbeda dengan teknologi WARNET biasa. Ada tiga (3) komponen utama yang digunakan untuk membangun sebuah RT/RW-net, yaitu:


* Sambungan ke Internet (biasa kita menginginkan akses 24 jam)
* Gateway yang beroperasi 24 jam.
* Hub LAN untuk menyambungkan semua komputer workstation (termasuk PC tetangga).


Asumsi yang di kembangkan di sini adalah sambungan ini digunakan untuk keperluan rumahan menggunakan peralatan PC seadanya. Tentunya infrastruktur ini akan dapat berubah drastis jika digunakan untuk keperluan kantor yang membutuhkan reliabilitas yang jauh lebih baik.


Sambungan ke Internet

Secara umum kita di Indonesia mempunyai dua (2) alternatif untuk sambungan 24 jam ke Internet, yaitu:


* Leased Line Telkom. Pada kecepatan 64Kbps, komponen biaya yang harus di keluarkan biasanya sekitar Rp. 4 juta untuk telkom & Rp. 4 juta lagi untuk ISP. Jadi total biaya operasional Rp. 8 juta / bulan. Biasanya modem yang dibutuhkan di siapkan oleh operator. Sialnya modem 64Kbps ini biasanya membutuhkan sambungan V.35 (bukan RS.323) seperti yang ada di PC, jadi kita perlu menyiapkan minimal Cisco Router kelas 1600-an yang harganya Rp. 4 juta-an.



* Wireless LAN (WLAN) 1-11Mbps di 2.4GHz (atau 5.8GHz). Solusi ini jauh lebih murah daripada Telkom. Saya pribadi sangat menyarankan penggunaan peralatan ini daripada menggunakan Telkom. Peralatan wireless di 2.4GHz lengkap & baru berupa card, kabel coax & antenna di akhir tahun 2001 berkisar sekitar Rp. 4 juta. Sekedar gambaran di pertengahan tahun 2001, peralatan yang sama berkisar sekitar Rp. 7 juta-an. Biaya ke telkom tidak ada sama sekali, tinggal yang sisa biaya ke ISP. Sangat tergantung ISP & konfigurasi jaringan yang ada, bisa berkisar antara Rp. 330.000 s/d 4 juta / bulan. Saya pribadi menggunakan sambungan yang Rp. 330.000 / bulan. Teknik instalasi card WLAN perlu dipelajari & sebetulnya cukup mudah jika menggunakan Windows.




PC Gateway

PC gateway adalah sebuah PC yang 24 jam / hari bertindak sebagai perantara dari LAN di belakangnya ke Internet. Berbagai fungsi proxy di jalankan oleh PC gateway tersebut. Saya menggunakan PC Pentium II 166MHz 64Mbyte RAM sebagai gateway ke Internet yang di operasikan 24 jam ke Internet.

Jika anda menggunakan Windows, paket software minimal yang perlu di install adalah:

* Software driver WLAN
* Card WLAN
* Card ethernet ke LAN RT/RW-net.
* Software Wingate / Winroute untuk proxy
* Software Mdaemon untuk mail server.


Jika anda menggunakan Linux (saya menggunakan Linux Mandrake 8.0), paket software minimal yang perlu di install adalah:

* Software driver WLAN
* Card WLAN
* Card ethernet ke LAN RT/RW-net.
* Software Squid atau iptables untuk proxy server.
* Software postfix, fetchmail, imap untuk mail sever.


Khusus untuk konfigurasi Linux, kita dapat mengembangkan konfigurasi yang jauh lebih kompleks daripada Windows. Misalnya:

* Menginstalasi MRTG & SNMP untuk melakukan monitoring kondisi jaringan.
* Menginstalasi Firewall.
* Menginstalasi postsentry yang merupakan software intrusion detection.
* Dll. semua software yang dibutuhkan biasanya sudah tersedia di CD Mandrake 8.0.




LAN Hub & Sambungan Ke Tetangga

Seperti hal-nya WARNET, akses ke Internet di share menggunakan konfigurasi LAN melalui peralatan Hub. Hanya saja kabel LAN yang digunakan tidak di batasi hanya sebatas ruangan WARNET, tapi di buat menembus tembok rumah atau menyebrangi menuju ke rumah tetangga. Kabel UTP dapat digunakan untuk jarak sekitar 100 meteran, untuk jarak yang lebih jauh (s/d 300 meter-an) sebaiknya menggunakan kabel coax RG8.

Saya sendiri di rumah menggunakan Hub 10Mbps bekas yang bisa diperoleh di pasaran seharga Rp. 25-75.000 / buah. Kecepatan LAN 10Mbps sudah cukup untuk keperluan Internet yang kecepatannya biasanya lebih rendah dari 1Mbps.

Onno W. Purbo